Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. 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 China's top political advisor meets with United Russia party chairman Xinhua) 09:07, December 13, 2024 Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, in Beijing on Thursday. Wang, who is also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said that the CPC is willing to work with United Russia to implement the consensus reached by the Chinese and Russian heads of state, strengthen institutional exchange and strategic communication, and promote the continuous development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era. Noting that Russia-China relations enjoy sound development momentum, Medvedev said that dialogue and cooperation between United Russia and the CPC have greatly promoted the strategic coordination and common interests of the two sides. The Russian side is willing to promote cooperation with China in various fields, and to deal with external challenges through channels such as the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of the two countries, he said. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Flash South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said Friday the fastest way to restore order in the country is to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol amid the ongoing political unrest. "It proved that impeachment is the fastest and the most effective way to end the confusion," said Lee, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly. He urged members of the ruling People Power Party to vote in favor of another impeachment motion against Yoon scheduled for Saturday. Yoon on Thursday defended his Dec. 3 martial law declaration and accused the opposition of framing insurrection charges against him and paralyzing state affairs with the abuse of impeachment, vowing to "fight to the end." You are here: World Flash Security force members are seen outside the gate of the ministry for refugees and repatriation of the Afghan caretaker government in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The extremist militant group Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed Afghanistan's acting minister for refugees and repatriation on Wednesday. An IS militant detonated his explosive vest, resulting in the deaths of Khalil Rahman Haqqani and several of his colleagues and bodyguards, a report issued by IS-affiliated news agency "Amaq" stated. Four people, including Haqqani, were killed and four others, including Haqqani's guards, were critically injured following the attack, an official at the Afghan Ministry of Interior told Xinhua on Wednesday. Haqqani is the first cabinet member killed since the Afghan caretaker government took over power in 2021. Flash People are seen at a damaged building after an Israeli airstrike in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on Dec. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others injured in Israeli attacks at residential houses in the refugee camp of al-Nuseirat in central Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said Thursday. Palestinian Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal told Xinhua that the Israeli bombing targeted a residential block that contains the government post office building, which was sheltering displaced people. Rescue operations are still ongoing amid a lack of equipment and heavy overflight by Israeli warplanes, Basal said, adding that the death toll could rise as many of the injured are seriously wounded. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the attacks. Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 44,835, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Doug Champa can understand why it may sound like lunacy that he would roll his wheelchair in front of a moving school bus. But what he doesnt understand, and disagrees with, is why people are accusing him of endangering students and calling him a menace. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. I was protesting, the 58-year-old said. Champa was arrested by Horry County Police on Nov. 22 after he used his wheelchair to block a school bus attempting to drive through his Conway area neighborhood to drop off children. Champa is accused of riding in front of the bus, preventing it from getting around him by moving in its path and slowing the bus down to 5 p.m., an arrest warrant said. His goal was not to get arrested, Champa said, but to make the bus slow down. Champa said buses have been speeding through the neighborhood, going well over the 15 mph speed limit posted on Crusade Circle, where Champa lives with his 88-year-old mother. Thats always been my intention to get them to slow down, Champa said. Maybe I did fall into the lunacy range. I was at my wits end. Champa claims that he and his neighbors have been dealing with speeding buses for about three years. He has called the Horry County Schools Transportation department and complained, pleading with them to have the buses slow down, but is always met with the same answer. Officials tell Champa that the buses have GPS on the vehicles and that it indicates that the buses arent speeding. As with any driving complaints we receive regarding our fleet (school buses and other district vehicles), our management staff reviews them and handles them like any other personnel matter, according to Horry County Schools spokesperson Lisa Bourcier in an email. Unfortunately, Mr. Champa violated South Carolina Code Title 59Education, Chapter 67, Section 59-67-245 concerning interference with the operation of a school bus. As stated, no person shall willfully interfere with the school bus operations. When asked for GPS data on the buses that travel the street, Bourcier said a Freedom of Information Act request would have to be filed for the information. Some part of the confusion regarding speed could be that the street where Champa lives has a 15 mph speed limit. However, on Drawbridge Drive, the next street over, the speed limit is 25 mph. Champa said there are children who live along the narrow street, many of them young. Champa points out that a regular-size vehicle can barely see him when hes in front of it. A bus definitely wouldnt be able to and that would be the same for small children. Theyre pretty big, trust me, I was in front of one last week, Champa said at his home on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Champa was paralyzed after a car accident in 1986. Since that time, the Marine veteran has been in a wheelchair. Other neighbors also have raised concerns about the speeding and a petition to get speed bumps placed along the roadway was signed by many residents. It is unclear if speed bumps will eventually be placed along the street. Neighbor Ken Cockerham said he has seen the buses speed in the neighborhood. He will walk his daughter to the bus stop in the morning, and by the time he is walking back to his home, the bus has already looped around and passed him, Cockerham said. Theres no way the bus could do that if its not speeding, he said. Cockerham has even timed himself driving 15 mph from the bus stop to his home to prove it, he said. Cockerhams daughter rides one of the buses and has told her father that students often must hold as the bus rounds a curve. Champa said he has spoken with one of the bus drivers before, telling the driver that the speed limit is 15 mph. In a video taken by Cockerham the day Champa got in front of the bus, Champa could be heard telling the driver that the speed limit is 15 mph and that she is speeding. The driver replies back that shes not. Police officers later can be seen on the video at Champas home. Champa was released on a $1,000 bond for the charge of interfering with the operation of a school bus. When asked if he would do it again, Champa hesitates. I dont want to go back to jail, he said. Hes on a fixed income and pays for his mothers care so he cant afford a fine or lawyer fees, he said. He does believe the arrest was overkill, adding that three police officers showed up at his house. Champa, who says hes always been an advocate for children and people with disabilities, said he would never physically hurt anybody. I think if you stand for something, youve got to put your money where your mouth is, Champa said. But, theyre making me out to be Al Capone. A Kenyan police officer walks in front of an armoured personnel carrier during a joint operation with Haitian police in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 29 [Jean Feguens Regala/Reuters] A United Nations-backed security mission to Haiti, led by Kenyan forces, has denied reports that some of its officers have gone months without pay. In a statement on Friday, the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti (MSS) said that it "categorically refutes reports that officers have not had their wages paid for three months. "All MSS personnel have received their salaries, including monthly allowances, and no MSS officer has tendered their resignation as alleged, the statement reads. "MSS officers remain highly motivated and fully committed to supporting the Haitian National Police [HNP] in conducting decisive operations aimed at dismantling gang networks and restoring stability. The allegations of unpaid wages come as the MSS struggles to make an impact on conditions in Haiti, where armed gangs have unleashed a wave of violence, wreaking havoc on civilian life and destabilising the country. The UN estimates as much as 85 percent of the capital of Port-au-Prince has fallen under gang control. More than 700,000 people are displaced across Haiti as a result of the violence. The news agency Reuters reported in an exclusive story on Friday that nearly 20 Kenyan officers have resigned from the MSS over delays in pay and poor working conditions, citing three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. In its statement, MSS said that Reuters did not contact the mission for comment before publication, but a spokesperson for the news agency has said that Reuters stands by the story. The mission, already heavily scrutinised due to the poor track record of foreign interventions in Haiti, has made little headway since arriving in the Caribbean island nation in June. Difficulties related to funding have been present from the start. While originally envisioned as a policing mission staffed by 2,500 personnel, Kenya has sent only about 400 officers since June. Questions have also emerged around the stability of funding from the United States, the primary financial supporter for the mission. While the administration of US President Joe Biden has promoted the Kenyan-led effort, it is unclear whether that support will continue in 2025, when Biden is replaced by President-elect Donald Trump. In response to the lack of funding, officials from the US and elsewhere have pushed for the UN to launch a peacekeeping mission in Haiti. But a previous UN peacekeeping mission to the country ended in 2017 amid outcry over its role in re-introducing cholera to the country and allegations of sexual assault. Security in Haiti has worsened since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. But even with the presence of the Kenyan force, gang violence has continued to climb, and the country continues to struggle to establish stable governance. Haiti has not held federal elections in years, a fact the gangs have seized upon to claim legitimacy. In addition, last month, a transitional council tasked with restoring democracy to Haiti fired interim Prime Minister Garry Conille after only six months in the post. The move spurred further questions about corruption in the transitional government and the future of Haitis leadership. ( SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES) Killing continues Meanwhile, At least 184 people were killed over the weekend in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Haitis capital, the United Nations says, with human rights groups attributing the killings to a personal vendetta by a local gang leader. Nearly 130 of those who were killed were more than 60 years old, the UN said on Monday, adding that gang members burned bodies and threw them into the sea. The massacre was "orchestrated by the leader of a powerful gang in Cite Soleil, a sprawling slum by the sea in the capital, Port-au-Prince, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told reporters in Geneva. "These latest killings bring the death toll just this year in Haiti to a staggering 5,000 people, he added. Haitis government condemned the "massacre as act of "unbearable cruelty. Jarvis Horne may just have had a premonition about his death. Jarvis Smadd Dan Horne, a 28-year-old male resident of Fairbaine Pasture, is this countrys 51st homicide victim for 2024. His death on Monday 9th December followed closely on the 50th homicide, that of Ronald Millington who was shot and killed in Murrays Village on Friday 6, December. Jarvis Horne No. 51 Horne, who was employed with the Environmental Health Department, commonly referred to as the Sanitation Department, was gunned down just outside his workplace in Kingstown. around 6:00pm on Monday 9, December A police report said that officers of the Royal SVG Police Force responded promptly to news of the shooting and on arrival at the scene, discovered Horne alive with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. He was taken to the nearby Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where he died. According to an eye witness, Horne was already into his evening shift when he was killed. " He was coming from Bottom Town area and when he reached close to Clear Habor, (a business that delivers high-performance customer care services in the Caribbean and located at the corner of Lower Middle and Lindley Streets, Street and ND Linley Street,) just across from his work place, a gunman come from the area close to where the bridge is and entered Clear Harbor side and shoot Jarvis, said the male who was working in the vicinity of Clear Habor at the time of the shooting. He said that the gunman then ran in the direction of Rose Place. " Yo could see all the blood dey, right next to the blue drum. That is where he was killed, said the man as he pointed at the spot where deceased body was found. The deceased also sold agricultural produce at the roadside in his community and had a passion for music. However, a family told THE VINCENTIAN that Javis had told them he felt like his life was in danger, because people wanted to kill him. Ronald Millington No. 50 On Friday evening, December 6, 2024, the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force reported a shooting incident in Murrays Village that resulted in the death of Ronald Millington, a 40-year-old self-employed member of the community, bringing the homicide count for the year then to 50. The police acted swiftly in response to the reports concerning the incident. Upon their arrival at the scene, the officers encountered Mr. Millington, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Reports are that Millington was shot dead near the Apostolic Faith Church in Murrays Village sometime after 10:20 pm, while on his way home. Readers will recall that Millington was shot, but escaped death, when on Sunday 16 June, 2024, a masked gunman entered a bar in Murrays Village where he and other men were liming. The gunman opened fire, killing 33-year-old businessman Zeno Lee, better known as Sarge of Murrays Village. The gunman also attempted to murder Enrique King, a 24-year-old bartender from Richmond Hill, while Millington sustained grievous bodily harm as a result of being shot and in his escape fell into a river. As a result of that ordeal, Millington had to walk with the aid of a crutch and previous to all of this he had part of one of his hands amputated during a dispute with a man. Following investigations into the June 16 shooting, police arrested and charged Lemar Isaacs, aka Chak, 22, unemployed, of McKies Hill, with the murder of Zeno Lee, attempted murder of Enrique King, wounding Millington with intent, and using a firearm to aid in the commission of an offence. Shooting continues And the shooting in capital Kingstown continued on Tuesday 10th December. The Royal SVG Police Force (RSVGPF) reported that it was investigating a shooting incident that occurred in Rose Place, Kingstown, in the vicinity of the Rubis Gas Station, on the morning of December 10, 2024. The police confirmed that at approximately 11:50am, a 35-year-old vendor from Ottley Hall was shot in his right leg by an unidentified male assailant. The victim was transported to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), where he was receiving medical attention up to Wednesday. Investigations into this and the two fatal shooting are ongoing, and the police has appealed to anyone with information that could assist in identifying the perpetrators to come forward. The combination of these murders and the continuing brazen use of firearms point to a worrying reality that pervades this country of 110.000 people. The red drone, crucial to the aerial mapping exercise, will do flights of 35-45 minutes and is cleared to fly as high as 2000 feet in our air space. Have you ever bought a portion of land only to discover that you are not the only person who has paid for it? That the same parcel was sold three time before? Or have you been in a situation where land that you bought was not properly identified? These are instances arising out of situations where land purchases are not properly registered. That, among other related issues, is a shortcoming that poses a challenges for land purchasers, even land owners and not least, government. This uncertainty impacts national development. Towards a digital map In an effort to ensure accurate data of land use in the country, an Aerial Mapping project, involving the use of drones, that will produce a digital (land) map of the state, to be used by the Lands and Surveys Department. The Aerial Mapping Project, part of the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project (CARDTP). The CARDTP, funded by the World Bank, aims in a broader sense to modernise aspects of the public sector, making it more efficient, and is being implemented simultaneously in countries of the OECS. St. Vincent and the Grenadines leg of the project was launched last Tuesday morning at the Arnos Vale Two Playing Field. The project is being undertaken by a United Kingdom-based company - Place. Frank Pichel, born in the USA, will direct the work on behalf of Place. He brings experience of having worked in similar undertakings in Africa, Turks and Caicos and Anguilla, to his attachment in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Ending land disputes Speaking at the launch, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works and responsibility for Lands, Montgomery Daniel, welcomed the Aerial Mapping/ Caribbean Digital Transformation Project. He sees the updating of records as they relate to lands and land use as providing the framework for meaningful development, and anticipates an end to land squabbles and disputes when the mapping exercise is over and the information collated. Daniel pointed to settlement of disputes over lands, and faster registration of properties as a result of the mapping exercise. And while he recognizes that the Lands and Survey Department will see an increase in their work load as a consequence of the gathering and application of the data, he is happy that the nation is taking advantage of the digital window to improve services to the communities. More efficient land transactions Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Camillo Gonsalves, in his address at the launch, said confidently that the $30M project "will be for the nations benefit. Minister Gonsalves noted that the Lands and Surveys Department has been working with dated information, data he said that was further compromised by climate change. "The lack of data impacts us on multiple levels, he said, adding, "The lack of quality data, and in the context of a country like St. Vincent and the Grenadines with scarce resources and numerable often insurmountable threats, the availability and quality of data about our country, about our landscape is absolutely critical. The Minister stated categorically that the Aerial Mapping project will help to make the process of land transactions more efficient, and reduce the incidences of land disputes. "When we transfer our system from registration by deed to registration by title, that title will have a history of all transactions on the land and it will be the sole record of the history of that land and it wont require a trip to a lawyer. You will be able to look up the plot that you own, the plot that you are interested in purchasing, Minister Gonsalves explained. Dont remove the markers Of much significance to last Tuesdays launch was the contribution of Keith Francis, Chief Surveyor. Addressing some of the mechanics involved in the exercise, Francis pointed to a fixed wing drone which he said will be crucial to providing photographs/imagery that will inform the production of a Digital Map of each land parcel. The drone will be guided by certain ground controlled points. These points, Francis explained, "are iron stake markers that have already been placed on the ground throughout the state. The makers are surrounded by a plywood cross painted in black and while. The markers, he underscored, were crucial to the work of the drones and he made a passionate plea for them not to be removed indiscriminately. He assured that they were temporary and that they will be either removed or would have disintegrated by January 2025. (Additional source of information: API SVG) A first, three AA aircraft at the AIA on the same day, Saturday 7th December, 2024 was a Red Letter Day in the short history of the Argyle International Airport (AIA). For the first time, and on that day, the airport welcomed three American Airlines aircraft/flights. The flights originated from JFK New York; Miami, Fl. and for the first time from Charlotte, North Carolina. Adding even more significance to the occasion was that Vincentian Captain Rochell Roache-Lanza of Bequia commanded the inaugural flight of American Airlines new direct service from Charlotte to AIA; and Tevin Goodridge Da Silva another Vincentian, served as the first officer on the flight arriving from JFK, New York. Roache and Da Silva each received a gift bag from the SVG Tourism Authority, to commemorate another historic milestone on their resumes. Carlos James, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development, and Culture, expressed his enthusiasm for this historic moment saying, "The arrival of three American Airlines flights on the same day is a significant milestone for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This achievement underscores the strategic growth of our destination in the U.S. market and demonstrates the confidence major airlines have in the potential of our tourism industry. As it stands, the North America to SVG/AIA route is served by America Airlines, JetBlue, Westjet, Spirit Airlines, Caribbean Airlines and Air Canada. The UK to SVG/AIA route is served by Virgin Atlantic Airways. Among the airlines providing inter-island service are Caribbean Airways, LIAT20, InterCaribbean Airways and Winair. Argyle International Airport (AIA) officially opened on February 14, 2017. The first international flight to land at the airport was a Dynamic Airways charter flight from New York City. The project broke ground on 13 August 2008, with a work team of Vincentians and Cubans. Gia vang the gioi sang nay ap sat moc 3.000 USD/ounce muc ky luc chua tung co trong lich su. Trong nuoc cung khong ngoai le, khi lan luot tang tu 700 en 1 trieu ong/luong. "Vang ang trong thi truong tang gia dai han. Chung toi du bao gia se giao dich trong khoang 3.000-3.200 USD trong nam nay", Alex Ebkarian, giam oc ieu hanh tai Allegiance Gold cho biet. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Dan Company, a PIF company, specialising in agri, eco, and adventure tourism, has launched Tuaja Luxury Resorts, its new pioneering resorts brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aimed to further elevate the countrys tourism offering. Designed to provide experiences that connect guests with the stunning landscapes, rich culture, and authentic hospitality of the Kingdom, Tuaja offers a blend of luxury, heritage, nature, and sustainability. Tuaja Luxury Resorts offer three distinct experiences to suit all guests, varying from luxury and exploration at Tuaja Premium Farm Resort, tranquility and contemplation at the eco-friendly Tuaja Resort, and adventure and excitement at the Tuaja Adventure Resort. At the heart of all lies sustainability, reflected in innovative practices designed to preserve nature, cultivating a greener future, and fostering a strong culture of environmental responsibility. TUAJA PREMIUM FARM RESORT offers experience for guests to enjoy the beauty of nature amidst opulence and comfort. The resort will provide hands-on agricultural experiences and direct exploration of the land's bounty, ranging from tasting fresh local produce to engaging in farm-to-table cooking experiences and much more. TUAJA ECO RESORT is an eco-conscious retreat for those seeking tranquility and relaxation away from lifes hustle, offering expansive relaxation spaces. It features experiences of meditative practices amidst water channels and stunning nature. Carefully designed health and beauty services are available, where treatments are carried out by a team of skilled specialists using natural products and innovative techniques for the best results. Moreover, the resort stands as a testament to the importance of sustainability and environmental preservation, striving to foster a robust culture of conserving the kingdom's resources and the diversity of its nature for future generations. TUAJA ADVENTURE RESORT is designed for those seeking adventures and outdoor activities suitable for all community members. The variety of activities is tailored to the unique nature of each targeted city, offering opportunities to explore the enchanting landscapes around Saudi Arabia in a fun, thrilling, and exciting way against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty. Abdulrahman Abaalkhail, CEO of Dan Company, said With a vision to create rich and unforgettable experiences that connect guests to the Kingdoms stunning natural landscapes, culture, and hospitality, Tuaja Luxury Resorts will introduce brand-new one-of-a-kind hospitality experiences, rooted in sustainability and setting a remarkable precedent in the regions hospitality industry. Each resort is meticulously designed to offer unique and immersive experiential activities, promising a harmonious blend of luxury, nature, and unforgettable moments for our guests. Through a business model focused cultural authenticity, sustainability, and community empowerment, we are creating an ecosystem that contribute to the Kingdom's broader economic and tourism objectives. Tuajas first three resorts, operated by Hilton, will be in Al-Ahsa, a significant agricultural region in Saudi Arabias Eastern Province and UNESCO World Heritage site, which is home to Al-Ahsa Oasis - the largest date palm oasis in the world. With lush surroundings and homegrown farms at its doorstep, the 1.8 million square meter master development aims to create a premium farm-based tourism destination in the heart of Al-Ahsa, attracting visitors looking to connect with nature and enjoy a diverse range of experiences. Combining Hiltons world-class hospitality with the picturesque landscapes of Al-Ahsa that offer unique experiences rich in cultural and natural beauty, each resort will have a distinct offering, from luxury at the Tuaja Premium Farm Resort, wellness and wellbeing at the Tuaja Eco Resort, and outdoor adventure at the Tuaja Adventure Resort. Tuaja plans to open multiple resorts across different cities in Saudi Arabia by 2030, with each resort being inspired by the culture and heritage of the host city. -TradeArabia News Service Global hospitality major Marriott International has announced that it has signed an agreement with Al Ali Property Investments (API) to bring its Moxy Hotel brands stylish and playful hospitality experience to Dubai. The Moxy Al Barsha Dubai marks the third collaboration between Marriott International and API, following the signings of a Marriott Executive Apartments and Marriott Hotel Residences on Sheikh Zayed Road. A conversion of an existing property within Al Barsha neighbourhood, the hotel will undergo a brand positioning process and refurbishment before opening as Moxy Hotel in the summer of 2025. According to Marriott, the Moxy Hotels has been boldly breaking the rules of a conventional hotel stay since its inception a decade ago. Today the brand has established itself as a leader in the upper midscale lifestyle segment across the globe with over 135 properties in operation across more than 25 countries. Moxy Al Barsha Dubai is anticipated to mark the debut of Moxy in the UAE and will feature the brands industrial design, buzzing social spaces and bold programming. "The Moxy Al Barsha Dubai will serve as a playful lifestyle hotel bringing a spirited experience to the Dubais vibrant hospitality landscape," remarked Chadi Hauch, the Regional Vice President, Lodging Development, Middle East at Marriott International. Dubai, he stated, remains an important growth market for the company and Marriott continues to see a strong demand for hospitality experiences in the market that are as stylish as they are affordable. "This milestone signing also highlights the increased opportunities for conversions across the region, and we are excited to strengthen our relationship with the API with this project," he added. The Moxy Al Barsha Dubai is expected to offer stylish and smart guestrooms that have been designed for todays young-at-heart travellers. The hotel is anticipated to feature buzzing public spaces, bold programming with local flavor, and communal tables offering plenty of opportunities to plug and play. Jassim Al Ali, Managing Director, Al Ali Property Investments, pointed out that Moxy Hotels was an ideal fit for one of Dubais most dynamic areas with its energetic and stylish hospitality experience. "The signing of Moxy Al Barsha Dubai is a great addition to our existing portfolio of properties, and we look forward expanding our collaboration with Marriott International to open the hotel next year," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF has announced that it has completed the acquisition of a 15% stake in FGP TopCo, the holding company of London's Heathrow Airport Holdings, from Spanish infrastructure major Ferrovial SE and certain other FGP TopCo shareholders. This comes in line with PIFs strategy to support important sectors and businesses as long-term partners as part of its global portfolio of assets, said PIF in a statement. Concurrently, Ardian, the private investment house, has acquired approximately 22.6% of FGP TopCo from the same shareholders through a separate vehicle. On the strategic move, Turqi Al Nowaiser, the PIF Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments, said: "PIF is pleased to be investing in Heathrow Airport, a vital UK asset and a world-class airport. "We believe in the importance of infrastructure as a key sector in supporting the transition to net zero. Heathrow acts as a crucial gateway to the world, and we look forward to supporting Heathrows management in its efforts to secure the sustainable growth of the airport and to continue to maintain its position as a global aviation hub," he added.-TradeArabia News Service EPI, an entity of Abu Dhabi-based EDGE Group and the cornerstone of precision engineering in the UAEs aerospace, oil and gas, and defence industries, said it has entered into a strategic deal with Airbus Atlantic to manufacture vital metallic components for ATR aircraft. An essential pillar of Airbus and an industrial world leader in aerostructures, the Airbus Atlantic works to deliver the highest standards of quality and operational excellence, both to Airbus and to aeronautical manufacturers such as Dassault Aviation, Bombardier and ATR. On the key agreement, EPI said it marks a significant milestone for the group as it expands into the production domain of ATR packages, complementing its existing commercial programmes. It also positions EPI as a key player in the manufacturing of metallic components for ATR72 and ATR42 aircraft. Under the agreement, EPI will provide comprehensive support to meet Airbus Atlantics rigorous requirements, standards and targets throughout the industrialisation and production phases. "This new contract with Airbus Atlantic deepens our existing cooperation and reflects our unrelenting dedication to excellence and innovation," remarked its CEO Michael Deshaies at the signing ceremony held on the sidelines of the recent Airbus D2P conference in Toulouse, France. EPI, he stated, continues to establish strategic local and international partnerships with the industrys biggest players to bolster the group's capabilities, expertise, and value chain. "For this project, we will utilise industry-leading and high performing Computer Numerical Control (CNC) equipment to automate the machining process with high precision. It is a great honour to have EPI products featured on the worlds leading twin-engine turboprop airliner," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Dubai International Chamber (DIC) has signed an MoU with the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture to enhance cooperation and promote the flow of trade and investments. Successfully concluding its trade mission to Tanzania, DIC also facilitated 408 business meetings between companies from Dubai and Tanzania to foster new partnerships and capitalise on mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities. The MoU is aimed at strengthening collaboration between companies from Dubai and Tanzania and encompasses the organisation of trade missions, conferences, and business events. The two parties will also work together to share expertise, exchange information, and explore opportunities for mutual cooperation in business policies and investments. Business forum As part of the trade mission, the chamber organised a business forum in Dar es Salaam titled Doing Business with Tanzania with the support of the Embassy of United Arab Emirates in Dar es Salam; the Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania in the UAE; the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture; the Tanzania Investment Centre; the Tanzania Trade Development Authority, the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation; and the Confederation of Tanzanian Industries. The event featured speeches by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, Khalifa Abdulrahman Almarzooqi, Ambassador of the UAE to the United Republic of Tanzania; Hon Dr Selemani Saidi Jafo, Minister of Industry and Trade, United Republic of Tanzania; Vicent Bruno Minja, President-Board Chairman of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture, and Lt Gen Yacoub Hassan Mohamed, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the UAE. The forum was attended by 461 participants including senior officials, business leaders, and Tanzanian companies seeking to explore partnership opportunities with members of the chambers delegation. Lootah commented: DICs trade mission to Tanzania comes as part of our strong commitment to enhancing economic and trade relations with promising African markets. This trade mission creates an exceptional opportunity to build bridges of cooperation between the business communities in Dubai and Tanzania and open new avenues for strategic partnerships that will contribute to mutual growth and prosperity. According to Dubai Customs data, the value of non-oil trade between Dubai and Tanzania achieved 9% year-over-year growth in 2023 to reach a value of AED9.8 billion ($2.7 billion). A total of 274 companies from Tanzania were registered as active members of Dubai Chamber of Commerce as of the end of September 2024. Latest updates During the forum, DIC shared the latest updates on Dubais trade and economic landscape, highlighting the emirates competitive advantages to Tanzanian companies. The event also included presentations outlining the significant opportunities available for companies from Dubai in the Tanzanian market. The chamber has identified several promising export sectors from Dubai to Tanzania, including automotive components, electric bikes, car tyres, vehicle engines, cooking oils, textiles, and wheat. The most attractive sectors for investment in Tanzania include energy and mining, pharmaceuticals, real estate, agriculture, and manufacturing. The trade mission featured representatives from 32 private sector companies in Dubai representing diverse industries including construction and building materials, engineering, food and beverages, storage and retail, oil and gas, electrical appliances, healthcare, energy, the automotive sector, agritech, and information technology.--TradeArabia News Service Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company, has selected iPoint, one of Bahrains largest distributors of quality peripherals, as its new distribution partner for the full Kaspersky consumer portfolio in the Kingdom. Through this recent agreement, iPoint will be able sell Kasperskys award-winning products and solutions, designed to ensure comprehensive protection against all cyber threats. These products include Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium. The portfolio also includes tools such as the parental control app, Kaspersky Safe Kids, and Kaspersky Password Manager, designed to securely store passwords and sensitive data. Kaspersky said it provides a robust combination of advanced threat protection, intuitive solutions, and an international reputation for excellence. Given the regions rapid digitization and the subsequent rise in cyber threats, Kasperskys products are tailored to meet the evolving cybersecurity needs of individuals and families across Bahrain and beyond, it stated. Seifallah Jedidi, Head of Consumer Channel, META, at Kaspersky, expressed delight at expanding its consumer distribution network in the kingdom through partnership with iPoint, the distribution unit of Business International WLL Bahrain. Kaspersky is committed to providing crucial, advanced cybersecurity solutions to a rapidly growing digital market, and along with iPoints strong regional presence, we aim to empower customers with the expertise and tools to protect their lives online." "This partnership is a positive advancement in ensuring accessible and resilient cybersecurity for the Kingdom of Bahrain," he stated. Aruldas Thomas, General Manager, at iPoint Bahrain, said: "We are excited to collaborate with Kaspersky, a globally recognized leader in cybersecurity. In todays digital age, the internet is central to our daily lives, and we are proud to introduce Kasperskys solutions and tools to safeguard valuable data for the citizens of Bahrain." A global cybersecurity expert, Kaspersky said its comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection, specialized security products and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kasperskys deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe.-TradeArabia News Service Jubaili Bros, a leading supplier of power generation solutions and services in the Middle East and Africa, and Siemens Energy, one of the worlds leading energy technology companies, have announced a strategic partnership to offer small gas turbines to customers across the African region with initial focus on Nigeria. The partnership will leverage Siemens Energy's expertise in gas turbine technology and Jubaili Bros' extensive sales and aftersales network leaning on a strong track record in delivering power generation solutions across multiple countries and critical industry segments, said a statement from Jubaili Bros. Together, they will offer reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly gas turbine solutions from 5 MW to 15 MW, suitable for a wide spectrum of applications such as industrial, commercial, Data Centres, and off-grid power supply, it stated. Jubaili Bros said along with Siemens Energy, it was poised to make a significant impact in the African energy landscape, providing robust solutions that meet the evolving needs of their customers supporting diversification of their energy matrix. It will also help in transition to cleaner energy sources as small gas turbines can operate with various types of fuel, including carbon-neutral fuels derived from organic waste (HVO) and synthetic liquids and gases such as methane and hydrogen. On the big Africa foray, Dr Marcus Schumacher, Group CEO of Jubaili Bros, said: "We are delighted to join forces with Siemens Energy, a world-renowned leader in gas turbine technology, to offer our customers in the Africa region best-in-class solutions allied to our leading aftersales experience." "We have a long history of providing reliable and customized power solutions to our customers, and we are confident that this partnership will enable us to meet the growing demand for power in the Africa region," he stated. Marcus Nelle, Head of Gas Services Sales Africa at Siemens Energy, said: "We are excited to partner with Jubaili Bros, a trusted and reputable company in the power generation market, to bring our innovative and high-quality small gas turbines to customers on the African Continent." "Together, we will work on improving energy accessibility and supporting economic development in emerging countries. Jubaili Bross extensive experience in deploying and supporting power generation solutions in Nigeria and across Africa perfectly complements Siemens Energys Africa set-up," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Visa, a world leader in digital payments, has announced the launch of the third edition of its global advocacy program, Shes Next, in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB) and Monsha'at. Building on the success of previous programs, including the impactful GCC-wide program in June 2023, which drew over 800 applications, this year's initiative focuses on empowering women entrepreneurs in the fashion industry through a dedicated competition, grants, mentorship, and training. From December 3, 2024 until January 9, 2025, women fashion designers in Saudi Arabia are being invited to apply for She's Next with their entries. In addition to the application form, applicants must also submit a sketch design that beautifully integrates elements of Saudi heritage with modern inspirations. The winners will be chosen by a jury who will evaluate participants' work based on the following criteria: Compelling Story of Entrepreneurship, Strength of Business Metrics, Compelling Digital Presence, Compelling Problem-Solving within the business, Creativity & Originality of Design, and Sustainability of Design. The Grand Prize winner will receive a tailored training program in addition to a grant of $25,000, the runner-up will receive a grant of $15,000, and the People's Choice winner will receive $10,000. All participants will gain access to webinar training, She's Next Club resources like the Practical Skills Business Program, and a network of entrepreneurs. This year, She's Next features a dedicated mentorship segment led by renowned Saudi fashion designer Razan Alazzouni. The five finalists will be announced on January 24, 2025, and the final event and winner announcement will take place on February 24, 2025. In 2023, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Visa GCC's collaborative SheTrades and Shes Next initiatives trained 340 women from six countries, supporting over 12,000 women employees. With 96% of participants reporting improved skills and 97% increased self-confidence, the partnership is set to expand. The extended collaboration aims to enhance women entrepreneurs' business and digital skills, improve their export competitiveness, market access, and financial inclusion. Ali Bailoun, Visas Regional General Manager in KSA, Bahrain and Oman, said: "We are thrilled to launch the third edition of She's Next in Saudi Arabia, this time specifically empowering women entrepreneurs driving innovation in the fashion industry." "Through this program, in partnership with SAB and Monsha'at, we aim to address the unique challenges faced by women in this sector, providing access to crucial funding, mentorship from renowned designer Razan Alazzouni, and resources to foster growth and digital transformation. We believe that supporting these talented women will not only contribute to their individual success but also enrich the vibrant fashion landscape of Saudi Arabia," he stated. Lama Ghazzaoui, Chief Financial Officer at SAB, said: "At SAB, we believe that partnerships like our collaboration with VISA are key to driving innovation and addressing the needs of our customers and communities." "Together, we are creating solutions that not only enhance financial inclusion but also provide sustainable tools to empower businesses and individuals for long-term growth. This initiative reflects our commitment to thinking differently and delivering impactful, real-world outcomes that tackle some of todays most pressing challenges," he added. Monshaat expressed delight at celebrating the launch of the Shes Next program in its third edition in collaboration with Visa. This transformative initiative provides unparalleled opportunities for women entrepreneurs in fashion and other industries across Saudi Arabia, it stated. The program demonstrates a steadfast commitment to empowering Saudi women with tools for success by offering access to funding, tailored mentorship, and specialized training. The program not only addresses key challenges faced by women entrepreneurs but also sets a foundation for sustainable growth and innovation. We are confident that this collaboration will strengthen the women-led entrepreneurial ecosystem, promote economic diversification, and significantly contribute to the aspirations of Saudi Vision 2030, it added. Shes Next is part of Visas efforts to support digitalization of women-owned businesses and features the first edition of Visas Women SMB Digitalization Index in Saudi Arabia. The Index scores businesses based on 5 indicators: online presence, digital payments acceptance, payment security awareness, customer engagement, and customer retention. For Saudi, the index reveals that women-owned businesses scored highest in digital payments, online presence, and security awareness. Ali Bailoun said according to Visa's Women SMB Digitalization study, women-owned businesses in Saudi Arabia are looking for ways to expand their business, 42% of respondents cited finding the right talent as their biggest obstacle to growth, while 33% pointed to the need for better access to capital or funding, and an equal percentage highlighted the need for digital transformation support. "She's Next directly addresses these needs by providing crucial funding, expert mentorship tailored to the fashion industry, and resources to help navigate the digital landscape. We are confident that this program will empower women fashion designers to overcome these obstacles, scale their businesses, and contribute to the vibrant economic growth of Saudi Arabia," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), has announced the launch of its Airside Operations Departments initiative, aimed at maintaining the safety of aircraft and operations in the airport apron. This initiative involves removing Foreign Object Debris (FOD) from the cargo operations, located at the west of the airport runway, mitigating potential risks to aircraft and ground operations, said BAC in a statement. This collaborative effort brought together teams from across BACs Airside Operations Department, along with key partners including Bahrain Airport Services Company (BAS), DHL and the US Navy. This initiative underscores BACs ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards in the airport apron and reinforces the importance of partner collaboration in ensuring a consistently clean and safe runway environment, it stated. Through these initiatives, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) reaffirms its commitment to elevating operational safety and efficiency standards, by adopting cutting-edge technologies and best practices across all its operations, it added.-TradeArabia News Service Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley says she is prepared to have her United States visa revoked, as she urged Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries to ensure they are able to explain...what the Cubans have been able to do for us as they seek to defend the Cuban health brigade programme. This matter, with the Cubans and the nurses, should tell us everything that we need to know. Barbados does not currently have Cuban medical staff or Cuban nurses, but I will be the first to go to the line and to tell you that we could not get through the (Covid-19) pandemic without the Cuban nurses and the Cuban doctors, Mottley said in a statement in Parliament. Ginnie Graham Tulsa World Editorials Editor Follow Ginnie Graham 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 Forget the war on Christmas; that was so 2005. Putting prayer back in school? That was fixed with the now-mandated moment of silence that started in 2002. Dont fret. Still going strong is the annual tradition of a pastor-turned-lawmaker filing a bill to force the Ten Commandments into public spaces, with public schools being the most favorite of targets. For years that unconstitutional crusade was led by former Broken Arrow Rep. Mike Ritze, a Baptist deacon and Sunday school teacher who paid $10,000 to install a Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds in 2012. That led to lawsuits and a man mowing it down with a vehicle in 2014. Predictably, the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2015 struck down the 2009 law (sponsored by Ritze) that allowed for the monument to begin with. It was moved to the grounds of the conservative think-tank the Oklahoma Council on Public Affairs. That wasnt the end of it. Oh, no. Lawmakers rolled the dice, thinking Oklahomans might be ready to change the state Constitution and remove what is called the Blaine Amendment, which was a condition for achieving statehood in 1906. The wording for that amendment is part of several state constitutions and could be considered anti-Catholic because it was intended to stop public money from going to Catholic schools. (Sound familiar?) But, in effect, its become the legal wall separating church and state, serving well a secular society of many faiths. That amendment has kept religious zealotry out of public business and kept government from imposing its will on faith institutions. Oklahomans rejected State Question 790 in 2016, keeping the amendment. Still, some lawmakers never take a hint. Now we have Rep. Jim Olsen from Roland. Hes the firebrand preacher who wants to paddle kids in schools and give embryos full rights as a person. Hes determined to straighten out our wayward kids by getting those Ten Commandments on school walls. Hes very specific about it, too. In the proposed House Bill 1006, every public school classroom would have the Old Testament laws in a conspicuous place (meaning not the teachers desk drawer) in a durable poster or framed copy (meaning not easily torn up). Each would measure at least 16 inches wide by 20 inches deep (meaning big enough not to be ignored). Olsens bill includes the exact language to use: I AM the LORD thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbors. The shouty capitalization would be required. The obsession about the Ten Commandments is a puzzle. Of all things Biblical, there are better moral guides and inspirational passages. I prefer the Beatitudes and have a particular fondness for Ecclesiastes 3. Proverbs have some mindful verses. Maybe all the shalt nots appeal to a certain crowd. The Ten Commandments themselves are fine. Not killing and not stealing still rank high on our priority list of laws. As a mom, I like that honoring your mother one. But the rest except one arent illegal in Oklahoma. Fun fact: Adultery is a felony in Oklahoma, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $500 fine. There are 16 states and Puerto Rico where it remains a crime to have an affair. But Oklahoma is one of just three states where its a felony, along with Michigan and Wisconsin. I have a feeling that if prosecutors started filing charges on adultery starting with those working in the Oklahoma Capitol, that law might find itself gone. Other than the murder, stealing and sex stuff, the other commandments are just suggestions. A better use of classroom space would be things like reminders to wash hands, do homework, not run with scissors and keep hands to themselves. I wouldnt be opposed to an honor your mother notation being included. To be clear, this bill is unconstitutional. In addition to the Oklahoma Supreme Courts striking down of the law that allowed the Ten Commandments monument at the state Capitol, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1980 struck down a Kentucky law that required schools to post the Ten Commandments. As with other Biblical writings, context matters. Just posting the Ten Commandments doesnt serve a secular purpose, so it violates the First Amendments establishment clause, the court found. But, for courses such as Advanced Placement history and government, learning about how these religious writings affect our past and present is a legitimate (and legal) aspect of education. The Bible was not the only thing influencing the nations founders. They pulled heavy from other philosophers dating to the Greeks and include some Native American thinking and structure. This isnt Olsens first shot at a Ten Commandments school mandate. He tried last year with co-sponsor Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant. Thankfully, Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, was the voice of reason as chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committees Education Subcommittee and didnt advance it. Olsen has a friend in State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who champions forcing all public school educators to teach the King James Version of the Bible and put the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Hes also facing more than 15 lawsuits and several critical financial audits. Knowing that legislative proposals and policies are unconstitutional doesnt stop Oklahoma lawmakers like Olsen and Walters. They welcome lawsuits, thinking that if they can get to this U.S. Supreme Court, then America will finally turn into the Christian nation they dream about. While they tilt at windmills, Oklahoma public schools suffer under the weight of a crisis in workforce shortage and not enough classroom resources. Rather than focusing on the shall-nots from thousands of years ago, lawmakers need to spend energy on what shall be done for Oklahoma kids right now. Industry experts called on Vietnam to establish a national rice brand capable of competing on the global stage, suggesting that its world-renowned ST25 rice can serve as a flagship, while addressing a rice seminar in Soc Trang Province, southern Vietnam on Tuesday. The event, entitled Building a National Brand for Vietnamese Rice,' was organized by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Peoples Committee of Soc Trang. Ho Quang Cua, deemed the 'father' of the ST25 rice, which was named the best variety in the world twice in 2019 and 2023, pointed out that top global rice exporters like India and Thailand have successfully developed their brands by focusing on a single iconic grain. Agricultural engineer Ho Quang Cua addresses a rice seminar in Soc Trang Province, southern Vietnam, December 10, 2024. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Indias Basmati and Thailands Hom Mali are globally recognized due to strict adherence to purity standards. Cua recommended that Vietnam should adopt similar international practices. He emphasized the importance of fragrance, which he described as the defining trait of high-quality rice, suggesting that Vietnam must limit chemical use, adopt sustainable farming methods, and avoid harvesting in harsh weather conditions to preserve the aroma. Pham Thai Binh, board chairman of Trung An High-Tech Farming JSC, said that the Philippines has imported large volumes of Vietnamese rice, despite competition from cheaper Indian grains. This indicates that Vietnamese rice has earned the trust of Philippine buyers, paving the way for building Vietnams rice brand. Binh proposed that ST5 with its international reputation be chosen as the emblematic variety for Vietnam. He advised that developing a prominent national rice brand should begin with building trust, meaning that Vietnam must ensure food safety, maintain high standards, and deliver quality rice from field to table. Pham Thai Binh (C), board chairman of Trung An High-Tech Farming JSC. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Le Thanh Tung, former deputy head of the Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, advocated for enterprise-driven branding efforts. Tung argued that state-led initiatives with rigid regulations could limit creativity. Instead, businesses should be empowered to tailor their products to meet consumer demands for safety, affordability, and sustainability. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is implementing a project of planting one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice. This initiative will contribute to the countrys efforts to build a national rice brand, Tung said. Le Thanh Tung, vice-president of the Vietnam Rice Sector Association. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Phoebe Ricarte, a Philippine expert, elaborated that many consumers are willing to pay a premium for rice of traceable origin, particularly those labeled with QR codes. She underscored the growing demand for organic and eco-friendly products, urging Vietnam to prioritize sustainability in its branding strategy. Phoebe Ricarte, a Philippine expert. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Many government officials and industry experts at the event floated various measures for Vietnam to boost its rice sector growth. Le Thanh Hoa, deputy chief of the National Authority for Agro-Forestry-Fishery Quality, Processing and Market Development, pledged government support for rice branding, while calling for local enterprises' participation in branding efforts. Le Thanh Hoa, deputy chief of the National Authority for Agro-Forestry-Fishery Quality, Processing and Market Development, under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Vu Ngoc Dinh, general director of Techpal Group, urged Vietnam to prioritize quality and value over quantity to build a major rice brand. The Techpal Group leader suggested showcasing high-quality Vietnamese rice at international events and using it at state banquets for better global recognition. Further, government policies should encourage enterprises to export high-quality rice with clear 'Made in Vietnam' labeling. Vu Ngoc Dinh, general director of Techpal Group. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! What you need to know today in Vietnam: Society -- On Thursday, Da Nang's traffic police department summoned a driver for installing unauthorized LED lights on their car, following public reports on social media, and documented the violation. -- Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, in collaboration with Vinh International Airport in north-central Nghe An Province, organized on Thursday a drill to practice firefighting and rescue operations for an aircraft emergency requiring a diversion and landing at Vinh Airport. -- According to a newly released report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, Thailand recorded the highest number of financial phishing attacks in Southeast Asia during the first half of 2024, with 141,258 incidents. Indonesia followed with 48,439 cases. In Vietnam, the figure stood at 40,102, while Malaysia reported 38,056 financial phishing attacks during the same period. -- By midday on Thursday, several flights bound for Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City were forced to circle in holding patterns before landing due to adverse weather conditions. The disruptions resulted in cascading delays for subsequent flights. Business -- A survey of 184 senior executives from member companies of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam) in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang reveals a bright outlook for business performance in the coming year. More than 64 percent of the respondents expressed optimism about their operations over the next 12 months, with particular confidence noted in sectors such as materials. -- The Asian Development Bank has revised its growth forecast for Vietnam, raising it to 6.4 percent for 2024, up from the earlier projection of six percent. For 2025, the forecast has been adjusted to 6.6 percent, an increase from the previous estimate of 6.2 percent. -- In the first half of 2024, businesses in Vietnam faced over 1.44 million cyberattacks, averaging more than 8,000 incidents per day. These figures were released by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky on Thursday, highlighting the scale of web-based threats targeting businesses across Southeast Asia. Lifestyle -- Da Nangs Tourism Department introduced on Thursday the Da Nang Food Tour, showcasing 400 curated dining spots. Visitors receive a 'culinary passport' offering increasing discounts the more they dine, blending gastronomy with tourism promotion. Sports -- Ho Chi Minh City will host the 2024 International Martial Arts Festival from December 20 to 23 on Le Loi Street in District 1. Featuring participants from countries like South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, the event highlights traditional martial arts and fosters global exchange and collaboration. World News -- Neanderthals and humans likely interbred during a brief window around 45,000 years ago, the Associated Press cited scientists as revealing on Thursday. By analyzing ancient DNA, researchers narrowed down the timeline, finding it to be slightly more recent than earlier estimates. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! The traffic police department in Da Nang, central Vietnam on Thursday summoned a driver for installing unauthorized LED lights on her car and documented the violation. The decision was made following public reports on social media. The car, which was unlawfully decorated with sparkling LED lights, was seen traveling on Dragon Bridge in the city at 9:30 pm on Tuesday. The situation sparked concerns among many commuters over the car posing a traffic safety risk and being offensive. Traffic police officers quickly identified the owner of the vehicle, summoned and booked her for the violation. A car driver is summoned to the police station and booked for installing unauthorized LED lights on her car in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Supplied The citys traffic police department advised residents not to install any unauthorized lights on their vehicles as it goes against the Vietnamese Law on Road Traffic. Besides, unlawfully installing lights on a car might affect the vision of other drivers, posing a high risk of traffic accidents. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore is working with local authorities to investigate the murder of a Vietnamese woman who was fatally stabbed at her workplace in the city-state on Tuesday. Singaporean authorities confirmed that the victim in the knife attack in Hougang was Dao Thi Hong, a 34-year-old Vietnamese national and a mother of three young children. The embassy is assisting with the investigation and helping the victims family with funeral arrangements. The Strait Times reported on Tuesday that Hong had been killed at the Quan Long Nippon Paint hardware store at Block 210 Hougang Street 21. At around 11:00 am that day, a 42-year-old man, believed to be also a worker at the store, stabbed Hong repeatedly in front of witnesses. Another colleague who tried to intervene and the suspect also sustained injuries. The Singapore Civil Defense Force confirmed that it had taken the three injured individuals to hospital for treatment. Her flatmate recounted that Hong was initially conscious when rushed to the hospital but later succumbed to her injuries. A friend of hers said that Hong had moved to Singapore from Hanoi about five years ago for work. Hongs family has arrived in Singapore to arrange her funeral. The suspect, identified as Chinese national Du Zaixing, has been charged with murder and appeared in court on Thursday, The Strait Times reported the same day. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. The suspect is currently being held on remand but may be taken back to the crime scene as part of ongoing investigations. His case is scheduled to return to court on December 19. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, in collaboration with Vinh International Airport in north-central Nghe An Province, on Thursday organized a drill to practice firefighting and rescue operations for aircraft requiring a diversion and emergency landing at Vinh Airport. The hypothetical situation for the drill involved Noi Bai receiving a notification from the Air Traffic Control that a plane on a domestic route was experiencing a hydraulic system failure and requested emergency landing at Noi Bai. The pilot asked the airport to support the landing at 8:39 am. The aircraft was carrying 180 passengers, eight flight crew members, and two metric tons of cargo. Accordingly, the airport quickly activated its complete emergency plan and mobilized forces and vehicles to handle the situation. However, at 8:37 am the airport was informed that the bad weather at Noi Bai International Airport restricted the pilots visibility, so the flight crew asked to divert and land at Vinh International Airport. The Nghe An-based airport then took emergency action to receive the aircraft. As soon as the plane landed at Vinh Airport, due to a hydraulics fault, the front landing gear did not work properly. When the aircraft touched down, its nose landing gear collapsed, causing friction between the nose of the plane and the surface of the runway, leading to a fire. The aircraft stopped at the end of the runway. Rescuers quickly approached the burning aircraft for rescue and firefighting operations. After rescuing all the passengers and flight crew members, and putting out the flames, forces relocated the plane away from the runway to reopen the airport. Rescuers evacuate passengers to safe shelters after a plane lands at Vinh International Airport and catches fire during a drill on December 12, 2024. Photo: NIA Forces relocate a damaged plane from the runway at Vinh International Airport in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam during a drill on December 12, 2024. Photo: NIA This was the first drill to be co-held by Noi Bai International Airport and Vinh International Airport. It featured the participation of 200 people and 22 vehicles. Speaking at the drill, Nguyen Duc Hung, deputy general director of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), emphasized the importance of drills to make the airports under ACV more proactive and effective in any emergency case. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! The deadline to complete an oncology hospital project in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam has been proposed to be delayed until 2027 despite the project having been commenced eight years earlier. The project, funded by Hungarian loans, is the Can Tho Oncology Hospital, situated in Can Tho City, the Mekong Deltas central hub. During a meeting on Wednesday, Nguyen Van Dung, a member of the Can Tho Peoples Council, said the project is a typical example of wastefulness in the city and asked for plans to deal with it. In response, director of the Can Tho Department of Health Hoang Quoc Cuong said the municipal administration has established a special working team to resolve issues related to the project. After working with relevant ministries and agencies over the past two years, the national government allowed the resumption of the project on July 15 this year following a suspension since 2022. The Can Tho Department of Health later worked with contractors to reach a consensus on the medical equipment list for the project. On November 8, Can Tho requested the prime ministers approval to extend the projects completion deadline to 2027, replace ODA loans with local funding, revise the list of medical equipment and building materials, and adjust the projects scope. Once approved, the department plans to propose adjustments to the municipal administration and aims to resume work by 2025, according to Cuong. Le Thanh Tam, director of the Can Tho Department of Planning and Investment, said the department would coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to urge the municipal Peoples Committee to resolve obstacles in the project to prevent wastefulness and losses. Tam added the Can Tho Oncology Hospital project plays an important role as it was expected to serve residents in all provinces in the Mekong Delta. The Can Tho Oncology Hospital project, designed with a capacity of 500 beds, has a total investment of over VND1.7 trillion (US$66.9 million), with Hungarian ODA loans covering more than 80.66 percent of the budget. Construction of the Can Tho Oncology Hospital began in October 2017, with an initial completion target of 2020. Once completed, it is expected to be the largest and most advanced oncology hospital in the Mekong Delta. However, work was suspended in 2022, leaving completed structures abandoned. The Can Tho Department of Health attributed the halt to the expiration of both the construction contract and the loan agreement. During construction, contractors from Hungary made requests to change the medical and construction equipment to ensure that half of the list had Hungarian origins, leading to adjustments to the construction contract and loan agreement. The department also admitted that it was inexperienced in carrying out projects using ODA loans, delaying procedure completion. The old Can Tho Oncology Hospital is falling apart and overcrowded. The hospital receives over 500 patients daily for health checkups and provides inpatient care for around 500 others. Due to the overcrowding, two to three patients are often forced to share a single bed. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The recipients of the Endemol Shine Australia Early Career Writers Program are (pictured L-R) Slade Camilleri, Sally Alrich-Smythe, Becki Bouchier and Luke Agius. A collaboration between Endemol Shine Australia and Screen Australia, and supported by the Australian Writers Guild, the initiative provides high-level training for early to mid-career Australian writers who have the potential for a strong career trajectory in scripted episodic storytelling. Over eight weeks the four emerging writers will be immersed in all facets of the Endemol Shine Australia script department. Endemol Shine Australia Head of Scripted Sara Richardson said: The applications received were outstanding, and these four writers exemplary. It is a privilege to be able to run this program again with the support of Screen Australia. Endemol Shine Australia is excited to guide and mentor them, as well as encourage their learning and professional development. They are this industrys future, she continued. Screen Australia Head of Development Bobby Romia said: We are thrilled to see Luke, Sally, Becki and Slade embark on this exciting next step in their careers. The Early Career Writers Program offers them the perfect platform to refine their craft and open doors to new opportunities. These four recipients bring with them a strong appetite to learn and a passion to create a new slate of stories for the next generation, and I cant wait to see what they achieve. Luke Agius With a talent for creating captivating and inspiring stories, Lukes unique perspective was shaped by his upbringing in Western Sydney with a Maltese father and First Nations mother. He began his filmmaking career at age 12 and made a plethora of films, eventually culminating his skills towards eventually studying Media Arts Production at the University of Technology Sydney. He has since made several award-winning short films, music videos, corporate content for large brands such as Google, and, prior to turning 23, directed his first feature film The Ferryman, which is now available on Amazon Prime. Luke was also a writer and director behind the Screen Australia short-form webseries Go Figure, which has accumulated in over 100k views across socials. With a passion for telling meaningful stories that resonate with audiences, Lukes second feature The Undesirables is currently in post-production. Sally Alrich-Smythe After studying Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, Sally trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 2016 for Musical Theatre, and later returned there to do her Master of Fine Arts: Writing for Performance in 2018. Sally is currently a regular script writer on Home and Away, where she previously worked as a Senior Storyliner. In 2023, Sallys play Wavelength won the Australian Theatre Festival NYC New Play Award, and was read to a sold out audience at Theatre Row in October of the same year. Her TV pilot script Dirty Road was both a finalist and highly commended for the Australian Writers Guilds Monte Miller Award 2021 and is currently under development as an eight-part television series with CJZ Productions. In 2021, Sally was a Fresh Ink Writer Resident at The Australian Theatre for Young People, where she also worked as an educator and divisor for the theatre maker workshops. Her produced playwriting credits include The Stargazers Project (Periscope Productions/Melbourne Council of the Arts, 2020), and Homesick (The Old 505, 2019). Most recently, Sally completed a six-week professional script development placement with ScriptedInk and Studio Canal/StudioPlus as a Development and Acquisitions Intern. Becki Bouchier Becki is a Singaporean-Australian screenwriter and director whose work explores the challenges faced by women, with a focus on mental health and gender roles. Becki was nominated for an Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award and an Australian Directors Guild Award for her short film Snapshot, which had its world premiere at Austin Film Festival. In 2022, she was a recipient of the SBS Emerging Writers Incubator and spent 12 months working as staff writer at production company Sweetshop and Green. Beckis dark comedy/drama pilot script Jelly was longlisted for the AWGs Emerging Writers Award. Her two other television pilot screenplays Blackout and Bad Timing have been invited to the AWGs prestigious Pathways showcase, and her romantic-comedy feature screenplay Modern Day Romance was longlisted for both the Monte Miller and John Hinde Awards. In 2019, Becki made her first foray into theatre, writing and directing the play Chasing Yesterday which performed to a sold-out season at the Melbourne Fringe. Becki has been selected for the AWGs First Break program and has a Master of Film and Television (Narrative) from the Victorian College of the Arts. Slade Camiller Slade Camilleri is a screenwriter and script editor from Melbourne, Australia. Having obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting) in 2017 from the Victorian College of the Arts, Slade has gone on to work as a production assistant on a number of films, such as Darklands and The Speedway Murders. In early 2023, Slade was brought on to the relaunch of Neighbours, where he spent a year as the senior script coordinator, before stepping into his current role of trainee script editor/storyliner, and writer of six episodes. The Early Career Writers Program is presented by Screen Australia in collaboration with Endemol Shine Australia with industry partner Australian Writers Guild. A suspected Chinese spy who became a close confidante of the Duke of York was banned from the UK over national security fears that he could compromise the Royal. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman took the decision to bar the businessman, who has close ties to the Chinese State, from the UK in March 2023. Full details of the case were published for the first time on Thursday, as the man - known only as H6 - lost an appeal against the decision. The explosive ruling revealed that Prince Andrew struck up an unusually close relationship with the man and agreed to business dealings, at a time when he was under intense international pressure over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. ADVERTISEMENT The businessman was allowed to act as a go-between for Prince Andrew, and was invited to the Royals 2020 birthday party. He was also suspected of circumventing the Dukes Private Secretaries, and smuggling people unnoticed in and out of Andrews residence in Windsor. In a briefing to Mrs Braverman in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials that could be leveraged for political interference purposes. They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew, represented a threat to national security. In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, dismissed the appeal against H6s ban from entering the UK. The Secretary of State was entitled to conclude that the applicant represented a risk to the national security of the United Kingdom, and that she was entitled to conclude that his exclusion was justified and proportionate, they said. ADVERTISEMENT The reason for H6s exclusion was a suspicion he had engaged in covert and deceptive activity on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and that he likely posed a threat to national security. The judges said the Home Secretary had a rational basis for the conclusion that (H6) had been in a position to generate relationships with prominent UK figures which could be leveraged for political interference purposes by the CCP or the Chinese State. Dominic Hampshire, a senior aide to Prince Andrew, wrote about the businessmans relationship with the Royal, which judges said had helped to justify the conclusion that (he) won a significant degree, one could say an unusual degree, of trust from a senior member of the Royal Family who was prepared to enter into business activities with him. In a reference to the Epstein scandal, they said the relationship was struck up when the Duke was under considerable pressure and could be expected to value (his) loyal support. It is obvious that the pressures on the Duke could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence. ADVERTISEMENT The Home Secretary concluded there was potential for leveraging such a relationship, especially by a person who had sought to minimise his links with the Chinese State. The judges added: References in Mr Hampshires letter of 30 March 2020 to obsessive confidentiality, to navigating around the Dukes Private Secretaries and to getting people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor may genuinely have had the innocent explanations which have been put forward, but the Secretary of State was entitled to conclude that they did not. In his legal action, H6 argued at a tribunal in London that the decision had been unlawful. He said he avoids getting involved in politics, and only had limited links to the Chinese state. His lawyers also argued that there was evidence that it was difficult for a Chinese national involved in business to avoid any contact with the CCP and that material related to his relationship with Andrew had to be read in the context of an advisor writing to someone who had been loyal to the Duke in difficult times. However Home Office lawyers argued that H6 had downplayed his links to an arm of the CCP, and that his relationship with Andrew could be used for political interference. ADVERTISEMENT The three judges said that H6 had enjoyed a private life in the UK, which had been described as the businessmans second home, adding: He has settled status, a home and extensive business interests in the United Kingdom. He was regarded as a close confidant of the Duke. Whilst excluding the applicant would not necessarily halt his activities, it would significantly hinder them, added the tribunal. Cultivating relationships with prominent UK individuals would logically be much more difficult if no meetings could take place in the UK. Prince Andrew, who was formerly a trade envoy for the UK, was branded a useful idiot in 2022 over a string of trips to China as a guest of an organisation closely tied to the government. He was forced to step down from frontline Royal duties as a result of the Epstein scandal. HA NOI Rice exports are likely to hit a record high of nine million tonnes in 2024, given a total volume of nearly 8.5 million tonnes shipped abroad in the first 11 months, according to insiders. Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development show that Viet Nam exported 700,000 tonnes in November for US$444.9 million, bringing the total volume and value in the 11 months to nearly 8.5 million tonnes and $5.31 billion, up 10.6 per cent and 22.4 per cent respectively year-on-year. The Philippines was the largest importer of Vietnamese rice in the first 10 months of this year, accounting for 46.1 per cent of the market share. It was followed by Indonesia and Malaysia, with respective proportions of 13.5 per cent and 8.2 per cent. Compared to the same period last year, the value of rice exports to the Philippines surged by 59.1 per cent, while shipments to Indonesia and Malaysia increased by 20.2 per cent and 2.2 times, respectively. Among the top 15 markets, Viet Nam saw the strongest rice export growth in Malaysia. Conversely, China experienced the sharpest decline, with a 71.3 per cent drop. This marked the first time Viet Nams rice export value has exceeded $5 billion, as the average export price in the first 11 months of 2024 reported a year-on-year rise of 10.6 per cent to around $627.9 per tonne. VNS HA NOI Viet Nams garment and textile industry needs to develop a closed-loop supply chain with a focus on obtaining self-sufficiency in raw materials in order to meet the rules of origin under the UK Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) for expanding exports to this market. The garment and textile sector is doing well in taking advantage of 17 active free trade agreements (FTAs), including new generation trade deals such as the UKVFTA, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU Viet Nam FTA (EVFTA), according to Vu uc Giang, chairman of the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas). However, there remains largely untapped potential. The sector is poised to earn US$44 billion from exports this year, an increase of nearly 11.3 per cent over last year an impressive result in a world with complicated and unpredictable developments including escalating conflicts, volatile oil prices and transportation costs, and slow global trade recovery, he said. The industry has set a goal of exporting up to $48 billion worth of products in 2025. Aside from taking advantage of FTAs, Viet Nams garment industry has effectively capitalised on the shift in export orders away from countries like China and Bangladesh, coupled with efforts to diversify markets and meet import market requirements, Giang said. Viet Nams garment and textile exports to the UK have seen improvements since the UKVFTA took effect in 2021 and have remained stable in the past few months, at $76.7 million in August, $52.5 million in September and $61.9 million in October, customs statistics showed. The country earned more than $622.8 million from garment and textile exports to the UK in the first 10 months of this year. Still, Viet Nam holds a modest share in the UKs imported garment and textile market, which was estimated at more than $20 billion per year. Under the trade deal, the UK has removed 42.5 per cent of the tariff lines starting in the beginning of 2021 and will eliminate the remaining tariffs in two, four or six years. FTA ecosystem required Ngo Chung Khanh, deputy director of the Multilateral Trade Policies Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, has pointed out five major problems in the garment and textile industry. One is the heavy dependence of imported raw materials, which is hindering the industry from taking further advantage of FTAs. Another issue is that the industry mainly uses contract manufacturing, coupled with a shortage of capital, a lack of market information and failures in promoting brands for garment products. The latest updates from the General Department of Customs showed that Viet Nam imported $22.82 billion worth of raw materials for the garment, textile and footwear industries in the first 10 months of this year, representing a strong increase of 44.2 per cent over the same period last year. Imported materials were mostly fabric worth a total of $12.27 billion, up 14.7 per cent over the same period last year. Notably, the raw materials were mainly imported from China, accounting for 51 per cent of imports. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, domestic garment and textile producers are forced to import around 70 per cent of raw materials, as domestic supply sources remain limited and are unable to meet the demand in terms of quality. The heavy dependence on imported raw materials significantly affects the development of the garment and textile industry, especially in meeting rules of origin under FTAs, including the UKVFTA, for sustainable export expansion. Pham Xuan Thuy, deputy director of the Tien Thang Garment Company in a Nang Province, said that Vietnamese-made fabric is not only expensive, but also fails to meet the quality requirements of foreign partners. Thus, domestic garment producers rely on imported sources to ensure quality and lower prices. A report by the Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that the rules of origin under the UKVFTA for garments and textile products require two-stage criteria, meaning that the weaving stage and sewing stage for finished products must be carried out in Viet Nam or the UK. This means that the fabric used for cutting and sewing must originate from Viet Nam or the UK a significant challenge for the Vietnamese textile and garment industry, because the industry remains dependent on imported raw materials. To make up for this, Viet Nam can take advantage of the accumulation principle regarding the origin of fabric, meaning the country can use fabric from Korea, Japan, the EU or countries that have FTAs with the UK for cutting and sewing in Viet Nam. However, in the long term, the UKVFTAs 'from fabric onwards' rules of origin combined with the CPTPPs 'from yarn onwards' will require the establishment of a closed production chain, with a focus on ensuring self-sufficiency in raw materials so that the industry can better exploit FTAs, the report said. According to Khanh, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is enhancing cooperation with relevant ministries, agencies and associations to establish an FTA ecosystem that will create conditions for the garment and textile industry to effectively use FTAs. Most importantly, the FTA ecosystem for the garment and textile industry will help connect garment producers with raw material suppliers, Khanh said. Deputy Director of a Nang Department of Industry and Trade o Thi Quynh Tram said that the FTA ecosystem should be completed early and put into practice with the active participation of enterprises. In the strategy for development of the garment, textile and footwear industry through 2030, one bold solution is to promote the development of the supporting industry for garment production. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that large-scale industrial zones specialising in garment and textile production will be developed, which will facilitate the establishment of a closed-loop supply chain for the industry. The foundation of a raw material centre for the garment and textile industry should also be accelerated along with measures to ensure its efficient operation, Truong Van Can, Vitas general secretary, said. To expand exports to the UK sustainably, garment producers also need to enhance production capacity and competitiveness by applying technology, automation, digital transformation and green production to meet market requirements. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam is taking a significant step toward formalising its digital economy, with the introduction of the digital technology industry law, which aims to define and regulate digital assets, according to officials from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) and industry experts. Deputy Director of the MIC's Department of Information Technology and Communications Industry Le Nam Trung emphasised that the law is designed to institutionalise the countrys policies on developing the information and communications technology (ICT) and broader digital technology sectors. It is expected to enhance productivity, improve economic competitiveness and leverage key technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution to address the countrys development challenges. The draft law introduces precise definitions that distinguish digital assets from encrypted assets, aligning with international standards such as those in the United States. According to Trung, these definitions address a critical gap in Viet Nams digital transformation framework, complementing the country's advancements in establishing a digital government, a digital economy and society, along with digital citizenship. He said the potential of the new law could allow access to a portion of the US$105 billion in annual capital inflows into Viet Nam's formal sectors. "This framework will not only attract investment but also mitigate risks such as money laundering, terrorism financing and cyber fraud," he noted. Deputy Director of MICs Legal Department, Nguyen Minh Hang, said that the law adopts a growth-oriented approach, promoting innovation rather than imposing rigid controls. Given the global diversity of digital assets, comprehensive governance may require amendments to other existing laws, including the Civil Code and the Law on the State Bank of Viet Nam. The Digital Technology Industry Law dedicates nearly 10 per cent of its 73 articles to digital assets, underscoring their importance in Viet Nams digital economy. "When digital assets are officially defined and regulated, it will contribute to protecting user rights, minimising risks, promoting the digital economy, attracting investment and enhancing innovation," said Deputy Chairman of the Viet Nam Blockchain Association (VBA) Phan uc Trung. President of the University of Banking in HCM City, Professor Nguyen uc Trung, pointed out that the financial sector will be among the first to experience the transformative effects of digital assets. He anticipates significant changes in existing products and services, as well as the introduction of entirely new asset classes and offerings. "Legal frameworks must strike a balance between fostering innovation and ensuring risk management," he said. "This will create a stable and practical legal environment that supports long-term growth." As Viet Nam moves closer to finalising the digital technology industry law, experts and stakeholders said a comprehensive legal framework will position the country as a leader in digital transformation, driving economic growth and technological advancement. According to data from Triple-A, a cryptocurrency payment gateway licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Viet Nam ranks seventh globally in the number of cryptocurrency holders. As the number of crypto owners continues to rise, the urgency to establish a comprehensive legal framework for digital assets is greater than ever. Chairman of SSI Securities Corporation Nguyen Duy Hung said nations that take the lead in this field drive innovation and secure a strategic position in the global economy. In this context, Viet Nam, with its young, tech-savvy population eager to embrace new trends, is well-positioned to become a regional hub for digital asset development. However, the lack of a clear legal framework presents significant challenges for the sector. Hung noted that blockchain and digital asset enterprises in the country continue to operate under ambiguous conditions, causing them to lose competitive advantages to neighbouring countries like Singapore and Thailand. Moreover, the absence of regulations has made protecting users from fraudulent or non-transparent activities difficult. Senior Programme Manager for Accounting and Law at RMIT University Vietnam, Nguyen Tan Son, also stated that cryptocurrency transactions are becoming increasingly common, yet the existing legal framework has not kept pace. The State Bank of Vietnam prohibits using cryptocurrencies as legal payment methods, but there are no clear regulations regarding ownership and transactions. The lack of clear regulations exposes investors to risks such as fraud, market manipulation, or financial losses on unsupervised trading platforms. The inherent anonymity of blockchain technology also heightens the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing. Therefore, establishing a legal framework is essential to promote transparency, ensure safety, and build trust in the market, Son said. He added that regulation should not only aim to mitigate risks, but also foster innovation. A balanced regulatory approach could transform cryptocurrencies into a driver of growth, positioning Viet Nam as a blockchain hub and attracting foreign investment to promote sustainable digital economic development. The country should develop flexible regulatory mechanisms that protect users without stifling innovation, an essential characteristic of digital assets. At the same time, it is necessary to engage in international cooperation in the digital asset sector, leveraging the experiences of developed countries to establish an effective legal framework tailored to Viet Nam's specific conditions, the SSI Chairman said. Hung recommended that the Government promptly issue a clear and transparent legal framework to regulate activities related to digital assets, thereby building trust among investors and market participants. He also suggested supporting innovative enterprises in the blockchain and digital technology sectors through investment incentive policies, research funding and international collaboration. VNS HA NOI Viet Nams B2C e-commerce market in 2024 has experienced growth of 18-20 per cent in the first ten months of 2024. It has been projected by 2025, the countrys e-commerce market will surpass US$25 billion, according to a report from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). The report said 116 foreign suppliers have registered, declared and paid taxes through the electronic portal for foreign suppliers, contributing to a total revenue of VN19.8 trillion. Direct revenue from declarations via the portal this year has reached VN8.7 trillion, marking a 26 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Notable platforms, such as Google, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, TikTok, Netflix and Apple, are included in this figure. Over the past few years, e-commerce in Viet Nam has established itself as a leader in the digital economy. Despite ongoing global and regional challenges, Viet Nam's e-commerce sector has continued to grow impressively, with annual growth rates averaging 18-25 per cent. In 2023, e-commerce saw a growth rate of 25 per cent, with a revenue of $20.5 billion. It is projected that in 2024, the market will exceed $25 billion. In addition to domestic e-commerce platforms like Shopee, TikTok Shop, Lazada, Tiki and Sendo, the market is now seeing the entry of cross-border platforms such as Temu and Shein. These platforms are also required to declare and pay taxes as foreign suppliers. To accelerate infrastructure development, the MoIT has partnered with various ministries, local authorities, and businesses to establish standards for trade infrastructure, with a particular focus on e-commerce infrastructure. These efforts are aimed at supporting the digital economy and contributing to the creation of new development spaces. The ministry has also launched the Vietnam Electronic Contract Development Hub, designed to help organisations, businesses, and individuals manage and process electronic contracts. In addition, they have developed and implemented KeyPay, a platform that facilitates the development of a national e-commerce payment system and infrastructure to support public administration services. KeyPay has assisted several government departments in overcoming challenges related to implementing online payments for public services. KeyPay further contributes to the development of e-commerce by promoting G2B (government-to-business) and G2C (government-to-consumer) transactions and fostering the adoption of cashless payments among individuals and businesses. To further support the digital economy, the MoIT continues to review and guide businesses and individuals with e-commerce websites or applications to ensure compliance with Decree 85/2021/N-CP. They also provide assistance to businesses in upgrading their online portals to meet new regulatory requirements. Additionally, the ministry supports businesses in applying digital technologies and e-commerce in their operations, while also offering solutions for managing export and import documentation (ecosys.gov.vn). Efforts are also being made to promote domestic product consumption and cross-border e-commerce exports. The ministry is preparing to present a plan for the national e-commerce system's development for the 2026-30 period to the Prime Minister. It also plans to facilitate data sharing between ministries and localities and collaborate with the National Steering Committee 389, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), and other agencies to combat counterfeit, fake, and substandard goods. Ongoing efforts include enhancing cooperation with market management agencies, the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Department under the MPS and other governmental bodies to inspect, monitor, and ensure adherence to e-commerce regulations. Furthermore, the ministry is committed to raising awareness about fraud and unethical practices in e-commerce and organising initiatives to further promote e-commerce and the digital economy with events such as National Online Shopping Week and e-commerce advisory programmes for students across the country continue to be a key focus. VNS HA NOI The amended Electricity Law is expected to address key regulatory hurdles and enhance the operating environment for electricity companies, paving the way for growth and investment opportunities, said experts. On November 20, the National Assembly passed the amended Electricity Law introducing several new provisions. Vietcap Securities JSC viewed the approval of the amended Electricity Law as a significant and positive advancement for Viet Nam's electricity sector. One of the major highlights of the amended Electricity Law is the emphasis on market-driven pricing mechanisms for electricity sales, with State regulation to ensure fair competition. This shift is seen as a positive step towards promoting transparency and efficiency in the electricity sector, ultimately facilitating increased investment in energy infrastructure. Economist Ngo Tri Long said that the revised law not only fosters a favourable legal framework for market development, but also contributes to the sustainability of Viet Nam's energy sector. Companies such as Vietnam Electricity (EVN) are expected to benefit from improved financial conditions, thanks to the removal of cross-subsidisation in electricity pricing. Moreover, the law prioritises the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) power generation, aligning electricity prices with fuel costs. This strategic move is anticipated to have a positive impact on companies like PV Power as its two power plants rely on imported LNG sources for power generation, said MB Securities (MBS). The securities firm also expects that the implementation of Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) between large consumers and electricity producers, initiated in this July, is set to bolster companies involved in power generation. Entities like Power Engineering Consulting JSC 2 (PECC2), Bamboo Capital and Truong Thanh Development and Construction Investment JSC are expected to benefit from this regulatory change. The revised law also streamlines the approval process for investment projects, particularly for electricity transmission lines crossing multiple provinces. This is likely to boost the operation of construction and consulting firms such as PECC2 and PC1 Group, due to increased project volume. For renewable energy companies facing pricing challenges, the new law is anticipated to provide a more conducive environment by enabling them to secure fair prices for their electricity. Companies like REE Corporation, Ha o Group, PECC2 and PC1 are poised to capitalise on these regulatory adjustments. Moreover, the amended law streamlines and expedites the process of foreign investors' share ownership, capital contribution and share transfer in offshore wind projects. On the stock market, electricity stocks showed a muted response on the approval of the revised Electricity Law. While some witnessed slight declines, others like PV Power and PC1 maintained stability, reflecting the market's anticipation of the positive impacts of the new legislative framework. Analyst Nguyen Viet Dung from MBS suggests that many businesses might not have to wait for directives from the new law to kick-start their investment and operational strategies. For instance, towards the end of November, PECC2 entered into a collaborative pact using the DPPA model alongside H&M Viet Nam. Though the DPPA structure is quite new in Viet Nam and could encounter hurdles regarding transmission infrastructure, pricing and agreement intricacies, this signals a fresh avenue for development, lessening dependence on electricity pricing mechanisms and procurement channels from EVN. This signals that the law has emerged as a catalyst for select enterprises to initiate actions promptly. Nevertheless, in terms of valuations, Dung said that there are more enticing stock groups in the market compared to the electricity sector. The valuation within the electricity segment presently is at a reasonably sensible level, considering the outlook for 2025. The favourable moment for investment hinges on the pricing spectrum of electricity stocks and the chosen investment methodology. At present, electricity stocks might align better with a dividend strategy, implying that as stocks reach a justifiable range, gradual buying could be considered, Dung said, adding that companies with more advantageous elements are more inclined to witness price upswings, with REE and Ha o Group standing out as two potential stocks which could rise. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam always attaches importance to the traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation and wants to strengthen the relations with with Poland a priority partner of Viet Nam in Central Europe, a Vietnamese official has said. Chairwoman of the National Assemblys Committee for Judicial Affairs and President of the Viet Nam Poland Friendship Parliamentarians' Group Le Thi Nga made the statement while hosting a reception in Ha Noi on Thursday for visiting Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland Wadysaw Teofil Bartoszewski. The Vietnamese people always bear in mind and highly appreciate the valuable support that the Polish people have given to the country during its struggle for national independence and reunification in the past, as well as in its current process of national construction and development, she said, highlighting the political diplomatic ties between the two countries are developing robustly while economic trade collaboration have been maintained. She expressed her confidence that the exchange of delegations, particularly those at high level, help the two countries expand their cooperation in traditional areas while seeking collaboration in new fields. She suggested Bartoszewski and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs support enhanced exchanges via the Party, Government and National Assembly channels and people-to-people exchange so as to strengthen political trust and mutual understanding. Nga also recommended the two sides to continue close coordination and support for each other at international forums and organisations. Regarding economic trade investment cooperation, the two countries have maintained growth momentum. In the first nine months of 2024, bilateral trade turnover reached over US$2.5 billion, with Poland emerging as Viet Nam's top trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe while Vietnam becoming Poland's most important trading partner in Southeast Asia. Particularly, Poland had advocated the signing of the EU Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Nga took this occasion to ask both sides to proactively carry out the consultation mechanism for bilateral economic cooperation in order to further promote bilateral economic, trade, and investment ties. She also urged Poland to promptly ratify the EU Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support efforts to have the European Commissions yellow card lifted on Vietnamese seafood. The Polish official, for his part, affirmed that he will encourage ministries, sectors and branches to step up cooperation with the Vietnamese side in multiple areas. He expected that a direct air route between the two countries will be launched to facilitate people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. VNS Cambodia-China friendship carnival held in NW Cambodia's tourist hub Xinhua) 09:30, December 13, 2024 SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodia-China Friendship Carnival 2024 was held here in the province of Siem Reap in northwest Cambodia on Thursday, aiming at deepening the bonds of friendship between the peoples of both countries. Addressing some 180 participants at the event, Cambodian Permanent Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Vongsey Vissoth said the carnival was conducive to promoting people-to-people contacts, especially among youths, thus giving them an opportunity to explore the rich culture and traditions of the two countries. It was also a platform for young entrepreneurs of the two countries to build friendship, trust, and mutual understanding, as well as to seek investment and business opportunities under the framework of the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA), he added. "China is a good friend that Cambodia can rely on, and our iron-clad friendship is unbreakable," Vissoth said. "We believe that this event will further strengthen the bonds of people-to-people friendship as well as promote cooperation in business, tourism and culture between the two countries," he added. He said the carnival would inject fresh vitality into the building of the Cambodia-China community with a shared future in a new era of high quality, high level and high standard. Meanwhile, Vissoth also highlighted the significant contribution of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to Cambodia's socio-economic development and poverty alleviation. He said that under the BRI, a number of mega-projects such as the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, and the Sihanoukville Special Economy Zone have been carried out in the Southeast Asian country. Looking forward, Vissoth said the CCFTA and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) would continue to boost economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Cambodia and China. The carnival was organized by the Youth House for Cambodia-China Friendship in collaboration with the China Foundation for Peace and Development, the Siem Reap Provincial Administration, and the APSARA National Authority. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) VIENTIANE Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam led a delegation to laid flowers in commemoration of the 104th birth anniversary of President Kaysone Phomvihane (December 13, 1920 - 2024) at his museum in Vientiane on Thursday morning. The late Lao President was a great and close friend of the Vietnamese people, as well as an outstanding and beloved leader of the Lao people. He made significant contributions to the Laoss revolutionary cause and the special relationship between Viet Nam and Laos. The delegates promised to do their best to nurture the everlasting special solidarity between the two countries. VNS NEW YORK - Viet Nam supports all efforts to ensure the safe and effective operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), including ensuring that sufficient resources are available for the agency to carry out its mandate, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs o Hung Viet has said. The official made the statement while addressing a special emergency session of the UN General Assembly chaired by its President Philemon Yang in New York on December 4 and 11 to discuss the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Viet expressed his deep concern over the prolonged conflict in Gaza and the escalating tensions in other hotspots in the Middle East, while emphasising the crucial role played by UNRWA in providing essential aid for the Palestinian people. He called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the region and urged all parties to unconditionally release all hostages, including ASEAN citizens. Viet also condemned attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, calling on all parties to exercise restraint, strictly adhere to the UN Charter, international law, relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council, as well as interim measures of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The Deputy Minister applauded efforts made by some countries in promoting a ceasefire, and urged the UNSC member states to strive for a compromise to achieve a breakthrough solution for the multifaceted crisis in Gaza and across the Middle East. On this occasion, Viet reaffirmed Viet Nam's firm support for the Palestinian people in exercising their rights to self-determination and realising their aspirations to become a full member of the UN. Viet Nam strongly supports the two-state solution, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 lines, in accordance with international law and relevant resolutions of the UN, he said. At the meeting, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, and a resolution supporting the UNRWA in carrying out its humanitarian mission for the Palestinian people, with an overwhelming majority of votes in favour. Viet Nam voted in support of both resolutions. VNS PHNOM PENH The Embassy and Defence Attache Office of Viet Nam in Cambodia organised a get-together in Phnom Penh on December 12 with alumni of the Cambodian Royal Armed Forces (CRAF) who had studied in Viet Nam. The meeting took place on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversary of the Viet Nam Peoples Army (December 22, 1944 - 2024) and the 35th All-Peoples Defence Festival (December 22, 1989-2024). It was co-chaired by Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha. Addressing the event, General Khiev Saphat, Vice Secretary-General of the Cambodian Ministry of National Defence and Deputy Director of the Ministrys Department of Personnel, reviewed the results of military and defence cooperation between the Ministries of National Defence of Viet Nam and Cambodia, particularly in the areas of training officers for the CRAF from 2020 to 2024. He also highlighted the main directions for cooperation in 2025 and provided insights into the quality and quantity of Cambodian military trainees who graduated in Viet Nam. General Khiev Saphat noted that 3,603 Cambodian military trainees have been so far selected for further training in Viet Nams military schools, including 1,507 for long-term courses and 2,096 for short-term courses. Currently, 1,662 Cambodian military trainees are studying at various military training institutions in Viet Nam. Meanwhile, 73 military trainees of Viet Nam have been sent to study Khmer language for a four-year bachelor's programme at the Cambodia Defence University, an increase of 24 trainees compared to the 2015-2019 agreement. At present, 60 Vietnamese military trainees are still pursuing the Khmer language programme. The officer said that after completing their studies in Viet Nam, the graduates had applied their knowledge effectively in fulfilling their duties. He highly valued the wholehearted support from leaders of the Ministries of National Defence of Viet Nam and Cambodia, which has been the key in improving the quality and effectiveness of military training. Major General Vu Kim Ha, Vice Director of the National Defence Academy of Viet Nam, expressed his hope that more Cambodian military trainees will come to Viet Nam for further study and research, thereby deepening the bilateral ties based on the motto of "good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability." For his part, Cambodian Deputy PM and Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha praised the close cooperation between the two Ministries of National Defence, and highly valued Viet Nams considerable support to the improvement of capacity and efficiency of the CRAF through providing scholarships for Cambodian military officers. He emphasised that these training programmes have played a critical role in enhancing the Cambodian militarys capacity and specialised skills. He also highlighted the importance of exchanging experiences, particularly with former Cambodian military trainees who had studied in Viet Nam and are now serving effectively in various military units. Tea Seiha proposed Viet Nam continue to support training programmes, high-level military delegations, official visits, and seminars to further develop the quality and capabilities of the CRAF. Earlier the same day, the Embassy and Defence Attache Office of Viet Nam in Cambodia laid flowers at the Viet Nam-Cambodia Friendship Monument to pay tribute to martyrs who laid down their lives in Cambodia during the war. General Yun Min, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence of Cambodia, also led a delegation to join the activity. VNS NEW YORK Viet Nam has officially announced its candidacy for re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026-2028 tenure. The announcement was made at a ceremony held by the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the United Nations (UN) in New York on December 12 on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, drawing a large number of diplomats and representatives from various UN missions. Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs o Hung Viet, expressed gratitude to countries that supported Viet Nam's election to the UNHRC for the 2023-2025 tenure. He reviewed the nation's contributions over the past two years, including advancing the rights of vulnerable groups, promoting gender equality, labour rights, access to healthcare services, and education. Vietnam has also led key resolutions on the "75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and "Climate Change and Human Rights," marking its strong presence at the UNs main body for human rights protection, he noted. Viet underscored that Viet Nam's remarkable socio-economic progress over nearly four decades of oi moi (Renewal) is resulted from the countrys policy of placing the people at the centre of development, a balanced approach to the promotion of a broad spectrum of human rights, from civil and political to economic, social, and cultural rights, and the countrys priority to caring for and protecting vulnerable groups, as well as concerted efforts from the Vietnamese people, both domestically and abroad. The official called on the international community to continue supporting Viet Nams candidacy for the upcoming term. He affirmed that if re-elected, Viet Nam will remain an active, constructive, and responsible member, working hard to realise the councils common goal to ensure better human rights protection globally. On the sidelines of the event, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, praised Viet Nam as a long-standing advocate for freedom and justice. He described the country as an essential player on the global stage, highlighting Viet Nams active and responsible roles in organisations such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of G77 and China, and the UNHRC. Ambassador Mansour expressed his confidence in Viet Nams re-election. He stated that Vietnams continued presence in the UNHRC is crucial, pointing to the need for members like Vietnam at the UN. VNS HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Ho uc Phoc on Thursday urged ministries and sectors to do their utmost to implement the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)s 17 recommendations to lift Viet Nam out of its list of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring (grey list) related to money laundering. The FATF added Viet Nam to the list in June 2023. Immediately after that, the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) advised and submitted to the Prime Minister for the approval of Decision 194/Q-TTg, which promulgated the National Action Plan to implement the Government's commitments against money laundering, terrorism financing, and financing for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Phoc, who is head of the Anti-Money Laundering Steering Committee, stressed the need for ministries and sectors to prioritise resources to implement the action plan committed to the FATF; pay attention to the reporting regime to ensure comprehensive and vivid reports; notify the implementation results to and ask for technical support from the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) every three months and on an ad-hoc basis when requested, through the SBV - the standing agency of the steering committee. He urged ministries and sectors to proactively study the FATF's recommendations and their methodology, the requirements of the FATF/APG joint group, and the documents provided by the central bank to implement them and prepare reports to send to the FATF/APG. The Deputy PM assigned the central bank to compile information from ministries and sectors to report to the Prime Minister on a quarterly basis, and promptly connect with countries that have been added to and exited the grey list to organise exchanges and share experiences on related topics. In addition, Phoc assigned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant ministries and sectors to allocate quality personnel for translating their specialised documents to ensure accuracy and effectiveness. All of these efforts are to show the FATF that Viet Nam is striving to implement the recommended actions, from drafting legal documents to complying with legal regulations, including the launching of legal proceedings against and investigations into money laundering cases. SBV Deputy Governor Pham Tien Dung said that by the time of the second Progress Report (PR2) in September 2024, eight out of 17 actions had passed their deadlines. Despite certain efforts, according to the evaluation by the FATF/APG joint group, Viet Nam has 16 out of the 17 actions marked as "not completed," with only one labelled as "partially completed." Given the limited progress, the APG has informed that FATF is considering placing Viet Nam on its list of countries with High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action (black list). Representatives of ministries and sectors discussed matters related to coordination efforts; the implementation of actions committed to the FATF; the improvement of the legal system; the dissemination of information to raise public awareness of legal knowledge; inspection, supervision, and the fight against crimes. They also focused on learning from and referencing international experiences to further enhance the effectiveness of the prevention and control of money laundering, terrorism financing, and financing for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. VNS HA NOI The Politburo convened on Friday to address disciplinary actions against Party members found in violation of Party and State regulations. Following recommendations from the Central Inspection Commission, the Politburo announced decisions on disciplinary measures for several senior officials. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, former Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Delegation, and Prime Minister, was found to have violated Party and State regulations during his tenure. His misconduct involved failing to implement his assigned duties on anti-corruption, breaching the Party's code of conduct, and setting a poor example of responsibility. These violations led to serious consequences and damaged the reputation of the Party and the State. Truong Thi Mai, a former Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and Chairwoman of the Party Central Commission for Mass Mobilisation, was also found to have breached Party and State regulations. Her misconduct involved abuse of power in personnel management and setting a poor example of responsibility, leading to serious consequences and damages to the reputation of the Party and the State. Truong Hoa Binh, former Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Party Delegation, and Standing Deputy Prime Minister, was cited for negligence in leadership, failure to implement his assigned duties on anti-corruption and setting a poor example of responsibility, leading to serious consequences and damages to the reputation of the Party and the State. Based on the severity, nature, and impact of these violations, the Politburo has decided: Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Truong Hoa Binh received Party disciplinary warnings. Truong Thi Mai received a Party disciplinary reprimand. The Politburo has urged relevant authorities to implement corresponding administrative disciplinary actions promptly and consistently with Party decisions. VNS HCM CITY The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta is expected to experience unusually high saltwater intrusion during the upcoming dry season, albeit less severe than in 2015-16, 2019-20 and 2023-24. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Irrigation Department, saltwater intrusion will gradually intensify this month. The delta, the countrys largest producer of rice, fruits and seafood, typically suffers from saltwater encroachment through river mouths during the dry season, which spans from December to April. In coastal areas, seawater has entered deep into major river mouths. Water with a salinity level of four grammes per litre has appeared 15-20 kilometres up most rivers. Most crops can only tolerate water with a salinity level of less than one gram per litre. However, this is seven to 19 kilometres less than during the same period last year. Challenges for the delta The delta faces ongoing challenges, including reduced water flow from upstream sections of the Mekong River, rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion, and erosion. These issues complicate the supply of water for both household consumption and agricultural activities. Water levels in the Mekong River at Kratie in Cambodia and Tan Chau and Chau oc stations in the delta decreased last month, the Irrigation Department reported. During the 2023-24 dry season, around 73,900 households experienced water shortages, and over 1,189 hectares of rice were damaged due to insufficient irrigation. The delta, home to 18 million people 77 per cent of whom work in agriculture relies on 15 large irrigation systems that serve over 2.5 million hectares of farmland, accounting for 64 per cent of its total agricultural land. It also utilises approximately 43,000 natural water reservoirs for storage. Efforts to mitigate impacts The effective operation of the deltas irrigation systems in recent years has reduced the impact of saltwater intrusion and drought, according to experts. Tran Duy Anh, deputy head of the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, said that with comprehensive measures the delta aims to supply up to 90 per cent of its irrigation water needs for agriculture by 2025. The long-term goal is to develop a sustainable agricultural region that adapts to climate change and harmonises with nature. These measures include construction and non-construction projects, such as developing modern water supply systems for aquaculture and implementing separate water supply and drainage systems in areas favourable for aquaculture. Plans are also in place to build five water plants with a combined capacity of 1.5 million cubic metres per day to process water from the Mekong River for household and agricultural use. Additionally, the region will complete construction projects to manage saltwater intrusion and enhance the storage and supply of freshwater. Localities' preparations Provinces in the delta, including Tra Vinh, are taking proactive steps to prepare for the 2024-25 dry season. Tra Vinh, one of the provinces hardest hit by saltwater intrusion, has instructed districts to implement measures to prevent saltwater intrusion and store freshwater for agricultural use. The province has made progress in upgrading its irrigation infrastructure, having dug 412 new irrigation canals, dredged over 321 kilometres of existing canals, and repaired 12 embankments spanning 5.6 kilometres. Addressing erosion The delta also faces significant erosion challenges, with 686 sites of river erosion spanning 591 kilometres and 57 sites of coastal erosion covering 233 kilometres, according to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research. Ca Mau Province, which has the second longest coastline in Viet Nam at 254 kilometres, is particularly affected. The province has 188 kilometres of coastline classified as severely or extremely eroded. Efforts have been made to address 78 kilometres of these sites, but further action is urgently needed. Nguyen Thanh Tung, head of the Ca Mau Irrigation Sub-department, called for government support to research and approve a project to protect the provinces sea dykes. Provinces like Bac Lieu are also grappling with high acquisition clearance costs for erosion prevention works. Pham Thanh Hai, deputy head of Bac Lieu Provinces Irrigation Sub-department, urged the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research to develop solutions that minimise disruptions to local residents. Efforts to build embankments and grow mangrove forests along the coast continue to play a crucial role in mitigating erosion across the delta. VNS HA NOI - VISTA-1 marks a major step forward in the battle against cancer, said Dr Phuong Le Tri, Chief Operating Officer of TAMRI. This promising drug offers invaluable opportunities for Vietnamese patients while enabling our doctors and scientists to contribute to the advancement of drug research. Developed by U.S.-based biotech company Riboscience, RBS2418 targets advanced colorectal cancer, offering new hope for terminal cancer patients in Vietnam. The trial received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2024, followed by approval from Vietnams Ministry of Health in December. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Vietnam, claiming over 120,000 lives annually. Colorectal cancer, in particular, is on the rise and is projected to increase significantly in the coming decades. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), colorectal cancer mortality rates in Asia could rise by nearly 80% by 2045. Late-stage diagnoses, which account for 15-30% of colorectal cancer cases in Vietnam, pose significant treatment challenges, with survival rates as low as 10-20%. While targeted therapies and immunotherapies have improved survival rates to 3040%, many patients remain unresponsive to existing treatments, highlighting the urgent need for innovative solutions. RBS2418, an oral immunotherapy drug, represents a potential breakthrough for patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Unlike conventional treatments, RBS2418 works by activating the immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells. Specifically, it transforms the tumour's immune environment from coldwhere immune activity is suppressedto hot, enabling a stronger immune response. Developed by a team of renowned researchers, including Stanford Universitys Prof Jeffrey S. Glenn and Ribosciences Klaus Klumpp, the drug has shown promising results in early trials. Phase 1 trials in the U.S. confirmed the drugs safety, while preliminary data suggests it has anti-tumour activity, both as a standalone treatment and in combination with PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors. Prof Glenn highlighted the significance of international collaboration, stating: The VISTA-1 study will provide critical data to evaluate RBS2418s efficacy. Collaborating with Vietnamese researchers is invaluable, and we are excited to work together to advance cancer treatment. Tam Anh General Hospital and TAMRI have made substantial investments in the VISTA-1 trial, including the establishment of a state-of-the-art laboratory as a central testing hub, operating alongside U.S.-based research labs. Vietnamese doctors have worked closely with U.S. specialists to develop the Phase 2 study protocol and implement standardised procedures. Vietnams participation in this trial underscores its readiness to contribute to advanced medical research. The announcement, made at an event attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), highlights Vietnams growing role in global medical research. The VISTA-1 trial is expected to offer advanced treatment options for Vietnamese patients while enhancing the countrys capacity to conduct cutting-edge clinical trials. Representatives from the Ministry of Health emphasised that the trial provides equal access to groundbreaking treatments for Vietnamese patients and strengthens Vietnams position within the global medical community. The VISTA-1 trial marks a significant milestone for Vietnams medical field. It is the countrys first Phase 2A clinical trial for colorectal cancer treatment and introduces a new biomarker assay technique, which will be implemented at central laboratories across Vietnam, eliminating the need to send samples abroad. While Vietnam has traditionally participated in late-stage trials, such as Phase 3, it is now taking an active role in early-stage research. By participating in international trials like VISTA-1, Vietnam is advancing its healthcare capabilities and creating opportunities for its medical community to engage in high-impact global research. Normally, such studies are conducted in the U.S., so we are very excited to include Vietnam in this innovative study, which I believe will play a key role in defining the future of cancer treatment, Prof Jeffrey S. Glenn stated. Phase 2A of the trial will enrol 150 patients in both the U.S. and Vietnam, including participants from Tam Anh General Hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The trial is expected to expand to three additional Vietnamese hospitals in the near future. With the VISTA-1 trial now underway, patients with advanced colorectal cancer in Vietnam have new hope. If successful, RBS2418 could revolutionise the treatment of a condition that has long posed significant challenges. The trial also sets a precedent for Vietnams involvement in groundbreaking medical research, paving the way for future collaborations and innovations.- VNS HA NOI The organisers of the 2025 Homeland Spring Programme, with the theme 'Viet Nam Rising in the New Era' are pleased to invite overseas Vietnamese to register for participation at the following link https://shorturl.at/aTPqX. The registration deadline for attending the Hometown event is December 22, 2024. The 2025 programme is scheduled to take place from January 18 to 21, 2025 in Ha Noi. The organisers would like to remind overseas Vietnamese to provide complete and accurate information, especially their email addresses and valid identification documents. After completing the registration form, participants will receive an email confirming that their registration has been received. Please note that this is merely an acknowledgement of receipt and not an official invitation. Official confirmation of participation in the programme will be communicated at a later date. Only after receiving the confirmation will participants be able to contact the organisers to obtain their invitation letters. For assistance, overseas Vietnamese may contact Nguyen Phu Hai from the General Research Department by telephone: (+84 - 24) 8240401 - 8240404 (ext. 103) or email: xuanquehuong.bng@gmail.com. According to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the programme is being organised in collaboration with relevant authorities to celebrate the 2025 Lunar New Year (the Year of the Snake). The annual event holds significant meaning for the overseas Vietnamese community, helping to strengthen ties between them and the homeland. It will feature the participation of leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives from various ministries, sectors and localities. A highlight of the programme will be the Vietnamese Food Festival and the cultural exchange event, 2025 Homeland Spring, which will be broadcast live on Viet Nam Television's VTV1 and VTV4 channels on the evening of January 19 at the National Convention Centre in Ha Noi. The event has become a familiar and heartfelt gathering for Vietnamese expatriates worldwide each year, coinciding with the Lunar New Year celebrations. The programme reflects the Party and States deep care and responsibility for overseas Vietnamese, while also fostering closer connections between the global community and their homeland.VNS BA RIA - VUNG TAU The Viet Nam Coast Guard has seized 40,000 litres of contraband diesel from fishing boats off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Khanh Hoa provinces. The Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command on December 13 said it is focusing on its fight against crime, including drug prevention, human trafficking, smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the last months of the year ahead of the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. The unit, in collaboration with Squadron 3 Anti-smuggling Investigation Department under the General Department of Viet Nam Customs, discovered the fishing boat TG 92267 TS registered in Tien Giang Province about 65 nautical miles southwest of Con ao Island in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau at 9:45am on December 11. The officers boarded the boat and found about 30,000 litres of oil of unknown origin. On board were its captain, oan Quoc iem, 37, of ak Lak Province and two crew members. iem failed to furnish documents to prove the origin of the oil, and none of the crew had the certification required to be a sailor. In the morning of December 13, the boat was brought ashore, and handed over to Squadron 301 of the Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command for further investigation. On December 3, the unit collaborated with border guards of Binh Ba Border Post and Khanh Hoa Province to find a fishing boat about 15 nautical miles east of Binh Ba Island carrying a total of 10,000 litres of smuggled diesel of unknown origin. On board were its captain, Nguyen Thanh, 55, and two crew members. Thanh failed to furnish documents to prove the origin of the oil. The Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command under the Viet Nam Coast Guard is tasked with managing the sea from the coastal south-central province of Binh inh to the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tra Vinh, including the waters of Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands and DK1 rigs. The unit has completed its task of protecting the nation's sovereignty and enforcing the law at sea over the past years. It is also assigned to directly detect and combat violations of law, such as national security crimes, smuggling, and trade fraud at sea. VNS MANILA Cybersecurity firm Sumsub warned against the rising cases of identity fraud in the Philippines and the rest of Asia Pacific, noting that cyberattacks have become more sophisticated. In its Identity Fraud report, Sumsub revealed that Philippines ranked seventh among the 10 surveyed countries in the region, showing a 119-per cent increase in detected fraud this year. In Asia Pacific, the firm estimated a 121-per-cent surge in identity fraud this year. Singapore saw the most increase at 207 per cent, followed by Thailand with 206 per cent and Indonesia with 201 per cent. The highly targeted sectors for identity fraud are dating apps, banking and insurance and financial technology, among others. The survey also found out that 85 per cent of the respondents expressed fear over deepfake, a cybersecurity threat whereby bad actors digitally alter a video or audio file. Motivations of the cybercriminals may vary but, ultimately, the goal is to spread false information. Using deepfakes, cybercriminals can also catfish or create a fictitious online persona who usually are conventionally more attractive than the real person behind the fake identity. Bad actors As the digital economy in Asia Pacific continues to grow, the evolving nature of fraud presents new challenges that businesses cannot afford to ignore, said Penny Chai, vice president of business development for Asia Pacific at Sumsub. With tactics becoming more sophisticated and fraud becoming more accessible, the need for enhanced verification measures is more urgent than ever, Chai added. In fact, it has become a business with the rise of fraud-as-a-service platforms that bad actors can tap. These have enabled fraudsters to launch multiple attacks at once, making it more challenging for enterprises to detect and block fraud. In the study, Sumsub analyzed over three million fraud attempts and surveyed more than 200 fraud and risk professionals in the region. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ANN JAKARTA The government is mulling over a plan to build an oil storage facility on an island adjacent to Singapore, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, as part of the countrys pursuit of energy sovereignty. Bahlil said on Wednesday that an oil storage facility would provide a 30- to 40-day reserve supply and accommodate various types of oil for state energy giant Pertamina to buy at low prices. Talking about geopolitics, if our country were at war, our oil reserves would last only 21 days, said the minister, who is also Golkar Party chairman, after attending an event in Jakarta involving Golkar lawmakers, as quoted by Antara. The island state has no hydrocarbon resources and imports crude oil for its refining and petrochemical industries, according to data from the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA). The data also show that Singapore imports over two-thirds of its crude from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The EIAs 2021 report states that the city-state primarily shipped its refined petroleum products, including fuel, to Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and China. As of January 2021, Singapores three refineries had a total refining capacity of 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd), according to estimates from the Oil & Gas Journal. The island state is the worlds fifth-largest refining and export hub and ranks among the top 10 petrochemical exporters globally. In the first half 2024, Indonesias ready-to-sell oil production hovered at 576,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), below the 635,000 bopd targeted for this year, according to data from the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas). Indonesias oil industry peaked during the 1970s and 1980s, when output exceeded 1 million bopd and oil exports drove economic growth, but production has been declining steadily since, mostly due to aging wells and a lack of new reserves. Former president Joko Jokowi Widodo had asked his aides to take the necessary action to stop the decline in ready-to-sell oil and gas production, adding that officials must work hard to avoid a dip of even just a liter. The Energy Ministry is thereby planning to optimize existing oil wells as part of a larger effort to reduce energy import costs, estimated at up to Rp 500 trillion (US$31.38 billion) per year. The country has around 44,900 oil wells, 16,600 of which are idle, according to the ministrys data. Of these, around 5,000 idle wells can be optimized to both domestic production. THE JAKARTA POST/ANN At the event, Citi Vietnams head of markets and country treasurer Minh Ngo, Citi Hong Kongs head of markets Charles Lam, and Hong Kong head of corporate FX Vivian So outlined how the bank can support clients in this key trade corridor. Client related activity for Citi across the corridor is up over 10 per cent in 2024 versus 2023. The team also introduced Citis digitalised FX execution platforms and processes to support clients with their hedging needs as flows continue to grow in the corridor. According to CEIC data and Citi Research, Vietnam continues to benefit from substantial foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows from China and Hong Kong, contributing 25-30 per cent of the total FDI into Vietnam in 2023. Of this, Hong Kong accounts for approximately 15 per cent in 2023 and 13 per cent so far this year, reinforcing its strategic role as an investment partner. This trend is expected to continue increasing over the next three to five years as Vietnam continues to benefit from supply chain relocations, particularly in the electronics sector. Ngo said, This event underscores the robust economic ties between Vietnam and Hong Kong, setting the stage for ongoing collaboration and sustained growth. As more Hong Kong companies continue to explore opportunities in Vietnam, Citi's comprehensive services including capital raising, merger and acquisition advisory, trade and supply chain finance, cash management, FX/rates, commodities hedging, and structured funding solutions put us in a unique position to meet the evolving needs of Hong Kong clients in Vietnam. Our advanced digital FX platforms are designed to provide clients access to real-time FX markets and empower them with seamless, secure, and efficient capabilities, enabling them to navigate the complexities of the global market with confidence, Ngo said. Lam said, Hong Kong has long been considered an ideal gateway for businesses to expand into Southeast Asia. As Hong Kong's seventh-largest merchandise trading partner and with Hong Kong being the fifth largest foreign investor, Vietnam is a key trade and investment partner for Hong Kong. We are committed to supporting our clients with their evolving needs. Citi report discusses economics of philanthropy The new Citi report released in late October delves into the economic impact of philanthropy, emphasising the immense, yet often underestimated, contribution of individual giving to the global economy. Binh Dinh's Border Guard medical workers conduct an initial health check-up for the foreign sailor. (Photo: Binh Dinh Newspaper) Binh Dinh Competent forces in the south-central province of Binh Dinh have successfully rescued a foreign sailor who had suffered serious injuries and brought him ashore for emergency medical care, the provincial Border Guard Command reported on December 12. The unit said the sailor is Zainal Abidin, 54, an Indonesian national aboard the Singapore-flagged vessel Kota Gaya which was en route from China to Singapore. He sustained severe injuries to his face and left eye as the vessel was about 290 nautical miles off Quy Nhon port. The ships captain immediately diverted the vessel toward the waters near the port to seek medical assistance. Upon receiving the incident, the Border Guard Command directed its medical team and the Quy Nhon Border Gate Station to coordinate with the Quy Nhon Maritime Port Authority in safely transferring the injured sailor to the provincial General Hospital on December 12. The seaman is now reported to be in stable condition and recovering. Malaysia has launched a national artificial intelligence office aimed at shaping policies and addressing regulatory issues, as it looks to establish itself as a regional hub for AI development. (Photo: Reuters file) Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia launched on December 12 a national artificial intelligence (AI) office aimed at shaping policies and addressing regulatory issues, as it looks to establish itself as a regional hub for AI development. Speaking at the launching ceremony, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this is another historical moment in the countrys digital transformation journey. The office is expected to serve as a centralised agency for AI, providing strategic planning, research and development as well as regulatory oversight, among others. It will pursue seven deliverables in its first year, including developing a code of ethics, an AI regulatory framework and a five-year AI technology action plan until 2030. The same day, the Malaysian government announced strategic partnerships with six companies, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Digital ventures have helped propel Malaysia's economy in 2024, with 71.1 billion MYR (16.06 billion USD) in approved investments in the information and communications sub-sector. Malaysia's Solarvest and Finhero launch first solar financing fintech solution in Vietnam Solarvest Holdings Berhad, a Malaysian clean energy solutions provider, has launched its Powervest solar financing programme in Vietnam to support the clean energy transition. In the digital age, communication applications are not just a necessity, but also a key factor in the development and management of businesses. Besides the basic benefits such as saving time for daily direct communication that Rakuten Viber aims to provide, managing, sharing information, and synchronising devices are crucial factors in enhancing group collaboration. When team members can seamlessly access and share files, documents, and notes, it improves work efficiency and creates a dynamic and creative working environment. Photo: Viber The new features in the communities on Rakuten Viber help users connect and interact more effectively, thereby enhancing work productivity. Notably, the comments feature in Viber communities offers a new and effective way for users to communicate. This feature allows community members to easily connect and interact, creating a rich discussion space. This enhances social interaction and makes Viber community a more effective platform for exchange and learning than ever before. About 75 per cent of employees spend time monitoring messages and conversations. Notably, up to 66 per cent of employees spend from 30 minutes to one hour every day updating information. Furthermore, 42 per cent of employees said they often miss important work information due to ineffective communication tools. This means that businesses can lose billions of dollars yearly because of this waste of time. Rakuten Viber recognises that improving communication efficiency in businesses is urgent. Therefore, the new features released are Rakuten Viber's commitment to improving work efficiency and optimising user experience. Previously, Rakuten Viber also introduced the AI Chat Summarizer feature, which helps users navigate long conversations by providing concise summaries generated by AI. This feature saves time by highlighting key points, allowing users to focus on important content and manage lengthy conversations more efficiently. Two features beloved by Vietnamese users, Folder and My Notes & Reminders, have also been updated to a superior version, making it easier for users to search for information and organise tasks, providing convenience in managing conversations and related documents. These new updates reaffirm Rakuten Viber's commitment to enhancing user experience and facilitating communication and collaboration in the digital environment. Vietnam is a key market for the continuous development of Rakuten Viber in the global market. Therefore, throughout many years of operation in Vietnam, Rakuten Viber has consistently provided users and businesses with continuously improved features, creating a super app for Vietnamese users. These recent updates also reflect this commitment to constantly improving the app, to provide users with the best experiences. Rakuten Viber is one of the most trusted and downloaded apps in the world. It creates meaningful connections, bringing people together safely so they can enjoy precious moments with their families and friends, manage their business relations, or pursue their passions, in one place we do it all! As a super app, it gives users services that cover every aspect of their day-to-day needs and make their lives easier. Rakuten Viber is part of Rakuten Group, Inc., a global technology leader in e-commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications services. Viber rolls out large-scale interactive chat for businesses Viber is offering personalised, large-scale chat channels for small and medium-sized enterprises, aimed at improving communication among businesses. Hanoi proposes tightened management of social network businesses The Hanoi Market Management Department has said businesses operating on social networks such as Facebook, Zalo and Viber should be under the same management as e-commerce websites. As part of the forum, the organisers recognise 'Outstanding M&A Deals and Advisors'. The evaluation is conducted independently by an expert council based on various criteria, including the number and scale of transactions advised, the nature and significance of the deals, as well as the experience and capabilities of the advisory teams. This year, RongViet Securities was once again honoured as one of the outstanding securities firms in the M&A industry, marking the sixth consecutive year that the firm has been privileged to receive recognition in the M&A category at the forum. Held annually by VIR under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Vietnam M&A Forum is a prestigious event in the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Over the past 16 years, the forum has garnered significant attention and participation from policymakers, industry experts, and business leaders from both domestic and international firms. Pham Tan Tien (centre), executive director, Investment Banking Division, RongViet Securities, receives the award RongViet has advised on several notable deals in 2024, including KIDO Groups acquisition of a 75 per cent stake in Hung Vuong Plaza, and advising Hua Na Hydropower JSC on acquiring the entire Nam Non Hydropower Plant. RongViet also advises on the transfer of shares of TNM Digital to Rohto Pharmaceutical. Last year, RongViet advised on other significant M&A deals, such as KIDO Groups acquisition of 68 per cent of Tho Phat JSC and Nutifoods acquisition of a 51 per cent stake in KIDO Frozen Foods JSC. RongViet signed a cooperation and strategic partnership agreement with TNM and Rohto in October As one of the few securities firms offering a full range of investment banking services, RongViet Securities provides diverse solutions to clients throughout the entire business lifecycle. These include capital advisory and arrangement services, IPOs, listing consultations, and corporate restructuring. Additionally, Rong Viet offers various value-added services such as valuation, divestment, and compliance services. RongViet Securities operates a network that includes its headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City, six branches across the country, and a subsidiary, RongViet Asset Management. In addition, the company has developed and solidified its strengths in the securities sector, serving over 150,000 individual clients, 800 institutional clients, and more than 150 partners. These partners include law firms, auditing firms, strategy consultants, as well as investment funds, multinational corporations, and industry leaders both regionally and internationally. In addition, RongViet's investment banking team consists of highly experienced experts who have advised on numerous large-scale deals across various sectors, including finance and banking, real estate and construction, technology, healthcare, energy, and consumer goods. RongViet, along with other distinguished M&A advisory firms for 20232024, were honoured at the event The award at the 2024 Vietnam M&A Forum further demonstrates RongViet's leadership position in the M&A sector, as well as its prominent role in investment banking activities in Vietnam. With the expertise of its team and 18 years of operational experience, RongViet is committed to delivering effective, sustainable value for its clients and continuing to contribute to the development of Vietnam's financial markets and enterprises. RongViet Securities goes live with new CRM System on Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform RongViet Securities JSC (RongViet) on November 3 made a significant leap in its digital journey by implementing the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform, marking a major digital transformation initiative for the firm. This project, under the advisory and execution of KPMG in Vietnam. The 16th Vietnam M&A Forum: A Blossoming Market After a period of stagnation, Vietnams M&A market is now on a strong recovery trajectory, with major deals starting to re-emerge. The company, a member of South Korea's Shinhan Financial Group, places great emphasis on long-term initiatives aimed at creating shared values that foster sustainability for the community and society. The S-Career programme operated in four high schools in Dong Thap and Ca Mau. Photo: Shinhan Life In a rapidly developing country like Vietnam, investing in people, particularly the young generation, with a focus on education and proper guidance rather than just financial aid, is paramount, For the past three years, this principle has driven Shinhan Lifes community responsibility programmes in Vietnam. The company has prioritised initiatives aimed at training, skill-building, and knowledge-sharing, equipping young people with the tools and confidence to secure a sustainable future. Among Shinhan Life Vietnam's impactful initiatives is the S-Career initiative, implemented in collaboration with SIF Career, a top education and career guidance organisation. This career orientation scheme provides high school students with essential knowledge and tools to uncover their potential gradually and empowering them to 'pick the right industry and do the right job', a critical step towards their future success. The S-Career scheme also benefited educators by offering effective methods and tools, enabling teachers to support students in career orientation. In this, its first year, the initiative reached nearly 1,400 students and over 150 teachers, furthering Shinhan's commitment to sustainable community development through education. Shinhan Life Vietnams long-term partnership with SOS Children's Villages Vietnam has been widely recognised for its impactful activities, ranging from donating educational equipment and funding infrastructure upgrades to providing career orientation skills for children and young adults. One highlight has been the iLead education programme, developed in collaboration with BNJ Vietnam, which is tailored for young people in SOS Children's Villages in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang. Beyond equipping the young people with essential skills and knowledge, the scheme offers opportunities for skill training, internships, and potential employment at Shinhan Life for those who demonstrate the interest and ability. Shinhan Life Vietnam works with BNJ Vietnam to implement the iLead scheme at SOS Children's Village. Photo: Shinhan In addition to the companys youth-focused initiatives, Shinhan Life places significant emphasis on supporting children, the future of the nation. A standout effort is the annual distribution of over 50,000 complimentary Shinhan An Binh insurance policies since 2022, providing leukaemia insurance coverage for children. Furthermore, Shinhan Life has supported treatment costs for underprivileged paediatric leukaemia patients at Ho Chi Minh City Childrens Hospital, contributing $25,000 worth of medical aid over the past three years. These efforts have brought renewed hope and a chance at normalcy for many children's lives. In recognition of its efforts to support the community in which it operates, Shinhan Life Vietnam was honoured with the prestigious Corporate for the Community title at the 2024 Saigon Times Corporate Social Responsibility Awards on November 14 This esteemed recognition celebrates businesses that contribute positively to economic, social, and environmental development. Under the theme Invest in a Sustainable Future, the award acknowledges Shinhan Life Vietnam's relentless efforts in nurturing future generations, driven by the belief that investing in children and young people is key to building a sustainable future for Vietnam. General director Bae Seung Jun (centre) receives the Corporate for the Community award. Photo: Shinhan Life Aligned with Shinhan Lifes commitment to delivering sustainable value to the community and society, the life insurer leverages its financial strength and the expertise of its parent company in South Korea to introduce comprehensive insurance solutions for Vietnamese people. These efforts aim to support families in improving their quality of life. To date, the company has safeguarded the sustainable future of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese families against life's uncertainties. At the award ceremony, general director Bae Seung Jun shared the companys development strategy for the coming year, emphasising that alongside driving business growth, Shinhan Life Vietnam remains committed to strengthening its contributions to the community. "This commitment will be fulfilled through Shinhan Lifes own initiatives and collaborative efforts with other members of Shinhan Financial Group operating in Vietnam," he said. EPR can be a move towards sustainable development By implementing extended producer responsibility, Vietnamese businesses can meet the increasingly high demands of partners and participate extensively in the global value chain, but it is also a challenge because new regulations always take time to deploy and enforce effectively. With the F2C model, Hi1 helps directly connect manufacturers with consumers without intermediaries. Hi1's special feature is its commitment to not charging seller fees, minimising intermediary costs, and thereby offering competitive prices to consumers. The platform will also provide shopping behaviour data, helping suppliers better understand market needs and improve products and sales strategies. Nguyen Dung, chairman of Hi1 Vietnam, said, "Hi1 is not just a shopping platform, but a bridge between manufacturers and customers, helping optimise benefits for both sides. We hope Hi1 will be the top choice for Vietnamese consumers on their smart shopping journey." Hi1, a part of the smart eVIPcare System ecosystem, is an AI-driven e-commerce platform created to offer users a seamless and convenient shopping experience. AI technology supports personalised recommendations based on individual preferences and needs, helping users easily find suitable products. AI automatically provides 24/7 customer care, quickly addressing inquiries and supporting users during and after shopping. Bui Thi Hanh Hieu, general director of Bao Minh Agricultural Processing Business JSC, shared that participating in AI-powered e-commerce platforms brings many practical benefits for businesses. AI technology helps thoroughly measure and evaluate user effectiveness, from identifying customer segments to standardizing approach processes. This is a breakthrough that the company highly values, especially as AI allows the company to optimise distribution and marketing costs, delivering real value to consumers, Hieu said. Discussing Hi1's competitive advantages compared to other e-commerce platforms, Kieu Tien Anh, CEO of Hi1, said, "Unlike foreign e-commerce platforms, which typically limit themselves to a few product categories like fashion, cosmetics, and household items, Hi1 has significantly expanded its business scope, including specialised items such as OCOP items, craft village goods, and construction materials. While foreign platforms usually target low-price segments, common goods, and lesser-known brands, Hi1 focuses on products with higher added value. A striking difference is that foreign sites often lack rigorous input control and verification, causing significant consumer concerns, whereas Hi1 commits to providing a safe and reliable shopping experience." Furthermore, Anh noted that foreign e-commerce platforms typically lack input control and verification, causing consumers to worry about product quality. Complicated warranty and return policies, high purchase risks, especially for high-value products like automobiles, real estate, or construction machinery, are segments these platforms can almost never access. Implementing buy-now-pay-later or instalment policies in Vietnam is also a major challenge for foreign e-commerce platforms, as most of these platforms concentrate on goods from China while failing to meet import product demands from South Korea, Japan, Europe, or the United States. In this context, Hi1 has chosen a strategy focusing on domestic products, with strict review processes, and simultaneously aiming to develop premium product lines to create competitive advantages. Hi1 plans to expand cooperation with thousands of manufacturers nationwide and implement attractive incentive programmes to enhance user experience. Export opportunities driven by cross-border e-commerce More than 17 million Vietnamese products were exported in 2023, representing an on-year increase of 50 per cent in value and 40 per cent in the number of partners. Overall, cross-border e-commerce grew 26 per cent in the same period. Lazada - a pioneer in e-logistics development Lazada is taking strong actions towards driving a sustainable e-logistics and e-commerce industry in Vietnam. Nguyen Anh Minh, head of Ground Operations at Lazada Logistics Vietnam, spoke with Bich Thuy about the priorities ahead. Council tax or cuts the Sophies choice reaction from Council Leader to 4.4% settlement This article is old - Published: Friday, Dec 13th, 2024 Extremely difficult decisions will have to be made locally in light of the recent Government settlement to Wrexham Council, the Leader has warned. Wrexham had a mid table draft settlement of +4.4%, with Ministers noting, We have worked closely with local government throughout the year and understand the pressures local government is facing. I welcome the improved level of funding from the UK Government as well as the pragmatic way Welsh Government is working with local government to ensure we do all we can within the funding available. Locally Wrexham Council Leader Councillor Mark Pritchard, said: Whilst we have welcomed engagement with Welsh Government, this is a disappointing settlement which does not address the 560m gap in council funding for 2025-26. Local authorities have a statutory duty to present balanced budgets. To achieve this, they could now be forced into a Sophies choice situation to meet the shortfall either to look again at Council Tax levels to raise revenue, or to consider cuts to everyday services to lower expenditure. This would be in addition to the impossible decisions that councils are already taking due to the scale of the funding challenges and a chronic lack of investment in the public sector. It is clear that the position is unsustainable. I urge the Welsh Government to reflect on the settlement and explore all avenues available to them to invest in our essential local services. It is only with long-term, sustainable funding that councils can support residents, communities, and businesses, and help to deliver national ambitions. Cllr Pritchard also raised huge concerns specifically over how social care funding gaps would be resolved locally, and noted to Wrexham.com the impact that cuts would have not only on local communities but also the wider health service. More widely, the collective of councils across Wales also reacted to the settlement figure with general unhappiness on the numbers, as well as the apparent uneven spread of cash. Councillor Andrew Morgan, Welsh Local Government Association Leader, said: Whilst we will take time to consider the details, I warmly welcome Welsh Governments commitment to supporting local government. Next years settlement is over 1bn higher than it would have been under the previous UK Government, which is proof of a decisive change in direction which will help to support public services and communities alike. Nevertheless, over a decade of savage cuts and lack of investment in the public sector cannot be undone overnight in one settlement. Local government is wholeheartedly committed to continue to work in close partnership with Welsh and UK governments alike to secure essential local services for the future so that they are still there to support those who need them. I thank the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government for her close engagement with us and will look forward to continuing our constructive dialogue during the consultation period. Councillor Darren Price, WLGA Plaid Cymru Group Leader, said: Local government has been clear of the perilous financial outlook for local services. The average 4.3% increase announced for next year by Welsh Government clearly falls short of meeting the 7% pressure on council budgets. Unless the Welsh Government increases the funding being made available to local councils in the final budget, Councils across Wales will have to make further cuts to services and significant increases in Council tax in order to balance the books. This settlement could very well be a case of the emperors new clothes, given that we are still awaiting clarity in relation to funding for employer National Insurance contributions. The increase represents a 109m pressure in direct costs, with 44m pressure for social care commissioning. We desperately need confirmation of that funding to ensure that we have confidence in planning our own budgets. The Welsh Government needs to respond fully to the spending pressures facing local authorities. This draft budget does not do that. There needs to be clarity regarding NI support, and discussions also need to be held to secure additional support for authorities falling at the lower end of the range in the settlement. Councillor James Gibson-Watt, WLGA Liberal Democrat Group, said: We know that the public purse is threadbare with all levels of governments having to face tough decisions. However, this settlement will be a difficult pill for many authorities to swallow. The demand on services such as social care, education, and housing are ever-increasing. Without the funding necessary to address those demands and rising costs, the ability of our essential local services to fulfil statutory duties, and support residents needs will be severely impeded. There is also significant variation in the levels of increase across the 22 authorities, ranging between 5.6% and 2.8%. Councils receiving less-than-average increases will feel particularly exposed to the severe financial headwinds facing local services. That is why we need to see a funding floor introduced to help these authorities. I look forward to making that case to the Cabinet Secretary and her government colleagues during the consultation period. Eco-friendly hotelier calls for 2025 green technology revolution in Wrexham This article is old - Published: Friday, Dec 13th, 2024 The boss of an eco-friendly hotel has caused on business leaders in Wrexham to make 2025 a landmark year to ramp up the introduction of green technologies. Darryl Shaw, Group Operations Director of the Everbright Hotels group, said companies do not to be daunted by the thought of joining the eco-revolution. Mr Shaw was the keynote guest speaker at the annual Christmas dinner of Wrexham Business Professionals at Wrexhams Ramada Plaza. He said the award-winning company plans to roll out its 2 million plan to cut carbon across its entire portfolio of hotels, including at the historic Rossett Hall Hotel and The Wild Pheasant Hotel, in Llangollen. Among the groups other sites are the Llandudno Bay Hotel and the Belmont in Llandudno, along with the George Hotel in Penrith and Stonecross Manor in Kendal. Mr Shaw said the carbon reduction plan came together after Rossett Hall was taken over by the Everbright Group in 2015. Following extensive research and consultations with experts, the group had fully embraced sustainability initiatives and seen first-hand the investment returns it can bring. He said the positives are two-fold, financial and environmental. Its environmentally-conscious approach saw Everbright Group crowned Sustainable Luxury Hotel Group of the Year. Its flagship grade-II-listed Llandudno Bay Hotel won the Green Innovation Award for the North Wales and West Cheshire Region at the 2024 British Chambers of Trade Awards. Mr Shaw said that while the cost of installing green technology at the Bay was significant with the first phase totting up to more than 150,000, the resulting efficiencies mean the company expects to get that back in two years. The changes, overseen by green energy consultants Aqualogik Limited, included reconfiguration of heating and water systems has brought down energy bills hugely and by the time the project is completed will achieve 90 tons of decarbonisation annually Multi-zone temperature controllers were fitted in all the bedrooms and public areas to avoid heating empty spaces to the same level as those in use. He said: The figures simply make financial sense. Yes, a significant amount of initial investment is required at the installation stages but the difference these technologies make is worth it. We found this to be especially so in the recent years of surging energy prices. Our hotel heating and water bills were soaring. At the Bay our electricity costs went from 14.5p/KWH to 45p/KWH in just a couple of years. The only sensible choice when facing such rapidly escalating costs was to embrace the greener energy alternative and having experienced the results first hand I would urge everyone else to do the same. New electric vehicle charging points, including a 50Kw DC Fast charger, were also installed. According to Mr Shaw, these kind of green policies can help build stronger more reliable economies and promote future growth. He told fellow business leaders that North Wales is perfectly situated to tap into natural resources. The Wrexham Business Professionals event was chaired by Ian Edwards who thanked Mr Shaw for his inspirational insights into the hospitality sector. He said collaboration and learning from each other was at the heart of the Wrexham Business Professionals reason for being. Louise Harper, a member of Wrexham Business Professionals, thanked Mr Shaw for his thought-provoking and inspirational message. She said: It is imperative that the business community embraces green technology, not just as means of safeguarding the environment but also as a driver of economic growth. As well as helping to safeguard the planet, it can boost your bottom line. Formal process to roll back 20MPH in Wrexham roads begins have your say! This article is old - Published: Friday, Dec 13th, 2024 Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates took questions at the side of Chester Road at a point where if proposals go through the consultation unchanged, there will likely be return to 30mph. 52 stretches of road in the county borough could revert back to 30mph next spring, depending on the outcome of a newly launched consultation. The introduction of 20mph has split public opinion since its implementation in September 2023. It has seen road signs defaced and hundreds of thousands of people signing a petition calling for it to be axed. On Thursday (December 12) Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates met with Deputy Leader of Wrexham Council, David A Bithell, and representatives from the local authority to discuss the launch of the consultation and how reverting roads back to 30mph would work in practice. Wrexham Council has responded really well in terms of consulting with the public, producing a list based on what people have identified as needing to change back to 30 miles an hour, explained Ken Skates MS. There are statutory processes, and I know that its frustrating for people, but those are processes that we cannot get around, but which enable people to have their say, and thats what contributes to the time frame. But to be fair, councils across Wales are responding very, very rapidly, and I think the 52 roads that Wrexham Council have identified for reverting back to 30 miles an hour make perfect sense roads where its sensible and its safe to return back to 30. By and large where 20 miles an hour is working, its working really well, and it will be maintained in those areas. As Wrexham.com readers will know, the council appeared a little jumpy before the roll out, and now as part of the roll back of some roads, about the liability of changing speed limits, if something bad were to happen as a result of a change. Ken Skates MS said on the matter,:We have discussed extensively with councils, and it has to be said with Flintshire and Wrexham councils, who I think have have led the way in terms of raising concerns over liability. As a result of those discussions, we have produced revised guidance that gives us confidence, and hopefully gives councils confidence that they can make the changes where they deem it sensible and safe to do so. Weve also provided letters of assurance as well to councils over the liability issues. I think weve addressed, by and large, the concerns that exist. Skates defended the further cost to the taxpayer of the roll back of a policy that has already cost by some estimates around 30m, and the council saying this latest move could cost them around 350k. In a time when local authorities across Wales are trying to provide vital services such as education and social care with less money, we asked the minister if such public money could be better spent elsewhere. This time around it is going to be up to 5m and we are making available all of the money for that to happen, explained Ken Skates MS. Some councils might, in addition, look to improve what is called the street scene. So they may look at putting in improved road markings, installing safe crossings in areas, so that work of improving roads, making roads safer will continue and in terms of active travel funding, about 60 million pounds has been allocated in this financial year for active travel funding. Wrexham.com was asking the questions the day after the settlement figure emerged from Cardiff Bay, and inquired if the millions over the 20MPH roll out / roll in would have been better spent on giving all 22 local authorities better budgets to help with social care gaps. The Cabinet Secretary replied: I fully recognise just how stretched councils are and how difficult its been for them to deal with implementation of the 20 mile an hour default speed limit, alongside having to spin some really, really difficult plates, including the challenge of making social care sustainable. Thats why I said we had to foot the bill. Welsh Government. We could not expect local councils to do that. Weve had 14 years of really tough times, and this budget weve just seen in October delivered the biggest budget settlement for the Welsh Government in memory. Within my department we were preparing for a flat cap cash budget. Now, had there not been a General Election in the summer, that may well have happened, because we wouldnt have had the budget. So its as a result of having a change of government, the budget in October, that weve been able to increase funding. That will benefit local authorities. It will benefit my department, public transport. I do recognise that turning around, after 14 years heading in one direction managing decline, is an incredibly difficult task, and it will take time to see very significant improvements. The 20mph roll out had been received in a lukewarm manner by Welsh Labour people we had spoken to when it was first launched, which then grew to more public discord over the policy. We asked if there had been any significant changes or lesson learning at the top of Welsh Government on how policy decisions were taken to avoid a repeat. Ken Skates MS replied: There most certainly has. Both Vaughan Gething and Eluned Morgan have insisted that with any policy implementation that could be deemed controversial, you have to win hearts and minds. Youve got to bring people with you if its going to be controversial and the messaging, the communication has to be right. You cant polarise people, dont pick a fight with the public. Make sure that you listen you have got to listen. What people look for in political leaders, more than anything else, is competence and compassion. Compassion doesnt necessarily mean having a soft heart all the time it means actually listening and understanding and then showing empathy, showing the understanding and how you can make changes to your policy. So Eluned has been absolutely determined we listen, listen, listen. Wrexham.com asked the responsible Lead Councillor David A Bithell if this was the right time to change tack and details on timescales: I think its a difficult time, in my personal view, because its cost the taxpayer ultimately, whether it comes out of the council budget or whether it comes out of Welsh Government. In this case it has caught at a time when people are struggling out there. My own personal view, It shouldnt have been introduced the way it did in the first place. I have to say, to be fair to the Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates, he is trying to put the wrongs right and trying and get where we should have been, perhaps in the first place. For a period of six weeks as we have extended the consultation period from now until the end of January. Itll be on our website, we have got over 1000 letters to be dropped across different communities, and therell be a dedicated email address, like there was before, for people to feed back their comments, concerns or suggestions. Subject to the the Executive Board in Februarys decision, I would think by May or early summer at the very latest, that we would have hopefully the 52 roads back to 30 mile an hour in Wrexham, If you would like to support or object to any of the proposals, please email 20mphConsultation@wrexham.gov. uk. Please note that the council are only able to accept responses that are specific to the roads listed in the TROs. The details from the document held by Ken Skates above states: 30mph (Speed Limit) Lengths of Road within the County Borough of Wrexham. B5445 Marford Hill, Marford From its entrance to Springfield Farm, to a point 120m north east of its junction for Woodlands Road, in a southerly direction for 1.44km. B5445 Chester Road, Gresford (near Clappers Lane to Woodlands Road) From a point 105m south-west of its junction with Clappers Lane to a point 120m north east of its junction for Woodlands Road, in a northerly direction for 1.69km. A5152 Chester Road, Acton From a point 80m south of the roundabout for A483 Junction 5, Gresford Interchange, to its junction with Little Acton Drive, in a southerly direction for 973m. A5152 Chester Road, Acton From a point 114m south of its junction with Box Lane, to a point 34m north of its junction with Grove Road/Penymaes Avenue, in a southerly direction for 703m. Ty Gwyn Lane, Acton Its entire length, a distance of 879m. B5425 New Road/ Main Road/ Llay New Road, Rhosrobin From a point 65m south of its junction with Ty Gwyn Lane, to a point 105m north of its junction with Plas Acton Road, in a northerly direction for 946m. Plas Acton Road, Pandy From its junction with B5425 New Road, to a point 81m west of its junction with Bluebell Lane, in a easterly direction for 430m. Jeffreys Road, Borras From its junction with Box Lane, to its junction with Borras Park Road, in a southerly direction for 1.06km. B5100 Rhosnesni Lane, Acton From its junction with Ffordd Elfed, to its junction with the roundabout of A5152 Chester Road, in an easterly direction for 848m. A534 Holt Road, Wrexham From a point 50m north east of its junction with Hullah Lane, to its junction with the roundabout for Cefn Road/ Dean Road, in a north easterly direction for 709m. A534 Holt Road, Borras From its junction with the roundabout for Cefn Road/Dean Road, to a point 148m south-west of its junction with the roundabout for Llan-y-Pwll Link Road, in a north easterly direction for 835m. A525 Kingsmills Road, Hightown From a point 23m south-east of its junction with Derby Road, to a point 48m south east of its junction with Kingsmills Loop, in a south-easterly direction for 692m. Kingsmills Loop (Old A525) From its junction with A525 Kingsmills Road, to a point 190m south of its junction with Abenbury Road, a distance of 472m. Abenbury Road, Abenbury Its entire length from its junction with Kingsmills Loop, to its junction with Cefn Road, a distance of 810m. Cefn Road, Abenbury From a point 42m south of its junction with Hullah Lane, to a point 118m south- east of its junction with Kempton Way, a distance of 1.62km. A525 Wrexham Road/ Bangor Road, Marchwiel From a point 51m south-east of its junction with Marchwiel Hall Lane, to a point 83m east of its junction with The Ridgeway Loop, for a distance of 1.5km. A528 Overton Road, Marchwiel From its junction with A525 Wrexham Road, Marchwiel to a point 63m south of that same junction, a distance of 63m. A525 Bangor Road, Cross Lanes From a point 71m north-west of its junction with the roundabout for Sesswick Way, to a point 127m south-east of its junction with B5130 crossroads at Cross Lanes, a distance of 770m. B5130, Cross Lanes From a point 121m south-west of its junction with A525 crossroads at Cross Lanes, to a point 118m north-east of its junction with Nant Clwyd Park, a distance of 795m. A525 Ruthin Road, Wrexham From a point 107m west of its junction with Homestead Lane, to a point 117m west of its junction with Croesnewydd Road, a distance of 357m. A541 Mold Road, Gwersyllt From a point 96m south of its junction with Old Mold Road, to a point 26m north of its junction with High Street, for a distance of 860m. B5425 Llay New Road, Llay From of its junction with the entrance to Alyn Waters Country Park, to a point 23m south of its junction with the roundabout for B5102 Llay Road, for a distance of 1.12km. B5102 Straight Mile/Croeshowell Hill, Llay From a point 360m south-west of its junction with Higher Lane/Gegin Lane, to a point 31m north east of that same junction, for a distance of 414m. Gegin Lane, Llay From its junction with B5120, in a southerly direction, for a distance of 210m. Higher Lane, Llay Its entire length, a distance of 1.06km. Chapel Lane, Llay Its entire length, a distance of 895m. Phoenix Drive, Brymbo Its entire length, a distance of 850m. New High Street, Brymbo From its junction with the roundabout for Phoenix Drive and New High Street, to its junction with Blast Road, a distance of 348m. Railway Road, Brymbo From its junction with the roundabout for Phoenix Drive and New High Street, to its junction with B5101 and Mount Hill, a distance of 277m. B5101, The Lodge From its junction with Broughton Road, to its junction with Cefn Road, a distance of 472m. B5426 Wern Road, Minera From its junction with Vicarage Hill, to a point 170m south of its junction with Access road to Minera House, for a distance of 805m. B5426 Minera Hall Road, Minera From a point 30m west of its junction with A525 Ruthin Road, to a point 140m east of its junction with Trem-Y-Mynydd, for a distance of 404m. B5426, The Wern From a point 91m north of its junction with Stryt y Scweiar, to a point 138m north of its junction with the Lane from Hafod Wen to Coppy Cottage, a distance of 543m. B5605 Park Road/Newbridge Road, Rhosymedre From a point 161m north of its junction with Plas Isaf, to a point 57m east of the access for Wynnstay Park & Lodge, a distance of 2.45km. A539 Llangollen Road, Acrefair From a point 93m east of its junction with Hampden Way, to a point 12m east of its junction with Chapel Street, a distance of 945m. A539 Llangollen Road, Trevor From a point 26m west of its junction with Trefnant Park, to a point 29m east of its junction with Trevor Hall Road, a distance of 1.46km. B5070, Chirk From a point 44m north of its junction with West View, to a point 43m north of its junction with Colliery Road, a distance of 947m. B5070, Chirk From a point 13m south of its junction with B4500 Castle Road, to a point 170m south of that same junction, a distance of 157m. B5605 Wrexham Road, Johnstown From a point 66m south of its junction with Fennant Road, to a point 9m north of its junction with Charles Street, a distance of 306m. B5605 Ruabon Road, Johnstown From a point 16m south of its junction with Stryt Las, to a point 42m south of its junction for Vauxhall Industrial Estate, a distance of 484m. Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Johnstown Its entire length. B5605 Ruabon Road, Ruabon From a point 22m north of the railway bridge, to its junction with East Avenue, in a southerly direction, for a distance of 71m. B5605 New High Street, Ruabon From its junction with East Avenue, to its junction with Vincent Street, a distance of 324m. B5605 Bridge Street, Ruabon From its junction with Tan-y-llan, to its junction with A539 Ruabon Roundabout, a distance of 461m. A539/B5605 Ruabon Roundabout, Ruabon Its entire length, a distance of 206m. B5097 from Plas Bennion Road to junction of Tatham Road, Ruabon From its junction with Plas Bennion Road to a point 14m east of its junction with Tatham Road, a distance of 1.10km. Plas Bennion Road/Copperas Hill, Penycae From its junction with Afoneitha Road to a point 144m south of its junction with B5097, a distance of 313m. Plas Bennion Road, Penycae (buffer zone) From its layby on the approach to the residential area, in a southerly direction for a distance of 301m. Bridge Road, Wrexham Industrial Estate Its entire length. Bridge Road South, Wrexham Indus- trial Estate From its junction with Clywedog Road South in a northerly easterly direction to its junction with Clywedog Road East. Spectrum Business Park Road Its entire length. WONGA As we have reported previously, the changes will be yet another bountiful time for some not all print publications in Wales, with several hundred thousand pounds of public money already spent to inform the public via statutory notices in the back of newspapers which are seeing ongoing drops in circulations. This sum does not include the 800k+ paid promotion campaign advertising on Facebook / TV / etc by Welsh Government for the 20MPH rollout something now that the former Minister Lee Waters said was not enough. Online the subject is also a cash positive one for some media with endless 20MPH articles generating traffic and engagement on social websites. The overall bill to the taxpayer for such notices connected to 20MPH could head towards 2m once all the work has taken place across Wales. In 2022 the estimated cost of the notices for roll out alone was 825k (PDF source here from Welsh Government) with the rollback being more fiddly. As we reported, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives joined forces to ensure that all-but-subsidy remained for declining legacy print media, and that this type of thing is the preferred way of doing things in Wales. More: Six out of ten Newsquest newspapers in Wales would have been loss making last year without public notice revenue / It is not for local authorities to fund local or national print media, says Senedd committee Plaid Cymru calls for devolved power parity between Wales and Scotland This article is old - Published: Friday, Dec 13th, 2024 Plaid Cymru called for Wales to be given parity with Scotland on devolved powers. Rhun ap Iorwerth warned Wales remains the poor relation among devolved nations in policy areas ranging from rail, justice and tax to welfare benefits and the Crown estate. He said: Our democratic rights as parliamentarians in Wales cant be considered to be inferior when compared to legislators in other devolved legislatures. But that is the position that we currently find ourselves in. Leading a debate, Mr ap Iorwerth warned billions of pounds-worth of investment is being withheld because of a lack of powers over rail infrastructure. The Plaid Cymru leader criticised Eluned Morgan for batting away questions deemed to be beyond the powers of the Senedd week after week at first ministers questions. Weak He said: Let me decode what she is saying: Id rather not cause a problem for Keir Starmer than try to do whats right by the people of Wales. Its weak, its weak, its weak. Mr ap Iorwerth accused Labour of talking the talk on pushing the boundaries of devolution but remaining resolutely passive when it comes to actually agitating for change. He told the Senedd: If the union is to prove its worth then at the very least, surely, Wales deserves parity of status with Scotland. And regardless of our differences on the ultimate constitutional journey for Wales it is inconceivable that any party purporting to represent the interests of our nation should not support this very basic principle. He added: The real danger is that any snail-paced incremental change Labours general state of constitutional being is watered down even further to satisfy party orders. Destruction of the UK The Conservatives Paul Davies called for a focus on making better use of the powers already devolved rather than tinkering and pushing for more. He said: Its also very much our view that Wales should not just be a carbon copy of Scotland just because Plaid Cymru says so. And to be frank, Plaid arent interested in having the same amount of powers as Scotland; they want independence, and we all know that that will in turn destroy the United Kingdom. That is their objective; that is their objective, the destruction of the United Kingdom. Criticising constitutional naval-gazing, Mr Davies added: We have to urgently address the apathy for the Senedd by getting on with the job of delivering on the peoples priorities. Broken Adam Price said he had never heard such a passionate defence of the status quo. The former Plaid Cymru leader asked: Why defend that status quo? Look at Wales as it is. You talk about broken public services. Look at the criminal justice system. Thats a public service. Youre right, its broken but not because of any decision made in this chamber. Labours Mike Hedges warned: Wales has had three devolution settlements and were no closer to a long-term settlement than we were before the first. The former council leader suggested more devolution within Wales, saying: The question should be where decisions are best made and it isnt always in Cardiff. Mr Hedges added: Everything does not have to be devolved to Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or the English city regions at the same time. For Wales, see Scotland Responding to the debate on December 11, Huw Irranca-Davies raised concerns about a for Wales, see Scotland-style approach. The deputy first minister told the Senedd that the Welsh Governments guiding principle will always be what is in the best interests of the people of Wales. He said: We dont want to copy and paste the devolution settlement from somewhere else, adding: That would actually be imitation, not devolution. Mr Irranca-Davies pointed out that the Welsh Government accepted the recommendations of the independent commission on the constitutional future of Wales. In the final Senedd vote of 2024, members rejected the Plaid Cymru motion, 37-12, before a version as amended by the Welsh Government was agreed 26-12 with 11 abstaining. By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter NAIROBI, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said Friday that it has secured 118 million U.S. dollars to provide life-saving assistance to over 1 million displaced people in Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Laurent Bukera, the WFP's regional director for eastern Africa, said the number of displaced people in the region has doubled over the past four years to 26.5 million in 2024, up from 13.2 million in 2020. People who have lost their homes and livelihoods represent a significant portion of those the WFP aims to reach across eastern Africa, he said. "This funding is critical to ensure we can maintain support for these vulnerable displaced people, many of whom rely almost entirely on humanitarian assistance to survive," Bukera said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The WFP said the increased displacement is largely due to conflict, with the war in Sudan forcing record numbers of people from their homes, as well as extreme weather events such as the 2020-2023 Horn of Africa drought. The growth in the number of displaced people in recent years has not been matched by a growth in resources, forcing the WFP to make difficult decisions about who receives food assistance and how much. The WFP called for timely contributions to enable it to provide cash transfers and in-kind food assistance to over 1 million displaced people, including refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, internally displaced persons, and some food-insecure host communities. "None of the displaced people that WFP supports in Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, or Uganda are receiving a full ration (equivalent to 2,100 kilocalories) due to funding pressures," the WFP said. A Las Vegas man will serve between six and 20 years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault crimes. Justin King attempted to sexually assault a woman in a car according to a release from the Nevada Attorney General's Office. Attorney General Aaron Ford's office prosecuted the case due to a conflict of interest with the Clark County District Attorneys Office. King offered the victim a ride near Fremont Street, and when she accepted, used the pretext to kidnap her and attempt to sexually assault her. King was found guilty of attempted sexual assault and coercion, both of which are category B felonies. ANKARA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye on Thursday appointed an acting charge d'affaires at its embassy in Damascus, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. Turkiye's Ambassador to Mauritania, Burhan Koroglu, was appointed as the acting charge d'affaires at the Turkish embassy in Damascus. Turkiye closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012, citing escalating violence and its call for then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down amid the country's civil war that began in 2011. Ankara's move to assign an acting charge d'affaires to Damascus coincided with the visit of senior officials from Turkiye and Qatar to Syria, where they held discussions with leaders of the militant coalition that overthrew the al-Assad government, as announced by Syria's interim information ministry. K tc x vung bin tai x Tam Quang, huyen Tuong Duong (Nghe An). Anh: TTXVN phat Chap cnh nhung uoc mo Tai Nghe An hien c 2 m hnh K tc x vng bin do cc on Bin phng trien khai, o au at tai x Tam Quang (Tuong Duong) v Truong Trung hoc co......[Nhieu Hon...] 2025-02-25 (MUSIC INTRO) [00:00:01] Bob: This week on The Perfect Scam. [00:00:04] Alex Quilici: People do everything on their phones now. They do their banking, they do bill paying on phones. And so a lot of your financial history and financial accounts are accessible through your phones, which makes it a prime target. And even if you do work on your desktop, when you log in, they text your phone as a 2FA to let you in, which means your phone's involved everywhere. [00:00:24] Bob: So our phone is almost our password at this point. [00:00:27] Alex Quilici: It is and it's the big motivation for SIM swaps. If they get your phone number and control of it, then it's like they have your password. (MUSIC SEGUE) [00:00:07] Bob: Welcome back to The Perfect Scam. I'm your host, Bob Sullivan. In many ways, our phones are now our passwords. They're often the key to logging into our bank accounts, our work computers. Those short text messages with secret codes seem to rule our lives now. Criminals have taken notice, and they've figured out a diabolical way to intercept these messages. To impersonate our phones, and in so doing, impersonate ourselves. Today, you'll hear from a victim who was targeted by this kind of phone hijacking attack. And before the day was over, tens of thousands of dollars had been stolen from him. But the good news is, today's episode comes with homework. There's a five minute fix for this problem, one you could probably do yourself. To be honest, a fix I didn't know about until we worked on this story. I'll soon explain how it's done. But first, we want to make sure you understand the problem. So, meet Jeff Drobman from Los Angeles. He was on his way to lunch recently. On his way to a first date. When, innocently enough, His mobile phone suddenly stopped working. [00:01:49] Jeff Drobman: Yes, I was having lunch with a friend out in Hollywood, which is an hour drive from where I live. So I couldn't get home really quickly to deal with all of this. So what happened was I was trying to call that person and I noticed that my phone wasn't working. All of a sudden, just suddenly, it says SOS instead of a cellular service. It'll say SOS if you have no service. So anyways, that's when I noticed something was wrong. So I'm thinking maybe a cell tower went down or something, you know, why am I not getting service? I don't know, but I was meeting with somebody. Actually, it was a first blind date, so I didn't want to screw that up. [00:02:27] Bob: Oh my God, all the pressure. [00:02:31] Bob: So Jeff puts aside the phone issue for a while, tries to focus on the date, but his phone is still trying to get his attention. Calls won't go through, texts won't go through, but he is getting emails, probably because of a Wi Fi connection. [00:02:44] Jeff Drobman: It's about noon, my time. I started getting a flurry of fraud alerts from Bank of America. Someone's trying to access your account. Someone just changed your password. I go, oh my god, if this wasn't you, call us. Well, okay, great. How can I call you? My phone's been disabled. [00:02:59] Bob: Still, he somehow manages to enjoy lunch. [00:03:04] Jeff Drobman: Yeah, I was actually at the Grove in Hollywood. That was a great place. I didn't want to leave, but I had to go. It took me an hour to get home, so it was more like three, four o'clock before I could borrow my neighbor's phone and call in. [00:03:14] Bob: Using that neighbor's phone, remember, he can't call anyone from his phone. Jeff calls his cell phone provider first so he can get that up and running. [00:03:23] Jeff Drobman: And they looked up the records and they said, well, somebody had your phone number transferred to their phone. I said, yeah, it wasn't me. They go, oh, okay. Okay, that's not okay. But I got to the fraud people and they said, Okay, we'll deactivate their phone and we'll reactivate yours, which was not a simple process. They had to take me to a website, I had to do a QR code, da da da, but eventually my phone was back in service. [00:03:46] Bob: Okay, so now his phone works, and now he has time to call his bank. He's gotten those disturbing alerts about someone trying to access his account. [00:03:56] Bob: And by the time all, like, in my head, the clock is ticking towards 4 or 5 pm by now, right? [00:04:01] Jeff Drobman: Yes, about 4 or 4:30, something like that. [00:04:03] Bob: So it's also the end of the banking day, and that's another cause for worry, right? [00:04:07] Jeff Drobman: Yep, you hit the nail on the head there. [00:04:09] Bob: He gets through on the phone and discovers a series of withdrawals have already hit his account. [00:04:17] Jeff Drobman: They said, okay, we'll, we'll denote that the fraud will shut down your account. But by then it was too late. They'd already stolen my money. So it was, um, letting, uh, closing the barn door after the cow had got out. And I said, well, what do I do now? And they said, well, your bank is closed. So wait till tomorrow, but go into your bank tomorrow morning. And. See what's going on. [00:04:37] Bob: This seems like a heck of an afternoon. My God. [00:04:39] Yeah. Yes. It was a nightmare. Not even on Elm Street. It was a nightmare on my street. [00:04:44] Bob: How bad was it at that moment? Did you get a sense like, wow, my money's gone or? [00:04:49] Jeff Drobman: No, they just said, goodbye. Go to your bank. Leave us alone. Goodbye. [00:04:53] Bob: And you, you assume, well, the bank's got this under control, right? [00:04:55] Jeff Drobman: Well, they locked my account. They said, so whatever was stolen was stolen, but they can't steal anymore because we've locked your account. I said, yeah, but then I can't use my account. That's correct, sir. You can't use your account. [00:05:04] Bob: Wonderful. [00:05:06] Bob: And since Jeff can't access his online bank account, he can't really tell what's going on. His worst fears are confirmed the next morning when he goes into the bank and eventually speaks with a fraud expert. [00:05:20] Jeff Drobman: And she goes and logs in. She says, I can log into your account. You can't, but I can log into your account. So she logs into my account and she says, Oh, looks like $21,000 has been withdrawn at four different bank branches in Chicago. [00:05:31] Bob: (sighs) [00:05:32] Jeff Drobman: Chicago. [00:05:33] Bob: What did you think of that? [00:05:35] Jeff Drobman: I was astonished and flabbergasted and frustrated. All those feelings mixed together. [00:05:41] Bob: $21,000 has been stolen from him. All while his phone had stopped working. That can't be a coincidence. The teller offers a few more details. [00:05:53] Jeff Drobman: The bank fraud person I was dealing with told me, I see here, that apparently what happened is they, the criminal group in Chicago of all places, walked into a bank branch and said, uh, Yeah, we want to withdraw, you know, how much cash can we withdraw from the account today? Because they have limits, right? And so they did a 3,000 and a 4000 and a 7000 or an 8,000 for four different times they withdrew cash. And then they, she told me, it looks like they went into a fifth branch and they finally got wise to it and said no. [00:06:25] Bob: Have you ever gone into a bank and withdrawn more than a couple hundred dollars? [00:06:30] Jeff Drobman: No, Not ever. [00:06:31] Bob: Jeff's heart is up in his throat. What is he supposed to do now? [00:06:36] Bob: And you're talking to this person who says $21,000 has been stolen and you're shocked. What does she tell you to do? [00:06:41] Jeff Drobman: She said, well, you file a fraud report. And I said, yeah, let's do that. So I filed a fraud report. [00:06:47] Bob: And does she reassure you, don't worry, you'll get the money back? [00:06:50] Jeff Drobman: She said, I'm hoping that they'll decide to give you your money back, but I can't guarantee that. [00:06:55] Bob: I'm hoping they'll decide? That sounds terrible. [00:06:59] Jeff Drobman: She said, they probably will, but I can't guarantee that. [00:07:02] Bob: Can't guarantee that? Wow. But there's nothing else Jeff can do at this point other than, well, remember his account has been deactivated, so to get access to any money, he has to... [00:07:17] Bob: So does she open a new account for you? How does she deal with the immediate problem? [00:07:21] Jeff Drobman: Yeah, so that's the annoying part too. They have to close that account, open a whole new checking account, throw out all your printed checks, throw out your old debit card, and we'll mail you a new debit card. And also they did that with my credit card too. So just to be safe. [00:07:35] Bob: Yeah. And that's much more of a hassle than people realize unless they've been through it. [00:07:38] Jeff Drobman: Well, especially with the credit card, because I auto bill a fair number to that credit card. And I had, yeah. [00:07:43] Bob: So it's a real pain when you have to do all this. [00:07:45] Jeff Drobman: Uh, yes, yes. It's got a, it's a snake with many tails. That's for sure. [00:07:50] Bob: But at least by the time he leaves the bank, he's got a working phone and a working bank account, so things are back to normal ish. [00:07:59] Jeff Drobman: Well, it was back to normal for all of two hours. Two hours, my phone goes dead again. I got the SOS signal, I go, oh my god. [00:08:08] Bob: Jeff's phone has died. Again. And now he knows what that might mean. Last time that happened, $21,000 was stolen from him, so he quickly calls his cell phone provider. [00:08:21] Jeff Drobman: So I call him back and said, yeah, we transferred your phone to these other people. They said they wanted your phone number. I said, well, you guys can't do that. So they transferred me again to their top fraud guy and he said, okay, I can lock your account so we won't transfer your phone number just because somebody calls and says, please do that. [00:08:37] Bob: And that works for one day. [00:08:41] Jeff Drobman: The next day I got my phone locked again. So I called and talked to the guy and I said, okay, I guess I didn't do that right or something. So yeah, so yeah, now your phone is definitely locked and we'll assign you a PIN number. [00:08:52] Bob: This is just crazy. It is crazy. Three times in one day. Yeah. [00:08:56] Jeff Drobman: Right. Well, the next day too. So, and then I'm holding my breath and crossing the fingers the right way to make sure this doesn't happen a fourth time. [00:09:03] Bob: And remember, Jeff is trying to port all his automatic payments over to his new bank account, so intermittent cell service isn't exactly helpful. But you know what would make that process even worse? [00:09:16] Jeff Drobman: I had to, you know, contact everybody and give them the new account number. Oh, and here's the stupid thing. Just to make matters worse, because why not, they gave me a new account number, and the next day I went into the bank to see what was going on, and they said, oh, it looks like they're The criminals had gotten a hold of this number, possibly, because someone's trying to get that account. So they closed that one and gave me a third account number. [00:09:40] Bob: So, if you're keeping score, there's three confirmed attacks on his cell service and two on his bank account within 24 hours. And while the attacks come rapid fire, the fix is decidedly slower. [00:09:54] Jeff Drobman: Well, I went into the bank and talked to that lady many, many times, like just about every day, just about daily. I went in there, any good news? What's going on? We don't know. Can you check, you know, can you check my fraud status? Eventually, I was able to log back into my own account and check my fraud status. So, they hopefully were able to also protect my account from being, having my password changed by the criminals yet again. [00:10:16] Bob: But what about the $21,000? [00:10:21] Bob: So when did the bank finally call you with some good news? [00:10:24] Jeff Drobman: They never once called me. [00:10:25] Bob: Wonderful. Uh, how did you find out they had restored or, you know, uh, approved the dispute? One day the money just reappeared in your online banking? Is that what happened? [00:10:33] Jeff Drobman: Um, well, yeah, a month later, just. [00:10:35] Bob: It took a month? [00:10:36] Jeff Drobman: One month. [00:10:37] Bob: To get your... [00:10:38] Jeff Drobman: One month later. [00:10:40] Bob: To get $21,000, that's crazy. [00:10:42] Bob: So what is going on here? How did criminals manage to make $21,000 worth of withdrawals from Jeff's accounts? And why did that happen at the same time his cell phone stopped working? Jeff was targeted by what's called a SIM swapping attack. Here to explain how SIM swap attacks work and how you can protect yourself from them is Alex Quilici, CEO of a security company named YouMail, which protects consumers from unwanted and unsafe calls, texts, and voicemails. [00:11:14] Alex Quilici: So the way to think about a SIM swap is a SIM connects your phone number to a device. So a SIM swap basically switches your phone number to another SIM on another device. And once somebody has your phone number on another device, they can do, it's as if they own it, right? So they can do anything you could have done, which means access to bank accounts and all of that. [00:11:37] Bob: And I think one of the reasons we've seen a lot more of these attacks is our phones play a much bigger role now in our security. Right? [00:11:44] Alex Quilici: It's absolutely crazy, right? People do everything on their phones now. They do their banking on their phones. They do bill paying on phones. And so a lot of your financial history and financial accounts are accessible through your phones, which makes it a prime target. And even if they're not on your phone and you do work on your desktop, when you log in, they text your phone as a 2FA to let you in, which means your phone's involved everywhere. [00:12:08] Bob: So our phone is almost our password at this point. [00:12:11] Alex Quilici: It is, and that's the big part of the problem, and it's the big motivation for SIM swaps. If they get your phone number and control of it, then it's like they have your password. [00:12:21] Bob: SIM cards, that word stands for Subscriber Identity Module, tie a piece of hardware, a handset, to a telephone number. Perhaps you remember a time when physical SIM cards were standard. When you got a new phone, you could yank the SIM card out of one device and put it in another. Today, many carriers use eSIM cards, virtual cards, so the change happens in software. That's significant because in the past, SIM swap attacks would have required physical access to someone's phone. But today, they can be done remotely. And since all that really stood between Jeff's bank account and a criminal was a six digit code texted to his smartphone, well a criminal who had hijacked his smartphone could log in and steal his money. [00:13:10] Alex Quilici: It doesn't surprise me because think about it, when you go to log into a bank account, they text your phone, you put the text in, and now you have full access to the bank account. So the minute a bad guy has switched over this guy's phone number to their control, it, it happens very fast what they can do at that point, and they're set up to do as much as possible. [00:13:30] Bob: Jeff got a very painful lesson. and SIM Swap attacks during this episode. [00:13:35] Jeff Drobman: That's the huge issue here. The huge issue is everybody, all the banks and all the financial institutions and a lot of others are using text back codes as a way to authenticate you. And, uh, we all thought, well, that's safe. That's got to be perfectly safe. They send a code to my phone. No one else has my phone. I have my phone. I text back the code. And they're going, yeah, that's, that's how we do that. So these criminals have figured out how easy it is to steal your phone. So all they had to do was call a suspect and say, Hey, uh, Hey, Bob, Bill, I just got a new phone. Hey, here. Hey, can you transfer this? My phone number, which was my phone number. Can you transfer this phone number to my new phone? They said, sure, no problem. Here you go. I used to think I'm, fairly well versed in cybersecurity, I used to think that one of the measures to authenticate yourself is it's not only something you know, but something you have. And so we thought that text back codes were perfect because the phone is something you have. No one else could have my phone, or if my phone got stolen, I would have reported that. It never occurred to me that it was that easy to steal your SiM, because they made it an eSIM. [00:14:34] Bob: That's certainly enough to make anyone paranoid and well, Jeff sure is. Every time there's a cell phone network blip, well, he's worried he might be robbed. [00:14:44] Bob: It must be a part of your life now. How do you feel? We all go through these dead zones with our cell phones where suddenly the phone doesn't work. Aren't you worried every time that someone's hacking your bank again? [00:14:53] Jeff Drobman: Yeah, do you like getting electric shocks? That's my electric shock. Every time I look at my phone and it says SOS, I go, oh no, oh no, hopefully nobody hacked my phone. [00:15:03] Bob: There have been several high profile SIM swap attacks. Especially because smartphones often act as passwords for high value crypto accounts. Investor Michael Turpin had 24 million stolen from him. He was the subject of a Perfect Scam episode about a year ago. But today, SIM swap attacks are hitting all kinds of account holders. [00:15:26] Bob: Can you give me some idea of scale here? Because I started to see a lot of stories about SIM Swap bank attacks, you know, maybe a year or two ago, maybe even longer, but it seems like they're a big problem now. Can you give me some idea of how the scale of the problem? [00:15:38] Alex Quilici: So what I've seen recently are statistics for 2023, which estimated somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 of these SIM swaps. which is up dramatically from 2018 when I think they estimated 600 and 2021 when it was, you know, four or five thousand. So they seem to be escalating in terms of, you know, the number of attempts here. [00:15:59] Bob: Just to put a fine point on it, we're talking to you today about SIM swapping. Why would a company named YouMail know about SIM swapping? [00:16:06] Alex Quilici: Well, one of the big things people need to do SIM swaps is your personal information. And how do they get it? They get it through robocalls, robotext, emails, other things that are essentially phishing you to try to get you to provide that information. And so we're well aware of SIM swaps simply because we see all the attempts to get the information that's needed to do those SIM swaps. [00:16:26] Bob: And given all the network traffic that you see, you probably see a lot of attempts, right? [00:16:32] Alex Quilici: Well, what we usually see are suspicious things. So one suspicious thing is suddenly someone's getting the six digit two FA codes and they're reporting them as spam. And so if they're doing that, that means they didn't ask for the 2FA code. So someone else has got that 2FA code generated for them and is trying to take over their phone. So there are different things that we can see that we think are either a part of a SIM swap or the precursor to a SIM swap. [00:17:00] Bob: SIM swapping is a bit more alarming now because, as with Jeff, the attacks seem more targeted. [00:17:07] Alex Quilici: So, you know, two, three years ago, it was spray and pray. There'd be massive numbers of robocalls or massive texts, hoping to get someone to click or someone to call back or someone to answer and press one. Now they're actually going after people with very specific data for those people. So if they pretend to be a bank, they may have your account number they got from a data breach. They may have other information that they need. then convinces you, Hey, this really is my bank. And I think the danger level has gone way up. The volume has gone down, but the bad guys are getting, you know, smarter and smarter. And if you look at the amount of data breaches that are out there, it's, it's crazy, right? [00:17:45] Bob: And while Jeff did ultimately get his money back, don't say the crime didn't cost him anything. And that's one reason he really wanted to speak to us. [00:17:55] Jeff Drobman: Well, time, money, aggravation, frustration, yes. And the fact that they hacked my phone multiple times, so I was never sure. That I was safe from that. It also kind of messes up my account with them. I keep having to do these, uh, SIM swap back to my phone. But the main thing is hopefully everyone's hurt of the idea of SIM Swap. [00:18:16] Bob: As you can tell, Jeff is still a bit frustrated. He's also left wondering what happened to the criminals who were brazen enough to walk into a bank branch and steal thousands of dollars. [00:18:29] Jeff Drobman: Well, I hope they caught these guys 'cause I also gave them a phone number and an address. These guys had the audacity to, while they had access to my bank account, to request a physical debit card, a new debit card to be mailed to them at this post office box in, not post office, this apartment address in Chicago. So I said, I have an address for them. Are you going to arrest these guys? Well, we don't know. So I don't know if they ever caught, and they also got a phone number, somebody who was trying to get my phone transferred, and they actually provided a phone number. So I gave them that phone number, but I never heard if they were able to arrest any of these people. [00:19:07] Bob: Another important element of Jeff's story is the use of something new called virtual debit cards. I only became aware of these recently when I got a new physical debit card. My bank added software to my app so I can withdraw cash from an ATM by tapping with my smartphone using this virtual debit card. Not unlike paying with Apple Pay. And that's a nice feature, but... [00:19:32] Jeff Drobman: Yes, that was the key to the whole thing. So you think that they hacked into my bank account in order to steal money out of my bank account. But I'm figuring they were smart enough, so that's why I think they were a pretty smart criminal group, that if they transferred the money to some account that would be traceable. So they apparently hacked into my account in order to, uh, well one, lock me out, but also to request a physical debit card to be mailed to them. And also to request a virtual debit card, which they could get immediately. So that was the other key. That's why these guys are pretty sophisticated. So they got a virtual debit card. And so that was what they used when they walk into the bank. They said they apparently must have shown them the virtual debit card. [00:20:11] Bob: Okay, so my question is this. They were, the bank was sending you fraud alerts? [00:20:15] Jeff Drobman: Yes. [00:20:16] Bob: Actively, multiple fraud alerts. But yet still allowed someone to take cash four different times in the thousands of dollars. How did the bank explain that? I mean, what's the point of the fraud alert if to not hold up the transaction? [00:20:27] Jeff Drobman: You're absolutely right. If they suspect fraud, why would they hand over 21,000 in cash? Here you go. Would you like those in tens or twenties or fifties? Here you go, buddy. [00:20:35] Bob: Yeah, let me, because the implicit message is, we're sending you this fraud alert, unless we hear from you, we're going to just perform the transaction, which is crazy. [00:20:42] Jeff Drobman: Yeah, it should be the reverse. Until we hear from you, we're not going to give out any money. [00:20:46] Bob: Yeah. [00:20:47] Jeff Drobman: That's what it should be. [00:20:48] Bob: Okay, so we promised at the top of this episode to give you homework, a simple task that can protect you from a lot of SIM swap attacks. Nothing is perfect, of course, but I'll let Alex explain. [00:21:01] Bob: This seems rather helpless. [00:21:02] Alex Quilici: Well, I don't think it's helpless. I mean, there's a number of things people can do. The number one thing is now the carriers in the US allow you to have something that they call along the lines of SIM swap protection. And what that basically is, when that's turned on, your phone number can't move from the SIM until you turn that permission back on. And so that's a really great level of protection. I mean, it's a pain because you get a new phone and a new SIM, you've got to go and make sure you turned it off, do the swap and then turn it back on. But that is a big part of protecting yourself is making sure that feature is on your wireless carrier. [00:21:37] Bob: So it sounds like you are, without exception, recommending that people call their carrier Go online and set this up right away. [00:21:44] Alex Quilici: I absolutely, that's the first thing you should do. It's a pretty easy thing to find on their website. It takes a couple minutes to turn it on. Go do it. It's worth the hassle when you get another phone later on, or you want to do something. It's just like a credit freeze. There is a significant amount of protection by doing that. [00:21:59] Bob: So, uh, you know, my first instinct with that is I'm sure that's great, but then also I'm sure the hackers have figured out a way to get around that, right? [00:22:06] Alex Quilici: Well, they have, but that usually involves people. So one of the most famous SIM swaps is, uh, a gentleman named Michael Turpin. And the way they did the SIM swap was basically bribe employees at the, uh, at the carrier. And so the employees just switched it regardless of everything else. But that's a lot more difficult to do if they have to go bribe employees, you know, once you've got this SIM protection setting on. [00:22:32] Bob: Okay. I'm convinced. I did it with my carrier, as soon as I got off the phone with Alex. The process is a little different with each carrier, but basically I navigated to my account, to a tab labeled security, and found an on/off toggle for SIM locking. The experience should be pretty similar for you. You can call your carrier and ask for it too. Jeff really hopes you do. [00:22:56] Jeff Drobman: So there's two levels of protection to advise everybody out there. One is absolutely contact your cell phone carrier, make sure you have a PIN set up, that they will not transfer your phone number without the PIN. So make sure you do at least that. In addition to the PIN, I also was able to get them to set a complete anti-fraud lock on my account. So I have to call the fraud department, authenticate myself there with three or four different ways of authentication. And then, then they'll unlock the fraud lock and then I can use the PIN to transfer the phone. [00:23:28] Bob: SIM swap locks are particularly important because Alex says criminal attacks are becoming even more targeted. [00:23:36] Alex Quilici: The one other thing that's important. What's going on now that I think people should be aware of are what I would call ultra targeted scams. So an example is, uh, my wife got one a few days ago. She got a text message saying, we, you know, we're going to sue you because your daughter threatened the life of our daughter and all the, you know, this nonsense with the text, right? And so they knew my daughter's name, they knew my wife's name, they knew her phone number, they knew what high school my daughter had gone, uh, gone to last year. All of this stuff and mocked up a, you know, very terrible kind of SMS and threatened to sue us and essentially unless we pay the money. [00:24:10] Bob: Wow [00:24:10] Alex Quilici: And so that's some real work for someone to do, right? To Google and put some of that stuff together. And we see more and more of it. I know Michael Arrington, who's Famous in the crypto world of TechCrunch has posted a whole thing on Twitter where they're going after all his friends, pretending to be him with real information about him. And so I think these kind of super ultra targeted scams are what we have to watch out for now. And you can imagine, these are hard to detect. right? The way we knew it was suspicious was one, we know our daughter, right? So she's not going to threaten someone's life, but it didn't mention what phone number she had. It didn't, didn't mention who, like, it was nothing. There was no meat on the bone. So we were very comfortable with the scam and, you know, worked to get it shut off. But I think that's what people are, are seeing more and more of. And, you know, grandparent scams where it used to just be, Hey, I'm in jail, send $10,000. Now they know about the person. They might know what, because of social media says where they went on vacation. So hey, I'm here in this location in Hawaii and I've been, you know, gotten in an accident, you get bailed in jail. It's, they're, they're getting more and more sophisticated and you throw in, you know, voice cloning and some of the other stuff there. This is a really tough world for people. [00:25:21] Bob: Yeah. I mean, so, you know, every time there was one of those massive data leaks. We all sort of speculated, oh, this could one day be used for, you know, highly targeted attacks. In truth, you know, I haven't heard about a lot of things like you're describing, but what, what your wife received there is, is a stunner to me. [00:25:39] Alex Quilici: It freaked her out at first. [00:25:40] Bob: Yeah, sure. [00:25:41] Alex Quilici: Right? Her first thought was actually, I can't believe my daughter did this, and then I just said, we know our daughter, she'd never do that. [00:25:47] Bob: Good for you, way to go, yeah. [00:25:48] Alex Quilici: And on top of that, they didn't have her phone number here as part of the text they were trying to show you, it's all blurred out. They didn't say who they were. They're saying, I'm just filing a demand. Like that, you know, a letter, this is just suspicious. Trust me, this isn't real. And obviously I used my contacts to try to figure out what was going on, but you know, a lot of people might go, Oh my God. Okay. I can get out of this for 500 bucks. Okay. Let me just do it. [00:26:09] Bob: You know, and honestly, what you said about that being a lot of work to put together, that that's what has me. on the hook here, because, you know, normally these guys succeed one out of 10,000 times, right? So they don't have time to make personal messages like that. But some, something is going on. I wonder if they're using ChatGPT or something to write these things up. [00:26:27] Alex Quilici: I actually looked at that. And, you know, some of our team was trying to figure out, could they find all of this with chatGPT? And the simple answer was with basic prompts, no. But if they decided for some reason, you know, to go after me, but they figure I probably know what's going on. They would easily find my wife and daughter's names that. It's been in the paper before for local things. They could figure out what high school she goes from her, went to, from her Instagram and her TikToks, which now have some, you know, real social presence. It's not hard, right, to kind of put that together. And I guess if you have cheap labor, you know, in a foreign country somewhere, you can imagine them just doing this. Like, okay, we want to attack, Let's get a list of people in a particular zip code because that's a reasonably wealthy area. Let's find out everything we can and let's actually put some effort into going after it. [00:27:13] Bob: Wow. [00:27:14] Alex Quilici: And so it's, it's moved from, like I said, spray and pray to very targeted, very direct and, and with some data and other effort behind it to make it seem real. [00:27:23] Bob: There is one other important suggestion Alex has. [00:27:27] Alex Quilici: It's a giant pain, but there are things called authenticator apps, which really tie your authentication code to your particular device, not the SIM. And so, for example, with Gmail, you can make it so the 2FA goes through an authenticator app versus a text, to your phone number or versus, you know, an email with the code. And those are much harder to break. right? Because they have to have your physical device, because it's generating code specific to knowing that you're on the device that's going to help you get in. And so it's painful, it adds time, and sometimes it's confusing, but I really recommend that where possible and where it's supported, do the authenticator layer for 2FA versus a text to your SMS. And secondly, at least for me personally, a lot of times I have the 2FA go to an email address. Because it's harder to break into my email address than I think it is to try to do the SIM swap. So I tend to stay away from SMS for accounts that really matter to me. [00:28:25] Bob: Could you say that a little bit more about that? I think that's really interesting. So when you, your bank tells you to put on 2FA and you go there, I assume, it's been a while since I've done it, you just check a box that says send me a text message, but you can say, send me an email instead. [00:28:39] Alex Quilici: Usually they'll send me an email and there's usually the third option, at least now more and more, which is use an authentication app, like Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator. And to me, that's the preferred solution, even if it's sort of the biggest pain. [00:28:53] Bob: But if you don't want to use an authenticator app, and by the way, I agree with you, I think, I don't actually think that they're that much of a pain nowadays. But, you know, not, I'm just interested in, in, if you're, send it to your email, there's a couple of good things about that. One is Someone who's hacked your SIM wouldn't get it, right? And the other is the problem this poor fella had was, so all these messages were coming saying, if this isn't you, call us. Well, his phone doesn't work. [00:29:16] Alex Quilici: Exactly, right? That's the problem. So, you know, email's not a great solution, but if you're worried about SIM swapping, at least it's going to a different place. [00:29:25] Bob: So again, I'd strongly recommend you take a few moments and place a SIM swap lock on your mobile phone account. You'll be just a little safer in a world where cell phones Are often the key that opens up your entire digital life. For the perfect scam, I'm Bob Sullivan. (MUSIC SEGUE) [00:29:48] Bob: If you have been targeted by a scam or fraud, you are not alone. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. Their trained fraud specialists can provide you with free support and guidance on what to do next. Our email address at The Perfect Scam is: theperfectscampodcast@aarp.org, and we want to hear from you. If you've been the victim of a scam or you know someone who has, and you'd like us to tell their story, write to us. That address again is: theperfectscampodcast@aarp.org. Thank you to our team of scambusters; Associate Producer, Annalea Embree; Researcher, Becky Dodson; Executive Producer, Julie Getz; and our Audio Engineer and Sound Designer, Julio Gonzalez. Be sure to find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. For AARP's The Perfect Scam, I'm Bob Sullivan. (MUSIC OUTRO) END OF TRANSCRIPT As soon as the phone rang, I jumped out of bed, knowing what the voice on the other end of the phone would say as soon as I answered: Theyre out. It was about 1 oclock in the morning but I didnt hesitate to rouse my 80-year-old dad from his deep sleep. Bleary-eyed, we pulled on our second and third layers, laced up our boots and stepped outside into the frigid night. There they were the northern lights dancing across the night sky above Borealis Basecamp outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. Seeing the northern lights in person had long been on my dads bucket list, and hes not alone in having one. According to AARPs 2024 Travel Trends report released earlier this year, 60 percent of travelers in my dads age range have a travel bucket list; so do 69 percent of travelers between the ages of 60 to 69, and 75 percent of travelers in their 50s. And those who are keen on checking off seeing the northern lights are not alone 61 percent of travelers want to see the northern lights, according to an Expedia survey. Whats more, the next few years are expected to be prime viewing of the northern lights because of the solar cycle when the sun is more active, according to Space.com, the leading source of space exploration and astronomy news. The activity occurs every dozen years or so. Members only In the U.S., the northern lights are visible not only in Alaska, but also in northern Maine, Michigan and Minnesota. While the northern lights are most often seen closest to the magnetic poles, they were seen as far south as Washington, D.C., and Virginia earlier this year. Outside of the U.S., the northern lights can be seen in Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. My dad and I were in the far reaches of North America at the tail end of our tour with John Halls Alaska when we checked the northern lights off his bucket list. A few days prior, we met Frank Stelges, 57, a photographer and instructor with the McKay Photography Academy that offers photography tours around the world. Stelges fell in love with Alaska and the northern lights during a cross-country motorcycle trip in 2007. After several return trips, he and his wife, Miriam, moved from their German homeland to Fairbanks in 2016. They have been leading northern lights photography workshops through their company, Aurora Bear, ever since. During our mini-workshop, Stelges shared his top tips for capturing the northern lights, no matter the type of camera you may have. But first, he explained why photographs capture the lights better than what we see with the naked eye. The eye has basically a tenth of a second exposure time, Stelges explains. When you shoot now with a camera with one second, which is really, really short exposure time, thats already 10 times longer [than your eye], so you collect 10 times more photons. Its not that the camera magically enhances [the picture], its just able to collect more photons over a longer period of time, he continues. Thats why the picture just right out of the camera looks better there is nothing enhanced, the camera sees exactly the same photons like you and me do, its just collecting more photons and thats why the picture looks better than what you see in reality. You dont need to be a professional photographer or own professional camera equipment to capture the lights, says amateur photographer Mark Seidl, who generally uses a smartphone or a GoPro. Courtesy Mark Seidl Mark Seidl, 63, an amateur photographer and retired radiologic technologist who lives in Ohio, has photographed the northern lights in Alaska. You dont need to be a professional photographer or own professional camera equipment to capture the lights, says Seidl. A smartphone is what I use mostly, along with my GoPro for time-lapse images. The U.K. Parliaments recent approval of assisted dying has apparently been mirrored to a certain extent in Ireland where a final report (March 2024) by the Oireachtas [National Parliament] Joint Committee on Assisted Dying recommended that the government introduces legislation allowing for assisted dying, in certain restricted circumstances. Members of the Dail, the lower house of the Irish Parliament, noted the report favourably in October (2024) with 76 TDs (Irish MPs) voting in favour and 53 TDs against the reports 38 recommendations for palliative care, on the basis of assisted dying. Although any change in law will need to be approved by the Oireachtas and signed by the Irish President, the Evangelical Alliance Ireland (EAI) is concerned that a push for assisted dying will gain a renewed traction, now that the recent Irish General Election held on Nov. 29 has finished and political life settles again. A bill to introduce assisted dying in Ireland lapsed in the previous Dail on Nov. 8, just before the General Election took place. EAI has now published a statement (Dec. 2024) expressing concern about whether assisted dying will be legalized, saying that a civilized society must prioritize the preservation of life and strive to improve quality of life, further valuing human life as something that is intrinsically precious. We believe that when a society diminishes the value of life, or infers that some lives are not worth living, then that is detrimental to the greater good, stated the EAI. In further comments sent to Christian Daily International, Nick Park, executive director of the EAI, suspected a knock-on political effect of the UK Parliament vote unbalancing the stance for or against assisted dying in other countries, such as Ireland. Following the UK parliaments vote to legislate for assisted suicide, Evangelical Alliance are concerned that a similar battle could now lie ahead in the Irish parliament, Park said. There is a tendency for one country to follow the lead of another country. However, Park also pointed out, on the positive side, that the recent Irish General Election resulted in more pro-life politicians being elected. At the same time, the main proponent for assisted suicide failed to be re-elected and lost his seat. It is questionable whether the parties that will form the next coalition government really want to move on this contentious issue, Park added. Many professional medical and welfare bodies, particularly those who care for the disabled and terminally ill, agree with religious leaders that assisted suicide is not the answer. Ireland as a country is already suffering with a major problem with suicide, Park added, highlighting the issue especially among young people. Data for the latest annual record in 2021 from An Phriomh-Oifig Staidrimh (Central Statistics Office) in Ireland reveal 512 suicides recorded in that reporting period. We believe it would be counter-productive to legislate in a way that suggests some lives are not worth living, Park added. Life is a precious gift from God, and should be treated as such under law. Furthermore, the EAI statement recalled the very real experience of evangelical pastors and ministers who, as with other faith leaders, pastorally work with suffering people, consoling the dying and comforting the bereaved. We are also there to pick up the pieces when families are left devastated by the suicide of a loved one, added the EAI statement. So although we are not trying to force our religious faith on others, our views are relevant due to our close involvement with those who will be most affected by any changes in this area. The EAI acknowledged the profound loss of hope and dignity for a terminally unwell patient, adding that such trauma affected families and loved ones. However, we are deeply concerned that Irelands suicide problem will only be compounded by legitimising suicide in certain circumstances. We recognise that such legislation would initially be limited to strict conditions, but it would be foolish to pretend that it would not be followed shortly by demands to expand the circumstances under which assisted dying may be carried out. The EAI noted similar concerns about assisted dying expressed by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, the Association for Palliative Medicine and the Irish Society of Physicians in Geriatric Medicine. Other objections have been raised by leaders of the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church, the Methodist Church, and the Islamic faith. EAI joins them in asking that the Oireachtas would listen to those of us who work most closely with those in our society who are affected by suicide and terminal illness, and consult more widely with all these expert bodies before proceeding with legislation, added the EAI statement. Alia Bhatts dazzling Instagram post from LOreal Paris Le Defile runway show at Paris Fashion Week in September created waves, generating an astounding $1 million in Media Impact Value (MIV). As per Launchmetrics, this contribution played a pivotal role in catapulting LOreal Paris to the top of the Media Impact Value leaderboard, with the brand amassing an impressive $406.2 million in total MIVa 14% increase from the previous quarter. The surge in MIV is largely attributed to the success of LOreals Le Defile runway show, a star-studded event that showcased 32 global ambassadors, including Alia Bhatt and Kendall Jenner, celebrating the diversity of beauty. The show itself contributed $46.1 million to the brands impact value, with Bhatts Instagram post emerging as a standout moment. Bhatt, making her debut at the prestigious event, mesmerized audiences and fans alike with her elegance and charisma, amplifying LOreals digital footprint globally. Her contribution exemplifies the power of celebrity influence in driving brand value and solidifying LOreals position as a leader in beauty and media impact. Paris Fashion Week continues to be a cornerstone for LOreals branding efforts, with its innovative and inclusive approach resonating with audiences worldwide. Also Read: Alia Bhatt's Madrid marvel: Global stardom shines bright with Gucci collab Christian leaders in Russia are concerned about a bill introduced in the Federal Assembly that would ban religious services in residential complexes, a publication based in Germany reported. Such a ban would affect evangelical, Orthodox and other home churches that meet in such complexes, church leaders told the Evangelical News Agency IDEA, based in Wetzlar, Germany. For Russian Protestants, it may look like a hidden form of restriction on religious freedom, Vitaly Vlasenko, Moscow-based head of the Evangelical Alliance in Russia (REA), told IDEA. I really hope that this is not the case. The head of the legal department of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, Igumenia Ksenia Chernega, said the prohibition could lead to the closure of Orthodox house churches, according to Vlasenko. Chernega also said it could endanger religious ceremonies requested by seriously ill people at their homes. The bill aims to protect housing complex residents from inconvenience and avert potential conflicts, and the authors expressed some concern about fire safety, but Vladimir Provorov, bishop of the Lutheran Church of Russia, said Russia already has legal measures in place to prevent such problems without violating religious rights, the REAs Vlasenko noted. The New People party introduced the bill in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, at the end of October. It is aimed at religious groups that meet in the shops or office spaces located on the first two floors of high-rise residential buildings in Russia, often rented by evangelical churches and other small bodies due to financial restraints, according to Vlasenko. Vlasenko told IDEA that a decision about when the bill might be made into law was unknown. Russia has tried to limit the number of Protestant places of worship by law in the past, including an attempt to ban services in private homes in November 2019, Vlasenko told IDEA. Thanks to the efforts of lawyers and human rights activists led by Vladimir Ryakhovsky, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation has declared such initiatives unconstitutional, he said. The New People party, a centrist to center-right group formed in 2020, won 5.43 percent of the vote in the 2021 Russian legislative election with 13 seats. The U.S. State Department has designated Russia as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom since 2021. It was redesignated as a CPC on Dec. 29, accompanied by previously existing sanctions under section 404(a)(2) of the Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 and section 11 of the Support for the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014, as amended by Section 228 of the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the act. Multiple evangelical Protestant groups were among religious groups and Non-Governmental Organizations that authorities investigated, detained, imprisoned, tortured, and physically abused persons or deprived of property because of their religious belief or links with groups designated as extremist, terrorist or undesirable, according to the State Departments 2023 U.S. International Religious Freedom Report. There were widespread reports of Russias armed forces, Russia-led forces and Russian occupation officials in Ukraine engaging in numerous abuses of religious freedom in 2023, the report noted. The U.S. ambassador and other embassy representatives and Department of State officials advocated greater religious freedom in Russia, highlighting the governments misuse of the law on extremism to restrict the peaceful activities of minority religious groups, the report stated. Vlasenko told IDEA that Protestants in Russia can act freely if they keep a low profile, such as declining to comment on the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian state is trying to create a form of unity among the population, especially now in times of war, for example by banning criticism of the war, the REA secretary general said. Most Christians try not to get caught in the crossfire and are rather quiet. In general, they are not a big voice in society anyway. Expressing sadness about the war, he said he maintains contact with Christians in Ukraine and suffers with them, having publicly expressed his dismay in March 2022 at the invasion that began on Feb. 24 of that year. Of Russias approximately population of 144 million people, 70 percent are Russian Orthodox, 6 percent are Muslims and 1 percent are Protestants, of which about a third belong to the REA, Vlasenko said. Following news of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office, conducting search operations on December 10, 2024, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 at 19 locations in Mumbai, Delhi and Gurgaon as part of an ongoing probe in Summaya-Dentsu case, Dentsu, in a statement issued, clarified that this activity was limited to the InDeed business only. In a press statement issued, ED said, During the course of search operations, movable assets, that is, Indian currency of Rs 46 Lakh, foreign currency equivalent to Rs 4 Lakh and gold bars amounting to Rs 3.4 crore have been seized. ED further added, ED investigation so far has revealed that trade financing was secured from NBFCs under the pretext of Need to Feed program of the Government of Haryana to supply Agro products. Accused persons have not received any contract from Government and there was no such program ever in existence either...The search operations have revealed that the listed entities of Suumaya group entered into transactions worth Rs 5,000 crore, wherein only 10 per cent of the transactions were genuine. In its statement issued, Dentsu stated, In 2021, we identified suspected fraudulent activity conducted by third parties and some of InDeeds former employees against whom criminal complaints have also been filed. This activity was limited to the InDeed business only. Three years ago, we proactively reported the matter to the relevant authorities and have been fully co-operating since. It is in connection with the same matter that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) visited Dentsu Indias office in Mumbai on December 10, 2024. The ED has not found or seized any properties from Dentsus premises. We take fraud and wrong-doing very seriously with a zero-tolerance policy towards any such behaviour. We will continue to co-operate with the authorities. Also Read: Nykaa Fashion CEO Nihir Parikh Resigns Amid Personal Commitments The #FirstCallFortis campaign by Fortis Hospitals Mumbai is an impactful initiative aimed at emphasizing the healthcare providers commitment to offering gold-standard emergency care. Through this campaign, Fortis Hospitals Mumbai engage with Mumbaikars to address a crucial challenge: the lack of easily accessible emergency contact numbers during critical medical situations. By highlighting the ease of dialing 022-4111 4111, the campaign ensures that in case of an emergency, individuals can connect with Fortis emergency care unit that offers swift, expert care across its extensive network of hospitals in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The campaign takes a slice-of-life, insight-based approach, tapping into the everyday reality that, in emergencies, most individuals do not have access to emergency numbers at their fingertips. The messaging highlights the importance of minimizing delays in receiving medical attention, which can significantly improve patient outcomes. The campaign spans diverse platforms, including digital ads, along with social media, cinemas (Pushpa 2 screens), and OOH (hoardings, lit boards & pole kiosks)the healthcare provider reinforces its reputation as the largest and most comprehensive level 1 trauma care network in the city. The brands approach goes beyond just providing medical services; it is focused on building trust among Mumbaikars, ensuring they know exactly where to turn when faced with a medical emergency. By using innovative tools to ensure the message reaches Mumbaikars of all ages, Fortis has introduced CGI-based digital ads, a first in the Indian healthcare segment! In addition to digital engagement, the campaign takes a community-centered approach, through skits, plays, scenario-based demonstrations, and live interactions. These initiatives bring the emergency helpline (022-4111 4111) and Fortis emergency services directly to the community, highlighting Fortis expertise in Level 1 trauma management, comprehensive critical care facilities, and robust ambulatory network. Straight-to-the-heart engagement with the community is a key aspect of the campaigns success, and Fortis is taking this message to places where people gather and engage daily. In the coming weeks, the brand will connect with communities at schools, colleges, workplaces, places of worship, gyms, recreational centers, parks, housing societies, bus depots, and railway stations. The focus on emergency preparedness through these efforts reinforces Fortis' commitment to not just treat, but to proactively support the health and safety of Mumbais residents. Talking about the launch, Dr S. Narayani, Business Head-Fortis Hospitals Maharashtra, said, Through the #FirstCallFortis campaign, we are showcasing not just our capabilities of being the largest emergency-prepared healthcare network in Greater Mumbai, but also the convenience of reaching out to us with an easy-to-remember number in time of a medical emergency. With an expansive network of four state-of-the-art hospitals across the metropolitan region, we are prepared to tackle emergencies of all nature, this integrated campaign hopes to get 022-4111 4111 on the speed dial of all Mumbaikars. This campaign is our promise to Mumbaikars that medical aid is just a call away. The campaigns integrated approach, which spans across multiple touchpoints, aims to reach 10lakh+ households by World Health Day on April 7th, 2025. The focus will be on spreading the critical message of emergency preparedness, making sure that every Mumbaikar knows the importance of being prepared and has the right number at hand when every second counts. Also Read: Fortis Hospitals Mumbai launch Social Media Campaign FUJIFILM India, a leader in healthcare technology, unveils its latest brand film, Hero with an Endoscope, as part of its Stories of More Smiles campaign. This heartfelt narrative brings to light the crucial role of accessible healthcare in underserved regions and aligns with FUJIFILMs Group Purpose of Giving our world more smiles. The film showcases the transformative power of early detection and timely intervention, following the real-life story of Gopal, a patient whose life was saved by the Endobus initiative. Launched by the K Shantha Foundation in December 2023, Endobus is a mobile healthcare unit equipped with Fujifilm's cutting-edge CAD EYE and advanced endoscopic systems. These technologies allow doctors to detect gastrointestinal diseases in underserved regions, helping identify health issues in their early stages. Filmed in the scenic locales of Tiruchirappalli and Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu, the film was conceptualized by FUJIFILM India's brand team and directed by Ranvir Kumar Suman, with Seaface Films producing. Shot across 12 locations in just two days, the production involved over 60 crew members and 70 featured individuals, using Fujifilm's own Premista Cine lenses to capture the raw emotion and transformative power of the initiative. Hero with an Endoscope honors the tireless work of doctors and healthcare workers, who are recognized in the film as the cradle of society, dedicated to improving lives in challenging environments. The narrative centers around Dr. Govindraj and the Endobus team, emphasizing the impact of philanthropy in healthcare. Gopals story of survival, thanks to early detection, is a powerful testament to the life-saving benefits of accessible healthcare. Prof. K Govindaraj, Chairman and Consultant General Surgeon at G. Viswanathan Multi-Specialty Hospital, Tiruchirappalli, shared: The film brings to light the story of Gopal, whose life has been changed by the Endobus initiative. The film beautifully showcases the blend of technology and philanthropy that has been a part of my familys tradition. Koji Wada, Managing Director, FUJIFILM India, expressed: At FUJIFILM India, we are driven by innovation that brings joy to the world. Through this brand film, we highlight the power of accessible healthcare in transforming lives, and we are honored to contribute to this cause through our advanced technology. Abhi Shekhar Singh, Vertical Head of Corporate Communications & CSR at FUJIFILM India, added: The brand film is a continuation of our Stories of More Smiles series, emphasizing our Group Purpose of Giving our world more smiles. Last year, we showcased our efforts in TB and mammogram screenings, and this year, we focus on real stories, like Gopals, that demonstrate how technology can save lives. FUJIFILM Indias Hero with an Endoscope celebrates not only the life-changing role of early detection and accessible healthcare but also reinforces the companys commitment to improving lives through innovative solutions. The film is a powerful reminder of how technology, empathy, and timely intervention can make a tangible difference. Also Read: FujiFilm India's latest ad is dedicated to its customers in India In a bid to encourage people to celebrate responsibly, Himalaya Wellness recently launched PartySmart, a clinically-tested, herbal supplement brand designed to prevent hangovers. In August this year, Himalaya PartySmart announced its collaboration with actor Aditya Roy Kapur as its official brand ambassador. Earlier this week, Himalaya Wellness expanded its PartySmart product range to include the innovative gummy format alongside the popular capsules with Aditya Roy Kapur. In an exclusive interaction with Adgully, Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Director, Himalaya Wellness, and Ragini Hariharan, Marketing Director - Beauty & Personal Care, Himalaya Wellness, discuss the rationale behind choosing Aditya Roy Kapur as the face of PartySmart Gummies, their strategies for creating awareness, and how they are competing in the niche yet competitive hangover remedies market. They also emphasised the products easy availability through tie-ups with various e-commerce platforms and restaurants. Additionally, they reflected on the wellness segments performance as the year comes to a close and more. Also read: Himalaya Wellness unveils PartySmart Gummies with Aditya Roy Kapur Aditya Roy Kapur is the new face of Himalayas PartySmart What was the thought process behind selecting Aditya Roy Kapur as the face of PartySmart, and how does his Bollywood persona and personality align with the brand's values in the health and wellness space? Rajesh Krishnamurthy: PartySmart is aimed at Gen Z and millennials who, in todays fast-changing and evolving India, are balancing their work, dreams, and social lifestyles. We feel PartySmart plays a role in helping them celebrate success and life in general. When we considered driving consumer behaviour, we saw that Bollywood actors have traditionally played a big role in creating awareness for brands. Once Aditya Roy Kapurs name came up, there was no need to consider alternatives. He immediately felt like the right fit. Aditya is charismatic and resonates with the Gen Z audience. His outlook on life is fun-loving, yet hes responsible for driving success. He started as a DJ and rose to become one of the top stars in Bollywood. We believe he perfectly personifies what PartySmart stands for, which is why we chose him. Ragini Hariharan: We also wanted someone who appeals to a broad demographic. Many millennial actors have lost their shine, but Aditya occupies that sweet spot where he resonates with both Gen Z and wellness-seeking millennials. He has a wide appeal, which is essential for PartySmart, especially in the nascent hangover prevention category. Were not just focusing on growing the brand, but also the category. Adityas passion for fitness and his fun-loving character align well with Himalayas ethos of providing wellness solutions while encouraging a responsible social lifestyle. Are there any campaigns or marketing strategies in the pipeline to promote the product? Ragini Hariharan: Yes, we launched a new campaign with Aditya Roy Kapur about a month and a half ago. In this campaign, Aditya plays the role of a party guru and busts several myths about the category. Theres still some uncertainty among people regarding the safety of PartySmart, but we want to clarify that its made from almost 100% naturally derived ingredients and is completely safe. Like most Himalaya products, its a herbal concoction that actually aids liver health, which is why its one of the leading brands in this category. The entire campaign is quirky and fun, while also educating consumers and busting myths associated with the category. Rajesh Krishnamurthy: For us, this is just the beginning of building PartySmart. As I mentioned earlier, our focus is on changing consumer behaviour. There are a few more initiatives coming up, including a push to raise awareness on social media about the importance of maintaining wellness while enjoying social engagements. Were also working on how to incorporate health and wellness into every aspect of your lifestyle. Are there any tie-ups with retail or e-commerce platforms? Rajesh Krishnamurthy: Were focusing on driving distribution, particularly in medical stores and pharmacies, where consumers typically look for products like PartySmart. With the growth of e-commerce, especially Quick Commerce platforms like Zepto and Blinkit, weve seen significant traction in the last six months. These platforms have been key in driving sales, making the product more accessible across various channels. Ragini Hariharan: Weve been leaders in general trade and are now also expanding into modern trade. As Rajesh mentioned, PartySmart is a product people tend to remember at the point of consumption. Quick Commerce has been instrumental in this, and we believe it will play a crucial role in growing the category. Our capsules are already available on e-commerce and Quick Commerce platforms, and our gummies are increasingly becoming accessible across multiple platforms. With many startups and home remedies in the hangover sector, how do you plan to stand out from the competition? Ragini Hariharan: Himalaya has always been a trusted brand, and so far, weve only offered PartySmart in capsule form. But no one wants to consume medicine while socializing. Thats why weve introduced Party Smart Gummies the first of its kind in the market. Gummies align with the growing wellness trend and offer a delicious, convenient, on-the-go format. You dont need water or any additional tools just chew two gummies per serving, and youre ready to party. The convenience factor sets Gummies apart from other hangover remedies. Rajesh Krishnamurthy: The key differentiator for us is that PartySmart is clinically proven. In the hangover management category, its crucial to ensure that the product is both effective and safe. Himalaya, with its combination of nature and science, ensures that our product delivers real benefits. This clinical backing makes PartySmart superior to other products in the market. So, how should one consume PartySmart? Ragini Hariharan: The best part about PartySmart, regardless of the format, is that it can be consumed before, during, or even after socializing. However, to maximize its benefits, its ideal to take it before going to bed, as it is designed to prevent a hangover, not cure it. It works brilliantly, thanks to its proven efficacy and clinical backing, making it effective no matter when you prefer to consume it. As we approach the end of the year, how has the year been for the wellness segment overall? And since you mentioned the party smart capsules have been in the market for over a month so what responses have you received? Ragini Hariharan: This year has been great for Himalaya. Weve continued to perform well across wellness, beauty, personal care, and all the categories we operate in. For PartySmart, especially gummies, the response has been very positive. Consumers love the delicious taste, and it doesnt interfere with their drinks, making it a convenient choice. Different people have different preferences some prefer capsules, while others opt for on-the-go solutions like gummies. Gummies were developed to meet evolving consumer needs for efficacy, safety, and convenience, and were thrilled to see people embracing this format. Also Read: Ragini Hariharan on how Himalaya is shaping the future of herbal wellness in India Zee Learn Limited, Indias premier education company, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mr. Mayank Jain as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this pivotal role, Mayank will lead Zee Learns operational and strategic initiatives as the company embarks on an ambitious expansion plan to bring the best in education across India, including the under-served Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Mayank brings over two decades of extensive experience in driving operational excellence and business transformation. He has held leadership positions at Light-House Learning, Tata AIG General Insurance, Titan Limited, Whirlpool India and Overnite Express, amongst others. This is his second inning with Zee Learn, having earlier worked with Zee Learn Limited. as the Business Head of COCO Schools and Brain Cafe. Manish Rastogi, CEO and whole-time director, Zee Learn Limited shared his joy, We are delighted to welcome Mayank Jain to the Zee Learn family. His extensive experience and innovative approach will help us accelerate our mission of making Indian education on par with global best practices. With Mayank onboard, bringing his keen insights, Zee Learn is poised to set new benchmarks in the education sector. Mayank is proficient in revenue generation, business reengineering, strategic planning and implementation, setting up greenfield projects and managing large teams. His expertise also encompasses handling franchise networks, distributors, dealers and D2C operations. Also Read: TV9 elevates Mayank Jain to VP - Digital Ad Sales Pernod Ricard India (PRI), a world leader in the spirits and wine industry, set a new benchmark in customer-centricity with CRUX Market Day, the largest customer outreach program by an alco-beverage major in India. The event brought together 1500+ employees who reached out to 24,000+ customers, at 6500+ outlets, to harness the power of shared experiences. Held simultaneously across 200+ townsnationwide, this unprecedented level of integrated engagement marks a first for the sector in India, highlighting PRIs dedication to strengthening connections across key stakeholders. CRUX Market Day, the ultimate market connect, offered employees from across functions like finance, operations, HR among others, first-hand insights into the commercial process, customer engagement and trends that shape the market. Participants gained a unique glimpse into PRIs retail strategies and customer engagement process. The event also featured engaging initiatives and 100+ curated sessions where customers explored PRIs diverse global portfolio. Jean Touboul, CEO, Pernod Ricard India, said, CRUX Market Day is about harnessing the power of shared experiences and building meaningful, lasting relationships with our stakeholders. We want to become Indias preferred shaper of finest experiences. We believe we can do this by uniting people with our brands, talent and culture. Events like CRUX Market Day help us gain invaluable insights into customer preferences, market trends and emerging opportunities. We look forward to drawing on these insights to inform our strategy, push the boundaries of innovation and elevate the collective spirit of collaboration that fuels our growth and success. Piyush Srivastava, Chief Commercial Officer, said, Our unique and differentiated approach to business in India stems from our nuanced understanding of the market dynamics and evolving consumer trends. By bringing together customers and employees, CRUX Market Day demonstrates to our team how every individual contributes to our success and creates shared value. It also offers them a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what drives our success. CRUX Market Day celebrates Pernod Ricard Indias core philosophy, createurs de convivialite (creators of conviviality), emphasizing the companys commitment to fostering meaningful shared experiences. By uniting the entire organization with key stakeholders, the event showcased the power of collaboration, a shared sense of ownership, and the unique contributions of every individual to the companys success. The Advertising Club's most vibrant and entertaining event, M.Ad Quiz will be held on Saturday, 14th December, 2024 at 6.30 pm at Four Seasons Hotel, The Great Room, Worli, Mumbai. The biggest attraction for the distinctiveness of the show is Derek OBrien, who is the best in the business, will don the role of the Quiz Master. In addition to the participants from the world of Media, Advertising and Marketing industries, bright and curious professionals from any industry sector are also welcome to participate including the students of Business Schools. In an age of Google search, ChatGPT 4, curiosity which is a key ingredient of a curious and cognitively enriched mind has been the biggest casualty. But human ingenuity far exceeds the technology-led readymade answers that fail to nourish a curious mind and this is where is the attraction of M.Ad Quiz, as an answer to a creative mind that can shun the trap of mediocrity. The high-octane and immersive programme will have all the ingredients of fun and gratification through attractive gifts from leading brands for both the participants and the audience at large. The winners will stand to win gifts like Ampere Electric Scooter, IFB Executive Plus MXC 1014 SSL Front Load Washing Machine, IFB 30BRC2 Rotisserie Convection Microwave, Britannia, Bombay Shaving Company, Faber-Castell, Fiama (ITC), Godrej Consumer Products, Linen Club (Aditya Birla), Mondelez (Cadbury), Nestle and Nivea. The Co-powered by Sponsors are Radio City and Zing and the Associate Sponsor is Mainland China. Rana Barua, President, The Advertising Club said, The M.Ad Quiz is a testament to The Ad Club's unwavering commitment to nurturing young professionals and creating platforms that inspire creativity and curiosity. With the legendary Derek OBrien at the helm, this coveted quiz celebrates the brilliance of young minds and fosters connections that transcend industries. In an era that's so dynamic, the M.Ad Quiz champions the essence of human ingenuity, ensuring every participant leaves enriched, energised, informed and inspired. There will be two members per team. Every team can get 5 cheerleaders at no cost. The final six teams chosen will go on stage for the final session. One organization can send multiple teams. Entry fee for participation: Entry Fee for Team: Rs.2000/- plus 18% GST i.e. Rs.2360/- (2 team members plus five cheerleaders) Donor Passes: Gold Member: Rs.650/- Silver Member: Rs.850/- Ad Club Senior Citizen Member: Rs.500/- The event will be followed by Cocktails and Dinner. Also Read: Advertising Club Trivandrum Formed to empower the advertising fraternity Shiv Sena to Contest BMC Polls as Part of Mahayuti Alliance: Eknath Shinde 2 The Shiv Sena will contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, likely to be held next year, as part of Maharashtras ruling alliance Mahayuti, said Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday. Talking to reporters after a meeting with former BMC corporators, party MLAs, MPs, and functionaries, Shinde said Mumbai has to be the countrys powerhouse, and for doing so, Mahayuti has to control its civic body just like it is in power in the state as well as at the Centre. The BMC polls will be contested as Mahayuti (alliance) in all 227 civic wards, said Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena. The BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP are part of the Mahayuti alliance. Shindes remarks assume significance as his main rival Shiv Sena (UBT), which is part of the opposition MVA, has hinted it may go solo in the BMC polls. Shinde said the Mahayuti government under him undertook several steps with regards to Mumbais developmental work. He also listed steps taken to concretise roads to make them pothole-free, deep clean drives, and work in the health department. The work done by the Mahayuti government in its first term (June 30, 2022-December 4, 2024) was reflected in the state assembly polls, where the ruling coalition won 22 of the 36 seats in Mumbai. Taking a dig at his rival and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said those in the power before did not do work that should have been done. The undivided Shiv Sena controlled the cash-rich BMC for 25 consecutive yearsfrom 1997 to 2022. At the meeting, newly-elected MLAs of the Shiv Sena, headed by Shinde, put forth their views on strengthening the party, the second largest constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition. A Sena MLA said legislators stressed the party must work at booth level and efforts should be made to bolster the organisation in Mumbai. Emphasis was also given on organising membership drives in every civic ward. Another MLA said deliberations were also held on the partys strategy for the polls to the countrys richest civic body, whose budget for the year 2024-25 stood at nearly Rs 60,000 crore. Party leaders felt momentum gained by the Shiv Sena in the November assembly polls should be carried forward to the BMC polls. The party won 57 seats in the assembly polls. The Shiv Sena won six assembly seats in Mumbaiall in suburbswhile its main rival Shiv Sena (UBT) emerged victorious in 10 constituencies. The term of the previous elected representatives of the BMC ended in early March 2022 and fresh polls are due for nearly three years now. Swami Vigyananand: An Ordinary Looking Monk on an Extraordinary Purpose of a Prosperous Hindu Economy 2 On the opening day of the World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) in Mumbai, I eagerly awaited Swami Vigyananand jis address. A learnt scholar, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, and a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Pracharak, Swamiji left behind material pursuits to embrace Sanyasa and now serves as the General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Guided by the timeless philosophy of Acharya ChanakyaDharmsya Mulam Arth (righteousness is rooted in wealth) and Arthasya Moolam Raajyam (enterprise is the foundation of wealth)he has spearheaded initiatives like the World Hindu Economic Forum and the World Hindu Congress. His vision is to uplift Hindu society by integrating ancient values with modern economic strategies. The World Hindu Economic Forum was created as a platform to unite financially successful Hindus worldwide, encouraging them to share expertise, networks, and resources. The goal is to create surplus wealth that can uplift society and address pressing global challenges such as poverty, hunger, and illiteracy. Swamiji believes that economic empowerment is the cornerstone of progress, and WHEF embodies this philosophy, inspired by the Bhagavad Gitas wisdom to think in the future, for the future. He envisions India reclaiming its role as a global economic powerhouse, with Bharat contributing significantly to the worlds GDP and emerging as the third-largest economy in the near future. This economic resurgence, he argues, will grant Hindus the respect, visibility, and influence they deserve on the global stage. Swamijis speech was as insightful as it was candid. Beginning in broken English before transitioning to fluent Hindi, he spoke with clarity and conviction. Addressing controversies, he defended the forums decision to invite Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while excluding leaders accused of corruption or those endorsing anti-Hindu rhetoric. With a humorous undertone, he remarked on extending an invitation to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, quipping that her absence was expected and symbolic of her irrelevance to the forums goals. Throughout his speech, Swamiji delved into Bharats economic history, lamenting how invasions and colonial exploitation reduced a once-prosperous golden bird to an economically struggling nation. He emphasised the need to honour and support the business class, which he described as the backbone of Indias economy. Using anecdotes, PowerPoint slides, and even clips from TV serials, he painted a compelling picture of how Hindu society can regain its lost glory through unity and enterprise. One of the most striking moments came when he distributed tiffin boxes containing two types of laddoosone loosely bound and the other tightly held together. This simple yet profound metaphor illustrated the power of unity. Swamiji explained that a loosely connected community will inevitably fall apart, whereas a united one becomes a force to reckon with. He urged Hindu businessmen to collaborate, emphasising that collective strength could drive economic progress and societal transformation. Swamiji did not shy away from critiquing the government, particularly the heavy taxation burden on entrepreneurs. How can small businesses survive when they pay over 35% in taxes? he questioned. This excessive taxation, he argued, discourages entrepreneurship and contributes to a lack of job creation. He also took aim at religious leaders who preach renunciation while amassing wealth themselves, highlighting the hypocrisy of such practices. Swamiji firmly stated that wealth is essential for a meaningful life and that prosperity is not antithetical to spiritual growth but complementary to it. Addressing the global economic landscape, he emphasised the importance of leveraging opportunities in emerging markets. Swamiji called for greater cooperation among Hindus across geographies, from Auckland to Alaska, to facilitate market access, capital availability, and technological innovation. He stressed the need for a cohesive strategy to match skilled technologists with entrepreneurs capable of translating innovation into business success. This, he argued, is the key to building a sustainable and prosperous future. Swamijis vision extends for open markets, finance, and freedom to business entities. He believes that creating surplus wealth is the only way to eradicate poverty, hunger, and illiteracy. Donations and charity, he argued, are temporary solutions; real empowerment comes from providing opportunities and resources that enable self-sufficiency. By fostering economic growth, Hindus can not only uplift their community but also contribute to solving global challenges. Swamiji concluded his address with a call to action, urging businessmen to mentor Hindu youth, create job opportunities, and invest in sustainable development. He emphasised that a thriving Hindu economy is essential for realising the dream of a Pragati Hindu Rashtraa progressive and prosperous Hindu nation. His words resonated deeply, inspiring the audience to think beyond individual success and work collectively toward a brighter future. Through his efforts, Swami Vigyananandji has shown how an ordinary individual, guided by an extraordinary vision, can catalyse profound change. His mission to unite and empower Hindu society through economic strength is not just a dream but a roadmap to a future where prosperity, unity, and purpose converge. The World Hindu Economic Forum is more than an initiative; it is a movement to reclaim the communitys rightful place as a global force for innovation, resilience, and progress. A mother of two young children in Somalia had to leave them this week after her husband seriously injured her upon learning that she had left Islam for Christianity, she said. Fatuma (surname withheld for security reasons), 30, put her trust in Christ on Oct. 15 at an underground church service in an undisclosed village in northwest Somalias Mudug Region. She fled her home and children, ages 4 and 6, after her husband beat her on Sunday (Dec. 8), she said. I miss my children, but I cannot go back to my husband because he will kill me, Fatuma told Morning Star News. I live in great pain due to my fractured hand and serious scars which have disfigured my face, as well as a stressful life of being absent from my children. I have forgiven my husband and am praying for God to change his life. I am very hurt and need prayers to heal my broken heart. She said her mother-in-law first discovered her praying in the name of Issa (Jesus) on Dec. 4 and warned her to stop, telling her, Islam requires us only to pray in the name of Allah and Muhammad please stop these kinds of prayers immediately. Let this be your first and last to prayer in such a bad way. This is devilish, and if you do not stop then you will be thrown out of the family. Fatuma told Morning Star News that her faith came from God and was growing, that she had found a better life in Christ and decided to continue secretly praying in His name. When her mother-in-law again found Fatuma praying in Christs name two days later, she became furious, telling her, I had given you a serious warning, but you have deliberately decided to ignore it my son then will have to divorce you, Fatuma said. On Sunday at about 7 p.m., her husband arrived and beat her with sticks before her mother-in-law managed to rescue her, Fatuma said. She has since left the region. A Christian leader in Somalia whose name is withheld for security reasons has given her refuge. God promised to give us peace and love, said another Christian in Somalia, also on condition of anonymity, so we need to pray for our sister Fatuma for Gods abundant at peace at this trying moment. Somalias constitution establishes Islam as the state religion and prohibits the propagation of any other religion, according to the U.S. State Department. It also requires that laws comply with sharia (Islamic law) principles, with no exceptions in application for non-Muslims. The death penalty for apostasy is part of Islamic law according to mainstream schools of Islamic jurisprudence. An Islamic extremist group in Somalia, Al Shabaab, is allied with Al Qaeda and adheres to the teaching. Al Shabaab or Al Shabaab sympathizers also have killed several non-local people in northern Kenya since 2011, when Kenyan forces led an African coalition into Somalia against the rebels in response to terrorist attacks on tourists and others on Kenyas coast. Somalia is ranked 2nd on Christian support group Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The Hindu Growth Model: A Unique Approach to Global Challenges 2 As a proud Hindu and Bhartiya, I felt an immense sense of anticipation as I prepared to attend the World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF), curious to explore how this remarkable platform could transform Indias economic destiny. The seminar in Mumbai not only exceeded my expectations but left me deeply inspired and hopeful. This extraordinary gathering brought together brilliant minds from across the spectrumeconomic thinkers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, students, and social leadersall united by a shared vision of reclaiming Bharats historic economic glory while building a prosperous future. The event commenced with a reverberating Shankhnaad, a symbolic call to action steeped in Hindu tradition, setting the stage for an inspiring day ahead. This years seminar, the 9th annual forum, witnessed participation from distinguished dignitaries, including state Chief Ministers, leading business groups, social activists, media representatives, and young minds eager to make a difference. Videos celebrating the rich heritage and unparalleled contributions of Hindu civilisation to global economics struck a chord with the audience. They served as a poignant reminder of the potential rooted in Hindu valuesvalues that hold the key to achieving economic abundance. A resounding message throughout the event was the pivotal role of Hindu youth in this transformative journey, urging them to step forward as leaders of tomorrow. Devendra Fadnavis: A Visionary Leaders Perspective The seminar was inaugurated by Maharashtras Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, whose dynamic presence electrified the atmosphere. In his powerful address, he painted a vivid picture of Bharats historic economic prominence, reminding the audience that the nation once held a 33% share in global trade and economy. Fadnavis underscored WHEFs mission of restoring this lost glory through innovation, collaboration, and a focus on entrepreneurship. He articulated a profound perspective on economic development, deeply rooted in Hindu philosophy. Survival of the fittest may be the foreigners outlook, but Hindu beliefs ensure that society provides for the survival of all, he remarked. This philosophy, he noted, has always guided Bharats economic and social structures, ensuring resilience and inclusivity in the face of challenges. Fadnavis applauded Indias recent economic trajectory, attributing its success to visionary leaders like Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who laid the foundation for growth, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has propelled the nation forward with depth, speed, and inclusivity. Fadnavis also highlighted Maharashtras significant contributions to Indias development. Landmark infrastructure projects, including the coastal road and the 22-km sea link, have transformed urban mobility in Mumbai. The state has also achieved remarkable progress in water conservation, resulting in a rising water tablean initiative lauded as a national model. He emphasised the importance of technology in accelerating economic growth, noting that its inclusive and unbiased nature makes it an invaluable tool for development. These efforts reflect Maharashtras vision of sustainable progress, aligning with Bharats broader aspirations. The Vision of WHEF: Reclaiming Economic Excellence Established to unite financially successful Hindus worldwide, the World Hindu Economic Forum aims to foster innovation, create surplus wealth, and uplift society. Drawing inspiration from the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad GitaThink in the future, for the futureWHEF is committed to building a sustainable and thriving economic ecosystem. Since its inception in 2012 in Hong Kong, WHEF has grown into a global movement, hosting annual forums in cities such as Bangkok, New Delhi, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Mumbai. Regional forums in locations like Kuala Lumpur, Auckland, Fiji, Durban, Kenya, Frankfurt, and Dallas further amplify its impact. These gatherings serve as vibrant platforms for dialogue, collaboration, and strategic planning, connecting diverse stakeholders to discuss innovative approaches to economic growth. Empowering Hindu Entrepreneurs and Youth WHEF goes beyond hosting forums, nurturing a year-round ecosystem that supports Hindu entrepreneurs and businesses. Through its Hindu Business Network (HBN) and local chapters under the Hindu Economic Forum (HEF), WHEF provides mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to global markets. The focus is on empowering the next generation of Hindu leaders, encouraging them to innovate, lead, and excel while staying rooted in their cultural heritage. A recurring theme of the seminar was the unparalleled talent and enterprise within the Hindu community. Historically known for their ingenuity, resilience, and peaceful coexistence, Hindus have contributed significantly to global progress. WHEFs efforts aim to harness these qualities, facilitating local-to-global market access and enabling Hindu entrepreneurs to make their mark internationally. Bharats Economic Model: A Global Inspiration The Hindu growth model, celebrated during the seminar, stands out for its inclusivity and sustainability. Unlike competitive and often exploitative models, it is based on the principles of collective welfare and ethical practices. This unique approach has positioned Bharat as a global inspiration, offering solutions to contemporary challenges like inequality and climate change. Speakers highlighted Bharats rapid economic growth, its strategic role in global supply chains, and its leadership in key sectors such as IT, manufacturing, and renewable energy. These achievements are a testament to the nations rising prominence on the world stage, bolstered by innovation, infrastructure, and technological advancements. A Strategic and Cultural Renewal WHEFs mission extends beyond economic objectivesit is a cultural and strategic renaissance. By leveraging the strengths of Hindu civilization, the forum seeks to redefine Bharats place in the global economic hierarchy. The goal is to create a self-reliant, innovative, and prosperous society that honors its heritage while embracing future opportunities. Videos and presentations during the seminar illuminated Bharats legacy as an economic powerhouse, inspiring the audience to carry forward this legacy. The continuity of Hindu values in contemporary economic practices, from ethical business conduct to community-oriented growth, was a powerful reminder of Bharats unique approach to progress. Building a Trillion-Dollar Economy As India marches toward becoming a trillion-dollar economy, WHEF envisions a central role for Hindu entrepreneurs and businesses in this transformative journey. The forums initiatives are geared toward creating opportunities, fostering innovation, and nurturing leadership, ensuring that Bharats economic growth benefits all segments of society. Maharashtras achievements in infrastructure, sustainability, and economic development were showcased as a model for other states. These successes reflect the broader vision of Bharats progressa vision rooted in strategic thinking and cultural wisdom. A Call to Action: Shaping the Future The World Hindu Economic Forum is more than an eventit is a movement to reclaim Bharats rightful place in the global economic order. By uniting thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and youth, WHEF is laying the foundation for a prosperous and sustainable future. Its message is one of hope, empowerment, and action: with collaboration, innovation, and cultural pride, Bharat can achieve unparalleled economic excellence. As I left the seminar, I carried with me a renewed sense of purpose and pride. WHEF had not only informed but also inspired me to contribute to this collective journey. While the road ahead is challenging, the wisdom of our ancestors and the energy of our youth assure me that Bharat will emerge as a beacon of economic brilliance and cultural strength. The Kentuck Festival of the Arts will be back next year at Snow Hinton Park in Tuscaloosa. Organizers have confirmed new dates for the festival a colorful and popular event that boasts a 53-year history and said it will return on October 11-12, 2025, in the 40-acre green space owned by the City of Tuscaloosa. In 2024, organizers moved the event to Snow Hinton Park after a 52-year history at Kentuck Park in Northport. They called this years edition of the festival a HUGE success and thanked the City of Tuscaloosa, corporate sponsors and the festivals artists for their support. This year, we welcomed 16,000 unique visitors and had a total of more than 18,000 visits, making it our biggest crowd in three years, organizers said Thursday via posts on Facebook and Instagram. There were 270+ artists, live music, food trucks, kids activities and so much more at #Kentuck53. Were already planning for #Kentuck54, which will be held October 11-12, 2025 at Snow Hinton Park! The annual festival, founded in 1971, traditionally has been held at Kentuck Park, less than a mile away from the Kentuck Arts Center at 503 Main Ave. in Northport. The Kentuck Arts Center, a nonprofit organization, is the prime mover for the festival, and the two-day event is Kentucks largest revenue generator, according to the arts centers website. In November 2023, Kentuck organizers said the festival was looking for a new home, after contract negotiations broke down with the City of Northport and they failed to reach an agreement about the festivals funding. Hosting an event this large is no easy feat, Exa Skinner, executive director of the Kentuck Art Center, said in a February press release, but through Kentucks partnership with the City of Tuscaloosa, were excited to be able to continue the legacy of the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in West Alabama. The Kentuck festival had a new layout at Snow Hinton Park, with most of the artists booths set down along paved paths. A site map linked to the Kentuck website detailed the footprint for the festival, and showed locations for artists booths, two stages, a childrens area, a shuttle drop-off point, restrooms, two reserved parking areas and more. Here's the 2024 site map for the Kentuck Festival of the Arts at Snow Hinton Park in Tuscaloosa.(Kentuck website photo) The move to Tuscaloosa gave the festival an opportunity to spread out in a larger park, which has allowed our artists to space out a lot more and has been great for handling the crowd size, Skinner said in a video posted Thursday on social media. Organizers also praised the new festival site as easier to navigate for folks who use wheelchairs or need extra accessibility. When we were looking for where Kentuck was going to live, we had this huge matrix of all of the things that we wanted out of a location, and accessibility was No. 1, Skinner said in the video. Everybody can come to this park and get really close to just about every artist. Kentuck fans offered kudos for the new location in comments on social media. My favorite arts festival as a child! said Laura Kendrick Rowan. I hadnt been in over 30 plus years and came back to Tuscaloosa just to see it again. It was a wonderful experience, so well organized and fantastic artists and art! I hope to come back again soon! It was the most well organized and planned art festival I have participated in, said J.K. Terrell. Lots of staff, loads of volunteers and ton of security. The weather was lovely, the Kentuck Artists community was at its finest. A splendid time was had by all. Congratulations, I feel like we have entered the 21st century. It was a great crowd. Miles of smiles. Thank you, Kentuck, Charles M. Laster said. It was a great weekend and a wonderful festival! Thank you to everyone! Amy Piette Collins said. As America continues a long-term trend towards less religiosity, about half the population still celebrates Christmas by going to church. A survey by Lifeway Research says about 47 percent of Americans plan to attend church at Christmastime, while 48 percent say they dont. About 91 percent of Americans observe Christmas gift-giving traditions, although for many its a secular observance. For many Christians, the focus of Christmas remains the birth of Jesus. The birth narrative in the Gospel of Luke says an angel appeared to shepherds in a field and announced the birth of a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The shepherds went to Bethlehem and found Joseph and Mary and the babe, lying in a manger. (Luke 2:2-16) The gift-giving phenomenon of Christmas starts symbolically with the wise men from the east, who according to the Gospel of Matthew, followed a star to Bethlehem. They saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11-12) Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said that for Christians, its still primarily a religious holiday. The majority are drawn to celebrate the birth of Jesus, honoring Him as the Christ or promised Messiah, McConnell said. But others mostly join in because of the importance of family, their embrace of Christmas church tradition or to jumpstart Christmas vibes. Alabamas largest church, The Church of the Highlands, will observe Christmas with 145 Christmas-themed services from Dec. 19-24 at its more than 20 locations across the state. That includes 14 Christmas services at the main Grants Mill Road campus in Irondale. Pastor Chris Hodges said the church expects attendance of more than 110,000 at the services that include Christmas music and a candle-lighting ceremony. Attendance is managed by asking for pre-registration for services by date and time slot, although registration is free. Its a great way to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Hodges said. Christmas Day, Dec. 25, falls on a Wednesday this year. Catholic churches and many others will have services on that day, and Christmas Eve vigil services the night before. The Catholic Church gave the holiday its name, with a Mass for Christ, or Christ Mass. The very name Christmas originates in the churchs celebration of Jesus Christs birth, said McConnell. In the mid-14th century, the words Christs Mass were first merged as a single term for this celebration. Although Protestants at times resisted Christmas, including Puritans in early America who made it illegal in New England, it gained wide popularity among Protestants and spread into popular culture as the most popular secular holiday as well, a marketing bonanza celebrated by retailers. About 81 percent of Protestant pastors say their Christmas service, often on Christmas Eve, is one of their three highest attendance religious services of the year, and 28 percent say its the highest attendance, Lifeway reports. Easter ranks first, and Mothers Day third. Christmas Eve candlelight services and musicals featuring the singing of Christmas carols and hymns are among the most popular church observances. At most Protestant churches, the Sunday before Christmas will be the primary celebration of the holiday during worship services. About 56 percent of those surveyed by Lifeway said they would attend church if someone they know invited them. Generosity, such as volunteering at shelters, visiting the elderly and singing Christmas carols in nursing homes and feeding the hungry, are among the ways Christians express their faith beyond attending worship services. At Church of the Highlands, volunteers run the Giving Hope Christmas Mall Experience on Dec. 14, at which families in need shop to select donated gifts for their children. Teams at each location then wrap the selected gifts, and pray with each family. More than 3,800 families are served, providing gifts for up to 10,000 children, Hodges said. Christmas is not about us, Hodges said. Its about serving people in Jesus name. The states dominant health insurer Wednesday pitched a health care plan to county commissioners that would use Medicaid expansion money to pay for private insurance plans for Alabamians without health coverage. The ALLHealth plan presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBS of Alabama) at the Association of County Commissions of Alabamas legislative conference Wednesday would provide private health insurance to up to 330,000 eligible Alabamians, either through ALLHealth or premium assistance for employer-provided insurance using Medicaid expansion funding.. ALLHealth was designed to be affordable. It had to be sustainable over the long-term. It was designed to be a public-private partnership that ultimately encourages people to enter into and remain in the workforce and stay employed, and thats what we think we put together here, said Ted Hosp, vice president of governmental affairs for BCBS of Alabama. More from Alabama Reflector Medicaid expansion allows people making up to 138% of the poverty level $20,782 a year for an individual and $35,632 for a family of three to get coverage under the federal program. Alabama limits enrollment in traditional Medicaid to children, the elderly and those with disabilities. Able-bodied childless adults almost never qualify. Those with children who qualify for benefits can get coverage only if they make 18% of the poverty line, or $4,648 for a family of three. Alabama is one of 10 states that has not opted into the program, despite years of lobbying from activists and health care professionals, who say it could improve public health outcomes and provide financial stability to the states hospitals, particularly those in rural areas. The lack of expansion also means that 101,000 individuals in the state fall into a coverage gap, according to KFF, a national health research organization. Under the Affordable Care Act, only people making over 138% of the poverty line qualify for subsidies critical to buying ACA health insurance. But the Republican-controlled Legislature has resisted expansion, citing both ideological objections and concerns about cost. A provision in a gambling bill filed earlier this year would have allowed the Legislature to fund rural health care programs that seemed similar to Medicaid expansion. The House approved the measure, but it was later stripped out by the Senate. ALLHealth would provide insurance to about 113,000 individuals without insurance coverage who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private coverage. Hosp said the program would avoid shifting enrollees from private insurance to Medicaid. Unlike traditional Medicaid expansion, ALLHealth allows most enrollees to remain on private insurance plans, using federal Medicaid funds to subsidize their premiums. The state would cover 10% of costs for eligible individuals, keeping financial burdens low at least over the next five years. The model is similar to Arkansas Medicaid expansion program, which provides private health insurance to eligible Medicaid recipients using federal Medicaid expansion dollars regardless of income level. But unlike the Arkansas approach, ALLHealth would cover only those making between 100% and 138% of the poverty level. Those making less than 100% would be covered by traditional Medicaid. The plan includes a five-year sunset clause. Hosp said ALLHealth could support struggling rural hospitals by reducing uninsured patient rates. He also said it could improve access to mental health services, potentially saving money for counties who have to pay 100% of health care costs if an inmate receives care outside of the county jail. By offsetting state expenses with federal funding and potentially increased hospital revenues, ALLHealths net cost is projected at $6 million annually, although interest on the federal funding and about $30 million in new taxes going into the General Fund, the ALLHealth program would have a revenue of about $50 million in year three. The Affordable Care Act, which allowed states to expand Medicaid after its passage in 2010, could face changes in the upcoming administration. Enhanced premium subsidies that provided some people with lower incomes with lower premiums could expire at the end of 2025 if the next administration fails to extend the enhanced subsidies. Hosp said that cost wouldnt be passed on to the consumer under ALLHealth, as the federal government would pick up 90% of the cost and the state the remaining 10%. Medicaid could also face funding cuts under the next administration. A conservative policy group with ties to the Trump administration has suggested phasing down the federal governments contribution to Medicaid expansion and allowing states to restrict coverage to those with incomes at or below the poverty line. Alabama legislators were cautious about the proposal Wednesday but not dismissive of it. Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, the chair of the Senates Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee, which handles Medicaid funding, said he was open to learning more about it. Albritton has opposed traditional Medicaid expansion but said he was willing to consider the insurers proposal. This would be private insurance coverage, not government insured, which is a very, very positive aspect to things, said Albritton. But he said he still has questions about how the program will differ from traditional Medicaid, its potential impact on rural hospitals, and the long-term costs to the state. Albritton, who has been critical of programs relying on federal funding, said that he supports ALLHealths five-year sunset provision as it provides a safeguard. House Ways and Means General Fund Chair Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, also seemed open to learning more about the program. Theres value to looking at a plan that covers people with additional insurance and therefore saves our Medicaid dollars, said Reynolds. Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the ACCA, said Wednesday the program could address challenges facing Alabamas counties, including prison costs, rural hospital closures and mental health crises. For counties, it means expanding coverage and providing services to those who cant get them today, Brasfield said after the presentation. As much as 50 percent of people incarcerated are there due to mental health issues. Expanding access to mental health services would reduce jail populations, saving money and human costs. Gov. Kay Ivey has historically expressed reservations about Medicaid expansion, citing concerns over long-term costs. Gina Maiola, a spokesperson for Ivey, wrote in a text message Wednesday that her concerns remain the same. For counties, it means expanding coverage and providing services to those who cant get them today, Brasfield said after the presentation. The ACCA is expected to vote on supporting the program in its 2025 platform on Thursday. I assume it will pass, especially based on the questions in there. It appears our group understands the importance, especially as we try to keep health care facilities open, Brasfield said. Authorities are asking for the publics help identifying suspects who seriously injured a Birmingham business employee during an argument. The incident happened about 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, at a business in the 700 block of Graymont Avenue West. Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said the suspect, who was wearing a plaid shirt, and another person of interest, wearing a white shirt, were involved in a verbal altercation with an employee of a business. The suspect fired a shot into a glass that seriously wounded the employee. Wade said it was the shattered glass that injured the worker. The subjects left the scene in a black vehicle, possibly a Nissan Altima. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. A man was shot by Birmingham police Thursday evening during an armed confrontation outside a grocery store in Collegeville. Interim police Chief Michael Pickett said the shots were fired just before 5 p.m. at the Montgomery Grocery in the 3100 block of 33rd Terrace North. Initially, Pickett said, officers were dispatched on a call of shots fired at an undisclosed location several blocks from the store. Once they got to the first location - a church parking lot - the suspect had already left. Witnesses provided North Precinct officers with the description of the suspect and his car. Officers canvassed the area and spotted the vehicle at the grocery store. As officers approached the vehicle and attempted to engage the suspect to investigate what was going, shots were fired,' Pickett said, which resulted in the suspect being injured. Pickett did not say whether the suspect fired his weapon at the store, or what led police to fire shots. No officers were injured. The suspect was rushed to UAB Hospital followed by a police car. Pickett said the suspects injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys State Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings. A woman is accused of threatening her health insurance company while arguing about denied claims, saying Delay, deny, depose. You people are next, according to Florida authorities and the FBI. Police showed up at her door later that day and arrested 42-year-old Briana Boston on a charge of making a threat to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, according to the Lakeland Police Department. Boston called Blue Cross Blue Shield on Dec. 10 after recent claims of hers were denied, police wrote in an affidavit. At the end of the conversation, shes accused of threatening the insurance company, echoing similar, but not the exact, words written on bullets found at the shooting scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the Associated Press and NBC reported. The Federal Bureau of Investigation passed along a transcript of the call to Lakeland police, who confronted Boston at her home. Police say she apologized and said she used those words because its what is in the news right now, according to the affidavit. She added she didnt own any guns and wasnt a threat, police said. Boston further stated the healthcare companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil, according to police. She was charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism and booked in Polk County jail Dec. 10, records show. Lakeland is about a 35-mile drive northeast from downtown Tampa. 2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Grant Tatum had been walking with the Cub Scouts during past Homewood Christmas parades, but he decided to change course amid the pandemic. What emerged in 2021 was a float representing the counterculture to Christmas traditions of merry and bright. Tatum was its leader Krampus -- dressed in a horned outfit with furry boots. Admittedly, at first, some of the motivation was in reaction to a post-pandemic environment where the plastic and glitter of Christmas-as-usual didnt feel right, said Tatum, 54, adding that first parade we looked like the case from Narnia instead of anything creepy or scary. The Krampus celebration has only grown in popularity ever since. Three years after participating in the Homewood parade, Tatum will host The Wild Hunt, hosted by the group he founded, Magic City Krampuslauf at Cahaba Brewing from 4-8 p.m. Saturday in Birmingham. Last years inaugural Wild Hunt drew 200 to 250 people. Tatum is anticipating a doubling of crowd size. Krampus inspiration is spreading throughout Alabama despite controversies by religious groups in San Antonio and Pikeville, Ken., who claim the character is akin to the devil. Despite controversy, said Eric Morley, organizer of the group, Krampus America. Krampus is here to stay. Popular appeal A Krampuslauf event in Birmingham, Ala.Photo by Larry Gay In Alabama, Krampus events have mostly occurred at private venues, and the character hasnt drawn much attention nor outrage in the heart of Americas Bible Belt. But Alabama is still awash with Krampus sightings, and the number of appearances is growing. In Trussville, the beastly character made an appearance at The Fae Traps Santa Yuletide Bazaar last weekend. A 5K in Huntsville also took place last weekend and was named after the character who appears at the finish line. Krampus is a main character this weekend at two haunted houses popular among adults and teenagers during the Halloween season -- Sweet Dreams Haunted Attraction in Mobile, and Atrox Factory in Birmingham. Who needs a picture with Santa, anyway? The monster has already been available for photo shoots at Books, Beans and Candles Metaphysical Shoppe in Birmingham, and at the Festival of Yule in downtown Tuscumbia. Whats the appeal all about? It varies, but the celebrations in Alabama and throughout the country appear to embrace an alternative version to the commercialization of the holiday season associated with gift-giving, lavish parties, and community celebrations. Krampus and events celebrating the fictional character represent a darker version of Christmas rooted in central European folklore. The character and its connection to the holiday are long recognized in countries like Germany and Austria and are mostly focused about the devilish-looking companion of Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) who punishes those who misbehave. Krampus, the holiday character popularized in European folklore, is growing in popularity and curiosity in the United States. In this picture, Krampus arrives to the 2023 Krampuslauf in Birmingham, Ala.Photo by Trenton Giles Krampus is a half-goat, half-beast who could easily be compared to the mythical Greek creature, Minotaur. He has a tongue that would make Gene Simmons of Kiss envious. And his entire aura seems more appropriate for a death-metal album cover than on any Hallmark Christmas card. The Krampus story dates back centuries and is long been viewed as the bad cop to Santa Claus. Where jolly Saint Nick leaves present for good boys and girls, Krampus is viewed as his evil twin and carries a basket of sticks that he uses to beat the naughty ones. According to European tales, on Krampusnacht (or Krampus Night) which is Dec. 5, St. Nicholas and Krampus arrive together to either reward or punish children. Worse yet, some stories suggest he will eat naughty children or drag them to hell. Parents in Europe long told Krampus stories to scare children to not misbehave, otherwise the creature would come for them. Europeans continue to celebrate Krampus Night on Dec. 5, by parading in elaborate costumes during a rollicking Krampus event called Krampuslauf. The story of Krampus has resonated, especially over the past decade, in the U.S. Much of the attention about the character was sparked through the commercially successful 2015 horror movie, Krampus. The character also plays a pivotal role in the newly released film, Red One, starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson and J.K. Simmons. In the U.S., I believe people are seeking alternative celebrations and fun activities within the counterculture of Christmas, said Morley of Krampus America, which is organizing an inaugural Krampus convention in Bremerton, Wash., in May. Krampus celebrations are fun, simple, and dont have the heavy expectations of decorating, buying gifts, throwing lavish parties, and burdening people with the complexities of the holiday season. In essence, Krampus is the antidote to everything that become overwhelming with the holiday season. Controversial beast Krampus has been unleashed in the cities around the country in recent years. The beastly character is featured in pre-Christmas parades in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Seattle, and in small towns like Clintonville, Ohio. In New Orleans, the Krewe of Krampus claims to host the largest Krampus parade in America. This year, controversies about Krampus arose. San Antonio held its first-ever Krampus parade on Dec. 5, amid complaints from the Catholic Archdiocese and the San Antonio Family Association that Krampus had an uncanny resemblance to the devil. In Pikeville, Ken. a town of about 7,700 city officials last month canceled a Christmas event featuring Krampus out of concern from residents who viewed it as a satanic event. Its understandable that many people in the U.S. confuse Krampus and try to make sense of the folklore through a lens thats familiar to them, Morley said. The consequence, however, is that they incorrectly call Krampus a demon or say he is the devil and compare the celebration to devil worship. This is entirely untrue, and sadly, confused people prefer to stir up controversy than seek understanding. An image taken at the 2023 Krampuslauf at Cahaba Brewing in Birmingham, Ala.Photo by Trenton Giles Tatum said the initial reaction to his float in Homewood during the 2021 parade sparked controversy online. We kept it G-rated, Tatum recalled. We made a 12-foot float, and people walking were dressed in fantastical costumes. But the next morning, a local community Facebook group, people were asking, Who were these guys and calling us witches and devils and stuff like that. He added, They were negative and accusatory, but 90 to 95 percent (of respondents) came back with stories on traveling to Europe and seeing those parades. In Trussville, Emily Moody owner of The Fae Trap said she was aware of mixed reactions toward the creature they featured during this years event. Moody said the goal with Krampus is to celebrate the fascinating folklore that she says is both engaging and respectful of the traditions. Weve found that many people are drawn to the darker, more unique aspects of the holiday season that Krampus represents, Moody said. War on Krampus An image depicts the legend of Krampus, who is said to punish misbehaving children around Christmas. Michael Altman, a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama, said the more local reactions about what is included in a holiday event or parade illustrates struggles over maintaining a Christian aspect of Christmas. Altman said unlike the war on Christmas which has been engrained in the countrys culture wars for about 20 years, over public displays of the nativity and other Christmas religious features the war on Krampus is more of a conflict about how a community understands itself and who gets to be part of it and have power in it. While we havent seen Krampus parades in Alabama yet, the recent conflict over the Pride float in the Prattville Christmas parade is a similar situation, Altman said, referring to outrage by conservative organizations like Clean Up Alabama to a float featuring a drag queen. People didnt want to recognize that there were LGBTQ+ people in their community and tried to keep them out of the parade, Altman said. With Krampus, some churches and Christians dont want to recognize or including anything outside of their understanding of the holiday season in their community. Not all religious organizations are aware of Krampus or its origins. Mathew Staver, chairman of the Liberty Counsel -- a non-profit ministry that promotes evangelical Christian values said his organization had not been made aware of Krampus events, but after learning more about them, he called them a pagan celebration that should be very concerning. People of faith would be very concerned about this demonic and pagan celebration being trumpeted in some parts of the country, Staver said, adding that he believes Krampus celebrations will fade away, and calling them temporary blips on the radar with no lasting power. Wassailing awaits Tatum said the event at Cahaba Brewing does not carry nefarious intents. He said The Wild Hunt will embrace the cultural curiosities for the strange creatures connected to the holidays and the Winter Solstice (giants, witches, trolls, elves, among others) from Iceland, Sweden, France, and Italy. At 4:30 p.m., a foot parade featuring a menagerie of mystical mythical creatures including Krampus but also an Icelandic Yule Cat, and la Befana (the Italian Christmas witch), snow fairies and more will parade at Cahaba Brewing. Tatum said he will be dressed this year as a Julbock (straw goat) that is associated with Swedish Christmas traditions. The three-hour program also features The Yuletide Tumblers, described as an eclectic ensemble of musicians playing rustic wassailing and holiday songs on archaic instruments such as the hurdy gurdy, fiddle, harp, flute, and Viking drums. The sound, Tatum said, is very old-world like pub music from the 1800s. Four dance groups will also perform, and there will be fire performers outside. Poetry and storytelling are also on the docket. Cahaba Brewing will serve up a special Krampus IPA. Our event definitely focuses on the pageantry and the performance aspect of it, Tatum said. Our event is more interactive with a parade of characters like you would see at Disney (World). He added, Some people are exploring this as an antithesis to the shiny and glittery, everything-is-normal (version of Christmas). There are a lot of people who see the holidays as a blue time, missing loved ones. We need to think how the holiday experience can be different for a variety of people. This is just one more expression and choice people have to pull from. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAGetty Images/imageBROKER RF Who Is Krampus? Meet the sinister holiday Figure What is Krampus? A creature popularized in Central European folklore and long recognized in countries like Germany and Austria as the devilish companion of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus). A half-goat, half-demon figure that is often depicted with large horns, thick furry body, massive hooves, and the devils eyes. Krampus possesses a basket filled with sticks, chains, and horsehair. What is the definition of Krampus? The name is derived from an old German word krampen, meaning claw. What does Krampus do? Krampus is an ominous figure who punishes those who misbehave. On Dec. 6 St. Nicholas Day children will awaken to find gifts left by Santa Claus or will nurse their wounds inflicted by Krampus, who beats naughty children with branches and sticks. In some cases, he is said to eat them or drag them to hell. What is Krampusnacht? A holiday celebrated in Eastern Europe and Germany that is like Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). Krampusnacht which is Dec. 5, and this is the night that St. Nicholas and Krampus arrive together to either reward or punish children. What is a Krampuslauf? A festivity involving Krampus that often involves alcohol and people dressed as the creature parading through the streets, scaring spectators, and sometimes chasing them. Why is it popular in the U.S.? The monsters growing appeal is often attributed to his appearance in movies, including the 2015 commercial hit, Krampus. Some claim the creatures expanding popularity is a reaction to the commercialization of Christmas. Why is there controversy? Parades have taken place for years in the U.S. in cities like New Orleans, Milwaukee, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Clintonville, Ohio, has hosted a Krampus parade since 2015. But controversies arose in San Antonio and Pikeville, Kentucky, this year with objections from community and church leaders over hosting an event perceived as celebrating evil. A Mobile County judge sentenced a man to 30 years in prison for attacking a former Fox10 News meteorologist. Nilson Cain will be behind bars for the next three decades due to assaulting John Edd Thompson on July 25, 2023. Thompson, currently 82, retired from his broadcasting position in 2009. Cain plead guilty to elderly abuse and neglect in the second degree in October according to court records. The attack occurred on Thompsons 81st birthday when he pulled into a Murphy Gas Station on Cottage Hill Road after a celebratory lunch with his wife. According to testimony from Thompson after arriving at the gas station Cain walked up and asked for cash. Thompson told Cain he did not have any money and attempted to get into his car. Cain became irate, proceeding to curse and call Thompson a liar before striking the elderly man and throwing him on the concrete. Cains sentence is due in part to the prosecution asking for him to be judged under Alabamas felony habitual offender statute. Cain had a prior felony for third degree burglary in 2018. The statute enhances penalties for individuals that have at least one prior felony conviction. Vocational training serves up success for chefs in northwest China Xinhua) 09:38, December 13, 2024 Ma Fang (L) works at Chengbei Home Banquet Hall in Wuzhong, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Zhen) YINCHUAN, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- As noon approaches, Ma Fang, the owner of a wedding banquet hall in Tongxin County in the city of Wuzhong, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is busy preparing a bowl of local traditional soup, adding sliced green radish, tofu, wood ear mushrooms and rice noodles. After seasoning it with soy sauce and salt, she allows the mixture to simmer briefly. Once the ingredients are perfectly cooked, she serves the stew in a bowl, crowning it with pre-steamed meatballs and thinly sliced beef. With a sprinkle of green onions and cilantro, and a final drizzle of broth, Ma presents a steaming, aromatic bowl of Tongxin soup. "We usually start our preparations around 5 a.m., and on our busiest days, we can dish out over 2,000 bowls by noon," Ma Fang said. She and her husband, Ma Yulu, launched the Chengbei Home Banquet Hall in August, and the orders have been piling up, with reservations already booked two months in advance. Nestled along the banks of the Yellow River, Wuzhong has cultivated a unique culinary culture through centuries of trade and cultural exchange. In recent years, the city has bolstered its support for private vocational training institutions, offering cooking courses in Chinese cuisine, pastries and snacks, thereby nurturing a batch of "Wuzhong chefs". With the magic of modern cooking techniques, the trainees have helped enhance the flavor of their local delicacies, satisfying more customers across China. Zhao Liang, general manager of Suzi Morning Tea, has witnessed this transformation first-hand. "Now, on weekends and holidays, our restaurant is almost always full of customers, and private rooms require advance reservations," he said. Established in 1992, Suzi Morning Tea has grown from a humble noodle shop to a chain of four locations. Wuzhong's morning tea restaurants typically offer beef noodles, dim sum and side dishes. "Now, it's not just locals enjoying morning tea, as many tourists from other regions also come to experience it," Zhao added. The restaurant's thriving business is partly attributed to the improved skill of its chefs. "In the past, chefs mainly learned through apprenticeships, but now we have formal vocational training, making our chefs more professional and standardized," Zhao explained. Zhao also highlighted the events hosted by the city, including morning tea festivals and culinary competitions, which have provided an important platform for local chefs to exchange ideas and refine their craft. Many of the chefs in Wuzhong's flourishing food scene were once young women without stable employment. Li Pingping, a cook at Ma Fang's wedding hall, used to work on construction sites, which was both physically demanding and unstable. Vocational training has since transformed her life. "Here, I earn around 5,000 yuan (about 696 U.S. dollars) a month and haven't looked for work elsewhere," Li said. Becoming a chef has significantly improved her family's life: she has purchased a new car and even built a new house in her hometown. "Our residents are now more aware of the benefits of vocational training, and the demand for courses has risen substantially. Many restaurant workers even sign up on their own initiative," said Wang Jingwen, principal of a local vocational training school. Ma Yulu now sends his staff for training each year. Previously, he and his wife ran a small restaurant without any formal culinary knowledge, managing their operations in a haphazard manner. Today, after undergoing training, the more than 10 chefs in their kitchen have become more professional. "After the training, their knife skills, heat control and cooking processes have all become more professional, making their dishes taste better. Consequently, our revenue has increased," Ma Yulu said. With the business flourishing, the Ma couple invested in building the Chengbei Home Banquet Hall, significantly expanding their operations. Leveraging the targeted vocational training, the catering industry in Wuzhong has embarked on a path towards standardized industrial development. Capitalizing on the unique tourism development advantages of Ningxia, the city is also striving to develop its characteristic catering sector into its signature industry, while retaining more tourists that are attracted to the region, said local authorities. This undated photo shows dishes at Suzi Morning Tea restaurant in Wuzhong, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who on Wednesday called Social Security a big Ponzi scheme, estimated in February that hes paid close to $1 million in Social Security taxes. You know, Ive, for 40 years, paid max into Social Security. Max. And probably paid close to a million dollars in Social Security, Alabamas senior senator said during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions [HELP] Committee hearing Feb. 28 on the retirement crisis in America. AL.com asked Tubervilles office for his Social Security statement, which plainly documents how much Social Security taxes hes paid, but did not receive a response. The office was also asked whether Tuberville stands by his statement that the senator probably paid close to a million dollars in Social Security. Even by the most conservative estimate, Tuberville has not paid $1 million into Social Security during his professional life. Not even half a million dollars. In 2024, the Social Security base limit -- the maximum amount of wages subject to Social Security taxes -- is $168,600. Tuberville -- and all members of Congress-- hit this maximum with a $174,000 base salary. Taxed at 6.2%, Tubervilles Social Security tax contributions in 2024 are $10,453.20. Even assuming, as Tuberville said in February, that he has paid this maximum amount for 40 years, the most he can have contributed to Social Security is $418,128. That $418,128 figure doesnt even take into account that the base limit has been far less than the 2024 maximum income of $168,600 over four decades. For example, in 1984 -- the start of Tubervilles 40-year period -- the base limit was $37,800, according to Social Security Administration data. And the 6.2% Social Security tax rate, which has been effect from 1990 to today, has been as low as 5.7% in 1984, meaning the $418,128 conservative estimate is even lower. Social Security has long been ridiculed by Alabamas senior senator, who called the program a big Ponzi scheme depriving Americans of their hard-earned money. Heres the sad truth: the American people dont have any confidence that they will see all the money they paid into Social Security over the years, he said on Wednesday. Its a big Ponzi scheme, and everyone is forced to participate in it; you have no choice. It doesnt matter if youre 16 or 76. A little over 6% of your paycheck is taken out to pay for this retirement, Tuberville continued. Americans have been paying for Social Security for years only to see a fraction of what they have been promised ... In May, the senator railed against the scam. No, most people wont get Social Security, Alabamas senior senator, a Republican, told Newsmax TVs Carl Higbie FRONTLINE. Its just unfortunate, Tuberville told Higbie, according to the station. It was a tax that was levied on the American people years ago, sold a bill of goods. Hey, were going to take care of your retirement. Republican senators raising questions about President-elect Donald Trumps selections are hearing a new message: Fall in line. On the Hill this week some GOP lawmakers faced blistering blowback for questioning the background or behavior of Trumps Cabinet picks, most notably Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host tapped to lead the Pentagon, as well as former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump chose to lead the intelligence community. MAGA influencers dug up negative stories about naysayers and not-so-subtly threatened primaries, and constituents are calling to voice their outrage. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), a Republican moderate, said Thursday at a political conference that the message from Trump and his allies amounted to: We got you here. And if you want to survive, you better be good. Senators who step out of line are being warned, Dont get on Santas naughty list here, because we will primary you, said Murkowski. Many appear eager to avoid that fate. The more aggressive approach from Trumpworld comes after the president-elects first pick to run the Justice Department, Matt Gaetz, dropped out of contention after facing opposition from many GOP senators amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Hegseth, who has been accused of sexual assault - a charge he has denied - and faces other allegations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement of nonprofits dedicated to veterans, appeared to be headed for a similar fate after Trump last week privately floated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace him. That gave senators the signal that Hegseth may not be long for the role. It was in those days of uncertainty that Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a key vote on national security issues and a member of the Armed Services Committee processing Hegseths nomination, told Fox News she was not ready to back his candidacy and that she wanted any allegations against him cleared through a thorough vetting process. But a fierce MAGA campaign quickly fomented online, with influencers with millions of followers blasting out accusations about Ernsts divorce. Brenna Bird, the attorney general of Iowa and someone who is seen as a credible potential primary challenger to Ernst, wrote an op-ed in Breitbart decrying DC politicians who ignore the bases desire for Trump to speedily confirm his Cabinet. Hegseth also began defending himself in interviews and stressed to reporters that Trump was still behind him. Meanwhile, senators began receiving calls from constituents organized by the Article 3 Project, a conservative group. Its founder, Mike Davis, said it had activated at least 20,000 calls to senators urging them to vote for Hegseth. Trump was advised that backing down from another selection could send a bad signal to Senate Republicans. If nominees fail, then the Senate will get the taste of blood, and it never ends. You have 53 Republicans they need to support all of the nominees, said Davis, who as a senior aide for Sen. Chuck Grassley ran the campaign to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh. Amid the MAGA blowback, Ernst requested another meeting with Hegseth. After the Monday meeting, she said she now planned to support him through the process and blasted the allegations against him as coming from anonymous sources - a key piece of Hegseths defense. Ernst also said Hegseth, who in November said on a podcast that women should not serve in combat roles, committed to an audit of the Pentagon and was very supportive of women in the military after the meeting. Murkowski told an audience on Thursday that she felt that Ernst had been hung out to dry by the incoming administration and questioned what such intimidation accomplished. I think were getting a little bit of a preview now of what its going to mean to be allegiant to party, and I dont think that thats going to help us as a Republican Party, she said. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) also expressed dismay that Ernst has faced primary threats for raising some questions about Hegseth. This early? This is all going to backfire, she said earlier this week. And others said senators will not be swayed by the uproar. For me its an everyday occurrence, I mean that, said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who has withstood pressure in the past when occasionally voting against Trumps priorities. She has not yet said if she will support Hegseth. I get hit by the far left, in particular, and occasionally by the far right, all the time, she said. So Im used to that, that pressure. Still, tougher rhetoric seems to have blunted criticism of Trumps picks, even though its still unclear whether they will ultimately have the votes to be confirmed next month. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) had called the allegations Hegseth faced disturbing last week. This week, Graham said anonymous allegations should not be considered as part of his confirmation process. Hegseth still faces an FBI background check and a potentially contentious confirmation hearing. He can lose only three GOP votes and still get confirmed, given he probably will not win Democratic votes. Murkowski, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Collins and others have raised questions about the allegations surrounding Hegseth. I think Republicans have to face the choices between succumbing to the heat from Trump and standing with conscience and conviction, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. The pressure has been heightened, and it certainly is pretty daunting. The pressure campaign also reflects a new political reality for senators compared with the last time they served alongside Trump. Then, most Republican senators had outperformed Trump on the ballot in 2016 and felt little debt to the political novice. This time, almost every incoming senator in a competitive race rode Trumps coattails into office, and the party has been remade in his image. Senators are often more insulated from political pressure than their House counterparts because they serve lengthier six year terms. But several key Republican senators face reelection - and potential primary challenges - in 2026, including Sens. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Rounds. Tillis, who survived a primary challenge in his last election, said he believes he will have the support of the president when he runs for reelection and that raising questions about nominees is one way Republican senators help protect the president. I want to make President Trump the most successful president in modern history. I want people to look back and decide between Reagan and Trump, and a part of the way you do that is to look around corners and do everything you can to help him, because hes not making all these decisions, Tillis said. Cornyn, who announced he was supporting Hegseth last weekend, criticized the outside pressure on Ernst and others as premature. Cornyn has said he has questions for Gabbard, Trumps pick to lead the intelligence community, about her comments about and meeting with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Those of us who run for election for office understand that every election we will have opponents, Cornyn said. There will be contested primaries. But theres going to be a lot of other issues between now and then where I think youll see senators supporting the president and his priorities even if they find in the end they cant support his nominees. The sexual assault allegation against Hegseth dates to 2017, when a conservative activist went to police after they ended up in his hotel room together at a conference in Monterey, California. No charges were filed, but Hegseth eventually paid an undisclosed financial settlement to the woman that did not allow her to speak publicly about the matter. That agreement came to light when an acquaintance of the woman went to the news media after Trump announced his intention to nominate Hegseth as defense secretary. Democrats have called for the FBI to fully vet the allegations against Hegseth as part of the background check that is customary for such a critical position. But even if he clears that bar, some Democrats argue that he does not have the necessary experience or the management skills to run an agency with around 3 million military and civilian employees. Some of these nominees are just abjectly unqualified, Blumenthal said. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition, said in a statement that All of President Trumps Cabinet nominees are receiving great feedback and support on Capitol Hill and among the public because they are highly-qualified men and women who have the talent, experience, and necessary skill sets to help Make America Great Again. Alaina Bookman reports for the Beyond the Violence collaborative, a partnership between AL.com, The Birmingham Times and CBS42. Support her work here. Petrina Bridges, an East Lake resident, has changed her daily routine and outlook on the neighborhood since the launch of a city of Birmingham public safety initiative. Project Safe Streets is a city of Birmingham pilot program that aims to make the neighborhood and city safer. The project includes cleaning and revitalizing East Lake and limiting access points throughout the neighborhood with barriers at 18 entry points and alleys. The barriers in particular have been a hot topic for many East Lake residents since the projects launch in July . Mayor Randall Woodfin created Project Safe Streets in hopes of deterring speeding, shootings, theft, prostitution and violent crime. In November, the city council voted to extend Project Safe Streets for 90 days and set a public hearing to take place on Jan. 14, 2025 to determine whether the project will be continued indefinitely. Until then, residents are left to wonder whether the barriers will become a permanent fixture or if the project will expand to other neighborhoods. My hope for Birmingham is for it to be a safe environment to live and for people to want to be in our neighborhoods, and to want to come to our neighborhoods, visiting or living here, or coming to spend their money in our neighborhood, Bridges said. I want Birmingham to be like it used to be when I was a little girl. Bridges, 54, grew up in Norwood and has lived in her East Lake home for two years. She said that before the barriers, she saw cars speeding dangerously throughout the neighborhood and litter and trash such as stained mattresses and broken furniture piling up in unsightly, overgrown lots near her home. Every morning when I went out to water my flowers, I would look to my right, and there was an empty lot there and there was always trash, Bridges said. She had also made a strict rule for herself, making sure to run her errands during her lunch breaks to ensure she was back in her home before nightfall. Bridges said she was fearful of the speeding cars and the possibility of being the victim of a crime. With 147 homicides to date, Birmingham is on track to break a tragic all-time homicide record. East Lake has seen several violent crimes and deaths this year. In May, before the barriers were deployed, a 10-year-old boy was shot while walking in East Lake Park . In June, Kameron Connell , 30, was shot and killed in an East Lake parking lot near a dice game. Later that same month, a shootout on First Avenue North in front of East Lake Park left Martavius Williams , 19, dead and two other people seriously injured. Before, I wouldnt go in and out of my house at night, at allI didnt want to have to encounter that. I didnt know if they had a gun, or if they would rob me, or anything like that, so I just stayed in the house, Bridges said. Now, Ive seen the traffic and the flow of traffic slow down tremendously. And theres not a bunch of trash thats left all over on empty lots. And Ive also seen the city out mowing those lots, so its no longer a haven for trash to be dumped or the homeless to hang out. Now, Bridges feels safe to go out at night in her own neighborhood. Bridges said shes even seen a shift among her neighbors. I see my neighbors a lot more than I did before. Theyll even come out and sit on their porches now because its just so peaceful, Bridges said. Since the launch of the East Lake program, the city of Birmingham has tracked their cleanup work and the crimes theyve addressed, which include: 1777 bags of litter picked up 807 tons of brush trash picked up 183 lots cut and treated 151 sewer inlets cleaned out 892 traffic citations 159 criminal arrests 64 housing violations 27 structures identified for condemnation 7 houses demolished Birmingham City Councilor Darrell OQuinn has attended community meetings to discuss how residents feel about Project Safe Streets. Based on the metrics that they have shared, the project seems to have had a very positive effect on not just the sentiments of the residents, but also on the numbers of shootings, the incidents of speeding violations, dumping sites, OQuinn said. Its really been all hands on deck in terms of city departments addressing various issues in that communityWeve made a number of investments in the East Lake neighborhood. Its been more than just about trying to address public safety concerns. Its really been an initiative thats trying to improve quality of life for those residents. OQuinn said he has heard from residents about how much Project Safe Streets have changed the neighborhood for the better. He has also listened to residents' complaints about how inconvenient or unattractive the barriers are. In September, Woodfin hosted a community meeting at New Rising Star Baptist Church, with over 100 residents in attendance, to discuss the future of the project. During the meeting, Woodfin showed residents photos of what a permanent barrier could look like. If the council votes for an indefinite extension of Project Safe Streets, the city will replace the painted concrete slabs currently blocking the roads with structures such as bulb outs and steel bollards. When asked about the possibility of extending Project Safe Streets to other neighborhoods, OQuinn did not have a solid answer. I think thats definitely the idea. Even if you look at the way that it was named, its called Project Safe Streets: East Lake. So that infers to me that there could be a Project Safe Streets: Collegeville, or Project Safe Streets: Grasselli or any number of the other 98 neighborhoods across the city of Birmingham, OQuinn said. I definitely think that thats kind of been the mayors approach to this, to essentially conduct a pilot project and measure the results and create a case for doing this elsewhere. OQuinn stressed that residents need to attend the public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at Birmingham City Hall at 9:30 a.m. I just want to emphasize how important public input is in these processes. So if residents feel strongly one way or the other, I cant emphasize strongly enough how important it is for them to show up to the public hearing, OQuinn said. It is critically important that they show up and express how they feel about the project. That type of input is at the top of our priority list and has a huge impact on our decision-making process. Officials with the U.S. Department of Labor are delivering additional support to Birmingham in the final days of the Biden Administration. Federal officials Thursday announced a grant to bolster Youth Build, a program operated through the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District. The program provides job training and educational opportunities for Birmingham youth and young adults will receive additional support through a $1.5 million grant from the Labor Department. This is a big win for the city of Birmingham, said U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell. This award will help us expand pathways to career-readiness while providing opportunities for our young people to give back to their communities. YouthBuild is a community-based program that provides job training and educational services to people ages 16-24 who left school without a diploma. Participants learn vocational skills in construction, as well as in other in-demand industries including health care, information technology, and hospitality. Participants also provide community service by building or rehabilitating affordable housing for low-income or homeless families in their own neighborhoods. The grant is the renewal of previous funding for the program. We are honored to receive this grant for a second term to continue the efforts of significantly enhancing our initiatives, creating even more opportunities for young people to develop critical skills, gain valuable work experience, and build a brighter future, said Housing Authority President and CEO Dontrelle Young Foster. With this, we are empowered to impact the lives of youth in our community and to further our vision of being mission-focused, service-driven. Thursdays announcement came a day after the final visit from acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su to Birmingham. Su on Wednesday joined with Mayor Randall Woodfin and Birmingham Superintendent Mark Sullivan at a roundtable of early childhood education providers and advocates. The focus was the need to enhance child care as a tool to support employment opportunities for parents. Child care is something that affects everybody. Everybody struggles with these questions, Su said. It was a real priority for us to put that squarely on the table. joined with Mayor Randall Woodfin at a roundtable of early child education providers and advocates to discuss the need to enhance childcare as to support employment opportunities for parents.City of Birmingham The two issues of employment and child care are interconnected, panelists stressed. Birmingham has also benefited from other federal assistance aimed toward workforce development and child care within challenged communities. The city earlier this year was awarded $20 million as part of the U.S. Department of Commerces Economic Development Administrations Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program. Part of the grant includes development of a workforce training center, expansion of transit options and the creation of a child care center of excellence. When you think about labor, you dont always think about childcare, said Sarah McMillan, Birminghams manager of talent and workforce development, who moderated the discussion. McMillan, a mother of two, went on to describe her own logistical challenges in securing child care during work hours. Sus Birminghams visit was among the last for her as members of the Biden administration end their terms and incoming President Donald Trump takes office next month. Su last visited Birmingham in June. In addition to affordability, another problem discussed by the panel was the low wages paid to child care workers. That remains another impediment to quality care, experts said. The average child care worker earns about $12.50 an hour. So, theres a gap in child care funding, and the question is how are we going to close that gap, said Allison Muhlendorf, vice president at Longleaf Strategies, a Montgomery public affairs firm. How have all levels of government failed to close that gap? Carol Gundlach, a policy analyst at Alabama Arise, offered a similar perspective and challenge. The two biggest barriers to people being in the workforce are child care and transportation, she said. Thats a solvable problem. We just have to have the will to solve it. A new facility in Orange Beach will help rehabilitate injured sea turtles. Its like a freestanding [emergency room] for sea turtles in Orange Beach, Nicole Woerner, deputy director of coastal resources for the city of Orange Beach, said. Next week, the Orange Beach City Council will vote to amend the citys agreement with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) for the Coastal Alabama Sea Turtle Triage facility. Earlier this year, the city awarded the bid for construction of the facility, and construction is set to begin next year. The facility is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026, Woerner said. The hope is that the new facility will help save as many sea turtles as possible. Currently, if an injured or dead sea turtle is found, Orange Beach employees have to transport the sea turtle to facilities in either Mississippi or Florida for treatment. When the turtle has recovered, it has to be transported back to Orange Beach. That travel is stressful for the turtle, Woerner said. Weve had turtles die on those trips, she said. With this new facility, staff will be able to treat some sea turtle injuries, like a flipper getting hooked. For turtles with larger injuries, marine veterinarians at the new triage facility will be able to stabilize and evaluate the turtle before transport. Having a facility to rehabilitate sea turtles in Alabama is important, Woerner said, because sea turtles return to the beach where they first hatched to nest, 25 or 30 years later. Being able to return injured turtles to the same beaches where they were found is crucially important for their welfare. We want to make sure they nest here for years to come, Woerner said. These are our Alabama sea turtles. The triage facility is funded through settlement funds from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. Sea turtles were one of the species damaged in the spill, Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the ADCNR, said, and thus projects aimed at protecting sea turtles are eligible for oil spill settlement funds. Its been several years since the project was first proposed: the facility was part of Restoration Plan II, a plan for oil spill funds approved in 2018 by the Alabama Trustee Implementation Group, a group of state and federal officials tasked with allocating funding based on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) following the spill. Blankenship said the delay is likely due to other projects moving forward and the extensive federal requirements when building a facility aimed at endangered species. All six species of sea turtles that live in the U.S. are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Last month, the Alabama trustees allocated an additional $450,000 in oil spill funds to the project. In total, the facility is expected to cost around $1.5 million to construct. The city of Orange Beach donated the property for the facility. Humans remain one of the biggest threats to sea turtles. Marine litter, getting caught by fishhooks or nets, and vessel strikes are all causes of sea turtle injury. In addition, when sea turtles nest and lay eggs, those nests can be destroyed not only by predators like foxes or raccoons, but also people, Blankenship said. The triage facility is part of a larger effort to protect sea turtles in Alabama, Blankenship said. For Woerner, the facility is an important part of balancing the citys water recreation activity, like fishing and boating, with protecting a species as important as the sea turtle. Weve got to find a balance between human recreation and endangered species being able to restart their normal life cycle, Woerner said. This facility will be part of that. This is a guest opinion column Illegal vapes produced by the Chinese government are a huge problem in Alabama so much so that over half of the states voters want to see a new law passed to crack down on them. As former Alabama Public Service Commissioner Jim Zeigler put it, vape use has exploded in Alabama schools to the point that several counties are now creating new programs called Vape Courts to address the growing illegal vaping epidemic. The Yellowhammer State has enacted numerous laws to protect the health and safety of our citizens, including restrictions on age, advertising, and even prohibitions on the sale of e-cigarette devices near a school or church. While our state retailers do not want to harm their customers or sell products to minors, the Chinese government has no such concerns and is flooding America with dangerous black market vape devices. In fact, some congressional experts have said that 90% of the illegal vapes on our store shelves come from China. The state-run Chinese State Tobacco Monopoly Administration has a direct financial interest in, and receives portions of the profits generated by, these Chinese vaping devices. These devices, which do not have FDA approval, pose significant risks to users, particularly young people, because they do not have any quality controls or transparency on their ingredients. Unfortunately, however, while Alabama state lawmakers continue to propose legislative remedies to this Chinese vaping problem, the Biden administrations International Trade Commission (ITC) may exacerbate it by going after the safe American-made devices instead. This would allow the Chinese manufacturers to capture the market. Why go after a safe, regulated product that healthcare experts argue is a safer smoking alternative when these dangerous Chinese products are still out there? These unregulated Chinese devices are often marketed directly to Alabamas youth, with flashy packaging and candy-like flavors designed to appeal to children. They often lack age verification measures, ingredient disclosures, and manufacturing standards all hallmarks of the American-made and regulated products that the ITC is targeting. The national security implications that would come from the ITC gifting this dream regulatory action to the Chinese vaping manufacturers cannot be overlooked. China dominates the global e-cigarette manufacturing market, generating an estimated $28 billion annually, two-thirds of which is fueled by U.S. consumers. By allowing unregulated and illegal Chinese vapes to flood the market while banning FDA-approved American-made products, the ITC would not only undermine Alabamas public health but also enable a significant economic advantage for a foreign adversary. Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL), the chairman of the committee charged with protecting the nation from national security threats, has said that the national security threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party is the most pressing challenge facing our nation, as well as our allies and partners. He has long sounded the alarm on the dangers that would come from giving the CCP further competitive advantages. Hopefully, he uses the power of his influential committee to analyze and outline how the ITCs vaping proposal would do exactly this. Public health leaders here in Alabama are counting on him to fend off this five alarm public health fire. Kelly Reese is Founder and CEO of Inside Medicine As the Supreme Court weighs one of the most significant transgender healthcare cases to date, access to gender-affirming care hangs in the balance for youth across America. Twenty-six states have passed bans on such care, with Tennessees lawnow before the nations highest courtrepresenting a critical test case. Those supporting the ban argue gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth is not only harmful, but that the transgender community is unprotected by the Constitution. Tennessee is among a cohort of 26 states to pass a ban on such care, despite all of them being challenged on a federal court level, Tennessee lands one of the most major transgender healthcare cases to date, reaching the highest court in the land. The implications stretch far beyond Tennessees borders. The waitlist is what keeps me up at night. It has grown every year, and it got particularly long after the bans went into effect, said Dr. Kade Goepferd , a nonbinary medical director of Minnesotas only multispecialty pediatric gender clinic who uses they/them pronouns told NBC News in August . It has grown every year, and it got particularly long after the bans went into effect. Their program has seen a 30% surge in calls since surrounding states outlawed gender-affirming care for minors. Even after hiring additional staff, the waitlist stretches at least a year for new patients. In Berkeley, Calif., pediatrician Mahtab Danai watches these developments with growing concern. As the Supreme Court weighs a landmark transgender healthcare case, Berkeley, Calif. pediatrician Mahtab Danai is worried about her patients new risks of suicide. I fear that suicide rates and mental health crises in general will rise for trans youth in light of the recent Supreme Court [case], said Danai, an incoming adolescent medicine fellow at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) . While she is not LGBTQ-identified herself, Danai cares for kids and teensmany of whom are trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming. I worry about the mental health of trans youth as they navigate the political climateespecially in more conservative states. Those supporting the ban argue that gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth is not only harmful, but that the transgender community is unprotected by the Constitution . With access to healthcare and their constitutional rights hanging in the balance, trans communities and LGBTQ families nationwide might rush to access the care they need before Trump takes office. However, medical professionals like Danai are standing firm in their beliefs that gender-affirming care is crucial regardless of elections and court rulings. Why medical professionals choose this work Mauricio Jimmy Franco , a queer and Latine primary care provider in San Franciscos East Bay area, provides critical primary care to trans and nonbinary youth at his outpatient clinic. His experience began before medical school, working with trans and nonbinary youthparticularly those who were unhoused. Among his patients, gender identity intersects with broader challenges of job security, employment and fears of harassment. Franco understands these struggles personally. Growing up in an immigrant family, he witnessed firsthand how healthcare access could vary dramatically depending on providers and clinics. As a queer person growing up in a Latine family, [they] have always been supportive, and thats something I want for every young person, he explained. And that includes being able to access medical care that is respectful of who they are. This experience shapes his medical approach. He believes healthcare access shouldnt depend on location or identityespecially for transgender and nonbinary patients who face increasing restrictions nationwide. For Danai, though shes a cisgender and heterosexual pediatrician, the urgency of providing this care is profound. Getting to provide gender-affirming care has been one of the happiest parts of my jobto help a teen feel seen, cared for and supported in reaching their gender identity goals has been incredibly meaningful and powerful, she said. Gender-affirming care literally saves lives. Rather than continue referring patients to specialists, Danai is pursuing an adolescent medicine fellowship to provide gender-affirming hormone therapy directly to trans youth, expanding access to essential care. The reality beyond California While many states move to restrict care, California took the opposite approach in 2022, becoming the first state to declare itself a sanctuary state for trans youth . Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 107 , which protects trans youth from other states to seeking gender-affirming care by shielding families from child abuse allegations or criminal prosecution for pursuing such care. Danai admits to feeling incredibly lucky being in California, where medical support systems are equipped to provide for youth facing gender dysphoria. With half of the countrys states passing anti-trans bills , California remains a beacon for young trans and nonbinary peopleeven for those coming from out of state. The reality in other regions is increasingly dire. Goepferds Minnesota clinic exemplifies the mounting pressure on remaining providers in accessible states. Beyond the growing waitlists, providers like Goepferd face personal challenges, including death threats for their work. Even California isnt immune to threats seen in hostile states. One of the best-known practitioners of gender-affirming care, Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy , who leads the Centre for Transyouth at CHLA, is currently being sued for negligence over a patient who underwent gender-affirming care as a child and has since detransitioned. Dr. Navin Kariyawasam, a trans physician, wrote for Creators on Monday about how vital it is to speak with young people about gender. Kariyawasam pushed back against the notionthe same one currently challenging Olson-Kennedythat doctors providing gender-affirming care are maliciously intended and working against the betterment of young people and their families. As a physician, I am not looking to diagnose a gender, but to support young people and their families as they figure out their sense of self, Kariyawasam wrote. No one makes the decision to seek out gender-affirming care on a whim. Looking ahead For Franco, progress starts at the ground level: beyond politics, a proper patient experience for trans and nonbinary youth starts with the clinical team, even before the medical provider. The entire clinical team needs to embrace the very real fact that trans and nonbinary people exist and that they deserve to be treated as we treat other patients in their full humanity, he said. But thats a huge cultural shift that I think folks have been working very hard for many years to continue to push and drive, and I think recent political changes are going to make it that much more difficult. This reality drives allies like Danai to become medical providers that work directly with young trans people. She feels hopeful about starting her adolescent medicine fellowship with Trump taking office only weeks away. For her, the significance is crystal clear. It is an act of resistance to advocate for and support trans youth, and it is exciting to be able to provide gender-affirming hormone care as an adolescent doctor while learning with like-minded individuals. tudents from Turner Job Corps are making waves in their careers after participating in a shipbuilding hiring event hosted by Huntington Ingalls Industries at the Mississippi Job Corps campus. Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Five Turner Job Corps students William Morris, Brodie Anderson, Marques Alford, Dimitri Stewart, and Tyrick Maxwell have been offered jobs with Mississippi shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries. Special Photo: TJC Special Photo: TJC ALBANY Students from Turner Job Corps are making waves in their careers after participating in a shipbuilding hiring event hosted by Huntington Ingalls Industries at the Mississippi Job Corps campus. A total of 12 students from Turner attended the event, and five received exciting job offers to join the nations leading military shipbuilder. Huntington Ingalls Industries, known for building ships that serve the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, is a powerhouse in work force development and innovation. This hiring event showcased the skills and dedication of Job Corps students, particularly in high-demand trades like welding, electrical and plumbing. This was such an amazing experience, William Morris, a heavy equipment operator student at Turner Job Corps, said. Im honored that I got to go, and Im excited to see where this opportunity will lead me. Advertisement Turner Job Corps provides young adults ages 16-24 with hands-on training and education to prepare them for successful careers. The welding, electrical, heavy equipment operations and mechanics program equips students with the certifications and experience needed to excel in industries like shipbuilding. As the director of Turner Job Corps, I couldnt be prouder of our students and their incredible success at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard, Nathaniel Cooper said. They work hard every day, demonstrating the skills, determination, and professionalism that make them stand out. Im forever grateful to be part of the life-changing opportunities that Job Corps provides, helping these young individuals build brighter futures and achieve their dreams. This event highlights the power of partnerships between Job Corps and industry leaders like Huntington Ingalls. By working together, these organizations open doors to rewarding careers for young adults while meeting the work force needs of key industries. For more information about Turner Job Corps and its training programs, visit enroll.jobcorps.org or call (229) 883-8500. In his most recent book, The Rise of Blue Anon (the name is a take-off on the supposed right wing, Q-Anon), David Harsanyi has presented an insightful and alarming description of the current Democrat party. He doesnt make a distinction between the Democrats and the far Left, which suggests that they have essentially become one and the same. Harsanyi explains how conspiracies have become the modus operandi for the Democrats, in almost every area of culture and politics, so that facts and the truth become incidental and inconvenient. Early in the book, Harsanyi defines conspiracy theory: Loosely defined, a conspiracy theory is a belief that some influential but furtive groups are plotting or responsible for events or phenomena beyond our control. The notion is propelled by a never-ending string of disparate events and half-truths, threaded together to create a narrative thats often impossible to disprove. These conspiracy theories, conveniently, grow with every question and every denial. Unfortunately, the Republicans are facing a number of disadvantages with this Democrat approach. First, the Democrats are not just saying that this is the strategy they plan to use politically; they are demonstrating that they believe the conspiracies they contrive. Their beliefs have the dedication and strength of a religion, and once a conspiracy is established, it is almost indestructible. Harsanyi provides a number of examples: Despite all this overwhelming evidence, to this day most Democrats will tell you Gore really won 2000. Basically, every major newspaper editorial board, and every left-wing columnist on their staff, still makes similar claims. Even today, you are unlikely to find any Democrats who would concede that Bush fairly won the 2000 presidential race. Trumps presidential victory in 2016 was unable to penetrate the Democrat delusion: Democrats initially struggled to settle on a justification to tell the public that Trumps election was bogus. Sure, they blamed fake news and Fox News. They always did. This time around they also attributed the loss to left-wing media showering Trump with too much coverage. They blamed systemic racism and voter suppression. They blamed imaginary electoral shenanigans. As they did in 2000 and 2004, experts sat on cable news panels and deliberated on the possibility that the Democratic Party candidate may have been denied tens of thousands of votes in battleground states like Wisconsin. It was bunk. But then the Democrats manufactured the Russian Collusion hoax, once-respected institutions climbed on the bandwagon, and legislators assured the Democrats that the election had been stolen: [Adam] Schiff confirmed what every Democrat wanted to hear: Congress had not only uncovered evidence of a criminal plot by the presidents 2016 campaign, but now had an abundance of incriminating evidence in its possession. It was, of course, huge news. But it also turned out to be a spectacular lie. Harsanyi explains some of the many areas where conspiracy theories are widely embraced by the political Left: the events of 9/11; the hearings for Brett Kavanaugh; book banning and denial of gay rights in the Florida schools; rumors about the Federalist Society; refusal of the Democrats to condemn anti-Semitism in the House; the list goes on. Many of the situations were familiar, but the details that Harsanyi provided presented a much more complete and ominous description of the Democrat party and their strategies. So, what were the benefits of reading this book? It certainly was a depressing experience in many ways. After contemplating what the book had taught me (and it was filled with citations), I came to realize a number of facts. The delusions of conspiracy theories among Democrats are far more embedded and insidious in the United States than many people may realize. Conspiracy theories are nearly impossible to uproot, because they are promulgated by every type of media, our schools and universities and our legislators. Those who believe in conspiracy theories are oblivious to facts that contradict their beliefs. They assume the facts are contrived and false. Conspiracy theorists are not open to discussions or debates about their positions; they spend most of their time discrediting or name-calling their opposition. These people have also demonized those who are not on their side. The people on the right are labelled Nazis, liars, fools, haters and just about any other derogatory term you can identify. Many of their tenets are also rooted in Marxist theory, which suggests a long history of totalitarian belief. They dont see the contradiction between embracing Marxism with their demands to save democracy. This list wasnt intended to be complete, but only a partial picture of the dominance of the Left. At least until now. Following the 2024 national election, the cages of the Democrats were battered by a tsunami of reality. Prior to the election, Democrat hatred for conservatives, and for Donald Trump in particular, was slightly assuaged by the facts on the ground. The general population could see that the last four years of Democrat rule were deluded and destructive, and they quietly left the ranks and voted for Republicans. The substantial question: Is the change temporary or does it have legs? Will the next four years provide enough evidence of the beneficial policies of the Republicans? Will the Democrats consider at least putting their religion aside for now, as they watch Republican policies play out? David Harsanyi didnt offer solutions or hope for breaking through the Democrat barriers. The chances of their letting go of their utopian illusions are likely slim; lifetime dreams are difficult to abandon. But those of us who read Harsanyis book are well-armed to make inroads into the challenges ahead. Lets hope that this Democrat stream of consciousness becomes a river of opportunity, and that enough Democrats will realize that life offers more than darkness and fear. Image: Permission from author David Harsanyi Scorched earth is one of the most brutal strategies in war. It can be an offensive or a defensive strategy and usually leaves a wasteland of destruction and starvation in its wake. It seems that Joe Biden, on his way out of the Oval Office, is using this strategy against America. One of the most famous examples of an offensive use of scorched earth is Shermans March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah from November to December 1864. Sherman not only burned Atlanta to the ground, but he also left a trail of destruction for a wide swath all the way to the ocean, everything from military targets to infrastructure to crops. The obvious goal, of course, was to damage the military by impeding logistics and commerce. The larger goal was to break the morale of the South, to ensure that they lost all hope that they could ever win while showing them that their lives would be destroyed if they continued to fight. He succeeded in spades, and his campaign proved critical to the Confederacys surrender five months later. The most famous defensive use of the policy was probably that of Emperor Alexander I when facing an advancing Napoleon during the French invasion of Russia in 1812. As the French advanced further, the Russian troops embarked on a campaign of taking whatever supplies they could carry, then setting fire to or destroying virtually anything that the enemy could use. In Moscow, many buildings were spared because they were largely empty husks by the time Napoleon arrived. Having far outdistanced his supply trains and unable to live off the land, Napoleon began his slow retreat from a campaign that would leave 350,000 dead French on the fields of Russia. Image by Vince Coyner. Another use of scorched earth is retribution. The Romans in Carthage after the Third Punic War in 146 BC provide what may be the most famous example. Wanting to inflict revenge against the city that had loosed Hannibal on them half a century before and ensure their greatest rival never threatened them again, the legions leveled the city down to bricks, burned farms, forced citizens to relocate 10 miles inland, and barred them from rebuilding. Carthage would remain a desert for a century until Caesar recognized its strategic value and began rebuilding it. Joe Biden, who, unlike Sherman, Napoleon, Hannibal, or Caesar, will be forgotten the moment he exits the stage, is nonetheless looking at the scorched earth policy with a keen eye. Biden, the politician whos never had a job that didnt come from the government, has contempt for the Republic. For him, America, and in particular the government, is just a vehicle for accumulating power and money. The man is an inveterate liar. He lies about important things and trivial. He lied about riding the train , the death of his grandfather , and being shot at in Iraq . He lied about the truck driver who killed his wife and daughter in 1972, claiming that the man had been drunk despite police records of the time showing no such thing. He cheated in college , lied about his standing at graduation in law school, and, fatally for his 1988 presidential run, plagiarized Neil Kinnock , a British politician. If there is a legacy to Joe Biden pre-Barack Obama, it is his destruction of the confirmation process for the Supreme Court. For most of our history up until that point in 1987, Supreme Court nominations were largely collegial processes that focused mainly on the candidates knowledge of the law and their qualifications for sitting on the bench. Joe Biden and fellow liberal urchin Teddy Kennedy savaged Bork for his conservative views and, as the New York Times suggested, the Bork nomination in some ways, was the beginning of the end of civil discourse in politics. From that point forward, politics was no longer an arena where ideas were debated as a sidebar to American life. From that point forward, Democrats shifted hard left, and in less than two decades, the cancer of the left would infect virtually every element of American life. Joe Biden did that. Not satisfied with ruining our economy, adding trillions to the national debt, and allowing 10 million illegal aliens to invade the country, on his way out the door, Joe Biden may be getting ready to eviscerate whats left of our justice system and the rule of law. Presidents have used their pardon power for years, with the most famous being that of Richard Nixon by Gerald Ford. Last week, Joe Biden, despite saying he would not do so , pardoned his son for every federal crime he may have committed over the last 11 years, both those for which he had been convicted and those he had not. That ensures that the Trump administration cannot charge the younger Biden once it takes over the White House. Bidens pardon was unprecedented. Most pardons are for specific crimes, and while Fords pardon of Nixon was a similar blanket immunity, it was specifically tied to the dates he was President . The younger Bidens, however, is far from specific and applies to no official duties. It just happens to coincide with the moment Junior joined the board of Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company, despite having zero experience in or knowledge of the energy business. Controversial pardons are nothing new. Bill Clinton commuted the sentences of 16 Puerto Rican terrorists in August 1999 and, later, his brother. Still, Biden is said to be mulling doing something extraordinary: He may preemptively pardon the people who used the justice system to persecute Donald Trump and his supporters, including the treacherous Liz Cheney and Adam Schiff . Theres also Anthony Fauci, the COVID liar, and General Milley , the traitor who thinks its his job to inform enemies of his Commander in Chiefs plans. There are undoubtedly many others hes considering, including Mayorkas and Garland . And to top it all off, Biden is being encouraged to, and is no doubt considering, offer a blanket pardon to all illegal aliens in the United States. Combined with the $2 million the DOJ paid Page and Strzok for releasing their text messages about conspiring to keep Trump from winning in 2016, what were seeing Biden contemplate here is a scorched earth destruction of the rule of law. Basically, one party is telling its stormtroopers they can use the police power of government to persecute their opponents with no limitations because if they succeed, their opponents never make it into office to hold them accountable. If they fail, their crimes can be pardoned before the enemy ever takes over. Heads we win, tails you lose If Biden burns down the Republic on his way out the door, Democrats had better take cover. The Constitution is, as John Adams said, made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Democrats have shown themselves to be anything but. If they see fit to torch it, they should not be surprised if the GOP doesnt decide to stop playing the patsy, limiting themselves to the Constitutions Marquess of Queensberry Rules . Theres a reason FAFO videos are so popular. Americans covet justice; Democrats flout it at their peril. Follow Vince on X at @ImperfectUSA Chris Pettit, shown on the left in 2022, was sentenced in February to 50 years in federal prison for stealing millions of dollars from his clients, will owe about $106.3 million in restitution to 98 of his victims. Jerry Lara/Staff photographer Ex-San Antonio lawyer Chris Pettit bought millions of dollars in real estate, including a home in Alamo Heights where he kept life-size figures from the "Star Wars" films. San Antonio Board of Realtors Chris Pettit, shown in 2022, was sentenced in February to 50 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three counts each of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with stealing millions of dollars from his law clients. Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Jailed ex-San Antonio lawyer Chris Pettit will owe $106.3 million in restitution to nearly 100 victims under a court order U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia is expected to sign next week. Its unlikely the former clients he ripped off will ever see a dime of it. Garcia said during a hearing Thursday that he would adopt federal prosecutors recommendation that Pettit pay back 98 former clients who, in some cases, lost their life savings as a result of the massive fraud orchestrated through his law firm for years. The restitution amount each victim is owed is filed with the court under seal. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The judge agreed to the amount despite an objection from Pettits court-appointed public defender, Alfredo Villarreal, who argued prosecutors calculation of what should be owed lacks accuracy, certainty (and) precisioness. We object to the court ordering restitution in this matter on the specific grounds that the government has failed to meet its burden to prove that each and every dollar of the restitution award is justified under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act, Villarreal said. Garcia overruled the objection. Pettit, 57, attended the hearing dressed in prison garb and restrained in shackles but did not speak. He was a longtime probate, estate planning and personal injury lawyer who pleaded guilty to three counts each of wire fraud and money laundering related to the theft of millions of dollars from his clients. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In February, Garcia sentenced Pettit to 50 years in federal prison about twice the time recommended by sentencing guidelines. Pettit has filed an appeal of his conviction and sentence, but its been on hold pending the outcome of the restitution hearing. In an August filing, a lawyer for Pettit said she anticipated he also would appeal the restitution amount. As part of his plea agreement, Pettit admitted the loss amount was in the range of $20 million to $65 million. Garcias decision to award restitution is largely symbolic. His victims dont expect Pettit will ever pay any of what he stole. Attorney David McQuade Leibowitz, who represents about 130 victims suing banks that did business with Pettit, called the situation truly tragic. Advertisement Article continues below this ad My clients have an ice cubes chance in hell of ever receiving any restitution money, he said before Thursdays hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Stephenson said as much during the hearing. I sincerely wish that there was a pot of money hidden somewhere, he told the judge. We have no reason to believe there is a pot of money hidden anywhere. Obviously, that is the type of thing we look for in our investigation. The lack of funds prompted a question from Garcia. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Where does one go out and spend $106 million? he asked. Stephenson reminded the judge that prosecutors had provided details of Pettits lavish spending, including millions of dollars on real estate, during the punishment phase of his sentencing. Pettit also collected very expensive, very fine things to decorate his house, including a life-size Storm Trooper figure from the Star Wars films. He was spending money in lavish, kind of over-the-top ridiculous ways, Stephenson said. He defended prosecutors efforts to accurately calculate victims losses, work that included going through bank records for accounts controlled by Pettit or his firm. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After his schemes were exposed in the spring of 2022, Pettit surrendered his law license, shuttered his firm and filed bankruptcy for himself and the firm. His victims have recovered little through bankruptcy proceedings, and many now are pinning their hopes of some recovery through litigation with the banks. In the 1950s the Special Committee to Investigate Tax-Exempt Foundations and Comparable Organizations, informally referred to as the Reece Committee because Brazilla Carroll Reece was its chairman, delved into the activities of the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and other foundations because these organizations were allegedly financing and sponsoring socialist and communist subversion. The Reece Committee pulled no punches when it concluded that, [T]he subversive projects have been offered with spurious claims to science. With this false label they have been awarded a privileged status. They have been offered as scientific and, therefore, beyond rebuttal. The impact of these subversive works has been intensified manifold by the sponsorship of foundations. (See Rene A. Wormsers Foundations: Their Power and Influence for reference.) One particular part of the Reece Committees investigation is this essays focus, and that is the part pertaining to presidential election polling. The latest presidential election raised all sorts of issues pertaining to the believability of polls with President Trump, for example, lashed out at Ann Selzer because she released a totally fake poll. For Trump, this fake Iowa poll was possible election fraud. Selzers poll gave Kamala Harris a three-point lead over Donald Trump. As another example, Rasmussen Reports posted on X about the difference between internal polling results and publicly available polling results. The internal polling never had Kamala Harris ahead of Donald Trump, but the publicly available polling usually showed the opposite. In his testimony to the Reece Committee, Dr. A. H. Hobbs of the University of Pennsylvania made an original comment about the danger of overreliance on presidential election polling results. Hobbs mentioned Mr. Stuart Chase, because Chase was not only a highly influential writer but he also was supported by some major foundations, including the Social Science Research Council and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Hobbs warned about substituting poll results for actual election results: The point I am trying to make, sir, is that with the prestige of science behind a thing like polling, you could get to the point where they would be substituted for elections and things like that. Mr. Chase cites examples of that tendency in a highly approving fashion. This was written just prior to the election results of 1948. Just suppose for a minute that we had accepted this so-called science and abandoned the election of 1948 and taken the word of the pollsters. The 1948 election was a monumental train wreck for the polling industry. According to Dominic Lusinchi, All three scientific pollsters (Crossley, Gallup and Roper) wrongly predicted incumbent President Harry Trumans defeat in the 1948 presidential election, and thus faced a potentially serious legitimacy crisis. If the United States had run the 1948 election using the system mentioned by Hobbs in his Reece Committee testimony, the United States would have picked Thomas Dewey as president, not Harry Truman. Similarly, if the state of Iowa had run the 2024 election using the system mentioned by Hobbs, the state of Iowa would have picked Kamala Harris as president, not Donald Trump, because of Ann Selzers totally fake poll. Hobbs also engaged in an exchange with Mr. Hays, a member of the Reece Committee from Ohio, about the teaching of empirical methods to political science students at universities. Hays said, I have a minor in political science from Ohio State. Hobbs responded to him by saying that, [I]f, in your training, your teachers had been trained only in this empirical method, then your training in political science would have been predominantly, perhaps solely, studies of how to make opinion polls and the techniques of statistical computation and examination of the results and things along those empirical lines. The Reece Committees investigation was full of criticisms directed at empirical methods of research in the social sciences. (The Committee spent little time in investigating the activities of foundations in the natural sciences). Professor Pitirim A. Sorokin of Harvard ridiculed the wide use of the poll-taking method of operation, calling it unscientific, vague, indeterminate and, more often than not, hearsay in its product. Professor Carle C. Zimmerman of Harvard told the Committee in a letter that [t]he tax-exempt foundations in the United States have unfairly and undesirably emphasized empirical research to such an extent that the whole meaning of social science research has come to be ridden with sham and dubious practices. But the most scandalous criticism of empirical methods in the social sciences came from Hobbs when he said that the goal of empirical research is for society to hand over government to these social scientists. Hobbs based his claim on the listing of purposes found in the 19281929 annual report of the Social Science Research Council. One of these purposes was that a sounder empirical method of research had to be achieved in political science, if it were to assist in the development of a scientific political control. Rene Wormser, the general counsel to the Reece Committee, commented on what he called the guiding spirit in social science research: Political control is thus to be left in the hands of the elite, the social engineers. What the people want is not necessarily good for them; they are not competent to decide. The Fuhrers must decide it for them, so that we can have a scientifically based and intelligent society. The Reece Committee heard additional testimony pertaining to social engineers. In a section labeled Preparation for World Citizenship, the Committee heard that people must learn to always defer to the experts: It will take social science and social engineering to solve the problems of human relations. Our people must learn to respect the need for special knowledge and technical training in this field as they have come to defer to the expert in physics, chemistry, medicine, and other sciences. Thinking about all of this, I will conclude this essay with a few closing remarks. The experts, whom the Reece Committee investigated, wanted to be a savior class. In the 1950s, they wanted to save homosexuals, sexually promiscuous women, and even child molesters from all criticisms. They were supremely confident that they were right. They had all the facts, so they did not feel the need to ask for permission from others. They simply wanted to impose their will on everyone else. Therefore, the Reece Committee exposed the hubris of the savior or expert class that still plagues us today. Image: Public domain. After spending his entire presidency coddling criminals and supporting Sorosian lawlessness, Joe Biden decided to commute the sentence of the one judge out there who sentenced kids to draconian, disproportionate jail terms on minor drug offenses -- in exchange for $2.1 million in kickbacks from private prison owners who belong in jail, too. According to the New York Post: The corrupt former Pennsylvania judge convicted of funneling juveniles to for-profit detention facilities in exchange for $2.1 million in kickbacks had his lengthy prison sentence commuted Thursday by President Biden. Former Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan, the jurist at the center of the so-called Kids-for-Cash scandal, was among 1,499 commutations the 82-year-old lame-duck president granted in the largest presidential act of clemency on a single day in modern history, according to the White House. The mother of a victim of Conahans disturbing crime fumed upon hearing of his commutation. I am shocked and I am hurt, Sandy Fonzo, whose son committed suicide after he was locked up as part of the scheme orchestrated by Conahan and former judge Mark Ciavarella, said in a statement. Rats like this belong in jail, given the level of injustice they do to young people from their position of respectability and public trust. A sentence that overpunishes a miscreant is just as bad as a slap on the wrist sentence for a bad crime, but in some ways worse, actually, given the injury it does to the detainees' psyches. And to see that in this judge's case, that it was done for big dollars for himself, is unspeakable. If public officials who'd do this don't have to stay in jail as Joe Biden commanded, then who should have to at all? This horrible judge not only injured kids, he undermined public regard for the judicial system, making everyone a cynic about its intent. The mystery here is why Joe Biden did it. Sure, it was part of about 1,500 sentence commutes, lots of them extremely gamy, as Olivia Murray noted in her piece about a Chinese government-linked child-porn pervert. But how did it get to the front of the queue? Did Joe get some kickbacks of his own? Does this guy go back to being a respectable pillar of his community, getting his judgeship back? Does he move on over to a lucrative salary in the private prison industry, rewarded by his buddies? In light of Biden's record, why this guy got a commutation when others didn't is not a bad question to ask. What it does show is that Biden has absolutely no principles, nor regard for the law. That is his legacy. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License President Trump's re-election drew a lot of post-analysis attention to the large numbers of young people who had broken for President Trump, helping to swing the election for him. Not many people had that on their bingo card. But it happened. I was able to get some insight about this striking trend by going to a terrific gathering of the Young Americans' Foundation yesterday in La Jolla. YAF is the updated name to Bill Buckley's Young Americans for Freedom, and they remain a still-strong group, apparently the largest group for young conservatives. Former Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin is its president, and he was present at the lunch -- an impressively sharp and focused leader with encyclopedic knowledge of U.S. politics. After meeting him, all I could think was, I sure hope I get another chance to vote for him again as president some day. It was a lunch, with the featured speaker my friend Daniel Di Martino, a Venezuelan-American who's only been in the U.S. for seven years, yet is already a Ph.D. student in economics at Columbia University in New York, a Manhattan Institute fellow, the founder of 'The Dissident Project' which educates Americans about the ills of socialism from those who lived through it, and an unusually talented and powerful public speaker who has addressed 40 schools about the importance of conservative and free market values, drawing on his experience as a Venezuelan who survived the Chavista socialist regime. He was extraordinary. Four things leaped out from his presentation on the problem of Joe Biden's lawless open borders: That the current wave of illegal migration into the U.S. doesn't resemble that of previous waves of immigrants in that the migrants are often lured to the states with promises of welfare and public benefits, not jobs. He wasn't without compassion for the current crop of Biden open-borders illegal immigrants, saying many had been abused as he found from interviewing many of them in New York. But the economic cost was too large and he showed a series of Ph.D. level graphs demonstrating it. He was most struck by how the setup now did not resemble the setup in decades past, describing the system that worked previously as almost a social darwinian one in that those migrants who came to the U.S. and who were willing to work hard did stay in America, and by extension created the unique dynamism that the U.S. is known for. Those who didn't, pretty much always went back. That says a lot about who and what we we are as a country. Second, that the Venezuelan experience with socialism, and its slide downhill into a one-party state is uniquely useful for Americans to pay attention to, in that Venezuela's downward slide came as a result of citizens voting their way into this socialism. In other socialist regimes, ruling groups shot their way to power or were installed as puppet regimes. Only Venezuela actually willed its slide into tyranny through the ballot box, which tells us how important it is to educate people about the ill effects of socialism. Third, that it's better to educate the young when they are young, not when they are set in their beliefs. Kids form their political views much younger than most people suppose -- like around the age of 9 or thereabouts as he noted of himself. I recall I got politically conscious around the age of 13. That's the best time to educate them on the ills of socialism -- when they can absorb this information. Lastly, Milton Friedman remains a gateway drug to kids, something I didn't expect to hear. He discovered Friedman's writings and became fascinated by free markets, same way a lot of young people did during the 1970s and 1980s. Amid this fascinating presentation, I was able to meet lots of very bright young people, many of whom went to fancy schools, many of whom were "people of color" as the left likes to say. The young people I met from Charlie Kirk's Turning Point group, which was responsible for swinging many swing states were particularly well versed in how politics works and able to read which ways the winds are going. They (it was more than one) assured that it was hard work to achieve all they did, driving registrations of young people and turnout as well, but they felt good about all they did. One also told me they were working very hard to retake California, which was music to my ears. If anyone can do it, they can. It's great news to know they are out there, and that there are so many brilliant young people who did so much to swing this election to President Trump. Image: Monica Showalter, via Twitter Yes, I know, Tony Bennett was singing about leaving his heart in San Francisco, but I couldn't help myself. Another merchant is announcing that they are closing their store in the city by the bay. Check this one out: The Safeway supermarket chain has announced that it will close down one of its key locations in San Francisco in February due to concerns that customers and employees were at risk from rampant theft and threats to their safety. The closure, which had been put off for 11 months, will affect the Safeway store on Webster Street in the Fillmore section of San Francisco, which had been operating for the last 40 years. The company said that the store will close for good on Feb. 7, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Last month, shocking images surfaced showing a California man assaulting a female employee at a different Safeway location in San Francisco. Bye bye city by the bay, as they call it. Another organization has joined the ranks of rational people who can no longer support the irrational situation in the Bay Area. What a shock. Companies can no longer do business when theft is rampant and the thieves never get arrested. In some cases, the judge puts them back out on the street in the name of social justice. Of course, nothing will change as long as people keep voting for the ones who created this mess in the first place. My friends tell me that voters are waking up and change is coming. Well, I hope so, because you can't have a city where stores close because theft is rampant or an employee is attacked. Sad to watch this but it is what you are watching. P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. Image: Kevin Wong President Trump proposes to dismantle the federal Department of Education and return education policy to the states. That will certainly be a good move, as the federal DOE has been a key promoter of the woke component of the education establishment, but this action will not of itself restore vitality to the institution of public education in our nation. Writes Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Dismantling the Department of Education wont make any measurable difference in educational outcomes... If you want real transformation, fight the elected school boards, defang the unions, and create alternatives to the ed schools. We must understand that, operating at the state level, there are other promoters of wokeness in education. Every state has several such woke promoters, including (1) its own state DOE, (2) its own state teachers union, (3) its own colleges and universities with their own Departments and professors of Education, and (4) its own woke culture shared by its teachers and administrators. Image by AI Each of these four agencies of influence operates in its own ways and means to bring its influence to bear in its own theatre of operation. The central nut that ties them all together in an irresistible juggernaut of influence is the state statute that mandates school boards may hire only state-certified teachers and administrators. We all favor local control and place our hope in electing right-thinking school board members to take charge of our local schools. While we may understand that people are policy, we fail to realize that the state statutory certification requirement constrains the school board to hire only the woke because only the woke are certified. Hence, the most well-intentioned new school board member often finds his plans frustrated by the teachers, who are nearly all woke. This is due to the 1-2 punch of (1) the state law that mandates schools hire only certified teachers and (2) the 100% woke output of the teachers colleges, as noted in Chapter 6 of Stanley K. Ridgleys Brutal Minds. This situation paralyzes the well-intentioned school board. That is why even in red counties in red states, the schools remain woke. Andrea Widburg reminded us recently that the worst people in the world are teaching our children. Now is the time to unwind that central nut that ties these four agencies together. A well-placed statutory rifle shot that repeals the statutory certification mandate will liberate school boards and empower them to allow the sun of rationality to shine into the darkness of wokism by replacing certified teachers with qualified teachers. Let the school boards hire who they damn well please, whether or not state certified. [J]ust a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president," Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday during a speech to the Ottawa gala for Equal Voice.. "...women's rights and women's progress" are "under attack." What Trudeau failed to mention in his address, however, is that progressive Canada has done little better. About two weeks earlier, on November 30, Trudeau met at Mar-a-Lago with president-elect Trump. It was then that Trump threatened Canada with stiff tariffs if it didnt help to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and fentanyl into the U.S. Donald Trump, responding to Trudeaus resistance to tariffs, retorted jokingly with a healthy dose of Trumpian Toxic Masculinity, suggesting that maybe Canada should become the U.S. 51st state if it is unable to afford the tariffs. So, I guess its understandable that Trudeau would choose a feminist event for an organization that works to get more women elected to public office, as the place for making his passive-aggressive accusation that the U.S. of regressing on womens rights and advancement. But if Trudeau is appalled that a woman has yet to break completely through the glass ceiling of the Office of U.S. President, the lack of competence and character of the two women Trudeau refers to notwithstanding, it must be particularly appalling to him that in his own country, of Canadas twenty-three prime ministers from the first in 1867 until 2024, A. Kim Campbell, elected in June 1993, is the only woman ever to serve as prime minister, her term lasting only 132 days. How inconvenient for Justin that it was not his own Liberal Party of Canada that nominated Campbell for prime minister, but the former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, which in 2003 merged with the Canadian Alliance to form the current Conservative Party of Canada. Indeed, it was Trudeaus Liberal Party of Canada who ran a male, Joseph Jacques Jean Chretien against Campbell in November 1993, unseating her from her historical position as the female prime minister of Canada. Not another female Canadian prime minister in the 31 years since the last one served for less than five months in 1993, despite the Liberal Party of Canada being in power for all but a little under ten years of those years. Just how committed is Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party of Canada to pulling women through the glass ceiling of the prime minister office? History would suggest not at all. Image: AT via Magic Studio I was introduced to shaken baby syndrome over a decade ago as an attorney for a local father in a family court case. He was accused of seriously injuring his child by violent shaking. I doubted the theory then, and I doubt it now. After years of appeals and delays, the Texas Supreme Court last month ruled that the execution of a man convicted of the death of his child in a high-profile shaken baby case can go forward. It seems that little has changed in either medicine or law. A 2013 Texas law (colloquially known as the Junk Science Law) allowed prisoners to challenge criminal convictions by arguing that the convictions were secured by using now-disputed forensic evidence such as bite marks, hair-particle evidence, and arson investigations formerly thought unassailable by the medical and legal communities. Shaken baby syndrome (SBS), also known as abusive head trauma (AHT), is a worthy candidate for the list. SBS was coined in the early 1970s to describe what adherents contend is a characteristic set of head injuries found in infants who have been subject to violent shaking swelling of the brain, bleeding around the brain and bleeding in the retinas but who show no visible sign of abuse. The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to embrace shaken baby syndrome as a valid subset of the AHT diagnosis. In the Texas case, Robert Robinson was sentenced to death in the 2002 killing of his two-year-old daughter, Nikki. Medical experts for the prosecution testified about internal head conditions and other factors that they interpreted as evidence that Robertson had shaken Nikki so violently that she died. Robinsons attorneys argued that the child, who was ill at the time, died from complications from double pneumonia. She had fallen from her bed not long before Robinson brought her to a local emergency room. The Dec. 2011 edition of the American Bar Association Journal cited the case of a Wisconsin appeals court granting a new trial to a woman convicted years earlier of the shaking death of an infant neighbor on the grounds that a significant and legitimate debate had developed as to whether babies can be fatally injured through shaking alone, whether a baby with a traumatic head injury can experience a significant lucid interval prior to death, and whether other causes may mimic the symptoms traditionally associated with shaken baby syndrome. A 2006 British study suggests that paroxysms of coughing associated with feeding difficulties or choking may lead to subdural and retinal hemorrhage. My client (in my opinion) credibly denied injuring his child. Nonetheless, the court agreed with the medical expert that violent shaking caused the injuries. I later discovered that the child had experienced severe constipation while spending a long weekend with relatives. Was it possible, I theorized, that the childs arduous efforts to have a bowel movement that weekend caused brain swelling and bleeding that did not evince SBS symptoms until the child was later returned to the childs father? Fortunately, no criminal charges were filed, and the child eventually returned home, but the case has bothered me since. Although I do not pretend to be an expert, I would caution the experts in these cases about the risk of confirmation bias: the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of ones existing beliefs or theories. As I wrote a decade ago, as in the laboratory, so in the courtroom, so-called settled science may be neither settled nor science. Gerald McOscar is a West Chester, Pa. attorney and occasional author. His work has appeared in numerous newspapers and periodicals, online and in print. Image via Pixabay. When President Trump left office in 2021, he left America with the beginnings of a decent wall at the Southern border. The very first thing Biden did was to stop work on the wall and begin dismantling it. We now know that he did this, not because walls dont work but because they do. Trump has announced that hell resume building the wall on his return to office, so the Biden administration has gotten busy stealing from taxpayers to stop that from happening. James Lalino has the report on the scam: The Biden administration is using its final weeks to haul a massive amount of border wall materials away from the southern border to be sold off in a government auction, an apparent effort to hinder President-elect Donald Trumps effort to secure the border, The Daily Wire has learned. Videos obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire from a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent show unused sections of the wall being hauled away on the back of flatbed trucks from a section of the border just south of Tucson, a hotspot for illegal crossings during the Biden administration. The agent estimates that up to half a mile per day of unused border wall is being moved. [snip] Trump made clear during his campaign that he intends to finish construction of the border wall, making use of the materials that have remained untouched at the border since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. If the material brought to the border during his first term is sold off, it will significantly delay any progress on one of Trumps flagship campaign promises at the border. EXCLUSIVE: Weeks before Trump takes office, Biden is racing to auction off unused border wall materials. Video shows trucks hauling wall materials off the border to a government auction site, where a massive amount of wall is waiting to be sold. pic.twitter.com/ogaQMBHw7R Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) December 12, 2024 You can read the whole thing here. The bidding is starting off at $5 per panel, a price far below their replacement value. That means that, when Trump resumes building the wall, if the government has to buy new panels, the difference between the below-market price on the sale of the old panels and the price of the unnecessary new panels will be borne by the taxpayers. This is outright theft. Incidentally, the theft from the taxpayers doesnt lie in that $5 starting price, which is the required starting bid for all federal property, so thats not where the wrongful activity is. Instead, what the government is doing amounts to theft because it is intentionally dumping federal property that the incoming president intends to use and will need to repurchase at market price. There is no reason why the wall segments cannot be sold as is, where is. My friend, Anony Mee, knows the ins and outs of these things and explained how these sales work, including that $5 minimum bid. When the government is selling portable things it seized (e.g., cars, boats, jewelry, etc.), those can and should be sold out of the warehouses in which theyve been stored. However, there is nothing to stop these giant wall panels from being sold directly from their current location. In other words, the whole purpose of moving these wall segments is to force additional costs on the federal government. Bidens team is doing this to drive up the cost of a policy that Americans across the board, regardless of race, color, creed, home state, or political orientation, devoutly wish to see implemented. Thankfully, the State of Texas has announced that it will buy up the wall sections the Biden administration is selling: After The Daily Wire published an exclusive report revealing that the Biden administration was racing to sell off parts of the border wall before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, Texas GOP Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick fiercely declared his state was prepared to bid on every piece being sold and then give it directly to Trump. [snip] Message their White House right now: I will bid on all of that wall and we will buy it in Texas and we will give it to Donald Trump, he asserted. So Im gonna find out first thing in the morning where we are going to take the bid. Ive got a billion dollars in my pocket to do it. I write the budget with (Texas state) Senator Joan Huffman. We have the money. Were gonna have about $6 billion in our budget for border security. Well buy it. Even better, now that Texas has made that announcement, the government must stop the sale. Why? Because I learned something else from Anony Mee: If GSA determines that there are no federal requirements for your excess personal property, it becomes surplus property and is available for donation to state and local public agencies and other eligible non-federal activities. Title 40 of the United States Code requires that surplus personal property be distributed to eligible recipients by an agency established by each State for this purpose, the State Agency for Surplus Property. In other words, now that Texas has made its wishes known, the Biden administration must hand over those wall segments to Texas without requiring Texas to dip into its budget. That also means that the Biden administration must immediately stop spending taxpayer money to relocate those wall segments. What I want to know right now is who ordered this sale. This is a very important question. One of the main problems with a bureaucratic state is that we routinely hear that the administration did this or an agency (or department) did that. However, all these decisions come from people, whether individuals or committees. By hiding behind the entity, these people never face consequences for their actions. If DOGE is serious about ending government waste, one of the first things it must do is put a persons name on every wasteful, corrupt, partisan, and illegal decision the government makes. Normally, a fish rots from the head, so its enough to hang the name on the administration's leader or the specific agencys head. However, things have gotten so bad in D.C., and the rot has traveled so far down the fish that all actors (not peons but actors with decision-making authority) must be named and shamed and, if appropriate, fired or prosecuted. On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that weve implemented something new for our subscribers: A weekly newsletter with specially written editor essays that you wont find on the site. I know Im biased, but I think that these essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription. The newsletters go out on Fridays at 10 p.m., so there may still be time for you to sign up and get this weeks edition. Image: X screen grab. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a bureaucracy created out of thin air by socialist Elizabeth Warren. Democrats pretend the bureau is just there to protect consumers which is B.S. Their budget is not controlled by Congress or anyone. They are funded by the Federal Reserve, which is losing hundreds of billions per year. Most of what they do is protecting their own jobs, and they are very highly paid people. The bureau is just another layer of regulators to whom private businesses have to cater. The average pay of a CFPB employee in 2023 was $134,723, which is over 70% higher than the median income of a family of four in the U.S. ($78,171), and higher than other government workers: The average employee salary for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in 2023 was $134,723. This is 87.8 percent higher than the national average for government employees and 74.7 percent higher than other federal agencies. There are 1,637 employee records in 2023 for [the] Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This does not even include their massive pensions and benefits packages. They get raises whether their employer is making money or not. The bureaucrats put out talking points, and most of the media just repeats what they are told, because they also have no business experience, with a new example seen below: Overdraft fees could be capped at $5 under new federal rule Banking customers could save up to $5 billion per year on overdraft fees under a new rule finalized Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Rohit Chopra, the director of the government watchdog in charge of protecting the publics finances, told ABC News the final rule would cap overdraft fees at $5 for many customers. That would mark a significant savings from the typical $35 fee that millions of customers pay when they withdraw more money from their checking accounts than they have available. The CFPB estimated the new rule could save the typical household $225 per year. Big banks love overdrafts. It is easy profit for them, but it is punishing for so many Americans, especially those who live paycheck to paycheck, Chopra told ABC News in an exclusive interview. I am a CPA who worked for a family that owned seven smaller banks, although one grew to having $600 million in assets. First off, they say that banks love overdrafts which implies that they love covering bad checksbut they dont. People that repeatedly write bad checks are bad customers for the bank. If the bank has to repeatedly cover bad checks they will close the account because they are a pain. The bank needs deposits to make loans and investments. If a customer has a negative account balance, the bank doesnt want them. If the fee is lowered to $5, more will be incentivized to write bad checks, and that would destroy their credit rating. The bank will just return the check to the payee, and they will charge the customer, and no one will accept their checks. Once a customer is known for writing bad checks and having them returned, they will be blocked at other institutions from opening an account. Writing bad checks is also a crime, either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the amount of the checks. Of course, Democrats dont seem to care about crimes. They are anti-business. Free checking accounts will be taken away from other customers who dont write bad checks, but these CFPB bureaucrats and Biden administration officials dont care. They got their talking points out that they are saving customers $5 billion per year, and this will save the typical household $225 per year. That is obviously not true. The typical household does not write bad checks, so it will save them zerobut its likely to cost them if theyre now suddenly paying for the services for which banks typically don't charge. The CFPB, under Obama, also had a slush fund where it shook down corporations and gave some amounts back to political supporters instead of victims. There were also slush funds at EPA and the Justice Department. JPMorgan Chase warned the CFPB and Biden administration that they would start charging for services that were previously free if this rule went through, and that these fees will hurt the poor and middle class the most (people about whom the Democrats only pretend to care). From a Wall Street Journal article: [Marianne] Lake said Chase is planning to pass on the costs of higher regulation and charge customers for a number of now-free services, including checking accounts and wealth-management tools, if the rules become law in their current form. She expects her peers in the industry will follow suit. The changes will be broad, sweeping and significant, Lake said. The people who will be most impacted are the ones who can least afford to be, and access to credit will be harder to get. It is a true shame that most people posing as journalists just repeat what they are told instead of doing independent thinking and research, no matter what the subject is. Image: Free image, Pixabay license. With the U.S. about to get a new-old president, all eyes are on the video-sharing platform TikTok. The Biden administration has been going to great lengths to ban the app in the U.S. unless its parent company sells it off. Well, Activisions former CEO is looking to buy TikTok, but hes got to wait a bit. To catch you up, the U.S. government has moved to ban TikTok from U.S. phones due to the companys ties with China. Its been a long and tough legal battle, and a new law sees ByteDance, TikToks owner with an ultimatum. It will either have to sell TikTok or pull it from the U.S. The government hopes to make a decision before January 19th when President-elect Donald Trump retakes office. Earlier this year, Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard expressed his ambition to buy TikTok. Thats a pretty massive investment. If you think that the $44 billion Elon Musk paid for Twitter was massive, TikTok was valued at $84 billion last year. Activisions CEO wants to buy TikTok, but he has to play the waiting game Right now, TikToks fate lies in the balance. The Biden Administration is rushing to pass the law to ban TikTok, but the Trump administration wants to block it. So, this will be a pretty hectic month as the U.S. swaps over. Bobby Kotick wants to buy the platform, hes going to have to wait for the winds to die down before writing an $84 billion check. In fact, hes waiting until Trump takes office again before moving to purchase it. This makes sense, as buying it while banned in the States could have a major impact going forward. Itll be like buying a chain restaurant and having half of its locations close instantly. Kotick has ties with China and ByteDances founder Zhang Yiming, so it seems likely that, if the company does sell, Kotick may get top billing. However, theres no telling if ByteDance will even sell. Just like Kotik, ByteDance is also waiting for the presidential shift. Theres a chance that it wont need to make any changes. An illuminated "SpaceX" sign near the launch pad during preparations for SpaceX Starship flight 3 at Starbase on Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville, TX on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer A sign pointing to Starbase is seen along State Highway 4 as well as SpaceXs Orbital Launch Site on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, near Brownsville, Texas. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lifts off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Eric Gay/Associated Press A three-story mural depicting SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is seen along state highway 4 on the way to Starbase in Cameron County, Texas. The mural features the words ?Ad Astra,? which means ?to the stars? in Latin, on the other side. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News The sun sets over SpaceXs Starbase facilities on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, near Brownsville, Texas. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News SpaceXs Starbase production facility is seen behind houses along St. Jude Street in June. Sam Owens/Staff photographer The "Gateway to Mars" sign at Starbase on Boca Chica Beach, Brownsvile, TX, during preparations for SpaceX Starship flight 3 on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer SpaceX houses face the South Bay on Tuesday evening, June 18, 2024, in Boca Chica Village, located down the street from SpaceXs production facility Starbase. Over the years SpaceX has offered buyouts to all the homeowners in Boca Chica Village and only a handful of property owners have held out. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News A woman walks along Boca Chica Beach on Tuesday afternoon, June 18, 2024, in Cameron County, Texas. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Booster 7, left, is seen Feb. 1, 2023 on the Orbital Launch Mount at SpaceXs Boca Chica launch facility. William Luther/Staff SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The Starship is scheduled to launch Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Eric Gay/Associated Press A Starbase painting sits on a sand dune in front of SpaceX?s Orbital Launch Site (OLS) on Tuesday morning, June 18, 2024, in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Several small art installations, inspired by SpaceX, have been left around Boca Chica by visitors. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News The street sign at the intersection of Memes Street and Ohio Avenue in Boca Chica Village is pictured on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, near SpaceXs Starbase facilities. Memes Street, where SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has a residence, was formerly named Weems Street. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News People wait across the road from the launch pad at the SpaceX Starbase at Boca Chica, TX on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. The second launch of SpaceX's Starship was rescheduled for 7 a.m. this Saturday to allow a grid fin actuator to be replaced on the booster rocket. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer After years of chatter about renaming its company town on the Gulf Coast, Elon Musks SpaceX is taking a new approach on its Starbase site near Boca Chica Beach. In a letter Thursday to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders requested a county election to let voters determine whether Starbase, Texas, should be incorporated as a city. To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community, she wrote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Incorporating Starbase would streamline reviews and processes to build amenities for the hundreds already calling it home, as well as for prospective workers eager to help build humanitys future in space, Lueders added. A Cameron County official said the county will review the request, which SpaceX said was from residents of Starbase. The site is where SpaceX develops, builds and launches its Starship mega-rocket. More than 3,400 SpaceX employees and contractors work at the site, the county said in June. Musk has been trying to make the Starbase name official since at least March 2021. Earlier this year, he announced SpaceX was moving the headquarters of SpaceX and his social media company X to Texas from California. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The quick-growing Starship rocket production and launch facility is about 20 miles from Brownsville and has limited services. Lueders noted that because of the remote location, the company is providing civil functions such as managing roads and utilities, schooling and medical care. Incorporation would move the management of some of these functions to a more appropriate public body, she wrote. According to an email from SpaceX to area residents, the company is seeking a March 25 election. It also said it would provide more information about the effort next week. Its just the companys latest effort to make Starbase official, though. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Earlier this year, Cameron County applied to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to officially rename the swath of coastal land thats listed on federal records as Kopernik Shores. However, federal guidelines say the office wont consider proposals connected with a commercial product or enterprise. The BGNs staff has sniffed out that the sole purpose of our name change is for the benefit of SpaceX, county attorney Daniel Lopez wrote in a June 6 email to colleagues in his office and the county administrators office. We need to respond with some reason that this is not for SpaceX. The snag has left the renaming effort in limbo as the agency along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Geographic Names Committee continues their review. They arent expected to have an answer until sometime next year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ByteDance continues its fight to avoid a ban on TikTok in the US. There are just a few weeks left until the deadline set by the April bill expires. The company recently requested an emergency pause in the implementation of the law. Now, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has urged the appeals court to reject the request from TikToks parent company. TikTok and its struggle to continue operating in the US If youre not aware, the bill prohibits the short video platform from operating in the United States unless ByteDance divests TikToks operations in the US. The government cites national security concerns and permissive data request policies by the Chinese government. Meanwhile, ByteDance claims that TikToks operations are independent of China and that it does not send or store US user data on Chinese servers. In its latest appeal, TikTok argued that the ban would impact the First Amendment-guaranteed freedom of expression of more than 170 million domestic monthly users. The firm also said that the law violates the Fifth Amendments equal protection principles. Unfortunately for TikTok, the three-judge panel rejected all of its arguments. ByteDance requested an emergency pause on the law banning TikTok from the US ByteDance then requested an emergency pause on the laws application. This time, the company claimed that the bill will come into force just one day before Donald Trumps inauguration. Trump is in favor of not banning the short-form video platform in the US. The newly elected president claims that such a measure would only benefit Metas social platforms. TikTok says that the emergency pause will give the incoming administration time to determine its position. The company says the short time frame remaining would also not allow it to prepare a definitive appeal to the Supreme Court. US DOJ wants appeals court to reject TikToks emergency pause The appeals court has not ruled on TikToks request for an emergency pause of the law. However, the DOJ wants the judges to dismiss it. The agency says there should be no delay, as continued Chinese control over the TikTok app poses a continuing threat to national security. Its noteworthy that even if the law goes into effect, TikTok will not immediately stop working. The DOJ said they wont directly prohibit the continued use of TikTok for those who have the app on their phones. However, the platform will eventually be to render the application unworkable due to the lack of tech support and maintenance. As the still-acting president of the United States, Joe Biden can extend the deadline for implementing the law by 90 days. That said, there is no guarantee that this will happen. Things seem to be starting to look up for Samsungs semiconductor business. After struggling for a long time with its 3nm process, a company official confirmed yesterday that it managed to stabilize the situation. Now, a leak claims that Samsung plans to return to using Exynos hardware in the Galaxy S26 series. Samsung Foundrys main problem was the low yield rates of its 3nm GAA wafers. Insiders revealed that the yield rate was between 10% and 30%, making mass production of the Exynos 2500 chip commercially unviable. This forced the company to resort to the expensive Snapdragon 8 Elite for the entire Galaxy S25 series worldwide. Plus, the firm lost major clients, including NVIDIA, as its factories were not up to par when it came to using the most modern chip production processes. Samsung to significantly implement Exynos chips in the Galaxy S26 series, claims reliable tipster Samsung managed to stabilize its 3nm chip process, which means that the yield rate now makes mass production viable. While it couldnt do it in time for the Galaxy S25 series, the company is expected to turn to Exynos hardware for many devices going forward. In line with that, tipster Jukanlosreve said on X/Twitter that Samsung will significantly implement Exynos chips in the Galaxy S26 series. This doesnt mean that well see Exynos hardware in all Galaxy S26 models but in many of them. Its possible that the brand will return to its strategy of equipping the non-Ultra models with Exynos chips, reserving Snapdragon hardware for the most expensive variant. Also, according to reports, Samsung will add a Slim model to its Galaxy S25 series. If that happens, it will probably keep it for future generations. So, another model with the 2026 flagship Exynos SoC could be the potential Galaxy S26 Slim. A report from October suggested that even the entire Galaxy S26 series could be powered by Snapdragon chips. At the time, the situation seemed hopeless for Samsung. However, things may have changed after the stabilization of its Foundry wafers. Exynos 2500 will power the next-gen Galaxy Z Flip models Recently, Samsung confirmed that it will implement the Exynos 2500 in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Flip FE. You can expect to see more and more Exynos-powered devices from Samsung in the future. For the company, this is great news as it will allow it to save on production costs. According to reports, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 will be even more expensive than the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The latter is already 30% more expensive than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Google is adding a new Gemini feature to the Drive web app where you can summarize entire folders. According to the Google Workspace Updates blog, this will allow you to get a quick look at whats in a folder without opening individual files. However, the feature is only available to Google Workspace customers with select add-ons. Yesterday, Google announced Gemini 2.0, the next version of its AI tool. However, Google has not said when it will fully add Gemini 2.0 to all its services. Google Drive web now offers a Summarize this folder option Google Drive now has a Summarize this folder button next to other filters like Type and Modified. This uses Gemini to analyze the contents of a folder and give you a quick summary of the files inside. The new feature is currently available in the web version of Drive. It is unknown whether it will come to the mobile app. You can trigger the feature in a few ways. You can click the Summarize this folder button, drag a folder into the Gemini side panel, or right-click a folder and choose Ask Gemini from the menu. Google suggests you use prompts like summarize files in @-folder to make it easier to navigate and use the feature. Not all Google Drive users will have access to the feature This new Gemini feature wont be available to all Google Drive users. Only Google Workspace customers with Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium, and Google One AI Premium add-ons will be able to use it. Google says that Gemini is limited to answering questions about text documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, and presentation files. Why does Gemini summarization matter for Drive users? Its unclear why Google is making these changes, but it could be doing so to make it faster and easier to navigate large folders for its users. This will save professionals and educators hours of time who work with multiple files in Drive. By summarizing the folder contents, Gemini eliminates the need to open and read each file individually. Google also introduced Gemini to the Workspace ecosystem with tools to summarize emails, assist with writing in Docs, and analyze data in Sheets. The rollout for the Summarize this folder feature began on December 11, and Google says it will become widely available within 15 days. In recent years, Google has been under regulatory pressure across multiple business segments. Antitrust agencies have had its app store, ad tech, and web browsing businesses under scrutiny. The company has already faced unfavorable rulings and is currently awaiting definitive action on some of them. Amid this situation, a report suggests possible layoffs by Google in January 2025. Possible layoffs of low performer Google employees in January, posts suggest Certain posts on Team Blind, an anonymous employee forum, sparked the concerns among Google employees. The posts claimed that Google plans to increase layoffs of lower bucketsthat is, low-performing employees. The company has reportedly seen an 8% to 10% increase in this group of workers in its workforce and would opt to lay them off. The posts state that Google will begin the layoff process in January 2025. Its noteworthy that none of the claims are backed by evidence, so you can take them with a grain of salt. However, the mere possibility that the posts are true has caused concern among employees. Regulatory and antitrust situations have impacted the companys stock performance One of the factors that could influence possible layoffs at Google is its inability to match the stock market performance of other big tech companies in 2024. The regulatory pressure and antitrust cases that the firm has been facing have had a lot to do with this. At present, the Mountain View giant is still waiting to hear from judges whether it will have to sell Chrome. Under this uncertainty, investors think twice before putting their money in. Google already had rounds of layoffs in 2023, letting go of about 12,000 employees. This amounted to approximately 6% of its workforce, and the company faced backlash as a result. The Alphabet Workers Union asserted at the time that many employees were unaware of the reasons for their dismissal. Additionally, Brian OngGoogles vice president of recruitingsaid that the company was hiring less than we did a couple of years ago. Googles profit strategy relies on AI During Alphabets late third-quarter earnings call, Anat AshkenaziAlphabets CFOsaid that they wanted to make changes to the companys cost base. This does not necessarily imply that Google will implement rounds of layoffs, but those who are more concerned may interpret it as such after reading the posts suggesting it. Ashkenazi also revealed the companys strategy regarding profits. It seems that there wont be any major revolutions, or so her words suggest. Alphabet will build on previous efforts to streamline operations across the company through the use of AI. That means that the firm will maintain its focus on AI and will try to get the most out of its current developments. The bet on the AI segment is a long-termand billion-dollarinvestment. Google employees react to possible layoffs Employees from Google and other companies reacted to the posts on Team Blind. Team Blind is a board that allows employees to express their opinions and concerns anonymously, although they can verify who they work for. A Google employee says the firms output has increased to an average of 500 code changes a year. This would make it easier to list employees as underperforming. A Google Cloud team member said the divisions layoff rate is 6%. Meanwhile, employees at Amazon and Capital One said the layoff rate at their jobs ranges from 6% to 15%. Some Google workers also believe that being a low performer alone is not adequate grounds for dismissal. Google isnt the only tech company to be embroiled in potential layoffs lately. In October, TikTok laid off hundreds of employees, while there are rumors that Tidal will say goodbye to a quarter of its staff. Windows Recall is one of the most controversial features of the AI age. Its striking that Microsoft, which has invested billions in ChatGPT maker OpenAI was so careless from the start. The tool was a privacy nightmare, which caused a delay in its rollout. Now, Microsoft is resuming its implementation after a few tweaks, but AI-powered Recall is still capturing sensitive data when it shouldnt. Recall was a privacy nightmare at launch Recalls launch was somewhat bumpy due to several factors that threatened user privacy and security. If youre not aware, once enabled, the feature constantly takes screenshots while youre using your PC. This allows you to ask it questions about things you saw during your session. For example, you can ask Recall where you saw a pair of blue shoes, and Recall will search through the screenshots to find the website where you saw the item. However, the lack of encryption in Recalls screenshots posed a threat to privacy. There were also no tools to prevent third parties with access to your laptop or PC from obtaining the screenshots. As a result of the controversy, Microsoft delayed the feature and worked on key tweaks related to the security of your data. For example, the company enabled encryption on screenshots and integrated tools for the PC to identify you before invoking Recall, preventing third parties from accessing the captured data. Another problem with Microsofts Recall was that it captured sensitive data, including credit cards and social security numbers, without blurring or hiding it. To address this, the company enabled a default option for the service to not capture confidential information. However, it seems that the problem still exists in the most recent version of the feature. Microsofts Recall AI cant determine if data is sensitive outside of payment platforms Avram Piltch of Toms Hardware did some experiments to test how safe the feature is now. He focused primarily on Recalls ability to identify sensitive data and hide it. The results were not particularly encouraging, as Recall only correctly identifies this type of data on actual payment platforms. The experiment proved that the AI-powered service doesnt capture sensitive data when entering in-store payment platforms. However, in its current state, Recalls tech seems unable to identify sensitive information based on context. In other words, Recall will capture credit card numbers entered into a Notepad window or a PDF file, for instance. Piltch even tried to make things easier for Recall by including explicit references to the data being private in nature. For example, he typed Capital One Visa before the credit card numbers in a Notepad window. However, the AI feature still captured such data without hesitation. Piltch tried to be even more explicit in another test. He created an HTML page with a form that explicitly said, Enter your credit card number below. However, Recall continued capturing sensitive data in those cases. It appears that the feature does not detect the nature of the data by context but instead checks whether you are entering a payment platform. Only in those cases will Recall block the screenshots. The company will improve sensitive information detection over time However, it appears that Microsoft plans to improve data filtering over time. Well continue to improve this functionality, and if you find sensitive information that should be filtered out, for your context, language, or geography, please let us know through Feedback Hub, reads a section of Microsofts blog. Weve also provided an option in Settings that we encourage you to enable that will anonymously share the apps and sites you prefer to be excluded from Recall to help us improve the product, adds the firm. Microsoft has done some things right, but there is room for improvement Fortunately, Microsoft has made it much more difficult for third parties to access Recall data. If you want to use it, it will be mandatory to set up Windows Hello for biometric verification. This means that your PC checks if its really you before allowing you to invoke screenshots. That said, Piltch remembers that Windows Hello also allows access with a PIN. So, a third party could still gain access to your data if they obtain your private PIN somehow. This could happen to you in other contexts, such as if someone steals your phone, so it is up to you to protect your credentials or passwords. Plus, something good that hasnt changed since the beginning is that the processing of screenshots is purely on-device. The screenshot encryption is an additional shield in case someone manages to bypass the previous security measures. Still, many would surely feel safer if Recall was actually able to block the capture of sensitive data from anywhere, not just payment platforms. Its not an easy task, of course, but it was Microsoft who decided to develop a feature that watches you constantly while you use it. So, it should also be ready to accept the security and privacy demands of users. The One UI 7 beta program started a week ago for Galaxy S24 series owners. Testers have been enjoying the new features that Samsung has been working on. They have also been experiencing the revamped design with new UI and animations. Anyway, if you feel that the animations in the first One UI 7 beta could be better, Samsung is aware of it. Leaks around One UI 7 have revealed that it will be the biggest change seen in Samsungs custom skin in years. The company wants to offer a lively and fresh visual experience. To do so, the animation engine is a key element, as even the most subtle ones can completely change the perception of a UI. Samsung is still working on One UI 7 animations One UI 7 integrates a revamped animation engine with richer and more detailed movements and transitions. However, Samsung has confirmed that there is still work ahead before reaching the optimal point. In fact, as spotted by a user on Samsung Community, the animations in the first public beta of One UI 7 feel less fluid and polished than those seen during the internal testing stage. The problem lies mainly in the animations of opening and closing apps. A mod and member of the One UI beta team responded to the users post, confirming that the company is still working on One UI 7 animations. The unfolding effect with deceleration in ZXKN [internal testing build] indeed sounds more fluid and natural, as youve described, said the moderator. Our software development is on the way, they added. Samsung confirmed that it wants to work hard on the visual aspect of the One UI 7 update. During SDC 2024, the firm even said that it wants its Androids custom skin to produce a positive emotional response when you use it. Smooth animations with flawless transitions will be key to achieving this. A recent leak claimed that Samsung will release One UI 7 beta 2 today (December 12). Even if it doesnt happen, it should be available in the coming days. It will be interesting to see if the next beta integrates improvements to the animation engine. Samsung is reportedly reopening its One UI 7 Beta program next week. According to Max Jambor on X, Samsung will let new users join the Beta program on Monday. It is the second phase of the Beta rollout and gives more people an opportunity to try the new features coming with Samsungs software before it hits the public. One UI 7 Beta program to reopen Samsung initially launched the One UI 7 Beta for its Galaxy S24 series, and now, more markets will be included. The Beta program is already live in countries like South Korea, Germany, the UK, and the United States. However, the majority were unable to enroll themselves because it filled up quickly, or they didnt have the availability of a program in their region. Now, Samsung will open new slots for the Beta. This will allow more users in countries like India to sign up. In addition to Jambors post, Samsung support experts have also confirmed that the Beta will be available starting December 16 (Monday). If you would like to try the Beta, you should act quickly. To sign up for the Beta, simply open the Samsung Members app on your eligible Galaxy device. If the One UI 7 Beta is available in your country, youll probably see a banner on the home screen. Tap on the banner and follow the on-screen instructions to enroll. First, make sure youre signed in with your Samsung account; a Samsung account is required to participate in beta programs. Samsungs plan for the One UI 7 Beta 2 release remains unclear Its unclear whether Samsung will indeed release One UI Beta 2 on that date, or just reopen the program and send out Beta 1 to the ones who are waiting. Beta 2 will probably come to the initial participants as it will expand One UI 7 Beta to more markets. The One UI 7 Beta 2 will bring some exciting changes. According to a report from Sammyfans, the update will include smoother animations, fluid transitions, enhanced performance, fewer app compatibility issues, and bug fixes that improve the overall user experience. Samsung will continue to improve the software with each beta update. Samsung has officially confirmed that the stable One UI 7 will roll out alongside the upcoming Galaxy S25 series in the first quarter of 2025. Apple pretty much took over the world when it launched the Apple Vision Pro. This device ushered in a new age in mobile tech, as other companies started developing their own XR devices; Samsung is among them. Weve been following news about this potential headset for months with nothing to cling onto. Well, weve finally gotten our first of Samsungs XR headset. Named Project Moohan, this will be the first device to run Googles newly-announced Android XR. This should come as no surprise, as Samsung co-developed the Android XR operating system along with Google. Just like Android, Android XR will power a wide range of devices from numerous OEMs, so expect to see it on your next favorite headset. Heres Samsungs XR headset It seems that XR is the next big frontier in mobile tech. Samsungs Project Moohan looks like it will be an advanced XR headset that will set the standard for headsets coming forward. Samsung wants to give the users the feeling that their possibilities are endless. This is evidenced in the internal name. The word Moohan means Infinity in Korean. Based on the picture above, this headset has a similar aesthetic to the Vision Pro. It also has a gray color with the black front. However, we see that he head strap is a bit different and the visor stick upward more than on the Vision Pro. So, what is this headset all about? Well, Samsung hasnt revealed much about it. The company confirmed that the headset will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 SoC. This is a more powerful version of the chip that powers the Meta Quest 3, the XR2 Gen 2. The Plus variant of the chip is more powerful in several areas with a 15% increase in GPU frequency and a 20% increase in CPU frequency. It brings 2.5X GPU performance and a 50% increase in GPU power efficiency. What this boils down to is a much more powerful headset compared to what we have on the market. Samsung stated that Moohan will be the most comfortable, lightweight, and ergonomic design when it comes to headsets. These are important qualities for a device that youre likely to wear on your head for hours. If the companys claims hold true, then the headset will offer a boundless display with rich content all around you. Visuals Samsung didnt share too much information on the display tech. The chip running this headset can support up to 4.3K per eye at 90fps. Thats pretty sharp, but theres no telling if Samsung will fit this headset with such a beastly display. In order to keep the price low compared to the Apple Vision Pro, were sure that Samsung will keep the resolution lower. In any case, were sure that the display will be beautiful regardless, as Samsung tends to offer amazing displays. Price and launch Samsung didnt reveal any information about this headsets price, but we know that its looking to compete with the Apple Vision Pro. To refresh your memory, Apples headset set you back $3,499. That, while typical of Apples pricing, was absurd. Were sure that Samsungs headset wont be that high, but dont expect it to be cheap. As for availability, previous reports point to this device launching sometime in March 2025. That seems likely, but keep your fingers crossed. If that report is true, then Samsung released a test version of the headset to developers just two months ago. So, it seems that the testing phase is now underway, and theres no telling how long that will take. In any case, itll be exciting to see what Samsung has in store for us. This will be the companys answer to the Vision Pro, and it may breathe life into this market. Bexar County Commissioners opted not to vote on a subdivision plat application from a developer seeking to build on land recently removed from a conservation easement for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler. Kathy Adams Clark / Kathy Adams Clark/KAC Productions The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a land swap allowing a developer to remove 30 acres from a conservation easement for golden-cheeked warbler habitat in exchange for setting aside 144 acres on another part of the property. Bexar County Commissioners chose not to vote on the developer's application for a subdivision on the 30 acres, which could result in financial penalties for the county. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The Bexar County Commissioners Court has opted not to take a vote on a subdivision plan for a development involved in a controversial land swap a step that could lead to financial penalties for the county. Commissioners this week were asked to give approval for a plat for a 106-home subdivision on the north side of San Antonio, just outside city limits. A plat is a map or chart showing how a property is being divided into lots or parcels The developer, TF Cibolo Canyons LP, plans to build on 30 acres that were previously set aside in a conservation easement to protect habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler, an endangered bird species. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The company, which is affiliated with Florida-based Starwood Land, applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year, asking to remove the 30 acres from the easement in exchange for adding 144 acres to the protected land elsewhere on the property. The company said the change would ultimately conserve more land, make the development more contiguous and would not harm the local bird population. The federal agency approved the change in July, amending the permit that allows the developer to operate in the area. READ MORE: Feds OK swap of property set aside for endangered birds Residents in the Cibolo Canyons area have been fighting the change, arguing that the land being added to the easement isnt suitable for the warblers. They submitted an appeal to the agency, asking it to reconsider the decision; the service said in November that the appeal is being reviewed. The birds, which come to Texas each spring to nest and raise their young before flying south for the fall and winter, require mature cedar trees to build their nests, and they prefer woodlands with continuous canopy cover. The residents argued the 30 acres being removed from the easement had that environment, while the land to be added doesnt have enough cover and mature trees. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In approving the change, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the swap will have only minor or negligible effects on the warblers, and said the 144 acres has sufficient habitat to support breeding warblers periodically, while the land being removed from the easement no longer supports breeding warblers because of adjacent development. Residents also argued that the land was intended to be preserved in perpetuity, and questioned the precedent being set by allowing a developer to change the boundaries. Opponents of the land swap then turned to the Bexar County Commissioners Court in their bid to stop the land swap. At this weeks meeting, they asked commissioners to vote against approving the subdivision plat. You are not just the last line of defense for this bird, you are the only line of defense in this case, said Alan Montemayor, chairman of the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club. READ MORE: Comal County aims to expand habitat for endangered warblers Advertisement Article continues below this ad But the countys lawyer told commissioners that whether or not they voted to approve the plat, it would be approved anyway. Larry Roberson, chief of the Bexar County District Attorneys Office civil division, said that once a plat application is deemed to be complete, with all legally required documents submitted, a 30-day clock starts. In that time, the commissioners court must take a vote on whether or not to approve the plat, or approve it with conditions. If no action is taken, at the end of that 30 days the application is deemed approved by operation of law, he said. The Cibolo Canyons plat was determined to be complete on Nov. 12, he said. If the court decides not to approve it today, what happens is that the statute penalizes the court, Roberson said. The county will have to refund fees paid by the developer in the application, and the developer can obtain a court order forcing the county to record the plat. The fees include the application fee paid to the county, Director of Public Works Art Reinhardt said. TF Cibolo Canyons LP paid the county $7,234, according to county documents. The developer can also get attorneys fees covered by the county, he said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Commissioner Grant Moody, whose precinct includes the development, asked if the opponents' pending appeal with the Fish and Wildlife Service would allow the court to delay a decision and table the application until January. The appeal of the permit is a separate process, Reinhardt said. He said he empathizes with the residents who addressed the court, but that the countys jurisdiction over plats is limited. You have to look at the facts as they are today, Roberson said. The appeal is an issue thats not before you today. We hope, for the residents, that it may resolve favorably for them. But the court does not get to consider that today, nor is it relevant to (Reinhardts) review of the plat as its submitted. Once the boxes are checked, it really is ministerial, he said. Theres no real discretion, unless theres a statutory basis to deny the plat. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But when County Judge Peter Sakai called for a motion on the action, no commissioners made one, and they moved on to the next item without voting. A county spokesman said Thursday that no further information is available about the penalties for that action, and deferred to the state statute for more details. According to the law, the developer can now ask a district court to compel the county to issue documents recognizing the plat applications approval, and, if successful, can recover attorneys fees from the county for that action. The 100th banking hub has been launched as part of efforts to protect communities access to cash. Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq will open the hub in the market town of Darwen, Lancashire, on Friday following a community request after bank branch closures in the area. A banking hub is a shared space on the high street that can be used by customers of different banks. Like other hubs, the Darwen branch offers a counter service operated by the Post Office. Customers of major banks can carry out regular cash transactions from Monday to Friday. It also offers a community banker service where customers can talk to their own bank about more complex issues on the day their bank is in the hub. Community bankers work on rotation, with a different bank available on each day of the week. Between five and six million adults are estimated to rely on cash in their day-to-day lives (Peter Byrne/PA) Darwens hub is located in the town centre, on Market Street. Ms Reeves said: Reaching this milestone of 100 banking hubs is a huge step towards making sure that people across the country have access to essential face-to-face banking services. High streets are the beating heart of our communities but were neglected for too long under the previous government. We are revitalising our high streets with our target for 350 banking hubs, reforming business rates to make them fairer and clamping down on antisocial behaviour. The Government has set a target to roll out 350 hubs by 2029, with 230 expected to be open by the end of next year. Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company set up to protect access to cash, said that alongside the 100th hub opening, 100 deposit services will be live by the end of the year. Deposit services allow small businesses to deposit and access cash either through deposit ATMs, where customers from different banks can bank notes, or enhanced post offices where there is a separate counter for banking customers. ATM and cash access network Link carries out assessments to understand how the closure of a bank branch will affect access to cash for the community. Communities can also ask to Link to carry out an assessment if they feel they need better access to cash. Cash Access UK is owned and funded by 10 major banks to provide shared services to their customers. Gareth Oakley, chief executive for Cash Access UK said: Thanks to the exceptional industry collaboration from the banks who support us, Im delighted that in a such short space of time we have been able to successfully open 100 banking hubs as well as deliver 100 deposit services. Its been a particularly busy year, this week alone we have officially opened five hubs. Our hubs are proving extremely popular, which shows that access to cash and banking services remains vital for millions of individuals across the UK, despite more people choosing to bank and make payments digitally. Were delighted to have reached this latest milestone and will continue our work to bring more of these services to the communities that need them most. John Howells, chief executive at Link said: The network of 100 banking hubs is keeping cash alive in local communities and is key for those consumers not yet willing or able to use digital. To date, Link has recommended 176 banking hubs, including eight this week, alongside more than 100 deposit solutions. Link will protect access to cash for as long as people need it. Neil Brocklehurst, acting chief executive at the Post Office said: I am thrilled that, as a result of the hard work of our partners Cash Access UK, our own hub team colleagues and our postmasters who run the hubs, we have today officially opened the 100th banking hub. Together, we are on our way to meeting the Governments target to open 350 hubs by the end of the Parliament and I want to thank every postmaster and their teams for making the running of banking hubs possible. Between five and six million adults are estimated to rely on cash in their day-to-day lives, according to those behind the initiative. The process of opening a banking hub can take several months from start to finish as suitable properties need to be found. Closing bank branches can be devastating for those unable or unwilling to switch to digital banking, according to Which? (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Recent analysis of data from Link indicated the UK has seen around one in 10 ATMs close over the past three years. And more than three in every five bank branches across the UK have closed their doors permanently since 2015, according to research from Which?. Which? has said the impact on local communities can be devastating, with some of the most vulnerable members of society, such as those living with disabilities or on lower incomes, reliant on branches and either unable or unwilling to switch to digital banking. New rules overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) came into effect in September, meaning banks need to give more consideration to a local communitys cash needs before deciding to close a branch. Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, said: Thousands of branches have closed their doors in recent years, often leaving those reliant on their services in the lurch or having to travel long distances to access them. Banking hubs are likely to be the future of banking, replacing shuttered branches, and while its encouraging to see this milestone passed their rollout remains too slow for consumers to feel their benefit. Its vital that the Government holds its commitment to opening 350 hubs in the next few years and it should be prepared to revise that figure upwards if necessary. Offsetting NHS funding from existing services to pay for expensive new drugs could be harming the health of the nation, a study suggests. The cost of innovative new medicines do not always justify the benefits they offer, researchers warned. They suggest Englands pharmaceutical pricing policy should be reformed to better serve the health needs of all NHS patients. However, NHS spending watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said its role is vital, with it helping to prevent a postcode lottery in patient access and potentially higher costs. The study, led by academics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), looked at how many additional years of full health were generated by drugs approved by Nice between 2000 and 2020. The analysis found new medicines led to 3.75 million additional years of full health, costing 75 billion. However, it suggests that redirecting that funding to existing services could have generated five million years of full health. Researchers said that while new drugs could have benefited patients who received them access came at a considerable cost for others who might have missed out on potential health gains due to necessary disinvestment or underinvestment in other forms of care to fund these newly recommended drugs. Lead author Huseyin Naci, associate professor of health policy at the LSE, added: New drugs can be a lifeline for patients who have significant unmet clinical needs. However, innovative drugs are expensive, and their costs do not always justify the benefits they offer. Academics said the findings relate to Nices cost-effectiveness threshold and suggest it should be lowered. Nice advises its committees to consider new drugs as offering value for money to the NHS if they cost less than 20,000 to 30,000 per additional year of full health gained. Prof Naci added: After more than a decade of underinvestment in the NHS, it may no longer be justifiable to have a Nice threshold that doesnt reflect the amount the NHS needs to spend to generate health. Lowering the threshold would allow the NHS to negotiate better prices for new medicines, taking into account not only the benefits to patients receiving these drugs but also the impact on other NHS users who may lose out due to resource reallocation. Irene Papanicolas, professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University, said the findings, published in The Lancet, are reflective of the tight budget of the NHS. In this environment, offsetting funding from existing services to pay high prices for new drugs can more adversely affect population health than in health systems where there is greater budgetary flexibility, she added. Beth Woods, senior research fellow at Centre for Health Economics at University of York, said: This work shows that there is a need to reform pharmaceutical pricing policy in England to better serve the health needs of all patients served by the NHS. A spokesperson for Nice said the spending watchdogs role is vital and helps prevent a postcode lottery. Spending money on new medicines does create an opportunity cost, displacing services elsewhere in the health system, they said. Thats why Nices role is vital: we carefully evaluate new treatments and recommend only those that offer value-for-money for the taxpayer. This is especially important during times of significant challenge to the NHS. Every pound of the NHS budget can only be spent once. If Nice had not recommended these innovative new medicines, they almost certainly would have been used within the NHS anyway. Without Nices input, funding decisions would be taken locally, leading to inequitable patient access the postcode lottery and potentially higher costs, because multiple local negotiations with pharmaceutical companies may not drive best value for the NHS. Linda and Bruce Tingle decided to renovate what had been an industrial building in part because they are partners in the historic Hotel Giles nearby. But they also love the small Hill Country town of Comfort. Richard A. Marini/Staff COMFORT Listen carefully when you enter Linda and Bruce Tingles recently renovated townhome and you may just may hear echoes from the buildings industrial past, when heavy machinery processed a variety of crops grown in the area, including oats, wheat, barley and rye as well as hayseed, clover and wildflowers. Theres the whoosh of the grain as it drops into the concrete holding pit, the roar of the vertical conveyor belt lifting the crops to the upper loft for processing and the clanking of the in-floor scale used to weigh carts of feed ready for market. For decades, area farmers brought their harvest to the feed mill, built in 1924, where seeds were separated from the chaff and twigs, leaves and other field detritus was removed so the processed seed could be sold. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The machinery fell silent long ago, but when a man who used to work in the mill visited, he said that, hooked up properly, the machinery was likely to still be functional. But I dont think we intend to test that out, Bruce Tingle said with a laugh. Linda and Bruce Tingles new weekend getaway in the agricultural-industrial section of Comfort previously was a feed mill where farmers would bring their harvest to be processed. Ignacio Salas-Humara During the two-year renovation, Comfort-based architect Ignacio Salas-Humara kept as much of the well-worn machinery in place as possible, while cleverly adapting the rest of the space to modern use. A mahogany bookcase both serves as a partial railing for the Wine Shaft pit below and to create a reading nook below the staircase. Ignacio Salas-Humara Built in 1924, the seed mill processed a variety of crops grown in the area, including oats, wheat, barley and rye as well as hayseed, clover and wildflowers. Ignacio Salas-Humara A full bathroom was added to the main floor as part of the renovation. Ignacio Salas-Humara A "before" photo of the feed mill space shows the concrete block and stucco walls and the hand-built, exposed wooden trusses that support the ceiling. The loading bay is on the left. Ignacio Salas-Humara The central steel beam stairway with welded-on outriggers is as much a work of art as it is something with practical functionality. Ignacio Salas-Humara Mahogany wood, such as these stairway treads, was used throughout the townhome to provide warmth to the industrial space. Ignacio Salas-Humara A 'before" photo shows the interior of the building, including the existing loft, recessed pit and the vertical conveyor belt, which was encased to contain the feed dust. Ignacio Salas-Humara Certainly the homes most intriguing space, which Salas-Humara calls the Wine Shaft, where raw harvests were delivered before processing. The problem: How could they make use of the space? Ignacio Salas-Humara The solution was to install a steep-angled, bright yellow ship ladder that wouldnt take up too much space. It's now a clubby seating area where friends and relatives can relax and enjoy a nice glass of wine. Ignacio Salas-Humara Even after the renovation, the townhome retains several machines from its time as an industrial seed mill, including this floor scale for weighing carts of feed. Ignacio Salas-Humara The exterior of the Comfort Seed Company is seen in a 1954 photo. Images of America The couple say they were attracted to the riotous web of exposed wood and metal that support the ceiling. A steel landing and bride connects the stairway from the first floor to the mezzanine above. Ignacio Salas-Humara Mahogany in the bedroom forms the only wall in the entire townhome. It has a nickel-gap finish, meaning theres space equal to the width of a nickel between each horizontal board. Ignacio Salas-Humara The original vertical bucket conveyor belt runs right next to the loft bedroom, mixing industrial chic with modern style. Ignacio Salas-Humara The loft bathroom has a standalone mirror over the sink that appears to be floating in space. Ignacio Salas-Humara The kitchen also sits besides the vertical conveyor, but it also has an island on wheels so it can be moved almost anywhere in the townhome. Ignacio Salas-Humara The kitchen has Soapstone countertops and the sink centered below one of the already-existing windows, which were custom trimmed in mahogany. Ignacio Salas-Humara Much of the furnishings are in the midcentury modern style, which the couple found shopping sites such as Facebook Marketplace. Ignacio Salas-Humara The kitchen, located below the loft, mixes modern with industrial, from the hand-forged hardware on the narrow island to the midcentury modern on the cabinets opposite. Ignacio Salas-Humara The result is a warm, mahogany-infused weekend getaway complete with an urban-style loft bedroom, massive window-walls and a floating staircase thats as much art as it is functional. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The couple hes a retired human resources manager, shes a part-time anesthesiologist decided to renovate the building in part because they are partners in the nearby historic Hotel Giles. But they also love this small Hill Country town. Comfort has interesting people, its got its quirky side and theres an incredible, relaxed feel to the place, Linda Tingle said. Because of the Giles, we ended up spending a lot of time here, so we decided to build this place as a second home. The couple, whose full-time house is in Boerne, say they were intrigued by the feed mills possibilities the moment they walked in. The first thing we saw was this cool array of rafters and the original tin ceiling, Bruce Tingle said, pointing to the riotous web of exposed wood and metal two stories above the ground floor. It had such a neat look, something you wouldnt get in a modern building where things would be much more uniform. The space is basically a two-story cube with three levels: the below-ground storage pit, the main floor and the loft. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The minute I walked in here, Salas-Humara said, I could picture where the bedroom would go, where the kitchen would go, where the living room should be. The large loading dock doors were replaced by equally large windows. Ignacio Salas-Humara CINNAMON SHORES NEW-BUILD: Peek inside a San Antonio retirees Port Aransas beach house Still, there were challenges, such as how to get up to the bedroom loft he envisioned. Back in the day, workers used ladders, but that wasnt an option for the Tingles. So Salas-Humara designed a single beam staircase and a short steel grate bridge that would connect the top of the stairs to the bedroom. The staircase has thick mahogany treads supported by a central steel beam with welded-on outriggers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I added the three holes on either side of the outriggers to lighten the structure while also giving it a nautical feel, Salas-Humara said. "It looks cool, too." Another concern was how to prevent falls from the loft above or into the pit below without having to run railings throughout the house. The solution was to build mahogany bookshelves that create separate spaces and provide a much-needed softening of the home. Ive been in industrial lofts and they can be pretty stark, Bruce Tingle said. The wood here makes things much more inviting. Architect Ignacio Salas-Humara custom designed the platform bed, which has a tilted headboard and is conveniently wired for electricity. Ignacio Salas-Humara They also used mahogany in the loft bedroom to form the only interior walls in the entire townhome. The wall is tongue-and-groove with a nickel-gap finish, meaning the space running between each horizontal board is roughly the width of a nickel. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The gap emphasizes the horizontal lines, Salas-Humara said. It gives the space this nautical look, like the hull of a vintage Chris Craft boat. The Tingles concede they were unsure about some of the architects ideas. But once things started to take shape and we could see what he was doing, we were sold, Linda Tingle said. It just took us a while to catch up with where he was going. Open to the tall ceiling, the loft bedroom has a custom-built platform bed, a bathroom mirror that appears to hang in space and wood flooring that was installed with subtle variations between the planks to make it appear restored. We even hand-painted it instead of spraying it to achieve that aged look, Salas-Humara said. Another of the homes more intriguing features is what Salas-Humara calls the Wine Shaft, created from the lower-level pit where, back in the day, crops were stored before processing. Trouble is, workers rarely had to climb down into the pit, so how could the new owners make use of the space? The solution was to install a bright yellow ship ladder that, because its steeply angled, doesnt take up much space. CONCRETE HOME ON GUADALUPE: $4.75M house has soaring ceilings, river views The small room one floor below the main living area has a cozy, clubby feel, a place where wine is stored and friends and family can relax and enjoy a glass or more together. Having to climb back up the ladder serves as a limiting factor in how much wine you can drink, though, Bruce Tingle said. The Wine Shaft also illustrates how the project balanced the need to modernize with the buildings history. Initially there was talk of either smoothing down the cement walls, which were pitted and scarred from years of use, or covering them with more walnut. In the end, they decided to leave well enough alone because, as Salas-Humara explained, this was all part of the buildings story. Vertical steel beams and heavy lumber previously supported the heavy machinery above, so were easily capable of doing the same for the loft bedroom. Ignacio Salas-Humara The kitchen, located below the loft, also mixes modern with the industrial, such as the hand-forged hardware on the narrow island to the midcentury modern pulls on the cabinets opposite. "Bruce wanted the modern ones because that's what he had growing up," Linda Tingle said. The couple enjoys entertaining, so the kitchen needed to be functional. The island is on wheels so it can be repositioned almost anywhere and plugs into any electrical outlet. Yet another part of its building history they retained was the wood flooring. Made of short pieces of oak turned on edge for more strength, the floor saw years of heavy use so it was deeply gouged. They considered replacing it, but Steve Thompson, their Kerrville-based builder, convinced them otherwise. He told us the floor had too much character, Bruce Tingle said. Were glad we listened. In the end, they gave the floor a deep clean, sanded it lightly to remove splinters, then wire brushed and waxed it. They also patched several high-heel-catching gashes with pieces of wood cannibalized from underneath the cabinetry. The utilities electric, plumbing and HVAC are all new, and, in keeping with the post-industrial look, Salas-Humara kept them exposed whenever possible. The electric wiring runs through carefully laid steel conduit and connects to surface-mounted switches, outlets and fixture boxes. New cast iron and copper bathroom plumbing is visible along the lofts underside. And much of the HVAC ductwork runs along the ceiling peak above. In addition to the processing plant, the property also includes what used to be a feed store and warehouse and a series of more recently built open metal sheds the owners use as a garage. The sheds are separate from the residence and the couple plans eventually to build a deck connecting the two. A market is emerging for more expensive varieties of panettone. Photograph: Fabio Balbi/Alamy It was once the preserve of the bougie delicatessen, but panettone has fast become a British festive staple, with supermarkets reporting soaring sales and customers apparently willing to pay increasingly large sums for the Italian sweet bread. A few decades ago, the panettone would have been decadent and exotic, but now its as much a mainstay of the British Christmas as favourites like mince pies and turkey, said Leyla Page, a seasonal bakery buyer for Waitrose. Sales of panettone at Waitrose are up 65% on last year, following a rise of 40% the previous year. Fortnum and Mason reported a rise in sales of 11%, while Selfridges said sales were up 30%, driven by people buying them as gifts. Panettone originates in Milan and is made with sourdough-like dough, which is left to prove for several days and hung upside down after baking, giving it its distinctive dome shape. Efforts to give the treat protected designation of origin status, like parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar, have so far been unsuccessful. Most British supermarkets offer 1kg panettone for about 10, but a market is emerging for more expensive options. The actor Ben Miller told Channel 4s Sunday Brunch last month that he had found himself paying 60 (73) for a Dolce and Gabbana panettone for his brother-in-laws Christmas present. Im seething. Its ruined Christmas for me! Nobodys getting anything, he joked. Dolce & Gabbanas panettone range includes eight flavours in decorative tins, including candied apple and cinnamon, and citrus fruits and sicilian saffron. Fortum and Masons most expensive panettone will set you back 395 but in fairness, it does feed 100 people. Described as the ultimate panettone, its dough has been double fermented for 48 hours and it includes Australian raisins, candied oranges and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla. Related: Rachel Roddys panettone 101, for Christmas and beyond The Italian chef Aldo Zilli has not been impressed by the trend for ever more expensive panettone, telling the Telegraph: I have panettone made from a company in the south of Italy where I come and they make it for me at 25 each and they are unbelievably good. I dont think anyone should pay any more than that. As well as the cost, buyers are stretching themselves to try a wider range of flavours, too. Rich Harding, senior innovation chef at Asda, said: We have seen people moving away from dried fruits in favour of slightly lighter sweet treats so flavoured panettone are a great way to enjoy [this trend]. Morrisons offers a passionfruit martini panettone for 6.50 for 500g, while Tescos tiramisu panettone will set you back 12.50 for 790g. Waitroses limoncello fizz panettone has become the fastest-selling product in its seasonal bakery range this year. It offers a tantalising twist on the classic as customers are embracing the bougie boozy trend, said Page. Likewise, sales of its Cinnamon Bunettone are up 31% on the year. The panettone has a number of romantic origin stories. One is that a Milanese baker named Toni created the recipe to woo a beautiful woman who walked past his bakery, giving it the name pan de Toni, which became panettone. Another is that it was created for the Duke of Milans holiday feast after the cake intended to feed guests was burned. We must get safeguarding within the Church sorted, says Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle - Chris Strickland The next Archbishop of Canterbury must end the old boys club in the Church of England, according to the bishop who told the Most Rev Justin Welby to quit over an abuse scandal. The Rt Rev Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Newcastle, said the next Church leader would have to end dysfunction and entitlement in the upper echelons of the institution. She was the only bishop who called publicly for the archbishop to quit after a report found his failure to act on concerns about prolific abuser John Smyth who is said to have subjected as many as 130 victims to appalling sexual violence meant he was never brought to justice. Justin Welby will formally step down as Archbishop of Canterbury on Jan 6 - Asadour Guzelian She said that Archbishop Welbys successor needed to grasp the nettle on safeguarding within the CofE. I dont think we can do anything else as a church, publicly, outward facing, until we get that sorted and I mean really sorted, she told The Times. The next archbishop has to have steel to drive that through by whatever means necessary and deal with some of the systemic issues of dysfunction both in the institution and its central capacity, but also in the House of Bishops in terms of cultures around power, privilege and entitlement that persist. The right person is going to have to be emotionally intelligent enough, resilient enough and get the support they need to drive that change, because it is significant change that is needed. That means you want somebody whos going to come in and break up that old boys club and signal that from day one. Smyth, who led Christian youth camps in Dorset known as the Iwerne Camps in the 1970s and 1980s, died in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire police. The Makin Review, which was published last month after a four-year delay, found that his crimes could have been exposed in 2013 if Archbishop Welby, who had become aware of allegations against Smyth that year, had followed up to ensure the police investigated. It is understood that at least 30 other Anglican ministers or officials are facing dismissal or suspension for failing to prevent or report Smyths abuse. Archbishop Welby announced his resignation on Nov 12 and will formally step down on Jan 6. The Archbishop of York will replace him on an interim basis while his permanent successor is appointed. But the Rt Rev Hartley denied that she was in the running, telling The Times: I think if I was planning on that, I would not be speaking out in this way. I love being Bishop of Newcastle. Its the best diocese in the Church of England. The Archbishop apologised last week after he was accused of making light of the Smyth scandal in what was criticised as a tone deaf final speech in the House of Lords. An Israeli flag flutters over the Golan Heights - Matias Delacroix/AP This week the BBC has been reporting live from Syria as the wretched Assad regime collapsed. It is not clear yet whether Syria is destined for a democratic future or will fall prey to jihadists previously affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. It seems though that the BBC is optimistic. Reporting live from Damascus, the BBCs Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet said the following: This is one of the most diverse countries in the Middle East with multiple Christian and Muslim sects. And you can see it here in the Old City, all the different Quarters Jewish, Muslim, Christian. Theyre all here. They want to believe they have a space now as Syria embarks on this new chapter. For anyone with the slightest knowledge of the 20th century history of Jewish people in the Arab world, this statement is both ignorant and offensive. There are believed to be three Jews left in Syria. Thats right, three Jews. The rest fled for their lives. After Syria gained independence from France in 1946, Jewish people and their property were repeatedly targeted. In 1947, the Syrian government organised and encouraged Arab inhabitants of Aleppo to attack Jews. Pogroms followed. Synagogues, Jewish schools and orphanages were destroyed. From that point on it was clear that Jews were not welcome in Syria. The community fled to Israel and elsewhere and now there are just those three Jews left in the whole country. The same is true across the Middle East. Vibrant Jewish communities across the region were forced out in the 20th century. Between 1948 and the early 1970s, more than 850,000 Jews were forced to leave their homes in Arab countries, some in events of mass expulsion. They became refugees in a region overwhelmingly hostile to Jews. One wonders whether the thousands attending anti-Israel marches in London have any idea that Jews were forced en masse to abandon their homes across the Arab world and flee to Israel. It seems like many of these anti-Zionists simply do not understand that Israel was established as a tiny strip of land in which Jewish people hoped to feel safe from their racist enemies, whether they be Arab states or European dictators. BBC reporters should know better. It is utterly remarkable that correspondents reporting on conflicts in the Middle East seem to know so little about the regions history and are so uninterested in supplying audiences with the crucial historical context which helps us all understand the present. This recent BBC reporting from Syria is not an isolated case. There is a pattern of wilful ignorance when it comes to the corporations reporting of what happened to Jews who had lived for centuries in Arab countries. Time and again a history that has involved racist murder, destruction and forced expulsion is absent or minimised in their reporting. The BBC has a duty to report accurately and impartially. To do so they must ensure that audiences are provided with accurate information on what happened to the Jews of the Arab world and why there are barely any Jews left in these countries. The truth is that we must be thankful that in Israel Jewish refugees have found a home. Anthony Fauci has been mooted for a potential pre-emptive pardon. But what would he admit to being pardoned for? - Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images After President Joe Bidens controversial pardon of his son Hunter, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries suggested the outgoing president should also exercise the high level of compassion with clemency for working-class Americans who faced aggressive prosecutions for non-violent offences. Its a near certainty that Jeffries wasnt referring to high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats. Biden this week issued pardons or commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people, a record in just one day. But White House officials are also said to be considering blanket pre-emptive pardons for those who vociferously opposed the 45th and soon-to-be 47th president Donald Trump, including Trump impeachment ringleader representative Adam Schiff; former representative Liz Cheney, the vice chair of the House panel investigating January 6; former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases head Dr Anthony Fauci; and former Joint Chiefs chairman General Mark Milley. Trump has had choice words for all on Truth Social, at rallies, and in interviews. So the supposed rationale is that Biden would be protecting democracy by shielding Trumps enemies from a vengeful Trumpian Justice Department. But this is absurd. A president has broad clemency powers, so it would likely be legal to grant pre-emptive pardons. This would nevertheless be a corruption of the pardon powers intent. In Article II Section 2 of the Constitution, the Founders intended the presidential pardon to show mercy or correct wrongs in the justice system. Thats not to say that it would be the first ever political pardon or the first pre-emptive pardon. George Washington let participants of the Whiskey Rebellion off the hook. Abraham Lincoln and later Andrew Johnson did the same for Confederates after the Civil War. Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for any possible crimes stemming from Watergate. Jimmy Carter granted the same to Vietnam War draft dodgers. The express purpose of these pardons was to support the national interest. If Biden does go through with his pre-emptive pardons and it is still just speculation these may well be the parallels he would draw. But in those aforementioned cases, the context of the crime was clear. Thats not clear for the individuals being cited. After Ford pardoned Nixon, he told the House Judiciary Committee that the acceptance of a pardon, does, in effect, admit guilt. At least according to this view, anyone who accepts a blanket pre-emptive pardon from Biden would be admitting to violating some unspecified federal law. Would any of these individuals named in news reports do that? Members of Congress, namely senator Rand Paul, have said that Fauci wasnt honest during testimony about Covid-19, but Fauci has denied this. General Milley has come under scrutiny for calls to Chinese officials, but he said this was an effort to allay their concerns about military action from Trump. The House censured Schiff for peddling falsehoods during the Russia hoax. But Schiff elected to the Senate from California in November wasnt accused of breaking any laws in the censure, and said recently he didnt want a pardon. A House subcommittee investigation claimed that the January 6 committee deleted records and hid evidence to promote a narrative. Committee members have denied the deletions. Trump did say in a recent NBC News interview that members of the committee should go to jail. But when asked if he would direct Justice Department officials to target enemies, Trump replied, I think that theyll have to look at that, but Im not going to Im going to focus on drill, baby, drill. Also, Trump has previously said: My revenge will be success. In 2024, Democrats whipped up hysteria that, if their candidates lost, democracy would be finished. Voters clearly didnt buy it. Yet, the mooted pre-emptive pardons would be predicated on the belief that Trump, upon taking office, will begin jailing political opponents in a similar fashion to the Venezuela regime of Nicolas Maduro. Or is there a more cynical motivation? After the Left engaged in eight years of federal, state, criminal, and civil lawfare against Trump, while weaponising government against others perceived as right-of-centre, perhaps Trumps opponents cant fathom that he wouldnt do the same. But the fact is, in his first term, he didnt. Despite a 2016 debate pledge to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton, for good or ill, he dropped the idea after his election. Far from protecting democracy or the justice system, if Biden followed through with mass pre-emptive pardons, it would be a cynical political play, and a case of projection by the Left. Fred Lucas is manager of the Investigative Reporting Project at The Daily Signal. He is the author of The Myth of Voter Suppression: The Lefts Assault on Clean Elections Suella Braverman was home secretary when the Chinese spy was barred from entry to the UK - Jack Taylor/Getty The alleged Chinese spy who was a close confidant of the Duke of York should lose his anonymity, senior Tories including Suella Braverman have said. Mrs Braverman was home secretary when the former civil servant in China was barred from entry to the UK on national security grounds in July 2023. MI5 deemed him to be an agent who had engaged in covert and deceptive activity on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. His identity has remained secret after he challenged a decision by two judges that he should be named. The two judges for the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) had ruled that the Home Office was justified in barring the alleged spy, known only as H6, to protect national security. H6 was so close to Andrew that he had been told he could act on the royals behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, according to court documents. He was also invited to the Dukes birthday party in 2020. Mrs Braverman said: There is a strong public interest and indeed national security interest in disclosing the identity of this alleged Chinese spy. We are under constant and almost incessant attack and threat from hostile states such as China. We know that China is using all means necessary, particularly espionage and exploiting vulnerabilities in the UK, to get access to state secrets and other sensitive information that can harm our national security. So disclosing the identity of this person will have a deterrent effect on others taking part in similar activities and will also ensure full transparency is afforded to this issue of utmost national security importance. Important to expose foreign spies Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: There should not be anonymity. It is important to expose who foreign spies are as happened with Christine Lee [another alleged Chinese spy]. Other people may then come forward with relevant information. Chinese infiltration is a serious threat to the Government and to businesses and academia, with state-orchestrated intellectual property theft rife. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader who is co-chairman of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said: I call for anonymity to be lifted. We really do need to publicly show how much the Chinese authorities are determined to steal our secrets and undermine the UK Government. This calls into question the helterskelter rush of Sir Keir Starmer and his government to do business with the Chinese when at every turn they demonstrate they care nothing for what we want and are only interested in what they can take off us. The SIAC initially granted H6 anonymity but this was lifted by the judges to take effect from Dec 12. H6 appealed the lifting of the anonymity order and was granted interim relief which means it will be decided by the High Court at a future date whether he should be named. A hearing could be as early as next week. China seeking influence across UK Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, said the Duke of Yorks involvement with an alleged Chinese spy was extremely embarrassing and demonstrated how the Chinese state was trying to seek influence and to interfere in Britains and other countries affairs. The United Front Work Department which is a branch of the Communist Party is seeking influence across the UK in everything across social, academic, financial, industrial and various other ways, he said. They always talk about no interference in other peoples business when people talk about human rights in China, but they do nothing but interfere in the UK and in many countries across the world. Mr Tugendhat urged the Government to activate the foreign influence registration scheme, which he, as security minister, had legislated for when in government. We really need to get China on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme, because without that, effectively youre asking for people to hunt for a needle in a haystack without even giving them the haystack, he said. The registration scheme doesnt mean that everybody who registers is in any way illegal or criminal or doing wrong in any sense, but it gives the intelligence services the essential starting point without which they simply cant do their job. So we need to make sure that they have that information. Thats why the scheme is so important. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy said: Some people in the UK are so keen on making up all kinds of spy stories against China. This again is a typical case of the thief crying catch thief. Their purpose is to smear China and sabotage normal people-to-people exchanges between China and the UK. We strongly condemn this. On Friday, a statement from the Duke of Yorks office said that the royal ceased all contact with the alleged spy after receiving government advice. The statement says: The Duke of York followed advice from HMG and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. The Duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security. Dont worry if youve left your Christmas shopping until the last minute there are still plenty of great wines to be snapped up - Franz Lang The unwritten convention of Christmas shopping is that, however much advance planning you have put in, only as the available days dwindle to zero will you realise what it is you actually want to drink (and what presents to buy). Some will not arrive at this thirst-point until the 24th. Fine, if you are shopping local (at a merchant or the supermarket). But if you want to order a few special bottles for delivery then last-order deadlines are now close enough to prompt a sense of urgency. This year there is one specific bottle on which I have become fixated whilst also resisting the expense. I expect to crumble soon, especially as The Wine Society allows orders of any size without charging for delivery. It is Champagne Jeaunaux-Robin Talus-Saint-Prix Extra Brut NV. Almost but not quite a blanc de noirs just 10% chardonnay smoothing a blend based on (60%) pinot meunier its from a small family domaine and is dry, savoury and precise. With notes of black cherry, yellow plum and a subtle dusting of clove, it is, for me, a winter Champagne. Champagne Jeaunaux-Robin Talus-Saint-Prix Extra Brut NV (12%, The Wine Society, 37); Aldis Specially Selected Cairanne 2022, France (14.5%, Aldi, 8.49) Another single bottle that stood out from the crowd is Domaine Boutinot Les Six Cairanne 2022, France (14.5%, 15-18, available in lots of indies, including Hedley Wright in Hitchin and NY Wines in Cambridge, have a google for one local to you). The bottle itself is so pleasing, with a luxe, glossy feel, and the wine inside meets expectations: all dried bay and thyme and confit of red and black fruit, southern Rhone at its best. The whole package is so satisfying its ideal for a present. Its also a good Christmas dinner wine, though if you dont need a bottle to look quite so smart for your own table you could save money and buy Aldis Specially Selected Cairanne 2022. One merchant with easily enough delicious wines to make up a box is Stone, Vine & Sun. If you like the herbal flavours of southern French reds, I highly recommend LEstabel Grande Cuvee Comtesse 2022 a brilliant buy with pure flavours and a taste of the land. To drink with smoked salmon try the heavenly Sax Ried Steinmassl Riesling Kamptal 2023 gossamer-fine but succulent with a perfume-like white peach juice and lime leaf. Sax Ried Steinmassl Riesling Kamptal 2023, Austria (13.5%, Stone, 15.95); LEstabel Grande Cuvee Comtesse 2022, Cabrieres (14%, 11.95); both Stone, Vine & Sun Love Chablis? Antoine et Laurent Robin Chablis 2022 is a real treat. And Begali Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2021 is a gorgeous Italian red with a tang of sour cherries and a whiff of churches that would be delicious with a radicchio, rocket, prosciutto and butter-fried chestnut salad, followed up with a plate of pasta grated with pecorino. Antoine et Laurent Robin Chablis 2022, France (12.5%, 23.50); Begali Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2021, La Cengia (14.5%, 19.50); both Stone, Vine & Sun The Shropshire-based Tanners has a couple of treats too. Carvalho Martins Golpe Douro Branco 2023, is a classy white that tastes of greengage, ripe pear and white peach with a glittering, saline edge, ideal for fish and seafood. And if youre pushing the boat out and love nebbiolo, theres the very desirable, hauntingly fragrant Fratelli Alessandria Barolo del Commune di Verduno 2018. Carvalho Martins Golpe Douro Branco 2023, Portugal (13%, 14.90); Fratelli Alessandria Barolo del Commune di Verduno 2018, Italy (14.5%, 52); both Tanners Finally, supermarket offers-wise, Waitrose is again running its festive fine wines at 10 offer, with a number of bottles reduced to 10 until 1 January or stocks run out. See wines of the week for my standout; also look out for Croix des Coteaux St-Emilion 2020. Croix de Coteaux St Emilion 2020 Bordeaux (13.5%, Waitrose, 15.99 down to 10 until 1 Jan) Briana Boston told police that healthcare companies are evil after her medical claim was denied by Blue Cross Blue Shield - Polk County Sheriff's Office A woman has been arrested after ending a call to her health insurance company with the words: Delay, deny, depose you people are next. Briana Boston appeared to echo the language used by the suspected killer of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare chief executive, when her medical claim was denied by Blue Cross Blue Shield. Ms Boston, from Florida, has now been charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism and being held at the Polk County Sheriffs Office. Ms Boston was speaking to a Blue Cross Blue Shield representative when, according to an affidavit obtained by ABC News, she said: Delay, deny, depose you people are next. Shell casings recovered earlier this month from the scene where Mr Thompson was fatally shot in New York were inscribed with the words deny, depose and defend. The message appeared to reference a book published in 2010 called Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Dont Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. Healthcare companies deserve karma When police spoke to Ms Boston about her apparent threat, she apologised and said she used those words because its what is in the news right now, according to the affidavit. She added that she did not own a gun and did not pose a threat. However, the 42-year-old went on to say that healthcare companies deserve karma and are evil. It comes after Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League Graduate, was arrested for allegedly murdering Mr Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec 4. Luigi Mangione has been charged with the murder of Brian Thompson - Eduardo Munoz/REUTERS UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Shield and other insurance companies have since removed the pictures and names of its executives from its website amid fears that other executives could become targeted. Police initially believed Mr Thompsons killer was a disgruntled employee or a disgruntled client, but said on Thursday that Mr Mangione did not belong to UnitedHealthcare. Joseph Kenny, New Yorks chief of detectives, said on Thursday that the 26-year-old had been arrested carrying a note that stated the company was the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organisation in America. Thats possibly why he targeted that company, he added. Mr Kenny also said investigators had uncovered evidence that Mr Mangione had prior knowledge that UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York. Police are reported to be looking at Mr Mangiones social media posts about his criticisms of the healthcare system and medical problems, having undergone spinal fusion surgery in 2023 after suffering chronic back pain. Anger at health insurance companies Mr Thompsons killing has unleashed a wave of anger at health insurance companies, with social media users glorifying the 50-year-olds death and calling for major industry figures to be targeted next. One online post being exchanged by health insurance executives shows a poster reading Wanted, Dead or Alive with the final word crossed out and a list of their names and pictures. An internal New York police bulletin, obtained by the Associated Press, warned of an elevated threat to executives and that Mr Thompsons death could inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence. Medica, a Minnesota healthcare firm, is temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons, while Centene Corporation, the government health insurance provider, has moved its annual investor conference online. Frontier Economics report suggests the first nuclear power would enter the grid in 2036 but many experts say this is wildly optimistic. Photograph: Bradley C Bower/AP The Coalition has revealed further details of its plan to build nuclear reactors in Australia, claiming it could deliver an electricity system costing $263bn less than the Albanese governments plans to power Australia on renewables backed by storage and gas. The Coalition is relying on Frontier Economics modelling to argue its nuclear vision for seven reactors across the country would be 44% cheaper than the governments renewables-led plan. So what do we need to know about the Coalitions proposal? Does the plan address the climate crisis? Not for about 25 years. Frontiers modelling shows the amount of CO2 released for every megawatt hour of electricity generated under the Coalitions nuclear plan. The report shows the emissions intensity of electricity stays much higher with nuclear than without until sometime between 2046 and 2049 after which electricity would be slightly cleaner. This is mostly because, under the Coalition, the modelling shows more coal stays in the grid for longer, releasing more CO2. Any delays in rolling out nuclear reactors, which experts say is very likely, would lead to higher emissions for longer. The Coalitions chosen scenario to develop the electricity grid is in line with a 2.6C rise in global temperatures by the end of the century. Is the Coalitions plan comparable to the governments? No. The Coalition says its plan delivers an electricity system that costs 44% less than the governments proposal a saving of $263bn. But the detail in the Frontier Economics report shows this 44% cost reduction comes as a result of comparing two different scenarios for the future of the electricity grid. The Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) looks at three scenarios for the electricity grid and Frontier based its modelling on two of them called progressive change and step change. The Albanese government prefers step change. Frontier says the progressive scenario is preferred by the Coalition and adding nuclear to this is 44% cheaper than the step change future as envisaged by the federal Labor government. The problem here is obvious. We are not comparing apples with apples. Tristan Edis, director of Green Energy markets, says the progressive change scenario involves total electricity consumption in 2052 of 311TWh, whereas step change is 450TWh or almost 45% greater electricity demand. So the Coalitions plan to deliver nuclear is based on a scenario where Labors preferred plan is producing 45% more electricity than the Coalitions. Clearly, a system producing more power will cost more. Dr Dylan McConnell, an energy systems expert at UNSW, says without adding nuclear, Aemos progressive change costs are about $133bn less than for step change. The progressive change scenario being promoted by the Coalition assumes much slower roll-outs of electric vehicles, rooftop solar and the electrification of homes and businesses. That suggests consumers would miss out on any cost savings from running electric vehicles or using less gas in their homes for cooking and heating (as well as the cuts in emissions that come with using less fossil fuels). How realistic is the Coalitions timeline for building reactors? Frontier Economics report suggests the first nuclear power would enter the grid in 2036 but many experts say this is wildly optimistic. The CSIRO estimates it would take at least 15 years for Australia to establish the necessary legal and regulatory functions and then finance, commission and build a working reactor. Energy expert Simon Holmes a Court laid out his own timeline this week saying there was not a hope in hell a nuclear reactor could be working before 2040. He said his own optimistic scenario put the date at 2044. What other roadblocks does Peter Dutton face? Dutton said because the Coalition was in opposition it hadnt been able to begin the negotiations needed to make nuclear a reality in Australia. Before a single nuclear energy plant could be built, the Coalition would have to win the next federal election. Then, a Dutton-led government would have to overturn a Howard-era national ban on nuclear energy with laws passing both Houses of Parliament. If Dutton winning a majority in the lower house seems a tough ask, getting such a plan through a likely hostile Senate would be even harder. Then, the Coalition would have to see various state governments overturn their bans on nuclear energy. Finally, state leaders would need to be onboard to support reactors being built in their back yards. As Guardian Australia has reported, Labor governments and Coalition oppositions in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia are either outright opposed to the plan or have failed to endorse it. The new Queensland Liberal premier, David Crisafulli, ruled out nuclear during that states recent election campaign. Dutton has pointed to constitutional powers to override state objections if necessary. He has also noted the openness of SAs Labor premier, Peter Malinauskas, to nuclear. How much will electricity cost under the Coalitions nuclear plan? Dutton claimed the nuclear option would mean a 44% saving for taxpayers and businesses but does that translate into cheaper power prices? Frontiers report says it does not present any results for the prices [of wholesale electricity] as this will depend on how the cost of new capacity will be treated in the future. In other words, they dont know what the cost of power will be. How have critics responded? The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, criticised the Coalition for not detailing how the nuclear plan would affect consumer power bills and pointed to other modelling showing it could push up bills by $1,200 a year. He claimed the Frontier report contained fundamental errors and heroic assumptions, pointing out it assumed Australia would consume less power than Aemos modelling forecast. Bowen also criticised the report for using cheaper prices to produce nuclear power than the CSIRO and AEMO accounted for. The federal Greens leader, Adam Bandt, called it a con job for coal, noting the nuclear strategy relied on extending the life of fossil fuels. The Australian Chamber of Commerce And Industry said the plan needed to be scrutinised thoroughly. It wasnt critical but called for long-term certainty for the business community regarding power prices and reliability. The Clean Energy Council said it would be a disaster for power bills and dramatically slow the rollout of renewables like rooftop solar. Rod Campbell, of the Australia Institute, said the nuclear plan was a distraction to prolong fossil fuel use and exports. The donations will be used to help families affected by war in places such as Gaza. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images More than 250,000 for charities supporting families hit by war and violence in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere has been raised by Guardian and Observer readers less than a week after the appeal launched. The milestone was achieved before the annual fundraising telethon on Saturday 14 December. Journalists who will be on hand to take donations over the phone include Polly Toynbee, John Crace, Marina Hyde and Zoe Williams. The Guardian and Observer are raising money for three charities. War Child and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) are international aid charities which provide frontline emergency medical care and specialist psychological support to the victims of war. The third is Parallel Histories, a UK-based charity with a mission to bring divided communities together by helping schools teach sensitive and contested histories of conflict, from Northern Ireland to Israel-Palestine. Helen Pattinson, the chief executive of War Child UK, said: Everyone at War Child is bowled over by the support weve seen from the Guardian, Observer and their readers with this years appeal. To have reached the 250,000 milestone already sends a clear message that the public stands with us in our mission to provide brighter futures for children caught in conflict, and we couldnt be more grateful. Natalie Roberts, the executive director of MSF UK, said: Thank you so much to the Guardian and Observer readers for your support. Your generous donations will help MSF teams act fast to provide life-saving and life-changing care to people in areas affected by conflict, natural disasters and epidemics. Saturdays telethon takes place from 10am to 6pm. The number to call the telethon is 0203 353 4368. Other journalists on the rota to take calls include Peter Bradshaw, Jonathan Freedland, Gaby Hinsliff, Jess Cartner-Morley, Tim Dowling, Hugh Muir and Simon Hattenstone. Introducing the appeal, the Guardian editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, wrote: We ask you to support the Guardian and Observer appeal in a spirit of optimism and defiance, as a signal of commitment to peace, human rights and social justice, and as a gesture of solidarity with the millions of people whose lives and livelihoods have been destroyed through war and violence. Perhaps, above all, it is a tribute of thanks to the extraordinary bravery of the frontline professionals in our partner aid charities who put their lives on the line, working in conditions of unimaginable stress to help the victims of conflict. Natalie Shotter had been on a night out before falling asleep on a park bench - PA The father of a former child actress who was raped and killed after passing out on a bench has described how he wishes his late daughter had never entered the park where she died. Natalie Shotter, 37, an NHS worker and mother of three, was attacked by sex predator Mohamed Iidow in Southall Park, west London. Jurors at the Old Bailey heard how Ms Shotter died from a heart attack caused by being orally raped over and over again. Iidow, 35, who had previously been convicted of trying to groom young people online, was found guilty of her rape and manslaughter. In a victim impact statement Andrew Shotter recalled wonderful memories of his feisty daughter performing in front of thousands of people. He said: Hearing what happened in the last moments of her life was horrific.I feel powerless. In my head I am screaming to her not to go into the park. I cannot save her from that man. Mohamed Iidow raped Natalie Shotter as she lay unconscious on a park bench - Metropolitan Police/PA On Friday, Judge Richard Marks KC sentenced Iidow to life with a minimum term of 10 years and eight months. He told Iidow that taking advantage of exceptionally talented Ms Shotter when she was unconscious was wicked and utterly reckless. Even though there had never been a recorded case before of someone dying as a result of oral sex, there was a high risk that she would suffer really serious harm from what he did to her over several minutes, the judge said. Iidow was a dangerous offender and had engaged in explicit sexual chat online with a girl he thought was aged 13 in August 2022 while under investigation for rape. Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, an NHS cardiology practitioner, described her daughter as a bundle of joy who at the age of 12 had starred in the hit musical Les Miserables. She had secured a place at the BRIT School in Croydon of performing arts and had worked in theatre and television. She later had three children and worked for the British Heart Foundation before getting a job in clinical administration at her local NHS hospital. Dr Shotter Weetman said: She was brilliant at her job, kind to staff and patients alike. The day I found out about Nat, I felt absolutely sick and I felt a terrible feeling of doom. I was in absolute shock. I then had to later learn from the police that my daughter had died in these horrific circumstances. When Mohamed Iidow and that is the only time I will say his name was finally charged I was so glad but I realised everything was still to come. Watching the CCTV of my daughter being raped was desperately sad to see. No mother should have to see that. Destroyed my family Addressing the defendant, she went on: Hearing the medical evidence of how you caused my daughters death destroyed my family. No woman should have to fear going to a park and sitting on a bench. Its disgusting. You went after a vulnerable woman. She was a lovely mum, a great sister and daughter, a great kid. We are missing our beautiful girl. During the trial, the court had heard how Ms Shotter had been seen happily dancing in the street before going into the park after a night out. Jurors had viewed CCTV of Iidow walking past the victim three times in a predatory way as she sat on the bench. Half an hour later she was lying down showing no clear movement when Iidow approached her nonchalantly, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said. She was deeply unconscious when Iidow repeatedly raped her orally, even moving Ms Shotters body around in different positions. Afterwards, he drove back to his home in Hounslow, west London, via a Shell garage where he stopped to buy cat food and mouthwash. Ms Shotter, whose three children are aged between five and 19, was found dead by a passer-by in the park in the early morning on July 17 2021. Following the sentencing, Kirsty OConnor, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: Natalie Shotter had been on a night out enjoying herself and she was preyed upon by Mohamed Iidow. During police interviews, he stated that Natalie was alive and consenting to the sexual activity with him. However, CCTV footage has proved that to not be the case, with the victim unconscious during the entire attack. The CPS is determined to deliver justice for victims of rape. Tragically, this vile attack cost Natalie her life and wed like to express our deepest condolences to her children and loved ones at this time, she added. Rosalie, a service dog working in Bexar County Children's Court, sits with her handler, Kathryn Walston, right. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Kathryn Walston, left, and state District Judge Laura Salinas, right, introduce the Bexar County Commissioners to Rosalie, a service dog newly assigned to Children's Court. Walston, a high-risk coordinator for the court, is the canine's full-time handler. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Rosalie, a service dog newly assigned to Bexar County Children's Court, with her handler, Kathryn Walston, a high-risk coordinator for the court. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News The two-year-olds screams reverberated through the third floor of the Bexar County Courthouse. The boy wanted his mother. Child Protective Services had separated them for six months, then reunited them. The mother was in court for a check-in. While she stood before a judge, her son grew agitated in the children's waiting room. His cries of distress alarmed a judge, who went to investigate. The boy refused treats and toys, court staff members recalled. He was inconsolable until Rosalie trotted into the room. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The black Labrador-Golden retriever mix played fetch with the youngster, retrieving a tiny ball each time he threw it, and soon the child was giggling. When his mother arrived, he didn't want to leave. I was like, Jesus Christ, what is going on? said Barbara Schafer, an administrator for Bexar County Childrens Court, recalling the concern triggered by the boy's screams. Then she (Rosalie) shows up, and everything's good in his little world again. Thats the effect Rosalie can have on children. The 58-pound, two-year-old canine is capable of turning lights on and off, pulling a wagon and helping children piece together puzzles. The dog now has a regular gig as a source of comfort and calm for children summoned to Children's Court to testify about abuse, neglect and other traumatic experiences. Rosalie climbs onto the witness stand with anxious witnesses, sitting beside them or lying at their feet. They pet Rosalie while answering questions in front of near-strangers in an unfamiliar setting. She's a source of peace and composure when children sit for interviews with CPS investigators or prosecutors. Her handler, Kathryn "Katie" Walston, a high-risk coordinator for Children's Court, calls her an "angel." 'Unconditional love' This week, county commissioners made Rosalie's role official, approving a policy change to permit the canine to work in the courthouse as a "facility dog." Rosalie began making rounds in the building last month to get used to the new environment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She has quickly become a courthouse celebrity. "I can barely walk in from the parking garage without someone wanting to say 'hi' to her because they've heard that there's a dog at the courthouse," Walston said. "It really just changes the entire energy of the courthouse from, like, a scary, contentious place to a place with a friendly dog." In Texas, children as young as four can be brought into court as witnesses, said 37th District Court Judge Nicole Garza. It was her inspiration to bring a service canine into Children's Court. Garza owns dogs, cats and four frogs and describes herself as a big believer in the power of unconditional love and trust and tranquility that the dogs can provide." 'You're not alone' In court last week, a 17-year-old boy avoided eye contact while testifying about a painful experience that showed he needed a protective order against one of his parents, Garza said. He was teary, and he was very rigid because it was an absolutely horrific recounting of an event that should never have happened to him, the judge said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Garza called for Rosalie. As the dog approached, the teenagers body relaxed, and his face softened. During pauses in his testimony, he ran his fingers through Rosalies black fur. I know that this dog provided some relief for the child, Garza said. You've got all these strangers looking at you, and you're having to testify to a person that you've never met before, who's a stranger. But now you're not alone. Rosalie came to the courthouse from Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that provides service dogs at no cost to people with disabilities and to school, healthcare and criminal justice systems. The organization breeds service canines to be calm and affectionate. Court officials applied to Canine Companion a year ago seeking a service dog. For the first 16 to 18 months of Rosalie's life, a volunteer socialized her in a variety and public and private settings. Then the dog went through a rigorous curriculum that taught her the more than 300 commands she knows today. Walston volunteered to become Rosalie's full-time caretaker and went through extensive training to become a certified dog handler. Canine Companions tried Walston with several dogs to assess their compatibility. She was eventually matched with Rosalie. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The dog puts in 20 hours a week at the courthouse and lives with Walston, who also has a 10-year-old English labrador. Canine Companions technically owns Rosalie, but the animal will be assigned to Children's Court for the rest of its life. 'Transformational' Rosalies power to relax those around her extends beyond children. Garza witnessed a vivid example recently when she presided over a bitter child custody case. Each parent was seeking full custody of a four-year-old. At one point, the parents were "at each other's throats," arguing in the hallway, Garza recalled. Hoping to defuse the situation, the judge asked for Rosalie. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The parents' mood shifted instantly when the dog arrived. The parents just came together, Garza said. They both sat on the bench right out here and got in a photo with their child. And that's the best that we could have hoped for on that day. Unaware of the rancor on display just minutes earlier, Walston thought she was witnessing an adoption, not a custody battle. Children's Court can be an intensely unhappy and stressful place, and that's why Rosalie's presence is so valued, said Schafer, the court administrator. Michel Barnier and the newly appointed prime minister, Francois Bayrou, at the Hotel Matignon in Paris - Abdul Saboor/Reuters Emmanuel Macron has picked long-time centrist ally Francois Bayrou to be Frances new prime minister. The decision follows days of stalemate over finding a replacement for Michel Barnier, who was ousted by a no-confidence vote on Dec 4 that plunged France into a political crisis. The Elysee Palace confirmed Mr Bayrou, 73, the leader of the centrist MoDem party, after he attended an almost two-hour meeting with the French president. The Palace stated in a press release: The president of the republic has appointed Francois Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government. The decision clearly went down to the wire as Le Monde, the normally impeccably connected newspaper, had wrongly claimed that Mr Bayrou was out of the running minutes earlier after a heated exchange with Mr Macron during the meeting. Mr Bayrou was instrumental in helping Mr Macron clinch the presidency in 2017 and was an ephemeral justice minister before stepping down because of corruption charges, which were later dropped. Francois Bayrou embraces Brigitte Macron at the Elysee Palace in November 2023 - Ludovic Marin/Getty Images However, one source close to Mr Macron dubbed him a scorpion who could cause difficulties for the president. Mr Barnier, the outgoing prime minister greeted the newly-appointed prime minister during a handover ceremony at the Hotel Matignon in Paris on Friday evening. Mr Macron had struggled to pick a unifying figure capable of winning over enough MPs to get legislation through parliament, including most notably the budget. It is believed Mr Macron offered at least one senior socialist the chance to become prime minister, but they refused, according to Le Monde. The French president had also initially invited Mr Bayrou to serve as deputy prime minister to Roland Lescure, a 58-year-old Macron loyalist, but the former reacted angrily and threatened to pull his party out of Mr Macrons presidential coalition, The Times reported. Mr Macron then pivoted and offered Mr Bayrou the job. There is no guarantee that this task will be any easier now than it was in the summer, when his proposals proved untenable in the wake of snap elections in France that ended with a parliamentary deadlock. Mr Bayrou is the same age as Mr Barnier, making them the oldest successive prime ministers in modern French history. Known as the horse whisperer, he was Mr Macrons first justice minister in 2017 but resigned after a month, when the MoDem party was implicated in a fraud enquiry in the European Parliament. Five MEPs were convicted. Beyond calling the job a poison chalice, others have described Matignon, the prime ministers official residence in Paris, as hell. MoDem marred by fraud scandal Mr Bayrou is a veteran public figure who has been well-known to the French public for close to half a century. He was the countrys education minister in the mid-1990s and is currently the mayor of Pau in south-west France, still living on the farm where he was born and brought up. He particularly enjoys raising horses hence his nickname after the book by Nicolas Evans about a talented trainer. A practising Roman Catholic, Mr Bayrou has been married since he was 21 and has six children. Unlike Mr Barnier, he is also a serving MP for MoDem, which stands for Democratic Movement. Mr Bayrou was first implicated in the corruption enquiry involving his partys MEPs illegally diverting European taxpayers cash back to France in 2017. While Mr Bayrou was himself acquitted in February 2024, five of his closest lieutenants were found guilty of stealing the equivalent of about 250,000. The former MoDem MEPs received suspended prison sentences for setting up a fraudulent system that operated over a seven-year period. The MoDem leader becomes the sixth government chief of Mr Macrons presidency after the toppling of Mr Barnier, who lasted for three months in office. Each prime minister of the Macron administration has served less time than the last and there is no guarantee that the new premier will not follow this pattern. Mr Barnier was ousted in a historic no-confidence vote on Dec 4 and there had been expectations that the French president would announce his successor in an address to the nation held a day later. Mr Barnier was ousted by a vote of no confidence on Dec 4, plunging France into political crisis - Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters However, in a sign of the stalemate within French politics following inconclusive legislative elections this summer, he did not name a successor and missed the 48-hour deadline he had given at a meeting of party leaders on Tuesday. On Thursday, Mr Macron left France on a day-long trip to Poland but cut his visit short in an apparent bid to finalise the appointment. Mr Bayrous name had cropped up with increasing insistence in recent days, appearing most notably when Jean-Yves Le Drian a respected Left-leaning former defence and foreign minister confirmed that he had turned down the post as he felt too old at 78. He raised hackles on the Left as many viewed him as too aligned with Mr Macron. On the Right, he is loathed by Nicolas Sarkozy, the influential former president, for calling on supporters to vote against Mr Sarkozy in the 2012 presidential election, which he went on to lose. Other candidates including Bernard Cazeneuve, the former Socialist prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, the current defence minister, and Roland Lescure, a former industry minister proved even less consensual. The hope is that Mr Bayrou will be able to avoid another no-confidence vote and succeed in pushing through the 2025 budget in the coming weeks after market jitters over Frances worsening deficit and debt. Even before his nomination, the Leftist France Unbowed party criticised the imminent move. Preparations for the handover ceremony of the newly appointed prime minister were underway in Paris on Friday morning - Anne Renaut/Getty Images MEP Manon Aubry said: We know the prime ministers name, hes called Emmanuel Macron because its very clear, he wants to continue his policies. The political situation is disastrous, she added, saying that Mr Macron should have chosen a figure from a Left-wing New Popular Front alliance that won the most seats in July legislative elections. Opinion polls indicate that the public is fed up with the political crisis as just over two-thirds of respondents to an Elabe poll published on Wednesday said they wanted politicians to reach a deal, not to overthrow a new government. In a separate IFOP poll, Marine Le Pen, the far-Right National Rally (RN) figurehead, was credited with 35 per cent support in the first round of a future presidential election, which was well ahead of any probable opponent. On March 31, Ms Le Pen will face the verdict of an embezzlement trial on charges she denies. If convicted, she could lose the chance to stand in the 2027 elections and miss her best chance yet of winning the keys to the Elysee Palace. Her rivals allege that she is bent on bringing down successive governments to force Mr Macron to resign so that fresh presidential elections can be held ahead of the verdict, granting her immunity if she wins. Mr Bayrou said on Friday he was acutely aware of the scale of Frances financial and political problems. He said at a handover ceremony with Mr Barnier: No one knows better than me the difficulty of the situation. I am fully aware of the Himalayas that loom ahead of us, he said of the budget deficit now at 6.1 per cent of GDP. It was unclear who he would put in his government. Laurent Wauquiez, the leader of Frances conservative Republicans party, said it would decide whether to join after Mr Bayrou presents his political programme. The Socialists said they would remain in opposition. However, unlike the hard-Left France Unbowed party, they would not back a fresh no-confidence motion as long as Mr Bayrou agrees not to ram laws through without a parliamentary vote or not to rely on support from RN. Ms Le Pen, who helped bring down the Barnier government, said she would not oust the new one on certain conditions, namely no higher taxes and energy prices, or delisting of drugs and increased state medical aid. She said on X: We are asking (Bayrou) to do what his predecessor was unwilling to do: listen to the opposition and build a reasonable, well-considered budget. Marcus Wareing and Gregg Wallace during finals week - BBC Gregg who? Disgraced judge Gregg Wallace was a mere sideshow as MasterChef: The Professionals (BBC One) reached an emotional crescendo. Presumably, this was the last time well ever see Wallace on the BBC. Cooking doesnt get tougher than this. Nor does showbiz. In the wake of multiple allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct against Wallace - not to mention serious questions about why action wasnt taken much sooner - the BBC dropped MasterChefs Christmas specials from the schedules. However, it pressed on with this ongoing series, rejecting calls to pull the climactic episodes off-air. This amazing competition, which is life-changing for the chefs taking part, is continuing as planned, confirmed a Corporation spokesperson. You can see their point. Why should promising talents sacrifice their moment in the spotlight for Wallaces idiotic indiscretions? This was the third and last leg of Finals Week. Wallace was barely visible in the previous two instalments, both filmed largely on location. He lurked in the background like the cancelled elephant in the room. One sensed that an editors scissors had been judiciously used to minimise his presence. Besides, the fruity veg supplier has always felt surplus to requirements in this upmarket branch of the foodie franchise. With chefs Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti as expert judges, why add an under-qualified Humpty Dumpty lookalike to bellow about big flavours? Ingredients expert, glorified greengrocer, not the Aussie, the other one - whatever you call him, Wallace hardly earns his place. Whispery narrator Sean Pertwee does all the links and heavy lifting. Rather than dominating proceedings with his trademark grinning, grunting and gurning, Wallace was reduced to an occasional irritant. A background whiff of Wallace, not the full hard-boiled Gregg. However, with this final cook-off taking place back at MasterChef HQ, there was nowhere for programme-makers Banijay UK to hide him. Happily, Gregg-gate didnt become a grubby distraction from a thrilling denouement. The final four, Gaston, Chiara, George and Dan on MasterChef: The Professionals - Shrine TV Over the past seven weeks, 32 of the countrys top young chefs had been whittled down to just three. Now they had three hours to deliver three courses in the decisive cook-off. It was tense. It was slickly put together. It was dizzyingly high quality. Wareing said this was the best final hed ever experienced and we believed him. This wasnt hyperbole, it was appreciation of Michelin standard skill. The least experienced of the trio and last woman standing, Chiara Tomasoni, continued to daringly fuse her Italian roots with produce from her adopted home of Devon. She ended up a bay leaf away from contention. Comeback king George Birtwel, the Burnley boy who survived multiple setbacks during the series, delivered three outstanding courses when it mattered. Either would have been a worthy winner in any other year. Both were outshone by Worcestershire-born, Lancashire-based senior sous chef Dan Merriman. It has become a talent show cliche to describe these competitions as life-changing but for Merriman, it truly was. He arrived in the MasterChef kitchen as shy and lacking confidence. A year ago, he seriously considered giving up. The past seven weeks had reignited Merrimans passion. The humble figure had visibly grown in stature. Masterchef proved a life changing experience for winner Dan Merriman - BBC He produced three flavour-driven and technically ambitious plates that left the judges near-speechless. When Merriman was announced as champion, his lip wobbled. Even the fearsome Galetti, who saw greatness in him, looked damp-eyed with pride. As he lifted the coveted trophy, it was enough to melt the hardest heart at home. A few of Wallaces interjections should have been left on the cutting room floor. When he asked Birtwell to pass on a message to his mother and girlfriend, it induced a shudder. When Wallace cooed about falling in love with your truffle ketchup and wanting to dip my chips in it, it suddenly sounded uncomfortably smutty. The entire MasterChef brand is now in flux. The BBC has commissioned the show until 2028, and production is about to relocate from London to a new state-of-the-art studio in Birmingham. Wallaces career implosion seems like the ideal time to reboot: new hosts, tweaked format, and a fresh start. This final left an aftertaste of unfairness that Merrimans triumph was even partly overshadowed by Wallaces tawdry fall from grace. The feeling lingered that he should have been jettisoned years ago regardless of the recent furore. Come back, Loyd Grossman and your mangled mid-Atlantic vowels, all is forgiven. Young men were seen exiting small boats and making their way onto land on Thursday - GARETH FULLER More than 600 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats on Thursday in the busiest December day on record. The 609 people made the crossing in nine dinghies, bringing the total of small boat arrivals so far this year to 34,582, up from 29,090 in 2023 but 23 per cent down on 2022. This is the highest number recorded in a single day in December since records began in 2018. It is the highest daily total since Oct 18, when 647 migrants arrived. On average, nearly 68 migrants crammed into each flimsy dinghy, despite a series of drownings this year that has seen the death toll past 70 compared with just 12 last year. There have only been three days of crossing as a result of the continuous storms. Thursdays crossing was the first since Dec 4. A Downing Street spokesman said of course these numbers need to be reduced in the wake of the figures. Cutting migration numbers and overhauling the broken asylum system was a priority for the Government. He added: We put in place a serious credible plan to bring order to the asylum system by smashing smuggling gangs through our new Border Security Command, tackling the problem upstream with greater international collaboration and ramping up returns of those with no right to be here. It comes after National Crime Agency (NCA) chiefs revealed they have opened talks with China to persuade them to stop exporting engines used for small boats. Graeme Biggar, the director general of the NCA, revealed on Thursday he had started conversations with the Chinese whose outboard motor manufacturers are the main suppliers of engines used on the dinghies crossing the Channel. No 10 said that the number of migrants had to reduce and blamed a broken asylum system - Henry Nicholls/Getty The NCA seized 450 engines since early 2023, the bulk of which have been produced in China, transported to Turkey and then, with the makeshift dinghies, taken to Germany where they are stored before being used in Channel crossings. The Home Office and NCA are working with the EU to introduce regulations across Europe that would make it a civil offence to be caught in possession of an unseaworthy boat either sneaking it across a border or transporting it across Europe. Germany this week pledged to tighten its law to make it easier to prosecute people smugglers enabling Channel crossings to Britain, as part of a new deal signed between the two countries on tackling immigration crime. The move is expected to give German prosecutors more powers to tackle the supply and storage of dangerous boats being used in the crossings. The latest so-called Calais Group meeting took place in London on Tuesday, with ministers and police from the UK, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands agreeing a plan to tackle people smuggling gangs in 2025. The UK Government has suspended making decisions on asylum applications from Syrians following the collapse of the Assad regime. Baroness Cass is the author of a landmark report into the treatment of children with gender dysphoria - Yui Mok/PA MPs who oppose the ban on puberty blockers are spreading irresponsible misinformation, Baroness Cass has said. The peer accused Labour and Green Party backbenchers of misunderstanding medical evidence after they criticised the new ban on the drugs. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, announced on Wednesday that puberty blockers would no longer be given to children who want to change gender. But the drugs, formally known as Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues, will still be prescribed for early-onset puberty and cancer treatment. That prompted allegations that the Governments ban would be used as an attack on trans young people in the House of Commons. Alex Sobel, the Labour MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, said: Can he assure me that this will be for all under-18s and this is not just for those with gender dysphoria? Otherwise, and he well knows this, that this will be used as an attack on trans young people. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, announced the puberty blocker ban on children who want to change their gender - Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing Sian Berry, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, added: Does he understand that this is at heart, discriminatory? Speaking to The Times, Lady Cass, the author of a landmark report into the treatment of children with gender dysphoria, said misinformation about the ban had been spread and it was irresponsible for people to shroud-wave in that way. What is worrying is when people say that if children dont get these drugs, they will die because clearly, thats not true, she said. The peer added: Its not based on discrimination. Its based on science and certainty about safety and effectiveness. Baroness Cass: What is worrying is when people say that if children dont get these drugs, they will die because clearly, thats not true. - Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing Lady Cass said the single biggest piece of misinformation about puberty blockers was that they were a one-size-fits-all solution for children with gender dysphoria. I think thats the biggest misunderstanding, that this is one group of young people that all need the same answer, she said. The drugs were banned after an independent report by the Commission on Human Medicines found that there is currently an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children. The drugs, which stop the onset of puberty and had been routinely given to children questioning their gender, will now only be available through a clinical trial run by the NHS. The ban applies to all NHS and private practices in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, despite health being a devolved matter. NHS England said that it closes a loophole that posed a risk to the safety of children and young people. Federal opposition leader Peter Dutton unveiling costings of the Coalitions proposed nuclear energy plan in Brisbane on Friday. Photograph: Russell Freeman/AAP Peter Dutton is promising power bills will be 44% cheaper under his $331bn nuclear energy plan, but the modelling relies on demand not increasing as much as the government expects, despite the growing popularity of electric vehicles and energy-hungry technologies. Dutton claimed on Friday his plan to introduce nuclear energy in Australia would keep the lights on at a lower cost than the Labor governments renewables-reliant transition. This is a plan which will underpin the economic success of our country for the next century, Dutton said in Brisbane on Friday. This will make electricity reliable. It will make it more consistent. It will make it cheaper for Australians and it will help us decarbonise as a trading economy as we must. Dutton also foreshadowed immediate energy relief if he won next years election as he presented the Frontier Economics modelling on the plan to establish nuclear reactors at seven sites across Australia. Its incredibly important people get help now, and were determined to do that, he said. The Coalitions modelling suggests its nuclear plan would cost $331bn over 25 years. The opposition argues that is $263bn less than Labors renewables-transition plan to deliver Australia to net zero emissions by 2050. It presents two models with different emissions levels and suggests the Coalitions plan is cheaper than Labors under both scenarios. However, the modelling assumes demand for electricity would not increase as much as the government expects, despite the increasing use of energy-hungry artificial intelligence and the growing popularity of electric vehicles. Related: Clergy abuse survivors hit out at moves to ban protests outside Australian places of worship The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, called this a fatal error and the plan a complete farce. It is a dangerous error because it is risky, Bowen said on Friday. It runs the risk of leaving Australians short of the energy they need. Bowen told the ABC the Coalition was asking people to believe it could introduce the most expensive form of energy and it will end up being cheaper. It wont pass the pub test, it wont pass the sniff test, because we know it is just a fantasy. The oppositions energy spokesperson, Ted OBrien, said the Coalition believed the governments demand profile was too high. We believe, in fact, it could never be achieved, because as Labor continues to build out this fantastical program that it has, prices are only going to keep going through the roof, OBrien said. Businesses wont even be here to use the electricity they suggest is going to be used. OBrien accused the government of forcing people to switch to electric vehicles and confirmed the modelling was based on a much lower take-up rate. It also assumes that locating nuclear power plants at retiring coal-plant sites reduces the new transmission infrastructure required and that laws could be changed across the country to overturn current bans on nuclear energy. Under the Coalitions plan, nuclear energy would account for 38% of Australias energy needs by 2050, with renewables covering 54% and the final 8% coming from a combination of storage and gas. The Albanese governments policy is to get to 82% renewables by 2030. Dutton argues his plan would be 44% cheaper over 25 years than Labors plan to transition to a system substantially reliant on renewable energy. We have looked at the mix, and the mix will be about how we achieve that cost reduction, Dutton said. And 44% cheaper than Labors power prices over the course of decades ahead, I think, will be an incredibly significant difference between the two parties. The modelling does not compare like with like, however. The 44% reduction in costs is based on comparing two different scenarios for developing the grid, rather than the same scenario with and without nuclear. Labors preferred scenario, for example, sees 45% greater electricity demand than the Coalitions. In a preliminary report published last month, Frontier put the cost of Labors transition plan at about $600bn. Bowen told reporters on Friday there were two further fatal errors in the Coalitions modelling. He noted it assumed that introducing nuclear energy would cost $30 a megawatt hour when the CSIRO and the government regulator, Aemo, have said it would be more like $145 to $238. The energy minister also pointed to the Coalitions accusation that the government would over-build infrastructure and its claim that nuclear power would need fewer transmission lines. If they are to be taken seriously, they need to outline exactly what transmission lines they would cancel, Bowen said. New research from the CSIRO, published this week, suggests nuclear energy would cost twice as much as an energy grid dominated by renewables with firming support. The Frontier modelling assumes the first nuclear power plant could be operating by 2036. Many experts, including the CSIRO, have dismissed the Coalitions assumption that a large-scale nuclear reactor could be generating electricity by then. The CSIRO has said it would take a minimum of 15 years for Australia to establish the necessary legal and regulatory functions for nuclear and then finance, commission and build a working reactor. Related: Inside PNGs NRL deal: how the licence was won and what comes next | Jack Snape Nicki Hutley, an economist with the Climate Council, said the Coalition was misleading Australians regarding the true cost of nuclear power. Nuclear doesnt add up for Australia, Hutley said. The CSIRO tells us that nuclear energy will cost twice as much as renewables and the risks of further budget and bill blowouts are simply not worth it. International experience has proven that nuclear is a financial black hole, with the average project costing more than double its original estimate. The Minerals Council of Australia welcomed the Coalition modelling. We cannot afford to wait any longer to kickstart the work on developing a civilian nuclear energy option, the council said in a statement. The time to act is now every delay risks missing out on clean, reliable and affordable energy that Australians urgently need for the future. Under Labors plan, almost all coal-fired power is due to leave the system within 10 years. On Frontiers modelling, the Coalition would only retire a third of existing coal capacity by then. The federal Greens leader, Adam Bandt, called the plan a radioactive risk. Peter Duttons nuclear delusion is a dangerous con job. Its just a cover-up for more coal and its a threat to peoples safety. Clare Savage, the chair of the Australian Energy Regulator, has said ageing coal plants are increasingly leading to outages. She has warned they cannot be relied on until theoretical nuclear plants came online, putting the grid at risk if the renewable energy rollout slows. Prince Andrew pictured with the alleged spy known as H6, whose face has been blurred as he is the subject of a court anonymity order Chinese money given to the Duke of York is being investigated by the security services, The Telegraph can disclose. Prince Andrews business venture is understood to have received money from Chinese donors with links to an alleged Communist party spy. The disclosure comes after it emerged on Thursday that the alleged spy, described as a close confidant of the Duke in court documents, had been banned from the UK on national security grounds. In his first comments on the scandal on Friday night, the Duke insisted that he ceased all contact with the alleged spy after concerns were raised, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. The Duke of York during a visit by Xi Jinping and his wife at Imperial College London in 2015 - Getty However, the case raises serious questions for the Duke over how he funds a lavish lifestyle that includes the upkeep on Royal Lodge, his 30-room home at Windsor, and his own private security. The Telegraph can disclose that Buckingham Palace has no way of scrutinising the Dukes finances, including the money used for the upkeep of Royal Lodge, which is owned by the Crown Estate. Sources said the palace had no power, authority or legal right to do so and that all palace officials could do was seek assurances that the Dukes money was legitimately earned. It can also be revealed that the King was made aware of the MI5 investigation into his brother and his links to the alleged Chinese agent before the bombshell judgment which exposed their friendship. The latest scandal to beset the Duke is likely to have contributed to the Kings decision earlier in the year to cut his brother off from all funding. Buckingham Palace declined to say when the King was told about the MI5 investigation into the alleged spy but royal sources pointed out that the Duke was no longer privately supported by the King. It is not known how the Duke pays for the upkeep of 30-bedroom Royal Lodge - Stephanie Schaerer / Daily Mail It is likely that the domestic intelligence agency informed the Royal household through Lord Parker, who was Lord Chamberlain up until a month ago and before that MI5s director general. The alleged spy, known only as H6, is a former junior civil servant in China who is accused of working for the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an arm of the Chinese state used to gather intelligence, recruit agents and buy influence abroad. This was much more than just gathering information Whitehall sources have told The Telegraph that the UFWD used financial inducements to gain access and buy influence in the West, engaging in deceptive acts. A source said: The UFWD does influence. This is much more than just gathering sensitive information. The Telegraph has been told that money received by Prince Andrew was being investigated. The alleged Chinese spy was also invited into Buckingham Palace by the Duke of York, according to reports. The suspected spy attended the Palace on two occasions. He also attended a function at St Jamess Palace and an event at Windsor Castle, the Times newspaper reported. The Prince launched an initiative across China called Pitch@Palace, which ran Dragons Den-style business competitions operated for profits. The Telegraph can disclose that H6 was connected to Pitch@Palaces Chinese operations. Any profits made from the business venture are subject to scrutiny by the security services. The Dukes Pitch@Palace ventures in China were intended as money-making ventures - Xinhua/Alamy Live News Prince Andrew launched Pitch@Palace in the UK on a not-for-profit basis in 2014. Two years later, he launched overseas versions, including in China, which were run to make to money. It is unclear when he met H6. But sources have pointed to a series of speeches and comments given by Prince Andrew in which he encouraged British businesses to invest in China. H6 was so close to Prince Andrew that he had been told he could act on the Dukes behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, according to court documents. He was even invited to the Dukes birthday party in 2020, and was described by the judges overseeing the case as a close confidant of the Duke. Buckingham Palace has let its despair be known over the latest scandal. Royal sources said they were made aware of the court case against H6 and that his close association with the Duke was eventually going to emerge. The King was told at the appropriate juncture through appropriate government channels. The cost of maintenance on Royal Lodge and Prince Andrews security bill is thought to add up to millions of pounds a year. The Duke has had longstanding money problems, including taking money from Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted child sex offender who killed himself while awaiting trial on fresh charges in 2019. On Friday night, a statement was released from the Dukes office insisting he had cut off all contact with H6 after receiving advice from the Government. It said: The Duke of York followed advice from HMG [the Government] and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. The Duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security. The Duke of York shares a toast with Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, at The Guildhall in London - Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images The Home Office decided to ban H6, who is 50, from the UK in July 2023 after MI5 deemed him to be an agent who had engaged in covert and deceptive activity on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and that he likely posed a threat to national security. Two judges for the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) on Thursday ruled that the Home Office was justified in keeping him out of the country. H6 is contesting that decision and denies he is a spy or agent for the CCP. However, his identity has remained secret. SIAC initially granted H6 anonymity but this was lifted by the judges to take effect from Thursday. H6 appealed the lifting of the anonymity order and was granted interim relief, meaning the High Court could decide at a future date whether he should be named. A hearing could be as early as next week. Dukes position extremely embarrassing On Friday night, senior Tories including Suella Braverman, the former Home Secretary, demanded that H6 should lose his anonymity. Mrs Braverman was Home Secretary when H6 was barred from entry in 2023. Mrs Braverman said: We know that China is using all means necessary, particularly espionage and exploiting vulnerabilities in the UK to get access to state secrets and other sensitive information that can harm our national security. So disclosing the identity of this person will have a deterrent effect on others taking part in similar activities but it will also ensure full transparency is afforded to this issue of utmost national security importance. The Dukes precarious position was further undermined when Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, said his involvement with H6 was extremely embarrassing, and demonstrated how the Chinese state was trying to seek influence and interfere in Britains affairs. Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, has said Chinas ambition was to secure influence over foreign countries - Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph The United Front Work Department, which is a branch of the Communist Party, is seeking influence across the UK in everything across social, academic, financial, industrial, and various other ways, Mr Tugendhat said. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy said: Some people in the UK are so keen on making up all kinds of spy stories against China. This again is a typical case of the thief crying catch thief. Their purpose is to smear China and sabotage normal people-to-people exchanges between China and the UK. We strongly condemn this. Anthony Odiong in November 2023. Photograph: YouTube page of St Anthony of Padua church of Luling, Louisiana A Roman Catholic priest who served under the command of church officials in Texass capital and Louisianas most famous city is tentatively scheduled to plead guilty Monday in connection to charges that he allegedly abused his position of clerical authority to pursue sex with spiritually vulnerable women whom he encountered during his work, according to criminal court records online. However, attorneys on both sides of the case pending against Anthony Odiong who was understood to be mulling a plea deal in recent weeks emphasized the tentative nature of the hearing set for Monday morning. Details about exactly what Odiong would plead guilty to if the hearing actually took place or what his sentence may be were unavailable on Friday. A statement from the Waco, Texas, district attorneys office, which is prosecuting Odiong, said: The case is pending so we cannot discuss it. Plea settings are common and may or may not result in a plea. At this point there is nothing to report. Multiple people were ready to deliver victim impact statements with respect to the charges against Odiong if the hearing proceeds, court officials told the Waco Tribune newspaper. But Odiongs attorney, Gerald Villarrial, on Friday said his client had not signed plea papers. He acknowledged the scheduling of Mondays hearing, though he said he had no other comment. Fridays news about Odiong came after authorities in late November revealed in court that he had fathered at least two children with women on whom he had preyed. Authorities considered the children proof that Odiong had a pattern of pursuing women he met in his role as a priest, which in Texas is a felony. Related: Catholic priest accused of sexual assault fathered children of victims, court hears DNA evidence shows a greater than 99.99% chance that Odiong, 55, fathered a child of one of the women, and continued a sexual relationship with her within the last year, according to testimony at that hearing from Waco police detective Bradley DeLange. The hearing concluded with the judge presiding over Odiongs case, Thomas West, denying the clergymans request to reduce his $5.5m bond. Odiong faces five charges of sexual assault in the first degree and two more such counts in the second degree stemming from encounters with three women. DeLange testified in November that he had confirmed about 10 alleged victims of Odiong across the US and abroad. There is no indication that any of the three women at the center of the charges against Odiong are the mothers of his children. Authorities have said one of the children lives in the US, and the Guardian understands the other lives in Odiongs native Nigeria. Odiong was arrested within months of the Guardian having published a report detailing prior allegations against the clergyman that ranged from sexual coercion and unwanted touching to abusive financial control. All came from women who had met him through his work. Sworn police statements show that the Guardian reporting from February prompted a woman to walk into the Waco police department in March and allege that Odiong had sexually assaulted her in 2012. DeLanges ensuing investigation found evidence to suggest Odiong would position himself as a spiritual adviser to women navigating personal problems, particularly marital ones and then exploit his closeness to them. He allegedly coerced at least one of the women he was charged with assaulting into sexual intercourse. With respect to at least one of the other victims, Odiong allegedly convinced her to submit to anal sex with her husband despite it going against her personal faith, and allegedly made her tell him about it. Related: They covered up child rape: how the New Orleans archdiocese protected a priest who preyed on children Furthermore, detectives combing through Odiongs messages via text, email and social media have said they found digital child-abuse imagery in his possession. They say they have chosen not to file formal child-abuse imagery charges to focus on the sexual assault aspect of the case. Texas law allowed authorities to charge Odiong without regard to how many years had passed since his alleged crimes because of the sheer number of accusers in the case, even if not all produced charges. Police arrested Odiong at a home where he was living in the planned community of Ave Maria, Florida, on 16 July. He was unable to make the bail subsequently set for him. Odiong was ordained into the Catholic priesthood in the diocese of Uyo, Nigeria, in 1993. In 2006, the bishop of Austin, Texas, at the time Gregory Aymond allowed Odiong to transfer into the clerical ranks there and work. After a stint of apparent studying in Rome, Odiong in 2015 gained permission to work within the archdiocese of New Orleans, where Aymond had been appointed archbishop six years earlier, according to church documents obtained by the Guardian. There, at the St Anthony of Padua church in the community of Luling, Louisiana, Odiong fostered a large following by touting a special closeness to the Virgin Mary as well as hosting special masses, after which some congregants maintained they had recovered from major medical ailments. He raised enough money to build a healing chapel in tribute to the Virgin Mary at St Anthony. The fourth anniversary of the chapels opening was on Thursday, which was also a Catholic feast day commemorating a purported apparition by the Virgin Mary to a Mexican peasant in 1531. Officials within the diocese of Austin whose region includes Waco said they notified Odiong in 2019 that their institution had gotten complaints regarding [his] behavior with adult women. The organization claimed it then told Odiong he did not have permission to engage in priestly ministry in the diocese of Austin, even on a temporary basis and that a violation of these restrictions could necessitate making them public. The notification to Odiong, therefore, implied that the church chose to keep the allegations against him secret from congregants at the time. Austin church officials reported immediately notifying their counterparts in New Orleans about the allegations against Odiong. But, after one of Odiongs accusers had reported him to church officials in New Orleans hoping they would at least suspend him from ministry there, the archdioceses legal counsel issued a letter as late as November 2023 claiming we do not have other similar allegations against Odiong, according to copies of the correspondence obtained and reviewed by the Guardian. Nonetheless, just one month later, the archdiocese abruptly suspended Odiong from ministry, at last announcing that allegations of misconduct with multiple women had forced the organization to remove him from his role at St Anthony in Luling. Odiong at the time sought to falsely persuade his parishioners that his removal resulted from his opposition to efforts endorsed by Pope Francis to make the church more welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community. The recipient of the New Orleans archdioceses November 2023 letter about Odiong, and her attorney, Kristi Schubert, have demanded damages from church officials as part of an unresolved bankruptcy-protection case that the organization opened in 2020 after years of grappling with litigation mostly related to clergy abuse targeting children. Related: New Orleans clergy abuse: details emerge after retired priest admits to kidnapping and child rape Revelations spurred by that bankruptcy triggered a Louisiana state police investigation which is continuing into whether the church ran a child sex-trafficking ring in New Orleans that inflicted widespread abuse of minors dating back decades that was illicitly covered up, according to statements sworn under oath by authorities. If he indeed pleads as scheduled, Odiong would be the second priest to have served Lulings St Anthony of Padua in the past to plead guilty to sexual violence in a matter of two weeks. On 3 December, retired Catholic priest Lawrence Hecker pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping and raping a boy in 1975 at a New Orleans church known colloquially as Little Flower. Hecker who served at St Anthony in 1974, according to his personnel records is tentatively set to receive a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment two days after Odiong is due in court Monday. Hecker is among three archdiocese of New Orleans clerics to plead guilty to sexually violent crimes since the organization filed for federal bankruptcy protection in 2020 while trying to limit its financial liability with respect to hundreds of claims of clergy abuse, mostly of the victimization of children. In December 2022, just outside New Orleans, deacon Virgil Maxey VM Wheeler pleaded guilty to molesting a 12-year-old boy in the early 2000s in suburban Metairie, Louisiana, before his ordination. He died from pancreatic cancer in April 2023 while serving five years probation. Meanwhile, at a courthouse in Covington, Louisiana, north of New Orelans, Patrick Wattigny pleaded guilty to molesting two minors whom he met through his work as a priest, and received a five-year prison sentence. Keir Starmer used to serve as a human rights lawyer - Alberto Pezzali/Reuters When British politicians talk about what makes Britain great, they love to talk about the rule of law, that vaunted principle which sets us apart from our competitors overseas. In reality, they should be talking about rule by lawyers instead, as ever-larger areas of our society and economy are dominated by meddlesome legal practitioners. Much ink has already been spilt about Labours record on criminal justice and rightly so. The ticking time-bomb of early prisoner releases has been accompanied by a raft of new cases which expose the rot at the heart of our asylum system. For years now, human rights lawyers have prevented the Home Office from deporting dangerous foreign criminals, a trend which has only grown more concerning as asylum claims have increased. But Britains rule by lawyers extends well beyond the criminal sphere. Increasingly, lawyers are dictating how we run our economy too. Perhaps the most pernicious manifestation of this new legal stranglehold on our economy is the explosion in opt-out class action cases, highlighted by the Adam Smith Institutes recent Judge Dread report. In these cases, thousands of claimants are represented, without their knowledge and without the need to prove individual harm. Thanks to rules passed by Parliament in 2015, law firms can now challenge businesses based on speculative harms, with costs running into the billions. This class action boom has been powered by the rise in third-party litigation funding, a lightly-regulated mechanism which allows investment funds to cover the cost of legal proceedings, in exchange for a large portion of the compensation. As such, the biggest beneficiaries of class action cases are not usually individual claimants its opportunist funds. Back in October, the UK saw its largest ever class action case, led by law firm Pogust Goodhead and funded by Gramercy. The High Court is considering proceedings against Australian mining firm BHP, which could be slapped with a 36 billion bill, split between as many as 600,000 claimants, following an ecological disaster in Brazil. BHP has already settled with the Brazilian authorities, with a compensation agreement worth 24.4 billion, so why are taxpayer resources being spent on this? But BHP isnt the only business losing out. Just last week, reports emerged that Microsoft is facing an opt-out class action case worth 1 billion with thousands of UK businesses set to receive payouts, whether or not they wish to bring a case against the tech giant. Mastercard, meanwhile, has recently reached a settlement worth 200 million, over allegations that the company was imposing unfairly high transaction fees on consumers. For businesses around the world, these cases send out a clear signal do not invest in Britain, do not expand in Britain, do not innovate in Britain. Should any planned expansion go awry, major players in the global economy now know that they could be on the hook for billions of pounds. Why take the risk? Whispers from Whitehall indicate that the Prime Minister is frustrated with the fetters that his Government faces, with civil servants, quangos, and the judiciary all conspiring to block government action. If he wants to take back control of the British state, and provide an injection of confidence to businesses, Starmer could start by tackling the influence of lawyers over our economy and border security. Alas, Im not holding my breath. Much is made of the Prime Ministers own legal background, but he has also appointed a host of legal maximalists to senior positions in government. The Governments Attorney-General, Lord Hermer, is a former class-action specialist, who also argued on behalf of Shamima Begum in her 2021 case. New Solicitor-General Lucy Rigby also has a history of class-action involvement, while Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has shown little desire to protect business confidence at a time when our economy desperately needs investment. At a time when we should be seeking to maximise growth and investment here in Britain, rule by lawyers is preventing politicians and businesses alike from getting our country moving again. Theres no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater we can maintain the legal consistency and certainty that has made us an attractive destination for centuries, without surrendering our economy whole-cloth to the silks. Shamima Begum is still in a detainment camp - Alba Sotorra David Haines, Alan Henning, James Foley, and Steven Sotloff. Four names etched in our collective memory, lost to the brutality of ISIL in Syria in 2014. Their murders were not just personal tragedies but acts of barbarism that shocked the world. The grief of their families is unquantifiable, their lives extinguished by a regime that represented the nadir of human depravity. It is our duty to remember them and to ensure their suffering was not in vain. The Islamic State group left a trail of devastation that is staggering in its scope. Between 2002 and 2015, ISIL murdered 33,000 people, injured 41,000, and kidnapped 11,000 more. At its height in 2014, this so-called caliphate controlled a swath of territory across Syria and Iraq the size of South Korea. Even after its territorial collapse, ISILs mission of terror persists. In 2022, it was responsible for more fatalities from terrorism than any other group globally. Its agenda was unambiguous: territorial domination, governance under a draconian interpretation of Sharia law, and the annihilation of all who opposed it. It was into this furnace of violence and fanaticism that Shamima Begum, a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Bethnal Green, willingly stepped in February 2015. After deceiving her parents and stealing her sisters passport, the straight A student boarded a plane from Gatwick to Istanbul, en route to Syria. She joined ISIL, pledged allegiance to its cause, and married an ISIL fighter. Over the next four years, she remained embedded within this terrorist state, losing three children in the process. Begums plight has sparked passionate debate, with many arguing that she was too young to understand her actions, that she was exploited and trafficked, that she has suffered enough and that she is our problem. These arguments, while emotionally compelling, falter when confronted with the grim reality of what British citizenship entails and the enduring threat Begum represents. Citizenship is not merely a legal status; it is a covenant, a mutual agreement that binds individuals to the nation and its values. To betray that covenant so egregiously as to join a terrorist organisation dedicated to Britains destruction is to forfeit the privilege of citizenship. Allowing Begum to return would dishonour the sacrifices of British soldiers who fought and died to preserve our freedoms. It would send a message to the world that our values can be trampled with impunity. The legal basis underlying Begums case is unambiguous. In 2019, then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped her of her citizenship, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. The evidence presented by MI5 was compelling: Begum posed a clear and present security risk. This risk was deemed unmanageable within the UK, outweighing considerations of her age or claims of trafficking. It was not a decision made lightly but one rooted in the paramount need to protect British lives. Having worked with MI5, I wholeheartedly supported their assessment. It is also important to address the argument of statelessness. Critics claim that depriving Begum of her British citizenship leaves her without a home. While this is undoubtedly a harsh consequence, it is not one imposed arbitrarily. The Court found that the security risks she posed outweighed any claim to the benefits of citizenship. Statelessness is a grave condition, but the UK has no obligation to extend the privileges of citizenship to individuals who align themselves with terror. There are currently 4 million stateless people worldwide they are supported by agencies but they do not enjoy the benefits of citizenship. No country owes citizenship outright. Begums own words provide a chilling insight into her mindset. She has justified the Manchester Arena bombing as retaliation, a statement that underscores the ideological alignment she maintained with ISIL. While her youth at the time of her departure cannot be ignored, it does not absolve her of responsibility. She made her decision knowingly and maintained her allegiance for four years. These were not the actions of someone coerced but of someone committed. The case of Shamima Begum is not just a legal matter but a moral and national one. To allow her return would be to undermine the integrity of British citizenship and jeopardise the safety of the public. It would betray the memory of those who have perished at the hands of ISIL and the soldiers who fought to dismantle its terror. Begums story is a cautionary tale, a stark reminder of the perils of radicalisation and the devastating consequences of misguided choices. But it is also a line in the sand. For our security, for our values, and for the memory of those we lost, Shamima Begum must never be allowed back. The cost of our vigilance is high, but the price of complacency is far greater. Donald Trump, the president-elect, is not interested in a new war that would involve the US military - Jabin Botsford/AP Donald Trump, the incoming US president, is said to be considering an American attack on Irans nuclear sites. An attack is now under more serious review, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited anonymous sources, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Irans advancement of its nuclear programme. Mr Trump reportedly expressed concern to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, over an Iranian nuclear breakout on his watch, two people familiar with their conversation said. The president-elect is not interested in a new war that would involve the US military, the report added, meaning Mr Trump is looking at several options. One course of action would be sending more US forces, warplanes and ships to the Middle East as well as directing bunker-busting bombs to Israel to put military pressure on Iran. Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president, looks on as a Qasem Soleimani missile is displayed at their annual military parade - ATTA KENARE/Getty Images Experts widely believe that Israel need the American bunker-busting bombs to launch an efficient strike against Irans nuclear sites, some of which are deep underground and hard to penetrate with conventional bombs. Another option is to use a combination of military threats and US sanctions to force Iran into a diplomatic solution. The latter was part of Mr Trumps maximum pressure campaign during his first presidency that did not yield any result. As Mr Trump continues to weigh up his options, it has been reported that the Israeli military sees it as a golden opportunity for an attack against Irans nuclear sites. According to Israeli media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is increasing its readiness for an attack in the wake of Assads fall in Syria, which has left the Iranian axis weak. The reactor building of Irans nuclear power plant and electricity poles at Bushehr - Vahid Salemi/Getty Images The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran shows centrifuge machines in the Natanz uranium enrichment facility - Atomic Energy Organization of Iran/AP The IDF said that it now has total air superiority over Syria after destroying Assads air defence systems, adding: The Syrian air defence array is one of the strongest in the Middle East and the blow caused to it is a significant achievement for the air forces superiority in the region. The time to strike is therefore ripe from a military perspective as it gives Israeli fighter jets a clear path to Iran. Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly warned that he will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, issuing multiple military threats over the years. On Thursday, he spoke again to the Iranian people in a video message and said they would soon be free from the regime, in what appeared to be another hint that Israel wants to remove Irans Islamic administration. Mr Netanyahu added: Women, life, freedom, zan, zendegi, azadi. That is the future of Iran. That is the future of peace. And I have no doubt that we will realise that future together a lot sooner than people think. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is asking lawmakers for $300 million to improve the agencys complicated Medicaid application process. If granted, it could mean more than 1,000 new workers and millions spent upgrading a decades-old computer system to make it easier for Texans to apply for Medicaid health insurance for adults and children, food stamps and other programs. Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images In Texas, health advocates often find themselves playing defense to encourage leaders to preserve the states relatively frugal public service offerings while also pushing for more. Thats why a $300 million ask to lawmakers next year from the states social services agency the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to improve the agencys complicated Medicaid application process has thrilled the states nonprofit policy groups. If granted, it could mean more than 1,000 new workers and millions spent upgrading a decades-old computer system to make it easier for Texans to apply for Medicaid health insurance for adults and children, food stamps and other programs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This move could allow vulnerable Texans to be enrolled in these critical programs in weeks rather than the months theyre experiencing now. That very much stands out for us, said Peter Clark, spokesperson for Texans Care For Children, which advocates on behalf of Texas children and families and has put improvements to the states Medicaid eligibility system at the top of its list for state lawmakers when the Legislature convenes in January. The agency-initiated request is a response to the incredible backlog of applications for Medicaid and food stamps after the federal unwinding of a pandemic-era policy that suspended the need for periodic renewal of benefits. Hundreds of thousands of Texans lost their Medicaid coverage because they didnt get their renewal applications filed quick enough or they were procedurally removed from the program because of paperwork issues. In its legislative appropriations request, the agency notes that federal rules require food stamp applications be reviewed within 30 days and Medicaid applicants within 45 days. Since 2019, that has not been the case. As of Nov. 22, the wait time for a Medicaid application for an adult or child to be processed was 71 days and 131,869 applications were waiting to be completed. As of Dec. 5, the wait time was slightly improved at 59 days. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The TIERS eligibility system has suffered significant neglect due to the exceptional demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agencys request to the Legislature states. Fully funding this request provides the level of resourcing needed to keep up with routine demands, and allows (state tech workers) to address the backlog of modification requests targeting timeliness mandates and client experience. Each year, there are as many as 50,000 maintenance service requests for the enrollment system filed by staff members. The legislative request document calls for at least 1,772 new positions, but agency officials have provided specifics on what else they would spend the rest of the $300 million. If the state approves the $300 million, it could receive an additional $100 million in funding, including from the federal government. In the last year, the health agency employed more than 2,100 eligibility workers to help reduce the backlogs, reporting that more than 96% of eligibility workers are filled. As a result of those efforts, the agency has eliminated the food stamp applications backlog last month, HHSC spokesperson Jennifer Ruffcorn said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Why do Medicaid applications take so long? When a Texan applies for Medicaid health insurance or food stamps, they can do so through the agencys Texas Benefits website or the agencys Your Texas Benefits app. But miles away, a state worker has to take that applicants information and manually input all the data into an unforgiving 20-year-old computer system with the most bureaucratic of names: the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System, or TIERS. To say its a time-consuming process is an understatement. You remember The Oregon Trail, its like that, said Diana Forester, director of health policy for Texans Care For Children, referring to the static, 1985 video game played via keyboard prompts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When it was introduced as a pilot in 2003, TIERS was hailed as a system that would create cost savings. But from the start, there were snafus that forced the state to change contractors and pour an additional $56 million to fix some of the problems in 2006. An audit the following year found TIERS cumbersome to use. Last year, the systems flaws were made even more apparent for low-income Texans children, the disabled and elderly when Texas abruptly kicked more Medicaid recipients off the program faster than any other state after keeping them on continuously through the pandemic. Forester, who worked for the state health agency for six years before becoming a health policy advocate in 2022, said using TIERS can be so tedious that workers must repeatedly type the same information in different places of what can be a 30-page Medicaid application for it to be successfully submitted. The slow process is by design, said Anne Dunkelberg, who retired as health policy director for progressive policy group Every Texan earlier this year. Texas has many decades of making enrollment and renewal difficult, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The system forces caretakers to block out hours if not days to push an application into the system after gathering the required documents. It requires eternal vigilance, Dunkelberg said. We had some pretty bad statistics coming out of COVID. The time is ripe to upgrade some of the things to prevent losing so many eligible people, mostly kids, into the program. What applying for help looks like on the ground As the deputy coordinator of Mercedes-based Texas RioGrande Legal Aids public benefits group, Bernadette Segura and her team help Texans, often Spanish-speaking, apply for Medicaid and food stamps. The delays are shorter, but there are still delays, Segura said last week. Its taking (state health agency staff) forever to make decisions. Anyone applying for either benefits must prove they are either citizens or lawfully living in the United States by submitting birth certificates and verification of income, rent, utility bills and school enrollment for children who are old enough to attend. Segura often hears from clients who have to resubmit documents multiple times because the state has said it hasnt received them. One client, a single father, waited more than a year after applying to receive food stamps, and it took an administrative appeal to do so, she said. To apply for benefits requires a lot of patience, Segura said. You have to have a fully charged phone and a lot of time to stay on hold, she said. It also requires a certain amount of tech savvy. If a Texas resident applies online from their phone, they have to know how to enlarge small print and know how to scan their documents into the application. While they wait, many rely on local food banks, many of which also assist their customers with applying for food stamps. Another impediment, Segura noted, is the fact that Medicaid and food stamp applications come in only Spanish and English. For those qualifying non-English speakers from the Middle East, Asia and Africa who need assistance, the language barrier can act as a strong deterrent, she said. Theres confusion based on an applicants level of English, Segura said, who added shed like to see applications available in Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese. Theres a need all the time for language translation. Forester, with Texans Care For Children, said the system can also pepper an applicant incessantly with confusing notifications. Its not user-friendly for an applicant, she said. Go to any community center helping applicants and youll see lines of families with a stack of notifications. Some contradict each other, she said. Applicants get overwhelmed and they cant find out what the status of their applications is by logging in, she said. Wes Streeting made the comments during an appearance on the BBC Question Time programme - BBC Credit: BBC Question Time/Sky News Wes Streeting has criticised Ed Miliband over his failure to back military action against Bashar al-Assad in 2013. Mr Miliband, the Energy Secretary, was Labour leader when he led efforts to torpedo David Camerons attempt to launch strikes in Syria to deter the use of chemical weapons. On Thursday night, Mr Streeting, the Health Secretary, said that if the West had acted faster, Assad would have been gone. But Mr Miliband rebuked his Cabinet colleague on Friday morning, saying it was just wrong to suggest Assad would have been forced from power sooner if the West had acted at the time. He also said he had no regrets about his decision to vote against the UK joining US-led strikes. The House of Commons narrowly rejected the move. Asked if he regretted voting against proposed missile strikes in 2013, Mr Miliband told Sky News: No, I dont I welcome the fall of President Assad. Mr Miliband in Hull on Friday, where he rebuked his Cabinet colleague by saying the suggestion was just wrong - Danny Lawson Back in 2013 we were confronted with whether we should have a one-off, potential one-off, bombing of Syria but there was no plan for what this British involvement would mean, where it would lead and what the consequences would be and I believed that in the light of the Iraq war we could never send British troops back into combat unless we were absolutely clear about what our plan was, including what an exit strategy was. To those people who say that President Assad would have fallen if we had bombed him in 2013, that is obviously wrong because President Trump bombed President Assad in 2017 and 2018, so he didnt fall. I welcome the fall of a brutal dictator but I think the view that some people seem to be expressing about history is just wrong. Mr Miliband said the vote against UK military action in Syria in 2013 demonstrated that the nation had learnt the right lessons from the Iraq War. It was suggested to the Labour frontbencher that the failure to act had not only given Assad confidence but had also emboldened Russia on the world stage. It has been suggested the Wests failure to act in 2013 emboldened Putin as well as Assad - Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin/Reuters He said: I think it is very easy for people to say that the answer to the problems of the world is British military intervention. But as I said earlier, in this case we have a clear understanding of what the consequences might have been because in 2017 and 2018 there was military action against President Assad and it certainly didnt precipitate the fall of his regime. I took the decisions I did because the British involvement in Iraq led to the deaths of our troops and was, rightly in my view, seen as a very serious error and so without re-going over all of that history, I think we drew the right lessons from that. His comments contrast those made by Mr Streeting during an appearance on the BBC Question Time programme. Countrys hesitation created vacuum Mr Streeting said: With hindsight, I think we can say, looking back on the events of 2013, that the hesitation of this country and the United States created a vacuum that Russia moved into and kept Assad in power for much longer. He added: I think if the West had acted faster, Assad would have been gone. Would that have led to a better Syria? I dont know. We know from our own foreign policy history that inaction is a choice, but so is action, and weve seen in other cases, like Libya, that it did not lead to a better future. In 2013, the House of Commons voted against military action in Syria following the regimes use of chemical weapons. Lord Cameron, then prime minister, tabled the motion but Labour opposed it, as did 30 Tory MPs and nine Lib Dems. The motion was defeated by 285-272, and served to help put off Barack Obama launching military action against Syria. The vote provoked deep bitterness towards Mr Miliband, who was accused of opportunism for failing to support the Government on a matter of great international significance. Mr Miliband insisted at the time that he did the right thing by the British people. The Assad familys 50-year, iron-fist rule of Syria came to an end last week after a rapid rebel offensive forced them from power. Assad fled to Russia where he and his family have reportedly been granted asylum. Mr Streeting ridiculed Mr Milibands record as leader of the opposition at the Spectator magazine parliamentary awards last week, likening him to Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader. Repeating the same mistakes He reportedly told the room: I am sorry that Kemi Badenoch cant be here tonight, but its good to see her repeating all the same mistakes we made in opposition. Trashing her partys own record... talking to the members not the voters. Kemi carry on like this and youll be Energy Secretary in 10 years time. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former leader of the Conservative Party who voted in favour of UK military action in 2013, said: Ed Miliband has a record of political obsessions which have led to bad judgment, whether it was Syria or this massive rush to net zero that will eventually hang around the neck of this Government like an albatross in a few years. Wes Streeting was right. Ed Miliband was wrong. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a senior Tory MP who backed the proposed military action, said the Labour row highlighted the difference between being in opposition and being in office. He said: Assad is a really bad man, he is a despicable man, and it was right that we tried to take action against him [after his use of chemical weapons]. What we were doing was the right thing and Labour should have supported it at the time. Mr Miliband rebuked Mr Streetings comments saying it was just wrong to suggest Assad would have been forced from power sooner if the West had acted at the time Mr Streeting later denied he had criticised Mr Miliband and described the Energy Secretary as a good colleague. The Health Secretary tweeted on Friday lunchtime: I did not criticise Ed. On the contrary, I pointed out the challenges of hindsight, Libya and the uncertainty we face about post-Assad Syria today. Downing Street would not be drawn on the row but insisted the Governments broad position on Syria is very clear. A No 10 spokesman said: I think the Governments position on Syria is very clear. Our priority is the safety of civilians and the peaceful transfer of power. We continue to engage with allies as you would expect and our partners in the region on how to achieve a political solution. The spokesman added that obviously Im not going to comment on something that alludes to a period pre-this Government. How Milibands weakness allowed barbaric Assad to remain in power for 11 more years By Daniel Martin Ed Miliband was the man who made the call in 2013 for Labour to vote against bombing Syria. The civil war was raging in the aftermath of the Arab Spring two years earlier, which had seen dictatorial regimes topple from Tunisia and Egypt, to Libya. The international community was shocked when Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his own people. Credit: Fighting Assad: The Voices of Syria's Disappeared Documentary There was a growing clamour in Western capitals to take military action against the Syrian tyrant to act as a warning to others and to hasten the end of the conflict in the country. In Washington, Barack Obama, the then US president, was all set to go ahead with air strikes to degrade Assads forces. Lord Cameron, the British prime minister at the time, supported the strikes and had promised RAF support. All that was needed was a vote in Parliament and the House of Commons was recalled during its summer recess to rubber-stamp the move. Unfortunately for those who opposed Syrias barbaric regime, the Labour party was led at the time by Mr Miliband. He had been elected with trade union help in 2010 in a surprise victory over his more moderate brother, David. Aftermath of Iraq War Labour was still reeling over its recent election defeat and, in a deeper sense, over the disastrous aftermath of the Iraq War. Most in the party now saw Tony Blairs decision to support the US invasion of Iraq as a mistake, and were wary of further foreign entanglements even of a limited nature such as that proposed by Mr Obama. Despite this, however, it was widely expected that Lord Cameron would win the vote and that the US-UK air strikes would go ahead. The Liberal Democrats, the Tories partners in coalition, were on side. The then-prime minister said the world was witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe, and if there are no consequences for it, there is nothing to stop Assad and other dictators from using these weapons again and again. Lord Cameron had believed that Labour was supportive. He had held meetings with Mr Miliband and watered down an original resolution to ensure that the strikes would not go ahead without UN support, and that there would be a further vote. Yet on the night of the vote, the Labour leader changed tack. Following discussions with Left-wing members of his party, including Diane Abbott, he ordered his MPs to vote against the motion. The Commons went on to vote against the principle of military action by 285 votes to 272 an unexpected result that sent shockwaves throughout the world. Lord Cameron was humiliated, Mr Obama called off the air strikes and Assad was able to survive. Mr Miliband was unrepentant, denying Number 10s claims that he had changed the partys position to score political points. Cavalier and reckless leadership He accused the prime minister of cavalier and reckless leadership and failing to learn the lessons of the 2003 Iraq War. He said: We have sent a message that Britain is not going to engage in ill thought through military action without going through the United Nations and without ensuring we have regard to the consequences in the region. I think ill thought through military action would have made life worse, not better, for the Syrian people. In fact the decision allowed Assad to remain in power for a further 11 years during which he engaged in further chemical attacks on his people. And what of Mr Milibands decision to appease the Left of his party? It did not go well for him two years later the party fell to a shambolic defeat against the Tories, who took full control of power after the Lib Dems were almost wiped out. He resigned as Labour leader straight away and the party decided to go even further to the Left, labouring under the disastrous leadership of Jeremy Corbyn for almost five years. Mr Miliband himself went into the wilderness but for reasons his critics cannot fathom the centrist Sir Keir Starmer rehabilitated him and brought him back to front-line politics as his Net Zero spokesman. But with his party now in open warfare over Syria and his environmental policies facing mounting criticism it is unclear how long Sir Keir will stick by Mr Miliband. Sicilys worst drought has left towns like Troina fighting to hold on to their last drops of water. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian An ancient Sicilian proverb goes like this: When water to two fountains flows, one will stay dry thats how it goes. The residents of the small town of Troina in the heart of Sicily, struck by a long and unprecedented drought, perhaps understand its meaning better than anyone else. When authorities decreed that the little water left in their dam should be shared with the villages of another province, they took action, and, on 30 November, occupied the distribution centre of the reservoir, blocking access. Its a war between the poor; we are aware of it, says Salvatore Giamblanco, 66, owner of a bed and breakfast in Troina. But we had no other choice. The dam is drying up. We have difficulty finding water for ourselves. I had to cancel numerous reservations due to the lack of water. If we also have to share what little we have with other towns, we will all be left dry. Sicily is grappling with the most serious water crisis in its history. The island, the largest and most populous in the Mediterranean, where a European record high temperature of 48.8C was reached in 2021, is at risk of desertification. Despite the recent autumn rains, and with Christmas approaching, thousands of families are still storing supplies of water containers in their homes for washing or cooking. In many provinces of the island, authorities have announced water rationing, while the capacity of reservoirs in dams is almost halved (-48%) compared to last year. A third of the Sicilian basins that supply water to homes are now completely or nearly dry. This is the case of the Ancipa dam, a reservoir on the course of the Troina River in the Enna province, nestled among the Nebrodi mountains that run along the north-east of Sicily. Ancipa has a capacity of more than 30m cubic metres, but according to data from the Sicilian Hydrographic Basin Authority, in recent days, it has been reduced to less than 290,000. By the end of November, regional authorities ordered that the water from the dam be temporarily used to supply some towns in the province of Caltanissetta, which are also struggling with the drought. The decision triggered what the local press has described as the water war. Faced with this decision, we were compelled to do something strong, something peaceful, but strong, said Troina Mayor Alfio Giachino. We needed to shine a spotlight on the consequences that the decision to use the little water left in the Ancipa reservoir would have caused if shared with other towns in other provinces. For three days, hundreds of residents from the municipalities of Troina, Cerami, Gagliano Castelferrato, Nicosia, and Sperlinga, who are entirely dependent on the Ancipa for water supplies, occupied the water distribution centre of the reservoir. Many cities in Sicily are experiencing a serious water emergency, said Giachino. But if these towns can somehow find alternatives, we have no choice. If the water in the dam runs out, the taps in our homes will remain dry. At least once a week, the residents of Troina, faced with water shortages, make their way to the old Ummuru watering hole on the outskirts of town. Here, the inhabitants of this quaint town of 8,600 people, overlooked by the majestic Mount Etna, fill dozens of containers with water to cope with the lack of supply in their homes. With the Ancipa dam reduced to a puddle of mud, the little water that reaches our taps is often yellow or brown, says Silvio Siciliano, 76. We cannot use it for drinking or cooking. At the moment, water arrives in our homes once a week. Thats why sometimes we come here and wait in line for hours to fill up some containers. If God made it rain more and there was an abundance of water, we would be happy to share it with other towns. But it hasnt rained here for months, and it hasnt snowed for two years, which would have helped fill the dam with water. Someone in the town has taken even more extreme measures. Gateano Giamblanco, 39, son of Salvatore and owner of a bar, keeps a stack of papers in a drawer behind the counter. Do you see these?! These are water bills, he says. I have decided not to pay them, Gateano says. I will resume paying them when I no longer have to buy emergency water tanks to ensure water for my customers, or when I can turn on the tap in my bar and offer my customers drinkable water. Until then, they wont get a cent from me. In all my life, I have never seen a water crisis so severe in Sicily, says Silvia Macri, 62. We used to have water shortages in the summer. But here winter is approaching, and we are still filling buckets from an old water trough. Traditionally, drinking water in the island is sourced from aquifersand subterranean rock layers saturated with water, while water for agriculture is stored in large tanks constructed after the second world war. Both systems rely on winter rainfall, which is increasingly scarce. And for three decades, essential maintenance of the irrigation network has been neglected. On 2 December, the occupation of the dam ended after a conciliation meeting with the authorities, who ensured that the water from the reservoir must be allocated to only five municipalities surrounding the dam, including Troina, until the water capacity is below 400,000 cubic metres. Local authorities are pleased with the agreement reached, although they are aware that it will take more time to solve the crisis. Try to imagine what it means to live without water for a family, says Giachino. The anxiety it can create in people who need to meet basic needs like washing and even heating because, without water, not even heaters work. Its something that undermines the serenity of the inhabitants. Troina, the site of a historic battleground during the second world war that resulted in extensive damage to the city during the intense six-day conflict, is among hundreds of Sicilian towns risking extinction in the coming decades. In 2021, in an attempt to resuscitate the community, Troina adopted a strategy that has become fashionable in the south: sell, or practically give away, abandoned homes to anyone willing to move in the symbolic price of a house: 1. In the long run, this drought risks depopulating the already sparsely populated tiny towns in the Sicilian hinterland, says Giachino. Its not just the future of a dam at stake here, he adds. Its the future of our towns, the future of our people. Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has said she had not seen Doctor Who prior to appearing in the sci-fi series 2024 Christmas special. Coughlan, 37, said she had no idea what was going on during filming as the programme had not been shown on TV in Ireland when she was growing up. She was speaking on Fridays episode of The Graham Norton Show. She said: I cant tell you anything, not because of secrecy but because I had no idea what was going on. Nicola Coughlan explained Doctor Who was not shown in Ireland when she was growing up (Isabel Infantes/PA) I was brought up in Ireland so didnt see it as a child so when I got the part, I looked it up on Wikipedia it was like reading War And Peace and it was so confusing with monsters and time travel. It was a fun experience, and I had a lovely time. If they want me back, I would do it again. In the festive episode of the BBC series, entitled Joy To The World, Coughlan will play a character called Joy, who will be taken on a time-hopping trip through the history of Earth by Ncuti Gatwas Doctor. Joy To The World will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer over the festive period, while on Christmas Eve, Catherine Tate will present Doctor Who At The Proms 2024 for BBC One Wales, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, featuring soundtracks from the series at Londons Royal Albert Hall. Coughlan went on to speak about being cast as Penelope Bridgerton in the Netflix series, saying her mother was not happy with the shows sex scenes. She said: I was 35 and I realised I had never played an adult, and I was like, how do I do this?. It was then so weird having to play the romantic lead and getting up to sexy things. My mother was so mad at me about those scenes as if they were my fault, so I didnt go to the screening with her. The full interview will be shown on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One at 10.40pm on Friday December 13, and is also available on BBC iPlayer. Regulator Ofcom has fined Royal Mail 10.5 million for missing its post delivery targets in the 2023-2024 financial year. The fine is the second in two years, after the watchdog also gave Royal Mail a 5.6 million penalty in November 2023. Royal Mail said just under three-quarters of first class post was delivered on time during the period, well short of its 93% target. And 92.7% of second class post was delivered on time, below its 98.5% target, it said. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said on Friday: I recognise its incredibly frustrating for people when they receive mail late and its right that Royal Mail have been fined for failing to deliver. The Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has met with Royal Mail to be really clear with them about the importance of delivering the service that people rightly expect. Ian Strawhorne, Ofcom director of enforcement, said: With millions of letters arriving late, far too many people arent getting what they pay for when they buy a stamp. Royal Mails poor service is now eroding public trust in one of the UKs oldest institutions. This is the second time weve fined the company since the pandemic. Royal Mail has provided an improvement plan, and were seeing some signs of progress, but it must go further and faster to deliver the service that people expect. We've fined Royal Mail 10.5m for failing to meet its delivery targets in 2023/24. 74.7% of First Class mail and 92.7% of Second Class was delivered on time, well short of its target of 93% and 98.5%. Read more: https://t.co/WAWRTtMsdF pic.twitter.com/gP0Bckk5lU Ofcom (@Ofcom) December 13, 2024 A Royal Mail spokesperson said high quality service is extremely important to us and that it is making changes to deliver it. But they added that its one-price-goes-anywhere so-called universal service obligation needs urgent reform, as it does not meet modern customers needs. The universal service currently requires Royal Mail to deliver letters six days a week and parcels five days a week, but is under review. The fine comes as Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky closes in on a deal to buy Royal Mail from current owner International Distribution Services. Daniel Kretinskys EP Group agreed to buy IDS earlier this year, but is believed to have agreed to several concessions to gain approval. He had already guaranteed to maintain the universal service. Mr Kretinsky has also pledged not to raid the groups pension surplus, and keep the brand name and Royal Mails UK tax residency and headquarters. A Czech billion billionaire is closing in on a deal to buy Royal Mail (Yui Mok/PA) There was also an agreement to respect union demand for no compulsory redundancies until 2025. It is thought some of these safeguards, such as the commitment to avoid compulsory redundancies, could be extended as part of a new agreement. The deal would still need security approval after its deal is agreed with the Government. Responding to the fine on Friday, Tom MacInnes, director of policy at Citizens Advice said: Failing to hit a single delivery target for nearly five years is simply unacceptable by Royal Mail, and its consumers left facing the consequences. Letter delays leave millions of people missing urgent medical appointment letters, legal documents and benefit decisions. This comes despite Royal Mail routinely hiking their prices, meaning consumers are getting less despite paying far more. Todays fine from Ofcom goes some way to show it recognises Royal Mails persistent failings. But in a virtual monopoly, fines at this level clearly arent pushing Royal Mail to improve standards for all of us relying on our countrys postal service. Just 15% of public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints in England are in rural areas, according to a new report by the public spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) urged ministers to put greater focus on ensuring more electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints are installed in rural locations and regions outside the South East. It said chargepoint installation to date which has largely been privately funded has been led by the needs of early adopters of EVs, resulting in around 44% of UK chargepoints being located in London and the South East. By July, more than 64,600 public chargepoints were installed. This means the rollout is on track to meet the 300,000 that the DfT estimated will be the minimum needed by 2030, the report stated. But the watchdog warned the aim could be met without achieving the spread of chargepoints needed to support road transport across the whole country. The report concluded that greater focus is needed on where chargepoints are located. It recommended that the Government should consider developing regional and urban/rural forecasts of demand for EV charging. As of July, just 62% of motorway service areas (MSAs) reported having at least six ultra-rapid chargepoints. The previous Conservative government aimed for all MSAs to have that level of charging capacity by the end of 2023. The NAO also warned that the charger rollout has not met the needs of drivers with disabilities. It said many devices or their surroundings have features which make them inaccessible to drivers with disabilities, such as being installed on kerbs, having a heavy cable, or having features or instructions too high or too low. Improving public charging infrastructure is seen as vital to encouraging more drivers to switch to electric motoring. The Government has committed to bring the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans forward from 2035 to 2030. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: Governments estimate of the 300,000 public electric vehicle chargepoints needed by 2030 appears achievable, although there is more to do to ensure adequate coverage in all parts of the country. Government is using regulation to improve the user experience of public chargepoints and needs to address access for people with disabilities. AA president Edmund King said: It is vital that communities are not left behind, and the NAO is right to point out that northern and rural areas are not seeing installations at the same rate as the South. Similarly, we must ensure that the major A-road network can provide regular charging points. To provide confidence to drivers now and in the future, it is crucial that all road users, including those with mobility issues, can use public chargers easily. RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: Charging networks have already done a huge amount of work when it comes to installing the UKs much-needed charging infrastructure, but theres no doubt more needs to be done. Getting the necessary connections to the National Grid is vital to ensure no part of the country is left behind when it comes to being able to swiftly charge an EV. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: Were making good progress in rolling out chargepoints across the UK, with over 72,000 public chargers now available a near 40% increase compared to December 2023. Were also providing over 2.3 billion to support industry and drivers make the switch, and our measures are working, with EVs making up one in four of all cars sold this November. US music and television star Paula Abdul has said she is feeling grateful after agreeing to settle a lawsuit with American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe that alleged he had sexually assaulted her while she was a judge on the programme. Abdul, 62, who was a popstar in the 1980s and 1990s, filed a notice of settlement of the case in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday which is yet to be approved by a judge. British TV producer Lythgoe, 75, vehemently denied the allegations made in the Californian lawsuit filed almost a year ago. Nigel Lythgoe was a judge on the live BBC show So You Think You Can Dance from 2010, alongside, from left, Dame Arlene Phillips, Louise Redknapp and Sisco Gomez(Ian West/PA) In a statement to US publication People on Friday, Abdul said: I am grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me. This has been a long and hard-fought personal battle. I hope my experience can serve to inspire other women facing similar struggles, to overcome their own challenges with dignity and respect, so that they too can turn the page and begin a new chapter of their lives. Abdul claims she kept silent due to fear of speaking out against one of the most well-known producers of television competition shows who could easily break her career as a television personality, the documents said. Her lawsuit accused Lythgoe of assault while the pair worked together on hit shows American Idol and the US version of So You Think You Can Dance. He was an executive producer from the early 2000s of British talent show Pop Idol and its spin-off American Idol, before co-creating and featuring as a judge in the US version of So You Think You Can Dance, which launched in 2005. Nigel Lythgoe after his investiture in 2015 (PA) After stepping down from the dance show with a heavy heart in January, Lythgoe said he was dedicating his time to clearing his name and restoring his reputation. He was also a producer and judge on pioneering ITV talent show Popstars from 2001, earning the nickname Nasty Nigel because of his cutting remarks to the hopefuls. Originally from the Wirral but now based in Los Angeles, Lythgoe started as a dancer before working as a choreographer and moving into TV. He was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to the performing arts, education and charity. A representative for Lythgoe has been approached for comment. The Chief Constable of Lincolnshire has said he will need to lose more than 400 officers without extra funding. Paul Gibsons warning comes days after his counterparts in the Metropolitan Police and Essex said they would also have to cut staff if shortfalls in their budgets are not addressed. Mr Gibson told the BBC that funding has not matched population growth and to maintain existing levels of operations, Lincolnshire Police would require an extra 57 million over the next three-and-a-half years. I would need to be taking maybe more than 400 police officers and police staff out of the organisation, he said, adding that the forces 60 neighbourhood officers could be at risk. At what point does a police force lose its viability? Weve got very good people who do good things with the resources they have at their disposal and Im hugely supportive of that. The bottom line is we cant police on a shoestring. Among pledges announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last week was a guaranteed every neighbourhood will have a named, contactable police officer responsible for dealing with local issues. Labour had already pledged to put in place 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables by the time of the next election, which would bring the total police workforce to a level above its 2010 peak. An additional 100 million next year would pay for the recruitment of around 1,200 police officers, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said. But since Sir Keirs announcement last week, Ben-Julian Harrington, Chief Constable of Essex Police, said his budget gap for next year is about 34 million and that he had written to the Home Secretary to raise concerns about the financial position. He said around 27 million of the 34 million budget shortfall was pay, but cited heating, lighting, fuel and buildings as costs. The bottom line is weve squeezed the lemon and its pretty dry so theres not many more efficiencies to have around this, he said, warning there could be a reduction of about 200 officers In a report submitted to the London Policing Board, Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the forces faces a 450 million budget shortfall in 2025/26, meaning that 2,300 officers and 400 staff could have to be cut. The Met is able to make 100 million in savings, but the Commissioners report said: The financial constraints we face in 2025/26 mean we will be forced to take tough choices to reduce the service we offer Londoners. Starmer urges G7 to be cautious about next steps in Syria The Prime Minister has urged G7 leaders to show caution in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar Assad. Sir Keir Starmer told a meeting of the G7 leaders on Friday that the fall of (Bashar) Assads brutal regime should be welcomed but we must be cautious about what comes next, according to a Downing Street spokesperson. The spokesperson added that the safety of the Syrian people should be a priority along with supporting a peaceful transition to a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian government. The leaders again stressed the importance of respecting Syrias territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty, the spokesperson concluded. Fridays virtual meeting came less than a week after the collapse of Mr Assads regime following a lightning offensive by rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Since then, Western governments have debated how to deal with HTS, which is a proscribed organisation in the UK because of its closeness to al Qaida, although its current leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who had used the alias Mohammed al-Golani before taking power, has attempted to distance his movement from the terrorist group. There is also concern that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate regional tensions and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain ground. In a statement on Thursday, the G7 leaders said they were committed to work with and fully support a future Syrian government that agreed to ensure respect for the rule of law, universal human rights, including womens rights, the protection of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities, transparency and accountability. Meanwhile, Israeli troops have pushed into Syria and bombed targets across the country, with the government in Tel Aviv saying it is attempting to secure its border after the collapse of the Assad regime and prevent weapons falling into the wrong hands. A teenager accused of murdering a hotel worker at a railway station has pleaded not guilty to the charge during a video-link appearance before a Crown Court judge. Speaking through an Arabic interpreter, Deng Chol Majek, 18, said not guilty, I didnt kill her when asked to enter his plea to a charge alleging he murdered Rhiannon Skye Whyte on October 20 this year. Prosecutors allege Majek, understood to be an asylum seeker, used a screwdriver to kill the 27-year-old, who died in hospital three days after being injured at Bescot Stadium station in Walsall, West Midlands. The defendant appeared by video-link at Wolverhampton Crown Court (PA Archive) Majek, of Bescot Crescent in Walsall, appeared on Friday before the Recorder of Wolverhampton, Judge Michael Chambers KC, on a video-link from HMP Manchester, sitting behind a wooden desk and wearing a blue top. The defendant, originally from South Sudan, denies being present at the scene, the court heard. Members of Ms Whytes family watched the proceedings, which lasted for around 20 minutes, from the front row of the public gallery. After entering a not guilty plea to the murder charge, Chol Majek was asked four times to use the phrase not guilty when entering his plea to an allegation of unlawfully possessing a screwdriver at the railway station on October 20. Asked for his formal plea to the second charge, the defendant told the court clerk: It wasnt me; I didnt do anything; and: I didnt do that before telling her: I didnt do it, I am not guilty. Remanding Majek in custody until a pre-trial hearing on February 7 and a trial later in 2025, Judge Chambers told him: Mr Majek, your case is being adjourned for trial. As currently listed that will be on March 17 at Coventry Crown Court. I am required to warn you that if you choose not to attend your trial you run the risk it will proceed in your absence. You will have the right to give evidence at your trial. In the meantime, you must remain in custody. The jury trial is expected to last for up to 10 days and will be presided over by a High Court judge. In a statement issued through police shortly after her death, Ms Whytes family described her as the most loved daughter, compassionate sister, loving auntie, gracious granddaughter, beautiful niece, wonderful cousin and devoted friend. Their statement added: The most selfless person, you were brave, quirky, funny and always there for anyone who needed it. There is not enough paper in the world to even begin to write a tribute for you, but no one deserves it more. Wicked predator jailed for life for raping and killing NHS worker in park A wicked predator who was caught on CCTV raping and killing an NHS worker on a park bench has been jailed for life. Mohamed Iidow attacked mother-of-three Natalie Shotter, 37, while she was passed out in Southall Park, west London, after a night out. Jurors had heard how the former child stage star had died from a heart attack caused by being orally raped over and over again. Following an Old Bailey trial, Iidow, 35, was found guilty of her rape and manslaughter. Jurors were not told of his previous conviction for sexual activity by seeking to groom young people online. The court heard Ms Shotter was a beloved mother, sister, partner, daughter and former child star of a theatre production of Les Miserables. NHS cardiology practitioner Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, left, with her daughter Natalie Shotter (Dr Cas Shotter Weetman/PA) On Friday, Judge Richard Marks KC sentenced Iidow to life with a minimum term of 10 years and eight months. He told Iidow that taking advantage of exceptionally talented Ms Shotter when she was vulnerable and unconscious was wicked and utterly reckless. He said the defendant had driven to the park for sex and even though he was under the influence of drugs he knew exactly what he was doing. Judge Marks told Iidow: During the 15 minutes or so you were with her she was very clearly not conscious and therefore extremely vulnerable which would have been absolutely obvious to you. You had clearly formed an intention to rape her. Following his arrest, the defendant told police the sex was consensual which was completely untrue, the judge added. Even though there had never been a recorded case before of someone dying as a result of oral sex, there was a high risk that she would suffer really serious harm from what he did to her over several minutes, the judge said. Iidow was a dangerous offender and had even engaged in explicit sexual chat online with a girl he thought was aged 13 in August 2022 while under investigation for rape. Speaking outside court, Ms Shotters mother, Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, said she was absolutely thrilled at the life sentence adding that justice has been served in what was a landmark case. She said: The legacy is Natalie is going to be saving the lives of women and children because this dangerous monster is not going to be out on the streets able to do the things he wanted to do. She said watching video of her daughters last moments in court had been painful but absolutely necessary and the impact on the whole family was devastating. Paying tribute to her daughter, she told PA news agency: She was an incredibly beautiful girl, very very kind, generous, patient, talented, very funny, a fabulous singer and dancer and the most wonderful mum, an amazing daughter and sister. Earlier, Dr Shotter Weetman, an NHS cardiology practitioner, described her daughter as a bundle of joy who at the age of 12 had starred in the hit musical. Ms Shotter had secured a place at the prestigious performing arts BRIT School in Croydon and had opportunities to work in theatre and television, she said. Mohamed Iidow, who repeatedly sexually assaulted 37-year-old Natalie Shotter while she was passed out in Southall Park, west London (Met Police/PA) As an adult, she became a mother of three children and worked for the British Heart Foundation before getting a job in clinical administration at her local NHS hospital. Dr Shotter Weetman said: She was brilliant at her job, kind to staff and patients alike. The day I found out about Nat, I felt absolutely sick and I felt a terrible feeling of doom. I was in absolute shock. I then had to later learn from the police that my daughter had died in these horrific circumstances. When Mohamed Iidow and that is the only time I will say his name was finally charged I was so glad but I realised everything was still to come. Watching the CCTV of my daughter being raped was desperately sad to see. No mother should have to see that. Addressing the defendant, she went on: Hearing the medical evidence how you caused my daughters death destroyed my family. No woman should have to fear going to a park and sitting on a bench. Its disgusting. You went after a vulnerable woman. She was a lovely mum, a great sister and daughter, a great kid. We are missing our beautiful girl. Father Andrew Shotter recalled his feisty daughter with wonderful memories of her performing in Les Miserables in front of thousands of people. He said: Hearing what happened in the last moments of her life was horrific. The former ambulance service worker added: I feel powerless. In my head I am screaming to her not to go into the park. I cannot save her from that man. Ms Shotters partner, Anthony Wilson, said in his statement that the thought of her killer made him angry and that his new role of single father made him feel stretched in every aspect. During the trial, the court had heard how Ms Shotter had been seen happily dancing in the street before going into the park after a night out. Jurors had viewed CCTV of Iidow walking past the victim three times in a predatory way as she sat on the bench. Half an hour later, she was lying down, showing no clear movement when the defendant approached her nonchalantly, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said. She was deeply unconscious when Iidow repeatedly raped her orally, even moving Ms Shotters body around in different positions, the court was told. Afterwards, the defendant drove back to his home in Hounslow, west London, via a Shell garage where he stopped to buy cat food and mouthwash. Ms Shotter, whose three children are aged between five and 19, was found dead by a passer-by in the park in the early morning of July 17 2021. Harry Shotter, the brother of Natalie Shotter, and their mother Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, speak to the media outside the Old Bailey (Emily Pennink/PA) Following the sentencing, Kirsty OConnor, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: Natalie Shotter had been on a night out enjoying herself and she was preyed upon by Mohamed Iidow. He raped her repeatedly, while she was unconscious, which caused her death. During police interviews, he stated that Natalie was alive and consenting to the sexual activity with him. The investigation was extremely complex and involved working closely with the police and expert witnesses to establish what had happened to the victim and what led to her death. However, CCTV footage has proved that to not be the case, with the victim unconscious during the entire attack. The CPS is determined to deliver justice for victims of rape. Tragically, this vile attack cost Natalie her life and wed like to express our deepest condolences to her children and loved ones at this time. Natalies family have shown extreme courage and dignity throughout what has been a harrowing investigation and trial. We thank them for their support and continue to offer them our sincere condolences for the devastating loss of Natalie. Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from Scotland Yard, said: No sentence can reverse the pain that Natalies family have had to endure over the past few years. I commend the determination, strength and dignity they have shown. Iidows offences are shocking and difficult to comprehend. This man drove to the park that night and took advantage of a woman, who then died as a result of his actions. Those involved in the investigation were committed throughout to prove that Natalies death was caused by being raped. This was a complex and challenging investigation, however Iidow will now be spending a significant amount of time behind bars. Romeo Florez-Perez, 23, is accused of killing a man in Kissimmiee, Florida on Thanksgiving. He was later arrested in San Antonio on Dec. 6. Bexar County Sheriff's Office A 23-year-old man accused of killing a man in Florida on Thanksgiving Day was arrested in San Antonio last Friday. Romeo Florez-Perez was charged with murder in connection to the death of a man in Kissimmee, Florida. On Dec. 6, San Antonio police officers assisted the FBI in arresting Florez-Perez. He was arrested without incident around 2:45 p.m. at a South Side bus stop near Interstate 35 and South Zarazamora Street, according to an incident report. Advertisement Article continues below this ad His wallet, cash, phone, and phone charger were confiscated, the report states. During his arrest, the 23-year-old allegedly told police that his name was Ernesto but later admitted his name was Romeo. According to a report by WKMG, Kissimmee police responded to a call on Nov. 28 after someone discovered a body. Police initially investigated the incident as a suspicious death, but it was later determined to be a homicide. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After further investigation, police identified Florez-Perez as the suspect. Florez-Perez was trying to flee the country before his arrest, the report states. One of two suspects in a Pennsylvania home invasion shooting that left a young man dead and his mother critically wounded has been apprehended, authorities announced. Charles Fulforth, 41, was arrested Thursday on charges including second-degree murder as police continue to search for the second suspect, 42-year-old Kelvin Roberts, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said at a news conference. The suspects allegedly broke into the Gaudios' home in Lower Merion Township, a Philadelphia suburb, early Sunday, and went into Bernadette Gaudio's room and shot her multiple times, according to Steele. PHOTO: Charles Fulforth, 42, has been arrested on charges including second-degree murder in connection with a homicide home invasion in Lower Merion Township, Pa. (Montgomery County District Attorney) MORE: Son gunned down in home invasion fought back, tried to help his mom; suspect at large Bernadette Gaudio, 61, "was basically bedridden at the time -- she had an injured leg," Steele said. "Then she couldn't move afterwards because of where one of the bullets struck her." Her 25-year-old son, Andrew Gaudio, went to her room to help her, "and that's where he was murdered," Steele said. Bernadette Gaudio managed to use Siri to call 911, he said. "It was a very brave move on her part, because, I think, indications are that the individuals were still in the house," Steele said. MORE: UnitedHealthcare CEO killing latest: New York prosecutors presenting evidence to grand jury, sources say Bernadette Gaudio was hospitalized in critical condition, officials said. "We were able to speak to her," Steele said. "She's paralyzed right now and trying to work through that. But she seems to be getting a little bit of movement, and we hope and we pray for more of a recovery." "She's a very brave and courageous woman. She is still in a very difficult place, but she has been going in the right direction," he added. Police zeroed in on Roberts as their suspect earlier this week from dash-cam footage that showed a car allegedly driven by Roberts leave the crime scene, the DA's office said. PHOTO: Kelvin Roberts is wanted for murder and robbery in connection with a home invasion in Lower Merion Township, PA, on Dec. 8, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said. (Montgomery County District Attorney's Office) Police matched the car to an address on Sansom Street in Philadelphia, officials said. At that address, police showed a photo from the dash-cam footage to someone who identified the driver as Roberts, the DA's office said. Bernadette Gaudio's stolen jewelry box was found at the Sansom Street residence, Steele said. Bernadette Gaudio's stolen car has also been recovered, officials said. It's not clear why the victims' house was chosen, Steele said. A $5,000 reward is available for information leading to Roberts' arrest, Steele said. Fulforth is awaiting arraignment, he said. 1 suspect in deadly home invasion arrested, 2nd suspect remains at large originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Food & Wine / Amazon Do you have a friend or family member who loves to cook? Then youve probably experienced a certain level of sheer stress when deciding what to gift them. There are so many utensils, so many niche ingredients, and so many tiny kitchen gadgets that claim this will change your life. Its easy to give up and default to another scented candle or patterned tea towel, but you dont need to. Were here to help! We asked professional chefs the ultimate food lovers what gifts to get for people who value eating and cooking. From entry-level utensils to thoughtfully curated pantry items, these are the best gifts to get for your loved ones who know their way around the kitchen. Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Flake Sea Salt Food & Wine / Jacobsen Salt Co. See at jacobsensalt.com $20 at Amazon Everyone likes salt and uses it in some form, says 2018 F&W Best New Chef Katianna Hong of Yangban in Los Angeles. But, as Hong explains, a flavored seasoning salt might be the kind of thing that sits in the back of someones pantry, untouched for years. A finishing salt, on the other hand, can be sprinkled on just about anything. A quality salt is so universal. I find that its a nice gift because its something that people dont always splurge on or treat themselves to. Hong recommends getting Jacobsen Salt Co.s pure flake sea salt, which is harvested on the Oregon Coast. For just $15, one bag will go a long way. Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife Food & Wine / Amazon $130 at Amazon See at Williams Sonoma The best gift for a person who loves food is a beautiful knife, says 2017 F&W Best New Chef Val Cantu of Californios in San Francisco. When I first showed interest in cooking, my then girlfriend (now wife) bought me a Shun chefs knife, and that really set the hook for me. I looked for every opportunity to use that knife. There are a ton of great options for entry-level chefs knives, but we love Shuns Classic 8-Inch for its durability, comfortable D-shaped handle, and stunning blade. King Whetstone Starter Set Food & Wine / Amazon $50 at Amazon Does your loved one already have a good knife? Then its time to get them a whetstone. A good quality Japanese whetstone will keep their knife sharp and take their chopping skills to the next level, says 2014 F&W Best New Chef Ari Taymor. He says to look out for double-sided whetstones with a fine side thats 1,000-grit and a more coarse, 6,000-grit side. Our favorite is the beginner-friendly King Whetstone, which includes a wiping cloth, a plastic base, and an angle holder to maintain sharpening accuracy. Peugeot Paris uSelect 9-inch Pepper Mill Food & Wine / Amazon $62 at Amazon See at Williams Sonoma According to 2023 F&W Best New Chef Amanda Shulman, freshly ground pepper is infinitely better than pre-ground. Get that pre-cracked pepper out of here, she says. For an instant kitchen upgrade, Shulman loves gifting Peugeot pepper mills, which she calls, a total game changer. Excelling in fine and medium grinds, we love this pepper grinder for everyday seasoning. Lets Eat France! Food & Wine / Amazon $34 at Amazon See at barnesandnoble.com For fellow book nerds, Shulmans go-to gift is Lets Eat France!, a comprehensive and joy-filled guide to cooking like the French by Francois-Regis Gaudry. Its equal parts romance and recipes, geography and history. Theres something for everyone no matter if they actually are a serious cook or just love food. Heres hoping that come next year, the giftee will return the favor with homemade pate en croute or ratatouille. Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Skillet Food & Wine / Amazon $220 at Amazon See at Le Creuset 2024 F&W Best New Chef Leina Horii of Kisser in Nashville thinks that a large, seasoned cast iron skillet makes for a fantastic (albeit, heavy) holiday gift. It is the most versatile cooking vessel, she says. You can sear meat, make fresh tortillas, and even bake cornbread. The enameled cast iron skillet by Le Creuset is excellent at retaining heat and easy to clean. Even our writer, Nick DeSimone, says its their go-to for gifting. John Boos Chop-N-Slice Maple Cutting Board Food & Wine / Amazon $87 at Amazon $87 at Target I think a gorgeous, large Boos cutting board is a fabulous gift, says 2022 F&W Best New Chef Caroline Schiff. John Boos cutting boards are iconic, and for good reason. Their large, wooden slabs are incredibly stable and look just as stylish on a countertop as they do on a dining room table. Not only can you use it as a cutting board, but it makes a really great surface for presenting cheese, charcuterie, crudites, cookie spreads, and more. Nesco VS-12 Vacuum Sealer Food & Wine / Amazon $114 at Amazon See at Target 2024 F&W Best New Chef Mary Attea, chef of Rafs in New York City, likes to gift ingredients and tools that she uses in her own kitchen. Her current pick: a great vacuum sealer. Used in restaurants around the world, vacuum sealers are designed to tightly wrap food by removing all the air from the bag its in. It helps people preserve ingredients and prevent waste, she says. Its such a great tool for freezing items as well. Our testing labs favorite vacuum sealer is the Nesco VS-12 its double-seal function is fool-proof. Spicewalla 10 Pack Kitchen Essentials Collection Food & Wine / Amazon $55 at spicewallabrand.com For a gift that encourages play and experimentation in the kitchen, 2024 F&W Best New Chef and Rafs pastry chef Camari Mick recommends a high-quality spice set. Its practical, inspiring, and it feels indulgent without being overwhelming, she says. Plus, theyll think of you every time they use it. Spicewalla (founded by 2023 F&W Game Changer Meherwan Irani) makes spice sets of all types, from an everything seasoning pack to a holiday baking collection, but the most crowd-pleasing is their Kitchen Essentials Collection. This set of ten common spices is ideal for anyone who recently moved into a new home or needs to restock their kitchen. Flavorama Food & Wine / Harvest $16 at Amazon See at Target There is a cookbook out there for everyone, says 2024 F&W Best New Chef Silver Iocovozzi of Neng Jr.s in Asheville, North Carolina. He loves gifting loved ones cookbooks that reflect their niche interests. And if those interests revolve around food science, Iocovozzi suggests going with Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor. Written by flavor scientist Arielle Johnson, this book explores all things flavor the chemistry behind it, how we experience it, and how to maximize it in our cooking. Read the original article on Food & Wine The Affirm app on a smartphone in Germantown, N.Y., on May 4. Two trendy areas in finance fintech and private credit are coming together in a new multibillion-dollar joint venture. Affirm Holdings is getting its largest-ever capital commitment with a new partnership from private credit firm Sixth Street, which is investing in $4 billion worth of loans over the course of three years. Sixth Street is committing capital upfront for Affirm to underwrite short-term installment loans, between four- and six-month timeframes. Once paid back, the capital rolls back into the pot to make more loans, amounting to more than $20 billion that could be extended over the three years of the partnership. The deal encompasses a ramp, and the loan sale wont start until 2025, according to a person familiar with the terms. As private credit has exploded in recent years, alternative asset managers are increasingly looking at nonbank, fintech companies to invest capital. The fintech firms are opting for what they see as more-efficient sources of financing that can scale up or down based on the demand from their end users. Unlike banks, which rely more on deposits to make loans, Affirm and many of its peers opt for a variety of funding models, including warehouse facilities, asset-backed securitizations and so-called forward flow agreements, such as the one it signed with Sixth Street. What this means is Sixth Street intends to purchase loans originated by Affirm for consumers as they buy items online through platforms ranging from Amazon to Apple. PayPal announced a similar deal this summer with KKR for loans originated in Europe. But traditional banks are not completely out of the financing supply chain. They indirectly finance these loans, alongside the private-credit funds, off the banks own balance sheets. The whole ecosystem is funding higher capacity for more short-term installment loans and buy now, pay later products in anticipation of demand growth. As of Sept. 30, Affirms funding capacity was $16.8 billion, resulting in 130% growth over the past three years. Gross merchandise volume growth for the first nine months of the year was 34%, higher than last year but below 2022 levels. Affirm provides credit to consumers at APRs between 0% and 36%, depending on what is being purchased, the merchant and the implied likelihood that the consumer will pay back the loan. If a consumer is late or misses a payment, they do not owe any additional amount, which means there is no extra yield for investors in the event that the loan is not paid back on time. Affirms delinquency rate of more than 30 days as a percentage of active balances was 2.8 percent as of September. More from CNBC: A California couple visiting family in Mexico was shot and killed in the state of Michoacan on Wednesday, according to officials. Named only as Rafael C., 53, and Maria Gloria A., 50, the pair were visiting the town of Angamacutiro in Michoacan for the holidays, the Attorney General's Office of the State of Michoacan said in a press statement. A spokesperson for the office, Magdalena Guzman, told The New York Times that authorities found the couple in their car on a street in Angamacutiro. The vehicle was riddled with bullet holes and inside was the body of a woman who died on the scene and a man who was still alive but died at a nearby hospital the next morning, Guzman told the outlet. New Jersey drones: White House says the drones are not from a foreign country, lawmakers demand answers Prosecutors also said both were U.S. citizens, with the woman being a naturalized American born in Mexico and the man born in the U.S. to Mexican parents, reported Reuters. Investigators do not yet know if or why the couple was targeted. The killings come months after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October and promised to tackle crime. She was previously successful in stymying violent crime as mayor of Mexico City. Even so, her first two months in office have been marked by an outbreak of cartel violence in several hot spots including the killing of a senior judge Wednesday in Acapulco where a day earlier Sheinbaum had met with governors and security officials to address a wave of violence.. USA TODAY reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico for comment. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California couple killed visiting family in Michoacan, Mexico Violent organized crime is an issue in the state of Michoacan (pictured in November) (REUTERS) A California couple have been shot and killed while on vacation in Mexico, according to authorities. The married couple, identified only as Gloria A., 50, and Rafael C., 53, were shot dead in the western state of Michoacan just before midnight Wednesday, the Michoacan State Attorney Generals Office said Thursday. Gloria and Rafael had been traveling through the municipality of Angamacutiro in a black 2016 Ford Platinum pickup truck when the shooting unfolded, the statement added. Gloria died at the scene while Rafael was rushed to a hospital in Puruandiro where he died a short time later. At the time of the shooting, they were visiting Mexico for a few days for the December holidays, Michoacan Prosecutors Office spokesperson Magdalena Guzman told CNN. A spokesperson told Reuters that the couple had family and a home in Angamacutiro. Gloria had obtained U.S. citizenship, while Rafael was born in the U.S. to Mexican parents. The prosecutors office said that the couples license plate had been registered without a number in the Lazaro Cardenas neighborhood. Investigators were collecting ballistic evidence from the scene for analysis. The U.S. State Department advises tourists not to travel to several states in Mexico including Michoacan due to the ongoing risk of violent crime and kidnappings by organized crime gangs and cartels. People wait in line to vote in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 5 November. Photograph: David Becker/Getty Images The 2024 US presidential election had been widely characterized as one of the most consequential political contests in recent US history. Although turnout was high for a presidential election almost matching the levels of 2020 it is estimated that close to 90 million Americans, roughly 36% of the eligible voting age population, did not vote. This number is greater than the number of people who voted for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. More than a month on from polling day, eligible US voters from across the country as well as other parts of the world got in touch with the Guardian to share why they did not vote. Scores of people said they had not turned out as they felt their vote would not matter because of the electoral college system, since they lived in a safely blue or red state. This included a number of people who nonetheless had voted in the 2020 and 2016 elections. While various previous Democratic voters said they had abstained this time due to the Harris campaigns stance on Israel or for other policy reasons, a number of people in this camp said they would have voted for the vice-president had they lived in a swing state. Im not in a swing state, and because of the electoral college my vote doesnt count. I could have voted 500,000 times and it would not have changed the outcome, said one such voter, a 60-year-old software developer with Latino heritage from Boston. Related: Polarization is Merriam-Websters word of the year: Something everyone agrees on Having voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, he voted in 2020 but left the presidential slot blank as a Quixotic protest against the electoral college and my preference for Bernie Sanders, he said. He said he felt heartbroken over Joe Biden and Harriss stance on Gaza. If I were in a swing state I would always vote for Dems, though, he added, echoing several others. A 40-year-old carpenter from Idaho who voted in the previous two elections because he then lived in the swing state of Arizona giving his vote to Clinton and Biden also said he did not vote this time because he felt his vote did not matter due to the electoral college system. I didnt find Harris compelling, just more of the same. Politicians from both parties seem unwilling to make the kind of fundamental economic and political changes that would make a meaningful difference for all people, namely a move towards a more democratic socialist system. That being said if we didnt have the electoral college I probably would have voted for Harris, he said. A large number of people said they abstained because no candidate represented working- or middle-class interests and people such as themselves, including several people who voted in the previous two elections but did not vote this time. Some people from swing states said they did not vote because both parties were too similar and did not address concerns of the common voter, among them John, a 29-year-old financial professional from Pennsylvania who is a registered independent, but voted for Clinton and Biden in the previous two elections. What is the point [of voting]?, he asked. Aside from a handful of weaponized issues, the parties are nearly identical. They both hate the poor and serve only their donors. A number of former Trump and Biden voters said they had not voted in this election as they disliked both candidates, among them Jared Wagner, a 34-year-old from Indiana who works in the trucking industry and said he had voted for Trump in 2016 but had abstained in both the 2020 and 2024 election. I refuse to put my name on either candidate when I know neither of them are truly the best we have to offer. We need a major overhaul to the two-party system, he said. As a man with young children I worry about what kind of country they will grow up in. It terrifies me; we deserve better. John, a 58-year-old from West Virginia, said he had voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, but had decided that not voting this November felt most authentic and appropriate. Related: This is not time for retreat or apathy: Black women dissect Harris loss I wasnt apathetic about this election, I followed it closely, he said. But most of the candidates and issues left me cold and disinterested and seemed to be simply perpetuating the existing system, especially the status quo of authority and law and order, or rampant human development on the land. On the presidential level, I was shocked and disgusted that the Harris campaign chose to completely ignore discussing climate change. Fundamentally, this election seemed to have very little to do with my interests and concerns. Anne, a 65-year-old retired white woman from California, was among various people who said they had voted but not for any presidential candidate. She said she had always previously voted for the Democratic candidate, but could not bring herself to do so this time. I did vote for all other down-ballot candidates and initiatives, she said. I would have voted for Harris had my vote made a difference, but I could not vote for a president who will continue the complete destruction of Gaza and annexation of the West Bank. Various people said they did not vote for a presidential candidate in the 2024 election because they had only wanted to cast a positive vote for a candidate rather than merely an opposition one, and that neither candidate had offered a compelling vision for change. Among them was a 62-year-old professional working in process planning from Texas, who said he had voted for the Republican presidential candidate at every election between 1984 and 2016. In 2020 I voted Libertarian as a protest vote, he said. This year I was so turned off by Trumps low character, economic ignorance, disregard of our national debt, hostility to Ukraine and so on that I was trying to convince myself to vote for Harris. But her economic policy was just a grab bag of voter payoffs and she doesnt care about the debt either. So I did not vote for president. I voted for Senate, congressman, and many other down ballot races. I split my ticket, too. I just no longer want to vote against anyone. I want to vote FOR someone. And none of the candidates for president wanted my vote enough. A 35-year-old Black male voter from Portland, Oregon, who works at a gas station, said he disliked Kamala Harris but now regretted not voting for her, as he had thought Trump would lose the election. I want to vote FOR someone. And none of the candidates for president wanted my vote enough Professional in Texas I did not vote in 2016 or 2020 either because I did not like any of the candidates in those elections either. I last voted in 2012, for Obama, he said. I felt both candidates fell well short of the presidential standard, and didnt feel I could cast a vote for either, said a 47-year-old engineering manager and registered Republican from Texas. VP Harris failed to demonstrate she was ethically or intellectually capable of executing the office, repeatedly failing to detail out her policies and generally running her campaign like a popularity contest collect enough celebrity endorsements, by paying them, and the masses will elect you, he said. Trump, he felt, cares about the US and believes his own ideas will save the country but hes a terrible human being. I dont feel he represents a majority of Americans at all, but is more a reaction to some of the issues we face as a country. Various people who did not vote in other recent elections either said that again this time no candidate was leftwing enough, among them 37-year-old Elly, a mother of four daughters from the midwest. Bernie Sanders was the last candidate I was excited to vote for, she said. This election came down to two parties who have utterly abandoned everyday people and their problems with affordability and worries about climate change, but one party, the Republicans, were savvy enough to pretend they felt the collective pain of the common folks, whilst the Democrats mostly said all is well. I couldnt in good conscience support either side on the national level. Related: Were still in this fight: the resistance to Trump considers its options after bruising election defeat Several people who usually always voted Democrat in the past said the Harris campaign had been overly focussed on progressive identity politics for them to be able to lend it their support this election, such as Simon, a father from California in his 60s who had voted for Clinton in 2016 and for Biden in 2020 in protest against Trump, but had abstained this year due to Harriss embracing of trans ideology, among other reasons. I am not a fan of the Democrats, but I would have voted to keep Trump out of office if there was an economically literate, competent, law and order candidate who was willing to challenge the excesses of woke, he said. The Dems are out of touch on social issues, and have tacked too far to the left to appease a minority of progressives. I support some policies that would be considered rightwing on immigration, but also investing in social housing, so Im looking for candidates capable of taking difficult decisions based on rational analysis. Leigh Crawford, a 56-year-old hedge fund manager from California, who had voted for Barack Obama in 2012, for Clinton in 2016 and for Biden in 2020, said he had abstained this time as both candidates were fiscally irresponsible in his view, because he strongly disliked Trumps anti-immigration and pro-tariffs stance, and because Harris had been pro-censorship and too tolerant of antisemitism. Several people said they did not vote this time because of a growing disillusionment with the extreme polarization in US politics, including Chris, an architect in his 40s from Tennessee who had voted twice for Obama, and once for Trump in 2016, but had abstained in 2020 and 2024 as he had lost hope in politics. Skip the debates, what a circus, he said. Im so sick of hearing about politics. The political system in the US is broken. Things are so polarized, there is no cooperation for the good of the people. There is just so much hate, even in everyday conversation with average people. There is just so much of this if I dont win, Im taking the ball and going home mentality. It just causes nothing to get accomplished. The New York Yankees vowed theyd be aggressive after losing a bidding war for Juan Soto, struck again Friday by acquiring two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers will receive veteran starter Nestor Cortes, infield prospect Caleb Durbin and $2 million cash in the deal. An interesting aspect of the deal is that both pitchers surrendered gut-wrenching late-inning homers in the 2024 postseason. Williams gave up a three-run, ninth-inning homer to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in Game 3 of the NL wild-card series, costing the Brewers a chance to advance to the NLDS. Cortes gave up a walk-off grand slam to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of the World Series. The Brewers had planned to keep Williams, whos eligible for free agency, at least until the trade deadline but found the deal was too good to resist. The Yankees, who lost part-time closer Clay Holmes in free agency, had been in talks with free-agent closer Tanner Scott, but pivoted to Williams. Williams, who missed the first half of the 2024 season with stress fractures in his back, saved 65 games with 221 strikeouts in 141 innings over the past three seasons. The 2020 NL Rookie of the Year, Williams has a 1.83 ERA in 241 career games, averaging 14.3 strikeouts per nine. Devin Williams has a 1.83 ERA in 241 career games. Cortes, whos also a free agent after the 2025 season, was 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA for the Yankees last season, pitching 174 innings. He immediately becomes one of the Brewers front-line starters. Durbin, 24, was selected as the Arizona Fall Leagues Breakout Prospect of the Year, hitting .312 and stealing 29 baes and was recently added to the Yankees 40-man roster. He was considered a strong candidate to make the team on opening day. I think hes a stud, frankly, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters last month. Great bat-to-ball [skill], elite ability on the bases as a base stealer, a good defender in the middle of the diamond at second base. Hes really started over the last year-plus to create some position flexibility, too. Really competitive, kind of that hard-nosed, tough player." The Yankees, in the wake of losing Soto to the Mets, have now signed left-handed starter Max Fried to an 8-year, $218 million contract, acquired Williams, and are in trade talks with the Houston Astros for outfielder Kyle Tucker while also negotiating with free agent first baseman Christian Walker. They plan to fill in holes throughout the roster, they said, with the money they didnt spend on Soto in hopes to return to the World Series. Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale This story has been updated to include new information. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Devin Williams trade: Yankees get All-Star closer for Nestor Cortes Dick Van Dyke, a Kennedy Center honoree, pictured at the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 2021. Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke and his family are alive and well thanks to some quick-thinking neighbors, who sprang into action to offer assistance as the Franklin Fire barreled toward his Malibu home. The 98-year-old actor and comedian was one of a handful of A-list celebrities, including Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, impacted by the wind-fueled brush fire, that has scorched more than 4,000 acres since it began late Monday night. Firefighters are still working around the clock to extinguish the blaze, which left thousands displaced. Van Dyke, who has already lived through four wildfires, "wasn't ready" when he spotted the flames coming over the hill towards his home, he shared in a Thursday interview with NBC News. "This time I messed up ... I have a fire hose that hooks up to my pool, and shoots like a 70-foot stream of water. Well, I wasnt ready. I went out. It was snarled, and Im out there laying on the ground trying to undo this fire hose, and the fires coming over the hill," he told NBC News. "What I did was exhaust myself. I forgot how old I am, and I realized I was crawling to get out." Van Dyke was lucky, telling NBC News, that if it hadn't been for three neighbors who came to help him, he's not sure he or his house would have made it. The only damage to Van Dyke's estate, per NBC News, was to his guest house. "I was trying to crawl to the car," Van Dyke said in the interview. "I had exhausted myself. I couldn't get up. And three neighbors came and carried me out and came back and put out a little fire in the guest house and saved me." Dick Van Dyke back in Malibu home days after initial evacuation Van Dyke and his wife Arlene wrote in a Facebook post early Tuesday morning that they had "safely evacuated." They stayed in a local hotel for the night, without their escaped cat Bobo, who had escaped as they were leaving. "Were praying hell be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires," he wrote. The Van Dyke family was home and had located Bobo by Wednesday, they said in another Facebook update that they were home and Animal Control had easily found the cat unharmed. The effort made by firefighters to extinguish the blaze is "incredible," Van Dyke told NBC News. They had me out of here and pouring water on my house instantly, and that fire just overwhelmed them," Van Dyke said. "They must be exhausted, those guys, but they deserve every accolade they can get." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dick Van Dyke saved as he tried to fight, then flee Franklin Fire Leaving behind Blue Bloods after 14 seasons isnt easy for Donnie Wahlberg, who has played Danny Reagan since the inception of the hit CBS series. In fact, this is the first winter in as many years that hes had some free time, but hes filled it with filming the sixth season of his ID series Very Scary People and prepping for the New Kids on the Block Las Vegas residency at Park MGM. I'm someone who tries to move on quickly and keep moving forward, Wahlberg told Parade. I'll look back with gratitude, but I look forward always to each new day. I guess, though, with Blue Bloods after 14 years, it's a lot. We had an amazing time in New York, we had an amazing time working together, and we were part of a show that meant so much to so many people. I try not to say, I'll never do something that cool ever again, and I just try to say how lucky am I that I got to do something so cool in my life. Even now as the final episode of the series is about to air tonight, Wahlberg doesnt really understand why the show was canceled. He still loves playing his character and would have continued to do so. When asked about the possibility of a spinoff, which The Powers That Be at CBS have hinted at, Wahlberg says, I would certainly be open to carrying on the character, it's just there's a lot of things that would have to make sense to do it. Donnie Wahlberg, Tom SelleckPhoto: Michele Crowe/CBS Among the problems that he sees for a spinoff is the fact that the family is so close and tight-knit that its almost impossible to do a show without the whole family showing up. Could you have a show with one or two Reagans without the whole family? he questions. We'd have to go to dinner every weekend together. How could that not happen? So, it raises the question: Could the spinoff be done? Related: 'Blue Bloods' Star Tom Selleck Says He's Ready to Saddle Up for a Taylor Sheridan Role The other consideration is that the city of New York itself was a character in the show, and Wahlberg sees finding another city with as interesting a backdrop as New York would be difficult. Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan, Lyle Lovett as Texas Ranger Waylon GatesPhoto: Patrick Harbron/CBS It's limiting the number of options for sure, he continues. But that said, he points out, I also loved every time Danny Reagan got to be a fish out of water, so maybe there is a city where he could end up and be a fish out of water. It gives me a chance to have a little fun every time Danny was in those situations. For example, working with Lyle Lovett, a Texas Ranger. There's always lots of room for lighthearted fun and stuff like that. So, sure I love the show, and I love the character and I'd be open to a spinoff, but it would take a lot of thought, a lot of mindfulness and have a way to have Reagans visit sometimes. In addition to all the wonderful memories Wahlberg has of working with the cast and crew of Blue Bloods for 14 seasons, he also has a few souvenirs. He took Danny Reagans blue suit and dress blues, but he also took the Reagan family dinner table. Donnie WahlbergPhoto: Michael Parmelee/CBS I just couldn't see that thing ending up in storage somewhere, or in a closet somewhere, or just dumped somewhere, he says. It's too important to too many people, so when I heard that it was sitting around and they were deciding what to do, I said, Well, if it's not going to go in the Smithsonian, I'd like to take it and do some good with it. Related: Fans Will Love How End of Blue Bloods Will Be Celebrated The table was shipped to the Illinois town where Wahlberg lives with his wife Jenny McCarthy and his plan is to use it raise money for charity by installing it in the local Wahlburgers. I'll do Blue Bloods Friday dinners there with fans of the show, or fans of my band, he says. People can go into Wahlburgers and have a meal and sit down at the table and enjoy themselves and the proceeds will go to charity. That, to me, is a great way to carry on. Marisa Ramirez, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan and Steve SchirripaPhoto: Michael Parmelee/CBS And speaking of his band, New Kids on the Block will begin its Las Vegas residency next June and it isnt a minute too soon because, according to Wahlberg, the bloom is off the rose when it comes to touring. This past year, New Kids toured The Magic Summer Tour on tour buses, and it was rough, he admits. Those roads, the buses, it was so bumpy every guy would rarely say that they got a good night's sleep. It's pretty funny. We used to sleep through everything when we were kids and now, we feel the bumps. It was rough, so, yeah, waking up and maybe going out of an elevator to go on stage, it's going to be a lot of fun. The Blue Bloods series finale airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Next, Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy Strip Down for Racy Christmas Card Photo Judson ISD trustee Debra Eaton was arrested last December on a drunken driving charge. Bexar County Sheriff's Office In this file photo, Judson ISD trustee Debra Eaton hugs interim Superintendent Milton Fields during a board meeting. Robin Jerstad While other public officials have come under scrutiny for similar charges, the drunken driving arrest of Judson Independent School District board member Debra Eaton appeared to go unnoticed even by fellow trustees. Board members said they were never informed that Eaton, 69, was arrested by San Antonio police last year on a DWI charge. I dont know anything about this and dont know why the board wasnt notified, Trustee Monica Ryan said Thursday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Eaton was arrested shortly before 10 p.m. on Dec. 19, 2023, according to a report provided by the San Antonio Police Department. She was pulled over after an officer noticed her driving erratically while traveling west on FM 78, according to the police report. An SAPD sergeant reported seeing Eaton's car cross the turning lane and swerve into the eastbound lanes of traffic. The report said Eaton had glassy bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, and the responding officer smelled a strong odor of intoxicants emitting from her breath. Eaton told officers she was coming from a friends house where she had one alcoholic beverage, but said she couldnt recall the name of the drink, according to the police report. When asked to provide her drivers license, she handed the officer her concealed carry license, the report said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Officers were unable to administer field sobriety tests because Eaton was having a difficult time following simple instructions and was staggering, according to the report. Police said she agreed to comply with a voluntary blood alcohol test. She was booked into Bexar County Jail on a charge of driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and $6,000 in fines. Court records say she was released on a $1,000 bail the following day. Eaton did not respond to multiple requests for comment Thursday. Her attorney, Marc LaHood, said he was limited in the information he could provide because the case is ongoing. We believe that as the case ultimately unfolds, the evidence will speak for itself, said LaHood, a former Republican candidate for district attorney. Eatons next court appearance is scheduled for January, county records show. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A U.S. Army veteran and longtime community volunteer, Eaton was elected to the Judson ISD board in 2017 and ran unopposed for re-election in 2021. Her seat is up for election in May. In October, Eaton made headlines for directing expletives at Ryan, a fellow board member, and telling her to shut up during a board workshop. On Thursday, Ryan said she was surprised to learn about Eaton's arrest but said she couldn't offer an opinion until she knew more about the incident and spoke with her colleagues. When things we do distract from the mission of educating kids and taking care of Judson ISD, it makes it harder for the rest of us to focus on the kids and our stakeholders, Ryan said. Trustee Jose Macias reacted similarly, saying he was also never told about Eaton's arrest and that trustees would have to have a discussion about that in our boardroom. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Macias said he wasn't sure whether the board had a policy or if the Texas Association of School Boards provided guidance that could help trustees address the situation. Under state guidelines, grounds for removing a school board member include intoxication on or off duty caused by drinking an alcoholic beverage. Last September, Northside ISD trustee Karla Duran was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated, a charge that was later dismissed at the request of a special prosecutor. Last month, Northside trustees approved a provision allowing them to censure board members for certain behaviors. A censure serves as a formal statement of disapproval but does not remove a trustee from the board or carry any legal consequences. Judson ISD board president Suzanne Kenoyer did not return a phone call to the Express-News on Thursday but provided a statement via text message. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While I am board president, I will only speak on my own behalf, not for the entire board, she wrote. It is my understanding that this matter is working its way through the legal system. A Houston man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting a 9-year-old and being a dark web administrator for a website that consisted of child sex abuse images, videos and forums, federal officials said. Robert Alexander Shouse, 37, was sentenced on Thursday for producing and possessing "child sexual abuse material (CSAM)," according to a Justice Department news release. Shouse pleaded guilty in June to two counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of attempted exploitation of children and one count of possessing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. Robert Shouse is the embodiment of evil, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said in the release. He used money and gifts to sexually abuse a nine-year-old child for six years. He used his computer skills to target hundreds of children, stealing their innocence and shattering their lives. In essence, there was nothing he wouldnt do to satisfy his sick fantasies. Todays sentence helps ensure that Shouses fantasies wont become another childs nightmare for decades to come. USA TODAY contacted Shouse's attorneys on Friday but have not received a response. US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani (C) speaks during a news conference in Houston, Texas, on April 1, 2024. 'Delay, Deny, Depose': Florida woman arrested, accused of threatening insurance company How did law enforcement find out about Robert Shouse's crimes? Shouse got on law enforcement officials' radars in 2018 when they identified him as an administrator for a CSAM website on the dark web, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. On this website, users' identities were kept secret, according to the release. In Shouse's role, he "maintained the website which allowed users to post links to images and videos of CSAM," the Justice Department said. The links allowed a user to go to other websites, such as file-hosting ones where child sex abuse images and videos are stored and able to be downloaded, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Federal authorities seized and terminated the website's operation in 2019, the release reads. In January 2019, authorities executed a search warrant at Shouse's home and recovered multiple electronic devices, which contained more than 117,000 images and over 1,100 videos of child sex abuse, according to the Justice Department. Over 4,000 images showed babies and toddlers being sexually abused, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Law enforcement also found images and videos of seven minor victims who Shouse knew personally, according to the release. Man charged with sexually exploiting 9-year-old for six years During their investigation, authorities learned Shouse sexually abused one of the victims for six years, beginning when they were nine years old, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. To earn the victim's trust, Shouse befriended the child and gave their family money and gifts, the Justice Department said. Shouse created over 925 images and 33 videos of the victim being sexually abused, and in some of the graphic photos he made the child wear a dog collar, according to the release. Law enforcement discovered that Shouse also secretly recorded two other minors, one in a bathroom and another in a bedroom, and two more children online for naked pictures of themselves, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The deviant, criminal actions of monsters like Robert Shouse are unforgivable and leave permanent trauma for their child victims, Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston field office said in the release. When these images and videos are posted and exchanged online, the victimization continues in perpetuity," Williams said. "Children are re-victimized as long as documentation of their sexual abuse is on the internet, available for others to access forever." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas man sentenced for child sexual abuse, child pornography website Getty The roof of a police patrol car at night The ex-wife of a Los Angeles doctor has been arrested over his alleged "ambush-style" murder, alongside four other suspects. On Thursday, Dec. 12, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) shared in a release that its officers arrested Ahang Mirshojae, 53, on suspicion of murdering her ex-husband, Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, 61, who was gunned down in August. Shawn Randolph, 46, was also arrested on suspicion of murder on the same date, while Evan Hardman, 41, and Sarallah Jawed, 26, were arrested and charged with murder with special circumstances on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, respectively. A further suspect, Ashley Rose Sweeting, 40, was arrested and charged with accessory to murder. The [LAPDs] investigation revealed that these five persons conspired to commit murder, culminating in the ambush and subsequent demise of Doctor Mirshojae, the authorities said in the release. Related: Husband Fatally Shot Multiple Times in Luxury Oceanfront Fla. Condo By Wife in Murder-Suicide: Police LAPD/X Ashley Rose Sweeting and Evan Hardman The police added that the investigation was ongoing and that detectives were still determining the relationship some of the involved may have shared with Hamid. Los Angeles Police said in a release that Hamid had been leaving his family clinic located in Woodland Hills on Aug. 23 around 5:30 p.m. when he was shot in an ambush-style attack by a masked man in the parking lot of his practice. Police said just as the doctor approached the drivers side of his car, the masked man emerged from hiding around the corner of the clinic and ran toward him and shot him before fleeing back toward the rear of the clinic. Officers responded to the scene just after 6 p.m. following reports of an ambulance shooting, and found Hamid in the parking lot with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to LAPD. Related: Wife Was Caught on Dashcam Injecting Husband with Poison, Which Killed Him in Minutes: Get Off of Me!' Getty Close-up on the insignia and slogan of a LAPD vehicle Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The LAPD said its homicide detectives began investigating the case and with the help of several other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Offices, they were able to identify, locate and apprehend five people in connection with his death. Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Schwartz told a judge, per Fox 11 Los Angeles, that Sweeting drove the shooter to the crime scene in a "situation that appeared to be a murder for hire." She pleaded not guilty to her charges on Thursday. Police and federal agents also raided the home that previously belonged to Ahang on Thursday, Dec. 12, per the outlet, though it was unclear whether any additional evidence was discovered. LAPD said Ahang and Randolph are currently being held without bail, and that their cases would be presented to the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office on Monday, Dec. 16. Read the original article on People Police have arrested a fake Uber driver who is accusing of stealing more than $300,000 in cryptocurrency from unwitting passengers. Officers in Scottsdale, Arizona, a desert city east of Phoenix, apprehended Nuruhussein Hussein, 40, on Wednesday on felony charges of theft, fraud and money laundering, Scottsdale Police Department said in a statement. In a joint operation with the United States Secret Service field office in Phoenix, police said they found that between March and December this year the suspect pretended to be an Uber driver and picked up unsuspecting customers who had ordered a real ride outside a hotel in Scottsdale. Police said Hussein would then ask to use the victim's phone, on the pretense of needing to look up directions or connect to the Uber app. "While manipulating the unsuspecting victims phone the suspect transferred cryptocurrency from their digital wallet to his digital wallet," police said in a statement. The suspect was booked into Maricopa County Jail and both police and the Secret Service are continuing their investigation. He was charged with two counts of money laundering, two counts of fraudulent schemes and two counts of theft. He appeared in court for a bond hearing Wednesday and is due to appear again on Dec. 18. The court heard Wednesday that he told one alleged victim to "chill or something bad would happen." A $200,000 bond was placed on him and prosecutors told the court that the suspect regularly travels to Ethiopia and was a flight risk. The terms of the bond include constant electronic monitoring, a ban on all internet use and to stay in Maricopa County. Cryptocurrency fraud, a fast-growing and lucrative crime, is a huge concern to law enforcement authorities. People across the U.S. made more than 69,000 complaints and reported losing $5.6 billion to this form of fraud in 2023, the FBI said. The true figure is likely many times higher due to the reluctance of some victims to contact authorities. More than 16,000 complaints of cryptocurrency fraud came from people over 60, according to the FBI's first Cryptocurrency Fraud Report, released in September. Arrests related to cryptocurrency scams are relatively rare. Four accused scam artists, three from Southern California and one from suburban Chicago, were charged in an alleged so-called "pig butchering" scheme last December that persuaded victims to part with more than $80 million, officials said Thursday. Surveillance photo of a man officials say is Dr. Frederick Louis Tanzer outside a Bureau of Motor Vehicles office in Milford in April. A 66-year-old doctor, who officials say is affiliated with several Cincinnati-area hospitals, is the prime suspect in an unsolved 1989 sexual assault described as hourslong, sophisticated and brutal, according to court documents. Investigators believe the attacker in 1989 assault was a serial rapist. Frederick Louis Tanzer was arrested Wednesday at his home in Sycamore Township, Ohio. He is charged with making a false statement to the FBI. Tanzer is being held pending a detention hearing set for Monday in federal court in Dayton. Tanzer has lived and practiced medicine in Ohio, Kansas and Colorado, officials said. He practices internal medicine, and his medical license is active, state records show. An attorney for Tanzer was not listed in court records late Wednesday. A complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Dayton says that Tanzer was identified as the prime suspect early this year. At the time of the 1989 attack, he was married to a close friend of the victim, the documents say. In April, Tanzer was under FBI surveillance, when investigators followed him from his home to a Bureau of Motor Vehicles location in Milford, Ohio, where he threw a Starbucks coffee cup into the trash. Forensic analysts determined DNA from the coffee cup matched DNA left at the 1989 crime scene, according to the complaint. Woman attacked in her condo after work The attack began at approximately 5 p.m. on Aug. 1, 1989. The woman had just returned to her condominium after working at the IBM offices in downtown Cincinnati. Upon entering her home, the woman noticed an odor that she described as being like brewed tea or marijuana. According to the complaint: She walked into the dining room and was startled by a man wearing black Lycra fabric "from head to toe," black gloves and a black mask that completely covered his face. She screamed, and the assailant made a shhh sound. He grabbed her around the neck, put a knife to her throat and forced her into the kitchen, where he had a black gym bag. He then forced the woman into her bedroom, where he took white surgical tape from the gym bag and wrapped it around her eyes and head. He used stockings and panty hose from her dresser to bind her hands and feet to the bed. During the attack, according to the documents, the man put a cloth in her mouth and only agreed to take it out when she told him she wouldnt scream. The sexual assault took place over more than five hours, and at times, the attacker wiped semen from her body. 'No police or I'll be back' The woman told investigators that she managed to get a glimpse of the attacker through the tape that covered her eyes when he went to another part of the bedroom and took off his mask. She described him as white, approximately 6 feet tall, thin, with dark brown hair which documents say would have described Tanzer. The man eventually loosened the binding on one of the womans hands and left. She was able to free herself and went to a neighbors unit, where someone called 911. Investigators found a torn sheet of newspaper taped to the bedroom phone. Written on the newspaper: No police or Ill be back Mis IBM. Note written on a piece of newspaper that was taped to the bedroom phone of a woman who was sexually assaulted in her Columbia Tusculum condominium in 1989. Over the years, the woman remained in contact with police and even hired private investigators and participated in media interviews, trying to generate leads. On Wednesday, when questioned by the FBI, officials say Tanzer lied when he denied having seen or interacted with the woman on the day she was attacked. After being handcuffed, according to court documents, Tanzer told someone in his home: "We've got to find a great lawyer. I don't know what's going on." Anyone with information about the 1989 attack or any other similar incident is urged to contact the FBI. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FBI: Ohio doctor Frederick Louis Tanzer tied to 1989 rape The former leader of the US Coast Guard who withheld from Congress the explosive findings of an investigation that documented years of sexual assaults at the agencys prestigious academy said he did so because he worried lawmakers wouldnt protect the privacy of the victims. I made my decision, and I stand by that, former Commandant Karl Schultz said in an exclusive interview with CNN. There are people who feel wronged by that, and I truly in my heart feel terrible about that. But I dont think that changes my calculus. Schultz, who has become a lightning rod for criticism over his handling of the matter, disputed that he was trying to cover up the investigation known as Operation Fouled Anchor. That secret investigation, which was revealed by CNN, substantiated dozens of rapes and assault allegations from the late 1980s to 2006 that had been botched by Coast Guard officials at the time. A internal report on the probe was finalized in 2020 and concluded that the academys leadership had been more concerned about the schools reputation than victims wellbeing and found that some perpetrators continued to thrive within the service. The report was not released to Congress or the public. In his first public statements since the scandal broke, Schultz said he knew if he had presented the findings to Congress, lawmakers would have seen it as a political opportunity. He said the way Congress is responding now is evidence he was right. I knew they would see it as, Heres the scandal and that they would blow it up, said Schultz, who retired in 2022. In his view, lawmakers would have pressed for more information, which ultimately would have been leaked publicly and harmed the victims and some alleged perpetrators who had been exonerated by the investigation. Providing them an overview of the findings, he said, wouldnt have been the end of it. He also said he did not believe he was under any legal obligation to share the findings with Congress, noting that the agency would not typically brief lawmakers on criminal cases. He had already implemented a number of sexual assault related reforms, he told CNN, including to improve investigations and better support victims. Schultz said he felt compelled to tell his side of the story following a memo that was released Thursday from majority staff from the House Oversight Committee which is undertaking one of several ongoing government probes examining the Coast Guards handling of sexual assaults. That memo casts the committees interview with Schulz in starkly different terms. The committee suggested Schultz acknowledged missing an opportunity for transparency and wished he could have a mulligan. Schultz said those comments were taken out of context. He said he was referring to his second-guessing over whether he should have personally reached out to assault survivors to apologize for what they had experienced and explain his decision making. When I reflect back, Ive asked myself should I have possibly picked up the phone and called the victims, he said. House Oversight Committee member Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democratic Congressman from Illinois, called Schultzs reasoning for withholding the report from Congress absurd. He said he was trying to protect the victims of the persistent harassment and the rapes in the Coast Guard Academy. I think he was trying to protect the perpetrators, he said in an interview on CNN. He was trying to basically prevent them from facing accountability, and I think he himself needs to be held accountable. Krishnamoorthi strongly disputed the idea that victims identities would have been compromised had Schultz shared the findings with Congress. We are handling the sensitive information of government personnel all the time, and there are ways to do it, he said. But the point is that we have the obligation in Congress to provide oversight, and the Coast Guard has the obligation to disclose information such as the results of this investigation. Schultz said he sees that some good has come from the report coming to light, but said he believes some victims have been inadvertently identified by the information released to Congress, backing up his original concerns. While Schultz said he based his actions on concern for victims wellbeing, many assault survivors from within the service have told CNN their lives were turned upside down when they were asked to recount the trauma they endured as part of the Fouled Anchor investigation, only to be forgotten once again when the investigation was quietly closed without any public acknowledgment. Lawmakers from across the aisle meanwhile have argued there is no question the report should have been shared with them. They have characterized the Coast Guards handling of the scandal as a premeditated effort to avoid further scrutiny. Congress members have also criticized the agencys current leader, Admiral Linda Fagan, for continuing to fight against greater transparency. In the same report that characterizes Schultzs interview with investigators, lawmakers said many critical records are still being withheld, which suggests a broader and continued effort to avoid accountability, putting service members at risk. The Coast Guard said in a statement that it has been fully cooperating with the investigation and has turned over more than 75,000 documents in response to various committee requests. One of the main goals of the current congressional investigations is understanding how they were kept in the dark about Fouled Anchor for so long. Schultzs predecessor, Admiral Paul Zukunft, previously told CNN he had planned to brief Congress and to issue a public apology to the victims the investigation identified. Im a big believer that bad news, like dead fish, dont get better with time, Zukunft said. But he retired before the probe was over. While the Fouled Anchor investigation continued under Schultzs leadership, records show his second in command made a list of the pros and cons of being transparent, and worried that going public with the findings could risk the initiation of comprehensive Congressional investigations, hearings, and media interest. Schultz said he had not seen those notes until Congress released them. In addition to interviews with Schultz and other former officials, the House Oversight Committee interviewed more than 20 whistleblowers. Many whistleblowers revealed how investigations into these incidents were cursory at best, with perpetrators often evading meaningful consequences, and in many instances, being allowed to continue to serve and be promoted, according to the congressional memo sent Thursday. The memo, which has been obtained by CNN, stated that the Coast Guard has yet to be held fully accountable. Since the scandal came to light last year, Fagan, the current leader, has issued a series of unprecedented apologies to members of Congress, current and former academy cadets, and the entire Coast Guard workforce and has directed a host of reforms to how sexual assault cases are handled across the agency. Editors Note: This story was updated to include a statement from Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi . For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com France's President Emmanuel Macron named Francois Bayrou as his new prime minister to run his government on Friday, his office said, after his previous choice for the role served the shortest term in modern French history amid an entrenched political crisis. Macron appointed Bayrou after Michael Barnier was ousted last week in a no-confidence vote in France's National Assembly its Parliament prompted by budget cuts, tax raises aimed at cutting France's enormous deficit and clashing centrist, right- and left-wing visions over how to fix France's divided society. France government collapses again: prime minister forced out Bayrou, 73, like Barnier, is a political centrist. It wasn't immediately clear why Macron believes Bayrou will have more luck making progress with France's deadlocked National Assembly. Bayrou is Macron's fourth prime minister in a year. Macron himself is half-way through his second term. Bayrou takes up the job after Barnier served as France's prime minister for just three months, the briefest occupancy for the post since 1958. In France, the prime minister is in charge of the day-to-day operating of the government, tabling laws and making sure they are implemented. The president takes care of defense and foreign affairs. Macron's job as president is not at risk. Unless he resigns. His term expires in 2027. An age-old (and old age) problem: Amid French strikes, is retirement better in America? Macron has been seeking to forge a path forward for France's government after he called a snap parliamentary election in June that ended in political stalemate. Right-wing parties came in second after left-wing ones followed by Macron's centrist alliance. Left-wing voters in France are angry at Macron for his reforms to the country's welfare state, among other issues. Right-wing forces want less immigration, a tougher stance on crime and more economic opportunities. In the wake of Bayrou's appointment, far-right leader Marine Le Pen urged him to "do what his predecessor didn't want to do" and pass a "reasonable" budget bill. Any other approach," Le Pen wrote on X, "would only be a continuation of Macronism, twice rejected at the ballot box, could only lead to impasse and failure." France has a budget deficit of about 6% of GDP, which is more than twice the limit permitted by European Union spending rules. Because no political party or grouping has an outright majority of lawmakers in France's National Assembly, Bayrou's first task will be to form a government that reflects the political majority and keep it in power without it being toppled again by another no-confidence vote. "The French are exasperated by this bad movie," said Carole Delga, a French lawmaker from a left-wing party who some in French political circles consider to be a potential candidate for the presidency in 2027. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Francois Bayrou is France's new prime minister Tulsi Gabbard is struggling through her meetings with senators this week, sources told The Hill, highlighting the difficult path she faces in winning confirmation to be director of national intelligence. Nearly a half dozen sources, including senators and individuals close to the situation, indicated that Gabbard is having trouble during meetings with lawmakers, with one source familiar describing the sit-downs as not going well. She was proving to be a little shallow, like a House member talking at a hearing and not someone who needs to provide the presidents daily intelligence briefing, the source familiar said. Two Senate Republicans also echoed the concerns, with one noting that multiple members who have sat down with the former Democratic Hawaii congresswoman have come away unimpressed thus far. Ive heard that shes not very well prepared. Ive heard not great things, the Senate GOP member said, describing them as BS sessions. The second Senate Republican added there have been a lot of eyerolls from members who have sat down Gabbard early on. The objections lawmakers have stem from Gabbards lack of experience and her relationships with U.S. adversaries. She met in 2017 with Syrias Bashar Assad, whose government was overthrown this week, following allegations of chemical weapons use against his own people. She has also been a high-profile defender of leaker Edward Snowden and has echoed Russian President Vladimir Putins talking points on the Ukraine war. Her defense of Putin would make it difficult for her to gain support from the likes of outgoing Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is staunch in his support for Ukraine. Another source familiar with her meetings on the Hill said senators were likely inclined not to like her from the beginning. A Senate GOP aide whose member has met with Gabbard said the poor meetings shes had dont make it easy for her to win votes, adding, shes got some work to do if she wants the job. The more she meets with serious people, the more theyll see theres a competency deficit. But, the aide was optimistic, calling her a capable person who could learn quickly. Theyve got to get her up to speed really quickly. Shes just not educated on the job. But I feel she can get it done, ultimately, the source said. Another Senate Republican who has met with Gabbard said some of her troubles stem from positions beyond Syria and Russia. Specifically, they pointed to her past votes against reauthorizing FISA Section 702, which gives the U.S. the authority to conduct warrantless surveillance of non-U.S. citizens located abroad. The hard part is explaining things like, she voted against [FISA Section 702] four times and now shes going to have to be the defender of 702, the member said. Others expressed less concern about Gabbard. Theyll find shes a straight shooter, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said earlier in the week. She is someone that, when she gets focused, shes extremely driven and will get the job done, and shes also going to be someone thats going to be able to change the way that DNI has been run under [Director Avril Haines] and the direction that were going to be going there. People have just got to get to know her and be comfortable with her, he added. Haines, who was appointed by President Biden, was the first of the presidents Cabinet officials confirmed in the Senate; the upper chamber supported her with a bipartisan 84-10 vote on Bidens Inauguration Day. At the time, Haines was backed by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is now Trumps pick to run the State Department. Haines has the typical experience for the role she served in several national security positions during the Obama administration, including deputy CIA director and White House deputy national security adviser. She replaced Trumps director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, who previously was a congressman from Texas. He drew backlash over some of his decisions to declassify intelligence in what was viewed as attempts to spread at times unverified information that could hurt Trumps political enemies. The Trump transition pushed back on reporting that Gabbard is struggling in her meetings with senators. These cowardly anonymous sources are desperately trying to hold on to power, so they hide behind the media to spread these falsities that directly subvert the will of the American people. President Trump won with a mandate for change from the American people, and thats one of the reasons he nominated Lt. Col. Gabbard for DNI, transition spokesperson Alexa Henning said. The Gabbard tumult comes as most of Trumps other nominees have found themselves in relatively stronger positions. Pete Hegseth, the president-elects choice to lead the Pentagon, appeared to be in deep peril last week before going on a blitz of meetings with lawmakers and the media to turn things around. Shes probably more vulnerable than Hegseth right now, the source familiar with Gabbards meetings in recent days said, adding that people who have been on Capitol Hill with the Defense secretary pick feel like he has turned the corner. Lawmakers are now confident he can win confirmation after overcoming the wave of issues. I will say, the middle of last week, it felt like there was growing momentum against him. I think that has changed markedly, Sen. Ted Cruz. (R-Texas) said. The momentum has shifted considerably in Petes direction. I think Petes going to get confirmed. Mullin was more blunt. It didnt look too good last week, he said. But I thought he could get there if he could make it through the week, and he did. Now, youre seeing the tide turn for him because hes taking the fight to the Senate. Hes making his case, and its been effective. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sony Pictures When it comes to Christmas classics, The Holiday is a seasonal staple that delivers every December conjuring up a snow-covered country village fantasy, complete with quaint Christmas cottages and a jumper-wearing Jude Law. But this familiar rural setting was, in fact, the backdrop to my childhood with a bit less Hollywood glamour, of course, and no Jude Law as I grew up in Shere in the Surrey Hills, the film location for Iriss village in The Holiday. The reality was slightly different to what you see on screen, though. A few spoilers: Kate Winslets cottage didnt really exist although a stunningly-detailed wooden facade was erected in the fields above the village, in the space of just one week, to capture the outdoor shots. Nor was it snowy. I still remember the thrill of travelling to school as a child in spring along snow-lined country roads, and glimpsing the fake snow sprayers at work. In fact, growing up it was sometimes confusing trying to figure out what was real and what was part of the film set; the church vicar was somewhat disgruntled when he was once asked by an American if he was a real priest. Some parts were all real though including Grahams local pub, The White Horse. Visiting friends still get excited to sit in Jude Laws seat, signposted by a gilded frame above and who am I to deny anyone the vicarious thrill of sharing bottom-space with Jude? In many ways, Shere was an idyllic place to grow up. The village is just as charming as it appears on screen (if a little busier!), with a few small shops housed in beautiful beamed buildings and a handful of pubs and cafes, all bordered by rolling Surrey Hills woodland. As a child I took dance classes in the village hall, sang in the church choir and fed the ducks in the stream that flows through the village (I've become less angelic as I've got older). Lharasyn/Getty Images As anyone who has ever lived in a village will tell you, they have a distinct feel which is hard to describe to anyone who hasnt experienced it. Some call it community spirit. Some call it people being too involved in other peoples business. I, for one, find the passionate emotions and altercations stirred up by powerful issues such as parking and the behaviour of visiting cyclists an engaging spectator sport and one best appreciated from a safe distance. One of the main things uniting Sheres residents is a shared vengeance for inconsiderate parking. A side effect of The Holidays popularity has been a large increase in the number of visitors to the tiny village, which has narrow streets and a distinct lack of parking spots. So if you do decide to visit, consider getting the train to nearby Gomshall. The short walk to Shere from there goes through bucolic fields of sheep, right past the location of the famous 2D cottage in The Holiday with views over the valley. Cara Laskaris Christmas, however, is when Shere's village spirit really comes into its own. Every Christmas Eve, the community comes together for Carols in The Square an outdoor gathering around the central oak tree. Illuminated by fairy lights and fuelled by mulled wine, locals sing carols with varying levels of vocal talent (mine is at the lower end, but made up for with enthusiasm). And things get pretty rowdy well, as rowdy as a middle-class Surrey village singing hymns can be. Overseen by the vicar, different factions of the crowd vie for different carols to be sung and belt out their favourite ones once chosen. The pub side of the square is, unsurprisingly, the loudest. Shere may not be home to Jude Law in real life, but it is still a beautiful village which I feel very lucky to call my "home town". You might catch me visiting Jude's preferred seat in the pub from time to time though, just in case You Might Also Like Hegseth has been spending his days on Capitol Hill meeting with Republican senators to rally support as he battles allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. Donald Trumps pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said gay people should be able to serve in the US military, in an apparent shift from his previous stance on the issue. When asked by reporters Thursday if gays should serve in the military, the former Fox News host and National Guard captain replied, Yes, Politico reported. Hegseth, who served tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay as an infantry officer, previously called policies allowing openly gay people to serve part of a Marxist, social justice agenda. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trumps defense secretary nominee, has softened his stance on gays in the military as support for his confirmation ramps up. AP Trump touted Hegseths book in his announcement, adding that hes tough, smart and a true believer in America First. Facebook / Pete Hegseth In his 2024 book The War on Warriors, Hegseth wrote that the dont ask, dont tell policy was a gateway and a camouflage for cultural changes that have undermined military effectiveness. He has advocated for exiling military leadership who enforce diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives prioritizing social justice and blamed the woke military for the armed services recruiting crisis. The shift comes as Hegseth recently praised women as some of the militarys greatest warriors and said his previous comments were misconstrued. Hegseth was an Army National Guard officer who did tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. @petehegseth/Instagram Hegseth has faced another battle in the confirmation process as his suitability for defense secretary has come into question and allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking have surfaced, which he and former colleagues have denied. In the past week, his confirmation appears to be on more solid ground as pressure mounts for GOP senators to support him. He continues working through Washington to secure swing votes from those who havent said whether they would vote yes on him such as Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Collins said he showed more openness on women in combat and Ernst called him very supportive of women in the military, according to the Politico report. Hegseth has been meeting with Republican senators on Capitol Hill to rally support as he battles for a confirmation hearing early next year. Getty Images Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Hegseths recent explanations have helped his chances of being confirmed. Like President Trump, Pete wants to see the U.S. military focus on being the worlds strongest fighting force not on cultural and social issues, said Brian Hughes, a Trump spokesperson. Trump has lauded his nominee as tough, smart and a true believer in America First. When frazzled twentysomething traveler Jennea arrived at Londons Kings Cross railway station on December 15, 2013, the station was absolutely packed. Carol singers in one corner were singing with gusto, collecting money for charity in brightly colored buckets. Gathered in the middle of the Victorian concourse, crowds of travelers stood, wrapped in coats and scarfs, looking up at the departure boards, waiting for their platform to be announced. Passengers jostled past each other, armed with bags of gifts and large suitcases. Exhausted and a little overwhelmed, Jennea still found time to be charmed by the festive atmosphere. She took a moment to put down her heavy bag and check the departure board, searching for her train. Jennea, whod grown up in the US, had spent the last 18 months in Mozambique, where shed been volunteering for the US Peace Corps. She hadnt seen her loved ones in almost two years, and now she was en route to reunite with them in Cambridge, England. The thought of hugging her mom, catching up with her aunt and uncle and distributing her gifts to her family kept Jennea going as she hoisted her heavy backpack onto her back, and headed towards her platform. I was absolutely loaded down two suitcases, a backpackers backpack, my handbag Jennea tells CNN Travel today. Its Christmastime. Im packed to the brim with Christmas presents. Making my way through Kings Cross Station, completely absorbed. When Jennea got to the platform, it was unnervingly empty. This was surprising. I remember thinking, This platform is very quiet. Its so close to Christmas and its Kings Cross, thats bizarre. I dont even know if Im in the right place. What if Ive misread the platform number incorrectly? Jennea glanced around for someone to ask. She couldnt see a train guard or another passenger. And not only that, there were two trains on the platform as well. It wasnt clear which was the right train. Jennea felt herself start to panic. She was already leaving London much later than shed initially planned. And she was exhausted from traveling from the Mozambique village where she was volunteering to Malawi, then to Kenya, then to the UK. It took four days, Jennea recalls. And even then, when I finally landed in London, there was this massive delay on the airplane. Because of this, I had missed my plan A train, my plan B train, my plan everything train It was 2013 and I didnt have an iPhone yet. I couldnt get a hold of my aunt and uncle who were going to be picking me up. Just as Jennea felt the stress and tiredness start to overwhelm her, she heard a voice behind her. Excuse me, is this the train to Cambridge? A train station conversation Jennea and Arthur immediately hit it off at King's Cross railway station in December 2013. - Dreamcapture Fotografie Jennea turned around and saw a man, also wrapped in a hat and scarf, but significantly less weighed down by luggage. I was so relieved, recalls Jennea. I replied, Oh I hope its going to Cambridge. Thats where Im going. As she spoke, Jennea realized she hadnt had a conversation in four days other than perfunctory airport and airplane interactions. She felt a strange feeling of ease with this stranger, who smiled at her and offered to help her with her bags as they boarded the train together. As Jennea apologized for the heaviness of her luggage and the guy told her not to worry about it, Jennea thought she detected something familiar in his voice. Are you American? she asked. No, Im Dutch, he said, smiling. But I live in London. Im Arthur. Im Jennea, said Jennea, smiling back. In mutual, unspoken agreement, Jennea and Arthur who have requested their last names not be included in this story for privacy reasons sat down on the train, opposite one another. They carried on talking. It was just very easy conversation, recalls Jennea. The carriage gradually filled up, and an overhead announcement confirmed the train was heading to Cambridge. Arthur asked Jennea what brought her to the UK, and Jennea explained her mother was Irish, that she had family in Ireland and the UK, and they were all gathering there for the festive period. As for Arthur, he explained hed moved to London for college a few years previously. He was currently working in finance while he studied part time for a PhD and he wasnt heading to Cambridge for the holidays, but for something a little more unusual. Id been invited to go to Cambridge by a friend of mine who was a novice monk, Arthur tells CNN Travel today. He basically invited me to spend a few days as a mini retreat away from the Big Smoke. Arthur had approached Jennea on the platform because he was confused about the train. It was initially purely functional dialogue, is how Arthur puts it. Trying to get on the train, trying to get to Cambridge but then it quickly morphed into a very easygoing conversation about lots of different topics. It felt like there was a lot of common ground. People say, Was it love at first sight? says Jennea, of that first interaction with Arthur. And I say this lovingly, but no, no, it wasnt. It was just relief: Thank God theres someone else on the platform. And then it was functional. Okay, where am I going? What am I doing? But then we sat down, and started talking. For both Arthur and Jennea, this conversation was the hook. They were intrigued by each other. Arthur knew nothing about the Peace Corps. Jennea was fascinated by the idea of having a friend who was a monk. Their conversation just flowed. As the train now full of people weaved its way through the series of tunnels that carry trains northward out of Kings Cross, Arthur and Jennea kept talking. There wasnt that point where it became awkward and silent and youre thinking, Do I dig out my book and pretend to read now? says Jennea. No. We chatted the entire time. About an hour later, the train pulled into Cambridge station, and Arthur helped Jennea gather her many bags. They exchanged details, promising to add one another on Facebook, and they were still deep in conversation as the train pulled to a halt. Then, as we stepped off onto the platform, my aunt and my uncle were actually right there, and I was so relieved because theyd waited for me, says Jennea. I hadnt seen my family in years at this point, it had been a long time, so I just threw my arms around my uncle, and then my aunt. Meanwhile Arthur hung back, still holding Jenneas suitcases. He was standing there with my bags my aunt said, Oh my gosh, look at you. Youve gone all the way to Mozambique, and youve come back, and heres a man standing with your bags. What have you done? recalls Jennea, laughing. It was kind of an, Alright, bye, moment, says Arthur, also laughing. Arthur and Jennea didnt hug farewell they both suddenly felt a little awkward in that moment. But as they walked in opposite directions, they each turned around to smile at one another, and wave. I was sort of thinking, Oh, that was really nice. What a great start to my Christmas holidays, recalls Jennea. But I had no idea what would happen next. Staying in touch Arthur and Jennea had lots in common from the outset and stayed in touch after their railway meeting. - Arthur and Jennea When Jennea got to her aunts house, she spent the next couple of hours catching up with her family, sharing stories of her mammoth journey and her work in Mozambique. Later, when she finally connected to the Wi-Fi on her cell phone, Jennea saw she had a friend request from Arthur. She accepted, and he sent through a message right away, saying how great it was to meet her. And then we just kept exchanging Facebook messages back and forth over the holidays, says Jennea. I kept sneaking away into the room I was staying at my aunts house to try and message privately. Jennea and Arthur picked back up the conversation theyd started on the train, sending instant messages regularly back and forth. After a couple of days, they started talking on the phone. A few days before Christmas, Jenneas parents arrived in Cambridge. As soon as my mom arrived, my aunt said, I think shes met someone in the UK. And my mom was like, Who did she meet? Shes only just landed? recalls Jenna. And so then I always had a very well-meaning, but nosy relative, always coming into the bedroom, just putting laundry away, whenever I was on the phone with Arthur. Which I would hear in the background, by the way, when we would be talking, adds Arthur. Id suddenly hear, Can you see me? Im the pretty aunt. Jennea was set to return to Mozambique early in the new year. She still had another 12 months of her Peace Corps contract. It wasnt obvious where this connection with Arthur would or could go. But then Arthur invited Jennea to visit him in London for a couple of days before she returned. My mom was like, Absolutely not. He could be an axe murderer. You just dont know, says Jennea. While my aunt was saying, Youre just young once, and you only live once, so take a chance and see what happens. Jennea tried not to be swayed by either of their opinions. I mean, as an adult, I was able to make my own decisions, she points out. Jennea knew she wanted to see Arthur again. So she got the train back from Cambridge to London, where Arthur was waiting, smiling, in the station concourse. We were in London together for just 24 hours, says Arthur. It was quite special. We were able to squeeze basically lots of different dates into that period of time. It was the end of December that time between Christmas and the new year when many people in the UK are off work, the Christmas lights are still twinkling and theres a sense of expectation in the air as January 31 gets ever closer. It was the perfect backdrop for falling in love. It was a very magical day, says Jennea. We went to different restaurants, museums, and saw a show. Arthur had planned out the whole day. And all the things that he had planned, they were things that I really enjoy doing as well, says Jennea. So there was this thought of, What you like doing is what I like doing,. It was just one day in London. But it really sealed the deal. Arthur felt the same way, saying this time together, helped establish a strong bond. But when Jennea left for Mozambique, she and Arthur promised to take everything one day at a time. Neither of them had been looking for romance when they met. And both were conscious that Jennea living on another continent would be tough to navigate. My approach to it was, If I keep talking to Arthur, thats wonderful, and thats great. And if not, I had a great time. Everything was lovely, says Jennea. And so I think because I wasnt expecting and hoping and putting that pressure on, it always remained a very safe space, if that makes sense super organic. It was just very relaxed, one day at a time without the pressure and I think the distance permitted that but also knowing that the distance was temporary, I think thats a really important mixture in starting a long-distance relationship. Jennea and Arthur kept in touch while she was away via regular phone calls. We would call and chat, building the relationship and getting to know each other, says Jennea. I looked forward to those phone calls. Wed ask: What are your hopes and dreams for the future? Whats your family like? Do you have siblings? Happiest memory That kind of thing And also just, How do you like your toast? Jennea was someone that liked going into depth on different things, says Arthur. And also someone I could laugh with. Someone with a sense of humor. I think that was very appealing. A few months in, Arthur visited Jennea in Mozambique in spring 2015. It was surreal when I saw Arthur again, recalls Jennea. I couldnt believe he traveled across the world to come and visit me. I traveled six hours via public transport to meet him at the Nampula airport so its safe to say we were both feeling a little more invested in our relationship at that point. Jennea waited for Arthur at the airport holding a giant homemade welcome sign for him in Dutch. The Mozambique visit was really exciting for both Arthur and Jennea, and further confirmed their certainty in the relationship and its potential future. It gave me a deep appreciation for the volunteering Jennea did, which really was a defining experience for her, says Arthur. And as the months rolled on, Jennea started considering what shed do after her Peace Corps contract ended. She was interested in teaching, but wasnt sure where shed end up based. My original plan was to return to the US and to go into graduate school. And in the United States, you have to take an entrance exam in order to get into graduate school. So I convinced myself that it would be worth it to go to London and take this exam, because then I could stay with Arthur, says Jennea. In the moment, Jennea told herself and everyone else in her life that she was saving money by not having to pay for hotel accommodation, even though she could have done the exam somewhere closer and saved the plane fare. It was an excuse, Jennea says. I wasnt fooling anyone. But then I went to London and stayed with Arthur for two weeks. During that period, Jennea talked to Arthur about her graduate school plans, and interest in teaching, but mentioned nothing was set in stone. Im open to various options, she told him. Well, you know, London is an option, said Arthur. Jennea raised an eyebrow, not sure what to make of this. I remember thinking, What does that mean? Im fully aware that I could move to London, but are you asking me to live with you? she says today. And yes, that was his very romantic way of saying, Will you live with me? Londons an option. Life in London After Jennea introduced Arthur to her extended family during a Minnesota-based Thanksgiving at the end of 2014 a trip she calls a lot of fun she made the choice to move to the UK to be with Arthur. This decision was made a little easier thanks to Jenneas mothers Irish roots. Fortunately, I have dual-citizenship with Ireland and the USA, she says. I was therefore spared any visa hardships, luckily. And at the beginning of 2015, she moved into Arthurs apartment in Poplar, east London which hed just purchased. The wallpaper was a bit 1970s, so we had this shared project of updating this flat together, and I think for us living together for the first time in this big city, and adjusting, it was helpful, because I wasnt moving into his space right away. We were both starting out in this new space, Jennea says. We were building new memories together, in a new area, adds Arthur. Jennea and Arthur moved in together in London in 2015. - MoMi Photo The couple also adopted a cat from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, an animal rescue center in London. That was also really nice, because we had our little friend, and it was nice to come home to him, says Jennea, who started training to become an elementary school teacher not long after she moved to the UK. Life in London was an adjustment from her time in the Peace Corps and living in the UK was also different from Jenneas childhood in the US. But her Cambridge family werent too far away. And Jennea was excited to create her own family unit with Arthur. We were just very easy together, she says. It just felt cozy. It felt like home when we were together. I found security. When Jennea moved to London, she and Arthur and just celebrated their one year meet-a-versary, as she calls it. As a gift, Arthur gave Jennea a ceramic tile, a type of traditional Dutch pottery, with a personalized inscription: A phrase in Dutch that translates to, The measurement of love is love without measurement. Underneath the words was the date Arthur and Jennea first met: December 15, 2013. Proposal and marriage Jennea and Arthur on their wedding day in Curacao. Arthur calls the day "incredible and very memorable." - Claudia Sanches/Wow Wedding Details After a couple of years enjoying London life, Arthur proposed to Jennea while they were on vacation in Bruges, Belgium. Arthur proposed after giving me a heartfelt letter about his love for me and got down on one knee, says Jennea. In the spring of 2017, Jennea and Arthur got married in Curacao, a Dutch Caribbean island. We chose a place that inconvenienced guests equally, jokes Jennea before adding that they were attracted to the beauty of the island, and the fact it was neither a his nor hers wedding destination. It was, says Arthur, incredible and very memorable having all of our closest family and friends in Curacao for a four day party. For the entire week, when we walked down the street we always bumped into friends or family, recalls Jennea. The day itself was sunny, clear blue skies and warm. I had had a sleepover with the bridesmaids/girls the night before and I was ready to party and say yes to living the rest of my life with Arthur by my side. It was just such a great buzz. The speeches included a couple of mentions of Arthur and Jenneas unlikely train station meeting including three of Arthurs friends performing a little skit about the meeting, and the couples life together since. I have a lot of happy memories of that day. Its definitely a moment in time I like to relive and enjoy, says Jennea. Arthur says he also felt deeply happy and also really grateful to be marrying Jennea. Tougher times From the early days of their relationship, Arthur and Jennea had talked about wanting children. The couple first discussed this mutual desire on one of their many long, in-depth cross-continental phone calls. They figured once they were married, and more settled with careers and life, theyd start trying for kids. But this turned out to be very difficult, says Jennea. We really struggled with infertility, and that was something that was really hard, because everything else was so easy between us. When we started trying for kids, it just kind of felt Whats wrong? This life we had envisioned together it wasnt necessarily clear whether or not we would ever have that. As the uncertainty and heartbreak stretched over several years, Jennea and Arthur navigated the ups and downs as a team. Wed be open about the challenges, having those conversations emotionally, says Arthur. But then also not being stuck in that anxiety or concern or frustration, but trying to convert that into, Where do we go from here, together? Arthur also credits the couples wider social circle, family and friends who helped support them through this period. And then, in 2020, Jennea and Arthur had a successful round of IVF, welcoming a daughter. We got very lucky, says Jennea. A few years later, in summer 2023, the couple had a second child, a son. We have another little baby, also with the help of IVF, says Jennea. We just feel very fortunate to have what we have now. Life today Jennea, Arthur and their two kids now live in the Netherlands. - Arthur and Jennea Today, Jennea and Arthur live in the Hague, in the Netherlands, with their two young children. The couple moved to Arthurs home country when they became parents. This was partly a career decision after Britain left the European Union, and partly a personal decision. Arthurs career was moved from London to Amsterdam following Brexit, and then Arthurs family also lives here, explains Jennea. So as I was pregnant and about to give birth, the thought was, Oh, wouldnt it be nice to be closer to Arthurs immediate family? Today, says Jennea, the couple are nostalgic about their London life all the museums, going for drinks with your friends theres just so much going on in London, how could you not love it? They always enjoy returning especially to Kings Cross station, where it all began. Kings Cross station definitely holds a special place in our hearts, says Jennea. We always hold hands and kiss when we walk through together. When we brought our daughter there the first time, that was a magical moment. Im looking forward to bringing our son there in the future. Over a decade later, Jennea says she still thinks meeting at a train station is romantic. It feels nostalgic in a way, like an old movie meet-cute. Jennea and Arthur also always associate the month of December with their love story. Its that wonderful festive energy, the exciting chaos, that engulfs the days leading up to Christmas that I associate with our love story, she says. The couple always take a moment to set aside time to be with just each other at this point in the year, and tell each other just how grateful we are that we met, adds Jennea. To our friends/family, it has been compared to a Bollywood scene, says Arthur, who adds he has a strong feeling that bumping into Jennea that day was meant to be. I honestly still count myself incredibly lucky because it was so serendipitous, agrees Jennea. If things had gone to plan no delayed plane or luggage, not having missed my original trains to Cambridge, etc. I never would have met Arthur. Our paths just wouldnt have crossed. We were living in two totally different worlds and this really feels like it was fate. Eleven years later, were still together and with two kids, all due to a chance encounter on a train platform. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Somalia and Ethiopia have reached a deal to end a nearly year-old bitter dispute following hours of Turkish-brokered talks in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday. Hailing it as a "historic agreement", Erdogan said he hoped the deal would be "the first step towards a new beginning based on peace and cooperation between Somalia and Ethiopia". Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud flew into Ankara earlier on Wednesday for the latest round of talks following two earlier rounds that made little progress. The two neighbours have been at loggerheads since landlocked Ethiopia struck a deal in January with Somalia's breakaway region Somaliland to lease a stretch of coastline for a port and military base in exchange for recognition, although this was never confirmed by Addis Ababa. The move sparked a fierce diplomatic and military row between Ethiopia and Somalia, which branded the deal a violation of its sovereignty, setting international alarm bells ringing over the risk of renewed conflict in the volatile Horn of Africa region. Speaking at a joint press conference, Erdogan said he believed Wednesday's agreement, which came after talks that reportedly lasted eight hours, would eventually bring about a way to ensure landlocked Ethiopia's access to the sea. "I believe with the meeting we had today, especially with Ethiopia's demands to access the sea, my brother Sheikh Mohamud will give the necessary support for accessing the sea," he said. According to the text of the agreement released by Turkey, the parties agreed "to leave behind differences of opinion and contentious issues, and resolutely move forward in cooperation towards common prosperity". They agreed to work closely together on commercial arrangements and bilateral agreements that would ensure Ethiopia's "reliable, safe and sustainable access" to the sea "under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia". To that end, they would start technical talks no later than the end of February which would be completed "within four months", with any differences to be dealt with "though dialogue, where necessary with Turkey's support". Speaking alongside Erdogan, his remarks translated into Turkish, Ethiopia's Abiy said: "We have addressed the misunderstandings that have occurred over the past year. "Ethiopia's desire for secure access to the sea is a peaceful venture and will benefit our neighbours, it is a venture that must be seen in the spirit of cooperation, not suspicion." He said the "constructive talks" would allow the two nations "to enter the New Year in a spirit of cooperation, friendship and the willingness to work together instead of against each other". The Somali leader, whose remarks were also translated, said the agreement had "put a halt to their differences" and that his nation was "ready to work with the Ethiopian leadership and the Ethiopian people". The row had sent shivers through the Horn of Africa, drawing in Ethiopia's long-standing rival Egypt, and Eritrea. Somalia expelled Ethiopia's ambassador in April and said Ethiopian troops would be excluded from a new African Union peacekeeping force against Islamist Al-Shabaab insurgents that is due to be deployed on January 1. Turkey has been mediating between the two sides since July, leading discussions aimed at resolving their differences, but the two previous rounds of talks in Ankara had failed to produce any tangible progress. Prosecutors leading the case against Bryan Kohberger are pushing back against his attorneys' claims that investigators improperly obtained potentially key evidence -- and are asking the judge to deny requests to exclude that evidence from trial. In a series of highly-technical filings posted late Thursday, prosecutors said that the searches of Kohberger's person and belongings, including his car, phone records, Apple accounts and homes, were appropriate. They noted the "burden of proof is on the defendant to show that the search was invalid." PHOTO: Bryan Kohberger, accused of murder, arrives for a hearing on cameras in the courtroom in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (Ted S. Warren/Pool/Getty Images) MORE: Parents of Idaho college murder victims speak out on 2-year mark of gruesome crime Kohberger, a former criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, in connection with the fatal stabbing of four University of Idaho students -- Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20 -- in an off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. The trial is scheduled for August 2025. Lawyers for Kohberger have accused investigators of an overbroad attempt to build their case, arguing their search warrants cast too wide a net. But prosecutors, responding on Thursday to the defense's lengthy series of motions posted Nov. 15, contend that taken together with other elements of the case, their probe for evidence was "sufficiently particular and valid" and "considering the information available" at the time, the Moscow detective seeking the information "could not reasonably narrow the scope further." The "warrant must allow the searcher to reasonably ascertain and identify the things which are authorized to be seized," wrote Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ashley Jennings, citing legal precedent. She added, "broad language may be permissible where the warrant constrains the search to evidence of a specific crime." "The rationale is that 'criminals don't advertise where they keep evidence,'" prosecutors wrote. And since the potential evidence they sought "could be located in multiple formats and areas," particularly electronic data, prosecutors here said, a wide enough investigative aperture is necessary. "Applied to electronic devices 'criminals can -- and often do -- hide, mislabel, or manipulate files to conceal criminal activity [such that] a broad, expansive search of the [device] may be required,'" prosecutors wrote, again citing legal precedent. Jennings said the "seizure of items was limited to" the crime Kohberger is accused of committing -- the killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in their off-campus home. And though Kohberger has a right to privacy, that right does not shield criminal conduct, prosecutors said. In fact, it is because he had that right that they sought, and obtained, search warrants, they said. Though the man accused of stabbing to death four college students in Nov. 2022 indeed "had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his vehicle located at his parents' residence," there was "substantial probable cause" to search it, prosecutors said. And Kohberger also had a "privacy interest" in his AT&T account and phone records -- and "as such, the State sought and was granted a search warrant to review those records." The Thursday filings were accompanied by a series of requests to seal corresponding exhibits meant to bolster prosecutors' argument. PHOTO: A photo posted by Kaylee Goncalves only a few days ago shows University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Goncalves. The four were found dead at an off-campus house on Nov. 13, 2022. (Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram) MORE: Judge delays University of Idaho murder trial, sets August start date Prosecutors didn't include in Thursday's filings an extensive address of Kohberger's challenge to DNA evidence, or the search of his Amazon account. Judge Steven Hippler, who is now overseeing the case in Boise, has not yet scheduled a public hearing on the matter. Idaho college killings: Prosecutors push back against Kohberger requests to exclude key evidence originally appeared on abcnews.go.com An incoming West Virginia state lawmaker was arrested Thursday after he allegedly threatened to kill other state lawmakers. Joseph de Soto, who was elected in November to serve as a delegate in the West Virginia House, was arrested by troopers early Thursday morning after an investigation showed he "had made several threatening/intimidating threats against government officials," West Virginia State Police Lt. Leslie T. Goldie Jr. said in a statement. "The West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Capitol Police take all threats against government process seriously," Goldie Jr. said. "Any person making these threats used to intimidate, disrupt, or coerce the members of our West Virginia legislature or other governmental bodies will not be tolerated." He was charged with one count of threats of terrorist acts, a felony, and the bond was set at $300,000. West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, W. Va. A witness told police on Wednesday that de Soto was upset following a recent meeting where Republican state lawmakers discussed whether to expel him from the caucus, according to a complaint shared with NBC News by an official with the Berkley County Commission. It's unclear what prompted the discussion and de Soto had not yet been sworn in. De Soto had been elected as a Republican but the West Virginia secretary of states office confirmed to NBC News on Friday that he switched his affiliation on Wednesday to the Democratic Party. The witness who spoke to police talked on the phone Tuesday to de Soto, who detailed the meeting and said "he was going to kill delegates," according to the complaint. The complaint named a handful of Republican state lawmakers, including Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates Roger Hanshaw, as targets. Hanshaw didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. "When asked what he meant by using the word 'kill,' he advised God called him to kill them," the complaint said. In an email provided to police by the witness, de Soto wrote that the delegates "can all go to hell, I will send them there as commanded." A text message the witness provided to police also showed that de Soto said, "I did say I am going to kill people I said I am going that is necessary to put them from office." The witness told police that de Soto "has a temper and can become very angry," the complaint said. "Mr. DeSoto has been very upset over things that have been occurring with the political group and things that he believes are being said against him and feels that he is being attacked and forced out of his position," the complaint said. Defense attorney Jacob Mills told NBC News that his firm, Criminal Law Center Kevin D. Mills & Associates, is representing De Soto, who he said "is presumed to be innocent." "He has entered a plea of not guilty. My firm will be presenting his case in court and expect his vindication," Mills said. West Virginia Republican Party chairman Matt Herridge in a statement criticized de Soto's actions and said the party supports his expulsion. Our elected officials sacrifice a lot to serve their communities, and it is a travesty for anyone to face the additional burden of threats made against themselves and their families, Herridge said in a statement. Advancements in DNA technology and a surge of public interest are rekindling hope for breakthroughs in the long-unsolved murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, a case that has remained a haunting mystery for nearly 28 years. As new techniques emerge and fresh attention is drawn to the evidence, many are eager for answers that could finally bring closure to this tragic story. JonBenet, who was found dead in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado, home in 1996, remains frozen in time. Her father, John Ramsey, has endured nearly three decades without justice, answers or his daughter. PHOTO: JonBenet Ramsey is shown in this undated portrait. (ABL Studio/ZUMA Press Wire via Shutterstock) "JonBenet's still my 6-year-old blond-headed daughter who I love dearly," Ramsey told ABC News. "I did run into one of her little friends on the street who is now, you know, 30 and an adult. And it was, it was a little bit of a shock. This little girl played with JonBenet at our house all the time. And that was a little bit of a jolt to think, wow, that could have been JonBenet." Watch the full story on the "20/20" episode, "Forever Young: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?" featuring a new interview with John Ramsey and never-before-seen footage from the iconic Barbara Walters interview with parents John and Patsy Ramsey. Ramsey, now 81 years old, has renewed hope that his daughter's killer can finally be found. He is confident that advances in DNA technology, including genetic genealogy that has helped to solve several high-profile cold case, are the key to solving this mystery. "Let's do a reverse family tree and see if he had a relative living in Boulder in 1996. The interesting thing about these cold cases," Ramsey said. "The ultimate first arrest came out of nowhere. They were on no one's radar. They've done this horrible crime and nobody said that that guy's a suspect. That's what we're asking the police to do." PHOTO: John and Patsy Ramsey, the parents of JonBenet Ramsey, meet with a small selected group of the local Colorado media after four months of silence in Boulder, Colo. on May 1, 1997. (Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images, FILE) Over the years, Ramsey expressed frustration with the police for not solving his daughter's case. He was unhappy with being a prime suspect for 12 years and that the department rejected offers of help to find viable evidence.He recently took part in a new Netflix docuseries, "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?" The series dives into lingering mysteries surrounding the tragic case, exploring evidence, interviews and theories that have emerged over the years. Ramsey collaborated with director Joe Berlinger, who aimed to illuminate what he described as one of the most victimized families in American history. "Obviously, he wasn't legally wrongfully convicted, but he was wrongfully convicted," Berlinger said. "And his wife Patsy the family were wrongfully convicted in the court of public opinion." The popular docuseries ignited a new wave of interest among viewers. Ramsey is hopeful that recent changes in the Boulder Police Department's leadership and better communication with his family may lead to a resolution in the case. The Boulder police department has addressed the recent scrutiny. Last month, the current police chief released a video statement. "So much of how law enforcement works has changed in the last 30 years," Stephen Redfearn said. "There are a number of things that people have pointed to throughout the years that could have been done better and we acknowledge that as true. However, it is important to emphasize that while we cannot go back to that horrible day in 1996, our goal is to find JonBenet Ramsey's killer." That tragic day in 1996 began in the picturesque Boulder neighborhood where the Ramsey family lived. On Dec. 26, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up to find that JonBenet, a child beauty queen, was missing. A handwritten ransom note demanding $118,000 the exact sum of John's bonus that year was discovered on the kitchen stairs. Seven hours later, John found his daughter's lifeless body in a small basement room. An autopsy determined JonBenet was sexually assaulted and strangled, and her skull was fractured. Unknown DNA was found under her fingernails and in her underwear. The Ramseys quickly became suspects, even though no evidence connected them to the crime. PHOTO: John and Patsy Ramsey, the parents of JonBenet Ramsey, meet with a small selected group of the local Colorado media after four months of silence in Boulder, Colo. on May 1, 1997. (Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images, FILE) The family has always denied any involvement in JonBenet's murder. However, the Boulder District Attorney's Office took 12 years to fully exonerate the Ramseys and their son Burke, who was 9 years old when his sister died. As weeks went by without any arrests in the case, a media frenzy began to build, fueled by relentless tabloid images of JonBenet participating in beauty pageants. A number of leads emerged, including a man named John Mark Karr, who confessed to the killing in 2006. However, his DNA did not match the evidence and he was not in Boulder at the time of the murder, so he was eliminated as a suspect. The case remained unsolved. John Ramsey believes that a cloud still hangs over his family, as he thinks there are people in the country who think he and his late wife, Patsy, who died in 2006, are responsible for JonBenet's murder. Investigator Lou Smit, who was initially brought into the case by Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter, came to believe early in his investigation that the Ramseys were innocent. He thought that the police should be looking at the possibility of an intruder. Im not saying parents dont kill their kids parents do kill their children, Smit said in his tapes. But [the police] are trying to say Patsy did it. Their actions before, during and after [JonBenets death] are all consistent with innocent people. They didnt do it. As the investigation progressed Smit became increasingly concerned that authorities had completely ruled out the chance of an intruder being responsible for JonBenet's death. As a result, they weren't searching for evidence that might support this possibility. Smit continued to maintain that an unidentified intruder was responsible for JonBenet's murder. However, he was running out of time due to his colon cancer diagnosis in 2010. Before Smit died on Aug. 11 of that year, he diligently compiled a detailed list of persons of interest, hoping that his years of investigative work would eventually pay off. Smit passed his files to his surviving children, including a spreadsheet with 887 names of potential suspects to be investigated. That list is extensive, but Smit's family is determined to continue their search. Since his death, the team has cleared several individuals from that list, according to Smit's granddaughter Jessa Van Der Woerd. However, the process is slow due to the time and costs involved in locating each person, obtaining their DNA and testing it. "We've let the killer walk for more than 28 years," John Ramsey said. "I think it's imperative that we investigate every credible suspect that's been provided." JonBenet Ramsey case gets renewed attention 28 years after her murder originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Accompanying his selection as Times Person of the Year, President-elect Donald Trump sat down with the magazine for a wide-ranging interview that published on Thursday. The president-elect, fresh off his election victory and recognized by the magazine as its Person of the Year for the second time, touched upon a series of topics, including US policy toward Ukraine, his plans for mass deportations and the scope of potential pardons for those involved in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot. The interview was conducted on November 25. Vehemently disagrees with new Biden missile policy in Ukraine Trump said he vehemently disagrees with allowing Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to strike inside Russia and that by doing so, the US is escalating this war and making it worse. I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? Trump said. Were just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done. Now theyre doing not only missiles, but theyre doing other types of weapons. And I think thats a very big mistake, very big mistake. President Joe Biden gave long-awaited authorization to Ukraine in November to use powerful US-provided long-range weapons, called Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, inside Russia. The authorization was a key request from Ukraine for months. Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly cast doubts on continuing US support to Ukraine and vowed to end the war once he was in office. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he wants to work directly with Trump and is open to his ideas on ending the war. Trump declined to say in his interview with Time if he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the election, but was pushed repeatedly on the question of whether he would abandon the Ukrainian president. I want to reach an agreement, and the only way youre going to reach an agreement is not to abandon, Trump said. He said the war is a tragedy with a staggering number of people killed on both sides of the conflict. [T]he number of dead soldiers that have been killed in the last month are numbers that are staggering, both Russians and Ukrainians, and the amounts are fairly equal the numbers of dead young soldiers lying on fields all over the place are staggering, he said. Will use military for mass deportations to the maximum level of what the law allows Trump reiterated his plan to use the military to deport migrants who entered the US illegally and said he will push his use of US armed forces up to the maximum level of what the law allows for deportations. Trump said he believes illegal immigration into the US can be categorized as an invasion of our country and said he would request the use of the National Guard and local law enforcement to supplement the militarys efforts in deporting migrants. US law says the military cannot be used to enforce domestic laws without an act of Congress. Well, it doesnt, it doesnt stop the military if its an invasion of our country, and I consider it an invasion of our country, Trump said of the laws governing the use of military to enforce domestic laws. Ill only do what the law allows, but I will go up to the maximum level of what the law allows. And I think in many cases, the sheriffs and law enforcement is going to need help. Well also get National Guard. Well get National Guard, and well go as far as Im allowed to go, according to the laws of our country, he continued. Trump also suggested he may build new detention facilities to house migrants even as he negotiates with other nations to receive deported migrants, and again threatened allies with tariffs if they do not agree to receive people deported from the US. When asked about the possibility of new migrant detention camps being built in his administration, Trump said, There might be. Whatever it takes to get them out. I dont care. Honestly, whatever it takes to get them out. Again, Ill do it absolutely within the confines of the law, but if it needs new camps, but I hope were not going to need too many because I want to get them out, and I dont want them sitting in camp for the next 20 years, he said. I want them out, and the countries have got to take them back, and if they dont take them back, we wont do business with those countries, and we will tariff those countries very substantially. When they send products in, they will have substantial tariffs, and its going to make it very hard for them to do business with us, he continued. Trump reiterated his promise not to separate families with mixed immigration status, saying he would much rather deport them together. He said in an interview with NBC Newss Meet the Press that aired on Sunday that he would want to allow the option for families with mixed immigration status to leave the country as a family if one member of the family is deported. January 6 pardons to be reviewed case-by-case Trump suggested he will focus on those who were convicted of nonviolent crimes who he said have been greatly punished when issuing pardons for those convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Trump told Time he plans to look at each individual case and will begin reviewing possible pardons in the first hour that I get into office. He said hell be looking to pardon people whose cases really were out of control. Im going to do case-by-case, and if they were non-violent, I think theyve been greatly punished, he said. Im going to look if theres some that really were out of control. Trump said a vast majority of those who were convicted and given prison sentences should not be in jail. Nearly 1,200 people either have pleaded guilty or were found guilty at trial for crimes connected to the January 6 attack, according to the Justice Department. More than 645 defendants were ordered to serve some jail time. In his Meet the Press interview, Trump reiterated his commitment to pardoning those involved in the January 6 attack but did not rule out issuing pardons for people who were charged with assaulting police officers. These people have been there, how long is it? Three or four years? You know, by the way, theyve been in there for years, and theyre in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldnt even be allowed to be open, he told NBC News. Will study vaccines and autism diagnoses, despite no evidence supporting a connection Trump said his administration will study the safety of childhood vaccines and rising levels of autism diagnoses, and suggested he may eliminate some vaccines if he views them as dangerous. Trump told Time magazine hes going to direct Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic and his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, to study the rising rates of autism diagnoses. He said he would consider getting rid of some vaccines for children, falsely suggesting autism may be caused by vaccines. Were going to have a big discussion. The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible. If you look at things that are happening, theres something causing it, Trump said. Scientists have repeatedly debunked the theory that vaccines cause autism. But despite that evidence, many anti-vaccine advocates, including Kennedy, have called for greater research into the subject. When asked if he believes autism is caused by vaccines, Trump said hes going to be listening to Kennedy, who he said hes instructed to study any links between vaccines and autism, and left the door open to eliminating some vaccinations from the childhood vaccine schedule. It could, if I think its dangerous, if I think they are not beneficial, but I dont think its going to be very controversial in the end, Trump said of the possibility of getting rid of some vaccinations. We will know for sure whats good and not good, he added. Since Kennedy suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed Trump in August, Trump has regularly expressed skepticism about the safety and efficacy of vaccines in his public remarks. During his interview with NBC News, Trump again falsely suggested vaccines may cause autism and floated the possibility of eliminating some vaccines while praising others as incredible. Trump said there would be very serious testing and that, at its conclusion, we will know for sure whats good and whats not good, but didnt go into detail about what the research would look like or what its looking for. Its not clear whether it would shed light on vaccine safety or the cause of autism. The myth linking vaccines and autism grew out of a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield that was published in the medical journal The Lancet and later retracted. Wakefield had been compensated by a law firm intending to sue manufacturers of the MMR vaccine, and in 2010, he lost his medical license. In 2011, The Lancet retracted the study after an investigation found that Wakefield altered or misrepresented information on the 12 children who were the basis for the conclusion of his study. Several subsequent studies trying to reproduce the results have found no link between vaccines and autism. Many studies have shown that vaccines arent linked to autism, including the shot that protects against measles, mumps and rubella, the preservative thimerosal and the pace at which children receive vaccines. Autism diagnoses have been increasing up from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to about 1 in 36 children in 2020. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says thats largely because of more equitable identification thats now reaching groups that didnt have access to care before. Autism and vaccine researchers have argued that continued focus on vaccines saps resources away from research that could improve autism identification and treatment and has led to declines in vaccination, leading to outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough. Says there are other alternatives to two-state solution in Middle East When asked if he supports a two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Trump said he supports whatever solution we can do to get peace, while noting there are other alternatives without offering specifics. I support whatever solution we can do to get peace. There are other ideas other than two state, but I support whatever, whatever is necessary to get not just peace, a lasting peace. It cant go on where every five years you end up in tragedy. There are other alternatives, he said. Trumps backing away from a two-state solution is a departure from the plan he proposed during his first administration, which he called a realistic two-state solution but that was immediately rejected by Palestinians. Trump did not rule out allowing Israel to annex the West Bank, pointing to the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel as an inflection point in his view on relations in the region. When asked if he would prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank, Trump said, Well see what happens. I want a long-lasting peace, a peace where we dont have an October 7 in another three years. And there are numerous ways you can do it. You can do it two-state, but there are numerous ways it can be done, he said. Calls for virtual closure of Education Department Trump shed some light on his plans for the Department of Education, which he has repeatedly said he would get rid of. Abolishing the department or merging it with another like he proposed during his first term would require an act of Congress. When asked by Time magazine what he means, Trump called for a virtual closure of Department of Education in Washington. Youre going to need some people just to make sure theyre teaching English in the schools. Okay, you know, English and mathematics, lets say. But we want to move education back to the states, Trump said. Almost every public K-12 school district in the nation currently receives federal funds distributed by the Department of Education. The amount varies by district, largely depending on the number of students from low-income families and the number with disabilities. States and local school boards already have authority that cant be superseded by the federal government, but those federal funds come with strings attached. One possible way to address the bureaucratic red tape, and give more power to the states, would be to deliver federal funds through what is called a block grant, which comes with fewer restrictions. The Department of Education has a number of other responsibilities, too. It administers the federal student loan and financial aid programs and has an Office of Civil Rights that is charged with investigating alleged discrimination complaints at colleges and K-12 schools. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Dmitry Antonov and Maxim Rodionov MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin praised U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday for criticising Ukrainian missile strikes deep into Russian territory but said discussions about deploying European troops to keep a possible future peace in Ukraine were premature. With Russia advancing at the fastest rate since the 2022 invasion, Trump and some European leaders have discussed how to end the war in Ukraine. Trump criticised Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied missiles for attacks deep into Russia in a Time magazine interview published on Thursday, saying it was "crazy" because it escalated the war. He said Washington should not have allowed it. "The statement itself completely coincides with our position," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He said Trump's remarks were in line with "our vision of the causes of escalation". "It appeals to us," Peskov said. "It is obvious that Trump understands exactly what is escalating the situation." Russia has said the decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to let Ukraine strike deep into Russia with U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles could trigger a world war, but some Western leaders suggest Russia has military ambitions beyond Ukraine. Kyiv says it should be able to strike at its enemy although some U.S. officials question whether the Ukrainian missile strikes can change the course of the war. Russia said on Wednesday Ukraine had struck a military airfield on the Azov Sea with six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles. After Ukraine struck Russia with ATACMS last month, Russia fired a new hypersonic ballistic missile known as "Oreshnik", or Hazel Tree, at Ukraine, and Putin said Russia reserved the right to hit U.S. and British military facilities. EUROPEAN TROOPS? While campaigning for the presidency, Trump said he would swiftly end the war, but has not detailed in public how he would do so. Asked whether Trump's words gave the Kremlin greater hope for ending the war, Peskov cautioned that during his first term as U.S. president Trump imposed many sanctions on Russia. "Let's not forget, sanctions were imposed against our country over 50 times, and there were many unfriendly manifestations towards our country," Peskov said. "This should not be forgotten, so do not get ahead of yourself." The Kremlin said discussions by European powers about possibly deploying European troops to police any ceasefire were premature, but did not dismiss the idea outright. "All this should be discussed during the negotiations," Peskov said of the European discussions. "We have repeatedly said that a truce in itself is not what we want: we need peace." Peace, he said, would come after conditions set out by Russia were fulfilled and all Moscow's goals were achieved. Setting out his opening terms for an immediate end to the war, Putin said in June that Ukraine must drop ambitions to join NATO and withdraw its troops from four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia. He has also said agreements rejected by Kyiv in early 2022 could form the basis of a deal. Reuters reported last month that Putin is open to discussing a ceasefire deal with Trump but rules out any big territorial concessions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week Kyiv wanted an end to the war and efforts were needed to make his country stronger and oblige the Kremlin to work towards peace. (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov in Moscow and Maxim Rodionov in London; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Timothy Heritage) Cooler weather helped California firefighters make good progress on a wildfire that erupted in scenic Malibu, and more than 3,000 residents have been allowed to return home by Thursday, officials said. The Franklin Fire, which has burned more than 4,000 acres and destroyed some homes, was 30% contained Thursday night, fire officials said. Weve had a lot of success on the incident over the last couple of days, Dusty Martin, one of the fire incident commanders, said at a briefing Thursday. Martin said that around 3,700 residents have been allowed to return, which he called "a big win." The fire broke out near a tunnel in Malibu Canyon Monday and it was exposed to high winds that fueled very aggressive growth and spread, Los Angeles County Fire Assistant Chief Drew Smith, operations section chief for Franklin Fire, said. Actor Dick Van Dyke and musician Cher left their homes, and the fire at one point came close to Pepperdine University's picturesque coastal campus. Los Angeles County firefighters put out hot spots in Malibu, Calif., on Wednesday. Some roads were reopened to residents as officials allow people to return to some areas. Around 1,600 residents remained under an evacuation order Thursday night, Los Angeles sheriffs Capt. Jennifer Seetoo said Six residential structures have been destroyed and another one was damaged, the county fire department said. Other minor structures have also been destroyed and damaged. More than 1,700 firefighting personnel and 16 helicopters were assigned to the fire Thursday. Firefighters have been seen dropping water and pink fire retardant by plane over the brush-covered Santa Monica Mountains. Movie legend Dick Van Dyke, who turns 99 Friday, described seeing the fire approach. It was coming from over the hill, you could see it, and oh, my God, we got out of here, he said. The actor shared video from his doorbell camera showing the moment he evacuated with his wife, Arlene, and their pets. Van Dyke explained that he was struggling to put out a small fire on his property, when quick-thinking neighbors came to his aid. I was trying to crawl to the car. I had exhausted myself. I couldnt get up," he recalled. Three neighbors came and carried me out and came back and put out a little fire in the guest house and saved me. Newlyweds Michelle and Blake Geffen, who only recently moved into a home in the Serra Retreat Community in Malibu, had evacuated Monday, leaving with just their cat, passports and other important belongings. We heard screaming in our neighborhood. And we just knew something was off. And we got a call from our landlord and he just said, Hey, theres a fire, you need to go, Michelle Geffen told NBC Los Angeles. We looked behind us and we could just see orange burning. They found out from news coverage that their rental home and all their belongings were destroyed in the fire. Los Angeles County firefighters at a home destroyed in the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., on Wednesday. At Pepperdine University, a shelter-in-place protocol for the Malibu campus was lifted Wednesday and power was restored to the campus. It came after students had hunkered down on campus earlier this week as bright orange flames burned perilously close to the university. The Franklin Fire exploded as the region was under red flag warnings and under a rarely issued "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warning earlier this week. Red flag warnings are issued when there are strong wind gusts, extremely dry vegetation and low humidity, making conditions ripe for fire ignition and rapid spread. The cooler weather has allowed firefighters to go deeper into fire areas and mop up, Smith, the assistant fire chief, said. The better weather included some light rain Thursday. "But we know with the steep, rugged topography there's areas that are going to be very challenging," he said. On the ground is Los Angeles Countys newly formed Community Fire Brigade, which is made of up about 45 volunteers. Yes, we may be putting water on fire. For me, the real impactful work is being advocates for our community to be better fire adaptive, Keegan Gibbs, director of operations for the L.A. County Community Fire Brigade, told NBC Los Angeles. Gibbs said the opportunity to be part of the brigade and undergo training empowers community members who have suffered loss in previous unforgiving fires. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. While there has been progress, the fire is not over, Martin, the incident commander said. He said firefighters are working diligently to make sure it is safe for everyone to return home. "The work is not done, and we have a lot of work ahead of us," Martin said. Alon Alexander, 37, right, and his twin brother, Oren, left, attend their bond hearing at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building after being charged with multiple state and federal crimes, including sex trafficking and rape, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Miami. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP, Pool) MIAMI (AP) A federal judge ordered that a prominent real estate broker be held without bond Friday on sexual assault and trafficking charges, saying he is a flight risk as she rejected his family's pledge of $115 million in real estate holdings to secure his release. Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid's ruling likely means that Tal Alexander's brothers, twins Oren and Alon Alexander, will also be denied bail when they appear in Miami's federal court next week as the proposed security package would have covered all three. Earlier Friday, a Florida judge had granted Oren a $3 million bond and his twin $2 million on state charges stemming from the same investigation but they were ordered held pending their own federal hearing. Reid agreed with the prosecution's argument that Tal Alexander, because of the family's wealth, would be a flight risk if released even if he was placed under house arrest and wore a GPS monitor, saying those provisions have proven not to be foolproof in other cases. Federal prosecutor Lauren Astigarraga had argued that if Alexander, who is Jewish, fled to his parents' homeland of Israel on a private jet, it would prove difficult to impossible to extradite him back to the United States. The 38-year-old is facing a likely life sentence if convicted on all counts. Astigarraga also argued that the seriousness of the charges against Alexander shows that he is a danger to the community and that he could try to intimidate the victims who might testify against him at his trial. She compared his allegations to those against music mogul Sean Diddy Combs, who is being held without bail on sex trafficking charges. The Alexander brothers gained national attention after the accusations against them were made public months ago. Oren and Tal Alexander had risen to become stars in luxury real estate after co-founding their real estate firm, Official, which specialized in high-end properties in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. FBI Special Agent Justine Atwood testified Friday that approximately 40 women who mostly don't know each other have made similar allegations of being lured by the brothers to luxurious vacation spots and homes in Florida and New York, being drugged and then raped. She said there are graphic videos and photos and text messages exchanged between the brothers that substantiate the allegations. Alexander's attorney, Milton Williams Jr., argued that while the allegations are serious, the evidence is thin. In arguing for his proposed nine-figure bail package, Williams said the family would lose all of their wealth if any of the brothers fled. He said Tal Alexander is married and has a 2-week-old baby, making it unlikely that he would flee. After losing his argument for bail, Alexander agreed to be transported to a federal jail in New York, where the federal charges were filed on Wednesday. Earlier Friday in state court, Circuit Judge Lody Jean had granted the bail requests of his twin brothers, their he bond secured by their father's home in Bal Harbour, Florida. I am satisfied that these are reasonable conditions that you all have fashioned, Jean told the attorneys. But because of the federal charges, the brothers still couldn't be released. Authorities arrested the brothers Wednesday on charges related to sex crime allegations in Miami and a federal sex trafficking case in New York City. A federal indictment accuses the brothers of using their wealth to lure, drug and sexually assault and rape multiple women over more than a decade. The Alexander twins are also charged by the state of Florida for three separate instances of alleged sexual battery. Oren Alexander is facing three separate charges, while Alon Alexander is facing only one charge. (Allison Hong / Los Angeles Times; photos from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, New York Public Library) It was an ordinary day at his Los Angeles law office when John Nadolenco opened a letter from Brazil enlisting his help in a mission to retrieve a stolen, and quite possibly cursed, 836-pound emerald. The year was 2014, the heyday of the Nigerian prince email scam, and the up-and-coming attorney was no fool. I immediately thought it was just completely fake, a total hoax, he said. I was like, I'm not falling for this one. I'm smarter than this.'" He tossed the letter in the trash. But Nadolenco's boss asked if, as a favor, he could look into the Indiana Jones-esque request to reclaim the Bahia Emerald. So Nadolenco skeptically reached out to a colleague in his firm's Brazil office. He was flabbergasted to learn that not only was the Bahia Emerald real, but the Brazilian government was genuinely interested in using his legal skills to retrieve the gem, which was being held in the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department's custody amid lawsuits over its ownership. The emerald had been plucked from a mine in the Carnaiba mountain range, located in the Bahia region of northeastern Brazil. Bahia Emerald is a misnomer because it is not one gem but nine dazzling crystals encased in a rough black rock 30 inches wide and 33 inches high. Each crystal is as thick as a Coke bottle, and one is believed to be the largest single emerald ever found. But how did the stone, which weighs about as much as a full-grown bison, end up in L.A. County? And how could Brazil get it back? It was Nadolenco's mission to find out. The stone, he learned, was smuggled to the U.S. in 2005, and a series of lamentable tales some fact, some fiction have followed those who claim to own it, giving rise to the belief that the emerald is cursed. A Bay Area building contractor swore his house burned to the ground (true) with his deed of ownership inside (likely false). Investors in a failed tech startup almost lost the gem to the flooding of Hurricane Katrina (true). A Northern California plumber claimed he was kidnapped by Brazilian warlords while owning the emerald (false). The value of emeralds in general is highly variable and often set at whatever a buyer is willing to pay; appraisals of the Bahia Emerald have ranged from a couple thousand dollars to a jaw-dropping $925 million. Its value is especially tough to pin down due to its sheer size and one-of-a-kind nature. Our final valuation is that we would never sell it because it's priceless for us, said Fernando Filgueiras de Araujo, a federal attorney in Brazils foreign disputes unit. Despite the many hands grasping to own it, few people have ever laid eyes on it. No one in the Brazilian government has seen the emerald in person, nor has Nadolenco. One of the few who have seen the stone is Scott Miller, a now-retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detective, who seized the emerald from a Las Vegas warehouse in 2008. It wasnt as pretty as the pictures, Miller said. It was this large black rock, almost like a lava rock. But it did have the huge spires of emerald coming out of it, which was really cool to see. The men responsible for starting the mythology surrounding the Bahia Emerald are Elson Alves Ribeiro and Rui Saraiva Filho, the two Brazilians who took possession of the stone after it was pulled from a mine in 2001. What happened to the rock for the next 23 years is the subject of controversy and confusion. The following timeline of the stone's convoluted history is drawn from the facts laid out in a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling over its ownership. According to court documents, in September 2001, two friends from Northern California mining consultant Kenneth Conetto and building contractor Anthony Thomas flew to Brazil to purchase emeralds as part of a Hail Mary effort to save a failing tech start-up. Thomas had sunk more than $200,000 into a digital imaging company, Digital Reflections Inc. (DRI), which was in dire financial condition and on the brink of shutting down. The company learned of an investment opportunity that promised sky-high returns on a $100-million investment, and the following get-emeralds-get-rich plan was born: Conetto, Thomas and DRI executive Wayne Catlett would secure $25 million worth of small cut and polished emeralds from Ribeiro and Filho. Then, they would use the stones as collateral for the $100-million loan needed to participate in the investment program. The idea was to make quick money, pay Ribeiro and Filho over $3 million, save the failing company and live happily ever after. Things did not go as planned. For starters, no one from DRI had been able to assemble a loan that could use the cut emeralds as collateral by the time Conetto and Thomas arrived in Brazil in September 2001. During the trip, Ribeiro and Filho did, however, take the Americans to see the Bahia Emerald in storage. The Bahia Emerald is not a single gem but consists of nine dazzling crystals encased in a rough black rock 30 inches wide and 33 inches high. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department) A month later, Thomas wired $60,000 to Ribeiro a fee that he said was to purchase the Bahia Emerald, but that court documents said was used to cover the cost of cutting and polishing the collection of emeralds the Brazilians had gathered for the DRI loan. Thomas told the court that the Bahia Emerald mysteriously disappeared in transit to California and he suspected a corrupt Brazilian government was to blame, which is why he never bothered filing a theft report. When asked where his bill of sale was, Thomas said it burned up in a 2006 fire that destroyed his home in Morgan Hill. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson ultimately ruled against his ownership claim, writing in a 2014 judgment, Thomass testimony was like sand in the wind constantly shifting and changing its shape. Thomas filed for bankruptcy a few weeks later. Thomas never ended up possessing the stone, which instead was sent from Brazil via FedEx to his friend-turned-rival Conetto in 2005. Conetto then sent the stone from San Jose to a storage facility in New Orleans, where it was submerged for weeks after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city that year. At the time, Conetto was still working with DRI staff and the two Brazilians to use the Bahia Emerald as collateral for a loan, but as time passed and no progress was made, the team decided to sell the emerald. In order to do so, they enlisted the help of two additional colorful characters: a Northern California plumber called Larry Biegler and a Florida gem dealer called Jerry Ferrara. Both men would later join the legal fray, claiming they owned the emerald. The value of the Bahia Emerald is the subject of great debate. The highest appraisal for the gem was a jaw-dropping $925 million. But others say it's an ugly, mostly black rock likely worth thousands, not millions, of dollars. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department) Biegler shipped the stone back to San Jose in August 2007 and unsuccessfully tried to secure a buyer. Biegler later told Ferarra that he'd been kidnapped by Brazilian warlords and asked him to send ransom money, according to reporting from Wired. In April 2008, Ferrara decided to take over efforts to sell the stone and had it transported to a storage facility in El Monte. Ferrara, too, struggled to find a buyer, but had no problem using the stone as collateral for an expensive diamond deal with Idaho businessman Kit Morrison. Morrison paid $1.3 million upfront for the diamonds, but the deal fell through and he suddenly found himself the unintentional owner of an 836-pound emerald. With Ferraras help in September 2008, he moved the stone to Las Vegas. Biegler was not happy about the disappearance of the precious emerald and reported the stone stolen from the El Monte storage facility. This is where detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department enter the scene. Unable to determine who was the true owner of the stone, Miller and his colleague Mark Gayman decided to track it down and let the courts decide. The pair traveled to Morrison's home in snowy Idaho, where after a threat to unwrap every present under his Christmas tree in pursuit of the gem Morrisons attorney informed them that the gem was in Las Vegas, Miller said. So the detectives drove back to the Boise airport, landed in Los Angeles at 2 a.m., rendezvoused with co-workers at 4 a.m. and headed to meet Morrison at a high-security storage center in Las Vegas. He let us in and we opened up the crate and there was the emerald, Miller said. It took five of us to lift the crate into a van. We did some quick photographs for evidence and then drove in a caravan, fully armed all the way back to L.A. This was part of their heritage that had been stolen from Brazil. They felt wronged and they wanted it back. Attorney John Nadolenco on Brazilian efforts to reclaim the emerald Soon afterward, a member of the U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection contacted the Brazilian government to say the Sheriff's Department was in possession of a massive Brazilian emerald. The Los Angeles County Superior Court ownership battle over the stone began in 2009. This tussle was still ongoing five years later, when Nadolenco received the letter from the Brazilian government and embarked on a separate legal battle to repatriate the stone to Brazil through federal court. Nadolenco remembers being extremely stressed when it appeared that the Los Angeles County Superior Court judge would rule on the gem's ownership before Brazil could finish presenting its case. To the Brazilians, "this wasn't just a legal case," Nadolenco said. This was part of their heritage that had been stolen from Brazil. They felt wronged and they wanted it back. In June 2015, Judge Johnson ruled the stone did indeed have an owner: FM Holding Inc. presented evidence establishing clear title to the Bahia Emerald." This company was co-owned by Morrison, the Idaho businessman; his business partner Todd Armstrong; and Ferrara, the Florida gem trader. But as seems to happen with the giant gem, there was a twist. Just days before the stone was to be released, a federal court judge ordered that the emerald remain under lock and key until the federal case with Brazil concludes. Meanwhile back in Brazil, government attorneys were accusing Filho and Ribeiro of illegally mining the gem and smuggling it out of the country. After a lengthy trial and appeal process, the men were found guilty in 2017, but they never served jail time because of the statute of limitations surrounding their crime, said Filgueiras de Araujo, the federal attorney. Nevertheless, their conviction allowed Brazil to invoke a mutual legal assistance treaty with the United States and ask the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order the emeralds forfeiture. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton approved the forfeiture motion on Nov. 21, asserting that American "interventors" have no right to the stone. The true owner, he declared, was Brazil. If no appeal is filed, the next step will be to schedule a repatriation ceremony to turn the stone over to Brazilian officials, who plan to display it in a museum. Nadolenco said he hopes to attend the ceremony, as he's curious to finally make the gem's acquaintance. He never asked to earlier because it wasn't necessary to the legal case. But he'd like to see it now, with slight trepidation. I'd love to see it in person, but theres a small part of me that may throw salt over my left shoulder or keep my fingers crossed behind my back, just in case, he said. In its travels around Brazil and America, the stone has wreaked havoc on the lives of smugglers, schemers and dreamers. But retired detective Miller, one of the few people to have temporarily possessed the stone and suffered no dark twists of fate, sees no reason to fear the emerald. I believe that greed, he said, is the only curse that stone ever had. 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. BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary and Slovakia are seeking ways to make payments for Russian gas that were thrown into uncertainty by new U.S. sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank, officials said on Wednesday. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he would hold talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak later on Wednesday to work out a legal solution regarding future payments for shipments. The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank on Nov. 21, creating an obstacle for European buyers of Russian gas. Buyers have been using Gazprombank to make the payments, including a scheme for currency conversion to roubles. A source close to the Slovak state-owned gas company SPP, which has a long-term contract with the Russian supplier Gazprom and supplies most of the Slovak market, said the problem was acute as a monthly payment was coming up and there was currently no known way how to make it. Failure to pay could prompt Gazprom to suspend shipments, the source said. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree last week cancelling the option for buyers of Russian gas to convert currency into roubles at Gazprombank.The lender said separately in a statement it remained the only bank authorised to process payments for Russian gas by foreign buyers, but it will receive payments only in roubles. The source close to SPP said the issue affected other buyers in Europe as well, including countries in the Balkans, as banks were not willing to send payments to Gazprombank, and there was no grace period for the U.S. sanctions. A spokesman for SPP said the company was still analysing the situation. Slovakia and Hungary have been keen to continue buying Russian gas, though shipments to Slovakia face suspension from January as Ukraine does not plan to extend a transit agreement with Gazprom. Slovakia has been trying to find a workaround to allow the shipments to continue. (Reporting by Krisztina Than and Jan Lopatka; Editing by Keith Weir) Change is imminent in Russias ongoing war against Ukraine, with the new Trump administration set to take office soon. Everything Vladimir Putin is doing now, including threats of nuclear strikes, signals his anticipation of inevitable pressure from Washington aimed at ending hostilities. This change is long overdue. The Biden administrations controlled escalation approach to military aid has resulted in a protracted stalemate in the war. Putin has no illusions about President-elect Donald Trump. He knows that, unlike Biden, Trump will not rely on pre-set red lines. He will not make himself predictable and give Moscow room to maneuver. Trump and his foreign policy team will be much harder for Putin to outwit. Therefore, we can expect Putin to feign concessions and send conciliatory messages following this current stage of escalation. He may even agree to some form of cease-fire as a gesture to the new administration. In light of such developments, it is crucial to examine the pattern of Russian cease-fires, from conflicts in Georgia and Chechnya in the 1990s to Syria and Ukraine after 2014. Russia often exploits cease-fires to regroup, weaken its adversary, and prepare for a more forceful offensive. A genuine cease-fire will be an extremely complex achievement, requiring meticulous oversight by the U.S. and its allies. It is vital to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Minsk agreements, during which European leaders, led by then-Chancellor Merkel, were so eager for a deal that they accepted a flawed arrangement. This ultimately turned into a disaster, culminating in the full-scale invasion of 2022. Even if Putin accepts a lasting cease-fire, he will undoubtedly intensify efforts to oust President Volodymyr Zelensky. While democratic governments naturally rotate over time, Ukraine is not in a typical electoral cycle. Under the current circumstances, the fall of Zelensky would almost certainly lead to Ukraines collapse as an independent state. What Russia has failed to achieve militarily, it will attempt through hybrid warfare. Here, the experience of Georgia serves as a warning. In 2008, Putin invaded Georgia. But due to our resistance and steadfast U.S. support, Russian forces were stopped short of our capital and failed to achieve their stated goal of publicly executing me. Frustrated, Putin asked Georgian journalists at a press conference, When is your next election? and escalated his hybrid campaign to remove my administration from power. He invested heavily in propaganda and destabilization efforts. Unfortunately, the Obama administration viewed our government as an obstacle to its Russia reset policy. When billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a Russian oligarch with strong ties to Moscow, challenged my party in elections, Washington turned a blind eye to his mass vote-buying and election manipulation. We peacefully transferred power to a leader determined to entrench himself permanently, as demonstrated by blatant electoral fraud in subsequent parliamentary elections. Despite condemning these irregularities, the Biden administration has been slow to impose financial sanctions on Ivanishvili, undermining its credibility. This hesitancy emboldens a regime that has derailed Georgias European integration, established ties with China, courted Iran and now collaborates closely with Russian intelligence, according to U.S. officials. This pro-Russian regime not only imprisoned me on politically motivated charges but now plans to prosecute me for opposing Russias invasion a move clearly meant to intimidate President Zelenskyy. Moreover, the regime has adopted a foreign agents law inspired by Moscows tactics to suppress dissent. While Georgia represents a significant setback for U.S. influence in the region due to its strategic location and history as a reform success story, it pales in comparison to the global disaster that a Russian takeover of Ukraine would entail. If Russia installs a leader akin to Ivanishvili in Ukraine, the country would become a launchpad for further aggression against Europe. Millions more Ukrainians would flee, overwhelming the resources of Europe, the U.S., and Canada. Worse still, Russia could force hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened Ukrainians to join its war efforts against Poland, the Baltic states, and beyond. These risks do not mean that Ukraine should stall its democratic process. However, elections can only proceed once safeguards are in place to prevent Russian meddling. There are no simple solutions. We are confronting an axis of evil that views this conflict not as a war against Ukraine, but against the U.S. and the West as a whole. Ultimately, this is a battle of Putin versus Trump. I know Trump personally and have always rejected the Russian collusion theories. Trump, particularly after his decisive electoral victories, is the last person who would look up to Putin. Having also dealt with Putin directly, I know that Trump is an extremely uncomfortable adversary for him. This gives the U.S. a position of strength as it confronts a Russia bogged down in a draining war. If the incoming administration fully embraces Americas supremacy, I believe there is a genuine opportunity for peace through strength. Mikheil Saakashvili is the former president of Georgia, chairman of the National Reforms Council of Ukraine and a political prisoner. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. China in technical talks with Australia over lifting lobster import ban Xinhua) 09:40, December 13, 2024 Staff members check the appearance of rock lobsters at the Welshpool live lobster facility of the Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative (GFC) in Perth, Australia, Oct. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Ma Ping) BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- China and Australia have been engaging in technical communications to address the quarantine issues concerning Australian lobsters exported to China, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday. It is hoped that both sides will continue to uphold mutual respect, pursue mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly resolve respective economic and trade concerns, ministry spokesperson He Yadong told a press conference. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Taiwan said Thursday it detected 16 Chinese warships in waters around the island, one of the highest numbers this year, as Beijing intensifies military pressure on Taipei. The navy vessels, along with 34 Chinese aircraft, were spotted near Taiwan in the 24 hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT) Thursday, according to the defence ministry's daily tally. Beijing has been holding its biggest maritime drills in years from near the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea, Taiwan authorities said this week. Around 90 Chinese warships and coast guard vessels have been involved in the exercises that include simulating attacks on foreign ships and practising blockading sea routes, a Taiwan security official said Wednesday. There has been no announcement by Beijing's army or Chinese state media about increased military activity in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea or Western Pacific Ocean. However, a recent Pacific tour by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te that included two stops in US territory drew fury from Beijing, which claims the democratic island as part of China's territory. The security official said that China began planning the massive maritime operation in October and aimed to demonstrate it could choke off Taiwan and draw a "red line" ahead of the next US administration. The sea drills were "significantly larger" than Beijing's maritime response to then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, the security official said. Those war games were China's largest-ever around Taiwan. Taiwan's foreign ministry said Wednesday that China's increased military activity around the island was evidence that Beijing was a "troublemaker". But China's foreign ministry -- whose spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied that drills were taking place -- directed blame at Taiwan. James Char, an expert on China's military at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said Beijing's silence "serves as a way of demonstrating that the Taiwan Strait as well as the waters and airspace around the island falls under Chinese sovereignty -- hence unnecessary to announce (the drills) to the world". "This is another means by the mainland to force its position upon others," Char told AFP, though he did not rule out Chinese confirmation at a later date. Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around the island in recent years, and also opposes any international recognition of self-ruled Taiwan -- especially when it comes to official contact between Taipei and Washington. Lai spoke last week with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson in addition to his two recent stopovers on US soil. The defence ministry's tally of Chinese warships on Thursday was the highest since May 25, when 27 navy vessels were detected during Chinese military drills held days after Lai's inauguration. Oprah Winfrey. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images) (VALERIE MACON via Getty Images) Oprah Winfrey has received plenty of offers to write a memoir but one thing stopped the media mogul from following through. In a discussion with Gayle King at the Massachusetts Conference for Women in Boston on Dec. 12, Winfrey spoke candidly about why she never went through with it. "There have been many times where I thought about writing before and did not. I've had contracts to do it. It's a serious business. I take books very seriously. I would say for a long time I didn't do it because my mother was living. I'd started a memoir, and Stedman [Graham, her long-term partner] said, 'You shouldn't say that about your mother.' All I was saying was that I never felt loved. And he was saying, 'That's gonna hurt your family,'" she explained. "After I became Oprah with a capital O, she had a revisionist idea of history. She said, 'We didn't have much, but we sure had love,'" Winfrey said, making a face that demonstrated she disagreed. "So I haven't written a memoir." King asked whether Winfrey would finally pursue writing a memoir now. (Winfrey's mother died in 2018.) "I'm not even thinking about it," she said. Winfrey concluded The Oprah Winfrey Show after 25 seasons in May 2011. When King asked whether Winfrey wished she was still on TV "on a daily basis," the former host was clear that ending her show at the time was the right choice, even though it would have been incredibly lucrative to keep it going. "No. Daily? No," Winfrey said, explaining that she genuinely felt it was time to bring the show to an end. "If I had signed another contract, I would have made, minimum, another billion dollars doing that." After sending her entire 300-person audience on a trip to Australia in 2010, Winfrey found herself in an endless loop, trying to top each surprise. Oprah Winfrey leaves Harpo Studios after the final taping of Oprah on May 24, 2011, in Chicago. (Michael Roman/FilmMagic) (Michael Roman via Getty Images) "When I ended the Oprah show, I knew it was time to end it. I could feel that coming for at least four to five years. It was getting to the point where I needed to bring it to an end, because it was getting harder and harder to find myself sitting in a seat of truth. I mean, every year, we were trying to outdo ourselves, and I knew we were in trouble. We literally had taken the entire audience to Australia," Winfrey recalled. "After that, one of the producers came to me and said, 'What if we can get, like 10 audience members on a spaceship?' You're always trying to do the thing, do the thing, do the thing that's going to top the thing that you've done." While she doesn't have as regimented a schedule as she did in her talk show days, Winfrey said she enjoys the flexibility. She has launched a new podcast, The Oprah Podcast, in which she speaks with a diverse range of notable individuals. She's even planning to learn how to cross-country ski. "Anything you think when you think about, 'I wonder what it's like to be Oprah'," she said. "It's 100 times better than that." Editors note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travels weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. Shuffling across icy ground on a cold December afternoon, lots of tourist groups poured into Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. They frolic in the snow, take a reindeer sleigh ride, sip a cocktail in an ice bar or even meet Saint Nick himself in the capital of Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi, which happily calls itself the official hometown of Santa Claus. The Santa Claus Village theme park, which attracts more than 600,000 people annually, is especially popular during the holiday season. This is like my dream came true, beamed Polish visitor Elzbieta Nazaruk. Im really excited to be here. Tourism is booming in Rovaniemi which has hotel and restaurant owners, as well as city officials, excited as it brings lots of money to the town. However, not everyone is happy about the onslaught of visitors, 10 times the towns population, each year at Christmas time. We are worried about the overgrowth of tourism. Tourism has grown so rapidly, its not anymore in control, said 43-year-old Antti Pakkanen, a photographer and member of a housing network that in September organized a rally through the citys streets. Antti Pakkanen, right, and Taina Torvela, members of a Rovaniemi housing network, stand by the Kemijoki River. - James Brooks/AP Its a feeling that has been echoed in other popular European travel destinations, including Barcelona, Amsterdam, Malaga and Florence. Across the continent, locals have protested against overtourism which generally describes the tipping point at which visitors and their cash stop benefiting residents and instead cause harm by degrading historic sites, overwhelming infrastructure and making life markedly more difficult for those who live there. Now, it seems to have spread north, all the way to the edges of the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi counted a record 1.2 million overnight visitors in 2023, almost 30% growth on 2022, after rebounding from pandemic travel disruptions. Nordic is a trend, Visit Rovaniemi CEO Sanna Karkkainen, said as she stood in an ice restaurant, where snow carvers were working nearby. People want to travel to cool countries to see the snow, to see the Northern Lights, and, of course, to see Santa Claus, she added. Thirteen new flight routes to Rovaniemi Airport opened this year, bringing passengers from Geneva, Berlin, Bordeaux and more. Most tourists come from European countries like France, Germany and the UK, but Rovaniemis appeal has also spread further. Hotel availability is scarce this winter, and Tiina Maatta, general manager of the 159-room Original Sokos Hotel, expects 2024 to break more records. Santa Claus Village is a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. - James Brooks/AP Local critics of mass tourism say many apartment buildings in Rovaniemis city center are also used for accommodation services during peak season and are thus no longer available for residential use. They say the proliferation of short-term rentals has driven up prices, squeezed out long-term residents, and turned its city center into a transient space for tourists. Finnish law prohibits professional accommodation services in buildings intended for residential use, so campaigners are calling on authorities to act. The rules must be enforced better, said Pakkanen. Not everyone agrees. Mayor Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio notes some make good money on short-term rentals. Either way, stricter regulations likely wont be in place to impact this winter season, and despite the unease expressed by locals, mass tourism to Rovaniemi is probably only going to grow in 2025 as visitors want to experience the unique atmosphere up north, especially during the holiday season. Its Christmas time and we would love to see the Northern Lights, says Joy, a visitor from Bangkok. Rovaniemi seems to be a good place. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Rodin Eckenroth/Getty, Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Nigel Lythgoe and Paula Abdul Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe have reached a settlement in their lawsuit. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the pair settled the case, in which Abdul accused the producer of sexual assault, in an "unconditional" manner on Monday, Dec. 9. Abdul, 62, spoke out in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 13, saying she was glad to finally move forward and hopes her story will inspire other women going through similar challenges. "I am grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me," she said. "This has been a long and hard-fought personal battle. I hope my experience can serve to inspire other women, facing similar struggles, to overcome their own challenges with dignity and respect, so that they too can turn the page and begin a new chapter of their lives." PEOPLE has reached out to Lythgoe's attorneys for comment. The settlement comes one year after Abdul sued Lythgoe, who she worked with on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, claiming he sexually assaulted her on two occasions once during the early seasons of Idol and once during her tenure on SYTYCD. She also accused him of sexually assaulting her assistant. FOX Image Collection via Getty Nigel Lythgoe and Paula Abdul In October 2024, Abdul submitted her first amended complaint, which included new details of the incidents and alleged he assaulted her a third time during the same incident that involved her assistant. Lythgoe submitted a response to the filing that month, calling Abduls claims "vague both as to the timing of the alleged assault and as to the details of the supposed incident. He wrote that they could not "form the basis of any of her claims against Lythgoe." He argued that she "suddenly 'remembered' additional details, which stretches credulity that Abdul would supposedly remember witnessing her assistant allegedly being assaulted by Lythgoe in April 2015 and yet apparently forget, until the filing of her FAC, that she also allegedly was assaulted at that same time let alone be able to suddenly remember specific details of the alleged incident, as her FAC now alleges, per the documents. In the filing, Lythgoe included several text exchanges between him and Abdul, in which she expressed love for him and their friendship. It is unthinkable that Abdul would even tolerate Lythgoes physical proximity, let alone send him adoring messages and sexually provocative jokes, if her allegations were true which, clearly, they are not, his filing alleged. Steve Granitz/WireImage; Paul Archuleta/Getty Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe Abdul's lawyer responded to Lythgoe's claims in a statement to PEOPLE at the time, saying: "Mr. Lythgoes use of the pleadings in this lawsuit to cast aspersions on Ms. Abdul is not just a futile effort to besmirch Ms. Abdul's strong reputation but is wholly improper, and Ms. Abdul will be moving to strike Mr. Lythgoe's filing from the record." Lythgoes response went on to question Abduls credibility, citing interviews about her past contradicting statements about her substance abuse, along with claims she had been in a plane crash in 1992 with allegedly no proof. In the filing, he called Abdul a pathological liar and attention seeker. She invents stories and then she doubles down, always working to make herself appear the victim, it alleged. Consistent with her past pattern of telling lies about incidents that allegedly happened to her, Abduls recent allegations against Lythgoe are pure fiction. There is only one victim here and that is Lythgoe, whose life and career have been decimated by Abduls lies. 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 the past, Abdul's team called Lythgoes behavior "classic victim shaming. "Mr. Lythgoe fails to appreciate that he held a position of power over Ms. Abdul. He was a producer on American Idol and SYTYCD and she was the talent," Abdul's lawyer Melissa Eubanks claimed. "He held the cards to her career in his hand and he knew it. It thus is no surprise that Ms. Abdul placated to his ego with positive messaging and seeming adoration. These are the defenses that many women like Ms. Abdul had to adopt to deal with men who abuse their power." If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. Read the original article on People The day-to-day life of a shelter dog can be boring, lonely, and incredibly blue, but there are selfless shelter workers and volunteers who do all they can to improve these animals' lives. Whether it's passing out extra treats or giving someone some special one-on-one time, these generous people like @juliesaraceno2 know exactly what to do. Julie meets many shelter dogs at the Benton Franklin Humane Society in Kennewick, Washington, but she could tell that Nami, the tripod dog, needed some extra TLC. On December 2, she treated the resilient little dog to a field trip and a treat, and it's safe to say that it made a world of difference for them both. Oh my goodnesswhat a precious girl! Nami is such a happy dog despite all she's been through, and no one deserves a day of pampering more than she does. She nearly trotted out of the humane society when they left for their field trip, and it wasn't because of her new tripod status. Related: 9-Year-Old Shelter Dog in NYC Gets Special Day Out to Help Her Feel Her Best "Wait, Nami happens to be perfect," commented @ericakm13. "She is a lap puppy and can get really comfy. Someone scoop her up in the Washington area. Throw yourself into this loving relationship!" I couldn't have said it any better myself. This affectionate little dog is going to be the perfect companion for the right person or family as long as they commit to loving her just as much as she will love them. In her adoption bio, the Benton Franklin Humane Society reminded potential adopters that Maltese dogs like Nami will need regular brushing and grooming. As a new tripod, this little gal won't be able to tackle stairs, hikes, or long walks, but she'll be the perfect apartment dog and cuddle buddy. As we saw in Julie's video, she's a polite passenger in the car and extremely affectionate, so it's safe to say that she's going to make the right dog owner very lucky. Shelter Dog Field Trips Julie's short trip with Nami to get a pup cup is a great reminder of how little it takes to change a shelter dog's life. In fact, many animal shelters offer 'field trip' programs for day trips just like this, although many commenters expressed their hesitation to try it. "As much as I love this, I dont think Id have the heart to see their faces when they realize theyre going back," admitted Lindsey. I feel the same way! Despite how difficult it would be for us, though, just think of how wonderful it would be for the dogs who desperately need some time out of the shelter. Nami's happy face really said it all! Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. The Queer Eye cast is feeling fabulous again, and its all thanks to their new co-star, Jeremiah Brent. In February, Netflix announced that the 40-year-old interior designer would be replacing Bobby Berk on the series. Now, with Season Nine out on Netflix as of Dec. 11, the Fab Five members talk to TODAY.com about how Brent helped the series enter its renaissance era. Its crazy how after I thought, when we did seven years, that you cant really go back, Tan France says. But after seven years of doing your job, its so hard to feel renewed energy again. And I was like, OK, this is our sunset era, like this might be done. "And then, as soon as we started shooting again, and Jeremiah reminded us all of just how special it is, what were doing it felt like the first day of joy again," he continues. The stars of "Queer Eye" talk to TODAY's Hoda Kotb about the Netflix show's ninth season, out Dec. 11. In November 2023, Berk announced with a heavy heart that Season Eight would be his last on "Queer Eye," which was rebooted in 2018 with a new cast after the initial run of Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" in the early 2000s. The design expert explained the reason for his departure in a January 2024 Vanity Fair interview and confirmed that there had been tension between him and his co-star France. That, paired with an explosive Rolling Stone expose in March that alleged controversy between the "Queer Eye" members, left them in a difficult place as they began to film Season Nine. But Jonathan Van Ness recalls Brent showing up to shoot in March and creating a safe and vulnerable space. Jeremiah really just went out of his way to be like, 'Youre safe here,'" the stylist describes. "He gave us all of these quartz just to signify transparency and openness and safety and, like, Im a big rock girl." Brent also acknowledges his love of crystals during the first episode of Season Nine, which takes place in Las Vegas. Karamo Brown chimes in to say he's ready for "another seven years" of the series as they start this new beginning with Brent, who feels just as excited about his new "family." Brent says that he hopes the new season reminds viewers of how great his castmates are. From left to right: Jeremiah Brent, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Tan France and Jonathan Van Ness discuss the new season of "Queer Eye" while on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. "I sat there every day (of filming) in complete awe of what they do, you know, watching people create, love, connect, share, build, grow. It was just wild," Brent recalls. "And they're so much better than you think they are, like, they're even better." "Queer Eye," which centers around improving the lives of people with moving backstories, premiered six years ago with France, Berk, Van Ness, Brown and Antoni Porowski. In Season Nine, Brent brings his interior design experience to the table, which is just one piece of his already impressive resume that includes starring in several TV series alongside his husband, Nate Berkus, and authoring his first book, "The Space That Keeps You." In a December episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Brent revealed that he had no contact with Berk after he was announced as his replacement, and that theyve never met. During his TODAY.com interview, Brent says it "was not hard" to jump right into his inaugural season of "Queer Eye," due to his co-stars being masters of their specific trades. "My only job when I started here was making sure that they knew that I was going to earn their trust," he says, to which Brown responds, "And did he do the work." This article was originally published on TODAY.com Donald Trump's second inauguration will be a triumphant return for a former president many believed would be permanently barred from Washington four years ago after denying his 2020 election loss. But for Democrats and their allies, Jan. 20, 2025, is a dreaded date coming off a bruising 2024 presidential election. And they're not sure about attending the time-honored transfer of power. "I'm not quite sure what I would be celebrating with his inauguration," Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat who spearheaded some of the aggressive oversight during Trump's first term, told USA TODAY. For Democrats who agree with Raskin, no amount of calls for returning to normalcy will persuade them to attend Trump's swearing-in ceremony. They are making it a point to skip Trump's second inauguration for events that will underscore their values, such as celebrations around the holiday for slain civil rights icon the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which falls on the same Monday. "I won't pretend to normalize who or what he stands for," Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said in an interview. Notably, however, there are Democrats from the swing states Trump swept in November who emphasized keeping with traditions, namely showcasing the country's peaceful transfer of power. "I'll be in attendance," said Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who could face one of the toughest 2026 Senate battles. "And I think Georgians expect me to be." Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said that he also would be there, and that his attendance was never in question. "I think its a responsibility," said the former astronaut and finalist for Kamala Harris' 2024 running mate. And like any event, a handful haven't filled out their calendar, including prominent lawmakers and several of the former living presidents who served before Trump and assembled in 2021 for President Joe Biden's inauguration to underscore the ceremony's importance after Trump. "Thats a good question," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said when asked if he would be there come January. "I havent thought about it." U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, U.S., January 20, 2017. During the White House campaign, Trump's opponents warned that his return to power represented an existential threat to democracy that would upend the country. There also have been deepening concerns among liberals and other opponents that Trump will extract retribution, which some of the returning president's conservative supporters dismiss as overblown. Should Democrats skip the inauguration, as more than 60 members of Congress did in 2017, or would it be wiser for them to attend and show that after a divisive contest, America's democratic norms remain secure? After all, Trump didn't attend Biden's inauguration after the now-president defeated him in 2020. "I've gotten sick and tired of red versus blue, Democrats versus Republicans," Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic political strategist and former interim DNC chair, told USA TODAY. "This is individual choices and individual, you know, opportunities. ... I'm not telling anybody what to do." As Trump returns to Washington, political observers and historians say the attendance list for his swearing-in ceremony could be a cheat sheet of how different factions of the opposition party and other foes plan to handle his second administration. Others say it shouldn't be looked at through a political lens at all. Presidents club on standby as Biden embraces norms Trump didn't President Joe Biden meets with US President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2024. Biden, who bowed out of the 2024 election in July, is keeping up with the democratic norms his predecessor broke four years ago when he opted to leave Washington directly from the White House rather than attend the inauguration for his Democratic rival in January 2021. He met with Trump for nearly two hours last month and probably will be in the front row when he watches his Republican rival take the oath. Likewise, Harris, the incumbent vice president whom Trump defeated in all seven battleground states, will preside over the Senate when it certifies his victory on Jan. 6. Political observers say it will be particularly noteworthy how the tight-knit club of former presidents respond to their populist-minded fraternity brother, especially given Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration. At the moment, it is unclear if Trump's predecessors, all of whom showed up in 2017, will be there next month. The offices for former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama said there were no scheduling announcements for either at the moment. Former President Bill Clinton's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. After his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017, President Donald Trump walks out with former President Barack Obama from the U.S. Capitol. A spokesperson for the Carter Center said the 100-year-old 39th president, who has been in hospice care for the past two years, will not be attending because of his health, but otherwise he would go. "None of the other former presidents like or respect Donald Trump," said Douglas Brinkley, a renowned presidential historian and professor of history at Rice University. "They find him to be a demagogue and celebrity boor." Brinkley said former presidents have a higher calling than other elected officials, however, and if they do attend January's ceremony, their attendance would be considered part of their larger public service to the country, as opposed to an endorsement. Inviting the Chinese president, he said, demonstrates how Trump sees former U.S. presidents as "has-beens" politically. "He wants around him people that are powerful and kinetic at this moment, and the MAGA movement is not looking for sympathy or help from Obamas or Clintons or Bushes," Brinkley said. Democrats choosing emphasis on MLK Day instead U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks during a House of Representatives Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 22, 2024. Trump's inauguration falls on MLK Day, honoring the legacy and achievements of the civil rights leader who gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. That alone is reason enough for some progressives to pass on joining what many will see as Trump's celebration. "To go and to celebrate the transition of power to someone who wants to decimate everything that Martin Luther King stood for on Martin Luther King Day as a civil rights lawyer seems a little absent-minded to me, so I personally am not interested," said Crockett, who represents part of the Dallas area. Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Ohio, and Judy Chu, D-Calif., cited similar reasons for not attending. "I'll be in town with my constituents honoring Dr. King's legacy," Pressley said. "I don't think being there does that." Several events in Washington are scheduled for the holiday, which marks its 30th anniversary next year, such as a rally against Trump planned by the Rev. Al Sharpton and the launch of the Realize the Dream initiative by Martin Luther King III, which looks to have communities to commit to 100 million hours of service before King's 100th birthday in 2029. Other Capitol Hill Democrats are mixed on attending Matthew Dallek, a historian and professor of political management at George Washington University, said attending or skipping the inauguration is one of the first markers of how different factions of the Democratic Party are dealing with the 2024 election gut punch. "Because if you're not attending, you're also saying that you're probably not going to find any space or common ground on any legislation or maybe any other issue," he said. Several other Democratic lawmakers in the Senate and House offered similarly noncommittal RSVPs, including Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Raskin, who represents a Maryland district bordering Washington, D.C., served on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. He pointed to Trump's comments over the weekend suggesting committee members should be jailed and said he has yet to make up his mind on attending the inauguration. "I had not gotten to that point yet," he said. "Blocked that out." It's a tougher calculation for Democrats in swing districts or those facing tough reelections, especially because many expect one of Trump's first actions on Inauguration Day will be pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters. That act alone could make Democrats on the fence uneasy about taking part in the handoff ceremony. Attending the inauguration, however, shouldn't be a litmus test for Democrats, said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. "He's the president, got elected the majority of electoral votes, being inaugurated. I'm a member of Congress. I'm going to the inauguration. That shouldn't be abnormal," said Moskowitz, who served in Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida's administration as his emergency management czar during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pressed further on what he thinks about colleagues boycotting, the Florida Democrat said: You can ignore it all you want. He's still the president (for) the next four years. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats divided on snubbing, attending Trump inauguration South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, who introduced legislation last month to eliminate the Department of Education, told ABC News closing the agency could take "a couple of years." "We want to do it right," Rounds said, making it unlikely the department will see major changes on Day 1 of the next administration. "This is not just a 'make noise' bill. This is a serious [bill]. It's taken us a year and a half to write this bill." PHOTO: Sen. Mike Rounds is seen in the U.S. Capitol, December 4, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Rounds' "Returning Education to Our States" bill builds on one of President-elect Donald Trump's key campaign promises. It has a road map to elimination, sending block grants to states and redistributing major federal funding to other agencies, but it needs 60 votes in the Senate to pass and then be signed into law. "We've tried to set this up so that some of it could be done within reconciliation. Some of it we'll have to gain consensus on by executive order, some of which may very well take 60 votes. So we might not get everything we want," Rounds acknowledged. Rounds said he has not met with or discussed the bill with Linda McMahon, Trump's education secretary pick. Meanwhile, Rounds insisted that federal programs affecting vulnerable students and those with special needs will not be gutted. PHOTO: Linda McMahon meets with Sen. Tommy Tuberville in his office in the Russell Senate Office Building on December 09, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) MORE: Congressional Republicans continue to introduce bills eliminating the Department of Education "We don't want to lose the specific offices that deliver particular congressionally directed funds, such as special education, IDEA and so forth," said Rounds, referencing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. "All of that is included in a redirection to other locations, but all those offices still remain with the focus of sending that money back [to the states]." Earlier this week, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a member of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, told ABC News that reaching a 60-vote threshold to pass legislation that dismantles the agency would be "very difficult." "We need to downsize it," Tuberville said. "More money needs to go back to the states, every state, and you know, we can have a group up here that can -- they can supposedly be the Department of Education, but to have [4,000] or 5,000 people up here makes no sense. I mean, we need to take as much money as we can, put it back in the states, put it back in the schools and give these students a chance." PHOTO: Sen. Tommy Tuberville in his office in the Russell Senate Office Building on December 09, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Augustus Mays, vice president for partnerships and engagement at the advocacy group The Education Trust, said block grants could disproportionately affect marginalized students. "If you were to take away, or block grant, the funding that goes towards IDEA, then you will have a situation where students with disabilities may not be getting the support they need towards a free and appropriate public education, which is required by law," Mays told ABC News. "That could be $34 billion from the federal government that would be going out to all these states to support those needs, and states would be picking up that bill. [Lawmakers] need to understand what that would actually mean if they were to eliminate Department of Ed," he warned. However, if the president-elect and his Cabinet picks start firing federal employees, education experts suggest it would be too tall a task for a diminished department to administer Education Department funds to states and have states distribute them to school districts. Clare McCann at American University said that is something skilled employees at the Department of Education would be equipped to do. "There's a reason the Department of Education was created, and it was to have this kind of in-house expertise and policy background on these [education] issues," McCann told ABC News. "The civil servants who work at the Department of Education are true experts in the field." North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican, said he disagreed with McCann's stance. "The goal is more education, right?" he said. "And do you need a massive government bureaucracy to do that? Probably not." Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie told ABC News he will also be bringing forward legislation to abolish the Department of Education within the "first few weeks" of the 119th Congress. "There'll be one sentence -- only thing that will change is the date: The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026," Massie told ABC News. However, experts have told ABC News that Massie's one-sentence bill may not be realistic as all the funding that currently goes to the department will have to be redirected. "The Department of Education administers a whole lot of laws," said Neal McCluskey, an education analyst at the libertarian think tank The Cato Institute. "Those laws have to be changed about who runs student aid and who is tasked with making decisions about cancelling student debt and who decides or who administers Title I and lots of these other federal programs." Senator says eliminating the Department of Education could take 'years' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff said in an interview broadcast late on Thursday that Kyiv was not yet ready to start talks with Russia as it lacked the weapons, security guarantees and international status that it sought. Andriy Yermak's comments to public broadcaster Suspilne come as Zelenskiy publicly considers the possibility of a negotiated settlement to the war with Russia, launched by Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. "Not just yet today," Yermak told Suspilne, when asked whether Ukraine was ready to embark on talks. "We don't have the weapons, we don't have the status that we are talking about. And that means an invitation to NATO and an understanding of clear guarantees that would provide for us, so that we could be sure that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin won't be coming back in two-three years." In comments this week alongside German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, Zelenskiy said Ukraine wanted an end to the war and efforts were needed to make his country stronger and oblige the Kremlin to work towards peace. In recent public pronouncements, the president has also said talks could take place with Russia still holding on to territory it has seized in the invasion. But Ukraine, he said, needed an invitation issued to the entire country to join NATO, though the Alliance's status would apply to the territory controlled by Kyiv authorities and real security guarantees had to be put in place. While in Paris last week, Zelenskiy met U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has said, without giving details, that he wants the war to end quickly. Russia has long rejected any notion of Ukraine becoming a NATO member, with Putin saying Kyiv had to accept the Kremlin's annexation of four Ukrainian regions it only partly controls. (Reporting by Ron Popeski; editing by Diane Craft) Sixty-five-year-old Jung Young-taek introduced himself as a life coach as he knocked on the doors of people who have voluntarily locked themselves up in their homes, not making contact with anyone. Just last year, he was one of them. He had kept his apartment door firmly shut after a business he devoted his life to collapsed, followed by a divorce and disconnection from family members. He returned to society after Seoul's welfare center gave him a hand, he said, and now wishes to do the same for other lonely souls in Seoul. Jung checked off many boxes of being a lonely middle-aged male in crisis last winter. He regained confidence after completing the 8-weeks-long training session at the Seoul Welfare Foundation. Through the "Everybody's Buddy" program run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, volunteers and social welfare workers tour neighborhoods, hanging goody bags with small gifts and a number to dial when anyone feels too lonely. "I know what it feels like to be alone because I experienced isolation firsthand," Jung told ABC News. "If I can become a connecting link that helps even one person rejoin society, that would mean something to me." South Korea reported 3,661 lonely deaths in 2023. Lonely deaths, also called "godoksa" in Korean, refer to people who die cut off from society and who remain undiscovered for extended periods. The country's bustling central city saw this phenomenon as a social problem linked to disconnection and plans to spend around $327 million over the next 5 years to make Seoul a "city without loneliness." PHOTO: A restaurant owner waits for customers at her empty restaurant in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 31, 2024. (Cynthia Kim/Reuters, FILE) For starters, Seoul city is about to launch a 24/7 loneliness counselor hotline. There will be offline spaces where volunteers who already experienced loneliness and are nearly disconnected from society meet with those vulnerable to talk and form a community. About 40% of households in Seoul city are single-person ones, and this proportion is steadily increasing. Among them, over 60% of these individuals report experiencing loneliness according to the Seoul Development Institute's research. The 25 Single-person Households Support Centers in Seoul provide socializing activities to invite people who live by themselves. To ensure thorough and systematic implementation of the programs, the Care and Loneliness Policy Bureau of the Seoul Metropolitan Government functions as the control tower, developing and executing detailed policies to address challenges effectively. "The bureau's initiatives comprehensively tackle issues ranging from loneliness, social isolation, and even solitary deaths. Our efforts span from prevention to post-management," Director General Song Kwang-Nam of the Care and Loneliness Policy Bureau, told ABC News. MORE: Long-term loneliness associated with higher risk of stroke: Study Seoul city plans to collaborate with private enterprises to make sure every single citizen in Seoul is connected. "We are seeking ways to collaborate with laundromats and convenience stores so those industries closely related to people's daily lives could become a window of communication between isolated people and society," Song said. Loneliness is considered a health threat at a global level. In November 2023, the World Health Organization announced a commission on social connections to analyze how important social connections are to people's health. The WHO's Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained in the announcement that "people without enough strong social connections are at higher risk of stroke, anxiety, dementia, depression, suicide, and more." "Loneliness and isolation are not just individual problems anymore, these are challenges that society as a whole must address together," Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said in a press conference in October. The United Kingdom was the first to appoint a Minister for Loneliness in 2018, other industrialized countries like Japan, Australia and Scotland have also come up with government-funded measures to tackle loneliness. Seoul invests millions to become 'city without loneliness' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com One of two suspects has been arrested in connection with a home invasion in Pennsylvania earlier this month that left a 25-year-old man dead and his mother paralyzed after being shot multiple times. Charles Fulforth, 41, of Jenkintown, was charged with second-degree murder, robbery, burglary and related charges in connection with the deadly home invasion on Dec. 8 in Lower Merion Township, the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office announced Thursday. But another man, Kelvin Roberts, 42, of Philadelphia, is still sought by police with a $5,000 reward offered for information leading to his capture. Prosecutors say Kelvin Roberts was captured in dashcam footage leaving the homicide scene in a white Hyundai Azera. Lower Merion Police first received a call about a home invasion shooting around 2:20 a.m. on Dec. 8. Responding officers found Andrew Gaudio, 25, deceased with multiple gunshot wounds and his mother, Bernadette Gaudio, 61, also suffering from several gunshot wounds but conscious. In a statement to detectives, she said she was asleep when a man entered her bedroom and simply shot her, the DA said in a news release. Her son came in to help her and was fatally shot before her eyes. Unable to move, Bernadette used Siri, the iPhone's voice controlled virtual assistant, to call authorities, District Attorney Kevin R. Steele told reporters Thursday. She was able to call 911 using Siri and it was a very brave move on her part because I think indications are that the individuals were still in the house at the time, Steele said. Bernadette was transported to a hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. Steele said Thursday that she's paralyzed in the aftermath of the shooting, and is recovering and seems to be "getting a little bit of movement." It's not clear why the men targeted the Gaudio home, but Steele said a jewelry box was taken and found in one of the suspect's homes. This was a horrible crime and I find it very difficult not to think about what Bernadette is going through with her recovery and what happened in that bedroom and what she saw happened to her son, Steele said. Kelvin Roberts. How police honed in on the suspects In the investigation, police reviewed dashcam footage from a responding Lower Merion Township police vehicle. In it, an officer pulled up in front of a white Hyundai Azera that was leaving the scene of the homicide. It turned out that vehicle had a Pennsylvania Registration tag that did not match the car. Detectives searched through Department of Transportation records and matched the vehicle to a resident on Sansom Street in Philadelphia. The dashcam footage also captured a green Jeep Cherokee, that belonged to the victim, leaving the scene. That car was later found also on Sansom Street. A resident at the Sansom residence identified the driver of the white vehicle as Kelvin Roberts. On Dec. 9 Roberts was charged with second-degree murder, robbery and related offenses, and authorities are still searching for him. On Dec. 10, detectives met with a source who stated that Roberts was criminally involved with his boss at Junkluggers in Willow Grove. Detectives went to Junkluggers where they met with Fulforth who stated he was Roberts immediate boss. A review surveillance footage from Samson Street showed a man fitting Fulforths description exiting the victims Jeep Cherokee and entering the Sansom residence with Roberts. Search warrants were obtained for Roberts and Fulforths cellphones which showed them both at Samson Street around 12 a.m. on Dec. 8. Around 12:40 a.m., their phones moved towards Lower Merion, the area of the home invasion and homicide, where they stayed until 2:45 a.m., then both phones started traveling back to Sansom Street, the news release said. Both phones were contacting each other in the minutes following the home invasion and homicide, and Fulforths phone was only in contact with Roberts during this time, the prosecutor said. A second degree murder arrest warrant was obtained for Fulforth on Dec. 11 and he was arrested apprehended Thursday morning. It's not immediately clear if he has retained a lawyer. Investigators have not yet determined of the two suspects who shot and killed Gaudio, but Steele said theres a possibility that both men committed the murder, NBC Philadelphia reported. Officials warn that Roberts is possibly armed and dangerous, and locals are warned not approach him but call 911. Japanese-inspired Bar Doko opens Friday, Dec. 13 at Autry Park. Michael Anthony The cocktails are complex, precise and floating an inch off the table at Bar Doko, a newly opened Japanese cocktail bar. Located in an alleyway in the quickly growing Autry Park, Bar Doko is the first all-bar concept from Duckstache Hospitality, led by chefs Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham of Handies Douzo, Aiko, Himari and Kokoro. They wanted to complement the interest in Japanese restaurants in Houston with a bar experience unlike any other in the city. NEW BAR: Upscale bar Sante Lounge opens in Upper Kirby serving cocktails based on Renaissance art Advertisement Article continues below this ad With Bar Doko, the duo offers an intimate experience inspired by Ginza, Tokyo in the quality of drinks and omotenashi, a Japanese concept of hospitality. When customers walk into the 16-seat space, they want them to feel like they stepped into a Japanese bar. The "Wa" Peace cocktail at Bar Doko. Michael Anthony The "El" Eternity is Bar Doko's version of an old fashioned. Michael Anthony A "Sora" Sky cocktail at Bar Doko. Michael Anthony The "Hi" Fire cocktail at Bar Doko. Michael Anthony The Affection cocktail at Bar Doko. Michael Anthony "We fell in love with Japanese culture and want to pay respect to it; we want to be able to have other people experience it without having to fly all the way to Japan," Pham said. "This is a celebration of creativity, community, and culture." Behind the bar, an abundance of Japanese spirits sit on shelves. With more than 100 Japanese whiskies, they boast the largest collection in the state. Paying homage to "the six seasons of Japan and the circle of life," there are six highballs on the menu. Martinis are also a highlight with dry and umami options. Ordering a martini umami at Bar Doko is similar to having it "dirty," but instead of solely olive brine, they use a house-made vermouth with notes of olive, mushroom and seaweed. People tend to say, "wow," when they try it. Six signature cocktails on the menu feature unique ingredients like A5 wagyu and caramelized mushrooms in the "El" Eternity, their take on an old fashion. Five of the cocktails cost between $18 and $20, but one, "Hi" Fire, is a $70 cocktail that's a showstopper. It has Macallan 12, served levitating just above the table. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There are two "Special Attention" cocktails, including a kakigori, an alcoholic version of the Japanese shaved ice dessert. The fruit flavor of it will change seasonally. The bar also serves sake, wine and Japanese beer. Souvik Dasgupta making a drink levitate at Bar Doko. Michael Anthony The mixology experts behind the creations were Sebastien Laval and Souvik Dasgupta of Laval Hospitality Consulting. Dasgupta, who previously led the bar at Musaafer, brought in years of Japanese training. He worked with Lee and Pham to hand-select all the bottles and create the cocktails to a Japanese caliber. Customers can see him bartending at Bar Doko for at least six months. Bartending training in Japan is very extensive. When he first started training, Dasgupta said he had 90 days of just shaking to get a certain momentum before he could move on. He said the process, from the glass, ice and technique are important in Japanese bartending. "(Bar Doko) is a great addition to the list of Japanese bars in America," Dasgupta said. "You teleport to Japan when you enter here." Advertisement Article continues below this ad A signature martini at Bar Doko. Michael Anthony Similar to when Lee and Pham opened Handies Douzo, they said this bar will come with having to educate their customers; they'll share the Japanese cocktail experience, including what is umami and that cocktails may take longer to make at that level. Bar Doko is a bold statement of our commitment to pushing boundaries and reimagining hospitality, Lee said. Every detail of this concept has been carefully crafted to bring tradition and innovation to Houston. While Bar Doko will solely serve drinks, its sister restaurant Doko will open across the alleyway in the coming months with sushi. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bar Doko is open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily at 3737 Cogdell, Suite 135. Reservations are recommended via OpenTable. For 48-year-old Rowan Childs of Wisconsin, a recent divorce turned her financial life upside down. "Initially, I was really nervous and had a lot of anxiety about it, but ultimately now I feel so much more empowered," Childs told CBS News. Like others in their 40s, Childs, who runs her own literacy nonprofit, was already anxious about juggling personal debt and putting away college tuition for her two children. She then joined the roughly half of married women around her age in the U.S. who have dealt with a divorce, a seismic event that can jeopardize retirement planning. "That has completely changed my initial vision, you know?" Childs said. "...Where am I going to be in my 60s or my 70s or 80s?" Childs said retirement wasn't necessarily something she thought about when she was first married. "It was too far away, I think," Childs said. "Definitely looking at what my parents were doing, though, was definitely something that I was observing." Teresa Ghilarducci, a labor economist at the New School for Social Research in New York City, has a sobering perspective. "People who are in their 40s and 50s will do worse than their parents and their grandparents," Ghilarducci said. Ghilarducci explains that those two previous generations could at least bank on government-sponsored retirement programs. "Two generations, because people had grandparents that were living through an expansion of Social Security and Medicare," Ghilarducci said. Both of those programs are now facing funding challenges, something Childs considered when she had to make a series of tough financial decisions. The costliest was to buy her ex-husband's share of their Wisconsin home by borrowing more than $100,000 from her 401(k). It was a decision partly spurred by the desire to keep her daughter in the same school district. "To me, it didn't make sense to sell the house and then buy a house in the same school district, probably at even more," Childs said. Borrowing from a retirement plan, as Childs did, should be a last resort, because if you lose your job, the loan must be repaid in full or you may have to pay taxes and penalties. And if you're in your 40s, paying for a child's college should take a back seat to protecting your own savings. That may come across as tough love, but otherwise you might end up relying on your children later on. "Jokingly, I told my kids I could move in with them," Childs said. "My son was like, 'Well, maybe you could live close by.'" The key in your 40s is to take deep breaths, regardless of the challenges. "Relax," Ghilarducci said. "Planning for retirement is best for the daylight hours, not in the middle of the night. And when you wake up, take some action steps. Worrying is not action." With plenty of time to get back on her feet, Childs says that she has finally stopped worrying. "Maybe working longer could be on the table," Childs said. She is also entertaining the possibility of working part time later in life. "I think outside the box," she adds. "...I don't necessarily know exactly know how I'm going to get there, but if I see something, or that's what I want, I often will find a way." School shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, police say Congress unveils bill to avoid a government shutdown Breaking down the charges against suspect Luigi Mangione in the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting case Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. TOKYO A U.S. airman stationed in Japan was sentenced to five years in prison Friday after being convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor. Senior Airman Brennon Washington, 25, was stationed at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa when he approached the girl, who was under 16, at a local park on Dec. 24, 2023, and took her to his off-base residence. He was indicted in March for allegedly abducting and having sexual intercourse with her without her consent but the case was not publicly revealed until June, angering the local government. Prosecutors had asked the Naha District Court for a sentence of seven years for Washington, who according to local media pleaded not guilty. In explaining his ruling, Judge Tetsuro Sato said that Washington continued to engage in sexual acts with the girl even after he was aware that she was under 16 and had not given her consent, the Kyodo news agency reported, saying Washington demonstrated his disregard for the girls decision-making process of her sexual freedom and it was heinous. Sexual intercourse with people under 16 is generally illegal in Japan regardless of consent. U.S. service members in Japan, which hosts more than 50,000 American troops, have been involved in a series of sexual assault and other criminal cases dating back decades. The issue has long been a source of tension with the local community in Okinawa, fueling an ongoing movement to reduce the U.S. military presence there. The 18th Wing, the host unit at Kadena Air Base, said it worked closely with local authorities throughout the case. Sexual assault is reprehensible, and we share the local communitys outrage over this case, it said in a statement Friday. All U.S. service members are expected to always uphold the highest standards of conduct. Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, said he was deeply troubled by Washingtons actions and the damage he inflicted on the victim and her family. Sexual assault is a grave offense that does not, in any way, reflect the values of the thousands of U.S. service members who serve honorably in Okinawa in support of the Japan-U.S. Alliance, he said in a statement. Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo and Brian Cheng from Hong Kong. Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, has hired a veteran former New York City prosecutor to defend him against murder charges. Karen Friedman Agnifilo has been retained to represent Mangione, according to a statement Friday night from her law firm Agnifilo Intrater LLP. Friedman Agnifilo served as the second-in-command in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office from 2014 to 2021 under former DA Cyrus Vance. A biography on her law firm website says she played a lead role in prosecuting "high-profile violent crime cases," including those involving mental health and cold case homicides. Mangione, 26, is in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison after a judge denied bail on Tuesday. In Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday, Mangione faces charges including allegedly possessing an untraceable ghost gun. In New York, he faces charges including second-degree murder. PHOTO: Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the New York City killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson, arrives for an extradition hearing at Blair County Court House in Hollidaysburg, Pa, Dec. 10, 2024. (Matthew Hatcher/Reuters) MORE: Supporters of suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione establish defense fund Earlier this week, Mangione's lawyer in Pennsylvania said he intended to fight extradition to New York, but there were indications Friday he now may waive extradition to New York City as early as Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said on Friday. "Indications are that the defendant may waive, but that waiver is not complete until a court proceeding," Bragg said. MORE: UnitedHealth Group says slain CEO Brian Thompson was 'one of the good guys' The earliest a court proceeding could be scheduled in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, Bragg said. "So until that time, we are going to continue to press forward on parallel paths," he said. "We will be ready, whether he is going to waive extradition or whether he is going to contest extradition." Among the evidence authorities say ties Mangione to the killing are three shell casings recovered outside the Midtown Manhattan hotel where Thompson was fatally shot that match the gun allegedly found on Mangione when he was arrested, police announced Wednesday. Fingerprints recovered from a water bottle and a Kind bar near the crime scene have also been matched to Mangione, police said. Authorities are still looking to access a phone recovered by police in an alley following the shooting that is believed to be linked to the suspect, sources said Thursday. Police have obtained a search warrant for the phone, sources said. Writings show Mangione fixated on company for months, sources say Earlier Friday, law enforcement sources said writings seized from Mangione indicate he had been developing a fixation and increasing malice toward the company and allegedly talking about harming its leader for months. That fixation would eventually evolve into an alleged plan to shoot that CEO, the sources said. MORE: What we know about Luigi Mangione, Ivy League grad charged in CEO's murder Some of the entries in the notebook seized from Mangione upon his arrest in Pennsylvania earlier this week had dates on them going back to mid-2024, the sources said. Some of the writings were diary-style, documenting how he felt, what he did that day, and also documented a desire to focus on his health and himself, and find his purpose, the sources said. Then, as time went on -- as Mangione allegedly fell out of contact with friends and family and grew increasingly isolated -- some of his writings indicated a deterioration in his thinking and state of mind, illustrating a gradual build towards the alleged plan to kill UnitedHealthCare's CEO at their "annual parasitic bean-counter convention," sources said. PHOTO: Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the New York City killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson departs after an extradition hearing at Blair County Court House in Hollidaysburg, Pa., Dec. 10, 2024. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Suspect left New York by train Mangione, was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday, nearly one week after the Dec. 4 slaying in New York City. The suspect left New York City following the shooting by train, and not by bus as first thought, police sources told ABC News. At first, investigators believed Mangione had boarded a bus at the Port Authority terminal by the George Washington Bridge, where investigators said he was spotted on security cameras being dropped off by a taxi. There was no imagery of Mangione actually getting onto a bus. Now, police sources say there's video evidence that shows Mangione left the George Washington Bridge bus station, went south to Penn Station and left New York City by train to Philadelphia. Pennsylvania authorities have said Mangione then spent several days traversing the state from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. MORE: Supporters of suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione establish defense fund PHOTO: Luigi Mangione is led into the Blair County Courthouse for an extradition hearing Dec. 10, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Tip from San Francisco The FBIs New York Field Office said Friday that among the multiple tips the agency received was a tip from police in San Francisco "regarding the possible identity of the suspect." The FBI said it "conducted routine investigative activity and referred this and other leads to the New York City Police Department." The NYPD previously said none of the hundreds of tips it received included Mangione's identity. The NYPD confirmed Friday it received the FBI tip but that it was not passed along by the agency in a manner that distinguished it as being from another law enforcement agency. The tip was subsequently not prioritized the way it might have been had NYPD detectives known it was coming from another police department, the NYPD said. The NYPD had dispatched detectives to Georgia to follow leads that came in from Atlanta police. The NYPD did not do that kind of follow-up with the San Francisco tip because, an NYPD source said, of the way it was passed along by the FBI. MORE: What to know about ghost guns after one used in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Friday he believes Mangione was radicalized while he attended the University of Pennsylvania. "Here you have a young man who went to an Ivy League school, came from an affluent background and family, had all the things that many Americans would like to have. But he found himself hating corporations and hating other things," Adams said on GMGT Lives "The Reset Talk Show." "We're radicalizing our children in general, but specifically on these Ivy League campuses." Mangione's writings, obtained by ABC News, claimed that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world, but ranks about No. 42 in life expectancy. He said UnitedHealthcare "has grown and grown, but as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit." "I do apologize for any strife of traumas but it had to be done," he allegedly wrote. "Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming." Neither Mangione nor his parents received insurance through UnitedHealthcare, according to UnitedHealth Group. PHOTO: This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare chief executive officer Brian Thompson. (UnitedHealth Group via AP) Thompson's murder ignited online anger at the health insurance industry and some people online have celebrated Mangione. Supporters of Mangione have donated money to a defense fund established for him, leaving law enforcement officials worried Mangione is being turned into a martyr. Adams attributed the support Mangione is receiving to "anger and pain." "People know how challenging it is navigating our health care system on many levels, the cost of health care system. Some of the denials, some of the of illnesses that are not covered. And all across America, people have experienced that disappointment. And so you're seeing a response to that," Adams said. "And we can't send a signal that if you're angry over something, if you're angry because you got a parking ticket, you respond with violence." PHOTO: A member of the New York City police department's Crime Scene Unit at the scene where UnitedHealthcare's CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in in New York, Dec. 4, 2024. (Justin Lane/EPA via Shutterstock) UnitedHealthcare CEO killing latest: Veteran former prosecutor to represent Luigi Mangione in New York originally appeared on abcnews.go.com By Chris Prentice NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has given Elon Musk until Monday to respond to an offer to resolve a probe into the billionaire's $44-billion takeover of Twitter in 2022, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The development, which signals the investigation may be nearing a conclusion, is the latest salvo in a year-long public feud between the top U.S. markets regulator and the world's richest man. Musk on Thursday posted on X a copy of a letter sent by his lawyer to SEC Chair Gary Gensler saying the agency had given Musk 48 hours to agree to pay a penalty to settle the probe or face civil charges, and demanding to know whether Gensler was personally behind the development. The SEC has been investigating whether Musk broke securities laws in 2022 when he bought stock in Twitter, which Musk subsequently renamed X, as well as statements and filings he made in relation to the deal, previous disclosures show. According to the source, the agency has been probing Musk's SEC filing disclosing his Twitter share purchases, which was at least 10 days late, and whether he intended to benefit from that delay, which some academics have estimated saved Musk over $140 million. As part of the probe, the agency had asked a federal court to compel Musk to testify after the billionaire failed to show up to agreed depositions. On Tuesday, the SEC sent Musk a settlement offer seeking a response in 48 hours, but extended the deadline to Monday after a request for more time, the source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential enforcement matters. A spokesperson with the SEC's public affairs office declined to comment. Musk's lawyer did not respond immediately to calls for comment. TIGHT DEADLINE The SEC commonly tries to resolve probes through settlements rather than suing a defendant, but the initial 48-hour deadline was unusually tight, legal experts told Reuters. If Musk fails to respond, the SEC will likely proceed through a "Wells" notification process, a formal step in which the SEC outlines potential charges and allows Musk to respond, the source said. The Thursday letter Musk shared on X, which was signed by his attorney Alex Spiro, said the SEC has also reopened an investigation into Musk's brain-chip startup Neuralink. Neuralink did not respond to requests for comment. The nature of that inquiry is not clear, but U.S. lawmakers and animal-rights advocates have pressed the SEC to scrutinize comments Musk has made about the safety of Neuralink's implants. The SEC first sued Musk in 2018 during President-elect Donald Trump's first term, accusing him of breaking the law when he posted on social media that he had "funding secured" to take his electric carmaker Tesla private when the SEC found he had not. Despite ultimately settling and agreeing to an unusual arrangement requiring some of his posts to be vetted by an attorney, Musk subsequently disputed the SEC's findings in that case and has over the years accused the agency of harassment - claims Spiro reiterated in his Thursday letter. A major backer of Trump, Musk in the new administration will co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency tasked with cutting government costs, potentially giving him some power over the SEC's workings. In his letter, Spiro intimated the SEC's bid to advance the probe may have been politically motivated. "We demand to know who directed these actions - whether it was you or the White House," Spiro wrote in the letter. But the source argued that failing to pursue what the SEC believes is a securities violation by Musk would in fact be the political move. (Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Michelle Price, Megan Davies, Rod Nickel and Nick Zieminski) (This story was updated to correct a typo.) White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said Thursday that many of the drone sightings reported in New Jersey are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft, and do not pose any national security or public threat, despite concerns raised by lawmakers. During a press briefing, Kirby stated that neither the White House, nor state and local law enforcement, have been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings despite using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies. "While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap in authority," Kirby said. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby answers a question during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C. on December 12, 2024. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a joint statement following Kirby's briefing stating, "It appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. " Spokespersons for Gov. Murphy and New Jersey State Police did not respond to requests for comment about Kirbys remarks. An incredulous Assemblyman Paul Kanitra questioned Kirbys statement. That goes directly against what the federal Department of Homeland Security told us in the briefing Wednesday, said Kanitra, R-Ocean. I couldnt possibly understand what their motivation is to try and diminish this. Kirbys comments come a day after State Police briefed New Jersey lawmakers, saying that authorities still dont know where the mystery drones are coming from, whos operating them, or where they are taking off or landing from. More: Mystery drones are swarming New Jersey skies, but can you shoot them down? Lawmakers were also told that investigators have been unable to electronically detect the drones, which were first spotted over New Jersey on Nov. 18 and have been spotted every night since, with anywhere from four to 180 sightings each night. The large drones, which are 6 feet in diameter, only fly at night, from dusk to 11 p.m., lawmakers said. New Jersey Assemblyman Greg Myhre, R-Ocean, was also skeptical of Kirbys remarks. Hes either not getting very good information, or hes not sharing what he knows, Myhre said. He noted that during the briefing Wednesday, State Police Superintendent Pat Callahan said he had a State Police helicopter hovering over one of the airborne six-foot drones. Kanitra added that Callahan said that as soon as the helicopter was over the craft, the drone turned its lights off, prompting the decision to have the helicopter disengage because they determined it was not safe. Why would they call us all to an in-person meeting if its nothing, Myhre said. Theres certainly more to it. Listen, I hope its no big deal, but the federal government needs to be more truthful. Kanitra recounted all of the specifics that officials told lawmakers about what made the drones unique. For example, they noted that these drone flights were coordinated and flew in swarms, and were airborne for 6 to 7 hours which officials said was extraordinary battery life, Kanitra said. In addition, the federal governments most sophisticated radar the electro-optical infrared camera could not detect the drones. Normally, it could detect any drone one to two miles out, and 10 miles for larger craft. If it was ours or our governments, we think wed know, Kanitra recounted one official saying. During the briefing, federal Homeland Security officials also confirmed that unmanned craft flew over Naval Weapons Station Earle, Picatinny Arsenal, and the National Guard, Kanitra said. The mystery of the unidentified drones has gripped the public. On Tuesday, federal officials admitted during a congressional hearing that despite repeated assurances from Murphy and other public officials, they cant say definitively whether the drones pose a threat. More than a dozen drones were reported to have followed a 47-foot Coast Guard boat Sunday night, while law enforcement tracked another 50 drones coming toward land from the ocean at Island Beach State Park, Rep. Chris Smith said. Kanitra said that officials confirmed the Coast Guard story at the Wednesday briefing, that the drones trailed and harassed the crew, citing it as another reason to doubt Kirbys statement Do they think the Coast Guard is going to mistake 12 to 14 drones for planes? Are they trying to say Coasties dont know what planes look like? Kanitra asked. Kirby repeated Thursday that there was no known national security or public safety threat from the drones, and importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace." New Jersey has witnessed an alarming number of drones flying overhead since Nov. 18. There have been reports of them hovering over military installations, at least one reservoir and critical infrastructure. But local, state and federal officials have no answers about their origins. Kirby added that the United States Coast Guard is providing support to the state of New Jersey, and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels. That was in response to statements made Wednesday by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-Ocean, who suggested: These drones could be the work of foreign adversaries, specifically Iran We also know there is an Iranian drone mothership that is missing from port in Iran, with a timeline matching the emergence of these drones." In a press briefing Wednesday, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh pushed back against Van Drews remarks. There is not any truth to that, Singh said. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there's no so-called mothership launching drones toward the United States. Attempts to reach Van Drew on Thursday were not successful. In her press conference, Singh confirmed, These are not U.S. military drones. ... What our initial assessment here is that these are not drones or activities coming from a foreign entity or adversary. Singh said that a decision on whether to shoot a drone down, as state and federal officials have demanded, is up to state and local officials. Thats a decision for local law enforcement, Singh said. If a drone or, you know, any activity is a threat to military installations, they always have the right for self-defense. To date, the drones have not posed a threat to the military bases, she said. So they didn't feel the need to engage, Singh said. When asked to clarify the militarys role, a spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command said they conducted a deliberate analysis of the events, in consultation with other military organizations and interagency partners, but has not been requested to assist with the drone sightings. Should additional assistance be required, U.S. Northern Command will continue to assess further information and is prepared to respond when asked or should the situation escalate to threaten any (Department of Defense) installations, the spokesperson said. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Drones in NJ: White House says many drones are manned aircraft Bloomington Police Department via AP Billie Davis An Indianapolis woman who stabbed an Asian student in her head multiple times has been sentenced to six years in prison for the hate crime. Billie Davis, 57, of Bloomington, Ind., will spend six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, the United States Attorneys Office announced in a press release on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Related: 'Sobering Reminder': Hate Crime Charges for Man Accused of Attacking 7 Asian Women in N.Y.C. An Indiana University at Bloomington student of Chinese descent was riding a Bloomington Transit bus on Jan. 11, 2023, when Davis boarded and sat behind her, a separate press release said, citing court documents. The student, identified only as Z.F., stood up a few stops later once the bus arrived near the campus, and thats when Davis reached for a folding knife from inside her pocket and stabbed Z.F. in the head approximately seven to 10 times, the release said. Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Entrance sign into campus at Indiana University in Bloomington Indiana Z.F. ran away, but other passengers confronted Davis, as the 57-year-old sat back down on the bus. Davis was later arrested by Bloomington Police, referring to the victim as some Asian f------ c---. The woman also claimed that since she committed the crime, there was one less enemy. Z.F.s injuries included multiple stab wounds and cuts, and the college student required medical attention which resulted in sutures and staples. Related: Asian Americans Fear for Their Safety Amid Increasing Racism, Hate Crimes Since Start of Pandemic Racially motivated violence has no place in our society, assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said in a statement. Clarke said Davis targeted Z.F., who was simply riding a public bus to school, solely because she was Chinese. The sentence imposed for these vicious hate crimes should send a strong message that perpetrators of hate-fueled violence will be held accountable, the attorney general added of Davis sentence. The Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes wherever they occur in our country. Related: Man Allegedly Dumps Liquid on Asian Woman in N.Y.C., Says 'Go Back to China' U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary A. Myers added, Every person deserves to feel safe in their own community, and no one should be made to fear violence on their way to school simply because of who they are. Myers said the Department of Justice has prioritized prosecution of hate crimes and community outreach through our United Against Hate initiative, and promised he is working hard to make the community safer for all. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The FBIs Indianapolis branch is also working with authorities, adding, The FBI remains committed to protecting the civil rights of all individuals and this case should serve as a reminder that hate fueled actions will not be tolerated. Davis has remained in jail since the attack, Indiana Public Media reported on Wednesday. Read the original article on People The Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A guest room of the Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The check-in area of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The Listening Room of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The Augustine Lounge of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The Augustine Lounge of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The Montrose Ballroom of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The bedding of a Premier Room of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The front door of the Montrose Ballroom of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer One of the two courtyards of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A yellow hallway of the Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The bathroom of a Premier Room of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The couch of a Premier Room of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The bathroom of an Atelier Room of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Not everything is bigger in Texas. Hotel Saint Augustine, Bunkhouse hospitality group's inaugural property in Houston, sits on 2.2-acres behind the Menil Collection in Montrose and is sized perfectly to scale. Saint Augustine welcomed its first guests on Friday; the hotel's soft opening is Dec. 15. There are only 71 guest rooms; 23 are suites. Saint Augustine is less of a campus and more of a compound. The property, constructed by Texas architecture firm Lake|Flato, consists of five small, two-story buildings connected by wooden boardwalks and bridges. The entrance on Loretto is little hard to find. Once the valet stand is operational, arriving at Saint Augustine will become more straightforward, though blending in with the surrounding neighborhood is kind of the point. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "We took the best parts of our hotels and put them into one," Lisa Bonifacio, president of Bunkhouse Hotels, told the Chronicle. Texans may associate the Bunkhouse name with its founder, Liz Lambert, who opened Hotel San Jose in Austin back in 2000. Next came Jo's Coffee, Hotel Saint Cecilia and the Austin Motel, among other lodging projects across the state. Lambert and Bunkhouse parted ways in 2019. The company currently has outposts in California, Kentucky and Mexico. Bunkhouse's original ethos still ripples through Saint Augustine. In keeping with the hotel group's tradition of naming properties after patron saints, Augustus Chapman Allen, who helped settle Houston, and the abundance of Saint Augustine grass throughout Houston, played a titular role. Within the coated steel gates, public spaces feel like checking into your coolest friend's house. The lobby, designed in collaboration with Post Company, is a puzzle of shiny red walls, retro tile floors and a reception desk crafted from blocks of Calacutta Viola mixed marble. Every item styled just-so on the bookshelves are for sale, from earrings to coffee table baubles. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The check-in area of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Across the way is a moody, 1970s-esque listening room. Seating and lighting are set to ultra-low. Rock 'n roll wafts through a refurbished Otari MX5050 BII-2 restored tape recorder; there's a reel-to-reel player and a record player there, too. In here, guests can order from all-day menu created by James Beard Award nominated chef and restaurateur Aaron Bludorn. He and Director of Operations Cherif Mbodji are slated to open an all-day bistro, Perseid, in January. For now, familiar faces from Navy Blue fill the Augustine Lounge. The restaurant's general manager, John Stewart, a self-professed "Austin kid," feels right at home behind the antique, mirrored bar. There are no stools it's walk-up only. With any luck, all that physical contact will expedite the bronzing and patina process. In a room full of estate-sale finds, the more worn-in the better. "There are winks and nods to Houston of old on the menu," says Tom Hardy, Navy Blue bar manager. "Like Point of Origin, our take on the margarita, with a stardust rim. Lots of things that pop will invite questions." The Augustine Lounge of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer On the other side of the hotel, above Perseid's future home, is a second-floor ballroom. It's carpeted, with modernist light fixtures and white window dressing. At capacity, the 1850-square foot space can seat up to 130 or accommodate 250 standing guests. This vantage point offers a voyeuristic peek into Saint Augustine's multi-color hallways. Some are a muted emerald, others are mustard. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Guest rooms provide the most quintessential Houston references. Each of the blue lacquered wet bars have a special back story "They're an homage to the minibar in Dominique de Menil's closet," explains Omar Abreu, the hotel's general manager. An Atelier Room of Hotel Saint Augustine is photographed Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The Menil Collection's founder and namesake served as inspiration. A Charles James-inspired floral print covers each sofa, similar to one from De Menil's former River Oaks home. The modernist walls, upholstered velvet bed, sculptural ceiling details and more were all drawn from the philanthropist and art collector's legendary residence on San Felipe. Even the goblets and barware in the cupboards are cheekily surrealist. Notably, the absence of paintings or hanging works is intentional. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "There's no art on the walls," Abreu. "That's because it's all around us, from the Menil to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston." Oracles NetSuite subsidiary is focusing its efforts towards building up its partner base, with the vendor intending to bolster up its headcount across its main programs. Speaking to ARN at Oracle SuiteWorld in Las Vegas, Tony Field, Oracle NetSuite senior director (GM) of channels and ecosystems for Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ), said the vendor was absolutely looking for new partners. Were making sure that we recruit partners who can add value to our customers in the right market segment, so were not trying to cannibalise the market, he said. However, NetSuite isnt planning on ignoring its existing partner base. In fact, he claimed that when looking at NetSuites partners across the globe, its A/NZ partners had a higher adoption rate of new technologies, which isnt something the vendor considers lightly. I put that down to just the tenure, the commitment they have towards NetSuite and the fact that they want to bring that to their customers, Field said. That adoption is definitely a higher rate than what Ive seen in the other [geographies], speaking to my peers. Artificial intelligence (AI) is continuing to play a pivotal role in many technology projects across every market from finance through to government agencies, retail and many more sectors in between. During the Microsoft AI Tour in Sydney which attracted more than 5000 attendees, plentiful examples were on display of AI moving through various stages, with some emerging from proof of concept to productivity gains. Microsofts pledge to upskill more than 1 million people across A/NZ highlights how the workforce needs to meet the demand for AI skills an area that will continue to evolve and challenge the pace of innovation. Commonwealth Bank, Minter Ellison and Wesfarmers were some of the customers discussing their AI play on the mainstage and their Copilot experiences. Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comryn highlighted the number of use cases it has been experimenting with since 2016, and discussed the banks significant leap into launching its first customer-facing gen AI experience with its messaging services. The whole data strategy is a really critical capability, trying to create more reusable assets and patents, he said. Were really trying to work on a number of things to learn by doing and theres probably half a dozen use cases from a customer perspective, where we see real potential. by Nirmala Carvalho Another tragedy yesterday claimed seven lives in Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, last month the case of ten newborn babies killed by flames in Utaar Pradesh. At least 11 serious accidents with more than 100 deaths in the last five years. The causes are always the same: poorly designed emergency exits, failure to check the electrical load, carelessness in storing combustible materials. And justice is slow to prosecute those responsible. Delhi (AsiaNews) - Seven people, including a three-year-old child, died in a fire at a private hospital in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu State, on Thursday evening, 12 December. The flames - probably originating from a short circuit - enveloped the entire facility, which specialises in orthopaedics. Rescue teams freed six people who had been trapped in a lift after breathing in the fumes of the fire: they were taken to other facilities to treat the severe intoxication. Fires in healthcare facilities are unfortunately not an isolated incident in India. Just a month ago, the country was deeply shaken by the death of 10 newborn babies caused by flames in the Jhansi University Hospital in the state of Uttar Pradesh. On that occasion, the Indian Express newspaper had analysed the causes and consequences of 11 serious hospital fires over the past five years, which had claimed a total of 107 lives. With the exception of one case from earlier this year, in all the others those accused of gross negligence - hospital owners or directors - were at large on bail and in seven cases their court cases are dragging on. According to the Times of India, Delhi has recorded as many as 66 hospital fires in the last two years, 30 in 2022 and 36 in 2023. The last fire occurred on 25 May 2024, when seven newborn babies lost their lives in the flames at the private neonatal hospital in the Vivek Vihar area, east of Delhi. In that case, the facility was operating with an expired licence, had no qualified doctors and had not obtained the necessary authorisation from the fire brigade. In general, officials emphasise the complexity of evacuating patients, especially in children's hospitals: many do not have adequate infrastructure, such as wider staircases and compartments for rapid evacuation. Fire investigations identify virtually always the same incriminating factors: poorly designed emergency exits, failure to check electrical loads, irrational use of oxygen and failure to follow protocols for storing combustible materials. Hence the urgency of adequate safety measures and stricter monitoring to prevent similar tragedies in the future. INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY FRIDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE. Harris County District Attorney candidate Sean Teare speaks to the crowd after being named the Democratic primary winner on election day, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A host of former Harris County prosecutors, some of whom left under District Attorney Kim Oggs eight-year tenure, are returning to work under Sean Teare, the next elected DA. With weeks to go until Teare takes office, his transition team has named several lawyers including criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors from elsewhere who will take top leadership positions in the office. The whos who of Houstons legal world will play an integral role in how prosecutions ranging from low-level crimes to the most serious capital offenses proceed for the next four years. Teare narrowly won the district attorney seat over his Republican challenger, Dan Simons, also a former prosecutor, after pledging to undo years of attrition and internal strife he blamed on Ogg. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "I think many of these people want to come back because of (Teare's) reputation," said Hans Nielsen, a former prosecutor who reviewed the list of leadership and noted that many are highly regarded lawyers. "These are creme of the crop people." Some of the incoming prosecutors most recently worked as defense lawyers, who have spent weeks closing up their practices to take the new job. Lauren Byrne, a longtime prosecutor who left Oggs office in 2020, will take over as chief of staff a role currently held by Vivian King, who sought an unsuccessful judicial bid this year. Byrne has been a vocal supporter of Teare since his 2023 departure from Oggs office, criticizing the sitting DA and the actions of her leadership on social media. She lent her support to the local Democratic partys decision to admonish Ogg for creating what Byrne described as an internal "culture of fear" that forced high-level prosecutors to leave their jobs. Teare campaigned on similar sentiment and pledged to overhaul the office with changes to the intake division that accepts charges and other departments after her departure. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Another former prosecutor, Catherine Evans, also a former Republican felony judge, withdrew from several cases to accept her position leading the felony trial bureau a position that was previously held by John Jordan, who will remain in Teares administration overseeing office operations. At least one Fort Bend County prosecutor, John Brewer, is expected to take a role in Teares administration as chief of the special crimes bureau. Brewer, who left Oggs office, prosecuted convicted murderer Antonio Armstrong Jr. at his first trial, which ended in one of two hung juries. Other former prosecutors slated to return to the district attorneys office include Angela Weltin to lead the special victims bureau and Aimee Bolletino over post-conviction cases. Another former prosecutor, Scott Pope, is leaving the Harris County Public Defenders Office to handle conviction integrity in cases. Weltin was among 40 prosecutors Ogg fired in 2016 ahead of taking office. Teare pledged to oust the highest ranking members of Oggs administration a common practice, he said, for newly-elected officials but he vowed to not repeat the mass firings that kicked off Oggs tenure. Some of the employees Ogg axed were also members of her predecessors leadership team. Several members of his incoming team are current prosecutors expecting promotions in Teares administration. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chandler Raine, a prosecutor since securing his law license in 2015, will assume the role of first assistant a position second to Teares elected role currently held by David Mitcham under the outgoing district attorney. He most recently worked in Oggs homicide division handling capital murder cases that include a man accused of killing 90-year-old Navy veteran Nelson Beckett. The division will remain as the expanded homicide bureau led by Sarah Seely, another prosecutor. Another prosecutor, Mary McFaden, will oversee the newly-created family violence bureau which will handle cases involving domestic violence cases, including homicides. Prosecutor Joshua Reiss, who handles Oggs post-convictions and writs division, will move up as Teares general counsel for the office a position that oversees legal guidance for the district attorney and public information requests. Advertisement Article continues below this ad by Steve Suwannarat The United Nations releases new report on migration in Thailand, five years after the last taking stock of the situation. Despite its ongoing economic crisis, thousands of people continue to arrive from neighbouring countries. While some progress has been made, working conditions and social assistance for migrants remain a problem. People fleeing Myanmars civil war are another major issue. Bangkok (AsiaNews) A new report by the United Nations Network on Migration (UNMN) about Thailand, the first since 2019, highlights the potential and limits of the countrys management of migrants. Despite its ongoing economic crisis and negative prospects, the Southeast Asian nation still draws people struggling with war, repression and lack of prospects in neighbouring countries and beyond. The sixth edition of this report provides a detailed analysis of various aspects of migration and Thai policies. Data show growth in arrivals over the five-year period. Non-Thais number 5.3 million now, up from 4.9 million in the previous report, for an increase of 8 per cent. The study emphasises that Thailand is not only a country of transit for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, as well as victims of human trafficking, but also a destination for a substantial number of migrants from Southeast Asia and elsewhere. The study should ensure a better understanding of migration in its facets. This report is a comprehensive stocktake of the opportunities migrants bring and the challenges they face. It highlights Thailands critical role as a Champion Country of the Global Compact for Migration, said Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand. Drafted by experts from nine UN agencies and divided in eleven chapters, the report focuses on four areas: the need to guarantee equal treatment for everyone; employment conditions, human rights and access to justice; increasing social protection; and availability of medical assistance. Labour migration from neighbouring countries especially Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar plays a central role, as evidenced by the more than 2.3 million legal immigrants. The report also points out that Thailand continues to impose strict conditions on immigrants in terms of wages, working conditions, security and social assistance. It notes that the number of Myanmar people in an irregular situation doubled to 1.8 million in the wake of the pandemic and the countrys ongoing civil war. For Geraldine Ansart, chief of mission of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), comprehensive policies are needed more than ever to address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of migrants from Myanmar as the conflict there intensifies, causing the flow of refugees towards the Thai border to grow. At the same time, Thai authorities should take action to uphold their international commitments and ensure sustainable development in the country. Pashinian chaired a meeting of the prime ministers of those states in Moscow at the end of a yearlong Armenian presidency of the EEU. He will travel to another Russian city, Saint Petersburg, later this month for a summit of the leaders of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Pashinian said on December 4 that he refused to host the summit in Yerevan because not all of those leaders are welcome in Armenia. It was not clear whether he referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko. The latter provoked a fresh diplomatic spat between Minsk and Yerevan earlier this year with pro-Azerbaijani comments made during a visit to Azerbaijan. Armenian analysts and opposition figures have suggested that the Armenian authorities are reluctant to receive Putin more than one year after controversially ratifying the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC) also known as the Rome Statute. Earlier in 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes allegedly committed during Russias invasion of Ukraine. The ratification of the Rome Statute highlighted Armenias deepening rift with Russia accused by Yerevan of not honoring its security commitments. Pashinian made clear on December 4 that he will not unfreeze Armenias membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). But he remained careful not to threaten its exit from the EEU. In the conditions of modern realities, the EEUs activities have provided an additional impetus to the development of economic cooperation between member states, contributing to the dynamics of economic growth of our states on various scales, he told the Moscow meeting of the EEU premiers. He said that eliminating barriers to mutual trade and creating new opportunities for businesses in our countries has been one of the top priorities of the Armenian presidency of the trade bloc. Russia accounts for around 98 percent of Armenias trade with the other EEU member states. Russian-Armenian trade has skyrocketed since the February 2022 outbreak of the war in Ukraine, with Armenian entrepreneurs taking advantage of Western sanctions against Moscow. Armenian government data shows that Russias share in Armenias foreign trade rose from 31.4 percent in 2021 to 41.5 percent in January-October 2024. This has been the main driving force behind the Armenian economys robust expansion registered in the last three years. The protest erupted when sanitary inspectors raided a food market near the city center to check whether people selling meat there have documents certifying that it is supplied from licensed slaughterhouses. They confiscated more than one metric ton of meat as a result, despite fierce resistance from the traders, most of them farmers living in various parts of Armenia. Id rather burn myself than let them take away my meat, one of them said before trying to set himself on fire in protest. After the self-immolation attempt, scuffles broke out between dozens of other traders and police officers called up by the inspectors. Eight of the protesters were arrested on the spot. The Armenian police said later in the day that they were referred to the Investigative Committee, suggesting that they may well face criminal charges. What should I say to my banks? complained one of the protesting traders who had his meat confiscated by the Food Safety Inspection Body. He said he will now have trouble repaying his bank loans. The protesters claimed that there are no functioning abattoirs in their regions. The deputy head of the Food Safety Inspection Body, Tigran Petrosian, denied that. In all provinces, we have licensed abattoirs that have even received government funding, he told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. We suppose that people just don't use that service. They try to bypass it in every way possible. Only about 60 percent of Armenias 101 officially registered slaughterhouses operate at present. According to Petrosian, their combined daily output increased fivefold following the Armenian governments recent decision requiring his agency to destroy the confiscated meat. The official made clear that the government inspectorate will continue raiding meat shops and markets to strictly enforce the ban on home butchery. The government first imposed the ban in 2020, citing the need to prevent the sale of unhealthy or contaminated meat. The measure has since periodically sparked protests by farmers who have traditionally slaughtered their livestock on their farms and courtyards. 13 December 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more As Azerbaijan continues its journey toward gender equality in the workplace, initiatives such as the World Bank's AZTAF program have played a critical role in transforming the landscape for womens employment. Shamsiyya Mustafayeva, Senior Gender Consultant at the World Bank, sat down to discuss the remarkable strides made in the countrys gender equality efforts, as well as the hurdles still to overcome. In her interview with Azernews, Mustafayeva offers insights into the key challenges women face in Azerbaijans workforce, particularly in traditionally male-dominated industries such as transport and technical sectors, and shares recommendations for ensuring lasting change. What is the AZTAF Program? It is worth noting that in February 2022, the European Union (EU) and the World Bank (WB) launched a transformative initiative for Azerbaijan: the Azerbaijan Rapid Technical Assistance Facility (AZTAF). With a total budget of EUR 5.25 million, this three-year program aims to provide crucial advisory, analytical support, and capacity building to the Government of Azerbaijan in alignment with the country's 2030 National Priorities. Funded by the EU and managed by the World Bank, the AZTAF program supports four key areas: strengthening institutions and governance, enhancing economic development and market opportunities, improving connectivity, and promoting energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and climate action. One of the key focus areas of the AZTAF program is inclusive growth and social inclusion, which includes promoting gender equality in the workplace. Through this initiative, the World Bank is working closely with Azerbaijan to remove barriers to women's participation in various sectors and ensure equal opportunities for all. This aligns with the country's broader vision of creating a more inclusive economy. Shamsiyya Mustafayeva, Senior Gender Consultant at the World Bank, spoke with us about the World Banks role in supporting gender equality, the AZTAF programs contributions, and the ongoing efforts to overcome barriers for women in the workforce. Removing barriers: The AZTAF Program and womens employment Mustafayeva began by emphasizing the Azerbaijani government's crucial role in advancing womens rights in the workforce, alongside the World Banks support. The World Bank aligns its efforts with the governments policies, she explained. The Azerbaijani government has been in the drivers seat, and our role is to help implement its vision. A significant breakthrough came in 2022 when the Azerbaijani government, with the support of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population, decided to lift a long-standing Soviet-era prohibition that restricted women from working in 675 professions. This move, which Mustafayeva calls huge, enables women to pursue careers in fields previously closed off to them, such as oil, gas, and mining. However, while the policy change is a major step forward, there are still considerable challenges ahead, particularly in encouraging women to enter technical fields. The Root of the problem: Social barriers and gender stereotypes Despite the legal changes, Mustafayeva highlighted the persistence of social and cultural barriers that prevent women from fully participating in these newly opened professions. One major obstacle is the lack of women pursuing studies in STEM. If we dont encourage girls to study STEM subjects, we wont have female engineers, and without them, women wont be able to fill technical roles, she explained. She also pointed to societal stereotypes about gender roles, which influence both girls' and boys' career choices from a young age. We need to change the mindset that certain professions are for men only, Mustafayeva urged, recalling how even teachers in engineering fields may reinforce outdated views, unintentionally discouraging girls from pursuing these careers. Furthermore, the burden of household responsibilities often falls disproportionately on women, making it harder for them to compete on equal footing with men in the workplace. Mustafayeva stressed the importance of flexible working hours, paid paternity leave, and the establishment of better childcare services to alleviate this burden. There is a lot that both the government and companies can do, she said. The government can improve infrastructure, such as kindergartens and schools, while companies can ensure fair hiring and promotion practices and offer flexible work arrangements. Progress in the transport sector: Challenges and opportunities Turning to the transport sector, Mustafayeva shared the findings from the gender assessment at Baku Port and Azerbaijan Railways. The data showed that women remain significantly underrepresented in both technical roles and leadership positions within these industries, with female representation in the workforce ranging from just 10% to 17%. While this mirrors global trends in the transport sector, where womens participation is traditionally low, Azerbaijan is taking proactive steps to close the gender gap. Both Baku Port and Azerbaijan Railways are making commendable efforts to change this. For example, the Port of Baku has set a 20% target for women in leadership and technical positions by 2030, Mustafayeva noted. Additionally, Azerbaijan Railways has made history by training women to become machiniststhe first women to operate trains in Azerbaijans railway system. Both institutions are reforming their policies to ensure fair hiring and promotion processes. Positive discrimination is sometimes being used to increase female representation in specific sectors, such as crane operation at the Port of Baku, where the first female crane operator was hired in 2023 after more than 70 years of male-only occupation in this role. Sustaining progress: Moving forward Despite the positive changes, Mustafayeva emphasized that the road to gender equality in the workplace is far from complete. The government, businesses, and society must continue to push for progress on multiple frontschanging attitudes, dismantling stereotypes, and ensuring that women have equal opportunities to succeed in every field. We need to create an environment where women can thrive and fulfill their potential, she said. Azerbaijan, like many other countries, needs to tap into the full potential of its population, and that means ensuring that women have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the economy. In her closing remarks, Mustafayeva reflected on the importance of continued investment in gender equality initiatives. Its about creating an environment where both women and men have equal access to opportunities, where their potential is recognized and nurtured, regardless of their gender, she concluded. Azerbaijans journey toward gender equality is well underway, with significant milestones like the AZTAF program and the removal of restrictive laws creating new avenues for womens participation in the workforce. However, real, lasting change will require concerted efforts across all sectors of societygovernment, businesses, educational institutions, and familiesto break down the cultural and structural barriers that still hinder womens full potential. The World Banks continued collaboration with the Azerbaijani government signals a positive outlook, but as Mustafayeva pointed out, the work must not stop until women everywhere in Azerbaijan can pursue careers of their choosing, unencumbered by outdated norms or systemic discrimination. 13 December 2024 11:03 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more The Supervisory Board of the Economic Zones Development Agency, under the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry held the regular meeting, Azernews reports citing the Ministry. The Ministry noted that, the meeting conducted via video conference and chaired by Deputy Minister Samad Bashirli, the Chairman of the Agency's Board, Seymur Adigozalov, provided updates on the work done in the industrial zones managed by the agency and the projects implemented this year. Additionally, during the meeting, the agency's priority development directions for 2025 were defined, and organizational-structural issues were discussed. 13 December 2024 16:18 (UTC+04:00) Full digital access to all news for 1 year Full digital access to all news for 6 months Full digital access to all news for 3 months Full digital access to all news for 1 month Find the plan that suits you best. The State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan has released information on capital investments for January-November 2024, Azernews reports. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo joins Houston and federal officials in a press conference regarding recovery and assistance after last weeks storms Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at Fonde Community Center in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Houston Mayor John Whitmire, left, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, second from left, and others greet President Joe Biden at Ellington Field on Monday, July 29, 2024, in Houston. Biden came to Houston to pay his respects to the late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee as she lies in state in the rotunda of Houston City Hall. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, left, exchanges words with Houston Mayor John Whitmire as they update the public following Thursdays storms which brought damaging winds and rains to the Greater Houston area during a press conference at Houston TranStar, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo shake hands just before announcing the Beryl Recovery Fund, a fund aiming to raise financial support for those impacted by Hurricane Beryl, during a press conference on Monday, July 15, 2024 in Houston. The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, a joint effort by the Greater Houston Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Houston, has organized this initiative to provide low-to-moderate income families with emergency financial assistance, home repairs, and help accessing resources. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer County Judge Lina Hidalgo said she hasn't decided whether to run for office in 2026 in response to a claim made Thursday by Mayor John Whitmire that she will not pursue another term as county judge. Whitmire, in an interview with the Houston Chronicle, said he had heard that Hidalgo was fixing to announce that shes not going to run. He alluded to the judge's personal struggle with depression and the pressures that accompany the job as county judge. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Shes not enjoying her work, Whitmire said. And shes happy now. I saw on social media she got back this weekend from her wedding destination. But let me tell you what, this is a tough job at any level. You definitely lose your privacy. Shes obviously documented some of her emotional issues, which, this is a terrible profession to be in if youre struggling with pressure. In a statement to the Chronicle, Hidalgo said she is "fully focused on serving the people of Harris County" but didn't directly say whether Whitmires comments about her political future were accurate. "At this time, we have no announcement to make regarding future elections," her office said. Whitmire and Hidalgo have had an adversarial relationship since the mayor took office in January. Hidalgo supported Whitmires opponent, former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, in the race for mayor. Whitmire did not say whether the pair had met in an official capacity in his first year in office, but told the Chronicle that he would work with anyone and that the pair had worked together during the Kingwood flooding in May. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While the pair initially held separate press conferences to brief residents on flooding updates, Hidalgo and Whitmire eventually met for a joint conference at Houston TranStar, where they began to spar about who should speak at the microphone. Whitmire invited Commissioner Lesley Briones to speak. Hidalgo objected, saying all county precincts had been impacted, not just Briones'. "I'm glad I made the approval list," Whitmire told Hidalgo. "Mayor, this is a disaster," Hidalgo replied. "This is not the time." Hidalgo already has one potential challenger for the position, former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who may run for county judge as a Democrat. Parker told the Chronicle in April she hadnt decided any plans for the future. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I think Annise would make a great county judge, Whitmire said Thursday. But Im also smart enough to know to wait and see if Hidalgo does what supposedly is supposed to happen. Parker told the Chronicle Thursday she was leaning strongly toward entering the race. PARKER IN THE RACE: Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker considering a run for Harris County judge in 2026 Harris County residents will choose their Republican and Democrat nominees for the race in March 2026 and the general election will take place that November. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 13 December 2024 17:34 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Fashion, culture, and responsibility are three key words that became the foundation of the recently concluded 17th season of Azerbaijan Fashion Week, Azernews reports. This large-scale event brought together designers from Azerbaijan, South Korea, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, merging traditions with modern approaches to fashion. The first day was opened by the well-known Azerbaijani brand Ulker Huseynova, which showcased sophistication and bold elements reflecting a contemporary view of fashion. Equally striking was the brand NATAVAN, which presented a collection inspired by the poetry of Nizami, emphasizing the role of literature and cultural heritage in modern design. Young talents, such as COYORA by Ramazan Habibov, a finalist and winner of the Up-Cycle Jeans ecological competition held as part of the annual Azerbaijan Fashion Forward contest, also took part. Ramazan Habibov and other finalists presented their collections made from recycled materials to the audience. The ecological theme was reflected in the collections of South Korean brands The Ballon and The A Story, which highlighted responsible design and the use of recycled materials. The A Story was recognized during COP29 for its contribution to sustainable fashion in developing eco-friendly materials. Georgian designers also received special attention. The French-Georgian brand Maison Keti by Keti Chkhikvadze presented an elegant collection that harmoniously combined modern forms with European style. The brand Iva Design by Iva Papidze drew interest with its unconventional interpretation of men's fashion in a non-conformist style. The Russian brand Rina Collection from St. Petersburg, founded by Ekaterina Ivanyushkina, captivated guests with its exquisite handmade work, embroidery, and use of Swarovski crystals. The brand's collection was presented on the catwalk by figures from culture and art, as well as successful businesswomen, highlighting the universality and accessibility of fashion for women of all ages. Uzbek designers such as Shakhzoda Muxammedova, DilyaMur, Istorakhan, and Gulchehra Yunusova, as well as designers from Kazakhstan Studio4353 by Dinara Siitova and Aliya Zhumman, impressed the audience with their collections. Their works seamlessly wove ethnic motifs into modern trends, showcasing the craftsmanship and cultural heritage of their countries. A highlight of the event was the participation of students from the Fashion Academy under the guidance of Manzar Zakizade, who made a significant contribution to fostering interest in fashion and art among young people. Each piece created by the young designers revealed creativity and refined artistry. The 17th season of Azerbaijan Fashion Week focused on three key areas: Sustainable development: use of recycled materials and eco-friendly approaches. Traditions and innovations: preservation of cultural heritage through modern interpretations. Bold design: original cuts, innovative fabrics, and unconventional solutions. The official face and ambassador of the 17th season was Via Lemann a top model who has participated in the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week. Her style and elegance embodied the values of Azerbaijan Fashion Week. Azerbaijan Fashion Week is not just about runway shows. It is an important international platform for cultural exchange that unites designers, journalists, and bloggers. The event was held with the support of the Center for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries "Yaradc" and in general information partnership with the magazine Hello!, which has been inspiring with its stories about fashion, culture, and celebrities for 80 years. The 17th season once again confirmed the status of Azerbaijan Fashion Week as a key platform for promoting art, fashion, and sustainable solutions. The next season promises to be equally dynamic, continuing to inspire dialogue between cultures and innovations. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, and Milli.Az 13 December 2024 14:19 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more A group of Ballica village residents left Baku for the Ballca village of Khojaly. Azernews reports that 27 families (152 people) are being relocated to the Ballca village of the Khojaly region today. Currently, 192 private houses are planned to be renovated in the village. In particular, the number of private houses planned to be renovated in the 1st stage is 82, and the number of private houses to be renovated in the 2nd stage is 110. At the same time, the village is supplied with water, gas, and electricity, and an internet line has been laid. The buildings of the medical and police stations, a secondary school for 200 students, and a kindergarten for 35 beds are ready. It worth noting that the Ballca village of the Khojaly region is located 10.6 km from the city of Khojaly. Until the 19th century, the settlement was a summer residence for the population of the Ahmadbeyli village in the Ganja district. It was occupied by Armenia in 1992 and used as a weapons depot by the Armenian army. On October 5, 2020, the weapons depot was destroyed by the Azerbaijani Army during the Patriotic War. The village was liberated as a result of local anti-terrorist measures carried out on September 19-20, 2023. It should be noted that currently more than 30 thousand people live in the territories liberated from occupation. 13 December 2024 16:00 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ireland, based in London, organized a ceremonial reception in Dublin to introduce Terry Leyden as the first Honorary Consul of Azerbaijan in Ireland, Azernews reports. The event, attended by prominent figures such as Sean OFearghail, Speaker of Irelands House of Representatives, Azerbaijani Ambassador Elin Suleymanov, and members of the Azerbaijani diaspora, underscored the growing bilateral relations between the two countries. Sean OFearghail highlighted the significance of strengthening ties, emphasizing the potential for economic collaboration: The appointment of Terry Leyden as Honorary Consul is an indicator of the will to develop relations between the two countries. He also praised Azerbaijans efforts toward regional peace and expressed his support for normalization efforts with Armenia. Terry Leyden, in his remarks, reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing economic, cultural, and educational cooperation between Ireland and Azerbaijan. He commended Azerbaijans leadership under President Ilham Aliyev and its successful hosting of COP29, calling it a pivotal moment in global climate diplomacy: COP29 held in Baku was a historic turning point in terms of providing real financial support for climate change. Ambassador Elin Suleymanov echoed these sentiments, noting the opportunities for collaboration in technology, academic exchanges, and climate action. He also expressed gratitude for Irelands support during COP29 and presented the National Flag of Azerbaijan to Terry Leyden as a symbol of this partnership. The event, marking the first official reception dedicated to Azerbaijani-Irish relations, concluded with hopes for deeper cooperation and strengthened friendship between the two nations. 13 December 2024 16:37 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more On December 7, the ADA University Gazakh Center, also known as the Gazakh Teachers' Seminary, held an event commemorating the Memorial Day of Azerbaijan's National Leader, Heydar Aliyev, Azernews reports. The gathering included students, participants in the "Manifesto of a Teacher" educational program, and schoolchildren from Gazakh and neighboring regions. In her opening remarks, ADA University Vice-Rector and Board Member of the Gazakh Teachers' Seminary, Vafa Kazdal, highlighted the Azerbaijani-language programs offered at the seminary and emphasized the institutions role in preserving national traditions and values. The event featured a speech by Ramiz Hajizadeh, the Second Secretary of Azerbaijans Embassy in Georgia, who discussed the scholarship program funded by SOCAR to support Azerbaijani students and promote ADA University's programs in Georgia. ADA University Rector Hafiz Pashayev and historian Dilara Seyidzadeh shared personal memories of Heydar Aliyev, addressing questions from the audience. The event also included a screening of In the Footsteps of a Journey - Italy by traveler Azer Garib, showcasing the personal side of Heydar Aliyevs official visit to Italy. Additionally, an art exhibition organized with the support of Azerbaijans Embassy in Georgia showcased works by amateur artist and Master's student Khayala Mustafayeva, dedicated to Heydar Aliyev. The event underscored Heydar Aliyevs enduring legacy and celebrated his contributions to Azerbaijans development. 13 December 2024 17:11 (UTC+04:00) Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Leyla Aliyeva, met with President of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame in Kigali on December 13. The meeting highlighted opportunities for enhancing cooperation in education, culture, and international projects, Azernews reports. During the meeting, Leyla Aliyeva conveyed greetings from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and shared the Foundation's plans to implement initiatives in African countries. These include projects aimed at developing education and culture, facilitating educational exchange programs, and promoting joint presentations of art on international platforms. She emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between Azerbaijan and Rwanda through collaborative efforts. President Paul Kagame expressed his gratitude for Azerbaijan's support and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's contributions to Rwanda's cultural and educational development. He praised the Foundation's impact and noted its dedication to fostering global partnerships. Reflecting on his recent visit to Baku for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), Kagame commended the Azerbaijani government for its exceptional hospitality and praised the high-level organization of the event. He remarked on his positive impressions of Azerbaijan and his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev during the conference. President Kagame also highlighted Azerbaijans international achievements, particularly its successful hosting of world-class events, including the Formula 1 Grand Prix. He expressed hope that Rwanda could host a Formula 1 race in the future, seeking support from the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation to achieve this goal. As part of the cultural exchange, Leyla Aliyeva presented President Kagame with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's newly published book, "Azerbaijan. In the Magic of Nature," showcasing the countrys natural beauty and cultural heritage. Vice-President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva has visited a school located near the capital city of Kigali, Rwanda as part of the foundation's project "Development of Education and Culture in African Countries," Azernews reports. Leyla Aliyeva met with the school's management and students, becoming acquainted with the conditions at the school. In the framework of the project implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Rwanda, the school, which accommodates around 1,000 students, has been equipped with computers to improve the teaching environment and enable children to acquire knowledge related to high technologies. Additionally, the Foundation has ensured internet access for the educational institution. It should be noted that to date, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has carried out several projects in various sectors, including healthcare, social affairs, and education in African countries. Among these, one can highlight projects such as financial support for the development of the African Heritage School as part of international humanitarian activities, and the provision of medical equipment to improve the healthcare system in the Republic of Djibouti. In the future, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation aims to implement projects in the fields of education and culture in other African countries as well. 13 December 2024 18:00 (UTC+04:00) Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Leyla Aliyeva, visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial during her visit to Rwanda, Azernews reports. As a gesture of respect, Leyla Aliyeva laid a wreath at the memorial, honoring the memory of the victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. She also toured the facility, reviewing documents and exhibits that highlight the tragic events and their impact on Rwandans. The memorial, established in 2004, serves as a crucial institution for preserving the memory of the genocide victims, raising awareness of the atrocities, and educating future generations about the need to prevent such tragedies. During the visit, information was shared about the "Justice for Khojaly" international campaign initiated by Leyla Aliyeva. This campaign aims to raise global awareness of the 1992 Khojaly tragedy and advocate for its recognition as an act of genocide. The importance of achieving international recognition of such events and ensuring justice was emphasized as a key step in preventing similar crimes worldwide. Leyla Aliyeva's visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial reflects the shared commitment of Azerbaijan and Rwanda to promoting global awareness of historical injustices and fostering efforts toward preventing genocide. 13 December 2024 15:17 (UTC+04:00) Full digital access to all news for 1 year Full digital access to all news for 6 months Full digital access to all news for 3 months Full digital access to all news for 1 month Find the plan that suits you best. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! 13 December 2024 08:00 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva Over the past three decades, the world has been grappling with a concerning trend: an area nearly a third the size of India has undergone irreversible changes, transforming from humid climate zones into arid regions. This shift poses a significant threat to agricultural sustainability, water access, and the ecological balance, Azernews reports. According to a study by the UN Science Policy Interface (SPI), a body of scientists at the United Nations, drylands now cover 40 percent of the Earth's landmass, excluding Antarctica. Furthermore, three-quarters of the worlds land has become drier over the past 30 yearsa trend that, according to experts, is irreversible. Ibrahim Tiau, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), emphasized that aridity differs from temporary droughts in its permanent nature. He explained that aridity is a constant transformation that alters the region's climate and fundamentally changes people's lives forever. Africa has been especially impacted by this crisis, with GDP losses between 1990 and 2015 amounting to about 12 percent. Over the next five years, the continent could lose up to 16 percent of its GDP, while Asia might see a reduction of around 7 percent. If the international community does not take decisive action, projections suggest that the area of drylandsand the number of people living in these regionscould double by 2100. "For the first time, a UN scientific body is warning that the burning of fossil fuels is driving permanent droughts in many parts of the world, which could have catastrophic consequences for water access and bring both people and nature to the brink of irreversible disaster," said Barron Orr, Chief Researcher at the UNCCD. The main causes of desertification and land degradation, beyond the climate crisis, include inefficient agricultural practices, excessive water extraction, deforestation, and soil erosion. These factors exacerbate the effects of natural disasters such as floods, forest fires, and more frequent droughts. Amidst this alarming situation, global attention has turned to the ongoing BWC conference in Riyadh, which concludes this Friday. Saudi Arabia, one of the driest countries on Earth, has announced its intention to push for a global agreement on the restoration of degraded lands. Experts have proposed several potential solutions to combat desertification, including limiting greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, reforestation, and improving water management. These actions are seen as vital in reversing some of the damage caused by land degradation and in mitigating future risks to global ecosystems and economies. 13 December 2024 14:46 (UTC+04:00) An armed attack at Bursa Courthouse in Turkiye resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including two gendarmerie personnel, and left two others injured, Azernews reports. The incident occurred around 11:00 (UTC +3) at the 6th High Criminal Court in the Uluyol area, where a murder case was being heard. Ambulances transported the injured to nearby hospitals, while police and crime scene investigators were deployed to the site. The Bursa Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the attack. Initial reports confirm that two of the deceased were gendarmerie officials. Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led from the courtroom on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Houston. Martinez-Rangel was ordered held on $10 million bail as he, and another man, Franklin Pena, are charged with capital murder over the girl's death. They're accused of leading her under a bridge in north Houston, and then strangling her. Her body was found June 17 in the bayou near the 400 West Rankin Road. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Alexis Nungaray (centro), la madre de Jocelyn Nungaray, reza y observa hacia el cielo durante una vigilia por la memoria de su hija de 12 anos asesinada al norte de Houston, el viernes 21 de junio de 2024. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Franklin Pena, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led out of the courtroom after bail was set for $10 million, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Houston. Pena and another man, Johan Jose Rangel-Martinez, are charged with capital murder over the girl's death. Brett Coomer/Associated Press Harris County prosecutors will seek the death penalty against two men charged in the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, a politically charged case that has fueled discord over efforts to restrict asylum seekers from entering the country. The men, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Pena, both Venezuelan nationals, were arrested within days of the girls June 17 death near a north Harris County bridge. The outgoing district attorney, Kim Ogg, with less than three weeks left in her term, has used their six-month-old case to partner with Republican lawmakers to clamp down on border access. She has issued an array of public remarks since the childs death that have garnered the trial courts rebuke and a mandate to limit what she says about the pending charges and the immigration status of the accused. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She announced her offices intent to seek death against Martinez-Rangel and Pena at trial Friday morning on cable news, saying she wanted the country to know about the case. Both were Venezuelan nationals, Ogg said in a FOX & Friends segment, where the host repeatedly addressed her as your honor a term of respect reserved for judges. They had been captured while committing a crime, coming into this country illegally, and then within days of murdering and raping Jocelyn Nungaray. Judge Josh Hill in the 232nd District has threatened to hold lawyers over Martinez-Rangel and Penas case in contempt of court if they violate state-wide codes of conduct that dictate what they can say about pending criminal cases. Oggs announcement in seeking the death penalty at trial means jurors can consider sentencing Martinez-Rangel and Pena to die as a form of punishment. If convicted, and if a jury rejects the death penalty, both men would automatically be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Court filings are expected Friday to elaborate on their decision to seek the death penalty, according to a Harris County District Attorney's Office news release. Pena's defense attorney Daniel Werlinger said he and other lawyers received notice in November from one of the trial prosecutors that the punishment would be sought before a mitigation packet could be finished in their case to argue against the death penalty. "We see this as old news, Werlinger said. We knew we were going to be in this position from day one, but now it's official. He later reviewed Oggs on-air comments and blasted them for appearing to go against the judges order. She speaks without regard for either the order or the fact that in 19 days, shes no longer the district attorney, the lawyer continued, referencing Ogg's last day in office will be followed by incoming DA Sean Teare's administration. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lawyers for Martinez-Rangel could not be reached for comment. The original charge against both men was filed as capital murder of a person older than 10 and younger than 15 years old, which excluded prosecutors from seeking death as a possible punishment before a jury. The charges were clarified in September to reflect Jocelyn was sexually assaulted. By then, a trove of attorneys qualified to handle complicated capital offenses were already appointed to their cases in anticipation of a death penalty trial. Neal Davis III, a defense attorney who represented convicted mass killer Ronald Haskell at his death penalty trial, noted Oggs swift decision in announcing the death penalty in the Nungaray case. He suspects Ogg has political motivations in expediting the decision as defense teams are usually allowed ample time to research their clients mental health, intellectual ability and upbring which takes longer if theyre from another country and speak another language. At least one of the defendants has relied on Spanish-speaking translators in court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Back in the day, they used to charge someone with capital murder and try them within months, Davis said. Its not like that anymore. Everyone is being careful to make sure no mistakes are made. The case is among three in Harris County where prosecutors have expressed intent to seek the death penalty on pending cases. A jury will consider capital punishment when Oscar Rosales, accused in 2022 of gunning down Precinct 5 deputy constable Charles Galloway, proceeds to his since-delayed trial. Death is on the table for another case involving Xavier Davis, accused in 2021 of killing three people, including a child, in a murder-for-hire plot. Davis' trial is slated for February, while Rosales' trial has been delayed in anticipation of the next district attorney. Prosecutors under Ogg have already secured four death sentences against Robert Solis, Ronald Haskell, Lucky Ward and Daryl Wheatfall during her two terms. 13 December 2024 20:41 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The UK is set to sign a new security partnership agreement with the European Union in early 2025, according to Azernews reports. "It is expected that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will sign a new security partnership agreement with the EU at the start of the new year," the article states. It is noted that Starmer will welcome the new President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, to London on Thursday. Costa is expected to officially invite Starmer to a meeting in February, where discussions on defense cooperation will take place. The two leaders will also address the scheduling of the EU-UK summit, planned for the first half of 2025, the article adds. Starmer has consistently emphasized his desire to rebuild and strengthen relations with the European Union. In the Labour Party's election manifesto, a security pact with the EU was proposed, along with plans to enhance defense cooperation with France, Germany, and other partners in the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). This new agreement signals a significant shift in the UK's post-Brexit foreign policy, reflecting the government's recognition of the growing need for closer defense and security ties with Europe. Experts suggest that this partnership could foster deeper cooperation on issues such as counterterrorism, cyber threats, and military coordination, strengthening the overall security landscape of Europe. 13 December 2024 21:32 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva At a meeting in Ashgabat between the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi, and Chairman of the Central Bank Mohammad Reza Farzin, the possibilities of expanding bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector, as well as diversifying energy supplies to global markets, were discussed, Azernews reports. The meeting highlighted the opportunity for both parties to further deepen their dialogue in the oil and gas sector. The importance of regular exchanges of views on identifying and applying new forms and methods of collaboration in this area was emphasized. It was also noted that trade and economic cooperation is a key priority in the bilateral relations between the countries and plays a significant role in Turkmenistan's foreign trade turnover. Additionally, the two nations have established a multi-faceted and effective partnership in various sectors, including political, diplomatic, financial, economic, energy, agriculture, transport, cultural, and humanitarian fields. As a result of the meeting, Iran and Turkmenistan signed four joint documents on cooperation, further solidifying their collaborative efforts. In related news, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad announced on December 5 that Iran is in negotiations with both Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan regarding a gas swap agreement, which would enhance regional energy cooperation and facilitate the efficient distribution of natural gas between the three nations. This growing partnership between Iran and Turkmenistan reflects the evolving energy dynamics in the region and underscores the strategic importance of Central Asia in global energy markets. With the signing of additional agreements and the continued development of bilateral cooperation, the two countries are poised to play a central role in shaping the future of regional energy security. 13 December 2024 23:30 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The People's Republic of China has expressed its readiness to support Kazakhstan in the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP), Azernews reports. This development was announced during the working visit of Kazakhstans Minister of Energy, Almasadam Satkaliyev, to China. The visit took place from December 10 to 13, during which Satkaliyev held talks with the leadership of the State Administration for Energy and the Atomic Energy Agency of China. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in the fields of nuclear energy, oil and gas, electric power, and renewable energy sources. The two countries explored avenues for collaboration to strengthen Kazakhstans energy sector, including the potential construction of a nuclear power plant. Earlier, on October 6, 2024, Kazakhstan held a national referendum in which the majority of citizens supported the idea of building a nuclear power plant, reflecting growing interest in diversifying the countrys energy resources. This partnership with China marks a significant step for Kazakhstan as it seeks to develop its nuclear energy infrastructure. Given Chinas advanced technology in nuclear power, the collaboration could greatly enhance Kazakhstan's energy capacity and contribute to its long-term energy security. Bob Casey United States Court House is photographed on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The FBI has reached out to more than 40 people the agency believes may be victims of a Houston park ranger accused of extorting and, in some cases, sexually assaulting people at city parks, an FBI agent testified Thursday. Joey Ellis, 34, on Tuesday was arrested and charged with 20 federal crimes over accusations that he used his position as a park ranger to confront, extort and harass park-goers, some of whom may have been targeted because he thought they were gay. Among other things, Ellis is accused of violating the civil rights of eight people, including illegally searching them and holding them against their will, according to federal charging documents. MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: How Houston Police's homicide team boosted its case clearance to the highest rate in years Advertisement Article continues below this ad All eight of the alleged victims are men, FBI Special Agent Theo Williams said during a hearing Thursday at Houston's downtown federal court, where a judge ruled Ellis should be held in custody until a trial. The FBI had identified 13 other victims, and reached out to 20 more investigators identified as possible victims, Williams said. The FBI has taken over the investigation and more charges are expected, prosecutors said. It was unclear all the other potential victims are also men. The scope of Ellis' alleged crimes have increased exponentially since he was first arrested on June 11. Then, Houston police said they were called about a man who said he was forced to strip naked and robbed by a park ranger at Cullen Park in northwest Houston. The man escaped, and Ellis was arrested that night, when police found him carrying a gun and the man's ID. Soon after he was arrested, police indicated there may have been more victims. He was charged with a count of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression in Harris County. In September, the FBI announced it was investigating Ellis over potential civil rights crimes, and said he may have been targeting gay men. Advertisement Article continues below this ad FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Douglas Williams and the Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz, hold a press conference announcing the FBI is seeking potential victims and information related to a federal civil rights investigation, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Ellis was arrested by FBI agents Tuesday when he was attending a hearing on his state court charges. Williams said some of the new alleged victims were identified through an FBI tipline, and other by reviewing records that came from Ellis' online payment apps, like Zelle and CashApp. Ellis is accused of using a similar tactic on each of his victims, Williams told the judge. While wearing his park ranger uniform, he would block parked vehicles with his truck and confront the men at the their vehicles. He would accuse the men of being in a park to seek gay sex and demand identification. He would also threaten to have his victims' vehicles towed, unless they paid him with either money or sex, Williams said. As a park ranger, Ellis had no power to arrest anyone or have a vehicle towed away. Ellis was not a licensed peace officer. However, his city-issued uniform included a badge and prosecutors said he carried a gun and used it to threaten some of the people. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One told investigators that Ellis forced him to perform oral sex, while other victims described being groped or forced to strip naked during their encounters with Ellis. It's still unclear if all the victims identify as gay. At least one person said they were forced to an ATM to get money from an ATM. Another man said that Ellis threw him to the ground, In at least one of the encounters, Ellis is accused of telling one of the victims to use his account on a gay dating app, Sniffies, to call other potential victims to them, prosecutors said. The alleged assaults happened between January and June, prosecutors said. Thursday's hearing also revealed that the city's Parks and Recreation Department received complaints about Ellis in April, and began tracking the whereabouts of his work vehicle as part of an investigation into him. The vehicle tracking showed Ellis would sometimes travel to parks he was not assigned to be patrolling, prosecutors said. Ellis had also once been suspended from his city job after he left a gun in a truck, prosecutors said. Park rangers are not authorized to carry weapons. Ellis was suspended, but ultimately allowed to return to his job, prosecutors said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison ordered Ellis be held without bond, citing his risk of flight if he was released. In August, Ellis was accused of violating the conditions of his bond from his state charges by leaving Harris County for Louisiana without permission from the county. He later turned himself in over bond violation, was given a higher bond and released again, with permission to stay in Louisiana. Ellis' defense attorney said his action after the bond violation showed he could be trusted to report to future court dates. Prosecutors said the federal charges, which could end in a possible life sentence, gave Ellis more incentive to flee. Prosecutors and Ellis' defense attorney declined comment after the hearing. Ellis was remanded to federal custody. His trial is scheduled for January. By Aron Solomon (see below for credentials) Violence is never justified. This unassailable truth must guide our response to this week's tragic killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, an act of violence that shocks the conscience. Yet what is perhaps less shocking is the public's reaction to this tragedy. Thompson's death has ignited a storm of commentary, much of it reflecting long-simmering frustration with the insurance industry. As the Boston Globe's STAT observed on Friday, "the attack has prompted fresh reflection on the broken U.S. health care system." That such a reaction has emerged, regardless of the facts of the killing, speaks volumes about the depth of discontent with a system many perceive as prioritizing profit over people. The details surrounding the tragedy are as chilling as they are revealing. Investigators discovered the words DENY and DEFEND (common nomenclature for two of the three pillars of insurance defensewith the other being "delay") inscribed on bullet casings at the scene, a grim reference to the insurance industry's notorious practices. For years, these tacticsdenying claims, defending lawsuits at all costs, and deposing claimants into exhaustionhave exemplified a profit-driven model that prioritizes corporate interests over human lives. The haunting inscription is a stark reminder of how deeply these practices have eroded trust in an industry that was designed to provide security. "[The reaction to this] tragedy highlights the immense human cost of an industry that prioritizes profit over people," said William Cooper, a New York personal injury attorney. "Every day, I see families destroyednot by accidents or negligence alone, but by an insurance system that erects barriers to justice and healing." Cooper's observations reflect the despair of countless individuals who have sought fairness and compassion, only to encounter roadblocks and bureaucratic indifference. At the heart of this crisis lies a business model that incentivizes insurers to minimize payouts at the expense of those they serve. For these companies, every denied claim, delayed payment, or protracted legal battle translates into savings that bolsters their bottom line. The infamous deny-defend-delay strategy is more than a cynical slogan; it is a calculated approach that undermines the very purpose of insurance. Policyholders who pay premiums in good faith are often left to navigate a system designed to exhaust and discourage them, compounding the pain of accidents, illnesses, and tragedies. The human cost of this approach is staggering. Families are forced to delay or forgo medical treatments while battling insurers for coverage. Victims of catastrophic injuries face financial ruin as they await decisions on claims that should be straightforward. Meanwhile, the industry reports record-breaking profits, fueling public outrage. Social media has amplified this anger, providing a platform for people to share harrowing accounts of denied claims, unjust practices, and unresponsive companies. This widespread discontent is not new, but its intensity has grown as the gap between insurers' promises and their actions becomes increasingly apparent. Against this backdrop, to many people the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO is undeniably horrifying, but not entirely shocking. While the vast majority of those frustrated with the insurance industry turn to lawful meanssuch as lawsuits, advocacy, or public criticismthe reaction to this act of violence underscores the desperation felt when systemic grievances remain unaddressed. The insurance industry is widely viewed as a system in crisis, and that perception is not without merit. As Cooper explains, the public's frustration is rooted in a profound sense of betrayal. "People aren't angry at insurers because they expect miracles," he said. "They're angry because they paid into these systems, followed the rules, and trusted the promises made to themonly to be abandoned when they needed help the most." These words capture the heart of the problem: insurance is meant to provide a safety net, a source of stability and peace of mind. When that trust is broken, the consequences are not merely financial but deeply personal and emotional. Regardless of the true motive behind Thompson's death, this flood of schadenfreude must serve as a wake-up call for both the insurance industry and policymakers. Reforming this broken system is not only a moral imperative but also a practical necessity to prevent further erosion of public trust. Insurers must embrace transparency and accountability, ensuring that policyholders receive clear, timely explanations for decisions and can challenge denials without resorting to costly legal battles. Regulatory oversight must be strengthened to curb practices that prioritize profits over people, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms should be expanded to reduce the financial and emotional toll of litigation. Beyond these measures, the insurance industry must undergo a cultural shift. Compassion and profitability are not mutually exclusive. Insurers that prioritize fair treatment and genuine support for their policyholders will ultimately build stronger relationships and foster greater loyalty. Companies that continue to operate under the current profit-at-all-costs model, however, risk further alienating the very people they claim to serve. No matter how the facts of this case play out, we cannot allow this tragedy to become a justification for cynicism or inaction. Instead, it must galvanize efforts to create a fairer, more compassionate system. Only by addressing the root causes of public frustration can we hope to rebuild trust in the insurance industry and prevent future tragedies. Let this moment be a turning point, not just for the industry but for society as a whole, as we strive toward a more just and humane approach to care and accountability. A Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, Aron Solomon, JD, is the chief strategy officer for Amplify. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world. Aron has been featured in Newsweek, Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, CBS News, CNBC, USA Today, ESPN, Abogados, Today's Esquire, TechCrunch, The Hill, BuzzFeed, Venture Beat, The Independent, Fortune China, Yahoo!, ABA Journal, Law.com, The Boston Globe, and many other leading publications across the globe. Source: What Reaction to a Killing Says About Our Broken Health System | Opinion - Newsweek It is common for the globalist and establishment media and politicians to try to smear the rising populist nationalist anti-immigration right in Europe as "neo-fascist" or "neo-nazi.". Two recent events show the absurdity of these false charges. The power behind the rightwing coalition running The Netherlands, Geert WIlders, head of the populist nationalist anti-immigration Party for Freedom is in Israel, where the Knesset, Israel's parliament awarded Wilders the Jabotinsky Prize for Liberty. In accepting the award, Wilders stressed his support for Israel, saying "If Israel falls, the west will be next." Does that sound like a "nazi"????? https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/12/13/dutch-populist-wilders-awarded-by-israels-knesset-warns-if-israel-falls-the-west-will-be-next/ And then there is Italy, where a group of actual neo-fascists has been arrested for plotting an assassination. Who did they want to assassinate? The Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the populist nationalist anti-immigration right Brothers of Italy party. The globalist want to paint Meloni as a "neo-fascist" when actual neo-fascists are plotting to assassinate her? Does that make any sense? https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/if-meloni-is-far-right-why-are-neo-nazis-trying-to-kill-her/ The investigation into Kenneth Fox, MD, began in November 2023, following a complaint and his termination from Jefferson Health, according to a Dec. 12 news release from the Bucks County District Attorneys Office. A patient reported that Dr. Foxs medical practice had changed significantly in the summer of 2023. Appointments were moved to the basement of a building where patients waited in a hallway without scheduled appointment times. Payments of $130 per visit were made through a mobile app, and patients were reportedly given a 30-day supply of Suboxone at each visit after payment. In February 2024, undercover officers visited Dr. Foxs practice multiple times and received Suboxone on each occasion. Investigators used the Pennsylvania prescription drug monitoring program to determine that Dr. Fox had been prescribing Suboxone to 80 patients during the period under investigation. Dr. Fox faces 12 counts each of administering a controlled substance by a practitioner and furnishing false or fraudulent records, as well as three counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. California In July, Palo Alto, Calif.-based oncology company Guardant Health announced it will pay $913,933 to settle allegations it violated Stark law. The Justice Department alleged that Guardant submitted claims and received payments from Medicare for laboratory services that had been referred to in violation of Stark Law. Guardant also allegedly knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims for payments. In April 2021, a physician in Austin, Texas, contacted Guardants human resources department to recommend a family friend for an account manager position. The family friend was hired. In October 2021, the physician sought a position for his stepdaughter, who was considered, but rejected, for a position in the companys screening division. In February 2022, two Guardant employees arranged for the family friend to be promoted, opening a role in the oncology division for the stepdaughter. The two employees knew about the relationship and knew the stepdaughter was not qualified for the role. Illinois A cardiac imaging company and its CEO agreed in April to pay more than $85 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations. Cardiac Imaging, based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., and its founder and CEO, Sam Kancherlapalli, were accused of paying referring cardiologists excessive fees to supervise PET scans. The lawsuit alleged this violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark law. Mississippi In November, a federal district court in Mississippi denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against Corinth, Miss.-based Magnolia Regional Health Center and its joint venture cancer center, Magnolia Cancer Center, alleging Stark law and antikickback violations. The lawsuit, filed by cancer centers former executive director, alleges an illegal kickback scheme where physician investors were financially incentivized to refer patients to the center, despite no formal referral requirement. The lawsuit claims that physician investors increased referrals directly boosted their investment income, and defendants also falsely certified compliance with these laws when submitting claims to Medicare. New York In March, NewYork-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Medical Methodist Hospital in New York City agreed to pay $17.3 million to resolve allegations that it paid unlawful kickbacks to physicians. The hospital allegedly made payments to physicians at the hospitals chemotherapy infusion center, where physician compensation was linked to the number of referrals made for services at the center, according to a March 12 news release from the Justice Department. Philadelphia In May, Pittsburgh-based UPMC agreed to pay $38 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging neurosurgeons employed by the health system submitted false claims. The suit was filed against the health system and 13 staff neurosurgeons in 2012 by former UPMC neurosurgeon William Bookwalter, MD, neurophysiologist Robert Sclabassi, MD, PhD, and surgical technologist Anna Mitina. The suit alleged some neurosurgeons submitted claims for purportedly assisting with procedures performed by other surgeons or residents, even though they did not assist nor supervise. Additionally, one neurosurgeon allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for levels of spinal decompression not performed. The allegations also resolved claims neurosurgeons were paid excessive compensation and surgeons referred procedures and surgeries to UPMC in violation of Stark law. In May, Pittsburgh-based Penn Highlands Healthcare and several of its hospitals agreed to pay $735,000 to resolve False Claims Act and Stark law infringement allegations. Penn Highlands DuBois allegedly violated the Stark law from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012, by paying improper compensation to medical providers. Gary Ott, MD, and another physician at Dr. Otts practice were paid $420,000 under a consulting agreement for employment services allegedly performed before the agreement went into effect, during which time neither physician was employed by Penn Highlands DuBois. South Dakota: Siouxland Surgery Center, doing business as Dakota Dunes, S.D.-based Dunes Surgical Hospital, United Surgical Partners International and USP Siouxland, agreed to pay about $12.76 million to resolve Stark law and False Claims Act allegations. From at least 2014 through 2019, Dunes Surgical Hospital made large financial contributions to a nonprofit affiliate of a physician group that made patient referrals to Dunes Surgical Hospital. The agreement also resolves allegations that during the same period, Dunes Surgical Hospital provided a different physician group with free or below market value clinic space, staff and supplies. Tennessee: In July, the Justice Department filed a legal complaint against two medical centers for Stark law violations that led to physician compensation that exceeded fair market value and submitting false Medicare claims. The complaint filed against Murphy (N.C.) Medical Center, doing business as Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, and Chattanooga-Hamilton County (Tenn.) Hospital Authority, doing business as Erlanger Health System and Medical Center alleges that Erlanger employed and received referrals from physicians that did not meet any Stark law exceptions. Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority runs Erlanger Health System. The complaint alleges the violations led to physicians being compensated in excess of fair market value and the health system relaxed or eliminated physician compensation oversight and controls in order to recruit and retain physicians with valuable downstream revenue. Texas: A Denton, Texas-based medical center paid $14.2 million to settle alleged violations of Stark law and Medicare regulations related to four ASCs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, specifically in Dallas, Richardson and Coppell. Horizon Medical Center, which operates a long-term acute care hospital with several ASCs, self-reported that it failed to include a modifier and location to identify services performed at non-excepted, off-campus outpatient facilities when submitting claims to Medicare, according to a Nov. 4 news release from the Justice Department. Horizon disclosed that it had entered into management agreements with third-party companies affiliated with physicians performing surgery at its outpatient facilities. It also leased equipment through operating agreements with companies affiliated with those same physicians. In March, it was announced a Houston physician and his facilities will pay $1.8 million to settle allegations of submitting fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims and violating Stark law. From July 2014 to July 2017, Mohammad Athari, MD, and United Neurology allegedly falsely billed Medicare for medically unnecessary services, as the patients diagnoses did not support them or untrained technicians inaccurately rendered them. West Virginia In November, a West Virginia federal district court dismissed a false claims lawsuit filed against Thomas Health System, citing insufficient detail in the plaintiffs allegations. The case was originally filed in November 2020 by a former nurse, who claimed that Thomas Health violated the Stark law by structuring physician compensation in a way that improperly considered physician referrals, among other alleged violations In its decision, the court ruled that the complaint did not meet the required standards for particularity, stating that it lacked details of fraud causally linked together to form a plausible and particular claim. The court further noted that defendants should not be subject to further litigation under the shadow of a haphazardly pled 82-page complaint. The outpatient facility was sold to a private investor. The 47,700-square-foot facility is 90% occupied by more than 30 tenants. About 45% of the office is occupied by dentists, and several tenants have occupied their respective spaces for more than 20 years. In the Los Angeles area, medical outpatient building sales surpassed $351 million between the third quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024. However, transactions fell 16.2% year over year for that same period, the report said. As systems especially small, independent ASCs have struggled to come back from supply shortages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, they will now likely be hit with new challenges in the coming months, including tariffs and potential port strikes. President-elect Donald Trump plans to levy new tariffs against several key countries, likely increasing prices for American businesses. Systems have struggled to contend with these challenges in different ways, and will likely continue to do so. Anthony Tortolani, MD, a cardiac and thoracic surgeon and professor of clinical cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, told Beckers that tariffs stand to further increase pressures on independent health systems in the new year. Dr. Tortolani: The institutional responses to supply chain issues were varied, and the successful ones cannot be universally applied to all hospitals. The anticipated higher tariffs are predicted to limit supply chain effectiveness and increase cost. For integrated hospital systems, increasing volume, efficiency, internal cooperation and their ability to leverage in negotiating prices provide for a foundational strategy. For standalone hospitals where patient population may be primarily Medicaid and the non-insured, increasing volume and increasing costs may not be adequately countered by increased efficiency. At present in these hospitals, survival is contingent on voluntary government funding supplements for continued viability. Tariffs would thus make the care situation at independent hospitals and ASCs even more precarious. Children's Medical Center Plano (Texas) has opened its new 395,000-square-foot patient tower. The expansion triples the campus's bed capacity, adding 140 beds for a total of 212, according to a Dec. 12 news release from Dallas-based Children's Health. The emergency room has nearly doubled in size and now includes 48 exam rooms. The tower's microgrid makes it one of the first hospitals in the U.S. to provide full-building backup power during outages, the release said. Construction of the tower began in 2021. Breaking news Houston Chronicle A woman was killed Friday morning in an apparent hit-and-run crash in west Houston, Houston Police Department officials said. The crash happened around 6:45 a.m. in the 9200 block of Westpark, near the intersection with Fondren. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Police said the woman was walking west on Westpark when a vehicle also traveling west left its lane and hit her. The woman was walking on the narrow shoulder of the road, and might have been jogging before she was hit. The vehicle didn't remain at the scene and police didn't have a description of its make or model. The woman's name wasn't immediately released. She was described as being in her 30s. Police asked anyone with information about the crash to call the police department's vehicular crimes division at 713-247-4065 Northern Light Health, a 10-hospital system headquartered in Brewer, Maine, is ending pension benefits for about 6,000 employees, effective July 1, 2025, the health system confirmed to Becker's. The health system is moving away from pensions to a 403(b) retirement plan, which allows employees to make contributions and an employer can offer a match percentage. The 403(b) plan is a "more modern retirement vehicle" for employees and will reduce administrative costs for the health system in the long term, Paul Bolin, chief people officer for Northern Light Health, told Becker's. The enhanced 403(b) match is part of a strategy to modernize benefits and align with employee expectations while addressing administrative inefficiencies and long-term cost savings. While cost savings are minimal in the near term, long-term benefits include avoiding $6 million in annual Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation fees as the pension phases out over time. "We will avoid the need to pay those premiums in many years to come, but there's very little savings this year," Mr. Bolin said. "It's really a part of a long-term strategy." Late-career employees will not be affected by the change because they're too close to retirement to see any benefit from an enhanced 403(b), according to the health system. Early-career employees would see the highest returns with the new 403(b) and the change will be neutral for mid-career employees. "All of the funds that are in employees' pensions now are not lost. They're all obtained with the employee, and they'll continue to appreciate over time before they retire," Mr. Bolin said. "It's just new contributions: Instead of toward the pension, the funding will go toward enhanced 403(b) match." Northern Light Health said the move will improve its ability to attract new employees. "We hear time and time again from applicants that they want to see more employer investment in the 403(b)," Mr. Bolin said. "Our recruitment has been very strong over the past year, surpassing national trends, and our retention is also strong. We think this will further enhance our ability to be an attractive employer for employees." The move, which Mr. Bolin described as a "win-win" for employees and Northern Light Health, follows a string of cost reduction initiatives as the health system aims to bounce back from a $100 million annual loss, according to the Bangor Daily News. North Carolina officials have denied Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health's bid to build a hospital in Asheville for the second time in two years, the Triad Business Journal reported Dec. 12. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services approved Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth's certificate-of-need application to expand its new hospital in Weaverville, N.C., and rejected Novant's application for a $249 million cancer hospital in Asheville. The state department of health cited several factors in its decision to favor AdventHealth over Novant, including better projected access for Medicare patients, lower average operating costs per admission and lower net revenue per discharge, according to the report. The outcome echoes a 2022 decision when state officials awarded AdventHealth approval for its original 67-bed hospital, rejecting proposals from Novant and Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health, part of HCA Healthcare. The hospital is expected to open in 2025 and cost more than $250 million. A spokesperson for Novant said the health system is disappointed that its CON application was denied but it will continue to explore opportunities to expand services in the area. "We will continue to listen to and partner with local physicians to meet the needs of the community, and look forward to applying for the additional beds outlined by the state medical facilities plan in 2025," Novant said in a statement shared with Becker's. Novant has been expanding beyond its core markets in Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Wilmington. The system has targeted western North Carolina and the competitive Triangle region, where it has applied to build a $287 million hospital. It has also expanded significantly in South Carolina, acquiring three hospitals from Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare in February. The $2.4 billion deal saw Novant acquire East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant, S.C., Hilton Head Hospital and Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville. Following 16 others, an Oregon association for medical managers is disaffiliating from the Medical Group Management Association and rebranding as a Healthcare Leaders Association. Across the U.S., thousands of medical managers are members of the national MGMA, state MGMA affiliates and/or HLAs. The associations offer education and networking opportunities for leaders in medical practices. In September, the Oregon Medical Group Management Association voted to end a 35-year affiliation with the national MGMA and rebrand the week of Dec. 16, according to Deb Bartel. Ms. Bartel is president of the state association and administrator of Woodburn (Ore.) Pediatric Clinic. This summer, 16 associations representing 18 states disaffiliated from MGMA after the national organization changed its affiliation agreement offerings. Ms. Bartel told Becker's the Oregon association was not ready to decide on a disaffiliation when the exodus happened. "We had to make decisions very quickly, and as a member-driven organization, we didn't feel comfortable pushing something out there when we didn't truly understand it ourselves," she said, adding that the 234-member association had 90 days before it signed another affiliation agreement. "We wanted to make sure we had time to get information out to our members, give them a lot of opportunity to ask questions so that they could feel confident in whatever the decision was." Sixty-two percent voted to disaffiliate, and 38% voted against. By ending the relationship with MGMA, certain hours of continuing education from Oregon HLA webinars and conferences will count differently toward certification. Ms. Bartel said this was a leading reason why the decision was not unanimous. She underlined two reasons for the disaffiliation: MGMA would not allow Oregon to work with former affiliates particularly Washington, a longtime partner and "there were a lot of questions that just didn't seem to get answered." Andrew Swanson, chief revenue officer of MGMA, told Becker's the national organization has created a chapter in Oregon and the other states with former affiliates. "There will be stronger partnership with Washington MGMA moving forward under these new circumstances so the whole of the Pacific Northwest can be best served by MGMA," he said. "The existing group's disaffiliation was motivated by their management company, who swayed the board to move in that direction. While disappointing, we will continue to serve medical practices and their teams as we have before, with the same commitment to excellence." UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty expressed sympathy with the public's frustrations over the healthcare system in a Dec. 13 op-ed published in The New York Times. UnitedHealthcare, and the broader health insurance industry, have been the subject of public scrutiny and vitriol in the aftermath of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mr. Thompson had led UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealth Group's insurance arm, since 2021. He was fatally shot Dec. 4 outside of the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City, where UnitedHealth Group was hosting its annual investor day conference. In the days following the attack, individuals took to social media to share their experiences with delayed and denied care by UnitedHealthcare and other insurers. Some reacted with what the Times described as "morbid glee" over Mr. Thompson's death. In the op-ed, the CEO of the nation's largest healthcare company addressed the backlash against the industry for the first time publicly. "We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people's frustrations with it," Mr. Witty wrote. He called for a broader effort from insurers, employers, governments and others who pay for care to explain how and why coverage decisions are made. "Healthcare is both intensely personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood. We share some of the responsibility for that," he wrote. UnitedHealth Group's purpose is to "build a healthcare system that works better for everyone," according to Mr. Witty. Mr. Witty's comments echo other insurer CEOs who have spoken out since the attack. Sachin Jain, MD, CEO of SCAN Group, a nonprofit insurer, told The Wall Street Journal Dec. 10 that a "broader reckoning" with the insurance industry is taking place. "Most people who work in health plans believe they are supporting action for patients, but it's clearer than ever that the American public doesn't necessarily see it that way," Dr. Jain said. While Luigi Mangione, the alleged suspect in Mr. Thompson's killing, was not insured by UnitedHealthcare, a top official for the New York City Police Department said he may have chosen to target UnitedHealthcare because of its size, according to NBC News. UnitedHealth Group is the largest healthcare company in the world, and the fourth largest company in the U.S., behind only Walmart, Amazon and Apple. Mr. Mangione was found with a manifesto condemning the healthcare industry for putting profits over patient care when he was arrested, police said. In the aftermath of the shooting, insurers have ramped up security around their executives. The New York City Police Department has warned other health insurance executives that their safety could also be at risk. UnitedHealth Group employees have been "barraged by threats" in the days since the attack, Mr. Witty wrote. "No employees be they the people who answer customer calls or nurses who visit patients in their homes should have to fear for their and their loved ones' safety," he wrote. Mr. Thompson, 50, first joined Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group in 2004 and held numerous leadership positions across the company. Before UnitedHealth, he held management roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Minnesota. He graduated with a bachelors of business administration and accounting from the University of Iowa in 1997. Mr. Thompson was "never content with the status quo," Mr. Witty wrote, and was dedicated to improving healthcare. "The ideas he advocated were aimed at making healthcare more affordable, more transparent, more intuitive, more compassionate and more human," Mr. Witty wrote. "That's Brian's legacy, one that we will carry forward by continuing our work to make the health system work better for everyone." Throughout his two decades in healthcare including as a critical care nurse early in his career Rob Coleman, BSN, RN, has embraced the value of leadership visibility. "We're never too busy to be physically present for employees," Mr. Coleman, who has been with Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care for 15 years, told Becker's. "That goes a long way so that they know if they need something or if there're barriers that need to be discussed or worked through, we work through that with them and listen." Mr. Coleman was appointed CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus, Miss., in 2023. The 323-bed acute care hospital is one of just 12 in the U.S. to earn 26 consecutive "A" safety grades from The Leapfrog Group. An engaged workforce and a culture of safety are key drivers of this accomplishment, Mr. Coleman said. Nationally, the hospital's most recent employee and provider engagement scores ranked in the 90th and 94th percentiles, respectively. "Those engagement scores are a direct reflection of the intentional culture we've built here, fostering respect and clear communication across all lines," he said. One example of Baptist Golden Triangle's focus on safety is its efforts to reduce primary cesarean section rates among new mothers. Hospital leadership enhanced collaboration and engagement with OB physicians, decreasing primary C-section rates from about 25% to 19%, Mr. Coleman said. To support this initiative, senior leadership meets weekly with key directors and managers to address and remove barriers for front-line workers. In 2024, the hospital prioritized bedside shift reports to improve communication with patients and their families while boosting patient engagement. "Our work has led to an improvement in overall HCAHPS scores across all domains, increasing from a 75.54 mean score to 77.12 in 2024," Mr. Coleman said. This is a significant achievement because the higher patient satisfaction scores are, the more challenging it is to move the needle and achieve significant gains, he added. Daily patient visits during shift reports have been instrumental in these improvements, he said. "We do those daily patient visits to improve the communication with patients and families, so the families can ask questions at the time that those shift reports are done," Mr. Coleman said. "That has had a tremendous impact on improving our patient engagement scores." Secaucus, N.J.-based Hudson Regional Hospital received a certificate of need approval from the New Jersey State Department of Health's State health planning board to operate Jersey City, N.J.-based CarePoint Health's Bayonne (N.J.) Medical Center. CarePoint sought Chapter 11 protection Nov. 3. The system comprises Bayonne Medical Center, Jersey City-based Christ Hospital and Hoboken (N.J.) University Medical Center. The system is also moving forward with plans to affiliate with Hudson Regional under Hudson Health System, a management services organization. Hudson Regional already owns the Bayonne Medical Center property, but has been managing the hospital on an interim basis for CarePoint, according to a Dec. 12 news release shared with Becker's. "We see this transfer as an opportunity to make Bayonne Medical Center a financially secure facility that will control expenses, improve efficiencies and integrate care throughout the Hudson County service area, improving access to care for the countys residents," Nizar Kifaieh, MD, president and CEO of Hudson Regional, said in the release. The commissioner of health must now give a final approval. "CarePoint Health fully supports the new approach of Hudson Regional Hospital, and the leadership team is in sync," a spokesperson for CarePoint Health said in a Dec. 13 statement shared with Becker's. Eureka Springs (Ark.) Hospital received an immediate jeopardy warning Nov. 22 after surveyors found it lacked adequate emergency diagnostic laboratory services. The warning was lifted Dec. 3 after the hospital submitted a plan of correction, according to documents obtained by the Eureka Springs Times-Echo. Surveyors visiting the hospital Nov. 22 determined the facility did not have 24/7 emergency diagnostic laboratory services and lacked sufficient staffing to safely perform laboratory tests. The immediate jeopardy warning was lifted Dec. 3, after Eureka Springs Hospital submitted a plan of correction, which included hiring temporary staff and ensuring training requirements were met by Dec. 9. "The hospital recognizes the critical need for emergency lab services and the potential adverse outcomes for any delays in treatment due to the lack of 24-hour diagnostic laboratory availability," the hospital said in its response, according to the report. "We take these findings very seriously and have taken immediate corrective actions to resolve the identified non-compliance and ensure our laboratory is fully operational to meet the needs of medical emergencies." During the survey, interim CEO Jodi Edmonson confirmed to surveyors that the hospital was without a lab director, following the departure of several key leaders. Hospital leaders also told surveyors they are working to secure another pathology group after the previous group terminated its contract Nov. 21. The immediate jeopardy warning which places hospitals at risk of losing CMS funding comes amid leadership turmoil at Eureka Springs. On Nov. 1, hospital commissioners voted to terminate the CEO, Angie Shaw, and appointed Ms. Edmonson, the hospital's human resources director, as acting CEO while it searches for a permanent replacement. Ms. Shaw later told a local news outlet that her firing came after several staff members brought forth harassment complaints surrounding the hospital's CFO, Cynthia Asbury. In the days after Ms. Shaw's termination, commissioners also terminated Jessica Petrino, the hospital's nursing director. Other key leaders, including the hospital's lab director, reportedly resigned following the leadership shakeup. Becker's has reached out to Eureka Springs Hospital and will update this report if more information becomes available. A pair of studies suggest some patients with early-stage breast cancer may be able to safely avoid certain surgeries, adding to ongoing conversations about how aggressively to treat low-risk cancers. The research was presented Dec. 12 at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. One study involving 950 patients found women with ductal carcinoma in situ who were closely monitored were no more likely to develop invasive breast cancer than those who underwent surgery. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: one received the current standard of care surgery with or without radiation while the other followed active surveillance, which involved mammograms every six months. Those in the active monitoring group could opt for surgery at any time, and most women in both cohorts received hormone therapy to prevent cancer growth. After two years, rates of invasive cancer were similar in both groups: about 6% in the surgery group and 4% in the monitoring group, according to the findings published in JAMA. DCIS occurs when cells lining the milk ducts become abnormal while the surrounding breast tissue remains healthy. Often called "stage-zero" breast cancer, DCIS does not always progress to more advanced or invasive cancer. About 50,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with DCIS annually. "Many women wonder 'Do I really need to do this to myself?' - when they're faced with surgery and possibly radiation to remove DCIS," Shelley Hwang, MD, an author on the study and a breast cancer surgeon at Duke Cancer Institute, said in a news release. "These early results from our study give us reassurance that active monitoring is safe in the short term and that the cancers that are diagnosed during active monitoring are detected at an early stage." Some physicians who were not involved in the research cautioned that the study period was too short to draw firm conclusions, The Wall Street Journal reported. Researchers acknowledged longer-term follow up is needed, and plan to conduct additional analyses after five, seven and 10 years. A separate study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found women with early-stage breast cancer scheduled for breast-conserving surgery and who opted not to have their lymph nodes removed had similar outcomes to patients who did undergo lymph node removal surgery. Five years later, 92% of patients in both groups were still alive and cancer free. Women having breast cancer surgery often have a sentinel lymph node biopsy where lymph nodes in the armpit are removed to check if cancer is spreading, though the removal can cause chronic pain and arm swelling. The findings add to conversations in the oncology community about whether certain low-risk cancers are overtreated. For example, physicians typically recommend careful monitoring for low-risk prostate cancers, which account for around one-quarter of men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Evidence has demonstrated this is an effective way to manage low-grade prostate cancer, while sparing patients from treatment side effects and cost. However, around 40% of patients with a lower-grade diagnosis opt for more aggressive treatment options, prompting debates about whether the lowest-risk cancers should be classified as cancer at all. The outlet took social media by storm back in 2021 A toastie pop-up that became one of NIs most viral food spots in 2021 has teased a return to Belfast. Operating out of a Hill Street hatch in the city centres Cathedral Quarter, the Toast Office started out during the Covid-19 pandemic when restrictions on social distancing and outdoor dining were in place. It was set up by Ryan Crowne and Emma OKane in an attempt to revitalise the hospitality industry during a difficult time, and became one of the most successful pop-ups to operate from the hatch. Its opening coincided with the global rise of TikTok, with viral success prompting queues around the Cathedral Quarter, before a second pop-up was opened in the Dark Horse. Read more Convicted murderer unlawfully at large for a second time as PSNI warns public not to approach 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 Crowne Creative, who run the hatch, have now suggested the enterprise could return in a new, more permanent location. The company shared some computer-generated images to its Instagram account giving followers a peek at what the inside of the new location could look like and sharing some background information. The images feature seating areas and a collection station, tagging in Belfast as the posts location, all accompanied by the caption: Anyone for more toasties?. For now though, the stores location is being kept firmly under wraps. A Northern Irish candle maker has revealed new EU regulations that came into force today have the potential to significantly impact local businesses in the lead-up to Christmas. Lucinda Graham, the owner Galgorm Melts, said that five GB firms that previously supplied her have pulled out due to issues around the new rules. Mrs Graham of Galgorm Melts said she has had at least five businesses that I use pull out of selling here. I purchased maybe 40% of my products here in Northern Ireland with my ingredients to make my products, she added. But I do have to go to the GB mainland specifically for the biodegradable packaging that I use. However, Mrs Graham can no longer buy from her previous supplier, also a small sole trader, as they do not have an EU address. From a Northern Ireland perspective, if somebody is buying from a larger business, that larger business may have an EU address. A big manufacturing business, there's more than more of a chance they would have a UK base or a French base. They already have a base in the EU, so they're okay. It's the likes of me who as a small business is trying to support another small business in GB. That small business handshake, this is completely gone, because small businesses don't have the capital or the money to have another franchise somewhere else in the EU. The General Product Safety Regulations (GPSR) are new standards enforced for all consumer products sold in the EU. Galgorm Melts sells fragence products The rules do not apply to products like food, animal produce or antiques, but rather to new consumer goods. While NI is not in the EU, due to the Windsor Framework, goods entering NI must meet GPSR standards. Moreover, companies outside of the EU must have a responsible economic operator established in either NI or the EU to fulfil certain compliance tasks. Companies selling into Northern Ireland must therefore supply authorities with a registered business address in an area where GPSR applies. This address can belong to the business itself, an importer, a courier or another authorized legal representative. Some NI enterprises that buy supplies from GB small businesses are finding their previous business methods interrupted. Mrs Graham said that local government officials have been very helpful, but have themselves not been given the necessary information to aid businesses in the transition. I definitely think we need more help, and it should have been given before the day that it was implemented, she added. Alison Evans, who runs Zany Crafts said: A lot of the supply chain sellers from GB are stopping or already stopped supplying. A lot of craft businesses use products only available in GB at a competitive price. Not available in southern Ireland or the EU and even if they are, theyre too expensive. I have become the responsible person for one of my main suppliers so that I can still get supplies and all the other sole traders, micro-businesses and hobbyists over here can still do what they love. The impact on the crafting sector is huge. Two online companies with over 35,000 followers have stopped supplying and a lot more smaller ones as well. Meanwhile, small businesses in GB have said that they cannot sell into NI as they are unable to navigate these and other requirements of GPSR. Karen and Moose Allain run the Devon-based business World of Moose, which sells products based on Mr Allains art. Karen Allain said: We have reluctantly suspended sales to the EU and Northern Ireland. As it stands it is not financially viable for us to engage an EU representative to allow us to satisfy the new requirements, we have already taken a substantial reduction in EU sales post Brexit. Mrs Allain says the time of year the rules have gone into effect has made it harder for small businesses to adapt to them: Hopefully, this will be a temporary measure. We will have time to do more research in January, but in the meantime, like many other small creative businesses, we are suspending trading and will take the financial hit to sales at our busiest time of the year. While the Northern Ireland Office liaises with businesses that contact them, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the lead department for GPSR issues. A DBT spokesperson said: Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and are therefore front and centre of this governments growth mission. We have also been clear that we want to reset our relationship with the EU to make it easier for businesses to trade with Europe. We are supporting SMEs across the whole of the UK to get ready for GPSR and will be publishing more guidance shortly. We will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses to ensure they are supported to trade freely. Student Salome B. joins the Students for Justice in Palestine to protest the Baker Institute's 30th Anniversary Gala at Rice University on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Spring. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer A Rice University divestment resolution failed in a vote of undergraduate students, even though a majority signaled their desire for administrators to respond to the war in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian organizers on campus celebrated the results on Thursday regardless of only one of four ballot measures garnering the necessary support from two-thirds of participating voters. Ballots cast in favor of the initiatives still exceeded 57% and hit the higher threshold for a statement urging the administration to disclose investments in its $7.5 billion endowment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "This vote demonstrates that we represent the majority of Rice students, not a minority," Rice Students for Justice in Palestine wrote in an Instagram post. "We will continue to work together to liberate our campus and dismantle the structures that have led us to this moment, where we must fight for the most basic human rights of Palestinians and all colonized peoples worldwide." Rice University officials shut down the idea of financial disclosures, just hours after the results were released. "Student self-governance is a valued tradition at Rice University, and it is deeply supported by the university administration," a university statement reads. "The recent student referenda on issues related to the Israel-Hamas war were conducted in accordance with university policy. We commend the student government for its leadership in providing for free speech and fostering respectful campus debate." "To ensure the integrity and effectiveness of our investment strategies, operations and partnerships, we do not publicly disclose certain information about the endowment," it continues. "Many of the endowments investment partnerships are governed by non-disclosure agreements which legally prohibit Rice Management Co.s disclosure of holdings within these partnerships. Importantly, Rice complies with all investment-related disclosure requirements under applicable federal and state law." Almost 40% of undergraduates close to 1,900 students turned out for the election, according to the Student Association. The group of undergraduate representatives presented the referenda as an opportunity for students to have their voices heard after the organization faced its own trouble presenting a divestment resolution: A student discrimination complaint tabled their member vote, which would have called for a boycott and divestment of student organization funds from Israel-aligned companies, the Rice Thresher reported in April. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the special election this month, the measure calling for financial disclosures gained the most support, with nearly 72% of students voting "for." The remaining votes failed. One measure asked students to sign off on formally pushing the university's Board of Trustees to "divest from all educational partnerships, companies, and institutions that profit off of or fund war and genocide." Almost 58% of the voting students said yes, short of the two-thirds passage rate. The third and fourth measures each attained 61% of the student vote. One of those would have allowed the Student Association to press the administration to issue a statement "condemning the expanding genocide and scholasticide perpetrated by the US-Israeli colonial war machine." The other would have called on the university to support "anti-colonial scholarship," particularly for Palestinian scholars. HIGHER ED: Rice LGBTQ group cuts ties with Houston Hillel after student concerns Giovanni Marinilli, co-president of Students Supporting Israel at Rice, said the majority vote shows that work remains in educating Rice students about Israel. "A lot of it really comes down to the language that was used," Marinilli said. "It is one thing to take a very particular, very limited criticism of Israel. It is another thing to say anyone who has been to Israel, anyone who has family or friends in Israel is an apologist for the Israel war machine." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Students who voted "against" the measures put their names behind a statement expressing concerns about rising antisemitic violence and harassment, including at Rice. The statement also referenced the referenda's tone, which those students believed could escalate hate on campus. And divestment could negatively affect disadvantaged students who rely on the endowment for financial aid and scholarships, they said. "Many students rely on Rice to provide these opportunities, and it does nothing but harm us and our learning outcomes to deny ourselves this funding," the 'against' statement reads. "There is plenty to be said about the war in the Middle East, but we should not be shooting ourselves in the foot and severely impacting student life and university operations to make a point." Other student bodies around the country have recently passed referenda in support of divestment, making Rice somewhat of an outlier among its peers. About 77% of participating Yale University student voters supported a divestment resolution just this month, and Rutgers-New Brunswick and Columbia College voted in the spring to similar results. Almost 64% of participating students at the University of Pennsylvania supported divestment, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian. University student governments, including the University of Houston's, have also issued their own calls for their campuses to consider divestment, though those votes were cast only by student representatives. Rice University officials have not vocalized support for divestment, pointing to a "longstanding" approach where managers avoid taking political or social positions in order to prioritize financial outcomes in the investment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "The Rice Management Company Board of Directors has a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interests of the University which requires maximizing the Universitys resources to ensure continued academic excellence and intergenerational equity for its students," officials said in a preexisting statement on the endowment's website. "Divestment mandates restrict the endowments access to top performing investment managers, impeding the endowments ability to generate the returns necessary to support the University and the Boards fiduciary obligations." Some universities agreed to revisit their policies after April protests boiled over on college campuses. At least one foundation, supporting San Francisco State University, pulled its investments from three companies that its leaders said "didn't meet human rights standards," according to EdSource. Human rights organisation and individual make payouts without admitting liability in case backed by the Equality Commission A woman who experienced unwanted and inappropriate physical contact by a colleague at an NI Human Rights Commission staff Christmas dinner has settled a case against a colleague for 21,000 and her employer for 15,000. Fernanda Hermosilla was supported by the Equality Commission in her case. It happened when she was attending the event in December 2022. During the evening, the incident witnessed by other colleagues occurred. When she returned to work on the Monday morning she was informed by her employer an investigation was being conducted because a colleague who saw the incident had made a formal complaint. During the investigation Ms Hermosilla told her employer of an earlier incident of inappropriate touching at a non-work event a few weeks before by the same person in a Belfast nightclub. Ms Hermosilla said she had been very upset following that incident, but had been reluctant to make a complaint because she was only new to her job. While the internal investigation was under way, Ms Hermosilla worked in the office and the colleague worked from home. However, Ms Hermosilla claimed that, despite this, she still worked remotely with this colleague, which she found very difficult. Following the investigation, Ms Hermosilla believed her employer did not communicate clearly with her about either the outcome or the disciplinary action taken. She believed the colleague would not be returning to work, but was then informed they would be. Ms Hermosilla found the whole process and its outcome very upsetting and distressing. She also advised her employer of comments made to her by the same colleague of a racial and political nature, which she found to be inappropriate. This was also investigated by her employer. Ms Hermosilla said: It has been a very difficult time. I did not want or ask for any of this. I was excited to move to Belfast to start a new job and advance my career. This has been a very stressful experience. But Im glad that I took a stand. Everyone must know what unacceptable behaviour is and what I experienced was wrong. I want other women to know that they dont have to accept this type of behaviour in the office or at work parties, and that they should always expect to be supported appropriately by their employer. Im glad my case is resolved and now I want to put this behind me and move on with my life. Fernanda Hermosilla Geraldine McGahey, chief commissioner at the Equality Commission, said: We are currently in the middle of the Christmas party season. We know that staff parties and outings are important for team building and for recognition and reward, but employers must ensure that everyone attending is safe and that their dignity is respected. Employers must ensure that all staff are fully aware of the standard of behaviour that is expected of them. Employees should also be aware of the consequences of their actions should they behave inappropriately at a staff Christmas party or outing, as these are an extension of the workplace. The cases were settled without admission of liability. In settling, the NI Human Rights Commission acknowledged Ms Hermosilla is a valued employee and further acknowledged the significant upset and distress she felt as a result of being subject to harassment by a colleague. It affirmed its strong commitment to the principle of equality of opportunity in employment and will liaise with the Equality Commission to review its equal opportunities and dignity at work policies. The colleague has apologised for any upset caused. As part of the settlement terms, Ms Hermosilla and the colleague have agreed to put the matters behind them and to work together going forward, including in face-to-face settings as necessary. They agreed that mediation was not appropriate. The NI Human Rights Commission told the Belfast Telegraph: The commission accepts that a staff member was subject to harassment by a colleague at a social event. Following a complaint, immediate action was taken by the commission to address the matter as soon as it became aware of what had happened. Protecting and ensuring that staff members are comfortable in the workplace remains our primary concern and all reasonable steps have been taken to prevent such behaviour reoccurring. The commission is an institution mandated to protect human rights, including equality and non-discrimination. It does not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form. It follows policies and procedures in relation to equality of opportunity and we have agreed to liaise with the Equality Commission to review those policies and procedures. This claim was settled without admission of liability. The commission is committed to ensuring we comply with our duties as an employer and will not be making further media comment on this case. US music and television star Paula Abdul has said she is feeling grateful after agreeing to settle a lawsuit with American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe that alleged he had sexually assaulted her while she was a judge on the programme. Concerns have been raised after DUP Minister Paul Givan appointed his party colleague this week SDLP MLA Cara Hunter said there were questions over the appointment Teaching unions in Northern Ireland have expressed concerns following the appointment of former DUP MLA Mervyn Storey to a senior education role this week. Mervyn Storey who currently serves as a councillor on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council was appointed as Chair of the Education Authority (EA) board this week by DUP Education Minister Paul Givan. The former Stormont minister has served on the board since 2022 after he lost his North Antrim Assembly seat to the Alliance Partys Patricia OLynn. Ms OLynn later resigned her seat, with current incumbent Sian Mulholland co-opted in to replace her. In appointing Mr Storey, Mr Givan said: Mervyn Storey brings a wealth of expertise and experience to this role at a critical moment as we seek to transform our education system for the next generation. "He has a sound understanding of the education landscape and an appreciation of the values that underpin the work of the Authority. Mr Storey will take up his new role which comes with an annual salary in the range of 50,000 plus travel and subsistence allowances in January 2025. Education Minister Paul Givan The appointment has given rise to concerns from the NI Teachers Council, the negotiating body for NIs five recognised teachers unions. In a statement released on Friday, the NITC said a line in Mr Givans announcement regarding the Department of Educations agenda required clarification. The Northern Ireland Teachers Council (NITC) are concerned as to whose agenda the Minister is referring, said a spokesperson. "We share the concerns expressed in other quarters regarding the recent appointments to key positions in the Education sector. "We in the NITC are committed to working to ensure that all appointments in the education system are fair and equitable, especially in light of legislative change. "We are requesting an assurance that those in high office are equally committed to these same high standards. It comes after Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan said Mr Storeys political roles called his appointment into question. "Mr Storeys previous role as a DUP minister, MLA, and current DUP councillor raises obvious questions for the minister about the appointment, he said. "The Education Minister has a responsibility to demonstrate a clear commitment to transparency and independence in the oversight and management of our education system which must serve equally and fairly all sections of our community. "I will be raising these important questions and concerns at the Education Committee. SDLP MLA Cara Hunter said there were questions over the appointment SDLP MLA and Education spokesperson Cara Hunter said the move raised further questions for the Department following the appointment of Richard Pengelly husband of Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly as the EAs Chief Executive earlier this year. "This will have people asking about jobs for the boys, she said. "It will cause further damage to the public perception about the approach to senior appointments within our public sector. "I appreciate the efforts of the Minister and staff to get this organisation in order, but we cannot ignore the issues raised by these successive appointments. A Department of Education spokesperson said: The appointment of Mr Mervyn Storey was made following an open, transparent and merit-based competition conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland. There has been condemnation after the office of the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland was attacked last night in what police are treating as a hate crime. The premises were reportedly attacked last night by vandals, with the offices windows and doors damaged. Sinn Feins Deirdre Hargey condemned the attack and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. She said: I condemn the attack on the Commonwealth Games office, which saw windows and doors smashed on the premises. The police are treating it as a hate crime and are looking to hear from anyone who was in the area between 10pm and 10:20pm yesterday and saw anything suspicious. Those responsible for this act of vandalism should be brought to justice and I would appeal to anyone with information to report it to the PSNI. Police said they are appealing for any information or witnesses accounts after the criminal damage was caused to the office building in the Great Northern Street area of south Belfast. The PSNI confirmed they are treating it as a hate crime of which they say three teenage boys are suspects. South Belfast Neighbourhood Inspector Roisin Brown said: We are treating this report as a hate crime, and we want to hear from anyone who was in the area between 10pm and 10.20pm yesterday evening and observed anything suspicious. Enquiries are continuing, and we are especially keen to hear from anyone who noticed three teenage boys in the area at the time of the report. One of whom was wearing a blue top and grey jogging bottoms, as well as a mask and gloves. The other two suspects were wearing all black clothing with hoods and gloves. They all made off on foot in the direction of Donegal Avenue towards Tates Avenue Bridge. The Commonwealth Games office News Catch Up - Thursday 12 December The 55-year-old has been serving a life sentence after his 2009 conviction A convicted murderer is unlawfully at large for a second time after absconding following a period of day release. James Meehan, 55, who has been serving a life sentence in prison following a murder conviction in 2009, was on day release from HMP Magilligan on Monday, December 9, but has failed to return. Police are appealing to anyone who has seen him, or who knows of his whereabouts, not to approach him directly but to contact police on 101, quoting reference 1251 09/12/24, said a spokesperson. "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous. "Police would also appeal directly to James to hand himself in. James Meehan (55) is currently unlawfully at large Meehans recent disappearance is the second time he has been unlawfully at large, after he crossed the border into the Republic of Ireland while on temporary leave from prison in 2022 to attend his brothers birthday party. The convicted killer had left an address in the Limavady area where he had been permitted to stay, and had to be extradited in order to be returned to prison in December 2023. He was handed a further nine-month sentence in February this year after being convicted of being unlawfully at large in relation to the incident. Meehan was handed a life sentence and ordered to serve a minimum of 14 years after he was convicted of murdering Londonderry man James McFadden. Mr McFadden was attacked following a wedding reception in Co Donegal in 2007. The 42-year-old died of a ruptured heart caused from blows inflicted outside his home in Shantallow in Derry. Additional funding will allow 2,300 new properties to be connected to the water and sewerage infrastructures (Rui Vieira/PA) Additional funding for Northern Ireland Water means 2,300 new properties can be connected to the water and sewerage infrastructures, John ODowd has said. The Infrastructure Minister said the new connections would span five council areas in Northern Ireland. NI Water, which provides water and sewerage services, recently warned that uncertainty of financial support and historic underfunding are having a serious impact on wastewater services, which is impacting on the construction sector. Water and wastewater infrastructure in the region have been described as in urgent need of upgrade. Infrastructure Minister John ODowd said he had secured additional funding in the October monitoring round (Mark Marlow/PA) A recent Audit Office report found that a lack of capacity in water infrastructure is delaying or halting proposed housing developments and called for a comprehensive review of the current funding arrangements for NI Water. Mr ODowd said he had provided NI Water with an additional 19.5 million of ring-fenced funding following the October monitoring round. He said: Along with my Executive colleagues, I am committed to playing my part in addressing the challenges of housing supply across the north. As a direct result of October monitoring, when I ring-fenced 19.5million for NI Water, I am pleased to confirm that the investment will lead to some 2,300 new properties being able to connect to the water and sewerage infrastructure. This is good news for communities and businesses across counties Antrim, Derry and Tyrone. Id like to thank NI Water for working in a constructive and positive manner to deliver this essential infrastructure and we will continue to work together to find innovative solutions in the months and years ahead. The minister said the Executive was continuing to seek fairer funding and investment in our services after 14 years of underfunding and austerity by the British Government. He added: I will continue to make the case for additional funding for essential public services to enable the upgrade and modernisation of vital infrastructure. Jo Aston, chairwoman of NI Water said: This investment will help to address current development constraints. With this 19.5 million of new funding we can now enable connections to over 2,300 new properties across five council areas in line with principles shared with water regulatory bodies. This positive development will not only support much needed housing supply, but also contribute to the growth and prosperity of our local communities. NI Water remains committed to working collaboratively to find innovative solutions to the constraints being faced and ensure the delivery of vital infrastructure. The funding will benefit 1,200 properties in the Belfast City Council area with a 7 million investment in the Upper Falls wastewater treatment works stormwater storage. It will also connect 350 properties in Londonderry and Strabane with 2.1 million investment in Faughan Crescent pumping station. Five hundred properties will be connected in Antrim and Newtownabbey with investments of 500,000 at Park Manor pumping station and 500,000 in the Templepatrick phase of the Antrim drainage project. Two hundred and fifty properties will be connected in Lisburn and Castlereagh with 7.4 million investment in Mill Road CSO and 10 properties in Mid Ulster with 2.8 million invested in Cabragh wastewaster treatment works. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday morning A man will appear in court next month after three PSNI officers were allegedly assaulted in south Belfast. The man was arrested in the Dublin Road area in the early hours of Friday after he was initially pursued for suspicious driving. He has now been charged with driving offences as well as three counts of assault on police and resisting police. During the incident, the driver attempted to evade the officers while holding on to the hand of an officer and did the same with the other two officers on duty. The 35-year-old man was arrested. Read more Former Ulster rugby player sentenced to four years in prison for failing to prevent rape of woman in France On Saturday morning, the PSNI confirmed the man had been charged. They said: Police investigating an assault on three officers during the early hours of Friday morning, December 13, in the Dublin Road area of south Belfast have charged a man to court. The 35-year-old has been charged with a number of driving offences as well as three counts of assault on police and resisting police. He is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on Friday, January 10. As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service. A man who was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Irish schoolboy Kyran Durnin has been released without charge. The man was released on Friday as an intrusive search at a home in Co Louth concluded. Searches at two homes in Drogheda began on Thursday, with a forensic and intrusive examination of one house involving an excavator and a cadaver dog continuing into Friday. Gardai said the aim of the search was to find evidence which may reveal where Kyran is or what happened to him. A specialist dog and its handler enter a property on Beechwood Drive in Drogheda (Damien Eagers/PA) A murder investigation was launched in October after the disappearance of Kyran, who was potentially missing for two years before authorities were alerted. It is suspected that the boy, who was reported missing in August, might have died in 2022 when he was six. At the attestation of 169 gardai on Friday, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said they had been inundated with information from the public. He added: Certainly when we put out an appeal for information, right back on October 14, we were inundated with information from the public. Were really pleased to see that because that provided us with a lot of leads, a lot of inquiries for us to follow through. As this investigation opens out, well start to learn more about where we are, who the suspects are, and then what we need to do to prove what happened to young Kyran. On Tuesday, a woman was arrested and questioned by gardai before being released without charge 24 hours later. In late October, investigators searched a former family home in Dundalk and adjoining land. Gardai forensic officers search waste ground behind a house in Dundalk (Niall Carson/PA) Irelands Child and Family Agency Tusla submitted a report on its engagement with Kyran and his family to the Minister for Children last month. Minister Roderic OGorman said he could not disclose or publish any details of the report as there is an ongoing Garda investigation into the presumed death of the boy. Gardai are still appealing to anyone with information about Kyran, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the investigation team at Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or speak with any member of An Garda Siochana. Thousands of people are having NHS funding for their care withdrawn after living longer than expected, new research suggests. People given fast-track NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) to provide support at the end of their lives can have it removed following a review, leaving them needing to find the money for their own care. A report from Age UK found huge variation in who can access CHC, even for longer-term conditions, with 58% of adults who applied getting support in some parts of England, dropping to 5% in other regions. The charity warned that families find the system a complete con, with decisions being made on an ad hoc basis and happening behind closed doors. CHC is a package of care funded solely by the NHS when people are determined to have a primary health need. Terminally ill or rapidly declining patients are given fast-track CHC, while others are given standard CHC if they are expected to live longer and have ongoing needs. Eligibility for funding is decided locally by teams who report into Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), with assessors deciding whether peoples needs are high enough to qualify for funding. According to Age UK, while the number of people deemed eligible for CHC has risen, the increase is made up of new fast-track patients who are only expected to receive the funding for a short time. PA news agency analysis of NHS data shows the number of people deemed eligible for the standard, longer-term CHC funding has fallen 37% since 2018. For the 12-month period to the end of September 2024, some 10,538 assessments resulted in people being deemed eligible for CHC. This is down from 16,599 for the 12 months to the end of September 2018. In addition, Freedom of Information snapshot data gathered by PA from ICBs around England suggests thousands of people are having fast-track funding removed, with experts saying this is because they are living longer than expected, even though their needs may not have not changed. For example, the FOI revealed that, in County Durham, from July 2022 to December 2023, some 2,662 fast-track CHC funding allocations were reviewed. Of these, 1,170 people were deemed no longer eligible for CHC funding, 756 remained eligible and others were given NHS nursing care funding at a lower rate. In Tees Valley, there were 3,170 fast-track reviews, of which 1,096 were deemed no longer eligible and 1,350 remained eligible. In Cheshire and Merseyside from July 2022 to December 2023, some 774 people receiving fast-track funding had their case reviewed, of whom 172 were deemed no longer eligible for funding. Of the remainder, 350 stayed eligible while others were directed to nursing care funding which is granted at a lower rate. In South Yorkshire, from the 2021/22 financial year to February this year, 581 people had fast-track funding reviewed, of whom 343 were deemed no longer eligible and 229 remained eligible for funding. Others were given NHS funded nursing care at the lower rate. Age UK said that many older people with chronic ill health and significant care needs are wrongly missing out on CHC funding, leaving some with huge care bills. Its report said: The data, and accounts of older people that feature in this report, suggest that CHC as a long-term intervention to support people with complex needs to live well is becoming less available. There is also evidence that suggests that those that do receive fast-track CHC are increasingly losing eligibility at review. The report said that, in theory, eligibility decisions should be independent of budgetary constraints, while finance officers should not be part of a decision-making process on who gets funding. However, it said that in practice ICBs have been under pressure to make savings from their CHC budgets for several years. In March, Sir Chris Wormald, now Cabinet Secretary but then permanent secretary at the Department of Health, told MPs that CHC is both an extremely expensive and growing area of the budget but insisted individuals were at the heart of decision-making. Caroline Abrahams, charity director for Age UK, said there was clear evidence of NHS rationing, adding: Its no exaggeration to say that many families come to view Continuing Healthcare funding as a complete con, and the data suggest the gap between what it is supposed to do and what it is actually doing is growing. It is deeply unfair to expose families dealing with the serious ill health of a loved one to further trauma by making them battle for money in an opaque system, where decision-making seems pretty ad hoc and happens behind closed doors. Its also a recipe for deepening inequalities, since more advantaged families are much better able to fight for their rights than others. In addition, the extreme postcode lottery for CHC makes a mockery of the idea that this is a rules-based system which is not influenced by the state of local NHS finances. It plainly is. Ms Abrahams said there have been long-standing gripes about people being unfairly barred from receiving CHC funding because the eligibility process is rigged against them. She said that any funding that is available now seems to be moving away from being a source of longer-term care funding for profoundly frail and unwell older people, to one focused more and more on short, sharp injections of cash to support those at the end of life. She added: This is to the extent that if a person does not die as quickly as expected, they are at increasing risk of having their CHC funding taken away. Marie Curie executive director of policy and research, Dr Sam Royston, said that to hear people are being stopped from receiving the support they so desperately need is appalling. He added: We are well aware of the strain on the health system, and withdrawing this funding runs contrary to enabling people to have care in the community, rather than ending up in emergency departments and hospital beds, which is often not the place where they want to die. Its disappointing to hear that we are in such a place in 2024, and discussions must now happen at pace about a sustainable, long-term solution for funding CHC for dying people. An NHS spokesperson said: Eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare funding is determined on an individual basis by local health and social care professionals in line with guidance and regulations set by the Department of Health and Social Care. Regardless of age or diagnosis, if an individual is deemed eligible then their care should remain funded under continuing healthcare. Antony Blinken, left, and Hakan Fidan say their countries broadly agree on the path forward for Syria (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AP) US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Friday there was broad agreement between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ousting of President Bashar Assad. Theres broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women and does not pose any kind of threat to any of Syrias neighbours, Mr Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Mr Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Mr Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the so-called Islamic State (IS) group under control. We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep Isis (IS) down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of Isis (IS) to ensure that that threat doesnt rear its head again, Mr Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK arent dominant, Mr Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Mr Blinken said: Were very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves. Antony Blinken boards a plane after his meetings in Ankara (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AP) Mr Blinken and Mr Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. Weve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible, Mr Blinken said. Mr Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year, but first since the weekend removal of the Assad regime, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late on Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for IS to regain territory and influence. Later, Mr Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq where he met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani. Mr Blinken will return to Jordan for urgent meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers to try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow IS to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Mr Blinken will underscore US commitment to the US-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraqs security, stability, and sovereignty, the State Department said. A person stops by the memorial for a 15-year-old Milby High School student who was struck and killed by a train while crossing the train track to go to school Monday morning. Photographed Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024 at Milby High School in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer As the Milby High School community mourned at a vigil, Houston ISD said Thursday it will focus on addressing dangerous railroad crossings near nine schools with the county and city. A Union Pacific train struck and killed Milby student Sergio Rodriguez, 15, Monday morning near the school. His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Union Pacific Railroad and a company train operator after his death, per a Tuesday announcement. State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said the nine schools were Milby High School, Waltrip High School, McReynolds Middle School, Forest Brook Middle School, Kashmere High School, Cook Elementary School, Burnet Elementary School, Tijerina Elementary School and Roosevelt Elementary School. There are 118 schools that have nearby railroad crossings. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Miles said the district will work with Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, and Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz to secure resources at the nine most dangerous crossings in the district. "These are the tracks that are close to our campuses and that are unsafe for passage. We'll work to secure the resources to provide safer pedestrian crossing options for our students," Miles said. Whitmire announced plans to meet with Union Pacific to discuss a "skywalk" pedestrian bridge over the crossing. The cost estimate for a proposed pedestrian bridge at the crossing is around $6.5 million, Whitmire said, and the city has designated 35 "critical crossings" to monitor across the city. Miles said Thursday he was grateful Whitmire pledged his support for a pedestrian bridge there. Miles said he has not been in contact with any federal officials. The superintendent also announced a district and Houston police rail safety campaign, which the district will likely fund, to provide safety information pertaining to trains, tracks and railroad crossings. Principals will also reinforce to students and families that students should never race the train to avoid being late to school. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Students who are late because a train block their path should never be counted as late, and students may be dismissed late at the end of the day if a train is blocking their route home at the end of the day. So we'll remind principals to reinforce this with their students daily and weekly," Miles said. Offering his condolences and noting the ongoing vigil for Rodriguez, Miles said the district will continue to support the family in the months ahead. Miles said the district has and will continue to allow families to request hazardous route transportation for students who live on walking routes deemed hazardous and would not otherwise be eligible for transportation. Elementary school students who have to cross train tracks will be automatically approved for this, he said, while middle and high school students will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. HISD will ask Union Pacific to offset the cost of additional bus service when it is due to a rail crossing. "Campuses and families can request hazardous route transportation, and are encouraged to do so if they are concerned about their child's path to school. Families can work with their campus administrators to make a transportation request," Miles said, adding he would provide the number of students currently using transportation due to hazardous walking routes. A Houston ISD official previously said Tuesday that Rodriguez "did not cross at the designated crossing spot." Advertisement Article continues below this ad The student in the incident yesterday did not cross at where the road crosses the tracks, spokesperson Alexandra Elizondo said. He crossed farther down in a grassy area that would not be an area HISD would monitor. HISD obviously cannot monitor the full length of the train track, and so the student did not cross at the designated crossing spot. Xavier Marin, 18, left, and his brother Joe Marin, 15, both students at Milby High School, sit next to a memorial that was created outside Milby High School for Sergio Rodriguez, 15, on Tuesday December 10, 2024 in Houston, TX. Rodriguez was struck and killed by a train around 7:30 a.m. near campus on Monday December 9, 2024. Sharon Steinmann Union Pacific claimed the student tried to "outrun a moving train." "Union Pacific shares Houstons grief following Mondays heartbreaking event when a teenager made a tragic decision to try and outrun a moving train," the railroad commented Wednesday. "We want to remind students and others to only cross train tracks at designated crossings and never ignore train horns or the lights and safety gates. Our hearts go out to the family, students and the train crew who witnessed this terrible incident." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Train blockages and safety concerns are a decades-long problem. Children crawl through train cars to get to school, such as McReynolds Middle School in Fifth Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Editorial Board reported in June. Milby students told the Chronicle this week that trains regularly cross during school arrival and dismissal times and frequently block the road. Stopped trains at the Broadway Boulevard crossing near Milby average nine minutes daily, East End District's Road and Rail Safety Program manager Jack Hanagriff said. Some students said the school enforces a strict attendance policy that may encourage other students to make riskier choices to get to class on time. Many students recounted experiences of themselves or classmates crawling through stopped train cars, while some said the school is aware of and even encourages students to pass through them to get to class. Other students and Houston ISD said the district waives all tardies on days with stopped trains. It is unclear where the policy is written. Milby Principal Ruth Pena pays two police officers to patrol the area, a Houston ISD official said Thursday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tweeted Thursday he told the TxDOT Commissioner Steven Alvis to make sure TxDOT requested more funds to address railroad crossing safety problems and that the community has been asking for a pedestrian bridge for years. "These crossings cause tremendous traffic congestion across the state and are very dangerous," Patrick said. "Texas is number one in the nation for accidents at railroad-grade crossings." He said he would ask State Sen. Carol Alvarado to carry a bill to allow the bridge to be built and named after Rodriguez. Syrians chant slogans and wave the new Syrian flag as they gather for Friday prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (Leo Correa/AP) Thousands of Syrians gathered on Friday at Umayyad Square, the largest in Damascus, to celebrate after the first Muslim Friday prayers following the downfall of former president Bashar Assad. Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of insurgency that toppled Assad in a lightning 10-day march across the country to Damascus, appeared in a video message in which he congratulated the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution. I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people, he said. And then, after, we will work to build this country and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God. Mr Al-Sharaas force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and its allied insurgents have been working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital early on Sunday. At the same time, they have tried to reassure a public that is both stunned by the fall of the state that had long ruled with an iron hand and concerned over extremist jihadis among the insurgents. The Friday prayers have a particular symbolism because in the early days of the anti-government uprising-turned-civil-war in Syria in 2011, protesters would turn out en masse after going to the mosque. Unified Syria to build Syria, the crowd gathered in Damascus Umayyad Square chanted. An old man looks on as Syrians attend Friday prayers inside the 7th century Umayyad Mosque (Omar Sanadiki/AP) Some shouted slurs about the former president and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centres of Assads security forces. The crowd included many families with children, and some of the demonstrators had come from far-flung areas of the country, including from Idlib the long-time rebel enclave in the north west of Syria, for years isolated on the other side of the civil wars battle lines. The insurgent groups that toppled Mr Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country. Israel says it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands, and has seized a swathe of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkeys Embassy in Damascus would reopen on Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the civil war. Former BBC NI Journalist Don Anderson fled Saigon as the city was being taken over by the North Vietnamese ArmyHe recalls his close brushes with death while reportingNow retired, he returned to Vietnam last month for the first time since his escape Don Anderson was one of the BBCs TV reporters in Saigon during the final days of the Vietnam War. The country had been partitioned after Vietnamese nationalists drove out the French, with a Communist north and an American-backed south. Despite the military might of the USA, the North Vietnamese Army and their Viet Cong allies won after a guerilla campaign that lasted almost 20 years. Thousands of people, including American soldiers and diplomats, Vietnamese refugees and journalists scrambled to escape the city, which has since been renamed to Ho Chi Minh City in honour of the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Don Anderson joins Ciaran Dunbar to tell his incredible story of his days working in Vietnam, including accidentally finding himself in a minefield, his experiences of the front line, and the fall of Saigon in April 1975. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Urumqi provides convenient new energy vehicle charging services People's Daily Online) 09:44, December 13, 2024 On Dec. 2, staff members of the State Grid Urumqi Power Supply Company completed the inspection, installation, and connection of three transformers, ensuring the timely operation of 18 new dual plug fast charging piles. Staff members of State Grid Urumqi Power Supply Company inspect a new energy vehicle charging pile on Dec. 1, 2024. (Photo/Wang Jinkui) Zhang Xiaofan, a new energy vehicle (NEV) owner in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, expressed his satisfaction with the charging speed. Zhang was one of the first to try the new charging pile. NEVs are leading the way in environmental protection, economic benefits, and style. The company has established a service channel that integrates online and offline platforms, simplified the application process, offered comprehensive guidance, and ensured quick installation and connection. To meet the demand for green travel and support green, low-carbon and sustainable development, the company is enhancing its distribution network transformation and upgrades, leveraging its industrial and technical advantages, enhancing online monitoring and management of charging infrastructure, promoting peak-valley electricity pricing policies, guiding users to charge during off-peak hours, and reducing energy costs. The company has simplified the process of installing charging piles for residents by offering a service that requires no on-site visits, special approval, or investment. This has greatly improved the efficiency of the installation process. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Claire Partain is a Houston ISD reporter for the Houston Chronicle covering student achievement. She can be reached at claire.partain@houstonchronicle.com. She got her start as sports editor at Texas State University (go Cats!) before covering professional soccer team Austin FC and other Austin news at digital startup Austonia. Claire has also freelanced with her hometown paper, appearing in the Fairfield Recorder, Teague Chronicle and Corsicana Daily Sun. The project outside Town Hall organized by former state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli will honor Berkshire County members of the military who died in service to the U.S. from World War I to the present. While Gov. Maura Healey expressed support for continuing the project during the meeting, she warned that the federal money necessary to make the idea a reality would likely not be available in the short-term. Jeff Robbins, a part-time resident of Stockbridge, is a former U.S. Delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council and a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief counsel for the Democrats on the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He is the author of Notes from the Brink: A Collection of Columns About Policy at Home and Abroad. BOSTON A new state law will make it easer for foreign-trained doctors to practice medicine in the commonwealth, helping to address the state's severe primary care physician shortage The Physician Pathway Act is tucked inside the economic development bill Gov. Maura Healey signed last month, and it will help internationally trained physicians acquire medical licenses by eliminating barriers like repeating residency programs in the United States. Members of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, lawmakers and physicians gathered on Monday to celebrate the policy. Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, and Reps. Jack Lewis, D-Framingham and Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, all sponsored the bill. My hope is that this new law will be a model that we can now use to create pathways to licensure and practice for other types of health professions, Lewis said at the event. It will strengthen our physician workforce here in the commonwealth, with more multilingual, culturally competent, skilled doctors treating patients, especially in underserved communities. An MIRA spokesperson said that they estimate hundreds of foreign doctors will utilize the program. The physicians will be required to practice at health care facilities in rural and underserved communities for three years to acquire a full physician licensure. The pathway provides a mentorship alternative to the residency requirement, which these physicians already completed in their home countries. Dr. Saira Asjad, a Pakistani-trained doctor, said at the press conference on Monday she plans to use the new law to resume practicing medicine. I am thrilled that I will finally be able to put my knowledge, skills, and experience to use in helping the state address [the shortage], she said. Massachusetts residents deserve the highest-quality health care, and I hope to help deliver that care very shortly [and] I believe this bill will help doctors like me to deliver health care to areas where there is shortage of U.S. physicians. Despite Massachusetts having one of the highest physician-to-population ratios in the nation, the distribution is not even. In 2018, There were 670 patients for every one physician in Suffolk County and there were 1,590 patients for every one physician in Plymouth County, according to a Department of Public Health. The federal government designated more than 130 cities and towns as health professional shortage areas because of a lack of primary care, dental and mental health care providers, according to a 2022 Special Commission on Foreign-Trained Medical Professionals report. The law is based on this reports findings that recommended that the state license internationally trained physicians to improve medical services in rural and underserved communities, according to the press release. This new law positions Massachusetts as a national leader on expanding opportunities for immigrants, attracting talents to the state and bolstering access to health care: A win-win for all, Emmanuel Owusu, executive director of the African Bridge Network said at the press conference. Massachusetts became the first state in 2023 that filed a piece of legislation that would provide permanent medical licensure by removing the residency requirement for foreign-trained physicians. It will now join nine other states that have enacted similar legislation during the same period, according to MIRA. Advocates hope this legislation will help alleviate the physician shortage in the state and bring foreign trained physicians to Massachusetts. In the state, 22 percent of internationally trained physicians and 18 percent of nurses are unemployed, employed part-time or no longer work in the health care force entirely, according to the Special Commission report. The state Board of Registration in Medicine needs to develop regulations that it will implement with participating health care centers before it can be officially launched. Advocates expect this process to take as long as a year, according to MIRA. Michael Curry, CEO of Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, said at the press conference that hundreds of people will get access to primary care through this program. So the reality is we want to make sure these foreign-trained physicians have access to these rural communities," Curry said. "We want to have tools like this in our toolbelt to hire, recruit, retain these phenomenal physicians that are coming from across the world. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. India to scale up digitalisation of Ayurveda ecosystem December 13, 2024 | Friday | News 10th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo open in Dehradun, being held from 12th to 15th December The 10th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC 2024) and Arogya Expo were inaugurated on 12 December in Dehradun, in the presence of the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush Prataprao Jadhav; Chief Minister, Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami; Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and Dr Shekhar Mande, President,Vijnana Bharati. Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State, Independent Charge, Ministry of Ayush, in his address said that thousands of minds are gathered here to discuss digital health. This marks 10th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) a pivotal juncture where various streams of ideologies, cultures, and innovations converge. Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha (as seen in the image) said that the country is well on its track in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for the sustainable development of Ayurveda ecosystem based on digital health concepts aimed at achieving the goal of equity in health and wealth with scalability. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha further said that we have Tech-enabled solutions now with Ayush Grid, as it revolutionises healthcare with innovations, enhancing effectiveness, safety, and affordability. He also added, more than 1.3 billion dollar investment is in pipeline from global partners. As stated by the organising officials, for the 4-day event, more than 5500 Indian delegates and over 350 delegates from 54 countries have registered to participate in the mega event. The event will feature over 150 scientific sessions and 13 associate events besides plenary sessions. The central theme for the WAC2024 is, "Digital Health: An Ayurveda Perspective," to delve into the transformative potential of modern technologies in advancing Ayurveda. The event includes in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing on leveraging cutting-edge digital tools and innovations to enhance healthcare delivery, redefine research, and integrate Ayurveda into the rapidly evolving global health landscape. The event also features technical sessions, panel discussions, plenary and scientific sessions, an international delegates assembly, a health ministers conclave, an investors meeting, and satellite seminars. The deliberations will also focus on Ayurveda solutions for diverse healthcare challenges of modern day. The Ministry of Ayush is instrumental in organising the World Ayurveda Congress, underscoring Indias commitment to promoting Ayurveda on the global stage. Headquarters of the Houston Housing Authority in the Tanglewood area at 2640 Fountainview. Rebecca Schuetz/Houston Chronicle The Houston Housing Authority has agreed to drop an investigation into the conduct of its former president, David A. Northern, Sr., according to a separation agreement obtained by the Houston Chronicle. In accepting Northern's resignation last month, the housing authority said an outside consultant would no longer examine Northern's conduct as part of an investigation of his multi-million-dollar initiative to air condition the city's public housing. The housing authority also agreed to a more sweeping provision that it will "not begin or continue" any investigation of Northern while he served as the chief executive of the public agency, and not "issue findings on Northern's potential culpability" in any other investigations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Obtained through a Texas Public Information Act request, the separation agreement reveals new details about the terms of Northern's departure from a government agency that provides affordable housing to thousands of residents. In addition to releasing Northern from the specter of investigations, the separation agreement granted Northern six month's salary and benefits, his paid time off and vacation time. Northern's base salary was $278,500 a year, although it may have been higher at the time of his resignation. Northern agreed he would not sue or disparage the housing authority. The housing authority and Northern did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Northern offered to resign after the housing authority board hired an outside consultant to evaluate his conduct, as well as an outside attorney to investigate the housing authority's practices for awarding contracts and approving payments. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MISSING AC UNITS: Houston spent millions for public housing to have AC. Tenants ask what went wrong One of Northern's projects that had drawn fire was his initiative to air condition the city's aging public housing units. The Houston Housing Authority hired 21 contractors to install 1,615 window units in Cuney Homes, Irvington Village and Kelly Village, more commonly known as Kelly Courts. It agreed to pay $1.2 million for the AC units and $650 for each to be installed, for a total of $2.2 million in federal funding though the authority left room for that number to increase if more AC units were needed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In addition, other concerns have swirled around the housing authority in recent years. Outside auditors have found significant issues with the housing authority's financial record keeping and every major program that they reviewed including its record keeping for its voucher program, public housing and waitlists. The housing authority recently muscled out a nonprofit that helped families move to areas with good schools, and put the organization out of business shortly before launching a similar program of its own. Houston Housing Authority President and CEO David A. Northern Sr., center, attends a board meeting where he was placed on paid administrative leave on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Rebecca Schuetz/Houston Chronicle One of the housing authority's recent initiatives to create affordable housing which has completely exempted over 100 apartment complexes from property taxes was found to have largely overlooked renters with extremely low incomes, which the authority had traditionally served. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And a newly constructed affordable housing development in the East End, meant to replace public housing units lost to flooding and the I-45 expansion, is now the target of a federal environmental investigation, which issued a warrant to collect soil samples. While many of these issues began before Northern took the helm of the organization at the start of 2022, they have persisted in recent years. Prior to resigning as president of the Houston Housing Authority, Northern had resigned from two other housing authorities, according to news reports at the time. He resigned from a role as vice president of the Philadelphia Housing Authority in 2013 after serving for a little over a year, according to the local NBC station, citing a culture of "bullying and harassment." Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Philadelphia Housing Authority told the Chronicle that Northern was never the subject to any investigation by their Office of Audits and Compliance. CoSara Diagnostics inaugurates new oligo facility in Ranoli, Gujarat December 13, 2024 | Friday | News The new facility is designed to manufacture the company's patented Co-Primers chemistry US-based Co-Diagnostics, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company with a unique, patented platform for the development of molecular diagnostic tests, has announced the inauguration of CoSara Diagnostics's oligonucleotide synthesis facility in Ranoli, Gujarat. In support of the "Make in India" initiative, the new facility is designed to manufacture the company's patented Co-Primers chemistry, which underpins Co-Dx's and CoSara's lab-based PCR diagnostic tests and which powers the test cups for the new Co-Dx PCR at-home and point-of-care testing platform. Qualifying under this initiative is anticipated to facilitate access to India's large and robust healthcare marketplace. "We are greatly pleased with the results of this growth stage as we look towards the future, which is expected to include additional facility expansion for manufacturing the Co-Dx PCR Pro instrument and the test cups for illnesses like TB, HPV and more, as we scale to meet the needs of the most populous country in the world," remarked Mohal Sarabhai, CEO of CoSara, the joint venture between Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises Limited (ASE group) and Co-Diagnostics, Inc. "India is home to some of the world's best and brightest scientists, researchers and medical professionals who we believe will recognise the value of the Co-Primers PCR technology and of the forthcoming testing platform." Co-Diagnostics' CEO Dwight Egan added, "The new facility and the grantors who helped to fund it provide tangible evidence of the Company's foresight that partnering with Synbiotics Ltd. (an ASE group company) in 2017 to form CoSara would help lay the groundwork for introducing state-of-the-art Co-Dx technology to India's high-tech healthcare marketplace. We believe that synthesising Co-Primers in-house will play a vital role in enhancing manufacturing efficiency and removing barriers as we move towards regulatory approval and commercialisation of our new PCR testing platform in India." Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Houstonian Kim Roxie, owner of LAMIK Beauty, took her brand to HSN on Dec. 28, 2022 with host Marlo Smith. Roxie's line did so well on the live shopping network that she has been invited back on Feb. 9, 2023. Courtesy of LAMIK Beauty I would argue Houston is a more lucrative market for a beauty brand than Tulsa, Okla. Our massive population, ethnic diversity and international port are selling points. But for business owners who have a greater connection to history and want to ensure we learn from it, there are other factors to consider, like legacy. Houstonian Kim Roxie, founder and CEO of the first Black-owned beauty line carried by Ulta, has opened a storefront in Tulsa's Greenwood District, which was established by freed slaves and nicknamed the Black Wall Street," the thriving hub of a Black middle class with robust grocery stores, doctor's offices, churches, hotels and other businesses. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The 35-block neighborhood was the most prosperous Black community in America in 1920 during the oppressive Jim Crow era. It was also the site of one of the most brutal attacks on African Americans in U.S. history. On June 1, 1921, an angry white mob looted and burned down the entire community. They were fueled by reports of a Black man accused, though falsely, of assaulting a white woman, as well as fears of Black people gaining wealth. Hundreds of Black people were killed, and thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed. Many thousands more people were imprisoned and left homeless. When we talk about economic disparities for Black Americans, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 is part of that story. The economic loss today would be more than $200 million, according to 2018 report by the American Journal of Economics and Sociology. That history has lured Roxie to the area to open a storefront for her LAMIK Beauty line and help efforts to rebuild businesses there. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "I've always had an interest in Black Wall Street. We need to understand the history and be intentional about building businesses because Black Wall Street is not just this place, it's a mentality that is about collaborating and building," she said. A Houston native, Roxie was just 21 when she opened LAMIK Beauty at Sharpstown Mall in 2004 with her own green formulas she made in her kitchen. LAMIK stands for love and makeup in kindness. I was one of her customers and would make the trip to the mall to pick up her brow kit and get my lashes done for special events. Roxie later moved her store to the River Oaks area (it closed in 2018). She also launched her line of lip glosses, foundations, makeup brushes and eye shadows at Macys stores in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia. During the pandemic, she helped women with their beauty routines on Facebook and focused efforts on her online sales. Tulsa was not on her radar to expand, but in 2023 Roxie was one of 10 entrepreneurs nationally selected for W.E. Build Tulsa, a business accelerator program sponsored by Goldman Sachs' One Million Black Women Initiative. It provides three months of business training, networking opportunities, free legal and accounting services, technology support and even mental health counseling. Roxie was offered an opportunity to open a storefront there, and she recently moved an employee from Houston to Tulsa to head up the location, where LAMIK products are now sold and distributed nationally. Her products are still made in Houston. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Our goal is to continue to build on the legacy of the Greenwood District," she said. While only two blocks exist of the original Greenwood District, Roxie said nameplates are used to identify the businesses that were once there. Signs of cultural rebirth are also apparent in institutions such as the Greenwood Rising Museum, which highlights the men and women who built the Greenwood District and dreams for their future. Sadly, no one was ever prosecuted for the tragedy of Greenwood and no compensation has ever been paid to those who were harmed, neither through the courts nor by legislation. In June, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma dismissed a lawsuit seeking reparations brought by the last known survivors of the massacre. Last year, Roxie and other business owners met survivors Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, who are both 110 years old. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Houston entrepreneur Kim Roxie visits with Viola Fletcher, a survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riots, on the city's revitalized Black Wall Street. Courtesy photo The South Texas Ecotourism Center is seen Friday, March 15, 2024, in Laguna Vista. SpaceX owns 477 acres near this center. It was supposed to give the undeveloped land to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as part of a land swap, but the deal fell through. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A sign indicates a coming residential development Friday, March 15, 2024, across from the South Texas Ecotourism Center in Laguna Vista. SpaceX bought 477 acres of land near the ecotourism center. It was supposed to give the property to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as part of a land swap, but the deal fell through. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer The Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge is seen Friday, March 15, 2024, near Laguna Vista. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer SpaceXs Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster rocket lift off during a test flight Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, near Starbase in Boca Chica. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A sign describing rocket launches overlooks undeveloped land Friday, March 15, 2024, at the South Texas Ecotourism Center in Laguna Vista. SpaceX bought 477 acres of land near the ecotourism center. It was supposed to give the property to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as part of a land swap, but the deal fell through. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer SpaceXs Super Heavy booster rocket lands in the Gulf of Mexico after its return to the launch pad was called off during a test flight Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, near Starbase in Boca Chica. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A strip of land sits between State Highway 100 and the Laguna Madre on Friday, March 15, 2024, in Laguna Vista. The land, owned by SpaceX, was supposed to become a new state park. It now sits in limbo after the company backed out of a land swap deal. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A gas station sits next to a tract of undeveloped land Friday, March 15, 2024, in Laguna Vista. SpaceX bought 477 acres of land near this gas station. It was supposed to give the property to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as part of a land swap, but the deal fell through. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Newlyweds Holley Bolinger and Chris Bell joke around as they head to their camp site to watch a test flight of SpaceXs Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, near Starbase in Boca Chica. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A gas station sits next to a tract of undeveloped land Friday, March 15, 2024, in Laguna Vista. SpaceX bought 477 acres of land near this gas station. It was supposed to give the property to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as part of a land swap, but the deal fell through. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer President-elect Donald Trump watches the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) Brandon Bell/Associated Press Undeveloped land sits next to the South Texas Ecotourism Center on Friday, March 15, 2024, in Laguna Vista. Nearly 500 acres of land, now owned by SpaceX, is in limbo after the company backed out of a land swap with the state. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer SpaceXs recent decision to back out of a land swap with the state has left in limbo nearly 500 acres of coastal habitat that had been envisioned as a new state park in South Texas. Its really a big question mark, said Jim Chapman, president of the environmental organization Friends of the Wildlife Corridor. I would like to see that land put under some type of protection. It would be a shame if it was commercially developed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad SpaceX has not explained why it backed out of the deal or what it plans to do with the 477 acres it acquired. The commercial space company initially agreed to give the land to the state in exchange for a few dozen acres of Boca Chica State Park for expansion of its neighboring Starship operation. But in a September letter to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, SpaceX said it was no longer interested in pursuing the specific arrangement. It did not offer further details or respond to a request for comment. The company outmaneuvered Cameron County when it moved to purchase the 477 acres located across the Brownsville Ship Channel from the companys launch pads and rocket manufacturing facility. Before the state arrangement, the county had been working to buy the same land to create a county park. Parks and Wildlife said this month that its no longer pursuing the site as a potential park and SpaceX is not going to expand into Boca Chica State Park. Environmental groups said theyre relieved the rocket company isnt receiving the 43 acres of state parkland, which has sensitive mudflats that are crucial to shorebirds. But theyre also wondering what will happen with the 477 acres near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, which is ripe for conservation or development. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cameron County Commissioner David Garza, who had been working on grant applications to buy the same two parcels before SpaceX stepped in, said he hopes the company will still help the county and state to preserve some of the areas native environment. Local SpaceX officials have asked to meet with him, Garza said. He didnt yet know the topic of that meeting, but said he was hoping it was about conservation. Since theres no rug there anymore, they cant pull much more out, he said. Im going to work with whomever I can to make the best of the situation. The Parks and Wildlife land swap had been controversial, eliciting more than 2,000 comments and a lawsuit. The suit was dismissed after the deal fell through. The organizations that filed it South Texas Environmental Justice Network, Save RGV and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas were pleased SpaceX wont get parts of Boca Chica State Park, said environmental attorney Marisa Perales, who represented the groups. But theyre disappointed the 477 acres might not be protected. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Without more details on SpaceXs plans, the groups are focusing on other aspects of SpaceXs operation, such as its practice of discharging large amounts of wastewater during each launch into the local wetlands. On Monday, they filed a suit over that issue. Former Fine Gael councillor Dr Bill Tormey has been sent forward for trial accused of possessing child sexual abuse images and helping to bring an illegal immigrant into the country. Mr Tormey (73), of Glasnevin Avenue, Glasnevin, Dublin 11, a prominent media commentator on health issues, was served with a book of evidence on Friday. Advertisement He is accused that he did knowingly facilitate the entry into the State of a person whom you knew or had reasonable cause to believe was an illegal immigrant or a person who intended to seek asylum. According to the charge, it allegedly happened on August 4th, 2021, at Terminal 1, Dublin Airport. The offence is contrary to section two of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act, 2000. The second charge states that on June 6th, 2022, he knowingly possessed seven images of child sexual abuse images at his home address, an offence under Section 6(1) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998. Advertisement He has yet to enter a plea. The prosecution follows an investigation by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB); he had to surrender his passport and must obey several bail conditions. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has authorised trial on indictment. He appeared at Dublin District Court on Friday. Advertisement Defence solicitor Michael Staines told his client to come forward and confirmed they had received a copy of the book of evidence. GNIB Sergeant Fergus Sweeney, based at Dublin Airport, told Judge Treasa Kelly that he had served the book of evidence. State solicitor Niamh McKernan said the DPP has consented to the accused being sent forward for trial. Judge Kelly told the accused he must appear again on February 14th at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. After granting the return-for-trial order, she remanded him on 400 bail. The court heard he had already surrendered his passport, and the judge warned him not to apply for further travel documents and to have no contact, directly or indirectly and including via social media, with any witnesses. Mr Tormey, wearing a dark blue puffy coat, white shirt, yellow tie and dark suit, did not address the court but indicated he understood. Judge Kelly also informed him he must notify the prosecution within 14 days if he intended to use an alibi in his defence, and she also granted an order for interview videos to be handed over. Ex-independent Clare TD, Violet Anne Wynne has told a court that she hopes to use her Dail termination payment towards the 11,500 she owes in a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) award to a former employee. At Ennis District Court on Friday, Ms Wynne told Judge Alec Gabbett that it is her intention to pay the 11,500 but that her financial circumstances have prevented her from doing so to date. Advertisement Ms Wynne said that the non-payment of the 11,500 award was not something I had set out to do. Ms Wynne gave her court undertaking in response to an enforcement application from her ex-constituency office worker, Fiona Smyth for a Determination Order from the court that Ms Wynne pay the outstanding 11,500. Judge Gabbett said that he would grant the Determination Order for the amount of 11,500 in favour of Ms Smyth. Judge Gabbett warned Ms Wynne that with the determination order for the 11,500 made, she will be subject to criminal sanction if it goes unpaid. Advertisement Ms Smyth told Judge Gabbett that he had discretion to apply interest to the award and she was also asking that interest be added to the 11,500 sum. In response, Ms Wynne said: I would be concerned about that. I dont have current employment and I just think that if I was to account for interest, I dont know where that would leave me and my family especially at this point in time. Judge Gabbett said that out of fairness, interest should not be applied to the award as it is a short period after the WRC decision and that Ms Wynne has accepted that she must pay the 11,500. Ms Smyth told Judge Alec Gabbett that she was making the application as Ms Wynne had failed to pay the 11,500 award within 56 days. Advertisement In August, the WRC ordered Ms Wynne to pay the 11,500 after finding that Ms Smyth was unfairly dismissed by Ms Wynne. Ms Wynne - who received a TDs annual salary of 113,679 - lost her seat in the recent General Election in Clare receiving only 310 first preference votes where she stood as an independent candidate in a vote collapse from her 2020 General Election vote when she topped the poll as a Sinn Fein candidate. In court today, Judge Gabbett asked Ms Wynne how much time she required to pay. In reply, Ms Wynne said: I am no longer a TD. Advertisement In response, Judge Gabbett said: That is unfortunate. Ms Wynne said: I am not 100 [er cemt certain - I have been informed by the House of the Oireachtas that I will receive a termination payment and I am hoping to be able to use that to pay. Mother of six, Ms Wynne said her financial circumstances have been impacted as her partner had started a company but has not been able to partake in any work currently. Judge Gabbett said: You intend to pay. In response, Ms Wynne said: Absolutely. Judge Gabbett said: Once you are in funds you will pay? In reply, Ms Wynne said: Yes. Ms Smyth asked as part of his order that Judge Gabbett apply an attachment order to Ms Wynnes earnings. Judge Gabbett said that might be difficult as Ms Wynne has lost her seat and is an office holder rather than an employee. Taoiseach Simon Harris has said there should be reflection on peoples disaffection from politics after Gerry Hutch narrowly missed out on being elected. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said there was a need to address the fact that Mr Hutch nicknamed The Monk won 3,096 first preference votes, placing himself fourth in a four-seater Dublin Central constituency. Advertisement Transfers put him on 5,321 votes by the 11th and final count, finishing behind Labours Marie Sherlock on 6,102 votes, who took the final seat. Dubliner Mr Hutch (61) has been described in court by a judge as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation. He announced his surprise candidature after arriving back in Ireland following his arrest in Spain last month as part of an international investigation into money laundering. He has reportedly been released on bail of 100,000. Advertisement Speaking at the Templemore Garda College on Friday, Taoiseach Simon Harris suggested Mr Hutch almost received more media attention than the leaders of political parties. Hordes of people at the airport to welcome him back criminality isnt celebrity, its something that brings pain, misery and suffering to communities, he said. I think for those of us in politics, I think we do need to reflect on the disaffection that sometimes people can feel from the political system, and sometimes that communities can feel from the political system. But the other point is he didnt get elected, and our democracy didnt elect a convicted criminal in the guise of Gerry The Monk Hutch to Dail Eireann, and I think that is a good thing. Advertisement He added: I think disaffection is a big issue. I always think its very arrogant of a politician to tell the public why they went out and voted that way that is for the people of Ireland. But I do believe that we must continue to do more in terms of engaging with communities that sometimes feel disconnected and disaffected from the political system or indeed from the State more generally. Election 2024 Gerard Hutchs Dail bid ends with him running away... Read More He said that North Inner City Taskforce and the Community Safety Partnerships were among the initiatives already under way to try to address this, but added the work is not yet done. Asked about the Commissioners concerns, Mr Harris said: The Commissioners job and the job of An Garda Siochana is to continue to tighten the net on criminality in this country, and Im sure that is where their focus will be. Advertisement The focus of those of us in government will be on supporting the gardai in doing that job, making sure those who engage in criminal activity are where they belong and that is not in Dail Eireann. EU countries are being urged to ramp up their policing of deepfakes. There has been a rise across Europe of images and videos edited using AI, depicting fake scenes involving real people. Advertisement Irish MEP Maria Walsh is calling on the EU to speed up detection and prevention of deepfakes. She said they can have devastating consequences. "If I had an intimate image that was released of me that was AI-generated, you know, my professional standing changes," she said. "Of course my emotional mental health changes, my family is impacted, my friends are impacted. "And it's very difficult to come back from that and say: 'Well that's fake'. And where's the proof? Proof is not going to be shown because that's fake. It's very difficult to even explain it so we have to put restrictions in and we have to be aware of it." The High Court upheld a decision refusing to restore the professional registration of a doctor who has been deemed unfit to practise medicine in Ireland and the UK. Mr Justice Micheal OHiggins said the Irish Medical Council, in deciding to reject Michael John Sheills registration application, considered findings made by its British counterpart and carried out its own assessment. Advertisement Members of a Medical Council review panel were entitled to have serious concerns about Mr Sheills lack of insight into the circumstances that led to him being struck off the British register in 2007, the judge said. In 2022, the Irish panel questioned the former GP about services he was continuing to provide at a cosmetic clinic in England, and Mr Sheill said these included minor surgery and botox administration, the judge said. He also answered questions the panel put to him about a Channel 4 news report from 2012 that alleged he was practising under the name Dr. Michael Schiel and about a 2017 BBC broadcast on botox treatments he was allegedly carrying out, said the judge. Mr Justice OHiggins found that the Irish Medical Councils assessment of Mr Sheills application was fair. Advertisement The issues suggesting his unfitness to practise went beyond the findings of misconduct by the British oversight body, the judge said, adding that Mr Sheills answers to the panels questions were, to put it mildly, concerning. In striking Mr Sheill off in 2007, Britains General Medical Council accepted 43 allegations of misconduct against him. Among the proven claims was that his cosmetic and weight loss clinics were not registered, that he breached subsequent conditions imposed by the British council, and that he adopted a cavalier approach to prescribing medicines. The council also made findings that he was rude, abusive and unprofessional towards some patients, the judge said. He had been registered as a doctor in Ireland in 1987 and 1988 and applied in 2017 to have his name restored. The Irish Medical Councils eventual refusal in April 2023 came after it found he was unfit to practise medicine and had shown himself not to be amenable to regulation. Advertisement He appealed against this decision to the High Court, claiming, among other things, that he was being discriminated against because of his sexual orientation. In his newly-published judgment on the appeal, Mr Justice OHiggins said Mr Sheill has dedicated a considerable part of the last two decades challenging the decisions of the UK and Irish medical councils. The judge said Mr Sheill, representing himself, emphasised that he worked hard to get his qualifications and the council decisions have major implications for his reputation, community standing and ability to earn a livelihood. Mr Justice Higgins said Mr Sheill made unbridled, scurrilous and wholly unfounded allegations against the council, when there was no evidence it engaged in any form of discriminatory decision making. The judge said the council did not deem Mr Sheills sexuality to be of any relevance whatsoever to the question of whether he is fit to practise. Advertisement Among Mr Sheills other complaints was that the Irish Medical Council was effectively enforcing a foreign judgment and that it held its hearings on his application in private, which he claimed breached the principle of open justice. The Medical Council, represented by Ronan Kennedy SC and Caoimhe Daly, argued that a registration application is an administrative procedure which does not need to be held in public. Ireland Ex-TD Violet Anne Wynne to use TD termination paym... Read More It claimed his challenge to the registration refusal was wholly lacking in substance and that the council afforded him fair procedures throughout. It said his name was withdrawn from the register in 1988 following an application for voluntary withdrawal. Mr Sheill submitted that the signatures on the withdrawal documents were not his and the withdrawal application was effectively a forgery. Ruling, Mr Justice OHiggins said there was ample evidence before the Irish Medical Council to allow it to conclude as it did. He said the UK strike-off was a plainly relevant matter, and the Irish council gave considered reasons for its decisions. He was not persuaded that there was any basis for setting aside the Medical Councils decision to refuse registration. SpaceXs production facility Starbase is pictured behind Boca Chica Village houses along St. Jude Street on Tuesday evening, June 18, 2024. Over the years SpaceX has offered buyouts to all the homeowners in Boca Chica Village and only a handful of property owners have held out. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Linemen work as traffic drives along Boca Chica Boulevard towards a SpaceX launch facility Friday, March 15, 2024, near Boca Chica. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A bird flies near the SpaceX Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft before its scheduled launch Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, near Starbase in Boca Chica. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Starship is?seen on?its launch pad early Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, behind an?entrance to?SpaceX?s Starbase near Boca Chica Beach. The mega-rocket is?set to launch in a 30-minute window that opens at 4 p.m. Brandon Lingle/Staff People wait for the scheduled launch of SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, near Starbase in Boca Chica. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Traffic drives along Boca Chica Boulevard towards a SpaceX launch facility Friday, March 15, 2024, near Boca Chica. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer SpaceX is requesting an election to decide if its Starship rocket site should be incorporated as a city in South Texas. The company is developing and launching the worlds most powerful rocket from an unincorporated community outside of Brownsville known as Boca Chica. SpaceX and its supporters have long dubbed this area Starbase, but they now want an election to make the name change official. In a letter to the county sent Thursday, Starbase General Manager Kathy Lueders said incorporating a city would help SpaceX to keep growing its workforce and build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live. Advertisement Article continues below this ad LAND SWAP: Nearly 500 acres of South Texas land meant for a new park is in limbo after failed SpaceX land swap SpaceX currently performs several civil functions around Starbase due to its remote location, including management of the roads, utilities, and the provision of schooling and medical care for the residents, Lueders said in the letter, according to a copy reposted by SpaceX founder Elon Musk on X. Incorporation would move the management of some of these functions to a more appropriate body. She also emphasized that becoming a city would not impact the companys commitment to being a science-backed steward of the local environment. And she said SpaceX would continue funding public works projects and supporting conservation. Environmental groups have long said that SpaceX is harming the Boca Chica ecosystem, and the company was fined earlier this year for discharging industrial wastewater during its launches without the proper permit. SpaceX is currently authorized to launch Starship, consisting of the Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft, five times a year in South Texas. But its working on getting approval for 25 annual launches. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Incorporating a city allows residents to create rules tailored to their area and to issue municipal bonds to make improvements in that direct area, among other things. In order to initiate the process, the area must have at least 201 inhabitants, Kellen Zale, associate professor at the University of Houston Law Center, previously told the Chronicle. For areas with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, the city cannot be larger than 2 square miles or 1,280 acres. Lueders letter said there are several hundred people living at Starbase. Its not immediately clear how big the city would be and if it would include other nearby residents. Those closest to the rocket are evacuated during launches, though SpaceX has purchased most of these homes and has built additional housing. The steps for incorporation are pretty minimal, Zale said in 2021. Its just that population requirement and the territorial requirement, and then you need to get a certain number of signatures and then hold an election. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Thursday, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. told the Associated Press that this was the first time a petition was officially filed. A man who attacked a cardiologist with a champagne bottle in the victims home after they met in a pub in Dublin that night has been remanded in continuing custody for sentence next week. Liam Whelan (43) of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm and robbery of the victim in Dublin city on August 25th, 2023. Advertisement Whelan was convicted unanimously by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury on both counts following a trial in November. The court heard that the victim later required surgery to remove a large blood clot that was putting pressure on his brain and to reconstruct his skull due to a fracture. He has suffered permanent hearing loss in one ear and was unable to work for six months due to a risk of epilepsy and seizures. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned finalisation of the case to next Thursday to allow her time to consider various reports before the court. Advertisement Garda Ryan Delaney told Conor McKenna BL prosecuting the victim lived and practiced as a cardiologist outside of Dublin but had come to Dublin that night to a home he owned in the city. He went for dinner with a friend before he went for drinks in The George Bar on Georges Street in the city centre. The victim met Whelan while he was outside in the smoking are and the men decided to go back to the victims home nearby. Gda Delaney agreed with Mr McKenna that the victim has very little recollection of what happened afterwards but recalled going to his bedroom with Whelan before he heard a crunching noise. He came to later on the ground in a pool of his own blood. He estimated that he had been there for some time as his face was stuck to the ground. Advertisement The doctor continued to go in and out of consciousness. He recalled seeing Whelan in the room, naked trying on his clothes and asked him to call an ambulance. He remembered Whelan laughing at him and saying to the victim that he had not made up his mid yet if he was going to clip him. Whelan later left the house with the victims money, wallet, credit cards, phone and clothing. The victim got out of the house and bought some paracetamol before he returned home to sleep. It had been his intention to seek help in St Jamess Hospital but when he arrived there, he discovered there were 11 ambulances lined up, so he decided to drive to his home in the south of the country. The doctor was treated for the following day in hospital. He underwent surgery to remove the blood clot in his skull and to reconfigure the fragmented bones in his skull. Advertisement He spent five days in hospital and was not able to return to work as a cardiologist or drive for six months due to the potential risks of seizures. Mr McKenna said there were two medical reports before the court. The first outlined that the victim suffered severe bruising to his head and face and had multiple cuts to his face and scalp. He suffered a significant skull fracture and a facial fracture. The blood clot which was removed was considered large and life threatening. A second medical report indicated that the victim would have a permanent hearing loss in one ear and his balance was also impacted. Advertisement Scene of the attack Mr McKenna reminded the court that the jury were shown photographs of the mans injuries and the scene of the attack. They also viewed various pieces of CCTV footage which showed the mens first meeting, them walking back to the victims home hand in hand and them arriving at the victims home. Whelan was identified on CCTV footage and was ultimately arrested on January 4th this year. During the subsequent garda interview he claimed that he had been sexually assaulted by the victim and as a result he struck him with a bottle. He maintained this defence throughout his trial. He also claimed that the victim came at me with a knife. Gda Delaney said Whelan had 63 previous convictions including breach of barring order, road traffic offences, possession of drugs for sale or supply, possession of knives and handling stolen property. A victim impact statement read into the record by Mr McKenna said the victim has made a good physical recovery all things considered. He had an estimated loss of earnings of 106,760 due to the fact that he could not practice in cardiology for six months. He said he lost seven pints of blood during the attack and the walls in his bedroom needed to be repainted due to blood splatter. He has scars on his face and scalp. The doctor said he previously had no history of mental illness but has since suffered severely. He said through counselling he has begun to deal with his social anxiety and is very dependent on friends and family. He suffers from severe and crippling depression which he finds both socially and professionally embarrassing. I am a paper-thin version of the person I was, the statement continued. I will never understand how someone I was having a lovely time with refused to call an ambulance, laughed at me and allowed me to fall back into a pool of my own blood, he said. It is difficult to accept the reality of life now, he concluded. Gda Delaney agreed with Maurice Coffey SC defending that at the time of the offence Whelan was a homeless drug addict. He accepted that he has no previous convictions for violent assaults or robbery. Mr McKenna said the Director of Public Prosecutions view is that the offence fell into the upper range and justified a sentence of between 10 and 15 years given the severity of the injuries and the impacts it had on his life, the fact that it was an unprovoked attack that occurred in the victims home and that Whelan had used a bottle as a weapon. The maximum penalty available to the court for both offences is life imprisonment. Mr Coffey told Judge Ryan that while Whelan still maintains that he was acting under self-defence he accepts that he carried out those actions and caused the harm. He deeply regrets the level of harm done to the victim, Mr Coffey said adding that Whelan is remorseful for the injuries caused. Mr Coffey asked the court to accept that his client had a difficult life and handed in a letter from his sister which portrayed the difficult family background they had. He had tragedies within the family and the deaths of close friends and family throughout his early life impacted his life in a severe way, counsel continued. Mr Coffey asked the court to take in account Whelans vulnerability at the time of the offence but acknowledged that it was a very severe assault that had long lasting and permanent injuries on the victim. The police watchdog is probing a complaint over the alleged treatment of a teenage boy outside a night club in Co Tyrone last weekend. The 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assaulting police. Advertisement A video clip reported on by the Irish News newspaper appears to show a uniformed police officer kick the teenager about the head while he is being held on the ground. A spokesperson for the Office of the Police Ombudsman confirmed they have received a complaint, which they will be investigating. They added that the officer was also notified of the matter by the PSNI. Solicitor Gavin Booth of Phoenix Law, who is acting for the teenager, said they would say the actions of the officers are wholly unacceptable and reprehensible. Advertisement We call on the PSNI to immediately suspend this officer from duty, he added. It is understood that no police officers have been removed from duty. A police spokesperson said a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of three counts of assault on police, following a disturbance in Cookstown in the early hours of December 8th. Ireland Senior PSNI officer raised concern over prevalenc... Read More The disturbance occurred after patrol officers stopped to assist an injured man in the James Street area, they said. Advertisement The boy was later released on bail to allow for further inquiries. The Police Service of Northern Ireland have notified the Office of the Police Ombudsman of this incident and as such it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. A teenager with no previous convictions who is on trial accused of murdering a gunman lost control in reaction to the "horror" of seeing his friend shot and fatally wounded, a barrister has told the Special Criminal Court. Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, for 18-year-old David Amah, said her client was a child at the time of the killing and had never faced or even imagined a scene such as that which unfolded in the busy restaurant where he had gathered with friends and people he regarded as his family for a Christmas Eve party. Advertisement The trial at the three-judge, non-jury court has previously heard that Tristan Sherry and a second gunman entered Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown on December 24th last year where Jason Hennessy snr and about 30 others had gathered. Sherry shot and fatally wounded Hennessy Snr before himself being dragged to the ground and beaten to death. Three men, including Mr Amah, are on trial accused of Sherry's murder while three others, including Hennessy snr's son Brandon Hennessy, are accused of violent disorder. Ms Lawlor asked the court to consider whether Sherry's actions in shooting dead Hennessy snr had so provoked her client that he lost all self-control. Advertisement She reminded the court that Mr Amah, who was 17 at the time, was a child and the self control of a child is different to that of an adult. Ms Lawlor said she rejects the prosecution's description of Mr Amah's actions, as seen on CCTV footage, as "calm, controlled and careful". His actions were, counsel said, "wholly consistent with a loss of self-control" and were an "immediate reaction" to the deliberate killing of his friend by a gunman dressed in black and wearing a balaclava. The prosecution's cold analysis of the footage was, counsel said: "A dry, arid, detached, lifeless, fleshless, bloodless characterisation of what occurred that evening." Advertisement She said the prosecution had failed to take into account the "horror of what David Amah saw" and his reaction to seeing Hennessy snr fall to the ground having been fatally wounded. Counsel accepted that her client is not blameless but she asked the court to consider his age, the fact he had no previous convictions, had never been questioned by gardai about anything and found himself in a horrific scene not of his making surrounded by people screaming and crying. Ms Lawlor also asked the court to look closely at the CCTV and assess whether Mr Amah can actually be seen stamping on Sherry, as was alleged by the prosecution. She asked the court to question where on Sherry's body Mr Amah made contact. If there is any doubt as to whether Mr Amah inflicted injuries that caused Sherry's death, the court must give the accused the benefit of that doubt, she said. Ms Lawlor asked the court to return a verdict that properly reflects Mr Amah's culpability. Advertisement Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers previously told the trial that Sherry died from blunt force trauma to the head resulting in injuries to the brain with sharp force injuries. Michael Hourigan SC represents Jonas Kabangu (18), who denies a charge of violent disorder arising from Sherry's death. The prosecution alleges that Mr Kabangu first left the restaurant through a kitchen door but then returned "for no apparent reason" and twice kicked Sherry to the body while he lay on the ground being beaten to death. Mr Hourigan said the prosecution case was shorn of the context of the live and ongoing threat that people in the restaurant faced. The second gunman had evaded capture and nobody knew where he was or if he posed further threat. Advertisement They also didn't know if more attackers were coming and whether the killing of Hennessy snr was just the beginning. His client had seen the gun being pointed at him and heard shots being fired in his immediate vicinity. When he returned to the restaurant, Mr Kabangu could not have known that Sherry was no longer a threat during the four seconds when it is alleged that he twice kicked the deceased. Mr Hourigan asked the court to acquit his client. The trial will resume on Monday when lawyers for Brandon Hennessy and Diarmuid O'Brien, both of whom deny violent disorder, will deliver their closing speeches. The three men charged with Sherry's murder are Noah Musueni (18), Corduff Park, Blanchardstown; David Amah (18), Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin; and Michael Andrecut (23), Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown. Jonas Kabangu (18), Corduff Park, Blanchardstown and 18-year-old Diarmuid O'Brien of Corduff Place, Blanchardstown are charged with violent disorder at the same location on that date. Brandon Hennessy (21) of Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15 is also charged with violent disorder. All accused have pleaded not guilty. Here are the biggest stories leading Fridays front pages. The Irish Times reports that Irish naval ships may have to deploy unarmed due to the complete lack of qualified weapons personnel. The Irish Examiner and Irish Independent lead with the delay of Christmas parcels to Ireland due to problems at Holyhead port following Storm Darragh. Advertisement The Irish Daily Mail, Irish Daily Mirror and Irish Daily Star have the latest on the Kyran Durnan case. A woman has settled a case of alleged sexual harassment at a work Christmas dinner, the Belfast Telegraph reports. Royal links to an alleged Chinese spy feature on the front pages of the British newspapers. The Daily Telegraph and The Times both focus on reports that a close confidant of Britain's Prince Andrew has been banned from the UK over national security concerns. The Daily Mail reports the businessman was the subject of an MI5 probe. Advertisement In other royal news, The Sun reports a Buckingham Palace maid has been arrested on suspicion of assault. British prime minister Keir Starmer says there are questions to be answered after the shocking murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, according to the Daily Express. The Daily Mirror follows a similar path as it says a report found 485 children died or were seriously injured after being abused in the past year. The i leads on comments from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, who says European countries need to turbocharge defence spending. Advertisement And the Financial Times says plans to raise defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP will be discussed by Nato countries at the blocs next summit. The Independent leads on an interview with Muawiyah Syasneh, whose anti-Assad graffiti led to his arrest and torture in Syria as a teenager. Jury trials in some criminal cases could be abandoned under a new judicial overhaul, according to The Guardian. Lastly, the Metro and the Daily Star lead on comments from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who said sandwiches were not real food. A woman (50s) who was receiving medical treatment in Portiuncula University Hospital passed away from her injuries on Thursday after she was seriously assaulted on Monday. Gardai attended a home in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, on Monday at around 7pm, where they found a woman who had been seriously injured. Advertisement A male (50s) appeared before Ballinasloe District Court yesterday and investigations are ongoing. Following the woman's death, the local coroner has been notified and a post mortem examination will take place in due course. Investigating gardai are appealing to anyone who may have any information on this incident to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballinasloe Garda Station at 090 963 1890, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. A woman has settled a case of alleged sexual harassment at a work Christmas dinner. Fernanda Hermosilla settled her case against a colleague for 21,000 (25,000) and against her employer, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, for 15,000. Advertisement Ms Hermosilla, who was supported by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, attended a staff Christmas dinner in December 2022. She said, during the evening, she experienced unwanted and inappropriate physical contact by a colleague, which was witnessed by other colleagues. When she returned to work on Monday morning, she was informed by her employer that an investigation into events during that evening was being conducted after the colleague who had witnessed the incident made a formal complaint. During the investigation, Ms Hermosilla said she advised her employer of an earlier incident of inappropriate touching, at a non-work event, that she said happened a few weeks before with the same colleague at a Belfast nightclub. Advertisement Ms Hermosilla said she had been very upset following that incident but had been reluctant to make a complaint because she was new to her role. While the internal investigation was underway, Ms Hermosilla worked from the office and the colleague worked from home. However, she claims that despite this she still worked remotely with this colleague, which she found very difficult. Following the investigation, Ms Hermosilla said she believes her employer did not communicate clearly with her about either the outcome of the investigation or the disciplinary action taken. Advertisement She believed that the colleague would not be returning to work. She was then advised that they would be returning to their role. Ms Hermosilla has found the whole process and its outcome very upsetting and distressing. Fernanda Hermosilla described 'a very difficult time' but said she was glad she 'took a stand'. Photo: Stephen Davison/Pacemaker Ms Hermosilla also advised her employer of comments made to her by the same colleague of a racial and political nature, which she also found to be inappropriate. This was also investigated by her employer. The cases were settled without admission of liability. Ms Hermosilla described a very difficult time but said she was glad she took a stand. Advertisement I did not want or ask for any of this. I was excited to move to Belfast to start a new job and advance my career. This has been a very stressful experience, she said. But Im glad that I took a stand. Everyone must know what unacceptable behaviour is and what I experienced was wrong. I want other women to know that they dont have to accept this type of behaviour in the office or at work parties and that they should always expect to be supported appropriately by their employer. Im glad my case is resolved and now I want to put this behind me and move on with my life. Advertisement Geraldine McGahey, chief commissioner, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, said employers must ensure the safety and dignity of staff at Christmas parties. We are currently in the middle of the Christmas party season. We know that staff parties and outings are important for team building and for recognition and reward, but employers must ensure that everyone attending is safe and that their dignity is respected, she said. Employers must ensure that all staff are fully aware of the standard of behaviour that is expected of them. Ireland Woman who was sexually harassed at Christmas party... Read More Employees should also be aware of the consequences of their actions should they behave inappropriately at a staff Christmas party or outing as these are an extension of the workplace. In a statement, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland said: In settling its case, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has acknowledged that Ms Hermosilla is a valued employee and further acknowledges the significant upset and distress she felt as a result of being subject to harassment by a colleague. Furthermore, it has affirmed its strong commitment to the principle of equality of opportunity in employment and will liaise with ECNI to review its equal opportunities and dignity at work policies. The colleague has apologised for any upset caused. As part of the settlement terms, Ms Hermosilla and the colleague have agreed to put the matters behind them and to work together going forward on an ongoing basis including in face-to-face settings as necessary. They agreed that mediation was not appropriate. US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Friday there was broad agreement between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ousting of President Bashar Assad. Theres broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women and does not pose any kind of threat to any of Syrias neighbours, Mr Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan. Advertisement The insurgent groups that toppled Mr Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Mr Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the so-called Islamic State (IS) group under control. We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep Isis (IS) down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of Isis (IS) to ensure that that threat doesnt rear its head again, Mr Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. Advertisement Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK arent dominant, Mr Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Mr Blinken said: Were very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves. Antony Blinken boards a plane after his meetings in Ankara (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AP) Mr Blinken and Mr Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. Weve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible, Mr Blinken said. Advertisement Mr Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year, but first since the weekend removal of the Assad regime, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late on Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for IS to regain territory and influence. Later, Mr Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq where he met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani. Mr Blinken will return to Jordan for urgent meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers to try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow IS to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. Advertisement In Baghdad, Mr Blinken will underscore US commitment to the US-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraqs security, stability, and sovereignty, the State Department said. A former Syrian military official who oversaw a prison where alleged human rights abuses took place has been charged with several counts of torture after being arrested in July for visa fraud charges, authorities said Thursday. Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, who oversaw Syrias infamous Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008 under recently ousted President Bashar Assad, was charged by a federal grand jury with several counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture. Advertisement Its a huge step toward justice, said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the US-based Syrian Emergency Task Force. Samir Ousman al-Sheikhs trial will reiterate that the United States will not allow war criminals to come and live in the United States without accountability, even if their victims were not US citizens. Arab League observers, with orange vests, oversee the releasing of Syrian prisoners as they leave Adra Prison in 2012 (AP) Federal officials detained the 72-year-old in July at Los Angeles International Airport on charges of immigration fraud, specifically that he denied on his US visa and citizenship applications that he had ever persecuted anyone in Syria, according to a criminal complaint. He had purchased a one-way plane ticket to depart Los Angeles on July 10, en route to Beirut, Lebanon. Advertisement Human rights groups and United Nations officials have accused the Syrian government of widespread abuses in its detention facilities, including torture and arbitrary detention of thousands of people, in many cases without informing their families. The government fell to a sudden rebel offensive last Sunday, putting an end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family and sending the former president fleeing to Russia. Insurgents have freed tens of thousands of prisoners from facilities in multiple cities since then. In his role as the head of Adra Prison, al-Sheikh allegedly ordered subordinates to inflict and was directly involved in inflicting severe physical and mental pain on prisoners. He ordered prisoners to the Punishment Wing, where they were beaten while suspended from the ceiling with their arms extended and were subjected to a device that folded their bodies in half at the waist, sometimes resulting in fractured spines, according to federal officials. Advertisement Our client vehemently denies these politically motivated and false accusations, his lawyer, Nina Marino, said in an emailed statement. Ms Marino called the case a misguided use of government resources by the US Justice Department for the prosecution of a foreign national for alleged crimes that occurred in a foreign country against non-American citizens. US authorities accused two Syrian officials of running a prison and torture centre at the Mezzeh Air Force base in the capital of Damascus in an indictment unsealed on Monday. Victims included Syrians, Americans and dual citizens, including 26-year-old American aid worker Layla Shweikani, according to prosecutors and the Syrian Emergency Task Force. Advertisement Federal prosecutors said they had issued arrest warrants for the two officials, who remain at large. In May, a French court sentenced three high-ranking Syrian officials in absentia to life in prison for complicity in war crimes in a largely symbolic but landmark case against the Assad regime and the first such case in Europe. Al-Sheikh began his career working in police command posts before transferring to Syrias state security apparatus, which focused on countering political dissent, officials said. He later became head of Adra Prison and brigadier general in 2005. In 2011, he was appointed governor of Deir ez-Zour, a region northeast of the Syrian capital of Damascus, where there were violent crackdowns against protesters. Advertisement The indictment alleges that al-Sheikh immigrated to the US in 2020 and applied for citizenship in 2023. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit torture charge and each of the three torture charges, plus a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each of the two immigration fraud charges. Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones, the latest such strike aimed at crippling the countrys electricity system. The Russian military targeted the Ukrainian power grid, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on his Facebook page. The enemy continues its terror, he said. Advertisement Mr Halushchenko said energy workers do everything necessary to minimise negative consequences for the energy system, promising to release more details on damages once the security situation allows it. Ukraines air force reported multiple strike drones launched at Ukraine overnight followed by swarms of cruise missiles in the countrys air space. A man waits for evacuation to western Ukraine as he stands by a bed in a city theatre that hosts refugees fleeing from Russian offensive in the Donetsk region (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) It said Russia also used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against Ukraines western regions. Fridays attack is the latest in a series of such raids that has heightened fears that the Kremlin aims to destroy the countrys power generation capacity as the winter sets in. Advertisement Since launching its invasion in February 2022, Russia has relentlessly pummelled Ukraines electricity system, resulting in repeated shutdowns of critical heating and drinking water supplies during the bitter winter months in an apparent attempt to break Ukrainian spirits and resolve. Moscow has declared that the attacks are aimed at hobbling Ukraines defence industry, thwarting the production of missiles, drones, armoured vehicles and artillery, among other weapons. A similar massive attack on November 28 involved about 200 missiles and drones and left more than a million households without power until emergency teams restored supplies. Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is stockpiling cruise and ballistic missiles for more attacks. Advertisement On November 21, Russia for the first time used an intermediate range, hypersonic, ballistic missile to strike an industrial plant in the city of Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack with the Oreshnik missile as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with longer-range Western weapons. He declared that more attacks with the new weapon could follow. The Pentagon warned on Wednesday that Russia could use its new missile against Ukraine again soon. About half of Ukraines energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the almost three years of war with Russia, and rolling electricity blackouts are widespread. Advertisement Kyivs Western allies have provided Ukraine with air defence systems to help it protect critical infrastructure, but Russia has sought to overwhelm the air defences with combined strikes involving big numbers of missiles and drones. Russia has held the initiative this year as its military has steadily rammed through Ukrainian defences in the east in a series of slow but steady offensives. Thousands of Syrians gathered on Friday at Umayyad Square, the largest in Damascus, to celebrate after the first Muslim Friday prayers following the downfall of former president Bashar Assad. Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of insurgency that toppled Assad in a lightning 10-day march across the country to Damascus, appeared in a video message in which he congratulated the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution. Advertisement I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people, he said. And then, after, we will work to build this country and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God. Mr Al-Sharaas force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and its allied insurgents have been working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital early on Sunday. At the same time, they have tried to reassure a public that is both stunned by the fall of the state that had long ruled with an iron hand and concerned over extremist jihadis among the insurgents. Advertisement The Friday prayers have a particular symbolism because in the early days of the anti-government uprising-turned-civil-war in Syria in 2011, protesters would turn out en masse after going to the mosque. Unified Syria to build Syria, the crowd gathered in Damascus Umayyad Square chanted. An old man looks on as Syrians attend Friday prayers inside the 7th century Umayyad Mosque (Omar Sanadiki/AP) Some shouted slurs about the former president and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centres of Assads security forces. The crowd included many families with children, and some of the demonstrators had come from far-flung areas of the country, including from Idlib the long-time rebel enclave in the north west of Syria, for years isolated on the other side of the civil wars battle lines. Advertisement The insurgent groups that toppled Mr Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country. Israel says it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands, and has seized a swathe of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkeys Embassy in Damascus would reopen on Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the civil war. An Amazon logo appears on an Amazon delivery van in Boston, Oct. 1, 2020. Steven Senne/Associated Press Humble City Council members on Thursday voted unanimously to extend a disaster declaration implemented Monday after multiple traffic surges of Amazon semi-trucks to a warehouse caused significant traffic problems. The measure, first reported by KHOU 11, allowed the city to revoke the certificate of occupancy for the warehouse and "essentially shut down" operations until they can come up with a plan on how to prevent further traffic problems, city manager Jason Stuebe said. "The disaster declaration really just made it so that we could take the action that we needed to at least put a halt to the emergent problem and put a pause on everything while we try to figure out what is this going to look like going forward without having to go through the normal administrative procedures, which would have cost seven to 10 additional days due to notice requirements and everything else," Stuebe said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Phelan Development owns the warehouse and Marsden Services is currently renting it to repair or scrap warehouse carts Amazon uses at its distribution centers and warehouses, Stuebe said. Amazon is contracting Marsden for the work. The location is not an Amazon warehouse or distribution center. "We understand the actions taken by the City of Humble and apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused," Amazon spokesperson Steve Kelly said in an email. "We're working in concert with city officials to make things right for the community and to determine the best path forward." Traffic problems started on Nov. 19 with around 1,000 trucks being sent to the facility, KHOU reported, and caused immediately public safety concerns. The semi-trucks impacted the ability of normal traffic and emergency vehicles to get where they need to go in a timely and efficient manner, the declaration says. Businesses were also impacted by the warehouse. Another traffic jam Sunday led the city to decide to declare a disaster. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "There was another breakdown in which there were dozens of trucks lined up and clogging the road trying to get to the facility," Stuebe said. "We decided to take a look at all of our options on how to shut them down until they can get a better plan and understanding of how their operations are actually going to work." The disaster declaration states the impacted area is on Rankin Road between Interstate 69 Frontage Road and South Houston Avenue. Humble City Council voted to extend the proclamation for 30 days, but Stuebe said it could continue beyond that. Amazon, Marsden Services, Phelan Development and the city are all working together to find a solution, he noted. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "It's a very multi-faceted and fluid situation that doesn't have a silver bullet solution," Stuebe said. "The facility is closed indefinitely until they submit to us a plan of action and operation that's not going to completely disrupt our largest subdivision. We're currently waiting on that to be submitted by them if they can even get back to operational within the physical reality of the infrastructure that's in place." The energy plan Peter Dutton revealed on Friday morning is even more radical than it appeared to be when he announced this year the opposition was embracing nuclear energy. Announcing costings crunched for the Coalition by Frontier Economics, Dutton said his plan would allow Australia to get to net zero emissions by 2050 at 44 per cent less in cost than the current government plan a saving, he said, of $263 billion. To get to these figures, the costings report makes some fairly heroic assumptions about how quickly and cheaply nuclear power stations can be built, but also how much electricity Australians will need by 2050. In simple terms, Dutton predicts that Australia will need far less electricity in 2050 than the government is planning for, and he assumes it can save money by not building unnecessary power generation, storage and transmission infrastructure. The news Queensland children who breached bail restrictions around curfews, the company they kept and extra offending have driven the bulk of increased charges finalised by courts in the last financial year. Childrens Court President Deborah Richards used her latest annual report to note the youth justice system continues to struggle with an increasing number of kids in detention and watch houses. The report noted the average daily number of kids in youth detention rose again in 2023-24 to 286 86 per cent were on remand. Credit: Matt Dennien In the first full reporting period since the controversial breach of bail offence was established for children in March 2023, the number of convictions jumped to 6697. The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) initially granted H6 anonymity, but this was lifted by the judges to take effect from December 12. H6 appealed the lifting of the anonymity order and was granted interim relief, meaning that it will be decided by the High Court at a future date whether he should be named. Loading The SIAC hearing was told that the contents of the businessmans mobile telephone was downloaded when he was stopped under counter-terrorism laws at a UK border in 2021. The mobiles contents revealed that Andrew authorised the man to set up an international financial initiative known as the Eurasia Fund to engage with potential partners and investors in China. The phone contained a March 2021 letter from Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to the prince, confirming the businessman could act on behalf of the royal in engagements with potential partners and investors in China. The letter stated: I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family. You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on. It added that after a meeting with Andrew, they had wisely navigated our way around former private secretaries and we have found a way to carefully remove those people who we dont completely trust. It said: Under your guidance, we found a way to get the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor. Threat to national security The immigration judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials that could be leveraged for political interference purposes. They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew represented a threat to national security. Loading At a hearing in July, the specialist tribunal heard that the businessman was told by an adviser to Andrew that he could act on his behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, and that H6 had been invited to Andrews birthday party in 2020. The judges said: The applicant won a significant degree, one could say an unusual degree, of trust from a senior member of the royal family who was prepared to enter into business activities with him. That occurred in a context where, as the contemporaneous documents record, the duke was under considerable pressure and could be expected to value the applicants loyal support. It is obvious that the pressures on the duke could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence. That does not mean that the home secretary could be expected to exclude from the UK any Chinese businessman who formed a commercial relationship with the duke or with any other member of the royal family. Man not candid about China links In 2020, Andrew found himself under increasing pressure following the disastrous Newsnight interview about his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted paedophile who died in 2019. He was effectively sacked as a working member of the royal family, and stripped of all honorary military titles and patronages. He is understood to have paid about $US12 million to settle the case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of raping and abusing her three times in 2001 when she was 17. Andrew vehemently denies Giuffres claims. King Charles is thought to have funded the prince after he left public life, with a reported annual allowance of 1 million ($2 million) per year. However, the King is understood to have severed the allowance earlier this year. Recently, he has been involved in wrangling with his brother over whether he has sufficient funds to continue living at Royal Lodge. As the UKs special representative for international trade and investment, Andrew was said to have particularly close ties to China, visiting the country on several occasions between 2004 and 2011 when he stepped down amid criticism over his friendship with Epstein. In 2014, he called on British business to grasp opportunities offered by China, telling the BBC they needed to be less polite, more competitive, more bullish and embrace the Chinese market. Weve been talking and discussing with President Xi some things, and others, other world leaders, and I think were going to do very well all around, Trump said. Weve been abused as a country. Weve been badly abused from an economic standpoint, I think, and even militarily, you know, we put up all the money, they put up nothing, and then they abuse us on the economy. And we just cant let that happen. Loading Xi is likely to see the invitation as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Danny Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Xi would not allow himself to be reduced to the status of a mere guest celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader the US president, no less. Still, Leavitt saw it as a plus. This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors, too, she said. We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone, and he will always put Americas interest first. Loading Asked at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing on Thursday about Trumps invitation, spokesperson Mao Ning responded, I have nothing to share at present. Leavitt did not detail which leaders beyond Xi have been invited. Trumps decision to invite Xi, in particular, squares with his belief that foreign policy much like a business negotiation should be carried out with carrots and sticks to get opponents to operate closer to his administrations preferred terms. Jim Bendat, a historian and author of Democracys Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President, said he was not aware of a previous US inauguration attended by a foreign head of state. Loading Its not necessarily a bad thing to invite foreign leaders to attend, Bendat said. But it sure would make more sense to invite an ally before an adversary. Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis, said the invitation helped Trump burnish his dealmaker and savvy businessman brand. I could see why he might like the optics, Frantz said. But from the standpoint of American values, it seems shockingly cavalier. White House officials said it was up to Trump to decide whom he invited to the inauguration. I would just say, without doubt, its the single most consequential bilateral relationship that the United States has in the world, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said. It is a relationship both fraught with peril and responsibility. Its unclear which leaders, if any, might show. A top aide to Hungarian President Viktor Orban, one of Trumps most vocal supporters on the world stage, said Orban wasnt slated to attend the inauguration. There is no such plan, at least for the time being, said Gergely Gulyas, Orbans chief of staff. The nationalist Hungarian leader is embraced by Trump but has faced isolation in Europe as hes sought to undermine the European Unions support for Ukraine, and routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the blocs efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion. Orban recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Every countrys chief of mission, usually the ambassadors, to the United States will also be invited, according to a Trump inaugural committee official who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Such invitations to diplomats stationed in Washington has been customary during past inaugurations. Xi, during a meeting with President Joe Biden last month in Peru, urged the US not to start a trade war. Make the wise choice, Xi cautioned. Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other. Trumps January 20 inauguration is set to take place a day after the US deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pushed back on Trumps threats, warning that such tariffs would be perilous for the US economy as well. Trudeau this week said Americans were beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive and said he would retaliate if Trump proceeded with them. Trump responded by calling Canada a state and Trudeau the governor. In addition to the tariff dispute, US-China relations are strained over other issues, including what US officials see as Beijings indirect support of Russias war on Ukraine. Julian has also seen it contribute to lower savings and a general lack of financial security, as many women may not have the knowledge to fully understand how to budget effectively, identify opportunities to reduce their costs, or make informed decisions about savings strategies. Stamp duty is one of the most significant barriers to homeownership for many Queenslanders, she said. It imposes significant upfront costs on property transactions, discouraging housing turnover and delaying those trying to get a foot on the property ladder. Are we out of the rental crisis? No, not yet, but there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel, he said. Jake Paul announced as winner against Mike Tyson during LIVE On Netflix: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium on November 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Bloomberg reports that Paul's grooming products will be soon be found on the shelves at H-E-B and Kroger. Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix 2024 Jake Paul went eight rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson before defeating the former champ in a November match aired live on Netflix, and now the boxer has claimed another W with a partnership with H-E-B and Kroger to sell his line of men's grooming products, according to a report from Bloomberg. The line, called W as in, "win" previously sold exclusively at Walmart, is expected to be on the shelves at 400 H-E-B locations and 1,900 Kroger stores in January, Bloomberg reports. W includes body spray, body wash and bars and shampoos and was launched in June with Paul's signature promotional fanfare through the former influencers social media platforms, Youtube, Instagram and TikTok. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a June press release touting the W line, Paul said the origin for the concept was based on his own "insecurity" about body odor. "Sweating has been a longtime insecurity of mine," Paul said. "If you know me, you know I'm a clean freak. I always want to smell fresh, but training in Puerto Rico's humid climate makes it a real challenge. I needed a product that could keep up with my lifestyle one that smells amazing but isn't full of junk ingredients, and honestly, one that wasn't from 2006. That's why I started W...to create products for guys that will boost their confidence and smell amazing, but also don't cost $20 for a stick of deodorant." The grooming line joins Pauls branded clothing and accessories merchandise, including mugs, blankets, pillows and more, according to the boxer's website. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic, and flaring inflammatory skin disease characterized by persistent itch and recurrent skin lesions, and affects approximately up to 40 million people in the European Union (EU) 1-4 Prurigo nodularis is a serious skin disease characterized by chronic itch, skin nodules covering large body areas, and poor sleep quality, which is estimated to affect up to 111 people per 100,000 in the EU 5-10 Nemolizumab is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody that specifically targets IL-31 receptor alpha, inhibiting the signaling of IL-31.2 IL-31 is a neuroimmune cytokine that drives itch and is involved in inflammation and skin barrier dysfunction in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis 11-13 This positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA)s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending the granting of marketing authorization of nemolizumab in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis follows the United States Food and Drug Administrations approval of nemolizumab for the treatment of adults with prurigo nodularis earlier in August 202414 Galderma today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion and recommended granting the marketing authorization of nemolizumab for the treatment of both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis in the European Union (EU). The CHMP has recommended nemolizumabs approval for subcutaneous use for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in patients aged 12 years and older who are candidates for systemic therapy, and for subcutaneous use for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis who are candidates for systemic therapy. This follows its approval for the treatment of adults with prurigo nodularis by the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2024.14 This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212936857/en/ Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic, and flaring inflammatory skin disease which affects approximately 10 to 40 million people in the EU, with up to 66% of adults suffering with a moderate-to-severe form of the condition.1-4,15 Often reported as one of patients most problematic symptoms, 87% of people with atopic dermatitis say they are seeking freedom from itch, with speed of itch relief therefore also prioritized by both patients and physicians.16-19 Atopic dermatitis is also a highly heterogenous disease and can be associated with several comorbid conditions, namely mental health disorders and other autoimmune- or immune-mediated diseases.20,21 Prurigo nodularis is a serious skin condition characterized by several debilitating symptoms, including chronic itch, skin nodules covering large body areas, and poor sleep quality.5-7,10 The condition is underrecognized and underdiagnosed, and its prevalence is not well-documented, but it is estimated to affect between 7-111 people per 100,000 in the EU depending on the country.8,9,12 Given the significant burden these serious diseases place on patients, their families, and caregivers, there is a need for alternative treatment options that may effectively relieve the signs and symptoms.22,23 The robust evidence base we have built for nemolizumab in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis shows the extent of its potential in improving outcomes for these diseases where the burden and unmet needs remain high. We now await the European Commissions approval decision and hope to be able to bring nemolizumab to patients in the European Union in due course. FLEMMING RNSKOV, M.D., MPH CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GALDERMA This positive CHMP opinion is based on robust results from the phase III ARCADIA and OLYMPIA clinical trial programs in atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis, respectively. The phase III ARCADIA 1 and 2 trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab in 1,728 adolescent and adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Results demonstrated that patients treated with nemolizumab, administered subcutaneously every four weeks in combination with background topical corticosteroids (TCS), with or without topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCI), showed statistically significant improvements in co-primary and key secondary endpoints, when compared to placebo in combination with TCS, with or without TCI, after 16 weeks of treatment, with significant itch relief observed as early as Week 1.24 The phase III OLYMPIA 1 and 2 trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab administered subcutaneously every four weeks in more than 500 patients with prurigo nodularis. The trials met both their primary and key secondary endpoints, demonstrating that treatment with nemolizumab resulted in significant and clinically meaningful improvements in itch and skin nodules at Week 16, with rapid reductions in itch observed as early as Week 4.25,26 Nemolizumab was well tolerated in both trials, and its safety profile was generally consistent with earlier data, and between trials.24-26 The positive CHMP opinion will now be sent to the European Commission for the adoption of a decision on an EU-wide marketing authorization. If approved, nemolizumab would be the first monoclonal antibody treatment available for patients in the EU that specifically targets IL-31 receptor alpha, inhibiting the signaling of IL-31.2 IL-31 is a neuroimmune cytokine that drives itch and is involved in inflammation and skin barrier dysfunction in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis.11-13 This positive opinion represents an encouraging step forward for patients in the EU with atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis, given the profound impact these conditions have on the lives of patients and their loved ones. With unrelenting itch, accompanied by skin lesions as well as potential mental health implications, new treatment options that have the potential to quickly and effectively treat these conditions are essential. PROFESSOR DIAMANT THACI LEAD INVESTIGATOR OF THE ARCADIA LONG-TERM EXTENSION STUDY UNIVERSITY OF LUBECK, GERMANY This positive opinion from the CHMP follows the U.S. FDAs approval of nemolizumab (marketed as Nemluvio) as a pre-filled pen for subcutaneous injection for the treatment of adults with prurigo nodularis in August 2024.14 The U.S. FDAs review of Galdermas Biologics License Application for nemolizumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis is currently ongoing, with a decision anticipated soon. Galderma also has marketing authorization applications for nemolizumab in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis under review by multiple additional regulatory authorities, including via the Access Consortium framework in countries such as Australia, Singapore, and Switzerland, as well as in Canada, Brazil, and South Korea. Further submissions to other regulatory authorities will continue throughout the coming months. Media can find more information about atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis here. About nemolizumab Nemolizumab was initially developed by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. In 2016, Galderma obtained exclusive rights to the development and marketing of nemolizumab worldwide, except in Japan and Taiwan. In Japan, nemolizumab is marketed as Mitchga and is approved for the treatment of prurigo nodularis, as well as pruritus associated with atopic dermatitis in pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients.27,28 About the OLYMPIA clinical trial program25,26,29,30 The OLYMPIA program included two identically designed, pivotal phase III clinical trials which enrolled 560 patients OLYMPIA 1 and OLYMPIA 2. This is the largest clinical trial program conducted in prurigo nodularis to date, and the only program to include a long-term extension study. These global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trials assessed the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab monotherapy compared with placebo in patients at least 18 years of age with moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis over a 16- or 24-week treatment period for OLYMPIA 2 and OLYMPIA 1, respectively. About prurigo nodularis Prurigo nodularis is a chronic, debilitating, and distinct neuroimmune skin disease characterized by the presence of intense itch and thick skin nodules covering large body areas.6 The majority of patients report that the persistent itch negatively impacts their quality of life.31 Furthermore, the intense itch associated with prurigo nodularis results in significant sleep disturbance and further contributes to reduced quality of life.10,32 About the ARCADIA clinical trial program24,33,34 The ARCADIA program included two identically designed, pivotal phase III clinical trials, which enrolled more than 1,700 patients ARCADIA 1 and ARCADIA 2. These global, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trials, evaluated the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab administered subcutaneously every four weeks compared to placebo (both administered with background topical corticosteroids with or without topical calcineurin inhibitors). The trials were conducted in adolescent and adult patients (12 years and over) with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis for an initial treatment phase of 16 weeks. Patients who responded to treatment (defined as patients who achieved an investigators global assessment score of clear (0) or almost clear (1), or a 75% or greater improvement in the eczema area and severity index score) were then re-randomized to a maintenance treatment phase for up to 48 weeks. About atopic dermatitis Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic, and flaring inflammatory skin disease, characterized by persistent itch and recurrent skin lesions.1-3 It is the most common inflammatory skin disease, impacting almost four times more people than psoriasis.2,3,35 While currently available treatments may improve some signs and symptoms of the disease, many patients do not respond optimally to approved therapies and do not experience itch relief and clear skin to the same degree.2,13,23,36 About Galderma Galderma (SIX: GALD) is the pure-play dermatology category leader, present in approximately 90 countries. We deliver an innovative, science-based portfolio of premium flagship brands and services that span the full spectrum of the fast-growing dermatology market through Injectable Aesthetics, Dermatological Skincare and Therapeutic Dermatology. Since our foundation in 1981, we have dedicated our focus and passion to the human bodys largest organ the skin meeting individual consumer and patient needs with superior outcomes in partnership with healthcare professionals. Because we understand that the skin we are in shapes our lives, we are advancing dermatology for every skin story. For more information: www.galderma.com. References: Yang G, et al. Skin Barrier Abnormalities and Immune Dysfunction in Atopic Dermatitis. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2867. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21082867 Langan SM, et al. Atopic dermatitis [published correction appears in Lancet. 2020;396(10253):758]. Lancet. 2020;396(10247):345-360. doi:10.1016/S0140- 6736(20)31286-1 Stander S. Atopic dermatitis. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(12):1136-1143. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2023911 Luger, T, et al. Clinical and Humanistic Burden of Atopic Dermatitis in Europe: Analyses of the National Health and Wellness Survey. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 12, 949969 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-022-00700-6 Huang AH, et al. Prurigo nodularis: epidemiology and clinical features. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;83(6):1559-1565. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.04.183 Pereira MP, et al. European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology European prurigo project: expert consensus on the definition, classification and terminology of chronic prurigo. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018;32(7):1059-1065. doi:10.1111/jdv.14570 Stander S, et al. IFSI-guideline on chronic prurigo including prurigo nodularis. Itch. 2020;5(4):e42. doi:10.1097/itx.0000000000000042 Ryczek A, et al. Prevalence of Prurigo Nodularis in Poland. Acta Derm Venereol. 100: adv00155 (2020). Stander, S, et al. Epidemiology of Prurigo Nodularis compared with Psoriasis in Germany: A Claims Database Analysis. Acta Dermato-Venereologica. 100(18), 16 (2020). https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-3655 Joel MZ, et al. Risk of itch-induced sleep deprivation and subsequent mental health comorbidities in patients with prurigo nodularis: A population-level analysis using the Health Improvement Network. E-poster presented at EADV 2023. Abstract available online Silverberg JI, et al. Phase 2B randomized study of nemolizumab in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and severe pruritus. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;145(1):173-182. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2019.08.013 Bewley A, et al. Prurigo Nodularis: A Review of IL-31RA Blockade and Other Potential Treatments. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2022;12(9):20392048. doi:10.1007/s13555- 022-00782-2 Kwatra SG, Misery L, Clibborn C, Steinhoff M. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of itch and pain in atopic dermatitis and implications for novel therapeutics. Clin Transl Immunology. 2022;11(5):e1390. doi:10.1002/cti2.1390 NEMLUVIO (nemolizumab-ilto) injection 30 mg Prescribing Information. Dallas, TX: Galderma Laboratories, L.P.; August 2024 Oisin S, et al. 545 - Prevalence of moderate and severe atopic dermatitis in Ireland: a cross-sectional, real-world study of a secondary care population., BJD. 2024;190(S2): ii43ii44. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad498.045 Silverberg JI, et al. Patient burden and quality of life in atopic dermatitis in US adults: a population-based cross-sectional study. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;121(3):340-347. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2018.07.006 Penton H, et al. Assessing Response in Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review of the Psychometric Performance of Measures Used in HTAs and Clinical Trials. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023;13(11):2549-2571. doi: 10.1007/s13555-023-01038-3 Augustin M, et al. Real-World Treatment Patterns and Treatment Benefits among Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: Results from the Atopic Dermatitis Patient Satisfaction and Unmet Need Survey. Acta Derm Venereol. 2022;7;102:adv00830. doi: 10.2340/actadv.v102.3932. PMID: 36479885; PMCID: PMC10508272. Durno, N, et al. Biologics and oral systemic treatment preferences in patients and physicians for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: a discrete choice experiment in the United Kingdom and Germany. J Dermatol Treat. 2024; 35(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2024.2417966 Avena-Woods C. Overview of atopic dermatitis. Am J Manag Care. 2017;23(8 suppl):S115-S123. PMID:28978208 Hahn EL, Bacharier LB. The atopic march: the pattern of allergic disease development in childhood. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2005;25(2):231-46v doi:10.1016/j.iac.2005.02.004 Chisolm SS. A Review of the Current Management and Burden of Prurigo Nodularis in the United States. AJMC. 2023;29(suppl 5):S63-S72. doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2023.89366 Lobefaro F, et al. Atopic Dermatitis: Clinical Aspects and Unmet Needs. Biomedicines. 2022;10: 2927. doi:10.3390/biomedicines10112927 Silverberg J, et al. Nemolizumab with concomitant topical therapy in adolescents and adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (ARCADIA 1 & 2): results from two replicate double-blinded, randomised controlled phase 3 trials. Lancet. 2024. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01203-0 Stander S, et al. Nemolizumab monotherapy improves itch and skin lesions in patients with moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis: Results from a global phase 3 trial (OLYMPIA 1): Late breaking abstract presented at EADV 2023 Kwatra SG, et al. Placebo-controlled phase III trial of nemolizumab in patients with prurigo nodularis. N Engl J Med. 2023;389: 1579-89. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2301333 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Maruho Obtained Regulatory Approval for Mitchga, the first Antibody Targeting IL-31 for Itching Associated with Atopic Dermatitis. Available online. Accessed December 2024 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Mitchga Approved for Itching in Pediatric Atopic Dermati-tis and Prurigo Nodularis, for its Subcutaneous Injection 30mg Vials. Available online. Accessed December 2024 ClinicalTrials.Gov. A Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Nemolizumab (CD14152) in Participants With Prurigo Nodularis (PN). Available online. Accessed December 2024 ClinicalTrials.Gov. An Efficacy and Safety Study of Nemolizumab (CD14152) in Participants With Prurigo Nodularis. Available online. Accessed December 2024 Todberg T, et al. Treatment and burden of disease in a cohort of patients with prurigo nodularis: a survey-based study. Acta Derm Venereol. 2020;100(8): adv00119. doi:10.2340/00015555-3471 Kwatra SG. Breaking the itchscratch cycle in prurigo nodularis. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(8):757-758. doi:10.1056/NEJMe1916733 ClinicalTrials.Gov. Efficacy and Safety of Nemolizumab in Subjects With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis (NCT03985943). Available online. Accessed December 2024 ClinicalTrials.Gov. Efficacy & Safety of Nemolizumab in Subjects With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis (NCT03989349). Available online. Accessed December 2024 Raharja A, et al. Psoriasis: a brief overview. Clin Med (Lond). 2021;21(3):170-173. doi: 10.7861/clinmed.2021-0257 Katoh N, Ohya Y, Ikeda M, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for the management of atopic dermatitis 2018. J Dermatol. 2019;46(12):1053-1101. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.15090 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212936857/en/ As Gen AI continues to push the boundaries of creative industries, NielsenIQ (NIQ), the worlds leading consumer intelligence company, unveiled groundbreaking new research on how the consumer brain processes AI-generated advertisementswith critical implications for advertisers navigating the opportunities and challenges of this emerging technology. NIQ will be speaking about these findings across generational considerations at the CES 2025 panel session, Adapting to Change: Demographic Shifts in Advertising Strategy on Thursday, January 9th at 10:00 a.m. PST. Commenting on the findings, Ramon Melgarejo, President, Strategic Analytics & Insights at NIQ, said: Brands and agencies are innovating at a rapid pace, leveraging AI-generated content in their advertising. They need to be cautious, as our study reveals that consumers are quite sensitive to the authenticity of ad creatives, both at the implicit (nonconscious) and explicit (conscious) levels. Brands must prioritize insights-led creative evaluation to produce effective ads. Key research on AI-generated ads finds: Negative brand halo Consumers intuitively identified most of the AI-generated ads, perceiving them as less engaging and more annoying, boring, and confusing than traditional ads. These sentiments suggest that AI-generated ads may create a negative halo effect that could dampen consumer perceptions of both the ad and the brand. Weak memory activation AI-generated adseven those perceived as high qualityelicited weaker memory activation in the brain, compared to traditional ads. This reaction suggests a misalignment between the content and existing memory structuresa gap that could impede consumers motivation to act. Brand reinforcement pros and cons By drawing from pre-existing visual and conceptual representations, AI-generated ads successfully reinforced existing brand associations. Coupled with the negative halo effect, however, this benefit could be outweighed by overall negative perceptions. Cognitively taxing visuals Low-quality visuals in AI-generated ads increase the cognitive effort required to process them, distracting from the intended message. High-quality execution is essential for effective storytelling and brand communication. A Transformative Trend As advertisers experiment with generative AI to streamline ad creation and reduce costs, this research provides critical guardrails, said Marta Cyhan-Bowles, Chief Communications Officer and Head of Global Marketing at NIQ. Our neuroscience-driven approach reveals how consumers nonconsciously process AI-generated content and highlights the fine line between innovation and discomfort. Cyhan-Bowles cautions that while AI offers exciting potential for early-stage ideation and brand asset testing, poorly executed AI content can harm brand equity. Although this emerging technology may not immediately replace traditional ad creation, its capabilities can still enhance creative processes when thoughtfully integrated. AI is also driving marketing efficiencies in long-term consumer-focused product development, offering deeper insights into customer preferences. It is closing the gap between businesses and customers by enhancing the understanding of consumer preferences. Groundbreaking tools like NIQs Ad Explorer are helping marketers improve brand equity by leveraging nonconscious consumer perceptions to prioritize creative insights, test multiple ad iterations, and meet deadlines without sacrificing quality. Read more about the detailed study here and stay informed on future developments in AI-generated advertising. About NIQ NielsenIQ (NIQ) is the worlds leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. NIQ combined with GfK in 2023, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. Today NIQ has operations in more than 95 countries covering 97% of GDP. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insightsdelivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platformsNIQ delivers the Full View. For more information, please visit www.niq.com. About NIQ Study The study involved more than 2,000 participants watching a series of low- to high-quality AI-generated ads. Brain activity was measured using electroencephalogram (EEG) for approximately 150 of those participants. After viewing the ads, all participants were asked to share explicit feedback via survey. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212354811/en/ In todays fast-paced and dynamic work environment, ensuring the safety of lone workers is more critical than ever. These individuals often perform their duties in isolated conditions without direct supervision, making them more vulnerable to risks such as accidents, health emergencies, or other unforeseen hazards. With technological advancements, the best lone worker app can act as a lifeline, providing critical features that enhance safety and communication. Why Lone Worker Safety is Crucial Lone workers operate in various industries, from construction sites and maintenance tasks to healthcare and delivery services. Their unique working conditions expose them to potential dangers that may go unnoticed without proper monitoring. Employers are legally and ethically bound to ensure the safety of these workers, making robust lone worker solutions indispensable. Key Features of Lone Worker Apps When searching for the ideal app to protect lone workers, certain features are non-negotiable. Here are some critical capabilities that the top apps in 2024 offer: 1. Real-Time GPS Tracking Accurate location tracking ensures that employers or emergency responders can quickly locate a worker in distress. Real-time updates provide peace of mind for both the employer and the employee. 2. Emergency Alerts and Panic Buttons A lone worker app should have a panic button or similar functionality that allows workers to send immediate alerts when they encounter danger. Some apps even provide silent alerts for discreet emergencies. 3. Two-Way Communication Clear and direct communication channels, including voice and text options, enable workers to report their status and receive instructions during critical situations. 4. Automated Check-Ins Apps with scheduled check-ins prompt workers to confirm their safety at regular intervals. If a worker fails to respond, the system notifies designated contacts or authorities. 5. Man-Down Detection Advanced apps use motion sensors to detect when a worker has fallen or is immobile, triggering an automatic alert to seek assistance. 6. Compliance and Reporting Tools Many apps offer built-in tools for generating reports, documenting incidents, and ensuring compliance with safety regulations. Top Lone Worker Apps of 2024 Heres a look at some of the standout lone worker apps in 2024, each offering unique features tailored to different needs: 1. StaySafe StaySafe continues to lead the industry with its comprehensive suite of safety features. The app includes GPS tracking, man-down detection, and emergency panic buttons. Its user-friendly interface ensures that even non-tech-savvy workers can navigate the app effortlessly. 2. SoloProtect SoloProtect focuses on simplicity and reliability. It offers automated check-ins, discreet alarm options, and a robust reporting system. The app integrates seamlessly with wearable devices, enhancing its utility for active workers. 3. GeoPro GeoPro excels in providing customizable safety solutions. Employers can tailor the apps settings to match their industry-specific requirements. Its versatile communication options make it a favorite among remote workers in hazardous environments. 4. AlertMedia Known for its powerful communication features, AlertMedia ensures that employers and employees remain connected during emergencies. Its mass notification capabilities are particularly useful for larger organizations with multiple lone workers. 5. Blackline Safety Blackline Safety combines app-based monitoring with wearable devices to offer an all-in-one solution. Its real-time analytics and cloud-based dashboards provide a holistic view of worker safety, making it ideal for enterprise-level operations. Choosing the Right Lone Worker App Selecting the best lone worker app for your organization depends on several factors: Industry Needs Different industries require different safety measures. For example, healthcare workers may prioritize discreet alerts, while construction workers might need man-down detection. Ease of Use The app should be intuitive and easy to use, ensuring that workers can quickly access its features during emergencies. Integration with Existing Systems Consider whether the app integrates seamlessly with your organizations current safety protocols or wearable technology. Cost-Effectiveness While safety is priceless, organizations must balance functionality and affordability when choosing an app. Future Trends in Lone Worker Technology The field of lone worker safety is evolving rapidly, and apps in 2024 reflect these advancements: AI-Powered Alerts Artificial intelligence is being used to predict and prevent potential hazards by analyzing worker behavior and environmental conditions. Wearable Technology Integration Wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers are becoming indispensable tools for enhancing lone worker safety. Augmented Reality (AR) Assistance AR technology is being explored to provide real-time guidance and training for workers in remote or hazardous locations. Conclusion Lone worker safety should be a top priority for any organization employing individuals in isolated roles. The advancements in technology have made it possible to provide these workers with the tools they need to stay safe and connected. By choosing the right lone worker app, you not only ensure compliance with safety standards but also demonstrate your commitment to employee well-being. Investing in a lone worker app is not just a safety measure; its a step towards building a safer, more efficient workplace. When it comes to selling a property, understanding the factors that truly influence its value is crucial. Homeowners often wonder what elements can make their property more appealing to buyers and fetch a higher price. Whether youre preparing your home for the market or considering how to sell my house as is for cash, knowing these impactful aspects can make a significant difference. Lets explore the key factors that affect property value when selling. 1. Location, Location, Location The old adage holds true: location is king in real estate. Proximity to schools, shopping centers, parks, and public transportation can dramatically impact property value. A home situated in a desirable neighborhood or a safe, quiet area is often more appealing to potential buyers. On the flip side, properties in less favorable locations may struggle to command high prices, even with extensive upgrades. 2. Curb Appeal First impressions matter, and curb appeal is your home's opportunity to make a great one. A well-maintained exterior, tidy landscaping, and an inviting entrance can boost the perceived value of a property. On the contrary, an unkempt lawn or a dated exterior can deter potential buyers, making them question the condition of the rest of the house. Tips to Enhance Curb Appeal: Freshen up the paint on doors and windows. Trim hedges and mow the lawn. Add some seasonal flowers for a pop of color. 3. Size and Layout of the Property The square footage and layout of a home directly influence its market value. Properties with spacious living areas, ample bedrooms, and modern layouts tend to attract higher offers. Buyers also consider how functional the layout is; open floor plans, for instance, are currently in high demand. However, awkward or poorly planned spaces can diminish a home's value. 4. Condition of the Property The condition of your property significantly affects its value. Homes in need of extensive repairs or renovations are less appealing unless the buyer is specifically looking for a fixer-upper. For sellers who prefer not to make repairs, marketing the home with transparency, such as offering the opportunity to sell my house as is for cash; can attract investors or buyers willing to take on the work. 5. Recent Renovations and Upgrades Renovations and upgrades can add considerable value to your home. Modernized kitchens, updated bathrooms, and energy-efficient installations like windows or HVAC systems are particularly attractive to buyers. However, its important to focus on renovations that offer a high return on investment. Over-improving beyond the value of the neighborhood might not yield proportional returns. Popular Upgrades That Boost Value: Adding smart home features. Installing granite countertops or stainless steel appliances. Replacing old flooring with hardwood or laminate. 6. Market Conditions The real estate market can be volatile, and external conditions play a significant role in determining property value. During a sellers market, with high demand and low inventory, prices tend to rise. Conversely, in a buyers market, where supply exceeds demand, sellers may need to adjust their expectations or offer incentives to attract buyers. 7. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability As eco-consciousness grows, energy-efficient homes have become increasingly desirable. Properties with solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and good insulation are not only attractive to buyers but can also command higher prices. Highlighting these features in your listing can make your home stand out. 8. Comparable Sales in the Area The value of your property is often influenced by comparable sales, or comps, in your area. Real estate agents and appraisers look at recent sales of similar properties nearby to determine a fair market value. Knowing what similar homes have sold for can help you set realistic pricing expectations. 9. Home Staging and Presentation A well-staged home allows potential buyers to envision themselves living there. Decluttering, rearranging furniture, and creating a neutral, inviting space can leave a lasting impression. Virtual staging has also gained popularity as a cost-effective way to showcase a homes potential. Staging Tips: Remove personal items and excess furniture. Use neutral tones for walls and decor. Highlight the homes best features with proper lighting. 10. Flexibility and Timing Flexibility with showing times, closing dates, and negotiation terms can attract more buyers and lead to higher offers. Timing also plays a role; spring and summer are typically the hottest seasons for real estate, while winter might see slower activity. Strategizing when to list your property can impact how quickly and at what price it sells. Final Thoughts Selling a home involves balancing multiple factors to maximize its value. From enhancing curb appeal and upgrading key areas to understanding market conditions and leveraging energy-efficient features, every detail counts. By focusing on these impactful aspects, you can set yourself up for a successful and profitable sale. When youre ready to sell, evaluate your options carefully and choose the strategy that best suits your needs; whether its making strategic upgrades or opting to sell my house as is for cash for a quick and hassle-free transaction. Galveston firefighters, police and emergency medical personnel respond to an oil fire at Texas International Terminals in Galveston on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Five contractors were injured. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News/Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News A worker who sustained "critical burns" in an explosion at the Port of Galveston in late November filed a lawsuit Thursday against the facility's operator and an industrial manufacturer for negligence, according to court documents. Arturo Arroyo, 31, was one of five contractors who were injured in a blast at a facility operated by Texas International Terminals Ltd. Nov. 21. Arroyo, a welder, was installing a valve on a crude oil pipeline when an explosion caused flammable liquid to spill on Arroyo, according to the lawsuit. The suit alleged Arroyo will require "treatment for the rest of his life," as a result of the burns. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "When welders like Arturo perform hot work at a chemical plant, they put their lives in the hands of the owners and operators who have an obligation to provide a safe work environment," said attorney Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP, which is representing Arroyo. "Chemical plants should be getting safer, but instead we are seeing more explosions and fires. A spokesperson for Arnold & Itkin told the Chronicle Arturo received second- and third-degree burns on 40% of his body. Both Texas International Terminals and Industrial Thermal Services LLC, which manufactured a plug that was supposed to keep the pipeline safe to work on, were named in the suit. Arroyo's attorneys are seeking compensation in excess of $1 million from the two companies for their alleged failure to ensure Arroyo's safety during the incident. Texas International Terminals and Industrial Thermal Services were not immediately available for comment. A spokesperson for Sullivan Brothers Family of Companies, which owns Texas International Terminals, claimed at the time that the explosion did not cause any spills or chemical releases. "An incident occurred at Texas International Terminals Ltd. while welding contractors were installing a valve on a crude oil pipe which resulted in a flash fire," the spokesperson said in a statement Nov. 21. "Five contractor personnel were treated for injuries. The fire was promptly contained by onsite trained personnel and no spills or releases occurred." Advertisement Article continues below this ad 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 The return of warm southeasterly winds will bring atmospheric moisture and clouds back to Southeast Texas overnight Friday and into Saturday, according to the National Blend of Models. Warmer temperatures and a chance of spotty showers are also expected. WeatherBELL December has been mostly cloudy and drizzly in Southeast Texas, but we were able to enjoy a few of days of sunshine this week in Houston, even if the air was a tad cold. Cloudy skies and shower chances return to Southeast Texas this weekend, though, and the unsettled pattern looks likely to stick around into next week. How much rain will fall this weekend? How warm will Houston in December get? Few Friday showers Wind direction has always had a fascinating influence on Houston weather. After a few days of cold northerly winds, a return to southeasterly winds are going to usher in warmer air from the Gulf of Mexico. So, instead of grabbing a heavy coat before you step outside for school or work, you may only need a light wind breaker. Thats because Friday morning temperatures will fall only into the lower 50s, a full 15 degrees warmer than the previous morning. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Spotty and mostly light showers are possible Friday across Southeast Texas. The rainfall outlook from the National Blend of Models, shown here, depicts showers remaining light and happening mostly west of Interstate 45. WeatherBELL Our southeasterly onshore winds also will bring in atmospheric moisture, resulting in quite a bit of cloud cover. While Friday wont feature a lot of sunshine, the overcast skies will be less threatening than they look. While patches of drizzle or even a few light showers are possible, the majority of the day will be rain-free. Temperatures on Friday afternoon top out in the middle to upper 60s, which would be pretty close to normal for mid-December. Low temperatures Friday night only fall to around 60 degrees as more numerous showers develop through early Saturday morning. Wetter Saturday, drier Sunday This weekend will be a split weekend between a Saturday that features stronger rain chances and a Sunday that should end up mostly dry. If youve got outdoor plans, particularly for Saturday, be prepared for indoor alternatives. Advertisement Article continues below this ad You can blame Saturdays rain chances on an approaching weak cold front. That front isnt likely to make it through Southeast Texas. Instead, its likely to stall closer to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Houston will be firmly in the warm sector of an area of low atmospheric pressure, with southeasterly winds keeping the weather humid, cloudy and warmer than normal. Temperatures Saturday, despite the cloudy skies and rain, will top out in the lower to mid-70s. Showers and a few embedded thunderstorms will be possible anytime Saturday, though model guidance suggests the most widespread activity will occur before noon. Rain is most likely along and north of Interstate 10. Along the coast, sea fog could be a bigger concern Saturday. Be prepared for only scattered showers to last throughout Saturday; severe weather or flooding won't be a threat. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sunday features mostly dry weather in Southeast Texas, but cloudy skies may stick around a bit longer. Much like Friday, Sunday does keep the prospect of drizzle or spotty light showers going, but heavy rainfall shouldnt be a concern. More storms early next week A parade of low pressure systems will keep the active weather pattern going into early next week. After Saturdays showers, the next round of possibly stormy weather arrives Monday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rainy weather on Saturday and early next week could result in as much as an inch of rain in Greater Houston through Thursday, according to the National Weather Services Weather Prediction Center. Larger rainfall totals are expected north of Houston over the next seven days. Weather Prediction Center / Pivotal Weather Why does Houston have so much trouble with trains? "The fundamental problem is inadequate infrastructure," explains transit expert Christof Spieler. "There has been no new significant railroad line built in Houston in nearly a century, even though the volume of rail cargo in the U.S. has tripled since then." The death of a 10th-grader who was struck by a train on the way to Milby High School was tragic. It was all the more tragic because few were surprised: Trains disrupt life in the East End on a daily basis, and trains regularly hit cars and pedestrians. The problem is obvious to anyone who knows this city. But fixing it requires big thinking and ambitious projects. And so far, thats not happening. Trains have been an essential part of Houston since the 1850s. Theres a locomotive on our city seal for a reason: The city grew up around them. These trains are helpful in many ways. They are essential to a major part of economy, the port and the industries around it. They bring in stuff we need every day, from the concrete and lumber that makes up our buildings, to the imports from Asia that fill them. On a large scale, they do this more efficiently than any other mode of transportation. That train thats in your way on Westheimer, Broadway or Little York carries as much as 400 trucks, which would have far more impact on traffic, be worse for the environment and cost us all more. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On a local scale, though, trains have massive negative impacts on the neighborhoods they pass through. Trains are everywhere in the East End, the Fifth Ward and across other parts of Houston. They block emergency vehicles, hold up buses, delay traffic and put peoples lives at risk daily. So how do we fix this? Its tempting to blame the railroads, and that would not be entirely misplaced. Railroads have never been particularly responsive to the neighborhoods they run through; theyve left decades-old environmental issues; and their move toward longer and longer trains in a quest for better investor returns has exacerbated some grade-crossing issues. Tower 26, Houston's busiest rail junction, is plainly inadequate for its job. Almost all Houston rail traffic passes through five junctions, and all of them are as basic as they come: entirely at grade, with tracks crossing reach other at the same level. If a train is going north-south, nothing can go east-west until its through. Sharon Steinmann But the fundamental problem is inadequate infrastructure. There has been no new significant railroad line built in Houston in nearly a century, even though the volume of rail cargo in the U.S. has tripled since then. Because there is no railroad crossing of the Ship Channel, many trains are funneled onto a handful of railroad lines through the heart of the city. The junctions where those lines meet are flat junctions all the tracks cross at the same level. That means a train passing north-south will block any trains going east-west. Trains sometimes wait hours for their turn to pass through. And thats a problem because almost all of Houstons routes are full of street crossings. A train from San Antonio held up by Tower 26 a junction just northeast of Downtown has to wait five miles away in Memorial Park to avoid blocking any streets. If anything goes wrong, trains get stuck in the wrong spots. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There are definitely some small things the railroads can do, but ultimately were running more trains than this system can handle without it having major impacts on the city. Next to railroad tracks, Milby High School students pass a memorial for Sergio Rodriguez, 15. Rodriguez was struck and killed by a train on Monday, December 9. Sharon Steinmann Weve known about these issues for decades. There have been projects that tried to address them: new overpasses on some streets, additional tracks to reduce bottlenecks, relocation of some operations outside the city. But these have been minor in relation to the scale of the problem. Fundamentally, a freight train is a mile-long object moving through neighborhoods. The way to minimize its impacts is to separate it from those neighborhoods as much as possible. Sometimes that can mean relocating lines, but since most of the trains in Houston are going to or from Houston, we have limited opportunities to do that. We cant simply build a bypass around the city. The obvious solution, then, is grade separation. Streets that pass over or under railroad tracks cant be blocked by trains. If theres an overpass or underpass for pedestrians, kids can cross without being hit. And if trains cant run into cars or trucks, theyre also much less likely to derail and possibly release a load of toxic chemicals. Weve already done grade separation in some places. But dealing with one street at a time is inadequate, and building only a handful of overpasses and closing the rest of the streets only divides neighborhoods more. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tower 26, Houston's busiest rail junction, is plainly inadequate for its job. Almost all Houston rail traffic passes through five junctions, and all of them are as basic as they come: entirely at grade, with tracks crossing each other at the same level. If a train is going north-south, nothing can go east-west until its through. Sharon Steinmann If we want to really solve this problem, we need to do it at scale. We need the major lines coming into Houston from the east, north, west and south and the key feeders to the port completely separated from streets in trenches, on embankments or in fenced corridors with cross streets going over or under at least in the core of the city, where trains move slowly and get held up by junctions. And to ensure capacity for growth, we need train flyovers at major junctions so trains can cross each other without waiting; and new yards on the outskirts of the city to relieve and replace operations in places such as Fifth Ward. In Houston, the combination of at-grade railroad junctions and lots of road crossings combine to create a mess for both trains and for the neighborhoods around them: blocked crossings, idling locomotives next to peoples homes, diverted ambulances, children risking their lives to get to school. Christof Spieler To be clear, this is a very ambitious project. It would take decades and it could cost billions. The railroads cant pay for it either; Union Pacific made $6.4 billion in profits last year after spending $3.6 billion on capital projects, but it also has 32,000 miles of track. Every major city west of the Mississippi has UP tracks and needs projects like this, and thats not enough money to go around. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The benefits to the community and the potential to shift freight from highways absolutely justify using public dollars (with appropriate strings attached). We do projects of that ambition all the time. A region that is almost entirely rebuilding its major airport and replacing all the freeways around Downtown can absolutely figure out how to fund this. And much of the work could be coordinated with freeway projects, transit expansion and street reconstruction, reducing the overall cost. The problem isnt that we cant figure out how to pay for this; its that we have no plan. We have not even defined the projects that would really solve this problem. The Gulf Coast Rail District has a plan for the West Belt just east of Downtown Houston, and the city, METRO, TxDOT, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway are working together on an overpass at the intersection of Mykawa Road and Griggs Road but those account for only six crossings out of more than 600 in Harris County. Other cities have done better. Los Angeles built a 10-mile trench through the city for container trains to the port, and Chicago a city that already eliminated most of its railroad crossings a century ago has been methodically implementing a city-wide plan to upgrade junctions. We have local agencies, such as the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Gulf Coast Rail District, that know how to do this planning and have good working relationships with the railroads. We have the engineering and planning talent. We have a public that sees the problem every day. But in the past, we have not had political leadership that saw this as a priority. Mayors, county judges, representatives and senators have pushed for a few individual projects, but never a comprehensive solution. Without an elected official taking the lead, we will not get the scale of solutions we need. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We wont get rid of trains in Houston, and we don't want to. But its simply not fair for us to expect the places that have the trains in their midst to bear the burden for the rest of us. Its great to build a pedestrian bridge at Milby so we dont have another tragic death there. But there are hundreds of crossings like that across the city. We should have a plan to fix all of them, and we should be doing everything we can to make it happen. 1. Nine main lines converge on Houston. Many of the trains on those are headed to the major yards, where containers are loaded and unloaded, and where trains of chemicals, lumber and other cargo are sorted on their way to or from industries. Christof Spieler 2. All of this comes together in a small area east and northeast of Downtown. Three lines the East Belt, West Belt, and Terminal Subdivision link everything together. Almost every train in and out of Houston passes through the five junctions where these lines meet. All of these junctions are as basic as railroad junctions get: entirely at grade, with tracks crossing reach other at the same level. If a train is going north-south, nothing can go east-west until its through. Christof Spieler 3. But it gets worse! Much of Houstons traffic is to and from the plants along the Ship Channel. A series of lines connect those to the yards and the lines out of town. These have even worse infrastructure: lots of grade crossings, more at grade junctions, and lots of bottlenecks. Christof Spieler 4. The fundamental issue here: There are no railroad crossings of the Houston Ship Channel. So everything to/from the south side of the channel all the way out to Pasadena and La Porte has to go inside the 610 Loop. Christof Spieler PAN CELTIC is back for 2025, with Carlow once again doing the honours and hosting this annual celebration of all-things Celtic. Teach Dolmain, Carlow was a hub of excitement and anticipation last Wednesday night as the 2025 International Pan Celtic Festival was officially announced. This remarkable cultural celebration, scheduled to take place from 22-26 April, will bring the vibrant spirit of the Celtic nations Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man to the heart of Carlow. In her opening remarks, Bride de Roiste, representing the Pan Celtic organising committee, emphasised the significance of this festival, stating: The Pan Celtic Festival is more than just a gathering; it is a cherished tradition that celebrates the unity and diversity of the Celtic nations. Here in Carlow, we are proud to host an event that intertwines language, music, dance and storytelling, creating a tapestry of shared heritage that binds us together as one Celtic family. Cllr Fergal Browne, cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, captured the festivals essence, describing it as a bridge between past and present. Cultural festivals like the Pan Celtic are not merely showcases of talent; they are living embodiments of our collective stories and aspirations, he said. The festivals Pan Celtic Song Contest, a much-anticipated highlight, was singled out for its ability to unite the nations through the power of music, storytelling and innovation. The Pan Celtic Festival is an annual international celebration of the shared heritage, languages, music and traditions of the six Celtic nations Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man. It brings together people from these regions to showcase their unique identities while highlighting their common roots. The festival features vibrant cultural performances, including music, dance and storytelling, along with the renowned Pan Celtic Song Contest, where original compositions in native languages take centre stage. Through workshops, events and competitions, the festival celebrates the richness of Celtic culture and fosters connections across these historic communities, said cllr Browne. Cllr Fintan Phelan, mayor of Carlow Municipal District, focused on the festivals potential to drive economic and community development. The Pan Celtic Festival is a powerful engine for growth, he remarked, praising Carlows businesses for their exceptional contributions to the 2024 edition, he said. He expressed optimism for 2025, noting that the influx of thousands of visitors will create opportunities across the hospitality, retail, and tourism sectors, benefiting the local economy and elevating Carlows reputation on the global stage. Coilin OReilly, chief executive of Carlow County Council, echoed these sentiments, underscoring the importance of community and business support for events like the Pan Celtic Festival. Festivals and events are at the heart of what makes a community vibrant and welcoming. They provide a platform for cultural exchange, foster economic growth and build a shared sense of pride and identity, he said. With businesses, community members and performers rallying behind the event, Carlow is set to shine on the international stage, ensuring the 2025 Pan Celtic Festival becomes a cherished memory for all. So, mark your calendars and join in this remarkable celebration of unity, culture and creativity. Bigi linn agus bainigi taitneamh as an bhfeile! For more information, go to www.panceltic.ie. High Court reporters Ryanair's defamation case against one of its former long-serving pilots should be joined to similar court proceedings taken by the low-cost carrier against UK broadcaster Channel 4, the High Court has been told. The airline is suing Channel 4 and Blakeway Productions Limited over a 2013 broadcast of 'Dispatches' that focused on the alleged fuel level concerns of pilots in Spain in July 2012. In 2013, the airline said it rejected "false and defamatory claims made by the Channel 4 Dispatches programme" which, they allege, "impugn and smear" Ryanair. The company said Ryanair had an "outstanding 29-year safety record" and that the programme was based on "nothing more than anonymous hearsay claims made by individuals whose identity was concealed". The Dispatches episode, Ryanair: Secrets from the Cockpit, aired in August 2013 and featured some anonymous pilots raising concerns about the airline's fuel policy. After it was aired, a spokesperson for the company released a statement confirming Ryanair had instructed its lawyers to issue legal proceedings for defamation. "Ryanair looks forward to this matter being resolved in the courts and the safety of Ryanair's operations being thoroughly vindicated," said a spokesman. Channel 4 has said the station is "standing by" its journalism. In the aftermath of the airing of the programme, John Goss, a veteran pilot of 25 years service, had his employment at the airline terminated. On Thursday, Paul O'Higgins SC, for Mr Goss, said his client was to be added to the existing proceedings. Mr O'Higgins told Mr Justice Alexander Owens that the matters should proceed together, even though Ryanair had taken an action against Mr Goss separately. Mr O'Higgins said Mr Goss had been a Ryanair pilot and a contributor to the programme. Mr Justice Owens said he was disposed to joining the matters and told Mr O'Higgins to write to Channel 4 and Ryanair on the subject. Mr Justice Owens adjourned the matter to be next mentioned on January 28th. The case is due to be heard in the High Court next June and is expected to last three weeks. Advertisement This week has further highlighted cement industry developments towards consolidation and decarbonisation in Australia as Holcim and Heidelberg Materials' joint venture, Cement Australia, struck an acquisition deal for the Buckeridge Group of Companies (BGC) based in Perth. The BCG operations include the 1.3Mta grinding plant at Perth Naval Base and the 0.35Mta grinding plant at Canning Vale in Western Australia. The group operates in cement, concrete, quarry products, asphalt and transport, strengthening Cement Australia's portfolio. This latest ownership change comes close on the heels of CRH's 57 per cent share acquisition in AdBri in the summer. The EUR1.3bn Adbri deal shook the market, but CRH had been looking for such an opportunity for some time. We have held a long-term interest in the Australian construction materials market, which has attractive attributes including stable market dynamics and positive growth prospects, similar in nature to the southern United States and central and eastern Europe where we have a significant presence, said CRH CEO, Albert Manifold, in December 2023. While the BGC deal is not as large as the Adbri acquisition, Cement Australia has acted to protect its market share as CRH was also believed to be eyeing up a bid for BGC. Martin Kriegner, Holcim's region head Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and chairman of Cement Australia, said: The acquisition of this division of family-owned BGC will reinforce Holcims footprint in the attractive market of Australia. With its state-of-the-art facilities, the acquisition will advance Holcims leadership in sustainable and innovative building solutions. Meanwhile, the Seven Group Holdings Ltd (SGHL), run by billionaire Kerry Stokes, also looked to buy BGC after it had acquired Boral but missed out on the opportunity. Boral itself was only snapped up in the summer when SGHL triggered a compulsory acquisition. Boral owns the Berrima works, where it has continued to make environmental improvements this year. Located in the southern highlands region of New South Wales (NSW), the Berrima Cement Works is responsible for supplying 40 per cent of cement in NSW and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The modernisation includes the installation of a chlorine bypass system that will enable alternative fuel usage at the site to reach 60 per cent over the next three years. To date Boral has already achieved 30 per cent coal substitution. A modernised and decarbonised industry The Australian cement sector has been transforming with projects such as Adbris expansion of its Cockburn Cement plant at Kwinana with two new ball mills and the imminent closure of the Munster facility. The Australian government granted the company US$32.5m for a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for the Birkenhead cement plant in April 2024. The study will assess the possibility of adding a new vertical roller mill and post-production blending system at the plant. Adbri also launched its lower-carbon general purpose limestone Type GL in May 2024, called Evo Cem. Alternative fuels usage is continually being increased with Geocycle and Cement Australia processing 60,000t of solid, liquid and gaseous industrial wastes in 2023. Smaller players While the large producers have been manoeuvring to get the upper hand in the market, there are several smaller companies that are still playing an important role in supplying the market. The Wagner Investments Pty Ltd and Barro Group Pty Ltd remain independent players that operate outside the big three top producers. These two producers account for 1.9Mta of cement production capacity in the country. Moreover, the market is about to be expanded further with a new domestic producer when the Hallet Group opens its Port of Augusta processing plant which is a 0.5Mta integrated greenfield plant. The Hallett Group currently imports more than 0.2Mta of cement and is building an AUD45m (US$28.8m) cement distribution hub at Port Adelaide. Senior CPC official meets Serbian deputy PM in Beijing Xinhua) 10:06, December 13, 2024 BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chen Wenqing, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin in Beijing on Thursday. Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, said the heads of state of the two countries have reached consensus on deepening and upgrading the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, laying out the blueprint and guidelines for bilateral cooperation. He called on the two sides to continuously uphold the spirit of iron friendship, deepen exchanges and cooperation, jointly safeguard the core interests of the two countries, and work together to promote the in-depth development of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Vulin expressed his willingness to work together to promote the construction of the community with a shared future between Serbia and China in the new era. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Walt and Deborah Lind pose at the Grand Canyon, one of Walt's favorite places. Martha Hess Every day, his routine was simple: Wake up, put on a pot of coffee, walk to the curb, bring in the newspaper. At the kitchen table, hed read about what was happening in the world, and as he read, he wrote. Sometimes hed scribble his thoughts on a big pad of paper. More often, hed jot ideas on his phone and send it off by email to the Houston Chronicle. When one of his many letters to the editor was published, he wouldnt tell anyone. But his wife would make sure to brag for him, and his kids always celebrated seeing their dads name in the paper. He was just happy doing what he always wanted to do: learning, thinking about complex problems and sticking up for the little guy even if only in a 250-word letter. Just last month, he wrote to us with wry indignation. The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry, was requesting $100 million to clean up Big Oils mess. After all, the taxpayer is the forever black hole of money he mused, with the characteristic voice Id come to recognize after three years editing letters. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He didnt get to see his letter published. A few weeks ago, the man Id only known as Walt Lind, Nassau Bay passed away. He was 77 and in good health until the cold he caught during a business trip turned into a bad bout of pneumonia. I didnt know Walt personally. But the news caught me off guard. And as I contemplated the idea of never reading another letter by him, I felt tears well up. I have to admit, when I first started this job my first out of college I didnt even know letters to the editor still existed. When my boss handed me the print version of the Chronicle, he very patiently watched as I struggled to fold and unfold the pages, unsure how to navigate their awkward size. But over the years, as Ive read, edited and fact-checked hundreds of readers takes on all sorts of issues, Ive grown attached to the most prolific letter writers. Even the ones I disagree with. In a world inundated with thoughtless social media posts and anonymous snarky comments, these letters are a salve. Putting real Houstonians of all walks of life, different ages and political persuasions in conversation with each other has shown me the threads that unite us. But sometimes, when I notice an unusual increase in spelling errors, or I realize that a letter writers address has changed from a house in the suburbs to a nursing home, I feel a twinge. Its a reminder of how fragile our community of letter writers really is, how dependent it is on newer generations taking up the practice. Newspapers were always part of Walt Linds life. He really believed in the institution, Martha Hess, his 53-year-old daughter, told me over the phone this week. He thought the newspaper was the one thing you can rely on. Every day it doesnt matter how bad your day was youre gonna get the paper. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a kid, he took on a paper route, delivering the San Antonio Express-News to help his family make ends meet. When Walt left for college, his mom took over the route, waking up daily at 2 a.m. to deliver the paper until she died at 84. At Baylor University, Walt met Deborah, the love of his life. They were both band geeks, Hess said. She played clarinet, and he trombone. They married in March of their freshman years, and transferred to the University of Texas at Austin (Baylor had a policy barring married female students). Walt and Deborah Lind right after they got married in 1967, when they were still college students. Martha Hess By the time kids came along, Walt was burning the candle at both ends. The family had moved to Iowa, where he pursued a masters in computer science during the day and worked as a typesetter at the Quad City Times at night. Deborahs dad ran the Times. He too had started his career as a paperboy. In another life, journalism would have been Walts calling, Hess said. But as the oldest son, now with a young family of his own, money weighed heavily on him. Computers paid more. Walts career ultimately took him to Houston, where he co-founded a company that built software for NASAs Mission Control Center. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It wasnt until he retired in 2012 that Walt really dove into letter-writing, Hess said. She can still see her father, with his sandy white hair, wearing khakis and a Carhartt T-shirt, sitting at the kitchen table with the paper. He would read something, and his bright blue eyes would widen. Did you see that they found a new prime number? hed gush. When Hess husband informed him they didnt subscribe to the print paper, Walt couldnt believe it. Walt Lind at the kitchen table, reading the Houston Chronicle and writing a letter to the editor. Martha Hess Even on his deathbed, my mom would sit there and do the Daily Jumble with him, Hess recalled. It was just part of their life. Its what they did together. After her dads sudden death, Hess took to driving around his truck. It feels like a hug, she said, and still carries his unmistakable aroma. The smell of newspapers reminds me of my dad, Hess wrote in a recent letter to the editor. Sprinkle in the smell of a fresh pot of coffee, and that is what my entire childhood smelled like. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She told me that, as she wrote the letter, she could hear her dads reminder to keep the copy tight. After all, it was her first time writing to the Houston Chronicle. John Dashler, retired now, well into his 70s, still carries a hefty dose of the same pull-no-punches energy that helped him grow startups to success stories and execute a turnaround for at least one struggling business. Recently, the Dalton resident has been spending time at Hamilton Medical Centers Peeples Cancer Institute (PCI), doing a job he wasnt hired to do sharing his infectious optimism and humor with people around him as they undergo chemotherapy. Anything I can do to get them to smile and quit worrying, even if its just for a little while, its worth it, he said. Dashler is also a patient. He had surgery at Hamilton Medical Center in March to remove three-and-a-half feet of his colon after his digestive system shut down, causing a painful and life-threatening situation that landed him in the emergency room. He said the decision to go through chemo was hard for him, but when his family urged him to do it, he agreed. Each treatment lasts several hours. Dashler uses the time to make the best of a difficult situation and to lighten the mood both for himself and for those around him. I just like people, Dashler said. I know why theyre here. Im going through what theyre going through. Recently, seated in Bay 8, he joked with a nurse who joined in on his dry humor as she hung bags of fluid that piped chemo drugs into his body through a port near his collarbone. What flavor do you want today? she deadpanned. Cherry. Sorry, all we have is lemon-lime. They bantered a few more minutes, and eventually she found a pumpkin spice variety that met with his approval. Dashler was drafted into the Army in 1966, served in Vietnam building telephone communications infrastructure, and stayed in service for 11 years. After getting out, he joined forces with a business partner and became an entrepreneur, learning the leadership qualities that make for success. Dashler credits leaders at PCI and Hamilton Medical Center with building an entrepreneurial culture that encourages people at every level to take ownership of their part in the business. Dashler said his emergency room experience plus surgery and recovery at Hamilton left him admiring the system. You have to have people in positions of responsibility who will take ownership when somebody hits them with a question or a problem, he said. They will either take it to someone who can really help them, or they will solve it. And if, in the process of solving it, it takes a couple of days, they provide feedback and updates. Dashler said he especially enjoys talking with people who are alone, downcast or seem to have given up hope. He tries to offer perspective. Speaking of cancer, Everyone thinks theyre going to die from it and everyone is not, he said. I like to sort that out with them. He said part of going through chemo is learning what, for some, might be a different way of thinking. His approach is to accept that certain side effects exist and that he will experience them. I assume the posture of tolerating and managing them, he said. Dashler said he approaches fellow patients openly but allows them to guide the conversation. If they want to pray, hes happy to oblige. For most of his life, he wasnt religious, but as he grew older, he felt a tug for something more. With decades of business and personal accomplishments behind him, he and his wife of now 51 years have four children and were enjoying a relatively carefree life, he said, but he felt something was missing. The Lord has thumped me a bunch of times, and at 50, I responded, he said. I wasnt content with life, and I kept asking myself, Whats the meaning of life? An avid reader, Dashler found himself immersed in literature that eventually inspired him to join his wife at a local church where he became increasingly involved as a deacon. His goal with fellow patients is encouragement. Even if for only a few minutes, he wants to help them forget the challenging parts of their situations. Peeples Cancer Institute is not about death and dying, he said. It is about life and living. As part of its 10-year plan, Delivering for America, the United States Postal Service is focused on building a more stable and empowered workforce. It is seeking 70 rural carrier associates to join its team. The below post offices will host job fairs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST. Postal Service personnel will be on-hand to assist with benefit, qualification, and application questions. FACILITY ADDRESS Date Hixson Post Office 302 Northgate Mall Dr., Hixson, TN 37343 12/18/2024 Manchester PO 1601 Hillsboro Blvd, Manchester TN 37355 12/18/2024 Ooltewah Post Office 9301 Ocoee St., Ooltewah, TN 37363 12/18/2024 Cleveland PO 155 Broad St NW, TN 37311 12/19/2024 Whitwell Post Office 13190 Highway 28, Whitwell, TN 37397 12/19/2024 Winchester Post Office 200 S. Jefferson St, Rm 100, Winchester, TN 37398 12/19/2024 Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) At $20.38 per hour, an RCA will have a continuous, part-time job. This on-call position could be ideal if one is retired, self-employed, an at-home parent, an educator, night student, or if employed on an evening shift schedule. An RCA serves families and businesses in rural and suburban areas. This employee is responsible for the delivery and collection of mail, working part-time when regular carriers have scheduled days off or vacation days. An RCA also sells stamps, supplies, and money orders. An applicant must have a valid state driver's license and demonstrate and maintain a safe driving record. A personal vehicle may be required. Becoming an RCA is the first step to becoming a full-time, regular rural carrier with full benefits. Applications are accepted online only at www.usps.com/careers. Applicants must be 18 years of age and be able to pass a criminal background investigation. Applicants must be available to work weekends and holidays. See the job posting for full details for duties, responsibilities, requirements, and benefits information. Job postings are updated frequently, so check back often for additional opportunities. President Joe Biden, wearing a Team USA jacket and walking with his son Hunter Biden, heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, July 26, 2024. Susan Walsh/Associated Press President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden hug on stage at the conclusion of the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) Brendan Smialowski/AFP/TNS WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 11: U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive for the first White House conference on women's health research in the East Room of the White House on December 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. Business and philanthropic leaders, academic researchers, women's health advocates, investors, and federal agency representatives come together to continue making progress on improving women's health. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Andrew Harnik/Getty Images A healthcare worker from La Porte who led emergency response teams during Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey and an Air Force veteran from San Antonio were among the 39 people pardoned by President Joe Biden Thursday, as part of what is believed to be the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. Biden also commuted the sentences of 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic. He said he would continue to review clemency petitions in the weeks ahead, following his decision earlier this month to issue a pardon for his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. READ MORE: What to know about Daniel Perry, convicted of murdering an armed protester and pardoned by Abbott Advertisement Article continues below this ad America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances, Biden said in a statement. As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses. In all, three people from Texas were extended pardons. They are Nathaniel Reed, 46, of San Antonio, Mireya Walmsley, 57, of La Porte, and Lashundra Wilson, 49, of Arlington. The White House did not provide details about their convictions beyond saying they were for "non-violent" offenses. Reed had served 20 years in the Air Force after his conviction, earning the rank of Master Sergeant, before going on to volunteer training local firefighters and working as a sexual assault prevention and response advocate, the White House said. Walmsley, who was convicted at age 25, went on to earn her nursing license and led emergency response teams during natural disasters and spearheaded vaccination efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. Wilson worked in healthcare and helped raise funds for non-profit health organizations, after being convicted as a teenager. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January. Hes also weighing whether to issue preemptive pardons to those who investigated Trumps effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and are facing possible retribution when he takes office. Clemency is the term for the power the president has to pardon, in which a person is relieved of guilt and punishment, or to commute a sentence, which reduces or eliminates the punishment but doesnt exonerate the wrongdoing. Its customary for a president to grant mercy at the end of his term, using the power of the office to wipe away records or end prison terms. Those pardoned Thursday had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses and turned their lives around, White House lawyers said. The president had previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and 34 other lawmakers are urging the president to pardon environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, who was imprisoned or under house arrest for three years because of a contempt of court charge related to his work representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against the Houston-based oil company Chevron. Advertisement Article continues below this ad More clemency grants are coming before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, but its not clear whether hell take action to guard against possible prosecution by Trump, an untested use of the power. The president has been taking the idea seriously and has been thinking about it for as much as six months before the presidential election but has been concerned about the precedent it would set, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions, according to The Associated Press. The latest Hamilton County report said fatal overdoses in the county are down. It also cites a decrease in violent crime. County Mayor Weston Wamp said, "The creation of Hamilton Counted has undoubtedly shed light on the challenges many of our residents face. I am humbled by the vast and pressing needs facing our county, particularly facing young families. This awareness has not only strengthened my resolve but also sharpened my perspective on how to effectively allocate county resources. "Hamilton County Government has taken a creative and aggressive approach in combating our core challenges and pouring resources into programs we believe will transform livesnot just today, but 10 to 20 years from now. Theres plenty to be hopeful about as we empower future generations. "While the perception of crime by residents remains highoverall crime countywide is down 10 percent over the past year. Murder within the city of Chattanooga remains unacceptably high, but has leveled out and remains in line with 2023 through the first nine months of the year. "Hamilton County remains committed to assisting the city with a law enforcement presence in downtown Chattanooga as sheriff deputies continue to patrol downtown streets. ""For the third consecutive quarter, fatal overdoses are declininga testament to our communitys resilience and commitment to addressing the opioid crisis. Through the first nine months of the year, fatal overdoses are down 26 percent compared to last year. This progress is supported by the District Attorneys office, who continues to aggressively prosecute those responsible for bringing deadly drugs into our communities. "Additionally, the county was awarded nearly $1.5 million to build out a Medication-Assisted Treatment Program at the jail, providing support for inmates battling opioid use disorder. "Enrollment in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program has steadily risen since the start of 2022. Average monthly enrollment is up five percent from last year and 25 percent since 2022. Additional resources have been invested in WIC, and the county continues to plan for the Center for Thriving Families to further assist new mothers and young families. "Despite our challenges, Hamilton County is one of the best places to raise a family in America and we will continue working to ensure a high-quality of life for all residents. Collecting and analyzing data gives us an opportunity for continued reflection on where we are strong and how we must improve moving forward." The link to the Hamilton Counted 2024 Quarter 3 Report can be found HERE. For the second year in a row, St. Andrew's Sewanee School will be performing at the TASTE and Tennessee State Thespian Conference at MTSU in January. This year, Performing Arts Director Dr. Will Eyerly submitted "Izzy Icarus Fell Off the World" by Aliza Goldstein. This award-winning one-act play is an engaging tale of an unlikely friendship blossoming between two high school students, a curious and kind girl with a passion for photography named Dove, and Izzy, a mysterious boy with high-functioning autism.The play features the hard work and talent of Dylan Bruscato as Izzy, Eliza Griffey as Paige, Kendall Elder as Dove and Luke Bostelman as Mr. Ackerman, Izzy's dad.The play will be performed in the Deborah K. Anderson Studio Theatre on the Middle Tennessee State University campus at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. Additionally, four performing arts students will be adjudicated in the musical theatre category by faculty from 27 colleges and universities from across 10 states for all state honors. These hardworking and talented students are Ella Johnson, Eliza Griffey, Hannah Hardin, and Margeaux Pierson. In all, a total of 19 SAS performing arts students will be attending the festival this year.International Thespian Society Troupe #11474 was chartered and sponsored at SAS beginning last year by Performing Arts Director, Will Eyerly. International Thespian Society is a century-old honor society honoring academic success and specifically achievement in the theatre arts in various performance and technical categories. There are currently nearly 140,000 active members divided over 48 state and international chapters. Since 1929, over 2.4 million students have been inducted into ITS, including such notables as Stephen Schwartz (composer of "Wicked"), Tom Hanks and even Madonna. Federal Judge Curtis Collier has an article on the Bill of Rights. While some of the details on this subject are correct, its historical recognition, etc., the substance of the rest of his remarks are perfectly ludicrous, claiming that the supreme Court has upheld the Bill of Rights. I had to laugh - whenever did the supreme Court ever rule in favor of the original wording and intent of the Bill of Rights? We have had nothing but re-interpretation and conglomerated "opinions" since 1964 from this uneducated and illiterate sitting Court, from Scalia ruling that it is a "first amendment Right to burn the American flag," to other unAmerican "opinions" and wishes of the Court. Attachments and leech rulings are the order of the day. Whoever ruled, for instance, that excessive bail is unacceptable? Or that one has a Right to Represent themselves in Court without a passel of intimidation and favoritism toward the so-called "legal system?" The ludicrous and favoritism-laden so-called "Dead Beat Dad" Act, under the rule of Queen Mary Hillary Clinton who have virtually burned up thousands of men at the stake....all under the so-called "Women's Lib," as its pernicious sharp fingernails have dug their way into the most basic rights, - to say nothing of those imprisoned for speaking out against the murderous practicing of putting your child to death or attempting to address their elected officials about a stolen election....where is the Court on the Exercise of First Amendment Rights? How about Red Flag laws which brought about the murder of men who merely wanted to protect their Second Amendment Right...? What happened to the Montana Militia and others who stood on the Second Article to the Bill of Rights? Where was the wrath of the Court against these violations? The list is too long, your Honor, for this post. Why not just back off and admit that the Court is guilty of attempts to destroy the Bill of Rights, overtly or covertly, of treason and violating their oath of office. The best thing the Court could do is to voluntarily resign, if indeed it has any integrity at all. Those of us who hold to Americanism and its roots didn't really go along with ordering prayer and Bible in the schools - do you think? Yet the omnipotent Court thought itself better than the founders of this Great Republic in destroying the Tenth Amendment. The banquet is coming up next Tuesday, Dec. 17, in Dayton, its 23rd year. Invitations are still open and the judge is welcome to pay his $40 to attend. It is remedial instruction for all who need a little education. And the food is good. June Griffin * * * First I would like to thank Judge Collier and his clerks for taking the time to write these pieces. Thank you. June, I know that arguing with you is like wrestling a pig in mud, the pig likes it and is better at it. However I will attempt it. Yes, the court should look at the original wording and intent. However language has changed over 200+ years. And interrupting the intent is difficult. No one that was there is here now. Free speech means that I can express myself in ways you do not like, that I can express opinions that you do not like. If I cannot do that, I am not free! You just exercised your First Amendment right in writing your opinion to the Chattanoogan. And they their First Amendment right by publishing it Whoever ruled, for instance, that excessive bail is unacceptable? Well June, that would be the Eighth Amendment. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. This is very short and simple. You should not need a law degree to understand. The Sixth Amendment gives you the right to have the assistance of Council for his defense. You may forfeit that right if you chose. Of course doing so is at your own peril. The real problem is the appointment of judges based on their political ideologies, not their knowledge of law. George Odom The Tivoli Theatre Foundation announces the recent closing of the financial transaction needed to fund the Tivoli Theatre Restoration and the creation of the new Tivoli Performing Arts Center, which will be an expansion into the adjacent building next door. The investment was made by U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance, a U.S. Bank subsidiary, and facilitated by National Trust Community Investment Corporation, a Washington, D.C.-based Community Development Entity. The Foundation also closed on loans from National Community Development Financial Institution the Reinvestment Fund, which included loan participation by local WesBanco, as well as a Historic Tax Credit Equity Bridge Loan, facilitated by Midland States Bank. Additionally, the Foundation closed one of Chattanoogas first and largest C-PACE loans, which promote energy efficiency in construction projects through financing provided by Nuveen Green Capital, a leader in sustainable commercial real estate financing solutions. The $73 million financing package was one of the most complex projects of this type in the Southeast, involving numerous financing sources, in addition to $25 million in private contributions and funds raised by the Foundation. As many in our Chattanooga community are aware, this bold, ambitious project began in 2018 and has weathered a global pandemic, an extensive design process, rigorous preparation of construction documents, and much more, but investments from such sophisticated entities demonstrate the bright future of the Tivoli Theatre Foundation, said Nick Wilkinson, Tivoli Theatre Foundation CEO. This project would not have been possible without the hard work of the Foundation team and trusted outside partners; counsel Baker Donelson and Jones Walker in New Orleans, consultant Bob Jacobs, Don Sabine with Novogradac, and Nick Krauss and Jen Davel, Historic Tax Credit consultants with Heritage Consulting Group." U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance is thrilled to have stood by the Tivoli team through many headwinds and setbacks in recent years, said William Carson, senior vice president of New Markets and Historic Tax Credits. We understand the vision, perseverance, and hard work required to elevate and restore this incredible historic complex into a phenomenal place for quality arts and cultural enrichment in Chattanooga, and we cant wait to help celebrate its reopening. We are thrilled to close this loan which will help revitalize an important anchor institution in the Chattanooga community, said Christina Szczepanski, president, Lending and Investments of Reinvestment Fund. This theatre represents the first step in building a lasting, transformative impact on the lives of youth and their families. Creativity is the foundation of innovation and progress, and we are honored to support more creativity through this theatre. Michael Doty, senior director of Originations, Nuveen Green Capital added, We were proud to partner with The Tivoli Theatre Foundation to finance this notable and historic project. It is exciting to see C-PACEs cost-efficient capital leveraged for a creative project like this demonstrating its flexibility and use across all asset classes. The Tivoli Theatre is a cultural landmark for Chattanooga, and as members of this community, WesBanco is proud to partner with the Reinvestment Fund to enable this transformative project to come to life, said Stephen Ratterman, senior vice president with WesBanco. The Tivoli Theatre and the new Performing Arts Center will restore a historic treasure and enrich the Chattanooga community through expanded cultural and economic opportunities. Collaborating on local initiatives like this reflects WesBancos vision of making every community we serve a better place for people and businesses to thrive. Midland States Bank is excited the Tivoli team selected Midland as one of its funding sources for this very exciting historic Project, said Rodney Walker, Senior Commercial Relationship manager. It has been an honor to work side by side with the Tivoli team in getting across the finish line of the financial close. This historic renovation is going to restore a wonderful asset of the Chattanooga community and it will be exciting to see the completed renovation. The $73 million financing package was one of the most complex projects of this type in the Southeast, involving numerous financing sources in addition to $25 million in private contributions and other funds raised by the Foundation. The Tivoli Theatre is an iconic part of Chattanoogas history and is key to our work to build a thriving cultural economy. said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. Art isnt a luxury, it is essential for building community and inspiring people. Im proud that the city was able to support this effort to restore and expand the Tivoli. The Tivoli Theatre is a cultural and architectural icon in Chattanooga and Im thrilled that it is being preserved and expanded for generations to come, said Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. We owe a debt of gratitude to Nick Wilkinson and the entire team at the Tivoli Theatre Foundation for their stewardship of such an important asset to our region. As someone who has called Chattanooga home my entire life, the Tivoli has always been a meaningful part of our community, said Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson. This project exemplifies the power of collaboration between public and private sectors to preserve our history while paving the way for innovation and growth. I am proud of the States role in supporting such an ambitious initiative that will serve as a beacon for arts, culture and community engagement for generations to come." Id like to recognize the amazing Tivoli Theatre Foundation team and their remarkable accomplishments, said Keith Sanford, chair of the Tivoli Theatre Foundation Board of Directors. Every single member of the organization contributed to the ability to secure funding and close on this project. From overseeing the concept plan that architects Mills+Schnoering and associates presented in April of 2019, to tracking down extensive information and financial data, to staging the Tivoli Theatre for site visits, to the years of work required to secure these investments, loans and donations, every single member of the Foundation team is responsible for this achievement. This was all accomplished while successfully operating the most successful venues in the region and is just another testament to the incredibly bright future of the Tivoli Theatre Foundation and the new Tivoli Performing Arts Center. Construction on the Tivoli Theatre and Performing Arts Center will begin in January. The Theatre is slated to reopen in the summer of 2026. The Tivoli Theatre Foundation will celebrate the start of this work with a wall breaking ceremony in the Tivoli lobby on Tuesday at 11 a.m., where guests will help break through the walls of both buildings and launch an exciting new phase in the life of the performing arts in Chattanooga. To learn more about the project or how to support the Tivoli Theatre restoration, please visit tivolichattanooga.com/yourtickettohistory. July 2025, will mark the 100th anniversary of the historical Scopes Trial over the issue of the constitutionality of the Anti-Evolution (Butler) Act, enacted by the Tennessee General Assembly (TGA) in March 1925. The question of the legal battle over the Genesis story in the Bible versus the published writings of Charles Darwin in the Rhea County Courthouse has been retold in millions of words, publications, on the stage, and in cinema for a century. In 2023, the same state legislature body, TGA, enacted a new, controversial law making it illegal for transgender minors to be prescribed certain medications and treatments for gender dysphoria. (A quick trip to Google can reveal numerous definitions and analysis of the condition.) The controversies in both Scopes (Evolution) and Williams (Transgender rights) both involved the constitutionality of numerous state statutes dealing with interpretation of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Of course, there is and will be other differences between the two issues. 1) The L. Williams case successfully made it to the US Supreme Court and was argued before the nine member panel on December 4, 2024. 2) The Scopes case did not get past the Tennessee Supreme Court (TSC), which was vigorously argued by the eleven attorneys listed on the reported decision in 154 Tennessee, 289 SW 363 (1927). 3) The Williams case will probably result in multiple opinions by the justices in Washington, DC. The Scopes case was dismissed by the TSC on a technicality never raised by either side. The setting of a $100 fine by Judge John T. Raulston, rather than the trial jury, was a violation of Article Six, Section 14 of the Tennessee Constitution. 4) The Scopes case was sent back to the Criminal Court of Rhea County, was never retried, and ultimately the Tennessee statute was dismissed in 1967 by the TGA, prior to another evolution case from Arkansas, (Epperson vs. Arkansas, 393 US 97, 1968) was invalidated by a unanimous vote of the US Supreme Court. 5) The Williams case opinion is tentatively scheduled for release in June 2025 shortly before the July 2025 celebration of the 100th anniversary of the verdict in Scopes. (History does sometimes have a way of repeating itself--- in Tennessee!) ---- If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact him at jsummers@summersfirm.com) The use of the above date is in no way intended to minimize the losses and sacrifices of many who landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. However, the political and economic consequences to be applied to the citizens of Chattanooga, Tennessee, as to who qualifies to run for the political offices of Mayor and City Council by the above deadline date can be major during the next four years. What first appeared to be a donnybrook between the present top spot occupier, the former River City head (KW), and the volatile leader of the tribe (MM) has almost dwindled to a free pass for the defender of the claim that Gig City is the best in several categories against the frivolous statements of that financial credit agency on the other end of the evaluating spectrum (Wallethub). The front running opponent to the incumbent decided that it was in the best interest of all citizens that she accept the low paying salary of her alma mater ($250,000 plus?) and start begging for big bucks donations from the Alumni at the former Moccasin Den. The victim of the burnt out headlight and subsequent vocal and video encounter with the CPDs finest, that was somehow leaked to the News Media on public television within a few days of the 2021 election, remains a mystery to many citizens. After a defiant public announcement that they would be an opponent for the incumbent in 2025, the receipt of $7.2 million in scholarship funds for less fortunate youngsters may have caused them to rescind their public statement to provide a commitment of service to the 185,000 plus citizens of the Scenic City of the South to assist the less fortunate for the next four years. Of course, if Basil Marceaux (BM) should announce that he is available as a candidate his treasure trove of thousands of votes will necessitate another fundraiser for the announced incumbent's re-election statement made on September 7, 2023, for the 2025 contest. A former Marine Corps veteran (1971-1973) (BM) has run for public office as a Republican candidate on several prior occasions with his last race being for governor of the state of Tennessee in 2010 and he received national media attention with his campaign video becoming a viral hit in late July 2010 airing on MSNBC, the Colbert Report, etc. On a more serious note on BM, his luxurious family estate in the northern part of Hamilton County was heavily damaged in the October 2024 weather that decimated North Carolina. If he cant be encouraged to enter the Gig City top spot race any charitable gifts under the IRS level restrictions ($18,000) will be appreciated. The City Council contests are a little different scenario - a few incumbents have decided that they have given their all for the good of the community and are retiring from the electoral battlefield with the grateful thanks from the citizenry within their district. Fresh public service candidates are eagerly waiting for the opportunity to contribute their real (or perceived) wisdom to move the local Gig Citys reputation forward to new levels of being the unbought title of Best of the Best in 39 new categories (best PFAs sites in Tennessee may be added if the lead contaminated areas in eight neighborhoods can ever be eliminated.) Of course, the present incumbents sitting on the cherished City Council seats may proudly boast of their accomplishments during their reign and minimize any minor negative setbacks in the progressive agenda espoused by the Mayor and the daily re-runs on public television and other cable channels of prior council meetings for the past ? months in non-political showings. A few new aspirants have already qualified for the open slots and there are even a couple of contests pending on the proposed ballot at the Hamilton County Election Commission. There are still opportunities for any public-minded citizen or chronic complainers to enter candidates in the contests before the qualifying deadline of December 19 at 12:00 noon as registered legal candidates for the City (Mayor) or District (Council) positions. The personal satisfaction of representing and serving your community as well as receiving a personal invitation to attend the opening of every restaurant/bar or dirt shoveling event and getting your picture taken in a hard hat are additional benefits and traditions in Choo Choo City elections. (Anyone aspiring to be a public servant should obtain the legitimate and necessary 25 signatures to qualify and be part of the next steps to replace Atlanta or Nashville as the largest booming problem-free locale in the Southeast!) PS: Relax prospective campaign donors. BM is not a registered voter in Choo Choo City but is biding his time with his political machine until the Twin Cities (S-D) can surpass the number 4 Tennessee city in population to run for the top spot. A closer inspection of ash from burned rice hulls, the hard outer layer of rice grains, revealed a form of carbon that could nearly double the energy density of typical lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries. This sustainable source of 'hard' carbon, which outperforms ordinary graphite in battery electrodes, was discovered at the University of Michigan. This is the first demonstration of hard carbon made through combustion. It was previously thought hard carbon could only be made by heating biomass, such as agricultural waste, to about 1200C (2200F) in an oxygen-free environment like nitrogen or argon. Rather than importing graphite mined from China or Mexico, rice hull ash could provide a higher quality domestic material for making battery electrodes. The process is also more sustainable than producing graphite from biomass, which must be heated to 2000C (3600F) or higherproducing five to 10 tons of CO 2 for every ton of battery-grade graphite. Although most rice hulls end up in landfills, burning rice hulls provides a carbon neutral source of electricity. Wadham Energy LP in the Sacramento Valley of California generates 200,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year by burning the agricultural byproductenough energy to power about 22,000 homes. "The CO 2 released while burning rice hulls comes from the same CO 2 the rice plant took up from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, making the electricity produced green and carbon neutral," said Richard Laine, U-M professor of materials science and engineering and macromolecular science and engineering and corresponding author of the study recently published in Advanced Sustainable Systems. With about 20 billion pounds of rice grown annually in the United States, there is plenty of room to scale up. In prior work, the research team demonstrated methods to partially remove the silica in rice hull ash which contains about 90% silica and 10% carbon. That silica can be used to produce high-purity silicon used in solar cells or semiconductors. Once the silica is partially removed from the rice hull ash through a process called depolymerization, the remaining ash is about 60%-70% carbon. The leftover carbon was thought to be shapeless and disorganized, a material called amorphous carbon, based on the patterns made by X-rays shone through the material. However, spectroscopy techniques specialized for molecular-level detail revealed tiny islands of graphite that exist on the nanoscale (for scale, one nanometer is one billionth of a meter) within the amorphous carbon matrix. This blend of amorphous carbon dotted with graphite is called hard carbon. "Hard carbon can be produced by combustion in this case because as you burn away the carbon of rice hulls, you create a shell of silica around the remaining carbon and it bakes it like a pie," Laine said. When testing the electrochemical properties of hard carbon obtained from rice hull ash, it outperformed both commercial hard carbon and graphite as the anode of a lithium-ion battery, the point where charge flows out of the battery. A gram of commercial hard carbon accepts enough lithium to store about 500 milliampere-hours (mAh)a unit of electrical charge often used to describe battery storage capacity. In contrast, a gram of graphite accepts about 370 mAh, meaning hard carbon batteries have about 50% higher energy density. Rice hull ash hard carbon exceeds both, with a storage capacity of more than 700 mAhnearly double that of graphite. The nanoporous structure of the isolated hard carbon is thought to contribute to the increased lithium capacity. Turning agricultural waste into a valuable product, rice hull ash hard carbon can help meet the growing demand for batteries for use in electric vehicles and storing intermittent renewable energy while decreasing both cost and emissions. The team has applied for patent protection with the assistance of U-M Innovation Partnerships and is seeking partners to bring the technology to market. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany also participated in this research through co-author Sylvio Indris. Wadham Energy supplied the rice hull ash used in the research. In December 2024, volunteers gather at the Morris County campus of Liquid Church in Parsippany, New Jersey, to pack meals for those in need. | Photo Credit: Liquid Church New Jersey multisite megachurch 'Liquid Church' coordinated the packing of over 1 million meals to be sent to those in need overseas this holiday season, with the help of thousands of volunteers. The non-denominational Liquid Church coordinated the packing of approximately 1.2 million meals across all its campuses as part of its Christmas Outreach event held over the weekend. The meals are set to be sent to Zambia, where the church is involved in a project called Clean Water Cause. The church's Communications Manager, Brooke Stempert, shared with The Christian Post that more than 6,000 volunteers participated in the effort, which was organized in collaboration with the group Rise Against Hunger. We simply couldn't have done this without an army of incredible volunteers. We have seen an incredible response to our annual Christmas Outreach from the church community and our local communities across New Jersey, said Stempert. All seven of the church's campuses served as meal-packing locations to meet the goal of providing over 1 million meals to feed the hungry this Christmas season. Stempert noted the incredible energy in the room at each of our campuses, adding that volunteers were excited to help make a difference this Christmas season. Christmas is a season of giving and generosity, and we hope that the volunteers who served at our Christmas Outreach feel a sense of excitement and pride to be a part of this, Stempert stated. She emphasized, Alone, we may not be able to do much; but together, we can accomplish [an] incredible amount. Serving others is what the Christmas season is all about. This years total of 1.2 million meals represents the most the church has ever packed for its annual Christmas charity event, surpassing last years total of about 1 million meals. Liquid Church was founded in 2007 by Pastor Tim Lucas and traces its origins to a group of 20-something Christians gathering in a church basement. The churchs website outlines its mission: We believe grace is the great distinctive of the Christian faith, valuing authenticity, love, and sacrificial service. It also states, We believe the Bible is Gods roadmap for life, valuing the communication of Scriptures timeless truth in culturally relevant ways. Abby Church is a City Hall reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at abby.church@houstonchronicle.com. Before coming to the Chronicle, Abby covered Tarrant County government at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. As an Air Force brat, she spent her childhood everywhere, but she claims Virginia as home. She graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and creative writing. Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Salem Ochidi Radical Fulani herdsmen in central Nigeria's Benue state are responsible for the deaths of 48 Christians from November 24 to December 1, Christian Daily International-Morning Star News reports. On December 1, gunmen killed 18 Christians, including women and children, who were on their way to church services in Azege village, Logo County. Before this, on November 24, 30 other Christians were killed in Logo and Katsina-Ala counties. Benjamin Uzenda, a former member of the Logo Local Government Council, stated, The Fulani herdsmen, armed with deadly weapons, shot sporadically on the Christians, butchered some victims with machetes, and destroyed their crops on farmlands. According to Senator Emmanuel Udende of Benue state, since October 22, the herdsmen have also ambushed and killed 15 people in Ayilamo, 25 in Anyiin, and 6 in Uzer village. The killings on November 24 reportedly involved more than 300 armed Fulani herdsmen who attacked predominantly Christian communities in Logo and Katsina-Ala counties. Community leader Joseph Anawah recounted, They overwhelmingly attacked our people, shooting anyone in sight and killing 30 Christians. Clement Kav, chairman of the Logo Local Government Council, confirmed the death toll from the November 24 attacks and noted that 37 others were injured. In a separate incident in neighboring Taraba state, gunmen reportedly killed a pastor and a young woman in their homes. The attacks occurred in Jalingo, the state capital, when armed assailants broke into the residence of Pastor Clement Anthony and that of a student, Titi Edward, on the night of December 6. Abdullahi, a local official, remarked that the gunmen did not kidnap any person or cart away money or any valuables from the two compounds they attacked, suggesting that the attackers might have been Islamic extremists. Dr. Aminu Jauro Hassan, chairman of the Jalingo Local Government Council, visited the families of the victims, stating that the two were killed without provocation. He expressed condolences, emphasizing his commitment to supporting the community during these challenging times. The violence in Taraba state has been attributed to herdsmen and other terrorist groups. On December 5, two family members of Taraba state Governor Kefas Agbu, a Christian, were attacked while commuting; his mother, Jumai Kefas, and sister, Atsi Kefas, were shot and sustained injuries in Wukari County. The scale of violence against Christians in Nigeria is alarming, as reported by Open Doors 2024 World Watch List (WWL). Nigeria was cited as the deadliest place globally for Christians, with 4,118 killed for their faith between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023. The country experienced the highest number of kidnappings of Christians in the world, with a staggering 3,300 incidents. Additionally, Nigeria ranked third in the number of attacks on churches and Christian buildings, including hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, totaling 750. In the 2024 WWL rankings, Nigeria remained the sixth most difficult country to be a Christian, consistent with the previous years findings. The Forest Level Baptist Church in Virginia has collapsed following an explosion that occurred on December 9, 2024. | Photo Credit: Facebook/ Bedford Fire Department The Forest Level Baptist Church, a 151-year-old church in Virginia, is calling for community prayers following a massive explosion that severely damaged it on Monday night. Marcin Wilson, pastor of the Forest Level Baptist Church, expressed his concerns to WDBJ 7, stating, Right now, we are just asking for the community to pray for us. Of course, we are early in our planning period. He mentioned that a meeting is being scheduled with the churchs leadership team to devise a way forward. The Bedford Fire Department responded to reports of the explosion at the church on Bateman Bridge Road around 11 p.m. Firefighters discovered smoke and fire in the basement, along with a large hole in the first floor. Bedford Fire Marshal Leo George informed ABC 13 that the explosion resulted from a liquid petroleum gas leak that had filled the basement and partially reached the church's first floor. When something kicked on and ignited, it gave that spark, George explained, noting that fire officials were attempting to identify which appliance may have sparked the fire. We are working to get the building secure and stable so we can get in and find out which component of which device was leaking the LP gas. We dont have any reason to believe it was anything other than an accident, he added. Despite the explosion causing significant structural damage and partially blowing out some of the church's walls, no injuries were reported. George commented, We know things are going to happen; we are just happy no one was injured. Buildings can be replaced. We wish the church the best. Pastor Wilson acknowledged that while the explosion made our hearts sad, it would not hinder the work God is doing through the church. Its got a rich heritage, and we thank God for it, he said. We intend to rebuild and refocus and to continue to do what God has purposed for the church. Home News Former pastor arrested for sending nude photos to teenager James McMillan, the former pastor of Slaughterville Baptist Church and First Baptist Church of Konawa in Oklahoma, who was arrested last month after he was accused of lewd or indecent acts with a child younger than 16, was arrested again on Monday for allegedly sending a nude photo of himself to a 14-year-old girl. McMillans most recent arrest stems from an incident that happened in March 2023, KFOR reported. He is no longer pastoring at any church. Citing court documents, the 14-year-olds father said his daughter told him about the photo McMillan sent her and he reported him to local police. It wasn't until he reached out to an Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics officer in October that he saw any action on the case. 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 My daughter had come to me and let me know that she had received a nude picture from a grown man, the victims father recalled. He explained that his daughter and McMillans son had previously attended school together, and his daughter believes McMillan likely used his sons Snapchat account to look up her name because of her security settings. She eventually accepted a friend request from McMillan. According to court documents, a friend of the teenage victim alleged that McMillan was a pedophile when she learned of his friend request. The victim countered the allegation, saying that she would screenshot any communication that crossed the line and report it to police. McMillan soon sent the victim an unsolicited photo of himself flexing in a mirror, to which she responded something to the effect of trying to get them gains. The former pastor then allegedly asked if she might want to see more and sent her his nude photo before she could respond. He just sent the fully nude picture, the victims father said. There was no request or anything like that for it. When McMillan later learned she was 14, he blocked her on Snapchat, which erased their messaging history. The teenager had the screenshot, however. Hes clearly proven that he has a problem with this and wont, you know, wont stop, the victims father said. Hes somebody thats truly a danger to our society. Court documents cited by KOCO News 5 show that the former pastor has been listed as a sexual abuse suspect in multiple Department of Human Services and law enforcement cases dating back to 2003. In the charges leveled against him in late November, McMillan allegedly unzipped his pants and touched himself in front of an underage minor while driving down a Cleveland County highway. His bond after his arrest on Monday was set at $450,000. Lonnie Holland, who told KOCO News that he attended Slaughterville Baptist Church when McMillan became the lead pastor around 2018, said he wasnt surprised by the arrests. "This man needs to be locked up in prison where he can't have any more victims," Holland said. "He needs to be held accountable for what he has done." Home News Freed hostage Aviva Siegel shares horrors of Hamas captivity, says she 'touched death' WASHINGTON Former hostage Aviva Siegel was still in pajamas when Hamas militants stormed into her home, breaking her husbands ribs and dragging the pair to Gaza, where the terrorists starved their captives and abused young female prisoners. On that fateful day, Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists kidnapped 63-year-old Siegel and her husband, Keith, from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel. It was very difficult for me to understand at the beginning what I was doing in Gaza in my pajamas, Siegel told The Christian Post in an interview this week. We just didnt understand because were peacemakers. We want good for the whole world, and we want good for the people who live in Gaza. 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 Despite her release during a temporary ceasefire last year, Siegels husband, an Israeli-American citizen, is still a hostage in Gaza. The former captive is now traveling the globe to advocate for the freedom of the remaining hostages, as she knows firsthand what theyre likely going through. They took us from this world, she told CP. We werent allowed to feel; we werent allowed to cry. Ill never understand the brutal way the terrorists treated Keith and me. I was scared all of the time they were going to kill us. They just did what they wanted; they played with our lives. The events leading up to the couple's abduction began with a missile attack on the morning of Oct. 7, which Siegel noted was not an abnormal occurrence. Living in southern Israel near the border of Gaza, attacks like these are a part of one's everyday life. At the time, Siegel and her husband thought nothing of it, and they proceeded to a bomb shelter, figuring they'd be able to exit soon and continue with their day. After hearing an explosion, the two stepped out of the shelter, thinking the attack had ended. 'Feels like the end of the world' When she stepped out of the shelter, Siegel saw from the window a barrage of missiles launched from Gaza headed into Israel. "I remember running back to the little shelter, looking at Keith in his eyes, and saying, 'What's happening? It feels like the end of the world. It feels like maybe a war is starting,'" she remembered. "And I was scared. I was shaking, not understanding what was happening." Later, Siegel learned that Hamas, the terror group that has controlled the neighboring Gaza Strip since 2007, killed over 60 members of her kibbutz community gunning down parents, the elderly, as well as women and children. Reports also surfaced of people burning to death in their homes as a result of the Hamas attacks, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 individuals and the capture of over 250 hostages, mostly civilians. As Siegel tried to relax in the safe room with her husband comforting her, the two heard people speaking Arabic outside. They came to understand Hamas was in the kibbutz. The terrorists started shooting at the house, and once the couple heard them walking around inside, Siegel stood up and screamed. The shelter, designed to defend people from rocket attacks, could not protect the husband and wife from the armed terrorists who stormed their house. Hamas members forced Siegel's husband to his feet, tearing his shirt, and they pushed the couple out of the safe room. "They broke [Keith's] ribs, and they shot his hand," the wife and grandmother recalled. "We arrived in Gaza, and Keith was bleeding. He was in terrible, terrible pain." That same morning, the Siegels' daughter, Elan, was on vacation in Eilat with her three children, 9, 7 and 5 at the time. While on vacation, the family heard some news about missiles and a terrorist attack, and Elan started texting with her parents, who assured her that they were fine. "Around 10 a.m., we stopped receiving messages from them," Elan Siegel told CP. "My dad wrote to us that the battery of his cell phone was running low, so we figured it was off, and they were in the safe room." Hoping for the best The family learned later that terrorists had invaded Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and they were shooting at the Israeli military from rooftops to stop them from rescuing residents. When the Israeli military finally made it inside the Siegels' house later that day, they found it empty. "So when we heard the house is empty, we figured maybe they were hiding in the bushes around the house," Elan told CP. "Or, maybe they managed to rescue themselves, and they're in some hospital in the region." In the afternoon on Oct. 8, one of the Siegels' neighbors in the kibbutz told Elan that they saw armed individuals taking her parents away. Hamas also published videos of its "successes" on Oct. 7, according to the daughter. One two-minute video showed her father's car passing the border into Gaza, and Elan knew for sure then that her parents had been kidnapped. The terrorists drove the Siegels to Gaza in the couple's own vehicle. When they arrived, Aviva Siegel remembered how a crowd of Gazan civilians clapped and cheered as Hamas walked by with their captives. She started crying, wondering where Hamas was taking them and what sort of fate awaited them. During her time as a hostage, Hamas moved the kibbutz residents to a new location 13 times. One of the locations was a large building that contained expensive furnishings and a bathroom the color of gold. A United Nations van was parked outside, and a cupboard inside held multiple pairs of shoes, both for children and adults. The former hostage didn't know what the building was, but she figured it must have been an expensive school. She never had the chance to find out, as her captors only kept the husband and wife there for one day before moving them again. Home News More than $50K raised for Luigi Mangiones defense as Catholic background is revealed A GiveSendGo campaign has raised more than $50,000 for the legal defense of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who was arrested and charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as others have been yanked offline after raising thousands of dollars to support the Ivy League graduate. As of Thursday afternoon, the GiveSendGo campaign had raised more than $54,000 of a $200,000 goal. "This is a preemptive legal fundraiser for the suspect allegedly involved in the shooting of the United Healthcare CEO. We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation," the campaign organizers note. 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 The organizers say they have a mailing address for Mangione and are writing to him to "open a line of communication." Mangione is currently in custody at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon SCI Huntingdon, the state's oldest continually operating prison, which opened in 1889. "In future letters, we will send printouts of selected comments from this fundraising page. All proceeds will be sent directly to Luigi or, if he chooses to reject the funds, they will instead be donated to legal funds for other U.S political prisoners," the GiveSendGo campaign organizers wrote. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday after an employee at a McDonald's recognized him and called the police. He was found with fake identification, a weapon like the one seen being used in a video of Thompson's murder, along with a manifesto criticizing the healthcare industry, The New York Times reported. Thompson had served as the chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, from April 2021 until his murder on Dec. 4 in Midtown, Manhattan. On Monday, Mangione's family released a statement offering prayers to Thompson's family and "all involved" in the shooting. "Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione. We only know what we have read in the media," Nino Mangione, a cousin of the murder suspect and an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates, wrote on Facebook. "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson, and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news." Support for the 26-year-old murder suspect has grown, causing major fundraising site GoFundMe and e-commerce retailer Etsy to pull efforts to support him. Many of the donors to the GiveSendGo campaign did so anonymously but expressed deep frustration with the healthcare industry while calling Mangione a "hero." "I was 6 when I was diagnosed with cancer. I watched as my parents suffered under medical bills not covered by insurance. Once we [came] back from treatment to see people in our yard bidding on our house," an anonymous donor who contributed $50 to Mangione's legal defense wrote. "A neighbor had to liquidate their 401(k) to ensure we had a place to sleep. It took mom and dad 20 years of tireless work to get out from under the debt, but I am here now to say you are a hero." In addition to monetary donations, the GiveSendGo campaign is also accepting prayerful support through a "Pray" button. When that button is clicked, James 5:16 pops up. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective," a translation of the Scripture says. In a statement responding to the Mangione fundraisers, a spokesperson for GiveSendGo told ABC News the company "operates with a principle of not preemptively determining guilt or innocence." "Our platform does not adjudicate legal matters or the validity of causes," the spokesperson said. "Instead, we allow campaigns to remain live unless they violate the specific terms outlined in our Terms of Use. Importantly, we do allow campaigns for legal defense funds, as we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to access due process." The murder suspect, a graduate of the Gilman School, a prestigious boys prep school in North Baltimore, Maryland, also attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied engineering. While not much has been stated about Mangione's faith, his Italian family has deep ties to the Catholic Church in Baltimore, according to the National Catholic Reporter. In an April 18 post on X, he lamented the decline of Christianity in the West, noting:" Horror vacui (nature abhors a vacuum). Relevant read, 'Christianity's decline has unleashed terrible new gods.'" Mangione's paternal grandparents, Nicholas Bernard Mangione Sr. and his wife, Mary, who served on the board of trustees at Loyola University Maryland, reportedly funded the acquisition of the St. John's Bible on permanent display at the Jesuit university's library. The university's fitness and aquatic center is also named after the 26-year-old's family. "Loyola is a stronger institution thanks to the transformational ways Mary and her family have contributed to our Jesuit, Catholic university," Brian Oakes, Loyola's vice president for advancement, said when Mary Mangione died in March 2023, according to the report. "Several of her children and grandchildren earned Loyola degrees," Terrence Sawyer, president of Loyola College, also said. Mary Mangione, he noted, "believed passionately in the value of Catholic Jesuit education." Home News Arab Bishop tells Islamic rebels that Christians can't be 'second-class citizens' in Syria Leaders of churches and ecclesial communities in Syria met with representatives of the armed Islamic-led rebel groups that seized control of the country amid fears that Christians could face persecution or strict regulations that could disrupt their faith life. Monday's meeting in Aleppo followed the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime's rule earlier this month after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist group linked with Al-Qaeda, seized various cities. The rebels captured Damascus days after the takeover of Aleppo and Hama. Religious leaders met with the Islamic-led forces at the Franciscan church and convent, which is also the location of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Catholics of the Latin Rite. 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 An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in places where a diocese has not yet been established. "We were all present: bishops, priests and religious," Chaldean Jesuit Bishop Antoine Audo of Alep told Fides in a statement. Reflecting on Monday's summit, Audo described it as a "positive meeting." The Islamist forces reportedly assured Christian leaders during the meeting that they would not attempt to change or regulate ecclesiastical communities by, for example, implementing rules against boys and girls studying together at school. According to Audo, the new forces claimed they wanted to "build trust by respecting [their] traditions and [their] prayers." "I told them that we, as Arab Christians, represent a unique reality in history and in the world. I recalled some examples of the history of Muslim Arabs with Christians and the contribution of Christians to this history," Audo said. "I added that the status of the 'dhimmi' (non-Muslim members of a state guided by Islamic law, ed.) can be interpreted both negatively and positively, that Christians cannot be second-class citizens and that we must work together," the bishop continued. "They seemed very interested in these considerations." Despite these assurances, however, watchdog groups have expressed concerns about the potential dangers Christians in the region could now face. David Curry, CEO of Global Christian Relief, shared that the group has maintained a network on the ground in Syria for the last two years. In an interview with The Christian Post, Curry revealed that the Islamic rebel forces stole humanitarian aid that GCR had delivered to churches in the area weeks before the takeover. "We've continuously been delivering aid the last two years, but the stock that we have now, some of it has been captured by these rebels," the GCR CEO said. "There's still some that remains; we're going to distribute that as cautiously as we possibly can to people who are now on the run, but the reality is this is a very dangerous area right now for Christians." The advocate also highlighted Aleppo's declining Christian population, the result of fewer believers feeling safe in a place that historically has always been the "center for Christian faith in Syria." Curry predicted that this trend would only continue, especially now that HTS-led rebels have taken over. "Considered a terrorist organization, they have, in less than two weeks, ethnically cleansed the northwest of Syria including Aleppo and beyond of Kurds and Christians," Curry said. "Despite public protestations to the contrary, we can expect them to extend their campaign to the rest of the country." Curry said that when the civil war in Syria began more than a decade ago, Christians constituted approximately 10% of the population, which was about 1.5 million people. After years of constant fighting and persecution perpetuated by jihadist radicals, however, that number has dwindled to just 300,000. In addition to the report of the rebels stealing food, other reports have emerged of bread shortages and a lack of drinking water following the seizing of Aleppo. While many Christians have fled, those who remain are now subjected to curfews imposed by the rebel forces. These restrictions have left many Christians feeling vulnerable. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, told CP in a statement earlier this month that the next few days and weeks "will be crucial for the fate of [the] Christian community." Home News Supreme Court to decide if Catholic Charities can claim tax exemption The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in a case surrounding the Catholic Charities Bureaus fight to have a religious tax exemption in Wisconsin. In a miscellaneous order released Friday, the Supreme Court granted without comment a petition for a writ of certiorari in the case of Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor Review Commission et al. Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, a law firm helping to represent Catholic Charities, said in a statement released Friday that he was hopeful the high court would rule in their favor. 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 Wisconsin is trying to make sure no good deed goes unpunished, stated Rassbach. Penalizing Catholic Charities for serving Catholics and non-Catholics alike is ridiculous and wrong. We are confident the Supreme Court will reject the Wisconsin Supreme Courts absurd ruling. In 2016, the Catholic Charities Bureau asked the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to exempt it from having to pay into the state unemployment insurance program because of its religious nature. The WDW declined the request, arguing that Catholic Charities was not primarily religious in nature. The charity appealed to an administrative law judge, who reversed the earlier ruling. The WDW then petitioned the Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, which ruled against Catholic Charities, arguing that their activities were chiefly secular and, therefore, did not qualify for a religious exemption. In March, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that Catholic Charities did not fit the definition of a religious entity and, because of this, was ineligible for the religious exemption. Justice Ann Walsh Bradley authored the majority opinion, concluding that the charity was "not operated primarily for religious purposes" and had to pay into the unemployment insurance program. "CCB and the sub-entities, which are organized as separate corporations apart from the church itself, neither attempt to imbue program participants with the Catholic faith nor supply any religious materials to program participants or employees," Bradley wrote. "An objective examination of the actual activities of CCB and the sub-entities reveals that their activities are secular in nature." In August, Catholic Charities filed a petition to the Supreme Court, which noted that while all agree Catholic Charities is controlled by a church the Diocese of Superior the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that Catholic Charities is not 'operated primarily for religious purposes' and thus does not qualify for the tax exemption. "Religious bodies like Petitioners are deeply affected, having to pay unemployment taxes that otherwise could be helping the needy, continued the petition. Moreover, because Petitioners are forced to pay into the state unemployment compensation program, they cannot participate in their church's own unemployment compensation system along with Wisconsin dioceses, including the Diocese of Superior itself." Home News Swiss parents face potential criminal charges for not supporting daughter's trans identity The highest court in Switzerland has ruled that two parents from Geneva must embrace their 17-year-old daughter's sex change or face potential criminal charges after she was taken from them. The parents, who have remained anonymous, appealed to the 38-member Swiss Federal Supreme Court after two lower courts mandated that the girl's documents must be handed over to change her sex, according to Alliance Defending Freedom International, which is providing them legal assistance. BREAKING: Swiss Supreme Court rules parents separated from daughter for refusing to endorse her gender 'transition' must enable their childs legal 'sex change' under threat of criminal charges. Video of parents explaining their story ???? Press release in ???? pic.twitter.com/gk1ByQRats Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe December 7, 2024 After her parents declined to put her on puberty blockers and objected to their daughter's school attempting to socially transition her, the school reportedly called the Swiss child welfare agency, and the school and the agency brought a case against the parents in court. The girl was removed from her parents' custody and placed in a government shelter when she was 16, according to ADF International. Despite arguing that the Swiss Federal Constitution and international law allowed them to oppose their daughter's gender transition, the high court maintained that they were not permitted to intervene in the case because of the country's separation of powers. "The situation complained of cannot therefore be remedied by interpretation. Nor can it be concluded that there is a loophole per se that would have to be filled by the courts," the court said. "It would therefore be up to the federal legislature, if necessary, to amend the system as it currently stands under the Act, from which the Federal Court cannot derogate, since it is not its role to interfere in matters that are the responsibility of the federal legislature. It follows that the complaint must be dismissed." The girl's father said they were "heartbroken" over the court's ruling, according to ADF International. "We love our daughter and only want whats best for her. We know this decision is not in her best interest," he said. "That we could face criminal charges for simply trying to care for our daughter shows how deeply embedded transgender ideology is in Swiss institutions and the real harms it causes. We are considering our next steps." The parents are reportedly weighing the possibility of appealing the case again to the higher European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. "Children who experience discomfort with their biological sex deserve to be treated with dignity and need compassionate mental health care, which these parents have gone to great lengths to provide," Felix Boellmann, who is serving as the lead lawyer on the case for ADF International, said in July. "As a result, they are now living every parents worst nightmare. Their child has been taken away from them simply for trying to protect her from harm," he added. The case has drawn worldwide attention, including from X CEO Elon Musk, who tweeted about it in July. "This is insane. This suicidal mind virus is spreading throughout Western Civilization," wrote Musk, who has claimed his own son was overtaken by the "woke mind virus" that convinced him he's trans. The case in Switzerland comes as the U.S. Supreme Court recently heard the case of United States vs. Skrmetti, which will determine the constitutionality of a Tennessee law that prohibits the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to treat gender dysphoria in minors. Similar laws exist in 23 other states, and the court's decision in the case could have an effect on such state laws. Home Opinion Syrias fall: Stability in Middle East now unattainable? Seeing the downfall of the Assad regime is a momentous occasion. The joy and relief in the streets of Damascus are evident as people celebrate their newfound freedom. It serves as a strong reminder of the resilience and courage of the Syrian people. Since 1971, the people of Syria, especially the Sunni majority, have lived under the authoritarian rule of the Assad family. Bashar al-Assad took over the presidency in 2000 following the tragic death of his older brother, Bassel, in a car accident. When Assad came to power as a member of the Alawite Shiite minority, it complicated the situation in Syria. The already intricate political landscape became even more challenging due to the alliance between Shiites and Iran, particularly through Hezbollah, which encompasses various Shiite factions. 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 In forging a strategic partnership during the critical years of 2005 to 2009, Syria and Iran committed to mutual support against what they termed common enemies. This alliance eventually led to the Arab Spring and ignited a wave of protests in 2011, leading to a brutal civil war in Syria. Russia's involvement only intensified the conflict, as its alliance with Iran strengthened its military capabilities. However, as with any major change, this celebration has its fair share of uncertainty. As I stood in solidarity with the Syrian people, it didnt take long for me to wonder what the fall of the Assad regime signifies for the many terrorist groups competing for power in the region. For example, I wonder what kind of leadership the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) will offer in its place. The HTS is an Islamist militant rebel group led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who has declared himself the next leader of Syria and has direct ties to al-Qaeda. In my opinion, thats not giving much hope to the Syrian people. But thats not Syrias only problem. To the east, a Kurdish-led rebel army has taken control of Deir El-Zour. Its also important to acknowledge the ongoing presence of ISIS in Syria. This region holds a significant allure for them, as their apocalyptic beliefs suggest that the prophet Jesus will return for a climactic battle in Dabiq, Syria, signaling the approach of the end times. Considering the unrest among the Syrian people and the rivalry among various terrorist groups for power, its clear why countries like Turkey, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are staying alert. They are closely watching the situation in Syria and are aware of the uncertainty surrounding what these developments could mean for the region's stability. Another key player deeply affected by the instability in Syria is our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel. They have a lot at stake and are actively working to secure their borders and safeguard their interests in the region. Given that Syria shares a northern border with Israel and the rise of many rebel factions is gaining ground, Israeli troops swiftly seized control of the Golan Heights in an effort, as Benjamin Netanyahu stated, to ensure Israels security and sovereignty. According to The Times of Israel, Israeli Air Force and Navy strike missile depots, naval vessels, fighter jets and more to ensure they dont fall into the wrong hands. There are countless reasons why the situation in Syria should resonate with all of us. For years, the Syrian people have endured unimaginable heartache, oppression, and turmoil at the hands of dictators. While we enjoy our freedoms, lets take a moment to reflect on their plight and pray for a day when they, along with the millions of refugees, can experience true and lasting freedom in their homeland. Additionally, Syria holds a crucial position in the Middle East, having been a launchpad for numerous attacks on Israel. Without peace in Syria, true stability in the region seems almost unattainable. Finally, lets not forget that Damascus, Syrias capital, is one of the oldest cities in the world. It holds great significance in the context of biblical prophecy, as outlined in Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49. There are many reasons why we should genuinely care and keep praying for peace in Syria. Ultimately, we should also pray for the return of Jesus Christ, the only One with the power to heal our world and bring everlasting peace. Lets not ignore whats happening; instead, lets engage with compassion and urgency. Home Opinion Trump's Cabinet picks: When did this all begin and why President-elect Trump rapidly released a list of individuals nominated to serve in his new administration. While not all of these appointments are cabinet level positions, it is important to understand the history, purpose and makeup of this inner circle of presidential advisors. The presidents Cabinet includes officers of the executive branch departments and is a vital and foundational element of the United States government. Though the word cabinet is not mentioned in the Constitution, it does state that the president may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices ... The framers of the Constitution knew that the Commander in Chief of this new nation would need to consult with advisors, and thus provided a framework in Article II, Section 2, leaving the first president to determine how to implement. 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 As Americas first president, George Washington was aware that this fledgling Republic faced many domestic and international challenges that he should not attempt to tackle alone. Being a man of faith, perhaps Washington had reflected on the words of King Solomon: Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors, they succeed (Prov. 15:22). As an experienced leader, Washington sought to surround himself with men of varied viewpoints and perspectives, which would result in greater efficiency in reaching better policies. Washington therefore applied Article II, Section 2 by establishing the first Cabinet with Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of Treasury, Henry Knox as Secretary of War, and Edmond Randolph as Attorney General. Washingtons cabinet gave precedent to how Americas Executive Branch would respond to national challenges and left a legacy that would be duplicated by every president since. Understanding the Presidential Cabinet Purpose Todays cabinet consists of 15 members who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, 16 counting the Vice President (who was not added to the Cabinet until the 20th century). Their role is to advise the president on various matters that are related to their respective offices or duties. Other Cabinet-level appointees (who do not require Senate approval), such as the presidents chief of staff, may also be included in the Cabinet at each presidents discretion. Qualifications A member of the presidential cabinet cannot be a member of Congress or a sitting governor, per Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution: No person holding any office under the United States shall be a member of either house during his continuance in office. Sitting governors, U.S. senators, and members of the House of Representatives must resign before being sworn in as a member of the Cabinet. Vacancies created by those resignations will create a unique opportunity for voters in 2025, as most will need to be filled through special elections. (In some instances, states give authority to the governor to appoint a replacement for a federal-level vacancy.) Process The president nominates cabinet officers, who are then presented to the U.S. Senate for confirmation or rejection on a simple majority vote. If approved, the nominee must be sworn in and begin their duties. Since its beginning, there have only been nine Cabinet nominees rejected after a full floor vote. Another 12 Cabinet nominations have either withdrawn during the process in the Senate or did not proceed due to Senate inaction. There have been over 500 Cabinet nominations honored by the Senate since 1789, illustrating a high level of successful nominations. Washingtons legacy President Washingtons formation of the cabinet has proven to be a valuable asset to the executive branch and to the nation. Cabinet members have helped define history. Abraham Lincoln picked secretaries who helped keep the union together; FDR chose workers-rights advocate Frances Perkins as Secretary of Labor to help with the implementation of the New Deal; and after 9/11, George W. Bush added Tom Ridge, head of the newly created Department of Homeland Security, to help with the national war on terror. Departments which comprise the U.S. cabinet Each of the cabinet members is not only responsible for their areas of expertise but they also make up part of the line of succession to the presidency. We hear daily of the Trump administrations next choices for cabinet members and understanding the purpose of the cabinet as a whole and for each position becomes an important part of being an informed citizen. As the appointments are confirmed and special elections are called to fill the vacancies, iVoterGuide will bring you all the information you need to vote wisely! Home News In historic first, Nativity scene goes on display at US Capitol Event marks end of years-long legal battle For the first time in history, a Nativity scene was displayed on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Tuesday, marking what organizers say is a milestone for religious freedom and the First Amendment. The display, accompanied by prayer, Christmas carols and a reading of the Christmas story, was made possible by a landmark federal court decision that granted Rev. Patrick Mahoney and his supporters the right to peacefully celebrate the Christmas season on Capitol grounds. Held on the southeastern steps of the Capitol, the display was the culmination of a legal battle that began over a decade ago when Mahoney, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Christian Defense Coalition, faced repeated threats of arrest for his attempts to read the Christmas story from the Bible and hold a Nativity display at the Capitol Christmas tree. 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 On Wednesday, Mahoney shared his gratitude for the chance to share the message of Christmas in such a politically significant location. Sue Dorfman, a photographer for ZUMA Press, captured the moment with an image of the Nativity scene at the Capitol. 7 months ago, we would've been arrested for having this Nativity Display on the steps of the US Capitol. However, we won an historic federal lawsuit through the incredible work of the Center for American Liberty which allowed us on the steps! @Liberty_Ctr@pnjaban pic.twitter.com/0yObLMhCvw Rev. Patrick Mahoney (@revmahoney) December 11, 2024 Mahoney wrote on X: "7 months ago, we would've been arrested for having this Nativity Display on the steps of the US Capitol. However, we won an historic federal lawsuit through the incredible work of the Center for American Liberty which allowed us on the steps!" In his post, Mahoney tagged civil rights advocate Center for American Liberty Executive Director Mark Trammell and Harmeet Dhillon, a California civil rights attorney nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for a similar role at the U.S. Department of Justice. In a statement, Mahoney offered his gratitude for making history. "We are so very thankful for the opportunity to share the joyful and powerful message of Christmas at the steps of the U.S. Capitol," Mahoney said. "In a hurting and wounded world, there is no more redemptive and healing message than the Christmas story." The road to this historic moment was paved by Mahoney's 2022 federal lawsuit, which challenged the Capitol's restrictions on public demonstrations. Despite the federal government's resistance, Mahoney argued that the U.S. Capitol a place symbolic of democracy and freedom should be a space where all Americans can exercise their First Amendment rights, including the freedom to express religious beliefs. In his lawsuit, Mahoney stated, "The 'People's House,' as the U.S. Capitol Building is so rightly called, must be a place where all Americans are afforded the right to come and peacefully celebrate and express their First Amendment rights. Tragically, those rights and freedoms are being denied and prohibited." He contended that while lawmakers, media, lobbyists and tourists were free to enter and use the Capitol grounds, his own request for a peaceful demonstration was denied. Mahoney had sought permission to hold a Good Friday service, praying for peace, religious freedom and the healing of nations. In May 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in Mahoney's favor, declaring the Capitol steps to be a public forum where peaceful demonstrations could no longer be prohibited. This decision set a precedent that ensured the steps of the Capitol could be used for public expressions of religious faith, including the display of a Nativity scene. "This is also a significant victory for religious freedom and the First Amendment," Mahoney said in a statement. "This event has ended and won the war on Christmas in the public square. For if Christmas can be celebrated and displayed in the most powerful public square in America, it can be celebrated publicly everywhere." Home News Most Evangelicals believe social media is harmful to their faith, but use it anyway: study Although a majority of Evangelicals believe social media use is more harmful than helpful to their faith, they use them anyway, according to a new report by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research. And the more spiritually engaged they are, the more social media platforms they tend to use. The recently released report, Helpful or Harmful? Evangelicals and Social Media, was produced from data collected from 1,039 Evangelical Protestants earlier this year. Like Americans in general, Evangelicals ranked Facebook, 81%, as their top social media platform, followed by YouTube, 71%; Instagram, 45%; TikTok, 35%; and Pinterest, 28%. 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 Some 54% of Evangelicals reported that even though they believe social media is more harmful than helpful, they still use the platforms anyway. And the main reason Evangelicals cited for saying social media is more harmful than helpful is because the platforms are loaded with harmful, dangerous, worldly content. Thirty-four percent of respondents in the report cited this as their top reason. Another 29% of Evangelicals said social media is harmful in general and not just to Christians. Some Christians, about 15%, cited the potential of social media to negatively influence people regarding their faith. Others cited factors such as false doctrine, misinformation about Christianity and the harassment of Christians. Among Evangelicals overall, 58% believe social media is more harmful than helpful to the Christian faith in the U.S., while 42% believe the opposite. The top reason Evangelicals gave for saying social media is more helpful is the ability to use the platforms for evangelism. Some 47% of Evangelical supporters of social media cited this as a positive feature. Another 18% said social media allowed them to connect with Christian content more easily, while others pointed to the ability to create communities. Salt savors and preserves our food and is necessary for life; too much can kill. Opioids can relieve intense pain but are highly addictive and have destroyed many lives. Even something as basic as water is necessary for all life but flooding can devastate communities, and over 300,000 people worldwide drown each year. From the responses we received in this study, social media is much the same, the researchers said. Some [E]vangelicals talk glowingly of how it (social media) has allowed them to talk to others about Jesus, build their own faith through study or encouragement, and develop greater community with other believers. Others bash social media as shallow, distracting, untrue, seductive, and even evil. It certainly seems that, in many cases, both perspectives are correct. Social media is a tool that can both spread the Gospel and spread lies, encourage, and depress, teach and distract. The findings of Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research come as a new Pew Research Center survey released Thursday on U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10 show how many of them say they are online on social media almost constantly due to their access to smartphones. YouTube remains the most popular social media platform for teenagers, with some 90% reporting using it, followed by TikTok, 63%; Instagram, 61%; and Snapchat, 55% to round out the top five platforms. Overall, 73% of teens say they go on YouTube daily, making YouTube the most widely used and visited platform we asked about. This share includes 15% who describe their use as almost constant. About six-in-10 visit TikTok daily. This includes 16% who report being on it almost constantly, Pew researchers note. The data show that teenage girls are more likely than boys to say they use TikTok "almost constantly," while teen boys are more likely than girls to use YouTube as often. While they acknowledge the challenges social media presents to Christians, researchers with Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research believe church leaders can provide guidance to their congregants to encourage more discerning engagement on social platforms. While social media presents challenges, it also offers tremendous opportunities for [E]vangelicals to shine the light of Christ in a vast digital landscape. With intentional guidance from church leaders, and a spirit of discernment, social media can become a powerful tool for spreading the Gospel, building community, and encouraging fellow believers, the researchers noted. By using it thoughtfully and prayerfully, Christians can navigate its challenges while seizing the opportunity to make a positive impact for the kingdom of God in this digital age. Home News Nancy Pelosi injured at Battle of the Bulge event Former Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was injured in Luxembourg while attending an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the World War II Battle of the Bulge. In a statement issued Friday, Pelosi spokesperson Ian Krager said the former House speaker "sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation." "Pelosi is currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals," stated Krager. "She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the CODEL engagements to honor the courage of our servicemembers during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nation's history." 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 "Pelosi conveys her thanks and praise to our veterans and gratitude to people of Luxembourg and Bastogne for their service in World War II and their role in bringing peace to Europe." Krager said Pelosi is "honored to travel with the distinguished delegation, many of whom had family members who fought in World War II including her uncle, Johnny." The Battle of the Bulge was an offensive begun in December 1944 by Axis forces in Western Europe as a failed effort to push back the Allied advance to Germany. Elected to Congress in 1987, Pelosi made history in 2007 when she became the first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after the Democrats took control of the lower house. In November 2022, shortly after the midterm elections in which Republicans again regained control of the House, Pelosi announced that she was not going to seek a Democratic leadership position while she continued to serve in Congress. "I have enjoyed working with three presidents, achieving historic investments in clean energy with President George Bush, transformative healthcare reform with President Barack Obama, and forging the future from infrastructure to healthcare to climate action with President Joe Biden," she stated. During her 2022 speech, Pelosi cited Ecclesiastes 3, stating, "for everything, there is a season." She said she planned to keep her seat in Congress, representing the San Francisco area. "With great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress," she added. "For me, the hour's come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect." A practicing Catholic, Pelosi has often found herself at odds with some Church leaders over her pro-choice stance on abortion, with some clergy saying that she should not receive communion. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, who oversees the regional body where Pelosi worships, wrote a letter in 2022 instructing Pelosi not to receive communion unless she opted to "repudiate her support for abortion rights." In an interview with The National Catholic Reporter published earlier this month, however, Pelosi said she has still been able to receive the sacrament during mass. "My Catholic faith is, Christ is my savior," Pelosi told NCR. "It has nothing to do with the bishops." Home News SC Supreme Court weighs if Catholic diocese must pay damages in child sex abuse case South Carolina's Supreme Court is considering whether the Catholic Diocese of Charleston is exempt from paying damages resulting from lawsuits after an anonymous man accused the diocese of covering up his sexual abuse at the hands of two teachers in the 1970s. The case stems from a lawsuit filed in 2018 against the diocese and the local bishop by an unnamed man from Charleston. According to the filing, the "John Doe" alleges that two teachers sexually assaulted him in 1970 while he was a student at what was then called Sacred Heart Catholic School. 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 In his lawsuit, the man asserted claims for relief based on the alleged sexual abuse at the school operated by the respondents named in the complaint. The diocese has claimed charitable immunity, arguing that under this legal doctrine, it is exempt from having to pay damages based on the conduct of its staff members. While a state appeals court initially upheld a lower court decision siding with the diocese, the South Carolina Supreme Court reviewed the case on Tuesday, WBTW-TV reports. The state's highest court repealed the doctrine granting charitable organizations immunity from liability in 1981. However, the allegations raised in John Doe's case predate the 1981 ruling. During arguments on Tuesday, Richard Dukes, the attorney representing the Diocese of Charleston, asserted that the court should uphold charitable immunity in this case. "In Caughman vs. Columbia YMCA, where the court was asked to consider the applicability of the workers comp statutes to charitable entities, and they acknowledged that it was well settled in this state that charities are entitled to full immunity from tort liability," he said. An attorney for the plaintiff argued Tuesday that his client seeks compensation from the diocese because his alleged abusers are now deceased, according to The Post and Courier. The plaintiff's attorneys claim that the diocese is guilty of negligence and other crimes. These alleged crimes include a breach of fiduciary duty, the intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraudulent concealment, civil conspiracy, negligent retention or supervision, breach of contract and breach of contract accompanied by a fraudulent act. "The allegations here are that the diocese is liable for what the diocese has done," the plaintiff's attorney, John Richardson, said. "We don't need to breach the question of whether they could be liable for the potential for what somebody has done." The Catholic Diocese of Charleston did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. The South Carolina-based diocese, among other dioceses, is grappling with the fallout from decades-old sexual abuse allegations. Earlier this month, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, announced that it reached a $323 million settlement with survivors of sexual abuse. The settlement is the largest payment of its kind in all of New York's history. "We are grateful to God that on December 4th, the court confirmed the Plan that resolves and ends the Bankruptcy Case for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, all our parishes, and related ministries," a spokesperson for the diocese wrote in a Dec. 4 statement. "For the sake of abuse survivors and the [Catholic] Church's mission on Long Island, we pray that the Plan brings some measure of healing to survivors and allows the [Catholic] Church to carry on the saving mission of Jesus Christ," the statement reads. "Victim survivors of child abuse deserve our respect, our prayers, and our pastoral support. The Church is grateful for their courage and perseverance." According to the spokesperson, "The diocese, parishes and other related entities contributed $234.8 million to cover the cost of the settlement. Insurance companies also helped cover the cost, providing just over $85 million. In addition, the Counsel for the Creditor's Committee contributed just over $3 million." In the spring, the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Sacramento and Fresno in California separately announced that they are filing for bankruptcy as they face expenses connected to hundreds of abuse lawsuits. Home News UK bans puberty blockers for gender dysphoria indefinitely: 'Unacceptable safety risk' The United Kingdom has moved to indefinitely ban the use of puberty-blocking drugs on children who struggle with gender dysphoria for the foreseeable future, save for clinical trials. The U.K. Department of Health and Social Care announced Wednesday that a recently enacted temporary restriction on the sale and supply of puberty blockers via private prescription for the treatment of gender dysphoria in minors will be made permanent. "The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) has provided independent expert advice that there is currently an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children," stated DHSC. 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 "Puberty blockers for the treatment of gender incongruence and/or gender dysphoria in under 18s were banned temporarily in May 2024 after the Cass Review found there was insufficient evidence to show they were safe. Legislation will be updated today to make the order indefinite and will be reviewed in 2027." Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said pediatric healthcare "must always be evidence-led" and that health officials "need to act with caution and care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people." "We are working with NHS England to open new gender identity services, so people can access holistic health and wellbeing support they need," stated Streeting. "We are setting up a clinical trial into the use of puberty blockers next year, to establish a clear evidence base for the use of this medicine." A group of United Kingdom-based LGBT advocacy groups, among them the controversial trans ideology group Mermaids, denounced the ban in a joint statement released Thursday. "Every single child and young person, across all nations of the UK, should be able to get the care that they need to grow up happy and healthy. To be supported by well trained, knowledgeable professionals who can make the right decisions with them, and who have access to appropriate medical treatments," they stated. "The Government's approach will further harm and alienate trans children and young people and their families, who already experience significant barriers and discrimination when accessing the services that are meant to support them." Lara Brown, a senior research fellow with the conservative British think tank Policy Exchange, said that the ban was a "victory" for the safety of minors and evidence-based research. "There remains a great deal more to be done to implement the recommendations of the Cass Review and to row back the tide of gender ideology in our institutions, but this is a brave and important call for which Wes Streeting should be commended," she said, as quoted by The Guardian. In March, the National Health Service of England announced it would stop providing puberty-blocking drugs for minors with gender dysphoria, except when the drugs were part of a clinical trial. "NHS England has carefully considered the evidence review conducted by [National Institute for Health and Care Excellence] and further published evidence available to date," an NHS spokesperson stated. "We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time." In June 2023, NHS England issued an interim guidance following the release of a research report led by Dr. Hillary Cass, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Amid an exponential increase in children being referred to an NHS gender identity clinic in the last decade, Cass' independent review was published in 2022, finding that "social transitioning" is not a "neutral act" and could have "significant effects" in terms of "psychological functioning." "We do not fully understand the role of adolescent sex hormones in driving the development of both sexuality and gender identity through the early teen years, so by extension we cannot be sure about the impact of stopping these hormone surges on psychosexual and gender maturation," the report reads. "We therefore have no way of knowing whether, rather than buying time to make a decision, puberty blockers may disrupt that decision-making process." Cass' review led to the closing of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust's gender identity clinic. The U.K.'s decision to indefinitely ban puberty blockers for gender dysphoria treatment comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether states can ban such medications. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments earlier this month in the case of United States v. Skrmetti, which will decide if Tennessee can ban puberty blockers and body-mutilating surgeries from being performed on trans-identified youth. Home News Vatican removes Palestinian keffiyeh Nativity scene amid backlash After the display raised a few eyebrows, the Vatican appears to have removed a Nativity scene that showed baby Jesus lying on a keffiyeh, the traditional scarf used as a national symbol by Palestinians that anti-Israel activists have donned at their protests. The keffiyeh manger scene first appeared in the Paul VI Hall on Dec. 7. Pope Francis prayed before the display on the same day he met with the artists and donors responsible for the Vaticans Christmas decorations. As of Wednesday, the keffiyeh, manger and infant Jesus have been removed from the nativity scene, The Associated Press reported. At the time of reporting, the Vatican did not provide a reason for the removal. 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 Its uncertain whether the removal is the result of backlash to the scene, as Catholics typically leave the baby Jesus figure out of the set during Advent. The absence of Jesus is meant to represent the wait for His arrival, and most Catholics add the figure on Christmas Eve. The display, Nativity of Bethlehem 2024, was designed by Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi, two Palestinian artists from Bethlehem, according to The Times of Israel. The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, which is linked to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Embassy to the Vatican, are some of the entities that organized the creation of the Nativity scene. The Vatican displayed the Nativity scene with the infant Jesus lying on a keffiyeh to show it off to the pope, as well as artisans and donors, according to AP. An anonymous Palestinian official told the outlet that the Vatican did not explain why it had removed the keffiyeh, and it remains to be seen if it will include it again on Dec. 24. In response to the display, the American Jewish Committee, which advocates for Israel and against antisemitism, condemned the Nativity scene at the Vatican. We are disappointed and troubled that a meaningful religious tradition has been politicized in this way, AJC wrote in an X post last Monday. StopAntisemitism, a non-partisan watchdog group, asserts that the display is an effort to rewrite history by claiming Jesus was a Palestinian as a way of erasing the Jewish peoples connection to Israel. The group noted that the Nazis also claimed Jesus was Aryan to justify the Holocaust. The lies may shape-shift, but the centuries-old hatred towards the Jewish people continues, StopAntisemitism declared in a statement last Sunday. Addressing the donors of the Vaticans Nativity Scene and Christmas tree earlier this month, Pope Francis said it serves as a reminder of the ongoing war in the Holy Land, as Vatican News reported. Representatives from the Embassy of the State of Palestine to the Holy See were also in attendance for the inauguration of the Nativity of Bethlehem 2024. Enough with wars, enough of violence! Pope Francis stated. You know that one of the most profitable investments is in the weapons industry? he asked. They earn money to kill. But why? No more wars! The Catholic leader has called for the release of the hostages seized by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and met with the families of those who remain in Gaza. However, Francis has also advocated for investigating whether Israels military campaign against the terror group in Gaza fits the definition of genocide. On Thursday, the pope met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican, according to the National Catholic Register. The discussion included a conversation about peace in the Holy Land. Israel has rejected the claim that its response to Hamas terrorist attack is an act of genocide. Hamas surprise onslaught resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people and the abduction of over 250 others, mostly civilians, from southern Israel. While the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims over 40,000 people have been killed since Israel began its military operations, the figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. In addition, it does not account for deaths that occurred as a result of misfired rockets launched from Gaza. A church in Syria. (Photo: Aid to the Church in Need) (CP) Leaders of churches and ecclesial communities in Syria met with representatives of the armed Islamic-led rebel groups that seized control of the country amid fears that Christians could face persecution or strict regulations that could disrupt their faith life. Monday's meeting in Aleppo followed the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime's rule earlier this month after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist group linked with Al-Qaeda, seized various cities. The rebels captured Damascus days after the takeover of Aleppo and Hama. Religious leaders met with the Islamic-led forces at the Franciscan church and convent, which is also the location of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Catholics of the Latin Rite. An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in places where a diocese has not yet been established. "We were all present: bishops, priests and religious," Chaldean Jesuit Bishop Antoine Audo of Alep told Fides in a statement. Reflecting on Monday's summit, Audo described it as a "positive meeting." The Islamist forces reportedly assured Christian leaders during the meeting that they would not attempt to change or regulate ecclesiastical communities by, for example, implementing rules against boys and girls studying together at school. According to Audo, the new forces claimed they wanted to "build trust by respecting [their] traditions and [their] prayers." "I told them that we, as Arab Christians, represent a unique reality in history and in the world. I recalled some examples of the history of Muslim Arabs with Christians and the contribution of Christians to this history," Audo said. "I added that the status of the 'dhimmi' (non-Muslim members of a state guided by Islamic law, ed.) can be interpreted both negatively and positively, that Christians cannot be second-class citizens and that we must work together," the bishop continued. "They seemed very interested in these considerations." Despite these assurances, however, watchdog groups have expressed concerns about the potential dangers Christians in the region could now face. David Curry, CEO of Global Christian Relief, shared that the group has maintained a network on the ground in Syria for the last two years. In an interview with The Christian Post, Curry revealed that the Islamic rebel forces stole humanitarian aid that GCR had delivered to churches in the area weeks before the takeover. "We've continuously been delivering aid the last two years, but the stock that we have now, some of it has been captured by these rebels," the GCR CEO said. "There's still some that remains; we're going to distribute that as cautiously as we possibly can to people who are now on the run, but the reality is this is a very dangerous area right now for Christians." The advocate also highlighted Aleppo's declining Christian population, the result of fewer believers feeling safe in a place that historically has always been the "center for Christian faith in Syria." Curry predicted that this trend would only continue, especially now that HTS-led rebels have taken over. "Considered a terrorist organization, they have, in less than two weeks, ethnically cleansed the northwest of Syria including Aleppo and beyond of Kurds and Christians," Curry said. "Despite public protestations to the contrary, we can expect them to extend their campaign to the rest of the country." Curry said that when the civil war in Syria began more than a decade ago, Christians constituted approximately 10% of the population, which was about 1.5 million people. After years of constant fighting and persecution perpetuated by jihadist radicals, however, that number has dwindled to just 300,000. In addition to the report of the rebels stealing food, other reports have emerged of bread shortages and a lack of drinking water following the seizing of Aleppo. While many Christians have fled, those who remain are now subjected to curfews imposed by the rebel forces. These restrictions have left many Christians feeling vulnerable. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, told CP in a statement earlier this month that the next few days and weeks "will be crucial for the fate of [the] Christian community." The Christian Post Australian CIOs are being called to support a groundbreaking initiative that is transforming lives and addressing critical talent shortages in the technology sector. Through a programme led by New Zealand-based charitable organisation Take2, people serving prison terms are being trained in technology skills while still in the corrective system, equipping them for meaningful careers upon release. Having already made a significant impact in New Zealand, Take2 launched its first Australian programme earlier this year at the Mary Wade Correctional Centre in Sydney, in partnership with Corrective Services New South Wales. It is now in the early stages of planning for its second prison classroom and a new community hub in Australia. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the 'Save America' rally on October 22, 2022 in Robstown, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a New York doctor for allegedly providing telemedicine and abortion pills to a woman in Texas, setting up a legal battle over the states abortion ban and a dueling New York law set up to shield doctors who prescribe abortion care to patients in states where the procedure is prohibited. The suit, filed Thursday in state court in Collin County, alleges that Dr. Margaret Carpenter sent abortion pills to the woman by mail, even though Carpenter isnt licensed to practice in Texas. Under Texas law, abortion is only allowed if the mothers life is at risk and abortion pills cannot be sent by mail. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "In Texas, we treasure the health and lives of mothers and babies, and this is why out-of-state doctors may not illegally and dangerously prescribe abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents, Paxton said in a statement Friday. New York is one of more than a dozen Democratic states to recently pass so-called shield laws that protect doctors from civil or criminal consequences for treating patients in states where abortion is banned via telemedicine. The laws essentially pledge that officials and agencies will not cooperate with another states attempt to prosecute or civilly sue a doctor from their state. Carpenter is co-medical director and founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, which was formed to provide telemedicine abortions protected by those shield laws. Carpenter did not respond to a request for comment. The coalition condemned the suit, saying in a statement that Paxton was "threatening access to safe and effective reproductive health care." The attorney general "is prioritizing his anti-abortion agenda over the health and well-being of women by attempting to shut down telemedicine abortion nationwide," the group wrote. The suit seeks to block Carpenter from practicing telemedicine in Texas and impose a fine of at least $100,000 for every violation of state law. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Abortion pills are poised to be the next legal battleground as residents of states where the procedure is illegal increasingly turn to medication. A March study by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, found that medication abortion accounted for 63% of all abortions compared to 53% in 2020. Other studies have shown that demand for medication abortion has risen in Texas. Antiabortion activists have been eager to test the shield laws but didnt want it to become an issue during last months election. John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, told the Washington Post in November that antiabortion activists had been waiting until after the election to file such litigation. I think a lot of Republican attorneys general had no interest in focusing the electorate on abortion right before 2024 in a way that could hurt Donald Trump, said Mary Ziegler, a professor at University of California at Davis who studies abortion law. According to Paxtons suit, the woman became pregnant in mid-May 2024 and did not tell the biological father. The suit says, without offering a source for the information, that the woman did not have a life-threatening condition and was not at risk of impairment of a major impairment, the only scenario in which abortion is legally allowed in Texas. In July, the suit says, she asked the father to take her to the hospital for severe bleeding. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The father learned from medical staff that the woman had been nine weeks pregnant when she lost the pregnancy, leading him to suspect that she had done something to contribute to the miscarriage or abortion, according to the suit. Upon returning home, the suit says, he found the abortion-inducing medications prescribed by Carpenter. Ziegler said the legal fight is likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. If Texas successfully obtains a judgment against Carpenter and tries to enforce it, Carpenter could fight it under the shield law, opening the door for Paxton to challenge the constitutionality of the New York law. The shield laws have been very carefully designed to withstand this kind of challenge, Ziegler said. It's not going to be an easy, straightforward thing, but the courts are conservative, and these are novel legal questions, and so figuring out what's going to happen is kind of a mess. UNICEF Moldova Country Office invites interested companies to submit their proposals for: Development of Competence Standards for Mentors, a Training Program for Mentors, and a Training Course Qualified companies are invited to submit their proposals by email to chisinautenders@unicef.org, with RFP number LRPS-2024-9193492 in the email subject line. Application deadline: 08.01.2025, 23:59 The submission shall include the following: Please find additional assignment details in the link https://sc.undp.md/tnddetails_un2/2971/ Supporting documents: Alte articole de la acest autor: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Reference code: SVN2024-22 Open to External Candidates Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment. Internal and external candidates are eligible to apply to this vacancy. For the purpose of the vacancy, internal candidates are considered as first-tier candidates. Within the framework of the EU funded project Supporting protection, transit, repatriation and reintegration of affected eastern partnership citizens and vulnerable third country nationals in the eastern neighborhood region affected by the conflict in Ukraine (hereinafter, referred to as the EU-funded IOM project, IOM is supporting the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova in the further modernisation of the central level IT system Frontiera of the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova. Through the EU 4 Border Security (EU4BS), IOM has already supported the modernization of the central level IT system Frontiera of the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova, and successfully tested and operationalized the system at the central and BCP level. The overall objectives of the Frontiera system modernization were set as follows: The modernization performed under the EU4BS improved the overall Customs business processes related to border crossing, resulting in paving the way for better interaction with the EU information systems in the Customs sphere. The EU4BS project worked to modernize the system Frontiera under two phases, as follows: The first phase of the Frontiera system modernization was defined to consist of implementing a micro-server architecture instead of a monolithic model and replacing the application server to ensure scalability and improve security. Scalability was achieved by implementing a micro-server model. In practice, this means that in order to add or change the functions of any of the modules, it would not be necessary to rebuild the system core every time. This in turn reduces the cost of development and maintenance of the system, as it would be possible to attract different development teams for small development tasks. Also, as the JBOSS solution was no longer supported by the manufacturer, that is, vulnerabilities are not tracked or fixed. In practice, this meant increased software vulnerability, which would have to be compensated by additional costs (buying more expensive network equipment and software to protect against threats in proportion to the degree of vulnerability of the root system). Under this phase, the core of the central level IT system Frontiera of the MD Customs Service was modernised, and it was successfully installed and tested at the BCP level for sustainable operation. The modernization improved the overall business processes related to border crossing, creating the potential for a better interaction with the information systems used for the mobility of goods and Customs procedures at the EU level. The investment in the CIS Frontiera modernization allowed for future expansion of the Video Control System (VICOS) and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems at other (and potentially all) BCPs, and centralized exchange of data between the Customs Services of Moldova and Ukraine (and in the future also EU MS, incl. Romania). The concrete results under the Phase 1 included the upgraded application architecture and the replacement of the application server, upgraded report designer, upgraded automated information exchange module, migration of the module for exchanging information with other participants of the Moldovan Government platform MConnect, possibility of exchanging and importing data from Border Police, integrated module for connecting with several other IT systems etc. The first stage/phase of the modernization was finalised in June 2023, resulting in comprehensive modernization of the core of the "Frontiera" system, the first stage also including the upgrading or establishment of key modules, necessary for Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova. The second stage/phase of modernization included the development of important support functions, such as the modernization of the module for recording the duration of stay in the country, the modernization of customs information exchanges with the systems used by other countries, and in accordance with the policy of Moldova on digitalization of services, transferring the statistical subsystem into governmental cloud Data centre MConnect to ensure direct access to all public services. This phase allowed to: develop passport interfaces for all the customs posts, once all technical and infrastructure facilities were indicated, allowing for reconfiguration of the said posts; implement the EU SEED (Systematic Electronic Exchange of Data) system for both the empty trucks, and also for cargo, which can support data exchange with the Romanian Customs service; implement the Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) mechanism and as a result, the cross-border traffic with EU would be facilitated and the burden on the customs inspectors would be reduced; implement a fraud suspicion reporting module, allowing the risk analysis operators to filter and analyse the data; implement e-Vignette module, allowing the monitoring of duration of stay of vehicles on the territory of the Republic of Moldova; establish a messaging/chat module. In November 2023, the Moldovan Customs Service in collaboration with IOM Moldova determined the importance and relevance of the integration in the ongoing EU-funded IOM project of further support for the modernization of the "Frontiera" Customs Service Information System and the establishment of a series of additional new modules and functionalities. The further modernization under a third phase was deemed indispensable to ensure the implementation by the Customs Service of the new Customs Code (No. 95 of 24-08-2021), which entered into force on January 1, 2024. As such, a series of functionalities and modules for Frontiera were prioritized for development, implementation and testing, under a third phase, as follows: The main objective of this consultancy is to provide needed effective and efficient specialized technical support and backstopping for the further modernisation of the Customs Service Central Information System Frontiera, to the IOM Project Management Teams, as well as the direct project beneficiary, namely the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova. Under the overall guidance of the IOM Chief of Mission and Programme Coordinator - Migration Governance, the incumbent is expected to: Expected Outputs and Deliverables Payment Modalities The payment will be made in instalments, following the acceptance of each deliverable. The payment will be done in 4 (four) instalments, upon submission of the deliverables, in the following order: The consultant must adhere to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Data Protection Principles (IN/138) and maintain confidentiality. The consultant will be responsible to follow IOM writing guidelines and latest glossaries in all given assignments for accurate translation. EDUCATION Higher degree (Bachelor or Master) in the field of study related to IT or a related field from an accredited academic institution with relevant professional experience. EXPERIENCE LANGUAGES For this position, good Romanian command is required. The knowledge of English and Russian languages is a key asset. N/A Values Core Competencies behavioural indicators Other Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this special vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. A prerequisite for taking up the position is legal residency in the country of the duty station and work permit, as applicable. How to apply: Interested applicants are invited to send CV and Cover Letter in English to: hrchisinau@iom.int Please, indicate the position you are applying for and reference code in the subject line of your message. Closing date for applications is 20 December 2024. In order for an application to be considered valid, IOM only accepts the applications duly completed. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Posting period: From 13.12.2024 to 20.12.2024 Alte articole de la acest autor: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Reference code: SVN2024-23 Open to External Candidates Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment. Internal and external candidates are eligible to apply to this vacancy. For the purpose of the vacancy, internal candidates are considered as first-tier candidates. The impact of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has generated additional mid-and long-term risks to the security, economy, institutions and social fabric of the Republic of Moldova, requiring additional efforts from the state authorities to maintain stability, law and order. Since 24 February 2022, more than six million refugees have fled Ukraine and, as of December 2023, 3.7 million remain internally displaced within Ukraine. As of December 2023, 997,092 people have arrived in the Republic of Moldova from Ukraine, and approximately 115,000 refugees and third-country nationals remained in the country. To mitigate the spillover effects of the war in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova endeavours to modernize its border management policies, systems and processes and strengthen the capacities of border management authorities. The General Inspectorate of Border Police (GIBP), General Inspectorate for Migration (GIM) and the Customs Service (CS) play a crucial role in this, particularly in implementing Integrated Border Management (IBM) policies and combating cross-border crime. Passport examination procedures play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and security of international travel. The procedures involve verifying the identity and authenticity of a passport holder as well as ensuring that the individual presenting the passport is the same person as recorded in it. In addition, passport examination procedures also involve checking for any signs of fraud or tampering. Border authorities constantly upgrade their travel document inspection systems and passenger checks to improve security at border control points to keep pace with evolving threats and provide security, whilst facilitating other travellers. In order to enhance Member States capacities in passports verification and identity fraud detection, the IOM Immigration and Border Governance Division (IBG HQ), has developed the Passport Examination Procedure Manual (PEPM) - a training tool for inspection of travel documents and use of associated equipment. Designed for border officials and migration management agencies, the manual provides governments with practical guidance and stepwise methodology of examining travel documents. The updated version of the manual - PEPM 3 - is a comprehensive manual/guide that outlines the best modern practices and standardized procedures for travel documents examinations. It includes key concepts of acts verification and fraud detection. Migration Governance, Immigration and Border Management RA 0117 Supporting Protection, Transit, Voluntary and Informed Return and Reintegration of Eastern Partnership Citizens and Third Country Nationals affected by the conflict in Ukraine The objective of this assignment is to edit the translated Passport Examination Procedure Manual on travel document standards, security and verification procedures in the Romanian language. The manual is essential for ensuring accurate and secure identification processes, therefore the final Romanian version must be precise, technically accurate, clear and serve as a didactic material to enable the continuation of IOMs related capacity building interventions for the benefit of Moldovan authorities. Under the overall guidance of the IOM Chief of Mission and Programme Coordinator Migration Governance, and the direct supervision of Programme Officer/IBG Unit, the Consultant will be responsible of: Payment Modality. The payment will be done in one installment, upon submission and acceptance of the last deliverable. Completion of tasks and submission of deliverables as described in the relevant section, in collaboration with IOM staff. Editing Quality and Accuracy EDUCATION Masters degree in social sciences, public administration, international relations, border security, police studies or related fields. EXPERIENCE LANGUAGES For this position, fluency in Romanian and English is required (oral and written). NO Values Core Competencies behavioural indicators Other Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this special vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. A prerequisite for taking up the position is legal residency in the country of the duty station and work permit, as applicable. How to apply: Interested applicants are invited to send CV and Cover Letter in English to: hrchisinau@iom.int Please, indicate the position you are applying for and reference code in the subject line of your message. Closing date for applications is 20 December 2024. In order for an application to be considered valid, IOM only accepts the applications duly completed. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Posting period: From 13.12.2024 to 20.12.2024 Alte articole de la acest autor: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Reference code: SVN2024-24 Open to External Candidates Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment. Internal and external candidates are eligible to apply to this vacancy. For the purpose of the vacancy, internal candidates are considered as first-tier candidates. Within the framework of the Strengthening National Policing Capacity in the Republic of Moldova project, IOM is supporting the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Police Inspectorate (GIP) in ensuring implementation and promotion of the community engagement and policing (CEP) concept to encourage active cooperation between residents and law enforcement, to foster collaboration between citizens, migrants, and Community Police for a safer Moldovan society, as well as to protect and respect fundamental rights and freedoms. As part of this initiative, a series of awareness campaigns will be conducted. One of these campaigns includes creating a documentary film on community engagement and policing. The film will showcase the concept in action by focusing on the daily routines and duties of police officers and interaction with community members. This assistance will be tailored to the needs and requirements of national authorities, utilizing a consultative and technical approach. This activity will encompass the development of the documentary film's concept, the filming process, and the post-production phase. Under the present Terms of Reference, IOM Moldova is seeking a qualified and experienced national expert in film production who, under the overall guidance of the IOM Chief of Mission and Programme Coordinator Migration Governance, and the direct supervision of Programme Officer/IBG Unit, and in coordination with the IOM Moldovas Media and Communications Unit, will be working on the following: Expected Outputs and Deliverables Payment Modalities The consultant will deliver his services online, or in-person as necessary. The payment will be made in one instalment, upon submission of the last deliverable (Deliverable 2). The consultant must adhere to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Data Protection Principles (IN/138) and maintain confidentiality. The consultants will be responsible to follow IOM writing guidelines and latest glossaries in all given assignments for accurate translation. The consultants performance will be evaluated against the following criteria: EDUCATION Studies in Journalism or Communication, Film and Media Studies EXPERIENCE LANGUAGES For this position knowledge of Romanian and Russian languages is mandatory. Travel to the Republic of Moldova regions for the organization of documentation activities and shootings of the interviews with the involved protagonists will be required in the scope of this activity. Values Core Competencies behavioural indicators Other Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this special vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. A prerequisite for taking up the position is legal residency in the country of the duty station and work permit, as applicable. How to apply: Interested applicants are invited to send CV and Cover Letter in English to: hrchisinau@iom.int Please, indicate the position you are applying for and reference code in the subject line of your message. Closing date for applications is 20 December 2024. In order for an application to be considered valid, IOM only accepts the applications duly completed. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Posting period: From 13.12.2024 to 20.12.2024 Alte articole de la acest autor: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Reference code: SVN2024-25 Open to External Candidates Position Title : Consultant to deliver ToT on data protection for the migration and law enforcement institutions Duty Station : Republic of Moldova Type of Appointment Duration of Consultancy : : Consultancy 2 months Estimated Start Date : 01 January 2025 Closing Date : 20 December 2024 Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment. Internal and external candidates are eligible to apply to this vacancy. For the purpose of the vacancy, internal candidates are considered as first-tier candidates. Nature of the consultancy: ToT on data protection for migration and law enforcement institutions, Category B Consultancy Project Context and Scope: With the advancement of the country's integration into the EU as a top priority of the Republic of Moldova, the national institutions should transpose and implement EU data protection regulations. The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova has adopted a new Law on personal data protection in July 2024, which is aligned to the EU Regulation on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data. The Law lays down the legal framework for ensuring the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of people, and, in particular, the right to intimate, family and private life, in relation to the processing of personal data. This new Law will enter into force in two years, in this period the present Law on data protection will still be in force. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Republic of Moldova is dedicated to enhancing its personnel's understanding and capabilities regarding the importance of data protection and privacy. This includes a focus on data protection laws, principles, and practices, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations, and fostering a culture of privacy and security within its subordinated institutions. In line with the above, MIA has requested IOM support to design and implement a comprehensive initiative to include the delivery of a Training for Trainers (ToT) and the development of a methodological guide for data protection officers from within the migration and law enforcement institutions. This capacity building initiative will equip data protection officers with substantive skills to be effective trainers, who can cascade the knowledge on data protection to other colleagues from their respective institutions. Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing: Migration Governance, Immigration and Border Management PX 0353 Strengthening Capacities for Protection of Ukrainian Refugees, Third Country Nationals And Host Communities In Moldova Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment The main objective of this consultancy is to equip data protection officers of the migration and law enforcement institutions with competences on data protection regulations from the current Legislation in force, and new Law entering in force in 2026, as well as with skills to effectively engage and teach others. With the support from the selected Consultant and in collaboration with national counterparts, IOM will plan and deliver assistance to organize capacity-building activities in a timely manner. Under the overall guidance of the IOM Chief of Mission and Programme Coordinator / Migration Governance, and the direct supervision of Programme Officer/IBG Unit, the incumbent will: plan, develop and implement an on-line pre-training questionnaire regarding the specific training needs of participants related to data protection domain, as well as to the level of experience in training of trainees; plan, prepare and deliver one (1) ToT training session of five (5) days to a group of 12-14 data protection officers scheduled for 3-7 February, 2025. develop training agenda with the topics addressed with objectives to be attained based on the results of the questionnaire to ensure adequate coverage of the topics ; develop training content, presentations, group exercises, handouts and materials necessary for training delivery according to the objectives; Tentative topics to be covered in ToT: Overview of data protection laws: the Law which is still functional and the newly adopted Law which will enter into force in two years; Data Security Best Practices: Tools and techniques to secure personal data from unauthorized access, loss, or breach; Data Protection in Practice: Handling, storing, sharing, and processing data responsibly and ethically; Data Breaches: Responding to data breaches, notification protocols, and risk management; Cybersecurity elements Training Methodology and Techniques: Andragogical (Pedagogical) methods for effectively teaching data protection concepts to diverse audiences develop a post-training questionnaire based on the pre-training questionnaire to evaluate trainees obtained knowledge and skills; adopt a practical and applicative approach to training delivery, apply innovative, interactive and dynamic adult education training methods, presentation of topics in diverse ways, assigning individual, pair and group tasks, presenting and analyzing case studies, simulation exercises; develop a methodological guide for subsequent easy use by data protection officers for future delivery of trainings; prepare and submit a final report regarding the activities implemented based on feed-back evaluation and with recommendations for other capacity building measures. Expected Outputs and Deliverables Nr. Deliverables Period Instalment 1. Developed comprehensive training package to include agenda, presentations, handouts and other materials necessary for training delivery (according to the objectives), pre-training questionnaire and post-training questionnaire By 24th of January, 2025 1 3. A methodological guide on data protection principles and regulations with theoretical information and practical exercises for the use of data protection officers in future trainings By 18th of February, 2025 1 4. Final Report including ToT with the evaluation of the training course's achieved objectives, analysis of pre and post questionaries, and recommendations for future training initiatives and potential areas for further development, as well as a short description of the developed methodological guide with its objectives By end of February, 2024 1 Payment Modalities The consultant will deliver on-line services for the development of the methodological guide and training package and will deliver in-person training services and other relevant activities, with the possibility to travel to Moldova or other location as needed. In case of travel, accommodation will be covered by IOM Moldova. Any other administrative arrangement shall be the consultants personal liability. The payment will be done in one (1) instalment, upon submission of all deliverables. IOM Moldova will provide financial resources for the organization of trainings as described in the Terms of Reference and upon agreement with national authorities. The training sessions will be delivered in person, with full application of COVID prevention measures. The consultant must adhere to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Data Protection Principles (IN/138) and maintain confidentiality. The consultant will be responsible to follow IOM writing guidelines and latest glossaries in all given assignments for accurate translation. Performance indicators for the evaluation of results The consultants performance will be evaluated against the following criteria: Satisfactory completion of tasks indicated in this TOR Feedback from the stakeholders and training beneficiaries Quality of the methodological guide Quality of the report Education, Experience and/or skills required EDUCATION Masters degree in a field of study related to Data protection, Legal domain, Human Rights, Policing or Law Enforcement, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with relevant work experience. EXPERIENCE Minimum 5 (five) years of relevant training experience; Strong background with at least 5 years of experience in data protection domain or related matters; Prior work experience with an international organization and proven experience in supporting national authorities in capacity building; Excellent drafting skills as well as capacity to analyse complex institutional frameworks and make recommendations on this basis; Excellent ability to collaborate with national institutions; Personal commitment, efficiency, flexibility, drive for results; Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with counterparts and colleagues from varied cultures and professional backgrounds; Previous training delivery experience for border and migration management institutions is a key asset; Strong understanding of the Moldova context is an asset. LANGUAGES For this position, fluency Romanian is required (oral and written). Knowledge of English is an asset. Travel required YES in case of an international Consultant, from the duty station to Moldova as agreed with the programme manager. Competencies Values Inclusion and respect for diversity : respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible. : respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible. Integrity and transparency : maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct. : maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct. Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges. Core Competencies behavioural indicators Teamwork : develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results. : develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results. Delivering results : produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes. : produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes. Managing and sharing knowledge : continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate. : continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate. Accountability : takes ownership for achieving the Organizations priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work. : takes ownership for achieving the Organizations priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work. Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way. Other Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this special vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. A prerequisite for taking up the position is legal residency in the country of the duty station and work permit, as applicable. How to apply: Interested applicants are invited to send CV and Cover Letter in English to: hrchisinau@iom.int Please, indicate the position you are applying for and reference code in the subject line of your message. Closing date for applications is 20 December 2024. In order for an application to be considered valid, IOM only accepts the applications duly completed. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Posting period: From 13.12.2024 to 20.12.2024 Peste o mie de copii din raionul Criuleni vor avea acces gratuit la un spatiu modern pentru joaca si lectura Three years after introducing digital ID support, Apple Wallet has expanded its service to 10 regions, adding New Mexico and Puerto Rico to the list of locations that now support this feature. The latest addition includes the United States' New Mexico, which now offers compatibility with Apple's digital ID, and Puerto Rico, the first Caribbean region to join the digital ID initiative. Expansion of Digital ID Support The growth of digital ID capabilities has been steady over the past few years, with Apple and Google collaborating with various states and regions to allow users to add digital copies of their state IDs, driver's licenses, and passports to their apps. According to a recent report from Digital Trends, Apple has extended its digital ID feature to include New Mexico's state identification cards, enabling residents to store them in Apple Wallet. Additionally, a MacRumors reader was the first to identify that digital ID support is now available in Puerto Rico. Users in these newly supported regions can store their state IDs or driver's licenses on Apple Wallet and use them at select TSA checkpoints that accept the feature. The IDs can also be used at participating businesses and establishments. Read Also: Bluetooth Tracker Detection Is Now Available on Android With Two New Features From Google Adding Digital ID to Apple Wallet To add a digital ID, users need to open the Apple Wallet app, tap the "Add" button, and select the type of ID they wish to add. Users will then be prompted to choose their state and scan both the front and back of the ID. Support Now Available in 10 Regions With the addition of New Mexico and Puerto Rico, Apple Wallet now supports digital IDs in 10 regions. This includes eight U.S. states: Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, California, Ohio, Iowa, and Hawaii. Puerto Rico is the only non-U.S. location to offer digital ID support, marking a significant step in the digitalization of identification cards. The Future of Digital IDs Although digital IDs are not yet widely accepted by all businesses, government agencies, and establishments, the trend is growing as more states and regions partner with tech companies. Many states are developing their apps to feature digital ID support, or creating digital state profiles for citizens, similar to California's collaboration with Apple. In California, Apple Wallet's digital ID support includes state IDs and driver's licenses, which users can scan and store in the app for use at various entry points. Some TSA checkpoints already accept digital IDs from apps like Apple Wallet, and California's DMV is testing mobile-based digital IDs on a small scale. As smartphones continue to evolve from communication devices to essential lifestyle tools, digital IDs are gaining traction. Apple Wallet's gradual rollout is expanding through ongoing partnerships with local governments, now including New Mexico and Puerto Rico. Greenpeace International and Greenpeace UK have agreed to donate 300,000 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as part of a lawsuit settlement with oil giant Shell. Last year, Shell sued both Greenpeace organisations and nine individuals for millions after six activists boarded and occupied one of its moving oil platforms for 13 days. Initially, Shell sought damages in excess of $8m (around 6m) but revised this down to $1m in its court filing, and planned to spend another $10m in legal fees, according to Greenpeace UK. On 10 December, both parties announced that they had reached a legal settlement. As part of this, Greenpeace defendants will accept no liability and pay no money to Shell, instead agreeing to donate 300,000 to the RNLI, Greenpeace UK said. In addition, they have signed a legally binding commitment that prohibits them from travelling within 500m of three Shell oil and gas platforms in the North Sea for five years and one site for 10 years. An RNLI spokesperson said: Were grateful to have received the donation, which will support our core purpose of saving lives at sea. Greenpeace: Not a penny of our supporters money will go to Shell Areeba Hamid, co-executive director at Greenpeace UK, said: Shell thought suing us for millions over a peaceful protest would intimidate us, but this case became a PR millstone tied around its neck. The public backlash against its bullying tactics made it back down and settle out of court. This settlement shows that people power works. Thousands of ordinary people across the country backed our fight against Shell and their support means we stay independent and can keep holding big oil to account. Hamid added that weve ensured not a penny of our supporters money will go to Shell and all funds raised will be used to continue campaigning against the fossil fuel industry and other big polluters. This legal battle might be over, but big oils dirty tricks arent going away, she said. With Greenpeace facing further legal battles around the world, we wont stop campaigning until the fossil fuel industry stops drilling and starts paying for the damage it is causing to people and the planet. Shell: Right to protest has never been at issue Shell disputed the $11m figure used by Greenpeace in its communications, saying that the direct costs incurred as a result of the unlawful and dangerous boarding amounted to $900,000. These included around $500,000 incurred for the support vessel to provide emergency response in the event of a safety incident (including any involving the protestors) and to deter further attempted boardings, Shell said. The company said it wasnt seeking to recover any losses from individual protestors nor trying to silence Greenpeace. Shell is pleased that the dispute has been settled and that a payment in lieu of the costs it incurred can benefit a charity working on safety at sea, it said in a statement. For Shell, the right to protest is fundamental and has never been at issue. Instead, this case was about an illegal boarding by protestors which a High Court judge described as putting their lives and, indirectly, the lives of the crew at risk. He was also clear that Greenpeace could still protest from a safe distance and their human rights werent infringed. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Oxfam Oxfam has announced a raft of cost-cutting measures that it will make in the hope of saving 7m this financial year. According to the charity, whose annual income to March 2023 exceeded 400m , a recruitment freeze, travel restrictions and limiting the use of external consultancies are all part of the measures. The news comes amid ongoing discussions between Oxfam and trade union Unite about improved pay agreements for staff following industrial action last year , the first in the charitys history. Concerns about pay for retail staff Civil Society understands that there are particular concerns about a reported lack of provisions for staff in the charitys 560 shops in plans for a pay progression deal. More than 500 Unite members employed by Oxfam voted to walk out for 17 days last December for the first time in the charitys more than 80-year history. However, they agreed to return to work after two days of strike action, after Oxfam put forward an improved pay offer. A pay progression deal that included a 6% pay rise and one-off payment of 2,300 for most staff was subsequently agreed. However, in July of this year, Unite members launched a petition urging Oxfam to honour its commitment, with the trade union criticising a slow pace of talks with the charity on the pay progression following the strike action. Sources at the charity additionally told Civil Society that some staff had concerns about secret plans from senior management, which include alleged redundancy proposals, although an Oxfam spokesperson denied these allegations. Oxfam committed to introducing an affordable system of pay progression An Oxfam spokesperson said: Like many other charities, Oxfam is facing a challenging fundraising environment and rising costs. We have therefore announced several measures including a recruitment freeze, travel restrictions and limiting the use of external consultancies to cut costs and bolster our reserves so that we can continue to fund communities and partners in the fight for a more just world. Demonstrating our commitment to our shops, we are investing in new IT and till systems to ensure that our shops are more efficient. Over 50 shops are now operating the new systems and the rest will be rolled out from January after the peak Christmas trading period. Oxfam is fully committed to introducing an affordable system of pay progression. The scheme for our retail colleagues is proposed to commence in the next financial year. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced $171 million in grants to 19 states and territories to upgrade and standardize their crash data systems. The system upgrades are intended to improve the accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility of fatality information, including data about pedestrians and cyclists, through better intrastate data sharing and electronic transfers to NHTSA. The states and territories selected are: American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia. These grants will provide much-needed funds for states and territories to upgrade their systems and make sharing data with NHTSA quicker and easier, stated NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. These upgrades to crash data systems will provide the agency and the public more timely data, help us identify emerging trends, and advance our shared mission to save lives. The State Electronic Data Collection program comes under a directive from President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which requires NHTSA to establish the program. States and territories have five years to implement full electronic data transfers to NHTSA. The program is also intended to advance the departments National Roadway Safety Strategy and its work to reduce serious injuries and deaths by supporting the improvement of data to inform better decision making. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Dec. 11 against manufacturers 3M and DuPont for misrepresenting the health risks of products made with forever chemicals The lawsuit alleges the companies for decades manufactured, marketed, and sold an array of consumer products containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals. PFAS-containing materials were sold to Texas consumers under brand names including Teflon. and Scotchgard. PFAS are known as forever chemicals because most dont break down naturally in the human body. Once introduced into the environment, PFAS can contaminate drinking water and other natural resources, and accumulate in the blood of humans. PFAS have been linked to causing cancer and other health concerns. These companies knew for decades that PFAS chemicals could cause serious harm to human health yet continued to advertise them as safe for household use around families and children, Paxton said in a press release. Texas is taking action to penalize these companies and hold them accountable for deceiving Texans into buying consumer products without vital information. Related: Underwriters Wary of PFAS Amid Superstorm of Litigation, Regulation Texas is seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000.00 per violation of the states Deceptive Trade Practices Act as well as pre-judgment and post-judgment interest on all awards of restitution, damages, or civil penalties. Texas is the latest state to bring PFAS-related litigation against giant chemical manufacturers. In 2023 Ohio settled a lawsuit with DuPont and two-spin firms for $110 million over the environmental threats from toxic chemicals used at a former DuPont facility in neighboring West Virginia. Solvay Specialty Polymers USA agreed to a $330 settlement with New Jersey officials last year over cleanup and compensation for the discharge of so-called forever chemicals and other pollutants at a plant near West Deptford. 3M recently began making payments on a multi-billion dollar settlement over claims that the company made or sold firefighting foams containing PFAS. The company is expected to pay in the range of $10.5 billion to $12.5 billion over the next dozen years. New York is considering asking propert/ casualty insurers to cover the claims of insolvent taxi insurer American Transit Insurance Co., according to people familiar with the plans. That measure is one of several options under discussion as the states Department of Financial Services which regulates insurers grapples with mounting financial troubles at New York Citys biggest insurer for taxi and rideshare drivers. DFS would usually consider drawing from the Public Motor Vehicle Liability Security Fund or the Property Casualty Insurance Security Fund if an admitted insurer in New York is underfunded to meet its upcoming claims. A potential merger of those two funds was discussed in a November meeting of taxi-industry stakeholders and state officials, said people familiar with the matter, asking not to be identified because the talks were confidential. But their combined $300 million as of March 2023 remain insufficient to pay for all the claims that ATIC cant cover with its assets. Those stood at about $670 million as of the end of September. So the state is considering levying a one-time assessment on other insurers to help cover ATICs claims, according to the people. The Governors office has started to convene stakeholders, including all levels of government, drivers, and the livery industry to discuss the issues and hear their proposals in order to craft a comprehensive plan that protects drivers and passengers and minimizes disruption to livery services, said Kristin Devoe, a spokesperson for New York Governor Kathy Hochul. While a taxpayer bailout isnt likely, consumers could still end up footing some of the bill if insurers pass on the cost from having to cover for ATIC, according to Matthew Daus, a former commissioner at the Taxi and Limousine Commission regulatory agency. Daus, who is currently a partner at law firm Windels Marx focusing on its transportation practice, was not present at the meeting but said he is privy to the details from attendees. November Meeting The potential options to help deal with the ATIC insolvency were discussed at a Nov. 12 meeting that included Adrienne Harris, DFSs superintendent, and Albert Pulido, the states deputy secretary for finance and technology, according to the people. Attendees included representatives of Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc., the livery sector and driver groups, the TLC, and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, according to one of the people. With most insurance policies renewing next February, the state also discussed at the meeting other options to keep the industry healthy and attractive for carriers going forward, including ways to reduce insurance fraud, the people said. The meeting, which lasted for hours, didnt yield any final decisions, but the state has asked attendees to submit proposals in writing, according to the people. Uber, Lyft and the New York Taxi Workers Alliance confirmed they attended the meeting. While ATIC has said its working to restore its longstanding issue of solvency so that the broader market isnt negatively affected, DFS has also pushed ATIC to explore a sale and to find capital. At least two firms have expressed interest in taking over some of ATICs assets, including Marblegate Asset Management a $3 billion investment firm which is also the citys biggest medallion owner and lender and digital insurance startup Inshur. But DFS told attendees at the November meeting that it has not yet received any credible offers, one of the people said. Separately on Wednesday, NYCs taxi regulator held a public hearing on changes it plans to make to require taxis and rideshare vehicles to be covered by an insurance policy issued by a solvent and responsible company. Uber pushed back on the language, saying it lacks specific definition and risks leaving thousands of drivers uninsured. TLC Commissioner David Do said the rules will continue to allow American Transit to renew and issue new policies as long as they follow the DFS rules and procedures. His agency will continue to work with the DFS and state policymakers to support the long-term stability of the taxi and for-hire insurance market, he said. Top photo: A person gets on a taxi outside Penn Station in New York on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. New Yorks insurance regulator issued a damning report laying out the severe financial condition of the citys largest insurer of taxis and for-hire vehicles, as well as dozens of potential financial improprieties and accounting problems, warning that the consequences of failure could be devastating for tens of thousands of drivers. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Friday announced what hes calling first of its kind catastrophe modeling and ratemaking regulation that will allow carriers to use the models as a factor in setting and getting rates. The regulation is a part of his so-called Sustainable Insurance Strategy to increase coverage in wildfire-distressed areas of the state. The California Department of Insurance posted the final regulation after the Office of Administrative Law filed it with the Secretary of State, which concludes a rulemaking process. Giving people more choices to protect themselves is how we will solve Californias insurance crisis, stated Lara. For the first time in history we are requiring insurance companies to expand where people need help the most. With our changing climate we can no longer look to the past. We are being innovative and forward-looking to protect Californians access to insurance. Only two days before Fridays announcement, Farmers Insurance said it will resume offering coverage for multiple lines of insurance in California to new customers. The company cited among its reasons for the decision regulatory steps taken by the states insurance commissioner and other stakeholders. Carriers began pulling back from the states homeowners market, blaming blamed wildfire losses as well as regulations. They also began requesting steep rate increases. State Farm applied for large rate increases in California, a year after the carrier got rate approvals of 7% and 20%. The insurer, the largest in California, insures nearly one-in-five homes in the state. It recently requested a 30% rate increase for its homeowners line, a 52% rate increase for renters and 36% rate increase for condo coverage. Related: California Insurance Commissioner: Allow Cat Modeling in Rates for Wildfires Allstate, which stopped issuing new California homeowners insurance policies in 2022, is seeking an increase in its California homeowners insurance premiums by an average of 34%. It would be the largest rate increase this year and would impact more than 350,000 policyholders. Under Laras new regulation, major insurance companies must increase the writing of comprehensive policies in wildfire distressed areas equivalent to no less than 85% of their statewide market share. Smaller and regional insurance companies must also increase their writing. The CDI hired Kara Voss as model advisor, a newly created position at the department, to oversee the process of examining model integrity and ensuring public review in accordance with the new regulation. Voss has expertise in catastrophe modeling for wildfire and flooding events as a member of the Climate and Sustainability Branch. Under the regulation, once a model has undergone a pre-application required information determination (PRID), insurance companies can use that model in a rate filing listing their commitments to write more policies. The department will accept PRID petitions starting Jan. 2, 2025 and expects the process to be complete within months. En espanol The wait is over! 'Exatlon Estados Unidos All-Stars' returned for its ninth season on December 10, airing on Telemundo. However, amid all the excitement, one big question arises: Would Frederik Oldenburg, the host of the U.S. version of the show, ever consider competing as an athlete? In an exclusive interview with People en Espanol, Oldenburg shared his thoughts, and while his answer is clear, his perspective on the competition will make you admire him even more. Despite being in excellent physical shape, thanks to his consistent training routine and passion for sports, the Colombian actress and presenter Carmen Villalobos' boyfriend doesn't see himself making the leap from host to contestant. "I really don't see myself doing it because when I look at the abilities these athletes bring, many of whom are half my age, their daily resilience is incredible. I don't see myself in the arenas," Frederik confessed. Having closely observed many seasons, he understands not just the contestants' physical stamina but also how challenging the circuits truly areoften far tougher than they appear on TV. "When I get the chance, I try them out, and they're incredibly complex. On television, they might look doable, but they're massive and require a lot of strength and endurance," he explained. Although Frederik revealed that he occasionally takes a shot at the circuits, he acknowledges that the true challenges of 'Exatlon' lie in the elimination rounds. That's where athletes face grueling, repetitive tasks requiring physical endurance, mental clarity, and pinpoint accuracy. The ninth season of 'Exatlon Estados Unidos All-Stars' promises to be tougher than ever. With a mix of veteran athletes and fresh talent, the competition will push every participant to their physical and mental limits. The elimination duels, which test teamwork and skill, will be more intense than ever, and only the strongest will survive the arenas to claim the coveted trophy. Though Frederik doesn't see himself as a contestant, his admiration for the athletes shines through. "When you have to go through 11 rounds in a row, that's when exhaustion, madness, and mental strength kick in to help you hit the target," he said. 'Exatlon Estados Unidos' has always tested the body and mind, and this season will be no exception. While Frederik may not be competing, he remains the heart of the show, guiding viewers with his unique energy and genuine connection to the athletes. Though he won't be joining the arenas just yet, Frederik's ability to handle the circuits during his "escapades" shows he's up for any challengethough hosting might just be his best role. Catch him in action as the show airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Telemundo. The competition will be fierce, and full of surprises, and Frederik Oldenburg will be there to guide us through every thrilling moment! President-elect Donald Trump walks onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with his wife Melania, after being named TIMEs Person of the Year for the second time on December 12, 2024 in New York City. CNBC's Jim Cramer argued that President-elect Donald Trump's appearance at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday is a good sign for the market, even as the major averages fell. "Love him or hate him, Trump's unabashed love for business makes it easier to be a good investor because investors do need staying power," he said. "It's tough out there, you have to be able to own stocks through thick and thin if you're trying to make big money in the market." Cramer acknowledged that Trump's opinion on business won't be a major influence on the market every day, and mentioned how many good stocks slid the same day the president-elect visited the NYSE. He named Adobe , as shares of the computer software company fell more than 13% on Thursday, and said that a president can't expand the company's margins. Instead, the company has to either lower prices or make a product significantly better than competitors, including Figma or Canva. But Cramer argued that Trump ringing the bell is reassuring to investors, and compared it to when former-President Ronald Reagan rang the bell in 1985. Reagan's pro-business stance made people want to go buy more stocks, and Trump ringing the bell is a positive signal to investors, he said. While many of Trump's proposals throughout his term may be delayed or blocked, Cramer said what matters is having a president who will favor higher stock prices. He criticized President Joe Biden for never making a visit to the NYSE during his term, and said that his experience with Biden from the CNBC show "Kudlow and Cramer" showed he didn't care about the market. Biden undervalued the number of people who gained significant wealth over the last four years, while Trump welcomed the investing class, Cramer said. CNBC has reached out to the White House for comment. "Today, like that shiny hill day in 1985, when Reagan stood up here, it's a reminder that the Trump White House will be very much in favor of higher stock prices, and that makes it easier to invest," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, that's great for the stock market, even if today was a suboptimal session that will mean absolutely nothing in the great long term." Over the past decade, Lisa Su has led a remarkable business turnaround. Su, the head of chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), has grown her company's stock price by nearly 50-fold since assuming her CEO role in 2014. She's built AMD into a $210 billion industry giant that currently sits between top rivals Intel and Nvidia, in terms of market capitalization. She's done that, at least partially, by setting extremely high expectations for the people around her. "People are really motivated by ambitious goals," Su, 55, told Time on Tuesday, in a story that named her the publication's 2024 CEO of the Year. "The previous strategy of, 'Hey, let's just do a little bit better here and there' that's actually less motivational." Sometimes, that means pushing engineers to create technology that doesn't yet exist something Su's team successfully pulled off with the development of its "chiplet" architecture in 2017, Time reported. DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to earning passive income online Other times, it could mean working long hours and setting an example for others to put in the same amount of dedication. Executives at AMD, including Su, occasionally review memos sent after midnight to prepare for early-morning calls and attend meetings on weekends, Time reported. Yet despite the company leadership's ultra-busy schedules, the bulk of AMD's employees enjoy "good work-life balance," according to more than 400 reviews on Glassdoor. Anonymous reviews on the website cite a strong company culture and benefits package, but "low compensation compared to Nvidia and Intel." Su has a 95% approval rating as AMD's CEO from those Glassdoor reviews. "I don't believe leaders are born" said Su, noting that her own career has been shaped by grit and unrelenting drive. "I believe leaders are trained." A coffee cup with a printed message from Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's X account is pictured at Franco's Pupusa restaurant in San Salvador on July 17, 2024. A record-breaking rally for coffee prices shows no sign of slowing down, analysts say, with some warning it could take years for one of the world's most traded commodities to recover. Arabica coffee futures with March delivery hit a fresh intraday high of 348.35 cents per pound on Tuesday, notching their highest level in nearly 50 years. The contract has since cut some of its gains but remains up a whopping 70% year-to-date. The last time the price for arabica beans, the world's most popular variety, traded that high was in 1977 when snow destroyed large areas of Brazilian plantations. Renowned for their smooth taste and sweet flavor, arabica beans make up between 60% to 70% of the global coffee market. They are commonly used in espressos and other barista-made coffee. Drought and high temperatures, alongside a global reliance on supplies from relatively few regions, are regarded as the primary drivers for the recent price rise. Robusta futures, meanwhile, also climbed to a fresh record high in late November. Robusta beans are known for their strong and bitter flavor and are typically used in instant blends. Former U.S. Marine Daniel Penny arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Court for his arraignment hearing for the death of Jordan Neely, a man whose death has been ruled a homicide by the city's medical examiner after being placed in a chokehold on a subway train, in New York, June 28, 2023. Daniel Penny, the man who was found not guilty in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, will be the personal guest of Vice President-elect JD Vance at the Army-Navy game on Saturday. Vance and Penny will watch the game from Trump's suite at the Washington Commanders Stadium in Landover, Maryland, at 3 p.m. ET. "Daniel's a good guy, and New York's mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone," Vance wrote in a post on X."I'm grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he's able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage." NOTUS, a publication of the Allbritton Journalism Institute, first reported Penny's plan to attend the game. Penny, a former Marine, was acquitted Monday in the New York chokehold case, with a jury finding him not guilty of criminally negligent homicide. Prosecutors accused Penny, who was 24 years old at the time of the incident, of causing Neely's death after putting the 30-year-old homeless man in a chokehold on a subway train in May 2023. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a "settlement demand" to Elon Musk, the tech billionaire disclosed in a social media post on Thursday. The post included a copy of a letter sent by Musk's attorney, Quinn Emanuel Partner Alex Spiro, to SEC Chair Gary Gensler. The letter said the federal agency had pressured Musk to agree to a settlement including a fine within 48 hours, or "face charges on numerous counts" regarding "Certain Purchases, Sales and Disclosures of Twitter Shares." The SEC has been investigating whether Musk, or anyone else working with him, committed securities fraud in 2022 as the Tesla CEO sold shares in his car company Tesla and shored up a stake in Twitter ahead of his leveraged buyout of the social network that is now known as X. "Oh Gary, how could you do this to me?" Musk said in the post he shared on X late Thursday, along with an emoji showing a face holding back tears and a copy of Spiro's letter. In another post on Thursday, Musk wrote that he, "Asked @Grok to draw a picture of @GaryGensler. Very flattering, I think!" That post contained an AI-generated image portraying the SEC chair as a snail-like creature wearing a suit. A person directly familiar with the probe, who asked to remain unnamed due to the sensitive nature of the matter, told CNBC that the SEC did send a settlement offer to Musk in recent days, but he was given more than 48 hours to respond. If the SEC cannot reach a settlement agreement with Musk, this person said, charges would not necessarily follow as a next step. When the agency cannot arrive at a settlement agreement with defendants, it will sometimes issue what is called a Wells notice before enforcement staff make recommendations to agency commissioners, who then decide whether or not to file charges. Gensler, Musk and Spiro did not respond to CNBC's requests for comment on Thursday. A spokesperson for the SEC said Friday that the agency doesn't comment on "the existence or nonexistence of a possible investigation." Musk's lawyer argued in his letter that the SEC has engaged in "more than six years of harassment" of Musk via investigative activity, including by reopening an investigation into the billionaire's health tech venture Neuralink this week. Spiro also wrote that he had personally been subpoenaed by SEC staff but refused to comply. He accused the agency of an "improperly motivated campaign against Mr. Musk and the individuals and companies associated with him," and demanded to know whether the White House or the SEC had directed this action against his client. In 2018, the SEC charged Musk with civil securities fraud after he tweeted that he was considering taking Tesla private at $420 per share and had "funding secured" to do so. No take-private deal ever materialized. Musk and Tesla each paid $20 million in fines to the agency, and struck a revised settlement agreement that required Musk to temporarily relinquish his role as chairman of the board at Tesla. Since that time, Musk has repeatedly expressed his disdain for the SEC. The Tesla, SpaceX and X leader also became a Republican megadonor in recent years, and helped propel President-elect Donald Trump back to the White House. In July this year, Trump vowed to fire the SEC chairman. After Trump's election victory, Gensler announced that he would be resigning from his post instead. In a separate civil lawsuit concerning the Twitter deal, which is a focus of the recent SEC probe, the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System sued Musk, accusing him of deliberately concealing his progressive investments in the social network, and intent to buy out the company. The pension fund's attorneys argued that Musk, by failing to clearly disclose his investments in and intentions to buy Twitter, had influenced other shareholders' decisions and put them at a disadvantage. The first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons received by Ukraine fly on the Day of Ukrainian Air Force on August 4, 2024 in Unspecified, Ukraine. At the event for the Day of Ukrainian Air Force with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons received by Ukraine were demonstrated. (Photo by Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) Vitalii Nosach | Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images After the election of Donald Trump and a Republican sweep of both chambers of Congress, the risk of the United States cutting its funding for Ukraine is a real possibility, stoking concerns among leaders in Europe on what it means for the ongoing conflict. Trump has previously expressed he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours and has been vocally critical of funding the war-torn nation alongside hardline Republican congressmen, who almost blocked a critical aid package in April of this year. On Sunday, Trump told NBC's "Meet the Press" that Ukraine will "possibly" receive less military aid once he takes office. But according to experts that spoke to CNBC, there is reason to believe Europe, which is Ukraine's biggest donor, can make up the shortfall if the U.S. withdraws or tightens that funding. Aid to Ukraine Ukraine relies on military and financial aid from international partners to sustain its military campaign, especially the U.S. and Europe. According to the Kiel Institute of Economy's Ukraine Support Tracker, which has been tracking funding to Ukraine since January 2022 up until October 2024, Europe has committed 241 billion euros ($255 billion) in aid and the U.S. has committed 119 billion euros. Out of this, Europe has actually allocated 125 billion euros and the U.S. 88 billion euros, thus far. Both Europe and the U.S. have provided "a comparable amount of military aid," Pietro Bomprezzi, the project lead of the Ukraine Support Tracker, told CNBC. As Ukraine's largest donor and neighbor, Europe would face the brunt of costs if U.S. aid runs out and isn't renewed under Trump. In the tracker's latest press update released last week, Christoph Trebesch, the head of the Ukraine Support Tracker, stated: "With the current funding due to end, all eyes are now on the incoming U.S. administration and its willingness to support Ukraine." Can Europe fill the gap? European leaders have convened several times since the election to bolster support for Ukraine, with many countries doubling up on their commitments. Germany, which is Europe's biggest donor to Ukraine, has repeatedly reiterated its support for Ukraine and pledged further military aid on a surprise visit to Kyiv last week: "Ukraine can rely on Germany," Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has repeatedly blocked EU funding to Ukraine, offered a different tone last month, stating that Europe would not be able to fill in the gap financially if the U.S. withdraws aid. But according to analysts who spoke to CNBC, Europe can fill the gaps, and has several ways to do so. In its latest update on Dec. 5, the Ukraine Support Tracker stated that the use of profits from frozen Russian assets, which are "primarily available to European donors," "could help them compensate for the loss of U.S. funds in the future." Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Brussels-based Bruegel think tank, told CNBC that "making up for U.S. financial support for Ukraine would be very easy for the EU," by using instruments such as new common debt, bilateral donations, and seizing the 250 billion euro in frozen Russian assets and distributing them to Ukraine. watch now Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at The International Institute for Strategic Studies, stated that seizing and distributing frozen Russian assets would be a "game changer." While the G7's $50 billion loan using interest payments from Russian assets is a small step in this direction, the EU can do more as it has full control over these assets. "At a stroke, if [the G7] had the will to do so, it could provide a huge slice of the aggressor's money and put it to defend Ukraine," Gould-Davies said. The main reason this hasn't been done is due to a fear among certain EU members on the financial consequences, he added. There are also other ways Europe can fill in the gaps. Kirkegaard mentioned the Danish model of financing Ukraine: Instead of sending over Western-made weapons, which are more expensive to produce, countries could directly finance Ukraine's military industrial complex. Even in the case of withdrawal of critical U.S. weaponry, Kirkegaard points out that they can still be purchased: European countries could agree to a trade deal, like China did in 2018, and agree to purchase American-made products, in this case weapons to supply to Ukraine in exchange for a relief on tariffs. watch now It is "an entirely political choice" how much Europe devotes to defend itself and Ukraine, said Gould-Davies. He frames it as a balance of resources versus a balance of resolve the balance of resources is in Europe's favor, but the balance of resolve is in Russia's: If Europe has the political will to make use of its advantage in resources, Ukraine's defense can greatly be bolstered. What happens if not? watch now Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned of the potential repercussions for the European Union if Ukraine does not prevail in its fight against Russia, telling CNBC that "if Ukraine fails, war will come to the streets of European cities." "Putin today has no strengths and powers to fight multiple wars," Kuleba said, pointing to the recent fall of Russian-backed Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria as an example. He does however have "resources to fight one war per time," meaning if Ukraine falls, Europe will be next in the Russian president's line of sight, Kuleba warned. On NATO membership a guarantee Ukraine has been chasing for years Kuleba called it a necessary step in preventing a future resurgence of the conflict with Russia. "Putting membership in NATO for Ukraine on hold can theoretically help end the fighting and establish a ceasefire," he said, "but it will not prevent the second Russia-Ukraine war from happening." A view of the destruction resulting from a Russian attack in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine on November 21, 2024. Diego Herrera | Anadolu | Getty Images Security guarantees as an alternative to membership are not enough, Kuleba added, saying that most of the proposals have already been granted to Ukraine as part of commitments signed with multiple countries including the U.K. The former minister was confident that when "serious people" sit down to discuss the prospect of Ukraine joining the alliance, they would realize it was the only way forward. The issue of Ukraine's NATO membership has been fraught and sensitive for several of the organization's members, whose approval is unanimously required to accept a new member state. President-elect Donald Trump With President-elect Donald Trump set to make his return to the White House in January, Kuleba said it remains to be seen what specific policies he will implement, calling recent talks between Zelenskyy and Trump "a good sign." The two leaders met in Paris along with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. After his meeting with the Ukrainian President, Trump called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the almost three-year-old war. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba attends a joint briefing with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Hanke Bruins Slot. Future Publishing | Getty Images Donald Trump previously claimed on the campaign trail that if elected, he could end the war "in 24 hours." Kuleba, meanwhile, stressed that the "key to peace" is in Moscow rather than Kyiv. The former foreign minister said Trump's primary focus should be on how to make Russian President Vladimir Putin negotiate in good faith. On potential terms of a peace deal, Kuleba said President Zelenskyy will be doing "everything he can in order not to allow any peace settlement to come at the expense of Ukraine" and that no political leader in Ukraine could ever allow the ceding of territory as it goes against the country's constitution. Use of U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia My top 10 things to watch Friday, Dec. 13 1. Insatiable demand for AI computing from all hyperscalers, including Apple . That's the takeaway from Club holding Broadcom's earnings report, which has shares soaring more than 17%. CEO Hock Tan estimated its "serviceable addressable market" for AI is $60 billion to $90 billion by 2027. I also would be careful betting against the sagging Nvidia after this, even as people dissemble about the fellow Club stock almost daily. 2. My trusted momentum indicator, the S & P Short Range Oscillator, is at minus 2.19 after Thursday's down session. Looking for this to bottom soon. Anything below minus 4 signals the market is oversold, which is usually my cue to put some money to work. Wall Street is set to open higher Friday. 3. Quite a few catch-up price target bumps for Club name Costco after the retailer's better-than-expected earnings report last night made clear that its model is working worldwide more than ever. We also lifted our PT on the stock despite already hovering near record highs. 4. The pattern of price target increases for travel stocks continues. Barclays took Royal Caribbean to $287 a share from $245 and kept its buy-equivalent rating, while it went to $286 from $249 for Marriott International and maintained its hold. Beware of calls based on stale information and "multiple expansion," rather than better and better estimates. 5. Sempra's big presence in California and Texas is working in its favor, and now Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to a buy from hold. Missed a nearly 18% year-to-date move, but better late than never. Sempra CEO Jeffrey Martin told me this week that utilities are in a supercycle thanks to growing electricity demand. 6. KeyBanc with a big call: Analysts upgraded Club name Salesforce to a buy-equivalent rating and downgraded ServiceNow to a hold from overweight. Until today, ServiceNow has felt invincible with its ties to Nvidia and its big contract wins. Key suggests otherwise. Is Salesforce coming for ServiceNow? They came for Veeva and won business. 7. Wolfe Research upgraded PayPal to an outperform rating with a price target of $107, citing potential upside to the current Wall Street consensus. I like this call as the fintech pioneer is cleaning up its act under CEO Alex Chriss, who took over last year from the floundering Dan Schulman. With its upgrade, Wolfe is trying to get ahead of PayPal's investor day set for February. 8. Reflections on President-elect Donald Trump after my interview with him : Could we see the end of regulation by enforcement for banks, and the beginning of a relationship based on discussion, including the consolidation of watchdogs? The Wall Street Journal reported Trump's advisors are looking at ways to shrink the number of regulators in Washington. 9. Another Trump reflection: Is the new U.S. approach to China personal diplomacy with Chinese president Xi Jinping? Trump has reportedly invited Xi to his inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump talks tough on China, but there's hopes of a better relationship between Washington and Beijing, or else things could get tricky. 10. RH , the luxury home furnishings maker, looks like it has won just by blocking and tackling, even as it is clear there has been no break in the housing turnover situation. Shares of RH are flying nearly 14% after raising guidance. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. Pedestrians walk by a sign in front of a Broadcom office on December 12, 2024 in San Jose, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images My top 10 things to watch Friday, Dec. 13 The McKinsey & Company logo is displayed at the 54th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, on June 21, 2023. McKinsey & Company agreed to pay $650 million in a deferred prosecution agreement that will resolve a federal criminal probe into the company's consulting work advising Purdue Pharma on how to increase sales of its opioid painkiller OxyContin, a court filing said Friday. A former top partner at McKinsey, Martin Elling, also agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice next month in the probe by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a filing in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Virginia. The criminal charging document that McKinsey agreed to have filed by prosecutors alleges the consulting giant "knowingly and intentionally" conspired with Purdue Pharma "and others to aid and abet the misbranding of prescription drugs." The document also said McKinsey is accused, through the acts of its then-partner Elling, of "knowingly destroying and concealing records and documents with the intent" to impede the investigation by the Department of Justice. McKinsey, which previously agreed to pay almost $1 billion to settle lawsuits by states, local governments and others related to its opioid consulting, accepted responsibility for the conduct alleged by federal prosecutors, according to the deferred prosecution agreement. As part of the deal, McKinsey will not work on any marketing, sale, promotion or distribution of controlled substances. In a statement to CNBC, McKinsey said, "We are deeply sorry for our past client service to Purdue Pharma and the actions of a former partner who deleted documents related to his work for that client." "We should have appreciated the harm opioids were causing in our society and we should not have undertaken sales and marketing work for Purdue Pharma," the firm said. "This terrible public health crisis and our past work for opioid manufacturers will always be a source of profound regret for our firm has requested comment from McKinsey." The company said that in addition to its deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ, it "has agreed to settle a related civil False Claims Act investigation and to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services." Dorin Recean, Moldova's prime minister, speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, US, on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. Moldova's parliament on Friday voted to approve a 60-day state of emergency, citing fears of an immediate threat to the security of its citizens ahead of an expected halt in Russian gas flows. Russian gas currently reaches Moldova, a landlocked country in the northeastern corner of Europe's Balkan region, via its neighbor of Ukraine. However, a gas transit deal between Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz is set to expire on Dec. 31 and Kyiv has repeatedly said it has no intention to extend the contract. A total of 56 lawmakers of Moldova's 101-seat parliament voted in favor of a nationwide state of emergency, which the government said would allow the country to apply a series of measures to prevent and mitigate the threat of insufficient energy resources. The cessation of Russian gas to Moldova's Transnistrian region could generate "a humanitarian crisis" as well as "risks to the functioning and stability" of the country's energy sector, according to a press release from Moldova's parliament. Moldova Prime Minister Dorin Recean said this winter must be the last in the country's history that it can be held hostage over energy supplies. Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, has previously said it stands ready to continue to supply gas to Europe via Ukraine. Russia launched a massive aerial strike against Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Friday morning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow used 93 missiles and nearly 200 drones in the attack. Nancy Pelosi delivers remarks at the Anti-Corruption Champions Award Ceremony at the Department of State in Washington, D.C, on Dec. 9, 2024. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received successful hip replacement surgery after being injured while traveling with a congressional delegation in Luxembourg, her office said Saturday. Pelosi, 84, "underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend," her spokesman Ian Krager said in a press release. "Speaker Pelosi is enjoying the overwhelming outpouring of prayers and well wishes and is ever determined to ensure access to quality health care for all Americans," he said. On Friday, the Democratic speaker emerita and current U.S. representative from California was hospitalized after she "sustained an injury during an official engagement," Krager said in a press release after the incident. The spokesman did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for additional details about the surgery. In a photo shared by the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg earlier Friday, Pelosi is seen standing and holding the hand of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who led the delegation. The AI revolution is "the biggest platform shift since electricity" and, as such, will bring investment opportunities in smaller tech firms that are climbing ever nearer to the Big Tech behemoths, according to one U.K.-based fund manager. "We're of the firm belief that the winners of this new technology cycle, that really started 18 months, two years ago with the ChatGPT moment [and the] AI revolution, these are not going to be the same winners as the last technology cycle," Clare Pleydell-Bouverie, co-lead fund manager at Liontrust Asset Management, told CNBC's Arjun Kharpal last week. "We're really focused on the opportunities sat below the Magnificent Seven," Pleydell-Bouverie said, referencing a group of Big Tech stocks comprising of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. Many of those tech firms she says are ripe for investment work on AI applications, which the fund manager describes as an emerging club of high-value firms, and one of a number of different layers growing within the wider AI industry. "This year we've been really focused on the AI infrastructure layer of this new technology stack," she said. Pleydell-Bouverie warned keen AI investors to see that "you've got to build out this new compute infrastructure before you can monetize it." This includes silicon chips, semiconductor equipment, the likes of Applied Materials , and firms responsible for laying underground cables and networks, she said. "So, the Broadcom 's, the Amphenol 's, the Arista 's of this world, these are all really crucial components to scale this AI infrastructure. And on top of that, you've got the model providers. For the most part, we view these players as quite commoditized ... It's a complete arms race to build these large foundation models," she said. Large foundation models refer to machine-learning models that are trained on large amounts of data. Below the AI application making "stack" are engineering firms "who bring AI to companies and customers," said Pleydell-Bouverie, adding: "The value at the moment resides still in that AI infrastructure layer, but we see that moving up the stack into next year." Nvidia 'primary beneficiary' of AI boom Pleydell-Bouverie believes Nvidia will be the key player for the AI revolution in 2025, striking comparisons with Apple 's surge as the dominant player during the smartphone transition. Understanding Nvidia's role in 2025, however, requires investors to view the Magnificent Seven firm in a different light. "The key misunderstanding about Nvidia is that it's a chip provider. Looking at the company through this framework looking at this company through the framework of a backward looking hyperscaler capex [capital expenditure] is fundamentally the wrong way to be looking at this company," said Pleydell-Bouverie. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is credited with integrating a failing operating system with sleek hardware in the mid-1990s, laying down the foundations for it to eventually take advantage of the smartphone boom that would emerge at the turn of the millennium. Pleydell-Bouverie sees Nvidia accelerating similarly to Apple. "Nvidia is actually positioning itself to be the operating system for this new AI-infused software that we're going to really start to see come to market from next year," she added. Nvidia has been the primary beneficiary of the ongoing artificial intelligence boom, with its next-generation AI chip Blackwell now in focus. Shares of the company have nearly tripled so far in 2024 up more than 180% in the year-to-date making it one the world's most valuable companies. But Van der Steene said shipping companies expect the volatility that has pervaded global trade since Covid to be back in 2025. "Disruption will also be with us," he said. "The topic of resilience within the supply chain will continue to be, and should be, on everyone's agenda." The surge of e-commerce shipments from Chinese online sellers has also fueled air freight prices. Maersk is returning its China air cargo service to its South Carolina hub at the start of 2025. "The e-commerce market has been surprisingly strong," said van der Steene. After year-on-year growth in North American market imports of roughly 20%-24% across the first three quarters of 2024, Maersk expects the Q4 numbers to also be in double-digit territory, according to Charles van der Steene, president for Maersk North America, who described the full year 2024 as "very strong with resilient demand." The past year has been a strong one for North American import trade demand, and that should continue for both ocean and air cargo into 2025, according to shipping giant Maersk, but so will supply chain disruptions. The Maersk Halifax, on the Central and South America route, berths at the Qianwan Container Terminal of Qingdao Port in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, on November 10, 2024. In ContainerXChange's latest update, it reported North America has experienced the sharpest rise on a global basis, at 20%, in average container prices over the last 90 days. These threats have stoked the price of the cargo container as shippers vie for the coveted boxes to ship their imports. Over the last several months, ocean freight spot rates had been on the decline, but on Monday, when ocean carriers released their rates for the Dec. 15- Dec. 31 bookings, logistics managers told CNBC they jumped, a bullish demand indicator. The disruptions include another potential International Longshoremen's Association strike at East Coast and Gulf ports across the U.S., and tariff threats made by President-elect Trump ahead of an early Lunar New Year in Asia, when many manufacturing plants in China are idled for a month. The National Retail Federation recently said inbound cargo traffic as a result of strike and tariff threats would fuel container import records in both November and December. Maersk has started to see a progression of trade moving over to the West Coast, Van der Steene said. With volumes remaining strong, "We can at least conclude that volumes are being pulled forward, or volumes are incredibly more strong now because of the anticipation of a potential disruption," he said. Trump takes sides in port strike Automation is one of the main sticking points in negotiations between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the owners of East and Gulf Coast ports. Maersk's auto gate system in Mobile, Alabama, was the reason for an initial breakdown in talks over the summer, with the union alleging use of automation in violation of contract terms. After the ILA strike on October 1-October 3, which shut down 36 ports on the East and Gulf Coasts, ended with a deal on wage issues and significant pay hikes for dock workers, the issue of automation was put off until a January 15 deadline for a full deal. On Thursday, President-elect Trump met with ILA president Harold Daggett and his son, Dennis Daggett, who is executive vice president of the ILA, and came out in support of the union position after the meeting. Harold Daggett has vowed no use of automation as a firm union position. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the money saved by companies using automation "is nowhere near distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American workers." Trump added, "Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets." The Trump-Daggett meeting came at a pivotal moment after another breakdown in talks between the union and ports. The ILA, which is North America's largest longshoremen's union, and the USMX met on November 11 to discuss automation, healthcare benefits, work jurisdiction, and container royalties. But on November 13, negotiations broke down over automation. USMX responded on Thursday in a statement that it appreciated and valued President-elect Trump's belief in the importance of American ports, but said the union contract is about supporting American consumers and businesses through innovation and technology. "To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains. ILA members' compensation increases with the more goods they move the greater capacity our ports have and goods that are moved means more money in their pockets." A strike that lasts longer than a few days would cost the U.S. economy $5-$7 billion per week, according to EY. Van der Steene, in the CNBC interview conducted before Trump's post, said Maersk is still "quite hopeful and mildly positive" that an agreement between the ILA and the USMX will be reached before the January 15 deadline when the contract negotiation period expires and another strike can begin. The ILA has warned that if the U.S. president invoked the Taft-Hartley Act to force the striking workers back on the job, there would be an intentional slowdown. President Biden stuck to his position of not invoking the act when the ILA went on strike in October. Trump's latest comments suggest he would not invoke Taft-Hartley either. Senior Biden administration officials have told CNBC they are urging both sides to get back to the negotiation table. Global supply chain outlook for 2025 Next year will also bring a new ocean alliance for Maersk, starting in February, when the Gemini Corporation Agreement between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd begins. The cancellation of Hapag's China to Germany service raised some concerns in the logistics industry, and there have been concerns that the Gemini Alliance may be short of vessels, but van der Steene told CNBC it has enough vessels to meet demand. Bookings for the new alliance began this week and van der Steen said the alliance is excited about orders and has set an ambitious goal of 90% vessel reliability for 2025. Red Sea diversions and the ILA strike contributed to delayed arrivals in 2024. Current ocean carrier reliability, according to Sea-Intelligence, is 50-55%. Maersk is the most reliable ocean carrier, at 58%. "We will be quite prominently driving from that 58% all the way up to 90% in the course of 2025," Van der Steene said. "That's the only way which we believe we can get our customers to reduce their inventory; we can allow our customers to de-risk their supply chain, and at the same time, reduce costs and carbon footprint along the way." Overall in 2025, Maersk is expecting the market to continue to be strong, with U.S. GDP set to grow just under 2%, bolstering demand for supply chain services, whether Asian imports or trade flows between Mexico and the U.S., Van Der Steene said. While the exact level of demand is difficult to forecast, current market strength is expected into the first half of 2025. "We should all be ready for a continued strong market," he said. But he added, "We're very much in deep discussions with our customers as to how they can prepare for what could be another year, or rather, what will likely be another year of disruption and the need for supply chain resilience." AI adoption is on the rise in Singapore, with 52% of workers in the country using the technology in their jobs, according to Slack's new Workforce Index. The use of artificial intelligence has grown across industries globally, but there is still some confusion over how to properly use the technology at work. In Singapore, 52% of employees are using artificial intelligence in their jobs, according to Slack's Workforce Index, which in August surveyed over 17,000 workers across 15 countries, including 1,008 in Singapore. The demand for AI talent in the country has grown. There has been a 4.6x increase in generative AI-related job postings in the city-state between September 2023 and September 2024, according to Indeed. But despite the fact that demand for AI talent has surged in Singapore, 45% of the employees in the country report feeling uncomfortable admitting to managers that they are using the technology for workplace tasks. For those who reported feeling that way, top reasons included the fear of being seen as "incompetent," "lazy" or "cheating," according to Slack's report. "Workers are excited about AI, but they're uncertain about how to use it in the workplace, and this uncertainty is standing in the way of broader AI adoption," Christina Janzer, senior vice president of research and analytics at Slack, told CNBC Make It. Bank of England in the City of London on 6th November 2024 in London, United Kingdom. The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the primary central business district CBD of London. The City of London is widely referred to simply as the City is also colloquially known as the Square Mile. (photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images) The U.K. economy contracted unexpectedly in October amid uncertainty from businesses and consumers ahead of the newly elected government's budget announcement. Gross Domestic Product fell by an estimated 0.1% on a monthly basis, the ONS said Friday, with officials attributing the downturn to a decline in production output. Economists polled by news agency Reuters had projected a 0.1% rise in GDP in October. It marked the country's second consecutive economic downturn, following a 0.1% GDP decline in September. Real GDP is estimated to have grown 0.1% in the three months to October, the ONS said, compared to the previous three months ending in July. Sterling declined on the back of the disappointing print, trading 0.3% lower against the U.S. dollar at $1.2627 by 7:45 a.m. London time. In a statement on Friday, U.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves conceded that the October figures were "disappointing," but defended the government's divisive economic strategies. "We have put in place policies to deliver long term economic growth," she said, citing changes such as a cap on corporation tax and the launch of a 10-year infrastructure strategy. In late October, Reeves unveiled the government's first budget since replacing the longstanding Conservative government in July. The budget included plans from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government to raise taxes by 40 billion ($50.5 billion). Reeves said at the time that this would be achieved through a raft of new policies, including a hike in employer National Insurance payments a tax on earnings as well as a rise in capital gains tax and the scrapping of winter fuel payments to pensioners. Some of the policies have been met with widespread criticism. The national insurance payroll tax hike, for example, has prompted warnings from businesses that they will be less likely to take on new workers, with a report from recruitment site Indeed this week suggesting the policy had already had an effect on British job openings. Pic story: volunteer dedicated to feeding gulls by Dianchi Lake in Kunming Xinhua) 10:13, December 13, 2024 Zhang Liyun feeds black-headed gulls at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 11, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Photo by Peng Yikai/Xinhua) Black-headed gulls are pictured at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 9, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei) An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 11, 2024 shows Zhang Liyun (L) and a fellow volunteer feeding black-headed gulls at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Photo by Peng Yikai/Xinhua) Zhang Liyun prepares to feed black-headed gulls at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 11, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Photo by Peng Yikai/Xinhua) Zhang Liyun looks at a black-headed gull perching on his right hand at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 11, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Photo by Peng Yikai/Xinhua) Zhang Liyun (front) prepares to feed black-headed gulls at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 11, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Photo by Peng Yikai/Xinhua) Zhang Liyun feeds black-headed gulls at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 11, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Photo by Peng Yikai/Xinhua) Zhang Liyun shows his Douyin account where he shares videos of feeding black-headed gulls at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 11, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Photo by Peng Yikai/Xinhua) Black-headed gulls are pictured at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 9, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei) Zhang Liyun shows specially prepared fodder for black-headed gulls at the Wangguan wetland park by the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 11, 2024. Kunming is a wintering destination for black-headed gulls which migrate to the city every year by tens of thousands. A decade ago, local resident Zhang Liyun started feeding the gulls staying by the Dianchi Lake as a volunteer, an undertaking to which he has been committed till this day. During the wintering season, he arrives at the Wangguan wetland park with specially prepared fodder at around seven o'clock every morning. Meanwhile, Zhang keeps posting videos of feeding the gulls on social media in a bid to raise public awareness of the bird species' protection. (Photo by Peng Yikai/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A male humpback whale has shattered migration records, traveling over 13,046 kilometers (8,106 miles) from South America to Africa. This unprecedented journey, detailed in a recent study published in Royal Society Open Science, marks the first documented case of an adult male humpback traveling between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Humpback Whale Defies Migration Norms, Travels Between Two Breeding Populations Initially spotted off Colombia in 2013, the whale resurfaced in 2022 near Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean, astonishing researchers. According to CNN, Humpback whales are known for their long migrations, often spanning over 8,000 kilometers (4,971 miles) in a single direction, but this journey is nearly double the typical distance. Humpback whales usually stick to specific migration routes between feeding and breeding grounds, where populations remain geographically distinct. For instance, North Pacific humpbacks feed near Alaska and migrate to Hawaii to breed, while North Atlantic populations move between feeding grounds from Maine to Norway and breeding areas in the West Indies. This whale, however, defied expectations by traveling between two distinct breeding populations. Marine biologist Ted Cheeseman, co-founder of the whale tracking platform Happy Whale, emphasized that this journey highlights the interconnectedness of oceans. Cheeseman noted that whales often navigate with precision, suggesting that this whale's remarkable migration was likely driven by social or environmental factors rather than disorientation. The study suggests that competition among males for mates in Colombia or food scarcity could have motivated the whale to seek new territory. Upon arrival in the Indian Ocean, it's unclear whether the whale was accepted by its new group, but such inter-oceanic movements could encourage genetic diversity among whale populations. Read more: Blue Aurora Seen in Japan Stirs Debate Over Unknown Atmospheric Forces Global Citizen Science Tracks Humpback Whale's Record-Breaking Migration The whale's journey was documented through photographs submitted to Happy Whale, a global platform where researchers and citizen scientists identify whales by the unique markings on the underside of their tails, ScienceAlert reported. This method, in use since the 1970s, enables collaborative research and helps build a global catalog of whale movements. Currently, the Happy Whale database includes over 109,000 individual whales, facilitating unprecedented international cooperation. The study sheds light on humpback whale behavior and the potential for populations to adapt to changing environments. As humpback populations in the Indian Ocean recover from historic whaling, which decimated nearly 95% of their numbers, researchers aim to better understand how these marine giants adapt and thrive. With an increase in geopolitical uncertainty due to ongoing conflicts, economic slowdown in many developed countries and speculation over retaliatory tariffs, India is looking to secure supply chains for critical minerals and petroleum products with potential trade deals with Chile and Peru in South America. Government sources told CNBC-TV18 that India is aiming to get duty concessions for exports of engineering goods and other items to both these countries.Sources indicate that while the Indian government is yet to approve the Terms of Reference (ToR) for upgrading the existing PTA (Preferential Trade Agreement) with Peru and negotiating a CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) with Chile, these discussions are advancing. India also aims to benefit from reduced freight distances due to China's new port on Peru's Pacific coast.After seven rounds of trade talks with Peru up to April 2024, India is awaiting approvals from relevant ministries to proceed with the 8th round post-general elections. The 7th round of the India-Peru trade agreement negotiations had concluded after 4 days of talks in New Delhi in April this year. With an increase in trade with Peru, India aims at diversification of the import basket in terms of essential metals and minerals.Bilateral trade with Peru has grown significantly, rising from $66 million in 2003 to $3.68 billion in 2023. Peru is now Indias third-largest trading partner in the Latin American and Caribbean region, with diversification of essential metals and minerals imports a key focus.The 7th round of negotiations had witnessed discussions on several chapters, including Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Movement of Natural Persons, Rules of Origin, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade, Custom Procedures and Trade Facilitation, Initial Provisions and General Definitions, Legal and Institutional Provisions, Final Provisions, Trade Remedies, General and Security Exceptions, Dispute Settlement and Cooperation.Chile has also expressed a keen interest in advancing trade relations with India and accelerating negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). With Chile, India already has a PTA which was signed in 2005 as a follow-up to a Framework Agreement to Promote Economic Cooperation. India is also in talks with another big economic bloc MERCOSUR; comprising of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay; to widen the existing Preferential Trade Agreement. 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. Djibouti City, Djibouti (PANA) - Djiboutis maritime-dependent economy has demonstrated resilience to regional conflicts with growth in FY24 projected at a robust 6 percent, driven by increased transshipments as shipping companies navigate Red Sea tensions A new class action lawsuit alleges poor working conditions and exploitive behavior by AI data processing company Scale AI, saying that workers responsible for generating much of its product were mischaracterized by the company as independent contractors, rather than full employees. Scale AIs services include providing the human labor to label the data used in training AI models and in shaping their responses to queries. For instance, a worker might label images from a cars LIDAR detector to help create an AI that more accurately identifies objects. To get this kind of human input, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in the Superior Court of California, Scale AI outsources work through services like Outlier, where named plaintiff Steve McKinney worked until June. Tasks for Scale AI, the complaint alleges, were assigned algorithmically, with payments reduced or denied for projects that exceeded a designated time limit. McKinneys suit said that this amounts to a bait-and-switch in terms of promised compensation. In addition, it noted, workers were not paid for peripheral functions such as reviewing project guidelines, seeking clarification, or attending required training webinars. Google has unveiled a new tool to access AI agents that can automate workflows and help workers find information held across their organization. AI agents have become a major focus for software vendors in recent months, including Atlassian, Microsoft, Salesforce, and numerous others. The agent concept is used in different ways, but generally refers to software systems that are able to take actions on behalf of a user, with varying degrees of autonomy. IDC analysts predict that at least 40% of Global 2000 businesses will use AI agents and agentic workflows to automate knowledge work, doubling productivity in the process at least in cases where the technology is successfully implemented. On Friday, Google unveiled Agentspace, its own application where workers can access and build agents. The standalone app has three main purposes, according to Google. Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - An international organization has released a shocking report, saying one in each ten people in dire humanitarian assistance is now in the Sudan which hosts 10% of the people in humanitarian need globally Charles Dickens might have invented Christmas, but he didnt invent guys who try to ruin it. For as long as weve honored Baby Jesus by politely avoiding any acknowledgement of him, there have been people pooping on the quasi-religious party. People like 5 Oliver Cromwell Under Cromwells leadership as Lord Protector, Christmas was banned for several years in the mid-1600s in England, Ireland and Scotland. To be fair, his objection was to celebrations that took the Christ out of Christmas, but it extended to sending soldiers into the streets, confiscating food that looked too good for 17th-century England and thus must have been intended for a Christmas feast. No wonder they put his head on a spike. 4 Brock Chisholm Even the stodgiest rationalist will concede that theres nothing wrong with believing in Santa Claus, unless that stodgy rationalist is Brock Chisholm. As the first director-general of the World Health Organization, Chisholm suffered no fools, and he considered encouraging children to believe in Santa Claus very foolish indeed. In what must have been a huge digression in a 1945 speech about raising children to foster peace, he insisted that the dirty Santa-writers would become the kind of man who develops a sore back when there is a tough job to do and refuses to think realistically when war threatens. People around the world were outraged enough to demand his resignation, but you have to admit, he would have been good to have around during COVID. 3 Reverend Paul Nedergaard Advertisement In 1958, in the Danish tradition of selling limited-edition envelope seals at Christmastime to raise money for charity, one organization released a seal bearing an image of Santa Claus. Reverend Nedergaard took exception to that, encouraging people to boycott the seal featuring a symbol of a pagan goblin. Did we mention it was a childrens welfare agency? In a blistering op-ed, a Copenhagen journalist wrote, We dont believe a goblin will hurt the sale of Christmas seals but a clergyman can harm the good cause, then dropped whatever they used as mics in 1958. 2 Dr. Seuss Advertisement Any of these figures could have inspired Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, to come up with the Grinch, but his inspiration was actually himself. In 1956, he realized, Something had gone wrong with Christmas or more likely with me. So I wrote the story about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously Id lost. Even then, he struggled with getting too heavy, spending three months trying to figure out an ending without sounding like a second-rate preacher or some bible thumper. Bob Vance was one of the more mysterious characters on The Office. While he originally seemed like an affable blue-collar guy who loved to plug his business whenever he introduced himself Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration as more details emerged about Phyllis husband, the darker the character became. In one episode, Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) admitted that she and Bob liked to go out to bars, wait for men to hit on her and then have Bob beat them up. Meanwhile, at their wedding, a dead-eyed Bob threatened Steve Carells Michael Scott with a similar kind of menace. There was also a reference to a grand jury investigation of Bob, and, of course, some seemingly coordinated Pretzel Day shenanigans between him and Phyllis. Clearly, Bob had flexible morals that have caused the Office fandom to speculate whether he was in the mafia, or maybe even the infamous Scranton Strangler. Don't Miss What does Bob himself think? We asked actor Robert Shafer to weigh in. To start, how did you get the part of Bob Vance? I auditioned. It was Halloween, and Hollywood was jammed. There was no place to park, and I was the last guy of the day. After the audition was over, there were three girls standing outside dressed as angels. I thought, Maybe thats an omen. I got a callback a couple of weeks later, and Phyllis was there. I think she had a voice in casting me because, the next morning I was on set with my first iteration of Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration. Advertisement Funny enough, at the same time, I had an offer to be the Maytag repairman. In order to get the 100 grand that came with it, though, I had to do 250 public appearances in one year like at malls and Lowes and Home Depots. I dont think I would have lasted a week! I was telling my agents, I really want to do The Office, and they were like, That show isnt going to make it. Its going to get canceled. They wanted their commission. They didnt care that Id be tortured. I thought Bob Vance might be a recurring character, though, so I wanted that. Funny thing was, my mom and dad, their names were Bob and Phyllis. Not only that, but Phyllis Smith was my moms maiden name too. It was some heavy synchronicity. Had you met the other Phyllis Smith that is, the one who wasnt your mom before The Office? Advertisement Advertisement One time. She was a casting director, and I was reading for her for a half-hour sitcom about Elvis. I wanted to be a part of it because it was a period piece, and I love that era. I would have been one of Elvis friends, but I was terrible. I sucked. I never brought that up to her. What was Phyllis like to work with? Shes a great person. Most of the scenes I was in were parties with her, so I made all of my scenes about her. Everything was about Phyllis Im there to love her, protect her, put her on a pedestal. Do you have a favorite episode? Phyllis Wedding is, of course, my favorite because Im the most involved in that one. We watched that episode live at Greg Daniels house. It was a party. Phyllis and I were standing outside, and Harold Ramis came walking up because he and Greg Daniels were friends. The first thing out of Harold Ramis mouth was, Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration. I said, Mr. Ramis, thats my line! Later, when we were watching the episode and it got to the moment where I grabbed Michaels hand and said, If you ever lay a hand on Phyllis, Ill kill you, that killed the room, Harold Ramis included. To me, that guy was a comedy god and to see him crack up like that was a big win. Advertisement Next time you watch it, you can see Michael is trying to get his hand away from me, but he cant because I have a death grip on him. That wasnt in the script. Advertisement The online fandom has some crazy theories about Bob. Some think hes in the mafia. What do you think? Maybe something fell off a truck here or there, who knows? I never played that, though. What about the Scranton Strangler? No. Bob Vance was a killer, though. He was a Marine Corps Combat Infantry Officer in Vietnam. Phyllis mentions that in Phyllis Wedding. Not the Scranton Strangler, though. Toby gets my vote on that, or one of the Schrutes. Mose is a prime candidate in my opinion. STORY LINK Pound US Dollar Exchange Rate Slumps Pound Sterling (GBP) Directionless Amid Data Void Advertisement GBP/USD Exchange Rate Forecast: UK GDP Data in Focus Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound US Dollar exchange rate trod water on Thursday following the release of the USs latest PPI and initial jobless claims data.On Thursday, the US Dollar (USD) climbed against most of its counterparts following the release of two key economic indicators.The latest Producer Price Index (PPI) for the US surpassed expectations, increasing from 0.3% to 0.4%, contrary to forecasts that it would decline to 0.2%.However, the US's initial jobless claims for the week ending December 7 unexpectedly rose by 17,000, bringing the total to 242,000.Despite the mixed economic data, the US Dollar still managed to rise against the majority of its rivals.On Thursday, the Pound (GBP) failed to capture much investor interest, drifting lower against the majority of its peers, as an ongoing lack of economic data this week left GBP exchange rates largely directionless.Investors were also likely hesitant to make bold moves on the Pound given the significant economic data set to be released on Friday.The UKs latest GDP figures are due out, which could inject volatility into the Pound as the week comes to a close.Looking forward to Friday, the main driver of movement for the Pound US Dollar exchange rate will likely be the release of the UKs latest GDP data for October.If the GDP figures meet expectations and show a recovery from the previous -0.1% to an expected 0.1%, GBP exchange rates could strengthen by the end of the week.On the US Dollars side, there are no domestic data releases scheduled for Friday, which means the Greenback may trade without a clear direction, influenced primarily by broader risk sentiments. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Dollar Forecasts Many successful authors have come from Shelby, but few still live here and call Shelby home. Before coming to Shelby, Victoria Rose Elam was an entrepreneur for over 35 years and Founder/President of a non-profit organization for businesswomen in southern Oregon. She volunteered on several boards and committees and was well known for her dedication to the community. Victoria now calls Shelby home and is active in the community here - volunteering and attending many different community events. She also just recently wrote and published her first children's book, "Mischief with Grandma," which will be released Feb. 15, 2025. Victoria didn't just write this book on a whim, but instead it has been a work in progress in her mind for over a decade. "About 15 years ago I was drawn to writing children's books," said Victoria. "I've always had a love of books since I was a young kid. Reading to my daughters and grandchildren was a very special time for all of us. After my first attempt of writing a children's book back in 2014, life events got in the way, and it was shelved." Shelved, but not forgotten and Victoria's determination and dedication has now resulted in this dream becoming reality. Her oldest granddaughter was her first inspiration, and that inspiration grew bigger with the addition of two more grandchildren. After a few years of spending time with her grandkids, making memories while enjoying watching them play and interact, Victoria decided it was time to turn these moments in life into a book. Her writing explores themes of children learning the art of creativity in adventures outside video games and techie gadgets. It's her hope that her stories will capture the hearts of young readers. The biggest challenge, which moments to feature. Photo courtesy Victoria Rose Elam "My biggest challenge was which story idea do I go with," explained Victoria. "I had several stories scribbled down on paper over the years. I decided to go with the one story that captured the silliness and light heartedness of my grandkids and that helped me overcome any anxiety I had about writing a children's book." The first big step was getting all those thoughts and ideas down on paper and seeing how the story would unfold. From there things got a little harder as there are numerous edits before the story flows and sounds right, followed by illustrations, formatting and then publishing on several websites. "Working with my illustrator and publisher has been a life saver as she handles everything once I completed the story," said Victoria. "If you know me, the title speaks for itself." After 10 years of being "shelved," a lot of hard work, dedication and determination, Victoria's children's book has become a reality, a milestone event in life that definitely deserves to be recognized and celebrated. While basking in the glow of success, Victoria remains busy as she continues to get those moments with her grandchildren down on paper as "Mischief with Grandma" is just the beginning. Be watching for book number two next summer! You can follow her on Facebook @AuthorVictoriaRose or email: [email protected] for updates and her book launch location. The UK government has announced an indefinite ban on the use of puberty blockers for individuals under the age of 18 with gender dysphoria following medical advice from experts. Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, said the decision comes after independent medical experts found there was "currently an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children." The ban will now prevent the sale and use of puberty blockers to treat children under 18 with gender dysphoria. This will provide healthcare providers more time and room to consider other options, including gender reassignment, per ABC News. When Will the Ban Be Lifted? Streeting said the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) recommended an indefinite ban on puberty blockers until the medication is proven safe for children and young people. However, the government will revisit the decision in 2027. The ban will apply across the United Kingdom, including England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. Puberty blockers would no longer be given to new patients. However, those already receiving the medication are exempted from the ban. Furthermore, the ban does not apply to the use of puberty blockers in clinical studies or in the medical treatment of children with precocious puberty, a condition where puberty starts abnormally early. Typically, precocious puberty happens before the age of 8 in girls and age 9 in boys. Streeting also noted that there are currently plans to set up a clinical trial into the use of puberty blocked in 2025. The first patients for the trial are expected to be recruited by spring. The trial will determine a clear evidence base for the use of puberty blockers. In addition, the UK government said it will roll out gender services providers in the coming years, beginning with a new one in the East of England. The service will offer "enhanced mental health support" for children under 18. Potential Impact of the Ban While the government argues this decision is based on safety concerns, some researchers have raised alarms about the potential negative effects of the ban. A survey conducted after the initial temporary ban reported declining mental health, increased depression, social isolation, anxiety, stress, self-harm, and suicide ideation among affected young people. A South Carolina mother is demanding answers after her 4-year-old son was left on a school bus and handed over to a stranger. On December 5, Myeisha Marks was celebrating her birthday two hours away from home when she received a panicked call from her son's aunt, according to Count On 2 News. Marks' 4-year-old son, Shamiar Smith Jr., who attends Aynor Elementary School, had not gotten off the school bus as expected. The school's "Tagged Child Program" is supposed to ensure the safe release of young children to designated adults, but in this case, critical steps were allegedly missed. The bus driver initially claimed Smith was not on the bus, but later found him asleep under his coat in the middle of the vehicle. Instead of following protocol, the driver reportedly handed the child over to a stranger, who eventually brought him back to the school. Marks said she felt sheer panic and feared her son had been kidnapped before learning he was safe. "I was two hours away, and the first thing she said was 'Junior didn't get off the bus,'" Marks said. "I panicked, like, 'oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.' I just hung up the phone [and] called the school." She later reviewed bus surveillance footage and filed a complaint, asserting that multiple procedural errors had occurred, including failure to check the child's identification tag and neglecting to follow proper drop-off procedures. "If he would've checked the tag when he got on the bus, he would've known," Marks said. "So that's what I'm thinking, like, he didn't do his job from the beginning. He didn't see him, which, he was visible, and he gave him to a complete stranger. That's like, three or four different things that went wrong." Horry County Schools confirmed that safety procedures, including the "Tagged Child Program," are under review. Originally published by Latin Times It has been a terrible two months for free speech. First, people were sent to prison actually sent to prison for saying unpleasant things in the aftermath of the Southport riots. Then the journalist Allison Pearson was harassed at her home on the morning of Remembrance Sunday because one person decided to be offended by a year-old tweet. Now the Press regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), has ruled against The Spectator magazine for describing a trans activist as 'a man who claims to be a woman', a ruling the magazine's new editor Michael Gove fairly describes as 'offensive to the principle of free speech and chilling in its effect on free expression'. The author of the offending article was Gareth Roberts, a TV scriptwriter with a delightful turn of phrase. He was writing about Nicola Sturgeon's appearance at an event in Sussex, and mentioned en passant that she 'was interviewed by writer Juno Dawson, a man who claims to be a woman, and so the conversation naturally turned to gender'. Dawson complained to Ipso on three grounds. First, that the statement was inaccurate. Second, that it constituted harassment. Third, that it breached section 12.1 of the editors' code, which lays down that 'the Press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual's race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability'. Ipso threw out the first two complaints, but upheld the third, finding that the reference was 'personally belittling and demeaning toward the complainant'. I would love to say that Ipso overstepped the mark and issued a perverse ruling. But, reading the editors' code, I think it is worse than that. I think Ipso may accurately have interpreted section 12.1 which, in effect, outlaws the use of hurtful words for individuals who belong to certain protected groups. The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), has ruled against The Spectator magazine for describing trans activist Juno Dawson as 'a man who claims to be a woman' How the blithering flip did we end up with such a prohibition? The depressing answer is that it happened on the Tories' watch. After the phone-hacking scandal in 2012, there were demands for statutory Press regulation. The Conservative government managed eventually to head off these proposals, opting instead to allow a system of self-regulation. But Ipso has proved no less prone to wokery than government departments. For those tiresome people who still pretend not to understand what wokery means, it means the sanctification of supposedly historically marginalised groups. The sensitivities of these groups are elevated as the supreme goal of public policy, trumping free contract, free association and free speech. Hence Monday's Ipso ruling. It is indeed outrageous. But it is also a sobering thought that, at every stage between the formation of Ipso and the entry into force of the current editors' code in 2021, Michael Gove was a government minister. Once again, we see the impotence of our elected representatives before our standing bureaucracies. It cannot be stressed too strongly that the issue here is free expression, not the right to identify as belonging to a different sex. A newcomer to the debate might think that transgenderism is a new phenomenon. It is not. The word 'transsexual', though now out of date, is more than 100 years old, and the idea of rejecting the sex dictated by your chromosomes is older still. And journalist Allison Pearson was harassed at her home on the morning of Remembrance Sunday because one person decided to be offended by a year-old tweet Nor was the phenomenon hidden away. As long ago as 1970, The Kinks reached No 2 in the charts with Lola, a song about a transwoman ('Girls will be boys and boys will be girls, it's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world'). In 1973, Tim Curry sang: 'I'm just a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania' in the Rocky Horror Show. None of this was especially controversial. The controversy began much more recently when, instead of exercising their own freedom, trans lobbyists began to demand that everyone else curtail theirs. People have the right to change sex through reassignment surgery. They have the right to stop short of a full operation but to adjust their appearance. They have the right, if they prefer, simply to have hormone replacement treatment. And, indeed, they have the right to do nothing except cross-dress and use whatever pronouns they please. What they do not have the right to do is tell the rest of us what words we are allowed to use. In a liberal society, trans people, including Dawson, would be at liberty to call themselves male or female. And others, including Roberts, would be equally at liberty to describe them in any way they pleased. By this test, as by so many others, we are no longer a liberal society. We have invented a right not to be offended and elevated it above every other. The reason I describe wokery as 'sanctification' is that its tenets are not subject to debate in the normal way. They are treated, rather, as absolutes, like matters of religious faith. This can lead us into all manner of absurdities. Before publication of the landmark Cass Report into treatment at the now closed Tavistock gender identity clinic earlier this year, we were offering puberty-blockers to children and embarking far too freely on life-changing operations for minors. Almost everyone could see that it was a bad idea but, because we sanctify protected groups, few liked to say so. When you have something like religious fervour on your side, you can spout all manner of nonsense with conviction. You can argue, for example, that Britain, which distinguished itself by leading the fight to end slavery, somehow owes 'reparations' to various countries which showed no interest in abolition. And, as with the trans madness, no one will want to tell you that you are talking utter rot. Free speech restrictions are perhaps best understood as blasphemy codes. They punish certain opinions, not because they constitute incitement or harassment, but because they constitute impiety. Britain last jailed someone for mocking Jesus in 1921. But two years ago, a British former policeman was sentenced to 20 weeks for mocking George Floyd, the African-American whose death after being arrested sparked the Black Lives Matter mass protests in 2020. There was no question of public disorder: the former policeman's comments were on a private WhatsApp group. That's the thing about blasphemy codes. They are about sniffing out sacrilege, not preserving peace. How tragic that we, of all countries, should now be retreating from free expression, the ultimate guarantor, not just of personal liberty, but of social progress. It is open inquiry that allows good ideas to drive out false ones, that lets a mistaken consensus be shattered by new facts or better logic. We used to understand this. We are the country of Locke, Lilburne, Milton, Wilkes and Mill and that's just the Johns. For what it's worth, all those men were seen, in their own time, as progressives, opponents of autocracy and obscurantism. Yet now, in a polar switch, attacks on free speech come overwhelmingly from the Left. The religious order against which those earlier radicals fulminated has been replaced by a new Trinity: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. Our country fought for freedom, including free speech, against the Nazis and the Communists. We exported and defended the liberal order. Yet now, to the dismay of our friends and the bewilderment of our adversaries, we are giving up on it at home. Not because we have lost a war or been occupied by a hostile power. But out of sheer torpor. I dread to imagine what past generations would think of us. Lord Hannan of Kingsclere is a Conservative peer. 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And clearly that will be a guiding principle for the national memorial to Elizabeth II judging by yesterday's announcement of the two-stage competition to create it. Outlining a budget of up to 46 million, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden called it 'one of the most significant design projects in recent British history'. The two overarching issues were always going to be location and representation. On the former, it was announced yesterday that it will be in the area of St James's Park adjacent to The Mall at Marlborough Gate. That central London location makes sense for several reasons. First, every state procession goes down The Mall and will therefore have to pass right in front of this tribute. Second, she will be standing opposite Marlborough House, the headquarters of the Commonwealth. Its peaceful evolution into a network of 56 nations is among her greatest achievements. Third, it gets round the 'Victoria problem'. As any visitor to Buckingham Palace is well aware, the front entrance is dominated by the Victoria Memorial. Throughout her long life, she always avoided any competition with the ancestors, especially Queen Victoria. And clearly that will be a guiding principle for the national memorial to Elizabeth II (pictured) judging by yesterday's announcement of the two-stage competition to create it Outlining a budget of up to 46 million, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden called it 'one of the most significant design projects in recent British history'. The two overarching issues were always going to be location and representation It involves 2,300 tonnes of marble, rises 82 feet and is topped with a winged Victory hovering over a giant Victoria. The only way to do justice to Elizabeth II outside the royal HQ would either be to build something of similar dimensions or else remove Victoria altogether. Our late monarch would have been appalled by either prospect. I remember the day when she actually overtook Victoria's record for the longest reign in British history. We in the media all made a huge noise about it. Not so Elizabeth II, who happened to be opening a new railway line in Scotland that afternoon. 'Many have also kindly noted another significance attaching to today, although it is not one to which I have ever aspired,' she declared at the unveiling ceremony. 'A long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception.' In other words: No fuss, please, and no contest. By placing her a third of a mile away on her own plot closer to her own parents she will be mistress of her own domain. Location sorted, how best to represent her? That will be for the memorial committee, led by her former private secretary, Lord Janvrin, to decide. The two overarching issues were always going to be location and representation. On the former, it was announced yesterday that it will be in the area of St James's Park adjacent to The Mall at Marlborough Gate A shortlist will be released in spring, with the winner announced in summer. We might think of a kindly matriarchal figure with a handbag. Yet that would surely be to immortalise the Queen of later years. How best to convey a sense of majesty and timelessness? One answer might be to capture her in her prime, in uniform and on horseback. Think of her riding past this same spot, year after year, at Trooping the Colour. That was the image of her that Prince Philip liked so much so that he kept it in his study, in the form of Edward Seago's portrait of her at her first Birthday Parade in 1953. On which point, the successful bidder should make sure to include him, too. Tucked away in the competition smallprint is the need for 'an element that honours Prince Philip'. The site will also include a new bridge over the lake in St James's Park, replacing the existing one. Hence the budget. Before the usual suspects moan about the cost, it should be noted that up to half will be spent on safe access over the bridge. A very practical Queen. The Green Belt was introduced nearly 70 years ago to protect the countryside around large towns and cities from urban sprawl. Not every acre has been sacrosanct since, but the principle has held firm. Until now. Under its controversial planning reforms, the Government is ordering councils to reclassify parts of the Green Belt for residential and commercial use. While ministers say this will mainly be limited to disused car parks and scrubland the so-called 'Grey Belt' critics warn it is just the start of a war on rural England. With Labour's contempt for the countryside, who'd be surprised if in its drive to build 1.5 million homes countless fields are eventually tarmacked, hedgerows grubbed up and meadows concreted? If councils fail to hit mandatory housing targets, they will be penalised. Oh, and the new planning system is being rigged to minimise objections from people opposed to large-scale developments on their doorstep undermining democratic accountability. Of course, Britain has been suffocated by a culture of obstructionism for too long. Under its controversial planning reforms, the Government is ordering councils to reclassify parts of the Green Belt for residential and commercial use Pictured: Deputy PM Angela Rayner. The number of homes Ms Rayner wants to build each year is dwarfed by net migration. If Labour tackle this influx, the housing crisis might ease Thanks to tortuous planning regulations, absurdly strict environmental rules and Nimbys, we have failed to build enough housing or critical infrastructure. So Deputy PM Angela Rayner is right to rectify a system which stops enough properties being constructed inflating prices and rents, and puncturing young people's home-ownership dreams. But she should first focus on abandoned 'brownfield' sites in our main conurbations, and on the 1.2million new homes that have planning permission but are not yet built. Then there is the elephant in the room: mass immigration. The number of homes Ms Rayner wants to build each year is dwarfed by net migration. If Labour tackle this influx, the housing crisis might ease. Alongside plans to bulldoze our precious countryside, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband wants to cover every other field with solar panels and wind turbines. In years to come, will anyone believe that this was once a green and pleasant land? The stain of secrecy The more we learn about the incompetence of the officials who failed to protect Sara Sharif, the more disgraceful the veil of secrecy placed over her case becomes. The authorities missed at least 15 chances to stop the bubbly ten-year-old being tortured and murdered by her evil father and stepmother in August last year. Perhaps most shocking, a family court judge allowed brutal Urfan Sharif custody of his daughter despite being aware he had a history of domestic violence. The more we learn about the incompetence of the officials who failed to protect Sara Sharif the more disgraceful the veil of secrecy placed over her case becomes. The authorities missed at least 15 chances to stop the bubbly ten-year-old (pictured) being tortured and murdered by her evil father and stepmother in August last year So it is an affront to open justice that the High Court has banned the naming of the judge responsible for the order. Yes, it may often be right to protect the identities of surviving children in such cases. But there is no reasonable justification for doing so with a senior member of the judiciary. Isn't the truth that those who have most to gain from secrecy in family cases will almost always be the social workers, council officials and, yes, judges too whose mistakes escape full public scrutiny? By the same token, errors and misjudgments can only become more commonplace when their perpetrators believe nobody will hear about them. This decision must be reversed. A decade ago, the Mail won a major victory against secrecy, and for openness, in family courts. This week's ruling is a return to the opacity that was a stain on the good name of British justice. Forty-five members of the Royal Family will sit down for Christmas lunch at Sandringham this year and 44 of them will be looking daggers at the Duke of York. You are the man who is putting our future at risk, they will be thinking. A few more blunders from you, and well just be the Mountbatten-Windsor family, sitting around in Norfolk without much to do, and the King will be, like so many of the kings in history, an ex-king. Why? Because Prince Andrews fatal combination of stunning arrogance and mind-boggling stupidity has brought about yet another cringe-making catastrophe. The man who saw nothing wrong with being friends with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein even after he had been found guilty of sexual misconduct with under-age girls has, yet again, landed his family, and the monarchy, in the soup. And this latest scandal has come about because of a third quality in his make-up which does nothing to help his image: Greed. Over the years, this trait has led him to consort with any number of shady characters, from the son-in-law of the former president of Kazakhstan to the son-in-law of the now deposed Tunisian strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. (He appears to have a thing for sons-in-law of billionaires I wonder why.) Now we learn he has been hanging out with a Chinese businessman a member of the Communist Party to boot who has since been banned from entering this country because he is considered a security risk. Prince Andrew with the alleged Chinese spy who has been banned from the UK The Duke of York (pictured) has said he 'ceased all contact' with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy when concerns were first raised about him Prince Andrew is seen horse riding near Windsor Castle in Berkshire The individual, who can be identified only as H6 for legal reasons, was stopped at a UK border in a counter-terrorism operation in 2021 and his mobile phone was confiscated. On the device was found a letter from Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to Prince Andrew, dated March 2021. The alleged spys phone revealed Hampshire as saying, quite accurately, that Andrew was in a desperate situation and will grab on to anything. He added: You sit at the very top of a tree that many people would like to be on. Indeed, the relationship between Andrew and his Chinese associate he has known the man for ten years grew so close that H6 has been described as a close confidant and was even invited to Randy Andys 60th birthday party. It has to be said that this is not as coveted an invitation as you might think. Andrew really does have no friends, which is one of the reasons he has become an online planespotter. In August, the Mail revealed he has taken to watching a live flight tracker on his home computer, which projects air traffic landing and taking off at airports all over the globe on to a large screen. Meanwhile, his entourage of paid lackeys have to arrange for his social life to be filled up with people he does not really know. Even I was once invited to have dinner with the nearest thing the royals have to a social pariah, never having met him before or since in my life. The occasion was decades ago, when he had just left the Navy and one of his aides said to me a humble journalist that it would be a great kindness if I came along to make up the numbers at a dinner in Buckingham Palace. Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York attends the Royal Family's Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene's church in 2023 King Charles (right) has reportedly been briefed by British intelligence over a major security breach linking the Duke (left) to the alleged Chinese spy 'The man who saw nothing wrong with being friends with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein (pictured) even after he had been found guilty of sexual misconduct with under-age girls has, yet again, landed his family, and the monarchy, in the soup', writes A.N. Wilson It was a pathetic occasion, at which, I should guess, absolutely no one apart from those paid to do so actually knew the prince. We ate in splendour off gold plates! I was reminded of this grotesque, extravagant and really sad occasion, when I watched his now notorious Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis. The hapless duke considered that the encounter went rather well but every single person who saw it reckoned he had made a complete fool of himself with his implausible denials and cock-and-bull excuses. His lumpen awkwardness socially has been described by virtually everyone who has ever met him; together with his inability to read a room. He is the prey of every spiv or trickster. If a model comes up to him and says Andy, DARLING! and sits on his lap a practice that has memorably been described by one such young woman he does not push them away. He is flattered. On the other side of the coin, he is boorish and rude and expects to be treated like high royalty. The US ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Tatiana Gfoeller, once described his behaviour at a brunch for Canadian and British business people when he was a special trade envoy, a non-job invented for him by Tony Blair. It was cocky . . . verging on rude. When someone raised the subject of anti-corruption investigators trying to uncover the truth about a Saudi royal who had allegedly been paid a backhander to expedite a lucrative BAE Systems contract, Andrew used navvy language to denounce people poking their noses in everywhere. You might have thought that part of the job of a trade envoy would be to smooth the wheels, but his clumsiness simply reinforced the idea that rude, foul-mouthed, privately educated boors were in charge of the British establishment and that, if necessary, they turned a blind eye to corruption. As a PR exercise, his time as an envoy was a disaster. Dominic Hampshire (pictured) was described in court documents as Prince Andrews advisor in dealings with the Chinese civil servant banned from entering the UK Mr Hampshire has long acted as a fixer for members of the Royal Family and other high net-worth individuals' So why did he expose himself to such pitfalls? One can only imagine he saw in the role an opportunity to feather his own nest. The King growing increasingly weary of footing the enormous bills for his younger brothers extravagant lifestyle has long been keen to oust Andrew from Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, the enormous grace-and-favour house where he lives with his accident-prone ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. They cant possibly afford to live there and they do not need such a huge pad. Why not go to Frogmore Cottage, which has been vacated by Meghan and Harry? But, no, Andrew insisted he stayed put in Royal Lodge, and when Charles eventually turned off the money taps he somehow came up with the cash to cover the millions required. Does the latest scandal help to explain his sudden ability to finance a way of life that, on the face of it, is far beyond his means? Now, following the Chinese spy revelation, we are all faced with yet another dreadful Prince Andrew-shaped embarrassment for the Royal Family. Just as the Chinese Communist Party, and all this countrys enemies, will be laughing at this latest episode, so will republicans in Britain. If the King and his family, staring down the table at Christmas dinner, think That man is going to bring us all down with him! they might well be right. Follow A.N. Wilson on anwilson@substack.com Sometimes to level up you have to dress down - and women are swearing they've never been hit on more after swapping heels for hoodies. A now-viral trend encouraging women to dress comfortably on a night out may be the secret to finding the perfect man, with women reporting they've never been approached more on a night out while wearing sweats. 'Normally [my friends and I] wear the typical "college bar girl" outfit out. For example, mini skirt, boots, going out tops, etc,' University of Arizona student London Carter told the Dailymail.com. But, after donning an oversized hoodie, baggy jeans and sneakers to the bar, the college junior and her friends were stunned to find they were approached more than usual by multiple men who complimented their outfits. 'We got more stares than usual and talked to way more people than normal,' she recalled. 'We got asked to play pool with these guys which never normally happens,' she continued. 'We even got our drinks bought for us while playing pool.' TikTok user Eleanor Rose Kreamer also tested the theory, posting a video showing her in 'comfy' clothes and heading to a bar. In a video posted online, the 23-year-old showed herself and her friends dressed in leggings or jeans and sweatshirts at a bar, as men continued to come and talk to them. University of Arizona student London Carter and her friends tested the 'sweatpants dating theory' at a bar 'It worked all too well,' she wrote in the caption. According to Jaime Bronstein, a relationship therapist based in California, dressing in comfortable clothing can attract a 'better' type of man - but said it's important to not go overboard. 'There are extremes that you want to avoid,' she warned. 'Showing up in a sweat suit and hiking boots will not do the trick - save that for your day dates together or hanging at home,' she suggested. The relationship expert said casual clothes can make an individual feel more confident, which in turn makes you look more approachable. 'Wearing casual clothing at a bar shows that you are confident enough in yourself and your personality and that you don't need to attract a man by showing as much skin as possible,' she told the Dailymail.com. 'Quality men are drawn to women who prioritize their own needs and self-expression. Choosing comfort over dressing up shows that you're self-assured,' Jaime noted. 'Quality men, as much as they like when a girl dresses up (at the appropriate time and venue), often report that their favorite look on a girl is the casual, laid-back t-shirt and jeans with natural makeup, so the dressing comfy theory to attract a "better" man makes perfect sense!' London and her friends wore an oversized hoodie, baggy jeans and sneakers to the bar, and were stunned to find they were approached more than usual TikTok user Eleanor Rose Kreamer also tested the theory, posting a video showing her in 'comfy' clothes and heading to a bar According to Jaime Bronstein, a relationship therapist based in California, dressing in comfortable clothing can attract a 'better' type of man - but said it's important to not go overboard London agreed, hypothesizing they were approached because they looked less intimidating. 'Wearing a sweatshirt to the bar is perceived as low maintenance and more "cool girl,"' she mused. As for London and her friends, they enjoyed testing the theory but haven't given up on the cute outfits for a night out. 'I dont think it's wrong to dress up as well though, and I understand why girls get approached that way as well, it was just a fun social experiment,' she pointed out. Like many Aussies, I am time poor. In fact, I usually time my day down to the very minute - a schedule so tight I even have a daily calendar reminder to call my parents. I am also addicted to exercise - for me it is the ultimate form of therapy. I run, swim and do ballet, but my favourite form of exercise always has, and always will be, Pilates. I have been a tall gal all my life and my dreams of becoming a gymnast were squashed when I shot up quickly in my early teens at school. Despite being too tall to go on to compete, I always had a fascination with posture and flexibility. I think it must be my mother constantly telling me to stand up straight! I realised pretty early on that posture is down to the core and for tall people if you have a weak core, you slouch. Hello back problems. As I approached my mid-thirties and after sitting at a computer every day for 10 years, I had well and truly cooked my back. A friend suggested I try Pilates and assured me it would change my life. She was right. After a trying a few mat classes I graduated to the reformer and fast forward a couple of years it became an integral part of my workout regime. Showbiz Editor Jade Watkins tried Your Reformer for four months and she was immediately sold (Stock image) But as I grew busier and busier in my role as an editor and leading a large team, my days became longer. I found it difficult to find classes that would fit around my work schedule, and quite often I would book sessions only to have to cancel them at the last minute when a work meeting or event popped up. With endless class cancellations and exorbitant late fees, I was literally flushing money down the toilet. We're talking hundreds of dollars a year. When you add on the pricey cost of the classes, it became a seriously expensive hobby. Especially, with the ever-growing cost of living crisis. I have always wanted my own reformer at home, but was worried it would be too expensive or take up too much room. So when I was offered the chance to try Your Reformer I jumped at the chance. I had seen several celebrities including Jesinta Franklin and Phoebe Burgess rave about it online and judging by their incredible bodies there was no doubt they were doing something right. After doing a little research on Your Reformer's website, I discovered that 'The Original' reformer was a modest size bed which could be folded into two and tucked away perfectly in the corner of my living room. Maybe, just maybe, I could finally commit to five classes in a week, no less in my own home. No more rushing or missing classes and hundreds of dollars literally going down the drain each month. The day the bed was delivered was like Christmas. My housemate and I were both so excited. A sleek white fancy bed arrived on a Friday afternoon while I was working from home by two (very buff and very handsome) men. While that was a perk in itself, the fact they set up the entire reformer for me in the space of five minutes was the ultimate bonus. I tried 'The Original' reformer, which retails for $2995 or you can rent the bed for $39-a-week (MUCH cheaper than paying for regular classes) I had seen several celebrities including Jesinta Franklin (pictured) and Phoebe Burgess rave about it online and judging by their incredible bodies there was no doubt they were doing something right Jesinta has her own Your Reformer in her Gold Coast home Phoebe Burgess also gets in shape with Your Reformer and its incredible online classes With the sleek machine staring at me all day while I was working through my shift I couldnt wait to jump on and I did as soon as I pressed the off button on my computer. Your Reformer comes with an app which contains hundreds of classes led by incredibly experienced instructors, as well as all the accessories you need for a full, dynamic, and at times, very challenging classes. Those include a ball, box, dumbbells and the infamous magic ring, which is not so magical, but probably the most challenging of the lot. I like to call it the ring of fire. As I have been doing reformer classes for almost a decade, I skipped to an intermediate class and while I was expecting to breeze through it I was surprised to find it quite challenging. Not only did I have my very own reformer, but also the luxury of doing a private session in my own home - a one-on-one 50-minute class with an instructor. I have always thought home workouts were around 50 per cent of what you get out of a class in a studio or gym, but 15 minutes in I was sweating up a storm and reaching for the towel and water. The class tackled all areas of the body - arms, legs, glutes, back and most of all abs - and mimicked my usual cardio reformer classes I do at a very well-known and popular studio found Australia wide. After an intense 50-minute class I felt fit, fabulous and energetic and couldnt wait for the next one, which I did the following morning. It only takes some quick maths to see how much having a reformer at home pays off. I was doing at least three classes a week at my local studio, which costs $40 a pop, around $6000 a year. The reformer I had on loan was $2995, so that is a saving of $3000 a year. In fact, if you are doing more than three classes a week that is a bigger saving Two weeks into having the reformer at home - I was hooked. So was my housemate, who often found herself doing 15 minutes of ab exercises after dinner as she streamed her favourite shows or used the machine merely to stretch out the day. When it was time to send the reformer back, we were both devastated. It had become part of our daily routine and our home. It only takes some quick maths to see the benefits to your bank account. I was doing at least three classes a week at my local studio, which cost $40 a pop - around $6,000 a year. The reformer I had on loan retails for $2,995, so that is a saving of $3,000 a year. If you are doing more than three classes a week that is an even bigger saving. Similarly, if you dont have the big bucks to pay upfront you can rent a bed for $39-a-week, which is a substantial saving and around the same price as paying one off in a year. It is also a good way to trial the reformer before you buy. I once thought having a reformer at home was an impossible (and expensive) idea, but after finally taking the p(lunge) I have never looked back. And neither will you. A little boy who has suffered with his mobility since birth left wedding guests in tears when he managed to walk his mother down the aisle on her big day to give her away. Frankie Penfold, 10, from Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, was born with SUCLA-2 mitochondrial depletion syndrome - an inherited disorder which affects the early development of the brain. Only 60 people in the UK have been reported to have the condition. Frankie's symptoms include being mildly deaf, not being able to hold his head up, and not being able to walk. His parents, Hannah and Tom, both 32, were told by doctors that Frankie would not live past his teenage years - but they have always had big dreams for their little boy. Since their engagement, it has been Hannah's dream to be walked down the aisle by both her father and her beloved son. It soon became young Frankie's dream too. With the help of physiotherapists, Frankie trained for five years on specialist machines with harnesses to be able to give his mother away. When the special day rolled around on April 8, 2023, her wish finally came true. Frankie trained for five years to be able to walk his mother down the aisle Describing the moment, Hannah said: 'There wasn't a dry eye in the house - I'll never forget that moment, for the rest of my life' Describing the moment, Hannah said: 'There wasn't a dry eye in the house - I'll never forget that moment, for the rest of my life. 'It wasn't just mine and Frankie's dream, it was Tom's, and my dad's. 'People were smiling and crying and clapping the whole time. 'It felt like each of those clips were precious memories - the achievement of what Frankie was doing was so much.' Frankie didn't start showing signs of mitochondrial depletion syndrome until after he was born. Within his first month, he failed multiple hearing tests - leading Hannah, a fundraising assistant, and Tom, a senior operational manager, to think he was mildly deaf. 'His hearing tests came back indicating he had mild hearing loss,' Hannah said. 'We accepted it; we thought it was something we could cope with.' Tom burst into tears as soon as he saw Hannah walking down the aisle with her father and Frankie Frankie's parents were told that he would never be able to sit up, hold his head up, crawl or walk - and he was only expected to live until his teenage years But by four months old, Frankie wasn't hitting any of his milestones - like holding his head up or sitting up. At five months, Hannah and Tom suspected Frankie had cerebral palsy - and began the lengthy diagnosis process. The baby had to undergo blood tests, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, and he eventually received a diagnosis just before his first birthday. Frankie was examined by a professor, who specified he had the SUCRA-2 type - which affects brain and muscle development from birth. After genetic testing, it was revealed Hannah and Tom were both affected by a faulty gene. 'I'd never heard of mitochondrial disease,' Hannah said. 'I wasn't prepared for it, and it felt like my world was coming crashing down. 'It was really heartbreaking, and something I'll never get over.' Frankie started having sessions on different physiotherapy machines at Gympanzees - a disability support organisation based in Bristol The couple were told Frankie would never be able to sit up, hold his head up, crawl or walk - and he was only expected to live until his teenage years. Hannah said: 'It was massively eye-opening. 'As much as you try to live a normal life, there are barriers up, all the time.' The couple have tried to include Frankie in the same activities as his siblings, Penelope, six, and Teddy, four, as much as they can. This led Hannah to realising she wanted Frankie to play a part in their wedding and walk her down the aisle - as his brother and sister would be doing too. Frankie started having sessions on different physiotherapy machines at Gympanzees - a disability support organisation based in Bristol. His favourite was a machine called the Upsy which helps him stand upright, keep his head up and walk, aided by an adult. Remembering the first time Frankie used the Upsy, Hannah said: 'His eyes just beamed. 'A child in the device is able to weight-bear and feel the use of their legs with a harness attached.' Frankie's favourite machine was a called the Upsy which helps him stand upright, keep his head up and walk, aided by an adult Frankie spent five years training on the Upsy and on Hannah and Tom's wedding day, he was able to walk his mum down the aisle, followed by his siblings Penelope and Teddy. 'He worked so hard, and on my wedding day in 2023, he managed to do it,' Hannah said. 'Frankie wasn't nervous - he's such a people person. 'I can't put into words how much it meant - all the struggle, all the love, all the joy.' There's nothing more frustrating than misplacing your keys or phone at the beach. However, Kmart Australia has come up with a simple solution for just $5, with shoppers calling it a 'must-have' summer essential. The beach cup holders has landed in stores just in time for the warm weather. What makes the product so popular among beachgoers is its simple design that can hold your phone, keys, wallet, sunglasses and other knick-knacks all in one place. There's a spike at the bottom of the cup holder, making it easy to stick directly into the sand and keep your cool drink upright. The cup holder has two compartments: a round one to hold your favourite emotional-support water bottle, and a bridge-shaped one that provides the perfect spot for keys, phones and any other items you don't want to lose at the beach. The holders come in various colours such as pink, orange, teal and black - making it easy to spot them in the sand, so you'll never lose sight of your personal belongings. Shoppers have expressed their excitement over the new product, with many describing it as 'genius', 'clever' and a 'must-buy for the beach'. The holders are very popular among Kmart fans - though many beach lovers were divided 'OMG I absolutely need this,' one woman said. 'Adding to my cart right now,' another shared. 'This is great for the beach,' one added. While another said she would be buying them as stocking stuffers for her adult kids. 'I didn't think I needed it - but Kmart is telling me I need it. So I think I definitely need it,' one explained. However, not everyone is impressed with the new beach item, with some suggesting it could make it easy for thieves to steal. 'Ah yes, how to have all your stuff stolen in one swipe,' one said. 'Going to be like a moth to the flame for thieves,' agreed another. But many disagreed, saying it's a 'great' product for keeping small personal items in one place at the beach, especially for parents with small kids. To keep thieves away, one shopper suggested hiding the cup, along with the keys and phone, under a beach towel to keep them out of sight. The multi-functional cup holders are now available in store and online. Shein shoppers have been urged to look out for 'warning signs' in emails ahead of expected onslaught of customer scams. Patrons of the Chinese retailer have been urged to remain vigilant when opening emails from the brand, warning that that a recent surge in scams could put unsuspecting shoppers at risk of being stripped of cash. The budget retailer - which was founded in 2008 - has recently become a platform used by a number of scammers Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Generator said shoppers should watch out for 'red flags' to stop themselves becoming victim of cunning online fraudsters. Attempting to entice online criminals have been sending customers of the discount store emails with Shein Mystery to cajole them into clicking onto unknown links 'If you receive an email with a 'Shein mystery box,' do not open it. It is a phishing email, not from Shein but from unidentified hackers looking to steal your personal information,' he told the The Mirror, A phishing email is a deceptive email designed to trick people into offering out their personal information or giving access to their cash. Marc explained that the emails were: 'Designed to trick recipients into clicking on a link that redirects them to a fake website, this website mimics Sheins official website, allowing users to enter their personal information to win a prize.' Shein shoppers have been urged to look out for 'warning signs' in emails ahead of expected onslaught of customer scams The budget retailer - which was founded in 2008 - has recently become a platform used by a number of scammers To avoid discouraging customers from purchasing genuine mystery boxes - which Shein frequently sends its shoppers - Marc reassured people that they can still trust boxes directly from the brand. He said: 'Whilst Shein does offer legitimate mystery boxes during promotions or special events, the way to know if they are legitimate is to recognise the website you are directed to.' As well as warning against phish emails, Marc also encouraged shoppers to keep their eyes peeled for counterfeit posing as the real company to dupe unwitting victims. Hoping to save innocent shoppers from handing over their precious pennies, Marc offered advice on how customers can avoid falling for fake website posing as the real brand. He said shoppers should look out for unusual domain names, such as those that appear as variations on the official site (shein.com). He also said customers should look for a legitimate contact page from the and ensure company addresses, customer service and employee information as counterfeit sites tend not to have these. Poorly edited images with watermarks or low resolutions are also a telltale sign that a website might not be what it seems. The price point can also be a giveaway. If prices are drastically cheaper than Shein's actual website - or as much as 50 per cent - customers should take caution. A phishing email is a deceptive email designed to trick people into offering out their personal information or giving access to their cash Another obvious sign that something might not be legitimate is if it has spelling and grammatical errors dotted across the website or email. Shoppers should also ensure that they secure checkout measures like 'https', URLs and lock icons are present before handing over credit card information. Marc also said: 'When speaking with customer service at Shein, it is important never to share any personal or payment information via phone call, text message, or WhatsApp. Shein only uses email and in-site chat for customer service.' With more than 500 million downloads on Google Play Store alone, dozens of tricksters have been banking in onthe popularity of Shein, using increasingly elaborate schemes to snatch cash. And if worst does come to worst and a shopper mistakenly falls victim to a scam, he urged them to act fast to avoid losing their money. 'Immediately contact your bank or payment provider to stop any pending transactions and explain you have paid a scam website impersonating Shein. You can then dispute the charges as fraud.' 'Ensure you check your credit card statements and bank account closely for any unauthorised charges from the fake website and report any if so. Contact the legit Shein customer support using the number on their official website to flag the fake website.' It comes after the news that a number of Christmas markets have been purchasing goods from budget brands like Amazon, Shein and Temu, and selling them on to unsuspecting bespoke buyers for a profit. Consumer complaints have taken a common thread, with some saying that for every artisan seller you find, there's another type of vendor, selling 'overpriced tat' - including merchandise that might have been picked up online via sites including Amazon, Shein, Temu and Etsy. Others have complained that the markets themselves are sparse, with little to peruse - and overpriced food items. One TikTok user, @laura_leannne14 recently took to the platform to share a video of her trip to Glasgow Fort Market. Accompanying her video, she shared a caption that said: 'I popped into the Fort today looking forward to having a nosey around the stalls, to my disappointment there was barely anything.' Among the few items shown in the clip was a stall selling 'personalised' ornaments for a staggering 12 a piece. Similar pieces can be snapped up online via sites like Not on the High Street starting at around just 3. When my doctor told me I had breast cancer, there was just one thing I wanted my husband to scoop me up in his arms and tell me that it would be all right. Roger is the sort of man who always seems to have a solution for everything. And I needed his unshakable confidence more than ever. I wanted him to promise that we would get through this together as we always did. I wanted him to be the one to break the news to our three children, reassuring them he would get me the best possible treatment and there was nothing to worry about. But I had to break the news to him over a crackly phone line. We had just 20 minutes, our daily allotted time, before the line went dead. Because Roger was more than 9,000 miles away, serving a life sentence in an Australian prison. My husband was one of the worlds most prolific cannabis smugglers, a key player in operations run by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobars cartel and the infamous British king of cannabis, Howard Marks. Roger was so prolific that he organised more than 200 flights into the US, and at his most successful was earning 2.5 million a day. My cancer diagnosis came in 2010. Roger had been jailed nine years earlier and would serve another ten and Id already coped with so many challenges alone. But this one seemed almost insurmountable. I could have been angry with Roger for landing me in this horrendous situation. I could have decided I was going to divorce him. Marrie and Roger in 1975. Roger was one of the worlds most prolific cannabis smugglers, a key player in operations run by Pablo Escobars cartel and British king of cannabis Howard Marks Even our children Marya, then 44, Miriam, 37, and Rhett, 29 said they wouldnt have blamed me. But when you love someone, you put up with the rough as well as the smooth... even when the rough is as extreme as it was with Roger. He was finally released four years ago, after that 18-year spell in Australia, followed by a year in solitary in an American jail. Hes spent more than 33 years in jail in four different continents. Now both 82, we have to make the most of the precious time we have left together. I was a naive 19-year-old when we met on holiday at a little lakeside cottage near my home in Ontario, Canada. Roger had a temporary job at a local farm and sauntered by wearing an eye-catching Panama. We got talking and couldnt stop. I gave him my address and we started corresponding. We wanted the same things from life travel, adventure and fun. We married 18 months later in February 1964 when we were 21. I joined Roger on his familys farm in South Georgia. We were madly in love and did everything together, even driving our tractors side by side. But after our first child arrived in 1966, life began to get tougher. We relied on selling eggs and when the price dropped, bills mounted and we faced losing our farm. Thats when Roger discovered his first illegal money-spinner: making moonshine whisky. It was illegal to sell home-brew alcohol and Roger made a fortune because he didnt pay tax. He was finally released four years ago, after an 18-year spell in Australia followed by a year in solitary in an American jail. I was devastated when I discovered he was breaking the law. As a Christian who prays and attends church regularly, I struggled terribly. (Yes, I have often felt like a terrible hypocrite since.) But Roger assured me that he wasnt hurting anyone. Looking back, this was the first step on the slippery slope. After getting investigated by the taxman Rogers first run-in with the law he moved from moonshine to cannabis and then cocaine. All the while I managed to mentally remove myself from what was going on the only way I could cope with the guilt. The drug smuggling started by accident. Roger was a pilot, having learnt to fly on the family farm. By then wed moved to California, where he got a regular job in the Fire Department. Thanks to the moonshine business, he had enough money to buy a plane and we used to fly to Mexico for holidays. One day a friend told him about the money that was to be made bringing cannabis over the border into the US. Roger was intrigued. I was worried but he made it sound so benign it was just moving a product from A to B with big rewards. Besides, we needed the money. The first time he came home and emptied a sack of money over the bed, I couldnt believe it. I remember putting my hands over my face and squealing like a little girl at Christmas. In that one trip he made $10,000 (7,850), more than he was making in a year at the Fire Department. As wrong as it was, its hard to turn your back on that kind of money. We paid off our debts, Roger bought a new car and gave money to his six siblings so they could buy their own homes and go to university. But it wasnt long before he got caught in Mexico we dont know how. He phoned me from a prison cell and I went into survival mode. I grabbed a bag of money from the loft and drove to the jail. It was like walking into the jaws of hell. There were hundreds of men hanging out of their cells, shrieking and caterwauling at me. Wives like me clustered around the edges with their pathetic little food parcels. The first time Roger was arrested, he was horribly tortured. Theyd stripped him naked, then packed hot chili pepper up his bottom Roger had been horribly tortured. Theyd stripped him naked, then packed hot chili pepper up his bottom. Theyd even strung a dead man up on a meat hook in his cell to frighten him. He served ten days before I handed over thousands in bribes to get him out. That should have been the wake-up call we needed to turn our backs on crime. But its like having a baby. Once the pain is over, you forget it particularly when youre young. I accepted he wasnt going to stop and, as time went on, my misgivings just got buried deeper and deeper. By the time Roger met Howard Marks in the 1980s, we were living a fantastic life in Majorca. Charming with a lovely big smile, Howard and his wife Judy were normal parents bringing up three little children. On the surface at least. Howard earned the nickname Mr Nice because he boasted he never hurt a soul. Well, he certainly hurt us by landing Roger in jail again. Spanish and American police were determined to nail Howard, one of the worlds biggest dealers. It was said if you lived in London and smoked pot, youd have been supplied by Howard. Roger was Howards primary pilot for US West Coast shipments so they were determined to get him too. Wed just left seven-year-old Rhetts school where hed given a music recital and were walking down the street when armed police pounced. Ive tried to protect the children from the horribleness but I will always feel guilty for moments like that. The next day I went to see Howard, because he owed Roger a lot of money, and thats when the police raided their house. Judy was still in bed and I was trying to change her babys nappy in the middle of a police raid. I didnt stop shaking or crying for a week. Roger managed to escape from the court house by jumping out of the window. It wasnt the first or last time he got away. Other times hes sneaked under fences. Together we went on the run. It meant all of us living under the radar. For years we were in Europe. We had Brazilian passports and false names. We travelled the world as a family. Our last house in Santa Barbara was a gorgeous mansion with numerous bedrooms, underground passages and a pool. We were in the middle of remodelling it when Roger was arrested for the final time. It was July 2001 and Roger, who by then was working for Pablo Escobar, was caught on a remote beach near Perth, Australia, with almost a ton of cocaine. With that amount of drugs on him, I knew it was serious. He was found guilty of importing $400 million (314 million) worth of cocaine and sentenced to life in prison. It was one of the biggest drug busts in Australian history. I was banned from visiting Roger after I was caught bringing $1,000 above my allowance into Australia. Maybe they thought I was going to try to bribe the guards. In some ways it was a blessing. Seeing him briefly and then having to leave again, flying over Australia and watching it get smaller and smaller was like reopening the wound. Those first few weeks after he was jailed felt like hed died. I had panic attacks when I couldnt breathe. By then the girls had left home, but Rhett was only 19 and still living with me. I tried my best to reassure him that at least Daddy was safe and hed be free one day, but Rhett was devastated. It seemed like a life sentence for me too. We lost everything rightly in the eyes of the law, of course. Our 16 million house was confiscated. I spent a year sofa surfing before finally finding a little two-bedroom flat for myself and Rhett. I was allowed a daily 20-minute phone call at 4.30pm my time. When you live with someone, you cant imagine reducing your relationship to a phone call. But we probably spoke more intimately and intensely in that call than many normal couples do. Gradually I rebuilt a life alone. I volunteered. I went on holiday. And I started going to church again Id felt too much of a hypocrite to go before. But I was crippled with guilt and shame that my husband was serving a life sentence. Only my family and closest three girlfriends knew what had happened and where Roger was. When people asked after my husband, I would say: Its something Id rather not talk about. It took me a long time, but gradually I started opening up. Im sure some people judged me, but others were forgiving. Roger had been behind bars for nine years when I was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 68. With no hope of seeing him, all I could do was battle it alone with the help of my incredible daughters and friends. I know many people must have wondered why I didnt divorce Roger. Even my father a devout Christian suggested it. But the truth is I love him. I always have. The kids kept in regular touch with Skype calls but he missed weddings, graduations and births. Despite their decidedly unconventional childhood, Im proud to say theyve never been in trouble with the law or blamed their dad for his choices. Maryas a farmer, Miriams a doctor and Rhett is in real estate. We have three grandchildren and one great grandchild. Finally in April 2020, after serving 18 years in Australia, followed by a year in solitary confinement in Los Angeles, Roger was released. It was like Christmas Day. I got my apartment perfect for him. I polished his shoes and pressed his clothes, which were all still in the wardrobe. When he walked through the door, we hugged and wept buckets. Since then the adjustments been huge. Id spent 20 years leading my own life. Roger had to learn everything from how to operate a mobile (hed never seen one before) to how to use the internet and an ATM machine. In some ways being together after so long has been as much of a shock as being apart. If we didnt love each other so much, it might have broken us. But we look on it as a chance to enjoy a whole new marriage. Weve got wounds but theres so much love. And we have so many memories. How many other couples married for 60 years can say the same? As told to Tessa Cunningham A beloved London theatre where stars like Emma D'Arcy and Ncuti Gatwa got their start is set to be demolished after 13 years. The Yard is currently housed in a converted warehouse in Hackney Wick that will be torn down next June, before its transformation into a sustainable venue with twice the capacity begins. Since opening its doors in 2011, the Yard has become a prized east London institution - known for staging alternative and experimental productions under the guidance of Artistic Director Jay Miller. The theatre is famous for kickstarting the careers of Doctor Who star Ncuti - who also manned The Yard's bar in 2015 - and British actress Michaela Coel, whose series I May Destroy You turned her into an overnight celebrity. As the east London neighbourhood became more gentrified, The Yard started hosting regular club nights after shows would end - including the Knickerbocker's queer dance party this New Year's Eve. When Ncuti took over the reigns of Doctor Who from David Tennant, The Yard congratulated the newest Time Lord - while reminiscing on his time on stage - in a message shared on X/Twitter. The post read: 'Our hearts are so full over Ncuti Gatwa becoming our next Doctor. 'Did you know he used to work behind our bar (with some current Yard staff) AND was in Pamela Carter's Lines, directed by our Artistic Director Jay Miller back in 2015? Well, now you do.' Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa in Jay Miller's 2015 adaptation of Pamela Carter's Lines, staged at The Yard in Hackney Wick Golden Globe-nominated actress Emma, who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon, was cast in Miller's 2019 adaptation of American playwright Arthur Miller's play The Crucible Since opening its doors in 2011, the Yard has become a prized east London institution - known for staging alternative and experimental productions under Miller's guidance Michaela, whose breathtaking drama I May Destroy You earned her the BAFTA for Best Leading Actress in 2021, debuted her senior graduation project for Guildhall at The Yard. The play entitled Chewing Gum Dreams was later adapted into the Channel 4 sitcom Chewing Gum that was released in 2015 and delivered Michaela's first BAFTA - for Best Female Comedy Performance - the following year. Golden Globe-nominated actress Emma, who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon, was cast in Miller's 2019 adaptation of American playwright Arthur Miller's play The Crucible - a dramatised and part-fictionalised retelling of the Salem witch trials. After it was announced that The Yard will no longer exist in its current form, the theatre outlined its ambitious redevelopment plans in a post on Instagram. Led by renowned London architecture firm Takero Shimazaki, the 'Future Yard' will comprise of an imposing tower that extends six stories high - dubbed 'a new beacon for the new Yard, a landmark for east London'. The new 220-person venue will have twice the seating capacity of the old Yard and will reportedly be rebuilt by partially using materials from the demolished building. Sharing a 'blueprint' of their vision, The Yard posted an architect's sketch of the new structure on Instagram and captioned it: 'Meet the future Yard: our architects sketch of whats coming. That tower? It rises six stories high a new beacon for the new Yard, a landmark for East London. 'Earlier this year, we announced were building a new home for The Yard. Earlier today, we announced The Glass Menagerie as our final production in this building. Michaela, whose breathtaking drama I May Destroy You earned her the BAFTA for Best Leading Actress in 2021, debuted her senior graduation project for Guildhall at The Yard. The Yard, in its current form. The converted warehouse is set to be reimagined as a sustainable venue with twice the current seating capacity 'Now we can show you the blueprint of our transformation.' The year-long, ambitious redevelopment project will reportedly cost 6.4 million, according to TimeOut. Its facilities will include a 'dedicated space for our Yard Young Artists', new dressing rooms, new seats and toilets, as well as a brand new bar 'tailor-made for extraordinary new performance'. 'This drawing is just the beginning,' The Yard teased the project on Instagram. 'More detailed designs to come as the future takes shape. In the coming weeks, well be asking what you dream of finding behind these new doors. 'From a converted warehouse to this. Well close our doors in June 2025. Come be part of the ending, before the next beginning. 2026.' The Yard also unveiled the final performance to be staged in the current building, with Miller set to adapt Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. The play seemed a fitting choice because it is a 'masterpiece about holding on and letting go', The Yard wrote in its announcement on Instagram. The Glass Menagerie will run at the Yard from February 28 until April 21 next year. Owners of the Big Countdown Calendar found nothing behind door number 10 Tony's Chocolonely has been slammed for leaving a day blank in its Christmas advent calendar to encourage awareness of 'inequality' in the chocolate industry. Owners of the Big Countdown Calendar - which sells for 14.99 - were left gutted when they went to open door number 10 only to find that there was no chocolate inside. Instead there was a QR code which linked to their website with a message about cocoa farmers being treated poorly, reading: 'Not much to find in there, huh? Bummer!' Furious customers have vowed never to buy the calendar again, while parents have complained that their children had been left in tears. Dutch company Tony's stated that the calendar was 'unequally divided because the chocolate industry is unequally divided' - but it has come under fire for using an advent calendar for a political stunt. The confectionery company previously apologised for using the same tactic in 2021 and for causing 'confusion and disappointment', but has brought it back once more. This year however, Tony's said that customers were given two treats in the number nine door to make up for it and also received 25 chocolates behind 24 doors in total. It sparked heated backlash on social media, as many were left wishing they'd opted for a cheaper Cadburys calendar instead. They wrote: 'That's why I've got a Cadbury one. i want daily chocolate, not preaching to'; Tony's Chocolonely fans have been left disappointed after being greeted with an empty door in their calendars Owners of the Big Countdown Calendar - which sells for 14.99 - were left gutted when they went to open door number 10 only to find that there was no chocolate inside 'Sorry I know its activism but if I opened my calendar and the door was empty it would ruin my day'; 'Using a advent calendar as a political stunt is crazy work'; 'That's exactly why I didn't buy the advent calendar again this year. It's such a let down'; 'I was like why yesterday got two chocolates must be them being kind to then wake up to none'; 'Wont be getting this calendar again.' However, others were intrigued by the concept - and pointed out that they were still getting the same amount of chocolate. One said: 'Tony's chocolonely really slaps consumers in the face with activism, i love it', while another added: 'It's quite clever because i wouldnt have thought about the inequality in the chocolate industry otherwise (as much as it would annoy me a little).' One TikTok user, Reina, who lives in the UK, had been posting videos of herself opening the door each day. It sparked furious backlash on social media, as many were left wishing they'd opted for a cheaper Cadburys calendar instead Tony's offered a small explanation to say that the calendar was 'unequally divided' to reflect on the chocolate industry Reina, who is from the UK, has been opening her calendar on camera each day and was excited for door number 10 She was clearly very excited to open door number 10, but was initially shocked when she found 'nothing' inside. However, she soon rationed: 'We had two yesterday so it's all good'. Known to fans simply as Tonys, the Fairtrade brand was founded in the Netherlands in 2005 by three Dutch TV journalists. On its website, Tony's calls the product the (Un)FAIR Countdown Calendar. The 14.99 big calendar contains 225g of chocolate in 10 different flavours. The smaller calendar meanwhile has one chocolate behind each door. A small message of explanation was posted alongside the window. On TikTok, the chocolate company explained: 'If you have our big countdown calendar, you would have missed out on a choco today.. 'Its unequally divided because the chocolate industry is unequally divided. 'The bitter truth is 1.56 million children in cocoa-growing families are involved in child labour in Ghana and Cote dIvoire. 'At Tonys, we exist to change that. By chomping on our choc, youre helping us break the mould to end exploitation in cocoa, bar by bar, bite by bite. Are you in? The Tony's Big Countdown advent calendar sells for 14.99 and has 25 chocolates behind its doors Advent calendar owners were given two chocolates behind door number nine - and none behind the tenth 'Psssssst.. you still get 25 chocolates in 24 doors.' They added on their website: 'Big chocolate companies make big profits, while cocoa farmers arent paid enough for their cocoa. The result? Many of them still live way below the poverty line. Sometimes this leaves them little choice but to use illegal labour to farm their cocoa. 'Child labour and forced labour just so some folks can enjoy a sweet chocolate treat? 'Unacceptable! Tonys Chocolonely exists to change this. But we cant do it alone. Choose change in the chocolate industry by sharing our chocolate and sharing our story this festive season.' In 2021, the firm apologised for the stunt after parents said children were upset by the missing chocolate. Tony's acknowledged it had caused 'confusion and disappointment' by the decision - but have subsequently brought it back. The company said: 'Unfortunately, we failed to consider the difficulties empty windows can cause for neurodivergent children and adults. We have more to learn in considering how we can make our products as inclusive as possible. 'At Tony's we use our products to tell the story of an industry unequally divided and choc-full of inequality.' Sonia's Illustrations, from London, shared her disappointment in a TikTok video Known to fans simply as Tonys, the Fairtrade brand was founded in the Netherlands in 2005 by three Dutch TV journalists (stock image) Unhappy parents said previously they did not need to be 'taught a lesson by my advent calendar' - adding that it upset children with autism and ADHD who did not understand the reason. Hundreds of comments were posted on Tony's social media pages. The company says it made up for the empty window with extra bonus chocolates on December 9 and 24, which each had two treats rather than the usual one. But one mother, Rebecca Winward, said: 'My eight-year-old daughter was in floods of tears at the disappointment. She has ADHD and is awaiting a possible autism diagnosis, so what seems like small upsets to others are a big deal to her.' Another mother said: 'So glad I didn't buy for my autistic son. I get the reason why, but think it wrong not to pre-warn.' Meanwhile, Laura Tylor wrote: 'Calendars are for children and tears before school is not ideal. If you want to make a statement, advise (the calendar is) for adults/older children only.' And Lisbeth King said: '(I) don't feel I need to be taught a lesson by my advent calendar. 'You're rather preaching to the converted here.' FEMAIL has reached out to Tony's Chocolonely for comment. An old clip of a teenage Rihanna recounting the moment Jay-Z joked about 'throwing her out the window' off the 29th floor if she didn't sign a deal with him has resurfaced on social media - as the rapper has denied an allegation of raping a 13-year-old girl with Sean 'Diddy' Combs in 2000. The signer had auditioned for the label Def Jam, of which the 55-year-old musician had just been made president and CEO, in 2005, in New York. She was just 17 at the time, and spoke about her experience on The Tyra Banks Show that same year. The video has gone viral on Reddit, where hundreds have left their comments about the 'suspicious' encounter. 'It was actually a really good audition but before I met him I was so nervous, I was shaking, literally,' the star, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, revealed. 'The moment I walked into the office the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming... I had to sing, I sang Pon De Replay, I sang another ballad from the album.' 'And what did he say to you? He said something to you,' Tyra questioned. 'He said, "we don't sign songs here, we sign artists" and there was this little pause and I was nervous and then he said, "and we're interested" and there was this sudden feel of relief.' An old clip of a teenage Rihanna recounting the moment Jay-Z joked about 'throwing her out the window' off the 29th floor if she didn't sign a deal with him has resurfaced on social media - as the rapper has denied an allegation of raping a 13-year-old girl with Sean ' Diddy ' Combs in 2000. Rihanna, Jay-Z and Beyonce in 2005 She was just 17 at the time, and spoke about her experience on The Tyra Banks Show that same year. The video has gone viral on Reddit , where hundreds have left their comments about the 'suspicious' encounter The signer had auditioned for the label Def Jam, of which the 55-year-old musician had just been made president and CEO, in 2005, in New York. Rihanna and Jay-Z in 2010 'But then he said something about a window and a door?' the presenter pressed. Rihanna, who is now 36, laughed before continuing: 'Oh! Then he said there are two ways to leave here; either through the door with the deal signed or through this window and were on the 29th floor.' Tyra added: 'So you were like, where's the pen! Where's the paper! I'm signing!' Jay-Z later also said that they kept Rihanna in the meeting for around 12 hours, starting from three or four in the afternoon, to make sure she didn't sign with another label. Speaking to Group82Music.com in an interview, the rapper said: 'We signed her that night we didn't let her leave the office till three in the morning.' Record executive L.A Reid, who had hired Jay-Z for Def Jam, spoke about the audition in his memoir, 'Sing to Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who's Next'. In an excerpt shared by Billboard, the businessman revealed he told Jay-Z to 'not let her leave the building'. 'I saw her determination, her commitment. I saw someone who was going to be a big star someday. My head was spinning,' he said. 'She sang another song, "Pon De Replay," that would become her first hit. After she was done, I looked at Jay-Z. "Dont let her leave the building," I said. 'I left it to Jay Z's guys to close the deal, and she signed her contract that day.' Comments under the Reddit post with the resurfaced video expressed concern that the story 'seems like coercion'. 'And remember, Rihanna would have been 16 or 17 when this happened. The power imbalance there was insane,' another wrote. 'Also Tyra's giddiness is just...' Another added: 'How did I miss this at that time.jeez. Mother of god that made me so uncomfortable.' 'UHH that's not normal,' a third commenter penned. However, others expressed that while the story is 'weird', it's not uncommon for showbiz meetings to go on for a long time. 'Yeah this is suspicious, but its also kinda easy to have a 12 hour "meeting" in the business. Im in film,' one explained. 'Meetings turn into lunches which turn into drinks which turn into exchanging ideas which turns to inviting more people to drink and develop ideas. You gotta hang cause you miss the life-changing opportunities when youre not socializing. 'Not saying suspect stuff didnt happen. I wasn't there. Just saying the idea of a meeting turning into a 12 hour hangout is exhausting but not uncommon.' One also suggested that it's possible Rihanna was accompanied by guardians, which other sources also seem to suggest. 'If I'm not wrong, she said that her parents were with her while was auditioning,' they said. 'Im not trying to defend Jay-Z, Im just saying it was very wise of her parents.' Elsewhere, commenters were critical of Tyra for being 'giddy' while Rihanna was 'so uncomfortable' while telling the story. It comes as Jay-Z, born Shawn Corey Carter, released a statement denying and condemning the allegations in the filing via the Roc Nation X account. An updated complaint in a civil case against Combs alleges that Jay-Z and Combs raped the girl at an after party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September of 2000. Rihanna, Jay-Z, Kanye West pictured partying together in Las Vegas, at Marquee Nightclub, in 2010 Jay-Z later also said that they kept Rihanna in the meeting for around 12 hours, starting from three or four in the afternoon, to make sure she didn't sign with another label. Rihanna and Jay-Z in 2012 Jay-Z was added to the lawsuit which was originally filed as one of several anonymous complaints in October by Texas attorney Tony Buzbee. Many of the lawsuits did not survive because the plaintiffs declined to have their identities unveiled. However, the judge said the then-13-year-old victim showed sufficient cause to continue with the lawsuit in anonymity. In Jay-Z's statement, he slammed Buzbee, suggesting he was not a legitimate lawyer, and launched a slew of insults, calling him a 'deplorable human' and 'ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.' The rapper added the allegations, which he said were 'so heinous in nature,' were all 'idiotic claims.' In the letter, the Roc Nation founder began: 'My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a "lawyer" named Tony Buzbee.' He accused Buzbee of taking on the case for 'personal gain' and wrote: 'What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle.' 'No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion,' he continued. 'So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!' 'These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case,' he continued. Ne-Yo, Rihanna and Teairra Mari - who were all signed onto Def Jam - pictured with Jay-Z in 2005 Rihanna, now 36, pictured at a Puma x Fenty party in April. The old interview has resurfaced on social media 'This lawyer, who I have done a bit of research on, seems to have a pattern of these type of theatrics! I have no idea how you have come to be such a deplorable human Mr. Buzbee, but I promise you I have seen your kind many times over. I'm more than prepared to deal with your type,' he added. 'You claim to be a marine?! Marines are known for their valor, you have neither honor nor dignity.' The rapper then mentioned how it is 'unfair' that his family, particularly his eldest daughter Blue Ivy, will also be affected by the lawsuit. He also shares twins Rumi and Sir, seven, with Beyonce. 'My only heartbreak is for my family,' he wrote. 'My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. 'I mourn yet another loss of innocence,' he wrote. 'Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit,' he added. 'My heart and support goes out to true victims in the world, who have to watch how their life story is dressed in costume for profitability by this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.' 'You have made a terrible error in judgment thinking that all "celebrities" are the same. I'm not from your world,' he wrote. Jay-Z was added to the amended lawsuit that was originally filed in October against Diddy; pictured in January 2020 in at the Pre-Grammy Gala The 55-year-old rapper, born Shawn Corey Carter, released a statement denying and condemning the allegations in the filing via the Roc Nation X account 'I'm a young man who made it out of the project of Brooklyn. We don't play these types of games. We have very strict codes and honor,' he continued. 'We protect children, you seem to exploit people for personal gain. Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me that, if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable.' He concluded his statement and wrote: 'I look forward to showing you just how different I am.' On the same day, Combs also shared a statement via his legal representatives. His legal representatives responded to the latest filing and stated: 'This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs.' 'As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone -- man or woman, adult or minor,' Combs' representatives said in the statement. Combs has separately been charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. Federal prosecutors allege that Combs, 55, sexually abused women and coerced them into drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his criminal trial is currently slated to begin on May 5, 2025. Combs has also faced a massive wave of suits promised by lawyers including Texas attorney Buzbee, who said in October that more than 100 alleged victims were planning legal action against him. It's an argument that seems to crop up every December, is the Bruce Willis thriller, Die Hard, actually a Christmas movie? Now, a similar debate looks set to open up around Black Doves. The new eight-part Netflix series, which was released last Thursday and scored a perfect 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes just one day after its launch, is a thriller starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw. But despite featuring spies, murders and assassins, the show has been labelled a 'Christmas series' by delighted viewers, who claim the festive soundtrack and setting gave them the 'Christmas feels'. Set in London in December, ahead of the big day, the thriller follows Keira's character Helen Webb as an agent passing on secrets she's managed to uncover from her politician husband (Andrew Buchan) to the Black Doves organisation. Helen has been giving the firm - headed up by the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire) - political information for 10 years, but her position is compromised after the mother-of-two's secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated. Yet all the fighting and killing in the series isn't enough to stop fans from branding it a festive offering, thanks to the Christmas tunes played in the background and the timing of the drama. One person wrote on X: 'Black Doves is a Christmas movie, a six hour Christmas movie,' while another said: : 'Black Doves gave me all the Christmas feels I need this year!' It's an argument that seems to crop up every December, is the Bruce Willis thriller, Die Hard, actually a Christmas movie? Now, a similar debate looks set to open up around Black Doves (pictured) A third wrote: 'Black Doves is a Christmas streaming series in the same way Die Hard is a Christmas movie.' A fourth added: 'Did not expect Black Doves to be the perfect Christmas viewing. Ben Whishaw walks away with the best-written character on the small screen this year. So much fun.' When Helen's secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, Reed informs her that her position in the organisation may have been compromised. Her theory is proved right when Keira is attacked by assailants, only to be saved by a friend from her past, Sam Young, played by Ben Whishaw. As his past threatens to catch up with him, his task is to protect Helen as she investigates who killed Jason and why. Helen then makes Sam promise to keep her alive and keep her family safe, so she has time to find out who killed Jason and take her revenge on them. Viewers took to social media to rave about the show after it dropped, with one writing: 'Binged #BlackDovesin 24 hours. Brilliant!' Another said: 'Last night I binge watched the new British Netflix spy thriller Black Doves and wow, what a series. Kiera Knightley and Ben Wishaw both should get some sort of acting awards for it. Mind blowing and brilliant. Gobsmacked.' The new eight-part Netflix series, which was released last Thursday and scored a perfect 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes just one day after its launch, is a thriller starring Keira Knightley (pictured) and Ben Whishaw Reaction: Despite featuring spies, murders and assassins, the show has been labelled a 'Christmas series' by delighted viewers, who claim the festive soundtrack and setting gave them the 'Christmas feels' A third added: 'Am I already on ep 4 of #BlackDoves? Yes I am, thank you very much. #glued.' 'I was going to watch one episode of Black Doves and now Ive watched them all. Absolute excellence from Joey Barton and everyone involved in the show. More please Netflix!,' said a fourth. Another person wrote: 'Black Doves is a really good spy show. I just had to binge it. Keira Knightley is everything in this role, shes fantastic! I want many more Helen Webb adventures.' Black Doves is available to stream on Netflix. A church in London hosted a carol service with a twist as pets were allowed to line the pews for a festive howl-a-long. The service - called Carols for the Animals - was held at St. Botolph-without-Bishopsgate church in London on December 11. More than one hundred people attended the joyful event alongside 25 dogs - dressed in festive neckerchiefs, Christmas jumpers and antlers. St Botolph's is an animal-friendly church and Freddie, the Rector's black Labrador, is often present to help welcome visitors and howl along to hymns. So it only made sense that all attendees were more than welcome to bring their four-legged friends along to the carol concert, especially as all funds raised went to the International Animal Rescue (IAR). The multi-species howl-a-long was also attended by Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan, an IAR patron, while musical ensemble The Massive Violins provided music for the carols. A mother and daughter sing a hymn from the booklet titled Carols for the Animals as their pup watches on A terrier behaves himself as candles surround him in St Botolph's church in London Dogs sit on their owners' laps as the carol service takes place Speaking of the heartwarming service, IAR President Alan Knight said: 'We're driven by a simple yet powerful goal - to rescue, rehabilitate, and protect animals in need while creating lasting change for wildlife and their habitats.' Here, FEMAIL recaps the festive paw-formance by taking a look at the cutest pooches in attendance. A labradoodle receives a chin scratch from its owner as she sings Christmas carols Alan Knight, President of the International Animal Rescue, speaks at the carol service A choir dressed in traditional gowns sing with the congregation A woman smiles as her pooch poses for the camera A black Labrador can't help but take in all the puppy love from attendees at the service Representatives from the International Animal Rescue sell merchandise to raise money for their charity Barron Trump may be attending classes at New York University, but he won't be living in campus housing anytime soon. The 18-year-old son of president elect Donald Trump started classes at New York University's Stern School of Business in September, but despite attempts to mingle with his peers, the teen isn't living on campus with them. Instead, sources say that that Barron is living his family's Midtown Manhattan residence of Trump Tower. 'She will do everything she can to make sure Barron does well in school and is socially and mentally adjusted to his life as a college student,' a source told People. 'Living in a dorm in a college town isn't in the stars for him at this point,' they added. According to the source, Barron 'already has his own political ideas.' 'It all needs to be monitored in light of the situation.' The 18-year-old son of president elect Donald Trump started classes at New York University's Stern School of Business in September, but despite attempts to mingle with his peers, the teen isn't living on campus They added that his mother Melania, 54, feels it's best that he remain at home, rather than campus housing, for the time being, especially with his dad about to become president again. 'Whether or not others think he is capable of being on his own, Melania feels it's better to be around him as much as possible,' the insider added. 'I see that continuing.' In an interview with Fox News in September, Melanie said it was Barron's decision to study in New York, where he lived until his father became president in 2016. 'It was his decision to come here that he wants to be in New York and study in New York and live in his home, and I respect that,' Melania said at the time. 'I hope he will have a great experience because his life is very different than any other 18- or 19-year-old child,' the future First Lady added. Melania is reportedly plotting her next move, as her husband prepares for presidency. 'Barron is in school all day, so she has plenty of time for official jobs as well as being there for her son when he needs her,' the source said. However, the insider added that this living situation may not be permanent for all of Barron's years at college but is the best course of action 'for now.' Barron's mother Melania, 54, feels it's best that he remain at home, rather than campus housing, for the time being, the source explained. Trump, Melania and Barron at the White House in 2017 Barron Trump, 18, graduated from Oxbridge Academy, in Palm Beach, Florida in May 'Every mother handles her children the way she feels best,' they explained. Barron is the youngest son of the former president and wife Melania. Stern is among America's best business schools with a highly selective undergraduate program - only about one in 20 applicants is successful. The NYU campus, located in Manhattan, is near Trump Tower, where Barron spent much of his childhood before his father assumed the presidency. Barron, graduated in May from Palm Beach's Oxbridge Academy, and reportedly considered following in his father's footsteps to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania but before landing on NYU. 'We liked NYU. It's one of the highest-rated schools,' his father said at the time. 'He's a very high-aptitude young man. He's no longer a child he's doing great.' While the president elect's son navigates the social scene as a freshman at New York University, his physical interactions are few and far between as he is always surrounded by Secret Service agents. To overcome the social challenges of being one of the most famous young men in the world, he has turned to online gaming, inviting classmates to join him in virtual worlds, TMZ reported. To foster friendships beyond the classroom, the teenager has been inviting classmates to join him on Discord, a popular gaming platform where users can create profiles, chat, and play games together. Zara Tindall showed off her chic winter fashion as she donned a suede trench coat for the Christmas Meeting at Cheltenham today. The King's niece, 43, was effortlessly elegant in the stylish brown jacket, which featured a golden buckled belt and buttons along the sides. She beamed while enjoying her afternoon at the races, at the event known to kick off the festive sporting season for equestrian fans. Adding a pop of colour to her ensemble, Princess Anne's daughter could be seen wearing a leopard-print blouse with a wooly jumper. She finished the look off with simple black trousers and matching boots. Zara also popped some gloves on to stay warm in the chilly December weather. The mother-of-three wore her blonde locks down, styled with a chunky statement headband on top. She kept her make-up simple with a touch of mascara and a dusky pink lipstick. The royal carried her belongings in a black leather purse. Zara is known equestrian enthusiast, and also has a passion - and talent - for horse riding. The impressive royal has even won a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics. Zara Tindall showed off her chic winter fashion as she donned a suede trench coat for the Christmas Meeting at Cheltenham today The King's niece, 43, was effortlessly elegant in the brown jacket, which featured a golden buckled belt and buttons along the side She has had a busy festive calendar, and was stunningly glamorous at the Princess of Wales' carol concert earlier this month in a deep purple velvet suit. Zara was without her husband Mike or children Mia, Lena and Lucas as she walked side-by-side with cousin Beatrice at Westminster Abbey. Clearly getting the royal fashion memo, the 43-year-old showed her support for Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey today. The royal smiled at well-wishers as she arrived at the Christmas Carol concert that has become a festive staple thanks to the Princess of Wales in recent years. Zara joined her cousin Princess Beatrice, who is pregnant with her second child, and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi and his young son Wolfie. The equestrian looked on sparkling form in a flared velour trouser-suit the colour of burgundy, which she paired with matching heels and a glamorous gold bag. The royal wore her blonde hair loosely pinned back, with a long fringe swept to the side. A pair of statement floral earrings, in a similar shade of dark berry red, finished the look. Zara and Princess Beatrice followed the Princess of Wales' earlier arrival as she led her family at her Christmas carol concert after the most difficult year of her life. Adding a pop of colour to her ensemble, Princess Anne 's daughter could be seen wearing a leopard-print blouse with a wooly black jumper She finished the look off with simple black trousers and matching boots. Zara also popped some gloves on to stay warm in the chilly December weather. Another guest at the races appeared to point to Zara's jumper She kept her make-up simple with a touch of mascara and a dusky pink lipstick. The royal carried her belongings in a black leather purse This time last year Kate, 42, was focusing on her work and children, and looking forward to the festive season with little inclination of what was to come. Weeks later she underwent major abdominal surgery in hospital, after which doctors broke the news that they had found evidence of cancer and advised her to undergo a gruelling course of preventative chemotherapy. Now, having completed her treatment, the royal is beginning to return to public duties and will hold her fourth Together At Christmas carol service at historic Westminster Abbey, which will be televised by ITV on Christmas Eve. The princess, who has been hands on over every aspect of the service and held regular planning meetings at Windsor, arrived on her own at 4pm to view the abbey and oversee last minute arrangements. Kate put on an elegant display in an Alexander McQueen red coat, featuring a statement black bow, which she teamed with her black Ralph Lauren boots for the occasion. She was joined just before the start of the event by her three children - Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six - as well as her husband, the Prince of Wales, who will read the first Lesson. The entire Middleton family clan, who have been Kate's dedicated support network throughout, was also present, as were other members of the Royal Family, including Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice and the Duchess of Edinburgh. The King and Queen, however, are not amongst the guests. Her father-in-law has, however, donated Christmas trees from Windsor Great Park to decorate the building, which will later be donated to the local community. Celebrity cook Rachael Ray is opening up about her favorite holiday traditions she shares with husband John M. Cusimano - and even revealed what her partner loves to whip up in the kitchen. Ray, who recently sparked health concerns among fans, shared a behind-the-scenes peek into her family life during a recent interview with Us Weekly. The couple, who are approaching their 20-year anniversary in September, each have their own role in their traditions, with Cusimano responsible for one very important thing, which is eggnog. 'I always task him with making the eggnog from scratch,' Ray shared. 'He has a killer recipe where he froths skim milk and then shakes in cardamom, cinnamon, rum and an egg,' she continued. 'Its lighter than a store-bought eggnog but just as delicious.' But of course, that's no the only thing they're making during the holiday season. 'My family always wants lasagna or pasta for Christmas and some sort of prime rib or a tenderloin, so that is kind of a food tradition for us,' Ray explained to the outlet. Celebrity cook Rachael Ray is opening up about her favorite holiday traditions she shares with her husband, John M. Cusimano - and even revealed what her partner loves to whip up in the kitchen The couple, who are approaching their 20-year anniversary in September, each have their own role in their traditions, with Cusimano responsible for one very important thing, which is eggnog 'But [my husband John Cusimano] and I love seafood during the holidays because on Christmas Eve thats what youre supposed to eat,' the Nutrish pet food owner said. However, they're not always cooking - sometimes, the couple likes to sit back, relax and enjoy some takeout food. They especially love to do so while enjoying time at their home in Tuscany, Italy. 'We have some limited take-out options near us in Italy, but there is some good Chinese if you drive far and, of course, great pizza very close that we get all the time,' she told the outlet. 'We also have some great friends near us that are cooks or chefs, so sometimes we ring them and say "I'm really tired, can you send over some sliced steak and salad?"' In 2001, Ray met Cusimano, who works as a lawyer, at a mutual friend's party, according to People. A friend of theirs had been attempting to set them up on a date for over a year, but immediately hit it off at the party. The two don't have children together, which is something that Ray spoke about during a November episode of her podcast, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, while joined by guest Bob Harper. 'We have some limited take-out options near us in Italy, but there is some good Chinese if you drive far and, of course, great pizza very close that we get all the time,' she told the outlet Ray and her husband of nearly 20 years, John M. Cusimano, share a dog named Bella Boo Blue, who they adopted in 2020 after the death of her previous pup, Isaboo This year, ringing in the holidays comes just a few months after Ray sparked worry after posting a video which appeared to show her slurring her speech this Fall 'I chose to never have children,' Harper said. 'God love all the people that have kids.' 'Me too! And boy did I get bashed for it over the decades,' Ray responded with a laugh. Ray and her husband of nearly 20 years share a dog named Bella Boo Blue, who they adopted in 2020 after the death of her previous pup, Isaboo. This year, ringing in the holidays comes just a few months after Ray sparked worry after posting a video which appeared to show her slurring her speech this Fall. The video was a preview from her new show, Rachael Ray in Tuscany, and showed her cooking Ossobuco while paying tribute to the late Tony Bennett. At the time, her rep told TMZ that she had 'no comment' about the matter. After some viewers shared their concern, Ray admitted during the premiere of her podcast last week that she's suffered 'a couple of bad falls' recently. The celebrity chef shared that she enjoys doing 'physical labor' around the house but has had to cut back on certain tasks lately because she took 'a couple of bad falls' while carrying wood. Speaking clearly and cheerfully, Ray said: 'I'm a homemaker. I love chores. I love being in the kitchen. I always work with my brain everyday, I'm always writing something, but I really like chores.' She continued: 'I like what people consider physical work. I like making dinner, planning dinners, making lists. I love physical labor, helping carry in the wood.' Ray then noted, 'I've had a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks, so I haven't been doing that in awhile, but I love carrying wood.' Russell Brand is offering support to OnlyFans model Lily Phillips following his recent conversion to Christianity. The comedian, who was baptized in April, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that 'Jesus loves Lily Phillips' after the 23-year-old went viral for bedding over 100 men in one night. Brand, who is a reformed sex addict, also used his sordid past to offer the young model some advice. 'I can relate,' he said in a video shared to social media. 'I know what it's like to commodify sex and to look to sex for some kind of fulfillment.' He continued, 'I would pray that all of us that have looked for love in the wrong places are able to find what it is we're truly looking for.' 'Dignity, sanctity, and sacred love with one another, rather than making everything profane.' The Rock of Ages star, 49, added, 'We've got to love one another. Forgive one another. There's a way home for all of us, and by individually changing we can change our culture to something beautiful.' Brand's touching message resonated with his followers, with many commenting and saying that they were praying for Lily. Russell Brand is offering support to OnlyFans star Lily Phillips following his recent conversion to Christianity The comedian, who was baptized in April, posted on X that 'Jesus loves Lily Phillips' after the 23-year-old went viral for bedding over 100 men in one night 'A true Christian, speaking to a lost young woman instead of chastising her. She just needs severe guidance and Jesus,' wrote one. 'God's light chased this man until it found him,' another commented. A third wrote, 'This is why God chose you, converted, and allowed you to connect and communicate things to their level and speak their language.' However, some of Brand's more evangelical fans were concerned by his support of the X-rated performer. 'You really need to be careful with statements like this. It implies you can do whatever you want. Does God have unconditional love for us all? Yes absolutely but he ALSO calls us to repent of our sins,' one warned. Another wrote, 'Jesus loves everyone, but only grants salvation to those who love and serve Him.' Former Buddhist Brand was baptized back in April, calling it an opportunity 'to die and be reborn.' In October 2023, he faced serious accusations from a series of women, including rape and sexual assault when four women made allegations. The actor has strenuously denied wrongdoing, and says he has evidence to refute allegations. Lily went viral for sleeping with 100 men in one night and has plans to bed 1,000 in 24 hours as part of her next sexual stunt The young model broke down in tears after sleeping with 100 different men Lily, 23, bedded the men back in October to create content for her OnlyFans page, and also chronicled the experience for the Goon Squad Productions YouTube documentary, I Slept With 100 Men in One Day. While she had publicly portrayed the stunt in a positive light, the documentary reveals that Lily was an emotional wreck behind the scenes. Visibly sobbing, Lily told host Josh Pieters, 'Sometimes you just disassociate... it's not like normal sex at all.' She continued, 'In my head I can think of five, six guys, 10 guys that I remember. And that's it. It's just weird, isn't it? If I didn't have the videos I wouldn't have known that I'd done a hundred.' The young woman also admitted that she felt 'robotic' during the act, on top of being racked with guilt that she wasn't giving all the men the experience that they wanted. Former Buddhist Brand was baptized back in April, calling it an opportunity 'to die and be reborn' 'I guess when you've promised something to people who support you it's kinda hard to let them down,' she said through tears. Lily also issued a warning to young girls planning to follow in her footsteps. 'It's not for the weak girls, if I'm honest. It was hard. I don't know if I'd recommend it. It's a different feeling. It's just one in one out, it feels intense,' she said. Despite her poor experience bedding 100 men, Lily is determined to raise the bar by sleeping with 1,000 men in 24 hours for her next sexual stunt. Lidl Deluxe Six All Butter Mince Pies 1.99 for six Rating: The beauty of this pie lies in its wonderful shortcrust pastry, which is perfectly smooth and buttery. The quality of it feels premium, both stable and silky. It is the perfect vessel for the nicely flavoured mincemeat filling, which is not too sweet and packs a nice punch. - Elmira Tanatarova The beauty of this pie lies in its wonderful shortcrust pastry, which is perfectly smooth and buttery, Elmira says Aldi Specially Selected Ballycastle Mince Pies 2.59 for six Rating: These are always a crowd-pleaser and for a good reason. The soft creamy topping perfectly accentuates the mincemeat filling. Neither flavour overpowers the other, and the textures are non-combative, working well with one another. The pastry was also delicious and held its structural integrity despite the hefty filling. - Elmira Tanatarova Elmira says that these are always a crowd-pleaser and for a good reason. The soft creamy topping perfectly accentuates the mincemeat filling Asda Puff Pastry Mince Pies 1.35 for four Rating: The puff pastry in this was delightfully soft and airy, and teamed with the crunchy sugar on top, made for the perfect complement to the mincemeat. It's a lovely palate cleanser for those of us who may be stuffed to the brim with shortcrust and want something a bit more flaky, that is still festive. - Elmira Tanatarova The puff pastry in this was delightfully soft and airy, and teamed with the crunchy sugar on top, made for the perfect complement to the mincemeat, Elmira said Asda Exceptional Luxury Mince Pies 2.75 for six Rating: I was pleasantly surprised by these mince pies. They were nicely filled and the mincemeat was really tasty with a good amount of fruit and I thought the pies were a generous size. The box disappeared very quickly indeed and they definitely wouldn't be out of place if they were stocked in M&S or Waitrose. - Eleanor Dye They were nicely filled and the mincemeat was really tasty with a good amount of fruit, says Eleanor Aldi Specially Selected All Butter Mince Pies 1.49 for six Aldi is known for making flavourful offerings which still fit the budget and this is no different. The mince pies look lovely and the pastry is soft without breaking apart when you hold it. The mincemeat is delicious and not too sweet - the additions of cognac, port and cider enhance but don't overwhelm the festive flavour. They are also the perfect size - not too big nor too small. - Elmira Tanatarova The mince pies look lovely and the pastry is soft without breaking apart when you hold it, Elmira says Iceland Cathedral City Our Cheddar & Chutney Mince Pies 3 for six Rating: These were absolutely delicious, and a very clever way to bring a mince pie quality to a savoury bite. The mincemeat presence still feels like it's there with the fruity chutney, but the cheesiness is perfectly distributed through the puffed pastry. It feels festive, indulgent, and perfect warmed up. - Elmira Tanatarova These were absolutely delicious, and a very clever way to bring a mince pie quality to a savoury bite, Elmira said Iceland Luxury Butter Mince Pies 3 for six Rating: I gently heated these up and they were absolutely blissful to taste. The pastry is the perfect balance of buttery but crusty, and doesn't fall apart when you hold it. The filling is nicely balanced but not too tart. A great option if you - like me - are not a fan of things that are too sweet. - Elmira Tanatarova The pastry is the perfect balance of buttery but crusty, and doesn't fall apart when you hold it, Elmira said Iceland 4 Caramel Crumble Mince Pies 3 for four Rating: These were absolutely delicious, but it feels deceitful to call them mince pies as there is very little that is 'mincey' about them. It is a perfectly biscuity base with a caramel filling which is always bound to be a crowd pleaser - especially for fussy eaters who can't stand mincemeat. However, not one for traditionalists! - Elmira Tanatarova These were absolutely delicious, but it feels deceitful to call them mince pies as there is very little that is 'mincey' about them, Elmira said Asda Exceptional Frangipane Mince Pie Slices 2.50 for four Rating: I really enjoyed this innovative take on the mince pie with the added frangipane. You can definitely taste the added brandy, port and orange oil, so if you're all mince-pied out this Christmas, this could be a good option to mix things up. I did think it was a bit far to shoehorn mince pie into the name however - they were tasty, but if you're looking for a classic mince pie-based treat, you could end up being disappointed. If you're after a classic mince pie I would stick to what you know. - Eleanor Dye Eleanor says that if you're all mince-pied out this Christmas, this could be a good option to mix things up Asda Exceptional Whisky Fig & Spiced Honey Mince Pies 2.50 for four Rating: These made for an absolutely delicious bite that felt like a festive hug. The whisky flavour send a lovely warmth throughout the pie but doesn't overwhelm it. The mincemeat works in perfect harmony with the fig infusion and the nutty crunchiness added throughout. The pastry is perfect, and soft. - Elmira Tanatarova The whisky flavour send a lovely warmth throughout the pie but doesn't overwhelm it, Elmira says Tesco Finest Mince Pies 1.50 for six (Clubcard price) Rating: Tesco has once again outdone itself with its Finest Mince Pies, delivering a taste of Christmas that feels indulgent and luxurious. These festive treats are a triumph, boasting a buttery, golden pastry that crumbles perfectly with every bite. The fillinga delightful blend of rich, spiced mincemeatis infused with hints of citrus, warming brandy, and a medley of seasonal spices, creating a flavor profile that evokes the joy of the holidays. The pies are finished with a dusting of sugar that adds a touch of sweetness. Enjoyed alongside a steaming cup of tea it was the perfect midweek sweet treat. They are a quintessential Christmas indulgence. But, while the flavor is undeniably delicious, the filling-to-pastry ratio could be improved. - Chloe Louise These festive treats are a triumph, boasting a buttery, golden pastry that crumbles perfectly with every bite, says Chloe Co-op Irresistible All Butter Pastry Luxury Mince Pies 2.50 for six Rating: These Co-op mince pies were tasty and won me over with the filling, which was spiced perfectly. The pastry was nice if not a touch too crumbly, but it was accentuated perfectly with the mincemeat which was fragrant, sweet and delightfully tangy. While it made a little bit of a mess, it was very worth it. - Elmira Tanatarova These Co-op mince pies were tasty and won Elmira over with the filling, which was 'spiced perfectly' Pret mince pie 2.75 for one Rating: It's not strictly a supermarket, but the Pret mince pie served as a lovely treat to buy on your lunch break this year. The pastry feels fresh and wholesome and the mincemeat is portioned perfectly, as not to overwhelm the whole pie. The dusting of powdered sugar is generous and the sweet star shape on top is a cute touch. However, it's a touch pricey for such a small snack. - Elmira Tanatarova The pastry feels fresh and wholesome and the mincemeat is portioned perfectly, as not to overwhelm the whole pie, Elmira says Waitrose No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac 4 for six via Ocado Rating: These are delicious, and perfectly held together by the soft, buttery pastry. The mincemeat is lovely and not too moist nor too dry, and delightfully fragrant. However, the packaging doesn't lie when it says 'with Cognac'. The boozy addition does indeed pack a punch, and can very strongly be tasted throughout. Elmira says the packaging doesn't lie when it says 'with Cognac'. The boozy addition does indeed pack a punch Marks & Spencer Collection Mince Pies 4 for six via Ocado Rating: I'm not a huge fan of mince pies, but these were enjoyable! For those who like strong flavours in the mincemeat, perhaps look elsewhere, because the filling was lightly spiced and more fruity - making them a better bet for the sceptics. The pastry was buttery, but a little on the dry side. Depending on how big of a sweet tooth you have, Id say theyre best served hot with custard, just to add that extra bit of sugariness. - Alanah Khosla For those who like strong flavours in the mincemeat, perhaps look elsewhere, because the filling was lightly spiced and more fruity, Alanah advised Sainsbury's Mince Pies 1.70 for six Rating: These Sainsbury's mince pies were nice enough but I just felt like they were missing something to make them truly exceptional. I felt like there was a lot of air in the actual mince pie which felt a bit stingy, although what I did eat was perfectly nice. They're a good option if you're looking for a standard mince pie, but don't expect to have your socks blown off. - Eleanor Dye Eleanor said that these Sainsbury's mince pies were nice enough - but it felt like they were missing something to make them truly exceptional Marks & Spencer Six All Butter Mince Pies 2.75 for six Rating: These struck the right chord, but struggled to stand out in any exceptional way. The pastry was nice and sweet, and the filling was a good texture but I found the flavours didn't stand out and everything was a touch bland altogether. However, it is a perfectly serviceable pie and would go down lovely with a cup of tea. - Elmira Tanatarova The pastry was nice and sweet, and the filling was a good texture but Elmira found the flavours didn't stand out Co-op Bakery Shortcrust Mince Pies 1.60 for four Rating: These treats were nice overall, but I struggled with the pastry which I felt was running away from me at times. It was soft, but at times too crumbly and when the pie itself is quite hefty, it can make for an inconvenient bite. However, the flavours overall were sweet and teamed well with a fragrant mincemeat. Morrisons The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies 2.75 for six While the pastry on these festive pies was nice and soft (although at times too crumbly), the filling fell a little bit flat. The mincemeat was sweet, but could have done with a tangier feel to it to bring a more fragrant punch to the treat. However, I would overall recommend it as the shortcrust does a nice job of elevating the pie to a delicious bite. While the pastry on these festive pies was nice and soft (although at times too crumbly), the filling fell a little bit flat, Elmira says Waitrose No.1 Crumble Top Mince Pies with Cranberry & Orange Rating: 4 for four While these are more akin to a biscuit than a mince pie - they are a delicious combination of both. It's a perfect offering for those who may dislike the softness and crumbliness or a traditional mince pie, but still maintains that festive flavour. The cranberry and orange flavour however could have been stronger, as it didn't feel like it added much to the mincemeat. - Elmira Tanatarova It's a perfect offering for those who may dislike the softness and crumbliness or a traditional mince pie, Elmira said Aldi Holly Lane Deep Filled Mince Pies 1.25 for six Rating: These were tasty, but a touch dry and shy on the filling. They would have benefitted from a softer pastry or more plentiful allocation of mincemeat. However, they are otherwise lovely with a cup of tea. - Elmira Tanatarova These were tasty, but a touch dry and shy on the filling, Elmira said in her review of the pies ASDA Festive Mince Pie & Custard Tart 5 Rating: This combination sort of feels like it shouldn't work, and yet, it does. The mincemeat doesn't overpower the custard - however, this means there is a little too much aftertaste and sweetness all going on at the same time. However, it's a great idea that softens up the mincemeat and lends to a more shareable format. - Elmira Tanatarova Aries (March 21 to April 19) The full moon brings increased curiosity, communications and adaptability. You could be feeling more restless than usual, however. Thanks to Jupiter you'll also be more empathetic now and you'll lend an ear or a shoulder for people to tell you, their problems. Just don't go overboard here. There's probably more social events coming up, so you'll be able to connect more with others. Neptune is also influencing you to be more idealistic now, so do ensure you keep both feet on the ground. Try to be at least a little bit practical. Anything to do with writing, publishing, marketing or promotion could work well, especially as you're more open-minded than usual. You might attend activities in your local area now and become more involved with your local community. Taurus (April 20 to May 20) Your money supply could be on your mind now. Perhaps a financial venture will come to a head now or a new job that pays more is on the horizon? You could become more emotional about your finances, possessions or you change your belief system about money. A few challenges involving friends or connections is also possible now. Alternatively, your hopes and dreams get the rough end of the stick. Be patient and soon enough the vibes will change for the better. You would probably do better to have some down time to consider everything that's happened recently. Saturn is probably being a bit tough on you at the moment also. The solution is to be diligent, work hard and follow a system. Saturn loves organisation, neatness and caution, so these qualities could help. Gemini (May 21 to June 20) Woo Hoo Jupiter is helping you out atm with good luck and extra energy. However, do be careful not to overeat, Jupiter here next to the full moon in your sign can translate to 'break out the bickies'! You may become a mentor to someone who recognises your brilliance, or they're just attracted to your shining larger than life personality. A smooth easy flowing energy comes from Uranus in your subconscious, so surprises might spring up, but they'll probably be pleasant ones. Neptune in your career zone, however, isn't as happy. It advisable now not to over idealise someone or look at the world with rose coloured glasses. Spirituality might become a topic in career which is fine if you're that sector. Otherwise, probably be a little careful as to what you discuss at work. Cancer (June 21 to July 22) The full moon in your house of the unconscious is telling you to take it a little easy now. Better still can you get some R&R? At the very least, you need some time out to consider everything that has happened. Your subconscious brings up energy which is likely to have you feeling rather emotional. You may have strange dreams or feelings for no apparent reason. Write everything down and see if you can find someone who will listen and discuss these feelings with you. Your subconscious has some secret messages for you, so do try to figure out your own inner symbolic language. You could probably be empathetic with others now too, which is great, but can you be empathetic with yourself? You can learn a lot about yourself now, so go for it! Leo (July 23 to August 22) You could get a lot of support now from friends, groups and connections. It's a great time for socialising and meeting people. You could be the belle of ball too, attracting new people into your orbit like butterflies to a flower. Just be aware that a tough aspect to Neptune concerning intimate moments or shared resources could bring a stinging bee instead of butterflies. Best not discuss anything too personal or intimate with just anyone. However, Uranus will back you up in career matters, reputation or anything to do with authority figures including your boss, parents or someone you look up to. You might have desires to travel, study or get more spiritually involved. But now isn't the best time. Your North Node will be here for a while yet, there's plenty of time later to do these things and more. Virgo (August 23 to September 22) Gee whiz... this is amazing for transformation in your career it's a triple conjunction with Jupiter, the moon and your Midheaven. This is pretty darn good for professional growth, emotional fulfilment, public recognition and optimism, all rolled up into a nice bundle of cosmic delight! Those 'on high' might notice you now, or you get more attention on social media. It's a great time to go for a promotion or a new job. However, a beautiful aspect with Venus now blesses you with her beautiful elegance. You can be graceful and caring towards others. One little act of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life, especially if they have no one to care. Better than career recognition, approval or climbing professional ladders, being kind is a gift that keeps on giving forever more. Libra (September 23 to October 22) Libra... you need to get some excitement into your life. You could be feeling rather jaded or tired. A quick pick me up would be a short trip, preferably overseas. You need more variety and a brand-new scene! Can't you go? Well, make an effort! If you absolutely can't get away, at least go some exotic place even if it's in your own neighbourhood. Jupiter is giving you a push to get back your mojo in a different locality. Go to the beach, a bushwalk, the zoo but do something different. However, Saturn is driving you now at work or regarding your daily routine. Stop it and get out and enjoy yourself just a tad. Venus is helping you with encouragement to have warm relationships and more affection. Your creativity will also bloom if you can do this, along with having some fun. Scorpio (October 23 to November 21) This full moon could be triggering a lot of deeply compelling emotions. They could be in response to an intimate situation, or maybe I should say the lack of an intimate situation? Yes, it's tough sometimes finding the right person and even when you have that person, you can still have times of loneliness and not having your deepest needs satisfied. Alternatively, you could be feeling quite deeply about resources and assets you share with another. Real estate, investments, inheritances all these and more could be the source of rather uncomfortable feelings. Write them down and if you can approach the other person (if there is one) and try and talk it out together. Support and comfort can come from your home and family now. Plus, Jupiter is also helping you. Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21) Committed relationships and close partnerships, business or personal, could be on your mind now. Jupiter close by, does bring good luck and helps you traverse the many issues these relationships can bring. Venus is also helping you with graceful communications and peaceful thoughts... well perhaps? But do watch that gnarly Saturn at home or with family members. You might not see eye to eye at the moment as there is some restrictive energy slowing down your progress. This full moon is highlighting the importance of positive thinking and communications so there's probably a logical way of figuring things out. Maintain your normal optimism and bring your adventurous nature into your relationships. Capricorn (December 22nd to January 19) Jupiter is blessing you in your daily work, routines or well-being. This is a bonus. Extra energy points for you to use as you choose. You can get a lot done at whatever to turn your hand to on a daily basis. It's the small things mainly, but if perchance you do have something big, this can't hurt. You can improve your health and well-being now too take a look at your diet, movement and do prioritise your sleep. So, this is a pretty good vibe! The only 'fly in the ointment' is Saturn somewhat restricting your communications. Pay extra special attention that you don't come across as a hard taskmaster, being overly critical or hard in your approach to others. One more thing, money... do watch your spending now, there could be some fundamental shifts in your attitude to money coming up. Aquarius (January 20th to February 18) Well, it's playtime! Your inner child needs some leisure and pleasure. It's time to get out and socialise. Meeting some new people will help your creativity bloom too. You could be living closer to the world of the child now, having more to do with children or even your inner child who wants to be heard. So, give in a little bit to your own desires. The only thing is that Saturn that dictatorial hard taskmaster who enforces discipline and responsibility is there in your house of money. What a party pooper! You'll probably feel that inclination not to enjoy yourself, not to spend and to go back into your cave and hibernate! Find the balance between responsibility and enjoying yourself. You can have both, just figure out a way to do that and you'll find some happiness. Pisces (February 19 to March 20) Now you need close attachments by your side home and family become particularly important to you. You need your home as a safe comfortable sanctuary away from the world. You need your family for support and love. If you don't have a family (not everyone does), you may need to search to find strong inner support from somewhere, friends who are like family or in your local community. You might even find inner support from ancestors who have passed over, if you look. You could also think about and discuss ways to improve your home including redecorating or landscaping even if it's a balcony! Discussions at home could be quite lively and spirited now. You can easily adapt to whatever needs to be done possibly repairing home items yourself? Do some research and have a go! SOURCE: Rose Smith - Absolute Soul Secrets A former teacher has told of the bizarre sign that he was suffering tongue cancer a disease that's around 25 per cent more prevelant than it was a decade a go. Stuart Kingston, 67, from Merseyside, wasn't aware that his face 'appeared uneven', until it was spotted by his wife, Carol. Ms Kingston said: 'During the pandemic, you naturally kept your distance from one another. 'So it was only later on in the year when we went on a caravan trip and were in close proximity to each other, sat face to face, I saw how uneven Stuart's face looked.' Mr Kingston said he'd also had problems swallowing, which was affecting his appetite, but 'didn't think anything of it'. But in October 2020, after noticing the 'asymmetry' in his face, Ms Kingston encouraged her husband to visit the GP. The doctor arranged an urgent PET scan at the local hospital, concerned about a potential growth in his oral cavity. Images showed a cancerous growth had formed at the base of his tongue. Stuart Kingston, 67, from Liverpool, had difficulty swallowing but thought nothing of it. It was only when his wife noticed asymmetry in his face that he visited a GP for help. Oral cancers, which include disease affecting the tongue, lips, jaw and gums, are on the rise in the UK. An analysis published in November revealed that cases of deadly mouth cancer among Brits have reached a record high of 10,000 a year. The findings, collected by charity The Oral Health Foundation, showed 10,825 new cases of mouth cancer are being diagnosed in the UK every year representing a 133 per cent rise over the last 20 years. Experts say the surge is mostly driven by diagnoses of younger people in their 40s and 50s. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the biggest risk factors for mouth cancer, according to the Oral Health Foundation, and is thought to be responsible for the lionshare of new head and neck cancers. And experts suggest oral sex could be partly to blame for the rise in types of the virus-driven disease that affect the throat and mouth. Dr Hisham Mehanna, from the UK's University of Birmingham, said people with multiple oral sex partners have an up to nine-fold increased risk of oropharyngeal cancers, which affect the back of the tongue, tonsils and the throat. Mr Kingston has warned others to stay vigilant about symptoms that appear unusual, such as difficulty swallowing and a slumped face. Soon after his diagnosis, Mr Kingston started five weeks of daily radiotherapy and then chemotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Wirral, Merseyside. He also took part in a clinical trial so he could 'help someone going through the same thing in the future.' Speaking of his thoughts on the evening before he went to hospital he said: 'The night before my treatment started, Carol and I went to see the Blackpool Illuminations. 'We promised each other we'd come back when my treatment was finished.' After having treatment, Mr Kingston needed to re-learn how to swallow and use his tongue differently. 'When you're having treatment every day, you know what to expect, you're in a routine,' he said. 'There's people around you to help and if you have any worries there's always someone there to address that. 'But when I went home and the worries continued, I really started to struggle. 'This is why I'm eternally grateful for the speech and language therapy team at Clatterbridge. I couldn't have made the progress I did without them.' In March 2022 Mr Kingston was given the all-clear doctors could find no further signs of cancer in his body. This data shows that in the UK cases of throat cancer have been trending upward, just like in the US (source: Cancer Research UK) Mouth ulcers that don't heal, a hoarse voice and unexplained lumps in the mouth are all warning signs of the disease 'Don't think you're invincible like I did. Speak with a professional if you're experiencing any symptoms and put yourself in the hands of the experts. 'No matter how independent or tough you think you are, you can't cure this by yourself. 'Accept the help of people who are highly skilled and qualified. 'Have trust and faith in their abilities and go into everything with a positive attitude taking it a day at a time.' Dr Heulwen Sheldrick, a speech and language therapist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre helped him to learn how to swallow again. She said: 'Stuart had a feeding tube fitted at the start of his treatment and our main focus was to adjust what/how to eat and drink in order to safely remove the tube. 'It can be quite frightening to do this, relearning how to swallow and use the tongue in a different way. 'Between the team's support, Carol's encouragement and Stuart's hard work through speech and language therapy, he is now communicating in the clearest and most effective way possible.' Signs of mouth cancer, including types affecting the tongue, can be varied including anything from difficulty swallowing to a red or white patch inside the mouth. Lumps and pain in the mouth as well as ulcers that have lasted more that three weeks can also be telltale signs, according to the NHS. One in four working-age adults in England suffering winter bugs have the flu, as the NHS braces for a 'quad-demic' driven by a tidal wave of winter illnesses. Surveillance data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show one in five tests on Brits of all ages with coughs and colds carried out at the end of last week came back positive for the influenza virus. This is up from about one in 10 positive tests the previous week, and another sign the virus is spreading among the population. It comes as health leaders urged those eligible for free flu jabs to take up the offer, with the current uptake well below that experts say is needed to protect the health service from being overwhelmed. The latest flu positivity test results, for December 8th, are nearly three times higher than the level recorded at same time last year. But not all Brits are being hit equally. Flu positivity was 25.7 per cent among tested British adults aged 25 to 54, a rate of about one in four. This was narrowly beaten by Brits aged 15 to 24 with positivity rate of 26 per cent and children aged five to 14 who had a rate of 30 per cent, the highest of any group. Flu rates among Brits over the age of 65, who are eligible for a jab on the NHS, hovered at around one in six. Surveillance data from the UK Health Security Agency show one in five tests (18.6 per cent) for people tested with flu symptoms came back positive for the influenza virus Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. It comes as separate figures, from NHS England, show the number of people hospitalised with the flu has jumped 70 per cent in just a week. NHS data shows almost 1,900 patients were hospitalised with flu every day last week in England on average. This is up from an average of 1,100 in the previous week and is 3.5 times more patients than the same time last year. To add to the NHS's woes, serious cases of both norovirus and RSV are also on the rise. With Covid cases also potentially in the mix, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, medical director for NHS England said health chiefs are worried. The tidal wave of flu cases and other seasonal viruses hitting hospitals is really concerning for patients and for the NHS the figures are adding to our "quad-demic" worries,' he said. Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at UKHSA, said data suggests the threat of an early flu season 'is materialising' and she encouraged those eligible to come forward and get a jab. 'With winter vaccine uptake not yet reaching the high levels we aim for in some eligible groups including healthcare workers, our forecasts for infection rates are not getting any brighter,' she said. 'Taking up the vaccine will prevent putting your seasonal plans in jeopardy and more importantly, prevent the risk of severe illness and hospitalisation.' She added: 'The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk of suffering more serious illness from flu or norovirus, so if you have flu-like symptoms or diarrhoea or vomiting, avoid visiting people in hospital and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.' Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said: 'The latest data is clear that flu is rising rapidly, and we are approaching a serious flu wave.' 'Now is the time to get vaccinated if you are eligible.' Your browser does not support iframes. NHS leaders are urging people eligible for a flu vaccine to come forward 'without delay' People who are aged over 65, those with long term health conditions, pregnant women, care home residents and carers are eligible for a free jab. There are signs that calls for eligible Brits to roll up their sleeves and get jabbed have been heard. NHS England said the number of booked flu and Covid vaccinations appointments has more than doubled from 9,452 on Wednesday to 21,144 on Thursday a 124 per cent increase. Fears of a bad flu year come just days after experts warned this year's flu vaccine could be 30 per cent less effective than hoped. The flu vaccine is changed each year based on data from countries in the southern hemisphere, like Australia and New Zealand ,who have their winter season six months before Britain. This is because the same types of flu that struck those countries usually goes on to cause the majority of cases in the UK. However, sometimes this forecasting is wrong. In 2017, a mismatched flu vaccine was responsible for 50,000 extra deaths in the UK, according to the Office of National Statistics. Data suggests the flu jab used in the southern hemisphere, which the one being rolled out in the UK is based on, could be up to 30 per cent less effective than normal. Experts consider a successful flu jab to be one that prevents people from needing hospital care for the virus in about 7 in 10 cases. However, data from countries like Australia and New Zealand, suggests the latest jab only stopped 4 in 10 hospitalisations. Flu, also called influenza, is responsible for about 40,000 hospitalisations and more than 10,000 deaths in the UK every year, though this can be higher in bad years. The symptoms typically include fever, sore throat, muscle aches and a cough. The outgoing Biden Administration has quietly extended a pandemic-era measure that protects Covid vaccine makers from being sued for injuries or deaths. Officials at the Health and Human Services (HHS) say it's necessary because there is still 'a credible risk' the pandemic spirals out of control in the next four years, even though Covid deaths and hospital admissions are at historic lows. The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act was initially enacted in 2020, in part to encourage vaccine manufacturers to speed up their research of Covid vaccines without fear of being held legally responsible for things like side effects. The extension, which had last been renewed in May 2023, also protects healthcare workers and hospitals who provide the shots from being sued. This move could anger the incoming Trump administration, which has nominated prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F Kennedy Jr to head the HHS. RFK Jr has long carried the anti-vaccine flag, once claiming that the inoculations caused autism, and now heads up a movement attempting to make vaccine manufacturers more accountable for vaccine injury claims. This may also anger the small, but growing, number of Americans who say they were injured by the vaccines and claim they are being ignored. Figures from national programs that exist to compensate the vaccine-injured show that there have been 13,000 claims that the Covid vaccine or other covid treatments has caused injury. 10,000 of those are awaiting review, meaning that since 2020, only about 3000 of those claims have been reviewed. Brianne Dressen, 42, is suing AstraZeneca after taking part in their Covid vaccine trial. She said their shot left her 'permanently disabled' Ms Dressen is pictured above in the hospital following her reaction to the vaccine Your browser does not support iframes. Claims about injury from covid vaccines aren't covered by the HHS's Vaccine Injury Compensation program (VICP), which exists to pay out people who claim they were injured by standard vaccines while protecting pharmaceutical companies from liability. People with vaccine injury claims specific to Covid are covered instead by a program called the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP). Through this program, people who have been injured by the Covid vaccine can apply for financial compensation, without specifically holding the companies who made the vaccine responsible. Representatives for HHS secretary Xavier Becerra, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, announced the move two days ago. In it, they said the move wouldn't affect the CICP or VICP. Dr Michael Hogue, the CEO of the American Pharmacists Association, said this decision: 'will continue saving lives and lower healthcare costs, particularly in rural and underserved areas where the local pharmacy may be the only healthcare provider for miles.' The PREP Act was initially enacted by former HHS head Alex Azar II in 2020, in the early days of the Covid pandemic to mobilize against the virus. It had been created in 2005 to be used in public health emergencies, to cover people acting to prevent the spread of highly infectious diseases from being held legally responsible for things like side effects from experimental treatments. It covers pharmacists, technicians, doctors, nurses and other individuals who are authorized to prescribe or administer vaccines or other 'countermeasures' against highly infectious diseases, like antiviral drugs or vaccines. There are exceptions to the rule when a person acts with 'willful misconduct', which includes knowingly disregarding medical advice or acting recklessly. The PREP act of 2020 has been renewed around a dozen times since then to address Covid concerns, but this newest extension appears to be the furthest reaching. HHS representatives said they issued this extension because they: 'have determined there is a credible risk that COVID-19 may in the future constitute such an emergency and am thus amending this Declaration to prepare for and mitigate that risk'. Though most current monitoring efforts have slowed, some estimates suggest that Covid 19 has infected 99million Americans since 2020. According to the CDC, of the 1.2million deaths from the disease in the past four years, roughly 44,400 occurred in 2024. Army National Guard Specialist Karoline Stancik, 24, said she suffered a 'debilitating heart condition' as a result of the COVID vaccine Dr Niels Riedemann, an intensive care physician and immunology researcher said: 'The reality is that COVID-19 remains a unique and deadly threat for many people it is not just another respiratory virus, and should not be treated as such by our leaders.' Vaccination is the first step in the CDC's list of items to prevent against Covid, and is considered a frontline defense across the world. It doesn't prevent everyone from catching the virus, but makes it much less likely that someone will become severely ill or die if they do catch it. Covid vaccines are estimated to have prevented more than 3.2million deaths and 18.5million hospital admissions in the United States through 2022, according to research from The Commonwealth Fund. In the US, citizens can pick between vaccines manufactures by Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax. According to CDC data, in about one in every 200,000 cases, a person develops an allergic reaction or heart problems called myocarditis or pericarditis in response to a Covid vaccine. Myocarditis and pericarditis are a swelling and irritation of the tissue of the heart, which can cause damage that leads to scarring of the heart muscle, causing long term problems with heart function. Army National Guard Specialist Karoline Stancik, 24, came out earlier this year claiming that she developed a heart problem after being vaccinated. She was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition where a persons heart rate goes haywire when moving between seated and lying positions. This can cause fainting, rapid heartbeat and lightheadedness. Stancik said she has had three heart attacks, a mini stroke and is now getting a pacemaker Stancik told NewsNation she's three mini heart attacks since getting the vaccine, despite having no preexisting heart conditions, and had to get a pacemaker installed to regulate her heart rate. Stancik was one of many soldiers who got the vaccine when it was mandated. The military reversed this ruling in January 2023. Dr Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has acknowledged these cases and expressed sympathy for people with vaccine-associated injuries. Still, he said, the risk of not getting vaccinated is much higher than the risk of vaccination. Offit said: 'During 2021, you were 12 times more likely to be hospitalized and die if you didn't get a vaccine than if you did get one. 'In 2022, the following year, you were six times more likely to be hospitalized and die. 'A choice not to get a vaccine is not a risk-free choice. It's a choice to take a different risk now more seriously.' A fatal animal disease that causes their eyes to glow green has become epidemic among Colorados raccoons, police warned this week. The Greeley Police Department said it has received reports of the animals in people's yards acting strange displaying no fear for humans. The nocturnal animals are suffering from distemper, a virus more commonly seen in dogs that causes a loss of fear of people, eye discharge, confusion, aggression, seizures, vomiting, and glowing green eyes. The condition is usually fatal for the raccoon that contracts it. While humans cannot get sick from the virus, it can be spread to pets by humans who are exposed to it. The department has cautioned people to keep their pets and children away from any raccoon they see during daylight hours, particularly if they seem to be wandering aimlessly or otherwise acting odd in any way. Distemper is not the same as rabies, but there is some overlap in symptoms. Regardless of what may appear wrong with a raccoon, Coloradans should call animal control. If the raccoon has died, the person should handle it only with rubber gloves (if absolutely necessary) and call a garbage disposal service from a list of available companies. The department said: Do not approach the raccoons or otherwise try to feed them. Dont leave food out for the raccoon either, as you may attract other sick raccoons or other wildlife. It is wise to bring trash cans inside or make sure the lids are locked. The typically nocturnal animals have distemper, a virus more commonly seen in dogs that causes a loss of fear of people, confusion, aggression, seizures, vomiting, and glowing green eyes Greeleys local Fox News affiliate station spoke with First Choice Wildlife Services Owner Eric Brady, who said he found four raccoons in two days last week suspected of having Distemper. Mr Brady said: The one raccoon his eyes were, it looked like it had puss or something where they were completely crusted over. [The raccoon] was kind of tucked in a bush. People had reported that they had walked by. The raccoon had been there for two days and hadnt moved. The virus causes mineral deposits to build up on the surface of the eye, which alters how lights reflect off their eyes and causes a green glowing appearance. Officials believe that the outbreak in the city of about 113,000 began in October. Residents in Douglas County made several reports to law enforcement about raccoons they first believed to have rabies. Over the previous month, they saw increased reports of sick or dying raccoons. In one day, they received 15 calls about the issue. Douglas country resident Kelly Ruedeen, who saw a sick raccoon in her driveway, said: Its heartbreaking when youre watching an animal suffer. The virus causes mineral deposits to build up on the surface of the eye, which alters how lights reflect off their eyes and causes a green glowing appearance. You could tell he was not well. As he was getting closer you could tell he couldnt see. He was stumbling and sniffing towards smells and falling over consistently. There have been outbreaks elsewhere in the US this year. In North Carolina, the Nags Head police department issued a similar warning last month, adding that the state's Wildlife Resources Commission confirmed that the higher than average call volume about raccoons acting oddly was due to distemper. Meawhile in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the state's Humane Society said it's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center recieved about 350 raccoons with canine distemper this year, three times more than usual. Brittni Kaplanek, Director of the WHS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, said: 'This year has been a very bad year for raccoons. 'This illness is fatal, in raccoons it is highly contagious.' And last January, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene warned that distemper 'has been circulating among raccoons and skunks in the Greenwood Heights, Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace sections of Brooklyn since November 2023. 'To date there have been reports of dead animals (eight raccoons and one skunk) and sick animals (three skunks and two raccoons) in these areas.' Pinning down the number of raccoons who get sick and die of distemper every year is difficult, but it is generally always present among the raccoon population, and is the second-leading cause of death in raccoons (the first being human interference.) Your browser does not support iframes. The distemper virus passed through a human exposed to their dog is highly contagious and generally lethal. There is a vaccine, though, that most dogs get as a routine series, as its a core vaccine recommended by the influential American Animal Hospital Association. No state agency disposes of dead sick raccoons, but the Greeley police department recommended a series of privately run services on its Facebook page. The department added: We are unable to catch or relocate the raccoons with our animal control officers as they are responsible for calls related to domesticated animals only. 'We are also unable to relocate the raccoons as that would only aid in spreading the virus out of the immediate area. Officials in Philadelphia are offering to fund women's pregnancies with 'no strings attached.' The pilot program, which was launched in June, has had 111 people sign up out of 250 available spaces. Pregnant residents will be paid $1,000 a month as part of the trial program, which is hoping to lower infant mortality rates in the city. The Philly Joy Bank is offering expectant mothers payments from their third month of pregnancy through their baby's first birthday. Officials are hoping to complete enrollment by the end of the year. Nia Coaxum, program manager for Philly Joy Bank, said: 'Were still doing continuous outreach with organizations in our target neighborhoods, reminding folks, "hey, were still accepting applications."' The program only operates in the areas of the city with the highest rates of low birth weights including Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion and Nicetown-Tioga. Other eligibility requirements include being 18 years or older, between 12 and 24 weeks pregnant and having a household income of less than $100,000. Philly Joy Bank is offering 250 expectant mothers payments from their third month of pregnancy through their baby's first birthday Fertility in the US has plummeted in recent decades. The average American woman is now only having 1.6 children throughout her life, well below replacement level of 2.1 Your browser does not support iframes. Once they apply, women are entered into a lottery and chosen at random to participate. Officials are hoping the program will improve maternal and infant health outcomes and reduce racial disparities in maternal and fetal medicine. There are no restrictions on how women can use the money, Coaxum said: 'This money is unrestricted. They can use it to meet their needs as they see fit.' She added that some women have voluntarily reported they are saving the money to use after their child is born. Others use it for paying utilities, rent and groceries. In Philadelphia, black infants are three times more likely than white infants to die before their first birthday and of the 10 most populated cities in the US, Philadelphia has the highest rate of infant mortality. The scheme also comes amid a baby bust across America, which is seeing fewer women than ever having children, amid changing family values. Announcing the program at a news conference last year, Dr Stacey Kallem, director of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health's Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health, said: 'The no-strings-attached is key. 'We are respecting the dignity and autonomy of program participants to use the funds as they see fit to improve their health and the health of their babies.' The city's infant mortality rate is 1.5 higher than the national average, and black babies are over four times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies nationally. Philly Joy Bank is inspired by similar offerings in other states. In Manitoba in Canada, pregnant women can get up to $81 a month. Fertility rates in Pennsylvania are at their lowest in ten years Meanwhile, the Abundant Birth Project pilot in San Francisco provides $1,000 monthly to mothers-to-be for a year. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said at the news conference: 'Research has shown that supporting pregnant people with cash payments can improve birth outcomes that are associated with infant mortality, including low birth weight and prematurity.' In 2021, one in 10 babies was born prematurely in Pennsylvania, and one in 12 was born with a low birthweight. A premature birth is determined as a baby born before 37 weeks, while a low birth weight is one below 5lbs. Along with a declining national fertility rate, those in Pennsylvania are at their lowest in 10 years. In the past 20 years, the decline was most pronounced in non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders, but the birth rate among non-Hispanic white women was more stable. Infant mortality rates in Philadelphia are on the rise among Hispanics and Asians Philadelphia had the highest child mortality rate in 2017 compared with other large cities and counties in the US The Philadelphia Department of Public Health said disparities in birth outcomes by race and ethnicity are 'large and alarming.' More than 15 percent of babies born to non-Hispanic Black mothers were low birthweight 40 percent higher than the city's average. Almost 15 percent of babies born to non-Hispanic Black women were premature, roughly 30 percent more than the citywide average. Some 93 percent of Cobbs Creek's population is made up of Black people, as is 94 percent of Strawberry Mansion's. As of 2021, 76 percent of Nicetown-Tioga was Black, nine percent was Hispanic and three percent was Asian. One of the most damning statistics for America is its poor record of infant and maternal mortality. Often considered to be a measure of a nation's overall development, America has a famously poor record when it comes to childbirth. The US suffers 5.4 infant deaths per every 1,000 births each year - the most of any of the 13 countries in the study by a large margin. It also experienced 23.8 maternal deaths per 100,000 births - a staggeringly high figure of ten more than any comparable countries. Unleashed is available now from the Mail Bookshop Unleashed by Boris Johnson (William Collins 30, 784pp) POST-MARGARET Thatcher, no politician has so utterly and irredeemably divided opinion as Boris Johnson has. Love him or loathe him, two things about the man are undeniable. First, that he never does anything by halves hence this memoir runs to nearly 800 pages and is longer than James Joyces Ulysses. Second, that he is a fine writer, with a command of the English language that makes him a pleasure to read. Its full of anecdote and analysis, intimate moments, revelation and confession. He tells it as he sees it Keir Starmer would do his puzzled/irritable face, like a bullock having a thermometer unexpectedly shoved up its rectum and you cant help but snigger. He denies charges of breaching lockdown rules I saw no cake. I ate no blooming cake. If this was a party, it was the feeblest in the history of human festivity but admits a mistake in not stamping down on the gossip. He is painfully honest about how close he came to death lying in Intensive Care, banjaxed with Covid, I didnt want to sleep in case I never woke up. He is scathing about those in his party who, in the end, did in with him Surely, I told myself, Tory MPs wouldnt be so dumb as to get rid of me? Surely not . . . This may not be political memoir in the sombre manner of grandiose predecessors like Harold Macmillan and Mrs T, but it is essential reading for understanding the drama of the past five years. And its a lot of fun. 10 Years to Save the West is available now from the Mail Bookshop Ten Years To Save the West by Liz Truss (Biteback 10.99, 368pp) LIZ Truss was a woman on a mission. I am not one of those who think the job of politicians is to manage whatever consensus they find when they take office and go with the flow. The job of political leaders is to lead. She boldly set out to break the mould, but she was the one who ended up broken. Her mini-budget full of maxi-proposals backfired, the economy hiccupped and she was driven out after just 49 days in what she believes was a coup. Truss didnt regret leaving the place she had quickly come to hate it was soulless, flea-ridden, noisy, claustrophobic. But she did regret the lost opportunity to change the direction in which the country was going and steer it back to what she saw as proper Conservative values. She blames the Tory Party for losing its way, opting for high-tax, interventionist government that expands the role of the state, that veers towards green dogma and wokery. Left-wing arguments are indulged by those who should be fighting them, she writes. She came to believe these people would rather a Labour government elected than a Conservative Party enact truly conservative policies. They were the enemy within. If so, they got their wish. Keir Starmer: The Biography is available now from the Mail Bookshop Keir Starmer by Tom Baldwin (William Collins 16.99, 496pp) JUST who is Keir Starmer? Groundbreaking leader? Grandstanding student politician? Lefty lawyer? Honest man? Hypocrite? These are questions that as he approaches six months as Prime Minister many electors are still struggling with. This meticulously researched and superbly written biography fills us in on the back story: the toolmaker dad, the sick but strong and influential mum, the climb up the social ladder via grammar school and Oxford, the barrister dedicated to human rights. Author Tom Baldwin is a respected journalist and, as a former Labour apparatchik, a self-confessed sympathiser, who was given exceptional access to his subject though the end product, we are assured, is neither authorised nor approved. To be fair, the result is certainly no hagiography it acknowledges flaws, criticisms and controversy. Ultimately, it gives Starmer the benefit of the doubt as a good guy. But even Baldwin finds himself stumped at times: I like and trust Keir but sometimes find him hard to fathom. He sees him as a creature of ambiguity, nuance and complexity, for whom there is always a but. And yet also as a man driven by a ruthless determination, taking informed risks, and with an exceptional understanding of strategic purpose. Or is strategic just a polite way of justifying the many U-turns and broken promises since July? On this, as he launches a reset on the reset, downgrading missions to milestones, the jury is out. Blue Ambition is available now from the Mail Bookshop Blue Ambition by Michael Ashcroft (Biteback 20, 288pp) AS THE latest leader of the Tory Party the fifth in five years Kemi Badenoch is already proving a ferocious opponent at Prime Ministers Questions, giving as good as she gets (and more) in face-offs with Sir Keir Starmer. But standing her ground against lefties is in her DNA. As a student at Sussex University, being black and having come to this country from Nigeria as essentially an immigrant, she found that the ideologically-driven militants of the Marxist Society who dominated campus culture expected her to naturally be in their camp. They couldnt believe it when she refused to back their ban of Coca-Cola and the Daily Mail. Thats when she identified as a Tory, reacting against what she described as the spoiled, entitled, privileged, metropolitan elite-in-training. Her early contempt for ignorant armchair activists who spouted Left-wing nonsense while having no knowledge of the real world would remain with her and influence her politics. She was quickly identified by the Tories as someone with star potential and entered the Commons as an MP in 2017. Ministerial and Cabinet positions followed, a meteoric rise that has led to her being seen by some as the saviour of conservatism in Britain after this years General Election rout. She continues to reject the very concept of positive discrimination, challenging what she sees as the lazy pigeon-holing of black people by those on the Left. She maintains: Britain is the least racist country on earth. Ashcroft commends her as fearless with an electric quality and an energy that most front-rank figures in Westminster do not possess. Making the Weather is available now from the Mail Bookshop Making the Weather by Vernon Bogdanor (Haus 22, 368pp) DONT be deceived by the title this is not another treatise on climate change. It is a stimulating and controversial book identifying six politicians who, while they never made it to Downing Street, in the eyes of the eminent and always readable constitutional historian Professor Vernon Bogdanor, profoundly changed modern Britain with their beliefs. Nye Bevan, Enoch Powell, Roy Jenkins, Keith Joseph, Tony Benn and now-MP Nigel Farage they come from all parts of the political spectrum. What they have in common, what makes them special, he says, is that they all sought seriously to confront the problems facing Britain. All were regarded as mavericks, but all have deeply influenced our lives and continue to do so whether it be Bevans pioneering of the NHS, Josephs devotion to a market economy as the guru of Thatcherism or Farages campaign to detach us from Europe. Each one re-drew the political landscape and fundamentally changed the political weather (hence that title). The analysis is never less than challenging, the judgments admirably nuanced but to the point. The Red Emperor is available now from the Mail Bookshop The Red Emperor by Michael Sheridan (Headline 25, 368pp) IT TOOK Xi Jinping 37 years to worm his way to the top. From local government, he gravitated to the national stage and, in 2012, aged 59, he emerged as the head of the Communist party. The following year he became the supreme leader of China arguably the most powerful leader in the world. What is not generally known but is revealed here by veteran foreign correspondent and China expert Michael Sheridan is that he began at the top, the princeling son of one of Chairman Maos closest allies, before a falling out sent the family tumbling into ruin and disgrace. Fanatical Red Guards threatened him with execution, then paraded him on a stage while they screamed insults at him. Astonishingly, his own mother stood there chanting with them. He survived the ordeal of internal exile, rehabilitated himself and emerged from power struggles as nothing less than an emperor. This outstanding book shows that, though China may have transformed from a poor agrarian society to a sophisticated modern state that can launch space probes, make vaccines, wage cyber war, run high-speed trains and build new cities, it has not outgrown its ancient tradition of bowing to emperors. War is available now in the Mail Bookshop War by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster 25, 448pp) THE world is in a perilous state, with conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine threatening a slide into war that could engulf us all. In these circumstances, there can be no better guide to how we got here than the most authoritative of journalists, Bob Woodward, who with Carl Bernstein exposed the scandal of Watergate and brought down crooked President Nixon. Though now in his 80s, he has lost none of his thirst for truth, nor that Deep Throat skill that gets the players who matter to open up to him. With astonishing fly-on-the-wall detail, we are led through Putins lies, the White House missteps that failed to stop his invasion of Ukraine, the ratcheting up of arms and the chilling whispers of nuclear weaponry. And, if that isnt bad enough, then the Middle East ignites into a situation heading who knows where. Woodward believes Joe Biden urging restraint did pretty well, not a widely held view. In this uncertain world, the only thing we can be sure of is that Woodwards dispatch, however insightful, is only an interim one. This story, for good or ill, will run and run. Goodbye to Russia is available now from the Mail Bookshop Goodbye to Russia by Sarah Rainsford (Bloomsbury 22, 368pp) Rainsford is a familiar face as a BBC foreign correspondent reporting from Russia, a country she has been passionate about since her time as a student there. But this love affair went terribly wrong. She had high hopes for its future in the aftermath of communism, only to have a front-row seat as the ruthless, corrupt Putin regime relentlessly crushed all dissent. Hers is a personal story eloquently told of trying to report the unvarnished truth and giving a voice to the persecuted band of dissenters while being harassed, threatened and blatantly lied to, culminating in her expulsion on the nonsense charge of being an enemy agent. She has since become a witness to the evils played out in Ukraine, describing through gritted teeth the corpses piling up following Putins invasion. As for Russia itself, Rainsford admits: After almost a quarter of a century with Putin in charge, there is little left that does not seem tainted. I do hope, though, there will be another Russia one day one that is comfortable enough in its own skin to leave others in peace. Nothing signals the start of winter quite like the return of the bob. Each cold-weather season, the mid-length cut gains popularity for many reasons: its easier to manage than long hair, pairs well with all the layers were wearing (think scarves, turtlenecks and coats), and it feels fitting to transition into the New Year with a new do. A-listers have caught onto the trend too. Just last week, Kendall Jenner posted a video on TikTok showing off her flippy, jaw-grazing bob, while Keira Knightely introduced a wavy take on the trend during her press tour for her new Netflix thriller Black Doves, and Selena Gomez has been making a case for a shoulder-grazing bob with lots of bounce and volume. A bob is favoured by the A-list for its volume, bounce and low maintenance Now that the weather outside is frightful (IYKYK), the bob is having another moment and for good reason. Its flattering on absolutely everyone, says Bobby Collier (@thehairystylist), hair stylist at Larry King. Thats why I think its such a nice haircut. Its low maintenance and works with all hair types. That being said, there are a few things to consider before going for the chop. 1. Length You dont have to go ultra-short. A bob can sit anywhere in the gap between your jawline and shoulders, says Collier. It just needs to have that swing. 2. Face shape Your face shape is an important factor. While a bob should suit your style and personality, certain iterations do work better with certain faces. For a round face, Collier prefers a textured bob with a flick that can be tonged or waved, and possibly even some face-framing layers to close off the face. Those with a heart-shaped or oval face could opt for a cute and quintessential French bob above the jawline. This will work well with a grown-out fringe a la Sabrina Carpenter. Someone with a square-shaped face shouldnt go for a chin-length cut as this will only accentuate their strong, angular jawline. Instead, Collier suggests a swinging, shoulder-grazing bob. A shoulder-grazing bob works well with square faces A diamond-shaped face, meanwhile, can get away with a sharp, angled bob that matches up with the jawline and is a bit more structured. And a rectangular face should avoid a fringe as it would be a bit too boxy. Instead, Collier suggests keeping it on the longer side. Texture and layers will work well. 3. Styling Often when people cut their long hair into a bob, they think it needs to be a sleek number, he explains. Obviously, if youre going for more of a chic French bob look, its best to do it straight. But I like a bob with texture and movement, like a soft wave. 4. Maintenance A bob is considered easier to maintain because theres less hair. This is true on a day-to-day basis because youve already got that structure to work with, says Collier, but youll need to get it trimmed every six weeks to maintain the shape and length. National Audit Office wants 'greater focus' on installation outside the South East Just 15 per cent of public electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed in England are located in rural areas, according to a new report by the public spending watchdog. An uneven distribution of devices across the country threatens to leave millions of drivers behind as the Government races towards its green targets, it warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) has urged ministers to put 'greater focus' on ensuring more devices in rural locations and regions outside the South East. It said chargepoint installation to date which has largely been privately funded has been led by the needs of early adopters of electric cars, resulting in around 44 per cent of public charging points being located in London and the South East. By July, more than 64,600 public chargepoints were installed. It means the rollout is 'on track' to meet the 300,000 that the Department for Transport promised by 2030, the report stated. But the watchdog warned the aim could be met without achieving 'the spread of chargepoints needed to support road transport across the whole country'. Just 15% of public EV chargepoints in England are located in rural areas, according to a new report by the public spending watchdog this week The NAO recommended that the Government should consider developing regional and urban/rural forecasts of demand for EV charging. However, rural population statistics suggest the current volume of public charging point installations in these areas is relative to the number of people. According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in 2020 there were around 9.7million people in England living in rural areas. This represents 17 per cent of the population, DEFRA said. Andersen, a UK manufacturer of home chargepoints, has also pointed to the fact that most properties in the countryside have provisions to charge an EV's batteries, unlike those living in cities. Five in six rural homes also have off-street parking, it said, meaning the majority of drivers with EVs are able to fit their own homechargers powered by the domestic energy supply at tariffed prices. In contrast, 60 per cent of properties in major cities and town centres are without driveways and garages, meaning EV owners in these areas are more reliant on a public network of devices. The National Audit Office (NAO) has urged ministers to put 'greater focus' on ensuring more devices in rural locations and regions outside the South East The watchdog's report also highlighted a lack of public charging solutions for EV owners during longer journeys. As of July, just 62 per cent of motorway service areas (MSAs) reported having at least six ultra-rapid chargepoints - those offering the fastest charging speeds to ensure drivers can continue on journeys quicker and reduce the likelihood of EV charging queues. The previous Conservative government aimed for all MSAs to have that level of charging capacity by the end of 2023. The NAO also warned that the charger rollout 'has not met the needs of drivers with disabilities'. It said many devices or their surroundings 'have features which make them inaccessible to drivers with disabilities', such as being installed on kerbs, having a heavy cable, or having features or instructions too high or too low. The report also highlighted a lack of public charging solutions for EV owners during longer journeys. As of July, just 62% of motorway services had at least six ultra-rapid chargepoints By July, more than 64,600 public chargepoints were installed. It means the rollout is 'on track' to meet the 300,000 that the Department for Transport promised by 2030, the report stated Improving public charging infrastructure is seen as vital to encouraging more drivers to switch to electric motoring. The Government has committed to bring the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans forward from 2035 to 2030. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: 'Government's estimate of the 300,000 public electric vehicle chargepoints needed by 2030 appears achievable, although there is more to do to ensure adequate coverage in all parts of the country. 'Government is using regulation to improve the user experience of public chargepoints and needs to address access for people with disabilities.' Improving public charging infrastructure is seen as vital to encouraging more drivers to switch to electric motoring AA president Edmund King said EV charging point installation rates in northern rural areas needs to be accelerated to the same rate as the South. King is pictured here before embarking on the EV rally in Scotland in a Polestar2 AA president Edmund King responded to the report on Thursday, saying: 'It is vital that communities are not left behind, and the NAO is right to point out that northern and rural areas are not seeing installations at the same rate as the South. 'Similarly, we must ensure that the major A-road network can provide regular charging points. 'To provide confidence to drivers now and in the future, it is crucial that all road users, including those with mobility issues, can use public chargers easily.' RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: 'Charging networks have already done a huge amount of work when it comes to installing the UK's much-needed charging infrastructure, but there's no doubt more needs to be done. 'Getting the necessary connections to the National Grid is vital to ensure no part of the country is left behind when it comes to being able to swiftly charge an EV.' A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'We're making good progress in rolling out chargepoints across the UK, with over 72,000 public chargers now available a near 40 per cent increase compared to December 2023. 'We're also providing over 2.3billion to support industry and drivers make the switch, and our measures are working, with EVs making up one in four of all cars sold this November.' Theres something Willy Wonka-ish about Julian Metcalfe, who changed the way Britons eat lunch not once, but twice. First, when he co-founded Pret A Manger in 1986, making office workers realise sandwiches didnt have to be stale, cardboard-like morsels, before selling the business to private equity house Bridgepoint for 364million in 2008. It was then sold to the German conglomerate behind Krispy Kreme doughnuts for 1.5billion a decade later. And next? There was no Maldivian beach break to celebrate a bulging bank account: he went straight to work on Itsu, which popularised healthy Japanese lunches when launched in 1997. Of course, I was in early that day, he says. What would I do with a day off? I could never retire. No, no, no! How boring. I sit with Metcalfe, 64, on new, hot-pink chairs on the second day of trading of Itsus newest, and 86th, branch, on Londons Oxford Street. Lunchtime legend: Pret A Manger and Itsu founder Julian Metcalfe says he is driven by the ambition of selling nutritious food for a price everyone can afford His eyes fizzle with his passion for Itsu like Wonka throwing open the doors to his factory. You only achieve anything by jumping in really deep, he says. If we can succeed here, he says, waving his arms around, on Oxford Street, where the rates and the rent are among the highest in the world, we can do it anywhere. I like the risk. I like the fact that my ambition that we can be bigger than McDonalds is preposterous. Because were giving people nutritious, affordable food for under ten quid, and that matters. Thats the goal, the joy, thats the fun of it. Its cheaper to eat rubbish foods than good food. Theres more of it around, and its easier to prepare. Its certainly easier to sell. Metcalfe eagerly pulls on a hair net for a tour of Itsus kitchen. Look at this so many ingredients and processes, you may think, Christ, what a lot of hassle! Dont underestimate how difficult it is to serve food on Oxford Street for 5. In January we are launching mini brown rice bowls, for 4. 4! All brown rice. Of course, we would make far more money with white rice, but its not the point. Rubbish food is killing us all. Im driven by the ambition of selling nutritious food for a price everyone can afford. This wont happen from big companies, you need brave, mad people to do it. As the multi-millionaire founder of two major high street food brands which collectively employ more than 10,000 people in the UK, youd think the Government would have been in touch at some point. No, that lot arent interested in what I think, says Metcalfe. Ive never met Starmer. The only good thing I can say about what the Government is doing to us is that were all in the same boat. When they screw some of us with their weird policies, they screw all of us. The tycoon gestures at a bank of screens in the corner, where commuters and shoppers tap in their dumpling and sushi orders. The screens are there because we were so scared of the Government continuously raising [employment] taxes, he says. Very soon well be paying staff 16 an hour, I should think. Thats a good thing for our staff. But we want our food to be affordable so where you can have a machine to take orders, you have to do it. We have three Japanese robots in every Itsu kitchen, making nguri, folding maki and pressing rice. One robot can do the job of three people. They cost 100,000, but they dont go on holiday and they dont work from home. Itsus turnover grew 17 per cent to 187million this year, with 120million from restaurants and the rest from Itsu Grocery, which sells snacks and meals in 107,000 shops across Europe. Grocery will do 100million in 2025, its growing at 31 per cent a year, Metcalfe says. In ten years, well have 500 Itsus, one day: thousands. Well take sushi to Japan and China, with the right partner. We need more long-term thinking in this country, like Bournville had with its chocolate. Business is very short term now we need to reverse that. Metcalfe, an Old Harrovian whose grandfather Edward was best man to the newly abdicated Edward VIII at his 1937 marriage to Wallis Simpson, believes government policy lacks this foresight. Rates are more than rent in many places now, its criminal. Rates are mind-bogglingly expensive, he says, hitting tiny businesses all over the country. Then, he adds, theres the cost of part-time employees. The hospitality sector has warned of a 73 per cent rise in the tax bill for employing a part-time worker after the Government cut National Insurance thresholds. That hurts many dads and mums who are looking after children and can only work 20 hours a week. 'They will cost employers nearly double. So whats going to happen? You cant employ them. Just so many stupid decisions. Groundbreaking: Metcalfe co-founded Pret A Manger in 1986 before selling the business to private equity house Bridgepoint for 364m in 2008 Metcalfe is certainly a details man. His eyes repeatedly wander to the overhead screens above the counter hes upset that chicken soup options are in the wrong font size. He rearranges sushi boxes to perfect the display and makes notes for the manager. In part, this is why Metcalfe has just rehired Clive Schlee, his Pret chief executive for 16 years, to the same role at Itsu. Schlee was previously Itsus chairman. He left his day job running Pret in 2019. I could just tell he was ready for one last huge job in his life, Metcalfe reports. Were bloody lucky to have him. Clive is a very unusual leader: his focus is entirely on people and the culture. Metcalfe now intends to focus on the grocery businesses, which he says is creative and innovative. Shades of Wonka perfecting an everlasting gobstopper emerge as he describes the shift he put in yesterday. I was making noodles all day in our office, trying different weights with different levels of water versus the broth. Making sure its just right. Last month, he flew to Asia to visit noodle factories in Thailand and Vietnam, and broth kitchens in Japan. It was the most amazing eight days Ive ever had. This is no fan of conspicuous consumption. He owns one watch. Its 15 years old and why would I want another? He doesnt like cars and I cant drive mine anyway his licence was revoked for using a mobile while driving in September. He struggles to pin down his Itsu salary, eventually saying its 250,000 but I dont do it for the money. Instead, his pride comes from the fact that three of his seven children work with him: son Misha works in the grocery arm. Daughter Celeste, whom Metcalfe only learnt about 15 years ago, when she was a teenager, via a bombshell phonecall from an ex-girlfriend, is on Itsus board. Artist son Billy, meanwhile, created the packaging for Itsus Zen drinks. Will one of them take over? Hopefully, but well see if they want it. Metcalfe has more certainty about Itsu definitely overtaking Pret as his most famous legacy, especially internationally. Pret has almost 700 shops worldwide. Itsus only international stores are in France and Belgium, with one opening in the Netherlands imminently. Most countries dont eat refrigerated brown bread sandwiches, but they all eat brown rice, noodles, and broth, he says. Itsu has a much more international menu. It will be huge. Metcalfe still owns a 60 per cent stake, alongside Bridgepoint. He clearly feels a responsibility to his 1,300 staff, whose make-up has changed since the pandemic. In 1990, when they opened the European borders, it was all Spanish, Italian, and French staff, which was amazing, because they had so much love for food, and service. Since Covid, its gone back to English. Our shop in Bath is 100 per cent UK staff. Years ago, there used to be 50 applicants per every Pret job, but that makes you [the employer] spoilt and lazy. Now its probably five. You have to look after people more, teach them more, invest in them more. Its a good thing. If you want great food, its got to be made with pride and joy. Sheins 50billion stock market listing has been held up after the Governments anti-slavery commissioner and an Uyghur campaign group challenged the plan. The fast fashion giant is preparing for a London float next year in a boost for the City amid an exodus of companies from the market. But the move has whipped up controversy due to allegations about forced labour at its suppliers, prompting money managers to warn that London should not become a listing place of last resort. And in the latest blow to the online retailers plans, the financial regulator has not yet approved the initial public offering. Based in Singapore, Shein was founded in China and relies on suppliers in the country to manufacture its cut-price T-shirts and dresses. Human rights organisations have long accused China of abuses in the Xinjiang region, where they say Uyghurs a mostly-Muslim ethnic group are forced to work producing cotton and other goods. Beijing has denied any abuses. City boost: Chinese fast fashion giant Shein is preparing for a London float early next year in a boost for the City amid an exodus of companies from the market More than a fifth of the worlds cotton comes from the region but much is thought to be produced through slave labour, prompting Western brands including H&M and Nike to announce that they would remove the material from their supply chains. Britains Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner has reportedly raised concerns within the Government, according to Reuters. And advocacy group Stop Uyghur Genocide launched a legal challenge in June. It sent the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) a dossier in August alleging that Shein uses cotton from Chinas Xinjiang region. MPs on the business committee are next month preparing to scrutinise Shein bosses over forced labour concerns. The retailer is also awaiting approval from Chinas securities regulator for its London IPO. Approval would probably come after the FCAs decision. Susannah Streeter, at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: ESG [environmental, social and governance] factors matter because scandal, regulatory fines and consumer appetite impact a companys profitability and share price. However, there is an argument that investment opportunity lies in transformation. A listing could make the firm more transparent and accountable to shareholders, who could engage with the firm to improve standards. Shein declined to respond. It has said it has a zero-tolerance policy for forced labour and is committed to respecting human rights. Last week the firm announced it had appointed a global external ESG advisory board to bolster its governance ahead of a listing. And in a sustainability report published in August, Shein said it found two cases of child labour in its supply chain in 2023 but no evidence of forced labour. Top investment firms have been wary. The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, whose members include Aviva Investors, Schroders and M&G, has said London should not become a listing place of last resort for companies with poor human rights records. Slavery fears: Human rights organisations have long accused China of abuses in the Xinjiang region, where they say Uyghurs are forced to work producing cotton and other goods The British Fashion Council has warned that the planned float is a significant concern. But Julia Hoggett, the boss of the London Stock Exchange, has previously dismissed the backlash saying the criticism does not make sense. Hoggett declined to comment directly on the company and criticism of it. However, she said: If companies wish to come to our market, meet our standards and adhere to the level of governance standards that we have then I think the UK has the potential to be the home for them to raise capital. Sheins attempts to float in New York hit regulatory hurdles and opposition from legislators, who wanted it to verify it did not use forced labour. Former BP boss Bernard Looney has joined Abu Dhabis 63billion energy investment group XRG, his second new job in just two weeks. Looney kept a low profile after quitting BP in September last year, until his appointment as chairman of US AI group Prometheus Hyperscale last month. Yesterday, XRG, an offshoot of Abu Dhabi national oil group Adnoc, said that it will benefit from Looneys vast experience across the global energy supply chain. XRG will focus on finding ways to help meet increasing energy demand sustainably, Looney said. Experience: Former BP boss Bernard Looney has taken his second new job in just two weeks joining Abu Dhabis 63bn energy investment group XRG His mission at BP to shift from oil and gas to renewable energy is unravelling, as it looks to spin off its offshore windfarm arm rowing back on ambitions to move away from fossil fuels. Looney become chief executive at BP in 2020 but resigned after he admitted misleading its board over the extent of personal relationships with colleagues. BP has since clawed back up to 32.4million in pay, bonuses and shares from him. There are now 100 banking hubs across the country in a milestone for Cash Access UK. Today Darwen in Lancashire and Morriston in Wales became the latest towns to receive a banking hub, marking number 99 and 100. Darwen was recommended a hub by ATM-network Link following a community request after bank branch closures in the town. This week, Cash Access UK the non-profit organisation which runs the banking hubs - opened five new hubs in Harpenden, Yeadon, Huntly and - today - Darwen, and Morriston. Labour has pledged 350 banking hubs by the end of Parliament. With 100 of the hubs now open, Post Office boss Neil Brocklehurst said we are on our way to meeting the Government's target. It can take up to a year to set up a banking hub, with most of this time being taken up by finding a location for a new hub. There are now 100 banking hubs up and down the country as Darwen Lancashire become the newest town to receive one Link conducts community assessments following the announcement of the closure of any high street bank, a significant change in the hours or services provided, or when a member of a community requests it. Link then recommends new banking hubs or deposit services and they are delivered by Cash Access UK, which is owned by the banks. To date, 176 banking hubs have been recommended as well as 126 deposit services. Cash Access UK today confirmed 100 deposit services will be live by the end of the year. A number of other towns around the country could be set to receive a banking hub on their high street. In September, Link recommended banking hubs open in 15 towns. Previously, towns where a Nationwide branch was the last remaining branch were not eligible to receive a banking hub. But the rules changed in September and towns where the last branch in town is a Nationwide can also receive a banking hub. This is Money analysis can now reveal there are 19 other towns which would meet the criteria to be recommended a banking hub, given they only have one bank left in town. It means that towns such as Windsor in Royal Barkshire, where the only remaining branch in town is a Nationwide Building Society, could be in line to receive a banking hub. Other towns that could be set to benefit from hubs include Glastonbury in Somerset, Lampater in Wales and Alloa in Scotland. Towns where there are just one bank branch Alloa Campbeltown Ilkley Glastonbury Windsor Leatherhead Leigh-on-Sea Lampeter Pocklington Dagenham Largs Cardigan Guisborough March Melksham Pontypool Whitstable Glossop Chepstow Dorking had previously been on this list but it was recommended a banking hub by Link just yesterday. Banking hubs have a traditional counter service operated by the Post Office, and community bankers from nine major high street banks operate on a rotating basis to provide support to customers with their banking needs. While deposit services allow small businesses to deposit and access cash either through deposit ATMs or Post Offices, where there is a separate counter for banking customers. And they are proving popular with residents of bankless towns. In Brixham in Devon and Rochford in Essex, towns where some of the first hubs opened - three in 10 people said they visit and spend more on the local high street because of the hubs, research from Cash Access UK found. Gareth Oakley, chief executive of Cash Access UK said: 'Our hubs are proving extremely popular which shows that access to cash and banking services remains vital for millions of individuals across the UK, despite more people choosing to bank and make payments digitally.' Hello dear Pilbararites! And welcome guests to the engine room of Western Australia, and indeed of Australia. An engine room that contributes significantly to Australia. According to the CME, the iron ore industry in WA alone provides some 16 percent of all federal corporate income and fringe benefits tax receipts. And that's before the myriad of other tax revenue contributions. Please join me in a huge round of applause to everyone working in the Pilbara. Over the past decade, our mining industry more broadly has provided trillions in export earnings, supporting many Aussie businesses and paying $252billion in wages and $357bin in taxes and royalties along the way. Taxes and royalties that enable us to provide for nurses, police, defence - albeit unrealistically and irresponsibly limited - veterans, elderly, emergency services and more. Which services would you like cut, without the mining industry revenue, and, how much more tax would you like to pay? Why jeopardise this bonanza, why kill the geese laying the golden eggs? Who doesn't know the iron ore price is going down and is likely to stay there for an unknown but lengthy period. Australia is blessed with resources - above are coal ships - but has just seven days of fuel reserves What does this mean for our golden goose? It means that the higher cost producers will have to cut staff numbers and or go out of business, in turn dropping revenue. How could they stay in business longer? Simple: the government taxes that were meant to be dropped when GST came in, that you've probably heard me speak about too many times, if such taxes were dropped, companies could operate longer and retain their staff for longer too. For example, payroll tax, Australia exports some 950 million tonnes of iron ore per annum translating to approximately $700 million in payroll tax from WA producers. Dropping that $700m payroll tax is the equivalent of enabling an opportunity to save approximately 3,500 jobs, and, the revenue those employees could produce. The fact is, excess tax is not just a problem for businesses, it actually relates to being able to maintain employing people, and the benefits companies can afford for their employees. Please get comfortable, I haven't finished yet! But to save you just from looking at me, now appearing on our screens is last November's National Mining and Related Industries Day, that we were proud to host in the Pilbara, including holding the annual gala dinner at Roy Hill. Maybe not too comfortable, you'll see Pierre, Canada's leader of the opposition, in this film. If he gets in, the competition Canada provides already for investment and against our primary industries, will escalate. I want to take this Bush Summit opportunity to thank all those politicians, including those running to become politicians, who understand the 'up' path, who understand the need to make investment and projects welcome if we want to improve our standards of living. And for their dedication to the 'up path', requiring not words but significant cutting of government tape, to see more investment and projects proceed to development instead of many years of government caused delays and expense, and losing projects to countries overseas. The 'up path' enables the ability to pay higher wages, and the 'up path' enables you to keep more in your pocket after tax, to spend as you would want. Unfortunately, it seems that our mindset is currently on the 'down path', clouded somewhat in non-reality. You can see this in the huge decline in investment and the reality of the pipeline of projects. According to the MCA only 20 percent of the pipeline of major resources projects now get through the increased government tape to deliver development and the consequent high paying jobs and more. This is reality. And the consequences should be obvious. According to the MCA, Australia is currently losing out on $68 billion of investment each year given major projects not proceeding, and consequently missing out on billions of missed tax revenue. Minerals aren't like fleece on the backs of sheep, growing automatically each year, you simply have to invest in more mines each year, each decade, if you want to retain revenue streams and living standards. Isn't it time for reality? Here in the Pilbara our state has benefited from the largest mining companies in the world, lifting Western Australia from being a mendicant or state needing handouts as couldn't support itself, to one that is not. One that instead helps to support other states. This mindset change that is needed should also include the government's most important responsibility, and that is the defence of our country. It's no good having the resources in the Pilbara unless we can export them and receive revenue from them, hence we should have defence to keep our railways and ports open, and our vital sea lanes. You may ponder, and how do we pay for this defence? We're already in record debt with huge government spending. Borrowing an important phrase, 'dig baby dig!' Get rid of the government obstacles delaying development, and instead turn into revenue urgently. We should also have learned from Ukraine that warfare is changing, and hence our defence thinking needs to change too. One glaring example is Ukraine-made war drones costing little but destroying a $1 billion Russian naval ship. We need defence investment that works today. So, surrounding this vital Pilbara engine we should have the protective iron domes like the ones in Israel, plus war drones and smart sea mines, plenty of them, and similarly across our sea lanes and ports and some islands, from the north west through to the north east. We can't ignore that we have only seven days of fuel reserve in Australia. It is critical that we can keep our sea lanes open to receive fuel, be that from Singapore, the USA, or elsewhere. We may have the attitude, let's not spend on our defence, let's rely on the USA, but how would that work in reality if we can't protect our sea lanes and ports so they can enable fuel, defence equipment and heavy supplies from the United States to reach us. We are here at the Bush Summit to learn and to think. Not to ask for government, that is, taxpayer, handouts. These handouts are incredibly inefficient, given how much really trickles down from Canberra or other capital cities and through the various government agencies until they reach the publicised recipient. Handouts may be popular for pollies wanting votes, and bureaucracies wanting to get larger, but instead, we need the reduction of input costs, the elimination of payroll tax, stamp tax, license fees, as was promised decades ago when GST came in. Plus think how much it would help everyone around Australia if the excise tax on fuel was eliminated, helping especially those struggling with the increasing costs of living, and the too many struggling or failing businesses. These are matters that should be front and centre of this Bush Summit. We need to get down to what needs to be done, as frankly an avalanche of dangerous policies, increases in the size and expense of our governments, saddling future generations with the burden of record debt, increasing governments bureaucratic reach with ever increasing tape, is in reality not good for our future or that of our children and grandchildren. We've heard our farmers and pastoralists are struggling, we've heard this for some years now, but what are we actually doing other than loading them with more government tape and more bad policies, as though we want to end an industry we daily rely upon. An industry whose people and high quality produce we should be proud of. I know the terrific Tony Seabrook, dedicated president of the Pastoralists and Graziers Association - isn't he fantastic! - has addressed you passionately and rationally on this. He knows his stuff. He actually lives it. Every day. Not like city dwellers in Canberra or state parliaments who 'can't tell chickpeas from oats'. Hope your ears were wide open for Tony's address! In this Bush Summit series, I've spoken in Townsville about increasing our defence, in Bendigo about improving our curriculum and education, in Launceston about cutting the size, expense, and intrusion of government, and in Orange about ensuring we have reliable, and abundant energy. These are the three essential areas that our governments must do much, much better in to ensure that Australia is returned to the 'up' path, plus defence if we want to safeguard our nation. Defence is the primary responsibility of our government. If we don't have our country, then we have nothing. Just on that, media love to misquote me, I never said that males under 53 must have military training, this is not feasible, nor did I ever mention fitness training, I actually said males in the defence department under say the age of 53, must have military training. A number of benefits, including our defence personnel numbers are declining to grossly inadequate numbers. The beneficial education of our children and grandchildren is critical. This not only means equipping them with real facts and knowledge and the ability to think for themselves and use logic and rationale, it also means not instilling them with the feelings that they need to be ashamed of our country, and it's history, the pioneers and their families who worked incredibly hard to give us the nation we can enjoy today. It means raising a generation of young people who want to work for their own future, not filled with frightening propaganda that the world is so exposed to climate change it will end in five to ten years. Why even do your homework, children ask? The size, expense, and intrusion of government has all grown massively in recent times, adding to businesses costs, record business failures, rising housing costs and our own living costs, and delaying revenue earning projects. This is a danger to our living standards. A danger we have to recognise and diminish. It should never be forgotten that governments only consume wealth, they don't create it. We need to help change the mindset because too many seem to have forgotten this. Access to cheap and reliable energy is what has allowed human beings to lift themselves out of abject poverty and to obtain the standards of living we have today. Please think of this fact, helpfully noted by the scientist and author Vaclav Smil. In 1800, using humans and animals, it took 10 minutes of human labour to produce a kilogram of grain. In 2021, with mechanised farming using fossil fuels and fertilisers produced by fossil fuels, it requires only 2 seconds to produce a kilogram of grain. This means there has been a 300-fold increase in the efficiency of grain production per human hour. And this has been achieved because of access to reliable and abundant energy. Access our governments are now mistakenly choosing to throw away. The truth needs to be known, the so-called sustainable energy can't underpin our base power load requirements, the sun doesn't always shine, wind doesn't always blow, the additional capital to try to hook this in will be humongous. Different sources of energy are simply not the same when we measure how often they are able to produce electricity over a given period of time. In Australia solar panels generate electricity for about 20-25% of the year, wind is only a little better, typically it has a 'capacity factor' between 30-40%. Hydropower can be a little better again, perhaps generating power 50% of the time - although we've all read about the challenges of Snowy Hydro 2 which is currently predicted to start seven years late at a mind-boggling cost in excess of $22 billion! Compare those to coal and natural gas. These thermal power plants typically have capacity factors between 70-90% because they can generate electricity consistently as long as fuel is available. Mining magnate Gina Rinehart And although it's not here well not yet - nuclear power would be the best of the lot operating over 90 per cent of the time as it requires less maintenance and is designed to operate for longer stretches. The consequences for not only our own living standards, but for billions of people around the world if their governments insist upon unreliable inadequate electricity, need to be rationally recognised. Including in our education system. So please join me in calling for a return to the 'up path'. Join me in calling on our politicians, and those in the media, that we need sensible responsible action that will lift Australia and all Australians up, not more and more expensive, intrusive government. This will mean we need more people from our primary industries to stand to be elected for our parliaments and truly stand up for our essential primary industries, and the many related businesses they support. Our north could be used as an example, a leadership role. Whoever ends up gaining government at the next elections, please commit to implement ANDEV policies, low tax, no FBT, low government tape, in a special economic zone, like more than 8,000 such economic zones which operate very successfully around the world, but sadly not in Australia. This could be introduced for above the 26th parallel, across northern Australia, and those on wages and salaries earnt in the north, receive a greater tax rebate to encourage them to live and save and invest here, enjoying more after-tax income and providing there is no fringe benefits tax, better worker benefits. Please join us for National Agriculture and Mining and Related Industries Days, November 21 and 22, this year in Adelaide at Penfolds, and Santos. Hope you enjoyed National Mining Day in Pilbara last year! Thank you. Alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO murderer Luigi Mangione was estranged from his family for over a year, causing them to hire a private investigator to locate him, sources told DailyMail.com. A friend from Mangione's all-boys private high, The Gilman School in Baltimore, said the 26-year-old ceased contact with his family last year 2023, leaving them increasingly worried for his safety. 'I did know he was having some issues,' said the schoolfriend, who asked to remain anonymous. 'He wasn't talking with his family, and nobody could find him. 'They hired a private investigator, they were so worried.' The friend said they had been told that Mangione had struggled with pain medication due to an injury. 'There was some sort of accident. I knew he was hurt some time ago and that led to the painkiller thing, and then the whole family issue,' he said. 'I can't confirm what the issue specifically was, but I know that he was estranged.' Other friends have told media they believed Mangione injured himself in a surfing accident in Hawaii, where he lived off-and-on from around 2022 until this year. Suspected assassin Luigi Mangione sparked concerns from his family after he stopped talking to them for over a year, friends told DailyMail.com. He is pictured right in his booking photo on Monday Suspected assassin Luigi Mangione (center) is from a prominent Baltimore family. Pictured: Mangione with (L-R) Brother-in-law Paul Giulio, sisters Lucia and MariaSanta, dad Louis and mom Kathleen Though schoolmates would talk to each other about Mangione's alleged estrangement, Luigi's rich and influential Maryland family was discreet about their troubled son. 'They're a big Baltimore family. They like to keep things quiet,' the schoolfriend said. He painted a picture of a brilliant and caring classmate, who designed an app for his fellow students and helped others around him but who changed later in life. 'He was extremely smart, kind and helpful. He was just truly a good person. And he was an innocent kid, he was like my younger brother, almost. 'So this whole thing is just extremely shocking,' the schoolfriend said. 'About two years ago, I ran into him in Baltimore,' he added. 'Something was off.' The friend said Mangione told him he had temporarily stepped away from his work projects and was 'taking a break'. 'He said he was taking a break from some things. His voice was much deeper and a lot more serious and toned down,' the friend said. Mangione is now being held in Pennsylvania on gun charges and will eventually be extradited to New York to face charges Mangione was seen lashing out about cops being 'completely out of touch' and 'insulting the intelligence of the American people' as he was bundled into court by a horde of sheriff's deputies for his extradition hearing on Tuesday Mangione was described as having been a brilliant and caring classmate, who designed an app for his fellow students and helped others around him but who changed later in life 'I just attributed it to maturity and getting older. Something had changed, but I couldn't put a finger on what exactly it was. 'A few months later I heard he was estranged, had cut everybody off, and they had to hire a private investigator to try to hunt him down, but they couldn't find him. The friend said that when he heard of Mangione's estrangement, he and his former classmates from the Gilman School swapped theories about what happened to their friend. 'In our class, we heard a bunch of reasons why. People said 'I think it's drugs,' or 'he's probably depressed' or whatever. But we never discussed it further than that. 'You start to rethink every single conversation you had, just to try to piece things together.' Another schoolmate told DailyMail.com they also heard Mangione had a spinal injury that led to chronic use of pain medication. Mangione's spinal injury stopped him surfing, or 'being physically intimate' with partners when he lived in Hawaii, his former landlord told the New York Times. 'His spine was kind of misaligned,' said R.J. Martin, owner of Honolulu co-living space Surfbreak. Surveillance camera footage showed the gunman, suspected to be Mangione, shooting UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson at point blank range outside of a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on December 4 UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside Manhattan's Hilton Hotel 'He said his lower vertebrae were almost like a half-inch off, and I think it pinched a nerve. Sometimes he'd be doing well and other times not.' Martin told the Times that Mangione had to switch out his mattress due to pain, after he took a group surfing lesson. The landlord added that Mangione never shared his bed either. 'He knew that dating and being physically intimate with his back condition wasn't possible,' Martin said. 'I remember him telling me that, and my heart just breaks.' Mangione, who was valedictorian of his Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press on Monday. He comes from a prominent Maryland family on his father Louis's side. His grandfather Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. Mangione is now being held in Pennsylvania on gun charges and will eventually be extradited to New York to face charges in connection with Thompson's death, said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. In addition to a three-page, handwritten document that suggests he harbored 'ill will toward corporate America,' Kenny said Mangione also had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home and is difficult to trace. Officers questioned Mangione, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a US passport, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. Officers also found a sound suppressor, or silencer, 'consistent with the weapon used in the murder,' the commissioner said. A British teen caged over a holiday romance with a 17-year-old girl faces spending a year locked up in one of Dubai's most notorious hellhole jails. Marcus Fakana, 18, was left 'shocked beyond belief' after receiving the shattering news yesterday he would be jailed for having sex with a girl just a few months younger than him while holidaying in the UAE with his family. The construction apprentice from Tottenham, north London, was sentenced to a year behind bars for his secret fling with the girl, also from London and who has since turned 18. Distraught Fakana will be locked away in al-Awir central prison, a high-security jail miles away from the Emirates' famed beaches, which houses death row inmates, murderers, terrorists and violent gangsters. The brutal lock-up is located in the middle of arid Dubai desert, where scorching temperatures can reach a hellish 50 degrees in the summer. Rape is an 'every day occurrence' in the nightmare prison, according to a report from earlier this year, with violent assaults carried out both by inmates and guards. Prisoners are packed into overcrowded cells, with 20 inmates battling for three beds. Others are often left to suffer with horrific illnesses with little to no medical care, while some have been jailed after having allegedly been tortured into giving confessions. Harrowing accounts from Brits previously banged up in al-Awir have revealed how violent knife-wielding thugs roam the high-security facility, carrying out savage attacks on other inmates while guards watch on. Marcus Fakana had a weeklong holiday romance with the girl, also British, but was arrested and detained after her mother complained to the Dubai police A policeman enters Dubai's Al-Awir central prison in the United Arab Emirates A doctor shows a hallway at the medical centre of Al-Awir prison during the Covid pandemic Karl Williams, a Brit who was jailed for a year in 2012, revealed in his memoir how he saw men being stabbed to death, had electric shocks administered to his testicles and feared corrupt police would gang rape him. He described seeing packs of guards stood by without intervening as inmates attacked each other: 'I saw men get stabbed in the neck and others sliced down their faces. Blood splattered every surface as prisoner after prisoner was sliced.' He also said the prison was run by ruthless Russian gangsters, who would use HIV-positive inmates to rape and infect others as a means of punishment. Mr Williams, along with fellow Brits Grant Cameron and Suneet Jeerh said they were given electric shocks and had guns held to their heads during their time in al-Awir. 'They pulled down my trousers, spread my legs and started to electrocute my testicles,' Mr Williams wrote. 'It was unbelievably painful. I was so scared. I started to believe that I was going to die in that room.' The men's lawyers also said that they were forced to sign documents in Arabic at gunpoint. Emirati police denied the allegations. In another horror account, 25-year-old Illford man Suneet Jeerh was caged in the jail in 2013 after being arrested with two friends from Wanstead after police found 'spice', a synthetic form of cannabis, in their car. Karl Williams claims he saw men torn apart by knife-wielding inmates, while others were forcibly infected with HIV during his time in the hellish Dubai prison. Here he is pictured in his cell during the horror ordeal Karl Williams has written about his experience inside the prison in a new autobiography called Killing Time. Here is a picture of one of the meals he was served Speaking at the time, his sister Davena Kumar told the Illford Recorder how her brother was forced to endure hellish conditions. 'Hes sharing a cell with someone whos been sentenced for life,' she told the paper. 'Theyve made him watch other men being raped, like its a lesson.' When she visited after he'd spent a month caged in the prison, she claimed he had wasted away. 'He was skinny and he wasnt himself,' she said, adding: 'He was banging on the door calling my name and I just wanted to hug him.' Al-Awir houses male and female criminals in separate buildings. Prisoners must have a shaved head at all times, starting when they enter and they are punished if their hair gets long, while women reportedly have to wear head coverings. Punishments include bans on TV and calls to home, with phone access severely limited regardless. Prisoners are rarely allowed visitors. Several people share beds at a time, with as many as 20 people sharing cells designed for three or four people. While many of the most high-profile accounts of the grim conditions have come from men in recent years, the situation faced by women is feared to be even more brutal. Suneet Jeerh was caged in the jail in 2013 when he was just 25 and was reportedly forced to watch prisoners as they raped another inmate in his cell Speaking at the time, his sister Davena Kumar (pictured left with her brother Suneet) told how her sibling had faced a traumatic experience in the jail The prison is located in the Dubai desert miles away from the UAE's famed beaches Inmate Dinchi Lar said that in her jail there were a minimum of 10 people for three bunk beds, meaning she was forced to sleep on the floor. 'There's nothing like personal space... you are sleeping and somebody is in your face. You're literally sleeping on top of another person,' she told ITV. Over three months Ms Lar said she was only able to step outside and 'see the sun' for a 15-minute period. She had been arrested after being slapped with a travel ban after she filmed immigration officials when she and other fellow Nigerian passengers were detained upon arrival for six hours. Her footage of frustrated passengers yelling at officials was shared thousands of times back in her home country and when Ms Lar was due to leave Dubai after five days with her sister, she was detained. UAE authorities had flagged her video and after she turned up at the airport to fly home to Joe in Nigeria, she was arrested, charged and sentenced for 'breaching the privacy of government employees at Dubai airport' and 'sharing a video of them online without their consent'. 'I was really shocked. I didnt commit murder, I didnt steal I posted a video of harassment of myself and my fellow countrymen,' she told ITV. British former prisoner Zara-Jayne Moisey, who was locked up after reporting her own rape, recalled the horrific conditions she was forced to live in at the filthy Al-Barsha prison. Inmate Dinchi Lar (pictured left) was arrested after sharing a video of fellow Nigerian passengers who had been detained at Dubai Airport for hours. She was later arrested charged and sentenced for 'breaching the privacy of government employees at Dubai airport' and 'sharing a video of them online without their consent'. Dinchi Lar (pictured right) in Dubai the day before she was arrested and sent to the jail 'It was the most frightening experience of my life, absolute torture, and all because I went to the police about what happened in the hotel room,' she told The Sun. 'I will never forget the jail, it's the worst place I have ever been. 'They kept the lights off in the day so we'd be eating in pitch blackness. Then they turned them on at night so no one could sleep.' Inmates have described both baking heat and freezing temperatures with 'extreme' air conditioning, with one saying: 'If being in prison doesn't break you, the temperature inside the prison will.' Illness is also rife in the prisons, with one British former inmate suffering from tuberculosis which he contracted while in there. Human rights campaigners say some with chronic health conditions were denied adequate medical care. A report in 2019 found that HIV patients in al-Awir were refused life-saving treatment. And in a damning probe by the European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights last month claimed guards were 'scared' of those with HIV and treated them 'like wild and dangerous animals'. A report in 2019 found that HIV patients in al-Awir were refused life-saving treatment. Pictured is the interior of the jail HIV-positive Inmates are caged away in isolation, left without any access to libraries or prison amenities. The cells were gripped by Covid during the pandemic as well, with cramped conditions making it impossible to social distance. Illness is made worse by freezing temperatures and lack of nutrition, with pictures showing the grim food served to inmates. Ms Lar said inmates in her jail were not seen by a doctor unless they were 'at the point of death'. Those who make it out of Dubai's prisons are usually left scarred by their experiences. Mr Williams told the Press Association following his release: 'When I came home I found it very hard to adjust. I used to wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying, not knowing why. 'I had mood swings, it must have been hard for my family to be around me.' He added: 'I'm not sure why this happened to me. If I knew that I would have been able to avoid the situation.' Detained in Dubai, which represents Fakana, said the teen 'feels abandoned by the British government' following the judgement, which it branded 'an utter disgrace' and 'an embarrassment to Britain'. Radha Stirling, founder of the pressure group, said: 'He never imagined that he would be going to jail for a holiday romance with a girl who was a few months younger, but is now the same age. 'It is just shocking. His life is being ruined. Here we have two British tourists who were on holiday in a consensual relationship and now one is going to jail. The family of Marcus Fakana, from Tottenham, London, have been left devastated by his prison sentence, sources claimed While the relationship would have been legal in the UK, under Dubai law a 17-year-old is defined as a child. The girl, from London, has since turned 18 Radha Stirling, founder of British-based aid group Detained In Dubai, slammed the government for not doing more to help the teen, branding the situation an 'embarrassment' to Britain 'Dubai likes to market itself as a glamorous party destination, one for influencers yet they are jailing a British tourist for a something that would not be a crime in his own country and ruining his life.' Fakana has been prevented from leaving Dubai since his arrest in August. Ms Sterling added: 'I did expect the British Government, as other Governments have done, to step up and save one of their citizens from unjust sentencing. 'Marcus did plead guilty, but police and prosecutors had a disturbing litany of details in his file which ended up making it more than a misdemeanour and heard in a higher court. 'They said he was older than 19 and he was from Pakistan. He was a British citizen. There were a lot errors deliberately to torment him.' Sterling said he now hoped the rule of Dubai could get involved as he has done in the past involving visitors who have fallen foul of their laws. 'Had the British Government made the efforts Marcus's case not hard to resolve and he would not have received the one year sentence,' said Sterling. Marcus is pictured with his family who have been battling to get the teenager released The Mail on Sunday previously revealed that Foreign Secretary David Lammy (pictured) had finally acted on desperate pleas to aid Marcus - but the family say more needs to be done Prime minster Keir Starmer has been slammed by a charity representing the teen Marcus was arrested in August after the mother of the girl he had a secret romance with filed a complaint about Fakana to the Dubai authorities on her return to the UK. She had checked her daughter's phone and discovered they had been sleeping together. Since returning from Dubai the girl has turned 18. Under strict UAE law only tourists aged over 18 are legally allowed to sleep together. In the UK he would not have considered to have committed any crime. Ms Stirling blasted the 'unreasonable' sentence and slammed Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy for not doing enough to help the teen. 'Marcus feels abandoned by the British government and Keir Starmer who just spent the weekend in the UAE,' she wrote in a blistering tweet on X. 'While people like JD Vance and the Irish government have been able to resolve cases of injustice and bring their citizens home, the UK has prioritised trade deals over people's lives. This is truly abhorrent. 'David Lammy and Keir Starmer have failed Marcus. This is an embarrassment to Britain...The Labour government should be ashamed they have not secured the freedom of a teenage tourist. It wasn't a difficult job.' After his detention the teen's distraught family appealed to the Foreign Secretary, who is also their local MP, as well as the ruler of Dubai to try and secure his release. A spokesman for Foreign and Commonwealth Office last night MailOnline: 'We are supporting a British man in the UAE and are in contact with his family.' A woman who was sexually abused by a notorious fugitive who allegedly faked his own death has broken her silence. Nicholas Rossi, 37, who also known as Nicholas Alahverdian, which is his legal surname, and an 'alias' Arthur Knight, is facing two rape charges dating back to 2008. Now another woman Mary Grebinski, 36, has spoken out for the first time since Rossi's identity was revealed about how he sexually abused her when she was a college student in Ohio in 2008. In her first-ever television interview, which is scheduled to air at 9pm tonight on NBC Dateline special 'The Man of Many Faces', she told reporter Andrea Canning six haunting words: 'I should have been the last one'. In exclusive clip shared with DailyMail.com, Grebrinski became emotional as she continued: 'There shouldn't have been Utah women - it should have ended with me'. Rossi allegedly fled to Scotland to avoid rape charges and faked his own death. He was extradited back to the US following a lengthy process in early 2022. He is accused of raping a 21-year-old woman and his 26-year-old ex-girlfriend in Utah. He also faces charges of sexual assault in Rhode Island, Ohio and Massachusetts. He pleaded not guilty to the two rape charges in October 2024. Mary Grebinski, 34, was sexually abused by Rossi in 2008. She told reporter Andrea Canning during the Dateline NBC segment that airs Friday: 'I should have been the last one' Nicholas Rossi pictured after his extradition hearing in Scotland. Scottish minister signed an extradition order to enable him to be extradited to the United States In the Dateline segment, Grebinski is pictured standing outside the Scott M. Matheson courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah, ready to see her attacker face the judge. She told Canning: 'He's in custody. I've waited for years to see him in custody... so it is very sweet for me.' Grebinski was 19 when she met Rossi on MySpace in 2008. The two exchanged text messages while both attending Sinclair College in Ohio. Though she had never met Rossi in-person, he approached her on campus and insisted on walking her to class. She said he then forced himself on her in a vacant stairwell. Shaken, Grebinski immediately filed a report with campus police. When Rossi was interviewed about the assault, he made it seem as if she had initiated it. She later told Dayton Daily News that Rossi pushed her up against a wall, started kissing her, groped her, exposed his genitals and then sexually pleasured himself. A year later he was found guilty and convicted of sexual imposition, public indecency, and required to register as a sex offender. The evidence gathered in Grebinski's case helped prosecutors investigate other reports, including the alleged rape that took place in Utah in September 2008. Rossi filed two civil suits against Grebinski in 2009 and 2013 for slander and defamation that he claimed caused him 'humiliation and emotional stress. He lost. Nicholas Rossi, aka 'the man of many faces', pictured in a mugshot Rossi is pictured departing Edinburgh Sheriff Court after his extradition hearing in July 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland Another mugshot of Rossi from the Pawtuck Police Department Rossi pictured with his wife that he wed while in the UK Once Rossi was back in the US, he attended a series of court hearings and once asked to be addressed as Arthur Knight. He was wheelchair bound and donned an oxygen mask for the proceedings. Rossi testified that he discovered there were credible threats against his life in 2020 that prompted him to move overseas, the Associated Press reported. He claimed the threats were related to his work to reform the Rhode Islands Department of Children, Youth and Families. During the testimony, he alleged that he suffered abuse and negligence in the Department of Children Youth and Families, Rhode Island's social service system, when he was a child in foster care. Last October, a judge ruled that prosecutors had presented adequate evidence for him to be tried for first-degree rape, days after another Utah judge came to the same conclusion for the second rape charge. He is currently being held in a Utah prison with his bail set at $250,000. His attorney asked for a lower bond because his client was unable to pay it but Utah County prosecutors maintained that he was a flight risk, ksl.com reported. Grebinski speaking with Dateline NBC Andrea Canning outside Salt Lake City Utah courthouse Grebinski was one of the victims to come forward in the case of Nicholas Rossi Sinclair College in Ohio is where Rossi met Grebinski Rossi, who has been dubbed 'the man of many faces', is accused of carrying out a wild scheme to take on a new identity while a worldwide manhunt was underway. He allegedly claimed he had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, before an obituary ran two months later. He then ended up in the UK under the alias Arthur Brown. Once there, he reportedly professed he was an Irish orphan and spoke in a faux British accent. He also adopted different looks. At times he appeared clean-shaven and boyish. At others he had a bead, glasses and dark cloak and hat. On other occasions he has appeared in a wheelchair with an oxygen mask. In July, Peacock produced a docuseries on the imposter titled: 'Rossi: A Fugitive Faking Death.' Rossi who allegedly used up to sixteen different names, was described as a 'master of disguise, and deception,' by a reporter in docuseries, as per Oxygen. During his time in the UK, Rossi met a woman by the name of Miranda Knight who would later become his wife. He took her surname, calling himself Arthur Knight. In 2021, the couple moved to Glasgow. When Rossi contracted Covid he was hospitalized at the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. While there, his distinctive tattoos and fingerprints matched the American man being hunted by police - but was reported dead. Alleged rapist Nicholas Rossi was wheeled into court in Utah where he was ordered to stand trial for a 2008 rape charge in Utah Rossi told the authorities he was a UK citizen and that his name was Arthur Knight. He claimed he had never been to the United States and that it was a case of mistaken identity. He said in court that he did not know how he got his tattoos and did not have them when he went into a COVID coma. He also claimed someone was trying to frame him, as per Datyon Daily News. Later he was described as 'dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative,' the BBC reported. The Dateline NBC segment also features exclusive interviews with Prosecutor David O. Leavitt, Michael Alahverdian and State Police Detective Conor ODonnell. READ MORE: Greens senator slams one of her own over synagogue post Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been criticised as tone deaf after telling Jewish community leaders that 'Arabs are doing it really tough at the moment'. The PM made the comments after an antisemitic attack in Woollahra last month, in which graffiti was sprayed on cars and buildings, including celebrity chef Matt Moran's Chiswick restaurant, and one car was torched. Since then there have been two more attacks, one involving the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 as Jews gathered to pray, injuring one person, and another graffiti and car fire attack in Woollahra on December 11. The Jewish leaders were reportedly taken aback by Mr Albanese's words and commented on them, but the PM's office said he had been calling for unity and the quote did not convey the tone of the conversation. Sky News host Sharri Markson said on social media the Prime Minister's comment highlighted the Labor leader's 'instinctive sentiment to talk about how tough the Arab community is doing it when the country is experiencing an antisemitism crisis'. Viewers has similar opinions with one saying he 'just can't help himself'. 'A limp PM... allowing hate speech on the streets and lumping our pain in with the Arabs. Shows a complete lack of understanding,' another wrote. 'Isn't it that we are just seeing the tip of the underlying iceberg of antisemitism?' a third added. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been slammed after telling Jewish leaders 'Arabs were doing it tough' The PM made the comments after an attack in November in Sydney's Woollahra in which a car was torched (pictured) Anti-Israel graffiti was also spray painted on cars and on a popular Sydney restaurant in November On Tuesday, Mr Albanese met with the Jewish community outside the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea and was greeted with a prickly reception, including one woman yelling from the crowd that his appearance was 'cheap and late'. 'People have come to Australia because we are a country that is peaceful,' Mr Albanese told the crowd. 'We are a country that respects people of different faith and are enriched by our diversity here.' His government this week reaffirmed its commitment to the Jewish community, including announcing $32.5million in funding for Executive Council of Australian Jewry to improve security at locations such as schools and synagogues. 'This is a time where the country should be looking for national unity, not looking for areas of distinction and difference over every issue,' Mr Albanese said. 'I would have thought that every Australian would be horrified by what occurred last Friday and would be equally prepared to condemn it and oppose it. It's un-Australian, I've said that. It's designed to create fear in the community, and it should be opposed.' On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to support a permanent and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the protection of children and civilians. The motion passed with 158 members, including Australia, voting in support and nine against, with 13 abstaining at an emergency session. Australia's ambassador to the UN James Larsen said the demand for full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance to Gaza was urgent. 'Israel must take urgent action to alleviate this humanitarian crisis,' he said. The PM talking to members of the local Jewish community during a visit to the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 10 The shell of the synagogue after it was set alight as Jews gathered to pray on December 6 Minister for Housing Clare O'Neil leaves flowers at the synagogue on December 10 The Executive Council of Australian Jewry slammed the motion, saying an unconditional ceasefire meant Israel would have to abandon hostages 'and allow the Hamas terrorists to re-establish themselves as the de facto rulers of Gaza'. 'No country in the world should be expected to betray its own citizens as Israel is being called upon to do,' President Daniel Aghion said. Australia also voted to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in a second motion that passed with 159 in support, nine against and 11 abstaining. The motion called for the Israeli Knesset to reverse laws banning the agency from operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which included Gaza and the West Bank. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has repeatedly stated the agency was the only one with the capability to distribute aid at the scale needed in Gaza. A history professor has cancelled his lecture at New Zealand's national library after staff asked him to remove a quote over concerns it 'could be seen as us agreeing with Britain conquering the world'. Respected historian Paul Moon was due to give a lecture at the National Library of New Zealand in February, and recently shared a summary of his speech with organisers. The topic was British policy leading up to New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi - an area Prof Moon has researched for three decades. But the library repeatedly asked him to remove parts of his speech. On Thursday, a staff member contacted Prof Moon saying the library's director wanted him to remove a quote from historian John Seeley, which famously described the British Empire being 'acquired in a fit of absence of mind'. 'It could be seen as us agreeing with Britain conquering the world,' the staff member said. 'These days, everything can be read as political. 'Personally, I saw nothing wrong with the quote, but I'm passing on the director's wish to have it taken out. Hopefully, this can be easily done.' National Library staff contacted Prof Moon on Thursday asking him to remove a quote from historian John Seeley Paul Moon is a professor of history at Auckland University of Technology and the author of several books But Prof Moon told Daily Mail Australia the quote was meant to demonstrate the chaotic and haphazard nature of the British colonisation of New Zealand. Britain's plans to take sovereignty of New Zealand with the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 were put into effect in a matter of months, he explained. 'Seeley encapsulated that in the quote and I thought it was quite useful - it's been used by many historians,' Prof Moon said. 'There was absolutely nothing controversial about what I was going to say. There's nothing particularly new about it or radical.' To interpret the quote as being supportive of British colonisation was an 'extraordinarily ill-informed view'. 'But what arguably makes the matter worse are the attempts at controlling what is said or written by someone the library has invited as a speaker.' The library had earlier taken exception to Prof Moon's use of the term 'whakapapa' - the Maori word for genealogy, in the speech and asked him to remove it, which he reluctantly did. No reason was given and Prof Moon was surprised, given that incorporating Maori terms was 'one of the things we're encouraged to do'. Prof Moon said he had cancelled his lecture at the National Library of New Zealand, in Wellington, as a matter of principle When the library then asked Prof Moon to remove the Seeley quote, he cancelled his lecture as a matter of principle. 'Given these efforts by the library to compel aspects of my speech, I had no option but to cancel my flights and my appearance in Wellington in February. 'The easiest thing for me to do would be to say Ok, I'll bow to your request, and I'll censor myself and the people won't get the full story, because it's what the library wants. 'They're obviously extremely sensitive of criticism and this is the irony, is that they've now opened themselves up to a lot of criticism.' The historian said he has been giving talks for decades - including at up to 15 marae this year - and he has never before been asked to remove material from his speeches. Director of Public Engagement at the National Library, Alison McIntyre, said the library was 'proud to host a variety of speakers on various topics, through its E oho! Waitangi series and others'. 'Our correspondence with Mr Moon was discussing how National Library would promote the event on our official channels,' Ms McIntyre said. 'In promotion of events on our official channels, we focus on the event details and topic, rather than specific views. The library had earlier taken exception to Prof Moon's use of the term 'whakapapa' - the Maori word for genealogy, in the speech and asked him to remove it, which he reluctantly did 'National Library supports all its speakers to promote their talks and works personally, in whichever ways they choose. 'We are disappointed Mr Moon has cancelled his talk, and would welcome him to present at National Library again in the future if he chooses.' Prof Moon is a professor of history at Auckland University of Technology. He is the author of dozens of books, specialising in the Treaty of Waitangi and the early period of Crown rule in New Zealand. The leading Republican senator working with Elon Musk's government waste strike force has received allegations that a federal worker is raking in city pay while living in beachy Florida. A whistleblower has come forward to Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst alleging that one worker at the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) in Washington, D.C., has been living in the Miami-area for years. According to the whistleblower the HUD employee, Antonio Carraway, still gets paid handsomely as though he were going into the agency's Washington, D.C., headquarters weekly. HUD pays more of D.C. employees, making this a lucrative lie. Ernst has been tasked with helping the Senate work with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leaders Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, and has been finding ways to crack down on government waste. Th Florida discovery is Ernst's latest move ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's second term, having already made proposals to bring federal teleworkers back to the office. The person who came forward said this 'Florida Man' has been allowed to 'retire-in-place,' while earning '100 percent taxpayer-funded union time' (TFUT). In a letter to Acting HUD Secretary Adrienne Todman exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com, Ernst outlined the deceptive misconduct, highlighting receipts showing the man had could have been living there since 2020. 'Florida man moonlighting as a 'real estate professional' while allegedly slacking at his day job is just one of the bureaucrats that I'm highlighting this Christmas season,' Ernst told DailyMail.com in a statement. Elon Musk, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), departs a meeting with the next Senate Majority Leader John Thune in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 05 December 2024 Ernst has been tasked with helping with DOGE efforts in the Senate Ernst's office claims that a HUD employee has been lying about his location to receive full D.C.-based pay while he has been living in Florida 'It sounds like a comedic headline, but taxpayers are the butt of the joke as federal employees continue to get caught doing everything but their work,' she said. 'Americans will be getting the last laugh though. Come next year, I will be giving bureaucrats a choice do your job or be fired.' Legal documents with the Carraway's name reveal he lives around Port Saint Lucie, Florida. The documents include housing discrimination complaints from 2019 and 2020, Limited Liability Company (LLC) disclosures every year since 2017 to now and more. Legal filings even show that Carraway has been defending himself in court down in Florida in a case that's been ongoing since 2022. The Florida man even argued his own case earlier this year before District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who took down prosecutor Jack Smith's Donald J. Trump v. United States of America illegal documents case. The Ernst team even uncovered that not only is the employee not living where he claims, but he seemingly has a part time job too. 'Also notable in proving his Florida residency is his active registration as a 'real estate professional,' the Republican writes in her letter. 'Perhaps he conducts the entirety of his real estate business outside of the hours for which he draws a federal paycheck. Somehow, I doubt it.' The senator said she met with Vivek to discuss how DOGE can be more effective Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, headquarters of HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C. The Iowan also busted another HUD employee earlier this year that was allegedly paid while she was in prison for a DUI. A whistleblower came forward then to reveal that a longtime former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) federal bureaucrat Tracy Vargas may have been collecting a taxpayer-funded paycheck for four days she spent behind bars. In March 2020, the agency enacted 'mandatory telework' to deal with the rising rates of COVID-19 infection nationwide. Just two months later, Vargas, who worked for HUD for 20 years, was arrested in May 2020 at 3:28 p.m. local time for 'driving under the influence of alcohol.' She spent four days in county jail in Oklahoma and did not submit any leave request, according to the whistleblower. Vargas was allegedly 'successfully paid' during that period, claiming she was 'engaged in union activities' that is covered under taxpayer-funded union time. In April 2020, Vargas was arrested yet again at around 1 a.m. local time Vargas was arrested in May 2020 at 3:28 p.m. local time for 'driving under the influence of alcohol' Addressing issues like these head on, Speaker Mike Johnson spoke about cracking down on teleworkers when Musk and Ramaswamy came to Capitol Hill early in December. 'We have long lamented the size and scope of the government, that it has grown too large,' Johnson said celebrating DOGE's initiative. 'Let me be frank about this, government is too big, it does too many things and it does almost nothing well.' Then the speaker announced a policy that is sure to shock federal workers across D.C. and beyond. 'One of the first things that i think you'll see is a demand from the new administration, and from all of us in Congress, that federal workers return to their desks.' Ernst had introduced a similar proposal aimed at tracking federal worker's computer activity. Ernst's first DOGE-related bill, the REMOTE Act, will use software to monitor bureaucrats' computer use and require agency reports on the adverse impacts of telework. The proposal will also provide key information on how to get D.C. back to work. It comes after she found that only 6 percent of federal workers report in-person on a full-time basis. The White House on Thursday was forced to confront slashing comments from a trusted former aide to President Biden who second-guessed the way he pardoned his son Hunter. Anita Dunn, whose counsel was so valuable to Biden that she advised during two stints and was the first top aide to leave after he stepped back for the Kamala Harris handover, delivered the tough dose of criticism of her former boss at a post-election summit. That made for an awkward stretch when White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked to defend the fire from within the tent, on a day Biden pardoned 39 people and commuted the sentences of 1,500 people a group of non-violent offenders that included an array of convicted fraudsters. 'I absolutely agree with the president's decision here. I do not agree with the way it was done,' Dunn said at a New York Times / DealBook event that was posted online Wednesday. 'I don't agree with the timing, and I don't agree frankly with the attack on our judicial system.' 'Had this pardon been done at the end of the term in the context of compassion the way many pardons will be done, I'm sure and many commutations will be done I think it would have been a different story,' she said. Dunn also criticized strategic aspects of the timing, which undercut Democratic efforts to target Donald Trump's FBI pick Kash Patel, who has vowed to go after the 'deep state' and printed an enemies list in his book. 'In the middle of a Kash Patel weekend, kind of throwing this into the middle of it was exceptionally poor timing and the argument is one that I think many observers are concerned about: A president who ran to restore the rule of law, who has upheld the rule of law, who has really defended the rule of law kind of saying, "Well, maybe not right now,"' Dunn said. That remark focused on Biden's claim that his son faced political persecution effectively echoing Donald Trump's attacks on the judicial system to help his son by justifying the pardon. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was forced to confront criticism of the Hunter Biden from Anita Dunn, a close former advisor of the president 'I will respond in this way. She also agreed that Hunter Biden, and I quote, absolutely deserves a pardon,' Jean-Pierre responded when asked about it at her briefing Thursday. 'So she supported that action.' Then she immediately pivoted to Biden's moves 'providing the most individual commutations, and I think that matters,' she said. As it played out, Biden issued the blanket Hunter Biden pardon on tax and gun charges just before he headed to Africa on a trip, without answering the questions about the controversial move in any sustained fashion. President-elect Donald Trump immediately seized on the move to renew his call to pardon January 6 offenders. He has since said that he will review each case, and pardon some of them within minutes of taking the Oath of Office. Jean-Pierre's comments came at a briefing where she didn't rule out Biden offering 'preemptive pardons' to officials who Donald Trump considers political enemies, such as Hillary Clinton and former Rep. Liz Cheney. That follows reports that such pardons are on the table as a way to protect people who might be prosecuted by Trump. Trump has said Cheney, who backed Kamala Harris after helping run the House January 6 Committee, should be in jail. She voted to impeach Trump in the House. 'It would be a bad move on my behalf if I preempted the president or previewed anything that the president was thinking about considering and so, this is something he is going to talk with his team about and I just dont have anything beyond that for you,' said Jean-Pierre. Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter shortly before taking a trip to Africa. He claimed Hunter was singled out for prosecution in a statement that criticized the Justice Department She had to answer repeated questions about the Hunter Biden pardon, on a day the White House announced 39 pardons and 1,500 commutations. Those 1,500 were all identified as on-violent offenders who were sent to home-confinement during the pandemic, although some were convicted of offenses ranging from posession with intent to distribute drugs to Medicare fraud. 'They successfully integrated into their families, into their communities,' she said of the people who got commutations. Nor would she get into the process of who got on the list and how, or even whether Biden read a file on each one. 'What I can say is this president made this decision,' she said. Officials at the Port of Oakland have filed an appeal challenging a Nov. 12 order that halted their plan to rebrand the airport as San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle Officials at the Port of Oakland have filed an appeal challenging a federal courts ruling temporarily blocking the airports controversial name change. On Thursday, Oakland officials took action against a Nov. 12 order that halted their plan to rebrand the airport as San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The move to adopt the new name, approved earlier this year, was intended to boost the airports profile and attract more passengers. However, San Francisco, which operates the regions dominant airport San Francisco International argued that the rebranding would cause consumer confusion and undermine its trademarked identity. Advertisement Article continues below this ad SFO claims the new name implies an affiliation between the two airports, despite Oaklands insistence that no such connection exists. U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson ruled that while there was no definitive evidence of consumer confusion, the new name could suggest an association between Oakland and SFO, potentially damaging the latters brand. San Francisco has spent many millions of dollars to develop a brand for its airport, Judge Hixson wrote, noting that the new name deprives San Francisco of control over its trademark. The Port of Oakland dismissed the claims of confusion, arguing that travelers are well-informed about their airport choices and that the name change simply reflects Oaklands geographical proximity to San Francisco Bay. This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to stifle competition and travel choices for the Bay Area. San Francisco is trying to relegate OAK and Oakland to second-class citizens, said Mary Richardson, an attorney for the Port of Oakland. OAK is distinctly and proudly Oakland. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A newly-filed civil lawsuit claims a famous realtor, as well as his twin brother and cousin, lured a woman to a New Year's Eve party where they took turns raping her. Oren Alexander, 37, a former real estate agent at Douglas Elliman, and his twin brother, Alon, are facing charges for allegedly drugging and raping multiple women between 2010 and 2021. Their older brother Tal, 38, also faces sex trafficking charges over claims he helped lure the women using elaborate parties as 'bait,' while their cousin, Ohad Fisherman, is facing a sexual battery charge. The brothers had previously been accused of sexual assault in a number of civil lawsuits, and one filed in the New York State Supreme Court details how they allegedly lured one woman to a Miami condo for a barbeque - only to lock her in a room and rape her. The unidentified plaintiff claims she had met Alon while they were both living in New York City through the dating app Bumble in December 2016, and the two engaged in a 'brief and casual relationship.' Later that month, she traveled to Florida to visit family for the holidays, and traveled to Miami with her sisters and her friends to celebrate the New Year - unaware at the time that Alon was also in the coastal city, according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com. It is alleged that Alon 'utilized location identifying measures and social media' to find out that the woman was in Miami - at which point, he is said to have invited her to a barbeque and pool party. He even included a photo of the 'party,' showing several people apparently enjoying themselves at a luxury pool. Oren (left) and Alon (right) Alexander are accused of taking turns raping a woman at their Miami condo in 2016 The 37-year-old brothers are now facing charges for allegedly drugging and raping multiple women between 2010 and 2021 But when the plaintiff arrived, she claimed she quickly realized she was the only guest at the condo. She said that within a few minutes of her arrival, Alon led her into a bedroom, with Oren and Fisherman following quickly behind and locking the door. 'Alon and Oren then engaged in a demonic discussion about which brother would be the first to rape the plaintiff,' the suit claims. 'Oren apparently prevailed in that conversation and put on a condom while Alon went and sat on a chair in the corner to watch.' At that point, Fisherman allegedly pinned the victim down while Oren raped her, 'ignoring Plaintiff's tears and pleas for him to stop.' Eventually, the victim 'instinctively started pretending to enjoy the rape, as she had previously heard a rapist may stop if the victim acts like they are enjoying the rape. 'It worked,' the suit claims. 'Shortly thereafter, Oren stopped and angrily exclaimed "f**k this," as he threw his condom on the ground and stormed out of the bathroom.' A lawsuit filed in the New York State Supreme Court claims their cousin, Ohad Fisherman (pictured), held down the victim as Oren raped her But it was then apparently Alon's turn to rape the woman 'as she laid there numb and disassociated.' The suit goes on to claim that Alon tried to get the Plaintiff to perform sexual acts on Fisherman as well, saying she had to do so in order to be let out of the room. But she started 'uncontrollably crying and managed to not be assaulted further,' the suit claims. Instead, Alon allegedly forced her to take a shower - briefly joining her - before she left in an Uber 'in disbelief, forever changed and fearful of the demonic defendants.' 'Defendants' demeanor throughout this orchestrated assault was composed, as if it was just a normal routine in the course of their day, with complete and disregard for the lifetime of trauma, shame [and] emotional turmoil they imposed on the plaintiff,' the suit says. It also notes that a number of other women have issued similar complaints about the brothers, claiming they 'do not regard women as human - but rather objects to fulfill their deranged violent desires. 'Defendants, who were wealthy and arguably good-looking, could have engaged in all of the consensual sex they desired - but that is not what they sought - it was the brutal and violent assault and rape of women,' the suit says. The victim now allegedly suffers from physical injury, severe psychological and emotional trauma, emotional distress, anguish, ridicule, embarrassment and a loss of enjoyment of life. The suit claims her injuries will be 'permanent in nature and effect' as it seeks compensatory and punitive damages, declaratory relief and the cost of attorneys fees. The Alexander brothers, known as star real estate agents with Douglas Elliman, have been taken into custody alongside their brother Tal (center) amid allegations of rape, sex trafficking and sexual assault The twin brothers, as well as Fisherman, are now facing criminal charges as well for the alleged incident. Oren is also accused of messaging a woman on Instagram in 2017. The victim has claimed she went on to have dinner with Oren and a friend a few weeks later, where she claims she was taken to the same Miami Beach condo where the 2016 claim unfolded and tried on virtual reality goggles. At that point, the alleged victim said, Oren removed her dress and pushed her into a bedroom before assaulting her. She claimed she tried to confront Oren about the sexual assault weeks later, but he responded by trying to kiss her and masturbate over her. When the victim later told her friends what happened, Oren allegedly sent her a text message saying: 'Nothing happened. If you keep talking about it, Im going to ruin you.' In a 2021 incident, a woman also claimed she met Oren at dinner with a friend before they went to a Miami Beach property. At the home, she said Oren poured her a drink and instantly tried to kiss her on the couch. He led her to the bedroom, she claimed, ripped off her dress and shoes, and refused to let her leave. She said she later returned to the bedroom and he assaulted her, according to the warrant. Tracy Tutor, 48, star of Million Dollar Listin Los Angeles, was one of 10 women who claimed they were sexually assaulted by the brothers in an expose earlier this year Since June, the brothers have also been hit with civil lawsuits from at least two women and accused of sexual assault by dozens more in recent years. One lawsuit filed in March accused Oren and Alon of rape, and a second lawsuit included similar allegations against Tal, reports the Wall Street Journal. Among their accusers is of Tracy Tutor, 48, star of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, who joined nine other women in making claims of sexual assault to the New York Times in July. She has claimed that she shared a drink with Oren at a cocktail party in 2014 and blacked out before a friend found her in the restaurant's bathroom with Oren and pulled her away. She said she has no idea what happened to her, adding: 'Staying silent for so long has been damaging on many levels, and remembering now what happened feels debilitating.' The brothers have denied the allegations in the lawsuits, which shocked the real estate world where Tal and Oren were once seen as rising stars. They had been employed by luxury real estate firm Douglas Elliman, but branched out on their own in 2022 to start their own company, Official. However, the brothers have reportedly had to step down from their company after key clients dropped them and a wave of staff left. The twins appeared in court on Tuesday, where a judge ruled they were flight risks All three brothers were arrested at separate properties in Miami on Wednesday morning, reports the New York Times. None of the arrest warrants reference Tal and the specific claims which led to his indictment have yet to emerge. The twins appeared in court on Thursday, when Oren pleaded with a Florida judge to let him go free on bail - as his pregnant model wife Kamila Hansen is on the verge of going into labor. But the judge found that Oren and Alon's access to private jets and yachts made them too much of a flight risk. Meanwhile, their father, renowned Miami real estate developer Shlomy Alexander, smiled and said he was doing 'great' when asked how he was faring following his son's court hearing. His wife Orly, the boys' mother, said nothing and stared blankly ahead. Eric Adams claimed the Biden administration has lost 500,000 migrant children as he announced plans to use executive orders to stop some of the Big Apple's 'sanctuary city' policies. Adams met with Donald Trump's incoming 'border czar' Tom Homan on Thursday, with the Democratic mayor expressing an enthusiasm to work with the incoming administration amid the president-elect's promise of mass deportations. Following the meeting Adams defended his recent efforts to work with the Trump administration while taking a swipe at the Biden White House for its inaction on the migrant crisis. 'We have 500,000 children who have sponsors in this country that we can't find. We can't find them,' he said. 'We don't know if they're doing child labor, sex crimes, being exploited, 500,000 children,' Adams reiterated. 'There is a level of hypocrisy for people who say they want to protect everyone. I want to support innocent children and those who are victims of crimes. Those who don't understand that, it's not up to me to try to convince them.' In the weeks since Trumps election win, Adams has mused about potentially scaling back the citys so-called sanctuary policies and coordinating with the incoming Trump administration on immigration. Eric Adams claimed the Biden administration has lost 500,000 migrant children after announcing he's going to use executive orders to stop some of the Big Apple's 'sanctuary city' policies 'We have 500,000 children who have sponsors in this country that we can't find. We can't find them,' Adams said. 'We don't know if they're doing child labor, sex crimes, being exploited, 500,000 children' 'New York remaining a sanctuary city is determined by the city council, I'm going to attempt to use my executive orders to go after dangerous people committing violent acts against migrants, asylum seekers, longtime New Yorkers, and undocumented immigrants. No one should be a victim of crime in this city - particularly violent crimes.' He has also said migrants accused of crimes shouldnt have due process rights under the Constitution, though he eventually walked back those comments. The mayor's meeting with Homan, who will oversee the southern and northern borders and be responsible for deportation efforts in the Trump administration, came as Adams has welcomed parts of the president-elect's hardline immigration platform. Adams told reporters at a brief news conference that he and Homan agreed on pursuing people who commit violent crimes in the city but did not disclose additional details or future plans. 'Were not going to be a safe haven for those who commit repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants and longstanding New Yorkers,' he said. 'That was my conversation today with the border czar, to figure out how to go after those individuals who are repeatedly committing crimes in our city.' The meeting marked Adams' latest and most definitive step toward collaborating with the Trump administration, a development that has startled critics in one of the country's most liberal cities. The mayor further stunned Democrats when he sidestepped questions last week on whether he would consider changing parties to become a Republican, telling journalists that he was part of the 'American party.' Adams later clarified that he would remain a Democrat. At a press conference following the meeting, Adams lambasted the Biden White House for its inaction on the crisis New York Mayor Eric Adams, right, meeting with President-elect Donald Trump's incoming 'border czar' Tom Homan For Adams, a centrist Democrat known for quarreling with the city's progressive left, the recent comments on immigration follow frustration with the Biden Administration over its immigration policies and a surge of international migrants in the city. He has maintained that his positions have not changed and argues he is trying to protect New Yorkers, pointing to the law-and-order platform he has staked out throughout his political career and during his successful campaign for mayor. At his news conference Thursday, Adams reiterated his commitment to New Yorks generous social safety net. 'Were going to tell those who are here, who are law-abiding, to continue to utilize the services that are open to the city, the services that they have a right to utilize, educating their children, health care, public protection,' he said. 'But we will not be the safe haven for those who commit violent acts.' While the education of all children present in the U.S. is already guaranteed by a Supreme Court ruling, New York also offers social services like healthcare and emergency shelter to low-income residents, including those in the country illegally. City and state grants also provide significant access to lawyers, which is not guaranteed in the immigration court as they are in the criminal court. Still, Adams recent rhetoric has been seen by some critics as an attempt to cozy up to Trump, who could potentially offer a presidential pardon in his federal corruption case. President Joe Biden's Department of Homeland Security Official Kenneth Genalo also met with Adams and Homan New York City Mayor Eric Adams gestures as he leaves a press conference at City Hall following meeting with President-elect Donald Trump's incoming 'border czar' Tom Homan Adams has been charged with accepting luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals looking to buy his influence. He has pleaded not guilty. Homan, who was Trumps former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, also met this week with Republicans in Illinois, where he called on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, to start negotiations over how Trump's mass deportation plans, according to local media. Separately, New York City officials this week announced continued efforts to shrink a huge emergency shelter system for migrants because of a steady decline in new arrivals. Among the planned shelter closures is a massive tent complex built on a federally owned former airport in Brooklyn, which advocates have warned could be a prime target for Trump's mass deportation plan. Elsewhere, Republican governors and lawmakers in some states are already rolling out proposals that could help him carry out his pledge to deport millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. Angela Rayner was accused of waging 'war on rural England' yesterday as she unveiled the biggest shake-up of planning rules for a generation. The Housing Secretary's blueprint included new demands for hundreds more developments in the Home Counties and fewer in the North. MPs and campaigners warned that it paved the way for swathes of the Green Belt to be concreted over because it forces councils to re-classify thousands of acres into 'Grey Belt' sites for building on. Other protections have also been diluted, with a vow to 'safeguard the countryside from encroachment' now dropped. Councils that fail to submit detailed plans for achieving the steep targets, with some facing demands for a 2,000 per cent increase in building, could have developments imposed on them by Whitehall. Two-thirds of councils have yet to submit fresh plans, creating fears of a flood of speculative planning applications by developers hoping their estates will be rammed through by officials eager to hit Labour's new target of building at least 1.5million homes within this Parliament. Local authorities have only three months to lodge fresh plans with the Government, even though they can take years to develop. Under a shake-up intended to turbo-charge building to tackle the housing crisis and boost economic growth, some councils are facing demands for a seven-fold increase in the number of homes built every year. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner (pictured) was accused of waging 'war on rural England' yesterday as she unveiled the biggest shake-up of planning rules for a generation Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) defended the changes during a visit to a construction site in Cambridge yesterday The areas of the UK facing the biggest increases in building demands under Labour's proposals Sir Keir Starmer defended the changes during a visit to a construction site in Cambridge yesterday, saying getting people on the housing ladder was more important than protecting nature and the environment. The Prime Minister added: 'For years, we have not had enough houses being built. That means that individuals and families don't have the security they want.' Under the overhaul: On average, 370,000 homes must be built in England each year; Of these, 70,681 must be built in the South East up from 69,000 when draft proposals were unveiled in the summer. In London, the target is nearly 88,000, much lower than the 98,800 set by the previous Tory government; Green Belt land that 'does not strongly contribute' to Green Belt purposes such as stopping urban sprawl should become Grey Belt; Any development on these sites must comply with new 'golden rules', such as requiring developers to build local infrastructure; The 'golden rule' of developments having to make 50 per cent of housing affordable was diluted to a minimum of 15 per cent; Councils must increase the land designated for traveller sites; Developments that appear to comply with a council's local plan may not need to be signed off by councillors; Ministers will have the power to ram through developments in areas where councils have failed to submit comprehensive plans for reaching their annual target; Proposed fast-food and take-away shops within 'walking distance' of schools can be banned in certain areas. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Unveiling the overhaul to MPs, housing minister Matthew Pennycook insisted it included a 'brownfield sites first' approach to developments. But he added: 'We know that there simply are not enough sites on brownfield land registers to deliver the volume of homes the country needs each year. 'We know that the changes required to start putting things right will be uncomfortable for some. But this Labour government will not duck the hard choices that must be confronted in order to tackle the housing crisis, because the alternative is a future in which a decent, safe, secure and affordable home is a privilege enjoyed by some rather than being the birthright of all working people.' He warned that the Government 'won't hesitate to use the full range of ministerial intervention powers at our disposal' to ram through developments if councils fail to play ball. His Tory counterpart, Kevin Hollinrake, said he 'welcomed' the target of 1.5million homes, but added: 'What we do not welcome is the war on rural England he is pursuing. 'Following on from the family farm tax, the withdrawal of rural services delivery grants [which cover the additional costs of delivering services in remote areas], now we see the massive shift mass house building in rural areas and on Green Belt. 'We do not welcome the bulldozing of democratic accountability, we do not welcome the lowering of housing targets for urban areas and we do not welcome an average doubling a 100 per cent increase [in developments] for predominantly rural areas. 'Residents will one day wake up to realise that they will face targets of up to 600 per cent increase. They will call their local councillor to ask them to oppose a specific application and be shocked at the response 'I'm sorry, we no longer have the right to vote against an individual application'.' The Deputy PM revealed the collective total for local targets would be just over 370,000 homes a year - as she bids to deliver 1.5million new homes over the next five years Former Tory deputy prime minister Sir Oliver Dowden said his rural Hertfordshire constituency was 'almost entirely Green Belt', adding: 'This will mean massive new development, an expansion of London sprawl and a change in the character of the area for ever.' Rebecca Paul, the Tory MP for Reigate, said the targets meant a 96 per increase in housebuilding for her Surrey constituency. She said: 'If all areas must play their part in building the homes we need, why is the minister reducing housing targets for London and other urban areas while increasing them in rural areas like mine?' Roger Mortlock, of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: 'Local authorities responsible for delivering new homes will be swamped with speculative applications on high-quality Green Belt and farm land. Inevitably, many of these will be approved to meet nationally imposed targets.' An 'influencer' couple who say they have been unfairly blamed for the closure of a 'hidden gem' beach in South Australia have revealed who really is responsible. The state government announced this week that large camping vehicles would be banned from Wauraltee Beach on the Yorke Peninsula from February 2025. Motorhomes and tent trailers 'will not be allowed at any time during the day or night' but daytime access will remain for boat launching and recreation. Chris and Miriam travelled to the campsite in their caravan for Australia Day in 2023 and shared their experience on their popular camping account Aussie Destinations Unknown. The couple say they have been targeted by angry locals ever since the decision was made to restrict access to the beach in order to 'protect the sensitive environment' from a 'mass congregation of vehicles'. 'We just had a really disgusting message from a local basically saying that it's us and other travellers that have caused this,' Chris said in a video shared to social media. 'I would say 99.99% of the time it's actually the locals that are coming there on weekends. We're watching their behaviour, leaving an absolute s**t show of rubbish, disgusting behaviour, motorbikes, donuts, just disgusting behaviour. Influencers Chris and Miriam have copped the blame for closing down a 'hidden gem' beach in Adelaide when they shared the location with their social media following Wauraltee Beach on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula (pictured) will no longer allow caravans and other heavy vehicles used for camping from February 2025 'They're the ones that are actually causing these places to shut but their very quick to blame us travellers which... is really unfair.' Authorities said the influx of interest in secret beaches had major consequences including disruption to wildlife, loss of fauna habitat, damage to vegetation, weed infestation and sand compaction. But the couple claim it's the locals who trash Wauraltee Beach, tearing it up over long weekends doing donuts in dirt bikes and 4WDs and leaving rubbish behind. 'I called this about three years ago. Something I've noticed over 10 years of travelling is that a lot of the grubs are the backpackers in vans who don't have toilet or showers and leave toilet paper everywhere,' Chris said. The couple hit back at accusations they 'ruined' hidden gems by sharing them online, and said they researched the spot to make sure there was no secret to spoil. 'We checked if Wauraltee was well known before naming the location. It was extremely well known having hundreds of vans parked up for Australia Day and other long weekends,' Chris wrote in a separate post. 'We didn't put that spot on the map. We keep plenty of secret spots secret for the locals. Besides - half the fun is doing your own research and finding the spots! So we leave some of that up to you.' National Parks and Wildlife Services Programs Director Jason Irving insisted there was no intention to ban all vehicles from beaches in South Australia. 'This is about finding a balance between visitor enjoyment and the need to protect native flora and fauna,' Mr Irving said in a statement. Four men are to go on trial in Paris accused of various things including likening French first lady Brigitte Macron 'to a paedophile'. The prosecution follows years of online abuse against the 71-year-old, who is 24 years older than her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, 47. There have also been hugely malicious comments about Ms Macron's gender, with some saying she was born a man. Ms Macron filed a criminal complaint in August, and, on Thursday, city prosecutors confirmed a cyber-harassment trial will take place in July 2025. Specifically, the process will focus on 'numerous malicious comments about Brigitte Macron's gender and sexuality, as well as her age difference with her husband which have seen her likened to a paedophile,' said a spokesman for Paris prosecutors. A statement added: 'On August 27, Brigitte Macron filed a complaint for cyberbullying, an offence punishable by two years of imprisonment. 'An investigation entrusted to the Brigade for the Suppression of Crimes against Persons was opened for cyberbullying and incitement to commit an offence.' The future President Macron was just 15 when he began a relationship with the then married mother-of-three, Brigitte Auziere, in 1992, when she his drama teacher at La Providence high school, in their home town of Amiens, northern France. Four men are to go on trial in Paris accused of likening French first lady Brigitte Macron (pictured) 'to a paedophile' The future President Macron (pictured kissing Brigitte in 2017) was just 15 when he began a relationship with the then married mother-of-three, Brigitte Auziere, in 1992, when she his drama teacher at La Providence high school, in their home town of Amiens, northern France Both have always denied any impropriety, but this has not stopped online campaigns. Among the accused is Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, a 40-year-old known on social media as 'Zoe Sagan', where he spreads multiple conspiracy theories. His posts include one saying Ms Macron was in fact born as a baby boy called Jean-Michel Trogneux in 1953. This is the name of Ms Macron's brother, and she was called Brigitte Trogneux before her first marriage. The defendant also claimed that Brigitte's first husband, Andre-Louis Auziere, had never actually existed before his reported death in 2020, aged 68. Also due to appear in the dock after being arrested on Tuesday are Jean-Luc M., 64 and living in Saone-et-Loire); Bertrand S., 55, from Paris; and Jean-Christophe D.,53, from Seine-et-Marne. All the accused deny the charges, with, Juan Branco, for Poirson-Atlan, saying the prosecution was 'taking an obvious political direction.' He said it was particularly outrageous that his client was being kept on remand for what amounted to a published matter of opinion. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attend the inaugural Mass, with the consecration of the high altar, at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris, France, December 8, 2024 Among the accused is Aurelien Poirson-Atlan (pictured), a 40-year-old known on social media as 'Zoe Sagan', where he spreads multiple conspiracy theories In September, two women were ordered to pay the equivalent of 7000 in damages to Ms Macron after falsely claiming she was transgender. The disinformation appeared in a now-deleted YouTube video. The four men in the latest trial will appear before Paris Criminal Court judges on July 10, 2025. The transphobic rumours about Ms Macron were picked up by the far-Right in 2022, while President Macron was campaigning for re-election. Groups including the Yellow Vests (Gilets Jaunes) and those protesting against Covid vaccines all used the claims to attack the Macrons. In March, Ms Macron's own daughter talked publicly about the accusations against the premiere dame. Tiphaine Auziere, 41, told Paris Match: 'I have concerns about the level of society when I hear what is circulating on social networks about my mother being a man.' Ms Auziere also discussed how wounded she remained after discovering as a 10-year-old child that her teacher mother was seeing the teenage Emmanuel Macron. The first of thousands of victims of the tainted blood scandal will receive a total of 13million in compensation, marking a 'historic milestone' in the worst treatment disaster in NHS history. The Cabinet Office said that ten victims had accepted their offers and are due to receive their final payments 'in the coming days'. A spokesperson said that a further 25 people have been invited to make their claim with more final payouts expected to follow. The compensation by the newly formed Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) was last night described by the government as a 'historical milestone'. More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C at the hands of the NHS after being given contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite decades of campaigning, those whose lives were destroyed by the imported products derived from blood from high-risk groups such as prisoners never received justice. A damning report in May found that the authorities had covered up the scandal which cost 3,000 lives and wrecked countless more. The people offered the first payments, whose identities are being kept private, are among those infected with potentially deadly viruses. The first of thousands of victims of the tainted blood scandal will receive a total of 13million in compensation. Pictured: Contaminated blood campaigners demonstrating outside the Houses of Parliament earlier this year Relatives of contaminated blood victims protesting outside the Houses of Parliament earlier this year Sir Brian Langstaff (pictured), chairman of the Infected Blood Inquiry, made his final recommendations on compensation in April 2023, saying victims should not face any more delays for redress Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the Infected Blood Inquiry, made his final recommendations on compensation in April 2023, saying victims should not face any more delays for redress. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the October budget that 11.8bn had been set aside to compensate victims which will be exempt from taxes. The Cabinet Office said that IBCA -tasked with administering payouts - is aiming to open up the service wider in the New Year. Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds said he hoped the payouts would offer the survivors who have waited decades for redress some 'reassurance'. 'This Government promised to deliver action on infected blood compensation, and today is a vital step towards delivering justice for people who have waited far too long for compensation,' he added. 'No amount of compensation can fully address the suffering as a result of this scandal, but I hope this shows that we are doing everything possible to deliver significant compensation to people infected and affected. 'After so many years of injustice, I hope that this brings some reassurance to a community who have suffered immeasurably that action is being taken.' Around 4,000 survivors and bereaved partners have already received a series of interim payments worth up to 310,000 each. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the October budget that 11.8bn had been set aside to compensate victims which will be exempt from taxes More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C at the hands of the NHS in the 1970's and 80's The government has been holding fresh talks with campaigners and survivors this week amid criticism about delays and a lack of consultation in the compensation process. It came after the chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff, wrote to the government about a 'groundswell of discontent' over its management. Responding to the government's announcement last night, Kate Burt, Chief Executive of the Haemophilia Society, said it was welcome but did little to quell 'significant concerns'. 'This is positive news which we welcome, but we hope it won't mask the significant concerns that are felt across the community about the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. 'The reality behind this announcement is that there is widespread frustration at the slow roll-out of compensation and anger that the Government does not seem to be listening to the community's suggestions of how to improve the scheme,' she added. 'If there is to be rapid progress in paying compensation to the infected and bereaved then the Government must start taking the concerns of those at the heart of this scandal seriously.' The Coalition says nuclear energy will be needed to stop blackouts and reduce electricity bills as it unveiled a new energy plan that's much less reliant on renewables. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to build seven publicly-owned nuclear power plants in Australia, with predictions the first will come online from the mid-to-late 2030s - a timeline the CSIRO has rubbished. He argued his $331billion plan will be 44 per cent cheaper than Labor's program to almost replace coal and gas power with solar and wind energy within 15 years. 'This is a plan which will underpin the economic success of our country for the next century,' he told reporters on Friday. 'We can deliver a plan which is going to keep the lights on and we have a plan and a vision for our country which will help grow businesses, not close them down as is currently happening under this government.' Labor's plan is for renewable energy to comprise 82 per cent of Australia's energy generation by 2030, rising to 98 per cent by 2040 based on solar and wind. Both sides of politics support a net zero by 2050 goal, but the Coalition sees nuclear making up 38 per cent of Australia's electricity generation by that time, with solar and wind energy making up 49 per cent of the mix and gas, pumped hydro and storage the rest. 'We just can't pretend that we can have part-time power running a full-time economy,' Mr Dutton said. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to build seven publicly-owned nuclear power plants across the country 'Australians are smarter than what the prime minister credits and Australians are well read, they understand what is happening internationally. 'As coal retires from the system it should be replaced with zero emissions nuclear energy because nuclear is also an always on 24/7 source of energy and its going to be critical so that we get prices down and keep the lights on as we reach net zero.' The Coalition argues its plan will also reduce power bills by 44 per cent. 'This will make electricity reliable, it will make it more consistent, cheaper, for Australians and it will help us decarbonise as a trading economy, as we must,' the Opposition Leader said. Mr Dutton was confident Labor would support the Coalition's policies should Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lose next year's election, arguing it was hypocritical for the ALP to support nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS deal but be opposed to domestic nuclear power. 'We have the situation here where I think it will be post-Anthony Albanese's leadership which I don't think is too far away in that scenario I think there can be bipartisan position in relation to the vision we put to the Australian people today,' he said. The Coalition's plan was modelled by Frontier Economics, which costed Labor's energy transition at $594billion, versus $331billion for the Coalition's nuclear plan - marking a difference of $263billion. 'We've got a well thought-out plan here - we have the independent costings that provide that validation,' Mr Dutton said. The Coalition's proposal favours nuclear reactors across the nation (pictured is an artist's impression of a small modular reactor) 'This means reduced power bills for households, lower operating costs for small businesses, and a stronger, more resilient economy.' The report argued Labor's renewables-only plan would 'cost at least five times more than what Labor has told the Australian people'. 'This is likely an underestimate with the costs of transmission projects already blowing out by billions,' it said. 'This would carpet the country with unnecessary solar and wind projects across pristine landscapes and agricultural land and lead to a massive overbuild of our electricity grid. 'While the rollout of Labors plan is still in its early days, its high cost is already being paid for by households and businesses. Australians now pay among the highest electricity prices in the world.' Frontier Economics argued the Coalition's plan was cheaper because it would spare Australia the installation of 50,000 megawatts - or 50billion watts - of 'industrial scale renewable projects and thousands of transmission lines to connect these to the grid'. Labor's Rewiring The Nation plan involves spending $20billion on new transmission lines alone. But Energy Minister Chris Bowen has rubbished the Frontier Economics costings number, saying the government's renewable energy plan would cost $122billion and not almost $600billion, citing a forecast made by the Australian Energy Market Operator The CSIRO on Monday released a GenCost report suggesting establishing a nuclear energy industry in Australia would take at least 15 years - even though the United Arab Emirates did it in 2020 after eight years of work using Korean technology (pictured is the Barakah reactor) COALITION'S PLANNED NUCLEAR REACTORS Callide power station, central Queensland Tarong power station, Queensland's Burnett region Liddell power station, New South Wales Hunter Valley Mount Piper power station, New South Wales central west Loy Yang power station, Victoria's Gippsland Northern power station, South Australia's Port Augusta region Muja power station, Western Australia's South West region Advertisement 'They're making it up as they go along,' Mr Bowen told ABC TV. 'I'm not sure how they'll get the nuclear power into the grid, maybe by carrier pigeon if they're going to assert if somehow you'll need less transmission. 'They have had to make some very heroic assumptions here and they have had to really stretch the truth to try to get some very dodgy figures.' He argued keeping coal-fired power plants open beyond their lifespan was a threat to energy reliability, with outages and breakdowns happening on a daily basis. 'It's a recipe for blackouts to keep ageing coal-fired power stations in the grid for longer,' he said. The Coalition's energy spokesman Ted O'Brien said Labor's renewables rollout was based on 'fantasy'. 'Our priority is to bring power prices down. That is why we can't shut down coal power plants prematurely,' he said. 'Labor is basing their entire rollout on a fantasy.' Nationals leader David Littleproud said no major advanced economy had embraced a renewables-only policy. 'Understand the burden that you are asking us to bear. There is another way to achieve it,' he said. The Coalition faces opposition from states, which had legislated bans on nuclear energy, with its plan to turn decommissioned coal-fired power stations into nuclear reactors in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. But South Australia's Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas is open minded about nuclear energy as the leader of a state that is home to the Olympic Dam uranium mine. The CSIRO on Monday released a GenCost report suggesting establishing a nuclear energy industry in Australia would take at least 15 years - even though the United Arab Emirates did it in 2020 after eight years of work using Korean technology. The government's scientific research body predicted nuclear energy generation would cost double that for renewable energy. It predicted that by 2030, larger-scale nuclear power could be generated at a cost of $150 to $245 a megawatt hour, compared with $121 to $164 for solar, and $67 to $137 for solar and wind. Nuclear power from small modular reactors, or SMRs, would cost $285 to $487 an hour, the report claimed, with Canada not due to embrace this technology until 2028. CNN's Van Jones revealed Thursday that Democrats should be relieved that Vice President Kamala Harris lost the election, allowing them the opportunity to have a 'reckoning' in the party about the future. Jones participated on a DealBook New York Times panel of professional Republican and Democratic political operatives as well as media figures examining the aftermath of the 2024 presidential elections. He said that Harris only got worse in the presidential campaign after she took over from President Joe Biden in July. Kamalas campaign went from brat to flat and it was obvious,' he said, referring to the viral online memes of musical artist Charli XCX describing Harris as 'brat.' The campaign seized the moment to proclaim Kamala Harris' 'brat summer' which drove TikTok memes but did not ultimately prevail in the election. 'There was a moment when she first got in there, she was loose and she seemed to be saying "f it" and people could relate to that,' Jones said. 'Then it got super professional, super slicked up, it became talking point bingo and people didnt stick with her. He embraced the party's devastating loss to Republicans in the 2024 election, with no majority in the House or the Senate, and with a solid conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Kamala Harris promised us freedom, well she delivered it to us, because now were free from having to run anything in Washington, DC,' Jones said. 'Thats not what we were signing up for but thats what we got. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech for the 2024 presidential election Jones criticized the Democratic party for pushing out the 'rebels' who were once Democrats, such as Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who felt alienated by the party and endorsed Trump in 2024. 'There's something that's happened in this party where the rebels in this party no longer feel like they have a place, and we've got to be able to talk about that stuff honestly,' he said. Jones, a former administration official for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden criticized Biden for running for re-election in 2024, when Democrats expected him to be a one term president. 'I love him, he should have walked away and let other people in this party step up to the bat, he didnt, and we paid the price,' he said. Van Jones was sharply critical of the left-wing activist driving the Democratic party Jones also criticized leftist activists for 'dehumanizing' others to build up their own political and social status. 'I love all our movements but there is a moral flaw when every movement has to put somebody down,' he said. Jones criticized groups like 'Black Lives Matter' for suggesting that 'all white people were racist.' 'That is not going to work ... the way it lands though with people is that you're calling people names. There's gotta be a better way to say it,' he said. Westminster was scandalised. A Tory frontbencher, Kevin Hollinrake, did something unforgivable: he spoke the obvious and said something about immigration that millions will consider entirely uncontroversial. He did it in the Commons, furthermore, in daylight hours. Flagrant abuse of the facilities. The transgression drew cries of 'shame!' and 'outrageous!' from Labour MPs, some of whom clutched their throats and gasped, as if they had hit a fish-bone in a quenelle. One little new chap, Adam Jogee, drew himself to his full 5ft something and accused Mr Hollinrake of 'gutter politics'. 'It was beneath him' to voice such an opinion, averred Mr Jogee, whose Newcastle-under-Lyme seat is one of the more chi-chi arrondissements of Stoke-on-Trent. Matthew Pennycook, minister for housing, shook his head and likewise concluded it was 'beneath' Mr Hollinrake. The latter, it has to be said, seemed impervious to the social ponger he had just dropped. You will wonder what this atrocity can have been. I will tell you but before doing so must urge you to shield the eyes of any youngsters or goldfish lest they be irretrievably damaged. This is a family newspaper. We would not want to upset the delicate aesthetes of Ipso! Kevin Hollinrake, did something unforgivable: he spoke the obvious and said something about immigration that millions will consider entirely uncontroversial. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner during a visit to a construction site in Cambridge It happened during a Commons statement labelled 'Building the homes we need'. A more truthful title might have been 'forcing county councils to swallow national house-building edicts'. Local politicians will no longer have much power to stop big developments. The Secretary of State behind the policy is Angela Rayner but she did not attend the Commons. Handlers had arranged for her to do a photocall in a once-rural part of Cambridgeshire that was now being made to resemble much of the rest of southern England: ie, boxy houses, Trumpton pavements and mini roundabouts. On her sortie she was accompanied by K. Starmer, Prime Minister, who had a microphone shoved under his nose and started stammering. He said 'er' three times before he could mention the words 'green belt'. In the Commons, robbed of Mrs Rayner's souffle repartee, we had to make do with Mr Pennycook, a clerical personality of tall and angular bearing. He has an oblong, sloping face that any half-competent modern architect would use as a working model for one of those new skyscrapers in the City of London. Mr Pennycook lacks Mrs Rayner's brash panache. That is the very point of him. Every farceur needs a straight man and Mr Pennycook is Angela's foil. Where she ignites class war, Pennycook soothes. Where Mrs Rayner is a broadbrush debater she finds policy detail slippery, like an avocado stone Mr Pennycook is fluent in Whitehallese. I happened to spot him yesterday at 6.30am; even at that hour he was surrounded by officials and paperwork. Matthew Pennycook, minister for housing, pictured in the House of Commons on Thursday In a level voice only slightly mottled by glottal-stops he spoke of 'target envelopes', 'golden rules', 'brownfield passports', 'housing pipelines' and 'building out at pace'. Yes, 'building out'. Several of them coughed up this new horror. The policy could wreck hundreds of English towns and villages yet he delivered it with a dental nurse's manner, sympathetic but firm. The government was 'privileging pragmatism over purity', he purred. 'Progress' was used as a transitive, 'ask' as a noun. If there's any of that dental gas going free, may I please have a lungful? Enter Mr Hollinrake. He calmly deplored Labour's 'war on rural England' and its 'bulldozing of democratic accountability'. He also politely noted that Mr Pennycook was a steaming hypocrite. Now so hot for housing developments, the minister had recently protested against new houses in his own constituency. Mr Pennycook loftily said he would 'not respond' to this accusation. After talking of our 'green and pleasant land' Mr Hollinrake said that 'the majority' of the government's new homes would 'be required for people coming into this country rather than for British citizens'. Cue shock, dry-retching, wailing and gnashing of teeth from Labour. They plainly regarded him as an unhinged racist. Merely for mentioning an undeniable rise in the population. An accused murderer walked out of a Mississippi courthouse without showing any emotion as his alleged victim's family broke down in tears after a judge declared a mistrial in his case. Sheldon 'Timothy' Herrington Jr., 24, was facing charges of capital murder in the July 2022 disappearance of fellow University of Mississippi student Jay Lee, 20. He could also have been convicted of lesser charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter. Prosecutors have argued Herrington killed the openly gay student following an alleged sexual encounter, but Oxford police never uncovered a body - which Herrington's defense attorney argued was necessary for a conviction, the Clarion Ledger reports. Jurors heard eight days of arguments and testimony in the trial at the Lafayette County Courthouse, and deliberated for more than nine hours. They twice told Judge Kelly Luther they could not reach a verdict, sending the second message at around 4.20pm Wednesday saying they 'feel confident' they would not be able to reach a unanimous verdict in the case. The jurors ultimately sat at 11 to one after they declared it was 'impossible' to reach a verdict, at which point Luther declared a mistrial. 'I think after nine-and-a-half hours of deliberations and my reading of the jury, we are hopelessly deadlocked,' he said. A Mississippi judge declared a mistrial in the case of accused murderer Sheldon 'Timothy' Herrington Jr., 24, on Wednesday Herrington was facing charges of capital murder in the July 2022 disappearance of fellow University of Mississippi student Jay Lee, 20 Lee was pursuing a masters degree from Ole Miss, and was known for his personal expression through fashion and makeup. He often performed in drag shows and was described by the University of Mississippi's student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, as 'a well-known member of Oxfords queer community.' But Lee mysteriously went missing on July 8, 2022 - his mother's birthday. After more than two years of searching, a judge declared Lee legally dead in October. Prosecutors had claimed Herrington and Lee had a sexual encounter prior to his disappearance that ended badly. Afterward, Herrington allegedly messaged Lee and invited him back to his apartment, where prosecutors say he was likely murdered. Text messages read in court show that after Herrington pressed Lee to return to his apartment, the alleged victim replied: 'Yeah, now it seems like you just trying [to] lure me over there to beat my a** or something.' Herrington then replied, 'You trippin.' Judge Kelly Luther announced he will meet with prosecutors and defense attorneys next week to discuss a new trial date Authorities have also claimed Herrington Googled 'how long it takes to strangle someone' before he saw Lee, whose final text message appeared to have been sent to Herrington from near the suspect's Oxford apartment, Police Chief Jeff McCutchen testified. Moments later, Herrington was caught on surveillance footage jogging out of a parking lot where police say Lee's car was abandoned. On the night of Lee's disappearance, Herrington was also allegedly seen in security camera footage buying duct tape in Oxford and driving to his hometown of Grenada, about an hour south. When Herrington was later brought in for questioning in connection with Lee's disappearance, he reportedly gave conflicting information about his whereabouts in the hours before Lee vanished. Then, when Oxford Police Lt. Shane Fortner asked him, 'What do you think happened to him?' Herrington replied that Lee possibly 'went and had casual sex with somebody and they kidnapped him,' Fortner testified. Herrington displayed no emotions as he walked out of court following the declaration Prosecutors argued Herrington was not openly gay - and he killed Lee to protect his secret. 'Tim Herrington lived a lie - lived a lie to his family,' Lafayette County District Attorney Ben Creekmore told jurors in his closing statement. 'He lied to Jay Lee to coax him over there, promising to do something with him,' the lawyer continued. 'He had to protect that lie. And what did he do to protect that lie, he had to get rid of Jay Lee and that's what he did.' But defense attorney Kevin Horan argued that jurors could not convict his client without a body. He also argued that leads on other persons of interest were not exhausted, and claimed that any evidence weighing in Herrington's favor were deemed unreliable. Lee was pursuing a masters degree from Ole Miss, and was known for his personal expression through the use of fashion and makeup Herrington will remain out on bond as he gears up to face another trial Following the declaration of a mistrial, the Oxford Police Department vowed they would continue to seek justice for Lee. 'The Oxford Police Department's hearts are heavy for the Lee family as the jury was unable to reach a decision in this case,' it said. 'Our commitment to finding Jay Lee remans steadfast and our department will not waver in the pursuit of justice for him.' McCutchen also assured the public that cops have not stopped looking for Lee's body since he went missing. 'We will not stop until we bring him home to his family,' he said. Meanwhile, Herrington will remain out on bond as he gears up to face another trial. Judge Luther said he will meet with prosecutors and defense attorneys next week to discuss a new trial date, and said he will even consider holding the trial at a different venue. If Herrington is convicted on the highest charge, he could ultimately face life in prison. South Australian officials welcome return of China Southern Airlines services Xinhua) 10:23, December 13, 2024 CANBERRA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Officials in South Australia (SA) have welcomed the return of China Southern Airlines to the state capital of Adelaide, saying the flights will boost tourism and trade. Flight CZ663 arrived at Adelaide Airport at 9:55 a.m. local time on Thursday, marking the resumption of China Southern Airlines' services to the city. China Southern Airlines will run three direct round-trip flights per week between Guangzhou and Adelaide. Zoe Bettison, SA's minister for tourism, said the return of the services would boost tourism and trade opportunities with China. "Adelaide and South Australia have a lot to offer Chinese travelers, and we know that our premium food and wine and nature offerings are of particular appeal," she said in a statement. In addition to 798 seats per week for passengers, the flights will also offer 45 tons of cargo space for South Australian exporters to fill each week. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) 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. EXCLUSIVE A woman is calling for shark nets to be removed from Australian beaches after her partner drowned when he became entangled in one. Jake Brown, 29, died while swimming with a mate on Sunday afternoon in an enclosed area at Paradise Point Parklands, on the Gold Coast. Witnesses say the pair were sitting on buoys marking the perimeter of the net when Mr Brown told his mate 'hold my beer' before jumping off. But it is believed Mr Brown became tangled up in the net and he drowned before the current swept his body out to sea. It was recovered four hours later after a major search operation involving water police, helicopters, and divers. Mr Brown's partner Kama Robinson said shark nets should be removed from beaches and more life guards stationed on beaches to monitor the public's safety. 'The nets dont not stop anything. All those nets did was stop my partner from being able to resurface,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'They are dangerous. Sharp stuff gets caught in them. Sharks, jellyfish, sea snakes all get in regardless of the net - but it was my partner we lost this Christmas because of the shark net. 'It will happen again. Kama Robinson is calling for safety measure changes at Australian beaches to prevent further deaths Her partner Jake Brown, 29, died last week after getting entangled in a shark net on the Gold Coast Mr Brown was swimming in the enclosed area at Paradise Point Parklands (pictured) when he encountered trouble at 4pm on Sunday 'The government needs to stop funding things that are pointless. Go invest in proper life-saving training and train some lifeguards and put more money into first responders.' Ms Robinson described Mr Brown as a 'very, very loved friend, partner, father, brother, son, grandson, [and] uncle. 'He was a beautiful man whos smile lit up every room he walked in [and] unfortunately we lost a beautiful human.' The Point Paradise swimming enclosure has been closed for the foreseeable future in the wake of Mr Brown's death. A witness said he saw Mr Brown and his friend sitting on the edge of the nets moments before the tragedy unfolded. He said he called out in vain to warn the pair about the dangers. 'I said, "Stop!" You could see what was going to happen,' the witness told the Courier Mail. Ms Robinson has paid tribute to her partner as a 'very loved friend, partner, father, brother, son, grandson, and uncle' Rescuers could be seen examining the net amid the desperate search for Mr Brown on Sunday 'He tried to jump off but the current took him, he came up once and I swam to him but then he went under the net. 'It was so f***ing obvious what was going to happen, it's why I yelled, "Don't!" It's so sad.' A Gold Coast City council spokesman urged the public to obey all safety signage when swimming. 'Safety audits have been carried out at all our swimming enclosures and safety signage is in place,' they said. 'The City continues to work with police following the Paradise Point Parklands tragedy and an inspection of the net found it was damaged during the emergency response. The net will be replaced as soon as possible. 'The City will continue to take any action necessary to ensure safety at the swimming enclosure and will consider any recommendations from relevant authorities.' A report will be prepared for the coroner. Joe Scarborough abruptly shut down a discussion when Lauren Boebert's name was so much as mentioned on his MSNBC talk show Wednesday. The show was discussing House Republicans' desire to see their colleagues put in jail. Initially, Brzezinski brought up James Comer - a key ally of Elon Musk's new DOGE department - and Tim Burchett suggesting as such. However, when she pivoted to Lauren Boebert's comments on the matter, Brzezinski was quickly stopped by Scarborough. 'Alright, alright, I don't care,' said the co-host through audible groaning, before making a crass reference to Boebert's personal life. 'Go see a play,' he added, before trying to move to a discussion with Democrat Congressman Dan Goldman. Scarborough was making light of Boebert's ejection from a Denver performance of Beetlejuice: The Musical for lewd behavior. Brzezinski had planned to quote Boebert as saying of Democrats: 'It's not looking good for them. You know, they're asking for their preemptive pardon. So it kind of sounds suspect and guilty. I think anybody who has politically imprisoned American citizens and completely ruined their lives needs to be investigated.' Joe Scarborough shut down a debate after Lauren Boebert 's name was so much as mentioned on his MSNBC talk show Wednesday The show was discussing House Republicans' desire to see their colleagues put in jail The husband and wife have been caught up in plenty of drama after making a visit to President-Elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate, infuriating their viewers. Scarborough added fuel to the fire when he went on a 20-minute rant last week responding to critics who said he 'fears' Trump. During the 2024 election, the hosts of Morning Joe repeatedly denounced Trump as a fascist, racists and sexist and argued he should not be president. Things came to a boil earlier this year after Scarborough likened Trump to Adolf Hitler, with their visit sparking fury amongst their liberal viewers and show staff. Speaking about the visit for the first time with The Daily Beast podcast with hosts , Brzezinski said they met with Trump due to people being 'really scared'. 'The way I look at it is people are really scared, that's one of the reasons we went in there. People are really scared about Trump's comments about political adversaries. A lot of people are scared because of what has happened with abortion.' But on November 18, they revealed during their show that they met with Trump over the weekend in Florida. Brzezinski said at the time they decided to reach out to Trump for 'the opportunity to speak with the President-elect, himself' because their viewers have expressed fear following Trump's election. Scarborough was making light of Boebert's ejection from a Denver performance of Beetlejuice: The Musical for lewd behavior But their action has received harsh pushback with them defending themselves for the move ever since. 'People who are fearful and concerned, let me tell you something, we should have no fear,' Scarborough declared during his 20-minute rant Thursday. 'We should be deeply, deeply concerned about the constitutional norms,' he added. Scarborough said they should do everything they can to encourage Republican senators to 'hold the line against nominees that would destroy the Pentagon, that would destroy the intel community.' He argued they need to 'keep fighting' and 'have no fear, show no fear.' But he claimed when they get to a state in media culture where civility is confused with fear 'then we're in trouble.' Scarborough claimed he's sick and tired of the 'nonsense' and wished they could just 'get to work.' Brzezinski repeated again their meeting with Trump was 'not kissing the ring' but a serious meeting and them doing their job. Jay-Z faces mounting criticism after he released a scathing statement in response to allegations that he and Sean 'Diddy ' Combs raped a woman when she was 13-years-old in 2000. In the latest episode of DailyMail.com's podcast, 'The Trial of Diddy', attorney Lisa Bloom said the '99 Problems' rapper - whose real name is Shawn Carter - turned the case into a 'sideshow' when he decided to go after Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the alleged victim. 'Let's keep in mind that Jay-Z is a billionaire who I'm sure has the high-priced lawyers, publicists and crisis management team,' said Bloom. 'I think it's a sideshow strategy to go after the lawyer and not the woman accusing him.' Jay-Z and Diddy have been accused of raping a woman when she was 13-years-old during an VMA after party in September 7, 2000. Both have denied the allegations Attorney Lisa Bloom called rappers Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Sean 'Diddy' Combs 'billionaire bullies' who are pushing the courts to order alleged victims to reveal their identities Jay-Z called Buzbee an 'ambulance chaser in a cheap suit' who attempted to extort and blackmail him. The suit against the two rap moguls is part of a wave of sexual assault lawsuits levied against Combs while he remains in custody at a Brooklyn jail awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. In the December 8 statement, Jay-Z said: 'These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! 'Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? 'These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.' He continued, 'This lawyer, who I have done a bit of research on, seems to have a pattern of these type of theatrics! 'I have no idea how you have come to be such a deplorable human Mr. Buzbee, but I promise you I have seen your kind many times over. 'I'm more than prepared to deal with your type.' Jay-Z's statement was released after he initially filed a complaint anonymously against Buzbee. Jay-Z (center) filed a motion December 9 to deny the plaintiff's request to remain anonymous, calling for either her identity to be disclosed or the suit to be dismissed The '99 Problems' rapper released this scathing statement after he was publicly named in the lawsuit The accuser, who identifies herself as Jane Doe in the legal documents reviewed by DailyMail.com, says the assault took place at a party after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. The lawsuit had initially been filed in New York's Southern District this past October against Combs, with a refiling on Sunday naming Jay-Z, 55. Bloom, who is representing two alleged victims in separate civil cases against Combs, said this 'tactic' was tone deaf. 'He didn't use his real name and now he criticizes the accuser - his accuser - of not using her real name,' Bloom pointed out. 'So there is some hypocrisy there.' Bloom also said Buzbee has done what she and other attorneys do regularly, which is to reach out to a possible defendant to settle the case in mediation rather than going to court. 'There's nothing illegal about it,' Bloom said. 'In fact, it's favored by the courts because courts want settlements because courts are very clogged and busy and can't possibly resolve all the cases that are before them.' Jay-Z accused attorney Tony Buzbee of extortion. Buzbee is representing the woman who claim Jay-Z and Diddy raped her when she was a teen while another unnamed female celebrity watched She added, 'Extortion is not threatening to file a lawsuit unless somebody pays you money. 'So unless there's something else that went on in the conversations with the lawyer and Jay-Z's team that I don't know about, that's not public yet, I don't think that case is going anywhere. I do think the case against Jay-Z, brought on behalf of the woman will go forward.' In a statement, Buzbee called Jay-Z's team is 'desperate, shrill and seemingly out of control' and 'each allegation they have manufactured to date is an effort to divert attention to the serious allegations made by clients.' The Texas attorney added: 'If someone calls our intake group and has a viable case that we believe has merit and we can pursue we will pursue it. 'We are currently pursuing hundreds of cases against individuals and entities other than P Diddy. What we wont do is pursue a case that we dont believe has merit.' Bloom said if the civil case against Jay-Z and Diddy were to move forward, it would be a huge development. 'It would be significant, very big for the current case because that would show a pattern,' the attorney said. One of Bloom's high-profile clients, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard, claims Diddy 'manipulated' her with promises that he would help her music career. In her complaint, Richard claimed that Combs entered her dressing room located at his recording studio when she was fully undressed. She claimed that the music artist placed his hands on her breasts and buttocks. Jay-Z said he is 'only heartbreak' is for his family, including his mega star wife Beyonce (center), as he faces serious allegations Bloom said while it was a hard decision for Richard to come forward publicly, it is oftentimes difficult for most victims. Bloom added Jay-Z's insistence to 'out' the alleged victim is also 'bad optics' because the plaintiff is required to reveal their name to the defense - making it unnecessary for names to be released publicly, and only made Carter look like a 'billionaire bully'. 'Well, their real purpose is to embarrass and humiliate the victim,' Bloom said. 'They're going to do anything they can to do that and hope that the victim will just drop the case. Bloom added: '[Jay-Z] might be innocent. He might be guilty. I don't know. I'm not making that call, but I do know that he is a very wealthy and privileged guy. 'And to say, like, I'm just a regular guy from Brooklyn when we're talking about a billionaire, it's a little much for me.' For all the latest updates on this story, listen to The Trial of Diddy - available wherever you get your podcasts now. A fed-up Aussie renter has shared the bizarre excuse her landlord gave to avoid replacing mould-covered shower tiles. Mai shared the frustrating exchange she had with her landlord after she notified them of the mould issue in a post to Reddit on Tuesday. 'I moved into a new apartment a couple of weeks ago and noticed some mould in the shower area and bathroom titles,' she explained. 'I included the issue in the condition report of the property two days after I moved in.' Mai shared a photo of her bathroom, which revealed mould covering some of the tiles on the floor and the walls of the shower. She told her landlord that she suffers from multiple health issues and was worried about the effect the mould would have on her immune system. But the landlord hit back, claiming the mould was a 'pre-existing' issue and that discolouration was 'commonly seen in older bathrooms'. 'As per our previous email, this won't be looked into currently though possibly in the future as this requires re-grouting and is currently partly embedded in grout,' the email from her landlord read. The renter uploaded a picture of the shower area which showed mould on the floor and walls The mould was identified by the landlord as a 'pre-existing' issue in this email (pictured) However, Mai was left confused when the landlord confirmed it would not be getting fixed Mai said she had hired a professional to examine the substance on the tiles and they had confirmed it was mould. Despite the independent review the landlord still refused to acknowledge the problem and again emailed to 'confirm' the problem wouldn't be fixed. 'Can confirm this won't be getting repaired,' the landlord wrote in their last email. Mai said she was confused by the responses and why the issue hadn't been fixed. 'I don't understand the change of answers, I think she got annoyed at me for 'rushing' her? This is my first time on a lease and Im unsure of my rights,' she wrote. Several Aussies shared similar experiences with landlords. 'I had this one when I was down in Canberra. They told me it would be a while before they could send someone out to fix it,' one person wrote. 'My landlord once came to fix the hole next to the air conditioner himself because I complained about it so many times and no one would fix it,' another said. . Many Aussies shared their own landlord woes (pictured, a unit block in Perth) Others urged Mai to contact the Civil and Administrative Tribunal in her state to have the issue resolved. 'Put in [a] request for repairs form asap they have to fix it as it's minimum standards and they aren't allowed to rent or renew a lease if minimum standards aren't met,' one said. Landlords across Australia have various responsibilities, which includes addressing any health risks such as mould in a timely manner. They must also maintain the property's structure and exterior and ensure all appliances are working. Each state and territory have their own residential tenancy legislation and governing agencies that enforce the rights and responsibilities of landlords. Tenants can take legal action if their landlord fails to comply with their request to have mould removed from the property. Israel has lambasted the 'extreme anti-Israeli position' of the Aussie Labor government and claimed it is inciting attacks on Jews much like Hamas and Iran. Israeli Government spokesperson David Mencer made the comments on Friday in reaction to the news of Australia's vote in favour of a United Nations resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza a day earlier. The 193-member United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza with 153 members in supporting, 10 against - including the United States - and 23 abstaining. In the wake of the vote, Mr Mencer blamed the Anthony Albanese government for anti-Semitic attacks in Australia, such as the one on the Adass Israel Synagogue last week. 'Israel does believe that it is impossible to separate the reprehensible act of burning down a synagogue for heaven's sake, from the extreme anti-Israeli position of your Labor government in Australia,' he told Sky News Australia. 'Anti-Israel sentiment coming from the Labor government is leading to anti-Semitism. Anti-Israel rhetoric leads to attacks on Jews. 'It's incitement, it's actually what Hamas and Iran are also engaged in. Incitement against the Jewish state leads to physical attacks on Jews.' Mr Mencer said that although Albanese had recently condemned anti-Semitic attacks in Melbourne and Sydney, the Israeli government had not changed its view of Australia. David Mencer said the Labor government's anti-Israel position is leading to attacks on Jews 'The proof is in the pudding and the votes yesterday at the United Nations, breaking that bipartisan consensus in Australia, it's about incitement. 'We here in Israel are fighting a battle against barbarism, and Australia should be an ally in that battle. 'We're winning here. Iran has been exposed, their air defences have been destroyed, their proxies have been pushed back. 'Hezbollah have been taken back decades. Assad in Syria who was responsible for 500,000 deaths. 'We're winning here in Israel and we want Australia to celebrate that success, because our success is your success in Australia as well.' On Thursday, Mr Albanese said in a joint statement with his counterparts from NZ and Canada that Australia supports the creation of a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip but Hamas must give up its weapons. 'We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza,' the statement released said. 'The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians.' On Thursday, Mr Albanese said that Australia supports the creation of a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip Mr Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said any ceasefire 'cannot be one-sided'. 'Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields and lay down its arms,' they said. Sydney saw a spate of anti-Semitic attacks in Woollahra last month, in which graffiti was sprayed on cars and buildings, including celebrity chef Matt Moran's Chiswick restaurant, and one car was torched. Since then there have been two more attacks, one involving the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 as Jews gathered to pray, injuring one person, and another graffiti and car fire attack in Woollahra on December 11. The arson of the Adass Israel Synagogue has been declared an act of terrorism as police continue to hunt three suspects. Health authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza say the death toll from Israel's offensive has passed 18,000. Foreign Minister Penny Wong is expected to visit Israel and other countries in the Middle East in January. Anti-tourism campaigners in Rome are sabotaging Airbnbs, making the Italian city the latest tourist hotspots where locals hit back at visitors. The anonymous protesters calling themselves 'Robin Hood' have used glue to sabotage key boxes to Airbnbs in the historic Trastevere district of Rome, which has seen an increase in apartments being rented out to tourists. The glue left the boxes unable to be opened. On top of the sabotaged locks, campaigners attached stickers with a Robin Hood hat. 'We are sabotaging the symptoms of an unjust society. A home is a right, not a goose that lays golden eggs,' the said. 'Rents are rising and the number of people being evicted [from rental properties] is skyrocketing,' the activists said in a statement shared by local media. The rise of companies like Airbnb has seen some landlords move away from renting to residents in favour of letting out rooms or apartments to short-stay visitors. This reduces the overall supply of housing, pushing up the cost of rent. The activists said rents had risen 'exponentially' in recent years. 'This is only our first action against the Holy Year of the rich,' their letters previously left in the city read. More than 35million tourists visited Rome last year, making it a record year and all-time high in attendance. The anonymous protesters calling themselves 'Robin Hood' have used glue to sabotage key boxes to Airbnbs in the historic Trastevere district of Rome (file image of key boxes in Trastevere) The 'Robin Hood' activists previously pulled off several safes from properties in Rome, denying travellers access to their holiday lets Next year, Rome and Vatican City will also host its jubilee 'Holy Year', expected to attract some 30 million visitors from around the world and piling extra pressure onto locals. 'Let's sabotage the Jubilee of the rich. Let's build the Jubilee of the poor together,' the activists urged locals. The 'Robin Hood' activists also left instructions for residents on how to sabotage key boxes themselves, either with glue or a wrench, urging them to 'leave behind a symbol of Robin Hood such as a cap or a feather'. They previously pulled off several safes from properties in Rome, denying travellers access to their holiday lets. Letters were attached to lampposts around the city under Robin Hood felt hats, describing the vandalism in October as 'the first' attack on 'the rich'. 'If you are looking for the key safes and can't find them, read this. We are rebelling,' a note read, shared by local media. 'We have removed these key storage boxes to denounce the sell-out of the city to short-stay holidays which alienate locals and leave residents out on the streets.' Campaigners in Milan have also accused Airbnb of driving up the rent and pricing locals out of tourist hotspots in the city. Their slogan 'This city is not a hotel' gained hundreds of likes on social media. The protest by group Chiediamo Casa saw locals affix stickers reading 'Less short lets, more houses for all' to key safes - which allow tourists access to their rented accommodation - outside Airbnbs. 'Let's limit tourist rentals, let's protest those who want to expel us from the city with unsustainable rents for inaccessible houses,' the campaigners wrote in a call for action early November. Locals in Milan and Florence have launched a protest against Airbnb by placing stickers over key boxes that allow tourists access to their rented accommodation The protest by group Chiediamo Casa saw locals affix stickers reading 'Less short lets, more houses for all' to key safes - which allow tourists access to their rented accommodation - outside Airbnbs Their slogan 'This city is not a hotel' has already gained attention on social media 'We want a city for all and the right to live in dignified housing,' their statement said. 'We really wish tourists well but want them to stay in hotels,' campaigner Giacomo Negri told the Times. He added that the key boxes were a symbol for short lets having changed from residents renting out their spare room to companies running multiple apartments. In Florence, where nearly a third of the city's flats are listed on Airbnb, protesters used stickers with the slogan 'Let's save Florence so we can live in it'. Earlier this month, Italy announced that it will ban Airbnb metal key boxes in the country's latest move to clampdown on over-tourism. Authorities ruled earlier this month that tourists must now meet the property owner in person to verify their identity. The ban, which will come into effect next year, has been introduced for 'reasons of national security'. Vittorio Pisani, the national head of police, said the crackdown will help authorities keep tabs on 'dangerous people' or those 'linked to terrorist organisations'. Earlier this month, Italy announced that it will ban Airbnb metal key boxes in the country's latest move to clampdown on over-tourism Members of social centers confront police officers during a demonstration in Piazzale Roma against the introduction of an entrance fee to the city for day-trippers, in Venice, 25 April Protesters in Barcelona this summer squirted water guns at tourists eating in popular spots in the city Italian authorities are concerned that terrorists have started renting properties online using forged documents that are not being checked. 'The need has arisen to implement stringent measures aimed at preventing threats to public order and safety linked to the possible housing of dangerous persons involved in criminal or terrorist organisations,' Pisani said. The ban is also understood to be a direct response to the surge in the number of short-term rentals such as Airbnb across Italy. This comes after a summer of fierce backlash against tourists in Mediterranean hotspots, with locals decrying what they see as lax regulation on tourist accommodation that has made it more difficult to find affordable housing. Spain saw the brunt of conflict on the issue this summer, with anti-tourism protesters going so far as to spray visitors with water as they dined out on popular streets. Under the slogan 'Enough! Let's put limits on tourism', some 2,800 people - according to police - marched along a waterfront district of Barcelona to demand a new economic model that would reduce the millions of tourists that visit every year. Protesters carried signs reading 'Barcelona is not for sale,' and, 'Tourists go home,' before some used water guns on tourists eating outdoors. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance invited Daniel Penny to attend Saturday's Army-Navy game, who will join President-elect Donald Trump in his suite. Trump's Defense secretary pick, former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, is also expected to attend, Fox reported Friday. NOTUS reported Friday on Vance's invitation, which came after Penny was acquitted on a criminally negligent homicide charge by a Manhattan jury on Tuesday. Conservatives have cheered Penny's acquittal, pushing that the Marine veteran was a good Samaritan when he put 30-year-old Jordan Neely in a chokehold on the New York City subway. 'Daniel's a good guy, and New York's mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone,' Vance posted to X Friday. 'I'm grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he's able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.' At the same time, liberal New Yorkers protested after the verdict, pushing that justice had not been served by allowing a white man to get away with a black man's death. Penny, a four-year veteran of the Marines is white, while Neely, a former street performer, who had schizophrenia and synthetic marijuana in his system, was black. On May 1, 2023, Penny put Neely in a chokehold for about six minutes after Neely had an outburst that frightened other subway riders. Daniel Penny sat down with Judge Jeanine Pirro for a Fox Nation interview on Tuesday after being acquitted on a criminally negligent homicide charge by a Manhattan jury. He was invited to attend Saturday's Army-Navy game with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance Vice President-elect J.D. Vance confirmed he had invited Daniel Penny to the Army-Navy game in an X post Friday morning On Tuesday he sat down for a Fox Nation interview with Judge Jeanine Pirro - his first extensive comments after the acquittal - and said he was 'not a confrontational person' but was worried someone would get hurt when Neely entered his subway car and began acting erratically. 'Ill take a million court appearances and people calling me names and people hating me, just to keep one of those people from getting hurt or killed,' Penny said. He added 'the guilt I would have felt if someone did get hurt, if he did do what he was threatening to do.' Penny told Pirro he was in a 'very vulnerable position' as he held Neely down on the subway floor. 'If I just let him go, Im on my back now, he could just turn around and start doing what he said to me ... killing, hurting,' Penny said. Along with the racial divisions, allies of Trump were skeptical of the case due to it being brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office also charged Trump in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. Penny called New York City officials 'self-serving' in his sit-down with Pirro. 'These are their policies that clearly have not worked,' he said, adding that 'their egos are too big just to admit that theyre wrong.' QUESTION: Is the Cueva de las Manos in Argentina fake? Cueva de las Manos (Cave of the Hands) is an archaeological site comprising some of the worlds most remarkable and well-preserved prehistoric rock art. It features more than 2,000 white, red, black, purple and yellow stencilled handprints dating back 9,000 years. The stunning vibrant colours on show have led to suggestions that they are fake but this is not the case. Within the cave, there are also images of hunting parties, animals including rheas (flightless birds), guanacos (llama-like animals) and cats, as well as geometric shapes and representations of the sun. In 1964, Argentine archaeologist Carlos Gradin began the most substantial research on the site which lasted for three decades. Gradins team identified five separate stylistic sequences in the cave. The research has been verified by carbon dating. The pigments, made primarily from natural minerals iron oxides (red and purple), natrojarosite (yellow), kaolin (white) and manganese oxide (black) further support the sites dating to around 7,000 BC. Keith Jones, Gaddesby, Leics Question Which is the worlds largest oilfield? How did it form? The Ghawar oilfield, stretching 174 miles in length and 25 miles across, to encompass 1.3 million acres, is by far the worlds largest oil reservoir. Cueva de las Manos (Cave of the Hands) is an archaeological site comprising some of the worlds most remarkable and well-preserved prehistoric rock art. It features more than 2,000 white, red, black, purple and yellow stencilled handprints dating back 9,000 years It is situated along the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. Discovered in 1948 and brought into production in 1951, it originally held around 170 billion barrels of oil. The field currently produces about 2.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 3.8 million barrels of oil a day and is estimated to account for about six per cent of the worlds total daily crude oil output. The formation of Ghawar, like other conventional oilfields, can be traced to the mid-Jurassic era, 175 million to 160 million years ago, when the region was near the equator and covered by shallow seas. Organic matter accumulated on the seabed and over time was buried under sediments, subjected to heat and pressure, and transformed into hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons became trapped beneath impermeable rock layers, creating a massive reservoir. Ghawars unique geological conditions, such as its large anticline (where layers of rock have folded into an arch-like shape, trapping the oil) contributed to its enormous size and productivity, making it a cornerstone of global oil production for decades. The Burgan field in Kuwait is the second largest oilfield in the world. Dr Ken Warren, Glasgow Tomorrow's questions Q: How did the poinsettia become associated with the Christmas season? Kristin Hall, Heswall, Wirral Q: What in linguistics is meant by stunt words, ghost words and pseudowords? Hilary Caine, East Leake, Notts Q: Aside from Churchill, have any British prime ministers fought in a battle? David Brown, Holmfirth, West Yorks Advertisement QUESTION: What is the story of the Scottish Womens Hospitals for Foreign Service, which operated in the First World War? The Scottish Womens Hospitals for Foreign Service (SWH) was founded in 1914 by womens suffrage activist and surgeon Dr Elsie Inglis (1864-1917). A well-supported fundraising campaign, in partnership with the National Union of Womens Suffrage Societies, allowed women to go to treat soldiers fighting the war, which they could not do with the Royal Army Medical Corps, which was a male preserve. Dr Inglis offered the services of the SWH to the War Office but was rebuffed. My good lady, go home and sit still, she was told. Working closely with the French Red Cross, the SWH established its first 200-bed hospital at Royaumont Abbey, 25 miles north of Paris. The SWH went on to operate 14 medical facilities across France, Corsica, Malta, Romania, Russia, Salonika and Serbia. In keeping with the aims of womens suffrage, the majority of staff and volunteers were women. They were recruited not only as doctors and nurses but also as orderlies, drivers, cooks and administrators. By the end of 1918, around 1,500 women had served with the SWH. It is not known how many military personnel and civilians were treated by the hospitals, but the estimate is in the hundreds of thousands. While many volunteers went home at the end of the war, some, such as Dr Katherine Stewart MacPhail (1888-1974), stayed behind to continue to provide medical services. She opened the first childrens hospital in Serbia and worked in the country until she retired to Scotland. Isabel Emslie Hutton (1887-1960) went to Crimea to care for refugees from the Russian Civil War she housed almost 140,000 refugees and orphaned children, evacuating many to Constantinople (Istanbul). After working extensively on the Serbian front, Dr Inglis died of cancer in November 1917. She was not to see out the end of the war. Bob Cubitt, Northampton It is, according to the familiar Christmas carol, of particular significance on the second day of Christmas. But a new study shows that the turtle dove is verging on extinction in the UK following a 98 per cent decline in numbers over the past three decades. Numbers here are now at historical lows, down to just over 2,092 of the birds left in the wild, according to a report from the governments Joint Nature Conservation Committee. The JNCC collects statistics on UK breeding bird species along with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology. The population trend for Turtle Dove in the UK is one of sharp decline, with a 98 per cent reduction since 1994, the report said. Of the 119 species monitored by BBS, Turtle Dove shows the largest UK decline of any species over the period of monitoring. Yet all may not be lost. Conservationists now hope that the dove could soon start recovering in numbers in the UK, due to a ban on hunting the birds in western Europe in France, Spain and Portugal which began in 2021. Prior to 2018, around one million turtle doves were being hunted each autumn across these three countries alone. A new study shows that the turtle dove is verging on extinction in the UK following a 98 per cent decline in numbers over the past three decades (Stock image) Numbers here are now at historical lows, down to just over 2,092 of the birds left in the wild, according to a report from the governments Joint Nature Conservation Committee (Stock image) Now numbers in western Europe are bouncing back, with a study this year estimating that the population of breeding pairs has risen by 25 per cent - 400,000 breeding pairs - to 1.96million breeding pairs of the birds. Rick Bayne, Senior Project Manager of Operation Turtle Dove at the RSPB, which is dedicated to the birds recovery said, The recent increase in Turtle Dove numbers across western Europe as a whole is really exciting news, making our conservation efforts here in the UK for these birds all the more worthwhile. Mr Bayne said that 2024 was the fourth year of no hunting in France, Spain and Portugal; the same countries through which all Turtle Doves breeding in Western Europe included all that breed in the UK migrate. This means that now is the time to really double-down on our efforts and make sure we provide even more nesting and feeding habitat in the UK so that more and more of us can enjoy the summer purring call of this wonderful bird. The RSPB said that as a result of the hunting ban, more turtle doves are predicted to reach the UK, where they will raise more chicks of their own to boost numbers. The recovery wave of turtle doves will take time to reach the UK, as it is at the northern edge of the western European population, but the RSPB predicts reach us it will. Turtle dove numbers fell in the UK due to a loss of farmland habitat features such as tall wide hedgerows and wildflower meadows - but work by farmers in the UK to restore such features could provide more places for the birds to nest. The birds spend their winters in Africa, and fly across sub-Saharan Africa towards France, Spain and Portugal in the spring. They have been associated with the festive period since arund 1780 when the best-known version of The Twelve Days of Christmas first emerged. In the song, the narrators true love presents a gift of a pair of the birds on the second day of Christmas. Dr Guy Anderson, Migratory Birds Programme Manager from the RSPB said work by farmers and others to restore nature means we can look forward to watching the UK breeding population recovering too. There was something appropriate about Peter Dutton releasing the costings of his nuclear power grand vision on Friday the 13th. The date is known for bad luck. In Christianity it is associated with the Last Supper, when Judas, the 13th guest, betrayed Jesus, resulting in his crucifixion on a Friday. Will Duttons nuclear policy result in his political crucifixion? While the vision is grand it is also a big target strategy, which usually doesnt work from opposition. Just ask Bill Shorten who found a way to lose the unloseable 2019 election spruiking big policy ideas. Dutton says his nuclear policy will cost $331billion over 25 years. Labor claims the real figure is closer to $600bn. Irrespective of where the truth lies, Duttons policy gives Labor something it can target. It gives a tangible reason for the ALP to mount a negative scare campaign that demonises the risks attached to electing Dutton as Prime Minister. For his part, the Opposition Leader is using his nuclear policy to do two things: achieve the promised net zero emissions target way off on the horizon, and to create a secure energy pathway at a time when many Australians are being asked to turn off appliances so the electricity grid doesnt break. There was something appropriate about Peter Dutton releasing the costings of his nuclear power grand vision on Friday the 13th, writes Political Editor Peter van Onselen With a predicted hot summer to precede the next federal election, Dutton appears to be banking on problems with the energy grid that will raise doubts about whether renewables as an alternative to coal can keep the lights on. Of course this whole debate is more about politics and rhetorical positioning than it is about policy. In the ordinary course of events Dutton should have announced plans to properly assess the viability (or otherwise) of going nuclear after he wins the next election. That would have been a responsible course of action, even if it sounds a little wishy washy. Political parties need the machinery of government to properly study, cost and plan major policy initiatives such as taking the nation nuclear. But Dutton wants to appear strong and build on the contrast of how voters view him compared with Albo. Decisive compared with weak was the finding of the last Newspoll, a terrible contrast for Anthony Albanese to be sure. While the showdown over whether Australia should embrace nuclear energy will be superficial as the next election looms large, its probably a debate about nothing anyway. The scare campaign got off to an early start in June when Anthony Albanese's allies tried to demonise nuclear power with memes such as this Another union shared this image of a post-nuclear dystopia Why? Because even if Dutton wins the next election he would likely do so as a minority government, beholden to Teals in the lower house and Greens in the Senate. It is hard to envisage either of these groupings giving nuclear power a big tick. That's ironic, given that it is a guaranteed pathway to net zero emissions, which Teals and Greens endlessly spruik the importance of achieving. Teals and Greens won't take the risk of Australia going nuclear. Never mind that we already have a nuclear powered research facility in Sydney and plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines in the decades ahead. For some reason Australia has long been stuck in the past when it comes to nuclear energy. The rest of the world embraced it decades ago, but we have always demonised it. Dutton is trying to change that, which is risky business indeed. It may also be too late to do so with sound economic underpinnings. The only way to find that out with certainty is to assess the viability of going nuclear after Dutton wins an election arguing for it. But by then hell have already committed to the energy transition, whether its prudent to pursue or not. Now that the costings have been released, expect Labor to try and zero in on the issue, as a pathway to improving its recently declining political fortunes. Kurtis Alexander is an enterprise reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle, with a focus on natural resources and the environment. He frequently writes about water, wildfire, climate and the American West. His recent work has examined the impacts of drought, threats to public lands and wildlife, and the nations widening rural-urban divide. Before joining the Chronicle, Alexander worked as a freelance writer and as a staff reporter for several media organizations, including The Fresno Bee and Bay Area News Group, writing about government, politics and the environment. The impact of the Governments plan to build 1.5 million new homes risks being wiped out by high levels of migration. Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner yesterday pledged to provide the new homes during this Parliament, which is due to run for five years. But according to projections by Oxford Universitys Migration Observatory, net migration will amount to almost 1.7 million over that period. Calculations suggest net migration the difference between those coming to live long-term in the UK and those emigrating will settle to 337,000 a year. That would give a total of 1,685,000 over the course of this parliament. Not all immigrants would require their own homes because many live in shared accommodation or move in with family members already living in Britain, for example. But the scale of total net migration over the period suggests the Governments 1.5 million pledge will have significantly less effect on housing shortages as Britains population expands. The Migration Observatory stressed its figure is based on current data and is not a forecast of what will actually happen, because migration levels can be unpredictable. But its director Madeleine Sumption said the figure was unlikely to change dramatically unless the Government introduces major changes to border controls. Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner yesterday pledged to provide the new homes during this Parliament, which is due to run for five years But according to projections by Oxford University s Migration Observatory, net migration will amount to almost 1.7 million over that period. Pictured: Angela Rayner Without significant intervention there is no reason to assume that it would fall any lower than 300,000 a year, she said. The Office for National Statistics published upgraded figures last month showing net migration hit a record 2.2 million over the past three years, including 906,000 in the 12 months to June 2023. In January the ONS published figures which suggested net migration would be 315,000 a year from mid-2028 onwards. In the Commons yesterday, shadow housing spokesman Kevin Hollinrake was lambasted by Labour MPs after he said most homes built under the Governments target would go to migrants coming to the UK. The majority of the homes they deliver will be required for people coming in to this country rather than for British citizens, the Tory frontbencher said. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook branded Mr Hollinrakes comments as scaremongering. He knows as well as I do that the majority of homes developers sell in this country are to British nationals, the minister said. Hes scaremongering. Its beneath him. Meanwhile, separate data published yesterday showed Labour continues to benefit from visa reforms introduced by the Conservatives earlier this year. The number of granted visas fell due to restrictions including barring most care workers and students from bringing family members to the UK, and raising salary thresholds. The number of health and care worker visas was down 83 per cent between April and November, compared with the same period last year. Police in San Francisco had apparently recognized Luigi Mangione as the accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson days before he was arrested in Pennsylvania. An officer in the police department's Special Victims Unit was combing through surveillance images the New York Police Department released of the suspected killer, and recognized him as Mangione on December 5 - just one day after the shooting, police sources told the San Francisco Chronicle. The officer had been looking into Mangione's disappearance since his mother, Kathleen, reported him missing in mid-November. She claimed she had not spoken to her son since July 1, and noted that he worked for San Francisco-based TrueCar, an online automotive marketplace - apparently not realizing he had been laid off in 2023. Upon recognizing the suspect, the suspect is said to have called the FBI and provide the bureau with Mangione's name - despite law enforcement officials later saying the 26-year-old was not on their radar until his arrest in Pennsylvania on Monday. He was taken into custody on firearm charges that day after stopping at a McDonald's in Altoona for a bite to eat, where a customer also recognized him. Mangione was said to have had a 3D-printed pistol and black silencer loaded with one Glock magazine comprising six 9mm full-metal jacket rounds that the NYPD has said matched those of bullets found at the scene of Thompson's assassination. The suspect also reportedly had a manifesto outlining his grievances against UnitedHealthcare after suffering a debilitating back injury which required painful spinal surgery. A San Francisco police officer reportedly recognized Luigi Mangione, 26, as the suspect in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson days before his arrest in Pennsylvania The officer reportedly called the FBI and gave them Mangione's name just one day after the shooting in midtown Manhattan 'To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't working with anyone. This was fairly trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, [and] a lot of patience,' he allegedly wrote in the manifesto, according to the Daily Beast. He went on to say he had 'respect' for federal investigators, and apologized for causing any 'traumas,' but seemed to defend his alleged actions. 'Frankly these parasites had it coming,' the manifesto wrote. It claimed that the United States had the 'most expensive healthcare system in the world,' but blasted the system for making America only the 42nd in life expectancy. Police now say they have 'no indication' to suggest Mangione was ever a client of the insurance company. Chief Joseph Kelly, though, noted to NBC New York that the manifesto 'does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. 'So that's possibly why he targeted the company,' Kelly suggested. The officer recognized Mangione from surveillance images the NYPD released Mangione was ultimately located at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday Mangione appeared in court on Tuesday to face the Pennsylvania gun charges, where he had a ferocious public meltdown hours earlier. The orange jumpsuit-clad suspect had to be restrained as he screamed at police while heading into court. His lawyer, Thomas Dickey, has since claimed Mangione was 'agitated' that he did not have legal representation at the time. Dickey has also said his client will plead not guilty to the homicide charges in New York and the gun charges in Pennsylvania - as he continues to fight extradition to the Big Apple. But former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly told Fox News on Thursday he expects the 26-year-old will 'make a show trial out of this' case when he ultimately does come to New York. 'He is a very intelligent guy, but he wasn't aware of what law enforcement could do these days as far as tracking his path,' Kelly said, noting that 'in 10 hours time, the NYPD had his uncovered face picture distributed throughout the world. 'It's very difficult to figure out what this individual had in his head,' Kelly continued. 'But obviously, he's going to - I think, make a show trial out of this. 'He is going to want to have a stage and that is what we will see, I think, in New York County when he ultimately gets to New York,' the former police commissioner concluded. It is believed he targeted Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, due to the insurance company's size The McDonald's in Altoona has had to increase its security since Mangione was arrested Mangione is now due back in court on December 30, when a judge will consider multiple writ of habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of the suspect and impose a bail. In the meantime, the Altoona McDonald's has had to beef up its security, with two private security guards stationed at the fast food joint on Wednesday. The increased security came just one day after Altoona Police Deputy Chief Derek Swope told reporters that officers and citizens in the community have received threats following Mangione's arresst. 'This is clearly a very polarized case,' he said. 'You know, we have received some threats against our officers in [the] building here. 'We've started investigating some threats against some citizens in our community,' Swope added, assuring the public: 'We're taking all those threats seriously and doing all we can with those.' Elon Musk has set out to turn the Texas site of his company's headquarters into its own city. The 53-year-old billionaire announced he would move the SpaceX headquarters to the Lone Star State over California's new gender identity laws earlier this year. He said SpaceX's main office would move to an existing facility called Starbase located the in southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, near the Mexican border. Musk's company submitted a letter to local officials on Thursday to start the process of getting residents in the area to vote on turning Starbase into an incorporated city. 'To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,' the letter said. 'That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley.' Musk embraced the idea writing on X, 'SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas!' The billionaire moved to the Lone Star state in 2020 after living in California for two decades, before relocating his company. Elon Musk has set out to turn the Texas site of SpaceX's Starbase facility (pictured) into its own city Recently, President-elect Donald Trump joined Musk for a rocket launch at the SpaceX headquarters in Texas SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas! https://t.co/zpN4t3mJQT Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 13, 2024 Musk has been manifesting the idea's potential since proposing the idea in 2021 when he wrote a social media post that simply said, 'Creating the city of Starbase, Texas.' Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., the county's top elected official, said despite the talks of incorporation in 2021, this was the first time a petition was officially filed. 'Our legal and elections administration will review the petition, see whether or not it complied with all of the statutory requirements and then we'll go from there,' Trevino said. More than 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors work at the Starbase site, according to a local impact study issued by Trevino earlier this year. SpaceX's rapid expansion in the region has drawn pushback from some locals. Earlier this year, a group called Save RGV sued the company in July over allegations of environmental violations and dumping polluted water into the nearby bay. SpaceX said in response that a state review found no environmental risks and called the lawsuit 'frivolous.' Recently, President-elect Donald Trump joined Musk for a rocket launch at the SpaceX headquarters. The president-elect, 78, listened intently as the Tesla billionaire explained how his rockets work before watching the largest in his fleet take off on the horizon. Trump's granddaughter Kai posted a video from the launch that included Trump asking Musk if a rocket booster that fell into the Gulf of Mexico could be reused SpaceX's main office moved to an existing facility called Starbase located the in southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, near the Mexican border Wearing a red MAGA hat and surrounded by Republican Senators Ted Cruz, Bill Haggerty, Kevin Cramer and Rep. Ronny Jackson, he glared at the horizon as the starship shot upwards. Granddaughter Kai posted a video from the launch that included Trump asking Musk if a rocket booster that fell into the Gulf of Mexico could be reused. An exacerbated Musk could be seen visibly frustrated about seven-and-a-half-minutes into the video as he tried to explain how the destroyed booster could not be used again. 'We had some concerns about the tower so it was commanded to land out at sea,' Musk is seen telling a pouting Trump, 78, in the video posted by Kai. 'Can they use that again? Can they get it from the sea?' Trump asked as he stook alongside Musk and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Musk appears to do a double take before responding with: 'Uhh, it's going to be...it's...it's probably gonna blow up. That's my guess.' An electrician who was placed in a medically induced coma for weeks after a freak live wire accident requested 'Coca-Cola or Corona' when he woke up. Michael Papagno, 33, who also goes by Mike, was working on moving an 18-foot-tall and 136-foot-long storage unit from Portsmouth to southern New Hampshire on November 12 when he mistakenly touched a power line. While handling electric wires for a work project in Greenland, the giant shock shot through his body, leaving him with painful third-degree burns. He spent two-and-a-half weeks at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston in a coma, but on Friday, the father and husband woke up with his 'really big spirit' intact. 'He remembers everything right up until he was put to sleep,' Mike's brother Matthew told WMUR. Matthew said that by Sunday, his brother was already requesting his favorite snacks and drinks even though he can't enjoy them just yet. 'He's trying to bribe nurses to get Coca-Cola or Corona,' Matthew jokingly added. Despite all that Mike has been through, his brother said that he is still his funny self, and that more than anything, he wants to thank everyone who has supported him and his family during the horrific experience. Michael Papagno, 33, an electrician who was placed in a medically induced coma after being shocked by a live wire in a freak work accident, woke up on Friday Mike was working on moving an 18-foot-tall and 136-foot-long storage unit from Portsmouth to southern New Hampshire on November 12 when he mistakenly touched a power line - sending a shock through his body. (Pictured: Mike and his wife Andrea) 'Hes a funny person, just a really big spirit, big personality. And despite all these challenges, that has for sure not changed,' Matthew told the outlet. 'He just didnt think that many people in the world would think of him in this situation. And its all been really positive for him the last couple of days.' His wife, Andrea Papagno, has also shared her immense gratitude to those who have helped them stay in good spirits along the way. In a Facebook post from November 28, Andrea said: 'I have so much to be thankful for. I'm thankful Michael's alive, our daughter is healthy and for all of YOU.' A GoFundMe page set up to help the family pay for Michael's medical bills surpassed $187,680 as of Thursday evening. After being airlifted to the hospital, Michael was expected to be in a coma for three weeks. Matthew said that by Sunday, his brother (pictured) was already requesting his favorite snacks and drinks even though he can't enjoy them just yet He still has a long road to recovery ahead as he will need medical treatment for months to come. While in the coma, doctors performed several skin grafts to start treating his severe burns, and according to Andrea, he has since had six total skin grafts and seven surgeries. 'Were hoping this will be the last one for a while,' his wife wrote on Saturday. Other than asking for her favorite treats and being his normal happy self, Michael also made sure he caught up with his eight-month-old. 'He has been spending most of his time with his wife, and hearing about everything his daughter has been up to in the past few weeks,' according to the donation page. Mike's father Michael and his brother Matthew previously emphasized how much he adores his daughter. 'He has such a way with his baby,' Michael told WMUR. 'They FaceTime with several of us throughout the week, and it's always dinner time and bath time. Michael just goes on and on and on, and she reacts so well to him. It's nice to see.' While his family hoped for the best possible outcome, Mike's baby was seen holding her dad's necklace in her hand in a heartwarming photo shared by Andrea. While his family hoped for the best possible outcome, Mike's baby was seen holding her dad's necklace in her hand in a heartwarming photo shared by Andrea He still has a long road to recovery ahead as he will need medical treatment for at least three months 'I am speechless. Ill find the right words at some point but I am truly speechless. Thank you all for the love, support, donations and spreading his story,' she wrote at the time. Mike has been a member of the 103 Advantage, an electrical union based in Massachusetts, for 13 years. The electrical worker lived in Mansfield, Massachusetts, with his family for his entire life until he moved to Merrimack, New Hampshire two years ago. Bay Crane Northeast LLC had permission from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to move the equipment. The regional Occupational Safety and Health Administration office has launched a safety investigation into the incident, but it can be up to six months before any conclusions are drawn. Matthew said: 'To know Michael is to love Michael. My brother is the most fun, the loudest in the room, and the life of the party everywhere he goes. He is an amazing Dad, Uncle, Son, Brother and friend.' One of Google's billionaire founders is the latest tech giant to cozy up to Donald Trump, dining with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago home on Thursday night, according to multiple sources. It is a remarkable turnaround for Sergey Brin, who described Trump's 2016 win as 'deeply offensive.' But it shows how the online aristocracy is having to set aside their worries to grapple with a new reality. Details of his visit emerged hours after Facebook's parent company Meta and Amazon revealed they were giving $1million to Trump's inauguration fund. All of them are playing catch-up as Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, watches his fortune grow as he sits in on meetings at Trump's political headquarters. Google was one of the companies that Trump this year accused of being part of an election plot against him. A source familiar with Brin's visit told DailyMail.com that it was set up by Jessica Reed Kraus, an Instagram influencer known as HouseInhabit, who is close to the Brin family. 'It was Sergey who reached out and wanted to have dinner with Trump,' said the source. 'Of course Trump said yes. These are the biggest companies on the planet and he takes them very seriously. Google cofounder Sergey Brin became the latest tech mogul to seek out a meeting with Donald Trump, dining with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday night Trump was in New York during the day, where he rang the bell of the New York Stock Exchange Trump has been holed up at Mar-a-Lago, holding meetings and building his administration 'But you can bet he always was frank in telling them what he thinks of them.' Trump returned to his Palm Beach home on Thursday afternoon after visiting New York, where he was named Time Man of the Year. It was a rare public appearance. Trump has kept the media at bay since winning the election, forgoing publicity in favor building his administration, with dozens of meetings and personnel interviews every day. On Thursday evening, it was back to business with Brin, who is worth an estimated $146 billion. Brin was previously married to Nicole Shanahan, who went on to become Robert F. Kennedy's Jr.'s running mate. The Wall Street Journal reported that their marriage broke down after she had an affair with Trump's self-proclaimed 'first buddy' Musk, which could have made for an awkward atmosphere, although all parties deny it Brin's visit to Mar-a-Lago marks an extraordinary turnaround from Trump's last victory in 2016. Then Brin and other Google executives were caught on a video expressing their horror. Trump made clear his loathing of Google with this August post on Truth Social Elon Musk, Tesla founder, has been a frequent presence at Trump's side. Now other tech moguls are trying to play catch up as Trump prepares for office on January 20 Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is seen here meeting President Trump at the White House in 2019. He visited Mar-a-Lago last month 'As an immigrant and a refugee, I certainly find this election deeply offensive and I know many of you do, too,' Brin said. 'I think its a very stressful time. It conflicts with many of our values. Its a good time to reflect on that.' Trump filed lawsuits against Google and Meta in 2021, accusing them of censorship for banning him from social media platforms. And this year Trump threatened Google after reports surfaced that it allowed the Biden-Harris campaign to use doctored headlines in adverts. In a post on his Truth Social website, he said: 'Google is a Crooked, Election Interference Machine. Totally Illegal, they will pay a big price for what they are doing!' Brin is the latest tech mogul to make the visit to Mar-a-Lago. Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has been ever present at the president-elect's side, and coming out for Trump during the election. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook dined with Trump last month. And Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos is reportedly due to meet Trump next week. Squad member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave a surprisingly cold response to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The Democrat from New York argued that Americans 'feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them' as she spoke with CBS News about the reaction - and sometimes praise - for accused assassin Luigi Mangione. 'I think that this collective American experience, which is so twisted to have in the wealthiest nation in the world, all of that pain that people have experienced is being concentrated on this,' she told Jaala Brown on the steps of Congress. 'And it's really important that we take a step back. 'This is not to comment and this is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused, or is shocked, or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret, and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them. 'People go homeless over the financial devastation of a diagnosis that doesn't get addressed or the amount they're going to have to cover with a surprise bill and things like that. 'When we kind of talk about how systems are violent in this country, in this passive way, our privatized healthcare system is like that for a huge amount of Americans,' Ocasio-Cortez continued, noting that she did not even have health insurance until she was elected to Congress. Her comments came as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was forced to walk back her comments about the shooting. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued that Americans 'feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them' as she spoke with CBS News about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson AOC to @BrownJaala on the murder of Brian Thompson This is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that ppl interpret and feel & experience denied claims as an act of violence... pic.twitter.com/52aIINUDlH Alan He (@alanhe) December 12, 2024 'Violence is never the answer, but people can be pushed only so far,' Warren said on MSNBC Tuesday night. 'This is a warning that if you push people hard enough, they lose fait in the ability of their government to make change, lose faith in the ability of the people who are providing the health care to make change, and start to take matters into their own hands in ways that will ultimately be a threat to everyone.' Conservatives on social media took issue with Warren's comments with the Democrat issuing a walk-back on Wednesday. 'Violence is never the answer. Period,' she said, according to HuffPost. 'I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.' Among those complaining about Warren's phrasing was a top aide for Republican Sen. Mike Lee. 'This statement invents a non-existent connection between the insane murderer and United Healthcare, which did not push this rich kid to do anything, even accidentally,' Billy Gribbin, the communications director for Lee, said on X. 'He went crazy and killed someone.' National Review writer Charles C. W. Cooke dedicated a whole column to Warren's wording, noting that it's always the '"but" that gets you.' 'Theres a word for this sort of argument in the expansive English language. That word is "justification,"' Cooke continued. Thompson, 50, was gunned down outside a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on December 4 He was shot down at point-blank range by a gunman who fired several shots and hit the CEO in the chest and calf Thompson, 50, was gunned down at point-blank range outside of a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on December 4. The gunman fired several shots during the ambush and jammed his gun in the process, but managed to quickly clear the obstruction and continue firing, hitting the CEO in the chest and calf. Bullet casings found at the scene had the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose' inscribed on them - an apparent reference to the health insurance industry's systemic denial of claims. Five days after the shooting, Mangione, 26, was located at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania and was taken into custody on firearm charges. He was later also charged with second-degree murder in Thompson's death. Mangione was identified as the suspect after he was found at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday He was said to have had a 3D-printed pistol and black silencer loaded with one Glock magazine comprising six 9mm full-metal jacket rounds that the NYPD has said matched those of bullets found at the scene of Thompson's assassination. The suspect also reportedly had a manifesto outlining his grievances against UnitedHealthcare after suffering a debilitating back injury which required painful spinal surgery. 'To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't working with anyone. This was fairly trivial: some elementary social engineering, basic CAD, [and] a lot of patience,' he allegedly wrote in the manifesto, according to the Daily Beast. He went on to say he had 'respect' for federal investigators, and apologized for causing any 'traumas,' but seemed to defend his alleged actions. 'Frankly these parasites had it coming,' the manifesto wrote. It claimed that the United States had the 'most expensive healthcare system in the world,' but blasted the system for making America only the 42nd in life expectancy. Police now say they have 'no indication' to suggest Mangione was ever a client of the insurance company. Chief Joseph Kelly, though, noted to NBC New York that the manifesto 'does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. 'So that's possibly why he targeted the company,' Kelly suggested. Mangione had a public outburst as he was being led into court on Tuesday Mangione appeared in court on Tuesday to face the Pennsylvania gun charges, where he had a ferocious public meltdown hours earlier. The orange jumpsuit-clad suspect had to be restrained as he screamed at police while heading into court. His lawyer, Thomas Dickey, has since claimed Mangione was just 'agitated' that he did not have legal representation at the time. Dickey has also said his client will plead not guilty to the homicide charges in New York and the gun charges in Pennsylvania - as he continues to fight extradition to the Big Apple. In the meantime, Mangione is due back in court on December 30, when a judge will consider multiple writ of habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of the suspect and impose a bail. The family of a nine-year-old girl who was born without her left arm has been told a new prosthetic is 'not medically necessary' by their insurance company. Remi Bateman, from Utah, has lived her whole life with the use of just one arm 'due to an amniotic band in the womb' caused her to lose the limb at birth, according to her mother Jami Batemen. The school girl has always relied on prosthetics, but after recently outgrowing them, her family set their sights on upgrading her to a robotic arm. They traveled to Colorado where Remi got to test out the Hero Arm, quickly feeling a sense of joy because of how functional it made her. But her happiness was torn away when Select Health sent a denial letter to her mother, stating the new prosthetic is 'not medically necessary.' Jami immediately appealed the company's decision as she was left confused why they refused to cover the costs. 'Theyve approved three prosthetics before in her lifetime, so I cant figure out why they refuse to deny this one,' Jami told KUTV. Remi Bateman, a nine-year-old from Utah, was born missing her left arm below the elbow 'due to an amniotic band in the womb' Despite sending an appeal letter back to Select Health, Jami said she yet again received a letter denying coverage for Remi's new arm, which costs $24,000 without insurance. During their time in Colorado, Jami said her daughter was visibly thriving wearing the robotic arm. 'This is 100 percent needed,' her mother said, adding that they saw with their own eyes what their daughter is capable of with the advanced prosthetic. 'We have seen what she can do being over in Colorado for three days. 'She wore the prosthetic for a trial. She was able to do 110 percent times things she was able to do here at home,' Jami recalled. Select Health sent a denial letter to her mother, stating the new prosthetic is 'not medically necessary' and that the insurance company would not cover it Select Health told KUTV that they could not comment on the claim, as the company cited privacy laws when asked why coverage was denied for Remi if doctor's believe it is 'medically necessary.' DailyMail.com contact Select Health for comment. Now the family is trying to figure out a way to pay for their daughter's new arm on their own, as Jami launched a GoFundMe page. 'Hello! This GoFundMe is for my 9-year-old daughter, Remi. She was born missing her left hand due to an amniotic band in the womb.,' Jami said. 'She recently has been asking for a robotic arm, saying it will help her feel more confident in her abilities day to day,' her mother wrote, adding that because of her disability Remi has 'unfortunately dealing with some bullying.' Now the family is trying to figure out a way to pay for their daughter's new arm on their own, as Jami launched a GoFundMe page. (Pictured: Remi with her brother and father) Jami said that although the family is 'willing to pay if necessary' for Remi's Hero Arm, they hope their daughter's experience will 'raise awareness for others in similar situations.' 'Weve seen what she can do with the prosthetic. Its life-changing, and she deserves the chance to use it,' she continued. As of Friday morning, the donation page has raised more than $15,400 for Remi. While her family tries to get the arm for their daughter, they have also continued to advocate for her. 'The family continues to press Select Health for a change, advocating for both their daughter and others who might face similar insurance challenges,' Jami said. Couple fronted court on Friday and were refused bail A couple have appeared in court after being accused of falsely portraying their six-year-old son as a cancer victim in order to allegedly dupe generous Aussies out of over $60,000. Ben Miller and Michelle Bodzsar, both 44, were charged with criminal neglect and deception offences on Friday and appeared before Port Adelaide Magistrates Court. Police allege the pair, from Adelaide's western suburbs, raised $60,000 between November 18 and December 12 after falsely portraying their six-year-old son had 'stage one eye cancer'. Lawyers acting for Ms Bodzsar and Mr Miller said they 'strongly contested' the allegations, reported the Adelaide Advertiser. SA Police documents, seen by the paper, alleged the couple 'engaged to represent' the child 'had cancer, knowing that engaging in such acts was likely to cause harm' to him or were 'recklessly indifferent as to whether such harm was caused'. It is understood this allegedly involved shaving their son's hair and eyebrows before wrapping his head in bandages. The police documents further allege the couple deceived another individual to benefit themselves to the value of $3,000 or more. Ben Miller and Michelle Bodzsar (pictured), both 44, were charged with criminal neglect and deception offences on Friday and appeared before Port Adelaide Magistrates Court Police allege the pair, from Adelaide 's western suburbs, raised $60,000 in two weeks for the six-year-old's ongoing 'cancer treatments' before they were arrested (pictured: the fundraising page) But in court on Friday the police prosecutor said that was only a small fraction of the alleged offending. 'We have reason to believe the amount (involved) is around $60,000,' the police prosecutor told the court. 'The safety of the complainant (child) is paramount... its likely he might believe he has cancer, which will have caused him psychological damage.' The couple were each charged with committing an act likely to cause harm, and one count each of deception, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail. The couple were refused bail, with Mr Miller's case adjourned until December 20. Ms Bodzsar will spend Christmas behind bars and will return to court on January 6. An online fundraising post, seen by Daily Mail Australia, said the couple had suffered 'every parent's nightmare'. 'Young (boy's name), 6 years old was diagnosed with eye cancer. It is stage 1,' the fundraising page said. Lawyers acting for Ms Bodzsar and Mr Miller (pictured together) said they 'strongly contested' the allegations Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia said their 'investigation confirmed the child is not seeking medical treatment'. 'We believe this (allegedly) farce illness is causing significant and serious psychological harm to the child and their sibling,' he added. Both the boy and his sister, who is aged between six and 12-years-old, have been removed from their parents' care and are living with a relative. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel left viewers stunned when he gave a rambling, stuttering answer to a question about the public's reaction to UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder. Luigi Mangione, 26, was taken into custody on firearm charges Monday afternoon at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after he allegedly shot and killed Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel. The public reaction has shown a startling amount of sympathy for Mangione and anger toward Thompson and the healthcare industry, particularly leftists such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The PayPal co-founder, 57, appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored Thursday and was asked for what he thought of those who are furious with the likes of Thompson because they believe the American healthcare system is unfair. He appeared sweaty and stammered through his answer: 'Um... it's... uh... I don't know what to say.' Thiel eventually said: 'I still think you should try to make an argument and I think this is... there may be things wrong with our healthcare system but you have to make an argument and you have to try to find a way to convince people and change it by that. 'This is not going to work. I don't know. All sorts of things one could say about it but I don't think... again, I think the motives feel... I don't want to go into all the particulars here but I don't think there's anything heroic about him,' he added. Reaction to the billionaire's answer online was brutal, with one person - who referred to Thiel as 'Antichrist' - calling it the worst response you could possibly give. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel left viewers stunned when he gave a rambling, stuttering answer to a question about the public's reaction to UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder 'If someone can find a worse answer to any question, I'd love to see it. This is excruciating.' 'This is ASTOUNDING. there are toddlers who can string sentences together better than this,' wrote another. Someone else commented: 'People who don't have billions think having billions makes you smart or insightful. It doesn't.' Others pointed out his clearly distressed visage in the video, with one asking: 'Why is he sweating so much?' 'Peter stuttered through it for 3 minutes, frozen, but was unable to say 'Murder is wrong.' They must remove that in CEO school.' Earlier, Thiel was able to make a somewhat stronger statement about Mangione's killing of Thompson. 'I don't think that one should ever glamorize murder and, man, it probably just tells us more about how crazy some of these people are who are saying these thingsI don't think it tells us much about this case but it tells us we are in a really crazy society.' Earlier today, 'squad' Democrat Ocasio-Cortez reflected a lot of the left's response to the murder. Reaction to the billionaire's answer online was brutal, with one person - who referred to Thiel as 'Antichrist' - calling it the worst response you could possibly give. Others pointed out his clearly distressed visage in the video, with one asking: 'Why is he sweating so much?' The Democrat from New York argued that Americans 'feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them' as she spoke with CBS News about the reaction - and sometimes praise - for accused assassin Luigi Mangione. 'I think that this collective American experience, which is so twisted to have in the wealthiest nation in the world, all of that pain that people have experienced is being concentrated on this,' she told Jaala Brown on the steps of Congress. 'And it's really important that we take a step back. 'This is not to comment and this is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused, or is shocked, or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret, and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them. 'People go homeless over the financial devastation of a diagnosis that doesn't get addressed or the amount they're going to have to cover with a surprise bill and things like that. 'When we kind of talk about how systems are violent in this country, in this passive way, our privatized healthcare system is like that for a huge amount of Americans,' Ocasio-Cortez continued, noting that she did not even have health insurance until she was elected to Congress. Her comments came as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was forced to walk back her comments about the shooting. These reactions come as the twists and turns that led to Mangione's arrest continue to stun the nation. Luigi Mangione , 26, was taken into custody on firearm charges Monday afternoon at the fast food joint in Altoona, Pennsylvania , five days after he allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson , 50, outside of a Manhattan hotel Crimestoppers showing a surveillance video image of the shooting suspect, walking up behind and shooting the UnitedHealthcare CEO Police in San Francisco had apparently recognized Mangione as the accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson days before he was arrested in Pennsylvania. An officer in the police department's Special Victims Unit was combing through surveillance images the New York Police Department released of the suspected killer, and recognized him as Mangione on December 5 - just one day after the shooting, police sources told the San Francisco Chronicle. The officer had been looking into Mangione's disappearance since his mother, Kathleen, reported him missing in mid-November. She claimed she had not spoken to her son since July 1, and noted that he worked for San Francisco-based TrueCar, an online automotive marketplace - apparently not realizing he had been laid off in 2023. Upon recognizing the suspect, the suspect is said to have called the FBI and provide the bureau with Mangione's name - despite law enforcement officials later saying the 26-year-old was not on their radar until his arrest in Pennsylvania on Monday. He was taken into custody on firearm charges that day after stopping at a McDonald's in Altoona for a bite to eat, where a customer also recognized him. Mangione was said to have had a 3D-printed pistol and black silencer loaded with one Glock magazine comprising six 9mm full-metal jacket rounds that the NYPD has said matched those of bullets found at the scene of Thompson's assassination. The suspect also reportedly had a manifesto outlining his grievances against UnitedHealthcare after suffering a debilitating back injury which required painful spinal surgery. Mangione appeared in court on Tuesday to face the Pennsylvania gun charges, where he had a ferocious public meltdown hours earlier. The orange jumpsuit-clad suspect had to be restrained as he screamed at police while heading into court. His lawyer, Thomas Dickey, has since claimed Mangione was just 'agitated' that he did not have legal representation at the time. Dickey has also said his client will plead not guilty to the homicide charges in New York and the gun charges in Pennsylvania - as he continues to fight extradition to the Big Apple. A vile sex predator who raped a woman acting as a 'Good Samaritan' by helping him drunkenly get out of a taxi has been jailed. Craig Dorney, 35, of Duncombe Hill, Lewisham, was found by the victim in another taxi passed out in Lewisham. The victim was on her way home after a night out with friends when she came into contact with Dorney drunkenly in the back of another taxi on June 29. After helping him out the back of the cab, the woman splashed water on his face to wake him up and find out where he lived, offering to help get him home. Dorney then managed to get her into an alleyway alone where he sexually assaulted and raped her. She managed to get vital evidence of the terrifying sex attack by recording their conversation on her mobile phone. This, police say, helped convict Dorney. Dorney, who speaks with a 'southern Irish accent', was tracked down and arrested him within 24 hours of the attack. Craig Dorney, 35, of Duncombe Hill, Lewisham, was found by the woman in another taxi passed out in Lewisham Woolwich Crown Court, pictured, heard how the woman was forever changed by what had happened A court heard how the woman was forever changed by what had happened, Newsshopper reports. In a heartbreaking victim impact statement, she said: 'That night all I was trying to do was to help someone, now I don't think I'll ever get that back 'I felt like my soul was broken. The intrinsic parts of what made me were snapped forever. There is such an overwhelming sense of not being the same again.' However, she turned to the attacker, and added: 'In almost ruining my own life, you've ruined your own. I hope no one I love has to go through the same pain I have been. A pain that will never heal.' At his sentencing hearing it was said on his behalf that he now shows 'genuine and heartfelt remorse'. Dorney was charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault on Sunday, July 28. He appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on December 2 and was found guilty on all three offences last week. Detective Constable James Hart, who led the investigation for the Met Police said: 'We hope this sentence brings some level of justice for the victim-survivor who bravely came forward and helped us catch her perpetrator in what must have been extremely distressing circumstances. 'We'd like to thank the victim-survivor for providing vital evidence at the start of our investigation, as well as the other witnesses who provided statements. 'Dorney is a sexual predator who targeted a vulnerable woman and I hope this case proves the Met is determined to tackle violence against women and girls, which has a significant and lasting impact on victim-survivors.' The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an apology for approving a personalized license plate on a Tesla Cybertruck, referencing the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Richard Vogel/Associated Press 2023 The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an apology for approving a personalized license plate on a Tesla Cybertruck, referencing the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, calling the plate unacceptable and disturbing. Richard Vogel/Associated Press 2019 The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an apology Thursday after a personalized license plate referencing the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel was spotted in Culver City (Los Angeles County). The custom plate, on a Tesla Cybertruck, read LOLOCT7, combining internet slang for laugh out loud with a reference to the Hamas-led assault in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 were kidnapped. The organization StopAntisemitism raised concerns about the plate on social media, condemning it as a sickening display that appeared to trivialize the violence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In response, the DMV quickly apologized, calling the plate unacceptable and disturbing. The department acknowledged that the plate had been approved due to an error in its internal review process and vowed to strengthen its procedures to prevent such oversights. The DMV Is taking swift action to recall these shocking plates, and we will immediately strengthen our internal review process to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again, the department said in a statement. It added, The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways. A DMV spokesperson confirmed that the owner of the Cybertruck, who was not publicly identified, would be notified of the recall, though they could appeal the decision. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sympathy for the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson could save him from a guilty verdict, an expert has suggested as cynical support for Luigi Mangione continues to grow. Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told Newsweek that jurors may be led by the public's reaction to the case, threatening to undermine justice and the rule of law as outpourings of support fester online. 'The evidence against Mangione is strong, but he has engendered a lot of sympathy. The case presents a real risk of jury nullification,' he told the outlet. Nullification refers to when the jury gives a not guilty verdict even though they believe there is enough evidence to convict the accused, for instance if they feel sympathy for them. While there is precedent of jurors being removed over evidence of intent to nullify the law, states vary. The Sixth Amendment grants the accused an inviolable right to jury determination, without interference from a trial judge no matter the evidence. Rahmani added that 'advanced' developments in forensics and digital evidence may make it hard for Mangione's lawyer to get an acquittal without jury nullification. Support continues to mount for the man accused of shooting and killing father-of-two Brian Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4. Luigi Mangione was arrested five days later, after disappearing from the scene having allegedly left cryptic messages on bullet casings that appeared to mimic language slamming the health insurance industry as a whole. But in the wake of his arrest, 'wanted' posters in New York have sparked fears of a looming copycat attack, and internet ghouls have shared experiences denouncing the health insurance industry and their support for the so-called 'hot assassin'. As prisoners at the State Correctional Institution in Huntington, PA where he is being held were heard shouting 'Free Luigi' and decrying his conditions inside, fans raised $67,000 to cover the wealthy college graduate's legal fees ahead of trial. Luigi Mangione has been heralded as a 'man of the people' over the shooting of a father-of-two Brian Thompson was gunned down outside the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan on December 4 Suspect Luigi Mangione, 26, arrives for an extradition hearing at Blair County Court House in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. December 10 A view of the exterior of SCI Huntingdon where Luigi Mangione is being held, December 10 In the wake of the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO, video shared on social media showed 'wanted' signs featuring other healthcare corporate leaders in New York City Street art depicting video game character Luigi, and a crossed-out UnitedHealthcare logo, referencing Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, appears on a wall at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, U.S. December 11 Luigi Mangione was arrested on Monday after police received a tip from a McDonald's around 233 miles (375km) away from the scene, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Public outbursts of support for the killer emerged before Mangione was named as a suspect, with online commentators turning to share their own negative experiences of the health insurance industry and Thompson's firm, UnitedHealthcare. Sympathy for Mangione has been in focus since his naming by police. A 'manifesto' found in his backpack shared his discontent for the American healthcare system, and former associates said he had suffered from spondylolisthesis linked to a surfing injury, prompting him to undergo risky spinal fusion surgery. Nonetheless, there is no indication Mangione was ever insured by UnitedHealthcare, a senior New York City police official said in an interview Thursday with NBC New York. Mangione, who was charged in a felony arrest earlier this week, is now set to appear in an Altoona court on December 23 for a preliminary hearing related to state charges. So-called fans of Mangione have gone so far as to set up crowdfunders for the suspect, one already raising $67,000 of a $200,000 target to help with his legal fees. GoFundMe has separately shut down pages created to support the accused, saying in a statement: 'GoFundMe's Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers for the legal defense of violent crimes. 'The fundraisers have been removed from our platform and all donors have been refunded.' One page's description read: 'Legal defense for he who shall not be named wink, wink' Posters were erected on Canal Street - one of Manhattan's busiest thoroughfares - flanked with the red and black words: 'Wanted. Denying medical care for corporate profit. Health care CEOs should not feel safe.' A message appeared on a sign apparently belonging to a private construction company The sign appeared along the southbound lanes of Highway 99, in Seattle, on Thursday Brian Thompson (center, back) is pictured with his wife, Paulette (left), undated Surveillance footage showed the shooting of Paul Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel, Dec 4 Inmates at the center where he is being held joined the chorus of voices of support on Wednesday, shouting at reporters 'Luigi's conditions suck' and 'Free Luigi'. Prisoners rallied that the food was 'terrible' and 'BS'. Alarming 'wanted' posters of top healthcare executives meanwhile sprung up across New York, prompting police to issue a bulleting warning leaders of the rising threats. Video showed 'wanted' signs featuring other healthcare corporate leaders plastered across traffic control boxes in Manhattan. Posters were erected on Canal Street - one of Manhattan's busiest thoroughfares - flanked with the red and black words: 'Wanted. Denying medical care for corporate profit. Health care CEOs should not feel safe.' The signs also included the phrase suspected shooter Luigi Mangione allegedly wrote on the bullets found at the crime scene - 'Deny. Defend. Depose.' The alliterative trio of words reference a book by Jay Feinman's titled 'Delay, Defend, Deny: Why insurance company don't pay claims, and what you can do about it.' A New York Police Department bulletin issued Tuesday emphasized the heightened risk on healthcare executives following Thompson's slaying, reported ABC News. 'Both prior to and after the suspected perpetrator's identification and arrest, some online users across social media platforms reacted positively to the killing, encouraged future targeting of similar executives, and shared conspiracy theories regarding the shooting,' the bulletin said. On Twitter, users jumped on LinkedIn postings of major firms advertising for protection roles, worryingly hinting at the opportunity for another attack. Seattle residents found a disturbing message published on an electronic traffic sign along a busy highway on Thursday, reading: 'One less CEO, many more to go'. State officials confirmed to Komo News that the sign did not belong to them, but a private construction contractor. The sign on Highway 99, near Dexter Avenue, has since been removed, leaving the owner a mystery. Luigi Mangione, 26, is photographed shortly after being discovered by police at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S. December 9 Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday, December 10 The McDonald's restaurant where Luigi Mangione was captured, in Altoona, Pennsylvania TikTok videos expressing support for Luigi Mangioni TikTok videos expressing support for Luigi Mangioni TikTok users garnered huge interest sharing vapid videos of themselves praising the suspect's good looks and demanding he be set free. One TikTok user said 'I like a bad, bad boy', adding: 'Me finding out Luigi Mangione is a six pack, Pokemon loving, Carly Rae Jepsen listening, educated, sexy Italian man.' Another said: 'Why is it always 'lock up Luigi Mangioni'? Why is it always, you know, 'put Luigi Mangioni in handcuffs'? When it could be, 'Luigi Mangioni locks me down'. What if he put my in handcuffs. Hmm? Have we considered that one?' A third said: 'The alleged UnitedHealthcare shooter could take me out. On a date or with a gun - up to him. I wouldn't say no to either.' And a third posted an image of Mangione outside his extradition hearing, saying: 'He looks so good, I'm sorry.' And a mocked-up cover of Time magazine has featured Mangione as Person Of The Year with the tagline 'Healthcare revolutionary, leading the charge to transform global health.' Social media users were quick to comb Mangione's public profiles, identifying a Goodreads page filled with quotes about health and medication. 'Imagine a society that subjects people to conditions that make them terribly unhappy then gives them the drugs to take away their unhappiness,' read one excerpt from a Kaczynski quote on Mangione's Goodreads page. 'The concept of 'mental health' in our society is defined largely by the extent to which an individual behaves in accord with the needs of the system and does so without showing signs of stress,' read another. A person photographs street art depicting sick children, featuring the words 'deny,' 'depose,' and 'defend,' which were written on the ammunition used in the killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, U.S., December 11, 2024 Mangione poses shortly after being discovered by police on December 9 Police shared photos of a 'person of interest' after the killing of Brian Thompson A poster depicting Luigi Mangione hangs outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, Thursday, December 12 Mangione, a computer science major at at the University of Pennsylvania, appeared to find inspiration from Kaczynski, quoting extensively from Industrial Society and Its Future on his Goodreads page. He also included excerpts from authors and thinkers ranging from Socrates and Emperor-cum-Stoic Marcus Aurelius to Aldous Huxley and Dr. Seuss, with a five-star rating for The Lorax. Another criticized conservatives for increasing 'the life-expectancy of those of us who live in 'advanced' countries,' at the expense of society. '[They] have made life unfulfilling, have subjected human beings to indignities, have led to widespread psychological suffering (in the Third World to physical suffering as well) and have inflicted severe damage on the natural world,' the excerpt reads. 'The continued development of technology will worsen the situation. It will certainly subject human beings to greater indignities and inflict greater damage on the natural world.' Twitter users noted his profile banner included a scan of lumbar spinal fusion, a risky procedure that involves joining discs to treat pain and a variety of chronic conditions. Mangione's Reddit posts reference a spinal condition called spondylolisthesis, which occurs when a fracture causes a vertebra to slip out of alignment. It can result in severe pain if the bone puts pressure on spinal nerves. The condition, which can originate in childhood or from an injury, started negatively impacting Mangione's life in recent years, according to his social media posts. After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, he worked at the Santa Monica-based car-buying website TrueCar until 2023 and lived in Hawaii for some time starting in January 2022. During a six-month stay at Surfbreak, a 'co-living' space in Honolulu, Mangione's back pain worsened in part because of a surfing incident. TikTok users garnered huge interest sharing vapid videos of themselves praising the suspect's good looks and demanding he be set free Police sources told ABC News that casings were found at the scene with the cryptic messages left on them, resembling the title of a book criticizing health insurer pay outs Detectives investigating the murder also found shell casings with the words 'deny', 'defend' and 'depose' inscribed on them. Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for the owner and founder of Surfbreak, R.J. Martin, said Mangione had expressed growing concerns about the pain. In addition to missing out on recreational activities and exercise, he was worried about how it could affect romantic relationships. 'That was definitely a theme in his time there,' Ryan said. 'He wasn't a big complainer. So it wasn't like he was bringing it up constantly. But the people who knew him knew this was a significant part of his life.' Surgery is usually a last resort. Doctors warn that chronic back pain can significantly impact mental health, as well as the powerful painkillers used to treat it. 'If you have underlying mental health issues anxiety, depression your pain can be worse because you have way more suffering,' Dr. Padma Gulur, a pain specialist with Duke Health, said. 'But, the second aspect is pain can push you into anxiety and depression.' The killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson sparked an initial wave of apathy from healthcare professionals and patients, who shared negative experiences of the health insurance industry. On TikTok, one user wrote: 'I'm an ER nurse and the things I've seen dying patients get denied for by insurance makes me physically sick. I just can't feel sympathy for him because of all of those patients and their families.' Another user wrote on Twitter/X: 'I saw the news of this literally while on the phone with UHC about them denying my prior authorization for medication. Wild stuff' Analysis by ValuePenguin concluded UnitedHealthcare denies 32 per cent of claims, against the industry average for large health insurance companies of 16 per cent. The assassination and frenzied criticism of UnitedHealthcare sparked wider debate about the state of the industry. User Eric Gallion wrote: 'We are taxed almost 40% and none of it covers our healthcare. We should all be demanding universal healthcare not fighting it.' User Trampas added: 'For profit insurance is a profiteering parasitic industry by definition.' Author Jay M. Feinman responded 'no comment' when asked for his take on the bullet casings left at the scene of Thompson's shooting outside Manhattan's Hilton Hotel A balloon with a sign taped to it reading 'CEO DOWN' over the image of a smiling star and party poppers was found outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan A mugshot of Luigi Mangione issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Mangione shared a picture appearing to show spinal fusion in the lumbar region of the spine A sick tribute appeared outside the hotel where Mr Thompson was gunned down soon after the news circulated. A balloon with a sign taped to it reading 'CEO DOWN' over the image of a smiling star and party poppers was found outside the Hilton Hotel. The same image on the balloon was also shared on former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz's BlueSky account. 'People have very justified hatred toward insurance company CEOs because these executives are responsible for an unfathomable amount of death and suffering,' she wrote in a separate post. 'As someone against death and suffering, I think its good to call out this broken system and the [people] in power who enable it.' A protester was dragged out of a bad-tempered public meeting with Sadiq Khan last night. Mr Khan was holding a People's Question Time event in Wandsworth, south London, when the incident occurred. While parts of the protestor's audio is inaudible, the unnamed man can clearly be heard shouting that Mr Khan is attempting to demonise 'peaceful protestors'. He then stops to ask if he can retrieve his bag before being ejected from the event, a request which is denied, before being escorted to the exit by security. Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, Conservative councilor for Hatch End in Harrow, posted on X: '#BREAKING - Londoner dragged out of People's Question Time for standing up to Mayor Khan's 'far-right' labelling of anyone who disagrees with him! Disgraceful.' The People's Question Time events happen roughly every six months and give the public the chance to put questions to the Mayor and the London Assembly. Mr Khan previously caused controversy at one of the meetings at Ealing Town Hall in March 2023 after appearing to call protesters of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) far-right. Facing heckles from some in the crowd, Mr Khan said: 'What I find unacceptable is some of those who've got legitimate objections [about ULEZ] joining hands with some of those outside, who are part of a far-right group.' The unnamed man, holding his phone, is challenged by a member of security after protesting at London Mayor Sadiq Khan's People's Question Time events The tweet by Conservative councillor Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, who posted a video on X showing the protestor being ejected from the event The protester (right) was incensed over what a Conservative councillor said were Mr Khan's claims that his opponents were 'far-right' He added: 'Let's be frank, let's call a spade a spade. Some of those outside are part of the far right. Some are Covid deniers, some are vaccine deniers and some are Tories.' Back then his remarks were met with anger, with one member of the audience shouting: 'We are not the far-right, normal people are not the far-right.' Conservative assembly member Peter Fortune also hit back at Mr Khan at the same event. He said: 'You heard it, didn't you? If you disagree with the mayor, he's going to paint you as far right. 'If you disagree with the mayor, he's going to say you're a science denier, he's going to say you're a Covid denier, he's going to say you're a flat earther, he's going to say you think there are aliens in Buckingham Palace, and Mr Blobby shot Kennedy. 'He's going to throw all this stuff at you, because he doesn't want to address the fact you've got legitimate concerns.' However, there has reportedly been evidence of far-right activity outside some of the the People's Question Time events. After the March 2023 gathering, Foreign Secretary David Lammy posted a photograph on X showing a placard fetauring Nazi symbols and painting Mr Khan as a Communist leader. Mr Lammy said: 'Disgusting placards including swastikas at this march outside People's Question Time in Ealing tonight. Labour foreign secretary David Lammy highlighted 'placards including swastikas' apparently being brandished outside the People's Question Time event in March 2023 A protester holds up a sign branding Sadiq Khan a liar over his support for an extension to the existing Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in London 'The @CityHallTories should be ashamed of promoting this march which looks like it's been coordinated by the far right. We will not let them divide us.' After rioting broke out across England and Northern Island in the summer of 2024 following false claims that the perpetrator of the attack that killed three girls in Southport was Muslim and an asylum seeker, Mr Khan said he felt 'triggered' and sought to blame the far right for the unrest. Speaking to MSNBC, Mr Khan sought to pin the most extreme of the violence on 'these far right violent people, trying to burn down mosques, trying to burn down hostels housing asylum seekers, stopping cars to see whether those inside are white or people of colour.' However, many of Mr Khan's critics felt that his depiction of the protesters ignored the legitimate concerns of Britons concerned about migration. As the Daily Mail's Dr Rakib Ehsan wrote in August 2024: 'The right to protest is paramount in our democracy. But Britain feels on the cusp of serious disorder. 'Why do increasing numbers of people seem only too eager to take to the streets to make their views public? 'Whatever Sir Keir Starmer might like to think, most are not necessarily 'far-right': instead, many will have legitimate concerns about mass migration, the breakdown in law and order and what they see as 'two-tier' policing, whereby some protesters are treated more leniently by the authorities than others. 'They want to protect their families, their communities and their nation. Millions probably agree with them, even if they would never attend a protest, still less take part in a riot.' * Has your phone been stolen on the Tube? Email: mark.duell@dailymail.co.uk * Criminals lurking on the London Underground are targeting passengers for their mobile phones just as the doors close before draining their bank accounts. Many of the so-called 'gadget grabbers' are running off with devices before stealing thousands of pounds and getting away with it amid a very low conviction rate. Reports of theft and robberies on trains and at stations rose by 58 per cent from 2018 to 2023, according to police figures - with London making up the majority last year. But an overwhelming 98 per cent of the 23,683 thefts and robberies recorded last year did not result in what police describe as a 'positive outcome' or conviction. Among the recent victims was Niall McNamee, a musician and actor who was on a Tube train when his phone was snatched from his hand just as the doors shut. The 30-year-old then discovered to his horror two days later that 21,000 had been drained from his bank accounts, including a 7,000 loan taken out in his name - despite his banking apps being protected by facial recognition and passwords. Mr McNamee told BBC News: 'It's one of those moments where you just in one second feel a bucket of sweat come out of your head and you go red. 'It was panic stations for two days. I was on the phone pretty non-stop... and then pacing up and down the kitchen. Just trying to get to the bottom of it. Niall McNamee, a musician and actor, was on a Tube train when his phone was snatched from his hand just as the doors shut - before 21,000 was drained from his bank accounts Travel writer and TikTok content creator Tasha Whitley, 26, revealed last month that her new iPhone 16 was snatched out of her hand at Elephant and Castle station on November 7 Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. 'I've no idea how they'd got into either of my accounts. It's face ID and password protected. They managed to take out a loan, which is a laugh because I've been trying to get a loan for years and I'm not eligible for one - somehow they managed to.' Three 'gadget-grabber tactics'... and how to keep your phone safe British Transport Police says there are three 'gadget-grabbers tactics' for people to be aware of: The Plucker Thief selects a victim who has fallen asleep in their seat: they can then quickly steal the victim's phone without waking them. The Grabber Thief watches as victim is distracted and puts their phone on a seat or table. The thief then walks by and steals it. The Snatcher Thief stands by the exit and times the theft carefully: waiting until the train is about to depart, the thief snatches the phone from the victim's hands and runs out as the doors close behind them. The force also gives a series of tips to help you keep your valuables safe: Always keep your phone out of sight when not in use (avoid your back pocket) Avoid using in crowded places or when it is unsafe to do so Register all your electrical items at immoblise.com if it is stolen, we are more likely to find it Record your IMEI number. Dial *#06# to get this Ensure that stolen device protection or theft detection is enabled in your phone security settings Advertisement He reported the theft to police, but did not call his bank or cancel his cards - and then found the thief had taken out a 7,000 loan in his name from HSBC, transferring all the cash to his Monzo account, before stealing it all. British Transport Police (BTP) ended its investigation one month after the theft because of 'no CCTV evidence'. Monzo reimbursed Mr McNamee 14,000 of the stolen money, but he is still waiting for HSBC to write off the loan. A BTP spokesman said: 'We received an online report of a theft of a phone on board a train between Leicester Square and Balham Underground station that occurred on October 15 at around 7am. 'Officers investigated, however after exhausting all available lines of enquiry the case has been closed pending new information.' And a Transport for London spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'We are really sorry that this happened to Mr McNamee on our network. Thieves target busy places, including public transport networks, particularly at this time of year. 'We are working closely with the British Transport Police to tackle this activity, including through targeted operations in hotspot locations with plain clothes police patrols. We also share regular crime prevention messaging encouraging customers to be vigilant, keep their belongings safe and report any suspicious activity to the police to deter thieves. We will continue our work with the police to ensure that our transport network remains a safe environment to work and travel.' Another recent victim of phone theft on the Tube was travel writer Tasha Whitley, 26, whose new iPhone 16 was snatched out of her hand at Elephant and Castle station on November 7. Ms Whitley, a popular TikTok content creator, was on sitting on a seat closest to the door on a Northern line train going from Balham to Moorgate at the time of the incident, which said she left her 'upset', 'heartbroken' and 'in shock' Speaking in a video which has now been viewed more than 670,000 times, she said: 'I was on my phone, as most people are, I was typing something on my phone, so I was looking at my phone, not really taking in my surroundings. London Mayor Sadiq Khan uses his mobile phone on the London Underground in August 2023 'All of a sudden, someone just comes and grabs the phone, snatches it out of my hand, romps out the door and just runs. I was just in shock, I literally screamed and then the doors closed and the Tube was going off. 'I did not even have time to process it. I also had a suitcase with me so I obviously wasn't going to go running out the door. He was obviously watching me and found the perfect moment to just snatch it.' In September, the Government pledged to crack down on phone thefts after the overall number of incidents soared by more than 150 per cent last year. The Home Office said at the time that it planned to call a summit with tech companies to discuss ways to combat the issue which would build on existing anti-theft features already available. An estimated 78,000 people had phones or bags snatched from them on British streets in year to March 2024, according to data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. This represented a 153 per cent rise when compared to the 31,000 incidents of 'snatch thefts' in the same period to March 2023. According to Home Office analysis of the data, there were more than 200 incidents every day across England and Wales in the 12-month period. Just 0.8 per cent of 'theft from the person' resulted in a charge, and 81.9 per cent of police investigations were closed before a suspect was found. Police intelligence showed this was likely being driven by increased demand for second-hand smartphones, both in the UK and abroad. Research by MoneySuperMarket in September found thefts on the Tube had almost trebled since 2021. The number of thefts on Underground trains rose to 11,363 in 2023 an increase of 260 per cent since 3,159 in 2021, according to BTP data obtained via a Freedom of Information request. Mobile phones were the most stolen item on the Tube by a landslide - with 11,773 mobile phone or accessory thefts reported to BTP over the last three years. The Victoria line had the greatest number of theft reports, with 3,624 incidents reported to BTP since 2021 ahead of the Northern line with 3,083 and the Jubilee line with 3,037. Many smartphones already include a range of tools to help users protect their personal data and even track their handset in the event it is stolen. Apple's Find Devices tool enables users to remotely lock their iPhone and other mobile devices should they be stolen, while continuing to track their location. Police officers on patrol at London Bridge station on the Underground network in July 2020 iPhone users can also use a feature called Stolen Device Protection, which when turned on requires additional security measures to access key security and personal data settings if the phone senses it is away from a familiar location such as home or work. This feature requires biometric authentication through a face scan or fingerprint to get through the additional layers of security, so can protect personal information even if the person with the phone knows the passcode. On Google's Android, phone owners can use the Find My Device app to remotely lock or erase their device. In addition, earlier this year Google announced the introduction of new AI-powered tools, including something called Theft Detection Lock, which automatically locks a phone when the various sensors detect motion patterns associated with theft such as the jolt of someone on a bike snatching a phone before moving off at high speed. BTP Superintendent John Loveless told MailOnline: 'We understand how upsetting, inconvenient, and potentially costly incidents of theft can be. 'Unfortunately, there can often be limited opportunity for investigation in incidents without a clear estimate of time or location or those without CCTV footage or witnesses. 'The more time our officers spend reviewing CCTV footage for these offences, the less time they have for patrolling the network or investigating high-harm crimes. 'We are continuing to investigate all types of crime, including theft, and every offence reported provides valuable intelligence which is used to direct our patrols and operations. 'We would urge anyone who believes they were the victim of a theft to report it to an officer or a member of staff, online on our website, or by texting 61016. 'If a robbery has just happened, always dial 999 officers can immediately deploy to a location and begin immediate enquiries to trace offenders.' Alex Somervell, from scam checker service Ask Silver, told MailOnline: 'The speed at which thieves gain access into a stolen phone is crucial. In some cases, it can take mere minutes for skilled criminals to gain access. 'Thieves often employ sophisticated techniques, such as 'shoulder surfing' to obtain PIN codes, allowing them immediate access to personal, sensitive, and financial information stored on the device. 'Once inside, they can swiftly compromise various accounts, change passwords, and even take control of email and messaging services. The first hour after a phone theft is critical.' He said this is referred to as the 'golden hour,' during which victims 'must act quickly to lock their devices and secure their data'. TfL encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses a crime on the Tube or other rail modes to report it to the BTP by texting 61016, or via the free Railway Guardian app. Customers can also report incidents to members of staff. TfL also said customers can report an incident on the bus network at https://www.met.police.uk/ or by calling 101. In an emergency or if the suspect is still on scene, customers should call 999. MailOnline has contacted London Mayor Sadiq Khan's office, Monzo and HSBC for comment. * Has your phone been stolen on the Tube? Email: mark.duell@dailymail.co.uk * A young Japanese widower who Googled words such as 'perfect crime' and elderly death' has been cleared of her husband's murder, six years after he died of a mysterious drug overdose. Saki Sudo, 28, was acquitted after prosecutors in the town of Wakayama were unable to prove to judges that she had killed her 77-year-old author husband Kosuke Nozaki in May 2018. Nozaki, who wrote a best-selling memoir titled The Don Juan of Kishu in which he boasted of spending millions pursuing his 'boundless desire to have sex with beautiful women', was found dead at his home in Tanabe just three months after marrying Sudo. The 28-year-old, a model, was the only person present at the time of her husband's death, and prosecutors accused her of drugging him to inherit his fortune of 1.3 billion yen (8.6 million). There were no syringe marks on his body, adding to suspicions that he was poisoned. Eighteen days earlier his pet dog, had also died unexpectedly. Sudo has always maintained her innocence, but she admitted that she had bought the drugs at her husband's request. And while prosecutors found that she had Googled the words 'perfect crime' and 'elderly death', she successfully argued that these were searched out of curiosity. The 28-year-old, a model, was the only person present at the time of her husband's death, and prosecutors accused her of drugging him to inherit his fortune of 8.6 million Saki Sudo, 28, has been acquitted after she was accused of poisoning her wealthy 77-year-old husband Nozaki Kosuke in 2018 Sudo has always maintained her innocence, but she admitted that she had bought the drugs at her husband's request Nozaki's best-selling 2016 memoir details his sexual escapades in which he wrote: 'My goal in life is to have sex with beautiful women. It will never change and there is no retirement age.' He published a sequel about his marriage to Sudo, in which he said: 'People ask me, 'Can you really do it?', and I reply, 'Oh yes three times a day on average.' I have never used Viagra, but am always vigorous. There is a risk that I might die during intercourse, but to go to heaven like that is just what I want.' Nozaki built his fortune from nothing, selling everything from metal scraps to condoms to liquor, according to the website of the book's publisher. In a column Nozaki wrote for the Gendai Business website in 2018 - months before his death - he said he was 'confident of becoming happy' by marrying Sudo, even though people had warned him she was probably after his money. He said they met at Tokyo's Haneda airport when he tripped over on purpose to get Sudo, who he said was a model, to help him. In previous columns, Nozaki said he had started to become well known in Japan after a 2016 incident in which a 27-year-old woman he met and dated stole 60 million yen worth of cash and goods from him. NATO fighter jets have been scrambled in Poland and along the Alliance's eastern flank as Vladimir Putin used strategic bombers and modern warplanes to unleash terror on Ukraine. Russia staged a brutal attack on Ukraine this morning, targeting energy and military facilities to plunge civilians into darkness and misery ahead of the festive season. A massive Russian onslaught had been expected, but there were no immediate reports of fearsome medium range ballistic missile Oreshnik being deployed, as had been predicted, although it may yet come. Instead, Ukraine was hit with Iskander, Kalibr, Kinzhal [or Dagger] missiles and Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drones, launched from Tu-95MS strategic bombers and MiG-31Ks. Footage showed missiles flying over Kyiv, Ternopil and Vinnytsia regions, while huge clouds of smoke were seen after strikes in Odesa and Ternopil regions. The capital Kyiv was hit by major power cuts - and underground trains stopped running, while people huddled in metro stations to escape the bombardment. There were reports of an airbase being hit, along with warehouses and a plant producing drones and repairing helicopters. Energy minister German Galushchenko said: 'The enemy continues its terror. 'Once again, [the power sector][ throughout Ukraine is under massive attack. Huge clouds of smoke were seen after strikes in Odesa on December 13 A fire is seen after a residential building was hit by Russian strikes in Ukraine's Kharkiv region People take shelter inside a metro station during a Russian military strike this morning File image shows an F-35 fighter jet taking off from the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany 'Energy workers are taking all necessary measures to minimise the negative consequences for the power system. 'As soon as the safety situation allows, the damage caused will be clarified.' Ukraine's national power operator Ukrenergo warned that today half the country would be without power - with temperatures of minus 5C - due to the latest Putin onslaught, ahead the the Christmas festivities. Explosions ranged across Ukraine from Ivano-Frankivsk in the west to Kharkiv in the east. Among the other regions hit were Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Khmelnitsk, Lviv, and Ternopil. A target in Ivano-Frankivsk region was the Burshtyn Power Plant . In Kharkiv region, four people were injured due to the attack on Mirny. In the same region, an airbase was reportedly targeted in Chuguev. In Odesa, where port facilities were targeted, electric transport stopped working following loud explosions, and the water supply was cut off. People take a shelter inside an underground car park of an apartment building in Lviv during a massive Russian missile attack across the country Air raid alarms had been announced across all regions of Ukraine. Russia had warned of a powerful response to a Ukrainian strike this week with US-supplied ATACMS missiles on a military airbase in Taganrog. 'A response will follow,' said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday. 'The response will follow when and in the way that is deemed appropriate. But it will definitely follow.' In the wake of today's massive attacks, Volodymyr Zelensky made an implied attack on Donald Trump and his proposed plans to limit arms sales to Ukraine. Today Ukraine shot down 81 of 93 missiles unleashed by Russia, the Ukrainian president said, adding that eleven of these were downed by F-16 planes, provided by the West. Footage showed the wreckage of a Kh-555 air launched cruise missile close to an apartment block in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region. A worker looks up as they repair equipment at a thermal power plant that was damaged during a missile attack, at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on December 5 'The Russians also used almost 200 drones in this attack. One of the largest strikes on our energy sector,' he said. 'This is Putin's 'peaceful' plan to destroy everything,' he added on Telegram. 'This is how he wants 'negotiations' terrorising millions of people. 'And he is not limited either in range or in purchasing the necessary components for the production of missiles. 'Oil gives Putin enough money to believe in impunity. A strong reaction from the world is needed: a massive strike a massive reaction. This is the only way to stop terror. 'If leaders are afraid to react or get used to terror, Putin takes this as permission to continue. 'We need 'Patriots' to shoot down these missiles and prove that terror will not achieve its goal. A family huddles together in an underground parking lot in Lviv amid the massive Russian bombardment 'We need to strengthen sanctions against Russia for the war in order to really influence Russian missile production. 'Putin's chatter will not stop we need a force that will lead to peace. 'A force that will not be afraid of its ability to stop evil. 'The world can stop this madness, and for this, first of all, we need to stop the madness in Moscow, which has been giving orders for terror for 20-plus years. 'We need force. Ukraine is grateful to everyone who helps.' In late November, Trump told Time: 'I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that?' Both US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles have been used to hit Russian territory for the first time since last month. In that time, Russia has halved its use of aerial guided bombs against Ukraine, indicating a deterrent impact from using the Western weapons. Ivano-Frankivsk region in Ukraine today faced 'the most massive attack during the full-scale war', according to Ukrainian sources. Critical infrastructure facilities were damaged. US President-elect Donald Trump could ditch Joe Biden's diplomatic policy as he considers a pre-emptive air-strike on Iran in order to halt its nuclear development According to the Wall Street Journal, the option of striking Iran's nuclear facilities is being strongly considered by Trump's team as it examines the US' position in the Middle East following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and Israel's ongoing war against Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran's weakened position and recently revealed information about its nuclear developments have sparked internal discussions among the incoming president's team, but the talks are still in early stages. Sources familiar with the plan told WSJ that Trump's team were looking into different ways of deterring Iran. This includes having Washington send more forces, ships and warplanes to the region while also boosting Israel's offensive . In 2015, Iran agreed a deal on its nuclear programme with a group of world powers including the US, which was under the leadership of President Barack Obama at the time. However, in May 2018, then-president Trump abandoned the pact calling it 'defective at its core'. Biden sought to revive the pact during his presidency but Iran ended up walking away, yet he has continued to seek a diplomatic solution to nuclear advances in the region. US President-elect Donald Trump is considering a pre-emptive air-strike on Iran in order to halt its nuclear development A Khorramshahr-4 missile is launched at an undisclosed location on May 25, 2023 in Iran Iranian leader Ali Khamenei pictured in Tehran on November 7 Trump recently told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he is worried about a nuclear catastrophe on his watch and wants to prevent sparking a new war. It comes after it emerged last month that Iran's estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 32 times the limit in a key nuclear deal, according to the UN watchdog. The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that as of October 26, Iran has 182.3 kilograms (401.9 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase of 17.6 kilograms (38.8 pounds) since the last report in August. Uranium enriched at 60% purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran had capped its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief and other key provisions as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but reportedly returned to the programme after the US backed out under Donald Trump in 2018. By the IAEA's theoretical definition, around 42 kg of uranium enriched to 60% is the amount at which making a nuclear bomb with it cannot be excluded. It comes after Trump, who was this week named Time Magazine's Person of the Year, spoke to the publication of a potential war with Iran, saying that 'anything can happen. It's a very volatile situation'. Meanwhile, Israeli officials this week said that they believe there is an opportunity to strike Iran's nuclear sites and and are preparing for a potential attack following the coup in Syria, a close ally of Iran. Ed Miliband today insisted he was right to oppose air strikes on Syria in 2013 - despite a Cabinet colleague swiping that it kept the dictator in power. As Labour leader, Mr Miliband ordered his MPs to vote against David Cameron's push to join reprisals against Bashar Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people. The Tory PM was defeated in the Commons - seen as a big factor in Barack Obama stopping short of action after the Syrian regime crossed his 'red line'. Russia then weighed in behind Assad, who was only finally ousted by Islamist rebels at the weekend. Appearing on the BBC's Question Time last night, Wes Streeting - who was not in Parliament then - seemed to agree with other panellists pointing the finger at Mr Miliband. Defiant Ed Miliband today insisted he was right to oppose air strikes on Syria in 2013 - despite a Cabinet colleague swiping that it kept the dictator in power Assad was only finally ousted by Islamist rebels at the weekend (pictured, an image of the dictator riddled with bullet holes) Appearing on the BBC 's Question Time last night, Wes Streeting - who was not in Parliament then - seemed to agree with other panellists pointing the finger at Mr Miliband 'With hindsight, I think we can say, looking back on the events of 2013, that the hesitation of this country and the United States created a vacuum that Russia moved into and kept Assad in power for much longer,' the Health Secretary said. 'What I cannot say with certainty - and what we can't say for certainty even now that the rat has fled to Moscow to his backers - we cannot say that the back of Assad is going to lead to a better Syria yet... 'We don't know. It is too soon to judge.' Mr Streeting scrambled to smooth over the spat this afternoon, insisting he had not been intending to criticise Mr Miliband specifically. 'I did not criticise Ed. On the contrary, I pointed out the challenges of hindsight, Libya and the uncertainty we face about post-Assad Syria today,' he posted on social media. 'It is frustrating, to put it mildly, to see a nuanced answer to a complicated issue presented as criticism of a good colleague.' Asked during a round of interviews this morning if he regretted taking the position, Mr Miliband told Sky News: 'No, I don't I welcome the fall of president Assad. Back in 2013 we were confronted with whether we should have a one-off, potential one-off bombing of Syria. 'But there was no plan for what this British involvement would mean, where it would lead, and what the consequences would be. 'And I believe that in the light of the Iraq war, we could never send British troops back into combat unless we were absolutely clear about what a plan was, including what an exit strategy was. 'Now to those people who say that president Assad would have fallen if we bombed in 2013 that's obviously wrong, because president Trump bombed president Assad in 2017 and 2018, so he didn't fall. 'So I welcome the fall of a brutal dictator, but I think the view that some people seem to be expressing about history is just wrong.' Celebrations before Friday prayers at a mosque in Damascus today As Labour leader Mr Miliband ordered his MPs to vote against David Cameron 's push to join reprisals against Bashar Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people Downing Street insisted the Government's position on Syria is 'very clear'. A Number 10 spokesman said: 'I think the Government's position on Syria is very clear. Our priority is the safety of civilians and the peaceful transfer of power. We continue to engage with allies as you would expect and our partners in the region on how to achieve a political solution.' The spokesman added that 'obviously I'm not going to comment on something that alludes to a period pre this Government.' A murder conviction is now in jeopardy after a jury allegedly enhanced video footage in order to reach its conclusion. Colby Benson's lawyers are appealing to an Oregon judge to throw out his guilty verdict for second-degree murder. The 40-year-old was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for the September 2020 shooting of Christopher Klein. However, Benson's attorney Rian Peck has now filed a motion demanding a new trial after a juror raised concerns about how the unanimous verdict was reached. Juror No.35 has claimed that while the group were going over surveillance footage from the scene on a court computer some felt the images were not clear enough. They said that a fellow juror searched on the internet how to zoom in on the clip, which showed Benson firing rounds at Klein in his car, on the software they were using. 'Through the Google results, the juror who was operating the computer was able to zoom in on various videos, isolate frames and view clips in an enhanced way to see things previously not apparent,' the juror in a declaration seen by Law&Crime. A murder conviction is now in jeopardy after a jury allegedly enhanced video footage in order to reach its conclusion (stock photo) According to the declaration, Juror No.35 thought the appropriate verdict was not guilty from just watching the original footage. Peck told Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge David F. Rees that the zooming in on the video was 'pivotal' in the jury reaching its guilty verdict and therefore warranted another trial. He argued that the use of video enhancement was a violation of the jury's instructions not to do their own research on the case. The juror continued in their declaration: 'After having time to reflect, I now believe it was improper for us to have been Googling how to manipulate this footage and I believe that our verdict should have been based on the evidence as presented.' However, prosecutors have rejected Peck's argument, saying that jurors did not manipulate the video, they just zoomed in on it. Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Samuel Wilton said according to The Oregonian: 'It would be no different had they asked to play the video on the large monitor in court instead of allegedly making a portion of the video larger on the smaller monitor they had during deliberations.' A hearing has been scheduled for December 19 where it will be determined if Benson's guilty verdict will be thrown out and the case retried. Armed police who surrounded and arrested a 13-year-old black boy after an officer mistook his water pistol for a real gun acted reasonably, the police watchdog has said. Their report today says there is no evidence the child was treated differently due to his ethnicity during the July 2023 incident in Hackney. The drama began when a Met officer on patrol reported a potential firearms incident. The Met officer said they had seen a man on a bicycle pull out what appeared to be a handgun 'shaped like a Glock' that he pointed at a passing woman before leaving the area. He described the firearm as 'blue and white' and described the suspect as being approximately 16 years old. Armed police raced to the scene and rammed the boy off his bike before arresting him. The youngster, known as Child X, was de-arrested when the nature of the 'weapons', which were blue and pink in colour, became clear. The incident caused a storm of protest from the boy's mother and others that he would not have been treated the same if he was white. But now the Independent Office for Police Conduct(IOPC) has given the police response the all-clear. His mother said today: 'The IOPC have shown themselves to be completely incapable of understanding what race discrimination is and how it actually operates in the way that black children are treated by the police.' This is the type of water pistol that the youngster - known as Child X - was playing with as he was rammed off of his bicycle by the Metropolitan Police Lee Jasper (second from right), chair of the Alliance for Police Accountability, said 'immediate reforms to safeguard' children is needed IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin said: 'We know that this incident was distressing to the child involved and his family. 'Being arrested, handcuffed and searched by armed officers would have been a frightening experience for anyone, let alone a 13-year-old. We note the Met Police has apologised to the boy's family for the distress caused. 'Police officers have a duty to protect the public from harm and the evidence from our investigation supported the first officer's belief that he thought he may have seen a real firearm. 'The decision to send armed officers to the scene following the report of a firearm was in line with guidance and based on the evidence we obtained we found no indication that any officers behaved in a manner that would justify bringing disciplinary proceedings.' The mother of Child X said that the incident would not have occurred if her son had been 'a white 13-year-old boy' and described the IOPC investigation as 'extremely disappointing'. In a statement released through lawyers, the mother said: 'From the very day of this horrific incident, it was clear to me that the police would not have treated my son in the way that they did if he had been a white 13-year-old boy. 'From the outset, I made it clear that I expected any investigation into the incident to look at the very obvious role that my son's race played in the way in which he was treated by the police. 'Unfortunately, the IOPC have shown themselves to be completely incapable of understanding what race discrimination is and how it actually operates in the way that black children are treated by the police. 'The outcome of their investigation is consistent with my experience of the IOPC throughout my dealings with them. At first, they didn't want to investigate my concerns at all. 'They only agreed to investigate after they were publicly embarrassed in the media and had to respond to the widespread support my family has received in the local community and from parents around the country. 'Even then, it seems the IOPC have simply gone through the motions of an investigation, with the inevitable outcome they have now presented to me. Their unwillingness to do their job has been extremely disappointing, and it does nothing to inspire any confidence in them or in the police.' In a written statement, Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, who runs policing for Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: 'The IOPC has carried out a thorough and detailed investigation, examining a range of evidence including body worn video and dash cam footage and consulting with an independent firearms expert. Met officer reported that they had seen a man on a bicycle pull out what appeared to be a handgun and pointing it at a passing woman before leaving the area, THey said the blue and white toy was 'shaped like a Glock' A firearms expert from the National Crime Agency told the IOPC that the water pistol had the general appearance of a self-loading pistol - similar to blank firers, such as the one above, which are available for retail purchase and can be converted to fire live bullets 'It has found officers acted correctly, both in deciding to send firearms officers to the scene and then how they dealt with the incident on arrival. 'At the time there was very real concern a genuine firearm had been seen. Officers acted swiftly to deal with the potential threat, but then de-arrested the child as soon as it became clear he had been playing earlier with a water pistol. 'This incident shows just how difficult it can be to determine whether a firearm is real. 'The public would not wish us to hesitate in responding and risk a genuine firearm being used on the streets of London. We have a duty to protect the public from harm. 'I am pleased the IOPC has recognised this and the very difficult job our firearms officers do day in day out to keep London safe. 'Nonetheless, this incident was understandably extremely distressing for the boy involved as well as his family and we remain sorry for the impact upon them.' Campaign group the Alliance for Police Accountability, which supported the mother of the child, criticised the watchdog's decision. Its chairman Lee Jasper said in a statement: 'This case exemplifies the failure of both the Metropolitan Police and the IOPC to protect black children and hold officers accountable for the harm they cause. 'A 13-year-old black boy playing with a water pistol was treated as an armed criminal, brutalised, and left traumatised. 'The trauma inflicted on Child X and his family is part of a broader, systemic problem of institutional racism and adultification in policing. The Casey Review laid bare the institutional racism within the Metropolitan Police, but the IOPC continues to ignore this reality. 'How many more black children must suffer similar trauma before we see real change. 'We need immediate reforms to safeguard our children from these disproportionate and damaging interactions. 'Black communities are simply expected to suffer the realities of disproportionate policing and are left alone to deal with the deep trauma that is a consequence of disproportionate use of force and the routine denials of racism. Enough is enough.' Parts of England will need to build 21 times more homes than they have been under Labour's 'bulldozer blitz'. A breakdown of new targets has laid bare the scale of the demands being put on local authorities - with London and the South East hardest hit. Kensington & Chelsea is being ordered to build 5,107 homes annually - even though it has only been averaging 236 in the past few years. Richmond-upon-Thames has been generating 154 a year, but will now be obliged to hit a number that is 16 times higher, at 2,513. Bromley must achieve 13 times more homes than the 229 it has been managing, while Portsmouth, Gosport and the New Forest have to see an eightfold rise. Angela Rayner and Keir Starmer were accused of waging 'war on rural England' yesterday as they unveiled the biggest shake-up of planning rules for a generation. Your browser does not support iframes. Angela Rayner and Keir Starmer were accused of waging 'war on rural England' yesterday as they unveiled the biggest shake-up of planning rules for a generation A stock image of the New Forest, which is set to see one of the biggest increases in housebuiding The marina at Gosport, which also features on the list of places that will need to ramp up housebuilding most The places facing the biggest increase in housebuilding Kensington & Chelsea: 21 times current building rate Richmond upon-Thames: 16 times Bromley: 13 times Portsmouth: 8.5 times Gosport: 8.3 times New Forest: 8 times Lewisham: 7 times Castle Point: 6.9 times Lambeth: 6.9 times Camden: 6.3 times Hertsmere: 5.6 times Sevenoaks: 5.4 times Adur: 5.2 times Fareham: 5.1 times Hastings: 5 times Advertisement Tories warned that the PM's housebuilding bonanza will barely keep up with immigration - even if he hits his overall goal of 1.5million homes over the next five years. The blueprint included new demands for hundreds more developments in the Home Counties, while the draft goals for the North published in July were revised down. MPs and campaigners argued it paves the way for swathes of the Green Belt to be concreted over because it forces councils to re-classify thousands of acres into 'Grey Belt' sites for building on. Other protections have also been diluted, with a vow to 'safeguard the countryside from encroachment' now dropped. Councils that fail to submit detailed plans for achieving the steep targets, with some facing demands for a 2,000 per cent increase in building, could have developments imposed on them by Whitehall. Two-thirds of councils have yet to submit fresh plans, creating fears of a flood of speculative planning applications by developers hoping their estates will be rammed through by officials eager to hit Labour's new target of building at least 1.5million homes within this Parliament. Local authorities have only three months to lodge fresh plans with the Government, even though they can take years to develop. Sir Keir said he would prioritise 'human beings wanting to have a house' over the environment as he joined Ms Rayner on a visit to a building site in Cambridgeshire yesterday. 'The starting point is local plans, and that's really important for councils to develop the plan according to the target, taking into account local need and working with developers,' the premier said. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. The London borough of Richmond, which is among the top targets for housing increases 'But are we going to push it through if those plans don't work? Yes we absolutely are. 'Are we going to push away the planning rules and make them clearer, as we have done today, get away the blockers that are stopping the houses being built? Yes, we are absolutely intent. 'For years, we have had not enough houses being built. That means that individuals and families don't have the security that they want. 'We are determined to break through that, to do what's necessary. 'Of course we want to get the balance right with nature and the environment, but if it comes to a human being wanting to have a house for them and their family, that has to be the top priority.' Shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake said he 'welcomed' the target of 1.5million homes, but added: 'What we do not welcome is the war on rural England he is pursuing. 'Following on from the family farm tax, the withdrawal of rural services delivery grants [which cover the additional costs of delivering services in remote areas], now we see the massive shift mass house building in rural areas and on Green Belt. 'We do not welcome the bulldozing of democratic accountability, we do not welcome the lowering of housing targets for urban areas and we do not welcome an average doubling a 100 per cent increase [in developments] for predominantly rural areas. 'Residents will one day wake up to realise that they will face targets of up to 600 per cent increase. They will call their local councillor to ask them to oppose a specific application and be shocked at the response 'I'm sorry, we no longer have the right to vote against an individual application'.' Police officers stand near a body covered by a tarp outside Feather River Adventist School after a shooting on Dec. 4, in Oroville (Butte County). Michael Weber/Associated Press One of the kindergartners who was critically injured in a Butte County school shooting this month has yet to regain movement in his legs, according to an update posted by an apparent relative on his GoFundMe page Thursday. Elias Wolford, 5, has been unable to move his legs since he was hospitalized following the Dec. 4 shooting, a user who identified herself as his grandparent wrote. Though Elias made it through two surgeries successfully, doctors conducted an MRI scan Wednesday and found that the bullet damaged the outer edge of his spinal cord, she said. The doctors (are) not sure that Elias will make a full recovery and said this is going to be a very long healing process, the user, identified as Debbie Wolford, said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Elias is one of two kindergarten students who were seriously wounded after a gunman opened fire at Feather River Adventist School on the afternoon of Dec. 4, before fatally shooting himself. Wolford and Roman Mendez, 6, were both hospitalized following the shooting, and no other students were injured. An update on Mendezs condition was not immediately available, but both boys were in critical condition following planned surgeries as of Dec. 6, according to the Butte County Sheriffs Office. Investigators believe that the suspected shooter, identified by the sheriff as Glenn Litton, 56, may have targeted the school for its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Litton had set up a meeting with school administrators that day, falsely claiming he wanted to enroll his grandson at the school, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea previously told reporters. After the meeting, Litton headed toward the parking lot as if to leave, but he instead turned toward the playground, pulled a gun from his waistband and opened fire. Oroville Mayor David Pittman expressed support for the victims in a statement following the shooting and said schools need to prepare for violent events. Advertisement Article continues below this ad British police have opened talks with China to request a crackdown on the manufacture and export of small boat engines being used by Channel migrants. The UK National Crime Agency said more than 50 improvised boats and engines have been intercepted and seized since early 2023. Sturdier, rigid-hulled vessels with proper engines have almost entirely been phased out by gangs in favour of bigger but flimsier craft holding as many as 60 people. Rob Jones, the NCA's director general for operations, said all the boats were now 'rubber dinghies that are little more than a paddling pool' with small Chinese-built engines attached. He blamed these lower quality boats for a record number of deaths, with more than 70 people killed while trying to cross the Channel this year. Director general Graeme Biggar said the agency had recently begun conversations with China about exports of small engines and dinghies that would likely be used in Channel crossings. 'That's a relatively recent development, just in the last few months,' he told a briefing. 'But that is positive for us. We will work on this with them and see what support and engagement we get.' The UK National Crime Agency said more than 50 improvised boats and engines have been intercepted and seized since early 2023. File photo Boats at a storage location in Germany searched by German Police and NCA in July 2022 Graeme Biggar, director general of the NCA, said the agency had recently begun conversations with China about exports of small engines and crafts that would likely be used in Channel crossings Mr Jones said it was impossible to make the boats illegal, but given this style of vessel was used almost exclusively for Channel crossings legislation is being discussed to give law enforcement civil seizure powers to confiscate them. This would make the people smuggling business model much less financially viable because the gangs would be forced to use safer, smaller boats that could only carry a dozen migrants at a time. 'It's looking at regulation to make that seizable by customs as it comes across borders, and ensure when it doesn't get into legitimate supply chain,' Mr Jones said. 'And that goes all the way back to China, where these things are made and where they're exported from.' The NCA this year removed 7,000 social media adverts posted by people smugglers offering Channel crossings - more than ever before. There were 5,000 removed last year and 2,000 in 2022, Mr Jones said. More than 30,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats this year, including 20,000 since Labour came to power. These arrivals made up about a quarter of total asylum applications, which reached almost 100,000 in the 12 months to September. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. More than 70 people perished attempting the crossing this year. The NCA this year removed 7,000 social media adverts posted by people smugglers offering Channel crossings - more than ever before. There were 5,000 removed last year and 2,000 in 2022, Mr Jones said. More than 30,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats this year, including 20,000 since Labour came to power. These arrivals made up about a quarter of total asylum applications, which reached almost 100,000 in the 12 months to September. More than 70 people perished attempting the crossing this year. On Wednesday, an asylum seeker convicted of manslaughter after four migrants died when they fell from a boat he had been steering across the English Channel lost his bid to challenge his convictions and sentence. Ibrahima Bah was sentenced to nine and a half years' detention after the deaths as he piloted the 'unseaworthy' boat between France and the UK on December 14, 2022. Your browser does not support iframes. During a retrial at Canterbury Crown Court, Bah said smugglers threatened to kill him if he did not drive the boat, but the prosecution said he was not telling the truth and he owed his fellow passengers a 'duty of care' as their pilot. The Senegalese national was also convicted of facilitating illegal entry to the UK. At a hearing earlier this month, Bah brought his case to the Court of Appeal in a bid for the green light to challenge his convictions and sentence. In a ruling today, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr said Bah could not bring the appeal, ruling it was not 'arguable'. Richard Thomas KC, for Bah, previously described his trial as 'touching on a highly politicised issue which gives rise to very strong feelings'. Jurors heard that the home-built, low-quality inflatable should have had no more than 20 people on board but carried about 45 people in the English Channel that night. Did YOU see what happened? Did YOU see what happened? A woman injured when a 180ft Christmas fairground ride crashed to the ground has spoken of the terrifying the moment it lurched backwards before dropping. Louise Brown was on the City Starflyer swing chair ride in Birmingham city centre when it crashed. Ms Brown, a mother who works at the BBC in the city, said: 'This can never happen again - we are in shock and all I can think of is what if my kids were on the ride.' Ms Brown suffered injuries to her face, legs and arms, adding that her colleague was also hurt. Pictures show her with cuts and bruises on her face. 'We were on it having fun and then it just crashed to the ground,' she said. 'It felt like we were descending, not at the highest point but still quite high. We just dropped. 'It went backwards first though, which I've never seen it do before.' West Midlands Police said two men, aged 55 and 21, were last night arrested at the fairground on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers. They remain in custody. Louise Brown (pictured) was on the City Starflyer swing chair ride in Birmingham city centre when it crashed Some 13 people were injured during the accident (pictured is the aftermath of the incident) The Christmas fairground has been sealed off after a ride collapsed in Birmingham on Thursday night (pictured is part of the damaged ride) Police at the cordoned off Star Flyer ride in Centenary Square, Birmingham, on Friday morning Pictured is some of the debris leftover after the accident on Thursday evening Police and emergency services rushed to the scene and sealed off an area around attraction in Centenary Square following the incident on Thursday evening. Video footage shared on social media shows chaotic scenes as rescue teams sealed off the area around the popular ride. Pictures also appear to show several gondolas on the ride tangled up in the wires. Shocked witnesses describe hearing people 'screaming in terror' as the ride slammed to the ground. John Spence, 45, from Warwick, was at the fairground with his wife Julie, 42, and their ten-year-old son Harris. He said: 'We were near the ride when we heard screaming. It wasn't your normal excited screams, this was screams of terror. 'There was a loud whoosh and bang and then pandemonium. There were lots of people in hi-vis jackets running over to help people get off the ride. 'Within a few minutes you could hear sirens. The emergency services were incredible and all so calm. 'We stayed out the way because we didn't want to make the situation worse but crowding around.' Emergency services are seen at the scene of the disaster in Birmingham Police have sealed off the ride while an investigation into the collapse continues today Two people have been taken to hospital after a 180ft fairground ride 'failed and crashed' in Birmingham city centre (pictured is the fairground on Friday morning) Another witness said: 'We saw some of the people getting helped off the ride and several had bloody faces and were crying. 'It was really shocking.' Clips of the terrifying aftermath saw eyewitnesses describing how the ride suddenly collapsed - saying in disbelief 'it was all the way up there and it fell, the thing fell.' One bystander could be heard saying how there was 'blood on someone's face, reports The Sun. The fairground remains closed this afternoon. Locals today told MailOnline that the carnage last night had put them off attending. Val Breakwell, from Rednal, had come to the city centre with her friend to enjoy the festivities. She said: 'We weren't here last night, but what a disaster. We saw it on Facebook, the poor injured people. 'Somebody's not tightened a nut somewhere, obviously...Something has gone catastrophically wrong with it. 'No chance would I be on there, I wouldn't even go on the Ferris wheel now. 'I wouldn't let anyone go on there, I wouldn't want my family to go on it.' Pictured is the scene of the incident on Friday morning, with the ride taped off by police Police at the cordoned off Star Flyer ride in Centenary Square, Birmingham, on Friday morning Civil servant Ibrahim Hussein works in the city centre a few feet from the attraction site - but was off when the accident happened. He said: 'I heard about it but I had a day off, but we got told about it in a meeting. 'I haven't been on it, definitely not, I stopped going on rides about 20 years ago. 'I know these are quite robust in their safety features but it was just an unexpected thing to happen. The last one I knew about was in Alton Towers. 'For me there's no fatalities, which is the main thing. And thank god it's the festive season coming up. 'I've been told that the whole thing just came down, didn't it. It must have been shocking. 'I'd imagine it's going to put a lot of people off. But if they fix it and get it going, I'm sure people will say why not. 'It shouldn't happen again, hopefully they triple check it. I'll leave it for the youngsters.' Bill Tidman, from Stratford, was visiting the city with friends. He said: 'They put it up overnight and then there's all these rides all over the place. Everything is propped up on bits of wood. You'd think this would be more reliable as it's more permanent.' Joanne, 52, said she had seen the ride working from the top of the library during a work event in the weeks before. She said: 'I've seen it before and thought it looked a bit unsafe. It's too high for me. We were on the balcony watching it go up a few days ago and it was way too high. The ride where the accident took place on Thursday is pictured on Friday morning Locals have said the no longer want to ride on the attractions in Birmingham city centre 'I did think how well strapped in are, are you going to end up somewhere after flying out.' Stacey, 35, said she and her mother had visited the market and attractions today but didn't have any intentions of going on the rides. She said: 'We come every year, we were coming today regardless of the accident or the weather. 'We're past rides now, we're too old for that. I think that one is similar to one at Alton Towers.' She added: 'We were here yesterday for the afternoon but left before it got bad, it looked to be working fine then. 'We didn't know anything would happen to it, you don't even think about it.' A mother who was visiting the attractions with her two kids said the accident was horrible. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'My heart goes out to the women, it really does. 'To have that happen to you, or anyone, is horrible. They've got families who are worried about them too. 'I don't know what went off, but it's horrible, just horrible.' West Midlands Fire Service confirmed it had 'dropped to the ground' while it was in operation. One witness told the BBC he saw 'girls who appeared to be injured' walking away from the area, with 'one girl who seemed to have her face cut'. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: 'On arrival, crews found 13 patients. 'Two women, were treated by ambulance staff for injuries not believed to be serious and conveyed to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. 'Nine women and three men were assessed by medics before being given self-care advice and discharged at the scene.' Pictured is an ambulance as it appears to rush to the scene following the accident Centenary Square, Birmingham, after the accident, with emergency services at the scene Paramedics seemed to have a stretcher at the ready when they attended the scene A picture of one of the broken chairs which were swung around on the ride An image of a Star Flyer ride in Digbeth back in August, 2024 The City Starflyer ride is provided by funfair suppliers Danter Attractions and is described as 'one of the tallest rides around'. In a statement, the company told MailOnline: 'Our thoughts are with the individuals and families affected. There is an ongoing investigation and we are fully co-operating with the authorities. At this time we are unable to provide any additional comment.' Brian Hughes, chairman of Westside BID, the business improvement district for the area including Centenary Square, said in a statement: 'Our first thoughts are with those who have been injured. 'While we are relieved to have heard that no-one has received life-threatening injuries, this must have been a terrible incident to experience. 'We have already spoken with the owners of Ice Skate Birmingham, which operates the ride, and we know that they will now be working closely with the authorities to find out exactly what went wrong.' West Midlands Police has appealed for anyone with CCTV or mobile phone footage from the evening, to contact officers by call 101, quoting incident number 4290 of December 12. A former Tory mayor was found dead at a crack house by a drug dealer who disposed of drugs before calling 999, a court heard. Respected local politician Les Winwood died at crack cocaine dealer Keith Kennedy's house in the early hours of July 17, 2022. Kennedy, 52, phoned emergency services after getting rid of the drugs before police officers arrived at the scene in Bilston, West Midlands. A court heard the 67-year-old councillor for Bridgnorth in Shropshire was later 'forensically linked' to a stash of drugs found stuffed inside a pillowcase. The pillow contained more than 90 grams of drugs, ammonia, chemicals used in the production of crack cocaine and two mobile phones which contained text messages about the sale of drugs. Kennedy removed drugs and paraphernalia from the property but officers still spotted evidence of drug taking. Mr Winwood was involved Bridgnorth politics for over 40 years, initially as town councillor where he served as Mayor, and then as Bridgnorth District Councillor until 2009 when he was elected as a Shropshire Councillor. Kennedy pleaded guilty to supplying crack cocaine in August and was jailed for two years at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday. Tory ex-mayor Les Winwood (pictured) found dead in crack house by convicted dealer Keith Kennedy Kennedy (pictured) pleaded guilty to supplying crack cocaine in August and was jailed for two years at Wolverhampton Crown Court Sentencing, Judge Michael Chambers KC said: 'To your credit, you phoned emergency services concerning the death of Mr Winwood but also it can be argued you had no choice. 'Subsequent investigations showed you removed evidence to a nearby property. 'Analysis showed the amount of crack cocaine you could have produced was 100 grammes. This drug is highly dangerous and addictive and causes misery in society.' Police officers reviewed CCTV footage after the death and spotted a white pillow being removed from Kennedy's property and taken to a nearby house. They subsequently raided that property and found the pillow case. Prosecutor Andrew Baker said said: 'The deceased body of Leslie Winwood was found found at the defendant's home in Cumberland Road on July 17, 2022. 'Mr Winwood was 67 years of age and at the time of his death was a councillor in Bridgnorth. 'He held this role for many years and was mayor of the town as well as the chairman of Bridgnorth council twice. 'The defendant was present at the address and rung the authorities, found within in property was a white bag with 54 grams of perceptive, a spoon with traces of crack cocaine.' He added: 'The pillow was forensically linked to the defendant and Mr Winwood.' Kennedy had previous convictions for possessing drugs but not supplying. He was not charged with supplying drugs to Mr Winwood and it was not said in court why he was at Kennedy's house. Samantha Powis, defending, said: 'The events of this night was particularly traumatic for the defendant. 'He did what he could, in similar circumstances other people do not do the right thing, but he called he police, which led to his conviction. 'The pre-sentence report says these events acted as a massive wake up call and he has been drug free for a while now.' Paying tribute to him after his death, the Conservative association said: 'He was a selfless servant of his community and much loved and admired by all who knew him. 'He was kind, considerate and went out of his way to represent his constituents.' Buckingham Palace is launching a probe into an 'unofficial' boozy Christmas party which ended in a brawl at All Bar One after a palace maid was reportedly arrested. A female member of staff was allegedly arrested at a bar in Victoria, central London, on Tuesday. A spokesperson said 'appropriate action' would be taken after the Palace was made aware of the incident. Royal staff were said to have gathered for drinks at the Palace on Tuesday night, with around 50 making their way to Victoria Street to carry on the festivities. But a 24-year-old woman - reported to be a housemaid - allegedly threw a punch at the bar manager during the booze-fuelled evening. She is also alleged to have hurled glasses around, despite attempts to calm her down, and was arrested after police came to the bar. A witness told The Sun: 'I've never seen one person get that crazy during a night out. She was on another level.' A Palace spokesperson said: 'We are aware of an incident outside the workplace involving a number of Household staff who had previously attended an early evening reception at the Palace. A Buckingham Palace maid was reportedly arrested after a staff Christmas party went royally wrong and turned into a boozy brawl All Bar One on Victoria Street - where the drama was said to have unfolded 'While this was an informal social gathering, not an official Palace Christmas party, the facts will be fully investigated, with a robust disciplinary process followed in relation to individual staff and appropriate action taken.' A woman was arrested for common assault, damage and being drunk and disorderly and was put in a cell overnight before being released with a fine. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: 'At 21:21hrs on Tuesday, 10 December officers were called to a bar in Victoria Street, SW1 following reports that a customer had smashed glasses and attempted to assault a member of staff. 'Officers attended and arrested a 24-year-old woman on suspicion of common assault, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly. 'She was taken into custody and released the following evening having been given a penalty notice for disorder.' Royal staff had boozy drinks at the Palace around 4pm without incident, and the All Bar One afterparty had been pre-arranged. Despite being an 'informal social gathering' and not an official Palace Christmas party, the Palace said it will be fully investigated and 'appropriate action taken'. Met Police said: 'At 21.21hrs on Tuesday, December 10 officers were called to a bar in Victoria Street, SW1, following reports that a customer had smashed glasses and attempted to assault a member of staff. 'Officers attended and arrested a 24-year-old woman on suspicion of common assault, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly. 'She was taken into custody and released the following evening having been given a penalty notice for disorder.' The Kremlin has praised US President-elect Donald Trump's opposition to Ukraine firing US-supplied weapons into Russia. Speaking to reporters on Friday Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'The statement fully aligns with our position, with our view on the reasons for escalation. It is obvious that Trump understands exactly what is escalating the situation.' It comes after the incoming US president criticised Ukraine's use of US supplied missiles in a Time magazine interview published Thursday, suggesting he could alter US policy towards Ukraine. 'It's crazy what's taking place. It's crazy. I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We're just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done,' Trump said in an interview to mark his being named Time's Person of the Year. President Joe Biden last month gave Kyiv the green light to strike Russian territory with US-supplied long-range missiles. The White House cited Russia's deployment of 15,000 North Korean troops along the battlefront as the main reason why Biden changed his mind. Trump has said he would like to bring a quick end to the nearly three-year-old war but has been cagey on the details. He told Time he had a 'very good plan' to help but that if he reveals it now 'it becomes almost a worthless plan.' Pressed on whether he would abandon Ukraine, Trump said: 'I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you're going to reach an agreement is not to abandon.' The Kremlin has praised US President-elect Donald Trump 's opposition to Ukraine firing US-supplied weapons into Russia It comes after the incoming US president criticised Ukraine's use of US supplied missiles in a Time magazine interview published Thursday The Kremlin's comments about Trump come after it emerged yesterday that NATO members are urgently discussing raising their defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP amid fresh fears over global threats and as Trump threatens to pull out of the alliance upon his return to the White House. The head of NATO warned yesterday that it will nit be prepared for the threats it is set to face from Russia in the coming years if it does not shift to a wartime mindset now. 'Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us,' NATO secretary general Mark Rutte said during a speech in Brussels. 'We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years.' He said that the time has come for the alliance to 'turbocharge our defence production and defence spending', adding that the current security situation is the worst he has seen in his lifetime. Confidential preliminary talks took place this week about raising the alliance's target rise from 2 per cent of of GDP, a measure that could be implemented at its annual summit in the Netherlands in June next year, according to the Financial Times. President-elect Trump has argued that Europe should pay more for its own defence after he declared that he would consider pulling the US from NATO if targets were not met. During his first presidency, Trump demanded more spending during the 2018 NATO summit, with leaders vowing to meet the 2 per cent benchmark. But the surge in spending only came in response to Russia's war against Ukraine, with non-US NATO members raising their spending by around $100 billion over the last two years as a result. Chicago rapper Lil Durk will remain in jail as a judge refused his bail appeal and $3 million bond proposal after prosecutors unveiled his alleged connection to another 2022 murder. Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, pleaded not guilty to murder-for-hire charges last month, accused of paying five associates of his South Side rap group to kill Quando Rondo in August 2022. The 32-year-old was denied his request for bail at a lengthy hearing on Thursday afternoon as prosecutors unveiled new information pertaining to the fatal shooting of an alleged gang leader in Chicago in January 2022. The newly-unsealed filing alleges that Banks was behind the January 27, 2022 shooting of Stephon Mack, killed shortly after leaving the Youth Peace Center of Roseland on West 111th Street. The FBI believed he led a faction of the Gangster Disciples. 'Lil Durk was and still is offering money for people to kill those responsible for his brother's murder, and more specifically, offering to pay money for any Gangster Disciple that is killed,' a federal agent wrote in a 2023 affidavit, citing confidential sources. Agents told the Chicago Tribune the case is still open and active, and Banks has not been charged. Drake, Lil Durk and 21 Savage at the 2022 CFDA Fashion Awards in Partnership with Amazon Fashion Mack (pictured), the alleged leader of the Smashville faction of 'Gangster Disciples', was gunned down while he exited the Youth Peace Center of Roseland on West 111th Street in January 2022 While Quando Rondo (pictured) and his sister were left unharmed in the August 2022 shooting, his 24-year-old cousin Saviay'a Robinson suffered several gunshot wounds and died Banks has been held in Florida since October 24, when he was dramatically arrested in Miami and accused of trying to flee the country. Lawyers argued earlier this month he was not trying to escape, and that Banks 'contests' the claim he ordered Quando Rondo's assassination in August 2022. Lil Durk had sought to be freed on a $3mn bond after being charged with the murder for hire plot. But his team took a setback on Thursday as attorneys for the U.S. Attorney's Office for California's Central District filed their opposition to his release on bail. Their filing included details of the FBI's investigation into the killing of alleged gang leader Stephon Mack. Banks was allegedly involved in Mack's death as part of a supposed revenge plot following the death of his brother Dontay Banks, whose murder was carried out by a faction of 'Gangster Disciples' with ties to Smashville, the warrant application revealed. Dontay, who also went by DThang, was killed outside Club O in Chicago in June 2021 after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. While the case remains open, a year after Mack was gunned down, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago announced charges against Anthony Montgomery-Wilson, 24, and Preston Powell, 23. The indictment revealed that both Montgomery-Wilson and Powell 'conspired with each other and others to murder Stephon Mack in exchange for money.' Durk, 32, is currently facing murder-for-hire charges in Los Angeles after being arrested in October for allegedly paying five associates of his South Side rap group, Only The Family (OTF), to kill Quando Rondo in August 2022 The plot to shoot Quando Rando is allegedly due to his supposed involvement in the 2020 death of King Von (pictured) Montgomery-Wilson and Powell were charged with conspiracy to use an interstate facility in the commission of a murder for hire, and individual murder-for-hire count, according to the indictment. Montgomery-Wilson also faces a firearm charge. FBI Special Agent Thomas Callaghan said that Banks may have funded the killing of Mack. He cited a confidential and trusted source in his analysis that, 'Lil Durk was and still is offering money for people to kill those responsible for his brother's murder', Banks has not been charged. Evidence included an alleged message exchange between the suspects after Mack's murder. They allegedly discussed payment and mentioned 'Durk' and 'OTF', Callaghan reported. OTF appeared to refer to his South Side rap group, Only the Family. The Grammy Award-winning rapper, 32, is currently facing murder-for-hire charges in Los Angeles after being arrested in October for allegedly paying associates of OTF to kill Quando Rondo in August 2022. While Bowman and his sister were left unharmed from the shooting that took place at a gas station in West Hollywood, his 24-year-old cousin Saviay'a Robinson suffered several gunshot wounds and died as a result. Lil Durk performs on day three of the Lollapalooza Music Festival on Saturday, July 30, 2022 At the time, the U.S. Attorney's office released images of Anthony Montgomery-Wilson, 24, and Preston Powell, 23, who were charged in connection to Mack's death Lil Durk in a Feb. 22, 2024 Instagram photo Five associates linked to the Los Angeles shooting death - Kavon London Grant, 28, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, 33, Keith Jones, 33, David Brian Lindsey, 33, and Asa Houston, 36 - have been charged for their alleged involvement. The plot to shoot Quando Rando is allegedly due to his supposed involvement in the 2020 death of King Von. King Von, real name Dayvon Bennett, was killed during a brawl outside a hookah lounge in Atlanta in November 2020. Following his death, an unnamed co-conspirator who is part of OTF offered money and 'lucrative music opportunities' to anyone who would kill Quando Rondo. Tourists are being asked to avoid endangered penguins on a popular tourist island to avoid their numbers plummeting even further. The resident 'little penguins' of Granite Island in South Australia are under severe threat, with their number dropping by a staggering 98 per cent in recent years as almost one million tourists flock to the destination each year. Granite Island is located just off the coast of Victor Harbor in South Australia, approximately 80 km south of Adelaide. Twenty years ago Granite Island was home to 1,600 little penguins, the world's smallest penguin species by physical size. But the number has tragically plummeted number to just 30 adults in 2024. Researchers from Flinders University conducted an investigation into parent-offspring relationships among the island's penguin population. The alarming results showed fewer interactions with humans are critical for the survival of the fragile creatures. Senior Lecturer in Animal Behaviour of the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University Dr Diane Colombelli-Negrel warned tourists to keep their distance. The resident little penguins of Granite Island in South Australia are under severe threat, with their number dropping by a staggering 98 per cent in recent years Dr Diane Colombelli-Negrel used remote red-light video surveillance to capture never-before-seen penguin interactions 'Please make sure to keep your distance when approaching penguins' nesting areas to help minimise stress during these challenging times,' she told YahooNews. Dr Colombelli-Negrel used remote red-light video surveillance to capture never-before-seen penguin interactions. She said the little penguins can be 'bolder and more aggressive, in response to nest defence and intrusion' by people. She said although 'we found a penguin's boldness has no bearing on its performance as a parent', the flight response can stress the animals. Granite Island is visited by 800,000 tourists each year and Dr Colombelli-Negrel called on tourists to avoid any contact with the little penguins. 'As the summer holidays approach, we urge the public to stay away from the Granite Island penguin nests, and help save these animals by reporting dangers to their habitat,' Dr Colombelli-Negrel said. 'Urban developments and human activities are encroaching on our natural habitats at a rapidly increasing rate, placing many species under stress from anthropogenic (human) disturbance.' Locals said the drop in penguin numbers is also impacting tourism, as they were once a major attraction for Granite Island visitors Granite Island is located just off the coast of Victor Harbor in South Australia, approximately 80 km south of Adelaide. 800,000 tourists visit the island each year 'Our results... highlight the importance of limiting interactions between human visitors and penguins.' Several other factors are contributing to the decline of little penguins on Granite Island. One major issue is predation by introduced species, such as foxes and black rats. Competition for food with other marine predators like fur seals makes survival even more difficult for the little penguins. Environmental changes, such as rising sea surface temperatures and reduced river outflows during droughts is another factor. Locals said the drop in penguin numbers is also impacting tourism, as they were once a major attraction for Granite Island visitors. Conservation efforts are in place tin an attempt to stabilise and boost the little penguin numbers. These include improved monitoring, night closures on the island and predator control programs. A randy donkey's attempt to mount a woman's horse in County Dublin while she was riding it has led to a 50,000 personal injuries claim. The cheeky donkey's owners were sued by company director Helen Dunne for negligence and breach of duty. Ms Dunne claimed that on April 7, 2017, she was riding her horse on a roadway when she passed the donkey's field. Suddenly, the animal escaped and attempted to mount her horse. Ms Dunne alleged she suffered from shock and personal injury after the donkey kicked her and tried to bite one of her legs as she attempted to control her horse to foil the attack. The horse rider's claim also included an allegation of liability against the donkey's owner farmer John Moore. It had been alleged that it was Mr Moore's responsibility to know that the donkey was mischievous. A woman from County Dublin says she was attacked by a randy donkey while she was horse riding Although rare, donkey attacks can be vicious On Wednesday Jude Fiona O'Sullivan heard in the Circuit Civil Court that the case had been settled with a personal injuries claim. Although rare, donkey attacks can be extremely vicious. In 2015, a Georgia, US woman had to have her arm and leg amputated after being savagely attack by a donkey. Mother-of-two Georgia Giacomi was bitten by a donkey at her local farm while feeding it. The animal managed to drag her under a barbed wire fence, and what followed was a minutes-long savage attack where she was bitten and stomped on repeatedly, shattering her left arm and hand and fracturing multiple ribs. Her injuries, although bad, were supposed to heal within months. But a litany of medical failures led Ms Giacomi to develop a flesh-eating infection that ravaged one side of her body. Three weeks after the attack she had her left amputated above the elbow and her left leg amputated above the knee. Shocking footage captures the moment a phone thief brazenly swipes a man's mobile while riding an e-bike. Michael 'Mickey' O'Leary, 20, casually grabs the phone as he rides past the man in Manchester city centre and rides off without pausing. The victim tries to give chase, but O'Leary speeds away. Police say it was one of a number of phones stolen on the same day on 11 April, which were then tracked to the same address using the Find my iPhone app. O'Leary's phone revealed a Snapchat message sent of a video clip of several mobile phones on a kitchen counter, with a male saying: '10 minutes in town'. All phones were later identified to have been stolen that day by the same males in Manchester city centre and the Ancoats area. Manchester detectives linked the offending account to O'Leary, even though it had been registered anonymously through an associate. O'Leary, of Miles Platting, Manchester, was found guilty on four counts of theft, one count of robbery and breaching his bail conditions. Footage captures the moment Michael O'Leary casually grabs a phone as he rides past a man in Manchester city centre on an e-bike The snatch takes place within a matter of mere seconds, leaving the victim shocked Michael O'Leary, 20, has been sentenced to 56 months in a youth offenders institute He was sentenced on Wednesday to 56 months in a youth offenders institute. Two suspects, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are still under investigation in relation to their part in the series of thefts. Detective Constable Nicholas Kershaw, of Greater Manchester Police, said after sentencing: 'This investigation involved a lot of background work, including the follow-up of CCTV enquiries and evidence, but it has eventually led to the sentencing of this individual. 'This result sends a clear message that no matter how organised or sophisticated the group or individual may be, we will thoroughly investigate to ensure we remain a step ahead as we continue with our efforts to make the streets of Greater Manchester a safer place to live, work and visit. 'I would like to take this opportunity to warn the public to be wary of this offence. 'While you are out and about, please keep your phone hidden away in a bag or even in your pocket, making it harder for opportunistic criminals to reach. 'Mobile phones or valuable items left in sight can be easily spotted by criminals as they look for a victim. 'Please be aware of your surroundings as these type of thefts can happen so quickly, with some instances only taking around 20 seconds for the offender to approach the victim and steal the phone away.' The footage shows O'Leary riding off just moments after the theft on April 11, 2024 A blood-curdling yearbook post by an alleged gang-rapist playboy has emerged after he and his two brothers were charged with a sickening slew of sex attacks. Oren Alexander, 37, said his favorite memory from his time at Michael Krop Senior High School in Miami was 'riding my first choo-choo train.' NBC6 reports that may be a disgusting reference to a sexual practice known as a 'running train', where multiple men take turns having sex with the same woman. Oren's brother Tal, 38, reportedly made a reference to a 'running train' in his yearbook photo. Oren and Tal were star Douglas Elliman realtors who struck out to become ultra-successful real estate tycoons before their arrest. The pair and Oren's identical twin Alon, who works for the family security firm, have been accused by prosecutors of drugging and gang-raping dozens of women over an 11 year-period. But investigators believe the alleged sex attacks actually started far earlier and fear the three brothers may have been forcing themselves on victims while still at school. The three brothers were arrested by the FBI on Wednesday and are being held without bond on federal charges, with the identical twins also facing state charges in Florida related to three alleged sexual assaults. A wave of civil lawsuits have also been launched against the brothers, with the attorney in one suit filed on Thursday saying the high school yearbook quotes may be damning. 'To me, it shows this is a pattern of conduct that has gone on for over a decade,' attorney Carissa Peebles, representing a woman who claimed she was raped in 2016, told NBC. 'There was a lot of fear, she understood their status and wealth in society.' Prosecutors released high school yearbook images from accused serial rapist brothers Alon and Oren Alexander following their arrests this week Oren Alexander's 'favorite memory' in his high school yearbook was 'riding my first choo-choo train', alleged to be a brag about violent sexual exploits as a teenager Oren Alexander (left) and Alon Alexander (right) stood shame-faced and wearing suicide vests in their first court appearance on Thursday, where their bail was denied as they were deemed a flight risk due to their access to private jets and boats The brothers were once stars socialites in the Miami and New York City party scenes, with Alon often seen at parties with his real estate star brothers. Oren and Tal made a name for themselves in the luxury property world, most notably being credited with co-selling the most expensive home in US history at the time in 2019, a Central Park Penthouse sold for $240 million. The brothers come from a well-known real estate family in Miami, and their father is top Florida developer Shlomi Alexander. He smiled as he left court on Thursday, moments after his sons were refused bail over fears they'd use their access to private jets or yachts to flee. Oren had sought to play the family man, telling Judge Mindy Glazer that he needed to be home because nine months pregnant model wife Kamila Hansen is on the verge of giving birth. The domestic scene he sought to paint is a far cry from what prosecutors say Oren and his brothers are like in private., The trio are said to have staged lavish parties as 'bait' to lure women they'd then gang rape and accused them of compiling a rape 'wish list' featuring images of prospective victims they wanted to target. The 2016 incident cited in a civil lawsuit formed part of the criminal charges against the brothers this week, alleging a brutal rape involving Oren, Alon and their 'cousin' Ohad Fisherman, who reportedly found out the charges against him while on his honeymoon this week. He is believed to remain at large. The alleged victim said she met Alon Alexander on the dating app Bumble, and had a 'casual' relationship with him in New York City for a few weeks. On New Years Eve in 2016, she said she was in Miami at the same time Alon was also in the city for a separate trip, and when he found out she was there he invited her to his luxury condo for a barbeque. The Alexander brothers, known as star real estate agents with Douglas Elliman, have been taken into custody alongside their brother Alon (right) amid allegations of rape, sex trafficking and sexual assault The brothers were once high-flying socialites in Miami and New York City. Oren (right) is pictured with fashion designers Tommy Hilfiger and Dee Ocleppo in 2017 Oren is pictured with model wife Kamila Hansen, whose pregnancy he tried to use as an excuse to be bailed One of the accusers claimed that the Alexander brothers' cousin Ohad Fisherman (pictured right with Alon, left) held her down while she was being assaulted. He has been charged with sexual battery, but was not arrested as he was on his honeymoon this week The lawsuit claims he sent an image of people at the party to lure her to the apartment, but when she arrived she quickly found she was the only guest. She alleged that Alon led her to a bedroom, where she encountered Oren and Fisherman. Within moments, they locked the door and Fisherman pinned her down while Alon and Oren took turns raping her, she alleged. Speaking on behalf of her client this week, lawyer Clarissa Peebles described the attack as 'very brutal and violent and calculated.' The arrest warrants against the brothers this week also alleged two other attacks in 2017 and 2021. Oren Alexander is cited in all three allegations, while only the 2016 incident involved Alon. None of the arrest warrants reference Tal and the specific claims which led to his indictment have yet to emerge, although he has faced a number of allegations unrelated to the arrest warrants. In the 2017 incident, it is alleged that Oren Alexander messaged another woman on Instagram and invited to the beach, where she later met Alon and other family members. Weeks later she said she had dinner with Oren and a friend before a real estate event, and said she was taken back to the same Miami Beach condo where the 2016 claim unfolded. Oren Alexander (left) and his identical twin brother Alon (right) seen in their mugshots The brothers pictured back in 2015 as they built glitzy careers in real estate and security Tal Alexander (pictured) was also arrested, but the full charges against him are not clear and were not included in warrants accusing his identical twin brothers. He was not present at Thursday's hearing She said she tried on virtual reality goggles inside the condo, at which point Oren allegedly removed her dress and pushed her into a bedroom before assaulting her. The victim said she met Oren weeks later at a hot tub event, and demanded an apology, which he responded to by trying to kiss her and masturbate over her, it is claimed. When she told friends and Oren heard about it, he allegedly sent her a text message in 2018 saying: 'Nothing happened. If you keep talking about it, Im going to ruin you.' In the 2021 incident, a woman claimed she met Oren at dinner with a friend before they went to a Miami Beach property. At the home, she said Oren poured her a drink and instantly tried to kiss her on the couch. He led her to the bedroom, she claimed, ripped off her dress and shoes, and refused to let her leave. She said she later returned to the bedroom and he assaulted her, according to the warrant. Since June, the brothers have also been hit with civil lawsuits from at least two women and accused of sexual assault by dozens more in recent years. One lawsuit filed in March accused Oren and Alon of rape, and a second lawsuit included similar allegations against Tal, reports the Wall Street Journal. Kate Whiteman, one of the civil plaintiffs, claims Oren and Alon gang-raped her at a gaudy Hamptons 'castle in 2012 known as 'Sir Ivan's castle'. The Alexander twins, 37, were accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman together in 2012 at Sir Ivan Wilzig's castle in the Hamptons in one of the complaints against them Alon and Oren Alexander at Sir Ivan's Medieval Madness Birthday Bash For Model Mina Otsuka At His Hamptons Castle [on a separate occasion to the alleged rape] Tracy Tutor, 48, star of Million Dollar Listin Los Angeles, was one of 10 women who claimed they were sexually assaulted by the brothers in an expose earlier this year She said she met Oren and Alon in a Manhattan nightclub in 2012, and claimed they forced her into an SUV at the end of the night before driving her to the Hamptons. The men have denied the allegations in the lawsuits, which shocked the real estate world where Tal and Oren were once seen as rising stars. One of their accusers, star of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles Tracy Tutor, 48, joined nine other women in making claims of sexual assault to the New York Times in July. Seven of the women, including Tutor, said they believe they were drugged before being raped by either Tal, 38, or the younger twins Oren and Alon, 37. She claimed she shared a drink with Oren at a cocktail party in 2014 and blacked out before a friend found her in the restaurant's bathroom with Oren and pulled her away. She told the NYT she has no idea what happened to her, adding: 'Staying silent for so long has been damaging on many levels, and remembering now what happened feels debilitating.' The brothers come from a well-known real estate family in Miami, and their father is top Florida developer Shlomi Alexander. At a press conference on Wednesday, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said his 'hope' was that the action he has taken against the Alexander brothers will spur more alleged victims to come forward. 'Courage is infectious,' he told reporters. 'The defendants used their wealth and positions to create and facilitate opportunities to sexually assault women,' Williams continued at the press conference. 'In particular, Oren and Tal Alexander used their prominent positions in the real estate industry to induce women to come to events and parties. At those parties, and sometimes afterwards, the women were sexually assaulted by one or more of the defendants.' Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione is led into the Blair County Courthouse for an extradition hearing on Monday, Dec. 10, in Hollidaysburg, Pa. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images The FBI confirmed Friday that San Francisco police recognized Luigi Mangione and contacted the FBI days before he was arrested and charged with murder in the slaying of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The Chronicle reported on Thursday that San Francisco police recognized Mangione days before he was arrested and alerted federal officials. Prior to Friday, the FBI had not previously confirmed that they received the tip from the San Francisco Police Department. The tip from San Francisco police regarding the possible identity of the suspect was received by FBI officials in New York and sent to the New York City Police Department, the FBI said in a statement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What happened after New York City police received the tip remains unclear. Officials with the New York Police Department did not respond to requests for comment. The SFPDs Special Victims Unit recognized Mangione from a missing-persons case in what may be the first known instance of the suspect being identified to authorities prior to his arrest Monday in Pennsylvania. Mangiones mother filed the missing persons report in November. The report suggested that Mangiones mother may have believed that her son was working at TrueCar, a car-listings website that had an office in San Francisco. A TrueCar spokesperson said Mangione last worked for the company in 2023, though it was not clear if he worked in the companys San Francisco location. Authorities have said that when Mangione was arrested at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pa., he had not previously been on law enforcements radar. This was not a name that was called into us, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told NBC on Tuesday. A customer at the restaurant called police, believing he had spotted the same person depicted in surveillance images from a New York hostel that showed the shooters smiling face. Those images had been made public one day after the Dec. 4 shooting. Advertisement Article continues below this ad An officer in the SFPD SVU recognized Mangione as the possible suspect on Dec. 5 while probing the missing persons report apparently after looking at the same surveillance images, which were the only ones released after the shooting that showed Mangiones face, according to two people familiar with the situation. CCTV footage appears to show the man suspected of killing his wife, Harshita Brella pacing outside his home hours after she was murdered. Ms Brella was strangled to death just weeks after reporting her husband to police over alleged domestic violence. She even told her family that she feared her partner, Pankaj Lamba 'was going to kill her' weeks before her death. Her body was found last month in an abandoned vehicle in Ilford, east London - 100 miles away from her home in Corby, Northamptonshire. Lamba, 23, has been named as the prime suspect in her murder. He is believed to have since fled to India, and is the subject of an international manhunt. Now chilling footage has emerged of a man, believed to be Lamba, pacing outside his home for three hours on Sunday, November 10 - the day Ms Brella is thought to have been killed. The motion-sensor camera records him walking up and down beside a light-coloured Vauxhall Corsa between 8.54pm and 11.51pm. In the footage, obtained by ITV news, the man appears to be holding his phone as he paces around. CCTV footage appears to show the man suspected of killing his wife, Harshita Brella pacing outside his home hours after she was strangled to death and dumped in a car boot The man, believed to be Lamba, was seen pacing outside his home over the course of three hours on Sunday, November 10 - the day his wife is believed to have been murdered Harshita Brella, 24, was found inside the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road in Ilford, east London, in the early hours of Thursday Over the course of three hours, the motion sensor camera is activated on several occasions as the male continues to loiter around the car. At just after 11pm, he is seen looking directly into the camera before walking towards the boot of the vehicle. The last clip, captured at 11.51pm, the male is seen looking at his phone, walking towards the road. ITV reports a separate piece of footage appears to show the man being disturbed by a neighbour arriving home just before midnight. At 4am, the next time the motion-sensor camera at Lamba's property was triggered, the Vauxhall Corsa had vanished. Northamptonshire Police believe Ms Brella was strangled the same night the footage was taken and that Lamba drove her body 100 miles to London the following day. Ms Brella had previously tried to run away from her husband, and she first went to police claiming to have been the victim of domestic violence in August. She was last seen alive on November 10, walking with her husband around the Boating Lake in Corby at about 6.30pm. Detectives believe she was murdered shortly after this walk. A post-mortem examination found she had been strangled. Detectives released CCTV footage of Ms Brella and Lamba (pictured) walking around Corby boating lake at 6.30pm on November 10 - shortly before detectives believe she was killed The man caught on CCTV camera footage outside Lamba's house appears to be wearing a similar black jacket to the one seen worn by Lamba just hours earlier with his wife Another image shows the man caught on motion camera outside Lamba's house as he appeared to pace next to a light-coloured Vauxhall Corsa (right) Just after 10pm, the CCTV image appears to capture the man standing next to the driver's door Officers released a CCTV image of the couple during their walk. In it, Lamba appears to be wearing the same dark jacket to the man filmed later outside his house. ITV reports Lamba was caught on CCTV on November 11 in Lea Street, Illford, walking towards a tube station at 10.39am. It's believed he took a flight from London Heathrow Airport to Mumbai later that day and then flew onwards to New Delhi - three days before Ms Brella had even been reported as missing. Ms Brella's family have accused police of not doing enough to protect her after Lamba was arrested following reports of domestic violence against her. The 24-year-old was the subject of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) in the months before her death. The order, external told Mr Lamba not to harass, pester or intimidate her. However, after 28 days, on October 1, the order expired. Her family have now begged for help getting justice, telling how Mr Lamba controlled his wife and left her fearing for her life. Speaking to the BBC from the family home in India, Ms Brella's mother Sudesh Kumari said Mr Lamba had been making her daughter's life 'miserable'. She said she told her:' I will not go back to him. He will kill me.' Pankaj Lamba, 23, walks down Jaffe Road in Ilford after allegedly dumping his wife's body in the boot of a car Lamba's Silver Vauxhall Corsa on Brisbane Road. Ms Brella's body was later found in the vehicle Her father Satbir Brella, 53, said police in India were 'not listening to them'. He said: 'I used to say to her, when I die I want you to perform my final rites. I had no idea that I would have to do hers.' Mr Brella said his daughter called him crying on August 29 saying her husband had attacked her. 'She said 'he beat me really badly. He even beat me in the street',' Mr Brella said. 'My daughter was crying, crying so hard.' Ms Brella's sister Sonia Dabas said she feels like the police 'did not do enough to help her or protect' her. She went on to describe her younger sibling as 'very innocent, so kindhearted but just a kid'. Ms Dabas added: 'Our world has been turned upside down. We're calling on the UK and Indian governments to capture him.' She said it was an arranged marriage and Ms Brella had met him for the first time three days before moving to the UK with him. Born in Delhi, Ms Brella moved with Lamba to the UK in the April after marrying him in August 2023. Videos on social media of her wedding in India show her panting for breath, placing a hand on her chest, with the caption: 'That nervousness after becoming bride.' She had spent 300 on make-up and an elaborate wedding lehenga skirt. Ms Brella had been 'excited' to move but at the end of August, she phoned her father to say she had run away from the couple's home. Ms Dabas recalled to the BBC: '[Harshita] said he was hitting her and she escaped. She ran out on the streets, he chased after her.' The family said the police had taken Ms Brella into protective accommodation but they allege she was given no additional support or counselling. Her sister said Ms Brella suffered a miscarriage in this time and 'felt like police were treating her like the criminal', according to The Guardian. Ms Brella with her sister in a video during ornate ceremonies solemnising her marriage to Pankaj Lamba More CCTV stills showing Lamba in Ilford after he allegedly left his wife's body in the car Northamptonshire Police have named her husband Pankaj Lamba, 23, as a suspect Tragic final videos show 'very happy' Ms Brella, 24, on her wedding day just months before her body was found in a car boot in Ilford A domestic violence protection order was granted but he was not charged with any offence. Ms Dabas told The Guardian: 'The police processes just made her feel even more scared and alone. It drove her back to Pankaj.' On the Sunday before her body was discovered, Ms Brella told her family she was cooking for her husband and 'seemed happy'. But on the following Wednesday, her family became worried because they couldn't get in contact with her and called the police. Then on Friday morning, police called her father Satbir in Delhli to say they had discovered a body they believed to be his daughter's. Mr Brella wants to bring the body home to perform the traditional funeral rituals but he says that neither Northamptonshire police nor the Indian embassy have been communicative when he asked about this. 'It is terrible for us that she is alone over there,' he said. Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU), said: 'Our inquiries have established that Pankaj Lamba drove a Silver Vauxhall Corsa from Corby to Ilford sometime on the morning of Monday, November 11. Forensic officers at Ms Brella's home in Corby, Northamptonshire Officers at murder victim Ms Brella's home in Corby on Sunday morning Ms Brella's body was found 94 miles from her home in Northamptonshire 'We suspect Harshita's body had been placed in the boot of the vehicle by Lamba before leaving Corby. Lamba then abandoned the vehicle in Brisbane Road, Ilford and made his getaway. 'We are continuing to appeal for information and I would urge anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or had any sightings of Pankaj Lamba in Corby, Ilford or elsewhere in the days leading up to the discovery of Harshita's body, to contact police as soon as possible. 'Any information, no matter how small, may be relevant to the investigation and help us get justice for Harshita. 'A spokesperson for Northamptonshire police said: 'This tragic case will in due course become the subject of a domestic homicide review, in which all police actions relating to it will be fully scrutinised, so it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.' The operator behind the Christmas fairground ride that crashed in Birmingham is a long-standing family business that has become one of Europe's biggest attraction providers, MailOnline can reveal. Danter Attractions runs the Ice Skate Birmingham venue in Centenary Square, where 13 people were injured last night when its 180ft City Starflyer ride failed. Police said two men, aged 55 and 21, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers. Both men are in custody, and officers are assisting the Health and Safety Executive amid a potential probe. Family-owned company Danter is run by Abie Danter with his wife Emily, who is part of the Bob Wilson funfair heritage. It dates back to 1990 and was featured in the 2009 Channel 5 series Fairground Attractions, which later re-aired on Netflix in 2019. In the show, Mr Danter was filmed swearing at staff to get them to work faster to take down the firm's Wild Mouse rollercoaster, which he had to move from Southport to Dorset. He also said he was teaching his son Abie Jr, 12, how to put it together. The narrator said Mr Danter had 'developed his own unique management style to get the best from his staff' before a clip of him swearing at his workers was shown as the ride was taken down, before he started to lose his voice from all the shouting. The programme added that Mr Danter is 'one of the Danter dynasty and owner of some of the biggest rides in Europe'. Other rides provided by the firm include the looping 100ft ride Air, the Giant Observation Wheel and the Jungle River log flume. It also mentioned other Danter family members - 'Carnival Casanova' Henry Danter, 'Teenage Dreamboat' Harry Danter and 'Candyfloss Princess' Kimberley Danter. Henry, 80, is the patriarch of the family and owns Barry Island Pleasure Park in South Wales, where scenes for the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey were filmed, after buying it in 2015 before spending 8million on improvements. Family-owned company Danter is run by Abie Danter (pictured) who was featured in the 2009 Channel 5 series Fairground Attractions, which later re-aired on Netflix in 2019 In the show, Mr Danter was filmed swearing at staff to get them to work faster. He also said he was teaching his son Abie Jr (pictured together), 12, how to put a rollercoaster ride together The documentary also mentioned other Danter family members - 'Carnival Casanova' Henry Danter, 'Teenage Dreamboat' Harry Danter and 'Candyfloss Princess' Kimberley Danter His son Harry helps manage day-to-day operations at Barry Island, while his daughter Kimberley runs Symonds Yat Leisure Park near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. The Danter family come from a line of travelling showmen dating back to the 1800s, when 'W Danter and Sons' toured the UK with rides on steam roundabouts, galloping horses and swinging boats. Danter claims on its website to have also operated rides at Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland in London - although Winter Wonderland has since told MailOnline that this is not correct. Danter also says it has provided rides for Download Festival at Donington Park in Leicestershire, Great Dorset Steam Fair, the Nottingham Goose Fair and the T in the Park music festival in Scotland which ended in 2016. The company operates and hires out portable amusement rides throughout the UK and abroad, and says on its website that all are 'maintained to the highest standards, carry full public liability Insurance, test certificates and risk assessments'. But last night, two people were taken to hospital after an incident on the City Starflyer, which West Midlands Fire Service said had 'dropped to ground level whilst in operation'. Kimberley Danter - dubbed the 'Candyfloss Princess' in the Channel 5 show - is Henry Danter's daughter and runs Symonds Yat Leisure Park near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. They are pictured together in 2015 after Henry bought Barry Island Pleasure Park in South Wales Henry Danter, 80, is the patriarch of the family and owns Barry Island Pleasure Park in South Wales, where scenes for the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey were filmed Danter Amusements is based at a site in Birmingham (pictured above) - and the company linked to the Bob Wilson funfair heritage, hence the 'Wilson's' sign on the front gate Some 13 people were treated by West Midlands Ambulance Service with two taken to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. The two people taken to hospital were not believed to have suffered serious injuries, while the remaining casualties were discharged at the scene. Emergency services were called to the scene at 7.30pm yesterday, and pictures from the scene appeared to show wires from two of the swings tangled up. The City Starflyer is 180ft high and swings pairs of chairs around in a circle while moving up and down. The ride is described by Danter as 'one of the tallest rides around' and having a 'bird's-eye view'. A description reads: 'Come and ride one of the tallest rides around, on the mighty Starflyer! This stunning ride will take riding high into the sky, offering panoramic views of wherever it is located.' Speaking in October ahead of Ice Skate Birmingham opening this year, Mr Danter said: 'The location of Centenary Square is the best in Europe, maybe the world it's fantastic. Police at the cordoned-off City Starflyer ride ride in Birmingham's Centenary Square today West Midlands Fire Service said the ride 'dropped to ground level whilst in operation' last night 'You've only got to look around, we've got the buses, the Metro tram, New Street station and Snow Hill station are nearby and Birmingham is in the centre of the country.' A Danter spokeswoman told MailOnline today: 'Our thoughts are with the individuals and families affected. There is an ongoing investigation and we are fully co-operating with the authorities. At this time we are unable to provide any additional comment.' One woman on the City Starflyer last night has spoken of the terrifying the moment it lurched backwards before dropping. Louise Brown, a mother who works for the BBC in Birmingham, said: 'This can never happen again - we are in shock and all I can think of is what if my kids were on the ride.' Ms Brown suffered injuries to her face, legs and arms, adding that her colleague was also hurt. Pictures show her with cuts and bruises on her face. 'We were on it having fun and then it just crashed to the ground,' she said. 'It felt like we were descending, not at the highest point but still quite high. We just dropped. It went backwards first though, which I've never seen it do before.' John Spence, 45, from Warwick, was also at the fairground with his wife Julie, 42, and their ten-year-old son Harris. He said: 'We were near the ride when we heard screaming. It wasn't your normal excited screams, this was screams of terror. The City Flyer fairground ride in Birmingham is pictured today following last night's incident Two people were taken to hospital after the incident on the fairground ride in Birmingham Thirteen people were treated by West Midlands Ambulance Service in Birmingham yesterday 'There was a loud whoosh and bang and then pandemonium. There were lots of people in hi-vis jackets running over to help people get off the ride. 'Within a few minutes you could hear sirens. The emergency services were incredible and all so calm. We stayed out the way because we didn't want to make the situation worse but crowding around.' Another witness said: 'We saw some of the people getting helped off the ride and several had bloody faces and were crying. It was really shocking.' Brian Hughes, chairman of Westside BID, the business improvement district for the area including Centenary Square, said: 'Our first thoughts are with those who have been injured. 'While we are relieved to have heard that no-one has received life-threatening injuries, this must have been a terrible incident to experience. 'We have already spoken with the owners of Ice Skate Birmingham, which operates the ride, and we know that they will now be working closely with the authorities to find out exactly what went wrong.' It comes after two incidents at Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland in recent years which have seen thrill-seekers left trapped in mid-air or injured after power outages and malfunctions. 2023: The Blizzard malfunctioned at Winter Wonderland last year, leaving riders dangling 2022: The Snowball, a slingshot-style ride, malfunctioned at Winter Wonderland two years ago In December last year, the Blizzard ride broke down in mid-air, leaving thrill-seekers dangling. Stomach-churning footage showed the giant ride leaning still at a diagonal angle. That came after two teenage boys had to be rescued from the Slingshot attraction when it malfunctioned at Winter Wonderland in December 2022. Neither ride is believed to be manufactured by Danter. A Winter Wonderland spokesman told MailOnline today: 'We are aware of the incident in Birmingham and we wish those with injuries a swift recovery. 'We can confirm Hyde Park Winter Wonderland does not feature any rides from the Birmingham Star Flyer operator and the safety of our visitors and staff is our highest priority. 'All of our rides undergo rigorous and regular safety checks by independent ride consultants, experienced members of staff trained in health and safety, and the UK's national ADIPS Scheme for inspection and certification of fairground rides and amusement devices, so that our visitors can enjoy a fun and safe experience.' A decorated soldier took his own life after being 'ordered' to return to barracks and leave his family, an inquest heard. Charlie Owen, 25, a lance corporal in the Welsh Guards, had served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before his mental health began to deteriorate in August 2023. Had had previously made two suicide attempts before he received orders to leave home and return to the army. The inquest heard how Owen - who had received a King's Coronation Medal and a Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal - began to feel isolated after friends left the army and others died of suicide. Owen of Meidrim, Carmarthenshire in Wales, was already struggling with mental health issues following the breakdown of his relationship. He had shared his desire to leave the army with doctors following an aborted attempt at ending his life a week before his death on, September 10, 2023, and had also told the Army GP that his family were the reason he had not committed suicide. Speaking after the hearing at Berkshire Coroners Court, Owen's mother, Tracy Evans, said their lives had been 'changed forever' and his death 'should never have happened'. Coroner Robert Simpson concluded a decision to call the soldier back to the army, following his aborted suicide attempts, combined with the failure to properly assess and manage risks of self-harm 'may possibly have contributed to his death'. Charlie Owen (pictured), 25, a lance corporal in the Welsh Guards, had served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before taking his life on September 10, 2023 Owen had already made two suicide attempts when he was ordered to leave his family and return to barracks During a medical assessment, he expressed his desire to be medically discharged and it was agreed that the army was no longer the best place for him. A month before this, he had attended an exit interview with the Army as he had indicated a desire to leave. Following a risk assessment, officials then recalled the 'valued member of the battalion' back to his Windsor barracks in an attempt to monitor his wellbeing. The inquest found there were failures to communicate the appropriate risk management information to officers in his unit who called him back and away from his family in Wales. Owen's mother Tracy Evans said: 'Charlie had always dreamed of serving his country and was extremely proud to have done so. 'He had wanted to be a soldier since he was a little boy and we were desperately proud of him. 'The Army played such an important role in his life but when he was asked to return to camp, it made him feel demoralised. 'Losing him has been devastating. I am never going to meet his grandchildren, we, as a family, will never attend his wedding and his sister and brothers' children will never meet their Uncle Charlie. Owen's mother, Tracy Evans, said their lives had been 'changed forever' and his death 'should never have happened' The inquest heard how Owen had begun to feel isolated after friends had left the regiment and others had died by suicide 'I have not only lost my child but also my hero and my whole world. It should never have happened and as a result, our family has changed forever. 'Never again will we see that infectious smile of his, nor hear that outrageous laugh that only Charlie boy had. Tracy added: 'We are incomplete without him but the love for our Charlie boy will remain forever more.' Mr Del Monte, of Hodge Jones & Allen, acted for Charlie's mother Tracy and his stepfather Rob Evans at the inquest. He said: 'It is clear from the coroner's findings that there was a lack of understanding within the Welsh Guards command structure of how to appropriately manage and communicate the risk of harm relating to their soldiers. 'Although his officers no doubt had the best of intentions, the fact that they did not appreciate the impact of taking Charlie away from his family and placing him back into an environment he wanted to leave could only have increased Charlie's distress and the risk to his life, which is as tragic as it was avoidable. 'Our men and women in the armed forces face unique stresses and those responsible for them must be able to make the correct decisions with the correct information to protect them.' An Army spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Lance Corporal Charlie Owen at this sad and difficult time. 'Charlie served his country with pride and dedication and we're conscious of the profound effect his loss has had - and continues to have - on his loved ones and his many military friends and colleagues. 'We acknowledge and respect the Assistant Coroner for Berkshire's findings and will ensure any shortcomings highlighted are carefully assessed.' Topless women protesters were detained Friday for vandalising a monument outside the United Nations complex in Geneva to protest the use of landmines in Ukraine and to demand Russia is kicked out of the UN. Two members of Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN, which is known for its provocative protests, used a chainsaw to cut into the wooden sculpture known as the 'Broken Chair'. The women wore bands in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag on their legs and they were heard shouting 'Keep Russia out of the UN' and 'F**k Russia' as they sawed into a monument known as the Broken Chair, leaving over a dozen gashes. The three-legged structure by Swiss artist Daniel Berset symbolizes the dismemberment caused by landmines and is a call to ban the devastating weapons, which have also been used in the war in Ukraine. Footage shows how the two women strip off their giant fur coats and bear their chests as they grab ahold of chainsaws and march towards the artwork. They declined to speak to reporters afterward. FEMEN members, one of them holding a chainsaw, protest under the 'Broken Chair' Monument, at Place des Nations, outside the European headquarters of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland Activist group FEMEN is known for its provocative protests Geneva police confirmed four people were brought in for questioning A Geneva police spokesperson confirmed that four people had been brought in for questioning in relation to the incident. Since it was founded in Kyiv in 2008, the Femen movement has won fame and notoriety in Europe for its protests - usually topless - against sex tourism, homophobia and religious institutions. Just last month, the same activist group staged a powerful protest in Paris for International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, with at least 100 topless female protesters demanding an end to the 'War Against Women'. French President Emmanuel Macron named Francois Bayrou as his fourth prime minister of 2024 on Friday, tasking the veteran centrist with steering the country out of its second major political crisis in the last six months. The priority for Bayrou, a close Macron ally, will be passing a special law to roll over the 2024 budget, with a nastier battle over the 2025 legislation looming early next year. Parliamentary pushback over the 2025 bill led to the downfall of former Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government. Bayrou, 73, is expected to put forward his list of ministers in the coming days, but will likely face the same existential difficulties as Barnier in steering legislation through a hung parliament comprising three warring blocs. His proximity to the deeply unpopular Macron will also prove a vulnerability. Jordan Bardella, the president of the far-right National Rally party, said they would not be calling for an immediate no-confidence motion against Bayrou. France's festering political malaise has raised doubts about whether Macron will complete his second presidential term, which ends in 2027. It has also lifted French borrowing costs and left a power vacuum in the heart of Europe, just as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House. French President Emmanuel Macron named Francois Bayrou as his fourth prime minister of 2024 on Friday Macron (R) and Bayrou pictured in 2020 Macron spent the days after Barnier's ouster speaking to leaders from the conservatives to the Communists, seeking to lock in support for Bayrou. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and the hard-left France Unbowed were excluded. Any involvement of the Socialist Party in a coalition may cost Macron in next year's budget. 'Now we will see how many billions the support of the Socialist Party will cost,' a government adviser said on Friday. Macron will hope Bayrou can stave off no-confidence votes until at least July, when France will be able to hold a new parliamentary election, but his own future as president will inevitably be questioned if the government should fall again. Bayrou, the founder of the Democratic Movement (MoDem) party which has been a part of Macron's ruling alliance since 2017, has himself run for president three times, leaning on his rural roots as the longtime mayor of the south-western town of Pau. Macron appointed Bayrou as justice minister in 2017 but he resigned only weeks later amid an investigation into his party's alleged fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants. He was cleared of fraud charges this year. Bayrou's first real test will come early in the new year when lawmakers need to pass a belt-tightening 2025 budget bill. However, the fragmented nature of the National Assembly, rendered nigh-on ungovernable after Macron's June snap election, means Bayrou will likely be living day-to-day, at the mercy of the president's opponents, for the foreseeable future. Barnier's budget bill, which aimed for 60 billion euros in savings to assuage investors increasingly concerned by France's 6% deficit, was deemed too miserly by the far-right and left, and the government's failure to find a way out of the gridlock has seen French borrowing costs push higher still Elon Musk's mother revealed that her son bonded with President-elect Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron, at the family's Thanksgiving dinner at Mar-a-Lago. The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder has become a regular fixture at the incoming president's Florida compound, regularly appearing in photographs, including a notable spot in a Trump family portrait. 'They do get along well. I think Trump just likes someone he can completely trust who doesn't have any alternative motives,' Musk's mother, Maye Musk, told Fox Business' Neil Cavuto on Thursday On the Thanksgiving day, Elon was spotted sitting to alongside Donald and Barron. Maye revealed that her son and Barron engaged in a deep conversation about interplanetary exploration. 'At the Thanksgiving dinner, Barron and Elon were talking planets. [Barron's] 18 years old,' she said. 'They were discussing all the different planets and why Mars is the best place to start a new civilization. And I was very impressed with him, too. Days after the dinner, Elon said that he and Barron were discussing 'consciousness & video games.' Elon Musk's mother, Maye Musk, revealed that her son bonded with President-elect Donald Trump 's youngest son, Barron, at the family's Thanksgiving dinner at Mar-a-Lago On Thanksgiving day, Elon was spotted sitting alongside Donald and Barron. 'They were discussing all the different planets and why Mars is the best place to start a new civilization,' she said Mama Musk told Cavuto that her son, who is worth $400 billion, wants 'to do good things' for America and that Trump has been 'honest' about his proposals. 'I think Trump just wants everything to be honest and open so that you know where your tax dollars are going. He's not going to be mean to people,' she said. 'When I see him, he just seems happy that he can make changes that will improve the [lives] of Americans I think we're all going to be happier.' Talking about members of the Trump clan, Maye described them as 'kind' and said she wants to spend more time with incoming First Lady Melania Trump. 'Everyone is delightful, kind, sweet, generous, interesting and soft-spoken, which is interesting because, as politicians, you can talk loud,' she said. 'And I've met Melania. I'm looking forward to spending more time with her, too.' Her revelations come days after reports emerged that Elon is planning to buy property near Trump's Mar-a-Lago home and has offered a record $100 million for sprawling penthouse. According to Page Six, he is eyeing the property located on the shores of West Palm Beach, just a seven-minute drive from Mar-a-Lago. The luxurious 19,000-square-foot apartment was owned by the late Sydell Miller, who was a self-made beauty tycoon behind brands such as Ardell and Matrix Essentials. Miller bought the penthouse, comprised of two apartments, for a record-breaking $42.56 million in 2019. Days after the dinner, Elon said that he and Barron were discussing 'consciousness & video games' Maye said that her son, who is worth $400 billion, wants 'to do good things' for America and that Trump has been 'honest' about his proposals Her revelations come days after reports emerged that Elon is planning to buy property near Trump's Mar-a-Lago home Talking about members of the Trump clan, Maye described them as 'kind' and said she wants to spend more time with incoming First Lady Melania Trump. Elon was famously pictured with the family after Election Day The lavish home could be about to break another record after Elon - the world's richest man - reportedly offered to buy the property for an eye-watering $100million. Palmer Palm Beach, a local media outlet in the area, reported rumors that Miller's family is 'mulling an offer from Elon Musk to sell the late beauty mogul's majestic 19,000sq penthouse.' It added that if the offer is accepted, it would 'break every West Palm Beach real estate record.' Despite the rumored offer, Elon's main base of operations in the US appears to be in Texas. In July, he announced that he would be moving the headquarters of SpaceX and X, formerly Twitter, from California to the Lone Star State. X will be moved from San Francisco to Austin, and SpaceX will be based at the company's rocket launch site in south Texas rather than Hawthorne. This comes after Musk already moved the headquarters of Tesla to Austin from Palo Alto in 2021. A woman in Washington woke from a coma to find her landlord had cruelly handed her an eviction notice, leaving the mother of two scrambling to find help. Christina Sivilay had suffered a stroke in April that left her in a coma in a hospital for a month. She woke unable to speak or remember her children's names, before she was given world-shattering news - her landlord had given her an eviction notice. Since waking up, Sivilay has had to go to physical therapy twice a week to regain her movement and strength. 'The pain, it hurts every day because my kids can't do anything with me. When I came home after the hospital, I felt useless. I couldn't do anything I could do before with my kids, like cook and clean, like I wanted to,' she told KIRO 7. After the stroke left her unable to use half of her body, she also couldn't feel her feet and said that finding work became extremely difficult. 'For me, I'm a worker. I don't like staying home or anything. I work all the time. It hurts me a lot,' she told the outlet. 'I can't pay my rent or anything, I wish I could go work every day.' On top of her health struggles, she fears her two children, 12 and seven years old, will be left without a home. Sivilay currently lives at Wandering Creek Apartments in Kent, Washington, owned by Essex, according to KIRO 7. They did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Christina Sivilay suffered a stroke in April that left her in a coma at a hospital for a month. When she woke, she found her landlord had handed her an eviction notice while she was left unable to move half of her body 'The pain, it hurts every day because my kids can't do anything with me. When I came home after the hospital, I felt useless. I couldn't do anything I could do before with my kids, like cook and clean, like I wanted to,' Sivilay said On her GoFundMe, Sivilay wrote: 'Everyday I want to cry because of how this stroke has paralyzed my right side preventing me to do things with my kids. It's hard for me to sleep and eat' 'I just want them to know they're OK, and we don't have to live in the street or shelter,' she said. Sivilay added that she couldn't feel the right side of her face, body, arms or legs following the stroke, and said: 'I feel like it's [right arm] missing. Like it's cut off sometimes.' While the mom-of-two is working hard to try to support her family and get back on her feet, her mother and aunt are looking for ways to help including reaching out for community resources. Several of the programs they found, however, have long waiting lists attached. 'It's a hurt feeling because she has two sons, she has to be responsible [for]. She works hard for, this girl, she works really hard for her family, her two kids,' said her aunt, Tane Porttmann. Her mother, Sounthala Sivilay, feels for her daughter amid her struggle and told the outlet: 'I try to be strong for her, try to be there for her with my sister, help her with everything.' 'Hurt because she's a good daughter. Sad for her. She works more than 10 hours every day,' she added. 'She's part of me. She's my life. All my kids are my life.' Loved ones created a GoFundMe for the struggling mother, with the organizer writing on Sivilay's behalf: 'Every day I want to cry because of how this stroke has paralyzed my right side preventing me to do things with my kids. It's hard for me to sleep and eat.' 'I just want them to know they're OK, and we don't have to live in the street or shelter,' Sivilay said Her mother, Sounthala Sivilay, said: 'I try to be strong for her, try to be there for her with my sister, help her with everything' Sivilay had suffered a stroke in April that left her in a coma at a hospital for a month and has had to go to physical therapy twice a week to regain her movement and strength 'I wish I was back to how I was before, but I can't. I struggle doing the smallest tasks and feel stuck - unable to freely do the things I used to.' The mother wrote that her family has helped however they could, but she was now left with two months to find a home for her children. 'I have nowhere to go except for the shelter or the streets... I just want a warm safe place for me and my kids this Holiday and Winter,' she added. Her heartbreaking story comes after a 96-year-old woman in California was handed a three-day eviction notice from her home of 22 years in August. Jean Jacques had invested her life savings into the home at the Pacific Grove Senior Living facility, located on the Monterey County coast. According to KSBW, her notice came with a demand for an outstanding balance of $110,000 or she had to leave. The notice came as a shock to Jacques, who had maxed out her savings on the home and said she signed a contract stipulating that she would be taken care of for life - whether or not she outlived her nest egg. 'I'm not going. They'll have to bury me because I have no place to go. They have all my money,' she told the outlet. Her investments included an initial $250,000 down payment and $5,000 per month in rent until she can no longer afford it. Pacifica Senior Living, which served the eviction notice, acquired the facility in 2022 with an expectation that contracts like Jacques' would be honored, according to KSBW. The president of the Pacific Grove Senior Living's Residents' Association, Bob Sadler, told the outlet that 'lifetime care' contracts were considered unconditional. 'She's devoted all of her savings and money to this place,' Sadler told KSBW. 'I don't care what the legal ramifications are here. This is morally unthinkable.' Detectives investigating suspected assassin Luigi Mangione say there is 'no indication' he was ever insured by UnitedHealthcare, despite allegedly shooting their CEO last week. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione may have targeted CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 outside Manhattan's Hilton Hotel due to its status as America's largest health insurer. 'We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America,' Kenny told NBC. 'He had prior knowledge that the conference was taking place on that date, at that location. So that's possibly why he targeted that that company.' Kenny was referencing a notebook investigators allegedly found after Mangione's arrest, which detailed the murder of a CEO that eerily matched Thompson's assassination. 'What do you do? You whack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention. Its targeted, precise, and doesnt risk innocents,' the notebook reportedly read. It comes as Mangione is fighting his extradition to New York following his dramatic arrest in a Pennsylvania McDonald's, where cops say he was found with a 3D printed gun, a silencer, and a handwritten anti-capitalist manifesto. Alleged assassin Luigi Mangione was not insured by UnitedHealthcare, despite allegedly shooting their CEO last week Footage captured the moment UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead by a masked gunman, allegedly at the hands of Mangione before he fled out of the city Meanwhile, it has also emerged that San Francisco Police Department officers recognized Mangione and contacted the FBI four days before his arrest. Police sources told the San Francisco Chronicle that an officer in the SFPDs Special Victims Unit made the connection on December 5, the day after the NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect. Despite allegedly reporting the connection the same day, when Mangione was arrested on November 9, New York authorities insisted that he was not on their radar. Mangione's arrest captured international headlines and sent social media into a frenzy, with many questioning how an Ivy-league educated, handsome 26-year-old computer programmer from a wealthy family became an alleged assassin. A grand jury has been convened in New York following Mangione's arrest, although he is fighting extradition and is next in court on December 23. In his interview with NBC this week, Kenny said a back injury Mangione suffered last year may have been a turning point. 'It seems that he had an accident that caused him to go to the emergency room back in July of 2023, and that it was a life-changing injury,' he said. 'He posted X-rays of screws being inserted into his spine. So the injury that he suffered was, was a life-changing, life-altering injury, and that's what may have put him on this path.' After the NYPD was criticized as the suspect seemingly slipped out of the city before he was apprehended through luck almost 300 miles away, Kenny said detectives have since zeroed in on Mangione's movements after the shooting. Kenny said Mangione's family reported him missing in San Francisco in November, and he arrived in New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal on November 24. He said Mangione then 'immediately goes to a McDonald's in the vicinity of the Hilton hotel', before making his way to a hostel in the Upper West Side. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, seen speaking at a press conference December 4, offered new details over Mangione's movements after the alleged assassination Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at point-blank range on December 4 Kenny said Mangione checked into an Upper West Side hostel after arriving in the city, which is where they obtained this image of his face that was released during the manhunt Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday, after patrons and staff claimed they recognized him from the NYPD images The detective said Mangione 'was coming and going on a regular basis' from the hostel over the next few days, often using e-bikes. Immediately after allegedly shooting Thompson, he got a cab to north Manhattan to the George Washington Port Authority Bus Terminal, he said. 'From there we have him. We believe he may have taken the subway back to Penn Station and then made his way to Philadelphia from there,' Kenny continued. The NYPD are still unclear how Mangione got to Pittsburg and then to his arrest in Altoona, however Kenny said investigators are clearer on how he paid for the trip. 'As far as how he was getting by when he was arrested, he had a substantial amount of cash on him. He was getting money from an ATM, everything he did he was paying for in cash,' he said. Mangione was allegedly found with $8000 in US dollars and $2000 in an unspecified foreign currency when he was arrested. When he was arrested, Mangione was allegedly found with a 3D printed gun (pictured), a silencer, and a handwritten anti-capitalist manifesto Mangione's family reported him missing in California back in November, and it was revealed that SFPD agents recognized him from the report after the NYPD released images of the suspect Other evidence brought against Mangione includes a water bottle and KIND bar wrapper found at the scene of Thompson's murder that he allegedly bought from a Starbucks half an hour before the shooting. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said this week that the force found five fingerprints on the water bottle and two on the KIND bar wrapper, and his DNA was reportedly matched to the crime. Kenny said the gun found in Mangione's bag also matched shell casings from the scene. 'We brought [the gun] to our forensics laboratory, where we were able to match that gun to the three discharge shell casings were recovered at the scene. So it was a ballistics match,' Kenny said. A mother strangled her seven-year-old son to death with the belt of a handbag before calling 999 and saying she 'felt like a robot' and was unable to stop herself. Papaipit Linse, 43, was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia when she killed 'lovely and brilliant' Louis Linse as he lay in bed. In the harrowing call to emergency services, she also claimed she could not face going into Louis's bedroom to check if he was still breathing. Linse, who developed mental health problems after suffering an abusive marriage to Louis's father, was today sentenced to an indefinite secure hospital order after admitting manslaughter. The court heard she had become increasingly paranoid in the days before the attack on January 10 and her babysitter had tried to alert social services the day prior that the child was at risk. Emergency services found Louis 'still warm' in his bedroom at the family home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, but he was pronounced dead in hospital. In the 999 call, Linse told the operator: 'I felt totally mental. Like a robot. I could not control my mind, I was completely twisted. 'All kinds of things came into my mind. I felt like a robot and I did it.' Papaipit Linse, 43, killed 'lovely and brilliant' Louis Linse on January 10 while suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and believed that a 'robot' had made her do it Linse, 43, began suffering from paranoid schizophrenia after being trapped in an abusive marriage Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said: 'Police found Louise covered up by a duvet. He wasn't breathing, there was no sign of a heartbeat, his body was still warm. 'He noticed a ligature around the child's neck and it left an indentation.' It was later discovered the ligature was a thin orange leather strap from a handbag belonging to Linse. Asked how long Louis had been lying on the bed Linse replied: 'Two hours.' Thailand-born Linse told police she didn't know why she had killed her son and said she was 'twisted'. Ms Rees said: 'She said she felt weird and said her house was haunted, as though there was a big vacuum cleaner sucking her feelings out. 'She said she had seen ghost faces next to her - she felt unsafe at home and switched off all the devices. 'She had a strong feeling that it would be the last time she would be with Louis'. Linse said she was seeing 'ghost faces' at the time of her son's death and had no memory of strangling Louis. Ms Rees said: 'She felt that someone was telling her things and she was being manipulated. 'She said she would never have strangled Louis, she thought her body had strangled him but she did not do it herself and that the robot must have done it.' Linse denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, which was accepted by the prosecution. Babysitter Sara Little told police she noticed a severe decline in Linse's mental health in the days leading up to Louis's killing. Thailand-born Linse told police she didn't know why she had killed her son and said she was 'twisted' Louis's father, businessman Edward Linse, 51, listened in to the call from the secure psychiatric hospital where he is detained for offences of violence Ms Rees said: 'She was saying there was a new world order and showed Mrs Little an article about elites taking the blood of children to keep themselves youthful. 'She was paranoid that everyone was out to get her. Mrs Little thought she was paranoid and delusional.' The babysitter had become so concerned that on January 9 - the day before the incident - she contacted the safeguarding department at the local authority, fearing the children might be at risk. The authority said they were aware of the family and would keep a close eye on them. Three psychiatists who examined Linse were all in agreement that she was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Owen John Davies told the court: 'There is overwhelming evidence that she suffers from a psychotic illness and meets criteria for paranoid schizophrenia.' John Hipkin, KC, defending said: 'This is in any view an absolutely tragic case. The defendant will have to live with the consequences for the rest of her life.' Judge Paul Thomas KC sentenced Linse to an indefinite Section 37 hospital order. She can only be released if a Mental Health Review Tribunal rules she is safe which the court heard 'may be never.' The Judge told Linse: 'The medical evidence from three psychiatrists is consistent and clear. 'Your son was not killed by you because you are a wicked person - you are not. He died because at the time you were suffering from a psychotic illness, namely paranoid schizophrenia. 'Had you not been mentally ill at the time it would not have happened. You would have continued to be a loving mother to him.' The Judge added: 'The loss of Louis is unspeakably tragic and unbearable for many people. I hope they understand the Order I have made.' Dyfed-Powys Police described Louis's death at the hands of his mother as a 'heartbreaking incident that has deeply impacted officers and the local community'. Detective Chief Inspector Gary Williams, who led the investigation, reflected on the tragic events and the challenges faced by his team. He said: 'Officers who attended the scene were met with an incredibly difficult and emotive situation, yet they acted with professionalism and care, ensuring that a thorough investigation was conducted.' Linse, originally from Chiang Mai, Thailand, is the estranged wife of 51-year-old Edward Linse, a former businessman now detained in a psychiatric facility. Their marriage was marked by years of domestic violence, financial hardship, and failed business ventures. In 2017, Edward assaulted his wife at their 1.2m Cheshire home during an argument about visa issues. The attack, carried out with a children's book as a weapon, highlighted the volatile nature of their relationship. The couple said that in 2016 they had a lot of fun and good memories running a cafe in Chang Mai. But Edward's violence escalated over the years and he was convicted of a brutal assault on his own parents. He was sentenced to be detained in a psychiatric facility in Liverpool which Linse and Louis visited regularly. The breakdown of their marriage was compounded by financial woes. After the failure of a cafe venture in Chiang Mai, the couple relocated to the UK. In 2022, their landscaping business, Alderley Landscapes, ceased trading, leaving Linse to move to Haverfordwest in search of a fresh start. Two men have been arrested after a fairground ride 'crashed to the ground' in Birmingham. The suspects, aged 21 and 55, were arrested at the funfair in Centenary Square last night on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers. They remain in custody today, West Midlands Police said. Two women were rushed to hospital after the 180ft City Star Flyer ride 'failed and crashed' in front of horrified revellers enjoying a festive day out. A further 11 people required medical attention after the ride lurched backwards before dropping. Pictures from the scene showed cables from the ride entangled in one another and chaos after the malfunction. Police, firefighters and the ambulance service all rushed to the ride on Thursday night, with a police cordon remaining in place this afternoon. The Christmas fairground has been sealed off after a ride collapsed in Birmingham on Thursday night (pictured is part of the damaged ride) Some 13 people were injured during the accident (pictured is the aftermath of the incident) Police and emergency services rushed to the scene and sealed off an area around attraction in Centenary Square following the incident on Thursday evening. Video footage shared on social media shows chaotic scenes as rescue teams sealed off the area around the popular ride. Pictures also appear to show several gondolas on the ride tangled up in the wires. Shocked witnesses describe hearing people 'screaming in terror' as the ride slammed to the ground. John Spence, 45, from Warwick, was at the fairground with his wife Julie, 42, and their ten-year-old son Harris. He said: 'We were near the ride when we heard screaming. It wasn't your normal excited screams, this was screams of terror. 'There was a loud whoosh and bang and then pandemonium. There were lots of people in hi-vis jackets running over to help people get off the ride. 'Within a few minutes you could hear sirens. The emergency services were incredible and all so calm. 'We stayed out the way because we didn't want to make the situation worse but crowding around.' Foil blankets and the remains of efforts of paramedics could be seen at the ride this morning The market was deserted today after the incident, which injured 13 people An ambulance and fire engine are seen parked up next to the Skyflyer ride as they treated casualties Ambulances rushed to the scene after the incident as staff at the fairground cleared the area Val Breakwell, from Rednal, had come to Birmingham with her friend to enjoy the festivities. She said: 'We weren't here last night, but what a disaster. We saw it on Facebook, the poor injured people. 'Somebody's not tightened a nut somewhere, obviously. It goes up and swings about but I've never been on it myself. Something has gone catastrophically wrong with it. 'No chance would I be on there, I wouldn't even go on the Ferris wheel now. I wouldn't let anyone go on there, I wouldn't want my family to go on it. 'It could be anyone running it. The council have all the details of anyone organising it.' Joanne, 52, said she had seen the ride working from the top of the library during a work event in the weeks before. She said: 'I've seen it before and thought it looked a bit unsafe. It's too high for me. We were on the balcony watching it go up a few days ago and it was way too high. 'I did think how well strapped in are, are you going to end up somewhere after flying out. 'I did wonder if there was a weight or a size limit. I've been on things like that at Alton Towers but they aren't that high. 'I don't think my daughters would go on it, especially not now. They're too sensible for that. We don't live here, we're just visiting, but it wouldn't be for me.' Paramedics treated patients at the scene and took two women to hospital Police officers remain at the scene of the ride on Friday - and arrested two men for allegedly obstructing officers Investigative teams are looking into the source of the crash and the market was closed today Civil servant worker Ibrahim Hussein, who works in the city centre, works a few metres away from the attraction but was off when it happened. Ibrahim said: 'I heard about it but I had a day off, but we got told about it in a meeting. 'I know these are quite robust in their safety features but it was just an unexpected thing to happen. The last one I knew about was in Alton Towers. 'For me there's no fatalities, which is the main thing. And thank god it's the festive season coming up. 'I've been told that the whole thing just came down, didn't it. It must have been shocking. 'I'd imagine it's going to put a lot of people off. But if they fix it and get it going, I'm sure people will say why not. 'It shouldn't happen again, hopefully they triple check it. I'll leave it for the youngsters.' The ride, which rotates people in a circle while rising up and down a column, reportedly got too low before crashing to the ground A police cordon remains in place this morning after last night's ride malfunction Another witness said: 'We saw some of the people getting helped off the ride and several had bloody faces and were crying. 'It was really shocking.' Clips of the terrifying aftermath saw eyewitnesses describing how the ride suddenly collapsed - saying in disbelief 'it was all the way up there and it fell, the thing fell.' Louise Brown was on the City Starflyer swing chair ride in Birmingham city centre when it crashed. Ms Brown, a mother who works at the BBC in the city, said: 'This can never happen again - we are in shock and all I can think of is what if my kids were on the ride.' She suffered injuries to her face, legs and arms, adding that her colleague was also hurt. Pictures show her with cuts and bruises on her face. 'We were on it having fun and then it just crashed to the ground,' she said. 'It felt like we were descending, not at the highest point but still quite high. We just dropped. 'It went backwards first though, which I've never seen it do before.' Louise Brown (pictured) was on the City Starflyer swing chair ride in Birmingham city centre when it crashed The ride remained at ground level on Friday as investigations got underway by police The Starflyer ride pictured on Friday - it is 180ft tall, making it one of the tallest at the market West Midlands Fire Service confirmed it had 'dropped to the ground' while it was in operation. One witness told the BBC he saw 'girls who appeared to be injured' walking away from the area, with 'one girl who seemed to have her face cut'. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: 'On arrival, crews found 13 patients. 'Two women, were treated by ambulance staff for injuries not believed to be serious and conveyed to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. 'Nine women and three men were assessed by medics before being given self-care advice and discharged at the scene.' The City Starflyer ride is provided by funfair suppliers Danter Attractions and is described as 'one of the tallest rides around'. A spokesperson for Danter Attractions said: 'Our thoughts are with the individuals and families affected. There is an ongoing investigation and we are fully co-operating with the authorities. At this time we are unable to provide any additional comment.' Anyone with CCTV or mobile phone footage which may assist the investigation is asked to contact West Midlands Police quoting log 4290 of 12 December. Luigi Mangiones arrest, left, was aided by surveillance footage of him released after the fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. San Francisco police identified Mangione days before he was arrested, according to people familiar with the matter. Janet Klingbeil/New York City Police Department via Associated Press San Francisco police recognized the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan as possibly being Luigi Mangione and contacted the FBI four days before his high-profile arrest, two sources familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. Authorities have said that when Mangione was arrested Monday at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pa., he had not previously been on law enforcements radar. This was not a name that was called into us, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told NBC on Tuesday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Read more: SFPD officer details surreal moment he IDd CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione A customer at the restaurant called police, believing he had spotted the same person depicted in surveillance images from a New York hostel that showed the shooters smiling face. Those images had been made public one day after the Dec. 4 shooting. However, the two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said that an officer in the SFPDs Special Victims Unit recognized Mangione as possibly being the suspect on Dec. 5 apparently after looking at the same surveillance images, which were the only ones released after the shooting that showed Mangiones face. The San Francisco officer who made the identification had been familiar with Mangiones face because the 26-year-old man had been reported missing to San Francisco police in mid-November. The Special Victims Unit, which had been investigating the missing persons case, reported his identity to the FBI, also on Dec. 5, the sources said. Its unclear how exactly the SFPD reported the information to the FBI. Its also unclear whether the FBI received the information, acted on it or responded to San Francisco police. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But the revelation that a police officer was able to recognize Mangione after viewing the surveillance images raises questions about whether any of Mangiones many friends, relatives, past co-workers and former classmates did the same. FBI officials declined to comment. A San Francisco police spokesperson also declined to comment and referred all questions on the case to the New York City Police Department. Mangiones mother, Kathleen Mangione, reported to San Francisco police on Nov. 18 that her son was missing and that she hadnt spoken to him since July. The mother reported that Mangione had been working at TrueCar, a car listings website that had an office in San Francisco, but that the location was permanently closed and the main number was disconnected. A TrueCar spokesperson said Mangione last worked for the company in 2023. Mangione, who was head counselor at Stanford Universitys Pre-Collegiate Studies program from May to September 2019, has been charged by New York prosecutors with murder, unlawful gun possession and other offenses. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When he was arrested, Mangione was carrying a gun and a suppressor that were consistent with the weapon used in the killing, as well as a handwritten document that spoke to his motive, according to New York police. The document expressed anger and disdain for health insurance companies and corporate greed, the Associated Press reported. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming, the manifesto said, according to the New York Times. A handful of pilots reported spotting mysterious lights darting through the skies over Oregon. One of the reports came from an air ambulance pilot, who described seeing a bright light streaking toward his aircraft before abruptly reversing course and heading back toward the Pacific Ocean on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 7. 'Red in color - moving at extreme speeds. I don't even know how to describe how fast it was moving,' the pilot told air-traffic controllers. On the night of Sunday, Dec. 8, a United Airlines pilot also noted unusual lights in the Eugene area. 'We're seeing three or four targets. They're all altitudes. Up and down. It's pretty crazy,' the pilot reported to air-traffic controllers, who confirmed there was no military activity in the area. The air ambulance pilot additionally noted one light moving in a 'corkscrew pattern,' which appeared on the aircraft's collision avoidance system. 'You are cleared to maneuver as necessary - left or right to avoid the UFO out there,' an air-traffic controller responded, according to an audio clip of the exchange Short video clips taken by pilots and crew showed lights in the night sky, but the dark conditions made it difficult to discern specific details. At least four commercial pilots reported spotting mysterious lights darting through the skies over Oregon this past weekend One of the pilotsdescribed seeing a bright light streaking toward his aircraft before abruptly reversing course and heading back toward the Pacific Ocean. Pictured: 'It's weird. It's red, circular shape, and it keeps zipping out towards the ocean and then coming back about 20 miles or closer to us - then it zips back to the ocean,' the air ambulance pilot described. Two Horizon Air pilots also observed the lights. Despite the unusual sightings, all flights continued without incident. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged one pilot's report of unidentified lights but provided no further details. Scientist and researcher Douglas Buettner, who led a study on similar sightings in 2022, told KTVB that the lights were likely Starlink satellites. These satellites, launched by SpaceX to provide broadband internet, are known to cause bright flares when sunlight reflects off them. 'Literally all it is - it's the sun hits the satellite just right, and it is being reflected back into your eye,' explained Buettner, deputy chief scientist of the Acquisition Innovation Research Center at the Stevens Institute of Technology. While Buettner believes satellite flares are the most probable explanation for the Oregon sightings, he emphasized the need for clearer video and additional data to rule out other possibilities. 'I've had two other people look at it, and they say it is consistent with Starlink,' he added. Such sightings aren't unprecedented. In August 2022, Oregon residents witnessed a dramatic display of Starlink satellites traversing the night sky. More recently, the Pentagon has reported an uptick in unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) sightings, connecting many of them with satellite constellations like Starlink. 'We do have one example that I'm aware of where we were able to correlate a number of observations of interesting lights in the sky, and eventually, we concluded that it was multiple people observing Starlink flares,' Jon Kosloski, the Pentagon's UAP program director, told lawmakers during a Senate hearing last month. This comes after mysterious drones were caught invading the skies over New Jersey. Intelligence experts who have weighed in on the situation suggest that Russia could be carrying out an intelligence-gathering mission known as 'ferreting', meant to intentionally trigger and test their foreign rival's airspace defense procedures and response time. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew said Wednesday that Iran launched the vessel 'probably about a month ago' after making a deal with China 'to purchase drones, a mothership and other technologies.' A mechanic who has been left paralysed from the neck down after falling three floors from his balcony has said it is a 'miracle' he is still alive. Callum Falconer, 26, snapped his neck and broke his spine, ribs and hips during the fall. The 26-year-old from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, has spent the last three weeks in hospital undergoing a three-stage neck surgery following the accident. It involved placing metal rods in his neck, repairing the break and removing bone fragments, but he still only has minimal movement in his arms. Doctors told him if the break had been 'three millimetres higher on his neck', he would have died instantly. Mr Falconer was sitting on the balcony railing outside his flat when the fall happened, which he says was 'his own fault'. He was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital where he remains and says he's 'just happy to be alive' Callum Falconer, 26, hailed a 'miracle' he is still alive after snapping his neck and breaking his spine, ribs and hips during the fall The 26-year-old Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, has spent the last three weeks in hospital undergoing a three-stage neck surgery following the accident Doctors told him if the break had been 'three millimetres higher on his neck', he would have died instantly. Picture: Callum with his twin brother Marley The mechanic from is determined to make as best a recovery as possible. 'I remember my neck snapping and I thought that this was it,' he said. 'I remember I couldn't speak, feel my arms and everything went still. 'I shut my eyes. I knew what I was hearing - the snap - and I felt nothing as I drifted off.' The injuries Mr Falconer suffered saw his neck break close to where his shoulder blades are. Despite the catastrophic injuries, which could see him regain partial movement of his body across two years, he is confident he will be able to recover. He is currently on the waiting list for spinal rehabilitation at the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Middlesex, but his care team says it could take 'years.' He and his family have been told the first two years of his recovery are crucial - and any difficulties he's left with after that will likely stay with him for the rest of his life. He said: 'It is amazing I am alive, one of the amazing things is knowing I have the support of my family who are doing everything they can for me. Callum Falconer before the accident which almost killed him, according to doctors Callum Falconer in hospital with twin brother, Marley, right and brother-in-law Connor 'I am just grateful that I have that breath of air, that my brain hasn't been destroyed and that I am not dead. 'It is very hard, it is so annoying when you wake up and you have an itch, the basic things you can fix if you can move. 'I try to stay positive, but it is lonely and upsetting, it was something so simple that changed my life and I would say never to take life for granted. 'All those little things, everyone can go to work, everyone gets to eat and with me, I cannot, so I have to wait for that with my life.' Mr Falconer's twin brother, Marley, 26, says the pair want to reiterate how 'life is too short' - and want to discourage people from 'taking things for granted.' 'Before the accident, Callum was quite fit, healthy and very, very independent,' Marley said. 'He found it hard to accept and ask for help. 'It's even more difficult for him, in this position - he can't even scratch his nose without help. 'But, he's seeing everything in a new perspective - he won't take anything for granted again.' A GoFundMe to help relieve his financial strain and fund accessibility equipment has been launched. A Denver teen who brutally murdered a mother when he was just 14 years old as part of an alleged gang initiation was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday. Remi Cordova, now 18, was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 40 years for the murder of 32-year-old Pamela Cabriales in February 2021. Cordova was 14 when he opened fire on the mother with an AR-15-style rifle after a minor fender-bender. Prosecutors believe the horrific act was an attempt to gain status in the city's Eastside Crips gang. The troubled teen received an additional eight years in prison for an attempted-murder conviction to be served consecutively with the life sentence. That conviction is related to the driver of the car behind Cabriales' vehicle. In a January hearing, a judge ruled that Cordova, who already had a criminal record, would be tried as an adult due to the severity of his crime. The 18-year old has already served four years of his life sentence. The Thursday sentencing also saw Denver District Judge Darryl Shockley recognize Cordova's troubled past, as he noted the teen had endured near-constant physical, emotional and sexual abuse from the time he was a toddler. 'Your life for 14 years, it was tragic,' Shockley told Cordova. Remi Cordova , now 18, was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years for the murder of 32-year-old Pamela Cabriales. Pictured: Remi Cordova in court on Thursday Cordova was just 14 when he opened fire on Cabriales with an AR-15-style rifle after a minor fender-bender in what prosecutors believe was an attempt to gain status in the city's Eastside Crips gang 'There have been failings at every level - at every level - to bring Mr. Cordova to that fateful night.' Reports of Cordova's conflict-riddled childhood were first submitted to the Department of Human Services when he was 1 month old. By the time he was three, the agency had eight reports of alleged abuse and neglect, including that he was running around his apartment complex alone, that he had been burned with cigarettes, and was swearing and acting violently as a toddler, his defense attorney, James Zorich, said. The abuse escalated in the following years with consistent violence and exploitation, Zurich added. 'This is ongoing, continual abuse and neglect throughout Remis life,' Zorich said. Speaking in court, Cordova denied that he committed the murder, as he was arrested along with two other teens in connection to the February 2021 killing. 'I want you all to know I feel for you all and I understand completely and I'm terribly sorry for the pain you guys feel,' he said to Cabriales' family on Thursday. 'But I can't take responsibility for something that I did not do I'm not the monster or the murderer that I have been painted to be by the Denver District Attorneys Office.' His friend, Neshan Johnson, 18, who has since been convicted of second-degree murder, was at the wheel when the three teenagers were stopped at a red light on Colfax Avenue on February 20, 2021. The teenage trio pulled up to the intersection around 10:45 pm when Cabriales rear-ended the teenagers in a minor collision. Sitting in the front passenger seat, Cordova allegedly received permission from Johnson, who authorities believe had a higher gang status than Cordova, to 'bust on' Cabriales. Fourteen-year-old Cordova then exited the vehicle and proceeded to shoot into Cabriales' SUV several times before fleeing. Another teen, also 14, was said to be inside the vehicle with Cordova and Johnson at the time of the shooting. All three were arrested the following day and were known gang members, prosecutors said. Pamela Cabriales died after she was shot nearly 20 times in the head Cordova and his teen friends on February 20, 2021 Cabriales leaves behind a six-year-old son (pictured) Cordova's defense argued before the judge that their client did not commit the homicide, but rather another teen inside the vehicle actually pulled the trigger. The defense plans to appeal Cordova's conviction. Pamela Cabriales was driving home from dinner with a friend when her car stopped at a red light in downtown Denver, moments before the abhorrent attack. The mother of a six-year-old son died five days later. Her brother, Alex Cabriales, spoke on his sister's behalf in court, sharing that she was the 'heartbeat' of the family. 'She was the heartbeat of our family,' Alex said. 'She had a heart of gold she was the example of what love and kindness should be in this world. Remi took that from us that night.' His sister's 2021 death marked the second of his siblings to have been a victim of murder. Alex's other sibling, Noel, was shot and killed in 1994 when he was 15, amid a row over petting a dog. When Pamela was also murdered, he said: 'We've just been stripped of everything we love dearly. It's just a feeling of emptiness.' Alex told 9News that he felt his parents, Mexican immigrants who did not speak much English, were let down when Noel was murdered. 'We were not treated fairly then,' Alex said. 'There was no one there to guide them or explain to them what was going on. We felt like then it was just swept under the rug.' Noel's killer was found guilty of manslaughter and served only seven years: Alex said he is now determined to get justice for his sister. 'My sister's life means nothing to that boy,' he said. 'It was just a gang initiation to them.' He added: 'This was a person, a human being, a really good person and a 14-year-old boy decided her life was worth nothing.' Alex said that he thought Cordova was 'a psychopath', and should not be free to roam the streets. 'There are some people you can rehabilitate,' he said. 'He's not one of them.' The world's richest man Elon Musk's mother is shedding new light on her son's relationship with President-elect Donald Trump after he went all in for the Republican presidential nominee in the 2024 election. Maye Musk appeared on Fox Business where she spoke about her son spending so much time with Trump as well as her own experience with the president-elect's family. 'They do get along well,' she said with a laugh of the pair. Leading up to the election, the tech billionaire actively campaigned for Trump spending time in Pennsylvania and appearing with the president-elect at his rallies while spending some $277 million to help him get elected. Since Trump's victory, Musk has been a fixture at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, has appeared with the president-elect at a series of events and even sat next to him at Thanksgiving. 'The funny thing is at the Thanksgiving dinner, Barron and Elon were talking planets. He's 18-years-old. They were discussing all the different planets and why mars is the best place to start a new civilization,' Musk shared about her son and Trump's youngest son. She said she was also very impressed with the youngest Trump. 'Trump just likes someone he can completely trust who doesn't have any alternative motives,' she claimed of their relationship. Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump watch the SpaceX flight test in Boca Chica, TX on November 19 Maye herself has also been popping up at Trump events. She called the president-elect's family delightful, kind and interesting and said she is looking forward to spending more time with incoming First Lady Melania. She argued Trump wants things to be open and honest, and he is 'not going to be mean to people.' During the interview, the 76-year-old shared more on her son and her own shift toward the right. 'Biden and the White House either just kept on either ignoring, or investigating or suing Elon and his companies,' she said. 'That made me very angry because he's just trying to do good,' she went on. 'They're doing everything to put obstacles in his way.' 'I was so angry before the election, and now I just feel like the whole world has opened up for not only America but definitely for the world,' she gushed. 'There's so much more happiness.' Musk sitting right next to Trump and his son Barron at Mar-a-Lago on Thanksgiving while the YMCA played Elon Musk's mom Maye appearing on Fox Business where she gushed over the Trump family and shared more about her son's relationship with the president-elect Musk on stage with Trump at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania on October 5 Her son is now being tapped by Trump to co-head a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with Vivek Ramaswamy. The move has raised concerns over conflicts of interest for the billionaire as he could be working to cut the very agencies that have regulated his own business ventures while he also benefits from government contracts. Cavuto asked the older Musk what she makes of the accusations that Musk will use his position in the Trump administration to benefit his own business interests. 'I think I've been hearing that from the legacy media or what I call the dishonest media for 15 years, so obviously nobody's listening or he wouldn't be doing this well,' she claimed. Elon Musk on Capitol Hill meeting with members of Congress as he prepares to co-head a new Department of Government Efficiency Trump and Musk sitting together at the UFC fight in New York City on November 16 Cavuto asked when the Musks decided to get behind Trump's political campaign. 'Well I don't know when Elon made the change, but I must say when the Twitter files came out, and we found that the FBI was paying millions to Twitter to remove Republicans from this site which we didn't realize was a Democratic site,' she said. Those remarks stem from misleading statements by the tech billionaire and others who have claimed payments had to do with censorship when law requires the government reimburse companies for requests for content, records and other information. The Met Office has warned of a three-day washout with up to six inches of rain expected on higher ground. Three consecutive yellow alerts have been issued for 42 hours of downpours from 6pm on Sunday until noon on Tuesday in north-west Scotland. In areas where snow has fallen, residents are being warned a rapid thaw will contribute to the risk of homes and businesses being flooded. The country has experienced almost a week of benign conditions ranging from sunshine and freezing temperatures in the north to gloomy and stubborn fog in the central belt, with temperatures plunging below 0C and as low as -11C. But a striking change is imminent, thanks to a large area of low pressure rotating over France and the near continent. Aiden McGivern of the Met Office said: 'The next area of high pressure builds into the south but it's going to be sufficiently far south to allow westerlies across much of the UK. 'That means increasingly wet weather across northern areas, especially western Scotland, with some significant rain totals totting up from Sunday for a few days. 'We are also going to see strong winds for the north east of the UK. 'Anticyclonic gloom', a phenomenon that occurs when high pressure traps moisture near the Earth's surface resulting in cloudy and dull weather, is seen over St Ives, Cambridgeshire A striking change in UK weather is imminent, thanks to a large area of low pressure rotating over France and the near continent. Pictured: Gloom over St Ives this morning A map showing current flood alerts in place across England ahead of expected heavy rain 'It's also going to turn much, much milder.' The yellow 'be aware' warnings affect the north west of the country, including Central, Tayside and Fife, Highlands and Islands and Argyll and Bute. The warning states: 'Rain will become persistent across parts of western Scotland during Sunday, continuing throughout Monday before easing later on Tuesday. 'Around 70mm to 100mm of rain (up to 4ins is likely to fall widely during this period, but possibly over 150mm (6in) for some exposed hills and mountains. 'Rapid melting of lying snow will also contribute to any potential impacts.' People have been told to expect flooding of property, possible power cuts and longer journey times. Driving conditions could be severely impaired, with spray and road flooding making journey times longer. While the main areas of population lie out with the warning zones, the likes of Glasgow can also expect a very soggy Sunday and start to the working week. The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for north-west Scotland from Sunday This weekend, milder air coming in from the west will see things warm up considerably, going from 4C (39F) on Saturday to 11C (52F) on Sunday. However, this will be accompanied by heavy rain which could persist for several days. Grahame Madge, of the Met Office, explained: 'The warning area has been carefully created to encompass the areas likely to see the highest rainfall totals and impacts. 'Other parts of Scotland are expected to see rain during the period, but not to the levels of the warning area.' Although the current warning expires on Tuesday, forecasters are watching another system that could bring more misery and further alerts on Wednesday. This is the second-last shopping weekend before Christmas. The run-up to the festive period has been a wash-out for the retail trade, which relies on November and December for a significant proportion of their annual turnover. The period November 23 to 24 was badly affected by Storm Bert and last weekend saw the impacts of Storm Darragh, when people living in affected areas were warned not to travel. Road operator Bear Scotland said it would have spotters in place from Sunday at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll in case heavy rain leads to movement on the mountain above. On Friday, the Scottish Government said it was committed to finding a long-term solution to the landslide danger affecting this part of the A83 by promising further improvements and public consultation beginning in the New Year. A homeless man who killed an NHS worker mother-of-three by repeatedly orally raping her as she lay unconscious on a park bench has been jailed for life. Mohamed Iidow, 35, launched a vile sex attack on Natalie Shotter, 37, in Southall Park, west London, after a night out in July 2021. Ms Shotter died of a heart attack caused by Iidow raping her 'again and again' during a hellish 15 minutes of abuse. Sex fiend Iidow was high on cocaine and had been prowling the park looking for women to assault when he found Natalie lying on the bench. So savage was the horrific sex attack, that when jurors at the Old Bailey were shown footage of it, they wept. The 'wicked' predator has since been jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 10 years and eight months behind bars for Ms Shotter's rape and manslaughter. Jailing him, Judge Richard Marks, KC, the Common Serjeant of London, said Iidow had taken advantage of an 'extremely vulnerable' Ms Shotter after going to the park to 'look for sex'. 'During the 15 minutes or so while you were with her she was very clearly not conscious and therefore extremely vulnerable as would have been obvious to you,' the judge said. Mohamed Iidow, 35, launched a vile sex attack on Natalie Shotter, 37, in Southall Park, west London, after a night out in July 2021 Mother-of-three Natalie Shotter, 37, was attacked as she lay unconscious on a park bench after a night out Ms Shotter had been dead for hours before she was found by a passer-by in Southall Park, west London, on 17 July 2021 'She was obviously not capable of consenting to any sexual activity and you had clearly formed an intention to rape her. 'Taking advantage of her in the highly vulnerable state she clearly was in was wicked and utterly reckless.' Even though there had never been a recorded case before of someone dying as a result of oral sex, there was a 'high risk' that she would suffer really serious harm from what he did to her over 'several minutes', the judge said. Iidow was a 'dangerous offender' and had even engaged in 'explicit' sexual chat online with a girl he thought was aged 13 in August 2022 while under investigation for rape. The 'girl' turned out to be an undercover police officer. Speaking outside court today, Ms Shotter's mother, Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, an NHS cardiology practitioner, said she was overjoyed by Iidow's sentence. 'Were absolutely thrilled with the outcome of the life sentence thats been given today... justice has definitely been done,' she told Sky News. Earlier, she described her daughter as a 'bundle of joy' who at the age of 12 had starred in the hit musical. Ms Shotter had secured a place at the prestigious performing arts BRIT School in Croydon and had opportunities to work in theatre and television, she said. As an adult, she became a mother of three children and worked for the British Heart Foundation before getting a job in clinical administration at her local NHS hospital. Ms Shotter's mother, Dr Cas Shotter Weetman (left), an NHS cardiology practitioner, described her daughter (seen right) as a 'bundle of joy' Harry Shotter, the brother of Natalie Shotter, and their mother Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, speak to media outside the Old Bailey Dr Shotter Weetman said: 'She was brilliant at her job, kind to staff and patients alike. 'The day I found out about Nat, I felt absolutely sick and I felt a terrible feeling of doom. I was in absolute shock. 'I then had to later learn from the police that my daughter had died in these horrific circumstances. 'When Mohamed Iidow - and that is the only time I will say his name - was finally charged I was so glad but I realised everything was still to come. 'Watching the CCTV of my daughter being raped was desperately sad to see. No mother should have to see that.' Addressing the defendant, she went on: 'Hearing the medical evidence how you caused my daughter's death destroyed my family. 'No woman should have to fear going to a park and sitting on a bench. It's disgusting. 'You went after a vulnerable woman. She was a lovely mum, a great sister and daughter, a great kid. We are missing our beautiful girl.' Father Andrew Shotter recalled his 'feisty' daughter with 'wonderful memories' of her performing in Les Miserables in front of thousands of people. He said: 'Hearing what happened in the last moments of her life was horrific.' The former ambulance service worker added: 'I feel powerless. In my head I am screaming to her not to go into the park. I cannot save her from that man.' Mother-of-three Ms Shotter had been seen dancing in the street before she passed out on bench and was savagely sexually assaulted Ms Shotter's partner, Anthony Wilson, said in his statement the thought of her killer made him 'angry' and that his new role of single father made him feel 'stretched in every aspect'. During the trial, the court had heard how Ms Shotter had been seen happily dancing in the street before going into the park after a night out. Jurors had viewed CCTV of Iidow walking past the victim three times in a 'predatory' way as she sat on the bench. Half an hour later, she was lying down, showing 'no clear movement' when the defendant approached her 'nonchalantly', prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said. She was 'deeply unconscious' when Iidow repeatedly raped her orally, even moving Ms Shotter's body around in different positions, the court was told. Afterwards, the defendant drove back to his home in Hounslow, west London, via a Shell garage where he stopped to buy cat food and mouthwash. Ms Shotter, whose three children are aged between five and 19, was found dead by a passer-by in the park in the early morning of July 17 2021. She was a little more than five foot tall and weighed just 43kg at the time of her death, the Old Bailey heard. Iidow overstimulated the nerves at the back of her throat in the assault and caused her to have a cardiac arrest. It is the first recorded case of an assault causing that effect. 'In terms of the medical evidence what actually happened is unprecedented in terms of any kind of recorded history,' Judge Marks said. Defence barrister Peter Glenser, KC, suggest Iidow had not intended 'serious harm'. Judge Marks said: 'He repeatedly over many minutes and vigorously thrust his penis into and out of her mouth and it seems top me against that background there was a high risk of really serious harm that ought to have been obvious to your client.' Natalie Shotter, 37, was found dead on a bench at Southall Park on July 17, 2021 Mr Glenser said Iidow could not have foreseen death because 'no one in the annals of medical literature has ever died in this way before'. Initially police treated Ms Shotter's death as unexpected, then arrested Lidow on August 4 2021. Dr Weetman earlier criticised the Met Police after two officers allegedly told Ms Shotter's friend they could do nothing to help her. She led a campaign for justice for her daughter and believes that a culture of misogyny in the Met contributed to her death. Iidow was charged with manslaughter and rape on December 21 2023 and convicted of both charges by the jury of eight men and four women. Ms Shotter's family sobbed in the well of the court as Iidow was found guilty by a unanimous verdict. Four members of the jury returned to watch the sentencing today. Following the sentencing, Kirsty O'Connor, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Natalie Shotter had been on a night out enjoying herself and she was preyed upon by Mohamed Iidow. He raped her repeatedly, while she was unconscious, which caused her death. 'The investigation was extremely complex and involved working closely with the police and expert witnesses to establish what had happened to the victim and what led to her death. 'During police interviews, he stated that Natalie was alive and consenting to the sexual activity with him. 'However, CCTV footage has proved that to not be the case, with the victim unconscious during the entire attack. 'The CPS is determined to deliver justice for victims of rape. Tragically, this vile attack cost Natalie her life and we'd like to express our deepest condolences to her children and loved ones at this time. 'Natalie's family have shown extreme courage and dignity throughout what has been a harrowing investigation and trial. We thank them for their support and continue to offer them our sincere condolences for the devastating loss of Natalie.' Austria's conservative-led government said on Friday it is offering Syrian refugees a 'return bonus' of 1,000 euros to move back to their home country after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer reacted quickly to Assad's overthrow on Sunday, saying the same day that the security situation in Syria should be reassessed so as to allow deportations of Syrian refugees. Deporting people against their will is not possible until it becomes clearer what direction Syria is taking. It comes as Germany's lawmakers earlier this week called for Syrian refugees to be deported back to their war-torn homeland. Hours after Syrians jubilantly took to the streets in several German cities on Sunday, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party Alice Weidel declared anyone celebrating 'a free Syria evidently no longer has a reason to flee'. For now, Austria's government has said it will focus on voluntary deportations. It has also stopped processing Syrians' asylum applications, as have more than a dozen European countries. Like many conservatives in Europe, Nehammer is under pressure from the far right, with the two groups often seeming to try to outbid each other on tough-sounding immigration policies. An areal photo shows crowds of Syrians raising a giant independence-era flag, used by the opposition since the uprising began in 2011, as they celebrate this week's fall of Bashar al-Assad at the central Umayyad Square in Damascus on December 13, 2024 A child holds up a weapon as he poses for a photo on the day of the first Friday prayers at the Umayyad Mosque Syrians are the biggest group of asylum-seekers in Austria, a European Union member state. 'Austria will support Syrians who wish to return to their home country with a return bonus of 1,000 euros', Nehammer said in an English language post on X. 'The country now needs its citizens in order to be rebuilt'. How many Syrians will take up the offer remains to be seen. With national flag-carrier Austrian Airlines having suspended flights to the Middle East because of the security situation, the Austrian bonus may not even fully cover travel. An economy class one-way ticket in a month's time to Beirut, a common starting point for those heading overland to Damascus, currently costs at least 1,066.10 euros on Turkish Airlines, according to the company's website. Austria's far-right Freedom Party came first in September's parliamentary election with around 29% of the vote but, as no potential coalition partner was forthcoming, Nehammer is leading coalition talks with the Social Democrats and liberal Neos. Thousands of Syrians gathered in central Damascus today during their first Friday prayers since Assad's fall. People chant slogans and wave independence-era Syrian flags as they gather in the courtyard of the Umayyad mosque in the old city of Damascus This aerial photo shows Syrians around the Clock Tower in the central city of Homs as they celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad's iron-fisted rule earlier this week More than half a century of brutal rule by the Assad clan came to a sudden end on Sunday, after a lightning rebel offensive swept across the country and took the capital A woman lifts a flag of the Syrian revolution bearing a portrait of late rebel fighter and famous chanter Abdel-Basset al-Sarout during celebrations to mark this week's ouster of president Bashar al-Assad People gather the mosque and its surroundings with 'Syrian revolution flag' and chant slogans calling for the country's freedom and a 'new Syria' A drone view shows Damascus city, after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Syria Assad fled Syria, closing an era in which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and capping nearly 14 years of war that killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions A man walks past a portrait of ousted president Bashar al-Assad on the ground as people gather at Saadallah al-Jabiri Square after the Friday noon prayer in Aleppo More than half a century of brutal rule by the Assad clan came to a sudden end on Sunday, after a lightning rebel offensive swept across the country and took the capital. Assad fled Syria, closing an era in which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and capping nearly 14 years of war that killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. The Friday prayers have a particular symbolism because in the early days of the anti-government uprising-turned-civil-war in Syria in 2011, protesters would turn out en masse after going to the mosque. 'Unified Syria to build Syria,' the crowd gathered in Damascus' Umayyad Square chanted. Some shouted slurs about the former president and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assad's security forces. The crowd included many families with children, and some of the demonstrators had come from far-flung areas of the country, including from Idlib the longtime rebel enclave in the northwest of Syria, for years isolated on the other side of the civil war's battle lines. Interim prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir addressed a large congregation at Damascus's landmark Umayyad Mosque. Thousands flocked to the mosque, some raising the three-star Syrian independence flag which none dared wave in the capital during Assad's iron-fisted rule. A woman holds up the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad Syrians wave 'revolutionary' Syrian flags during a celebratory demonstration following the first Friday prayers since Bashar Assad's ouster The crowd included many families with children, and some of the demonstrators had come from far-flung areas of the country man holds up a baby next to a 'revolutionary' Syrian flag Exhilarated crowds chanted 'the Syrian people is one!' 'I still feel like I'm dreaming,' said 52-year-old Khalil Rimo. 'I still can't believe that I'm standing next to the Umayyad Mosque... and there are no government thugs' asking for ID, Rimo said. 'We are gathering because we're happy Syria has been freed, we're happy to have been liberated from the prison in which we lived,' said Nour Thi al-Ghina, 38. Thousands of people also gathered in the squares and streets in other Syrian cities, including Homs, Hama and Idlib. An American couple was executed while on vacation in the western Mexican state of Michoacan on Wednesday. Rafael Cardona, 53, and his wife Gloria Cardona, 50, were traveling in a pickup truck when they came under fire and were shot to death in the municipality of Angamacurito. Cardona was the brother-in-law of Angamacurito Mayor Humberto Pacheco. Cardona's sister and the mayor's wife, Lucy Cardona, is the director the city's National System for Integral Family Development, the agency that focuses on family welfare. Gloria, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was declared dead on the scene and Rafael, who was born in the U.S., was rushed to a hospital in the municipality of Puruandiro, where he died. A spokesperson with the Michoacan State Attorney General's Office told DailyMail.com on Friday that the couple arrived in Mexico on November 30 to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. They said that Rafael and Gloria were just several blocks away from the residence they own when they were shot. It's unknown why the couple were attacked. U.S.-born Rafael Cardona was shot as he was driving near his home in the western Mexican town of Angamacurito on Wednesday and was rushed to a local hospital and died. His wife, Gloria Cardona, was also shot and died at the scene. Rafael was the brother-in-law of Angamacurito Mayor Humberto Pacheco A spokesperson for the Michoacan State Attorney General's Office told DailyMail.com that American couple, Rafael Cardona, 53, and his wife Gloria Cardona, 50, were traveling in a pickup truck when they came under fire in the municipality of Angamacurito. Gloria died at the scene and Cardona was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died The Michoacan State Attorney General's Office is leading the investigation and had not announced any arrests as of Friday. The U.S. Department of State said it had learned of the couple's murder. 'We are aware of reports of the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Michoacan, Mexico. We are working to gather more information and stand ready to provide consular assistance if necessary,' the Department of State said in a press release. A travel advisory on the Department of State's website warned Americans about the dangers of visiting Michoacan and issued a do-not-travel advisory because of crime and kidnapping. Crime stats released by Michoacan State Attorney General's Office showed that at least 1,170 murders were registered between January and November of this year in a state where the Familia Michoacana, Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel have a presence. In comparison, 1,334 were reported during the same period in 2023. More than 450,000 people have been killed in Mexico since December 2006, when then-President Felipe Calderon declared a war on drug cartels. Despite the widespread violence, President Claudia Sheinbaum repeatedly has said that she will not combat violence with violence, maintaining the strategy of her predecessor, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was criticized often for his 'hugs, not bullets' policy. Angamacurito Mayor Hermes Pacheco (left) and his wife, Lucy Cardona Aguilera, (right) have not publicly addressed the murder of her brother and sister-in-law, two U.S. citizens who were shot dead Wednesday night Data released at a press conference this week showed an 18.1 percent decrease in the average of daily homicides that were reported from 2019 to 2024. The report also highlighted the arrests of 5,333 people for committing high-impact crimes October 1 to December 1 this year. In addition, 2,471 weapons and 57.9 tons of different types of drugs were seized. 'The Security Strategy that we have is going to yield results, little by little, it is not from one day to the next,' Sheinbaum told reporters. 'But we are coordinated, we have a strategy, we are reviewing every day, there is supervision and each one is doing the job that corresponds to them. So, there are going to be results. 'There are already results, because today we presented many results and there will continue to be results,' she added. A Channel boat migrant from South Sudan has pleaded not guilty to murdering hotel worker Rhiannon Whyte. Deng Chol Majek, 18, appeared via video link from HMP Manchester as Rhiannons mother and sister watched from the front row of the public gallery at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Last month, Majek, who had been staying at the Park Inn by Radisson hotel where Ms Whyte had been working for six months, refused to appear for the plea hearing before Judge Michael Chambers KC. At todays rescheduled hearing the defendant he appeared sitting behind a desk wearing a grey sweatshirt top. He was charged with two counts - murdering 27-year-old Ms Whyte on 20 October and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, namely a screwdriver, on the same day. Asked to plead to the murder charge, he said through a Sudanese Arabic interpreter that he was Not guilty, adding: I did not kill her. When the offensive weapon charge was put he replied: It wasnt me. When pressed to say the words not guilty he said: I did not do anything. I did not do that. Rhiannon Whyte (pictured), who had a five-year-old son, was attacked after walking onto the platform of Walsalls Bescot Stadium train station Floral tributes at Bescot Stadium railway station in Walsall, West Midlands, where Ms Whyte had gone to catch the last train home after finishing a shift at the hotel Deng Chol Majek, had been staying at the Park Inn by Radisson hotel (pictured) where Ms Whyte had been working for six months Judge Chambers then asked for the charge to be put again and Majek eventually said: I did not do it, I am not guilty. A trial date of March 17 was set by Judge Michael Chambers KC, to be heard in Coventry. Ms Whyte, who had a five-year-old son, was attacked after walking onto the platform of Walsalls Bescot Stadium train station to catch the last train home after finishing a shift at the hotel in Walsall which is said to have been repurposed as a residence for asylum seekers - on October 20. She died in hospital three days later. Her sister Alexandra later told the Guardian that the walk between the hotel and the station took Ms Whyte just 90 seconds, and that the murder victim had been on the phone to her best friend when she was set upon. Alexandra said her sister had spent six months working at the Park Inn, a two-minute walk from where she was attacked. She described her sister a, the most selfless, giving, loving person who was quirky, unconventionally funny and family oriented. She added: Everywhere she went, she made new friends and these were friends for life. Her devotion to help was unmatched, and she was always happy. If she ever thought that someone was down or feeling low, she always went above and beyond to pick them up again. It is understood that the screwdriver used in the attack has never been recovered. An online fundraiser arranged by Alexandra has so far raised more than 7,000 to help support the victims son. The parents of a criminology student accused of murdering a personal trainer in a random attack were forced to hide two knives and an axe from him prior to the stabbing, a court heard today. Nasen Saadi, 20, from Bournemouth, took an interest in deliberately offensive-looking weapons in the months preceding the killing of Amie Gray, 34, and had purchased several knives from online retailers, jurors were told. After the student was arrested, four days after the May 24 attack, a Trespass rucksack was found in his possession which contained white latex gloves, balaclava, a torch, and used wet wipes. Jurors at Winchester Crown Court, Hants, were told Saadi was arrested at his aunts home in Purley, south London, on May 28, at which point police seized a number of items from his large bedroom. The court heard that the student - who moved out of his parents address in South Croydon in January - appeared calm upon arrest and made no response to what was happening. A number of weapons were seized, including an MTech USA extreme serrated knife in a sheath, a black machete, black handled serrated knife and a black ornamental knife. Officers also discovered a self defence spray in his bedside table, and a blue Trespass rucksack which contained used wet wipes, a packet of tissues, two packets of chillis, and a torch. Inside the bag was also a black balaclava and white latex gloves which had been turned inside out. Amie Gray (pictured) died after being stabbed on Durley Chine Beach, Bournemouth at around 11.45pm on May 24 A court artist sketch of Nasen Saadi who has been charged with the murder of the 34-year-old Sian Gray, pictured with her wife of Amie Gray who died after being stabbed on Durley Chine Beach, Bournemouth No blood was found on any of his belongings, except for his own in the rucksack. Saadis paternal grandfather, who also lived at his aunts address, told police that there was a knife hidden in between the wardrobe and wall. And, Ms Jones KC said the students father had also supplied police with two knives and an axe which he had taken from him in the past. Upon looking at Saadis laptop, officers found he used the username NSKills, and later discovered online usernames including Ninja Kiler. Saadi, a criminology student, is accused of using his studies to research how to get away with murder before butchering Mrs Gray because he wanted to know what it would be like to take a life. He allegedly took inspiration from high profile stabbings like that of Brianna Gheys when he carried out the attack, prosecutors said. It was heard the 20 year had taken such an interest in true crime that his lecturer had once asked him Youre not planning a murder are you? when he plied her with questions on killing, jurors were told. The student, from south London, used the internet to search for deliberately offensive-looking weapons and researched most popular beach for kids UK before settling on a location in Bournemouth. An M:Tech USA Xtreme knife, one of the blades found in the bedroom of suspect Nasen Saadi during the initial raid by police on May 28 Another of the five knives recovered by officers in Mr Saadi's bedroom four days after the murder A third knife found during the initial search of Mr Saadi's bedroom back in May He also searched What hotels dont have CCTV in UK and can you pay Airbnb with cash. And, the student also types why do I have a cold all the time and then searched stabbing just moments later. On the evening of May 24, Mrs Gray and her friend Leanne Miles, then 38 had arrived to the beach in the late evening. Ms Miles, then 38, arrived in a cream coat and dark trousers and she is soon followed by Mrs Gray, who arrived in a navy hoodie. The pair were sitting beside a fire to keep warm when they saw a shadow of the person appear behind them. Moments later, the killer - who Ms Miles described as a young boy - launched at them both and carried out a random attack. During the horrifyingly savage ordeal, Ms Miles begged with him Please stop, Ive got children, jurors were told. During a 999 call, she frantically told police I have been stabbed lots of times, can you hurry up, please hurry up, I am in so much pain. Amie Gray (pictured) died after being stabbed on Durley Chine Beach, Bournemouth, at about 11.45pm on May 24 this year - a man has now gone on trial charged with murdering her Sian Gray, wife of Amie Gray, is pictured outside Winchester Crown Court - she attended today's court proceedings, watching from the public gallery Nasen Saadi, from Croydon in south London, has been accused of murdering Amie Gray on Bournemouth beach - a court artist sketch depicts him at Winchester Crown Court A screengrab of CCTV footage showing accused Nasen Saadi on the day of the fatal stabbing Handout screengrab from CCTV footage issued by the Crown Prosecution Services of a man said to be Nasen Saadi walking along promenade on Bournemouth seafront The trial heard severe force was used to murder Mrs Gray, who suffered ten knife wounds - the most serious being a gaping wound to her chest. It was heard Ms Miles was fortunate to survive the attack and her injuries suggested she tried to block and ward off the student. She told police in an interview which took place in hospital after the attack that Mrs Gray had saved her life. CCTV footage shows Saadi allegedly scope out the beach before the attack as he carried out a recce of the area. Ms Jones JC alleged that before the attack, Saadi loitered behind his victims before he pursued them. A photographer selected Saadi out of a parade of 10 suspects in a police identification procedure after allegedly walking past him on the night of the attack. Saadi has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mrs Gray and attempted murder of Ms Miles. He has accepted a charge of failing to comply with a notice requirement disclosure. The trial continues. Two people were charged after allegedly burglarizing a San Francisco Dior store. Rafe Swan / Getty Image Two people were charged Thursday after they were arrested on suspicion of burglarizing the Christian Dior store in San Franciscos Union Square in October. Denayaha Duree, 23, and Xavier Garcia, 20, were charged with second-degree commercial burglary, grand theft, vandalism and organized retail theft with intent to sell. Both were out on bail when they committed the alleged crimes, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. Duree was also charged with receiving or buying stolen property. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Duree and Garcia were allegedly connected to a burglary of the Dior store at 185 Post St., at around 2:42 a.m. on Oct. 11. A vehicle backed into the stores metal gate and front doors, destroying both, and at least 10 masked people entered the store, Jenkins said. The burglars were inside for under a minute, but in that time they stole 66 bags valued at over $290,000 before fleeing the scene, Jenkins said. The group also caused $250,000 in damage to the store. My office takes these cases seriously and will do everything we can to ensure there are consequences and accountability, Jenkins said in a statement. To those who think it is ok to come to San Francisco and brazenly ram into a business in the middle of the night and ransack it, you are mistaken. Duree and Garcia were being held without bail pending trial. Their preliminary hearing was scheduled for Dec. 24, Jenkins said. Duree was arrested Nov. 13 on suspicion of the crimes. She had previously been arrested in February 2021 after boarding a flight to Honolulu, when police said she was wanted in connection with stealing from Stonestown Galleria mall and two luxury brand stores in downtown San Francisco. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Donald Trump is enjoying unprecedented success with American voters, achieving a positive popularity rating in a key polling average for the first time. Trump's favorable rating in the RealClearPolitics average hit 49.4 percent Friday with a 47.4 percent unfavorable rating, about two points lower. Throughout the data going back to 2015, Trump never saw a positive favorability rating in the polling average. The milestone comes after Trump was named Time Magazine's 'Person of the Year' and celebrated the event with wife Melania and daughters Ivanka and Tiffany Thursday, when he got to ring the bell at the opening of the New York Stock Exchange. Trump joked about the turnaround, trolling his haters with a meme posted on his Truth Social account. He put a picture of his mug shot next to his Time magazine 'Person of the year' cover using the meme: 'How it started' compared to 'how it's going.' His popularity spiked over the course of his trials, including his hush money trial in Manhattan where he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying financial records. Trump had spent his entire political career 'underwater' in the rating, meaning his 'unfavorable' rating was higher than his 'favorable' one. But his stunning climb back to political power and the astonishing collapse and capitulation of some of his adversaries now has him on top. Turnaround: Trump joked about his arrest and mug-shot and his being named Time's 'Person of the year.' His popularity improved during the course of his trials Donald Trump has achieved a positive favorable rating in the RealClearPolitics average for the first time after scoring a string of wins Trump scored an impressive 312 to 226 win over Vice President Kamala Harris in the Electoral College after beating her in all seven battleground states. That came after eking out a win in the popular vote garnering just barely under 50 percent to 48.4 percent for Harris. While perhaps short of the overwhelming 'mandate' that Trump claimed publicly, it still made him the first Republican to win the popular vote since 2004. Trump prevailed in 2016 in the Electoral College while losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. The period since his win has thrust Trump into the power position of announcing cabinet picks, speaking to world leaders, and firing off policy pronouncements from his Truth Social account. He has experienced gains across the board including financially, where his stake in Truth Social is about $4 billion despite some critics calling the company a 'meme stock.' There have been abundant signs that powerful figures have identified Trump's ascendants. The period since the election has seen Special Counsel Jack Smith move to drop criminal cases against him. Federal judges have gone along, with Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissing his January 6 case. Trump has gotten a hero's welcome at events at his Mar-a-Lago club, and has even jetted to events like a UFC match at Madison Square Garden and the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris. Trump even posted an image of first lady Jill Biden grinning while the two shared conversation inside the cathedral. He had a fireside meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House, and Biden promised an orderly transition. He has been warmly embraced by House and Senate Republicans. Even many of his most controversial cabinet picks have been well received by members of his party, although his initial pick of Matt Gaetz for attorney general imploded over sex trafficking allegations that Gaetz denies. Trump's 'favorable' rating hit 49.4 percent in the average Trump was named Time Magazine's 'person of the year' and rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday Signs of resistance to his choice for Defense secretary Pete Hegseth have been evaporating, with Iowa Republican Joni Ernst saying she will support him 'through this process.' Trump's favorable rating with Gallup hit a low point immediately after January 6, 2021, when it was at just 34 percent. It never topped 49 percent while he was in office. As recently as June 25 in the RealClear average of polls, Trump's unfavorable rating was 54.9 compared to a 42.1 favorable rating, putting him well 'underwater.' When Naomi Campbell gets cross, fireworks happen. And when it involves lawyers, they can be truly spectacular. The supermodel has swapped catwalk for courtroom on a string of occasions that now occupy a special chapter in the annals of celebrity culture. Two of the most high-profile involved her assaulting members of staff with mobile telephones. A third followed an 'air rage' incident at Heathrow that ended with her kicking and spitting at police officers. Perhaps the most bizarre saw Campbell rock up at The Hague to give evidence in the war crimes trial of an old acquaintance: Charles Taylor, a Liberian warlord accused of gifting her a collection of blood diamonds. Other faintly surreal skirmishes jollify her CV. But few legal battles, in the 54-year-old fashion icon's long and colourful career, promise to be quite so explosive as the one she's about to join against the stern quangocrats of His Majesty's Charity Commission. I can reveal that Campbell is going into bat against the powerful organisation, which regulates the charities sector in England and Wales, after it published a highly critical inquiry into her glamorous fundraising organisation, Fashion For Relief. The Commission recently announced that it had uncovered multiple instances of quite shocking misconduct and financial mismanagement by the non-profit, which staged a series of star-studded catwalk shows between 2016 and 2020. A three-year probe established that a mere 8 per cent of the almost 4.8million raised at the events, attended by everyone from Beyonce and Kate Moss to Pierce Brosnan and Paris Hilton, ended up in the hands of good causes. Naomi Campbell, 54, has swapped catwalk for courtroom on a string of occasions that now occupy a special chapter in the annals of celebrity culture, GUY ADAMS writes The rest had largely been frittered away. Tens of thousands of pounds were splurged on extravagances such as private jet flights and a luxury hotel stay in Cannes enjoyed by Campbell who charged spa visits and packets of cigarettes to her bill. Another 290,572 was improperly paid in 'consultancy fees' to Naomi's then-friend Bianka Hellmich, a Polish lawyer and socialite, who was one of the organisation's trustees. This arrangement broke strict rules dictating that trustees should never financially benefit from their role. Fashion For Relief has now been dissolved, while significant punishments were meted out to the various people deemed responsible. They include a ban on Campbell from acting as a charity trustee for five years. Hellmich has been struck off for nine. A third trustee, a socialite named Veronica Chou, was blacklisted for four years. The Commission's findings, and these draconian sanctions, were announced in September. Not long afterwards, Campbell issued a statement saying that, while she regretted the affair, there was one mitigating factor she was 'not involved in the day-to-day running' of Fashion For Relief. Instead, she claimed to have 'entrusted the legal and operational management to others', adding: 'I have instructed new advisers to undertake a detailed investigation of what transpired.' That was a few weeks back. Campbell's 'detailed investigation' remains ongoing, but has already made some startling discoveries. It's being carried out by a London law firm named Joseph Hage Aaronson, who are poring over a tranche of documents and emails related to the scandal. Having read their initial findings, the supermodel has decided to launch a legal challenge to the Charity Commission's sanctions against her. This will, I can disclose, be no ordinary case. Campell's litigation revolves around a quite extraordinary claim: that both she, and her now-defunct charity, have fallen victim to an elaborate fraud. Details of the whole thing are laid out in an explosive, 12-page witness statement that was apparently filed on November 6 at the General Regulatory Chamber a branch of the UK court system that settles disputes involving government regulators. The document was signed by Campbell and outlines three reasons she intends to appeal against the outcome of the Commission's inquiry. They are as follows. Firstly: the catwalk star believes she's been the victim of an audacious identity theft. She alleges that an unknown fraudster set up a fake email account in her name and then used it to impersonate her throughout the three years that the Charity Commission's Inquiry ran, sharing false information with regulators in the process; Secondly: Campbell claims that her signature was forged on a large number of legal documents and statements that were submitted to the inquiry, giving them a false impression of her involvement in the running of Fashion For Relief; Thirdly: she insists that a one-page submission to the inquiry she authorised was then doctored, without her permission. When it was eventually submitted to the authorities deciding her fate, the whole thing instead ran to 20 pages. In other words, her witness statement suggests, unlawful evidence tampering took place. Such claims which involve forgery and fraud are very serious indeed. And while it should be stressed that (for reasons we shall explore later) details are disputed by others involved in the case, Campbell is determined to seek what she sees as justice. In fact, according to friends, she is hopping mad. 'Naomi has initiated a thorough investigation into potential criminal activity, including identity theft, forgery and misappropriation of charitable funds,' says a source close to the celebrity. 'This investigation has uncovered evidence of Naomi being impersonated, forged signatures, fraudulent email correspondence and serious financial irregularities that may warrant police investigation. 'Naomi is understandably horrified by what has been uncovered so far and she and her legal team are determined to get to the bottom of what happened not least so she can carry on supporting charities in the way she has for more than 30 years.' There appears to be no suggestion as to the identity of the person responsible for the fraud. To properly understand the whole thing, we must venture back to the mid-2000s when Campbell began organising fundraising couture shows under the Fashion For Relief brand, citing the inspiration of her 'honourable mentor' Nelson Mandela. The big idea was to 'unite the fashion industry as a force for good'. An early event raised money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Over ensuing years, there were other fundraisers in New York, Mumbai and Moscow, with fellow stars such as Bella Hadid and Jane Fonda joining her on the catwalk, while everyone from Justin Bieber to Sarah, Duchess of York, attended. Initially the non-profit was administered from the US. But in early 2015 it was registered as a UK charity. Central to this change, according to Campbell, was the aforementioned Bianka Hellmich, a lawyer she'd originally been introduced to during her recent separation from ex-boyfriend Vladislav Doronin, a wealthy Russian-born entrepreneur. Hellmich, who had helped the supermodel recover jewellery, clothing and personal effects during the split, soon became a trusted confidante and legal adviser. Campbell says the decision to register Fashion For Relief as a charity was taken on her advice. She claims the lawyer would then manage its operations, while Campbell would be a sort of 'figurehead', using her celebrity profile to drum up interest in events. Sarah, Duchess of York, has previously attended Fashion For Relief events. She is here pictured with the model at Somerset House in London Over the ensuing years, several outwardly successful fundraisers were staged. But, behind the scenes, trouble was brewing. The problem, it turned out, involved money. Specifically: lots of cash raised at the events was not actually finding its way to the charities they were supposed to benefit. By 2019, Save The Children was threatening to take Fashion For Relief to Court, claiming it was owed hundreds of thousands of pounds from star-studded events organised in Cannes. The same year, the Mayor's Fund For London realised that huge sums raised via a red-carpet bash at the British Museum were also missing in action. Eventually, a 'serious incident report' was made to the Commission, which launched a formal inquiry in 2021. Campbell was made aware of this development, but she claims to have then been given almost no information about it for the next three years. Instead, she insists she was deliberately kept in the dark. As a result, her lawyers will argue, she had no chance to make proper 'representations' to the people deciding on her charity's fate. Campbell believes this fatally undermines the Inquiry's findings. What's more, they will add, Campbell believes the whole thing was part of an orchestrated plot, by persons unknown. The 'fake' email account purportedly set up in her name is central to this alleged deception. It still remains a mystery as to who was responsible for setting up the account. Sources close to Hellmich maintain she had nothing to do with the 'fake' email account. Created on Gmail, it used an address that was just one letter different from the supermodel's real one. Campbell is set to claim that, between 2021 and 2024, the unnamed person operating it received at least eight crucial documents that ought to have been shared with her. The person using the account also sent various messages back. In other words, she claims whoever was operating the account was committing fraud designed to hijack the probe into Fashion For Relief. To prove their case, I gather that her lawyers are now applying for an order that will require Google, which runs Gmail, to divulge information about the back-up email addresses, plus verification phone numbers used to create the disputed account. They hope this will help identify who really operated it. A friend of Hellmich tells me she disputes Campbell's version of events, saying that the address did indeed belong to the supermodel and was one of several that she had used over the years. 'She is a woman with many email addresses and many phone numbers,' a friend of Hellmich tells me. Then come the claims about forged documents, and they are murkier still. Campbell is expected to testify to the tribunal that several crucial documents submitted to the inquiry bearing her signature were in fact created by an imposter. They include a 'Members Written Resolution' about the dissolution of Fashion For Relief dated July 6, 2023. The supermodel now insists her signature on the document is fake, saying she wasn't in the UK on the date it was signed. Also contested is a memorandum carrying Campbell's signature, dated January 27, 2021. This represented a key piece of evidence to the Commission's inquiry, stating that Campbell was fully aware of the highly controversial financial arrangement (mentioned earlier) under which the charity paid Hellmich 150,000 a year. Again, the supermodel believes her signature on this document was forged. On the day it was purportedly signed, she claims to have been in Paris at a Fendi couture show. A final bone of contention involves a 20-page 'statutory declaration' that was allegedly signed by Campbell and submitted to the inquiry on January 19, 2022. It contains detailed evidence about many of the contested issues the Commission was probing. The supermodel is expected to insist that the document was just one page long when she signed it (witnessed by a Fashion For Relief employee named Desiree Ejoh). Campbell is also expected to tell the tribunal that the remaining pages, containing all sorts of information that she now insists is inaccurate, were added at a later date. In support of this argument, Campbell intends to share a WhatsApp message she was sent around this time by Hellmich, asking her to sign a 'one-pager'. Again, Hellmich seems to remembers things quite differently. A source close to Hellmich insists the message about a 'one-pager' concerned a completely different document that Campbell also had to sign around this time and says it's inconceivable that any of the paperwork submitted to the inquiry in her name carried a forged signature. The source added that dozens of emails and messages exchanged between the trustees and their representatives during the inquiry prove that 'her submissions had been discussed with her. 'You have no idea how much information we had to prepare together during the inquiry. At one point, we spent two weeks in a house in the south of France, with two law firms and a barrister preparing responses. There were also accountants involved.' It is understood Ms Campbell's team denies any such meeting took place, and say that she did not meet with lawyers or barristers in connection with the regulator's inquiry. We must, of course, take each women at their word, although it seems unlikely that both of their versions of events can be entirely true. That, in turn, raises the prospect of an extraordinary legal battle in which Campbell will be cross-examined under oath about the alleged fraud, while her former friend gives evidence that contradicts her. The Charity Commissions is not, it must be said, relishing this prospect. 'On October 23 the Commission was notified that Ms Naomi Campbell has filed an out-of-time appeal against the Commission's Order disqualifying her from holding trusteeship and senior management functions within charities,' says a spokesman. 'The Commission responded to the application and is now awaiting further directions from the Tribunal.' Meanwhile, Campbell is gearing up for a long fight, with friends comparing it to the high-profile case she pursued against Piers Morgan's Daily Mirror in the early 2000s, after the title published images of her leaving a meeting of Narcotics Anonymous. 'Just as she successfully fought to establish the right to privacy in the UK of those seeking treatment and counselling, Naomi is now taking action to protect the integrity of charitable organisations by exposing potential criminal activity that could affect charitable organisations of high-profile individuals,' says a source. 'Her priority is to ensure that any wrongdoing is fully investigated and that lessons are learned to prevent similar situations in the future. All avenues are being explored by Naomi and her legal team and identity theft is, of course, a crime.' To put things another way, this most combative of celebrity litigants is looking forward to having yet another big day in court. A Georgia judge's voice shook as she sentenced a mother to life in prison for murdering her 13-month-old daughter while being a member of a polygamist cult. Chloe Driver, 24, was found guilty of stabbing her toddler, Hannah Driver, to death in by Cherokee County jurors last month. She was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree and aggravated assault. It was also determined that she was legally mentally ill during her trial. With that determination, the jury rejected her insanity defense and said she was responsible for murdering Hannah in December 2020 in Canton, according to WSBTV. The Georgia Department of Corrections will assume responsibility for her mental health needs while incarcerated. Cherokee County Superior Court Chief Judge Ellen McElyea's voice could be heard trembling as she handed down the sentence in one of her last trials. She is expected to be retiring by the end of this year to spend time with family and friends, according to the Cherokee Tribune and Ledger. 'This was a heinous offense with evidence that was so graphic and so traumatic that I began to do research on what kind of support and help we could give the jurors who were having to consider it,' the judge said, directly addressing the defendant. 'A parent killing a child is something that just offends us on the deepest level. It is a wrong that just is unfathomable. It just cannot be understood. Chloe Driver, 24, was found guilty of stabbing her toddler, Hannah Driver, to death and was sentenced to life in prison The polygamist group did not believe in modern medicine, and little baby Hannah did not have a birth certificate, nor had she ever been to a doctor 'And it scares us - because it is so contrary to just fundamental moral behavior and what we expect of the bonds between human beings.' Driver can apply for parole after serving 30 years in state prison. During her sentencing, the guilty mother tearfully told the court: 'Though I may not legally meet the definition of insanity as of today, I know in the bottom of my heart that I was because I never would have done what I did had it not been for my decompensation. 'In the end, we can't go back and undo the bad no matter how much we want to, but we can learn from it and prevent it from happening again. 'I will continue to seek help for my mental illness because of this.' Driver was just 20 years old when she killed her daughter. She met her husband, Benyamin Ben-Michaeil, when she was 17 and he was 38, the court heard. Known as 'Z' or 'Benyamin,' he created contracts for each of his young wives and 'indoctrinated' Driver into his 'whacky beliefs.' The polygamist group did not believe in modern medicine, and little baby Hannah did not have a birth certificate, nor had she ever been to a doctor. Driver can apply for parole after serving 30 years in state prison Cherokee County Superior Court Chief Judge Ellen McElyea's voice could be heard trembling as she handed down the sentence Driver met her husband, Benyamin Ben-Michaeil, when she was 17 and he was 38, (pictured on the day of his daughter's death, with blood splatter on his shirt) The crime occurred inside the Canton, Georgia home of a friend of Driver's husband Driver was so blinded by the cult she believed she was 'pouring' evil into her baby when breastfeeding her. The court also heard that Driver, Ben-Michaeil and his other two wives 'participated in alternative healing practices like drinking their own urine and sensory deprivation.' Driver's defense was that she was driven to insanity during her time in the cult, and therefore could not be held criminally responsible for her actions. Prosecutors said that the murderer had been motivated to kill her baby because she wanted her husband, the baby's father, all to herself instead of having to share him with his two other wives. The jury heard how Driver struggled with an unstable childhood and had a history of mental illness which only worsened during her 'abusive and oppressive' marriage. The killer finally 'snapped' and stabbed her baby and herself in December 2020. Her defense tried to portray her as a woman who had been abused and coerced by her cult leader husband. It was, they claimed, a combination of mental illness and her extreme beliefs that ultimately resulted in baby Hannah's death. Chloe was so blinded by the cult she believed she was 'pouring' evil into her baby when breastfeeding her In a distressing letter revealed in court, Driver wrote: 'He didn't do it, I did it. 'I was going insane and no longer wanted to be with his friends but kept coming back for him. I only wanted my baby and husband but he refused' Driver was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, and cannabis use disorder. The defense attributed her mental health struggles to a traumatic childhood and abusive relationships. 'She had a very unstable childhood,' Dr. McLendon Garrett told the court. 'Her family was cold, and she left them multiple times - living with boys, even leaving the state to move in with one. She experienced suicidal ideation early on and engaged in self-harm, including cutting and attempting to overdose on sleeping pills. 'She was incredibly isolated. She wasn't allowed to speak to others unless it was for recruitment purposes. She couldn't go to stores, use money, or have a phone without supervision. Her only jobs lasted about two weeks, and those were out of necessity,' Dr. Garrett said. During the trial, one of the frantic 911 calls played in court was made by Jessica, the second wife of the group. She provided Driver's name, and told the dispatch officer: 'I think a baby just died, and I think a woman is responsible for it.' After several minutes on the line, dispatch officer Caylee McNealy said: 'I don't know what's going on, I need to know what's going on. You're not telling me any information, can you tell me how the baby is doing?' She'd gotten the knife from the kitchen while her sister wives were napping and her husband was distracted Driver proceeded to lock herself and Hannah inside an upstairs bedroom, where she committed the crime Jessica answered: 'I don't believe she is breathing... I believe she was slit across the throat.' She told authorities that Driver was still with her baby, as was Ben-Michaeil. In a separate 911 call, distressing screams and sobs were audible in the background as an officer was told 'she just killed a baby.' 'She's 13 months old. She looks dead.' Police told how Hannah suffered about four stab wounds to the neck. Driver then stabbed herself in the neck. She'd gotten the knife from the kitchen while her sister wives were napping and her husband was distracted. Driver proceeded to lock herself and baby Hannah inside an upstairs bedroom, where she committed the crime. When police arrived on the scene, they found the guilty mother lying on a mattress next to baby Hannah, who was covered in blood. Both were rushed to the hospital where the baby died from her injuries. In a distressing letter revealed in court, Driver wrote: 'He didn't do it, I did it. 'I was going insane and no longer wanted to be with his friends but kept coming back for him. I only wanted my baby and husband but he refused.' The prosecution told the jury, 'she wanted to be with him and he was never going to give up his polygamist cult lifestyle that they had adopted.' The jury heard how Driver struggled with an unstable childhood and had a history of mental illness which only worsened during her 'abusive and oppressive' marriage Baby Hannah suffered multiple stab wounds to her neck. Driver then stabbed herself in her neck Prosecutor Katie Gropper said: 'She wanted him, she wanted to be with him. She was the first of this group of three wives and the two others came after her.' In the weeks leading up to Hannah's death, Driver had searched the internet to lean 'how to snap a neck,' and researched the phrase 'killing somebody to save them.' However, prosecutors had argued that Driver was not mentally ill when she chose to kill her baby, and was instead motivated by her desire to be alone with her husband and their baby daughter. During the trial Driver kept her head low and looked on the verge of tears as certain details were heard in court while at other moments, she stared coldly ahead, unresponsive as chilling details of Hannah's death were shared. California's Department of Motor Vehicles issued an appalling license plate that mockingly displayed hate speech over the October 7 massacre on Israel. StopAntisemitism, a watchdog organization on X, posted a photo on Thursday of a car with a license plate that read: 'LOLOCT7'. The plate appears to be in reference to October 7 - the day when Hamas militants stormed into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping roughly 250 who were innocently attending a music festival. 'StopAntisemitism is appalled by the sickening display on a Cyber Truck plate in California, celebrating terrorism against the Jewish people,' the post read. The account also tagged the DMV and questioned how the plate was able to get processed after it was spotted on a Cyber Truck at the intersection of Jefferson Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd in Culver City. 'Demand the California DMV recall this license plate that celebrates the October 7 terrorist attack - a vile mockery of the 1,200 innocent lives lost and the countless others scarred,' it concluded. The post - which has accumulated more than 2,000 likes - was flooded with comments from viewers expressing their anger toward the tone-deaf customization. 'Antisemitism is terrorism. Vile and disgusting. It must be rid of and those responsible held accountable,' one comment read. StopAntisemitism, a watchdog organization on X, posted a photo of a car with a California license plate that read: 'LOLOCT7' - seemingly in reference to the October 7 massacre last year The account also tagged the DMV and questioned how the plate was able to get processed to be put on the back of the Cyber Truck The October 7 attack triggered an ongoing retaliation by Israel in the neighboring city of Gaza that has prompted continuous outrage across the United States Another tweet read: 'This mother f***** needs some real karma.' 'Shameful and disgusting,' another user added. 'Rear end them!' A separate tweeter remarked: 'Recall the plate and fire the idiot that approved it.' The DMV responded to the post that same evening - issuing an apology on X that called the situation 'vile and disgusting' while noting that they were taking swift action to recall the plate. 'We will immediately strengthen our internal review process to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again,' the post read. 'The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways.' A spokesperson for the department told the Los Angeles Times that the license plate should have never been able to pass the review process and the owner will be notified before it's recalled - which the driver has the right to appeal. 'StopAntisemitism was appalled to discover a vehicle with a license plate glorifying the 10/7 massacre of innocent Israelis,' Liora Rez, the executive director of the organization, told the Times. The California DMV responded later that night through a post on X that issued an apology 'With the swift action of thousands of emails from our committed supporters, the California DMV has now recalled the plate,' she added. The department also told the outlet that their next step is going through their database with the intention of identifying any configurations of the same offensive language that may exist on other license plates with the goal to recall them. The October 7 attack triggered an ongoing retaliation by Israel in the neighboring city of Gaza that has prompted continuous outrage across the United States. The license plate sleight is one of several anti-Semitic insults and harassment that have been aimed at the Jewish community across the country in recent months. Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian protestors took over the campus at Columbia University and surrounded two Jewish students who were holding a vigil this past October to mark the one-year anniversary of the attack. Raging students - some wearing keffiyehs and others masked - chanted 'Resistance is Glorious!,' 'Shut it Down,' and 'Israel Go To Hell,' as loud Arabic music drowned out the sound of Israeli music that was playing for the vigil. Two young woman wearing an Israeli flag draped over their shoulders stood in the middle of the protest stone-faced as mobs of demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and held up signs: 'No Peace. Resist By Any Means Necessary,' and 'No Pride in Genocide. Free Palestine.' President Joe Biden bowed his head as a rabbi chanted a Hebrew prayer during somber ceremony in the White House on the one-year anniversary - but he left the event without uttering a single word. As of December, seven Americans are still being held as hostages inside Gaza by the terrorists, but three of those seven are believed to be dead. Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian protestors took over the campus at Columbia University on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel The protestors surrounded two Jewish students who were holding a vigil while wearing an Israeli flag draped over their shoulders President Joe Biden bowed his head as a rabbi chanted a Hebrew prayer during a somber ceremony in the White House on the one-year anniversary. However, he left without saying a word about US citizens who are still being held hostage in Gaza On the anniversary of the attack, Biden failed to name the US citizens that still remain captured by Hamas for more than 400 days now during the ceremony, but his administration did release a statement after the fact. It recognized that 46 American citizens were among the 1,200 innocent people murdered by Hamas that day and that another 12 were taken hostage. In Israel, more than 1,200 people - 800 civilians, 346 IDF soldiers and 66 police officers - were killed when the extremist militant group Hamas infiltrated Israel in the unprovoked October 7 attack, according to the Israeli Ministry of Affairs, ABC News reported. Approximately, 8,700 people have been injured, Israeli officials said. During the unprecedented attack, 250 hostages - including women, children and the elderly, were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. A total of 112 hostages were released during a prisoner swap. The largest took place during a ceasefire on November 24, 2023, as per Israeli officials. The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health reported this week that more than 44,700 people in Gaza have been killed and more than 100,000 people have been injured, Aljazeera reported. The World Health Organization reported on October 25, 2024, that some 1,000 unidentified bodies are still buried under the rubble in Gaza, which are not yet included in death tolls. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, was rushed to the hospital after taking a nasty fall down a marble staircase on Friday while on a European trip. Pelosi was in Luxembourg with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. 'Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation,' her spokesperson Ian Krager said in a statement. Krager said she is receiving 'excellent treatment' from doctors and medical professionals. As a result of the injury, she will be canceling the rest of her engagements on the congressional delegation trip. She was seen in a photo immediately before the fall gripping the hand of Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, on the grand marble staircase at the Grand Duke's palace. Pelosi appeared unsteady and frail according to witnesses in the room during the meeting. A source told DailyMail.com that she then fell down the marble staircase during the official visit in front of all the lawmakers and dignitaries. She reportedly fractured her hip during the ordeal, but person familiar tells the New York Times that it is fixable with a 'routine operation.' Pelosi was heard from again on a call with several of the lawmakers that she took from the hospital, and she sounded normal and in good spirts, another source told DailyMail.com. The visit to Luxembourg, hosted by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was announced to commemorate the deadly battle with a bipartisan group of nearly 20 lawmakers. Pelosi was traveling with a bipartisan Congressional delegation in Luxembourg when the incident occurred The group of lawmakers met with the Grand Duke on Friday before Pelosi was rushed to the hospital. She is seen here gripping the hand of Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, was rushed to the hospital on Friday. 'Speaker Emerita Pelosi conveys her thanks and praise to our veterans and gratitude to people of Luxembourg and Bastogne for their service in World War II and their role in bringing peace to Europe,' Krager went on. 'Speaker Emerita Pelosi was personally and officially honored to travel with the distinguished delegation, many of whom had family members who fought in World War II including her uncle, Johnny. She looks forward to returning home to the U.S. soon.' McCaul wrote on X that he's 'confident' that Pelosi will 'be back on her feet in no time.' 'Im disappointed Speaker Emerita Pelosi wont be able to join the rest of our delegations events this weekend as I know how much she looked forward to honoring our veterans. But she is strong, and I am confident she will be back on her feet in no time. Praying for a speedy recovery,' the Republican added. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., who is also on the trip, said he was near Pelosi 'when she fell during an official event.' 'It's not appropriate for me to comment on her medical condition, and I wish her the very best,' he wrote on X. Her incident comes days after outgoing GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, fell during a Senate lunch this week. He suffered a sprained wrist and a scrape on his face. Pelosi just successfully ran for reelection in California and signaled that she intends to run again in 2026. And although she stepped down from an official Democratic leadership position in November 2022, she still holds much power. Just this week, it was reported that Pelosi is working behind the scenes to put the kibosh on Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez' dream of taking a powerful Democratic House position in the new Congress. The 35-year-old progressive Squad member is looking to become the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, having served as vice ranking member. The Grand Duke and the Crown Grand Duke received a delegation from the American Congress on Friday Pelosi is receiving 'excellent treatment' from doctors and medical professionals But she would have to beat out Virginia Congressman Gerry Connelly, who also launched his own bid for the top committee job. The lawmakers on the congressional delegation to Luxembourg are meeting with foreign leaders and dignitaries to mark 80 years since the famous battle, one of the deadliest of World War II. Earlier Thursday, the Luxembourg Embassy posted a photo of the lawmakers to commemorate their trip. 'We welcome Bill Nelson and Members of Congress to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg and Belgium,' the account wrote on on X. 'The sacrifices of brave #WWII soldiers echo from the past, reminding us that each generation must continue the fight for freedom and democracy.' Speaker Mike Johnson previewed the trip, saying it is an 'honor' to mark the occasion. 'In the early hours of December 16, 1944, 80 years ago, Nazi Germany waged a surprise attack against the Allied powers. Now known as the deadliest battle fought by the United States in the entire war, the Battle of the Bulge exemplified the tenacity and determination of U.S. and Allied forces who were willing to sacrifice everything in service of total victory over the Nazis,' Speaker Johnson said in a statement. 'It is my honor to host this Congressional delegation to the site of the Battle of the Bulge and join the world in celebrating the heroic contributions of the young men who fought and died on the battlefield and ultimately changed the course of human history.' A South Carolina woman who was found dead weeks after being dumped by her boyfriend on her birthday wrote a distressing final Facebook post the day before she went missing. Ta'haley Payton, 22, was found dead near a park in Charlotte, South Carolina on Monday, over three weeks after she was last seen on November 20. The day before, she posted 'iT'S MY BIRTHDAY AND I HATE IT HERE!!' after reportedly being dumped by her boyfriend, then finding him with another woman. She then commented on her own post, saying 'I feel like TRASH.' According to family members, Payton, originally from Greenville, South Carolina, had traveled to Charlotte with her boyfriend, who is also the father of her child, to celebrate her birthday. Payton reportedly had an argument with her boyfriend at a hotel in north Charlotte. The following day, he allegedly drove off without her. A hotel employee corroborated the incident. Payton's last Facebook post before she disappeared Payton used a cookie shop employee's phone multiple times to call her mother and message her boyfriend, reportedly saying, 'I'll sleep outside tonight, and I'm sorry for everything' Emily Stewart, an employee at a Crumbl cookie shop in Midtown, said she came in multiple times to the location between 5 and 6 pm, asking for help. 'She just asked to use my phone and I just handed it to her. She said her boyfriend kicked her out of the car. He was found with some other girl and she needed a ride,' Stewart told WSOC-TV. Stewart said Payton used her phone multiple times to call her mother and message her boyfriend, reportedly saying, 'I'll sleep outside tonight, and I'm sorry for everything.' Other employees in the area reported seeing Payton that night, but her family and friends never heard from her again. Loved ones were actively searching for Payton in the days following her disappearance. On December 3, her best friend, Kelanie Davis, updated the community on their search efforts. 'Me and her family, we have been knocking door to door to try and spread the word to the locals and it's extremely hard,' she said. The investigation remains ongoing and cops have yet to disclose any details of how Ta'haley died. Her ex-boyfriend, Setoby Armstrong, 25, was arrested for DUI and fleeing police last month in South Carolina, the NC Beat reported. Armstrong was apprehended early on the morning of November 26 after attempting to evade police while livestreaming on Facebook. Ta'haley Payton, 22, was found dead weeks after being dumped by her boyfriend Her ex-boyfriend, Setoby Armstrong, 25, was arrested for DUI and fleeing police last month in South Carolina The community is mourning Payton's loss. Her family and friends have planned a balloon release on Saturday in Midtown to honor her memory, according to a Facebook post. 'She is always dancing,' wrote her sister, Karlotta Payton. 'She is always trying to sing, her and my momma, they love Whitney Houston. I just hope they figure out what happened because that's one of the worst things -- not knowing,' she said. A GoFundMe campaign was also launched to help cover funeral costs and to retrieve her from Charlotte. Family friend Mary Davis expressed the heartbreak felt by those who knew her. 'It's disheartening to know she was out here alone when she should have been with someone who cared for her,' she told WSOC-TV. Donald Trump Jr. reacted Friday to the news that President Joe Biden had commuted the prison sentence of a Chinese citizen who pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. Why on earth would Joe Biden commute/pardon a Chinese national in jail for possessing 47,000 child porn images? Trump Jr. asked on social media, sharing an image Dallas Morning News article of the case. Shanlin Jin, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he was arrested in January 2021 for having 47,000 child porn images on his computer, according to the Dallas Morning News. Investigators said child pornography was playing on Jins computer when they walked into his home with a search warrant. In July 2022, Jin was sentenced to eight years in prison. Trump Jr. speculated that perhaps the Chinese Communist Party was weaponizing information they had on the Biden crime family to get the American president to get what they wanted. Theres so much more to this that needs to come out, he added. Court records noted that an agent testified that Jins family was connected to influential members of the Communist Party in China. Donald Trump Jr. challenged President Joe Biden for one of his commuted sentences The presidents decision Thursday to commute the sentences of 1,500 criminals drew further scrutiny to the list of pardons and commutations issued by Biden, which prompted the discovery of the details surrounding Jin's crimes. Biden quietly commuted Jins sentence in November as part of a prison swap with China, retrieving the release of United States citizens abroad. Other Chinese nationals who received clemency from Biden included Chinese spy Ji Chaoqun who was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States; impersonating agents of foreign governments; statements or entries generally. Another was Yanjun Xu, who was convicted in 2022 for conspiracy to commit economic espionage; conspiracy to commit trade secret theft; attempted economic espionage by theft or fraud; attempted theft of trade secrets by taking or deception. U.S. President Joe Biden included the commutation three Chinese nationals in exchange for detained Americans China's foreign ministry said that Jin and the other Chinese citizens were 'wrongly detained by the United States' after they were released and returned to China. As a result of the commutations of Chinese nationals, the Biden administration secured the release of three Americans. They were Mark Swidan, a Texas native accused of manufacturing and trafficking narcotics and was on death row, Kai Li of New York who was serving a ten year sentence for allegedly spying for the FBI, and John Leung who had been sentenced for life on espionage charges. A Republican lawmaker says a bombshell report revealing the FBI had spies on the ground on January 6 backs up his suspicions. Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie for years has grilled officials on whether the federal government had any agents or sources at the Capitol riot. Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray and FBI Inspector General Michael Horowitz all told Massie they either didn't know or were unaware of a federal presence at the January 6 events. But following years of investigation by the FBI, Horowitz finally published an internal review on what happened on Thursday, including an admission that federal assets were not only in the crowd outside the Capitol, but some even went inside. 'For years I was called a conspiracy theorist for asking Garland, Wray, and Horowitz whether government assets participated in J6,' Massie posted on X Friday. 'Yesterday I was vindicated,' he continued. 'DOJ IG report confirms there were FBI confidential human sources in the crowd, entering the Capitol, and breaking laws.' Attached to his post was a edited video playing his questions to the top law enforcement officials in the years since January 2021. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote on X that he feels vindicated for his efforts to uncover whether federal officials were in the crowd at the January 6 protest after an FBI report published this week revealed confidential human sources were present Pro-Trump protesters, including Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs, (plaid shirt at bottom center of frame,) gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 The clips show Massie questioning Garland, Wray and Horowtiz at different congressional hearings about what they knew and when. They didn't provide the Republican with how many assets were there, often claiming to have zero knowledge on that topic, despite their powerful positions atop the DOJ. 'We found no evidence in the materials we reviewed or the testimony we received showing or suggesting that the FBI had undercover employees in the various protest crowds, or at the Capitol, on January 6,' the report released Thursday stated. But the inspector general revealed that the DOJ had 26 confidential human sources working for the FBI in Washington, D.C., during the protests. Confidential human sources work with the FBI to offer them information and insights about the inner workings of organizations threatening the country, such as criminal, terrorist and espionage networks. According to the DOJ, these informants can be cashed out for the information they pass along to the feds. During the Capitol riot four of the confidential human sources entered the Capitol building, 13 of them entered the restricted area around the Capitol. The report stated that none of the confidential sources were authorized to enter the Capitol or break the law, but that four of them did. Protestors on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 President-elect Donald Trump signaled Sunday night that he intends to use Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter to his own advantage and pardon January 6 defendants The FBI report further noted there was a confidential human source who was in contact with the leadership of far-right groups such as the Oath Keepers, and were aware of plans discussed by the Proud Boys. According to the Justice Department, 140 police officers were assaulted during the attack on the Capitol, including 80 U.S. Capitol Police officers and 60 from DC's Metropolitan Police Department. Vice President JD Vance reacted to the report on social media Thursday afternoon. 'For those keeping score at home, this was labeled a dangerous conspiracy theory months ago,' he wrote. 'None of the CHSs who entered the Capitol or a restricted area has been prosecuted to date,' the report notes. It comes after Trump signaled Sunday night that he intends to use Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter to his own advantage and pardon January 6 defendants. 'Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!' Trump wrote, in his first public comment since Biden announced the pardon. A swanky London steakhouse is facing backlash over its introduction of charges for tablecloths and napkins. Diners at the London Steakhouse restaurant, which was opened by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White in 2008, are now expected to fork out an additional cover of 1.50 per person. The restaurant, located near Liverpool Street train station, has stated that this will be a fixed fee 'to cover the cost of table linen and napkins', with a discretionary service charge of 9.5 per cent also appearing on bills. Industry experts have cautioned though that this could be just the start of restaurants seeking more 'innovative' ways to raise additional revenue from customers. Off the back of the government's autumn budget which saw both the minimum wage and national insurance rates increase, restauranteurs have been warning that prices must rise for them to be able to foot the bill. From April, the national minimum wage will increase by 6.7 per cent to 12.21 per hour, with employer's NI charges to jump by 1.2 per cent. Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch has previously claimed the national minimum wage is detrimental to British businesses, and told this year's Tory conference that it was 'over-burdening' many small enterprises. The London Steakhouse appears to be reacting proactively to its impending expenditure increases, through both the tablecloth and napkin fee along with a host of other charges. Marco Pierre White's (pictured) London Steakhouse has come under fire over the introduction of charges for tablecloths and napkins The London Steakhouse restaurant (pictured) has been open near Liverpool Street station since 2008 Diners are now expected to fork out an additional 1.50 per head for tablecloths and napkins The charges for the linen are displayed on the restaurant's a la carte menu, with the set menus seeing additional charges such as a 1 head cover fee. A 12.5 per cent service charge is also added to set menu bills, as the self-proclaimed 'linen-topped table dining' establishment seemingly seeks more ways to charge patrons. The cover charge concept is one which is standard practice in many places around Europe, particularly in Italy where the 'coperto' charge covers table linen and bread. Cover charges are becoming ever more prevalent in the UK, with Harrdos also recently jumping on the trend and implementing a 1 levy at its London eateries. Other charges laid out on the London Steakhouse's website include a 10 fee for booking certain set menus over two days in advance. This fee is not considered as a deposit by the restaurant and is not credited from your final bill, but rather a charge simply allowing you to make your reservation. Consumer specialist Jane Hawkes told the Telegraph that the introduction of such fees is unfair on diners and that customers should be made to feel valued by businesses, rather than 'bamboozled'. One potential unintended consequence of these fee introductions is that patrons will feel less obliged to pay service charges or leave behind tips. Despite new legislation coming into effect in October which ensures staff receive equal distribution of tips, industry expert Ms Hawkes says that this may prove to be redundant if fee gouging persists. The London Steakhouse restaurant has been approached by the MailOnline for comment. A prisoner decapitated his cellmate as part of Satanic ritual at a prison in Chile. The grisly discovery was made on Monday morning when guards were conducting a scheduled morning inmate count at the Concepcion Penitentiary Center in Concepcion. Guards found the body of Vincent Gonzalez, 27, on his bed and his head on top of a bible while the killer, Diego Valdes, 41, sat nearby. Valdes used Gonzalez's own blood to scribble Satanic symbols, including 666 on the cell wall. Prison officials told Chilean newspaper La Tercera that Valdes explained that 'the devil had entered him, and the devil had taken possession of him'. Valdes reportedly strangled Gonzalez before he used two 'hand-made' sharp objects to decapitate him. 'There was no noise that gave any indication of what had happened,' an official said. Felipe Rivera, a lawyer representing the victims family, revealed that Gonzalez was granted a jail transfer in March as a security measure. He was scheduled to appear before prison officials Wednesday to finalize the procedure. Vincent Gonzalez was killed by his cellmate as part of a Satanic ritual at the Concepcion Penitentiary Center in Concepcion, Chile, on Monday Diego Valdes (pictured) reportedly told prison officials that 'the devil had entered him, and the devil had taken possession of him' before he strangled his cellmate, Vincent Gonzalez and used two bladed weapons to decapitate him Rivera added that Gonzalez accepted an invitation to become Valdes cellmate because his killer was shunned by other inmates. The same condemned people did not approach him because they considered him a strange person, he said. Nobody liked him. Gonzalez was serving a two-prison sentence for multiple charges. A court had previously found him guilty in 2022 and sentenced him to 10 years for invading the home of a former law enforcement official in his hometown of Arica. He and his accomplices threatened the official and his family and escaped with a safe containing money and two firearms in 2021. He was also sentenced to five years for drugs and firearm possession. Prison officials walked inside a jail cell and discovered that Diego Valdes had used the own blood of Vincent Gonzalez to write Satanic symbols on the walls Authorities found Vincent Gonzalez's severed head on top of a bible In April, an Arica court found Valdes guilty of murdering a rival gang member in February 2022 and sentenced him to 16 years. While in jail, Valdes was cited for at least 15 incidents, including fighting and manufacturing and carrying hand-made bladed objects. Justice and Human Rights Minister, Jaime Gajardo, said authorities had complete control of all the jails in the country. 'This is a serious and rather unprecedented event in the Chilean penitentiary system, which occurs in a prison that is not overcrowded,' Gajardo said. 'For this reason, measures must be reinforced so that this does not happen again in any other prison in our country.' Dev Patel has reacted to the viral San Francisco look-alike contest held in his honor last month. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for the Red Sea International Film Festival Dev Patel admitted he thinks the South Asian men of the Bay Area are more handsome than him, recently reflecting on the viral look-alike contest held in his honor in San Francisco last month. I was quite overwhelmed by it and very touched, the British Indian actor revealed during an appearance at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia this week, according to Variety. (M)ost of the men who showed up were far more handsome and qualified than I am. I think I would have lost at my own look-alike contest, for sure. The event, organized by friends Sitara Bellam, Tasnim Khandakar and Sahana Rangarajan who grew up together in San Jose, drew hundreds of husband hunters, curious passersby and dozens of competitors of South Asian descent to Dolores Park on Nov. 10. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Oscar-nominated Lion star said he was shocked at the sheer amount of people that showed up. But, he added, if there is ever a moment where I can be associated with some form of laughter and joy, its great. Several contestants dressed up as Patels movie characters including his most recent role, Kid, from his directorial debut film Monkey Man while others showcased their dance moves that emulated his iconic Jai Ho dance sequence from Slumdog Millionaire. Jaipreet Hundal of San Jose celebrates as he is named winner of a Dev Patel look-alike contest at Dolores Park in San Francisco on Nov. 10. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle In the end, 25-year-old San Jose resident Jaipreet Hundal won with his long, flowy hair and grown-out beard. Swarmed by observers who were clamoring to take photos with him, Hundal received flowers, a small monkey statue in honor of Monkey Man and $50 which he said hed use to get burritos at beloved Mission Street Mexican restaurant El Farolito and buy his girlfriend a gift. I really feel like South Asian actors have always been a little bit marginalized, and I think now knowing that Dev Patel can create a crowd this big, this positive I think thats amazing, Khandakar told the Chronicle during the event. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Co-organizer Bellam added that the contest was particularly fitting of the Bay as Asian Americans are the fastest-growing race or ethnicity group in California over the past decade, according to ethnicity data from the 2020 U.S. census. In the Bay Area alone, the number of people of Indian descent grew quickly, with San Franciscos population doubling, and those in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties rising by at least 70%. Patel, 34, praised the three organizers for choosing to champion representation for the South Asian community. Companies across America are scrambling to find ways to protect their own CEOs after the murder of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson in New York on December 4. In the wake of the 50-year-old CEO's murder, companies have considered hiring mock intruders to highlight potential flaws in security details, according to Tim Gallagher the chief security officer at investigations firm Nardello. Gallagher told the Wall Street Journal that one company, for example, asked for a paid faux intruder to take a picture of an executive from a close distance. '[The idea is] show them: "Hey, if this is a bad guy, you're dead",' he added. Many CEOs have previously moved without an extensive security team, feeling it to be unnecessary or overly intrusive, but that may be about to change as big companies are reconsidering their approach. Corporate events, however, have already seen increased security measures including the likes of Goldman Sachs, who brought in extra security for a recent conference in lower Manhattan. At the event, posters encouraging further violence against CEOs were torn down by guards, who were advised to remain on high alert. The menacing posters were plastered up on Canal Street - one of Manhattan's busiest thoroughfares - flanked with the red and black words: 'Wanted. Denying medical care for corporate profit. Health care CEOs should not feel safe.' Companies across America are scrambling to find ways to protect their own CEOs after the murder of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson in New York on December 4 Suspected gunman Luigi Mangione, 26, appeared in court earlier this week to fight his extradition to Rikers Island in New York from a Pennsylvania prison The signs also included the phrase suspected shooter Luigi Mangione allegedly wrote on the bullets found at the crime scene - 'Deny. Defend. Depose.' The alliterative trio of words reference a book by Jay Feinman's titled 'Delay, Defend, Deny: Why insurance company don't pay claims, and what you can do about it.' In response to Thompson's murder, many other health insurers have removed information about their top executives from their company websites, canceled in-person meetings and advised all employees to work from home temporarily. Robert D'Amico, founder of Sierra One Consulting who has previously worked for the FBI, said the removal showed they had been listening to security experts. D'Amico said: 'These companies are hearing what experts like me have been saying about how easy it is to identify and then find their executives.' A New York Police Department bulletin warned that the online surge of unrest could signal an 'elevated threat' or copycat killings. Paul Sarnese, owner of Secured & Prepared Consulting and former president of the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety, told USA today: 'I think this is a wake-up call to many. I see this as a lightning rod moment to change the security landscape.' Some companies extend the security protection beyond work and pay for teams to monitor online or digital threats. They may also pay for private jets, provide home surveillance systems, trained drivers or security teams while on vacation. Mark Zuckerberg received security perks valued at $23.4 million to cover security for personal travel, multiple residences and protection for his family The three-page manifesto found on Mangione at the time of his arrest claimed that the United States had the 'most expensive healthcare system in the world,' but blasted the system for making America only the 42nd in life expectancy Mangione was detained on firearm charges and was carrying a 'ghost gun', believed to have been made with a 3D printer, when he was arrested Mark Zuckerberg - for instance - received security perks valued at $23.4 million to cover security for personal travel, multiple residences and protection for his family. There is also consideration for permitted weapon carrying, seen as protection teams are considered private citizens and laws can vary by state and local jurisdictions. In New York, guards cannot raise a firearm unless they are about to be injured or shot and must retreat unless they are unable to, according to International Security Services. Thompson, however, was revealed to have had a security detail with him while in New York City. The United Healthcare CEO had an in-house security team assigned for him during his stay in Manhattan, but they weren't with him at the time of the fatal shooting. Thompson's suspected killer, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was arrested days later in a McDonald's with a three-page manifesto. In the manifesto, Mangione allegedly wrote about the grandiose size of UnitedHealthcare and how much profit it makes and went on to condemn health insurance companies more broadly for placing profits over care. Mangione is currently fighting extradition to Rikers from the State Correction Institution Huntingdon in Pennsylvania. Thompson, however, was revealed to have had a security detail with him while in New York City. The United Healthcare CEO had an in-house security team assigned for him during his stay in Manhattan, but they weren't with him at the time of the fatal shooting Police sources told the San Francisco Chronicle that an officer in the SFPDs Special Victims Unit made the connection on December 5, the day after the NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect His first court appearance occurred on Tuesday, where he was seen yelling to reporters outside the courthouse. Mangione was heard yelling: 'Completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience!' The outburst occurred after someone asked the Ivy League graduate if he 'did it,' referencing Brian Thompson's murder, per the Wall Street Journal. He also shouted out 'this is completely unjust and an insult to the American people' as he wrestled with police officers while shackled and in prison attire. The investigation into the murder is ongoing as fingerprints found at the scene match the suspected killer. Police have also recently uncovered that Mangione appears to have never been insured by United Healthcare. 'We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America,' NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC. 'He had prior knowledge that the conference was taking place on that date, at that location. So that's possibly why he targeted that that company.' Mangione has had fan accounts, memes, and video edits made for him accompanied by thousands of messages referring to the alleged killer as a 'hero' Kenny said the gun found in Mangione's bag also matched shell casings from the scene. 'We brought [the gun] to our forensics laboratory, where we were able to match that gun to the three discharge shell casings were recovered at the scene. So it was a ballistics match,' Kenny said. Meanwhile, it has also emerged that San Francisco Police Department officers recognized Mangione and contacted the FBI four days before his arrest. Police sources told the San Francisco Chronicle that an officer in the SFPDs Special Victims Unit made the connection on December 5, the day after the NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect. Despite allegedly reporting the connection the same day, when Mangione was arrested on November 9, New York authorities insisted that he was not on their radar. Mangione's arrest captured international headlines and sent social media into a frenzy, with many questioning how an Ivy-league educated, handsome 26-year-old computer programmer from a wealthy family became an alleged assassin. The suspected killer has been hailed a 'hero' by many online users who have created fan accounts, video edits, and memes of him. Angry campaigners have asked the United Nations to investigate a human rights breach over a lack of maternity and health services in the Highlands. Patients in the north of Scotland are having to travel hundreds of miles for hospital care. The problem affects people living in Caithness where local services have been drastically cut. Expectant mothers have to travel to Inverness to give birth Raigmore Hospital - more than 100 miles away from the main Caithness towns of Wick and Thurso. Locals also have to make the same journey for outpatient appointments and dental services. The journeys are often made in harsh, wintry conditions. Locals have been campaigning for better services for years. But now the Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) has sent a report on the breach of their right to healthcare to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in Geneva. Some of the CHAT members during a meeting with NHS Highland bosses Locals have been campaigning for better maternity services for years The move comes after a report by the Scottish Human Rights Commission found that mothers in Caithness and Sutherland felt unsafe and terrified about going to Raigmore to have their babies. CHAT says that other patients from Caithness are also denied their rights to accessible and adequate facilities. Its submission states that access to the NHS for people living in Caithness has been substantially curtailed over recent years with maternity care suffering particularly badly. It adds: Citizens face disenfranchisement, and are unable to enjoy their basic human rights in relation to medical care. The consultant-led maternity unit at Caithness General Hospital was downgraded in 2016 to a midwife-led facility and the vast majority of local women now give birth in Inverness. CHAT vice-chairman Iain Gregory said: CHAT has been convinced for some time that the present situation facing mums-to-be, and indeed many other patients who are required to undergo the 200-mile-plus round trip to Raigmore, at all times of the day and night, sometimes in seriously dangerous weather conditions, and often in pain and distress, simply had to amount to a breach of their human rights. The campaigners hope the CESCR will respond to its report and put pressure on the Scottish Government and NHS Highland to improve local services. The changes it wants include having Caithness midwife maternity unit led by a consultant to enable more women to give birth there. The submission is due to be considered at the UN in the new year. The CESCR is a UN body that monitors how countries implement human rights such as the right to the best standard of health. Governments who are signed up to it, including those in the UK, are supposed to follow any recommendations it makes. Mr Gregory added: CHAT has been campaigning for many years now, yet we still await action. We hope now that we may, at last, ensure that our case is recognised and upheld and that the state, who are ultimately responsible, will be called upon to act. A spokesman for NHS Highland said: We appreciate the unique challenges that are faced by people in remote, rural and island areas and in providing safe and effective services as close to home as possible. There are regular consultant clinics in Caithness and we have successfully increased the midwifery team there. We are currently looking at developing some specialist nursing roles for Caithness to add resilience to the service. A military chief has revealed the year-long plan hatched by Syrian rebels to topple the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. Abu Hassan al-Hamwi, the head of the military wing of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said preparations to 'deterring aggression' or removing Assad from power were years in the making, including uniting opposition groups and creating a drone unit. The group had used a doctrine to take advantage of a disorganised opposition and convert fighters to its unified cause since 2019. After a successful push back operation in the north western province of Idlib, the rebels had been confined in a small area of land following a stalemate in 2020, from where it launched its attack this month. Al-Hamwi, who has led the group's military division for five years, told the Guardian the rebels developed their forces having 'studied the enemy thoroughly' and analysing opposition tactics. Inviting rival opposition factions to come its umbrella, the rebels took down dissidents, including the more radical Hurras al-Din, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. Also in 2019, the rebels began pouring resources into creating a drone unit to rival Assad's air force, including reconnaissance drones, attack drones and suicide drones - with a new model named by Al-Hamwi as the 'Shahin', meaning falcon, drone. HTS also organised an 'operations room' to unite commanders from 25 rebel groups in the south and enable them to coordinate their actions. People light up flares near the landmark Damascus Sword sculpture amid celebrations following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad Crowds wave Syrian revolution flags in Umayyad Square following the end of the 61-year-old Ba'ath regime The plan to remove Bashar Al-Assad from office was years in the making Together, forces planned to approach the capital, Damascus, from both the north and the south where they would meet and take control of the country. Spurred by a desire to halt neighbouring powers, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, from normalising relations with the Assad regime, and with the president's staunchest ally, Russia, occupied by events in Ukraine, HTS decided to strike in November. On November 29, the rebels shocked the world by taking Aleppo - the nation's second largest city that took Assad four years to seize - within days. The group saw Aleppo as the key to unlocking the rest of the country. 'We had a conviction, supported by historical precedent, that Damascus cannot fall until Aleppo falls', said Al Hamwi. Just four days later, opposition forces in the north took the city of Hama before marching on Homs. Despite having agreed to wait until Homs was captured before starting their own offensive, rebels in the south, but started sooner, according to a leader of the Operations Room to Liberate Damascus, Abu Hamzeh. By December 8, Assad fled the country as rebel forces took control of the capital, bringing an end to the 61-year-old Baath regime. With the military operation complete, Al Hamwi said he would transfer into a civilian role helping to rebuild the country. The leader of HTS, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has sought to present the group as moderate and inclusive Reported battlefield advances on Friday, December 6 A rebel fighter celebrates by pointing his gun to the sky while patrolling the streets of Hama after seizing the central Syrian city An anti-government fighter tears down a portrait of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo, after jihadists and their allies entered the northern Syrian city, on November 30, 2024 Addressing fears that the group would come under pressure from Islamist extremist to impose extreme dogma, he said: 'We affirm that minorities in Syria are part of the nation and have the right to practice their rituals, education, and services like every other Syrian citizen.' It comes at HTS's leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has sought to depict the group as moderate and inclusive. The UK Government is still considering whether to delist HTS as a proscribed terrorist organisation, amid concerns around the group's links to Al-Qaeda. Sir Keir Starmer told reporters on a visit to the Middle East it was 'far too early' to make a decision on the matter. His comments came despite a suggestion from cabinet minister Pat McFadden that a 'swift decision' could be made on lifting the ban. An airplane passenger captured the terrifying moment a bird flew into the jet's engine during takeoff in New York City, forcing it to make an emergency landing. The American Airlines flight from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte departed around 7:45pm Thursday. But shortly after takeoff, a bird flew into the engine on the plane's right side, causing it to briefly burst into flames, the passenger's video showed. 'The aircraft landed safely at JFK where it will be inspected by our maintenance team,' American Airlines said in a statement. 'We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused.' None of the 190 passengers and six crew members suffered injuries. All of the travelers onboard were given hotel accommodations and a scheduled re-departure for Friday morning. Passenger Amy Stamper recounted the moment to the New York Post. The American Airlines flight from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte departed around 7:45pm Thursday, but shortly after takeoff a bird flew into the engine on the plane's right side, causing it to briefly burst into flames 'I was scared. I thought I was gonna die,' she said. 'There were a couple of small explosions. And there was a fire.' Father-of-two Eric Halili, 43, who was visiting New York for work added: 'I think that was a very traumatic experience and what made it worse was that we had to wait over an hour to get our bags. You just wanted the day to end and it just didn't end.' Another terrified male traveler added: 'I was right by the wing and I saw it. I saw two flames in the sky. I thought I was gonna die. I prayed. I thought I was gonna die for about 30 seconds.' Another passenger, Misleidy, 26, and her new husband were on their way back home to Florida through Charlotte after spending their honeymoon in New York when the incident happened. 'I actually missed my first plane. This is the second one. It's what God had in store,' she said. 'There were people who were scared. I was a little scared It kind of felt like how a car would backfire. Rocking a little. At first I didn't think much of it. But then I saw other people [reacting] around me and thought, "This might be bad."' She added that flight attendants were very helpful in calming down distressed flyers. None of the 190 passengers and six crew members suffered injuries The jet ended up landing safely and without incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport a little after 8pm American Airlines later said in a statement: 'The aircraft landed safely at JFK where it will be inspected by our maintenance team. 'We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused' The Federal Aviation Administration has said it is investigating the incident. The agency said that bird strikes have been increasing, with 19,400 strikes at 713 airports across the US last year alone, according to AP. This comes months after another American Airlines flight from Boston to Rochester was forced to make an emergency landing after smoke was spotted in the cabin. The flight was forced to land at Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, New York, following the incident. The plane, an Embraer RJ145, landed without incident and was taxied to the gate by the airports fire and rescue teams. A traveller dumped tonnes of rubbish on a shipping company's car park after the owners refused to pay his 8,000 blackmail demand, a court has heard. Michael Ward told business park manager Roberto Chimenti to pay him the cash or deal with a mass fly-tip on a car park owned by Savino Del Bene Ltd. When bosses at the international logistics company refused to pay, Ward, 59, arranged for his friends to unload tonnes of rubbish on the business park unit in north west London in eight tipper trucks. Footage played Southwark Crown Court showed a lorry shedding the refuse all over the Oliver Business Park. The court heard that 'seven to eight' of the trucks arrived at the business park throughout the night to unload the waste. The offence, described as 'impressive' in scale and noted for requiring a 'high degree of planning' cost Savino Del Bene 15,000 to clear up. Ward, who lives on the The Orchards Caravan Site in Chalfont Lane, West Hyde, has one previous conviction for a relevant offence in 2009. He admitted blackmail and destroying/damaging property of a value unknown. When bosses at the international logistics company refused to pay, Ward, 59, arranged for his friends to unload tonnes of rubbish on the business park unit in north west London (pictured) Michael Ward demanded that business park manager Roberto Chimenti (pictured) pay him Footage played in court showed a lorry shedding the refuse all over the Oliver Business Park (pictured) Prosecutor Liam Gregory told the court: 'What we have here is the defendant attending a business park and essentially making a demand of those people present at the depot. 'A demand for 8,000 was made to a Mr Roberto Chimenti - that is the blackmail - and the threat behind that was fly-tipping on his premises if the 8,000 was not paid. 'In essence, the demand was refused and shortly thereafter a series of tipper-trucks arrived at the site and dumped contents of rubbish all over the business park sight.' Speaking of the footage showing a tipper-truck unloading refuse on the premises, Mr Gregory added: 'You can see the tipper-truck is, as it were, shedding its contents. 'It was load after load after load of these vehicles dumping rubbish and refuse at the business park. A succession of about seven-to-eight vehicles were coming throughout the night off-loading rubbish. 'It is quite impressive in terms of scale, and that was all because the manager of the business park had refused the demand being made of him for 8,000.' Mr Gregory showed invoices proving the 15,000 cost of clean up and described Ward's actions as 'causing a great deal of distress to the people at the business park'. 'In respect of criminal damage, the high-degree of planning is evidenced by the number of vehicles being used to drive to address to drop the rubbish off', he told the court. 'He was persistent both in terms of the activity itself, but also the threats that were made to the victims of the offence.' The court heard 'seven to eight' of the trucks arrived at the business park (pictured) at night Ward, who lives on the The Orchards Caravan Site in Chalfont Lane, West Hyde,(pictured) has one previous conviction for a relevant offence in 2009 Ward was handed a suspended sentence of 14 months for blackmail and a suspended sentence of 12 months for criminal damage at Southwark Crown Court Joe Davidson, defending, told the court that Ward was the 'legal guardian of three grandchildren'. 'A custodial environment would be extremely detrimental to him personally, but also of course to those who rely on his support in the community'. He added that it was 'not a case involving the use of violence or threat of violence, and not a case involving the use of a threat of a weapons.' The company forced to pay the 15,000 'is a long-established multinational corporation turning over millions of pounds a year', he added. Sentencing Ward, His Honour Judge Charles Bourne KC said to Ward: 'You asked Mr Chimenti to pay you 8,000. 'If you do, you said, I won't dump any rubbish on your premises, but if you don't, we'll dump 25-times this amount. 'A very large amount of rubbish was deposited with the result that a clean-up operation took place and Mr Chimenti's firm, which has been in existence for 130 years at the Savino Del Bene depot, was covered in that mess that I've seen on the film.' The judge added that blackmail has a reputation for being 'one of the ugliest and most vicious offences in the criminal calendar because it involves the 'attempted murder of the soul'. 'However, having reflected on the mitigation that's been advanced on your behalf, and the impact such a sentence would have on you, I've come to conclusion that this is a sentence that the court can suspend.' Ward was handed a suspended sentence of 14 months for blackmail and a suspended sentence of 12 months for criminal damage. Both sentences were suspended for a term of 18 months. Ward was also ordered to perform 160 hours of unpaid work as part of his rehabilitation activity requirements. Hilarious footage captured the moment Jill Biden's holiday cheer was quickly shot down by a child who corrected her Christmas greeting. The First Lady greeted children at the White House on Friday to mark the festive season at the Marine Corps' 'Toys for Tots' event, welcoming military families: 'Hello! How are you? Happy Holidays!' 'Happy Christmas!' a young boy shot back. Jill grinned at the riposte, correcting herself: 'Happy Christmas, yes.' The interaction recalls a culture wars clash that seemingly sparked up during the Obama Administration, as conservatives accuse liberals of watering down the Christian holiday. After footage of the First Lady's exchange circulated social media, many took it as a sign that Donald Trump's presidential win will see a return of the traditional saying. 'Even the kids know it's not 'happy holidays,'' one said on X. 'The PC era is ending.' Another shared a triumphant meme of Trump captioned: 'Merry Christmas is back.' Jill Biden was quickly corrected by a no-nonsense child at Friday's 'Toys for Tots' military event at the White House, as she used the phrase 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas' One X user drew a line between Trump's election victory and the perception that liberals would avoid the more religious form of the phrase. They tweeted an image of Trump's election results by county, saying the huge majority of counties that Trump won would say 'Merry Christmas' while the few Democrat hotspots would opt for 'Happy Holidays.' The youngster seen in the footage with Jill Biden is far from alone in his preference for 'Christmas' over 'Holidays.' A DailyMail.com poll held a year ago found almost seven in ten Americans opt to say 'Merry Christmas' instead of 'Happy Holidays', and go out of their way to use the religious greeting. Democrats were most likely to opt for Happy Holidays, but even six in ten liberals said they would choose Merry Christmas instead. 'While even a festive greeting can be polarized in today's America, these results show that Christmas can remain something of a unifier: majorities of every major demographic group prefer 'Merry Christmas' to "Happy holidays",' Joe Alder, senior research associate at J.L. Partners, told DailyMail.com at the time. 'The future seems rather more uncertain, however, with Gen Z almost twice as likely as over 65s to prefer the less explicitly religious phrase.' The culture wars debate over the use of 'Happy Holidays' found its way to the presidential election eight years ago as Donald Trump vowed to bring back 'Merry Christmas' The Obama family Christmas card in 2016 raised eyebrows as they decided to leave off 'Merry Christmas' in favor of 'Happy Holidays' When Trump rose to the presidency, he made good on his promise of returning 'Merry Christmas' to the White House Christmas cards Happy Holidays is commonly touted as a more inclusive festive greeting, which is intended to also recognize the multiple religious and cultural holidays at this time of year. However, some feel the use of the secular salutation is part of the 'war on Christmas' discourse which rears its head every year. The culture wars issue sprang up in the Obama Administration as the White House was accused of glossing over the Christian elements of the festive season. During Trump's first run for the White House back in 2015, he made the issue part of his platform to appeal to traditionalist voters in the flyover states - even calling for a boycott of Starbucks after it left Merry Christmas off its seasonal cups. In a speech a month before he won the election, Trump told a crowd: 'They don't use the word 'Christmas' because it's not politically correct... We're saying 'Merry Christmas' again.' When he rose to the White House, Trump's celebrated his first Christmas as president by making sure 'Merry Christmas' was prominent on the annual Christmas card. After Obama routinely opted for a message wishing Americans a 'joyous holiday season', Trump's debut card wished Americans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Has someone ruined Christmas for your children by telling them Santa isn't real? A vicar has apologised after primary school children were brought to tears when he delivered a sermon explaining how Father Christmas was not real. Parents accused Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain of 'ruining' Christmas after he addressed Year Six pupils from Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School in Hampshire. The minister, who is a vicar of nearby St Faith's Church, allegedly told the children, 'You're all year six, now let's be real, Santa isn't real', during a talk about the Nativity. Dr Chamberlain reportedly also told the children that their parents were the ones eating the cookies left out for Santa on Christmas Eve. The remarks are said to have left children in floods of tears and teachers at the school have been left scrambling to try and bring the magic back. A complaint has also been lodged against Dr Chamberlain by a parent. Now, teachers have begun making badges for pupils which read 'Lee-on-the-Solent believe', to try and inspire some festive magic. They also wrote to parents in an email explaining how they have told children that 'all stories and legends around Christmas' were legitimate. Parents have accused Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain of 'ruining' Christmas with his comments about Father Christmas. Pictured is Rev Chamberlain in 2018, with the town's war memorial One parent said: 'I don't know how it can be undone, but I think it's absolutely disgusting.' The mother said she was now trying to 'push as much magic' over the festive period as possible. Another parent told how 'lots of children started crying in class' and that it was 'wrong' as 'a lot of parents have had to confess to their child'. The Reverend has since written to pupils to apologise and is said to have accepted his remarks were 'an error of judgment'. A spokesman for the Diocese of Portsmouth told MailOnline: 'We understand that the vicar of St Faith's, Lee-on-the-Solent, the Rev Paul Chamberlain, was leading an RE lesson for 10 and 11-year-olds at Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School. 'After talking about the Nativity story from the Bible, he made some comments about the existence of Father Christmas. The remarks were made in a talk to pupils at Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School in Hampshire 'Paul has accepted that this was an error of judgment and he should not have done so. 'He apologised unreservedly to the school, to the parents and the children and the headteacher immediately wrote to all parents to explain this. 'The school and diocese have worked together to address this issue, and the headteacher has now written to parents a second time, sending them Paul's apology.' Lee-on-the-Solent Junior School and St Faith's Church have been contacted by MailOnline. The Duke of York has said he 'ceased all contact' with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy when concerns were first raised about him. Prince Andrew met the individual through 'official channels' with 'nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed', a statement from his office said. The businessman - known only as H6 - lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. He brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023. H6 was described as a 'close confidante' of the Duke. Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials 'that could be leveraged for political interference purposes'. They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Prince Andrew, 64, represented a threat to national security. A statement from Prince Andrew's office said: 'The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty's Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. Prince Andrew with the alleged Chinese spy who has been banned from the UK The Duke of York has said he 'ceased all contact' with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy when concerns were first raised about him It comes following reports that King Charles has been briefed by British intelligence over a major security breach linking the Duke to the alleged Chinese spy 'The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. 'He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.' In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, upheld a ban on H6 from entering the country and said the Prince Andrew's troubles had left him 'vulnerable' to exploitation. It is the latest humiliation for Prince Andrew who is already a royal pariah after being forced to step back from palace duties following the Jeffrey Epstein paedophile scandal. In the ruling, judges assessed H6 was in a position to 'generate relationships between senior Chinese officials and prominent UK figures which could be leveraged for political interference purposes by the Chinese State'. Asked whether the prince's advisers should have been more alert to the danger, former minister of state for security Tom Tugendhat told the BBC that 'it's not quite as black and white as it may first appear'. The ex-Conservative leadership candidate added: 'But it's certainly extremely embarrassing.' The specialist tribunal heard that the businessman was told by Dominic Hampshire, an adviser to Prince Andrew, that he could act on the duke's behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, and that H6 had been invited to Prince Andrew's birthday party in 2020. It is the latest humiliation for Prince Andrew who is already a royal pariah after being forced to step back from palace duties following the Jeffrey Epstein paedophile scandal 'Outside of his (Andrew's) closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on,' Mr Hampshire told H6 in a 2020 letter. A letter referencing the birthday party from the Mr Hampshire, was discovered on H6's devices when he was stopped at a port in November 2021. Mr Hampshire, 56, is a former Scots Guard who rose to the rank of captain, spending the final three years of his decade in the Army as an equerry to the Duke of Kent. He has said his role involved 'running the professional life' of the Duke of Kent, with official records showing he accompanied His Royal Highness a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II on royal engagements in the late 1990s to countries including France, Canada and South Africa. A married father-of-two from Chalfont St Peter, Bucks, Mr Hampshire was described in court documents released on Thursday as Prince Andrew's 'advisor' in dealings with a Chinese civil servant who has been banned from entering the UK over claims he is a secret agent gathering intelligence on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party [CCP]. Mr Hampshire has long acted as a 'fixer' for members of the Royal Family and other 'high net-worth individuals.' Former interior minister Suella Braverman banned H6 from entering the country in 2023 after her ministry found he had engaged in 'covert and deceptive activity' on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The tribunal upheld the ban on Thursday, ruling that Braverman 'was entitled to conclude that his exclusion was justified and proportionate'. The specialist tribunal heard that the businessman was told by Dominic Hampshire (pictured), an adviser to Prince Andrew, that he could act on the duke's behalf when dealing with potential investors in China Prince Andrew withdrew from frontline royal duties in late 2019 after public outrage over a BBC television interview in which he defended his friendship with Epstein. The former Royal Navy helicopter pilot, 64, in February 2022 settled a US civil case brought by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. Andrew denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his honorary military titles and patronages soon afterwards, effectively shutting him out of royal life. A married dentist in Maine has left his small-town rocked after he was sued by his former assistant - and alleged lover - who accused him of starting an explosive sex scandal. Dr. Aaron Palmer is facing an 11-count civil filing from his married former employee, Lucina Burns, who claimed he pursued a relationship with her and when she tried leaving him and the dental practice. Palmer, at the time, owned and operated Smile Design and Elevate Dental Extractions with Burns as his dental assistant from 2012 to 2023. Over the years, their alleged relationship would continue on and off, before it was discovered by Palmer's wife and Burns was ultimately fired 'quite literally "because of sex".' Burns' 29-page complaint accuses Palmer of not only 'taking advantage of her sexually while holding a position of power as her boss' but also 'financially by failing to pay overtime' and withholding wages after she left the job. Throughout the filing, Palmer is accused of attempting to bribe Burns and her husband, as well as another colleague, with large sums of money or expensive gifts. Their close relationship started after Palmer had allegedly kissed Burns, and Burns said it slowly progressed into a more serious affair when he began buying her gifts - one costing more than $1,400. Burns, who was also married, claimed in her filing that she had felt severe guilt and remorse throughout their affair, but on occasions where she tried to leave Palmer would 'comfort' her and convince her to stay, usually with a gift Lucina 'Terra' Burns accused Dr Aaron Palmer in a recent 11-count filing against him that, during their alleged affair, Palmer discriminated against and took advantage of her In 2021, Burns was handed a check for $5,000, which he had said was to help with the down payment for a car. That same year, as a 'bonus', Palmer put Burns on salary instead of paying her hourly. She was bumped from $32 per hour to $36 per hour for 40 hours of work, 'plus the stipend from Elevate' - which was $2,000 per month - regardless of the number of hours she worked. Burns claimed that Palmer always reinitiated the affair, and she was 'rewarded' with more bonuses and gifts. In 2022, Burns was given an American Express credit card worth $5,000 and Palmer wrote to her: 'It cant be overstated just how important you are to me! I want you to know that I recognize just how much of your personal time and energy youve put into making this a success. I can feel how much you really care and I cant express how much that really means to me.' As their affair grew more intense in August of 2022, Burns said she began feeling more and more guilt and the work environment had become 'hostile'. She wanted to leave again and grew distant from him, which was met with Palmer professing his love for her saying he 'could not live without her', according to the filing. Burns said Palmer went as far as offering to make her a partner in the practice and profit share with her. As their alleged affair continued, Burns attended a wedding with her husband. It was then that she says he found the messages between Burns and Palmer. Palmer is also accused of buying and attempting to bribe Burns and her husband with large sums of money or lavish gifts, in some instances to allegedly buy her husband's silence and keep Burns working in his office Burns was hoping he would forgive her, as she claimed he had been unfaithful before, but he asked for a divorce. Palmer had allegedly offered to pay for Burn's mortgage, car payment and any bills - which she declined - after confiding that her husband had discovered the affair and expressing fears of losing her job. Burns was looking after her children at her husband's home when she discovered an email on his laptop from Palmer allegedly offering $50,000 in exchange for Burns' husband's silence, and a further $50,000 in three months. On top of that, the dentist offered her estranged husband $50,000 per year 'indefinitely', but only 'as long as my family stays together, AND your family stays together AND Terra [Burns] is still able to work at the practice', according to the filing. He told Burns, who arrived to work the next day in tears, that he did not want to be without her at the office and he wanted to compensate her husband so he could 'keep' her, according to the complaint. Palmer also allegedly offered Burns' husband a car. Palmer's wife discovered the alleged affair after her toothbrush had been left in his car following a rendezvous at a hotel in 2023. When Burns checked in on him, he texted her back and said: 'I am not doing this without you, I need you there, don't lose faith in me.' A week went by, Palmer had called out every day while Burns continued to work until he sent her an email firing her. As their affair grew more intense in August of 2022, Burns said she began feeling more and more guilt and the work environment had become 'hostile'. She wanted to leave again and grew distant from him, which was met with Palmer professing his love for her saying he 'could not live without her', according to the filing She was offered eight weeks of pay, but she said she never received the last $2,000. He allegedly canceled the 'gift' American Express card, of which Burns had only used $1,800. Palmer later emailed her and allegedly said he had 'forced' her into the situation between them, 'including the affair and her termination.' The filing said: 'Even though the sexual relationship between Burns and Dr. Palmer was consensual, he conditioned the terms and privileges of her employment on sex and made her uncomfortable about leaving her job and/or ending their affair on multiple occasions for years before firing her.' It further added that Burns believed her professional reputation had been tainted by Palmer, as she claimed she was unable to find a comparable job and her former colleagues had become aware of the lawsuit. Burns has accused Palmer of not providing overtime pay for working over 40 hours a week, withholding payment for hours worked after she left the job, gender discrimination and creating a hostile work environment. She's also suing for his alleged sexual harassment, defamation, violating the Maine Human Rights Act by retaliating against her and unlawfully interfering with her attempts to find another job. She had previously filed a complaint of discrimination with the Maine Human Rights Commission and received a notice of right-to-sue letter, as well as previously filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Burns is now claiming damages for Palmers alleged interference with 'prospective economic advantage', including actual and punitive damages, emotional distress and compensation for her losses. DailyMail.com has reached out to Dr Palmer for comment. Luigi Mangione's mother made a solemn visit to church less than 24 hours before her son was arrested for being the alleged assassin of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. The accused killer of top brass Brian Thompson, who was shot dead in the streets of New York City, captivated the country after he was captured by authorities following a five-day run from police. And in the blink of an eye, Kathy Mangione went from a desperate mother searching for her estranged 26-year-old son to the mother of an accused murderer. 'Less than 24 hours later, their lives completely did a flip flop,' Santo Grasso, a longtime family friend who was at the church event, told the WSJ. Those close to the successful family said that a distraught Kathy was doing everything she could for the better half of the year to search for her son after he 'went off the grid six months to a year ago and wasn't communicating with anybody,' the WSJ reported. His absence affected the family so much that they took it upon themselves to hire a private investigator to locate him. In the days leading up to her son's arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Kathy went out to lunch with some friends at an Italian Market near Baltimore's waterfront on Saturday. The next afternoon, she and her husband were in attendance at a ceremony honoring one of her brothers located at a church in the city's Little Italy. Luigi Mangione's mother Kathy Mangione (pictured) attended a church ceremony less than 24 hours before her son was arrested for being the alleged assassin of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Mangione was seen lashing out about cops being 'completely out of touch' and 'insulting the intelligence of the American people' as he was bundled into court by a horde of sheriff's deputies for his extradition hearing on Tuesday Yet when her son finally resurfaced on Monday, it was in the most shocking of circumstances - his name was plastered everywhere in the media for gunning down the healthcare CEO. The family has since released a statement expressing their devastation and shock, which said: 'We only know what we have read in the media'. Luigi's arrest after he was spotted by a customer at a McDonald's rocked the lives of his massive Baltimore-based family - 16 aunts and uncles and more than 30 cousins in total. Grasso, a 73-year-old retired police detective, remains confident that Luigi's parents were blindsided by their son's arrest, considering how calm they looked at the church service Sunday afternoon. 'It seemed to me that they were just in normal life mode,' Grasso said. 'I know them well enough that if something was bugging them or eating them, I would have known.' Although it's unclear whether or not the family recognized the pictures posted of their son as he was running from authorities, Grasso suggested that they probably did. 'I'd probably look at that picture and say "it might not be him, it couldn't be him,"' Grasso told the outlet while thinking how he'd react in the same situation. Suspected assassin Luigi Mangione (center) is from a prominent Baltimore family. Pictured: Mangione with (L-R) Brother-in-law Paul Giulio, sisters Lucia and MariaSanta, dad Louis and mom Kathleen Pictured: Mangione's stone-faced mugshot after his arrest for allegedly killing Brian Thompson Joe Di Pasquale, a friend of all four of Luigi's grandparents, was floored by the news - recalling how he'd just seen him a year or two ago at his Di Pasquale's Italian Market as a smiley, well-mannered high achiever. Pasquale noted how he and his wife were so impressed by his character that they urged their own children to be more like him. 'We always modeled our kids on how they do,' he said to the outlet. 'I drove my kids crazy.' Throughout the course of the past year, Luigi's family had no idea where their son was or what he was doing and desperately emailed his friends as a plea for help. Kathy even reported Luigi missing to the San Francisco Police Department just last month. 'She would have done everything to find her son and couldn't,' a person close to the Mangiones told the outlet. But the prominent family, their relationship with their son and their mindset during his manhunt has led to nationwide attention. There were multiple indications that Luigi had been distancing himself from his family at least a year before ultimately cutting ties - based off his Reddit posts and Goodreads book-review site that are thought to have been written by him. Luigi suffered from a back injury so severe that he became plagued by debilitating pain for months - including after his surgery in July of 2023 - which many think correlated with his mental state. His spinal injury stopped him surfing, or 'being physically intimate' with partners when he lived in Hawaii, his former landlord told the New York Times. Surveillance camera footage showed the gunman, suspected to be Mangione, shooting UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson at point blank range outside of a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on December 4 UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside Manhattan's Hilton Hotel After Luigi started to become MIA, a friend said they had been told that he had struggled with pain medication due to the injury. Other friends have told media they believed Luigi injured himself in a surfing accident in Hawaii, where he lived off-and-on from around 2022 until this year. Though schoolmates would talk to each other about Luigi's alleged estrangement, Luigi's rich and influential Maryland family were discreet about their troubled son. 'They're a big Baltimore family. They like to keep things quiet,' the schoolfriend said. He painted a picture of a brilliant and caring classmate, who designed an app for his fellow students and helped others around him but who changed later in life. 'He was extremely smart, kind and helpful. He was just truly a good person. And he was an innocent kid, he was like my younger brother, almost. 'So this whole thing is just extremely shocking,' the schoolfriend said. 'About two years ago, I ran into him in Baltimore,' he added. 'Something was off.' The friend said Mangione told him he had temporarily stepped away from his work projects and was 'taking a break'. 'He said he was taking a break from some things. His voice was much deeper and a lot more serious and toned down,' the friend said. 'I just attributed it to maturity and getting older. Something had changed, but I couldn't put a finger on what exactly it was.' 'A few months later I heard he was estranged, had cut everybody off, and they had to hire a private investigator to try to hunt him down, but they couldn't find him.' Dorian Wright, the owner of Power Yoga Hawaii in Honolulu, has detailed his run-ins with United Healthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione, who attended his class in 2023 On Thursday, his former yoga teacher posted a story to Instagram expressing simultaneous regret and sympathy regarding Mangione's situation, as his alleged motive continues to come to light Power Yoga's Dorian Wright also detailed his run-ins with the 26-year-old Wednesday, remembering how he struggled with certain poses during his classes in Hawaii because of his back pain. 'I remember with him, like a lot of people that come in with injuries, they tell me right in the beginning of class or while we're doing certain poses, they'll say "Oh I can't do this,"' Wright recalled, offering the new insight to CBS News. On Thursday, his former yoga teacher posted a story to Instagram expressing simultaneous regret and sympathy regarding Luigi's situation, as he now faces extradition to New York. 'You never know what kind of pain someone is going through,' he wrote over a photo of one of Luigi's mug shots following his arrest. 'Reach out to a friend today and let them know you care,' he concluded, as the the case continues to capture headlines. Pennywise is scheduled to perform May 3 at Punk in the Park San Francisco. Andrea Friedrich/Getty Images A celebration of 1980s California punk music is heading to the Bay Area next spring, showcasing a variety of acts from up and down the coast. Punk in the Park San Francisco is scheduled to return to Daly Citys Cow Palace, boasting a lineup featuring Santa Cruzs Good Riddance as well as Southern California bands like Pennywise, Lagwagon and more. Scheduled for May 3, the all-ages outdoor event will have music on two stages with no overlapping set times. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its been made clear to us these last couple years in the Bay Area punk rock is alive and well, said Cameron Collins, the festivals producer and co-founder of Brew Ha Ha Productions, the Orange County company that organizes the event, in a statement. This lineup is one of the coolest weve assembled, were stoked! Tickets are on sale now, starting at $49.99. VIP packages, available for $149.99 and up, include access to special seating areas, upgraded restrooms, special entrance lanes and more. Attendees 21 and older can enjoy craft beer samplings during the first three hours of the festival for an additional $15. Lagwagon is set to play at Punk in the Park San Francisco on May 3. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images Other acts on the bill include San Francisco rock group Dead to Me, Illinois Screeching Weasel, Canadian rock outfit Comeback Kid and Chicano punk rock band Manic Hispanic. Advertisement Article continues below this ad More Information Punk in the Park San Francisco: Noon-10 p.m. May 3. General admission tickets start at $49.99; VIP tickets start at $149.99. Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., Daly City. www.punkinthepark.com The first-ever Punk in the Park was in Orange County in 2020. In the years that followed, single-day events were hosted in cities across the United States. Canada's top DEI official struggled to answer a simple question about whether she supports legalizing drug dealing. Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion & Persons with Disabilities, was being grilled by Conservative MP Jamil Jivani over the current liberal governments policies. Jivani had been quizzing the official over the countries Black Justice Strategy, a document to help them tackle anti-black racism in the justice system. One of the suggestions put forward was the decriminalization of the possession of a 30-day supply of drugs of hard drugs. After frequently asking Khera if she supported that policy, she refused to give a straight answer. Jivani continues: 'Your government calls this history making and a milestone for black people in this country. 'I think it's fair for black people to look at it, and say is this what you want intend to do to our communities. 'Do you intend to decriminalize a 30 day supply of drugs in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion. Why is this such a difficult question to answer?' Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion & Persons with Disabilites, seen here, was being grilled by Conservative MP Jamil Jivani Jivani had been quizzing the official over the countries Black Justice Strategy, a document to help them tackle anti-black racism in the justice system Amazingly, Khera responds: 'Mr. Chair, clearly the member does not understand what diversity, inclusion and equity actually means.' Jivani quickly goes on the offense and quotes an EDI expert who said in a statement that EDI programs had made anti-Semitism worse in the country. He continues: 'Who deserves equity and inclusion in your mind?' She gives a stock response, saying: 'My goal is to ensure we are creating equal opportunities for every single person in this country. 'That takes fundamental changes to our institution to do that work, you have to be deliberate about that change.' Jivani continues to try and interrupt her comments, saying: 'You can keep trying to filibuster if you like.' After the chair of the panel interrupts, Jivani is allowed to continue with his questioning. He adds: 'So when a university student from our country says that diversity, equity and inclusion is disadvantaging her community, you response to that is "well I'm just going to keep making these blanket fluff statements?" Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a fireside chat with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce in Halifax Monday Dec. 9, 2024 The Drug User Liberation Front hand out clean, tested doses of drugs at a demonstration demanding the legalization and regulation of safe alternatives to the toxic street drug supply in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada April 14, 2022 'She's asking you clearly, how do you decide who deserves equity and who deserves inclusion? Why are there Canadians who feel excluded by your DEI framework.' Clearly rattled, she then repeats a similar statement that she delivered at the start of their exchange, saying: 'The honorable member does not really understand. 'He does not understand that there are systems in place, that anti-black racism, systemic racism is a real thing.' He shared the video of their interaction to his X page, saying: 'The top DEI official in Canada shows exactly what the DEI industry is all about. Superficial, empty, hollow virtue signaling.' Since he shared the video he has been inundated with comments from people attacking Khera over her word salad. One person commented: 'Well done Jamil, she showed her colors and where she stands in pushing division politics under the guise of compassion.' Another added: 'Please tell me when Conservatives take over, all these DEI Ministries and programs will be removed and all those working in them will be fired.' Changes around drug policy have been rolled out across the country in the last few years, following a rise in opioid deaths since the pandemic. In 2022, British Columbia passed a law decriminalizing the small-scale possession of certain drugs including cocaine and MDMA until 2025. They hoped that the policy change would help reduce overdose deaths by easing a fear of arrest by those who need help. A Memphis man charged with the murder of his newlywed wife while the two were on an idyllic honeymoon in Fiji was found guilty on Thursday. Bradley Robert Dawson, now 40, was convicted of murdering his new wife, Christe Chen Dawson, 36, in July 2022 after authorities found her brutally maimed inside the couple's luxurious honeymoon suite at the Turtle Island Resort in Yasawa. The 36-year-old victim was found squashed and slumped in between a tiny space next to the toilet and the wall, inside the suite, badly beaten and covered in blood on July 9 at the secluded $3,500-a-night Turtle Island Resort, which only hosts 14 guests at a time. The next day, Dawson was arrested at Matacawalevu Village with his passport and personal belongings. Fijian Court Justice Riyaz Hamza believed that having such items on his person at the time of his arrest indicated that the 40-year-old intended to flee after committing the horrific act. 'For the aforesaid reasons, I am of the opinion that the defenses version cannot be believed, and the same version is rejected,' Hamza said. 'Having analyzed all the evidence in its totality, I am of the opinion that the prosecution witnesses were all truthful, credible, and reliable in their testimony. From the totality of the evidence, I am satisfied that the prosecution has disapproved of the defense of provocation. 'Having considered all the evidence in its totality, I am of the opinion that the prosecution has proved the charge of murder against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.' Bradley Robert Dawson (left), now 40, was convicted of murdering his new wife, Christe Chen Dawson (right), 36, after authorities found her brutally maimed inside the couple's luxurious honeymoon suite at the Turtle Island Resort in Yasawa Dawson, now 40, was arrested the day after the fatal beating as law enforcement found the Memphis native with his passport and personal belongings Dawson has maintained that his wife's death was an accident. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Fiji on January 27 Dawson has maintained that his wife's death was an accident. The Memphis native is scheduled to be sentenced in Fiji on January 27. A lawyer for Chen's family, Ronald Gordon, said that her body was so badly beaten that she was unable to be embalmed and her parents had to cremate her before bringing her ashes back to the United States. He added that she suffered such deep lacerations to both sides of her head, near her eyes, that the embalming fluid would have leaked. The tragic killing was reported to have happened after Chen Dawson shared a drunken argument with her husband after she caught him 'inappropriately dancing' with another person at a party, DailyMail.com revealed. The couple, who met in November 2021, married three months later after a whirlwind romance. Chen had previously been engaged, sources revealed. She was Dawson's second wife. He'd married his first in Fiji in September 2019, according to a wedding registry. It's unclear when he separated from his first wife. Chen was found dead just two days after they checked into the elite private resort, which her parents - who were regulars there - had paid for. The night Chen died, she and Dawson had attended a party - dubbed 'family fun night' - with island staff and other guests on the beach where both were 'very drunk.' The 36-year-old was found squashed and slumped in between a tiny space next to the toilet and the wall, inside the suite, badly beaten and covered in blood at the secluded $3,500-a-night Turtle Island Resort, which only hosts 14 guests at a time The Turtle Island Resort is located on a private island off the coast of Fiji Witnesses told DailyMail.com that tensions arose between the couple when Dawson started acting inappropriately with someone else at the party. 'They were enjoying themselves and drinking quite a lot but towards the end they looked troubled,' the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. It's understood the couple then left the party and their argument continued on the beach before they headed back to their private bungalow about midnight, where the fight continued. 'Not long after that, guests in the bungalow next door said they heard arguing, a loud scream, and then silence,' a source told DailyMail.com. DailyMail.com revealed that Chen was found bloodied on the bathroom floor by a personal butler around midday. She had suffered multiple traumatic injuries to her body and shoulders, lacerations to her face and blunt force trauma to the head, according to a post-mortem exam report. A source told DailyMail.com that the lid of the toilet's cistern was cracked and broken. The couple's personal butler found her body squashed and slumped between the tiny space between the toilet and the wall, badly beaten and covered in blood, according to sources. A lawyer for Chen's family said that her body was so badly beaten that she was unable to be embalmed and her parents had to cremate her before bringing her ashes back to the United States Chen's parents arrived in Fiji days later after being informed of her death by the State Department in a midnight phone call. It's understood they also viewed her badly battered body in the Lautoka morgue before she was cremated. Chen worked as a pharmacist at Kroger while Dawson worked as an IT professional for Youth Villages, a non-profit which helps children. She had previously worked as a baker in Colorado before moving to Tennessee to pursue studying pharmacy. Prince Andrew knew an alleged Chinese spy for a decade, the Mail can reveal. The pair met in 2012 and it was not until 2022, after the former Chinese civil servant was rumbled by security services, that the Duke of York dropped him, it was claimed. During those ten years Andrew appointed him a trusted business adviser, court papers disclosed this week. Yesterday the disgraced duke, 64, was urged to be clear and honest amid calls for an inquiry into how the alleged Chinese agent had infiltrated the Royal Family. Ex-government trade envoy Andrew broke his silence last night on the latest scandal to engulf him, saying he had ceased all contact with the supposed spy after receiving advice from officials. It came as it was claimed that MI5 was investigating Chinese money given to Andrew. The dukes business ventures are understood to have received cash from Chinese donors with links to the alleged spy, The Daily Telegraph reported. Known only as H6 for legal reasons, the 50-year-old businessman became a 'close confidant' to the eighth in line to the throne. Prince Andrew with the alleged Chinese spy who he met in 2012 Prince Andrew meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on May 29, 2018 in Beijing, China Gilly Yarrow, wife of the Lord Mayor of London, the Chinese President's wife Peng Liyuan, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, Chinese President Xi Jinping and The Lord Mayor of London Alan Yarrow pose at the Guildhall in London before attending a banquet on October 21, 2015 The disgraced duke (pictured), 64, was urged to 'be clear and honest' amid calls for an inquiry into how the alleged Chinese agent had infiltrated the Royal Family He even attended Andrew's 60th birthday party in 2020, which was said to have been a muted, close-knit affair with little more than a dozen guests present. The alleged spy was assured by the prince's adviser, Dominic Hampshire, that he was so important to Andrew that he sat 'at the top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on', the court documents revealed. H6 has since been banished from Britain after an MI5 probe. Legal papers show he had been working on the basis that the duke was in 'a desperate situation and will grab on to anything'. The Duke of York said he met H6 through 'official channels' with 'nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed'. A statement from his office added: 'He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.' As the royals were sent reeling by yet another Andrew-related crisis, one supporter of King Charles told the Mail: 'The Palace have handled this as best they possibly can. There is only a limited amount he can do given that his brother is now a private individual. 'He has cut him off financially, pulled his security and tried to get him to see sense and downsize [from his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor, which Andrew is refusing to do]. What more can be done? He has been stripped of literally everything he can be.' Friends of the duke played down his association with the alleged spy, though pictures emerged of them together on a number of occasions. One source told the Mail: 'This was not a friend of the duke's, this was an official contact. He only met him on official business once or twice.' But former head of royal protection Dai Davies called for 'a proper public inquiry'. Known only as H6 for legal reasons, the 50-year-old businessman became a 'close confidant' to the eighth in line to the throne Former head of royal protection Dai Davies (pictured) has called for 'a proper public inquiry' Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith added: 'Prince Andrew needs to be clear and honest. He has made a mistake. He was in a vulnerable period at the time. Blast at 'kowtowing' PM Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of 'kowtowing' to Beijing after failing to condemn its alleged bids to infiltrate the Royal Family. Downing Street did not take any action after it emerged the alleged Far East agent was apparently so close to the British Establishment he was invited to Prince Andrew's 60th birthday party. Ex Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'Get ready for project kowtow on steroids. They're crawling on their bellies in obedience.' He claimed the Government didn't want to upset China because they're 'so desperate' over the economy. A Downing Street spokesman said: 'When it comes to China we've been clear that we will cooperate where we can, compete when needed and challenge where we must.' Pictured: Sir Keir Starmer Advertisement 'But now he needs to be properly open about what happened. There needs to be a full, proper investigation by the security services.' Ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat said the episode was 'extremely embarrassing'. The revelations emerged in an extraordinary legal case in which H6 tried and failed to overturn a decision by then-home secretary Suella Braverman to ban him from Britain on national security grounds, after advice from MI5. The security service allegedly discovered H6 was a member of the Chinese Communist Party covertly working for its intelligence-gathering department, the United Front Work Department. A hearing was told his telephone was seized under counterterrorism laws in November 2021, and its contents included a 2020 letter from Mr Hampshire to the alleged spy 'highlighting the strength of the relationship' between him and Andrew, the UK's former trade envoy. Another document from 2021 showed the apparent spy being told what to say during a call with the duke, including 'if he does talk about money, [say] things are going well'. At the time, the Queen's second son was embroiled in a New York legal action with Virginia Giuffre, who claims she slept with the prince on three occasions while in the thrall of billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, a friend of Andrew's. The duke strenuously denied the allegations and reportedly settled out of court for up to 12million without any admission of liability. A friend of the prince insisted to the Mail: 'He first met H6 in 2012 while on official business. Any contact his office had with them related to official business, and as soon as he was made aware of HMG's [the government's] concerns, two years ago, he dropped him and ceased all contact. 'He has been made to sound like a crony, and that is absolutely wrong. He was invited and did attend the duke's 60th birthday, alongside a number of people who were looking to support the duke in his official business at a difficult time.' H6 was 'someone who, when everyone was dropping the duke, had expressed an interest in continuing to support his official work,' the source added. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith (pictured) ahs called for Prince Andrew 'to be clear and honest' about his links with the suspected spy Prince Andrew broke his silence on the latest scandal to engulf him, saying he had 'ceased all contact' with the supposed spy after receiving advice from officials But retired chief superintendent Mr Davies said: 'If Andrew was any other businessman who has been associating with so many [dubious] characters while he was in a public role then there would be an investigation.' In the court papers released after H6 lost his appeal to be allowed into the UK, a judge said the businessman had won 'an unusual degree of trust from a senior member of the Royal Family'. Buckingham Palace was 'made aware of the case in advance, at the right time and through the appropriate government channels'. The Chinese embassy in London said critics were keen on making up 'all kinds of 'spy' stories against China' to 'smear' the country, adding: 'We strongly condemn this.' The Florida woman who was arrested for allegedly threatening a health insurer using the same words found on the bullets used to kill the CEO of UnitedHealthcare is a veteran of the healthcare industry. Briana Boston, 42, who was charged with making a threatening call to BlueCross BlueShield about a rejected medical claim, works as nuclear medicine technologist and has spent a decade in the field, according to her LinkedIn profile. She currently holds the position at Bond Clinic, P.A., in Winter Haven, Florida, not far from her home in Lakeland, where police officers responded Tuesday after getting a tip from the FBI. Toward the end of her call with BlueCross BlueShield, she told the operator: 'Delay, deny, depose. You people are next,' her arrest report stated. The words were found on bullet casings at the scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder, for which Luigi Mangione, 26, is the prime suspect. Boston admitted to police that she used the words because its whats in the news right now, the arrest report said. She told investigators that 'healthcare companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil.' She stated that was not a gun owner or 'a danger to anyone', the report added. Briana Boston, 42, was arrested for allegedly threatening a health insurer using the same words found on the bullets used to kill the CEO of UnitedHealthcare is a veteran of the healthcare industry Boston, 42, who was charged with making a threatening call to BlueCross BlueShield about a rejected medical claim, works as nuclear medicine technologist and has spent a decade in the field, according to her LinkedIn profile. Pictured: Briana Boston learns the terms of her bond The mother-of-three was charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism. Her bond was set at $100,000 with a judge reportedly remarking that it was, 'appropriate considering the status of our country at this point' She was charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism. Her bond was set at $100,000 with a judge reportedly remarking that it was, 'appropriate considering the status of our country at this point.' A fundraiser was launched seeking to raise $100,000 to pay Bostons bond. The words were found on bullet casings at the scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder, for which Luigi Mangione (pictured), 26, is the prime suspect [I]n no way did Briana threaten anyone, the fundraising page states. She is a mom of 3 and has a clean record. She has no weapons in her possession. Her jailing is a violation of the 1st amendment and we want to help her find freedom. DailyMail.com contacted Bond Clinic, P.A., which would neither confirm nor deny her employment with the company. Her lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Boston is a registered radiologic technologist and a certified nuclear medicine technologist, according to her LinkedIn profile, which also lists the American Heart Association under her licenses and certifications. She has earned numerous endorsements from fellow LinkedIn users for her skills in the healthcare space. Nuclear medicine is a specialty that uses radioactive tracers (radiopharmaceuticals) to assess bodily functions and to diagnose and treat disease, according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. On the surface, he was a successful business consultant who advised big-hitting firms including McLaren and pharmaceutical giant GSK. But behind the scenes, Prince Andrews confidant may have been trading in something far more sinister: Secrets. Born and educated in China, the self-styled entrepreneur known only as H6 for legal reasons started his career as a civil servant there, but dreamed of something more. In 2002, aged 28, he moved to the UK hoping to advance his career. After a year spent learning English, he studied for a masters degree in public administration and policy at the University of York. It is unclear when he is alleged to have come under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but at some point he abandoned plans to return home, instead choosing to pursue a career in Britain. Aged 31, he founded a company in London that initially provided travel services, but which soon developed into various other areas including business consultancy. Splitting his time between China and the UK, the budding businessman sought to bridge the gap between the two countries, advising companies on their dealings in the Far East. As well as helping McLaren launch its high-end roadsters in Beijing and offering strategic analysis to GSK, he soon counted the China Minsheng Investment Group one of the largest private equity firms in the world as a client. Prince Andrew with the alleged Chinese spy who has been banned from the UK The Duke of York (pictured) has said he 'ceased all contact' with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy when concerns were first raised about him While his work was lucrative, the supposed spy told MI5 that Britain was more than just a money-spinner it was his second home where he had friends and a social life. He was given indefinite leave to remain in the UK in 2013 and became an honorary member of the exclusive 48 Group Club, a networking organisation for executives and politicians. The society has boasted Lord Heseltine and John Prescott as patrons, and speakers have included Sir Tony Blair and Jack Straw. However, critics say the club, where membership costs up to 25,000 per year, is really a platform for the CCP to groom British elites. It is not known when H6 first made contact with the Duke of York about business opportunities in China, but the Home Office told immigration judges the relationship had a covert and clandestine element. The former civil servant soon became one of Andrews closest mentors. Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to the duke, told H6 in 2020 he should never underestimate the strength of his relationship with Andrew. But the supposed friend was apparently reporting back to China and receiving instructions on how to handle Andrew. After being stopped at the UK border in November 2021, court documents say H6 vehemently denied having links to the CCP, saying he avoids getting involved in politics as it has no space in business. It is the latest humiliation for Prince Andrew (pictured) who is already a royal pariah after being forced to step back from palace duties following the Jeffrey Epstein paedophile scandal However, in a 2023 witness statement he also argued it was difficult for a Chinese businessman to avoid contact with the CCP. As a thriving businessman, his work and private life were intertwined, he said, and banning him from Britain would ruin his life. The Home Office ruled national security outweighed this ambitious mans objections. Donald Trump fired off a policy pronouncement from Mar-a-Lago Friday saying he would use his best efforts to 'eliminate' Daylight Savings Time. Trump, who is assembling a cabinet and preparing to put in place campaign pledges on tax cuts, removing illegal aliens, and ending wars in Ukraine and Gaza, issued the statement in a post on his Truth Social sight. 'The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldnt! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,' Trump wrote. His nominee for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), has authored a bill that would provide for permanent daylight time. That effort could be popular in many urban areas in the winter months with short days. The sun sets Friday at 4:29 pm in New York. Had the nation stayed on daylight time, it would set at 5:30. (The sun rises at 7:13 am there on the 14th. Daylight time would have it rise an hour later). In West Palm Beach, the sun sets an hour later, at 5:29 pm without daylight time Thursday. DailyMail.com has contacted the Trump transition to confirm his position. Rubio's bill for permanent daylight time, called the Sunshine Protection Act, passed the Senate in 2022 by unanimous consent meaning there were no objections, so going along with Trump's effort as described would be an extraordinary turnaround. 'Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,' President-elect Donald Trump posted Friday. A Republican bill for permanent daylight time passed the Senate unanimously in 2022 The idea of ending the biannual changes of the clock has the support of a powerful Trump advisor, SpaceX founder and the world's richest man Elon Musk. 'Looks like the people want to abolish the annoying time changes!,' he posted last month on X, his social media site. That prompted an enthusiastic repost by Donald Trump, Jr., an avid sportsman who lives in Florida. ' leave it daylight savings time always' with emojis conveying 100% support. Also chiming in was Musk's partner at the new Department of Government Efficiency Vivek Ramaswamy. 'Its inefficient & easy to change,' Ramaswamy wrote. Others have claimed daylight time contributes to sleep loss. Billionaire Elon Musk, who has been a constant Trump companion since the eleciton, has called changes between standard and daylight time 'annoying' Jumping online to support the president-elect was Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who is set to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee. But despite not objecting or not being present in 2022, Cotton backed up Trump. 'Congress once made Daylight Saving Time permanent. It was so unpopular that Congress repealed it less than a year later. The only sensible and durable way to stop the biannual time change is to make Standard Time permanent. I will work on this issue with @realDonaldTrump. w 'There are enormous health and economic benefits to making daylight saving time permanent,' said Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan in 2023. He said it reduced car crashes and reduced cardiac arrests. He cited a Brookings Institution study that it reduced robberies, and a JP Morgan Chase study concluding there is a drop in economic activity when clocks move back. He noted that the nation observed permanent daylight time in 1974-1975. That happened during the oil crisis. According to a New York Times account at the time it was repealed, 'parents became concerned about traffic accidents involving their children, who were going to school in the predawn darkness on winter mornings,' although a Transportation Department study didn't provide a clear picture on any increase. A man has been stabbed and another has been rushed to hospital with head injuries after a wild brawl erupted at a pub in Sydney. Police were called to the hotel on Parramatta Road in Lewisham, in the city's inner west, just after 3am on Saturday after reports of an assault. Officers were told three men had been assaulted by a group of people who had left the scene before police arrived. The man who had been stabbed was treated by paramedics at the scene before he was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He remains in a stable condition. Two other men, both aged 35, were also taken to the same hospital after one was treated for head injuries at the scene. Police have established a crime scene on the busy road and launched an investigation in the incident. A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia inquiries were ongoing. Prince Andrew was regarded as a 'useful idiot' by China during his relationship with the country which spanned decades. The Duke of York's links to Beijing stretch back to at least 2001, when he was made a trade envoy on his retirement from the Royal Navy. After 2010, when David Cameron's government cosied up to China, the duke made ever more frequent visits. These included eight trips as a guest of an organisation accused of being a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) feared intelligence agency. He was repeatedly hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), which allegedly answers to the United Front Work Department (UFWD), the Communist regime's intelligence and propaganda unit. During the visits most made on behalf of his Pitch@Palace business mentoring initiative the duke heralded closer UK-China co-operation. Mareike Ohlberg, co-author of Hidden Hand, which details the CCP's efforts to influence opinion overseas, described Prince Andrew as 'a classic 'useful idiot' who seemingly allows himself to be used'. At the time, sources close to the duke said that 'any foreign dignitary would always be hosted by the CPIFA'. Connections: Andrew in a meeting with the former Chinese civil servant referred to only as H6 The Duke of York's links to Beijing stretch back to at least 2001, when he was made a trade envoy on his retirement from the Royal Navy Andrew was encouraged by the government of Lord Cameron, who hosted Chinese premier Xi Jinping to sup pints of bitter in an Oxfordshire pub as he heralded a 'golden era' in East/West relations. And his chancellor, George Osborne, made no secret of forging strong ties with Chinese officials as he pursued his ambition of greater trade with the country. But by 2016, British policy had started to shift amid troubling reports over the repression of the Muslim Uyghur minority and crackdowns on pro-democracy campaigners. Andrew continued to visit China, making five visits between 2016 and 2019 on behalf of Pitch@Palace, which he set up after he stood down as UK trade envoy in 2011. Pitch@Palace established its Chinese arm in 2016. During a visit in May 2018, the Duke of York reportedly extolled the virtues of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The policy, which sees China build infrastructure projects in developing countries, has been criticised because the regime can seize assets in the event of a debt default or exert influence over these countries. Later that year, Andrew unveiled the multiple-language editions of President Xi's propaganda book, The Governance Of China, at an event in London. In his final year of official duties, Andrew travelled to Shenzhen and Fujian. In Britain it was not uncommon for the duke to host lunches and dinners for Chinese friends and he entertained the presidents of Chinese banks at his office in Buckingham Palace. Yet even after the duke's car-crash Newsnight interview in 2019 forced him to step down as a frontline royal, his connections with China endured. Britain's Prince Andrew, left, the Duke of York, meets Thai Princess Ubol Ratana during his visit in the Palace Museum in Beijing, 2004 The Duke visits a temporary school built after the May 12 Sichuan Earthquake on November 4, 2008 in Dujiangyan, China When Covid struck China in early 2020, he personally conveyed a message of sympathy from his mother the Queen to the Chinese government at a dinner in London hosted by the Chinese ambassador, Liu Xiaoming. The Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice were also present. The ambassador was also invited to Andrew's 60th birthday party at Royal Lodge in Windsor in February that year. The previous year, it was reported that Sarah Ferguson had received almost 300,000 from a firm chaired by the Hong Kong tycoon Johnny Hon, as well as a 72,000-a-year retainer for her non-executive directorship of his film investment company in Hong Kong. The duke and his family's 'enthusiasm for China' was heralded by the ambassador in a tweet. In 2020, the Mail revealed how Peter Phillips, the late Queen's grandson, was advertising bottles of milk on Chinese TV, telling viewers: 'It's a privilege... to bring Jersey milk to China.' Princess Diana's niece Lady Kitty Spencer was also drumming up sales for another brand of milk as she posed in an emerald dress with a cup of tea at a photoshoot staged at the British Museum. Prince William is said to be looking to take his Earthshot environmental prize to China in the future, despite the country being the biggest CO2 polluter on the planet. A 14-year-old Australian-Thai boy who was fatally stabbed outside a housing estate in Thailand has been identified as Perth teenager Lucky Fazzalari. Lucky had been walking home when he was allegedly attacked outside a supermarket in Chonburi, about two hours south of Bangkok, on Tuesday. The 14-year-old, who was a grade 7 student at a private school and has an Australian father and a Thai mother, collapsed on the steps of a nearby shop and later died. In CCTV captured of the scuffle, the teen's attacker is allegedly seen plunging a knife into his back as he tries to stagger to safety. The teenager, a grade 8 student, reportedly fled the scene on a motorbike but was detained by Thai police a short time later. He has since been charged with causing fatal physical harm to another person and a weapons offence which hold a maximum sentence of 15 years. Lucky's father Tony Fazzalari said the 14-year-old was a 'beautiful kid' who was much-loved by his parents and two sisters. 'He was going to an international private school over there. We never thought his life would be in danger - we were just shocked when we heard about this,' sister Jessica Fazzalari told 7News. A 14-year-old Australian-Thai boy who was fatally stabbed outside a housing estate in Thailand has been identified as Perth teenager Lucky Fazzalari (pictured) Lucky's father Tony Fazzalari said the 14-year-old (pictured) was a 'beautiful kid' who was much-loved by his parents and two sisters Lucky was allegedly stabbed in the back during a violent altercation on Tuesday She went on to describe him as 'caring', 'charismatic' and a natural athlete. Lucky had attended Clarkson Primary School and Clarkson Community High School until last year when he moved to Thailand to spend time with his mother. He lived with his father and sister in Perth's northern suburbs for nine years. It comes after Lucky's Thai mother said he had mentioned a dispute with an older student at school who had sent him 'threatening' messages. 'I saw him leave to play in the village but I didn't know when he went to the shop. He said he was having issues with a senior student from the same school,' she said. She told the Bangkok Post she was 'shocked' and 'saddened' by her son's death. When questioned by police, Lucky's alleged attacker said he had 'looked at him as if asking for trouble' so he challenged him to meet up after school. It was there the argument took a nasty turn before Lucky was allegedly stabbed in the back and left lying in a pool of his own blood. A woman is seen being comforted at the scene of the violent stabbing in Thailand The handle of the blade allegedly used to stab Lucky is pictured. It has been reported the blade broke off and remained embedded in the 14-year-old's back 'I stabbed him in the back before riding a motorcycle home. I didn't know it would cause him to die,' the teen allegedly told police. Lucky's body has been sent to Bangkok Police General Hospital for a post-mortem. Mr Fazzalari and Lucky's two sisters will travel to Thailand to attend the 14-year-old's funeral in the coming days. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Thailand. 'We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,' they said. Ed Miliband yesterday warned local communities not to get in the way of his green energy plans which mean carpeting the UK with thousands more pylons, wind turbines and solar farms. The Energy Secretary's 'clean energy revolution' will convert the grid from fossil fuels to renewable power by 2030. But it will require building more than 600 miles of electric pylons and high-voltage cables as well as hundreds of onshore wind turbines and solar farms. Conservationists warned cutting greenhouse gas emissions should not come at the expense of nature or the public's right to object to harmful developments. But Mr Miliband will oversee a weakening of legal rights to block major developments in the courts. Launching his plan yesterday, he said: 'Some people won't like this infrastructure being built. We think it's the right thing to do for the country.' He added the plans would protect the UK from events, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which cause gas prices to soar. And Mr Miliband who visited a turbine factory in Hull yesterday to launch the plan made clear that the final decision on big projects would be in his hands, suggesting he was prepared to ride roughshod over local concerns. Under new rules, onshore wind farms generating more than 100 megawatts would now be classed as 'nationally significant infrastructure projects, which are decided by me, as the secretary of state', he said. Chris Stark head of Clean Power 2030, plant director Andy Sykes and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband taking a picture during a visit to the Siemens Energy turbine factory in Hull The Energy Secretary's 'clean energy revolution' will convert the grid from fossil fuels to renewable power by 2030. File image To win the public over, an advertising blitz will be launched in the new year emphasising 'the importance of networks infrastructure in supporting net zero'. Mr Miliband, who vowed there would be 'no blackouts' under the plan, also repeated a claim that they would knock up to 300 off the average annual energy bill. But Tory energy spokesman Claire Coutinho said the 'rush' to decarbonise the grid will push up electricity prices and 'cause more hardship for people'. Included in the six-year 126-page Clean Power Action Plan are measures to build hundreds of new battery 'parks' which resemble rows of shipping containers to expand electricity storage. And households will be encouraged to use power at times of high supply, such as by using washing machines and dishwashers at night when there is less demand. Existing gas power stations will be mothballed and used at times of low solar and wind power, but should not account for more than 5 per cent of generation in a year. Decisions will be made next year on covering car parks with solar panel canopies and whether to fit all new homes with rooftop panels. Also to be decided is the system of 'zonal pricing' whereby electricity is costed according to supply and demand. In practice this is likely to make electricity cheaper in areas with high wind power such as Scotland and dearer in southern England. A spokesman for Conservation group CPRE said: 'We welcome the Government's ambition to decarbonise the grid by 2030 and build an energy system fit for the future. 'However, people should have the right to input on issues that impact them. It's critical the Government does everything in its power to ensure communities are engaged at the point when real choices are still on the table.' Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: 'The UK needs a swift, sizeable boost in clean power, but we also need urgent action to restore wildlife. 'Development must be done intelligently, minimising harm to nature'. He added there should also be investment in woodland, wetlands and wildlife habitats. It comes as Housing Secretary Angela Rayner is set to clear an area of Green Belt land bigger than Surrey to meet Labour's target of building 1.5million homes by 2029. Ms Rayner wants to speed up planning applications, with some potentially avoiding scrutiny by local councillors. Sheryl Davis, former executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, oversaw London Breeds Dream Keeper Initiative, a signature effort by the mayor to invest tens of millions of dollars a year into community-based organizations helping Black people. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Regarding S.F. agencies cancel contracts with major nonprofit accused of enriching a former department head (Politics, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 10): Countless lives have been saved by Collective Impact and by the commitment to the community from its director, James Spingola, and of former Human Rights Commission director Sheryl Davis I take the accusations at face value. Still, it is ridiculous, sloppy, cruel and lazy to just stop funding Collective Impacts programming, especially during the holidays when those they serve are the most in need. Install some neutral staff and continue funding these vital programs. This excessive assault on the Black community and respected community leaders who tangibly improve peoples lives looks like racism to me. We can both correct and address the concerns without punishing the innocent community. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tami Bryant, San Francisco Dems scare tactics fail Regarding What science can teach us about Trumps victory and his grip on the nation (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, Dec.11 ): Michael Martin's opinion piece ignored a few things. One, Democrats are at a disadvantage in communicating any message when much of the media is controlled by men like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, whose company just donated to Donald Trumps inauguration fund. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Two, when Democrats do try to evoke powerful emotions and use strong language, they are attacked. Tim Walz called Republicans weird, and after the assassination attempt on Trump, Democrats were chastised to tone down the rhetoric. The same thing happened to Hillary Clinton when she called Trumps most extreme supporters deplorables. Third, women heard strong, emotional messages about reproductive rights, children and rape victims being forced to give birth, and women dying from lack of care. Sounds like Martin didnt hear those messages. Please spare us any more analysis of what Democrats need to do unless its to buy all major media. That would be the only way to save democracy at this point. Nicole Kowalski, San Rafael Secession possible Regarding If Californias fight against Trump becomes a losing cause, heres what the state should do (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 9): Noreen Waufords letter proposed that California convene a committee to study the possibility of secession. There is a ballot initiative submitted to the California Attorney Generals Office that proposes to do this. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Calexit: The California Independence Plebiscite of 2025 would compel the state Legislature to investigate how well California could survive independent from America. There are questions about whether the Supreme Court case Texas v. White stops states from seceding. However, top constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky of UC Berkeley said in 2017, In theory, because it was a majority vote of Congress to admit California, in theory a majority vote of Congress could approve secession. Marcus Ruiz-Evans, Alameda Public schools shine Regarding Do I send my kid to a private high school? I toured one in S.F. to see if it was worth it (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, Nov. 13): Based on the horror stories wed heard about public schools, my husband and I thought wed have to send our child to private schools. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But I toured some public ones and was so impressed by the quality of instruction and the one-to-one attention students got that I asked the principal, Why, with all youre offering at public schools, do some people send their kids to a private school? Without hesitation, he said, Contacts. My son, now 45, made enough contacts to do quite well with his public school education. After Argonne, Hoover and Lowell, he went to UC Berkeley. Im disheartened to learn that 1 of 3 students in San Francisco goes to a private school. I hope our society survives this. Gerald Hsus op-ed gives us hope. Tina Martin, San Francisco Advertisement Article continues below this ad Theres no way About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies Regarding S.F. has the same housing goals as New York City which is 10 times its size (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 11): The fantasy that the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection or the Board of Supervisors could embrace New Yorks City of Yes mindset is frankly laughable. As the Chronicle reported, to replace a home window, you must navigate a 14-page manifesto that enforces the San Francisco City of NO!!!! dogma. Deep within the earth, forged by quakes and the shifting of tectonic plates, rare stones owe their uniqueness to their chemical composition. Could these natural gemstones also harbour energies that improve our well-being? When Queen Camilla waved off the Emir of Qatar and his wife at the close of their two-day state visit to the UK, her fashion choices captured attention. Eagle-eyed observers were quick to notice her stunning three-strand pearl choker, featuring a geometric diamond clasp encasing a single amethyst. A cherished piece in her collection, Camilla has donned this necklace for decades. It made its debut at her first official engagement with the National Osteoporosis Society in 2002. That same year, she wore the necklace, with an additional strand of pearls, at the Queen Mother's funeral and again during the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles in February 2005. The choice of amethyst - a gemstone associated with wellness and health - is particularly apt as Camilla recovers from pneumonia. Amethyst, a variety of quartz, is chemically composed of silicon dioxide. Quartz forms in lava, where gas bubbles become trapped, creating cavities that allow crystals to grow. Known as the 'all-purpose' stone, amethyst is said to alleviate stress and anxiety, fostering calmness and wisdom. The choice of an amethyst necklace - a gemstone associated with wellness and health - is particularly apt as Camilla recovers from pneumonia Maxwell Stone, Creative Director at Steven Stone, said: 'Amethyst is known for its associations with wellness and health, making it a particularly fitting choice for Queen Camilla, who continues to carry out her royal duties while recovering from pneumonia. 'The stone's healing properties add an extra layer of meaning to the necklace, symbolising strength and resilience during this challenging time.' Crystal jewellery is often thought to promote physical, spiritual and emotional well-being by interacting with the body's energy points. Mr Stone told MailOnline: 'Healing gemstones are believed to enhance both physical and mental well-being by harnessing their unique energetic properties to promote balance, alleviate stress and support emotional healing. 'A few popular examples include amethyst, known for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety, black tourmaline, thought to absorb negative energy, and turquoise, revered as a protective stone that fosters emotional harmony. 'Each gemstone offers distinct benefits, helping to improve overall well-being in various ways. It's easy to see why they've become a popular choice in everyday jewellery.' A number of royals, known for their symbolic sartorial choices, have embraced gemstone jewellery thought to possess such healing properties - as we explore below. Catherine, Princess of Wales Kate has been spotted wearing Missoma's 'Mini Pyramid' charm hoop earrings, priced at 85, on at least nine occasions. These dainty earrings, handcrafted from 18-carat gold-plated vermeil, feature pink rhodochrosite gemstones, which are associated with love and compassion. The earrings were particularly poignant during her November 2023 visit to Sebby's Corner in Barnet, where she launched an initiative supporting families during the festive season. Rhodochrosite is said to deepen emotional connections and encourage unconditional love. Kate has been spotted wearing Missoma's 'Mini Pyramid' charm hoop earrings, priced at 85, on at least nine occasions The dainty earrings feature pink rhodochrosite gemstones, associated with love and compassion Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Meghan has often used her jewellery to convey meaning. During the coronation weekend, she wore the 445 'Clarity Retreat' necklace designed by her friend and Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, in collaboration with Maya Brenner. Made with hand-cut clear quartz - a crystal believed to amplify energy and promote inner peace - the necklace also features a 2.5mm diamond, combining elegance with purpose. During the coronation weekend, she wore the 445 Clarity Retreat necklace designed by her friend and Suits co-star, Abigail Spencer, in collaboration with Maya Brenner Made with hand-cut clear quartz - a crystal believed to amplify energy and promote inner peace - the necklace also features a 2.5mm diamond, combining elegance with purpose Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie frequently wears Monica Vinader's 'Siren' earrings, which include amazonite crystals, known as the 'hope stone'. Priced at 115, these earrings were a fitting choice during her recent visit to Ethiopia as a Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Amazonite is thought to balance intellect and intuition, supporting spiritual healing and enhancing clarity. Monica Vinader's 'Siren' earrings were a fitting choice during Sophie recent visit to Ethiopia as a Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness The Prince and Princess of Wales have taken centre stage recently and their appearances in the last week may be a sign of what's to come, according to the Mail's Richard Eden. Looking back at Prince William and Princess Kate's engagements, Richard said, 'I really do feel we have had a glimpse of the future this week,' speaking on Mail+'s Palace Confidential. Last Friday, Kate hosted her fourth Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey which Richard, sitting alongside the Mail on Sunday's Charlotte Griffiths and Natasha Livingstone, described as 'the centre piece of the royal week'. The festive 'Together at Christmas' event, was attended by many royals, though King Charles and Queen Camilla were not present, and will be televised on Christmas Eve. Kate attended meetings to plan the service earlier this year and saw the magical finishing touches were complete on the day by arriving early. Later on, wearing an Alexander McQueen red coat topped with a black bow, she was joined by William and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 'And then we have had Prince William meeting the next president and carrying out those engagements overseas,' Richard added. The day after the carol service, on Saturday, William met US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris at the re-opening of the Notre-Dame. Prince William and Princess Kate with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the Christmas Carol Service Donald Trump shaking hands with Prince William at the Notre-Dame in Paris on December 7 Watch the latest episode of Palace Confidential here: The pair shook hands and reconvened later that day, with Trump describing the royal as 'very handsome' and a 'good man'. William's landmark meeting with Trump was expected to include discussions of the relationship between the US and the UK. Richard praised both Kate and William's recent engagements and expressed how them leading the Royal Family in such a way is 'very encouraging'. 'It has felt like they have taken the lead, and lets say they've done it extremely well, so it's a relief and it shows how strong the Royal Family is for the next generation, and that's very encouraging,' he added. It comes as Kate has gradually started to participate in more public engagements since completing her cancer treatment. Last month, she made her first appearance in months at the Festival of Remembrance event at the Royal Albert Hall. Kate was accompanied by William, who put a reassuring hand on her back as they entered the venue. The following day, Kate attended the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London and was seen standing by Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh while William and King Charles laid wreaths. Earlier this month, she was present at the official state visit of the Emir of Qatar and his wife and wore another Alexandra McQueen piece, styling herself in the colours of the Qatari flag. William and Trump meeting in Paris at the Embassy of the United Kingdom's Residence Kate wearing an Alexander McQueen red coat topped with a black bow to the carol service The Prince of Wales giving out presents to children at Picton Barracks in Wiltshire Reflecting on the Princess of Wales's conduct in her recent appearances, the Mail on Sunday's Editor at Large, Charlotte described how Kate has grown into her role as the future Queen. 'She's a real Queen in waiting I think, and she's always had such amazing poise, great fashion sense and she's just grown into the job so well,' she said. William's recent appearances have also included joining in with festivities at the Picton Barracks in Wiltshire. He chatted with servicemen, women and their families and gave out presents. Charlotte went on to agree with Richard that the past week felt like 'a glimpse of the future'. You'd be forgiven for thinking Australia is a country where only the very rich - or those who bought in the '70s and '80s - are able to own a house by the ocean. A home with a backyard now typically has a price tag in the millions - and even the highest earners can expect to live under mortgage stress if they want to live in a city like Sydney or the Gold Coast and still enjoy a sea breeze and coastal view. With the median national house price sitting at $873,116, even houses in the outer suburbs of the big cities are a stretch for someone buying on their own. But we've studied the real estate data and spoken to property experts, and the good news is it's still possible to live in a house with a backyard for less than $400,000. The catch is you'll need to be prepared to go to more remote, regional centres - but once you've made that leap, you'll have your pick of stunning, spacious homes, all within walking distance of the beach. With a 20 per cent deposit of $80,000, you can have buy your piece of seaside paradise on a $62,000 salary, whether you move to tropical Far North Queensland, a seaside town near Adelaide, a port suburb in Tasmania or a fishing and mining centre in Western Australia. This means those earning less than Australia's middle income have a chance to buy coastal real estate that's predicted to surge in value, based on strong economic activity. Lloyd Edge, a buyers agent and managing director of Aus Property Professionals, says regional coastal areas are a much better bet than buying something far inland for cheaper - and that's for one reason alone: lifestyle. The good news is it's still possible to live in a house with a backyard for less than $400,000 You'd be forgiven for thinking Australia is a country where only the very rich - or those who bought in the '70s and '80s - are able to own a house by the ocean (photo posed by model) But it's still possible to live in a house with a backyard for less than $400,000 and be within walking distance of the beach - for those prepared to go to more remote, regional centres (pictured is Geraldton, 420km north of Perth) 'Certainly you won't get anything in a capital city now for $300,000 but I do think the coastal areas are the next best thing to go,' Mr Edge tells Daily Mail Australia. 'People prefer to live by the coast. The regional markets away from the coast are probably going to have slower growth.' Regional Australia Institute chief executive Liz Ritchie says many regional area residents were able to earn more than those living in Australia's outer suburbs - and buy a house without suffering from mortgage stress. 'Additionally, capital city housing prices have reached levels that make them simply unaffordable for many people,' she tells Daily Mail Australia. 'Whilst many regional communities have also seen prices increase, overall, they remain more affordable than Australia's capitals.' Western Australia Geraldton has a median house price under $400,000 Regional Australia Institute noted affordable for workers Port city exports iron ore, wheat and lobsters to China Geraldton, 420km north of Perth, has a particularly affordable median house price of $391,648. It was highlighted on the Regional Australia Institute's Good Life Guide as being particularly affordable when house prices were compared with local incomes. The town's median income of $60,280 means those with a 20 per cent mortgage deposit of $78,330 are able to qualify for a home loan. The port town also exports iron ore, wheat and lobsters and is set to thrive as China reverses its punitive tariffs on Australian produce. Resolve Property Solutions founder Peter Gavalas, who specialises in the West Australian market, says ultra-cheap regional areas offer good value if they have multiple industries. 'They're good to invest in terms of the price point - buying sub-$400,000 across Australia these days is very limited,' he tells Daily Mail Australia. 'So if you can buy somewhere that's got adequate employment prospects [and has] good solid industries that are planned for expansion, that's going to give some pretty good capital growth.' Geraldton, 420km north of Perth, has a particularly affordable median house price of $391,648 Resolve Property Solutions founder Peter Gavalas said ultra-cheap regional areas offer good value if they have multiple industries (pictured is a house in Geraldton) The Geraldton area has been a particularly strong performer. Bluff Point, north of the town centre, has seen annual growth of 22.6 per cent during the past year, taking its mid-point to a still-affordable $430,304. Mr Edge says having at least two major industries means Geraldton would be more resilient if one of them faced a significant downturn, with the fortunes of the mining industry heavily tied to the Chinese economy. 'If you've got at least two, if one of them goes belly up, there's at least something else that will prop that town up,' he tells us. But its proximity to WA's Wheatbelt means Geraldton has economic activity from three big industries: wheat, iron ore and seafood. 'I generally like to have at least three,' Mr Edge says. Other areas of regional WA also offer good value. Leeman, south of Geraldton, has a median house price of $395,622. South Carnarvon, north of Geraldton, is even cheaper at $257,332 and is near the Ningaloo Reef and Shark Bay. Mr Gavalas says these parts of regional Western Australia are popular with farmers who want a holiday home. 'A lot of them are buying properties on the coast,' he says. Far North Queensland is particularly good value with Kurrimine Beach, a popular holiday spot south of Cairns, having a particularly affordable median house price of just $394,266 Parts of north Queensland, north of Townsville, are also very affordable. Forrest Beach's mid-point house price is just $363,647 Queensland Areas between Cairns and Townsville particularly affordable They would suit those seeking warmer weather near the beach But tropical areas are also prone to having summer cyclones Far North Queensland is particularly good value with Kurrimine Beach, a popular holiday spot south of Cairns, having a particularly affordable median house price of just $394,266. Areas north of Townsville are also cheap. Forrest Beach's mid-point house price is just $363,647. But Mr Edge says the danger of cyclones makes him wary of north Queensland. 'The ones around Townsville I tend to stay away from because there's quite a bit of weather events around there, like cyclones,' he says. 'The weather events do have quite a big impact on overall growth - it's more of a perception than anything.' Edithburgh has a median house price of just $378,610, which is less than half great Adelaide's mid-point value of $856,856 (pictured is a house at nearby Sultana Point) Ceduna, the gateway to the Nullarbor Plain, is particularly affordable with a mid-point house price of $280,335 South Australia Cheap beach towns three-hour drive from Adelaide Areas also receiving lots of state government investment Coastal homes are only half Adelaide's median house price Coastal towns in South Australia, a three-hour drive from Adelaide, are very affordable. Edithburgh has a median house price of just $378,610, which is less than half greater Adelaide's mid-point value of $856,856. The Spencer Gulf also offers cheap housing near the water with Cowell, north east of Port Lincoln, having a median house price of $300,405. Whyalla, a steelmaking town, is even cheaper at $279,129 and the South Australian government is building a hydrogen power plant in the area that is due to open in 2026. Port Augusta is even easier on the hip pocket at $229,947, with the government duplicating the highway from Port Wakefield to Lochiel, meaning a better road connection to Adelaide. Mr Edge says Whyalla and Port Augusta were particularly good prospects because the state government was spending money in these tourism-focused areas with a crayfishing and yabbying industry. 'The South Australian government has got a lot of infrastructure that's going in - that's going to splurge out beyond Adelaide,' he says. Ceduna, the gateway to the Nullarbor Plain, is particularly affordable with a mid-point house price of $280,335 but it is an eight-hour drive from Adelaide. Parts of northern Tasmania are also affordable with Upper Burnie having a median house price of $388,993 Tasmania Bargain near port city of Burnie in Tasmania's north Burnie is home to North West Regional Hospital Former logging area reinvented itself as artisan hub Areas of northern Tasmania are still cheap with Upper Burnie having a median house price of $388,993. This suburb, next door to the port city of Burnie, is the state's most affordable area within a short drive of the coast. Burnie, north-west Tasmania's second largest city, is 47km west of Devonport, where the Spirit of Tasmania docks after sailing across Bass Strait from Melbourne. The satellite city also hosts cruise ships, and has reinvented itself as an artisan hub following the closure of the area's old-growth logging and pulp milling industries. Upper Burnie's mid-point house price is also significantly more affordable than greater Hobart's median house value of $692,504. Burnie is also home to North West Regional Hospital, which is Tasmania's third largest health centre. At least four pilots witnessed UFOs, some 'moving at extreme speeds' over Oregon this past weekend. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson told DailyMail.com that at least one of the aviators 'reported seeing unidentified lights while flying in Seattle Air Route Traffic Control (ATC) airspace' during an alarming December 7th episode. While the administration would not confirm the presence of any FAA radar data that could corroborate the sighting, FAA ATC audio reveals the pilots in a state of shock. An ambulance pilot stated he saw a bright light, 'red in color,' barreling towards his plane at 'extreme' speeds, before suddenly reversing course back toward the Pacific. 'I don't even know how to describe how fast it was moving,' the air ambulance pilot, with Life Flight's Air Medical Transport service, can be heard saying on the tape. Later on Sunday night, December 8th, a United Airlines pilot reported an unexpected squadron of strange lights above the Eugene, Oregon-area, according to local news, which has long been a UFO hot spot along with the surrounding Pacific Northwest. 'We're seeing three or four targets. They're all altitudes. Up and down,' the United pilot told Seattle ARTCC (ZSE). 'It's pretty crazy.' A United Airlines pilot, another pilot flying a Life Flight air ambulance and two more aviators with Horizon all witnessed UFOs - some 'moving at extreme speeds' - over Oregon this past weekend. Above, one pilot's photo of their encounter, as obtained by local NBC affiliate KGW 8 Two more pilots with Horizon Airlines pilots also told ZSE controllers that they too were seeing inexplicable and brightly lit UFOs in the night sky that Sunday, according to at least one air traffic controller who spoke to local NBC affiliate KGW 8 News. But it was Life Flight's ambulance pilot who reported the most bizarre of these UFO or UAP encounters, telling ZSE air traffic controllers that one of these lights was circling in a 'corkscrew pattern.' The Life Flight pilot also said that the lights popped up on his aircraft's collision avoidance system, likely discounting theories of misidentified glints or flares of SpaceX Starlink satellites or more distant celestial phenomena. 'You are cleared to maneuver as necessary a left or right to avoid the UFO out there,' an air traffic controller told the ambulance pilot. At its nearest, this red glowing UFO got to within 'about 20 miles or closer' of the medical plane, according to the pilot. 'It keeps zipping out towards the ocean and then coming back,' he told air traffic control, 'then it zips back to the ocean.' 'It's weird. Its [a] red, circular shape.' In its statement to DailyMail.com, the FAA said that it shares only well-documented UFO/UAP cases reported to the air traffic controllers with the Pentagon. 'If supporting information such as radar data corroborates the report, the FAA shares it with the UAP Task Force,' an FAA spokesperson said via email. Above, a photo of two of the UFOs taken by one of the pilot witnesses. Some dedicated UFO researchers - including University of Utah mechanical engineer Dr Douglas Buettner - believe that the lights are most likely misidentified Starlink internet satellites The Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center (mapped above) is responsible for controlling and ensuring proper separation of aircraft in Washington state, most of Oregon, parts of Idaho, Montana, Nevada and California - as well as neighboring areas west into the Pacific Ocean But the federal aviation safety agency did not respond to requests for clarification, generating confusion over the fact that the Pentagon officially disbanded the UAP Task Force on November 23, 2021. FAA did, however, make note of the Pentagon's current UAP investigations office: 'The Department of Defense All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office serves as the centralized clearing house for UAP reporting impacting national security or safety.' 'Multiple US government agencies have individual programs or processes to study and document UAP. However, the agencies also work collaboratively,' FAA said. Some dedicated UFO researchers, including University of Utah mechanical engineer Dr Douglas Buettner, lean towards the idea that the lights (or some of them) were most likely misidentified Starlink internet satellites, launched into orbit by SpaceX. 'I've had two other people look at it, and they say it is consistent with Starlink,' Dr Buettner told KGW 8 News. 'Literally all it is it's the sun hits the satellite just right, and it is being reflected back into your eye.' Dr Buettner told DailyMail.com that he has only '60 to 80 percent confidence' in this hypothesis right now. 'I'd like to get the radar from the airport,' he noted via, email. 'And we can try and pull the flights' [...] ADS-B info.' Short for Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast, ADSB hardware collects and records an aircraft's positioning source, the craft's avionics data (communications, navigation, and other flight computer information) and more for later use. Since May of this year, Dr Buettner has also been a board member of the nonprofit Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU), which is dedicated to investigating airborne mysteries just like this. Oregon has enjoyed the interest and attention of UFO hunters as the home of UFO Fest, held in the small town of McMinnville in Yamhill County. Each May, the town's McMenamins Hotel in Oregon stages its celebration of the extra-terrestrial. Just a freak occurrence: McMinnville, Oregon locals dress up as their favorite aliens Imaging experts have tried to use radiometry to estimate the distance and size of the McMinnville UFO: an approach borrowed from astronomy that estimates the distance of an object presumed to be perfectly black up close, as it fades to gray in a photo's distant haze The infamous McMinnville UFO photos have remained two of the most famous and thoroughly studied 'flying saucer' images in modern history, since they premiered in LIFE magazine in June 1950. Taken by Oregon farmer Paul Trent, the McMinnville photos have been scrutinized by a 'Carl Sagan Medal'-winning planetary scientist, William Hartmann; US Navy optical physicist, Bruce Maccabee; and a former satellite imagery analyst for the European Space Agency, Francois Louange, but the classic 'flying saucer' photos have never been conclusively explained. 'This is one of the few UFO reports in which all factors investigated, geometric, psychological, and physical appear to be consistent with the assertion that an extraordinary flying object, silvery, metallic, disk-shaped, tens of meters in diameter, and evidently artificial, flew within sight of two witnesses,' Hartmann wrote in his review for the US Air Force-funded Condon Report. In 1975, Bruce Maccabee, the US Navy optical physicist, managed to track down Trent's original photo negatives in an effort to determine if the unidentified object might be a scale model hanging by a string. 'Nobody's found the thread,' Maccabee told the DailyMail.com, 'but if the Trents were fortunate and happened to pick a thread that wasn't solid black but was white or greyish colored you couldn't have seen it anyway.' Leading scientists have issued an urgent warning over the 'unprecedented' risk posed by a lab-made life which could wipe out mankind. So-called 'mirror life' are synthetic organisms that are constructed out of mirrored versions of the molecules found in nature. Experts warn that these mirror organisms would be 'invisible' to life on Earth, allowing them to slip past the immune defences of all known organisms. If mirror bacteria were to escape from the lab, there would be nothing to prevent them from establishing themselves in the wild and threatening plants, animals, and humans with lethal infections. The creation of mirror bacteria is at least a decade away but, in a 300-page technical review published in Science, the authors note that rapid progress is already being made. A group of 38 Nobel laureates and other experts, including some who have previously tried to create mirror life, are now calling for a pause on all new research. Dr Vaughn Cooper, a microbiologist from the University of Pittsburgh and co-author of the paper, says: 'This form of life has never existed or evolved, consequently, all biological interactions would be different or likely wouldnt work. 'We dont want to limit that promise of synthetic biology, but building a mirror bacterium is not worth the risk.' 38 leading scientists have issued an urgent warning over 'mirror life'. This is a form of artificial life in which all the biological molecules like DNA are mirrored. In the case of the DNA, this means the double-helix would spiral in the other direction (stock image) Just like your left hand is a mirror image of your right, many biological molecules also have a left and right-handed mirror molecule. What makes this feature so important for biology is that it doesn't vary from species to species - the molecules which make up all life on Earth have the same handedness. For example, the spiralling double-helix of the DNA is right-handed whereas proteins are made up of left-handed amino acids. Yet, as far as scientists can tell, the fact that our DNA is right-handed is an evolutionary fluke and there is no reason that life might not have evolved out of mirrored components. So, although mirror life cannot evolve from life as we know it, scientists believe it is possible to create an organism in which all the biological molecules are mirrored. What would make this so risky is that life on Earth has only evolved to deal with one shape of molecule. Co-author Professor Gregory Winter, a Nobel prize-winning biologist from the University of Cambridge, told MailOnline: 'The risk of mirror life, in particular mirror bacteria, is that living organisms would not recognise their mirror counterparts as foreign and would not have the natural defences to protect themselves from attack by them. Scientists have called for a pause on the creation of 'mirror bacteria' since these would be able to bypass the immune defences of all life on Earth and lead to potentially deadly infections (stock image) 'For example, humans would struggle to make antibodies against the mirror bacteria and be unable to control an infection. Similar arguments apply to all other living organisms, including plants under attack by mirror bacteria.' What is mirror life? Life on Earth has evolved to have right-handed DNA and left-handed amino acids. Scientists call this naturally chiral. In mirror life, all of these molecules would be replaced by their mirrored alternative. A mirror organism would be able to function normally except for the fact that naturally chiral chemical processes wouldn't interact with it. This means a mirror bacteria would likely be invisible to the immune responses of any naturally chiral organism on Earth. Advertisement Likewise, bacteria's natural predators also rely extensively on the handedness of their prey's molecules to kill bacteria. This means there is nothing to stop rogue mirror bacteria from escaping into the wild and breeding without control. The authors write: 'We cannot rule out a scenario in which a mirror bacterium acts as an invasive species across many ecosystems, causing pervasive lethal infections in a substantial fraction of plant and animal species, including humans.' Even if humans do find a way to defend themselves from this new threat, mirror bacteria could still destabilise large parts of the world's ecosystem. Co-author Dr Nicholas Talbot, a plant disease expert and executive director of the Sainsbury Laboratory told MailOnline: 'It seems very likely that a mirror bacterium would be able to infect some plants. 'If major food crops were susceptible, the impact would be devastating alongside the other effects.' The good news is that the technology to create mirror life is still far off. In their paper, the authors note that there have been significant breakthroughs in the creation of mirror molecules and the construction of artificial cells. Unlike most of the world's deadliest pathogens (illustrated) there would be no way to defend against mirror bacteria. Mirror bacteria would also be able to infect any organism regardless of species, potentially leading to massive ecological damage and a devastating pandemic However, creating synthetic molecules is extremely expensive and would require massive breakthroughs in the field of synthetic cell research. Dr Talbot says: 'The technical hurdles to create mirror bacteria are significant, so this is probably at least a decade away from being possible, but we felt sufficiently concerned about the risk that we wanted to establish public discourse on this long before it became a reality.' The researchers are calling for greater scrutiny of their research and conclude that, unless compelling evidence emerges to the contrary, mirror bacteria must not be created. While there are some possible benefits of mirror bacteria, such as biological drug synthesis and medical applications, the authors argue that the risks are not worth it. Dr Cooper concludes: 'It would require enormous effort to build such an organism but we must stop that progress and have an organized, inclusive dialogue about how to effectively govern this.' Earth is well overdue for a devastating solar superflare which could hit with more power than billions of atomic bombs, scientists have warned. The most accurate study to date has revealed that superflares capable of wiping out power grids and satellites are far more common than scientists once thought. Researchers now believe that these disastrous events occur once every 100 years, rather than once every 1,000 to 10,000 as was thought. This means that Earth may soon be struck by a solar 'tantrum' releasing one octillion joules of energy - that's one followed by 27 zeros. That's over 100 times more powerful than the Carrington Event of 1859 which collapsed parts of the telegraph network and even ignited sheets of paper in offices. If an event of this strength were to hit Earth today, the impact would be even more devastating due to our increased reliance on satellite communication networks. An impact from a superflare would overload power grids, knock satellites out of orbit, silence global communication networks, and ground aircraft around the world. Co-author Dr Natalie Krivova, of the Max Planck Institute, says: 'The new data are a stark reminder that even the most extreme solar events are part of the sun's natural repertoire.' Earth is overdue for a devastating superflare which could wipe out communication systems and knock satellites out of orbit, scientists have warned (stock image) As this year's extremely active Northern Lights have made clear, the sun is capable of chucking a huge amount of radiation our way. However, the sun also has the ability to produce what scientists call superflares - enormous bursts of radiation and stellar material far bigger than anything seen in living memory. The record of these events is written into the rings of prehistoric trees and layers or ice millennia-old glacial ice as layers of radioactive Carbon 14. However, since modern observations of the sun's radiation have only been available since the beginning of the space age, it is difficult to predict how often these superflares occur. Instead of looking down to Earth to find answers, an international team of researchers led by the Max Planck Institute (MPI) looked up to the stars. Co-author Dr Sami Solanki, director of the MPI, says: 'We cannot observe the sun over thousands of years. 'Instead, however, we can monitor the behaviour of thousands of stars very similar to the sun over short periods of time.' The scientists recorded the data from 56,450 Earth-like stars seen by NASA's Kepler telescope between 2009 and 2014. Normally, the Earth's magnetic field (right) protects us from the Sun's radiation. However, during moments of intense activity called superflares, huge bursts of radiation and charged particles can wreak havoc on the planet How frequent are superflares? Earlier estimates had suggested that superflares only occur between once every 1,000 to 10,000 years. However, due to data limitations, these estimates only used a small set of stars which don't have nearby neighbours. Across four years of data, this paper found 2,889 superflares on 2,527 56,450 Earth-like stars. That would mean a superflare occurs once every century. Measurements of radioactive elements on Earth point towards a superflare every 1,500 years. However, the researchers claim that Earth-based studies are not reliable since a superflare might not always leave a radioactive trace. Advertisement In total, this provided the team with the equivalent of 220,000 years of solar activity across stars with similar brightnesses and surface temperatures to our sun. By watching how many of these stars sent out a superflare during the four-year period, the researchers were able to work out how often a star has one across the course of its life. The researchers spotted 2,889 superflares on 2,527 of the observed stars, meaning that a superflare should occur roughly once per century. First author Dr Valeriy Vasilyev, of the MPS, says: 'We were very surprised that sun-like stars are prone to such frequent superflares.' Earlier research had suggested that the average interval between superflares could be a thousand or even ten thousand years. However, those studies didn't have good enough data to figure out the exact origin of a solar flare so they could only look at stars which didn't have any close neighbours. The researchers claim that their new study is the most precise and sensitive to date. There is also evidence of the arrival of vast solar storms right here on Earth. Scientists used to think that superflares occurred once every 1,000-10,000 years but this new study suggests that they might occur as often as every century. A superflare would make the huge X-class flare of October this year (pictured) look tiny by comparison A superflare would release the energy of several billion atomic bombs and transmit one octillion joules of energy, one followed by 27 zeros. This would be 100 times more powerful than the solar flare which caused the 1859 Carrington event which knocked out global telegraph systems When a superflare erupts it can send a wave of highly energetic particles towards Earth in an event called a coronal mass ejection. These particles slam into carbon atoms and produce a radioactive isotope called Carbon 14 (C14). Because C14 has such a long half-life, scientists can spot it thousands of years later and work out when a solar flare hit and how strong it was. Using these techniques, the researchers found five extreme solar particle events and three superflare candidates in the last 12,000 years, the most violent of which occurred in 775 AD. However, that only yields a frequency of one superflare every 1,500 years. Co-author Professor Ilya Usoskin, from the University of Oulu in Finland, says: 'It is unclear whether gigantic flares are always accompanied by coronal mass ejections and what is the relationship between superflares and extreme solar particle events.' This means that previous estimates which have looked at evidence from Earth might seriously underestimate how common superflares can be. While it's impossible to say when the sun's next superflare might occur, the results could be catastrophic. Solar flares can release large amounts of stellar material in events called Coronal Mass Ejections (pictured). When these hit Earth they create radioactive isotopes called Carbon 14. However, the researchers say that focusing on Carbon 14 has led scientists to underestimate how common superflares are If a solar flare hits it will cause serious damage to our orbiting communications and GPS satellites. In 2031, the European Space Agency will launch a satellite which will sit nearer to the sun to give an advanced warning to those in low-Earth orbit In 1989 a large geomagnetic storm led to a nine-hour energy outage across Quebec. Likewise, in 2003, a flare caused Sweden to lose power for an hour. The impact of a solar flare is particularly bad for satellites which sit beyond the protective shield of Earth's atmosphere. Not only can the impact of ionising radiation affect communications systems, but solar flares can even pull satellites out of orbit. As the arrival of stellar material charges gasses around Earth, the atmosphere expands and exposes satellites in low-Earth orbit to increased drag. This can lead to vital GPS and communications satellites drifting out of their proper orbits. In 2031, the European Space Agency will launch the Vigil satellite which will be positioned at 60 degrees to the sun to provide an early warning of solar storms before they reach Earth. This could buy vital time to power down energy grids and turn off satellites before the wave of energy hits. With less than two weeks until his Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown hits theaters, Timothee Chalamet revealed some surprising details about the film. The film - based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wald - features the 28-year-old Chalamet both singing and performing Dylan's songs on guitar. The actor appeared on Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday to promote the film, where he teased a special Christmas surprise. Since the film opens nationwide on Christmas Day, it's unclear what Chalamet plans on unveiling, though it's connected to Dylan's 2009 holiday song Must Be Santa. He also charted the long journey this film had to get to the big screen - which he was originally supposed to shoot in the summer of 2019. Chalamet even shared an exclusive video of him singing a Bob Dylan song... while on the set of his first Dune movie. With less than two weeks until his Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown hits theaters, Timothee Chalamet revealed some surprising details about the film The film - based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wald - features the 28-year-old Chalamet both singing and performing Dylan's songs on guitar Chalamet even shared an exclusive video of him singing a Bob Dylan song... while on the set of his first Dune movie The actor began by admitting, 'This is a movie I'm absolutely the proudest of in my career,' which covers a four-year span between 1961 and 1965. The first year is when Dylan moved from his home state of Minnesota to New York City, and 1965 was his controversial performance at the Newport Folk Festival where he used an electric guitar for the first time. Colbert mentioned that the film not only charted Dylan's career between those years, but also shined a light on America as a country at that time. 'It's as much of a movie about Bob Dylan's early life from 1961 to 1965, as it is about the United States at this time, Greenwich village at that time, a sort of fraught political environment,' Chalamet said. The actor admitted he was 'not very educated' about Dylan's work when he first signed on, but when he first started looking up his music, he first found some of his press conferences from 1965. 'I got approached with the material and there were these press conferences is that popped up from 1965 where he so confrontational in his media appearances and he is so elusive and mysterious,' Chalamet said. He then charted the arduous journey this film took to arrive in theaters in a few short weeks, more than five years in the making. 'It was supposed to be the summer of 2019 we were supposed to shoot it. Excuse me. Summer of 2020 we were supposed to shoot it, and the pandemic happened,' Chalamet said. The actor began by admitting, 'This is a movie I'm absolutely the proudest of in my career,' which covers a four-year span between 1961 and 1965 'It's as much of a movie about Bob Dylan's early life from 1961 to 1965, as it is about the United States at this time, Greenwich village at that time, a sort of fraught political environment,' Chalamet said The actor admitted he was 'not very educated' about Dylan's work when he first signed on, but when he first started looking up his music, he first found some of his press conferences from 1965. While both he and director James Mangold moved on to other projects, he kept working on Dylan, as they even showed a video of him performing a Dylan song on the set of the first Dune movie. 'We were supposed to do it in 2023 and the actors strike happened. I started to think, is there a hex on this project? Then we did at the following summer, last summer. It was a relief. I felt like I was getting some thing off my plate,' he admitted. The actor also admitted that the recorded all the music live to camera, which is quite rare in films of this ilk, but Chalamet admitted it 'clicked' something inside him. 'The worst thing we could have done with a Bob Dylan biopic is sanitized that make it sound clean. This was a man from iron ore country. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbing, Duluth. You hear it in his voice. I didn't want to be a new Yorker recording in Los Angeles decimating that music,' he said. Chalamet added, 'This is like an American hero, an American great. One of the fantastic artist of our time. This movie is a humble bridge, it's a gateway to hopefully anybody who's not a fan to discover it.' When asked if he was going to be playing Must Be Santa over the holidays, Chalamet teased, 'I've got a little Must Be Santa surprise up my sleeve.' Netflix fans are raving over a 'ten out of ten' true crime documentary series that 'sets a new standard for the genre' - gushing that it's 'better than anything else in 2024'. Brand new Netflix series The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga has been dubbed the next Tiger King. The show follows a small-town feud, an internet conspiracy, an Elvis impersonator, black-market body parts, and an assassination attempt on former president Barack Obama. Viewers have been obsessing over the wild series since it's debut on Wednesday. On X, one wrote: '#TheKingsofTupelo (on Netflix) is the best, & certainly most dense, doc I have ever seen. Its true crime, but so much more than that. It made me feel more than any other movie this year. There is just so much to unpack. A new standard for the genre. 10/10' 'If this wasn't the most wackiest, completely hilarious, unhinged, most insane true crime docuseries to date, I don't know what is. 5 damn stars. You can't make that s**t up. Or can you?', another said. Paul Kevin Curtis takes center stage in the upcoming Netflix docuseries The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga He claims James Everett Dutschke (pictured), a karate instructor in Tupelo, Mississippi, made his life a 'living hell' A third post said: '2024s #Tigerking is called #thekingsoftupelo. Love it. I need to visit, these people cant be real.' Others said it feels like a 'fever dream' and they 'cannot wait for more people to watch' it. The trailer is narrated by contributor and leading character Paul Kevin Curtis. 'I had the most controversial story in the entire state of Mississippi and possibly the entire country,' he says. 'My mama raised me on Jesus, Elvis, and cornbread. And yes, in that order. I had a peaceful, nice life. But one person hated me and made my life a living hell. 'James Everett Dutschke - a karate instructor in Tupelo, Mississippi.' Curtis's feud with Dutschke is laid bare in the documentary, including drive-by shootings and arson. 'He shot my dog with a tranquilizer!' Curtis exclaims in the teaser, before adding, 'This is my rival enemy stalking every move I made.' 'This thing became a war,' he adds. 'I said quit stalking me, b**ch!' In 2014, Dutschke was sentenced to 25 years in prison. His sentence came one year after he was arrested for sending ricin-laced letters to Obama. Curtis, however, was initially charged over the crime. In the gripping two-minute trailer, Curtis claims Dutschke shot his dog with a tranquilizer Curtis's brother, Elvis impersonator Jack Curtis, is also dragged into the saga Dutschke was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2014 for sending ricin-laced letters to Obama Speaking to AP in 2014, he claimed Dutschke had 'hated' and 'stalked' him. 'To this day I have no clue of why he hates me,' he added to the publication. The official synopsis for The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga teases: 'When an eccentric Elvis impersonator makes a shocking discovery in a morgue, he goes right to the internet and down a rabbit hole into a world of conspiracy. 'His mission to expose the dark underbelly of Tupelo sparks a rivalry that starts local but climbs to the highest office in Washington, D.C.' The docuseries is from the directors of the Emmy-winning series Wild Wild Country and the studio that made Tiger King. The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga is available to stream on Netflix. Giovanni Pernice is just days away from returning to screens after ditching the BBC for an upcoming Channel 4 series. The line-up for Celebrity Hunted has been revealed and it includes Loose Women, soap actors and pop stars, along with familiar Strictly faces. The Channel 4 show sees a group of celebrities, AKA Fugitives, go on the run across mainland UK for 14 days as they are chased by the Hunters - a handpicked team of police and military personnel. Hunters have access to all of the celeb's personal information and use the 'powers of the state' to locate and capture them, including cyber forensic technology, ANPR, CCTV, helicopters, drones, dogs and call tracing. They even use social media to bribe members of the public or captured contestants with monetary rewards in exchange for information on the celebs whereabouts. Those who successfully evade capture for 14 days must reach a designated 'extraction' point on the final day before winning 100,000 for Stand Up To Cancer. The line-up this year includes Strictly Come Dancing pros Giovanni Pernice, 34, and Kai Widdrington, 29. The line-up for Celebrity Hunted has been revealed with two familiar faces from previous series making unlikely returns and a Strictly pro turning their back on the BBC Giovanni's participation on the show marks his return to British TV after he was sacked from Strictly following a BBC investigation into Amanda Abbington's allegations that he bullied her during rehearsals The Sicilian dancer joined the Italian version of Strictly - Ballando Con Le Stelle - instead before being cleared of ten out of 16 allegations when the BBC probe concluded in September Emmerdale have released the first look pictures of Denise Welch as she takes on a role for the end of villain Tom King's storyline Giovanni's participation on the show marks his return to British TV after he was sacked from Strictly following a BBC investigation into Amanda Abbington's allegations that he bullied her during rehearsals. The Sicilian dancer joined the Italian version of Strictly - Ballando Con Le Stelle - instead, before being cleared of ten out of 16 allegations when the BBC probe concluded in September. Also joining the star-studded cast of Celebrity Hunted is Loose Womens Denise Welch, 66, and her husband Lincoln Townley, 51. It comes as Denise enjoys a wave of new TV jobs, including appearing on an upcoming episode of Emmerdale as a member of the jury as Tom King faces trial for abusing his wife Belle Dingle. She is also being lined up to return to Waterloo Road. The soap stars joining Celebrity Hunted are EastEnders actress Danielle Harold, 32, and Corrie's Kimberly Hart-Simpson, 37. Journalists including former BBC news anchor Simon McCoy, 63, and ITV News anchor Lucrezia Millarini, 48, are also on the list of this year's Fugitives. Other celebs joining the show include popstar Duncan James, 46, model Christine McGuinness, 36, podcasters David Whitely, 33, and Zeze Millz, 35. Celebrity Hunted will air on January 5 at 9pm on Channel 4. TV fans previously hailed the animated action series Harley Quinn as the 'best show out there' - and it's just weeks away from returning to screens. The black comedy superhero series, which first aired in 2019, is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It follows the adventures of the Joker's former sidekick and love interest, with the character voiced by The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco. Meanwhile, Harley's best friend and new partner Poison Ivy is played by Boston Legal's Lake Bell. The series currently holds a 97% rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes, with fans sharing their thoughts on the site. After watching the first season, one posted: 'Its the best adult animated show out there for viewing pleasure. DC have to make something else like this.' TV fans previously hailed the animated action series Harley Quinn as the 'best show out there' - and it's just weeks away from returning to screens First airing in 2019, the black comedy superhero series Harley Quinn is based on the DC Comics character of the same name (Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell play Harley and Poison Ivy) Another said: 'Great introductory season for Harley Quinn, especially coming from someone like me who has never seen and has no idea of the DC universe, Henry shared. Love everything from the concept to its final execution.' The show's upcoming fifth season is due to premiere on January 16, 2025, with the trailer dropping this week. A synopsis for the show teased: 'Harley and Poison Ivy declare their home city of Gotham has fallen apart and decide to carry out a move to Metropolis, the home of 'all things Superman, Lois Lane, and the Daily Planet.' 'Harley and Ivy discover that something sinister is at play and all is not what it seems. Looming threats include Lex Luthor and his sister, Lena Luthor, plus fan-favourite Brainiac.' 'But of course, Harleys crew of misfits and allies will join her on this irreverent journey that takes no prisoners in having fun in the DC sandbox.' Expressing their excitement at the trailer, many fans said they were counting down the days to tune in once again. One fan posted on YouTube: 'Yes, I miss my girl Harley and her crazy shenanigans.'; 'Love that this show is getting so many seasons, it deserves it.'; 'Crazy how this is already on season 5. Such a fun good show.' The show's upcoming fifth season is due to premiere on January 16, 2025, with the trailer dropping this week and fans couldn't be more thrilled The voice cast for the series also includes Diedrich Bader as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Ron Funches as King Shark, Stephen Fry as Brainiac, Natalie Morales as Lois Lane, JB Smoove as Frank the Plant, Alan Tudyk as Clayface and Joker, and Aisha Tyler as Lena Luthor. Harley Quinn is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV Plus in the UK. In 2019, Kaley talked about voicing the title character in the animated series at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. She said: 'She goes through growth but its like a few steps forward and 25 steps back. She falls back in her old ways again and cant really help it.' The MND responds on conducting military exercises: as water has no constant form, there are in warfare no constant conditions 10:42, December 13, 2024 By Chen Lei, Wu Mingqi ( China Military Online Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a regular news conference on Friday. Question: Recently, the leader of the Taiwan region Lai Cheng-te transited through Hawaii and the Guam. The PLA has not announced any information on conducing military exercises. Taiwan's defense authorities claimed that the mainland has implemented restrictive measures on coastal airspace and the number of warships deployed around Taiwan is bigger than ever before, and that Taiwan's military has established an "Emergency Operations Center" to closely monitor the PLA's actions and will stay on high alert. Will the PLA conduct any military exercise? What's your comment Wu Qian: It is the PLA's lofty mission to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and defend the shared interests of compatriots on both sides of the Strait. As water has no constant form, there are in warfare no constant conditions. The PLA will decide whether and when to conduct military exercises in accordance with our needs and the situation on the ground. Whether there is a military exercise or not, the PLA will never be absent in fighting "Taiwan independence" and promoting national reunification. Any attempt to split the nation through soliciting external support or resorting to force will be punished, and will never succeed. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Workers prepare the site of an affordable housing development in September at 2550 Irving St. in San Francisco. Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle On Dec. 2, Gov. Gavin Newsom convened a special session of the state Legislature focused on upholding Californian values. The session was intended to focus on bolstering California legal resources to protect civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, and immigrant families, with Newsom seeking up to $25 million for anticipated legal battles with the Trump administration. To most effectively preserve Californian values, however, Newsom will have the biggest impact if he focuses just as much on promoting new homes as he does on legal activism. Californias slow housing production is a direct threat to the future of our states political values and power in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election. California faces a fundamental problem: Our state doesnt build enough new homes at all levels of affordability, and the cost of living is too high as a result. According to the states Legislative Analysts Office, the median home price in California is more than twice as expensive as other states. Rents have increased by more than 30% on average across the state since 2020, piling on top of decades of existing price increases. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Californians who leave the state most commonly cite high housing costs, according to the Public Policy Institute for California. The majority of those residents are low and middle-income though the rate of high-income California emigrants has increased rapidly recently as well. Data produced by the California Research Bureau, a state government research institute, shows that California issued permits for less than half the amount of homes per month in 2023 than it did in the 1980s, approximately half as much housing as Texas and two-thirds as many as Florida. As a result of our slow growth relative to other states, California is on track to lose four seats in the House of Representatives and the proportional electoral votes by 2030, while Texas and Florida could gain four House seats each. Our barriers to building homes threaten our political influence for a generation. What is the value of strong civil rights and reproductive freedom in our state if those most vulnerable to oppression cannot afford to benefit from them? Though its too late for Newsoms special session to include housing, he can ensure that legislators make meaningful changes to Californias housing regime in the legislative session that begins Jan. 6. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The state can start by looking at legal restrictions on development, embodied most starkly by single-family zoning laws. Zoning rules generally regulate the size and appearance of new developments. Single-family zoning specifically requires that only one house can be built per lot a de facto ban on apartments and affordable housing. Apartments are banned in 85% of residential land in the Bay Area and 89% of the land in its wealthiest county, San Mateo. Newsom should push the Legislature to substantially change zoning statewide, especially near major public transit stops and corridors. Prior legislation Newsom signed, like SB9 in 2021 and SB450 this past year, have attempted to legalize duplexes in single-family neighborhoods, and a collection of laws has facilitated a boom in the production of accessory dwelling units, colloquially known as backyard cottages. The administration can go further, embracing no-strings-attached rezonings for dense apartments in all neighborhoods near high-quality transportation corridors. Prior attempts to allow five-to-eight-story buildings within a quarter mile of transit, such as SB827 in 2018 and SB50 in 2019, provide a model. Layered with existing laws, statewide rezoning can allow new housing while also protecting preexisting tenants from evictions because of demolition. Even when developments comply with local zoning rules, slow permitting processes, expensive fees and restrictive building codes raise building costs, limiting the financial feasibility for new homes. Some areas face additional constraints, such as the increasingly large portion of the state covered by historic districts and the high-demand areas regulated under Californias coastal zone. Well-intended environmental laws also pose a barrier to new housing. The California Environmental Quality Act, first passed in 1970, was a landmark law that established a review process for significant government decisions like new mines, refineries or power stations to avoid negative environmental impacts. Today, however, 78% of lawsuits under CEQA are against housing in higher-income neighborhoods of preexisting cities blocking housing in the areas that need it most. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ideally, CEQA would protect our most vulnerable environments, critical habitat, water quality and verdant forests. But right now, CEQA makes it easier to build suburban sprawl on prime farmland in the Central Valley than it does apartments on vacant parking lots in downtown San Francisco. A report by the Little Hoover Institute, a government-sponsored watchdog, wisely recommends creating a broad, simplified exemption for infill housing from CEQA review. Infill housing refers to housing within existing cities. To protect open space and preserve the environment Californians cherish while simultaneously creating homes for those who need them, we must make it easier to build housing in areas where people can live more sustainably near transit and jobs. About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies Fundamentally, defending Californias values depends on solving our housing shortage. Our state can be a haven for womens rights, for the LGBTQ community, for immigrants and for anyone in need of a safe place only if we have enough housing. Preserving the freedom and security of Californians, present and future, will require allowing homes to be built for them to live in. Newsom and the Legislature have an opportunity to better promote our states values with housing. Furious Channel Ten insiders claim the network's newsroom has been 'completely compromised' by having the influential wife of a presenter attend editorial production meetings. Narelda Jacobs' wife Karina Natt recently started appearing on the newsroom floor at Ten's Pyrmont, Sydney, headquarters. Ms Natt, until recently a Greens party powerbroker, is now Jacobs' talent manager. Sources have also expressed concerns about Jacobs, a Whadjuk Noongar woman, using 10 News First's lunchtime and afternoon bulletins as a platform for activist causes - including her sympathetic coverage of a Perth grandmother's jailing in Japan. An internal critic told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Natt has made multiple appearances at Ten's HQ and, during some of those visits, attended editorial discussions about Jacobs' program. Her latest appearance at Ten was on Thursday last week. In addition, Jacobs is also said to seek advice about news stories from a close-knit network of influential female friends outside of the organisation, known as 'the Clitorati'. Those consultations, plus her sympathetic coverage of the criminal case against Indigenous grandmother and romance scam victim Donna Nelson in a Japanese court this month, have sparked fury within the walls of Network Ten. Channel Ten insiders claim the network's newsroom has been 'completely compromised' by having the influential wife of a news anchor attend editorial meetings. Narelda Jacobs and wife Karina Natt are pictured at the Women of the Year Awards in Sydney on November 13 'The newsroom feels completely compromised and its reputation for independence is under threat,' one long-time Ten staffer said. 'For some strange reason [Jacobs] seems untouchable and nobody knows why. 'It's an insult to all of us who walk a fine line every day - the way that show is hosted. They are too scared of her upstairs to do anything about it.' The insider pointed to Jacobs' coverage of Ms Nelson's arrest - and eventual conviction to accuse Jacobs of being overly sympathetic during what should be neutral news coverage. A Network Ten spokesperson insisted that external parties do not influence the editorial process or decision-making at Ten and the network's news department is both independent and has impartiality 'at the core of everything it does'. Nelson, 58, was arrested upon arrival in Japan last January and accused of importing 2kg of methamphetamine into the country from Laos. Her defence team told a court she was essentially the victim of a romance scam and believed she was shipping a sample item for her new lover's fashion business into the country, not drugs. 'If I had known or even suspected illegal drugs were in the suitcase, I never would have agreed to carry it,' Nelson told the Japanese court. A Network Ten source pointed to Jacobs' coverage of Perth grandmother Donna Nelson's criminal case in Japan to criticise the TV anchor. Jacobs conducted a sympathetic interview with Nelson's daughter Ashlee Charles on Ten a day after the verdict On December 4, the court found that Nelson had been deceived - but also convicted her of drug smuggling and jailed her for six years. Jacobs has followed the story closely across her news bulletins, on The Project and regular updates on her social media pages this year, including posting family statements and conducting an interview with Nelson's daughter Ashlee Charles on Ten a day after the verdict. Jacobs opened that interview by describing the verdict as 'devastating' news. She went on to ask a question about how 'selfless' Nelson was. 'Ashlee, your mum released a statement from her lawyers saying she cried in court not because of herself, but because of the impact on the family,' Jacobs said. 'Her words give an insight into how selfless she is?' Charles said: 'Yes, definitely, she's always thinking of everyone else instead of herself and the truth is we're all just worried about her and how she's taking it.' Jacobs went on to note that, in handing down the verdict, 'the judge said your mum was a peripheral participant and there was room for sympathy. But given there is a conviction - what do you take that to mean?' Perth grandmother Donna Nelson was jailed by a Japanese court earlier this month. She was the victim of a romance scam when she smuggled drugs into the country Charles: 'Umm, maybe a lesser sentence. Maybe they have taken into consideration they do have sympathy for mum so they have given her less time than they could have been.' Jacobs: 'Does it feel like a lesser sentence to you?' Charles: 'No, it feels like it's been too long already for an innocent person like my mum.' Jacobs then gave a non-committal 'mmm'. Jacobs broadcast a further interview on Ten with Australian barrister Dr Felicity Gerry KC, a human trafficking expert who played a key role in sparing Filipina maid Mary Jane Veloso from a firing squad in Indonesia in 2015. In that interview, Jacobs asked Dr Gerry 'how could the legal argument in Mary Jane's case apply to Donna Nelson?' and 'what should the Australian government be doing here?' Dr Gerry said Australia should 'protect the people we call victim-perpetrators - victims of human trafficking who actually commit crimes' and pointed to a legal mechanism in some south-east Asian countries that does so. Jacobs asked: 'Does Japan have that mechanism?' Dr Gerry said Japan had committed to the same piece of international law, adding that 'vulnerable women are duped into carrying drugs sometimes and need to be protected rather than punished'. Producers often write questions for news anchors - who then choose whether to ask them or not. It is not suggested that Jacobs' wife has penned questions for her to ask - simply that she has at times been present at Ten. A critic of Jacobs' within Ten accused her of essentially campaigning for Nelson during a news bulletin. 'This is extraordinary. Implying shes been wrongly convicted isnt journalism,' they said. Jacobs and wife Karina Natt announced last week they were having a baby Daily Mail Australia put questions to Jacobs and Network Ten about the internal criticism, the appearance of Ms Natt on the editorial floor and production meetings, and the so-called 'Clitorati'. A Network Ten spokesperson said: 'Network 10s news department is independent, and impartiality is at the core of everything it does. 'Neither external parties nor individuals influence the editorial process in any way, nor are they involved in editorial discussions and decision-making.' Jacobs did not respond to questions. Jacobs has spent more than two decades at Network Ten, starting in the Perth newsroom. Ms Natt was until recently the chief-of-staff for South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Ms Natt announced a career change in a LinkedIn post last year. She made point of saying she was looking 'forward to supporting the Yes campaign [for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament] with Narelda Jacobs, outside the bubble where it will matter the most'. Ms Natt's LinkedIn page now lists her occupation as the Director and Talent Manager of Baayah Pty Ltd, a company owned by her and Jacobs. The website given for the company is nareldajacobs.com. In addition to being a journalist, Jacobs describes herself as a presenter, commentator and MC, with her website noting she shares her 'lived experience on panels giving back to the community through various ambassadorial and board roles'. The pair announced this past week they were having a baby, drawing thanks from friends and loved ones, including former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins and Bindi Irwin. Jay-Z is facing renewed calls to confirm the paternity of his 'illegitimate son' in another legal blow to the beleaguered rapper who was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl last weekend. The record executive, 55, real name Shawn Carter, has been named in a civil lawsuit, accused of raping a woman alongside Sean Diddy Combs in September 2000 when she was 13 years old. Now, he is being dragged back into the ongoing legal tussle over the paternity of Rymir Satterthwaite who has been in a decade-long fight to prove that the rapper is his biological father. Satterthwaite, 31, is claiming Carter's legal team acted fraudulently during previous attempts to get him to take a paternity test. Satterthwaite, his late mother Wanda and his guardian Dr. Lillie Coley are listed as plaintiffs on a new lawsuit against multiple New Jersey courts, judges, and officials, including the New Jersey Supreme Court, alleging violations of their constitutional rights. Filed on November 25, the suit argues that from 2012 to 2023 their 'rights were violated through fraudulent court actions, which included sealed records, wrongful sanctions, and obstruction of their legal proceedings.' Jay-Z is facing renewed calls to confirm the paternity of his illegitimate son in an another legal blow to the rapper who was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl earlier this week He is being dragged back into the ongoing legal tussle over the paternity of Rymir Satterthwaite who has been in a decade-long fight to prove that the rapper is his father Wanda, who died in 2019, alleged she had sex with Carter in 1992 when she was 16 and he was 22 in a sworn affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com. Satterthwaite was born in the summer of 1993. At the time she was in an on-again-off-again romance with her high school sweetheart Robert Graves. In 2010 she requested that a Pennsylvania court make both men take a paternity test in order to determine her sons real father. Test results proved that Graves was not the biological father of Rymir. The case began with a pre-trial in Camden County, New Jersey on August 13, 2012. During the pre-trial, Carter's attorney argued that Dr. Coley - who has acted as Satterthwaite's legal guardian since his mother handed over custody in 2011 due to ailing health - had 'no jurisdiction' over his case because it was first filed by Wanda in Pennsylvania, and therefore should be heard in the same state. The case was dismissed outright because Satterthwaite was over 18 years old at the time of the pre-trial and, according to Pennsylvania state law, paternity must be established before a child reaches the age of adulthood. The court ruled that the case should be tried under New Jersey law, which states that the age of 'parentage' is 23. Carter's legal team then argued that the rapper should be exempt from undergoing a DNA test in New Jersey because he did not live or own any property in the state - despite public records linking him to homes in Alpine and Newport. Satterthwaite's mother Wanda, who died in 2019, alleged she had sex with Carter in 1992 when she was 16 and he was 22 Wanda made the claims in a sworn affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com On December 12, 2012 his attorney in New Jersey, Lise Fisher, admitted that she 'misspoke' when she said that Carter did not own property in New Jersey. In court transcripts obtained by DailyMail.com, Fisher said: 'I submitted as an exhibit to my client's cross-motion an introductory statement, and verified the introductory statement, signed by her that specifically gives Mr. Carter's residence in New York. 'I did misspeak at the last hearing, because I really did think that, that was his home address. I didn't realize that was his business address. So I do apologize for that.' At the time, Carter's Roc Nation was located in New York - the address that his attorney claimed was his home address. Fisher continued: 'That having been said, he has a domicile in New York. That's what counts. That's where he lives. That's where he resides. And there's nothing that changes that.' However, Fisher was made aware of Carter's New Jersey properties from the motion for reconsideration that included the deeds and tax records. New Jersey law states that an attorney commits fraud when knowingly making false statements. When fraud is committed in court, everything that follows based on that fraudulent act is considered fraudulent as well, meaning any subsequent rulings or judgments stemming from the initial fraud are typically voidable and can be overturned. Satterthwaite, 31, is claiming Shawns legal team acted fraudulently during previous attempts to get him to take a paternity test The lawsuit came days before Carter was connected to the scandal surrounding Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 55 The new lawsuit claims that the court system conspired to deny the plaintiffs access to essential legal records, improperly imposed sanctions without evidence, and blocked their appeals. They further allege that multiple judges, including Deborah Silverman Katz, Charles W. Dortch Jr., and others, committed fraud by misrepresenting property ownership and allowing false claims by Carter. The plaintiffs also claim they were repeatedly denied due process and were sanctioned for allegedly violating non-existent gag orders. They are requesting a declaratory judgment to recognize that their constitutional rights were violated and to unseal the court records for public review. The lawsuit also includes claims for 'negligent infliction of emotional distress' as the plaintiffs argue that their ongoing legal struggles have caused them 'significant personal harm.' They ask that the defendants are held accountable for their actions. Satterthwaite and Coley believe that Carter's attorney's have fought vigorously to block him from having to submit a paternity test for one simple reason - Wanda was underage when she became pregnant. The pair are said to have had sex in New York where the age of consent is 17. Satterthwaite believes Carter's attorney's have fought to block him from having to submit a paternity test because Wanda was underage when she became pregnant in 1992 DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for comment. The lawsuit came days before Carter was connected to the scandal surrounding Combs, 55. On Tuesday, Satterthwaite slammed Carters blistering response to the allegation that he raped a 13-year-old girl at an MTV VMAs after party on September 7, 2000. Carter denied the claims and insisted he has always fought to protect children. It is both heartbreaking and frustrating to see Mr. Carter respond to allegations with such deflection and attacks, he told DailyMail.com of the statement. My late mother, Wanda, was just 16 years old when she became pregnant with me, and for years I have sought clarity about my identity. This is not about greed or spectacle - its about uncovering the truth and ensuring all parties are held accountable. Satterthwaite took aim at the statement, claiming if Carter 'values the ideals of honor and protecting children' then he should stop refusing to acknowledge his paternity. 'Despite my efforts, Mr. Carter has never once written a letter to me to address these claims whether to deny or acknowledge paternity, or to address why his attorneys committed this fraud,' he continued. On Tuesday, Satterthwaite slammed Carters blistering response to the allegation that he raped a 13-year-old girl at an MTV VMAs after party on September 7, 2000 'If Mr. Carter values the ideals of honor and protecting children, as he claims in his letter, he should step forward with transparency. He continues to deflect and avoid. The suit claims the woman, referred to as Jane Doe, was driven to a house party and offered a drink that made her feel woozy, lightheaded and felt [like] she needed to lie down. Combs and Carter are then alleged to have entered the room with Combs declaring: 'You are ready to party!' She claims Carter then removed her clothes, held her down and raped her while Diddy and an unnamed female celebrity watched. She says Combs also raped her as Carter and the woman looked on. 'These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? Carter said in his statement. 'These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.' For all the latest updates on this story, listen to The Trial of Diddy - available wherever you get your podcasts now. It was the moment that Strictly heart-throb Pete Wicks had been impatiently waiting for. After spending weeks 10,000 miles apart, he and Maura Higgins were finally reunited in London following her stint in the I'm A Celebrity jungle - and they weren't going to keep it a secret. Maura, the Irish beauty who first found fame on dating show Love Island back in 2019, beamed with happiness in a photograph alongside three of her close friends that she posted on Instagram on Wednesday night. The reunion must have been a long time coming. Before Maura jetted off to Australia last month, Pete - who she had been dating casually for five months - was pictured getting close to his Strictly partner Jowita Przystal. Friends of Maura revealed she was devastated. But clearly, they have both buried the hatchet. After landing at Heathrow airport on Tuesday from Brisbane, Maura made straight for the five-star Me Hotel on London's Strand to meet Pete - leaving their fans in no doubt they are back together. Indeed, I'm told Maura and Pete were talking on the phone almost immediately after she left the jungle. Meanwhile, friends of Pete say he is 'completely smitten' with the Irish star. And now, having been watched by a combined 16 million people for the last three weeks while taking part in their respective programmes - Strictly for Pete and I'm A Celeb for Maura - their romance is already being discussed by showbiz insiders as one of the most lucrative since Posh and Becks. A joint nickname, 'Paura', is even catching on. The couple, who have a combined Instagram following of almost six million, have seen their popularity soar in recent weeks. Both Pete, the 36-year-old reality television star who first found fame on The Only Way Is Essex back in 2015, and Maura, 34, have cultivated new audiences this year during their TV appearances. They now have big brands queuing up to work with them, following in the footsteps of David and Victoria Beckham - the undisputed trailblazers of British 'celebrity couples'. Friends of Pete Wicks say he is 'completely smitten' by former Love Island star Maura Higgins When Pete made his Strictly debut in September, female viewers in particular couldn't resist his mischievous manner as he injected some much-needed cheeky fun into the show. Before that, he was known for his role on reality show Towie and his podcast Staying Relevant with last year's I'm A Celeb winner and Made In Chelsea star, Sam Thompson. 'Pete and Maura had a very niche following before they made their foray into mainstream television,' said one source who knows both of them. 'Youngsters knew them and they have tonnes of fans online but for the last month Maura has been a household name, while Pete has been one since September. Now they are together, they are heading towards brand domination. They will literally be able to name their price. They could be looking at television programmes, huge brand endorsements and book deals.' Maura, 34, appeared in this year's ITV series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! The Irish star pictured landing at Heathrow Airport from Brisbane on Tuesday There is certainly a gap in the market for a hot new couple. Tommy Fury and Molly Mae Hague, who met on Love Island in 2019 and went on to make around 9 million from their own lucrative endorsements, books and television deals, were slated to be the next big thing until their bombshell split in August. Before that, Katie Price and Peter Andre were showbiz's trendiest pair after they met on I'm A Celeb in 2004. They demanded 1 million from OK magazine for rights to their wedding the following year and signed a multi-million pound deal with ITV for their fly-on-the-wall show Katie & Peter. However, that too came to an ugly end in 2009 when they split up, and later divorced. What makes 'Brand Paura' all the more compelling is Pete and Maura's rollercoaster dating history. News that the pair were an item broke after they were spotted kissing at several high-profile events, including the Pride of Britain Awards in October. But after Pete's arrival on Strictly, he started cosying up to his dancing partner Jowita and Maura gave up on any hope of having a relationship. She told those close to her that she was effectively 'single'. Pete appeared on this year's Strictly Come Dancing alongside professional dance partner Jowita Przystal, who he appeared to 'cosy up' with at the beginning of the series A friend said: 'Before Maura entered the jungle, Pete wanted to make their relationship exclusive. But Maura, aware of Pete's reputation and his close bond with Jowita, decided to slow things down. She gave him an ultimatum: either commit to me fully, or let it go. 'So she went off to Australia a single woman and Pete was sad about it,' reveals my source. Though the ex-Love Islander left for the jungle with a bruised ego, she kept her qualms to herself for weeks before finally confiding in ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro and Jungle co-star Oti Mabuse in early December. When Oti asked if she was single, Maura replied: 'I am. I was seeing someone before I came in but I'm not in a relationship.' When Reverend Richard Coles followed up by asking if they were 'exclusive', Maura replied: 'I don't know.' After Maura admitted she'd never been in love before, radio presenter Dean McCullough asked her: Does it feel different this time?' Maura replied: 'It does, but is that because we've known each other for a long time? He's not an a**hole.' Her comments, say those who know Pete, raised his spirits. For despite being spotted getting close to Jowita in public, it was Maura he wanted after all. In fact, Pete was so determined to win Maura's trust, he swiftly put a stop to any romance with Jowita. 'Since then, Pete has gone all-in, openly expressing his feelings for Maura to anyone who will listen,' says a friend. 'Although he continued to dance with Jowita weekly, their off-the-floor relationship wasn't as close as it had been at the beginning. 'Pete was desperate to get over to Australia, to see Maura. But he had no idea he would stay on Strictly for so long.' Despite the ups and downs, friends say that it was all worth it. One person certainly thinks so: Maura's agent Talia Solomon. She was a notable presence in the Instagram photograph posted by Maura on Wednesday night. Talia also manages former I'm A Celeb winners, Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt and EastEnders actress Jaqueline Jossa, who both went on to make millions off the back of their stints in the jungle. And, thanks to 'Paura', industry insiders are now predicting that Talia will be busier - and richer - than ever. 'There is so much money to be made,' said one. 'And it will make all the heartache suffered by both Maura and Pete in recent weeks pay off.' Sarah Michelle Gellar has sparked feud rumors with her former co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt, thanks to an awkward interview that went viral. The two actresses starred in the 1997 thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer, in a cast that included Freddie Prinze Jr., who is now married to Sarah. Their movie became a runaway hit that spawned two sequels - and now, 27 years later, another instalment is currently filming in Sydney. Although Sarah is not in the new movie, Freddie is, and the couple consequently spent Thanksgiving in Australia with their children Charlotte, 14, and Rocky, 11. But despite the fact Sarah is well-placed to have plenty of inside information about the film, she uncomfortably dodged a question about it this week. She was asked about the possibility of Jennifer being in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer film, during a red carpet interview with Extra. Sarah Michelle Gellar has gone viral over an awkward answer to an interview question about her former co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt, while talking to Extra In response to the question, Sarah wore a tight expression and said: 'I have nothing to do with that,' before ending the interview by smiling and walking off. She gave the interview during the red carpet premiere of her upcoming show Dexter: Original Sin, a prequel to the smash hit Showtime drama Dexter. A fan posted the exchange to X, formerly known as Twitter, and exclaimed: 'Look at her face!! She hates her so bad! sksksksk.' The replies were filled with other X users agreeing with the original poster, remarking that Sarah's answer 'seems so shady LOL' and marveling: 'Omg that face.' 'I felt the energy lol,' wrote a third viewer, while a fourth likened the moment to Mariah Carey's infamous jibe when asked about Jennifer Lopez: 'I don't know her.' 'Omg that face she did was so sassy lmao is there beef between them,' another X user giggled, and still another observed: 'Damn, that energy shift.' Sarah's character Helen Shivers is murdered in the original I Know What You Did Last Summer movie, which is why she is not part of the sequel's cast. In 2014, Sarah offered a tart reply when she was asked about Jennifer during an appearance on The Morning Show in Australia. Sarah (left) was asked about the possibility of Jennifer Iright) being in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer film, during a red carpet interview with Extra Sarah (second from right) and Jennifer (second from left) starred in the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, in a cast that included Freddie Prinze Jr. (left) and Ryan Phillippe (right) In the original I Know What You Did Last Summer movie (pictured), Sarah's character Helen Shivers is murdered, which is why she is not part of the sequel's cast A fan posted the exchange to X, formerly known as Twitter, and exclaimed: 'Look at her face!! She hates her so bad! sksksksk' Sarah was asked to offer her reaction to the names of past co-stars, and when Jennifer was mentioned, she quipped: 'I know what your boobs did last summer - 'cause whenever you see that movie, it's just a lot of cleavage.' She was then asked if she and Jennifer kept in contact, and replied: 'I haven't seen her in a long time. LA is so segregated that unless you sort of live in the same area and your kids are sort of in the same - you don't run into people in the same way.' Last month, while visiting the set of the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer movie, Sarah took a picture of a director's chair and posted it to Instagram. She was asked about the movie in her new interview, and initially spoke glowingly about the project, gushing: 'It's so good.' Sarah added that 'theres so many great stories, and the way to honor them is to just extend that universe,' while praising the film's director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson for hiring 'an incredible cast' and noted that 'the script is so much fun.' Controversial former Sky News host Chris Smith has been tipped to fill the chair recently vacated by radio titan John Laws. Laws, 89, signed off from the Sydney-based 2SM Super Radio Network in November after a long and storied 71-year career in radio. With the chair sitting vacant since, Smith is 'tipped' to take the reins of Laws' 9am timeslot, the Daily Telegraph reported. While no official announcement has been made, the publication claimed Smith's appointment would be made public in the near future. Smith was last on the airwaves as the host of the 2GB afternoon show, before he was sacked in 2022. The veteran broadcaster was suspended and then fired from 2GB and Sky News after making allegedly lewd comments to female colleagues at Sky News's boozy Christmas party in Sydney's CBD. Controversial former Sky News host Chris Smith has been tipped to fill the chair recently vacated by radio titan John Laws Smith later apologised for his 'humiliating' behaviour, citing alcoholism and mental health struggles. He was previously sacked from Nine's A Current Affair in the late '90s and again from 2GB in 2009 for similar inappropriate conduct while intoxicated before managing to resurrect his career on both occasions. Since losing his role with Sky News, the 62-year-old has once again worked hard to win back the respect of his friends, family and colleagues. But this time, he has approached it differently and committed to completely overhauling his life. Smith quit drinking alcohol entirely after the party, has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for the past year and a half, and has spent more than 12 months working with two separate psychiatrists to help him battle his demons. He has since returned to the airwaves with digital broadcast outlets TNTRadio and ADHTV, and is understood to have impressed his new co-workers with his renewed dedication and focus. The tip comes after veteran broadcaster Steve Price, who was also tipped to take on Laws' role, told the Sunday Telegraph 2SM would be 'crazy' to hire Smith. 'They'd be crazy to touch Chris Smith. He's been given too many chances already. A family-run radio network would be crazy to touch Chris Smith,' Price said last month. Laws, 89, signed off from the Sydney-based 2SM Super Radio Network in November after a long and storied 71-year career in radio With the chair sitting vacant since, Smith is 'tipped' to take the reins of Laws' 9am timeslot, the Daily Telegraph reported Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Smith hit back at Price's comments, calling the Project star 'bland'. 'He's the world's most boring and bland man on-air and has never had success in prime shifts in Sydney,' Smith told Daily Mail Australia. 'It riles him I have had great success and support. 'He hates that I would [have a] comeback somewhere. 'But redemption does exist and is real. Watch this space.' While smith wouldn't be drawn on the 2SM appointment, he admitted he was in a good place. 'I don't know what 2025 holds for me but I have several options, which is pleasing, including at ADHTV, which I love and is growing incredibly,' Smith told Daily Mail Australia. 'As for [second] chances, I have turned my life around in two years. The tip comes after veteran broadcaster Steve Price, who was also tipped to take on Laws' role, told the Sunday Telegraph 2SM would be 'crazy' to hire Smith 'Zero alcohol for the first time and lots of mentors and psych assistance for the first time. 'I have never had better clarity. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to 2SM for comment. In an emotional farewell in November, Laws said that while he was 'sad' at the prospect of leaving, he had no complaints about his departure from air. 'I will really miss you,' John sweetly told his loyal listeners. 'And I will miss all of the memories that have gone before me in all of these years, it has been a long time. 'I have no reason to complain. It is obviously sad to say goodbye, and I am obviously sad to have to say goodbye,' he added. Speaking to Confidential after his final show, John admitted it felt bittersweet to bid farewell to his lengthy career. In an emotional farewell in November, Laws said that while he was 'sad' at the prospect of leaving, he had no complaints about his departure from air. 'I will really miss you,' John sweetly told his loyal listeners 'I feel a bit sad but I feel okay,' he said. It will probably catch up with me in the next day or two but I've got no right to complain at all. 'I've had a terrific life and I've had a terrific career and I've got a terrific family, so, I am okay but it is the end.' John also joked that he will miss all the attention from chatting to his guests on air as he described himself as a 'spoiled child'. 'I will miss the attention because I am very much a spoilt child and I like a bit of attention so maybe we could organise to, once a month, maybe send a bunch of people in just to talk to me, can we do that,' he quipped. Bella Hadid clearly had her Yellowstone cameo on her mind as she channeled Western chic in NYC on Thursday. The 28-year-old supermodel, whose surprise role as Taylor Sheridan's girlfriend in Season 5 sent ratings soaring, rocked a sleek suede ensemble outside the Bowery Hotel in Manhattan. Sporting a similar double-leather look the day before, Bella continued her homage to the hit Paramount series, which remains a ratings juggernaut even after Kevin Costner's departure. Her raven tresses were swept back into a chic bun, and she added Missoma earrings and designer spectacles for a touch of intellectual edge. Flashing her signature smile, Bella looked in high spiritsher brief but impactful appearance in the December 1 episode drove the highest viewership of the final season. Naturally, fans were just as surprised when Hadid's real-life boyfriend Adan Banuelos also made a cameo in Sundays penultimate episode. Bella Hadid clearly had her Yellowstone cameo on her mind as she channeled Western chic in NYC on Thursday The 28-year-old supermodel, whose surprise role as Taylor Sheridan's girlfriend in Season 5 sent ratings soaring , rocked a sleek all-leather ensemble outside the Bowery Hotel in Manhattan The new episode found Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) travelling to Texas to oversee Travis Wheatley (Sheridan) selling the ranch's horses, following last week's episode that featured another shocking death. Fans were quite surprised when Beth knocked on Travis' door and found it being answered by his girlfriend Sadie, played by Hadid, who is aside from being a supermodel is also an accomplished equestrian. Throughout the episode, both women comment on his arrogant, cocky demeanor, but Sadie encourages Beth to pay attention to the way Travis rides. Beth, noting the unspoken connection, admits she understands the attraction. While Hadid showcased her acting chops, she also had the chance to flaunt her horse-riding skills, adding a genuine touch to her role. The casting choices sparked a flurry of reactions on X (formerly Twitter), with many users quick to poke fun at Sheridan for the unconventional casting move. 'The first time in this episode Taylor Sheridan writes himself a scene where his character is a super cool dude who wins at strip poker against hot ladies felt excessive,' wrote one. 'The second time it happens, you gotta wonder if he's okay.' 'Taylor Sheridan making Bella Hadid his girlfriend in "Yellowstone" is objectively hilarious,' another X user remarked, as a third wrote: 'If I were Taylor Sheridan, I too would cast myself as the shirtless savior in my flagship shows penultimate episode, but casting Bella Hadid as your girlfriend? lol'. Her raven tresses were swept back into a chic bun, and she added Missoma earrings and designer spectacles for a touch of intellectual edge Flashing her signature smile, Bella looked in high spiritsher brief but impactful appearance in the December 1 episode drove the highest viewership of the final season He was only a small character on the show for many episodes but now his part is bigger Yellowstone fans were clearly less than thrilled with the latest episodes heavy focus on Sheridan. The social media consensus was clear: Sheridan was taking up far too much of the action for a character whos little more than a bit part. Many fans were quick to point out that this seemed intentionalnow that series star Costner is no longer part of the show. Costner departed Yellowstone before part two of the final Season 5 in June, amid much drama, including rumors of a feud between him and Sheridan. Now it seems Sheridan may have been making up for the absence of Costner's John Dutton with some screen time of his own, complete with a strip poker game that featured real-life supermodel Bella Hadid. '15 minutes of story and scenes wasted with watching Taylor Sheridan showboat on his own show, partying and just doing his thing. Wouldnt be surprised if thats what he does in real life too,' wrote one unimpressed viewer. This video is no longer available This video is no longer available Today's Karl Stefanovic made a very cryptic post on Michael Rowland's last day at ABC News Breakfast. On Friday morning, the veteran ABC presenter signed off for the final time after 15 years with the morning news program. While watching Michael's departure on his television at home, Karl shared his well wishes. 'Congrats [Michael Rowland] you bloody legend,' he wrote alongside the photo, before mysteriously adding, 'See you soon.' It's unclear what Karl meant regarding a potential reunion with his breakfast show rival. Michael's farewell on Friday morning featured colleagues, family members and guests paying tribute to the journalist, who will remain at the ABC but pursue other projects. Today show's Karl Stefanovic (right) has made a very cryptic post on Michael Rowland's (left) last day at ABC News Breakfast While watching Michael's departure on his television at home, Karl shared his well wishes. 'Congrats [Michael Rowland] you bloody legend,' he wrote alongside the photo, before mysteriously adding, 'See you soon' 'I want to take this opportunity as well to thank all of you for helping me look good on camera. It is a massive, massive team effort, and I and Bridget would not be able to do what we do without the work of the fabulous producers, directors, make up, artists, master control who put all of our stuff to air and it make us look good,' he said. 'I also want to thank again my co presenters, Bridget, thank you. It's been wonderful working with you only for a short amount of time. 'Virginia, Lisa, Karina, a special shout out to Virginia, who was my longest work wife for nine years. Loved working with her. We annoyed the hell out of each other on occasion, but she taught me how to be a breakfast presenter, and for that to Virginia, I'm always truly grateful and happy to have worked with you.' Earlier this week, James Glenday was announced at Michael's replacement. Michael, 55, broke the shock news of his departure to viewers earlier this month, revealing his last show was Friday, December 13. 'I'm leaving News Breakfast,' Rowland announced. 'I'm sorry to the viewers out there for the short notice. I'm not one for long and drawn out farewells and I wanted minimal fuss. 'I love the job, it's the best job I've had in the ABC. In fact, anywhere. But after 15 years of 3am starts my body is screaming "enough!". And so too is my wife. It's unclear what Karl meant regarding a potential reunion with his breakfast show rival 'It's been an immense privilege to be here for 15 years presenting the news to our viewers. That, to me, has been by far the most important part of the job.' Michael's ABC News Breakfast co-host Bridget Brennan said it has been 'an honour and a privilege' sitting alongside him. 'I've been able to watch firsthand his enduring dedication to strong journalism and public service,' Brennan said in a statement. 'After 15 years, Australians will miss his presence each and every morning enormously, but I know we all appreciate the incredible effort he has given to News Breakfast for such a long time. 'Michael, I hope this next chapter brings long sleep-ins and more time to stay up late and watch your beloved Doggies!' It comes amid a huge TV network shakeup across all channels in the last few months. Samantha Armytage has jumped ship from Channel Seven to Channel Nine, after being unveiled as the host of Nine's upcoming dating show The Golden Bachelor. Meanwhile, former long-serving Seven anchor Sharyn Ghidella was sacked in July over the phone while she was at the hairdressers after 17 years with the network. She was picked up by Channel Ten and is now the nightly news anchor for 10 News First in Queensland. Jackie 'O' Henderson showed off her laidback holiday style as she whisked her teenage daughter Kitty away to Thailand to kick off the festive season. Sydney's radio queen, 49, hit peak holiday mode on Thursday, as she shared her enviable infinity poolside view to Instagram Stories. She location tagged Thailand in the photos that she re-shared from her 14-year-old's private account. The radio host and her mini me daughter played up their likeness in a sweet selfie as they cuddled up together and posed for a holiday snap. Jackie wore a pale yellow silk sundress with fine straps and Kitty real name Catalina Mae wore a matching butter yellow bandeau top that showed her fresh bikini tan lines. The mother-daughter duo wore their long blonde tresses in the same hairstyle over one shoulder, and showed off their close resemblance in their mirrored expressions. Out of office: Sydney radio host Jackie 'O' Henderson has extended her 14-year-old daughter's 14th birthday celebrations by whisking her away to Thailand The radio host and her mini me daughter played up their likeness in a sweet selfie and shared the view from their luxurious accomodations Jackie looked relaxed and happy in a poolside portrait taken by Kitty, as she sipped a cup of the tea and perched on the lounge deck cross-legged. It comes after Jackie celebrated Kitty's 14th birthday in Sydney on Tuesday, prior to their travels. For the occasion, Jackie appeared to embrace Christmas core as she stepped out in a stylish all-red outfit for her day in the sun. The pair enjoyed some quality time together as they marked Kitty's 14th birthday, with Jackie also posting a sweet tribute to Instagram. She shared a throwback photograph of Kitty cuddling up to their pet dog as she gushed over her only child in a caption. 'Happy 14th birthday to the kindest, funniest and most thoughtful girl I know. How did I get so lucky? Love you, Kitty,' Jackie penned alongside the image. Jackie shares Kitty with her ex-husband Lee Henderson, who she split from in 2018 following a 15-year marriage. To say Lee hit the jackpot when he wooed a young Jackie in a Sydney pub more than two decades ago would be an understatement. Jackie looked relaxed and happy in a poolside portrait taken by Kitty on Thursday, as she sipped a cup of the tea and perched on the poolside lounge deck cross-legged The podcaster and author celebrated her daughter's 14th birthday in Sydney on Tuesday, prior to their international departure Lee was backpacking around Australia in the year 2000 when he first laid eyes on rising radio presenter Jackie O, who was newly divorced from her first husband, 'Ugly Phil' O'Neil. (The Hendersons are pictured at a charity gala in 2007) It was March 2000 when their eyes locked across the dancefloor at Blue Room. Still years away from reaching the peak of her broadcasting success, and fresh from the breakdown of her first marriage to shock jock 'Ugly Phil' O'Neil, Jackie didn't seem to mind that Lee was an English tourist without much going for him. Jackie, then 25 and out with a girlfriend, would later muse in her diary that Lee, who was a year younger than her, took his time coming over - 'about an hour' - but being a 'slow mover' was enigmatic in a way. The fact the 'prim and proper' Brit reminded her 'of a hot Hugh Grant' didn't hurt either. Before she left, he asked for her number, which she punched into his Nokia. He called a few days later. Jackie wrote in her diary at the time - and would recount on air years later - that she wasn't sure about him at first, but there was immediate physical attraction. 'Lees really hot, but I just dont know about us being together. I dont know if I see it or not,' she wrote. It turns out they would have a future together. It wouldn't last a lifetime, but they would make it almost 20 years and become parents of a daughter, conceived via IVF in 2010. In the years that followed, Jackie would pair up with another important man in her life - her on-air partner Kyle Sandilands - and together they would become Sydney's most popular breakfast radio team. In 2019, they signed the most lucrative deal in the history of Australian media. They inked another staggering contract, worth $200million, in late 2023. Kylie Jenner displayed her famous figure in a new item from her latest Khy collection on Thursday. The 27-year-old multihyphenate who has been teasing Khy's collaboration with Entire Studios throughout the week slipped into a snug-fitting cream-colored dress in an Instagram reel. Jenner, who shared a busty selfie with mom Kris Jenner, 69, on Wednesday, wrote in a caption to her 395M followers: 'mightve made the perfect holiday dress. available now on khy.com.' The sleeveless knit, low back number retails for $118 and ranges from size XXS-4X. Kylie's brief video was soundtracked by Sabrina Carpenter's A Nonsense Christmas. Kylie Jenner displayed her famous figure in a new item from her latest Khy collection on Thursday The 27-year-old multihyphenate slipped into a snug-fitting cream-colored dress in an Instagram reel The mother-of-two who shares Stormi, six, and Aire, two, with ex-beau Travis Scott has been plugging her holiday-ready drop for several days. The new fashion collection features faux fur pieces including a plush pullover and various coats. Also available for purchase are wide-leg black trousers, bodysuits, and slinky dresses. Kylie enlisted mom Kris as a model for the latest sartorial drop. Taking to social media on Monday, she shared photos of the high-profile talent manager wearing a plush faux fur coat. On Instagram, she wrote, 'MOTHER by me for new @khy x @entire_studios launching 12/12 on khy.com.' The matriarch was styled in chic, glossy, black, oval sunglasses in the series of photos. One striking image showed the mother-of-six taking a drag from a cigarette, and the post is nearing one million likes. And Kylie's older sister Khloe Kardashian, 40, showed her support by posing in the same coat and sharing a selfie via Instagram Stories. Jenner has been teasing Khy's collaboration with Entire Studios throughout the week Kylie's older sister Khloe Kardashian, 40, showed her support by posing in the same coat and sharing a selfie via Instagram Stories Kylie shared sweet surprise notes her nieces Dream Kardashian, eight, six, and Chicago West left for her in her car. The little girls wrote on lavender paper, 'I love you, Auntie Kylie' Jenner surprised fans when she introduced her clothing line In late October 2023. She debuted the sartorial undertaking with a single photo of herself donning a black faux leather trench coat with zipper details. In the caption, she wrote, 'meet khy,' and tagged its Instagram handle on the snap. Accompanying the arrival of the range was a Wall Street Journal cover story describing her entrepreneurial pursuit. The new business was kicked off with a star-studded launch party whose guest list included Kendall Jenner and close friend Hailey Bieber. She now heads Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Skin, Khy and Sprinter. Meanwhile, her swimwear range, Kylie Swim by Kylie Jenner, has been virtually wiped from the internet with only a defunct Instagram page remaining after a deluge of poor reviews. Coronation Stress actress Victoria Ekanoye looked sensational in a daring pink swimsuit as she posed for a sizzling Instagram snap during a lavish Caribbean holiday on Thursday. The soap star showed off her jaw-dropping figure in the plunging pink one-piece as she soaked up the sun while celebrating her 43rd birthday. Victoria, who played Angie Appleton in the hit ITV soap, wowed in the halterneck number as she leaned against a wall gazing away from the camera with the picturesque tropical backdrop behind her. She penned: '43 years around the sun and still feeling like a teenager. Grateful for every scar, stretch mark and moment where I remembered to practice self love. 'Life has been Lyfin. but it's glorious and I'm just getting started. 'Thank you to every single person who made me giggle this yearit truly is medicine. Chapter 43, lets go!' Coronation Stress actress Victoria Ekanoye looked sensational in a daring pink swimsuit as she posed for a sizzling Instagram snap during a lavish Caribbean holiday on Thursday The soap star showed off her jaw-dropping figure in swimwear during the getaway as she soaked up the sun while celebrating her 43rd birthday She penned: '43 years around the sun and still feeling like a teenager. Grateful for every scar, stretch mark and moment where I remembered to practice self love' Fans rushed to the comments with many refusing to believe Victoria's real age. 'Happy birthday, Victoria, 43 , cant believe that, definitely teenager body and brain and very beautiful with it! 'Happy birthday Birthday victoria looking more like 33; Good grief woman! Happy Birthday!; Looking absolutely stunning, Victoria. Happy Birthday to you! Enjoy!' The celebration comes after Victoria revealed earlier this year that she is finally cancer-free, two years after being diagnosed with the disease. The actress revealed she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, and has since undergone a double masectomy. Tweeting a snap with her partner Jonny Lomas and their son, Theo, Victoria wrote: 'Taken the day I revealed my Breast Cancer diagnosis, 2021. Just received my blood & PET scan results, I can finally sayI'm CANCER FREE 'Thank you to those who formed my safety net. I'm humbled to have such beautiful humans in my life. 2024 Let's go! #WorldCancerDay.' Speaking to The Sun about her news, she said: 'Oh gosh, its been a long wait, obviously at the end of 2021 is when I got diagnosed and our boy wasn't even 1 years old, so we are just over the moon to have that weight lifted off our shoulders. Fans rushed to the comments with many refusing to believe Victoria's real age Victoria played Angie Appleton on Coronation Street from 2017 to 2019 'We laughed and cried, it was just so surreal because it feels like it's been going on for so long.' Victoria first found a lump only as big as a frozen pea when she was breastfeeding her baby son, six months, in 2021. She then underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer, in the same place. After her diagnosis, Victoria landed a role on Death In Paradise in 2022, but was devastated when she found a 'second lump' in her breast on set in Guadeloupe. She told MailOnline: 'I had to fly out to Guadeloupe, and I took my son and mum with me. 'Whilst I was out there I found a second lump, so that was the moment for me. I remember I was on set and about to go on. 'I had to take a couple of minutes and throw it to the back of my mind, and have a little talk to myself - "You can deal with this. Go out and do your job!" 'When we came back - we actually came back to England in September - and at that point I went to see the GP, because I know theres an amazing service called the One Stop Breast Clinic. 'Basically, if youre symptomatic, whatever the symptoms may be, they get you an appointment and youre seen within two weeks. 'I had a physical examination by the breast nurse and then I had a needle test in my armpit, I had mammograms, I had biopsies in the mammogram as well - so they took samples from both lumps - and I had ultrasounds on the day as well, so I was there for about four hours in total. I wasnt expecting that. 'Im so grateful and by the end of that day, I saw the breast consultant. And she said, "Look, I want to be honest with you. It concerns me what were seeing but we obviously have to send everything off for samples, so can you come back next week - we will meet with the Head Consultant and bring somebody with you". 'And my family has heard that a lot before and so I knew that it had to be something.' The celebration comes after Victoria revealed earlier this year that she is finally cancer-free, two years after being diagnosed with the disease The actress revealed she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 after finding a lump while breastfeeding her son Theo, and has since undergone a double masectomy She explained that it was at that point that she decided whatever she would get a double mastectomy regardless of what they found: 'Because I wasnt risking it coming back in the other breast or coming back in the same breast - and already with the risk of it in the family.' In December, she shared an update on her cancer battle during an appearance on Loose Women, revealing she only had a very small number of tumor cells still circulating in her body. 'I haven't told you this yet but I am OK! They put me on medication rather than chemotherapy because chemotherapy was more life threatening due to my sickle cell,' she said. 'The side effects for that is that I am now in an induced menopause which is really fun with a toddler,' she joked. 'So I went and had an incredible, groundbreaking blood test to see if I had any circulating tumour cells left in my body from the breast cancer and I do, but it's a very small amount that can be treated. 'I'm hoping that it's not a case of having to need chemotherapy because of all the side effects of that. 'But the main thing for me is knowing now, because it's on a molecular level. It's not something you'd see on a scan, an ultrasound or a mammogram, it's nothing you can feel.' House Speaker Mike Johnson included a provision prohibiting insurance coverage of medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria in the National Defense Authorization Act. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press Thirteen California Democrats voted to pass legislation that included a GOP provision to ban gender-affirming care for minors. The provision of the National Defense Authorization Act at issue would prohibit insurance coverage of medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria like hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender minors who receive TRICARE insurance through their active-duty military parents. Some Democrats decision to support an annual bill authorizing defense funding and policies, even with that poison pill came hours before President-elect Donald Trump said he wanted to focus on other issues. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I dont want to get into the bathroom issue. Because its a very small number of people were talking about, and its ripped apart our country, Trump told TIME in an interview published Thursday. Were talking about a very small number of people, and were talking about it, and it gets massive coverage, and its not a lot of people. Trump, however, made attacks against transgender people a big part of his closing campaign message. Republicans spent millions on ads focused on transgender womens access to bathrooms, locker rooms and team sports. Now Republicans in Congress appear inclined to continue targeting transgender people, an issue they think helped them win the White House, House and Senate. The debate over the defense bill provision comes weeks after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., banned transgender lawmakers, staff and visitors from using restrooms aligned with their gender identity on the House side of the U.S. Capitol a move spurred by the election of the first transgender member of Congress. Although many Democrats decried Johnsons decision to include the gender-affirming care provision, 86 still voted in favor of the defense legislation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Four Bay Area lawmakers Reps. Anna Eshoo of Palo Alto, Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, Jimmy Panetta of Santa Cruz and Mike Thompson of Napa supported the bill, along with Reps. Pete Aguilar of San Bernardino, Salud Carbajal of Santa Barbara, Jim Costa of Fresno, Josh Harder of Stockton, Mike Levin of Oceanside (San Diego County), Ted Lieu of Los Angeles, Scott Peters of San Diego, Raul Ruiz of Indio (Riverside County) and Norma Torres of Ontario (San Bernardino County). Those lawmakers votes werent necessary to pass the bill, as it only required a simple majority. Many of the California Democrats who supported the bill said it was too important to vote against, but that they opposed the piece targeting care for transgender youth. I am vehemently opposed to this provision, and am severely frustrated at its late inclusion after months of negotiations removed other attempts to turn a defense bill into a culture war bonanza-like poison pills that targeted womens health care and endangered military readiness, Carbajal said in a statement. While I couldnt in good conscience vote against a bill that in most ways still reflects those months of negotiations, I want to call out this attempt to divide Congress. Carbajal, Eshoo, Levin, Lofgren, Panetta, Peters and Thompson each said they supported the legislation because of the pay raises for service members and other quality-of-life provisions in the bill. Carbajal, Lofgren, Panetta and Peters also decried Republicans for attacking transgender youth. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Spokespeople for Aguilar, Costa, Harder, Lieu, Ruiz and Torres didnt respond to requests for comment. The legislation wouldnt ban hormone therapy and puberty blockers entirely, just for children who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, the diagnosis received for the distress caused when gender identity doesnt match a persons assigned sex. Insurance would still cover puberty suppressants for children undergoing early puberty and chest reductions on boys who develop gynecomastia a condition that causes breast tissue to enlarge in people assigned male at birth. About 2,500 children sought treatment for gender dysphoria in the Military Health System in 2017, according to a 2022 study, and 900 received gender-affirming hormones, less than 0.1% of the children on TRICARE. Of the 13 California Democrats, eight have military installations in their districts and two Lieu and Thompson served in the military. Lofgren said she expects the incoming Trump administration to institute the policy on its own, so while I strongly oppose this provision, enacting it one month early does not outweigh the pay raises for service members. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Senate is the final place the provision could be stripped out something Peters of San Diego said he hoped would happen. This years NDAA has some very good things we Democrats wanted in it, it has some bad things we wouldnt have put in there, and some things that were left out. But were going to keep working were going to keep working at it, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday. The Senate will take a procedural vote on the legislation next week. Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of California Democrats who voted for the National Defense Authorization Act and who also served in the military. Reps. Ted Lieu and Mike Thompson both served. Eva Mendes was effortlessly chic as she stepped out for a lowkey lunch in Beverly Hills on Thursday. The Ghost Rider actress, 50 - who recently revealed the 'extreme' parenting rule she enforces with husband Ryan Gosling - grabbed a bite to eat at celebrity hotspot E. Baldi during the daytime excursion. Before heading to her next destination, the star was seen giving valet a generous $100 tip. Mendes was stylish wearing a short-sleeved, black dress that flowed down towards her ankles. She layered the ensemble with a colorful-patterned jacket and added a leopard-print hat on top of her brunette locks that cascaded down in light waves past her shoulders. The mother-of-two slipped into a pair of black, heeled boots and carried a small, cream-colored purse to hold a few items she needed. Eva Mendes, 50, was effortlessly chic as she stepped out for a lowkey lunch in Beverly Hills on Thursday The actress accessorized her outfit with a pair of hooped earrings as well as a fashionable, brown-rimmed shades. During an interview with People in May for its Beautiful issue, Mendes opened up about her own personal sense of style and described it as, 'Cuban Golden Girls. I love flowy [dresses], wrapping my hair up and wearing big hoops.' She added, 'I don't feel the need to show anything anymore. I'm good. I feel like I did that early on, and I look back and go, "Why did I do that? Oh, my God." Maybe it's because I have girls.' And back in March, Eva celebrated a big milestone as she rung in her 50th birthday - and while talking to The Times UK in October, discussed the topic of aging. She revealed to the outlet that she still feels 'f***ing sexy at times.' 'The way my man looks at me is just...at times I'm like, "Oh my God,"' she said in reference to Gosling. 'That might not sit well with people, but so much of how I feel is a reflection of what he's giving me.' 'There's so many things that can make me feel sexy and I'd say that I feel more sexy than not. I guess because I've never considered myself beautiful, but I've always felt very sexy.' Eva also got candid about trying a few cosmetic procedures over the years, and expressed, 'I'm not afraid to try things that are safe, because most of these little treatments, let's say, are reversible.' Mendes was stylish wearing a short-sleeved, black dress that flowed down towards her ankles and layered the ensemble with a colorful-patterned jacket Before heading to her next destination, the star was seen giving valet a generous $100 tip 'If you get Botox, it goes away if you don't like it. There have been times where I've regretted something...and then you just wait it out.' At 50, Mendes told the publication, 'It's just that number sounds crazy. I feel like a girl inside and I'm like, "Oh my God," I'm not a girl any more.' Eva and Ryan began dating back in 2011 after meeting on set of The Place Beyond The Pines. But it wasn't until 2022 that the actress confirmed that both she and the actor had secretly tied the knot. The lovebirds also share two daughters: Esmeralda, 10, and Amada, eight. While also talking to The Times, the actress discussed a parenting rule that she enforces with Gosling while raising their two children. She informed the publication that her daughters - who are homeschooled - are not allowed to use smartphones or access social media. 'Putting my kid on the internet and being like, "Oh, search something," that to me is equivalent to telling her, "Oh, just go down the street in the middle of the night. You'll be fine." I know that sounds extreme, but that's what I feel.' And during an appearance on the Parenting & You podcast in October, Mendes became emotional while talking about the 'hardest part' of parenting. Eva also got candid about trying a few cosmetic procedures over the years, and expressed, 'I'm not afraid to try things that are safe, because most of these little treatments, let's say, are reversible' While becoming tearful, the star admitted that she 'doesn't like' herself when she 'yells' at her daughters. 'I don't yell when they need me. I'm never like "shut up." It's not like a "mean" yell, but it doesn't matter. I yell. And it's this yelling that I find so cultural.' The Hitch actress added, 'I'm having a hard time getting through and not yelling. The rushing and the yelling, that's the hardest thing to me.' 'I don't like myself. I act like a baby,' she said while recalling moments she has yelled at her kids, but stated she tries her best to avoid doing so. 'I hope I don't look back in 20 years and go "oh shoot," because I really don't want to raise by fear. That's the one - sorry, I get emotional over it - because it's so not fair to the kids.' The mom-of-two continued, 'I hope that I'm not unknowingly putting some pressure on them through fear like I was raised.' She informed the publication that her daughters - who are homeschooled - are not allowed to use smartphones or access social media; seen in 2012 in Toronto And during an appearance on the Parenting & You podcast in October, Mendes became emotional while talking about the 'hardest part' of parenting During her previous interview with People, Mendes also discussed having children later in life. 'When I was 40, it was a big deal for people when I was pregnant, and it wasn't for me.' She added, 'And then I was 42 and I was pregnant with my second one and people were like, "Oh my God, you're going to be so tired. That's why people have kids in their 20s." I was like, that's the most sorry, asinine thing I've ever heard.' 'It takes more patience. In my 20s, I shouldn't have even been around a child. I was just foul-mouthed and smoking. I could not have raised kids in any other era of my life but now, for sure.' In regards to taking a break from acting to raise her family, Eva admitted to the publication, 'It was the easiest decision I've ever made.' And last year, Ryan revealed that he hadn't planned on having a family until he met Mendes. While talking to People, Mendes discussed having children later in life. 'When I was 40, it was a big deal for people when I was pregnant, and it wasn't for me'; seen in August in Paris 'I wasn't thinking about kids before I met her, but after I met Eva, I realized that I just didn't want to have kids without her,' he expressed to GQ at the time. He explained that filming scenes as a family with the Ghost Rider actress prompted his outlook to change. 'I didn't really want it to be pretend anymore. I realized that this would be a life I would be really lucky to have.' Gosling further commented on fatherhood and stated that, 'I would never want to go back, you know?' 'I'm glad I didn't have control over my destiny in that way, because it was so much better than I ever had dreamed for myself.' Queer (18, 136 mins) Verdict: Do say never again Rating: Shaken Bond fans may require a large Martini to brave Queer. Daniel Craig is clearly on a drastic mission to kill off his 007 image as he takes on the role of a needy, alcoholic, heroin-addicted, predatory gay man who cruises bars for young men, then engages them in eye-poppingly graphic sex. Let's say, it's not one to watch with the family on Christmas Day. Slavishly based on the Beat-era novella by William S. Burroughs though minus its most revolting parts Queer is a squalid tale of fear and self-loathing in 1950s Mexico City (even though it's quite obviously shot on a studio lot in Italy). Here, American ex-pat Lee (Craig) becomes obsessed with an emotionally distant young ex-US Navy serviceman (a pretty, yet blank, Drew Starkey). Is the lad queer? Lee can't tell, but he's determined to find out. Thereon in, the two men alternately get drunk and have sex, or get drunk and don't have sex, ad nauseam. Jason Schwartzman provides welcome warmth and comic relief as a jovial, fat-suited (I thought that wasn't allowed any more?) homosexual who gets robbed repeatedly by the strangers he has sex with. Daniel Craig is clearly on a drastic mission to kill off his 007 image as he takes on the role of a needy, alcoholic, heroin-addicted, predatory gay man who cruises bars for young men, then engages them in eye-poppingly graphic sex Slavishly based on the Beat-era novella by William S. Burroughs - though minus its most revolting parts - Queer is a squalid tale of fear and self-loathing in 1950s Mexico City (even though it's quite obviously shot on a studio lot in Italy) However, the whole, plotless enterprise is going nowhere fast, until a bizarre third act, where the duo take a freaky trip to the South American jungle, prompted by Lee's interest in telepathy, encounter a gun-toting Lesley Manville, wrestle with a venomous snake and crawl inside each other's skin. To be fair, Craig has some magnificent moments. A highlight is an awards-worthy scene where Lee shoots up heroin and stares, painfully and poignantly, into the camera. And Burroughs would be wildly flattered to see his alter-ego embodied by such a beefcake. Craig's physique speaks more of a man built on kale smoothies and bench-pressing than cigarettes, hard drugs and tequila. Director Luca Guadagnino (Challengers, Call Me By Your Name) is a master at exploring powerplay and desire. But I struggle to see what he's getting at here, beyond the fact that Lee is a man who yearns for intimacy and is tragically incapable of it. And yet, despite Craig's committed performance, you fail to feel Lee's agony. Guadagnino is a daring auteur and there are a few flashes of true beauty in this sweaty, soulless misfire. However, as a means of Craig putting Bond to bed and re-establishing himself as a serious actor, it's mission accomplished. From Roger Moore With Love (12A, 79 mins Verdict: Licence to thrill Rating: If It's a Bond fix you're after, my recommendation is From Roger Moore With Love. This celebratory portrait entertainingly reflects its subject: self-deprecating and irresistibly charming, if a touch one-dimensional. I loved it. If It's a Bond fix you're after, my recommendation is From Roger Moore With Love. Pictured: Sir Roger Moore Narrated with one eyebrow cocked, it explains how The Saint star first created his iconic debonair persona; then played it to perfection, on and off the screen, for his entire life. 'He just had 'it',' declares ex-Bond girl Jane Seymour, one of several 'dear friends' interviewed, including Joan Collins and Pierce Brosnan. No one has a bad word to say about the man and, unlike Mr Craig, Moore happily played 007 until the age when his latest Bond girl told him he reminded her of her dad. A lover of fast cars, luxury homes and gorgeous women, he died with no regrets in life and enjoyed every golden moment. How refreshing. Kraven The Hunter (15, 127 mins) Verdict: Supervillain turkey Rating: On track to be the latest flop in Sony's Spider-Man Universe franchise, after Madame Web and Morbius, Kraven The Hunter is the origin story of comic book villain Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who starts life as Sergei, nice eldest son of a nasty Russian drug lord (Russell Crowe with dodgeski accent). Kraven The Hunter is the origin story of comic book villain Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, pictured), who starts life as Sergei, nice eldest son of a nasty Russian drug lord (Russell Crowe with dodgeski accent) Dad instructs his boys: 'We are predators. They are prey.' When Sergei is mauled by a lion on safari, a series of unlikely events bestow ill-defined super-powers upon him and he sets out to hunt down bad guys who kill big game animals, or something. It's hard to tell you more, as the plot has more holes than a moth-eaten rug. There's an enemy called 'The Rhino' (Alessandro Nivola), an assassin, 'The Foreigner' (Christopher Abbott), and a token strong female character, Calypso (Ariana DeBose), who is a tarot-card reading 'investigative lawyer' with a mysterious secret. She can keep it. The CGI is ropey and the script so dire it provoked giggles at my press screening. Don't hold your breath for Kraven 2. Also showing... Return to Middle Earth via Japan with Kenji Kamayamas epic anime cartoon The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim (12A, 134 mins, four stars) Its set 183 years before events in Peter Jacksons original movie trilogy based on Tolkiens work and tells the surprisingly involving tale of Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox), forced to defend his kingdom of Rohan against the warring Dunlendings (also human there are no elves, dwarves or hobbits here) with the help of his headstrong daughter, Hera (Gaia Wise, daughter of Emma Thompson and Greg Wise). Unnamed in Tolkiens original footnote, which inspired this screenplay, Hera admirably redresses the historically male-dominated Rings universe, alongside her kick-ass, middle-aged shieldmaiden (Miranda Otto). The traditional 2D animation is a bit jerky, but the painterly backgrounds are beautiful. It may not possess the original trilogys magical power, but the action is terrific and the story galloped along so grippingly I didnt dare go to the loo. Carry-On (15, 119 mins, three stars) may bring Sid James et al to mind, but is in fact a satisfying Netflix thriller set around carry-on luggage. On Christmas Eve at Los Angeles airport, security agent Ethan (Taron Egerton, trying a bit too hard) is trapped into a deadly, if increasingly implausible, game of cat-and-mouse with a bad guy (an effortless Jason Bateman) whos determined to get a cabin bag full of Novichok onto a crowded flight. As director of 2014s Non-Stop, Jaume Collet-Serra already knows his way round a peril-on-a-plane thriller. His disposable Die Hard pretender may have preposterous plot points but packs in sufficient Push the button or they all DIE!! tension. Carry-On is streaming on Netflix, all other films are in cinemas now. Mila Kunis was spotted out and about in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles this week. The 41-year-old actress, who is married to Ashton Kutcher, wore a casual black outfit underneath a black coat. The mother-of-two accessorized with a deep green leather handbag and white sneakers. Kunis wore her lengthy brunette locks in a center part and ironed straight as they spilled over her chest. The silver screen siren looked great in a full face of makeup that included blushed and contoured cheeks. After meeting up with a friend, Mila was spotted driving away in her black car, which she decorated with reindeer antlers amid the holiday season. Mila Kunis was spotted out and about in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles this week After meeting up with a friend, Mila was spotted driving away in her black car, which she decorated with reindeer antlers amid the holiday season Earlier this week the That 70s Show alum showed off her sleek fashion sense as she attended the Academy Women's Luncheon with other Hollywood A-listers. She was clad in an all black Chanel outfit that included a short-sleeved, crew neck, knit sweater she tucked into high-waisted leather trousers. Kunis punctuated the timeless look with shiny black boots and a silver-toned Chanel chain necklace. This fall the star appeared in the comedy-drama Goodrich alongside Michael Keaton. Kunis plays the daughter to Keaton's Andy, whose younger wife leaves him to raise their young twins alone. At the film's red carpet premiere in Los Angeles in October, she opened up about her nine-year marriage to Ashton. 'I still feel like we're young and we feel very young. I think that's where the spark is,' she told E! News. And she emphasized the importance of humor, adding: 'We laugh at everything.' Earlier this week the That 70s Show alum showed off her sleek fashion sense as she attended the Academy Women's Luncheon with other Hollywood A-listers She was clad in an all black Chanel outfit that included a short-sleeved, crew neck, knit sweater she tucked into high-waisted leather trousers Mila has been married to husband Ashton Kutcher since 2015; pictured in November 2022 Kutcher reportedly 'regrets' his friendship with troubled star Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who was federally charged with sex trafficking and racketeering in September. The music mogul is currently awaiting trial behind bars in New York. A source previously told DailyMail.com that Ashton fears that the rapper, 55, could possibly lie to authorities about his famous friends if it means clearing his own name. However, a source told TMZ that Kutcher is not being looked at by federal investigators. Combs is at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City after being arrested on September 16. This week another bombshell claim about the rapper came out, this time involving Jay-Z. The two hip-hop giants have been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000, which Jay-Z has fiercely denied. Cardi B has accused Tasha K of hiding money, after the YouTuber filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a 2022 defamation lawsuit. The Bodak Yellow hitmaker, 32, was awarded a nearly $4 million verdict against the blogger, 42, for her false claims about the hip hop star's drug use, STDs, and prostitution. Tasha who was also sued by comedian Kevin Hart for extortion last year went on to file for bankruptcy in May, stating she had less than $60,000 in assets. At the time a judge ruled that bankruptcy will not be able to 'discharge' Tasha from the remaining $3.4 million she owes the Grammy Award winner, meaning she would still be on the hook for the payment even after exiting bankruptcy. In a latest development in the case, Cardi is alleging that Tasha failed to disclose 'multiple domestic and offshore trusts', as per TMZ . Cardi born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar claims the offshore accounts are located in places like the Cook Islands, Nevis and Georgia (the country). Cardi B, 32, has accused Tasha K, 42, of hiding money, after the YouTuber filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a 2022 defamation lawsuit with a $4 million verdict; Cardi seen in 2023 Cardi is alleging that Tasha failed to disclose 'multiple domestic and offshore trusts' located in places like the Cook Islands, Nevis and Georgia (the country) as per TMZ Cardi's attorneys filed documents in Florida Bankruptcy court, alleging Tasha 'fraudulently transferred assets and income out of her name, and into her husband's name and/or his business.' Despite filing for bankruptcy, Cardi believes Tasha is still living a 'life in luxury' and claims claims the YouTuber and her husband just got deluxe apartment with a $7,000/month rent. Cardi also believes Tasha is flaunting her wealth on social media, claiming she posts photographs of herself in what appears to be expensive clothing, handbags, and jewelry. Cardi wants the court to dismiss Tasha's bankruptcy case and impose a two-year filing ban. The judge has yet to rule. A jury found Tasha, real name Latasha Kebe, liable on two counts of slander and one count each of libel and invasion of privacy. Cardi was awarded $1 million in general damages, $1.5 million in punitive damages, plus $1.3 million for her attorney's fees, and $250,000 for medial expenses. The blogger was sued by the hitmaker for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress after claiming in videos posted to her YouTube channel that Cardi had once worked as a prostitute and had suffered from drug abuse and sexually transmitted diseases. Cardi's attorneys filed documents in Florida Bankruptcy court, alleging Tasha 'fraudulently transferred assets and income out of her name, and into her husband's name and/or his business' Despite filing for bankruptcy, Cardi believes Tasha is still living a 'life in luxury' and claims claims the YouTuber and her husband just got deluxe apartment with a $7,000/month rent Cardi also believes Tasha is flaunting her wealth on social media, claiming she posts photographs of herself in what appears to be expensive clothing, handbags, and jewelry The hitmaker was awarded a nearly $4 million verdict against the blogger in 2022, for her false claims about the hip hop star's drug use, STDs, and prostitution; Cardi seen in 2023 The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where Tasha lives, and the trial took just over a week before a jury determined that Tasha was liable on the slander, libel and invasion of privacy counts. Cardi sued the YouTuber back in 2019 for a 'campaign of slander' after she refused to take down the offending videos. Among the false claims made were that the superstar rapper had contracted herpes and that she regularly used cocaine while working as a prostitute. 'None of the aforementioned statements about plaintiff are true,' Cardi's legal team replied in her lawsuit filing. 'Plaintiff was never a prostitute or a user of cocaine. Plaintiff has never, and does not now, have herpes, nor has she had herpes outbreaks on her mouth.' During her emotional testimony in court Cardi claimed 'I wanted to commit suicide over the things.' 'I felt defeated and depressed and I didn't want to sleep with my husband,' she said of a period shortly after she and the Migos rapper Offset with whom she has since split welcomed their daughter Kulture. During direct examination by her legal team, she also admitted that she felt as if she 'didn't deserve my kid.' The rapper also blasted Tasha K from the witness stand, saying 'I felt like only a demon could do that s**t,' according to TMZ. Last year, Kevin Hart (pictured 2023) sued Tasha for extortion after the gossip blogger allegedly asked him to pay $250,000 to prevent the release of a tell-all interview with his former assistant Last year Kevin Hart sued Tasha for extortion after the gossip blogger allegedly asked him to pay $250,000 to prevent the release of a tell-all interview conducted with his former assistant. In legal documents obtained by The Blast, Hart alleges Tasha asked him to make a payment to prevent the release of the interview. Hart subsequently sent Tasha a cease and desist letter, informing her he would not pay the six figure amount she sought. The lawsuit claims that Miesha Shakes, Hart's former assistant, made 'false and defamatory statements regarding Hart' in the interview, according to Page Six. Dina Broadhurst set high-society tongues wagging by having a 'revenge dress' moment at her best friend Bernadette Fahey's wedding earlier this month. And now she's putting her own unique twist on the post break-up thirst trap selfie. The newly single 46-year-old took to Instagram with her latest piece of digital art on Friday a carousel of semi-nude shower selfies and a photo of seafood. In the half a dozen photos uploaded, the 'nude artist' struck various poses wearing a long-sleeved see-through blue bodysuit featuring a dangerously high cut across her pelvic bone. She went bare-faced and left her wet hair hanging over her shoulders, but Dina obviously hadn't just hopped out of the shower in the thigh-splitting mesh number by luxury streetwear label, Bianca Studio. The Sydney socialite announced her single status last week by stepping out solo at Pilates queen Bernadette's society wedding in a very cheeky dress. Newly single Dina Broadhurst took to Instagram on Friday in a 'revenge bodysuit' In the half a dozen photos uploaded, the 'nude artist' struck various poses wearing a long-sleeved see-through blue bodysuit featuring a dangerously high cut across her pelvic bone She went bare-faced and had wet hair hanging over her shoulders, but Dina obviously hadn't just hopped out of the shower in the thigh-splitting mesh number by Bianca Studio Dina risked an Instagram ban with her post She called time on her eight-month romance with multimillionaire John Winning Jr and fourth-generation heir of Winning Appliances that same morning. The former lovebirds soft-launched their break up in a very modern fashion by quietly and simultaneously unfollowing each other on Instagram. Unfortunately for Dina, that will mean her ex-boyfriend is unlikely to view her carefully constructed thirst traps. The caption offered no explanation. Dina simply typed a blue-heart emoji to match the electric blue of her lingerie, and possibly her heart. Nevertheless, the images quickly racked up hundreds of likes and comments. 'This looks yummy and Im not talking about the seafood,' one balding Instagram cassanova commented. Dina's post marks two weeks since she turned heads as Bernadette and property developer Jordan Sukkar said 'I do' at Scots College in a G-string dress. Dina set high-society tongues wagging by having a 'revenge dress' moment at her best friend's wedding earlier this month She recently called time on her eight-month romance with multimillionaire John Winning Jr and fourth-generation heir of Winning Appliances But amid the clinking glasses and whispered congratulations, one question began to ripple through the crowd: 'Where's Dina Broadhurst's plus-one?' Dina's boyfriend John Jr, was expected to be at her side. Sources have since told Daily Mail Australia that Dina - a single mother and accomplished art collector - came to the realisation that her lifestyle wasn't compatible with her ex. Dina and John Jr, whose family is worth an estimated $700million, had confirmed their romance earlier this year when they attended a rave in California together. Some wondered if it was Dina's 'revenge dress' after her sudden split from John Jr, including Daily Mail columnist Amanda Goff, who also called the ensemble 'wildly inappropriate.' 'Everyone was talking, Dina. But they weren't talking about your friend Bernadette,' Goff wrote. So perhaps the socialite is simply giving the proverbial middle finger to that chatter showing not telling, just how 'wildly inappropriate' her revenge outfit could have been. The eastern suburbs identity was previously in a relationship with Max Shepherd, 31, but it emerged in June 2023 they had parted ways after four-and-a-half years together. Following the break-up, Dina was briefly linked to property investor Tony Benjamin before taking up with John Jr. EXCLUSIVE Troubled teenage OnlyFans star Paris Ow-Yang's new American boyfriend has been cleared of a rape allegation, Daily Mail Australia can reveal. Rocket Stickney, 29, was facing a trial next year at the District Court for sexual intercourse without consent until the charge was suddenly dropped. The rape accusation had been hanging over Stickney for the past 18 months but late last month the allegation was withdrawn by the Crown. Further details of the alleged rape cannot be revealed for legal reasons. Stickney is still the subject of an interim apprehended violence order which accompanied the rape charge as it made its way through the courts. Ow-Yang, 19, and Stickney - reportedly a serving, or former, US Navy SEAL - were seen together on Thursday, the day after her own headline-grabbing appearance in court. She was convicted on Wednesday of assault, intimidation, and destroying property worth approximately $1,500 during a drunken rampage of domestic violence. Heavily-tattooed Stickney towered over Ow-Yang as they stepped out for food in Sydney's eastern suburbs and took her pet dachshund for a walk. Troubled teenage OnlyFans star Paris Ow-Yang's new American boyfriend Rocket Stickney has been cleared of a disturbing rape allegation, Daily Mail Australia can reveal. The couple is pictured on Thursday Heavily-tattooed Stickney towered over Ow-Yang as they nipped out for food in Sydney 's eastern suburbs on Thursday and took her pet dachshund for a walk Ow-Yang was dressed in the same white top she wore to court the previous day but teamed it with a short skirt and slides, instead of grey trousers, black jacket and J'Adior heels. Waverley Local Court heard Ow-Yang had turned up at her mother Amanda's home at Double Bay about 9pm on November 7 and run amok in a terrifying incident she could not recall. An enraged Ow-Yang had repeatedly called her mother a 'sl**' then threatened to take her own life and embedded two kitchen knives in the floor. Solicitor Michael Bowe said his client suffered from a litany of mental health problems stemming from the separation of her parents when she was a child. Ow-Yang, whose father is neurosurgeon Michael Ow-Yang, had been diagnosed with conditions including depression, anxiety, ADHD and an eating disorder. She had repeatedly engaged in self-harm, binge drinking and compulsive shopping as a result of grief, shock and trauma. Mr Bowe said Ow-Yang had 1.3 million followers on TikTok and 350,000 on Instagram but did not mention the OnlyFans account the private school girl opened as soon as she became an adult. He said Ow-Yang suffered a 'whole series' of mental health conditions which stemmed from her parents separating when she was about 13. Ow-Yang was convicted on Wednesday of assault, intimidation, and destroying property worth approximately $1,500 during a drunken rampage of domestic violence Ow-Yang was dressed in the same white top she wore to court the previous day but teamed it with a short skirt and slides, instead of grey trousers, black jacket and J'Adior heels She had never recovered from that split and her problems had not been helped by a brief relationship with 44-year-old nightclub king Julian Tobias. Tobias had dumped Ow-Yang upon their return from an overseas holiday late last year, just months after they began dating. An insider said at the time the relationship, which began when Ow-Yang was 17, was destined to fail because the pair had nothing in common. Ow-Yang blamed a drunken car crash in October 2023 on the emotional turmoil of the romance suddenly ending. After drowning her 'pain and hurt' in alcohol for nine hours, Ow-Yang had smashed her $50,000 black Mercedes into another Mercedes worth $150,000 in Point Piper. She subsequently blew 0.213 - more than four times the legal limit for a P-plater. Ow-Yang was convicted of high-range drinking driving and received a $1,000 fine along with a two-year community corrections order. On Wednesday, Mr Bowe said Ow-Yang now had a boyfriend, who he did not name but submitted was providing support as she worked to get her life back in order. 'She has a partner who is in the American army, he is a stable influence, albeit, the last partner she had was not,' Mr Bowe told magistrate Paul Mulroney. 'I've spoken to him on the phone and he seems like a pretty good bloke.' Waverley Local Court heard Ow-Yang had turned up at her mother Amanda's home at Double Bay and run amok in a terrifying incident she could not recall. She is pictured outside court Stickney has previously been described as a member of the US Navy Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) Teams, a special operations force separate from the army. He was not in court and it was not revealed what he is doing in Australia. Stickney had not been allowed to leave the country since the middle of last year when he was accused of rape. He first faced a magistrate at Parramatta on July 1, 2023 on a single count of sexual intercourse without consent and four days later was the subject of an apprehended violence order police applied for in Downing Centre Local Court. Under his bail conditions, Stickney was ordered to surrender his US passport, not to leave Australia at any time and not to apply for another international travel document. He was also required to report each Wednesday to Bondi police station, to live at a designated address and not to contact the woman named in the AVO or any other prosecution witness. Stickney pleaded not guilty to the rape charge on February 22 this year and reaffirmed that plea on April 5 when he was arraigned in Downing Centre District Court. The case was set down for trial on February 24 next year but when Stickney appeared before Judge John Pickering on November 26 the charge was withdrawn by the Crown. Ow-Yang, whose father is neurosurgeon Michael Ow-Yang, had been diagnosed with conditions including depression , anxiety, ADHD and an eating disorder The Director of Public Prosecutions indicated no further proceedings would take place but the AVO application is ongoing. Stickney was not present when that matter was last listed in Downing Centre Local Court on November 20 and it was adjourned until March. A spokeswoman for the DPP said the office would not be explaining why the charge was withdrawn. 'Reasons for the decision to withdraw a charge are made in accordance with the prosecution guidelines and are legally privileged,' she said. 'As such, we politely decline to comment.' Stickney and Ow-Yang were previously photographed on December 7 strolling in Bondi with her father. On Wednesday, Mr Mulroney declined to deal with Ow-Yang's latest offending under mental health provisions of the law. Mr Mulroney said while he was sympathetic towards people who suffered from mental health issues, Ow-Yang had not always paid appropriate attention to hers. 'It seems in this situation that Ms Ow-Yang has at times been way less than responsible in terms of attention to her mental health,' he said. 'In my view, there needs to be a greater guarantee that Ms Ow-Yang would be compliant with mental health treatment.' Mr Bowe urged Mr Mulroney not to record a conviction after she pleaded guilty to one count of common assault, one of intimidation and one of destroying property. 'She's only 19,' he said. 'She's got the world in front of her.' Mr Mulroney agreed to Mr Bowe's request and instead imposed a 15-month conditional release order. Under the terms of that order, Ow-Yang must comply with a mental health treatment plan and abstain from alcohol. In sentencing, Mr Mulroney said 'domestic violence is a poison in our community' and warned Ow-Yang if she committed another such offence she would likely to go jail. Mr Mulroney also placed Ow-Yang on an apprehended violence order. Emma Corrin went completely sheer for the LA premiere of Nosferatu, which was held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday. The British 29-year-old - who came out as non-binary in 2022 and uses they/them pronouns -flashed their sequin panties beneath a Miu Miu strapless black gown connected to gloves along with pumps selected by stylist Harry Lambert. Emma's sexy all-black attire was a fitting choice to promote a Gothic supernatural horror film about an ancient Transylvanian vampire. Corrin tucked their raven pixie cut into a fishnet swathed hood, and make-up artist Gina Kane brought out their baby blues with darkened brows and pink cheekbones. The Deadpool & Wolverine actor's dress highlighted their bizarre back tattoo of squiggly lines and dots. Emma - who's not a horror film fan - portrays Anna Harding in the rat-filled Focus Features flick set in 1838 Germany, which hits US theaters December 25 and UK theaters January 1. Emma Corrin went completely sheer for the LA premiere of Nosferatu, which was held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday Robert Eggers remade F. W. Murnau's 1922 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, which was already an unauthorized big-screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. Nosferatu currently has a 'certified fresh' 93% critic approval rating (out of 90 reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes. 'I texted [Eggers] quite early when I read the script, and I was like, "So the [rats] are gonna be CGI?" He was like, "No,"' Corrin recalled in their Who What Wear cover story on Tuesday. 'You know what? I was being quite brave about it. The smell is horrendous. It was the fact that they pi** and s*** constantly. For days after, I had all these scratches.' The Miu Miu brand ambassador seemed pleased to reunite with their onscreen leading man Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays Friedrich Harding. The talented twosome had never worked together before Nosferatu, but they were born only a two-hour drive away from each other. The 34-year-old Englishman struck a pose with Emma while looking dapper in a black double-breasted sui over a matching crew-neck top and patent leather Oxfords. Corrin also posed with their onscreen sister-in-law Lily-Rose Depp, who plays the titillated protagonist Ellen Hutter. The Murder at the End of the World star flashed a genuine smile while posing with co-star Willem Dafoe, who plays Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz. The British 29-year-old - who came out as non-binary in 2022 and uses they/them pronouns -flashed their sequin panties beneath a Miu Miu strapless black gown connected to gloves along with pumps selected by stylist Harry Lambert Emma's sexy all-black attire was a fitting choice to promote a Gothic supernatural horror film about an ancient Transylvanian vampire The Lady Chatterley's Lover actress tucked their raven pixie cut into a fishnet swathed hood In addition, make-up artist Gina Kane brought out their baby blues with darkened brows and pink cheekbones The Deadpool & Wolverine actor's dress highlighted their bizarre back tattoo of squiggly lines and dots The star completed the look with chic patent leather shoes and contrasted their dark attire with a dazzling silver ring The edgy ensemble enhanced Corrin's slender neck and collarbones as they posed with confidence The My Policeman favourite stunned under the spotlight, showing off the edgy look Emma - who's not a horror film fan - portrays Anna Harding in the rat-filled Focus Features flick set in 1838 Germany, which hits US theaters December 25 and UK theaters January 1 Robert Eggers remake of F. W. Murnau's 1922 silent film currently has a 'certified fresh' 93% critic approval rating (out of 90 reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes Corrin recalled in their Who What Wear cover story on Tuesday: 'I texted [Eggers] quite early when I read the script, and I was like, "So the [rats] are gonna be CGI?" He was like, "No"' They continued: 'You know what? I was being quite brave about it. The smell is horrendous. It was the fact that they pi** and s*** constantly. For days after, I had all these scratches' The Miu Miu brand ambassador seemed pleased to reunite with their onscreen leading man Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays Friedrich Harding The talented twosome had never worked together before Nosferatu, but they were born only a two-hour drive away from each other The 34-year-old Englishman struck a pose with Emma while looking dapper in a black double-breasted sui over a matching crew-neck top and patent leather Oxfords Corrin also posed with their onscreen sister-in-law Lily-Rose Depp, who plays the titillated protagonist Ellen Hutter The Murder at the End of the World star flashed a genuine smile while posing with co-star Willem Dafoe, who plays Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz Emma was also joined on the black carpet for a group shot by producer Chris Columbus (L) as well as black-clad castmates Bill Skarsgard (2-R) and Nicholas Hoult (R) Corrin will next play Nina in the West End production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and the six-week engagement begins February at the Barbican Theatre in London The SAG Award winner's boyfriend Rami Malek (L, pictured August 31) will be taking on the titular tragic king in the West End production of Sophocles' Greek myth Oedipus, which runs January 21-March 29 at The Old Vic in London Emma was also joined on the black carpet for a group shot by producer Chris Columbus as well as black-clad castmates Bill Skarsgard and Nicholas Hoult. Corrin will next play Nina in the West End production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and the six-week engagement begins February at the Barbican Theatre in London. Director Thomas Ostermeier's stage adaptation also features Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, Furiosa star Tom Burke, and Stranger Things star Kodi Smit-McPhee. The SAG Award winner's boyfriend Rami Malek will be taking on the titular tragic king in the West End production of Sophocles' Greek myth Oedipus, which runs January 21-March 29 at The Old Vic in London. Emma and the 43-year-old Oscar winner began dating in July 2023 after romances with his Bohemian Rhapsody leading lady Lucy Boynton and his Mr. Robot co-star Portia Doubleday. The Good Grief actor's other upcoming projects include Julia Jackman's feminist fantasy film 100 Nights of Hero and the six-episode seventh season of Netflix's Black Mirror. But most audiences best remember Emma in their 2020 breakout role as Diana, Princess of Wales in the fourth season of the Netflix's The Crown, for which they won a Golden Globe and were nominated for an Emmy Award. Nicholas Hoult and his long-term love Bryana Holly made their red carpet debut on Thursday after seven years together. The English actor, 35, and the 31-year-old model enjoyed a date night at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film, Nosferatu, held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Hoult and Bryana who share two kids together: a son Joaquin, 6, and another child, born in 2022 matched in dark looks for the night out, with the actor sporting a brown suit from the Row. Their red carpet debut comes after the actor seemingly confirmed the pair have secretly tied the knot. In a recent interview, he discussed watching Nosferatu together and referred to Bryana as his 'wife.' And though on Thursday he kept his left hand firmly in his pocket while posing for photographers, earlier this month he appeared to be wearing a wedding band on his left ring finger at the London Nosferatu premiere on December fourth. Nicholas Hoult, 35, and his long-term love Bryana Holly, 31, made their red carpet debut on Thursday after seven years together The English actor and the model enjoyed a date night at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film, Nosferatu, held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood Hoult completed his dashing outfit with a brown button-up shirt and tie. Meanwhile Bryana sizzled in a form-fitting black dress, with her blonde tresses styled in loose curls. The mom-of-two rocked a red manicure for the outing. It comes after Nicholas insisted that it is 'fairly clear' he is married to Bryana. In an interview last month, the Great actor claimed the meaning of his words should have made things obvious. Asked if his comments mean he is married, he told People magazine: 'I think it's fairly clear.' 'I feel like it's fairly from my comments.' The actor called his Bryanna his wife while sharing her reaction to a scary scene in his horror film 'Nosferatu' on the red carpet at the 2024 Governors Awards on Sunday. He told E! News on the red carpe: 'Afterwards, I remember I had my wife's nails imprinted on my hand. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this was tense.'' The couple, who rarely make public appearances together, officially began dating in 2016 after meeting in Los Angeles. Hoult and Bryana who share two kids together: a son Joaquin, 6, and another child, born in 2022 matched in black for the night out Their red carpet debut comes after the actor seemingly confirmed the pair have secretly tied the knot In a recent interview, he discussed watching Nosferatu together and referred Bryana as his 'wife' The couple, who rarely make public appearances together, officially began dating in 2016 after meeting in Los Angeles And though on Thursday he kept his left hand firmly in his pocket while posing for photographers, earlier this month he appeared to be wearing a wedding band on his left ring finger at the London Nosferatu premiere Nicholas and Bryana first sparked marriage speculation as they attended the star-studded wedding of Anna and Malcom in Venice in October last year. Nicholas - who shot to fame as an adorable child star opposite Hugh Grant in About A Boy - and the blonde beauty both sported gold wedding bands on their fingers. Back in 2018 Nicholas became a father for the first time after welcoming his first child - son Joaquin - with Bryana, after just one year of dating. Nicolas told the Evening Standard in 2019 his 'levels of tiredness are extreme' after he became a father for the first time. He said: 'No one warns you about it! But the level of love that comes with it outweighs everything. It's phenomenal. 'I'm loving it. And it evolves all the time. They change so much, every day is different. It fills you up as a human completely.' While in 2020 he revealed he's relishing the challenges of fatherhood, and is actually enjoying being at home with his family due to the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking on The Late Late Show with James Corden, he said: 'I'm loving it. It's mad. It's a learning curve, isn't it? There's a lot to take in. Hoult continued to spark speculation he married Bryana as he stepped out wearing a wedding band at the premiere on December fourth A gold wedding band was pictured on his ring finger at the event, held at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London The actor previously sparked speculation that he'd tied the knot with the model when he referred to her as his 'wife' a month ago; they are seen in 2023 Nicholas previously dated actress Jennifer Lawrence, 34, on and off for four years (pictured together in January 2014) 'But overall, it's like that time again, it brings back a lot of memories of your childhood. 'It makes you play again - which I'm really enjoying, particularly with this time now with everything shut down and not having to work I'm kind of just playing trains all day. Yeah, it's great.' The About A Boy actor famously dated Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, 34, on and off for four years before they broke up in 2014. Jennifer later reflected on their split during an interview with Diane Sawyer, revealing it happened as they completed filming X Men: Days Of Future Past. Meanwhile, Bryana previously dated Five Seconds of Summer star Aston Irwin and Brody Jenner, the step-brother of American socialite Kim Kardashian, with whom she regularly featured on Kim's popular fly-on-the-wall reality show. The couple dated for several months in 2013 before a dramatic falling out at the annual Playboy Mansion Halloween party. Hoult's latest film, Nosferatu which also stars Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgard is a haunting remake of the 1922 silent classic, which was loosely based on Bram Stokers Dracula. In this new version, Bill takes on the role of the bloodthirsty Count Orlok, with Lily-Rose playing Ellen Hutter, the object of his sinister obsession. Hoult's latest film, Nosferatu which also stars Lily-Rose Depp is a haunting remake of the 1922 silent classic, which was loosely based on Bram Stokers Dracula; The duo seen in a still Hoult plays Thomas Hutter, Ellen's husband, while Bill Skarsgard, 34, plays Count Orlok. Willem Dafoe plays Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, a vampire hunter. The film also stars Emma Corrin as Anna Harding, the wife of Thomas's friend Friedrich, portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Early reviews are already raving, calling the Robert Eggers film 'hypnotic,' 'devilish,' and 'the scariest movie since The Shining,' as the movie posted a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Nosferatu will hit theaters on Christmas Day, December 25, 2024. She's been hailed for her performance in the upcoming Nosferatu remake. So it came as no surprise to see Lily Rose Depp looked in good spirits as she partied with co-star Emma Corrin and Charli XCX at Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles after the film's premiere on Thursday. Lily-Rose, 25, exuded glamour in the silver satin gown she had worn on the red carpet earlier, having removed the embellished slip she had previously accessorised with. She posed up a storm with Emma Corrin, 29, who donned a red printed dress with black ankle boots. Charli XCX, 32, also looked incredible as she went braless in a sheer black dress with floral detailing on the bodice. Nosferatu which has been getting rave early reviews is a haunting remake of the 1922 silent classic, which was loosely based on Bram Stokers Dracula. Lily Rose Depp exuded glamour in a silver satin gown as she partied with Charli XCX at the Nosferatu premiere afterparty at Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles on Thursday Emma Corrin, 29, donned a red printed dress with black ankle boots while Charli, 32, also looked incredible as she went braless in a sheer black dress with floral detailing on the bodice In this new version, Bill Skarsgard takes on the role of the bloodthirsty Count Orlok, with Lily-Rose playing Ellen Hutter, the object of his sinister obsession. In addition to Lily-Rose and Bill, Nosferatu features a talented ensemble cast that includes Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter, Ellen's husband, and Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, a vampire hunter. The film also stars Emma Corrin as Anna Harding, the wife of Thomas's friend Friedrich, portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Early reviews are already raving, calling the Robert Eggers film 'hypnotic,' 'devilish,' and 'the scariest movie since The Shining,' as the movie posted a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Every aspect of the project is getting rave reviews, but it's Lily-Rose who's really stealing the spotlight with her performance. 'The film belongs to Lily-Rose Depp, whose performance is a revelation,' declared The Hollywood Reporter, as Collider called it 'one of the years best performances.' 'Her scenes with Bill Skarsgard are electric,' continued THR's David Rooney. 'Depp gives Ellens delirium a tragic gravity, deepening once she acknowledges the mystical forces within her that sparked the vampires obsession.' 'She can switch in an instant from weak and vulnerable to demonic, and the stylized physicality of her seizures is breathtaking.' The pair were later joined for snaps with Aaron Taylor-Johnson who stars as Friedrich Harding in the upcoming horror film In this new version, Bill Skarsgard takes on the role of the bloodthirsty Count Orlok, with Emma as Anna Harding, the wife of Thomas's friend Friedrich, portrayed by Aaron Nicholas Hoult, Robert Eggers, Bill, Aaron and Lily-Rose posed up a storm at the party Disney Channel star Moises Arias looked in good spirits as he partied with Jaden Smith The cast (L-R) Willem Dafoe, Aaron, Emma, Robert, Lily-Rose, Bill and Nicholas earlier attended the premiere at the TCL Chinese theatre in Hollywood Speaking to Natalie Portman in a conversation for Interview magazine, Lily-Rose recently shared that one scene in the upcoming vampire flick was difficult to film. The scene in question sees her drenched in blood with it streaming from her eyes 'There was blood that I would have to put in my eyes, and Im tearing up just talking about it. My eyes are very sensitive.' Set in Germany in 1882, Nosferatu follows Thomas Hutter and his wife Ellen as they travel to Transylvania in Romania's Carpathian Mountains, where they encounter the mysterious Count Orlok. Nosferatu will hit theaters on Christmas Day, December 25, 2024. Alison Hammond showed off her slimmed down physique in a fitted midi dress as she attended the press night for the Robin Hood pantomime at the London Palladium on Thursday. The This Morning host, 49, looked sensational as she posed outside the venue in a leopard print frock with black panels that accentuated her waist. She teamed the garment with a pair of black and tan trainers and accessorised with gold hooped earrings. Alison has opened up about her impressive weight loss in recent days, revealing that the key to her success was simply cutting out sweets, fatty foods and exercising with a personal trainer. Admitting that weight-loss jabs weren't for her, she told Good Housekeeping UK: 'I think that, for people who need to use them, theyre a good thing - but for me, as soon as I hear any scare story, I get frightened. 'So I havent wanted to use them, but thats not to say I wouldnt in the future, and I certainly wouldnt look down on anyone who did.' Alison Hammond showed off her slimmed down physique as she attended the press night for the Robin Hood pantomime at the London Palladium on Thursday (right, in 2021) The This Morning host, 49, looked sensational as she posed outside the venue in a leopard print frock with black panels that accentuated her waist She added: 'My mum had type 2 diabetes and she was worried for me, so when I then found out that I was pre-diabetic, that was frightening. 'I thought: "I have to be an adult about this". The sweets had to stop and the fatty foods. 'Twice a week, I see my personal trainer and I have a couple of weights in my bedroom. I walk, I stretch and sometimes I do a bit of yoga.' Amid her body transformation, the broadcaster opted to sell off her old size 26 clothes earlier this year for charity in memory of her late mother, who passed away from Liver Cancer in 2020. The star has been candid about her weight struggles over the years and previously admitted she was 'so embarrassed' by her weight when she weighed more than 20 stone, she joined Weight Watchers in 2019 to focus on her health. Alison admitted she is trolled on a daily basis about her size but refuses to slim down for others as she likes taking up 'a little bit of extra space in the world'. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly and her daughter Rosie Smith on the What If? podcast, Alison said she is going to try and eat healthier to avoid knee pain but added 'we're all going to die eventually'. She vowed to live her life to the 'fullest' and promised that she was going to have a 'wonderful life' in the candid chat. Alison has opened up about her impressive weight loss in recent days, revealing that the key to her success was simply cutting out sweets, fatty foods and exercising with a personal trainer Alison teamed her figure-hugging dress with a pair of black and tan trainers and accessorised with gold hooped earrings Alison, who is loved for her sunny disposition, said she wanted to prioritise her health and wellbeing whilst juggling her on-the-go lifestyle. She said: 'I want my journey to empower others to think about making changes to their lifestyle to become the best version of themselves.' Alison, who replaced Matt Lucas as a co-host of The Great British Bake Off in 2023, previously explained how she now has a strict rule on cake tasting after gaining a stone while filming. The TV presenter originally said she only agreed to join the show 'for the cake' - but now she's realised she has to curb the tasty treats. Alison has decided to self-impose a limit of sampling only winners' creations and those bakes which are awarded Paul Hollywood's famous handshakes. She told the Off Menu podcast: 'I just started filming Bake Off. I've never seen the tent so cold. It was freezing, absolutely freezing. I had my thermals on underneath my dress. 'But I love that show for the cake. People don't realise I am literally there for the cake. After every bake you're allowed to taste every bake and last year I put on a stone. 'It's taken me a year to take that stone off. 'So now I'm only eating if they get a handshake or the winner of a section. But anything else sorry, I'm not going there. As soon as it goes in my mouth I swallow it - I love it.' Bob Egelko has been a reporter since June 1970. He spent 30 years with the Associated Press, covering news, politics and occasionally sports in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento, and legal affairs in San Francisco from 1984 onward. He worked for the San Francisco Examiner for five months in 2000, then joined The Chronicle in November 2000. His beat includes state and federal courts in California, the Supreme Court and the State Bar. He has a law degree from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and is a member of the bar. Coverage has included the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the appointment of Rose Bird to the state Supreme Court and her removal by the voters, the death penalty in California and the battles over gay rights and same-sex marriage. Elle Fanning rocked a chic mini dress as she joined Timothee Chalamet to depart another screening of A Complete Unknown in New York City on Thursday. The Super 8 favourite, 26, was effortlessly classy in the all-black look while departing the Museum of Modern Art in the evening. The American actress joined the Dune alum, 28, as the pair carry on the press tour of the eagerly-anticipated Bob Dylan biopic - which will hit theatres in January 2025. Elle looked stunning in the black dress, putting on a leggy display with glossy tights and patent leather pump heels - keeping it simple but elegant for the occasion. She ensured to bundle up against the cold adding an also black coat, beaming gently to onlookers as she exited the famous building. Elle Fanning, 26, rocked a chic mini dress as she joined Timothee Chalamet to depart another screening of A Complete Unknown in New York City on Thursday The Super 8 favourite was effortlessly classy in the all-black look while departing the Museum of Moden Art in the evening Meanwhile the Wonka sensation - who has been often hailed for making fashion statements - opted for a white and blue palette for his outfit, sporting striped trousers. Call Me By Your Name star Timothee added a white shirt and a blue pocketed denim jacket, showing off a very radiant smile. With less than two weeks until his Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown hits theaters, the Hollywood heartthrob revealed some surprising details about the film. The film - based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wald - features the actor both singing and performing Dylan's songs on guitar. The actor appeared on Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday to promote the film, where he teased a special Christmas surprise. Since the film opens nationwide on Christmas Day, it's unclear what Timothee plans on unveiling, though it's connected to Dylan's 2009 holiday song Must Be Santa. He also charted the long journey this film had to get to the big screen - which he was originally supposed to shoot in the summer of 2019. He even shared an exclusive video of him singing a Bob Dylan song... while on the set of his first Dune movie. Elle looked stunning in the black dress, putting on a leggy display with glossy tights and patent leather shoes - keeping it simple but elegant for the occasion. She ensured to bundle up against the cold adding an also black coat, beaming gently to onlookers as she exited the famous building. Elle looked stunning in the black dress, putting on a leggy display with glossy tights and patent leather pump heels - keeping it simple but elegant for the occasion She ensured to bundle up against the cold adding an also black coat, beaming gently to onlookers as she exited the famous building Meanwhile the Wonka sensation - who has been often hailed for making fashion statements - opted for a white and blue palette for his outfit, sporting striped trousers The Call Me By Your Name star showed off his best smile following the screening The actor began by admitting, 'This is a movie I'm absolutely the proudest of in my career,' which covers a four-year span between 1961 and 1965. The first year is when Dylan moved from his home state of Minnesota to New York City, and 1965 was his controversial performance at the Newport Folk Festival where he used an electric guitar for the first time. Colbert mentioned that the film not only charted Dylan's career between those years, but also shined a light on America as a country at that time. 'It's as much of a movie about Bob Dylan's early life from 1961 to 1965, as it is about the United States at this time, Greenwich village at that time, a sort of fraught political environment,' Timothee said. The actor admitted he was 'not very educated' about Dylan's work when he first signed on, but when he first started looking up his music, he first found some of his press conferences from 1965. 'I got approached with the material and there were these press conferences is that popped up from 1965 where he so confrontational in his media appearances and he is so elusive and mysterious,' the Dune star said. He then charted the arduous journey this film took to arrive in theaters in a few short weeks, more than five years in the making. 'It was supposed to be the summer of 2019 we were supposed to shoot it. Excuse me. Summer of 2020 we were supposed to shoot it, and the pandemic happened,' e added. With less than two weeks until his Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown hits theaters, leading star Timothee revealed some surprising details about the film on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert The film - based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric by Elijah Wald - features the 28-year-old Chalamet both singing and performing Dylan's songs on guitar The actor began by admitting, 'This is a movie I'm absolutely the proudest of in my career,' which covers a four-year span between 1961 and 1965 While both he and director James Mangold moved on to other projects, he kept working on Dylan, as they even showed a video of him performing a Dylan song on the set of the first Dune movie. 'We were supposed to do it in 2023 and the actors strike happened. I started to think, is there a hex on this project? Then we did at the following summer, last summer. It was a relief. I felt like I was getting some thing off my plate,' he admitted. The actor also admitted that the recorded all the music live to camera, which is quite rare in films of this ilk, but the American-French hunk admitted it 'clicked' something inside him. 'The worst thing we could have done with a Bob Dylan biopic is sanitized that make it sound clean. This was a man from iron ore country. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hibbing, Duluth. You hear it in his voice. I didn't want to be a new Yorker recording in Los Angeles decimating that music,' he said. The actor went on saying: 'This is like an American hero, an American great. One of the fantastic artist of our time. This movie is a humble bridge, it's a gateway to hopefully anybody who's not a fan to discover it.' When asked if he was going to be playing Must Be Santa over the holidays, Timothee teased, 'I've got a little Must Be Santa surprise up my sleeve.' Nicola Coughlan has revealed her mother was 'so mad' about her Bridgerton sex scenes she wouldn't go to the screening with her. The actress, 37, made the confession on The Graham Norton Show on Friday alongside former James Bond star Daniel Craig and actors Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. The Derry Girls star, told host Graham, 61, that she found it strange playing an adult character, (she was 35 at the time). She also said she felt she had experienced a baptism of fire when she took on the romantic lead in the third series of Bridgerton. And the raunchy scene, which saw Nicola's character Penelope Featherington strip naked before having sex with her so-star Luke Newton, who played Colin Bridgerton, shocked the Irish star's mother so much, Nicola went without her to the screening for the show. She told the chat show host: 'I was 35 and I realised I had never played an adult, and I was like, "How do I do this?". Nicola Coughlan, 37, revealed on The Graham Norton Show in scenes set to air on Friday that her mother was 'so mad' about her Bridgerton sex scenes she wouldn't go to the screening with her And the raunchy scene, which saw Nicola's character Penelope Featherington strip naked before having sex with her so-star Luke Newton, who played Colin Bridgerton, shocked the Irish star's mother so much, Nicola went without her to the screening for the show The actress made the confession on The Graham Norton Show alongside former James Bond star Daniel Craig and actors Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin 'It was then so weird having to play the romantic lead and getting up to sexy things. 'My mother was so mad at me about those scenes as if they were my fault, so I didn't go to the screening with her!' Fans were promised the 'steamiest season yet' when the third installment of Bridgerton was announced and they were not left disappointed. In the series, which followed the friends to lovers arc of Penelope and Colin, one scene in particular set pulses racing. In the explicit scene, Penelope was being comforted by Colin after a row with her mother about her engagement, during which time they began kissing. Colin then undoes her corset and admires her naked figure. The pair then moved to the chaise longue where the star's bare bottom was displayed before they touched each other intimately. They checked in on each other constantly, with Penelope stating: 'tell me what to do', with Colin offering: 'you could touch me.' After warning his virginal bride that this 'may hurt' the pair then had sex, with Penelope asking at the end 'can we do it again?' to which Colin quipped: 'give me 5 minutes, maybe 10.' Fans were promised the 'steamiest season yet' when the third installment of Bridgerton was announced and they were not left disappointed Earlier this year the actress hit back at a female journalist who commented that she was 'very brave' to take on the part Nicola has previously spoken about how she has been used as a poster girl for body positivity for opting to go naked for her steamy scenes in the period drama. Earlier this year the actress hit back at a female journalist who commented that she was 'very brave' to take on the part. As some regarded the statement as a 'backhanded comment', Nicola brilliantly responded herself saying: 'You know, it is hard because I think women with my body type - women with perfect breasts - we don't get to see ourselves onscreen enough!' 'And I'm very proud as a member of the perfect breasts community. I hope you enjoy seeing them.' Elsewhere in the interview, Nicola revealed she had to brush up on her Doctor Who knowledge having never watched the show before being asked to appear on the Christmas special alongside Ncuti Gatwa. Nicola has previously spoken about how she has been used as a poster girl for body positivity for opting to go naked for her steamy scenes in the period drama Nicola revealed she had to brush up on her Doctor Who knowledge having never watched the show before being asked to appear on the Christmas special alongside Ncuti Gatwa (pictured) The Harlots actress added that she would love to be asked back and had an excellent time on set. She said: 'I cant tell you anything, not because of secrecy but because I had no idea what was going on. 'I was brought up in Ireland so didnt see it as a child so when I got the part, I looked it up on Wikipedia it was like reading War and Peace and it was so confusing with monsters and time travel. 'It was a fun experience, and I had a lovely time. If they want me back, I would do it again.' A first look new clip has been revealed from the Gavin And Stacey Christmas special and in it, fans get to see a major life update for Nessa Jenkins, played by Ruth Jones. After taking on a new job as a rickshaw driver, she's back to her wheeling dealing ways as she tries to charge her customers 75 for a two minute ride. Back in her famous leather waistcoat, it remains to be seen how her relationship with Smithy, played by James Corden - but it's the information that everyone wants to know. 'Right, that's your lot, you're going to have to walk the rest,' she tells the passengers, in the clip, who look on in shock as she confirms the price. The woman exclaims: 'What? But we've only been on for a couple of minutes.' Nessa replies saying her tone is 'abusive tone very triggering' and adds: 'If I were you, I'd leave it there. You got Apple Pay? I've got Bluetooth in my bra.' A first look new clip has been revealed from the Gavin And Stacey Christmas special and in it, fans get to see a major life update for Nessa Jenkins, played by Ruth Jones After taking on a new job as a rickshaw driver, she's back to her wheeling dealing ways as she tries to charge her customers 75 for a two minute ride The moment in the teaser was filmed back in September and these were some of the first scenes that were filmed. In those pictures, Nessa, the best friend of Stacey Shipman was seen carting the passengers on Barry Island in a rickshaw - and she was finally reunited with Neil 'Smithy' Smith, who was wearing a wedding ring. But James Corden, who portrays Nessa's on-off love interest in the hit BBC sitcom, was directing the scenes rather than in character and so it is most likely his own, from his marriage to Julia Carey. The actor and co-creator of the beloved comedy, 46, appeared in high spirits as he arrived at the sea front along with Stacey herself, played by Joanna Page. When filming started, James was fully focused on the camera screen to ensure his vision for the last ever episode of Gavin & Stacey comes to life. With his notes in hand, James appeared at one point to give Ruth some advice on how he wanted the scene to pan out. Nessa's new job as a rickshaw driver follows her varied career - from working at the SH Amusements arcade, to being a news producer for the BBC. She has previous driving experience, having worked as a driver for Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Who and Eddie Stobart. Back in her famous leather waistcoat, it remains to be seen how her relationship with Smithy, played by James Corden - but it's the information that everyone wants to know 'Right, that's your lot, you're going to have to walk the rest,' she tells the passengers, in the clip, who look on in shock as she confirms the price The woman exclaims: 'What? But we've only been on for a couple of minutes' Nessa replies saying her tone is 'abusive tone very triggering' and adds: 'If I were you, I'd leave it there. You got Apple Pay? I've got Bluetooth in my bra' Before filming, Ruth had lunch at Mr Villa's fish and chip shop and posed for a photo with a fan who worked behind the counter. The BBC also shared a picture of the clapperboard with the first take on to mark the momentous moment and wrote: 'Oh. My. Christ. The final episode of Gavin & Stacey started filming today. Truth be told, were a little bit excited.' James, meanwhile, sent Gavin & Stacey fans wild with excitement as he shared a snap from the first day of filming for the highly-anticipated return of the sitcom. The actor and co-creator of the beloved comedy took to his Instagram to post a behind-the-scenes photo from the set, as he confirmed shooting was underway. The shot showed the side of James' character Neil 'Smithy' Smith's iconic blue Volvo, which he uses to advertise his builder and decorator services. The moment in the teaser was filmed back in September (pictured) and these were some of the first scenes that were filmed In those pictures, Nessa, the best friend of Stacey Shipman was seen carting the passengers on Barry Island in a rickshaw Joanna donned a floral summer dress for the scenes, showing off her legs and fringed brown boots The fan-favourite and well-known tough character was seen transporting a number of passengers single-handedly Joanna looked delighted to be back to doing what she loves best Ruth disappeared into Nessa, sporting a denim skirt over black lace tights In Nessa's classic bizarre style, Ruth was also seen blowing on a harmonica as she rode Joanna got into character as Stacey as the cameras surrounded the rickshaw Writing on the window read: 'Smithys: If your husband wont do it I will Tilin, Roofin, Plasterin, & Feng Shui. Call me on 07700978978'. Captioning the teasing shot, James wrote: 'Day 1. Here we go x' as his followers went wild in the comments, declaring: 'This is history'. They wrote: 'All these years, you'd have thought smithy would get a new car. Can't wait though, more excited for this than Christmas itself'. 'Screw the fishing trip, screw the wedding, let's just have the best Christmas special for the ages!! Forget Oasis, THIS IS HISTORY; This means another rewatch.' Meanwhile, Ruth transformed into Nessa to say her goodbyes to Sister Act The Musical, following her turn as Mother Superior at London's Dominion Theatre. The actress, 57, joined the star-studded cast of the hit West End show in March, and went on to extend her run, taking to the stage for the final time last month. And as she was lauded by her co-stars, Ruth treated the audience of her last show to visit from fan-favourite, Nessa, and teased the highly-anticipated return of Gavin & Stacey. Nessa's new job as a rickshaw driver follows her varied career - from working at the SH Amusements arcade, to being a news producer for the BBC She has previous driving experience, having worked as a driver for Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Who and Eddie Stobart James appeared at one point to give Ruth some advice on how he wanted the scene to pan out The former late night host was also spotted catching up with his leading lady between takes Fans have been clamouring to know the answers to the show's biggest questions such as Smithy's answer to Nessa's proposal and what happened on the fishing trip The BBC began filming for the Christmas Day special in September James previously took to his Instagram to post a behind-the-scenes photo from the set, showing the side of his character Smithy's iconic blue Volvo Meanwhile, Ruth transformed into Nessa to say her goodbyes to Sister Act The Musical, following her turn as Mother Superior at London's Dominion Theatre James shared a picture of day two on Instagram on Tuesday which showed Ruth and Joanna reunited as they prepared to film scenes as Nessa and Stacey He wrote: 'Day 2. One last time on the island x' She began: 'The convent says goodbye to the wonder that is Ruth Jones. I cannot tell you what a joy it is to be in this company with Ruth. 'Ruth has led this company so superbly and it's a joy to perform with her, not just on stage but offstage - the generosity, the wonderful witness, the fun.' Causing the audience to erupt into cheers, Lesley then teased: 'The only positive thing about the fact that Ruth leaves the convent is that we know where she's going!' She continued: 'And I guarantee that all of us on stage and I think all of you out there on Christmas Day will be watching Gavin & Stacey.' It comes after fellow star Rob Brydon hinted shooting was underway for the show, as he shared a selfie with co-star Ruth on Saturday. The actor, 59, who plays fan-favourite Uncle Bryn beamed next to Nessa Jenkins star Ruth and teased: 'Something's occurring... #gavinandstacey'. Gavin & Stacey co-creator James and Ruth confirmed the show would return in May, with filming back in Barry Island, after last airing a Christmas special in 2019. Fans will get to find out what has happened during the five-year break on Christmas Day this year, after the previous episode became the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade. At the climax of the episode, Nessa got down on one knee to propose to Smithy, but viewers never got to hear his response. James pictured on the show with Ruth Jones in 2009 His followers went wild with excitement in the comments, declaring: 'This is history' and 'more excited for this than Christmas itself' It comes after Uncle Bryn star Rob Brydon hinted shooting was underway for the show, as he shared a selfie with co-star Ruth on Saturday Joanna took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snap of the front of her trailer door which said her character's name 'Stacey'. She wrote: 'First day!!!' Fans will get to find out what has happened during the five-year break on Christmas Day this year (James, Joanna Page, Mathew Horne and Ruth pictured in 2019) Rob previously revealed he was 'moved to tears' when he saw the script and said the episode was going to be very 'emotional'. Speaking to Chris Evans live from Laverstoke Park Farm, Rob said of the final episode: 'First of all, we knew it was going to happen, but we were told we had to keep it a secret. 'So you have to lie to people! It's a horrible feeling, because you don't want to lie to somebody right in the face.' He continued: 'It was a couple of months before the cast saw the script. I only saw it, we were on holiday, we were away, about a month ago. I read it. Oh, it's so good.' When Chris asked Rob if he was saying that because he had to, Rob replied: 'No, I kind of wouldn't, actually. I don't want to tempt fate, but I think it's fantastic.' He revealed: 'Do you know what? I was moved to tears, because it's emotional.' In July, James gave a major Gavin & Stacey update as he appeared on Capital Breakfast radio, revealing that the final script was almost ready to go. Host Jordan North asked him: 'Is it all written, is it all locked in? Is there still stuff to write?' Gavin & Stacey co-creator James and Ruth confirmed the show would return in May, with filming back in Barry Island, after last airing a Christmas special in 2019 James replied: 'It's written right but now we're doing rewrites. So we have to, we have to remove some time, we have to change some bits around. 'So, we've been doing that, it's quite tough because Ruth Jones's (Nessa) in Sister Act over in the West End at the minute, and I'm doing The Constituent at the Old Vic. 'So, we've been doing quite a bit of writing in dressing rooms and things like that. And then both looking at each other being quite tired from the plays but we'll be back at it tomorrow. 'Back at it Friday. I hope by Friday it will be done and finished this Friday!' Jordan then said: 'This Friday? Is that the deadline?' James then quipped: 'Well it's the deadline we've set ourselves, because we start shooting pretty soon now. It's not far away now.' There's a brand new breakfast crew taking over the airwaves at Mix 102.3. The radio network announced on Saturday that Hayley Pearson will be joining Max Burford for the breakfast show in 2025. It will now be known as Hayley & Max in the Morning and airing in Adelaide from Monday, January 20, 2025 from 6am to 9am. Hayley briefly filled in with Max on Mix 102.3 earlier this year and has also previously worked on breakfast radio at both Nova and SAFM. 'I never thought I'd do brekky radio again, but here I am' Hayley said. 'So excited to be heading back to my first love: radio! More than anything, I'm just so pumped to have fun and genuine laughs with Max and the whole Mix family every morning!' she continued. There's a brand new breakfast crew taking over the airwaves at Mix 102.3. The radio network announced on Saturday that Hayley Pearson will be joining Max Burford for the breakfast show in 2025. Both pictured 'What makes this even more special is that when I was 15, I did my Year 10 work experience at Mix 102.3. 'It was at that moment that I realised I wanted to be a radio announcer, so this feels like a sweet little full-circle moment'. Hayley is currently the co-host of Channel 9's HelloSA and the co-creator of Adelady. Co-host Max Burford said, 'Hayley's a gem, our time together earlier this year was short but very sweet. She fit in seamlessly, and it felt like we'd been working together for years. 'This show is going to be a stack of fun every morning.' 'We are thrilled to welcome Hayley to the Mix 102.3 family. We know that Adelaide is going love listening to her and Max as they keep the listeners entertained, informed and inspired' ARN Chief Content Officer, Duncan Campbell said. The Hayley & Max in the Morning show, 'promises to bring to the people of Adelaide the news and sport of the day, fabulous stories, massive prizes and life-changing moments every single day' according to a statement. It comes after Ali Clarke announced her shock departure from the Mix FM breakfast show in November. It will now be known as Hayley & Max in the Morning and airing in Adelaide from Monday, January 20, 2025 from 6am to 9am It comes after Ali Clarke (pictured) announced her shock departure from the Mix FM breakfast show in November The Adelaide radio star, who co-hosted Max & Ali in the Morning with Max Burford, shared the news with listeners at the time. 'This will be my last week on air with Mix 102.3 doing brekky,' she began. 'It's really hard to say now and probably even harder to accept it as well but I was offered the opportunity to continue on and it's really hard to say no to something like that because I love this.' 'I love nothing more than connecting with people and I love radio so much, and I understand the privilege it is to be invited in to someone's home or their car or their lives.' Ali explained this year has 'given her a new perspective' after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July. 'I'll miss our listeners terribly and can't thank them enough for their support of not just me, but my family,' she continued. 'Man I love radio and will miss this incredibly hardworking local team, but I know they'll keep bringing the laughs and will go from strength to strength.' Ali returned to work in August less than one month after announcing a heartbreaking breast cancer diagnosis live on air. Ali explained this year has 'given her a new perspective' after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July She made a surprise return to discuss her recovery on air before revealing she would be back at work just a few days later. 'Well what do you reckon now that you are starting to go stir crazy, are you feeling you want to come back to work?' Max asked. 'Tomorrow morning at 6am I will be back on the air,' Ali revealed, much to the delight of Max and her fill-in Hayley Pearson. Ali admitted she was excited to return to work as she was running out of things to do in her downtime. She shocked listeners in July when she announced she will take a break from radio as she underwent treatment for breast cancer. Ali's announcement that she's leaving the sow came after three of Nine's biggest breakfast radio stars have been fired, just days after Daily Mail Australia revealed bosses at the embattled network were sharpening their knives. Brisbane's 4BC announced in September it is axing Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare and Mark Hine from the coveted breakfast timeslot. KIIS FM star Mitch Churi has also been given marching orders and finished up this week. He has hosted The Night Show with Mitch Churi since 2019, and co-hosts The Pick Up with Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne. The decision was made for 'financial reasons' the paper claims, and Mitch, who has not been on the air since Thursday, was given the bad news on Tuesday. 'Mitch is shattered and completely blindsided,' the publication quoted a 'colleague' of the radio star as saying. Brit Indie band Kawala have announced their split after ten years together as a band. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, they shared the sad news with their fans as they admitted they had made the hard decision to call it quits. Despite their upcoming tour, which has now been turned into a Farewell tour, they confessed they are 'burnt out' and need a break to focus on their futures. Originating from North London, the group was formed back in 2015 by lead vocalist Jim Higson and guitarist and vocalist Daniel McCarthy. After studying music in Leeds, the pair returned to the capital where they expanded Kawala to a five piece alongside lead guitarist Dan Lee, bassist Reeve Coulson and drummer Ben Batten. Sharing a statement they wrote: 'After a near decade of Kawala, we have decided to make the truly heart-breaking decision that after our February tour, we will be hanging up our boots. Brit Indie band Kawala have split after ten years together as they admit to being 'burnt out' while announcing their final farewell tour on Thursday (pictured in 2020) Sharing a statement they wrote: 'After a near decade of Kawala, we have decided to make the truly heart-breaking decision that after our February tour, we will be hanging up our boots' 'There's a world of reasons why we've landed here and believe us when we say we haven't taken this decision lightly. 'Whilst there's plenty of time to touch on all of those reasons, truthfully we just feel tired, a little burnt out and desperately in need of a break to work out what the future holds.' They added: 'We leave behind us truly the best years of our lives.' During their ten year career, the band amassed hundreds of millions of streams and sold out tours across the UK, Ireland and Europe. Originally from North London the group also achieved their dream of selling out Kentish Town Forum and filled Outernet London back in May. Their debut album Better With You debuted at 29th in the UK charts, sandwiched between Adele and Dolly Parton, and their single Ticket To Ride made it onto the FIFA 21 soundtrack. Thanking their fans they added: 'But most importantly, the absolute best community of fans anyone could ever ask for.' The band will be releasing The Kawala Collection on January 31 which features nine tracks before they embark on their farewell tour across the UK and one final date in Amsterdam. Originally from North London the group also achieved their dream of selling out Kentish Town Forum and filled Outernet London back in May (pictured) The band will be releasing The Kawala Collection on January 31 which features nine tracks before they embark on their farewell tour across the UK and one final date in Amsterdam Sharing a video message with their fans, Daniel said: 'It is incredibly sad but we feel like it's probably the right time' They will play the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on February 13 Sharing a video message with their fans, Daniel said: 'It is incredibly sad but we feel like it's probably the right time.' Jim said: 'It has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, we don't take this lightly at all but it has come to a time where we just feel a little bit burnt out.' Talking about the challenges they faced Daniel continued: 'Being an artists has felt more difficult in more recent times and we've found it a bit more challenging and more tiring. 'All the goals we set out to achieve we have literally achieved all of them. Selling out Kentish Town Forum that was always are dream, played to thousands and thousands of people. 'We have played on main stages at festivals and we have 100 of millions of streams.' Jim added: 'It never really felt real when you would play a show and for some reason we would always expect it to be an empty room. Fans have been left heartbroken by the news as they took to the comments to share their sadness 'We would fill these rooms and spaces and afterwards meet fans and they would say the most wonderful things about the music we write in our bedrooms that just seems to connect with people. It always just blew our minds.' Fans have been left heartbroken by the news as they took to the comments to share their sadness. They penned: 'So gutted. Thanks for making such incredible music that lightened up some pretty rough times'; 'Oh BOYS! How Ill miss you at shitty backstages at muddy festivals glad and happy for u making a decision that feels right to you all. Lots and lots of love xxx'; 'will always love you guys, see you in feb'; 'So sad we will be at one of your last shows for sure!' Advertisement Sami Sheen showed off her curves in a revealing swimsuit when by a swimming pool at her posh mansion in Los Angeles on Thursday. The siren - who makes at least $1M a year from OnlyFans - presented a new set of black-and-white photos to Instagram with a simple blue splash emoji. The 20-year-old model had her hair wet and slicked back as she added light makeup and big gold hoop earrings with a bracelet and sings. The daughter of Denise Richards, 53, and Charlie Sheen, 58, told fans to link in bio as she is a model for OnlyFans, which has been earning her millions. Sheen joined OnlyFans in June 2022 and has said that it is her primary source of income. She offers a 30-day free trial and charges $19.99 per month for exclusive access to her content, or $203.90 per year. This comes after the budding model had a breast augmentation and a nose job earlier this year. It also comes after Sami has been filming a new reality TV series with her mother Denise and sister Lola called Denise Richards And The Wild Things that will premiere on E! in 2025. Sami Sheen showed off her curves in a revealing swimsuit when by a swimming pool at her posh mansion in Los Angeles on Thursday The siren presented a new set of black-and-white photos to Instagram with a simple blue splash emoji. The 20-year-old OnlyFans model had her hair wet and slicked back as she added light makeup and big gold hoop earrings with a bracelet and sings Five months ago she got her new 'dream' nose after undergoing a rhinoplasty. Sami shocked fans when she revealed she went under the knife to achieve her ideal nose shape. The surgery will likely be a part of her family's new reality TV series. Sami worked with Beverly Hills-based surgeon Dr. Deepak Dugar, who specializes in what he calls the 'Scarless Nose' job. It's a closed rhinoplasty that involves making incisions inside of the nose so that none of the cuts are externally visible, and provides more natural results when done correctly. Open rhinoplasties can sometimes lead to scarring on the underside of the nose, especially on the columella, which is the strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. A scarless nose job costs roughly between $19,000 and $24,000, and healing can take as little as a week. Speaking out about the procedure, Dr. Dugar told DailyMail.com that he took a 'finesse approach' to rhinoplasty in order to give patients the most natural results possible. 'The nose that they should have been born with is already there. I just want to refine it and bring it out. I don't want to recreate some TikTok/Instagram nose on their faces,' he explained. Dr. Dugar estimates that the vast majority of celebrities who have had nose jobs have done so with a closed, scarless approach. 'I'm part of an 80-year legacy practice here in Beverly Hills doing celebrity nose jobs and I can tell you that most celebrity rhinoplasty is closed scarless rhinoplasty because of the discretion,' he explained. 'They don't want people to know they had a nose job. There's still a taboo and a stigma no matter who you are. They want very natural results that look like it could have been what they were born with,' he continued. 'The cookie cutter, TikTok, Instagram, Turkish upturned nose job, the "Barbie nose" as they call it, everyone knows you can't really be born with that. The daughter of Denise Richards, 53, and Charlie Sheen, 58, told fans to link in bio as she is a model for OnlyFans, which has been earning her millions This comes after the budding model had a breast augmentation and a nose job earlier this year It also comes after Sami has been filming a new reality TV series with her mother Denise and sister Lola called Denise Richards And The Wild Things that will premiere on E! in 2025 'So it's kind of like extremely white veneers. It's almost like a status symbol, but everyone knows those are fake. And so the problem is, if you're a very elite actor or a celebrity, you don't want people to know that you have a fake nose. You want to look as good as possible, of course, but you want to look very natural.' When it comes to treating Sami, Dr. Dugar said that the model was nervous about going under the knife. 'Sammy is a beautiful girl who was plagued by the droopiness of her nose for years,' he said. 'She saw several consults before she decided to do her surgery with me. I know that she was very anxious about doing surgery because she's young and she's also very aware of stigmas around plastic surgery. 'And being the daughter of two very famous parents, of course she was nervous to do this, but she was also very excited.' Dr. Dugar said that the surgery itself was 'phenomenal' and he's looking forward to everybody seeing the final results. 'It's going to be stunning and she's going to be stunned with how beautiful it is,' he gushed. Shortly after the surgery, Sami took to TikTok to share her joy at going under the knife. 'I'm so happy I finally did this! Thank you for everything @deepakdugarmd, you are seriously the best surgeon out there!' she wrote. Sami showed off her very sexy Halloween costume in a set of photos shared to Instagram in October Before and after: Sami is pictured before her boob job (left) and then after (right) Aside from Sami, exes Denise and Charlie who split in 2006 also share daughter Lola, 19; Lola, Charlie, Sami and Denise pictured together in an Instagram snap Sami also admitted that she'd been dying to get her nose done for the past five years. 'I would have to Photoshop every single photo I took because it photographed horribly,' she wrote. 'Just so droopy and too big for my face.' Sami said that she met with multiple surgeons before settling on Dr. Dugar for the procedure, which she had done on August 12. 'It's only day two of my recovery but I already feel like a new woman and I'm so happy I finally got my dream nose.' Some of Dr. Dugar's previous celebrity clients include TikTok sensation Madi Monroe, adult film star Mia Khalifa, and Vanderpump Rules alum Dayna Kathan. Barry Keoghan was seen filming scenes for his new thriller Crime 101 on Wednesday before riding his dirt bike across the beach in Los Angeles. The actor, 32, who recently split from his girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter amid rumours that he cheated, then headed home alone to Ireland for the holidays. Working on a dramatic sequence for the Bart Layton movie, he left a shop after a gun point robbery. Barry dress in an oversized black hoodie with cargo trousers and platinum blonde hair tucked into his helmet as he got into character. He was later spotted riding a dirt bike at the beach after wrapping up filming for the day. Details for Crime 101 are being kept tightly under wraps, but the original short story 'follows high-level jewel thefts taking place up and down the Pacific Coast that police have linked to Colombian cartels.' Barry Keoghan was seen filming scenes for his new thriller Crime 101 on Wednesday before riding his dirt bike across the beach in Los Angeles The actor, 32, who recently split from his girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter amid rumours that he cheated, then headed home alone to Ireland for the holidays (pictured at LAX airport) He will star alongside Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo in the film, which is set to be released in 2025. Barry and Sabrina's breakup was fuelled by him allegedly cheating on her with OnlyFans influencer Breckie Hill. The former couple started dating in December 2023, they split a year later in December 2024, though an insider said they were just on a 'break.' Then just days later reports surfaced that Barry may have been cheating on Sabrina with an OnlyFans star. The actor later deactivated his Instagram entirely and posted a lengthy statement on his verified X account, saying his name had been 'dragged across the internet.' He said he deactivated his Instagram because he could no longer, 'let this stuff distract from my family and work,' though he didn't confirm or deny the cheating allegations. Barry went on: 'I have to respond now because it's getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed.' 'I deactivated my account because I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work. The messages I have received no person should ever have to read them. Absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine.' Working on a dramatic sequence for the Bart Layton movie, he left a shop after a gun point robbery Details for Crime 101 are being kept tightly under wraps, but the original short story 'follows high-level jewel thefts taking place up and down the Pacific Coast' Barry and Sabrina's breakup was fuelled by him allegedly cheating on her with OnlyFans influencer Breckie Hill (pictured in March 2014) Barry stated that people have been, 'dragging my character and everything I worked extremely hard for and stand for. Talking about how I was a heroine baby and how I grew up and dragging my dear mother into it also. Knocking on my grannies door.' He then shared that he is focused on his fatherhood, and wants his son 2-year-old son Brando, from his prior relationship with Alyson Sandro Kierans, to be able to look up to him. The actor wrapped up by adding, 'I need you to remember he has to read ALL of this about his father when he is older. Please be respectful to all. Thank u x.' Breckie Hill, however, did issue a statement, which read, 'To put it simply for you all, no, I did not get with Barry. 'I have never even encountered this man in my life. The only time I've seen him is on my TV screen from watching Saltburn.' Conan O'Brien's mother has passed away just three days after his father died. The 61-year-old TV host was left devastated after losing his dad, Dr. Thomas O'Brien, on Monday, at the age of 95, and he was dealt a double blow on Thursday when his mom Ruth Reardon O'Brien died at her home in Brookline, Massachusetts aged 92. The sad news was confirmed in an obituary for Ruth, which read: 'O'Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O'Brien, M.D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024.' Conan paid tribute to his dad in an interview with the Boston Globe, which was published on Thursday, saying: 'Science has said there's no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong. 'My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everything - absolutely everything ... The loudest I've ever heard anybody laugh was sitting next to him in a theater watching Peter Sellers in a Pink Panther movie ... He was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself. 'For the rest of my time on earth I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad. I've never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father. 'If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, I'd think: 'Who the hell is this guy? He's the most interesting person I've ever met'.' Conan O'Brien's mother, Ruth Reardon O'Brien, has passed away just three days after his father died; seen in 2022 Conan's parents will be remembered at a joint funeral in Boston on December 18. Conan previously shared an anecdote about his mum meeting movie funnyman, Jim Carrey, at a Christmas party and failing to recognize him. During an appearance on Ryan Tubridy's Virgin Radio show earlier this year, Conan said: 'Years and years ago I had a Christmas party at my house. 'This was at the height of Jim Carrey mania, you know, he was coming off of his fourth massive hit film, and it was like The Beatles ... Everywhere Jim Carrey went there was a riot ... 'Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother having a long chat with Jim Carrey, and I got nervous. When the party was over, I said: 'Mom, what were you talking to that man about? Jim?' 'And she said: 'Oh he told me that he's a comedian, and I told him: 'Well my son's had his difficulties but he just keeps at it, and eventually made it. So if you just keep at it Jim, you're gonna make it too'. 'And I said to her: 'Mom, I want you to go home to Boston and tell everyone you told Jim Carrey to keep at it!' His mother was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts and graduated from Yale Law School, where she was one of only four women in her law school class. The sad news was confirmed in an obituary for Ruth, which read: 'O'Brien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis O'Brien, M.D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024' Conan paid tribute to his dad in an interview with the Boston Globe , which was published on Thursday, saying: 'Science has said there's no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong O'Brien and his wife, Liza Powel, with his parents backstage on the final night of Late Night with Conan OBrien on February 20, 2009 While getting her degree, she served as the vice president of the student government and went on to become the second woman to be a partner at the law firm Ropes & Gray in Boston. She met her husband in 1958 through her brothers, who were his classmates. In addition to Conan, the pair are survived by their five other children Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke as well as nine grandchildren. Last month news broke that Conan was tapped to host the Academy Awards for the first time. He has emceed other high-profile awards shows, like the Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2006 and the White House Correspondents dinner in 1995 and 2013. Conan's parents will be remembered at a joint funeral in Boston on December 18 (seen in 2023) The Oscars will air live on ABC on March 2. Conan is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows Late Night with Conan O' Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan OBrien and Conan. Before his TV hosting career, O'Brien was a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. O'Brien joins the list of Oscar hosts that includes Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris. Machine Gun Kelly had fans buzzing after sharing a cryptic message just two days following his shocking split with his pregnant girlfriend Megan Fox. The 34-year-old rocker took to Instagram Stories on Thursday to post a snippet of his performance of Last Christmas from NBCs A Motown Christmas special, accompanied by a bandaged heart emoji. He captioned the clip with a brief but telling message: 'Give it to someone special.' The video featured MGK singing the iconic George Michael holiday song, which includes the poignant lyrics: 'Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special.' The timing of the post comes on the heels of Megans ex-husband Brian Austin Green weighing in on the couple's breakup. The 51-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 star didn't mince words when discussing the situation, calling MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, 'immature.' Machine Gun Kelly had fans buzzing after sharing a cryptic message just two days following his shocking split with his pregnant girlfriend Megan Fox The 34-year-old rapper-turned-rocker took to Instagram Stories to post a snippet of his performance of Last Christmas from NBCs A Motown Christmas special, accompanied by a bandaged heart emoji The video featured MGK singing the iconic George Michael holiday song, which includes the poignant lyrics: 'Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special.'; MGK and Megan seen in 2022 in West Hollywood Surprisingly, Brian who was spotted out earlier on Thursday claimed to have not even heard that his ex-wife Megan, 38, had broken up with MGK, 34, just weeks after they announced they were expecting their first child together. When the interviewer mentioned reports that Megan alleged broke up with MGK after finding text messages with other women on his phone, the TV star let out a long, theatrical sigh and threw his head back while rolling his eyes. After getting caught up to speed on the latest reports, Brian's first thought was MGK's age. 'How old is he? He's in his 30s, isn't he?' he asked the interviewer. Brian claimed to have 'no idea' when asked if the musician had had 'a lot' in infidelities while dating his former fiancee, but he thought MGK was too old for that kind of alleged behavior. 'But in your 30s? Like, I don't know, grow up,' he continued, noting that his ex-wife was pregnant with that pop-punk rockers child. Brian went on to clarify that he just wants 'the best' for both Megan and her future child, as well as the three children they already share: sons Noah, 12; Bodhi, 10; and Journey, eight. 'That's a shame,' he said of the situation after a pause. 'I'm heartbroken about it because I know she's been so excited and the kids are so excited for life and the change and all of that.' But when he was asked if Machine Gun Kelly potentially no longer being around his children, he emphatically stated that nothing about his ex's breakup made him 'feel any better.' 'If that's the case and I don't know the facts of it but if that's the case it's a tragic situation, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody,' Brian added compassionately. Brian who was together with his ex Megan on and off from 2004 until their 2020 split said it was a 'shame' and said he was 'heartbroken' for Megan and for the three kids they share, because they were excited about her pregnancy; seen in 2014 in Beverly Hills Brian added that it was a 'tragic situation' and said he didn't take any pleasure in the prospect of MGK no longer being around his children. He said he wanted 'the best outcome' but wasn't sure what that was; Megan and MGK seen in September 2023 in NYC But he played it coy when asked if he hoped Megan and MGK would stay separated, instead saying he hoped for 'the best outcome' for Megan and for their kids, whatever that might be. Brian and Megan began dating in 2004, when he was 30 and she was just 18. The couple got engaged two years later, but then ended their engagement in 2009, only to get engaged again in June 2010. It was only days later that they tied the knot in Hawaii. However, the marriage was rocky, and they announced a split in 2015. Megan filed for divorce shortly afterward, only for them to reconcile in 2016, though she waited until 2019 to formally dismiss her divorce petition. But then the marriage came to an end in 2020 when they split for good, and their divorce was finalized by the following year. Since his split from Megan, Brian has been dating the Australian professional dancer Sharna Burgess since late 2020. The couple went on to welcome a son Zane, now two, in June of 2022. Brian also has an older son, 22-year-old Kassius, from his relationship and engagement with his Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Vanessa Marcil. The two ended their engagement and split in 2003, a year after kassius was born His interview happened a day after reports emerged that Megan's friends 'want her to end her romance with Machine Gun Kelly for good,' following their shock split weeks after her pregnancy reveal. Brian and Megan share three kids: Noah, 12; Bodhi, 10; and Journey, eight. He has an older son, 22-year-old Kassius, from his relationship with his costar Vanessa Marcil, as well as a two-year-old son with his fiancee Sharna Burgess Fox and MGK ended their near five year romance over Thanksgiving weekend while together in Vail, Colorado with the actress around six months pregnant with their first child together. Fox's inner circle are said to be concerned MGK is a 'toxic influence' on her well-being with sources telling TMZ her friends have advised her to 'move on once and for all.' Sources claimed Fox's distress is 'deepened' by a 'continuous cycle of breaking up and reconciling' but that the star 'feels like he needs her.' Another source added: 'She has a history of taking him back, even when things don't get better. She deserves better than this.' The pair are said to have split less than two weeks after the pregnancy reveal after Fox 'found material on MGKs phone that was upsetting, and it made her want him to leave the trip early' per TMZ. The musician then left the trip early and the exes have not seen each other since. DailyMail.com previously contacted representatives for the pair for comment. An insider revealed that actress allegedly 'found text messages involving other women and decided she was done.' Megan's friends 'want her to end her romance with Machine Gun Kelly for good' following their shock split weeks after she revealed her pregnancy on November 11 'When they went away for the Thanksgiving holiday, she became suspicious and decided to go through his phone,' a source told Page Six. Before making her discovery, the Jennifers Body star already 'had trust issues' with My Exs Best Friend hitmaker 'because of past behavior.' The insider noted that despite their ups and downs over the years, she 'was willing to look past all that' and 'rebuild her trust with Colson and was excited to grow their family together.' Fox, who shares three children Noah, 12; Bodhi, 10; and Journey, eight with ex-husband Brian Austin Green, revealed her pregnancy on November 11, sharing a sexy photo of herself covered with black paint and showing her baby bump. It was accompanied by a picture of a positive pregnancy test. 'Nothing is ever really lost. welcome back ' she wrote announcing the good news. The announcement was soundtracked to the MGK song Last November, which refers to the miscarriage she previously suffered with the musician. MGk commented for the first time on her pregnancy news after her stunning outing in a sheer dress. He wrote: 'isolating myself in the desert next week to restart this album from scratch. The pair are said to have split after Fox 'found material on MGKs phone that was upsetting, and it made her want him to leave the trip early' (pictured 2022) 'when inspiration flows through me unblocked, we will reach the destination in no time. 'dont worry. after all, im about to be a dad again!' Fox previously opened up about her miscarriage in her 2023 book of poetry, Pretty Boys Are Poisonous. Megan wrote about an ultrasound of a baby girl at 10 weeks and a day, per excerpts from People, and said: 'maybe if you hadn't... maybe if i had... She continued, 'I want to hold your hand / hear your laugh, but now / I have to say / goodbye,' and later adds, 'I close my eyes and imagine holding you tight against my chest as they rip you from my insides'. Elsewhere in the book, she wrote, 'I will pay any price. Tell me please / what is the ransom / for her soul?' During an interview on Good Morning America at the time, Megan said she had 'never been through anything like that before in my life'. 'It was very difficult for both of us,' she explained. 'And it sent us on a very wild journey together and separately, and together and apart, and together and apart, and together and apart, trying to navigate, "What does this mean? Why did this happen?'" The pop punk rapper took to X days before the split to announce that he was about to work on his next album and finally address that he is having his first child with Fox Megan and MGK had never discussed the pregnancy loss prior to the poetry book, however the 'Bloody Valentine' hitmaker did appear to allude to it at the Billboard Music Awards in May 2022, dedicating his performance to Megan and adding, 'This is for our unborn child.' Megan also suffered an ectopic pregnancy years earlier. In an interview with Good Morning America, Fox explained how the pregnancy loss had affected their relationship. 'I had never been through anything like that before in my life,' she explained. 'I have three kids, so it was very difficult for both of us, and it sent us on a very wild journey together and separately and together and apart trying to navigate, "What does this mean?" and "Why did this happen?"' MGK, whose legal name is Colson Baker, is dad to 15-year-old Casie, whom he shares with his ex Emma Cannon. The couple have been together since 2020 and got engaged two years later, but have yet to tie the knot. Their due date is in March. The Transformers star is around six months pregnant and is set to welcome their child in March The parents-to-be reportedly know the baby's gender, but are not revealing it. Megan and MGK have had a passionate and rocky relationship. They first met on the set of Midnight in The Switchgrass before getting engaged in 2022. When announcing their betrothal on Instagram, Megan said she and MGK 'drank each other's blood' to celebrate the occasion. But just over a year later, Megan sensationally hinted she had split from MGK as she shared a cryptic Instagram post before completely deleting her account. The actress posted a video in which she appeared to burn a letter in a bonfire, along with a bag. She also uploaded a very raunchy string of mirror selfies while joined by a male pal, in which she put on a busty display in a plunging black top and cut-out trousers. Megan wrote in her caption, 'You can taste the dishonesty/ its all over your breath,' which are lyrics from Beyonce's 2016 track, Pray You Catch Me, about her husband Jay Z's own affair. Fox and Kelly at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2021 She then removed all traces of Machine Gun Kelly from her Instagram grid, having unfollowed him before deleting her account altogether. Ultimately they seemed to patch things up and things appear to be all well between them now, with the couple being seen together ever since. The rapper also recently tattooed his entire upper body in black ink, reportedly to prove to Megan that he is 100% committed to their relationship. In March, during an appearance on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast, Megan revealed she and MGK had ended their engagement at some point. 'I feel like everyone has such an opinion on your guys relationship. You got engaged, then I think it was called off, then we don't know what's going on with you. How would you describe your relationship with MGK?' host Alex Cooper asked. Megan responded: 'I think that what I've learned from being in this relationship is that it's not for public consumption, so I think as of now, I don't have a comment on like the status of the relationship per say. 'What I can say is that is what I refer to as being my twin soul and there will always be a tether to him no matter what. I can't say for sure what the capacity will be, but I will always be connected to him somehow. 'Beyond that I'm not willing to explain. But all those things you said were accurate things that have occurred and I can see them being confusing or interesting to people and them being like, "What's up?"' Her final comment confirmed speculation she had ended her engagement from Kelly. Megan was previously married to Green from 2010 to 2021. They welcomed three children together during their marriage before their union officially ended. Brian has been with DWTS professional Sharna Burgess since 2020 and they have son Zane Walker Green, two, together. Kate Ferdinand got in the Christmas spirit on Thursday as she enjoyed a snowy trip to LaplandUK with her children and friends. The WAG, 33, shared a series of snaps to her Instagram Story as they wandered around the trails and visited Father Christmas. She looked as chic as ever in a grey highneck jumper dress with a black wool coat layered over the top and her hair pulled back. Kate dressed her children in matching cream padded coats as they were seen navigating the snowy landscape hand-in-hand. She captioned a photo of herself with her friends: 'Trying to get the kids to sit still so we could take this was wild.' In another snap, she added: 'LaplandUK. The best. Thank you.' Kate Ferdinand (second right) got in the Christmas spirit on Thursday as she enjoyed a snowy trip to LaplandUK with her children and friends The WAG, 33, shared a series of snaps to her Instagram Story as they wandered around the trails and visited Father Christmas Kate and and her husband Rio, who married in 2019, are parents to Cree who born in December 2020 and daughter Shae, who was born last year via C-section. She is also step-mother to his three children Lorenz, 18, Tate, 15, and Tia, 13, from his previous marriage to Rebecca Ellison who passed away in 2015. Last month, three-year-old Cree was rushed to hospital with a horror injury during a family trip to the Maldives. Former TOWIE star Kate shared the scary news on her Instagram as she posted a snap in the back of an ambulance with her toddler but didn't say how he'd got the injury. She wrote over the top: 'We ended a fabulous trip with a broken collar bone. My boy just always gets injured!! 'It's been sleepless nights, cuddles, tv & chocolate since.' The podcaster told how the frightening incident occurred at the end of their 'fabulous trip' and said how Cree 'always gets injured'. She said that since the injury they have been dealing with 'sleepless nights' as he recovers. Kate and and her husband Rio, who married in 2019, are parents to Cree who born in December 2020 and daughter Shae, who was born last year via C-section Last month, three-year-old Cree was rushed to hospital with a horror injury during a family trip to the Maldives During the trip Kate shared plenty of snaps of the time away as she posed in a pink bikini with shirtless Rio - before the accident happened Kate has remained open candidly her struggle adapting in a blended family, admitting she 'overthinks' her actions when it comes to caring for her stepchildren. During an appearance on Virgin Radio she explained: 'My family are so accepting. They love me. It's nothing to do with them. I just always will feel a little bit worried, and it will be a little bit of a struggle. I don't think the box is ever fully ticked. 'I think sometimes I can mistake them just being teenagers that don't listen. I start thinking, "Oh my god, is it me? Is it because I'm their stepmum?" 'And every now and then I just have to sit back and say, "They are teenagers and this is what teenagers do." But you can be a little bit more sensitive.' House Speaker Emerita Rep. Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference on Nov. 19 in front of the U.S. Capitol. Alex Wong/Getty Images Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi was hospitalized while traveling in Luxembourg, a spokesperson said Friday morning. Pelosi, 84, sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation, spokesperson Ian Krager said in a statement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Krager did not elaborate on the nature of the injury but added that she was able to continue working and regretted not being able to participate in additional ceremonial events marking the 80th anniversary on the Battle of the Bulge, a pivotal World War II battle that cleared the way for the Nazi defeat. The New York Times, citing unidentified sources, reported that Pelosi fractured her hip. Krager did not immediately confirm. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, 82, was absent from Senate votes on Thursday as he recovers from a wrist injury he sustained during a fall earlier in the week. Pelosi soundly won reelection to her San Francisco-based seat in November, securing a 20th term in Congress. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City star Bronwyn Newport has revealed gruesome details of the shocking dog attack she suffered in April. Fans of the reality show were left aghast when Bronwyn, 39, showed off the grisly bite marks on her legs and right arm during this week's episode. Now she has offered a hair-raising play-by-play account of how the incident occurred, and how she reacted to the ordeal. She was walking one of her own six canines at a dog park in Salt Lake City when she tried to pet another animal there - only for it to turn around and set upon her. Bronwyn confessed she 'totally freaked out' and 'did everything wrong,' screaming and yanking her arm in a way she suspects 'made it worse.' Ultimately, she had to go to the hospital, where she learned she had sustained 37 puncture wounds and a hairline fracture caused by the bite on her bicep, via People. The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City star Bronwyn Newport has revealed gruesome details of the shocking dog attack she suffered in April; pictured with one of her own pets The fiasco began when she was at the dog park and caught sight of 'a dog running around. He wasn't barking, nothing seemed weird, but he was alone. So I reached out to pet him and he did make a weird kind of skid move. He jerked away from me.' Bronwyn explained that the strange dog then rounded on her, leapt at her and sank its teeth into one of her legs behind the knee. She proceeded to do 'everything wrong,' she admitted, saying: 'I know you're not supposed to scream, you're not supposed to jerk your arm. I did all of those things.' The Brazil-born reality star went on: 'I totally freaked out. I'd never been bitten by a dog before. I totally lost my mind, and I honestly think I made it worse.' Bronwyn revealed in detail: 'He did bite me behind the leg. He got me on the other side of my calf. As I tried to pull away, he got my other leg on the thigh.' She remembered: 'I think at that point I must have leaned forward or was trying to push him away. He ended up getting my right arm, where my bicep is, very badly and clamped onto my arm. I could not get him off.' Ultimately, she was saved by a Good Samaritan in the park who saw the attack unfolding and helped Bronwyn remove the dog from her person. 'I had 37 separate bites when I went to the emergency room. They had to do a really comprehensive overview. I had stitches in both my arm and my leg,' said Bronwyn. Fans of the reality show were left aghast when Bronwyn, 39, showed off the grisly bite marks on her legs and right arm during this week's episode Ultimately, she had to go to the hospital, where she learned she had sustained 37 puncture wounds and a hairline fracture caused by the bite on her bicep, via People She was walking one of her own six canines at a dog park in Salt Lake City when she tried to pet another animal there; pictured with one of her own pets 'When he clamped down on my bicep, he fractured it. I had a little hairline fracture on the bone, and the bruising was really intense and it was throbbing,' she divulged. 'You've got to know if your dog is the kind of dog that can be at a dog park. You have to be watching them. If it had been an older person or someone younger than me, it could have been much more life-threatening injuries. I'm grateful they weren't.' She is now 'healed' and trying to prevent the bites from leaving scars, she said - adding that she declined to press charges over the incident. Sharing that the dog's behavior had been impacted by its health problems, Bronwyn said she and her husband Todd Bradley had paid for it to be treated and rehomed. Bronwyn declared that 'the most important thing to me is that the dog is doing well and I'm doing well,' while acknowledging that 'Honestly, even as a dog lover, I was terrified of dogs for a long time afterwards. You just are.' However she harbored compassion for the dog that attacked her, saying: 'I did feel for the dog. I have rescue dogs who've been through it.' Bronwyn once heartwarmingly said her 'best memory' of her wedding was 'our dogs walking down the aisle with Todd,' via People. Her own habits as a pet owner fell under scrutiny when Bravo cameras captured dog manure in various rooms of her Salt Lake City mansion. Her own habits as a pet owner fell under scrutiny when Bravo cameras captured dog manure in various rooms of her Salt Lake City mansion; pictured last week Bronwyn once heartwarmingly said her 'best memory' of her wedding was 'our dogs walking down the aisle with Todd,' via People; pictured Thursday with her husband Todd Bradley She has shared that she was 'mortified' when she saw the footage on TV, insisting: 'I did not know until I saw the episode,' to Us Weekly. Over the past two years, Bronwyn's husband Todd Bradley has allegedly been sued twice over claims their dogs attacked delivery drivers, the U.S. Sun reports. One lawsuit was purportedly by a male Amazon employee demanding at least $300,000, but that case was reputedly dismissed after a 'mutual settlement' was reached, according to court documents. In another alleged case - one that is still ongoing - a female Instacart driver sued for $60,000 minimum, claiming she was 'attacked, bitten and scratched' by one of the dogs, and Todd has reportedly filed to have her case dismissed with prejudice. Mariah Carey has been forced to cancel two more Christmas concerts due to flu. The pop icon, 55, has been traveling the country on the Christmas Time tour but was struck down by illness on December 11, leading to the cancelation of her Pittsburgh show at the UBG Paints Arena. On Friday December 13 the All I Want For Christmas Is You hitmaker revealed she was canceling her show in Newark scheduled for that evening at the Prudential Center and the December 15 show at Elmont's UBS Arena. She wrote on X: 'Newark and Belmont I wish I had better news but unfortunately Im still sick and have to cancel the shows tonight and on Sunday.' She has one final stop on her tour on December 17 at New York City's Barclays Center, although it is currently unknown if it will go ahead. On December 11 she wrote: 'Pittsburgh, I am sorry to say, Ive come down with the flu. It breaks my heart that I unfortunately have to cancel tonights show. I love you all so much. Mariah Carey has been forced to cancel two more Christmas concerts due to flu - pictured on her Christmas Time tour in Highland, CA last month "Im really devastated about it and appreciate your support. Love, MC.' Fans were left heartbroken by the news and many revealed they had flown in especially to attend. One wrote: 'I'm sorry you aren't feeling well. I flew from Houston to see it tonight, I guess I'll be back in Vegas next year for the residency.' Another typed: 'So sad about this we flew all the way from London for tonights show.' Others wrote: 'Hydrate hydrate hydrate!! Sad I wont see you tonight but your health and wellbeing means so much more !! Will miss you for my anniversary but Ill hopefully see you in Brooklyn next week. 'Awwwww I'm SO sad about this, but I understand and hope you feel better soon. It can't be easy for you! See you next year, Mariah 'So sad but your health is most important. Feel better and see you next year. Merry Christmas MC 'Sad not to see you tonight MC. Get well soon Queen! The pop icon, 55, has been traveling the country on the Christmas Time tour but was struck down by illness on December 11, leading to the cancelation of her Pittsburgh show at the UBG Paints Arena - pictured last month On Friday December 13 the All I Want For Christmas Is You hitmaker revealed she was canceling her show in Newark scheduled for that evening at the Prudential Center and the December 15 show at Elmont's UBS Arena On December 11 she wrote: 'Pittsburgh, I am sorry to say, Ive come down with the flu. It breaks my heart that I unfortunately have to cancel tonights show. I love you all so much Fans were left devastated after the cancelation The star has branded herself the the Queen of Christmas 'Oh nooo! Sending love and well wishes! Feel better Mariah!' The tour was announced in August and it celebrates the 30th anniversary of her timeless holiday hit, All I Want For Christmas Is You. The first show was on November 6 in Highland, California, and the final concert is slated for December 17 in Brooklyn. Mariah's setlist is rounded out with 26 songs and the concert is around 90 minutes-long. Audiences will enjoy renditions of the superstar's biggest, most recognizable songs as well as holiday classics. It's become customary for Carey to promote her mid-90s Christmas album during the last two months of the year. The lead single is ubiquitous around the holiday season as fans push it back to the top of the music charts year after year. Fearne Cotton previously spoke of how a 'rough patch' with her husband Jesse Wood left them desperately 'clinging onto their marriage' in an unearthed interview. On Friday night, the presenter shocked fans by announcing she had split from Jesse after 10 years of being wed. She took to her Instagram stories to issue the statement and tell fans their priority is their children. The couple are parents to son Rex, 11, and eight-year-old daughter Honey, while Fearne is also step-mum to Jesse's children Arthur, 21, and Lola, 18, from his first marriage. Fearne wrote: 'It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage. Our priority has been and always will be our children. We please ask that you respect the privacy of our family at this time.' But it appears the cracks were beginning to show in 2019, when the presenter lifted the lid on how their marriage was 'suffering'. Fearne Cotton previously spoke of how a 'rough patch' with her husband Jesse Wood left them desperately 'clinging on to their marriage' in an unearthed interview (pictured in 2022) In 2019, Fearne admitted her marriage has suffered due to Jesse's packed schedule leaving the pair 'desperately clinging' to their relationship (pictured December 2018) She admitted her marriage had got more difficult due to Jesse's packed schedule which led the pair to have a screaming row in the park. The presenter candidly told readers in her column for Red Magazine: 'Love takes hard work - and no one wants to hear that'. She continued: 'This year, Jesse and I hit a rough patch - he was away, touring relentlessly, [with his band, Reef]. 'I was trying to keep my own career going while looking after our kids and we were both desperately clinging on to our marriage.' The couple's problems eventually came to a head with a two-hour 'screaming match' where they worried their 'love had gone'. After the lengthy row, which took place in a local park, the pair broke down crying but the former Top Of The Pops host credited her husband's emotional side for them being so honest with each other. She added: 'In the midst of this gargantuan row, I think we both wondered where the love had gone and worried that it might not come back.' The news of the split comes just three days after Jesse's band Reef announced they would be going on tour again in 2025 for their 30th anniversary. They will be touring the country beginning in Nottingham on October 16 and ending on November 8 in London. She took to her Instagram stories on Friday evening to issue the statement and tell fans their priority is their children (the couple are pictured here in February) The couple are parents to son Rex, 11, and eight-year-old daughter Honey, while Fearne is also step-mum to Jesse's children Arthur, 21, and Lola, 18, from his first marriage Jesse is the son of Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood (pictured together in 2011, when Fearne and the musician first began dating) Also in 2019, during an appearance on Lorraine, Fearne confessed that despite people thinking her relationship is 'perfect', she and her musician husband have in fact have had a fair few bumps along the way. Speaking about the low times in her marriage, the broadcaster revealed: 'I adore and love more than anything. But of course we have arguments. 'People think because I live in the public eye, we have a perfect life. But I have two kids, and two step-kids, so it's a busy life. Of course, there's going to be arguments.' Fearne's shock split announcement comes just after the Happy Place podcaster had surgery to remove two tumours on her jawline. Jesse, who is the son of Rolling Stone rocker Ronnie Wood and model Krissy Findlay, is yet to speak out on their split. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Fearne and Jesse for comment. Fearne tied the knot with the musician, 48, in 2014 in an intimate London ceremony, attended by the likes of Denise Van Outen, Holly Willoughby, McBusted and Keith Lemon. Ahead of the surgery last week, the presenter gave no indication her marriage lay in tatters. She admitted her marriage had got more difficult in 2019 due to Jesse's packed schedule which led the pair to have a screaming row in the park Also in 2019, during an appearance on Lorraine, Fearne confessed that despite people thinking her relationship is 'perfect', she and her husband have in fact have had a fair few bumps The news of the split comes just three days after Jesse's band Reef announced they would be going on tour again in 2025 for their 30th anniversary She said: 'Hey gang I'm going to be out of action for a bit due to a surgery. I felt a lump under my ear on my jawline a while ago now but this year noticed it was growing. 'Turns out it's a benign tumour and another small one above it on the saliva gland. I'm feeling positive about it all and will take the opportunity to rest and slow right down. 'If you feel a lump or bump or feel like something is a bit off, always go get it checked. I'm so glad I did as the longer you leave these things the more complicated things become. 'It's obviously so weird that only a couple of months ago Davina told me about her tumour and then weeks later I was calling her having discovered mine. I'm not only lucky she's a bloody good mate but also a beacon of light and positivity when it comes to this stuff. 'Sending you all loads of love and I'll see you soon.' She later issued an update: 'Operation went really well. Recovering and resting. Thanks so much for all the kind messages.' In July, Fearne marked their 10 year wedding anniversary on Instagram by re-wearing her wedding dress. Fearne explained they had been inspired by Victoria and David Beckham, who marked their own wedding anniversary by slipping into their iconic purple outfits from the reception. The presenter poked fun at the viral snap and wrote: 'If its good enough for the Beckhams. 'It's our wedding anniversary too. 10 years today. And we are back in our wedding outfits (not purple) and @jessejameswood can't locate the shoes'. Fearne tied the knot with the musician, 48, who is the son of Rolling Stones Ronnie Wood, in 2014 In July, Fearne marked their 10 year wedding anniversary on Instagram by rewearing her wedding dress She also shared many more snippets from their nuptials to her Stories, including a photo of her and Jesse kissing on the dancefloor. She captioned the snap: 'Happy 10 years @jessejameswood. Wish we could do it all over again.' Fearne and Jesse began dating in 2011 after meeting while partying in Ibiza, the year that the guitarist split from his first wife Tilly Wood following eight years of marriage. According to Fearne their first date consisted of a meal of vodka and cigarettes, and said they 'did not eat a thing'. However, their lifestyles have changed since and Jesse is now sober, while the pair turned vegan together in 2021. Fearne Cotton's love story with husband Jesse Wood has come to an end as the presenter announced their split. The couple, who got together in 2011, celebrated a decade of marriage this summer. Fearne has enjoyed a successful career as a broadcaster and radio presenter before turning her focus to designing, writing, cooking and hosting her podcast Happy Place. Jesse, however, is no stranger to the limelight himself, carving out his own path as a musician. After all, his father is none other than Rolling Stones legend Ronnie Wood, now 77. Here is everything you need to know about Jesse - from his famous family to married life with Fearne... Fearne Cotton 's love story with husband Jesse Wood has come to an end as the presenter announced their split The couple, that got together in 2011, have been married since 2014 and have welcomed two children together Who Is Fearne Cotton's husband Jesse Wood? Jesse Wood is a British rockstar, born in Malibu, California, on October 30, 1976. He is the son of Rolling Stones legend Ronnie Wood and Krissy Findlay, who tragically passed away from an accidental overdose in June 2015 at the age of 57. Krissy was married to Ronnie Wood from 1971 to 1978. Following in his fathers musical footsteps, Jesse has played guitar and bass for various rock bands, including RedRacer and Reef. He also toured with his father's band, The Ronnie Wood Band, in 2001 and 2002. Last year, Reef announced Jesse would be leaving the band, posting a tribute to the guitarist on Facebook, the caption read: 'Our good pal Jeff is moving on from Reef, a sad day for us but what bloody good time weve had over the last 9 years. Thank you @jessejameswood for your energy, the love, the laughs and the music. Youre a legend, keep on rocking matey.' As well as making music, Jesse runs his own record label, Rekognition Sound, and is signed with the European model agency Kult Models. Jesse is the son of Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood (pictured together in 2011, when Fearne and the musician first began dating) When did Fearne and Jesse split? Fearne announced she split from her husband Jesse after 10 years of marriage on December 13. The presenter took to her Instagram stories to issue the statement and tell fans their priority is on their children. Fearne wrote: 'It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage. 'Our priority has been and always will be our children. We please ask that you respect the privacy of our family at this time.' Jesse is yet to speak out on their split. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Fearne and Jesse for comment. Fearne announced she split from her husband Jesse Wood after 10 years of marriage (the couple are pictured here in February) The presenter took to her Instagram stories on December 13 to issue a statement How long have Jesse and Fearne been married? Jesse and Fearne have been married since 2014. They tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in London that was attended by the likes of Denise van Outen, Holly WIlloughby, McBusted and Keith Lemon. They began dating in 2011, the year Jesse officially split from his first wife Tilly Wood after eight years of marriage. According to Fearne their first date consisted of a meal of vodka and cigarettes, and said they 'did not eat a thing'. However their lifestyles have changed and Jesse is now sober and the pair turned vegan together in 2021. The Rockstar also confessed he cleaned up his act to match Fearne's levels of domesticity. In 2022, he admitted: 'Im getting better doing the dishes and housework. Shes one of the tidiest, cleanest people Ive met. 'So the bar was very high and I have the chance to eat a lot of the food.' In July, Fearne marked their 10 year wedding anniversary on Instagram by rewearing her wedding dress. How many children do they have? Jesse and Fearne have two children together, and Jesse has two other children from his previous marriage, Lola and Arthur. Lola and Arthur are 18 and 21 and are much older than his children with Fearne. The couple welcomed their first child child Rex in 2013 and had a daughter, Honey, together a few years later in 2015. In 2022, Fearne admitted she 'felt very ill equipped' becoming a stepmum to Jesse's children. Speaking on Kate Ferdinand's Blended podcast, Fearne said: 'I became a stepparent, or at least found myself in this family when I was 29.' When asked what she thought makes someone a good step mum she said: 'I would hate to ever come across as someone saying 'I've totally smashed this one' and tell you how to do it. I'm still working it out.' 'But ultimately when all four children (Arthur, Lola, Rex and Honey) are together and getting on, those are the best times. Lean into all of it. You just need to lean into the good bits to charge yourself up,' she added. Jesse has previously hailed Fearne's parenting skills and said she was 'an amazing mother', and while he admitted the two endured 'ups and downs' during the pandemic, he said it was amazing to spend time with Fearne and their children at his London home. Pete Davidson has revealed his shock new career move after stepping away from comedy amid a tough year which saw him reenter rehab. The SNL star, 31, has been appointed creative director of New York City-based sock brand, Doublesoul. Opening up about his reason for taking on the role he told W Magazine: 'Everyone needs socks. Socks are an afterthought: You get a 20-pack at Foot Locker, or youre going to the gas station and buying Barbie socks, or socks with burgers on them.' The star said he is focusing on his mental health and wants to be known for more than just 'dating people'. His exes include Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande and Madelyn Cline. He said: 'Luckily, I got hit on the face with the Hollywood shovel. It was a long time coming, and I needed it. Im very happy where I am right now, mentally. 'I just want to be known for doing good work. I want to be out there only when its movie, stand-up, charity, or business ventures. Thats when I want to be seen. I dont want to be this f*****g loser who just dates people. Thats not who I am.' Pete Davidson has revealed his shock new career move after stepping away from comedy amid a tough year which saw him reenter rehab - pictured last month The star quit SNL in 2022 but returned as a host the following year This comes after Davidson checked into a wellness facility to seek mental health treatment in late July. This followed DailyMail.com exclusively revealing the Bupkis star admitted he was still using marijuana after quitting both cocaine and ketamine. The rehab stint came after Davidson completed more than 200 live stand-up comedy shows across the country. At the time, an insider told People that mental health has 'always been a priority' for him. A separate source also told the outlet: 'Pete will often check himself into rehab to work on these issues. His friends and family have been supportive during this time.' He was last pictured hanging out with Machine Gun Kelly in Los Angeles in early May, and it appeared he recently completed his inpatient treatment. Around the same time last year, Davidson also went to a rehabilitation center to treat issues related to his post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder diagnoses, both of which he previously opened up about in the past. In 2020, Davidson starred in The King of Staten Island, a semi-autobiographical film that draws upon his struggles of coping with grief and his own childhood experiences of losing his father after 9/11. The SNL star, 31, has been appointed creative director of New York City-based sock brand, Doublesoul. Opening up about his reason for taking on the role he told W Magazine : 'Everyone needs socks (seen in May 2022) The star said he is focusing on his mental health and wants to be known for more than just 'dating people'. His exes include Kim Kardashian (pictured) He co-wrote the comedic drama alongside director-producer Judd Apatow and comedian Dave Sirus, basing the story partly on his own past. In the film, which was directed by Judd Apatow, Davidson stars as Scott Carlin, a young man who spends his 20s smoking and drinking to cope with losing his father. The story mirrors Davidson's own life with how he decides to pursue a career in comedy. . Elsa Pataky has revealed how her husband Chris Hemsworth persuaded her to move to Australia The Spanish actress, 48, lives in Byron Bay with her husband Chris, 41, and their three kids - daughter India, 12, and twins Sasha and Tristan, 10. But Elsa, who is originally from Madrid, admitted she had one very specific condition before she agreed to uproot her life and move Down Under almost ten years ago. Speaking to the Courier Mail, Elsa revealed how she told Chris she would only move to Australia if they lived on a sprawling farm where she could have horses. 'That was my deal with Chris,' she shared. 'I said I would move to Australia but I wanted to live on a property, a farm, and have horses and he knew that.' Luckily for Elsa, her dream came true and they now live in a sprawling $30million eight-bedroom mansion that sits on a massive 4.2 hectares of land in Broken Head. Elsa Pataky has revealed how her husband Chris Hemsworth persuaded her to move to Australia Elsa also gave a candid insight into her relationship with Hollywood icon Chris and shared their secret to a happy marriage despite the many challenges they've faced. 'I think we all have the idea of this beautiful dream of a marriage and loving each other and it all being perfect but it's much more work than you think,' she said. 'It comes with so many challenges but it's beautiful to grow into those challenges and learn about each other and how we change with the years and how we adapt to each other. 'You can think from the outside that a marriage is perfect but they all have their things and they all need a lot of work.' Elsa and Chris tied the knot just ten months after they first met and will celebrate 14 years of marriage on December 22, though she confessed they rarely remember their anniversary. Even though it might seem like a relationship faux pas, Elsa insisted the date is easily forgotten because it's so close to Christmas and said they laugh it off every year. Gushing over her husband, Elsa also admitted that she has always wanted a 'partner for life' as she told how she wants to grow old with Thor actor Chris. Elsa and Chris got married in a spur-of-the-moment ceremony while in holiday in Australia in December 2010, just three months after they first made their relationship public. But Elsa, who is originally from Madrid, said she had one specific condition before she agreed to uproot her life and move Down Under almost ten years ago - that she could own a horse The Spanish actress, 48, now lives in Byron Bay with her husband Chris, 41, and their three kids - daughter India , 12 and twins Sasha and Tristan, 10 They moved to Byron Bay five years later after buying their forever home in the coastal paradise for $7.6million. Now, they have been presented with a unique opportunity to expand their massive estate on Byron Bay's so-called 'Golden Grid'. In October, the neighbouring nine-hectare property to their luxury Balinese-style pad has been listed for an undisclosed price. Real estate insiders have estimated the luxury retreat could fetch as much as $34million. Though it could be a lucrative purchase, the Daily Telegraph claimed the Hemsworths have made no attempt to declare their interests on the palatial spread. The site last went under the hammer in 2011 for $6.3million and is currently owned by oil and gas multimillionaire Russell Staley and his wife, Jennifer. Located at Broken Head in the Byron Bay hinterland the property, known as Ohana, sits between the Hemsworths' home and Seven Mile Beach. Surrounded by bushland, the architect designed home opens out to 450 metres of beach frontage and boasts a series of pavilions that can host 28 guests. A Colorado mountain city is facing a raft of restaurant closures, leaving locals devastated. Colorado Springs, with the picturesque backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, is loved by its outdoorsy residents as much for its scenery as its variety of local businesses. But now the city, which is 70 miles from Denver, is losing many of its long-standing restaurants that have served as staples of the community. Among the victims has been Mountain Shadows Restaurant in Old Colorado City, a quaint neighborhood of Colorado Springs. In October another business, Cy's Drive-in on the west side, closed after the owner was asked by the landlord to move by the end of the year, KRDO reported. Munchies 719 in downtown Colorado Springs is next on the chopping block, and will close its doors at the end of the year. Its owners told KRDO that they are seeing fewer customers in the downtown area than they once did. Data from the city's Downtown Business Association shows a 1.61 percent downturn in foot traffic in the area since 2023. Cy's Drive-in on the west side of the city closed for good in October More businesses, including Mark Anthony's Pretzels and FH Beerworks, are also shutting up shop at the end of the year. 'Small businesses are struggling all over Colorado Springs,' Chuck Thomas, whose wife owns Munchies 719, told the local publication. 'Go support local or there will be no local,' Thomas argued. 'I sunk everything into the restaurant and I don't have any more to sink into it,' Kasie Swain, the owner of Mountain Shadows, explained. Swain began working at Mountain shadows in 1993, just a year after it opened. She described her ascent up the ladder as a 'Cinderella story,' and she eventually became its owner. 'I couldn't have told you that was going to happen ever. This was supposed to be for my grandkids,' she said of the 'heartbreaking' decision to close. 'Everything's just going up, it's killing us,' Swain said. Mountain Shadows Restaurant in Old Colorado City has also shut up shop this year Munchies 719 in downtown Colorado Springs is closing its doors at the end of the year Colorado Springs was recently named the top housing market for 2025 by Realtor.com 'Every payroll, you're like, "I'm going down. I'm going down really fast." So just being able to pay your employees and being able to keep the staff here, it's been kind of a struggle,' she said. 'It just keeps piling on every time you raise wages or add a new tax or whatever, it's this huge trickle down,' Kathy Micci, owner of Cy's Drive-in, agreed. 'I was hoping to sell it and be able to retire. However, my landlord decided for me that that was not an option any longer.' And payroll costs are unlikely to slow for employers, as twenty-three states will raise their minimum wages in 2025. Among those states is Colorado, which will raise its base rate from $14.42 to $14.81 next year. Some experts have warned the hikes could force companies to drive up consumer prices even further. 'Minimum wage increases add to a general cocktail of cost increases faced by retailers. In response many will have to increase prices, even if only marginally,' retail expert Neil Saunders of Global Data told DailyMail.com. 'In a labor intensive industry like retail, even small increases can bite. There will be a consequence in terms of lower profits, higher prices, reduced investment, or cost cutting,' Saunders added. Despite its business woes, Colorado Springs was recently named the top housing market for 2025 by Realtor.com. Analysis by Realtor.com argued that Colorado Springs was primed for growth in the year ahead because of its moderately affordable homes, abundant inventory and sizable base of younger families. A major grocery chain has been forced to close a San Francisco location after customers claimed they did not feel safe. Safeway announced it will soon close its Webster Street supermarket in the city's Fillmore and Japantown neighborhood. The grocery store chain admitted that the location had to close 'due to ongoing concerns about associate and customer safety, as well as persistent issues with theft.' Safeway will transfer all of its staff to other stores and pharmacy customers can also choose to send their prescriptions to other locations. San Francisco Police Department incident reports in the vicinity include complaints of frequent car break-ins, assaults, loitering and illegal dumping, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The store, which had been in the community for 40 years, had made previous efforts to protect itself, such as removing all its self-checkout kiosks last December, but issues persisted. 'We remain committed to serving San Francisco at our 15 remaining locations, and to ensure that our unionized workforce can perform their jobs in safe and secure working environments,' Safeway said in a statement. Safeway announced it will soon close its Webster Street supermarket Rev. Erris Edgerly of the Fillmore United Alliance told the Chronicle that the community is boycotting Safeway and a protest against the company will be held on December 23. 'It's obvious the community has been struggling, but to just up and leave without calling a meeting, with no alternative for groceries, is upsetting,' he told the publication. 'There was no community outreach at all.' The location was slated to close eleven months earlier but was postponed to February 7, to give the community a longer transition period. Edgerly said he was concerned that Safeway's departure would affect other local businesses in the neighborhood. Shoppers often park in the Safeway parking lot to visit other store, he argued. 'It's going to make a big impact. I was hoping they would at least come to the table and say, "This is the issue, let's work it out," he said. The store said the safety of its customers and staff was a concern, as well as rising theft (Pictured: A customer in a San Francisco Safeway store) 'These are difficult decisions we make as a business with more than 255 stores across Northern California, and we do not take it lightly,' the store said in a statement. 'We appreciate the time and resources you've invested in trying to help us find a way to stay open, but unfortunately, the challenges we face are too great to overcome.' Safeway is owned by Albertsons, which recently backed out of a $25 billion merger with Kroger. Albertsons is now suing Kroger, saying it did not do enough to secure regulatory approval for the agreement. Both federal and state judges blocked the deal on Tuesday, which would have been the largest grocery store merger in US history. The companies said a merger, which was originally proposed in 2022, would help them better compete with big retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon. But the deal faced three separate legal challenges, including one filed by the Federal Trade Commission, which argued that if the companies combined it would reduce competition and push up grocery prices for consumers. Sam's Club has slashed the cost of its membership fee to $20, but only for a limited time. Walmart's membership-based wholesaler is offering new subscribers the chance to pay $20 for their first year rather than the usual $50 fee. The 60 percent reduction is only available to new members that sign up before December 24. It is a much cheaper offer than rival Costco, whose annual fee for standard membership is currently $65. The Sam's Club offer is limited to new members, and is not available to those wishing to renew their current subscription. The discount will also be unavailable if you have held a Sam's Club membership within six months of applying. Membership cards are available at every store, or can be purchased online. They are non-transferable but can be shared with one other person in a household. Sam's Club is offering new subscribers 60 percent off membership for the first year Sam's Club membership allows customers to shop for discounted groceries and electronics in store. It also gives access to services such as free tire checks and fixes. Costco is the biggest of the membership-based warehouse chains, with twice the sales of its rival, even though they both have the same number of clubs. The retailers last year went head-to-head over a food court staple, with Sam's Club undercutting Costco's famous $1.50 hot dog and soda combo by 12 cents. Costco hiked its membership fees at the start of September, raising its standard membership from from $60 a year to $65. The Executive level - which offers a 2 percent rebate on all Costco purchases made that year up to a total of $750 - increased by $10 to $130 a year. Sam's Club, on the other hand, usually offers a $50-a-year club-level membership and $110 for its plus option. Costco has recently announced a crackdown on those trying to access its stores without a valid membership card. Sam's Club membership allows customers to shop for discounted groceries and electronics in store Costco is the biggest of the membership-based warehouse chains The retail giant recently announced that shoppers will have to scan their physical membership card as they enter its stores. In addition they will also have to visually match the photo that will come up for the scanned card. The scanners, which have already been spotted in some California locations, are an attempt to stop bargain-hunters borrowing a friends membership card without paying the annual fee themselves. The amount of money that Americans need to earn to be able to afford to buy a home has soared in the last five years, as house prices have jumped and mortgage rates nearly doubled. In the majority of US cities, buying a home now requires a six-figure salary. That is according to fresh data from economic advisory firm Oxford Economics. The report found that, on average, a household needs to earn an annual income of $107,700 to afford a single-family home and pay both property taxes and home insurance costs. That is nearly double the income that was required five years ago. In the most expensive cities, many of which are in California, residents need to earn multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in order to buy and maintain a home. In San Jose, which is the least affordable metro in the study, locals need to earn a staggering $460,746 in order to be a homeowner. The most affordable cities, meanwhile, are largely located in the Midwest. Across the 173 metros analyzed in the study, the cheapest place was Decatur, Illinois, where residents need to earn $43,840 to afford a home. Your browser does not support iframes. Across the US, Oxford Economics found that only a third of households earned enough money to afford a home as of the last quarter, which concluded at the end of September. That is far fewer than nearly two thirds of American households who were able to do so in 2019. The second most expensive place on the list is San Francisco, where residents must have an income of at least $326,746 to be able to afford a home. Third is Honolulu, followed by Los Angeles, San Diego and Boulder, Colorado, where residents need an an annual income above $200,000 in order to afford a typical property in the area. Of the 50 largest cities in the study, the more affordable metros were mostly in the Midwest: Cleveland, Louisville, Detroit, and St. Louis, as well as Oklahoma City and Memphis, where the income required to cover housing costs ranged from $64,600 to $75,300. Close to half of the households in these metros earned this salary or more, the study found. Along with Decatur, the most affordable metros were Cumberland, Maryland, Youngstown, Ohio, Charleston, West Virginia, and Elmira, New York. In these areas, nearly two thirds of households could afford median priced homes as of September. San Jose is the least affordable metro in the study by Oxford Economics In San Jose, locals need to earn a staggering $460,746 in order to be a homeowner Your browser does not support iframes. Over the last several years, the housing market has become increasingly unaffordable for millions of Americans. Mortgage rates have soared, which has meant that many homeowners have stayed put in their properties, locked in by cheaper existing loans. This, in turn, has pushed up home prices, due to a historic shortage of houses for sale. Property taxes and insurance costs have also been on the up across large swathes of the US, amid worsening climate disasters. Mortgage rates had begun to drop in August, reaching their lowest level in 15 months, but then began to creep up again. The typical 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 6.78 percent, as of latest Freddie Mac data from November 14. The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether oil companies can challenge the EPAs authority to exempt California from nationwide emissions standards. Mario Tama/TNS The Supreme Court cast a shadow Friday over Californias longtime authority to set its own strict vehicle-emissions standards, agreeing to hear a suit by oil companies that oppose the states shift away from gasoline-powered cars and trucks. The court declined, at least for now, to consider whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the power to exempt California from nationwide standards and allow the state to impose tighter restrictions on new cars and trucks sold within its borders. But the justices agreed to decide whether the oil companies could show they are directly affected by the states actions and therefore have standing to challenge them in court. The EPA under President Donald Trump revoked Californias authority to set its own emissions standards in 2019 and is likely to do so again after Trump returns to office next month, continuing a back-and-forth pattern between Democratic and Republican administrations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But things could change if the oil companies, supported by 17 Republican-led states, win Supreme Court approval to contest the EPAs authority to exempt California from nationwide standards and then prove their claim that federal law requires the same emissions rules for all states. Attacking a states authority to protect its own people from serious pollution hazards would be especially unbecoming for an administration that seems intent on weakening federal health and environmental protections, Sean Donahue, a lawyer for the Environmental Defense Fund, said Friday. He noted that Californias standards were supported in court by Ford and other vehicle manufacturers, as well as environmental groups. In seeking Supreme Court review, lawyers for the oil companies argued that the EPA has no authority to exempt California, or any other state, from nationwide emissions standards. Californias standards do not target conditions extraordinary to California because they were created to address global climate change, which is by definition not a phenomenon particular to California, attorneys for the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and allied business groups said in a filing with the court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lawyers in California Attorney General Rob Bontas office responded that Congress has enacted laws that treat certain states differently since the founding, effectively authorizing California to craft alternative emission standards in certain circumstances in recognition of that states experience regulating air pollution and its special pollution challenges. The Supreme Court dealt a severe blow to environmental regulators and other federal agencies in June in a ruling that ended judges obligation to defer to the agencies interpretation of contested federal laws. Regulators have no special competence in resolving statutory ambiguities. Courts do, Chief Justice John Roberts declared for a 6-3 majority. Californias current vehicle standards, authorized by the EPA under President Joe Biden, have required manufacturers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 34% between 2017 and 2025 and require at least 15% of new vehicles sold in the state to be electric-powered by 2025. At least 17 other states have adopted some or all of the California limits. The states rules were upheld in April by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. The court said the Constitution authorizes Congress, not the states, to regulate interstate commerce, and U.S. lawmakers had done so in 1967 by passing the Clean Air Act. That law allows the EPA to approve a states vehicle emissions standards as long as they are at least as strong as the nationwide standards. In 1967, California suffered from significant air quality and pollution problems caused by motor vehicle emissions, which federal emissions regulations were unlikely to adequately address, the three-judge panel wrote. And although the EPA since then has granted 75 waivers allowing the state to set its own standards, the court said, California still contains seven of the 10 worst areas for ozone pollution in the country. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After holding a hearing, the Supreme Court will decide whether the oil companies and other opponents of the states restrictions are entitled to challenge them in court. A ruling is due by June. Infrastructure built in the last 10 years is more than the work done under 60 years of the previous regime, union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday. Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Scindia told reporters that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the government has developed infrastructure with a focus on quality, speed, quantity and coverage. "There has been a 180-degree change in the infrastructure after 2014. The Prime Minister dedicated 15 Airports in a single day on March 10. The speed of infrastructure development in the last 10 years has been unmatched, unseen and unprecedented. Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh did not get any airport in 65 years. Today Sikkim has an airport and there are four airports in Arunachal," Scindia said. He said that in 70 years of the previous regime, there were 74 airports which have been more than doubled to 157 under the Modi government and fleets have increased to around 750 from 400. "Infrastructure plays a very important role in transforming a nation from a developing to a developed nation. Every penny spent on infrastructure leads to a 2.5 to 3 times contribution in GDP," Scindia said. The minister said that the budget allocation for road, railways and aviation infrastructure has increased leaps and bounds in the last 10 years. He said that capital expenditure of around Rs 11.5 lakh crore earmarked in the union budget is equivalent to GDP of some of the 10-12 countries. "There has been a 10-15 per cent increase in its (capital expenditure) every year. In 2013-14, the budget allocated for roads was about Rs 31,130 crore which has been increased significantly to Rs 2.7 lakh crore in 2024-25 which means 9 times increase," Scindia said. The minister said that a railway network equivalent to the size of that in Germany has been built in India in the last 10 years. He said that the national highway network has increased to 150,000 kilometres from 91,000 kilometres. "Things that could not be done under the UPA regime, those things have been done by the NDA government under the leadership of the Prime Minister. A similar revolution we have seen in railways. There has been eight times growth in the budget," Scindia said. He said in 2014-15 the pace of road construction was 12 kilometres per day to 37.8 kilometres per day and the target of the government is to increase it to 60 kilometres per day. The minister said that due to a better road network, transit time for freight trucks has been reduced by about 20 per cent leading to an annual increase in savings of 4.8 lakh crore from 2.4 lakh crore earlier and the target of the government is to reduce logistics cost to 9 per cent. Raj Kapoor was one of a kind talent in cinema but at home just a loving father who would spend time with his children whenever he had time, eldest son Randhir Kapoor said while remembering his legendary father ahead of his birth centenary. Randhir, who directed Raj Kapoor and his grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor, in 1971 film "Kal Aaj Aur Kal", said he misses his father everyday. "I'm happy and proud to be Raj Kapoor's son. Even today we think of him and carry on the way he wanted us to, which is to stay healthy and happy, Randhir told PTI in an interview. He was a loving father. He was very fond of children. In real life, he was a very simple man. He was just like a normal father. He was often tied up with work but whenever he had time he would spend time with us, and take us out to eat at his favourite dosa centre in Matunga. The entire world knows he was a foodie; he would treat everyone around him with great food, Randhir, 77, added. Randhir also reminisced about the films of his father that he cherished the most and they are Awara, Shree 420, and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai. He was one of a kind and had a distinct style in cinema. He was ahead of his time. He gave voice to the common man. He is an outstanding and passionate filmmaker; we all loved his work as an actor and director," Randhir said. The actor-filmmaker said his father wanted to make films that everybody would like which is why his films are celebrated in not just India but also internationally. Randhir also directed his father in "Dharam Karam" and remembers Raj Kapoor the actor as being "obedient". As an actor, he was obedient and did everything based on instructions of the director, he said. Raj Kapoor's cinematic legacy will be celebrated on the big screen with PVR INOX Limited and the Film Heritage Foundation organising the RK Film Festival to celebrate the actor-filmmaker's 100th birth anniversary. This three-day retrospective, beginning from Friday, will showcase ten films by Raj Kapoor, including Aag, Barsaat, Awaara, Shree 420, Jagte Raho, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, Mera Naam Joker, Bobby, and Ram Teri Ganga Maili. These movies will be screened in select PVR INOX theatres in 40 cities. I hope the new generation (will) watch his films and see how great they were, and get inspired, Randhir said, adding that the Kapoor clan will gather again on December 14 for a celebration. The actor, whose daughters Karisma and Kareena are established stars in Bollywood, said the family is grateful for the love that people still shower on Raj Kapoor even after all these years. "It's been so many years since he passed away and it's wonderful that people across the globe remember him, and his cinema. It makes us emotional, he added. Three Indian students have been murdered in Canada last week and the Indian High Commission in Ottawa has taken up the matter of safety of Indians with the Canadian authorities, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. The safety, security and welfare of Indian nationals in Canada remains of utmost importance to us, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Jaiswal said the Indian missions in that country are in touch with the local authorities for thorough investigation of the incidents. In the last week or so we have had unfortunate tragedies. Three Indian students have been murdered. We are saddened at these terrible tragedies that have struck our nationals in Canada. We extend our deepest condolences to the grieving families. Our High Commission and Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver are extending all possible help in the matter, he said. Issues faced by them, especially Indian students, are raised by our high commission and Consulates with the relevant Canadian authorities on a regular basis, he said. We have also issued an advisory for our nationals and Indian students to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant in view of the deteriorating security environment in Canada as a result of the growing incidence of hate crimes and criminal violence, Jaiswal added. According to official data, over 400,000 Indian students are studying in Canada. Asked about reports of instances of the Indian high commission not granting visas in Canada, Jaiswal described them as a disinformation campaign. We have seen the said media report. It is yet another example of Canadian medias disinformation to malign India, he said. Granting of Indian visas is our sovereign function and we have the legitimate right to deny visas to those who undermine our territorial integrity, he said. The commentary that we see in the Canadian media on this matter is akin to foreign interference in Indias sovereign affairs, Jaiswal added. Delhi BJP on Friday met the Chief Election Commissioner and submitted a detailed letter with 5,000 pages of evidence objecting to lakhs of illegal Rohingya, Bangladeshi, duplicate voters and non-existent address voters alongwith thousands of dead voters. A Delhi BJP delegation led by its President Virendra Sachdeva on Friday met the CEC and other two Election Commissioners to lodge a protest against illusion of lakhs of illegal infiltrator Rohingyas and Bangladeshi origin demanded that Election Commission of India look into their complaint on legal merits on priority to ensure a true and transparent election for Delhi Assembly. Delhi BJP President told ECI through the three Commissioners present that it's surprising that new voter registration of lakhs of voters happens everytime between the period of conclusion of Lok Sabha elections and start of assembly elections in Delhi which is abnormally higher than in the yearly voter summary revision exercise. On the strength of an August 2024 circular of ECI the BJP BLAs and other workers have been going across all 70 assembly constituencies and have found the existence of lacs of Bangladeshi or Rohingya origin infiltrators registered as voters in Delhi apart from duplicate voters, non-existent address voters. Every constituency in Delhi has a huge number of dead or permanently shifted voters in Delhi, he said. He requested the ECI to run a campaign against enrolment of illegal voters as well as against illegal voting. Sachdeva urged ECI to run a radio and print media campaign dissuading and warning the bogus voters with imprisonment. Addressing the media, he asserted that they will not let infiltrators and bogus voters to vote. New Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj in her legal submission kept before the ECI a list of strong 18 evidences showing how Rohingya and Bangladeshi origin infiltrators stand registered and cited pages from voter lists of several assembly constituencies across the city where even on same page a single person with same family details and address stands repeatedly registered as voter with different EPIC. She cited atleast six cases with evidence from different assemblies where voters of a particular community stand registered on non-existent addresses and cases where the same family of voters of one community stand registered in more than one assembly constituencies. It's sad that BLO's are not performing their sacred duty of deleting dead voters & voters objected to even after verification of evidence, she said. Swaraj also submitted video evidence of bogus voter registration. Union Minister Harsh Malhotra drew the attention.of the ECI to the false narrative being created by the Government of Delhi that BJP is objecting to voters of Indian origin in voter list while the truth is that BJP is objecting to infiltrators and bogus address voters. Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena on Friday urged the students of Dr. BR Ambedkar University (AUD) on Wednesday to strive towards inclusivity, innovation, and impactful intervention in society during the 13th convocation ceremony. In a tweet on X, Saxena shared, Presided over the 13th Convocation of Dr. BR Ambedkar University in the presence of former CJI, Justice (Retd) Dipak Misra. He congratulated the young minds on completing their degrees and urged them to strive towards inclusivity, innovation, and impactful intervention in society. Delhi LG urged the Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) to foster among the students and maintain the quality of education and research. He also emphasised on setting gold standards for the institution. It was heartening to note that the number of students in AUD has nearly doubled in the last five years. Exhorted the management and the faculty to foster equality among students and maintain the quality of education and research while expanding the access to education and set Gold Standards for our institutions of higher learning, he said in a tweet. Further, he congratulated the Vice Chancellor, the faculty members, and the parents of graduating students for their relentless efforts and sacrifices in shaping the future of these bright young students. Delhi Police have apprehended two illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and identified over 1,000 others in the southeast district. According to the police on Friday, the accused have been identified as 22 year old Abdul Ahad and 32 year old Mohammad Azizul. Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) Ravi Kumar Singh said, "We have identified more than 1,000 people during our drive and apprehended two men from Kalindi Kunj and Hazrat Nizzamuddin area." The city police launched a drive for the identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in Delhi on Wednesday, a day after the LG Secretariat ordered a crackdown on such persons. The police said that they are staying in the national capital without any valid documentation. "Both the accused were apprehended by the Hazarat Nizamuddin Police Station team on December 10 and 12, respectively," the DCP said. During interrogation, Ahad, hailing from Bangladesh's Sylhet, revealed that he entered in Delhi on December 6, with the help of a Bangladeshi agent in search of work. Azizul, a resident of Dhaka, admitted to crossing the Benapole border in 2004 through West Bengal and had been living in India ever since, the police said. "Both were presented before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for deportation proceedings. Beside that we have also identified 1,000 people during our drive which will continue," he said. Sharing more details about the southeast district, the officer said that the district police have verified 916 individuals and detained eight illegal immigrants, including six Bangladeshis in past. On Thursday, the Delhi Police collected documents of 32 people in Seemapuri area of east Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said that in a decisive step to curb the rising number of illegal Bangladeshi intruders in the capital, Delhi Police conducted a comprehensive operation in the E-44 Jhuggis of New Seemapuri on Thursday. During the operation, the documents of 32 individuals were collected for further verification, he had said, adding the locals were warned against using fake identity cards and were assured that this drive was strictly focused on identifying unauthorised intruders. Teams from the different police stations of 15 districts in the national capital are visiting slums and Delhi's Kalindi Kunj, Shaheen Bagh, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Jamia Nagar to check voter IDs and Aadhaar cards to identify suspected Bangladeshi immigrants. The Delhi LG Secretariat directed the chief secretary and police chief on Tuesday to launch a two-month special drive to identify and take strict action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the city. The officer also said that besides sending data to FRRO, police will also personally verify the genuineness of the Aadhaar cards. The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concern over the deteriorating health of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death protest at the Khanauri border for over 17 days. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Centre and Punjab government representatives to immediately meet Dallewal and provide him medical help and persuade him to break his fast-unto-death protest saying his life was precious. The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Punjab and advocate general Gurminder Singh to ensure that no force was used against Dallewal to break his fast-unto-death protest, unless it was imperative to save his life. "You both look into this issue immediately and ensure that it is resolved," the bench told Mehta and Singh, while advising that Dallewal could be shifted to PGI Chandigarh or nearby Patiala city for urgent medical intervention, if need arises. It asked the agitating farmers to adopt the Gandhian way of protests and temporarily suspend it or shift from the highways and instructed the high-powered panel constituted by it to meet the farmers. Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre into accepting the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops. Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday alleged efforts are being made to reduce minorities, especially Muslims, to second-grade citizens. Participating in a debate in Lok Sabha on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India', Yadav said, "Whenever we get opportunity, we will conduct a caste census." Yadav said a caste survey will bridge the gap among castes. He also demanded the government give figures on per capita income of those below the poverty line. Yadav attacked the government over alleged Chinese transgressions, and claimed the country's borders are shrinking. India wants to have good relations with Pakistan that are free of terror but if it does not show it is changing its past behaviour, then there will be implications on bilateral ties, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The minister also said that trade relations had been disrupted due to certain decisions taken by Pakistan in 2019. "I would like to inform the honourable member that in terms of improving ties with Pakistan, like any other neighbour, we would like to have good relations with Pakistan. But, like any other neighbour, we would also like to have relations free of terrorists," he said during Question Hour. This has been the position of the government of India, Jaishankar said. "We have made it very clear that it is for the Pakistani side to show that they are changing their behaviour of the past and if they don't, of course, there are implications on relations. So the ball is very much in Pakistan's court in this regard," he said. Trade ties with Pakistan were snapped after the Centre abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The Telangana High Court on Friday granted a four-week interim bail to actor Allu Arjun, who was arrested earlier in the day by the city police in connection with the death of a woman during the screening of his latest movie 'Pushpa 2' here last week. The HC order came shortly after the actor was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court. He was sent to the jail at Chanchalguda here following the remand, amid tight security arrangements. The HC pronounced the order granting bail to Arjun while he was being taken to the jail. The court directed the actor to cooperate with the authorities in the investigation, while granting him interim bail. San Francsico Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie speaks after touring S.F. General Hospital on Wednesday ahead of being sworn in next month. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Incoming Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a series of ambitious proposals to address the citys drug crisis while on the campaign trail, but those plans will bump up against legal and fiscal constraints that will make them difficult to realize. Lurie laid out two separate plans to deal with the citys open-air drug markets one to stem the supply and another to address demand. To quickly implement those plans and bypass the bureaucracy, Lurie said he would declare an emergency on day one for fentanyl, the powerful opioid responsible for about 3 in every 4 of the citys overdose deaths. Drug crisis: Charts track San Franciscos overdose deaths Advertisement Article continues below this ad Instituting an emergency declaration requires a vote by the full Board of Supervisors, nulling the on day one part of Luries pledge. And that declaration could also be blocked because San Franciscos fentanyl crisis may not legally qualify as an emergency. A 2005 memo from the San Francisco city attorney stated that the incident must be sudden or unexpected something that the city could not have specifically anticipated or prevented. San Francisco has been struggling to address the rise of fentanyl for several years, and over the course of 2024, the city has actually seen a remarkable downward trend in drug overdose deaths. The idea of declaring an emergency around fentanyl isnt new. In December 2021, Mayor London Breed declared, with board approval, a state of emergency in the Tenderloin to try to address the overdose crisis in the neighborhood. Brian Keffer, 48, holds foil with fentanyl on it before smoking it on Jessie Street in San Francisco on Nov. 26. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle As part of the emergency, San Francisco set up the Tenderloin Linkage Center, an experiment that Breed hoped would help get more people struggling with addiction into housing and treatment. Although center staff reversed more than 300 overdoses, fewer than 1% of visits resulted in linkages to mental health or drug treatment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When asked by a reporter on Wednesday whether he still planned to pursue an emergency declaration, Lurie did not give a clear answer. Instead, he said: We have a long way to go, and we still need to surge resources to make sure that we stand up our treatment beds and get people off the street quickly and into treatment. Despite the promising decline in deaths, 542 people still fatally overdosed from January through October, according to the medical examiner. The fentanyl crisis continues to cause serious medical issues for users, prompt complaints from residents and merchants over deplorable street conditions and test the citys addiction treatment system. Lurie pledged to tackle the fentanyl crisis when hes sworn into office Jan. 8, while acknowledging that he will also face a two-year budget shortfall pegged at $876 million, which make it even harder to address the issue. How Lurie plans to address S.F.s drug markets Advertisement Article continues below this ad At the center of Luries plan to curb demand are a handful of policies designed to give drug users a choice: accept immediate treatment or face arrest. Lurie hopes the threat of arrest would incentivize people to engage in treatment. To do this, the incoming mayor wants to create new law enforcement teams that pair a behavioral health professional with an officer. If a team comes across someone openly using an illicit substance in public, the person could choose between immediately enrolling in treatment or face arrest for the low-level offense, which could result in a day or more of jail time. Moriah Mo Foster, center, smokes crack as her friend Brian Keffer looks on, on Fifth Street in San Francisco on Nov. 26. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Although Breed also escalated arrests of drug users, its unclear what impact that had, if any. The city did not track whether any drug users participated in treatment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Under Luries proposal, those who agree to treatment would be brought to a drop-off crisis center that would be staffed with medical and mental health professionals to assess their needs. The centers would also provide people with food, temporary respite beds, onsite detox and case management services. The city already has a similar program, called SoMa Rise, a sobering center that gives unhoused people experiencing addiction a place to sleep, shower, get a meal and referrals to treatment programs. SoMa Rise took years to open, so Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said the mayor would need to find a way to expedite the citys permitting process to create more centers like it, especially in light of the budget deficit. Were going to have to figure out how to do more with less and prioritize our citys spending on the people with the greatest needs, Mandelman said. In a statement, the Department of Public Health said it was working with the incoming administration to implement Mayor-Elect Luries key priorities and policies. Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and an addiction researcher at Stanford University, said the co-responder teams seemed like a promising idea. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I think we need that, because the relationship between police and public health is very bad in many American cities, and thats true in San Francisco, he said. They both have a piece of this problem. But not everyone is convinced it will work. Mo Foster, 33, said she moved from Eureka to San Francisco two years ago for one reason: the drugs. Foster, who spends most nights on the streets, is addicted to crack and fentanyl. She doesnt want to go to treatment, and she doesnt think forcing people by threatening jail time will work. Moriah Mo Foster smokes fentanyl off foil on Jessie Street in San Francisco on Nov. 26. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The only time people are going to get clean is when they personally want to, Foster said between hits of crack. You cant make somebody, and if you try to, its just going to clog up the system for the people who are really trying to get clean. Foster is on methadone, a medication used to treat opioid addiction, but she continues to use fentanyl to a lesser degree. She said the medication helps prevent her from getting sick. Under Luries proposal, she questioned what they would do if they caught her smoking fentanyl or crack. What happens to people who are already in treatment? she said. Luries proposals also attack the drug crisis by targeting supply. To rid San Franciscos streets of illicit drug markets and ensure accountability for narcotics trafficking, Lurie wants to expand the sheriffs departments electronic monitoring program and strengthen coordination among the district attorneys office, BART police and federal law enforcement to keep drug traffickers out of the Tenderloin and other hot spots. But theres one major hurdle. The sheriffs office recently suspended its electronic monitoring program due to a federal judges ruling barring it from requiring that criminal defendants consent to warrantless searches as a condition to enroll in the departments GPS ankle monitor program. Luries proposal could still apply to people currently in the program, but the sheriffs office is not admitting new people. The city is working to appeal the judges ruling. Commissar Rachel Reeves has addressed the Duma House of Comrades today to refute that there is anything wrong with recession in the Peoples Soviet Republic of Britain. RECESSION BRITAIN Comrades, apparatchiks, civil servants, train drivers, union bosses, fat cat council bosses, NHS managers, Bolsheviks, and the everyday working proletariat scum. I am speaking today to quell any rumours that have been going around that recession in Soviet Britain is a bad thing. I am proud to have caused the economic downturn because of my amazing decisions to punish the capitalist swine and to expel all the wealthy parasites from the Soviet UK. The Red Labour government is dedicated to increasing taxes even further, increasing useless regulations that will further inhibit business, and increasing inheritance tax to confiscate wealth from the bourgeoisie and business community. We are also destroying the vile landed gentry represented by the Kulak farmer class. These parasitical capitalist swine have dared to survive for generations, providing food for the population of Britain. Thanks to my policies, they will be stopped in their tracks and bankrupted as their wealth is siphoned off and redistributed to people who have never worked a day in their lives, and squandered on useless socialist projects that benefit no one. Our redistribution of wealth from wealth creators to the feckless subclasses and illegal immigrants is the correct action to implement. Through collectivisation we as a Soviet nation are becoming stronger in poverty, and destitution. Why have a recession when you can have a Great Depression? Comrades, this is my goal as Commissar of the Soviet Peoples Bank. Comrades, I am proud to announce and celebrate our economy shrinking into recession, by cancelling the previous proposed increase of 14 grams in Chocco rations that was scheduled for this year, and instead replace it with one rotten turnip for the proletariat filth. INGSOC ORDER 769834-2398A ARTHUR BRIDLESWAITE OF 210 PISSWAGE ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON WAS TODAY CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTS TO INCREASE HIS WEALTH BY RUNNING A BUSINESS SELLING VEGETABLES. HE HAS BEEN CHARGED AND CONVICTED TO 45 YEARS OF HARD LABOUR BREAKING ROCKS IN GRIMSBY GULAG. TODAY HE CONFESSED TO HIS VARIOUS CRIMES, INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA THOUGHTCRIME, ALONG WITH SELLING VEGETABLES ILLICITLY AND PROFITING OFF THIS EVIL CAPITALIST ACTION. PROLETARIAT SOVIET CITIZENS OF BRITAIN WILL BE REWARDED WITH ONE USED LOLLIPOP IF THEY REPORT MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILY OR FRIENDS TO THE BIG STATE. The San Francisco Zoo temporarily closed its aviaries to prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. Michael Macor/The Chronicle The San Francisco Zoo temporarily closed its aviaries after a wild red-shouldered hawk tested positive for avian influenza. The hawk was found dead on the zoos grounds, officials told KQED, prompting them to take action to safeguard the zoos birds and prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. The closure affects several indoor exhibits, including the African Aviary and the South American Tropical Rainforest and Aviary. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In addition to closing these areas, the zoo moved several birds indoors as part of its precautionary measures. In a statement, the zoo emphasized that these steps are part of a broader strategy to mitigate the risks posed by the virus, which has been affecting both wild and captive bird populations. The San Francisco Zoo temporarily closed its aviaries and moved some birds indoors to prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. Steve Rubenstein The zoo is also monitoring wild birds nearby for signs of illness, adhering to strict biosecurity protocols designed to protect animals, staff and visitors. The primary concern, officials said, is the potential arrival of infected wild birds, particularly waterfowl like ducks, which are known to be common carriers of the virus. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There is also worry that zoo visitors could inadvertently introduce the virus into the indoor bird exhibits on their shoes or clothing. Officials anticipated that the aviaries would reopen in about a month, once the bird migration season ends. A zoo representative did not immediately respond to requests for additional details. The San Francisco Zoos actions follow similar measures taken by other institutions. In Arizona, a recent bird flu outbreak led to the deaths of a cheetah and a mountain lion at the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park, and a red-breasted goose was found dead at Seattles Woodland Park Zoo, prompting precautionary closures there as well. The San Francisco Zoo temporarily closed its aviaries after a wild red-shouldered hawk found dead on the zoos grounds tested positive for avian influenza. Yuri Avila/The Chronicle Avian influenza has been making headlines recently due to its increasing spread, prompting federal officials to intensify efforts to curb the virus. California, in particular, has seen a surge in infections, accounting for a significant portion of both cattle and human cases. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cathair Dhoire are set to face Abbey Vocational College in the MacRory Cup playoff. The Derry side is made up of a number of schools across the city, including St Columb's College, St. Josephs and Lumen Christie. In their way progressing to the next round is a Donegal school. Cathair Dhorie progressed from their group on points difference. The school will look to progress past the side that won the MacLarnon Cup last year, their first ever success in the competition. They would go on to win the All-Ireland competition at this level. Both clubs are featuring in this competition for the first time in their history. The Donegal side are heavy favourites for the fixture, with the Derry side looking to upset the odds under the management of former All-Ireland winner Eamonn Burns. Throw-in for the match is at 1:30 pm, in Convoy Donegal with the match being streamed free live on the Donegal GAA website, through this link. A Hunger for Justice: Gaza 24-hour fast has taken place across Ireland to highlight the humanitarian catastrophe being visited upon innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza Supported locally by Bloody Sunday Trust and Derry Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the fast was organised by Nenagh Friends of Palestine, with Cloughjordan Palestine Justice and the North Tipperary branch of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Having assembled at Free Derry Corner at noon on Thursday, the Derry fast participants made their way to the nearby Hunger Strike Memorial. To date, the online Hunger for Justice: Gaza fundraiser has received 90,273 in donations towards the charity UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) for Palestine refugees in the Near East, and local initiatives to send aid directly to Gaza. Speaking at the Memorial, former Hunger Striker and Sinn Fein MLA, Raymond McCartney, described the event as a very important and significant initiative by Nenagh Friends of Palestine and Bloody Sunday Trust. My @DerryNow piece on Thursday's (December 12) #HungerForJusticePalestine 24 hour fast, in the city, in support of the people of Palestine and @UNRWA. & @DerryNow pic.twitter.com/8duIa3ZYyD Catherine McGinty (@CathMcGin_Tea) December 12, 2024 He added: I think it is very important people take every opportunity that presents itself to ensure the people in Gaza will know the rest of the world isnt standing idly by as what unfolds in front of us every day still continues. I think the importance of the Hunger for Justice resonates with Irish Republicans, in particular, because we know, down through the decades, how we used hunger strike as a means to defend the integrity of our struggle. I wasnt aware that the Nenagh Friends of Palestine have an ongoing fast, a different person every day, until Jackie McMullan, Laurence McKeown, Neil Gray and John Pickering volunteered to do it and then came up with this suggestion: there should be a mass fast today for 24 hours. It is great to see so many people from Derry involved and so many people throughout Ireland and beyond. Sometimes people may think, a small gesture, what does it mean? but we have seen how all the small gestures have added together. People have confronted governments. We now have a situation, perhaps for the first time, where the Palestinian people have Netanyahu in front of the international court, indicted as a war criminal. We have to keep up the pressure and make sure people dont switch off, which would be very, very easy because, if its not on the news, sometimes we think it is not happening. Gestures like this, us all being here today are good and I commend the people on the fast, said Mr McCartney. Daisy Mules, local Sinn Fein activist and INTO member was one of the Derry people taking part in the 24 hour fast. She reminded the crowd there were more than 1,400 people throughout Ireland taking part in the Hunger for Justice: Gaza 24-hour fast. Derry participates in all Ireland Hunger for Justice: Gaza 24-hour fast. She added: It is a collective thing; it brings in our Irish friends and comrades and is all-Ireland. The other issue is raising money, so, if anyone puts their photos up on Facebook, there is a GoFundMe link, please put it up and encourage people to donate. All of the money raised is going towards UNRWA and, as you know, the Israelis now have been attacking UNRWA, media wise and every other way, and trying to get it out of Gaza. It is a really important organisation - the saviour of a whole lot of people who are starving. I thank you so much for coming out today, said Ms Mules. Sam Altman, the CEO of San Francisco-based software company OpenAI, is the latest tech executive to donate $1 million to Donald Trumps upcoming inauguration, presumably to curry favor with the mercurial president-elect. Evan Vucci/Associated Press OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, a member of San Francisco Democratic Mayor-elect Daniel Luries transition team, has become the latest tech billionaire to donate $1 million to Republican Donald Trumps presidential inauguration next month. President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead, Altman said in a statement. Altmans donation follows reports that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg have both chipped in $1 million donations to Trumps inauguration in an effort to ease relations with the incoming administration. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is not uncommon for companies looking to get close to an incoming administration to donate to an inauguration. But Trump has criticized large tech companies, and Zuckerberg in particular, for their alleged left-wing bent, even threatening to imprison the Meta chief. The timing of the inauguration, set for Jan. 20, also nearly coincides with implementation of a law that will ban Chinese-owned social media site TikTok from the U.S. If the ban goes into effect, it could hugely benefit Zuckerbergs sites such as Instagram and Facebook. Unlike Altman, who has taken on a role in Luries office in deep blue San Francisco, Zuckerberg has largely swerved away from making overtly political statements. That has not kept him out of Trumps orbit, as Zuckerberg reportedly dined with him at Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump has already tapped another San Francisco figure, venture capitalist David Sacks, to oversee policy for AI and crypto. Trump has promised to allow unrestricted AI development, particularly for military purposes, to stay ahead of Chinas efforts. That signals a deviation from President Joe Bidens cautious approach to AI and regulation. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who once supported liberal causes, has led the charge among Trumps backers in Silicon Valley, reportedly generating a quarter billion dollars for his campaign. Musk, an early backer of OpenAI before his departure from the company, has feuded with Altman and OpenAI in court and in public. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Musk and Sacks were just a few of the one-time Obama supporters in Silicon Valley who threw their influence and money behind Trump in 2024. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance also spent time working as a venture capitalist in San Francisco. Meta, OpenAI and Amazon are three of the largest players in AI program development. Microsoft, OpenAIs principal backer and one of the largest corporate donors to Barack Obamas second inauguration, has been silent about the January, 2025 inauguration. Education Minister Paul Givan has announced the reappointment of one member to the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and three members to its Derry Diocesan Education Committee (DEC). Eight existing members have also had their terms of appointment extended until 31 May 2025 or until such earlier time as a public appointment competition can be completed and new Council and DEC appointments can be made. Education Minister Paul Givan said: I am pleased to reappoint the members to the Council and Derry DEC and thank them for their work over the last three and a half years. I would also like to thank the current members for their dedication and service and those members who have accepted an extension to their term of appointment, for their continued presence on the Council and DECs in an interim capacity while a public appointments competition can be completed and new appointments made. The reappointments are as follows: Derry DEC Sean Mullan was Vice Principal of St Marys Limavady and has just been appointed Principal. He is Branch Treasurer of the Limavady & Dungiven branch of the Irish National Teachers Organisation. John Paul ODoherty is currently a Director of Corporate Services with the Loughs Agency. Briege O Neill is a former Principal of both Chapel Road Primary School, Waterside and St Colmcille's Primary School & Nursery Unit, Claudy over the last 25 years. She is also a former Assessor with CCMS and a former Top Team Moderator with the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment and she was an Associate Inspector with ETI for three years. A man with an address in County Donegal has appeared at Derry Magistrates' Court after being detected driving on the wrong side of a dual carriageway when drunk. Sulcas Mandaugas (46) of Cedar Grove, Carndonagh, Donegal was charged with driving with excess alcohol and dangerous driving on December 11. The court heard that off duty police officers spotted his car driving on the wrong side of the A6 dual carriageway. They signalled him to stop and he performed a U turn and stopped behind the police. Upon talking to him, the officers noticed him slurring his speech with a strong smell of alcohol. He subsequently gave an evidential reading of 107mgs some three times the legal limit and was charged with driving while drunk and dangerous driving. Defence solicitor Derwin Harvey said Mandaugas had given a 'prompt and early' plea. He said that Mandaugas, originally from Lithuania, had been working in the area and had consumed alcohol with no intention of driving. When he decided to drive home, Harvey said that he put his address into the GPS and blindly followed the directions given without fully paying attention to the road. District Judge Barney McElholm said he would not know how to set a Sat Nav and did not intend to learn. He said it was foolish to blindly follow such instructions especially with a reading as high as his was. Mandaugas was sentenced to five months in custody, suspended for two years and ordered to pay a fine of 500. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months. A man who walked outside a Buncrana bar with another man to settle their differences left his victim with a serious head injury following a one-punch attack. Sean Breen appeared before Donegal Circuit Court after the brutal assault on Damian McFadden outside the Atlantic Bar in Buncrana on August 9, 2019. The 30-year-old Breen, of Marianus Park, Hazel Bank in Derry, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr McFadden and causing harm. Garda Michael Rafferty outlined the details of the case. CCTV footage of the incident was played in court which showed the full extent of the incident. The accused and another man are seen entering the bar on the town's Main Street and Breen begins to have words with Mr McFadden. The three men go outside and words are exchanged between the accused and the victim before Breen delivers a punch with his left hand to the face of Mr McFadden. The victim is seen falling back and banging his head before going unconscious. Garda Rafferty said that Gardai arrived on the scene and found ambulance personnel who were very eager to get Mr McFadden to hospital following the assault. He told of one eye witness who said that Mr McFadden was "out for the count with blood coming out of his mouth." Mr McFadden began to come around and was rushed to hospital but could not remember the incident saying he could not understand why Gardai wanted details from him. Mr McFadden discharged himself from hospital at 1.20am on August 10, 2019. However, the court was told that the following day he was not feeling well and had pains in his head and was being sick. He was rushed back to Letterkenny University Hospital but was sent to Dublin's Beaumont Hospital where he spent almost two weeks getting treatment for a serious head injury before being released on August 22nd. CCTV of the incident was downloaded and local Detective Garda Jason Conroy made a positive identification of Sean Breen at the scene. Breen was arrested and interviewed and admitted assaulting Mr McFadden following a disagreement over a person they both knew. The court was also told that Mr McFadden had passed away on January 17, 2022, but that this was not connected in any way to the incident before the court. Garda Rafferty said that Breen has a number of previous convictions in Northern Ireland for common assault, dangerous driving, not having insurance, taking a car without consent and failing to stop for police but had no convictions in this jurisdiction. Barrister for the accused, Mr Shane Costelloe, SC, said the evidence suggested that the brain injury was not as a result of the punch but as a result of the fall from which Mr McFadden had banged his head. Mr Costelloe said that his client had said during interview that he had consumed a lot of alcohol and that he felt threatened during the encounter. Mr Costelloe quoted his client saying: "I felt threatened and I was just defending myself." He added that this incident happened when he was a younger man and that he has not come before any court since 2014. He said that on the night in question, his client was 24 year olds, was drunk and had just broken up with his then girlfriend. Because of this he had gone from someone who rarely drank to someone who "went off the rails," said Mr Costelloe and on the night he had got it into his head that there was bad blood between a mutual friend and Mr McFadden. Mr Costelloe added that Breen is very ashamed of what he did and that the weight of his actions weigh very heavily on him to the extent that he attends for mental health treatment in Northern Ireland. The barrister said that while it was no excuse, he wanted to point out that this was very much a one punch attack and it was not followed up by any "savagery" such as kicks to the head. The court was informed that Breen works full-time as a landscaper and has three children. Mr Costelloe pleaded with Judge Aylmer to consider a sentence that would allow him to be put on a path that would allow him to continue to be a father and a member of society and to be able to make recompense for what he has done saying his client can remain to be law abiding. Judge Aylmer said he will consider the matter and will deliver his sentence next week. A teachers representative body has expressed concern over the appointment of Mervyn Storey as chairman of the Education Authority. Mr Storey, a DUP councillor and former MLA, was appointed by his party colleague and Education Minister Paul Givan. The EA is a non-departmental body sponsored by the Department of Education. It is responsible for ensuring that efficient and effective primary and secondary education services are available to meet the needs of children and young people. Welcoming the appointment, Mr Givan said Mr Storey brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the role. The minister said it came at a critical moment as the Government seeks to transform the education system. Mr Givan added: There could be no one better placed to drive forward our agenda than Mervyn. However, the Northern Ireland Teachers Council (NITC) are concerned as to whose agenda the Minister is referring. The NITC said in a statement: We share the concerns expressed in other quarters regarding the recent appointments to key positions in the Education sector. We in the NITC are committed to working to ensure that all appointments in the education system are fair and equitable, especially in light of legislative change. It called for assurances that office holders are equally committed to these same high standards. Sinn Fein said the appointment raises important questions for the Education Minister. The partys education spokesperson said he would be raising the matter with the Education Committee. Pat Sheehan MLA said: The Education Minister has a responsibility to demonstrate a clear commitment to transparency and independence in the oversight and management of our education system which must serve equally and fairly all sections of our community. HIGHLIGHTS Foxconn will assemble AirPods in India starting in Q1 2025. The move marks Apple's second major product assembly in India after the iPhone. Financial incentives from the Indian government played a key role in Apple's decision. Apple is set to begin assembling AirPods in India for the first time, marking a significant shift in its global supply chain. The production will take place at the Foxconn facility near Hyderabad, Telangana, beginning in the first quarter of next year. The factory has been testing production, and it will ramp up quickly once full-scale manufacturing begins. AirPods will be the second major product manufactured in India after iPhones. Speaking of the reason, the report suggests that the Indian governments financial incentive drove the decision. The government has offered subsidies to companies that manufacture wireless earphones and smartwatches locally in order to boost tech product production, according to the report. Apples decision comes as part of a larger effort to diversify its manufacturing footprint and reduce its reliance on China as geopolitical tensions rise. According to reports, Foxconn, Apples major supplier, debated whether the low-profit margins on AirPods would justify production in India. However, the company decided that assembling the AirPods locally would strengthen its relationship with Apple while also contributing to Indias growing role in the global tech supply chain. READ: Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Review: Best in class, but not really Apple previously began iPhone production in India, which resulted in a massive increase in exports, up by a third in six months, totaling nearly $6 billion. AirPods manufactured in India will most likely be shipped to global markets. Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly planning to launch a new HomePod and Apple TV next year as per a Bloomberg report. It may come powered by a new chip codenamed Proxima which will integrate Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities into a single unit. It is expected to debut in HomePod Mini and Apple TV with future applications in iPhones, iPads, and Macs by 2026. The tech giant is also reportedly planning to step into the security camera market and a wall-mounted smart display. Do note that Apple has not confirmed all these developments as of now. StreamTeck's mmWave enables accurate non-contact physiological monitoring As the world gradually enters an era of aging populations, the demand for healthcare resources is rapidly increasing. Coupled with labor shortages caused by declining birth rates, this has become a challenge faced by many countries. Founded in 2018, Taiwan-based startup StreamTeck is leveraging millimeter-wave radar technology combined with IoT solutions to develop a non-contact physiological monitoring system for chronic patients and the elderly. The goal is to alleviate the pressure on nursing staff while avoiding the inconvenience and discomfort associated with traditional monitoring devices. The company's first product, SmartCaring T60 Intelligent Remote Care System, has already received Taiwan FDA Class II medical device certification, and its market outlook is promising. "The other co-founder of the company and I both experienced situations where elderly family members needed healthcare, which led us to hope for more effective technological solutions," said Ken Hsieh, Co-Founder of StreamTeck. They also heard from the nephrologists that many chronic kidney disease patients undergoing dialysis, which lasts three to four hours, resist or refuse to use traditional wired physiological monitoring devices, due to discomfort or inconvenience. Additionally, nursing staff shortages made it difficult to respond promptly to patients' emergencies. All these were the driving forces behind the founding of StreamTeck. Based on 60GHz MmWave and Proprietary AI Algorithms StreamTeck's solution is based on high-precision 60GHz millimeter-wave radar and infrared sensors, including the hardware, proprietary AI algorithms, and applications installed on PC or mobile devices. A wireless monitoring device installed above the hospital bed collects data on vital signs, including the patient's breathing, heart rate, and body temperature. The data is transmitted via Wi-Fi and processed by StreamTeck's AI algorithms. If any data anomaly or incidents, such as a patient fall, are detected, the system immediately triggers an alert, allowing medical staff to respond to emergencies in real-time. Hsieh said that compared to traditional monitoring devices, the non-contact monitoring method significantly enhances patients' comfort, especially in environments like dialysis centers, isolation wards, or palliative care units, where minimizing personnel contact is crucial. At the same time, this system greatly reduces the burden on medical staff. StreamTeck possesses strong technical capabilities and can provide customized solutions to meet various needs, whether in hardware or software development, terminal system deployment, or AI model optimization. TFDA Certified and Successfully Entered Healthcare Hsieh previously worked in the electronics industry, where servers, laptops, and consumer devices could be mass-produced as soon as they passed the testing process. However, the medical field requires a strict certification process for product specifications and quality, it's a significant challenge for startups. Any medical device must meet stringent standards on both hardware and software, and the manufacturing process also has to get an official certification. Additionally, extensive clinical trials are required in collaboration with hospitals. For a startup team with no medical background, this poses a completely new challenge. With confidence in their technology, StreamTeck persistently submitted testing applications and, in the meantime actively worked closely with medical institutions. After a challenging process spanning a year and a half, they became the first company in Taiwan to receive TFDA certification for mmWave technology, successfully entering the medical market. Enhancing Tech Strength and Expanding Globally with Partners Obtaining the official certification of medical devices is just the first step for StreamTeck. Hsieh said that the company will continue to enhance its solutions, aiming for non-contact blood pressure monitoring and more accurate patient posture assessment. StreamTeck's system has been implemented in over ten large teaching hospitals and public regional hospitals in Taiwan, such as Tri-Service General Hospital, Mackay Memorial Hospital, and Taipei City Hospital. Additionally, through collaboration with the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the SmartCaring Intelligent Remote Care System is being introduced into long-term care facilities, with plans to expand services into the home healthcare market. By collaborating with ecosystem partners like Intel to participate in global smart healthcare exhibitions actively, StreamTeck is extending its reach into international markets. The company has established a presence in the United States, and its products are currently undergoing FDA certification. Additionally, medical institutions in Southeast Asia have expressed strong interest in the company's system. Looking ahead, StreamTeck is confident in its plans to gradually expand its market footprint and hopes its technology will benefit a wider user. StreamTeck's SmartCaring T60 Intelligent Remote Care System An Afghan family of nine, admitted to the U.S. under a Special Immigrant Visa, prepares to leave Sacramento International Airport and enter their new lives this month. Resettlement agencies are pleading with the Biden administration to fast-track refugee admissions before President-elect Donald Trump takes office Jan. 20. Andri Tambunan/Special to the Chronicle Members of one of two families from Afghanistan collect their luggage, all their worldly possessions, from a carousel decorated with a Christmas tree, sled and oversize present at Sacramento International Airport. Andri Tambunan/Special to the Chronicle Two Afghan families float down parallel escalators into the unbusy baggage claim area of Sacramento International Airport, greeted by Christmas jingles from the speakers and a small welcoming party underneath the airports 10,000-pound rabbit sculpture. The fathers and husbands wear their prized visas a full-page government document in clear plastic sleeves clipped to lanyards around their necks. Their wives and children wear searching, dazed expressions. Two caseworkers from Opening Doors Inc., a local nonprofit that works with refugees and immigrants, do something they want to do more of in coming weeks. They usher the families into the first part of their new lives. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a sign of how destabilizing President-elect Donald Trump is expected to be to U.S. commitments, resettlement agencies are urging the Biden administration to sharply increase refugee entries into the country before Trumps inauguration next month. The complicated effort involving numerous governmental and nongovernmental entities in dozens of countries is similar in response to a global disaster but motivated by the political victory and past actions of one man. Relatives embrace at Sacramento International Airport, where the resettlement nonprofit Opening Doors welcomed two families from Afghanistan that were granted asylum because of the danger they face for helping the U.S. government. If his past actions and Cabinet choices are any indication, President-elect Donald Trump will look to fulfill an objective he nearly achieved in his first term: ending refugee admissions. Andri Tambunan/Special to the Chronicle We are expecting as of Jan. 20 a potential and entire dismantling of the refugee admissions program, Tara Winter, executive director of the International Rescue Committees Northern California office, told staff and supporters in a Dec. 5 video conference. We do know that the numbers will plummet. And that means that people who have already been vetted to come to the United States, who have already been approved and given official status as refugees, may not be able to come. The nonprofit International Rescue Committee is the largest private-sector resettlement agency, with a presence in more than 50 nations and a $1.3 billion budget reliant on U.S. and European governments. It has welcomed more than 3,100 people into the U.S. since Oct. 1, the beginning of the 2025 federal fiscal year. An additional 3,700 refugees are approved for travel by the U.S. State Department, with thousands more in the processing pipeline, said IRC spokesperson Jims Porter. Porter and Winter said their IRC branch has asked for a doubling of its caseload, from 300 monthly arrivals to 600, even as they confront funding shortfalls and a tighter window in which to arrange housing in a state gripped by a housing availability crisis. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We have a moral obligation to welcome as many people as possible, Winter said. Trump plunged refugee admissions to historic lows during his first presidency and will reenter the White House with a Republican-controlled Congress, a Project 2025-inspired Cabinet, and a perceived mandate to deliver on his hard-line nationalist agenda of mass deportations, siege-like border security and an isolationist upending of the post-World War II playbook. Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundations action plan for Trumps first six months in office, calls for an indefinite curtailment of refugee admissions as part of a broader withdrawal from international humanitarian efforts. Trump, whose immigration stance is among his most consistent policy positions since entering the national political scene a decade ago, named Project 2025 contributor Thomas Homan to a new position of border czar, signaling support for an agenda he claimed to know nothing about before his election. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trump drove down admissions during his first term not just by slashing the annual cap the president sets in consultation with Congress, under terms set by the Refugee Act of 1980. He also did it with his travel ban on Muslim-majority countries and by narrowing eligibility criteria while defunding the federal agencies tasked with vetting refugees outside the U.S., say resettlement officials and immigration experts. While some of the maneuvers were later blocked, the refugee admissions program has spent the past four years rebuilding. President Joe Biden raised the annual cap to 125,000 people in 2022, a goal the weakened system is still trying to meet. Refugee admissions reached 100,034 by the end of the 2024 fiscal year, a 30-year high. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan and Syria, besieged by humanitarian calamities, civil wars and authoritarian governments, were responsible for 46% of this years arrivals. California, one of the top U.S. destinations for refugees, also saw its numbers plunge during the Trump years. Trumps isolationist approach will come amid an accelerating global displacement crisis, punctuated by the devastation of Gaza, Russias war on Ukraine and climate-related disasters. More than 120 million people were displaced in just the first four months of 2024, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. About 43 million are refugees. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This is the largest number ever in history, said Winter, who joined IRC from the U.N. 2 years ago, she said, to provide the hope at the end of the journey for people fleeing conflict. People are coming here because they had to flee, not because they are choosing to leave their homes. Because they have nowhere else to go. Added Karen Musalo, founding director of the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies at UC Law San Francisco, the refugee and asylum systems serve people who are often fleeing situations that the U.S. has contributed to through its foreign policies and economic policies. The lucky ones Opening Doors caseworker Liza Kravchenko got word that an Afghan family of five was flying into Sacramento three days earlier, half the time she normally has to find temporary housing, furnish it and prepare a thousand other things that come with starting from scratch. For resettlement team leader Zainab Alaameri, her client family of nine also from Afghanistan by way of Frankfurt, Germany, and stops in New York and St. Louis will have more help. The fathers brother is an IRC caseworker who received a Special Immigrant Visa, or SIV, in 2014. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Zainab Alaameri, the lead refugee resettlement caseworker for Sacramento nonprofit Opening Doors, waits for an Afghan family of nine to arrive at Sacramento International Airport. The organization expects to receive 276 refugees between Election Day and mid-December, more than the same period in 2023 and 2022, as it and similar groups ramp up services ahead of President-elect Donald Trumps expected dismantling of the refugee system. Andri Tambunan/Special to the Chronicle The visas are reserved for Afghans and Iraqis who assisted the U.S. governments efforts during its decades-long campaigns in both countries, making them a subcategory of refugees in a system with numerous subcategories. One of the men worked as a supply technician at a U.S. Army base and waited three years for his SIV petition to go through. The other man worked as a civil engineer, inspecting projects by the U.S. Agency for International Development and International Relief and Development, projects such as schools, clinics, bridges and waterwheels, projects the agencies own inspectors couldnt easily access after the U.S. began closing bases and the Taliban roared back in 2021. The engineer, whom the Chronicle agreed to identify by his initials, A.L., because his parents and two brothers still live in Afghanistan, applied for his SIV in 2019, was denied, appealed and was denied again. Im not sure why they denied, said the mans brother, A.A., the IRC caseworker. One of the girls newly arrived from Afghanistan totes her luggage outside of Sacramento International Airport. Denied the opportunity to attend school after the Taliban returned to power in summer 2021, she and her sisters are looking forward to restarting their education after having been granted asylum in the U.S. Andri Tambunan/Special to the Chronicle A.A. helped his brother reapply in May 2023. The visa was granted, but it took 19 months to get the family of nine from Kabul to Sacramento. It was a long, tense wait. In Afghanistan, A.L.s five daughters no longer had a right to attend school, he no longer had a job, and the fear of being taken by the Taliban or local kidnappers threaded the air. He was fighting with his life, said A.A., a former interpreter for American forces. There is a possibility they (the Taliban) will torture you, and there is no one you can complain about it to. At the airport, A.A. clasped his brother in a rocking hug. A.A.s infant son was scooped up by his doting aunt and cousins. The luggage carousel chugged out one long duffel bag after another, 17 in all for A.L.s family. Two brothers cart their luggage out of Sacramento International Airport to a taxi and ride-hail pickup area. Andri Tambunan/Special to the Chronicle Opening Doors executive director Jessie Mabry, watching the reunion with a smile, said luggage often requires multiple ride-hail vehicles. Greater logistical challenges loom. The familys arrival starts a 90-day clock toward self-sufficiency on a limited budget, especially in costly California. Resettlement agencies receive about $1,600 per refugee from the federal government. Some of that is immediately dispensed in walking-around money; much of it is used on first months rent and a security deposit, basic furnishings, cellphones, food and bus vouchers. There will also be cultural orientation, health screenings, school vaccinations and enrollment, job-training and a trip to the Department of Human Assistance to get on an expanding wait list for public assistance, now nine weeks instead of two. Mabry has heard and deflected the false attacks on immigrants as drags on the economy, claims that are central to the incoming Trump administrations case for closed borders. But she said shes seen firsthand the evidence that refugees contribute significantly more to the American economy than they take, to the tune of $124 billion in 15 years, according to one recent federal study. One client opened a fabric shop after receiving a loan through Opening Doors lending program, and now hosts free sewing classes for Afghan women. These are incredibly entrepreneurial populations, Mabry said. For this family, it looks like Dads English is pretty good, which is huge. President-elect Donald Trump plunged refugee admissions to their lowest numbers since the U.S. established a formal process in 1980. His second-term agenda aims to go further. Andri Tambunan/Special to the Chronicle A.A. said his brother will pursue the certifications he needs to continue his civil engineering career, and that the females in particular, who range in age from 9 to 21, are eager to return to school. A.A. said his brother wont have to struggle like he did when he arrived a decade earlier, having to figure out most things on his own. He will drive him to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Human Assistance, help him get a car and look for a house. But all that starts tomorrow. There is a big home-cooked meal waiting A.A.s wife and brothers family spent all day preparing it an even bigger welcome party to get to. Now all the families will be together, A.A. said. As the adults and children piled their luggage into idling ride-hail vans, Mabry grew quiet. Her eyes were glassy. It was just over six weeks until Inauguration Day. Samsung Display reshuffles leadership: VP takes charge of key unit, strategic product realignment in focus Samsung Display (SDC) recently announced its routine personnel changes, naming Vice President Joohyung Lee as the new head of its most profitable division, the small- and medium-sized display sector. Chung Yi, the previous head of this unit, has been promoted to president and will now serve as SDC's president, as highlighted by The Korea Herald. South Korean companies traditionally announce organizational adjustments and personnel reshuffles toward the end of the year. As reported by The Elec, SDC recently appointed Joohyung Lee as the head of its small- and medium-sized display sector, while Jonghyuk Lee, head of the large-sized display sector, has been named to take charge of the IT service division concurrently, according to The Korea Times. Joohyung Lee assumes leadership of the small- and medium-sized display business division The small- and medium-sized display business division at SDC specializes in manufacturing OLED panels for Samsung Electronics' smartphones and automotive electronics. It also operates a dedicated division tasked with producing OLED panels for Apple's iPhones and other related products. Yonhap News and SDC's official sources report that Joohyung Lee, the newly appointed head of the small- and medium-sized display sector, is an accomplished expert in OLED development. He has earned accolades for his work on embedded touch technology On-Cell Touch AMOLED (OCTA) and innovations in low-power OLED technology. In recognition of his contributions, he received the Special Recognition Award from the Society for Information Display (SID) in 2023. Chung Yi is promoted to president of Samsung Display Chung Yi, with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Pohang University of Science and Technology, has led SDC's small- and medium-sized display business unit since 2023. He is recognized for his pivotal contributions to high-resolution OLED display development and advancements in HOP technology. In 2024, he was honored with the Special Recognition Award from the Society for Information Display (SID), according to Maeil Business Newspaper. SDC refers to its Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide (LTPO) technology as "HOP," a term derived from "Hybrid Oxide" and "Polycrystalline Silicon." LTPO OLED panels, known for their high resolution, variable refresh rates, and exceptional energy efficiency, are widely integrated into Apple's premium product lineup. Jonghyuk Lee takes charge of the IT service sector Jonghyuk Lee, the head of SDC's large-sized display business division, will concurrently serve as the IT business division chief starting in 2025, reporting directly to the CEO. Despite the dual responsibilities, no staffing changes will occur within his division. Previously, this role was held concurrently by Chung Yi, the former head of the small- and medium-sized display business unit and now the company's CEO. The large-sized display business unit at SDC focuses on manufacturing QD-OLED panels for televisions and monitors. With the OLED TV market experiencing stagnation and monitor panels proving more profitable, SDC has shifted its strategy to boost QD-OLED shipments for monitors. Concurrently, the IT business division manages the production of small- to medium-sized IT OLED panels used in devices like tablets and notebooks. Public opinion and perspectives Korean media suggests that SDC's decision to place the management of small- to medium-sized IT OLED panels under the large-sized display business unit could enhance the overall growth of the IT OLED sector. Although QD-OLED panel technologies for monitors differ from those for small- to medium-sized IT OLED panels, the move is expected to create synergies aligned with customer demand and evolving technology trends. This strategy also mitigates the challenge of marketing similarly sized yet distinct products to the same clients. Some analysts view SDC's decision to have the head of the large-sized display business unit concurrently manage the IT division as a move to decrease reliance on the small- and medium-sized display business unit. Currently, over two-thirds of SDC's operating profits stem from iPhone OLED panels. Furthermore, competition with rivals like LG Display (LGD) and BOE Technology has intensified. In response, SDC previously reassigned employees from the large-sized display business unit to support the small- and medium-sized divisions. The microdisplay group, restructured in late 2023 to report directly to SDC's representative, will remain under direct management in 2025. The group focuses on advancing preparations for the extended reality (XR) device market. As part of SDC's 2025 personnel changes, 16 individuals received promotions, including 6 vice presidents, 9 senior managers, and 1 master. This marks a reduction of 11 promotions compared to 2024. Samsung reportedly reassigns 2,000 engineers to Pyeongtaek in a bid to overcome HBM challenges Samsung Electronics has reportedly initiated a large-scale personnel reshuffle, reallocating engineers to its next-generation semiconductor hub in Pyeongtaek. However, the company denied these claims, stating they are unfounded. Korean media suggest the reshuffle was directed by Young-hyun Jun, EVP and head of Samsung's Device Solutions (DS) division. The reassignment aims to boost yield rates in advanced DRAM processes and address Samsung's lag in high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a key initiative under Jun's leadership to revitalize the semiconductor division. South Korea's SBS reported that over 2,000 engineers from Samsung's Giheung and Hwaseong campuses have been relocated to Pyeongtaek. The move, reportedly ordered by Jun, aims to position engineers closer to the production base, enhancing process management and product quality. The reassignment focuses on engineers specializing in optimizing yield rates during the transition from development to mass production. Samsung is reportedly accelerating equipment procurement for its Pyeongtaek P4 facility, expected to begin mass production of sixth-generation 10nm-class DRAM (1c DRAM). Samsung struggles to meet Nvidia's HBM standards Samsung's HBM3E reportedly fails to meet industry standards, likely excluding it from Nvidia's supply chain this year. Wccftech reported on December 11 that Samsung failed to meet Nvidia's HBM standards, issuing a rare apology while expressing optimism for a breakthrough. Korea Daily News reported that Samsung admitted it is "highly unlikely" to meet Nvidia's requirements for 8-layer and 12-layer HBM3E chips this year but remains optimistic for next year. Samsung has reportedly struggled to gain Nvidia's trust as SK Hynix raises the bar with advanced technologies like mass reflow molded underfill (MR-MUF). Reuters reported on March 12 that Samsung's reliance on non-conductive film (NCF) technology has contributed to production issues and failure to meet Nvidia's HBM3 standards. Money DJ reported that Samsung recently ordered MUF-specific chip manufacturing equipment. Analysts noted that Samsung's HBM3 yield rates were 10-20% in March, far below SK Hynix's 60-70% then. Samsung's reassignment of 2,000 engineers to Pyeongtaek is likely aimed at addressing HBM3 yield issues and narrowing the gap with SK Hynix. SK Hynix's 3nm HBM4 strategy widens gap with Samsung Korean media indicate Samsung's personnel reshuffle is designed to boost 1c DRAM yield rates, vital for its sixth-generation HBM4 core die, and to close the gap in the competitive HBM market. SK Hynix and Micron have opted for 1b DRAM (fifth-generation 10nm-class) in their HBM4 products. Experts suggest Samsung sees improving 1c DRAM yields as crucial to overcoming its HBM market challenges. KED Global's latest report suggests that SK Hynix will shift to a 3nm process for HBM4 production in late 2025, driven by client demands. The company will collaborate with TSMC, with Nvidia as its primary customer. Yahoo News, citing an insider on social platform X, reported that SK Hynix's adoption of TSMC's 3nm technology is a strategic response to Samsung's plan to use a 4nm process for HBM4 production. HBM chips rely on a base die at the bottom, connecting to a GPU as its "brain." A 3nm base die could boost performance by 20-30% compared to a 5nm die in HBM4 chips. SK Hynix's move to a 3nm process aligns with its strategy to deepen ties with US Big Tech, including Nvidia, Google, and Microsoft, while reducing reliance on China amid US export restrictions. The 3nm base die for HBM4 is expected to widen SK Hynix's lead over Samsung, which plans to use a 4nm process for its sixth-generation HBM4 chips. As a result, Samsung is reportedly exploring 3nm production for HBM4 dies, potentially using TSMC's 3nm technology, according to Yahoo News and Money DJ. Samsung restructures leadership amid HBM4 challenges Following a weak third-quarter forecast, Samsung's strategy now centers on early HBM4 mass production and sub-2nm foundry solutions, according to Businesskorea. KED Global previously reported that Samsung may cut executive roles and restructure semiconductor operations as it lags behind SK Hynix and Micron in advanced memory during the AI boom. Yonhap News and TrendForce report that Samsung informed senior executives of dismissals, initiating its year-end reshuffle early on November 27. Industry officials, cited by KED Global, say Samsung's declining DRAM competitiveness necessitates restructuring, a crucial step to reversing its fortunes. BYD expands European EV production; Gotion targets battery growth in Morocco and Slovakia The European Union's newly imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) are sending a ripple of concern through the global auto industry. In response, BYD, the top EV manufacturer in China, has announced plans to manufacture its Dolphin and Atto 3 models in Europe by 2025, a move aligned with its global expansion strategy. BYD targets localized EV production in Europe BYD Executive VP Stella Li revealed that a large-scale manufacturing plant is under construction in Hungary, with plans to ramp up production capacity by late 2025. Sources at BYD Europe confirmed plans to localize production of the best-selling Dolphin and Atto 3 models, bolstering the company's international presence. Additionally, BYD has revised its strategy for the Seagull, a compact EV, likely in response to localized market demand. Li emphasized BYD's long-term vision to simultaneously produce up to 12 vehicle models in Europe, eliminating the need for vehicle imports from China. The Hungary facility is expected to reach full capacity within two to three years. Chinese battery maker Gotion's overseas deployment Volkswagen-backed Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion High-tech unveiled plans to build state-of-the-art battery production facilities in Morocco and Slovakia, strengthening its foothold in the European market, as reported by China Times. Gotion plans to invest in high-performance lithium battery plants in Morocco and Slovakia, each with an annual capacity of 20 GWh. The projects will cost EUR1.28 billion (approx. US$1.353 billion) and EUR1.234 billion, respectively, totaling EUR2.514 billion. Gotion's Moroccan subsidiary will oversee the phased construction of the Morocco plant, expected to be completed within five years. The Slovakia facility, managed by the company's other subsidiary GIB, is scheduled for a three-year construction period. Both projects aim to enhance Gotion's global reach and establish a localized battery supply for the EU market. Gotion High-tech quick takeaways Ranked as the world's eighth-largest EV battery producer with a 2.6% market share in the first ten months of 2024 (SNE Research), Gotion continues to solidify its global presence. Gotion's projects in Slovakia and Morocco are set to strengthen its global strategy, drive international expansion, and address growing demand in overseas markets, according to the company. As a leader in China's new energy battery sector, Gotion focuses on power batteries, energy storage systems, and power transmission technologies. EU imposes tariffs on Chinese EVs up to 45.3% The EU has introduced tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, starting at 10% and reaching up to 45.3% with punitive measures. These five-year tariffs impact automakers such as Geely (18.8%), BYD (17%), and SAIC (35.3%). China condemned the EU's tariff decision, with Germany and Hungary voicing concerns, according to Reuters and DW. Beijing has filed a complaint with the WTO in response. The European Commission claims China's surplus EV production capacityestimated at 3 million units annuallyis double the size of the EU market. With the US and Canada already imposing 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs, Europe has become the primary destination for these vehicles. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis defended the decision, stating, "These proportionate and targeted measures, based on a thorough investigation, protect fair market practices and bolster the European industrial base." An investigation is underway after the Social Democrats' offices in Dublin and a number of adjoining properties were evacuated this Friday morning after gardai were alerted to a 'suspicious package'. The alarm was raised at around 10.30am and gardai attended the premises - at South Frederick Street, Dublin 2 - a short time later. The building was evacuated as a precaution and a Defence Forces Explosives Ordinance Team was deployed to examine the package. It has since been confirmed that the alert was 'not credible' and gardai say investigations into the incident are ongoing In a statement, this Friday evening, a Social Democrats spokesperson said: "Our offices, and neighbouring buildings, were evacuated and the street was cordoned off while an examination was performed. The cordon was lifted at 1.15pm and the package was removed by the EOD unit. According to the Journal.ie, the "suspicious package" was addressed to newly-elected TD Eoin Hayes. In a statement released earlier this week, TD Eoin Hayes was suspended from the Social Democrat party due to "company shares political controversy". READ NEXT: ALERT: Irish bank apologises following crash of its mobile app and online banking portal "The Social Democrats would like to thank An Garda Siochana and the Defence Force for their swift response and assistance today," the spokesperson for the Social Democrats added. Over 400 people have been hospitalised with flu this winter season with the number of having doubled in the last week compared to the week before, according to new data from the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre. There has also been an increase in flu outbreaks in health and care settings in the past week. So far this winter season, influenza hospitalisations are mainly impacting older adults and young children. Last winter over 4,000 people were hospitalised with flu, and approximately 7,000 people were hospitalised with COVID-19. READ MORE: Met Eireann's weekend weather forecast predicts a mixed bag in store across the country The HSE is urging all those eligible to get their winter vaccines ahead of Christmas to protect themselves, and their family and friends from the worst impacts of flu and COVID-19. There is still time to avail of flu vaccine; it is highly effective, protecting you and your family. It takes about two weeks for immunity to develop so now is the time to act. Dr Colm Henry, CCO, HSE, said: We are now seeing flu actively circulating in the community and COVID-19 levels could also increase in the coming weeks. I would urge all those who are eligible to put winter vaccines on your to-do list and get them done. "This will keep you and your family protected, allowing you to concentrate on all the things that need to be done in the build up to Christmas. Both flu and COVID-19 can cause more serious illness in vulnerable groups and getting vaccinated helps to protect people in these groups with whom we come in contact." Dr. Henry added: People should also be reassured that it is safe to receive both vaccines at the same time for free through participating GP practices and pharmacies. This year, we have extended the flu vaccine to more people, making it available for free to everyone aged 60 years and older. Both flu and COVID-19 vaccines are also recommended for anyone who has a long-term health condition, pregnant women, and health and care workers. "The nasal flu vaccine, is recommended for children aged 2-17 years old and is available through GPs and pharmacies. Martina Queally, Regional Executive Officer, HSE Dublin and South East said: "Children, older people, pregnant women, people with a disability and those with a long-term illness are particularly affected by winter viruses. Topping up your protection and availing of the flu and COVID-19 vaccination if you are eligible remains the best way to reduce the incidence of these respiratory illnesses. "Knowing how to manage common illnesses and where to go if you need medical assistance will also make it that bit easier if you, or someone you care for, becomes ill or is injured. "There are a number of options available to you depending on what medical assistance you need including an extensive GP Out of Hours service and local injury units. Please consider all the options that are available to you to help determine your best course of action." Dr Ruth McDermott, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Department of Public Health HSE Dublin and South East warned: "Unfortunately, every winter we see rises in certain infections, including seasonal flu and winter vomiting virus (norovirus). While for many, such illnesses are unpleasant but relatively mild, for some people, especially the very young or those who are older, and some with underlying medical conditions, these infections can be very serious. "To protect ourselves, those vulnerable adults and children in our lives, and to support our health and care services, it is really important that we do everything we can to reduce the risk of spread of infection. This includes having the flu vaccine if you are eligible. Other things we can all do is to stay away from work, care homes, hospitals and from very young or older people if you have flu-like symptoms or symptoms of vomiting or diarrhoea, for at least until 48 hours after you are symptom free. Dr McDermott concluded: "Wash your hands regularly with soap and water to keep them clean and follow good respiratory hygiene- cover your nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing, ideally with a disposable tissue, and bin it afterwards. With these simple but highly effective measures, we can make sure everyone can enjoy the holiday period safely. Both vaccines are available from participating GPs and pharmacies and can be given at the same time. Health and care worker vaccination clinics also take place in many workplaces across the country. It is important to wait at least 3 months since your last COVID-19 vaccination or COVID-19 infection before getting your booster. However, dont delay all your winter vaccines - get your flu vaccine now and get your COVID-19 booster when it is due. To see what vaccines are recommended for you: visit hse.ie, call HSELive on 1800 700 700 or talk to a participating GP or pharmacist. Gardai in County Louth have issued separate appeals for assistance in locating two teenage boys who have been reported as missing and who both may have travelled to Dublin. The first appeal, which was issued shortly after 2pm this Friday, relates to Alex Byrne-Kenna, 15, from Dundalk who was last seen on Tuesday evening. Alex is described as being approximately 5 foot 6 inches in height, of slim build with brown hair and green/brown eyes. According to gardai, when last seen he was wearing a black hoodie, black tracksuit bottoms and black runners. Alex is known to frequent Dublin City centre and anyone with any information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Dundalk garda station on 042 938 8400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. READ ALSO: Arrest made by gardai after elderly man dies following 'fatal assault' The second appeal, which was issued shortly after 3.15pm on Friday, relates to 17-year-old Jake Hafford from Drogheda, also in County Louth. According to gardai, he was last seen at approximately 1.15pm on Thursday. Jake is described as being approximately 6 feet in height with a slim build, short dark blonde / brown hair and blue eyes. According to gardai, when last seen, Jake was wearing a black tracksuit and black runners and it is believed that he may have travelled to the Dublin City area. Gardai say both they and Jakes family are concerned for his wellbeing. Anyone with information on the teenager's whereabouts is asked to contact Drogheda garda station on 041 987 4200 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. Police have seized drugs worth approximately 645,000 over four weeks at Belfast International Airport in an operation targeting organised crime groups. Detectives said some of the seizures were destined for Northern Ireland while others were destined for the Republic of Ireland. PSNI officers, along with partners in the Organised Crime Task Force, have been conducting the proactive operation at the airport. As well as the seizures, four people have been charged with drug importation and supply offences. A PSNI spokesperson said: Increasingly, we see criminal groups vary the methods they use in an attempt to bring drugs into this country. Approximately 645,000 worth of drugs seized in airport operation https://t.co/m5xUtozCgW pic.twitter.com/WjmXaxD8Za Police Antrim and Newtownabbey (@PSNIANDistrict) December 13, 2024 Accordingly, we are constantly changing our tactics to deal with this threat and to keep our streets safe. My message to those responsible is: if you try to bring drugs in by whatever means, we will be waiting to take them from you. The spokesperson continued: Some of the seizures were destined for Northern Ireland, while some, we believe, were destined for the Republic of Ireland market. Throughout the process, there will be exploitation of individuals, whether in the production, supply or consumption of drugs. People should be aware there is no such thing as harmless drugs. Someone, somewhere in the process, is likely to have suffered. We, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to actively target those responsible. We also, however, rely upon information from the public. With your help, we can focus our efforts on identifying those who make their living by bringing drugs into and onto our streets and neighbourhoods. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected along the immediate coast and across the Peninsula on Saturday morning and would be the strongest winds for the region since February. Baron/Lynx A dynamic storm system is set to bring heavy rain, strong winds, large waves and coastal flooding to the Bay Area, starting Friday and peaking early Saturday morning. The wide range of hazards will be spawned by a strong low-pressure system off the coast of the Pacific Northwest on Friday. As the system intensifies, its forward progress will slow. A cold front will then swing around the southern edge of the storm center and crash into California during the early morning hours Saturday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ahead of the cold front, the storm taps into subtropical moisture, forming a narrow atmospheric river. A variety of National Weather Service alerts are in effect across the Bay Area, and the inclement weather could bring serious risk of high winds and coastal flooding. And there is a potential wild card to the forecast. A secondary area of low pressure may form along the front and directly over the Bay Area on Saturday morning. This development would slow the progress of the cold front and enhance the heavy rain and strong winds Saturday morning. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A narrow atmospheric river will organize over San Francisco on Saturday morning, leading to a period of moderate to heavy rainfall. Baron/Lynx Here is a timeline of impacts for the Bay Area: Rain kicks off Friday morning A pulse of moderate to heavy rain will hit the Northern California coast Friday morning, with heavy snow falling in higher elevations near Mount Shasta. This initial band of precipitation is tied to the parent low-pressure system offshore, but it wont make significant progress southward during the day. Light rain showers are likely in the Bay Area, especially in the North Bay, between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Rainfall totals will be modest up to a quarter-inch in the North Bay and about a tenth of an inch in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Light rain will move through the region on Friday morning ahead of the main cold front. Baron/Lynx Winds will pick up Friday afternoon, gusting 15 to 30 mph from the south-southeast, with stronger gusts along the coast. Wave heights could climb above 20 feet, and minor coastal flooding is possible at high tide. There is a high surf advisory for breaking waves of 18 to 22 ft. in effect from 10 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday along the Bay Area coastline. Loading... Friday evening Much of Friday will remain cloudy and dry but rain will return in the evening as the cold front approaches. Light to moderate rain will spread across the Bay Area late in the evening, bringing 0.25 to 0.75 inches of rain between 10 p.m. and 2 to 3 a.m. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Winds will intensify during this time, with gusts reaching 30 to 45 mph along the coast and 20 to 30 mph inland. Strong wind gusts begin on Friday across the Peninsula and spread across the entire region by Saturday morning. National Weather Service Intense impacts arrive Saturday morning The storms most severe impacts are expected Saturday morning between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. as the cold front moves through. Winds could gust up to 60 mph along the coast in places like the Pacifica pier, with 40 to 50 mph gusts in San Francisco and 30 to 40 mph gusts inland. Heavy rain will also peak during this window. Rainfall rates could reach 0.5 to 1 inch per hour, leading to urban flooding in San Francisco and widespread standing water on roadways. Offshore waves will reach 15 to 25 feet, and strong south-southeast winds will elevate the risk of coastal flooding, particularly around high tide Saturday morning, especially in south-facing locations like Santa Cruz. Minor tidal overflow is likely along the Marin bike path and down on the Embarcadero. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The cold front passes through the Bay Area on Saturday morning, when heavy rain and strong winds will be at their peak. Baron/Lynx A wrinkle in the forecast As the cold front passes through on Saturday morning, there may be sufficient energy to form a secondary surface low-pressure system along the frontal boundary, a development that brought heavy rain to the region in November. A secondary surface low pressure will likely form just off the coast of the Bay Area on Saturday morning, enhancing the heavy rain and strong winds. Baron/Lynx Were a new surface low to form, the speed of the cold front would slow, bringing heavier rainfall to the area over a longer period of time on Saturday morning. And the wind gusts across the city could be stronger as well, depending on exactly where a secondary low forms. Strongest winds since February The strongest wind gust registered this year at SFO was 67 mph back on Feb. 4. While we arent forecasting wind gusts that high on Saturday morning, there is a slight chance that winds will gust from 50 to 60 mph at times across San Francisco and the Peninsula. Some 60 mph gusts are more likely along the Peninsula immediate coast. 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. Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) in collaboration with its Students Union has recently partnered with An Garda Siochana and the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) to launch the Ask for Angela campaign in venues where DkIT students socialise. The Ask for Angela initiative aims to support anyone on the premises of a bar or club that is utilised by the Students Union for events, who is experiencing inappropriate behaviour from another patron. You can go up to a member of staff and Ask for Angela. This subtle code lets staff know if a person is feeling uncomfortable and needs a way to get out of the situation. The staff member will discreetly help the person to find the best way to deal with the situation. Participating premises will have Ask for Angela posters displayed, and management and staff will be briefed on how to help safeguard patrons. Holly Lambe Sally, Students Union President, said: We are thrilled to support this key initiative for our student community. "I am confident that this initiative will see safer nightlife for our students and the wider community. "On behalf of DKITSU I would like to thank everyone who played a part in making this possible in particular our partners An Garda Siochana and the local members of Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI). Michael Finegan, Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) said: On behalf of the Louth County members and the Vintners Federation of Ireland, we are delighted to fully support and endorse the Ask for Angela campaign. "We want to ensure that all our customers feel welcome, safe and supported on our licensed premises. "All our staff are trained and alert to be of assistance should the need arise. And especially now as we come into the busy time of Christmas celebrations Its important that we are all aware of this campaign. Community Garda, Darragh Prior said: Young people are a focal point in our approach to enhancing public safety, especially as part of the night-time economy. "We are thrilled to be working together with DkITs Students Union on this Ask for Angela campaign which will further strengthen our focus on students and young peoples safety in our community. The following establishments have been selected to take part in this initiative: Mo Chara, The Rum House, The Imperial Hotel, McArdles - The Big House, Courtneys, Brubakers, Russells, The Vinegar Mans, The Bar Tender, Toales, The Spirit Store and The Malt House. It is wonderful to have such amazing local collaboration for this initiative. If you are a licensed premises and would like to participate in this initiative and need posters/stickers for your establishment please email respect@dkit.ie Gardai are investigating all the circumstances around the death of an elderly man following an incident at a private home in north County Dublin on Thursday evening. Shortly after 11.20pm, gardai and emergency services attended a residence in Tobersool, near Balbriggan, where a man in his 70s was found unresponsive. He was declared deceased the scene. A male, aged in his 20s, was subsequently arrested in connection with the investigation, and he is currently detained pursuant to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, at a garda station in Dublin. READ NEXT: Search stood down for teenage girl who was missing nearly three weeks The office of the State Pathologist has been notified, and a post-mortem examination will be arranged. The scene is preserved for examination by the Garda Technical Bureau. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward, particularly those who were in the Tobersool, Balbriggan, County Dublin, area between 10pm and 11.20pm on Thursday. Individuals with video recordings, including motorists with dash cams, from the area within the timeframe are asked to provide footage to investigating gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Balbriggan garda station on (01) 666 4500, the Garda Confidential Line on (1800) 666 111 or any garda station. Investigations are ongoing. Huawei announces mega initiatives to expedite Bangladesh's development in ICT sector Xinhua) 10:46, December 13, 2024 DHAKA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's telecommunication giant Huawei has announced several mega initiatives to help expedite Bangladesh's development in the ICT sector. The initiatives, announced at the inauguration of Huawei's new office in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on Thursday, will be implemented in collaboration with multiple entities focusing on the country's intelligent advancement. According to Huawei, the initiatives include working with Dhaka University to establish an intelligent classroom, co-launching a joint innovation lab with the Bangladeshi government's ICT Division, and introducing the China-Bangladesh fintech exchange program designed for Bangladeshi financial sector experts. Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said that as the world's leading provider of ICT infrastructure, Huawei has been operating in Bangladesh for the last 26 years with a down-to-earth and steady approach. It took the lead in the development of Bangladesh's ICT industry from 2G to 5G and grew into an important digital communication equipment supplier in the country. "I am very pleased to see that Chinese enterprises have a positive outlook on the future of Bangladesh," said Yao. "Huawei has emerged as a trusted partner in the nation's journey toward technological advancement," Md Emdad UI Bari, chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), said. "I would like to acknowledge that Huawei's unwavering commitment to our country is evident through its substantial investments, technical assistance, consultancy and innovative solutions that have propelled our telecommunications sector to new heights. Huawei's contribution to expanding connectivity, especially in remote areas, aligned with our national priorities of inclusive and digital empowerment," he said. During the event, the Bangladesh Broadband Connectivity Research Report, prepared by the BTRC and the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, was officially released. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of broadband development in Bangladesh. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The ECB is committed to user privacy. It only processes your personal data for the purposes described below; it does not divulge them for marketing purposes. This privacy statement applies for all the websites we publish and make available on the internet under: All personal information is processed in line with EU data protection law and the ECB's information technology (IT) security and confidentiality rules. What is our legal framework? All personal data are processed in accordance with applicable European Union data protection law, in particular Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 (EUDPR). Why do we process personal data? Personal data are processed in order to keep track of the number of visits and visitors to the various parts of the website, manage visitor traffic and improve functionality and usability. 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Teachers will be forced to work in landings and corridors after Scoil Oilibheir on the northside of Cork city was forced to close their special education centre as it has become unsafe for pupils and staff. Newly elected TD for Cork North Central, Independent Irelands Ken OFlynn, told The Echo that the news was shocking and a travesty that speaks volumes about the ongoing neglect and mismanagement within our education system. The primary school in Ballyvolane which has 550 pupils, 42 teachers and twelve special needs assistants, has been waiting seven years for construction of a new unit. Communication sent to parents explains: Since 2011 we have been pursuing a 2 stage building programme in our school with the Department of Education (DE). The first stage was successfully completed in 2016 when we opened our wonderful 6 classroom extension. Phase 2 of the programme was sanctioned by the DE in 2017 and is to consist of a state of the art, 2 classroom ASD Unit on ground floor level and a new Cill Barra (SEN Centre) on the first floor. Since 2017 we have been consistently engaging with the DE to sanction the funding and allow us to proceed with Phase 2 of the building programme. The school explained: As the years have progressed, and the DE has delayed approving the funding for Phase 2, Cill Barra has deteriorated significantly. It is a prefabricated building that is over 35-years-old." ENGINEER'S ASSESSMENT A recent consultant engineer's assessment has deemed that Cill Barra is no longer structurally sound and therefore unsafe for teachers and pupils to work in. We took the decision on Monday, to permanently close Cill Barra on health & safety grounds. Calling it a hugely disappointing decision that we have been forced to take, the school said that in 2024 no child or teacher should have to work in a building in such a poor state as Cill Barra. Our teachers will now be sharing teaching spaces with other teachers, working in corridors and landings because the DE has repeatedly delayed a decision to allow us to progress with a building programme that was originally sanctioned in 2017, the school communication explained. Systems have been put in place to ensure that children who benefit from Cill Barra will still receive the same level of support, and the school assured parents that staff will all work hard to ensure that the impact of closing Cill Barra will be kept to an absolute minimum. The communication concluded: "Your children and our teachers deserve the very best of conditions in which to work and learn and that is what we will continue to insist on." Mr OFlynn added that he has written directly to the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, demanding immediate action to expedite the funding process necessary for the redevelopment of Cill Barra. He said: The Minister must understand that every day of indecision is a day of suffering for the children who depend on these vital services. A spokesperson for the Department of Education said that the schools development project has evolved over the years in response to the changing needs of the school. Following a design report n 2023 the Department said additional information was requested in April 2024 was provided in September and is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective "in accordance with the requirements of the public Spending Code as part of the necessary due diligence on all capital projects". It is expected that this review will be completed next week and the school authority will be then updated. The spokesperson added that when informed of the closure of part of the school this week, they made the school aware of the availability of the Emergency Works scheme to address any immediate health and safety issues. A rapist who threatened to cut his former partners fingers off with secateurs and later broke into her home, telling her he had paid a man 10,000 to kill her if he went to prison, has failed in a bid to overturn his conviction. At the Court of Appeal today, Ms Justice Tara Burns rejected a claim by the 60-year-old man that the judge at his trial in 2022 erred in failing to outline the defence case during his charge to the jury, saying that the manner in which the judge dealt with the evidence was completely appropriate. The man, who cannot be named to protect the womans anonymity, was convicted at Cork Courthouse in July 2022 of rape, sexual assault, making threats to kill, assault causing harm, intimidation of a witness, damaging property, and trespass. He was subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison by Mr Justice Tony Hunt. In delivering the Court of Appeals judgement, Ms Justice Burns noted that the victim is the former partner of the appellant, with whom she has two adult sons. While the couple separated in 2019, they continued to cohabit, although sleeping in separate bedrooms. In August 2019, the victim was confronted by the appellant, who was holding a pair of secateurs. He threatened to cut off her fingers before ordering her upstairs, where he raped and sexually assaulted her. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone what had happened. In garda interview, he accepted that sexual intercourse occurred but said that the victim consented. The appellant subsequently called his sons to give evidence at his trial. APPEAL In launching an appeal against his conviction, the appellant argued that the trial judge erred in failing to adequately charge the jury regarding the facts of the case and the demeanour of the complainant. He also argued that the judge erred in refusing to adequately explain the defence case, including the evidence of the appellant's sons. Concerning the first ground of appeal, Ms Justice Burns noted that during the trial judge's charge to the jury, the judge said that the victim's demeanour was not probative of her allegations, but rather related to her credibility. This was an incorrect direction for the trial judge to give, but once this was brought to his attention, he re-charged the jury. Ms Justice Burns said the appellant asserted that by re-charging the jury, the trial judge brought "unnecessary significance and attention" to the issue of recent complaint and demeanour, potentially causing confusion at a critical stage in the trial. Remarking that this ground of appeal could be dealt with "in short order", Ms Justice Burns said: "Nothing (the trial judge) said when he re-charged the jury in relation to demeanour and recent complaint was incorrect in law." Ruling that how the trial judge dealt with this matter was neither improper nor unfair, Ms Justice Burns said this ground of appeal failed. Concerning the second ground of appeal about the judges failure to explain the defence case, Ms Justice Burns said that the defence case was contained in the memoranda of interview conducted with the appellant by the gardai, which was put to the victim during cross examination. In his charge to the jury, the trial judge explained that he was not going to summarise the evidence given by any witnesses during the trial as it was a short case, telling the jury that if they had any difficulty or doubt in their minds about what a witness had said, they could come back to him for clarification. The trial judge also noted that the jury had been carefully listening and taking notes during the trial. CONSENT Ms Justice Burns noted that the trial judge had explained that the sexual acts were not in dispute in the case, but the issue was whether the prosecution had proved that the sexual behaviour was done without consent. He also drew attention to the memoranda of interview conducted with the appellant. A trial judge has a discretion as to how he approaches the evidence in the charge to the jury, said Ms Justice Burns, adding that in a short case such as this one, there is no necessity to provide a detailed summary of the important evidence. She said that the court was of the view that the way the trial judge dealt with the evidence, both in relation to the specifics of the defence case and the issue of the victims credibility, was completely appropriate in the circumstances arising. Accordingly, Ms Justice Burns said the appeal was dismissed. At the man's sentence hearing in July 2022, the court was told that after the attack the woman fled her home and spent a few weeks sleeping in hotels and with friends before finding rental accommodation. She did not initially go to gardai because of how it might affect her children and during that time she said she was afraid to be on the streets. She said she felt safe for the first time when she found the rented accommodation but a few days after moving in, the man smashed his way into the back of the property and came charging towards her with what the woman thought was a knife. The knife was a modified nail file. The man told her he had paid a man 10,000 and that he "would get her" if anything happened to him and he went to prison. He told her this man had a picture of her and knew where she lived and worked and said: I paid someone 10,000 to get rid of you if anything happens and I went to prison. Students thinking of studying at Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus in the coming years now have a new food-related option. The MTU Bishopstown Campus has announced a new course for the academic year 2025/2026 to address the growing demands of the food business sector. The BSc (Honours) in Food Business led by Dr Noel Murray, Head of Department of Tourism and Hospitality, aims to integrate business with the dynamic world of food production and management. The four-year Level 8 programme allows students to develop an extensive range of practical and critical thinking skills in the areas of food studies, food science, business and the entire product development cycle. All aspects of the programme are linked to the food industry and through a blend of academic and practical learning, students will gain valuable insights into the food industrys supply chains, entrepreneurship, and sustainable practices, positioning them for leadership roles in the global food business landscape. Subjects will cover food science and business and are underpinned by sustainability, new and future technology, analytics, management, and leadership. Graduates will become leaders in the food business, having experienced solving real-world matters and meeting industry leaders. A BSc (Honours) in Digital Health and Informatics for Healthcare programme has also been announced for MTU Kerry North Campus and will be led by Fiona OFlynn, Head of Department of International Medical/Pharmacy Commencement Programmes at the Kerry campus. Commenting on the new courses, MTU President Maggie Cusack said: MTU is proud to offer these two brand new courses for the upcoming academic year. We are looking forward to welcoming our first cohort of students to these programmes in September 2025. The new courses will help graduates prepare to lead and succeed in a competitive global environment. As the first deadline for CAO approaches on January 25, we encourage prospective students to review the courses programmes in detail and consider Munster Technological University as their first choice. Marymount volunteers Marymount University Hospital and Hospice paid tribute to its incredible volunteers on International Volunteers Day. International Volunteers Day falls on December 5 and recognises those who give their time voluntarily to help others. Celebrating its volunteers, Marymount took to social media to thank them. Today, we celebrate the incredible volunteers who make Marymount Hospice such a special place, the post read. Your kindness, dedication, and generosity of spirit brighten the lives of so many, bringing comfort, hope, and joy to our community. To each and every volunteer who gives their time, energy, and heart - thank you. Whether youre sharing a skill, or simply lending a listening ear, your impact is profound. Street lights need to be repaired Sinn Fein TD for Cork South Centra, Donnchadh O Laoghaire, has called for street lights in Wilton to be repaired. The TD raised concerns about the street lights on Sarsfield Road, which he said have been out for a number of weeks now. Mr O Laoghaire said locals have complained about the lights and called for them to be repaired urgently. I have contacted the council about this a number of times in order to get them repaired as a matter of urgency. The council has informed me that their contractor, Electric Skyline, was on site last week undertaking works. Due to the breakdown in an underground cable and a new customer supply pillar has to be installed, he said. Electric Skylines work is now complete, and we need ESB Networks to come and complete the connection works. I will be following up on this again in order to finally get this resolved. Twins celebrate academic performance at MTU Cork twins Jessica and Laura Holmes were recently celebrated for their academic performance at the annual Faculty of Engineering & Science Awards at Munster Technological University (MTU) Bishopstown Campus. The sisters, who graduated earlier this year, achieved the highest grades in their respective programs within the Department of Biological Sciences at MTU. Jessica earned a BSc Honours in Biomedical Science (joint program with UCC), while Laura graduated with a BSc Honours in Nutrition and Health Science. Their academic performance was celebrated during the awards ceremony, where they were presented with framed recognition pieces by industry sponsors. Laura and Jessica Holmes were honoured for achieving the highest grades in their respective programmes at the MTU Faculty of Engineering and Science Awards 2024. Picture: Joleen Cronin The event was attended by high-achieving students from across the faculty of engineering and science, along with family, sponsors, and faculty members who have supported the twins throughout their studies. Since graduating, Jessica has applied her expertise at Cork University Hospital (CUH), while Laura has begun an exciting career in quality control at PepsiCo in Little Island. Reflecting on their achievements, they said: Were incredibly honoured to have received the top grades in our courses. Its a testament to our hard work and dedication. Starting our studies during the pandemic in 2020 brought many challenges, but once we could attend classes in person, it made all the difference. Having each others support over the past four years was invaluable. Dr Brigid Lucey, Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at MTU, said: Jessica and Lauras achievements are truly exceptional and serve as an inspiration to others. They embody the excellence we strive to foster at MTU, and their success is a direct result of their hard work and perseverance. Take part in Christmas swim People are being encouraged to take part in the 49th Broadstrand Christmas swim in aid of Cork University Hospital (CUH) Charity. The annual swim organised by Courtmacsherry Development Association will see participants take to the water at 12pm on Christmas Day. The association has put out a call for people to get involved but said that those who cannot join on the day can participate at a location near them any time over the Christmas period and donate using the dedicated iDonate fundraising page. All proceeds again this year go to the Childrens Cystic Fibrosis unit at CUH and COPE Clonakilty. Santa at shopping centre Wilton Shopping Centre is reminding people that Santa has taken time out of his busy schedule and will be at the shopping centre in the run-up to Christmas. Santa will be available for visits right up to Christmas Eve and no booking is required. Visiting times are: Saturday, December 14 from 10am to 5pm Sunday, December 15 from 11am to 5pm Thursday, December 19 from 11am to 7pm Friday, December 20 from 11am to 7pm Saturday, December 21 from 10am to 5pm Sunday, December 22 from 10am to 5pm Monday, December 23 from 11am to 7pm Tuesday, December 24 from 9am to 4pm Have Bishopstown news? Contact breda.graham@examiner.ie Midleton Distillery Collection, Irish Distillers online shop, has announced the expansion of its direct-to-consumer offering to new European markets Italy and Spain to meet demand for its whiskey brands. Midleton Distillery Collection is home to many of Irelands finest and best-loved whiskey brands including Jameson, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, Powers, the Spot Whiskeys, Method and Madness, and Knappogue Castle. Prior to the expansion, consumers and corporates from Ireland, UK, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand could purchase and ship directly from the platform. Midleton Distillery Collection also offers a corporate gifting service which is designed for users who wish to gift colleagues, customers, clients or business partners throughout the year to mark company successes and milestones or to celebrate seasonal holidays such as Christmas. Recent research by Midleton Distillery Collection revealed that 22% of Irish businesses plan to send gifts to clients, partners or employees overseas this year. The expanded service now allows corporate customers to send gifts to Italy and Spain in addition to existing markets. Additionally, a key feature of the corporate gifting service is the option to have products from a single order shipped directly to multiple recipients in different locations around the world. Louise Tevlin, Ecommerce Manager, Midleton Distillery collection, said: Midleton Distillery Collection is a destination site which provides consumers with unique and personalised Irish whiskey offerings that they cant get elsewhere. We are delighted to open two more European markets to support the growth of our brands with plans to open the Netherlands and Austrian markets before the end of the year. Midleton Distillery Collection also offers a corporate gifting service with access to a premium gift selection and offers a smooth and efficient service with personalisation, multi-recipient and multi-market delivery, all with the touch of a button. This allows businesses to take the heavy lifting out of seasonal gifting and to show appreciation for colleagues at pivotal company milestones. It is no surprise therefore that demand for the service has grown in the 12 months since it launched. And now corporate customers can send gifts to even more locations in Europe, just in time for the 2024 gifting season, continued Tevlin. Businesses with a corporate gifting account can make bespoke orders from Irish Distillers entire portfolio of award-winning Irish whiskeys, as well as rare, exclusive gifts and merchandise including a corporate range available only to customers with a corporate gifting account, with the option to personalise select gifts with a name or personal message. To set up a corporate gifting account visit https://midletondistillerycollection.com/corporate-gifting/ Salmon returning from the sea to their river spawning grounds and becoming trapped in the waters around a hydro-electric plant on the River Lee prompted Inland Fisheries Ireland to prosecute the owner. Senior IFI environmental officer Michael McPartland said problems with the grates across the entry and exit points for the water divergence from the River Lee at Dan Twomeys hydro facility south of the old Cork waterworks and directly across the river from the Kingsley Hotel resulted in salmon becoming trapped. Mr McPartland said the grates needed to have bars with not more than 2in between them but that they were approximately 3in wide at this plant. He said there was a second breach in that some of the gratings were found open when inspected. These are required to be kept in good repair and in a manner preventing their opening or removal. Mr McPartland explained to Judge Joanne Carroll at Cork District Court: If they get trapped in there, they have no reverse gear to get out, so the lifecycle will not be completed. The gratings should be higher than the highest water flood level, and the bars no more than two inches apart. Solicitor for IFI, Vincent Coakley, said Mr Twomey was notified on July 11, 2023, of the presence of adult salmon in the hydro facility. Mr Twomey was called by his solicitor Charles OConnor to give evidence. I have to open the grates to clean them, and what happens is the salmon goes in, he said. Mechanism He said he would have to come up with a mechanism to prevent the salmon from getting in. Mr Coakley, for IFI, said that in the course of his own evidence, Mr Twomey seemed to be pleading guilty to the offences with which he was charged. There is floods in the river and then there is the Inniscarra Dam and I have no control of either Im not God, Mr Twomey said. Judge Carroll said nobody expected him to be God, but that he was required to comply with the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, and he needed to co-operate with IFI. He replied: I have worked with the fisheries for the last 21 years as true as my name is Dan Twomey They are bringing me here to make an example out of me. In relation to his grates, he said IFI was concerned with poachers and that he was concerned with vandals breaking open his gratings. Judge Carroll said she would be benign in the imposition of penalties if the issue was addressed, but that otherwise the fines could run to a maximum of several thousand euro. Address Mr Twomey said: I will address it. And I will have [IFI engineer Barry OConnor] with me to verify it is addressed. I am not in the business of killing any fish. Judge Carroll said to the prosecution that Mr Twomey indicated that he now wanted to comply with IFI requirements. Mr Coakley, solicitor, said: That is what we want. If he had, we wouldnt be here today. Mr Twomey added: I have co-operated for the last 21 years they cant say I didnt co-operate. Solicitor Charles OConnor said of his client: He is a very reputable operator; he has always co-operated. Judge Carroll said: I think this man is willing to address matters. In my mind, it should have been addressed between August 2023 and September 2024 it is in the interests of society and fish stock. To allow time for full compliance, Judge Carroll adjourned penalty until June 25, 2025. A wedding was the scene for a disturbance caused by a 38-year-old man in Ballincollig and after his arrest he smeared blood inside the cell of the garda van and threatened to spit blood at gardai. Judge Mary Dorgan said after hearing about what happened and the defendants circumstances that there was very little to be said by way of mitigation. Judge Dorgan jailed 30-year-old Ian Lockyer of no fixed address for five months at Cork District Court. The defendant pleaded guilty to charges including causing criminal damage to the van and threatening gardai. He had several previous convictions for engaging in threatening behaviour and several more for being so intoxicated that he was a danger to himself or others. Sergeant Aisling Murphy said the incident occurred outside Oriel House, Ballincollig, County Cork, on October 24. Sgt Murphy said Mr Lockyer got into a fight at a family wedding and continued to be aggressive on arrival of gardai as he was getting into a taxi. He closed the door on the forearm of a garda as the guard was engaging with him. He was handcuffed and escorted to a garda van. Sgt Murphy said he banged his head on the cell door when he was being taken from Ballincollig to Togher garda station where he threatened to spit blood at members of An Garda Siochana who were present. Sgt Murphy said the cell had to be professionally cleaned. The sergeant handed in a photograph of the cell taken by gardai after Mr Lockyer had been in it. Judge Mary Dorgan said: That is some mess for somebody to clean up. Frank Buttimer solicitor said: These most untoward events occurred at a family wedding. He consumed alcohol to excess. There was some form of argument within the event. He had to be arrested. He is very embarrassed that he caused this event at the wedding. He apologises for his behaviour to An Garda Siochana. He wanted his bail revoked. His personal circumstances had deteriorated to the point where he lost his accommodation and had become homeless. He decided that the best thing for him would have been to be remanded in custody. He has since accessed very good services in prison. He is on methadone treatment. There is a manifest improvement in his health, even since last week. Judge Dorgan said: It is very regrettable that it happened at a wedding. The blood (in the garda van cell) is all over the place. It is shocking to expect anyone to clean all of that up. Here are the biggest stories leading Fridays front pages. The Irish Times reports that Irish naval ships may have to deploy unarmed due to the complete lack of qualified weapons personnel. The Irish Examiner and Irish Independent lead with the delay of Christmas parcels to Ireland due to problems at Holyhead port following Storm Darragh. The Irish Daily Mail, Irish Daily Mirror and Irish Daily Star have the latest on the Kyran Durnan case. A woman has settled a case of alleged sexual harassment at a work Christmas dinner, the Belfast Telegraph reports. Royal links to an alleged Chinese spy feature on the front pages of the British newspapers. The Daily Telegraph and The Times both focus on reports that a close confidant of Britain's Prince Andrew has been banned from the UK over national security concerns. The Daily Mail reports the businessman was the subject of an MI5 probe. In other royal news, The Sun reports a Buckingham Palace maid has been arrested on suspicion of assault. British prime minister Keir Starmer says there are questions to be answered after the shocking murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, according to the Daily Express. The Daily Mirror follows a similar path as it says a report found 485 children died or were seriously injured after being abused in the past year. The i leads on comments from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, who says European countries need to turbocharge defence spending. And the Financial Times says plans to raise defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP will be discussed by Nato countries at the blocs next summit. The Independent leads on an interview with Muawiyah Syasneh, whose anti-Assad graffiti led to his arrest and torture in Syria as a teenager. Jury trials in some criminal cases could be abandoned under a new judicial overhaul, according to The Guardian. Lastly, the Metro and the Daily Star lead on comments from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who said sandwiches were not real food. At OBriens, we love nothing more than recommending the perfect wines for any occasion and with so many festive celebrations and occasions coming up, we are just full of inspiration! With Christmas days away, the festive season is in full swing and if youre looking for the best wines to serve at your Christmas party, or a showstopper to enjoy with dinner on December 25th, youll find it at OBriens. From delicious crowd-pleasing reds to elegant whites that more than deserve a place on your Christmas dinner table, these are the wines to have on hand over the festive season, as recommended by our trusted team of wine experts. What makes OBriens unique is when you pop in-store you can rest assured there is always one of our experts happy to help you choose that special wine to match your occasion. From gorgeous gift ideas to complimentary gift wrapping and the opportunity to taste and explore, OBriens is the place to go for all things wine at Christmas. Our Christmas Day white Brocard Chablis, was 29.95, now 21.95 Ideal with your Christmas turkey and all the classic trimmings Fintan McCormick, wine consultant, O'Briens Donnybrook. Every Christmas table should feature a fabulous white wine and what better than an elegant French Chablis? Fintan from OBriens Donnybrook recommends this beauty from the family-run Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard winery. Brocard Chablis is a classic style of Burgundy white from the Chablis region, Fintan explains. Its really tasty and a great style of wine. Fresh and crisp, it pairs with a gorgeous array of food and is the perfect wine for your Christmas dinner. Brocard Chablis, was 29.95, now 21.95. Exclusive to O'Briens Our festive party red Chateau la Claymore, was 29.95, now 19.95 Perfectly paired with casual party fare such as tapas, nuts and olives Miguel Gonclaves, store manager, O'Briens Ardkeen. If youre throwing a Christmas party or are having friends around for festive drinks and nibbles, this delicious Bordeaux is a real crowd-pleaser, says Miguel at OBriens Ardkeen. Chateau la Claymore is a smooth and subtle Merlot blend wine thats very popular amongst the team here at Ardkeen in Waterford and with our customers too, Miguel says. This style of wine complements food but its also very enjoyable on its own and its fruity smoothness makes it a wine not to miss! Chateau la Claymore, was 29.95, now 19.95. Exclusive to O'Briens. Our crowd-pleasing party white De Alberto Organic Verdejo, was 14.95, now 12.95 The perfect accompaniment to your decadent cheeseboard Patrick McHugh, store manager, O'Briens Athlone. Its always nice to serve up something a little bit different and a crisp Verdejo from Spain will definitely delight your guests, says Patrick at OBriens Athlone. De Alberto Organic Verdejo is a great alternative to Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino this festive season, Patrick explains. Its a crisp white with great aromas of aniseed, fennel and stone fruit and on the palate, it has intense flavours with good structure and balance. De Alberto Organic Verdejo, was 14.95, now 12.95. Exclusive to O'Briens. Our Christmas movie night essential Reserve de Bonpas Cotes du Rhone, was 15.95, now 11.95 Best served with charcuterie and black olive tapenade and your favourite Christmas film Niamh O'Beirne, store manager, O'Briens Galway. From The Holiday to Home Alone, cosying up on the couch to watch a Christmas film is a festive tradition for many. Team your charcuterie board with our Cotes du Rhone. Niamh at OBriens Galway suggests this staff favourite. Its a lovely blend of Grenache and Syrah, with beautiful aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry with a touch of vanilla, Niamh explains. It has a deep red berry and blueberry palate with soft tannins that blend harmoniously to give you a beautiful wine. Reserve de Bonpas Cotes du Rhone, was 15.95, now 11.95. Exclusive to O'Briens. Our classic celebration Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvee NV Champagne, was 78, now 63 Your perfect bubbly for New Years Eve Sarah Neville, store manager, O'Briens Donnybrook. Whether youre looking for a delicious bubbly for someone special or a showstopping Champagne to serve at your New Years Eve celebration, a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvee NV will not disappoint. For Sarah at OBriens Donnybrook, this Champagne stands above the rest. Everyone deserves bubbles for the holiday season and, for me, the splash-out, must-have Champagne has got to be Bollinger. Its got beautiful hints of brioche and white flower and its just bursting with finesse and elegance. Bollinger Special Cuvee NV Champagne, was 78, now 63. Irish and family owned, OBriens have been helping Ireland celebrate lifes special moments since 1944. We import much of our range of more than 1,000 wines directly from over 180 wineries across the globe and are also home to a wide range of premium spirits and craft beers. Visit one of our 34 stores across Ireland, shop online at obrienswine.ie or download the OBriens Club Wine App. Free delivery on online orders over 100. Prices correct at time of publishing. Offers end January 2nd, 2025 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. According to the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)s 2024 Arctic Report Card, tundra in the Arctic is becoming a net source of carbon dioxide, rather than the climate-beneficial carbon sink it has been for millennia. This year was the second warmest in the Arctic, based on data dating back to 1900, the report said. Across the region, temperatures from October 2023 to September 2025 were 1.20 degrees Celsius above the average for 1991 to 2020, a press release from NOAA said. The Arctic continues to warm at a faster rate than the global average. The 2024 Arctic Report Card highlights record-breaking and near-record-breaking observations that demonstrate dramatic change, including Arctic tundra transformation from carbon sink to carbon source, declines of previously large inland caribou herds, and increasing winter precipitation, NOAA said. Adaptation is increasingly necessary and Indigenous Knowledge and community-led research programs are essential to understand and respond to rapid Arctic changes. The Arctic autumn of 2023 was the second warmest ever recorded, while this summer was the third warmest as well as the wettest across the Arctic. The past nine years were also the Arctics nine warmest on record. An early August heatwave set a daily all-time temperature record in several communities in northern Canada and Alaska. Precipitation in the Arctic has been increasing since 1950, with the most pronounced surges occuring in winter. Our observations now show that the Arctic tundra, which is experiencing warming and increased wildfire, is now emitting more carbon than it stores, which will worsen climate change impacts, said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, as The Guardian reported. Icebergs in the Uummannaq Fjord System in the northwest of Greenland on March 15, 2024. Martin Zwick / REDA / Universal Images Group via Getty Images High-latitude wildfires are also becoming more intense due to human-caused climate change. Wildfires release carbon into the atmosphere through the burning of vegetation and the organic matter stored in soils. The fires strip soils of their insulating layers, which speeds up long-term permafrost thaw, along with the release of associated carbon emissions. In recent years, weve seen how increasing fire activity from climate change threatens both communities and the carbon stored in permafrost, but now were beginning to be able to measure the cumulative impact to the atmosphere, and its significant, said Dr. Brendan Rogers, a scientist with the Woodwell Climate Research Center who contributed to the report, as reported by The Guardian. When permafrost thaws, microbes decompose its carbon stores, releasing greenhouse gases, including methane. Partially melted and collapsed lithalsas heaved mounds found in permafrost left circle-like structures on the tundra in Svalbard Archipelago, Norway on Sept. 3, 2019. Sven-Erik Arndt / Arterra / Universal Images Group via Getty Images We need accurate, holistic and comprehensive knowledge of how climate changes will affect the amount of carbon the Arctic is taking up and storing, and how much its releasing back into the atmosphere, in order to effectively address this crisis, said Dr. Sue Natali, a Woodwell Center scientist who also contributed to the research. This report represents a critical step toward quantifying these emissions at scale. Currently, Arctic temperatures are warming as much as four times faster than the worldwide average. The report found that this is the 11th consecutive year warming in the Arctic has been happening more rapidly than the global rate. The climate catastrophe were seeing in the Arctic is already bringing consequences for communities around the world, said Brenda Ekwurzel, a climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, as The Guardian reported. The alarming harbinger of a net carbon source being unleashed sooner rather than later doesnt bode well. Once reached, many of these thresholds of adverse impacts on ecosystems cannot be reversed. 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. An abnormally active typhoon season that hit the Philippines this year was supercharged by climate change, according to a new attribution study published Thursday by the World Weather Attribution (WWA). The report found that climate change exacerbated the conditions that led to the typhoon season and made the formation of typhoons nearly twice as likely. The team noted that six major storms hit the country in less than a month, including five typhoons and one major tropical cyclone an anomaly compared to the three average typhoons the country experiences in an entire year. The storms, which killed more than 170 people, formed in a span of 23 days from late October to mid-November, each hitting Luzon, the countrys largest and most populated island, and impacted more than 13 million people, the study says. Flooding in Dela Paz village from Tropical Storm Trami, in Binan, Laguna province, Philippines on Nov. 20, 2024. Ezra Acayan / Getty Images Ben Clarke, a researcher at the WWA and the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, wrote in a press release, While it is unusual to see so many typhoons hit the Philippines in less than a month, the conditions that gave rise to these storms are increasing as the climate warms. The researchers used their standard parameter of potential intensity, or their evaluation of the maximum wind speed possible under certain conditions, to evaluate the extent to which climate change affected the storms. It was therefore appropriate to study an area over the ocean just to the east of the Philippines, in which all of the storms that affected the Philippines developed, Clarke told EcoWatch in an email. The potential intensity is calculated using both real-world observations and large-scale computer models of storms. A truck overturned by Super Typhoon Man-yi in Bambang, Philippines on Nov. 18, 2024. Ezra Acayan / Getty Images Clarke told reporters in a video conference that the researchers also calculated the storms wind speeds using their IRIS storm model and combined that with their understanding of of the physics and the factors that are really important for cyclone intensity. So from these 2 analyses, Clarke said, we find that the conditions in which the storms developed in 2024 have become about 70% more likely due to warming of 1.3 degrees. That means that the storms were more likely to develop more strongly and reach the Philippines at a higher intensity than they otherwise would have. On the hazard side, Clarke wrote in an email, the biggest takeaways are that the conditions in which these storms all developed are more likely due to climate change (mostly but probably not entirely because of ocean heating) and that the Philippines should expect more years in which more than three major typhoons make landfall. Rice fields flooded by Super Typhoon Man-yi in Bambang, Philippines on Nov. 18, 2024. Ezra Acayan / Getty Images Afrhill Rances, a regional communications manager for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Philippines, said in the press briefing that this years typhoon season revealed significant vulnerabilities and heightened exposure to climate impact in the Philippines, especially in Luzon. Rances cited urban sprawl, deforestation and river silting as factors leading to compounding risks for rural communities and cities in Luzon. The report also looked into what future typhoon seasons might look like under warmer conditions, Clarke said. At 2.6 degrees of global warming which is kind of the optimistic side of what were currently on track for given implemented national policies we would find that these conditions will increase by about 40% again, compared to now. And thats in likelihood. So well see them 40% more often, and this is likely a relatively conservative estimate. 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. Increased salinity in the soil, due to sea-level rise, leaves deep cracks in a field in Satkhira, Bangladesh on March 20, 2021. Kazi Salahuddin Razu / NurPhoto via Getty Images The rapidly increasing amount of land on Earth that is affected by excess salt will lead to potentially devastating effects on global food production, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The report, Global Status of Salt-Affected Soils, found that roughly 3.41 billion acres 10.7 percent of land worldwide is impacted by salinity, with another 2.47 billion acres classified as at risk, reported The Guardian. Salt-affected soils, characterized by high soluble salts (saline) or exchangeable sodium (sodic), impact plant growth and occur globally, especially in arid and coastal regions. Salinization stems from natural causes (e.g. climate change, sea level rise) and human actions (e.g. poor irrigation practices, excessive water use), a press release from FAO said. Increasing aridity and water demand amplify soil degradation risks, particularly in developing regions. Salinity is already severely afflicting agriculture worldwide, with approximately one-tenth of irrigated cropland and a similar amount that is watered by rain being affected by excess salt, The Guardian reported. In some cases, as much as 70 percent of crop yields could be lost. [T]he pressure to convert once marginal land into fertile land is intensifying. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in semiarid and arid regions, which rely heavily on irrigation for agricultural production and are scarce in fresh water resources, the report said. As a result, secondary salinization the gradual and human-induced accumulation of salts in the soil is a serious obstacle to agricultural production. The situation is set to worsen with the increasing effects of global warming and climate change, forcing populations to abandon degraded areas and triggering migration. FAOs Global Map of Salt-Affected Soils revealed that the countries most impacted were Australia, Argentina and Kazakhstan. Saltwater-damaged sorghum near Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Edwin Remsberg / VW Pics / Universal Images Group via Getty Images Some of the largest, most populated nations in the world are affected by rising salinity, including the United States, China and Russia, reported The Guardian. Central Asia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Sudan and Iran were also found to be hotspots. The report from FAO was its first major assessment of soil salinity in five decades. If current trends continue, as global heating increases the scope of salt-affected soils is likely to expand to from a quarter to a third of Earths total land by 2100. Excess salinity negatively impacts soil fertility, as abundant salt absorbs water, leaving less for plants. Salt also causes soils to clump, making them more prone to erosion. Sea level rise will exacerbate increasing salinity as it brings saltwater further inland. Climate change and water scarcity threaten agricultural productivity, with substantial crop yield losses observed in saline areas. Halophytes and salt-tolerant crops provide a foundation for saline agriculture, yet many salt-affected soils remain unprotected and inadequately regulated, FAO said. Key recommendations include scaling sustainable practices, investing in salt-tolerant crop markets, improving data collection and water quality monitoring, conserving ecosystems, and fostering cross-sector collaboration. The report found that the best ways to restore soil fertility were mitigating climate change and using traditional methods like interlayering soils; mulching; improving crop rotations; developing salt-resistant crops; and using fungi, bacteria and plants that have the ability to store salts, The Guardian reported. Regenerative agriculture focusing on natural soil fertility can also help. Without financially supporting farmers to restore their soils, [declining fertility] will impact everyone who relies on food to live which is all of us, said Anand Ethirajalu, project director of farmer-support campaign Cauvery Calling, as reported by The Guardian. Sea-level rise causes deep cracks in the land by leaving salt on the ground after evaporation, in Satkhira, Bangladesh on Jan. 20, 2016. Zakir Hossain Chowdhury / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images Growing agricultural pressures, along with global heating, are drying out global lands. Experts warned that declining soil fertility and increasing salinity are creating novel threats to the worlds food production. Global famine is no longer a distant threat. The soil crisis is invisible to many, but its impact will be felt in every corner of the world, if policymakers fail to act, said Praveena Sridhar, chief technical officer of the Save Soil movement, as The Guardian reported. The FAO report was presented on Wednesday at the International Soil and Water Forum in Bangkok. Googles NotebookLM made a pretty big splash with its AI-generated podcast feature Audio Overviews , and before the year is out the app is getting another upgrade . As part of a larger redesign of Googles AI notebook tool, Audio Overviews are now interactive. After generating an Audio Overview based on the sources youve uploaded, Google says youll be able to play the recording in a new Interactive mode (BETA). Clicking Join at any point in that new playback screen will get the AI hosts to call on you to ask a question, which theyll answer live while youre listening back. Google cautions that the feature is still experimental and that hosts might pause awkwardly or introduce new inaccuracies while answering questions, but it seemed to work well in a brief test. I was able to create a NotebookLM project trained on articles about NotebookLM, and while asking a question did seem to slow the whole Overview down, the AI hosts were able to smoothly incorporate an answer into the rest of the show. Alongside these new expanded features, NotebookLM is getting a bit of a visual overhaul. The interface is now split into three sections, a Studio panel where AI-generated content like Audio Overviews, study guides, and FAQs live, a central Chat panel for asking questions about your sources to Googles AI, and a Sources panel on the left for managing what sources NotebookLM pulls from. Its a pretty clean setup, and being able to collapse a panel when youre not using it keeps things from getting cluttered. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Google is also using these updates as a way to introduce its first pass at monetizing NotebookLM. A new NotebookLM Plus premium subscription is available to Google Workspace and Cloud customers as a Gemini add-on, and will give you the ability to generate up to 20 Audio Overviews per day, create up to 500 AI notebooks, and add up to 300 sources per notebook. That translates to an additional $20 per user per month for Workspace subscribers. Starting next year, NotebookLM Plus benefits will also be rolled into the Google One AI Premium subscription. Google Airbnb has announced its deploying anti-party technology to prevent unauthorized and disruptive parties from happening at homes on its platform for New Years Eve. If you were planning on hosting a get-together, start thinking of a Plan B. The company says its using machine learning to identify and block high-risk, whole-home bookings in advance based on a variety of criteria. Airbnbs assessment takes into account things like the length of a trip, how far a listing is from your current location, and when youre trying to book to weed out potentially disruptive parties. If youre booking a two-night stay a week before New Years Eve, youre likely to tingle Airbnbs anti-party senses. The company will either block your reservation entirely or direct you to different accommodations. Party detection technology will be used in countries and regions globally, according to Airbnb. If youre trying to book an entire home in the US, Puerto Rico, Canada, the UK, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, youll also have to be willing to stay for more than three days and agree to a mandatory anti-party attestation to be allowed to book. Bosch is the latest recipient of (preliminary) CHIPS and Science Act funding. The company signed a non-binding agreement with the US Commerce Department and could receive up to $225 million in funding. Lest you think Amazons gruff crime solver somehow got a piece of the action, Bosch is also a German multinational corporation that makes just about everything under the sun. (That even includes a stink-removal machine!) The company recently accelerated its silicon development, buying TSI Semiconductors in 2023 and finalizing the deal early this year. But instead of focusing on cutting-edge silicon for computers, phones and AI, Bosch specializes in chips for the auto industry. The company plans to use the funds on the Roseville, CA facility it acquired in the TSI deal. The company will invest up to $1.9 billion to convert the plant into one that spits out silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors, which are used to boost the efficiency of EV driving and charging. Bosch expects the first 200mm wafers to come off the line there in 2026. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Roseville investment enables Bosch to locally produce silicon carbide semiconductors, supporting US consumers on the path to electrification, Paul Thomas, president of Bosch in North America and Bosch Mobility Americas, wrote in a statement. Boschs Roseville, CA silicon plant (Bosch) In addition to boosting Americas primacy in the chip industry, the CHIPS Acts other goal is job creation. The White House says the proposed funding would create up to 1,700 jobs, including 1,000 in construction and 700 in manufacturing, engineering and R&D. Todays agreement catalyzes nearly $2 billion of private investment and the creation of over 1,700 jobs, while investing in a critical technology relied upon on by our defense and auto industry, wrote Natalie Quillian, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff. In November, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading advanced chip maker, was the first to have its CHIPS Act grants (to the tune of $6.6 billion) finalized. Other recipients include Intel (although its funding was recently cut), HP, Samsung, GlobalFoundries, Texas Instruments and Rocket Lab. Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Its been a few years since Samsung took a crack at making a premium Chromebook. In 2020, the company released the first Galaxy Chromebook, a $999 laptop with a gorgeous 4K OLED screen that barely lasted five hours away from a charger. The company fixed some issues with its 2021 model, which had a more pedestrian screen and a thicker design while costing $300 less a fair compromise given that battery life was significantly better. Since then, Google has also launched the Chromebook Plus initiative, which aims to standardize Chromebook specs to give people a more consistent experience. And now, Samsung has released its first entry to that lineup: the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. Its a bit different than most of the other laptops in that space, though, with a large 15.6-inch OLED screen and a design thats extremely thin and light for its size. It reminds me a little bit of the 15-inch MacBook Air, though its appearance is unmistakably Samsung. The Galaxy Chromebook Plus also has more of Googles AI capabilities baked into it than any Chromebook thus far, thanks to a new Quick Insert key that grants fast access to Gemini. Samsung 78 100 Expert Score Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus Samsungs Galaxy Chromebook Plus is a bit quirky, but theres a lot to like, including its large, bright screen and extremely thin and light construction. Pros Solid performance and specs Large and bright display Extremely thin and light Comfortable keyboard Good port selection Cons Trackpad is easy to activate by accident Number pad makes the keyboard placement off-center Mediocre speakers and webcam Display aspect ratio is wider than Id like $700 at Best Buy Finally, its one of the most expensive Chromebook Plus options out there at $699. That puts it directly in competition with Acers Chromebook Spin Plus 714, my current favorite in the premium Chromebook space. And while its refreshingly different from the Acer and Lenovo models I usually use, there are a few quirks here you should know about. Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Hardware and design: Not your typical Chromebook First, though, the good stuff. The Galaxy Chromebook Plus 1080p, 15.6-inch screen is crisp and bright, with excellent viewing angles. Somewhat surprisingly, though, it doesnt have a touchscreen. Lots of Chromebooks do, as it makes interacting with some Android apps easier. But once I got used to the fact that poking the screen did nothing, I didnt really miss it. Samsung says its the only Chromebook Plus with an AMOLED display, and while I wouldnt mind a higher resolution, I know that would lead to worse battery life. All told, I think Samsung made the right choice not to go for 4K, especially considering that a computer this thin doesnt have as much room for a bigger battery. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Speaking of: this laptop is seriously thin. Its less than half an inch thick (0.46 inches to be precise) and weighs only 2.58 pounds. Thats essentially the same thickness as the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air, and the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is lighter than both. Its well-suited to going anywhere without being too much of a burden, not something you get often on a laptop with a large screen. Despite its thin-and-light design, Samsung didnt skimp on ports here: it has HDMI, two USB-C ports (one of which youll need for charging), a microSDXC slot (that I wish was standard microSD), a headphone jack and an old-school USB-A port. As part of the Chromebook Plus line, this laptop exceeds the minimum spec requirements. It pairs an Intel Core 3 100U processor released earlier this year with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Thats more than enough power for a Chromebook in this day and age, and I had no qualms with its performance across the board. While the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is quite svelte, its 15.6-inch screen makes transporting it a little awkward. Thanks to its 16:9 aspect ratio, the laptop has serious surfboard vibes its just very wide, and its a tight fit in my bag. Furthermore, the 16:9 aspect ratio makes the screen feel smaller than it really is. The 1080p panel defaults to a scaled resolution that works out to 1,600 x 900, almost 100 fewer vertical pixels than my 14-inch MacBook Pro. Ive been yelling into the void for years now that the 16:9 aspect ratio is just not ideal for modern computing, given the verticality of basically every web site. Id be much happier with a smaller panel that offered more vertical pixels, but thats just me. I have mixed feelings about the keyboard and trackpad. Since the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is so thin, the keys dont feel quite as comfortable as those on most other Chromebooks I use, to say nothing of my MacBook Pro. But, theyre not bad at all; nothing like the terrible butterfly keyboards on the MacBooks of the prior decade. They have less travel and are a little clickier than Id like but still easy enough to acclimate to. Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget My real issue is that Samsung chose to include a number pad on the keyboard. This might be my own personal quirk, but I generally cant stand number pads because Id much rather have my hands centered below the display. I always feel slightly off-kilter and unbalanced using a laptop with a number pad, and it led to me making far more typos than I usually do. Im sure if it was my only computer, Id adjust and get used to it but I dont think Id ever really like it. For me, the tradeoff just isnt worth the number pad. I also found myself activating the trackpad by grazing it with the side of my palms while typing more often than Id like. I eventually acclimated to how to type comfortably and avoid the touchpad, but between that and the number pad I found the Galaxy Chromebook Pluss typing experience isnt as good as some other Chromebooks Ive used. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Perhaps the most notable thing about the keyboard, though, is the new Quick Insert key that goes where the traditional search key is. (Chromebooks have always had this instead of a caps lock key.) Quick Insert pulls up a small menu similar in size to what you see if you right-click something. But it gives contextual suggestions based on what youre doing rather than showing the same options every time. In the very Google Doc where I wrote this review, it suggested various emoji (which would definitely be useful when using a chat app), links to a few Google Drive files it thought were relevant and a help me write prompt using Google Gemini. The menu also shows quick links to your Files folder, Google Drive, browsing history and a few other potentially helpful options. Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Samsung moved the traditional launcher key to the bottom row, nestled between Fn and Alt. That key still brings up the app launcher and a traditional search field for things on your computer; you can also easily search Google from here. The trickiest thing about this placement is that some shortcuts I was used to now require me to use the launcher in a new spot instead of Quick Insert. Its a bit of a learning curve, and the benefit of Quick Insert doesnt quite outweigh having to retrain my brain on new shortcuts. Hopefully the Quick Insert gets smarter and more useful over time, but right now its mostly a shortcut to grabbing emoji quickly. I have zero interest in having Googles AI help me write anything, so for now its utility is limited. Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget ChromeOS and Gemini Thats the good and bad of the hardware, but thats only part of the equation. By now, the usual caveats of ChromeOS are well-known: its still a primarily web-based system, but Android applications can extend its features. There are also plenty of web apps that are well optimized for ChromeOS, and Google Docs has a comprehensive offline mode at this point. And if you have a recent Android phone, ChromeOS has a pretty robust feature set when you pair it to your Chromebook, including shared notifications and streaming of some apps directly to your laptop. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Google has also added a lot of smart and useful features to ChromeOS over the last year or so that make it more useful. For example, clicking the date in the taskbar brings up your full Google calendar and anything in the Tasks app, making it a quick place to see what you have planned for the day without having to dive into the full Calendar or Tasks experience. Theres also a new focus mode for when you want to sit down and concentrate. It turns on Do Not Disturb, sets a timer and lets you pick a YouTube Music playlist or some focus sounds like ambient or classical music, or even the sounds of nature. Its a small thing, but there are a lot of thoughtful tools like that now in ChromeOS that make it feel like much more than just a browser. The new Quick Insert menu in ChromeOS. Naturally, AI is a bigger part of ChromeOS than ever. In addition to the help me write tools and suggestions that show up when you tap the Quick Insert key, Gemini is a click away with an app shortcut in the toolbar by default. There are also a few frivolous AI features thrown in, like a wallpaper generator with eight different categories to choose from (landscape, surreal, dreamscape, classic art and so on). Once you pick one, youll get a few more fields you can edit to get a handful of AI creations you can set as your wallpaper. You dont get full creative control here; generally there are two things you can edit in each prompt. Theyre hit or miss, but I did like the classic art avant-garde beach scene I created. Theres also a beta test of the help me read feature thatll summarize documents, PDFs and web pages. I made a PDF of this review from Google Docs and had the AI summarize it, which it did with no errors but also with very little detail. I asked it questions about the content of the document and it answered them accurately, as well. And the Magic Editor built into Google Photos on Pixel phones is also available on Chromebook Plus models, letting you alter the reality of your snapshots to your heart's content. None of this stuff is essential to me, but its clearly the way were headed, like it or not. One good thing is that Google includes a full year of its $20/month Google One with AI plan to Chromebook Plus buyers, this Samsung model included. That gets you 2TB of Drive storage and access to Gemini Advanced, Gemini in Google Docs and Gmail, as well as a few other AI perks. I dont think its necessary at this point, but getting to try it for a full year is a pretty nice offer. Finally, theres the ever-present question of battery life. Im getting between six and a half and eight hours off the charger, depending on what Im doing; as usual, video calls really put a hurt on things. Thats not bad, but its still pretty far from the 13 hours Samsung claims. I dont know what Id have to do to come close to that mark. One day, with concentrated use, I burned through two-thirds of the battery in less than four hours. Thats pretty common for basically all Chromebooks Ive tested in recent years, and my guess is that with Intel silicon were not going to see things improve in any meaningful way. Wrap-up Despite some misgivings, I actually enjoyed my time with the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. I probably wouldnt pick it as my own personal computer, because the number pad I wont use simply makes things too awkward. But theres also a lot to like here its so much lighter and thinner than other Chromebooks I usually use that it is a delight to travel with, despite the fact that its width is a bit cumbersome. And while I wish there was more vertical screen resolution, I did enjoy having such a large display combined in a very portable device. For the right kind of buyer, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus might be just what youre looking for (especially if the idea of a number pad on the keyboard excites you). For me, though, the slightly more boring but reliable Acer Chromebook Spin 714 Plus remains my favorite premium Chromebook. But Samsung has put forward a solid effort here, and I hope they continue on this path with future Chromebooks Acer and Lenovo could use the competition. Reports of OG Maco having been hospitalized due to a suicide attempt have circulated the internet. According to TMZ Hip Hop on December 12, the "U Guessed It" hitmaker was immediately sent to the hospital due to a gunshot wound to his head. Police authorities disclosed that a 911 call at around 10 AM in Los Angeles was received, which was caused by a gunshot noise heard by a neighbor. Specific details around the incident remain unclear. However, it is speculated that the accident was a suicide attempt. The outlet also shared that Maco was unresponsive and was rushed right away to undergo surgery. Authorities have also obtained a firearm in the area of the incident. However, the rapper's manager, Poppa Percccc, argued that Maco had not passed away and was only in critical condition. He also encouraged Maco's fans, family, and acquaintances to send their prayers. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the news left netizens in disbelief. "Why would he want to take his life," one commented. "He needs to open up to people, he needs people around him at this time, a lot of persons pass through this phase of life, but not all are able to endure." Why would he wants to take his life, he needs to open up to people, he needs people around him at this time, alot of persons pass through this phase of life, but not all are able to edure Eddy Twins (@eddytwins_) December 13, 2024 "Glad he is still with us. We're gonna go through all this life together, no matter how hard it gets," another joined in. Glad he is still with us. We gon go through ll this life together, no matter how hard it gets. No ones living without being called. Kay (@Dwriteway) December 13, 2024 Originally published in Music Times GREENVILLE, Pa. Pennsylvanias Hunters Sharing the Harvest venison donation program is anticipating another record-breaking year of donations and is looking for funding support to sustain its growth. Pennsylvania hunters broke a record for venison donations with 261,672 pounds of venison donated from 6,905 deer and six elk statewide during the 2023-24 hunting seasons. The record donations resulted in more than 1 million individual servings of venison. Hunters pay nothing to donate a deer at one of HSHs 100-plus participating processors across the state. Instead, the organization reimburses those processors for every deer donated. Last season, those reimbursement costs reached an all-time high of approximately $500,000. Of particular concern are rising costs associated with deer donated via hunting opportunities aimed at reducing crop damage by deer on farmers fields. Programs such as Ag Tag (formerly Red Tag), Deer Management Assistance Program and crop depredation permits are becoming more widely used due to communication efforts by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, legislators and advocacy groups. While helping HSH feed more families, crop damage deer are the driving factor in HSHs rising operational expenses and a cause for increased financial need for the organization, according to executive director Randy Ferguson. The organization is seeking additional financial support from individual donors, corporate sponsors, other charitable organizations and state agencies. Hunters interested in donating a deer need only to legally harvest, tag and field dress the deer and take it to a participating processor near them. The list of participating processors by county can be found at sharedeer.org/meat-processors. A volunteer force of nearly 60 county coordinators ensures that processors have the resources they need and that the public is aware of the program and the ways they can support the HSH mission. Those interested in being a coordinator are encouraged to visit sharedeer.org/get-involved. Potential business sponsors should contact Ferguson at 866-474-2141 or email him at randy@sharedeer.org.Individual donors can donate online at sharedeer.org/support-our-mission. COLUMBUS The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is partnering with Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to support local food banks with donated venison. With a $30,000 grant from the Division of Wildlife, FHFH and participating processors donate harvested white-tailed deer to charitable organizations throughout Ohio. Hunters who harvest a deer and would like to donate the venison can bring it to one of 34 certified deer processing shops in Ohio. Each donated deer is provided to a verified charitable organization that offers food assistance. One harvested deer yields approximately 50 pounds of venison, which equates to about 200 meals. Find the complete list of processors accepting donations of harvested deer at feedingthehungry.org. Hunters who donate their harvested deer are not required to pay for the processing of the venison. During the 2023-24 deer hunting season, FHFH coordinated the processing of 1,157 deer donated by Ohio hunters. Seventy-nine charitable organizations then distributed the venison. Ohios deer archery hunting season is open until Feb. 2. Statewide gun seasons are Dec. 2-8, and again Dec. 21-22. The muzzleloader season is from Jan. 4-7. Hunting licenses and deer permits are available on the HuntFish OH app, at wildohio.gov or at any license vendor. Whilst there has been much talk about the impact of the family farm inheritance tax, the effect on one key farming sector has been overlooked. Tenant farmers across the country could be faced with 'unintended consequences' that the government did not consider with its so-called 'family farm tax'. This is according to Martin Hall, director at Davidson & Robertson and president of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). He says there are likely to be considerable concerns for tenant farmers in England and Scotland who may be faced with a tax bill and no financial means to pay it. And due to differences in Scottish and English law, he warns that these implications have not been fully considered or understood by the government. In Scotland, under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991, the tenancy does not die with the tenant. It can be passed on for generations and there is also a financial value to vacate the tenancy, perhaps 20-30% of the farm value. Tenancy value has been tested in case law (Baird and Walton 1992), but with current agricultural tax exemptions, there would be no tax to pay, Mr Hall notes. From April 2026, as part of plans announced in the autumn budget, tenancy value will be considered as part of the tax liability if above the 1m threshold. For a farm worth 5m, that tenancy value may equate to 1.25m. Looking at smaller lowland family farms of around 300 acres, the 1m threshold could be reached before the working capital for livestock, machinery and other assets are included. Whilst owner occupiers have the opportunity to release capital from land assets, that is not the case for tenant farmers, Mr Hall explains. They have no means to sell land, profits are too low to pay for this financial liability, and banks will not lend based on tenanted acreage. There are around 4,000 Scottish tenancies that could potentially be affected, according to his estimates. Following a meeting with Scotlands Tenant Farming Advisory Forum (TFAF), Jeremy Moody, secretary of CAAV, sent a letter to the Treasury office highlighting this issue. In England and Wales, around 30% of agricultural land is under tenancy agreements, and while the tenancy cannot be sold it still has a financial value that the HMRC will take into account. Mr Hall says one solution could be to raise the threshold to a realistic level, such as 10m, as this would cater for most family farms and take the tenancies out of the equation. There are other unintended consequences for tenant farmers to consider," he explains. "Ambitious and entrepreneurial tenants looking to develop their farm or diversify will be adding value to the farm which would bring an increased tax burden in the future. Commenting further, Mr Hall says it is important that the industry pushes the government to recognise and address the tenant tax trap in their IHT plans. And it is equally incumbent on the agricultural industry to initiate discussions with family and advisors around succession and retirement plans. In terms of valuations, we will see much more demand as farmers start planning for the longer term and for succession," Mr Hall says. "And it is likely that these valuations will be under much more scrutiny by HMRC as there will be potential tax income to the treasury. The government has declared an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) across East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk following numerous bird flu cases. The move means it is now a legal requirement for all bird keepers within the zone to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks, whatever type or size. The UKs chief veterinary officer said on Friday (13 December) that the AIPZ would help 'mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of disease occurring'. It follows a number of detections of highly-pathogenic avian influenza in poultry and wild and captive birds across the region. The AIPZ means farmers and bird keepers must follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect flocks and mitigate the risk of further outbreaks. It does not include a requirement to house birds, unless farmers or keepers are also in a 3km protection zone. However, Defra said this was being kept under constant review, adding that further disease control measures would be based on the latest scientific evidence. The UK Health Security Agency also continues to advise that the risk to public health from the virus is very low. Christine Middlemiss, UK chief veterinary officer said: "All bird keepers in these areas must take action now to both prevent disease getting in to flocks and it spreading any further. Bird keepers must exercise robust biosecurity and remain alert for any signs of disease and report suspected disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. What does the AIPZ mean? The zone means farmers and bird keepers across East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk must: Cleanse and disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds if practical, use disposable protective clothing Reduce the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry and captive birds are kept, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and other products Carry out effective vermin control in any areas where poultry and captive birds are kept Thoroughly cleanse and disinfect housing on a continuous basis Keep fresh disinfectant at the right concentration at all farm and poultry housing entry and exit points Minimise direct and indirect contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, including making sure all feed and water is not accessible to wild birds Prevent access by poultry to ponds and watercourses and ensure that birds are kept in fenced or enclosed areas A Court of Appeal judgment has declined to rule on whether so-called 'frankenchickens' are unlawful, but it could have implications for the future of fast-growing chickens. The court delivered its judgment today in an appeal case against Defra, brought by the Humane League UK, which hoped to demonstrate the suffering of fast-growing breeds of chickens. Although the appeal was dismissed on technical grounds, the judgment stated that it is unlawful to farm animals who suffer because of their genes. The clarification will likely have wide-reaching implications for the legality of 95% of all chickens used in the UK today. Concerns about meat chicken breeds have been frequently highlighted by animal welfare groups, as they say such breeds have been genetically selected to grow so fast that they suffer from health issues. According to research by animal welfare organisations, faster-growing breeds are more likely to die or need to be culled due to ill health. Emma Slawinski, director of policy at the RSPCA, said today's Court of Appeal ruling was a 'significant and vital step' in improving the lives of broilers. "We believe that, for the first time, we have clarity that the keeping of fast-growing chickens is very likely to be unlawful," she said. As intervener in this case, we wish to applaud the Humane League UK for taking forward this landmark judicial review." Essentially, the judgement agrees with the view that fast-growing chickens can only be kept if there is no detriment to their health and welfare - no matter how profitable or convenient a breed might be for a farmer. It also states that keepers must take steps to inform themselves about how breeding impacts welfare and specifies that improved productivity is not a defence against causing suffering. Although the appeal case was dismissed, the judgment supported the RSPCA and the Humane League UKs arguments - stating for the first time - that farm animals who suffer due to their genes would most likely be unlawful. Legislation states that an animal may only be kept for farming purposes if it can be reasonably expected, on the basis of their genotype or phenotype, that they can be kept without detrimental effect on their health and welfare. But the court was clear that the issue of how this judgment may be applied in practice remains unresolved, as judges did not take a definitive opinion on the science presented to them. Nevertheless, Sean Gifford, managing director of the Humane League UK, called it a 'historic ruling', one which 'exposes the UK governments failure to address the biggest animal welfare crisis of our time'. "We call on Defra to now work with farmers to end the use of frankenchickens. Farm leaders have condemned 'illegal' livestock imports into Northern Ireland from Britain due to the 'serious threat' of bluetongue virus. Imports between the two have been suspended since November 2023 following the first outbreak of bluetongue in England. Over 170 cases have since been recorded, with most English counties under a partial or full bluetongue restricted zone. Now the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has warned that the 'smuggling of animals' has become a threat for Northern Ireland, putting the region at risk of infection. If an incursion of bluetongue is confirmed within NI, trade will be halted from NI to Britain and Europe for at least two years. The UFU said this would cause severe financial and genetic problems within flocks and herds. The union's president, William Irvine said he was 'appalled by the actions of some within the farming community'. "Some have acted illegally and immorally by attempting to smuggle animals into the region," he added. "I cannot stress enough how dangerous this is for our livestock sector." To date, Northern Ireland has managed to avoid the transmission of bluetongue by intensifying biosecurity. Illegally importing animals increases the risk of bluetongue and its spread, and also opens up an avenue for the transmission of MV which is fatal for sheep. In late November, it was reported that 65 sheep had been destroyed at a local port as the animals were illegally imported into NI from Britain. The action, undertaken by government veterinary officials, was taken due to the risk of bluetongue infection. Mr Irvine warned that these imports had the 'potential to undo all our good work and makes us extremely vulnerable'. "Its critical that checks at all ports in NI and Britain are thorough so that the transport of animals is stopped before crossing the water. "This is the only way we can take control of the situation and stop the illegal importation of livestock." Suspect bluetongue cases in Northern Ireland can be reported to the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or by contacting the local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office. A pioneering project aiming to protect the rare and elusive Corncrake bird species has reached a milestone thanks to farmer efforts. The project is celebrating a 2,000 hectare milestone for the benefit of Corncrakes, a species that is threatened across the UK. Helping to build a brighter future, the Corncrake Calling project has been bringing together farmers and crofters in an effort to reverse the decline. The four-year project has delivered essential conservation work to help Corncrakes and other wildlife, while bolstering the unique culture of rural Scottish communities. Once widespread across the UK, Corncrake populations have fallen dramatically. As a red listed species, they are now found only on some Scottish islands and parts of the north-west coast, while Rathlin Island is the last known breeding area for Corncrake in Northern Ireland. Farmers, crofters and landowners have been creating and restoring Corncrake friendly habitat and adopting farming practices which benefit the bird. These include providing areas of tall vegetation and adopting suitable mowing schedules to give young birds the best chance of fledging. While their conservation status remains precarious, Corncrake Calling has delivered huge wins for the rare species. Over 2,000 hectares of habitat have been created across the Hebridean Islands alone as part of agreements with farmers and crofters. Tara Proud, Corncrake Calling project manager, said it was an example of how conservationists and farmers can 'deliver fantastic results for wildlife'. The successes weve celebrated shows the importance of collaboration if we are going to reverse wildlife declines," she explained. "Working together through projects like this can help ensure we are able to enjoy and celebrate incredible species like Corncrakes for generations to come. This year also marked the 10th anniversary of the return of Corncrakes to Rathlin Island, the last known breeding area in Northern Ireland, as a result of local farmer efforts. Unsatisfactory crop prices and the continued rise in input costs are squeezing Scottish growers harder than ever, NFU Scotland has warned. Concerns about low crop prices, rising costs and competition from imports have been raised by the union, factors which are 'threatening' arable farming. Despite favourable weather conditions leading to excellent establishment for winter barley, winter wheat, and oilseed rape (OSR) crops, it said the outlook for 2025 'remains uncertain'. NFU Scotland recently met with the Maltsters Association of Great Britain (MAGB) and the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) to underline the need for more robust pricing and contracts for premium crops, like malting barley. Discussions with distillers and the SWA are ongoing, with calls for fairer pricing structures that reward Scottish farmers for high-quality, sustainable production. NFU Scotlands Combinable Crops Chair, Jack Stevenson said that many Scottish growers 'are frustrated, and looking to 2025 for much-needed optimism.' Global wheat prices remain subdued, and the anticipated increase in demand for malting barley has yet to materialise," he noted. "Instead, growers report prices for 2024 crop well below expectations compared to the 2023 harvest." The economics of growing malting barley was a central focus at the meeting between NFU Scotland an MAGB in London. There, the union said that without a proper price premium, the risk-reward equation 'does not make sense for farmers'. A delegation also met with the SWA in late November. Mr Stevenson explained that malting barley was a 'premium crop, and it must command a premium price'. He said: The additional management costs of growing malting barley, lower yields compared to feed barley and stringent intake tolerances are significant hurdles. Moreover, sustainability considerations are adding pressure to the supply chain. More than a quarter of whisky industry emissions come from the growing crop. "Farmers will embrace green production techniques, but they must be recognised and paid for their efforts." In 2024, winter wheat, long seen as a reliable and profitable staple, has become a source of frustration for many growers due to global market dynamics and increased imports. Reports of large volumes of imported wheat arriving at Scottish ports have sparked anger among many. Although it is acknowledged that Scotland does not produce enough wheat to meet total demand, NFU Scotland said the lack of support for Scottish-grown produce was 'disheartening'. "Scottish growers are loyal and committed to producing a high-quality product, yet they face delays in uplifts and depressed prices because of full intakes," Mr Stevenson said. "At the same time, our members have voiced concerns about the quality and assurance credentials of imported wheat, which often fails to meet the same high standards as locally grown grain." December 12, 2024: Russian troops in Ukraine have suffered such high losses since early 2022 that the Russian army has run out of soldiers. Russia recently hired 12,000 North Korean soldiers to help fight the still combative Ukrainian forces. It was also recently revealed, by accident, that Russia has lost over 700,000 killed or disabled fighting in Ukraine. Many of the wounded suffered further when they found that the Russian medical system was unable to adequately treat them. Meanwhile Russian generals and contractors are still being caught supplying sub-standard equipment, services and other supplies to the troops in Ukraine. This sort of thing was common before this war, and even when the communists ran the country and before that under the rules of tsars and an aristocracy. The scams that leave new Russian troops with shoddy equipment became embarrassing news on the Internet, where soldiers often go to describe how they were cheated by some corrupt supplier. Corruption in state-owned defense firms and the space program get a lot of publicity but the delivery of shoddy or defective material to the troops in Ukraine is particularly embarrassing. Unfortunately, corruption is immune to embarrassment. The Russian military has always suffered from corruption though there was little of it during World War Two, at least noticeably. Russians call that conflict the Great Patriotic War. Currently Russians regard the invasion of Ukraine less favorably and the corruption is rampant. The government is cracking down on corruption but that only forced the corrupt activities to assume a lower profile and pretend that the crackdown was working. Leader Vladimir Putin thought the Ukraine War would be over in days or weeks. It wasnt and is now in its third year. Unlike World War II, the Russians invaded Ukraine and lost. Over half a million Russian soldiers are dead or incapacitated by wounds. The government pays families of dead soldiers tens of thousands of dollars. For families in rural areas, where most of the dead soldiers came from, this amount of cash is life changing. Soldiers who were badly wounded in Ukraine get lesser amounts but still enough to greatly improve their lives. Russia is spending 8 percent of the government budget on these payments and that has reduced the anger over dead or disabled soldiers to manageable levels. These billions, plus even more spent on continuing the war, have forced the government to go into debt. The war also brought with it economic sanctions by NATO nations supporting Ukraine. This has crippled the economy and forced the government to take on still more debt. This will take Russia decades to deal with once the war is over. The war is not over, despite growing pressure from Putins business allies, the oligarchs. These executives see the war as bad for business and urge Putin to somehow, anyhow, stop the conflict. Ukraine is willing to end the war if they get back all the Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, that Russia has occupied since 2014. Putin is unwilling to do this even though his oligarch allies urge him to do so. Putin sees ending the war and returning stolen territories as proof that Putins War was all for nothing and cost Russia so much. Putin believes admitting defeat would end his quarter century in power. This would open Putin to prosecution. He cannot flee the country because foreign nations indicted him for war crimes three years ago. Putins only response to this is dubious assurances that he can set things right. He cant and chaos looms along with growing corruption and demands for a new government. While Putin won a 2023 election for another six years in power, he and many other Russians wonder if he or Russia will be able to survive another six years of misrule. Opinion polls show that most Russians accept corruption as a basic element in Russian culture and unlikely to be eliminated any time soon. Most Russians also complain that the prevalence of corruption hurts the economy and is another unpleasant aspect of life in Russia. While the government generates a lot of publicity about anti-corruption efforts, it is widely understood that, when some major government official or former official is arrested and charged with corruption there is more to the story. First, the official is probably guilty as charged and the details make interesting reading. The other part of the story is generally not published and involves the details of which other senior officials the corrupt official offended. Issues over sharing are the usual reason for a senior politician or military officer being prosecuted for corruption. While there may be no honor among thieves, there is a code of conduct and those who misbehave are publicly spanked, lose a lot of money and often spend some time in prison. Another unique aspect of Russian corruption is that it is more prevalent in the military because theft of state property has been the Russian national pastime for centuries. This corruption is seen as a major factor in Russian combat disasters. Even military leaders accept that, but in peacetime the opportunities are too abundant and the discipline too inadequate to prevent corruption. Government prosecutors estimate that military corruption costs the military over $500 million a year and disrupts the operation of units, major programs and everything else. Despite the frequent prosecutions it is believed corruption in the military is increasing. There were 2,800 officers and officials prosecuted in 2018, an increase over previous years despite so many of those prosecuted getting convicted and imprisoned. In 2013 Russian prosecutors announced that they had arrested three army officers and accused them of stealing seven tons of fuel. To make matters worse, this was not a gang operation but three officers each operating independently and stealing diesel from large tanker trucks sent to support the first annual tank gunnery and driving competition. This event got a lot of publicity. Despite all that attention, these three officers thought they could divert about $5,000 worth of diesel fuel to the black market. Such fuel thefts are not unusual in the army, and most perpetrators are not caught. But these three officers were bold, or stupid, and tried to flitch the fuel at a high-profile event. The actual theft occurred while fuel and other resources were stockpiled for the event. Such criminality is all too common and Russian corruption investigators believe that about 20 percent of the military budget is lost to corruption and outright theft. Despite more frequent arrests and prosecution of offenders, the stealing continues. The Russian military has always suffered from corruption though there was little of it during World War Two, at least noticeably. Russians call that conflict the Great Patriotic War. Currently Russians regard the invasion of Ukraine less favorably and corruption is rampant in it. The government is cracking down on corruption but that only forced the corrupt activities to assume a lower profile and pretend that the crackdown was working. Leader Vladimir Putin thought the Ukraine War would be over in days or weeks. It wasnt and is now in its third year. Unlike World War II, the Russians invaded Ukraine and is losing. Russias ability to continue the war is clearly less than Ukraines provided NATO and US support continues. The Russian government pays families of dead soldiers tens of thousands of dollars. For families in rural areas, where most of the dead soldiers came from, this amount of cash is life changing. Soldiers who were badly wounded in Ukraine get lesser amounts but still enough to greatly improve their lives. Russia is spending 8 percent of the government budget on these payments and that has reduced the anger over dead or disabled soldiers to manageable levels. These billions, plus even more spent on continuing the war, have forced the government to go into debt. The war also brought with it economic sanctions by NATO nations supporting Ukraine. This has crippled the economy and forced the government to take on still more debt. This will take Russia decades to deal with once the war is over. Russias economy will continue to deteriorate for years after the war is over because its railroad system is collapsing and can get better only when the railroad collapse levels off. The war is not over, despite growing pressure from President Putins business allies, the oligarchs. These executives see the war as bad for business and urge Putin to somehow, anyhow, stop the conflict. Ukraine is willing to end the war, if they get back all the Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, that Russia has occupied since 2014. Putin is unwilling to do this even though his oligarch allies urge him to do so. Putin sees ending the war and returning stolen territories as proof that Putins War was all for nothing and cost Russia so much. Putin believes admitting defeat would end his quarter century in power. This would open Putin to prosecution. He cannot flee the country because foreign nations indicted him for war crimes three years ago. The oligarchs and military commanders blame Putin for this defeat. While all this is going on, prosecutors are accusing more and more prominent Russians of corruption as opportunistic businessmen and generals steal billions and seek to find a safe exile where they can settle down and live luxuriously. Millions of military age Russian men have already fled the country to avoid military service and the high risk of death or disability in Ukraine. Putins only response to this is dubious assurances that he can set things right. He cant and chaos looms along with growing corruption and demands for a new government. While Putin won a 2023 election for another six years in power, he and many other Russians wonder if he or Russia will be able to survive another six years of misrule. Modern humans might not have survived without Neanderthals. Modern humans thrived after breeding with Neanderthals New studies have revealed that modern man went extinct several times before populating the world and only those who interbred with Neanderthals went on to thrive. The research highlights a short period 48,000 years ago when Homo sapiens bred with Neanderthals after leaving Africa, where they later went on to expand into the wider world. Homo sapiens had left Africa before this but populations from before the interbreeding period did not survive. It is believed that Neanderthal genes are pivotal to the survival of modern humans as they protected us from diseases that had not yet been encountered. Experts believe that the findings show the history of modern humans will need to be rewritten. Professor Johannes Krause, from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, told BBC News: "We see modern humans as a big story of success, coming out of Africa 60,000 years ago and expanding into all ecosystems to become the most successful mammal on the planet. "But early on we were not, we went extinct multiple times." Conan O'Brien's mother has passed away just three days after his father died. Conan O'Brien has lost both of his parents within a week The 61-year-old TV host was left devastated after his dad Dr. Thomas OBrien passed away on Monday (09.12.24) at the age of 95 and he was dealt a double blow on Thursday (12.12.24) when his mom Ruth Reardon OBrien died at her home in Brookline, Massachusetts aged 92. The sad news was confirmed in an obituary for Ruth, which read: "OBrien, Ruth Reardon of Brookline passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Beloved wife of sixty-six years to Thomas Francis OBrien, M.D., who passed away on December 9th, 2024." Conan paid tribute to his dad in an interview with the Boston Globe which was published on Thursday, saying: "Science has said theres no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong. "My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everything - absolutely everything ... The loudest Ive ever heard anybody laugh was sitting next to him in a theater watching Peter Sellers in a Pink Panther movie ... He was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself. "For the rest of my time on earth I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad. Ive never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father. "If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, Id think: Who the hell is this guy? Hes the most interesting person Ive ever met'." Conan's parents will be remembered at a joint funeral in Boston on December 18. Conan previously shared an anecdote about his mum meeting movie funnyman Jim Carrey at a Christmas party and failing to recognise him. During an appearance on Ryan Tubridys Virgin Radio show earlier this year, Conan said: "Years and years ago I had a Christmas party at my house. "This was at the height of Jim Carrey mania, you know, he was coming off of his fourth massive hit film, and it was like The Beatles ... Everywhere Jim Carrey went there was a riot ... "Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother having a long chat with Jim Carrey, and I got nervous. When the party was over, I said: Mom, what were you talking to that man about? Jim?' "And she said: Oh he told me that hes a comedian, and I told him: 'Well my sons had his difficulties but he just keeps at it, and eventually made it. So if you just keep at it Jim, youre gonna make it too'. "And I said to her: Mom, I want you to go home to Boston and tell everyone you told Jim Carrey to keep at it!" Katy Perry dresses up as the Grinch to go caroling. Katy Perry dresses up as the Grinch to go caroling The 40-year-old pop star - who has four-year-old daughter Daisy Dove with her fiance Orlando Bloom - has revealed that she likes to dress up as the Dr Seuss character and that she and the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor have made a tradition out of ringing in the festive season with all of their neighbours. Speaking at the recording of her upcoming ITV special as reported by The Sun, she said: "We are going to be home in America and actually we are going to do something we do every year. "We rent a trolley and we dress up, and theres lights on the trolley, and we go to all of the neighbours in my home town and we see all of their lights. Sometimes there is hot cocoa and Im dressed like the Grinch and its going to be super fun. We go caroling. We are going to go and knock on peoples doors and do some carols." The 'I Kissed A Girl' hitmaker lives close to Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex - who relinquished their royal duties in 2020 in favour of a life in California - and the 40-year-old royal previously revealed that he and his wife have formed something of a bond with the A-list couple. He said: "Just two days ago, Orlando Bloom sent me a message because hes down the road, and we sort of keep in contact because of the paparazzi. He sent me a photograph which his security got of this long-haired guy with a beanie on, with his AirPods in, with his massive camera, lying in the back of his 4x4 truck, blacked-out windows Image: Instagram The much-anticipated wedding of actor Keerthy Suresh has just concluded, as the actor took to social media to share her happiness. The gorgeous Mallu kutty is no longer single! Keerthy tied the knot with her childhood sweetheart, businessman Antony Thattil, in a private wedding ceremony in Goa. The intimate affair was attended by close friends from the industry and family.Earlier in the day, hashtags #ForTheLoveOfNyke and #AKWedding were trending on social media. The two-day wedding ceremony and celebrations took place at a luxury hotel in Goa. Keerthy shared a glimpse of the venue on her Instagram, hinting at a pastel-themed decor adorned with white and pink flowers. The welcome sign at the venue read, "Welcome to our greatest adventure - Keerthy and Antony," setting the tone for the joyous occasion. Keerthy and Antony's relationship dates back to their school days, and their families, who have known each other for years, decided to formalize their bond in a simple yet elegant ceremony. Antony, an engineer by profession, has worked in Qatar before venturing into the wholesale business in Venetian Blinds. Keerthy, known for her stellar performances in movies like Mahanati, is balancing her professional commitments alongside wedding preparations. She is set to sizzle on screen in her debut Hindi film Baby John, which is scheduled for release at the end of this month. Here are some dreamy pictures from the close-knit wedding: Image:Image:Image: The couple is yet to finalise whether a reception will follow the wedding, but if it happens, it is likely to take place in Thiruvananthapuram. We wish the couple everlasting love and happiness! Feminas Fab 65 For 2024 Think you need everyday motivation from an app? We bring you better - we bring you the journeys of 65 fabulous women. Be inspired by their trials and tribulations. They have broken barriers, bent rules and marched ahead towards their goal. They have had a cracking year, and are looking forward to going that one step further to do better in the future! From our active president to dynamic doctors, trom the industry's top actors to athletes who put the country on the international map, from responsible entrepreneurs to bold creators and more, let's celebrate them all... Uorfi Javed Internet Personality & Actor I read this quote somewhere, and it really hit me: I hope when Im dying, death finds me alive. A lot of people I know are unhappy with their lives; they carry too many regrets. I dont want to be that person I want to be fully alive, right to the end Uorfi Javed Every time Uorfi Javed steps out in front of a sea of flashing cameras, two reactions flood peoples minds: Now thats the kind of fashion weve been waiting for, or How does she even think of this? But thats the allure of Uorfi just when you think youve seen it all, youre left wanting more. With over 5.2 million followers on Instagram, her influence is undeniable even among those who claim indifference but cant resist keeping up with her every move.Many might argue that shes famous for no reason, but its her unapologetic self-belief that not only propelled her rise but keeps her at the top. Her ambition to create a world where her fame reigns supreme led to her latest reality series, Follow Kar Lo Yaar, a testament to what she stands for: Uorfi is an idea, as real or as elusive as she chooses to be. Whether shes showcasing her latest DIY outfits or making headlines for her fearless persona, she embodies the spirit of reinvention, reminding us all that being true to oneself is the best way to shine in a world full of filters! Cambodias apparel exports surged by 25.85 per cent to $8.94 billion in the first eleven months of 2024, representing 37.36 per cent of the countrys total foreign income, which amounted to $23.930 billion, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Trade data for October 2024 showed growth in garment exports, reflecting stronger demand in the global textile and clothing market. During this period, Cambodias exports of knitted apparel and clothing accessories (Chapter 61) totalled $6.109 billion, marking a 22.7 per cent increase from $4.980 billion during the same period in 2023. Likewise, exports of non-knitted apparel and clothing accessories (Chapter 62) rose by 33.3 per cent to $2.833 billion, up from $2.125 billion in JanuaryNovember 2023. Cambodia's apparel exports soared by 25.85 per cent to $8.94 billion in the first eleven months of this year, accounting for over a third of the nation's total foreign income. Growth in both knitted and non-knitted garment exports reflects strong global demand, showcasing the sector's resilience in the face of international economic pressures. In November 2024, apparel exports grew by 48.11 per cent to $942.204 million, compared to $636.538 million in the same month of 2023. Exports of knitted apparel and accessories increased by 45.1 per cent to $637.398 million, compared to $439.328 million in November 2023. Meanwhile, exports of non-knitted apparel and accessories rose by 54.6 per cent to $304.806 million in November 2024. On the import side, Cambodias imports of knitted or crocheted fabrics (Chapter 60) reached $2.851 billion from January to November 2024, an increase of 19.1 per cent from $2.393 billion during the same period in 2023. Imports of man-made fibres (Chapter 55) rose by 22.5 per cent to $1.220 billion, compared to $996.459 million in the previous year. Imports of cotton and cotton yarn (Chapter 52) also grew by 39.3 per cent to $697.556 million, up from $500.810 million during the same period in 2023. Cambodias strong performance in the textile and garment trade is notable, especially given the global challenges facing the sector. The sustained high export volumes underline the countrys resilience amid the current global economic scenario. In 2023, Cambodias apparel exports had declined by 12.91 per cent to $7.87 billion. This contrasts with a 12.69 per cent increase in apparel exports in 2022, when the total reached $9.04 billion. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) In October 2024, Dutch export volumes rose by 1.7 per cent year-on-year, driven by increased exports of food, chemicals, and machinery, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Imports fell by 2.4 per cent, mainly due to lower natural gas and petroleum imports. However, the CBS Exports Radar for December highlights a more unfavourable export outlook, citing a larger contraction in German industrial production and negative sentiment among Dutch and European manufacturers about foreign orders. These conditions, while correlated with export activity, may not directly translate to reduced export growth, CBS said. Dutch export volumes rose by 1.7 per cent year-on-year in October 2024, led by food, chemicals, and machinery, while imports fell 2.4 per cent due to lower natural gas and petroleum imports, as per CBS. The CBS Exports Radar for December indicates worsening export conditions due to a larger contraction in German industrial production and negative sentiment among manufacturers on foreign orders. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RKS) The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has urged the UK Government to prepare for a turbulent era in international trade, in its latest Global Britain report. The Global Britain report by BCC urges the UK Government to prepare for turbulent trade, outlining 26 recommendations to boost exports, trade alliances, and investment. It highlights the UK's strengths but warns of challenges from Brexit, pandemic recovery, and looming US protectionism, calling for global alliances and regulatory reforms to secure supply chains. The report outlines 26 recommendations aimed at driving export growth, fostering trade alliances, attracting investment, and enhancing economic diplomacy. It emphasises key actions such as revitalising economic diplomacy to secure better trade outcomes, improving access to trade finance through digitalisation, reforming domestic regulations to encourage private sector investment, strengthening export support to maximise the benefits of existing trade deals, and building global alliances to improve supply chain security. As part of the BCC's Future of the Economy project, the report draws insights from businesses, academia, Chambers, and think tanks. It recognises the UKs strengths as the sixth-largest economy in the world, the second-largest exporter of services, and the second-largest inward investment destination in Europe. However, the report also highlights the challenges posed by the lingering effects of Brexit and the slow recovery from the pandemic. With a new US President set to take office in January 2025, ushering in a likely wave of tariffs and protectionism, the report warns of potential trade conflicts. It underscores the UKs unique position outside the EU, offering the flexibility to respond independently and act decisively in forming global alliances to influence the broader trade landscape. It is currently anyones guess as to what the worlds trading relationships will look like in the New Year, but everyone recognises that a new era of tariffs is likely on the way. But this is not a zero-sum game, where you are either on one side or the other. The UK is no longer part of a large trade bloc, which gives us more flexibility in how we respond. However, we must also make sure we are in the best shape possible to do that. We need well supported Trade Commissioners and Envoys who are at the top of their game, and we need a finely honed strategy of economic diplomacy for them to use, said Martha Lane Fox, president of the British Chambers of Commerce and Chair of the Business Council The UK has a long history as a convener and consensus builder in trade alliances. And while the months ahead might prove difficult, we must not lose sight of the prize that keeping the global trade system as open as possible will bring.? The maths on this is really very simple. If the UK exports more than it imports, then trade contributes to economic growth, productivity rises, and wages and investment are pushed up creating a virtuous circle. But the additional costs for employers from the Autumn Budget mean many are tightening their belts. If we are serious about growing our economy, then the Government must look closely at the level of export support it offers to business, Lane Fox added. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU) The UK government and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), have launched the ASEAN Green Investment Catalyst (AGIC) initiative to accelerate sustainable foreign direct investment (FDI) across Southeast Asia. The 2.1 million (~$2.65 million) initiative, funded through the ASEAN - UK Green Transition Fund, will support the ASEAN secretariat and ASEAN member states with the implementation of the recently adopted ASEAN Regional Investment Promotion Action Plan. The initiative represents a landmark collaboration focusing specifically on channelling FDI into strategic green sectors crucial for ASEANs transition to a low-carbon economy. The UK government and ESCAP launched the 2.1 million (~$2.65 million) ASEAN Green Investment Catalyst (AGIC) initiative to boost sustainable foreign direct investment (FDI) in Southeast Asia. Funded through the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund, it will support ASEAN's green transition by developing investment-ready projects in key sectors, matching them with investors. This strategic partnership between the UK, ESCAP, the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN member States comes at a critical time when mobilising private investment for climate action is more urgent than ever. By supporting the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Investment Promotion Action Plan, this initiative will help position ASEAN as a unified destination for sustainable investment, accelerating the regions green transition, while promoting inclusive economic growth, United Nations under-secretary-general and executive secretary of ESCAP, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana said. The AGIC project will facilitate the development of investment-ready projects in strategic green transition sectors and develop an innovative tool to match these projects with investors. This pioneering approach aims to create a sustainable pipeline of investment ready green projects across ASEAN for cross-border investors, attracting FDI to the region and demonstrating the UKs commitment to leveraging technology and innovation in climate action. It will also deliver capacity building support to ASEAN Investment Promotion Agencies and contribute towards the ASEAN Investment Forum in 2025 and 2026 to showcase green investment ready opportunities to investors. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR) December 13, 2024: In 2022, for the second time since 2014, the United States actively supported efforts by Russians in general to bypass government censorship and freely communicate with the outside world. This enabled Russians t0 search for information that clarifies what is going on in Ukraine. The official Russian version about what is going on in Ukraine is contradicted by what surviving Russian veterans of the fighting are reporting. These soldiers are paid large bonuses to keep quiet or restrict their comments to how generous the government is to wounded soldiers. This has proved to be insufficient. The information provided by soldiers who have been there, or parents seeking to find out what happened to their sons in the army, has caused growing reluctance to support the Russian operations in Ukraine. More Russians are refusing to report when they receive a conscription notice. Calls for volunteers to serve in Ukraine are being ignored, even at higher pay, as in three to ten times the average monthly income of civilians. The government refuses to provide any clarification, pointing out that such information is a state secret. The United States is now financing efforts to provide Russian citizens with free access to VPN/Virtual Private Networks that the Russian government cannot eavesdrop on or shut down. This effort, which began before the invasion began in February 2022, rose from 48,000 Russian users a day before February 2022 to a million a day a month later. Currently the problem is dealing with the Russian governments efforts to shut down VPNs used by Russians to access foreign websites and communicate with anyone they know living outside Russia. So far in 2024, Russia has shot down 200 local VPNs and passed laws making it a criminal offense for any Russian to distribute or use VPN software. Several million Russians have left Russia since 2022 the invasion began, and millions left between then and the earlier 2014 Russian operation that seized Crimea and the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. When using a VPN most Russians seek out news on the Ukraine fighting at a variety of foreign news sites, including those that provide the news in Russian. This includes Ukrainian news sites. Even the news sites in countries that back Russia like Iran, and China offer more information about the war than the Russian government does. North Korea, another Russian ally, has banned internet use by most North Koreans and restricts use to a few locations that have PCs equipped with VPNs designed to monitor and report on whatever someone on the PC does. North Korea is one of the few nations to use an intranet, an internet that does not allow users to connect to the worldwide web. Only a few government specialists are allowed to use an internet connection to the outside world. The first time the U.S. offered Russians uncensored access to the Internet was in 2014 when the Americans financed efforts to provide access to the Onion Router that made it nearly impossible for Russian internet censors to block users form communication with other Russians as well as others worldwide. This worked and the Russian government was so alarmed that in mid-2014 it offered a prize of $111,000 for whoever could deliver, by August 20th, 2014, software that would allow Russian security services to identify people on the Internet who were using this open connection to the world. On August 22nd Russia announced that an unnamed Russian contractor, with a top security clearance, had received the $111,000 prize. No other details were provided at the time. A year later it was revealed that the winner of the Tor prize was now spending even more on lawyers to try and get out of the contract to crack Tors security. It seems the winner found that his theoretical solution was too difficult to implement effectively. In part this was because the worldwide community of programmers and software engineers that developed Tor were constantly upgrading it. Cracking Tor security is like firing at a moving target and one that constantly changes shape and is quite resistant to damage. Tor is not perfect but it has proved very resistant to attack. A lot of people are trying to crack Tor, which is also used by criminals and Islamic terrorists as well as people trying to avoid government surveillance. This is a matter of life and death in many countries, including Russia. Similar to other anonymizer software, Tor was even more untraceable. Unlike earlier anonymizer software, Tor relies on thousands of people running the Tor software, and acting as nodes for email and attachments to be sent through so many Tor nodes that it was believed virtually impossible to track down the identity of the sender. Tor was developed as part of an American government program to create software that people living in dictatorships could use to avoid arrest for saying or reading things on the Internet that their government did not like. Tor also enabled Internet users in dictatorships to communicate safely with the outside world. Tor first appeared in 2002 and has since then defied most attempts to defeat it. Tors developers were also quick to modify their software when a vulnerability was detected. By 2014 it was believed that NSA had cracked Tor and others may have done so as well but were keeping quiet about it so that the Tor support community did not fix whatever aspect of the software made it vulnerable. At the same time there were alternatives to Tor, as well as supplemental software that were apparently uncracked by anyone. Russia may have been encouraged by an Iranian effort in 2011 that came up with a way to detect Tor users and cut them off from the Internet. For the Iranian censors, that was good enough. This was a blow to American efforts to support the hacker community in keeping the Internet accessible for all users in countries like Iran, Cuba and North Korea. In Iran the government managed to shut down over 90 percent of Iranian user accounts that were using Tor. The Tor developers quickly issued a software update that got around the government detection system. Since Iran had developed the detection software internally, rather than buying them from Western suppliers, it kept modifying its anti-Tor software to regain the ability to detect Tor. But the Tor developers have been able to respond each time, including another round in this battle in 2014. The Russians appear to believe they could help the Iranian effort with a prize completion. The U.S. government, despite a long, combative and acrimonious relationship with the hacker and Internet freedom communities, has been funding work on Internet freedom programs that seek to bypass Internet censorship in dictatorships. The American government provided over $30 million dollars for hackers seeking to create software that will enable people to evade Internet surveillance and censorship. While this anti-censorship software can also be used by criminals, terrorists and spies, the U.S. government believes that these groups already have access to software that can hide them, and that it's more important that police states have reasons to pay attention to what their citizens want. Meanwhile, the American money has funded development of software that makes smart phones safer for users who want to say things to others that their governments disapprove of. All this activity is directed at countries with heavy Internet censorship programs, like China, Burma, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and several African countries. Russia responded by placing more restrictions on Russian Internet users and outlawing a lot of anti-government activity. Some dictatorships have created virtually impregnable Internet controls. This is the case in Cuba and North Korea, where the local Internet is cut off from the global Internet. In effect, the Cuban and North Korean Internet are each restricted to one country, and heavily monitored by the security services. Iran considered that but decided not to implement an Iranian Islamic Internet because the Iranian economy, fueled by huge oil income, has too many useful external contacts. Cutting Iran off from the worldwide web would hurt the economy and cause more unrest. But the clerical dictatorship that runs Iran has managed to recruit some good software development and Internet talent, and, like China, is using a combination of imported technology including Chinese censoring systems and locally developed software to keep most anti-government individuals off the Internet. Dilip Kumars iconic Bandra bungalow is being redeveloped into a luxury residential project, aptly named The Legend. Situated in Mumbais coveted Pali Hill area, this project will feature 19 opulent apartments. Adding to its allure is a 2,000 square foot museum dedicated to the legendary actor, celebrating his remarkable legacy. With sales crossing Rs 500 crore within 15 months, the project has already set a benchmark in Mumbai's high-end real estate market.The redevelopment has drawn significant attention, with one apartment reportedly sold for Rs.155 crore and others fetching an impressive Rs.1.50 lakh per square foot. The total revenue potential is estimated at Rs.850 crore, making it one of the city's most sought-after luxury developments.This project holds special significance for Dilip Kumars wife, Saira Banu, as the bungalow symbolizes their cherished memories. On his 102nd birth anniversary, she reminisced about his generosity and humility, revealing how he often gifted away his most prized possessions. Saira described him as a man fulfilled by art, family, and love, living a life untouched by material desires.Dilip Kumar, born Muhammad Yusuf Khan in 1922, left an unparalleled legacy in Indian cinema. With iconic films like Mughal-e-Azam and Naya Daur, his six-decade-long career immortalized him as a cinematic giant. As fans celebrate his enduring influence, The Legend stands as a tribute to his life and contributions, blending heritage with luxury. Priyanka Chopra Jonas stole the spotlight at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, looking radiant in a shimmery body-con gown. With a fresh, dewy makeup look, she was joined by her husband, Nick Jonas, who looked dashing in a sleek black suit. The couple posed on the red carpet, where the crowd cheered her on by singing Desi Girl, making Priyanka blush. Nick, ever supportive, took to Instagram to shower her with love, calling her the most "brilliant wife." A viral clip showed the couple posing for the paparazzi when the crowd broke into a rendition of Desi Girl, the hit song from the 2008 film Dostana. As the music played, Nick grinned at Priyanka, who smiled back, visibly touched. The song remains a fan favourite,reminding everyone of its massive popularity when it was released. Both Priyanka and Nick shared stunning photos from the evening on social media. Priyanka expressed her gratitude, writing, "Thank you for the wonderful honour Red Sea Film Festival. Congratulations to all the winners and participants. Heres to continually bringing the world of entertainment together." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Priyanka (@priyankachopra) Nick shared his admiration, posting, "What a night it was. Congratulations to all the incredible filmmakers and storytellers honoured tonight. And to my brilliant wife for her award this evening . So proud." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nick Jonas (@nickjonas) Currently, Priyanka has wrapped up filming for the second season of Citadel and is set to star in Heads of State alongside Idris Elba and John Cena. She also teased the possibility of working in a Hindi film at the festival, exciting her fans even more. #AlluArjun was arrested over the Sandhya Theatre stampede case in Hyderabad. The tragic incident resulted in the death of a 39-year-old woman at the #Pushpa2 premiere where the actor made an appearance. #News #Breaking pic.twitter.com/Hp4rRBlmvt Filmfare (@filmfare) December 13, 2024 A video doing rounds on social media suggests that Allu Arjun was arrested and taken to Chikkadpally Police Station. This came after the actor was accused in connection with the stampede that occurred during the premiere show of Pushpa 2: The Rule in Hyderabad on December 4. The stampede resulted in the death of a 39-year-old woman, named Revathi. Her son remains in critical condition.Now, Arjun's team has confirmed that he was not arrested but only detained by Hyderabad police. As per previous reports, the Hyderabad police filed a case against Allu Arjun, the Sandhya Theatre management, and the actor's secretary for not notifying the authorities about Arjun's attendance at the premiere.The actor's team has also stated that he was called by the police to assist with the investigation. But an official statement regarding the incident is awaited. December 13, 2024: President Vladimir Putins disdain for the Russian space program has doomed the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Escalating incompetence among Roscosmos managers and staff crimped efforts to make Roscosmos effective and relevant again. In 2024, the escalating costs of the war in Ukraine forced Russia to cut spending on many non-military programs. The severe economic sanctions imposed on Russia continue causing problems, especially with the Russian space program and the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Roscosmos was usually exempt from budget cuts, but not this time. By mid-2024 the war in Ukraine had left Russia broke and Roscosmos virtually abandoned by a bankrupt Russia. Russian military spending took priority, but that did not extend to the Russian space program. In theory Roscosmos could assist in the military effort but in practice Roscosmos had little to offer. This became evident six months after the invasion when Russia confirmed that it was not withdrawing from the ISS/International Space Station program by 2024 and would scale back its ISS support because of the Ukraine-related Western economic sanctions. That meant other members of the ISS consortium had to provide the transportation services to and from the space station. The Americans were already using the SpaceX passenger and cargo capsules. Other American and European firms had developed similar capabilities. Currently the ISS is supposed to remain operational until 2030. As of early 2024 the ISS has been occupied 23 years. Russia played a major role in ISS design and construction early in the program, but the Russian contributions have been steadily declining over the last few years. Even without the Ukraine War related economic sanctions, the Russian space program was in financial trouble and sanctions only made it worse. The Russian space program suffered from a growing number of problems in the last decade. Russian support for the ISS suffers because Roscosmos is also responsible for maintaining the more important Russian GPS GLONASS satellites as well as all other military communications and surveillance satellites. These activities took priority over projects involving international cooperation. Roscosmos was receiving between $3.4 billion and $3.9 a year until a few years ago. Then the annual budget began to shrink. The 2024 budget is $2.8 billion, which is 70 percent of the peak budget. This spending also has to cover the cost of maintaining the Plesetsk military launch site and other military related facilities. Roscosmos also handles commercial launches at the old Soviet Baikonur launch center in Kazakhstan. Russia rents this site from Kazakhstan and has fallen behind in rent payments. In response Kazakhstan seized Roscosmos assets at Baikonur. Russia is not getting foreign commercial launch business because of Ukraine War sanctions. Currently Russia cant even muster enough troops to threaten Kazakhstan. That is a problem because Russian leader Vladimir Putin recently mentioned Kazakhstan as one of many areas, like Ukraine, that should be absorbed back into Russia. Kazakhstan agrees with Ukraine on the need to oppose Russia on this issue. Currently Russia wants to eliminate all cooperation with Western nations, especially the United States and Europe. Despite this government goal, Roscosmos officials point out that it is not economically possible or technically preferable. Cooperation with the West has increased the capabilities of the Russian space program and provided economic opportunities for Russia. A much larger space program budget would be required and the loss of Western tech and markets for satellite launch services and satellite manufacturing hurts Russia more than the West. There are other problems, some needing immediate attention. For example, GLONASS GPS navigation satellites regularly exceed their expected useful life and have to be replaced before they fail. To keep the GLONASS network operational you need at least 18 operational satellites. Currently Russia has 25 operational with replacement satellites standing by. Until 2023 Russia was using GLONASS -K satellites to replace the older GLONASS-Ms that were past their replacement date. As of 2024 all the replacements are the new K2 models. Before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, sanctions were imposed, Russia had been producing 15 to 17 new satellites a year and many were GLONASS replacement models. Russia cannot afford to replace the aging GLONASS birds quickly enough to prevent shrinkage in the number of satellites required for global coverage. The sanctions mean Russia losing sales of satellites and launch services, including foreign satellites put into orbit. The Russian government insists that Roscosmos can survive without Western nations as partners and customers. Roscosmos officials know better and quietly dismiss government plans to put a Russian space station into orbit after 2030. One reason for this goal being out of reach is that about 90 percent of the satellite components come from Western nations. Seeking substitute components from nations willing to break the sanctions, or smugglers who do it for a living, increases the coast of components. Even then, not all the needed components can be obtained. All these problems mean the end of a long Russian history with space stations. The Mir space station was the last of eight Russian built space stations and the one that remained occupied the longest at 4,594 days. This 130-ton Mir was brought down in 2001 after Russia joined the ISS consortium. The 420-ton ISS has been in orbit since 1998, when the first of 17 modules was operational. Other nations have built similar, but temporary space stations. That effort began in the 1970s with the Russian Salyut 1 but since the 1990s most nations with space programs have put their resources into supporting the ISS. Now the development of commercial space stations will dominate simply because its cheaper and more efficient than government-run operations. This has already happened, again without much media fanfare, in the design, launch and operation of space satellites. While Roscosmos fades away, it is being replaced by the expanding Chinese space program, which is expected to become the dominant national government one by the 2030s. The most obvious aspect of this is space stations. There are only two in orbit. The 419 ton ISS is the largest occupied, usually by a crew of six, the longest in orbit at more than 24 years and the longest occupied at 23 years. The ISS was initially expected to have a useful occupied life of fifteen years. The ISS was completed in 2011. The longer it was up there the more space station tech was developed. That led to extensions to the useful life of space stations. Until recently the ISS was to be used until 2028 but it is proposed to extend that to 2030. Without any new government proposals for a new ISS replacement space station, the only one up there after 2030 would be the Chinese Tiangong 3. This 66-ton space station has been occupied since 2021 and was completed in 2022. Tiangong 3 is supposed to last until 2037 and can be upgraded to last into the 2050s and be doubled in size. China's new space station can be built quickly because space tech has advanced over the years. This new tech has made it practical for commercial firms to consider building and operating space stations. Over the last few years, commercial firm SpaceX has been demonstrating the ability of a non-government operation to operate more efficiently and at much less cost than government run programs. Commercial firm SpaceX developed and used a revolutionary SLV (Satellite Launch Vehicle) tech which greatly reduced the cost of putting anything into orbit. The Chinese didnt use SpaceX tech to build their new space station but are trying to duplicate the SpaceX tech. So far, the ISS has cost about $150 billion to build and operate. The Tiangong 3 cost much less because it's now cheaper to build and launch satellite components and China plans to include lots of space for profitable science experiments. The large number of such experiments carried out in the ISS demonstrated that there is a market for this and thats the motivation behind commercial space stations, especially those using SpaceX SLV tech and similar new tech developed by SpaceX and a number of other firms. Space stations no longer have to be limited to government-funded science experiments. Few noticed how much the costs were coming down at the same time income sources increased. Current plans are to have the first commercial space station operational before ISS retires in 2030. More commercial stations will follow. China seemed to sense this trend when, without much fanfare, they put their first space station into orbit in 2011, This was the eight-ton Tiangong 1. It lasted two years and provided practical experience for the construction and launch of the 8.6-ton Tiangong 2 in late 2016. This one was built to last longer and in early 2017 a Chinese cargo vehicle made an automated docking with the Tiangong 2. This was a major step for the Chinese, who could now maintain two or three people in the Tiangong 2 for up to 30 days with the supplies from one cargo vehicle. China put the first 22 t0n module of the Tiangong 3 in orbit during April 2021 and it has been occupied since September 2021. Two laboratory modules, each weighing the same as the first, are planned for 2022. The first of these was launched on schedule and by the end of 2022 second one went into orbit. This made the initial Tiangong 3 complete. After that three more modules were added to double the crew size to six. China wanted to join the consortium of the United States, Russia, European Union, Japan, and Canada that built and managed the ISS. There was opposition within the U.S. government from Chinese espionage efforts that had obtained data from the United States for peaceful use of space but then used that information for military purposes. The U.S. passed the Wolf Act in early 2011 prohibiting the American space agency NASA from cooperating with China on the ISS. That ended Chinese efforts to participate in the ISS. Later in 2011 China launched, on schedule, Tiangong 1, its first space station. China was in the space station business while Russia desperately sought ways to regain a place in orbital space and once more be competitive. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 12, 2024) - Dynasty Gold Corp. (TSXV: DYG) (FSE: D5G1) (OTC Pink: DGDCF) ("Dynasty" or the "Company") announces that the $0.13 warrants will expire at 5 p.m. (Vancouver Time) on December 15, 2024. The warrants were part of a private placement closed in December 2022. The remaining Company warrants are at $0.27. Mr. Roman Shklanka, a director of the Company, exercised his 300,000 warrants for a total of $39,000. The Company is well funded for its 2025 exploration program and will announce its plans in the new year. "We are encouraged by the drill results that we achieved at Thundercloud in the last three years since its acquisition from Teck Resources Limited ("TECK") in 2021. This resulted in a rapid growth of the NI 43-101 resource (dated September 2021) by approximately 150% primarily due to numerous high grade and long intercepts in many drill holes," commented Roman Shklanka. "The funded exploration program next year should further detail the results to date and extend the resource potential." About Dynasty Gold Corp. Dynasty Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company currently focused on gold exploration in North America with projects located in the Manitou-Stormy Lake greenstone belt in Ontario and the Midas gold camp in Nevada. The Company is currently advancing its Thundercloud gold resource in northwest Ontario as outlined in a NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report, dated Sept. 27, 2021, that can be found on the Company and SEDAR websites. The 100% owned Golden Repeat gold project in the Midas gold camp in Elko County, Nevada, is surrounded by a number of large-scale operating mines. For more information, visit the Company website www.dynastygoldcorp.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DYNASTY GOLD CORP. "Ivy Chong" _____________ Ivy Chong, President & CEO For additional information please contact: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept 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/233629 SOURCE: Dynasty Gold Corp. SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- South Korea's premier global startup event, 'COMEUP 2024,' officially opened on December 11 at COEX, Seoul, hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) led by Minister Youngju Oh. The event gathered startup leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs from over 40 countries, highlighting South Korea's growing role in the global innovation ecosystem. The opening ceremony featured speeches from prominent innovators, including Chan Yoon, CEO of EverEx Inc., and Sina Albanese, CEO of Koralo. EverEx, recognized for its digital rehabilitation solutions for musculoskeletal disorders, gained international acclaim after winning an innovation award at CES 2024. Koralo, known for its plant-based seafood alternatives, established its Korean headquarters after winning the K-Startup Grand Challenge 2022. Minister Youngju Oh emphasized the significance of startups in solving global challenges through innovation. She outlined MSS's strategic goals, including transforming South Korea into a worldwide top-four venture capital hub, facilitating overseas startup expansion, and attracting foreign entrepreneurs through policy reforms. COMEUP 2024, themed "Innovation Beyond Borders," runs from December 11 to 12 and features over 260 startups, with more than half coming from overseas. National pavilions from the UAE, India, Japan, and Sweden spotlight innovations like AI, biotech, and health tech. Key programs include conferences, exhibitions, and investment events. The "Future Talk" segment features global startup leaders discussing cross-border innovation, including Qamar Aftab from Wa'ed Ventures and Sunghyun Park from Rebellions Inc.. Deep-tech companies present cutting-edge technologies on the "Tech Talk 15" stage. The "Startup Valley" public IR pitch event highlights pitches from COMEUP Stars 2024 finalists and includes fireside chats with industry leaders. Open innovation showcases and reverse pitches enhance collaboration between startups and major corporations. The "Global Community" segment supports startup networking and market entry opportunities in regions like the UAE, India, and Africa. The "COMEUP X" initiative, supported by organizations like AWS and KISA, provides specialized startup support programs. International entrepreneurs, including Carlos El-Kik Lloret, CEO of AiMA Beyond AI and recipient of the "Startup Korea Special Visa," are participating. His Spanish startup, specializing in AI-powered digital human solutions, benefited from South Korea's pro-innovation visa policies. Detailed event programs and real-time updates are available on the official COMEUP website and YouTube channel. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2579484/COMEUP_2024_South_Korea_s_Largest_Global_Startup_Event_Begins.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/comeup-2024-south-koreas-largest-global-startup-event-begins-302330902.html North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 12, 2024) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of the Company's annual and special general meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on December 12, 2024. At the Meeting, the number of directors of the Company was set at three (3) with the following directors re-elected at the Meeting: Walter Berukoff, Richard Meli, and Kevin Puil. In addition, shareholders of the Company approved the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Compensation Plan as described in the management information circular dated October 29, 2024 (the "Circular") as well as the re-appointment of Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as the auditor of the Company for the ensuing fiscal year. About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Walter Berukoff, Chairman & CEO Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or the adequacy or accuracy of this release This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labor or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233639 SOURCE: Lion One Metals Limited Meppen, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - December 12, 2024) - Steelwood Interior, a German furniture manufacturer, today released a comprehensive market analysis examining potential economic impacts of the 2024 US presidential election on German industries. The report highlights particular concerns for export-oriented sectors and small-to-medium enterprises in Germany. The report can be found here: https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/wirtschaft/trump-us-zoelle-deutsche-wirtschaft-100.html Potential Challenges for German Businesses The analysis indicates significant uncertainty for the global economy, which could particularly affect German companies. Sectors such as the automotive industry, which heavily rely on exports to the United States, are likely to feel the impact. Smaller, specialized businesses may also face significant challenges due to future trade restrictions and increased tariffs. The report examines potential changes in trade policies, including possible increases in tariffs on products from the European Union. According to Germany's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the U.S. was the largest importer of German goods in 2023, with an export volume of 157.9 billion-the highest share in 20 years. German Furniture Manufacturing Market Analysis German furniture exports to the U.S. rose by 5.6% to 158.4 million from January to July 2024, highlighting the sustained demand for German-made products in the American market. The analysis suggests larger companies already engaged in international trade may face significant challenges from stricter tariff policies, while smaller manufacturers like Steelwood Interior could encounter obstacles to future expansion plans. Although Steelwood Interior does not currently export to the U.S., potential economic changes remain a critical consideration for strategic planning. Increased import costs for high-quality furniture could complicate international trade and intensify price pressures. Simultaneously, proposed tax cuts for U.S. businesses could enhance the competitiveness of American manufacturers. This shift may also influence market dynamics in Europe, posing long-term challenges for companies in the furniture industry. About Steelwood Interior Your table manufacturer from the beautiful Emsland in Germany: We specialize in handcrafted solid wood tables made from steel and solid wood, crafted in Meppen. Our team of carpenters and blacksmiths creates unique, custom-made, and exclusive furniture pieces for you with great attention to detail. Press Inquiries To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233552 SOURCE: Marcel Deer Consultancy MANZINI - A police officer has been arrested in connection with the shooting of a man in the mouth at close range, after a deal that went sour. The incident happened at the mans home on Tuesday morning, at KaHlobile, near Mathangeni, under Kwaluseni Inkhundla, in Matsapha. According to a source close to the matter, the fight ensued after a double-crossing incident. The identity of the police officer will not be revealed for now, pending his court appearance. He said a female from Fairview, in Manzini, had a deal with Somandla Ncongwane (48) of KaHlobile, that he would assist them to load their consignment into a truck that would take it to South Africa, where they would receive it and distribute it to their client. He said Ncongwane was supposed to load the consignment on Friday and one of the contacts in the trucking business allegedly connected him to a truck driver, who was going to leave Eswatini for South Africa on Friday. Source As per the plan, according to the source, Ncongwane sent three of his men to meet the truck driver and load the consignment. However, he said while they were on their way to meet the truck driver around Sundowners, he (truck driver) called and asked them to pick another consignment at Eteni, which they did. He said later on, the truck driver changed the meeting point from around Sundowners and said they should meet him along the Sundowners/Malkerns Public Road. Indeed, the source said they met and the men gave the driver all the consignments. The source said since they were seeing him for the first time, they told him to follow them to Mahhala, as they wanted to withdraw money to pay him. He said their intention was to see him properly, so that they could be able to recognise him, just in case they got double-crossed. However, he said when they called him about 10 minutes later, as they were approaching Mahhala, he did not pick up the call. They said the time was around 8pm and they were calling to tell him where he would find them. At first, he said they thought that maybe he was still busy packing the consignments, but since he was not picking or returning their calls, later on at around 9pm, they then assumed that maybe he was arrested. Thereafter, he said they went to check where they gave him the consignment, but did not find the truck. After that, he said an assumption was that he might have been arrested, they went to look for him at Malkerns Police Station, but again, they did not find the truck. On the following morning, his cellphone was not available on the MTN Eswatini network, the source said. Later on in the day, the source said Ncongwane received a call from his contact, who connected him to the truck driver and asked him if the latter had called to inform him about what happened after his men had dropped the consignment. He said after learning that he did not know what happened, the contact advised him to call the truck driver as he had just spoken to him, which meant that his cellphone had been recharged. Hijacked According to the source, when Ncongwane called the truck driver, the latter claimed that he was hijacked and robbed of the consignment a few moments after his men had left. In fact, he said they had not even driven for about 200 metres, when a Toyota Hilux DG6 LDV, full of men who were armed with guns, stopped the truck. The source said the truck driver alleged that after seeing that he was under attack, he sped off towards Dalcrue Agricultural Holding Limited. He said after finding the gates closed, he stopped the truck, jumped out of it and bolted into sugar cane fields. In the process, he said the truck driver alleged that he lost his cellphone, thus he could not pick their calls on the previous night. After that, the source said the truck driver claimed that the person who got his phone was generous as he gave it to him when he called on Saturday morning. Ncongwane and his men, who did not buy the truck drivers narration, investigated the matter and they confirmed he even reported the hijacking and robbery to the police, the source said.BThe source also alleged that after talking to the truck driver on Saturday, Ncongwane informed his client from Fairview, but they also did not buy the story. He also said when they were investigating the claims of the truck driver, Ncongwane updated his client. However, the client, who believed that Ncongwane was trying to double cross them, threatened him, he alleged. Thereafter, he said on Tuesday, at around 7am, the suspected female dealer from Fairview and the police officer in question, came in two vehicles; a Toyota Vitz sedan and a Toyota Hilux GD6, respectively; arrived at Ncongwanes home and demanded to have an audience with him. He said the police officer in question had a heated confrontation with Ncongwane and it led to a fistfight. However, upon seeing that Ncongwane was overpowering him, he drew a pistol and shot him once in the mouth at close range, the source alleged. He said Ncongwanes teeth, tongue and throat were hit by the bullet and it lodged in one of the bones connected to the spinal code. He said police were called and Ncongwane was rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital, but he was transferred to Mbabane Government Hospital, where he is still receiving medical attention. According to the source, it is not clear if the gun and car (Toyota Hilux GD6), which the police officer used during the incident, belong to him or the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). On the other hand, Ncongwane, who spoke from his hospital bed, said all that he wants to know is why the police officer shot him because he did not have the consignment. However, he could not comment about the incident because he could not speak properly due to the injuries he sustained in the mouth. Meanwhile, Acting Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer, Inspector Mazwi Ndzimandze, confirmed that an attempted murder case had been reported at Matsapha Police Station and it pertains to a 48-year-old man, who was shot in the mouth by a man and a woman. Northlake, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - December 12, 2024) - Creative Nomads is thrilled to announce that the company has been honored with the Netty Award for Web (Best Cross-Platform Development (Non-Profit)). This accolade recognizes the impactful collaboration with AGWM, a project transcending traditional web design to ignite a digital movement. Creative Nomads' partnership with AGWM was not merely about creating a website; it was about pushing boundaries, embracing innovation, and focusing on user experience to empower AGWM to connect with its audience on a deeper level. This dedication to excellence has driven meaningful action and earned us this prestigious award. At Creative Nomads, the company believes in the transformative power of innovation. When Creative Nomads partnered with AGWM, the company saw an opportunity to make a significant impact. Creative Nomads approached the project with a holistic vision, understanding the necessity of a cohesive digital foundation. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, the company crafted a seamless cross- platform experience that enabled AGWM to engage with its audience across web, iOS, and Android platforms. Innovation at Creative Nomads extends beyond technology. The company championed a philosophy of simplicity and clarity in user interactions, streamlining the call-to-actions into three core pillars: Pray, Give, Go. This focus on user experience resulted in a remarkable increase in engagement, with the average time spent on the platform more than doubling. Website traffic also surged, demonstrating the platform's growing relevance and appeal. The impact of Creative Nomads' work with AGWM extended beyond quantitative metrics. Missionaries and stakeholders expressed gratitude for the platform's improved visibility and accessibility, highlighting the ease of connecting with supporters and amplifying their global outreach efforts. This project was about more than just creating a website; it was about crafting a digital experience that resonated with AGWM's mission and values. The company meticulously mapped engagement pathways, guiding users toward meaningful actions like prayer, giving, and volunteering. These pathways were seamlessly integrated into the website structure, ensuring that every interaction was purposeful and impactful. "Winning the Netty Award for Best Cross-Platform Development (Non-Profit) is a testament to our team's dedication and innovative spirit. Our collaboration with AGWM exemplifies how technology and creativity can come together to drive real- world impact. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and look forward to continuing our mission of transforming visions into reality." - Jason Rutel, CEO of Creative Nomads Creative Nomads remains committed to captivating and inspiring through tailored solutions that drive impactful results. The success with AGWM is a shining example of how Creative Nomads help organizations enhance their online presence and connect with their audience more effectively. Join Creative Nomads in a partnership where success is the company's mission, and together, make a lasting impact. Learn more at creativenomads.com. About Creative Nomads Creative Nomads is a forward-thinking design agency committed to bringing your brand's vision to life. We specialize in services including marketing strategy, web design, SEO, and digital content creation. With a blend of strategic insight and creative expertise, we craft tailored solutions that elevate your brand's online presence and drive meaningful engagement. Our approach is professional, engaging, and results-driven. From custom website development and search engine optimization to compelling content creation and branding, we collaborate closely with you to achieve your unique business goals. Partner with Creative Nomads to transform your ideas into powerful digital experiences that inspire and connect. Together, let's create a lasting impact. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233513 SOURCE: Creative Nomads Hyundai Motor Group celebrates a year of innovation at HMGICS, a key hub advancing the Group's sustainable, human-centric mobility vision Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung emphasizes HMGICS's strategic role in advancing Hyundai's vision for future mobility solutions at town hall meeting The Group will continue to foster innovation in manufacturing technology, redefine customer experience, and engage with local community SEOUL, South Korea and SINGAPORE, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) commemorated its first anniversary and reinforced the Hyundai Motor Group's (the Group) vision with Executive Chair Euisun Chung. HMGICS held a town hall on December 12th to celebrate its one-year milestone, share key achievements, and reinforce the organization's pivotal role in Hyundai's global innovation strategy. Alongside Executive Chair Chung, key executives from Hyundai Motor - including Jaehoon Chang, the President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, Juncheul Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of Manufacturing for Hyundai Motor Group, Hyun Sung Park, CEO of HMGICS, and Alpesh Patel, Chief Innovation Officer of HMGICS - joined the conversation with employees. "Our journey has been impressive so far, but the best is yet to come," said Executive Chair Chung, applauding the dedication and hard work of HMGICS employees, who continue to move forward by responding proactively to rapidly changing circumstances. "We can meet the challenges ahead, because we are Hyundai. We can meet the challenges because we have what it takes-the right people like you, and our vision of progress for humanity." Executive Chair Chung reinforced the mission of developing sustainable, innovative mobility solutions and enhancing customer experiences, stating: "HMGICS is exploring new business ideas and technologies that will revolutionize future mobility." Hyundai Motor President and CEO Chang, who will become the Group's Vice Chair as of January 1st, emphasized the role of the innovation hub in the Hyundai Motor Group long-term strategy, saying: "We will proactively develop essential technologies for future factories, such as AI, robotics, and automation, and verify their effectiveness through concrete projects. The expertise accumulated during this process will become key assets for building smart factories and will be applied to Hyundai's global manufacturing sites." A year of innovation and progress HMGICS, Hyundai Motor Group's first global innovation hub for future mobility innovation, is taking the lead across numerous fields, driving advanced mobility solutions in manufacturing technology, R&D, sales, and customer experience. Over the past year, HMGICS has achieved key milestones and showcased success in multiple areas. The implementation of a highly intelligent and automated cell-based production system has led to significant advancements in logistics and assembly automation, powered by robotics, AI, and digital twin technology. HMGICS plans to establish a system capable of producing various types of mobility solutions, including electric vehicles, Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBVs), Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), and robots. The innovative manufacturing technologies developed at HMGICS will be gradually applied to factories globally, including Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia, and the dedicated electric vehicle plant in Ulsan. The future-oriented factories will allow the Group to strengthen manufacturing competitiveness by enhancing safety and convenience for employees while improving operational efficiency. These innovations are setting new benchmarks for the development of future mobility solutions and have contributed to the 2023 production of the Hyundai IONIQ 5-the first locally built EV in Singapore-and the 2024 debut of the Hyundai IONIQ 6, both of which have garnered global acclaim for their design, technology, and eco-conscious manufacturing. The innovation at HMGICS goes beyond manufacturing and extends into the realm of customer experience enhancement. The facility has redefined the customer journey with immersive Discovery Tours, which allow visitors to enjoy a 3D virtual reality tour of the EV production process, take test rides on the Skytrack and explore the site's two-story vertical smart farm. The smart farm within HMGICS supplies produce to Na Oh, a unique Korean restaurant that opened at HMGICS in June based on a seed-to-table concept and led by three-Michelin-Star Chef Corey Lee. This initiative adds a cultural dimension to the broader HMGICS journey, focusing on culinary excellence and enhancing the overall customer experience. HMGICS also actively engages with the local community by nurturing talent and collaborating with research institutions and universities. In 2024, it increased its local workforce by 30 percent, emphasizing R&D and engineering roles. The center also partners with local institutions to offer internships and practical learning opportunities in advanced manufacturing and innovative technologies. The Group will continue to drive innovation and foster a world where businesses and society grow together. With HMGICS at the forefront of this journey, it is committed to embracing continuous transformation to achieve sustainable growth, fueled by technological innovation and the creation of meaningful social value. More information about HMGICS: https://www.hyundai.com/sg/home More information about Hyundai Motor Group: http://www.hyundaimotorgroup.com or Newsroom: Media Hub Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580418/mk01.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580419/mk02.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hyundai-motor-group-innovation-center-singapore-celebrates-first-anniversary-with-group-executive-chair-euisun-chung-302330935.html BEIJING, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024 Global AI Product & Application Expo, a 2-day event showcasing the latest AI technologies and products, kicked off in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) on Tuesday. While focusing on large models, AI generated content, embodied intelligence, industrial AI, etc., the expo organized a series of activities to highlight AI-centered innovation and pool more high-tech growth drivers for SIP. For instance, an opening ceremony, related innovation competition, thematic forums, exhibits showcasing and new products releasing activities approached the crowds of attendees of the expo. During the opening ceremony, winners of the first session of "Zu Chongzhi Award" application program were publicized by Artificial Intelligence Industry Technology Innovation Strategy Alliance to present eminent scientists and research teams in AI sector and bolster global innovation in AI basic research, technologies and application. On another awarding ceremony, nearly 200 teams engaged in AI-related products and application in manufacturing, medicare, and finance sectors from around the world competed for awards of Global AI Product Application Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and 20 ones won the final awards. During the expo, the AI Industry Innovation Cluster Post-doctors Joint Center for Suzhou District of China (Jiangsu) Pilot Free Trade Zone was inaugurated to further strengthen cooperation with the industrial community of Suzhou. To date, the joint center has attracted 10 settlers comprising of AI industry-leading businesses and higher education institutions in China to jointly promote innovation and development of AI technologies in SIP. When 24 "AI+" programs concluded contracts signing on the expo, AI industry ecology was expected to improve further in SIP, especially after a demand list for 20 "AI+" scenarios in sub-sectors such as manufacturing, medicare, education, transportation, governmental affairs, and finance debuted during the expo. On the main forum, industry experts including Gao Wen, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Mei Hong, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sun Ninghui, director-general of China Computer Federation, and John Higgins, chairman of Global Digital Foundation shared their insightful views on further enabling AI development. Currently, SIP, an industrial park that prioritizes AI and digital industries, has gathered more than 1,800 businesses engaged in industrial software, integrated circuit, large models, IT+BT, etc. to seize the emerging opportunities in AI sector for high-tech driven high-quality development. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/343544.html Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580441/AI.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xinhua-silk-road-ai-expo-opens-in-e-chinas-suzhou-industrial-park-to-bolster-high-tech-growth-drivers-302330945.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 12, 2024) - Kovo+ Holdings Inc. (formerly Kovo HealthTech Corporation) (TSXV: KOVO) ("Kovo" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a best efforts private placement (the "Offering") consisting of a minimum of 20,000,000 and a maximum of 28,000,000 common shares (the "Offered Shares") of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Offered Shares for gross proceeds of a minimum of $1,000,000 and maximum of $1,400,000. Kovo has entered into an agreement with FrontFundr Financial Services Inc. (the "Agent") to act as sole agent in connection with the Offering. Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), the Offering is being made to purchasers' resident in all provinces of Canada, except Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106 (the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption"). The securities issued pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will not be subject to a hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. The Agent shall receive a cash commission equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, other than with respect to sales to purchasers on the president's list, if any, for which the Agent will receive a cash fee of 1.0% of the number of Offered Shares issued to purchasers on the president's list. An offering document related to the Offering (the "Offering Document") will be available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website www.kovoplus.co. Prospective purchasers should read this Offering Document before making an investment decision. In addition to the Offering, the Company intends to issue up to 192,800,000 units (each, a "Unit") on a non-brokered private placement basis for gross proceeds of $9,640,000 (the "Concurrent Offering") at a price of $0.05 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of (i) one common share (each, a "Concurrent Offered Share") of the Company and (ii) one-half of one non-transferable common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will be exercisable for a period of 24 months from the Closing Date (as defined herein) (the "Expiry Period") and will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one additional common share prior to the expiry of the Expiry Period at an exercise price of $0.10 per Warrant. The Concurrent Offering will be made available to accredited investors and other eligible investors in all provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and such other jurisdictions as the Company may decide in accordance with applicable laws, including NI 45-106. The securities issued pursuant to the Concurrent Offering shall be subject to a four-month and one-day statutory hold period from the date of issue in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. In connection with the Concurrent Offering, the Company may pay to certain finders a cash commission up to 6.0% of the gross proceeds raised from the sale of the Units. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering and Concurrent Offering, respectively, as more specifically described in the Offering Document and for general corporate and working capital purposes. The closing of the Offering and the Concurrent Offering is anticipated to occur on or about January 24, 2025 or such other date(s) as may be determined by the Company (the "Closing Date") and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the conditional approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Closing of the Offering is not conditional upon the closing of the Concurrent Offering. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States 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 Kovo+ Holdings Inc. Kovo is a versatile technology company leading the charge in AI initiatives to drive impact and innovation across diverse industries. Kovo remains committed to its core business-model of strategic growth opportunities within mid-market Medical Billing firms, where exploitive business optimization synergies exist. Moving forward, Kovo will integrate accretive broader healthcare sector additions to its portfolio and opportunities beyond in multiple new markets. Dedicated to revolutionizing business processes optimization through technological advancements and evolving AI applied methods, Kovo embodies a commitment to ensured and enduring profitability. To learn more about Kovo and to keep up to date on Kovo news, visit www.kovoplus.co. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information are provided to inform the Company's shareholders and potential investors about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and include, but are not limited to, completion of the Offering and the Concurrent Offering and the use of net proceeds of the Offering and the Concurrent Offering. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "anticipate", "proposed", "estimates", "would", "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "will", and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of factors and assumptions that have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Any forward-looking information 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 information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. 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/233648 SOURCE: Kovo+ Holdings Inc. The Standard Grows Its Sibling Brand, The StandardX BANGKOK, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The StandardX brand, which debuted its first hotel in Melbourne's Fitzroy neighborhood, continues its expansion with the recent opening of The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit in November 2024. This second outpost embraces Bangkok's vibrant art scene, offering a rotating art gallery, two culinary concepts, and intentionally minimalist rooms that immerse guests in the local culture. The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit is a stylish hotel located in Bangkok's historic district. It's immersed in a thriving arts scene, with nearby Silapakorn University and 10 10 Art Space, that showcases both visiting and permanent collections by local artists with international recognition, launching with Gongkan and MRKREME. Both artists were commissioned to decorate The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit's streetside and riverfront facades with their signature, eye-catching artwork. Guests can also enjoy stunning river views and easy access to the city's cultural offerings. The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit was designed as a collaboration between The StandardX's in-house team and Studio Freehand. The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit's 62 guest rooms range from 30 to 46 square meters across four categories, from the intimate Cozy King and Cozy Twin to King on the River and the spacious King of Kings. Each room blends the raw, gritty spirit of Bangkok with the modern comforts a discerning traveler expects. Similar to its Melbourne counterpart, The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit offers a unique blend of local and international experiences. The hotel features a Thai restaurant, BANG, an all-day Thai restaurant located on the ground floor, where local ingredients bring a bold perspective to beloved traditional Thai dishes. Dishes include Grilled Chicken (Gor Lae) with Roti, Pong-Neng Fried Mussels and Som Tum Chao Phraya, and The Box, a retail concept store that offers a selection of curated and crafted everyday essentials, snacks, beverages, and local goods. Additionally, The Roof, a rooftop pool bar, serves Mexican-inspired cuisine with stunning river views. The hotel's commitment to sustainability is evident in its partnership with local coffee growers in Nan Province. Opening rates for The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit begins at THB 3,799++. Ready for a big deal with the opening offer? Enjoy up to 15% off your stay, along with complimentary breakfast for two; when you book by 10 December 2024, for stays through 30 June 2025. For more details on The StandardX, please visit www.standardx.com/bangkok. CONTACT: Maprang Pidichanan Macaluso, pidichanan.macaluso@standardhotels.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2579657/The_StandardX__Bangkok_Phra_Arthit___The_Pool_3.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-standardx-bangkok-phra-arthit-debuts-in-asia-302331062.html Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic, and flaring inflammatory skin disease characterized by persistent itch and recurrent skin lesions, and affects approximately up to 40 million people in the European Union (EU) 1-4 Prurigo nodularis is a serious skin disease characterized by chronic itch, skin nodules covering large body areas, and poor sleep quality, which is estimated to affect up to 111 people per 100,000 in the EU 5-10 Nemolizumab is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody that specifically targets IL-31 receptor alpha, inhibiting the signaling of IL-31. 2 IL-31 is a neuroimmune cytokine that drives itch and is involved in inflammation and skin barrier dysfunction in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis 11-13 IL-31 is a neuroimmune cytokine that drives itch and is involved in inflammation and skin barrier dysfunction in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis This positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA)'s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending the granting of marketing authorization of nemolizumab in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis follows the United States Food and Drug Administration's approval of nemolizumab for the treatment of adults with prurigo nodularis earlier in August 202414 Galderma today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion and recommended granting the marketing authorization of nemolizumab for the treatment of both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis in the European Union (EU). The CHMP has recommended nemolizumab's approval for subcutaneous use for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in patients aged 12 years and older who are candidates for systemic therapy, and for subcutaneous use for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis who are candidates for systemic therapy. This follows its approval for the treatment of adults with prurigo nodularis by the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2024.14 This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212936857/en/ Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic, and flaring inflammatory skin disease which affects approximately 10 to 40 million people in the EU, with up to 66% of adults suffering with a moderate-to-severe form of the condition.1-4,15 Often reported as one of patients' most problematic symptoms, 87% of people with atopic dermatitis say they are seeking freedom from itch, with speed of itch relief therefore also prioritized by both patients and physicians.16-19 Atopic dermatitis is also a highly heterogenous disease and can be associated with several comorbid conditions, namely mental health disorders and other autoimmune- or immune-mediated diseases.20,21 Prurigo nodularis is a serious skin condition characterized by several debilitating symptoms, including chronic itch, skin nodules covering large body areas, and poor sleep quality.5-7,10 The condition is underrecognized and underdiagnosed, and its prevalence is not well-documented, but it is estimated to affect between 7-111 people per 100,000 in the EU depending on the country.8,9,12 Given the significant burden these serious diseases place on patients, their families, and caregivers, there is a need for alternative treatment options that may effectively relieve the signs and symptoms.22,23 "The robust evidence base we have built for nemolizumab in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis shows the extent of its potential in improving outcomes for these diseases where the burden and unmet needs remain high. We now await the European Commission's approval decision and hope to be able to bring nemolizumab to patients in the European Union in due course." FLEMMING RNSKOV, M.D., MPH CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GALDERMA This positive CHMP opinion is based on robust results from the phase III ARCADIA and OLYMPIA clinical trial programs in atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis, respectively. The phase III ARCADIA 1 and 2 trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab in 1,728 adolescent and adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Results demonstrated that patients treated with nemolizumab, administered subcutaneously every four weeks in combination with background topical corticosteroids (TCS), with or without topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCI), showed statistically significant improvements in co-primary and key secondary endpoints, when compared to placebo in combination with TCS, with or without TCI, after 16 weeks of treatment, with significant itch relief observed as early as Week 1.24 The phase III OLYMPIA 1 and 2 trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab administered subcutaneously every four weeks in more than 500 patients with prurigo nodularis. The trials met both their primary and key secondary endpoints, demonstrating that treatment with nemolizumab resulted in significant and clinically meaningful improvements in itch and skin nodules at Week 16, with rapid reductions in itch observed as early as Week 4.25,26 Nemolizumab was well tolerated in both trials, and its safety profile was generally consistent with earlier data, and between trials.24-26 The positive CHMP opinion will now be sent to the European Commission for the adoption of a decision on an EU-wide marketing authorization. If approved, nemolizumab would be the first monoclonal antibody treatment available for patients in the EU that specifically targets IL-31 receptor alpha, inhibiting the signaling of IL-31.2 IL-31 is a neuroimmune cytokine that drives itch and is involved in inflammation and skin barrier dysfunction in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis.11-13 "This positive opinion represents an encouraging step forward for patients in the EU with atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis, given the profound impact these conditions have on the lives of patients and their loved ones. With unrelenting itch, accompanied by skin lesions as well as potential mental health implications, new treatment options that have the potential to quickly and effectively treat these conditions are essential." PROFESSOR DIAMANT THACI LEAD INVESTIGATOR OF THE ARCADIA LONG-TERM EXTENSION STUDY UNIVERSITY OF LUBECK, GERMANY This positive opinion from the CHMP follows the U.S. FDA's approval of nemolizumab (marketed as Nemluvio) as a pre-filled pen for subcutaneous injection for the treatment of adults with prurigo nodularis in August 2024.14 The U.S. FDA's review of Galderma's Biologics License Application for nemolizumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis is currently ongoing, with a decision anticipated soon. Galderma also has marketing authorization applications for nemolizumab in both atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis under review by multiple additional regulatory authorities, including via the Access Consortium framework in countries such as Australia, Singapore, and Switzerland, as well as in Canada, Brazil, and South Korea. Further submissions to other regulatory authorities will continue throughout the coming months. Media can find more information about atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis here. About nemolizumab Nemolizumab was initially developed by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. In 2016, Galderma obtained exclusive rights to the development and marketing of nemolizumab worldwide, except in Japan and Taiwan. In Japan, nemolizumab is marketed as Mitchgaand is approved for the treatment of prurigo nodularis, as well as pruritus associated with atopic dermatitis in pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients.27,28 About the OLYMPIA clinical trial program25,26,29,30 The OLYMPIA program included two identically designed, pivotal phase III clinical trials which enrolled 560 patients OLYMPIA 1 and OLYMPIA 2. This is the largest clinical trial program conducted in prurigo nodularis to date, and the only program to include a long-term extension study. These global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trials assessed the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab monotherapy compared with placebo in patients at least 18 years of age with moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis over a 16- or 24-week treatment period for OLYMPIA 2 and OLYMPIA 1, respectively. About prurigo nodularis Prurigo nodularis is a chronic, debilitating, and distinct neuroimmune skin disease characterized by the presence of intense itch and thick skin nodules covering large body areas.6 The majority of patients report that the persistent itch negatively impacts their quality of life.31 Furthermore, the intense itch associated with prurigo nodularis results in significant sleep disturbance and further contributes to reduced quality of life.10,32 About the ARCADIA clinical trial program24,33,34 The ARCADIA program included two identically designed, pivotal phase III clinical trials, which enrolled more than 1,700 patients ARCADIA 1 and ARCADIA 2. These global, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trials, evaluated the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab administered subcutaneously every four weeks compared to placebo (both administered with background topical corticosteroids with or without topical calcineurin inhibitors). The trials were conducted in adolescent and adult patients (12 years and over) with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis for an initial treatment phase of 16 weeks. Patients who responded to treatment (defined as patients who achieved an investigator's global assessment score of clear (0) or almost clear (1), or a 75% or greater improvement in the eczema area and severity index score) were then re-randomized to a maintenance treatment phase for up to 48 weeks. About atopic dermatitis Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic, and flaring inflammatory skin disease, characterized by persistent itch and recurrent skin lesions.1-3 It is the most common inflammatory skin disease, impacting almost four times more people than psoriasis.2,3,35 While currently available treatments may improve some signs and symptoms of the disease, many patients do not respond optimally to approved therapies and do not experience itch relief and clear skin to the same degree.2,13,23,36 About Galderma Galderma (SIX: GALD) is the pure-play dermatology category leader, present in approximately 90 countries. We deliver an innovative, science-based portfolio of premium flagship brands and services that span the full spectrum of the fast-growing dermatology market through Injectable Aesthetics, Dermatological Skincare and Therapeutic Dermatology. Since our foundation in 1981, we have dedicated our focus and passion to the human body's largest organ the skin meeting individual consumer and patient needs with superior outcomes in partnership with healthcare professionals. Because we understand that the skin we are in shapes our lives, we are advancing dermatology for every skin story. For more information: www.galderma.com. References: Yang G, et al. Skin Barrier Abnormalities and Immune Dysfunction in Atopic Dermatitis. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2867. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21082867 Langan SM, et al. Atopic dermatitis [published correction appears in Lancet. 2020;396(10253):758]. Lancet. 2020;396(10247):345-360. doi:10.1016/S0140- 6736(20)31286-1 Stander S. Atopic dermatitis. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(12):1136-1143. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2023911 Luger, T, et al. Clinical and Humanistic Burden of Atopic Dermatitis in Europe: Analyses of the National Health and Wellness Survey. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 12, 949-969 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-022-00700-6 Huang AH, et al. Prurigo nodularis: epidemiology and clinical features. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;83(6):1559-1565. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.04.183 Pereira MP, et al. European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology European prurigo project: expert consensus on the definition, classification and terminology of chronic prurigo. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018;32(7):1059-1065. doi:10.1111/jdv.14570 Stander S, et al. IFSI-guideline on chronic prurigo including prurigo nodularis. Itch. 2020;5(4):e42. doi:10.1097/itx.0000000000000042 Ryczek A, et al. Prevalence of Prurigo Nodularis in Poland. Acta Derm Venereol. 100: adv00155 (2020). Stander, S, et al. Epidemiology of Prurigo Nodularis compared with Psoriasis in Germany: A Claims Database Analysis. Acta Dermato-Venereologica. 100(18), 1-6 (2020). https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-3655 Joel MZ, et al. Risk of itch-induced sleep deprivation and subsequent mental health comorbidities in patients with prurigo nodularis: A population-level analysis using the Health Improvement Network. E-poster presented at EADV 2023. Abstract available online Silverberg JI, et al. Phase 2B randomized study of nemolizumab in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and severe pruritus. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;145(1):173-182. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2019.08.013 Bewley A, et al. Prurigo Nodularis: A Review of IL-31RA Blockade and Other Potential Treatments. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2022;12(9):2039-2048. doi:10.1007/s13555- 022-00782-2 Kwatra SG, Misery L, Clibborn C, Steinhoff M. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of itch and pain in atopic dermatitis and implications for novel therapeutics. Clin Transl Immunology. 2022;11(5):e1390. doi:10.1002/cti2.1390 NEMLUVIO (nemolizumab-ilto) injection 30 mg Prescribing Information. Dallas, TX: Galderma Laboratories, L.P.; August 2024 Oisin S, et al. 545 Prevalence of moderate and severe atopic dermatitis in Ireland: a cross-sectional, real-world study of a secondary care population., BJD. 2024;190(S2): ii43-ii44. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad498.045 Silverberg JI, et al. Patient burden and quality of life in atopic dermatitis in US adults: a population-based cross-sectional study. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;121(3):340-347. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2018.07.006 Penton H, et al. Assessing Response in Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review of the Psychometric Performance of Measures Used in HTAs and Clinical Trials. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023;13(11):2549-2571. doi: 10.1007/s13555-023-01038-3 Augustin M, et al. Real-World Treatment Patterns and Treatment Benefits among Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: Results from the Atopic Dermatitis Patient Satisfaction and Unmet Need Survey. Acta Derm Venereol. 2022;7;102:adv00830. doi: 10.2340/actadv.v102.3932. PMID: 36479885; PMCID: PMC10508272. Durno, N, et al. Biologics and oral systemic treatment preferences in patients and physicians for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: a discrete choice experiment in the United Kingdom and Germany. J Dermatol Treat. 2024; 35(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2024.2417966 Avena-Woods C. Overview of atopic dermatitis. Am J Manag Care. 2017;23(8 suppl):S115-S123. PMID:28978208 Hahn EL, Bacharier LB. The atopic march: the pattern of allergic disease development in childhood. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2005;25(2):231-46v doi:10.1016/j.iac.2005.02.004 Chisolm SS. A Review of the Current Management and Burden of Prurigo Nodularis in the United States. AJMC. 2023;29(suppl 5):S63-S72. doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2023.89366 Lobefaro F, et al. Atopic Dermatitis: Clinical Aspects and Unmet Needs. Biomedicines. 2022;10: 2927. doi:10.3390/biomedicines10112927 Silverberg J, et al. Nemolizumab with concomitant topical therapy in adolescents and adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (ARCADIA 1 2): results from two replicate double-blinded, randomised controlled phase 3 trials. Lancet. 2024. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01203-0 Stander S, et al. Nemolizumab monotherapy improves itch and skin lesions in patients with moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis: Results from a global phase 3 trial (OLYMPIA 1): Late breaking abstract presented at EADV 2023 Kwatra SG, et al. Placebo-controlled phase III trial of nemolizumab in patients with prurigo nodularis. N Engl J Med. 2023;389: 1579-89. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2301333 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Maruho Obtained Regulatory Approval for Mitchga, the first Antibody Targeting IL-31 for Itching Associated with Atopic Dermatitis. Available online. Accessed December 2024 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Mitchga Approved for Itching in Pediatric Atopic Dermati-tis and Prurigo Nodularis, for its Subcutaneous Injection 30mg Vials. Available online. Accessed December 2024 ClinicalTrials.Gov. A Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Nemolizumab (CD14152) in Participants With Prurigo Nodularis (PN). Available online. Accessed December 2024 ClinicalTrials.Gov. An Efficacy and Safety Study of Nemolizumab (CD14152) in Participants With Prurigo Nodularis. Available online. Accessed December 2024 Todberg T, et al. Treatment and burden of disease in a cohort of patients with prurigo nodularis: a survey-based study. Acta Derm Venereol. 2020;100(8): adv00119. doi:10.2340/00015555-3471 Kwatra SG. Breaking the itch-scratch cycle in prurigo nodularis. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(8):757-758. doi:10.1056/NEJMe1916733 ClinicalTrials.Gov. Efficacy and Safety of Nemolizumab in Subjects With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis (NCT03985943). Available online. Accessed December 2024 ClinicalTrials.Gov. Efficacy Safety of Nemolizumab in Subjects With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis (NCT03989349). Available online. Accessed December 2024 Raharja A, et al. Psoriasis: a brief overview. Clin Med (Lond). 2021;21(3):170-173. doi: 10.7861/clinmed.2021-0257 Katoh N, Ohya Y, Ikeda M, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for the management of atopic dermatitis 2018. J Dermatol. 2019;46(12):1053-1101. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.15090 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212936857/en/ Contacts: For further information: Christian Marcoux, M.Sc. Chief Communications Officer christian.marcoux@galderma.com +41 76 315 26 50 Emil Ivanov Head of Strategy, Investor Relations, and ESG emil.ivanov@galderma.com +41 21 642 78 12 Sebastien Cros Corporate Communications Director sebastien.cros@galderma.com +41 79 529 59 85 Jessica Cohen Investor Relations and Strategy Director jessica.cohen@galderma.com +41 21 642 76 43 The new cobas 6800/8800 systems 2.0 enhances throughput, run flexibility, enables sample prioritisation and is available as an upgrade to existing systems in healthcare settings around the world. Laboratories can now perform a wider range of tests on a single solution, simplifying laboratory logistics and helping to optimise the use of resources. Basel, 13 December 2024 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today the CE certification of the new cobas 6800/8800 systems 2.0. The update significantly enhances the efficiency of laboratories by optimising resources, reducing downtime, consolidating test menus, and increasing throughput. These improvements ultimately promise a more streamlined diagnostics experience for healthcare professionals and their patients. "This update marks another significant milestone for Roche," said Matt Sause, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. "With our history of leading innovation in automated molecular testing, it represents another competitive leap forward in our efforts to advance PCR technology by combining unprecedented throughput together with the flexibility that laboratories require to deliver for physicians and patients." Unified User Experience and Innovative Technologies The majority of the cobas test menu is available with the release of the update, including the powerful new Temperature-Activated Generation of Signal. TAGS technology enables up to 15 targets to be detected simultaneously in a single patient sample on the high throughput molecular diagnostic analysers cobas 5800, 6800 and 8800 systems. The cobas 6800/8800 systems are designed to address challenges faced by mid-to-high volume molecular testing laboratories. Bringing the latest innovations to transform the testing experience, the systems offer intelligent workflows, unrivalled throughput, proven performance, established reliability, and outstanding flexibility. With this upgrade, the cobas family of solutions provides a unified user experience, incorporating significant innovations from the newest addition to the family, the cobas 5800 system. The U.S. 510(k) clearance from the FDA will follow with submission planned for 2025. About Roche Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world's largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice. For over 125 years, sustainability has been an integral part of Roche's business. As a science-driven company, our greatest contribution to society is developing innovative medicines and diagnostics that help people live healthier lives. Roche is committed to the Science Based Targets initiative and the Sustainable Markets Initiative to achieve net zero by 2045. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com . All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. Roche Global Media Relations Phone: +41 61 688 8888 / e-mail: media.relations@roche.com Hans Trees, PhD Phone: +41 79 407 72 58 Sileia Urech Phone: +41 79 935 81 48 Nathalie Altermatt Phone: +41 79 771 05 25 Lorena Corfas Phone: +41 79 568 24 95 Simon Goldsborough Phone: +44 797 32 72 915 Karsten Kleine Phone: +41 79 461 86 83 Nina Mahlitz Phone: +41 79 327 54 74 Kirti Pandey Phone: +49 172 6367262 Yvette Petillon Phone: +41 79 961 92 50 Dr Rebekka Schnell Phone: +41 79 205 27 03 Attachment Alexandre Stricher claimed victory, after cutting emissions by a third during a live final The final marked the end of a year-long season - which saw participants from 92 countries compete and achieve an average emissions reduction or battery saving of 9% The FIA Smart Driving Challenge is the world's only challenge that unites all drivers to adopt smart, safe, eco-friendly behavior at the wheel STOCKHOLM, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The winner of the 2024 Season of the FIA Smart Driving Challenge (FIA SDC) has been announced following the live final in Kigali, Rwanda. Mobilite Club France member Alexandre Stricher claimed the prize, after beating Thierry Benchetrit at the Kigali event. During the competition, he achieved a 33% CO2 reduction compared to the average driver.* "I would like to congratulate Alexandre Stricher for this extraordinary achievement," said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President. "His score shows that every driver can make a difference - even just in their everyday commute. We all have a role to play in the journey towards a more sustainable and safer planet." Now in its sixth year, the FIA SDC is a year-long in-app competition, which encourages drivers to take a safer and more sustainable approach to their everyday journeys. With scoring and guidance on how to improve each journey, the app helps drivers to make real-life changes and create better roads for tomorrow. "I am delighted to see the growth and success of this challenge across the 2024 season," said Willem Groenewald, FIA Secretary General for Automobile Mobility. "It is encouraging to see both the number of participants, and the way in which the app can encourage behavioral change and carbon emissions reductions. "Change happens through awareness. By utilizing digital technologies to provide tangible, measurable results, we can enable meaningful change in the mobility sector and guide drivers with knowledge towards safer driver choices." This Season, drivers from 92 countries took part in the Challenge. They saw an overall 9% reduction in CO2 emissions or battery usage compared to the average driver. Greater Than, a leading provider of risk intelligence into road safety and climate impact, provides AI scoring for the app. "Transport is an essential part of life, but one that contributes greatly to global emissions. The FIA SDC demonstrates that everyday drivers can reduce their impact on the planet with just a little effort, and collectively this can result in big change," said Johanna Forseke, Chief Business Officer and Deputy CEO at Greater Than. "Congratulations to the winner, to the runner-up and to all those who continue driving using the FIA SDC to remain more aware of the link between driving behavior and climate impact." Winner Alexandre Stricher has claimed the title four times, including in Kigali, Rwanda. "I'm extremely passionate about making changes that benefit the environment, and this is such a fun way to make a difference," said Alexandre. "I encourage everyone to join the FIA SDC to see how easy it is to reduce the impact of everyday trips." The 2024 Season final of the FIA SDC - which has been supported by several FIA Member Clubs since its launch - was hosted by FIA Member Club Rwanda Automobile Club during the FIA General Assemblies week in Kigali. It is part of a wider FIA sustainability program at the event, which also featured a Sustainable Innovation Series conference, and a content session on the FIA's sustainable goals for 2025. *The percentage of battery usage or CO2 emissions savings is calculated based on Greater Than's AI technology. The data of each trip is analyzed and transformed into a unique DriverDNA profile that is then compared to a database of over 7 billion DriverDNA profiles to evaluate CO2 savings. CONTACT: Press contact, Greater Than PR@greaterthan.eu +46 855 593 200 www.greaterthan.eu Press contact, Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) press@fia.com www.fia.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/greater-than/r/winner-announcement-tops-off-successful-fia-smart-driving-challenge-2024-season,c4081748 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/11629/4081748/3170882.pdf Greater Than - FIA SDC winner annoucement 2024 https://news.cision.com/greater-than/i/20241212-fia-sdc-kigali,c3362622 20241212 FIA SDC Kigali View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/winner-announcement-tops-off-successful-fia-smart-driving-challenge-2024-season-greater-than-302331126.html TOKYO, Dec 13, 2024 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) issued its "SUSTAINABILITY DATABOOK 2024" (the Databook), this year's edition of its annual report summarizing non-financial information of MHI Group, primarily outlining its initiatives to address environmental and social issues.*The Databook provides the public with information on the progress being achieved by MHI Group in its sustainability management strategy, which targets simultaneous achievement of social sustainability and its own corporate sustainability. Content is divided into four sections respectively describing the Company's actions relating to sustainability management, the environment, Society, and governance. Related information is disclosed together with detailed performance data.The 2024 edition of the Databook newly incorporates information on the Company's strategies for applying its human resources to achieve its 2024 Medium-Term Business Plan and building its corporate future further beyond. Also included are information on MHI Group's intellectual property strategy and expanded information disclosure in line with recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.The Databook is issued as a supplement to the "MHI REPORT," which provides both financial information on the Company's management strategies, business performance, etc., as well as non-financial information relating to the environment, society, etc. Taken together, the "MHI REPORT" and "SUSTAINABILITY DATABOOK" offer readers a comprehensive overview of MHI Group's management strategies and initiatives for achieving sustainability.In recent years, society has called for business corporations to undertake management guided by sustainability needs on a global scale. Going forward, MHI Group will continue to address issues affecting society and provide information on its related initiatives in easily understandable formats to a broad range of stakeholders.*Please access the following link for more information on SUSTAINABILITY DATABOOK 2024. www.mhi.com/sustainability/library/pdf/sustainabilitydatabook2024.pdfAbout MHI GroupMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Copyright 2024 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. PHUKET, Thailand, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- House of Tin Baron, the historic landmark in Phuket Old Town transformed into a luxurious lifestyle destination, opened its doors on 1stDecember 2024, heralding a new era of refined luxury in Phuket. Presenting two exceptional dining experiences for discerning diners, the world's first and only Louis Roederer Cristal Room at House of Tin Baron and Terra, an exquisite Italian restaurant, House of Tin Baron is destined to become Phuket's most coveted address. Situated within Phuket's vibrant historic Sino-Portuguese district, House of Tin Baron has been masterfully reimagined by global architecture and design firm dwp, building upon the original design concept by Ong-ard Satrabhandhu, the renowned Thai National Artist and architect. The design seamlessly blends traditional architecture with contemporary aesthetics, honoring the site's rich heritage. A welcoming oasis of lush landscaping and a reflective pond complement the building's historical splendor, while meticulously preserved elements, including keystone arches, semi-circular windows, and limestone columns, speak to the enduring significance of this Sino-Portuguese gem. Louis Roederer Cristal Room at House of Tin Baron Louis Roederer Cristal Room at House of Tin Baron offers an unparalleled champagne experience, a tribute to the rich heritage of Louis Roederer Cristal, originally created for Tsar Alexander II of Russia in 1876. The opulent interior, shimmering with luminous white, gold, and champagne hues, elevates every sip to pure indulgence. Intimate nooks, artfully crafted from repurposed window alcoves, bask in the warm glow of a magnificent chandelier, while a freshly whitewashed balustrade adds a final touch of timeless elegance. Within this exquisitely appointed sanctuary, guests can indulge in the world's most prestigious selections, including Cristal Brut and Rose, alongside rare vintages such as the celebrated 2008 and 2012 with expertly guided sommelier-led tastings. Terra Terra, the exquisite Italian fine dining destination, embodies its namesake, "earth", by offering a transcendent culinary experience rooted in the finest seasonal ingredients sourced from across the globe. Executive Chef Okan Ozturk's curated tasting menus and a la carte options masterfully blend Italian culinary heritage with sophisticated global influences, allowing the pure essence of each ingredient to shine. This reverence for nature's bounty is echoed in the restaurant's warm and inviting ambiance, adorned with rich earthy tones of brown and green, accented by gleaming brass and bronze. Elevating the experience further, the centerpiece show kitchen, Dolce Terra, presents innovative interpretations of classic Italian desserts, while the enchanting outdoor Piazza provides an idyllic alfresco setting beneath the stars. "As Phuket emerges as a premier destination for culinary artistry and luxury lifestyle, House of Tin Baron stands at the forefront of this exciting evolution," shared Deepak Ohri, CEO of Luxury Atelier Maison Happiness (LAMH) and visionary behind House of Tin Baron. "We invite guests to experience an unparalleled journey into Phuket's history and culture at House of Tin Baron, where the rich threads of its heritage are woven together with the dynamism of modern luxury. Here, the past informs the future of hospitality, creating a truly unique and luxurious escape." For more information and reservations, visit House of Tin Baron's Official Website. Louis Roederer Cristal Room at House of Tin Baron Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 5 PM - 1 AM Terra Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 5 PM - 12 AM (Last seating 10:30 PM) Please download high-resolution images here. House of Tin Baron: Phuket's Premier Lifestyle Destination House of Tin Baron, a historic landmark in Phuket's Old Town, has been transformed into a luxury lifestyle destination by Luxury Atelier Maison Happiness (LAMH) under the visionary leadership of Deepak Ohri. This reimagined venue offers an unparalleled experience amidst the rich heritage and stunning Sino-Portuguese architecture. Guided by the vision of creating a space where every guest feels welcomed, valued, and alive through exceptional dining experiences and a unique blend of fun and celebration, the world's first Louis Roederer Cristal Room at House of Tin Baron showcases an exclusive selection of Cristal Champagnes. Guests can also indulge in exquisite Italian cuisine at Terra, led by a chef formerly of Michelin-starred establishments, and enjoy a remarkable range of premium drinks at the Azul Bar. At the heart of Phuket's vibrant cultural and economic tapestry, the House of Tin Baron aims to play a pivotal role, contributing to the community's growth and emerging as a premier destination for locals and tourists alike. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580539/House_of_Tin_Baron_Reflective_Pond_at_the_Main_Entrance_Daytime_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/phukets-newest-luxurious-lifestyle-destination-house-of-tin-baron-opens-302331146.html MBABANE While civil servants are grappling with lack of housing, Mozambican cane cutters and others occupy governments two-bedroom houses in the Lubombo Region. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) made the shocking discovery at Maphobeni, under Siphofaneni Inkhundla, during an inspection-in-loco recently. The three two-bedroom houses were found with dirty windows and some without window panes. The ceiling board is used by the squatters, who include Mozambican nationals, to start fire when cooking their food. The shocking discovery, which left the PAC and the auditor general (AG) in disbelief, was made a couple of days ago, when the PAC conducted an inspection-in-loco of the houses that were built through taxpayers money. Query The visit was prompted by an audit query that was raised by the AG in the Financial Audit Report on the Consolidated Government Accounts of the Kingdom of Eswatini for the Financial Year ended March 31, 2019. The AG reported that three government two-bedroom houses have been abandoned and vandalised. The houses belong to the Ministry of Agriculture. Upon engagement with the then controlling officer, it was mentioned that the houses used to be occupied by extension officers, who were deployed in the area, but they are no longer there. The controlling officer communicated two options they had for the houses. The first option was to hand over the houses to the Ministry of Education and Training, so that they could be utilised by teachers. The second option was to hand the houses to the police. Notably, the nearest police station is at Siphofaneni. Since 2019, the houses have been in a dilapidated state. This year, when the PAC requested an update from the ministry, the committee was told that an agreement with the police had been signed, to hand over the houses, and they were utilised by the police. A couple of days ago, the PAC paid a surprise visit to the premises at Maphobeni, along St Phillips route, under Siphofaneni Inkhundla, and they were left gobsmacked. Lies Contrary to the information that was given by the ministry and community leaders, when the PAC arrived at the scene, not even a community police member was occupying the houses that were built with taxpayers money, let alone members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). The Director of Agriculture and Extension Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Nelson Mavuso and Senior Extension Officer Phumelele Dlamini, were part of the visit by the PAC. Mavuso told the PAC that the houses were neither occupied by police officers nor any government employees. During the tour, Mavuso explained that when development came into the area, the officers were moved, thus leaving the houses unoccupied. Due to the sugar cane development, the officers were no longer going to be needed and were relocated, Mavuso said. He shared that the community had been requested to keep an eye on the property. Unfortunately, it was discovered that there were pockets of untruthfulness in the matter, as even some leaders claimed that people who tried to occupy the houses were barred from doing so by the community police.When the PAC conducted the inspection-in-loco, it found interesting characters occupying the houses. When the team arrived, five men were relaxing under one of the trees in the vicinity of the compound. The PAC was not aware if they were occupants, hence when the committee arrived at the scene, it was discovered that these were actually people who were occupying the house, as their belongings were found there. The PAC engaged some of the occupants, who were found in the houses. These were supposed to be modern houses, with fitted cabinets, ceiling and wired. The PAC discovered that some of the rooms were used as emadladla (traditional kitchens). This meant that the occupants were using firewood when starting fire in these houses. Material from the cabinets and ceiling from the houses were also used to start fire. Further, the area was not fenced, making it easy for people to move in and out of the compound. The PAC engaged the occupants and learnt that some of them were not emaSwati, while others were said to be emaSwati. The individuals are employed by one of the contractors in the local sugar cane schemes. When they were asked if they pay rent and who they pay it to, they said the rent was supposed to be deducted from their salaries, since the plan was that their employer would provide them with housing. We were shown this place as alternative accommodation, while our employer was sorting out the accommodation issue, said one of the occupants by the surname Mondlane. One of the houses was occupied by seven males and in others there were three male occupants. This information was given to the PAC when it engaged the individuals. There were no window panes, floors were discoloured, fittings and doors were vandalised. The walls and roofing in some of rooms of the houses were black due to the smoke from the fire when the occupants cook. There were also inscriptions on the walls. Clothes were found scattered on the floors, which showed that all the houses were occupied. Another house had curtains and seemed to be locked, but it was still not in a good state. Houses Noteworthy, these are not the only houses under the Ministry of Agriculture that have been found to be in a bad condition. The PAC also visited three government institutional houses at Mndobandoba, under Nkilongo Inkhundla. One of the discoveries at Mndobandoba was that the houses were taken over by traditional authorities, and one of them was allegedly sold to an individual for E47 000, while others were occupied by Mozambican nationals. Following the site visit, the PAC Chairperson, Madala Mhlanga, expressed the committees disappointment in finding government houses in a bad state. The audit query is still pending, given that the PAC is yet to make further recommendations after the site visits to these areas. In the recently tabled PAC recommendations report, which was later adopted by the House of Assembly, the PAC chairperson told the Members of Parliament (MPs) that over E2 billion government funds and property had been misused or mishandled in all ministries and departments. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Spearmint Resources Inc. (CSE: SPMT) (OTC Pink: SPMTF) (FSE: A2AHL5) (the "Company" or "Spearmint") wishes to announce that it has more than doubled the acreage on the recently acquired George Lake South Antimony Project in New Brunswick, Canada. This project now consists of 4,722 contiguous acres prospective for antimony. James Nelson, President of Spearmint, stated, "In light of the recent ban of antimony by China to the USA, we made this strategic acquisition increasing the size of the George Lake South Antimony Project. Management feels that antimony will be one of the most sought after resources in 2025 and we plan to pursue this space with vigor and are currently evaluating additional projects. Management is formulating a plan on the George Lake South Antimony Project, and management also intends to update the market on Spearmint's crypto diversification plan in the near future as well. These are truly exciting times for Spearmint and Spearmint shareholders." Recently, China banned exports of critical minerals, including antimony, to the United States. As trade tensions escalate between the United States and China, this move clearly emphasizes the urgent need for Western nations to secure reliable long-term sources of these critical minerals, which are now at the forefront of the global supply chain crisis. Antimony is an essential component in semi-conductors, battery storage technology, and has several military applications. Prices of antimony trioxide in Rotterdam had soared by 228 per cent since the beginning of the year to $39,000 a metric tonne on Nov. 28, as shown by data from information provider Argus. The move is a considerable escalation of tensions in supply chains where access to raw material units is already tight in the West. This new project is in the direct vicinity of the Lake George Antimony Mine in New Brunswick which was operated intermittently from 1876 to 1996 and was once the largest primary antimony producer in North America. Antimony's primary uses are: Semiconductors and Electronics: The growing electronics and semiconductor industries require antimony, making it a critical material for technological development, including infrared sensors and components for military and aerospace uses. Battery Technology: Antimony is also used in lead-acid batteries and in emerging technologies, such as energy storage and lithium-ion battery enhancements, which is a significant driver of demand in the future. Flame Retardants: The demand for antimony remains strong due to its use in flame-retardant materials, which are essential in a wide range of products like textiles, electronics, and plastics. As safety regulations around fire-resistant materials become stricter, the need for antimony-based compounds continues to grow. About Spearmint Resources Inc. Spearmint holds the include four projects in Clayton Valley, Nevada: the 1,136-acre McGee lithium clay deposit, which has a resource estimate of 1,369,000 indicated tonnes and 723,000 inferred tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) for a total of 2,092,000 tonnes of LCE, directly bordering Pure Energy Minerals & Century Lithium Corp.; the 280-acre Elon lithium brine project, which has access to some of the deepest parts of the only lithium brine basin in production in North America; the 124-acre Green Clay lithium project; and the 248-acre Clayton Ridge gold project and now the 4,722 acre George Lake South Antimony Project in New Brunswick. For a cautionary note and disclaimer on the crypto diversification, please refer to the news release dated November 12, 2024. Qualified person for mining disclosure: The technical contents of this release were reviewed and approved by Frank Bain, PGeo, a director of the company and qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. This property was acquired via staking. "James Nelson" President Spearmint Resources Inc. The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233645 SOURCE: Spearmint Resources Inc. BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Germany's wholesale prices continued to decline in November, though at a slightly slower pace, data from Destatis revealed on Friday.Wholesale prices decreased 0.6 percent year-on-year in November, slower than the 0.8 percent drop in October. Wholesale prices have been falling since May 2023, and the latest drop was the weakest in four months.Data showed a 10.9 percent plunge in wholesale prices of mineral oil products. Prices in the wholesale trade of data processing and peripheral equipment fell 6.4 percent, and costs for iron, steel, and semi-finished products slid by 5.4 percent.On a monthly basis, wholesale prices remained flat in November, following a 0.4 percent rise in October.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - Heineken Holding N.V. (HKHHF), a Dutch brewing company, Friday announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Jean-Marc Huet as the Chair, succeeding Maarten Das.The company will propose to appoint Huet as a non-executive member of the Board for a maximum period of four years at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in April 2025.Das, who held the role of Chair since 2002, is expected to retire as a non-executive member when his current term ends at the AGM.Further, Huet will resign from his roles as a member and Chair of the Supervisory Board of Heineken N.V. at its AGM in April 2025.Huet is currently the Chairman of the Board of Lonza Group and also serves as the Chair of the Supervisory Board at Vermaat Groep.At the AGM, Heineken Holding Board plans to recommend the reappointment of Alexander de Carvalho as a non-executive member of the Board for another four-year term.In Amsterdam, Heineken Holding shares were trading at 58.95 euros, down 0.25 percent.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Riyadh Action Agenda provides launchpad for international engagement Over $12 billion secured for land restoration and drought resilience initiatives Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership mobilizes international action RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Arabia's COP16 Presidency has delivered the largest meeting of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to date, mobilizing state and non-state actors in a landmark moment for the fight against land degradation, desertification and drought. COP16 in Riyadh has seen a raft of major international partnerships announced to enhance land restoration and drought resilience efforts, whilst amplifying international awareness of the global crises caused by continued land degradation. During the critical UN talks, Saudi Arabia's UNCCD COP16 Presidency launched the Riyadh Action Agenda to spur lasting contributions, engagement and action on global drought resilience and land restoration. The Riyadh Action Agenda has already begun collaboration with over 100 new and existing initiatives. A policy priority for the tenure of Saudi Arabia's UNCCD COP16 Presidency, it will engage with countries, the private sector, financial institutions, international organizations, NGOs, and other stakeholders to either strengthen existing initiatives that bolster global action on land degradation, desertification and drought or champion new initiatives. "The Riyadh Action Agenda has already helped galvanize state and non-state actors around the world. However, COP16 in Riyadh is just the beginning of its impact, and Saudi Arabia's UNCCD COP16 Presidency will continue to engage with everyone from the investment community, NGOs and scientists to Indigenous Peoples and farmers, to maximize its lasting global legacy," said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency. Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, said: "We express deep gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting this first-ever UNCCD COP in the Middle East and North Africa region, spotlighting innovative solutions and showcasing regional leadership on land and drought issues. UNCCD COP16 attracted more than 24,000 registered participants and featured more than 600 events as part of the first-ever Action Agenda to involve non-state actors in the work of the Convention." COP16 in Riyadh has secured over $12 billion in funding pledges from major international organizations, amplifying the role of financial institutions and the private sector's role in combating land degradation, desertification and drought. As part of the Riyadh Action Agenda, it saw the launch of the groundbreaking Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership. The partnership has already mobilized over $2 billion in funding for drought resilience, and will operate alongside the UNCCD, countries, international organizations and other stakeholders. It will target the 80 countries most vulnerable to drought. "The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership will work to deliver a transformative shift in how drought is tackled around the world. Harnessing the collective impact of major global institutions, it will move drought management beyond reactive crisis response, through enhancing early warning systems, financing, vulnerability assessments, and drought risk mitigation. This stands to be a landmark moment for combatting international drought, and we are calling on countries, companies, organizations, scientists, NGOs, financial institutions and communities to join this pivotal partnership" Dr. Faqeeha added. A total of seven thematic days took place in both the Green and Blue Zone to galvanize public and private sector action, including Land Day, Agri-food System Day, Governance Day, People's Day, Science, Technology and Innovation Day, Resilience Day, and Finance Day. Both the Green and Blue zone have seen over 57,000 participants and thousands of events, dialogues, and panel discussions. Announcements made during the thematic days included Saudi Arabia's launch of the REMDY project, an AI-driven platform for land health assessment. As part of the Riyadh Action Agenda, Saudi Arabia's UNCCD COP16 Presidency also announced the launch of an international initiative for sand and dust storm monitoring, expanding global early warning systems. Based in Jeddah, the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS), increases the number of global World Meteorological Organization-affiliated nodes to four. Saudi Arabia also pledged $10 million in funding over the next five years to enhance early warning systems in countries currently unable to monitor for sand and dust storms. Meanwhile, throughout COP16 in Riyadh the UNCCD has released a raft of major publications highlighting the urgency in tackling land degradation, desertification and drought. The UNCCD's financial risk assessment catalogued the $278 billion annual shortfall in funding for land restoration and drought resilience. The report stressed the urgent need for private sector engagement. The UNCCD also issued a landmark report into the growing global expansion of drylands, finding three-quarters of the Earths land became permanently drier over the last three decades. "From food and water insecurity to conflict and migration, it is indisputable that land degradation, drought and desertification are driving global crises that impact almost every person on our planet. COP16 in Riyadh has been a turning point in raising international awareness of the pressing need to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience," said COP16 Presidency Advisor Faqeeha. "Throughout COP16 in Riyadh, I have been encouraged by the frank and bold discussions taking place, it is my hope that the international community now turns this into action. Saudi Arabia's UNCCD COP16 Presidency is only just beginning, and we intend to intensify our engagement with both the public and private sector over the coming years to mobilize global resources, enhance collaboration, and ultimately, restore land," added Dr. Faqeeha. ABOUT COP16 RIYADH The UNCCD COP16 conference will take place from December 2-13, 2024, at Boulevard Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. The conference, themed 'Our Land. Our Future', will mark the 30th anniversary of UNCCD and aims to secure multilateral action on critical issues such as land restoration, drought resilience, land tenure, and sand and dust storms. For more information about UNCCD COP16, or to register your interest in attending the Green Zone please visit UNCCDCOP16.org Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580239/UNCCD_COP16.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2556588/5076034/UNCCD_COP16__Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/turning-point-cop16-concluding-with-accelerated-action-and-ambition-to-fight-land-degradation-and-drought-302331182.html Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. HAMILTON, Bermuda, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoegh Evi Ltd. ("Hoegh Evi" or the "Company") today announced that funds managed by Igneo Infrastructure Partners ("Igneo") have entered into agreements to acquire a 50% ownership stake in Larus Holding Limited, the 100% owner of Hoegh Evi, from funds managed by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners ("MSIP"). Aequitas Limited ("Aequitas") will retain its 50% shareholding and long-term commitment as owner in the Company. "Hoegh Evi and Aequitas deeply value the close collaboration we have had with MSIP through an extraordinary period where we strengthened our role as a market leader in LNG infrastructure and key provider of energy security in Europe. As we expand our focus to include clean energy solutions, Igneo offers deep expertise and resources to support innovation and further growth, aligning with Hoegh Evi's position as global leader in floating infrastructure for energy security and the transition," said Morten W. Hegh, Chairman of Hoegh Evi. "Hoegh Evi is a global leader in delivering floating energy infrastructure to countries advancing energy security and a pioneer in the energy transition. As long-term, responsible investors, we are fully aligned with Hoegh Evi's strategy to continue as a trusted provider of FSRUs and LNG infrastructure, while expanding its focus to include infrastructure for ammonia, hydrogen and carbon molecules," said Niall Mills, Managing Partner and Global Head of Igneo Infrastructure Partners. "MSIP identified Hoegh Evi early as a trusted owner and operator of floating storage and regasification import terminals with strong growth potential. During our ownership, the company significantly strengthened its commercial and strategic standing. We are grateful for having had the opportunity to support Hoegh Evi during this period," said Alberto Donzelli, Managing Director and Co-Head of Europe at Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners. Hoegh Evi is the issuer of senior unsecured bonds listed on Oslo stock exchange, with ISIN NOK0010873755 (the "Bonds"). The Company intends to repay the Bonds at maturity and before the closing of the Transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA are acting as financial advisors to the Company. White & Case LLP, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP and Watson Farley & Williams LLP as legal advisors to the Seller, Aequitas and Company, respectively. Citigroup Global Markets Limited is acting as financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP and Advokatfirmaet Schjdt AS are legal advisors to Igneo. For more information: Hoegh Evi Christine Corkery Steinsholt, Head of Communications and Marketing, christine.steinsholt@hoeghevi.com | +47 95095481 Igneo Infrastructure Partners Igneo@mhpgroup.com About Hoegh Evi Hoegh Evi is the vital link to secure transition-delivering fast, adaptable, and secure solutions that respond to countries' evolving energy needs. For 50 years, Hoegh Evi has been a pioneer and global leader in floating energy infrastructure, with one of the world's largest fleets of FSRUs (floating storage and regasification units) for importing natural gas. Today, Hoegh Evi is building the infrastructure needed to make the energy transition possible, with floating terminals for ammonia and hydrogen import, the world's first floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker, and services for carbon transport and permanent storage. Hoegh Evi is a global company with a highly skilled global team of 900 employees at sea and onshore. Learn more at hoeghevi.com About Igneo Infrastructure Partners Igneo is an autonomous investment team in the First Sentier Investors Group. It invests in high-quality, mature, mid-market infrastructure companies in utilities, energy infrastructure, waste management and transportation/ logistics sectors. Operating since 1994, the team works closely with portfolio companies to create long-term sustainable value through innovation, a focus on responsible investment and proactive asset management. Igneo manages US $20.0bn worth of assets (as of 30 September 2024) on behalf of more than 200 investors around the world. About Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (MSIP) is a leading global private infrastructure investment platform with over $17 billion in assets under management since inception. Founded in 2006, MSIP has invested in a diverse portfolio of over 40 investments across transport, digital infrastructure, energy transition and utilities. MSIP targets assets that provide essential public goods and services with the potential for value creation through active asset management. For further information, please visit www.morganstanley.com/im/infrastructurepartners. About Aequitas Limited Aequitas Limited ('Aequitas') is the principal investment holding company of the Hegh family, indirectly owned and controlled by Leif O. Hegh and family trusts under which Morten W. Hegh and his immediate family are the primary beneficiaries. Aequitas owns various industrial businesses such as Hoegh Evi, Hoegh Autoliners (OSE: HAUTO), Hoegh Eiendom and HCP Africa, alongside a diversified multi-asset class portfolio of financial investments managed by Hoegh Capital Partners. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/hoegh-evi/r/igneo-infrastructure-partners-to-acquire-the-ownership-interest-in-hoegh-evi-ltd--held-by-funds-mana,c4081922 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/16996/4081922/3171469.pdf Release - Igneo Infrastructure Partners acquire ownership interest in Hoegh Evi_FINAL View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/igneo-infrastructure-partners-to-acquire-the-ownership-interest-in-hoegh-evi-ltd-held-by-funds-managed-by-morgan-stanley-infrastructure-partners-302331189.html UNDERSTANDING AI: A NEW ERA OF OPPORTUNITY AND UNCERTAINTY FOR PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES IN 2025 OVER 12 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UK PLAN TO LEARN ABOUT AI AS THEIR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION 30%[1] OF THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO ENGAGE WITH AI FEEL THEY RISK FALLING BEHIND PROFESSIONALLY OR ACADEMICALLY IF THEY DON'T START LEARNING BY 2025 46%1 AGREE THAT AI WILL FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TECHNOLOGY LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2024 / As we move into 2025, the conversation around Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to evolve. New consumer research commissioned by the leading tech event for business leaders in the UK, Tech Show London reveals that over 12 million UK consumers plan to make learning AI a New Year's resolution for 2025. This growing interest in mastering AI signals a shift towards greater understanding and engagement with the technology that is increasingly shaping our lives. Nearly half of those surveyed (46%1) agree that AI will fundamentally transform our relationship with technology-echoing a claim made by Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella about the transformative potential of AI. Will I be left behind? 30%1 of those who have yet to engage with AI feel they risk falling behind professionally or academically if they don't start learning by 2025, with this increasing to 39% of 25-34s and decreasing to 24% of over 55s. This highlights a pivotal moment: as AI advances, the concern about being left behind is growing more urgent. Do we really understand AI and its impact on our daily lives? According to the new consumer research, 22% of people claim they don't engage with AI at all in a typical week, yet many are unknowingly using it in their daily lives. A closer look at tech habits shows that 60% of people engage with search engines, 39% use online/mobile apps, and 29% interact with smart devices-all of which rely on AI technologies. Despite frequent use, many people still approach AI with confusion or caution. In fact, 41%1 of people admit to feeling more concerned than excited about it. Younger generations, however, are more enthusiastic: only 37%1 of those aged 25-34 express concern, while 45%1 report using AI more this year than ever before. Interestingly, 28%1 of people say they feel a need to "master AI" in 2025, with this figure rising to 37%1 among 25-34-year-olds. As a result, learning about AI is becoming a common New Year's resolution: 23%1 of people (28%1 men, 18%1 women) plan to focus on mastering AI in the year ahead. The AI generational divide The shift towards embracing AI appears to reveal a generational divide. Younger adults aged 25 to 35 are at the forefront, whilst older generations remain more cautious, only 15%1 of those over 55 reported increased AI usage this year. AI and cyber security: what to expect in 2025 With 2025 just around the corner, experts predict significant changes in the world of cyber security. AI's ability to both create and mitigate security threats will be a central focus of conversations in the tech world. One key trend emerging for the coming year is the integration of AI in threat detection and response. AI is becoming an essential tool in identifying and neutralising sophisticated cyber-attacks in real time. However, with AI's growing influence in the cyber security space, there are concerns about new vulnerabilities. "As AI becomes more embedded in security infrastructure, the risk of AI-driven cyber-attacks increase," says Jake Moore, cyber security expert. "In 2025, businesses must ensure they're not only utilising AI to protect data but also securing their systems against AI-based threats." Tech Show London 2025 will be the perfect platform to explore these issues in-depth, bringing together innovators, cyber security experts, and industry leaders to discuss the future of technology. The event will explore both the opportunities AI offers and the challenges it presents in areas like data privacy, ethics, and security. Conclusion: seizing the opportunity amid uncertainty As AI continues to shape the future of work, education, and daily life, embracing uncertainty and understanding the evolving tech landscape will be key to staying ahead. Tech Show London 2025 is not only an opportunity to dive deeper into the world of AI but also to understand how businesses can leverage innovative technologies to thrive amid uncertainty. "We are entering a transformative period in which embracing new technologies-and understanding their implications-is essential," says Moore. "At Tech Show London, we'll take a critical look at how AI can drive both innovation and disruption, ensuring that organisations are prepared for the opportunities and challenges ahead." Tech Show London 2025 will be held at Excel London, bringing together thought leaders, industry pioneers, and technology enthusiasts for an unforgettable exploration of the future of AI, cyber security, and digital innovation. "AI is undeniably reshaping industries, but with its growing adoption comes significant concerns, especially around data security. We must be mindful of the potential risks and ensure that cyber defence systems evolve to meet these new challenges. 2025 will be a pivotal year for understanding AI's full potential whilst maintaining robust security measures." Jake Moore, Cyber Security Expert. "As we look ahead to 2025, it's clear that AI is not just a buzzword-it's a critical technology that will impact how we work, learn, and interact with the world around us. At Tech Show London, we'll be bringing together leaders and innovators from across the tech sector to explore both the exciting opportunities and the challenges AI presents. This research reflects how many people are realising the importance of understanding AI, and we are excited to help equip them for this transformative journey." Simon Press, Portfolio Director at Tech Show London. -ENDS- MEDIA CONTACT: TechShowLondon@markettiers.com Mobile: +971 058 165 0658 Contact: Charlotte Joseph About Tech Show London Tech Show London is the UK's leading technology event, bringing together global experts, innovators, and pioneers from the fields of AI, cyber security, and digital transformation. The event offers a platform to discover the latest in tech trends, explore emerging technologies, and connect with key industry leaders. The research was conducted by Opinion Matters, among a sample of 2000 UK Respondents (16+). The data was collected between 29.11.2024 - 02.12.2024. Opinion Matters abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Opinion Matters is also a member of the British Polling Council [1] Combining answer options "Strongly agree" and "Somewhat agree" SOURCE: Tech Show London View the original press release on accesswire.com For the first time, Subway UAE localizes its menu, celebrating iconic flavors with two new subs, a side dish, and exclusive merchandise inspired by Dubai's vibrant street vendor culture, created by Waggish. Subway UAE hosted an event in collaboration with Karak Nights featuring Emirati and regional music talent. DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time ever, Subway UAE has localized its menu, pioneering this bold move in partnership with Excellence Hot Sauce, to celebrate the fusion of bold flavors, local nostalgia, and the UAE's vibrant music and arts scene. The initiative introduced two limited-edition subs and a side dish inspired by the UAE's beloved cafeteria culture, where Excellence Hot Sauce and crispy chips reign supreme. The campaign went beyond the plate, featuring a cultural event in collaboration with Karak Nights, and an exclusive merchandise collection by Waggish, drawing inspiration from Dubai's bustling street culture. Held on December 7, 2024, the launch was hosted at MOB in Kempinski Mall of the Emirates. At the heart of this campaign was a celebration of Excellence Hot Sauce and chips, both cherished staples of UAE cafeteria culture. For decades, this iconic combination has added its signature heat, crunch and tang to elevate street food across the region. Subway UAE's new menu pays homage to these nostalgic flavors, reimagining them for today's audience. The lineup features three bold creations: Fresh & Furious, with crispy chicken bites, Excellence Hot Sauce, and crunchy Chips; Wahed Sub Laham, combining tender beef Philly steak, melted cheddar, Excellence Hot Sauce, Chips, fresh vegetables, and ranch dressing; and the side dish, Fery Good, Fery Nice (Dynamite Chicken), starring crispy Dynamite Chicken bites enhanced with Excellence Hot Sauce and Chips. "The beauty of this campaign lies in its ability to take something deeply rooted in local culture and give it a fresh, contemporary perspective," said Ibrahim Hasan, Regional Head of McCann Content Studios - MENA. "Subway UAE proves that with the right approach, global brands can tell local stories with authenticity and impact." Celebrating the launch, a multisensory event was hosted in collaboration with Karak Nights, an initiative known for celebrating UAE narratives. The evening featured a lineup of artists, including Emirati sensation Alya Al Ali, alongside Noor the DJ, DJ Hind Fadel and DJ Ill Baz, all known for their genre-defying energy. "This collaboration with Subway UAE was a natural extension of what Karak Nights stands for-celebrating the narratives that define UAE's culture," shared Aaron Ferns, Co-Founder of Karak Nights. "We were proud to play a pivotal role in curating an event that not only honored cafeteria culture but also created a space where art, music, and heritage came together to resonate with the community." The evening also featured the launch of a limited-edition merchandise collection designed by Waggish. Inspired by Dubai's Street vendor culture, the line included hoodies, and stickers that combined street-style aesthetics with Subway's playful branding. As the global QSR restaurant created this local statement, Mahmoud Mneimne, Marketing Director for Subway UAE said, "Our goal was to craft an experience that captures the soul of UAE cafeteria culture while offering a fresh and innovative take. "We're proud to have created something that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new, reflecting the vibrant community we serve." The limited-edition menu is available across Subway UAE outlets. About Subway Restaurants As one of the world's largest quick service restaurant brands, Subway serves freshly made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls to millions of guests, across more than 100 countries and territories in nearly 37,000 restaurants every day. Subway restaurants are owned and operated by Subway franchisees - a network that includes thousands of dedicated entrepreneurs and small business owners - who are committed to delivering the best guest experience possible in their local communities. Subway is a Registered Trademark of Subway IP LLC. 2024 Subway IP LLC For more Subway News visit: newsroom.subway.com About Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group Established in 1987, the Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group started its business operations with one of the earliest The Body Shop franchises in Jeddah, KSA. Since then, the Group has evolved to become a leading independent brand owner as well as a trusted long-term franchise partner. Today, the Group has 675 stores, employing about 3,200 professionals representing a global mix of 50 nationalities working across seven countries. Editor's Notes: Credits for the campaign: Subway UAE Marketing Director: Mahmoud Mneimne Mahmoud Mneimne Marketing Executive: Sara Abdelsamad Media Agency: Magna Senior Media Manager : Tala Fayed : Tala Fayed Planning Executive : Aya Harb : Aya Harb Performance Manager : Sergio Moubarak : Sergio Moubarak Performance Executive: Faye Fletcher Social Media & Influencer Marketing Agency: Momentum Head of Digital - Ibrahim Hasan - Ibrahim Hasan Social Media Manager - Maria Corban - Maria Corban Digital Strategist - Kenza Djoudi Kenza Djoudi Senior Social Media Executive - Ashraf Hamad - Ashraf Hamad Associate production manager - Yemann Aung - Yemann Aung Content Creator - Melquiades Abrera - Melquiades Abrera Content Creator - Umair Imtiaz Umair Imtiaz Regional Direction (influencer marketing) - Rami Gholmieh Rami Gholmieh Director (influencer marketing) - Razan Zahra Razan Zahra Manager (influencer marketing) - Menna Shawky For media inquiries, please contact: Current Global: rawtaney@currentglobal.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580674/Subway_UAE.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/subway-uae-teams-up-with-excellence-hot-sauce-to-serve-up-uaes-nostalgic-flavors-in-every-bite-302331207.html HONG KONG, Dec 13, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - Investment Highlights- Player at the Frontline of the Booming Cobot Industry- Robust Research and Development Capabilities Guided by a Long-termist Mindset- Proprietary Full-stack Technologies Covering All the Key Aspects in the Cobot Development Cycle- Comprehensive Product Matrix Catering to a Wide Array of Use Cases- Successful Commercialization Underscored by Global Footprint and Clientele- Visionary and Experienced Management TeamSHENZHEN DOBOT CORP LTD ("DOBOT" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, collectively referred as the "Group") has recently announced the details of the proposed listing of its shares on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ("HKEx") (the "Share Offer").DOBOT plans to offer a total of 40,000,000 shares, subject to over-allotment option, comprising 2,000,000 Public Offer Shares and 38,000,000 Placing Shares, at an Offer Price range between HK$18.80 and HK$20.80 per Offer Share. The Public Offer opened at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 13 and close at 12:00 noon on Wednesday,December 18. The allotment results will be announced on Friday, December 20. Dealings in H shares on HKEx are expected to commence on Monday, December 23, under the stock code 2432.HK.Guotai Junan Capital Limited and ABCI Capital Limited are the Joint Sponsors. Joint Bookrunners are Guotai Junan Securities (Hong Kong) Limited, ABCI Capital Limited, China PA Securities (Hong Kong) Company Limited,Shenwan Hongyuan Securities (H.K.) Limited and TradeGo Markets Limited.Company OverviewDOBOT is one of leading companies that specializes in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of collaborative robots, or commonly known as"cobots." DOBOT is a top 2 player in the global cobot industry and the No.1 player among all Chinese cobot companies, with a global market share of 13.0% as measured by shipment volume in 2023, according to the CIC Report. The global cobot industry is at a nascent stage of development, whose market size accounted for less than 2% of the global robot industry in terms of revenue in 2023. According to the same source, the Group ranked seventh in the global cobot industry with a global market share of 3.6% in terms of global revenue generated from cobots in 2023.The Group is focusing on industry innovation, particularly in cobot safety measures and AI capabilities, by introducing the flexible e-skin technology, SafeSkin, and launching AI-empowered cobots underpinned by its AI cobot empowering platform, X-Trainer. As of 6 December 2024, the Group offered a total of 27 cobot models in four series, catering to numerous use cases in manufacturing, retail, healthcare, STEAM education, scientific research settings and many more. During the Track Record Period, the Group sold a total of over 53,000 cobots globally.Business Model and Market OutlookCobots are robots with operational robotic arms intended for direct human-robot interaction or collaboration within a shared space or where humans and robots are operating in proximity. DOBOT is primarily engaged in the design,development, manufacturing and commercialization of cobots. Its cobot products are adopted by global customers for various use cases in manufacturing, retail, healthcare, STEAM education, scientific research settings and many more. All of the cobot products are designated Specialist Technology Products. The Group adopted a transaction[1] based model for the sales of the cobot products.The global cobot market size has grown significantly from US$466.6 million in 2019 to US$1,039.5 million in 2023,at a CAGR of 22.2%, and is expected to reach US$4,950.0 million by 2028, at a CAGR of 36.6% from 2023 to 2028.In particular, China is playing an increasingly important role in the global cobot market, with its share in the global cobot market projected to increase from 26.3% in 2023 to 37.2% in 2028, at a CAGR of 46.5% from 2023 to 2028.The proliferation of AI technologies is expected to further accelerate the adoption of cobots in more use cases. The Group believes DOBOT is well positioned to capture the substantial market opportunity.Financial HighlightsThe total revenue of the Group was approximately RMB174.3 million, RMB241.0 million, RMB286.7 million for FY2021, FY2022, FY2023, respectively, at a CAGR of 28.3% and increased by 9.6% from RMB109.9 million in the six months ended June 30, 2023 to RMB120.5 million in the six months ended June 30, 2024. The Group's export volume of cobots has consistently ranked first in China for six consecutive years, according to the CIC Report.The Group recorded gross profit of RMB88.1 million, RMB98.2 million, RMB124.8 million, and RMB52.8 million in 2021, 2022, 2023 and the six months ended June 30, 2024, respectively. The gross profit margin in 2021, 2022 and 2023 was 50.5%, 40.8%, 43.5% and 43.9%, significantly above the industry average. The outstanding margin profile is largely attributable to the global distribution network and an international clientele. In 2021, 2022, 2023 and the six months ended June 30, 2024, overseas markets contributed 48.1%, 58.1%, 59.1% and 61.4% of the total revenue, respectively. The cost advantages also stem from the proprietary development of key components and in-house design and development of key components as well as economies of scale as demands for the products continue to grow, coupled with the ongoing ramp-up of the production base in Rizhao, Shandong. Being a major port city, Rizhao's proximity to the port significantly reduces transportation costs, facilitating efficient global export of the products. The favorable margin profile not only improves the financial performance but also affords us more flexibility in marketing strategy tailored to an increasingly competitive landscape.In 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Group had losses for the year of RMB41.8 million, RMB52.5 million and RMB103.3 million, respectively, and in the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2024, the Group had losses for the period of RMB51.7 million and RMB59.9 million, respectively. This mainly attributes to the fact that the Group is in the stage of expanding the Group's business and operations in the rapidly growing cobot market and are continuously investing in research and development.Competitive StrengthsAs one of the leading companies in the cobot industry, the Group believes that its success is attributable to the following competitive strengths: Firstly, DOBOT is one of the leading players at the frontline of the booming cobot industry, which has been recognized by world-renowned customers for its outstanding technical capabilities and product strength, and has led to a number of advance technological innovations, especially in cobot safety measures and AI capabilities. At the same time, the Group adheres to the long-termist mindset and guides its product R&D, and the Group's research and development initiatives are geared towards sustainable growth and enduring impact. Leveraging its interdisciplinary research and development capabilities, the Group has become one of few in the global cobot industry, according to the CIC Report, that have developed proprietary full-stack technologies that cover all the key aspects in the cobot development cycle. In addition, the Group has a comprehensive product matrix catering to a wide array of use cases; More importantly, under the leadership of its experienced management team, the Group continues to expand its market share through the successful commercialization of its global business and customers.Growth StrategiesIn future, the Group pursues the following strategies to further grow the business: (1) continue to advance technology development, including further investing in the research and development of proprietary key components of cobots, investing in the research and development of AI technologies, further improving its motion control algorithms, and building a full-perception technology architecture to expand the perception and interaction capabilities of our cobots and continue to enhance the safety measures in human-robot collaboration to meet the requirements in various use cases; (2) continue to expand the Group's product offering and ecosystem to maintain its competitive edge in comprehensive product offerings by further upgrading existing products and launching new products; (3) enhance production capabilities and capacity to streamline supply chain management by introducing advanced manufacturing technologies and equipment to the production lines; (4) further fortify the Group's sales network to expand global reach. The Group plans to establish three overseas subsidiaries in Thailand, Mexico and United Arab Emirates to seize the business opportunities; and (5) selectively pursue strategic collaboration, investment and acquisition opportunities to integrate industry resources that may help the Group acquires new technologies, expand sales channels and tap into new industries where most of potential customers have their designated cobot integrators or suppliers.Mr. Liu Peichao, Founder, Controlling Shareholder, Chairman of the Group's Board, executive Director and general manager of DOBOT concluded, "We are pleased to witness this significant milestone in the Group"s history.Through the Group's listing on the Main Board of HKEx, we will tap into the international capital markets. This will not only broaden the Group's capital and shareholder base, but will also provide us with capital to fund the Group's expansion plan, which will finally strengthen the Group's position in the industry and further enhance the Group's competitive advantages, thereby driving the Group's long-term development."Looking ahead, we are committed to further developing and consolidating the Group's position in the collaborative robotics industry. The growth rate of the global collaborative robot industry will far exceed the growth rate of the traditional industrial robot industry. It is expected that the popularization of AI technology will further accelerate the adoption of cobots in more use cases. With considerable growth and the Group's own full-stack technology, we look forward to capturing the global cobot market opportunity to maintain our leading position in the industry and create greater value for the shareholders."For further enquiries, please contact Bright Communications International Limited:Ms. KungMobile: (852) 46371627Email: ir@brightcommns.comSource: SHENZHEN DOBOT CORP LTDCopyright 2024 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - The leaders of the Group of Seven have reaffirmed their full support for an inclusive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition process in the spirit of the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.'We stand ready to support a transition process under this framework that leads to credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance that ensures respect for the rule of law, universal human rights, including women's rights, the protection of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities, transparency and accountability,' the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union said in a joint statement.They vowed that G7 will work with and fully support a future Syrian government that abides by those standards and results from that process.The informal grouping of seven of the world's advanced economies emphasized the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes and said it will continue to work with the OPCW and other partners to secure, declare and destroy Syria's remaining chemical weapons stockpiles.The G7 group reiterated its support for the UN Disengagement Observer Force monitoring the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria.The UNDOF was established by the Security Council in May 1974 to maintain the ceasefire between Israeli and Syrian forces in the mountainous Golan and supervise the areas of separation.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes against targets in Syria since the overthrow of the Assad regime, and called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the demilitarized zone in the strategically important Golan Heights.Since the de facto authorities of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham armed group took control of Damascus on Sunday, Israeli forces reportedly took over an abandoned Syrian military post overlooking the city in the Golan border region and other parts of the 'areas of separation' between Israel and Syria.Israeli forces have not only moved into parts of the separation zone, but also conducted a 'defensive' air campaign against weapons stockpiles, military facilities and assets such as airfields, as well as bombing naval vessels off the Syrian coast. Israel says the airstrikes are on a temporary basis only until new security measures are put in place.Many areas of Syria are not under the control of HTS, with several armed groups holding territory in the south, the far north and the north-east, where Kurdish fighters have reportedly captured the town of Deir-ez-Zor. The Islamic State terrorist group's affiliates also maintain a foothold in central Syria, where US warplanes have been targeting them this week.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Chinese tourist arrivals in Hungary nearly double in 2024 Xinhua) 10:57, December 13, 2024 BUDAPEST, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The number of Chinese tourists visiting Hungary reached 183,000 in the first 10 months of this year, nearly doubling last year's figure, according to a statement from the Hungarian Ministry of National Economy (NGM) to Xinhua. During the same period, Chinese tourists spent a total of 441,000 nights in Hungarian accommodations, marking a 75-percent increase year-on-year. In October alone, 27,000 Chinese visitors accounted for 59,000 guest nights, reflecting growth rates of 67 percent and 51 percent, respectively, compared to the same month last year, the NGM reported. The surge in Chinese tourist arrivals is attributed to several factors, including Hungary's distinction as the first Schengen country to welcome official Chinese tourist groups after the easing of pandemic-related travel restrictions in 2023. Marketing and promotional campaigns by Visit Hungary, a subsidiary of the Hungarian Tourism Agency, also played a crucial role in the rebound. These efforts included targeted social media campaigns, partnerships with online travel agencies, and high-profile projects such as filming popular Chinese reality shows in Budapest, which highlighted Hungary's cultural and historical attractions to millions of Chinese viewers. The ministry expressed its intention to further enhance Hungary's position in China, one of the world's largest outbound travel markets. Currently, Budapest is connected to seven major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, via 21 weekly flights -- a 50-percent increase compared to pre-pandemic levels. Hungarian Minister of National Economy Marton Nagy recently announced plans to construct a third terminal at Budapest Airport. The airport is expected to handle 18 million passengers this year, with projections reaching 20 million by 2030. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 49th International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC) held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from November 12 to 13, Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute won the highest honor of the event, the international gold award. This is the company's first time to receive this honor. The company fully applies the concepts of digital design and process reengineering. It's innovative achievement of effectively shortening the modeling time of three-dimensional models, reducing the time of design iterations, and improving design quality and efficiency finally stood out in the fierce competition with more than 1,900 groups from 12 countries and regions around the world. The company's digital application QC group has always been committed to the top-level planning, overall management, and development and construction of digital design, and given full play to the leading role of design in the digital transformation of nuclear power, providing a solid guarantee for digital construction, digital operation and maintenance, and digital delivery, and making every effort to improve innovation ability and the effectiveness of digital transformation and development. In the future, the company will continue to deepen digital transformation, improve professional skills, generate new quality productive forces, and fully meet the needs of digital transformation and development in the nuclear power industry chain, injecting new vitality and impetus into the global nuclear power cause and its digital transformation, and contributing to promoting economic and social development. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/digitalization-achieves-remarkable-results-again-the-first-icqcc-international-gold-award-302331248.html 3 contracts signed, including one with Dallas, the ninth largest city in the country. Itineris, a global leader in innovative SaaS solutions for utilities, has recently secured three new contracts in the United States. Dallas, the ninth largest city in the country, is one of the three new customers. Additionally, De Watergroep, the largest drinking water company in Flanders (Belgium), has extended its partnership with Itineris by five years. Dallas partners with Itineris to modernize its IT landscape With Itineris' software, Dallas Water Utilities (DWU), located in Texas, aims to modernize its business processes and enhance services for the 2.6 million residents of Dallas and 27 surrounding cities. DWU delivers more than 150 billion gallons of water annually through an extensive network of more than 5,000 miles of pipelines. Following an intensive evaluation process, DWU selected Itineris-headquartered in Ghent, Belgium and supported by their U.S. division in Atlanta, GA-and its cloud-based software solution, UMAX. UMAX will replace outdated systems for meter readings, billing, and water management, and will also include a brand-new customer portal. The contract spans 10 years.Following previous successful implementations in cities such as New York City; Boston; Baltimore; Tallahassee, Florida; and Lansing, Michigan; this marks the second-largest contract for Itineris in North America. Two additional major contracts secured in the U.S. Itineris has also recently signed contracts with Gwinnett County Water, serving 270,000 water customers in Georgia, and Arizona Water Utilities, its first investor-owned utility (IOU) customer, heralding the company's entrance into a new market segment. Largest drinking water company in Flanders extends partnership Alongside its successes in the U.S., Itineris has extended its collaboration with De Watergroep-the largest drinking water company in Flanders, Belgium-by at least five years. This partnership, which began in 2007, highlights the strong relationship and mutual trust between the two companies. "Our software solution, UMAX, has become the reference solution in the U.S. utility market, and we are extremely proud of that," said Edgard Vermeersch, CEO of Itineris. "Welcoming three new customers in the U.S.-including the renowned utility company Dallas Water Utilities-demonstrates that our innovative technology, customer-centric approach, and proven track record are resonating throughout the market. We are also very pleased that De Watergroep has reaffirmed its long-standing trust in us. Our investments in the platform and the introduction of new solutions that support the energy transition have proven to be a great success. We are also seeing strong interest across Europe. We have built a powerful platform that supports our customers in modernizing their operations in a rapidly changing landscape." SOURCE: Itineris View the original press release on accesswire.com NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2024 / Black Book Research has revealed key insights into the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems in countries without universal healthcare systems. These findings are part of the 2025 Black Book of Global Healthcare Information Technology report, which will provide comprehensive analysis and vendor performance rankings for global healthcare markets. In nations where healthcare is driven primarily by private sector investment, EHR adoption faces unique challenges, including high implementation costs, fragmented systems, and limited regulatory frameworks. Yet, the potential for growth and innovation in these markets makes them an important focus for EHR vendors worldwide. "The lack of centralized oversight in non-socialized healthcare systems often leads to fragmented markets, creating data silos and significant interoperability challenges," said Doug Brown, Founder of Black Book Research. "Smaller providers, in particular, face steep financial barriers, as the high upfront and ongoing costs of implementing EHR systems remain a major obstacle." Black Book Research highlights additional challenges, including regulatory uncertainty and data security complexities. Many nations lack robust standards for data privacy and interoperability, which complicates vendor efforts to establish seamless and compliant EHR solutions. Additionally, navigating diverse local and international regulations further exacerbates the complexity of protecting sensitive patient data. "Vendors must navigate a maze of regulations and security concerns, all while ensuring their solutions meet the specific needs of these fragmented markets," added Brown. "Despite these hurdles, the opportunities for growth in these regions are immense for vendors willing to adapt and invest in scalable, cost-effective technologies." EHR adoption in non-socialized healthcare systems is largely driven by private sector initiatives, with significant variations in implementation due to regional challenges and opportunities: India: Private hospitals and clinics are driving EHR growth, but adoption remains fragmented due to cost constraints and regulatory gaps. Middle East (GCC Countries): Private hospitals lead the charge in implementing EHR systems, aligning with broader health digitization goals. South Africa: EHR use is concentrated in private healthcare facilities, with high disparities in adoption between public and private sectors. Southeast Asia (Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia): Medical tourism and affluent urban populations are spurring EHR adoption in private hospitals, though interoperability remains a challenge. The following includes the top three multinational EHR vendors making significant strides in non-socialized healthcare markets, leveraging their global reach and innovative solutions to address diverse challenges and opportunities: Oracle Health: Popular in private hospitals across the Middle East and Asia for its robust interoperability solutions. Oracle is expanding into Southeast Asia, focusing on large hospital networks and medical tourism hubs, and leveraging its global infrastructure to support scalability. InterSystems: Gaining traction in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East for scalable, analytics-driven platforms. InterSystems has also entered emerging markets in Africa, collaborating with private health networks to enhance interoperability and population health management. Dedalus: Leading in integrated solutions for private hospital networks in Europe and emerging markets. Dedalus has a growing presence in Latin America and Southeast Asia, where its customizable solutions are helping hospitals manage operational complexities. The following highlights regional and local EHR vendors that are addressing specific needs within non-socialized healthcare markets, tailoring their solutions to meet the unique demands of their regions: KareXpert (India): Offers cloud-based, affordable EHR systems tailored to the needs of private hospitals. KareXpert is focusing on expanding into tier-2 and tier-3 cities in India, addressing smaller providers' needs for cost-effective, scalable solutions. Tamer Healthcare (Middle East): Provides integrated EHR and revenue cycle management solutions for private healthcare providers. Tamer is expanding within the GCC countries and targeting private specialty clinics and mid-sized hospitals. Pulse+IT (South Africa): Delivers innovative solutions designed to address the unique needs of private hospitals and clinics. Pulse+IT is broadening its offerings across neighboring African nations, such as Namibia and Botswana, to support regional health system modernization. Practo (India): Known for its user-friendly, scalable solutions aimed at small to mid-sized healthcare facilities. Practo is extending its services to Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, leveraging its digital-first approach to attract smaller providers. HealthMetrics (Southeast Asia): Specializes in simplifying EHR adoption for private providers while enhancing patient engagement and operational efficiency. HealthMetrics is expanding from Malaysia into neighboring countries, including Singapore and the Philippines, focusing on medical tourism and urban healthcare networks. EHR vendors expanding into countries and regions without socialized medicine or universal healthcare programs should focus on the following opportunities: Cloud-Based Solutions: Affordable, scalable cloud platforms are ideal for smaller and mid-sized providers in cost-constrained environments. These solutions reduce the need for significant infrastructure investments while providing access to advanced systems. AI-Enhanced Systems: Integrating artificial intelligence into EHR systems addresses clinician usability concerns, improves efficiency, and streamlines workflows, making these systems highly valuable to providers seeking to enhance care delivery. Incentive Programs: Developing partnerships with governments and private insurers to create subsidies or financing options can help smaller providers overcome financial barriers and adopt modern EHR technologies more readily. By leveraging these strategies, vendors can drive healthcare modernization and position themselves as leaders in fragmented and evolving markets. "Non-socialized healthcare systems represent a unique and growing market for EHR vendors," said Brown. "While these regions face significant challenges, they also present vast opportunities for vendors willing to adapt to local needs and invest in scalable, cost-effective solutions. The findings emphasize the critical role vendors play in bridging gaps in healthcare technology, improving patient care, and enabling operational efficiencies in diverse and fragmented healthcare markets. As these regions continue to adopt EHRs, vendors equipped with innovative and adaptable solutions will be well-positioned to lead." About Black Book Research Black Book Research is an independent, unbiased market research and public opinion company specializing in healthcare IT and managed services. Since 2003, Black Book has been a trusted leader in evaluating vendor performance across global markets. The Black Book of Global Healthcare Information Technology is the definitive resource for understanding trends, challenges, and opportunities in healthcare IT, providing stakeholders with the insights they need to make informed decisions. Committed to impartiality, Black Book does not accept fees for reviews or inclusion, nor does it maintain financial interests in vendors or advisory firms. Black Book's research empowers healthcare organizations to make strategic investments that drive improved patient care and operational success. Contact Information Press Office research@blackbookmarketresearch.com 8008637590 SOURCE: Black Book Research View the original press release on accesswire.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The White House has released the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate.The Strategy was developed through a whole-of-government collaboration with a broad range of civil society partners to describe and address the bias, discrimination, and threats Muslim and Arab Americans have long faced in the United States.Threats against American Muslim and Arab communities have increased over the past year. In October 2023, six-year old Wadee Alfayoumi, an American Muslim boy of Palestinian descent, was viciously killed in his home in Illinois and over the last year there have been other grievous attacks on Muslim and Arab Americans.The Strategy contains more than 100 Executive Branch Actions and more than 100 Calls to Action to every sector of society to prevent and address such violent attacks and to ensure that Muslim and Arab Americans enjoy the liberties assured in the U.S. constitution.The Biden Administration released the first-ever National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism last year.This latest strategy has four priorities: Increase awareness of hatred against Muslims and Arabs and broaden recognition of these communities' heritages, Improve safety and security for Muslims and Arabs, Tackle discrimination against Muslims and Arabs and appropriately accommodate their religious practices, and continue to build cross-community solidarity and collective action to counter hate.Muslim and Arab Americans have long faced discrimination in settings such as education, employment, public accommodations, land use, housing, health care, and access to financial services.The White House said that more agencies are making it clear that discrimination against Muslim and Arab Americans in federally funded activities is illegal, and the Administration has instituted new practices to accommodate religion and produced a wide range of resources and trainings on nondiscrimination and religious freedom.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Germany's exports declined at the fastest pace in ten months in October mainly due the double-digit fall in demand from the US and overall imports logged a marginal fall, data from Destatis revealed Friday.Exports fell 2.8 percent month-on-month in October, slower than the 1.8 percent decrease in September. This was the biggest fall since last December. Shipments were forecast to fall 2.0 percent.At the same time, imports dropped only 0.1 percent. This was in contrast to the prior month's 2.0 percent growth but the actual fall was much slower than economists' forecast of 0.6 percent decline.Consequently, the trade surplus showed a surplus of EUR 13.4 billion in October. The surplus was expected to fall to EUR 15.7 billion from EUR 16.9 billion in September.On a yearly basis, exports climbed 0.4 percent, in contrast to the 0.3 percent fall in September. Growth in imports accelerated to 4.3 percent from 1.3 percent.Exports to euro area countries dropped 0.7 percent on month and imports from these countries remained unchanged in October.Shipments to the US declined 14.2 percent on month and that to China fell 3.8 percent. By contrast, exports to the UK grew 2.1 percent.Imports from the US and China fell 3.9 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively, while imports from the UK advanced 1.4 percent.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The C5ISR market is projected to reach USD 19,280.8 million by 2029, from USD 10,720.1 million in 2024, at a CAGR of 12.5% according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The growth of the C5ISR market is driven by several factors, including evolving cybersecurity threats. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=233985336 Browse in-depth TOC on "C5ISR Market" 233 - Tables 77 - Figures 340 - Pages C5ISR Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $ 10,720.1 million Estimated Value by 2029 $ 19,280.8 million Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 12.5% Market Size Available for 2020-2029 Forecast Period 2024-2029 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Solution, End User, and Installation Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Data storage and transmission limitations Key Market Opportunities Technological advancements Key Market Drivers Evolving cybersecurity threats In the defense sector, C5ISR technologies are transforming operational effectiveness by enhancing situational awareness, decision-making, and mission execution. Modern militaries are increasingly relying on integrated C5ISR systems for seamless communication, robust cybersecurity, and real-time intelligence across various domains. The growing complexity of global security challenges is driving defense organizations to invest in resilient, adaptable, and technologically advanced C5ISR systems. As nations strive to maintain a tactical edge in modern warfare, the demand for innovative C5ISR capabilities continues to grow, underpinned by significant government funding and a focus on next-generation defense strategies. Based on end user, the army segment is dominating the C5ISR market from 2024 to 2029 As the army has a wide operational scope and reliance on integrated systems for land-based missions, this segment is leading the C5ISR market based on end users. For mission-critical tasks like battlefield awareness, real-time command and control, secure communications, and intelligence collection, armies need sophisticated C5ISR capabilities. In complex and dynamic situations, these talents are essential for maintaining operational effectiveness. The army segment's supremacy is also fueled by rising investments in updating ground troops with technology like cyber defense, unmanned ground vehicles, and electronic warfare systems. The need for complete C5ISR solutions is still at the forefront of the market since land forces continue to play a key role in military operations across the globe. Based on installation, the new installation segment is estimated to dominate the market from 2024 to 2029 As defense forces throughout the world are adopting more sophisticated and upgraded systems, the new installation segment is anticipated to dominate the C5ISR market based on installation. Armed forces are making significant investments in cutting-edge C5ISR technology as they concentrate more on improving their ability to counter new threats like cyberattacks and multi-domain warfare. Advanced technologies that cannot always be effortlessly retrofitted into older systems, such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and autonomous systems, require new installations. Additionally, this sector has grown to be the largest in the market due to modernization initiatives in emerging economies and the requirement for new infrastructure to support cutting-edge technology. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=233985336 North America is expected to capture the largest share during the forecast period in 2024. Because of the North American region's strong defense spending, especially from the US, which makes up the greatest portion of global military spending, North America has the largest market share in the C5ISR industry. To keep up its technological advantage in multi-domain operations, such as land, air, sea, space, and cyber warfare globally, the US Department of Defense (DoD) is making significant investments in cutting-edge C5ISR technologies. Major C5ISR companies that foster innovation and provide state-of-the-art solutions, such Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), General Dynamics Corporation (US), and RTX Corporation (US), are also based in the region. The emphasis on updating military hardware, the expanding use of artificial intelligence and cyber defenses, and the growing demand for integrated solutions to further combat new threats The major players in the C5ISR companies include General Dynamics Corporation (US), Leidos (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), CACI International Inc. (US), Airbus (France), Northrop Grumman (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), and L3harris Technologies Inc. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=233985336 Browse Adjacent Market: Aerospace and Defence Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: US Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) Market by Platform (Land, Naval, Airborne, Cyber, Space), Application (JADC2 Specific, Command & Control (C2), Communication, SATCOM, Computers, and AI, Networks), Solution, and Region -Global Forecast to 2030 C4ISR Market by Application (Command and Control, Communications, Computers, ISR, Electronic Warfare), Platform (Airborne, Land, Naval, Space), Solution (Hardware, Application Software, Services), End User, Installation and Region - Global Forecast to 2028 Tactical Communication Market by Type (Soldier Radios, Manpacks, VIC, HCDR), Application (Command & Control, ISR, Communication, Combat), Platform, Frequency, Technology, Point of Sale, and Region -Global Forecast to 2027 Tactical Data Link Market by Data Link Type (Link 11, LINK 16, Link 22, Others), (Application (Command & Control, ISR, EW, Radio Communication), Platform, Component, Frequency, Point of Sale, Military Standard, and Region - Global Forecast to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/c5isr-companies.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/c5isr.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/c5isr-market-worth-19-280-8-million-by-2029---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302331118.html Inteliqo Ltd - Interim Results PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, December 13 13 December 2024 Inteliqo Limited ("Inteliqo", the "Company") Interim Results Inteliqo (AQSE: IQO), a start-up technology company that provides sales, marketing and distribution services to technology product owners under long-term distribution agreements, is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the 6 months ended 30 September 2024. A full copy of the Interim Report will be obtainable from the Company's website at https://inteliqo.com/ . This announcement contains information which, prior to its disclosure, constituted inside information as stipulated under Regulation 11 of the Market Abuse (Amendment)(EU Exit) Regulations 2019/310 (as amended). This announcement may contain "forward-looking" statements and information relating to the Company. These statements are based on the belief of Company management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Company management. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law. The directors of Inteliqo Limited accept responsibility for this announcement. For more information, please contact: Inteliqo Limited Joseph Hill j.hill@inteliqo.com First Sentinel Corporate Finance Limited Brian Stockbridge +44 20 3855 5551 Inteliqo Limited: Chairman's Report for the period ended 30 September 2024. Introduction I am pleased to present the Chairman's statement, highlighting the progress of Inteliqo Limited (the "Company") and its subsidiary (together the "Group") for the 6 months ended 30 September 2024. Since the Company was admitted to the Access segment of the AQSE in August 2022 and subsequently admitted to OTC on 5 February 2024, the Group remains focused on delivering sales, marketing, and distribution services to prominent technology brands through long-term agreements. Business Overview and Objectives During this reporting period, our primary focus has been on supporting the development and marketing of the Langaroo App for our client. The Langaroo App is a groundbreaking mobile platform that empowers users to understand, communicate, and share information in over 130 languages. As the ultimate translation tool, it facilitates seamless communication across various scenarios. The initial version of the Langaroo App was successfully launched in January 2024, with regular updates rolled out throughout the year. This version includes a fully translated chat module, a social media community, and real-time translated transcription for live voice and video calls. As part of our long-term strategy, we have initiated marketing efforts to attract free users. More recently, we collaborated closely with Langaroo to refine the app's core offering, enhance features, and lay the groundwork for monetisation. The aim is to build a robust global community that depends on Langaroo for communication, commerce, and cultural exchange. Langaroo aims to become the premier platform for: Real-time, peer-to-peer communication across languages. Growing international communities and groups. Facilitating global business networking by overcoming language barriers. Translated live streams, podcasts, and posts for greater accessibility. Promoting cross-cultural and commercial exchange through a diverse marketplace. To achieve this, several new features are being developed. The monetisation strategy for Langaroo will include premium subscription services, platform fees on peer-to-peer transactions, and advertising revenue. We have committed to overseeing the development and future marketing of these features as part of our exclusive sales and marketing agreement for our client. Given the extended development timeline, we have amended the terms of this agreement to ensure guaranteed minimum income levels for Inteliqo, enabling us to meet operational expenses while continuing platform development. We anticipate being able to market these new features, alongside the implemented monetisation strategies, within the next 3 to 6 months. Financial Results The Group's financial results for the 6 months to 30th September 2024 (see page 2) reflect a loss of $145k having posted a profit of $31k for the year to 31 March 2024. Basic loss per share from continuing activities were $0.001 for the 6 months ended 30 September 2024 compared to the earnings per share of $0.00028 in the year to 31 March 2024. Outlook and Future Prospects Despite the loss in the 6 months to 30 September 2024, with our client's continued support, we remain confident in our ability to market and sell the Langaroo App in the coming months, sustaining a neutral cash flow. This financial stability will enable us to concentrate on executing the strategic initiatives mentioned earlier, which are anticipated to yield returns under our revenue-sharing agreement. While we acknowledge that progress has taken longer than initially expected, we are actively exploring new business opportunities to drive growth and deliver long-term value for our stakeholders. Thank you for your continued support. Joseph Truelove Chairman of the Board Inteliqo Limited 13 December 2024 Inteliqo Limited: Condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the 6 months ended 30 September 2024 Notes 6 months to 30 September 2024 6 months to 30 September 2023 Year to 31 March 2024 USD USD Revenue 224,209 558,029 783,497 Other income 141 88 1,220 Administrative expenses (364,089) (370,447) (758,757) Realised foreign currency losses (2,923) 223 (3,323) Unrealised foreign currency losses (2,227) (2,504) 8,560 Operating profit and profit before tax (144,889) 185,389 31,197 Tax expense - - - Profit for the period from continuing operations (144,889) 185,389 31,197 Earnings per share Basic earnings per share from continuing operations 4 (0.001) 0.002 0.00028 Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations 4 (0.001) 0.002 0.00027 Inteliqo Limited: Condensed consolidated statement of financial position as at 30 September 2024 Notes 30 September 2024 30 September 2023 31 March 2024 USD USD USD ASSETS Non-current assets Office equipment 3,337 2,958 2,298 Current assets Trade and other receivables 184,007 44,928 140,902 Cash and cash equivalents 11,527 384,221 183,647 195,534 429,149 324,549 Total assets 198,871 432,107 326,847 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities Trade and other payables 182,753 116,908 165,840 Equity Share capital 6 14,188 14,188 14,188 Share premium 799,889 799,889 799,889 Retained earnings (797,959) (498,878) (653,070) 16,118 315,199 161,007 Total liabilities and equity 198,871 432,107 326,847 The accompanying notes on pages 6 and 7 form an integral part of these interim condensed consolidated financial statements. These interim condensed consolidated financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the directors on 13 December 2024 and are signed on their behalf by: Ray Smart Finance Director Inteliqo Limited: Condensed consolidated statement of changes in equity for the 6 months ended 30 September 2024 Share capital Share premium Retained earnings Total USD USD USD USD Balance at 1 April 2023 14,188 799,889 (684,267) 129,810 Profit for the period - - 185,389 185,389 Balance at 30 September 2023 14,188 799,889 (498,878) 386,438 Balance at 1 April 2024 14,188 799,889 (653,070) 161,007 Profit for the period - - (144,889) (144,889) Balance at 30 September 2024 14,188 799,889 (797,959) 16,118 Balance at 1 April 2023 14,188 799,889 (684,267) 129,810 Profit for the year - - 31,197 31,197 Balance at 31 March 2024 14,188 799,889 (653,070) 161,007 Inteliqo Limited: Condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the 6 months ended 30 September 2024 6 months to 30 September 2024 6 months to 30 September 2023 Year to 31 March 2024 USD USD USD Operating activities Profit before tax (144,889) 185,389 31,197 Adjustments for non-cash income and expenses: Depreciation of office equipment 708 534 1,194 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Trade and other receivables (43,105) (12,058) (108,032) Trade and other payables 16,912 22,320 71,252 Net cash from operating activities (170,373) 196,185 (4,389) Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of equipment (1,747) (1,126) (1,126) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from issue of share capital - - - Net change in cash and cash equivalents (172,120) 195,059 (5,515) Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 183,647 189,162 189,162 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 11,527 384,221 183,747 Inteliqo Limited: Notes to the interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the 6 months ended 30 September 2024 General information Inteliqo Limited (the "Company") is a company limited by shares under The Companies (Guernsey) Law 2008 (as amended) which was incorporated in Guernsey on 3 May 2022, and listed on the Access Segment of Aquis Stock Exchange ("AQSE") on 5th August 2022 and on the OTC on 5 February 2024. The address of its registered office and principal place of business is Dixcart House, Sir William Place, St Peter Port Guernsey, GY1 1GX. The Group's principal activity is the provision of sales, marketing and distribution services. Basis of preparation and accounting policies These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements (the "Financial Statements") are for the six months ended 30 September 2024 and comprise the Company and its subsidiary (together the "Group") and have been prepared on an accruals basis and under the historical cost convention in accordance with IAS 34 "Interim Financial Reporting" and applicable legal and regulatory requirements. They are presented in US Dollars, the functional currency of the Group and they do not include all disclosures that would otherwise be required in annual financial statements in accordance with IFRS, and should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited consolidated financial statements for the period ended 31 March 2024. The Company has applied the same accounting policies and methods of computation in these Financial Statements as applied in its first full audited consolidated financial statements to 31 March 2024 which were prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"). There are no accounting pronouncements which have become effective from 1 April 2024 that have a significant impact on the Financial Statements. Material management judgement in applying accounting policies and estimation uncertainty There were no material judgements made by management in applying the accounting policies of the Group to this Interim Report. The directors have considered going concern and the ability of the Group to meet its liabilities and commitments as they fall due by reviewing likely cashflows from the Group's operations post period end. These cashflows are derived from the expected revenue streams from sales and marketing agreements signed with customers for the Langaroo application. Along with agreed support in the form of minimum levels of income from those customers and there being no post balance sheet events to report, the Company is able to meet operational expenses while continuing to support the platform development and the directors consider the going concern basis of preparing this Interim Report is appropriate. Earnings per share Earnings per share, both the basic and diluted earnings per share, have been calculated using the profit attributable to shareholders of the Company as the numerator, ie no adjustments to profit were necessary. The reconciliation of the weighted average number of shares for the purposes of diluted earnings per share to the weighted average number of ordinary shares used in the calculation of basic earnings per share is as follows: 2024 2023 USD USD Weighted average number of shares used in basic earnings per share 112,500,000 112,500,000 Weighted average number of shares used in diluted earnings per share 117,472,500 117,472,500 Interests in subsidiaries On 22 March 2023, the Company acquired the entire share capital of Inteliqo Marketing Limited which is registered in England and Wales. The acquisition was made to support the Company's treasury function and the principal activity of Inteliqo Marketing Limited is to hold bank accounts and collect and pay out the proceeds of transactions on behalf of the Company and it does not operate in its own right. As the company does not meet the criteria as set out in IFRS 3 to be defined as a business the purchase has been recognised in these accounts as an asset acquisition and the acquisition cost of $1,209 has been allocated to the assets categories of the subsidiary as at 30 September 2024. Share capital The share capital of the Company comprises 112,500,000 ordinary shares with par value GBP0.0001. An additional 20,000,000 ordinary shares with par value GBP0.0001 are authorised but unissued. The Company has issued warrants over 4,972,500 ordinary shares with par value GBP0.0001. Commitments under operating leases The Group rents an office under an operating lease on a three month rolling basis with a one month notice period. The minimum lease commitment at the period end was USDnil (2023: USD2,391). Related party transactions Key management of the Company are the executive and non-executive directors. Key management personnel remuneration includes the following expenses: 6 months to 30 September 2024 6 months to 30 September 2023 USD USD Short-term employee benefits 2,477 23,945 Director fees 11,628 16,569 Salaries including bonuses 208,356 149,935 Social security costs 18,034 11,056 Total remuneration 240,495 201,505 HKML Limited, a company owned by a director, Michael Hill, holds shares in the Company. HKML Limited entered into a revenue share agreement with the Company during the 6 month period ended 30 September 2023. During the period from incorporation to 31 March 2023 the Company paid a deposit to a 3rd party for a property rented by the Company which forms part of the short-term employee benefits noted above. At 30 September 2024, the balance of the deposit was USDnil (30 September 2023: USD10,853). Approval of Interim Report This Interim Report was approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue on 13 December 2024. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Energy Corp. (USEG) announced on Friday that has executed definitive documents for the sale of certain assets located in East Texas for $6.825 million in cash to a private buyer.The proceeds from the transaction, to be closed on or before December 31, are expected to be used to fund the continued development of USEG's industrial gas project in Montana.In addition, the divestment will streamline the company's operations and deliver meaningful cost savings by exiting a non-core geographic region.USEG plans to sell the majority of its East Texas assets located in Anderson, Chambers, Henderson, and Liberty Counties, Texas.The East Texas assets, with a total of 122 wells, are primarily operated properties that produced around 1.1 million cubic feet per day of natural gas and 168 barrels of oil per day for the quarter to September 30.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. SOFIA (dpa-AFX) - The European Council has decided to lift internal land border controls with Romania and Bulgaria from January 1, making it possible for its citizens to travel without land border controls to and between these two countries.This important step completes the full entry of both countries into the Schengen area.Welcoming the move, the European Commission said this not only strengthens the Schengen area but it will further strengthen the internal market, increase travel, trade and tourism.Since December last year, when the Council decided to welcome Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area, both Member States have taken all necessary measures to ensure a smooth application of the Schengen rules from 2024 March 31. On that date, the controls at the internal air and sea borders were lifted and the Schengen rules started to apply including on issuing Schengen visas.Since their accession to the EU, Bulgaria and Romania have applied parts of the Schengen legal framework, including those relating to external border controls, police cooperation and the use of the Schengen Information System.The Cooperation Frameworks that the Commission launched in March this year with Bulgaria and Romania build on the successful implementation of the pilot projects for fast asylum and return procedures. Both countries will further support joint European efforts to address EU security at the EU's external borders and tackle migratory challenges. The Commission said it will continue to offer financial support and Frontex assistance to both Member States.As pointed out in the 2024 State of Schengen report, Schengen remains the most visited destination in the world, guaranteeing smooth and secure travel to a region with a population of nearly 450 million people.Schengen is the largest free travel area in the world. Border checks between France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were first dropped in 1985. The Schengen area now covers 29 countries, including 25 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Controls at the internal borders with Cyprus have not yet been lifted, and Ireland is not part of the Schengen area.Hungarian Minister for Home Affairst Sandor Pinter said it is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members. 'Lifting checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between those member states has been a top priority for the Hungarian presidency, and today we have made it a reality. This step will benefit not only Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, but also the EU as a whole.'Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Geron Corporation (GERN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, Friday said that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency has recommended the approval of RYTELO for the treatment of transfusion-dependent anemia due to lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS), a type of blood cancer.The positive recommendation was based on positive results from IMerge Phase 3 study, in which patients treated with RYTELO reduced the need for red blood cell transfusions compared to placebo.The European Commission is expected to make a final decision on the marketing authorization application in the following months. The Drug is already approved by the FDA.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Tenet Fintech Group Inc. (CSE: PKK) (OTCQB: PKKFF) ("Tenet" or the "Company"), an innovative analytics service provider, owner and operator of the Cubeler Business Hub, today announced that it began welcoming the first small and medium sized enterprise (SME) clients of its bookkeeping service provider partner Elite Times CPA Inc. ("Times CPA") to the Business Hub platform. Tenet recently granted Times CPA a master licence of Dext Software Ltd.'s bookkeeping automation platform (the "Software"), allowing Times CPA to not only use the Software, but to also offer the Software's many benefits to its SME clients as part of an offering that includes membership to the Cubeler Business Hub. Times CPA has been actively promoting the benefits of the Software and the Business Hub to its SME clients with the objective of getting most of those SME clients registered on the Business Hub and using the Software by the end of 2024. Tenet expects the addition of the majority of Times CPA's SME clients to the Business Hub to contribute to the SME data pool available on the platform to allow for the commercialization of the Company's first ie-Pulse macroeconomic indicator indexes. About Elite Times CPA Inc.: Elite Times CPA Inc. is a Canadian accounting firm with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, proving various accounting, bookkeeping, tax preparation and consulting services to a diverse clientele of businesses operating primarily in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. Elite Times CPA Inc.'s clients include retailers, manufacturers, daycares, restaurants, import and exporters, IT service providers and more. For more information, please go to: https://timesaccounting.ca. About Tenet Fintech Group Inc.: Tenet Fintech Group Inc. is the parent company of a group of innovative financial technology (Fintech) and artificial intelligence (AI) companies. All references to Tenet in this news release, unless explicitly specified, include Tenet and all its subsidiaries. Tenet's subsidiaries offer various analytics and AI-based products and services to businesses, capital markets professionals, government agencies and financial institutions either through or leveraging data gathered by the Cubeler Business Hub, a global ecosystem where analytics and AI are used to create opportunities and facilitate B2B transactions among its members. Please visit our website at: https://www.tenetfintech.com/. Forward-looking information Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tenet to be materially different from the outlook or any future results, performance or achievements implied by such statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, holding company with significant operations in China; general economic and business conditions, including factors impacting the Company's business in China such as pandemics and COVID-19; legislative and/or regulatory developments; Global Financial conditions, repatriation of profits or transfer of funds from China to Canada, operations in foreign jurisdictions and possible exposure to corruption, bribery or civil unrest; actions by regulators; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; timing and completion of capital programs; liquidity and capital resources, negative operating cash flow and additional funding, dilution from further financing; financial performance and timing of capital; and other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed by Tenet with securities regulators in Canada. Reference should also be made to Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) in Tenet's annual and interim reports, Annual Information Form, filed with Canadian securities regulators and available via the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) under Tenet's profile at www.sedarplus.ca, for a description of major risk factors relating to Tenet. Although Tenet has attempted to identify certain factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event the Company does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that the Company will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities 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/233642 SOURCE: Tenet Fintech Group Inc. Acuity RM Group Plc - Board Changes PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, December 13 13 December 2024 Acuity RM Group plc ('Company') Board changes The Board of Acuity RM Group plc (AIM: ACRM) announces that David Rajakovich, who joined as a non-executive director of the Company on 4 November 2024 has been appointed as Chief Executive of the Company and of Acuity Risk Management Ltd ("Acuity"), the Company's wholly owned operating subsidiary, with immediate effect. David Rajakovich built a successful company from an early stage, navigating it through two highly successful private equity transactions. Each exit demonstrated exceptional value creation and delivered substantial returns for its shareholders. He was Chief Executive of Skill Dynamics, a PE-backed company including Belgian entities SiPM bvba, and SiPM NV as well as UK-registered entities including Skill Dynamics Ltd, which previously traded under the name Procurement and Supply Chain Academy. Under his leadership, Skill Dynamics grew revenues profitably from EUR 0.5m to approaching EUR 10m over 9 years delivering digital training solutions to over 250 blue-chip clients in many countries around the world including North America, most western European countries, China, Japan and other Asian nations. reshaping how organisations approach professional skill development. His professional expertise spans the full spectrum of B2B SaaS organisations, from web application development to product management, sales, and marketing. This versatility is complemented by a global perspective-having lived and worked across three continents and speaking Spanish fluently, one of David's strengths is cultivation of cross-cultural collaboration. David's role at Acuity replaces Kerry Chambers who will leave the board with immediate effect. In her three years with the organisation, most recently as its Chief Executive, Kerry oversaw substantial growth and development to prepare for Acuity's future growth. She will be available to the Company for a handover period of up to six months to ensure a smooth transition. Angus Forrest said, "We are delighted that David has agreed to step up from his non-executive role to become Chief Executive, we believe David is the right appointment to lead the Company and drive the business to the next stage and accelerate the growth. We thank Kerry for her contribution over the past three and a half years including growing the business and putting in systemsfor further growth and we wish her well for her future career." For further information: Acuity RM Group plc 020 3582 0566 Angus Forrest, Chairman https://www.acuityrmgroup.com Zeus (NOMAD & Joint Broker) https://www.zeuscapital.co.uk Mike Coe 020 3829 5000 Peterhouse Capital Limited (Joint Broker)Lucy Williams / Duncan Vasey 020 7469 0936 Clear Capital Markets Limited (Joint Broker)Bob Roberts 020 3869 6080 Note to Editors Acuity RM Group plc (AIM: ACRM), is an established provider of risk management services. Its award-winning software platform, STREAMO, which collects and analyses data about organisations to improve business decisions and management, is currently used by around 70 organisations in markets including government, utilities, defence, broadcasting, manufacturing and healthcare. The Company is focused on delivering long term, sustainable growth in shareholder value from organic growth and complementary acquisitions. Collaboration introduces Canon's first climate project contribution program in the UAE. The project has successfully compensated for 20 tons of CO2 emissions Canon's Climate Project Contribution enables companies to compensate for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions that arise during the use of Canon products by investing in environmental projects that save the equivalent GHG emissions elsewhere. Carbon compensation projects such as reforestation are certified by top independent third-party verifier Gold Standard. DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon Middle East and United Arab Bank PJSC (UAB) have partnered to launch a tree-planting initiative that compensates for the environmental impact of UAB's printing operations. Through Canon's Climate Project Contribution program, UAB is offsetting emissions from its printer fleet's ink, paper, and electricity consumption by investing in verified forestation projects. This initiative, which coincides with the 2nd edition of the Future Sustainability Forum for which UAB is the Bronze Sponsor, marks Canon's first implementation of a climate compensation program in the UAE. The program calculates and compensates for greenhouse gas emissions through Gold Standard-certified environmental projects. At UAB, the current implementation covers a fleet of 90 printing systems that process three million impressions. Through this initiative, UAB has already achieved compensation for 20 tons of CO2 emissions, demonstrating measurable environmental impact. Dr. Abdulla AlTaee, Chief Operating Officer at United Arab Bank, said, "At United Arab Bank, we are excited to partner with Canon to launch the UAE's first comprehensive climate contribution program in line with our commitment to embedding sustainability across the organization and in everything we do. This collaboration is a testament to UAB's unwavering commitment to sustainability and our belief in the power of collective efforts to drive meaningful change." United Arab Bank (UAB) continues to strengthen its commitment to corporate social responsibility through a comprehensive sustainability framework built on five strategic pillars: Corporate Governance, Responsible Banking, Workforce Development, Social Impact, and Environmental Stewardship. This commitment reflects UAB's belief that integrating environmental protection, social development, and strong governance practices is essential for long-term economic success. UAB unveiled a suite of Green Sustainable Finance products, aligning with the UAE government's climate change agenda ahead of the COP28 conference in Dubai. The program offers preferential financing for sustainable homes or electric and hybrid vehicles, marking a significant step in UAB's journey toward promoting sustainable development. Shadi Bakhour, B2B Business Unit Director at Canon Middle East, said, "This milestone partnership reflects our unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship in the UAE. By joining forces with United Arab Bank, we're creating a paradigm shift in sustainable business practices that embodies our philosophy of Kyosei -- living and working together for the common good." Canon's approach transcends traditional environmental programs by embedding sustainability into every aspect of business operations. Through comprehensive lifecycle analysis, organizations can identify opportunities for emissions reduction at their source. The integration of advanced Managed Print Services, coupled with cutting-edge digital workflow solutions, enables businesses to optimize their operations while minimizing their environmental footprint. The program represents a holistic transformation in business sustainability. Participating organizations significantly reduce energy consumption while advancing their digital transformation journey by implementing efficient, low-carbon products and intelligent solutions like uniflow. This sophisticated approach to environmental stewardship creates a blueprint for sustainable business practices in the UAE and beyond. Canon's climate compensation portfolio spans projects across multiple continents. Each project delivers measurable environmental impact, from innovative wind energy developments in India and Indonesia to transformative cookstove programs in Uganda that combat deforestation. The initiative extends to ambitious reforestation efforts, with tree plantation programs flourishing in Germany, South America, England, and Switzerland. The initiative is certified by Gold Standard, the internationally recognized verification body, while Climate Partner provides independent authentication of all Canon environmental projects. This dual-tier validation ensures credibility in climate compensation efforts, adhering to ISO16759:2013 standards for carbon footprint quantification. This collaboration between Canon and United Arab Bank demonstrates how strategic partnerships can drive meaningful change in the fight against climate change. The initiative not only addresses immediate ecological concerns but also establishes a foundation for sustainable business practices that will benefit future generations. About Canon Middle East Canon Middle East, a subsidiary of Canon Europe, is the operational headquarters for Canon in the Middle East based in Dubai, UAE. Founded in 1937, the desire to continuously innovate has kept Canon at the forefront of imaging excellence throughout its 80-year history with its commitments to invest in the right areas and capture growth opportunities. From cameras to commercial printers, and business consultancy to healthcare technologies, Canon enriches lives and businesses through imaging innovation. Canon's corporate philosophy is Kyosei - 'living and working together for the common good'. In EMEA, Canon Europe pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon's products, solutions and services. Canon invests heavily in R&D, delivering the richest and most innovative products and services to satisfy customers' creative needs. From amateur photographers to professional print companies, Canon enables each customer to realise their own passion for image. Further information about Canon Middle East is available at www.canon-me.com About United Arab Bank P.J.S.C. United Arab Bank P.J.S.C. (UAB) was established in 1975, in the Emirate of Sharjah as a joint venture between key UAE and international Investors, and its shares are publicly traded on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). UAB offers a wide range of Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking, Treasury & Financial Markets, as well as Shari'ah compliant products, services and flexible solutions, to meet the ever-evolving needs of our clients and the markets. Today, UAB is recognized as one of the few home-grown banks in the UAE, striving to enhance the lives of people by humanizing banking through impeccable service and tailored financial support. UAB is rated investment grade, both, by Moody's (Baa3/P-3/Positive) and Fitch (BBB+/F2/Stable). View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/united-arab-bank--canon-to-deliver-impactful-carbon-compensation-for-business-printing-in-uae-302331303.html LEVERKUSEN (dpa-AFX) - BridgeBio Pharma (BBIO) announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use or CHMP has adopted a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization for acoramidis for the treatment of wild-type or variant transthyretin amyloidosis in adult patients with cardiomyopathy. The final approval decision is expected from the European Commission in the coming months. Acoramidis was approved by the FDA on November 22, 2024.Since March 2024, BridgeBio and Bayer have pursued a collaboration for acoramidis. BridgeBio holds the marketing rights for acoramidis in the U.S., while Bayer holds the marketing rights in Europe. Pending European Commission approval, Bayer plans to launch acoramidis in Europe in the first half of 2025.For More Such Health News, visit rttnews.com.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VeriQuel R100 offers innovative and more sustainable solution for insulation products ICL (NYSE: ICL) (TASE: ICL, a leading global specialty minerals company, today announced the launch of VeriQuel R100, an innovative, reactive phosphorus flame retardant (FR) designed for rigid polyurethane insulation products, such as those used for sheathing, in-wall and PIR roofing the preferred choice for more than 70% of commercial roofs. ICL invested more than $2 million of R&D into this groundbreaking phosphorus-based product, which offers a more sustainable alternative to traditional additive flame retardants. VeriQuel R100 is a patented reactive product, which creates built-in flame retardancy, meaning it chemically bonds with the polymer matrix. This next generation technology not only ensures long-lasting performance and stability, it also eliminates the potential for the product to migrate. Additionally, it aligns with stricter global regulations on environmental safety. Importantly for customers, VeriQuel R100 is fully compatible with current manufacturing processes, making it an easy transition for manufacturers looking to improve their product's sustainability and compliance without additional formulating costs. To date, four of the leading U.S. commercial roofing companies have launched products with VeriQuel R100, with another six companies in the U.S. and Europe currently in the product development phase. "VeriQuel R100 has been formulated to meet fire safety standards, but it is also valued for its sustainability properties," said Yaniv Kabalek, president of ICL's Industrial Products Division. "As the industry moves towards greener building materials, and demand for sustainable building solutions increases, VeriQuel R100 will be able to provide manufacturers with a high-performance, environmentally responsible solution without compromising on fire safety." According to Grand View Research, the global rigid polyurethane foam market size was estimated to be ~$21 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2024 to 2030. The construction industry drives primary demand for rigid polyurethane foam and, as energy efficiency has become more predominant, the market has witnessed an increase in demand, since rigid polyurethane insulation helps reduce energy consumption and overall infrastructure costs. About ICL ICL Group is a leading global specialty minerals company, which creates impactful solutions for humanity's sustainability challenges in the food, agriculture and industrial markets. ICL leverages its unique bromine, potash and phosphate resources, its global professional workforce, and its sustainability focused R&D and technological innovation capabilities, to drive the company's growth across its end markets. ICL shares are dual listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NYSE and TASE: ICL). The company employs more than 12,000 people worldwide, and its 2023 revenues totaled approximately $7.5 billion. For more information, visit ICL's website at icl-group.com. To access ICL's interactive CSR report, visit icl-group-sustainability.com. You can also learn more about ICL on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, X and Instagram. Forward Looking Statements This announcement contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements, many of which can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "should," "plan," "intend," "estimate" and "potential," among others. Forward-looking statements appear in this press release and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the company's intent, belief or current expectations. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to: estimates, forecasts and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, among other things, business and financial prospects, financial multiples and accretion estimates, future trends, plans, strategies, positioning, objectives and expectations, general economic, market and business conditions, supply chain and logistics disruptions, energy storage and electric vehicle growth, the potential for new COVID-19 variants, global unrest and conflict, governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities, including changes in government policy, changes in environmental, tax and other laws or regulations and the interpretation thereof, and war or acts of terror and/or political, economic and military instability in Israel and its region, including the current state of war declared in Israel and any resulting disruptions to our supply and production chains. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release concerning the timing of the transaction, or other more specific risks and uncertainties facing ICL, such as those set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of its Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on March 14, 2024, as such risk factors may be updated from time to time in its Current Reports on Form 6-K and other filings ICL makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Forward-looking statements refer only to the date they are made, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information or future developments or to publicly release any revisions to these statements in order to reflect later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241211342100/en/ Contacts: Investor and Press Contact Global Peggy Reilly Tharp VP, Global Investor Relations +1-314-983-7665 Peggy.ReillyTharp@icl-group.com Investor and Press Contact Israel Adi Bajayo ICL Spokesperson +972-3-6844459 Adi.Bajayo@icl-group.com LONDON, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Indonesia Spice Up The World (ISUTW) arrives in the UK, bringing the vibrant flavours of Indonesia's gastronomy to an international audience. Spearheaded by Wonderful Indonesia of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, this initiative unites government entities, businesses, and local communities in a collaborative celebration of the nation's rich cultural heritage. With Indonesia's status as The Mother of Spices, this programme highlights the country's leadership in spice and flavor. With its six signature spices-pepper, nutmeg, clove, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla-Indonesia has earned its title as the spice capital of the world. Through the *Indonesia Spice Up The World* initiative, the country is sharing its rich gastronomic heritage on the global stage, educating consumers about these spices and showcasing iconic dishes like gado-gado, soto ayam, nasi goreng, sate ayam, and rendang. This campaign is spreading the vibrant flavors of Indonesia far beyond London, inviting people worldwide to savor the essence of Indonesian culture. To raise awareness in the UK, celebrated Indonesian chef Rahel Stephanie (Spoons) and Chef Pino hosted a lunch at Toba London, the acclaimed Indonesian restaurant off Piccadilly Circus. Toba London and Rahel Stephanie have been at the forefront of Indonesian cuisine in the capital, encouraging diners to immerse themselves in traditional dishes crafted with authenticity and passion. Rahel says: 'With over seventeen thousand islands, the breadth of diversity in the world's largest archipelago is mind-blowing and naturally reflected in the nation's cuisine, yet much of it is overlooked. Through cooking, my mission extends far beyond a tasty menu. To me, cooking Indonesian dishes serves as a way of reclaiming, decolonizing, and celebrating the foods of my heritage'. Not only Rahel, but the lunch also attracted prominent UK food and lifestyle influencers. More than 25 influencers and media came to the scrumptious lunch held by Wonderful Indonesia to spice up London. His Excellency Mr. Desra Percaya, P.hd Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the International Maritime Organization, explained that "This global campaign launched by the government highlights Indonesia's rich culinary heritage and spice industry with two key goals: increasing the export value of Indonesian spices and seasonings up to $2bn. Second, establishing 4,000 Indonesian restaurants worldwide. And of course in the UK, we are very proud of the increase we have seen here." Wonderful Indonesia also conducted the Spice Up Your Trip competition, offering an unforgettable all-inclusive journey to the breathtaking Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara. This stunning province is not only a paradise for travelers but also the setting of Women from Rote Island, Indonesia's official submission for the 97th Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The lucky winner will be revealed on Wonderful Indonesia's Instagram story. A heartfelt congratulations to the winner! To dive deeper into Indonesia's incredible cuisine and explore more of this remarkable campaign, visit HERE . For more information and imagery requests, please contact Chessie Mathis - Chessie@bellco.uk or alice@bellco.uk Find photos here Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580878/Spice_Up_Your_Culinary_Journey_Experience_Bold_Flavors_Indonesia_UK.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/spice-up-your-culinary-journey-experience-the-bold-flavors-of-indonesia-in-the-uk-302331342.html DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei unveiled the latest generation of their Mate series foldables, HUAWEI Mate X6 - an all-rounded and advanced smartphone that brings significant upgrades to display, camera, durability, user experience, and more. With this new release, HUAWEI Mate X6 takes foldable innovation to new heights, forming a new benchmark in the industry. Richard Yu, Chairman of Huawei Consumer Business Group, called the HUAWEI Mate X6 "a breakthrough technology from the inside to out, bringing consumers a fully innovative foldable screen experience." Universe-Inspired Design The universe factor is frequently used in the HUAWEI Mate X series design. In this case, HUAWEI Mate X6's Space-Age Orbit around the camera layout gets inspiration from planetary orbits, symbolizing the infinite possibility of the future. HUAWEI Mate X6 is equipped with a 6.45-inch OLED external screen with a resolution of 24401080 and a 7.93-inch 24402240 ultra-high-resolution OLED internal screen. With HUAWEI X-TrueTM Display technology, users can enjoy an extraordinary and immersive viewing experience. HUAWEI Mate X6 will be available in three colors: Nebula Gray, Nebula Red, and Black, as well as a range of accessories, including a rotatable stand protective case. The Nebula Gray is named after its nebula texture, smooth to the touch, which is crafted via Micro-Nano 3D Topography using an innovative material called Vegan Fiber. And its ultra-reflective optical coating makes the radiant glow. Ultra-reliable An innovative distributed architecture delivers a huge leap in HUAWEI Mate X6's network, cooling, and durability. To enhance its signal capabilities, HUAWEI Mate X6 creatively adopts distributed RF units, increasing the overall signal strength by 60%[1]. HUAWEI Mate X6 enhances its durability thanks to the Kunlun Glass 2nd Generation for the exterior screen, a carbon fiber inner screen plate, an advanced multi-dimensional hinge, and an aviation-grade aluminum middle frame. The innovative materials, such as ultra-high thermal conductivity graphene and heat source separation, allow HUAWEI Mate X6 to have efficient cooling, with the heat dissipation area increased by 30%[2]. Even for scenarios such as playing mobile games and making video calls simultaneously, HUAWEI Mate X6 can guarantee a good performance. Breakthrough Foldable Photography HUAWEI Mate X6 introduces the Ultra Aperture XMAGE Camera system, which has been granted the TUV Color Accuracy and Stability Certificate, setting a new standard in the foldable smartphone market. The new Ultra Chroma Camera with 1.50 million spectral channels enables HUAWEI Mate X6 to capture colors with color accuracy improved by 120%[3]. The incredible camera system also features a 50 MP Ultra Aperture Camera that supports a 10-size physical aperture, a 40 MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 48 MP telephoto micro camera with 4X optical zoom and a 5cm super macro mode. The Moving Picture feature enables users to have fun effects on their photos, including multiple exposures and long exposure. Leading immersive large-screen experience HUAWEI Mate X6 introduces Live Multi-task[4], a new way to multi-task efficiently. With this feature, users can run three applications simultaneously with the screen unfolded in an expanded view. Additionally, brand-new lock screen themes like Emoji Crush and Air Hoop bring users more fun every time they light up the phone. [1] Data comes from Huawei labs, and compares the HUAWEI Mate X6 with Mate X3. [2] Data comes from Huawei labs, and compares the product architecture with traditional foldable architectures for gaming and videos on cellular networks. [3] Data comes from Huawei labs, and compares the HUAWEI Mate X6 with Mate X3. [4] This feature is supported by certain apps and depends on the adaptation of apps. To use this feature, update your phone to its latest version via HOTA update. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580170/Photo1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580171/Photo2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580172/Photo3.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580173/Photo4.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huawei-unfolds-a-new-paradigm-with-huawei-mate-x6-introducing-new-innovative-architecture-and-live-multi-view-302331348.html EQS Post-admission Duties announcement: Samara Asset Group p.l.c. / NOTICE TO CONVENE SAMARA ASSET GROUP PLC'S EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM) OF SHAREHOLDERS. Samara Asset Group p.l.c.: Release of a capital market information 13.12.2024 / 14:51 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Company Announcement NOTICE TO CONVENE SAMARA ASSET GROUP PLC'S EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM) OF SHAREHOLDERS. QUOTE It is being announced (pursuant to Articles 164 and 165 of the Articles of Association) that the Company Samara Asset Group PLC (C 84355) shall be holding its Extraordinary General Meeting ("EGM"), on Monday 30 th of December 2024 at 10:00 hours (CET) . The Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held 'in person' at the Company's Registered Office, that is: 66 & 67, Beatrice, Amery Street, Sliema SLM1707, Malta. The following resolutions will be tabled for the consideration of the shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM): Extraordinary Resolution - Special Business Reduction of the notice period The notice period to be reduced from twenty-one (21) days to fourteen (14) days. The notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it was given. Ordinary Resolution - Appointment of Two Non-Executive Directors, one of which will also be appointed as Chairman Following the resignation of current Director, Mr. Jefim Gewiet (with effect from the date of this Meeting), the Board is proposing to appoint two new non-executive directors, as follows: The appointment of Dr Michael Calleja as a Non-Executive Director; and The appointment of Mr. Nicholas Lap-Kay Nigam as Chairman and Non-Executive Director. Ordinary Resolution - Approval of the remuneration of Mr Nicholas Lap-Kay Nigam and Dr Michael Calleja The remuneration of Mr Nicholas Lap-Kay Nigam, Chairman and Non-Executive Director, is to be set at 70,000 per annum. The remuneration of Dr Michael Calleja as Non-Executive Director, is to be set at 18,000 per annum. UNQUOTE This notice is dated the 13th of December 2024 By order of the Board of Directors. Thursday 13th of December 2024 Dr. Rebecca Camilleri Company Secretary Guidance Notes & Ancillary Provisions A. Record Date This notice has been mailed to the Members registered as at close of business on the 12th of December 2024. Only such Members shall be entitled to attend and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. B. Participation and voting by Members A shareholder may participate and vote at the meeting in any of the following ways: (a) by personally attending the meeting; or (b) by submitting a proxy form to the company. i) Personal Attendance A Member may participate at the meeting personally by physically attending the meeting on the appointed day and time at the venue where the meeting is held. (See "Admission to Meeting"). ii) Participation by Proxy In terms of Clause 96 of the Articles of Association, a Member may participate by proxy by completing and signing the proxy form dispatched to all Members together with this notice and sending same to the Office of the Company Secretary not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the meeting. A proxy form may be sent to the Company either: (a) by mail to The Company Secretary; or (b) by electronic means to: camilleri@drwerner.com In case of proxies sent by email to the email address above set out, the email should have attached thereto a copy of the Proxy Form duly completed and signed by the shareholder or a duly authorised person on behalf of a corporate/institutional Member. C. Completing the Proxy Form A Member wishing to participate at the meeting by proxy is to complete all details required on the proxy form fully, clearly and accurately. This includes: Indicating whether the Member wishes to appoint as proxy the Chairman of the meeting or another person. In the case that a member wishes to appoint a person other than the Chairman of the meeting as proxy, the full name, address and I.D. Card number of the proxy are to be clearly and legibly inserted in the appropriate space; Indicating whether the Member wishes the proxy to vote as the appointed proxy wishes or whether the Member wishes to instruct the proxy how to vote. In either case a mark ought to be made in the appropriate box indicated in the proxy form. In the event that no indication is made it shall be deemed that the Member authorises the proxy to vote as the proxy wishes, unless the Member indicates how he/ she wishes the shares held to be voted by inserting the number of shares or another appropriate mark against the relevant resolutions, in which case the proxy shall be deemed authorised to vote only as indicated by the Member in the proxy form; Where a Member wishes to have his/her proxy vote in a particular manner then he/she should indicate his/ her voting preference appropriately against each resolution. The procedure for voting is established and governed in terms of Clause G of this Notice accordingly. If a cross or a mark is placed in any two of the three boxes for the same resolution, then the Member's vote on that particular resolution will be invalid. Any resolution remaining unmarked on the ballot paper will be treated as authorizing the appointed proxy to vote as he/she wishes. D. Participation and Voting A Member wishing to participate simply by having their votes taken into account at the meeting must Fill in the proxy form in favour of the Chairman of the meeting Concurrently submit proof of their number of shares held in the Dusseldorf Stock Exchange to the Company Secretary and proceed to instruct the Chairman how to vote on each resolution to be taken at the meeting by completing the 'FOR', 'AGAINST' or 'ABSTAIN' boxes in the proxy form. E. Admission to the Meeting In order to be admitted, a Member is to present his Identity Card and the Admission Form enclosed with this notice. In the case of shares held jointly by several persons, except in the case of shares held jointly by a married couple, the first named joint holder on the Register of Members shall be eligible to attend and vote at the Meeting. A single representative of a joint shareholding, who is not the first named on the Register, will only be eligible to attend and vote at the Meeting if a Form of Proxy has been duly executed in his favour by all other joint holders. In the case of shares held jointly by a married couple, both spouses, or either of them, may attend the Meeting. Provided that: i. irrespective of whether both spouses, or either of them, attend the Meeting, only one voting document will be issued and only one of them shall be entitled to vote; and ii. if they wish to appoint a proxy, the Form of Proxy must be signed and executed by both spouses. When a Member is a body corporate, association of persons, foundation or other collective entity, a representative thereof will only be eligible to attend and vote at the Meeting if the Form of Proxy has been duly executed in his favour by the competent organ of the entity which he represents. Admission to the Meeting will be commenced 30 minutes before the advertised time. After the Meeting has proceeded to business, voting documents will continue to be issued until such time as the Meeting proceeds to vote on the first item of the Agenda whether by show of hands or by poll. Thereafter no further voting documents will be issued and admission to the Meeting shall be discontinued. F. Draft Resolutions and Documents The draft resolutions to be considered and voted upon at the meeting are included as an integral part of this notice. The full unabridged text of any documents submitted to the meeting shall, unless dispatched to shareholders, be available at the registered office of the Company and on samara-ag.com. G. Procedure for Voting during the EGM. Voting by show of hands. I. Chairman requests those voting in favour of the motion to raise a hand. II. Procedure is repeated for those voting against the motion. III. A count is taken in each case and the Chairman will determine the outcome. IV. The result is recorded in the Minutes by the Company Secretary. V. The counting of hands is necessary particularly when a specific resolution to pass requires a specific majority proportion of the members present. VI. A record is necessary to be kept in the Minutes and if decided by the Chairman, the names of the members voting will also be kept on record. Voting by Ballot/Poll. Voting by ballot (or poll) may become necessary when there are members who hold a number of proxies but have different voting-entitlements. Such an instance would call for correctness in carrying out the method diligently. In such a scenario, the Company Secretary would have pre-prepared a voting paper containing the salient but relevant details of the matter being voted on. Such voting document is distributed to each of the members present that are eligible to vote. Company Secretary will keep a written record showing: the name of the person to whom the voting document was distributed to and how many voting papers were distributed to each person. This becomes relevant since one same person may hold various proxies. The voting document should request a voting member to insert a "FOR" or a ''AGAINST" or an 'ABSTAIN'. Should there be any votes that are doubtful, the Chairman will be the person to determine and take a ruling. H. Right to ask questions Members (whether personally or by proxy) are reminded that they are entitled to ask questions which are pertinent and related to any item on the agenda of the meeting - and to have such questions answered by the directors or such person(s) as the directors may delegate for that purpose. To ensure efficient proceedings at the meeting the directors invite Members to submit in writing any questions related to the resolutions to be sent to the Company Secretary either by mail to the Company Secretary or email on camilleri@drwerner.com by not later than 24 hours before the meeting. Whilst the directors shall endeavour to reply to all questions that may be raised at the meeting only questions that shall have been submitted to them as aforesaid shall be entitled to a reply, provided that any questions raised for the first time at the meeting and to which the directors are not able to provide an immediate reply, shall, subsequent to the meeting be answered by the directors by posting a reply on the Company's website. * * * ANNEX A - PROXY FORM 1 FORM OF PROXY VOTING PREFERENCES As a Shareholder of Samara Asset Group PLC (C 84355), I hereby appoint the duly appointed Chairman of the EGM as my proxy to vote on my behalf, at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and at any adjournment thereof: Date _____________ Name of Shareholder ___________________________ Signature of Shareholder__________________________________________ FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES THE CHAIRMAN IS AUTHORISED TO VOTE AS HE DEEMS FIT THE CHAIRMAN WILL VOTE AS INDICATED IN THE HEREUNDER RESOLUTIONS PANEL PROXY FORM BY ELECTRONIC MEANS VOTING PREFERENCES To be completed when sending Proxy Form by electronic means Name of Shareholder___________________________________________ Signature of Shareholder_________________________________________ Telephone/Mobile Phone Number __________________________________ E-mail address _________________________________________________ A proxy form sent by electronic means is only valid upon confirmation by the Company Secretary. EXTRAORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The Board of Directors proposes that Pursuant to Clause 60(iii) of the Articles of Association, authorisation will be granted to reduce the notice period from twenty-one (21) days to fourteen (14) days' having obtained approval by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the shares having voting rights or the issued share capital represented at the meeting. The notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it was given. ORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The Board of Directors is proposing that pursuant to Clause 109 of the Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association, Dr Michael Calleja is nominated and appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director by Ordinary Resolution. The Board of Directors is proposing that pursuant to Clause 109 of the Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association, Mr. Nicholas Lap-Kay Nigam is nominated and appointed as Chairman and Non-Executive Director by Ordinary Resolution ORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The remuneration of Mr Nicholas Lap-Kay Nigam, Chairman and Non-Executive Director, is to be 70,000 per annum. The remuneration of Dr Michael Calleja as Non-Executive Director shall be set at 18,000 per annum ANNEX B - PROXY FORM 2 Where a Member holds Shares for and on behalf of third parties, such Member is entitled to grant a proxy to each such third party or other persons designated by the third party, and the instrument appointing the proxies shall, to permit votes attaching to Shares to be cast differently than others, be in the following form or in a form as near thereto as circumstances permit: FORM OF PROXY VOTING PREFERENCES As a Member holding Shares for and on behalf of third parties in Samara Asset Group PLC (C 84355), I hereby appoint the duly appointed Chairman of the EGM as my proxy to vote on my behalf, at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and at any adjournment thereof: Date _____________ Name of Shareholder ___________________________ Signature of Shareholder__________________________________________ FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES THE CHAIRMAN IS AUTHORISED TO VOTE AS HE DEEMS FIT THE CHAIRMAN WILL VOTE AS INDICATED IN THE HEREUNDER RESOLUTIONS PANEL PROXY FORM BY ELECTRONIC MEANS VOTING PREFERENCES To be completed when sending Proxy Form by electronic means Name of Shareholder____________________________________________ Signature of Shareholder_________________________________________ Telephone/Mobile Phone Number __________________________________ E-mail address _________________________________________________ A proxy form sent by electronic means is only valid upon confirmation by the Company Secretary. EXTRAORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The Board of Directors proposes that Pursuant to Clause 60(iii) of the Articles of Association, authorisation will be granted to reduce the notice period from twenty-one (21) days to fourteen (14) days' having obtained approval by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the shares having voting rights or the issued share capital represented at the meeting. The notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it was given. ORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The Board of Directors is proposing that pursuant to Clause 109 of the Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association, Dr Michael Calleja is nominated and appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director by Ordinary Resolution. The Board of Directors is proposing that pursuant to Clause 109 of the Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association, Mr. Nicholas Lap-Kay Nigam is nominated and appointed as Chairman and Non-Executive Director by Ordinary Resolution ORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The remuneration of Mr Nicholas Lap-Kay Nigam, Chairman and Non-Executive Director, is to be 70,000 per annum. The remuneration of Dr Michael Calleja as Non-Executive Director shall be set at 18,000 per annum 13.12.2024 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com OMAHA, NE / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2024 / Monstrous Media Group is proud to announce its inclusion in Inc.'s 2024 Best in Business list , marking the fifth annual celebration of companies that have achieved exceptional business excellence over the past year. This prestigious recognition is awarded to businesses that not only have shown outstanding growth and innovation but also have made significant contributions to their communities. The Inc. Best in Business list is a unique designation that differs from other recognition in its consideration of companies' positive impact on the environment, society, and community, in addition to their services and revenue growth. Monstrous Media Group is honored to be recognized among other industry leaders who are shaping the future of business while maintaining a commitment to societal well-being. "At Monstrous Media Group, we've always believed that success isn't just about growing a business-it's about growing together with our clients and our community. Being named to Inc.'s Best in Business list in the 'Small and Mighty' category is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the hard work, creativity, and heart that our team pours into everything we do. Out of all the incredible businesses in the marketing and advertising industry, we're proud to stand out and not only help businesses thrive in the digital space but also make a lasting positive impact beyond it." - Brad Nietfeldt, Founder and CEO of Monstrous Media Group Over the past year, Monstrous Media Group has launched its Simple Website Design and Development Subscription Service , aimed at providing streamlined, cost-effective web solutions for small businesses and startups. This initiative supports our goal of making a high-quality digital presence accessible to all business sizes, thereby boosting their operational capabilities and helping them thrive in competitive markets. The inclusion in Inc.'s 2024 Best in Business list is a testament to Monstrous Media Group's robust growth and innovation in the digital marketing sector. As the company looks to the future, it remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in digital marketing while upholding its core values of integrity and community service. For more information about Monstrous Media Group and its services, visit www.monstrousmediagroup.com . About Monstrous Media Group Monstrous Media Group is a leading digital marketing agency known for its innovative approach to helping clients achieve their marketing goals. With a focus on customer service, Monstrous Media Group provides comprehensive digital marketing solutions, including SEO, social media marketing, content creation, and more. The company's commitment to excellence and community impact has earned it numerous accolades in the industry. About Inc. Inc. is a premier print and online publication for entrepreneurs and business owners. Each year, Inc. recognizes the fastest-growing private companies in America and celebrates the achievements of U.S.-based, privately-held companies through its Best in Business list, spotlighting outstanding companies that go above and beyond in their operations and societal impact. SOURCE: Monstrous Media Group, LLC View the original press release on accesswire.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2024 / 1933 Industries Inc. (the "Company" or "1933 Industries") (CSE:TGIF)(OTC PINK:TGIFF), a Nevada-focused cannabis cultivator and producer, is pleased to provide an update to its news release dated November 29, 2024 (the "Announcement") announcing its request for a management cease trade order (the "MCTO") relating to the late filing of the Company's audited financial statements, management discussion & analysis and applicable CEO and CFO certifications for the year ended July 31, 2024 (the "Audited Filings"). The Company's principal regulator, the British Columbia Securities Commission (the "Commission"), granted the MCTO on November 29, 2024, under National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trader Orders ("NP 12-203"). Pursuant to the MCTO, Paul Rosen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brian Farrell, Chief Financial Officer, and Curtis Floyd, Director, may not trade in the securities of the Company until such time as the Company files the Audited Filings and the Commission revokes the MCTO. The MCTO does not affect the ability of shareholders to trade their securities. The Company's Board of Directors and management are continuing to work with its accounting team and other stakeholders to prepare the Audited Filings as soon as practicable and it is the Company's reasonable expectation that the Audited Filings will be finalized on or before January 27, 2025. Until the Audited Filings are filed, the Company intends to comply with the provisions of the alternative information guidelines as set out in NP 12-203 for as long as it remains in default, including the issuance of bi-weekly default status reports in the form of a news release. The Company has imposed an insider trading blackout pending the filing of the Audited Filings. The Company confirms that, since the date of the Announcement: (i) there has been no material change to the information set out in the Announcement that has not been generally disclosed; (ii) there has not been any other specified default by the Company under NP 12-203; (iii) the Company is not subject to any insolvency proceedings as of the date of this news release and (iv) there is no material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed. In addition, the Company's Q1 2025 financial report, including financial statements, management discussion & analysis and applicable CEO and CFO certifications for the year ended Oct. 31, 2024, will not be filed until the Audited Filings are filed. The Company also announces that Alternative Medicine Association (AMA), the Company's flagship brand, has won a LeafLink List 2024 award for Top Selling in Nevada. AMA's recognition as a recipient of this year's LeafLink List Awards stands as a testament for innovation, growth, and leadership in the cannabis industry. After a comprehensive analysis of performance data, LeafLink selected its winners, utilizing data from January to September to find winners from 13 states representing excellence in brands, retailers, products, and LeafLink innovators. In recognition for AMA's achievement, LeafLink has made a $5,000 donation to Defy Ventures on behalf of all winners, supporting impactful programs that change lives. About 1933 Industries Inc. 1933 Industries is a Nevada-based licensed producer, focused on the cultivation and extraction of a large portfolio of cannabis consumer products in a variety of formats under its flagship brands, Alternative Medicine Association (AMA) and Level X. Its product offerings are cultivated at the Company's 68,000 sq. ft. indoor facility and marketed directly to retail dispensaries. AMA branded flower, infused pre-rolls, and in-house boutique concentrates consistently rank as the top products sold in Nevada. For more information, please visit www.1933industries.com For further information please contact: Alexia Helgason, VP, Investor Relations 604-728-4407 alexia@1933industries.com Paul Rosen, CEO paul@1933industries.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. 1933 Industries undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: 1933 Industries Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Las Vegas, Nevada and Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Body and Mind Inc. (CSE: BAMM) (OTC Pink: BMMJ) (the "Company" or "BaM") is providing an update regarding its delayed annual financial statements for the year ended July 31, 2024, including the related management discussion and analysis and CEO and CFO certifications (collectively, the "2024 Annual Financial Filings"). Although the audit process is substantially complete, the additional final procedures include (i) final approval of an external accounting memorandum for the auditor, (ii) application of additional audit procedures (as needed) to assess independent conclusions, and (iii) final internal QC sign-off from the auditor. The Company and auditors are working closely to complete the 2024 Annual Financial Filings and will continue to provide updates in accordance with National Policy 12-203 Management Cease Trade Orders. About Body and Mind Inc. BaM is an operations-focused cannabis company which operates retail cannabis dispensaries in California and Illinois and pending retail operations in Illinois and New Jersey. We work daily to increase our market share through delighting customers while also continuing to hone our operational efficiencies to drive profits. We are primarily guided by the metric of return on investment. Currently, we believe the most significant return on investment projects in front of us are successful retail cannabis store launches in Illinois and New Jersey, which augment our existing retail footprint. Please visit www.bodyandmind.com for more information. Twitter: @bodyandmindBaM For further information, please contact: Company Contact: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Safe Harbor Statement Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such 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. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation of activities, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233634 SOURCE: Body and Mind Inc. SHANGHAI, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The winners of the "2024 DEl Employer Awards" hosted by the Employer Branding lnstitute, a leading employer brand communication organization, have been officially announced in China. This year's awards involved a comprehensive evaluation of companies across 10 key categories, 21 dimensions, and 103 indicators in their DEl practices. Ultimately, the following outstanding companies stood out from the competition, earning recognition as exemplary employers in diversity, equity, and inclusion. On August 26, "2024 DEl Employer@ Awards" award ceremony proudly sponsored by the premium spirits brand Remy Cointreau, was held in grand style in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China. Additionally, the "2024 Top 100 DEl Employer" list was officially released on November 20, 2024. The "2024 DEI Employer Awards" and the "2024 Top 100 DEI Employer" list adhere to the principle of identifying the "Best DEI Employers",aiming to honor companies that have achieved remarkable success in the fields of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Over the 8 months application process, the award received applications from 542 well-known domestic and international companies, including Mercedes-Benz, HSBC China, Linde Greater China, Sanofi, Bayer China, L'Oreal (China), Mondelez China, Marriott International, Miniso, Eaton China, and so on. Spanning over 50 countries and regions across 97 industries, these companies submitted a remarkable 35,673 application materials for consideration. The awards spotlight leading companies in the Chinese market that excel in innovative, systematic, and comprehensive DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) practices, creating meaningful impacts both internally and externally. Now in its second year, the DEI Employer Awards and Top 100 DEI Employers selection aim to deepen the integration of DEI principles within companies in China. Leveraging scientific methodologies, advanced tools, and rigorous standards, the initiative seeks to establish industry-leading benchmarks that inspire and guide other organizations in the market. The Employer Branding Institute's research team conducted benchmark studies on 3,871 companies using data from the DEI database platform. They also performed in-depth analyses of 542 applicant companies. Following this meticulous process, 100 outstanding organizations were recognized for their exceptional DEI strategies and execution. The announcement of the "2024 DEI Employer Awards" marks a significant step for companies in advancing DEI initiatives, reflecting their commitment to innovation and growth amid a challenging market environment. The "2024 DEI Employer Awards" not only provides organizations with a clear understanding of their investments and progress in DEI but also helps to meet the growing compliance and transparency demands of global regulation. By doing so, the awards empower organizations to build their core competencies and influence in DEI while enhancing the brand visibility of the award-winning employers. In May 2024, the Employer Branding Institute Partnered with China Chengxin Certification (Shenzhen) Co., LTD (CCXC), a leading credit rating and certification institution, to officially launch the ISO 30415 (Human Resource Management-Diversity and Inclusion) certification project in the HR field. This initiative aims to help Chinese enterprises align with international standards in diversity and inclusion within human resources management. News From: Employer Branding Institute The Employer Branding Institute is a leading employer brand research institution, bringing together leading figures and human resources experts in the field of global employer branding. The Employer Branding Institute has more than 2,000 members, including more than 300 Fortune Global 500 companies. Employer Branding Institute is a joint brand of HRflag and Wild Theory. Media Contact: Ocean Fu ocean.fu@ebwings.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580571/DEI__4_3.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/2024-dei-employer-awards-winners-and-2024-top-100-dei-employer-list-announced-302331362.html Melbourne, Victoria, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Besra Gold Inc. (ASX: BEZ) (Besra or the Company) advise that Mr. Dato' Lim Khong Soon (Mr. Lim) has informed the Board that he will step down from the role of Chair of Besra. Mr Lim will remain as a Non-Executive Director of the Company. Mr Lim recognises that the Company's growth, development, and future success will be best served if the Company is fronted by a dynamic, experienced, and independent mining executive who will play the crucial role of Non-Executive Chair. Besra's Directors collectively support and thank Mr. Lim for his beneficent decision. They confirm they will expeditiously commence a market-wide search for a highly credentialled candidate who can guide Besra's transition into gold production. Authorised for release by Directors CL Lee and M Higginson. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233671 SOURCE: Besra Gold Inc. Today is the launching of the short film 'The dream that beat a volcano', showing Vicente Leal, a resident of the Canary Islands who has been fighting since 2021 to fulfill a dream that the volcano took away LA PALMA, Spain, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks three years since the end of a roaring volcano on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. During the 85 harrowing days of its activity, more than 5,000 people were evacuated, around 1,000 homes destroyed, and it nearly ended the dream of Vicente Leal, a resident of the small Spanish island with the home closest to that volcano's crater. For 30 years, Vicente dedicated all his time and savings to build a house on a piece of inherited land, in the middle of an incredible Canarian forest and overlooking the sea. He dedicated all his efforts to turning that little paradise into a house, but in September 2021, the Earth had other plans. The volcano erupted right behind his house, and Vicente watched as the lava flow approached, burying it under a blanket of ash. The volcano threatened to take away the dream of his life, but he refused to give up. Together with his family and the help of some friends, he entered the area in the middle of the eruption, and just with a shovel, he set the goal of uncovering the chimney, as to never lose sight of the house, to be able to find it afterwards. This year, Vincente was still struggling with the daunting task of removing the mountains of dark ash ejected by the volcano to regain his dream. He then decided to record a video to seek help. Macaronesian Gin, the only Canary Island gin made with water filtered through volcanic galleries, answered his call and launched this initiative to fight for our dreams, and help Vicente to fulfill his. Today, together with the short film 'The dream that beat a volcano', Macaronesian Stories aims to raise funds to help Vicente and his neighbourgs affected by the volcano rebuild their dreams in an archipelago hewn from volcanic activity spanning millions of years. The initiative has been supported by personalities from the Canary Islands to showcase the spirit of solidarity and resilience of the people of this volcanic land. Several participated in an encounter this week at Vicente Leal's plot, the first meeting held in the house since the eruption, which is featured in the short film. Actors, musicians, designers and artists experienced a unique and exciting encounter, with the shared goal of fighting for all of our dreams while also celebrating life. Find here a B-roll video for TV Website: macaronesianstories.com Video: https://youtu.be/NyEv1PdAaYs?feature=shared Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R5shVXzW30 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580930/MACARONESIAN_Stories_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580931/MACARONESIAN_Stories_2.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580927/5077382/MACARONESIAN_Stories_Logo.jpg Press contact: Rosa Piqueras, +34 646 92 84 74 Beatriz Pavon, +34 675 82 54 31 comunicacion@mrgoldwind.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/macaronesian-stories-a-moving-campaign-to-rebuild-a-dream-buried-by-la-palmas-volcano-in-the-canary-islands-302331376.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2024 / Anaerobic digestion, the process in which bacteria breaks down organic matter such as food wastes, wastewater biosolids and animal manures, is being increasingly recognized as a solution to addressing the climate-related crisis around excess food waste. In a growing number of locations around the world, and in particular, here in Canada, anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities are diverting food waste from landfills, thus lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to create green energy and valuable soil amendments for agricultural use. However, the handling, logistics, operation and maintenance of AD facilities for waste materials are distinct and complex compared to other waste management approaches. In this blog, we cover what AD is, how it works, challenges to avoid, and how Canadian municipalities are helping solve the climate crisis little by little. Anaerobic Digestion in Canada Governments across Canada, both provincial and municipal, have rolled out disposal bans to divert municipal and/or commercial food organic waste from landfills. Nova Scotia was the first province to ban organics from landfill in 1998, followed by Metro Vancouver in 2015. In Ontario, residents generate about 3.7 million tons of food and organic waste every year, with 60% of total food waste going to landfills. In Toronto, the city is tackling the climate crisis by addressing the residential food waste issue with tremendous success. In 2014, Toronto expanded its Green Bin Program and built its second anaerobic digestion facility, called the Disco Road Organics Processing Facility. Why is this so important as a measure to fight the climate emergency? Organic food waste represents approximately 30% of the municipal waste stream. When sent to a landfill, it breaks down and becomes a significant source of methane. Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, is considered to be about 80 times more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Thus, diverting organic materials from landfills lowers greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and also preserves limited landfill capacity. Also, when sent to an AD facility, biomethane, a renewable gas, and valuable soil products are created. In essence, AD allows us to turn waste into resources, thus promoting the circular economy. Types of Anaerobic Digestion Anaerobic digestion uses bacteria to transform organic waste into energy in the absence of oxygen. This mirrors a process that already occurs in nature, such as in marshes. These microorganisms decompose muds at the bottom of marshes through AD, producing methane, carbon dioxide and other reduced compounds as byproducts. In order to be implemented on a larger scale, the process is optimized in closed tanks called digesters. The microorganisms in AD facilities digest the organic fraction of the waste and convert it into biogas (biomethane), a source of renewable energy. The residual organic matter forms what is called the digestate. The digestate is dewatered, composted and turned into fertilizer for agricultural purposes. There are two predominant AD technologies currently being used in Canada for the processing of municipal and commercial organics: wet and dry technologies. These technologies are primarily selected depending on the feedstocks that will be received from municipal and/or commercial sources, as well as the desired outputs from the process. Pre-Treatment Challenges A critical component of the anaerobic digestion process is the pre-treatment of feedstocks. Municipal organic waste feedstocks often have high plastic content if the collection of food wastes is in plastic bags. The pre-treatment system removes the inert contaminants and other non-digestible elements. The remaining contaminant-free organic slurry is processed through an AD system where, over a specific time period, the organics are converted into biogas and digester solids. There are different types of pre-treatment and choosing the right one can be a complex endeavour. The right type of pre-treatment will depend on the particular features of the feedstock, specific site conditions and requirements (e.g. future expansion, energy and/or water recovery), as well as desired outputs. Aside from the initial capital investment, it's critical to consider both the long-term operating costs and possible income that can be generated from the plant. Selecting an inappropriate technology may result in long-term operational problems, poor or unstable chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and high operating costs. Treating Organic Food Wastes at Wastewater Treatment Facilities In addition to standalone anaerobic digestion facilities, organic food wastes can also be processed at wastewater treatment facilities. As many wastewater treatment facilities already have anaerobic digesters, more organics can be added when there is underutilized capacity. This option is particularly attractive to communities seeking to leverage existing municipal infrastructure. It's also an option when neighbouring communities have organic wastes they want to divert from landfills. Another option for processing municipal and commercial organic wastes is the use of on-farm digesters, at much lower volumes, however, given regulatory constraints. An additional possibility is the processing of an engineered bio slurry (EBS). This pre-treatment technology depackages organic wastes at transfer stations or other locales, then transports the organic slurry to a wastewater treatment facility, where it is injected into the anaerobic digesters. This process augments and/or bypasses the facility's onsite pre-treatment process. While the EBS processing approach can be beneficial in that it can reduce the operational footprint and operational issues associated with the pre-treatment of organic waste streams, it is critical that the bio slurry be properly pre-processed to avoid contamination issues that could impact the biogas production and digestate. As the demand for sustainability and resource efficiency grows in response to the climate crisis, Canadian municipalities are investing in comprehensive organic waste processing programs. These programs aim to extract maximum value from organic waste by offsetting operational costs, generating renewable energy from biogas and producing agriculturally beneficial byproducts, all part of a burgeoning circular economy. However, these processing programs require complex planning and extensive knowledge across many areas, including processing of municipal and commercial food and yard wastes, wastewater treatment, sludge concentration, thermal processes, product marketing and distribution, land application and energy recovery. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Veolia North America on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Veolia North America Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/veolia-north-america Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Veolia North America View the original press release on accesswire.com SALT LAKE CITY, UT / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2024 / KeyBank has awarded a $225,000 grant to NeighborWorks Salt Lake (NWSL), a Utah-based nonprofit organization that strengthens community neighborhoods through housing, resident leadership, youth, and economic development opportunities. KeyBank's grant will bolster NWSL's CareerWorks program, which creates medical career readiness employment opportunities for diverse populations in the Salt Lake community. CareerWorks offers specialized healthcare career training to lower-income diverse community members so they can secure employment and opportunities for career advancement. "Programs like CareerWorks equip our community citizens with the confidence and skills needed to kickstart successful medical careers, offering sustainable employment and quality medical care for our Utah citizens," said Drew Yergensen, KeyBank Utah market president. "KeyBank is honored to support this valuable and much-needed community initiative." NWSL began CareerWorks during the Covid pandemic to support a local hospital in employing a diverse workforce. The program offers various training programs, including phlebotomy, certified nursing assistant, medical translation and more, and has a 95% completion rate. "NeighborWorks Salt Lake is grateful for KeyBank's support of our CareerWorks program. This partnership is vital to our mission of building stronger, more inclusive communities by empowering individuals through career readiness in the healthcare sector," said Maria Garciaz, CEO of NeighborWorks Salt Lake. "CareerWorks not only opens doors to stable, meaningful employment for our diverse community members but also enriches our local healthcare system with skilled, compassionate professionals who represent the communities they serve. Together with KeyBank, we are creating pathways to opportunity and helping our neighbors thrive." About NWSL NeighborWorks Salt Lake is a 47-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening communities throughout Salt Lake County by providing affordable housing, supporting resident leadership, and fostering youth and economic development. With a focus on creating sustainable, inclusive neighborhoods, NeighborWorks offers programs that empower individuals and families, enhance economic stability, and promote long-term community resilience. Through partnerships, innovation, and a commitment to social equity, NeighborWorks Salt Lake continues to make a positive, lasting impact on the lives of thousands of residents each year. For more information, visit https://www.nwsaltlake.org About KeyCorp KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $190 billion at September 30, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC. ### View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from KeyBank on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: KeyBank Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/keybank Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: KeyBank View the original press release on accesswire.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Import prices in the U.S. unexpectedly edged higher in the month of November, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Friday.The Labor Department said import prices crept up by 0.1 percent in November, matching the downwardly revised uptick in October.Economists had expected import prices to dip by 0.2 percent compared to the 0.3 percent increase originally reported for the previous month.The report also said the annual rate of import price growth accelerated to 1.3 percent in November from 0.8 percent in October. The year-over-year growth was expected to accelerate to 1.0 percent.The modest monthly increase by import prices largely reflected a rebound by pries for fuel imports which shot up by 1.0 percent in November after falling by 0.8 percent in October.Excluding the jump by prices for fuel imports, prices for non-fuel imports were unchanged in November after rising by 0.2 percent in October.The Labor Department said higher prices for foods, feeds, and beverages and consumer goods offset lower prices for non-fuel industrial supplies and materials, capital goods and automotive vehicles.Meanwhile, the report said export prices were unchanged in November after jumping by an upwardly revised 1.0 percent in October.Economists had expected export prices to slip by 0.2 percent compared to the 0.8 percent advance originally reported for the previous month.Export prices in November were up by 0.8 percent compared to the same month a year ago after edging down by 0.1 percent year-over-year in October.The Labor Department said prices for agricultural exports fell by 0.4 percent in November after surging by 1.9 percent in October.On the other hand, prices for non-agricultural exports inched up by 0.1 percent in November after climbing by 0.8 percent in October.Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights ReservedCopyright RTT News/dpa-AFX DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Causal AI Market is slated to expand from USD 56.2 million in 2024 to USD 456.8 million by the year 2030 at an impressive CAGR of 41.8% over the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Browse in-depth TOC on "Causal AI Market" 330 - Tables 54 - Figures 331 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=162494083 Scope of the Report Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2019-2030 Base year considered 2023 Forecast period 2024-2030 Forecast units USD (Million) Segments covered Offering, Application, Vertical and Region Geographies covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America Companies covered IBM (US), Google (US), Microsoft (US), Dynatrace (US), Cognizant (US), Logility (US), Datarobot (US), CausaLens (UK), Aitia (US), Taskade (US), Causely (US), Causaly (UK), Causality Link (US), Xplain data (Germany), Parabole.AI (US), Datma (US), Incrmntl (Israel), Scalnyx (France), Geminos (US), Data Poem (US), CausaAI (Netherlands), Causa (UK), Lifesight (US), Actable AI (UK), biotx.ai (Germany), Howso (US), VELDT (Japan), and CML Insight (US) The Causal AI Market is witnessing sharp expansion as it can address important issues that traditional AI finds difficult to resolve. This need for transparency, trust, and actionable insights is driving the adoption of causal AI. The adoption of causal AI is being driven by the demand for transparency, trust, and actionable insights in critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, and supply chain management. Causal AI is an essential tool for companies wanting to remain competitive in a data-driven world, as it can reveal cause-and-effect relationships and improve decision-making. For example, companies are using causal AI to comprehend the real factors behind customer behavior, improve marketing tactics, or forecast the consequences of operational choices. Moreover, improvements in data accessibility, computing capabilities, and user-friendly interfaces are reducing obstacles for organizations of all sizes to adopt causal AI solutions. Request Sample Pages@https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=162494083 By offering, causal inference tools segment will register the fastest growth rate over the forecast period owing to enhanced decision making across diverse scenarios Causal inference tools are becoming the most rapidly expanding segment in the Causal AI Market because of their adaptability and availability in various industries. These tools give organizations the ability to discover cause-and-effect relationships within their data, allowing for accurate decision-making in fields such as marketing, healthcare, and operations. Businesses are starting to realize the drawbacks of AI that relies on correlations, as it only detects patterns without providing explanations for outcomes. Causal inference tools help to close this divide by providing useful information that can be used to shape strategies, like determining which marketing campaigns increase customer engagement or studying the factors that impact patient recovery. Their growth is also fueled by the availability of intuitive, user-friendly interfaces that allow non-technical users to apply complex causal analysis without requiring deep expertise. Causal inference tools are becoming essential as organizations require more accountability and transparency in their decision-making, leading to their quick adoption. Rising adoption of causal AI to augment financial decision making with cause-and-effect analysis will push BFSI as the largest vertical by market size in 2024 The BFSI vertical is poised to hold the largest market share in the Causal AI Market, fueled by its requirements for clarity, risk control, and practical information. Causal AI helps financial institutions tackle ever-changing, regulated environments where comprehending the reasons behind events is just as important as foreseeing them. For instance, JPMorgan Chase utilizes causal AI to pinpoint the underlying reasons for customer turnover, enabling specific actions to keep valuable customers. In the same way, Citibank employs causal models to evaluate the effects of different credit risk strategies, leading to enhanced loan approval procedures and a decrease in defaults. In the insurance industry, firms such as Allstate have implemented causal AI to enhance the identification of claim fraud by pinpointing actions that are closely linked to fraudulent behavior, resulting in a documented decrease of over 10% in unnoticed fraud. In addition, insurance companies employ causal AI to customize policy suggestions by examining the specific reasons for customer preferences, greatly improving customer contentment. Compliance with regulations continues to drive the increase in adoption. For example, HSBC uses causal AI to comply with AML laws by identifying causal connections in transaction data, simplifying investigations, and avoiding significant penalties. The use of causal AI in precise decision-making, along with its demonstrated effects on profitability and compliance, cements BFSI as the top vertical in the market. Inquire Before Buying@https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=162494083 Asia Pacific is set to become the fastest growing region over the forecast period, fueled by increasing investments in responsible AI deployment for decision-making Several key factors are driving rapid growth in the Causal AI Market in the Asia Pacific. Governments and businesses in the APAC region, specifically in nations such as China, Japan, and India, are making significant investments in AI innovation to promote the development and utilization of causal AI technologies. Sectors like healthcare and finance in the region are utilizing causal AI to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency. Hospitals in Singapore are using causal AI in healthcare to enhance treatment plans, leading to a substantial enhancement in patient results. Banks in India are using causal AI in the financial industry to improve fraud detection, leading to a significant decrease in fraudulent transactions. Manufacturing hubs in countries like Vietnam and Thailand are adopting causal AI to predict and mitigate disruptions. This trend is also assisted by the regional regulatory landscape, which favors responsible artificial intelligence practices, increasing the market demand for causal models that are both transparent and free from bias. Top Key Companies in Causal AI Market: The major players in the Causal AI Market include IBM (US), Logility (US), CausaLens (UK), Aitia (US), Causely (US), Geminos (US), along with SMEs and startups such as Data Poem (US), CausaAI (Netherlands), Causa (UK), Lifesight (US), amd Actable AI (UK). Browse Adjacent Markets: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Emotion AI Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Edge AI Software Market - Global Forecast to 2030 AI Training Dataset Market- Global Forecast to 2029 AI Agents Market- Global Forecast to 2030 AI as a Service Market- Global Forecast to 2029 Get access to the latest updates on Causal AI Companies and Causal AI Industry About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/causal-ai-market-worth-456-8-million-by-2030--exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302331128.html DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Future of Manufacturing - Digital Factory, Micro Factory, Giga Factory, by Technology (Cloud Manufacturing, Edge Computing, Digital Twin, AR/VR, 5G/6G), by Design (Modular, Mobile, Integrated, and Sustainable Factory), Cybersecurity - Global Forecast to 2030" The manufacturing world is deeply in the process of transformation and is highly driven by market demands coupled with the infusion of the latest technologies into the scene. As production environments evolve into smarter, more connected ecosystems, several key trends will shape their future. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=57364955 Browse in-depth TOC on "Future of Manufacturing" 90 - Figures 125 - Pages Collaborative Robots Reshape the Future of Manufacturing, Enhancing Safety and Productivity. Cobots are becoming popular in the future of manufacturing since they are compact, easy to use, and programmable with little formal programming. As per the analysis, working with robots cuts human idle time by 85% compared to teams that consist only of humans; cobots enhance efficiency in productivity and increase cost-effective automation within some sectors like automotive, electronics, and pharmaceutical. Performing well in jobs like welding, assembling, and quality control, they are solving the labor shortage problems for firms including Nissan and Betacom. Expectations raised by such massive acquisitions, such as ABB's USD 280 million robotics campus, point to cobot innovation as the key to flexibility, smart manufacturing, and manufacturing adaptability to the changes by 2030 and beyond. AI Transforming Manufacturing into Smart and Dynamic Hubs Artificial Intelligence is a relatively new phenomenon that is gradually transforming the manufacturing industry in terms of efficiency, innovation and intelligent operation that requires limited human interface. The National Associations of Manufacturers Survey reports that 39% of manufacturers are currently using AI, this technology is revolutionalizing industries in machinery, and aircraft components, among others. AI investments are expected to grow to USD 16.7 billion for every year this year and the coming five years increasing the efficiency of operations and modifying the tasks within industries. Some of these major strategies include the Cisco innovative USD 1 billion global fund, Microsoft's USD 3.3 billion investment in AI, NVIDIA-Foxconn and other formations influence and even revolutionize processes in the making and set standards of what is to come in the next future of manufacturing. IoT and edge computing are set to transform manufacturing into smarter, more efficient hubs by 2030 IoT and edge computing are the driving trends that are changing manufacturing by providing constant monitoring of the equipment operation, utilization and state that is the basis for prescriptive maintenance, reducing the time inoperative and prolonging the life cycle of the machinery. The study has shown that these technologies can help to decrease equipment failures by up to 70% and maintenance expenses by 25%, besides improving efficiencies in energy utilization and manufacturing operations. For instance, Armal S.p.A., the Italian cement firm, realized a 40% energy cost savings for the machinery through IoT monitoring of power consumption, and Hershey slashed USD 0.5 million for every 1% decrease in candy size in every 14 000-gallon batch with IoT sensors. Furthermore, IoT is expected to be most adopted in China by 2030 and is expected to contribute up to 26 % of the IoT value due to government support and fast manufacturing development. Rise of Micro Factories to Redefine Localized Manufacturing in the Modern Era. Microfactories are now becoming the future of manufacturing a small to medium production modules having various technologies like AI, automation and machine learning, etc. These small-scale, portable, and cheap structures are even more effective than conventional factories, and they can produce and experiment quickly. Some examples of microfactories are Arrival, which uses robotic microfactories for electric vehicles, and GE Appliances, which uses small production sites to fast prototype products. Microfactories were estimated to represent about 15% of the total manufacturing potential in 2023 and will generate 4.5 million new positions by 2030. As microfactories can facilitate the localization of production, decrease costs, and accelerate time to market, these are upending the manufacturing industry and boosting local economies. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=57364955 The Impact of Cloud Computing and Decentralized Manufacturing on the Future of Manufacturing Cloud computing and decentralised production are changing the face of manufacturing as these methods help in increasing productivity, flexibility and creativity. As per the analysis, 87% of management involves cloud solutions which assist such manufacturers as General Electric, Adidas and Tesla to organize better supply chains, improve production and increase customization. Cloud tech has been implemented in companies such as General Electric and Adidas to enhance operation as well as demand forecasting while Tesla has optimally utilised cloud in handling its production and resources. Spatial dispersion of production, it means more flexibility and insensitivity to disturbances in some location. As per AWS envisions in 2023, they spent USD 12.7 billion in India to enhance cloud infrastructure that would propel the nation's economy as well as create employment opportunities for the people. Such trends are useful in making the manufacturing firms achieve high production, low costs, and efficient responding to market shifts. Asia Pacific's Technological Leap in Shaping Tomorrow's Factories Asia Pacific is emerging to be a strong influential focal point in determining the identity of the factories in the near future as the manufacturing technologies advance. In the area, there have been observed indications of the increased application of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Industrial Robotics, more so in the enhancement of effectiveness and reduction of time loss. South Korea is another example of a region that elevates the perception of smart factories by investing in smart and eco-friendly production technologies, while China has over 10,000 smart factories. India also leads efYYTforts such as SAMARTH Udyog towards deploying a smart manufacturing environment. An endowment by world-class tech players like NVIDIA, AWS, and Oracle is also adding to the base of the region's infrastructure, making the Asia Pacific one of the important catalysts of change in the global manufacturing landscape. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=57364955 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/future-manufacturing.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/future-manufacturing.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/future-of-manufacturing-to-2030-market-and-beyond---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302331136.html Discussions at the Sustainable Solar Europe event, held yesterday in Brussels, reveal that clearly recorded and available information is the key to ensuring sustainable and ethical practices all along the solar supply chain. And clear standards for the accuracy and relevance of this information are needed to ensure that all are moving toward the same target. The day also saw the launch of such a standard in the Solar Stewardship Initiative's Supply Chain Traceability Standard. Sustainable Solar Europe, an annual event jointly hosted by industry association SolarPower Europe and event organizer ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Gary Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Silver47 Exploration Corp. ("Silver47" or the "Company") (TSXV: AGA), and his team, joined Dean McPherson, Head, Business Development, Global Mining, Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), to open the market to celebrate the Company's new listing on the TSX Venture Exchange. Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S0KBGcwMoU Silver47 Exploration Corp. is focused on rapidly expanding its resource base of silver, gold, copper, zinc and lead, with the aim of reaching a milestone development decision in the next 3-5 years, while also driving new discoveries. Backed by industry leaders, the Company is advancing its flagship Red Mountain project in Alaska, which currently hosts 168.6 million ounces of silver at 336 g/t AgEq, equivalent to 1 million tonnes of zinc at 7% ZnEq or 2 million ounces of gold at 4 g/t AuEq. Silver47's initial focus is on increasing the silver-gold rich Dry Creek and West Tundra Flats resources at the eastern end of this district-scale land package, with an exploration target of 50Mt in the 300-400 g/t AgEq grade range for 480Moz Eq. The company's extensive land holdings of 942 state mining claims and one mining lease cover a 60km trend of polymetallic mineralization. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233679 SOURCE: Toronto Stock Exchange New patents to integrate artificial intelligence into global grids have grown sixfold over the past few years, with China driving overall innovation momentum. The European Patent Office, co-authors of the report, called for Europe to renew its efforts. Grid-related patent activity has experienced a significant increase over the past few decades, according to a new report by the EPO and the International Energy Agency (IEA). The organizations used global patent data to show innovation in both physical and smart grid technologies from 2001 to 2022. The report identified the years between 2009 and ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. HIGHLIGHTS Novo has strengthened its high-quality, Australian based exploration portfolio by executing binding term sheets relating to TechGen Metals Limited's (ASX: TG1) (TechGen) John Bull Gold Project in the New England Orogen of NSW, and Manhattan Corporation Limited's (ASX: MHC) (Manhattan) Tibooburra Gold Project in the Albert Goldfields in northwestern NSW. Both projects demonstrate prospectivity for significant discovery and resource definition and align with Novo's strategy of identifying and exploring projects with > 1 Moz Au potential. These high-grade gold projects compliment the recent announced landholding consolidation that forms the Toolunga Project in the Onslow District in Western Australia TechGen - John Bull Gold Project The John Bull Gold Project (John Bull) is an advanced exploration opportunity, located in the emerging New England district NSW. The agreement with TechGen grants Novo an option to acquire an 80% interest in the Micks Bull tenement and a 70% interest in the John Bull tenement. A costean by Kennecott Australia in 1983 intersected 160 m @ 1.2 g/t Au , including 5 m @ 18.0 g/t Au and 5 m @ 7.1 g/t Au 1 . , . Soil sampling completed by TechGen highlighted an exceptionally high-order gold anomaly over 900 m long and 250 m wide at > 100 ppb Au with seven samples reporting > 4.5 g/t Au 2 . at > 100 ppb Au with . Drilling completed by TechGen includes 17 RC holes for 2,249.5 m (2022 and 2023) with an effective test to ~120 m vertical depth. Peak results from four approximately 100 m spaced sections of shallow RC drilling by TechGen over 320 m strike include: 94 m @ 0.95 g/t Au from 4 m including 66 m @ 1.14 g/t Au, and 17 m @ 1.08 g/t Au from 109 m (JBRC0006) 3 68 m @ 1.00 g/t Au from surface, including 23 m @ 2.02 g/t Au (JBRC0001) 4 All sections remain open at depth and the system remains open along strike. An Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysical survey over part of the target produced anomalies over known mineralisation 5 and an additional four IP chargeability targets remain to be tested . and an additional . Multiple targets identified for drill testing, including directly down dip and along strike of significant intercepts, co-incident or separate Au soil anomalies and IP anomalies, and under historic workings. including directly down dip and along strike of significant intercepts, co-incident or separate Au soil anomalies and IP anomalies, and under historic workings. Novo is planning > 2,000 m drilling for H1 2025, following the completion of detailed mapping and infill and extensional geochemical sampling. Manhattan - Tibooburra The Tibooburra Gold Project is an advanced exploration opportunity, located in northwestern NSW and covering the historical Albert Goldfield. The agreement with Manhattan grants Novo an option to acquire a 70% interest in the tenements comprising the Tibooburra Project. The Tibooburra Gold Project includes six granted exploration licences over 630 sq km, including more than 200 historic workings and 34 km of mineralised trends on multiple lines of workings, with two advanced drill-ready target areas (New Bendigo and Clone) already defined. New Bendigo - shows extensive historical workings over 2 km strike. Several drill programs by Manhattan tested over 530 m strike and intersected multiple high-order intercepts. Extremely high-grade gold has been observed hosted in laminated quartz veins in historical diamond drilling. Peak drill results include 6 : 30 m at 4.03 g/t Au from 11 m, including 5 m at 20.86 g/t Au (NB0033) 16 m at 13.89 g/t Au from 1 m, including 3 m at 69.20 g/t Au (NB0083) 8 m at 40.5 g/t Au from 70 m, including 3 m at 105.34 g/t Au (NB0089) 7 m at 13.10 g/t Au from 97 m, including 5 m at 18.01 g/t Au (NB0113) 13 m at 6.16 g/t Au from 50 m, including 3 m at 25.48 g/t Au (NB0122) - shows extensive historical workings over 2 km strike. Clone - extensive historical workings over ~450 m strike and 20 to 40 m in depth. Drilling by Manhattan in 2023 highlighted potential for shallow dipping high-grade gold mineralisation. Excellent drill results were returned from 11 holes over 250 m strike to a maximum depth below surface of 75m, including 7 : 7 m at 7.23 g/t Au from 81 m, including 3 m at 16.1 g/t Au (CL0007) 9 m at 6.03 g/t Au from 16 m (CL0010) 6 m at 4.22 g/t Au from 66 m, including 2 m at 11.65 g/t Au (CL0004) 31 m at 1.29 g/t Au from 60 m, including 3 m at 6.52 g/t Au (CL0002) Shallow cover is present in the southern part of the field, with ~10 km of mineralised trend unexplored north and south of the immediate Clone area. - extensive historical workings over ~450 m strike and 20 to 40 m in depth. Novo is planning to conduct detailed structural work, broad scale geological and regolith mapping, surface soil and rock chip geochemical sampling in the main target areas prior to a 2,000 m RC drill program in H1 2025. Commenting on the acquisitions, Mike Spreadborough, Executive Co-Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer, said: "Novo is pleased to complete option agreements on the John Bull Gold Project with TechGen Metals and the Tibooburra Gold Project with Manhattan Corporation. Both Projects are drill-ready, high-grade gold opportunities, located in excellent mining jurisdictions and most importantly, meet the specific project criteria required by our standout geological team to identify standalone gold projects with > 1 Moz development potential. "High-grade gold projects are rare, and both the John Bull and Tibooburra Gold Projects have reported previous high-grade results. We are looking forward to getting on the ground early in 2025 and commencing both exploration programs. Importantly, the John Bull and Tibooburra Gold Projects compliment Novo's existing high-quality Pilbara, Western Australia and Victoria exploration portfolio and following the recent sale of our partial investment on San Cristobal Mining for A$11.5 million, we are well-funded to continue our strong exploration push in 2025." A PDF of this release including all associated figures is available at: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/31d0e229-1b9a-481d-a7b2-3b5f7e06a77c VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (ASX: NVO) (TSX: NVO) (OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into binding term sheets for two option agreements, one with TechGen Metals Limited (ASX: TG1) (TechGen) at their John Bull Gold Project (John Bull) and a second with Manhattan Corporation Limited (ASX: MHC) (Manhattan) at their Tibooburra Gold Project (Tibooburra) with both projects located in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. These projects support Novo's strategy of identifying 'drill ready' exploration targets with a demonstrated pathway with potential to be a standalone project with > 1 Moz development potential. Both Projects also satisfy Novo's key sustainability criteria for potential future development. In addition to Novo's current Pilbara exploration portfolio and recently announced Onslow District landholding consolidation to form the Toolunga Project in Western Australia (WA), the John Bull and Tibooburra Gold Projects will strengthen Novo's exploration portfolio and provide targeted exploration drill programs throughout 2025. ABOUT NOVO Novo is an Australian based gold explorer listed on the ASX and the TSX focused on discovering standalone gold projects with > 1 Moz development potential. Novo is an innovative gold explorer with a significant land package covering approximately 5,500 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, along with the 22 square kilometre Belltopper project in the Bendigo Tectonic Zone of Victoria, Australia. Novo's key project area in the Pilbara is the Egina Gold Camp, where De Grey Mining is farming-in to form a JV at the Becher Project and surrounding tenements through exploration expenditure of A$25 million within 4 years for a 50% interest. The Becher Project has similar geological characteristics as De Grey's 12.7 Moz Hemi Project*. Novo is also advancing gold exploration south of Becher in the Egina Gold Camp, part of the Croydon JV (Novo 70%: Creasy Group 30%). Novo continues to undertake early-stage exploration elsewhere across its Pilbara tenement portfolio. Novo has also formed a lithium joint venture with SQM in the Pilbara which provides shareholder exposure to battery metals. *Refer to De Grey ASX Announcement, Hemi Gold Project Resource Update, dated 21 November 2023 No assurance can be given that a similar (or any) commercially viable mineral deposit will be determined at Novo's Becher Project and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. JOHN BULL GOLD PROJECT Location and Tenure John Bull is located in the New England Orogen of NSW. The tenure consists of two tenements and covers some 32 sq km (Figure 2, Table 1). Table 1 John Bull Gold Project tenement details Tenement Number Grant Date Expiry Date Number of Blocks Area sq km Holder EL 8389 03/09/2015 03/09/2028 1 3 TechGen NSW Pty Ltd EL 9121 01/04/2021 01/04/2027 11 29 TechGen NSW Pty Ltd Geology and Mineralisation Mineralisation at John Bull is interpreted to be part of a reduced IRG system. It is characterised by abundant sheeted and stockwork veins with associated sulphides and is hosted within Carboniferous sediments and felsic intrusions (Figure 3). The mineralisation lies within the thermal aureole of a large northeast-trending Triassic I-type granite, which is of the same age as the Timbarra Gold Mine. Gold mineralisation in the form of sheeted, low-sulphide quartz veins trend NNE and ENE and dip 40 to 60 degrees to the ESE in a 250 m wide corridor, crosscutting bedding. Mineralisation includes native gold in a low sulphide system with pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite and minor magnetite. Previous Exploration Historic Gold discovered in 1872 was worked from at least three shafts up to 20 m deep8. Subsequent and extensive hydraulic sluicing of elluvial material of three areas was conducted. The main area of sluicing has exposed numerous sheeted quartz veins in the south of the project area and was the target of drilling conducted by TechGen in 2022 / 2023. Kennecott / Southern Goldfields Trenching and Sampling Between 1983 and 1985, Kennecott / Southern Goldfields completed a 220 m long costean dug by a backhoe, which has since been infilled and rehabilitated. The trench was excavated perpendicular to veins and cut through the main exposed vein arrays in Sluice Area 1 resulting in an intersection of 160 m @ 1.2 g/t Au (Figure 4) from 5 m composite samples (no top cut applied), and including higher grades such as 5 m @ 18.0 g/t Au and 5 m @ 7.1 g/t Au9. Assaying included screen fire assay on twelve samples, which show the presence of coarse gold. The project may significantly benefit from alternate modern assay techniques such as 500 g or multipot Chrysos PhotonAssay analysis to better quantify this coarse gold component. Sample results may not be representative of mineralisation in the district. No assurance can be given that Novo will achieve similar results as part of its exploration activities. TechGen Geochemical Sampling More recently, TechGen defined a significant, high-order surface geochemical gold anomaly over 900 m strike and 250 m width at > 100 ppb Au (Figure 4), with seven soil samples > 4.5 g/t Au and a peak assay of 10.0 g/t Au10. The soil anomaly remains open along strike to the north. A second smaller anomaly occurs in the south, with the entire system thus far defined over 1.3 km strike. TechGen completed 743 samples at 50 m x 50 m and locally down to 25 m x 25 m resulting in assays with 47 samples > 1 g/t Au. Refer to Appendix 2 for all results > 100 ppb Au soil samples. The Micks Bull tenement, immediately west of John Bull has limited stream sediment sampling and requires immediate follow-up and first pass exploration. Geophysics Induced Polarisation electrical geophysics (IP) was conducted on 3 lines over the southern part of the target, delineating significant chargability anomalies over known mineralisation11, as well as four chargability anomalies that are not yet drill tested (Figure 5). Drilling Seventeen RC drill holes for 2,249.5 m were completed in 2 phases by TechGen in 2022 and 2023, with the deepest hole being 146.5 m (effectively tested to 120 m below surface). Drilling tested only 320 m strike with mineralisation open on all sections and to the north and south. Best results are: 94 m @ 0.95 g/t Au from 4 m, including 66 m @ 1.14 g/t Au and 17 m @ 1.08 g/t Au (JBRC0006) 12 (JBRC0006) 68 m @ 1.0 g/t Au from surface, including 23 m @ 2.02 g/t Au (JBRC0001) also including higher grade zones of 7 m @ 3.10 g/t Au from 55 m and 4 m @ 4.58 g/t Au from 39m 13 (JBRC0001) also including higher grade zones of from 55 m and from 39m 22 m @ 1.07 g/t Au from 60 m (JBRC00016)14 Full results for significant intercepts previously released are presented in Appendix 1. ESG Criteria Novo has an ongoing commitment to operating in a safe, responsible and environmentally sustainable manner. Novo carries out exploration activities mindful that it has a responsibility to manage the land on which it operates to ensure it minimises its impacts. Novo develops and implements Environmental Management Plans specific to the regions in which it operates. Novo is committed to developing strong relationships with all its stakeholders. This is achieved through open and honest communications. Heritage and Native Title The TechGen tenements fall within the Grafton-Ngerrie Local Aboriginal Council. There are no Native Title Determinations or active Claims over the tenements. This area will be monitored for the lodgment of a new claim. If a claim is lodged, consultation will occur with the new representative body/traditional owners to ensure informed consent for exploration in the area. Forward Programs Novo intends to conduct the following exploration activities John Bull in H1 2025: Detailed 1:500 scale to 1:2,000 scale mapping, focussing on lithological and structural controls on mineralisation at John Bull. Extend the soil sample grids to the north and south of current coverage, and infill to 25 m x 25 m spaced soil sampling where current coverage is 50 m x 50 m. pXRF multielement analysis of soil samples in addition to laboratory assayed gold. Complete multi-element assaying of remaining drilling residue where this was not previously conducted. > 2,000 m of drilling, including > 500 m of diamond drilling in H1 2025. Drilling will be aimed at testing down dip and along strike of current open intercepts, testing targets north and south of current drilling and testing structural - lithological intersections once defined by new detailed mapping. Drilling will be aimed at testing down dip and along strike of current open intercepts, testing targets north and south of current drilling and testing structural - lithological intersections once defined by new detailed mapping. Work to be conducted on the western Micks Bull tenement includes additional stream sediment sampling to achieve full coverage, ridge and spur rock chip sampling, gridded soil sampling, and mapping. Material John Bull Option Terms The key terms of the binding term sheets with TechGen Metals Limited, TechGen NSW Pty Ltd (TechGen NSW) and Andrew Sloot (Sloot) regarding the John Bull project are set out below: On signing of the definitive agreement, Novo will reimburse TechGen NSW A$300,000 worth of Novo shares at market value for expenditure incurred to date, which shares will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws. Novo is required to complete 1,500 m of drilling in the first earn in period of 12 months. Following that initial period, if Novo chooses to continue, it will pay TechGen NSW, A$200,000 worth of Novo shares at market value for a second farm in period of 12 months, which shares will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws. Novo is required to complete an additional 1,500 m of drilling in the second earn in period of 12 months. At completion of the second farm-in period, Novo has the option to terminate the agreement or exercise the option and form an 80/20 unincorporated joint venture with TechGen NSW on EL9121, (Micks Bull) in which TechGen is free carried until a decision is made to commence commercial mining operations. If the option is exercised, Novo will obtain an 80% interest in the tenements. Also, at completion of the second farm-in period, Novo has the option to form a 70/20/10 unincorporated joint venture with TechGen NSW and Sloot on EL8389 (John Bull) in which both TechGen NSW and Sloot are free carried until a decision is made to commence commercial mining operations. If this option is exercised, Novo will obtain a 70% interest in the tenement. TechGen NSW signed a binding term sheet with Black Dragon Energy (AUS) Pty Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Zenith Minerals Limited) on 16 May 2022, through which TechGen acquired legal and beneficial interest in the tenements comprising the John Bull Gold Project. TIBOOBURRA GOLD PROJECT Location and Tenure Tibooburra is located in the northwest of NSW, Australia approximately 280 km north of the Broken Hill Pb-Zn-Ag mine and includes six granted exploration licences over ~ 630 sq km (Figure 7). The tenure consists of five tenements within and along strike of the Albert Goldfields and one tenement (EL 9094) situated further west, covering a large magnetic high with co-incident gravity low (Table 2). Tenure is held by Awati Resources Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manhattan. Table 2 Tibooburra Gold Project tenement details Tenement Number Grant Date Expiry Date Number of Blocks Area sq km Holder EL 7437 23/12/2009 23/12/2026 11 33 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 8688 02/02/2018 02/02/2027 37 110 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 8691 02/02/2018 02/02/2027 46 137 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 9092 15/03/2021 15/03/2027 40 119 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 9094 16/03/2021 16/03/2027 53 158 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 9202 28/06/2021 28/06/2027 25 74 Awati Resources Pty Ltd Geology and Mineralisation Tibooburra covers ~55 km of strike along the Tibooburra and Koonenberry Greenstone Belts in northwestern NSW. The Albert Goldfields is an historical field located in the north of the project area, discovered in 1881 and mined in earnest until 1901 with a recorded production of approximately 55,000 oz Au at mining grades of +20 g/t Au2. The Albert Goldfields lies on a unique district-scale jog at the boundary of the Thomson and Delamarian orogens, with stratigraphy wrapping around the Tibooburra granite intrusive complex to the northeast (Figure 8). Mineralisation is described as narrow high-grade (to super high-grade) quartz veins hosted in the folded and faulted Cambrian sedimentary host rocks, and broadly falls under the classification of turbidite-hosted/slate-belt gold. The Project area itself displays more than 200 historic workings and over 34 km of mineralised trend on multiple lines of workings (Figure 9). Several immediate targets have been delineated by previous workers including New Bendigo, Clone, Pioneer, Elizabeth Reef and Good Friday. However, outside the New Bendigo prospect little systematic modern exploration has been conducted. The area is significantly under-explored, and satellite imagery and interpretation (Figure 9) shows abundant cover including: North and south of New Bendigo; South of Clone, the trend is essentially under cover for >10 km; and Regionally, south of the kink there is 60 km strike with no outcrop. Two advanced drill ready target areas are defined at New Bendigo and Clone (and the associated Clone Trend). Previous Exploration Overview Manhattan entered into an agreement to acquire the Tibooburra Project from Awati Resources Limited in late 201916. Since then, Manhattan has drilled several aircore (AC) traverses, and targeted RC and diamond drilling, with particular focus around the New Bendigo Target. A short RC drill program was completed in 2023 at Clone. Manhattan's exploration programs were disrupted in 2020 due COVID and border closures, delaying many programs. Prior to Manhattan, work across the licence area included soil, stream and rock chip sampling programs, broad RAB and AC drilling traverses, regional geophysics (magnetics and gravity), RC and limited diamond drilling. Historical exploration results contained in the Reports lodged by the other companies referred to in this news release have not been reported in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 or NI 43-101 and a Competent Person/Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to disclose the exploration results in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 or NI 43-101. It is possible that following further evaluation and/or exploration work that the confidence in the prior reported exploration results may be reduced when reported under the JORC Code 2012 or NI 43-101. Novo confirms that nothing has come to its attention that causes it to question the accuracy or reliability of the results included in the WAMEX Reports, but Novo has not independently validated those results and therefore is not to be regarded as reporting, adopting or endorsing those results. New Bendigo Prospect The prospect shows extensive historical workings at surface over 2 km strike. Several historical drill programs, including RC and diamond drilling by Manhattan in 2020-2022 testing over 530 m strike intersected multiple high order gold results. Extremely high-grade gold has been observed, hosted in laminated quartz veins in historical diamond drilling (Figure 10). Peak results from Manhattan drilling include17: 30 m at 4.03 g/t Au from 11 m, including 5 m at 20.86 g/t Au (NB0033) (NB0033) 16 m at 13.89 g/t Au from 1 m, including 3 m at 69.20 g/t Au (NB0083) (NB0083) 8 m at 40.5 g/t Au from 70 m, including 3 m at 105.34 g/t Au (NB0089) (NB0089) 7 m at 13.10 g/t Au from 97 m, including 5 m at 18.01 g/t Au (NB0113) (NB0113) 13 m at 6.16 g/t Au from 50 m, including 3 m at 25.48 g/t Au (NB0122) (NB0122) 24 m @ 3.55 g/t Au from 82 m including 4 m @ 20.11 g/t Au (NBD005 - Figure 10) Refer to Appendix 5 and Appendix 6 for a list of all significant intercepts for New Bendigo diamond and RC drilling results. The prospect provides an opportunity for high-grade resource development once geological controls and continuity are resolved. Potential for repeated lodes at depth and along an interpreted shallow plunge is also good. Substantial drill step outs down dip and down plunge will be required to test for blind mineralisation and stacked lodes. Sample results may not be representative of mineralisation in the district. No assurance can be given that Novo will achieve similar results as part of its exploration activities. Cautionary Statement: Visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest. Visual estimates also potentially provide no information regarding impurities or deleterious physical properties relevant to valuations. Clone Prospect The Clone prospect is characterised by numerous historical workings over a ~ 450 m strike length, to depths of up to 25 m. Multiple parallel mineralised trends are targeted, with the densest population of historic workings occurring over a zone locally up to 130 m wide. The Clone prospect occupies the middle of an approximately 10 km section of largely unexplored ground along a prospective northwest-trending fault corridor that stretches from the New Bendigo Prospect to the southeast; and the Pioneer Prospect to the northwest. Peak drill results from 11 RC holes drilled in 2023 over 250 m strike to a maximum depth below surface of 75 m, include19: 7 m at 7.23 g/t Au from 81 m, including 3 m at 16.1 g/t Au (CL0007) 9 m at 6.03 g/t Au from 16 m (CL0010) 6 m at 4.22 g/t Au from 66 m, including 2 m at 11.65 g/t Au (CL0004) 31 m at 1.29 g/t Au from 60 m, including 3 m at 6.52 g/t Au (CL0002) Mineralisation at Clone remains open in all directions, with targeted mineralised basement trending under cover sediments to the south. The cover sediments extending for some 15 km and providing opportunities for exploration targeting potential 'blind discoveries.' Sample results may not be representative of mineralisation in the district. No assurance can be given that Novo will achieve similar results as part of its exploration activities. A full list of significant intercepts for Clone 2022 RC drilling is listed in Appendix 4. Cautionary Statement: Visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest. Visual estimates also potentially provide no information regarding impurities or deleterious physical properties relevant to valuations. ESG Criteria Novo has an ongoing commitment to operating in a safe, responsible and environmentally sustainable manner. Novo carries out exploration activities mindful that it has a responsibility to manage the land on which it operates to ensure it minimises its impacts. Novo develops and implements Environmental Management Plans specific to the regions in which it operates. Novo is committed to developing strong relationships with all its stakeholders. This is achieved through open and honest communications. Heritage and Native Title The Tibooburra tenement package is covered by two separate Native Title Claims; the Malyangapa Combined Proceedings (NC2022/0002) and the Wongkumara People (QC2008/003). The region is administered by the Tibooburra LALC based in Tibooburra. Novo will continue to monitor the process and liaise with the traditional owners. Forward Programs Novo intends to conduct the following exploration activities in 2025: Detailed 1:500 scale to 1:2,000 scale mapping including rock chip and channel sampling, focussing on lithological and structural controls on mineralisation at Clone, New Bendigo and Phoenix / Pioneer. Grid soil sampling along the Clone trend, plus pXRF multielement analysis, plus infill and extensional soil grids along the Pioneer and New Bendigo trends. Stage 1 > 2,000 m of RC drilling in H1 2025 , to test the high-grade mineralisation at Clone at depth, along strike and down plunge. , to test the high-grade mineralisation at Clone at depth, along strike and down plunge. Aircore drilling on broad spaced lines along strike of the Clone to test up to 10 km of mineralised trend under cover. Relogging and re-sampling diamond drill intercepts, plus pXRF multielement analysis of drill pulps where available prior to drill testing the down plunge extension of New Bendigo. Material Tibooburra Option Terms The key terms of the binding term sheet with Manhattan Corporation Limited and Awati Resources Pty Ltd (Awati) regarding the Tibooburra Project are set out below: On signing of the agreement, Novo will reimburse Awati 500,000 Novo shares at market value for expenditure incurred to date, which shares will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws. Novo is required to spend A$500,000 (approximately C$450,000) in the first earn in period of 12 months. Following that initial period, if Novo chooses to continue, it will pay Awati, 1,000,000 Novo shares at market value for a second farm in period of 12 months, which shares will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws. Novo is required to spend A$1,000,000 (approximately C$900,000) in the second earn in period of 12 months. At completion of the second farm-in period, Novo has the option to terminate the agreement or exercise the option and form a 70/30 unincorporated joint venture with Awati, in which Awati is free carried until the completion of a positive definitive feasibility study. If the option is exercised, Novo will obtain a 70% interest in the tenements. Authorised for release by the Board of Directors. CONTACT Investors: Mike Spreadborough +61 8 6400 6100 info@novoresources.com North American Queries: Leo Karabelas +1 416 543 3120 leo@novoresources.com Media: Cameron Gilenko +61 466 984 953 cameron.gilenko@sodali.com QP STATEMENT Mrs Karen (Kas) De Luca (MAIG), is the qualified person, as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Mrs De Luca is Novo's General Manager Exploration. JORC COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS The information in this news release that relates to exploration results at the John Bull Gold Project and the Tibooburra Gold Project is based on information compiled by Mrs De Luca, who is a full-time employee of Novo Resources Corp. Mrs De Luca is a Competent Person who is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mrs De Luca has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and the type of deposits under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mrs De Luca consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on her information in the form and context in which it appears. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Some statements in this news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian and Australian securities law and regulations. In this news release, such statements include but are not limited to planned exploration activities and the timing of such. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the resource industry and the risk factors identified in Novo's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 (which is available under Novo's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and at www.asx.com.au) in the Company's prospectus dated 2 August 2023 which is available at www.asx.com.au . Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Novo assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Novo updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. _______________ 1 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 - New Gold Project Secured in NSW 2 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/04/2023 - New Outstanding High-grade Gold Soil Results at John Bull (Main Soil Anomaly Now +900m long) 3 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/09/2022 - Gold Discovery Confirmed John Bull Gold Project 4 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 01/09/2022 - Maiden Drill Hole Returns 23 metres at 2.02 g/t Gold, John Bull Project, NSW 5 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 - New Gold Project Secured in NSW 6 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 - New High-Grade Gold Discovery 7 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 - New High-Grade Gold Discovery 8 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 - New Gold Project Secured in NSW 9 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 - New Gold Project Secured in NSW 10 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/04/2023 - New Outstanding High-grade Gold Soil Results at John Bull (Main Soil Anomaly Now +900m long) 11 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 - New Gold Project Secured in NSW 12 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/09/2022 - Gold Discovery Confirmed John Bull Gold Project 13 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 01/09/2022 - Maiden Drill Hole Returns 23 metres at 2.02 g/t Gold, John Bull Project, NSW 14 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 7/09/2023 - Stage 2 RC Drilling Results Confirm Large Scale Gold System, John Bull Gold Project 15 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/09/2022 - Gold Discovery Confirmed John Bull Gold Project 16 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 02/12/2019 - Manhattan to Acquire New High-Grade Gold Project in NSW 17 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 - New High-Grade Gold Discovery 18 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 27/10/2022 - Quarterly Activities Report September 2022 19 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 - New High-Grade Gold Discovery ABOUT NOVO Novo is an Australian based gold explorer listed on the ASX and the TSX focused on discovering standalone gold projects with > 1 Moz development potential. Novo is an innovative gold explorer with a significant land package covering approximately 5,500 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, along with the 22 square kilometre Belltopper project in the Bendigo Tectonic Zone of Victoria, Australia. Novo's key project area in the Pilbara is the Egina Gold Camp, where De Grey Mining is farming-in to form a JV at the Becher Project and surrounding tenements through exploration expenditure of A$25 million within 4 years for a 50% interest. The Becher Project has similar geological characteristics as De Grey's 12.7 Moz Hemi Project*. Novo is also advancing gold exploration south of Becher in the Egina Gold Camp, part of the Croydon JV (Novo 70%: Creasy Group 30%). Novo continues to undertake early-stage exploration elsewhere across its Pilbara tenement portfolio. Novo has also formed a lithium joint venture with SQM in the Pilbara which provides shareholder exposure to battery metals. Novo has recently strengthened its high-quality, Australian based exploration portfolio by adding the TechGen John Bull Gold Project in the New England Orogen of NSW, and Manhattan Tibooburra Gold Project in the Albert Goldfields in northwestern NSW. Both projects demonstrate prospectivity for significant discovery and resource definition and align with Novo's strategy of identifying and exploring projects with > 1 Moz Au potential. These high-grade gold projects compliment the landholding consolidation that forms the Toolunga Project in the Onslow District in Western Australia. Novo has a significant investment portfolio and a disciplined program in place to identify value accretive opportunities that will build further value for shareholders. Please refer to Novo's website for further information including the latest Corporate Presentation. An Exploration Target as defined in the JORC Code (2012) is a statement or estimate of the exploration potential of a mineral deposit in a defined geological setting where the statement or estimate, quoted as a range of tonnes and a range of grade (or quality), relates to mineralisation for which there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource. Accordingly, these figures are not Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve estimates as defined in the JORC Code (2012). The potential quantities and grades referred to above are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. These figures are based on the interpreted continuity of mineralisation and projection into unexplored ground often around historical workings. The Exploration Target has been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code (2012). as detailed in the Company's ASX announcement released on 25 September 2024 (available to view at www.asx.com.au). The Tonnage range for the exploration target is 1.5Mt to 2.1Mt and the Grade range is 6.6g/t Au to 8.4g/t Au. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information that material affects the information included in the original market announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. *Refer to De Grey ASX Announcement, Hemi Gold Project Resource Update, dated 21 November 2023 No assurance can be given that a similar (or any) commercially viable mineral deposit will be determined at Novo's Becher Project.nt and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. Appendix 1 - Significant Intercepts reported by TechGen 202220 / 202321 A >0.5 g/t Au cut off was used for the calculations, with a maximum of 4 m internal dilution applied for JBRC007 - JBRC007, and 3 m internal dilution for JBRC008 - JBRC017. All intervals averaging > 1 g/t Au are tabulated. Locations are in GDA94, zone 56 Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Intercept (g/t Au) JBRC001 447,560 6,733,518 -60 259 133 0 68 68 m @ 1.00 JBRC001 including 39 62 23 m @ 2.02 JBRC001 Or. 39 43 4 m @ 4.58* JBRC001 Or. 55 62 7 m @ 3.10* JBRC001 76 77 1 m @ 1.02 JBRC002 447,440 6,733,559 -60 259 120 12 13 1 m @ 1.46 JBRC003 447,490 6,733,548 -60 280 100 4 11 7 m @ 1.02 JBRC004 447,550 6,733,554 -60 249 103 3 8 5 m @ 1.00 JBRC004 34 45 1 1 m @ 1.07 JBRC004 including 37 38 1 m @ 5.31 JBRC005 447,600 6,733,515 -60 265 139 12 19 7 m @ 1.65 JBRC005 including 15 16 1 m @ 5.26 JBRC005 27 32 5 m @ 1.03 JBRC005 46 47 1 m @ 1.15 JBRC005 57 70 13 m @ 1.02 JBRC005 including 57 58 1 m @ 5.90 JBRC005 77 79 2 m @ 6.66 JBRC005 including 77 78 1 m @ 10.00 JBRC005 95 118 23 m @ 1.10 JBRC005 including 97 98 1 m @ 8.22 JBRC006 447,630 6,733,524 -60 259 145 4 98 94 m @ 0.95 JBRC006 including 32 98 66 m @ 1.14 JBRC006 109 126 17 m @ 1.08 JBRC007 447,708 6,733,512 -60 259 147 104 108 4 m @ 1.29 JBRC008 447,632 6,733,658 -60 259 139 63 64 1 m @ 1.01 JBRC008 99 100 1 m @ 1.35 JBRC008 127 128 1 m @ 1.38 JBRC009 447,588 6,733,639 -60 259 138 56 57 1 m @ 1.55 JBRC009 76 77 1 m @ 1.79 JBRC009 86 87 1 m @ 1.06 JBRC009 110 111 1 m @ 1.11 JBRC009 117 118 1 m @ 1.78 JBRC009 120 127 7 m @ 1.12 JBRC010 447,550 6,733,642 -60 259 144 10 11 1 m @ 1.59 JBRC010 28 29 1 m @ 1.50 JBRC010 74 75 1 m @ 9.67 JBRC010 79 86 7 m @ 1.20 JBRC010 90 91 1 m @ 1.65 JBRC010 95 96 1 m @ 1.08 JBRC010 98 99 1 m @ 1.08 JBRC010 102 103 1 m @ 1.15 JBRC010 124 125 1 m @ 1.29 JBRC011 447,471 6,733,653 -60 259 120 4 8 4 m @ 1.09 JBRC011 9 10 1 m @ 1.32 JBRC011 15 18 3 m @ 1.46 JBRC011 22 23 1 m @ 1.08 JBRC011 55 64 9 m @ 1.86 JBRC011 83 84 1 m @ 2.28 JBRC012 447,642 6,733,748 -60 259 138 50 52 2 m @ 1.58 JBRC012 62 63 1 m @ 1.68 JBRC012 89 90 1 m @ 1.98 JBRC012 115 116 1 m @ 1.70 JBRC012 120 122 2 m @ 3.29 JBRC012 126 129 3 m @ 1.04 JBRC013 447,574 6,733,751 -60 259 138 50 51 1 m @ 1.04 JBRC013 55 56 1 m @ 1.53 JBRC013 64 65 1 m @ 1.68 JBRC013 67 68 1 m @ 1.56 JBRC013 97 102 5 m @ 1.33 JBRC013 107 113 6 m @ 1.18 JBRC013 116 117 1 m @ 1.37 JBRC014 447,516 6,733,750 -60 259 138 35 36 1 m @ 1.28 JBRC014 37 39 2 m @ 1.14 JBRC014 51 53 2 m @ 1.45 JBRC014 64 66 2 m @ 1.18 JBRC014 67 68 1 m @ 1.21 JBRC014 71 73 2 m @ 1.13 JBRC014 75 76 1 m @ 1.19 JBRC014 137 138 1 m @ 1.02 JBRC015 447,466 6,733,741 -60 259 126 1 3 2 m @ 1.36 JBRC015 34 36 2 m @ 4.15 JBRC015 45 46 1 m @ 6.38 JBRC016 447,533 6,733,447 -60 259 138 11 13 2 m @ 1.00 JBRC016 18 19 1 m @ 3.39 JBRC016 30 31 1 m @ 3.10 JBRC016 34 36 2 m @ 1.13 JBRC016 47 56 9 m @ 1.82 JBRC016 including 48 49 1 m @ 9.21 JBRC016 60 82 22 m @ 1.07 JBRC016 88 90 2 m @ 1.75 JBRC016 109 116 7 m @ 1.06 JBRC017 447,479 6,733,439 -60 259 144 3 4 1 m @ 1.14 JBRC017 7 8 1 m @ 1.68 JBRC017 15 19 4 m @ 1.34 JBRC017 27 28 1 m @ 1.68 JBRC017 34 35 1 m @ 1.25 JBRC017 42 43 1 m @ 1.02 JBRC017 44 46 2 m @ 1.38 *Alternative increased grade cut off selected by TechGen for reporting of higher-grade components. Appendix 2 - Soil Sample Table of Results > 100 ppb Au GDA94 z56 (TechGen 2022 and 2023) Sample ID Year Easting (m) Northing (m) Au g/t 322759 2023 447,600 6,734,050 10.00 323169 2022 447,525 6,733,625 8.56 323239 2022 447,600 6,733,550 7.56 323279 2022 447,500 6,733,500 7.35 323190 2022 447,475 6,733,600 7.11 322928 2022 447,400 6,733,325 4.77 323256 2022 447,500 6,733,525 4.63 323237 2022 447,550 6,733,550 2.91 322972 2022 447,400 6,733,275 2.69 323099 2022 447,400 6,733,700 2.64 323065 2022 447,650 6,733,750 2.61 322978 2022 447,550 6,733,275 2.54 323217 2022 447,625 6,733,575 2.52 322623 2022 447,375 6,733,075 2.10 323036 2022 447,500 6,733,775 2.09 322513 2022 447,475 6,733,225 1.93 323298 2022 447,450 6,733,475 1.90 322907 2022 447,400 6,733,350 1.67 323172 2022 447,600 6,733,625 1.65 323232 2022 447,425 6,733,550 1.65 323259 2022 447,575 6,733,525 1.65 323212 2022 447,500 6,733,575 1.65 323126 2022 447,550 6,733,675 1.56 322511 2022 447,425 6,733,225 1.54 323058 2022 447,475 6,733,750 1.50 322533 2022 447,500 6,733,200 1.47 323102 2022 447,475 6,733,700 1.45 323037 2022 447,525 6,733,775 1.42 323080 2022 447,500 6,733,725 1.30 323276 2022 447,425 6,733,500 1.28 322693 2023 447,550 6,734,350 1.28 322547 2022 447,375 6,733,175 1.21 322802 2022 447,550 6,733,475 1.21 323016 2022 447,525 6,733,800 1.17 322760 2023 447,600 6,734,100 1.16 323193 2022 447,550 6,733,600 1.11 323014 2022 447,475 6,733,800 1.09 322549 2022 447,425 6,733,175 1.09 322763 2023 447,650 6,734,200 1.08 322971 2022 447,375 6,733,275 1.08 323019 2022 447,600 6,733,800 1.07 322573 2022 447,550 6,733,150 1.03 323018 2022 447,575 6,733,800 1.02 323035 2022 447,475 6,733,775 1.01 322927 2022 447,375 6,733,325 1.01 323123 2022 447,475 6,733,675 1.01 323242 2022 447,675 6,733,550 1.01 322862 2022 447,375 6,733,400 0.99 322512 2022 447,450 6,733,225 0.99 322990 2022 447,375 6,733,250 0.90 323121 2022 447,425 6,733,675 0.90 323236 2022 447,525 6,733,550 0.86 322866 2022 447,475 6,733,400 0.84 322728 2023 447,500 6,734,100 0.83 323074 2022 447,350 6,733,725 0.82 322750 2023 447,550 6,733,900 0.78 322754 2023 447,600 6,733,850 0.76 322888 2022 447,500 6,733,375 0.74 323192 2022 447,525 6,733,600 0.73 323029 2022 447,325 6,733,775 0.71 322906 2022 447,375 6,733,350 0.70 323146 2022 447,475 6,733,650 0.68 322568 2022 447,425 6,733,150 0.67 322747 2023 447,500 6,733,900 0.67 322803 2022 447,575 6,733,475 0.66 323231 2022 447,400 6,733,550 0.66 322758 2023 447,600 6,734,000 0.66 322550 2022 447,450 6,733,175 0.65 322564 2022 447,325 6,733,150 0.65 322950 2022 447,375 6,733,300 0.64 322975 2022 447,475 6,733,275 0.61 323261 2022 447,625 6,733,525 0.58 323278 2022 447,475 6,733,500 0.57 323258 2022 447,550 6,733,525 0.56 322721 2023 447,450 6,733,950 0.56 322592 2022 447,550 6,733,125 0.55 323030 2022 447,350 6,733,775 0.54 322753 2023 447,600 6,733,900 0.54 322510 2022 447,400 6,733,225 0.53 323077 2022 447,425 6,733,725 0.53 322974 2022 447,450 6,733,275 0.53 322748 2023 447,500 6,733,850 0.52 323103 2022 447,500 6,733,700 0.52 323147 2022 447,500 6,733,650 0.51 322904 2022 447,325 6,733,350 0.50 323216 2022 447,600 6,733,575 0.49 323297 2022 447,425 6,733,475 0.49 323280 2022 447,525 6,733,500 0.48 322780 2023 447,700 6,733,850 0.48 322767 2023 447,650 6,734,000 0.48 323081 2022 447,525 6,733,725 0.48 323122 2022 447,450 6,733,675 0.45 323124 2022 447,500 6,733,675 0.45 322772 2023 447,750 6,734,200 0.44 323101 2022 447,450 6,733,700 0.44 322744 2023 447,550 6,734,050 0.43 322988 2022 447,325 6,733,250 0.43 322643 2022 447,400 6,733,050 0.43 322660 2023 447,700 6,734,100 0.43 322873 2022 447,650 6,733,400 0.43 323194 2022 447,575 6,733,600 0.43 322751 2023 447,550 6,733,950 0.42 323173 2022 447,625 6,733,625 0.42 322685 2023 447,700 6,734,250 0.41 322771 2023 447,750 6,734,250 0.41 322710 2023 447,400 6,734,000 0.40 322627 2022 447,475 6,733,075 0.39 323214 2022 447,550 6,733,575 0.39 323145 2022 447,450 6,733,650 0.39 322993 2022 447,450 6,733,250 0.39 323062 2022 447,575 6,733,750 0.39 322994 2022 447,475 6,733,250 0.38 323059 2022 447,500 6,733,750 0.38 322606 2022 447,425 6,733,100 0.37 322884 2022 447,400 6,733,375 0.37 322995 2022 447,500 6,733,250 0.37 323257 2022 447,525 6,733,525 0.37 323013 2022 447,450 6,733,800 0.36 322733 2023 447,550 6,734,100 0.36 322624 2022 447,400 6,733,075 0.35 323238 2022 447,575 6,733,550 0.35 323260 2022 447,600 6,733,525 0.35 322992 2022 447,425 6,733,250 0.35 323031 2022 447,375 6,733,775 0.35 323154 2022 447,675 6,733,650 0.34 323174 2022 447,650 6,733,625 0.34 323057 2022 447,450 6,733,750 0.33 323098 2022 447,375 6,733,700 0.33 323106 2022 447,575 6,733,700 0.32 323168 2022 447,500 6,733,625 0.30 322724 2023 447,400 6,733,850 0.30 322848 2022 447,600 6,733,425 0.30 322684 2023 447,650 6,734,250 0.29 322845 2022 447,525 6,733,425 0.29 322769 2023 447,700 6,734,200 0.28 323215 2022 447,575 6,733,575 0.28 323299 2022 447,475 6,733,475 0.28 322924 2022 447,300 6,733,325 0.28 323219 2022 447,675 6,733,575 0.27 323152 2022 447,625 6,733,650 0.27 323170 2022 447,550 6,733,625 0.26 323213 2022 447,525 6,733,575 0.26 322755 2023 447,650 6,733,850 0.25 322746 2023 447,500 6,733,950 0.25 323218 2022 447,650 6,733,575 0.25 322822 2022 447,475 6,733,450 0.24 322820 2022 447,425 6,733,450 0.24 323104 2022 447,525 6,733,700 0.24 322858 2022 447,250 6,733,400 0.24 323284 2022 447,625 6,733,500 0.24 322801 2022 447,525 6,733,475 0.23 322768 2023 447,700 6,734,150 0.23 323148 2022 447,525 6,733,650 0.23 323167 2022 447,475 6,733,625 0.22 322823 2022 447,500 6,733,450 0.22 322528 2022 447,375 6,733,200 0.22 322765 2023 447,650 6,734,100 0.22 322933 2022 447,525 6,733,325 0.22 323054 2022 447,375 6,733,750 0.21 322605 2022 447,400 6,733,100 0.21 323100 2022 447,425 6,733,700 0.21 322610 2022 447,525 6,733,100 0.21 323164 2022 447,400 6,733,625 0.21 323243 2022 447,700 6,733,550 0.20 323253 2022 447,425 6,733,525 0.20 322618 2022 447,850 6,733,100 0.20 322720 2023 447,450 6,734,000 0.20 322826 2022 447,575 6,733,450 0.20 323241 2022 447,650 6,733,550 0.20 322731 2023 447,550 6,734,200 0.20 322849 2022 447,625 6,733,425 0.20 322872 2022 447,625 6,733,400 0.20 323073 2022 447,325 6,733,725 0.19 322989 2022 447,350 6,733,250 0.19 322749 2023 447,550 6,733,850 0.19 323198 2022 447,675 6,733,600 0.18 323020 2022 447,625 6,733,800 0.18 322870 2022 447,575 6,733,400 0.18 322958 2022 447,575 6,733,300 0.18 322718 2023 447,450 6,734,100 0.18 322843 2022 447,475 6,733,425 0.18 323233 2022 447,450 6,733,550 0.18 322951 2022 447,400 6,733,300 0.18 322807 2022 447,675 6,733,475 0.17 323255 2022 447,475 6,733,525 0.17 323141 2022 447,350 6,733,650 0.17 322952 2022 447,425 6,733,300 0.17 322705 2023 447,350 6,734,150 0.16 322905 2022 447,350 6,733,350 0.16 323079 2022 447,475 6,733,725 0.16 323017 2022 447,550 6,733,800 0.16 323076 2022 447,400 6,733,725 0.16 323195 2022 447,600 6,733,600 0.15 323234 2022 447,475 6,733,550 0.15 323038 2022 447,550 6,733,775 0.15 322949 2022 447,350 6,733,300 0.15 322572 2022 447,525 6,733,150 0.15 323032 2022 447,400 6,733,775 0.14 322806 2022 447,650 6,733,475 0.14 323066 2022 447,675 6,733,750 0.14 323283 2022 447,600 6,733,500 0.14 323171 2022 447,575 6,733,625 0.14 322531 2022 447,450 6,733,200 0.14 322766 2023 447,650 6,734,050 0.13 323034 2022 447,450 6,733,775 0.13 323078 2022 447,450 6,733,725 0.13 322570 2022 447,475 6,733,150 0.13 322679 2023 447,400 6,734,250 0.13 322569 2022 447,450 6,733,150 0.13 322529 2022 447,400 6,733,200 0.13 322929 2022 447,425 6,733,325 0.13 322997 2022 447,550 6,733,250 0.13 323166 2022 447,450 6,733,625 0.13 323248 2022 447,300 6,733,525 0.13 322885 2022 447,425 6,733,375 0.12 322775 2023 447,750 6,734,050 0.12 322977 2022 447,525 6,733,275 0.12 323039 2022 447,575 6,733,775 0.12 323262 2022 447,650 6,733,525 0.12 322640 2022 447,325 6,733,050 0.12 322821 2022 447,450 6,733,450 0.12 323082 2022 447,550 6,733,725 0.11 323155 2022 447,700 6,733,650 0.11 323191 2022 447,500 6,733,600 0.11 322565 2022 447,350 6,733,150 0.11 322817 2022 447,350 6,733,450 0.11 323240 2022 447,625 6,733,550 0.11 323163 2022 447,375 6,733,625 0.11 322756 2023 447,650 6,733,900 0.11 323277 2022 447,450 6,733,500 0.10 323281 2022 447,550 6,733,500 0.10 323009 2022 447,350 6,733,800 0.10 323267 2022 447,100 6,733,500 0.10 323285 2022 447,650 6,733,500 0.10 322752 2023 447,600 6,733,950 0.10 Appendix 3 - Kennecott 1983 Trench Rock Chip Channel Sample Results22 - GDA94 z56 (location approximate - digitized from a referenced plan and validated location on ground). Easting (m) Northing (m) From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Fire Assay Au g/t AAS Au g/t Av 447,634 6,733,528 0 5 5 0.5 0.4 0.45 447,629 6,733,529 5 10 5 0.5 0.6 0.55 447,624 6,733,530 10 15 5 0.4 0.7 0.55 447,619 6,733,531 15 20 5 0.6 0.4 0.5 447,614 6,733,532 20 25 5 0.4 0.45 0.425 447,609 6,733,533 25 30 5 0.4 0.35 0.375 447,604 6,733,534 30 35 5 7.1 12.6 9.85 447,600 6,733,535 35 40 5 0.4 0.2 0.3 447,594 6,733,536 40 45 5 0.4 0.45 0.425 447,590 6,733,537 45 50 5 0.05 0.45 0.25 447,585 6,733,538 50 55 5 0.3 0.2 0.25 447,580 6,733,539 55 60 5 2.1 3.1 2.6 447,575 6,733,540 60 65 5 0.7 0.7 0.7 447,570 6,733,541 65 70 5 0.5 0.05 0.275 447,565 6,733,542 70 75 5 0.3 0.75 0.525 447,560 6,733,543 75 80 5 0.7 0.8 0.75 447,555 6,733,544 80 85 5 0.3 0.25 0.275 447,551 6,733,545 85 90 5 0.05 0.025 0.0375 447,546 6,733,546 90 95 5 0.1 0.025 0.0625 447,541 6,733,548 95 100 5 0.05 0.1 0.075 447,536 6,733,549 100 105 5 0.2 0.025 0.1125 447,531 6,733,550 105 110 5 0.1 0.025 0.0625 447,526 6,733,551 110 115 5 0.6 0.1 0.35 447,521 6,733,552 115 120 5 0.5 0.15 0.325 447,516 6,733,553 120 125 5 0.1 0.15 0.125 447,511 6,733,554 125 130 5 0.3 0.45 0.375 447,506 6,733,555 130 135 5 0.2 0.025 0.1125 447,502 6,733,556 135 140 5 0.5 0.2 0.35 447,497 6,733,557 140 145 5 18 11.5 14.75 447,492 6,733,558 145 150 5 0.05 0.025 0.0375 447,487 6,733,559 150 155 5 0.2 0.025 0.1125 447,482 6,733,560 155 160 5 0.3 0.05 0.3 447,477 6,733,561 160 165 5 0.1 0 0.05 447,472 6,733,562 165 170 5 0.1 0.025 0.063 447,468 6,733,563 170 175 5 0.05 0.1 0.075 447,462 6,733,564 175 180 5 0.1 0.025 0.063 447,457 6,733,565 180 185 5 0.1 0.025 0.063 447,452 6,733,566 185 190 5 0.4 0.025 0.213 447,448 6,733,567 190 195 5 0.05 0.025 0.038 447,443 6,733,568 195 200 5 0.1 0.025 0.063 447,438 6,733,569 200 205 5 0.05 0.025 0.038 447,433 6,733,570 205 210 5 0.5 0.25 0.375 447,428 6,733,571 210 215 5 0.05 0.025 0.038 447,423 6,733,572 215 220 5 0.1 0.4 0.25 Appendix 4 - Significant Intercepts reported by Manhattan for their 2023 RC program at Clone23. A > 0.5 g/t Au cut off was used for the calculations, with a maximum of 2 m internal dilution applied. Locations are in GDA94 zone 54. Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Intercept (g/t Au) CL0001 584300 6725725 -60 269 96 61 64 3 m @ 0.5 g/t Au 71 94 23 m @ 0.51 g/t Au CL0002 584330 6725725 -60 270 120 47 48 1 m @ 1.48 g/t Au 60 91 31 m @ 1.29 g/t Au Incl. 78 81 3 m @ 6.52 g/t Au CL0003 584300 6725700 -60 90 72 18 22 4 m @ 1.43 g/t Au CL0004 584280 6725700 -60 90 120 43 44 1 m @ 1.85 g/t Au 66 72 6 m @ 4.22 g/t Au Incl. 68 70 2 m @ 11.65 g/t Au CL0005 584310 6725670 -60 90 90 17 29 12 m @ 0.53 g/t Au 35 39 4 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 44 49 5 m @ 1.63 g/t Au Incl. 44 48 4 m @ 1.95 g/t Au CL0006 584290 6725670 -60 90 138 38 42 4 m @ 1.64 g/t Au CL0007 584270 6725670 -60 90 180 57 59 2 m @ 0.74 g/t Au 62 67 5 m @ 0.69 g/t Au 81 88 7 m @ 7.23 g/t Au Incl. 83 86 3 m @ 16.1 g/t Au CL0008 584310 6725675 -60 120 186 24 26 2 m @ 1.84 g/t Au 39 42 3 m @ 0.59 g/t Au 61 67 6 m @ 0.92 g/t Au Incl. 61 65 4 m @ 1.22 g/t Au CL0009 584325 6725650 -60 90 108 19 32 13 m @ 0.77 g/t Au Incl. 24 31 7 m @ 1.18 g/t Au 37 40 3 m @ 0.58 g/t Au CL0010 584390 6725500 -60 90 120 16 25 9 m @ 6.03 g/t Au 31 32 1 m @ 1.03 g/t Au Appendix 5 - Significant Intercepts reported by Manhattan for their diamond program at New Bendigo24. A > 0.5 g/t Au cut off was used for the calculations, with a maximum of 2 m internal dilution applied. Locations are in GDA94 zone 54. Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Type Intercept (g/t Au) NB0107 587,510 6,719,419 -60.2 270.1 282.7 6 7 RC 1 m @ 1.04 g/t Au 89 90 RC 1 m @ 0.54 g/t Au 138.2 138.75 HQ3 0.55 m @ 2.29 g/t Au 178 180 HQ3 2 m @ 0.83 g/t Au NB0123 587,483 6,719,372 -61.5 268.3 201.6 6 10 RC 4 m @ 1.87 g/t Au 65 66 RC 1 m @ 0.62 g/t Au 111 112 RC 1 m @ 1.08 g/t Au 117 120 RC 3 m @ 1.95 g/t Au 145 147 RC 2 m @ 2.03 g/t Au NBD004 587,459 6,719,388 -60.6 331 294.7 50 57 HQ3 7 m @ 0.64 g/t Au 50 53 HQ3 3 m @ 1.09 g/t Au 60 71 HQ3 11 m @ 0.53 g/t Au Incl. 65 67 HQ3 2 m @ 1.2 g/t Au 104 108 HQ3 4 m @ 1.1 g/t Au Incl. 198 202 HQ3 4 m @ 1.44 g/t Au 208 210 HQ3 2 m @ 0.79 g/t Au NBD005 587,364 6,719,476 -60 90 161.7 82 106 HQ3 24 m @ 3.55 g/t Au Incl. 96 100 HQ3 4 m @ 20.11 g/t Au Or. 96 97.02 HQ3 1.02 m @ 70.2 g/t Au* NBD006 587,467 6,719,318 -60 90 120.1 50 51 HQ3 1 m @ 0.69 g/t Au 72 73 HQ3 1 m @ 0.65 g/t Au NB0007 587,313 6,719,039 -60 90 140.1 68 72 HQ3 4 m @ 0.97 g/t Au * Alternative increased grade cut off selected by Manhattan for reporting of higher-grade components. Appendix 6 - Significant Intercepts reported by Manhattan for their RC drilling programs at New Bendigo25. A > 0.5 g/t Au cut off was used for the calculations, with a maximum of 2 m internal dilution applied. Locations are in GDA94 zone 54. Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Intercept (g/t Au) NB0001 587,615 6,719,182 -60 237 118 19 21 2 m @ 0.9 g/t Au 28 29 1 m @ 5.49 g/t Au 41 42 1 m @ 0.78 g/t Au 64 65 1 m @ 0.68 g/t Au NB0002 587,595 6,719,168 -60 238 84 10 11 1 m @ 0.5 g/t Au 17 19 2 m @ 2.24 g/t Au 30 34 4 m @ 0.81 g/t Au 46 47 1 m @ 3.27 g/t Au NB0003 587,578 6,719,161 -61 237 51 25 28 3 m @ 0.95 g/t Au NB0004 587,587 6,719,169 -60 236 51 4 5 1 m @ 2.14 g/t Au 28 30 2 m @ 0.69 g/t Au 35 37 2 m @ 2.26 g/t Au NB0005 587,560 6,719,204 -60 236 63 39 42 3 m @ 1.09 g/t Au NB0006 587,585 6,719,219 -60 237 99 9 10 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au 14 16 2 m @ 3.14 g/t Au 21 26 5 m @ 0.81 g/t Au 36 38 2 m @ 0.82 g/t Au 61 64 3 m @ 1.56 g/t Au NB0007 587,599 6,719,145 -60 236 87 3 5 2 m @ 2.04 g/t Au NB0008 587,618 6,719,157 -60 236 105 21 27 6 m @ 0.97 g/t Au 32 33 1 m @ 0.7 g/t Au 37 38 1 m @ 0.95 g/t Au 45 46 1 m @ 2.76 g/t Au NB0009 587,591 6,719,140 -60 235 63 2 4 2 m @ 0.76 g/t Au NB0010 587,498 6,719,371 -60 238 105 40 42 2 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0011 587,480 6,719,353 -62 238 51 29 30 1 m @ 0.71 g/t Au 34 35 1 m @ 0.89 g/t Au NB0012 587,467 6,719,346 -60 237 39 NSI NB0013 587,500 6,719,347 -60 238 57 3 4 1 m @ 0.65 g/t Au 5 6 1 m @ 0.54 g/t Au 40 42 2 m @ 0.88 g/t Au NB0014 587,492 6,719,341 -61 236 45 36 39 3 m @ 1.41 g/t Au NB0015 587,522 6,719,320 -61 240 69 15 16 1 m @ 0.69 g/t Au 18 19 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au 45 46 1 m @ 0.82 g/t Au NB0016 587,565 6,719,246 -59 237 93 42 45 3 m @ 0.7 g/t Au 58 59 1 m @ 1.52 g/t Au NB0017 587,553 6,719,236 -60 236 105 27 28 1 m @ 0.79 g/t Au 48 49 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au NB0018 587,532 6,719,221 -60 238 57 NSI NB0019 587,543 6,719,191 -60 235 45 8 11 3 m @ 1.96 g/t Au NB0020 587,422 6,719,481 -60 236 121 18 19 1 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 109 113 4 m @ 0.59 g/t Au NB0021 587,456 6,719,503 -60 236 159 87 89 2 m @ 17.3 g/t Au 95 96 1 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 105 107 2 m @ 2.61 g/t Au 121 122 1 m @ 0.99 g/t Au NB0022 587,405 6,719,470 -60 238 123 NSI NB0023 587,405 6,719,058 -61 239 147 87 94 7 m @ 18.16 g/t Au NB0024 587,372 6,719,038 -60 235 105 31 32 1 m @ 1.1 g/t Au 39 40 1 m @ 0.8 g/t Au 50 55 5 m @ 1.12 g/t Au NB0025 587,273 6,719,252 -60 239 147 NSI NB0026 587,537 6,719,323 -61 238 75 57 60 3 m @ 1.39 g/t Au NB0027 587,550 6,719,331 -60 235 99 73 75 2 m @ 9.28 g/t Au NB0028 587,600 6,719,267 -60 238 141 NSI NB0029 587,487 6,719,528 -60 235 183 165 166 1 m @ 0.56 g/t Au NB0030 587,639 6,719,151 -59 240 111 48 52 4 m @ 0.84 g/t Au 64 65 1 m @ 0.91 g/t Au 75 77 2 m @ 0.65 g/t Au NB0031 587,628 6,719,142 -60 238 93 11 13 2 m @ 0.92 g/t Au 16 17 1 m @ 0.62 g/t Au 20 21 1 m @ 6.24 g/t Au 43 44 1 m @ 1.74 g/t Au NB0032 587,457 6,719,387 -60 237 129 29 34 5 m @ 0.57 g/t Au 89 91 2 m @ 13.71 g/t Au NB0033 587,602 6,719,180 -60 236 87 11 41 30 m @ 4.03 g/t Au Incl. 11 16 5 m @ 20.86 g/t Au NB0034 587,353 6,719,023 -60 238 57 11 13 2 m @ 0.84 g/t Au 28 35 7 m @ 0.78 g/t Au Incl. 28 32 4 m @ 1.05 g/t Au NB0035 587,389 6,719,046 -61 236 117 NSI NB0036 587,419 6,719,066 -61 236 153 NSI NB0037 587,376 6,718,990 -60 238 80 13 15 2 m @ 1.28 g/t Au 18 22 4 m @ 0.93 g/t Au Incl. 20 22 2 m @ 1.24 g/t Au 28 29 1 m @ 0.86 g/t Au NB0038 587,410 6,719,010 -61 236 111 NSI NB0039 587,449 6,719,036 -61 238 147 122 123 1 m @ 4.15 g/t Au NB0040 587,332 6,719,061 -62 238 75 15 16 1 m @ 0.77 g/t Au 43 44 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0041 587,368 6,719,078 -61 239 117 105 106 1 m @ 0.6 g/t Au NB0042 587,403 6,719,101 -61 238 159 NSI NB0043 587,431 6,719,448 -61 238 129 34 35 1 m @ 1 g/t Au 99 102 3 m @ 0.74 g/t Au Incl. 99 100 1 m @ 1.53 g/t Au NB0044 587,369 6,719,547 -61 239 177 60 61 1 m @ 0.79 g/t Au 74 76 2 m @ 2.19 g/t Au NB0045 587,401 6,719,570 -61 239 201 101 102 1 m @ 0.96 g/t Au 114 115 1 m @ 0.66 g/t Au 166 167 1 m @ 0.91 g/t Au NB0046 587,424 6,719,368 -62 237 99 NSI NB0047 587,572 6,719,296 -61 237 135 45 46 1 m @ 0.63 g/t Au 75 77 2 m @ 3.04 g/t Au NB0048 587,554 6,719,285 -61 237 117 37 38 1 m @ 0.89 g/t Au 57 58 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au 64 65 1 m @ 0.7 g/t Au NB0049 587,525 6,719,266 -61 237 93 23 24 1 m @ 0.67 g/t Au 26 27 1 m @ 0.62 g/t Au 30 31 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au 41 42 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au 72 73 1 m @ 1.63 g/t Au NB0050 587,605 6,719,081 -61 237 69 59 61 2 m @ 0.8 g/t Au NB0051 587,621 6,719,091 -61 237 93 6 10 4 m @ 0.83 g/t Au 70 72 2 m @ 1.23 g/t Au NB0052 587,656 6,719,114 -61 242 135 34 37 3 m @ 1.71 g/t Au 43 46 3 m @ 1.55 g/t Au 74 75 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0053 587,689 6,719,135 -61 238 147 54 55 1 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 81 82 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au 88 91 3 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 96 97 1 m @ 0.71 g/t Au 101 103 2 m @ 0.65 g/t Au NB0054 587,427 6,718,900 -61 237 81 NSI NB0055 587,457 6,718,924 -61 237 123 NSI NB0056 587,490 6,718,945 -61 239 141 1 2 1 m @ 5.4 g/t Au NB0057 587,532 6,718,971 -61 236 171 93 94 1 m @ 0.5 g/t Au NB0058 587,622 6,719,013 -62 237 117 NSI NB0059 587,652 6,719,034 -61 237 87 NSI NB0060 587,687 6,719,056 -62 237 135 1 2 1 m @ 0.91 g/t Au 6 7 1 m @ 0.56 g/t Au 18 20 2 m @ 0.59 g/t Au 59 63 4 m @ 0.84 g/t Au Incl. 61 63 2 m @ 1.14 g/t Au NB0061 587,716 6,719,076 -62 239 165 51 55 4 m @ 0.93 g/t Au 66 67 1 m @ 0.77 g/t Au 74 77 3 m @ 1.88 g/t Au 84 85 1 m @ 0.88 g/t Au 102 103 1 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 106 107 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0062 587,331 6,719,527 -61 239 171 135 138 3 m @ 0.56 g/t Au NB0063 587,441 6,719,595 -61 238 237 153 154 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au 172 173 1 m @ 0.72 g/t Au NB0064 587,434 6,719,327 -61 236 81 NSI NB0065 587,448 6,719,337 -61 238 93 83 84 1 m @ 0.67 g/t Au NB0066 587,490 6,719,294 -61 237 75 20 21 1 m @ 0.63 g/t Au NB0067 587,508 6,719,306 -62 239 129 4 5 1 m @ 1.46 g/t Au 36 37 1 m @ 1.82 g/t Au 65 66 1 m @ 0.68 g/t Au 109 118 9 m @ 0.93 g/t Au Incl. 110 116 6 m @ 1.11 g/t Au NB0068 587,242 6,719,429 -62 239 93 NSI NB0069 587,275 6,719,450 -61 238 117 NSI NB0070 587,592 6,718,776 -61 236 153 9 10 1 m @ 0.92 g/t Au NB0071 587,621 6,718,793 -62 238 159 68 69 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0072 587,555 6,718,752 -61 238 69 NSI NB0073 587,557 6,719,180 -60 270 73 NSI NB0074 587,575 6,719,181 -60 270 84 41 42 1 m @ 1.88 g/t Au NB0075 587,585 6,719,180 -60 270 84 6 7 1 m @ 1.47 g/t Au 28 30 2 m @ 1.29 g/t Au 51 52 1 m @ 1.53 g/t Au NB0076 587,599 6,719,177 -60 270 120 0 2 2 m @ 0.80 g/t Au 10 11 1 m @ 1.74 g/t Au 31 36 5 m @ 1.03 g/t Au Incl. 31 33 2 m @ 1.62 g/t Au 42 43 1 m @ 1.29 g/t Au NB0077 587,618 6,719,179 -60 270 132 23 24 1 m @ 0.66 g/t Au 31 32 1 m @ 8.34 g/t Au 47 48 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au 59 60 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0078 587,647 6,719,177 -60 270 114 61 62 1 m @ 0.67 g/t Au 66 69 3 m @ 0.70 g/t Au 71 72 1 m @ 0.57 g/t Au 74 75 1 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 77 78 1 m @ 0.50 g/t Au 101 104 3 m @ 2.02 g/t Au NB0079 587,576 6,719,224 -60 270 120 10 10.5 0.5 m @ 1.20 g/t Au 10.5 14 3.5 m @ NSI g/t Au 14 15 1 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 18 26 8 m @ 1.08 g/t Au 37 38 1 m @ 1.00 g/t Au 59 60 1 m @ 0.90 g/t Au NB0080 587,593 6,719,222 -60 270 132 7 9 2 m @ 1.82 g/t Au 73 74 1 m @ 1.60 g/t Au NB0081 587,507 6,719,215 -60 90 144 39 40 1 m @ 1.02 g/t Au 126 129 3 m @ 4.67 g/t Au Incl. 126 128 2 m @ 6.74 g/t Au 138 139 1 m @ 0.50 g/t Au NB0082 587,595 6,719,140 -60 270 54 24 28 4 m @ 2.16 g/t Au Incl. 26 27 1 m @ 6.78 g/t Au NB0083 587,620 6,719,135 -60 270 72 1 17 16 m @ 13.89 g/t Au Incl. 7 10 3 m @ 69.20 g/t Au 24 25 1 m @ 1.04 g/t Au 53 55 2 m @ 1.08 g/t Au NB0084 587,635 6,719,139 -60 270 90 29 31 2 m @ 2.43 g/t Au 49 51 2 m @ 1.58 g/t Au 54 55 1 m @ 1.17 g/t Au 69 70 1 m @ 1.40 g/t Au 83 84 1 m @ 0.59 g/t Au NB0085 587,645 6,719,143 -60 270 114 50 52 2 m @ 0.54 g/t Au NB0086 587,539 6,719,255 -60 270 90 26 27 1 m @ 0.92 g/t Au 32 33 1 m @ 1.26 g/t Au 36 38 2 m @ 0.79 g/t Au Incl. 37 38 1 m @ 1.07 g/t Au NB0087 587,558 6,719,258 -60 270 120 45 46 1 m @ 0.63 g/t Au 57 59 2 m @ 0.50 g/t Au NB0088 587,534 6,719,318 -60 270 120 41 44 3 m @ 0.60 g/t Au 56 63 7 m @ 2.89 g/t Au Incl. 62 63 1 m @ 15.45 g/t Au 66 68 2 m @ 0.88 g/t Au NB0089 587,550 6,719,323 -60 270 108 70 78 8 m @ 40.50 g/t Au Incl. 70 73 3 m @ 105.34 g/t Au NB0090 587,589 6,719,217 -60 270 126 12 18 6 m @ 1.93 g/t Au Incl. 16 18 2 m @ 4.29 g/t Au 42 43 1 m @ 1.44 g/t Au 68 71 3 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 116 117 1 m @ 0.57 g/t Au NB0091 587,579 6,719,261 -60 270 84 41 43 2 m @ 0.74 g/t Au 64 65 1 m @ 1.59 g/t Au NB0092 587,491 6,719,359 -60 270 150 35 37 2 m @ 1.05 g/t Au 114 115 1 m @ 2.92 g/t Au NB0093 587,510 6,719,327 -60 270 79 4 21 17 m @ 1.13 g/t Au Incl. 6 10 4 m @ 2.42 g/t Au and: 15 16 1 m @ 6.29 g/t Au 47 48 1 m @ 0.57 g/t Au NB0094 587,530 6,719,326 -61 270 91 47 71 24 m @ 0.52 g/t Au Incl. 58 67 9 m @ 1.06 g/t Au NB0095 587,550 6,719,326 -60 272 109 NSI NB0096 587,569 6,719,326 -60 269 133 108 109 1 m @ 1.14 g/t Au NB0097 587,511 6,719,359 -60 272 73 4 5 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au 61 63 2 m @ 1.02 g/t Au NB0098 587,526 6,719,358 -59 271 96 82 84 2 m @ 3.18 g/t Au NB0099 587,549 6,719,358 -60 272 108 95 96 1 m @ 0.83 g/t Au NB0100 587,563 6,719,357 -60 273 144 NSI NB0101 587,549 6,719,348 -60 270 108 82 83 1 m @ 0.75 g/t Au 105 106 1 m @ 0.69 g/t Au NB0102 587,507 6,719,373 -60 272 162 84 86 2 m @ 4.08 g/t Au 96 97 1 m @ 0.73 g/t Au 157 158 1 m @ 2.77 g/t Au NB0103 587,526 6,719,372 -60 271 144 NSI NB0104 587,550 6,719,372 -60 270 144 NSI NB0105 587,470 6,719,420 -61 269 126 11 92 81 m @ 1.04 g/t Au Incl. 52 66 14 m @ 4.77 g/t Au Incl. 76 77 1 m @ 10.3 g/t Au NB0106 587,489 6,719,420 -60 272 150 9 12 3 m @ 4.51 g/t Au 71 74 3 m @ 0.67 g/t Au 98 99 1 m @ 5.49 g/t Au 126 128 2 m @ 3.9 g/t Au NB0107 587,509 6,719,419 -60 270 128 6 7 1 m @ 1.04 g/t Au 89 90 1 m @ 0.54 g/t Au NB0108 587,450 6,719,440 -61 270.34 120 51 53 2 m @ 0.79 g/t Au NB0109 587,470 6,719,440 -60 269.05 144 10 11 1 m @ 1.08 g/t Au 13 14 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au 66 71 5 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 87 100 13 m @ 1.41 g/t Au Incl. 90 93 3 m @ 4.65 g/t Au 112 113 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au NB0110 587,490 6,719,440 -60 269.66 162 10 13 3 m @ 4.32 g/t Au 108 110 2 m @ 1.2 g/t Au 115 123 8 m @ 0.76 g/t Au Incl. 118 119 1 m @ 2.89 g/t Au 128 129 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au NB0111 587,510 6,719,440 -60 266.17 180 7 8 1 m @ 0.66 g/t Au 106 107 1 m @ 0.66 g/t Au NB0112 587,440 6,719,480 -59 267.98 114 48 49 1 m @ 0.95 g/t Au 64 66 2 m @ 1.7 g/t Au 91 92 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au NB0113 587,460 6,719,480 -60 268.73 132 7 8 1 m @ 0.99 g/t Au 92 111 19 m @ 5.02 g/t Au Incl. 97 104 7 m @ 13.1 g/t Au Or. 97 102 5 m @ 18.01 g/t Au And. 109 111 2 m @ 1.01 g/t Au 122 123 1 m @ 2.87 g/t Au 126 127 1 m @ 0.56 g/t Au 130 132 2 m @ 1.48 g/t Au NB0114 587,480 6,719,480 -60 268.57 162 9 10 1 m @ 11.1 g/t Au 126 128 2 m @ 1.07 g/t Au 144 145 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au NB0115 587,530 6,719,290 -60 270.59 90 44 46 2 m @ 1.51 g/t Au NB0116 587,550 6,719,290 -60 269.39 102 35 36 1 m @ 0.58 g/t Au NB0117 587,570 6,719,290 -59 271.71 160 NSI NB0118 587,590 6,719,290 -62 270.08 180 90 110 20 m @ 0.6 g/t Au 107 109 2 m @ 3.11 g/t Au NB0119 587,430 6,719,390 -64 271.04 132 NSI NB0120 587,450 6,719,390 -63 269.93 150 105 106 1 m @ 0.5 g/t Au NB0121 587,470 6,719,390 -64 271.55 168 36 37 1 m @ 0.9 g/t Au 108 109 1 m @ 0.71 g/t Au NB0122 587,490 6,719,392 -63 271.92 180 11 12 1 m @ 0.78 g/t Au 50 63 13 m @ 6.16 g/t Au Incl. 51 54 3 m @ 25.48 g/t Au 70 78 8 m @ 2.52 g/t Au Incl. 72 73 1 m @ 17.85 g/t Au 133 134 1 m @ 1.75 g/t Au 140 141 1 m @ 0.67 g/t Au 154 155 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au NB0123 587,486 6,719,373 -62 268.34 150 6 10 4 m @ 1.87 g/t Au 65 66 1 m @ 0.62 g/t Au 111 120 9 m @ 0.82 g/t Au Incl. 117 119 2 m @ 2.77 g/t Au 145 150 5 m @ 0.77 g/t Au NB0124 587,250 6,719,696 -60 272.53 120 NSI NB0125 588,012 6,718,586 -62 275.26 96 NSI NB0126 588,591 6,717,212 -62 272.88 138 128 129 1 m @ 0.89 g/t Au NB0127 588,742 6,717,214 -62 271.57 138 69 70 1 m @ 0.61 g/t Au NB0128 587,482 6,719,357 -60 140 120 44 46 2 m @ 1.02 g/t Au 50 52 2 m @ 0.66 g/t Au NB0129 587,499 6,719,323 -60 140 60 55 59 4 m @ 1.63 g/t Au Incl. 56 58 2 m @ 2.53 g/t Au NB0130 587,367 6,719,503 -60 90 132 17 19 2 m @ 4.48 g/t Au 22 24 2 m @ 9.78 g/t Au 65 69 4 m @ 0.85 g/t Au 102 105 3 m @ 0.71 g/t Au NB0131 587,382 6,719,483 -60 90 102 58 62 4 m @ 0.52 g/t Au 82 89 7 m @ 4.76 g/t Au Incl. 85 88 3 m @ 8.96 g/t Au NB0132 587,613 6,719,142 -60 345 72 0 16 16 m @ 0.54 g/t Au 24 26 2 m @ 0.96 g/t Au 50 56 6 m @ 0.91 g/t Au 70 72 2 m @ 2.03 g/t Au NB0133 587,605 6,719,155 -60 345 48 27 48 21 m @ 1.23 g/t Au Incl. 28 31 3 m @ 2.37 g/t Au And. 42 46 4 m @ 2.7 g/t Au NB0134 587,598 6,719,156 -60 140 60 7 13 6 m @ 0.73 g/t Au 19 26 7 m @ 0.5 g/t Au 47 49 2 m @ 0.8 g/t Au NB0135 587,588 6,719,175 -60 140 102 14 16 2 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 20 37 17 m @ 1.05 g/t Au 41 54 13 m @ 2.57 g/t Au Incl. 47 50 3 m @ 8.71 g/t Au NB0136 587,575 6,719,200 -60 138 150 27 35 8 m @ 0.6 g/t Au 75 79 4 m @ 5.97 g/t Au 88 90 2 m @ 2.88 g/t Au * Alternative increased grade cut off selected by Manhattan for reporting of higher-grade components. _______________ 20 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/09/2022 - Gold Discovery Confirmed John Bull Gold Project 21 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 7/09/2023 - Stage 2 RC Drilling Results Confirm Large Scale Gold System, John Bull Gold Project 22 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 - New Gold Project Secured in NSW 23 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 - New High-Grade Gold Discovery 24 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 27/10/2022 - Quarterly Activities Report September 2022 25 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 - New High-Grade Gold Discovery JORC Code, 2012 Edition - Table 1 Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (e.g., cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g., 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases, more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (e.g., submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - sampling reported by Southern Goldfields (GS 19861200) Trench Sampling - Historical sub-horizontal 5 m composite channel samples taken (non-biased). 5m hand channel samples of excavator dug trench. Sample assay repeats using both AAS and fire assay analysis. Results resemble recent drilling results. - sampling reported by Southern Goldfields (GS 19861200) Trench Sampling - Historical sub-horizontal 5 m composite channel samples taken (non-biased). 5m hand channel samples of excavator dug trench. Sample assay repeats using both AAS and fire assay analysis. Results resemble recent drilling results. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample - Soil samples were collected from approximately 10-25 cm depths. Approximately 250 grams of -5 mm sieved soil was collected into a paper sample packet. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying, sieving and pulverising prior to assaying for Au (Au-AA24) and then selective multi-element assaying (ME-MS61). The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control and standards were added in the field. Soil samples were collected from approximately 10-25 cm depths. Approximately 250 grams of -5 mm sieved soil was collected into a paper sample packet. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying, sieving and pulverising prior to assaying for Au (Au-AA24) and then selective multi-element assaying (ME-MS61). The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control and standards were added in the field. TechGen 2022 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC) - Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying and pulverising to produce a 30g sample for Fire Assay gold analysis (Au-AA23). Samples of greater than 10glt Au were assayed by overlimit method Au-GRA21. A multi-element suite of elements was assayed by ICP-AES following a multi acid digestion (ME-ICP61). The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying and pulverising to produce a 30g sample for Fire Assay gold analysis (Au-AA23). Samples of greater than 10glt Au were assayed by overlimit method Au-GRA21. A multi-element suite of elements was assayed by ICP-AES following a multi acid digestion (ME-ICP61). The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. TechGen 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC) - drilling samples were collected as 1 metre riffle split samples. The 1m samples were collected after passing the bulk sample through the splitter to create a sample of 1.5 - 3.5kg. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying and pulverising to produce a 500 g sample for PhotonAssay gold analysis (Au-PA01) in Perth. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. drilling samples were collected as 1 metre riffle split samples. The 1m samples were collected after passing the bulk sample through the splitter to create a sample of 1.5 - 3.5kg. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying and pulverising to produce a 500 g sample for PhotonAssay gold analysis (Au-PA01) in Perth. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. Manhattan 2023 Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes were drilled with a face sampling hammer using industry practice drilling methods to obtain a 1 m representative sample. RC Drilling was completed by Resolution Drilling (Resolution) using a large capacity RC Rig (UDR1200) or Profile Drilling using a Schramm 660. Samples were collected over one metre intervals using a rig mounted rotary cone splitter to obtain a split representative sample (and duplicate sample where required) of approximately 2 to 3 kg for assaying. The sample system was routinely monitored and cleaned to minimise contamination. The split samples and any QA/QC samples were placed in Bulka Bags, sealed, and then transported to ALS in Adelaide for analysis. drill holes were drilled with a face sampling hammer using industry practice drilling methods to obtain a 1 m representative sample. RC Drilling was completed by Resolution Drilling (Resolution) using a large capacity RC Rig (UDR1200) or Profile Drilling using a Schramm 660. Samples were collected over one metre intervals using a rig mounted rotary cone splitter to obtain a split representative sample (and duplicate sample where required) of approximately 2 to 3 kg for assaying. The sample system was routinely monitored and cleaned to minimise contamination. The split samples and any QA/QC samples were placed in Bulka Bags, sealed, and then transported to ALS in Adelaide for analysis. Manhattan 2022 Diamond Drilling: core has been collected using standard industry practices to obtain representative sample utilising HQ3 diameter core and rotary mud pre-collars through transported and oxidised lithologies at the top of the hole. Resolution Drilling (Resolution) completed diamond drilling using a large capacity Rig (UDR1200). Within fresh rock, core is oriented for structural/geotechnical logging wherever possible. In oriented core, one half of the core was sampled over one metre intervals and submitted for fire assay. The other half of the core, including the bottom-of-hole orientation line, was retained for geological reference and potential further sampling such as metallurgical test work. In intervals of un-oriented core, the same half of the core has been sampled where possible, by extending a cut line from oriented intervals through into the un-oriented intervals. The lack of a consistent geological reference plane, (such as bedding or a foliation), precludes using geological features to orient the core. In areas of core that appeared to be unmineralized, the half core was cut in half (into quarter core) and submitted for analysis over intervals of generally 2 m Drilling techniques Drill type (e.g., core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (e.g., core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit, or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC) - RC drilling used a track mounted Ingersol-Rand T4 drill rig with a 5 3/4-inch face sampling hammer. An auxiliary compressor and booster were also utilised for some drill holes. Holes were surveyed downhole using a Reflex North Seeking Gyro tool. RC drilling used a track mounted Ingersol-Rand T4 drill rig with a 5 3/4-inch face sampling hammer. An auxiliary compressor and booster were also utilised for some drill holes. Holes were surveyed downhole using a Reflex North Seeking Gyro tool. Manhattan 2023 RC Drilling used a face sampling hammer using standard RC drilling Techniques employed by Resolution Drilling or Profile Drilling, both a specialist RC Drilling company. Downhole surveys were carried out on RC holes using a gyro survey tool every 30m to record the movement of the drill hole from the planned direction and inclination. used a face sampling hammer using standard RC drilling Techniques employed by Resolution Drilling or Profile Drilling, both a specialist RC Drilling company. Downhole surveys were carried out on RC holes using a gyro survey tool every 30m to record the movement of the drill hole from the planned direction and inclination. Manhattan 2022 DD Drilling was completed by Resolution drilling utilising a UDR1200 drill rig, a specialist NSW based drilling contractor. Downhole surveys were carried out using a true shot (Boart) downhole survey tool every 30 m to record the movement of the drill hole from the planned direction and inclination. Diamond drilling utilised standardised coring techniques utilising HQ3 (triple tube) Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC) - Recovery of drill chip material was estimated from sample piles and recorded at the time of drilling. Recoveries were considered adequate. The cyclone was regularly checked and cleaned. There is no relationship between sample recovery and grade. Recovery of drill chip material was estimated from sample piles and recorded at the time of drilling. Recoveries were considered adequate. The cyclone was regularly checked and cleaned. There is no relationship between sample recovery and grade. Manhattan 2023 RC drilling - sample weight and recoveries were observed during the drilling with any wet, moist, and sample quality of the drill samples being recorded. All samples were deemed to be of acceptable quality. RC samples were checked by the geologist for volume, moisture content, possible contamination, and recoveries. Any issues were discussed with the drilling contractor. Sample spoils (residual) were placed in piles on the ground and representative chips collected by sieving part of the pile and washing the oversize component for storage in chip trays and logging. sample weight and recoveries were observed during the drilling with any wet, moist, and sample quality of the drill samples being recorded. All samples were deemed to be of acceptable quality. RC samples were checked by the geologist for volume, moisture content, possible contamination, and recoveries. Any issues were discussed with the drilling contractor. Sample spoils (residual) were placed in piles on the ground and representative chips collected by sieving part of the pile and washing the oversize component for storage in chip trays and logging. Manhattan 2022 diamond drilling - recovered core for each drill run is recorded and measured against the expected core from that run. Core recovery is consistently high, with minor loss occurring in regolith and fractured ground. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - simple descriptions only for entire trench - simple descriptions only for entire trench TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample - Soil sample descriptions were recorded in the field for all samples - Soil sample descriptions were recorded in the field for all samples TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC). All drilling was geologically logged by a geologist at the time of drilling. Logging was qualitative in nature. All holes were geologically logged in full. Geotechnical logging has not been carried out. All drilling was geologically logged by a geologist at the time of drilling. Logging was qualitative in nature. All holes were geologically logged in full. Geotechnical logging has not been carried out. Manhattan RC: A representative sample of the RC chips was collected from each of the drilled intervals (sampled every 1m), then logged and stored in chip trays for future reference. RC chips were logged for lithology, alteration, degree of weathering, fabric, colour, abundance of quartz veining and sulphide occurrence. All referenced RC chips in trays have been photographed and will be stored at the field facility in Tibooburra. Sample spoils (residual) were placed in piles on the ground. A representative sample of the RC chips was collected from each of the drilled intervals (sampled every 1m), then logged and stored in chip trays for future reference. RC chips were logged for lithology, alteration, degree of weathering, fabric, colour, abundance of quartz veining and sulphide occurrence. All referenced RC chips in trays have been photographed and will be stored at the field facility in Tibooburra. Sample spoils (residual) were placed in piles on the ground. Manhattan DD: Diamond core has been logged for lithology, alteration, and structure. Sample quality data recorded includes recovery, sample moisture (i.e., whether dry, moist, wet, and sampling methodology. Drill core is routinely orientated, photographed, and structurally logged. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality, and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in-situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - 5m channel samples are appropriate for the type of sampling and style of mineralisation observed. Sample assay repeats of higher-grade zones of individual 5m trench samples indicate a degree of variability in results commonly associated with coarse gold. In addition to fire assay and AAS analyses, Kennecott re assayed trench sample intervals using a screen fire assay technique the results from which also seem to confirm the presence of coarse gold. Trench results average 160m @ 1.15 g/t Au, with (0.1 g/t Au cut-off and maximum dilution of 5m, no top cut). No details of QAQC were documented, although repeat assay has been performed and in addition to the original Kennecott sampling a second company Southern Goldfields reported results of their own sampling of outcropping quartz veins located near the trench, returning similar gold assay results. Recent drilling also supports the grades obtained in trench sampling. 5m channel samples are appropriate for the type of sampling and style of mineralisation observed. Sample assay repeats of higher-grade zones of individual 5m trench samples indicate a degree of variability in results commonly associated with coarse gold. In addition to fire assay and AAS analyses, Kennecott re assayed trench sample intervals using a screen fire assay technique the results from which also seem to confirm the presence of coarse gold. Trench results average 160m @ 1.15 g/t Au, with (0.1 g/t Au cut-off and maximum dilution of 5m, no top cut). No details of QAQC were documented, although repeat assay has been performed and in addition to the original Kennecott sampling a second company Southern Goldfields reported results of their own sampling of outcropping quartz veins located near the trench, returning similar gold assay results. Recent drilling also supports the grades obtained in trench sampling. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample No compositing of samples was undertaken. The soil samples were placed in a pre-numbered paper packet and submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Sample preparation involved drying and pulverising of the whole sample. Laboratory repeats and standards were used. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the grain size of the material sampled. No compositing of samples was undertaken. The soil samples were placed in a pre-numbered paper packet and submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Sample preparation involved drying and pulverising of the whole sample. Laboratory repeats and standards were used. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the grain size of the material sampled. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC). The 1m samples were collected after passing the bulk sample through the splitter to create a sample of between 1.5 -3.5kg and placed in a pre-numbered calico bag and submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Most samples were dry although some were moist or wet. These details were recorded at the time of drilling and sampling. Sample preparation for drill samples involved drying the whole sample, pulverising to 85% passing 75 microns. 2022 - A 30-gram sample charge was used for the Fire Assay analysis. 2023 - A 500 gram sample charge was then used for the PhotonAssay analysis. Laboratory repeats (1:20) and standards (1:20) and internal TechGen standards and blanks have been used to assess laboratory accuracy and reproducibility. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the grain size of the material sampled. The 1m samples were collected after passing the bulk sample through the splitter to create a sample of between 1.5 -3.5kg and placed in a pre-numbered calico bag and submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Most samples were dry although some were moist or wet. These details were recorded at the time of drilling and sampling. Sample preparation for drill samples involved drying the whole sample, pulverising to 85% passing 75 microns. 2022 - A 30-gram sample charge was used for the Fire Assay analysis. 2023 - A 500 gram sample charge was then used for the PhotonAssay analysis. Laboratory repeats (1:20) and standards (1:20) and internal TechGen standards and blanks have been used to assess laboratory accuracy and reproducibility. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the grain size of the material sampled. Manhattan RC: all samples were collected in numbered calico bags using the rig mounted cone splitter with duplicates, blanks and standards placed in the sample sequence and collected at various intervals. The calico sample bags were then placed in green plastic bags for transportation. Samples were secured and placed into bulka bags for transport to the ALS Laboratory in Adelaide, an accredited Australian Laboratory. Once received by ALS in Adelaide, all samples where pulverise to 85% passing 75 microns (Method PUL-23). For samples that were greater than 3kg samples were split prior to pulverising. Once pulverised a pulp was collected and sent to ALS in Perth for a 50g portion to be subjected to fire assay and AAS finish (Method Au-AA26). Where results returned are >100 ppm Au (over range), the assay is determined using method Au-GRA22. The laboratory undertook and reported its own duplicate and standard assaying. Laboratory QA/QC samples involving the use of blanks, duplicates, standards (certified reference materials) and replicates as part of in-house procedures. The sample sizes are considered appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Selective anomalous samples from selective holes, identified within the mineralised zones may be further analysed by ALS Laboratories utilising a screen fire assay technique (Method Au-SCR22AA) to provide a more representative sample of the heterogeneous or coarse gold. Analysis was conducted on the bulk material that remained after the pulp was removed during the initial 50-gram Fire Assay. all samples were collected in numbered calico bags using the rig mounted cone splitter with duplicates, blanks and standards placed in the sample sequence and collected at various intervals. The calico sample bags were then placed in green plastic bags for transportation. Samples were secured and placed into bulka bags for transport to the ALS Laboratory in Adelaide, an accredited Australian Laboratory. Once received by ALS in Adelaide, all samples where pulverise to 85% passing 75 microns (Method PUL-23). For samples that were greater than 3kg samples were split prior to pulverising. Once pulverised a pulp was collected and sent to ALS in Perth for a 50g portion to be subjected to fire assay and AAS finish (Method Au-AA26). Where results returned are >100 ppm Au (over range), the assay is determined using method Au-GRA22. The laboratory undertook and reported its own duplicate and standard assaying. Laboratory QA/QC samples involving the use of blanks, duplicates, standards (certified reference materials) and replicates as part of in-house procedures. The sample sizes are considered appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Selective anomalous samples from selective holes, identified within the mineralised zones may be further analysed by ALS Laboratories utilising a screen fire assay technique (Method Au-SCR22AA) to provide a more representative sample of the heterogeneous or coarse gold. Analysis was conducted on the bulk material that remained after the pulp was removed during the initial 50-gram Fire Assay. Manhattan DD: where mineralisation has been potentially identified in the logging of Diamond core, the core is cut in half at a facility in Broken Hill, with samples generally collected over a one metre interval. Intervals less likely to be mineralised are quarter cored with samples collected over a 2 m interval. Samples are placed in smaller bags and placed in a larger bulka bag and sealed for transport to ALS in Adelaide by secure freight. Diamond core is submitted for analysis using the same methods as RC drilling. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g., standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (if lack of bias) and precision have been established. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - Both aqua regia (AAS) & screen fire (Screen FAS) assay techniques have been used, the former is near total digestion and the latter is consider a total digestion technique. SGS in Sydney reported the results - industry compliance from SGS is assumed. Both aqua regia (AAS) & screen fire (Screen FAS) assay techniques have been used, the former is near total digestion and the latter is consider a total digestion technique. SGS in Sydney reported the results - industry compliance from SGS is assumed. 2017 IP Survey - IP data was reprocessed by Fender Geophysics in 2022. Ground IP survey (Time domain Induced Polarisation/ Resistivity). Array: Dipole-Dipole Array (DDIP). Station spacing: 100m. Line spacing: 200m apart and 150m apart. Line length: 1.5km. Line direction: East - West. Ground IP survey (Time domain Induced Polarisation/ Resistivity). Array: Dipole-Dipole Array (DDIP). Station spacing: 100m. Line spacing: 200m apart and 150m apart. Line length: 1.5km. Line direction: East - West. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample - The samples were delivered to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverised. Samples were assayed by fire assay Au-AA24 and some by ME-MS61 following digestion. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. A package of multi- elements was also assayed for. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. The assaying and laboratory procedures used are considered appropriate for the material tested. The samples were delivered to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverised. Samples were assayed by fire assay Au-AA24 and some by ME-MS61 following digestion. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. A package of multi- elements was also assayed for. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. The assaying and laboratory procedures used are considered appropriate for the material tested. TechGen 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC). The samples were delivered to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverised. 2022 samples were assayed by Fire Assay. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. Samples were also assayed for a multi-element suite by ICP-AES following a multi-acid digestion. 2023 Samples were assayed by PhotonAssay. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. Multielements were no assayed. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. TechGen also inserted standards and blank standards into the sample sequence submitted for assay. The assaying and laboratory procedures used are considered appropriate for the material tested. No geophysical tools were used in determining element concentrations. The samples were delivered to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverised. 2022 samples were assayed by Fire Assay. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. Samples were also assayed for a multi-element suite by ICP-AES following a multi-acid digestion. 2023 Samples were assayed by PhotonAssay. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. Multielements were no assayed. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. TechGen also inserted standards and blank standards into the sample sequence submitted for assay. The assaying and laboratory procedures used are considered appropriate for the material tested. No geophysical tools were used in determining element concentrations. Manhattan RC & DD: Geological data was collected using a computer-based logging system, with detailed geology (weathering, structure, alteration, mineralisation) being recorded. Sample quality, sample interval, sample number and QA/QC inserts (standards, duplicates, blanks) were recorded on paper logs and then collated and entered to the logging system. This data, together with the assay data received from the laboratory, and subsequent survey data has been entered into Micromine Software, then validated and verified. The data will be loaded into a secure database. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - Recent drilling supports the grades obtained in trench sampling. Recent drilling supports the grades obtained in trench sampling. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample The assay results were checked by separate company personnel. Sample number, GPS coordinates and description were recorded in the field into a notebook. No adjustment has been made to assay data. The assay results were checked by separate company personnel. Sample number, GPS coordinates and description were recorded in the field into a notebook. No adjustment has been made to assay data. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC). Significant intersections have been independently verified by external consultants and TechGen personnel. Twinned drill holes are not considered necessary at this stage. Field data was collected onto paper log sheets and then entered digitally. The assay results were checked by separate external consultants and company personnel. Sample number, GPS coordinates and description were recorded in the field. No adjustment has been made to assay data. Significant intersections have been independently verified by external consultants and TechGen personnel. Twinned drill holes are not considered necessary at this stage. Field data was collected onto paper log sheets and then entered digitally. The assay results were checked by separate external consultants and company personnel. Sample number, GPS coordinates and description were recorded in the field. No adjustment has been made to assay data. Manhattan RC & DD: results were reviewed against the logged geology and previously reported intersections. Geological logging was completed by electronic means using a ruggedised tablet or computer and appropriate data collection software. Sampling control was collected on hard copy and then entered excel software before being loaded into Plexer Commercial Database System and loaded into Micromine Software for checks and validation. The primary data has been loaded and moved to a database and downloaded into Micromine Software, where it has been further validated and checked. None of the previously drilled RC or Diamond holes were twinned during this initial drilling programme. Results are stored in an industry appropriate secure database. No adjustment to assay data has been conducted Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - Maps from GS 19861200 with the trench location and assay results were registered using streams and known shaft locations, plus knowledge of on ground disturbance. The 220 m trench was then divided into 44 samples and the centre point of each sample was registered and E and N extracted, in GDA94/ MGA94 Z56. Individual trench samples are deemed to be accurate to +- 15m. Previous GPS location of trenches could not be located, but location plans of the trench in Zenith reports are similar to the field validated location of these points. - Maps from GS 19861200 with the trench location and assay results were registered using streams and known shaft locations, plus knowledge of on ground disturbance. The 220 m trench was then divided into 44 samples and the centre point of each sample was registered and E and N extracted, in GDA94/ MGA94 Z56. Individual trench samples are deemed to be accurate to +- 15m. Previous GPS location of trenches could not be located, but location plans of the trench in Zenith reports are similar to the field validated location of these points. 2017 Ground IP - Ground IP survey location of data points using a 12 channel GPS receiver - Ground IP survey location of data points using a 12 channel GPS receiver TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample - Sample locations were taken from a Garmin handheld GPS unit. The grid system used is GDA94/MGA94 Zone 56. Topographic control is considered adequate at this stage +/- 1Om. Zug, Switzerland--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Komposite has released a comprehensive whitepaper, the result of years of research and design, introducing a blockchain infrastructure capable of supporting over 3,000,000 interconnected nodes. 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HopeSprout collaborates with local partners and stakeholders to ensure its initiatives are culturally sensitive, impactful, and aligned with the aspirations of the people it serves. "Our mission is to provide the tools and support needed to create lasting change," said a HopeSprout official. "We believe that every community has the potential to thrive when given the right opportunities." Global Reach with Local Impact From enhancing educational access to creating sustainable project up to improving healthcare systems, HopeSprout's projects are designed to address the most pressing needs of underserved communities. Through its hands-on approach, the organization is building a future where individuals and families can achieve self-reliance and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. Innovation in Action: Launching a Multilingual AI Platform In addition to its community-driven initiatives, HopeSprout has recently launched a free multilingual AI platform called Tanzion ( https://Tanzion.com ) to provide equal opportunities for growth and development. With a primary focus on English and Swahili, this AI tool is tailored to meet the unique needs of African communities, offering access to information, education, and support in a user-friendly format. For more information about HopeSprout's mission and projects, visit www.hopesprout.org . Media Contact: HopeSprout Email: info@hopesprout.org Website: www.hopesprout.org SOURCE: HopeSprout View the original press release on accesswire.com Press release 13 December 2024 - N 22 SCOR continues to support actuarial science in 2024, presenting Actuarial Awards in seven countries and launching an annual scholarship in the UK Each year since 1996, SCOR has rewarded the best research in the field of actuarial science with prizes in several countries. These prizes are designed to promote the development of actuarial science, to encourage research in this field, and to contribute to the improvement of risk knowledge and management. The SCOR Actuarial Awards are recognized in the insurance and reinsurance industries as a mark of excellence. The Actuarial Awards in France are supported by the SCOR Corporate Foundation for Science, chaired by Pierre-Andre Chiappori. The SCOR Actuarial Awards juries are composed of internationally recognized researchers and insurance, reinsurance and finance professionals. The winners are selected for their command of actuarial concepts, the quality of their analytical methods, and the originality of their research in terms of scientific advances and potential practical applications to the world of risk management. In 2024, SCOR presented Actuarial Awards in seven countries: Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Sweden, and Switzerland. This was the inaugural year for the new SCOR Actuarial Awards in Asia-Pacific, which are open to students from universities in countries where SCOR has an office. The new APAC awards are organized in conjunction with the IFoA Foundation, the charity of the UK's Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. 2024 also saw the launch of a new actuarial scholarship program in the UK. Designed to invest in the career development of budding actuaries right from the start of their studies, the program will award two corporate scholarships per year to eligible students intending to study on an accredited actuarial course in the UK and/or Ireland. If you would like to submit your research for the 2025 Actuarial Awards. Thierry Leger, Chief Executive Officer of SCOR, comments: "In today's rapidly evolving risk landscape, the ongoing development of risk knowledge and management is crucial to the (re)insurance industry. I would like to thank all our winners in 2024 for their contribution to that development through their valuable and insightful work. Our Actuarial Awards have been supporting actuarial science for the past 28 years. By expanding their reach to Asia-Pacific and creating a scholarship program for actuarial undergraduates in the UK, we are fortifying SCOR's firm commitment to pushing back the frontiers of insurability and contributing to the welfare, resilience, and sustainable development of society." * * * SCOR Actuarial Award Winners in 2024 On 3 October in Zurich, Fabian Uffer, SCOR's Chief Risk Officer, presented the Actuarial Award for Switzerland at an actuarial conference held in conjunction with the sustainability working group of the Swiss Association of Actuaries (SAV). The prize went to Dr. Simona Meiler of ETH Zurich, for her doctoral thesis "Unraveling unknowns in tropical cyclone risk assessment." On 11 October in Stockholm, Svein Brre Solvang, CEO of SCOR Sweden Re, Christian Cypris, Head of Pricing & Data, Central Europe & Nordics at SCOR Life & Health, and Rasmus Thunberg, representing the Swedish Actuarial Association, presented the Actuarial Award for Sweden during the annual SCOR Sweden Re Nordic Life Insurance Conference. The 2024 prize was awarded to Vilma Guevara Harkonen of Stockholm University, for her Master's thesis "On Claims Reserving with Machine Learning Techniques." On 18 November in Mannheim, Wolfgang Schanz, Head of Central Pricing at SCOR in Cologne, and Dr. Stefan Schelling from Ulm University, presented the Actuarial Awards for Germany. The winners were Robin Sell of the University of Cologne (first prize), for his Master's thesis "Spectral Decomposition in Fixed Income: Leveraging Principal Components for Portfolio Analysis and Macroeconomic Interpretation", Dr. Yusha Chen of Ulm University (second prize), for her doctoral dissertation "Life Insurance Companies: Product Design, Marketing, and Investment", and Anna Strose of TH Rosenheim, for her Bachelor's thesis "Kalenderjahresrisiko im Chain-Ladder-Modell: Herleitung der Merz-Wuthrich-Formel uber das Law of Propagation of Uncertainty" (Calendar year risk in the chain ladder model: Derivation of the Merz-Wuthrich formula using the Law of Propagation of Uncertainty). On 27 November in Sydney and 28 November in Singapore, Paula Bourke, SCOR Head of Life & Health for Australia and New Zealand, and Mukul Kishore, SCOR Head of P&C for APAC, respectively presented the new Actuarial Awards for the Asia-Pacific region. The first prize went to Michelle Kundai Vhudzijena, PhD, Senior Research Associate at UNSW in Sydney, for her doctoral thesis "Modelling mortality heterogeneity using health trajectories and multimorbidity". The second prize was awarded to Dr. Yanbin Xu of Nanyang Technological University Singapore, for his doctoral thesis "Climate change and sustainability: An actuarial risk management perspective." On 11 December in Milan, Manuela Colombo, P&C Head of South Europe and Legal Representative for SCOR Italy, and president of the jury Professor Nino Savelli of Milan's Universita Cattolica, presented the 2024 Actuarial Awards for Italy. The awards went to Beatrice Parravicini of Milan's Universita Cattolica, for her Master's thesis "Parametric insurance coverages against natural catastrophe risks: a new risk transfer solution in a world of climate extremes", and Lorenzo Zubin of the University of Trieste, for his Master's thesis "I modelli regime switching per la valutazione del rischio di estinzione anticipata di massa" (Regime-switching models for the assessment of mass lapse risk). On 11 December in Paris, Philippe Trainar, Director of the SCOR Foundation, and president of the jury Professor Stephane Loisel of CNAM, presented the 2024 Actuarial Awards for France following the annual actuarial conference organized in conjunction with the French Institute of Actuaries, in the presence of its President, Laurence Bauduin. Sebastien Farkas, of Sorbonne University, received the Prix des Jeunes Docteurs for his doctoral dissertation "Mathematiques appliquees a l'assurance des risques numeriques" (Mathematics applied to the insurance of digital risks). The Prix des Jeunes Actuaires was awarded to Nicxan Hensman Stalin of Universite Paris Dauphine-PSL, for his thesis "Modelisation d'une carte d'exposition au risque ouragan aux Etats-Unis" (Modeling a hurricane exposure map in the USA). The winning papers can be accessed from the Actuarial Awardspage on SCOR's website. * * * SCOR, a leading global reinsurer As a leading global reinsurer, SCOR offers its clients a diversified and innovative range of reinsurance and insurance solutions and services to control and manage risk. Applying "The Art & Science of Risk", SCOR uses its industry-recognized expertise and cutting-edge financial solutions to serve its clients and contribute to the welfare and resilience of society. The Group generated premiums of EUR 19.4 billion in 2023 and serves clients in around 160 countries from its 35 offices worldwide. For more information, visit: www.scor.com (http://www.scor.com/en/) Media Relations Alexandre Garcia media@scor.com (mailto:media@scor.com) Investor Relations Thomas Fossard InvestorRelations@scor.com (mailto:InvestorRelations@scor.com) Follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/scor/) All content published by the SCOR group since January 1, 2024, is certified with Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity of this content at wiztrust.com (https://protect.wiztrust.com/en). Attachment Viberse, the social media app connecting people through authentic, everyday moments, has launched its first-ever year-end campaign, "A (Moment) For A Gift." Starting today through December 31, 2024, the campaign invites users to share their most cherished moments from 2024 to win a share of $3,500 USD in Amazon gift cards. Designed to celebrate the moments that make life beautiful, this campaign gives users the opportunity to turn their treasured memories into tangible holiday rewards while connecting with a global community. Viberse's year-end campaign-post and win. SOURCE: Viberse Wrapping up 2024 with meaningful moments. The "A (Moment) For A Gift" campaign aligns with Viberse's vision to celebrate the extraordinary in everyday life experiences. By encouraging users to reflect and share their 2024 highlights, Viberse honors the beauty of everydayness and gives back to its community during the holiday season. "This campaign is about taking a moment to appreciate what truly matters," said the Viberse Team. "Since our launch in October, Viberse has been a place for authentic and meaningful connections. We're excited to end the year by celebrating our community's stories and giving back to our users who make Viberse a special place for connections." Prizes of $3,500 USD Amazon gift cards. SOURCE: Viberse Rediscover what social media was meant to be. In a world dominated by curated perfection and fleeting trends, social media can often feel disconnected from real life. Viberse is different-it's a platform for authenticity. It celebrates the real and the relatable-heartfelt memories, treasured moments, and everyday experiences that truly resonate. With Viberse, your stories become part of a global community that values genuine connection and meaning over metrics. Simple 3 steps to participate in the event. SOURCE: Viberse The "A (Moment) For A Gift" campaign runs until December 31, 2024. It's simple and free to participate: Post one or more of your favorite moments from 2024 in the Viberse app. All great shots or videos are eligible, but only up to 5 posts per user will be counted. For updates and details about the campaign, visit Viberse's event page, Instagram, and X. About Viberse Founded in 2024 in Singapore, Viberse Technology is creating a platform where users can explore the extraordinary within everyday life, share their experiences, and connect meaningfully with others. Viberse offers a more authentic way to socialize in the digital age. Media Contact Information Christine Lin christine.lin@viberse.com. SOURCE: Viberse View the original press release on accesswire.com Copper Fox Distillery was honored to be selected to create the USS Arkansas Commemorative Christening Bottle for the December 7th, 2024 ceremony. This very special single malt is the result of 5 years of aging and months of collaboration between Copper Fox Distillery and HII's Newport News Shipbuilding Division. Both executive officers & investors of Copper Fox attended the christening ceremony as honored VIP guests. Arkansas is the U.S. Navy's 27th Virginia Class Submarine. Constructed under a unique teaming agreement between HII's Newport News Shipbuilding Division and General Dynamics Electric Boat, Virginia-Class Submarines, such as Arkansas, incorporate dozens of new technologies and innovations that increase firepower, maneuverability, and stealth, and significantly enhance their warfighting capabilities. These submarines are capable of supporting multiple mission areas and can operate at submerged speeds of more than 25 knots for months at a time. "Travel Silent, Travel Deep" This very special one-time release comes from 100% hand malted Virginia barley, dried with apple and cherry wood smoke. Double pot-distilled at a low 150 to 160 proof to enhance the fruitiness. Matured in former bourbon barrels with progressive infusions of toasted apple and oak wood chips. TASTING NOTES Nose: Rich aromas of suede, olive tapenade, honey and wood fire Palate: Dried mango chutney and clay with a silky dry fruitiness, medium-full body Finish: Long and spicy, with wood smoke, orange marmalade on rye toast and root beer float Distinctively flavorful, brawny and balanced. Non-chill filtered. 48% ABV/96 Proof We are so very proud to offer this product for sale, and hope that it finds its way into the hands of the men and women who had a part in crafting this mighty vessel and also to those who will proudly serve their country upon it. For purchase online or in the tasting room at Copper Fox Distillery. About Copper Fox Distillery The distillery opened in January of 2005, and with it, the first US distillery malt floor and kiln since the repeal of Prohibition. Our spirits at Copper Fox Distillery focus on the flavoring of the malt using the smoke of selected, smoldering fruit woods, and hand-cut, toasted fruit wood that add a range of natural flavors in the maturation process. Copper Fox has two tasting rooms, Sperryville and Williamsburg, Virginia. Contact Information Scott Campbell Chief Financial Officer copperfoxscott@gmail.com 757-903-2076 Barb Lamb Partner & Strategy Consultant, Big Spoon Co. barb@bigspoonco.com 804-625-0556 Related Images USS Arkansas SSN800 Commemorative Christening Bottle USS Arkansas SSN800 Commemorative Christening Bottle launched 12/7/2024 Christening Ceremony of the USS Arkansas SSN800 Christening Ceremony of the USS Arkansas SSN800 SOURCE: Copper Fox Distillery Enterprises, LLC View the original press release on accesswire.com Puyallup, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Bowers Plumbing and Remodel today issued a winter advisory urging Western Washington homeowners to take immediate precautions against pipe damage as meteorologists forecast freezing temperatures across the region. The advisory comes as the National Weather Service predicts overnight temperatures to drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit in several areas throughout Western Washington this weekend, creating conditions that can lead to costly plumbing emergencies. Frozen pipes can cause major damage; keep homes protected with tips from Bowers Plumbing & Remodel. "Frozen pipes can burst and cause thousands of dollars in water damage to your home," says Puyallup plumber Joe Bowers, owner of Bowers Plumbing and Remodel. "With a little preparation, homeowners can protect their plumbing and avoid major issues." Luckily, preparing pipes for the cold weather is something anyone can do at home. Bowers Plumbing and Remodel recommends the following steps to winterize plumbing: Insulate Exposed Pipes - Pipes in unheated areas like garages, attics, and crawl spaces are vulnerable to freezing. Use foam pipe insulation or heat tape to protect them. Disconnect and Drain Outdoor Hoses - Remove hoses from spigots, drain them, and shut off the water supply to outdoor faucets. Use insulated covers for extra protection. Let Faucets Drip - During freezing temperatures, allow a small trickle of water to run from faucets connected to exposed pipes. This can prevent pressure buildup and reduce the risk of freezing. Keep the Home Warm - Maintain indoor temperatures of at least 55F, even when away. Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to circulate around pipes. Seal Drafts - Check for drafts near pipes, especially around windows, doors, and foundations. Sealing gaps can help maintain a warmer environment for plumbing. If pipes have frozen, turn off the water supply immediately and contact a professional plumber. Bowers Plumbing & Remodel offers 24/7 emergency plumbing services to Pierce, King, and Thurston counties in Washington. Bowers Plumbing and Remodel has been serving the Puyallup community for 14 years, offering reliable plumbing services and emergency repairs. The company is ready to help residents prepare for the cold weather and respond to any winter plumbing issues. For more information or to schedule a winter plumbing inspection, contact Bowers Plumbing and Remodel at (253) 993-1959 or visit www.bowersplumbingllc.com. About Bowers Plumbing & Remodel Bowers Plumbing & Remodel is a local, family-owned plumbing and remodeling business based out of Puyallup, Washington, serving Pierce, King, and Thurston Counties since 2010. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233444 SOURCE: Bowers Plumbing & Remodel Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Akwaaba Mining Ltd. (TSXV: AML) ("Akwaaba" or the "Company") is pleased to report that all matters placed before the shareholders at its 2024 Annual General Meeting held on December 13, 2024 were approved. Number of Directors Shareholders approved setting the number of directors at five. Election of Directors Allan Green, Andreas Marangos, Michael Novak, Iyad Jarbou, and Heidy Arocha were elected to the board of directors of the Company. Appointment of Auditors Buckley Dodds CPA was appointed as auditors of the Company at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors. Stock Option Plan The Stock Option Plan of the Company was re-approved by the shareholders. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING AND OTHER CAUTIONARY INFORMATION This release contains statements that are forward looking statements and are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Such information contained herein represents management's best judgment as of the date hereof based on information currently available. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233735 SOURCE: Akwaaba Mining Ltd. Amarillo, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - The list of winners for the 2024 Best of Amarillo Community's Choice Awards has been released, and AW Broadband has been crowned #1 in the category of Best Internet/Satellite/Cable Provider for the second year in a row. This prestigious award is presented to a variety of businesses in various categories as determined by votes from members of the Amarillo community. "We are so grateful for the community's support. It's a huge honor to be named the best Internet provider in Amarillo, especially as a local business," said Michael Hughes, community development & marketing director for AW Broadband. Since emerging in 2010, AW Broadband has made a name for itself as a trusted, locally-owned internet provider, offering high-speed internet, cable TV, digital phone service, and a range of solutions tailored to meet the needs of businesses. AW Broadband Wins Best Internet/Satellite/Cable Provider in 2024 Best of Amarillo Community Choice Awards To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10740/233631_ee9cc360f4448aed_001full.jpg What sets AW Broadband apart is its commitment to providing truly local services. Unlike national providers that may claim local ties, AW Broadband is fully based in Amarillo, with all employees living and working in the community. This local focus enables the company to offer more personalized and responsive customer service. In addition to its dedication to Amarillo, AW Broadband is also focused on expanding its reach throughout the Texas Panhandle, particularly to smaller towns and rural areas that often face connectivity challenges. "Our goal is to continue growing to be able to offer services to new areas in the Panhandle. We are also keen on getting fiber internet to as many of these areas as we possibly can," Matt Carpenter, CEO, said. The company has made substantial investments in infrastructure to bring dependable broadband and fiber internet options to their service areas that previously lacked access. Their ongoing expansion efforts underscore their dedication to ensuring that everyone in the region, regardless of location, has access to the fast and reliable internet they need. The success of AW Broadband would not be possible without the hard work and expertise of its local team. The company takes pride in the dedication of its employees, who bring their passion and commitment to every installation, service call, and customer interaction. AW Broadband is also deeply invested in the Amarillo community beyond just providing internet and cable services. The company has supported a number of local initiatives, including sponsorships, charity events, and community programs aimed at improving the quality of life for residents. This ongoing community involvement has strengthened their bond with the region and contributed to the support they've received from their customers. Winning the Best of Amarillo award is a testament to AW Broadband's commitment to providing exceptional service to the community. The company looks forward to continuing its mission of expanding high-quality, reliable internet services throughout the Texas Panhandle, ensuring that more families and businesses benefit from the connectivity they need to thrive. For more information about AW Broadband's services or to see if coverage is available in the area, visit www.awbroadband.net. About AW Broadband: AW Broadband is a locally owned and operated internet provider serving communities in the Texas Panhandle. They are committed to delivering fast, reliable, and affordable wireless internet solutions to their neighbors, ensuring everyone stays connected in an increasingly digital world. As a truly local provider, they pride themselves on exceptional customer service and support. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233631 SOURCE: GetFeatured Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Cascada Silver Corp. (CSE: CSS) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,021,127 (the "Offering") on December 11, 2024. The net proceeds will be used for exploration activities on the Company's Chilean projects, working capital, and general corporate purposes. The CEO and a consultant of the Company purchased 24% of the Offering. The Offering consisted of the issuance of 20,422,535 units at a price of $0.05 per unit, with each unit comprising one common share of the Company (a "Share") and one-half of one (1/2) share purchase warrant (each full warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Share at a price of $0.10 for a period of one year from closing of the Offering. The closing of the Offering is subject to approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The securities issued or made issuable pursuant to the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from closing of the Offering. The Company paid aggregate cash finder's fees, in accordance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange, totaling $4,675. A director and officer of the Company purchased 2,450,000 units under the Offering and, as a result, the Offering is considered a related party transaction subject to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that participation in the Offering by such persons did not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization. This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to qualification or registration under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements and applicable U.S. state securities laws. About Cascada Silver Corp. Cascada Silver is a mineral exploration company focused on exploration opportunities in Chile. Cascada Silver's team of successful exploration professionals are dedicated to the discovery of mineral deposits that can be progressed into economically viable development projects creating value for all stakeholders. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Offering, 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, the Offering and the expected use of proceeds thereof, 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 Canadian Securities Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the risk of accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other agency or governmental clearances, necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, risks and uncertainties related to the Company's ability to complete the Offering and the size of the Offering, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes in the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) at www.sedarplus.ca for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233584 SOURCE: Cascada Silver Corp. Helsinge, Hovedstadsomradet--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - JYYNA, a Danish organic tea company, today released insights on how sustainability initiatives are reshaping the UK tea industry, where 98% of Britons consume tea daily according to the UK Tea and Infusions Association. Group of friends drinking tea in a cafe The tea sector has historically faced environmental challenges related to water usage, synthetic pesticides, and packaging waste. However, new sustainable practices are emerging across the industry, from regenerative agriculture to innovative packaging solutions. "This is more than just tea," says Michael Grauslund Andersen, founder of JYYNA. "It's about imagining a future where what's good for the planet is also good for you. Tea can lead that charge." Industry data reveals significant progress in sustainable practices. Companies have conserved 37 million gallons of water since 2019 through efficient cleaning technologies, according to nam.org. Additionally, "re-earthing" - the process of composting used tea leaves - has diverted over 10,000 tons of waste into nutrient-rich soil. The industry is also addressing packaging sustainability through biodegradable materials and localized production facilities, which have reduced emissions by thousands of metric tons annually, as reported by nammakpsc.com. Regenerative agriculture practices, including no-till farming and crop rotation, are improving soil health and supporting biodiversity in tea cultivation, according to weforum.org. These methods focus on ecosystem restoration while reducing risks for farmers. JYYNA continues to contribute to this transformation through its certified organic tea offerings and sustainable practices, demonstrating how premium tea products can align with environmental responsibility. For more information or media enquiries, reach out to JYYNA directly at contact@jyyna.co.uk. Sources https://jyyna.co.uk https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-2024-tea-census-study-reveals-exactly- how-the-nation-takes-their-tea-with-some-surprising-quirks-ahead-of-international-tea- day---21st-may-2024-302149047.html https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/11/regenerative-agriculture-climate-solutions- resilient/ https://www.ifaw.org/journal/climate-smart-farming https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/sustainable-agriculture-market/1661 https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/11/soil-climate-change-sustainable-agriculture/ https://nam.org/milos-tea-has-a-recipe-for-sustainability-32825/ https://nammakpsc.com/articles/indias-tea-sugar-exports-raise-sustainability-concerns- at-home/ https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/23/10785 Group of Women drinking afternoon tea around a table About JYYNA JYYNA helps tea enthusiasts and sustainability-conscious consumers to enjoy unique, natural flavour experiences through sustainable and certified organic tea products, so they can indulge their senses while supporting a more sustainable world without compromising on quality, taste, or environmental responsibility. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233748 SOURCE: JYYNA Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Spark Energy Minerals Inc. (CSE: SPRK) (OTC Pink: SPARF) (FSE: 8PC) ("Spark" or the "Company") an exploration Company focused on the discovery of battery metals in Brazil's prestigious Lithium Valley, is pleased to provide an update from the second week of exploration at the Company's 64,359-hectare Arapaima Lithium project located in Lithium Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Arapaima Lithium Project Exploration Highlights: Recent work (Targets 1, 2 and 3) completed by teams 1 and 2 has identified two new pegmatite bearing corridors through a large erosional window in lateritic cover sequences both to the northeast and southeast of the ~1.7km corridor segment first identified in early December and adding an additional 5.5km of strike. (Figure 2). When combined with these new corridors the total prospective targets in the north (now encompassing targets 1, 2 and 3) extends over ~7.2 km of strike and remains open. Geologically the areas can be described as saprolite comprising deeply weathered (kaolinized) - two mica granites with remnant quartz - black tourmaline aggregates hosting numerous pegmatite veins and dykes. The third team has recently focused on more regional traverses over the broad target areas 4 and 5 in the west-central sector of the tenement package. Work here continues to identify, map and sample various pegmatite exposures hosted by granite. Prominent structural trends that are coincident with geophysical responses including magnetic and radiometric signatures (especially thorium) are starting to appear as occurrence and sampling points begin to populate the geological maps. The first batch of nearly 100 samples (rock chip, stream sediment, channel and soil) is being prepared for submission to the accredited SGS laboratory in Belo Horizonte on the 15th of December with results expected to be reported by mid January. Figure 1: Figure showing location of geological data points and samples collected to date relative to the priority target areas over the Arapaima Lithium project tenements To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10093/233765_cf2bffcf746aa8fa_002full.jpg Spark's exploration continued with field reconnaissance mapping and sampling with two teams now focusing on further evaluation of and definition of extensions to the prominent, pegmatite corridor, recently identified (see PR dated December 3rd, 2024, here). The third team continued the more regional focused first pass reconnaissance mapping and stream sediment sampling. To date exploration has covered approximately 10-15% of Spark's extensive tenement package in the region defining five priority target areas. A total of 130 geological points have been described and 89 samples have been collected (Figure 1). Figure 2: Recently identified and mapped pegmatite corridors with a combined strike extent of 7.2km in the northern half of the Arapaima Lithium project tenements To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10093/233765_cf2bffcf746aa8fa_003full.jpg Continued exploration in this important newly defined target area will focus on detailed mapping and sampling of the highly weathered pegmatite exposures with the aim of positively identifying potential lithium bearing minerals such as spodumene (ref 1 & 2) that have been previously cited in government reports. This provides the team with a challenge in this region where the tropical weathering processes is expected to have largely converted spodumene to smectite clay which at times may still exhibit pseudomorphs of the original crystalline form of spodumene but only retaining low levels of Lithium in sample analyses. Figure 3: View of newly identified pegmatite exposures typical of the area within Targets 4 and 5 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10093/233765_fig3.jpg Figure 4: Weathered pegmatite intruded into two-mica granite Target 4 Cannot view this image? Visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10093/233765_cf2bffcf746aa8fa_011.jpg Jon Hill, Director of Spark Energy Minerals, commented: "Exploration findings to date have been particularly encouraging, the team has successfully identified and confirmed metasomatized two mica granites intruded by pegmatites in the initial priority areas targeted by the program, where they are exposed through regolith and tertiary cover. Importantly the team has been able to further delineate and extend the footprint of these occurrences over a significant, combined 7.2 km strike length to date. The presence of old excavations intercepting these pegmatites has been an important find from drone reconnaissance and these will be accessed for mapping and sampling once this is safe to do so. Geophysical data also strongly suggests extensions to the zone of interest beneath the cover is probable. Based on work completed over the past two weeks it now seems likely we have identified several potential source pegmatites for the lithium bearing minerals like spodumene and lepidolite reported by the government heavy mineral -stream sediment samples." Target Generation Program: Planning remainder of exploration in December 2024 Submit first sample batches to SGS Laboratory in Belo Horizonte Team 1 and 2 continue to map and sample the combined target comprising the three pegmatite trends (1, 2 and 3) with the aim of accessing the old workings identified by the drone overflight. Team 3 to evaluate extension of Si6 area into Spark tenement and commence traverses over the southern tenement blocks to determine an appropriate stream sampling strategy. Eugene Hodgson, CEO of Spark Energy Minerals, stated: "The extension of our pegmatite corridor to 7.2km of strike at the Arapaima Lithium Project is a significant milestone for Spark Energy. The identification of these new targets, reinforces our belief in the project's potential within Brazil's Lithium Valley. Our exploration teams have made remarkable progress in a short time, and we're excited about the prospects these findings." Extension of Marketing Agreement Additionally, Spark announces that it has extended its previously announced (see the Company's August 8, 2024, news release) engagement with bullVestor Medien GmbH ("bullVestor") and its General Manager, Helmut Pollinger, to provide certain strategic planning services to the Company, which services may include investor relations activities within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Company has extended the engagement with bullVestor for an additional term of three months ending on April 30, 2025, in consideration for the Company making a cash payment of $200,000. bullVestor and its principal are at arm's length to the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, bullVestor does not own, control, or direct any securities of the Company. (bullVestor Medien GmbH; Address: Gutenhofen 4 - 4300 St. Valentin; Email: kontakt@bullvestor.at; Tel: +43 (0) 7435-44077) Qualified Person: The scientific and technical information disclosed in this document has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill BSc Hons, FAUSIMM, a Qualified Person consistent with NI 43-101. Source: 'Evaluation of the Lithium Potential in Brasil' - Mid - Jequitinhonha River, North -East Minas Gerais' ministry of Mines and Energy, Secretary of Geology, Mines and Development, the Geological Survey of Brazil promoting mineral research. Technical Report - 2016 Source: 'Lithium Potential Assessment Project in Brasil' in the Eastern Pegmatite Province of Brasil: the Geological Survey of Brazil promoting mineral research. Technical Report 19 - August 2023 DOI: 10.29396/ITCPRM.2023.19 About Spark Energy Minerals Inc. Spark Energy Minerals, Inc. is a Canadian company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of battery metals and mineral assets, with a particular emphasis on its substantial interests in Brazil. The Company's flagship project is the Arapaima Lithium project spanning 64,359 hectares in Brazil's renowned Lithium Valley, one of the most prolific mining regions in the world. This region is rapidly gaining global recognition for its vast deposits of lithium and rare earth minerals, positioning Brazil as a critical player in the global energy transition. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could," "intend," "expect," "believe," "will," "projected," "estimated", "anticipates" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233765 SOURCE: Spark Energy Minerals Inc. Relief Therapeutics Holding SA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Relief Therapeutics Announces Filing of Form 15F to Terminate SEC Reporting Obligations 13-Dec-2024 / 23:00 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Relief Therapeutics Announces Filing of Form 15F to Terminate SEC Reporting Obligations Company to Maintain SIX Swiss Exchange Listing, U.S. ADR Program, and U.S. OTCQB Quotation GENEVA (DEC. 13, 2024) - RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX: RLF , OTCQB: RLFTF , RLFTY ) (Relief, or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering innovative treatment options for select specialty, unmet and rare diseases, today announced that it intends to file a Form 15F with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 17, 2024. This filing seeks to terminate the registration of its ordinary shares under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and its reporting obligations under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. This filing will not affect the Company's listing on the SIX Swiss Exchange, where its shares will continue to be traded. Relief will also continue to maintain its Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program, with its shares and ADRs continuing to be quoted on the U.S. over-the-counter market (OTCQB). Upon filing the Form 15F, Relief's reporting obligations with the SEC, including the filing of annual reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K, will immediately be suspended. Relief expects these obligations will be fully terminated 90 days following submission of the Form 15F. Relief remains current with its reporting requirements under the Exchange Act, and information regarding the Company, including financial reports and press releases, will continue to be available in English on its website at www.relieftherapeutics.com . In 2021, Relief filed a Form 20-F registration statement with the SEC to support a potential listing of its securities on a U.S.-regulated stock exchange. As previously reported, the Company subsequently decided not to pursue this listing, and after further evaluation, has now concluded that maintaining its SEC registration is no longer beneficial. This decision will allow Relief to reduce its compliance costs and maintain flexibility in pursuing its strategic objectives. If in future the Company elects to conduct a transformative business transaction, it may reassess pursuit of a regulated exchange listing in the United States. ABOUT RELIEF Relief is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing treatment paradigms and delivering improvements in efficacy, safety, and convenience to benefit the lives of patients living with select specialty and rare diseases. Relief's portfolio offers a balanced mix of marketed, revenue-generating products, proprietary, globally patented TEHCLO and Physiomimic platform technologies and a targeted clinical development pipeline consisting of risk-mitigated assets focused in three core therapeutic areas: rare skin diseases, rare metabolic disorders, and rare respiratory diseases. In addition, Relief is commercializing several legacy products via licensing and distribution partners. Headquartered in Geneva, Relief is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF and quoted in the U.S. on OTCQB under the symbols RLFTF and RLFTY. For more information, visit www.relieftherapeutics.com . CONTACT : RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA Jeremy Meinen Chief Financial Officer contact@relieftherapeutics.com DISCLAIMER This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, including its ability to achieve its corporate, development and commercial goals, and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Relief to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. A number of factors, including whether the Company's reporting obligations with the SEC will be fully terminated 90 days after its filing of the Form 15F, and those factors described in Relief's filings with the SIX Swiss Exchange and the SEC could adversely affect Relief. Copies of Relief's filings with the SEC are available on the SEC EDGAR database at www.sec.gov . Relief does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Hillcrest Energy Technologies (CSE: HEAT) (OTCQB: HLRTF) (FSE: 7HI) ("Hillcrest" or the "Company"), announces a non-brokered private placement of up to an aggregate of 11,111,111 units of the Company (a "Unit") at a price of $0.18 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000 (the "Offering"). A portion of the Offering is completing as a settlement of outstanding debt, for up to $1,500,000 on the same terms as the other Units being distributed as new subscriptions. "This combined Offering is expected to strengthen the Company's balance sheet by reducing outstanding payables while also supporting our commercialization efforts," said Don Currie, CEO of Hillcrest. "It positions us to further accelerate Hillcrest's growth in the clean technology sector." Each Unit will consist of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.30 per Common Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. However, the Warrants will be subject to an accelerated expiry upon thirty (30) business days' notice from the Company in the event the Common Shares trade for ten (10) consecutive trading days any time after four (4) months from the date of issuance at a volume-weighted average price of at least $0.50 on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering for retirement of existing accounts payable, technology development, general working capital and, where feasible, enhanced marketing and investor relations activities. As noted, up to $1.5 million of the Offering is a settlement of current and outstanding debt, and as such does not form part of the proceeds that will be available to the Company following closing of the Offering. The Company may pay finders fees to eligible finders for services in connection with any new subscriptions forming part of the Offering in cash and/or finder's warrants ("Finders Warrants"), in accordance with the policies of the CSE. Finders Warrants will entitle the holder to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.30 per Common Share for a period of 24 months from issuance. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day following the date of issuance in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. The securities of the Company referred to in this press 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. Accordingly, the securities of the Company may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Termination of Equity Drawdown Facility The Company also announces the termination of the equity drawdown facility originally announced on January 17, 2024, including amendments announced on February 9, 2024, and March 4, 2024. The mutually agreed termination is effective December 12, 2024. Hillcrest CEO, Don Currie, stated, "Having access to the facility has been valuable during this particularly challenging time for raising funds in the small cap market. We currently have several new financing initiatives under consideration and believe now is the time to move forward with those alternatives. We appreciate the support and confidence in the Company demonstrated by the investor." About Hillcrest Energy Technologies Ltd. Hillcrest Energy Technologies is a clean technology company focused on providing advanced power conversion technologies and digital control systems for next-generation powertrains and grid-connected renewable energy systems. From concept to commercialization, Hillcrest is investing in the development of energy solutions that will power a more sustainable and electrified future. Hillcrest is publicly traded on the CSE under the symbol "HEAT," on the OTCQB Venture Market as "HLRTF" and on the Frankfurt Exchange as "7HI". For more information, please visit: https://hillcrestenergy.tech/. NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information Some of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "expects," "intends," "is expected," "potential," "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "should," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this news release. The forward-looking information reflects our current expectations and assumptions and is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these assumptions will prove correct. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are advised to consider the risk factors under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's MD&A for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023, available at https://www.sedarplus.ca/ for a discussion of the factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES # # # To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233797 SOURCE: Hillcrest Energy Technologies Ltd. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Newpath Resources Inc. (CSE: PATH) (FSE: 0MZ) (OTC Pink: RDYFF) ("Newpath" or the "Company") announces that it will hold its annual general meeting (the "Meeting") on January 10, 2025 at Suite 220, 333 Terminal Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6A 4C1 at 10:00 a.m. (PST). Due to the ongoing Canada Post strike (the "Postal Strike"), the information circular and related materials (the "Meeting Materials") for the Meeting, are posted under the Company's profile on www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at https://newpathresources.com/agm-material/. Shareholders of the Company are encouraged to access the Meeting Materials directly through the above-mentioned website. Registered shareholders, shareholders who hold their shares directly in the Company and not through a brokerage account or depository company, may contact the Company's transfer agent, Odyssey Trust Company, at shareholder services: 1-888-290-1175 or by going to Odyssey's website at https://odysseytrust.com/ca-en/help/ and following the prompts to obtain their control number and then proceed to vote online at the following website: https://vote.odysseytrust.com/. Proxies should be completed by the voting deadline at 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on January 8, 2025. Beneficial shareholders who hold their investment through a brokerage house, depository company or other intermediary, should contact their broker representative to request a proxy. Update on Orefield The Company intends to reduce its Alpha/Bravo Claim Group so to focus continuing exploration on the southern areas (approximately 458 square kilometers.). This portion of the Property has yielded the highest priority LCT pegmatite target areas (including the Hilltop Target Area) and more exploration is warranted. Additional property may be relinquished as targeting becomes focused. The Company has also elected to allow the Charlie claim group, consisting of 112 claims to lapse. About Newpath Resources Inc. Newpath is a Canadian exploration company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol PATH. As of December, 2024 Newpath's early-stage Orefield critical metal exploration project is composed of two claim groups (Alpha/Bravo and Delta), totals approximately 469 square kilometres) west and southwest of Lake Nipigon in Northern Ontario, approximately 50 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay. The company also owns the Northshore gold project located in the Schreiber-Hemlo greenstone belt. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, NEWPATH RESOURCES INC. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain certain "forward-looking information". Forward-looking information included in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the details of regarding the Meeting and the mailing of the Meeting Materials. Forward-looking information is based upon the assumptions and estimates considered reasonable by management of the Company as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, including the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, the effectiveness and feasibility of lithium extraction technologies on a commercial scale , and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Any statement containing forward looking information speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233796 SOURCE: Newpath Resources Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Tony G Co-Investment Holdings Ltd. (CSE: TONY) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its press release of November 1, 2024, it has successfully completed its preciously announced non-brokered private placement financing for gross proceeds of $277,532.75 through the issuance of an aggregate of 645,425 common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Common Share") at a price of $0.43 per Common Share. Gross proceeds raised from the Offering will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. In connection with the Offering, the Company paid Canaccord Genuity Corp. cash commissions in the amount of $6,837. The Offering constituted a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as an insider of the Company acquired 230,425. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the Company is not listed on a specified market and the aggregate fair market value of the participation in the Offering by the insider is less than 25% of the Company's market capitalization, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the Offering, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of the proceeds of the Offering in an expeditious manner. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons as defined under applicable United States securities laws unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. This press release contains "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Tony G Co-Investment Holdings Ltd. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results " may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include,but are not limited to the Company's intention to defend the litigation with the Fund, the Company's liability under the Debenture and the above-mentioned litigation. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements relating to the Loan and the Company's business strategy, involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, that the litigation referred to herein will be resolved in a manner that is unfavourable to the Company (including any judgment, award or settlement of the litigation that results in the Company incurring liability, costs or expenses that, in the aggregate, exceed the share issuance costs of the Conversion Shares), the Company is required to issue shares other than the Conversion Shares or pay any amount to the plaintiff in defending, resolving, or in connection with, such litigation, and other related matters, or other factors set forth in the Company's publicly filed documents under its profiles at www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statement prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws. None of the Canadian Securities Exchange or its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233795 SOURCE: Tony G Co-Investment Holdings Ltd. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Impact Development Group Inc. (TSXV: IMPT) ("Impact", or the "Company"), a leading Panamanian developer of affordable housing solutions, would like to provide updates on its activities in the Republic of Panama in connection with the Housing Solidarity Subsidy (the "Program") which governs subsidies issued in connection with homes built for social interest purposes. On July 1st, 2024 the Ministry of Housing and Land Management ("MIVIOT") commenced a comprehensive review of the Program and other subsidies issued in connection with homes built for social interest purposes. MIVIOT has since paused the approval of subsidies in connection with the building and delivery of new homes, and the Program has lapsed effective June 30, 2024. Since August, MIVIOT has maintained a working group with housing developers across the country, generating several proposals for alternatives to the Program, all of which remain under review and have not yet been implemented. There has been no indication from the government of Panama that the Program will be resumed. MIVIOT is currently continuing to honor payments for homes that received certification pursuant to the Program prior to June 30, 2024. As of the date of this news release, the Company has a total of 125 homes that are pending subsidy payments or certification under the Program and 171 homes in inventory, either completed or under construction, that have not yet received MIVIOT subsidy certification under the Program. It is unclear if 171 of those homes will ever receive MIVIOT certification to receive subsidies pursuant to the Program. Given the current circumstances, the Company has been evaluating its strategic objectives as they relate to its operations in Panama to focus on the delivery of existing inventory, pause all new development, and consider opportunities to diversify the Company's business. In alignment with this proposed strategy, the Company recently completed the acquisition of Fusion Software, LLC ("Fusion Software"), a leading US-based platform for managing low-income housing tax credit portfolios for housing developers, syndicators and investors. This acquisition marks a significant milestone in Impact's commitment to affordable housing solutions and expands the Company's capabilities in other markets. For further details regarding the acquisition of Fusion Software, please see the Company's news release dated October 25, 2024. To continue growing and diversifying the business, the Company is evaluating initiatives peripheral to building affordable homes under the Program. This includes evaluating options to expand into new residential or commercial development activities outside of the Program. Any new initiative pursued by Impact will seek to leverage its core competencies developed over the 11 years of its operational success in Panama. Other strategies currently under evaluation by the Company's management include geographic expansion to adjacent markets with similar programs and the diversification into new technology-enabled revenue streams in affordable housing. Any material change to the business following the conclusion of the Company's evaluations will be conducted in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations of the TSX Venture Exchange. ABOUT IMPACT Impact is a Panamanian based real estate developer that provides affordable housing solutions to Panama's growing middle-class and has historically been supported by longstanding subsidized government programs in Panama. The vision of the Company is effectuated by a vertically integrated model which coordinates all services necessary to develop high-quality residential and commercial buildings, including land acquisition, financing, architectural, engineering, off-site manufacturing, general contracting, property management, and administration. Impact also operates, through its subsidiary, Fusion Software LLC, an innovative software platform designed to streamline the administration of low-income housing tax credits for asset managers, developers and syndicators. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Company's business activities in Panama; the Company's plans to continue growing and diversifying the business; the Company's 125 homes pending disbursement of the subsidy or approvals from the Program; and the Company's plans to evaluate its business in light of the recent changes to the Program. The forward-looking statements, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the Company being able to carry out its business plan as contemplated; the Company's ability to grow and diversify its business; the Company's 125 homes pending receipt of disbursements of subsidies or approvals under the Program; and the Company's plans to evaluate its business in light of recent changes to the Program. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties exist that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied in the forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others: the limited business history of the Company; the Company's reliance on key management; risks related to the Company's growth strategy, including that previous and future acquisitions do not meet expectations or potential acquisitions cannot be completed; the Company's 125 homes not receiving disbursements of subsidies or approvals under the Program; the business of the Company being subject to broader economic and political factors, including but not limited to decisions made by the government of Panama; disruptions or changes in the credit or security markets; financial results of the Company's operations; unanticipated costs and expenses; and general market and industry conditions. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233802 SOURCE: Impact Development Group Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Vext Science, Inc. (CSE: VEXT) (OTCQX: VEXTF) ("VEXT" or the "Company") a U.S.-based cannabis operator with vertical operations in Arizona and Ohio, today announced final voting results from its annual general meeting of shareholders held on December 13, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia (the "Meeting"). The shareholders of the Company voted in favour of all matters included in the management information circular for the Meeting, demonstrating strong support for the matters brought before the Meeting, with each of the resolutions passing with over 98% of the votes cast, representing 73.45% of the votes associated with the issued and outstanding shares of the Company.[1] For more details, visit Vext's investor website or contact the IR team at investors@vextscience.com. About VEXT Science, Inc. Vext Science, Inc. is a U.S.-based cannabis operator with vertical operations in Arizona and Ohio. Vext's expertise spans from cultivation through to retail operations in its key markets. Based out of Arizona, Vext owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, fully built-out manufacturing facilities as well as dispensaries in both Arizona and Ohio. The Company manufactures Vapen, one of the leading THC concentrates, edibles, and distillate cartridge brands in Arizona. Its selection of award-winning products are created with Vext's in-house, high-quality flower and distributed across Arizona and Ohio, as well as through Vext's partnerships in other states. Vext's leadership team brings a proven track record of building and operating profitable multi-state operations, with the Company having operated profitably since 2016. The Company's primary focus is to continue growing in its core states of Arizona and Ohio, bringing together cutting-edge science, manufacturing, and marketing to provide a reliable and valuable customer experience while generating shareholder value. Vext Science, Inc. is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol VEXT and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol VEXTF. Learn more at www.vextscience.com and connect with Vext on Twitter/X and LinkedIn. For more details on the Vapen brand: Vapen website: VapenBrands.com Instagram: @vapen Facebook: @vapenbrands Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in Vext's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding future developments and the business and operations of Vext, including but not limited to the Company's transition to serve both the medical and adult-use markets in Ohio and the anticipated results therefrom, market projections of the cannabis industry in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates, and statements about the timing and completion of the Ohio Expansion Transaction, the acquisition of additional licenses and the opening of additional dispensaries in Ohio, all of which are subject to the risk factors contained in Vext's continuous disclosure filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Vext has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; being engaged in activities currently considered illegal under U.S. Federal laws; change in laws; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindered market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry; and regulatory or political change. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. Because of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. Vext disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and Vext does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. SOURCE: Vext Science, Inc. [1]In total, 181,705,738 shares out of 247,390,811 shares the Company has issued and outstanding, were voted at the Meeting. The reference to shares means the Company's common shares and Class A shares reported on an as converted basis. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233732 SOURCE: VEXT Science, Inc. Garland, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - On December 13, 2024, Cenatex Holdings, LLC ("Cenatex") a Texas limited liability company, and joint actors, purchased an aggregate of 126,630 common shares (the "Common Shares") in the capital of Bri-Chem Corp. ("Bri-Chem") listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange at an average price of $0.2825 USD per Common Share, for an aggregate cost of $35,774.01 USD (the "Purchase"). Immediately prior to the Purchase, Cenatex and joint actors beneficially owned, or had control or direction over, an aggregate of 2,674,795 Common Shares, representing 10.119% of the 26,432,981 shares issued and outstanding Common Shares. Following the Purchase, Cenatex and joint actors own, or have control or direction over, an aggregate of 3,200,000 Common Shares, representing 12.106% of the 26,432,981 issued and outstanding Common Shares. Cenatex purchased the Common Shares as a result of an investment decision, and, based on current market conditions, Cenatex and joint actors may, in the future, further increase or decrease their shareholdings in Bri-Chem, as circumstances warrant, whether in the open market, by privately negotiated agreements, or otherwise. Any transaction that Cenatex and joint actors my pursue may be made at any time, and from time to time, without prior notice, and will depend on a variety of factors, including, and without limitation, the price and availability of common shares of Bri-Chem, subsequent developments affecting Bri-Chem, its business and prospects, other investments and business opportunities available to Cenatex and join actors, general industry and economic conditions, the securities markets in general, compliance with applicable securities laws, and other factors deemed relevant by Cenatex and joint actors. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233811 SOURCE: Cenatex Holdings, LLC Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - District Metals Corp. (TSXV: DMX) (OTCQB: DMXCF) (FSE: DFPP) ("District" or the "Company") is pleased to report the voting results for the Company's annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on December 12, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. A total of 11,885,478 common shares were voted at the meeting, representing 9.10% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares. Shareholders voted in favour of all items of business before the meeting, including the election of all director nominees as follows: Director Votes For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Garrett Ainsworth 11,838,481 99.605% 46,997 0.395% Joanna Cameron 11,610,466 97.686% 275,012 2.314% Jonathan Challis 11,838,466 99.604% 47,012 0.396% Doug Ramshaw 11,610,466 97.686% 275,012 2.314% The shareholders also approved (1) the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and authorized the Board of Directors to fix the remuneration of the auditor; and (2) the adoption of an omnibus incentive plan (the "Omnibus Plan"). Results of the shareholder votes on these items are set forth below: Resolution Outcome of Vote Votes For % For Votes Against Votes Withheld % Against or Withheld Appointment of Auditors Carried 11,881,978 99.971% n/a 3,500 0.029% Approval of Omnibus Incentive Plan Carried 11,812,392 99.385% 73,086 n/a 0.615% The Omnibus Plan is a ten percent (10%) rolling plan, pursuant to which the Board of Directors may grant to eligible participants stock options, restricted share units, performance share units and deferred share units to acquire common shares of the Company (each, a "Share"). An aggregate of 13,056,587 Shares are issuable under the Omnibus Plan, representing ten percent (10%) of the issued and outstanding Shares as of December 12, 2024. The Omnibus Plan replaces the previous ten percent (10%) rolling stock option plan. Please see the Circular for further information on the Omnibus Plan. For further information regarding the matters considered at the Meeting, readers are encouraged to review the Circular, a copy of which is available under the profile for the Company on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and available on the Company's website. Technical Information All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Garrett Ainsworth, PGeo, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The data disclosed in this news release is related to historical results. District has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. District considers these historical results relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling. Mr. Ainsworth has not verified any of the information regarding any of the properties or projects referred to herein other than District's properties. Mineralization on any other properties referred to herein is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on District's properties. About District Metals Corp. District is led by industry professionals with a track record of success in the mining industry. The Company's mandate is to seek out, explore, and develop prospective mineral properties through a disciplined science-based approach to create shareholder value and benefit other stakeholders. District is a polymetallic exploration and development company focused on the Viken and Tomtebo Properties in Sweden. The Viken Property covers 100% of the uranium-vanadium Viken Deposit, which is an asset with substantial exploration and development expenditures that resulted in the definition of large historic polymetallic resource estimates in 2010 and 2014. The Viken Deposit is amongst the largest deposits by total historic mineral resources of uranium and vanadium in the world. The advanced exploration stage Tomtebo Property is located in the Bergslagen Mining District of south-central Sweden and is situated between the historic Falun Mine and Boliden's Garpenberg Mine that are located 25 km to the northwest and southeast, respectively. Two historic polymetallic mines and numerous polymetallic showings are located on the Tomtebo Property along an approximate 17 km trend that exhibits similar geology, structure, alteration and VMS/SedEx style mineralization as other significant mines within the district. For further information on the Tomtebo Property, please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Update Technical Report on the Tomtebo Project, Bergslagen Region of Sweden" dated effective October 15, 2020 and amended and restated on February 26, 2021, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking Information" This news release contains certain statements that may be considered "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information 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 statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" and any similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, predictions, indications, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking information in this news release relating to the Company include, among other things: statements relating to the Company's Swedish polymetallic properties; and the Company's interpretations and expectations about the results on the Swedish properties. These statements and other forward-looking information are based on opinions, assumptions and estimates made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this news release, including, without limitation, assumptions about: the reliability of historical data and the accuracy of publicly reported information regarding past and historic mines in the Bergslagen district; in respect of the intention of the Swedish government to eventually lift or amend its moratorium on uranium exploration and mining in Sweden; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to fund planned exploration activities, maintain corporate capacity; and stability in financial and capital markets. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date such statements are made, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks associated with the following: the reliability of historic data on District's properties; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to finance planned exploration; that the Swedish government maintains its moratorium on uranium exploration and mining in Sweden for the foreseeable future; the Company's limited operating history; the Company's negative operating cash flow and dependence on third-party financing; the uncertainty of additional funding; the uncertainties associated with early stage exploration activities including general economic, market and business conditions, the regulatory process, failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals, technical issues, potential delays, unexpected events and management's capacity to execute and implement its future plans; the Company's ability to identify any mineral resources and mineral reserves; the substantial expenditures required to establish mineral reserves through drilling and the estimation of mineral reserves or mineral resources; the uncertainty of estimates used to calculated mineralization figures; changes in governmental regulations; compliance with applicable laws and regulations; competition for future resource acquisitions and skilled industry personnel; reliance on key personnel; title matters; conflicts of interest; environmental laws and regulations and associated risks, including climate change legislation; land reclamation requirements; changes in government policies; volatility of the Company's share price; the unlikelihood that shareholders will receive dividends from the Company; potential future acquisitions and joint ventures; risks related to existing earn-in and joint venture with Boliden; infrastructure risks; fluctuations in demand for, and prices of metals; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; legal proceedings and the enforceability of judgments; going concern risk; risks related to the Company's information technology systems and cyber-security risks; and risk related to the outbreak of epidemics or pandemics or other health crises. For additional information regarding these risks, please see the Company's Annual Information Form dated July 11, 2022, under the heading "Risk Factors", which is available at www.sedarplus.ca. These factors and assumptions are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors and assumptions that could affect the Company. These factors and assumptions, however, should be considered carefully. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking information or information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Also, many of such factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233808 SOURCE: District Metals Corp. Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - Enduro Metals Corporation (TSXV: ENDR) (OTCQB: ENDMF) (FSE: SOG0) ("Enduro" or the "Company") is pleased to report the voting results for the Company's annual general meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on December 13, 2024, in Kelowna, British Columbia. At the meeting, shareholders fixed the number of directors at five (5), as set forth in the Company's Management Information Circular dated November 5, 2024 (the "Circular"), and re-elect the following directors of the Company for the ensuing year; Cole Evans, Susanne Hermans, David Watkins, Lawrence Roulston and Maurizio Napoli. Shareholders also approved: (1) the re-appointment of Manning Elliot LLP as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and authorized the board of directors to fix the auditor's remuneration, and (2) the Company's 10% rolling Equity Incentive Plan as more particularly described in the management information circular. For further information regarding the matters considered at the Meeting readers are encouraged to review the Information Circular, a copy of which is available under the profile for the Company on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). About Enduro Metals Enduro Metals is an exploration company focused on its Newmont Lake Project; a total 688km2 property located between Eskay Creek, Snip, and Galore Creek within the heart of British Columbia's Golden Triangle. Building on prior results, the Company's geological team has outlined multiple deposit environments of interest across the Newmont Lake Project including high-grade epithermal/skarn gold along the McLymont Fault, copper-gold alkalic porphyry mineralization at Burgundy, newly discovered copper-gold porphyry mineralization at North Toe, and a large 10km x 4km geochemical anomaly hosting various gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, and lead mineralization along the newly discovered Chachi Corridor. On behalf of the Board of Directors, ENDURO METALS CORPORATION "Cole Evans" CEO www.endurometals.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Enduro's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such 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. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements concerning the Company's expected use of proceeds of the Offering and all other statements that are not historical in nature. Although Enduro believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider 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/233784 SOURCE: Enduro Metals Corporation Bpacks, a London, UK-based packaging technology company, raised 1M in Pre-Seed funding. Backers were not disclosed. The company intends to use the funds to establish operations in Spain in 2025. Led by Mikhail Skalkin and Lev Bolshakov, Bpacks is a circular economy startup that has developed a composite material based on its own innovative formula, which transforms bark into a 100% compostable active packaging material. This material extends product shelf life and possesses antimicrobial properties, providing an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based rigid plastics. Founded in 2022, the company manufactures its packaging at an R&D lab in Serbia and is currently piloting a partnership with an FMCG retailer. Bpacks plans to launch in Spain in early 2025 and is preparing to expand commercial operations in North America by 2026. FinSMEs 13/12/2024 Haber, a Pune, India-based smart manufacturing startup, raised $44m in Series C funding round, which included $38m in equity and $6m in debt. The round was led by Creaegis, BEENEXT, and Accel. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its expansion into North America and to set up an office in Chicago along with an advanced R&D lab for generating training data and AI models. Haper plans to hire engineers, data scientists, industry specialists and professionals in sales and support functions. Founded in 2017 by Vipin Raghavan (CEO), Priya Venkat (COO), and Arjunan PN (VP, Technical), Haber has developed proprietary AI technology that empowers manufacturers to make data-driven decisions, eliminating the complexity of traditional data analysis while optimizing resource use, and helping businesses reduce water and energy consumption. Haber has been instrumental in driving efficiency and sustainability in the Indian paper industry and is now poised to extend its impact to other manufacturing industries, such mining and metal and food & beverage. FinSMEs 13/12/2024 Over 400 IndiGo passengers, who were travelling to Mumbai and New Delhi, were reportedly stranded at the Istanbul Airport in Turkey for over 24 hours. They expressed their frustration on social media, sharing that the airline did not even provide any food or accommodation, or even an explanation. According to the airlines response to one passenger, the flight was delayed due to operational reasons read more Passengers said on social media platforms X and LinkedIn that the flight was initially delayed and then suddenly cancelled. Image Courtesy: @Prashan53593612/X As many as 400 IndiGo passengers who were travelling to Mumbai and New Delhi were reportedly stranded at the Istanbul Airport in Turkey for over 24 hours without any food or accommodation. The airline responded to one passenger saying the flight was delayed due to operational reasons. Now, frustrated passengers have taken to social media to share their ordeal. IndiGo flight delayed and then cancelled Passengers said on X and LinkedIn that the flight was initially delayed and then suddenly cancelled on December 12. According to Anushri Bhansali, one of the passengers, people were left stranded when the flight was cancelled, delayed by an hour, and then rescheduled 12 hours later. Advertisement @IndiGo6E ,After months of saving to book a flight home to India, Im now stranded in Istanbul, exhausted and sick, thanks to your delays and cancellations! Delayed TWICE by an hour, CANCELLED with no notice RESCHEDULED 12 hrs later, NO DETAILS or final confirmation! Anushri Bhansali (@BhansaliAnushri) December 13, 2024 She further claimed that passengers were not provided with accommodation, meal coupons, or even an approach from an IndiGo official at the airport, despite complaining of fatigue and a fever. Also read: No seat available, a passenger stands on IndiGo flight: Whats going on? Chaos at the airport Parshwa Mehta, who was supposed to land at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, revealed that the flight that was originally scheduled to depart at 8.15 pm had to be delayed to 11 pm and then rescheduled for 10 am the next day. Passengers received updates by the Turkish Airlines crew instead of an announcement from IndiGo, which caused even more confusion. Editors Picks 1 How direct flights between China and India could benefit Beijing more Although the airport had lounge access, he continued, it was too small to accommodate so many stranded passengers. We were told wed get lounge access at Istanbul airport as compensation. But the lounge was far too small to accommodate the huge number of stranded passengers. Many of us were left standing for hours without proper facilities. No alternative flights were offered, no proper communication was made, and to top it all off-no plans for reparations were shared, he wrote in a post on X. Advertisement We were told we'd get lounge access at Istanbul airport as compensation. But the lounge was far too small to accommodate the huge number of stranded passengers. Many of us were left standing for hours without proper facilities. Seriously, @IndiGo6E? Parshwa Mehta (@parshwa_1995) December 12, 2024 Hitting out at the airline, Mehta said, This delay isnt just an inconvenienceits a blatant failure of basic customer service. Where is the accountability? Where is the empathy for the passengers stranded overnight at the airport? Advertisement @IndiGo6E, you owe every passenger on this flight an explanation, an apology, and fair compensation. We need to know how you plan to make up for the lost time, the chaos, and the lack of support. Other travellers vented their frustration at the airline online, criticising it for how poorly it handled the matter by failing to provide an explanation or send a representative to the Istanbul Airport. @IndiGo6E worst flight and very irresponsible and unprofessional airline. I booked the flight from Edh to Delhi via istanbul . I have made stuck at the istanbul airport due to an indigo flight being overbooked. I have been waiting for last 7hrs and no one knows anything Aditi Singla (@aditi_singla1) December 12, 2024 Advertisement With no IndiGo person there to assist them, some even alleged that Turkish Airlines mistreated the passengers, without any representative from IndiGo to help them. @IndiGo6E Turkish Airlines staff misbehaving with all passengers. No one from Indigo here yet. Shameful. Stuck at the airport for more than 26hrs, waiting for Istanbul to Delhi flight.#worstairlinesever pic.twitter.com/WknGA0SJfp divykriti madaan (@MadaanDivykriti) December 12, 2024 Advertisement IndiGo among the worst airlines in the world According to PTI, earlier this month, IndiGo denied an AirHelp poll that said the airline was among the worst in terms of a number of standards, including punctuality. IndiGo was ranked 103rd out of 109 airlines examined in the 2024 Air Help Score Report, making it one of the worst in the world. The airlines handling of flight delay claims and low customer satisfaction are also blamed for its poor ranking. IndiGo has rapidly expanded its fleet to over 360 aircraft, now operating more than 2,000 daily flights across 77 domestic and 33 international destinations. While customers still appreciate the quality of service, and flights tend to be fairly punctual, its inclusion among the worst 10 airlines in the world is unsurprising given the measly 0.3/10 score for claim handling, AirHelp had said in its post about the 10 worst airlines in the world. IndiGo responded to the rating by criticising the surveys methodology, citing its inability to disclose the size of the Indian sample, therefore casting doubt on the surveys credibility. As Indias most preferred airline, IndiGo refutes the findings of this survey and reiterates its promise of on-time, affordable, courteous and hassle-free travel experience for its customers, IndiGos statement said. Additionally, the survey placed Air Asia at 94th and Air India at 61st. Similar incident A Singapore Airlines flight, which was originally scheduled to depart on December 10, from Cape Town in South Africa to Singapore, was delayed for nearly 32 hours due to a technical issue with the aircraft. Following an initial seven-hour wait, passengers were later notified that the flight would be rescheduled for December 11 at 7 am (1 pm Singapore time). Passengers experienced additional delays the following day when they returned to the airport. People were beginning to run out of patience due to the lack of confirmation for a rescheduled flight, a passenger told the Singapore media organisation, Mothership. Singapore Airlines apologised for the incident, stating that a technical problem had occurred with the Airbus A350-900 when it was grounded at Cape Town International Airport. According to a representative, passengers were given hotel accommodations and meal vouchers and permitted to exit as engineers worked to resolve the problem. The flight finally landed at Changi Airport on December 12 at 3 pm Singapore time. With inputs from agencies Queenslands controversial new laws allow children as young as 10 to face the same sentences as adults for serious crimes. Proponents argue it prioritises victims rights, but critics, including the United Nations, highlight its violation of international law and disproportionate impact on Indigenous children read more All 35 Labour MPs in attendance supported the bill, while opposition came from Greens MP Michael Berkman and independent MP for Noosa, Sandy Boulton, who both voted against it. Representational Image/iStock Queenslands controversial new laws, branded Adult Crime, Adult Time, have turned heads across Australia and internationally. These reforms, aimed at addressing youth crime, have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organisations, legal experts, and Indigenous advocates. What are the Adult Crime, Adult Time laws? Under the Making Queensland Safer Bill 2024, children as young as 10 can now face the same penalties as adults for 13 designated offences, including murder, serious assault, and breaking and entering. Previously, life sentences for young offenders were reserved for particularly heinous crimes, with a maximum penalty of 10 years for most cases. Now, children convicted of murder must serve mandatory life detention, with a non-parole period of 20 years. Advertisement Premier David Crisafulli, who made youth crime a central focus of his campaign, stated the need to prioritise victims rights. These laws are for every Queenslander who has ever felt unsafe and been a victim of youth crime across our state, he said. Weve delivered what Queenslanders voted for. The Making Queensland Safer Laws have passed Parliament. pic.twitter.com/JzAgRiwBSm David Crisafulli (@DavidCrisafulli) December 12, 2024 The legislation also removes provisions that made detention a last resort, expands the inclusion of prior criminal history in sentencing, and eliminates restorative justice orders, a victim-focused approach aimed at reducing reoffending. What does the data tell us? While the government framed the laws as a necessary response to a youth crime crisis, data tells a different story. Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Queensland Police Service reveal that youth crime in Queensland has halved over the past 14 years, reaching its lowest point in recorded history in 2022. Critics argue the narrative of escalating youth crime has been exaggerated to justify the punitive measures. What are the concerns? The laws have faced widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally. Australias Commissioner for Children, Anne Hollonds, called the changes an international embarrassment, highlighting research that shows harsher penalties often lead to higher rates of reoffending. The younger a child comes into contact with the justice system, the more likely it is that they will continue to commit more serious crimes, Hollonds noted. The United Nations has also criticised the laws for violating international conventions on the rights of children. Ann Skelton, Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, described them as a retreat from human rights. Advertisement Human rights advocates have pointed out the disproportionate impact on Indigenous children, who are already overrepresented in the justice system. Maggie Munn, First Nations Justice Director at the Human Rights Law Centre, stated, Times like this make me wonder how the Premier can sleep at night knowing he is condemning Queensland children to an unbelievably bleak future. Media Release: Crisafulli Government's discriminatory laws will send more children to prison and override human rights. @Change_Record https://t.co/mhkQ3oySt4 Human Rights Law Centre (@humanrightsHRLC) December 12, 2024 Advertisement Blake Cansdale, National Director of Change the Record, argued, Tough on crime measures do nothing to address the root causes of youth crime intergenerational trauma, poverty, systemic racism, and inadequate access to support services. What kind of impact are we looking at? Queenslands youth detention system, already housing more children than any other state, is expected to face significant strain. Critics warn of horrendous conditions in overcrowded facilities, with some children likely to be held in police cells for extended periods. Crisafulli acknowledged these challenges, stating, In the short term, there will be some real pressure, but promised a long-term plan to expand detention facilities. The removal of detention as a last resort provisions has also sparked concerns about the rehabilitation of young offenders. Rachana Rajan, Associate Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre, highlighted that prisons are not places of rehabilitation. Instead of these dangerous laws, the government should be investing in community-led programs, she urged. Advertisement Also Watch: Supporters, including the Queensland Police Union, have praised the laws as a leap forward, arguing they restore accountability and protect victims. The KPI is fewer victims of crime, and that is what will drive us all the time, Crisafulli asserted. Attorney-General Deb Frecklington added, This will better address patterns of offending" and hold people accountable for their actions. However, many legal experts warn of unintended consequences. Tougher sentences may dissuade young offenders from pleading guilty, leading to more trials and court delays. Others argue the rushed parliamentary process with an inquiry lasting just eight days failed to consider critical evidence. Advertisement With inputs from agencies The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will soon introduce a new feature enabling members to use an ATM card to withdraw their PF. The facility is likely to be rolled out in May or June next year read more The retirement fund body is working towards rolling out a facility that will allow members to withdraw provident funds from ATMs. Representational Image/Pixabay The days of taking an eternity to withdraw money from a provident fund (PF) are long gone. The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is making efforts to improve its IT infrastructure. It will soon introduce a new feature that will enable members to use an ATM card to withdraw money from their corpus. Heres all we know about the new facility. What is EPFOs ATM-card facility? The retirement fund body is working towards rolling out a facility that will allow members to withdraw provident funds from ATMs. The initiative comes at a time when the Labour and Employment Ministry is upgrading EPFOs IT systems to streamline PF withdrawals and improve service delivery, according to ANI, which quoted Labour Secretary Sumita Dawra. Advertisement She said the IT infrastructure of EPFO will be on par with banking systems once the IT 2.1 upgrade goes live next year. With little assistance from humans, members, beneficiaries, and insured individuals would be able to access their PF assets thanks to the tech-driven change. We are enhancing our IT system to simplify claim settlements. PF withdrawals through ATMs will soon be a reality, Dawra stated. The initiative is part of the governments larger effort to provide social welfare and enhance living standards for Indias massive workforce, which consists of more than 64 crore economically active people. Dawra emphasised that as part of the IT change, pointless procedures were removed, resulting in speedier claim processing. How will it work? Like a bank ATM card, the new system will come with a particular PF withdrawal card. Withdrawals, however, will be limited to 50 per cent of the entire PF balance. According to the official, EPF members should be able to withdraw from their funds by just swiping their cards after the withdrawal amount ceiling has been set. Although EPFO makes it possible to link bank accounts to EPF accounts, it is yet unknown if this link will be used for ATM withdrawals or if a different method will be implemented. Advertisement There are already more than 70 million active contributors to EPFO. Also read: EPFO cautions account holders against these mistakes; check what you can do to avoid big loss Who can withdraw PF? Under the improved system, Dawra told ANI, A claimant, beneficiary, or insured person will be able to access their claims conveniently through ATMs. Beneficiaries may be able to use this ATM withdrawal service in the case of a members death. To facilitate this, it could be necessary for beneficiaries to connect their bank accounts to the deceased members EPF account. However, one must wait for official confirmation on this. What are PF withdrawal rules and requirements? EPFO members are eligible to withdraw the whole amount once they reach the retirement age of 55. One year prior to retirement, they are allowed to take out 90 per cent of the funds. Advertisement A portion of the funds may also be withdrawn by EPFO members in the case of a medical emergency, unemployment, home renovation, member, sibling, or childrens marriage, or home purchase or construction. Notably, the claim limit is based on the reason for withdrawal. The claim forms that can be filed from the UAN-Member interface are PF Final Settlement (Form 19), Pension Withdrawal Benefit (Form 10-C), and PF Part Withdrawal (Form 31) from the Member Interface directly. Also, the member should have seeded his bank account details, Permanent Account Number (PAN), and Aadhaar details in the EPFO database. Also read: Did Modi government create 2 crore jobs per year? Facts vs falsehoods Advertisement What are the other similar initiatives by EPFO? To combat corruption, EPFO introduced auto claim settlement, which is the automatic processing of claims up to Rs 1 lakh for housing, marriage, and education without the need for human involvement. According to officials, 25 to 30 per cent of cases are handled automatically. Additionally, according to Indian Express, the EPFO intends to allow for flexible pension contributions. Under this plan, employees will be able to contribute more or less to the Employees Pension Scheme (EPS) than the current cap of 12 per cent. Some people might want to contribute 10 per cent of their wage towards pension, others might want to contribute 12 per cent or 15 per cent. Some people want to contribute for a certain number of years and then stop later. This flexibility has to be given somewhere to the employees and we are working in that direction, an official was quoted as saying. Advertisement Currently, employees do not make contributions to the EPS pension plan. Employers and employees each contribute 12 per cent of the employees base salary, dearness allowance, and any retention allowance to the EPF. The company contributes 12 per cent, which is divided between 3.67 per cent for EPF and 8.33 per cent for EPS, while the employee contributes their whole amount to EPF. Employees earning less than Rs 15,000 are eligible for a 1.16 per cent pension contribution from the Indian government. With inputs from agencies US President Joe Biden, along with his G7 partners, will discuss the ongoing turmoil in Syria during a scheduled virtual meeting today. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be in Turkey to address the aftermath o address the aftermath of Bashar al-Assads ouster. In India, Lok Sabha members will hold a debate on the Indian Constitution after a series of disrupted parliamentary sessions read more US President Joe Biden speaks at the White House, in Washington, December 8, 2024. Reuters File Many important events are set to take place today. US President Joe Biden, along with his G7 partners, will discuss the turmoil in Syria during a virtual meeting. Members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will hold a debate on the Indian Constitution, following a series of disrupted parliamentary sessions. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also set to visit Turkey today for high-level talks over Syrias civil war. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Mahakumbhnagar and Prayagraj to review preparations for the 2025 Mahakumbh. Advertisement In Pakistan, jailed former PM Imran Khan has announced a grand gathering in Peshawar to pay homage to the martyrs killed during his partys recent rally. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni will meet Argentinian President Javier Milei and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Lets take a look at these events: Joe Biden, G7 partners to discuss Syria turmoil US President Joe Biden and his G7 partners will discuss the ongoing turmoil in Syria during a scheduled virtual meeting today. US President speaking on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, US, December 10, 2024. Reuters ALSO READ | Biden addresses nation after Bashar al-Assad flees Syria: Top quotes from his speech Syria and Ukraine will absolutely be on the agenda for the G7, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday. Notably, the G7, which includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, works together on various diplomatic and economic policies. Lok Sabha to witness debate on Constitution Members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will hold a debate on the Indian Constitution, following a series of disrupted parliamentary sessions. Lok Sabha will hold a debate on the Indian Constitution. PTI ALSO READ | How India drafted worlds longest Constitution The ongoing winter session, which began on November 25, has been marked by frequent adjournments, but the debate on the Constitution is expected to be a major highlight as the session continues until December 20. Advertisement Antony Blinken in Turkey to discuss Syrias political crisis US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Turkey today for high-level talks on Syrias political instability following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad. ALSO READ | How long will it take to rebuild Syria destroyed by the Assad regime? Blinken is expected to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara to discuss Syrias transition and broader regional issues, including developments in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, Xinhua news agency reported. PM Modi in Prayagraj to review Maha Kumbh preparations, launch projects Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Mahakumbhnagar and Prayagraj today to review preparations for the 2025 Mahakumbh and inaugurate various development projects in Prayagraj. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering in New Delhi, Dec. 11, 2024. PTI PM Modi is set to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth approximately Rs 7,000 crore, and will also perform a puja at the Sangam alongside representatives of 13 Akharas and prominent temples, The Indian Express reported. Advertisement Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath previously announced that the 2025 Mahakumbh will feature an expanded fairground, covering an additional 800 hectares compared to the 2019 Kumbh. Grand gathering in Peshawar after Imran Khans call Pakistans jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for a grand gathering in Peshawar today to pay homage to the martyrs killed during his partys recent rally in Islamabad. ALSO READ | How does Imran Khan continue to drive Pakistans political agenda from jail? Khan has demanded a judicial inquiry into the crackdown on the November 25 protest march, which he claims resulted in the deaths of at least 12 of his supporters, as well as the violence on May 9 last year that killed eight. He has also called for the release of all arrested political workers. Advertisement Giorgia Meloni to meet Argentinian, Palestinian Presidents Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet Argentinian President Javier Milei this weekend to strengthen ties between Argentina and Italy. The event, organised by Melonis party, will focus on international issues such as migration, transatlantic relations, and Mediterranean stability. Meloni will also hold discussions with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during the latters trip to Italy. Recently, Meloni has become more vocal in her criticism of Israels military actions against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. With inputs from agencies The Syrian conflict has entered a new phase as the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) escalates its offensive against the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). While the SNA seeks to establish control in northern Syria, the SDF faces mounting pressure despite its pivotal role in defeating ISIS read more People chant in celebration while holding flags adopted by the Syrian new rulers after their fighters ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria, December 12, 2024. File Image/Reuters The power dynamics in Syria have entered a new phase following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assads regime after a brutal 13-year civil war. This conflict, seen by many as a new dawn for Syria, has drawn in international powers with vested interests. Central to the evolving situation are the tensions between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the US-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). We take a look at factors shaping this confrontation: Advertisement What is the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)? The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was established in 2015 as a coalition of Kurdish, Arab, and Assyrian militias. Predominantly led by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), the SDF aims to create a secular and federalised Syria. It gained international recognition for its critical role in the defeat of the Islamic State (IS), particularly after liberating Raqqa in 2017. The group enjoys strong backing from the United States, which views it as a vital ally in preventing an IS resurgence. However, the SDFs ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) a group designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey have made it a contentious force in the region. What is the Syrian National Army (SNA)? The Syrian National Army (SNA), formerly known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), is a coalition of rebel groups supported by Turkey. The SNA was formed to counter Assads regime and later evolved into a key player in Turkeys strategy to secure its southern border. With Turkish military training, logistical support, and funding, the SNA has expanded its control in northern Syria. Turkeys support stems from its goals to curb Kurdish influence in the region and facilitate the return of millions of Syrian refugees currently residing within its borders. Why are the SDF and SNA at odds? The rivalry between the SDF and SNA stems from their conflicting visions for Syrias future and their alliances with rival international powers. Territorial ambitions The SDF controls significant areas in northeastern Syria, including key oil fields and agricultural regions, which provide vital resources for its administration. On the other hand, the SNA, backed by Turkish forces, has been actively advancing into northern Syria to establish a safe zone an area free of Kurdish influence that also serves Turkeys strategic interests. Ethnic and political tensions The SDFs Kurdish-led leadership has created friction in Arab-majority areas under its control, such as Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. Meanwhile, the SNA draws its fighters from diverse backgrounds, but critics argue it often acts as a Turkish proxy. Accusations of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and suppression of Kurdish communities have fuelled animosities. International alignments Turkeys support for the SNA reflects its broader geopolitical goals, including preventing the formation of an autonomous Kurdish region on its border. In contrast, the SDFs partnership with the US has ensured continued military aid, but at the cost of worsening its relations with Ankara. Recent reports of dialogues between the SDF and Israel have further complicated matters, raising Turkish suspicions about shifting alliances. Advertisement What are the objectives of the US & Turkey in Syria? Turkey has pursued a dual strategy of military intervention and political maneuvering to achieve its goals in Syria. By supporting the SNA, it has carved out zones of influence, most recently capturing Tal Rifaat and Manbij. These gains bolster Ankaras efforts to create a strategic buffer zone and undermine the SDFs territorial control. The United States has consistently highlighted its partnership with the SDF, particularly in counterterrorism efforts. However, Washington faces the challenge of balancing its commitments to the SDF while managing its alliance with NATO member Turkey. In 2019, during Donald Trumps presidency, he directed the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, though his administration later scaled back the decision. Currently, the US maintains approximately 900 troops in Syria, primarily stationed in the northeast. Meanwhile, Russia, Iran, and Israel play critical roles in shaping Syrias landscape. Moscow, once Assads staunchest ally, has seen its influence wane due to its involvement in Ukraine. Advertisement Tehran, which invested heavily in Assads survival, continues to back Shia militias in Syria. Israel, though officially neutral, has targeted Iranian-linked assets, further complicating regional dynamics in West Asia. Is a new war in Syria around the corner? The capture of Kurdish-majority areas by the SNA signals Turkeys determination to neutralise the SDFs influence, even as the US and other international actors call for de-escalation. As both sides continue to vie for control, the humanitarian cost of the conflict remains devastating. The future of Syria depends on sustained international diplomacy, negotiations among local factions, and efforts to address the grievances of its war-weary population. With fragile ceasefires at risk and regional rivalries deepening, the potential for a new war is debatable. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies Ravi Bhushan was among the first Indians rescued from war-torn Syria. The Ghaziabad-based businessman was rescued by the Indian embassy and taken to Lebanon from where he boarded the first flight back home along with 74 others. Bhushan recounts scenes of chaos and anarchy as Syrian rebels took over the capital Damascus, toppling President Bashar al-Assad-led government read more Ravi Bhushan, along with 75 others, was rescued by the Indian embassy in Syria in a daring rescue operation. Image courtesy: X/@ANI President Bashar al-Assads 14-year-old regime was brought to an end last week, with Syrian rebels celebrating a victory that seemed unimaginable just months ago. However, amid the celebrations, a deeper crisis unfolded for those caught in the crossfire of this takeover. Among the many trapped in war-torn Syria was an Indian national and businessman Ravi Bhushan, who along with 74 others, was rescued by the Indian embassy and boarded the first flight back home, according to ANI. Advertisement At present, the situation in Syria is worst. There is widespread panicI would say that in the coming few days, situation is going to be worse there, said Bhushan reflecting on his harrowing ordeal in Damascus. Heres an in-depth look at his experience during Syrias turmoil and the extraordinary efforts that brought him to safety. People firing in open, looting banks Ravi Bhushan, a businessman from Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad, travelled to Syria for a work-related meeting, unaware of the chaos that would soon engulf the country. Initially, the situation in Damascus appeared stable, allowing him to proceed with his plans. I was there for some business reasons. That time the situation was quite okay. Even our customer contacted the Indian embassy and said that things are okay there. But after 2-3 days, suddenly the things changed. So we were not expecting these kind of things, Bhushan told ANI. On Sunday, the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate, seized control of Damascus after capturing key cities like Idlib and Aleppo. A person gestures next to a burning picture of now ousted President Bashar al-Assad, after rebels seized the capital, in Qamishli, Syria on Sunday (December 8). Reuters As rebels advanced towards Damascus, the calm quickly gave way to turmoil. Panic swept the streets as residents rushed to stockpile essentials and withdraw money. Rania, a local woman, described the chaos: The situation was not like this when I left my house this morning suddenly everyone was scared, she told AFP. The Syrian rebels then overthrew the government led by President Bashar al-Assad, ending his decades-long rule. Reports suggest that Assad has fled to Russia, where he has been granted asylum. Also read: Poor morale, reliance on foreign allies: The collapse of Assads army in Syria explained Recounting the aftermath of the takeover, Bhushan described scenes of widespread anarchy. Advertisement People are firing in the open road, bombarding, looting the banks. They damaged the airport completely. They are damaging all the vehicles which are parked in the hotels and everywhere," he said, further recalling how residents, many armed with AK-47 rifles, roamed the markets and streets of Damascus, adding to the tense atmosphere. The situation is not good there. I would say that in the coming few days, the situation is going to be worse there, he said. #WATCH | Delhi: Ravi Bhushan, an Indian national evacuated from war-torn Syria, shares his experience He says, "I had some business meetings there, so I went there for a week. After two days, there was sudden unrest. In the markets, on the streets, locals were roaming around pic.twitter.com/sG7OcX4pxx ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2024 Advertisement As the rebels consolidate power, Mohammed al-Bashir has been appointed caretaker prime minister to lead the interim government until March 1. Having previously headed the rebel-led Salvation Government, al-Bashirs leadership begins in a deeply fractured Syria. Also read: With Bashar al-Assad gone, who is in control of Syria? What happens next? A dramatic rescue After escaping the turmoil in Syria, Ravi Bhushan extended his gratitude to the Indian government for its timely intervention. India has started a rescue operation, and we are the first team rescued from Syria. The best part is that they contacted each and everyone. They were even motivating them and asking them if they were okay, Bhushan told ANI. Advertisement Bhushan shared that the Syrian embassy kept evacuees informed with hourly updates about the rescue operation. If somebody faced any problem regarding food or anything, they arranged it. We are very much thankful to the Indian government and Indian embassies in Lebanon and Syria, both places, he said. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a late-night statement said it coordinated the rescue mission with the Indian embassies in Damascus and the Lebanese capital Beirut. Ravi Bhushan, who along with 74 others, was rescued by the Indian embassy and boarded the first flight back home. Among the Indians rescued were 44 zaireen pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir who had been stranded in Saida Zainab. ANI Bhushan also reflected on the plight of other nationals caught in the crisis. He described witnessing children and women from other countries sitting outside in freezing temperatures for hours. Advertisement We saw how people from other countries were suffering. We saw small children and women, how they were made to sit outside for over 10-12 hours in the 4-5 degree temperature. It was really horrible. But because of Indian government, we did not face any such kind of issue, Bhushan said. Among the 75 Indians rescued were 44 zaireen pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir who had been stranded in Saida Zainab. The group safely crossed into Lebanon and returned to India on commercial flights, the Indian embassy in Lebanon confirmed. The MEA has urged Indian nationals still in Syria to remain in contact with the Indian Embassy in Damascus and has provided emergency helpline numbers and email IDs for assistance. With input from agencies Robert F Kennedy Jr wants his daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, to serve as deputy director of the CIA. While RFK Jr champions her qualifications and aims to uncover the truth about his uncle, John F Kennedys assassination, critics question her readiness for such a senior role read more Robert F Kennedy Jr walks near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, US, December 12, 2024. File Image/Reuters Robert F Kennedy Jr, a prominent political figure and recent presidential candidate, is advocating for his daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, to take on the role of deputy director at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). With President-elect Donald J. Trump preparing for his second term, the potential appointment of Fox Kennedy could become part of his plans for reshaping US intelligence agencies. This development was first reported by Axios. On Thursday, Fox Kennedy posted a strong statement on X, criticising her unnamed opponents for being part of a system that had undermined US intelligence-gathering capabilities. Advertisement The core mission of CIA is to arm the American president as the representative of the American people with maximum information. Uncertainty about our adversaries intentions increases our chances of unnecessary war. Failure to detect terror attacks in the planning phase Amaryllis Fox (@amaryllisfox) December 12, 2024 Who is Fox Kennedy? Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, 44, is no stranger to the intelligence community. She served nearly a decade as a CIA operative, joining the agency in her early 20s. Recruited as one of the youngest female officers, she operated under nonofficial cover, often posing as a civilian with no diplomatic protections. During her tenure, she reportedly posed as an art dealer while working in foreign nations, gathering intelligence under high-risk conditions. In 2019, Fox Kennedy published a memoir titled Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA, offering a rare glimpse into the life of a covert operative. The book, however, stirred controversy for allegedly bypassing the CIAs Publication Review Board, a step required to ensure classified information isnt disclosed. The board is supposed to approve any material from officers before becoming public to ensure that key intelligence matters remain secret, noted journalist Yashar Ali reported at the time. Despite criticism, her book became a bestseller and was praised for shedding light on the challenges of intelligence work. However, some former officials questioned its accuracy, particularly her accounts of interactions with Islamic extremists in Pakistan. Fox Kennedys candidacy for deputy director has also reignited debates about the CIAs role and transparency. Her critics point to her memoir and public comments as potential liabilities. Advertisement In an interview with Tucker Carlson, she criticised the CIAs historical involvement in coups and interventions, stating, Rather than reporting that a coup is about to take place, they are making it happen. And that has not worked out in 100 percent of cases, as far as I can tell Does Fox Kennedy have the required support? Fox Kennedys potential appointment as deputy director has garnered mixed reactions. Her father-in-law, RFK Jr, is one of her staunchest advocates. He has reportedly been making calls on her behalf, encouraging Trump to consider her for the position. Shes infinitely qualified for the job, said John Maguire, a former CIA officer. Shes a very talented woman. Also Read | Trump picks RFK Jr as US health secretary. What are his views on drugs and vaccines? Advertisement However, opposition has been vocal. Senator Tom Cotton, poised to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee, has raised concerns about her qualifications and past decisions, such as the publication of her memoir. Former intelligence officials have also expressed doubts. One unnamed former officer described her as a very junior officer with insufficient experience for such a senior post, telling The Washington Post, It would be completely demoralising to have her float back in at a senior level, having never held a field leadership position. Fox Kennedy has countered criticisms by highlighting the need to refocus the CIA on intelligence collection rather than asymmetrical warfare. She has advocated for rebuilding human intelligence capabilities, particularly in nations like China, Russia, and Iran. Advertisement The question we need to be asking is whether were pouring kerosene on a candle, she said in a 2016 interview with Al Jazeera, highlighting the importance of understanding adversaries rather than merely reacting to them. What is the real reason RFK Jr is pushing Fox for CIA role? Central to RFK Jrs advocacy for Fox Kennedy is his deep-seated belief that the CIA was involved in the assassination of his uncle, President John F Kennedy. This controversial stance has been a recurring theme in RFK Jrs political rhetoric, and he has vowed to bring this issue to light with concrete evidence. RFK Jr has repeatedly called for the release of all remaining classified documents related to JFKs assassination, arguing that transparency is long overdue. His allegations against the CIA gained renewed attention after he suggested that Fox Kennedys expertise and understanding of the agencys internal workings could play a pivotal role in substantiating his claims. Fox Kennedy, for her part, has publicly supported RFK Jr.s mission, stating the need for accountability and reform within the intelligence community. Advertisement Will Fox Kennedy get the job? President-elect Trump has reportedly shown interest in appointing Fox Kennedy to a senior intelligence role. While the CIAs deputy director position does not require Senate confirmation, it remains one of the most influential posts within the agency. Trump has delegated significant authority to John Ratcliffe, his pick for CIA director, to assemble his team, though other roles in the administration have also been suggested for Fox Kennedy. Fox Kennedys connections within Trumps circle have bolstered her chances. She is close to Tulsi Gabbard, Trumps choice for director of national intelligence, and has attended key personnel meetings at Mar-a-Lago. Trump himself has been impressed with her during their interactions. Donald Trump has surrounded himself with the precious few American leaders who still speak the truth at great personal cost, Fox Kennedy recently wrote on social media, praising Gabbard and others in Trumps orbit. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol narrowly survived an impeachment attempt last week after members of his People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the motion. However, much seems to have changed with at least eight party members set to vote for the measure and thus hit the required 200 vote threshold required in the countrys parliament. But what happens after that? read more South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to face his second impeachment. AP The second impeachment of South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol is slated for tomorrow (14 December). Yoon narrowly survived an impeachment attempt last week after members of his People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the motion. The president, who had apologised profusely for inconveniencing the public after martial law was briefly imposed, had changed tack. Yoon is now defending his actions and pledging to fight till the end. The main opposition Democratic Party slammed Yoons speech as an expression of extreme delusion and false propaganda. Advertisement The opposition-controlled parliament also passed motions Thursday to impeach and suspend Yoons police chief and justice minister over the imposition of martial law, escalating the pressure on Yoons embattled government. But what happens if Yoon is impeached? Lets take a closer look: The impeachment process First, lets briefly examine the impeachment process. South Koreas Constitution allows parliament to bring an impeachment motion against the president or other high-ranking public officials. This, if they are believed to have violated the Constitution or any law in the performance of official duties. Though the presidential impeachment motion needs a two-thirds majority vote by the members of the single-chamber parliament to pass, other officials require a simple majority. If parliament votes to impeach, the president is suspended from exercising his powers. As per The New York Times, the matter then goes to the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court conducts a trial to either confirm or reject the impeachment motion, hearing evidence from parliament to determine whether the president violated the law. It listens to oral arguments from the chair of parliaments justice committee and from the public official or their legal counsel. The Court has up to six months to confirm the impeachment by a vote of six out of the nine justices, or reject the motion. Advertisement The Court currently has six sitting justices with three posts to be filled. It has waived the requirement of seven justices to deliberate cases, but it was not clear if it would take up the impeachment motion without the full nine justices. A protester dances, during a rally calling for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul. Reuters The court can either uphold the impeachment or reverse it, as per Al Jazeera. If it rejects the impeachment, the opposition can simply impeach Yoon again. If it upholds the process, Yoon will be removed from office and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will take over his duties. If this happens, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days. The same holds true if Yoon simply resigns rather than being impeached. Advertisement How do votes stack up? Right now, it seems like the opposition has the votes to force Yoon out. Nikkei Asia quoted the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper as reporting reported on Friday that eight members of the PPP thus far have publicly declared that they will vote for the impeachment. The opposition Democratic Party and independents have 192 votes in Parliament. The threshold for impeaching the president is 200 votes. Remember, the only reason Yoon survived is because members of the PPP boycotted the impeachment vote last week. Among those who have seemingly changed their mind is PPP MP Kim Sang-wook. The president is no longer qualified to lead the country, he is totally unfit, Kim told BBC. But Kim is paying the price. My party and supporters have called me a traitor, he said, calling South Korean politics intensely tribal. Advertisement Others are at their wits end over the situation. We dont even know who we are or what we stand for anymore, one PPP official added. We will not disappear, but we need to rebuild ourselves from scratch, Kim said. There is a saying that South Koreas economy and culture are first class, but its politics are third class. Now is the chance to reflect on that. The situation seems much changed from last week when Al Jazeera quoted Choo Kyung-ho, parliamentarian and floor leader of the PPP, as saying that all 108 lawmakers of the People Power party will stay united to reject the presidents impeachment. Advertisement As per the outlet opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party is likely favoured to take over from Yoon if he is impeached. Lee battled Yoon for the presidency in 2022 and narrowly lost. Though PPP leader Han Dong-hoon a rival of Yoon in the aftermath of the vote had said Yoon would resign, he provided no timeline. Though Han said that Yoon is playing no part in running the day-to-day affairs of the country, experts are concerned. There is no legal basis for this arrangement. We are in a dangerous and chaotic situation," Lim Ji-bong, a law professor at Sogang University told BBC. South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, second from right, presides over a meeting of ministers at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Monday. AP In a televised speech Thursday, Yoon, a conservative, said he enacted martial law as a warning to the liberal Democratic Party. He called the party a monster and anti-state forces that he said tried to use its legislative muscle to impeach top officials, undermined the governments budget bill for next year and sympathised with North Korea. I will fight to the end to prevent the forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralysing the countrys government and disrupting the nations constitutional order from threatening the future of the Republic of Korea, Yoon said. The opposition is now doing a sword dance of chaos, claiming that the declaration of martial law constitutes to an act of rebellion. But was it really? Yoon said martial law was an act of governance that cannot be the subject of investigations and doesnt amount to rebellion. He said the deployment of nearly 300 soldiers to the National Assembly was designed to maintain order, not dissolve or paralyse it. Yoons speech is expected to deepen a divide inside the PPP. When party chair Han called Yoons statement a confession of rebellion during a party meeting, Yoon loyalists angrily jeered and called on Han to stop speaking. Han has urged party members to vote in favour of Yoons impeachment. Has a South Korean president been impeached before? Yes. In May 2017, a presidential election was held after the Constitutional Courts ruling to confirm then-President Park Geun-hyes impeachment on March 9. Park was the first democratically elected leader to be ousted from office, accused of colluding with a confidant in an influence peddling scheme and abusing her presidential authority. Parliament voted to impeach her in December 2016. According to Washington Post, dozens of members of Parks own Saenuri Party, a conservative predecessor of the PPP, switched sides for the vote. In all, 234 members of the 300-member Assembly voted to impeach Park. Hundreds of thousands of people had also gathered in central Seoul for weeks urging Park to resign. Park is a daughter of former president Park Chung-hee who was assassinated in 1979. Park was later tried separately on criminal charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She served almost five years before being released on medical grounds and was then pardoned in 2021. In 2004, then-President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached on the charge of failing to maintain political neutrality as required of a high public official. As per Washington Post, Roh was accused of a minor breach of laws by the countrys election commission. The commission accused Roh of breaking laws that do not let presidents to campaign for legislators. Roh was also alleged to be linked to a corruption scandal. The motion was rejected by the Constitutional Court and Roh was restored to serve a full five-year term. As per Washington Post, the impeachment was viewed as Rohs political enemies were trying to stifle his agenda including a possible reconciliation with North Korea. In his speech Thursday, Yoon said he had discussed imposing martial law only with Kim before he informed other top officials about it at a Cabinet meeting just before its declaration. On the night of December 3, besides the National Assembly, Yoon and then defence minister Kim Yong Hyun sent troops to the National Election Commission. That raised speculation that he might have tried to seize computer servers at the commission as he believed unfounded rumours that the results of Aprils parliamentary elections, in which his party suffered steep losses, were rigged. Yoon said he asked Kim to examine the supposed vulnerabilities of the commissions computer systems, which Yoon said was hampering the credibility of election results. He accused the commission of resisting a thorough inspection by Seouls spy agency following a cyberattack attributed to North Korea-backed hackers last year. With inputs from agencies The Union Cabinet has reportedly approved two bills to implement its One Nation, One Election idea. The proposed legislation could be introduced in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament read more Simultaneous polls could become a reality in India in the coming years. The Union Cabinet has given its nod to two bills required to implement the One Nation, One Election proposal. One of the bills is aimed at synchronising the tenures of the Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, while the other bill proposes similar amendments for Delhi and other Union Territory Assemblies. As per reports, the bills, which were cleared at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (December 12), are likely to be introduced in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament that ends on December 20. The government is interested in holding wider consultations on the bills and could send them to a parliamentary committee. Advertisement Lets take a closer look. What is One Nation, One Election? The One Nation, One Poll (ONOP) is a proposal to conduct simultaneous elections at the national and state level. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long been demanding simultaneous elections. It is not a new idea either. In fact, the practice was applicable in India till 1967. However, as several state Assemblies were dissolved prematurely between 1968-69, it led to different polling cycles in those states. In 1970, the Lok Sabha was dissolved a year ahead of schedule; mid-elections were held the next year. The cycle has since been broken. Last September, the Centre established a committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to analyse the feasibility of simultaneous polls to state Assemblies and the Lok Sabha. This high-level committee (HLC) submitted its report supporting ONOP in March this year. Simultaneous polls will transform the electoral process (and) governance and optimise scarce resources, the panel, which also included Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, said in the report. The proponents of the idea argue the exercise will reduce election expenses for both political parties and the government. However, the opposition parties have slammed the proposal, with the Congress saying it would require substantial changes to the basic structure of the Constitution, further alleging that it went against the guarantees of federalism and would subvert the parliamentary democracy. Advertisement What has the Kovind panel suggested? The Kovind-led panel recommended holding simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state Assemblies as the first step by 2029. It also backed holding municipal corporation and panchayat elections together, within 100 days of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. For this, constitutional amendments will be required. As the first step, it said that once the Parliament approves synchronising national and state Assembly elections, the ratification by the states will not be needed. The second step will be to hold these elections together with the polls for Municipalities and Panchayats, which will be done in a way that the local body elections are held within 100 days of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. This constitutional amendment will need ratification by not less than one-half of the states. What if Parliament passes ONOP bills? The two bills need to be cleared by the Parliament for One Nation, One Election to become a reality. The Kovind panel report recommended adding a new Article to the Constitution Article 82A to hold simultaneous elections. Advertisement If the panels roadmap is followed, then a new provision Article 82 A(1) will have to be inserted into the Constitution that states the President will notify the appointed date on the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after a general election. Article 82A (2) states that state Assemblies elected after the appointed date will have a truncated term during the transition. Government sources told Indian Express that if the Parliament passes these Bills without amendments, simultaneous elections can be held by 2034. This is because the appointed date can now be notified during the first sitting of the Lok Sabha elected in 2029, as the first sitting of the Lok Sabha elected in 2024 has already passed. Advertisement If ONOP becomes a reality, the Election Commission (EC) will have to buy a large number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. India will need to buy EVMs and VVPATs on a large scale to hold simultaneous polls. File Photo/PTI Speaking to Indian Express, a senior EC official said that the poll panel would at least require two-and-a-half to three years to double the number of EVMs to conduct simultaneous polls. Procurement of chips and other materials alone would take seven to eight months. Meanwhile, manufacturers like ECIL [Electronics Corporation of India Ltd] and BEL [Bharat Electronics Ltd] cannot produce such large quantities overnight; they will need to scale up their production capacity. So realistically, we are looking at a lead time of up to three years, the official said. Advertisement The poll body had previously said that at least Rs 8,000 crore would be needed just to procure the EVMs and VVPATs for simultaneous polls. With inputs from agencies Travis Timmerman, an American national who went missing in June, had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage. He said he was detained after he crossed into Syria from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle. He was found wandering near Damascus after being freed by rebels following the fall of Bashar al-Assad read more In this photo provided by the Syrian Emergency Task Force, American Travis Timmerman, right, sits with Mosaed al-Rifai, center, who found him in the Syrian desert, and the owner of the house where he took refuge, left, name not available, in Damascus, Syria on Thursday December 12, 2024. AP A US man who went missing seven months ago has been found in Syria, where he says he was imprisoned for months after entering the country on foot as a pilgrim. Travis Timmerman said on Friday that he was released by the liberators who arrived in Damascus on December 9, a day after the long-time ruler, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, fled the capital. Heres all we know about him. The missing American man Timmerman, 29, went missing in June after he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage. He said he was detained after he crossed into Syria from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle. According to his family, he was visiting Prague and Budapest, Hungary, to write about different churches, and had said in May that he was going somewhere without internet. His family reported him missing after he stopped replying to calls and texts. Advertisement Timmerman hails from Urbana, Missouri, about 80 kilometres north of Springfield. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017. He worked for the law firm, Goldberg Law Group, based in Chicago, Illinois, for over a year between 2020 and 2021, as per CNN. The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a bulletin saying Pete Timmerman had gone missing in Hungary in early June. In late August, Hungarian police put out an announcement, saying the American man was last seen at a church in Budapest. His release Timmerman was kept in the Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. According to The Associated Press, he was questioned for 3.5 hours by on the suspicions of being a spy. In a brief second interview, they searched his mobile phone, and in the last interview he started discussing his dreams with his captors. He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer. It was busted down, it woke me up, he said. Timmerman described those who released him as speaking to him in Arabic. It was an excited scene. It was not clear if the guards who were there were still there. I didnt know if they were taking us out in the midst of a war zone in hindsight, this shooting was not actual clashes. He was among the thousands of people released from Syrias sprawling military prisons this week after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad and ending his familys 54-year rule. He spent two nights in Damascus one in an abandoned apartment in the old town and another at a new friends house before walking toward Jordan, when a Syrian family found him barefoot on a main road early Thursday. At first, they mistook him for US journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing for more than a decade now. Advertisement The Syrian family told AP that Timmerman appeared cold and hungry so they brought him back to their home. I fed him and called a doctor, said Mosaed al-Rifai, the 68-year-old waste collector, and a few hours later, rebels picked him up. Mouaz Mostafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a US-based nonprofit group who was in Damascus, reached him and contacted US authorities about him. Timmerman is now recovering until the rebels can figure out how to hand him to US authorities, he said. Timmerman calls his release a blessing." His mother, Stacey Collins Gardiner, told NPR, Thats what my daughter said, its a Christmas miracle. Advertisement The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple the government, We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the US administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime. An official with the group later said it was arranging for Timmerman to leave Syria. From Aqaba, Jordan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that the White House was working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria without sharing any further details. His time in prison Timmerman had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners in the detention facility. He said he didnt know of any other Americans held in the facility. I was there seven months. There were women there up above me, Timmerman said. He heard the women singing and teaching their children. I was never beaten, he said, adding that their threat of using violence against him was implicit because he could hear daily beatings next door. Advertisement During his time in prison, he also heard explosions, especially when Israel intensified its strikes in Syria. The captors allowed him to use his mobile to speak with his family three weeks ago. At the time, Timmerman didnt inform his family he was in Damascus, only that he was fine. In the prison, he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste. He was allowed to take three bathroom breaks and exercise breaks in the first half of his stay. He used Friday prayers to keep track of days. Timmerman also says he initially gained weight because he ate unleavened bread, rice and oats. Sometimes he would get a potato or a tomato a treatment clearly reserved for non-Syrian prisoners, who often ended up emaciated or sick. Advertisement It is a time of solace and you can meditate on your life, he told AP, adding, It was good for me. He said he planned to return to Damascus. American journalist missing in Syria According to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Tuesday, the US has sought assistance from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syrias main rebel group, in locating and releasing American journalist Austin Tice. Tice, a freelance journalist, is believed to have been captured on August 14, 2012, in Damascus, while covering the civil war in the country. Weeks after his capture, a video of him wearing a blindfold and appearing distressed was uploaded online. The US believes the Assad government was holding him captive. According to President Joe Biden, the US believes Tice is still alive but needs to identify where he is. The search for Tice is ongoing, according to Syrias new leadership, which also stated on Thursday that it is prepared to cooperate directly with America in order to locate Americans who disappeared during the Assad regime. With inputs from agencies Scientists believe that mirror bacteria constructed from mirror images of molecules found in nature could put life on Earth at an unprecedented risk. The international group of Nobel laureates and other experts warned about this lab-grown bacteria in the journal Science read more An evolutionary biologist says mirror bacteria would likely evade many human, animal and plant immune system responses and in each case would cause lethal infections that would spread without check. Image for Representation. Pixabay A nightmare lab leak: a lab-made bacteria evades the petri dish and unleashes a global plague that life on Earth is incapable of defending itself against. This chilling scenario isnt science fiction but a real concern raised by a team of international scientists, including two Nobel laureates, in a recent report. The threat were talking about is unprecedented, Professor Vaughn Cooper, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Pittsburgh was quoted by The Guardian as saying. Mirror bacteria would likely evade many human, animal and plant immune system responses and in each case would cause lethal infections that would spread without check. Advertisement So, what exactly are these mirror bacteria, and why have they become a talking point among scientists? Heres a decode. What are mirror bacteria? Life, as we know it is built from DNA, proteins and carbohydrates and these biomolecules, possess a unique structural property known as structural asymmetry or chirality. Just like human hands, these molecules come in left- and right-handed versions that are mirror images of each other. For instance, DNA and RNA are composed of right-handed molecules, while proteins are built from left-handed" amino acids. This chirality determines how molecules react chemically and how life interacts with its surroundings. DNA and RNA are composed of right-handed molecules, while proteins are built from left-handed amino acids. This chirality determines how molecules react chemically and how life interacts with its surroundings. Image for Representation. Pixabay Now, imagine a synthetic form of lifemirror bacteriabuilt entirely with reversed-handed molecules. These theoretical organisms are engineered in labs, with their components flipped in chirality. Interestingly, such mirror-image molecules are already incorporated into some approved drugs. Because natural enzymes struggle to break them down, these biomolecules help medications remain active in the body for longer periods. However, scientists warn that mirror bacteria, which would be fundamentally different from all known life forms, could pose serious risks. If not managed carefully, they could disrupt ecosystems or even threaten human health. Also read: How superbugs could kill nearly 40 million people by 2050 Why are mirror bacteria a threat? Scientists fear that synthetic mirror bacteria, with their reversed-handed molecules, could evade natural predators like viruses and microbes, which typically keep bacterial populations in check. A synthesized mirrored microbe wouldnt just be essentially invisible to animals and likely plants but also other microbes, including viruses that could attack and kill it, warned Vaughn Cooper, a microbiologist at the University of Pittsburgh in The Independent report. Advertisement Further, this unique resilience could allow these hypothetical organisms to spread unchecked across ecosystems, potentially infecting humans, animals, and plants. Its hard to overstate how severe these risks could be, said Ruslan Medzhitov, an immunologist at Yale University, in the journal Science. If mirror bacteria were to spread through infected animals and plants, much of the planets many environments could be contaminated. Any exposure to contaminated dust or soil could be fatal. Scientists fear that synthetic mirror bacteria, with their reversed-handed molecules, could evade natural predators like viruses and microbes, which typically keep bacterial populations in check. Image for Representation. Pixabay Jack Szostak, a co-author and 2019 Nobel Prizewinning chemist from the University of Chicago, echoed these concerns. The result could be catastrophic irreversible damage, perhaps far worse than any challenge weve previously encountered, he said. Advertisement While the threat remains speculative, researchers emphasise the importance of addressing these risks before they become reality. We therefore recommend that research with the goal of creating mirror bacteria not be permitted, and that funders make clear that they will not support such work, the authors wrote in Science. Is the danger overblown? Not all scientists agree on the severity of the threat posed by mirror bacteria. Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist and biosecurity expert at Johns Hopkins University, describes the concerns as very theoretical. While she supports a robust discussion on the potential risks, Gronvall disagrees with the recommendation to ban research and funding before these conversations take place. That really puts the cart before the horse, she told Science. She believes such restrictions could stifle innovative research that might lead to unexpected breakthroughs. Science has a lot of surprises in store, she added. Advertisement However, others feel the risk might not be worth taking and call for a collective effort involving policymakers, scientists, industry leaders, and civil society to ensure that advancements in synthetic biology are guided by safety and responsibility. With input from agencies France has had three prime ministers this year Elizabeth Borne, Gabriel Attal, and Michel Barnier and is now set to get its fourth. But why has this been such a tumultuous year in French politics and for President Emmanuel Macron? read more French President Emmanuel Macron is looking for France's fourth prime minister this year. AFP France is set to get its fourth prime minister in 2024. President Emmanuel Macron will announce his pick on Friday evening, according to several media reports. The development comes around a week after Michael Barnier was ousted as prime minister in a historic no-confidence vote. Macron, who was on a trip to Poland, has vowed to serve out his term of office till 2027. Under the French political system, the prime minister is appointed by the president and accountable to the parliament. The prime minister is in charge of implementing domestic policy and coordinating the governments team of ministers. Advertisement The president holds substantial powers over foreign policy, European affairs and defense. He is also the commander-in-chief of the countrys armed forces. But why is France on its fourth prime minister this year? Lets take a closer look: Elizabeth Borne The year began with Elizabeth Borne as prime minister. Borne, who was Frances second woman Prime Minister, resigned just nine days into the new year. Borne had followed Jean Castex as prime minister. She held the job since 2022. As per Al Jazeera, Borne resigned ahead of an expected Cabinet reshuffle by Macron. This after France in 2023 saw controversy over pension reform and immigration laws. The French government under Borne had struggled to pass laws which led to Macron using his executive powers to increase the pension age from 62 to 64. This unpopular change led to mass protest against the government. France also witnessed days of riots w at the beginning of the summer after police shot and killed a teenager. Ms Elisabeth Borne today submitted the resignation of the government to the president, who accepted it, the presidency said. Macron took to X to praise Borne for work in the service of our nation that has been exemplary every day. Advertisement You have implemented our project with statewomens courage, commitment and determination. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, he wrote. The shakeup was widely seen as an attempt by the 46-year-old centrist Macron to head off a lame-duck status ahead of the European Parliamentary polls. Under Frances Constitution, Macron will not be eligible to run for president for a consecutive third term. Elisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal after the handover ceremony, January 9, 2024 in Paris. AP It also came after the passage in December of contentious immigration legislation backed by Macron aimed at strengthening the governments ability to deport some foreigners, among other measures. Macrons centrist alliance was able to pass the measure only after making a deal with the conservative Republicans party, which many observers saw as the governments shift to the right. The tough negotiations and heated parliament debate raised questions over the ability of Bornes government to pass future major bills. Advertisement Political observers at the time also suggested that Macron, a staunch supporter of European integration, wanted to his new government to get ready for the European Union elections in June amid growing political pressure from the far-right. Gabriel Attal Macron then chose Gabriel Attal as prime minister. The 34-year-old made history on two counts the countrys youngest prime minister in modern history and its first openly gay PM. As per The Guardian, Attal was widely known as baby Macron due to his similarities with the French president. Attal, known as one of the brightest and most ambitious figures on the French political scene, first came to prominence as the government spokesperson and then education minister. Advertisement He was the most popular minister in Borne government. Attal had accepted Macrons nomination, saying there is nothing greater than serving France. The youngest president in [French] history is appointing the youngest prime minister in [French] history. I want to see it as a symbol of audacity, Attal said at the time. He vowed to free up Frances potential. Im well aware of the context in which I take on this job, Attal added. Too many people in France doubt our country, doubt themselves or our future. He said he was thinking of workers who get up every morning to go to work and sometimes cant make ends meet. Advertisement I know I can count on your energy and your commitment, Macron wrote on X. But things didnt work out for Attal either. As per Al Jazeera, Attal resigned in July after Macrons centrist coalition was defeated by the New Popular Front (NFP) in snap parliamentary polls. French President Emmanuel Macron and Gabriel Attal. Reuters Though the NPF a coalition of leftist and environmental parties won the most seats, it did not have a governing majority. Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally also made inroads. The NPF secured 182 seats, Macrons Together for the Republic centrist coalition got 168 seats and the National Rally party got 143 seats. Parliament was essentially hung for the first time in the history of Frances modern republic leaving building a coalition government a daunting task. The coalitions three main parties, the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens, had urged Macron to let them form the new government. However, they remained divided among themselves as to which candidate they would back from prime minister. France Unbowed ultimately suspended the talks and accused the Socialists of sabotaging candidacies they put forward to replace Attal. Macron, accepting Attals resignation, had requested him to stay on as caretaker PM. Macron said Attal would handle current affairs until a new government is appointed, as per Al Jazeera. The development came ahead of Paris being set to host the Olympics. Attals caretaker government was expected to be short-lived. As per Al Jazeera, this is because no caretaker government in France had ever lasted for more than a few days. This despite there being no limit on how long a caretaker regime can last and the fact that it cannot be shunted out by Parliament. But Macron would take his own sweet time in choosing the next prime minister. He spoke to a number of prospective candidates including Xavier Bertrand, Bernard Cazeneuve and Thierry Beaudet, consulted a number of right-wing leaders including Gerard Larcher, Laurent Wauquiez et Bruno Retailleau and met Macron also met former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande in keeping with the tradition for French presidents to meet their predecessors at times of national strife and seek their advice. Michel Barnier Only in September would Macron finally announce his next choice for PM Michel Barnier. Barnier, 73, is a veteran of the French conservative party Les Republicains (LR). As per Indian Express, Barnier had been in French politics for over five decades. He had previously served as Frances foreign, European affairs, environment and agriculture minister, as well as twice as the France European commissioner. He had even bid for Frances presidency in 2022 against Macron. Barnier, the former Brexit negotiator, was the oldest of the 26 prime ministers that served modern Frances Fifth Republic a stark contrast from Attal. He replaces the youngest, Gabriel Attal, who was 34 when he was appointed just eight months ago. French media and some of Macrons political opponents, who immediately criticized Barniers appointment, quickly dug up that, when serving in parliament in 1981, the new prime minister had been among 155 lawmakers who voted against a law that decriminalised homosexuality. Barnier said that his new role would require lots of listening, lots of respect. French Prime Minister Michel Barnier gestures after the result of the no-confidence vote on his administration at the National Assembly in Paris on December 4, 2024 as French MPs voted to oust his government after just three months in office in a move which deepens a political crisis in the country. Source: AFP. AFP quoted a minister in the then outgoing government as saying about Barnier that he was very popular with right-wing members of parliament without being an irritant on the left. However, Barnier too came a cropper after facing fierce opposition to his proposed budget. Barnier had used Article 49.3 of Frances Constitution to pass the 2025 social security budget plan sans a parliamentary vote, as per Euro News. Both opposition blocs, typically at odds, had uniting against Barnier, accusing him of imposing austerity measures and failing to address citizens needs. They moved a no-confidence vote against him. BBC quoted Le Pen, the RN leader as calling the budget toxic for the French. Le Pen told French broadcaster TF1 there was no other solution than to get rid of Barnier. I am not asking for the resignation of Emmanuel Macron. But if we do not respect the voice of voters and show respect for political forces and respect for elections, then pressure on the president will obviously be stronger and stronger. I can tell you that it will remain an honour for me to have served France and the French with dignity, Barnier said in his final speech before the vote. This no-confidence motion will make everything more serious and more difficult. Thats what Im sure of, he predicted. Barnier and his Cabinet were forced out after the National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes. A minimum of 288 were needed. Barnier thus became the shortest-serving prime minister in Frances modern Republic. It remains to be seen where French politics goes next. With inputs from agencies We have evacuated all Indian nationals in Syria who wished to return home following recent developments in that country. So far, 77 Indian nationals from Syria have been evacuated, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday read more India has evacuated all of its nationals from Syria who expressed a desire to return home following the overthrow of President Bashar Assads authoritarian government by rebel forces. #WATCH | Delhi: On repatriation efforts for Indians in West Asia, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "You would have followed the repatriation and evacuation of Indians from Syria. 77 Indians have been evacuated so far, these are those who wanted to return. The other have pic.twitter.com/sVqtjy6iFc ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 Advertisement The Syrian government collapsed on Sunday when rebels took control of the capital, Damascus, after capturing several other key cities and towns. India completed the evacuation of its citizens from Syria on Tuesday. We have evacuated all Indian nationals in Syria who wished to return home following recent developments in that country. So far, 77 Indian nationals from Syria have been evacuated. The other have settled there and still continue to live there, and if they want to return, we will facilitate their return, PTI quoted External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as saying on Friday. Our embassy staff in Damascus escorted them to the border, after which our mission in Lebanon welcomed them and assisted with their immigration, he said in response to a question during his weekly media briefing. Jaiswal added that the embassy arranged their accommodation and travel in Beirut before facilitating their return home. Most of our nationals have already returned to India and the remaining will be arriving later today or tomorrow, he said. The 44 Zaireen who were on a pilgrimage to Syria have also left Beirut yesterday to visit other religious sites in the region, Jaiswal added. Advertisement The Indian Embassy in Syria continues to function, he added. India on Monday called for a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process to bring stability in that country. We are monitoring the situation in Syria in the light of on-going developments. We underline the need for all parties to work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, the MEA had said. We advocate a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process respecting the interests and aspirations of all sections of Syrian society, it said. With inputs from agencies External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar answered a range of questions on Indias neighbourhood policy in Parliament today. He called the reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh a source of concern, while he also spoke about the situation along the Myanmar border read more India has reiterated its concerns over the attack on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh, with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar informing the Lok Sabha on Friday that the treatment of minorities in the neighbouring country under Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has been a source of concern. Speaking during the Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said that the issue was raised during Foreign Secretary Vikram Misris visit to Dhaka earlier this week. Advertisement India expects Bangladesh to take measures in its own interest for the safety of minorities, he said. With regard to the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, it has been a source of concern. There have been multiple incidents of attacks on them. We have drawn our concern to their attention, Jaishankar said responding to a question raised by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi regarding the safety of minorities and Hindus in Bangladesh. Recently foreign secretary visited Dhaka. This subject came up during his meeting and it is our expectation that in its own interest, Bangladesh would take measures so that its minorities are safe, Jaishankar said. The statement came within days of Yunuss interim government on Tuesday (December 10) acknowledging 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, following the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Hopes new dispensation in Bangladesh will settle down to mutually beneficial, stable relationship The ties between India and Bangladesh came under a severe strain after reports of atrocities on minorities started emerging from the neighbouring country following the anti-government protests in August which forced Hasina to flee. Speaking about India-Bangladesh ties under Yunuss government, Jaishankar said, Regarding Bangladesh, we have a good history of development projects. In fact, when we speak about the Neighbourhood First policy, almost in every one of our neighbouring countries, with the exception of Pakistan and China, we have had important development projects. That is the case with Bangladesh as well. We hope that with a new dispensation in Bangladesh, we will settle down to a mutually beneficial and stable relationship, the EAM said. #WATCH | Responding to a question by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha, EAM Dr S Jaishankar said "......With regard to the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, it has been a source of concern. There have been multiple incidents of attacks on them. We have drawn our pic.twitter.com/xi5G5ds2N1 ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 Advertisement The response was again to Owaisis question who asked about Indias commitment of $10 billion to the development of Bangladesh. Owaisi also asked the India government about the steps taken to stop drugs from entering India from Myanmar. Responding to this, Jaishankar said that because of the disturbed conditions in Myanmar, India had to review the open regime policy. However, India is sensitive to the border communities, so it is something the government is working on. Advertisement With regard to Myanmar, because of the very disturbed conditions in Myanmar, we have had to review the open regime policy which has historically been there, but we are sensitive to the requirement of the border communities, so it is something which we are working on and part of the challenge is that there is very little government authority on the other side of the border, he said. India wants peace with Pakistan, but terrorism must end first Jaishankar also informed the Lok Sabha that India would like to have good ties with Pakistan, like with any other neighbour, but those ties must be free of terrorism. We have made it very clear that it is for the Pakistani side to show that they are changing their behavior of the past and that if they dont, of course, there are implications for the relationship and for them. So, I think the ball is very much in Pakistans court in this regard, Jaishankar said. Advertisement On the measures that have been taken to improve trade and commerce with Pakistan, the EAM said, I think some of the disruptions which happened happened because of decisions by the Government of Pakistan in 2019. #WATCH | Responding to a question by BJP MP Naveen Jindal in the Lok Sabha, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says "In terms of improving ties with Pakistan, like any other neighbour, we would like to have good ties. But like with any other neighbour, we would also like to have ties free of pic.twitter.com/VAiygz62B2 ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 Jaishankar reiterates stance on India-China disengagement Answering a question by Congress MP Manish Tewari, citing a report by an IPS officer, regarding the accessibility of checkpoints by the Indian Army amid disengagement by China, Jaishankar said, What somebody wrote as a paper is for that somebody to answer for. I can answer for the government. I gave a very detailed statement on the disengagement and recent developments in the India China border areas." In that statement, I highlighted that the last of the disengagement agreements had taken place which pertains to Depsang and Demchok, Jaishankar said. Indian security forces would be going to all the patrolling points in Depsang and would be going to the eastward limit which has historically been our patrolling limit in that part, he said. #WATCH | Responding to a question by Congress MP Manish Tewari in the Lok Sabha, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says "...What somebody wrote as a paper is for that somebody to answer for. I can answer for the government. I gave a very detailed statement on the disengagement and recent pic.twitter.com/mcMqrNjEU3 ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 With inputs from agencies. A bomb threat email was sent to RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra which claimed that an IED had been planted in banks building in south Mumbai and it would be activated remotely within five days read more A guard stands outside the gate of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) headquarters in Mumbai. Source: Reuters | File. Indias central bank - the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) - received a bomb threat, targeting its head office in commercial capital Mumbai. The threat email, written in Russian language and sent on the official ID of RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, claimed that an improvised explosive device (IED) has been planted in its building which would be activated remotely within five days, police said on Friday. The bomb threat message was sent to the RBI Governors official email address on Thursday after which the authorities alerted the Mumbai Police, who swiftly registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and began an investigation. Advertisement The sender is yet to be unidentified, a report by PTI quoted a police official as saying. Cops searched the RBI premises in south Mumbai and nothing suspicious was found till the time of filing this report. According to Zone 1 DCP, Mumbai Police, A threatening email was received on the official website of Reserve Bank of India. The email, in the Russian language, warned of plans to blow up the bank. A case has been registered against unknown accused at Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Marg (MRA Marg) police station. In the email, the sender claimed that an IED had been planted in the building and it would be activated remotely within five days, the police official quoted by PTI said. The sender of the threat email also asked the RBI Governor to join the brotherhood movement for Ukraine. Back on November 16, a bomb threat was received by the RBIs customer care number in which the caller claimed to be the CEO of Lashkar-e-Taiba, allegedly sang a song before issuing the threat. Advertisement The bomb threat email to RBI was sent a few hours before at least six schools in national capital Delhi received similar mails prompting a multi-agency search of their premises. Also Read: Second time in a week, 6 Delhi schools get bomb threat; email claims PTM, sports day are targets The threatening emails claimed that several explosives had been planted on the school premises. The threat, reportedly sent by a group operating on the dark web, even warned of extensive damage and casualties, claiming the bombs were powerful enough to destroy the buildings. With inputs from agencies. As if Islamabad, Kabul, and Dhaka were not enough, the most recent addition of Syria to the list of anarchic badlands and failed states will intensify Delhis terror threats multifold read more In the last four years, the toppling of functional governments led by democratically elected leaders in Afghanistan and Bangladesh and the autocratic Assad regime in Syria by Islamic terrorist organisations, along with the ragtag groups of Islamists, has escalated Indias security threats. As if Islamabad, Kabul, and Dhaka were not enough, the most recent addition of Syria to the list of anarchic badlands and failed states will intensify New Delhis terror threats multifold. Advertisement Although Syria is 4,000 km from India, the impact of the recent geopolitical developments in Damascus will inevitably be felt later or sooner. The question arises: How will the events unfolding in Syria affect India? First and foremost, with Bashar al-Assads ouster, India has lost a friend who always supported India on the Kashmir issue. India and Syria have civilisational and historical ties. The bilateral relationship between the two countries started immediately after Indias independence, and Syria became a core member of Jawaharlal Nehrus Non-Alignment Movement. In return for supporting Kashmir, India supported Syrias claim on the Golan Heights, conquered by Israel in the 1967 war. In 2017, Assad supported India on the terrorism issue. India started re-engaging with Syria in 2023 after regional heavyweights like Saudi Arabia and the UAE revived their bilateral ties with Damascus. Union Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, V Murlidharaan, visited Syria and met Assad. India also offered humanitarian aid and development assistance to Syria. More recently, it invested in solar and thermal power in Syria. With Assad out, most of these bilateral engagements come to a standstill. However, the broader fallouts of the regime change will haunt India for much longer than some of the above-mentioned immediate setbacks. Al Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, leading the rebel groups, has emerged as the most powerful group in Syria. Most likely, HTS, led by Al Jawlani, a global terrorist with a bounty of $10 million, will play a crucial role in the new political set-up that emerges. Even if there is an anarchical situation with different groups and factions controlling various parts of Syria without any systematic and functional political arrangement, Advertisement HTS will be a mighty player in Syrias jihadist and political landscape. Such an organisation with organic ties to transnational terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS is bound to be a most fertile ground for jihadists of all hues and colors. Academic studies prove that failed states with dysfunctional political and administrative set-ups are havens for terrorist organisations. The cases of Al Shahab, Boko Haram, the Taliban, Jamaat Nusrat Al Islam wal Musalmeen (JNIM), and the Islamic State in Greater Sahara, in Somalia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and the Sahel region, respectively, are robust examples of failed states becoming the hub of terror outfits. In the absence of a strong law and order structure, such regions are the hotbeds of terror groups and related illicit activities like drug and weapons smuggling, human trafficking, counterfeit currency, and terror funding systems. And in extreme cases, these badlands are also convenient markets for radioactive materials. Advertisement India faces terror threats from an array of Islamist terror groups supported by Pakistan, such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammad; their proxies like The Resistance Front, Peoples Anti-Fascist Force, Kashmir Tigers, etc, global terror groups like AQIS and Islamic StateKhorasan Province (ISKP); and domestic Islamist groups with linkages to international actors, such as the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Jamaat-i-Islami. These threats have increased multifold after Narendra Modis rise to power in 2014 because the BJP government adopted a zero-tolerance approach against terrorism. Also, the so-called deepening of communal fault lines and perception of the Modi government as anti-Muslim by Islamist organisations in India intensify this threat. Advertisement In Syria, dominated by HTS, anti-India terror outfits will find safe havens for recruitment, terror funding, narcotics, smuggling, training, etc. They will get easy access to advanced weapons and drone technologies. In such black markets, it is easier to fetch chemical weapons and radioactive materials. Besides, their ties with global and West Asian terror groups will strengthen, enabling them to learn and copy the latters playbook in South Asia. Further, as a logical outcome, the victory of jihadists in Syria will embolden the jihadists and extremists of South Asia, just the way the Taliban victory emboldened the radical segments among Indian Muslims. Advertisement In general, such jihadist victories will be packaged and presented as the victory of pious and religious entities against infidels. They will form a major constituent of the propaganda war of terror groups. At some stage, these narratives are likely to impact common Muslims also because they are presented with a strong religious argument. The impact of West Asia jihadist developments is quite evident from the fact that around 100-plus Indians moved to Syria and Afghanistan to join IS. Indias challenges will also be compounded by the robust presence of Turkey in Syrias post-Assad political landscape. Turkey has been one of the key supporters of HTS, quite expectedly, in line with Turkeys ties with an array of global jihadist actors. Against the backdrop of Turkeys anti-India stance on Kashmir, alleged covert relations with Indias domestic Islamist actors, and strong ties with Pakistan, Ankaras powerful presence in Syria does not bode well for Indias national security interests. With its deep strategic footprint, Turkey can further Pakistans devious agenda, support, facilitate, and expedite its anti-India activities, and upgrade its anti-India capabilities. However, HTS has not yet exhibited any overt anti-India stance. Its neutrality has enabled India to navigate and facilitate the return of its citizens from post-Assad Syria. HTS relatively pragmatic approach vis-a-vis its jihadist parent entities and attempts to establish a political and governance structure in Syria do offer some respite. Nevertheless, given its jihadist credentials and affiliations and Turkeys decisive influence in Syria, Indias security concerns cannot be ruled out. The author is a policy analyst specialising in counterterrorism, Indian foreign policy and Afghanistan-Pakistan geopolitics. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication. Nepal and China have worked out a deal on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and despite Kathmandus hesitancy in agreeing to arrangements for financing projects in the grant mode, China appears to have convinced Prime Minister KP Oli, a well-known Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sympathiser, to also accept a mix of aid investments, including grants and loans to fund the BRI in Nepal. The timing of the signature on the BRI pact is significant as this is Olis first overseas visit since taking over as Prime Minister, and a total of ten agreements were inked upon during the visit. The narrative on the Nepali side, since 2017 when an MoU was signed, was a marked reluctance to accept aid from China in the form of loans and assistance for BRI-related projects. The sudden flip by the Nepalese government in agreeing to Chinese terms could not have occurred without either substantive pressure and/or inducement. Advertisement On 4 December, the foreign secretaries of China and Nepal signed the new framework agreement. Perusal of the text of the Cooperation Framework agreement shows that this is meant to establish a structured framework to undertake further negotiations to give effect to the MoU. This indicates that both sides have agreed in principle to implement the BRI in Nepal, and the common objective stated is to build an economic partnership to inject new momentum into cooperation in the areas of trade, infrastructure, and connectivity. These objectives make it amply clear that China intends to create a CPEC-like connection with Nepal, just as it has done with Pakistan, with all the attached strings. Supporting Nepals development efforts through the BRI and financing such projects will be the focus. The Chinese roadmap is to create banking sector cooperation so as to be able to send money into Nepal. Further, as both sides have agreed to expand the use of national currencies in bilateral trade transactions and investment, one can visualise a day not so far away when the yuan will be freely circulating in Kathmandu. Of course, connectivity is at the heart of the BRI, and the proposal to jointly build the Trans-Himalayan Multidimensional Connectivity Network is the ambition that China has, for which groundwork has already been laid in some cases, like the Shigatse-Kathmandu railway line. Connectivity and associated infrastructure will also promote bilateral trade. Current difficulties in terrain, weather, and other logistics will not hamper China in its goal of being land connected to Nepal. The MoU of Energy Cooperation signed during Olis visit is a signal to Nepal that Beijing is interested in undertaking cross-border transmission projects, which in the long term could entail the export of power from Nepal to Tibet. If, as the Cooperation Framework claims, energy cooperation will be based on market principles, then Kathmandu will be eager to sell its excess electricity to Tibet as generated by hydropower. This, of course, is well into the future, but the threat is that China often makes good what it says. Notably, the Cooperation Framework identifies four connectivity and infrastructure projects, one energy project, two in education & health, and one each in industrial and trade infrastructure and sports. The list is thus exhaustive and yet doable; as the saying goes, the devil lies in the details of financing now. Advertisement The delay in signing of the Cooperation Framework in the last seven years was primarily because of Chinese discomfort over Nepalese insistence that all aid and assistance should be in the form of grants. In fact, the text of the framework pact itself reveals that on November 29, 2024, Nepal had given a draft text to the Chinese with this formulation and expected the agreement to be signed on December 3. However, Beijing refused to accept this as the sole basis for providing funding for BRI projects in Nepal. Resultantly, some midnight oil had to be burnt in order to get the Nepalese side to accept a modification in this terminology. What emerged finally is the term aid investment, and this includes both grants and loans, meaning thereby that all identified projects will have to be negotiated in financial terms for obtaining funding and through what source. The Nepalese government would do well to study the Pakistani model of CPECs funding to see how Pakistan has become dependent on China. Advertisement While China claims to have invested $25.4 billion thus far, mainly in energy projects in Pakistan, the actual scale and type of funding that has gone into CPEC is opaque. Additionally, both sides have taken upon themselves the task of keeping from the public the actual nature of loans and aid given to Pakistan. Returning to the narrative in Nepal, the fact that domestic consensus was reached amongst the various political parties is in itself a miracle. The Nepali Congress (NC), which is a coalition partner in the incumbent Oli government, did have objections to anything other than grant-funded Chinese projects. Oli managed to convince the CPN Maoist Centre and his own group, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist) (CPN-UML). But the NC would have been a challenge. As the Nepalese government has agreed to the changes made by China on December 4, it remains to be seen what will be the attitude of the other political parties. Advertisement Despite everything else, the latest China-Nepal agreement is a breakthrough. Given Nepals fragile political situation and governments changing frequently, the fate of the latest cooperation framework pact, however, hangs in the air. China will forge ahead, undoubtedly, knowing that Prime Minister KP Oli will support it as long as he is in office. This is the medium-term challenge for India. Past practice of trying to scuttle the agreement will have to evolve into a more sophisticated strategy. The scale of this strategy will have to be ramped up to such a point where the road from China to Nepal does not land up at Indias doorstep! Advertisement The writer is a former director of NSCS. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. India has, for its part, followed a calibrated approach of sending out a clear message to Bangladesh to be mindful of Indias security interests and protect the lives and welfare of its Hindu and other minorities read more The diplomatic language indicates that Misri during his Dhaka did not hold back his punches in outlining Indias concerns about the violence against minorities in Bangladesh and the anti-Indian frenzy leading to the regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious, and diplomatic properties. Image: PTI More than four months have elapsed since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee Dhaka for India on August 5, 2024. She had to take this precipitous step in the face of rising student protests that had become increasingly violent over the previous month. Muhammad Yunus was installed as the chief adviser in the capacity of the head of the caretaker government on August 8, 2024. There is no provision for a caretaker government in the Bangladesh Constitution. Two main objectives of the interim administration were to establish peace and ensure security in the country and hold early elections. Neither of these objectives has been achieved so far. There is no indication as to when the elections might be held. Yunus appears to have made statements suggesting that his interim government could continue for up to four years. Advertisement In addition to the continuing and worsening internal strife, relations with India have witnessed a new low, particularly on account of the brutality and assaults against the minority Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist communities. Yunus and his administration refuse to acknowledge the reality of this barbarity and violence, notwithstanding the large number of videos and documentary evidence available to this effect. This policy of denial has led to further emboldening of the perpetrators and more atrocities against the minorities. Islamists and jihadists appear to be having a field day, and with the feeble and ineffective leadership of Yunus and his advisers, the once-promising land of Bangladesh appears rudderless. It is clear that Yunus and most of his advisers have had no previous administrative or governance experience. Most of them have cut their teeth working in the NGO sector or in agitation politics. They are finding themselves out of their depth in dealing with the serious political, security, economic, and social challenges confronting the country. During his one-day visit to Bangladesh for Foreign Office Consultations on December 9, 2024, Indian Foreign Secretary (FS) Vikram Misri held frank, candid, and constructive exchange of views with all his interlocutors, including Yunus, Foreign Affairs Adviser and Foreign Secretary. This diplomatic language indicates that Misri did not hold back his punches in outlining Indias concerns about the violence against minorities in Bangladesh and the anti-Indian frenzy leading to the regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious, and diplomatic properties. The Churn in Bangladesh The Yunus government has not been able to effectively tackle the major problems confronting the country. Thus far, Yunus and his team have not demonstrated the requisite leadership or statesmanship. The way the situation is evolving, it appears possible that many members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat would probably get elected as and when the elections are held. There are strong pressures on Yunus from many sides, particularly the BNP, to hold early elections. If the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) are elected in large numbers and come to power, it would spell serious trouble for the country. In particular, the Jamaat-e-Islami has an unsavoury past. It opposed the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 and was involved in war crimes during the Liberation War. Despite this, it sneaked its way back into politics because of political expediency, particularly on the part of the BNP. Advertisement In the midst of this upheaval, it needs to be remembered that the majority of the Bangladeshi population stands for good relations with India. They support a secular administration focused on peace, stability, and economic development. Some elements of the interim government and groups like the JeI, Hefazat-E-Islam Bangladesh, Ansarul Bangladesh, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, and some more of the same ilk who harbour anti-Indian sentiments constitute the fringe and radical elements of the population. Several of them who were earlier behind bars were released after the eviction of Sheikh Hasina and are leaving no stone unturned to incite anti-Indian and pro-Pakistani passions. These groups are seeking to change the secular, syncretic character of Bangladesh and destroy the spirit of the 1971 liberation movement to take the country towards an Islamic state ruled by Sharia law. It is important for the people of Bangladesh to ensure that in the existing chaos and lawlessness, no permanent damage is inflicted on the democratic, pluralistic, and tolerant social fabric of the nation. Advertisement As the economy of the country flounders and deteriorates, Yunus will find that the initial generous support extended to him and his advisers by the people is fast dissipating. His honeymoon with the public will not last more than a few more months, at the most. India-Bangladesh Relations India and Bangladesh share deep-rooted bonds of history, language, culture, and a multitude of other commonalities. This has, however, not stopped the bilateral ties from experiencing several tumultuous ups and downs since Bangladeshs independence from Pakistan in 1971, in which India played a significant role. Bilateral ties blossomed rapidly over the last 15 years since Sheikh Hasina assumed power in 2009. The relations were reflected in an all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust, and understanding. It evolved as a model for bilateral relations for the entire region and beyond. Advertisement In the preceding 15 years, the two countries helped beat back militant groups, resolved a thorny boundary and maritime issue, and signed a number of infrastructure and power deals. All these advances promoted mutual benefit of the two countries and brought them closer than they had been for decades. Everything, however, changed in early August 2024 when Sheikh Hasinas government collapsed. Today the India-Bangladesh relationship is in serious trouble. Following Hasinas departure, a series of communal attacks were reported, particularly targeting Hindus in Bangladesh. These incidents included attacks on temples, houses, and shops belonging to minority communities, as well as looting and murder across several districts in the country. PM Narendra Modi strongly raised the issue of protection and security of all Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh with the chief advisor when the latter called him on August 16, 2024. Yunus assured protection, safety, and security for Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh. Advertisement So far these have proved to be mere words. Yunus and his officials have stated that the media reports of persecution of minorities are highly exaggerated. This has further encouraged the perpetrators to continue their violent actions with impunity. According to investigations conducted by some Bangladeshi agencies, more than 2,000 attacks, including personal assaults, killings, abductions, rapes, and destruction of properties, have taken place on the minority community since Sheikh Hasina fled the country. Serious concerns about the increasing spate of attacks against the minorities, particularly the Hindus, have been expressed by lawmakers and civil society leaders from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and European nations. The interim government can no longer take refuge behind its rationalisation that the accounts are highly exaggerated or that they are an internal matter of Bangladesh. The recent arrest of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges has added fuel to the already simmering fire. The level of intolerance and anti-India sentiment among the common people is evident from the fact that no lawyer was allowed to take up Chinmoy Dass case in court for fear of reprisals due to threats issued by the lawyers body. In response to Indias expression of strong concern and calls for legal action against the perpetrators, Yunus repeatedly asserted that the attacks are not communal but are politically motivated because the Hindus are largely considered AL supporters. This can hardly be a solace or justification for those who are being attacked or whose homes and places of worship and work are being vandalised or torched. To make matters worse, Pakistan has started making an ingress into Bangladesh. The first cargo ship to travel directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh in 53 years docked at Chittagong port on November 11, 2024. In October, the caretaker Bangladesh government scrapped the mandatory physical inspection of imports from Pakistan. These developments need to be seen in the context of the arms haul confiscated in 2004 in Chittagong. The cargo consisted of around 1,500 boxes of Chinese ammunition, worth an estimated $4.5-7 million, allegedly meant for the banned militant outfit ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) and thought to be masterminded by Pakistans intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). In yet another move, the Yunus dispensation removed the requirement for Pakistani citizens to obtain security clearance before applying for a visa. In his meeting with Pakistans prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, at the UN General Assembly in New York in September, Yunus had stressed the need to revitalise bilateral cooperation. All these developments further enhance the challenges for India emanating out of Bangladesh. Some analysts in Bangladesh and India allege that India committed a mistake by putting all its eggs in the Hasina basket. This is a faulty reading of the ground situation. India was required to engage with the government in power in the country. Sheikh Hasina was a democratically elected prime minister of Bangladesh. India will continue to deal with whichever government is in power in the country. All decisions taken by the two governments in fields of security, connectivity, trade, education, health, culture, etc. were for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries and not to promote the individual interests of any country or leader. All connectivity and infrastructure projects commissioned by India continue to function for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh. Moreover, India had reached out to all interlocutors in Bangladesh, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and most other political dispensations across the board. Under Indias Neighbourhood First Policy, India has pursued a non-reciprocal and generous policy with its neighbours. Bangladesh has been by far the largest beneficiary of this approach with more than $8 billion in grants and assistance. Bangladesh sits at the intersection of most of Indias key foreign policy visionsthe Act East Policy, the doctrine of SAGAR, as well as its Indo-Pacific Vision. During his visit to Bangladesh on December 9, FS Vikram Misri informed all his interlocutors that India desires a positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh. We have always seen in the past and we continue to see in the future this relationship as a people-centric and people-oriented relationship. He referred to the mutually beneficial engagement we have on a whole set of issues ranging from trade, commerce, connectivity, power, water and energy, development cooperation, consular cooperation, and cultural cooperation and expressed the confidence that this will continue. He emphasised that India desires a positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh. A clear and direct message was conveyed by FS Misri to his Bangladeshi interlocutors about Indias redlines regarding the safety and security of the Hindu minority in Bangladesh as well as the imperative of not sheltering insurgencies or militant elements targeting India. It is necessary for the Bangladesh interim government to realise that positive relations with India are hugely beneficial for it and its people in promoting peace, security, economic development, and growth. Yunus, in his meeting with Misri, said that Sheikh Hasinas statements from Delhi against the interim government raise tension in the society. Bangladesh FS raised a number of issues with FS Misri, including alleged killings of people on the border by Indian security forces, trade barriers, renewal of the Ganga Waters Treaty, sharing waters of the Teesta River, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities, facilitating visas for Bangladeshi citizens, and transmission of hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan to Bangladesh, etc. All these requests, and more clearly demonstrate, the acute dependence of Bangladesh on India. Conclusion The change of government in Bangladesh and developments over the last more than four months pose a serious challenge for India. India is already confronting two hostile powers to its West and North. Bangladesh could emerge as an adversary to the East. If this happens, it will stretch Indias defences to the limit. So far the Bangladesh border is protected by the BSF. In the coming months, India will have to consider whether it needs to depute its army too on certain sections of the six states that adjoin the 4,000 km-plus long border with Bangladesh. Yunus and his group of advisers appear to be totally inadequate in dealing with the evolving situation. Either they are incapable or, worse still, complicit in what is happening. They need to realise the imperatives of interdependence. Much of Bangladeshs exports of readymade garments depend on their intermediates and inputs on imports from India. Much of their exports also go to global markets from Indian ports. Most of Bangladeshs requirements of essential commodities are met by imports from India. It is in the mutual interest of both the countries to have good relations with each other. Bangladesh needs to ensure that it does not become a hub of radicalism, Islamism, and jihadism. It should not follow the Pakistani example of becoming an epicentre of terrorism. Security, stability, and economic progress are the needs of the hour for Bangladesh and its people. India is the best partner for it in realising these aspirations. India has followed a calibrated approach of sending out a clear message to Bangladesh to be mindful of Indias security interests and protect the lives and welfare of its Hindu and other minorities. India will need to keep a close watch on developments in the country in the coming weeks and months and take necessary measures as required. The writer is executive council member, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, president, Institute of Global Studies, Distinguished Fellow, Ananta Aspen Centre, and former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. US officials have long been puzzled by the appearance of American-made technologies in Russian weapons battlefield. A detailed investigation has now unveiled a shadowy supply chain, revealing how Russian distributors exploit loopholes to procure these components read more Despite public claims by companies like TI that theyve ceased direct sales to Russia, the investigation highlights the challenges in tracking every step of the supply chain. Distributors often stockpile products or use older inventories, enabling sales long after sanctions are imposed. Image Credit: Reuters Despite sweeping sanctions aimed at crippling Russias access to Western technologies, the country has found a way to bypass restrictions and secure critical components. These include semiconductors and chips from American companies, which are vital for military hardware. US officials have long been puzzled by the consistent appearance of American-made technologies in Russian weapons, recovered from the Ukrainian battlefield. A detailed investigation has now unveiled a shadowy supply chain, revealing how Russian distributors exploit loopholes to procure these components. Advertisement The backdoor route At the heart of this operation lies an intriguing workaround. Some Russian distributors have cleverly integrated Texas Instruments (TI) online store data into their own platforms. Customers in Moscow or St. Petersburg can browse semiconductor inventory, check prices, and place orders with just a few clicks. The process is surprisingly seamless, with orders often routed through third-party nations like Hong Kong before reaching Russia. Bloombergs investigation uncovered one distributor that handled over 4,000 orders for TI products worth nearly $6 million in the first eight months of 2024. Almost $4 million of this was destined for military use, enabling Russias production of drones, missiles, and other war machinery. TI has repeatedly stated that it prohibits unauthorised sales to Russia and maintains stringent screening processes. However, the supply chain demonstrates that determined distributors can navigate these restrictions with ease. A web of deception The clever use of technology plays a pivotal role in this supply chain. Russian websites like getchips.ru and altchips.ru mirror TIs product data, providing up-to-date inventory and pricing information. This replication likely involves technical tools like application programming interfaces (APIs), which allow seamless data integration. Western officials suspect Russian distributors are either scraping or relaying data from authorised aggregators. These distributors leverage Hong Kong-based shell companies to manage shipments. A handful of intermediaries, such as Sure Technology and Chipower Electronics, are instrumental in this process. Their operations are often masked by generic office addresses and anonymous staff, making direct accountability nearly impossible. By the time these components reach Russian soil, theyve passed through multiple jurisdictions, making enforcement of sanctions incredibly challenging. Loopholes in sanctions and compliance Despite public claims by companies like TI that theyve ceased direct sales to Russia, the investigation highlights the challenges in tracking every step of the supply chain. Distributors often stockpile products or use older inventories, enabling sales long after sanctions are imposed. Moreover, some goods sold are dual-use technologies, with both civilian and military applications, adding further complexity to enforcement. While TI has been singled out for lax controls over its online sales, its not the only company facing scrutiny. Major players like Intel and Analog Devices have also had their components appear in Russian weapons. Efforts to counter these diversions include enhanced due diligence, tighter export controls, and improved risk management systems. However, these measures often fall short when intermediaries exploit gaps in compliance or operate from regions with less regulatory oversight. The ongoing cat-and-mouse game The persistent flow of Western technology into Russia underscores the difficulty in enforcing sanctions in a globalised market. Shell companies, anonymous intermediaries, and the sheer scale of international trade make it a monumental task for governments and companies alike to ensure their products dont end up on the battlefield. As the conflict in Ukraine rages on, the role of these components in fuelling Russias war efforts remains a stark reminder of the limitations of economic sanctions. For now, the race to outmanoeuvre sanctions continues, with both sides adapting their strategies. Whether through stricter compliance measures or broader international cooperation, the challenge remains the same: shutting down a network that seems to thrive on its ability to remain in the shadows. Elon Musks outspoken political leanings and his strong ties to President-elect Donald Trump, have made owning a Tesla a rather complex symbol, because of an awkward clash between the brands identity and its CEOs actions read more Owning a Tesla used to be a statement about innovation, sustainability, and a greener future. But for many, its now a complex symbol thanks to Elon Musks outspoken political leanings and his strong ties to President-elect Donald Trump. A growing number of Tesla owners are looking for ways to distance themselves from Musks controversial imagewith most of them turning to rather quirky bumper stickers as a form of protest. The trend reflects an awkward clash between the brands identity and its CEOs actions. As Musks political moves take centre stage, Tesla enthusiasts are left grappling with the implications of representing a figure who has become a prominent supporter of Trumps MAGA agenda. Advertisement A sticker solution to a political problem Matthew Hiller, an Etsy entrepreneur, has seen a surge in sales of anti-Musk bumper stickers as dissatisfaction among Tesla owners grows. Initially selling a modest number of stickers with phrases like I Bought This Before We Knew Elon Was Crazy, Hillers business has boomed as Musks support for Trump has become more overt. With over 18,000 stickers sold across 30 countries, offerings like Anti Elon Tesla Club and F Elon are flying off virtual shelves. While many Tesla owners use these stickers to signal their disapproval, Musks fans have hit back with their own slogans, boasting messages like I Bought This After I Knew Elon Was Awesome. The sticker phenomenon underscores the polarisation Musks political alignment has brought to Teslas brand, particularly among its traditionally progressive customer base. Musks political turn sparks controversy Musks conservative views have been on display for years, but his recent moves have solidified his reputation as a major Trump ally. From donating millions to Trumps campaign and Republican candidates to amplifying right-wing content on his platform X, Musk has embraced his role as a MAGA figure. His vocal support for Trump includes appearances at rallies and active involvement in shaping Trumps next White House team. These actions have created tension among Teslas core customers, many of whom are eco-conscious and lean liberal. While Musks politics may resonate with a certain segment of his fan base, they stand in stark contrast to the values of others who champion Tesla for its environmental contributions. Political fallout for Tesla Musks politics are beginning to impact Teslas business. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced a new electric vehicle rebate programme that excludes Tesla, citing a market-share clause. This move highlights how Musks political affiliations could have broader implications for the company. As Tesla navigates its identity in the shadow of Musks polarising politics, the question remains: can the brand maintain its appeal across a diverse customer base, or will it be reshaped by its CEOs controversial alliances? Apples App Store policies were directly called out in Congresss letter to Tim Cook. Despite the companys App Review Guidelines, some apps with the potential for misuse have slipped through the cracks read more The US Congress has stepped up pressure on major tech companies, including Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and others, to address the growing problem of deepfake non-consensual intimate images. Letters were sent to top executives, such as Apples Tim Cook, highlighting concerns over the proliferation of these harmful images facilitated by dual-use apps. These letters follow reports of apps enabling users to swap faces into nude or pornographic content, which were actively promoted on social media platforms. According to 404 Media, Congress is now asking these tech giants to explain how they plan to stop such content from being created and distributed on their platforms. Advertisement Apple in the spotlight Apples App Store policies were directly called out in Congresss letter to Tim Cook. Despite the companys App Review Guidelines, some apps with the potential for misuse have slipped through the cracks. The letter questions Apples ability to enforce its own standards and cites the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a legislative effort aimed at combating non-consensual intimate images. Congress asked Apple specific questions about its plans to address deepfake pornography, including: How Apple plans to tackle the spread of deepfakes and the timeline for implementing these measures. Who is involved in developing these strategies. The process for handling user reports and ensuring timely resolutions. Criteria for removing problematic apps from the App Store. Remedies for victims whose images have been misused. These questions underline the growing demand for accountability from Apple, given its control over the App Store. Critics argue that as the gatekeeper, Apple bears responsibility when harmful apps manage to bypass its safeguards. Previous reports revealed apps that were used to generate non-consensual deepfake images, including some that sourced videos from adult content platforms like Pornhub for face-swapping purposes. While Apple removed these apps from the store, the incidents exposed glaring weaknesses in its review process. Apple has taken some steps to curb the misuse of its platform, such as blocking Sign in with Apple on deepfake websites and ensuring its AI tools cannot generate explicit content. However, these measures are seen as the bare minimum, with critics calling for stricter oversight and better safeguards against dual-use apps. Congress pushes for stricter controls The letter to Apple, along with similar ones to other tech companies, emphasises the need for heightened precautions, particularly for apps offering AI-based image and video manipulation. Congress has urged tech companies to ensure such tools undergo rigorous scrutiny during review to prevent misuse. This scrutiny reflects a broader debate about the role of gatekeepers like Apple. While the companys control over its app ecosystem has been a point of contention, instances like these bolster the argument for stricter oversight of platforms that enable harmful behaviour. With public and legislative pressure mounting, Apple and other tech giants face a critical challenge in curbing the misuse of deepfake technology. Despite some notable European companies like Frances AI firm Mistral, critical components of the AI supply chain, such as semiconductor and graphics processing unit manufacturing, remain underdeveloped in the region read more Another pressing issue is Europes brain drain, with skilled AI professionals increasingly migrating to American companies. This talent exodus further underscores the need for robust domestic AI initiatives to retain expertise within Europe. Image Credit: Reuters A recent report by Frances Parliamentary Office for Scientific and Technological Assessment (OPECST) has raised concerns about Europes ability to compete with the US and China in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. The study paints a sobering picture of Europes lagging progress, highlighting the challenges in achieving digital sovereignty and the need for greater investment in AI innovation. The report warns that the European Unions focus on regulating AI, while essential, falls short of addressing the dominance of American and Chinese advancements. Frances Senator Corinne Narassiguin stressed the importance of avoiding digital dependence, urging the development of powerful European players to counteract the hegemonic power of the US. Advertisement Gaps in Europes AI ecosystem The report sheds light on the structural weaknesses of Europes AI ecosystem. Despite some notable European companies like Frances AI firm Mistral, critical components of the AI supply chain, such as semiconductor and graphics processing unit manufacturing, remain underdeveloped in the region. Meanwhile, the US continues to dominate the global AI landscape, sourcing two-thirds of its chips from Taiwan and leveraging its robust AI industry. Another pressing issue is Europes brain drain, with skilled AI professionals increasingly migrating to American companies. This talent exodus further underscores the need for robust domestic AI initiatives to retain expertise within Europe. However, the report also acknowledged the EUs strength in regulation, suggesting that its focus on ethical AI development could build greater public trust in European AI models compared to those from other regions. Calls for international collaboration In anticipation of an AI action summit scheduled for February 2025 in France, the report offered a series of recommendations to strengthen Europes position. A key suggestion was creating a unified global governance framework for AI, potentially under the umbrella of the United Nations. This proposed institution would oversee AI regulation, coordinate international efforts, and tackle the global digital divide. Additionally, the report reiterated the long-discussed idea of a pan-European AI project. It proposed collaboration between France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain to develop a competitive European AI sector. Despite being floated since 2017, such an initiative has yet to materialise. Aiming for AI sovereignty The findings come at a pivotal time, as Europe seeks to balance regulatory efforts with innovation in a bid to stay relevant in the global AI race. While the upcoming summit aims to unite stakeholders and outline actionable steps, the challenges of fragmented governance, supply chain gaps, and talent retention remain significant hurdles. France and its European allies face a critical moment to invest in their AI capabilities or risk falling further behind in a field increasingly central to economic and geopolitical power. Whether Europe can pivot towards stronger collaboration and innovation remains to be seen. European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation are holding meetings to pitch an increase in the blocs target to 3 per cent at its annual summit next June read more North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) chief Mark Rutte has called for raising defence budget by respective member nations. Rutte has said that the alliances defence spending needs to be much bigger than its current target of 2 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product). He warned that the bloc is not prepared for Russian threats it might face in the coming years. Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us, Rutte said in a speech in Brussels on Thursday. Advertisement We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years, the Nato secretary-general said, adding: It is time to shift to a wartime mindset, and turbocharge our defence production and defence spending." By the end of this year, 23 of the 32 Nato members are expected to meet its target of 2 per cent. During the Cold War, Europeans spent far more than 3 per cent of their GDP on defence, Rutte said. We are going to need a lot more than 2 per cent, Rutte added. Natos European members to hold meeting Meanwhile, European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) are holding meetings to pitch an increase in the blocs target to 3 per cent at its annual summit next June, according to a report by Financial Times. US President-elect Donald Trump has been holding European partners liable for not spending enough for its own defence. This, coupled with the realisation that their current spending levels are insufficient to support Ukraine, has compelled European capitals to confront the extent of their under-investment. The confidential discussions, initiated during a recent meeting of alliance foreign ministers, aim to secure a short-term commitment to reach 2.5 per cent and set a target of 3 per cent by 2030, although a final agreement has yet to be reached. Trump pushes for more spending Nato members are grappling with renewed pressure from US President-elect Donald Trump, who has called for Americas allies to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence. Advertisement During Trumps first term as president, he used Natos 2018 summit to demand increased spending, warning that the US might withdraw from the alliance if his demands were not met. With inputs from agencies The donations from Altman, Amazon and Meta show a broader push by tech companies to navigate a changing political landscape read more Sam Altman's OpenAI has ledged $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund. The incoming administration has promised a big role to Elon Musk, who is embroiled in a legal battle against OpenAI. Image Credit: Reuters, Reuters OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration fund, after other tech leaders pledged a similar amount. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the donation Friday (Deember 13). The announcement follows similar contributions, including $1 million from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and a planned $1 million donation from Amazon. A spokesperson for Amazon confirmed Thursday evening that the e-commerce giant will also stream Trumps inauguration on its Prime Video service. The streaming arrangement is considered an in-kind donation valued at an additional $1 million. Advertisement President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. Altman, who is embroiled in a legal dispute with rival Elon Musk, said he is not that worried about Musks growing influence within Trumps administration. Tech leaders seek to strengthen ties Trump recently tapped Musk, the worlds richest person, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to head the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The advisory committee aims to work with government officials to reduce spending and regulations. The donations from Altman, Amazon and Meta show a broader push by tech companies to navigate a changing political landscape. The contributions come amid growing scrutiny of Silicon Valleys influence and its role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence and innovation. Legal dispute between Altman and Musk Musk, a former OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year, accusing it of abandoning its mission of prioritising public benefit over profits. Musk has since escalated the lawsuit, asking a federal judge to block OpenAIs transition to a for-profit model. Advertisement Altman has publicly downplayed Musks influence, but the legal battle is a clear marker of a rift between two of the tech worlds most prominent figures. With tech companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Amazon making significant contributions, the intersection of technology and politics continues to evolve in the lead-up to Trumps inauguration. With inputs from agencies Amid fears that Iran may resort to developing a nuclear weapon to rebuild deterrence in the region, the Israeli military is continuing its readiness and preparations for potential attacks on Irans nuclear facilities, according to a report read more Rewriting the rules of engagement is challenging, but undoubtedly both Iran and Israel have made a symbolic statement and managed the escalation cycle wherein they have played to the gallery as far as their domestic audience is concerned (Photo: AFP) Amid fears that Iran may decide to develop nuclear weapons in the wake of latest developments in the region, Iran has started drawing plans to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, according to a report. Following the collapse of the Assad dynasty, which had ruled Syria for 53 years, Iran has lost its strategic depth in West Asia. As its sway via its proxy Hezbollah has already been battered in Lebanon, and Iran itself stands battered from two rounds of aerial battles with Israel, some observers now believe that Iran may decide to develop nuclear weapons as the ultimate deterrence against Israel in the region. Advertisement As the Iranian nuclear weapon is an existential threat for Israel, the nations leaders have repeatedly pledged to not allow for the development of such a weapon. Amid such concerns, The Times of Israel has reported military officials as saying that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) is continuing its readiness and preparations for potential attacks on Irans nuclear facilities. The newspaper further reported that the military now sees an opportunity for pre-emptive strikes to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities as Iran as well as allies in the region have been considerably weakened from a year of war and fall of Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria. The view within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is that Iran may push ahead further with the nuclear weapons programme as Iran is scrambling to rebuilt deterrence battered over the bast year, according to the newspaper. Iran formally suspended the nuclear weapons programme in 2003. In 2015, Iran and Western countries, including the United States, reached a landmark deal named Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that lifted sanctions on Iran in lieu of capping of civilian nuclear programme and monitoring of the programme via the Internationaal Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In 2018, former President Donald Trump suspended the treaty and Iran responded with ramping up enrichment of nuclear fuel. Advertisement Currently, Iran has enriched the nuclear fuel to near-weapons level. The New York Times has reported that Iran can make enough weapons-grade nuclear fuel for four weapons in a matter of weeks or days and then it would take another 12-18 months to make warheads. Even though US intelligence assessment says that Iran has near-weapons grade nuclear fuel and it can develop a weapon in a matter of months if the go-ahead comes from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, it maintains that such a go-ahead has not yet come and the manufacturing of a nuclear weapon has not yet started. Moreover, Irans capabilities to make a nuclear weapon have also suffered in the yearlong conflict with Israel. Advertisement In October, when Israel conducted airstrikes across Iran in response to Iranian attack earlier that month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a wave of airstrikes destroyed specific component of the Iranian nuclear programme. While Netanyahu did not give any specifics, he said that weve delayed Irans pathway to developing a nuclear weapon, but cautioned that the pathway has not been blocked. He further said that Iran has advanced its enrichment" and it still has a long way to go in other areas. Axios reported that Israel attacked the Taleghan 2 facility in the Parchin military complex where it destroyed sophisticated equipment critical to the production of a nuclear weapon. It said that the equipment had been safely stored at the facility since before 2003 when Iran had not yet suspended nuclear weapons programme. Officials were quoted as saying that the equipment destroyed is a must to make a nuclear weapon. Advertisement The White House has unveiled what it called the first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia, detailing over 100 steps federal officials can adopt to curb hate, violence, bias and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans read more The United States first comprehensive strategy to combat Islamophobia has been unveiled by the White House which outlines more than 100 measures that federal officials can take to address hate, violence, bias, and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans. This initiative follows the Biden administrations earlier national plan to combat antisemitism, announced in May 2023, amid increasing concerns about rising hatred targeting Jewish communities. Officials have been crafting the anti-Islamophobia plan for months, releasing it just five weeks before President Joe Biden is set to leave office. Its implementation will largely depend on the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, should it choose to pursue the outlined measures. Advertisement In a statement accompanying the release, the Biden administration highlighted the urgency of the initiative, citing a significant rise in threats against American Muslim and Arab communities over the past year. Among these incidents was the October 2023 killing of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, an American Muslim boy of Palestinian descent, who was fatally stabbed in Illinois. The strategy proposes actions the Executive Branch can take, alongside over 100 additional calls to action for broader societal engagement. Key priorities of the strategy The plan is built around four core priorities: Raising awareness: Increasing public understanding of hate targeting Muslims and Arabs while celebrating their contributions to the nation. Enhancing safety: Improving security for Muslim and Arab communities. Curbing discrimination: Ensuring fair treatment by protecting religious practices and addressing institutional biases. Building solidarity: Promoting cross-community unity to counter hate. These objectives mirror those of the Biden administrations antisemitism strategy, particularly the focus on safety, security, and fostering collaboration across diverse communities. The plan also stressed on the importance of data collection and educational initiatives to combat anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate while highlighting their rich cultural heritage and contributions to America. It encourages federal agencies to clearly communicate that discrimination against Muslims and Arabs in federally funded programs is prohibited. Additionally, it aims to disseminate best practices for reporting hate crimes and urges cooperation with state, local, and international entities, as well as non-governmental organisations, to advance shared values of justice and equality. Reactions to the Strategy Advertisement The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights organisation in the US, expressed disappointment, describing the strategy as too little, too late. While acknowledging some positive recommendations, CAIR criticised the plan for its delayed release and lack of action to address systemic issues. The organisation highlighted the absence of commitments to overhaul federal programs it says contribute to anti-Muslim discrimination, including a controversial federal watchlist targeting Arab Americans. CAIR also condemned the plans failure to address the US role in global conflicts, particularly what it referred to as a US-backed genocide in Gaza, calling this the primary driver of contemporary anti-Muslim sentiment. Advertisement The Biden administration faced mounting criticism from pro-Palestinian groups during the 2024 election campaign for its steadfast support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza. Activists frequently disrupted campaign events for both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, Trump, who previously implemented a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries during his first term, secured support from some Arab-American voters during the 2024 election. However, concerns have surfaced among these supporters regarding his potential Cabinet appointments and policy directions. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday to meet Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for talks on the future of neighboring Syria read more US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in New York City, US, on September 23, 2024. Reuters File US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday to meet Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for talks on the future of neighboring Syria. Blinken is touring the region in the wake of the swift collapse of Bashar al-Assads government in the face of an advance by Syrian opposition factions. Assads ouster took Washington by surprise and the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden is urging the victorious rebels, with whom it is scrambling to establish contacts, to create a government that eschews Islamist factions and is inclusive of Syrias minorities. Advertisement The State Department said Blinken in Baghdad will underscore US commitment to the US-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraqs security, stability, and sovereignty. He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition, it said. Blinkens visit was not announced until after he met Sudani on Friday. A U.S. official told Reuters that Washington sees this moment as an opportunity to further push back Irans influence in the region. Iraq, which is led by a coalition of mostly Shiite political parties and armed groups close to Iran, is a major player in Tehrans so-called Axis of Resistance that includes Hamas in Gaza and Lebanese Hezbollah and has faced setbacks since Israel responded to Hamas October 7, 2023 attacks. Iraq opted not to allow Shiite militias to intervene in Syria as Sunni rebels advanced and ultimately seized Damascus last weekend, despite Baghdads concerns that unrest could spill over. Thousands of Sunni fighters crossed from Syria into Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion and fueled years of sectarian killing before returning in 2013 as Islamic State to conquer a third of the country. Opposition factions in Syria led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have disavowed al Qaeda and Islamic State and say they have no ambitions in Iraq. Advertisement As the rebels in Syria advanced, Iraq had amassed on its border thousands of fighters from its conventional military as well as the Popular Mobilization Forces, a security agency containing many Iran-aligned armed groups that previously fought in Syria. Michael C Casey, the Director of National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), said that at least eight US telecommunication companies and 12 foreign telcos were also attacked by Chinese Salt Typhoon hackers read more The US authorities have indicted and sanctioned Chinese cybersecurity company Sichuan Ltd its researcher Guan Tianfeng for attacking the US critical infrastructure. (Composite image.) Chinese hackers from the Salt Typhoon group breached eight US telecom companies and continue to have access to some systems, said a top US official. Earlier this year, US authorities discovered a Chinese cyberattack that exploited backdoors in US telecom infrastructure and accessed troves of personal and sensitive information. In an interview with Wall Street Journal, Michael C Casey, the Director of National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), said that at least 12 telcos outside of the United States were also attacked by hackers and the attack was quite bad. Advertisement Casey said, At least eight US companies have been breached at least a dozen worldwide. The PRC actors have extensive access to the companies. Previously, Senator Mark Warner, the Chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee, has dubbed the attack the worst telecom hack in our nations history and noted previous Russian cyberattacks looked like childs play in comparison. The Salt Typhoon attacks began as far back as 2022. During the attacks, Chinese hackers compromised systems like routers, switches, and firewalls of companies like AT&T, Verizon, Lumen, and others. Once inside the systems, they gathered information and continued deploying more malwares to further infect systems. Theyre still maintaining access to system Casey said that Chinese attackers gained access to some specific high-profile peoples communication, including their messages, calls, and in some cases call recordings as well. More worryingly, he said that hackers continue to have such access. Casey told Journal, Theres nothing actually stopping them from going after less targeted individuals, Id say more common folks, other than their own restraint at this point. They are still maintaining access to the system. Casey said that federal agencies investigating the case, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are investigating the breaches and continuing to learn new details of the cyberattacks. As for how Chinese hackers pulled off such a cyberattack, Casey said both hackers expertise and weak security allowed such an attack. The fact that Chinese hackers have gotten quite good over the years and that theyve been able to get such broad access to so many companies and gain access to so many peoples records suggests that we need to up our game quite a bit, said Casey. Advertisement Despite Assads departure, Syria remains mired in uncertainty, with widespread destruction, a bankrupt state, and unclear governance. For many refugees, the road home remains fraught with obstacles read more People walk with belongings as they attempt to cross into Syria, at the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, after Syrian rebels ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, December 10, 2024. (Photo: Reuters) Calls are growing among European politicians for more than a million Syrian refugees to return home following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad. However, many Syrians say the situation remains too uncertain for such a move. Syrians who fled the 13-year civil war cite political instability after a weekend rebel offensive in Damascus and widespread destruction of infrastructure and housing. Wait and see Omar al-Hajjar, a mason from Aleppo now living in Germany, said the conditions in Syria remain dire, Financial Times reported. Everyone I know wants to wait and see, said al-Hajjar, who resettled in Berlin with his family in 2019. His properties in Aleppo were destroyed in bombings by Assads forces and Russian allies. Advertisement Germany, home to around 970,000 Syrian refugees, has been at the centre of Europes refugee response since former Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the doors to asylum seekers in 2015. Only about 160,000 Syrians in Germany have obtained citizenship, leaving the rest vulnerable to policy changes. Migration lawyer Thomas Oberhauser said returning refugees would require evidence that Syria is safe. Migration is expected to be a contentious issue in the lead-up to snap elections in February. Politicians from Germanys centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) are urging refugees to prepare for a return. On Monday, Germany announced it was suspending asylum applications for Syrian nationals, a policy quickly echoed by the UK, France, Italy, and others. Austria unveiled plans for a repatriation program, while Swedens far-right Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson said Syrians should see the fall of Assad as an opportunity to go home, according to Financial Times. Advocacy groups slam calls for return Advocacy groups criticised the shift. Frankfurt-based Pro Asyl urged European leaders to show solidarity with refugees instead of politicising their plight. While some Syrians, including exiled activists, express a desire to return, many remain apprehensive. Joumana Seif, a Berlin-based rights campaigner, said activists are eager to help rebuild but fear the influence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group leading the rebel offensive. She said she wants to fight for our dream to be completed: a democratic modern country, with human rights protection and equality for everyone, including women. Advertisement Others remain cautious about returning to a country with no clear government, institutions, or security. In Cyprus, a group of Syrians withdrew their asylum claims, citing optimism about Syrias future, but others called the idea premature. There is no state, no police, no army, and Israel has taken half of Syria, said Thabet Abbarah, a longtime resident of Cyprus. Syrians across Europe voiced similar concerns. In Rome, refugees working at a nonprofit restaurant described mixed emotions over Assads fall. Its too soon to talk about going back, said founder Shaza Saker, adding that Christian refugees feel particularly vulnerable. Families with children said further upheaval would be difficult. If I didnt have kids I would return straight away, said Ammar al-Rifai, a grocery worker in Berlin, whose children are now thriving in German schools. Advertisement As leaders of G7 countries meet today to hold urgent talks to establish a common approach to Syrias new leadership, Syrias rebel chief on Friday called on people across the country to celebrate the victory of the revolution on Friday read more Syrians walk to the Umayyad mosque for Friday prayers in Damascus, Syria, on Friday. AP As leaders of G7 countries meet today to hold urgent talks to establish a common approach to Syrias new leadership, Syrias rebel chief on Friday called on people across the country to celebrate the victory of the revolution on Friday. I would like to congratulate the great Syrian people on the victory of the blessed revolution and I call on them to go to the streets to express their joy, said Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said on Telegram. Advertisement More than half a century of brutal rule by the Bashar al-Assad clan came to a sudden end on Sunday, after a lightning rebel offensive led by al-Jolanis Islamist group HTS swept across the country and took the capital. Ousted president Assad fled Syria, closing an era in which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and capping nearly 14 years of war that killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. Jolani, now going by his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, is set to attend Friday prayers at the iconic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. In the early days of Syrias 2011 uprising, protesters would frequently gather after the midday Friday prayers, a sacred time for rest and reflection in Islam. With Assads overthrow, Syrians have flooded prisons, hospitals, and morgues, searching for long-lost loved oneshoping for a miracle or, at the very least, some semblance of closure. I turned the world upside down looking, Abu Mohammed told AFP as he searched for news of three missing relatives at the Mazzeh airbase in Damascus. Advertisement But I didnt find anything at all. We just want a hint of where they were, one percent. Sunni Muslim HTS is rooted in Syrias branch of Al-Qaeda and designated a terrorist organisation by many Western governments, who now face the challenge of how to approach the countrys new transitional leadership. The group has sought to moderate its rhetoric, and the interim government insists the rights of all Syrians will be protected. The spokesman for the newly installed government, Obaida Arnaout, told AFP that the countrys constitution and parliament would be suspended during a three-month transition. A judicial and human rights committee will be established to examine the constitution and then introduce amendments, he said, pledging that the rule of law would be instituted. Advertisement Desperate searches Leaders of the Group of Seven countries, who will meet virtually at 1430 GMT on Friday, said they were ready to support the transition to an inclusive and non-sectarian government in Syria. They called for the protection of human rights, including those of women and minorities, while emphasising the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes. Inside much of Syria, the focus for now is on unravelling the secrets of Assads rule, and particularly the network of detention centres and suspected torture sites scattered across areas previously under government control. Syrias leadership said it is willing to cooperate with Washington in the search for US citizens who disappeared under Assads rule, including US journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in 2012. Another American, Travis Timmerman, has already been located alive and Blinken said Washington was working to bring him home. Advertisement The search for other missing detainees has ended more painfully, with hundreds of Syrians gathering Thursday to bury outspoken activist Mazen al-Hamada. In exile in the Netherlands, he publicly testified on the torture he was subjected to in Syrian prison. He later returned to Syria and was detained. His body was among more than 30 found in a Damascus hospital morgue this week. Israel ready to stay in buffer zone Assad was propped up by Russia - where a senior Russian official told US media he has fled - as well as Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah militant group. The rebels launched their offensive on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took effect in the Israel-Hezbollah war, which saw Israel inflict staggering losses on Assads Lebanese ally. Both Israel and Turkey, which backs some of the rebels who ousted Assad, have since carried out strikes inside Syria. Advertisement Speaking on Thursday in Jordan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the importance of not sparking any additional conflicts after mentioning both Israeli and Turkish military activity in Syria. Washington hopes to ensure that Syria is not used as a base for terrorism and does not pose a threat to its neighbours, added Blinken, whose country has hundreds of troops in Syria as part of a coalition against Islamic State group jihadists. In Ankara on Friday, Blinken told Turkey it was imperative to work against a resurgence of the Islamic State group in Syria. Hours after Assads ouster, Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that us supposed to separate Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, in a move the UN said violated a 1974 armistice. In the face of widespread international criticism over the move, Israel says it seized the buffer zone to defend itself. Israeli troops have been ordered to prepare to remain in the buffer zone throughout the winter, Defence Minister Israel Katzs office said on Friday. The Israeli military has also carried hundreds of air and naval strikes against Syrian military assets, targeting everything from chemical weapons stores to air defences to prevent them from falling into rebel hands. The fall of Assad has prompted some of the millions of Syrians who fled abroad to return home. On Friday morning, around 60 people were waiting at Turkeys Oncupinar border crossing, anxious to reach Syria. In the southern city of Sweida, the heartland of Syrias Druze minority where anti-government demonstrations have been held for more than a year, hundreds took to the streets on Friday, singing and clapping in jubiliation. Our joy is indescribable, said Haitham Hudeifa, 54. Every province is celebrating this great victory. With inputs from agencies Donald Trump has joined the Giorgia Meloni fan club, describing her as a fantastic leader and person. The feeling is mutual. Meloni has responded in the same metre on X. read more Besides her policy decisions, Italys Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni often makes it to news headlines all over the world for her expanding fan club of heads of state. The latest to join the Giorgia Meloni fan club is the US President-elect Donald Trump, who was seen gushing while answering questions about how he would work with the Italian leader in his second term. Asked if he would work with the Italian leader after he is inaugurated on January 20, Trump said, Yes! Advertisement Shes fantastic. Shes a fantastic leader and person, Trump gushed, Politico said, reporting his remarks. Both Meloni and Trump are considered on the right side of the political divide. Trump is due to return to the White House next month, while Meloni has been heading the Italian government since 2022. Meloni was a Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy during Trumps first term at the White House. Trumps first buddy Elon Musk, the richest person on the planet, also shares a close bond with Meloni, with social media speculation about their special relationship. With regard to Trumps remarks about Meloni as a leader and a person, the Italian prime minister reciprocated by reposting a video of the US president-elect, thanking him for his kind words. Thanks to @realDonaldTrump for the kind words, Meloni wrote on X, the social media platform owned by Musk. Trump was nominated as the most influential person in the world on Thursday by Time magazine, while Politico has named Meloni as the most powerful person in Europe, which is witnessing two of the political heavyweight members Germany and France struggling with political uncertainties. Meloni was one of the first European leaders to congratulate Trump after he stunned Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris, the outgoing vice president of the US, in November in an election not seen in America in decades. Trump and Meloni also met and spent a lot of time in Paris early this month during the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral after a massive fire shut it down for five years. During their last meeting, Trump reportedly called Meloni a real live wire in his own trademark style. Advertisement The back-slapping of the two of the most forceful politicians across the globe is expected to guide the US-EU relation over the next few years as Trump threatens even the allies with tariff hikes in his bid to Make America Great Again MAGA, his campaign slogan. Trumps threats have pushed Canada to ramp up its fentanyl fight urging stronger border measures and more aggressive action against smuggling read more US President-elect Donald Trumps pressure on Canada has made the country take stronger action against its growing fentanyl crisis. As the US pushes for tougher measures on fentanyl smuggling, Canada is increasing border security and law enforcement efforts. With fentanyl deaths rising and criminal groups taking control of both production and distribution, Canada is facing a serious challenge. Trumps threats of trade tariffs have made the situation more urgent, pushing Canada to take bolder steps. Advertisement Canadas fentanyl crisis is complex involving local drug production, smuggling from other countries and organised crime. The government is trying different approaches to deal with the problem with recent actions showing how big the issue has become and how authorities are responding. From strengthening border checks to cracking down on illegal drug labs, Canada is working hard to fight the epidemic. Targeting smuggling via mail and couriers According to a report in The Globe and Mail on December 12, 2024, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has increased its focus on mail and courier packages to stop fentanyl smuggling. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, criminal groups have turned to smaller shipments to avoid being caught. Erin OGorman, CBSAs president, explained how even small amounts of fentanyl sent through the mail can lead to many lives lost. A 2017 change in the Customs Act allows officers to open mail under 30 grams, which has in turn helped intercept illegal shipments. CBSA works closely with US authorities, sharing information to combat cross-border smuggling. However, recent data shared with Members of Parliament shows that most fentanyl entering the US does not come from Canada indicating the problem is largely within the country itself. Shift to making fentanyl in Canada Canadas fentanyl supply used to rely on imports, but now organised crime groups are increasingly producing it locally. A report by CBC News, obtained through an access-to-information request revealed that large illegal labs in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta are manufacturing enough fentanyl to meet domestic demand. Advertisement This change began in 2019 when China classified fentanyl as a controlled substance making it harder to import. The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted global supply chains pushing organised crime groups to adapt. How fentanyl is made The production of fentanyl relies on precursor chemicals, many of which are unregulated in Canada or legally imported from countries like China. According to the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC), organised crime groups often use licensed companies to buy these chemicals, sometimes diverting them unwittingly into illegal drug production. Organised crime and the role of superlabs According to The Globe and Mail, organised crime groups are a major force behind Canadas fentanyl crisis with over 4,000 such groups active in the country. These organisations, including Canadian groups and foreign entities like Mexican cartels, run sophisticated operations to produce and distribute fentanyl. Advertisement Superlabs play a key role in this trade, requiring significant investment to set up and operate. Fentanyl beyond Canadian borders Canadas fentanyl crisis isnt confined to its borders. Excess domestic supply has led organised crime groups to target international markets, according to Health Canadas briefing note. Canadian fentanyl was seized as far as in Australian and also in the nearby US. Smaller criminal operations often use the dark web to sell fentanyl internationally, shipping small quantities to evade detection. According to a CBC News report, the drug crisis is becoming even more complex with the appearance of new synthetic opioids like nitazene and xylazine. These drugs, often stronger than fentanyl, pose serious challenges. Advertisement Government and law enforcement responses The Canadian government has committed more funding to strengthen border security and law enforcement efforts. According to The Globe and Mail, public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc the funds will improve technology for detecting illegal drugs and increase staff at key border checkpoints. Internationally, Canada faces pressure from the US to take stronger action. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on Canadian imports if Ottawa does not crack down on fentanyl smuggling. A challenge at home and abroad According to Health Canadas Drug Analysis Service report from March 2023, fentanyl has been a growing concern in Canada over the past decade. Between January 2012 and December 2022, fentanyl was identified in 77,141 samples submitted to the DAS by Canadian law enforcement agencies. A significant proportion of these samples originated from Ontario and British Columbia, indicating the prominence of fentanyl in these provinces. Advertisement The report highlights that 75 per cent of fentanyl-containing exhibits were in powder form emphasising its most common illicit preparation. Additionally, fentanyl is frequently detected alongside other substances, a trend that has become more pronounced over time. Since 2020, sedatives and hypnotics have increasingly been found co-occurring with fentanyl further complicating the drugs impact on public health. Fentanyl was first identified in Canada in 1989 through exhibits submitted by law enforcement. However, since 2016, there has been a sharp rise in the number of fentanyl-related identifications, underscoring its growing presence in the illicit drug market. Canadas fentanyl crisis is a complex problem that needs action on multiple fronts. The stakes are highan average of 21 Canadians lose their lives daily to toxic drug overdoses. Solving this crisis is not just a national issue but a moral responsibility that requires constant effort and innovation. Italys government has granted citizenship to Argentinas President Javier Milei based on his Italian heritage, sparking backlash from opposition politicians read more Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, left, meets the Argentina's President Javier Milei at Chigi palace in Rome, on Friday. AP Italys government has granted citizenship to Argentinas President Javier Milei based on his Italian heritage, sparking backlash from opposition politicians. According to a Reuters report, the opposition highlighted the contrast between Mileis treatment and the difficulties faced by children born in Italy to migrant parents in obtaining citizenship. Milei is currently in Rome to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and attend her Brothers of Italy partys annual festival on Saturday. According to the report, citing a source familiar with the matter, the Argentine leader was granted Italian citizenship, though no further details were provided. Advertisement The decision, reported by Italian media, has sparked outrage on social media and among politicians, with many criticising the ease with which Milei received citizenship compared to the challenges faced by migrants children born in Italy. Italys citizenship laws are based on blood ties, meaning that even distant descendants of Italian nationals can claim Italian citizenship. In contrast, the requirements for foreigners born in Italy or those who migrate there are much stricter. Pro-migrant groups have suggested holding a referendum to ease these requirements, but PM Melonis right-wing coalition opposes any relaxation of the rules. Riccardo Magi, a lawmaker from the small opposition +Europa party, told Reuters that granting citizenship to Milei was an act of intolerable discrimination against so many young people who will only get it after many years. During a previous trip to Italy in February, Milei said in a TV interview he felt 75% Italian since three of his grandparents had Italian origins, and that he has an incredible passion for Italian opera. Libertarian Milei and conservative Meloni have established a close relationship. When they met in Buenos Aires last month, the Argentine leader gave his Italian guest a statuette of himself wielding his trademark chainsaw. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Trump claimed on the campaign trail that he could strike a deal to end the fighting in 24 hours, and speculation over a possible ceasefire is ramping up ahead of his inauguration in January read more US soldiers conduct live fire testing at White Sands Missile Range, NM, on Dec. 14, 2021, of early versions of the ATACMS. Source: US Army via AP | FILE. Russia on Friday got on the same page with US President-elect Donald Trump when he expressed his opposition to Ukraines use of American-made weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, The statement fully aligns with our position, with our view on the reasons for escalation. That impresses us. It is obvious that Trump understands exactly what is escalating the situation. In an interview to mark his being named Times Person of the Year, Trump said, Its crazy whats taking place. Its crazy. I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? Were just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done. Advertisement Last month, US President Joe Biden lifted a ban on the deployment of US-made ATACMS missiles by Kyiv to strike deep inside Ukraine, a move that was vehemently opposed by Moscow. The decision came after pleas from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The White House cited Russias deployment of 15,000 North Korean troops along the battlefront as the main reason why Biden changed his mind. Trump claimed on the campaign trail that he could strike a deal to end the fighting in 24 hours, and speculation over a possible ceasefire is ramping up ahead of his inauguration in January. But the Kremlin said Friday that its prerequisites for holding peace talks with Ukraine had not yet been met. We dont want a ceasefire, we want peace, after our conditions are met and all our goals are achieved, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that the prerequisites needed to open negotiations were not in place. Trump, who takes office on January 20, met last weekend with Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Trumps promise to end the conflict swiftly has raised concerns in Kyiv that it could be largely on Moscows terms. With inputs from agencies A veteran centrist and leader of the Democratic Movement (MoDem), he is the sixth prime minister of Macrons mandate and the fourth one this year read more French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday (December 13) named centrist politician Francois Bayrou as the new prime minister of the country. Bayrou, 73, is the fourth person to take the post of prime minister this year, as French politics remained chaotic due to a growing political crisis in a divided parliament. A veteran centrist and leader of the Democratic Movement (MoDem), he is the sixth prime minister of Macrons mandate. The President of the Republic has appointed Mr. Francois Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government, the French presidency said in a statement. Advertisement A strong, dependent ally Bayrous MoDem has been part of Macrons ruling alliance since 2017. He is one of few political heavyweights to have stood by Macron ever since he assumed the role of president. He was named the justice minister after Macrons win. Bayrou remains a prominent figure and a longtime mayor of Pau in southwest France and has often emphasised his rural political identity. Three-time presidential candidate Bayrou has been a presidential candidate three times in 2002, 2007 and 2012. He was long cited as an obvious choice for Macron as head of government, and now finally has his chance. Fraud-accused Bayrou resigned from his position as the justice minister after he was accused in a case over fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants by his party. He was acquitted in February this year after a seven-year-long case, the judge ruling that he was owed the benefit of the doubt. A kingmaker In the past decade in France, Bayrou has been seen as a kingmaker. He offered an alliance to Macron in 2017 to prevent the far-right from staking claim to the Palais de lElysee. Prior to that, in 2012, he had thrown his weight behind Francois Hollande. In both those situations, his support was crucial to the to-be Presidents victories. Advertisement Whats ahead for Fracois Bayrou? Bayrou, a close ally of Macron, is expected to present his list of ministers in the coming days. However, he is likely to encounter similar difficulties as his predecessor Michel Barnier did in steering legislation through a hung parliament that comprises three blocs at odds with each other. His proximity to the deeply unpopular Macron is understood to be a vulnerability. With inputs from agencies Amid calls to rope in Chinese President Xi Jinping in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly planning a visit to Beijing read more French President Emmanuel Macron is planning a visit to Beijing to seek Chinese leader Xi Jinpings help in ending the war in Ukraine, according to a report. In recent years, China has emerged as the main ally of Russia particularly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Western sanctions blocked the Western markets, China came to Russias economic rescue. It is not the main import and export partner of Russia and is also central to war efforts, providing dual-use technology, raw materials for weapons productions, drones, spare parts, critical machinery for the defence industry, etc. Advertisement Despite such an extent of Chinese support to Russia, there are hopes in the West that Xi may be interesting in bringing an end to the war in Ukraine. The South China Morning Post has reported that Macrons visit is in advanced stages of planning. The newspaper reported that Macrons trusted diplomatic adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, travelled to Beijing this week to lay the groundwork for Macrons visit. Lately, Macron appears to have taken a lead in Europes efforts to bring a ceasefire in Ukraine. He just visited Poland where he discussed with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk plans to station troops from European Union (EU) member-states in Ukraine to monitor a ceasefire whenever it is reached in the future. Last week, Macron also presided over a meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in France. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump pushed the Europeans to do more to get the Chinese to press the Kremlin to end the conflict during the meeting. The newspaper reported that three leaders discussed using tariffs on China as a bargaining chip to make China press Russia. Trump has long sought to use tariffs as a tool to shape countries behaviour in his favour though it has not always worked so. In his first term, China fooled him and signed a trade deal following tariffs but did not follow through on any of the commitments part of the deal. Advertisement Trump has said that he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours by leveraging his personal relationships with Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He said in an interview last year that he would use assistance to Ukraine as a tool to make Zelenskyy and Putin agree to his terms. I know Zelenskyy very well and I know Putin very well even better. And I had a good relationship very good with both of them. I would tell Zelenskyy, no more [assistance]. You got to make a deal. I would tell Putin, if you dont make a deal, were going to give him a lot. Were going to [give Ukraine] more than they ever got if we have to. I will have the deal done in one day one day, said Trump in an interview with Fox News. Advertisement Following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the Israeli premier is ready to do a deal with Hamas and that talks are currently at a point where a deal could be reached read more In the final weeks of presidency, US President Joe Biden is making the final push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and there are signs it is nearing conclusion. In the midst of signals that Hamas is onboard with the latest ceasefire proposal on the table, Bidens top officials are in West Asia to hold talks with leaders in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Qatar. After holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday (December 12) said the Israeli premier is ready to do a deal with Hamas. Advertisement Even though the latest proposal on the table has been reworked over the months, Sullivan the basic elements are in line with the proposal that Biden had floated in May after it had been endorsed by Israel. Under the proposal under discussion currently, which was conveyed to Hamas by Egypt, a long-term ceasefire is being proposed in lieu of release of hostages starting with hostages in the humanitarian category. Under the terms of the deal, Israel would also release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. Originally, Biden had floated a three-stage process to end the war, starting with a brief ceasefire in the first phase during which talks to end the war permanently would start, leading to the fulfilment of the ceasefire and the beginning of Gazas reconstruction in the third and final phase. Talks at point where deal could be done After holding talks with Netanyahu, Sullivan said that the talks are finally at a point where the deal could get done, according to The Times of Israel. The remark came after reports that following the sustained military pressure and loss of allies in the region, Hamas has accepted two key demands of Israel relating to continued Israeli military presence in Gaza after a ceasefire and the sharing of a list of hostages to be exchanged in the first round. Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Sullivan said that the deal was close and now it is a matter of bridging that final distance to get the deal. Sullivan attributed the progress to the battering of Hamas in Gaza and ally Hezbollah in Lebanon along with the weakening of Iran from the yearlong conflict with Israel and the collapse of Assad regime in Syria. He said that Israels military progress against Hamass infrastructure, formation, and senior leadership means that the negotiations are different today than it has been previously. Advertisement There is more optimism in the air, shall we say. I wouldnt be here today if I thought this thing was just waiting until after January 20, said Sullivan. Sullivan also said that he did not get the sense that Netanyahu was delaying the deal until the swearing-in of President-elect Donald Trump. After holding talks in Israel, Sullivan is scheduled to travel to Egypt and Qatar, who have been mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas facilitated by the United States, and hold talks with leaders there. Before Sullivans visit to the region, Mossad chief David Barnea, the chief Israeli negotiator, travelled to Doha to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Wednesday, according to Axios. Advertisement Barnea and Al Thani had also met last month after the peace talks gained momentum. That meeting came a day after Trumps incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, held talks with Netanyahu and Al Thani. Sullivan said that both the outgoing Biden administration and incoming Trump administration want to see this ceasefire and hostage deal and see it now, that is all part of the American contribution to an effort to ultimately produce an outcome here. The TikTok influencers some reportedly linked to organised crime posted farewell messages on social media, showing land borders and planes, before fleeing Romania read more TikTok influencers came under the radar following allegations of election interference in Romania. Representational image. AP Romanian TikTok influencers accused of aiding an ultranationalist, pro-Russian candidate in the countrys annulled presidential election have fled the country. The departure comes as tax officials investigate their alleged involvement in swaying the election. Authorities allege the influencers received substantial payments to amplify Calin Georgescus nationalist rhetoric on TikTok, blending anti-establishment themes with messages of sovereignty and traditional values, Politico reported. Georgescu, an independent candidate previously little known in Romania, advanced to a runoff election after winning the first round last month. However, widespread allegations of interference, including a TikTok campaign allegedly orchestrated from Russia, led Romanias Constitutional Court to cancel the election. Advertisement Tax authorities began their inquiry following a referral from Romanias electoral office, which raised concerns over financial transactions tied to the campaign. Investigators are also examining Georgescu, authorities confirmed Monday. The TikTok influencers some reportedly linked to organised crime posted farewell messages on social media, showing land borders and planes, before fleeing Romania. Farewell and missing you captions accompanied the posts. Their involvement was revealed after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence documents last week, exposing a sophisticated TikTok influence operation that supported Georgescus campaign. Georgescu was set to face centrist rival Elena Lasconi in a runoff on December 8. Instead, Romanian authorities have launched a sweeping investigation into Georgescus campaign and its supporters, including financial and criminal probes. Georgescu, who embraced pro-Russian stances during his campaign, praised his controversial backers, suggesting he might pardon them if elected. One key figure under investigation is Bogdan Peschir, accused of financing the TikTok campaign with 1 million. Authorities raided three properties linked to Peschir last week, seizing $7 million in cryptocurrency. While some influencers admitted to promoting Georgescu for payment, they claimed they were unaware of his background until after the first round of voting. Georgescu declared zero campaign expenses, but intelligence documents revealed TikTok influencers played a central role in a covert, multi-million-euro effort connected to Russian hybrid attacks on Romanias election. Advertisement The European Commission has since ordered TikTok to preserve data linked to the Romanian election and upcoming EU elections, citing foreign interference concerns. Russian troops are rapidly moving towards Ukrainian strategic city Pokrovsk. Ukrainian army chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed extremely intensified fighting with the invading Russian troops. read more Ukrainian servicemen gather around a pick-up truck in Pokrovsk, Ukraine, as they prepare to move into battle, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. Source: Reuters | File. Reports from Ukraine suggest that Pokrovsk, a strategic city for the country, may soon fall to Russian invasion. The Russian troops are reported to have come within a few miles (1.9 miles or three kilometers) of the Ukrainian transit hub, with Ukraines army chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi confirming extremely intensified fighting around it. Losing Pokrovsk to Russian would be a major defeat for Ukraine as the city, situated in in Donetsk province, is not just considered to be the gateway between eastern and central Ukraine, but is also the logistical hub and an industrial powerhouse for the country that is being invaded by Russia since February 24, 2022. Advertisement Over the past few days, analysts and people closely tracking the Russia-Ukraine conflict, have been warning of Russian forces being barely miles away from the key Ukrainian city. Ukraine repels 40 Russian attempts to storm Pokrovsk General Syrskyi on Thursday said his troops repelled nearly 40 Russian attempts to storm defences around Pokrovsk in the past 24 hours. Russian occupiers are throwing all available forces forward, attempting to break through the defences of our troops, Syrskyi said. More significantly, the Ukrainian general admitted that his forces were outnumbered. Why Pokrovsk is important for both Ukraine & Russia Pokrovsk was home to about 60,000 people before Russia began full-scale invasion in February 2022. If Russia succeeds in capturing the city, it will not just lose supply routes but would end up compromising its defensive abilities. Along with Luhansk, the Donetsk province comprising eastern Ukraines Donbas region has remained the primary objective of Russias war. If Pokrovsk falls, Ukraines grip on the entire region is threatened. For Russia, the fall of Pokrovsk would give it a launchpad for mounting assaults deeper in Ukraine and controlling other strategic cities. Russian forces have been trying to overwhelm Ukraines battlefield defences with increasing numbers of troops. But Ukraine, with the help of Western aid, has been resisting Russian troops and armour. For how long? The Ukrainian government-led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, is having a major concern of what would happen to tens of billions of dollars of key US military aid that it has been receiving to hold Russia at bay after president-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on January 20, 2025. Also Read: As Russia tightens grip on Pokrovsk, has Ukraines gamble with Kursk invasion failed? Russia has continued to deploy more troops towards Pokrovsk but the push was slow moving till recently when it accelerated in Donetsk and forced Ukrainian defenders to make localised retreats. Advertisement Reports in Ukrainian media claimed that tensions between Ukraines commanders have escalated as the military pressure started to build. There have been some reports claiming that Gen Syrskyi, the military chief, had personally taken charge of some brigades around Pokrovsk. Pokrovsks defence a disaster A report by Independent quoted Ukrainian military officer, Serhii Filimonov, commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion of the 59th Motorised Brigade, as saying that Pokrovsks defence was a disaster. Earlier, Filimonov, on his Telegram channel, wrote that senior officers are placing unrealistic demands on units and are unfamiliar with circumstances on the front line. Russian Foreign Ministry has warned citizens of the country from travelling to the US, claiming that the American intelligence services recently begun luring Russian nationals abroad in order to press political charges against them read more Both Russia and the US have accused each other of wrongful imprisonments and harassment of diplomats. Source: Reuters. Russia has warned its citizens not to travel to the United States, Canada and some EU countries in the coming weeks claiming that their is a risk of them being hunted by authorities in those nations. Issuing the warning, Russias Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed that the US intelligence services had recently started luring Russian nationals abroad in order to press political charges against them which are not revealed to the public. Advertisement Travelling to US fraught with risk During a weekly briefing, Zakharova said that there has been growing confrontation in Russian-American relations, which are on the verge of collapse due to Washington actions. Travelling to the United States privately or on official business is fraught with serious risks, she claimed. Avoid travelling to US and its allied nations The Russian Foreign Ministry has also urged citizens of her country to not just avoid non-emergency travelling to the US, but also to its allied nations, particularly Canada and some European Union countries during the upcoming holiday period and in the future. She labelled these countries as US satellites, and said this was the ministrys first travel advisory linked to potential prosecutions. Our compatriots have long been hunted in the direct sense of the word by US intelligence services, she said. Warning for Russians who are already in the US A warning has also been issued for Russians who are already in the US. They have been asked to avoid situations where they could become victims of provocations and face arrest under the pretext of violating local laws. If the attention shown to Russian citizens by Americans is becoming suspicious and intrusive, it may make sense to cut off these contacts and reconsider travel plans, Zakharova said. Tit for Tat? US also issues warning against travelling to Russia Meanwhile, the US has also advised its citizens against travelling to Russia, warning that they could face harassment, detention by security officials, or arbitrary enforcement of Russian laws based on their nationality. The tensions between Russia and the US have been continuously increasing with both accusing each other of wrongful imprisonments and harassment of diplomats. Both have accused each other of detaining citizens on fabricated charges. Russia and the US diplomatic ties are reportedly at their lowest point since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, largely due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The US has been Ukraines largest supporter, providing $62bn in military aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. President Joe Bidens administration has also very recently authorised Ukraine to use US-made long-range tactical missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory, a move that angered Moscow and prompted it to lower its nuclear threshold. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. The Taiwanese opposition party Kuomintang has called for amending the law after South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol declared an emergency under martial law and later withdrew the order, triggering a massive political unrest which saw an impeachment motion being moved against him read more Days after South Korea witnessed a week of drama over the imposition of martial law, Taiwan on Friday began reviewing its own martial law provisions to make it harder for the president to declare it. The Taiwanese opposition party Kuomintang has called for amending the law after South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol declared an emergency under martial law and later withdrew the order, triggering a massive political unrest which saw an impeachment motion being moved against him. Advertisement Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu has said that lawmakers would discuss the possible changes that can be made to the martial law following which Taiwans President Lai has to ratify it within 24 hours of declaring it, according to a report by Bloomberg. The provisions of martial law in Taiwan have not been amended in 75 years. In the January elections, Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party secured Taiwans presidency, but his party lost its legislative majority. This shift enabled the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan Peoples Party to collaborate on passing legislation aimed at limiting presidential powers. These actions have heightened political tensions and sparked widespread protests. When the South Korean martial law showdown was at its peak, DPP made a comparison between the two countries saying that the situation in South Korea was similar to Taiwans. It, however, retracted the statement later. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced emergency martial law nationwide to protect the free constitutional system, the post read. The ruling party also blamed the Opposition for obstructing national security proposals, unconstitutionally expanding their powers and cutting the defence budget. Meanwhile, South Koreas opposition leader on Friday urged ruling party lawmakers to side with the people and impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid, a day before a second parliamentary vote that appears on a knife edge. Advertisement A week after a first attempt to remove Yoon from the martial law debacle foundered, the countrys National Assembly will vote Saturday around 4:00 pm (0700 GMT) on whether to impeach the president for insurrectionary acts undermining the constitutional order. With inputs from agencies A 30-year-old US man, who was missing since May, has been found among thousands of prisoners freed by Syrian rebels after toppling Assads regime. Washington is working to bring him home. Read more to know his story read more Travis Timmerman, a US citizen, said he was detained in Syria for seven months. Source: AFP. Overthrowing the regime of Bashar-al Assad, Syrian rebels freed thousands of people from prisons and among them was a US man, who identifies himself as Travis Timmerman. In May this year, Timmerman was reported as missing. As per the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Hungarian authorities, he was last seen in the Hungarian capital Budapest. How did Timmerman land in Syrian jail? The 30-year-old, who is now a free bird, recalled that his detention occurred seven months prior when he illegally entered into Syria from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle on foot without authorisation after spending a month in Lebanon. A report by NBC News quoted Timmerman as saying that he had crossed the mountains between Lebanon and Syria on a pilgrimage and had been reading the scripture a lot. Advertisement Timmerman said he was arrested upon entering the country and was languishing alone in a cell. Freedom from captivity On Monday (December 9), a day after Syrian rebels took control of Damascus and toppled Assad, Timmerman recalled that two men armed with a hammer broke open the door of the cell where he was imprisoned. My prison door was busted down, it woke me up, Timmerman was quoted as saying by CBS News. Timmerman said since the guards were still there, the very thought which came on his mind was that the warfare could have been more active than it ended up being. Exclusive: The American citizen found near the Syrian capital Damascus is named Travis Timmerman, and is not missing US journalist Austin Tice. He tells Al Arabiya he was in prison for 7 months but was treated well. pic.twitter.com/UKLimmKGuh Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) December 12, 2024 He went on to say that once he along with a large group of people got out of the prison, there was no resistance, there was no real fighting. Footage shared on social media showed Timmerman lying on a sofa as residents spoke to local reporters. Timmerman was found by residents near the capital Damascus. He was found when officials were looking for the missing US journalist Austin Tice, who was held in Syria since 2012. Advertisement The interim Syrian government said that the search for Tice is still active. Timmerman hasnt fully processed his freedom After his release, Timmerman, along with others, started walking towards Jordan. He acknowledged experiencing brief moments of anxiety upon leaving prison, though he hadnt fully processed his freedom. He was also concerned about finding an accommodation to sleep at night. Timmerman also expressed feeling comfortable seeking assistance from locals, who often approached him first. Travis Timmerman, an American citizen released from a prison in Syria Timmerman said that he was detained in prison for 7 months after entering the country without permission through the Lebanese border and that he decided to travel to Syria for "spiritual purposes" He said he pic.twitter.com/K7pCszNFeC Elly Israel Hamas War Updates (@elly_bar) December 12, 2024 He told reporters the local people had been receptive to his requests for food and assistance. They were coming to me, mostly, he added. He recalled his last communication with his family three weeks ago using a permitted mobile phone whilst in prison. Treatment in Syrian jail In an interview with Arabic TV news channel Al-Arabiya, Timmerman said he hadnt been beaten but could hear other people being tortured. Timmerman described his imprisonment as relatively tolerable. He said though he avoided physical abuse, bathroom access was restricted to thrice daily. It was OK. I was fed. I was watered. The one difficulty was that I couldnt go to the bathroom when I wanted to, he said. Footage from Syria earlier this week showed men, women and in some cases children emerging from overcrowded windowless cells, often disorientated and unaware of events that had taken place outside. Advertisement US working to bring Timmerman home US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington was working to bring home Timmerman. Speaking during a visit to Jordan, where he held meetings to discuss the political transition in Syria, Blinken said: In terms of (the) American citizen who was found just today, I cant give you any details on exactly whats going to happen, except to say that were working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria. But for privacy reasons, I cant share any more details about this, he further said. During a briefing, White House Spokesperson said that the US had no prior indication the man was in Syria. We are just getting word of this, and were trying to confirm his identity at this point, so the state department is working hard on that right now, he said. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20 despite an initial invitation from Trumps team shortly after the Election Day. This decision comes as the relationship between the US and China remains tense and the symbolic significance of such an event complicates diplomatic relations. While Trumps invitation initially raised expectations that it could serve as a diplomatic gesture aimed at easing tensions, the chances of Xi attending seem slim. Advertisement Unprecedented invitation amid diplomatic strain President-elect Trumps team invited Chinese President Xi to attend the inauguration, but the Chinese government has not confirmed whether he will come. Usually, foreign leaders do not attend US presidential inaugurations except for special invited guests. The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not commented and Trumps team also kept quiet when asked by the media. While some Chinese officials, like the ambassador and embassy staff, are expected to attend, Xis absence shows that the event will be more of a formality than a chance for real diplomatic discussion. This decision comes at a time when US-China relations are tense with ongoing issues like trade wars and cybersecurity problems. Bilateral relations at a crossroads Trumps invitation for Xi to attend the inauguration surprised both Beijing and Washington. According to South China Morning Post, experts in both countries said this was unusual and might show a desire to improve US-China relations. However, with many ongoing issues between the two, like trade wars intellectual property theft and military tensions, it is unlikely that Xi will attend. Chinese officials, who are used to formal diplomatic rules, may see Trumps informal invitation as an unusual move that could lead to misunderstandings. Cyber espionage and telecom breach Adding fuel to the fire, US intelligence agencies recently revealed a major cybersecurity breach involving Chinese hackers. According to CBS News, the hack, which affected US telecom companies, including those used by high-ranking officials like Vice President-elect JD Vance, highlights the increasingly aggressive nature of the cyber warfare between the two nations. Advertisement The breach, coupled with the ongoing tension over trade tariffs, has made it difficult for Xi to justify attending an event with a US president who has been a vocal critic of Chinas economic and cyber policies. In fact, the notion of Xi attending an inauguration under such strained circumstances could appear as an endorsement of policies that China finds increasingly untenable, particularly as US sanctions and tariffs on Chinese goods remain on the table. Trumps second term and the China dilemma With Trumps second term on the horizon, the question arises: will he maintain the same aggressive posture towards China, or will he seek to de-escalate tensions? During his first term, Trumps policy towards China was characterised by tariffs, trade wars and combative rhetoric. According to CBS News, his team included strong proponents of a hardline approach, such as Senator Marco Rubio, who was appointed as the new Secretary of State and has long been a vocal critic of Chinas economic practices and human rights violations. Given this, it seems likely that Trumps approach to China will continue to emphasise economic competition and military containment. Advertisement However, Trumps second term is also expected to witness some internal divisions within his administration regarding China policy. While some within his team are pushing for even more stringent measures, others are advocating for a more pragmatic approach to ensure that the bilateral relationship does not spiral into open conflict. The challenge for Trumps team will be balancing these competing factions and formulating a coherent strategy towards China that is both aggressive enough to satisfy his hawkish allies and flexible enough to avoid a total breakdown in relations. Trade wars and Taiwan Trade remains one of the most significant sources of tension in US-China relations. Trump has frequently threatened to impose further tariffs on Chinese imports. Such drastic measures could exacerbate the trade war that has already resulted in economic losses for both countries. Despite these threats, there are few details about Trumps exact plans for China in his second term, leading to uncertainty among both US businesses and Chinese officials. The uncertainty surrounding the trade relationship further complicates any diplomatic overtures such as the invitation to Xi for the inauguration. Advertisement Additionally, Taiwan continues to be a flashpoint in US-China relations. According to a South China Morning Post report, Trumps controversial statements during his campaign, including his call for Taiwan to pay the US for its defence, have raised alarms in Beijing. Taiwans status as a self-ruled democratic island that China considers a breakaway province remains one of the most sensitive issues in the bilateral relationship. Beijing has consistently warned that any attempts to challenge Taiwans status could result in military conflict, making it one of the most dangerous flashpoints between the two powers. In this context, Beijings decision to not send Xi to the inauguration could be viewed as a symbolic rejection of the continued diplomatic tension over Taiwan, trade and other issues. While Trump has expressed his desire for a good relationship with China, the absence of Xi at his inauguration signals that Beijing is unwilling to fully embrace Trumps terms without addressing the critical issues that have strained the bilateral relationship. Advertisement Trecherous diplomatic terrain While Trumps invitation was seen by some as a gesture of goodwill, the reality is that the US-China relationship remains fraught with issues that will likely overshadow any attempts at diplomatic rapprochement. For now, the absence of Xi at Trumps inauguration is yet another indication of the deep challenges facing US-China relations in the years to come. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Indian Embassy in Canada is in touch with the families of the victims and has contacted local authorities to ensure thorough investigations into the deaths read more The Indian government on Friday raised the issue of three Indians getting killed in Canada and urged authorities to probe their deaths. During a press conference, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, We are saddened at these terrible tragedies that have struck our nationals in Canada, calling the incidents unfortunate tragedies. Jaiswal said that the Indian Embassy in Canada is in touch with the families of the victims and has contacted local authorities to ensure thorough investigations into the deaths. Advertisement #WATCH | Delhi: On Indian Students in Canada, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "In the last week, we have had unfortunate tragedies in Canada. Three Indian students have been murdered in violent crimes. We are saddened by these terrible tragedies that have struck our pic.twitter.com/G7dNPkEuJV ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 We have also issued an advisory for our nationals and Indian students to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant in view of the deteriorating security environment in Canada due to the growing incidence of hate crimes and criminal violence, he said. The incidents come at a time when ties between India and Canada are sour after Ottawa blamed New Delhi for killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Earlier this week, an Indian student, Gurasis Singh, was stabbed to death in Canada by his roommate. Singh was studying business at Lambton College. The police arrested the man, Crossley Hunter, who was sharing a flat with Singh. In a statement, Sarnia Police said that Singh and Hunter lived in the same accommodation and were involved in a physical altercation while in the kitchen which eventually led to the latter stabbing Singh multiple times causing his death. Advertisement Earlier this week, another Indian student from Punjab, Rittika Rajput, was killed after a tree fell on her as she was out with friends. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) stated that the incident took place on December 7, 2024, at James Lake and has been classified as non-suspicious. However, authorities confirmed they are investigating Rajputs death. Nation's space journey continues apace 11:21, December 13, 2024 By Zhao Lei ( China Daily Spectators observe the retrieval of a lunar soil sample on the Chang'e 6 mission, displayed at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, last month. (Hong Zehua/Xinhua) The first-ever samples retrieved from the moon's far side, an iconic feat achieved by China's most recent lunar expedition, Chang'e 6, were on display at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which took place in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, from Nov 12 to 17. This was the first time the valuable lunar substances had been shown to the public since they were brought back to Earth in June. The Chang'e 6 mission, representing the world's first attempt to bring back samples from the far side of the moon, was launched on May 3 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province. After a series of complex maneuvers, the lander of the Chang'e 6 probe touched down at the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the lunar far side on June 2, and then began to collect surface and underground samples. It was the second-ever landing of a spacecraft on the lunar far side. The vast region had never been reached by any spacecraft until January 2019, when the Chang'e 4 probe landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Chang'e 4 surveyed areas surrounding its landing site, but did not collect samples. The lander worked for 49 hours on the far side, using a mechanical arm and a drill to collect surface and underground materials. The unmanned mission successfully concluded on June 25 with a total of 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side retrieved. The returner of the Chang'e 6 mission, containing lunar soil samples, successfully lands in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on June 25. (Photo/Xinhua) The samples have unique scientific value and will further expand knowledge about the moon's history and help to gear up the exploration and exploitation of lunar resources, according to the China National Space Administration. Previously, 10 lunar sample-return missions were undertaken by the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China, but all these samples were collected from the moon's near side. Before Chang'e 6, China had fulfilled a lunar sample-return mission the Chang'e 5 in the winter of 2020, which landed on the moon's near side and recovered 1,731 grams of samples, the first lunar substances obtained since the Apollo era. It made China the third nation, after the US and the former Soviet Union, to have retrieved lunar samples. So far, Chang'e 5 samples have enabled Chinese researchers to make a number of academic advancements, including the discovery of the sixth new lunar mineral, named Changesite-(Y). Changesite-(Y), which falls in the category of lunar merrillite, is the first lunar mineral discovered and identified by Chinese scientists. So far, China has conducted six robotic missions to explore the moon. Besides the sample-collection endeavors, China has also deployed two rovers on the moon through the Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4 missions. The Yutu 2 rover, the central part of the Chang'e 4 mission, has worked on the moon for nearly six years, far exceeding its designed life of three months, and has traveled more than 1,600 meters, continuing to extend its lead as the longest-working robot on the moon. In the coming years, China plans to continue to send unmanned probes to the moon and use the next two missions Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 to establish a prototype for the International Lunar Research Station, an ambitious multinational science project initiated by China. Guan Feng, director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center of the China National Space Administration, introduces the Chang'e 6 mission and research development associated with the lunar soil sample the mission had retrieved from the far side of the moon during the 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, in October. (Photo/China News Service) Crew landing roadmap Having gathered rich experience through robotic adventures, China is moving progressively toward its goal of sending astronauts to the moon before the end of this decade, according to a key figure in this ambitious endeavor. Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, told a crewed spaceflight forum in late November in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, that all of the preparatory research work for the nation's first manned lunar mission has finished, with essential technologies and implementation plans already in place. Mission planners, scientists, and engineers have started to design and build prototypes of necessary hardware, he said. "Currently, prototypes of the Long March 10 heavy-lift carrier rocket, the Mengzhou crew spaceship, the Lanyue lunar lander, as well as the crew rover and other hardware needed in a manned mission to the moon are under research and development. Some of their components have been made and are being tested," Zhou said at the forum, hosted by the China Manned Space Agency. China's roadmap for its first manned lunar expedition involves two Long March 10 launches from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province to transport a Lanyue lunar lander and a Mengzhou manned spacecraft to lunar orbit. After reaching their preset orbital positions, the Lanyue lander and the Mengzhou vessel will rendezvous and dock with each other. Two crew members will enter the lander, which will then undock and descend toward the lunar surface for an engine-assisted soft landing. The lander-ascender of the Change 6 mission. (Photo/Xinhua) On the moon, the astronauts will drive a rover to carry out scientific tasks and collect samples. Upon completion of their assignments, they will return to the Lanyue module, which will fly them back to their spaceship waiting in lunar orbit. Finally, the astronauts will carry the samples into their Mengzhou spacecraft, which will then undock and carry the crew back to Earth. To prepare for the challenging adventure, China has selected its fourth group of astronauts, who are learning knowledge and skills to be used in lunar operations. If everything goes according to plan, China will become the second nation in the world, after the US, to have sent humans to the moon. The US made six Apollo crewed missions in the 1960s and 1970s, taking 12 Americans to the silver celestial neighbor. In the long term, the country intends to construct a lunar scientific outpost to conduct extended explorations and technology demonstration operations, according to Zhang Hailian, deputy chief planner at the China Manned Space Agency. "The moon is the nearest extraterrestrial body that humans can reach based on current technologies. Manned missions to the moon will be a realistic and practical step... to start with (in order) to expand our exploration endeavors in deep space. Meanwhile, it is scientifically meaningful for us to continue to explore the moon because it will help scientists better understand the origin and the evolution of the solar system as well as the composition of planets," he said. Deep-space adventures Beyond the moon, China has left its mark on another extraterrestrial body in the solar system Mars via the Tianwen 1 mission, which was launched in July 2020 as the country's first independent interplanetary expedition. The landing craft of Tianwen 1 touched down on the Martian surface in May 2021 after traveling more than 470 million kilometers and going through an extremely challenging landing process. Soon after landing, it released a rover named Zhurong to perform scientific tasks. Before Tianwen 1, no country had ever tried to send an orbiter, a lander, and a rover in one single flight to Mars. Zhurong, the sixth rover deployed on the Red Planet, following five predecessors from the US, traveled more than 1,900 meters in its yearlong journey and obtained much data and many images en route to its destination an ancient coastal area on Utopia Planitia, a vast Martian plain. China plans to collect Martian samples and bring them back to Earth in around 2028 via another historic mission named Tianwen 3. The main scientific goal of this mission is to look for traces of life on Mars, according to Liu Jizhong, chief planner of the Martian soil-return project. He said in September that Chinese researchers "are working on essential technologies to be used in the robotic expedition such as sampling and liftoff on the Martian surface". Chinese scientists have also placed two solar observation satellites in orbit. The spacecraft has achieved major scientific and technological feats that have helped scientists to deepen their knowledge of our nearest star. The Chinese H-Alpha Solar Explorer, known as Xihe, was launched in October 2021 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province to become the nation's first space-based solar telescope. Its scientific payload is an H-Alpha imaging spectrograph that can, for the first time, acquire full-disk spectroscopic solar observations in the H-Alpha waveband. Its primary task is to investigate the dynamics of solar activity in the lower atmosphere, namely the photosphere, and chromosphere, and to understand the physical mechanisms of solar eruptions. The mission is very meaningful to the nation's space exploration and satellite technology, mission planners said. One year later, the second solar explorer, the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory, or Kuafu 1, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China. Carrying cutting-edge apparatus such as a full-disc vector magnetograph and a hard X-ray imager, the Kuafu 1 aims to explore connections among solar magnetic fields, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. China's Tiangong space station photographed from above by Shenzhou XVI crew members last year. (Photo/China Daily) Orbital outpost In a low-Earth orbit about 400 km above the ground, China's Tiangong space station has been traveling around the mother planet for about three years and seven months. The origin of China's aspirations to operate its own space station can be traced back to the mid-1980s when a group of distinguished space scientists started calling for government support to open manned space programs so that China would not lag behind in the global arena of space exploration. In 1986, the government launched what later became known as Project 863. The national high-tech project covered seven major fields, ranging from biology to new energy. It set two major goals for China's space sector: one was to build large carrier rockets and reusable aerospace vehicles; the other was to construct a space station. In September 1992, a massive plan made by scientists for crewed spaceflights and a permanent space station was approved by the top leadership, officially beginning the nation's manned space program. Since then, the Chinese space community has made specific plans and taken a systematic approach, advancing patiently from simple, multi-day missions to sophisticated, monthlong flights involving several spacecraft. (From right) Shenzhou XIX crew members Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze salute the crowd at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Oct 30 before the mission. (Photo/Xinhua) After nearly 30 years of preparations that included five unmanned flights and six crewed missions, China launched the first, and central, component of its space station, the Tianhe core module, in April 2021, and began to send astronauts to fly with it to perform trial operations and prepare for the arrival of other parts. In the second half of 2022, the Wentian and Mengtian science modules were launched to dock with Tiangong, completing the space station's construction phase. The Tiangong is one of the largest and most advanced structures ever deployed in Earth's orbit and is the only operating space station independently built by a single nation. So far, eight crews have been sent to man the space station, including the incumbent Shenzhou XIX team, who arrived at the outpost in late October. A rocket model is displayed at the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center, as a rocket is launched at its adjacent Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, on June 29. (Photo/Xinhua) Private power rising Besides State-funded projects, China's private enterprises have become serious players in the space circle. So far, five private companies Space Pioneer, i-Space, LandSpace, Galactic Energy, and Orienspace have used their own rockets to conduct orbital missions, which refer to powered flights that place satellites or other kinds of payloads in orbit in outer space. Among the privately developed rocket models, LandSpace's ZQ 2 and Orienspace's Gravity 1 are most known because they set records in the global space sector. In July last year, the ZQ 2 became the first methane-fueled rocket to successfully complete an orbital mission. The rocket model's main propulsion system the TQ 12 is the first methane engine in China. Before Land-Space, only a handful of companies in the US had developed such engines. Compared with traditional types of rocket engines that can function only once, a methane engine is reusable and more environmentally friendly. In January, the Gravity 1 conducted its debut flight from a launch service ship off the coast of Haiyang in Shandong province, becoming the most powerful solid-propellant launch vehicle in the world and also the mightiest of all of Chinese private rocket types. Private players have also come of age in the satellite field to become a flourishing seedbed for technological innovation and creativity. GalaxySpace, a leading private satellite maker, built China's first satellite equipped with a flexible solar array and deployed it into space in July last year. The satellite, Lingxi 03, is a plate-shaped communications satellite. It has a millimeter-wave multibeam digital payload, which features a transmission capacity of tens of gigabits per second. In May, GalaxySpace cooperated with the Mahanakorn University of Technology in Thailand to establish a ground test station at the Thai university, marking the first trial of a low-orbit broadband internet communication network in the Southeast Asian country. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Assad told his commanders and associates after his Moscow trip that military support was coming. He was lying to them. The message he received from Moscow was negative read more Bashar al-Assad escaped, while leaving his commanders and supporters in the dark, to fend for themselves. AP Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled his country under the cover of darkness in December, marking the end of his 24-year rule as rebels stormed Damascus. His escape, shrouded in secrecy, left even close aides and family members in the dark, according to a Reuters report the cited interviews with 14 individuals familiar with the dramatic final days of Assads regime. Hours before his departure on December 8, Assad assured senior military and security officials that Russian reinforcements were imminent, urging them to hold their ground. Advertisement Unbeknownst to them, he had already planned his exit. A commander present at the briefing described a leader projecting confidence while privately orchestrating his flight to Moscow. That evening, Assad told his office manager he was heading home after work. Instead, he went to the airport. He deceived his media adviser, Buthaina Shaaban, asking her to prepare a speech at his residence. When she arrived, the house was empty, an aide revealed. Assad didnt even make a last stand. He didnt even rally his own troops, said Nadim Houri, executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative. He let his supporters face their own fate. Assads departure brought a sudden halt to the 13-year civil war that had devastated Syria, but it also showed the lengths he went to secure his survival. His flight was so clandestine that his brother, Maher al-Assad, commander of the elite 4th Armoured Division, was unaware. Maher eventually escaped to Russia via Iraq, sources said. A hastily planned exit As Damascus fell, Assad fled aboard a plane with its transponder off, evading detection. He flew to Russias Hmeimim airbase in Latakia before continuing to Moscow, where his wife and three children were already waiting, Reuters reported citing sources close to the family. Rebel videos posted online showed Assads abandoned residence with cooked food left on the stove and personal items such as family photo albums strewn about, evidence of a hasty retreat. Advertisement Russia, Iran deny military rescue In the days before his escape, Assad sought aid from allies Russia and Iran but received little support. A week earlier, on November 28, Assad travelled to Moscow to plead for military intervention as rebels advanced. His requests were denied, sources said, with the Kremlin focused on its priorities in Ukraine. He told his commanders and associates after his Moscow trip that military support was coming, Bahra added. He was lying to them. The message he received from Moscow was negative. By December 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Assad in Damascus. During the meeting, Assad reportedly admitted his forces were too weakened to resist the advancing rebels, according to an Iranian diplomat. Despite the alliance, Assad refrained from asking Iran for military intervention, fearing Israeli retaliation. Advertisement Rebuffed by the UAE, rescued by Moscow Initially, Assad sought asylum in the United Arab Emirates, but his request was rejected, sources said. The UAE feared international backlash over hosting a leader accused of using chemical weapons. Russia stepped in to secure Assads safety, arranging his flight to Moscow. According to regional officials, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov worked through Turkey and Qatar, negotiating with the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to facilitate Assads escape. Though both Turkey and Qatar officially deny contacts with HTS, Reuters cited sources as revealing that arrangements were made to ensure Assads safe passage. Moscow also coordinated with neighbouring countries to prevent any interference with Assads flight, officials said. Advertisement Assads final communication with his last prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, occurred late on December 7. Jalali described their conversation, saying, He replied: Tomorrow, we will see. By dawn, Jalalis calls went unanswered. Hours later, rebels swarmed the presidential complex, finding a city in disarray and a leader long gone. Assads escape and the collapse of his regime have left behind a fractured nation, struggling to rebuild after years of devastating conflict. As Turkey has joined hands with Syrian Islamist groups, including the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), against the Kurds, the top Kurdish general has warned that the country may be headed into another round of bloody civil war read more General Mazloum Abdi, the commander of Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has warned that the country may be headed into another round of a bloody civil war if Turkey and Islamist groups continue carrying out attacks inside the country. Turkey and groups its sponsors inside Syria, such as Syrian National Army (SNA) comprising mercenaries and criminal bands, have been attacking Kurds in northern and eastern Syria. They have also been joined by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main opposition group that led the offensive against the Assad regime, in attacks against Kurds. Advertisement Together, the Turkish, SNA, and HTS forces have attacked Kurds in at least three towns since the weekend. Kurds are an ethnic group spread across Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. Most of the Kurds are Sunni Muslims but they also practice Christianity and Zoroastrianism among other religions. In Syria, Kurds run a regional government in northeastern Syria called Autonomous Administration of. North and East Syria (AANES). While Kurds are the main US ally in the region in the war against Islamic State (Isis), Turkey considers them enemies. Turkey equates SDF with the Kurdish group PKK, which it blames for an insurgency inside Turkey and considers a terrorist group. Therefore, Turkey has for years attacked Syrian Kurds and has sought to limit the size of AANES and push them farther from the Turkish border. Kurdish commander warns of bloody civil war As Turkish military and Syrian militias have joined hands against Kurds, General Abdi said the SDF is under constant attack. We are still under constant attack from the Turkish military and the Turkish-supported opposition which is called SNA, said Mazloum in an interview with Fox News. Mazloum said that Turkey is carrying out up to 81 drone attacks a day amid intensive artillery bombardment. He went on to say that such an offensive has paralysed our counterterror operation. If the new Syrian regime is not inclusive and if violence continues as it is, then Syria is headed into another bloody civil war, warned Mazloum. So any new government in Syria needs to be representative, needs to be inclusive and contain and include all different parties of Syria. So if not that takes us to a bloody civil war in the country and that will put us in huge stage of escalatory path that no one can predict the fate of that, said Mazloum. Advertisement Fears of Islamic States resurgence Mazloum also warned that the spiralling violence in Syria could also be fertile grounds for the resurgence of the Islamic State. In addition to safeguarding Kurdish territory and conducting regular operations against Isis, the SDF is also responsible of guarding several prison complexes where up to 45,000 Isis terrorists and their family members are put. Amid ongoing chaos in Syria in which Turkey has opened a front against Kurds, there are fears that attempts at freeing these prisoners could be made, which would be catastrophic for the region if it is successful. Mazloum said half of his fighters guarding the ISIS camps had to withdraw in recent days. Mazloum told Fox, All of the prisons still are under our control. However, the prisons and camps are in a critical situation because who is guarding them? They are leaving and having to protect their families. I can give you one example like the Raqqa ISIS prison, which contains about 1,000 ISIS ex-fighters. The number of guards there have diminished by half which is putting them in a fragile position. Advertisement Mazloum added, We expect those Islamists, different factions to unite, to fight with ISIS and that will bring back tougher extremists, terrorist organisations back to the country. Mazloum further said that even though a ceasefire was reached with the Turkey-backed groups earlier this week with US mediation, the attacks have continued both from Turkey and militias. Over the weekend, the Turkey-SNA combine attacked Kurds in Manjib in eastern Syria. The attack in Manjib was followed by SNAs offensive against the SDF in Kobani. Then, the HTS on Tuesday captured the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor from the Kurds, who had captured the city from Assads regime forces last week. Advertisement Separately, Fox Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin quoted a Kurdish source as saying the community fears an ethnic cleansing amid ongoing attacks. Turkey has a record of ethnic cleansing. Before Syria where Turkey supports anti-Assad and anti-Kurd groups, Turkey had sponsored Azerbaijans ethnic cleansing of Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Turks have begun moving toward Kobani. We need to stop this as quickly as possible. This is extremely dangerous and threatens the existence of the Kurds in Syria. Ethnic Cleansing ongoing and Civil War alarm bells start to ring, the source told Griffin. Amid fears that loss of allies and its own weakened state could lead Iran to develop nuclear weapons, the incoming Donald Trump administration is exploring various options to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, including preemptive strikes, according to a report read more US President-elect Donald Trump is weighing options to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and a preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear facilities is on the table, according to a report. Formally, Iran has kept the nuclear weapons programme in suspension since 2003. However, it has continued to ramp up the enrichment of nuclear fuel in recent years. Currently, Iran has enriched nuclear fuel to near-weapons grade level is capable of developing weapons grade level fuel in a short time if it wishes to. Advertisement In such circumstances, the incoming Trump administration is exploring options to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which range from ramped-up sanctions, sanctions combined with military pressure, to preemptive strikes to destroy nuclear facilities, according to Wall Street Journal. An Iranian nuclear weapon has long been a red line for the United States and its ally Israel. The outgoing Joe Biden administration had also committed to not allow Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. However, a preemptive strike would be a deviation from a longstanding US policy of not taking steps that may pull it into a direct war with Iran. Trump also rejected plans of preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during his first term (2017-21). Trumps various options to stop Iran from making nukes The options being explored by the incoming Trump administration range from sanctions to airstrikes, according to Wall Street Journal. Firstly, people familiar with the planning told the newspaper that Trumps team is devising maximum pressure 2.0 approach, a successor to the maximalist sanctions-driven approach that Trump adopted in the first term after withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. Secondly, the maximalist sanctions may be accompanied by increased military pressure on Iran. Under this approach, two people told the newspaper that Trump may ramp up military pressure on Iran by sending more US personnel, warplanes, and ships to West Asia and provide Israel Irans archenemy with advanced weapons such as bunker-busting bombs which would strengthen its firepower to hit Iranian nuclear facilities. Advertisement The newspaper noted that this approach, which fuses military pressure with maximalist sanctions, is aimed at crippling Iranian economy and convince it that there is no choice but to resolve the situation diplomatically. Thirdly, the United States may conduct preemptive strikes to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities or endorse or join an Israeli plan to do so. Trump aides and confidants told the newspaper that preemptive strikes would target Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Even though such a move is on the table for now, many current and former Israeli officials told the newspaper that there are huge uncertainties of how successful Israel would be in a solo attack on Irans nuclear facilities as some of them are buried deep underground in heavily mountainous terrain and are very hard to be destroyed from air. Advertisement Israel draws plans to attack Iranian nuclear sites: Reports Despite uncertainties around the feasibility of Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, the Israeli military is drawing up such plans, according to a report. Following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria and its own battering along with that of its ally Hezbollah in the conflict with Israel, there are fears that Iran may decide to develop nuclear weapons to restore deterrence in the region. Amid such fears, The Times of Israel has reported military officials as saying that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) is continuing its readiness and preparations for potential attacks on Irans nuclear facilities. The newspaper further reported that Israel now sees an opportunity for preemptive strikes to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities as Iran as well as allies in the region now stand considerably weakened. Advertisement The New York Times has reported that, once Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei gives his go-ahead, Iran can make weapons-grade nuclear fuel enough for four weapons within weeks and then it would be able to make a warhead within 12-18 months. Despite such progress, the US intelligence assessment maintains that such a go-ahead from Khamenei has not yet come and the manufacturing of a nuclear weapon has not yet started. Moreover, Irans capabilities to make a nuclear weapon have also suffered in the yearlong conflict with Israel as its airstrikes inside Iran in October destroyed key components needed to make a warhead, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Advertisement German intelligence chiefs have warned that the countrys support for Ukraine in its war with Russia makes it a target of possible sabotage attempts, with recent security incidents at military barracks raising alarm further read more Unidentified drones have been sighted over sensitive industry locations and the U.S. air base at Ramstein in Germany in recent weeks, the Spiegel news magazine reported on Friday, citing a confidential report by German security authorities. The report flagged numerous drone sightings made in the evening hours of Dec. 3 and 4 over the air base, according to Spiegel. A security source told Reuters the report on drone sightings over Ramstein was correct. The German defence ministry declined to comment on the report. Advertisement German intelligence chiefs have warned that the countrys support for Ukraine in its war with Russia makes it a target of possible sabotage attempts, with recent security incidents at military barracks raising alarm further. Spiegel also reported unexplained drone sightings over locations belonging to German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall and chemicals group BASF. The safety of BASF sites is our top priority, a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement. We therefore keep an eye on suspicious activities at all times and work closely with the relevant security authorities. Rheinmetall did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Police say Briana Boston admitted to using the phrase because it was in the news. She denied owning firearms but reportedly described insurance companies as evil and deserving of karma read more Luigi Mangione, 26, a suspect in the New York City killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson, stands in a cell in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Reuters A Florida woman has been charged with threatening her health insurance provider during a phone call, allegedly using the same words found on bullet casings at the scene of a New York City killing of a health insurance executive. Briana Boston, 42, was arrested Tuesday (December 10) after police say she told a Blue Cross Blue Shield representative, Delay, deny, depose. You people are next, during a recorded call about a denied insurance claim. Advertisement Lakeland police said the phrase matched the wording on casings found at the December 4 shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The words delay, deny and depose are linked to the delay, deny, defend strategy often associated with insurance companies handling costly claims. Patients and healthcare providers have long criticized insurers for practices perceived as prioritizing profits over patient care, such as denying claims, delaying treatments, and imposing bureaucratic hurdles. Police say Boston, questioned the day after the call, admitted to using the phrase because it was in the news. She denied owning firearms but reportedly described insurance companies as evil and deserving of karma. Boston has been charged with threatening to conduct an act of terrorism, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. She remains held without bail at the Polk County Jail. Court records did not list an attorney for Boston, and a phone number linked to her address was disconnected. Luigi Mangione, 26, has been charged with murder in Thompsons death, which occurred on a New York City street. The fatal shooting of Thompson has ignited widespread public frustration with the US health insurance industry, leading to the idolisation of Mangione. Social media platforms have seen the proliferation of memes, merchandise, and hashtags like #FreeLuigi, reflecting a segment of the publics empathy towards his alleged motives. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Trumps approach to Syria aligns with his broader reluctance to engage in overseas conflicts. However, some Republicans warn that withdrawing US troops could embolden adversaries like Iran and Russia, whose influence in Syria has grown over the past decade read more President-elect Donald Trump and and his pick for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, may disagree on the stand on Syria. File Image/Reuters Donald Trumps decision to take a hands-off approach to Syria following the collapse of Bashar Assads regime is already sparking debate within the Republican Party, including potential clashes with his own secretary of state nominee. Trump has made it clear he wants the US to have nothing to do with the insurgency that toppled Syrias government. But Marco Rubio, his hawkish pick for secretary of state, is likely to push for a more active US role in the war-torn country. Rubios stance could set up a clash with Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, a staunch advocate of Trumps non-interventionist foreign policy, Semafor reported. Advertisement The intraparty divide was evident as lawmakers weighed in on the roughly 900 US troops still stationed in Syria, where their primary mission has been to constrain the Islamic State. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a vocal non-interventionist, urged Trump to withdraw the troops on Day One. Its a terrible idea to have any soldiers there, Semafor quoted Paul as saying. Soldiers serve as a target for terrorists, they serve as a tripwire to get us involved in a messy civil war. Trumps approach to Syria aligns with his broader reluctance to engage in overseas conflicts, a position he has iterated often during his campaign. However, some Republicans warn that withdrawing US troops could embolden adversaries like Iran and Russia, whose influence in Syria has grown over the past decade. David Schenker, a former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs under Trump, said the debate mirrors discussions during Trumps first term. There were several people who opposed a withdrawal from Syria, believing and I think correctly so that it was a relatively low-cost, high-impact deployment, Schenker said. But for many in MAGA world, its yet another part of the forever wars. The fall of Assads regime, forced by a rebel group the US designates as a terrorist organisation, adds urgency to the debate. Trumps decision could have implications not just for Syria, but for other foreign policy challenges, including whether to continue arming Ukraine and how to counter Irans regional ambitions. Advertisement Washington may face a repeat of the policy tug-of-war that defined Trumps first term. While Trumps ultimate decision on Syria will likely hinge on his non-interventionist instincts, the influence of Rubio and other hawkish voices in his administration remains an open question. Drones were spotted flying over the US air base at Ramstein in Germany in early December, US Air Force spokesperson confirmed on Friday read more US on Friday confirmed drones were spotted flying over the US air base at Ramstein in Germany in early December. According to Reuters, the US Air Force spokesperson said there were no impacts to base residents, facilities, or assets. In concert with host nation authorities, we continue to monitor the airspace to ensure safety and security of the community, the spokesperson added. A security source told Reuters that while German authorities had not identified the drone operators, they had ruled out the possibility of the drones being flown by amateurs. Advertisement The drone sightings at Ramstein were first reported by German news magazine Spiegel, which mentioned a German security report highlighting several unexplained drone sightings near the base on the evening of December 3 and 4. Spiegel also noted that drones were spotted over facilities of German companies Rheinmetall and BASF. The safety of BASF sites is our top priority, Reuters quoted a company spokesperson as saying in an emailed statement. We therefore keep an eye on suspicious activities at all times and work closely with the relevant security authorities, the spokesperson added. Rheinmetall, which is working with Ukraine and its European supporters to supply Kyiv with weapons, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, reported Reuters. Drones have been spotted flying over strategically important facilities in Germany in recent months, including a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Brunsbuettel close to the North Sea. Prosecutors were investigating that incident on suspicion of agent activity for sabotage purposes. German intelligence chiefs have warned that the countrys support for Ukraine in its war with Russia makes it a target for possible sabotage attempts, with recent security incidents at military barracks raising alarm further. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Advocates for lifting sanctions argue that easing restrictions could spur economic development and help the new regime rebuild. However, skeptics warn that removing sanctions prematurely could undermine human rights and jeopardise minority groups read more Syrians walk to the Umayyad mosque for Friday prayers in Damascus, Syria, on Friday. AP Republican and Democratic senators signalled it is too early to consider lifting sanctions on Syria following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, a sign that Washington remains cautious towards the war-torn country. Were all really happy that Assad is gone, said Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in an interview. We worked at it for a long, long time, and the job is done. The problem is, what comes next? Advertisement Last week, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations, seized control of Syria. While HTS leaders have made overtures about unity and human rights, Risch said there was a need for careful observation of their actions before any policy shifts. Risch, who will assume the foreign relations chair in January when Republicans take control of the Senate, pointed out that navigating US policy toward a regime led by a group with a history of terrorist ties was complicated. President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office on January 20, has voiced opposition to US involvement in the Syrian conflict. Advocates for lifting sanctions argue that easing restrictions could spur economic development and help the new regime rebuild. However, skeptics warn that removing sanctions prematurely could undermine human rights and jeopardise minority groups. Sanctions to remain The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed by the House on Wednesday (December 11), includes an extension of the Caesar sanctions until 2029. These sanctions penalise entities conducting business in Syria or with Russian and Iranian actors operating there. The Senate is expected to approve the legislation next week, and President Joe Biden is anticipated to sign it into law. Despite some calls to ease sanctions, most lawmakers remain steadfast in their opposition, citing the risks of empowering a regime with questionable human rights practices. With inputs from Reuters Opium production in Myanmar dropped by 4 per cent from 47,100 to 45,200 hectares in 2024 but it continues to be one of the leading manufacturer of the illicit drug read more In this undated photo made available Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), workers collect opium gum in a poppy field in Shan State, Myanmar. AP Myanmars opium production has slightly dropped for the first time since the militarys takeover in 2021 but the country remains the top producer of the illicit drug, a UN report shows. Armed rebels have long been harvesting poppies in the interiors of Myanmar which they eventually turn into heroin as law agencies turn a blind eye to its large-scale production. Last year Myanmar became the worlds biggest producer of opium, harvesting 1,080 tons of the narcotic more than double that of previous leader Afghanistan after the Taliban government cracked down on poppy cultivation. Advertisement The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in a report said that Myanmar grew a whopping 995 tons of opium in 2024. The production saw a marginal slump this year but the country continues to be the top producer of the narcotic in the world. Why was there a drop this year? There was a strong correlation between the reduced harvest and escalating conflict in traditional poppy-farming regions, research officer Inshik Sim told a news conference in Bangkok. Opium production dropped by 4 per cent from 47,100 to 45,200 hectares in 2024. The state of Shan which lies in the east accounts for about 80 per cent of poppy production in Myanmar. However, the region has been witnessing fighting this year, which the Myanmar Opium Survey 2024 says has pushed many poppy farmers to abandon their fields. Limitations on movement to remote areas and an extreme monsoon season were cited as other possible factors for the decrease. The report also found that oversupply in the regional heroin market and shifts in the drugs global supply chain may have reduced demand for opiate exports and led to price drops. Myanmar leads in opium production The decrease has not yielded any effect on the country being one of the largest producers of the drug after Afghanistan banned it in 2023. The amount of opium produced in Myanmar remains close to the highest levels we have seen since we first measured it more than 20 years ago, UNODC Regional Representative Masood Karimipour said. He added, As conflict dynamics in the country remain intense and the global supply chains adjust to the ban in Afghanistan, we see significant risk of a further expansion over the coming years. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Phuket, Thailand, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For Didi Taihuttu, cryptocurrency is more than just a technology or a financial toolits a way of life. Known globally as the man who sold all his possessions in 2016 to go all-in on Bitcoin, Taihuttu has become an icon for decentralized living and an advocate for financial freedom. With the launch of Didi Bam Bam, his latest initiative, Taihuttu aims to tackle one of the most significant challenges facing the cryptocurrency industry: accessibility. The Story of Didi Taihuttu Didi Taihuttus journey into cryptocurrency began with a bold decision. Frustrated with the traditional financial system, Taihuttu sold everythinghis house, car, and belongingsto invest in Bitcoin at a time when few saw its potential. His leap of faith paid off, and since then, he has dedicated his life to spreading the word about Bitcoin and decentralized technologies. Living with his family as digital nomads, Taihuttu has traveled the globe to educate and inspire others about the power of Bitcoin. His YouTube channel, The Bitcoin Family, documents their journey and serves as an educational resource for the broader crypto community. Decentralization is about more than money, Taihuttu says. Its about freedomfreedom to live, transact, and grow without being tied to centralized institutions. The Vision Behind Didi Bam Bam While Bitcoin has grown in popularity over the years, Taihuttu recognizes that a significant barrier to its adoption remains: understanding. The cryptocurrency industry is often filled with technical jargon, making it inaccessible to the average person. What people dont understand, they dont trust, Taihuttu explains. The language of crypto is too complicated for everyday users. Thats why we launched Didi Bam Bam. Didi Bam Bam is a comprehensive platform designed to simplify cryptocurrency education and promote global adoption. Its mission is to provide clear, engaging, and interactive resources for people at all levels of knowledge, from complete beginners to advanced users. How Didi Bam Bam Works Didi Bam Bams educational framework is based on progressive learning: Beginner-Friendly Content: The platform starts with the absolute basics, teaching concepts like Bitcoin, blockchain, and wallets in easy-to-understand terms. Interactive Learning Tools: To make learning engaging, Didi Bam Bam includes quizzes, games, and live sessions where users can interact with experts. Decentralized Community Building: The project envisions physical hubs, such as decentralized camping sites, where crypto enthusiasts and digital nomads can gather, share knowledge, and network. We wanted to create a space where people can grow with crypto, Taihuttu says. Whether youre a baby just starting out or a more advanced adult, theres a path for you within Didi Bam Bam. The Role of the Didi Bam Bam Token ($DDBAM) Launched on November 21, 2024, the Didi Bam Bam Token ($DDBAM) serves as the backbone of the projects ecosystem. Unlike meme coins that often lack utility, $DDBAM is designed to support real-world applications, including educational initiatives, community engagement, and incentivized participation. Since its launch, $DDBAM has reached significant milestones: Market Cap Peaks: The token achieved a peak market cap of $12 million and an all-time high of nearly $0.70. Accessible Entry Point: Following a brief correction, the tokens current market cap of $6 million offers an opportunity for newcomers to join the ecosystem at an accessible price point. Ecosystem Growth: The upcoming Telegram mini-app will provide staking, referral programs, and daily tasks, enhancing utility and driving community involvement. $DDBAM is more than just a tokenits a tool to drive adoption, Taihuttu emphasizes. It supports the Didi Bam Bam mission of making crypto accessible, practical, and impactful. A Vision for the Future Didi Bam Bam is more than an educational platform or a tokenits a movement. Taihuttu envisions a world where cryptocurrency isnt limited to experts or insiders but is embraced by people from all walks of life. This isnt just about investing or tradingits about empowering people with knowledge, Taihuttu says. Our goal is to create a decentralized ecosystem where education, community, and innovation thrive together. From educational resources to real-world community hubs, Didi Bam Bam represents a bold step toward making cryptocurrency not just understandable, but indispensable. Learn More For those looking to explore the world of cryptocurrency in a way thats approachable and engaging, Didi Bam Bam offers a unique opportunity to start or continue their journey. Visit https://www.didibambam.me/ to learn more about the Didi Bam Bam ecosystem, the $DDBAM token, and the vision thats changing how people experience crypto. About Didi Bam Bam Founded by Bitcoin pioneer Didi Taihuttu, Didi Bam Bam is a community-driven platform designed to simplify cryptocurrency education and drive global adoption. Combining interactive tools, real-world connections, and an innovative ecosystem, Didi Bam Bam empowers individuals to embrace the future of decentralized living. Twitter X: https://x.com/Didi_BamBam Telegram: https://t.me/Didi_BamBam Website: https://www.didibambam.me Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. TORONTO, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matador Technologies Inc. (Matador or the Company) wishes to issue a correction related to its previously announced press release dated December 12, 2024, (the "Release") in which the Company indicated it is focusing on digitizing real-world assets on the Bitcoin blockchain, and strategically deploying Bitcoin into other high potential projects building on top of the Bitcoin network. While Matador believes in the potential of utilizing blockchain for data management, scalability, and to incentivize young buyers to participate in the gold market, it has no definitive plans to adopt digitized assets in its service offerings or build on top of the Bitcoin network at this present time, other than in its proprietary application for the purchase and sale of gold. Matadors focus at the present time remains the development of its proprietary application for the purchase and sale of gold, as disclosed in its filing statement dated November 29, 2024, (the "Filing Statement") which continues to be on target for launch in early 2025. At current, the Company plans to incorporate blockchain-based data management technologies in the development of its proprietary application in order to enhance transparency and security, and ensure that transaction data is immutable, easily auditable, and decentralized, to protect against tampering and unauthorized access. To the extent that Matador determines to implement other operations related to Bitcoin or other blockchain technologies, such operations will be subject to the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable regulatory approvals. The Release contains statements attributed to Sunny Ray and Deven Soni, and the 'About Matador' section, which are inconsistent with the business description of Matador as disclosed to the TSX Venture Exchange and as outlined in the Filing Statement. While the Company remains excited for future potential prospects associated with the Bitcoin ecosystem, Matador is currently focused solely upon its proprietary application for the purchase and sale of gold. For greater certainty, the following section is to replace the 'About Matador' section in the Release: About Matador Technologies Inc. The Company was incorporated under the ABCA on November 1, 2021, and its registered and head office are located at 40 King St. West, Suite 2400, P.O. Box #215, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3Y2. The Company aims to democratize the gold buying experience, combining the best of modern technology and time-proven assets, to create an app that will allow users to buy, sell, and store gold 24/7, with the added security and flexibility of an encrypted mobile application. For additional information, please contact: Matador Investor Relations Contact: Sunny Ray E: sunny@matador.network P: 647.297.4760 Matador Marketing & Media Contact: Kimberly Verdin E: marketing@matador.network P: 647.831.1146 Connect with Matador: Website | Linkedin | X.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements relating to whether or not the Company engages in any future operations related to Bitcoin Ordinals or other blockchain technologies, and other statements that are not historical facts. Wherever possible, words such as may, will, should, could, expect, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict or potential or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions, including regulatory approvals and the availability of financing. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. Vabysmo PFS is the first and only prefilled syringe containing a bispecific antibody, offering a convenient alternative to currently available Vabysmo vials Vabysmo has demonstrated rapid and robust vision and anatomical improvements in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) The ready-to-use Vabysmo PFS is co-packaged with the only CE-marked needle specifically designed for intravitreal injection Basel, 13 December 2024 Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that the European Medicines Agency has approved Vabysmo (faricimab) 6.0 mg single-dose prefilled syringe (PFS) for use in the treatment of neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME) and macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Together, these three conditions affect more than nine million people in the European Union (EU) and can have a devastating impact physically, emotionally, and economically on those affected, their families and caregivers.1-5 Approval of the Vabysmo prefilled syringe in the EU offers a convenient way for ophthalmologists to administer this treatment for people with three of the most common causes of vision loss, said Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, Roches Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development. This simplified administration may thereby help reduce the treatment burden for patients and retina specialists. The Vabysmo PFS provides ophthalmologists with the first and only CE-labelled needle for intravitreal injection. Vabysmo PFS delivers the same medicine as the currently available 6.0 mg Vabysmo vials in an alternative, ready-to-use format.6 More than five million doses of Vabysmo have been distributed globally since its initial US approval in 2022.6-11 Vabysmo PFS was first approved for nAMD, DME and RVO by the United States Food and Drug Administration in July 2024.7 Vabysmo PFS will be the European Unions first and only prefilled syringe containing a bispecific antibody to treat retinal conditions that can cause blindness. About Vabysmo (faricimab) Vabysmo is the first bispecific antibody approved for the eye.7,8,12 It targets and inhibits two signalling pathways linked to a number of vision-threatening retinal conditions by neutralising angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). Ang-2 and VEGF-A contribute to vision loss by destabilising blood vessels, causing new leaky blood vessels to form and increasing inflammation. By blocking pathways involving Ang-2 and VEGF-A, Vabysmo is designed to stabilise blood vessels.12,13 Vabysmo is approved in more than 100 countries around the world, including the United States (US), Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU) for people with neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema, and in more than 30 countries, including the US, EU and Japan, for people with macular edema following retinal vein occlusion. Review by other health authorities is ongoing.6-11 About Roche in Ophthalmology Roche is focused on saving peoples eyesight from the leading causes of vision loss through pioneering therapies. Through our innovation in the scientific discovery of new potential drug targets, personalised healthcare, molecular engineering, biomarkers and continuous drug delivery, we strive to design the right therapies for the right patients. We have the broadest retina pipeline in ophthalmology, which is led by science and informed by insights from people with eye diseases. Our pipeline includes innovative treatments across different modalities, such as antibodies, and gene and cell therapies targeting multiple vision-threatening conditions, including retinal vascular and diabetic eye diseases, geographic atrophy, and autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid eye disease and uveitic macular edema. Applying our extensive experience, we have already brought breakthrough ophthalmic treatments to people living with vision loss. Susvimo (previously called Port Delivery System with ranibizumab) 100 mg/mL for intravitreal use via ocular implant is the first United States Food and Drug Administration-approved refillable eye implant for neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration that continuously delivers a customised formulation of ranibizumab over a period of months.14,15 Vabysmo (faricimab) is the first bispecific antibody approved for the eye, which targets and inhibits two signalling pathways linked to a number of vision-threatening retinal conditions by neutralising angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor-A.7,8,12,13 Vabysmo is approved around the world for people living with nAMD, diabetic macular edema and macular edema following retinal vein occlusion.6-11 Lucentis (ranibizumab injection)* was the first treatment approved to improve vision in people with certain retinal conditions.16 About Roche Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the worlds largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice. For over 125 years, sustainability has been an integral part of Roches business. As a science-driven company, our greatest contribution to society is developing innovative medicines and diagnostics that help people live healthier lives. Roche is committed to the Science Based Targets initiative and the Sustainable Markets Initiative to achieve net zero by 2045. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com . *Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) was developed by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. Genentech retains commercial rights in the United States and Novartis has exclusive commercial rights for the rest of the world. All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. References [1] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Macular degeneration age-related: how common is it? [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/macular-degeneration-age-related/background-information/prevalence . [2] Bright Focus Foundation. Age-related macular degeneration: facts & figures. [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://www.brightfocus.org/macular/article/age-related-macular-facts-figures . [3] European Commission. Diabetes prevention. [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/health-promotion-knowledge-gateway/diabetes-prevention . [4] Im JHB, et al. Prevalence of diabetic macular edema (DME) based on optical coherence tomography in people with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Survey of Ophthalmology. 2022 Jul-Aug;67(4):1244-1251. [5] Li JQ, et al. Prevalence of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ophthalmologica. 2019;241(4):183-189. [6] European Medicines Agency. Summary of product characteristics, Vabysmo. 2024. [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/vabysmo-epar-product-information_en.pdf . [7] United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Highlights of prescribing information, Vabysmo. 2024 [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/761235s005lbl.pdf . [8] Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approves faricimab through international work-sharing initiative. [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-approves-faricimab-through-international-work-sharing-initiative . [9] Chugai obtains regulatory approval for Vabysmo, the only bispecific antibody in the ophthalmology field, for additional indication of macular edema associated with RVO. [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://www.chugai-pharm.co.jp/english/news/detail/20240326160000_1054.html . [10] Chugai obtains regulatory approval for Vabysmo, the first bispecific antibody in ophthalmology, neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and DME. [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://www.chugai-pharm.co.jp/english/news/detail/20220328160002_909.html . [11] Roche data on file. [12] Heier JS, et al. Efficacy, durability, and safety of intravitreal faricimab up to every 16 weeks for nAMD (TENAYA and LUCERNE): two randomised, double-masked, phase III, non-inferiority trials. The Lancet. 2022; 399:729-40. [13] Wykoff C, et al. Efficacy, durability, and safety of intravitreal faricimab with extended dosing up to every 16 weeks in patients with DME (YOSEMITE and RHINE): Two randomised, double-masked, phase III trials. The Lancet. 2022; 399:741-755. [14] US FDA. Highlights of prescribing information, Susvimo. 2021. [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2021/761197s000lbl.pdf . [15] Holekamp N, et al. Archway randomised phase III trial of the Port Delivery System with ranibizumab for nAMD. Ophthalmology. 2021. [16] US FDA. Highlights of prescribing information, Lucentis. 2014. [Internet; cited December 2024]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2012/125156s0069s0076lbl.pdf . Roche Global Media Relations Phone: +41 61 688 8888 / e-mail: media.relations@roche.com Hans Trees, PhD Phone: +41 79 407 72 58 Sileia Urech Phone: +41 79 935 81 48 Nathalie Altermatt Phone: +41 79 771 05 25 Lorena Corfas Phone: +34 620 29 25 51 Simon Goldsborough Phone: +44 797 32 72 915 Karsten Kleine Phone: +41 79 461 86 83 Nina Mahlitz Phone: +41 79 327 54 74 Kirti Pandey Phone: +49 172 6367262 Yvette Petillon Phone: +41 79 961 92 50 Dr Rebekka Schnell Phone: +41 79 205 27 03 Roche Investor Relations Dr Bruno Eschli Phone: +41 61 68-75284 e-mail: bruno.eschli@roche.com Dr Sabine Borngraber Phone: +41 61 68-88027 e-mail: sabine.borngraeber@roche.com Dr Birgit Masjost Phone: +41 61 68-84814 e-mail: birgit.masjost@roche.com Investor Relations North America Loren Kalm Phone: +1 650 225 3217 e-mail: kalm.loren@gene.com Attachment ZHUHAI, China, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Huangmaohai Link, a new major cross-sea passage project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, went into trial operation on December 11. This project, designed as a two-way, six-lane expressway with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour, runs about 31 kilometers from Pingsha Town in the city of Zhuhai to Doushan Town in the city of Taishan, part of Jiangmen. Upon operation, the journey time between the two cities will be reduced from more than one hour to around 30 minutes. A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link. As the western extension of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the passage began construction in June 2020 and passed its acceptance inspection in November 2024. It encompasses two main bridges, namely the Gaolan Port Bridge and the Huangmaohai Bridge, the world's longest three-tower cable-stayed highway design bridge. By connecting Hong Kong and Macao through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the passage offers the impressive scenery of slender-waisted towers on the sea and flocks of gracefully flying egrets. Beyond that, it leads tourists to such attractions of Jiangmen as age-old watchtowers and eco-friendly Birds' Paradise, a wetland park, where they can find their way to local eateries providing seafood. The administration center of the Huangmaohai Link introduced that the project, overseen by Guangdong Provincial Communication Group and involving 31 organizations and nearly 10,000 workers, navigated formidable challenges, including frequent super typhoons, completing in just six years a pace that reflects what officials call the "Huangmaohai speed". Not merely functional, the passage incorporates striking aesthetics. Two main bridges, the Gaolan Port Bridge and the Huangmaohai Bridge, boast five cable-stayed towers, resembling slender waists rising gracefully over the sea. Beyond appearances, the project pioneers seven innovations, including the structure of the curve-faced single-pole reinforced concrete tower and aerodynamic controls for suppressing flutter and vortex-induced vibrations in split-type steel box girders. Billed as the "greenest cross-sea passage", the project ecologically bypasses protected natural reserves and offers the sight of egrets flying in tandem with the passage, underscoring a vision of natural, humanistic, and cultural beauty. For residents of Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and overseas Chinese, the passage offers the fastest route to Jiangmen via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Together with other major routes in the Greater Bay Area, such as the Huangpu Bridge, Nansha Bridge, Humen Bridge, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, it will weave a vast network of cross-sea and cross-river connections across the Greater Bay Area. This ambitious network is poised to accelerate the region's transformation into a world-class transportation hub, fostering deeper integration across industries, technology, culture, and tourism between the Greater Bay Area and western Guangdong. Source: The Administration Center of the Huangmaohai Cross-Sea Passage XChains industry-leading lifecycle support will be a huge boost to VASPs requiring end-to-end digital asset risk monitoring and compliance frameworks for on-chain transactions XChain and VARA are further advancing their partnership to build a standardized regulatory dashboard, which when rolled out will benefit TradFi institutions, including banks dealing with digital assets Dubai, United Arab Emirates , Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global digital assets risk monitoring provider XChain , which has been working with Dubais VARA since 2022 as its exclusive forensic transaction monitoring partner, has announced the rollout of its services for institutional and retail Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) in the region. The public launch of XChains transaction monitoring services will benefit VASPs, and eventually traditional financial institutions venturing into digital assets, offering much needed lifecycle support in areas of crypto oversight, compliance frameworks and transaction monitoring forensics. By providing the regions VASPs full visibility on the necessary regulatory and compliance frameworks, XChain aims to solve for key risk factors in on-chain transactions, enabling service providers to ultimately gain real-time insights into their risk metrics. XChains early intervention efforts will further establish a reliable and transparent monitoring foundation for VASPs, preparing them for proactive risk management as it relates to their different business models. Haydn Jones, the newly appointed Managing Director of XChain, said: With an increasing number of companies looking to tap into UAEs digital assets industry, we are privileged to continue our work streamlining access to on-chain transaction risk-based analytics. It is therefore imperative for the compliance functions within VASPs to have access to the latest thinking, and we are proud to be at the forefront of blockchain forensics and asset monitoring to build a trusted and reliable framework that offers end-to-end support. Matthew White, CEO of VARA commented: "At VARA, we are committed to fostering innovation while ensuring robust regulatory standards for the virtual asset ecosystem. XChains rollout of its transaction monitoring services represents a significant step forward in enabling VASPs to operate with enhanced transparency and confidence. We are pleased to collaborate with XChain in setting new benchmarks for regulatory technology, which will not only benefit the digital asset sector but also build bridges with traditional financial institutions exploring this space." Building the Gold Standard in Forensic Transaction Monitoring VARA and XChain are also working on a regulatory dashboard tool to advance the existing on-chain transaction monitoring standards for the regions digital assets ecosystem. The dashboard, expected to be launched in beta later this year, will offer real-time on-chain data and open-source intelligence derived from VASPs, enabling such institutions, as well as TradFi and professional services companies dealing with digital assets, to integrate a unified risk monitoring tool that adheres to the gold standard in Virtual Assets Regulatory Technology. For more information, visit https://xchain.com/ . -ENDS- Dublin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Biopharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology Market by Product, Technology, Application, End-users and Region - Global Forecast 2025-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Biopharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology Market grew from USD 1.54 billion in 2023 to USD 1.68 billion in 2024. It is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 9.96%, reaching USD 2.99 billion by 2030. Market growth for biopharmaceutical PAT is primarily driven by increasing biopharmaceutical production demands, stringent quality regulations, and the pursuit of process efficiency improvements. Innovation, such as the integration of advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, presents potential growth opportunities by enhancing predictive capabilities and decision-making processes. These technologies can be harnessed to optimize process parameters, reduce defects, and enable continuous manufacturing. However, market challenges include high implementation costs, technical complexities involved in the integration of PAT into existing systems, and a lack of skilled personnel. Furthermore, the sector's rapid technological evolution requires significant investment in research and development, which can be a barrier for smaller enterprises. Best areas for innovation include sensor technology development, cloud-based analytics platforms, and adaptive control strategies to enhance real-time monitoring capabilities. The nature of this market is dynamic and highly competitive, necessitating ongoing innovation and strategic collaborations between technology providers and biopharmaceutical manufacturers to maintain a competitive edge. Businesses must focus on tailored solutions that address specific production needs and emphasize cost-effectiveness to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the biopharmaceutical PAT landscape. Market Segmentation & Coverage This research report categorizes the Biopharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology Market to forecast the revenues and analyze trends in each of the following sub-markets: Product Analytical Instruments Sensor & Probes Software & Services Technology Capillary Electrophoresis Liquid Chromatography Particle Size Analysis Spectroscopy Mass Spectroscopy Ultraviolet Spectroscopy Application Bioanalytics Biopharmaceuticals Processing Drug Development End-Users Academic & Research Institutions Biopharmaceutical Companies Contract Manufacturing Organizations Contract Research Organizations Region Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Mexico United States Asia-Pacific Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand Vietnam Europe, Middle East & Africa Denmark Egypt Finland France Germany Israel Italy Netherlands Nigeria Norway Poland Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom The report provides a detailed overview of the market, exploring several key areas: Market Penetration: A thorough examination of the current market landscape, featuring comprehensive data from leading industry players and analyzing their reach and influence across the market. Market Development: The report identifies significant growth opportunities in emerging markets and assesses expansion potential within established segments, providing a roadmap for future development. Market Diversification: In-depth coverage of recent product launches, untapped geographic regions, significant industry developments, and strategic investments reshaping the market landscape. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: A detailed analysis of the competitive landscape, covering market share, business strategies, product portfolios, certifications, regulatory approvals, patent trends, technological advancements, and innovations in manufacturing by key market players. Product Development & Innovation: Insight into groundbreaking technologies, R&D efforts, and product innovations that will drive the market in future. Additionally, the report addresses key questions to assist stakeholders in making informed decisions: What is the current size of the market, and how is it expected to grow? Which products, segments, and regions present the most attractive investment opportunities? What are the prevailing technology trends and regulatory factors influencing the market? How do top vendors rank regarding market share and competitive positioning? What revenue sources and strategic opportunities guide vendors' market entry or exit decisions? Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 190 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $1.68 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $2.99 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.9% Regions Covered Global The leading players in the Biopharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology Market, which are profiled in this report, include: ABB Ltd. Agilent Technologies, Inc. Anton Paar GmbH Bio-Rad Laboratories Bruker Corporation Carl Zeiss AG Danaher Corporation Emerson Electric Co. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG GL Sciences Inc. Hamilton Company Horiba, Ltd. Jasco, Inc. Merck KGaA Mettler-Toledo International Inc. PerkinElmer, Inc. Sartorius AG SCION Instruments NL BV Shimadzu Corporation Siemens Healthineers Spectris PLC SRI Instruments Europe GmbH Teledyne Technologies Incorporated Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. Waters Corporation Biopharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology Market Dynamics Market Drivers Increasing demand for biopharmaceuticals biologics Regulatory bodies worldwide, endorse the use of PAT to ensure drug quality and manufacturing efficiency Market Restraints High implementation costs and limited standardization Market Opportunities Supportive regulatory frameworks and policies that streamline the approval process for biopharmaceutical products Continuous investment in R&D is vital for the development of next-generation biopharmaceuticals and related technologies Market Challenges Complexities in product development and impact of counterfeit product For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r0rcjg About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Allentown, PA, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business have named JULABO USA as one of the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania. The awards are held in partnership with Best Companies Group. We are incredibly honored to be named for this award, but our placement does not come as a surprise to me, said Ralph Juchheim, President of JULABO USA. Our company is one of the best places to work because of the best people. Best Places to Work in PA identifies, recognizes and honors the best places of employment in Pennsylvania in three categories based on company size. JULABO USA took home Top 20 (#18) in the Small Employer category (15-99 employees). Best Companies Group, a third party, managed the overall survey process and analyzed the data to determine the final rankings in two parts. At seventy-five percent, the employee survey held considerable weight, which is significant because it directly measures the employee experience. The 2024 Best Places to Work in PA winners are champions of business. They know employees who are appreciated, engaged and challenged provide top customer service and the delivery of a quality product, said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, Managing Director of BridgeTower Media/Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business. Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business join the Best Companies Group in congratulating this years honorees. The final rankings were announced at an awards ceremony on December 12. Winners will be profiled in a publication that will be inserted into the December 16 issue of Lehigh Valley Business and the December 20 issue of Central Penn Business Journal. The magazine will be available online at CPBJ.com and LVB.com. For more information about the event, visit lvb.com/event/best-places-work-pa/. About JULABO USA JULABO USA is the leader in highly dynamic and precise temperature control solutions for applications in science, research, laboratories, and industry. Products include refrigerated circulators, heated circulators, temperature control systems, recirculating chillers, water baths, flow-through coolers, viscometer baths, sous vide cooking solutions and various accessories. About Central Penn Business Journal Central Penn Business Journal is the leading source of business news and information in Central Pennsylvania for the past 40 years. In addition to breaking news on its multimedia news site at CPBJ.com, it also publishes a biweekly print edition. Central Penn Business Journal publishes various special focus sections on topics such as real estate and construction and mergers and acquisitions in addition to the yearly Book of Lists. It also hosts 11 annual events, including Women of Influence, Reader Rankings, Fastest Growing Companies and Best Places to Work in PA, to recognize excellence and provide leadership opportunities. In addition, Central Penn Business Journal facilitates webinars bringing local experts from the business community together to discuss current topics and trends. Its Digital Marketing Solutions helps customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting, email marketing and more. Central Penn Business Journal and its sister publication, Lehigh Valley Business, which covers business in the Lehigh Valley, are part of BridgeTower Media, the leading provider of B2B information, research, events and marketing solutions across more than 25 U.S. markets and industries. About Lehigh Valley Business Lehigh Valley Business is a multimedia news source with 38 years of journalistic excellence that breaks news daily on its website, LVB.com. It also publishes a print and online edition. In addition, Lehigh Valley Business publishes special focus sections and products throughout the year including Reader Rankings plus the yearly Book of Lists. It also hosts eight annual events, including Women of Influence, Icon Honors and Forty Under 40, to recognize excellence and provide leadership opportunities. Lehigh Valley Business facilitates thoughtful discussion with market leaders through its webinar series. Its Digital Marketing Solutions helps customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting, email marketing and more. Lehigh Valley Business and its sister publication, Central Penn Business Journal, which covers business in Central Pennsylvania, are part of BridgeTower Media, the leading provider of B2B information, research, events and marketing solutions across more than 25 U.S. markets and industries. About Best Companies Group Since 2004, Best Companies Group has specialized in identifying and recognizing great employers to work for. Best Companies Group is an independent research firm that ranks companies based on established research methodology. The surveys provide actionable, hard-to-obtain data that companies use to improve employee recruitment and retention. For more information, visit bestcompaniesgroup.com. Attachments MONTREAL, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Development Corp. (NYSE: ODV, TSXV: ODV) ("Osisko Development" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a progress update for its ongoing bulk sample and underground development activities at its 100%-owned Cariboo Gold Project ("Cariboo" or the "Project") located in central British Columbia ("BC"), Canada. The Company has now successfully completed 100% of the underground development, totalling approximately 1,172 meters, to access the target area of the contemplated bulk sample in the Lowhee Zone of the deposit. Preparations are underway and in their final stages to extract 10,000 metric tonnes of mineralized material. Stope preparation is largely complete with blasting and extraction expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Results of the bulk sample are anticipated in Q1 2025 supporting ongoing work on the optimized feasibility study expected to be completed in Q2 2025. "Our team has made significant progress on underground development with ~1.2 kilometers completed to reach the bulk sample target area. We are now in the heart of the orebody in the Lowhee Zone and getting preliminary visual confirmation of the geology underpinning the Cariboo Gold Project. We have included some images from these zones in this release and are encouraged by our preliminary assessments. Once the bulk sample is extracted, it will undergo ore sorter testing at Tomra's facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and processing into a concentrate. These steps will provide valuable grade reconciliation data relative to the resource model and validate our assumptions on ore sorting. Both efforts are expected to significantly derisk the project from a technical standpoint as we continue to progress towards securing a fully funded financing solution to advance the project," commented Sean Roosen, Founder, Chairman and CEO. Figure 1: Visible sulfide mineralization in the bottom sill development. Figure 2: Bulk sample location. Ramp progress 100% complete. Qualified Persons The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Daniel Downton, P.Geo., Chief Resource Geologist of Osisko Development, a "qualified person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Technical Reports Information relating to the Cariboo Gold Project and the current feasibility on the Cariboo Gold Project and the assumptions, qualifications and limitations thereof is supported by the technical report titled "Feasibility Study for the Cariboo Gold Project, District of Well, British Columbia, Canada", dated January 10, 2023 (amended January 12, 2023) with an effective date of December 30, 2022 prepared for the Company by independent representatives BBA Engineering Ltd. and supported by independent consulting firms, including InnovExplo Inc., SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc., Golder Associates Ltd. (amalgamated with WSP Canada Inc. on January 1, 2023, to form WSP Canada Inc.), WSP USA Inc., Falkirk Environmental Consultants Ltd., Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd., KCC Geoconsulting Inc., and JDS Energy & Mining Inc. (the " 2023 Cariboo FS"). Reference should be made to the full text of the Cariboo Technical Report, which was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and is available electronically on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and on EDGAR (www.sec.gov) under Osisko Development's issuer profile and on the Company's website at www.osiskodev.com. ABOUT OSISKO DEVELOPMENT CORP. Osisko Development Corp. is a North American gold development company focused on past-producing mining camps located in mining friendly jurisdictions with district scale potential. The Company's objective is to become an intermediate gold producer by advancing its 100%-owned Cariboo Gold Project, located in central B.C., Canada, the Tintic Project in the historic East Tintic mining district in Utah, U.S.A., and the San Antonio Gold Project in Sonora, Mexico. In addition to considerable brownfield exploration potential of these properties, that benefit from significant historical mining data, existing infrastructure and access to skilled labour, the Company's project pipeline is complemented by other prospective exploration properties. The Company's strategy is to develop attractive, long-life, socially and environmentally sustainable mining assets, while minimizing exposure to development risk and growing mineral resources. For further information, visit our website at www.osiskodev.com or contact: Sean Roosen Philip Rabenok Chairman and CEO Director, Investor Relations Email: sroosen@osiskodev.com Email: prabenok@osiskodev.com Tel: +1 (514) 940-0685 Tel: +1 (437) 423-3644 CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements contained in this news release may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (together, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements, by their nature, require Osisko Development to make certain assumptions and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. Words such as "may", "will", "would", "could", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "continue", or the negative or comparable terminology, as well as terms usually used in the future and the conditional, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Information contained in forward-looking statements is based upon certain material assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection, including the assumptions, qualifications and limitations relating to the Company being construction and operation ready; unlocking Cariboo's potential for shareholders, Indigenous nations and other stakeholders; the job creation and long-term opportunities created for the community; the ability of the Company to complete the optimized feasibility study and the scope, results and timing of thereof; progress in respect of pre-construction activities at Cariboo including bulk sample and underground development work; category conversion; the timing and status of permitting; the future development and operations at the Cariboo Gold Project; the results of ongoing stakeholder engagement; the capital resources available to the Company; the ability of the Company to execute its planned activities, including as a result of its ability to seek additional funding; the ability of the Company to obtain future financing and the terms of such financing including a fully-funded solution for the Cariboo Gold Project; management's perceptions of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments; the ability and timing for Cariboo to reach commercial production (if at all); sustainability and environmental impacts of operations at the Company's properties; the results (if any) of further exploration work to define and expand mineral resources; the ability of exploration work (including drilling) to accurately predict mineralization; the ability of the Company to expand mineral resources beyond current mineral resource estimates; the ability of the Company to complete its exploration and development objectives for its projects in the timing contemplated and within expected costs (if at all); the ability and timing for Cariboo to reach commercial production (if at all); the ability to adapt to changes in gold prices, estimates of costs, estimates of planned exploration and development expenditures; the ability of the Company to obtain further capital on reasonable terms; the profitability (if at all) of the Company's operations; as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances, and any other information herein that is not a historical fact may be "forward looking information". Material assumptions also include, management's perceptions of historical trends, management's understanding of the permitting process and status thereof, the ability of exploration (including drilling and chip sampling assays, and face sampling) to accurately predict mineralization, budget constraints and access to capital on terms acceptable to the Company, current conditions and expected future developments, regulatory framework remaining defined and understood, results of further exploration work to define or expand any mineral resources, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. Osisko Development considers its assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, but cautions the reader that their assumptions regarding future events, many of which are beyond the control of Osisko Development, may ultimately prove to be incorrect since they are subject to risks and uncertainties that affect Osisko Development and its business. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks relating to third-party approvals, including the issuance of permits by the government, capital market conditions and the Company's ability to access capital on terms acceptable to the Company for the contemplated exploration and development at the Company's properties; the ability to continue current operations and exploration; regulatory framework and presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; the ability of exploration activities (including drill results and chip sampling, and face sampling results) to accurately predict mineralization; errors in management's geological modelling; the timing and ability of the Company to obtain required approvals and permits; the results of exploration activities; risks relating to exploration, development and mining activities; the global economic climate; metal and commodity prices; fluctuations in the currency markets; dilution; environmental risks; and community, non-governmental and governmental actions and the impact of stakeholder actions. Osisko Development is confident a robust consultation process was followed in relation to its received BC Mines Act and Environmental Management Act permits for the Cariboo Gold Project and continues to actively consult and engage with Indigenous nations and stakeholders. While any party may seek to have the decision related to the BC Mines Act and/or Environmental Management Act permits reviewed by the courts, the Company does not expect that such a review will impact its ability to proceed with the construction and operation of the Cariboo Gold Project in accordance with the approved BC Mines Act and Environmental Management Act permits. Readers are urged to consult the disclosure provided under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 as well as the financial statements and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, which have been filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under Osisko Development's issuer profile and on the SEC's EDGAR website (www.sec.gov), for further information regarding the risks and other factors facing the Company, its business and operations. Although the Company's believes the expectations conveyed by the forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information available as of the date hereof, no assurances can be given as to future results, levels of activity and achievements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6144ffd-004b-45be-a5e2-c4a2595a6329 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d84f980d-0290-41a5-a5c2-de6634b55e8c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4af886f5-fe34-4b58-b196-bb0c1ed81812 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c52b7dd-30fc-4e8b-a8fe-79d7bebfafc3 Dublin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Growth Opportunities for Environmental Sustainability in the Space Industry" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The space industry is rapidly evolving as a critical driver of environmental sustainability, underpinned by the urgent global need to combat climate change. This study identifies the key growth opportunities for market participants and stakeholders in the sector, focusing on how advancements in satellite technology, innovative manufacturing processes, and strategic partnerships are shaping the future of sustainable space operations. As demand for satellite-enabled environmental solutions surges, technologies such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and hyperspectral imaging are enabling precise monitoring of critical environmental variables. These advancements support sustainability efforts across industries, including agriculture, energy, urban planning, and natural resource management, while contributing to global objectives like the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs). The report also highlights the transformative potential of additive manufacturing and in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) technologies. Additive manufacturing facilitates the production of lighter, more efficient satellite components, reducing launch costs and emissions. ISAM offers innovative solutions for in-orbit maintenance, extending satellite lifespans and minimizing space debris. Together, these technologies enhance operational efficiency and drive sustainability across the space value chain. The space sector has to navigate challenges such as high initial costs, evolving regulatory landscapes, and the technical complexities of debris management. However, by leveraging advanced analytics, fostering international collaboration, and investing in cutting-edge green technologies, the industry is well-positioned to lead the charge toward a more sustainable future, both on Earth and in its orbit. Key Topics Covered: Strategic Imperatives The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on Environmental Sustainability in the Space Industry Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine Growth Opportunity Analysis Growth Drivers Analysis Growth Restraint Analysis Project Outline Aligning the Space Industry with the UN SDGs UN SDGs SDGs Economic Development Goals Environmental Development Goals Technologies - Key Applications Sustainability of the Space Launch Vehicles and the Ground Segment Space Launch Vehicles and the Ground Segment Space Launch Vehicles and the Ground Segment - Propellants Competitive Landscape - Propellants Space Launch Vehicles and the Ground Segment - Reusable Launch Vehicles Competitive Landscape - Space Launch Vehicles Space Launch Vehicles and the Ground Segment - Manufacturing Competitive Landscape - Additive Manufacturing Market Maturity vs. Time Horizon - Sustainable Technologies for the Space Launch Vehicles and the Ground Segment Sustainability in Space Sustainability in Space Sustainability in Space - Space Debris Removal and Deorbiting Systems Competitive Landscape - ADR Sustainability in Space - In-orbit Servicing Competitive Environment - In-orbit Servicing Sustainability in Space - Orbital Congestion Competitive Environment - SSA and STM Companies Sustainability in Space - Anti-satellite Testing Market Maturity vs. Time Horizon - In-orbit Sustainability Sustainability Regulations and Initiatives Key Space Sustainability Regulations and Initiatives Growth Opportunity Universe Growth Opportunity 1: Environmental Applications Growth Opportunity 2: Additive Manufacturing Growth Opportunity 3: In-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) Appendix & Next Steps Benefits and Impacts of Growth Opportunities Action Items & Next Steps For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/c7oc6g 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. Austin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SNS Insider, The Military Wearable Medical Device Market reached USD 7.84 billion in 2023 and is estimated to grow up to USD 64.47 billion by 2032 at a CAGR of 26.40% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2032. As modern military operations become complicated, there is a growing need to monitor soldiers' health on the battlefield in real-time, and wearable medical devices for integration into military healthcare systems are revolutionizing the delivery of medical support on the battlefields, ensuring that personnel will be able to continue carrying out their missions with enhanced health management. These devices monitor health parameters such as heart rate, oxygen levels, body temperature, and fatigue, providing essential data that can prevent health crises in high-stress combat environments. Market Overview The military wearable medical device market is experiencing substantial growth driven by several factors, including increasing military budgets, advancements in sensor technologies, and rising awareness about the importance of real-time health monitoring for soldiers. With soldiers constantly exposed to physically demanding and hazardous environments, these devices are essential in providing instant feedback on their health and readiness. Get a Sample Report of Military Wearable Medical Device Market@ https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/1267 Demand for wearable medical devices is surging, particularly due to their ability to detect critical health issues before they become life-threatening. The military is more focused on prevention rather than treatment, and wearable devices are becoming the cornerstone of this shift. These devices are equipped with sensors that can track vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, hydration levels, and even early signs of fatigue, which is crucial in reducing injuries and optimizing soldiers' performance. Major Players Analysis Listed in this Report are: Bittium Polar Electro Oura Garmin NeuroMetrix GOQii Apple Inc. Samsung Fitbit Zephyr Technology Corporation Camntech Military Wearable Medical Device Market Report Scope: Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2023 US$ 7.84 billion Market Size by 2032 US$ 64.47 billion CAGR CAGR of 26.40% From 2024 to 2032 Base Year 2023 Forecast Period 2024-2032 Historical Data 2020-2022 Key Regional Coverage North America (US, Canada, Mexico), Europe (Eastern Europe [Poland, Romania, Hungary, Turkey, Rest of Eastern Europe] Western Europe] Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Rest of Western Europe]), Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific), Middle East & Africa (Middle East [UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Rest of Middle East]), Africa [Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of Africa], Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia Rest of Latin America) Segment Analysis By Application: The heart monitor segment emerged as the largest contributor to the military wearable medical device market in 2023, accounting for approximately 75.0% of the market share. This dominance is driven by the critical need to monitor soldiers' cardiovascular health during high-stress training and combat scenarios. The harsh physical demands of military operations, coupled with psychological pressures, make soldiers vulnerable to cardiovascular issues such as arrhythmias and heart strain. Wearable heart monitors provide real-time data on heart rate variability, helping military healthcare providers detect potential issues early and intervene before they escalate into severe problems. The widespread adoption of these devices highlights the military's commitment to safeguarding the health of its personnel and reducing fatalities related to cardiovascular complications. The performance monitor segment is the fastest-growing application in the military wearable medical device market. These devices are gaining traction due to their ability to track crucial metrics such as fatigue, endurance, hydration, and physical strain. By providing real-time feedback on soldiers' physical conditions, performance monitors help commanders optimize training and mission execution. The demand for such devices is particularly driven by the increasing emphasis on enhancing soldier operational readiness and minimizing injuries during physically demanding operations. The integration of advanced analytics and cloud connectivity further boosts the functionality and adoption of these performance monitors. This segment is expected to grow significantly due to its role in improving soldier efficiency and preventing overexertion during missions. Need any customization research on Military Wearable Medical Device Market, Enquire Now@ https://www.snsinsider.com/enquiry/1267 Military Wearable Medical Device Market Key Segmentation: By Application Heart Monitor Sick Alert Heart Rate Variability Performance Monitor Sleep-wake Cycle Alert Core Body Temperature Monitoring Regional Analysis In 2023, North America held the largest share of the military wearable medical device market, driven primarily by the United States Department of Defense's continuous investment in innovative health monitoring technologies for soldiers. The U.S. is at the forefront of military wearable medical devices, contributing to the development of advanced systems capable of monitoring a wide range of health metrics. The Asia Pacific region is expected to experience the highest growth rate during the forecast period, largely due to increasing defense budgets and technological advancements in countries like China, India, and Japan. These nations are focusing on enhancing the health and performance of their military personnel with cutting-edge wearable medical technologies. Europe is also witnessing significant developments in military health systems, with countries such as the UK and Germany incorporating wearable medical devices into their armed forces. Recent Developments In June 2024 , INVIZA Health was awarded a USD 2.3 million SEMI NBMC contract by the U.S. Air Force to enhance military and medical monitoring with its InvizaCare M1.0 platform. This innovative solution integrates machine learning, self-charging smart insoles, and secure cloud-based platforms for real-time health monitoring of airmen and military personnel. , INVIZA Health was awarded a USD 2.3 million SEMI NBMC contract by the U.S. Air Force to enhance military and medical monitoring with its InvizaCare M1.0 platform. This innovative solution integrates machine learning, self-charging smart insoles, and secure cloud-based platforms for real-time health monitoring of airmen and military personnel. In April 2023 , The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), through its Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), partnered with the private sector to develop wearable technology capable of rapidly detecting diseases such as infections. This innovation proved highly effective during the COVID-19 pandemic, enhancing the ability to monitor and manage soldier health in real-time. , The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), through its Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), partnered with the private sector to develop wearable technology capable of rapidly detecting diseases such as infections. This innovation proved highly effective during the COVID-19 pandemic, enhancing the ability to monitor and manage soldier health in real-time. In November 2023, Dallas-based Articulate Labs, in partnership with the Military Consortium, was awarded USD 1.3 million to conduct a clinical trial testing its innovative knee injury wearable technology. The funding will support efforts to accelerate the rehabilitation of service members, enabling faster recovery and a quicker return to duty. Conclusion The military wearable medical device market is on a rapid growth trajectory, driven by technological innovations aimed at enhancing soldier health and performance. Advances in heart monitoring, performance tracking, and disease detection have been key drivers in the expansion of this market to USD 64.47 billion by 2032. Such equipment demands will continue to increase exponentially as military forces across the globe increasingly embrace these technologies, thereby supporting health and safety as well as enabling operational readiness for military members. Buy a Single-User PDF of Military Wearable Medical Device Market Analysis & Outlook Report 2024-2032@ https://www.snsinsider.com/checkout/1267 Table of Contents Major Key Points 1. Introduction 2. Executive Summary 3. Research Methodology 4. Market Dynamics Impact Analysis 5. Statistical Insights and Trends Reporting 5.1 Incidence and Prevalence (2023) 5.2 Prescription Trends, (2023), by Region 5.3 Device Volume, by Region (2020-2032) 5.4 Healthcare Spending, by Region, (Government, Commercial, Private, Out-of-Pocket), 2023 6. Competitive Landscape 7. Military Wearable Medical Device Market Segmentation, by Application 8. Regional Analysis 9. Company Profiles 10. Use Cases and Best Practices 11. Conclusion Access Complete Report Details of Military Wearable Medical Device Market Analysis & Outlook 2024-2032@ https://www.snsinsider.com/reports/military-wearable-medical-device-market-1267 Buying Options 5 Reports Pack (USD 7500) 10 Report Pack (USD 12000) Vertical Subscription (150 Reports Pack Valid for 1 Year) Use this link to Purchase above packs @ https://www.snsinsider.com/subscription About Us: SNS Insider is one of the leading market research and consulting agencies that dominates the market research industry globally. Our company's aim is to give clients the knowledge they require in order to function in changing circumstances. In order to give you current, accurate market data, consumer insights, and opinions so that you can make decisions with confidence, we employ a variety of techniques, including surveys, video talks, and focus groups around the world. Dublin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Organic Fertilizers - Global Strategic Business Report" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global market for Organic Fertilizers was estimated at US$11.7 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$15.7 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2023 to 2030. What Is Fueling the Growth in the Organic Fertilizers Market? The growth in the organic fertilizers market is driven by several key factors, including the increasing demand for organic food, rising environmental concerns, and a shift toward sustainable farming practices. As consumers become more health-conscious and environmentally aware, there is a significant demand for organic food products free from synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms. Organic fertilizers are essential for certified organic farming, as they provide the nutrients needed for crop growth while adhering to organic farming principles. This demand from the organic food market has spurred farmers to adopt organic fertilizers, as they are necessary to maintain organic certification and meet consumer expectations for natural, chemical-free produce. As a result, the organic food industry's expansion is directly contributing to the growth of the organic fertilizers market, creating opportunities for fertilizer producers and suppliers to serve a rapidly growing segment. Environmental concerns and the impact of conventional fertilizers on ecosystems are also driving the adoption of organic fertilizers. Conventional fertilizers often contribute to soil degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, raising questions about their long-term sustainability. Organic fertilizers, on the other hand, offer an eco-friendly alternative that reduces pollution, enhances soil biodiversity, and promotes carbon sequestration. As governments and environmental organizations push for sustainable agriculture, there is a growing emphasis on reducing the environmental footprint of farming, encouraging farmers to switch to organic fertilizers. Policy incentives, such as subsidies for sustainable practices and regulations to limit synthetic fertilizer usage, are further promoting the adoption of organic fertilizers. With increasing pressure to adopt sustainable farming practices, the market for organic fertilizers is experiencing steady growth as more farmers transition to environmentally responsible inputs. The rise of regenerative and organic farming movements is also fueling demand for organic fertilizers, as these approaches prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and resilience. Regenerative farming, which aims to restore and enhance the health of degraded soils, relies heavily on organic inputs like compost and manure to rebuild soil fertility and microbial life. This practice aligns closely with the principles of organic fertilizers, which improve soil structure, support biodiversity, and reduce reliance on external inputs. As more farmers adopt regenerative practices to build resilient, productive ecosystems, the demand for organic fertilizers is expected to grow. The shift toward holistic, sustainable agricultural models underscores the critical role of organic fertilizers in supporting productive, environmentally friendly farming systems, reinforcing their importance in a market that values sustainability, health, and environmental stewardship. Scope of the Study The report analyzes the Organic Fertilizers market, presented in terms of market value (US$ Million). Segments Source (Plant, Animal, Mineral) Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oilseed & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables, Other Crop Types) Form (Dry, Liquid) Key Insights: Market Growth: Understand the significant growth trajectory of the Plant Source segment, which is expected to reach US$9.0 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of a 4.9%. The Animal Source segment is also set to grow at 3.5% CAGR over the analysis period. Regional Analysis: Gain insights into the U.S. market, estimated at $3.2 Billion in 2023, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 4.0% CAGR to reach $2.5 Billion by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific. Key Questions Answered: How is the Global Organic Fertilizers Market expected to evolve by 2030? What are the main drivers and restraints affecting the market? Which market segments will grow the most over the forecast period? How will market shares for different regions and segments change by 2030? Who are the leading players in the market, and what are their prospects? Report Features: Comprehensive Market Data: Independent analysis of annual sales and market forecasts in US$ Million from 2023 to 2030. In-Depth Regional Analysis: Detailed insights into key markets, including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Company Profiles: Coverage of major players in the Global Organic Fertilizers Market such as AgroCare Canada, Inc., BioStar Systems, LLC, Coromandel International Limited, ILSA S.p.A, Italpollina SpA and more. Complimentary Updates: Receive free report updates for one year to keep you informed of the latest market developments. Some of the 78 companies featured in this Global Organic Fertilizers Market report include: AgroCare Canada. BioStar Systems Coromandel International ILSA Italpollina Krishak Bharati Cooperative Midwestern BioAg National Fertilizers Nature Safe Perfect Blend Sustane Natural Fertilizer Tata Chemicals Limited The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 111 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $11.7 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $15.7 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.3% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: MARKET OVERVIEW World Market Trajectories Global Economic Update Organic Fertilizers - Global Key Competitors Percentage Market Share in 2024 (E) Competitive Market Presence - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial for Players Worldwide in 2024 (E) MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Growing Focus on Sustainable Agriculture Drives Organic Fertilizer Adoption Increasing Demand for Organic Food Propels Organic Fertilizer Market Growth Regulatory Support for Organic Farming Sets the Stage for Fertilizer Market Expansion Rising Soil Health Awareness Strengthens Demand for Organic Fertilizers Innovations in Bio-Based Fertilizers Expand Market Potential Increasing Use of Organic Fertilizers in Integrated Pest Management Spurs Demand Growing Adoption of Organic Fertilizers in Horticulture Expands Addressable Market Environmental Concerns Over Chemical Fertilizers Propel Organic Alternatives Rising Adoption of Organic Fertilizers in Developing Economies Bodes Well for Market Growth Increasing Focus on Soil Microbiome Health Sets the Stage for Market Growth Use of Organic Fertilizers in Indoor and Urban Farming Propels Market Potential Growing Demand for Organic Fertilizers in Specialty Crops Expands Opportunities Organic Fertilizers Play a Crucial Role in Water-Smart Agriculture Increased Demand for Natural and Slow-Release Fertilizers Bodes Well for Market Growth GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS AgroCare Canada. BioStar Systems Coromandel International ILSA Italpollina Krishak Bharati Cooperative Midwestern BioAg National Fertilizers Nature Safe Perfect Blend Sustane Natural Fertilizer Tata Chemicals Limited The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xybbep About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment NEW YORK, United States, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Fishing Watch, the leading international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea, has today welcomed the United Nations General Assemblys adoption of a resolution on sustainable fisheries, hailing it as a critical step in making transparency a standard practice rather than an exception. Adopted through consensus on Thursday by the 193 members of the U.N. policy-making body, the resolution follows inputs provided by Global Fishing Watch and marks an important milestone in the journey towards advancing transparency, vessel tracking and the identification of ultimate beneficial ownership in fisheries management. The U.N. General Assemblys move is a significant advancement in the global conversation on transparency in fisheries management, said Courtney Farthing, Global Fishing Watchs director of international policy. Transparency lays the foundation for effective fisheries management and wider ocean governance its only by seeing whats really going on across the ocean that we can reduce and prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, ensure fair access to healthy fish stocks and protect marine biodiversity. Each year, the U.N. General Assembly considers a resolution on sustainable fisheries under the agenda item Oceans and the Law of the Sea. The resolution represents a comprehensive account of activities relating to sustainable fisheries and is seen as a benchmark for international organizations developing their own activities in the sector. For its part, the 2024 resolution includes specific provisions that elevate global expectations for sustainable and responsible fisheries management and recognizes transparency as essential for the effective management of fisheries. In addition, the resolution highlights vessel tracking as a key enforcement tool and calls for a global study to enhance data-driven governance. It also prioritizes the identification of beneficial ownership of fishing vessels to address accountability gaps in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, urging the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its subcommittees to further examine this issue. Moreover, the resolutions text also advocates for improved interoperability, encouraging States and international organizations to integrate transparent practices and promote data exchange in fisheries management. Global Fishing Watch has long urged Member States to underscore the importance of sharing information on beneficial ownership through the FAOs Global Record and continues to support calls for a global study on vessel tracking to be advanced by the FAO, so that this data can be used to inform effective fisheries management. With continued support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Global Fishing Watch remains committed to advancing transparency as a principle of ocean governance and engaging member states of the U.N. to adopt policies that help foster more sustainable fishing practices. The 2024 resolution is an important step in the right direction as it aligns the international community with the Global Fishing Watch vision of using data and transparency to achieve sustainable and accountable fisheries management, Ms. Farthing continued. Our goal has long been to ensure that transparency becomes the standard not the exception. And with marine resources under significant strain, its essential that both governments and industry prioritize transparent practices and are held accountable for their efforts to address illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.resolution # # # About Global Fishing Watch: Global Fishing Watch is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea. By creating and publicly sharing map visualizations, data and analysis tools, we aim to enable scientific research and transform the way our ocean is managed. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in order to safeguard the global ocean for the common good of all. Attachment Dublin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Laboratory Equipment Services Market by Type, Equipment, Service Provider, Contract Type, End User - Global Forecast 2025-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Laboratory Equipment Services Market grew from USD 15.74 billion in 2023 to USD 17.94 billion in 2024. It is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 14.07%, reaching USD 39.55 billion by 2030. The market's growth is influenced by the increasing complexity and integration of laboratory instruments, necessitating specialized service solutions. Additionally, the surge in R&D investments in biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors demands enhanced equipment uptime and performance, further driving service requirements. An emerging opportunity within this market is the integration of IoT and AI technologies for predictive maintenance and remote monitoring solutions, which can significantly reduce downtime and costs. Companies can leverage these technologies to offer value-added services, thereby gaining a competitive edge. However, the market faces limitations such as budget constraints within academic and research institutions that may lead to deferred maintenance and longer equipment lifecycles. Moreover, a shortage of skilled professionals capable of servicing advanced and proprietary equipment poses a challenge. To address these obstacles, companies should focus on training initiatives and partnerships with equipment manufacturers to ensure access to requisite skills and knowledge. Innovation and research areas that hold promise for business growth include the development of automated calibration and validation systems, and digital platforms that offer end-to-end service management solutions. By embracing these areas, businesses can enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. The nature of the laboratory equipment services market is dynamic and technology-driven, demanding ongoing adaptation to emerging scientific and technological trends. Market Segmentation & Coverage This research report categorizes the Laboratory Equipment Services Market to forecast the revenues and analyze trends in each of the following sub-markets: Type Calibration Services Repair & Maintenance Services Validation Services Equipment Analytical Equipment General Equipment Specialty Equipment Support Equipment Service Provider Original Equipment Manufacturers Third-Party Service Providers Contract Type Customized Service Contracts Standard Service Contracts End User Academic & Research Institutions Clinical & Diagnostic Laboratories Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies Region Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Mexico United States Asia-Pacific Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand Vietnam Europe, Middle East & Africa Denmark Egypt Finland France Germany Israel Italy Netherlands Nigeria Norway Poland Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom The report provides a detailed overview of the market, exploring several key areas: Market Penetration: A thorough examination of the current market landscape, featuring comprehensive data from leading industry players and analyzing their reach and influence across the market. Market Development: The report identifies significant growth opportunities in emerging markets and assesses expansion potential within established segments, providing a roadmap for future development. Market Diversification: In-depth coverage of recent product launches, untapped geographic regions, significant industry developments, and strategic investments reshaping the market landscape. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: A detailed analysis of the competitive landscape, covering market share, business strategies, product portfolios, certifications, regulatory approvals, patent trends, technological advancements, and innovations in manufacturing by key market players. Product Development & Innovation: Insight into groundbreaking technologies, R&D efforts, and product innovations that will drive the market in future. Additionally, the report addresses key questions to assist stakeholders in making informed decisions: What is the current size of the market, and how is it expected to grow? Which products, segments, and regions present the most attractive investment opportunities? What are the prevailing technology trends and regulatory factors influencing the market? How do top vendors rank regarding market share and competitive positioning? What revenue sources and strategic opportunities guide vendors' market entry or exit decisions? Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 199 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $17.94 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $39.55 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 14% Regions Covered Global The leading players in the Laboratory Equipment Services Market, which are profiled in this report, include: Agilent Technologies, Inc. AIC Lab Equipments Pvt. Ltd. AL-TAR Services Inc. Avantor, Inc. Bionics Scientific Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Eppendorf AG Full Spectrum Group, LLC JSC Labochema LT Marshall Scientific LLC Medical Equipment Source, LLC Nordic Service Group Pace Analytical Services, LLC PerkinElmer, Inc. Scientific Apparatus Service, Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. Laboratory Equipment Services Market Dynamics Market Drivers Increasing need for timely and effective diagnosis of diseases Rise in research activity in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries Growing investment and government funding to support biomedical research activities Market Restraints Huge cost of service contracts Market Opportunities Increasing demand for laboratory automation Growth in asset management companies Market Challenges Limited scope for innovation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6eh7w5 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Companion Animal Pharmaceuticals Market by Product, Indication, Animal Type, Distribution Channel - Global Forecast 2025-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Companion Animal Pharmaceuticals Market grew from USD 14.39 billion in 2023 to USD 15.28 billion in 2024. It is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 6.67%, reaching USD 22.62 billion by 2030. Key growth factors comprise rising pet populations, advances in veterinary medical technology, and heightened awareness regarding animal health. Additionally, there's a burgeoning demand for organic and plant-based medications due to increasing consumer preference for natural products. However, challenges such as stringent regulatory requirements, high R&D costs, and limited drug pipelines pose significant limitations. Market growth can be curtailed by these factors alongside the slow approval process for new drugs. Potential opportunities lie in the expansion of telehealth services for pets, development of personalized medicines, and tapping into emerging markets with increasing disposable incomes and pet care awareness. Increasing the adoption of digital platforms for pet health monitoring and data analytics could drive innovation. Research into novel compounds specifically tailored for rare animal diseases could present competitive advantages. Despite challenges, the market is dynamic and competitive, with room for growth and differentiation through strategic partnerships and investment in innovative product lines. Companies must focus on compliance, sustainability, and consumer education to harness full market potential while navigating regulatory landscapes and fostering public trust in companion animal healthcare solutions. Market Segmentation & Coverage This research report categorizes the Companion Animal Pharmaceuticals Market to forecast the revenues and analyze trends in each of the following sub-markets: Product Analgesics Anti-infectives Anti-inflammatory Medicated Feed Additives Parasiticides Vaccines Indication Behavioral Disorders Dermatologic Diseases Infectious Diseases Orthopedic Diseases Pain Animal Type Cats Dogs Horses Distribution Channel Online Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Veterinary Clinics Veterinary Hospitals Region Americas Asia-Pacific Europe, Middle East & Africa The report provides a detailed overview of the market, exploring several key areas: Market Penetration: A thorough examination of the current market landscape, featuring comprehensive data from leading industry players and analyzing their reach and influence across the market. Market Development: The report identifies significant growth opportunities in emerging markets and assesses expansion potential within established segments, providing a roadmap for future development. Market Diversification: In-depth coverage of recent product launches, untapped geographic regions, significant industry developments, and strategic investments reshaping the market landscape. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: A detailed analysis of the competitive landscape, covering market share, business strategies, product portfolios, certifications, regulatory approvals, patent trends, technological advancements, and innovations in manufacturing by key market players. Product Development & Innovation: Insight into groundbreaking technologies, R&D efforts, and product innovations that will drive the market in future. Additionally, the report addresses key questions to assist stakeholders in making informed decisions: What is the current size of the market, and how is it expected to grow? Which products, segments, and regions present the most attractive investment opportunities? What are the prevailing technology trends and regulatory factors influencing the market? How do top vendors rank regarding market share and competitive positioning? What revenue sources and strategic opportunities guide vendors' market entry or exit decisions? Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 181 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $15.28 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $22.62 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.6% Regions Covered Global The leading players in the Companion Animal Pharmaceuticals market, which are profiled in this report, include: Phibro Animal Health Corporation Hipra Laboratories, S.A. Vetneeds Group Neogen Corporation Norbrook Laboratories Ltd. Tianjin Ringpu Biotechnology Co. Ltd. Stanex Drugs and Chemicals Pvt Ltd. Indian Immunologicals Ltd. Alivira Animal Health Limited Kyoritsu Seiyaku Corporation Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC Elanco Animal Health Incorporated SkyEc Pharmaceuticals Private Limited Endovac Animal Health, LLC Lutim Pharma Pvt. Ltd. Virbac S.A. Ceva Sante Animale Meiji Group Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH Century Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Zydus Animal Health Vetbiolix Merck & Co. Inc. Veko Care Ashish Life Science Pvt. Ltd. Chanelle Pharma Zoetis Inc. Hester Biosciences Limited Orion Corporation Eco Animal Health Group PLC Companion Animal Pharmaceuticals Market Dynamics Market Drivers Increasing Prevalence of Zoonotic and Chronic Diseases Rising Number of Companion Animals and Awareness About their Hygiene Increasing Awareness and Expenditure Among People Regarding Animal Healthcare Market Restraints Several Risk Factors Associated with Companion Animal Health APIs Market Opportunities Development of New Drugs and Vaccines for Companion Animal Strategic Collaborations Along with Emergence of Market Players Across the Developing Economies Market Challenges Stringent Regulations Associated with the Approval for Drugs For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7ztlsc About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Vietnam Online Food Delivery Market by Order Method, Cuisine, and Region 2024-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Vietnam online food delivery market size reached US$ 847.1 million in 2023. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach US$ 2.91 billion by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 14.7% during 2023-2032.The Vietnam online food delivery industry is concentrated in nature with the presence of a handful of players. Some of the leading players operating in the market are: Vietnammm.com (Takeaway.Com N.V.) Eat.vn Foody.vn Now.vn Grab Food This report provides a deep insight into the Vietnam online food delivery market covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry performance, recent trends, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc. A major factor catalysing the growth of the online food delivery market in Vietnam is its convenience and easy accessibility. With a growth in digital technology, the food delivery market in the country is being reshaped. Food ordered through online websites and apps provide customers convenience and a greater level of transparency. Through various online food delivery modes, consumers can compare the menus and prices of various restaurants. This enables them to order food according to their taste and preference at a better price than the conventional method of food ordering. Various food delivery applications and websites in Vietnam are offering numerous food options to their consumers. This include Vietnamese Cuisines, Western Cuisines, and South Asian Cuisines among others. Availability of such a wide range of food options caters to the food preferences of different consumers, thereby driving the overall demand of online food delivery services in the country. Enhanced efficiency of restaurants is another major driver of the online food delivery market in Vietnam. The online orders make the day to day operations more efficient for a restaurant. The time employees use to receive orders through the telephone is reduced and this increases the time employees have to focus on dine-in customers. Moreover, the chances of human errors due to miscommunication are also reduced when an order is made. Through online ordering and delivery system, a complete database of the customers can be created which helps in identifying recurring customers, their preferences and repeated orders. The previous ways of ordering food included many problems such as time constraints, different accents of people, disturbance over a phone call, etc. due to which restaurants are compelled to cancel or abandon the order. However, with the online food delivery options available, these challenges can be overcome. As a restaurant or a franchise of a food product are hesitant to launch their mobile application as it may incur additional cost for development, installation, maintenance, and marketing of the applications, they prefer to collaborate with various food delivery companies. Retailers have also been drawn to the country's relatively young consumer population. The 15 to 64 age group accounts for the majority of the overall population of Vietnam and are a key demographic to spur the growth in the online food delivery market. Market Segmentation This report provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the Vietnam online food delivery market report, along with forecasts at the country and regional level from 2024-2032. The report has categorized the market based on order method and cuisine. Breakup by Order Method: Mobile Application Website Amongst these, mobile app represents the largest segment as it is faster than websites and provides numerous advantages such as easy user interface and saved customer profiles. Breakup by Cuisine: Vietnamese Cuisine Western Cuisine Italian Cuisine South Asian Cuisine Others Based on cuisine, the Vietnamese cuisine is the most popular segment. Regional Insights: Southern Vietnam Northern Vietnam Central Vietnam On a geographical front, Southern Vietnam represents the biggest market. Other major regions include Northern Vietnam and Central Vietnam. Key Questions Answered in This Report: 1. What was the size of the Vietnam online food delivery market in 2023? 2. What is the expected growth rate of the Vietnam online food delivery market during 2024-2032? 3. What are the key factors driving the Vietnam online food delivery market? 4. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the Vietnam online food delivery market? 5. What is the breakup of the Vietnam online food delivery market based on the order method? 6. What is the breakup of the Vietnam online food delivery market based on the cuisine? 7. What are the key regions in the Vietnam online food delivery market? 8. Who are the key players/companies in the Vietnam online food delivery market? Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 118 Forecast Period 2023-2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $847.1 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $2.91 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 14.7% Regions Covered Vietnam For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tqgl0l About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Dave Cantin Group (DCG), a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory company to retail automotive groups and their owners, has received a Gold Merit Award for its Jump IQ data-driven artificial intelligence platform. Jump IQ was named Auto Dealership Technology of the Year this week as part of the 2024 Merit Awards for Automotive and Transportation. Jump IQ is the Dave Cantin Groups proprietary, AI-powered data-driven platform that processes hundreds of millions of available data points to create dynamic, real-time profiles of all 18,000 franchise auto dealerships in the United States without requiring financial input from dealership owners. The AI-powered software uses that data to accurately establish financial information, performance information and an overall valuation for each franchise dealership. Jump IQ enables DCG to compare dealerships to one another: any brand, any geography, and over 40 KPIs in real-time. This game-changer for dealers, manufacturers, and others in retail automotive, provides easy benchmarking for the first time in the industrys history. Jump IQ employs advanced machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics to offer forward-looking insights that go beyond traditional valuation methods, helping dealerships stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market. We are grateful and appreciate this recognition for Jump IQ from the Merit Awards team, said DCG President and CEO Dave Cantin. Dealership owners and managers are responding positively to Jump IQ as we add it to our advisory services and show what it can do. They are blown away at the speed, accuracy and insights it helps our team provide we know we have a game changer with Jump IQ. Jump IQ was born out of the desire to disrupt and improve upon the outmoded method of determining the value of dealerships. To do this, Dave Cantin Group collected and computed billions of data points from every transaction that had taken place during the last five years. As the pilot platform was built, DCG realized it could not only become a Zillow for auto dealerships, but also a wholly new way to view competition and an advisory tool to help improve dealership operations. It also includes a Zillow-like feature that allows users to plot stores on a map and instantly see over ten factors, including revenue, valuation, and PVR. DCG has now integrated Jump IQ into its processes to provide dealerships with the industrys most personalized, well-supported strategic M&A intelligence, multi-dimensional valuations and M&A advisory. Previously in 2024, Jump IQ was recognized as Dealership Solution of the Year in the AutoTech Breakthrough Awards and also was a finalist for the Best Use of AI in the Digital Dealers annual awards. As the automotive landscape evolves, DCG is committed to pushing the boundaries of technology to provide market intelligence and innovative solutions that empower dealership owners and elevate the automotive advisory process. Designed to recognize the efforts put forth by global industries and the markets they serve, the Merit Awards acknowledge companies that have contributed to the continued growth of their market. The Merit Awards are judged by industry executives, Merit Awards staff media members and consultants. The 2024 honorees in Automotive and Transportation showcase groundbreaking achievements that redefine transportations future, drive innovation, and set new benchmarks for excellence in the automotive industry. The recognition from multiple prestigious awards highlights Jump IQs cutting-edge approach to redefining dealership valuation and intelligence through AI. About The Dave Cantin Group The Dave Cantin Group (DCG) is a leading retail automotive M&A advisory company specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, intelligence, and other advisory services related to the industry. The company is the M&A services provider of choice for North Americas top automotive dealership groups, advising on approximately 40 transactions annually. We are differentiated by our advisory approach, long-term lens on client relationships and commitment to market intelligence tools that inform DCG and client strategies. In 2023 DCG became the only retail automotive M&A company with a significant strategic investor, welcoming Kaltroco to the DCG family. Valuation is the sum of everything that impacts a retail automotive business; to provide sound counsel to our clients, DCG must be a holistic industry thought leader. Through our M&A intelligence division, DCG produces automotive content and delivers relevant, timely marketing intelligence, including the automotive industry Market Outlook Report (MOR). DCG also produces Inside M&A in partnership with CBT News, a studio show and podcast created to share stories, news and trends impacting the retail automotive industry. DCGs industry leadership is most evidenced by Jump IQ, a data-driven artificial intelligence platform that processes hundreds of millions of available data points to create dynamic, real-time profiles of all 18,000+ franchise auto dealerships in the United States without requiring financial input from dealership owners. The AI-powered software uses that data to accurately establish financial information, performance information and an overall valuation for each franchise dealership. The companys nonprofit initiative, DCG Giving, funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment in communities nationwide and other worthy charitable initiatives. DCG team members regularly feature on the industry speaking circuit and are regularly cited by top national and global news outlets. For more information, please visit davecantingroup.com. Media contact: Katie Merx kmerx@lambert.com 313.510.5090 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eb6dbe49-4cb8-4875-84fb-359a07718c34 Dublin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Shore Power Market by Installation Type (Shoreside, Shipside), Connection (New Installation, Retrofit), Component (Transformer, Switchgear, Frequency Converter, Cables and Accessories), Power Output) - Global Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global shore power market is expected to grow significantly from an estimated USD 2.03 billion in 2024 to USD 3.58 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period. There are multiple factors that propel the growth of the global shore power market. Since there is increasing environmental awareness and regulations that are limiting the emissions from shipping activities, there is a need for ports and shipping firms to embrace greener options such as shore power. Another significant factor is the increased emphasis on decarbonization and clean energy technologies especially given that this system helps in sourcing shore power making it possible to easily reduce greenhouse gas emissions and attain global sustainability targets. Furthermore, factors such as upgraded shore power systems and energy efficient equipment are making it feasible and cost-effective to adopt these systems. In addition, government policies and incentives help to promote the worldwide development of the shore power network. Above 60 MVA segment, by power output, is expected to hold the third largest market share during the forecast period The global shore power market segment Above 60 MVA ranks the third position in terms of market share. The primary reason for this is the growing need of high capacity power solutions used in bigger vessels like the container ships and oil tankers. These types of vessels consume a great deal of electrical energy as a lot of their systems are run on board, hence high capacity deployable shore power connection is necessary for effective and clean operations. Furthermore, ports are developing better facilities to take care of the bigger operations, which include the significant reduction of emissions while the vessels are docked. This segment is also driven by the increasing implementation of regulations that require the use of shore power for large vessels to avoid emissions. Therefore, due to these reasons, there is an increasing requirement for shore power systems with more than 60 MVA system capability which in turn entrenches its position in the market. New installation segment, by installation type, is expected to capture the second largest market share during the forecast period The New Installation sub-segment within the scope of By Installation market in shore power market worldwide has second largest market share due to rising trends in the construction of new port facilities with shore power systems. Ports and shipping companies are more concerned about sustainability and reduction of carbon emissions; hence calls for new projects incorporating shore power facilities on new ports and new vessels are on the rise. High levels of investments for reconstruction of old facilities indicate the willingness to embrace cleaner and greener technologies that are in line with the government's infrastructural goals and are also efficient. Moreover, the integration of the advanced technologies in the shore power solutions accelerates the market for new installations, resulting into an important market strategy as more advanced and energy consuming ships are introduced in the ports. Europe is expected to be the third largest regional market during the forecast period Owing to the robust legal structure and the several sustainability plans in place, Europe comes in as the third largest market in the Global Shore Power Market. The environmental standards put forth by the European Union, among them, the European Green Deal and that of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, have accelerated the use of shore power technologies within ports and shipping lines considerably. In addition, Europe has ports such as Rotterdam and Hamburg which are some of the largest in the world, and which have incorporated shore power facilities to help curb the emission of pollutants into the port. In addition, the continuous influx of advanced technology and system modernization helps the region maintain its competitive edge in the shore power sector Further. The interlink between the policies, issues of climate change and the emergence of new technologies are some of the reasons why this region has a significant market in this sector that is still shaping up. Research Coverage The report defines, describes, and forecasts the shore power market by installation type, component, connection, power output, and region. It also offers a detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market. The report comprehensively reviews the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. It also covers various important aspects of the market. A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been done to provide insights into their business overview, solutions, and services; key strategies; Contracts, partnerships, agreements. new product launches, mergers and acquisitions, and recent developments associated with the biorefinery market. Competitive analysis of upcoming startups in the shore power market ecosystem is covered in this report. The global shore power market is dominated by key players that hold a wide regional presence and offer a diverse range of products. Leading companies in the shore power market include ABB (Switzerland), Schneider Electric (France), General Electric Company (US), Eaton (Ireland), Siemens (Germany), and Cavotec SA (Switzerland), among others. Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 314 Forecast Period 2024-2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $2.03 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $3.58 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 12% Regions Covered Global Market Dynamics Drivers Rising Focus of Government Authorities on Sustainability, Carbon Neutrality, and Decarbonization Initiatives Increasing Maritime Traffic and Expanding Port Networks Thriving Cruise Ship Industry Restraints High Initial Investment Costs Lack of Uniform Technical and Regulatory Frameworks Across Ports Opportunities Advances in Shore Power Technology Integration of Renewable Energy into Shore Power Systems Challenges Limited Grid Capacity and Renewable Energy Source Availability Operational and Technical Challenges of Shore Power Systems Case Study Analysis Wasaline Improves Energy Efficiency of Hybrid Electric Ferry with Danfoss Drives' Vacon 100 Drives Seam and Danfoss Drives Assist Nesodd Ferries in Delivering Zero-Emission Services to Commuters Danfoss Drives Retrofits Skulebas Training Vessel for Greener and More Efficient Fishing Practices Additional Shore Power Market Analysis Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customer Business Ecosystem Analysis Pricing Analysis Investment and Funding Scenario Supply Chain Analysis Technology Analysis Key Conferences and Events, 2024-2025 Trade Analysis Tariff and Regulatory Landscape Patent Analysis Key Stakeholders and Buying Criteria Impact of Generative AI/AI on Shore Power Market Macroeconomic Outlook for Shore Power Market The major companies profiled in this shore power market report include: General Electric Company Siemens Schneider Electric ABB Cavotec SA Eaton Vinci Energies Wartsila Hitachi Energy Ltd. Danfoss Wabtec Corporation Powercon A/S ESL Power Systems, Inc. Igus Blue Day Technology Watts Marine AC Power Corp. Smartplug Piller Power Systems Power Systems International Manta Marine Technologies Conntek Integrated Solutions Inc (USA) Patton & Cooke Co. Ratio Electric B.V. Sydney Marine Electricals For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vbsyws About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment HIGHLIGHTS Novo has strengthened its high-quality, Australian based exploration portfolio by executing binding term sheets relating to TechGen Metals Limiteds (ASX: TG1) (TechGen) John Bull Gold Project in the New England Orogen of NSW, and Manhattan Corporation Limiteds (ASX: MHC) (Manhattan) Tibooburra Gold Project in the Albert Goldfields in northwestern NSW. Both projects demonstrate prospectivity for significant discovery and resource definition and align with Novos strategy of identifying and exploring projects with > 1 Moz Au potential. These high-grade gold projects compliment the recent announced landholding consolidation that forms the Toolunga Project in the Onslow District in Western Australia TechGen John Bull Gold Project The John Bull Gold Project (John Bull) is an advanced exploration opportunity, located in the emerging New England district NSW. The agreement with TechGen grants Novo an option to acquire an 80% interest in the Micks Bull tenement and a 70% interest in the John Bull tenement. A costean by Kennecott Australia in 1983 intersected 160 m @ 1.2 g/t Au , including 5 m @ 18.0 g/t Au and 5 m @ 7.1 g/t Au 1 . , . Soil sampling completed by TechGen highlighted an exceptionally high-order gold anomaly over 900 m long and 250 m wide at > 100 ppb Au with seven samples reporting > 4.5 g/t Au 2 . at > 100 ppb Au with . Drilling completed by TechGen includes 17 RC holes for 2,249.5 m (2022 and 2023) with an effective test to ~120 m vertical depth. Peak results from four approximately 100 m spaced sections of shallow RC drilling by TechGen over 320 m strike include: 94 m @ 0.95 g/t Au from 4 m including 66 m @ 1.14 g/t Au, and 17 m @ 1.08 g/t Au from 109 m (JBRC0006) 3 68 m @ 1.00 g/t Au from surface, including 23 m @ 2.02 g/t Au (JBRC0001) 4 All sections remain open at depth and the system remains open along strike. An Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysical survey over part of the target produced anomalies over known mineralisation 5 and an additional four IP chargeability targets remain to be tested . and an additional . Multiple targets identified for drill testing, including directly down dip and along strike of significant intercepts, co-incident or separate Au soil anomalies and IP anomalies, and under historic workings. including directly down dip and along strike of significant intercepts, co-incident or separate Au soil anomalies and IP anomalies, and under historic workings. Novo is planning > 2,000 m drilling for H1 2025, following the completion of detailed mapping and infill and extensional geochemical sampling. Manhattan Tibooburra The Tibooburra Gold Project is an advanced exploration opportunity, located in northwestern NSW and covering the historical Albert Goldfield. The agreement with Manhattan grants Novo an option to acquire a 70% interest in the tenements comprising the Tibooburra Project. The Tibooburra Gold Project includes six granted exploration licences over 630 sq km, including more than 200 historic workings and 34 km of mineralised trends on multiple lines of workings, with two advanced drill-ready target areas (New Bendigo and Clone) already defined. New Bendigo shows extensive historical workings over 2 km strike. Several drill programs by Manhattan tested over 530 m strike and intersected multiple high-order intercepts. Extremely high-grade gold has been observed hosted in laminated quartz veins in historical diamond drilling. Peak drill results include 6 : 30 m at 4.03 g/t Au from 11 m, including 5 m at 20.86 g/t Au (NB0033) 16 m at 13.89 g/t Au from 1 m, including 3 m at 69.20 g/t Au (NB0083) 8 m at 40.5 g/t Au from 70 m, including 3 m at 105.34 g/t Au (NB0089) 7 m at 13.10 g/t Au from 97 m, including 5 m at 18.01 g/t Au (NB0113) 13 m at 6.16 g/t Au from 50 m, including 3 m at 25.48 g/t Au (NB0122) shows extensive historical workings over 2 km strike. Clone - extensive historical workings over ~450 m strike and 20 to 40 m in depth. Drilling by Manhattan in 2023 highlighted potential for shallow dipping high-grade gold mineralisation. Excellent drill results were returned from 11 holes over 250 m strike to a maximum depth below surface of 75m, including 7 : 7 m at 7.23 g/t Au from 81 m, including 3 m at 16.1 g/t Au (CL0007) 9 m at 6.03 g/t Au from 16 m (CL0010) 6 m at 4.22 g/t Au from 66 m, including 2 m at 11.65 g/t Au (CL0004) 31 m at 1.29 g/t Au from 60 m, including 3 m at 6.52 g/t Au (CL0002) Shallow cover is present in the southern part of the field, with ~10 km of mineralised trend unexplored north and south of the immediate Clone area. - extensive historical workings over ~450 m strike and 20 to 40 m in depth. Novo is planning to conduct detailed structural work, broad scale geological and regolith mapping, surface soil and rock chip geochemical sampling in the main target areas prior to a 2,000 m RC drill program in H1 2025. Commenting on the acquisitions, Mike Spreadborough, Executive Co-Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer, said: Novo is pleased to complete option agreements on the John Bull Gold Project with TechGen Metals and the Tibooburra Gold Project with Manhattan Corporation. Both Projects are drill-ready, high-grade gold opportunities, located in excellent mining jurisdictions and most importantly, meet the specific project criteria required by our standout geological team to identify standalone gold projects with > 1 Moz development potential. High-grade gold projects are rare, and both the John Bull and Tibooburra Gold Projects have reported previous high-grade results. We are looking forward to getting on the ground early in 2025 and commencing both exploration programs. Importantly, the John Bull and Tibooburra Gold Projects compliment Novos existing high-quality Pilbara, Western Australia and Victoria exploration portfolio and following the recent sale of our partial investment on San Cristobal Mining for A$11.5 million, we are well-funded to continue our strong exploration push in 2025. A PDF of this release including all associated figures is available at: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/31d0e229-1b9a-481d-a7b2-3b5f7e06a77c VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (ASX: NVO) (TSX: NVO) (OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into binding term sheets for two option agreements, one with TechGen Metals Limited (ASX: TG1) (TechGen) at their John Bull Gold Project (John Bull) and a second with Manhattan Corporation Limited (ASX: MHC) (Manhattan) at their Tibooburra Gold Project (Tibooburra) with both projects located in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. These projects support Novos strategy of identifying drill ready exploration targets with a demonstrated pathway with potential to be a standalone project with > 1 Moz development potential. Both Projects also satisfy Novos key sustainability criteria for potential future development. In addition to Novos current Pilbara exploration portfolio and recently announced Onslow District landholding consolidation to form the Toolunga Project in Western Australia (WA), the John Bull and Tibooburra Gold Projects will strengthen Novos exploration portfolio and provide targeted exploration drill programs throughout 2025. ABOUT NOVO Novo is an Australian based gold explorer listed on the ASX and the TSX focused on discovering standalone gold projects with > 1 Moz development potential. Novo is an innovative gold explorer with a significant land package covering approximately 5,500 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, along with the 22 square kilometre Belltopper project in the Bendigo Tectonic Zone of Victoria, Australia. Novos key project area in the Pilbara is the Egina Gold Camp, where De Grey Mining is farming-in to form a JV at the Becher Project and surrounding tenements through exploration expenditure of A$25 million within 4 years for a 50% interest. The Becher Project has similar geological characteristics as De Greys 12.7 Moz Hemi Project*. Novo is also advancing gold exploration south of Becher in the Egina Gold Camp, part of the Croydon JV (Novo 70%: Creasy Group 30%). Novo continues to undertake early-stage exploration elsewhere across its Pilbara tenement portfolio. Novo has also formed a lithium joint venture with SQM in the Pilbara which provides shareholder exposure to battery metals. *Refer to De Grey ASX Announcement, Hemi Gold Project Resource Update, dated 21 November 2023 No assurance can be given that a similar (or any) commercially viable mineral deposit will be determined at Novos Becher Project and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. JOHN BULL GOLD PROJECT Location and Tenure John Bull is located in the New England Orogen of NSW. The tenure consists of two tenements and covers some 32 sq km (Figure 2, Table 1). Table 1 John Bull Gold Project tenement details Tenement Number Grant Date Expiry Date Number of Blocks Area sq km Holder EL 8389 03/09/2015 03/09/2028 1 3 TechGen NSW Pty Ltd EL 9121 01/04/2021 01/04/2027 11 29 TechGen NSW Pty Ltd Geology and Mineralisation Mineralisation at John Bull is interpreted to be part of a reduced IRG system. It is characterised by abundant sheeted and stockwork veins with associated sulphides and is hosted within Carboniferous sediments and felsic intrusions (Figure 3). The mineralisation lies within the thermal aureole of a large northeast-trending Triassic I-type granite, which is of the same age as the Timbarra Gold Mine. Gold mineralisation in the form of sheeted, low-sulphide quartz veins trend NNE and ENE and dip 40 to 60 degrees to the ESE in a 250 m wide corridor, crosscutting bedding. Mineralisation includes native gold in a low sulphide system with pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite and minor magnetite. Previous Exploration Historic Gold discovered in 1872 was worked from at least three shafts up to 20 m deep8. Subsequent and extensive hydraulic sluicing of elluvial material of three areas was conducted. The main area of sluicing has exposed numerous sheeted quartz veins in the south of the project area and was the target of drilling conducted by TechGen in 2022 / 2023. Kennecott / Southern Goldfields Trenching and Sampling Between 1983 and 1985, Kennecott / Southern Goldfields completed a 220 m long costean dug by a backhoe, which has since been infilled and rehabilitated. The trench was excavated perpendicular to veins and cut through the main exposed vein arrays in Sluice Area 1 resulting in an intersection of 160 m @ 1.2 g/t Au (Figure 4) from 5 m composite samples (no top cut applied), and including higher grades such as 5 m @ 18.0 g/t Au and 5 m @ 7.1 g/t Au9. Assaying included screen fire assay on twelve samples, which show the presence of coarse gold. The project may significantly benefit from alternate modern assay techniques such as 500 g or multipot Chrysos PhotonAssay analysis to better quantify this coarse gold component. Sample results may not be representative of mineralisation in the district. No assurance can be given that Novo will achieve similar results as part of its exploration activities. TechGen Geochemical Sampling More recently, TechGen defined a significant, high-order surface geochemical gold anomaly over 900 m strike and 250 m width at > 100 ppb Au (Figure 4), with seven soil samples > 4.5 g/t Au and a peak assay of 10.0 g/t Au10. The soil anomaly remains open along strike to the north. A second smaller anomaly occurs in the south, with the entire system thus far defined over 1.3 km strike. TechGen completed 743 samples at 50 m x 50 m and locally down to 25 m x 25 m resulting in assays with 47 samples > 1 g/t Au. Refer to Appendix 2 for all results > 100 ppb Au soil samples. The Micks Bull tenement, immediately west of John Bull has limited stream sediment sampling and requires immediate follow-up and first pass exploration. Geophysics Induced Polarisation electrical geophysics (IP) was conducted on 3 lines over the southern part of the target, delineating significant chargability anomalies over known mineralisation11, as well as four chargability anomalies that are not yet drill tested (Figure 5). Drilling Seventeen RC drill holes for 2,249.5 m were completed in 2 phases by TechGen in 2022 and 2023, with the deepest hole being 146.5 m (effectively tested to 120 m below surface). Drilling tested only 320 m strike with mineralisation open on all sections and to the north and south. Best results are: 94 m @ 0.95 g/t Au from 4 m, including 66 m @ 1.14 g/t Au and 17 m @ 1.08 g/t Au (JBRC0006) 12 (JBRC0006) 68 m @ 1.0 g/t Au from surface, including 23 m @ 2.02 g/t Au (JBRC0001) also including higher grade zones of 7 m @ 3.10 g/t Au from 55 m and 4 m @ 4.58 g/t Au from 39m 13 (JBRC0001) also including higher grade zones of from 55 m and from 39m 22 m @ 1.07 g/t Au from 60 m (JBRC00016)14 Full results for significant intercepts previously released are presented in Appendix 1. ESG Criteria Novo has an ongoing commitment to operating in a safe, responsible and environmentally sustainable manner. Novo carries out exploration activities mindful that it has a responsibility to manage the land on which it operates to ensure it minimises its impacts. Novo develops and implements Environmental Management Plans specific to the regions in which it operates. Novo is committed to developing strong relationships with all its stakeholders. This is achieved through open and honest communications. Heritage and Native Title The TechGen tenements fall within the Grafton-Ngerrie Local Aboriginal Council. There are no Native Title Determinations or active Claims over the tenements. This area will be monitored for the lodgment of a new claim. If a claim is lodged, consultation will occur with the new representative body/traditional owners to ensure informed consent for exploration in the area. Forward Programs Novo intends to conduct the following exploration activities John Bull in H1 2025: Detailed 1:500 scale to 1:2,000 scale mapping, focussing on lithological and structural controls on mineralisation at John Bull. Extend the soil sample grids to the north and south of current coverage, and infill to 25 m x 25 m spaced soil sampling where current coverage is 50 m x 50 m. pXRF multielement analysis of soil samples in addition to laboratory assayed gold. Complete multi-element assaying of remaining drilling residue where this was not previously conducted. > 2,000 m of drilling, including > 500 m of diamond drilling in H1 2025. Drilling will be aimed at testing down dip and along strike of current open intercepts, testing targets north and south of current drilling and testing structural lithological intersections once defined by new detailed mapping. Drilling will be aimed at testing down dip and along strike of current open intercepts, testing targets north and south of current drilling and testing structural lithological intersections once defined by new detailed mapping. Work to be conducted on the western Micks Bull tenement includes additional stream sediment sampling to achieve full coverage, ridge and spur rock chip sampling, gridded soil sampling, and mapping. Material John Bull Option Terms The key terms of the binding term sheets with TechGen Metals Limited, TechGen NSW Pty Ltd (TechGen NSW) and Andrew Sloot (Sloot) regarding the John Bull project are set out below: On signing of the definitive agreement, Novo will reimburse TechGen NSW A$300,000 worth of Novo shares at market value for expenditure incurred to date, which shares will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws. Novo is required to complete 1,500 m of drilling in the first earn in period of 12 months. Following that initial period, if Novo chooses to continue, it will pay TechGen NSW, A$200,000 worth of Novo shares at market value for a second farm in period of 12 months, which shares will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws. Novo is required to complete an additional 1,500 m of drilling in the second earn in period of 12 months. At completion of the second farm-in period, Novo has the option to terminate the agreement or exercise the option and form an 80/20 unincorporated joint venture with TechGen NSW on EL9121, (Micks Bull) in which TechGen is free carried until a decision is made to commence commercial mining operations. If the option is exercised, Novo will obtain an 80% interest in the tenements. Also, at completion of the second farm-in period, Novo has the option to form a 70/20/10 unincorporated joint venture with TechGen NSW and Sloot on EL8389 (John Bull) in which both TechGen NSW and Sloot are free carried until a decision is made to commence commercial mining operations. If this option is exercised, Novo will obtain a 70% interest in the tenement. TechGen NSW signed a binding term sheet with Black Dragon Energy (AUS) Pty Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Zenith Minerals Limited) on 16 May 2022, through which TechGen acquired legal and beneficial interest in the tenements comprising the John Bull Gold Project. TIBOOBURRA GOLD PROJECT Location and Tenure Tibooburra is located in the northwest of NSW, Australia approximately 280 km north of the Broken Hill Pb-Zn-Ag mine and includes six granted exploration licences over ~ 630 sq km (Figure 7). The tenure consists of five tenements within and along strike of the Albert Goldfields and one tenement (EL 9094) situated further west, covering a large magnetic high with co-incident gravity low (Table 2). Tenure is held by Awati Resources Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manhattan. Table 2 Tibooburra Gold Project tenement details Tenement Number Grant Date Expiry Date Number of Blocks Area sq km Holder EL 7437 23/12/2009 23/12/2026 11 33 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 8688 02/02/2018 02/02/2027 37 110 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 8691 02/02/2018 02/02/2027 46 137 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 9092 15/03/2021 15/03/2027 40 119 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 9094 16/03/2021 16/03/2027 53 158 Awati Resources Pty Ltd EL 9202 28/06/2021 28/06/2027 25 74 Awati Resources Pty Ltd Geology and Mineralisation Tibooburra covers ~55 km of strike along the Tibooburra and Koonenberry Greenstone Belts in northwestern NSW. The Albert Goldfields is an historical field located in the north of the project area, discovered in 1881 and mined in earnest until 1901 with a recorded production of approximately 55,000 oz Au at mining grades of +20 g/t Au2. The Albert Goldfields lies on a unique district-scale jog at the boundary of the Thomson and Delamarian orogens, with stratigraphy wrapping around the Tibooburra granite intrusive complex to the northeast (Figure 8). Mineralisation is described as narrow high-grade (to super high-grade) quartz veins hosted in the folded and faulted Cambrian sedimentary host rocks, and broadly falls under the classification of turbidite-hosted/slate-belt gold. The Project area itself displays more than 200 historic workings and over 34 km of mineralised trend on multiple lines of workings (Figure 9). Several immediate targets have been delineated by previous workers including New Bendigo, Clone, Pioneer, Elizabeth Reef and Good Friday. However, outside the New Bendigo prospect little systematic modern exploration has been conducted. The area is significantly under-explored, and satellite imagery and interpretation (Figure 9) shows abundant cover including: North and south of New Bendigo; South of Clone, the trend is essentially under cover for >10 km; and Regionally, south of the kink there is 60 km strike with no outcrop. Two advanced drill ready target areas are defined at New Bendigo and Clone (and the associated Clone Trend). Previous Exploration Overview Manhattan entered into an agreement to acquire the Tibooburra Project from Awati Resources Limited in late 201916. Since then, Manhattan has drilled several aircore (AC) traverses, and targeted RC and diamond drilling, with particular focus around the New Bendigo Target. A short RC drill program was completed in 2023 at Clone. Manhattans exploration programs were disrupted in 2020 due COVID and border closures, delaying many programs. Prior to Manhattan, work across the licence area included soil, stream and rock chip sampling programs, broad RAB and AC drilling traverses, regional geophysics (magnetics and gravity), RC and limited diamond drilling. Historical exploration results contained in the Reports lodged by the other companies referred to in this news release have not been reported in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 or NI 43-101 and a Competent Person/Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to disclose the exploration results in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 or NI 43-101. It is possible that following further evaluation and/or exploration work that the confidence in the prior reported exploration results may be reduced when reported under the JORC Code 2012 or NI 43-101. Novo confirms that nothing has come to its attention that causes it to question the accuracy or reliability of the results included in the WAMEX Reports, but Novo has not independently validated those results and therefore is not to be regarded as reporting, adopting or endorsing those results. New Bendigo Prospect The prospect shows extensive historical workings at surface over 2 km strike. Several historical drill programs, including RC and diamond drilling by Manhattan in 2020-2022 testing over 530 m strike intersected multiple high order gold results. Extremely high-grade gold has been observed, hosted in laminated quartz veins in historical diamond drilling (Figure 10). Peak results from Manhattan drilling include17: 30 m at 4.03 g/t Au from 11 m, including 5 m at 20.86 g/t Au (NB0033) (NB0033) 16 m at 13.89 g/t Au from 1 m, including 3 m at 69.20 g/t Au (NB0083) (NB0083) 8 m at 40.5 g/t Au from 70 m, including 3 m at 105.34 g/t Au (NB0089) (NB0089) 7 m at 13.10 g/t Au from 97 m, including 5 m at 18.01 g/t Au (NB0113) (NB0113) 13 m at 6.16 g/t Au from 50 m, including 3 m at 25.48 g/t Au (NB0122) (NB0122) 24 m @ 3.55 g/t Au from 82 m including 4 m @ 20.11 g/t Au (NBD005 - Figure 10) Refer to Appendix 5 and Appendix 6 for a list of all significant intercepts for New Bendigo diamond and RC drilling results. The prospect provides an opportunity for high-grade resource development once geological controls and continuity are resolved. Potential for repeated lodes at depth and along an interpreted shallow plunge is also good. Substantial drill step outs down dip and down plunge will be required to test for blind mineralisation and stacked lodes. Sample results may not be representative of mineralisation in the district. No assurance can be given that Novo will achieve similar results as part of its exploration activities. Cautionary Statement: Visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest. Visual estimates also potentially provide no information regarding impurities or deleterious physical properties relevant to valuations. Clone Prospect The Clone prospect is characterised by numerous historical workings over a ~ 450 m strike length, to depths of up to 25 m. Multiple parallel mineralised trends are targeted, with the densest population of historic workings occurring over a zone locally up to 130 m wide. The Clone prospect occupies the middle of an approximately 10 km section of largely unexplored ground along a prospective northwest-trending fault corridor that stretches from the New Bendigo Prospect to the southeast; and the Pioneer Prospect to the northwest. Peak drill results from 11 RC holes drilled in 2023 over 250 m strike to a maximum depth below surface of 75 m, include19: 7 m at 7.23 g/t Au from 81 m, including 3 m at 16.1 g/t Au (CL0007) 9 m at 6.03 g/t Au from 16 m (CL0010) 6 m at 4.22 g/t Au from 66 m, including 2 m at 11.65 g/t Au (CL0004) 31 m at 1.29 g/t Au from 60 m, including 3 m at 6.52 g/t Au (CL0002) Mineralisation at Clone remains open in all directions, with targeted mineralised basement trending under cover sediments to the south. The cover sediments extending for some 15 km and providing opportunities for exploration targeting potential blind discoveries. Sample results may not be representative of mineralisation in the district. No assurance can be given that Novo will achieve similar results as part of its exploration activities. A full list of significant intercepts for Clone 2022 RC drilling is listed in Appendix 4. Cautionary Statement: Visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest. Visual estimates also potentially provide no information regarding impurities or deleterious physical properties relevant to valuations. ESG Criteria Novo has an ongoing commitment to operating in a safe, responsible and environmentally sustainable manner. Novo carries out exploration activities mindful that it has a responsibility to manage the land on which it operates to ensure it minimises its impacts. Novo develops and implements Environmental Management Plans specific to the regions in which it operates. Novo is committed to developing strong relationships with all its stakeholders. This is achieved through open and honest communications. Heritage and Native Title The Tibooburra tenement package is covered by two separate Native Title Claims; the Malyangapa Combined Proceedings (NC2022/0002) and the Wongkumara People (QC2008/003). The region is administered by the Tibooburra LALC based in Tibooburra. Novo will continue to monitor the process and liaise with the traditional owners. Forward Programs Novo intends to conduct the following exploration activities in 2025: Detailed 1:500 scale to 1:2,000 scale mapping including rock chip and channel sampling, focussing on lithological and structural controls on mineralisation at Clone, New Bendigo and Phoenix / Pioneer. Grid soil sampling along the Clone trend, plus pXRF multielement analysis, plus infill and extensional soil grids along the Pioneer and New Bendigo trends. Stage 1 > 2,000 m of RC drilling in H1 2025 , to test the high-grade mineralisation at Clone at depth, along strike and down plunge. , to test the high-grade mineralisation at Clone at depth, along strike and down plunge. Aircore drilling on broad spaced lines along strike of the Clone to test up to 10 km of mineralised trend under cover. Relogging and re-sampling diamond drill intercepts, plus pXRF multielement analysis of drill pulps where available prior to drill testing the down plunge extension of New Bendigo. Material Tibooburra Option Terms The key terms of the binding term sheet with Manhattan Corporation Limited and Awati Resources Pty Ltd (Awati) regarding the Tibooburra Project are set out below: On signing of the agreement, Novo will reimburse Awati 500,000 Novo shares at market value for expenditure incurred to date, which shares will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws. Novo is required to spend A$500,000 (approximately C$450,000) in the first earn in period of 12 months. Following that initial period, if Novo chooses to continue, it will pay Awati, 1,000,000 Novo shares at market value for a second farm in period of 12 months, which shares will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws. Novo is required to spend A$1,000,000 (approximately C$900,000) in the second earn in period of 12 months. At completion of the second farm-in period, Novo has the option to terminate the agreement or exercise the option and form a 70/30 unincorporated joint venture with Awati, in which Awati is free carried until the completion of a positive definitive feasibility study. If the option is exercised, Novo will obtain a 70% interest in the tenements. Authorised for release by the Board of Directors. CONTACT Investors: Mike Spreadborough +61 8 6400 6100 info@novoresources.com North American Queries: Leo Karabelas +1 416 543 3120 leo@novoresources.com Media: Cameron Gilenko +61 466 984 953 cameron.gilenko@sodali.com QP STATEMENT Mrs Karen (Kas) De Luca (MAIG), is the qualified person, as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Mrs De Luca is Novos General Manager Exploration. JORC COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS The information in this news release that relates to exploration results at the John Bull Gold Project and the Tibooburra Gold Project is based on information compiled by Mrs De Luca, who is a full-time employee of Novo Resources Corp. Mrs De Luca is a Competent Person who is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mrs De Luca has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and the type of deposits under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mrs De Luca consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on her information in the form and context in which it appears. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Persons findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Some statements in this news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian and Australian securities law and regulations. In this news release, such statements include but are not limited to planned exploration activities and the timing of such. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the resource industry and the risk factors identified in Novos annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 (which is available under Novos profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and at www.asx.com.au) in the Companys prospectus dated 2 August 2023 which is available at www.asx.com.au . Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Novo assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Novo updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. _______________ 1 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 New Gold Project Secured in NSW 2 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/04/2023 - New Outstanding High-grade Gold Soil Results at John Bull (Main Soil Anomaly Now +900m long) 3 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/09/2022 - Gold Discovery Confirmed John Bull Gold Project 4 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 01/09/2022 Maiden Drill Hole Returns 23 metres at 2.02 g/t Gold, John Bull Project, NSW 5 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 New Gold Project Secured in NSW 6 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 New High-Grade Gold Discovery 7 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 New High-Grade Gold Discovery 8 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 New Gold Project Secured in NSW 9 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 New Gold Project Secured in NSW 10 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/04/2023 - New Outstanding High-grade Gold Soil Results at John Bull (Main Soil Anomaly Now +900m long) 11 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 New Gold Project Secured in NSW 12 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/09/2022 - Gold Discovery Confirmed John Bull Gold Project 13 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 01/09/2022 Maiden Drill Hole Returns 23 metres at 2.02 g/t Gold, John Bull Project, NSW 14 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 7/09/2023 Stage 2 RC Drilling Results Confirm Large Scale Gold System, John Bull Gold Project 15 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/09/2022 - Gold Discovery Confirmed John Bull Gold Project 16 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 02/12/2019 Manhattan to Acquire New High-Grade Gold Project in NSW 17 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 New High-Grade Gold Discovery 18 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 27/10/2022 Quarterly Activities Report September 2022 19 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 New High-Grade Gold Discovery ABOUT NOVO Novo is an Australian based gold explorer listed on the ASX and the TSX focused on discovering standalone gold projects with > 1 Moz development potential. Novo is an innovative gold explorer with a significant land package covering approximately 5,500 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, along with the 22 square kilometre Belltopper project in the Bendigo Tectonic Zone of Victoria, Australia. Novos key project area in the Pilbara is the Egina Gold Camp, where De Grey Mining is farming-in to form a JV at the Becher Project and surrounding tenements through exploration expenditure of A$25 million within 4 years for a 50% interest. The Becher Project has similar geological characteristics as De Greys 12.7 Moz Hemi Project*. Novo is also advancing gold exploration south of Becher in the Egina Gold Camp, part of the Croydon JV (Novo 70%: Creasy Group 30%). Novo continues to undertake early-stage exploration elsewhere across its Pilbara tenement portfolio. Novo has also formed a lithium joint venture with SQM in the Pilbara which provides shareholder exposure to battery metals. Novo has recently strengthened its high-quality, Australian based exploration portfolio by adding the TechGen John Bull Gold Project in the New England Orogen of NSW, and Manhattan Tibooburra Gold Project in the Albert Goldfields in northwestern NSW. Both projects demonstrate prospectivity for significant discovery and resource definition and align with Novos strategy of identifying and exploring projects with > 1 Moz Au potential. These high-grade gold projects compliment the landholding consolidation that forms the Toolunga Project in the Onslow District in Western Australia. Novo has a significant investment portfolio and a disciplined program in place to identify value accretive opportunities that will build further value for shareholders. Please refer to Novos website for further information including the latest Corporate Presentation. An Exploration Target as defined in the JORC Code (2012) is a statement or estimate of the exploration potential of a mineral deposit in a defined geological setting where the statement or estimate, quoted as a range of tonnes and a range of grade (or quality), relates to mineralisation for which there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource. Accordingly, these figures are not Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve estimates as defined in the JORC Code (2012). The potential quantities and grades referred to above are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. These figures are based on the interpreted continuity of mineralisation and projection into unexplored ground often around historical workings. The Exploration Target has been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code (2012). as detailed in the Companys ASX announcement released on 25 September 2024 (available to view at www.asx.com.au). The Tonnage range for the exploration target is 1.5Mt to 2.1Mt and the Grade range is 6.6g/t Au to 8.4g/t Au. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information that material affects the information included in the original market announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Persons findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. *Refer to De Grey ASX Announcement, Hemi Gold Project Resource Update, dated 21 November 2023 No assurance can be given that a similar (or any) commercially viable mineral deposit will be determined at Novos Becher Project.nt and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. Appendix 1 Significant Intercepts reported by TechGen 202220 / 202321 A >0.5 g/t Au cut off was used for the calculations, with a maximum of 4 m internal dilution applied for JBRC007 JBRC007, and 3 m internal dilution for JBRC008 JBRC017. All intervals averaging > 1 g/t Au are tabulated. Locations are in GDA94, zone 56 Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Intercept (g/t Au) JBRC001 447,560 6,733,518 -60 259 133 0 68 68 m @ 1.00 JBRC001 including 39 62 23 m @ 2.02 JBRC001 Or. 39 43 4 m @ 4.58* JBRC001 Or. 55 62 7 m @ 3.10* JBRC001 76 77 1 m @ 1.02 JBRC002 447,440 6,733,559 -60 259 120 12 13 1 m @ 1.46 JBRC003 447,490 6,733,548 -60 280 100 4 11 7 m @ 1.02 JBRC004 447,550 6,733,554 -60 249 103 3 8 5 m @ 1.00 JBRC004 34 45 1 1 m @ 1.07 JBRC004 including 37 38 1 m @ 5.31 JBRC005 447,600 6,733,515 -60 265 139 12 19 7 m @ 1.65 JBRC005 including 15 16 1 m @ 5.26 JBRC005 27 32 5 m @ 1.03 JBRC005 46 47 1 m @ 1.15 JBRC005 57 70 13 m @ 1.02 JBRC005 including 57 58 1 m @ 5.90 JBRC005 77 79 2 m @ 6.66 JBRC005 including 77 78 1 m @ 10.00 JBRC005 95 118 23 m @ 1.10 JBRC005 including 97 98 1 m @ 8.22 JBRC006 447,630 6,733,524 -60 259 145 4 98 94 m @ 0.95 JBRC006 including 32 98 66 m @ 1.14 JBRC006 109 126 17 m @ 1.08 JBRC007 447,708 6,733,512 -60 259 147 104 108 4 m @ 1.29 JBRC008 447,632 6,733,658 -60 259 139 63 64 1 m @ 1.01 JBRC008 99 100 1 m @ 1.35 JBRC008 127 128 1 m @ 1.38 JBRC009 447,588 6,733,639 -60 259 138 56 57 1 m @ 1.55 JBRC009 76 77 1 m @ 1.79 JBRC009 86 87 1 m @ 1.06 JBRC009 110 111 1 m @ 1.11 JBRC009 117 118 1 m @ 1.78 JBRC009 120 127 7 m @ 1.12 JBRC010 447,550 6,733,642 -60 259 144 10 11 1 m @ 1.59 JBRC010 28 29 1 m @ 1.50 JBRC010 74 75 1 m @ 9.67 JBRC010 79 86 7 m @ 1.20 JBRC010 90 91 1 m @ 1.65 JBRC010 95 96 1 m @ 1.08 JBRC010 98 99 1 m @ 1.08 JBRC010 102 103 1 m @ 1.15 JBRC010 124 125 1 m @ 1.29 JBRC011 447,471 6,733,653 -60 259 120 4 8 4 m @ 1.09 JBRC011 9 10 1 m @ 1.32 JBRC011 15 18 3 m @ 1.46 JBRC011 22 23 1 m @ 1.08 JBRC011 55 64 9 m @ 1.86 JBRC011 83 84 1 m @ 2.28 JBRC012 447,642 6,733,748 -60 259 138 50 52 2 m @ 1.58 JBRC012 62 63 1 m @ 1.68 JBRC012 89 90 1 m @ 1.98 JBRC012 115 116 1 m @ 1.70 JBRC012 120 122 2 m @ 3.29 JBRC012 126 129 3 m @ 1.04 JBRC013 447,574 6,733,751 -60 259 138 50 51 1 m @ 1.04 JBRC013 55 56 1 m @ 1.53 JBRC013 64 65 1 m @ 1.68 JBRC013 67 68 1 m @ 1.56 JBRC013 97 102 5 m @ 1.33 JBRC013 107 113 6 m @ 1.18 JBRC013 116 117 1 m @ 1.37 JBRC014 447,516 6,733,750 -60 259 138 35 36 1 m @ 1.28 JBRC014 37 39 2 m @ 1.14 JBRC014 51 53 2 m @ 1.45 JBRC014 64 66 2 m @ 1.18 JBRC014 67 68 1 m @ 1.21 JBRC014 71 73 2 m @ 1.13 JBRC014 75 76 1 m @ 1.19 JBRC014 137 138 1 m @ 1.02 JBRC015 447,466 6,733,741 -60 259 126 1 3 2 m @ 1.36 JBRC015 34 36 2 m @ 4.15 JBRC015 45 46 1 m @ 6.38 JBRC016 447,533 6,733,447 -60 259 138 11 13 2 m @ 1.00 JBRC016 18 19 1 m @ 3.39 JBRC016 30 31 1 m @ 3.10 JBRC016 34 36 2 m @ 1.13 JBRC016 47 56 9 m @ 1.82 JBRC016 including 48 49 1 m @ 9.21 JBRC016 60 82 22 m @ 1.07 JBRC016 88 90 2 m @ 1.75 JBRC016 109 116 7 m @ 1.06 JBRC017 447,479 6,733,439 -60 259 144 3 4 1 m @ 1.14 JBRC017 7 8 1 m @ 1.68 JBRC017 15 19 4 m @ 1.34 JBRC017 27 28 1 m @ 1.68 JBRC017 34 35 1 m @ 1.25 JBRC017 42 43 1 m @ 1.02 JBRC017 44 46 2 m @ 1.38 *Alternative increased grade cut off selected by TechGen for reporting of higher-grade components. Appendix 2 Soil Sample Table of Results > 100 ppb Au GDA94 z56 (TechGen 2022 and 2023) Sample ID Year Easting (m) Northing (m) Au g/t 322759 2023 447,600 6,734,050 10.00 323169 2022 447,525 6,733,625 8.56 323239 2022 447,600 6,733,550 7.56 323279 2022 447,500 6,733,500 7.35 323190 2022 447,475 6,733,600 7.11 322928 2022 447,400 6,733,325 4.77 323256 2022 447,500 6,733,525 4.63 323237 2022 447,550 6,733,550 2.91 322972 2022 447,400 6,733,275 2.69 323099 2022 447,400 6,733,700 2.64 323065 2022 447,650 6,733,750 2.61 322978 2022 447,550 6,733,275 2.54 323217 2022 447,625 6,733,575 2.52 322623 2022 447,375 6,733,075 2.10 323036 2022 447,500 6,733,775 2.09 322513 2022 447,475 6,733,225 1.93 323298 2022 447,450 6,733,475 1.90 322907 2022 447,400 6,733,350 1.67 323172 2022 447,600 6,733,625 1.65 323232 2022 447,425 6,733,550 1.65 323259 2022 447,575 6,733,525 1.65 323212 2022 447,500 6,733,575 1.65 323126 2022 447,550 6,733,675 1.56 322511 2022 447,425 6,733,225 1.54 323058 2022 447,475 6,733,750 1.50 322533 2022 447,500 6,733,200 1.47 323102 2022 447,475 6,733,700 1.45 323037 2022 447,525 6,733,775 1.42 323080 2022 447,500 6,733,725 1.30 323276 2022 447,425 6,733,500 1.28 322693 2023 447,550 6,734,350 1.28 322547 2022 447,375 6,733,175 1.21 322802 2022 447,550 6,733,475 1.21 323016 2022 447,525 6,733,800 1.17 322760 2023 447,600 6,734,100 1.16 323193 2022 447,550 6,733,600 1.11 323014 2022 447,475 6,733,800 1.09 322549 2022 447,425 6,733,175 1.09 322763 2023 447,650 6,734,200 1.08 322971 2022 447,375 6,733,275 1.08 323019 2022 447,600 6,733,800 1.07 322573 2022 447,550 6,733,150 1.03 323018 2022 447,575 6,733,800 1.02 323035 2022 447,475 6,733,775 1.01 322927 2022 447,375 6,733,325 1.01 323123 2022 447,475 6,733,675 1.01 323242 2022 447,675 6,733,550 1.01 322862 2022 447,375 6,733,400 0.99 322512 2022 447,450 6,733,225 0.99 322990 2022 447,375 6,733,250 0.90 323121 2022 447,425 6,733,675 0.90 323236 2022 447,525 6,733,550 0.86 322866 2022 447,475 6,733,400 0.84 322728 2023 447,500 6,734,100 0.83 323074 2022 447,350 6,733,725 0.82 322750 2023 447,550 6,733,900 0.78 322754 2023 447,600 6,733,850 0.76 322888 2022 447,500 6,733,375 0.74 323192 2022 447,525 6,733,600 0.73 323029 2022 447,325 6,733,775 0.71 322906 2022 447,375 6,733,350 0.70 323146 2022 447,475 6,733,650 0.68 322568 2022 447,425 6,733,150 0.67 322747 2023 447,500 6,733,900 0.67 322803 2022 447,575 6,733,475 0.66 323231 2022 447,400 6,733,550 0.66 322758 2023 447,600 6,734,000 0.66 322550 2022 447,450 6,733,175 0.65 322564 2022 447,325 6,733,150 0.65 322950 2022 447,375 6,733,300 0.64 322975 2022 447,475 6,733,275 0.61 323261 2022 447,625 6,733,525 0.58 323278 2022 447,475 6,733,500 0.57 323258 2022 447,550 6,733,525 0.56 322721 2023 447,450 6,733,950 0.56 322592 2022 447,550 6,733,125 0.55 323030 2022 447,350 6,733,775 0.54 322753 2023 447,600 6,733,900 0.54 322510 2022 447,400 6,733,225 0.53 323077 2022 447,425 6,733,725 0.53 322974 2022 447,450 6,733,275 0.53 322748 2023 447,500 6,733,850 0.52 323103 2022 447,500 6,733,700 0.52 323147 2022 447,500 6,733,650 0.51 322904 2022 447,325 6,733,350 0.50 323216 2022 447,600 6,733,575 0.49 323297 2022 447,425 6,733,475 0.49 323280 2022 447,525 6,733,500 0.48 322780 2023 447,700 6,733,850 0.48 322767 2023 447,650 6,734,000 0.48 323081 2022 447,525 6,733,725 0.48 323122 2022 447,450 6,733,675 0.45 323124 2022 447,500 6,733,675 0.45 322772 2023 447,750 6,734,200 0.44 323101 2022 447,450 6,733,700 0.44 322744 2023 447,550 6,734,050 0.43 322988 2022 447,325 6,733,250 0.43 322643 2022 447,400 6,733,050 0.43 322660 2023 447,700 6,734,100 0.43 322873 2022 447,650 6,733,400 0.43 323194 2022 447,575 6,733,600 0.43 322751 2023 447,550 6,733,950 0.42 323173 2022 447,625 6,733,625 0.42 322685 2023 447,700 6,734,250 0.41 322771 2023 447,750 6,734,250 0.41 322710 2023 447,400 6,734,000 0.40 322627 2022 447,475 6,733,075 0.39 323214 2022 447,550 6,733,575 0.39 323145 2022 447,450 6,733,650 0.39 322993 2022 447,450 6,733,250 0.39 323062 2022 447,575 6,733,750 0.39 322994 2022 447,475 6,733,250 0.38 323059 2022 447,500 6,733,750 0.38 322606 2022 447,425 6,733,100 0.37 322884 2022 447,400 6,733,375 0.37 322995 2022 447,500 6,733,250 0.37 323257 2022 447,525 6,733,525 0.37 323013 2022 447,450 6,733,800 0.36 322733 2023 447,550 6,734,100 0.36 322624 2022 447,400 6,733,075 0.35 323238 2022 447,575 6,733,550 0.35 323260 2022 447,600 6,733,525 0.35 322992 2022 447,425 6,733,250 0.35 323031 2022 447,375 6,733,775 0.35 323154 2022 447,675 6,733,650 0.34 323174 2022 447,650 6,733,625 0.34 323057 2022 447,450 6,733,750 0.33 323098 2022 447,375 6,733,700 0.33 323106 2022 447,575 6,733,700 0.32 323168 2022 447,500 6,733,625 0.30 322724 2023 447,400 6,733,850 0.30 322848 2022 447,600 6,733,425 0.30 322684 2023 447,650 6,734,250 0.29 322845 2022 447,525 6,733,425 0.29 322769 2023 447,700 6,734,200 0.28 323215 2022 447,575 6,733,575 0.28 323299 2022 447,475 6,733,475 0.28 322924 2022 447,300 6,733,325 0.28 323219 2022 447,675 6,733,575 0.27 323152 2022 447,625 6,733,650 0.27 323170 2022 447,550 6,733,625 0.26 323213 2022 447,525 6,733,575 0.26 322755 2023 447,650 6,733,850 0.25 322746 2023 447,500 6,733,950 0.25 323218 2022 447,650 6,733,575 0.25 322822 2022 447,475 6,733,450 0.24 322820 2022 447,425 6,733,450 0.24 323104 2022 447,525 6,733,700 0.24 322858 2022 447,250 6,733,400 0.24 323284 2022 447,625 6,733,500 0.24 322801 2022 447,525 6,733,475 0.23 322768 2023 447,700 6,734,150 0.23 323148 2022 447,525 6,733,650 0.23 323167 2022 447,475 6,733,625 0.22 322823 2022 447,500 6,733,450 0.22 322528 2022 447,375 6,733,200 0.22 322765 2023 447,650 6,734,100 0.22 322933 2022 447,525 6,733,325 0.22 323054 2022 447,375 6,733,750 0.21 322605 2022 447,400 6,733,100 0.21 323100 2022 447,425 6,733,700 0.21 322610 2022 447,525 6,733,100 0.21 323164 2022 447,400 6,733,625 0.21 323243 2022 447,700 6,733,550 0.20 323253 2022 447,425 6,733,525 0.20 322618 2022 447,850 6,733,100 0.20 322720 2023 447,450 6,734,000 0.20 322826 2022 447,575 6,733,450 0.20 323241 2022 447,650 6,733,550 0.20 322731 2023 447,550 6,734,200 0.20 322849 2022 447,625 6,733,425 0.20 322872 2022 447,625 6,733,400 0.20 323073 2022 447,325 6,733,725 0.19 322989 2022 447,350 6,733,250 0.19 322749 2023 447,550 6,733,850 0.19 323198 2022 447,675 6,733,600 0.18 323020 2022 447,625 6,733,800 0.18 322870 2022 447,575 6,733,400 0.18 322958 2022 447,575 6,733,300 0.18 322718 2023 447,450 6,734,100 0.18 322843 2022 447,475 6,733,425 0.18 323233 2022 447,450 6,733,550 0.18 322951 2022 447,400 6,733,300 0.18 322807 2022 447,675 6,733,475 0.17 323255 2022 447,475 6,733,525 0.17 323141 2022 447,350 6,733,650 0.17 322952 2022 447,425 6,733,300 0.17 322705 2023 447,350 6,734,150 0.16 322905 2022 447,350 6,733,350 0.16 323079 2022 447,475 6,733,725 0.16 323017 2022 447,550 6,733,800 0.16 323076 2022 447,400 6,733,725 0.16 323195 2022 447,600 6,733,600 0.15 323234 2022 447,475 6,733,550 0.15 323038 2022 447,550 6,733,775 0.15 322949 2022 447,350 6,733,300 0.15 322572 2022 447,525 6,733,150 0.15 323032 2022 447,400 6,733,775 0.14 322806 2022 447,650 6,733,475 0.14 323066 2022 447,675 6,733,750 0.14 323283 2022 447,600 6,733,500 0.14 323171 2022 447,575 6,733,625 0.14 322531 2022 447,450 6,733,200 0.14 322766 2023 447,650 6,734,050 0.13 323034 2022 447,450 6,733,775 0.13 323078 2022 447,450 6,733,725 0.13 322570 2022 447,475 6,733,150 0.13 322679 2023 447,400 6,734,250 0.13 322569 2022 447,450 6,733,150 0.13 322529 2022 447,400 6,733,200 0.13 322929 2022 447,425 6,733,325 0.13 322997 2022 447,550 6,733,250 0.13 323166 2022 447,450 6,733,625 0.13 323248 2022 447,300 6,733,525 0.13 322885 2022 447,425 6,733,375 0.12 322775 2023 447,750 6,734,050 0.12 322977 2022 447,525 6,733,275 0.12 323039 2022 447,575 6,733,775 0.12 323262 2022 447,650 6,733,525 0.12 322640 2022 447,325 6,733,050 0.12 322821 2022 447,450 6,733,450 0.12 323082 2022 447,550 6,733,725 0.11 323155 2022 447,700 6,733,650 0.11 323191 2022 447,500 6,733,600 0.11 322565 2022 447,350 6,733,150 0.11 322817 2022 447,350 6,733,450 0.11 323240 2022 447,625 6,733,550 0.11 323163 2022 447,375 6,733,625 0.11 322756 2023 447,650 6,733,900 0.11 323277 2022 447,450 6,733,500 0.10 323281 2022 447,550 6,733,500 0.10 323009 2022 447,350 6,733,800 0.10 323267 2022 447,100 6,733,500 0.10 323285 2022 447,650 6,733,500 0.10 322752 2023 447,600 6,733,950 0.10 Appendix 3 Kennecott 1983 Trench Rock Chip Channel Sample Results22 - GDA94 z56 (location approximate digitized from a referenced plan and validated location on ground). Easting (m) Northing (m) From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Fire Assay Au g/t AAS Au g/t Av 447,634 6,733,528 0 5 5 0.5 0.4 0.45 447,629 6,733,529 5 10 5 0.5 0.6 0.55 447,624 6,733,530 10 15 5 0.4 0.7 0.55 447,619 6,733,531 15 20 5 0.6 0.4 0.5 447,614 6,733,532 20 25 5 0.4 0.45 0.425 447,609 6,733,533 25 30 5 0.4 0.35 0.375 447,604 6,733,534 30 35 5 7.1 12.6 9.85 447,600 6,733,535 35 40 5 0.4 0.2 0.3 447,594 6,733,536 40 45 5 0.4 0.45 0.425 447,590 6,733,537 45 50 5 0.05 0.45 0.25 447,585 6,733,538 50 55 5 0.3 0.2 0.25 447,580 6,733,539 55 60 5 2.1 3.1 2.6 447,575 6,733,540 60 65 5 0.7 0.7 0.7 447,570 6,733,541 65 70 5 0.5 0.05 0.275 447,565 6,733,542 70 75 5 0.3 0.75 0.525 447,560 6,733,543 75 80 5 0.7 0.8 0.75 447,555 6,733,544 80 85 5 0.3 0.25 0.275 447,551 6,733,545 85 90 5 0.05 0.025 0.0375 447,546 6,733,546 90 95 5 0.1 0.025 0.0625 447,541 6,733,548 95 100 5 0.05 0.1 0.075 447,536 6,733,549 100 105 5 0.2 0.025 0.1125 447,531 6,733,550 105 110 5 0.1 0.025 0.0625 447,526 6,733,551 110 115 5 0.6 0.1 0.35 447,521 6,733,552 115 120 5 0.5 0.15 0.325 447,516 6,733,553 120 125 5 0.1 0.15 0.125 447,511 6,733,554 125 130 5 0.3 0.45 0.375 447,506 6,733,555 130 135 5 0.2 0.025 0.1125 447,502 6,733,556 135 140 5 0.5 0.2 0.35 447,497 6,733,557 140 145 5 18 11.5 14.75 447,492 6,733,558 145 150 5 0.05 0.025 0.0375 447,487 6,733,559 150 155 5 0.2 0.025 0.1125 447,482 6,733,560 155 160 5 0.3 0.05 0.3 447,477 6,733,561 160 165 5 0.1 0 0.05 447,472 6,733,562 165 170 5 0.1 0.025 0.063 447,468 6,733,563 170 175 5 0.05 0.1 0.075 447,462 6,733,564 175 180 5 0.1 0.025 0.063 447,457 6,733,565 180 185 5 0.1 0.025 0.063 447,452 6,733,566 185 190 5 0.4 0.025 0.213 447,448 6,733,567 190 195 5 0.05 0.025 0.038 447,443 6,733,568 195 200 5 0.1 0.025 0.063 447,438 6,733,569 200 205 5 0.05 0.025 0.038 447,433 6,733,570 205 210 5 0.5 0.25 0.375 447,428 6,733,571 210 215 5 0.05 0.025 0.038 447,423 6,733,572 215 220 5 0.1 0.4 0.25 Appendix 4 Significant Intercepts reported by Manhattan for their 2023 RC program at Clone23. A > 0.5 g/t Au cut off was used for the calculations, with a maximum of 2 m internal dilution applied. Locations are in GDA94 zone 54. Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Intercept (g/t Au) CL0001 584300 6725725 -60 269 96 61 64 3 m @ 0.5 g/t Au 71 94 23 m @ 0.51 g/t Au CL0002 584330 6725725 -60 270 120 47 48 1 m @ 1.48 g/t Au 60 91 31 m @ 1.29 g/t Au Incl. 78 81 3 m @ 6.52 g/t Au CL0003 584300 6725700 -60 90 72 18 22 4 m @ 1.43 g/t Au CL0004 584280 6725700 -60 90 120 43 44 1 m @ 1.85 g/t Au 66 72 6 m @ 4.22 g/t Au Incl. 68 70 2 m @ 11.65 g/t Au CL0005 584310 6725670 -60 90 90 17 29 12 m @ 0.53 g/t Au 35 39 4 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 44 49 5 m @ 1.63 g/t Au Incl. 44 48 4 m @ 1.95 g/t Au CL0006 584290 6725670 -60 90 138 38 42 4 m @ 1.64 g/t Au CL0007 584270 6725670 -60 90 180 57 59 2 m @ 0.74 g/t Au 62 67 5 m @ 0.69 g/t Au 81 88 7 m @ 7.23 g/t Au Incl. 83 86 3 m @ 16.1 g/t Au CL0008 584310 6725675 -60 120 186 24 26 2 m @ 1.84 g/t Au 39 42 3 m @ 0.59 g/t Au 61 67 6 m @ 0.92 g/t Au Incl. 61 65 4 m @ 1.22 g/t Au CL0009 584325 6725650 -60 90 108 19 32 13 m @ 0.77 g/t Au Incl. 24 31 7 m @ 1.18 g/t Au 37 40 3 m @ 0.58 g/t Au CL0010 584390 6725500 -60 90 120 16 25 9 m @ 6.03 g/t Au 31 32 1 m @ 1.03 g/t Au Appendix 5 Significant Intercepts reported by Manhattan for their diamond program at New Bendigo24. A > 0.5 g/t Au cut off was used for the calculations, with a maximum of 2 m internal dilution applied. Locations are in GDA94 zone 54. Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Type Intercept (g/t Au) NB0107 587,510 6,719,419 -60.2 270.1 282.7 6 7 RC 1 m @ 1.04 g/t Au 89 90 RC 1 m @ 0.54 g/t Au 138.2 138.75 HQ3 0.55 m @ 2.29 g/t Au 178 180 HQ3 2 m @ 0.83 g/t Au NB0123 587,483 6,719,372 -61.5 268.3 201.6 6 10 RC 4 m @ 1.87 g/t Au 65 66 RC 1 m @ 0.62 g/t Au 111 112 RC 1 m @ 1.08 g/t Au 117 120 RC 3 m @ 1.95 g/t Au 145 147 RC 2 m @ 2.03 g/t Au NBD004 587,459 6,719,388 -60.6 331 294.7 50 57 HQ3 7 m @ 0.64 g/t Au 50 53 HQ3 3 m @ 1.09 g/t Au 60 71 HQ3 11 m @ 0.53 g/t Au Incl. 65 67 HQ3 2 m @ 1.2 g/t Au 104 108 HQ3 4 m @ 1.1 g/t Au Incl. 198 202 HQ3 4 m @ 1.44 g/t Au 208 210 HQ3 2 m @ 0.79 g/t Au NBD005 587,364 6,719,476 -60 90 161.7 82 106 HQ3 24 m @ 3.55 g/t Au Incl. 96 100 HQ3 4 m @ 20.11 g/t Au Or. 96 97.02 HQ3 1.02 m @ 70.2 g/t Au* NBD006 587,467 6,719,318 -60 90 120.1 50 51 HQ3 1 m @ 0.69 g/t Au 72 73 HQ3 1 m @ 0.65 g/t Au NB0007 587,313 6,719,039 -60 90 140.1 68 72 HQ3 4 m @ 0.97 g/t Au * Alternative increased grade cut off selected by Manhattan for reporting of higher-grade components. Appendix 6 Significant Intercepts reported by Manhattan for their RC drilling programs at New Bendigo25. A > 0.5 g/t Au cut off was used for the calculations, with a maximum of 2 m internal dilution applied. Locations are in GDA94 zone 54. Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Dip Azimuth Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Intercept (g/t Au) NB0001 587,615 6,719,182 -60 237 118 19 21 2 m @ 0.9 g/t Au 28 29 1 m @ 5.49 g/t Au 41 42 1 m @ 0.78 g/t Au 64 65 1 m @ 0.68 g/t Au NB0002 587,595 6,719,168 -60 238 84 10 11 1 m @ 0.5 g/t Au 17 19 2 m @ 2.24 g/t Au 30 34 4 m @ 0.81 g/t Au 46 47 1 m @ 3.27 g/t Au NB0003 587,578 6,719,161 -61 237 51 25 28 3 m @ 0.95 g/t Au NB0004 587,587 6,719,169 -60 236 51 4 5 1 m @ 2.14 g/t Au 28 30 2 m @ 0.69 g/t Au 35 37 2 m @ 2.26 g/t Au NB0005 587,560 6,719,204 -60 236 63 39 42 3 m @ 1.09 g/t Au NB0006 587,585 6,719,219 -60 237 99 9 10 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au 14 16 2 m @ 3.14 g/t Au 21 26 5 m @ 0.81 g/t Au 36 38 2 m @ 0.82 g/t Au 61 64 3 m @ 1.56 g/t Au NB0007 587,599 6,719,145 -60 236 87 3 5 2 m @ 2.04 g/t Au NB0008 587,618 6,719,157 -60 236 105 21 27 6 m @ 0.97 g/t Au 32 33 1 m @ 0.7 g/t Au 37 38 1 m @ 0.95 g/t Au 45 46 1 m @ 2.76 g/t Au NB0009 587,591 6,719,140 -60 235 63 2 4 2 m @ 0.76 g/t Au NB0010 587,498 6,719,371 -60 238 105 40 42 2 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0011 587,480 6,719,353 -62 238 51 29 30 1 m @ 0.71 g/t Au 34 35 1 m @ 0.89 g/t Au NB0012 587,467 6,719,346 -60 237 39 NSI NB0013 587,500 6,719,347 -60 238 57 3 4 1 m @ 0.65 g/t Au 5 6 1 m @ 0.54 g/t Au 40 42 2 m @ 0.88 g/t Au NB0014 587,492 6,719,341 -61 236 45 36 39 3 m @ 1.41 g/t Au NB0015 587,522 6,719,320 -61 240 69 15 16 1 m @ 0.69 g/t Au 18 19 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au 45 46 1 m @ 0.82 g/t Au NB0016 587,565 6,719,246 -59 237 93 42 45 3 m @ 0.7 g/t Au 58 59 1 m @ 1.52 g/t Au NB0017 587,553 6,719,236 -60 236 105 27 28 1 m @ 0.79 g/t Au 48 49 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au NB0018 587,532 6,719,221 -60 238 57 NSI NB0019 587,543 6,719,191 -60 235 45 8 11 3 m @ 1.96 g/t Au NB0020 587,422 6,719,481 -60 236 121 18 19 1 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 109 113 4 m @ 0.59 g/t Au NB0021 587,456 6,719,503 -60 236 159 87 89 2 m @ 17.3 g/t Au 95 96 1 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 105 107 2 m @ 2.61 g/t Au 121 122 1 m @ 0.99 g/t Au NB0022 587,405 6,719,470 -60 238 123 NSI NB0023 587,405 6,719,058 -61 239 147 87 94 7 m @ 18.16 g/t Au NB0024 587,372 6,719,038 -60 235 105 31 32 1 m @ 1.1 g/t Au 39 40 1 m @ 0.8 g/t Au 50 55 5 m @ 1.12 g/t Au NB0025 587,273 6,719,252 -60 239 147 NSI NB0026 587,537 6,719,323 -61 238 75 57 60 3 m @ 1.39 g/t Au NB0027 587,550 6,719,331 -60 235 99 73 75 2 m @ 9.28 g/t Au NB0028 587,600 6,719,267 -60 238 141 NSI NB0029 587,487 6,719,528 -60 235 183 165 166 1 m @ 0.56 g/t Au NB0030 587,639 6,719,151 -59 240 111 48 52 4 m @ 0.84 g/t Au 64 65 1 m @ 0.91 g/t Au 75 77 2 m @ 0.65 g/t Au NB0031 587,628 6,719,142 -60 238 93 11 13 2 m @ 0.92 g/t Au 16 17 1 m @ 0.62 g/t Au 20 21 1 m @ 6.24 g/t Au 43 44 1 m @ 1.74 g/t Au NB0032 587,457 6,719,387 -60 237 129 29 34 5 m @ 0.57 g/t Au 89 91 2 m @ 13.71 g/t Au NB0033 587,602 6,719,180 -60 236 87 11 41 30 m @ 4.03 g/t Au Incl. 11 16 5 m @ 20.86 g/t Au NB0034 587,353 6,719,023 -60 238 57 11 13 2 m @ 0.84 g/t Au 28 35 7 m @ 0.78 g/t Au Incl. 28 32 4 m @ 1.05 g/t Au NB0035 587,389 6,719,046 -61 236 117 NSI NB0036 587,419 6,719,066 -61 236 153 NSI NB0037 587,376 6,718,990 -60 238 80 13 15 2 m @ 1.28 g/t Au 18 22 4 m @ 0.93 g/t Au Incl. 20 22 2 m @ 1.24 g/t Au 28 29 1 m @ 0.86 g/t Au NB0038 587,410 6,719,010 -61 236 111 NSI NB0039 587,449 6,719,036 -61 238 147 122 123 1 m @ 4.15 g/t Au NB0040 587,332 6,719,061 -62 238 75 15 16 1 m @ 0.77 g/t Au 43 44 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0041 587,368 6,719,078 -61 239 117 105 106 1 m @ 0.6 g/t Au NB0042 587,403 6,719,101 -61 238 159 NSI NB0043 587,431 6,719,448 -61 238 129 34 35 1 m @ 1 g/t Au 99 102 3 m @ 0.74 g/t Au Incl. 99 100 1 m @ 1.53 g/t Au NB0044 587,369 6,719,547 -61 239 177 60 61 1 m @ 0.79 g/t Au 74 76 2 m @ 2.19 g/t Au NB0045 587,401 6,719,570 -61 239 201 101 102 1 m @ 0.96 g/t Au 114 115 1 m @ 0.66 g/t Au 166 167 1 m @ 0.91 g/t Au NB0046 587,424 6,719,368 -62 237 99 NSI NB0047 587,572 6,719,296 -61 237 135 45 46 1 m @ 0.63 g/t Au 75 77 2 m @ 3.04 g/t Au NB0048 587,554 6,719,285 -61 237 117 37 38 1 m @ 0.89 g/t Au 57 58 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au 64 65 1 m @ 0.7 g/t Au NB0049 587,525 6,719,266 -61 237 93 23 24 1 m @ 0.67 g/t Au 26 27 1 m @ 0.62 g/t Au 30 31 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au 41 42 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au 72 73 1 m @ 1.63 g/t Au NB0050 587,605 6,719,081 -61 237 69 59 61 2 m @ 0.8 g/t Au NB0051 587,621 6,719,091 -61 237 93 6 10 4 m @ 0.83 g/t Au 70 72 2 m @ 1.23 g/t Au NB0052 587,656 6,719,114 -61 242 135 34 37 3 m @ 1.71 g/t Au 43 46 3 m @ 1.55 g/t Au 74 75 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0053 587,689 6,719,135 -61 238 147 54 55 1 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 81 82 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au 88 91 3 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 96 97 1 m @ 0.71 g/t Au 101 103 2 m @ 0.65 g/t Au NB0054 587,427 6,718,900 -61 237 81 NSI NB0055 587,457 6,718,924 -61 237 123 NSI NB0056 587,490 6,718,945 -61 239 141 1 2 1 m @ 5.4 g/t Au NB0057 587,532 6,718,971 -61 236 171 93 94 1 m @ 0.5 g/t Au NB0058 587,622 6,719,013 -62 237 117 NSI NB0059 587,652 6,719,034 -61 237 87 NSI NB0060 587,687 6,719,056 -62 237 135 1 2 1 m @ 0.91 g/t Au 6 7 1 m @ 0.56 g/t Au 18 20 2 m @ 0.59 g/t Au 59 63 4 m @ 0.84 g/t Au Incl. 61 63 2 m @ 1.14 g/t Au NB0061 587,716 6,719,076 -62 239 165 51 55 4 m @ 0.93 g/t Au 66 67 1 m @ 0.77 g/t Au 74 77 3 m @ 1.88 g/t Au 84 85 1 m @ 0.88 g/t Au 102 103 1 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 106 107 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0062 587,331 6,719,527 -61 239 171 135 138 3 m @ 0.56 g/t Au NB0063 587,441 6,719,595 -61 238 237 153 154 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au 172 173 1 m @ 0.72 g/t Au NB0064 587,434 6,719,327 -61 236 81 NSI NB0065 587,448 6,719,337 -61 238 93 83 84 1 m @ 0.67 g/t Au NB0066 587,490 6,719,294 -61 237 75 20 21 1 m @ 0.63 g/t Au NB0067 587,508 6,719,306 -62 239 129 4 5 1 m @ 1.46 g/t Au 36 37 1 m @ 1.82 g/t Au 65 66 1 m @ 0.68 g/t Au 109 118 9 m @ 0.93 g/t Au Incl. 110 116 6 m @ 1.11 g/t Au NB0068 587,242 6,719,429 -62 239 93 NSI NB0069 587,275 6,719,450 -61 238 117 NSI NB0070 587,592 6,718,776 -61 236 153 9 10 1 m @ 0.92 g/t Au NB0071 587,621 6,718,793 -62 238 159 68 69 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0072 587,555 6,718,752 -61 238 69 NSI NB0073 587,557 6,719,180 -60 270 73 NSI NB0074 587,575 6,719,181 -60 270 84 41 42 1 m @ 1.88 g/t Au NB0075 587,585 6,719,180 -60 270 84 6 7 1 m @ 1.47 g/t Au 28 30 2 m @ 1.29 g/t Au 51 52 1 m @ 1.53 g/t Au NB0076 587,599 6,719,177 -60 270 120 0 2 2 m @ 0.80 g/t Au 10 11 1 m @ 1.74 g/t Au 31 36 5 m @ 1.03 g/t Au Incl. 31 33 2 m @ 1.62 g/t Au 42 43 1 m @ 1.29 g/t Au NB0077 587,618 6,719,179 -60 270 132 23 24 1 m @ 0.66 g/t Au 31 32 1 m @ 8.34 g/t Au 47 48 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au 59 60 1 m @ 0.64 g/t Au NB0078 587,647 6,719,177 -60 270 114 61 62 1 m @ 0.67 g/t Au 66 69 3 m @ 0.70 g/t Au 71 72 1 m @ 0.57 g/t Au 74 75 1 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 77 78 1 m @ 0.50 g/t Au 101 104 3 m @ 2.02 g/t Au NB0079 587,576 6,719,224 -60 270 120 10 10.5 0.5 m @ 1.20 g/t Au 10.5 14 3.5 m @ NSI g/t Au 14 15 1 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 18 26 8 m @ 1.08 g/t Au 37 38 1 m @ 1.00 g/t Au 59 60 1 m @ 0.90 g/t Au NB0080 587,593 6,719,222 -60 270 132 7 9 2 m @ 1.82 g/t Au 73 74 1 m @ 1.60 g/t Au NB0081 587,507 6,719,215 -60 90 144 39 40 1 m @ 1.02 g/t Au 126 129 3 m @ 4.67 g/t Au Incl. 126 128 2 m @ 6.74 g/t Au 138 139 1 m @ 0.50 g/t Au NB0082 587,595 6,719,140 -60 270 54 24 28 4 m @ 2.16 g/t Au Incl. 26 27 1 m @ 6.78 g/t Au NB0083 587,620 6,719,135 -60 270 72 1 17 16 m @ 13.89 g/t Au Incl. 7 10 3 m @ 69.20 g/t Au 24 25 1 m @ 1.04 g/t Au 53 55 2 m @ 1.08 g/t Au NB0084 587,635 6,719,139 -60 270 90 29 31 2 m @ 2.43 g/t Au 49 51 2 m @ 1.58 g/t Au 54 55 1 m @ 1.17 g/t Au 69 70 1 m @ 1.40 g/t Au 83 84 1 m @ 0.59 g/t Au NB0085 587,645 6,719,143 -60 270 114 50 52 2 m @ 0.54 g/t Au NB0086 587,539 6,719,255 -60 270 90 26 27 1 m @ 0.92 g/t Au 32 33 1 m @ 1.26 g/t Au 36 38 2 m @ 0.79 g/t Au Incl. 37 38 1 m @ 1.07 g/t Au NB0087 587,558 6,719,258 -60 270 120 45 46 1 m @ 0.63 g/t Au 57 59 2 m @ 0.50 g/t Au NB0088 587,534 6,719,318 -60 270 120 41 44 3 m @ 0.60 g/t Au 56 63 7 m @ 2.89 g/t Au Incl. 62 63 1 m @ 15.45 g/t Au 66 68 2 m @ 0.88 g/t Au NB0089 587,550 6,719,323 -60 270 108 70 78 8 m @ 40.50 g/t Au Incl. 70 73 3 m @ 105.34 g/t Au NB0090 587,589 6,719,217 -60 270 126 12 18 6 m @ 1.93 g/t Au Incl. 16 18 2 m @ 4.29 g/t Au 42 43 1 m @ 1.44 g/t Au 68 71 3 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 116 117 1 m @ 0.57 g/t Au NB0091 587,579 6,719,261 -60 270 84 41 43 2 m @ 0.74 g/t Au 64 65 1 m @ 1.59 g/t Au NB0092 587,491 6,719,359 -60 270 150 35 37 2 m @ 1.05 g/t Au 114 115 1 m @ 2.92 g/t Au NB0093 587,510 6,719,327 -60 270 79 4 21 17 m @ 1.13 g/t Au Incl. 6 10 4 m @ 2.42 g/t Au and: 15 16 1 m @ 6.29 g/t Au 47 48 1 m @ 0.57 g/t Au NB0094 587,530 6,719,326 -61 270 91 47 71 24 m @ 0.52 g/t Au Incl. 58 67 9 m @ 1.06 g/t Au NB0095 587,550 6,719,326 -60 272 109 NSI NB0096 587,569 6,719,326 -60 269 133 108 109 1 m @ 1.14 g/t Au NB0097 587,511 6,719,359 -60 272 73 4 5 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au 61 63 2 m @ 1.02 g/t Au NB0098 587,526 6,719,358 -59 271 96 82 84 2 m @ 3.18 g/t Au NB0099 587,549 6,719,358 -60 272 108 95 96 1 m @ 0.83 g/t Au NB0100 587,563 6,719,357 -60 273 144 NSI NB0101 587,549 6,719,348 -60 270 108 82 83 1 m @ 0.75 g/t Au 105 106 1 m @ 0.69 g/t Au NB0102 587,507 6,719,373 -60 272 162 84 86 2 m @ 4.08 g/t Au 96 97 1 m @ 0.73 g/t Au 157 158 1 m @ 2.77 g/t Au NB0103 587,526 6,719,372 -60 271 144 NSI NB0104 587,550 6,719,372 -60 270 144 NSI NB0105 587,470 6,719,420 -61 269 126 11 92 81 m @ 1.04 g/t Au Incl. 52 66 14 m @ 4.77 g/t Au Incl. 76 77 1 m @ 10.3 g/t Au NB0106 587,489 6,719,420 -60 272 150 9 12 3 m @ 4.51 g/t Au 71 74 3 m @ 0.67 g/t Au 98 99 1 m @ 5.49 g/t Au 126 128 2 m @ 3.9 g/t Au NB0107 587,509 6,719,419 -60 270 128 6 7 1 m @ 1.04 g/t Au 89 90 1 m @ 0.54 g/t Au NB0108 587,450 6,719,440 -61 270.34 120 51 53 2 m @ 0.79 g/t Au NB0109 587,470 6,719,440 -60 269.05 144 10 11 1 m @ 1.08 g/t Au 13 14 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au 66 71 5 m @ 0.58 g/t Au 87 100 13 m @ 1.41 g/t Au Incl. 90 93 3 m @ 4.65 g/t Au 112 113 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au NB0110 587,490 6,719,440 -60 269.66 162 10 13 3 m @ 4.32 g/t Au 108 110 2 m @ 1.2 g/t Au 115 123 8 m @ 0.76 g/t Au Incl. 118 119 1 m @ 2.89 g/t Au 128 129 1 m @ 0.51 g/t Au NB0111 587,510 6,719,440 -60 266.17 180 7 8 1 m @ 0.66 g/t Au 106 107 1 m @ 0.66 g/t Au NB0112 587,440 6,719,480 -59 267.98 114 48 49 1 m @ 0.95 g/t Au 64 66 2 m @ 1.7 g/t Au 91 92 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au NB0113 587,460 6,719,480 -60 268.73 132 7 8 1 m @ 0.99 g/t Au 92 111 19 m @ 5.02 g/t Au Incl. 97 104 7 m @ 13.1 g/t Au Or. 97 102 5 m @ 18.01 g/t Au And. 109 111 2 m @ 1.01 g/t Au 122 123 1 m @ 2.87 g/t Au 126 127 1 m @ 0.56 g/t Au 130 132 2 m @ 1.48 g/t Au NB0114 587,480 6,719,480 -60 268.57 162 9 10 1 m @ 11.1 g/t Au 126 128 2 m @ 1.07 g/t Au 144 145 1 m @ 0.53 g/t Au NB0115 587,530 6,719,290 -60 270.59 90 44 46 2 m @ 1.51 g/t Au NB0116 587,550 6,719,290 -60 269.39 102 35 36 1 m @ 0.58 g/t Au NB0117 587,570 6,719,290 -59 271.71 160 NSI NB0118 587,590 6,719,290 -62 270.08 180 90 110 20 m @ 0.6 g/t Au 107 109 2 m @ 3.11 g/t Au NB0119 587,430 6,719,390 -64 271.04 132 NSI NB0120 587,450 6,719,390 -63 269.93 150 105 106 1 m @ 0.5 g/t Au NB0121 587,470 6,719,390 -64 271.55 168 36 37 1 m @ 0.9 g/t Au 108 109 1 m @ 0.71 g/t Au NB0122 587,490 6,719,392 -63 271.92 180 11 12 1 m @ 0.78 g/t Au 50 63 13 m @ 6.16 g/t Au Incl. 51 54 3 m @ 25.48 g/t Au 70 78 8 m @ 2.52 g/t Au Incl. 72 73 1 m @ 17.85 g/t Au 133 134 1 m @ 1.75 g/t Au 140 141 1 m @ 0.67 g/t Au 154 155 1 m @ 0.52 g/t Au NB0123 587,486 6,719,373 -62 268.34 150 6 10 4 m @ 1.87 g/t Au 65 66 1 m @ 0.62 g/t Au 111 120 9 m @ 0.82 g/t Au Incl. 117 119 2 m @ 2.77 g/t Au 145 150 5 m @ 0.77 g/t Au NB0124 587,250 6,719,696 -60 272.53 120 NSI NB0125 588,012 6,718,586 -62 275.26 96 NSI NB0126 588,591 6,717,212 -62 272.88 138 128 129 1 m @ 0.89 g/t Au NB0127 588,742 6,717,214 -62 271.57 138 69 70 1 m @ 0.61 g/t Au NB0128 587,482 6,719,357 -60 140 120 44 46 2 m @ 1.02 g/t Au 50 52 2 m @ 0.66 g/t Au NB0129 587,499 6,719,323 -60 140 60 55 59 4 m @ 1.63 g/t Au Incl. 56 58 2 m @ 2.53 g/t Au NB0130 587,367 6,719,503 -60 90 132 17 19 2 m @ 4.48 g/t Au 22 24 2 m @ 9.78 g/t Au 65 69 4 m @ 0.85 g/t Au 102 105 3 m @ 0.71 g/t Au NB0131 587,382 6,719,483 -60 90 102 58 62 4 m @ 0.52 g/t Au 82 89 7 m @ 4.76 g/t Au Incl. 85 88 3 m @ 8.96 g/t Au NB0132 587,613 6,719,142 -60 345 72 0 16 16 m @ 0.54 g/t Au 24 26 2 m @ 0.96 g/t Au 50 56 6 m @ 0.91 g/t Au 70 72 2 m @ 2.03 g/t Au NB0133 587,605 6,719,155 -60 345 48 27 48 21 m @ 1.23 g/t Au Incl. 28 31 3 m @ 2.37 g/t Au And. 42 46 4 m @ 2.7 g/t Au NB0134 587,598 6,719,156 -60 140 60 7 13 6 m @ 0.73 g/t Au 19 26 7 m @ 0.5 g/t Au 47 49 2 m @ 0.8 g/t Au NB0135 587,588 6,719,175 -60 140 102 14 16 2 m @ 0.55 g/t Au 20 37 17 m @ 1.05 g/t Au 41 54 13 m @ 2.57 g/t Au Incl. 47 50 3 m @ 8.71 g/t Au NB0136 587,575 6,719,200 -60 138 150 27 35 8 m @ 0.6 g/t Au 75 79 4 m @ 5.97 g/t Au 88 90 2 m @ 2.88 g/t Au * Alternative increased grade cut off selected by Manhattan for reporting of higher-grade components. _______________ 20 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 12/09/2022 - Gold Discovery Confirmed John Bull Gold Project 21 Refer to ASX news release by TechGen Metals Limited dated 7/09/2023 Stage 2 RC Drilling Results Confirm Large Scale Gold System, John Bull Gold Project 22 Refer to ASX news release by Zenith Minerals Ltd dated 10/09/2020 New Gold Project Secured in NSW 23 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 New High-Grade Gold Discovery 24 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 27/10/2022 Quarterly Activities Report September 2022 25 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 New High-Grade Gold Discovery JORC Code, 2012 Edition Table 1 Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (e.g., cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g., reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases, more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (e.g., submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - sampling reported by Southern Goldfields (GS 19861200) Trench Sampling - Historical sub-horizontal 5 m composite channel samples taken (non-biased). 5m hand channel samples of excavator dug trench. Sample assay repeats using both AAS and fire assay analysis. Results resemble recent drilling results. - sampling reported by Southern Goldfields (GS 19861200) Trench Sampling - Historical sub-horizontal 5 m composite channel samples taken (non-biased). 5m hand channel samples of excavator dug trench. Sample assay repeats using both AAS and fire assay analysis. Results resemble recent drilling results. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample - Soil samples were collected from approximately 10-25 cm depths. Approximately 250 grams of -5 mm sieved soil was collected into a paper sample packet. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying, sieving and pulverising prior to assaying for Au (Au-AA24) and then selective multi-element assaying (ME-MS61). The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control and standards were added in the field. Soil samples were collected from approximately 10-25 cm depths. Approximately 250 grams of -5 mm sieved soil was collected into a paper sample packet. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying, sieving and pulverising prior to assaying for Au (Au-AA24) and then selective multi-element assaying (ME-MS61). The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control and standards were added in the field. TechGen 2022 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC) - Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying and pulverising to produce a 30g sample for Fire Assay gold analysis (Au-AA23). Samples of greater than 10glt Au were assayed by overlimit method Au-GRA21. A multi-element suite of elements was assayed by ICP-AES following a multi acid digestion (ME-ICP61). The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying and pulverising to produce a 30g sample for Fire Assay gold analysis (Au-AA23). Samples of greater than 10glt Au were assayed by overlimit method Au-GRA21. A multi-element suite of elements was assayed by ICP-AES following a multi acid digestion (ME-ICP61). The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. TechGen 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC) - drilling samples were collected as 1 metre riffle split samples. The 1m samples were collected after passing the bulk sample through the splitter to create a sample of 1.5 - 3.5kg. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying and pulverising to produce a 500 g sample for PhotonAssay gold analysis (Au-PA01) in Perth. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. drilling samples were collected as 1 metre riffle split samples. The 1m samples were collected after passing the bulk sample through the splitter to create a sample of 1.5 - 3.5kg. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane for drying and pulverising to produce a 500 g sample for PhotonAssay gold analysis (Au-PA01) in Perth. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. Manhattan 2023 Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes were drilled with a face sampling hammer using industry practice drilling methods to obtain a 1 m representative sample. RC Drilling was completed by Resolution Drilling (Resolution) using a large capacity RC Rig (UDR1200) or Profile Drilling using a Schramm 660. Samples were collected over one metre intervals using a rig mounted rotary cone splitter to obtain a split representative sample (and duplicate sample where required) of approximately 2 to 3 kg for assaying. The sample system was routinely monitored and cleaned to minimise contamination. The split samples and any QA/QC samples were placed in Bulka Bags, sealed, and then transported to ALS in Adelaide for analysis. drill holes were drilled with a face sampling hammer using industry practice drilling methods to obtain a 1 m representative sample. RC Drilling was completed by Resolution Drilling (Resolution) using a large capacity RC Rig (UDR1200) or Profile Drilling using a Schramm 660. Samples were collected over one metre intervals using a rig mounted rotary cone splitter to obtain a split representative sample (and duplicate sample where required) of approximately 2 to 3 kg for assaying. The sample system was routinely monitored and cleaned to minimise contamination. The split samples and any QA/QC samples were placed in Bulka Bags, sealed, and then transported to ALS in Adelaide for analysis. Manhattan 2022 Diamond Drilling: core has been collected using standard industry practices to obtain representative sample utilising HQ3 diameter core and rotary mud pre-collars through transported and oxidised lithologies at the top of the hole. Resolution Drilling (Resolution) completed diamond drilling using a large capacity Rig (UDR1200). Within fresh rock, core is oriented for structural/geotechnical logging wherever possible. In oriented core, one half of the core was sampled over one metre intervals and submitted for fire assay. The other half of the core, including the bottom-of-hole orientation line, was retained for geological reference and potential further sampling such as metallurgical test work. In intervals of un-oriented core, the same half of the core has been sampled where possible, by extending a cut line from oriented intervals through into the un-oriented intervals. The lack of a consistent geological reference plane, (such as bedding or a foliation), precludes using geological features to orient the core. In areas of core that appeared to be unmineralized, the half core was cut in half (into quarter core) and submitted for analysis over intervals of generally 2 m Drilling techniques Drill type (e.g., core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (e.g., core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit, or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC) - RC drilling used a track mounted Ingersol-Rand T4 drill rig with a 5 3/4-inch face sampling hammer. An auxiliary compressor and booster were also utilised for some drill holes. Holes were surveyed downhole using a Reflex North Seeking Gyro tool. RC drilling used a track mounted Ingersol-Rand T4 drill rig with a 5 3/4-inch face sampling hammer. An auxiliary compressor and booster were also utilised for some drill holes. Holes were surveyed downhole using a Reflex North Seeking Gyro tool. Manhattan 2023 RC Drilling used a face sampling hammer using standard RC drilling Techniques employed by Resolution Drilling or Profile Drilling, both a specialist RC Drilling company. Downhole surveys were carried out on RC holes using a gyro survey tool every 30m to record the movement of the drill hole from the planned direction and inclination. used a face sampling hammer using standard RC drilling Techniques employed by Resolution Drilling or Profile Drilling, both a specialist RC Drilling company. Downhole surveys were carried out on RC holes using a gyro survey tool every 30m to record the movement of the drill hole from the planned direction and inclination. Manhattan 2022 DD Drilling was completed by Resolution drilling utilising a UDR1200 drill rig, a specialist NSW based drilling contractor. Downhole surveys were carried out using a true shot (Boart) downhole survey tool every 30 m to record the movement of the drill hole from the planned direction and inclination. Diamond drilling utilised standardised coring techniques utilising HQ3 (triple tube) Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC) - Recovery of drill chip material was estimated from sample piles and recorded at the time of drilling. Recoveries were considered adequate. The cyclone was regularly checked and cleaned. There is no relationship between sample recovery and grade. Recovery of drill chip material was estimated from sample piles and recorded at the time of drilling. Recoveries were considered adequate. The cyclone was regularly checked and cleaned. There is no relationship between sample recovery and grade. Manhattan 2023 RC drilling - sample weight and recoveries were observed during the drilling with any wet, moist, and sample quality of the drill samples being recorded. All samples were deemed to be of acceptable quality. RC samples were checked by the geologist for volume, moisture content, possible contamination, and recoveries. Any issues were discussed with the drilling contractor. Sample spoils (residual) were placed in piles on the ground and representative chips collected by sieving part of the pile and washing the oversize component for storage in chip trays and logging. sample weight and recoveries were observed during the drilling with any wet, moist, and sample quality of the drill samples being recorded. All samples were deemed to be of acceptable quality. RC samples were checked by the geologist for volume, moisture content, possible contamination, and recoveries. Any issues were discussed with the drilling contractor. Sample spoils (residual) were placed in piles on the ground and representative chips collected by sieving part of the pile and washing the oversize component for storage in chip trays and logging. Manhattan 2022 diamond drilling - recovered core for each drill run is recorded and measured against the expected core from that run. Core recovery is consistently high, with minor loss occurring in regolith and fractured ground. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench simple descriptions only for entire trench simple descriptions only for entire trench TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample - Soil sample descriptions were recorded in the field for all samples - Soil sample descriptions were recorded in the field for all samples TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC). All drilling was geologically logged by a geologist at the time of drilling. Logging was qualitative in nature. All holes were geologically logged in full. Geotechnical logging has not been carried out. All drilling was geologically logged by a geologist at the time of drilling. Logging was qualitative in nature. All holes were geologically logged in full. Geotechnical logging has not been carried out. Manhattan RC: A representative sample of the RC chips was collected from each of the drilled intervals (sampled every 1m), then logged and stored in chip trays for future reference. RC chips were logged for lithology, alteration, degree of weathering, fabric, colour, abundance of quartz veining and sulphide occurrence. All referenced RC chips in trays have been photographed and will be stored at the field facility in Tibooburra. Sample spoils (residual) were placed in piles on the ground. A representative sample of the RC chips was collected from each of the drilled intervals (sampled every 1m), then logged and stored in chip trays for future reference. RC chips were logged for lithology, alteration, degree of weathering, fabric, colour, abundance of quartz veining and sulphide occurrence. All referenced RC chips in trays have been photographed and will be stored at the field facility in Tibooburra. Sample spoils (residual) were placed in piles on the ground. Manhattan DD: Diamond core has been logged for lithology, alteration, and structure. Sample quality data recorded includes recovery, sample moisture (i.e., whether dry, moist, wet, and sampling methodology. Drill core is routinely orientated, photographed, and structurally logged. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality, and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in-situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - 5m channel samples are appropriate for the type of sampling and style of mineralisation observed. Sample assay repeats of higher-grade zones of individual 5m trench samples indicate a degree of variability in results commonly associated with coarse gold. In addition to fire assay and AAS analyses, Kennecott re assayed trench sample intervals using a screen fire assay technique the results from which also seem to confirm the presence of coarse gold. Trench results average 160m @ 1.15 g/t Au, with (0.1 g/t Au cut-off and maximum dilution of 5m, no top cut). No details of QAQC were documented, although repeat assay has been performed and in addition to the original Kennecott sampling a second company Southern Goldfields reported results of their own sampling of outcropping quartz veins located near the trench, returning similar gold assay results. Recent drilling also supports the grades obtained in trench sampling. 5m channel samples are appropriate for the type of sampling and style of mineralisation observed. Sample assay repeats of higher-grade zones of individual 5m trench samples indicate a degree of variability in results commonly associated with coarse gold. In addition to fire assay and AAS analyses, Kennecott re assayed trench sample intervals using a screen fire assay technique the results from which also seem to confirm the presence of coarse gold. Trench results average 160m @ 1.15 g/t Au, with (0.1 g/t Au cut-off and maximum dilution of 5m, no top cut). No details of QAQC were documented, although repeat assay has been performed and in addition to the original Kennecott sampling a second company Southern Goldfields reported results of their own sampling of outcropping quartz veins located near the trench, returning similar gold assay results. Recent drilling also supports the grades obtained in trench sampling. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample No compositing of samples was undertaken. The soil samples were placed in a pre-numbered paper packet and submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Sample preparation involved drying and pulverising of the whole sample. Laboratory repeats and standards were used. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the grain size of the material sampled. No compositing of samples was undertaken. The soil samples were placed in a pre-numbered paper packet and submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Sample preparation involved drying and pulverising of the whole sample. Laboratory repeats and standards were used. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the grain size of the material sampled. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC). The 1m samples were collected after passing the bulk sample through the splitter to create a sample of between 1.5 -3.5kg and placed in a pre-numbered calico bag and submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Most samples were dry although some were moist or wet. These details were recorded at the time of drilling and sampling. Sample preparation for drill samples involved drying the whole sample, pulverising to 85% passing 75 microns. 2022 - A 30-gram sample charge was used for the Fire Assay analysis. 2023 - A 500 gram sample charge was then used for the PhotonAssay analysis. Laboratory repeats (1:20) and standards (1:20) and internal TechGen standards and blanks have been used to assess laboratory accuracy and reproducibility. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the grain size of the material sampled. The 1m samples were collected after passing the bulk sample through the splitter to create a sample of between 1.5 -3.5kg and placed in a pre-numbered calico bag and submitted to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Most samples were dry although some were moist or wet. These details were recorded at the time of drilling and sampling. Sample preparation for drill samples involved drying the whole sample, pulverising to 85% passing 75 microns. 2022 - A 30-gram sample charge was used for the Fire Assay analysis. 2023 - A 500 gram sample charge was then used for the PhotonAssay analysis. Laboratory repeats (1:20) and standards (1:20) and internal TechGen standards and blanks have been used to assess laboratory accuracy and reproducibility. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the grain size of the material sampled. Manhattan RC: all samples were collected in numbered calico bags using the rig mounted cone splitter with duplicates, blanks and standards placed in the sample sequence and collected at various intervals. The calico sample bags were then placed in green plastic bags for transportation. Samples were secured and placed into bulka bags for transport to the ALS Laboratory in Adelaide, an accredited Australian Laboratory. Once received by ALS in Adelaide, all samples where pulverise to 85% passing 75 microns (Method PUL-23). For samples that were greater than 3kg samples were split prior to pulverising. Once pulverised a pulp was collected and sent to ALS in Perth for a 50g portion to be subjected to fire assay and AAS finish (Method Au-AA26). Where results returned are >100 ppm Au (over range), the assay is determined using method Au-GRA22. The laboratory undertook and reported its own duplicate and standard assaying. Laboratory QA/QC samples involving the use of blanks, duplicates, standards (certified reference materials) and replicates as part of in-house procedures. The sample sizes are considered appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Selective anomalous samples from selective holes, identified within the mineralised zones may be further analysed by ALS Laboratories utilising a screen fire assay technique (Method Au-SCR22AA) to provide a more representative sample of the heterogeneous or coarse gold. Analysis was conducted on the bulk material that remained after the pulp was removed during the initial 50-gram Fire Assay. all samples were collected in numbered calico bags using the rig mounted cone splitter with duplicates, blanks and standards placed in the sample sequence and collected at various intervals. The calico sample bags were then placed in green plastic bags for transportation. Samples were secured and placed into bulka bags for transport to the ALS Laboratory in Adelaide, an accredited Australian Laboratory. Once received by ALS in Adelaide, all samples where pulverise to 85% passing 75 microns (Method PUL-23). For samples that were greater than 3kg samples were split prior to pulverising. Once pulverised a pulp was collected and sent to ALS in Perth for a 50g portion to be subjected to fire assay and AAS finish (Method Au-AA26). Where results returned are >100 ppm Au (over range), the assay is determined using method Au-GRA22. The laboratory undertook and reported its own duplicate and standard assaying. Laboratory QA/QC samples involving the use of blanks, duplicates, standards (certified reference materials) and replicates as part of in-house procedures. The sample sizes are considered appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Selective anomalous samples from selective holes, identified within the mineralised zones may be further analysed by ALS Laboratories utilising a screen fire assay technique (Method Au-SCR22AA) to provide a more representative sample of the heterogeneous or coarse gold. Analysis was conducted on the bulk material that remained after the pulp was removed during the initial 50-gram Fire Assay. Manhattan DD: where mineralisation has been potentially identified in the logging of Diamond core, the core is cut in half at a facility in Broken Hill, with samples generally collected over a one metre interval. Intervals less likely to be mineralised are quarter cored with samples collected over a 2 m interval. Samples are placed in smaller bags and placed in a larger bulka bag and sealed for transport to ALS in Adelaide by secure freight. Diamond core is submitted for analysis using the same methods as RC drilling. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g., standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (if lack of bias) and precision have been established. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - Both aqua regia (AAS) & screen fire (Screen FAS) assay techniques have been used, the former is near total digestion and the latter is consider a total digestion technique. SGS in Sydney reported the results industry compliance from SGS is assumed. Both aqua regia (AAS) & screen fire (Screen FAS) assay techniques have been used, the former is near total digestion and the latter is consider a total digestion technique. SGS in Sydney reported the results industry compliance from SGS is assumed. 2017 IP Survey - IP data was reprocessed by Fender Geophysics in 2022. Ground IP survey (Time domain Induced Polarisation/ Resistivity). Array: Dipole-Dipole Array (DDIP). Station spacing: 100m. Line spacing: 200m apart and 150m apart. Line length: 1.5km. Line direction: East - West. Ground IP survey (Time domain Induced Polarisation/ Resistivity). Array: Dipole-Dipole Array (DDIP). Station spacing: 100m. Line spacing: 200m apart and 150m apart. Line length: 1.5km. Line direction: East - West. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample - The samples were delivered to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverised. Samples were assayed by fire assay Au-AA24 and some by ME-MS61 following digestion. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. A package of multi- elements was also assayed for. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. The assaying and laboratory procedures used are considered appropriate for the material tested. The samples were delivered to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverised. Samples were assayed by fire assay Au-AA24 and some by ME-MS61 following digestion. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. A package of multi- elements was also assayed for. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. The assaying and laboratory procedures used are considered appropriate for the material tested. TechGen 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC). The samples were delivered to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverised. 2022 samples were assayed by Fire Assay. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. Samples were also assayed for a multi-element suite by ICP-AES following a multi-acid digestion. 2023 Samples were assayed by PhotonAssay. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. Multielements were no assayed. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. TechGen also inserted standards and blank standards into the sample sequence submitted for assay. The assaying and laboratory procedures used are considered appropriate for the material tested. No geophysical tools were used in determining element concentrations. The samples were delivered to ALS Laboratories in Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverised. 2022 samples were assayed by Fire Assay. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. Samples were also assayed for a multi-element suite by ICP-AES following a multi-acid digestion. 2023 Samples were assayed by PhotonAssay. This is considered an estimation of total gold content. Multielements were no assayed. The laboratory used internal standards to ensure quality control. TechGen also inserted standards and blank standards into the sample sequence submitted for assay. The assaying and laboratory procedures used are considered appropriate for the material tested. No geophysical tools were used in determining element concentrations. Manhattan RC & DD: Geological data was collected using a computer-based logging system, with detailed geology (weathering, structure, alteration, mineralisation) being recorded. Sample quality, sample interval, sample number and QA/QC inserts (standards, duplicates, blanks) were recorded on paper logs and then collated and entered to the logging system. This data, together with the assay data received from the laboratory, and subsequent survey data has been entered into Micromine Software, then validated and verified. The data will be loaded into a secure database. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench - Recent drilling supports the grades obtained in trench sampling. Recent drilling supports the grades obtained in trench sampling. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample The assay results were checked by separate company personnel. Sample number, GPS coordinates and description were recorded in the field into a notebook. No adjustment has been made to assay data. The assay results were checked by separate company personnel. Sample number, GPS coordinates and description were recorded in the field into a notebook. No adjustment has been made to assay data. TechGen 2022 and 2023 Drilling Reverse Circulation (RC). Significant intersections have been independently verified by external consultants and TechGen personnel. Twinned drill holes are not considered necessary at this stage. Field data was collected onto paper log sheets and then entered digitally. The assay results were checked by separate external consultants and company personnel. Sample number, GPS coordinates and description were recorded in the field. No adjustment has been made to assay data. Significant intersections have been independently verified by external consultants and TechGen personnel. Twinned drill holes are not considered necessary at this stage. Field data was collected onto paper log sheets and then entered digitally. The assay results were checked by separate external consultants and company personnel. Sample number, GPS coordinates and description were recorded in the field. No adjustment has been made to assay data. Manhattan RC & DD: results were reviewed against the logged geology and previously reported intersections. Geological logging was completed by electronic means using a ruggedised tablet or computer and appropriate data collection software. Sampling control was collected on hard copy and then entered excel software before being loaded into Plexer Commercial Database System and loaded into Micromine Software for checks and validation. The primary data has been loaded and moved to a database and downloaded into Micromine Software, where it has been further validated and checked. None of the previously drilled RC or Diamond holes were twinned during this initial drilling programme. Results are stored in an industry appropriate secure database. No adjustment to assay data has been conducted Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Kennecott Exploration (Australia) Ltd Trench Maps from GS 19861200 with the trench location and assay results were registered using streams and known shaft locations, plus knowledge of on ground disturbance. The 220 m trench was then divided into 44 samples and the centre point of each sample was registered and E and N extracted, in GDA94/ MGA94 Z56. Individual trench samples are deemed to be accurate to +- 15m. Previous GPS location of trenches could not be located, but location plans of the trench in Zenith reports are similar to the field validated location of these points. Maps from GS 19861200 with the trench location and assay results were registered using streams and known shaft locations, plus knowledge of on ground disturbance. The 220 m trench was then divided into 44 samples and the centre point of each sample was registered and E and N extracted, in GDA94/ MGA94 Z56. Individual trench samples are deemed to be accurate to +- 15m. Previous GPS location of trenches could not be located, but location plans of the trench in Zenith reports are similar to the field validated location of these points. 2017 Ground IP - Ground IP survey location of data points using a 12 channel GPS receiver - Ground IP survey location of data points using a 12 channel GPS receiver TechGen 2022 and 2023 Soil Sample - Sample locations were taken from a Garmin handheld GPS unit. The grid system used is GDA94/MGA94 Zone 56. Topographic control is considered adequate at this stage +/- 1Om Dublin, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Agricultural Drones Market by Payload Capacity (Small Payload Drones, Medium Payload Drones, Large Payload Drones), Component, Technology Type, Offering Type, Farm Produce, Farm Size, Range, Application and Region - Global Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The agriculture drones market is estimated at USD 2.00 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 8.03 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 32% from 2024 to 2029. The exemption by the FAA for use in agriculture increases adoption of drones. This will open a huge opportunity in the market for agriculture drones. With fewer regulatory hurdles, stakeholders may adopt drone technology with minimal compliance, opening the market up to wider penetration. The use of drones and data analytics platforms will let effective decision making occur while optimizing resources, which leads to a better productivity. The focus on sustainability in agriculture makes it possible to use drones for friendly environmental practices, and the FAA's waiver of exemption has made the usage of drones possible easily. Lastly, the changed outlook in terms of rules means training programs and consultancy services for the smooth run of drone operations, thereby increasing demand. In conclusion, this exemption is doing a lot to create an easy setting for the growth of the market in agriculture drones. Security and Safety concerns associated with civil and commercial application of drones. Security and safety concerns due to civil and commercial use of drones can be a significant restraint for the agriculture drones market in the following ways. The first is concerned with invasion of privacy; a camera and sensor-gifted drone is likely to capture images or data from private properties, which can lead to legal challenges and public backlash, thus dissuading adoption among farmers who fear possible cases of infringement. Further risks include the possibility of accidents and collisions with other aircraft. Drones will inhabit agricultural airspace, so any accident could potentially result in injury or property damage, increasing regulation and liability that may burden the farmer from using drone technology. The precision farming segment dominated the application segment of agriculture drones market. With several compelling reasons for the precision farming segment to dominate the agriculture drones market, the demand in this segment is strong. Growing populations worldwide have generated an imperative need for food security, and optimal agricultural productivity becomes crucial; in turn, precision farming allows farmers to take data-driven decisions that increase crop yields and the optimum usage of resources. Drones are essential in the process, providing real-time data and detailed analytics that optimize the operations. Other technological advancements include the enhanced capabilities with drones-high-resolution imaging, multispectral sensors, and integration with AI, thereby enabling sophisticated crops and soil analysis to trace the patterns of growth and assess health. Again, these kinds of operations are aligned with environmental regulations and consumer preferences for sustainably sourced products. Government funding for contemporary agriculture techniques by encouraging farmers to invest in drones and precision farming solutions are thus spearheading the segment. During the forecast period, the Asia Pacific within the region segment is estimated to witness the significant CAGR in the agriculture drones market. The market for agriculture drones is expected to grow significantly in Asia Pacific. The rate of the uptake of precision agriculture is very high, as farmers increasingly find the adoption of drones useful in crop monitoring, soil analysis, and targeted pesticide application. Government initiatives toward modernizing agriculture also further support this growth, due to many Asian governments promoting advanced technologies with funding, subsidies, and training programs for improving food security and sustainability. Prominent companies in the market include DJI (China), Trimble Inc (US), Parrot Drone Sas (France), Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan), Ageagle Aerial Systems Inc (US), Dronedeploy (US), XAG Co., Ltd.(China), Sentera (US), Autel Robotics (China), Yuneec (US), Microdrones (Germany), Gamaya (Brazil), Aerialtronics Dv B.V. (Netherlands), Hiphen (France), Hylio (US). Other players include Jouav (China), Shenzhen GC Electronics Co.,Ltd. (China), Aries Solutions (India), Wingtra AG (Switzerland), Sky-Drones Technologies Ltd (UK), Delair (France), Shenzhen Grepow Battery Co., Ltd (China), Applied Aeronautics (US), Vision Aerial, Inc. (US) The report provides insights on the following: Analysis of key drivers (government initiatives to promote water conservation), restraints (high initial investment costs of agriculture drones), opportunities (increasing adoption of precision agriculture and sustainable practices), and challenges (lack of training and awareness among farmers) influencing the growth of the agriculture drones market. New product launch/Innovation: Detailed insights on research & development activities and new product launches in the agriculture drones market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyzes the agriculture drones across varied regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new services, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the agriculture drones market. Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, product offerings, brand/product comparison, and product food prints of leading players such as DJI (China), Trimble Inc (US), Parrot Drone Sas (France), Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan), Ageagle Aerial Systems Inc (US), XAG Co., Ltd. (China), Autel Robotics (China) and other players in the agriculture drones market. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 413 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $8.03 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 32.0% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: Premium Insights Attractive Opportunities for Players in Agriculture Drones Market Asia-Pacific: Agriculture Drones Market, by Offering Type and Country Agriculture Drones Market, by Offering Type Agriculture Drones Market, by Component Agriculture Drones Market, by Payload Agriculture Drones Market, by Farm Produce Agriculture Drones Market, by Range and Region Agriculture Drones Market: Regional Snapshot Market Dynamics Drivers Demand for Smart Farm Optimization and Resource Usage Efficiency Optimization Using Agricultural Drones Favorable Government Policies, Subsidies, and Regulations Availability of Software Solutions for Field Surveys and Data Analytics Growth in Concerns Regarding Ecosystem Change Increasing Labor Shortages Restraints Security and Safety Concerns Associated with Civil and Commercial Applications of Drones Large Number of Fragmented Lands in Developing Countries Lack of Technical Knowledge and Training Activities Opportunities Exemptions by US Faa for Use of Agriculture Drones High Adoption of Aerial Data Collection Tools in Agriculture Increase in Use of Agricultural-based Software Via Smartphones Need for Early Detection of Crop Diseases and Ease of Farm Management Challenges Management of Data Collected by Agriculture Drones Lack of Standardization of Communication Interfaces and Protocols for Precision Agriculture Lack of Technical Knowledge Among Farmers Scarcity of Trained Pilots High Cost of Drones Case Study Analysis Peruvian Startup Offered Advanced AI Systems with Autonomous Capabilities for Agriculture Drones Gayama Enhanced Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability Through Innovative Technologies AI Technologies Company Profiles Key Players DJI Trimble Inc. Parrot Drone Sas Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. Ageagle Aerial Systems Inc. Dronedeploy Sentera Xag Co. Ltd. Autel Robotics Yuneec Microdrones Aerialtronics Dv B.V. Gamaya Hylio Hiphen Other Players Jouav Shenzhen Gc Electronics Co. Ltd. Aries Solutions Wingtra AG Sky-Drones Technologies Ltd. Delair Shenzhen Grepow Battery Co. Ltd. Applied Aeronautics Vision Aerial, Inc. Quantum-Systems GmbH Drone as a Service Players Colena Ltd. Blue Skies Drones Flyuav247 Rantizo Terra Drone Corp. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hjvx5i About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marty Irby, founder and president of Capitol South, LLC, has been named one of The Hills Top Lobbyists for 2024, marking his fifth appearance on the prestigious list and solidifying his position as one of the most effective advocates in Washington, D.C. Recognized in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023, Irbys elevation to Hired Gun status highlights his significant influence in a legislative environment where more than 12,500 registered lobbyists work to shape national policy. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Irby has become a leading conservative advocate, advancing key policy wins for clients such as the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, Competitive Markets Action (CMA), Moms for America, United Sovereign Americans, Mitchells Place, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and leaders in the American Saddlebred Horse industry. His lobbying efforts have strengthened national security through reforms in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), secured improvements in the Farm Bill, and ensured oversight of critical USDA programs. Irbys policy leadership has also garnered national media attention, with coverage in Fox News, The Daily Caller, USA Today, and PEOPLE Magazine, NBC News, and The Hill, raising the visibility of crucial conservative causes. Im deeply grateful to be recognized again in 2024 by The Hill as one of Washingtons top lobbyists, and am grateful for our entire team at Capitol South whose tireless work made this possible said Marty Irby, President and CEO of Capitol South, LLC. This honor reflects the trust our clients place in us. Im thankful for their partnership and proud of the victories weve secured together to protect American values, strengthen election integrity, and defend our nations farmers, families, and freedoms. In 2024, Irby played a key role in advancing reforms within the USDAs checkoff programs, ensuring enforcement of the Horse Protection Act and responsible USDA budget management in the FY25 Appropriations bill, protecting family farmers from corporate overreach, and securing amendments to the House and Senate NDAA. Irbys success stems from forging strong alliances with conservative organizations and farm groups like The Heritage Foundation, Farm Action, the Organization for Competitive Markets, National Taxpayers Union, and Moms for America, whose 500,000 members helped block the harmful EATS Act. His firm organized D.C. fly-ins, facilitating over 300 Capitol Hill meetings and building bipartisan coalitions around critical policy priorities. Marty Irbys dedication to election integrity and preserving individual liberties has been critical in our fight to restore public trust, said Harry Haury, Chairman of the Board at United Sovereign Americans. His expertise and persistence have set a new standard for principled advocacy and he has been tremendously effective in breaking through the noise and bureaucracy to put us in front of the top tiers of Congress. The entire Capitol South team led by Marty Irby, have been a delight to work with and we are grateful for their efforts this year in planning, fundraising for, and executing a tremendously successful fly-in with more than 80 meetings on Capitol Hill, said Margaret Iuculano, Chairman of the Kitchen Table Cabinet at Moms for America. "Irby and his colleagues worked diligently in helping Moms for America develop key strategies and a top-notch legislative platform to advocate for our priorities in the 118th Congress. Marty Irby has been the most effective advocate for horses and those of us that love them Washington, D.C. has ever seen, said Monty Roberts, the Man Who Listens to Horses. Irbys past work to end doping in American horse racing and most recently in representing leaders in the American Saddlebred industry, are long-term, historical markers that will outlive each and every one of us in the horse industry today, and I am proud to call him my friend. We appreciate all of Marty Irby and Capitol Souths tremendous work in helping us fight against the corruption in Washington, D.C., and the USDAs scandal-ridden Commodity Checkoff Programs that have put countless American family farmers out of business, said Jonathan Buttram, President at the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association. Irby is so effective that industrial agriculture interests with deep ties to China and the Chinese Communist Party, hired a public relations firm and launched slanderous personal attacks against Irby because they cannot win on the merits of the issues with Capitol South fighting against Big Ag for the interests of farmers that have been virtually enslaved by the Global Meat Cartel. Irbys career has earned him recognition from President-elect Donald J. Trump in 2019 in the Oval Office and a prestigious honor from the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2020 for his advocacy on equine welfare reforms. His commitment to advancing solutions in autism awareness, election integrity, and national defense legislation underscores his breadth as a lobbyist driven by principle and results. About Capitol South, LLC Capitol South, LLC is a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm specializing in public affairs and advocacy at both the state and federal levels. Utilizing proven strategies, the firms areas of expertise include agriculture, environmental policy, energy and commerce, appropriations, natural resources, and national security. Attachments SALISBURY, N.C., Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ahold Delhaize USA has announced that Food Lion executive Greg Finchum, currently Executive Vice President, Retail Operations, will assume the role of President, in May 2025. The appointment comes after Meg Ham, President, Food Lion, announced that she will retire in May 2025. Finchum joined Food Lion in 1989 and has been in his current role for more than a decade. He is a proven leader in delivering consistent sales growth and strong financial performance. Additionally, he has an outstanding track record of building strong brand loyalty among customers and creating emotional connections between associates and the brand, while preserving the heritage that has made Food Lion successful over the years. He also played an integral role in the strategic repositioning of Food Lion and has continued to lead initiatives to evolve the brand for the future. We are excited to have Greg, a talented retail operator at heart, step into this role, said JJ Fleeman, CEO, Ahold Delhaize USA. Greg has held a variety of roles throughout the organization, including having served as head of strategy and head of retail services. He leads with a strategic discipline and focus that delivers strong results and solid performance at Food Lion. I look forward to working with him more closely in his new role next year as the leader for the brand. A resident of Salisbury, N.C., Finchum added: Im humbled to take on this new position in May. I want to thank JJ and Meg for being great mentors and for their confidence in me. Throughout my career at Food Lion, Ive had the opportunity to work across many functions, in addition to retail operations, that have given me a depth of experience and knowledge about the Food Lion business that will serve me well as I prepare to transition to this new role. I recognize leading Food Lion comes with extraordinary responsibility. We will continue to build upon Food Lions heritage and legacy, and nourish the towns and cities Food Lion serves while maintaining convenient locations that offer affordable groceries and excellent service at our more than 1,100 stores. Through our team of 82,000 associates, we are committed to being there for our customers to ensure they can always count on Food Lion as their neighborhood grocery store. Food Lion is an omnichannel grocery retailer committed to nourishing its neighbors. More than 82,000 associates across more than 1,100 stores deliver an easy, fresh and affordable shopping experience throughout 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. With a focus on hunger relief, Food Lion is a pioneer in food rescue. In 2014, Food Lion Feeds was created and has since donated more than 1.2 billion meals to those who are food insecure. The retailer has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Founded and based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit foodlion.com. About Ahold Delhaize USA Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of global food retailer Ahold Delhaize, is part of the U.S. family of brands that also includes five leading omnichannel grocery brands Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. When considered together, the companies of Ahold Delhaize USA comprise the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast and the fourth largest grocery retail group in the nation, serving millions of omnichannel customers each week. For more information, visit www.adusa.com. MEDIA CONTACTS: Christy Phillips-Brown 704-287-0055 Erin DeWaters 336-963-0393 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ffa6dfe3-5af7-4e14-8cd8-a5c8eedb0878 JCDecaux and JOJ Media House Group decide not to pursue the merger of their OOH activities in Slovakia Paris, December 13th, 2024 JCDecaux SE (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announced on December 14th, 2023 that it had signed an agreement regarding the merger of its activity in Slovakia with Akzent Bigboard, the outdoor advertising subsidiary of JOJ Media House Group, the leading Media Group in Slovakia. Finally, the parties have mutually agreed not to proceed with the transaction. Key Figures for JCDecaux 2023 revenue: 3,570.0m (a) H1 2024 revenue: 1,807.6m (a) H1 2024 revenue: 1,807.6m N1 Out-of-Home Media company worldwide A daily audience of 850 million people in more than 80 countries 1,056,833 advertising panels worldwide Present in 3,918 cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants 11,650 employees JCDecaux is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris and is part of the Euronext 100 and Euronext Family Business indexes JCDecauxs Group carbon reduction trajectory has been approved by the SBTi and the company has joined the Euronext Paris CAC SBT 1.5 index JCDecaux is recognised for its extra-financial performance in the FTSE4Good (3.8/5), CDP (A), MSCI (AAA), Sustainalytics (13.7), and has achieved Gold Medal status from EcoVadis 1 st Out-of-Home Media company to join the RE100 Out-of-Home Media company to join the RE100 Leader in self-service bike rental scheme: pioneer in eco-friendly mobility N1 worldwide in street furniture (630,196 advertising panels) N1 worldwide in transport advertising with 153 airports and 258 contracts in metros, buses, trains and tramways (319,081 advertising panels) N1 in Europe for billboards (85,743 advertising panels worldwide) N1 in outdoor advertising in Europe (708,620 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Asia-Pacific (165,292 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Latin America (91,682 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in Africa (25,337 advertising panels) N1 in outdoor advertising in the Middle East (21,300 advertising panels) (a) Adjusted revenue For more information about JCDecaux, please visit jcdecaux.com . Join us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram and YouTube. Communications Department: Albert Asseraf +33 (0) 1 30 79 79 10 albert.asseraf@jcdecaux.com Investor Relations: Remi Grisard +33 (0) 1 30 79 79 93 remi.grisard@jcdecaux.com Attachment FREDERICK, MD, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Service Coordination, Inc. (SCI) is pleased to announce Sarah Christa Butts, MSW as its new Vice President of Government Relations. In this role, she will lead SCIs newly established Government Relations Center of Excellence, focusing on state and federal advocacy to support people with disabilities, medically complex needs, and their families. Ms. Butts brings expertise through her distinguished career in social work, social welfare, public policy, and advocacy. She most recently served as Director of Public Policy for the National Association of Social Workers, at its Washington, D.C. headquarters, where she led federal advocacy for the largest association of social workers in the country. There, she was instrumental in establishing an Interstate Compact for Social Workers and securing important Medicare and student loan debt policy reforms. Additionally, she served on the 2023-2024 Biden-Harris Student Loan Debt Relief Committee and engaged in negotiated rulemaking, representing four-year university borrowers nationwide. Ms. Butts is also the founding administrator of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and has held various positions within the University of Maryland School of Social Work, Maryland Department of Human Services, and the Family League. Recognized for her impact, Ms. Butts has received accolades such as The Daily Records Top 100 Women in Maryland, the VIP List Award, and the Women in Government Relations Federal Issue Campaign Award. She is a professional member of the National Academies of Practice and will be inducted as a Distinguished Public Policy Fellow in March 2025. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Ms. Butts is an exceptional advocate whose work has transformed policies at both the state and federal levels, said John Dumas, President, and CEO of SCI. Her leadership will ensure that SCI continues to champion dignity, choice, and access to vital resources for the communities we support. With her deep expertise and strategic approach to public policy, Ms. Butts is poised to drive vital impact that amplifies SCIs mission, expands the reach of quality case management support services, and ensures the voices of those served are advocated for at every level. ### About Service Coordination, Inc. Service Coordination, Inc. (SCI) provides high-quality case management services and advocacy for more than 16,000 individuals with disabilities, complex needs, and older adults across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. SCI helps people navigate complex systems by empowering them to make informed choices and connecting them with vital community resources, while ensuring their dignity and rights are respected. SCI also provides companion care and aging life care management services through Montcordia. Learn more online or follow SCI on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter(X). Media Contact Kandice Ferrell Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kandice.Ferrell@sc-inc.org Attachment FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION, Ontario, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wataynikaneyap Power is pleased to announce that all assets of the Wataynikaneyap Power transmission system have been energized! The infrastructure megaproject includes 1,800 kilometres of transmission lines and 22 substations in northwestern Ontario. Wataynikaneyap Power is a licensed transmission company majority-owned by a partnership of 24 First Nations in partnership with Fortis Inc. and other private investors, regulated by the Ontario Energy Board. The Wataynikaneyap Power transmission system will connect 17 remote First Nation communities to the Ontario power grid. Additional connection facts: The connection of 12 First Nations is complete, removing their reliance on diesel-generated electricity. The transmission assets of four First Nations are energized, and these communities are working through their Independent Power Authority processes before they can be connected. Wataynikaneyap Power will continue working with McDowell Lake First Nation, the 17th community, to become grid-connected in the future. On December 11, 2024, Wataynikaneyap Power held a gathering in Thunder Bay to celebrate the completion of the transmission systems construction. Development This gathering marks the achievement of First Nations working together tirelessly for 35 years to connect the communities to the transmission grid, remarked Margaret Kenequanash, CEO of Wataynikaneyap Power. Well before this project started in 2008, the First Nations in the area agreed to work on energy as a regional issue. Owning infrastructure in our Homelands and building a solid foundation for our future generations has been a success and it must continue. This accomplishment is from the collective vision and direction from all the 24 First Nations working together and supported by the partner, Fortis Inc. We did it, said Frank Mckay, Board Chair for the Wataynikaneyap Power General Partnership. We received our mandate from the Chiefs bring clean, reliable power to the First Nations, and maintain ownership of any infrastructure on the Homelands. And we delivered. As a First Nations-led initiative, the Wataynikaneyap Power transmission system follows regulatory requirements and respects Indigenous protocols, Rights, and way of life. The project follows Guiding Principles, which are given by the First Nations leadership and supported by industry partners. The Guiding Principles include respect, meaningful participation, and engagement. The 24 First Nation partnership also established Opiikapawiin Services to provide engagement, skills development, and community readiness services through a service agreement for the transmission system. Since 2012, there have been close to 3,000 engagements recorded. Meaningful engagement with communities included translators, and in person presentations, said Lucie Edwards, CEO of Opiikapawiin Services. Opiikapawiin Services has held 55 training programs since 2017, where Indigenous Knowledge and Land-Based Learning is integrated with modern Western training methodologies. We are dedicated to fostering a holistic approach to skill development, while strengthening cultural resiliency. It is inspiring to see First Nations youth advance their skills, knowledge, and gifts through these training programs, embodying a stronger future for their communities." Partnership In August 2015, Wataynikaneyap Power achieved a new milestone through a partnership with Fortis Inc. and Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. (the latter has since stepped away from the project). We could not have done this without Fortis, Eliezar McKay, First Nation LP Board Chair, stated. We chose Fortis as our partner because they supported our vision of First Nation-majority ownership. It is a true partnership that is built upon trust, respect, and a common goal. "Today, we celebrate not just a milestone in our partnership, but the deep bonds of friendship and trust we have built with our First Nations partners, said David Hutchens, President and CEO, Fortis Inc. This project is a testament to our shared vision and commitment to a brighter future for all, providing reliable and affordable energy as the backbone of social and economic prosperity for generations to come." Construction The Wataynikaneyap Power Project was the construction of approximately 1,800 kilometres of a 230 kV, 115 kV, 44 kV, 25 kV alternating current power transmission system in northwestern Ontario. "Being part of the Wataynikaneyap Power Project is a source of immense pride for us at Hatch, as it stands as an unprecedented and transformative First Nations-owned project. It not only empowers communities, but also paves the way for a sustainable future, showcasing true resilience and vision, remarked Adeel Afzal from Hatch, the projects Owners Engineer. On a personal note, the project provided me the opportunity to meet great people doing great things, which I will always cherish. Wataynikaneyap Power announced the notice to proceed to Valard Construction for the Wataynikaneyap Power Project on October 29, 2019, once Environmental Assessments and financing were approved and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract negotiations were completed. "I am incredibly proud of our team at Valard for completing the monumental task of building the Wataynikaneyap Power Project, remarked Valard Construction President, Carey Kostyk. Many in the industry doubted that one company could build all three phases of the project and deliver it successfully. We celebrate the quality-of-life improvements this project has brought to Indigenous communities. Valard is honoured to have played such a pivotal role in the Wataynikaneyap Power Project, a venture that brings light, and is powering the future for the communities of northwestern Ontario." Government Support First Nations were experiencing significant challenges and issues because of lack of reliable power. Continuing to use diesel generation for primary power affected community health and safety, quality of life, and capacity for growth. Reliable power makes growth and development possible, such as new housing and infrastructure. Grid connection will have a significant impact for the First Nations, which were previously constrained by expensive and environmentally-unsustainable diesel generators already at capacity. The negotiations for support of the Ontario and Canadian governments have been crucial to the development and building of the transmission system. Said the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor): "Reliable power is essential for the health, safety, and growth of First Nations communities. For too long, these communities faced significant challenges due to reliance on diesel generation, which strained their quality of life and limited opportunities for housing, infrastructure, and development. Connecting to the power grid will transform these communities, enabling sustainable growth and improving overall well-being. The partnership and support of the Ontario and Canadian governments have been critical in making this transmission system a reality, creating lasting benefits for the communities it serves." On March 22, 2018, Canada announced $1.55 billion in Federal funding to pay for the Ontario loan and other costs. The cost to complete the construction of the transmission system is approximately $1.8 billion plus additional costs and was financed by Ontario and Senior Bank lenders and equity contributions by owners. Completing this project is a gamechanger for Indigenous communities along the line, as we bring light and hope to thousands of families across Northern Ontario, said the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Electrification. Our government is proud to support this achievement as we support a better quality of life and local economy for some of the most remote First Nation communities in the province. While this project is already leaving its mark, having created new good-paying jobs across the north, its legacy will be the new opportunities it creates for Indigenous communities, including new housing, jobs, and educational opportunities for the next generation. This milestone marks a transformative moment in Ontarios efforts to deliver clean, reliable power to remote communities, said the Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, who was in attendance on December 11th. Led by Wataynikaneyap Power, the completion of construction brings critical infrastructure and new opportunities for growth and community development across Ontario and improves the quality of life for thousands in remote First Nation communities. Whats Next? Wataynikaneyap Power is a licensed power transmitter and a utility regulated by the Ontario Energy Board, guided by the First Nations through the Guiding Principles. Wataynikaneyap Power and the EPC Contractor are currently discussing other construction costs related to COVID-19 and the 2021 summer forest fires. Wataynikaneyap Power is developing programs that focus on permanent access, vegetation management, emergency response, environmental monitoring, and capacity building. Wataynikaneyap Power will continue to engage the First Nations on these matters. Capacity building means moving forward to achieve complete ownership of the transmission company. In 25 years, the First Nations maintain the right to own 100% of the transmission system. The focus now will be educating young professionals on career paths that will enable this vision, concluded Margaret Kenequanash. Building the transmission system will improve quality of life and address the immediate needs of the communities. Keeping the vision will require a lot of planning by our People and it is for the future generations to thrive. December 11, 2024, Photos: On December 11, 2024, representatives from Wataynikaneyap Power, Fortis Inc., First Nations partners, and other stakeholders gather in Thunder Bay to commemorate the completion of the 1,800-kilometre power transmission system, a landmark achievement for northwestern Ontario. Frank McKay, Margaret Kenequanash, Harry Meekis, and Lucie Edwards cut a celebratory cake to signify the completion of Wataynikaneyap Powers construction, connecting remote First Nations communities to reliable power. The Hon. Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, presents a ceremonial gift to Margaret Kenequanash, CEO of Wataynikaneyap Power, in celebration of the completion of the transformative power transmission project. --- About Wataynikaneyap Power Wataynikaneyap Power is a licensed transmission company majority-owned by a partnership of 24 First Nations in partnership with Fortis Inc. and other private investors, regulated by the Ontario Energy Board. FortisOntario Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortis Inc., acts as the project manager through its wholly owned subsidiary, Wataynikaneyap Power PM Inc. The 24 First Nations also established Opiikapawiin Services to lead the community engagement and participation for Wataynikaneyap Power LP. To connect remote communities to the electrical grid, Wataynikaneyap Power is developing, managing construction, and operating approximately 1,800 kilometres of transmission lines and 22 substations in northwestern Ontario. For further information, please visit: www.wataypower.ca. Wataynikaneyap Power recognizes that the land on which Wataynikaneyap has its head office is in the Homeland of Animikiii Wajiw. Gitchi Gami Anishjnabek are signatory to Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850. About First Nation Limited Partnership First Nation Limited Partnership (FNLP) is a partnership of 24 First Nations in Northwestern Ontario working together to connect 17 remote communities currently powered by diesel generation stations. FNLP was established in 2015 to be the ownership and control of the participating First Nations interest in Wataynikaneyap Power LP. The 51% interest in Wataynikaneyap Power LP is equally owned by each of the 24 First Nation communities and FNLP will maintain their ability to increase their ownership to 100% over time. About Fortis Fortis is a well-diversified leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry with 2023 revenue of $12 billion and total assets of $69 billion as of June 30, 2024. The Corporation's 9,600 employees serve utility customers in five Canadian provinces, ten U.S. states and three Caribbean countries. Fortis shares are listed on the TSX and NYSE and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com, www.sedar.com, or www.sec.gov. About Opiikapawiin Services Opiikapawiin Services LP (OSLP) was established by a partnership of 24 First Nations in Northwestern Ontario. OSLP is primarily responsible for administering projects and programs for Wataynikaneyap Power PM through a service agreement, relating to community engagement, community readiness, education & training, business readiness, stakeholder engagement, communications, and capacity building. OSLP also supports the First Nation Partnership in the management of its investment in Wataynikaneyap Power. For additional information, please visit: www.oslp.ca Media Contacts Kristine Carmichael, Director of Corporate and Customer Services FortisOntario Inc. (905) 994-3637 Kristine.Carmichael@fortisontario.com Mary Kita, Manager, Communications Wataynikaneyap Power (807) 631-7503 Mary.Kita@wataypower.ca Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1e4cc813-ff6f-49ad-a13d-280adefa2b1f https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/03d0ebd9-d992-430b-b93d-dadd45e9fa08 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a1c34ade-b63c-4a56-b31a-72c397994740 Willow Park, TX, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Texas Digestive Disease Consultants Willow Park is proud to welcome Dr. Angela Saunders, a board-certified gastroenterologist who treats all GI issues, specializing in colonoscopy with polypectomy and esophageal dilation procedures. Dr. Saunders received her Bachelor of Science in Biology at Northwestern State University and her Doctor of Osteopathic at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at the Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth. Dr. Saunders previously practiced at the Trinity Medical Multispecialty Group in Temecula, CA. She is affiliated with the American College of Gastroenterologists, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. The Willow Park office is part of GI Alliance, the premier physician-owned and led network of gastroenterology practices in the U.S. Dr. Saunders will work to provide the best patient care for Willow Park residents. Texas Digestive Disease Consultants Willow Park is located at 130 Jimma Drive, Suite A, Willow Park, TX 76087. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Call 817-363-1400 or visit tddctx.com/willow-park-tx to schedule an appointment today. For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Saunders, please contact Kelley Swann at kelley@punchingnungroup.com. Attachment Oslo, 13 December 2024 Interoil Exploration and Production ASA (the Company) has received a letter from the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority in relation to the accounting error made in its Q1 2024 report and the corrections introduced in its Q2 2024 report. In the letter, the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority indicates that in its preliminary assessment of the matter it is considering the imposition of a violation charge of NOK 800,000 for breaches to applicable rules. The Company will have until 9 January 2025 to provide any comments. Any violation charge ultimately resulting from a final decision by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority will be in addition to the violation charge of NOK 750,000 imposed by Euronext Oslo Brs based on lack of timely disclosure of inside information in relation to the accounting error, as announced separately by Euronext Oslo Brs on 12 December 2024. *** Interoil Exploration and Production ASA is a Norwegian based exploration and production company - listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange with focus on Latin America. The Company is operator and license holder of several production and exploration assets in Colombia and Argentina with headquarter in Oslo. This notice contains information which is considered inside information pursuant to the European Market Abuse Regulation. The notice has been published by Geir Arne Drangeid (Partner and Senior Advisor, First House AS) at 18:20 CET on 13 December 2024. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Boston, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Choosing the right convertible car seat is an essential decision for parents, and with new advancements in safety technology, the industry is evolving to provide better protection than ever before. Expert Consumers has named babyark one of the safest convertible car seats on the market today, thanks to its innovative engineering, comprehensive safety features, and cutting-edge design. babyark Convertible Car Seats babyark Classic & Premium car seats - choose the Babyark Classic for reliable, durable protection, or the Babyark Premium for added convenience with smart features and real-time monitoring. Both offer strong safety solutions tailored to different family needs. A New Standard in Safety babyark is not just another car seat; it represents a significant leap forward in child safety. Developed by Shy Mindel, an aeronautical engineer known for his work on life-saving technologies for helicopters and armored vehicles, babyark was designed with safety as its top priority. Mindels vision was born from his own difficulty in installing traditional car seats, an experience that led him to create a product that prioritizes both safety and ease of use. The babyark car seat is backed by over 200 additional safety tests, far exceeding standard industry regulations, and is a direct result of Mindels commitment to protection. The seat is also designed by renowned automotive expert Frank Stephenson, whose design contributions have spanned prestigious brands such as Ferrari and BMW. Innovative Safety Features At the core of babyark's safety design is the integration of aviation-grade technology, premium materials, and real-time monitoring features. The SafeCoil impact-activated steel coils reduce forward momentum during sudden stops, ensuring that the impact is cushioned and the deceleration is more gradual. Meanwhile, the BioArk side impact protection system is a standout feature, utilizing advanced energy-absorbing materials to direct crash forces away from the child. These technologies work in harmony to provide unparalleled protection in every scenario. babyark is also equipped with the JoltFree adjustable headrest, which uses advanced D3O polymer technology to absorb impact while ensuring the child's comfort. This headrest features 11 adjustable positions, providing an extra layer of customization for growing children. Furthermore, babyark introduces live safety status updates through a proprietary mobile app, which allows parents to monitor seat installation and buckling in real-time. A Focus on Ease and Innovation The babyark Classic, designed for children up to six years old, boasts a durable steel frame and advanced energy-absorption technology, making it an ideal choice for families seeking long-lasting protection. Meanwhile, the babyark Premium takes things a step further with the inclusion of lightweight carbon fiber for greater portability, along with the ACTV8 smart base, which offers app-guided installation and real-time safety monitoring. These features ensure that parents can feel confident in their choice while maintaining convenience in everyday use. Redefining What a Convertible Car Seat Can Do In an increasingly crowded market, babyark stands out by offering not just foundational safety, but a forward-thinking approach that brings together cutting-edge technologies. The addition of smart connectivity in the babyark Premium model takes car seat safety to the next level, allowing parents to receive real-time alerts, confirm proper buckling, and even get LED guidance during installation. Both the babyark Classic and Premium models cater to different needs. The Classic provides aviation-grade safety and durable construction, making it ideal for those who prioritize safety but are not interested in connectivity. The Premium appeals to tech-savvy parents looking for the latest advancements in child safety, offering features like the Forgotten Child Alert and the ability to monitor the seats status remotely. The Verdict on babyark babyark represents the future of child car seat safety. By integrating innovative safety features, user-friendly design elements, and advanced technology, babyark has been recognized as a leader in the space. With models that cater to both traditional safety needs and high-tech solutions, babyark ensures that parents can select the best option for their familys needs, all while maintaining peace of mind. As families continue to prioritize safety in every aspect of their daily lives, babyark offers a reassurance that their child is always secured in the safest possible environment, no matter where the journey takes them. For more information about babyark and to learn more about its innovative features, visit babyark.com, and to read the full article, visit Expert Consumers website. About babyark Founded by Shy Mindel, babyark is committed to redefining child car seat safety. Built on a foundation of aerospace and automotive engineering, babyark is designed to provide parents with the highest level of protection, ease of use, and peace of mind. With over 200 tests conducted to ensure safety and a team of industry-leading experts involved in the design process, babyark continues to innovate with each new product iteration. About Expert Consumers: Expert Consumers provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided. Contact: Drew Thomas (press@expertconsumers.org) Atlanta, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Porsche Financial Services, Inc. (PFS), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has issued its third U.S. auto Asset Backed Securities (ABS) offering of 2024 with a principal amount of $891 million dollars. This follows two auto lease ABS issuances by PFS in August and October. Porsche Financial Services, Inc. is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of German luxury car maker Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (Porsche AG). Supported by a growing base of loyal investors, the issuance achieved record pricing for an auto transaction in the U.S. ABS market since April 2022, when the industry moved to the I-curve. The AAA-rated securities, issued in the Rule 144A transaction were divided into five tranches, including a floating rate tranche, and backed by a pool of retail sales contracts financing Porsche vehicles. This was also the first time that PFS included a percentage of battery-electric vehicles into the transaction. The transaction was led by Societe Generale and supported by Bank of America Securities, CIBC, Truist Bank, and BNP Paribas as book runners. The deal attracted strong subscription levels in each tranche from a growing investor base, comprised of investments funds, asset managers of financial institutions, trusts, banks and corporates. We are thrilled with the result of our final issuance of 2024, says Tobias Hausladen, Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer, Porsche Financial Services, Inc., The successful execution of five deals across our lease and retail installment sales contract programs since May 2023 is a remarkable accomplishment. I am very grateful for the loyal investor base we were able to build over the last 18 months. Porsche Financial Services, Inc. (PFS), based in Atlanta, Georgia, is the dedicated provider of leasing and financing products for Porsche in the United States. Founded in 1991, PFS provides custom financial solutions and products to Porsche customers and dealers in the United States. In 2012, PFS expanded its North America operations to become the captive finance provider for the exclusive brands of the Volkswagen Group which include Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti. As an integrated premium financial services provider, every new product whether it be a leasing offer or a service offer contains the DNA of some of the worlds most exclusive vehicle manufacturers. Attachment Edmonton, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) is pleased to announce that Paul Wynnyk, CMM, MSM, CD, P.Eng., has been selected as its new registrar & CEO (RCEO), effective April 1, 2025. Wynnyk brings a wealth of experience serving the public, spanning four decades in the Canadian Armed Forces and with the Government of Alberta. Wynnyk holds a bachelors degree in civil engineering, was commissioned into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1986 and currently serves as the acting deputy minister of Executive Council for the Government of Alberta. I am honoured to join APEGA as its next registrar & CEO, and I am grateful to be selected for this role where I may continue serving the public interest, says Wynnyk. APEGA has a proud history of regulating the engineering and geoscience professions in Alberta, and I am dedicated to ensuring we maintain the high standards that have been built over the past century. Wynnyk was selected after an extensive search by an executive search firm and a thorough review by an APEGA Council task force. The task force began its work in April 2024 when current RCEO Jay Nagendran, P.Eng., FCAE, ICD.D, FEC, FGC (Hon.), announced his upcoming retirement. I am proud of what Jay has accomplished in his tenure of almost eight years as registrar & CEO of APEGA, says APEGA President Tracey Stock, KC, P.Eng., PhD, FEC, FGC (Hon.). On behalf of council and as the task force chair, it has been a pleasure working with Jay, and we wish him well on his upcoming retirement. I also thank the council task force for finding such an outstanding successor. With Pauls background as a professional engineer, a dedicated public servant, and an accomplished leader, APEGA will be in capable hands. -30- BIOGRAPHY, PAUL WYNNYK, CMM, MSM, CD, P.ENG. Paul Wynnyk currently serves as the acting deputy minister of Executive Council with the Government of Alberta, and previously served as the deputy minister for several other ministries, including Health, Intergovernmental Relations and Municipal Affairs. Before joining the government, he served as an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces for more than 38 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant-general. Along with tours and commands overseas in Afghanistan, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Germany, he held numerous high-level positions in Canada, including command of the Canadian Army and vice-chief of the defence staff. Born in Edmonton and raised in Breton, Alberta, Wynnyk attended Royal Roads Military College and the Royal Military College of Canada. He holds a bachelors degree in civil engineering and masters degrees in war studies and business administration. ABOUT APEGA As the regulator of engineering and geoscience in Alberta for more than 100 years, APEGA continues to drive the province forward with courage and innovation. We are the largest regulator of self-regulated professionals in Western Canada, with nearly 70,000 registrants who safeguard the public welfare and contribute significantly to Albertas economic success and quality of life. Attachments Dallas, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Texas Music Project, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting at-risk youth through music education, launched Song of Hope, a new songwriting therapy initiative in its Music Heals program. The initiative debuted a song written by pediatric patients at Childrens Health in Dallas, along with Joseph Sabin and his son Jace, a heart surgery survivor. Two-time Grammy Award winner Lauren Daigle invited Texas Music Project to open her Christmas concert last week at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie. Concert attendees viewed an impactful video of the debut song, Thank you for the Music, performed by 15-year-old aspiring artist Chloee Rae, a former childrens hospital patient. Texas Music Project artists Aria Kutty, Shreya Chhaya and Cassie Rosa from Greenhill High School and 21-year-old ambassador Remy Reilly performed live. It was my honor to help write and produce Thank you for the Music with my son, so that kids and families can cherish them for a lifetime and find hope through their struggles, says Sabin. Creating this song with my son was one of the most meaningful experiences in my life, and Im incredibly grateful to Texas Music Project for making it possible. Therapeutic songwriting is a music therapy technique that can improve social engagement and comfort students in distress[1], according to Frontiers in Psychology. Many childrens hospitals have their own radio stations, so the goal is to create high-quality recordings for internal broadcasting and sharing beyond the hospital walls. Song of Hope was born from the stories of young patients and their families who went through the journey of being in children's hospitals. For many patients the healing journey continues long after they leave the hospital, when all the programs and benefits like music therapy aren't available at home. Song of Hope helps them create something to remind them that in a world of uncertainty there is hope. Music therapy has the extraordinary ability to empower youth, boost their confidence, and build connections with others facing similar challenges, says Michael Clay, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Texas Music Project. These amazing children can create and accomplish great things instead of being sidelined by illness. Lauren Daigles foundation, The Price Fund, contributed a $25,000 donation furthering Texas Music Projects mission to bring music therapy and education to children across Texas. The Music Heals program has received support from musicians like Dallas artist and American Idol contestant, Jack Blocker, by receiving a $20,000 donation from ABC, Disney, and the CMA Foundation. Shaquille ONeal (DJ Diesel), Coldplay, and many others have supported the mission recently. Texas Music Project helps certified music therapists at major childrens hospitals in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston by providing musical instruments and songwriting sessions. More events benefiting the Music Heals program are currently in the works as the nonprofit aims to raise $125,000 for music therapy at childrens hospitals in Texas. Learn more and donate to bring hope through music at texasmusicproject.org/donate/. ### ABOUT TEXAS MUSIC PROJECT Founded in 2003, Texas Music Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has raised more than $1.5 million for programs and awareness about the importance of music education in the lives of at-risk youth. Texas Music Project was signed into a House Bill by the Governor of Texas and received the TrailBlazer award from Texas Commission of the Arts. Honorary Board Chairperson and Texas music legend Willie Nelson was joined by a lineup of Texas artists, including multi Grammy award-winning producer T Bone Burnett. Four CD compilations have been produced featuring free use of iconic songs by George Strait, Stevie and Jimmie Vaughan, Beyonce, "Flaco" Jimenez, and more. Special guests included the legendary Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt. For more, visit www.texasmusicproject.org. [1]Source: Gee KA, Hawes V, Cox NA. Blue Notes: Using Songwriting to Improve Student Mental Health and Wellbeing. A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial. Front Psychol. 2019 Mar 5;10:423. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00423. PMID: 30890979; PMCID: PMC6411695. Attachment Boston, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeafFilter Gutter Protection has been recognized as the premier gutter guard system for 2024, highlighting its innovative design and commitment to quality. This accolade underscores LeafFilter's dedication to providing homeowners with effective solutions to prevent clogged gutters. Best Gutter Guard System LeafFilter Gutter Protection - offers a patented modular system that ensures superior debris repellence, water management, and long-term durability The selection by Expert Consumers comes as the demand for effective home maintenance solutions continues to grow. Gutter systems are an essential component of home protection, preventing water buildup that can lead to foundation erosion, roof leaks, and costly structural damage. LeafFilters patented gutter guard system provides a solution that not only eliminates the need for regular gutter cleaning but also enhances the efficiency and durability of gutter systems. According to Expert Consumers, LeafFilter continues to set the benchmark for gutter protection systems with its advanced technology and thoughtful design. Its ability to combine exceptional performance with long-term durability makes it a clear choice for homeowners seeking reliable solutions. Expert Consumers evaluated LeafFilters system based on key criteria, including its design, performance, and durability. Its patented three-piece technology was cited as a standout feature. The system integrates surgical-grade stainless steel micromesh screens, which block even the smallest debris, with durable uPVC frames and structural hangers that provide added stability. Together, these components ensure that gutters remain free of blockages while maintaining consistent water flow. The micromesh screens are particularly effective at filtering debris such as pine needles, shingle grit, and seed pods while allowing rainwater to flow through efficiently. The screens are rust-resistant and designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, ensuring long-term performance. The uPVC frames add another layer of durability, resisting warping or cracking over time, and the hidden structural hangers secure the system to fascia boards, preventing sagging. LeafFilters versatility was another factor in its recognition. The system is compatible with various roof types, including shingle, tile, slate, and metal, and it fits a wide range of gutter styles and sizes. Professional Installation and Long-Term Benefits The companys professional installation process further strengthens its appeal. Trained technicians inspect and clean existing gutters, seal them as needed, and align the system for optimal performance. All debris and materials are removed after installation, providing a seamless experience for homeowners. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, installation typically takes a few hours to a full day. Performance testing has shown that LeafFilter can manage over 14 gallons of rainwater per minute, significantly outperforming other systems in the market. This capability ensures reliable performance even during heavy rainfall, addressing one of the primary concerns of homeowners. Expert Consumers also noted the systems ability to handle a variety of debris, from leaves to snow, providing year-round protection. The recognition of LeafFilter by Expert Consumers points to broader trends in the home improvement industry. As homeowners increasingly prioritize preventative measures to protect their investments, products like LeafFilter play a crucial role in meeting these needs. Its patented technology and emphasis on customer satisfaction set a high standard in the market. For homeowners seeking a reliable, long-term solution to gutter maintenance, LeafFilter offers a proven system backed by innovative design, professional installation, and strong industry endorsements. Its selection as the top gutter guard system for 2024 reflects both its performance and its ability to address the challenges faced by modern homeowners. The full review of LeafFilter Gutter Protection can be read on the Expert Consumers website. About Expert Consumers: Expert Consumers provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided. Contact: Drew Thomas (press@expertconsumers.org) Interview: Croatian expert speaks highly of China's role in world economic growth Xinhua) 13:02, December 13, 2024 ZAGREB, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The recent "1+10" dialogue in Beijing highlighted China's role as a key driver of the world economic growth and underscored the promising future of the Chinese economy, Croatian political analyst Mladen Plese said in an interview with Xinhua on Thursday. Plese, a former editor-in-chief of Croatia's daily newspaper Jutarnji List, said that the event demonstrated China's willingness to maintain dialogue and cooperation with major international economic organizations while reaffirming its pivotal role and significant contribution to the global economic growth. He noted that the Chinese economy contributes around 30 percent to the world economic growth. "Without China, the growth of the world economy would be unthinkable," Plese said. He highlighted China's remarkable transformation to the world's second-largest economy, achieved at "incredible and fascinating speed" thanks to the policy of reform and opening up. Plese also commended China's global initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which he said reflect China's willingness to share development opportunities and benefits with other countries. Croatia, he added, has directly benefited from its cooperation with China, through projects like the Peljesac Bridge and the Senj Wind Farm. "China has proven to be a serious and reliable partner and its companies have been willing to collaborate with local firms, demonstrating that even the most demanding projects can be successfully implemented," Plese said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Washington, D.C., Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Six retired federal judges have filed an amicus curiae brief in Newman v. Moore supporting the unlawfully suspended Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman, who is represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance. The Hon. Janice Rogers Brown (D.C. Circuit), Hon. Paul Michel (Federal Circuit), Hon. Randall Rader (Federal Circuit), Hon. Thomas Vanaskie (Third Circuit), Hon. Paul Cassell (District of Utah), and Hon. Susan Braden (Federal Claims) ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to render judgment for Judge Newman in the lawsuit challenging her unconstitutional suspension from the bench. NCLA thanks these eminent jurists for their courage and demands an end to the illegal campaign that has functionally removed a sitting Article III judge from office. Without due process, the Judicial Council of the Federal Circuit indefinitely removed Judge Newman from hearing new cases in March 2023 before beginning any formal investigation into her fitness for office, which violated the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act that the Council purported to be applying. The Judicial Council suspended her for a year in September 2023, extending the suspension for another year in September 2024. This indefinite, complete suspension is unprecedented in American judicial history, exceeding sanctions imposed on judges who committed serious misconduct and improprieties. Suspending an Article III judge from all judicial functions of her office is unconstitutional. The retired judges explain that, instead of addressing the merits of Judge Newman's constitutional claims, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed her claims "largely on the ground that judicial review was precluded," a holding that "cuts against the strong presumption that all U.S. citizens are entitled to have their federal constitutional claims heard in a federal court." "The Constitution assigns to the U.S. Senate alone the power to remove Article III judges from office," the retired judges' brief says. "By suspending Judge Newman for an indefinite period and thereby effectively removing her from judicial office, Appellees have usurped that authority and directly challenge the independence of all federal judges." The Bar Association of the District of Columbia, The Buckeye Institute, and Manhattan Institute also filed amicus briefs in support of Judge Newman. NCLA thanks these allies for standing in defense of due process and judicial independence. NCLA released the following statements: "The amicus brief by a group of retired federal judges who were appointed by Presidents of both parties and which includes two former Chief Judges of the Federal Circuit shows how important this case is and the constitutional peril that Federal Circuit's actions have created. The D.C. Circuit should take heed of the concerns raised by this brief (as well as by other amici) and protect judicial independence by holding the Federal Circuit's actions to be unlawful." Greg Dolin, M.D., Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA It is rare that retired members of the Federal Bench and the D.C. Bar submit amicus briefs anywhere. Their concerns and arguments, as well as those of the other learned amici should be carefully considered by the D.C. Circuit and the larger legal community. John Vecchione, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA For more information visit the case page here or watch the case video here. ABOUT NCLA NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights. ### Cherry Hills Village, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cherry Hills Village, Colorado - Front Range Pharmacy, a locally owned and operated retail pharmacy in Englewood, is gearing up to celebrate 5 years in business this spring. For the pharmacist-owner and operator, Michael Scruggs, this calls for a pause to reflect and be thankful. "Opening Front Range during the peak of a global pandemic was not how I pictured my dream of owning a pharmacy coming true", said Scruggs, "this anniversary truly feels special and my staff and I cannot express our gratitude to our community enough". Since its founding in April 2020, the pharmacy has consistently evolved to meet the needs of the Denver metro community, providing personalized and efficient care. While its larger counterparts seemed to have struggled, Front Range Pharmacy seems to have found its stride and is proud to have just launched its new website highlighting its made-from-scratch variety of services. The updated website underscores Front Range Pharmacy's dedication to streamlining its offerings and improving accessibility for its customers. These services include single-trip prescription management, custom compounding, long-term care solutions, immunizations, prepacked medication boxes, and home delivery options. The rebranding initiative reflects the company's mission to enhance its role as a trusted healthcare partner and further solidify what its surrounding community has come to know very well - the best pharmacies are owned by pharmacists. "I think what makes Front Range Pharmacy different is our "intent". I'm excited to be your pharmacist and do this work for you and my goal is that when you walk in, you feel that. If we start that way, then the difference is mostly made" Scruggs added when asked what makes his pharmacy stand out. "We aren't a prefabricated box dropped into your neighborhood - we are a small business that listens and responds to its community." It seems that most Americans agree, as a recent study revealed that customers are being driven to independent pharmacies due to disappointment from chain drug stores and fear of their mail-order options not being reliable. A key highlight of Front Range Pharmacy's services is its compounding capabilities, allowing the creation of custom medications tailored to individual patient needs. This personalized approach is especially beneficial for patients with unique medical requirements, those with allergies to certain ingredients in their prescriptions, or in people needing hormone replacement therapy at various stages in life. Additionally, the pharmacy offers DayPacks, an innovative solution for organizing medications into convenient, easy-to-manage packets. These packets, made from biodegradable cellulose, help patients stay on track with their medication regimens. Completely free and customizable, the staff at Front Range say this solution has made life easier for many of its patients or caretakers. The pharmacy's long-term care department focuses on assisting caregivers in homes or facilities by ensuring that residents receive their medications accurately and on time. This service benefits individuals aging in place, those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and residents in assisted living or memory care facilities. Another standout feature is Front Range Pharmacy's home delivery service, available to patients within five miles of the pharmacy. For just $4.00 per delivery, this service provides a convenient option for those unable to visit the pharmacy in person. Patients in need of assistance can inquire about a free delivery application for eligible cases. "Delivery is definitely our most asked-for service and we are happy to finally bring it back in full force," added Scruggs. The updated website also highlights routine and seasonal immunizations, ensuring patients can access necessary vaccinations in a comfortable and professional setting. As the pharmacy expands its service lines, Front Range Pharmacy continues to focus on providing compassionate, patient-centered care. The rebranding effort not only emphasizes its core offerings but also reinforces its commitment to using technology and innovation to improve patient outcomes. "We're excited to continue growing as a pharmacy and I really feel like we are just getting started," added Scruggs. "I think that people in the Denver metro want something that treats them uniquely and we hope to always support our patients in ways that actually focus on their health goals." To learn more about Front Range Pharmacy's updated services, visit their website at frontrangepharmacy.com. ### For more information about Front Range Pharmacy, contact the company here: Front Range Pharmacy Michael Scruggs (720) 405-5125 info@frontrangepharmacy.com 3401 S Broadway Unit 180, Englewood, CO 80113 MONTREAL, Dec. 12, 2024 - Osisko Development Corp. (NYSE: ODV, TSXV: ODV) ("Osisko Development" or the "Company") announces that Ms. Marina Katusa has resigned from the Company's board of directors (the "Board") effective immediately. The Company thanks Ms. Katusa for her service as a director and wishes her well in future endeavours. ABOUT OSISKO DEVELOPMENT CORP. Osisko Development Corp. is a North American gold development company focused on past-producing mining camps located in mining friendly jurisdictions with district scale potential. The Company's objective is to become an intermediate gold producer by advancing its 100%-owned Cariboo Gold Project, located in central B.C., Canada, the Tintic Project in the historic East Tintic mining district in Utah, U.S.A., and the San Antonio Gold Project in Sonora, Mexico. In addition to considerable brownfield exploration potential of these properties, that benefit from significant historical mining data, existing infrastructure and access to skilled labour, the Company's project pipeline is complemented by other prospective exploration properties. The Company's strategy is to develop attractive, long-life, socially and environmentally sustainable mining assets, while minimizing exposure to development risk and growing mineral resources. For further information, visit our website at www.osiskodev.com or contact: Sean Roosen Philip Rabenok Chairman and CEO Director, Investor Relations Email: sroosen@osiskodev.com Email: prabenok@osiskodev.com Tel: +1 (514) 940-0685 Tel: +1 (437) 423-3644 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. TORONTO, Dec. 12, 2024 - Western Metallica Resources Corp. (TSXV: WMS) ("Western Metallica" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drill crews working at the Luz Maria copper-molybdenum drill program have completed the first hole ever drilled at its 100% owned Cana Brava project. Drill hole LM24DD001 was completed by contractor Energold to a depth of 396.1 metres, and drilling of the second hole is currently underway. Logging of drill holes LM24DD001 and LM24DD002 confirms the presence of a complex Cu-Mo porphyry system, with multiple intrusion phases, and multiple alteration and mineralization events. Alteration and mineralization are observed in both the intrusive rocks and the wall rock siliciclastic sedimentary rocks. The current drill program is aimed at testing the copper-molybdenum mineralization found over an area of 500 by 300 metres, centered on strongly altered diorite and monzonite outcrops located at the bottom of a dry creek. This geochemical anomaly is coincident with strong anomalies identified during magnetic and Induced Polarization surveys carried out by the Company during 2024. A recent cluster classification analysis of the geophysical surveys has highlighted two targets to be prioritized: class 5 with medium resistivity, high chargeability and high mag-susceptibility, and class 6 with medium/low resistivity, high chargeability, high metal factor and high magnetic susceptibility (refer to figures 4 and 5). Copper and molybdenum mineralization is closely related to the intensity of quartz veining within strong potassic alteration, represented by secondary biotite, overprinted by a phyllic assemblage of quartz-sericite chlorite. The alteration footprint of the system extends over an area of at least 2.7 km by 1.5 km, while the drilling area covers only 5% of the total. Samples of core from hole LM24DD001 have been now entirely submitted to the SGS laboratory in Lima and the expected turn around time to receive the complete set of assays is 15 days. Figure 1 - Hole LM24DD001 at 239.2 meters. Biotite-altered monzonite with (1) sinuous quartz, (2) quartz-sericite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite, (3) quartz-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite, (4) irregular quartz-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-pyrite-molybdenite (sericite selvage), and (5) sinuous quartz-sericite veinlets and disseminated chalcopyrite. Figure 2 - Hole LM24DD001 at 265 meters. Biotite-altered slate with quartz-pyrrhotite-molybdenite-chalcopyrite veining and disseminated chalcopyrite. Figure 3 - Hole LM24DD002 at 65.90 meters. Biotite-altered Hornblende monzonite with overprinted quartz-sericite chlorite alteration. Stockworking is constituted by quartz-pyrrhotite-molybdenite, pyrite-chalcopyrite-molybdenite and quartz-pyrrhotite-molybdenite veining. Figure 4 - Luz Maria: 3D views of the Cluster Analysis Model - Looking WNW. Figure 5 - Luz Maria prospect: Drill hole location and 1,150 meters ASL slice of the Cluster Analysis Model. Background Western Metallica holds the option to acquire 100% of the mineral claims, rights, and interests in Cana Brava, a Cu-Mo project located in Northern Peru (refer to press release dated August 10, 2023). The project lies within the under-explored Northern sector of the Cu-Mo metallogenic belt of Eocene age that hosts, to the South, world class deposits such as Las Bambas (MMG), Cotabambas (Panoro Minerals Ltd.), Constancia (Hudbay Minerals Inc.), Antapacay (Glencore) and discoveries such as Elida (Element 29 Resources), the first porphyry deposit of this age discovered in North Peru. The Companys Cana Brava Project is well located in close proximity to industrial ports, major paved roads and is comprised of large, contiguous mineral concessions conducive to future project scalability. The Cana Brava Project is a highly prospective 5,700-hectare package of concessions located 30 kilometres from the Peruvian coast, at an elevation of 1,500 metres in the Western Cordillera of the Peruvian Andes. The Cana Brava Project is neighboring Hudbay's Llaguen Cu-Mo Project which lies on the Western margin of the Miocene epithermal-porphyry copper-gold belt of Northern Peru, with the potential for Cana Brava to similarly host shallow high-grade mineralization across a considerable alteration footprint. Western Metallica recently announced the launch of a first drill program at its Luz Maria copper-molybdenum porphyry prospect after having received its permit to drill from 19 platforms (refer to press release dated July 15, 2024). Luz Maria is a well-preserved porphyry system and priority drill target at the Cana Brava Project, where exploration work to date has successfully defined a cluster of multi-stage mineralized intrusions within a large 2.7-kilometre by 1.5-kilometre phyllic to incipient biotite-replacement alteration footprint, comparable in size to other major Peruvian porphyry deposits, and featuring multiple mineralized intrusion events (refer to press release dated September 24, 2024). The Company is also advancing with the drilling permitting on its Cana Brava 1 prospect, located on the Northwest sector of the Cana Brava Project, characterized by a distinctive 1.5-kilometre by 1.5-kilometre sized leached zone with goethite and hematite box works. Both environmental and social base lines, required to support the FTA process, have been completed for this sector. At Cana Brava 1, the diamond-sawn channel sampling campaign confirmed grades up to 0.3% Cu from 7 different intrusive recognized to date. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Sample preparation and analyses are conducted according to standard industry procedures. Rock samples are crushed, split, and pulverized prior to analysis of Gold by fire assay and Atomic Absorption and multi-elements by ICP-AES after four acid digestion. Analytical performance is monitored by means of certified reference materials (CRMs), coarse and fine blanks, coarse and pulp duplicate samples. Samples are prepared and analysed in SGS lab in Lima, Peru. Qualified Persons The technical and scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Giovanni Funaioli, EurGeol, Vice President Exploration of Western Metallica, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Giovanni Funaioli is an employee of the Company and is not considered independent under NI 43-101. About Western Metallica Resources Corp. Western Metallica is an Ontario registered company with its head office in Toronto, Ontario, trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under symbol WMS. Western Metallica is in the business of mineral resource exploration and development and holds the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Cana Brava copper-molybdenum project located in La Libertad Department, Peru. Western Metallica is also advancing its 100% owned Nueva Celti Copper Property in the Ossa Morena belt in Andalusia, Spain, and three other Spanish gold projects in the "Navelgas Gold Belt" in Asturias, Spain (Penedela, Valledor and Sierra Alta). Further information of the Company can be found at: www.westernmetallica.com For more information please contact: Western Metallica Resources Corp. Gregory Duras Chief Executive Officer Email: gduras@westernmetallica.com Investor Relations Email: info@westernmetallica.com Cautionary Notes The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the planned drill program and the development of the Company's projects and other mining projects and prospects thereof, the impact of the management additions on the Company; and the potential and economic viability of the Cana Brava Project. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4a8c6231-e5b3-473d-af5a-78da360f2bd6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5d51f2cb-205d-49bf-a806-c0117bffd165 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d9ab216f-cd2a-4d78-806a-6988e54c3034 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c96aa9e6-0a1b-449a-8050-79cbe32f98f4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da670209-ba40-4edc-a03e-7f3e3ae88844 MONTREAL, Dec. 12, 2024 - Osisko Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Osisko Metals") (TSX-V: OM; OTCQX: OMZNF; FRANKFURT: OB51) announces, further to its news release dated November 18, 2024 (entitled "Osisko Metals Expands Leadership Team and Announces C$100 Million Bought Deal Financing"), the following changes to Osisko Metals' leadership team: Management Changes The Company is pleased to announce the implementation of the following key management additions: John F. Burzynski has been appointed as a Director and Executive Chairman Don Njegovan has been appointed as President Blair Zaritsky has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer Amanda Johnston has been appointed as Vice President, Finance Alexandria Marcotte has been appointed as Vice President, Exploration Lili Mance has been promoted to Vice President, Corporate Secretary Board of Directors Changes The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Anderson and Tara Christie to the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board"). Patrick F.N. Anderson | Independent Director - Mr. Anderson holds a BSc. Degree in geology from the University of Toronto and is an entrepreneur and executive with over 30 years of experience in the resource sector. He has held key roles across gold, base metals, and diamond projects for junior explorers, major producers, and consulting firms in South America, North America and Europe. His board experience includes companies listed on the TSX-V, TSX, and LSE-AIM exchanges. As the founder, CEO, and Director of Dalradian Resources Inc., he led the discovery of over 6 million ounces of high-grade gold at Curraghinalt and executed a $537 million go-private transaction. Previously, he co-founded Aurelian Resources Inc., overseeing the discovery of the 13.7 million-ounce Fruta del Norte deposit, acquired for $1.2 billion. This deposit is now Lundin Gold's flagship asset. Mr. Anderson has been named Mining Man of the Year by The Northern Miner and received the PDAC Thayer Lindsley Award. He recently served as Lead Independent Director for Osisko Mining in its $2.2 billion acquisition by Gold Fields Ltd. Currently, he is the CEO of private Dalradian Resources, a Director of O3 Mining Inc., and Chairman of Cornish Metals Inc. Tara Christie | Independent Director - Ms. Christie is a professional engineer and has over 25 years of experience in the exploration and mining business. Currently, she is the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Banyan Gold Corp. and led the company from discovery to establishing its current resource on the AurMac Gold Project. Ms. Christie currently serves on the board of Western Copper and Gold Corp. and has served on the boards of several other public companies. She was formerly the President of privately owned Gimlex Gold Mines Ltd., one of the Yukon's largest placer mining operations. Ms. Christie has been a board member of PDAC, Association for Mineral Exploration BC, and the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board (YESAB). She is also President of the registered charity "Every Student, Every Day" that works to improve attendance in Yukon schools working with communities and First Nations. Resignation of Luc Lessard Luc Lessard has stepped down as a director of Osisko Metals, having served as a director on the Board since 2016. Mr. Lessard will continue as a strategic advisor to the Company. Concurrent with these appointments, Anthony Glavac has stepped down as Chief Financial Officer. "On behalf of the members of the Board, the management team and the staff of Osisko Metals, I would like to thank Luc and Anthony for their valued contributions and commitment to the success of Osisko Metals," commented Robert Wares, CEO of the Company. "We wish Luc and Anthony all the best in their future endeavors." Option Grants The Company announces that, effective December 12, 2024, it has granted to certain directors, officers, employees and/or consultants of the Company an aggregate of 15,100,000 stock options ("Options") pursuant to the Osisko Metals stock option plan. The Options have an exercise price of $0.26 per share and a five-year term from the date of grant, and vest annually in equal thirds beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant. About Osisko Metals Osisko Metals Incorporated is a Canadian exploration and development company creating value in the critical metals sector, with a focus on copper and zinc. The Company acquired a 100% interest in the past-producing Gaspe Copper mine from Glencore Canada Corporation in July 2023. The Gaspe Copper mine is located near Murdochville in Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula. The Company is currently focused on resource expansion of the Gaspe Copper system, with current Indicated Mineral Resources of 824 Mt grading 0.34% CuEq and Inferred Mineral Resources of 670 Mt grading 0.38% CuEq (in compliance with NI 43-101). For more information, see Osisko Metals' November 14, 2024 news release entitled "Osisko Metals Announces Significant Increase in Mineral Resource at Gaspe Copper". Gaspe Copper hosts the largest undeveloped copper resource in eastern North America, strategically located near existing infrastructure in the mining-friendly province of Quebec. In addition to the Gaspe Copper project, the Company is working with Appian Capital Advisory LLP through the Pine Point Mining Ltd. joint venture to advance one of Canada's largest past-producing zinc mining camps, the Pine Point project, located in the Northwest Territories. The current mineral resource estimate for the Pine Point project consists of Indicated Mineral Resources of 49.5 Mt at 5.52% ZnEq and Inferred Mineral Resources of 8.3 Mt at 5.64% ZnEq (in compliance with NI 43-101). For more information, see Osisko Metals' June 25, 2024 news release entitled "Osisko Metals releases Pine Point mineral resource estimate: 49.5 million tonnes of indicated resources at 5.52% ZnEq". The Pine Point project is located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, close to infrastructure, with paved road access, an electrical substation and 100 kilometers of viable haul roads. For further information on this news release, visit www.osiskometals.com or contact: Robert Wares, Chief Executive Officer of Osisko Metals Incorporated Email: info@osiskometals.com Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", management's view", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "potential", "feasibility", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to, among other things: the anticipated resource expansion of the Gaspe Copper system; Gaspe Copper hosting the largest undeveloped copper resource in eastern North America; and the advancement of the Pine Point project. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management, in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information are set out in the Company's public disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under Osisko Metals' issuer profile. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward- looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Vancouver, December 12, 2024 - Tincorp Metals Inc. (TSXV: TIN) (OTCQX: TINFF) ("Tincorp" or the "Company") today announced the closing of its previously announced non-brokered private placement, whereby the Company issued a total of 1,244,445 common shares of the Company ("Shares") at a price of $0.1125 per Share for gross proceeds of $140,000 (the "Offering"). The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes. The Offering was conducted in reliance upon available exemptions from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws. All securities issued will be subject to a statutory four-month and one-day hold period from the closing date. The Offering is subject to the final acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. The participation by an insider of the Company in the Offering for $140,000 constitutes a "related party transaction" for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), which has been adopted by the TSX Venture Exchange pursuant to its Policy 5.9 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transaction. The Company relied on an exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of such insider's participation, as the fair market value of the insider's participation did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any United States state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States, nor will there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Tincorp Tincorp Metals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focusing on tin projects in Bolivia and a gold project near Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. The Company acquired a 100% interest in the Porvenir Project and SF Tin Project, which are 70 km southeast of Oruro, Bolivia. The Company's 100% owned Skukum Gold Project is approximately 84 km south of Whitehorse by road. An independent mineral resource estimate update in respect of the Skukum Gold Project was completed in October 2022. On Behalf of Tincorp Metals Inc. Victor Feng, Interim CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collective, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding final approval of the private placement by the TSX Venture Exchange are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategies", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "budgets", "schedules", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions, factors and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. Additional information in relation to the Company, including the Company's most recent annual information form, can be obtained under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.tincorp.com. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233599 Val-d'Or, Dec. 12, 2024 - Bonterra Resources Inc. (TSXV: BTR) (OTCQX: BONXF) (FSE: 9BR2) ("Bonterra" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") pursuant to which the Company sold 2,722,391 flow-through units of the Company (each, a "FT Unit") at a price of $0.40 per FT Unit for gross proceeds of $1,088,956.40. Each FT Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each, a "FT Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). The FT Shares and Warrants comprising the FT Units will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and the Taxation Act (Quebec). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of C$0.31 at any time on or before December 12, 2026. The FT Shares and Warrants are subject to a four-month restricted period in Canada ending on April 13, 2025. The Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of all required regulatory approvals including final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. No finder's fees were paid in connection with the Offering. Marc-Andre Pelletier, President and CEO, commented: "We are thrilled to have SIDEX, a mineral exploration investment fund, and Wexford Capital, a long-time Bonterra shareholder, participate in this offering. This investment will enable us to leverage VRIFY's AI tools and the 2023-24 exploration work at our 100%-owned Desmaraisville property, which hosts the Bachelor Mill, to identify new targets that will form the basis of a follow-up drill program aimed at identifying a new deposit." Andre Laferriere, Investment manager at SIDEX commented: "This investment reaffirms SIDEX's commitment to promoting innovation in mineral exploration in Quebec. We believe the application of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, could benefit the targeting process in more mature exploration projects." The gross proceeds from the sale of FT Units will be used by the Company to incur expenses described in paragraph (f) of the definition of "Canadian exploration expense" ("CEE") in subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act") and paragraph (c) of the definition of CEE in section 395 of the Taxation Act (Quebec) (the "QTA"). Purchasers of FT Units resident in the Province of Quebec will, in accordance with applicable provisions of the QTA, be eligible for an additional 20% deduction for Quebec tax purposes. Insiders of the Company directly or indirectly acquired 548,478 FT Units. The issuance of FT Units to insiders is considered a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) in respect of such insider participation as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, does not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The securities referred to herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, any U.S. persons or any persons within the United States absent registration or available exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 'United States' and 'U.S. person' are as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. About Bonterra Bonterra is a Canadian gold exploration company with a portfolio of advanced exploration assets anchored by a central milling facility in Quebec, Canada. The Company's assets include the Gladiator, Barry, Moroy, and Bachelor gold deposits, which collectively hold 1.24 million ounces in Measured and Indicated categories and 1.78 million ounces in the Inferred category. In November 2023, the Company entered into an earn-in and joint venture agreement with Osisko Mining Inc. for the Urban-Barry properties (the "JV Agreement"), which include the Gladiator and Barry deposits. In October 2024, Gold Fields Ltd. completed the acquisition of Osisko Mining for C$2.16 billion. Gold Fields is now the counterparty to the JV Agreement and can continue to earn a 70% interest in the joint venture by incurring C$30 million in work expenditures until November 2026 (including expenditures incurred by Osisko Mining prior to October 2024). This strategic transaction highlights Bonterra's dedication to advancing its exploration assets, marking a significant step towards development. About SIDEX LP SIDEX is an initiative of the Quebec government and the Fonds de solidarite FTQ. Its mission is to invest in companies engaged in mineral exploration in Quebec in order to diversify the province's mineral base, promote innovation and encourage new entrepreneurs. About VRIFY VRIFY Technologies is revolutionizing mineral exploration through its AI-assisted mineral discovery platform, which delivers proven results. Combining proprietary AI algorithms with one of the industry's largest datasets, VRIFY helps exploration companies uncover valuable mineralization in their existing data without drilling new holes. The company's vision transformer technology identifies complex patterns that traditional methods and other AI tools miss, while its advanced visualization capabilities enable clients to communicate discoveries to stakeholders effectively. Led by industry veterans and backed by proven success cases, VRIFY is transforming how forward-thinking mining companies approach mineral discovery in the Age of AI. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forwardlooking statements and forwardlooking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forwardlooking statements or information. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend" and similar words referring to future events and results. The forwardlooking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Forward-looking statements made in this news release include statements regarding the proposed use of proceeds of the Offering. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forwardlooking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, including, with respect to the Offering, the timing of final TSX Venture Exchange approval; and with respect to the use of proceeds, the sufficiency of the proceeds, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, and competitive, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forwardlooking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forwardlooking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forwardlooking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES Gold Reserve Ltd. (TSX.V: GRZ) (OTCQX: GDRZF) ("Gold Reserve" or the "Company") announced that, at the annual general meeting of shareholders of the Company ("Shareholders") held December 12, 2024 (the "Meeting"), Robert A. Cohen, Paul Rivett, James Michael Johnston, Yves M. Gagnon, James P. Tunkey, David A. Knight and Jonathan Howes were elected to the board of directors of Gold Reserve (the "Board") to hold office until the next annual meeting of Shareholders or until their successors are elected or appointed or their office is otherwise vacated. In addition to the foregoing, the Shareholders approved the following matters at the Meeting: (i) an ordinary resolution authorizing the Board, at any time between the date of the Meeting and the date of the Company's subsequent annual general meeting, to appoint, at the Board's discretion and at its option, up to an additional three (3) directors to the Board without any further Shareholder approval; (ii) the Incentive Plan Resolution (as defined in and described in detail in the management information circular of the Company in connection with the Meeting dated as of November 14, 2024, available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com (the "Circular")), authorizing the increase in the maximum number of common shares of the Company, par value US$0.01 each ("Common Shares"), issuable under the Company's 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan") from 9,939,500 to 14,932,307, subject to the other terms and conditions of the Plan; (iii) the Conditional Options Resolution (as defined in and described in detail in the Circular), ratifying the grant of 2,500,000 conditional stock options at an exercise price of US$7.00 to Mr. Paul Rivett; and (iv) the appointment of CBIZ CPAs P.C. as the independent auditors of the Company until the close of the next annual general meeting, and the authorization of the Board to fix such auditors' remuneration. In addition, at the Meeting, the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2023 were duly laid before the Shareholders. Following the Meeting, the Company appointed two additional and Bermuda-resident directors to the Board, namely Mr. George Thomas and Mr. William DeSilva. In connection with the appointments of Mr. Thomas and Mr. DeSilva, as well as the election of Mr. Howes, as directors, the Company has granted to each such director 145,000 stock options (the "Options") under the Plan to purchase up to 145,000 Common Shares. Such grants amount to an aggregate of 435,000 Options to purchase up to 435,000 Common Shares, and were each made on December 12, 2024. Messrs. Howes, Thomas, and DeSilva's Options will vest immediately at an exercise price of US$1.63 per Common Share. All of the Options have a maximum term of ten years from the date of grant. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking statements This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. federal securities laws and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws and state Gold Reserve's and its management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions for the future. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. We caution that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other risks that may cause actual events, outcomes or results in Gold Reserve to be materially different from out estimated outcomes, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Gold Reserve or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Gold Reserve disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information or statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to its disclosure obligations under applicable rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212635234/en/ Contact For further information regarding Gold Reserve Ltd., please contact: Paul Rivett (800) 625-9550 Rosebank Centre, 5th Floor, 11 Bermudiana Road, Pembroke HM 08, Bermuda investorrelations@goldreserve.bm Vancouver, December 12, 2024 - Dynasty Gold Corp. (TSXV: DYG) (FSE: D5G1) (OTC Pink: DGDCF) ("Dynasty" or the "Company") announces that the $0.13 warrants will expire at 5 p.m. (Vancouver Time) on December 15, 2024. The warrants were part of a private placement closed in December 2022. The remaining Company warrants are at $0.27. Mr. Roman Shklanka, a director of the Company, exercised his 300,000 warrants for a total of $39,000. The Company is well funded for its 2025 exploration program and will announce its plans in the new year. "We are encouraged by the drill results that we achieved at Thundercloud in the last three years since its acquisition from Teck Resources Ltd. ("TECK") in 2021. This resulted in a rapid growth of the NI 43-101 resource (dated September 2021) by approximately 150% primarily due to numerous high grade and long intercepts in many drill holes," commented Roman Shklanka. "The funded exploration program next year should further detail the results to date and extend the resource potential." About Dynasty Gold Corp. Dynasty Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company currently focused on gold exploration in North America with projects located in the Manitou-Stormy Lake greenstone belt in Ontario and the Midas gold camp in Nevada. The Company is currently advancing its Thundercloud gold resource in northwest Ontario as outlined in a NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report, dated Sept. 27, 2021, that can be found on the Company and SEDAR websites. The 100% owned Golden Repeat gold project in the Midas gold camp in Elko County, Nevada, is surrounded by a number of large-scale operating mines. For more information, visit the Company website www.dynastygoldcorp.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DYNASTY GOLD CORP. "Ivy Chong"_____________ Ivy Chong, President & CEO For additional information please contact: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept 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/233629 North Vancouver, December 12, 2024 - Lion One Metals Ltd. (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of the Company's annual and special general meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on December 12, 2024. At the Meeting, the number of directors of the Company was set at three (3) with the following directors re-elected at the Meeting: Walter Berukoff, Richard Meli, and Kevin Puil. In addition, shareholders of the Company approved the Company's Omnibus Equity Incentive Compensation Plan as described in the management information circular dated October 29, 2024 (the "Circular") as well as the re-appointment of Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as the auditor of the Company for the ensuing fiscal year. About Lion One Metals Limited Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Walter Berukoff, Chairman & CEO Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or the adequacy or accuracy of this release This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labor or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233639 Vancouver, Dec. 13, 2024 - Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV: SURG) (OTCQB: SRGXF) (Frankfurt: G6D2) ("Surge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive option agreement (the "Option Agreement") with Raye Resources Inc. and other private counterparties (collectively, the "Vendors") to acquire a 100% interest in certain mineral claims (the "MacLean East Property") contiguous with the Berg property. Figure 1. Berg-Huckleberry-Oosta district map. Please click here to view image Leif Nilsson, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "This Option Agreement is a critical milestone for Surge, securing all privately owned mineral claims required for the development of the Berg Project as envisioned in our 2023 Preliminary Economic Assessment. With this acquisition, our contiguous land package expands from 126,758 hectares to 133,081.3 hectares, solidifying our position in the region. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Vendors and look forward to collaborating as they advance their New Nanik Property to the west." Clinton Smyth, Executive Chairman of Raye Resources Inc. commented: "We are pleased to enter into this Option Agreement with Surge Copper, which represents a meaningful opportunity to advance exploration and development activities in the region and will help to support our efforts on our New Nanik Property. We too look forward to collaborating with Surge to unlock the mineral potential of this area for the benefit of all stakeholders." Pursuant to the Option Agreement, Surge will within 30 days allocate $300,000 in assessment work credits (a non-cash expenditure) to the MacLean East Property and other contiguous mineral claims owned by the Vendors. In addition, Surge will make the following option payments totaling $1,685,000 to Raye Resources Inc., which are payable in cash or common shares of Surge ("Consideration Shares"), and may be accelerated at any time, both at the sole discretion of Surge: $285,000 payable by the first anniversary of the Option Agreement $550,000 payable by the second anniversary $575,000 payable by the third anniversary $75,000 payable by the fourth anniversary $200,000 payable by the fifth anniversary Upon exercise of the option and a vesting of a 100% interest in the MacLean East Property in favour of Surge, Surge will grant to the Vendors an aggregate 3.5% net smelter returns (NSR) royalty on mineral production from the MacLean East Property, with the option to buy back 50% of the royalty for $6,000,000. The Vendors retain a conditional right-of-way through the MacLean East Property for potential future development, subject to termination provisions. Additionally, Surge holds a right of first offer on an adjacent mineral claim (claim number 1116934) not covered by the Option Agreement. The Option Agreement contains customary covenants, representations, and warranties from both parties and is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Any Consideration Shares issued will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day following the date of issuance. Qualified Person Dr. Shane Ebert P.Geo., is the Qualified Person for the Berg Project and the Ootsa Property as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 41-101") and has approved the technical and scientific disclosure contained in this news release. About Surge Copper Corp. Surge Copper Corp. is a Canadian company that is advancing an emerging critical metals district in a well-developed region of British Columbia, Canada. The Company owns a large, contiguous mineral claim package that hosts multiple advanced porphyry deposits with pit-constrained NI 43-101 compliant resources of copper, molybdenum, gold, and silver - metals which are critical inputs to modern energy infrastructure and electrification technologies. The Company owns a 100% interest in the Berg Project, for which it announced a maiden PEA in June 2023 outlining a large-scale, long-life project with a simple design and high outputs of critical minerals located in a safe jurisdiction near world-class infrastructure. The PEA highlights base case economics including an NPV8% of C$2.1 billion and an IRR of 20% based on long-term commodity prices of US$4.00/lb copper, US$15.00/lb molybdenum, US$23.00/oz silver, and US$1,800/oz gold. The Berg deposit contains pit-constrained 43-101 compliant resources of copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold in the Measured, Indicated, and Inferred categories. The Company also owns a 100% interest in the Ootsa Property, an advanced-stage exploration project containing the Seel and Ox porphyry deposits located adjacent to the open pit Huckleberry Copper Mine, owned by Imperial Metals. The Ootsa Property contains pit-constrained NI 43-101 compliant resources of copper, gold, molybdenum, and silver in the Measured, Indicated, and Inferred categories. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Leif Nilsson" Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Riley Trimble, Corporate Communications & Development Telephone: +1 604 639 3852 Email: info@surgecopper.com Twitter: @SurgeCopper LinkedIn: Surge Copper Corp https://www.surgecopper.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will", "may", "should", "expects", "plans", or "anticipates" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: exercise of the option and acquisition of the MacLean East Property; further advancement of the Berg Project; and the Company's plans regarding the Berg Project and the Ootsa Property. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and risks may include, among others, inability to satisfy the requirements for the exercise of the option, actual results of the Company's exploration activities being different than those expected by management, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required government or other regulatory approvals, the ability to obtain adequate financing to conduct its planned exploration programs, inability to procure labour, equipment, and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis, equipment breakdown, impacts of the current coronavirus pandemic, and bad weather. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect the Company's current judgment regarding the direction of its business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions, or other future performance suggestions herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results. VANCOUVER, Dec. 13, 2024 - Getty Copper Inc. (the "Company") (TSXV: GTC) announced today that subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange it has entered into a Loan Agreement with Freeway Properties Inc. ("Freeway") to secure advances made by Freeway since April 2017 totalling $1,176,500 and interest to date of $316,029.55 for total indebtedness at December 11, 2024 of $1,492,529.55 (the "Freeway Loan"). The advances were made from time to time by Freeway to cover shortfalls in the available funds of the Company to meet its regularly occurring bills and to cover exploration program costs on the Company's mineral properties. Freeway is a company controlled by John Lepinski a control person of the Company. The loan from Freeway is a related party transaction. It is exempt from the valuation and minority approval requirements of the TSXV Venture listings Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 because the total net value does not exceed 25% of the Company's Market Capitalization. The loan will bear interest at 6% per annum and will be due on Jan 31, 2026. In the event that John Lepinski and/or his affiliates shall cease to be controlling shareholders of the Company, the loan will become immediately due and payable. The loan will be secured by a charge on the Company's real estate assets including its building located in Logan Lake BC and its crown granted mineral claims. The security interest will be subordinated to the security interest of Robak Industries Ltd. ("Robak") under a debenture (the "Robak Debenture") dated November 2016. The Robak Debenture was issued secure a loan of $900,000 from Robak. The proceeds of the loan were used as follows: a) $581,646.12 to reimburse John Lepinksi for litigation legal costs incurred by him on behalf of the Company relating to 2009 litigation. b) $176,118.90 to repay advances made to the Company by Freeway between January and November 2016. c) $56,300 to pay to management fees to Freeway for the period from September 2012 to July 2014 at $2,500 per month plus taxes. d) $8,400 to pay past rent due accumulated at $500 per month to Deborah Resources Ltd. company controlled by John Lepinski a non-arm length party. e) $2,108.90 expenses relevant to John Lepinski. f) $75,000 retained by the Company for working capital. The Robak Debenture bears interest at 6% per annum. Robak has extended the loan from time to time. The Debenture is currently due January 31, 2026. The Robak Debenture is secured by a general security intent of all of the assets of the Company. The current amount outstanding under the Robak Debenture is $1,450,180.63 which includes the original amount plus total interest of $525,871.96. The amount outstanding also includes additional advances made by Robak of $35,000 plus interest of $10,691.33. The loan from Robak is a related party transaction (the "Robak Loan"). Robak is controlled by John Lepinski a control person of the Company. The loan from Freeway is a related party transaction. It is exempt from the valuation and minority approval requirements of the TSXV Venture listings Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 as the total net value does not exceed 25% of the Company's Market Capitalization. Both Freeway and Robak have agreed, subject to TSXV approval, to convert $250,000 of the interest payable in respect of the debts outstanding into common shares of the Company at $0.05 per share as described in the Company's news release of May 10, 2024. Company Name Amount of Debt to be Converted Number of Shares for Debt Freeway $250,000 5,000,000 Robak $250,000 5,000,000 TOTAL $500,000 10,000,000 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tom MacNeill, CEO SOURCE Getty Copper Inc. F1 brake supplier hits out at Ferrari split rumours Brembo, the famous Italian brake company synonymous with Formula 1 and Ferrari, has hit back at a circulating rumour. Carlos Sainz, Abu Dhabi GP 2024 Ferrari Reports this week had suggested that incoming driver Lewis Hamilton asked Ferrari if he could stick with the French-made Carbon Industrie brakes he has become accustomed to at Mercedes. If true, it would mean Ferrari breaking an astonishing 50-season relationship with fellow Italian company Brembo, with the team's French boss Frederic Vasseur reportedly also supporting the switch to Carbon Industrie. A Carbon Industrie source had also been quoted as saying by the specialist Japanese outlet as-web.jp: Everyone knows that Lewis wants to have Carbon Industrie brake discs on his car. But according to the Italian magazine Autosprint, Brembo has stridently rejected the reports and rumours. A statement confirmed that all the components of the braking system, including the carbon discs will remain supplied by Brembo in 2025 and beyond. With reference to the rumours that appeared on the morning of Thursday 12 December in some online media outlets, Brembo denies that there is a breakdown in the collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari, the statement reads. (GMM) Haas owner only wants to participate in F1 says Steiner Haas' team owner is content merely to "participate" in Formula 1. Haas F1 team Haas That's the frank claim of the small American team's former boss Gunther Steiner, who was sacked by owner Gene Haas over the telephone before the 2024 season. On the face of it, Haas made significant progress under the new reign of engineer-turned-boss Ayao Komatsu, stepping forward with pace and even signing up Toyota as a new technical partner. Steiner, though, told Ouest-France newspaper that he is not impressed. I don't know how much Mr Haas wants to invest, as the team is still the smallest in the paddock, both in terms of employees and factory, he said. "To survive in this world that is growing every year is difficult, but my feeling is that Mr Haas is content to be in the second half of the standings and just to participate. That's what frustrated me. I don't put in that much effort just to participate. I love the Olympic spirit, but that's not me. I want to move forward with a goal to follow. I don't know what he wants to do. Steiner, who is now a television pundit for multiple F1 broadcasters, says his only regret from his time at Haas is that he didn't quit in 2022. To be honest, I did my time there, I built the team, and I'm happy with it. What Mr Haas does with it is none of my business, and to be completely transparent, I don't really care, he insisted. Maybe with what I know now, I would have left the team in 2022. We were going nowhere because we were constantly trying to 'do more with less', when everyone else was 'doing more with more'. (GMM) Honda pray Tsunoda selected to replace Perez Two top Honda officials are hoping Yuki Tsunoda is chosen to replace Red Bull's endangered Sergio Perez for 2025. Yuki Tsunoda, Abu Dhabi test Red Bull Most insiders and analysts agree that Red Bull bosses Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko have decided to oust Perez. Currently underway, according to multiple reports, are complicated and expensive negotiations to terminate or modify 34-year-old Perez's 2025 contract. 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg said in Abu Dhabi that he has heard the Mexican driver's management team is demanding a $16m termination fee. But former F1 engineer Kees van de Grint thinks it could actually cost Red Bull a lot more than that. I think the buyout sum is 75 million euros. They have to buy out two years of his contract. Should Red Bull find a solution, the hot favourite to replace him is Liam Lawson. In theory, the much more experienced Tsunoda, 24, would be a more logical choice, but Red Bull is believed to have concerns about his character. Another hurdle is Tsunoda's close ties with Red Bull engine partner Honda, who are switching to Aston Martin for 2026 and beyond. Nonetheless, following some pressure from the Japanese manufacturer, Tsunoda was granted a test in the 2024 Red Bull Racing car this week. Marko confirmed that Red Bull will wait for the results before announcing the composition of the Red Bull and Racing Bulls lineups for 2025. We were able to realise his request to participate in the test, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) president Koji Watanabe confirmed. I have heard that he was very satisfied. Watanabe revealed that he spoke with team boss Christian Horner about the matter in Abu Dhabi. On Saturday I had various discussions with Christian Horner about the drivers for next season and beyond, he said. "As I always say, the team has the right to decide on the driver, so our opinion is merely for reference. But from the HRC side, we believe that Tsunoda has the ability to be promoted to Red Bull and should be one of the candidates. "All we could do is provide an opportunity for him to show his abilities to the world, which is why I asked that he participate in this test, and we were able to make it happen. "I only saw him (Tsunoda) before the test, and he said he wanted a good result and to enjoy himself. Since then, all I have is a report from HRC on-site, where he very clearly analysed the differences between the RB car and the Red Bull car, and gave the team very useful advice and comments on that basis. After that, I don't know what will happen, so we'll have to wait and see, but if it goes well, that will be great. In any case, he's already due to drive for RB next season, so I expect him to perform well next season no matter which team he drives for. Also hoping Tsunoda is selected to replace Perez is former F1 driver Takuma Sato, who is now an executive advisor for Honda Racing Corporation. It's up to the team of course, said the Japanese. "But Yuki said that his driving style suits the Red Bull car, with its sharp front end, so I think he had a very good test. Now, all we can do is pray. (GMM) How the intense Verstappen-Russell died down The intense heat seems to have dissipated after the Max Verstappen versus George Russell spat. Max Verstappen, George Rissell. Qatar GP 2024 Red Bull When the pair were exchanging barbs and insults over the Qatar GP qualifying penalty situation, insiders raised their eyebrows about Russell's role as senior director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. So while the duo sat at opposite ends of the table for the drivers' end-of-season dinner in Abu Dhabi, a couple of days later, they were photographed side-by-side for the GPDA meeting. This was done intentionally, GPDA chairman Alex Wurz told formel1.de, "and agreed upon by all 20 GPDA members who came to the meeting. It was important for me to say that the sport is bigger than individual drivers and the GPDA is bigger than its individual members. I said 'Pictures say more than a thousand words - you don't have to hug or shake hands, just stand together'. Wurz added that he is confident the message is clear that there will be no more discussions from either side on the topic. Respected German journalist Michael Schmidt agrees. I think both drivers said 'Enough is enough, this is not going to work anymore,' the Auto Motor und Sport correspondent said on his Formel Schmidt feature. Verstappen then announced that he is going to be a father, and the focus was suddenly on something else. I think it has been resolved now, Schmidt added. They will never be the best of friends, and they weren't in the past either. And that had something to do with it as well. If the same thing had happened between (Lando) Norris and Verstappen, it wouldn't have gone the same way. Schmidt also thinks Verstappen's management team, and Red Bull, played a role in taking the heat out of the spat. A driver who accuses another driver of wanting to put him in the wall can have consequences, he noted. "That can reach all the way to the FIA president. If he then has it out for Max, there could be a penalty. That's another reason why the fuss has died down. (GMM) No feelings amid Doohan-Colapinto rumours says Briatore Flavio Briatore has dropped a worrying hint about Jack Doohan's immediate future in Formula 1. Jack Doohan, Abu Dhabi GP 2024 Alpine On the face of it, it's smooth sailing for the son of MotoGP legend Mick Doohan, after taking over Esteban Ocon's Alpine cockpit in Abu Dhabi and then following up with the post-season test. Extremely grateful for the knowledge and experience gained - a day I had dreamt about my whole life, Doohan, 21, said on X after his grand prix debut last weekend. A big thank you to the entire Alpine team for the weekend, I couldn't be happier going into my debut season in 2025. However, as the Abu Dhabi GP unfolded, a rumour was swirling in the paddock - that new team advisor Briatore had only put Doohan in the car to 'test' the Australian under pressure. And not just that, related speculation suggested Briatore was also using the Doohan situation to put pressure on both Williams and Franco Colapinto's sponsors. Williams boss James Vowles has imposed a mid-December deadline for the conclusion of a potential deal with Alpine over the release of the impressive Argentine rookie. We are still open to all discussions, Vowles said in Abu Dhabi. Whether it's about two, three or four years, everything has its price, Blick newspaper had quoted him as saying. France's Auto Hebdo magazine has now asked Briatore, 74, about the rumours, where the hypothetical situation could see Doohan replaced by Colapinto for 2025. My job is to put Alpine back on top, the flamboyant Italian answered. There is never room for feelings in Formula 1. Colapinto, who has reportedly amassed an impressive array of Argentine sponsor backing, was seen chatting with Briatore in Abu Dhabi. (GMM) Ocon welcome to say goodbye to Alpine staff Esteban Ocon is "welcome" to return to Alpine's UK factory to say goodbye, team boss Oliver Oakes has revealed. Esteban Ocon Alpine The French driver was ousted by the team just before the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, ostensibly as part of a deal that allowed him to test for his new team - Haas - earlier this week at the same circuit. Ocon, however, expressed regret about his early departure. It was the team's decision, he told Canal Plus in Abu Dhabi. It's a bit of a sad ending, because after five years of collaboration with the team, I wanted to thank all the people who worked with me at Viry, at Enstone. However, Oakes has now extended an invitation to the 28-year-old driver. Esteban is welcome at Enstone, if he wishes, he said. He can have a guard of honour if he likes. I am absolutely serious. Oakes, though, takes issue with Ocon's claim that it was Alpine alone who made the decision that the driver would not race in Abu Dhabi. I think at the end of the day he had an option and he chose to start earlier with his new team, he said. "That's fine, I'm ok with that. We've exchanged messages and, to be honest, he's welcome to come to Enstone if he wants to, as was the plan. "I've also been very honest about the fact that he's played a big role in the team, not only in previous years but also in my short time here. I have a lot of admiration for him, but I also think we have to do what's right for us. And having Jack (Doohan) in the car earlier is a big advantage for next year. Alpine ended the 2024 season much more strongly than it started, with new executive advisor Flavio Briatore having joined in June - a few months before Oakes was appointed. There is a new approach to F1 at Alpine, Briatore told France's Auto Hebdo. "It is impressive to see how much the results change the perception, both internally and with the outside world. When I arrived, we only had two points. And little by little, we worked and improved the car, taking a significant step forward. Before, everyone was a little scattered - it was not really a team, the 74-year-old Italian added. Today, it is much better. We will perhaps have to hire a few people, especially experienced people, but really in a very marginal way. (GMM) Next article: Re-election of John Dramani Mahama is in fulfilment of prophecy- Founder of Ministry of the Future Featured Doing Highlife limits artiste's global reach Bada Gifty Owusu-Amoah Showbiz News Dec - 13 - 2024 , 12:03 2 minutes read AFRO-FUSION musician Bada has sparked an interesting debate in the music industry, stating sticking to Highlife music could limit an artiste's global reach, which would be a big loss to Ghanas music industry. For Bada, real name is Emmanuel Amegba, the advocacy by some musicians to make Highlife the standard of music in Ghana should not be encouraged because music has become globally competitive. Speaking with Graphic Showbiz on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, Bada argued that the times and seasons had changed, with music listeners yearning for a mixture of local and foreign sounds. So projecting Highlife in an era when music had become globally competitive was a big loss to Ghanas music industry. According to him, Highlife wasnt even appreciated enough in Ghana and didnt have the mojo to break the international scene. Advertisement Highlife is archaic and it is very surprising people still think that it is the wand to works the magic for Ghana to make an international impact. Its a big no because even at the moment, Highlife is struggling in Ghana so why do we think we can sell a struggling music style as a commodity to the international market? he asked. In a recent interview with Graphic Showbiz, Highlife artiste, Kwabena Kwabena, challenged up-and-coming artistes to do Highlife since the genre was the key to creating hit songs. (Read also: I will defend myself, Im not afraid of anybody, Prince David Osei warns attackers, Im not going to Parliament to fight for the industry, you didnt put me there- A Plus to creatives) Kwabena Kwabena explained that it was unfortunate most young artistes preferred other music styles to Highlife when many of todays smash hits were deeply rooted in Highlife, showcasing its timelessness and relevance. Bada, however, disagrees with that. He told Graphic Showbiz young artistes should rather do foreign music styles to appeal to the international audience since the goal wasnt to blow just in Ghana. He noted that his desire to grab international attention had influenced him to change his style to Afro-Fusion. I still believe in my roots and that is why I have fused our local rhythms with foreign ones to suit a diverse audience. This is the point I have been making, he stated. Bada, formerly known as Manuel, is not new in the music industry. He started commercial music in 2004 as a member of the defunct Twins group. However, after the split of the group, he went solo with the stage name Manuel. In a bid to enhance his music career, he took a hiatus. Next article: Dubai: Man, 18, sentenced to one year in prison for sex with girl, 17 Featured Ghana extradites Nigerian fraudster on FBI "most wanted list" to face charges in US Kweku Zurek International News Dec - 13 - 2024 , 07:28 2 minutes read Abiola Kayode, a 37-year-old Nigerian national listed on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Most Wanted Cyber Criminal List, has been extradited from Ghana to face charges in the United States. The announcement was made in a statement by United States Attorney Susan Lehr of the District of Nebraska. Kayode was arrested in April 2023 in Ghana at the behest of US law enforcement following an indictment filed in August 2019 in Omaha, Nebraska. He is accused of participating in a sophisticated business email compromise (BEC) scheme that allegedly defrauded businesses of over $6 million between January 2015 and September 2016. According to the indictment, Kayode and his accomplices impersonated high-ranking executives of various companies, using spoofed email accounts to deceive employees into executing unauthorized wire transfers. Advertisement The funds were then funneled into bank accounts controlled by Kayode, which were often linked to victims of romance scams. Kayode made his initial court appearance on December 11, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson, who ordered him to remain detained pending his trial. This case marks a continuation of efforts by U.S. authorities to dismantle the network involved in these scams. Several co-conspirators have already faced justice: Adewale Aniyeloye, who sent fraudulent emails, was sentenced to 96 months in prison and ordered to pay over $1.5 million in restitution; Pelumi Fawehinimi, who facilitated bank accounts for the fraud, received 72 months; Onome Ijomone, involved in romance scams, was given 60 months after his extradition from Poland; and Alex Ogunshakin, another key figure in the scheme, was sentenced to 45 months following his extradition from Nigeria earlier this year. FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel stated the ongoing commitment to capturing the remaining fugitives involved in this operation, stating, "Our message to the remaining four co-conspirators; we are coming for you." He highlighted the collaborative international effort, thanking Ghanaian authorities for their cooperation in Kayode's extradition. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with significant assistance from the Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs. It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Featured 123 arrested in election-related incidents; 49 processed for court - Police GraphicOnline Dec - 12 - 2024 , 22:04 2 minutes read In the latest update from the Ghana Police Service, a total of 123 individuals have been arrested in connection with election and post-election incidents. In a statement dated December 12, 2024, the Police outlined the current state of security in the country. "The Police wish to inform the public that the 123 persons so far arrested are being taken through the due process of the law," the statement read. The Ghana Police Service, collaborating with various security agencies through the National Election Security Taskforce, is working diligently to maintain peace. Advertisement "The Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with other security agencies under the National Election Security Taskforce, continues to provide security to ensure that Ghana remains at peace with itself," they affirmed. "Over the past 24 hours, there has not been any major security incident across the country. We urge the public to continue to go about their normal socio-economic activities as the Police continue to implement stringent security measures to ensure their safety and protect their properties," the Police stated. Out of the 123 arrests, legal actions have been initiated as follows: "Out of the total number of suspects arrested, 49 have been processed for court, with 16 granted court bail, while 33 have been remanded into Police and Prisons custody to reappear on later dates." Additionally, the statement detailed, "Additionally, 70 suspects have been granted Police Inquiry Bail in compliance with the constitutional requirement to process suspects for court within 48 hours." Four more suspects arrested within the last 24 hours are currently in custody, with the Police indicating, "Four (4) other suspects who were arrested within the last 24 hours are currently in Police custody and will be put before the court tomorrow." The Police are coordinating with the Office of the Attorney General to handle these cases appropriately. The statement also addressed rumors concerning the safety of the Efutu National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency 2nd Vice-Chairman, Mr Abraham Ato Anan, stating, "With regards to the incident involving the whereabouts of the Efutu National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency 2nd Vice-Chairman, Mr Abraham Ato Anan, we wish to state that the chairman is in good health and with his family and in contact with the Police. We, therefore, urge the public to disregard the misinformation and disinformation regarding his whereabouts." Concluding, the Police reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and security, "Once again, we want to assure the public that the Police remain committed to ensuring peace, security, law and order in the country." Australian High Commission supports womens groups in Yendi municipality Dawuni Emma Dec - 13 - 2024 , 09:57 2 minutes read The Australian High Commission has handed over bee-keeping equipment worth GH147,720 to six women groups at Zagbang in the Yendi municipality in the Northern Region. They also received 120 beehives with metal stands, 32 solar extractors, 24 harvesting gear, 24 smokers and hand gloves. The beneficiary groups were drawn from Zagbang, Adibo, Zang, Gbingbaliga, Kpachiya and Zugu. The support follows the intervention of Children Believe, an NGO, that had created sustainable livelihoods for the women through training in beekeeping. Advertisement It is one of the nine projects being supported by the High Commission in Ghana, and 18 other interventions across West Africa this year. The project was implemented by Assemblies of God Care (AG Care) Ghana Yendi Office. Rationale The Second Secretary of the High Commission, Candice Hooper, who handed over the beekeeping equipment to the women groups, said gender equality was a core Australian value that influenced most of the work they did at the commission. She said her outfit was committed to promoting gender equality and womens economic empowerment, adding that with women being the main actors in Ghanas micro, small and medium enterprise (MSMES) sector, which contributes about 70 per cent of Ghanas Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it was important to support them. Ms Hooper said through the donation, the women would be able to establish honey production businesses not only to support their families, but also contribute towards strengthening Ghanas economic development. Skills training is recognised by the African Union as an important means of enhancing livelihood and improving outcomes for vulnerable communities, she added. Challenges The Team Leader of the Northern Field Office of Children Believe, Tamale, Frieda Bila, mentioned limited access to farmland, entrenched gender roles, inadequate employment opportunities and lack of exposure to modern agricultural methods, among others, as significant barriers to womens empowerment in both commerce and decision-making processes. She added that the impact of climate change had further increased womens vulnerability in rural communities across northern Ghana. Ms Bila said her outfits collaboration with government agencies to provide technical support for bee-keeping and afforestation had been significant. For her part, the Country Director of Children Believe, Esenam Kavi De Souza, expressed appreciation to Australian Aid for their support. Next article: Mahama promises to commission inquiry into deaths related to 2024 Elections Featured Chief Imam calls on John Mahama Kester Aburam Korankye Dec - 13 - 2024 , 06:53 2 minutes read The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, yesterday called on the President-elect, John Mahama, at his private residence in Accra. He congratulated Mr Mahama on his victory in last Saturdays general election, and also wished him Gods protection and guidance in his next administration. The Chief Imam prayed for the nation, citizens and prosperity for all, while calling for peace and unity for the accelerated development of the country. Gratitude Mr Mahama expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Sharubutu, for his consistent visits to him since 2009 when he became the Vice-President. Advertisement He also acknowledged the Chief Imam's presentation of a 14-point Muslim Manifesto, which outlines key proposals for the Muslim community. It includes the establishment of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) schools in Zango communities and the amendment of the intestate succession bill to allow Muslims to determine their inheritance through Islamic ordinances. Mr Mahama emphasised the importance of elections, and expressed gratitude to God for the peaceful outcome of last Saturdays polls. He also assured the Chief Imam that his administration would investigate past election-related violence, including the Ayawaso West Wuogon incident and the 2020 election killings, punish culprits and provide compensation to victims. On the elections outcome, Mr Mahama expressed appreciation to the electorate for the overwhelming endorsement. He said while he had hoped for 150 seats in Parliament, the actual outcome put a burden on his administration to deliver but he gave the assurance that his government would not misuse its majority status. Advice The President-elect further advised the youth to channel their anger into helping build the country, rather than attacking government officials and looting state property. The meetings come at a critical time as Mr Mahama prepares to take office and address the country's economic challenges. It is believed that Mr Mahama's experience in governance, having served as president from 2012 to 2017, would enable him to navigate the complex relationship between Ghana and its international partners. Featured Handover notes ready for next govt Administrator-General Caroline Boateng Dec - 13 - 2024 , 08:02 5 minutes read The Office of the Administrator-General (OAG) has said the handover notes covering the eight-year term of office of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are ready to be presented to the President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, for a smooth transfer of power to the new administration. All notes are ready to be handed over, signed by the various heads of the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), the Administrator-General, Joyce Wereko Ampim-Opoku, told the Daily Graphic. Mrs Ampim-Opoku consequently assured the nation of a smooth and seamless transition from the time the Electoral Commissioner, Jean Mensa, announced the winner of the 2024 election to January 7, 2025, when Mr Mahama would be sworn into office. She said her outfit, providing technical support, had collaborated with the Office of the President to ensure a smooth and seamless transition period and process. Advertisement In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, Mrs Ampim-Opoku, who appeared relaxed about the job on hand, said Ghana had a system of government assets administration and management that works. During the interview, she appeared satisfied with her work over the years, as her staff put the final touches to the packaging of the current handover notes for onward submission to the President-elect. She said the guidelines for the drafting of the handover notes had been reviewed and made better over the years. Guidelines Mrs Ampim-Opoku said the review of the guidelines in drafting the transitional handover notes and the use of the reviewed guidelines in the training of all institutional heads and agencies stipulated under the law, the drafting of the notes, quality assurance and finalisation, had improved the content of the notes and also standardised them across sectors, ministries, departments and agencies. The process started at the beginning of the year, with the OAG working with the Office of the President (Presidential Office Act 1993 (Act 463), to provide the technical and operational support, for getting the notes ready in line with (section 6(1) Presidential Transition Act 2012 (Act 845). It states, The office of the President shall prepare a set of comprehensive handing-over notes covering the term of office, of the President as the executive authority under article 58 of the Constitution. Thus, the 2024 transitional handover notes presented by law to the President-elect, Parliament, Judiciary, the Council of State and the Public Records Archives Administration Department (PRAAD), according to section 7(2) (1) of the Presidential Transition Act 2012 (Act 845), were much enhanced and standardised. She stressed that her office was one of the offices under the governance machinery, charged under Act 845 with the duty of providing technical assistance to all heads under the executive arm of the government to draft the notes. When asked about how the final notes were verified, Mrs Ampim-Opoku said the law had in-built mechanisms to check that. Apart from the guidelines furnished and all the training, administrative business captured in administrative notes in the various MDAs and the MMDAs were confirmatory source documents. Principally, however, the appending of the signatures of the heads of MDAs and MMDAs to the notes committed them to ensure that what was in the notes was what really pertained. And that function of signing the handing over notes as head of an MDA or MMDA cannot be adjudicated, she stressed. Assets On the assets of the government, Mrs Ampim-Opoku said by Sections 9 (B) and 8 (1) of Act 845, the office had an inventory of all assets and vehicles, which it had collated over the years to date. Currently, what the office was doing was updating the list and taking stock as stipulated in the law. Act 845 Section 9(1)(b)(i) states that The Administrator-General (b) shall conduct a stock-taking exercise in the presence of the head of the household, of the official assets in the official residence and in the personal or private residence of the President, Vice-President and each of the ministers, 30 days before the person elected as President assumes office and before the incumbent president leaves office. Officers from the office, she said, were on the field updating what information was in her possession, she added. She said prior to that, her office had written to MDAs and the Office of the President to be furnished with a list of non-political office holders and all persons whose tenures of appointment would end with the current administration for details of any government assets allocated them, including vehicles, residencies or other items such as furnishings of residencies. All that information had also been given and attested to by the chief directors, by they appending their signatures. That is the comfort of what is happening now, Mrs Ampim-Opoku stated. She gave an assurance that her office had worked hard, in collaboration with the Office of the President and all other MMDAs and MDAs, to ensure a smooth and seamless transition from the day of the announcement of the President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, to the day of his swearing-in as President. Context The rancour characterising transition of political power led to civil society organisations championing a Presidential Transition law, which was passed in 2012. It is the first formal law governing transitions, and the Office of the Administrator-General was established thereafter to provide the support for smooth transitions. E-mail: caroline.boateng@graphic.com.gh Featured Immigration vehicle crashes 2 apprentices near Kadjebi Emmanuel Modey Dec - 13 - 2024 , 06:57 2 minutes read Two apprentices, a male and a female, died on the spot when the motorbike on which they were travelling was knocked down by a Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) Toyota Hilux Pickup. The vehicle was being driven by the Menusu Sector Commander of the GIS at Okanta in the Kadjebi District in the Oti Region last Wednesday. The two, Suleman Ibrahim, 20, and Rahiya Mumuni, 21, were returning to their hometown at Menusu where they commute to and from each day to Kadjebi around 7 p.m. when the incident occurred. The Assistant Commissioner, Samuel Owusu Agyeman, was travelling in the opposite direction towards Kadjebi when the incident occurred. Advertisement Irate youth of Okanta set the vehicle ablaze to show their anger but for the timely arrival of the police, the driver, Owusu Agyeman, would have been lynched by the mob. Sulemana Ibrahim, owner of the motorbike, was a mechanic apprentice while Rahiya was a seamstress apprentice. Their deaths have thrown the twin farming communities of Okanta and Menusu into a state of shock since they were both due to complete their apprenticeship by the end of the year. Both Ibrahim and Mumuni have since been buried in line with Islamic religion. The Kadjebi District Police Commander, Frank Nana Asomaning, who confirmed the incident said the GIS Sector Commander was also undergoing treatment at the Mary-Theresa Catholic Hospital at Dodi Papase due to the injuries he sustained from the accident and the attempted lynching.He said investigations into the accident were underway. NDPC, WFP launch food nutrition programme to reduce malnutrition Pacome Emmanuel Damalie Dec - 13 - 2024 , 09:57 2 minutes read The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), has launched the Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN), an initiative aimed at coordinating efforts of the private and business sectors towards reducing malnutrition. Launched in Accra yesterday, the programme would also mobilise businesses to invest in innovative, responsible and sustainable actions and operations. It also sought to create public awareness to attract more members into the network and build momentum for its operationalisation. Ghana has been an active member of the global SUN Movement since 2011, with the NDPC acting as the coordinating institution responsible for the movement in the country. Advertisement This movement consists of stakeholders from sectors such as the government, civil society, businesses, academic and development partners who are collaborating to reduce malnutrition. Planning group As part of the operationalisation process, a Cross-Sectoral Planning Group (CSPG) for food systems and nutrition security was set up as a platform to bring stakeholders together. It consists of networks representing specific groups such as the SUN Development Partner Network, SUN Civil Society Network and the SUN Academic Network. As part of its objectives, the movement aims to support businesses to integrate and improve nutrition within the context of their countrys national nutrition priorities. It also works at improving the practices of businesses, improving relationships among businesses and between businesses and governments to enhance food systems. Private sector The Vice-Chairman of the NDPC, David Quaye Annang, said the private sector was increasingly recognised by public sector actors as a key contributor to both social and economic development. Nutrition offers opportunities for businesses to increase sales and profits in a sustainable way that contributes to both social and economic development, he said. Mr Annang said that the SBN would harness the expertise, reach and market impact of the private sector to improve nutrition for consumers. Commitment For her part, the Country Director of WFP, Aurore Rusiga, expressed commitment to help address the nutritional challenges in collaboration with both the private and the public sectors. She said the organisation would continue to support governments to strengthen social protection and food systems to deliver improved nutrition for the most vulnerable while equipping them to better cope with future shocks. Ms Rusiga, however, said that the governments support in policies, incentives and capacity-building would be instrumental. To other development partners, community-based organisations and other stakeholders, let us continue to provide the technical expertise and resources. As we embark on this journey together, let us remember that nutrition is not just a health issue, she said. Featured Student stabs teacher in the eye - GNAT demands justice for victim Emmanuel Bonney Dec - 13 - 2024 , 08:48 3 minutes read The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has demanded justice for a teacher who was stabbed in the left eye by a loitering student of the Asuoso Senior High School at Offinso in the Ashanti Region. The teacher, Ishmael Famous, is said to have been stabbed in the left eye after he asked the loitering student (name withheld) to enter the classroom. The teacher is said to have lost his eye upon the assault. GNAT has, therefore, called on the police to prosecute the said student, insisting also that the affected teacher deserves a Workmen's Compensation for losing his eye while performing his lawful duty. Advertisement The law demands that if somebody is working in his line of duty, and something happens to him, the law provides that he should be compensated, the General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, told the Daily Graphic. The law gives you what we call the Workmen's Compensation, he added. Anger The GNAT General Secretary, who expressed anger over attempts by some people in the area to drop the case, warned that the failure of duty bearers to take swift action on the matter would compel teachers to withdraw their services when students return from the Christmas break. He said the teacher had lost his left eye completely and that for the rest of his life, he would be using one eye. He asked: Who is going to take care of his medical bills and all those things, who will do that? Mr Musah indicated that the situation was the reason GNAT was imploring the police and the GES to take action on the matter, stressing further that anything short of that would compel the teachers body to decide a drastic next line of action when schools re-open. Mr Musah explained that on November 18, 2024, he received a report that the teacher had been stabbed in the left eye after the teacher had asked the student to enter the classroom. Following the damage caused to the eye, the GNAT General Secretary said the career of the teacher was in danger because Looking at the profession, you need your eyes to work with. So, depending on the part of your body that is affected, if your leg is cut off, there is an amount to be paid. If your hand is cut off, there is an amount. And if it is your eye, if that particular part of your body that is affected is what you are depending upon as a professional, there is an amount of money to be paid to you. Mr Musah charged all to endeavour to support teachers to discharge their duties effectively. Previous article: Names of over 505,000 businesses and companies to be delisted by end of December 2024 Featured Transition team to probe last-minute deals - Payment, recruitment involved Kester Aburam Korankye Dec - 13 - 2024 , 12:55 3 minutes read The joint transition team working on the transfer of power from the government to the incoming administration will set up a committee to probe red flags raised over last-minute recruitment by the outgoing government into various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The committee will be tasked to determine if the recruitment followed laid down procedures and adhered to a fair process. It will also be required to determine if the Ministry of Finance issued financial clearance before those recruitment were made. The committee will further investigate a pending payment of GH240 million to an entity linked to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). Advertisement The Spokesperson for the Transition Team, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that yesterdays meeting sought to institute a committee to probe the issues raised in order to make a determination. Mr Kwakye Ofosu expressed concern about the fiscal implications of the last-minute recruitments, saying the timing of those recruitments would have severe fiscal implications on the incoming government. On the issue of the pending payment of GH240 million to a company linked to ECG, Mr Kwakye Ofosu questioned the timing and scale of the payment, saying there was the need for the incoming government to make such critical financial decisions, citing good governance principles. Good governance requires that the incoming government is given the opportunity to make these decisions. We raised strong objections to these manoeuvres, and requested that they be put on hold, he said. The government side reportedly agreed to this, and Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the team "forcefully insist that this is a dangerous precedent". He also highlighted the need for broader consultations to address these matters, emphasising the incoming administration's responsibility to safeguard the public purse amidst an already fragile economic situation. Background The transition process in Ghana has historically been marked by concerns over last-minute appointments and payments. In 2017, the then incoming administration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo raised concerns over the large number of last-minute appointments made by the outgoing administration. The practice of making last-minute appointments and payments is often seen as a way for outgoing administrations to reward loyalists and secure their interests before leaving office. In Ghana, the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) provides a framework for the management of public finances. The Act requires that all public financial transactions be transparent, accountable and in line with established procedures. To ensure a smooth transition and address concerns over last-minute appointments and payments, the President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, appointed a 10-member transition team to lead the process for a transfer of power to the incoming administration. The team, led by Julius Debrah as Co-Chairperson, is made up of the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey; experienced civil service figure, Dr Callistus Mahama; a former Deputy Chief of Staff under Mr Mahamas former regime, Dr Valerie Sawyer; lecturer and former minister of state, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi; Leader of the NDC caucus in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson; Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga; industrialist and lawyer, Goosie Tanoh, and former Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah. The transition team's primary responsibility is to ensure a seamless transfer of power on January 7, 2025. As part of their mandate, the team will investigate last-minute recruitment and payments made by the outgoing administration. The committee's work will help to ensure that the incoming administration is not burdened with unnecessary financial commitments, and the principles of good governance and transparency are upheld. Next article: Ursula Owusu-Ekufuls vehicle recovered as 17 more arrested in post-election incidents Featured Mahama promises to commission inquiry into deaths related to 2024 Elections GNA Dec - 13 - 2024 , 06:48 1 minute read President-elect John Dramani Mahama has promised Ghanaians that his incoming administration will commission an inquiry into deaths related to election 2024, if outgoing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo fails to do so. The President-elect made this known on Thursday, when Mr Irchad Ramiandrasoa Razaaly, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, paid a courtesy call on him in Accra to congratulate him on his victory in December 7 general election. We will investigate the deaths and so nobody will have the impetus to commit such crimes in future, President-elect Mahama said He reiterated that his administration would investigate the Ayawaso West Wougon violence and that the 2020 election killings would be investigated and appropriate compensation given to the victims and the culprits punished. Advertisement On his part Mr Razaaly, who congratulated President-elect Mahama on his election victory and extended similar congratulatory Vice President-elect Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, for being the first woman to occupy that office. Featured Police begin probe into assault on priests in Oti Region GraphicOnline Dec - 12 - 2024 , 21:51 1 minute read The Ghana Police Service has commenced an investigation into an alleged assault on three missionary Catholic priests near Nkwanta in the Oti Region. The incident reportedly took place on December 11, 2024. According to a Police statement dated December 12, the priests were traveling with officials from the Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly, including the Municipal Engineer, to Chieso to inspect a plot of land. They were using machinery from the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) for land clearing when they were confronted by local youth. The confrontation arose from accusations that the priests were stealing the equipment, leading to a physical assault where one of the priests sustained injuries. The injured priest received treatment at a hospital and was subsequently discharged. The Police have clarified that the priests were treated as victims throughout the investigation and were not detained at any point. Advertisement The Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has personally engaged with the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, Most Rev Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, to assure him of a comprehensive investigation and to pledge full support to the affected priests. Efforts are currently underway by the police to apprehend those responsible for the assault to ensure they face legal consequences. Featured Three Catholic priests assaulted at Nkwanta Emmanuel Modey Dec - 12 - 2024 , 21:11 2 minutes read Three Indian Catholic priests based at Kpassa in the Nkwanta-North District of the Oti Region were brutally beaten by a mob at a fuel station in Nkwanta last Wednesday. The three Catholic priests are Father Robinson Melkis, Father Frank Henry Jacob, and Father Martin George, all belonging to the Capuchin Friars. They have been engaged in missionary activities in the country since 2005. They were beaten to such an extent that Father Frank Henry Jacob lost hearing in one of his ears. He has been referred to Yendi Hospital. Parts of the attack were captured in a video which has been widely circulated on social media. Two other officials of the Nkwanta-South Municipal Assembly who were accompanying them were also assaulted by the mob. They are the Municipal Engineer and the Municipal Town and Country Planning Officer, Samuel Worlanyo Asugbey. Advertisement According to the Vicar-General of the Catholic Diocese of Jasikan, Monsignor Joseph Kofi Nsiah, they had gone to hire a bulldozer from the Nkwanta-South Municipal Assembly to work on a piece of land they were preparing to construct a Formation House project for seminarians at Chaiso in the Nkwanta-South Municipality. They paid an amount of GH9,700 and were accompanied by the two officials to move the equipment to the site at Chaiso. Monsignor Nsiah said they were at a filling station to fuel the equipment when they were attacked by the mob, who accused them of trying to steal the equipment. He said for 30 minutes, they were beaten mercilessly until they were rescued by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service. The mob then reported to the police that the priests were stealing one of the Assembly's road equipment. The Vicar-General stated that upon this report, they were remanded into police custody, and the equipment was impounded. Upon the intervention of the Vicar-General, they have been granted bail pending further investigation. Meanwhile, the leadership of the National Democratic Congress branch of the Nkwanta-South Constituency has rendered an unqualified apology to the three Indian Catholic Priests and the Jasikan Diocese of the Catholic Church today. A release issued at Nkwanta and signed by the NDC Constituency Secretary, Prince Succeed Fiagadzi, said they were deeply appalled and saddened by the attack on the Catholic Priests by some youth around 9 am last Wednesday. They described the act as unacceptable and apologized for the harm, trauma, and distress inflicted on them. Your selfless dedication to serving humanity and preaching the message of love and compassion deserves utmost respect and gratitude, they added. The Police has commenced an investigation into the alleged assault. Featured Nyaho-Tamakloe questions Bawumias decision-making abilities Mohammed Ali Politics Dec - 13 - 2024 , 16:24 2 minutes read Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a founder member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has claimed that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia struggles with decision-making, despite being widely commended for his statesmanship after conceding defeat in the December 2024 elections. Speaking to TV3 on Friday [December 14, 2024], Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe remarked, Bawumia is a disciplined and respectful gentleman, but his major weakness is that he cannot make decisions. Reflecting on his early association with Dr. Bawumias career, he shared details of his role in mentoring the Vice President. When Akufo-Addo decided to run with Bawumia..., he handed him over to me and the late former Vice President Aliu Mahama. We worked closely with him, and while he was a nice gentleman, he struggled to make decisions, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe alleged. Advertisement Contrasting opinions within the NPP Despite these criticisms, Dr. Bawumia has received support from other prominent NPP figures, including former President John Agyekum Kufuor, who has praised Bawumia's leadership qualities and how he has rose through the ranks as a politician. Bawumia has been well-prepared, and I think his preparation makes him unique for the position, President Kufuor stated. Dr. Bawumias political career, which began in 2008 as the NPPs vice-presidential candidate, has seen him transition from being perceived as a technocrat to a resilient political figure. His adaptability and influence within the NPP has earned him recognition from party insiders and political commentators alike. Critique of the 2024 Elections However, it is Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe's suggestion that Bawumia has challenges with decision-making. He said it became evident during the 2024 elections, where he appeared constrained by party structures and external influences. Leadership requires decisiveness, he said. And unfortunately, he didnt demonstrate that ability. Nonetheless, Dr. Bawumias concession after the election has received widespread praise, both locally and internationally, as a mark of political maturity and good leadership. Broader Challenges within the NPP Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe attributed the NPPs defeat at the polls to unresolved internal disputes and the partys controversial primary processes. He emphasised the need for reforms, urging the leadership to reconnect with the grassroots and restructure the party. The NPP needs to understand that the recent election results were a peoples revolution, a clear rejection of the status quo. If we dont rebuild now, we risk losing our relevance, he cautioned. He also commended the Ghanaian electorate for prioritising competence over ethnicity and for demonstrating political maturity. This election showed that Ghanaians are tired of being taken for granted. The political class must wake up, he warned. Featured Ben Ephson 'fingers' voter apathy for his wrong election prediction GraphicOnline Politics Dec - 13 - 2024 , 13:08 2 minutes read Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson, has offered insights into why his prediction for the 2024 general election did not materialise. In a television interview on Joy Prime, Mr. Ephson attributed the discrepancy in his forecast to voter apathy among New Patriotic Party (NPP) members and executives. He explained that apathy, a factor that significantly impacts voter turnout, is difficult to detect in pre-election polling. Over the past 23 years, Ive done eight polls; Ive missed two. Now, on both occasions, like this one, for example, it is difficult to know apathy. If you look at 2020 and 2024, the numbers that the NDC got were about the same. NPPs numbers dropped by about 30 percent, he stated. Advertisement Closer look at the numbers Using the Ashanti Regionan NPP strongholdas an example, Mr. Ephson highlighted a stark decline in voter turnout. The votes that the NPP got in 2020 dropped by over 1.2 million in 2024 in Ashanti alone. So that is the problem with polling. Its difficult to indicate apathy. It was the same thing in 2016, he noted. Historical comparisons Mr. Ephson also drew a parallel with the 2016 United States presidential election, where Hillary Clinton, the Democrat candidate, lost to Donald Trump despite widespread predictions to the contrary. When she [Hillary Clinton] was campaigning with Obama for a Democrat slot, she took potshots at the Blacks. So when she became a Democrat candidate, they refused to turn out. So thats one of the problems with polling. You cannot indicate apathy that people will not turn out, he explained. Reflecting on the NPPs performance, he reiterated that voter apathy was the deciding factor. If the remaining 30% of the NPP turned out to cast their ballots for the party, Dr. Bawumia would have emerged victorious because he thinks the NDC victory numbers were similar to the previous elections, Mr. Ephson concluded. The failure of the 2024 prediction underscores the complexities of polling and the challenges in capturing variables like voter apathy. For Mr Ephson, the lessons from this election add another layer of nuance to his career in political analysis. Featured Elections are won at polling stations, not police training schools Asiedu Nketia Mohammed Ali Politics Dec - 13 - 2024 , 13:35 2 minutes read The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has criticised the ongoing activities at the Tesano Police Training School, where the Electoral Commission (EC) is collating results from disputed constituencies. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, [December 13, 2024], Mr Nketia described the process as illegal and inconsistent with Ghanas electoral laws. We in the NDC believe that what is happening at the police training school amounts to illegality. It is not founded on any electoral law, nor is it based on any consensus reached by the parties and the Electoral Commission, he stated. NDCs position on electoral law Advertisement Mr Nketia emphasised that Ghanas electoral framework is clear: elections are won or lost at polling stations. He pointed out that the law mandates presiding officers at polling stations to declare results in the presence of party agents, after which they are signed and shared with all stakeholders. He described the Tesano process as a breach of this protocol and accused the EC of acting without consultation. The law requires that results are declared at polling stations and verified at constituency collation centres. This ensures transparency and accountability. What is happening at Tesano undermines these safeguards, he asserted. Allegations of collusion The NDC chairman alleged that the EC, in collaboration with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), attempted to manipulate the election results through the process at Tesano. According to him, the EC had misinformed the police that all political parties had agreed to the process, a claim he categorically denied. We were not consulted on this so-called collation process at Tesano. We have instructed our officials not to participate in this illegality, Mr Nketia said, warning that those involved could face legal consequences in the future. Legal Action and Broader Implications The NDC has filed an injunction to halt the activities at the Tesano Police Training School, warning that any Electoral Commission officials or police personnel involved could face legal repercussions. Mr Nketia called on the EC to adhere strictly to the established legal framework for elections to maintain public trust and the integrity of the process. He further urged Ghanaians to remain vigilant, stating, We are putting the EC and all other people involved in this illegality on notice that their actions could have serious consequences in the future. Our electoral system must be safeguarded, and we will ensure it is cleaned of such practices. Featured VIDEO: NPP foresaw Mahama's victory but... - Nana Akomea GraphicOnline Politics Dec - 13 - 2024 , 16:22 2 minutes read Nana Akomea, a key member of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's campaign team for the 2024 elections, has revealed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was cognizant of the election's outcome months before the polls. According to Nana Akomea, internal research conducted by the NPP in February 2024 clearly showed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, John Dramani Mahama, was leading by ten points. During an appearance on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV, he explained the fluctuations in the polls, noting, In February, March, they [NDC] were leading with about 10 percentage points, which is quite alarming. But by September, October, it had come down to about 2. And so we were very confident. It was a new momentum so we knew that there was going to be a lot of apathy, a lot of disgruntlement among our supporters. Despite the closing gap, which had instilled some hope, the final tally was a stark reminder of earlier predictions. Advertisement Mr. Akomea expressed the need for an investigation into the voter turnout, stating, "Anything else would just be a projection and so on. So we knew that the monthly poll showed us clearly [Mahama's victory], and for a massive 2 million people to stay away, it's really massive and we have to find out why." The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson officially declared the results on December 9, 2024, confirming John Dramani Mahama as the winner with 6,328,397 votes, representing 56.55 percent of the vote. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia came in second, securing 4,657,304 votes or 41.61 percent of the total votes cast. The significant voter turnout disparity and the margin of victory have left the NPP seeking answers to understand the electorate's sentiments and address the factors contributing to their defeat. Watch the video below; Featured NPP's Ernest Kumi declared MP-elect for Akwatia, NDC disputes outcome GraphicOnline Politics Dec - 12 - 2024 , 16:30 2 minutes read After days of suspense and contention, the Electoral Commission (EC) has officially declared Ernest Kumi of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the Member of Parliament-elect for Akwatia in the Eastern Region. The announcement was made at the National Police Training School in Tesano, Accra. Mr. Kumi, who secured 19,269 votes, outran Henry Yiadom Boakye of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who managed 17,206 votes. The declaration came after several failed attempts to finalize the election results in Akwatia, a constituency known for its political volatility. The electoral journey in Akwatia was far from straightforward. Initially, the EC faced significant challenges in collating the votes within the Eastern Region, leading to the unprecedented decision to relocate the final collation to Accra. This move was in response to escalating tensions and accusations of electoral misconduct. Advertisement Mr. Kumi, who had previously triumphed in the NPP's internal primaries in 2023 over Ama Sey, was seen as a rising star within the party. His path to victory in the general election, however, was mired by controversies that included allegations of irregularities and logistical nightmares during the vote count. The relocation to the National Police Training School was aimed at ensuring a neutral ground for finalizing the results, with both NPP and NDC representatives present. This step, while intended to promote transparency and security, sparked a divide in public opinion. NDC supporters criticized the EC's decision, claiming it disenfranchised local voices and cast doubts on the integrity of the election. Conversely, the NPP praised the EC for its proactive approach in resolving the impasse. The constituencies of Suhum, Nsawam, and Fanteakwa North also had their results re-collated in Accra due to similar disputes, highlighting a broader issue within the Eastern Region's electoral process this cycle. Meanhwhile, the NDC says the party will not accept the declaration. Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, a member of the party in an interview said the party will not accept the declaration of Mr. Kumi as the MP-elect for the Akwatia constituency in the Eastern Region. They dont have a pink sheet at all; they have photocopies of what is considered the pink sheet, he said in an interview with Joy News. Previous article: This is not the outcome we envisaged - NAPO writes in first public comments after elections Featured Parliament has affected my mental, physical health, I'll now mentor young aspirants - Andy Appiah-Kubi, defeated Asante Akim North NPP MP Enoch Darfah Frimpong and Mohammed Ali Politics Dec - 12 - 2024 , 18:40 4 minutes read The incumbent Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi who was unsuccessful in a re-election bid on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has decided to step away from partisan politics and declared his intention not to seek re-election in the future. His explanation is that Parliament has taken a toll on his mental and physical health, and therefore, he was stepping away to concentrate on a better mental and physical health for himself and consider concentrating on mentoring young aspirants for leadership roles. He made this known in an interview with Accra based Joy News on Dec 11, 2024 after an Agogo 'homeboy' independent candidate, Ohene Kwame Frimpong defeated him in last Saturday's Asante Akim North parliamentary election. Frimpong, a businessman and media owner, triumphed with a wider margin of 26,926 votes, against Appiah-Kubi's 8,933 votes. Advertisement NPP's stronghold The Asante Akim North area is a strong hold of the NPP and the party has held that seat since the 1996 parliamentary election. The situation has been that, same as many other constituencies in the Ashanti Region, once a candidate wins the internal NPP election, the general election was a mere formality for that candidate to win. In 1992, the NPP did not participate in the parliamentary elections in Ghana as a whole due to a boycott and therefore did not present candidates and so, Collins Agyarko Nti, on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won and represented the constituents. From 1996 to 2008, the late Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, a former Local Government Minister who later became Finance Minister in President John Kufuor's era held the Asante Akim North seat with Agogo and Konongo as the main two towns serving as the base for the area. When Kwadwo Baah Wiredu left the scene in 2008 due to sudden death, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi defeated Andy Appiah Kubi to take over on the ticket of the NPP. Andy had issues with qualification due to internal party wranglings. In 2012, a new constituency, Asante Akim Central with Konongo as the base was carved out of the Asante Akim North constituency with Agogo as the base and the incumbent Kwame Anyimadu Antwi moved to the new Asante Akim Central constituency. This paved the way for a new entrant, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang who defeated Andy Appiah Kubi in 2012 and went to parliament on the ticket of the NPP. In 2016 however, Andy Appiah Kubi came out strong and was able to defeat Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, got to Parliament and went ahead to win his second term in 2020. In 2024, even though he secured the NPP's ticket, a new independent entrant, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, an Agogo 'homeboy' and a business man shocked Andy Appiah Akubi and snatched the seat from the grip of the NPP with a wide margin. Stepping away Speaking to Joy News in the interview monitored by Graphic Online, Andy Appiah Kubi cited the importance of prioritising his well-being as the main reason for deciding to step away after his current term ends on January 6, 2025. He indicated that his time in Parliament had severely affected his health and said the mental and physical strain of parliamentary life had become too much. It has taken a toll on my mental and physical health. The pressures of parliamentary life are immense, and I need to focus on recovering and finding peace, he shared. Reflecting on his political journey, Appiah-Kubi said the election results gave him a clear signal that it was time for a change. Although he had served the New Patriotic Party (NPP) faithfully, he felt his role in active politics had come to an end. Mr Frimpong, who is also known as the owner of Salt FM, a popular local radio station, will now take on the responsibility of representing the constituents of Asante Akim North. While stepping away from parliamentary politics, Appiah-Kubi said he is eager to continue serving the community in a different capacity. He expressed a strong desire to mentor young politicians and individuals interested in leadership roles. He made it clear that his departure from Parliament does not signify an end to his commitment to public service. I now want to focus on mentoring the next generation of leaders who can serve with integrity and dedication, he said. He emphasised the importance of helping them navigate the complexities of public service, while also encouraging a better work-life balance, something he admitted was difficult to maintain during his time in Parliament. Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh Follow @enochfrimpong Follow @Graphicgh Featured This is not the outcome we envisaged - NAPO writes in first public comments after elections GraphicOnline Politics Dec - 12 - 2024 , 20:54 2 minutes read In his first public comments since the election results were declared on Monday, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Vice Presidential candidate and running mate to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has issued a statement acknowledging the outcome of the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. "The 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections resulted in a victory for the National Democratic Congress (NDC). This was not the outcome we, in the NPP, envisaged; but we respect the verdict of the Ghanaian people. To Ghanaians, we have heard you clearly and with humility we accept. We will work with you to get it right," Dr. Prempeh stated, reflecting on the NDC's victory with John Mahama garnering 56.6 percent of the vote against Dr. Bawumia. Expressing gratitude for his journey into politics, Dr. Prempeh alias NAPO noted, "I am grateful to the Lord Almighty, the giver of life, for bringing me this far and for the honour of this opportunity given me to serve my Party and Ghana." He also spoke of the discussions he's had with the NPP's flag bearer, saying, "I have had extensive discussions with our flag bearer. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to reflect on the outcome of the elections and, in good time, we shall reflect further as a political party on the causes of our 2024 election loss." Advertisement Dr. Prempeh extended his thanks to those who supported his candidacy, stating, "I am grateful to HE, the Vice-President for nominating me as his running mate, and to the NPP leadership for the overwhelming support I received. I thank the Party faithfuls, my team, family, friends and countless others for their confidence reposed in the ticket and for this enterprise." Looking forward, he expressed confidence in the party's future, "I believe in the NPP's values, ideals and traditions. As we go into a period of honest introspection and reflection on this electoral verdict, I am confident that we will emerge stronger, and bounce back to win the trust, confidence, support and affection of Ghanaians. May God bless Ghana and the NPP, and make us all resilient and strong. Thank you." Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh's statement signals the beginning of a period of reflection and regrouping for the NPP following their defeat in the 2024 elections. Green River Police Department reports for Dec. 3 At 5:14 a.m., officers responded to a report of an accident. At 9:28 a.m., officers responded to a report of threats/harassment. At 2:07 p.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. At 3:54 p.m., officers responded to a report of an accident. At 8:35 p.m., officers responded to a report of a traffic hazard. At 8:38 p.m., officers responded to a report of a traffic hazard. Dec. 4 At 10:29 a.m., officers responded to a report of a juvenile in possession of tobacco. Officers issued the juvenile a citation for alleged use/possession of tobacco by minor and completed a report of the incident. At 11:42 a.m., officers responded to a report of a disturbance. At 12:29 p.m., officers responded to a report of a tobacco offense. At 1:14 p.m., officers responded to a report of property damage. At 1:16 p.m., officers responded to a report of threats/harassment. At 1:39 p.m., officers responded to a report of a disturbance. Officers met with involved parties and found one to have an arrest and hold order. Officers placed Searra Gentry under arrest per the order. Gentry was transported to the Sweetwater County Detention Center and officers completed a report of the incident. At 3:03 p.m., officers responded to a report of threats/harassment. At 5:45 p.m., officers responded to a report of an animal bite. At 5:54 p.m., officers responded to Probation and Parole for an individual with a warrant. Officers placed Robert Dunn under arrest per the warrant, transported him to the Sweetwater County Detention Center, and completed a report of the incident. At 7:30 p.m., officers responded to Probation and Parole for an individual with a warrant. Officers placed Joshua Bowling under arrest per the warrant, transported him to the Sweetwater County Detention Center, and completed a report of the incident. Dec. 5 At 12:40 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued the driver, Sean Elmer, a citation for alleged expired temporary license permit/improper registration. Officers also issued a warning for an alleged stop sign violation. At 3:46 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued a warning for an alleged stop sign violation. At 6:18 a.m., officers responded to a report of an alcohol offense. At 12:51 p.m., officers responded to a report of a tobacco offense. At 2:15 p.m., officers responded to a report of a scam. At 5:50 p.m., officers responded to a report of an accident. Dec. 6 At 2:01 p.m., officers responded to a report of a possible drunk driver. Officers located the reported vehicle and determined the driver to be under the influence. The driver, Elijah Issac, was placed under arrest for alleged DWUI of alcohol .08 or greater 2nd offense and DWUS. Issac was transported to the Sweetwater County Detention Center where he was issued citations, and officers completed a report of the incident. At 4:35 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued a warning for alleged improper lane usage. At 5:21 p.m., officers responded to a report of a traffic offense. At 7:48 p.m., officers responded to a report of a disturbance. At 10:10 p.m., officers responded to a report of an accident. Dec. 7 At 12:08 a.m., officers responded to a report of a disturbance. At 12:34 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued the driver, Melanie Johnson, a citation for an alleged valid certificate of title, certificate of registration, and license plates required violation. At 12:51 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued warnings for an alleged obedience to traffic-control device violation and improper turn - traffic control device. At 2:10 a.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. At 8:24 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued the driver, Richard Sager, citations for an alleged valid certificate of title, certificate of registration, and license plates required violation and a valid driver's license violation. At 9:05 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued a warning for an alleged headlights - one on each side violation. At 11:16 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued warnings for an alleged stop sign violation and turn signals required violation. At 11:31 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued warnings for alleged speeding and a headlights - one on each side violation. Dec. 8 At 12:01 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued a warning for an alleged turn signals required violation. At 3:08 a.m., officers responded to a report of an animal bite. At 4:18 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued a warning for an alleged required color of reflectors, clearance violation. At 7:22 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued a warning for alleged failure to maintain license plate free of foreign material and clearly legible. At 7:32 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued a warning for alleged speed. At 8:01 p.m., officers responded to a report of an individual with an active warrant. Officers located the individual, Thomas Greenland, and placed him under arrest per the warrant. Greenland was transported to the Sweetwater County Detention Center and officers completed a report of the incident. At 8:38 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued warnings for alleged speeding and driver's license not in possession. At 9:24 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and after investigation determined the driver to be under the influence. Officers placed the driver, Tyson Zilth, under arrest for alleged speeding - vehicle superintendent's speed zone (6+ mph over), compulsory auto insurance violation - 1st offense, drive vehicle within single lane violation, drive while license suspended - 2nd+ offense, and DUI: alcohol - incapable of safely driving - 4th+ offense within 10 years. Officers transported Zilth to the Sweetwater County Detention Center, where he was issued citations, and officers completed a report of the incident. Dec. 9 At 9:03 a.m., officers responded to a report of a juvenile in possession of tobacco. Officers met with the juvenile, issued them a citation for alleged use/possession of tobacco by minor, and completed a report of the incident. At 1:42 p.m., officers responded to a report of threats/harassment. At 2:26 p.m., officers responded to a report of a disturbance. At 3:19 p.m., officers responded to a two-vehicle collision. Officers met with both drivers and determined vehicle two had rear ended vehicle one. Officers issued the driver of vehicle two, a juvenile, a citation for alleged inattentive driving with crash and completed a report of the incident. At 8:37 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued a warning for an alleged headlights - one on each side violation. At 8:48 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and issued the driver, Kristy Willis, citations for an alleged valid certificate of title, certificate of registration, and license plates required violation and compulsory auto insurance violation - 2nd+ offense. The staff at Washington Elementary is always working to do the best for the students, including using the BEST Program. During Tuesday's Sweetwater County School District No. 2 Board meeting, staff members from Washington Elementary School gave a presentation about the school's BEST program, which has been used at Washington Elementary for the past 15 years. BEST, which stands for Behavior, Expectations and Skills Training, was described by Principal Anne Marie Covey as a program relying on research-based practices to provide successful education services to students identified as having signi... A judge has ordered federal wildlife officials to decide by Jan. 20 whether Yellowstone-area grizzly bears should be delisted from the Endangered Species Act. The order, issued by U.S. District Court of Wyoming Judge Alan Johnson, could speed up a potential handover of authority to Wyoming, Idaho and Montana - opening the door for grizzly bear hunting. Johnson issued the decision Friday in response to a Wyoming petition that sought to compel the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to honor a missed one-year deadline to determine if the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem system's isolated grizzly bear population still warrant "threatened" status. If the agency meets the new 45-day deadline its decision will have taken about three times as long as originally scheduled - with a court-ordered determination due just as the second Trump administration begins. "[T]he Court finds it proper to require FWS to issue its 12-month finding within 45 days of this Order," Johnson wrote in a legal filing. "To be sure, this deadline will allow FWS to take its mandatory action nearly two years after it was initially due, as well as within a mere few weeks of the schedule it already indicated it could meet on its own." The federal wildlife agency was already operating under a self-imposed administrative deadline of Jan. 31, 2025 - but only after blowing a July deadline, much to the ire of Wyoming officials. The 45-day deadline, the judge wrote, will "prevent the Service from again failing to meet its own internal schedule." Gov. Mark Gordon applauded Johnson's ruling in a statement his office released Friday. "With the bear recovered, it is long past time for GYE grizzly bear management to be entrusted to the states," Gordon said. "The USFWS can no longer stand unresponsive to our petition to move forward with the delisting process." In early 2023, the Fish and Wildlife Service initially responded favorably to Wyoming's petition seeking a third attempt at delisting Yellowstone-region grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act. Under the act, Ursus arctos horribilis has been managed as "threatened" since 1975. The Greater Yellowstone area's grizzly population has long achieved recovery goals, and the species' resurgence is considered a conservation success. Numbers in the core of the ecosystem where managers count grizzlies have more than tripled over the last four decades, reaching nearly 1,000 animals, according to the most recent population estimate. But both times the bruins have previously been delisted - twice in the last 17 years, most recently in 2017- lawsuits from environmental advocacy groups successfully overturned the decisions. Although the Fish and Wildlife Service is now staring down a fast-approaching deadline, a long administrative process including a proposed rule, final rule and multiple periods of public input will have preceded any potential shift of grizzly bear jurisdiction from the federal government to the Northern Rocky states. If the states do gain control, it's all but assured that they will pursue the first grizzly bear hunting seasons in the Lower 48 in a half-century. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. Wyomings largest electricity provider, Rocky Mountain Power, has agreed to trim a temporary rate hike for its 144,000 customers. The decision follows pressure from the Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate and Wyoming Industrial Energy Consumers a powerful rate-scrutinizing group that accounts for about 70% of the companys electrical power consumption in the state. The Wyoming Public Service Commission on Monday approved a settlement agreement between the parties that finalizes an $80.6 million increase about 7% less than Rocky Mountain Powers original request of $86.4 million. The initial figure of $86.4 million was in error, company officials later admitted, and was adjusted downward. It was not the companys first error in favor of itself when pumping its Wyoming customers for higher rates. Nor is it the first rate hike customers have had to pay recently. All told, the increase designed to offset unanticipated spikes in variable fuel costs and approved by Wyoming authorities this month inflates the average Wyoming Rocky Mountain Power customers monthly bill by about $11.95, according to utility spokesman David Eskelsen. The company also agreed to rate-trimming compromises regarding expenses the utility incurred due to alleged missteps that resulted in downtime at some of its electrical generation facilities, according to the settlement. The rate increase is part of an annual true-up to account for the difference between what the utility estimated it would pay for fuel costs and power purchases during the previous year and its actual costs. The temporary rate hike first showed up in customer bills in July, will be adjusted to reflect the lowered amount and expire at the end of June. The increase is just one in a series of ongoing price hikes by the company, which it says are merely pass-on costs for an increasingly expensive electric utility industry. In August, Rocky Mountain Power submitted a separate proposal to tap its Wyoming customers for a permanent 14.7% rate hike. That proposal is also being contested by the consumer advocate and industrial power consumer group, and will be considered by the Wyoming Public Service Commission in March. Whats driving the recent rate hike? In recent years, Rocky Mountain Power has pointed to volatile natural gas and coal prices, as well as swings in prices for electrical power it purchases on the open market, to justify upward ECAM adjustments. Extreme cold and heat events and global geopolitics can spike commodity prices. The current ECAM adjustment, according to Rocky Mountain Power, was driven by several factors in 2023. Declining U.S. coal production, along with increased U.S. coal exports to Europe due to the war in Ukraine, forced the utility to rely more on natural gas-fueled power generation and power market purchases, company officials said. It also had to pay top dollar to replenish coal stockpiles at its coal-fired power plants. While its impossible to predict what winter or national and global markets, for that matter will deliver in coming months, U.S. stockpiles for both natural gas and coal are flush right now, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That may bode well for customers monthly power bills in the coming year, industry officials say. The nations natural gas inventory is at its highest since 2016, according to the agency, while coal stockpiles this fall were at a four-year high. Despite those forecasts, the fuel commodity markets that drive major expenses for utilities are simply becoming more expensive and unpredictable. One factor is declining U.S. coal production. In some cases, [coal companies] are calling force majeure on current contracts, forcing negotiations and higher prices so there are real struggles in the coal market, Office of Consumer Advocate Administrator Anthony Ornelas told WyoFile. The shrinking availability for coal leaves the market prone to disruptions and sometimes forces utilities to turn to the short-term electric power purchase market at times when fierce competition drives prices higher. These types of changing market realities factored in the decision to convert two of four coal-burning units at the Jim Bridger power plant near Rock Springs to natural gas this year, according to the company. The company will no longer be dealing with certain coal costs for those units, which include not only the cost of the fuel itself, but also costs of certain emission controls, which are less with natural gas fuel, utility spokesman Eskelsen told WyoFile. Rocky Mountain Power under pressure The hike, although temporary, is the latest in a series of historic rate increases by the monopoly utility that has stressed Wyoming residents and businesses for vital electrical service. Last year, Rocky Mountain Power a division of billionaire Warren Buffets western utility giant PacifiCorp proposed a 29.2% rate hike for its Wyoming customers. State authorities whittled the request to 5.5% and chastised company officials for errors made in the companys favor, and for failing to conduct informational meetings with its customers regarding the increase. PacifiCorp serves customers in six western states, including Wyoming, Utah and Idaho under its Rocky Mountain Power division. Lawmakers in Utah have asked the company to consider a reorganization due to pro-coal policies in the Rocky Mountain region versus West Coast states that prefer renewable energy. Fuel cost adjustments Many regulated utilities are allowed to balance their estimated-versus-actual costs for fuel commodities primarily natural gas and coal to operate power plants as well as power purchases from the previous year. Its referred to as a fuel cost adjustment or, in regulatory terms, an energy cost adjustment mechanism commonly expressed as ECAM. The annual adjustment can result in a temporary rebate or extra charge to customers, typically spread out over a year. Whether its a rebate or an increase, the ECAM splits the fuel cost adjustment 80/20 between customers and the utility. In 2023, electric utility interests proposed a cost share of 100/0, which Wyoming lawmakers rejected. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. 5/5/2009 - 12/6/24 Aimee Nicole Robb was born May 5, 2009 to parents Jaron and Jennifer Robb. She passed away unexpectedly on December 6 at the age of 15 in Farson, Wyoming. Aimee was courageous, incredibly smart, and above all, kind to everyone. From a young age, Aimee loved learning and was always the top of her class. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty or get involved with anything she could. Aimee attended Lincoln Middle School before being enrolled at Farson-Eden Middle/High School. She was also a student at the Oklahoma Horseshoeing School. She would often joke how she was going to complete trade school before graduating high school. Aimee made friends everywhere she went with her endless curiosity and open-heartedness. She was inclusive to students of all ages, and could be found talking to someone new at every turn. Aimee's drive to learn opened the door to being involved with the Farson-Eden Choir Council, where she sang and played flute. Outside of school she loved crafting or building with the people around her. Her biggest hobby would be crocheting blankets or other gifts for her friends and family. On top of crocheting, Aimee was beginning to dive deeper into stained glass. Above all else, Aimee loved being outdoors. Fishing, camping, and hunting were all adventures that Aimee could not wait to participate in each year. If she was not riding her four wheeler, she loved woodworking. Her favorite time of year was the beginning of August when huckleberries were ripe for picking. She was a true huckleberry picking machine, usually out-picking everyone that participated! It was Aimee's childhood dream to have a horse. When Aimee turned twelve her dreams came true with her best friend, Skip. Her love for Skip grew into all of her current passions. Aimee attended the internationally renowned Oklahoma Horseshoeing School, where she completed the first part of her education in the top of her class. She used her education to help friends in the Farson-Eden valley as soon as she returned from Oklahoma, and her commitment to the community began to blossom. Aimee was a friend to all walks of life, from horses and chickens, to dogs and donkeys. Her appreciation for living beings was never in short supply. She would never hesitate to help out anyone in need, friend or not, and could be found spending her spare time learning the tricks of the trade at the Griffin Ranch. Aimee wanted to pursue a degree in Agricultural Business and use her education to help manage a ranch. Survivors include her parents Jaron and Jennifer Robb of Farson, Wyoming; sisters Alicia Corazza of Rock Springs, Wyoming and Ashlie Gold of Stillwater, Oklahoma; grandparents Scott and Aleta Robb of Green River, Wyoming, Ron and Jeree Foote of Lander, Wyoming, and Debra Bittle of Rock Springs, Wyoming; and great-grandmother Cheryl Rowe of Cheyenne, Wyoming. She was preceded in death by her Grandpa Gale Konop and Uncle Jeremiah Konop. A family viewing will be held Friday, December 13 at Fox Funeral Home. A celebration of life will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday, December 14 at the Eden Valley Community Center, 4039 US-191 in Farson. Condolences for the family can be left at http://www.foxfh.com. In presentations throughout the day for over 100 students attending the Green River High School's Wyoming History class, mountain men and the fur trade were the topics of a recent Sweetwater County Historical Museum program. Aidan Brady, the museum's Public Engagement Coordinator, highlighted the importance of the mountain man and fur trade era in Wyoming and Sweetwater County history. Every year, from 1825 to 1840, at different locations in Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho, mountain men, trappers, and Native Americans gathered at rendezvous to sell their beaver pelts, trade for supplies, and celebrate. The first rendezvous, in 1825, was staged on Henry's Fork, three miles northeast of Burntfork and about 40 miles southwest of Green River in what is now Sweetwater County. The most famous mountain men included Kit Carson, John Colter, Jim Beckwourth, Jedediah Smith, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Joseph Walker, and Jim Bridger, who established the trading post named for him in what became Uinta County, Wyoming, in 1843, now a Wyoming state historic site. Bridger was among the greatest of American frontiersman, and at least a dozen major landmarks in the west now bear his name. Educators, parents, and parent-teacher groups who are interested in learning more about museum programs for students Grades K - 12 are encouraged to contact Brady at (307) 872-6435 or via email at bradya@sweetwatercountywy.gov. Samsung hasn't even announced the Galaxy S25 family yet and here we are already talking about the Galaxy S26 series, due to be released most likely in January of 2026. Still, a new rumor from a tipster over on X claims that Samsung aims to "significantly" equip the S26 line with Exynos chips. This follows a rumored failure to do so for the S25 models due to yield issues for the Exynos 2500 that was supposed to power them in most markets. Thus, rumor has it the S25 line will go with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite if not everywhere, then almost everywhere, while the Exynos 2500, which finally got its yields fixed in the past few days, will be pushed to the Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Flip FE instead. Clearly, Samsung hopes the (presumed) Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy S26 generation won't encounter the same production issues as its predecessor and will thus help reduce the company's reliance on Qualcomm at the high-end. Of course, do please heed the usual advice - this is but an unconfirmed rumor at this point, so it could be wholly made up. It does make sense from a business perspective for Samsung, though, so there's that. Previous S26-related rumors claimed the vanilla model may get axed, the S26 Ultra might be called S26 Note, and the S26+ could be named S26 Pro. Source Today, vivo announced the expansion of its X200 series to Western markets. Both the X200 Pro and X200 are coming west. However, vivo has yet to name either model's global price and availability. Vivo did launch both in India yesterday, prices in tow. The X200 comes in two configurations - 12/256GB and 16/512GB, starting from INR 65,999 ($780/740), while the X200 Pro's 16/512GB is INR 94,999 ($1,120/1,065). The vivo X200 Pro mini is sadly staying a China exclusive (vivo reportedly has no plans to launch even the next generation's mini globally), and the same is likely of the upcoming X200 Ultra. The X200 Pro The vivo X200 Pro has an impressive camera system with a 50MP 1/1.28" main camera, an even more impressive 200MP 1/1.4" 85mm zoom camera, and a 50MP 1/2.76" ultrawide. The X200 has less impressive main - 50MP 1/1.56" - and 70mm zoom - 50MP 1/1.95" - cameras and the same ultrawide and selfie. Battery-wise, the X200 Pro packs a 6,000mAh unit, while the X200 has a 5,800mAh one. The vivo X200 Pro and X200 are available in five colors - Titanium, Black, Green, White, and Blue. We'll keep you posted if a price and date become available. vivo X200 Pro vivo X200 You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close A class action lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of Guam on Thursday against Department of Corrections Director Fred Bordallo Jr., alleging decades of neglect and inhumane conditions within Guams correctional facilities. The legal action was filed by Sen. Thomas Fisher, who is also an active attorney, on behalf of Jessee Leon Guerrero, a pretrial detainee who was indicted for possession of a Schedule II-controlled substance for delivery and possession of a fireman without valid identification. Fisher said he is asking the court to name all pretrial detainees at DOC who are subject to the same conditions as Leon Guerrero as members of the class. The lawsuit alleges overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and a lack of basic necessities, all in violation of the 8th Amendment of the Constitution which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Fisher said conditions at the adult correctional facility in Mangilao are deplorable, theyre just absolutely horrifying. He said detainees have not been convicted of crimes, yet they endure overcrowded cells, no mattresses, and limited access to hygiene products. Fisher said DOC officers and detainees have described the conditions as unfit even for animals, with severe risks of violence, disease, and abuse. What were attacking is the conditions up there. How those conditions get changed is up to the government of Guam. Its not on (the plaintiffs) to figure out a solution, Fisher said. According to the lawsuit, Leon Guerrero is staying in a cell that is designed to accommodate two inmates or detainees but is confined with five other men. This gives each man eight square feet in which to live. In other words, six adult males live together in a 48 square foot space for 23 hours each day without privacy of any sort and without any air conditioning, the lawsuit states. Leon Guerrero is not provided a mattress, rather he sleeps on the same concrete floor which all detainees walk, and the floor is regularly splashed with urine as the men use the restroom, documents state. No soap or cleaning solution is provided, and they shower, if at all, in water alone, the lawsuit states. In addition to certifying the class, Fisher has asked the court to issue an order declaring the actions of DOC in violation of the Organic Act of Guam, and an order to halt DOC from continuing to engage in the illegal practices. Because its a writ of habeas corpus, this is considered an emergency petition ... as the theory is they are holding a citizen illegally, Fisher said. Fisher said he expects that if the court grants the writ, it will instruct the Department of Corrections to bring my client before the court and there the government of Guam is going to have to justify why hes being treated the way he is. Bordallo has said recently that one option to relieve severe overcrowding is to release as many as 250 pretrial detainees. The lawsuit also comes on the heels of a discussion this week by senators during legislative session of a bill to appropriate $1 million for urgent repairs at the Mangilao prison. But Fisher said the Legislature is incapable of resolving the situation, so Im going to the courts. Hes calling for immediate reforms, including alternative measures for non-violent offenders to ease overcrowding and ensure humane treatment for all detainees. But Fisher said the ultimate resolution has to be to build a new prison. "Its well beyond its lifespan, its got to go. And we have to pay for it. Thats just the way it is," he said. You cant say well were gonna go ahead and violate your constitutional rights because we dont have enough money in our purse to fix it." Sahuma Minagahet OPINION Bevacqua: Learn more about efforts to bring our ancestors home at 'Waves of Return' Haiti - Politic : PM's measures to combat insecurity On Thursday, December 12, 2024, during a press briefing at his Official Residence, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, also President of the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN) of Haiti, unveiled a series of measures to combat insecurity. Recognizing the seriousness of the security crisis, the Prime Minister immediately expressed his deep sympathies to the families of the victims of the recent massacres, particularly in Wharf-Jeremie https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43812-haiti-flash-nearly-200-people-massacred-in-cite-soleil-provisional-report.html , Petite Riviere de lArtibonite https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43828-haiti-flash-bloody-reprisals-by-the-gran-grif-gang-in-petite-riviere.html and in other localities in the metropolitan region, before making public his clear and unequivocal instructions addressed to Me Patrick Pelissier, Minister of Justice and Public Security, in order to pursue and severely punish the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Concrete measures to strengthen security: Technical and financial reinforcement of the security forces, including the National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti, in order to extend their operational capacity throughout the national territory; Immediate doubling of the fees of the police officers' prepaid card, in recognition of their commitment on the ground; 50% increase in the allowances of civilian employees of the PNH, to support and motivate their essential work, declared the Head of Government. Call for collective mobilization : The Head of Government recalled the importance of close collaboration between the police and the population "The National Police, the Armed Forces and the Government must imperatively play their role, but this also requires constant support from the population to overcome insecurity." Humanitarian assistance and commitment to the future : As part of the social measures, the Prime Minister committed to providing humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons and deportees from the Dominican Republic and other countries. Priority projects : Reiterating his determination to restore security and justice in the country, the Prime Minister also recalled the importance of working on priority projects such as: Economic recovery; Constitutional reform; The organization of the next elections. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43828-haiti-flash-bloody-reprisals-by-the-gran-grif-gang-in-petite-riviere.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43812-haiti-flash-nearly-200-people-massacred-in-cite-soleil-provisional-report.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : Jacmel prepares to receive the President of Colombia A delegation led by Patrick Delatour, Minister of Culture, visited Jacmel last week, the historic city where Simon Bolivar met Alexandre Petion, to prepare for the official visit of the Colombian Head of State in early January 2025. During its preparatory visit, the delegation composed of Jacques Ambroise, Spokesperson for the Presidency; Ronald Blein, Advisor to the Presidency; Yves Kercaint, Consultant to the Presidency; Pierre Guiniard, Technical Director at the Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities (MICT) and Raymond Hygien, Director General of Public Works, focused on the logistical preparations needed to welcome President Gustavo Petro. An assessment of immediate needs was carried out, including cleaning and sanitation work in the city. Local and national authorities agree to make this meeting a memorable moment, both diplomatically and culturally, that will revitalize the image of Jacmel and revive our ambitions for sustainable development around the promotion of our Heritage. Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed a keen interest in visiting Jacmel, particularly the house where the Liberator Simon Bolivar stayed during his visit to Haiti. With this gesture, he wants to pay tribute to Haiti's historical support in the struggle for independence of Latin American countries. Let's recall that Haiti had supported the Colombian War of Independence, serving as inspiration and refuge for the liberator Simon Bolivar. Haiti had provided him with 7 ships, 4,000 rifles with bayonets, 15,000 pounds of gunpowder, 15,000 pounds of lead, flints, provisions, money and 3,500 men. Haiti and Colombia have maintained diplomatic and friendly relations since 1820. Historical notes indicate that the border between the two nations is an international maritime border that crosses the Caribbean Sea and is defined by the Lievano-Brutus Treaty, signed on February 17, 1978. HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : PM Pays Tribute to Kenyan Police Officers On Thursday, December 12, 2024, as part of Jamhuri Day which commemorates the independence and sovereignty of Kenya, which symbolizes universal values shared by the two Nations, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime visited the base of Kenyan police officers deployed in Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS). During this visit, the Head of Government conveyed, on behalf of the Haitian people, his congratulations and fraternal greetings to the people and Government of Kenya, He also expressed his deep gratitude to the Kenyan Government and its President William Ruto for their exemplary leadership in the MMSS. "This mission, conducted with determination and commitment, illustrates Kenya's firm desire to support the Haitian people in their quest for security and stability." The Prime Minister took the opportunity to reaffirm his Government's commitment to boosting bilateral relations between Haiti and Kenya. He stressed "this exemplary collaboration is a strong symbol of international solidarity and fraternity between the two peoples, particularly in the context of challenges such as : The fight against insecurity; Justice and respect for the rule of law; Sustainable economic recovery; Constitutional reform; The upcoming organization of credible and inclusive elections. Haiti is celebrating Jamhuri Day today alongside its Kenyan brothers and sisters and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the friendship that binds the two Nations. Long live the friendship between Haiti and Kenya !" HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Education : Government honors national State exam laureates (list) On Thursday, December 12, 2024, at the Karibe Hotel, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, during a solemn ceremony, alongside Transitional Presidential Advisor Emmanuel Vertilaire and Augustin Antoine, Minister of National Education, honored the 8 national winners of the state exams for the 2023-2024 academic year, saluting these young talents, models of excellence and academic effort. In his speech, the Prime Minister expressed his warm congratulations to the winners and reiterated his Government's commitment to supporting these young people in pursuing their ambitions, stating: "Education is not an expense, but the most valuable investment for the future of our country." In recognition of his academic excellence and to encourage youth leadership, the Prime Minister announced the recruitment of national winner Billy Elysee Joseph within the new Youth Unit of the Prime Minister's Office. Speaking, Billy Elysee Joseph, National Laureate of the Presbyteral College "Notre-Dame de Fleurenceau", in the city of Saint-Marc, expressed his gratitude to the Government for this recognition, he also took the opportunity to thank all those who supported him in his studies, in particular his mother and father who made great sacrifices to make this success possible. List of Laureates : - Billy Wooderbens Elise Joseph, Laureate of the Laureates (baccalaureate series science, mathematics, physics); - Dave Mitchell Hadassah Limage (baccalaureate series letters languages, arts); - Emmanuel Seymour (baccalaureate series economics and social sciences); - Manderis Chavest Francois (baccalaureate series life and earth sciences); - Neisha Nelda Djahnai Telemaque for the 9th fundamental year; - Lousamithe Nicolas for the Normal School of Teachers and Kindergartens, fundamental section; - Stephanie Sanon for the Teachers' and Kindergarten Teacher Training School, preschool section; - Widelene Hilaire for the Family Education Center. The laureates received various bonuses. In addition to teaching materials and gift cards offered by the cigarette company Comme il Faut, 500,000 Gourdes were given to these laureates by the National Fund for Education (FNE) to continue their studies. HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Health : Medecins Sans Frontieres partially resumes its activities in Port-au-Prince After 22 days of suspension due to repeated threats and violence targeting its staff and patients https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43676-haiti-flash-msf-forced-to-suspend-its-activities-in-the-metropolitan-area.html Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) announces the partial resumption of its medical activities in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. A constructive dialogue led the authorities to guarantee respect for MSF teams and medical mission. Despite these commitments, the risks to the safety of teams and patients remain high, particularly during ambulance transport. Patient transport therefore remains suspended for the time being, as does the activity of the Turgeau emergency center, whose operation depends on the possibility of transferring patients safely from one facility to another. The reopening today concerns the hospitals of Tabarre, Carrefour, Cite Soleil and the "Pran Menm" clinic. MSF recalls that "Suspending activities in these facilities, even temporarily, was an extremely difficult decision in a city plagued by violence, where medical and health needs are immense. However, the seriousness of the attacks against MSF staff and ambulances made this measure inevitable. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43676-haiti-flash-msf-forced-to-suspend-its-activities-in-the-metropolitan-area.html " "We continue to work tirelessly to guarantee the minimum security conditions necessary for a full recovery. Despite the commitments made by the authorities, our ability to maintain our activities in the long term in Haiti remains uncertain", explains Jean-Marc Biquet, MSF Head of Mission. MSF reiterates its call on all parties to respect its staff, patients and medical infrastructure, an essential condition to guarantee the continuity of its activities. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43676-haiti-flash-msf-forced-to-suspend-its-activities-in-the-metropolitan-area.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43634-haiti-flash-police-and-a-group-of-citizens-stop-an-ambulance-and-execute-several-patients.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-43144-icihaiti-msf-an-ambulance-stopped-by-the-pnh-causes-the-death-of-a-patient.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41212-haiti-flash-an-msf-ambulance-attacked-a-patient-executed-by-armed-individuals.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Petite Riviere : The toll of reprisals explodes The toll of reprisals in Petite Riviere de l'Artibonite on the night of December 10 to 11, 2024 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43828-haiti-flash-bloody-reprisals-by-the-gran-grif-gang-in-petite-riviere.html explodes and turns into a real bloodbath. About 70 people (men, women and children) were reportedly savagely killed, most with knives so as not to attract the attention of the police, according to a provisional toll drawn up by local notables. FLASH Sunrise Airways Following the announcement of the reopening of Toussaint Louverture International Airport, the private Haitian airline Sunrise Airways expresses its hope to resume flights to and from Port-au-Prince as soon as the necessary conditions are met. This includes in particular the restoration of coverage by insurance companies, both for its own operations and for those of the partners with whom it collaborates. Updated flight information on www.sunriseairways.net "Partisan and clannish" diplomatic changes "The latest changes made in Haitian diplomacy in favor of the political organization of the CPT Coordinator, Lesly Voltaire, are openly partisan and clannish. [...] This inelegant political act reflects the desire of a political clan to take control of the Transition [...] We are no longer in the logic of a balanced and inclusive Transition, as stipulated in the Jamaica Consensus of March 11 and in the agreement of April 3, 2024. [...]" deplored Me Andre Michel. Canada : Donation of vehicles to the PNH The Canadian Ambassador to Haiti, Andre Francois Giroux, donated 22 vehicles to the Haitian National Police, in order to strengthen the fight against insecurity. The journalistic world is in mourning Radiotelevision Caraibes mourns the departure of its former information director, Jean Gerin Alexandre (59 years old). The career journalist died on the morning of Thursday, December 12, 2024, following a stroke. BNC : the 3 Advisors risk an arrest warrant As part of the investigation into the corruption case of the National Credit Bank (BNC) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43336-haiti-flash-the-ulcc-in-the-bnc-case-requests-criminal-actions-against-3-transitional-advisors-report.html . The 3 advisors Louis Gerald Gilles, Emmanuel Vertilaire and Smith Augustin summoned by Judge Benjamin Felisme, respectively on December 9, 10 and 11, 2024 did not appear, they now risk being the subject of an arrest warrant. HL/ HaitiLibre The committee backed the bill despite opposition from all members of the Centre, Green League, Left Alliance and Social Democrats. THE FINNISH PARLIAMENTS Employment and Equality Committee has given its backing to a bill that delineates the remit of the national conciliator and conciliation boards in resolving labour disputes, reports YLE. The bill dictates that conciliation has to protect the overall interests of the national economy by ensuring the functioning of wage formation and labour markets. Effectively the bill would prevent trade unions from securing pay rises that exceed those agreed on in export industries through a conciliation process. While export industries have traditionally set the cap for raises in other industries, the bill would cement their status as the bellwether for collective bargaining across industries. Lauri Lyly (SDP), the deputy chairperson of the Employment and Equality Committee, described the bill in an interview with the public broadcasting company as a needless initiative that will tie the hands of conciliation authorities. It also, he added, fails to specify in sufficient detail the meaning of overall interest of the national economy. The bill is needless because for the past 60 years the general pay-rise cap has been broken only a couple of times and even then in the case of public-sector pay agreements, he said. Chairperson Saara-Sofia Siren (NCP) assured that the bill would not restrict the freedom to bargain in the labour markets as labour market organisations will be completely free to decide on whether or not to accept a particular settlement proposal. She added that experts heard by the committee disagreed on how the bill could impact collective bargaining: Some gauged that it would increase labour disputes, others that it would decrease them. Some gauged that it would facilitate bargaining, others that it would complicate it. The idea of officially capping pay increases to those thrashed out in export industries has drawn criticism from a range of trade unions, particularly those in female-dominated industries. They have been worried that the bill will condemn women to work forever for remuneration that falls well short of that in export industries. The Social Democratic Party views similarly that the bill would cement the gender pay gap in Finland, according to Lyly. Siren acknowledged the gap but argued that because it stems from a pronounced division into men and womens jobs, it should be addressed with education policy measures rather than the bill on conciliation in the labour markets. Aleksi Teivainen HT MORE than 200 people braved this years Henley Santa fun run despite strong winds from Storm Darragh. Families, including babies in prams, dressed in their best festive outfits and hats, including Christmas jumpers, elf costumes, Father Christmas beards, elf costumes and reindeer onesies on Sunday. About six dogs were also brought along, including one unruly cocker spaniel, Rufus, who jumped in the river during the course and had to be dragged out by owner Brian Walmsley. The event, which started and finished at Leander Club and is in its 10th year, was organised by town councillors Stefan Gawrysiak, Michelle Thomas, Laurence Plant, Sarah Miller and Mayor Rory Hunt. Many participants skipped the usual warm-up of jogging on the spot and star jumps, deciding to set off straight away because of the cold and windy conditions. The run was started at 10am by Cllrs Plant and Hunt and runners set off from the club along the Thames Path before they looped back around for either the 1km or 4km route. About three children led the race from the start line and the runners were cheered on by friends and family and Henley councillors, who congratulated them as they crossed the finish line. More than 1,200 was raised for the mayors charity fund, supporting Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and Bluebells Day Centre in Henley. After the race, mince pies and hot chocolate was served to runners by Cllr Hunts mother Lindsay, Catherine Notaras and Cllr Thomas. The first to finish was Alex Lamacraft, 15, from Shiplake, who was taking part in the fun run for the third time and had won it last year. Alex said: Im pretty happy about winning. It was a really good fun run. The conditions were bad as the wind made it hard work on the first part and it was freezing cold. The trickiest part of the course was the first straight because it went right into the wind. The conditions gave me more motivation to do it. In second place was Charlie Craig, of Mill Road in Shiplake, who is a member of Henley Triathlon Club. The 13-year-old, who attends Shiplake College, said: I felt good about coming second but it was very tiring. The wind was very hard but on the way back, it was very easy to run with. I like trying my best and I also enjoyed the fun of everyones costumes. The best costumes were decided by the councillors. The prize for the best-dressed female went to Kate Courtney-Taylor, 44, an artist from Marlow, who was given a box of Quality Street. She spent the evening before the event crafting together her costume, a wearable decorated Christmas tree made from two hula hoops and tinsel. Ms Courtney-Taylor ran with her partner Gordon Daley and two daughters. She said: This is the first time Ive done the Santa fun run in Henley and to be rewarded in the cold and the rain is all the honour that I need today. It was a little bit hard running in this outfit, especially against the wind, my branches were not very aerodynamic so that was a bit tricky. Ill definitely be back to run it again. We did the fun run to support Rupert House School. The award for the best-dressed family went to Rosie and Richard Locke, both 39, of Greys Road and their children Dorothy, eight, Jasper, three and Juno, six. They all dressed as elves besides Mr Locke who came as a reindeer with an antler headband and onesie. They were given a voucher for a Sunday lunch at the Argyll pub in Market Place. Mr Walmsley ran with his friend Adam Holden, both from Henley, and said he was relieved he didnt have to jump in the river to rescue Rufus after he dived in the Thames at Leander Club. He said: Fortunately, I didnt have to swim it. I had to yank him by his collar. He needs a bath now because hes got the Thames now wrapped around him but he absolutely loved it and being part of it with us. Mr Walmsley said: It was horrible running into the wind but actually really easy going the other way so it was 50/50. Overall, it was a lovely spirit and everyone had fun. Adam loved it so much he went around the course for a fourth time, which is very impressive. We go running anyway so we like to get involved. Cllr Hunt said: Given the weather, it has been a fantastic turnout. Im pleased that we were able to put it on at all, given the high winds and flooding and a lot of other events have been cancelled so Im grateful for everybody coming down. Dealing with health insurers only getting worse: U.S. doctors Xinhua) 13:12, December 13, 2024 NEW YORK, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The killing of a top health insurance executive outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel last week in New York City triggered an outpouring of public anger at an industry many Americans blame for the ills of the nation's healthcare system, and doctors are also among the aggrieved, reported The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Thursday. Doctors deal day in and day out with insurers including UnitedHealthcare, whose chief executive, Brian Thompson, was shot to death last week by an assassin who targeted him outside the company's annual investor conference. Doctors say their frustration is born of intimate experience and has been building for years. Their chief complaint is the aggravation and expense of convincing insurance companies to pay them for their patients' treatment. Even when they are ultimately approved, MRI scans and other vital but costly procedures often require days of campaigning and paperwork, doctors were cited in the report. "It's getting worse," said Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmed, an internist in Augusta, Georgia, who has practiced in the United States for 35 years. "This is not only UnitedHealthcare -- this is universal in this country." Doctors say that sympathy doesn't change their feelings about having to haggle with doctors employed by UnitedHealthcare and other insurers to evaluate proposed procedures -- and oftentimes, reject them. Health insurers say they play a valuable role financing the medical care that saves the lives of many patients. Denials keep a lid on unnecessary care and high costs. Insurers also note that doctors, hospitals and drugmakers play a big role in soaring healthcare spending that they are trying to restrain, while ensuring patients get the medical care they need. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Xi: Sino-Russian ties serve as example for major countries 13:51, December 13, 2024 By Cao Desheng ( China Daily Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, shakes hands with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. (Ding Haitao/Xinhua) President Xi Jinping reiterated on Thursday the principles of "no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no fanning of the flames by any party" with regard to the Ukraine crisis, saying that China will work with the international community to create favorable conditions for a political settlement of the crisis. He said the principles should be observed to promote the easing of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as soon as possible. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, who was on a working visit to China at the invitation of the CPC. Medvedev presented to Xi a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said that Russia speaks positively of China's stance on the Ukraine crisis and pays attention to the initiative for a "Friends of Peace" group proposed by China and Brazil. Russia is willing to actively promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Medvedev added. Xi hailed the development of Sino-Russian relations, saying the two countries have forged a new path of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between major and neighboring countries, setting an example for a new type of international relations and ties between neighboring major countries. China is willing to work with Russia to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, tap the intrinsic momentum of bilateral cooperation, and continuously bring benefits to the two countries and peoples, he said. Xi underlined that China and Russia should enhance communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, and practice true multilateralism, in order to make the international order more just and equitable and jointly safeguard global strategic stability and international fairness and justice. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, shakes hands with Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia party, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. (Ding Haitao/Xinhua) He also called on both parties to work together on improving global governance, building up consensus among friendly political parties in countries worldwide, especially those in the Global South, and steering the world's development in the right direction. Medvedev said the current high-level cooperation between Russia and China is the result of joint leadership and promotion by Putin and Xi. Russia will steadfastly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and advance strategic coordination between the two countries, he said. The United Russia party is willing, through the Russia-China dialogue mechanism between ruling parties, to promote the countries' practical cooperation and facilitate the long-term development of bilateral relations, he added. On Thursday, Medvedev visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, and he also met with Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body. China and Russia have maintained close interactions at various levels and across different sectors. The last time Medvedev visited China was in December 2022. Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, attended Airshow China 2024 held in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, last month. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov made a visit to Beijing in October. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) The Miss Netherlands beauty pageant is being scrapped after 35 years, organisers said on Thursday, transforming into a new platform dealing with mental health and sharing positive stories. "Times have changed and we are changing with the times," the organisers of the pageant said in a statement. Instead of running the competition, director Monica van Ee has set up a platform entitled "no longer of this time." This platform aims to share stories of successful women but also those struggling with, among other things, social media and unrealistic beauty standards. "No more crowns, but stories that inspire. No dresses, but dreams that come to life," organisers said. Van Ee said in a blog post on the new platform that her involvement in the pageant aimed to give young woman a springboard and show others what was possible. "Perhaps a sash and a crown are no longer of this time. But women who support each other and help each other, that is timeless for us," she said. The competition made headlines in 2023 when Rikkie Kolle, then 22, became the first transgender woman to win the pageant. Kolle told AFP in an interview she hoped her victory would be an inspiration to young people from the transgender community. Van Ee said the new platform should be "a place to show your authentic self and a world where we celebrate real life. Without the pressure to conform to a perfect image." Time Magazine on Thursday named US President-elect Donald Trump its "person of the year," marking the second time he has won the accolade, in acknowledgement of the mogul's stunning political comeback. Trump, who defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, adorns the magazine's title cover sporting his distinctive red tie and striking a commanding pose. "For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America's role in the world, Donald Trump is Time's 2024 - Person of the Year," the magazine said. This year saw Trump convicted on charges of business fraud and nearly assassinated twice -- and will end with him preparing to return to the White House with Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. "We are witnessing a resurgence of populism, a widening mistrust in the institutions that defined the last century, and an eroding faith that liberal values will lead to better lives for most people. Trump is both agent and beneficiary of it all," the magazine added. Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to applause from traders on Thursday, flanked by his wife Melania Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, with his Time Magazine cover displayed prominently behind him. In remarks before the markets opened, Trump sounded a note of caution about the promises he made on the campaign trail to bring down stubbornly high US grocery prices. "It's hard to bring things down once they're up," Trump says. "You know, it's very hard." The magazine's award, given out annually, is an acknowledgement of the year's most influential figure. Past winners include Taylor Swift and Volodymyr Zelensky -- and Trump himself, in 2016, after his shock defeat of Hillary Clinton. Mock versions of Time Magazine covers featuring Trump were displayed prominently in several of the president-elect's members clubs ahead of his first "person of the year" title in 2016. Having dominated the news events of 2024, Trump's influence is set to continue when he assumes the presidency in January. This time around, Trump is promising mass expulsions of undocumented immigrants and major tariffs that threaten to shake up not just the US economy, but those of key trade partners. He's cast doubt on continued support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion, and has already become something of a shadow president, feting foreign leaders at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. His comeback was unthinkable a few years ago. After his supporters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss, it seemed like Republicans might be ready to wash their hands of the brash outsider who had taken over the party. Criminal cases were launched over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and he was found liable in civil court for sexual abuse. He remains a polarizing figure in US and world politics. Yet none of that prevented him from rising back up to the top of the Republican ticket, and then going on to win in the general election against Harris. Harris was among those shortlisted for the award, alongside Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian economist Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering appointing another member of the Kennedy family to a prominent position in his administration: Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, the daughter-in-law of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to multiple sources, Trump is evaluating Fox Kennedy for the role of deputy director of the CIA. If appointed, she would serve under John Ratcliffe, pending his confirmation as director. Fox Kennedy, who played a key role in managing RFK Jr.'s campaign, has already met with Trump to discuss the potential appointment, a source told CNN. Ratcliffe reportedly met with Fox Kennedy on Thursday. "The core mission of CIA is to arm the American president as the representative of the American people with maximum information," she wrote on X the same day. "We know precisely how to restore the Agency's clandestine primacy. We can achieve this quickly, while eliminating domestic political interference, criminal abuses, censorship, and the propagandizing of American citizens." While the appointment for a deputy director position does not require Senate confirmation, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy's case is different as she is encountering resistance from a key Trump ally: Senator Tom Cotton. The Arkansas Republican has privately advised Trump against selecting Fox Kennedy for the role, sources close to the situation have told CNN. This block holds great significance as Cotton is set to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee in the upcoming Congress. Fox Kennedy, 40 has served as a CIA officer under "nonofficial cover" from 2002 to 2010, a position without diplomatic protections. She has publicly shared that her decision to join the agency was inspired by the events of September 11, 2001. In 2019, she detailed her time in the CIA in a memoir titled Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA. Since then, she has become an outspoken critic of the agency, offering a unique perspective on its operations and policies. Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed Beijing's readiness to collaborate with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to address trade disputes and avoid the risk of a potential trade war. In a letter to the U.S.-China Business Council on Thursday, Xi said both China and US must "choose dialogue over confrontation, win-win cooperation over a zero-sum game." He wrote that he remains committed to open up the China market for foreign companies, including U.S. businesses. The remarks mirrored Xi's comments during a Tuesday meeting with leaders of major international economic organizations, where he warned that "there will be no winners in tariff wars, trade wars, technology wars," according to CNBC's translation of his speech in Mandarin. Kenneth Jarrett, senior advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group, reacted to the messages saying that they reflect "a sense of anxiety" and "these overtures have occurred in a very public way." "This could mean that Chinese authorities lack channels to the new Trump team... and that Beijing believes there are political benefits in projecting a public image of a willingness to work together with the new U.S. administration," Jarrett added. Trump's "America First" policy poses a "tremendous threat" to Chinese policymakers already grappling with the challenge of reviving the struggling economy, according to Shen Meng, director at Beijing-based investment bank Chanson & Co. Set to take office in January, Trump has pledged an additional 10% tariff on all U.S. imports of Chinese goods and previously threatened tariffs exceeding 60% during his campaign. Meanwhile, tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated in recent months. Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced expanded restrictions on U.S. exports of advanced memory chips and chipmaking equipment to Chinese firms. Beijing swiftly retaliated by banning exports of critical rare materials used in semiconductors and military technology. "China made it obvious that despite this commitment to growth and constructive trade relations, it will not back down in the face of U.S. pressure, should it come to that," Daniel Balazs, a research fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said, according to CNBC. The UK, Italy and Japan on Friday launched a joint venture to develop a supersonic next-generation fighter jet by 2035, replacing the Eurofighter Typhoon. Britain's BAE Systems, Italy's Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd (JAIEC) will each hold a 33.3 percent share in the new venture, "marking a pivotal moment for the international aerospace and defence industry," they announced in a press release. JAIEC is a firm jointly funded by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies. "Today's agreement is a culmination of many months working together with our industry partners and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in this strategically important programme," said Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems Chief Executive. The venture will "bring together the significant strengths and expertise of the companies involved to create an innovative organisation that will lead the way in developing a next generation combat air system, creating long-term, high value and skilled jobs across the partner nations for decades to come," he added. The three partners have agreed to form a new company under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a multinational initiative established by the UK, Japan and Italy in 2022 to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter to replace the Typhoon and Japanese F-2. The joint venture is expected to be established by the middle of 2025 and will undertake the design and development of the GCAP aircraft. It will subcontract the manufacturing and final assembly of the aircraft to BAE Systems, Leonardo, MHI and the wider supply chain. The aircraft is due to enter service in 2035, ahead of the competing European project FCAS -- led by Paris, Berlin and Madrid -- and is expected to be in service until 2070. The new company will be headquartered in the UK and its first CEO, whose name has not been announced, will be Italian. "The way might not always be simple and straightforward. However, I believe that through continuing the strong spirit of trilateral cooperation and collaboration... we will not only deliver the GCAP on time but also at a level that exceeds all of our expectations," said JAIEC president Kimito Nakae. The Italian defence ministry has already allocated 8.8 billion euros ($9.2 billion) to the program, Roberto Cingolani, the CEO of Leonardo, said in November, although the total budget of the project has yet to be revealed. GCAP aims to counter the threats posed by Russia and China and will merge two different aircraft program -- the UK and Italy's "Tempest" and Japan's "F-X". The objective is to develop a twin-engine stealth aircraft that could be operated with or without a crew, would boast features such as laser-directed weapons and a virtual cockpit and would be much harder to detect using radar and infrared. New technologies being explored for Tempest include the integration of AI and augmented reality and the ability to conduct missions alongside drones. Visiting the Farnborough Air Show in July, where a model of the aircraft was unveiled, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed "just how important a program this is" for the country. But Mike Schoellhorn, the CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said in July that the competition between GCAP and FCAS was "not logical". Cingolani has not ruled out a possible rapprochement. "I'm not saying merging, maybe this is too much, but for sure some collaboration. It's too early to say, we're just at the beginning," he told AFP. The fifth Hotel Indigo in Japan and the first Hotel Indigo branded hotel in Kyushu opens 13 December 2024. Hotel Indigo, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts' luxury and lifestyle portfolio, has opened Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street on 13 December, marking the brand's 5th property in Japan. Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street is located in the Minamiyamate area of Nagasaki, a town full of color and exotic atmosphere. The hotel has breathed new life into one of the city's most iconic 19th Century redbrick buildings, with the brand's neighbourhood storytelling bringing guests a unique experience full of rich history and possibility. The hotel's opening was celebrated with an "Open the Umbrella" ribbon cutting ceremony, using local umbrellas with patterns related to Nagasaki, a nod to the city's vibrant past as the place where Western-style umbrellas were first introduced. The opening celebration was an expression of the hotel weaving its history and opening the door to the future. The hotel is located in the exotic Minamiyamate area, which includes the "Old Glover Residence," an important cultural asset and a World Heritage Site, and the national treasure "Oura Tenshudo." Renowned as the world's neighbourhood hotel, each of the 66 guestrooms are inspired by the liveliness of the town, while the hotel's lobby area is reminiscent of the social gatherings of former merchants. The hotel's restaurant, Cathedreclat, is a spectacle in itself with soaring 10-meter ceilings and impressive stained-glass windows enchanting guests as they dine in the once-Cathedral setting. The hotel celebrates the "Wa-Ka-Ran Labyrinth" philosophy, which is the merging of the individual uniqueness of Wa (Japan), Ka (China) and Ran (Dutch) to create a new and exotic culture. Everything from the city's festivals to the locals' clothing, sights and food are a mix of these cultures, and as guests walk around the town there is an unforgettable sensation of possibility and exploration in a foreign labyrinth. Each Hotel Indigo is as unique as its location, drawing vibrant inspiration and energy from the local culture, aiming to immerse guests in authentic experiences and forge genuine connections with its neighborhoods. With 162 open hotels across the world, Hotel Indigo currently stands as the second largest brand within IHG's Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio. The brand will continue to debut in new markets in 2025, including the opening of Hotel Indigo Palau, the first in Micronesia, and Hotel Indigo Auckland, the first in New Zealand. Guests can also benefit from IHG One Rewards, offering enhanced opportunities to earn and redeem points across IHG Hotels & Resorts, including exclusive benefits tailored to their preferences, supported by leading technology on the IHG mobile app. For more information on Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street, please visit the hotel website. Hotel website De Vere Tortworth Court, a Victorian mansion house hotel set amidst the southernmost edge of England's idyllic Cotswolds, just north of Bristol, has announced a further 1.3M of investment in upgrading 53 of its Courtyard Bedrooms. This follows the recent refurbishment of its popular 1853 Restaurant. Set to be complete in May 2025, the newly designed rooms will offer a relaxed and contemporary design, and are complete with walk-in showers, luxury Penhaligon's toiletries and smart TVs, with many featuring stunning views of the hotel's acres of grounds. The majority of the hotel's bedrooms are now fully refurbished, with previous phases including the addition of 55 new Mansion House Rooms. Located in the hotel's original library, the 1853 Restaurant & Library Bar has also recently completed a refurbishment. Maintaining many of its original features, including oak-panelling, ornate archways and a grand fireplace, the restaurant has introduced booth and banquet style dining, perfect for groups and those looking for a more intimate setting. Serving the finest British produce inspired by local, seasonal ingredients, the 1853 Restaurant is open for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. De Vere Tortworth Court is also home to a standalone Victorian Orangery, which is a popular wedding venue and a historic arboretum, described as one of the finest in the country due its variety of rare tree species. Combining Victorian heritage with 21st century style, De Vere Tortworth Court provides a unique location for team building, conferences, events meetings, training or gala dinners with 14 event spaces, with space to host up to 400 people, and 30 acres of grounds. Hotel website Revitalized Design Captures Miami's Iconic Culture & Personality; Extensive Makeover & Revamped Amenities Position Hotel as True Hidden Gem. Sonesta Miami Airport recently celebrated the completion of a five-month-long, multi-million-dollar renovation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local dignitaries, Sonesta Hotels & Resorts brand executives, hotel partners and members of the community. The extensive property makeover, which began in June 2024, was led by the design team at Dileonardi and the general contractor, HITT and showcases a chic, design infused with authentic Miami elements bringing the essence of The Magic City to travelers from around the world. Guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were treated to an exclusive preview of the hotel's new amenities, enjoyed local Miami favorite dishes with a twist from Tailwinds - like Mini Cuban Sandwiches, Cheese and Guava Burgers, Fried Yuca Sticks with Cilantro Sauce, and Chocolate Mousse Shots with Whipped Cream as well as the event's signature drink, a Guava Cosmo - and danced to Latin sounds from DJ Chavela and Son Qba. The renovation includes a complete transformation of each of the hotel's 309 guestrooms, designed with both leisure and business travelers in mind. Each room is appointed with rich brown leather bed frames that add a touch of luxury, while soothing neutral tones, accented by colorful, modern art pieces, create a warm and inviting atmosphere. For added convenience, 117 guestrooms offer connecting options - king rooms linking to double rooms - ideal for families or groups. Each king room is outfitted with a modern walk-in shower, while all double rooms feature bathtubs, providing comfort and convenience for family travelers. The newly opened on-site restaurant, Tailwinds, is the cornerstone of the hotel's renovation. Serving up a curated menu of Latin-inspired dishes with a creative twist, Tailwinds delivers a fresh take on South Florida favorites, blending bold flavors with global influences. Guests can enjoy vibrant, locally sourced ingredients, from seafood to tropical fruits, in a setting that reflects Miami's dynamic culture. Menu favorites include the Guava Burger (a unique recipe from hotel GM Alex Alvarez's own father), Cuban Sandwich, Peruvian Fried Rice, Churrasco Steak, and Guacamole with Pork Rinds. In addition to its guestrooms, the hotel's public spaces and amenities have been fully transformed to provide an atmosphere perfect for both relaxation and socializing. Guests can enjoy a rooftop pool, complete with a spacious sun deck featuring chaise lounge chairs and new private cabanas. For fitness enthusiasts, the newly upgraded, state-of-the-art fitness center is available 24/7, equipped with the latest cardio and strength training equipment. The hotel also boasts an expansive outdoor patio, ideal for al fresco dining or hosting events, where guests can savor Miami's year-round beautiful weather. Throughout the property, playful pink hallway doors and gold hardware give a nod to Miami's classic art deco design. More than 7,400-square-feet of versatile space await groups seeking the ideal flexible space for business meetings or social events. The front room, formerly a restaurant, now offers 2,100-square-feet of space with abundant natural lighting, a bar, fridge, and multiple TVs, creating an inviting environment for gatherings. The hotel also features two boardrooms, each offering 320-square-feet, ideal for smaller, private functions. Each of the other five meeting rooms offers 1,100-square-feet of space and are equipped with built-in sound systems to provide a seamless audio experience for events. The 3,300 square-foot Royal Palm Ballroom, which accommodates up to 160 guests, can be converted into three separate meeting rooms, allowing for greater flexibility to cater to a wide variety of event needs - perfect for weddings, quinceaneras, bar or bat mitzvahs and other corporate or social events. For more information or to book a stay, visit https://www.sonesta.com/sonesta-hotels-resorts/fl/miami/sonesta-miami-airport or call (305) 446-9000. About Sonesta Miami Airport Conveniently located near Miami International Airport, Sonesta Miami Airport offers a blend of sophisticated design and modern amenities, catering to both business and leisure travelers. The hotel features 309 rooms, an outdoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center, 7,400-square-feet of flexible meeting space, and a Cuban inspired restaurant, Tailwinds. With its newly completed renovation, Sonesta Miami Airport continues to provide an elevated guest experience while reflecting the vibrant spirit of Miami. Hotel website As a seasoned hospitality veteran with over 25 years of experience, an impressive track record in luxury hotel operations, and a passion for creating memorable experiences, Ide brings unparalleled expertise to Hotel Drover. Before joining Hotel Drover, Ide held the position of General Manager at Thompson Dallas, where he skillfully led the hotel team through the challenging post-pandemic period. His ability to foster relationships with top guests, ensure their satisfaction, and actively engage with hotel owners on capital projects underscores his dedication to achieving operational excellence. Throughout his tenure, Ide has also held key leadership roles for several large players in the hospitality sphere, including Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, where he played a pivotal role in securing the prestigious Forbes 5 Star status for the property; Four Seasons New York; Four Seasons Boston; and the Waldorf Astoria New York. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is pleased to welcome Sandrine Boutin as the new Director of Sales and Marketing for the property. Sandrine's esteemed career spanning over 24 years in travel, hospitality, and ultra-luxury, brings a wealth of experience and strategic insight to her new role. Sandrine has held leadership roles with globally renowned brands such as Soneva, The St. Regis Bali, and AMAN, where she consistently delivered outstanding results. Her expertise encompasses diverse market segments, including travel trade, corporate, MICE, as well as partnerships. In her new role at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, Sandrine will lead the commercial team, including sales, marketing, and reservations, while overseeing the strategy and direction of sales and marketing to ensure the resort is well represented in all key markets. Her proven ability to develop and execute innovative strategies in a fast-moving and highly competitive market positions her to guide the resort into the future and explore new and developing markets, aligning with its ethos of delivering unparalleled luxury. Sandrine's appointment reflects The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fair Islands' commitment to excellence as it continues to redefine luxury hospitality in the Maldives. Phoenix, Arizona WorldHotels, a prestigious brand within the BWHSM Hotels global network, offers an exceptional portfolio of upscale and luxury hotels and resorts across four distinct collections: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Crafted, and WorldHotels Distinctive. WorldHotels Crafted, renowned for its bold design and creative experiences that captivate and inspire every guest, continues to grow its presence across North America and Europe with several new properties. We are thrilled to see WorldHotels Crafted continue to expand across its home region of Europe, as well as in North America. These exceptional properties offer guests an authentic experience rooted in local craftsmanship. We are confident that the remarkable stays provided by the hotels will leave a lasting impression, elevating the travel experience for each and every guest. Ron Pohl, President of WorldHotels City Hotel Gouda, WorldHotels Crafted, Gouda, Netherlands: In the picturesque town of Gouda, the City Hotel Gouda stands as a gateway to local history, culture, and modern comforts. Its rooms are thoughtfully designed with unique artwork that reflects Goudas heritage, offering a range of options from cozy rooms to luxurious suites. Guests can enjoy a locally inspired breakfast each morning and relax in the lounge, where a selection of snacks, meals, and drinks is available throughout the day. The hotel also features versatile spaces for meetings and events, catering to both business and leisure needs. With its prime location and inviting atmosphere, the City Hotel Gouda provides the perfect stay for every visitor. Elm Hurst Inn & Spa, WorldHotels Crafted, Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada: A symbol of luxury and hospitality since 1872, the Elm Hurst Inn & Spa offers an extraordinary blend of historic charm and modern comfort. This boutique retreat offers 45 spacious guest rooms, three luxury suites, and a refined dining experience that attracts visitors from near and far. Its serene spa is perfect for unwinding, and the property has elegant venues for weddings, conferences, and special events. Whether seeking relaxation or an unforgettable celebration, guests will find everything they needincluding electric vehicle charging stationsat this iconic Ontario destination. Flaner Hotel, WorldHotels Crafted, Warsaw, Poland: The Flaner Hotel is an exceptional choice for both business and leisure travelers, located on the vibrant Krakowskie Przedmiescie in Warsaw. This boutique hotel boasts over 70 beautifully designed rooms, each reflecting the elegance of 1920s Art Deco style. Guests will appreciate both luxury and inspiration found in the hotels tasteful interiors. Business travelers can take advantage of versatile meeting rooms suitable for conferences and private gatherings. With a rare large parking facility in the historic center, the Flaner Hotel offers unmatched convenience for exploring Warsaws cultural attractions. Hotel Croydon, WorldHotels Crafted, Miami Beach, Florida, USA: Nestled in the heart of Miami Beach, the Hotel Croydon offers a serene retreat in a vibrant city known for its buzzing nightlife and iconic Art Deco flair. This hotel features 104 modern rooms equipped with numerous amenities, including cooling gel memory foam beds, large flatscreen TVs, and premium bath products. Guests can enjoy the rooftop sun deck with breathtaking city and beach views, relax by the outdoor pool, or rejuvenate at the yoga space and fitness center. Highlights include daily happy hour, complimentary beach towels, and The Tavern, a full-service restaurant serving expertly crafted meals. With close proximity to Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road, and South Pointe Park, the Hotel Croydon is the perfect base for an unforgettable Miami experience. Idlewyld Inn & Spa, WorldHotels Crafted, London, Ontario, Canada: Originally built in 1878, the Idlewyld Inn & Spa is a landmark of refined hospitality in London, Ontario. Offering 21 one-of-a-kind guest rooms, this historic inn combines the charm of its Victorian heritage with the modern conveniences that todays luxury travelers demand. The inviting spa and gourmet restaurant create an atmosphere of relaxation and indulgence, while the inns elegant event spaces set the stage for intimate weddings and special occasions. Located in Londons picturesque Old South neighborhood, just moments from Wortley Village and downtown, the Idlewyld Inn & Spa is a timeless destination for guests seeking history with a modern twist. Saga Hotel Oslo, WorldHotels Crafted, Oslo, Norway: Saga Hotel Oslo is a charming retreat located between Majorstuen and Nationaltheatret, offering a unique blend of comfort and character. Perfect for both short and extended stays, this unique hotel features elegant rooms with breakfast included and spacious studio apartments ideal for longer visits. Guests can enjoy a delicious breakfast made with locally sourced ingredients and relax in the inviting lobby bar, a cozy space designed for quiet moments, good conversations, or a refreshing cocktail. Surrounded by cultural landmarks and tranquil villas, the Saga Hotel Oslo is an ideal place to explore the modern allure of Norways capital and largest city. Photos can be viewed and downloaded here(credit: WorldHotels). For more information on WorldHotels, please visit worldhotels.com. About WorldHotels Crafted WorldHotels Crafted is one of four WorldHotels brands within the BWH Hotels global enterprise, showcasing a selection of curated lifestyle hotels inspired by all manner of artistry and comprised of independent hoteliers dedicated to exceptional modern hospitality. Other brands include: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, and WorldHotels Distinctive. About WorldHotels WorldHotels is a privately held hotel soft brand within the BWH Hotels global enterprise. Founded by independent hoteliers dedicated to the art of hospitality, WorldHotels offers one of the finest portfolios of independent hotels and resorts around the globe, expertly curated to inspire unique, life enriching experiences that connect people and places. WorldHotels is comprised of four exclusive collections, each with its own personality and style to appeal to the needs of todays traveler. The collections include: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Crafted and WorldHotels Distinctive. For more information visit WorldHotels.com. About BWH Hotel Group BWH Hotels is a leading, global hospitality enterprise comprised of three hotel companies, including WorldHotelsTM, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, and SureStay Hotels. The global enterprise boasts approximately 4,300 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide*. With 18 brands across every chain scale segment, from economy to luxury, BWH Hotels suits the needs of developers and guests in every market. Auckland - Luminous Living - a new luxury living brand - officially launches today, redefining high-end hotel and lifestyle accommodation. With a promise to disrupt, innovate, and set new standards in New Zealands luxury accommodation landscape, Luminous is shining a light on a new era of hospitality. Through elevated guest experiences, seamless service, designer amenities, and an all-inclusive offering, Luminous thoughtfully caters to the needs of discerning guests across its collection of distinctive properties. In another string to its bow, Luminous offers premium property management services for owners, including a range of customisable partnership models tailored to meet the requirements of luxurious dwellings including lodges, boutique hotels, resorts, penthouses and suites. Chris Dickinson, Founder and Director of Luminous Living, has had the privilege of transforming ideas into brand experiences across some of Australasias most iconic hotels and projects. After years of crafting success for others, Ive set out to write a new legacy with Luminous Living. Born from my passion and commitment to transformative guest experiences, building successful teams, and driving outcomes for owners, Luminous will set new benchmarks in luxury living, curated service, and property management, says Chris. Hotel Fitzroy by Luminous Photo by Luminous Living Luminous Lights Up Hotel Fitzroy In a homecoming for Dickinson, who originally launched Hotel Fitzroy in Aucklands Ponsonby, Luminous will take over operations of the boutique property, currently operating under the Fable banner, on Monday 16 December 2024. The rebranded Hotel Fitzroy by Luminous will introduce a heightened level of luxe, including an enhanced all-inclusive food and beverage offering, personalised cocktails, superior Astro Towers mattresses, a butler/chauffeur, and the arrival of coveted international brands into New Zealand including Chopard Swiss bathroom amenities, branded Rivolta Carmignani Italian linens, and authentic Italian Illy coffee. Announcement of New Flagship - Luminous on Anzac Luminous on Anzac, a conversion of an existing heritage building into a design-led boutique hotel, is scheduled to open in February 2025. Located at 45 Anzac Avenue in Aucklands CBD, this property will offer eight expansive two-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouses, each featuring fully equipped kitchens, state-of-the-art appliances, spacious lounges, and in-house drycleaning and laundry services. Guests will also enjoy an all-inclusive curated food and beverage offering and access to an exclusive guest lounge. We are excited to debut Luminous on Anzac in early 2025 and have a strong pipeline of three additional properties to be announced. Our launch of Hotel Fitzroy marks the beginning of an inspiring journey as we illuminate this boutique property with subtle touches of service, elevated food and beverage, and world-class amenities, added Chris. Flexible Property Management for Owners Luminous offers property owners and developers flexible partnership models, including lease agreements, full property management encompassing comprehensive oversight of operations, revenue management, brand positioning, refurbishment, food and beverage and sustainability programs. Tailored solutions include Distribution-only and Cleaning-only models with Luminous sister service, Platinum Services. By combining our team's extensive high-end hotel industry expertise, dedication to excellence, and innovative technology, we aim to achieve market leadership across every facet of our operations. We go above and beyond to deliver exceptional experiences and service for guests, and provide premium property management for owners to optimise financial returns, concluded Chris. Luminous has plans to open four Auckland properties within the first half of 2025, followed by expansion into other major New Zealand tourism destinations and further abroad with 50 fully branded properties by 2030. For more, follow the light to luminousliving.co.nz. Instagram Facebook LinkedIn About Platinum Services Operating since 2021, Platinum Services is a complete B2B residential and commercial guest experience services company currently servicing 450+ properties across Auckland. Solutions include high-end cleaning of short-term accommodation, hotels, and residential properties, a five-star hotel linen and laundry service, in addition to revenue, sales and distribution, and guest experience specialists, who can improve guest engagement and customer service operations. Platinum offers a complete package across systems, service and product. The company utilises market leading systems and technology, partners with superior suppliers, and uses only high-quality cleaning products and 5-Star plus hotel linen. For more information visit platinumservices.co.nz. About Luminous Living Luminous Living specialises in facilitating luxury accommodation experiences across New Zealand ranging from lodges, hotels, resorts, penthouses and suites. Proudly locally-owned and operated, Luminous offers bespoke services tailored to support short stays through to 30+ nights, and from one property up to 200+ room buildings. A highly experienced high-end hotel operations team provides exceptional accommodation experiences, meticulously managing each property, and delivering superior service, while leveraging innovative technology to exceed the expectations of guests, partners, and property owners. Luminous offers owners flexible partnership models, including lease agreements, full property management, distribution-only and cleaning-only models with Luminous' sister service, Platinum Services. Luminous is led by Founder and Director Chris Dickinson, a hospitality visionary with a distinguished career that includes senior roles at CPG Hotels, FIFA, Mantra Group and Naumi Hotels. Follow the light at luminousliving.co.nz. Bangkok, Thailand- Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailands leading hotel operator, has announced the issuance of its first Sustainability-Linked Bond (SLB), marking a major milestone in the companys commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) excellence. The 1 billion Baht, 5-year bond, arranged by UOB, links financing costs directly to Centaras performance on two key sustainability performance targets (SPTs): Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity in its hotel operations; and, Reducing water consumption intensity across its properties. This innovative bond issuance reflects Centaras dedication to integrating sustainability into its business practices while actively contributing to the global push toward a low-carbon future. Our first sustainability-linked bond reinforces our commitment to a more sustainable hospitality industry. By embedding ESG principles into our financing framework, were not only accelerating our efforts to reduce our environmental impact but also setting measurable goals that drive accountability and progress. Gun Srisompong, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President - Finance and Administration of Centara Hotels & Resorts Centaras SLB aligns with the companys broader sustainability strategy, which includes eliminating single-use plastics across all properties, achieving Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification for every property by 2025, reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions by 40% by 2029, with a long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The bond, which will be issued on 11 December 2024, is offered to institutional investors (II) and high-net-worth individuals (HNW), reflecting strong market confidence in Centaras sustainability-driven vision. Aligned with the Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles (SLBP) set by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA), this issuance ensures adherence to global standards for sustainable finance. Centaras commitment to sustainability underscores its goals of becoming a leader in sustainable hospitality and a Top 100 Global Hotel Operator by 2027. For more information about Centara Hotels & Resorts' sustainability initiatives, please visit https://www.centarahotelsresorts.com/sustainability. About Centara Hotels & Resorts Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand's leading hotel operator. Its 90 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Vietnam, Laos, China, Japan, Oman, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE. Centara's portfolio comprises six brands Centara Reserve, The Centara Collection, Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Life and COSI Hotels ranging from luxury island retreats and upscale family resorts to affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology. The group's newest Centara Reserve brand was unveiled in 2020 as an experiential luxury collection, inviting guests to discover a new era of story-driven hospitality starting with Centara Reserve Samui. Centara also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families. Centara's distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle. Centara aims to become a top 100 global hotel group, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company's unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara's global loyalty programme, Centara The 1, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing. Find out more about Centara at www.CentaraHotelsResorts.com Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Puntira Cherdboonmuang (Gam) Corporate Public Relations Manager, Centara Hotels & Resorts Centara Comprising 47 senior hospitality leaders from organisations such as the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, Taiba Investments, Al Rajhi Bank, Al Othaim Investment, Red Sea Global, Al Nahla Group, NEOM, Accor, Radisson, Rotana, and others driving transformation in our industry, the FHS Saudi Arabia Advisory Board came together in Riyadh to shape the vision for what will be an extraordinary conference on 11 - 13 May 2025 at the Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah in Riyadh. The 2025 conference theme: Where Vision Shapes Opportunity was unveiled under which hospitality leaders and decision-makers will unite to discuss hotel performance and development, the outlook for hospitality investment in Saudi Arabia and the key market trends driving the sector, aiming for actionable outcomes that will transform the industry, which continues to witness unprecedented growth. Here are the top 5 takeaways from the meeting that will impact the future of hospitality in Saudi Arabia: 1. Saudi's Hospitality Revolution is Real Hold onto your hats the Kingdom is not just entering the global hospitality scene; it's about to take center stage. Data shared by STR shows that Saudi Arabia's room revenue is up by a massive 26.3%, with Riyadh leading the pack, boasting a 16% increase in ADR. While Jeddah's market faces challenges, the Advisory Board believes the city can unlock its full potential by focusing on renovating existing hotels and attracting new, high-quality developments. 2. Luxury? It's Not What You Think The Advisory Board sparked a fascinating discussion on redefining luxury in Saudi Arabia. Forget conventional star ratings! The consensus is that true luxury lies in authenticity, heritage, and soulful experiences. FHS Saudi Arabia 2025 will explore how the industry can create truly luxurious and unique offerings that capture the essence of Saudi Arabia's renowned hospitality. 3. Religious Tourism: The Hidden Gold Mine With religious tourism growing at an incredible pace, the conference will explore the sector's vast, untapped potential. The conversation will encompass investment opportunities, diversifying offerings beyond accommodation, and strategies for gateway cities like Jeddah to benefit from this influx of travellers seeking enriching cultural and religious experiences 4. Talent is Our Ultimate Superpower Talent is key to achieving Saudi Arabia's ambitious growth targets. According to Saudi Tourism Development Fund, the tourism sector aims to create 1M jobs by 2030. The Advisory Board stressed the need to bridge the gap between education and industry needs. Our programme will tackle pressing issues, including: Industry Alignment: Creating education programs that meet the evolving needs of the hospitality industry. Investing in Vocational Training: Focusing on practical, frontline professional training to meet immediate demands. Attracting and Retaining Talent: Exploring innovative solutions to address high turnover rates and make hospitality a career of choice 5. Sustainability: It's Not Just Nice, It's Necessary Sustainability is no longer a trend; it's a fundamental requirement for success. According to Glenn Mandziuk (CEO, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance), while most people associate food waste with buffets, which account for approximately 5% of the waste, a staggering 84% actually originates from back-of-house food preparation. FHS Saudi Arabia 2025 will showcase the ROI of sustainable practices, from financial returns to attracting and retaining talent. Expect insightful discussions on tackling food waste, a major area for improvement, with practical solutions for hotels. About The Bench The Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive. With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change. Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to FHS Africa (formerly AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight. The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections - it's about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow. Discover more at thebench.com. About FHS Saudi Arabia Dates: 11-13 May 2025 Location: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sponsors: Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh and Al Khozama Investment as Host Sponsors; Ministry of Tourism as Strategic Enabler; Taiba Investments as Founding Partner; Al Rajhi Bank, Amsa Hospitality, Elaf Group, NEOM, Red Sea Global, Rua Al Madinah, Saudi Icon, The Ascott, and Tourism Development Fund (TDF) as Strategic Partners; Accor, BWH Hotels, ClubMed, Marriott International, Radisson Hotel Group, Rotana, and Sommet Education as Headline Sponsors; Aleph Hospitality, ARC-IDC, Ark People Solutions, AtkinsRealis, CBRE, Compass Project Consulting, Domus Managed Housing, ELE|NA, H World International, Horwath HTL, IHCL, JLL, JT+P, Knight Frank, Louvre Hotels Group, Minor Hotels, Quo, Story Hospitality, STR, The First Group, United Hospitality Management, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Sponsors; Dusit International, Hospitality Chain Co, Hospitality Management Holding, Melia Hotels International, Neo Leap, Rove Hotels, Shaza Hotels, Sophos Hotels, Time Hotels, TV5Monde, Valor Hospitality Partners, and WhiteWater as Exhibitors. Anne Bleeker In2 Consulting +971 56 603 0886 The Bench UN Tourism joined with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Vietnam to host the First Conference on Tourism for Rural Development in the historic town of Hoi An. The event brought together government officials, international and regional financial institutions, development agencies, tourism professionals, rural community leaders, researchers and NGOs to explore policies and strategies to maximize the role of tourism in progressing development in rural areas. Empowering Communities Sessions spotlighted the power of tourism to create jobs, safeguard nature and cultural heritage, and promote social inclusion, with a focus on empowering local communities, women and youth. Key discussions included topics such as policy frameworks for rural tourism development, growing agriculture and tourism synergies to drive sustainability, market access and integration, innovative digital tools and funding mechanisms to support rural destinations, entrepreneurs and community-led initiatives. Opening the conference Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director, UN Tourism said: This landmark event has demonstrated the immense potential of tourism to transform rural communities. By placing people and planet at the center of our discussions, we have fostered meaningful connections and actionable strategies that will ripple across rural areas worldwide. Together, we have sown the seeds for a more inclusive and sustainable future. Le Thanh Long, Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, said: The Tourism for Rural Development Programme by UN Tourism is consistent with Viet Nam's development strategy and distinct potentials, competitive advantages, and outstanding opportunities with the orientation of rapid, sustainable development, green growth, digital transformation, and circular economy. Placing tourism on the rural development agenda The conference emphasized the importance of placing tourism firmly on the rural development agenda ensuring that it is fully integrated into funding for rural development and infrastructure planning. The event stressed the importance of partnerships across sectors to ensure tourism not only drives economic growth but also preserves cultural heritage and natural resources. The panels collectively aimed to explore transformative strategies for leveraging rural tourism as a driver of sustainable development. Discussions included crafting effective government policies, addressing infrastructure challenges, and fostering public-private partnerships to amplify local initiatives. Panelists from key organizations including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mekong Tourism, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and companies such as Fliggy, Intrepid Travel, Japan Travel Bureau (JTB), Meta, Planeterra, and Traveloka shared valuable insights on advancing rural tourism. They highlighted the critical role of sustainable tourism in fostering economic resilience, protecting cultural heritage, and creating equitable opportunities for rural communities. Media experts Carmen Roberts, TV Presenter and Travel Journalist, BBC Travel Show and Kanchan Nath, Senior Editor at Travel Daily Media shared their communication insights. Discussions provided key takeaways on integrating tourism with agriculture, ensuring inclusivity, and leveraging partnerships to drive long-term impact in rural destinations. Fliggy Partnership to Drive Rural Development During the event, UN Tourism and Fliggy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration on development of rural tourism. The partnership is designed to promote responsible tourism practices, foster technological innovation, and encourage knowledge exchange and capacity building. Key initiatives will include showcasing Best Tourism Villages, creating training programmes, and conducting joint research to support rural tourism. Best Tourism Villages Network Annual Meeting The conference also hosted the Second Annual Meeting of the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism Network, with 50 representatives from over 30 villages coming together in Viet Nam. Attendees reflected on the Network's achievements, assessed its current state, and discussed ways to improve planning, coordination, and ownership among the villages. A strategic framework was also adopted, outlining a clear path forward to strengthen and build on the Network's foundation. The Best Tourism Villages Network brings together the villages recognized as Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism as well as those in the Upgrade Programme. Related links About UN Tourism The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide. Our Priorities Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper. Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all. Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange. Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members' competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management. Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda. Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector. Our Structure Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members. Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly. Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism's 500 plus Affiliate members. UN Tourism Communications Department +34 91 567 8100 UN Tourism View source Key Takeaways Product and policy updates informed by Project Lighthouse have supported hundreds of thousands of bookings in the US over two years. Following these changes, the booking success rate has improved for all perceived racial groups since 2021, leading to more bookings for all. The largest booking success rate disparity in 2021, between guests perceived to be Black and guests perceived to be white, was cut almost in half. Airbnb got its start in 2007 as a way for our co-founders to make rent. Since then, over 5 million people have become Airbnb hosts, who have opened their doors to over 2 billion guests in nearly every country in the world. One billion of those guest arrivals took place in just the last three years. Were focused on making our platform better for everyone, and making it easier for guests to book a listing is an important part of this work. Over the last three years, we have taken a design-driven approach to improve the end-to-end experience on Airbnb and have made more than 535 updates to our service. Among these updates are data-informed changes weve made to make travel more open to all. In 2020, we began using a tool called Project Lighthouse, which was developed in partnership with leading civil rights and privacy organizations, to help us uncover and address potential disparities in how users of different perceived races may experience Airbnb.1 We shared the first data from Project Lighthouse in 2022. We are pleased to share that, thanks in part to changes informed by Project Lighthouse, booking success rates have improved for all perceived racial groups, reducing disparities between these groups, and supporting hundreds of thousands of bookings in the United States over the last two years. We want to make it easier for everyone to book an Airbnb, and this latest update shows that our data-driven approach is working. While the work continues, we are thankful for the guidance and feedback from our community and partners who have helped inform this important progress. Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-founder and CEO Airbnb has presented a powerful example of how to design products and build a community that is more welcoming for everyone. Its the right thing to do and its good for business. Laura W. Murphy, President of Laura Murphy & Associates Leaders of civil rights and data organizations weighed in on the release of the report. We commend Airbnbs unwavering commitment to making travel more accessible and open for all and the 2024 Project Lighthouse update is a significant step forward. We are proud to support initiatives like Project Lighthouse, which leverage data and collaboration to create meaningful change, foster belonging, and build a future where every traveler can feel welcomed, valued, and empowered. John Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice AAJC For years, Airbnbs Project Lighthouse has used data-informed insights to help ensure the platform is working fairly for all users. CDT is proud to partner with Airbnb and other civil society experts in this effort, which should be a model across the field. Alexandra Reeve Givens, President & CEO, Center for Democracy and Technology Airbnbs Project Lighthouse is a case study of what a responsible business should do to identify bias, prevent harm, and ensure fairness. When businesses treat every customer fairly, no matter their race, its good for everyone and their corporate bottom line. We look forward to continuing to engage with companies like Airbnb interested in committing to protect all users. Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights I am thrilled to see Airbnb turn promises into progress and continue to follow through on their commitment to fight discrimination on their platform. The positive data shows that its easier for everyone to book a listing and reflects the deep commitment from Airbnb to being an inclusive and accessible platform for everyone. Juan Proano, LULAC CEO The NAACP has and continues to pursue equitable experiences for all travelers and were proud to see our longstanding partner, Airbnb, illuminate the path forward through initiatives like Project Lighthouse. As a multinational corporation, Airbnb has fully embraced what it means to build and sustain a global community that eliminates any intentional or unintentional barriers for individuals to fully participate and we look forward to seeing the progress that this, and similar partnerships can accomplish. Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO Since 2016, Airbnb has taken steps to address inequities in the travel industry, focusing on combating discrimination and ensuring fair treatment for all users. Through Project Lighthouse, Airbnb has responsibly utilized data to uncover and address disparities, particularly impacting people of color on their platform. Ebonie Riley, SVP, Policy & Strategic Partnerships, for National Action Network Improving the booking success rate for everyone Two years ago, we released the first data from Project Lighthouse, measuring the rate at which guests in the US from different perceived racial groups have their reservations confirmed after they click Reserve. We call this the booking success rate.2 This data showed that booking success rates differed between guests perceived to be from communities of color and guests perceived to be white. We used Project Lighthouse to better understand the potential factors driving these disparities and implemented a series of platform and product interventions designed to help improve the booking success rates for everyone. Thanks in part to the changes outlined in our recent update, the booking success rate has improved for guests from all perceived racial groups, leading to more bookings for all: In 2023, all guests had a booking success rate above 94 percent, an increase for all groups since 2021. All groups now have a higher Booking Success Rate than the highest rate in 2021 and disparities between all groups were meaningfully reduced. The largest disparity in 2021, between guests perceived to be Black and guests perceived to be white, was cut almost in halfnarrowing from 2.7 percentage points to 1.4 percentage points. This work has supported hundreds of thousands of bookings in the United States over two years. These booking success rate improvements are the result of a number of factors, including initiatives to help make Instant Book accessible to more people and updates to help hosts respond to booking requests in a timely manner. Source: Airbnb We will continue working to improve booking success rates for all users and to foster a community where people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences can be successful and feel welcome. In addition to Project Lighthouse, we have a number of products, policies and programs designed to help us fight discrimination in all forms. This work includes strengthening our Nondiscrimination Policy and updates to make it easier for guests to receive reviews and build a positive reputation on Airbnb, among others. More information on these initiatives, as well as our ongoing work to help make travel more open to all, is available in our 2024 Project Lighthouse Update at this link. 1. Project Lighthouse is a privacy-centric methodology that utilizes a third partys review of a users first name and photo to determine the perceived race of eligible users in the United States. These perceptions are aggregated and the information cannot be connected back to a users profile. Project Lighthouse is focused on our community in the US. 2. The booking success rate is the rate at which US-based eligible guests from different perceived racial backgrounds successfully book an Airbnb listing, and includes both reservations made through Instant Book and Request to Book. About Airbnb Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way. About Airbnb.org Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform. Airbnb Press Airbnb Press Office Airbnb As a valued BLLA Vendor Partner, Hotels for Trees is playing a pivotal role in the boutique hospitality industrys ongoing shift toward sustainability. Edwin Schaerlaeckens, the Tree Planting Officer and Regional Manager for North America at Hotels for Trees, offers key insights into the trends shaping this transformation and how boutique hotels are leading the charge. Source: BLLA The Push for Sustainability in Response to Climate Change Sustainability has become more than just a buzzword in the boutique hospitality industryits a necessity, driven by the stark realities of climate change. With summer here, we have seen record high temperatures and heatwaves again in Europe, Asia, and the US, says Schaerlaeckens. He notes that many previously sought-after tourist destinations are now struggling with extreme heat, prompting both hoteliers and guests to rethink their travel habits. There is a growing awareness we need to curb this trend, and planting trees is a great, first easy step to do so. Boutique hotels are often at the forefront of taking action by implementing pragmatic improvements. This shift is being mirrored in guest expectations. More travelers are now prioritizing eco-friendly accommodations, which is where Hotels for Trees steps in with innovative solutions. Schaerlaeckens highlights their latest offering: Our latest concept offers guests that are booking online the option to plant a tree at check-out, next to existing choices such as selecting breakfast or a bottle of champagne. Its a minor expense but changes the guests perception of the hotel in a very positive way. Source: BLLA Meeting and Exceeding Guest Expectations Sustainability is naturally aligned with the values of boutique hotel guests, who often seek authentic, home-like experiences. Schaerlaeckens emphasizes that these guests are more than willing to forgo daily housekeeping in exchange for contributing to environmental conservation. The typical guest doesnt change towels and linens at home each day and is perfectly fine opting out of housekeeping as well, especially when theres a fun and thoughtful reward like planting a tree, he explains. This approach has resonated strongly within the boutique hotel sector, with 80%-85% of Hotels for Trees 220 partners being independent boutique properties. This trend reflects a broader shift in the industry, where sustainability is not just an add-on but an integral part of the guest experience. Innovation in Sustainability Practices Hotels for Trees partners are not just adopting sustainability practices; theyre innovating. Schaerlaeckens shares examples of how these hotels are creatively reducing their environmental impact. There are so many very creative ways our partner hotels have been innovative, in ways to save water and electricity usage, and reduce food waste and use of plastic, he says. He also points to the role of technology, particularly through their strategic partner MEWS, which helps hotels become more efficient with energy management systems like motion sensors for lights and limits on air conditioning usage. These measures, while beneficial for the planet, also contribute to significant cost savings, demonstrating that sustainability can be both eco-friendly and economically viable. Source: BLLA Educating and Empowering the Boutique Hospitality Sector Education is a cornerstone of Hotels for Trees mission. Schaerlaeckens underscores the importance of staying informed about the latest sustainability trends. Check out our website or follow us on social media outlets like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram; we frequently post updates, news, and articles and participate in podcasts and interviews as well, he advises. One notable initiative is their partnership with a hospitality university in the Netherlands, where a tree is planted for every graduating studentan effort they aim to replicate in the U.S. Additionally, their Meetings for Trees program, which plants a tree for every attendee at an event held at a partner hotel, offers a unique way to offset the environmental impact of business travel. Source: BLLA The Future of Sustainable Boutique Hospitality Looking ahead, Schaerlaeckens sees both challenges and opportunities for boutique hotels. We already are starting to see increased legislation and the introduction of fees and taxes on the hospitality industry; I believe we will continue to see more of that, he predicts. However, he also believes that boutique hotels are well-positioned to adapt. The trick, and the opportunity, is to stay ahead of the curve, and I believe boutique hotels are nimble and responsive enough to do so. As the industry approaches a tipping point where sustainability is no longer optional, Schaerlaeckens is optimistic about the role Hotels for Trees will play. Hotels for Trees will be there to help fund reforestation projects, together with our partners, he says, pointing to collaborations with organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation and One Tree Planted, which are spearheading large-scale tree-planting initiatives globally. As a BLLA Vendor Partner, Hotels for Trees exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking, impactful collaboration that is shaping the future of boutique hospitalitywhere sustainability is not just embraced but celebrated. About BLLA The official organization for the world's independent boutique lifestyle hotels and leaders who are entrepreneurs themselves, promoting capital, resources, connection, education, and advocacy. As a pioneer in forecasting the boutique movement, BLLA's boutique community currently extends to more than 10,000 verified boutique and lifestyle hotels. BLLA is a catalyst for trends and the future of the boutique lifestyle, exactly what today's traveler is embracing. BLLA.org / Stay-Boutique.com. BLLA is also a capital/partner matchmaker via its Boutique Money Group division. The corporate manifesto is: Experience the intention behind the brand. Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) BLLA View source Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street - Image Credit IHG Hotels & Resorts Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street - Image Credit IHG Hotels & Resorts Hotel Indigo, a part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, has expanded its presence in Japan with the opening of Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street on 13 December 2024. This marks Japan's fifth Hotel Indigo property and the first in the Kyushu region. The Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street is situated in the vibrant Minamiyamate area of Nagasaki, a locale known for its colorful and exotic atmosphere. The hotel has repurposed a 19th-century redbrick building, adding a unique dimension to the city's hotel landscape. The hotel's opening was marked by an "Open the Umbrella" ribbon-cutting ceremony, symbolizing its connection with Nagasaki's history and its readiness to step into the future. The ceremony featured local umbrellas decorated with Nagasaki-themed patterns, paying homage to Nagasaki, where Western-style umbrellas were first introduced in Japan. The hotel is close to several cultural landmarks, including the "Old Glover Residence," a World Heritage Site, and the national treasure "Oura Tenshudo." In line with Hotel Indigo's commitment to embracing local culture, the design of the 66 guestrooms and the hotel's lobby area is inspired by the town's lively atmosphere and history. The hotel's restaurant, Cathedreclat, is in a former cathedral with 10-meter-high ceilings and stained-glass windows. Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street embodies the "Wa-Ka-Ran Labyrinth" philosophy, which merges the individual uniqueness of Japan (Wa), China (Ka), and the Netherlands (Ran) to create a distinct cultural blend. This philosophy is evident throughout the city, from festivals to local clothing, sights, food, and the hotel's ambiance. Hotel Indigo is known for its unique properties, which draw inspiration from the local culture of their locations. The hotel brand operates 162 hotels worldwide and is the second-largest brand within IHG's Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio. Continuing its global expansion, Hotel Indigo is set to enter new markets in 2025, with properties in Palau and Auckland. Guests can take advantage of the IHG One Rewards program, which offers opportunities to earn and redeem points across IHG Hotels & Resorts. The Retired Investor: Is Mercantilism the Answer to Our Trade Imbalance? Mercantilism is often associated with Donald Trump's economic policies. Can reaching back into the past truly make America great again? That is up for debate. For those few of us familiar with the term, mercantilism was the dominant economic system in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries. It was a world where it was believed that global wealth was fixed and finite. To become powerful, a nation needed to acquire as much wealth as possible. Back then, a nation's wealth was measured by how much gold and silver it accumulated. If this period evokes visions of tall ships, the Spanish Main, and epic exchanges of cannon fire between Spanish galleys and English Sea Hawks, you wouldn't be far wrong. All nations strove to maximize their wealth by exporting more goods than they imported by any means possible. Those that could plundered far-flung lesser more undeveloped nations and carried back sugar, timber, cotton, cocoa, gold, minerals, and more. It was a period where many European countries raced and fought to establish colonies. The extraction of raw materials fed a rapidly growing manufacturing system at home. The end products were then sold back to the colonies in exchange for precious metals and more commodities. This resulted in a favorable trade balance under strict governmental control where sea-faring nations established protectionist policies such as tariffs, navigation acts, and quotas that limited imports while promoting domestic industries. It was a beggar-thy-neighbor approach to economic development. Exploiting others led to power at home, vast piles of gold and silver, continuous conflict among rival nations, and ultimately revolutions among colonies. Now that we have established the concept, fast forward to today. Is Trump truly a mercantilist in the traditional sense? Let's look at the tariff issue that occupies center stage and worries many economists. Trump argues that for decades various countries have taken advantage of America's goodwill in many areas from defense spending to trade balances. He has singled out China, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Germany, and others as targets of his tariff initiatives. There is no question that these countries have been running sizable bilateral current account surpluses with the U.S. for decades. Many of his critics forget that Trump is certainly not the first president to have complained about this situation. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and John F. Kennedy were just a few of our leaders who attempted but failed to balance the terms of trade between us and other nations. Given this background, one could argue that enough is enough and Trump's approach is long overdue. The question is whether it works in a mercantilist world where our trading partners can levy tariffs in response. Critics argue that a tit-for-tat response will only send global trade downward and the U.S. economy along with it. That could happen but it is far more likely that our partners will settle for buying more of our imports and selling us less of their exports in exchange for a tariff break. It happened in round one of the Trump administration and could happen again. Next week, I look at how Trump's brand of mercantilism is far different than what came before him. McCann Superintendent James Brosnan presents the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents' Certificate of Academic Excellence to senior Camryn Moran at Thursday's School Committee meeting. Jason and Olivia Moran join their daughter and Brosnan for a photo. The background is the video of Camryn Moran's speech at the opening of the HVAC building. PreviousNext McCann Senior Gets Superintendent Award; Committee Hears About Co-op Program Thomas Tinney shows the School Committee presentation used for prospective employers in the cooperative work program. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Senior Camryn Moran was presented with the Superintendent's Award at the Thursday meeting of the McCann School Committee. "When we have these students for the super Attendance Award. They are a standout," said Assistant Principal Keith Daigneault. "And they're a standout because they embody, they embody all of the things that we strive for our students to be." Moran, the daughter of Jason and Olivia Moran, has a grade-point average of 4.41 and has received a grade of A-plus in each of her classes. "And that is with our most rigorous course, every honors and AP class that you can jam into a schedule," said Daigneault. "She's a standout cross country runner, and she does volunteer work. She has done volunteer work for PopCares. She's done volunteer work for Kids lifting Kids. She's doing co-op at Williams College, is an Honor Society member." He read off a number of accolades from Moran's teachers, who said she had a "quiet confidence" in the classroom and "unwavering work ethic," that she was respectful and organized, dedicated, kind and helpful to peers and "not afraid to challenge herself." "We as educators always try to measure learning. Cam has mastered how to learn," wrote one teacher. Her computer-assisted design teacher Josh Meczywor credited her family for building a firm foundation for their daughter's success and the School Committee watched the speech she gave about her positive experience at McCann at the opening of the school's new HVAC building earlier this fall, giving her a round of applause. Superintendent James Brosnan said faculty had put her name forward when he asked for a student who could best represent McCann and that Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, who attended the event, had called him later to say how much she had impressed him. "She is an amazing young lady, and we are so grateful that you chose to join us here at McCann," said Daigneault. The committee also got an overview of the school's co-operative program from its coordinator Thomas Tinney. "[Employers] provide a vital role and are part of the final steps of our students' career in technical education,: he said. "The co-op program would not be possible without our number of dedicated participating employers." The program allows students in their final junior semester through their senior to work in their career fields at participating businesses. Currently 49, or 37 percent, of the 134 seniors are in co-op; this is lower than last year's 50 percent but Tinney noted this class is larger by 26 students. He anticipated it would catch up a little bit by spring. "They have an opportunity to apply their technical training and develop additional skills. They have a chance to test their career choice with real-world experience," Tinney said. "They can gain an awareness of the workplace atmosphere, develop confidence and maturity." For employers, he said, "it provides an efficient and cost-effective method of recruiting new employees." McCann students come in trained in safety practices and occupational skills, and with certifications in industry standards, such OSHA 10 or ServSafe. "It gives the employers the opportunity to provide input to the school on the industry trends, standards and training needs, and that a lot of times fall into place with our advisory board," said Tinney. "A lot of our members in the co-operative program are part of our advisory board, and if not, I try to recruit them when we get replacements." The program builds relationships between the technical school and local businesses and provides students with career pathways that often lead to jobs right out of graduation. Tinney said employers have spoken highly of the students' work ethic showing up on time and being appropriately dressed and how well they interview. The students are paid at least minimum wage (currently $15 an hour) but can earn more. Employers must provide at 30 hours of work related to their technical training. Tinney says ensures that's being met when he does walkthroughs of the job sites. "They have to keep an eye on how well students are doing, because this co-op experience replaces their shop experience. That's where their grade comes from," he said. Participating students must be in good standing with their academics and maintain them during the program; employers alert the school of openings and interested students have to go through an interview process like any applicant. In response to questions, Tinney said some students come back because feel they aren't getting the skills they need as the school oftentimes has more advanced equipment. He left the committee with a quote from Thomas O'Donnell, vice president of support services and facilities at Berkshire Medical Center about five McCann students from carpentry, culinary and electrical. "The five students have made a significant impact through their work ethic and professionalism. The collaboration between McCann and Berkshire Medical is a promising step toward preparing students for successful careers, benefiting both the students and the community." In other business, Brosnan said the district's fiscal 2024 audit had "no findings, no recommendations, a perfect audit, a perfect piece, control of our funds. You cannot ask for anything better than that." He and the committee credited Melanie Medon, district treasurer, for putting it all together. "This tells us that the stewardship and accounting accountability of our assets and our financial records are in very good hands, and you're to be commended for your continuous vigilance and making sure that everything here, if we can financially, is probably taken care of," said committee member William Craig. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy When moustachioed septuagenarian cowboy Sam Elliott turned his six shooters on Jane Campions Western drama The Power of the Dog recently, branding the film a piece of s***, his comments sent shockwaves through Hollywood. It wasnt just the fact that Elliott was unusually blunt in his criticisms, it was that working actors can usually be relied upon to abide by an industry-wide omerta when it comes to criticising other peoples work. A Quiet Places John Krasinski nicely summed up the prevailing attitude in a 2019 interview with the New York Times , recalling a moment when he made the faux pas of telling director Paul Thomas Anderson that a film hed recently seen was not a good movie. Anderson took Krasinski to one side and politely chastised him. Dont say that, he told him. Dont say that its not a good movie. If it wasnt for you, thats fine, but in our business, weve all got to support each other. Still, there have always been a few devil-may-care characters who decide to break ranks and tell us how they really feel. Here are 12 times when an actor has laid into a film, all guns blazing: Orson Welles on Rear Window: One of the worst movies Ive ever seen In 1983 Citizen Kane director and star Orson Welles recorded a series of candid conversations with his friend the director Henry Jaglom. He planned to use the tapes to write his autobiography, but tragically Welles died of a heart attack just days after their last meeting. His frank opinions eventually surfaced in Jagloms 2013 book My Lunches with Orson, which revealed Welles low opinion of stars like stupid Laurence Olivier and hateful Spencer Tracy. He reserved particular ire for Alfred Hitchcocks Rear Window. I saw one of the worst movies Ive ever seen the other night, said Welles of the 1954 classic. Complete insensitivity to what a story about voyeurism could be. Ill tell you what is astonishing. To discover that Jimmy Stewart can be a bad actor Even Grace Kelly is better than Jimmy, whos overacting. Alec Guinness on Star Wars: Second-hand, childish banalities When esteemed Shakespearian actor Alec Guinness first saw himself as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, he thought the film had a freshness, also a sense of moral good and fun. However, as the years went by he began to grow uneasy about the obsessiveness of its fans. In his 1999 memoir A Positively Final Appearance, Guinness recounted one such interaction, along with his withering assessment of the film itself. The bad penny first dropped in San Francisco, when a sweet-faced boy of 12 told me proudly that he had seen Star Wars over 100 times, Guinness wrote. His elegant mother nodded with approval. Looking into the boys eyes, I thought I detected little starshells of madness beginning to form, and I guessed that one day they would explode. Id love you to do something for me, I said. Anything, anything, the boy said rapturously. You wont like what Im going to ask you to do. Anything, sir, Anything. Well, do you think you could promise never to see Star Wars again? He burst into tears. His mother drew herself up to an immense height. What a dreadful thing to say to a child! she barked, and dragged the poor kid away. Maybe she was right, but I just hope the lad, now in his thirties, is not living in a fantasy world of second-hand, childish banalities. Tallulah Bankhead on All About Eve: Ill pull out every hair in her moustache Stage and screen actor Tallulah Bankhead is today perhaps best remembered as being the inspiration for Disneys Cruella De Vil, but it was another character rumoured to be based on her which sparked a famous feud: All About Eves aging Broadway star Margo Channing. Bankhead was in the running to play the role herself in the acclaimed 1950 drama, but eventually lost out to Bette Davis. If that wasnt bad enough, Bankhead became convinced that Davis had copied her hair, her voice and her exaggerated mannerisms. A guest on Bankheads NBC radio show The Big Show once asked if shed ever seen All About Eve, to which she drawled: Every morning when I brush my teeth. Of Davis she added: Dahling, just wait till I get my hands on that woman. Ill pull out every hair in her mustache, and quipped: If they ever make a film All About Me, Ill play it myself. Robert Duvall on The Shining and A Clockwork Orange: Terrible performances open image in gallery Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' didnt impress everyone ( Warner Bros ) In 2010, Apocalypse NowsRobert Duvall livened up an edition of The Hollywood Reporter s Actors roundtable by dropping napalm all over sacred cow Stanley Kubrick. To me, the great Stanley Kubrick was an actors enemy, he stated, going on to argue that his painstaking working process made it impossible for his actors to do their jobs. I can point to movies hes done, the worst performances Ive ever seen in movies: The Shining, A Clockwork Orange. Terrible performances. Maybe great movies, but theyre terrible performances. How does he know the difference between the first take and the seventieth take? I mean, what is that about? Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Michael Caine on Jaws: The Revenge: By all accounts it is terrible National treasure Caine has never had any qualms about revealing he took certain jobs purely for the money, once remarking: First of all, I choose the great roles, and if none of these come, I choose the mediocre ones, and if they dont come, I choose the ones that pay the rent. It was definitely a case of the latter when Caine appeared in 1987s Jaws: The Revenge, the fourth installment in the killer shark franchise. I have never seen itbut by all accounts it is terrible, noted Caine. However, I have seen the house that it built and it is terrific. Sean Penn on Con Air: Nic Cage is no longer an actor In the late Nineties, future war correspondent Sean Penn took umbrage at his former Racing with the Moon co-star Nicolas Cage, who Penn felt was selling his talent short by starring in so many big-budget action movies. Nic Cage is no longer an actor. Hes more like a performer, claimed Penn, and he was widely thought to be referring to Cages prison plane caper Con Air when he said : If theres anything more disgusting in the movie business its the whoredom of my peers. Its a guys arm coming out of the screen [and] jerking you off. I prefer to do it myself at home than have some guy contriving wet dreams for me. Burt Reynolds on Boogie Nights: It made me very uncomfortable Appearing on Conan OBriens talk show in 2018, Reynolds confirmed that hed turned down the role of porn impresario Jack Horner a full seven times before finally acquiescing to appear in Paul Thomas Andersons 1997 breakthrough Boogie Nights. He fired his agent shortly afterwards. He told OBrien that the subject matter made me very uncomfortable, and when asked by the host if it was true he hated the experience so much he wanted to hit Anderson in the face, Reynolds corrected him. No, I didnt want to hit him in the face, he said. I just wanted to hit him. Ricky Gervais on The Tourist: Everything this year was three-dimensional, except the characters in The Tourist. open image in gallery Ricky Gervais poked fun at Johnny Depp for his performance in The Tourist ( Paul Drinkwater/NBC/Getty Images ) While hosting the Golden Globes in 2011 Gervais took the opportunity to poke fun at many of the assembled A-listers, most notably Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie for their poorly received thriller. It was a big year for 3D movies Toy Story, Despicable Me, Tron seems like everything this year was three-dimensional, except the characters in The Tourist, cracked Gervais, to a muted response. I feel bad about that joke, he went on. Ill tell you why, because Im jumping on the bandwagon. I havent even seen The Tourist Who has? Brian Cox on Pirates of the Caribbean: Depp is so overblown Yet more criticism of Depp arrived earlier this year with the publication of Succession star Brian Coxs memoir. In Putting The Rabbit In The Hat, Cox revealed hed turned down the chance to play the Governor in Pirates of the Caribbean, a part which later went to Jonathan Pryce, and gave the films star the sort of dressing down Logan Roy would be proud of. Another thing with Pirates of the Caribbean is that its very much the Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow show, wrote Cox, and Depp, personable though Im sure he is, is so overblown, so overrated. I mean, Edward Scissorhands. Lets face it, if you come on with hands like that and pale, scarred-face make-up, you dont have to do anything. And he didnt. And subsequently, hes done even less. John Barrowman on Old: Utter s**** The films of M. Night Shyamalan can be an acquired taste, and its not one that Torchwood star Barrowman cares to indulge in. Last year he sparked a Twitter furore after telling his followers that not only did he not enjoy the directors thriller about a mysterious beach that makes people age, hed even gone as far as asking for his money back from the cinema. What a waste of money and an utter s**** movie, Barrowman wrote. We get the metaphors but we still got a refund! We were so disappointed. Dont waste your time or money going to see it. Peter Dinklage on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: F****** backwards open image in gallery Peter Dinklage criticised the decision to reboot Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ( Getty Images for The Gotham Film ) In a rare case of an actor taking aim at a film that hasnt even be made yet, earlier this year Dinklage told WTF podcast host Marc Maron that he couldnt believe Disney were forging ahead with a live-action version of Snow White with West Side Story breakout star Rachel Zegler in the titular role. Literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, but youre still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dinklage said. Youre progressive in one way, but then youre still making that f****** backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f*** are you doing, man? Sam Elliott on The Power of the Dog: That piece of s*** Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Indian actor Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday and later released on bail in connection with a stampede during a special screening of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule in the southern city of Hyderabad earlier this month. The stampede at Sandhya Theatre on 4 December left a woman named M Revathi dead and her child injured. Revathi, 39, was attending the screening with her husband M Bhaskar, their son, and their seven-year-old daughter. Arjun, 41, arrived at the theatre at around 9.30pm local time, entering through the main entrance and spending 15-20 minutes outside, NDTV reported. As news of his presence spread, hundreds of fans gathered to catch a glimpse, causing the gates to collapse. Attempts by his security team to push the crowd back reportedly only exacerbated the situation. Police filed a case against Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management, citing a lack of crowd control measures and charging them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt, Akshansh Yadav, deputy police commissioner, told The Indian Express. The Telugu language film actor approached the Telangana High Court on 11 December requesting the case be quashed. He was arrested before his plea could be heard on Friday afternoon. In the wake of Revathis death, the films producer, Mythri Movie Makers, expressed condolences and pledged support for her family. We are extremely heartbroken by the tragic incident during last nights screening, it said in a statement. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the young child undergoing medical treatment. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free We are committed to standing by them and extending all possible support during this difficult time. With deep sorrow. Arjun expressed grief over Revathis death and promised Rs 2,500,000 (23,300) to the victims family. He also promised to cover the medical expenses of the injured son. A very unfortunate incident took place at Sandhya cinema. We are extremely sorry for that, he said at a success party for the film on 7 December. When I heard about it on 5 December, I was in shock. It took me hours to process it and respond to the incident. I couldnt process it psychologically. It took me around 10 hours. We all blanked out when we heard the news. Sukumar [the director of Pushpa 2] got extremely emotional. Arjun reportedly complied with his arrest on Friday morning but told police he felt uncomfortable about them entering his bedroom without notice. The actor reportedly could not change or finish breakfast before being taken into police custody. His father, producer Allu Aravind, accompanied him to the local police station. After giving his statement, Arjun was driven to Osmania Hospital for a check-up and was scheduled to be presented in court later. Arjun is a recipient of several awards, including the prestigious National Film Award. He has starred in nearly 30 films, according to the Internet Movie Database, including Arya (2004), Desamuduru (2007), Arya 2 (2009), Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and its sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024). Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new Netflix film inspired by Die Hard has arrived on the platform just in time for Christmas, and critics are already buzzing. Netflix users wont be short of things to enjoy this festive season, with One Hundred Years of Solitude and No Good Deed already winning praise. Those after a bit more action during the Christmas period, though, might want to check out Carry-On, a new thriller from The Shallows director Jaume Collet-Serra starring Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman. The film sees Egerton play a transportation security agent (TSA), who is blackmailed by Batemans character into smuggling dangerous items onboard a flight on Christmas Eve. Written by TJ Fixman, the film was originally planned to be the first release as part of Netflixs deal with Steven Speilbergs Amblin production company but was delayed due to re-writes of the script. Carry-On also stars Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler and Logan Marshall-Green and has already received strong reviews from critics. In his review for The Wrap, William Bibbiani said: There are about two minutes in Carry-On that are as exciting as any other action movie this year, and about 100 minutes that are pretty fun too. Pramit Chatterjee in Digital Media Talkies wrote: Carry-On is the best Christmas movie of the year. Meanwhile, Nick Schager for The Daily Beast added: This breakneck Netflix offering confirms the enduring vitality of its chosen formulaand, in the process, proves an unexpected and welcome Yuletide streaming gift. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free open image in gallery Jason Bateman in Carry-On ( Netflix ) Speaking to the BBC, Collet-Serra said that the Bruce Willis classic had inspired the movie, adding: Everyone wants to make the next Die Hard and the reality is that no one ever will - its a perfect movie that cant be replicated, and also a very specific product of its time. But when I read the script for Carry-On, I felt like I had found a more grounded version of Die Hard - which was our North Star for the entire process - for a new generation. open image in gallery Bruce Williss John McClane crawls through the vents in Die Hard ( 20th Century Studios ) Elsewhere, if you are still unsure as to whether Die Hard is a Christmas film or not, director John McTiernan, addressed the debate in 2020. In a video for the American Film Institute, McTiernan mentions that he drew inspiration for the film from the moment in Frank Capras Christmas classic Its a Wonderful Life when Bedford Falls becomes Pottersville. We hadnt intended it to be a Christmas movie, but the joy that came from it is what turned it into a Christmas movie Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jude Law and director Nancy Meyers have teased fans of the festive classic The Holiday with a potential sequel, thanks to a candid video on Instagram. The Holiday, released in 2006, stars Law, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Cameron Diaz, in the feel-good rom-com which has quickly become a fan favourite in the years since its release. It focuses on two love-troubled women who swap homes, in London and Los Angeles, for the festive period and find new romance on the way. Law, 51, who is currently starring in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on Disney +, was the latest recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After the ceremony on Thursday (12 December), Law was joined for lunch with Meyers whose other credits include The Parent Trap, Somethings Gotta Give, The Intern, and Its Complicated. In a video shared on Meyerss Instagram, the 75-year-old writer and director tells the star that she hasnt seen him since they wrapped production on The Holiday, 18 years ago. She then asks him: Speaking of which, Ive seen you interviewed a lot, and they keep asking you, Is there gonna be a sequel? What do you think? In response, Law sighs and ponders Is there gonna be a sequel? He then proceeds to drape a napkin on his head and a pair of glasses, imitating a humourous scene from the movie. Laughing, Meyers then asks: Is that a yes, Jude? Fans were immediately excited at the prospect of a sequel. One person wrote: The pitter patter my heart just did Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Another said: PLEASE DO IT AND USE MY COTTAGE!! A third joked: Just casually breaking the internet. A fourth added: The scream I just scrumpt (yes I made that word up lol). In 2022, Meyers and Winslet both debunked claims that a sequel to the film had been given the green light. Way back in 2014, Law was asked by Glamour magazine whether hed be keen for a follow-up to the popular film. Thats a good idea, absolutely, he said. The girls (his character Grahams adorable daughters) will be grown up. Oh my goodness, theyll be like teenagers! Miffy (Englefield) was such a sweet little girl. Cameron Diaz and Jude Law in The Holiday ( Zade Rosenthal/Columbia Pictures ) In November, Law accidentally revealed a behind-the-scenes secret from the holiday film about the cottage, which is central to his and Diazs story. When appearing on BBC Radio 2, a host asked him: You think we could Airbnb that cottage? Unfortunately, Law replied: That cottage doesnt exist. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Netflix has reportedly been scaling back its progressive parental leave policy. Once touted as one of the most generous family policies in corporate America, Netflix began offering unlimited parental leave to employees during the first year of their childs birth in 2015. However, a new report in the Wall Street Journal suggests the streaming giant has been walking back its policy over the past few years. Netflix has expanded rapidly, now boasting roughly 14,000 employees a more-than-60 percent jump from before the Covid-19 pandemic. The company has since removed the freedom and responsibility section of its founding culture memo, according to the WSJ. As a result, current and former employees say the unlimited parental leave policy is no longer a priority for the company. Netflix always had a different approach than other companies in that they said its important for employees to be with their babies, Clara Guimaraes, a former Brazil-based production employee for Netflix, told the WSJ. Now it feels like its more about the business needs. Wall Street Journal says Netflix is walking back its unlimited parental leave policy offered to employees during the first year of their childs birth ( Netflix ) In October, Netflix removed information from the workplace culture section on its website that previously stated new parents generally take 4-8 months off for parental leave. In its place, the company didnt specifically note a company-wide number of months for parental leave. Instead, it encouraged employees to confer with their managers before taking time off. While Netflixs internal benefits page maintained that salaried employees can take parental leave within the first year of their childs life or adoption, according to the WSJ, it didnt specify a length of time. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which applies to companies with at least 50 employees, requires employers to offer up to 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave. In some states New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Colorado, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C. employers are required to offer 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Guimaraes told the WSJ that the ambiguous language on how much time employees are actually allowed to take for parental leave can impact how long people feel comfortable taking. In 2022, some workers reportedly expressed concerns that it appeared Netflix was targeting employees on parental leave or returning from parental leave by laying them off from the company. Former employee Becca Leckie, who had been with Netflix for more than five years, was laid off from the streamer the day before she was to return from a six-month maternity leave. In a since-deleted LinkedIn post seen by the WSJ, Leckie said she had joined Netflix in large part because of its generous parental leave policy. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Another employee claimed that when he told his manager that his partner was expecting, the manager allegedly said: Youre not taking a year are you? The employees job was reportedly eliminated in a reorganization this year, shortly before he returned from a six-month paternity leave. In a statement to The Independent, a Netflix spokesperson said that its parental leave policy has always been to take care of your child and yourself, and explained that employees have the freedom, flexibility and responsibility to determine what is best for them and their family. A spokesperson also maintained that, after an analysis, only a small percentage of those impacted by layoffs at Netflix were on parental leave. We have not pulled back on our parental leave policy, said Sergio Ezama, chief talent officer, in a statement. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy If youre an easily offended p****, dont worry, nobody wants to f*** you up, runs the flight attendant-style announcement at the beginning of Missionary, Dr Dre and Snoop Doggs first full-length album in just over 30 years. The announcement goes on to suggest that those likely to be upset by Snoops unrepentant gangsta s*** should exit the album. Everybody else should recline their seats and be prepared to soak up 15 tracks of the OG, G-Funk duo on their finest form, as Dre shuffles one cool groove after another and Snoops smooth flow glides and curls over the deck like smoke. The last time the pair worked together on an album was on their era-defining Doggystyle (1993). It was a record that defined the West Coast rap sound, with Dre mixing the soul of live musicians with classic samples, while piling on the tension with slick hooks. Lyrically, the album was dominated by sexist gangsta braggadocio, with Snoop spitting playfully delivered but unabashed bars about guns, cars, drugs and pimping hoes. When he was interviewed by The Guardian in 2011, Snoop said he didnt regret the misogyny of his lyrics, even when challenged with the 2004 line, You got to put that bitch in her place / Even if its slapping her in the face. Married to his childhood sweetheart for decades, he did admit that having a daughter had altered his attitude to women, who he conceded were becoming more empowered. Missionary still finds Snoop (now 53) referring to women (but probably also men) as b****es and rapping about murders and marijuana. He sounds more energised than he has in years, and theres a compelling spring in the vocal step with which he prowls through Dres delectably crafted sonic cityscapes, giving props to the producer whos got the melodies for the felonies. Snoop has said that while other producers (including Pharrell) tend to bow to his star power, Dre pushes him for perfection Dre keeps the textures shifting with a casino dealers dexterity. The guest list is fun too, with everyone from Jelly Roll to Sting, Eminem and 50 Cent popping in for some mic-time. Outta Da Blue is driven by a raw piano hook and a cowbell (look out for samples of Lisa Stansfield and The Clash). Hard Knocks is pure Dre drama, building from an organ riff and low-rise beat to tell a murky tale of a cold case with rhyming clues: Alleyway/ Saturday/ DA / Matinee/ Watch me smoke a bag a day. open image in gallery Dr Dre (left) performing with Mary J Blige, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent at the 2022 Super Bowl ( AP ) Another Part of Me bounces from the sloshing hook of The Polices Message in a Bottle with the additional falsetto scratch of Stings backing vocal. Sticcy Situation finds Cocoa Sarai sing-rapping to the tune of Suzanne Vegas Toms Diner. Theres a wicked harmonica breezing over an acoustic guitar on Last Dance with Mary Jane (on which Snoop assures us hes never giving up his weed); tangy Middle Eastern strings on Pressure; parping brass and swooping soul strings on The Negotiator. Its relentlessly interesting a cleverly crafted new noise around every corner. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Conan OBrien has tragically lost both his mother and father in the same week. The beloved comedians father, Dr. Thomas OBrien, died Monday (December 9) at his home in Boston at the age of 95. His death, according to the Boston Globe, came after his health had been failing. Thomass wife of 66 years, Ruth Reardon OBrien, died Thursday (December 12), aged 92. Speaking to the newspaper about his father, OBrien recalled: My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everything absolutely everything. Thomas was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1929. He later attended the College of the Holy Cross, where he earned a bachelors degree in classics. While there, he befriended two classmates who were brothers of Ruth, whom he met one day when he visited the family home. They got married in 1958. After graduating from the College of Holy Cross in 1950, Thomas went to Harvard Medical School before completing his residency at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. He served two years in the Army Medical Corps in San Antonio, Texas. Thomas then returned to Harvard Medical School, where he spent most of his medical career. He also worked at Brigham and Womens Hospital, becoming the institutions first director of the infectious diseases division. Conan OBriens parents died in the same week at the ages of 95 and 92 ( Getty ) He continued to work at both Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens for more than 60 years, working as an associate professor at the former. He eventually retired in 2019 at the age of 90. Meanwhile, Ruth also born and raised in Worcester had a separate and equally successful career in law. A graduate of Vassar College and Yale Law School, she was one of only four women in her law school class. From 1956 to 1957, she was a law clerk for The Honorable Raymond Wilkins, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. For the rest of her career, she worked as a Boston real estate attorney at Ropes & Gray and, in 1978, became the second woman to become a partner at the firm. Thomas and Ruth raised their six children in Brookline. Thomas had a love of comedy he watched late-night talk shows throughout his medical residency and introduced his children to comedy classics, including Charlie Chaplin and Marx Brothers movies. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free He was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself, OBrien, who will make his Oscar hosting debut at the 2025 ceremony, told the Boston Globe. Along with OBrien, Ruth and Thomas shared five other children: Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke. They are also survived by nine grandchildren: Neve, Beckett, Paget, Eamonn, Declan, Grace, Irene, Finn, and Caitlin, as well as 15 nieces and nephews. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Dean McCullough is set to confront his former campmate and BBC Radio colleague Melvin Odoom for critical comments he made about him on Im a Celebrity. The Irish radio host, 32, was called out by fellow contestants for what appeared to be a tendency to avoid doing chores. In one episode Odoom said that their water duties had been a lone man situation for him as McCullough is very good at disappearing whenever theres work to do. After Odoom encouraged McCullough to continue fetching water and the camp advised him to adopt a positive attitude, he replied: Look, no beef, no drama, I just hate my job. Keeping the conversation friendly, Odoom joked back: Listen, your new name is Houdini because you like to disappear. In another scene, he is seen likening McCullough to a dirty teenager. Odoom wasnt alone in his comments, with King of the Jungle Danny Jones quipping Just get on with it to McCullough, and even presenter Ant McPartlin being forced to apologise after becoming impatient with his Bushtucker Trial performances. However, in an episode of Im a Celebs Coming Out show on Friday (13 December), McCullough singles out Odoom for his comments, according to The Sun. I saw Bush Telegraphs of you saying, Oh, its another chore to ask Dean to do the chores, he said. McCullough did not find Odooms Houdini joke funny ( ITV/Im a Celeb ) Odoom reasoned that his Houdini joke was a way of gently getting him to help. Me calling you Houdini was my way of telling you I need help, he replied. When we said, Lets do the water, I came up the steps and you were having a shower, when I came down you were folding your clothes by the bed, by the time I said, Houdini that was me saying, I need help. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free But McCullough was not assuaged and still resentful as he insisted that Odoom should have addressed him personally rather than making the joke. The pair have worked together at the BBC in their respective radio hosting duties. The feud comes after they had agreed to have each others back in the jungle, a promise that McCullough broke unceremoniously as soon as he landed in Australia, by grabbing Coleen Rooney to pair up with as the show started instead. McCullough was voted to do six Bushtucker trials by the public during his time and was the second celebrity voted off after a series of poor performances. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Although they played a group of close pals on the show, the cast of Friends didnt hit it off straight away according to Lisa Kudrow. The 61-year-old actor spoke about the popularity of the comedy sitcom thirty years after it was first released in an interview with Dax Shephard on the Armchair Expert podcast. The show, created by Marta Kauffman, first aired in 1994 and ran for ten seasons and 236 episodes until its finale in 2004. Friends became a cultural phenomenon, particularly among the millennial generation, who followed the lives of its stars as closely in real life as they did on TV. It starred David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courtney Cox, Matthew Perry, and Kudrow. But Kudrow, who played quirky and eccentric Phoebe Buffay, said that the off-screen friendship that ensued came with a lot of effort. She said the team worked hard at being friends, adding If someone said something or did something, it didnt get too big because it was, Can I talk to you? Although, true to her awkward on-screen nature, Kudrow said it was usually not her who would start the conversation as she never knew that was allowed at the time. I had to learn to be like, Can I talk to you about something? she explained. open image in gallery Friends celebrated its 30 year anniversary this year ( NBC/Friends ) Kudrow also touched on the death of Matthew Perry last year. The actor, who played sarcastic accountant Chandler Bing on the show, died of the acute effects of ketamine aged 54. This will sound odd, Kudrow said about the death. Im more comforted that he was happy the day he died. He got to die happy. And to me, that was a gift. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free open image in gallery Kudrow played the eccentric Phoebe Buffay ( AFP via Getty Images ) Although Shephard approached the subject of Perrys struggles with addiction, Kudrow said I loved that Matthew I first met and the one at the end, because God love him, this is you, and I love you. I understand, and so did he. Since his death, the authorities have been working to understand how Perry got ahold of the drug, which is legal and usually used as an anaesthetic but can be abused when used recreationally. Five people, including two doctors, were charged with his death earlier this year. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Malcolm in the Middle is the latest beloved television show to receive the revival treatment. According to Variety, the sitcom created by Linwood Boomer will be rebooted at Disney+ with original stars Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek set to reprise their roles. Malcolm (Muniz) and his daughter are drawn into the familys chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party, the description for the reboot reads. While a premiere date has yet to be revealed, the streaming platform has ordered four new episodes of the revived series. Malcolm in the Middle is a landmark sitcom that captured the essence of family life with humor, heart and relatability, Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, told Variety. Its hilarious and heartfelt portrayal of a lovably chaotic family resonated with audiences of all ages, and were so excited to welcome the original cast back to bring that magic to life again. Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, and Bryan Cranston in Malcolm in the Middle' ( Saeed Adyani/20th Century Fox Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock ) With Linwood Boomer and the creative team at the helm, these new episodes will have all the laughs, pranks, and mayhem fans loved along with a few surprises that remind us why this show is so timeless. Malcolm in the Middle aired on Fox from 2000 to 2006 for seven seasons. The original cast featured Muniz, Cranston, Kaczmarek, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan, and Christopher Masterson. The single-camera comedy series focused on Malcolm, a child prodigy, and his dysfunctional working class family. Over the course of seven seasons, Malcolm in the Middle earned seven Emmy Awards out of its 33 nominations. Malcolm in the Middle literally changed the face of the television comedy landscape when it premiered two decades ago, redefining what the genre could be, said Karey Burke, president of 20th Television. When Linwood Boomer suggested it might be time to bring everyones favorite dysfunctional family back for a bit of a reunion, we couldnt think of a more iconic and influential series to revisit, along with a truly brilliant cast to reunite. Boomer, who created the original series, will return as writer and executive producer. Breaking Bad star Cranston will also serve as executive producer. Malcolm in the Middle is just the latest series set to return to TV screens. Last week, it was announced that a reboot of Scrubs, the hit US medical sitcom, was officially underway following production challenges. The shows creator Bill Lawrence was under an exclusive deal with Warner Bros TV, while Scrubs is produced by Disneys 20th Television. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free New reports suggest that Lawrence is currently developing the show with ABC Studios, according to Variety. In October, he provided an exciting update, hinting that the show was really close to being figured out. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Netflixs newest comedy, No Good Deed, has failed to impress critics despite its star-studded ensemble featuring Lisa Kudrow, Ray Romano, and Linda Cardellini. The eight-episode series, which was released on Thursday (December 12), follows a couple played by Kudrow and Romano who list their ritzy Los Angeles 1920s Spanish-style villa on the market in hopes of starting a new life. The listing immediately attracts multiple families interested in the property, convinced that the idyllic home will solve all their problems. However, the couple are forced to keep hidden the dangerous secrets that linger in the home if they have any hopes of selling it. No Good Deed also features Broad Citys Abbi Jacobson, Hacks breakout Poppy Liu, comedian Matt Rogers, Legally Blonde star Luke Wilson, and Rescue Mes Denis Leary. But even with an impressive cast, the new series from Dead to Me creator Liz Feldman has faced a lukewarm reception in early reviews, with TVLine describing it as flimsy and shaky. Kudrow has been singled out for her performance as Lydia Morgan, with The Guardians Rebecca Nicholson writing that the Friends alum carries this twisty, binge-worthy mystery. Carol Midgley of The Times agreed, going so far as to say that Kudrow saves this comedy. Lisa Kudrow has been praised for carrying Netflixs flimsy new comedy No Good Deed ( SAEED ADYANI/Netflix ) Kudrow shows her talent for doing both the light and the very dark, and that she is more than capable of holding the screen alone, she wrote of the actor. Varietys Alison Herman found the shows overreliance on twists to be counterproductive. However, in the parlance of its central industry, once the eight-episode season settles into its story, one can appreciate the good bones beneath all the unnecessary fixtures, she added. Meanwhile, Saloni Gajjar was stronger with her criticism of the show, writing for the AV Club that No Good Deed isn't worth the investment. While the series is at first glance promising, she argues that it slowly falls apart because its gasp pretty boring, with half-baked scripts, a lack of suspense, disjointed arcs that align too late, and surface-level character development. As for the comedys ending, the Los Angeles Timess Robert Lloyd said that it felt like the show runs out of breath. After the main mysteries reach their climax, the series jumps forward six months to an ending so tidy and generous and sentimental that it verges on parody, he said. No Good Deed is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Filmmaking legend Quentin Tarantino has controversially labeled Taylor Sheridans hit Western series Yellowstone a soap opera. The Kill Bill director, 61, made the observation during a recent appearance on the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast while speaking about the current state of television. Everyone talks about how great television is now. And its pretty good, I gotta say, Tarantino said. But its still television to me. Whats the difference between television and a good movie? Because a lot of TV now has the patina of a movie. Theyre using cinematic language to get you caught up in it. The Oscar-winning director used Sheridans five-season drama as an example of how television will never be as effective as movies. I didnt really get around to watching Yellowstone the first three years or so. Then I watch the first season and Im like Wow, this is f***ing great! Ive always been a big Kevin Costner fan, hes f***ing wonderful in this. And I get really caught up in the show, Im having a great time watching. And the first season, Im kind of talking like, Oh, this is like a big movie, he said. While Im watching it, Im compelled. But at the end of the day its just a soap opera, Tarantino explained, sharing how he felt there was no climax instead, in theory, storylines could go on and on. They introduce you to a bunch of characters, you learn their backstories, you know everybodys connection with everyone else and then everything else is just your connection to the soap opera, he continued. Quentin Tarantino argued that TV will never be as effective as movies ( Getty Images / Paramount Network ) Ill see a good Western movie and Ill remember it the rest of my life. Ill remember the story, Ill remember this scene or that scene. It built to an emotional climax of some degree, he said. Theres a payoff to it. But theres not a payoff on this stuff, Tarantino argued. Theres just more interconnectional drama. And while Im watching it, thats good enough. But when its over I dont remember any of the details of it. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free While the Inglourious Basterds helmer is best known for his long list of acclaimed movies, he has, in fact, directed a handful of TV episodes, including a single 1995 installment of ER and two 2005 episodes of CSI: Criminal Scene Investigation. Tarantino was also working on his debut TV series Bounty Law, which would be an expansion of his Once Upon a Time in Hollywood... universe. However, in 2021, he confirmed that the pandemic had delayed the production and admitted he didnt know what would come of the project. I have those episodes written, he told Deadline at the time. Sony, with Tom Rothman said, Well make that show if you want to do it. It will probably be in a couple years from now, so well see. The series is based on Jake Cahill, the movie role played by Leonardo DiCaprios character Rick Dalton in the 2019 Oscar-nominated Once Upon a Time in Hollywood... Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Yellowstone star Luke Grimes has revealed that the departure of Kevin Costner made the final installment of the hit Western show the easiest season weve filmed. Costners time on Taylor Sheridans series ended in controversy following reports the actor had quit as he wanted to make his own Western franchise Horizon An American Saga instead. His character, Dutton family patriarch John Dutton III, was recently killed off in the second part of the fifth and final season. Speaking to Esquire, Grimes who plays Johns son Kayce Dutton said: Hopefully everyone can see that it was time. He continued: To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone. Obviously, it didnt make it super fun to be around. Not pointing any fingers, but it was actually the easiest season weve filmed. Grimes also said he felt Sheridan had given his character a satisfactory ending, adding: It feels like good timing. Seven years is a long time to do anything, and I had never played a character for more than a few months before. Yellowstone stars Luke Grimes and Kevin Costner ( Getty ) Ive loved all of it. But there is a part of it that once you read those final episodes sees that theres a finality to it. The shows finale is set to air this Sunday, December 15 on the Paramount network. While Yellowstone will be coming to an end, Sheridan isnt done with Montana. He recently announced that Michelle Pfeiffer is set to lead the forthcoming Yellowstone sequel series, The Madison. The new series will follow a family of New Yorkers who relocate to the Madison River valley in central Montana. It is set to deal with themes of grief and human connection. A release date for The Madison has not yet been announced. Earlier this year, Grimes told The Independent he was frustrated by the politicization of Yellowstone. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free I think a lot of people see a cowboy hat and a horse and they think, Oh, thats not for me, those people believe differently, he said. And its almost like they take these flawed characters in the show and chalk it up to some sort of weird belief that theyve put on them. Meanwhile, you can have a terrible person like [Successions] Logan Roy, who lives in an apartment in Manhattan, and thats fine. That guys a total piece of s***! But thats OK. Its so funny to me because I just dont understand why that has to immediately equal some political belief. And I dont think it does. Xi receives credentials of 28 new foreign ambassadors 13:54, December 13, 2024 By Zhao Jia ( China Daily President Xi Jinping delivers a speech on Thursday addressing new ambassadors to China after they presented their credentials to him at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Ding Haitao/Xinhua) President Xi Jinping received the credentials on Thursday of 28 new ambassadors to China, expressing the hope that the envoys would actively promote exchanges, enhance cooperation and strengthen the bonds of friendship between China and the world. In his speech to the ambassadors, Xi encouraged them to visit various places in China and listen to the voices of the Chinese people to fully understand the nation's past, present and future. It is hoped that the envoys will objectively present China's image and showcase its development path and direction forward, he said. Noting that Chinese modernization is not for self-interest, Xi said the country is willing to share development opportunities with other countries and work together to achieve the modernization of all countries, featuring peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity. President Xi Jinping delivers a speech on Thursday addressing new ambassadors to China after they presented their credentials to him at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Ding Haitao/Xinhua) He emphasized that major challenges and crises such as geopolitical conflicts and unilateral acts require urgent actions of all countries, and he called on nations to strengthen unity and cooperation and rally to safeguard world peace and development. As a stable, positive and progressive force in the international community, Xi reaffirmed China's commitment to following a path of peaceful development. China will always champion an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and pursue the common values of humanity to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, he added. President Xi Jinping delivers a speech on Thursday addressing new ambassadors to China after they presented their credentials to him at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Ding Haitao/Xinhua) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Videos on the internet depicting the beauty and perils of the Ailao Mountains, the once-hidden range in Yunnan province, have piqued a wave of curiosity in recent months. The topic A bird numbering only 1,000 worldwide observed in the Ailao Mountains on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo drew many readers. The white-eared night heron is hard to spot because of its small population and secretive habits, said Zhao Xuebing, a lecturer at Yunnan Universitys School of Ecology and Environmental Science. The bird, classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, has been given top-level protection by the Chinese government. The Ailao Mountains, in central Yunnan, extend about 310 miles from northwest to southeast. The range is home to Chinas largest, least disturbed, and most intact subtropical montane wet evergreen broad-leaved forest ecosystem. This pristine environment is a home for many lesser-known creatures. Many are rare and endangered animals, including the western black-crested gibbon, the clouded leopard and the green peafowl. White-eared night heron ( ZHAO XUEBING / FOR CHINA DAILY ) There are estimated to be just 1,000 white-eared night herons in the wild. In early October one was found at the Jinshan Yakou Xinping bird banding and monitoring station in the Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve. One of the most elusive members of the heron family, it breeds in southern and central China and in autumn migrates to the China-Myanmar border and Southeast Asia. The first discovery of the bird in the Ailao Mountains was in 2006, said Zhao, who is also the secretary-general of the Kunming Birdwatching Association. After many years of silence, since 2021 it has been found here four years in a row, indicating that its numbers have reached a certain size. Over the past 20 years Zhao, whose main research interest is nocturnal bird migration, has visited the Ailao Mountains many times from September to November. On each visit he spends more than a month working with station staff and his colleagues on bird banding and research. The Ailao Mountains are an important corridor for migratory birds, he said. The birds gather in lower passes in the mountain range to fly through. The Jinshan Yakou Xinping banding station and Jinshan Yakou Zhenyuan banding station, where Zhao works, are on either side of a ridge at the border of Xinping county in Yuxi and Zhenyuan county in Puer, with an average altitude of 7,900 feet. According to the stations records, more than 200 species of migratory birds appear in that area each year. To protect the Ailao Mountains, many national, provincial, prefecture-level and county-level nature reserves have been established within its expanse. Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve, in the central and northern parts of the range, protects rare and endangered plants and animal resources and their habitats. It spans five counties and county-level cities. It is home to 86 species of mammals, 65 species of amphibians and reptiles and 430 species of birds. Among them, 35 species are listed as national first- and second-class protected wild animals. They include the western black-crested gibbon, the gray langur, the stump-tailed macaque, the clouded leopard, the black bear, the green peafowl and the black-necked long-tailed pheasant. Wu Fei, an associate researcher in ornithology at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said he is most concerned about the endangered green peafowl. The green peafowl, measuring 70 to 90 inches in length, is the only native peafowl species in China and the largest of the countrys wild pheasants. The males, having bright blue-green plumage with a crest of feathers on their heads, look robust and extraordinarily ornate. Deep within the Ailao Mountains, in Shuangbai county of Chuxiong, a prefecture-level nature reserve named Konglong River was established in 2003 to protect the green peafowl. As a flagship species, protecting the green peafowl also safeguards the river valley habitat and many other rare and endangered species within the original habitat, said Wu. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of the river valley ecosystem. A dangling, moon-shaped feeding device for playful cubs to cling to; a geometric structure of interconnected triangles to hold honey; and a pair of nut-filled cylinder tubes wrapped in wool yarn these are the toys designed for moon bears, named for the crescent-shaped white marking on their chest. The toys were handmade by Chinese students aged 10 to 17 back in 2011, before they were sent to a moon bear protection centre in Chengdu, Sichuan province. With this work for mine comes my sincere wish that the bears, who themselves had endured human cruelty, would be able to recover physically and mentally, and live in love and in peace, wrote Li Zhao, one of the students who made the toys back then, explaining her design idea on paper. She was referring to the highly controversial practice of bear-bile farming, which involves extracting bile from captive bears through invasive methods. In 2011, Lis design won first prize in a designing-for-moon bear competition, one of the organisers of which is the Beijing branch of Roots and Shoots, a youth-led community action programme launched two decades earlier by the internationally renowned primatologist Jane Goodall. Many young people who were with us have later gone on to take leadership roles in Chinas ongoing effort to balance development with environmental protection, said Goodall, who visited Beijing from 30 November to 5 December. Her groundbreaking research into chimpanzees has transformed the human perception of both apes and themselves. Jiang Yan, 62, joined the Beijing office in 2006 and has met Goodall for the 10th time. At 90, shes here to celebrate with us the China programmes 30th anniversary, and to show to people that when one is immersed in something one truly loves, theres no such a thing as retiring, Jiang said. No more than two hours after Goodalls arrival in Beijing, she was in the China Science and Technology Museum collecting stories from young followers from the Roots and Shoots programme who had come from all over the country. Goodall with youth participants of the Roots and Shoots programme at Beijings Olympic Forest Park in 2010 ( PROVIDED BY ROOTS AND SHOOTS BEIJING ) One team that won a Persistence Award on 30 November hails from Qingdao, a coastal city in East Chinas Shandong province. Since their inception under Roots and Shoots, the team now boasting over 1,000 members has engaged in a wide range of projects, from mapping the regions water resources to protecting the endangered finless porpoise inhabiting the bays of Chinas Yellow Sea. The award-winning project involves collaboration between high school and university students and local fishermen an example of the community-based conservation that Goodall has always championed. Anyone who wants to join our programme can do so by forming a team with like-minded friends and neighbours. Our role is mainly supportive: We provide the resources, guidance, and platform the young people need to bring their visions to life, Jiang said. Writing in an article on 4 June, 2017, one day before World Environment Day, Goodall recalled her China experiences which started with her first visit to the country in 1998, and four years after the Roots and Shoots programme was brought to China by a Canadian friend of hers. In the article, Goodall recalled her conversations with George Schaller of the World Wildlife Fund, the first Western scientist invited by the Chinese government to work at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan province, which is home to the giant panda. When he left (in the 1980s), he told me he was pessimistic about the future of the iconic animal in the wild, wrote Goodall. A few thousand words later, Goodall readers got an update: The situation regarding wild pandas has improved to the extent that it is now classified as vulnerable rather than endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, she wrote. Im told that Schaller commented how glad he was that things had tuned out so much better than he had predicted. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy China on Friday broke its silence on days of heightened military activity around the island of Taiwan, saying it was up to Beijing to decide whether to hold drills. An alarmed Taiwan this week established a "response centre" to monitor the Chinese drills close to the self-governed island after Beijing deployed its largest naval fleet in nearly three decades to the waters around the island. Taiwan on Friday said nine Chinese coastguard vessels had sailed away, apparently marking an end to drills that simulated a blockadem with one string of ships off the island and a second one farther out at sea. When questioned about the drills, China's defence ministry spokesperson responded with a quote from Sun Tzus The Art of War, an ancient Chinese text on military strategy. open image in gallery A Taiwanese coast guard ship (R) monitoring a Chinese coast guard ship ( TAIWAN COAST GUARD/AFP via Getty ) Wu Qian quoted: Just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He added: Whether or not to hold exercises and when to hold them is a matter for us to decide on our own according to our own needs and the situation of the struggle. China deployed around 90 navy and coast guard ships around the island at a time when Taiwans president Lai Ching-te went on a diplomatic tour that included stops in the US. Taiwans foreign ministry on Wednesday demanded Bejing immediately stop military intimidation and all irrational activities that endangered regional stability. Beijing maintains that Taiwan is a breakaway province and routinely conducts exercises around the island. China has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. open image in gallery A Taiwanese coast guard ship monitors a Chinese military vessel near Taiwan ( TAIWAN COAST GUARD/AFP via Getty ) Beijing has over the past four years carried out a variety of simulated attacks on the island, from missile bombardment to sea and air blockades. Chinas silence on its military activity this week was in stark contrast with previous drills around Taiwan, which are usually reported by state media with dramatic graphics and images and seen as a public show of force directed at the islands government. The Chinese spokesperson did not explicitly refer to this weeks activity as drills, but said: "Safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and the common interests of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait are the (military's) sacred duties. "No matter whether it holds exercises, the People's Liberation Army will not be absent or soft-hearted when it comes to striking down (Taiwanese) 'independence' and pushing for unification," he said. Taiwans defence ministry on Friday said it had only spotted 12 Chinese military aircraft operating nearby in the past 24 hours, down from 34 reported the previous day. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Incoming US president Donald Trump has addressed the presence of North Korean troops on Russias frontline with Ukraine, but stopped short of denouncing Pyongyang. Instead, he pointed to his friendship with Kim Jong Un even though the North Korean government recently rebuked him publicly for flaunting their supposedly close relationship during the US presidential campaign. Mr Trump said North Korean soldiers getting involved in the Ukraine war was a very complicating factor. When North Korea gets involved, that is another element that is a very complicating factor, he said on Thursday while speaking about the geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and eastern Europe. He made the comments during an interview with Time after the American magazine picked him as its Person of the Year for the second time. The US, South Korea and Ukraine have accused North Korea of sending more than 10,000 troops to aid Russias war effort. The Pentagon says the troops have largely been deployed to Russias Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a ground offensive of its own earlier this year. Ukraine and its allies have also accused North Korea of shipping artillery systems, missiles and other conventional weapons to replenish Russias inventory. Russia and North Korea have neither confirmed nor denied these claims, though Moscow and Pyongyong have spoken of their deepening military cooperation and Mr Kim has vowed to invariably support Russia in its war while calling out Natos reckless eastward advance. open image in gallery Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump inside the demilitarized zone separating the Koreas on 30 June 2019 ( Getty ) Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defence treaty in June which requires each to provide immediate military assistance if the other is attacked. In his interview, Mr Trump said that he and Mr Kim get along very well and the Republican said he was probably the only Western leader to have such a relationship with Pyongyang. I know Kim Jong Un, I get along very well with Kim Jong Un. I am probably the only one hes ever really dealt with. When you think about it, I am the only one hes ever dealt with. Mr Trump was called out during his previous term as president for heaping praise on autocrats, including Mr Putin. He also cultivated a friendship with Viktor Orban, the right-wing leader of Hungary accused of overseeing a democratic backslide in the country. open image in gallery Donald Trump speaks during a Time magazine Person of the Year event at the New York Stock Exchange ( AP ) Mr Trump is the only American leader to have held three summits with Mr Kim, in 2018 and 2019, for denuclearisation talks. The diplomatic effort collapsed over disagreements about the timing of lifting US economic sanctions and Pyongyangs own measures to wind down its nuclear programme. He wrote me beautiful letters and theyre great letters, Mr Trump said of Mr Kim in 2018. We fell in love. The chances of Mr Trump quickly resuming diplomacy and dialogue with Pyongyang when he enters the White House are slim, experts said, as ties between the two countries have only deteriorated further under Joe Biden. Pyongyangs ties with Russia and the weakening sanctions enforcement against Pyongyang would present further challenges in the diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with Mr Kim, they said. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Six people have died, including a six-year-old girl, after a fire broke out at a private hospital in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The incident took place at about 9pm local time on Thursday night at the City Hospital on Trichy Road in Dindigul. Most of the victims, including a couple and a mother and son, died from asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation, The Indian Express reported. The victims were found unconscious in a lift and taken to another hospital nearby where they were declared dead. Some people also suffered burn injuries, police told local media. Emergency services personnel found the victims after saving around 30 patients who were admitted to the districts government hospital. A fire broke out at a private hospital about two hours ago. The patients here have been rescued and admitted to nearby government and private hospitals, MN Poongodi, a senior local administration official in Dindigul, told news agency ANI. The firefighters reportedly worked over two hours to put out the fire, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, The Hindustan Times reported. Nearly 50 ambulances were deployed to assist with the evacuation. Photos and videos showed smoke and flames billowing from the hospital, with fire trucks and emergency services workers trying to control the blaze. The victims were identified as Suruli, 50, and his wife Subbulakshmi, 45, from Theni; Mariammal, 50, and her son, Mani Murugan, 28, from Dindigul; Rajasekar, 35; and a six-year-old girl also from Dindigul. The bodies were sent to the Dindigul Medical College Hospital for postmortem. Tamil Nadus chief minister, MK Stalin, conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims and announced monetary relief to each of them as well as financial assistance to the injured. The Independent has reached out to the local administration in Dindigul for comment. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of President-elect Donald Trump, has been spotted holding hands with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, though he has not publicly called off his engagement to former political commentator and future ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. Trump Jr., 46, attended Andersons 38th birthday party in Palm Beach this past week, and photos published by the DailyMail.com captured them holding hands. Still, neither Guilfoyle, 55, nor Trump Jr. has made an official statement announcing their split after a six-year relationship. Heres everything we know about Anderson among the rumors: open image in gallery ( Getty Images for FIGUE ) Anderson has described herself as a typical stay-at-home mom, but without a husband, kids, or household chores, according to her Instagram bio. She is the daughter of the late Harry Loy Anderson Jr., who became the youngest bank president in the country at the age of 26. He died in 2013. She is a third-generation Palm Beach resident, according to the New York Times. She has worked for a the nonprofit Paradise Fund organization, helps with disaster relief. Its unclear if she still works with the group. Anderson often shares photos of herself modeling clothing and jewelry on social media. Rumors about Anderson and Trump Jr. were first ignited in September when the two were reportedly spotted kissing. Anderson was later spotted last summer attending the Republican National Convention where Guilfoyle was a featured speaker. A source close to close to the couple toldThe Daily Beast that Trump Jr. was unhappy with the way Guilfoyle dressed. open image in gallery Donald Trump Jr spotted holding hands with a Florida socialite despite his engagement to Kimberly Guilfoyle ( Getty Images ) Don Jr. has been telling people for months that Kim is so uptight and always dresses so professionally in these kinds of dresses and high heels, and never looks relaxed or casual, the source said. The tight dresses need to go and she has been told that. The president-elect recently appointed Guilfoyle ambassador to Greece , which will keep her far from New York for long stretches of time. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy After a six month vacancy, Chanel has announced its new artistic director as French-Belgian designer, Matthieu Blazy. The 40-year-old creative head comes to the role from the Italian fashion house, Bottega Veneta, where he was creative director from 2021-24. Succeeding Virginie Viard, a long-time Chanel employee who took over from Karl Lagerfeld after his death in 2019, Blazy is a totally fresh face for the heritage French fashion house. Blazy has such a contemporary eye, which will help Chanel connect with younger shoppers, says Oriona Robb, a fashion stylist who has worked with labels including Dior and Ferragamo. Hes already shown [at Bottega Veneta that] he knows how to use texture, colour and design to create pieces that feel cool and desirable. I also imagine well see him leaning more into digital storytelling and creative campaigns to draw in a new audience. Blazys accolades place him as the perfect choice for the luxury label. Raised in Paris, Blazy studied at the prestigious La Cambre in Brussels, where his graduate collection landed him a job with Raf Simons. In 2011, Blazy joined Maison Margiela, where he oversaw the couture and ready-to-wear collections. He then went on to work alongside industry greats like Phoebe Philo at Celine, becoming design director of womens ready-to-wear at Calvin Klein in 2016. Blazy joined Bottega Veneta as design director of ready-to-wear in 2020, and when the houses then-creative director, Daniel Lee, left for Burberry in 2021, Blazy succeeded him as creative head. Blazys style is pared-back yet modern, making him a great fit for Chanel. His design style is minimal and effortless, says fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell. His designs after Daniel Lee are very less is more in my opinion. His refined approach isnt just reserved for aesthetics. Upon becoming creative head at Bottega Veneta, Blazy brought an inclusive management style, which visual artist Anne Collier called egalitarian, and shrank the design team while getting the makers and craftspeople involved in the creative process. This may be a sudden gear shift for the traditional brand of Chanel. The last time it faced such avant-garde reform was when Karl Lagerfeld took over in 1983 to save the near-dead brand following Coco Chanels death over 10 years prior. Lagerfeld reinvented the so-called stuffy French label by firstly integrating the interlocking CC monogram into ready-to-wear pieces and totally changing the Chanel silhouette. Lagerfeld modernised the conservative suit and skirt set by padding the shoulder, shortening and tightening the skirt, raising the heel and enlarging or miniaturising the accessories. These were all incredibly controversial moves as the brands founder, Coco, had always disapproved of above-the-knee skirts. This experimental and controversial approach is something Blazy has also proven during his time at Bottega Veneta. In 2021, Blazy introduced the trompe-lil denim leather trousers, which went viral thanks to Kate Moss nonchalant catwalk appearance paired with a relaxed check shirt. More memorable pieces than the denim-looking leather trousers was Blazys introduction of the Andiamo bag the intrecciato-woven handbag and the knitted sock-slippers which became cult classics worn by celebrities from Cardi B to Katy Perry. Blazys ability to create viral trending pieces put him on the map as a one-to-watch designer. [His] knack for cultural relevance at Bottega, through collaborations with artists and trend-setting campaigns [shows] his innate ability to create a buzz without even relying on social media, explains fashion and trend expert, Karine Laudort. This will bring a fresh strategy to Chanels way of marketing itself and enhance the brands appeal to Gen Z. His success of reinventing Bottegas accessories into timeless classics meant Bottega Veneta was the only house in the Kering roster to make a profit in the conglomerates 2023 third quarter. This lead to Blazy being dubbed the Magician of Milan by fashion journalist Vanessa Friedman. What Blazy did at Bottega was so clever, explains Robb. He brought quiet luxury to the forefront, showing that simplicity can still be exciting. I imagine hell bring a similar energy to Chanel, perhaps toning down some of the overly flashy elements in favour of impeccable detail and quality. Its about letting the craftsmanship speak for itself. So will Blazy be able to revamp the traditional and timeless label? Its never easy taking on a house with such a strong identity, says Robb. The biggest challenge will be keeping Chanels DNA intact while still making it relevant for todays audience. Theres always a risk of alienating purists if he goes too far in pushing boundaries, but I think Blazy has the subtlety to pull it off. While many see Blazy as a perfect fit, some say he could push the boundaries too far at the conservative fashion house. Chanels rich history can be both a strength and a constraint, explains Laudort. It will be critical to maintain a balance between innovation and tradition. It wont be easy to follow in the footsteps of Virginie Viard whilst upholding Karl Lagerfelds monumental legacy, but one can hope Blazy will be able to carve his own path. As for Blazys own path? Well have to wait and see what that looks like. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new fashion app called NIFT (standing for Need It For Tonight) is redefining the meaning of fast fashion. The app promises to deliver fashion from high end and independent brands directly to your door in as little as 90 minutes but is this too good to be true? Founded by sisters Simone and Roxanne Oloman in 2021, the Northern-born pair were growing increasingly frustrated at the UK postal system, and wanted something ultra-reliable. Four years ago, my sister called me saying shed been let down by a late delivery and had a big event on the same day, says Simone Oloman, co-founder of NIFT. She was panicking, saying I dont have the time to go into central London I need to do my hair, my make-up and quite frankly, I dont want to experience the rush of central. It was that call that gave Simone a eureka moment. At the time, Simone had seen people flocking to ASOS, the online retailer that was offering 10 for a year of unlimited next-day delivery, and she saw a gap in the market. Id been working in retail technology and consulting with a lot of different retailers, explains Simone, about 95% of their customer queries were around delivery. It was, I cant find my How do I track my order?, My orders late, Wheres my order? So hearing the frustration from retailers as well, we thought [NIFT] solved a problem for both consumers and retailers. Simone and Roxanne proceeded to invent the fashion equivalent of Amazon and Deliveroo. Three years later, the two registered NIFT as a business in November 2023. Since then, the pair have certainly seen an appetite for last-minute fashion buys, but are keen to steer clear of the fast fashion tag. We dont partner with the Zaras of the world we never will, says Simone, We have worked very closely with personal shoppers which has really helped us determine what brands we should be going after. The app started in London, offering a range of big brands such as GANNI, Farm Rio and Chinti & Parker, alongside small independent boutiques from across the city. Were always on the lookout for emerging designers, explains Simone. I think its really nice to not only be able to offer well-known brands, but also offer quality, emerging designers. Its good to be a place for sourcing the hidden gems, says Simone, because yes its about fast delivery, but its also about discovering new brands. In order to find suitable brands to partner with, Simone said she initially walked around the city streets, literally mapping out London to see where the best boutiques were. The pair didnt think fast fashion had to be unsustainable. Using bicycles and cargo bikes wherever possible, Thats why we started off with 90-minute delivery, explains Simone, the whole thing was to try to encourage people to shop locally, and minimise their carbon footprint. The sisters say they prioritise being sustainably conscious. We really try to promote mindful purchases, says Simone. Were constantly pushing out that message, and is one of the reasons why we partner with personal stylists. We offer complimentary personal styling appointments because it helps people make those more mindful purchases. Whilst the pair dont doubt that fast fashion brands will soon emulate their business model, they hope as the pioneers they can set a good example. I dont doubt that it will happen with big fast-fashion retailers, says Simone, but that kind of quick order and wear it once culture is something we really want to avoid. If youre not in a big city and still have to drive to pick-up your usual takeaway dont worry Simone has plans for smaller towns. The way that weve built our infrastructure means that we can pick it up and place it in any other city or town. I love the idea of going to places like Oxford and these smaller towns with a beautiful array of boutiques and offering express delivery, she says. But first major cities, she laughs. While 90-minute delivery is only currently available in London, and express for those just outside, NIFT is expanding to Manchester, followed by all major UK cities. Whilst the app specialises in fashion it also may be your guardian angel for last-minute Christmas presents. The beauty of partnering with boutiques means they have lovely little bits like Bella Freud candles, Elizabeth Scarlett sets, bespoke hampers, says Simone, We even had someone order a carafe on 90-minute delivery! So whether youre a fashion fanatic or forgot to buy your Secret Santa present NIFT may just be the app your home screen is missing. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy When it comes to festive cocktails, why do we settle for lacklustre mulled wine or the inevitable Baileys-on-ice cliche? Christmas deserves more glamour in the glass, a bit of sparkle to match the tinsel. This year, the drinks scene has been shaken and stirred by bartenders who treat mixology as an art form, crafting concoctions that wouldnt look out of place in Santas own speakeasy. Whether youre hosting a holiday soiree or just seeking solace from the in-laws, these seasonal sippers from reimagined classics to citrusy showstoppers are your new liquid traditions. Forget predictable pints; this is Christmas, bottled. Sazerac Snaith open image in gallery The cocktail that whispers luxury, with a little edge. Perfect for late-night toasts ( Andrew Livingstone ) By: Hannah Kowalski, co-founder of SESTA Ingredients: tbsp of sugar 4-5 dashes Peychauds bitters 25ml brandy 25ml bourbon (you could use 50ml of either of these spirits) Sambuca (a splash to line the glass) Method: 1. In a stirring jar, muddle the sugar and Peychauds bitters and stir with ice until diluted, 30-60 secs (check taste before serving). 2. Drop a splash of sambuca in the glass and rotate to coat the inside of the glass. Pour out any excess. 3. Double strain into glass tumbler, serve with a big ice cube and a lemon twist. Naked and Famous open image in gallery A drink thats as bold as its name a citrusy mezcal gem for the adventurous ( Andrew Livingstone ) By: Hannah Kowalski, co-founder of SESTA Ingredients: 20ml mescal 20ml aperol 20ml chartreuse 20ml lime Method: 1. Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake well. 2. Single strain it into a coupe glass and garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel. Christmas Ruby open image in gallery A festive jewel in liquid form sip this and let the Christmas spirit flow ( Ian Walton ) By: Mario Aranguez, head bartender at Cornus Ingredients: 30ml Rye whiskey 20ml Ruby Port 15ml lemon juice 5ml demerara sugar syrup 7ml Ms Betters Bitters foamer Glassware: Nick & Nora Garnish: ground nutmeg over the top Method: 1. Pour your whiskey, port, lemon juice, sugar syrup and bitters and strongly shake for 5-10 seconds. 2. Add ice and shake for 5-10 second more, before pouring into a frozen Nick & Nora glass. 3. Grate a little bit of nutmeg on top for garnish. Noel in Normandy open image in gallery The cosy fireside cocktail that tastes like a French Christmas market in a glass ( Ian Walton ) By: Mario Aranguez, head bartender at Cornus Ingredients: 45ml Frapin Cognac 15ml sweet vermouth 15ml Calvados 10ml demerara syrup Glassware: Nick & Nora Garnish: apple slice Method: 1. Pour cognac, Calvados, sugar syrup and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass with ice and stir for 15 seconds. 2. Pour the drink into a frozen Nick & Nora glass with an apple wedge on the edge. Calamansi Margarita open image in gallery A zesty, tropical escape from winters chill because Christmas deserves a twist ( Rebecca Dickson ) By: Emanuel Ferris-Hue, bar manager at Wildflowers Ingredients: 50ml Casamigos Reposdado Tequila 15ml Manzanilla Sherry 25ml Calamansi honey 15ml Lime Tajun, to garnish For the calamansi honey: 2 parts calamansi puree 1 part acacia honey Method: 1. To make the calamansi honey, blend 2 parts calamansi puree with 1 part acacia honey. 2. Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake well and double strain into a short glass. Garnish the rim of the glass with Tajin. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assads notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Timmerman, 29, told The Associated Press he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didnt know of any other Americans held in the facility. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Luigi Mangione, the alleged perpetrator in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly suffered from chronic back pain. Posts on the content-sharing platform Reddit under the now-defunct username Mister_Cactus appeared to reference the 26-year-olds extensive health problems. The user referred to spondy, which is commonly known as spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis is a condition caused by a vertebra slipping out of place and putting pressure on the bones below. While it commonly occurs in older adults due to a type of arthritis, a common disease that causes joint inflammation and stiffness, it can also be brought on by trauma, spinal destabilization, bone disease, or a birth defect. The posts chronicled his years-long struggle with back pain, The Washington Post said, which had also been exacerbated by surfing in Hawaii. Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for the Waikiki-based co-living space where Mangione lived in June 2022, told The Associated Press that its founder R.J. Martin had learned Mangione suffered from severe back pain since childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life. Citing Martin, The Honolulu Civil Beat said he had a pinched nerve. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione included what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someones lower spine. It remains unknown how much this could have influenced the crimes he is accused of committing. open image in gallery Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, receives a citation for failing to observe a posted closed-area sign, in Honolulu, Hawaii, in November of last year. Mangione reportedly suffered from chronic back pain, a condition that impacts many other Americans ( (Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources via AP) ) Mangione was arrested and arraigned in Pennsylvania on Monday and was later charged with murder by New York prosecutors. Chronic pain is an issue that affects more than a third, or nearly 35 percent, of American adults, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Defined as any pain persisting beyond 3 months, chronic pain originates from various sources. It is associated with decreased quality of life, increased anxiety and depression, unmet mental health needs, and misuse of opioids. It is also one of the costliest health problems in the US, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, resulting in lost productivity, lost income, and increased medical expenses. Treatment varies from person to person, as does its effectiveness. Theres no single right approach for pain management for all people, Cleveland Clinic notes. Findings from the National Health Interview Survey said that more than 24 percent of adults had chronic pain last year. In addition, 8.5 percent of adults had felt chronic pain that frequently limited their life or work activities over the course of the past three months also known as high-impact chronic pain. That number is up by nearly 4 percent from 2019 when 20.4 percent of adults had chronic pain and 7.4 percent had high-impact chronic pain. open image in gallery Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into a Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, courthouse on Tuesday. Mangione, 26, was arrested and charged with murder ( (Benjamin B. Braun/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP) ) At the time of the survey, the percentage of adults who reported living with chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain over the past three months was higher for women. There were also disparities in who was affected by chronic pain. Alaska Native and Native American non-Hispanic adults were significantly more likely to have chronic pain than Asian non-Hispanic and Hispanic adults. Furthermore, the reports authors said they found that both kinds of chronic pain increased with age, and for those in nonmetropolitan areas. With reporting from The Associated Press 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Millions of faithful gathered to mark Mexicos Virgin of Guadalupe Day, honoring the countrys patron saint. But calls by the Roman Catholic Church for a truce in Mexico's ongoing cartel violence apparently went unheeded as more dead bodies were found in the country on Thursday. Enormous crowds gathered early in the day, singing the traditional Mexican birthday song Las mananitas at Mexico Citys Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe to honor the virgin on the 493rd anniversary of her apparition in 1531. Mariachi bands and traditional dance groups were also present at the basilica, which has a mix of modern and colonial-era architecture. Maria Luisa Vazquez Mendoza, a 33-year-old homemaker, walked for 16 hours from the neighboring State of Mexico to visit the basilica on the capital's north side and give thanks for another year of life, and that my family is alright. You feel joy in your heart when you see the gates of the basilica so close, said Vazquez Mendoza. Your body relaxes completely. You don't feel pain or tiredness anymore. Earlier this week, the Mexican Council of Bishops wrote an editorial calling for a halt to the armed violence and hostile statements. In a country where violence has left painful wounds in families and polarization among the public, this is a proposal to reflect, and act in favor of reconciliation and human dignity, the council wrote on a church website, Desde la Fe. But in the north-central state of Guanajuato which has the highest number of homicides of any of Mexico's 32 states the day was possibly even more violent than usual. Police and prosecutors said a total of 15 dead bodies were found on the streets in various cities in Guanajuato, warning the death toll may be higher. In one macabre location, a pile of human remains was discovered on a highway near the city of Salvatierra but authorities were still investigating how many victims it contained. Local media said parts of hacked-up human bodies were left in black garbage bags in the back of a pickup truck with a banner signed by a drug cartel. In Guanajuato in 2023 there were an average of 8.5 homicides a day, according to official figures. Vazquez Mendoza said she hoped the call for truce might still influence people to be a little more human, more conscious. Over 11 million worshippers had visited the Basilica in the days leading up to the annual celebration of Mexico's patroness, authorities said. Many had walked from distant villages, others rode on bicycles or buses to reach the Basilicas enormous patio, where a sea of tents held pilgrims who had slept overnight to greet the virgin in the morning. The cold temperature, long walks and the wait to see the virgins cloak inside the Basilica did not discourage them. Many of the pilgrims walked the last mile or so carrying flowers or large paintings of the virgin. According to church tradition, in 1531, the dark-skinned virgin appeared to the Indigenous peasant Juan Diego and her image was imprinted on his cloak, which is on display inside the church. Juan Diego was made a saint in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. Traditionally, those who have asked for help from the Virgin of Guadalupe come in a sign of appreciation. Some, like street vendor Christofer Hernandez, completed the last stretch to the Basilica barefoot or on their knees. Arturo Rivas was one of 200 people who made the pilgrimage on bicycle from the nearby state of Tlaxacala, a ride of over 60 miles ( 100 kilometers). We are excited to come year after year, Rivas said. This is what our parents taught us. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Mirror bacteria made in a lab could endanger all life on earth, an international group of leading scientists have warned in a new report. All building-block molecules of life like DNA, proteins and carbohydrates have a unique structural property that still perplexes scientists. They have what is called structural asymmetry, or chirality, which means that they can have alternative, mirror-image versions similar to left and right versions of a human hand. DNA and RNA are made from right-handed molecules while proteins are made from left-handed amino acids. This chirality or handedness of life molecules dictates their chemical reactivity, and how life interacts with other matter. open image in gallery Naturally occurring proteins are exclusively left-handed ( Tadashi Ando from TUS ) Mirror bacteria, which are hypothetical synthetic forms of life, can be built with reversed handedness. The scientists noted that these mirrored organisms would differ fundamentally from all known life and could pose significant risk to ecosystems as well as human health if not carefully managed. These synthetic bacteria, with their unique features, could evade natural predators like viruses and microbes that keep bacterial populations in check. A synthesized mirrored microbe wouldnt just be essentially invisible to animals and likely plants but also other microbes, including viruses that could attack and kill it, Vaughn Cooper, a microbiologist from the University of Pittsburgh, US, said. This could enable the hypothetical life forms to spread easily between ecosystems, putting humans, animals and plants at continuous risk of infection, the scientists warned. open image in gallery Propylene oxide is one of a class of chiral molecules, which have an identical chemical composition but right-handed and left-handed versions. It was detected near the center of our galaxy in Sagittarius B2. ( Sloan Digital Sky Survey ) Though the threat was currently speculative, researchers said the possibilities merited careful consideration to ensure scientific progress aligned with public safety. These bacteria could potentially evade immune defences, resist natural predators and disrupt ecosystems, Patrick Cai from the University of Manchester, a leading scientist in synthetic biology, said. This form of life has never existed or evolved. Consequently, all biological interactions would be different or likely wouldnt work, Dr Cooper said. In a mirror bacterium, all building-block molecules like DNA and proteins are replaced by their mirror-image versions. They cant naturally evolve from existing life but may be created artificially in a lab. But doing so still requires substantial breakthroughs in synthetic cell research, the scientists said. HIV gamechanger: Lenacapavir study participant explains Although the capability to engineer such life forms could be decades away, the researchers called for discussions involving policymakers, scientists, industry, civil society, and the public to chart a safe path forward. While mirror bacteria are still a theoretical concept and something that we likely wont see for a few decades, we have an opportunity here to consider and pre-empt risks before they arise, Dr Cai said. We cannot rule out a scenario in which a mirror bacterium acts as an invasive species across many ecosystems, causing pervasive lethal infections in a substantial fraction of plant and animal species, including humans, the scientists said in the report. The scientists, including experts in immunology, plant pathology, ecology, evolutionary biology, biosecurity, and planetary sciences, said they hoped to guide research on such bacteria while prioritising safety for people, animals, and the environment. They said some related technologies that did not directly lead to mirror bacteria such as mirror-image DNA and proteins had potential for advancing medicine, but early dialogue was crucial to addressing potential threats. We do not recommend restricting any of these areas of research. I hope this is the starter of many discussions engaging broader communities and stakeholders soon, Dr Cai said. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Supreme Court on Friday said it would take up a new religious rights case over whether a Catholic charitable organization must pay Wisconsin's employment tax. The justices will review a divided state Supreme Court ruling that refused to grant an exemption to the Catholic Charities Bureau, based in Superior, Wisconsin. The state court ruled that the work of Catholic Charities and four related organizations is primarily not religious, although it found that the motivation to help older, disabled and low-income people stems from Catholic teachings. The case probably will be argued in the spring. The Supreme Court in recent years has issued an unbroken string of decisions siding with churches and religious plaintiffs in disputes with states. Lawyers for the Wisconsin groups argued to the court that the decision violates religious freedoms protected by the First Amendment. They also said the court should step in to resolve conflicting rulings by several top state courts on the same issue. Wisconsin Attorney General Joshua Kaul had urged the high court to stay out of the case, arguing that much of the groups' funding comes from state and local governments, and the joint federal and state Medicaid program. Employees don't have to be Catholic and people receiving services from these organizations receive no religious training or orientation, Kaul wrote. Catholic Charities has paid the unemployment tax since 1972, he wrote. Wisconsin exempts church-controlled organizations from the tax if they are "operated primarily for religious purposes. The state high court ruled that both the motivations and the activities have to be religious for organizations to avoid paying the tax. A group of religious scholars, backing Catholic Charities, told the court that the case involves governmental interference with religious liberty that warrants the justices' intervention. Catholic, Islamic, Lutheran, Jewish and Mormon organizations also filed briefs in support of Catholic Charities. At the state Supreme Court, the Freedom from Religion Foundation argued that a ruling for Catholic Charities would extend to religiously affiliated hospitals and some colleges across Wisconsin, potentially taking their employees out of the state unemployment insurance system. Catholic Charities in Superior manages nonprofit organizations that run more than 60 programs designed to help older or disabled people, children with special needs, low-income families, and people suffering from disasters, regardless of their religion, according to court documents. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Toyota said Thursday it will build a new paint facility as part of a $922 million investment at its factory complex in Georgetown, Kentucky, making it the second big addition announced this year at the automaker's largest global manufacturing plant. In February, the company said it would invest $1.3 billion at its Kentucky complex, in part so it can build an all-new three-row electric SUV to be sold in the U.S. Neither project will add any new jobs at the facility, which now employs about 10,000 workers. However, the investments reinforce Toyota's commitment to long-term job stability, the company said. The new paint facility, scheduled to open in 2027, will add 1 million square feet of capacity while decreasing carbon emissions by 30% and water usage by 1.5 million gallons per year, Toyota said. It will enable the company to offer more diverse color options for its vehicles, the company said. Toyotas commitment to advanced paint technologies goes beyond aesthetics, said Kerry Creech, president of Toyota Kentucky. It encompasses efficiency, sustainability and quality, leading the industry in environmentally responsible manufacturing. The project also will increase flexibility for future vehicle production and advances Toyota's goal to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, the automaker said. Toyotas investment in the Bluegrass State has surpassed $11 billion since breaking ground at the central Kentucky site in 1986. Georgetown is 16 miles (26 kilometers) north of Lexington, Kentucky. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The mother of a 13-year-old boy arrested by armed police after pointing a water pistol at his younger sister has hit out at the watchdog who declared the officers actions reasonable. The boy, referred to only as Child X, was knocked to the ground, handcuffed and arrested on suspicion of having a firearm after being confronted by officers with submachine guns while having a water fight with his younger sister near his home. After an officer mistook his water pistol for a dangerous firearm the teen was struck by a police vehicle causing him to crash into a wall during a tactical stop as he cycled alone on Buxted Road, in Dalston, on 19 July 2023. He was taken to hospital with bruising and swelling after he was released, when his mother arrived at the scene and informed them he was playing with a water pistol. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation when the boys mother complained about the adultification and discrimination against her black son during the arrest, in Hackney, east London. Child Xs mother described the outcome of the IOPC investigation as extremely disappointing after it concluded the actions of the police were reasonable in the circumstances. She said: From the very day of this horrific incident, it was clear to me that the police would not have treated my son in the way that they did if he had been a white 13-year-old boy. open image in gallery Armed officers on patrol in London ( PA Archive ) From the outset, I made it clear that I expected any investigation into the incident to look at the very obvious role that my sons race played in the way in which he was treated by the police. Unfortunately, the IOPC have shown themselves to be completely incapable of understanding what race discrimination is and how it actually operates in the way that black children are treated by the police. The arrest came after a Met officer reported that they had seen a male on a bicycle pull out what appeared to be a handgun and point it at a female on Buxted Road, before they both cycled off. On the report he described the firearm as blue and white and shaped like a glock and the males age as approximately 16. The matter was declared a firearms incident by a tactical firearms commander and armed officers from both the Met and the City of London Police were sent in pursuit. After the boy was knocked off his bike, he was surrounded by armed officers with their weapons drawn and was arrested and handcuffed on the ground. An officer asked the child where the gun was and he said it was a water gun and its at home. During the arrest a member of the public can be heard repeatedly telling the officers that the child had a water gun. The child was searched and no item was found. The childs mother confirmed that her son had been playing with a water pistol. The boy was released, his handcuffs were removed and officers left the scene. open image in gallery A similiar looking blank pistol which can be converted to fire live ammunition ( IOPC ) The officer told the watchdog that while the toy was blue and white, he knew that firearms could be adapted or made colourful to avoid suspicion. The IOPC also ruled the tactical stop which injured the boy was appropriate given that the officer had an honestly held belief that the child had a firearm. The IOPC found no evidence to suggest the officers calling in of the boy playing with the water gun was influenced by the childs race. IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin said police had apologised for the distress caused, and that experience would have been frightening for the boy. Police officers have a duty to protect the public from harm and the evidence from our investigation supported the first officers belief that he thought he may have seen a real firearm, she said. Campaign group the Alliance for Police Accountability, which supported the mother of the child, criticised the watchdogs decision. Its chairman, Lee Jasper said in a statement: This case exemplifies the failure of both the Metropolitan Police and the IOPC to protect black children and hold officers accountable for the harm they cause. A 13-year-old black boy playing with a water pistol was treated as an armed criminal, brutalised, and left traumatised. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two women have been taken to hospital after suffering injuries on a fairground ride that failed and crashed in Birmingham. The West Midlands Fire Service said the City Flyer ride had dropped to ground level whilst in operation in Centenary Square at 7.30pm on Thursday. Images of the aftermath show wires from at least two gondolas on the 55m tall swing ride tangled up with each other. open image in gallery The 55m high City Flyer crashed in operation ( Phil Barnett/PA Wire ) Thirteen people were treated by West Midlands Ambulance Service with two taken to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. The ambulance service said the two women taken to hospital were not believed to have suffered serious injuries, while the remaining casualties were checked over and discharged at the fair. This incident involved a fairground ride that had failed and crashed, the fire service said. The ride dropped to ground level whilst in operation. The fire service added that they were not working to rescue any other people from the crash. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: On arrival, crews found 13 patients. Two women, were treated by ambulance staff for injuries not believed to be serious and conveyed to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Nine women and two men were assessed by medics before being given self-care advice and discharged at the scene. open image in gallery ( Phil Barnett/PA Wire ) A West Midlands Police spokesperson said on Thursday night: We currently have officers in Centenary Square, Birmingham following reports of an issue with one of the rides. A small number of people are being treated at the scene by paramedics, but no serious injuries have been reported. Centenary Square remains cordoned off this evening while we support our emergency service colleagues. Please avoid the area. Danter Attractions, who manage the ride, declined to comment when contacted about the incident. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two men have been arrested after a fairground ride failed and crashed plunging riders nearly 180ft to the ground at a Christmas market in Birmingham city centre. The arrests come after two women were taken to hospital suffering injuries from the City Flyer ride, which dropped to ground level whilst in operation in Centenary Square at 7.30pm on Thursday. West Midlands Police said on Friday two men, aged 55 and 21, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers. Police said both men were in custody. Thrillseekers screamed in terror as the 55m tall swing ride plummeted without warning causing 13 riders to be checked for injuries by medics. People were seen in footage online desperately trying to get riders off tangled gondolas as electronic music pumped in the background. open image in gallery Firefighters arrived to the Christmas market ( @Kannyzee/PA Wire ) In the footage, published by The Sun, one onlooker describes seeing the whole ride drop, adding they had seen one of the thrillseekers walking away from the ride with blood on their face. Louise Brown, from Solihull, was on the ride and suffered a laceration to her face. This can never happen again - we are in shock and all I can think of is what if my kids were on the ride, Ms Brown said, in comments reported by the BBC. Ms Brown, who works for the public broadcaster in Birmingham, said she suffered injuries to her face, legs and arms, adding that her colleague was also hurt. We were on it having fun and then it just crashed to the ground, she said. It went backwards first though, which Ive never seen it do before. Did you see what happened on the ride? Email Barney.Davis.Ind@Independent.co.uk Thirteen people were treated by West Midlands Ambulance Service with two taken to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. The ambulance service said the two women taken to hospital were not believed to have suffered serious injuries, while the remaining casualties were checked over and discharged at the fair. open image in gallery Tangled wires of the ride following the incident ( @Kannyzee/PA Wire ) John Spence, 45, from Warwick, was at the fairground with his family when he heard screams of terror. He told MailOnlline: We were near the ride when we heard screaming. It wasnt your normal excited screams, this was screams of terror. There was a loud whoosh and bang and then pandemonium. There were lots of people in hi-vis jackets running over to help people get off the ride. Within a few minutes you could hear sirens. The emergency services were incredible and all so calm. We stayed out the way because we didnt want to make the situation worse by crowding around. West Midlands Fire service said the fairground ride had failed and crashed adding: The ride dropped to ground level whilst in operation. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: On arrival, crews found 13 patients. Two women, were treated by ambulance staff for injuries not believed to be serious and conveyed to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Nine women and two men were assessed by medics before being given self-care advice and discharged at the scene. open image in gallery The aftermath of the accident, which saw two women hospitalised ( Phil Barnett/PA Wire ) Birmingham City Council said it was aware of the incident and that its thoughts were with the people who had been injured. The Health and Safety Executive has also been informed. Brian Hughes, chairman of Westside Business Improvement District (BID), said: While we are relieved to have heard that no-one has received life-threatening injuries, this must have been a terrible incident to experience. He said Westside BID had spoken to the owners of Ice Skate Birmingham, which operates the ride. We know that they will now be working closely with the authorities to find out exactly what went wrong, he said. Police have asked anyone with CCTV or mobile phone footage which may assist the investigation to get in contact with them, quoting log 4290 of December 12. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Independents health correspondent Rebecca Thomas has been named the best health journalist in the British Journalism Awards, and commended for the huge impact of her work. Ms Thomass work revealed the scandal of rape and sexual assault of patients within NHS mental health trusts, a culture of fear allowing nurses to abuse their patients, and the case of an autistic man who was repeatedly locked up in dementia care units and abused by nurses. Judges at the prestigious awards named Ms Thomas the winner of the Health and Life Sciences category, describing her work as three significant examples of dogged journalism which had a huge impact. Ms Thomas said: "I'm honoured to win this award, thank you to all of the patients and sources who shared their stories, we could not report without you, and thank you to the journalists I collaborated with and the editors who backed me." Kim Sengupta, The Independents late world affairs editor, who died in July, was Highly Commended in the foreign affairs journalism category. After reports covering the war in Ukraine and the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the judges praised the typically vivid reporting of one of the finest foreign correspondents of our time. Sengupta and Ms Thomas were two of the six nominees from The Independent in this years British Journalism Awards. The others were special correspondent Zoe Beaty, crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin, social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft and freelancer David James Smith. Earlier this year, Ms Thomas also won the Medical Journalists Association (MJA) mental health story of the year for her 18-month investigation into sexual abuse in NHS hospitals. Nearly 20,000 reports of rape and sexual assault of patients were made across half of NHS mental health trusts. This was exposed by The Independent in conjunction with Sky News in a joint investigation and podcast. The investigation prompted former victims commissioner Dame Vera Baird to describe the NHS abuse as a national scandal, with Wes Streeting calling it a wake-up call for the government while he was shadow health secretary. Rape Crisis England and Wales called for a public inquiry. Ms Thomas was nominated for the Private Eye Paul Foot Award for Investigative and Campaigning Journalism for the same investigation earlier this year. Private Eye said her dogged campaign exposed systemic patient safety scandals within the UKs ailing mental health system. Meanwhile, Ms Thomas investigated the case of an autistic man trapped in dementia care units and A&E wards, where he suffered abuse by nurses over a 10-year period. Ms Thomas reporting helped to free the man after years of being trapped in mental health institutions. Ms Thomas previously won the Health and Life Sciences category in the British Journalism Awards in 2022, when she was recognised for her revelatory coverage of a crisis in A&E units. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A six-year-old boy died after suffering a head injury in a fall, prompting heartfelt tributes from the head teacher at his school. Mohammed Yasin Uddin, who went to Marlborough Primary School in Small Heath, Birmingham, was described as a wonderful and much-loved pupil. Its understood he suffered a head injury in a fall this week but details of what happened have not been revealed. The school said other pupils were being supported by the pastoral team. Razia Ali, executive head teacher, said: Our school community has been left devastated by the tragic passing of one of our wonderful and much-loved pupils. Yasin was an incredibly helpful, kind and caring pupil who brought a smile to the face of everyone who came across him. I know I speak for everyone when I say he will be deeply missed. All our thoughts and prayers are with Yasins family and friends. Our dedicated pastoral team is providing full support to all our pupils and colleagues as we come to terms with this very sad loss. We will consider a suitable way to commemorate Yasin at an appropriate time and after discussion with his family. Prayers have been said in Birmingham for the schoolboy. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Chinese businessman described as a close confidante of the Duke of York has lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. The man, known only as H6, brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023. Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials that could be leveraged for political interference purposes. They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which, combined with his relationship with Prince Andrew, represented a threat to national security. At a hearing in July, the specialist tribunal heard that the businessman was told by an adviser to the prince that he could act on the dukes behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, and that H6 had been invited to Andrews birthday party in 2020. open image in gallery The Duke of York had invited the businessman to his birthday ( Chris Jackson/PA ) A letter referencing the birthday party from the adviser, Dominic Hampshire, was discovered on H6s devices when he was stopped at a port in November 2021. The letter also said: I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family. You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on. In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, dismissed the challenge. The judges said: The Secretary of State was entitled to conclude that the applicant represented a risk to the national security of the United Kingdom, and that she was entitled to conclude that his exclusion was justified and proportionate. The Home Office confirmed in July 2023 that H6 would be excluded from the UK as he was considered to have engaged in covert and deceptive activity on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and that he likely posed a threat to national security. The now-50-year-old former civil servant brought legal action for a review of the decision, arguing that it was unlawful. open image in gallery Judges said that Andrew could have been made vulnerable to the misuse of the influence H6 had ( PA Archive ) The tribunal in London heard that H6 had said he avoided getting involved in politics and only had limited links to the Chinese state. His lawyers also argued that there was evidence that it was difficult for a Chinese national involved in business to avoid any contact with the CCP and that material related to his relationship with the prince had to be read in the context of an advisor writing to someone who had been loyal to him in difficult times. However, Home Office lawyers argued that H6 had downplayed his links to an arm of the CCP and that his relationship with Andrew could be used for political interference. In their 53-page ruling, the judges said that Andrew could have been made vulnerable to the misuse of the influence H6 had. They said: The applicant won a significant degree, one could say an unusual degree, of trust from a senior member of the Royal Family who was prepared to enter into business activities with him. That occurred in a context where, as the contemporaneous documents record, the duke was under considerable pressure and could be expected to value the applicants loyal support. It is obvious that the pressures on the duke could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence. That does not mean that the Home Secretary could be expected to exclude from the UK any Chinese businessman who formed a commercial relationship with the duke or with any other member of the Royal Family. The three judges said that H6 had enjoyed a private life in the UK, which had been described as the businessmans second home, adding: He has settled status, a home and extensive business interests in the United Kingdom. He was regarded as a close confidant of the duke. The judges continued the home secretary was rationally entitled to decide there was a potential to leverage the relationship, adding H6 was not candid about his links to the CCP. They concluded: In our judgment it was open to the SSHD to take a reasonably precautionary approach to the risk, and to take action rationally aimed at neutralising it so far as possible. Whilst excluding the applicant would not necessarily halt his activities, it would significantly hinder them. Cultivating relationships with prominent UK individuals would logically be much more difficult if no meetings could take place in the UK. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Duke of York has said he ceased all contact with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy after receiving advice from the Government. Andrew met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed, a statement from his office said. The businessman known only as H6 lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. He brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023. H6 was described as a close confidante of The Duke. A statement from Andrews office said: The Duke of York followed advice from His Majestys Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. open image in gallery The Duke of York could have been made vulnerable to misuse of influence, judges said (Chris Jackson/PA) ( PA Archive ) The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security. Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials that could be leveraged for political interference purposes. They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew, 64, represented a threat to national security. At a hearing in July, the specialist tribunal heard that the businessman was told by an adviser to Andrew that he could act on the dukes behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, and that H6 had been invited to Andrews birthday party in 2020. A letter referencing the birthday party from the adviser, Dominic Hampshire, was discovered on H6s devices when he was stopped at a port in November 2021. In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, dismissed the challenge. Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP for Tonbridge who served in the Cabinet as minister of state for security under the previous government, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Friday: The United Front Work Department which is a branch of the Communist Party is seeking influence across the UK in everything across social, academic, financial, industrial, and various other ways. Asked whether Andrews advisers should have been aware of H6, Mr Tugendhat said: Its not immediately obvious, it could be someone whos British whos working in China and whos come under the influence, so its not quite as black and white as it may first appear but its certainly extremely embarrassing. It demonstrates Im afraid that the Chinese state is extremely clear that what its ambition is is to secure influence over foreign countries. They always talk about no interference in other peoples business when people talk about human rights in China, but they do nothing but interfere in the UK and in many countries across the world. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Widely purported to have been the late Queens favourite child, Prince Andrew has suffered a sharp fall from grace over the last decade. Plagued by a string of controversies, the latest blow has seen a close confidante being banned from the UK over allegations he was a Chinese spy. Here, The Independent takes a look at a timeline of Andrews fall from grace and his retreat from the public eye. Queens favourite open image in gallery The Queen with her son in 2019 ( Neil Hall/EPA ) The Queen stood by Andrews side even when he was caught up in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal in 2019 and stepped back from royal duties for the foreseeable future. In October 2021, it was claimed the monarch intended to spend millions of pounds privately funding her sons defence against allegations of sexual abuse made by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre. She also signalled her support for her disgraced son by arriving alongside him for Prince Philips memorial service in March 2021. Andrew provided a steady arm for the Queen as she walked into Westminster Abbey to remember the life of her husband, just a few weeks after he reached a multimillion-pound out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre. Friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell open image in gallery Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein ( Channel 4 ) During his 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, Andrew said he had known British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of media magnate and former MP Robert Maxwell, since she was at university. She introduced Andrew to her then-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein in 1999. The trio enjoyed a close friendship, even after Epstein was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute in 2008. Andrew is alleged to have personally invited the couple to Balmoral, the Queens Scottish residence, in 1999. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June this year following a New York sex-trafficking trial for procuring teen girls for Epstein for him to abuse. An image shown during the trial appeared to show Maxwell and Epstein lounging on a bench outside a log cabin on the Balmoral estate. open image in gallery Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of child sex offences ( New York State Division of Criminal Justice/EPA ) Andrew continued to visit Epstein in New York after the financiers conviction for child sex offences in 2008. Epstein received an 18-month sentence but was allowed to go on work release to his office most days and was released on probation after 13 months. Andrew faced criticism when pictures emerged of him opening the door of Epsteins palatial East Side townhouse in December 2010 and the pair strolling through Central Park. In his 2019 BBC interview, the royal claimed he had gone to New York to break off their friendship and regretted staying at Epsteins house while there. Virginia Giuffre sex abuse case open image in gallery Andrew pictured with Maxwell (R) and Virginia Roberts ( US Department of Justice/PA ) In 2019, Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan alleging she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Andrew on three occasions when she was 17 and a minor under US law. The royal has always strongly denied the allegations. BBC Newsnight interview open image in gallery The Duke of York speaking about his links to Epstein in an interview with BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis ( Mark Harrison/BBC/PA ) Andrew was criticised for a car crash BBC Newsnight interview that aired on 16 November 2019. During the interview, he denied he slept with Ms Giuffre, saying an encounter could not have taken place because he was at a branch of Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter Princess Beatrice. He also said Ms Giuffres claim he was sweaty at a nightclub was untrue because an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands war had left him unable to sweat. The royal faced a public backlash, with equality campaigners claiming he was too stupid to even pretend concern for Epsteins victims. Step back from public duties Four days later, Andrew announced the Queen had given him permission to step back from public duties in the wake of the interview. He said it had become clear to him in recent days that his association with Epstein had become a major distraction to the royal familys work. The royal said he regretted his association with Epstein and deeply sympathises with his victims. Stripped of royal titles and military affiliations open image in gallery Andrew is not expected to return to public life ( John Thys/AFP via Getty Images ) In January 2022, the Queen stripped Andrew of his military titles and royal patronages in the wake of a US judge allowing Ms Giuffres civil sexual abuse case against her son to move to trial. The prince stopped using his HRH (His Royal Highness) style his roles including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of the oldest regiments in the British army were handed to other members of the royal family. His other military titles included honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth; colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment; colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps; commodore-in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm; royal colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers; deputy colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths Own); and royal colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Out-of-court settlement In March 2022, Andrew paid Ms Giuffre a multi-million-pound out-of-court settlement, meaning both sides avoided the case going to trial. As part of the agreement, he was due to pay damages to Ms Giuffre and a donation to a charity in support of victims rights. Andrew has faced calls to confirm how he funded settlement - which is reported to be as much as 12m - and whether the Queen or even King Charles, then Prince of Wales, contributed to the sum. Confidante banned from UK over Chinese spy allegations In December 2024, it emerged a close confidante of the royal lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. The man, known only as H6, brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023. Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials that could be leveraged for political interference purposes. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tonys Chocolonelys advent calendar has left a day blank to increase awareness of the inequality faced by cocoa farmers in the chocolate supply chain. The Dutch chocolate brands Big Countdown Calendar which can set back customers 15 doesnt have a bar of chocolate hiding behind door number 10. The brand, famous for its unequally divided chocolate bars, said the reason behind the missing bar was to highlight the unequally divided chocolate industry. A statement on the companys website read: Big chocolate companies make big profits, while cocoa farmers arent paid enough for their cocoa. The result? Many of them still live way below the poverty line. The company said sometimes farmers were left with little choice but to use illegal labour to farm their cocoa. open image in gallery The Dutch chocolate brands Big Countdown Calendar can set back customers 15 ( Tonys Chocolonely ) Right now, there are 1.56 million children working illegally and at least 30,000 instances of forced labour on cocoa farms in Ghana and Cote dIvoire, the statement said. Child labour and forced labour just so some folks can enjoy a sweet chocolate treat? Unacceptable! Customers will still receive 25 chocolates in 24 days. Theres still an extra goodie waiting for you closer to Christmas, the company said. Founder Teun van de Keuken known as Tony in English started the company to raise awareness of inequalities in chocolate supply chains a journey he said was very lonely, with Chocolonely thought to capture both his mission and the personal drive that launched the brand. It launched in the UK five years ago after Mr van de Keuken, a Dutch journalist, uncovered a news story that exposed forced labour in cocoa productionan issue he felt should be front-page news. He then founded Tonys Chocolonely as the first-ever Fairtrade traceable milk chocolate. The brand, which is now the largest chocolate comapny in the Netherlands, said it is committed to making all chocolate not just their own 100 per cent slave free. Henk Jan Beltman, the companys chief chocolate officer, previously told The Independent: Were not a chocolate company, were an impact company that makes chocolate. Last week, the UK chief of defence, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, warned us that we are at the dawn of a third nuclear age. He misses the point. The nuclear threat is deadly, but it is our conventional weakness which will invite attack by Russia. We must recognise that Russias war in Ukraine is more than a cynical and genocidal assault against a democratic neighbour by a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a signatory of the UN Charter prohibiting the use of force in international relations. It is a war against the West and all that brings. It is also a war against Ukraine joining the West and it started, not with the full-scale invasion in February 2022, but in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea. As Dmitri Trenin, former head of the Carnegie Moscow Centre and an ex-senior Soviet Army officer, wrote in 2016: The Kremlin has been at war with Nato since 2014. And if you need evidence of this look no further than at the steady drumbeat of hybrid or asymmetric attacks against the West: the alleged interference in the Scottish and Brexit referendums in 2014 and 2016, and the US presidential election in 2017; the Salisbury Novichok attack in 2018 (a weapons-grade nerve agent attack which, but for the grace of God, could have killed tens of thousands of people); regular acts of sabotage and arson, most recently in DHL warehouses and probably on the DHL freight carrying aircraft which crashed in Lithuania last month; drone activity around RAF and USAF air bases in eastern England and blatant attempts to manipulate elections in Romania, Moldova and Georgia in recent weeks. In Russian military doctrine, this is the shaping phase, the undermining of the integrity of the target state or states through the manipulation of minorities, psychological operations, cyberattacks, use of special forces, assassinations and sabotage below the threshold of conventional war. Does this presage war with Russia? Not necessarily. It all depends on us. Respond with strength and the Russians will back off. Show weakness and Russia will press ahead. We must recognise Russia under Putin for what it is, rather than what we would like it to be. Rightly, we respect, admire and love Russian music, literature, ballet and culture. However, Russia is also a cruel, vindictive and murderous state which has only ever been an empire. Imperialism is woven into its DNA; Russias story is one of expansion, of taking over neighbouring states, forcing them into colonial submission until it overreaches itself and contracts, and then starts again. Integral to Russians is the notion that Ukraine has no right to exist as a sovereign state and that Russia can never be the country it has the right to be if Ukraine is independent. Putins Russia will not stop at Ukraine. If the Russian president achieves his aim of annexing its four eastern oblasts and establishing a puppet government in Kyiv which will do his bidding, expect him to move on to other former Soviet states, as he is already doing in Moldova, Georgia and even Romania, never part of the Soviet Union but part of the Soviet empire under the guise of the Warsaw Pact. open image in gallery A British soldier takes part in a Nato attack simulation in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland ( Getty ) In time, it will be the turn of the Baltic States, all reluctant colonies of the Tsarist and Soviet empires. Putin is, after all, the man who described the breakup of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century and who has stated that the most appropriate security settlement for Europe is a new Yalta. In addition to dominating Eastern Europe, as Stalin did thanks to the first Yalta agreement of 1945, Putin wishes to see the destruction of Nato, an alliance he sees as a direct threat to Russia. It is his intention to decouple America from European defence, which is why the champagne corks were no doubt popping in the Kremlin when Trump was re-elected president of the USA. Right now, the only thing stopping Putin from achieving his aims is that he is fixed in Ukraine. But Russia has the strategic initiative in that campaign and, despite the mass casualties it has suffered, is inching forward incrementally in the eastern Donbas and in Kursk Oblast. open image in gallery Chief of the defence staff Tony Radakin warned recently that we are at the dawn of a third nuclear age ( PA ) Ukraine continues to put up a valiant fight but has been dependent on the support of Nato and its other partners to avoid defeat. Its partners have given much, but without any clear strategy designed to achieve an agreed end state, and many partners have no more to give. Any Nato strategy to support Ukraine and defeat Russia in Ukraine would have required a mindset shift and degree of sacrifice from comfortable and complacent Western democracies, which has proved too much for Nato leaders and electorates. For as long as it takes is an easy slogan, a cliche. It is not a strategy, and the consequence has been the cautious, incremental dribbling of support by individual nations on a bilateral basis. It has been too little, too late and has brought Ukraine to the brink of defeat. The return of Trump to the White House is likely to compound this. He has promised to end the war in 24 hours. Any Trump-brokered deal which allows Russia to hold on to significant Ukrainian territory will allow Putin to declare victory. He will then regenerate his armed forces for another attempt at completing his work in Ukraine within five years. Then, I believe, he will make moves to achieve his other European targets: the Baltic States and eastern Poland. open image in gallery ( AFP/Getty ) Trump has also put the final nail in the coffin of the Pax Americana with his February 2024 announcement that he would encourage Russia to attack any European country which has failed to pay its dues. In future, European members of Nato, and Canada, can make no assumptions that Trump would honour Natos doctrine of collective defence under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. Truly, European and Canadian reluctance to share the burden of Natos defence spending with the USA over decades has come home to roost. If we are to deter a third world war, Europe must step up to the mark, but the omens are not good. Germany and France, the engines of the EU and major economies within Nato, are in political and economic turmoil. In his speech, Admiral Radakin said wild threats of tactical nuclear use by Russia, Chinas nuclear build-up, Irans failure to cooperate with a nuclear deal, and North Koreas erratic behaviour were among the threats facing the West. But while the new UK government talks of defence being the first priority, notably it did not figure in the prime ministers recent top six priorities. open image in gallery Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine. All the former Soviet states are at risk ( Getty ) Any pretence of the United Kingdom being a leader in Nato is rendered hollow by the reality that with the unusable nuclear deterrent gobbling up 40 per cent of the defence budget, the UK is spending no more than about 1.6 per cent of GDP on conventional defence, a long way down the league table of member states. In contrast, Poland, the Baltic and the Nordic States are the exemplars in Europe and have much to teach those five G7 Nato members (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Canada) which could and must do more. We must recognise that what Putins Russia has done to Ukraine it will, unless deterred, do to other European states if Nato fails to put in place an effective deterrent. We will only achieve peace for ourselves, our children and grandchildren and prevent a third world war between Nato and Russia with a band of deterrent steel from the Baltic to the Black Sea. open image in gallery ( AFP/Getty ) This is something that we now have to be ready to do without the US lead and it means gearing up to be ready for war in every respect: increasing the size and capability of our armed forces (potentially reintroducing conscription); defending our cities and national infrastructure from likely air attack; building a civil defence capability; putting defence industries on a war footing to produce the equipment and ammunition needed; buying off the shelf quickly to fill the gaps to name just a few measures. Above all, it needs a Churchillian demand for action this day instead of a ponderous defence review which is unlikely to do little but rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic. And the prerequisite? Moral courage, exemplary leadership to inform, educate and not pull punches and a readiness by Nato populations to make the necessary sacrifices to preserve peace by deterring war. We have to fight a second cold war to avoid a third world war. If we fail to do this the costs, in terms of blood and treasure, will be appalling. War with Russia by General Sir Richard Shirreff is out now Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A baroness is facing a three-week suspension from the Lords for calling a British-Asian peer Lord Poppadom and touching an MPs braids without her permission. Catherine Meyer was found to have breached harassment rules with her behaviour towards Lord Dholakia and Bell Ribeiro-Addy during a visit to Rwanda with the Joint Committee on Human Rights, of which she was a member. She is said to have called Lord Dholakia as Lord Poppadom during a taxi journey on the trip, having previously apologised for mistakenly referring to him as Lord Popat, another peer of South Asian heritage. Lady Meyer initially denied the allegation, but after hearing witness evidence said the incident took place at the end of a long day after she had drunk possibly three glasses of wine, the Lords Conduct Committee said. Lord Dholakia said it had made him very annoyed, very angry that people should use expressions of this particular nature. open image in gallery Lord Dholakia said the incident had made him very annoyed ( UK Parliament ) Parliaments standards commissioner found that on the balance of probabilities she had used the phrase twice and that the harassment related to race. In a separate incident on the same visit in February, Conservative Lady Meyer complimented Ms Ribeiro-Addys hair and asked her if she could touch it, without waiting for a reply or permission. The facts of the incident involving the Labour MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill were not disputed, the committee said. Ms Ribeiro-Addy said it had made her feel extremely uncomfortable and as if she could just do whatever she wanted. The idea that I would do that to another woman, particularly a white woman, ask her if its hers, ask to touch it and make a big deal out of it, it just wouldnt happen When youve seen it explained to people in the past why its offensive to touch black peoples black women in particular hair I dont have the right to protest because Im seen as being rude or difficult, and its just not for me to have an issue with it to me, its definitely a microaggression, she said. In responding to Ms Ribeiro-Addys complaint, Lady Meyer said that she had intended a friendly gesture, and had been unaware that it would be unwelcome. She said she understood from the MPs subsequent body language that: Oh, gosh, I did the wrong thing. open image in gallery She had also touched the hair braids of Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy without consent (Jonathan Brady/PA) ( PA Archive ) The commissioner recommended a three-week suspension from the Lords as a sanction, describing the racial element in the first case as an aggravating factor, as well as for Lady Meyer to undertake bespoke behaviour training. In a report published on Thursday, the Conduct Committee said: We have carefully considered the Commissioners report and his proposed sanction. Taking all the relevant factors into account, we endorse his recommended sanction, and accordingly recommend to the House that Baroness Meyer be suspended from the service of the House for three weeks, and that she undertake bespoke behaviour training. The commissioner had said: Due to the significance of Baroness Meyers breach of the Code of Conduct and the impact of her behaviour on the complainants, I consider a short suspension to be justified in the circumstances. Accordingly, I recommend that Baroness Meyer be suspended from the House for three weeks. In determining the length of suspension, I considered incident 1, where Baroness Meyer twice referred to Lord Dholakia as Lord Poppadom, to be the more serious of the two breaches, given the racial element to it. The recommended suspension is because of this breach. I also consider that behaviour training would be beneficial for Baroness Meyer, to address the specific behaviour in this case. I therefore recommend that Baroness Meyer undertake bespoke behaviour training provided by an approved external provider. Baroness Meyer has been contacted for comment. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government will face further pressure to allow under-30s from the European Union to live and work in the UK next year, as the issue is expected to be raised at the first EU-UK summit in 2025. The proposal, which has become a major sticking point between the UK and EU, would likely mirror similar arrangements Britain already has with countries including Australia and Japan and would allow 18 to 35-year-olds to move and work freely between countries for up to two years. While Downing Street has repeatedly ruled out such an agreement, saying the government will not be considering it, a senior EU diplomat has said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen will use a summit with Sir Keir Starmer next year to press the UK on the issue. Sir Keir and Ms Von der Leyen have agreed to hold regular EU-UK leader summits as part of the Labour prime ministers plan to reset the UKs relationship with the EU, with the first set to take place in early 2025. open image in gallery Ursula von der Leyen is set to meet with Keir Starmer in the new year ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The European Commission has made a youth mobility scheme a key demand amid the prime ministers post-Brexit reset with Brussels after years of tense relations under successive Conservative administrations. Miguel Berger, the German ambassador to the UK, told GB News Choppers Political Podcast that the issue will be on the EUs agenda for the meeting, saying it will be the start of "talking about the whole reset". He also said the question of whether the UK can re-enter the Erasmus student exchange programme will be on the table, as well as discussing a security pact with the EU. There will be many things on the agenda, Mr Berger said. The security pact which is proposed by the British government - so cooperation on a wide area of topics respecting obviously the red lines. "And also the question of Erasmus programme - where the United Kingdom in the last minute opted out of it so all of these things will be again on the table." open image in gallery The prime minister has so far resisted calls to restore freedom of movement for the young ( PA Wire ) Asked whether the youth mobility scheme will be on the table, he said: It will be included. While the prime minister has repeatedly insisted the UK will not rejoin the bloc within his lifetime, he has pledged to make Brexit work by renegotiating the deal agreed upon by Boris Johnson and pursue closer co-operation, particularly on defence, security and trade. Despite Downing Streets repeated rejections of a youth mobility scheme, last week, European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds gave the first indication that the government may be prepared to make a concession. Speaking to the Lords European affairs committee, he said: Its for the EU to finalise proposals it wants to put on the table. It depends on what precisely you mean by youth mobility. No 10 said there were no plans for a youth mobility scheme and they would not give a running commentary on talks with the EU. Downing Street added that when it came to school trips: As a general principle we remain open to having these conversations at a bilateral level. Mark English, head of policy at European Movement UK. said: "The UK has youth mobility schemes with 13 other countries - including Australia and Japan - so it makes sense to have one with our nearest neighbours and closest partners. Dismissing the idea of reciprocal youth mobility simply means letting down British young people who face all sorts of economic difficulties and have seen their horizons curtailed by Brexit. Young people want and deserve the chance to study or work in Europe. The government owes it to them to make sure they get that chance." Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Survivors will feel let down by the Governments rejection of proposals to crack down on deepfake abuse, Parliament has heard. Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge said she was devastated that ministers were not backing her proposed legislation banning the creation and solicitation of intimate images of people without their consent. The Conservative peer has tabled a proposed law in response to concerns over how technology is aiding the abuse of women, with so-called nudify apps allowing users to create fake nude images or videos of other people through generative artificial intelligence. While the Government has not backed her private members bill, it has promised to bring forward its own legislation tackling this issue next year. Lady Owen said: I am actually devastated with the Governments refusal to back this Bill and I know that survivors will feel let down. I will continue to fight using every legislative vehicle available to me because we cannot afford any more delays in getting these protections enshrined in law. Lady Owens Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill, which would apply to England and Wales, aims to create new offences, with those found guilty facing a fine, up to six months in prison or both. The courts would also be able to order the deletion and destruction of physical and digital images. While the Online Safety Act 2023 made it illegal to share or threaten to share intimate images including deepfakes of people without their consent, it did not outlaw the creation of such images. Deepfake abuse is the new frontier of violence against women and the non-consensual creation of a woman's naked image is an act of abuse Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge Labours general election manifesto stated the party would ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes, and the Government has re-iterated its promise to do this through its own legislation. Justice minister Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede said: Of course I share and the Government shares your concern that more needs to be done to protect women from this form of abuse. I know there will be frustration across the House about the Government pursuing its own legislation within this session. But I hope that you will understand that we want to make it sustainable; we want the legislation to be solid legislation and future-proof as far as is possible. He told peers that the Government is determined to act carefully so that any new measures work with existing law and, most importantly, protect victims and bring offenders to justice. Introducing the Bill, Lady Owen told the House of Lords: I believe in a womans right to choose. The right for her to choose what she does with her own body. The right for her to choose who owns her naked image. With the dawn of AI technology, women have lost this ability. A woman can no longer choose who owns an intimate image of her. Technology has made it possible for them to be created by anyone, anywhere, at anytime, regardless of whether she consents. This Bill will return power to where it belongs the hands of each individual woman. Lady Owen added: Deepfake abuse is the new frontier of violence against women and the non-consensual creation of a womans naked image is an act of abuse. All women are forced to live under the ever-present threat that anyone can own sexually explicit content of them Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge The peer said research had found that one app processed 600,000 images in its first three weeks while the largest site dedicated to deepfake abuse has 13.4 million hits every month. She added: Its a disproportionately sexist form of abuse with 99% of all sexually explicit deepfakes being of women. Women are sick and tired of their images being used without their consent to misrepresent, degrade and humiliate them. Peers heard how survivors experience untold trauma, anxiety and distress as a result of deepfakes, with Lady Owen adding: All women are forced to live under the ever-present threat that anyone can own sexually explicit content of them. The current law is a patchwork of legislation that cannot keep pace and means were forever playing catch-up whilst the abuse of women races ahead in a technological revolution of degradation. Lady Owen said the measures in her Bill, if approved by Parliament, would be implemented as soon as it received royal assent. The former Downing Street special adviser added: The victims of intimate image abuse have waited long enough. Given the rapid proliferation of this abuse, every day that we delay is another day when women have to live under this ever-present threat. Lady Owen said she had met ministers to discuss her Bill, adding: Im disappointed by their response suggesting they will not support this vital Bill and their apparent willingness to delay on legislating on image-based abuse. Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Grender said the Bill is essential, adding: Women cant suffer delay on this issue. The Bill was given a second reading and will undergo further scrutiny at a later date, although it is unlikely to become law in its current form without Government support. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Britain is not properly prepared to defend itself in a war with Russia and cannot rely on the United States and Nato, a retired senior general has warned. Writing in The Independent, Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as Natos deputy supreme allied commander in Europe from 2011 to 2014, said another global conflict will only be prevented if there is a band of deterrent steel from the Baltic to the Black Sea" something he said the UK may have to be prepared to help realise without the support of Washington. His dramatic intervention comes alongside warnings from former defence secretary Ben Wallace and Labour peer Admiral Lord West that a failure to prioritise defence would be a grave error for the prime minister. Lord Wests warning follows a foreboding speech by Nato general secretary Mark Rutte who said the West is not ready to deal with the threat of war from Russia, declaring it is time to shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge our defence production. open image in gallery Richard Shirreffs intervention comes amid global turmoil ( AFP via Getty ) Mr Rutte said: Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us, adding: We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years. There is growing concern about the strength of Donald Trumps commitment to Nato, following repeated threats to pull out of the alliance if member states do not spend more on defence. Sir Richard warned that Britain can make no assumptions that Trump would honour Natos doctrine of collective defence, adding: If we are to deter a third world war, Europe must step up to the mark. A number of Nato member states do not yet meet the 2 per cent of GDP threshold for defence spending. Meanwhile, there are also concerns over the failure of Keir Starmer to specify a timescale in relation to his pledge to increase UK spending to 2.5 per cent. Sir Richard said the West will only achieve peace for ourselves, our children and grandchildren and prevent a third world war between Nato and Russia with a band of deterrent steel from the Baltic to the Black Sea. This is something that we now have to be ready to do without the US lead and it means gearing up to be ready for war in every respect, he said. Sir Richard said the UK must demonstrate moral courage and exemplary leadership to make the necessary sacrifices to preserve peace by deterring war. We have to fight a second cold war to avoid a third world war, he warned. If we fail to do this the costs, in terms of blood and treasure will be appalling. So far, he said, the new governments approach to defence is falling far short of what is required. While the new UK government talks of defence being the first priority, notably it did not figure in the prime ministers recent top six priorities, he said. open image in gallery Keir Starmer has been urged to prioritise defence in an increasingly unstable global landscape ( AFP via Getty ) Last month, Sir Keir unveiled six milestones to measure the governments progress but the targets did not include defence or security. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace told The Independent that the UK has become overdependent on the US which has limited our choices and left us vulnerable, calling for Britain to commit to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence. The world is sadly getting more insecure and more anxious. Technology has enabled enemies to compete in a way that was impossible to do in the past. Now is the time to commit to 3 per cent GDP by 2030. For Starmer to not invest in our security would be a dereliction of duty, he warned. Lord West of Spithead, a former security adviser to Gordon Brown and a retired admiral of the Royal Navy, said Sir Keir had made a terrible political error in not including defence in his six milestones, saying the decision was worrying and beyond belief. While he expressed doubt that Mr Trump would abandon Nato, he called for European nations to spend more on defence. There is absolutely no doubt from anyone who knows anything about the military and about defence that our forces are underfunded. I think the fact that defence wasnt mentioned in that list is a political error, and its a terrible error, full stop. It is beyond belief, really. With the world as dangerous as it is, knowing how underfunded we are, that hes not willing to mention that as one of the priorities I find that very worrying, he told The Independent. Lord West added: I dont believe that even Trump will just suddenly pull out of Nato. But should European nations be pulling more weight in defence terms? Yes, absolutely they should. open image in gallery Donald Trump looks set to disrupt the global stage again when he returns to office in January ( AP ) Colonel Tim Collins, a former army officer who gave a stirring eve-of-battle speech at the start of the Iraq War, expressed concern that Labour is not taking the defence of Britain seriously enough, warning that the UK is facing a situation similar to that of the mid-1930s in the lead-up to the Second World War. While he dismissed some of Mr Trumps remarks about Nato as rhetoric, he admitted that the UK has very little leverage over the United States. Speaking about the new governments commitment to defence, he said: I dont think it is taken particularly seriously by Labour. To the extent that theyre threatening to pull funding from the Tempest programme. Withdrawing from the Tempest programme, he said, would be comparable to cancelling the Spitfire programme just before the Second World War. The Tempest project, part of the Global Combat Air Programme alongside Italy and Japan, is designed to replace the ageing Eurofighter Typhoons by the mid-2030s. But its budget was slashed by 10 per cent this year. Shadow armed forces minister Mark Francois warned that Russia will not be deterred by empty platitudes from the chancellor and the Treasury, and called for the UK to urgently increase defence spending. During the 1980s, at the height of the Cold War, Mrs Thatchers government spent around 5 per cent of GDP on defence, which helped keep the peace in Europe until the Berlin Wall fell. With Putins Russia now at war in Ukraine and threatening further expansion, for instance into Natos Baltic states, we urgently need to increase defence spending to deter the Russians again which we wont do with empty platitudes from the chancellor and HM Treasury, he said. A government spokesperson said: This government will always do what it takes to defend this country, with threats increasing, the world becoming more volatile and technology changing the nature of warfare. That is why the Budget increased defence spending by 2.9bn for next year and we are committed to setting a path to 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence in spring. The Strategic Defence Review is working at pace to look at the threats we face and the capabilities we need to meet the challenges, threats and opportunities of the 21st century." Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ed Miliband has defended his decision to vote against military action in Syria while he was Labour leader, dismissing criticism from Wes Streeting as just wrong. The public split in Sir Keir Starmers cabinet began after the health secretary criticised Labours previous position on Syria, saying hesitation from the UK and US kept Assad in power for much longer. Mr Miliband, who is now Sir Keirs energy secretary, led efforts to block Lord Camerons attempt to launch strikes in Syria to deter the use of chemical weapons in 2013. Mr Streeting told BBC Question Time on Thursday: With hindsight, I think we can say, looking back on the events of 2013, that the hesitation of this country and the United States created a vacuum that Russia moved into and kept Assad in power for much longer. open image in gallery Ed Miliband is now Sir Keirs energy secretary ( PA Wire ) He added: I think if the West had acted faster, Assad would have been gone. Would that have led to a better Syria? I dont know. We know from our own foreign policy history that inaction is a choice, but so is action, and weve seen in other cases, like Libya, that it did not lead to a better future. But when Mr Miliband was asked if he regrets his decision, he said: No, I dont I welcome the fall of president Assad. Back in 2013 we were confronted with whether we should have a one-off, potential one-off bombing of Syria. But there was no plan for what this British involvement would mean, where it would lead, and what the consequences would be. And I believe that in the light of the Iraq war, we could never send British troops back into combat unless we were absolutely clear about what a plan was, including what an exit strategy was. Now to those people who say that president Assad would have fallen if we bombed in 2013 thats obviously wrong, because president Trump bombed president Assad in 2017 and 2018, so he didnt fall. open image in gallery Health Secretary Wes Streeting (Ben Whitley/PA) ( PA Wire ) So I welcome the fall of a brutal dictator, but I think the view that some people seem to be expressing about history is just wrong. In a statement posted to social media, Mr Streeting said: I did not criticise Ed. On the contrary, I pointed out the challenges of hindsight, Libya and the uncertainty we face about post-Assad Syria today. It is frustrating, to put it mildly, to see a nuanced answer to a complicated issue presented as criticism of a good colleague. Former president Assad fled the countrys capital Damascus on Sunday after insurgents from the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered the city without resistance. His departure from Syria on Sunday morning marked the end of more than 50 years of his familys rule over the country. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An Israeli-American real estate mogul known as the Hummus Hunk is facing felony charges for allegedly participating in at least one gruesome sexual assault amid a years-long rape spree prosecutors say three South Florida brothers began carrying out while they were still in high school. Ohad Fisherman is set to be arraigned on Wednesday, the day after he and his new wife return from his honeymoon in Japan, his lawyer said in court Friday morning. Fisherman, 38, is a close friend of Oren and Tal Alexander , who are known for their ultra-luxury real estate empire, and a third Alexander sibling, Alon, who runs the familys private security company, according to authorities. Twins Oren and Alon, 37, along with Tal, 38, were arrested earlier this week and are facing federal sex trafficking charges that could put them away for 15 years to life if convicted; Oren and Alon were also charged in state court for first-degree sexual battery, as was Fisherman. A civil lawsuit filed Thursday in New York State Supreme Court by one accuser, identified only as Jane Doe, includes stomach-turning allegations about one alleged incident involving the twins and Fisherman on December 31, 2016. (Does allegations mirror portions of the criminal charges brought in Florida , where court records identify her as M.W.) open image in gallery Ohad Fisherman, seen here at the Versace Pool Party during Art Week Miami 2015 ( Ger Ger/Getty Images ) Doe met Alon Alexander that fall, via Bumble , an online dating app, according to the lawsuit, which The Independent reviewed in its entirety. It says the two developed a brief and casual relationship, and saw each other a handful of times. Doe went to Florida to visit family and friends for the holidays, and got a text from Alon while there, the suit explains. When he invited Doe to a barbeque at an oceanfront condo in Miami Beach , and sent a photo of several others seemingly enjoying themselves poolside, Does suit says she gladly accepted. However, once she arrived, Doe discovered she was the only guest, the lawsuit goes on. Alon brought her up to a plush apartment, where he introduced her to Oren and Fisherman, who he described as a cousin, according to the suit. Within a few minutes, Alon led [Doe] into a bedroom, Oren and Fisherman followed quickly behind, the door was shut and locked behind them, the suit continues. Alon and Oren then engaged in a demonic discussion about which brother would be the first to rape [Doe]. Oren, according to the lawsuit , apparently prevailed in that conversation and put on a condom while Alon went and sat on a chair in the corner to watch. It says Fisherman then grabbed [Doe] from behind and pinned her shoulders down while Oren forcibly raped [Doe], ignoring [her] tears and pleas for him to stop. open image in gallery Ohad Fisherman made a name for himself through pricey real estate and luxury hummus ( Ger Ger/Getty Images ) Unable to fight back, Doe says in her suit that she instinctively started pretending to enjoy the rape, as she had previously heard a rapist may stop if the victim acts like they are enjoying the rape. It worked, shortly thereafter Oren stopped and angrily exclaimed f**k this, as he threw his condom on the ground and stormed out of the bedroom, the lawsuit contends. Alon then assaulted Doe, and when he was done, attempted to force [Doe] to perform sexual acts on Fisherman, threatening that she needed to do so in order to leave. But Doe, who was now crying uncontrollably, successfully appealed to Alon, who instead forced [Doe] to shower, according to the suit. It says Doe then left and called an Uber, forever changed. The Alexander brothers have attained a degree of semi-celebrity through their business dealings, and Fisherman has made something of a name for himself, as well. According to the Miami New Times, Fisherman brokered the sale of a $17 million apartment occupied at the time by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, President-elect Donald Trumps daughter and son-in-law, and is regularly written up in the real estate press after major transactions. But it was the 2013 launch of his own line of gourmet hummus that cemented his personal brand as the so-called Hummus Hunk . Hummus Joonams founder and Chickpea-puree-er-in-Chief is Ohad Fisherman, a handsome 30-year-old Israeli real estate broker (and hes single, I think, for any interested parties out there!), who comes from a long line of hummus royalty: his father is the owner of the landmark Tel Aviv restaurant Mifgash HaSteak, purveyor of some of the citys best since 1965, read a 2016 profile in the online magazine Tablet, titled New Yorks Hummus Hunk. open image in gallery Ohad Fishermans family owns a Tel Aviv restaurant famed for its hummus ( Getty Images ) Hashem [God] wants me to do the hummus, Fisherman told The Times of Israel . ... American hummus doesnt even taste like hummus. It has too many spices and its texture is all wrong. Its too heavy. You cant even eat it without bread. Fishermans hummus, which is no longer available, cost $10 for an 8-ounce tub. In a comment to the New York Post in 2016 about Fishermans product, Oren Alexander said, Ive heard from women that Joonam is an aphrodisiac, says NYC real estate broker Oren Alexander. Im not sure if they are referring to the hummus or Ohad. On Thursday, Oren and Alon Alexander were denied bail by a Miami-Dade County judge, but were granted pre-trial release on Friday morning after their father put up his $40 million home as collateral, their attorney Joel Denaro told The Independent. Still, since a federal hold on the pair remains in place, Denaro said they will remain behind bars until further notice. Tal Alexander, who is also represented by Denaro, is expected to appear at his own bail hearing in federal court on Friday afternoon. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A California couple have been shot and killed while on vacation in Mexico, according to authorities. The married couple, identified only as Gloria A., 50, and Rafael C., 53, were shot dead in the western state of Michoacan just before midnight Wednesday, the Michoacan State Attorney Generals Office said Thursday. Gloria and Rafael had been traveling through the municipality of Angamacutiro in a black 2016 Ford Platinum pickup truck when the shooting unfolded, the statement added. Gloria died at the scene while Rafael was rushed to a hospital in Puruandiro where he died a short time later. At the time of the shooting, they were visiting Mexico for a few days for the December holidays, Michoacan Prosecutors Office spokesperson Magdalena Guzman told CNN. A spokesperson told Reuters that the couple had family and a home in Angamacutiro. Gloria had obtained U.S. citizenship, while Rafael was born in the U.S. to Mexican parents. The prosecutors office said that the couples license plate had been registered without a number in the Lazaro Cardenas neighborhood. Investigators were collecting ballistic evidence from the scene for analysis. The U.S. State Department advises tourists not to travel to several states in Mexico including Michoacan due to the ongoing risk of violent crime and kidnappings by organized crime gangs and cartels. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The California Department of Motor Vehicles has issued an apology after a license plate appeared to mock the October 7 attack on Israel. The department issued a statement on Thursday after the organization StopAntisemitism posted a photo of a Cybertruck license plate that read: LOLOCT7. The plate appears to reference the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage. In response, Israeli forces have launched ongoing attacks on Gaza, killing more than 44,000 people, including many women and children, according to Palestinian officials. StopAntisemitism said the plate was spotted in Culver City, just outside of Los Angeles. StopAntisemitism is appalled by the sickening display on a Cyber Truck plate in California, celebrating terrorism against the Jewish people, the organizations X account posted on Thursday. Demand the @CA_DMV recall this license plate that celebrates the October 7th terrorist attacka vile mockery of the 1,200 innocent lives lost and the countless others scarred, the organization later added. The California DMV responded with an apology on X just hours later. This is unacceptable and disturbing, the departments statement reads. The DMV Is taking swift action to recall these shocking plates, and we will immediately strengthen our internal review process to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again. We sincerely apologize that these personalized plates were not properly rejected during our review process, the statement continues. The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways. open image in gallery The California DMV called the license plate unacceptable and disturbing' ( Getty Images ) Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism, said the organization expects the DMV to take decisive action. This license plate, along with any others displaying similar sentiments or antisemitic expressions, should be recalled immediately, Rez said. Additionally, the department must review its processes and personnel to determine how this was approved in the first place and ensure it never happens again. A DMV spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the department will notify the driver about the recall of their plate. However, the owner has the right to appeal the decision. The DMV will also review their current license plate database to identify any other offensive language that has made it through their review process, the spokesperson told the outlet. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes for one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy seafood and some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trumps pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive to consumers. Conservationists also fear Trump's emphasis on government deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks that are already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they are excited for Trumps second presidency. They said they expect hell allow fishing in protected areas as he did in his first presidency, crack down on offshore wind expansion and cut back regulations they describe as burdensome. And they expect a marked shift from the administration of President Joe Biden, who prioritized ocean conservation and championed wind power from the start. The seafood industry isn't hungry for another tariff war, which hurt fishermen during Trump's first term, said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association. But she said the new Trump administration has a unique chance to throw its support behind U.S. fishermen. I think we should be focused on feeding Americans, Casoni said. The America First administration I think will make that point loud and clear. Know where your food is coming from. But the seafood industry, which is international in nature, could be seriously disrupted if Trump goes through with a plan to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada, said John Sackton, a longtime industry analyst and founder of Seafood News. Canada is the largest seafood market for the U.S. for both imports and exports, and nearly a sixth of the seafood imported by the U.S. is from its northern neighbor, according to federal statistics published in November. In total about 80% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. Losing Canada an especially important buyer of American lobster as a market for U.S. seafood could cause prices to fishermen to collapse, Sackton said. And some products could become unavailable while others become more expensive and still others oversupplied, he said. He described the seafood industry as interdependent on both sides of the border. In Canada, members of the country's seafood industry are watching closely to see what changes Trump ushers in, said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A potential trade war will cost everyone more (in Canada and the U.S.) and cause damage to the seafood section in Canada and the United States, Irvine said via email. We are working with allies in Canada and the U.S. to send this message to all governments. One of the major changes for fishermen under a new Trump administration is that they can expect to have a seat at the table when high-level decisions get made, said representatives for several commercial fishing groups. Last time around, Trump sat down with fishermen and listened to their concerns about loss of fishing rights in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a nearly 5,000-square mile (13,000 square kilometers) protected area off New England, said Robert Vanasse, executive director of industry advocate Saving Seafood. That goodwill is likely to carry over into Trump's new presidency. And the industry feels it has already scored a win with election of a president who is an outspoken critic of offshore wind power, said Drew Minkiewicz, an attorney who represents the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Sustainable Scalloping Fund. Fishermen of valuable seafoods such as scallops and lobsters have long opposed offshore wind development because of concerns wind power will disrupt prime fishing grounds. There is excitement in the industry that offshore wind will basically be contained to its existing footprint and nothing beyond that, Minkiewicz said. Others in the industry said they're concerned about how Trump will handle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that regulates fisheries. The undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, who is currently the Biden-appointed Rick Spinrad, will be one of Trump's key appointees. Trump went through three different administrators at the post during his first term of office. The industry has recently suffered major recent crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and trade hostilities with another major trading partner in Russia, and isn't in a position to withstand unstable leadership, said Noah Oppenheim, coordinator for Fishing Communities Coalition, which represents small-scale commercial fishing groups. "The Fishing Communities Coalition is always deeply concerned that any administrations shifts away from a fishery management focus on conservation and accountability will do serious lasting damage to the industry," Oppenheim said. Conservation groups who have pushed for stricter vessel speed rules and new fishing standards, such as new gear that is less likely to harm whales, said they're also waiting to see the direction Trump takes fisheries and ocean policy. They said they're hopeful progress made under Biden can withstand a second Trump presidency. It would be extraordinarily short-sighted for the incoming administration to ignore the science and set off a fishing free-for-all that will only hurt fisheries and healthy oceans in the long run, said Jane Davenport, a senior attorney with Defenders of Wildlife. ___ This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A 26-year-old man from Avondale, Arizona is accused of fatally shooting his brother-in-law after having an argument over a barking dog. Soccorro Christian Tena, 26, allegedly shot his brother-in-law Luis Cosme Jimenez-Hunter late last month after the two began arguing over Tenas barking dog shortly after Jiminez-Hunter brought his children home from seeing Santa Claus. Avondale police were called to the scene by Jimnez-Hunters wife. When they arrived, they found her husband dead from an apparent gunshot wound to the chest, The Arizona Republic reported. open image in gallery A barking dog led to a dispute that escalated to gunfire in Avondale, Arizona ( Getty Images/iStockphoto ) The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on the property where the men lived together, according to witnesses. Jimenez-Hunter had just gotten home with his children to see Santa when he confronted Tena about his barking dog. Tena allegedly admitted to police that he shot JimenezHunter as he became convinced his brother-in-law was about to punch him. Tena is facing criminal charges of second-degree murder, disorderly conduct with a firearm and discharging a firearm in city limits. He was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An Arizona man was arrested for stealing hundreds of thousands in crypto while pretending to be an Uber driver, police say. Authorities in Scottsdale, Arizona arrested Nuruhussein Hussein, 40, Wednesday after he allegedly posed as an Uber driver and swiped $200,000 worth of cryptocurrency from passengers digital wallets. He now faces multiple felony charges including theft, fraud and money laundering. In a joint effort with special agents from the United States Secret Service Phoenix Field Office, police uncovered a cryptocurrency fraud scheme from March through December in which the suspect impersonated a rideshare driver, picking up people who were waiting for rides they had called at a Scottsdale hotel. Hussein then asked the unsuspecting passengers to use their phones to look up directions or connect to the app, police said. While manipulating the unsuspecting victims phone the suspect transferred cryptocurrency from their digital wallet to his digital wallet, Scottsdale Police said in a statement to The Independent. At the time of his arrest, the value of the stolen cryptocurrency arrest was worth more than $200,000. open image in gallery Suspect accused of stealing $200,000 in cryptocurrency while pretending to be an Uber driver ( Maricopa County Jail ) The case is still under investigation, police said. Hussein is being held at Maricopa County jail with a $200,000 bond. Prosecutors said at a Wednesday bond hearing that he was a flight risk because he often travels to Ethiopia, Fox10 reported. They also asked for certain conditions to be placed on him, should he post bond, due to his sophisticated scheme. If Mr. Hussein is able to post bond, wed ask for electronic monitoring, and Id also ask for no use of the internet. Given that this was an extremely sophisticated electronic fraud, we do not want Mr. Hussein to potentially destroy further evidence if it exists, a prosecutor said, according to the outlet. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy California police had identified the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect as Luigi Mangione and alerted the FBI four days before he was eventually arrested in Pennsylvania, according to a report. An officer in the San Francisco Police Departments Special Victims Unit is said to have tipped off the bureau on December 5 after recognizing Mangione in images circulated by the NYPD, sources told the San Francisco Chronicle. Mangione had actually been on the radar of San Francisco authorities two weeks prior to the December 4 shooting of Brian Thompson. Mangiones mother, Kathleen Mangione, had reported her son missing on November 18 after the family had been unable to contact him since July 1, the sources told the Chronicle. An acquaintance told The New York Times the suspect had lost touch with friends and family after undergoing major surgery for debilitating, chronic back pain in July 2023. A San Francisco officer on the missing persons case had then recognized him in the photos circulated of the suspected killer and identified Mangione by name to the FBI, according to the paper. However, Mangione wasnt arrested for another four days when a McDonalds customer spotted him eating at a fast food branch in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday and an employee called police. Mangione was in possession of a ghost gun, a suppressor, multiple fraudulent IDs, and a handwritten 262-word manifesto, and a spiral notebook containing a to-do list when he was taken into custody, police said. open image in gallery Luigi Mangione was reportedly identified by police days before his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania ( REUTERS ) Following his arrest, authorities had claimed the 26-year-old wasnt on their radar prior to the McDonalds tip. The Independent has contacted the San Francisco Police Department and FBI for more information. The motive for the shooting is still under investigation, with Mangiones manifesto and notebook providing potential clues. In the manifesto, the suspect allegedly rails against the healthcare industry, saying the US has the most expensive healthcare system in the world while ranking 42nd in global life expectancy rankings. However, UnitedHealth Group has now revealed that Mangione has never been a client of the health insurance company. The NYPDs Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York the findings indicate Mangione did not have a grudge against Thompson specifically, but that he targeted the company for its size and because he had prior knowledge that the companys conference was taking place in New York that day. open image in gallery Mangione, 26, in a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania ( via REUTERS ) We have no indication that he ever was a client of UnitedHealthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America, he said. On Thursday, New York prosecutors began presenting evidence to a grand jury as they work toward what Governor Kathy Hochul predicts will be an ironclad indictment that may be issued any day now, ABC News reported. A grand jury indictment could bolster the case for extradition from Pennsylvania to New York, where he faces a second-degree murder charge. In a court hearing Tuesday in Pennsylvania, Mangione fought his extradition to New York and shouted as he was led into court. Its completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience! he yelled. His attorney, Thomas Dickey, explained the outburst to CNN on Wednesday, noting: Hes irritated. Agitated about whats happening to him and what hes being accused of. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will now face federal charges in addition to the New York state murder indictment already brought against him, according to reports. Federal charges which will be brought by prosecutors from the US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York, according to The New York Times would potentially allow prosecutors to pursue the death penalty should Mangione, 26, ultimately be found guilty of murder, capital punishment having been outlawed in New York for decades. According to documents unsealed on Thursday, and a sworn affidavit by an FBI agent, federal prosecutors intend to charge him with murder through use of a firearm, two stalking charges and a firearms offense. The documents do not specify whether the death penalty will be sought, with the matter likely to be decided by incoming president Donald Trumps new-look Justice Department next year. The development comes after Mangione appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom on Thursday and formally waived his right to an extradition hearing before being returned to New York. open image in gallery A court sketch shows Luigi Mangione being led out of Pennsylvania court after waiving his right to an extradition hearing ( REUTERS ) Earlier this week, the suspect was formally indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on three murder charges over the attack on Thompson, 50, who was shot dead outside of the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4 by a masked assailant armed with a handgun who had lain in wait for him. The incident led to a five-day manhunt, culminating in Mangione being arrested at a branch of McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 after local police received a tip-off from a fellow customer responding to an image of the shooter circulated by the NYPD. He was found to have a pistol, ammunition and fake identification cards about his person, as well as a 262-word manifesto denouncing the American healthcare system, having recently undergone back surgery. In bringing the charges, Bragg called the episode a frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation. The toughest penalty Mangione could face in state court, should he be convicted of Thompsons murder, would be life imprisonment without parole, which the Justice Department could deem insufficient. open image in gallery Luigi Mangione leaves Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on Thursday December 19 2024 ( AP ) The state case will proceed in parallel with any federal case, said Danielle Filson, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorneys Office. This defendant brazenly shot Mr Thompson point blank on a Manhattan sidewalk. The Manhattan DAs office, working with our partners at the NYPD, is dedicated to securing justice for this heinous murder with charges of murder in the first degree. Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangiones lawyer, said in a statement that the Southern Districts involvement in the case raised a number of issues she found disconcerting. The federal governments reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns, she said. We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought. open image in gallery Officers stand outside the federal courthouse in Manhattan, where Luigi Mangioni is set to be arraigned on charges including murder ( REUTERS ) The suspects supporters continue to donate generously to a defense fund set up on his behalf after he became a problematic folk hero to some during his flight from justice. The anonymous fund, The December 4th Legal Committee, had amassed almost $157,000 in donations via the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo at the time of writing. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has already been forced to denounce vigilante justice in response to the dark fandom Mangione has attracted. In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint, he said in the aftermath of the suspects arrest. In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this: he is no hero. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The McDonalds employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania who called in the tip that led to the arrest of Luigi Mangione is eligible for law enforcements $60,000 reward but he may not collect it for a while. The manhunt for the masked gunman suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 came to an end after six days when Larry, a McDonalds employee, called 911, saying he recognized a customer nibbling on hashbrowns from the photos circulated by NYPD. Now, that worker is eligible to collect tens of thousands of dollars in reward money. Mangione, 26, has been charged with second-degree murder in New York in connection to Thompsons death. He also faces gun charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested. The FBI was offering up to $50,000 and NYPD Crime Stoppers was offering $10,000 for information that led to an arrest or conviction. The individual in Pennsylvania, who called in a tip, is eligible to receive the reward, the Police Foundation board said in a statement Wednesday. Since most rewards require a conviction, Larry might have to wait until a trial completes, which could take a year or more, the Associated Press reported. Its also not clear how much of that pot he would receive, since hundreds of tips were called in. Police fielded 400 tips, 30 of which were useful, according to the Associated Press. Its not immediately clear how these tips assisted the case. Because Larry called 911, it records a number and usually a name, but the Crime Stoppers line remains anonymous. On its website, Crime Stoppers promises to never record a tipsters call, ask for the tipsters name, or trace phone numbers. Instead, the program gives each tipster a reference number that they can later use to collect the reward, should the information lead to an arrest and an indictment. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny will assess which tips led to advancements in the case when determining how the reward money will be distributed, the outlet reported. Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into a Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, courthouse on Tuesday. ( (Benjamin B. Braun/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP) ) Larry recalled the moment he called in the tip, telling Fox News: One of my friends, and I thought he was kidding, when the shooter Im assuming was the shooter who they made the arrest on came in. [My friend] made a comment That looks like the shooter from New York. The group of us thought it was more of a joke, and we were kidding about it, Larry continued. But as it turned out, it was him. New York prosecutors are said to be presenting evidence to a grand jury this week as they work toward what Governor Kathy Hochul predicts will be an ironclad indictment against the suspect. Investigators are still trying to figure out a motive for the deadly shooting. Although police have previously said that Mangione suffered from debilitating back pain and underwent surgery in 2023, investigators are still looking into why UnitedHealthcare was targeted. We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So thats possibly why he targeted that that company, Kenny told NBC New York Thursday. He had prior knowledge that the conference was taking place on that date, at that location.-Additional reporting by AP. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A McDonalds customer thought his friend was joking after they spotted Luigi Mangione in the Pennsylvania fast food joint. The McDonalds regular, identified only as Larry, was in the Altoona branch on Monday with a group of friends when the 26-year-old, suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, walked through the door. One of my friends, and I thought he was kidding, when the shooter Im assuming was the shooter who they made the arrest on came in. [My friend] made a comment That looks like the shooter from New York, Larry told Fox Digital. The group of us thought it was more of a joke, and we were kidding about it, Larry continued. But as it turned out, it was him. Mangione ordered some hash browns, new photos revealed, and then headed to the back of the restaurant. I passed him whenever I left, I left and went to church, [then] came back because I heard there was an arrest, Larry added. open image in gallery McDonalds customer in the Altoona, Pennsylvania, branch thought his friend was kidding after he said he spotted Luigi Mangione ( Fox News ) One of Larrys friends noticed that Magiones backpack and jacket resembled the ones in the surveillance images circulated by the New York Police Department, he said. The local added that he thinks Mangione must have heard the group talking about him because the McDonalds staff worker who called the police also overheard them. And the worker, she heard us talking, he had to have heard us, Larry said. Following the suspects arrest, the McDonalds branch was targeted by review bombing that caused Google to step in. This location has rats in the kitchen that will make you sick and your insurance isnt going to cover it, one spoof restaurant reviewer wrote in response. open image in gallery Luigi Mangione lowered his mask to eat hash browns in the McDonalds ( AP ) Do not stop here if you are an American Hero. They will sell you out, another person wrote. Others likewise derided the venue as a haven for snitches. Google said in a statement that it was taking down the reviews, saying they violate our policies and have been removed. Googles policy dictates that all review contributions should reflect a genuine experience at a place or business and that content that has been posted from multiple accounts to manipulate a places rating will be removed. New York prosecutors filed murder charges against Mangione hours after he faced gun crimes charges in Pennsylvania, according to a court docket. He allegedly possessed a ghost gun, a suppressor, multiple fraudulent IDs, and a handwritten 262-word manifesto that slammed the health care system, authorities said. The suspect is currently being held without bond in a Pennsylvania jail and will be extradited to New York to face the murder charge, according to NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny. An extradition hearing is scheduled to take place today at the Blair County Courthouse. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Betting platform Polymarket started taking bets on Luigi Mangiones future after the 26-year-old was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The bets started appearing on the website on Monday shortly after Mangione was arrested in a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on gun charges, according to Forbes. The betting platform surged in popularity during the 2024 presidential election, when gamblers spent more than $3.3 billion guessing the results. So far, users have wagered thousands of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies speculating over Mangiones alleged motive and outcome of the case. A bet with one of the highest trading volumes, $125,000, is on whether Mangione was motivated by denied [health insurance] claims. Polymarkets betting odds give it a 24 percent chance of being true. open image in gallery A selection of bets on Polymarket where users are wagering on Luigi Mangiones future ( Polymarket ) Another bet trading at a volume of $65,000 is on whether Luigi Mangione used [a] 3D printed gun, which is given a 97 percent chance of being true. Users are also betting on whether Mangione will plead guilty. The bet has a volume of $100,000 and the odds of him entering the plea are 26 percent, according to Polymarket. Other bets take a punt on whether or not Mangione is gay, if he will post again on X, if he allegedly acted alone, whether he will fire his lawyer, and when he could be extradited to New York to face the murder charge. Meanwhile, New York Governor Kathy Hochul says she expects an indictment against Mangione to be issued any day now, adding that a warrant for his extradition will follow the second that happens. open image in gallery Bets on the site speculate over Mangiones alleged motive and potential outcome of the case ( Pennsylvania Department of Corrections/EPA ) Hochul said she trusts Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office to put forth an ironclad indictment. Mangione is currently being held in a Pennsylvania jail cell where he faces gun charges. Speaking on MSNBCs Morning Joe on Thursday, the governor said: I trust the DA here in Manhattan to put forward an indictment that is going to be ironclad. And thats why theres been a little time. People say, why hasnt something happened already? You want to get this right. You dont want to have anybody, a defense attorney, be able to attack what youve done. She continued: We expect that to be issued any day now. And its the second that happens, Im issuing a warrant for extradition. Ive already told the governor of Pennsylvania in multiple conversations, Josh Shapiro, and hes working with me on this. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A New York man has been arrested for murder after driving to a sheriffs office parking lot to allegedly dispose of his dead fathers body. Richard Fluegel Sr, 60, was reported missing by his family on December 8 in Irondequoit, about 300 miles northwest of New York City. He had not returned home as expected and did not show up for a flight the next morning. When his car was later found in a parking lot about an hour away officials launched a search to find him. On December 9 around 11:30 pm, the mans son, Richard Fluegel Jr, 30, allegedly called 911 from the parking lot of the sheriffs office and told the operator he wanted to turn in a deceased body. Deputies and investigators immediately responded to the scene. It was not clear from the call that the case involved a murder. Police say they thought the caller may have been reporting a medical emergency or a natural event. Investigators worked the scene for hours, obtaining a search warrant for his car and ultimately found Fluegel Srs body inside with gunshot wounds. Its not clear exactly when the son allegedly killed his father. The two were in a different town when the shooting happened, police said. The following day, Fluegel Jr, of Rochester, was arrested and charged with felony murder in the second degree, felony criminal use of a firearm in the first degree and felony tampering with physical evidence. He is currently being held in the Livingston County Jail without bail. He has two prior felony convictions. A county public defender represented the man during his arraignment. The Independent has emailed the office for comment. His next court appearance is set for December 16. During a news conference on Tuesday, Livingston County Sheriff Thomas J Dougherty called the situation very abnormal, adding hed never heard of something like that happening in his law enforcement career. He said he expects more charges to be brought forward. How did we end up in this place with a really unfortunate, tragic story? Dougherty said. You know, its one of those things that I can imagine doesnt make a lot of sense to the family, it doesnt make a lot of sense to us, and so thats our job to determine what happened. He did not reveal additional details and said there was never a wider danger to the community. This was an isolated incident, he said. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Lyft passenger was arrested after the stunned driver found him a little naked in the backseat of his car, according to Florida authorities. The 48-year-old passenger, who has not been named, was picked up last weekend on December 7 in Lakeland, near Tampa, when the driver heard a strange noise from the backseat. He was shocked to find the passenger had taken off his clothes in the back of the vehicle and immediately told him to stop. The Lyft company contacted the PCSO and reported that one of their drivers was in a very, very uncomfortable situation, Polk County Sherrifs Office said in a post on social media. The driver informed the deputy that he had picked up a passenger, heard a strange noise, and turned around to see...(the passenger)... was sitting on the back seat, sans shirt, pants, and undies. The driver told (him) to stop what he was doing. The suspect told police he got a little naked after he was overcome with a feeling when they questioned him, the Miami Herald reports. Police arrested the man 10 miles from Lakeland in the city of Auburndale. The man, who lives in Groveland near Orlando, has been charged with exposure of sexual organs, according to the Herald. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Months after a mom and military vet was gunned down near her car on a Philadelphia street, police say they have arrested a suspect. Her family has previously said they believe the mom was shot as her car was being stolen. On June 22, Heather Rainey, 47, was found along West Poplar Street in Philadelphia, according to ABC 6. Police said she was shot around 11 p.m. and her car was running nearby with the windows smashed and a hammer on top. Rainey was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police identified 21-year-old Tysean Forsythe as a suspect in the case. But he was on the run for months. That was until Wednesday when police said they found him as they were investigating a stolen car. He was arrested and hit with a slew of charges, including murder. open image in gallery An arrest has been made after mom and military vet Heather Rainey was shot and killed in Philadelphia ( Meachem & Prioleau Funeral Home, Inc. ) An exact motive for the murder has not been released. "She was a mother, she was a military veteran, she was a human being, the victims niece Charlisa Mcrae previously told ABC 6. As the suspects were on the loose, the family told reporters that it created restless nights. "When I see her in my dreams, I ask her, What happened? She just shakes her head," fellow niece Marceda Rainey told the outlet. Forsythe was denied bail during his first court appearance. He is scheduled to return to court on December 30. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy In a public response to the outpouring of rage against health insurance companies following the murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcares parent company admited Americas health care system is flawed as he mourned the loss of a brilliant, kind man. In an op-ed titled The health care system is flawed. Lets fix it, published in the New York Times on Friday, Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group, wrote that he understands peoples frustrations. The shocking case has prompted a wave of support for the suspect, Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with Thompsons murder and is fighting extradition to New York, as Americans vent their frustrations with the state of health care. We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand peoples frustrations with it, Witty said. No one would design a system like the one we have. open image in gallery The insurance boss also paid tribute to Thompson and his family in the op-ed ( AP ) Witty insisted that the companys mission is to help make health coverage better and bring costs down. We are willing to partner with anyone, as we always have health care providers, employers, patients, pharmaceutical companies, governments and others to find ways to deliver high-quality care and lower costs, he said. However, in the op-ed he acknowledges: Clearly, we are not there yet. Together with employers, governments and others who pay for care, we need to improve how we explain what insurance covers and how decisions are made, he wrote. Behind each decision lies a comprehensive and continually updated body of clinical evidence focused on achieving the best health outcomes and ensuring patient safety. Witty also paid tribute to Thompson and his Iowa roots, adding that the late CEO wanted to make health care better for everyone. As Brian Thompsons family, friends and colleagues mourn his killing, we are bearing a grief and sadness we will carry for the rest of our lives, Witty said. Grief for the family he leaves behind. And grief for a brilliant, kind man who was working to make health care better for everyone. He continued: Brian was never content with the status quo. Thats why he pushed us to build dedicated teams to help the sickest people navigate the health system. open image in gallery Mangione left behind a three-page note that expressed an ill will towards corporate America, investigators have said. ( Supplied/NYPD ) The health care boss also decried the threats employees at the company have faced since Thompsons shocking execution on a New York City street. No employees be they the people who answer customer calls or nurses who visit patients in their homes should have to fear for their and their loved ones safety, he said. Meanwhile, the NYPDs Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny has revealed that there is no indication that the 26-year-old suspect, who is believed to have undergone major back surgery last year, was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare. Mangione left behind a three-page note that expressed an ill will towards corporate America, investigators have said. We have no indication that he ever was a client of UnitedHealthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America, Kenny said. An NYPD assessment obtained by CNN states that Mangione appeared to view the targeted killing of the companys highest-ranking representative as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and power games. 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The wife of a Wisconsin kayaker who faked his own drowning so he could leave her and their children and meet a woman in Eastern Europe filed court documents Thursday seeking to end their marriage. Online court records indicate Emily Borgwardt filed a petition in Dodge County Circuit Court seeking a legal separation from Ryan Borgwardt. According to the petition, the marriage is irretrievably broken." The document doesn't elaborate. A woman who answered the phone at the office of Emily Borgwardts attorney, Andrew Griggs, on Thursday said he would have no comment The Associated Press reported. Online court records dont list an attorney for Ryan Borgwardt. The separation petition states that the couple has been married for 22 years and Emily Borgwardt wants sole custody of their three teenaged children. The document adds that Emily works at a private school in Watertown. Ryan is listed as self-employed and currently residing at an unknown address. A hearing in the case has been set for April. Ryan Borgwardt, 45, was arrested and booked into the Green Lake County Jail on Tuesday afternoon after disappearing from his home in Watertown for three months on August 12. open image in gallery Ryan Borgwardt appears in a Green Lake County courtroom Wednesday, December 11, 2024, in Green Lake ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) He was initially presumed dead when his abandoned overturned kayak was discovered in Green Lake. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday morning that Borgwardt was in communication with officers and decided to return home on his own accord. When pressed about what compelled Borgwardt to return, Podoll replied: His family, I guess. Borgwardt appeared at a brief court hearing on Wednesday afternoon where he was charged with obstructing an officer, WBAY reports. The court entered a not guilty plea on Borgwardts behalf after he told the judge he couldnt afford an attorney. Bond was set at $500. During the morning press conference, Podoll would not disclose which country Borgwardt fled to or which U.S. airport he flew back into. Borgwardt told authorities last month that he faked his death because of personal matters, the sheriff said at a previous press conference. Podoll said Borgwardt began communicating with authorities on November 11 after disappearing for three months but that he hadnt committed to returning to Wisconsin. open image in gallery Wisconsin man Ryan Borgwardt in video to law enforcement ( Green Lake County Sheriff's Office ) Podoll said police were pulling at his heartstrings to come home. He told them that in mid-August he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from his home in Watertown to Green Lake, where he overturned his kayak, dumped his phone and then paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He said he picked that lake because its the deepest in Wisconsin. After leaving the lake, he rode an electric bike about 70 miles (110 kilometers) through the night to Madison, the sheriff said. From there, he said he took a bus to Detroit, then boarded a bus to Canada and got on a plane. The sheriff said at the time that investigators were working to verify Borgwardts description of what happened. The sheriffs office has said the search for Borgwardts body, which lasted more than a month, cost at least $35,000. The sheriff said that Borgwardt told authorities that he didnt expect the search to last more than two weeks. The Associated Press contributed to this report 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 Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Irans capital and outlying provinces have faced rolling power blackouts for weeks in October and November, with electricity cuts disrupting peoples lives and businesses. And while several factors are likely involved, some suspect cryptocurrency mining has played a role in the outages. Iran economy has been hobbled for years by international sanctions over its advancing nuclear program. The country's fuel reserves have plummeted, with the government selling off more to cover budget shortfalls as wars rage in the Middle East and Tehran grapples with mismanagement. The demand on the grid has not let up, however even as Iranians stopped using air conditioners as the weather cooled in the fall and before winter months set in, when people fire up their gas heaters. Meanwhile, bitcoin's value has rocketed to all-time highs after the U.S. election was clinched by Donald Trump. It hit the $100,000 mark for the first time last week, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The surge has led some to suspect that organized cryptocurrency mining sucking away huge amounts of power has played a part in the outages in Iran. Unfortunately, some opportunistic and exploitative individuals use subsidized electricity, public networks and other resources for cryptocurrency mining without authorization," Mostafa Rajabi, the CEO of Iran's government-owned power company, said back in August. Irans state energy company did not respond to a request for comment. Power outages have come and gone in the past in Iran, which struggles with aging equipment at many of its plants. Over the summer, sustained blackouts struck industrial parks near Tehran and other cities. Then in October and November, rolling power cuts across Tehran's neighborhoods became the norm in daylight hours. Climate change has been blamed in part, with persisting droughts and less water running through Iranian hydroelectric dams. Iran's reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered several power plants to stop burning mazut, a high-polluting heavy fuel common in the former Soviet Union countries. Tehran has used it in the past to make up the difference in electricity generation. Fuel reserves, both in diesel and natural gas, also remain low even though Iran is an OPEC member and home to one of the world's second-largest reserves of natural gas, behind only Russia. There's been no explanation for the decision to keep those reserves low, though critics have suggested Iran likely sold the fuel to cover budget shortfalls. For his part, Pezeshkian has said that he must "honestly tell the public about the energy situation. We have no choice but to consume energy economically, especially gas, in the current conditions and the cold weather, he said in mid-November. I myself use warm clothes at home; others can do the same." Still, winter heating isn't in full swing quite yet on Tehran raising questions where the power is going. In many poor and densely populated neighborhoods across the country, people have access to free, unmetered electricity. Mosques, schools, hospitals and other sites also receive free power. And with electricity in general sold at subsidized rates, bitcoin processing centers have boomed. They require immense amounts of electricity to power specialized computers and to keep them cool. Determining how much power is used up by mining is difficult, particularly as miners now use virtual private networks that mask their location, said Masih Alavi, the CEO of an Iranian-government-licensed mining company called Viraminer. Also, miners have been renting apartments to hide their rigs inside of empty homes. They distribute their machines across several apartments to avoid being detected," Alavi said. In 2021, one estimate suggested Iran processed as much as $1 billion in bitcoin transactions. That value likely has spiked, given bitcoin's rise. Meanwhile, Iran's blackouts began in earnest as bitcoin spiked from around $67,000 to over $100,000 in its historic rally. Rajabi, the state electricity company CEO, said his firm would offer rewards of $725 for people to report unlicensed bitcoin farms. The farms have caused an abnormal increase in consumption, disruptions, and problems in power networks, Rajabi said. The amount of power used by some 230,000 unlicensed devices is equivalent, he said, to the entire power needs of Iran's Markazi province one of the country's chief manufacturing sites. Iranian officials and media have not linked bitcoin's surge and the ongoing blackouts but the public has, with social media users resharing a video showing a massive bitcoin farm earlier this year uncovered in Iran. A voice off camera asks how it was possible the electrical company did not discover the farm sooner. The U.S. Treasury and Israel have targeted bitcoin wallets that theyve alleged are affiliated with operations run by Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard to finance allied militant groups in Mideast war zones. That suggests the Guard itself one of the most-powerful forces within Iran may be involved in the mining. In contrast, Iranian media nearly every day report on individual mining operations being raided by police. Iran may see bitcoin as a hedge against increased pressure from the incoming Trump administration and as regional allies are engulfed in turmoil, said Richard Nephew, an adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "The question for the economists inside Iran is do we trust this enough to fund the government," said Nephew, who has long worked on Iran issues and sanction strategies in the U.S. government. However, he cautioned against thinking of bitcoin as a magic bullet for Iran, particularly as bitcoin wallets can be targeted in sanctions. A pattern of behavior screams out to intelligence services," Nephew said. "It screams out to bank compliance departments. ___ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Mehdi Fattahi and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Barron Trump has been described as a ladies man around the New York University (NYU) campus, where he is so popular that even his liberal classmates like him. An insider at NYUs Stern School of Business, where Barron enrolled this fall, told People magazine that Donald Trumps only son with third wife Melania Trump has proven to be popular with the ladies. Hes tall and handsome, the source said of the 18-year-old, who stands an astonishing six feet nine inches tall. A lot of people seem to think hes pretty attractive yes, even liberal people like him. Peoples article about Barron is so complimentary it has prompted some speculation about the source of the quotes, given that his father was known to enjoy calling in gossip to the tabloids during his Big Apple real estate days under the false name John Barron. When did Trumps pal David Pecker from the Enquirer take over as the publisher of People? asked Trump critic Ron Filipowski on X, wryly alluding to the former tabloid boss who testified at the former presidents hush money trial earlier this year. Barron is understood to be living at his familys penthouse at Trump Tower in Manhattan while he attends classes, at which he is flanked by members of the Secret Service. But he enjoys playing video games with his peers and is said to have a chill demeanor, the magazine reported. Barron Trump with Melania at the Election Night watch party in Florida last month ( Getty ) The youngest Trump was just 10 when his father first entered the White House in January 2017 and his privacy was fiercely protected by his parents during the administration. However, they have been more forthcoming about him recently, with the president-elect praising him on the campaign trail and revealing he did not yet have a girlfriend. Im not sure hes there yet, Trump told podcaster Patrick Bet-David. I dont think hes had a girlfriend yet. He doesnt mind being alone, but hes somebody that gets along with people. His mother was also asked about his initial impressions of university life during an appearance on Fox Newss The Five in October and said: He is doing great. He loves his classes and professors. He is striving and enjoying to be in New York City again. His elder brother Eric Trump also discussed him on TV recently, commenting: My advice to Barron is you are the most watched person, probably the most watched bachelor in the world right now. Just be careful. There are a lot of eyes on you. Barron was credited with being a key influence over his father during his successful 2024 election run, persuading him to do an interview with the popular gaming streamer Adin Ross and suggesting podcasts he might appear on ahead of Election Day. Trump ultimately gave interviews to the likes of The Nelk Boys, Theo Von, Logan Paul and Joe Rogan during the campaign, helping him to appeal to their predominantly young male audience. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump Jr is dating a new woman who he thinks will impress his father, but has not publicly announced a split from Kimberly Guilfoyle, whose style he has criticized, according to a report. Photos captured Trump Jr., 46 holding hands with socialite Bettina Anderson, 38, as they went for an evening stroll through Palm Beach, Florida this week. While neither president-elect Donald Trumps eldest son nor Guilfoyle, 55, have spoken publicly about their relationship status, insiders told People that after months of criticizing Guilfoyles style, he thinks hes found someone who fits into the Trump family someone comparable to his fathers wife, Melania. Trump met Melania at a party in 1998, when he was on a date with another woman, the former first lady said in a 2016 interview with Harpers Bazaar. Don Jr. has been telling people for months that Kim is so uptight and always dresses so professionally in these kinds of dresses and high heels, and never looks relaxed or casual, a political source told People. The tight dresses need to go and she has been told that. open image in gallery Donald Trump Jr spotted holding hands with a Florida socialite despite his engagement to Kimberly Guilfoyle ( Getty Images ) He apparently believes that Anderson will dazzle his father. Don Jr. has always wanted to look good in his fathers eyes, another source told the outlet. Someone like Bettina, who is and has been a model, and is in Waspy circles of Palm Beach is something that would impress him. Another source divulged that the pair had been dating for six months. Trump Jr. even took her on a trip to Alaska and introduced her around as his girlfriend when he was still very much with Kim, the source said. open image in gallery Don Jr hopes his new rumoured girlfriend Bettina Anderson will impress his father. ( Getty Images for FIGUE ) Anderson wanted Guilfoyle out of the area as her relationship with Trump Jr. blossomed, the political source told People. They are trying to send Kim abroad, this source said. They waited for the election to pass but they didnt want the split to get in the way of anything to hurt Donald in the election. The president-elect announced Tuesday that he was picking Guilfoyle to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Greece. The Independent has reached out to a spokesperson for Trump Jr. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Mike Whitaker, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who has led a tougher enforcement policy against Boeing since a panel blew off a company jet in January, said on Thursday that he will step down next month, clearing the way for President-elect Donald Trump name his choice to lead the agency. Whitaker announced his pending resignation in a message to employees of the FAA, which regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers and manages the nations airspace. He has dealt with challenges including a surge in close calls between planes, a shortage of air traffic controllers and antiquated equipment at a time when air travel and a need for tougher oversight of Boeing. Whitaker also clashed with Trump ally Elon Musk by proposing that his company SpaceX be fined over safey issues. The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public, Whitaker said in the message to employees. This has been the best and most challenging job of my career, and I wanted you to hear directly from me that my tenure will come to a close on January 20 2025. Whitaker took the helm of the FAA in October 2023 after the Senate, which is frequently divided along partisan lines, voted 98-0 to confirm his selection by President Joe Biden. The agency had been without a Senate-confirmed chief for nearly 19 months and a previous Biden nominee withdrew in the face of Republican opposition. Mike Whitaker announced his pending resignation Thursday ( AP ) FAA administrators long seen as a non-partisan job generally serve for five years. Whitaker's predecessor, Stephen Dickson, also stepped down before fulfilling his term. Whitaker had served as deputy FAA administrator during the Obama administration and later as an executive for an air taxi company. Less than three months after he became administrator, a Boeing 737 Max lost a door-plug panel during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, renewing safety concerns about the plane and the company. Whitaker grounded similar models and required Boeing to submit a plan for improving manufacturing quality and safety. In August, the FAA said it had doubled its enforcement cases against Boeing since the door-plug blowout. Then, in September, the agency clashed with Musk after Whitaker proposed SpaceX be fined $633,009 over safety issues with two of its launches in 2023. Whitaker told a congressional hearing on the matter: Theyve been around 20 years, and I think they need to operate at the highest level of safety and that includes adopting (a safety management system) program, that includes having a whistleblower program. But Musk hit back, writing to the legislative to complain about the fines, threatening a lawsuit and even calling on the administrator to resign. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong killed an opinion column that was critical of President-elect Donald Trumps recent Cabinet picks, telling his papers editorial board that it could only publish the piece if it also ran an editorial with an opposing view, according to The New York Times. The spiked column was set to be published in the outlets Sunday newspaper and website on November 24. Soon-Shiong intervened just hours before the op-ed was scheduled to be sent to the printer, prompting the editors to pull the piece as the deadline approached. According to the NY Times, the column was headlined: Donald Trumps cabinet choices are not normal. The Senates confirmation process should be. The editorial board decided that after the incoming president had announced a slew of controversial picks, many of which the board members were concerned about, it would have one of its writers pen a piece calling on the Senate to take its job of confirming nominees seriously. In addition to saying that the Senate should follow its traditional process, the editorial criticized several of Mr. Trumps picks as being unfit for their proposed roles, including former Fox News host Pete Hegseth and former presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr., The New York Times noted. Pharmaceuticals billionaire Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong waves as he arrives in the lobby of Trump Tower 10 January 2017 for a meeting with the President-elect Donald Trump. ( AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File ) After Soon-Shiongs intervention led to the editorial being pulled, the papers editors scrambled to find another column to fill the suddenly open slot. Ultimately, they decided on an already written piece by outgoing editorial board member Karin Klein that took a more sympathetic stance on Trump. That column was headlined, Trump has a chance to be a true education president. CNNs Reliable Sources reported on Friday morning that besides Soon-Shiong spiking the editorial, several recent opinion section headlines were also softened or made more bland by editors concerned that anything too harsh would get rejected by the billionaire owner. For the most part, were now just writing about state and local issues, a source told CNN. This is the latest instance of Soon-Shiong pushing his paper to take a more Trump-friendly approach as he attempts to make the Times, in his words, more balanced and less of a liberal echo chamber. The billionaire medical tech entrepreneur, who purchased the LA Times for $500 million in 2018, has drawn staff outrage for months over his meddling with the papers coverage while seeking to recast the editorial board to include more conservative voices. Prior to the presidential election, he f orced the editors to withdraw their endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, sparking multiple resignations and the loss of thousands of subscribers. He also became a huge fan of CNNs resident Trump defender Scott Jennings, offering him a position on his papers editorial board, which the conservative pundit accepted. Soon-Shiong has since told the staff that full-time positions on the board are now under review. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Jennings will only be a contributor to the paper and not a staff member. Earlier this month, during a podcast appearance with Jennings, Soon-Shiong declared he would add an AI-powered bias meter to the newspapers opinion and news coverage as part of his effort to present both sides of the story to readers. The Times guild quickly met his proposal with a rebuke, which said Soon-Shiong had publicly suggested his staff harbors bias, without offering evidence or examples. Soon-Shiong isnt the only billionaire owner of a large American newspaper that has taken heat from staff and readers for taking a softened stance towards Trump. Jeff Bezos also blockedThe Washington Post from endorsing Harris just days before the election, resulting in the paper losing roughly a quarter-million subscribers. Meanwhile, the Amazon founder who praised Trumps election win as an extraordinary political comeback and victory is reportedly donating $1 million to Trumps inauguration fund. Now that some executives running legacy media brands are showing sympathy towards Trump, the president-elect who famously labeled the mainstream press fake news has obviously noticed. The medias tamed down a little bit. Theyre liking us much better now, I think, Trump said on Thursday after ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. If they dont, well have to just take them on again, and we dont want to do that. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy After helping to push President Joe Biden out of the 2024 presidential race, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is now reportedly trying to tank Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs bid to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Top Democrats say that while the 35-year-old is seen as the favorite in the race to take on the role, Rep. Gerry Connolly, 74, still has a chance. A number of ranking members on various panels who are in their seventies are facing challenges from younger colleagues. Many members are concerned about [the] precedent these races are setting, a House Democrat told Axios. Two House Democrats told the outlet that Pelosi has been reaching out to members, pushing them to support Connolly instead of Ocasio-Cortez. They both want to replace the current ranking member on Oversight, Rep. Jamie Raskin. Punchbowl News initially reported on Pelosis outreach. A House Democrat told Axios that Ocasio-Cortez has pretty much the entire [Oversight] Committee with her. The House Democrats Steering Committee, set to meet Tuesday to make recommendations on postings, will take such support seriously, they added. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is taking on Rep. Gerry Connolly for the ranking member post on the Oversight Committee ( Getty Images ) Another Democratic member told the outlet that their gut tells me she gets it. Connolly was diagnosed with cancer last month, which is working against him, they added. However, lawmakers noted that Ocasio-Cortezs ascension is not a sure thing. The entire Democratic caucus has to vote on whether to support the recommendations made by the Steering Committee. A number of younger Democrats are pushing out older ranking members ahead of the incoming Trump administration. The 61-year-old Raskin managed to become the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee after Rep. Jerry Nadler, 74, agreed to step down. Similarly, Natural Resources Committee ranking member Raul Grijalva, 76, stepped down to make room for Rep. Jared Huffman, 60. But Huffman is now being challenged by Rep. Melanie Stansbury, 45. The ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, 79-year-old David Scott, is believed to have to give way to one of either Rep. Jim Costa, 72, or Rep. Angie Craig, 52. Last week, Pelosi told Axios that she was backing some challenges against current ranking members and two Democratic members told the outlet that she has been making calls for Costa. Pelosi was reportedly instrumental in getting Biden to step aside this summer, and she has said that Democrats might have done better in the election if he had done so at an earlier stage. Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race, she told The New York Times last month. The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary, she added. Pelosi said that Vice President Kamala Harris would have performed well in such a primary and that it would have made her stronger going forward. But we dont know that. That didnt happen. We live with what happened, she said. And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time. If it had been much earlier, it would have been different. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Nevada attorney general has charged six Republicans with submitting falsified documents to Congress declaring President-elect Donald Trump the winner of the key swing state in 2020. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford argues the defendants signed off on false Electoral College votes for Trump in 2020 even though he lost Nevada by more than 30,000 votes. There was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Nevada during the 2020 election, Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske said at the time. Ford filed the charges of uttering a forged instrument for a second time in Carson City this week after a judge dismissed an initial indictment in Clark County earlier this year, ruling the prosecutor filed it in the wrong venue, the Associated Press reports. Ford has since appealed the ruling to the Nevada Supreme Court. He said in a statement he filed the new indictment to ensure the statute of limitations does not expire while he awaits the appeal, according to the Associated Press. While we disagree with the finding of improper venue and will continue to seek to overturn it, we are preserving our legal rights to ensure that these fake electors do not escape justice, Ford said. open image in gallery Ballot drop boxes pictured in Clark, County, Nevada. Attorney General Aaron Ford has charged the six defendants for a second time after a judge said the first indictment was filed in the wrong venue ( AFP via Getty Images ) The actions the fake electors undertook in 2020 violated Nevada criminal law and were direct attempts to both sow doubt in our democracy and undermine the results of a free and fair election, he added. Justice requires that these actions not go unpunished. The six people named are Michael McDonald, chair of the Nevada Republican party; Jesse Law, chair of the Clark County Republican Party Jim DeGraffenreid, national party committee member; Shawn Meehan, national and Douglas County committee member; Storey County Clerk Jim Hindle; and party member Eileen Rice. The Independent has contacted the defendants for comment. The charges join several state-level criminal cases against Trump allies who were part of a nationwide scheme to overturn 2020 results by certifying alternate electors in states that Trump lost. Similar charges related to efforts to overthrow the 2020 election are pending in Arizona, Michigan and Georgia. In Wisconsin, prosecutors also filed 10 additional felony charges this week against two lawyers and an aide who allegedly advised Trump in 2020 to baselessly claim he won the state. Meanwhile, at least 14 people who were reportedly tied to this nationwide fake electors scheme in 2020 served as official electors in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan during the 2024 election, The Independent previously reported. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, previously argued that out gay people serving in the military is part of a larger Marxist agenda. Hegseth made the argument that the policy is putting social justice over combat readiness in his book The War on Warriors which was published this year. He also slammed the previous policy Dont Ask, Dont Tell which allowed gay people in the armed services as long as they didnt reveal their sexual orientation. The nominee also criticized the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell. The policy was a compromise put forward in 1993 during the presidency of Bill Clinton to allow gay people to serve in the armed forces over the objections of some top commanders. Before that, there had been a ban on gay people in the military put in place during the Second World War, The Guardian noted. The policy was repealed during Barack Obamas presidency in 2011 after several complaints of discrimination following dishonorable discharges of members of the armed forces after their sexual orientation had been revealed. Hegseths nomination is in trouble amid allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking, and financial mismanagement. He has rejected Dont Ask, Dont Tell as being the beginning of ideological tinkering with the military for social justice aims, according to CNN. Hegseth has claimed that out gay people serving in the armed forces is part of a Marxist agenda ( Getty Images ) However, he has also shared his dismay at its repeal, stating that it was a breach in the wire that cleared the way for cultural change in the military. In the book, Hegseth writes that he was about to head to Afghanistan when the policy was repealed. Our commander briefed the unit, peppered with a few jokes. You know, infantry stuff, he wrote. We mostly laughed it off and moved on. America was at war. Gays and lesbians were already serving in the military. I had seen the enemy with my own eyes. We needed everybody. But he has now argued that the more inclusive policy was a misstep, claiming that it allowed transgender people to enter the military and women to serve in combat roles. Women had previously been stopped from serving in combat until a change in 2013. In an interview with rightwing broadcaster Ben Shapiro earlier this year, Hegseth said, It started with Clinton under Dont Ask, Dont Tell. He pointed to a military recruitment ad that showed a soldier with two lesbian mothers revealing the change in the culture surrounding the military. At least when it was an Army of One, they were, you know, [a] tough-looking, go get em army, Hegseth told Shapiro. Now you just have the absurdity of I have two mommies and Im so proud to show them that I can wear the uniform too. So they, its just like everything else the Marxists and the leftists have done. At first, it was camouflaged nicely and now theyre just open about it. Hegseth made the statements outlining his dislike of gay people serving in the military before he was nominated by Trump to serve as his secretary of defense. Hegseth appeared to mix up the issues of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, and women in the armed forces during a 2015 appearance on Fox News, as noted by Meidas News. Through Dont Ask, Dont Tell and women in the military and these standards, theyre going to inevitably start to erode standards because they want that one female special operator, that one female Green Beret, that one female Army Ranger, that one female Navy Seal, so they can put them on a recruiting poster and feel good about themselves and [that] has nothing to do with national security, he said at the time. This week, the former Army National Guard member and Fox News host didnt say if he still thought it was an error to repeal Dont Ask, Dont Tell when asked by CNN. He added that he supported women serving in the military even after claiming that it was an erosion of the standards. One of the chapters in his book is entitled The (deadly) obsession with women warriors. Im going to say something politically incorrect that is perfectly commonsensical observation, he wrote. Dads push us to take risks. Moms put the training wheels on our bike. We need moms, but not in the military, especially in combat units. If you train a group of men to treat women equally on the battlefield then you will be hard-pressed to ask them to treat women differently at home, he added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Donald Trumps incoming border czar have the same desire when it comes to the president-elects plans for mass deportations in the largest city in America, Adams said Thursday. Tom Homan met with the Democratic mayor days after telling Democratic officials to get the hell out of the way of Trumps ambitions for what the president-elect is calling the the largest mass deportation operation in American history. We have the same desire to go after those who have committed repeated violent acts among innocent New Yorkers and among migrants and asylum seekers, Adams told reporters after his meeting with Homan. Thats what I heard from him, he said. I was pleased to hear that because we share the same desire, he emphasized again. But his 10-minute remarks did not answer how, exactly, his administration plans to collaborate with federal law enforcement and immigration authorities, and he assailed the media for preconceived notions and distorted views about his own approach to immigration enforcement. Ill answer a few questions, but then Im leaving, said Adams, who is facing federal criminal charges stemming from allegations of corruption in his campaign. Its not gonna matter what I respond to anyway. You have your preconceived thoughts already. open image in gallery After meeting with Trumps incoming border czar on December 12, New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that the men have the same desire for immigration enforcement targeting people who have committed repeated violent acts ( AP ) Trumps pledge to arrest, detain and deport people living in the country without legal permission as part of his day one agenda would deploy federal, state and local law enforcement into immigrant communities across the nation. Trumps allies expect to expand his pledge to target potentially millions of people beyond the scope of undocumented immigrants who are accused of committing crimes. Trump and Homan have said that US citizen children of non-citizen parents are expected to be deported along with their families. More than 200,000 people seeking asylum have taken shelter in New York after Republican-led states in 2022 began shipping newly arrived immigrants to Democratic-led cities to protest President Joe Bidens administration. Those arrivals add to a population that includes roughly 400,000 undocumented New Yorkers. open image in gallery A 2,000-bed migrant shelter in New York is among 25 sites that Eric Adamss administration will close in the coming months ( Getty Images ) After initially welcoming asylum seekers into a network of city-run shelters, Adams warned that the resources have spread the city thin, with spending expected to reach $12 billion into 2025. The office of New York Comptroller Brad Lander says Trumps mass deportation plans would tear families apart, hollow out communities throughout the city, devastate our economy, and violate New York Citys values as an immigrant city. New York is often considered a so-called sanctuary city, among dozens of cities across the country that have some laws and policies in place intended to protect immigrant populations from unjust arrests, detentions or deportations. Several New York City administrations have supported policies that limit how local police interact with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with exceptions for people suspected of terrorism or convicted of violent crimes. New Yorkers know that under Homan ICE will be used to divide us, cruelly targeting and demonizing immigrants, while making every New Yorker even more unsafe, said New York Immigration Coalition president Murad Awawdeh. Targeting immigrants for arrests and deportation is destructive and diverts resources away from initiatives that actually promote safety and well-being, she added. Mayor Adams has an obligation to every New York family to maintain our public safety by refusing to participate in ICEs cruel, politicized immigration agenda. open image in gallery A photo provided by City Hall shows Eric Adams, right, meeting with Trumps incoming border czar Tom Homan, left, on Thursday ( AP ) Trump, meanwhile, has accused Democratic officials of enabling migrant crime and wants to do away with sanctuary policies altogether. No more sanctuary cities, Trump declared at a campaign event in North Carolina in September. As soon as I take office, we will immediately surge federal law enforcement to every city that is failing, which is a lot of them, to turn over criminal aliens. A statement from Adamss office said the administration is exploring lawful processes to remove from New York City individuals who have been convicted of a major felony and lack legal status to remain in the United States. Adams is also proposing a national resettlement strategy to send people seeking asylum to cities experiencing workforce shortages, and to expand work authorization processes and temporary protected status designations for newly arrived immigrants from certain countries. Were going to protect the rights of immigrants in this city who are hard working, giving back to the city in a real way, he told reporters on Thursday. Were not going to be a safe haven for those who have commited repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants and longstanding New Yorkers, he added. That was my conversation today with the border czar: To figure out how we go after those individuals who are repeatedly committing crimes in our city. He said that law-abiding immigrants will be able to continue to utilize the services that are open to the city, the services they have a right to utilize, including education and healthcare. But we will not be a safe haven for those who commit violent acts, he added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Canadian officials are threatening to cut off energy supplies to the U.S. if the Trump administration follows through on threats to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from its northern neighbor. We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy going down to Michigan, going down to New York State and over to Wisconsin. I dont want this to happen, but my number one job is to protect Ontarians and Canadians as a whole, Premier Doug Ford of Ontario said Wednesday after a meeting of provincial premiers. We need to be ready, he added. We need to be ready to fight. Officials have also drawn up a list of U.S. exports to tariff in response, he said. A tariff war between Canada and the U.S. would have major impacts on both countries. In 2023, Canada was far and away the top source of petroleum imports into the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The U.S. is the destination for 97 percent of Canadian crude oil exports. Last month, Donald Trump threatened to tariff key U.S. trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico, in a measure he said would crack down on illegal immigration and the drug trade. Canada has said it could cut energy supplies and tariff U.S. goods if Trump imposes a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Since then, the U.S. and Canada have alternated between bluster and diplomacy. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quickly flew to Mar-a-Lago to dine with Trump after the tariff threat. Trump, for his part, has made a series of provocative jabs about Canada since the tariff threat. After the Mar-a-Lago meeting, Trump referred to the prime minister as Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada, referring to his quip that the northern nation could avoid tariffs by becoming the 51st state in America. The Canadian central bank warned this week Trumps tariff threats are a major source of new uncertainty for the countrys economy. In the hopes of avoiding the proposed tariffs, Canada is also reportedly assembling plans to use drones and police dogs to patrol the U.S.-Canada border and assuage Trumps concerns about immigrants and drugs. The incoming president has insisted the proposed tariffs will not hurt American consumers, even though companies typically pass on tariff prices to customers. Trump, however, admitted last week he cant guarantee the tariffs wont raise prices for American consumers. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trumps transition team has reportedly looked at ways to shrink or eliminate banking oversight - a move that could have dramatic impacts on everyday Americans and protecting their money. In interviews with candidates to oversee the banking sector, Trump advisers and DOGE - the advisory Department of Government Efficiency - officials have asked if the president-elect can abolish the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., according to the Wall Street Journal. Trumps team has also asked if the FDIC could be absorbed into the Treasury Department. Any move to eliminate the FDIC would require Congressional approval. But, if it were to happen, it would be a massive shakeup in the industry. The FDIC was created during the Great Depression. It is designed to help bulk up faith in the nations banking system. Most people know the agency as it insures deposits in banks up to $250,000. So if there was a run on a bank or one would collapse, people with up to $250,000 wouldnt lose their money because its insured by the federal government. If the FDIC went away, everyday people could lose that insurance or guarantees that their money will still be available in the event of a bank run or collapse. open image in gallery Donald Trump could be looking to make a major change to one banking regulator ( AP ) The WSJ report notes that while banks hope Trump will ease regulations, the FDIC insurance is considered near sacred. A move to eliminate that deposit insurance could cause panic among customers - and cause people to demand their money so its no longer at risk. Last year, several banks failed and it caused customers to shift their money to big banks and away from smaller groups. Sources told the WSJ that Trumps team, which includes DOGE advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, have also asked nominees about combining or restructuring bank regulators, including the FDIC and Federal Reserve. open image in gallery According to reports, Trumps team has asked about eliminating the FDIC - which helps protect Americans money ( Getty Images ) However, former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair said any proposal to eliminate a bank regulator would struggle to gain support in Congress. Banks may complain, but at the end of the day, they like to have their own regulator they have a relationship with, Bair told the WSJ. They like the status quo. Major changes to bank regulations are uncommon outside of a financial crisis, according to the WSJ. Most of todays bank rules were created after the Great Recession and Great Depression. Democrats led the last major push to close a bank regulator with Congress ending the Office of Thrift Supervision - which oversaw lenders before the housing crisis in 2008 - and folded the agency into the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy What does the Middle East look like under Trump 2.0? The president-elect is due to take office in just a few weeks, having frequently attacked Joe Biden and later Kamala Harris for supposedly having failed to stop the two bloody conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza from breaking out under their watch. On top of that, he also made two lofty promises while campaigning: that he would end the conflict in Ukraine quickly upon taking office; and that he would bring a lasting peace to the Middle East. The latter promise was made during an interview with a Saudi news channel, Al-Arabiya, in October. I want to see the Middle East get back to peace. A real peace, one thats going to be a lasting peace. And thats going to happen. I have I feel really, truly confident its going to happen, said then-candidate Trump. He added that his election would be the key factor that made the difference. During his first term in office, Trumps foreign policy team notched a key victory towards that ideal, though obviously not one that prevented the region from descending into bloodshed last year. In 2020, the Trump administration engineered the signing of the Abraham Accords a pair of agreements signaling the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and two of its Arab neighbors, the UAE and Bahrain. open image in gallery Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu cultivated a close relationship during the formers first term, though it soured after the US president left office over his Israeli counterparts decision to congratulate Joe Biden, Trumps 2020 opponent, upon the Democrats election victory. ( AP ) But the war in Gaza put a halt to much of that progress. As long as Saudi Arabia is concerned... there will be no relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel without an independent Palestinian state, with its capital as East Jerusalem, says Muhammad Al-Isa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League. Ahead of Trumps inauguration in January, leaders of many countries are preparing for significant shifts to the USs global diplomatic stance. One of those countries is Saudi Arabia, which Biden famously vowed to make a pariah for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi before reversing course and pursuing a partnership. open image in gallery Muhammad Al-Isa, secretary general of the Muslim World League, spoke to US policymakers and journalists at a gala at the National Postal Museum. ( The Independent ) Saudi Arabia, like a number of countries, was pursuing its own strengthening of ties with Israel before the October 7 attack. Indeed, in 2022, the country allowed Israeli civilian aircraft to utilize its airspace for the first time. Al-Isa is the countrys most senior religious diplomat. He leads the Muslim World League, the largest Islamic humanitarian organization on the planet. Reportedly a close ally of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Al-Isa sat down with The Independent in Washington a day after hosting a Q&A at a gala with journalists and US policy leaders. During the event, he called for a ceasefire to be reached in Gaza along with the release of all hostages by Hamas and the Israeli government. He made the argument that religious reconciliation and the guidance of faith leaders must be part of diplomatic normalization with Israel, as well as a two-state solution. This is our stance, and its a constant stance, always, that we can never give up on, he says. We can never discuss peace in the region, and normalization in the region, at all without believing in the two-state solution Anyone who talks about normalization without the two-state solution, having a Palestinian state with its capital as East Jerusalem they are wasting time. open image in gallery Al-Isa argues that a two-state solution for the Palestinian territories, with a capital for a sovereign Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, is an unmovable position that must be part of any Saudi-Israeli normalization deal. ( The Independent ) For the next few weeks, at least, the US government will remain publicly supportive of the establishment of a Palestinian state. That will almost certainly end in January. Trumps foreign policy selections indicate he is going in the opposite direction, possibly at the expense of future diplomatic gains in the Arab world. Marco Rubio, his pick for secretary of state, is a vocal opponent of a two-state solution. The Florida senators hawkish views caused his nomination to be a major disappointment for some America First hardliners who have accused him and others of seeking war with Iran. Another Iran hawk who served in government during Trumps first term was Sam Brownback, the former senator from Kansas who was the president-elects ambassador-at-large for religious freedom. He is rumored to be among those in the GOP foreign policy sphere under consideration for a similar role this cycle. When asked about such issues, Brownback asked The Independent: Why would the Israelis agree to an independent state... and why would that guarantee peace in the region [when] they [the Palestinian territories] dont have the capacity to not become a terrorist state? Brownback was attending a briefing for Democratic and Republican senators held by an Iranian dissident resistance group, the NCRI, on Capitol Hill this week. The gathering featured senators on both sides of the aisle who favor a maximum pressure stance against Iran, which is likely to be re-adopted by the Trump White House in January. The former ambassador warned that Israel was never going to allow an independent state that can be so populated with terrorists right on their doorstep, especially in the immediate wake of October 7. You could say your two-state solution already exists, and its Jordan, said Brownback. [But] the West Bank and Gaza have shown no ability to control terrorism in their own territory. Ted Cruz, who attended the briefing, said as he left for votes that achieving the total destruction of Hamas was the most important immediate step towards regional stability, one that took precedence over the Gaza peace process. The signals are clear: the incoming Trump administration is poised to be wholly devoted to political and strategic military support for Israel, with the prospect of diplomacy around the Arab world being relegated to an afterthought. It could be seen as a rather grim outlook for the prospect of Palestinian statehood, and Saudi-Israeli relations by extension. Al-Isa doesnt think so, however. The incoming administration has opportunities more than others, given its relationship [with the Israeli government], he said. He argued that Netanyahus closeness to Trump would open the door for a President Trump to push the Israeli leader to lengths the current president never could. open image in gallery Donald Trumps close relationship with the Israeli prime minister is seen by the formers Saudi allies as a boon, not a hurdle, towards reaching peace in Gaza. ( Getty Images ) If the whole world is with the two-state solution, [and] then the current Israeli government comes and rejects it, in front of the whole world, even the White House which is its strongest ally, then how can they justify this? Will this result in a good reputation [for Israel]? he says. Israels relationships with its allies not just in the Middle East but on every continent are now intrinsically tied to the question of how the war in Gaza ends. Government officials have said that Netanyahu plans the war to continue at least through 2024, and no plan for a drawing-down of operations has even been hinted at so far. Part of the answer to that question lies in how long the US continues to fund Israels military offensive. Trump has shown no signs of opposing that support, but could face grumbling from his base if the price tag begins to climb too high especially if economic conditions dont improve at home. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Moldovas parliament on Friday voted in favor of imposing a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russia could leave the European Union candidate country without sufficient natural gas supplies this winter. A majority in Moldovas 101-seat legislature voted to pass the state of emergency, which will start on Dec. 16 and last 60 days. A special commission will urgently adopt measures to manage imminent risks if Moscow fails to supply gas to the Kuciurgan power plant, the country's largest, which is situated in the separatist pro-Russian Transnistria region. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said his country faces an exceptional situation in which Moscow could deliberately weaponize energy flows to destabilize the country, and potentially leave people in the middle of winter without heat and electricity. Russian energy giant Gazprom supplies the gas-operated Kuciurgan plant, which generates electricity that powers a significant portion of Moldova proper. The plant was privatized in 2004 by Transnistrian officials and later sold to a Russian state-owned company. Moldova doesnt recognize the privatization. In late 2022, Moldova suffered major power outages following Russian strikes on neighboring Ukraine, which is interconnected to the Kuciurgan plant. This must be the last winter in the countrys history in which we can still be threatened with energy, Recean said. It is clear that these crises are deliberately provoked, and their goal is to create panic and chaos. He added that a cessation of natural gas could trigger economic and humanitarian crises, but vowed that nobody in Moldova would be left in the cold and dark. Transnistria, which broke away after a short war in 1992 and is not recognized by most countries, also declared its own state of emergency this week in case the region does not receive gas supplies. When Russia fully invaded Ukraine in 2022, Moldova, a former Soviet republic of about 2.5 million people, was entirely dependent on Moscow for natural gas but has since pushed to diversify and expand its energy sources. Sebastian Burduja, Romania's energy minister, said late Thursday that Romania has the resources to support Moldova "if the situation demands it, saying it would be a duty in the face of the aggressions coming from the east. In October, Moldovas pro-Western President Maia Sandu won a second term in office, and a referendum voted in favor of securing the country's path toward the EU, in two votes overshadowed by ongoing claims of Russian interference to derail the country's westward shift in recent years. Russia denies it is meddling in Moldova. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy French president Emmanuel Macron has named his ally Francois Bayrou as the new prime minister and tasked the veteran centrist with steering the country out of its second major political crisis in months. The priority for Mr Bayrou will be passing a special law to roll over the 2024 Budget, with a nastier battle over a fresh Budget early next year. Mr Macrons last PM, Michel Barnier, was ousted after three months following a no-confidence vote. It was triggered after the former Brexit negotiator controversially used special constitutional powers to force through his Budget, made up of 60 billion (50bn) in tax hikes and spending cuts, without a vote. Mr Bayrou, 73, is expected to put forward his list of ministers in the coming days but is likely to face the same existential difficulties as Mr Barnier did in steering legislation through a hung parliament comprising three warring blocs, a left-wing alliance, the far-right National Rally party of Marine Le Pen and Mr Macrons centrist bloc. Mr Bayrous proximity to the deeply unpopular president is also likely to prove a vulnerability. Mr Macron is halfway through his second term as president, which is due to end in 2027, and Mr Bayrou will be his fourth prime minister this year. French politics has been deadlocked ever since Mr Macron called snap parliamentary elections in the summer with the aim of giving his centrists a clear mandate. But the plan backfired and left no single party in control of parliament. The left-wing alliance The New Popular Front which includes the Socialists, the far-left France Unbowed and a number of other parties actually topped the July election, while National Rally was the single party with the most votes. But Mr Macrons centrists eventually struck a deal with the centre-right and conservatives to form a government and Mr Barnier was appointed as prime minister. The scale of the challenge facing the Mr Bayrou was immediately clear, as the Socialist Party refused to join his coalition government. Mr Macron had courted the party during his search for a prime minister, but they accused the president of ignoring their demands for a leftist leader in favour of a "risky" ally. "We will thus not enter the government and remain in the opposition," said Boris Vallaud, the leader of the Socialists' parliamentary bloc. Mr Bayrou gave a sober assessment of his chances of taming a hung parliament that ousted his predecessor, Mr Barnier, just last week. "It is a long road, everyone knows that," he told reporters. "I am not the first to take a long road." open image in gallery Emmanuel Macron hit out at far-left and far-right parties after they voted to oust Mr Barnier ( AFP/Getty ) Since last week, Mr Macron has held talks with politicians from the left and the right, in an effort to form a more stable government. Any involvement of the Socialist Party in a coalition may cost Macron in next year's Budget. Discussions have not involved the hard-left France Unbowed party of Jean-Luc Melenchon since Mr Macron said he would only speak with more moderate political forces. The leaders of France Unbowed said they would immediately seek to remove Mr Bayrou, while leaders from other left-wing parties took a more nuanced approach. Greens leader Marine Tondelier also said she would support a no-confidence motion if the prime minister ignored her partys tax and pensions concerns. Communist leader Fabien Roussel said his party would hold its fire against Mr Bayrou and decide on a case-by-case basis, if he promises not to ram through legislation. Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally, said it would not be calling for an immediate no-confidence motion, while fellow RN leader Marine Le Pen said Mr Bayrou should listen to the opposition's budgetary wishes. In a 10-minute address to the nation last week, Mr Macron accused the extreme left and right of thinking only about themselves and not the voters after they voted to oust Mr Barnier, adding to earlier criticism that they were the coalition of the irresponsible. The president said the parties had united in what he called an anti-Republican front and added: I wont shoulder other peoples irresponsibility. Mr Macron will hope Mr Bayrou can stave off no-confidence votes until at least July, when France will be able to hold a new parliamentary election the constitution says there cannot be fresh elections within 12 months but his future as president will inevitably be questioned if the government should fall again. Mr Bayrou, the founder of the Democratic Movement (MoDem) party, which has been a part of Mr Macron's ruling alliance since 2017, has himself run for president three times, leaning on his rural roots as the longtime mayor of the southwestern town of Pau. Mr Macron appointed Mr Bayrou as justice minister in 2017 but he resigned only weeks later amid an investigation into his party's alleged fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants. Mr Bayrou was cleared of fraud charges this year. Mr Bayrou's first real test will come early in the new year when politicians need to pass a belt-tightening 2025 Budget bill. However, the fragmented nature of the National Assembly, rendered nigh on ungovernable after the snap election in June, means Mr Bayrou will likely be living day to day, at the mercy of the president's opponents, for the foreseeable future. Mr Barnier's Budget bill, which was intended to assuage investors increasingly concerned by France's 6 per cent deficit, was deemed too miserly by the far right and left, and the government's failure to find a way out of the gridlock has led to French borrowing costs pushing higher still. Reuters contributed to this report 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of terrorising millions of people after Russia launched one of its largest aerial attacks against Ukraines energy grid. Vladimir Putins troops launched 93 missiles and almost 200 drones across Ukraine overnight into Friday, Mr Zelensky said, with the Ukrainian air force having to scramble prized western-supplied F-16 fighter jets to shoot down some of the projectiles. The air force said just under 90 per cent of the missiles were shot down. This is Putins peace plan - to destroy everything. This is how he wants negotiations - by terrorizing millions of people, Mr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter. A strong reaction is needed from the world: a massive attack must be met with a massive reaction. This is the only way terror can be stopped. Putin wont be stopped by empty talkstrength is what is needed to bring peace. Strength that is not afraid of its ability to confront and stop evil. The Ukrainian air force gave minute-by-minute updates for almost eight hours through the night as the whole country came under air raid alerts and millions were forced to take shelter in metro stations and underground bunkers. Russia has repeatedly attempted to cripple Ukraines in an effort to break the will of civilians left in the dark with no running water or heating and to disrupt Ukrainian defense manufacturing. Ukrainian energy minister Herman Halushchenko said energy workers were doing everything necessary to minimize negative consequences for the energy system, promising to release more details on damages once the security situation allowed it. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, said five out of Ukraines nine nuclear reactor units suffered reduced power output due to renewed attacks on energy infrastructure. On Thursday, the watchdogs 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution condemning attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure, but came under criticism for failing to mention Russia as the culprit. In its updated statement on Friday after the latest round of strikes, they again declined to mention Russia by name. The US Embassy in Kyiv said Fridays attack also targeted transport networks and other key facilities. Ukraines air force reported multiple strike drones launched at Ukraine overnight followed by swarms of cruise missiles in the countrys air space. It said Russia also used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against Ukraines western regions. Moscow has declared that the aerial attacks are aimed at hobbling Ukraines defense industry, thwarting the production of missiles, drones, armored vehicles and artillery, among other weapons. A similar massive attack on 28 November involved about 200 missiles and drones and left more than a million households without power until emergency teams restored supplies. Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is stockpiling cruise and ballistic missiles for more attacks. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued to push towards the key eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. Putins forces are within just a few miles of the outskirts of the city, which sits on key logistical routes through the wider Donetsk region, and fears abound the loss of Pokrovsk could presage a larger Russian attack. The new commander of Ukraine's ground forces announced he plans a massive transformation of his branch to improve troop training, management and recruitment in a bid to improve manpower problems at the front that have proved so costly in the defence of Donetsk. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As the dust settles on the fragments of Bashar al-Assads collapsed Syrian dictatorship, the truth about a mass drug empire believed to have brought huge profits to the former regime is being uncovered among the ashes. The Assad family was long accused by Washington and other international actors of profiteering from the production and sale of captagon, an addictive amphetamine-like stimulant which swept across the Middle East and became known as poor-mans cocaine. The regime consistently denied links to the global captagon trade, which experts say is worth billions of dollars a year. A stimulant first produced in 1960s Germany to help treat attention deficit disorders and narcolepsy has swept the Middle East across the past decade. It was discontinued but an illicit version of the drug known as "poor man's cocaine" continued to be produced in eastern Europe and later in the Arab world, becoming prominent in the conflict that erupted in Syria following anti-government protests in 2011. It staves off sleep and hunger. It has been banned in many countries including the U.S. and can have harmful side effects. Its prevalence has led to growing drug abuse in Gulf Arab states. open image in gallery Syrian members of the rebel group inspecting electrical components that were used to hide amphetamine pills ( AP ) Now that the Assad family has been ousted following a lightning insurgency led by former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the scale of the trade in captagon is becoming clear. In the city of Douma, 10 kilometres northeast of Syrias capital of Damascus, warehouses storing thousands of captagon pills have been unearthed by the rebels scouring areas once controlled by the Assad regime and its allies. The warehouse, according to experts, may be one of the biggest captagon labs ever seen. Pills were found hidden in furniture, fruit, decorative pebbles and voltage stabilisers. Many had a double crescent logo stamped on them, marking them as captagon pills. open image in gallery Amphetamine pills, known as Captagon, hidden inside an electrical component at a warehouse where the drug was manufactured ( AP ) Inside the warehouse, a pill-press was found along with dozens of barrels holding the various chemicals required to produce captagon. The chemicals came from various countries including the UK, China and India. The leadership of Syria made an annual profit from captagon of around $2.4 billion, according to Caroline Rose, the director of the New-York-based New Lines Institute Captagon Trade Project. An investigation by AFP news agency found that captagon had become Syrias largest export, dwarfing its legal businesses. Ms Rose, whose organisation tracks all publicly recorded captagon seizures and lab raids, said the site appeared to be one of the biggest captagon labs that has been found. "Its very possible that it's the biggest one that existed in regime-held Syria," she said. open image in gallery Captagon helped to prop up Assads war effort to the tune of $2.4 billion per year ( AP ) Last year, the US Treasury sanctioned a number of Syrians closely associated with the Assad regime for their alleged involvement captagon trade. The Syrian regime and its allies have increasingly embraced the production and trafficking of captagon to generate hard currency, estimated by some to be in the billions of dollars, the Treasury said. Among those sanctioned were two cousins of Bashar al-Assad and Khalid Qaddour, a close associate of Maher al-Assad, brother of Bashar, who was described as a key drug producer and facilitator of captagon production in Syria. In the days since Assad's fall, rebel fighters say they have found several sites across the country where the drug was produced and prepared for export. They have sometimes set fire to the pills or poured them down drains, according to videos shared online by accounts affiliated with them. Ms Rose noted that her organisation tracked all publicly recorded captagon seizures and lab raids. "Up until the regime fell, there was not a single incident of a laboratory seizure on the database in regime-held territories," she said. Speaking in front of a crowd of supporters inside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, rebel leader Abu Mohammad al-Golani told supporters according to AFP: Syria has become the biggest producer of Captagon on Earth, and today, Syria is going to be purified by the grace of God. Reuters contributed to this report 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy In the desert some 30km from central Dubais towering hotels and lavish shopping malls is a hellish Dubai prison, where inmates talk of being subjected to torturous conditions. British teenager Marcus Fakana, 18, is facing a year in Al-Awir prison for a holiday romance with a British girl a couple of months younger than him. The teenager, 18, from Tottenham, has issued a desperate plea to Dubais ruler Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to be allowed home and avoid the notorious hellhole prison over an allegation which is totally legal if the romance happened back in the UK. Speaking in temporary accommodation while on bail, Mr Fakana told campaign group Detained in Dubai: My family and I are devastated and in shock. I never intended to break the law. It didnt occur to me at the time and for that, Im sorry. I am asking His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to please forgive me and pardon me. open image in gallery Marcus Fakana was sentenced to a year in Dubai prison ( Detained in Dubai/PA Wire ) open image in gallery A policeman enters Dubai's Al-Awir central prison in the United Arab Emirates ( AFP/Getty ) Let me go home. Please give me my life back. Al-Awir separates women and men on entry. Men are forced to have their head shaved on starting their sentence and are routinely punished if their hair gets long. Human Rights Watch reported that non-nationals detainees in Al-Awir Central Jail were denied essential HIV treatments. Even if the detainees are tested regularly, only national prisoners receive their antiretroviral medicine. In at least four cases, prisoners did not receive any treatment for between three and five months. open image in gallery Inmates at the library of Dubai's Al-Awir central prison ( AFP/Getty ) Londoner Suneet Jeerh, 25, was caged in the jail in 2013 after being arrested with two friends after police found a synthetic cannabinoid spice in their car. His sister Davena Kumar told the Ilford Recorder how her brother was separated from his friends and forced to watch other inmates be sexually assaulted. Hes sharing a cell with someone whos been sentenced for life, she told the paper. Theyve made him watch other men being raped, like its a lesson. When she visited after hed spent a month caged in the prison, she claimed he had wasted away. open image in gallery The United Arab Emirates tests prisoners for HIV but does not treat all of them ( European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights ) He was skinny and he wasnt himself, she said, adding: He was banging on the door calling my name and I just wanted to hug him. There were reports of poor food handling and inadequate general hygiene in special detention facilities for drug offenders. Media reports and NGOs stated some detainees in State Security Department custody did not receive adequate access to medical care. David Haigh, the ex-managing director of Leeds United who was held for nearly two years on trumped up fraud charges, described conditions back in 2017. open image in gallery A doctor shows a room at the medical centre of Dubai's Al-Awir central prison ( AFP/Getty ) The only way to describe being in prison in Dubai is hell, he told The Independent. I was held for 22 months and Ill never forget it the stench, the dirt, the smell, the heat, and the lack of any information whatsoever. He said he was punched, Tasered, beaten and raped. The worst of this abuse was perpetrated by the prison guards and police. I lost a lot of weight through stress, he said. Once, when I asked for some painkillers, a guard hit me over the head with a broom handle. When someones beating you or hurting you in whatever form, in a weird way you can deal with that. What I found more harrowing was seeing them do it to other prisoners in front of everyone. open image in gallery A view from inside the facility ( AFP/Getty ) He added: I remember an occasion where they brought a man in from the street, threw him on the floor and stood on his neck, three of them. You cannot imagine how that constant threat of abuse makes you feel. Detained in Dubai, an organisation representing Mr Fakana, said the teen felt abandoned by the British government following the judgement, which it branded an utter disgrace and an embarrassment to Britain. Family spokesperson Radha Stirling said: He never imagined that he would be going to jail for a holiday romance with a girl who was a few months younger, but is now the same age. open image in gallery Grant Cameron, Karl Williams and Suneet Jeerh were held in Dubai ( PA ) It is just shocking. His life is being ruined. Here we have two British tourists who were on holiday in a consensual relationship and now one is going to jail. A Downing Street spokesman said: The prime minister recognises its an extremely distressing situation for Marcus and his family. Dubais Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Watch as Damascus residents prayed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on the first Friday (13 December) after rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad's regime. Syrians are celebrating the demise of Assads government after 13 years of civil war sparked by the presidents violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters following the Arab Spring. A rebel coalition took control of the capital Damascus in a lightning offensive overnight on Sunday, 11 days after launching a major operation. Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the end of Assads barbaric regime. Russia, a close ally that has propped up the regime for years, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. Mohammed al-Bashir has been named as the countrys interim leader and tasked with ushering in a stable government. In a brief address on state television on Tuesday, he announced that representatives of the rebels and the ousted government had agreed for him to act as caretaker until 1 March. "Today we held a cabinet meeting that included a team from the Salvation government that was working in Idlib and its vicinity, and the government of the ousted regime," he said. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Converging on Syrias most iconic mosque and spilling into the capitals best-known square, thousands of Syrians gathered on Friday to mark the start of a new era following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. Chanting, Hold your head up high, youre a free Syrian, crowds flocked to the Umayyad Mosque, one of the largest and oldest in the world, for the first Muslim prayers since the spectacular collapse of the ruling regime. Thousands more gathered in cities across the country. The celebrations were a deeply symbolic way to mark the dramatic change of power in Syria, nearly a week after insurgents swept into Damascus ousting the Assad family who had kept an iron grip on the country for five decades. In the capital. the countrys interim prime minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, delivers the Friday sermon to flag-waving crowds, with a message of unity. This is a call for all the loyal people of Syria. We have to put our hands in each others hands; we have to collaborate and come together to build Syria, he says, his voice cracking. open image in gallery Syrians gather at the Ummayyad Mosque in Damascus ( Bel Trew/The Independent ) To return this majestic country to its majestic position among the nations, he adds. Under Assad, sermons were tightly controlled and monitored, a fact not lost on the crowd. The symbolism was further amplified by the fact that in the early days of the revolution that precipitated the civil war, protesters would often gather at Umayyad Square. Now, fighters and civilians gathered to listen, many stepping inside the sweeping mosque for the first time ever. Raghab, 22, a student, says it is the first time her family had prayed in the mosque because of the oversight of the regime. I dont remember a world without war. I grew up in this revolution and civil conflict, she adds. Now I have a future. I want to be an architect so I can rebuild this country. Many had gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohamed al-Golani, who heads up the largest insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). He instead appears in a video congratulating the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution. open image in gallery Syrians listen to the sermon by new Syrian prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir ( Bel Trew/The Independent ) I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people, he says. And then, after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God. HTS, which was once aligned with al-Qaeda but has spent years distancing itself from its jihadi roots, has been working to establish security and start a political transition after leading the charge on the capital early on Sunday. They have also been trying to reassure a fractured society, shocked by Assads fall and concerned over extremists among the rebel ranks. Their fighters are now on the streets, sometimes directing traffic and manning all the security and military buildings now ransacked and strewn with defaced images of the ousted autocrat. At Damascuss biggest roundabout, Umayyad Square, where thousands had gathered, HTS foot soldiers originally from Damascus sit on chairs outside the once feared military judiciary building, where arbitrary sentences, including executions, were handed down. They recently returned to their families for the first time in more than a decade after fighting across the country since 2012. Pointedly, they rest their feet on the defaced image of Assad that they had torn down from the billboard behind them. open image in gallery Two foot soldiers sitting on a portrait of Assad outside the military judicial building ( Bel Trew/The Independent ) I was just 15 when I left Damascus. I saw my mother for the first time two days ago. It was indescribable. She didnt recognise me, says Abu Hussein, who spent a year in a regime jail in the southern town of Deraa in 2011, where he said they subjected him to electric shocks. I cant believe Im sitting here in front of the military judicial building, on a broken picture of Assad, hearing the chants of a free Syria. Its like a dream, added his friend Abu Osman al-Shami, 30. One of the major concerns for the future is the level of damage. Even five years ago, experts estimated that the cost of rebuilding Syria could soar to as high as $400bn (313bn) dwarfing the annual government budget before the regime collapsed. Among those worried about this daunting challenge is Raed Salah, head of Syrias civil defence, the White Helmets, whose volunteers have for years been the first responders to regime strikes. Joining the crowds at Umayyad Square he tells The Independent the White Helmets have saved more than 129,000 people. Since the overthrow of Assad, they have been uncovering abuses in the now opened regime jails and detention centres, including searching the notorious Sednaya prison for remaining inmates. Looking exhausted, Salah says his feelings are complicated. open image in gallery Syrians gather near Ummayyad Mosque ( Bel Trew/The Independent ) It is happiness and heavy responsibility. We were shocked by the level of destruction to the infrastructure. We were shocked by the lack of services. He adds that while pulling people out from beneath the rubble had stopped, rebuilding Syria was a more daunting task, saying: We have entered a new stage of work. Rescuing peoples lives wont stop. We have to keep going and help people rebuild their lives. Fridays celebrations came as US secretary of state Antony Blinken met with allies in the region, looking to shape the transition and calling for an inclusive and non-sectarian interim government. After talks in Jordan and Turkey which backs some of the insurgent factions Mr Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop. So far, US officials have not held direct meetings with Syrias new rulers. Winning international recognition for the new government in Syria remains a major goal. There are also concerns about the deeply fractured society. Fighting still rages between Turkish-backed insurgent factions, uneasily allied with HTS, and the Kurdish-led forces in the northeast, which are backed by US troops. Since Assads fall, Israel has bombed sites across Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. It has also seized a swathe of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An American who was freed by rebels in Syria after spending seven months in prison has told The Independent he is on his way to Jordan but that he plans to return to Damascus. Travis Timmerman, thought to be from Missouri, was found on Thursday in a town outside the Syrian capital after footage appeared on social media showing him sleeping in a private home. Mr Timmerman had been reported as missing in May, having last been seen in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Mr Timmerman said he had snuck from Lebanon into Syria and he was arrested and held in the Far Falastin prison, operated by Syrian intelligence. He was then freed alongside thousands of others on Monday after rebels toppled the Assad regime. Speaking to The Independent about what is next for him, Mr Timmerman, who looked pale and frail, but seemed positive, said: Im very good - I am on my way to Jordan right now - and I intend to come back to Damascus. He described the moment he was freed as an exciting scene, adding that there were a lot of AK47s going off and a lot going on. Basically, we left the prison, then we wandered around Damascus looking for a place to stay that night, he said. And the first night I stayed in Bab Touma and in an abandoned apartment. Thats what Ive been doing since I got out. Its just trying to find places to sleep. Mr Timmerman said he was on a religious pilgrimage to Damascus. I heard the word of God. For many Syrians, there time in jail was marked by harsh conditions and, sometimes, torture, Mr Timmerman said that he did not suffer such a fate himself, but he could hear fellow prisoners being tortured. His family had not gone public about Mr Timmermans disappearance, though friends had posted about him on Facebook earlier this year. Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said officials were now working to bring Mr Timmerman home. In terms of (the) American citizen who was found just today, I cant give you any details on exactly whats going to happen, except to say that were working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria, Mr Blinken told reporters in Aqaba on Thursday. After the video of Mr Timmerman appeared on social media, it was speculated that the American was, in fact, journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing since disappearing in August 2012. Mr Tice, however, remains missing. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An American who spent seven months in a Syrian prison after crossing into the country on foot on a Christian pilgrimage has been found. Travis Timmerman, who was found in the town of Dhiyabiya, says he was one of thousands of people released from Syrian prisons after rebel groups ousted the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad last weekend. Speaking with CBS, Mr Timmerman revealed that he was freed by two men with AK-47s on Monday, after being detained when he entered Syria for spiritual purposes. He told Al Arabiya TV network that he crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle. After being detained and spending seven months in prison, Timmermans door was busted down, he told CBS. I thought the guards were still there, so I thought the warfare could have been more active than it ended up being. Once we got out, there was no resistance, there was no real fighting. open image in gallery Travis Timmerman was freed after several months in Syrian prison ( AFP via Getty Images ) Mr Timmerman was at first mistaken by many to be Austin Tice, the American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago and who the US government believes is still alive. A video circulated online showed Mr Timmerman lying on a mattress under a blanket, with a group of men in the video saying he was being treated well and would be returned home safely. In the video, Mr Timmerman appears relaxed in what looks to be a private home. Mr Timmerman said his experience of prison wasnt too bad. He told Al Arabiya that he was fed and given water, but the one difficulty was that I couldnt go to the bathroom when I wanted to. He said he was only permitted to go to the bathroom three times a day. I was not beaten and the guards treated me decently, he said. However, he said he could hear other young men being tortured. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is currently in Aqaba, Jordan, has not immediately commented on the discovery. Roger Carstens, the top hostage negotiator for the US government, travelled to Lebanon earlier this week hoping to collect information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice, who remains missing. open image in gallery Thousands of prisoners were freed after Assads regime fell, including from the notorious Sednaya prison ( Anadolu via Getty Images ) President Joe Biden said on Sunday his administration believed Mr Tice is still alive. The government believes they can get him back, he told reporters in the White House, while admitting they have no direct evidence that he is OK. Mr Tice disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus in August 2012 after the Syrian war broke out a year earlier. He worked freelance and had his work published in The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others. In footage released weeks after he went missing, Mr Tice was shown blindfolded and held by armed men, but he has not been heard from since. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Incoming Nasa administrator Jared Isaacmanhas said that US troops in space are absolutely inevitable in order to protect the countrys economic interests. President-elect Donald Trump nominated the tech billionaire to be the next head of the US space agency last week, saying that he would lead Nasa into a bold new era. Speaking at the Space Force Associations Spacepower 2024 conference in Orlando, Florida, Mr Isaacman said plans to send more humans into space will involve some members of the US military. I think it is absolutely inevitable, he said. If Americans are in low Earth orbit, theres going to need to be people watching out for them. This is the trajectory that humankind is going to follow. America is going to lead it and were going to need guardians there on the high ground looking out for us. open image in gallery Jared Isaacman speaks at a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, 19 August, 2024. ( Reuters ) Mr Isaacman, 41, has previously flown to space on two self-funded missions aboard SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule, though his new role working for the US government has put any future trips on hold. One of his goals as the new head of Nasa is to help build the space economy, which could involve mining, manufacturing and energy. He urged private companies like Elon Musks SpaceX and Jeff Bezoss Blue Origin to crack the code on something other than what weve been doing for a while, adding, the space economy has been more or less the same for 60 years. Following his nomination, Mr Isaacman said: Space holds unparalleled potential for breakthroughs in manufacturing, biotechnology, mining, and perhaps even pathways to new sources of energy. There will inevitably be a thriving space economy one that will create opportunities for countless people to live and work in space. At Nasa, we will passionately pursue these possibilities and usher in an era where humanity becomes a true spacefaring civilization. He did not give a timeframe for the first military personal travelling to space, though suggested it would be around the time that Nasa establishes a permanent presence on the Moon as part of its Artemis program. The incoming Nasa administrator is not the first to indicate that US troops will be sent to space, with retired Lieutenant General John Shaw saying in 2020 that the Defence Department would establish command centres beyond Earth. Luigi Mangiones new police mugshot has been put up for sale emblazoned on stickers and t-shirts. The 26-year-old has been charged with murder in connection to the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside his Manhattan hotel on 4 December. Mangione is currently being held in a Pennsylvania jail without bond as he awaits extradition to New York where he faces a murder charge. He also faces charges for gun law violations in Pennsylvania. After the Altoona Police Department posted updated mugshots of the suspect, merchandise bearing the images was put up for sale online. Mangione was denied bail, is fighting extradition, and will remain in a Pennsylvania jail. He is set to plead not guilty to all charges, his attorney Thomas Dickey told NewsNation on Tuesday. Neighbours of dictator Bashar al-Assad have spoken out for the first time after the president fled to Russia following the downfall of his regime. People living next door to the ousted president said their proximity to his family only brought them harm. They say they had difficulty having guests over under his regime, and even ambulances and repair persons needed different permits to enter the area. Adnan Habbal, who lived in the same street as Assads private residence, said every word and movement was under a microscope. One mistake here would result in ten times the punishment of someone outside, he continued. Syrians in Damascus have gathered at the historic Umayyad Mosque for their first Friday prayers following the downfall of dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime. People took to the streets singing and dancing as they celebrated the end of a catastrophic civil war. Worshippers, some of whom had travelled across the country to visit the mosque, were seen taking selfies at the monument. It came as rallies on Friday (13 December) marked an end to 53 years of authoritarian rule under the Assad family since 1971, when Hafez al-Assad became president under the Baath Party following the 1970 Coup. Threat of sanctions continues to loom over business The Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina facility in Co Limerick employs close to 500 people Aughinish Alumina, the alumina refinery in Limerick thats owned by Russias Rusal, says it is continuously being impacted by the effects of self-sanctioning by commercial counterparties and intermediaries as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine. The immediate Ireland-based parent of Aughinish Alumina has reported a loss of $114m (109m) for 2023 as high gas prices and bauxite supply problems meant production costs remained elevated during the year. The loss followed a $167m loss the company, Limerick Alumina Refining, reported in 2022. The output of the refinery was below capacity in 2023, due to the loss of key customers in the European market and disruption to bauxite supplies, the directors note in newly-filed accounts for 2023. Aughinish Alumina is Europes largest alumina refinery and employs about 460 people and pays about 40m in wages every year. Rusal also operates refineries in other European countries. But its future has been clouded since 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That has resulted in a swathe of sanctions against Russia, Russian companies and Russian individuals. Directors for Limerick Alumina Refining have noted in the new accounts that its immediate and ultimate parent company have not yet been hit with sanctions. However, they added that while no sanctions have been imposed, the parent group and Aughinish Alumina are negatively impacted by sanctions on other entities or sectors, and, or decisions by them not to deal with Russia and Russian-owned businesses. It remains a principal concern that the company, and, or its parent companies, may be designated under a future sanctions package from the US, EU or UK, they note in the accounts. And while the directors expect Limerick Alumina Refining to return to profitability this year and remain profitable in 2025, they stress that there remains a material uncertainty about the ability of the company to survive given the geopolitical backdrop. However, due to its trading structure, the company continues to be entirely reliant on direct and indirect financial support from an intermediate parent company, United Company Rusal IPJSC, they point out. The directors of Limerick Alumina Refining said a subordination deed with a value of up to $150m was executed this year and which remains in place until the end of 2026. But they said that Rusals own accounts contain a material uncertainty about its ability to continue as a going concern. As such, the directors recognise that this represents a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt on the companys ability to continue as a going concern, they warn. Earlier this year, the US and the UK banned metal-trading exchanges from accepting new aluminium, copper and nickel produced by Russia. It also stopped them importing the metals into the US and the UK. The action was aimed at disrupting Russian export revenue. However, Rusal said that the latest wave of sanctions wouldnt prevent it from supplying aluminium to world markets. Rusal said last month that it would cut aluminium production by at least 6pc, partly due to increased alumina costs and lower domestic demand. Loss-making Irish wireless broadband provider will now focus on delivering fibre broadband to customers Imagine Communications, the loss-making wireless broadband provider, has confirmed that its been sold to Armenias Team Group, which is led by brothers Hayk and Alexandr Yesayan. The Irish Independent first revealed the sale earlier on Thursday. The purchase of a majority stake in Imagine marks a first investment in an EU country by Team Group, which owns Armenias largest fixed line telecoms operator and second largest mobile operator, providing services to more than 1.1 million customers. Its being backed by Dutch bank ING. Canadas Brookfield, which was the majority owner of Imagine, will retain a minority stake in the Irish business. While no sale price has been disclosed, its certain to have reflected the near 250m in losses that Imagine has on its books and the challenges it faces in light of the success of the National Broadband Plan. It also has added competition from Elon Musks Starlink. However, the Armenian brothers will now focus Imagines product suite on the provision of fibre broadband to customers. The brothers said they are investing in Imagine because they believe in the long-term potential of the Irish market, and said Team Group has ambitious plans to expand into Europe. A new chief executive has also been named at Imagine, with Niall Tallon taking on the role. The National Broadband Plan, supported by the Irish Government, has had a massive impact on the Irish broadband landscape he said. Over the last 24 months, the shift towards fibre technology has been transformative, particularly in rural Ireland. He added: This investment by Team Group will finance our five-year strategic plan and enable us to pivot faster to fibre, enhancing service stability and quality for customers. Imagine restructured its business this year, laid off staff and raised prices for its broadband products. The increasing penetration of the National Broadband Plan has also prompted Imagines directors to scale back their five-year growth plan. In 2018, Brookfield acquired a majority stake in Imagine in a deal that reportedly valued the Irish firm at more than 200m. Imagine said at the time that Brookfield was investing 120m in return for a 50.1pc indirect controlling interest. A 32.7m impairment in 2023 brought Imagines losses to 49.8m last year. Imagine said in accounts that were signed off by directors in May this year that it needs the continuing support of its parent in order to continue as a going concern. Its revenue last year fell to 32.6m from 33.8m. Excluding the impairment last year, Imagine still posted a 7.6m operating loss. That compared with a 3.9m loss the year before. It made a 3.6m profit on an adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) basis, but that was still down from 4.8m in 2022. The group had bank debt of 26.6m at the end of 2023 that was due for repayment this month. In February this year, the banks confirmed a standstill agreement in relation to interest repayment until June 2024. The company also sold its Coolwave subsidiary earlier this year to UK-based Gamma. Imagine said the sale generated significant proceeds. An Post received more than 350,000 parcels into Ireland from the UK overnightApproximately 150,000 parcels have now been re-routed to other parts of UK but An Post chiefs confident of their delivery before ChristmasMassive efforts are made to clear a backlog following Holyhead Ports closure after Storm DarraghPresident of the Irish Road Haulage Association Ger Hyland stresses the pressure hauliers are now under this week The last of the 150,000 parcels destined for An Post have been re-routed from Holyhead to other parts of the UK as part of massive efforts to clear a backlog following the ports closure after Storm Darragh. An Post received more than 350,000 parcels into hubs in Dublin, Portlaoise and Athlone from the UK overnight for processing and delivery tomorrow and into early next week. The last of approximately 150,000 parcels set for Ireland have now been re-routed to other UK ports. An Post this morning said it has the "facilities, technology and staff" across its hubs to deliver the parcels to homes and businesses around Ireland. Ferry sailings between Ireland and Wales were cancelled due to damage caused by Storm Darragh at Holyhead. Holyhead report they will re-open their port on Thursday, December 19 but the closure resulted in delays for hundreds of thousands of parcels with less than a fortnight to Christmas. There is ongoing speculation as to a resumption date for ferry traffic through Holyhead but as of this morning, the last of the 150,000 UK parcels destined for An Post and affected by the port closure have been re-routed to other UK ports, a spokesperson for An Post said in the latest update. "Many UK retailers are working with ferry companies to secure alternative routes on larger vessels into Ireland while Holyhead remains closed. "Larger capacity ferries are now accessing Ireland from Wales, Scotland and Liverpool via Rosslare Europort, Larne and Dublin Port, and will continue to do so right up to Christmas and into New Year 2025. Managing Director at An Post Commerce Garrett Bridgeman told RTE Radio Ones Morning Ireland earlier today that they are confident people will receive their parcels on time for Christmas, if they ordered their items before Storm Darragh. He advised people buying Christmas gifts this week to shop locally as the backlog may not guarantee delivery for fresh orders from the UK before Christmas. "Its all moving now. We received over 350,000 parcels overnight which we are currently sorting, Mr Bridgeman said. "About 150,000 parcels remained in Holyhead and they are now being rerouted around the UK. But this is not a problem for us. We have all our staff, our automated facilities, our casual employees for this time of year. It wont be a problem and we will deliver it all right up to Christmas Eve. Mr Bridgeman continued: All the trucks that were queued up at Holyhead have been moved to Fishguard, Liverpool and other ports, all the traffic is being rerouted making its way to Ireland. "This is a huge issue for the haulage industry but this traffic will arrive in, it will be delivered, he added. An Post are now advising people that if they ordered an item pre Storm Darragh they can expect to receive it in coming days. "Retailers websites are really good for updates, Mr Bridgeman said. "They keep their trackers updated daily. "But if you are planning to buy between now and Christmas, we advise you to shop local and from Irish retailers. "Irish retailers have an amazing offering. Half of the ecommerce in Ireland is from Irish retailers. "If you are buying from a UK website check the delivery. Mr Bridgeman added that deliveries will be made right up to, and including, Christmas Eve. An Posts latest date for posting parcels in Ireland is Saturday, December 21. And their final date for posting Christmas cards and small letters with guaranteed arrival for Christmas is Sunday, December 22. However, President of the Irish Road Haulage Association Ger Hyland stressed this morning the pressure hauliers are now under this week. "There are significant delays in Rosslare, Fishguard, Pembroke. From our experience and knowledge, we will struggle this week, he said. Fears There were fears yesterday that parcels stuck in Holyhead would not arrive on time for Christmas. An Post CEO David McRedmond said the closure was a really big issue for both the Irish and British governments. We have 300-plus trailers at Holyhead, in a line over 4km long, he told the Irish Independent yesterday, adding that they had been diverting some through Liverpool and Fishguard. Pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, and packages ordered online, including electronics bought in Black Friday sales, were named as the products that were likely to be held up in the backlog. Infrastructural damage was caused to ferry berths at the port during Storm Darragh last Saturday and it has remained closed to marine traffic ever since. The Irish Independent reported that the Department of Transport is now helping with contingency plans. The Department continues to liaise with all stakeholders, including other national ports, to address the ongoing challenges to the supply chain, it said in a statement. From today additional capacity is being provided from Rosslare. Irish Ferries is assigning the MV James Joyce to replace the Inishfree. This represents approximately 50pc extra capacity. While the Port of Cork currently has no direct UK sailings, it has indicated that it has the capacity to operate one sailing a day, possibly two based on scheduling. Solutions for the medium term, if necessary, are also under consideration. It has been reported that the 212-metre, 43,532-tonne Adventurer, operated by Stena, did a sailing from Fishguard Harbour on Wednesday in a bid to help ease the backlog at Holyhead. Dublin Port has said it is not experiencing a backlog, a message that was repeated by the Department of Transport. Officials said they had been in contact with port authorities since the weekend to liaise on contingency plans, but the department stressed: There is no such congestion occurring in or around Dublin Port at present. Dublin Port said sailings continued to operate from there, with seven roll-on roll-off departures a day to Liverpool, Heysham and Birkenhead. Exporters say it will take several days to clear the backlog at Holyhead whenever that port re-opens. Eugene Drennan, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said the reaction to the shutdown has been too slow, yet again. It also manages car parks in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny and Offaly. Stock image The owners of the firm that provides a clamping service to Dublin City Council received an initial 35.68m from their sale of the business and the other car-parking entities in the Tazbell Group last year. The 35.68m payout, that was subject to finalisation via a completion accounts mechanism, for the Dublin-based Tazbell Group is confirmed in accounts for the purchaser of the Tazbell business, Q Park Ireland. In new accounts filed by Dutch-headquartered Q Park Ireland, the directors stated that the Tazbell acquisition further strengthened the presence of Q Park group here in the car-parking sector. Four leased car-parks, one owned car-park and multiple car-parks under management agreements will now be added to their portfolio. Q Park Ireland financed the transaction through a 36.68m loan from a connected company. The Q Park Ireland 2023 accounts put a book value of 38.7m on the Tazbell acquisition. That includes legal costs of 555,055. The Tazbell purchase was first announced in 2022, but only went through in August last year after the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) cleared the purchase subject to conditions. Along with the clamping service provided to Dublin City Council, Tazbell and its subsidiaries provide off-street car parking management services, on-street parking enforcement services on behalf of local authorities, toll operations services and parking consulting services to customers in the State. Tazbell is active in the provision of car-park management services in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny and Offaly. The Tazbell subsidiary that operates the clamping service for the city council is Dublin Street Parking Services Ltd. Figures show that under the ownership of Q Park Ireland, Dublin Street Parking Services Ltd continues to generate millions in revenue for this year. Quarterly city council purchase orders for the first nine months of this year show that Dublin Street Parking Services Ltd has received 5.89m. New accounts for Dublin Street Parking Services Ltd show that last year, the company recorded a 25pc increase in pre-tax profits to 720,366. This followed revenues rising by 7pc from 5.8m to 6.23m. Numbers employed increased by one to 56, made up of 44 operatives and 12 in administration. Salary costs increased from 3.2m in 2022 to 3.4m last year. Pinergy, the Irish energy transition company, has announced that Sojitz, a Japanese conglomerate, has bought a 98pc stake in the business. The Tokyo-based firm bought out the shares of the Coates family, whose empire includes the gambling giant Bet365 and whose fortune is valued in this years Sunday Times rich list as 7.467bn, down from 8.795bn last year. The family includes Peter Coates, owner of Stoke City FC. His daughter Denise is estimated to be the richest woman in the UK. Peter has been the main funder of Pinergy, putting an estimated 80m into the business. Two senior Pinergy executives - Peter Bastable and founder Enda Gunnell - will retain their shareholding and continue to lead the business following the transaction. The acquisition is subject to approval from Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. According to its most recent accounts, the groups consolidated revenues grew from 156m in 2022 to 215m in 2023. It reported that gross profit improved to 33.1m in the last financial year, and reported Ebitda, excluding movements in the fair value of energy forward contracts, of 13.3m. This compared to an equivalent negative Ebitda of 3.7m in 2022. Early last year Pinergy bought Acutrace, whose software measures energy use in commercial buildings, allowing firms to identify waste so they can reduce consumption. It represented a move by Pinergy to expand its business beyond supplying power. Launched in 2013, Pinergy supplies green electricity and provides technology-driven energy solutions, such as solar PV installations, energy measurement, and EV charging infrastructure. Its electricity supply base is equivalent to powering 200,000 homes annually across 10,000 commercial and 30,000 domestic customers. The business employs 141 people in Dublin and Enniscorthy. Sojitz says it will continue to support the company, enabling it to scale up and expand its capabilities. The Japanese company said the investment aligns with its strategy to create, operate, and expand businesses that deliver renewable energy and who supply it to commercial and residential customers who are navigating the energy transition. Pinergy CEO Enda Gunnell Today's News in 90 seconds - 13th December 2024 Sojitz pointed out that it already holds several wind and solar energy generation investments across Europe including wind-generation facilities in Ireland. It holds a stake in the Spanish energy supplier Nexus Energia, which will take a small stake in Pinergy as part of the transaction. Enda Gunnell, CEO of Pinergy, said: "This partnership will be instrumental to supporting Pinergys growth plans and trajectory in the coming years. Together with Sojitz, we have a shared vision and ambition to become a vertically integrated supplier, enabling Pinergy to both generate and supply its own renewable energy for the benefit of our customers. Yasushi Asano, general manager of Sojitzs energy solutions business department, said: We are delighted to participate in the next chapter of Pinergy's story. Sojitz has been involved in the Irish electricity market since our first investment in 2017, with a 223 MW portfolio of onshore wind projects. Through our participation in Pinergy, we believe that we can align renewable generation and retail businesses together to further contribute to Ireland's decarbonisation efforts. There have been multiple rises in health insurance premiums this year Health insurer VHI has responded to the competitive threat of new player Level Health by launching three new higher-end plans and a mid-level corporate plan. The move raises hopes of a slow-down in price hikes. Consumers have been hit hard by a succession of price rises for health cover this year, while benefits have been reduced. At the very least, consumers will be hoping the entry of the new Aviva-backed provider will slow down some of the premium hikes and prompt insurers to introduce more competitively priced plans. More than one million people are due to renew their health insurance cover in the coming two months. Last month, Irish Life Health announced its third price increase in just over 12 months, with customers facing an average hike of just under 4pc from the start of next year. There have been multiple rises in health insurance premiums this year Today's News in 90 seconds - 13th December 2024 Both VHI and Laya have announced two price rises this year. That means that many families renewing between now and the end of January will see the cost of premiums rising by more than 500. Level Healths high-end plan, Plan D, is up to 2,700 cheaper per adult than the same plans from VHI, Laya and Irish Life. Plan D is Level Healths most expensive plan. VHI has now targeted the market with the launch of three new plans. Experts said it feared people switching to the new Aviva-backed Level Health. Two of the new VHI plans are part of its advanced care suite and one is in the premium care suite of plans. The new VHI plans are: AdvancedCare 250, which costs 2,250 per adult per year; AdvancedCare 250 Day-to-Day, which costs 2,450 per adult per year; and PremiumCare Select, at a cost of 4,463.73 per adult per year. They will be available from the start of next month. VHI said: Our goal is to provide a range of options for members that cater for different needs and budgets, ensuring that our members can find a plan that suits them. Health insurance expert Dermot Goode of Total Health Cover, a Lockton company, said the launch of the new lower-priced plans was a direct result of the competitive threat from the new rival. It is definitely a response to Level Health from VHI, he said. Mr Goode said VHI is also launching a new semi-private corporate scheme called PMI 6310. It will be well priced at 1,438 per adult and also includes excellent refunds on eligible outpatient expenses subject to a 1 excess per claim, he said. Members considering this plan need to note that there is no benefit towards minor injury unit expenses in the Swiftcare/360 clinics. Mr Goode said: The entry of Level Health to the Irish market is definitely having an impact in terms of consumer interest. He said existing health insurers are moving to prop up their existing product offering to ensure they retain as many of their renewing customers as possible. Level Health launched last month, with expectation it will shake up the market with prices that are up to 500 cheaper for a family than its rivals. Brazils top coffee roasters, including JDE Peets, one of the worlds biggest coffee companies, are set to increase prices domestically from early next year after adverse weather caused raw bean prices to spike. Global prices for raw coffee soared to record highs this week and are up some 80pc this year as adverse weather in Brazil and Vietnam, the worlds top coffee growers, has hit the crop outlook, with consumers internationally likely to feel the pinch by as early as the end of March. Currently, only two European Union member states, Ireland and the Netherlands, have active Nitrates Derogation under the EU Nitrates Directive. New data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that nitrogen levels in waters nationally have reduced in the first half of 2024 compared to other years, and that they could be at the lowest they have been since 2016. However, it said it is too early to identify the cause of the reduction in nitrogen levels in major Irish rivers. Although based on a limited number of monitoring stations, these data provide a good representation of nitrogen concentrations nationally, and are likely to reflect the overall situation for 2024, according to the the Early Insights Indicator report on Nitrogen concentrations in selected major rivers was published yesterday. A spokesperson for the EPA told the Farming Independent that: It is too early to identify the cause of the reductions. A full assessment of the 2024 annual nitrogen concentration data will be published in 2025 which will provide further analysis and insight. The next 6-monthly update for the early insight indicator will be published in Q1 of 2025, the EPA said. Director of Policy and Chief Economist with the Irish Farmers Association, Tadhg Buckley welcomed the report on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting the nitrogen reduction signals that: the multiple measures undertaken by farmers across the country are starting to bear fruit. Currently, only two European Union member states, Ireland and the Netherlands, have active Nitrates Derogation under the EU Nitrates Directive. These derogations allow farmers in specific areas to exceed the standard stocking rate limit of 170 kg of organic nitrogen per hectare, provided they meet stricter environmental regulations. However, these derogations are under scrutiny due to concerns over water quality. In August, Denmark announced it will not seek a renewal for its derogation. The Netherlands is set to lose its derogation at the end of 2025. Ireland's derogation, recently reduced to a 220 kg limit in certain areas due to water quality concerns, remains in effect until 2026. Last month, IFA President Francie Gorman said that water quality was not taken seriously enough in the past and the Nitrates Derogation was taken for granted. We took our eye off the ball if you go back 10 years ago we took it for granted that wed always have the Nitrates Derogation, he told RTEs CountryWide. Former Fine Gael politician Bill Tormey has been sent forward for trial on charges of migrant trafficking and possession of child sexual abuse imagery. The 73-year-old, who has also worked as a hospital consultant and has been a media commentator on health, appeared before a sitting of Dublin District Court this morning. Solicitor was arrested and driven 240km to court over failure to give ex-client deeds of 1.7m house Lawyer John Moylan avoided possibility of jail by agreeing to hand over files to woman Solicitor John Moylan of Richard Moylan and Company Solicitors in Mallow, Co Cork. Photo: Steve Humphreys Shane Phelan Fri 13 Dec 2024 at 03:30 A solicitor was arrested at his law firm in Co Cork and brought to the High Court in Dublin after failing to comply with an order requiring him to provide a former client with documents relating to her 1.7m home. Dublin singer hits out at dire housing crisis ahead of show in aid of Focus Ireland 'Rock Against Homelessness' on February 7 will be headlined by Damien Dempsey. Singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey is set to headline the Sunday Independents Rock Against Homelessness concert in aid of Focus Ireland as the event celebrates its 10th anniversary. The show will be held at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin on February 7, with special guests to be announced in the new year. Over the last decade, Rock Against Homelessness has raised more than 450,000 for Focus Ireland. Just under 15,000 people are homeless in Ireland, including 4,645 children, according to the latest figures. Dempsey (49) said the scale of the crisis makes me angry to my bones. It is beyond words of anger or sadness that this issue has not been fixed. What are the so-called people in power doing about it? he said. Not a lot, as far as I can see. I often wonder about the fact that they can do nothing about homeless now, but in the 1930s and 1940s when Ireland was on its knees as a nation financially they could still manage to build massive housing estates around Ireland for people to live in. Sunday Independent journalist Barry Egan, who has put on Rock Against Homelessness for the past 10 years, looked back on a decade of performances and said each act has been in their own way, completely unique. There is something about Damien Dempsey headlining the 10th anniversary that is truly special. Hes about to sell out six shows at Vicar Street, he said. His new album Hold Your Joy is probably the record of the year, with so many songs that powerfully reflect the uncomfortable reality of Ireland in the present day. Damien is a man who has been singing deep, deep from the heart for many years about the issues that many young people find themselves caught in, the hellish economic rat trap that Bob Geldof famously sang of in 1987. Damien Dempsey. Photo: Mark Condren He is a true hero and the perfect person to headline and curate the show with some very special guests soon to be announced that already promises to be one of the gigs of the year. Mediahuis Ireland CEO Peter Vandermeersch said no man, no woman and no child should be without a home in Ireland. This goes for people who were born here or for people who, with good reason, left their own land to find a safer place in this great and affluent country, he said. The fact that so many people are still homeless in Ireland is a big stain on the reputation of Eire. This is the country of the big tech companies, one of the richest in Europe, which has a surplus on its public finance balance. Giving all the people a roof above their head should be one of the main priorities of the next government. For me, it will be a measure of the success or failure of a next Irish coalition. Tickets for Rock Against Homelessness, priced at 40, go on sale from Wednesday, December 18, via Ticketmaster. The show is sponsored by Cadbury and Arachas Insurance, with Starbucks and Hard Rock Cafe. Thousands of parcels have been re-routed across the UK following the closure of Holyhead Port, which led to a backlog of packages bound for Ireland with just a fortnight to go until Christmas Day. A man will be sentenced early next year after admitting to arson at St Michans Church in Dublin last June in which mummified remains were damaged. Cristian Topiter (39) of Grand Canal House, Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6 today appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court having been sent forward from the District Court on a signed guilty plea. Topiter affirmed his guilty plea to a charge that he did commit arson at St Michan's Church on June 11 last and did damage by fire mummified remains. Judge Orla Crowe initially adjourned the case for sentence on March 24 next. Oisin Clarke BL, defending, told the court that Topiter is anxious to be sentenced as soon as possible and wishes to be sentenced by videolink. Having considered the defence's application, Judge Crowe agreed to adjourn the case for sentence to February 20 next. She remanded Topiter in continuing custody until that date and granted a defence application for him to be sentenced by videolink from Cloverhill Prison. Man (70s) dies in Co Dublin assault, as man (20s) arrested Gardai at the scene at Tobersool near Balbriggan in Co Dublin Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Gardai at the scene at Tobersool near Balbriggan in Co Dublin Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Gardai are not looking for any other suspects in relation to the murder of a man in his seventies in rural north Co Dublin last night. The victim in the case suffered apparent stab injuries and was discovered in a house. A man in his late twenties who was arrested at the scene is well-known to the victim. It is understood the suspect has certain health difficulties, according to sources. Gardai in Balbriggan said they are investigating all the circumstances around the death of the man following the incident in Tobersool, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin. Shortly after 11.20pm, Gardai and emergency services attended a residence in Tobersool, near Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, where a man in his 70s was found unresponsive. He was declared dead at the scene. A Galway woman who died followed an alleged assault has been remembered as a good soul. Sharon Naughton (55), from Loughbaun, Aughrim, Ballinasloe, died from injuries sustained during an incident at her home on Monday night. The mother of five was rushed to Portiuncula Hospital where her condition deteriorated. On Thursday, her husband, Owen Naughton, appeared in court charged with assault causing harm to his wife. The couple, who have five children, were well known in Ballinasloe and the tragedy has shocked the community. A former neighbour of Ms Naughtons described her as a good soul and a character. I knew her from when she was a child and I know she brought a lot of joy to her parents lives. They were wonderful people, they said. Sharon would have been well known and what has happened is just absolutely heartbreaking. They have a beautiful family and everyone is very sad for them all. There is an awful gloom over the town. Everybody is talking about it and the timing just could not be worse with Christmas on the way. Let God comfort them all. Ms Naughton had previously worked for Bank of Ireland in Ballinasloe. On Thursday Owen Naughton, of Loughbaun, Aughrim, Ballinasloe, was brought before Ballinasloe District Court and formally charged with assaulting his wife and causing her harm. Mr Naughton made no reply when the charge was put to him. Gardai objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the charge. Judge Deirdre Geraghty refused bail and remanded Mr Naughton in custody. Insomnia and fatigue are among the debilitating symptoms of long-Covid. Photo: Getty Around one in six people in Ireland have experienced long-Covid symptoms, according to a new HSE survey. The Follow-up After Disease Acquisition (FADA) survey also found that repeat infections lead to higher risk of the condition. The survey questioned adults who had tested positive for Covid on a PCR test to assess their health following their infection. The results, showing 16pc of people have suffered the condition, were released by Long Covid Advocacy Ireland (LCAI), the advocacy group for long-Covid patients in Ireland, which described it as a public health crisis. Long-Covid symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, brain fog, difficulty sleeping and insomnia as well as joint or muscle pain. LCAI spokeswoman Sarah OConnell said: The report acknowledges challenges long-Covid patients face accessing healthcare support and the resulting isolation patients experience due to a lack of understanding from healthcare professionals and the general public. The support group welcomes the reports recommendation to control Covid transmission through both individual and government actions including clean indoor air in public spaces, masking, and testing, in addition to more accessible vaccination programmes. It is essential for the HSE to begin a wide-reaching, public health messaging campaign to educate the public on the continued risk of long-Covid and how to reduce risk by reducing transmission. It also backed the recommendation for a comprehensive review of the 2021 Interim Model of Care for Long Covid one that incorporates the views, experience and expertise of patients themselves. With only six public clinics across the country, three of which are located in Dublin, access is a postcode lottery. The current model of care does not currently accept patients under 16. Many patients have also reported negative experiences while accessing the clinics and there are significant inconsistencies in services across the clinics. It added many patients have reported negative experiences and there are significant inconsistencies in services across the clinics. Julia Corey, of Long Covid Advocacy Ireland, described it as a public health crisis. She added: Hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland have been disabled by this virus, impacting their ability to work, study, socialise and care for themselves or their families. This virus continues to cause significant, unnecessary pressure on our already troubled healthcare system. TDs opposite of enthusiastic about Wexford politicians run Fianna Fail and Fine Gael backbenchers are pushing back against voting for Independent TD Verona Murphy to be the next ceann comhairle. The Regional Independent Group has put forward Ms Murphy as its candidate to be the Dail speaker. The vote to elect the ceann comhairle is by secret ballot and the ceann comhairle of the last Dail, Fianna Fails Sean O Fearghail, is also in the running. Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness has announced he is also putting his name forward for the position. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail backbenchers have raised concerns privately about voting for Ms Murphy. TDs in both parties were surprised and the opposite of enthusiastic about the prospect of Ms Murphy becoming the ceann comhairle. Fine Gael TDs raised concerns privately about Ms Murphys previous association with the party. Ms Murphy was Fine Gaels candidate in a by-election in Wexford in 2019, but was deselected for its general election ticket in 2020 after she made controversial comments about migrants. One source said a lot of people arent happy about it, as if the ceann comhairle was to be an Independent TD, they would prefer to be voting for Marian Harkin or Sean Canney, who have served several terms as TDs. However, another source said Ms Murphy being returned automatically as a Wexford TD may mean that Fine Gael has a chance of winning a seat in what would effectively become a three-seater constituency. There is a view that Verona holds the Wexford seat. If she is off the pitch, then there may be a better chance of winning it back, they said. If elected, Ms Murphy would be the first woman to hold the position of ceann comhairle. It is also understood there is concern among TDs in Fianna Fail, with them preferring to vote for a party TD to become ceann comhairle. Mr O Fearghail is also seeking another term, but it is understood he would not serve the full term. Speaking to the Irish Independent, Fianna Fail TD Mr McGuinness said he believes he has proven himself as an impartial chair from his time serving on the Public Accounts and Finance committees. The election is one for members and it was always agreed it would be an independent office, voted for independently and members did not have to vote along party lines, Mr McGuinness said. The former junior minister said he wanted to improve the democratic structures of the Oireachtas to make sure debates are more meaningful. The election showed the trust between the public and politicians has been damaged and we need to restore that starting with how the Dail is run, he said. Mr McGuinness added that he wants to reform the parliamentary question system and make the Dail more family-friendly to encourage younger people to get involved in politics. TDs Brendan Smith and Pat The Cope Gallagher are also believed to be interested in the role. Meanwhile, eight Independent TDs have now outlined their wish lists to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael party leaders as government talks are to intensify next week. TDs have held one-on-one talks with both party leaders and have now outlined their priorities if they are to be government TDs. Mr Canney and Ms Harkin are understood to be taking the lead in pushing for Independents in coalition talks and some TDs are seeking junior ministerial roles, as well as one super junior cabinet role. It is understood the group of eight regional Independent TDs is now anxious to get on with coalition talks, saying there is no need to draw talks out until January 18, when the Dail resumes after the Christmas break. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail negotiating teams are meeting every day, separately and together, as they flesh out policy priorities. One source said the negotiators will not be going outside of policy and will not discuss a possible rotating taoiseach deal or ministerial jobs. The talks are said to be positive. Separately, the Labour Party will make a decision on whether it will continue with government talks today. Independent TD for Wexford Verona Murphy. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. Ivana Bacik rules Labour out of Fine Gael or Fianna Fail coalition Labour leader Ivana Bacik met Simon Harris and Micheal Martin individually on Tuesday and she is expected to give a recommendation on these talks to her TDs and senators. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats has said they will continue talks on government formation with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, as well as Sinn Fein and Labour. The party said the meetings with the other parties were exploratory and deputy leader Cian OCallaghan said next week they will be more focused. A decision was taken to continue talks with the four parties we have already engaged with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Sinn Fein and Labour, he said in a statement. Simon Harris: We need to reflect on disaffection from politics after Hutch votes Simon Harris has said there should be reflection on peoples disaffection from politics after Gerry Hutch narrowly missed out on being elected. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said there was a need to address the fact that Mr Hutch nicknamed The Monk won 3,096 first preference votes, placing himself fourth in a four-seater Dublin Central constituency. Transfers put him on 5,321 votes by the eleventh and final count, finishing behind Labours Marie Sherlock on 6,102 votes, who took the final seat. Dubliner Mr Hutch, 61, has been described in court by a judge as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation. He announced his surprise candidature after arriving back in Ireland following his arrest in Spain last month as part of an international investigation into money laundering. Sinn Fein has confirmed it will contest the election of Ceann Comhairle for the first time. Veteran TD Aengus O Snodaigh is expected to compete against Independent Verona Murphy and two possible Fianna Fail candidates with John McGuinness and Sean O Fearghail both taking soundings. Mary Lou McDonald announced that her party has nominated Mr O Snodaigh for the role in the 34th Dail, which could see him chair proceedings in a parliament his party once boycotted. Mr O Snodaigh has already submitted his nomination papers, with the new Dail scheduled to meet for the first time next Wednesday. A vote is expected to take place for the position when the new 174-seat chamber convenes, and will take place by secret ballot. The post is worth 225,000 a year. Ms McDonald said she was delighted to announce that the nomination of Mr O Snodaigh. Aengus is an outstanding parliamentarian, legislator, public representative, proud Gaeilgeoir and champion of the arts, heritage and culture, she said. Mr O Snodaigh has nearly 23 years experience in the Dail having been first elected as TD in 2002, and has even played for the Oireachtas rugby team. Mary Lou said: Aengus has a sharp intellect and has a first-rate understanding of parliamentary process and procedures. He is highly respected right across the Oireachtas community Aengus O Snodaigh would carry out the duties of Ceann Comhairle fairly in the public interest and work tirelessly to ensure the Dail operates effectively in service of the people. The Dublin South Central election result saw Sinn Fein win two of the four seats, Mr O Snodaigh bringing in running mate Maire Devine in a three-candidate strategy that also involved Daithi Doolan. A successful bid for Ceann Comhairle would see Mr O Snodaigh automatically returned at the next election which could see Sinn Fein bid for two of the remaining seats in search of a remarkable hat-trick. The other two seats are held by Catherine Ardagh of Fianna Fail and Jen Cummins of the recently-damaged Social Democrats. Paul, Robyn, Natasha and Ann McCloskey with Eugene and Rachael Rooney at the Sean Rooney family and friends team v The Defence Forces team football game for The Memorial Sean Rooney Cup in Muirhevnamor. Photo: Aidan Dullaghan/Newspics The family of Private Sean Rooney will soon be given information about his death that was previously undisclosed, the UN have confirmed. Private Rooney, who was serving with the UN peacekeeping force in Southern Lebanon, was killed after the vehicle he was driving came under fire in December 2022. The troops were driving near the town of Al-Aqbiya, known to be a stronghold of Hezbollah. Private Rooneys family had previously expressed frustration that the UN failed to respond to a request for information about the incident from the Dublin coroner. Speaking to RTE Radio Ones Morning Ireland, solicitor Darren Mackin, who is acting on behalf of the family of Private Sean Rooney, said the report requested from the UN is the one compiled immediately after the incident. Paul, Robyn, Natasha and Ann McCloskey with Eugene and Rachael Rooney at the Sean Rooney family and friends team v The Defence Forces team football game for The Memorial Sean Rooney Cup in Muirhevnamor. Photo: Aidan Dullaghan/Newspics This is the immediate investigation, Mr Darren Mackin said. "It is the investigation that occurs almost immediately after the incident. The UN had access to exhibits. This commission of investigation is not just relevant to the coroner, its fundamentally important. "Its important to note that this family have had a publicly-fought battle [to get this information]. "It is a credit to the family that they have persevered. Mr Mackin said he will be disappointed if they receive nothing less than the full report. Sean Rooney Today's News in 90 seconds - 13th December 2024 "They are obliged to provide all the information to the coroner, he added. A report of a UN investigation, called a Board of Inquiry, into Private Rooneys death, was given to the Irish government last year on the strict condition that it not be shared with any third parties, Subsequent requests by the Irish authorities to release the report to his family were refused by the UN, according to a senior official at the Department of Defence. Martina Devlin: Game of musical chairs with Dail rejects moving to Seanad is just one example of how undemocratic Irelands political system is Extending the vote to graduates of more universities albeit not in time for this election was seen as a victory for equality, but it doesnt go nearly far enough Seanad Eireann. Martina Devlin Fri 13 Dec 2024 at 03:30 Lost your Dail seat? Never mind, heres one in the Seanad until the political cycle rolls around again. Donald Trump has been named person of the year by 'Time'. Photo: Reuters Much froth may have been spluttered over cappuccinos by Manhattans liberals when Donald Trump was name-checked as Time magazines person of the year, for a second time. The president-elect certainly looked chuffed, beaming like the Cheshire cat who got both cream and canary yesterday as he celebrated being on the prestigious magazines front page. At the beginning of the year, few would have seen that coming. The speculation was more slanted towards his being locked up before the 2024 White House race was even run. The publication has been conferring the distinction since 1927. Back then it was man of the year. It recognises a person or movement that for better or for worse has done the most to influence the events of the year. And for better or worse, Trump indisputably proved himself to be influencer-in-chief. Any doubts about his being a force to be reckoned with, as he becomes the oldest US president at the time of being elected, were blown away. He shrugged off two assassination attempts and 34 criminal convictions. He also pretty much obliterated US president Joe Biden and then vice-president Kamala Harris to secure his second term in the Oval Office. His was a stunning political comeback, the magazine noted. He has reshaped the American electorate, activating young male voters who propelled him to a decisive victory that saw him win the popular vote for the first time and turn every swing state red. However, the misgivings harboured by many have not gone away. He has pledged to release those jailed for the January 6, 2021, riots, in the first hour of his presidency or sooner. He also plans to execute more than 25 executive orders on his first day in office. His forced deportation plans are raising real concerns. And his tariff and tax-cutting plans are also feared to be extreme. In an interview with the Financial Times, veteran Republican Mitch McConnell considered Trumps return with much foreboding. Were in a very, very dangerous world right now, reminiscent of before World War II, he said. Even the slogan is the same. America First. That was what they said in the 30s. He fears the increasingly isolationist elements which Mr Trump champions. His immediate concern stems from Trumps stated aim to stop spending money on supporting Ukraine. The cost of deterrence is considerably less than the cost of war, he said. Whatever reservations one might have about his political machination, there is no arguing against Trumps current chokehold on the global narrative. When he was pipped for the Time honour in 2015 by Angela Merkel, he fumed on Twitter: I told you TIME Magazine would never pick me. They picked person who is ruining Germany [sic]. Yet when he was revealed as the 2016 winner, he said: To be on the cover is a tremendous honour. As they say in New York: Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it, but dont swallow it. The next government has yet to be officially formed, but we have our first major political scandal of the new season. Step forward Eoin Hayes, newly-elected Social Democrats TD for Dublin Bay South, who became the centre of attention of a chaotic press conference this week when the subject of his personal business dealings came up. Mr Hayes was suspended from the parliamentary party after revealing he sold his shares in the US software company, which supplies technology to the Israeli military, a month after he was elected to Dublin City Council. The newly elected Dublin Bay South TD confirmed that he sold shares from his former employer in July for a pre-tax figure of 199,000. Mr Hayes became a Dublin City Councillor this year, and raised 8,895 through GoFundMe to support his local election campaign at the time. With Hayes now suspended and red faces all-round for the suddenly shaky Soc Dems, what does their political future hold? And as Labour leader Ivana Bacik firmly rules out a partnership with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, where to next for the as-yet-undecided government of 2025? Today on The Indo Daily, Fionnan Sheahan is joined by Philip Ryan, political editor with the Irish Independent, and by Gabija Gataveckaite, political correspondent with the Irish Independent, to assess the latest drama in the corridors of power. More provocations lead to stronger countermeasures: Chinese defense ministry Xinhua) 15:40, December 13, 2024 BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of National Defense issued a stern warning to the Philippines on Friday, pledging stronger countermeasures against escalating provocations in the South China Sea. Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the ministry, accused the Philippines of stirring up troubles on many spots under the support and solicitation of the United States. "From Ren'ai Jiao to Xianbin Jiao and from Houteng Jiao to Huangyan Dao, such repeated provocations have allowed the international community to see clearly who is undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea and who is fabricating and spreading lies," Wu said. Wu made the remarks during a press briefing in response to a query concerning the Philippine Coast Guard's allegations that China had taken "aggressive actions" against Philippine vessels heading toward Houteng Jiao. He noted that wherever they go, whether transiting or re-supplying, the Philippine ships always have a full deck of reporters. "The real issue, however, is never about who has more reporters, but who has more legitimacy," Wu said. Wu said the territories of the Philippines are defined by a series of international treaties, which do not include the Nansha Qundao and Huangyan Dao. "The Philippine side knows this fact very well." Wu reiterated China's firm stance: "More provocations lead to stronger countermeasures. Should the Philippine side stubbornly follow the wrong path, China will never back down." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) New aerial photos show the condition of the bridewell from above Aerial photo of the bridewell of Kanturk Courthouse. Photo by Peter O'Callaghan An aerial photo shows the roof of the bridewell of Kanturk Courthouse covered by a tarpaulin. Photo by Peter O'Callaghan A Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee spokesperson has labelled the current condition of the buildings bridewell as an utter disgrace and called for the Courts Service to refurbish its property. Dan Dennehy, a member of the Courthouse Restoration Committee, told The Corkman that aerial photographs taken of the bridewell, located to the rear of the courthouse, on Thursday, December 12 show the condition of the buildings deteriorated roof, which is covered by a tarpaulin which itself appears to be damaged. In recent years, the Restoration Committee has voiced fears that dampness caused by the bridewells leaking roof is resulting in irreversible damage to the rare historical graffiti etched on the buildings interior walls by republican prisoners incarcerated there during the revolutionary period. Aerial photo of the bridewell of Kanturk Courthouse. Photo by Peter O'Callaghan These aerial photographs were taken today of a national monument which houses invaluable Graffiti from the War of Independence and Civil War, Mr Dennehy said. It's an utter disgrace and it's the responsibility of the Court Services to maintain and protect this structure and it's valuable and irreplaceable contents, he said. This situation has been ongoing for the last three years or so and which could be remedied for a very modest sum. The Courts Service has been contacted for comment. An anti-immigration activist and unsuccessful candidate in the recent general election has been convicted of threatening and abusive behaviour in the District Court because he refused to make a charity donation to the Irish Refugee Council. Derek Blighe, 44, of Croughevoe, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork appeared before Judge Colm Roberts at Fermoy District Court. Mr Blighe, who is the leader of the right-wing Ireland First party was an unsuccessful candidate for the party in Cork North Central at the 2024 General Election. He faced one charge of threatening and abusive behaviour relating to an incident that occurred in December 2023. It was alleged that Mr Blighe had been abusive towards Mr Christopher Gomez, the caretaker at Abbeyville House, Fermoy, Co. Cork, a property that was being prepared for refugee accommodation at the time. At a previous hearing on November 15, 2024 Mr Gomez gave evidence that he was alone in the building and had ordered an oil delivery from a local company. He said that when the oil delivery truck arrived Derek Blighe approached the driver and spoke to him. Mr Gomez said Mr Blighe then told him the drivers not going to give you oil and the truck left. Mr Gomez contacted the oil company and a second truck was dispatched which arrived at about midday. When the second truck arrived Mr Gomez opened the gates and the driver began making a delivery. Mr Blighe then began recording Mr Gomez with his mobile phone and the court was shown footage that he had uploaded to Facebook. In the video Mr Blighe can be heard saying to Mr Gomez: You are a guest in this country. Shame on you. You should be ashamed. You will go down in the history books, you will go down in the sewers of Irish history. Go back to where you came from. Mr Gomez said that Mr Blighe live-streamed the incident which he said really traumatised me. He said that later that afternoon he downloaded the footage from Mr Blighes Facebook page and provided it to gardai when he made a complaint. He told the court that he had been an Irish citizen for 20 years and had never experienced anything like this before. Judge Roberts found the facts proven in the case and ordered Mr Blighe to make a donation of 350 to the Irish Refugee Council in order to avoid a conviction and allowed him one month to make the payment. Defence solicitor Matthew Bermingham told the court that Mr Blighe, who was present, was not willing to make a donation to the Irish Refugee Council. Judge Roberts said that he would often ask for donations to charities that were relevant to the particular case and Mr Blighe was not being treated differently in that respect. He said that if Mr Blighe would not make a donation he would not be able to receive the benefit of the Probation Act. Derek Blighe was convicted under Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, fined 400 and given one month to pay. A local councillor has expressed concern for 15 members of staff at Clondalkin Round Tower following its sudden closure two weeks before Christmas. Yesterday, South Dublin County Council announced that the Bru Chronain Round Tower Visitor Centre will be closed until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances. We regret to inform you that Bru Chronain - Round Tower Visitor Centre is closed until further notice, a statement said. This is due to unforeseen circumstances and any further updates will be provided when available. Thank you for your understanding and apologies for any inconvenience. According to Sinn Fein councillor William Carey, the statement was received with huge shock and the future of 15 members of staff who work there remains uncertain at this time. My first concern is for the 15 members of staff and their jobs. This is particularly worrying as this happens two weeks before Christmas, Mr Carey said. There is the wider effect this will have on the tourism around the centre. Bru Chronain has established a regular tourist trade and a break in continuity will jeopardise that business. I am calling on SDCC to put in place a temporary management team to run the centre until a permanent solution can be resolved. The Bru Chronain Round Tower Visitor Centre is probably the single most important piece of Heritage we have in South Dublin. To have it closed like this is totally unacceptable. Whilst it is important the restaurant and visitor centre is run on a proper basis, the facility cannot be subject to closure for commercial reasons. South Dublin County Council has a greater responsibility to the whole community to ensure that a facility such as the Heritage centre must remain open at all times. Cllr Carey explained there was no prior notice of any concerns around the future of the visitor centre. We have a local area committee meeting on December 18 and I will be seeking to have this matter discussed as an emergency item, he said. This is extremely disappointing to see this happening as Christmas approaches. I will also be writing to the CEO of SDCC to ask what the immediate response will be to resolve this situation. The Irish Independent has contacted South Dublin County Council for further comment. Santa Sabina Dominican College is the first in the world to receive the Narrative 4 Gold Empathy Award Staff and students at Santa Sabina Dominican College in Sutton who took part in the empathy initiative Teacher Alex Murphy in front of a poster display at Santa Sabina Dominican College in Sutton, which was awarded the Narrative 4 Gold Empathy Award A Dublin school is celebrating the significant achievement of being the first in the world to receive the Narrative 4 Gold Empathy Award. Santa Sabina Dominican College in Sutton, north Dublin, has been involved in the initiative since the post-Covid period and has received silver and bronze medals for their achievements in implementing the programme. The empathy initiative was led by teacher Alex Murphy, who came across the programme in his own time and thought it would be a good addition to the school. It felt like a gap that needed to be filled post-Covid, Mr Murphy said. I could see students were lacking in socialisation and social skills, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring it to the school. In practical terms, the Narrative 4 programme is a tool to help students foster social skills while also building mutual respect for one another in the form of empathy. Staff and students at Santa Sabina Dominican College in Sutton who took part in the empathy initiative The general concept is that students are taught about what empathy is, what it means, and how people can be empathetic toward one another. Students are given a theme for a story exchange, for example, a happy moment or an achievement. The idea is that they share it with people they might not know as well, celebrating who they are. The process works by one student telling their story to another, and then they recite the story back to a group at the end as if it were their own, told in the first person. The story exchange isnt just about telling your own story; its about listening and understanding the experience of others. Last week, Santa Sabina hosted a full empathy week, during which students and staff took part in story exchanges, a walk-and-talk event and workshops. Read more How Irish school students are leading the world in using storytelling and empathy to fight isolation Mr Murphy said that receiving the Narrative 4 Gold Empathy Award presented by Lisa Consiglio, who helped launch Narrative 4 in 2012, along with author Colum McCann and Dr James Lawlor, director of Narrative 4 Ireland was a really special moment. Its a huge honour for the school, especially being the first in the world to receive this recognition, he said. Its something weve worked towards with a lot of passion and commitment from both the students and staff. Santa Sabina Dominican College is the first in the world to receive the Narrative 4 Gold Empathy Award Speaking about the effect the programme has had on the school, Mr Murphy said he can see the senior students as a prime example of the positive impact of the initiative. These senior students are now the ones volunteering to help with the empathy programme and have kind of linked up with junior students, he said. The kids that were sitting in front of you in 2021 are now the leaders of empathy in the school. The students have really embraced the programme and have become more confident in sharing their experiences, and weve seen them open up in ways we didnt expect at the start. This isnt just a short-term project. Weve committed to continuing these initiatives for years to come. We want empathy to be at the heart of everything we do, he added. I felt like a celebrity as the childrens faces lit up when they caught a glimpse of me Whats Christmas without Santa and whats Santa without his army of helper elves? As I entered the Hole in the Wall pub beside Dublins Phoenix Park, with the glow of lights and the scent of mulled wine in the air, I was about to find out. When you think of elves, you probably imagine the ones at the North Pole surrounded by snow, and jingle bells. Youd never imagine a five-foot elf from Cavan. Thats the helper Santa got stuck with as I traded my job as a news reporter for an afternoon as a real-life Elf on the Shelf. On Saturday morning, I put on my elf uniform of green and red stockings with jingle bells, a cosy knitted cardigan with a Christmas design, a novelty headband and a badge that said Santas Helper. I was all set to greet the children and families who made their way to the festive Hole in the Wall haven for some Christmas cheer. It was a magical feeling walking into the 150-metre long building decorated with twinkling lights, giant nutcracker dolls, fluffy snow, a boundless number of baubles and a tonne of teddies. I felt like a celebrity as the childrens faces lit up when they caught a glimpse of me, with their parents saying: Look, thats one of Santas helpers. Then the big man arrived, my employer, Santa Claus, who made the day as jolly as possible for all the adults, children and dogs. Martin McCaffrey says the festive display is about making the Hole in the Wall 'a community pub'. Photo: Arthur Carron Mr Claus spoke to the Irish Independent exclusively to reveal whether the boys and girls in Dublin were good this year, and he also revealed who is on the naughty list. The boys and girls in Dublin and all over the world have been good, especially when you consider how its not easy to be young nowadays, theyve stayed on the good list, he said. Its normally the dads on the naughty list because they dont do enough around the house. But the children are amazing. I love the start of Christmas to the end. Im busy non-stop now. The best thing about Christmas is that we forget our troubles for a few weeks. Its a bit of craic and everyone is in a happy humour, thats the special magic of Christmas. After Lapland, the Hole in the Wall is my favourite place to spend Christmas. Its perfect. Every problem you have will disappear when you see this magic. Even elves are allowed lunch breaks, and this gave me time to step outside and take in the beauty of the Phoenix Park, catching sight of the wild deer. It made me feel like I was in Lapland, soaking in the winter landscape and recharging with a mocha and sausage roll from DASH Container Cafe. An afternoon as an elf was a reminder of what the Christmas season is all about: spreading joy, laughter, and kindness. Hole in the Wall pub owner, Martin McCaffery, is also hoping to raise enough money this year to buy a minibus for the local school for children with disabilities. Already this year, weve had people from Norway and America here. They fly in just to see our pub and they have a ball, he said. Its the kids faces when they come through the door. We have a magical toy for each day coming up to Christmas. When a kid finds the toy, we give them a hot chocolate or an ice-cream. Among other injuries, the child was said to have been left with a 'square mark on his cheek' when he fell on upturned Lego bricks. Stock image: Getty A childcare worker accused of assaulting a toddler has been further remanded on bail pending the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directions on the charge. The 19-month-old child allegedly suffered facial injuries after being slammed face down onto Lego bricks. The accused, who is in his 20s, is charged with assault causing harm to the boy at a creche in Dublin. A court previously heard the childs injuries were initially thought to be from an accident. However, gardai were contacted after the creche carried out an internal investigation. Garda Padraig Murphy previously told Dublin District Court that the infant was grabbed by the back of the head as he walked by, and he claimed the accused slammed his head to the ground with great force. The child allegedly suffered facial injuries, including marks, swelling and a cut. He was also said to have been left with a square mark on his cheek when he fell on upturned Lego bricks. The accused is not currently being named to protect the childs identity. The baby was not hospitalised. Gda Murphy said gardai obtained the video evidence, adding: Id describe it as sickening. He alleged the accused made admissions when he was interviewed by gardai, with his explanation being he was frustrated on the day. A State solicitor said DPPs directions were outstanding and a judge adjourned the case to a date next March. As part of his bail conditions, the man has been ordered to have no contact with the childs family or staff from the creche. Shauna Gallagher has just four months to find a wheelchair-accessible house for 12-year-old Rory, who needs specialist facilities to continue his journey to walk Finding a house in Galway is not an easy task, but having only four months to find a home suitable for a disabled child is significantly tougher, as local resident Shauna Gallagher knows only too well. So tough is the challenge proving that Shauna has just launched an appeal to help find a forever home for her 12-year-old son Rory, who has cerebral palsy quadriplegia. Rory is a happy and determined child who, Shauna explained, is working incredibly hard to learn how to walk. He is the bravest wee man, he fights cerebral palsy quadriplegia every day of his life and still manages to smile. Hes stronger than ever, hes so determined, hes doing fantastic. And hes the love of my life. Theres never a day he is not making me smile. But achieving his dream wont be easy and over the years, his family has gone above and beyond for Rory, who is the youngest of three siblings. From Sligo to Galway First, in 2019 the family moved from their home in Sligo to Galway, where, Shauna explained, they thought Rory could receive better care. Then, Shauna brought Rory to a neurological rehabilitation centre in France, and to Boston Children's Hospital in the USA, where he had double hip surgeries and pelvis reconstruction surgery. However, the costs have been humongous and the family had to sell their Sligo home as well as fundraising. To help fund Rorys surgeries in the USA and cover the costs of neurological rehabilitation treatment in France we sold our home in Sligo. Some people have told me that I stupidly sold our home. My choices were limited at the time as I've never had the support of our health services. He had to have his full pelvis reconstructed but the surgery is not available in Ireland. The cost was humongous for us, nearly 200,000 to get Rory there, so we had to fundraise and we were left with the choice to make: do we sell our home or what can we do? We had to, so we did. The rental struggle After moving back to Galway, Shauna and her family were forced to face the housing crisis once again. Shauna has viewed dump homes, with doors too small for Rorys wheelchair, on multiple levels, with only one bathroom on the first floor and many other issues. Now, Shauna explained they are currently renting in Loughrea, but have four months to find a new and suitable home, which led to the decision to launch a Go Fund Me page. When we came back it was impossible to find anywhere to rent, nevermind anywhere wheelchair accessible. And at this stage my daughter has built up friends, shes in college, my son is in ATU, so this is home now to us, but we could not find anywhere to rent that was wheelchair accessible or affordable. Now we have a house in Loughrea. But its only available for four months, the people who are renting it are abroad and are coming back. He says he will be like Spiderman, flying around the house Shauna and Rory What Rory needs Shauna explained a new house would have a huge positive impact on Rorys life both physically and emotionally as the doors would be large enough for his wheelchair so no room would be off-limits for him, he would have his own rehabilitation room and also an accessible bathroom, which he has been waiting for for the past five years. With his house he will finally have his own rehabilitation room with the equipment that he needs so that he can continue on with his wish to walk journey at home with the help of a conductor. He will have independence and privacy in his own medically adapted bedroom or as Rorys calling it his gaming room. Rory has been waiting five years for an accessible bathroom set up with the systems and equipment he needs. This house will improve all parts of Rorys daily life, not just physically but emotionally, Rorys independence will soar, his confidence and self belief will grow and this house will give Rory the freedom that he deserves, it will provide him with the space that he needs to live comfortably and allow him to participate fully in all aspects of family life, it will bring a whole new world of fun and happiness to his life. Rory is very excited at the thoughts of having his own fully accessible family home where he will be able to get around in his wheelchair but most importantly he will have the hoist system throughout the house so that no room will be off bounds for Rory. He says he will be like Spiderman, flying around the house. She added: Houses are not being built wheelchair friendly. Its upsetting. We try our best, I want so much to do it for Rory, I want to make his wish to walk come true, the only thing thats stopping me is finances. Rory has cerebral palsy quadriplegia A broken system Shauna said that finding a house is only one of the many challenges Rory has had to face as a disabled child, and she is calling for better services and opportunities for kids like him. I had to give up my job, my dreams and ambitions to become Rorys full-time carer. My new job pays 246 per week in money but the best perks are paid in love, hugs, kisses, smiles, holding hands, snuggles, magic moments, stories, singing, fun and lots of very special moments. For me the hardest part of being a special needs mum is the constant fight for Rorys equipment, its a broken system and its very hard to navigate. In terms of what they [the Irish system] could do to help him, it was very little. Their resources are limited and their funding is limited. We had to fight for his wheelchair for over a year. Its very sad. She added: The difference between the service here compared to France is night and day. Its not just Galway or Sligo, its everywhere. Theres so little being done for children with cerebral palsy in the country. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was also pressed on Hutchs general election performance, saying his 3,000 votes needs to be addressed Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch at the Election Count Centre at the RDS. Photo by Steve Humphreys Taoiseach Simon Harris has said people need to reflect seriously on why Gerry The Monk Hutch received over 3,000 first preference votes in the general election. Speaking at Fridays Passing Out ceremony for 169 new garda recruits at Templemores Garda Training College, Mr Harris said it was incredible that a convicted criminal can receive more media attention than most party leaders. Firstly, we live in a democracy, he said. Anybody can put their name on a ballot. Thats an important part of democracy. I do think its interesting how a convicted criminal who has brought so much misery to communities was, in my view, treated like a celebrity, throughout the general election. Criminality is not celebrity, said Mr Harris. Its something that brings pain, misery and suffering to communities. For those in politics, Hutchs vote should cause some in the political system to reflect on how disaffected communities can feel from the mainstream political system. The other point is he didnt get elected, said Mr Harris. Our democracy didnt elect a convicted criminal in the guise of Gerry The Monk Hutch to Dail Eireann and I think thats a good thing. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris. Photo: Collins Mr Harris said it was the gardais role to continue to tighten the net on criminal organisations in Ireland. The focus of those of us in government will be on supporting the gardai in doing that job, making sure those who engage in criminal activity are where they belong, and thats not in Dail Eireann. When asked about government coalition talks involving Michael Lowry TD, who also has a conviction for tax offences, Mr Harris said there were fundamental differences between Gerry The Monk Hutchs criminal activity, and the activities of others. I think the people can work that difference out, he said. The reality is Im not courting anybody. Im engaging with those who were democratically elected to Dail Eireann in terms of how we form a stable government. Reacting to Gerard The Monk Hutchs vote, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said it was unwise for him to comment on the democratic process. I would say of Gerard Hutch, is that he faces a Spanish investigation, said the Commissioner. Its an organised crime investigation, and we have assisted in that fully and continue to assist the Spanish authorities in respect of that. Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch at the Election Count Centre at the RDS. Photo by Steve Humphreys Today's News in 90 seconds - 13th December 2024 The motives of why people voted for Gerard Hutch are not clear to me, said Commissioner Harris. I do think that there is something that has to be addressed in terms of those 3,000 votes. We live in a liberal democracy with the rule of law, and people should have respect for the State, the Constitution and the rule of law within that. More needs to be done in terms of communicating to people what it means to be citizen, and its attendant responsibilities. I dont think anybody could have been ignorant of Gerard Hutch and all that hes been associated with down through the years, said the Commissioner. I dont think its a problem of information. I do think its a problem, not just for An Garda Siochana I think its a societal problem, about our attitude towards criminality. Overall, thats the most concerning thing out of this. "I think it is a statement of fact that we are going to need additional capacity," said Taoiseach Simon Harris, speaking on Friday at the Templemore Garda Training College Taoiseach Simon Harris has given his support to a second garda training college other than Templemore to meet the growing capacity needs of An Garda Siochana. Templemore Garda Training College can process 800 to 1,000 graduate trainees at a time, with 601 new recruits due to have completed their training by the end of this calendar year. On Friday, 169 members graduated, with a new intake of 162 due to begin on Monday, December 16. Those are good figures and were pleased to see such interest in joining An Garda Siochana, commented Garda Commissioner Drew Harris prior to the graduation ceremony. While some political parties have proposed expanding the training of gardai to other locations in Ireland, possibly near Dublin, Templemore Garda Training College remains the sole educational facility for new gardai. We do require further training facilities, I would say, in terms of the very practical training that garda members have to undergo, said the Commissioner. Follow Independent Tipperary on Facebook That can be technical training around public order but also around firearms situations, and also driving training. These are facilities we are short of, and we very much welcome further investment in our training infrastructure. That is certainly needed." The University of Limericks Applied BA in Policing is a rigorous course that gardai can undertake while being paid. Asked if there should be second garda training college at another location, Garda Harris said he would look at whatever proposals come from government. Certainly, our training, particularly the tactical training, firearms and public order training that would be very beneficial to have a centre closer to Dublin to deliver some of that. Speaking in Templemore, An Taoiseach Simon Harris said there is a real pipeline now when it comes to garda recruitment, to be able to significantly increase the number of gardai on the streets. Fine Gael had proposed in its party manifesto to set up a second garda training college. The idea has been rejected by some local Tipperary politicians, concerned it could detract from Templemore. The Taoiseach confirmed that the proposal is one he still backs, and forms part of talks with potential coalition partners. Im very proud of what happens here in Templemore, he said. I think it has produced men and women in An Garda Siochana of the highest standards, of the highest integrity. But if we want to lift the scale of ambition further on garda recruitment, and we do and we need to I think it is a statement of fact that we are going to need additional capacity. Ireland already has a good third level network in place, and being able to identify additional capacity through a second college makes sense. I think also on a practical level its helpful, because having to pack your bags and go to Templemore works for some. It may not work for others. If you can have another college geographically located in a different area, it might open up garda training to more people. Mr Harris said the government will engage intensively with gardai, but the aim is to augment Templemore which will remain the main garda college. I think it should be seen as a positive development that the scale of our ambition as a party that wishes to be in government is that we want to increase capacity even further. And that will require a second college. Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the fantastic work of the college needs to be expanded. We wont do that without engaging with gardai, and identifying what exactly they need, in terms of the different types of training. People are now joining the force later in life, with families and mortgages, and so the government needs to examine how those people can be supported in different ways, she added. One of the youngest members of the group presented the artwork. The Enniscorthy historical re-enactment society were thrilled to travel up to Dublin and explore Aras an Uachtarain, before they made a special presentation of artwork to the office recently. The society is a multiperiod voluntary re-enactment group that was established ten years ago. They are frequently take part at events in relation to the 1798 rising in Enniscorthy that took place on Vinegar Hill. The group were invited to the iconic building to present President Michael D. Higgin's aide Paul Mulligan with Michelle ONeill's piece Croppy Boy in the State Reception room. Croppy boy was a nickname given to united Irishmen rebels in 1798 and a term made popular by the 1840s ballad about a poor Catholic boy who ambition to join the fight against tyranny is unfulfilled after a disguised British soldier hears of his plans. The artwork was created by artist Michelle ONeill, who is also known internationally as a trailblazer for the inclusion of female referees in sport. Besides the presentation, Maria Nolan said that the group were in awe of the interior of the building, giving special thanks to Mr Mulligan. "Ten out of ten for tour guide extraordinaire Paul Mulligan who gave us the most amazing tour of Aras an Uachtarain. The history of the house coupled with the history of its occupants with interesting and amusing anecdotes thrown in for good measure. Thank you so much Paul for making the day very special, she said. One of nine static speed cameras has been installed in north Wexford as part of An Garda Siochanas plan to reduce speeding and road deaths. The static camera on the R772 is located at Arklow Road, Aske, north of Gorey. A further eight static speed cameras have been installed across the country on the N59 (Galway), N25 (Waterford), R772 (Wicklow), N14 (Donegal), N80 (Carlow), Dublin (Dolphins Barn), N17 (Mayo), N22 (Cork), and N69 (Limerick). Speaking after the announcement, Assistant Commissioner Roads Policing and Community Engagement, Paula Hilman said, "Static speed safety cameras have been proven in other countries to be highly effective in changing driver behaviour and reducing speed, which is a key contributor to road deaths. Speed cameras slow drivers down. The lower speeds people drive at, the lower the number of road deaths. Road users will be advised of the location of static speed safety cameras through road signage. The locations were selected based on fatal and serious injury collision data from the last seven years and speed data, as well as feedback from stakeholders. The nine static speed cameras are being funded from the Garda budget at a cost of approximately 2.4 million. In addition, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has requested that Assistant Commissioner Roads Policing develop a business case for the introduction of a further 100 static speed cameras. A 44-year-old Wexford man was handed a community service order as punishment for an offence committed almost three decades ago when he was 14 years of age. Nigel Buckley from Loughville, Broadway, Co Wexford was given a year to carry out 200 hours work in lieu of two years in jail on conviction for indecent assault. The matter was the subject of a trial earlier this year in which the defendant was found guilty of assaulting a six-year-old girl. The jury heard how, during a game of hide and seek, the defendant rubbed her vagina and made her rub his penis with her hand. The girl told her parents later the same day, in May of 1995, what had happened. However, the accused denied doing anything wrong and the gardai were not alerted until 2018. Giving his verdict, Judge James McCourt expressed regret that the wheels of justice had taken so long to grind out a result. He admitted that the case had preyed on his mind for a considerable time as finding an appropriate sentence was a very difficult matter. Back in 1995 the child protection authorities were under no obligation to report the allegation of assault to the police. The judge welcomed as progress the fact that Tusla now must notify the gardai in such circumstances. Both perpetrator and victim were failed by the system, a reminder of the phrase justice delayed is justice denied. The judge stressed out that what the accused did as a teenager was cruelly wrong and the court had great sympathy for the complainant and her family. The community service order was imposed after it was confirmed that suitable work was available. Serving the Carrig on Bannow area as their parish priest since 1998, Fr. Jim Kehoe was met with many parishioners on recently who gathered to wish him well on his retirement. Fr Jim was ordained for the Diocese of Ferns on July 4, 1971 and between the time of his ordination and settling into Carrig on Bannow, he made many friends along his journey of priesthood through also serving the parishes of Boolavogue, Ferns and Kiltealy. On the evening, Fr Jim was acclaimed as the most popular man in Carrig by Cllr Jim Codd. Your good humoured humanity, wit and kindness will always be remembered in this area. Thanks Fr. Jim, you certainly will be missed. You are one of a kind, he added. Anne Cummins, Secretary of the Parish Council, also commented on the event held for Fr Jim, describing it as a momentous night for the parish of Bannow. Bishop Ger Nash celebrated a lovely mass attended by parishioners, fellow clergy and Fr Jims family, she continued. Following the special service, refreshments aplenty and chats galore were had in the community centre where Fr Jim caught up with everyone and enjoyed each chat. Presentations were made on the evening to Fr Jim by the Parish Council on behalf of the parishioners, including the local GAA Club, Danescastle National School, Carrig-on-Bannow Tidy Towns, Danescastle Music, Grantstown Day Care Centre and Ballymitty. It was a great night for all, however, it was tinged with sadness to be saying goodbye and we wish Fr Jim many happy and healthy years of retirement, Anne said. Deborah Sudding from The Ultrasound Suite has been appointed as the branch president of Network Ireland Wicklow for the coming year, replacing outgoing president Dawn Leane. Established in 1983, Network Ireland now has over 1,300 members across seventeen branches around Ireland and a virtual branch launched this year. Members come from all areas of the business community, those running their own businesses, both large and small and those working for corporate and small businesses. Reflecting on her new role, Deborah stated: It is both an honour and a great joy to step into the role of 2025 Wicklow Branch President. This year, my chosen theme is #Kaizen, a Japanese philosophy centred on continuous improvement. The term combines kai (meaning change) and zen (meaning good) - a reminder that small steps lead to big change. We have a host of exceptional events planned for 2025, all thoughtfully designed to inspire personal growth and align with our commitment to continuous improvement, both in our personal and professional lives. Our work is made possible by our dedicated and supportive committee. I am truly fortunate to work alongside such an inspiring team in the coming year. The chosen charity partner for 2025 is Womens Aid. Deborah said: For over 50 years, Womens Aid has been a lifeline for women and children, providing essential support and working tirelessly to prevent and address the effects of domestic violence. She also acknowledged Dawn Leanes major contribution to Network Ireland Wicklow during her time serving as President. I am eager to build upon the outstanding achievements of our past presidents, and I look forward to a year filled with inspiration and progress. "A heartfelt thank you to our outgoing president, Dawn Leane, for her exceptional leadership, dedication, and hard work. Her passion and commitment has left a lasting impact, and we are deeply grateful for everything she has done to uplift our branch, added Deboah. Outgoing president Dawn expressed her delight with the 2024 achievements, as she stated: It has been my privilege to serve as President for a second time, in 2024. Network Ireland Wicklow has had an extraordinary year. With support from the Wicklow Local Enterprise Office, our membership has continued to grow, and weve supported our theme of #Audacity with a wide range of events and networking opportunities. Highlights of the year include our International Womens Day celebration and the Businesswoman of the Year awards, both of which saw fantastic attendance. We are thrilled to continue our successful partnerships with AIB as our National Sponsor, Wicklow Local Enterprise Office, and Wicklow Town & District Chamber of Commerce. I am pleased to announce that we raised a significant amount for Blue Dolphins Special Olympics Club, our chosen charity, through a combination of fundraising, donations, and sponsorship efforts. I look forward to seeing how the network develops further during Deborah's presidency and I wish her every success in this important role. If you would like to become a member of Network Ireland Wicklow and join a growing group of tenacious, dynamic, ambitious women in business who lead, support and collaborate, you can get in touch with membership officers Jean and Dawn wicklow@networkireland.ie. Membership costs 195 per year, per person, and membership covers 12 months from the date you join. Network Ireland offers more than 24 events per annum, with the chance to meet 80 businesswomen in Co Wicklow, and over 1,000 members country-wide, in the 17 branches in Ireland. Network Ireland membership is made up of a diverse group of women, from budding entrepreneurs, SME owners, professionals and leaders in indigenous and multinational organisations to non-profits, charities, arts and the public sector. Daniel Craig said: I guess Ive always been fascinated by the artifice of masculinity (Isabel Infantes/PA) Daniel Craig has said he could not have made Queer during his stint as James Bond as he would have felt self-conscious that people thought he was trying too hard be a good actor. The 56-year-old, who plays an American living in 1950s Mexico called William Lee that falls in love with a young student, said the Luca Guadagnino film blurs the lines around homosexuality while speaking on Fridays episode of The Graham Norton Show. Host Graham Norton with (left to right) Daniel Craig, Nicola Coughlan, Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin on Fridays show (Isabel Infantes/PA) Craig said: I couldnt have done it during Bond. Not because I wouldnt have wanted to, but because I would have felt really self-conscious with people thinking I was trying too hard be a good actor. The Chester-born actor played 007 in 2006s Casino Royale, 2008s Quantum Of Solace, 2012s Skyfall, 2015s Spectre and for a final time in 2021s No Time To Die, in which Bond dies. He recently told The Sunday Times he cared deeply about the espionage franchise, after previously telling Variety I dont care, when asked who he would like to replace him as Bond. Luca Guadagnino and Daniel Craig attending the gala screening of Queer in London (Ben Whitley/PA) Speaking about why he chose to star in Queer, Craig said: Id read William S Burroughss Junkie and think I pretended to read Naked Lunch but didnt know this story. Burroughss experience of life always involved a lot of drugs, so the movie sets out to be a bit of a trip. It is all slightly off-kilter with a modern soundtrack and the feel of a movie from the 1940s. It blurs the lines around homosexuality, which was illegal at the time. You had to have a male front and hide it away with no freedom of expression and I guess Ive always been fascinated by the artifice of masculinity. Craig is married to actress Rachel Weisz and is also known for appearing in films including Sylvia (2003), The Golden Compass (2007) and Knives Out (2019). Queer will be released in UK cinemas on December 13. The full interview will be shown on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One at 10.40pm on Friday, December 13, and is also available on BBC iPlayer. Buckingham Palace says reports of staff members London bar arrest will be investigated A Palace spokesperson said appropriate action would be taken over reports of an incident in a London bar Buckingham Palace (PA) Rob Freeman Fri 13 Dec 2024 at 07:46 An investigation will take place after reports a member of Buckingham Palace staff was arrested after a Christmas party, according to a Palace spokesperson. A former nurse of Michael Schumacher has been accused of attempting to blackmail the Formula 1 legends family over private photos. The nurse, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, is alleged to have been part of a plot to extort 15m by threatening to release images of the racing legend on the dark web, a German court has heard. Horse Racing Gordon Elliott in tears after first Cheltenham win: Theyve been running well, but its heartbreaking for all my staff and my owners Israel-Hezbollah agreement leaves Hamas isolated and open to talks US national security adviser Jake Sullivan says he believes a deal on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release may be close as Israel had signalled it was ready and there were signs of movement from Hamas. Outgoing US president Joe Biden said yesterday that he was pardoning 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes and commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 others who were serving long prison terms. Syrians chant slogans and wave the new Syrian flag as they gather for Friday prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (Leo Correa/AP) Thousands of Syrians gathered on Friday at Umayyad Square, the largest in Damascus, to celebrate after the first Muslim Friday prayers following the downfall of former president Bashar al-Assad. Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of insurgency that toppled Assad in a lightning 10-day march across the country to Damascus, appeared in a video message in which he congratulated the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution. India Extends IT Hardware Import Management System Until December 31, 2025 In response to the gap between domestic production and market demand, the Indian government has extended the import management system for seven IT hardware products by one year. Previously set to expire on December 31, 2024, the system will now remain in effect until December 31, 2025. The global IT hardware market, encompassing laptops, desktops, tablets, and small servers, is valued at an impressive US$400 billion, nearly rivaling the smartphone market, according to ICEA estimates. However, Indias contribution remains minimal, accounting for just US$5 billion, or slightly over 1 percent. For example, over 90 percent of laptops sold in India are imported, predominantly from China, highlighting the nascent stage of the countrys IT hardware industry. Extension of the IT hardware import management system (IMS) The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has announced that the import management system for specified IT hardware products will be extended to address the ongoing supply-demand imbalance. The IMS system covers products such as laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers (PCs), ultra-small form factor computers, and servers, categorized under HSN 8471. According to the DGFT notification dated December 11, 2024, importers must secure new authorization for 2025. Applications can be submitted between December 13, 2024, and December 15, 2025. Key highlights of the import management system for 2025: Importers must apply for Import Authorization via the DGFT website. The application portal will remain open from December 13, 2024, to December 15, 2025. Authorizations issued under IMS will be valid until December 31, 2025. Importers may submit multiple applications during the year. Requests for amendments during the validity of an authorization can also be submitted through the DGFT website. While the operational framework of the system remains largely unchanged, the government will monitor progress in domestic manufacturing, particularly under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for IT Hardware. Notably, two major global firms are slated to begin manufacturing operations in India from April 2025. Status of the PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware Despite efforts to boost domestic production, many of the 27 manufacturers approved under the PLI scheme are struggling to meet their targets for FY 2024-25. This shortfall is largely attributed to major PC companies favoring imports over meeting local content requirements. Several approved companies have yet to commence production, and those that have begun are operating at low volumes, insufficient to meet revenue or production targets. Many participants are still in the process of making their initial investments under the scheme. While firms like VVDN Technologies, Flextronics, and Bhagwati (Micromax)in their first yearare on track to meet targets, others, such as Dixon Technologies, are facing challenges. Dixon, which had previously met targets under the original PLI scheme, is expected to inaugurate a new facility in Chennai but may miss its FY 2024-25 goals. Full-scale production across most beneficiaries is not anticipated before FY 2025-26, according to industry executives. Geopolitical developments, such as the potential imposition of a 25 percent tariff by the US on laptops and smartphones imported from China, may provide an impetus for Indias IT hardware manufacturing sector. China currently exports approximately US$30 billion worth of IT hardware to the US annually. Understanding how the PLI scheme works The PLI Scheme for IT Hardware aims to generate INR 1.6 trillion in production over its six-year tenure, offering incentives of up to 13 percent, including benefits for local sourcing. India imported US$8.4 billion worth of IT hardware in FY 2023-24, a slight decrease from US$8.7 billion in FY 2022-23. To qualify for PLI incentives, companies must meet the following thresholds: Global IT hardware companies (e.g., HP, Dell): Invest INR 5 billion over six years and achieve incremental production of INR 10 billion in the first year. Hybrid-category companies (e.g., Dixon): Invest INR 2.5 billion and achieve incremental production of INR 5 billion in the first year. Domestic companies: Invest INR 200 million and achieve incremental production of INR 500 million. Investment breakdown (as of June 30, 2024): Total cumulative investment: INR 4.64 billion Brownfield companies: INR 3.86 billion Greenfield companies: INR 785.7 million The PLI Scheme for IT Hardware was first notified on March 3, 2021, with the PLI Scheme 2.0 announced on May 29, 2023. Actor Hina Khan has made it to Google's list of the top 10 most searched actors worldwide in 2024. While many are celebrating her achievement, Khan herself isn't exactly thrilled, admitting it's not "something to be proud of." What Hina Khan said Hina Khan took to Instagram Stories to share a post by a publication featuring her photo alongside Pawan Kalyan and Nimrat Kaur, noting that they were among the top 10 most searched actors globally in Google's 2024 trends. While many were congratulating her, Hina clarified, "I see a lot of people putting up stories and congratulating me on this new development, but honestly, for me, it's neither an achievement nor something to be proud of." Credit: Instagram She expressed a deeper sentiment, saying, "I wish and pray that no one should be Googled because of their diagnosis or any health-related hardships. I have always appreciated people's genuine regard and respect for my journey." Hina also emphasised that she wants to be recognised for her work and achievements, not just for her battle with cancer. "In these testing times, I would rather be Googled or known or acknowledged for my work and my accomplishments...just like I have been before and during my diagnosis." When was Hina Khan diagnosed with cancer? 37-year-old Hina Khan is currently undergoing treatment for Stage 3 breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in June. Throughout her journey, she has been open about her battle with the illness, sharing both her struggles and moments of strength to inspire others facing similar challenges. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. 2024 is turning out to be the year of heartbreak and split drama in Hollywood. From long-term relationships to fiery engagements, beloved celebrity couples are saying goodbye, leaving fans scratching their heads and wondering, "Whats going on with love these days?" Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo One of Bachelor Nations beloved couples, Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo, shocked fans when they announced their split after four years of marriage. The chiropractor-turned-husband recently confirmed via Instagram that theyve decided to part ways, citing "irreconcilable differences." It seems even happily-ever-after tales from The Bachelorette can hit a snag. Reality TV Star Rachel Lindsay from The show Bachelorette met her husband Bryan Abasolo on the show and fell in love. After 4 years, he is now filing for divorce and seeking significant spousal support as a part of their divorce settlement. pic.twitter.com/RTAuNRzcQz Black Millionaires (@Blackmillions_) January 2, 2024 Kit Hoover and Crowley Sullivan After 25 years of marriage, Kit Hoover and Crowley Sullivan called it quits in December 2024. Hoover, who had previously been seen without her wedding ring, announced the split through Us Weekly, leaving fans stunned. A relationship that seemed rock solid ended in unexpected heartbreak. Ben Foster and Laura Prepon Us Weekly confirmed Ben Foster filed for divorce from Laura Prepon after citing "irreconcilable differences." The two had been together for several years and tied the knot in a quiet ceremony. Yet, even Hollywood couples with strong foundations can crumble under the weight of growing apart. Teddi Mellencamp and Edwin Arroyave Teddi Mellencamp of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame announced her divorce from Edwin Arroyave after 13 years of marriage. Taking to Instagram, Teddi shared a heartfelt message about prioritizing her children and ensuring their privacy. "After a great deal of care and consideration, I have made the difficult decision to file for divorce," she wrote. Teddi Mellencamp Defends Not Sharing Much About Edwin Arroyave Divorce Teddi Mellencamp has shared exactly what she needs to regarding her ongoing divorce from Edwin Arroyave and has no plans to divulge much more than that. Mellencamp, 43, and her former Real Housewives of B pic.twitter.com/s2aU1fAqXa Soulwell Publishing Group (@SoulwellPublish) December 8, 2024 Channing Tatum and Zoe Saldana Channing Tatum and Zoe Saldana's engagement came to an end after three years of dating. The two were last seen together in New York Citys Red Hook, supporting a mutual friend's play. Despite their seemingly strong connection, they decided to part ways, leaving fans wondering what went wrong. Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz have broken up after 3 years and called off their engagement, PEOPLE reports. pic.twitter.com/9NM1NVbg31 Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 29, 2024 Sharelle Rosado and Chad Ochocinco Johnson Reality TV star Sharelle Rosado confirmed her split from Chad Johnson after three years of engagement. "Chad and I are no longer together, please stop tagging us," she announced on social media. The Selling Tampa star added, He is a free man, ladies. Another high-profile couple fades into the past. Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko The Dancing With the Stars duo, Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko, split just a week after Dedication Night in season 33. A source confirmed the news, revealing that Gleb ended things, while Brooks decided to focus on living her best life post-split. Zach Bryan and Brianna Chickenfry LaPaglia Zach Bryans heartfelt breakup announcement with Brianna LaPaglia rocked fans who followed their year-long relationship. "Brianna and me have broken up with each other and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart," Bryan wrote on Instagram. "She has loved me unconditionally for a very long time and for that, Ill always thank her." Kaskade and Naomi Raddon After nearly 28 years of marriage, Kaskade and Naomi Raddon officially filed for divorce. According to multiple sources, Raddon cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their separation. They share three children, but the end of their marriage is yet another example of love lost in Hollywood. Kaskades Wife Files for Divorce After 28 Years of Marriage: The producer born Ryan Raddon and his wife, Naomi Raddon, were married in 1996. pic.twitter.com/VpcXgIr181 ChartVibe (@ChartVibe) October 18, 2024 Andrew Garfield and Dr. Kate Tomas Dr. Kate Tomas confirmed the split from Andrew Garfield, sharing via Instagram that their relationship ended months ago. "We broke up months ago but I'm sure he will be happy to know that he is loved," she wrote. Even a star like Garfield couldnt escape the turbulence of Hollywood romance. Andrew Garfield and Dr. Kate Tomas have broken up. pic.twitter.com/PtPUJuB5A9 Film Crave (@_filmcrave) October 13, 2024 Jason Tartick and Kat Stickler Jason Tartick confirmed the end of his relationship with Kat Stickler via Instagram Story. "Its fair to say that I love hard with all my heart and fall fast," he wrote. "Sometimes in life that works out and other times, it doesnt. This time it didnt." Their split adds to the long list of Bachelorette couples falling apart. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck In a move that sent shockwaves through celebrity circles, Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck after two years of marriage. The pair, who reignited their romance after nearly two decades, couldnt make it past their second wedding anniversary, leaving fans devastated. Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck pic.twitter.com/DHDL4pR7ST juju (@ayeejuju) August 20, 2024 Cardi B and Offset Cardi B confirmed her split from Offset, citing her pregnancy with their third child as a surprising turn of events. The rapper requested primary custody of their kids, Kulture and Wave, adding yet another chapter to their on-again-off-again relationship saga. introducing the Cardi B & Offset meal, coming 2.14 pic.twitter.com/5gPR7F0yzu McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 12, 2023 Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose Billy Ray Cyrus filed for divorce from Firerose just seven months after their wedding, citing irreconcilable differences. Their short-lived marriage ended in heartbreak, leaving fans wondering if love can survive the pressures of fame. Billy Ray Cyrus is allegedly engaged to his girlfriend with 33 years of age difference Firerose. Firerose has stated that they met on the set of Hannah Montana. In that time period she would of been the ages of 11-16 when Hannah Montana was in production. pic.twitter.com/VOOW1XJAIi Obiscure Nick (@ObiscureNick) October 20, 2022 Harry Styles and Taylor Russell After a year together, Harry Styles and Taylor Russell quietly called it quits. Us Weekly confirmed their split, leaving fans wondering if Styles famous love life will ever truly settle down. taylor russell and harry styles pic.twitter.com/H4j1C2W6vA (@uwstonem) August 7, 2024 Love may be dead in 2024 for some, but it seems the stars are no longer aligning for many Hollywood couples. As the year rolls on, who knows which relationship might be next to implode? Stay tuned for more celebrity drama! For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Nayanthara, the reigning queen of South Indian cinema, may be hailed as the "Lady Superstar," but guess what? She's not a fan of the title. Shocking, right? In an honest and heartfelt interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actress revealed how the tag, while rooted in love, has caused more chaos than celebration. Nayanthara doesn't like her title card 'Lady Superstar' Nayanthara shared that she has been urging filmmakers for years to stop using the title card "Lady Superstar" in her movies. She explained that the backlash she has received because of the title is overwhelming, as some people perceive it as an attempt to overshadow others in the industry. Nayanthara clarified that the title wasn't her idea but rather a reflection of the love and admiration her fans have for her. She added that it wasn't something she created or demanded but something that naturally emerged from the audience's affection. Is Nayanthara compared to Rajinikanth? The controversy surrounding the title partly arises from its comparison to Rajinikanth, who has been adored as Superstar by his fans for decades. Addressing this, Nayanthara emphasized her deep respect for her male counterparts, including Rajinikanth, Ajith, Vijay, Mohanlal, and Mammootty. Nayanthara on her success Nayanthara acknowledged that her success is partially owed to the incredible male co-stars she has worked with throughout her career. She attributed her growing fan base to the foundation these collaborations helped establish, especially in the early days of her journey. According to her, the fan following of these male stars has often contributed to the popularity of her women-centric films, creating a cumulative audience for her work. Despite her discomfort with the "Lady Superstar" tag, Nayanthara understands that her loyal fan base may not let go of it anytime soon. While online debates about the title continue, she remains focused on her craft, proving her worth with fearless roles, blockbuster hits, and undeniable talent. Whether she embraces the tag or not, it's clear that Nayanthara's reign in South Indian cinema is far from over. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. The K-pop genre of music has surely made a place for itself in the West, although Americans couldn't quite handle it and had to box it into the "K-pop" award section. Despite that, numerous acts from South Korea have managed to steal the spotlight over the years, and it was no different at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs). On Thursday, December 12, the 2024 BBMAs celebrated a host of artists for their achievements during the past tracking year and several K-pop idols received nominations across various categories, including K-pop-specific awards, with some delivering captivating performances during the event. Here are all the winners from the night! Top K-Pop Touring Artist Nominations: ENHYPEN, TXT, and SEVENTEEN Winner: SEVENTEEN "Stadium door to stadium door!" The winner of Top K-Pop Touring Artist is @pledis_17! pic.twitter.com/6GlA47KOBz Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) December 13, 2024 Top Global K-Pop Artist Nominations: ENHYPEN, BTS's Jimin, BTS's Jungkook, Stray Kids and TXT Winner: Stray Kids Shoutout to @Stray_Kids for winning Top Global K-Pop Artist at the #BBMAs! pic.twitter.com/8uKzUXHcGF Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) December 13, 2024 Top Global K-Pop Song Nominations: ILLITs Magnetic, BTS Jimin's WHO, LE SSERAFIM's Perfect Night, BTS Jungkook's Standing Next To You and 3D (featuring Jack Harlow) Winner: BTS Jungkook's Standing Next To You The Golden Maknae #JungKook has won TWO #BBMAs: Top K-Pop Album GOLDEN Top Global K-Pop Song Standing Next to You pic.twitter.com/f7piNxGyap Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) December 13, 2024 Top K-Pop Album Nominations: ATEEZ's "The World EP.Fin: Will", Jungkook's "GOLDEN", TXT's "The Name Chapter: Freefall", Stray Kids' "-STAR", and "ATE" Winner: BTS Jungkook's "GOLDEN" Jung Kook has won Top K-Pop Album and Top Global K-Pop Song at 2024 @BBMAs. A big thank you to ARMY for your unwavering love and support # #JungKook #BBMAs https://t.co/4hcCHsjZCK BTS_official (@bts_bighit) December 13, 2024 2024 Billboard Music Awards K-pop performers: Among the K-pop stars present were Stray Kids, who became the first performers of the night, dazzling the audience with "CHK CHK BOOM" and "JJAM." SEVENTEEN also took the stage, delivering an electrifying performance of "Love, Money, Fame (feat. DJ Khalid)" at the iconic Santa Monica Pier. About Jungkook: Due to his military enlistment, the BTS maknae (youngest member) was unable to attend the ceremony held on December 12 in the United States. Despite his absence, he maintained his status as one of K-pop's leading artists. In 2023 too, he won the Top Global K-pop Song award for SEVEN, the pre-release track from his debut solo album, "GOLDEN". For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. BTS members RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook have hit a major milestoneone year down (and a few months to go) in their military service. This means a highly anticipated OT7 reunion can happen anytime after June 2025, when all members would have completed their service. The news has sent the BTS fandom into a frenzy, with ARMYs around the world counting down the days until the septet is whole again. RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook complete one year of military service No idea if South Korea celebrates military anniversaries, but ARMYs have every reason to party! With RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook completing one year of their mandatory service, a BTS reunion is finally within sight, and if that doesn't call for celebrations, then we don't know what does. BTS members Jimin and Jungkook enlisted in the military on December 12, 2023, while RM, also known as Namjoon, and Kim Taehyung, also known as V, both began their mandatory service on December 11, 2023. Despite their mandatory service, all the members have put efforts to stay connected with ARMY. Time and again, the members update their fans about their service status and other activities that they undertake. Meanwhile, BTS also emerged as the top most searched K-pop group in South Korea, while Kim Taehyung was the most searched idol, as per Google's year-end report. BTS reunion in 27 weeks! In a bittersweet moment, BTS dropped a bombshell on fans during the BTS FIESTA live stream on June 14, 2022, revealing they would be taking a long-term break to focus on their individual activities, which included pursuing solo careers and completing their soldier duties. At that time, HYBE, BTS' agency, had ensured a BTS reunion in 2025; however, during their Q3 earnings call for 2024, CFO Lee Kyung Joon hinted at a 2026 reunion of the Bangtan boys. While a full-fledged comeback may take more than a year, given making new music will need considerable time, fans can expect a casual reunion anytime after June. BTS will reunite in 6 months. pic.twitter.com/064mIbMGrP Viral Takes (@viraltakes) December 11, 2024 The major development has now invited a tidal wave of feelings among BTS fans who have been waiting for a reunion ever since Jungkook and Jimin enlisted, when all the members last reunited to give them an emotional send-off. As the reunion countdown has officially reached fever pitch, fans have been overflowing with excitement, nostalgia, and love for the group. "BTS reunion in 27 weeks; Seokjin got discharged 26 weeks ago. Do y'all realize how close we are??" one fan wrote. bts reunion in 27 weeks, seokjin got discharged 26 weeks ago do y'all realize how close we are?? pic.twitter.com/MYmzJresEF emby is happy (@park07k) December 10, 2024 "I miss BTS so much; I kept repeating their variety shows. These days it feels a little empty. Yes, Jin and Hobi are out, but I miss them as a group. Of course, I am very happy as Jin put so much effort into keeping the fill-in. Six months to go for their reunion and our reunion," another fan wrote in a poignant note. I miss BTS , so much , kept repeating their variety shows , these days it felt little empty , yes Jin and Hobi are outs, but I miss them as a group , of course I am very happy as Jin put so much effort to kept the fill in , 6 months to go for their reunion and our reunion Me (@Uninterest95) December 9, 2024 Check out some more reactions from fans below: It'll be 2025 in less than 27 days, bts reunion in 199 dayspic.twitter.com/fFMg28K7nJ (@7BerryGloss) December 3, 2024 Seriously the only thing that is making me look forward to next is BTS Reunion. https://t.co/FTh1UjPXv5 Just_to_vibe (@my_ramblings_) December 10, 2024 this is what waiting for BTS reunion feels like...........or a suga update https://t.co/3vB3rbx9vq micdrop (@dini_kal) December 10, 2024 When will RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook be discharged? RM and V will be discharged from the military on June 10, 2025, while Jungkook and Jimin will likely complete their term on June 11, 2025. Jin, the first BTS member to enlist in the military, completed his term on June 12, 2024. In October 2024, J-Hope became the second member of the boy band to complete his military enlistment. Meanwhile, Suga is serving in the public sector instead of the military. He began his service on 22, 2023, and is set to be discharged on June 21, 2025. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. It's been a while since Lovely Runner premiered, but Byeon Woo Seok's craze refuses to die down, and, well, we are here for it! Ryu Sun Jae may have stolen our hearts, but the actor's real-life interactions with fans are taking it to the next level. In one such adorable fan exchange, Woo Seok was seen gushing after a fan surprised him at his fan meeting by recreating an epic Lovely Runner scene. Byeon Woo Seok fan recreates Lovely Runner scene One of the many things that have catapulted Byeon Woo Seok to unprecedented stardom is his grounded persona. He loves his fans as much as they love him. And when it comes to fan events, he's as invested as they are. Recently, at his Manila, Thailand event, a fan walked up to the stage to get his sign. The actor handed over a card to the fan after signing it and that's just when she opened her tiny yellow umbrella and walked away saying 'ahjussi'. Taken aback by the fan's unexpected move, the actor was seen clapping his hands in joy, while his bodyguards, who usually maintain a professional distance, couldn't help but burst into laughter. For those who may not have watched Lovely Runner, the fan mimicked a scene from the drama where Byeon Woo Seok's character falls in love with female lead Im Sol, played by Kim Hye Yoon. Watch the hilarious clip below: Fans react to the adorable exchange K-drama lovers rushed to the comment section to share their hilarious reaction, praising the fan who managed to make Woo Seok smile with her quirky act. One fan wrote, "Thats genius. He will always remember her now too, what a legend. That mini umbrella is so cute!!" Another person commented, "When the actor and the fan share the same brain cell. His smile is so adorable." "It will be the most unforgettable fan meet for him, I'm sure," a third penned, while a fourth added, "Why is everyone laughing in Sun Jae-coded?' About Lovely Runner Lovely Runner follows Ryu Sun Jae (played by Byeon Woo Seok), a talented K-pop idol whose death under mysterious circumstances disrupts his ardent fan Im Sol's (played by Kim Hye Hoon) life. Refusing to let him go, Im Sol then time travels to prevent the death of her favorite star. What's next for Byeon Woo Seok? The beloved actor has bagged yet another highly anticipated project. He will next be seen opposite IU in The 21st Grand Prince's Wife, which is scheduled to premiere in the second half of 2025. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. A court decision allowing an Athens nightclub to reopen despite being under investigation for serving alcohol to minors has sparked outrage and renewed concerns about Greece's lax enforcement of underage drinking laws. The nightclub, located on Vouliagmenis Avenue, was temporarily closed after eight minors were hospitalized following a school dance where alcohol was served. However, the Administrative Court of First Instance overturned the closure, citing "financial damage" to the business owner. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas condemned the ruling, expressing deep concern over the court's prioritization of business interests over the well-being of minors. "We express our intense concern over this development," Doukas stated. "From our side, we will continue our efforts to enforce legality and protect minors." This incident comes as the Greek government prepares to introduce stricter penalties for businesses that sell alcohol to minors. The proposed legislation aims to address loopholes in current laws and strengthen enforcement efforts. The nightclub in question has a history of violations, including serving adulterated drinks, and Mayor Doukas has previously called for the revocation of its operating license. The court's decision to allow it to reopen has reignited debate about the need for stricter regulations and enforcement to protect young people from the dangers of underage drinking. Despite a legal drinking age of 18, Greece has faced criticism for its lenient approach to underage alcohol consumption. This latest incident highlights the challenges in addressing this issue and the need for a comprehensive approach that prioritizes the health and safety of young people. iefimerida.gr The European Unions Council of Internal Affairs and Migration has reached a consensus on the need to draft a plan for the voluntary repatriation of Syrian citizens. Greek Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos, who participated in the meeting, underscored the initiative's significance while highlighting the uncertainties surrounding Syria's geopolitical landscape. This was an exceptionally full day of discussions among EU ministers of Internal Affairs and Migration, Mr. Panagiotopoulos said following the session We began with a debate on Syria, where the profound uncertainty limits our ability to make definitive assessments. Nevertheless, we unanimously agreed on the importance of starting work on a voluntary return plan for Syrians who wish to return to their homeland. The Council also addressed the implementation timelines for national plans related to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, as well as the anticipated European directive on returns. Reflecting on the discussions, Mr. Panagiotopoulos remarked, It was a highly engaging session. The rapid geopolitical developments at hand were a top priority on the agenda, underscoring the need for the EU to respond with a cohesive and comprehensive strategy. On the sidelines of the meeting, Mr. Panagiotopoulos held bilateral talks with his Italian counterpart, Matteo Piantedosi. Both ministers agreed that Greece and Italy face shared migration challenges and reaffirmed their commitment to close cooperation, both bilaterally and within the Med 5 frameworka coalition of Mediterranean EU states. As the EU navigates complex migration issues amid regional instability, this agreement marks a pivotal step in crafting adaptive and coordinated strategies to address the evolving realities of migration and asylum across the continent. iefimerida.gr The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has established a committee to examine the proposed tax reform bills and provide recommendations to the Federal Government. This move comes after President Bola Tinubu requested the National Assembly to consider and pass four tax reform bills on October 3. The bills, which include the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, have sparked controversy. Advertisement The Northern States Governors Forum opposed the bills on October 28, arguing that they would harm the regions interests. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, spokesperson for the ACF, via a Thursday statement, said that the current debates suggest a lack of sufficient consultations in preparing the bills. He emphasized the importance of cooperation among stakeholders and the relevant senate committee to review the content of the bills. Muhammad-Baba noted, ACF notes that the policy rave of the moment over the past two weeks or so in Nigeria has been on the executive bills sent to the national assembly, proposing sweeping changes in Nigerias tax laws. READ ALSO: ACF Chairman Suspended For Calling For Northerner To Succeed Tinubu As President In 2027 The ACF also called for decorum and mutual respect in the discussions of the proposed laws, emphasizing that opposing views are essential inputs into the policy process. The forum further constituted a committee of experts to study the proposed bills and provide recommendations to the federal government. Reforms meant to correct policy shortcomings or inadequacies must necessarily address all areas of concern that citizens may wish to raise. The current debates actually suggest that not enough consultations went into the preparations of the bills, as obvious in concerns raised by critical stakeholders and various interest groups across Nigeria, including, critically, the National Economic Council, headed by the vice-president of the federation. It is, therefore, a welcome development that the senate has wisely decided to tarry by electing for wider consultations with relevant stakeholders intended to address areas of concern. It is in line with the above that ACF constituted a committee of experts to study the proposed bills so as to come out with appropriate recommendations to be forwarded to appropriate organs of government, the statement read. The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, in the sum of N500 million, with two sureties. Justice Emeka Nwite who presided over the court session on Friday ordered that the two sureties must swear to an affidavit of means and must be owners of Properties in Abuja. In addition, the title documents of the properties, which must be in Abuja, will be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court. Advertisement The judge also ordered that the Mr. Bello must deposit his international passport with the court, while he and his two sureties are also to deposit two recent passport photographs with the court. He also ruled that the former governor must be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja pending the perfection of his bail conditions. He said: I have listened to the application from both counsels. First off, bail is at the discretion of the court, whether the bail is opposed or supported. READ MORE: Court Denies Yahaya Bello Bail In N110 Billion Fraud Case Ordinarily, based on the antecedents of this case, particularly the conduct exhibited by the defendant, I would have reconsidered the application made by the learned senior counsel for the defendant. However, based on the detour exhibited by the learned senior counsel for the defendant, J.B. Daudu (SAN), which was reciprocated by the learned senior counsel for the prosecution, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), I am inclined to depart from our earlier position on this matter. In view of the foregoing, I am prepared to grant the application made by both counsel. I hereby grant bail to the defendant in the following terms: Onebail is granted to the defendant in the sum of 500 million, with two sureties in the like sum. The two sureties shall own landed property within the jurisdiction of this court, Abuja. The two sureties shall swear to an affidavit of means, and the documents of the property shall be verified by the chief deputy registrar of this honourable court. The defendant shall deposit his international passport with the chief registrar of this honourable court. The defendant and the sureties shall each deposit two recent passport photographs with the deputy chief registrar of this honourable court. The defendant shall be released upon the perfection of the bail terms. The case is adjourned to February 24, 28, and March 6 and 7, 2025, for trial. Bello faces a 19-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, relating to money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds totalling 80.2 billion. Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has revealed that 36 state governments have submitted their reports endorsing the creation of state police to the National Economic Council (NEC). Sani made this disclosure after the NEC meeting presided over by Vice-President Kashim Shettima in Abuja on Thursday. According to Sani, many states support the plan to establish state police due to the security challenges facing virtually every state. Advertisement He noted that the police, army, and other relevant security agencies lack sufficient personnel to cover all states. Sani stated, That is the reason why most of us agreed that the establishment of state police in Nigeria is the way forward to address the problem of insecurity in the country. Today, about 36 states have already made their submissions for establishing state police in Nigeria. And I can say here that from what is available, virtually most of the states are in agreement with the establishment of state police in Nigeria. READ ALSO: Insecurity: State Police Urgently Needed Bode George The Kaduna Governor also disclosed that the council decided to step down the discussion on state police until the next NEC meeting in January 2025. But, today, the council decided to step down the discussion until the next council meeting, because we need to come up with a report from the secretariat. And after the report, there will be deliberation at the next NEC meeting that is likely taking place in January. So, all we are saying here is that 36 states have made their own submissions, and many states are in agreement for the establishment of state police, considering the fact that virtually every state has their peculiarity in terms of the problem of insecurity we are having in our own states, he explained. Sanis disclosure comes after the NEC meeting on September 4, where Kwara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Adamawa, and the FCT were issued an ultimatum to submit their reports on state police creation. Daughter of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, has vowed to put end to the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party in the state. Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had reported that the lawmaker representing Ethiope Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, recently defected from PDP to All Progressive Congress. Mrs. Erhiatake said that leaving her former party to APC was the greatest decision she had ever made in her life, adding that the the major opposition party nearly kill her political career. Advertisement The lawmaker led this out on Thursday, during a constituency empowerment programme where she distributed vehicles, motorcycles, sewing machines, and water pumps. She said: We will bury PDP in Ologbo River, the bridge between Delta and Edo States. I am already at home; APC is supreme. The people in PDP wanted to kill my political aspirations, but thank God, I have finally left. READ MORE: LP Lawmakers Who Defected To APC Should Resign Delta Rep Member Meanwhile, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the immediate past Deputy Senate President, praised Mrs. Erhiatakes defection, describing her as a political bulldozer. He said: With Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenus support, the APC is better positioned to take over Delta. Her energy and dedication will greatly strengthen our chances. The Independent National Electoral Commission has initiated efforts to amend the Electoral Act 2022 in addressing ambiguities in result management. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the development is coming, following many controversies surrounding 2023 general election, which the electoral commission was berated for failing to fulfill it pre-election promises. Speaking on Thursday, during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners, in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said that the proposal is one of eight legislative changes arising from previous elections that require National Assembly action. Advertisement He said: Among the major highlights of the commissions recommendations is the imperative of legal clarity in result management with regard to manual transfer versus the electronic transmission of results. READ MORE: Senate Declares Gov Okpebholos Seat Vacant, Tells INEC To Conduct Election The hardcopies of the General Election and Review reports will be presented to the public shortly. The soft copy of the Report will also be uploaded to our website in earnest. Other areas of reform include advocacy for affirmative action for greater participation of under-represented groups, more robust voter education and public communication to combat fake news and misinformation. Furthermore, the Commission intends to review the mechanisms for a more effective implementation of agreements on logistics with the transport unions and other service providers by consolidating on the recent experience with early deployment and commencement of elections in the recent Ondo State Governorship election. Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan was among the distinguished guests who welcomed Germanys president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, at a reception held at the Nike Art Gallery in Lagos. The event was organized as part of the German leaders visit to Nigeria. Advertisement The reception brought together several high-profile figures and celebrities, with Kunle Afolayan playing a prominent role in the occasion. READ MORE: Dapper Music Breaks Silence On Shallipopis Claims, Reaffirms Commitment To Transparency Sharing moments from the event on his official Instagram page on Thursday, Afolayan posted photos and videos that captured his interaction with President Steinmeier. One of the clips showed him discussing his first trip to Germany with the German leader. Reflecting on the experience, Afolayan wrote in his caption, It was a great hnour to have been invited to meet The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the reception held for him at the Nike art gallery Lagos. It was a night of fun with my friend Nd brothers in the art. @patorankingfire @segunadefila @adebantu @jahmanoladejo SEE POST: The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has warned State Governors that tampering with funds belonging to their Local Government Areas (LGAs) will be considered gross misconduct and an impeachable offense. While also cautioning State Governors bypassing the Supreme Court judgment on Local Government autonomy, he threatenedto seek a contempt of court suit if the defiance continues. Fagbemi stated this on Thursday while addressing the 2024 annual conference of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents in Abuja. Advertisement He emphasized that the Supreme Courts judgment granting financial autonomy to LGAs must be respected. I am aware that some states have embarked on legislations, promulgation of legislations which appear to be antithetical to the tenets or tenor of the judgment of the Supreme Court. My simple comment is that the states concerned are advised not to tread within the precincts of contempt of court. By the July 11, 2024 judgment of the Supreme Court, which granted financial autonomy to LGAs in the country, any governor who tampers with the finances of the LGAs in his state is seen to have committed a gross misconduct, which is an impeachable offence, Fagbemi said. He also cautioned LG chairmen against mismanaging public funds, stressing that the autonomy granted to LGAs is meant to empower them to carry out their responsibilities effectively. READ ALSO: AGF Fagbemi Orders Police To Transfer Arraigned, Malnourished Hunger Protesters Case File He stressed the importance of accountability and good governance, reiterating that tampering with local government funds would attract severe legal consequences, including imprisonment. If they (LG chairmen) choose to tamper with public funds and fail to deliver on their constitutional mandates, they risk going to jail. The trust placed in them must not be betrayed, the AGF said. Fagbemi noted that any debt incurred by Governors in relation to official functions must be handled by the state and not shared with LGAs, as such projects are not the constitutional responsibilities of local governments. The AGF commended President Bola Tinubus administration for its commitment to strengthening governance structures at all levels and urged local government officials to embrace transparency. In her remarks, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, emphasized the importance of credible journalism in strengthening public trust in the judiciary. The judiciary and the media occupy unique and complementary roles in the development of society. While the judiciary serves as the guardian of justice, equity, and the rule of law, the media act as the conscience of society, dissenting information shaping public opinion and ensuring accountability, she said. Labour Party has taken legal action to reclaim seats forfeited by six members of House of Representatives who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress in the past week. Recall that Reps members from Imo State, identified as Tochukwu Okere, Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo) Ajang Iliya, Daulyop from (Plateau) had announced their decisions to leave LP. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the lawmakers, cited leadership crisis, adding that they want better political platform to exhibit their potentials. Advertisement READ MORE: Defection: Iboris Daughter Vows To Bury PDP In Delta After Nearly Ending Her Ambition Reacting to the development on Thursday, the opposition party, noted that defectors should lose their seats as mandated by the Constitution. LP disclosed that it had filed legal proceedings against the defected lawmakers to declare their seats vacant and ensure they refund all the salaries and allowances they have received to date. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja. He said: The law does not protect an individual who steals the mandate of a people and a political party to run into another without first surrendering the mandate he deceitfully acquired. This defection, like similar ones before it, is quite unfortunate and condemnable. It is unnecessary to probe why most of the defectors chose the All Progressives Congress as their destination point and why the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abass, has refused to respect the provisions of the constitution by declaring their seats vacant. Meanwhile, the party has since filled actions in the court to compel the National Assembly leadership to declare the seats of the defected Labour Party lawmakers vacant. The suit also seeks that every salary, emolument or privileges received, from the date of defection, be returned. A 30-year-old woman, Mercy Michael, has been arraigned before the Chief Magistrates Court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, for allegedly killing her eight-month-old daughter with rat poison. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) charged Michael with culpable homicide on Thursday, contrary to Section 189 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law. According to the NSCDC prosecutor, Marcus Audu, the incident was reported to the Corps office on December 11 by one Godfrey Sunday, a resident of Fadia Bakut, Zonkwa. Advertisement READ ALSO: Police Nab Two Armed Robbery Suspects In Enugu, Recover Firearms, Stolen Items Audu told the court that on December 10, Michael allegedly fed her daughter rat poison for reasons yet to be explained. The baby was rushed to the General Hospital in Zonkwa but died the following day. The Presiding Judge, Samson Kwasu, declined to take the plea of the accused, citing a lack of jurisdiction. Kwasu directed the prosecutor to forward the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice. The judge remanded Michael in a correctional facility and adjourned the case to December 17 for further mention. Chaos erupted in Powishi Village, Kalmai District, Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State, as armed men launched a deadly attack on the community. The incident resulted in the death of one person, the destruction of houses, and the theft of numerous livestock. Buhari Abdullahi, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Gombe State Command, confirmed this in a statement made in Gombe on Thursday. Advertisement Abdullahi stated that the incident took place around 1 a.m. on Thursday when the criminals, armed with dangerous weapons such as machetes, invaded the village and stole livestock. The Gombe Police image maker further stated that the gunmen killed one Yusuf Akwara and set fire to buildings during the terrible operation. In the early hour of 12/12/2024 at about 0100hrs, information was received from the Divisional Police Officer Billiri LGA, that group of people on motorbikes suspected to be herders armed with dangerous weapons, invaded and attacked Powishi village, set some number of houses ablaze and rustled unknown number of animals. On the receipt of the information, a combined team of Police officers and 301 artillery regiment led by the Area Commander Billiri was mobilised and rushed to the scene with a view to containing the situation. However, he said that the perpetrators had fled the village before the security teams arrived. READ MORE: Six Passengers Returning From Condolence Visit Die In Jigawa Road Crash The PPRO also stated that the nearby community and security officials worked together to extinguish the fire. Meanwhile, the Gombe State Police Command has denounced the incident and promised to bring the offenders to account. During an on-the-spot inspection visit to the area, the States Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Usman, condemned the incident. CP Usman was accompanied to the community on Thursday afternoon by the Commanding Officer of the 301 Artillery Regiment, the state Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Chairperson of the Billiri Local Government Area. The CP requested the public to be patient and cooperate with the police as they investigate the heinous act. He stated that a team of detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department, as well as members from the 34PMF, 59PMF, and conventional police officers, had been deployed to track down the criminals. The Command recommended the public to contact police in the event of an emergency at 08150567771 or 09036435359. The Enugu State Police Command has arrested two armed robbery suspects. Additionally, five firearms, two live cartridges, a stolen tricycle, and other incriminating items were recovered. One of the suspects, according to a statement released on Thursday by the state police public relations officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, is Daniel Aniude, 29, of 27 Isiekenise Street, Abakpa-Nike, Enugu. Advertisement Ndukwe stated that Aniude was apprehended by police officers from the Abakpa Division working with the areas neighbourhood watch group. The suspect and his accomplices, who fled, were intercepted in the act of robbing a female victim. One imitation pistol was recovered during the operation. Following the conclusion of further investigations by the Anti-Robbery (D9) Section of the State CID, Aniude was arraigned in court and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Service, Ndukwe said. READ MORE: Two Suspected Kidnappers Arrested As Troops Raid Criminal Hideout In Plateau He revealed that another suspect, 25-year-old Uzor David from Isu community in Aniocha LGA of Ebonyi State, was apprehended on November 12, 2024, at around 2 p.m. by operatives from the Nkanu East Division, with support from Neighbourhood Watch members and vigilant citizens. The statement read: The suspect had earlier chartered a tricycle from Holy Ghost, Enugu, to Nara in Nkanu East LGA. Upon arrival, he used a locally made pistol to shoot the tricyclist in the hand, snatched, and attempted to escape with the tricycle. However, security operatives swiftly intervened, arresting the suspect and recovering the tricycle and firearm. The injured victim is receiving treatment and is in stable condition. The suspect will face court charges upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations. Furthermore, on December 10, 2024, at about 2 a.m., police operatives from the Emene Division, aided by the Neighbourhood Watch, thwarted an armed robbery attempt at Upper Rehab, Emene, Enugu. The robbers fled, abandoning a locally made pistol and an expended cartridge, which were subsequently recovered. Moreover, another attempted robbery at College Road, Abakpa-Nike, Enugu, on December 2, 2024, around 8 p.m., was foiled by Abakpa Division operatives working with the Neighbourhood Watch. The fleeing suspects left behind a locally made pistol and two live cartridges, which were recovered. Additionally, police operatives from Enugu Metro Area Command, on December 6, 2024, at about 2:30 p.m., acted on credible information and discovered a Beretta pistol hidden in a sack containing cassava flakes (garri) at Abakpa Junction Bus Stop, Enugu. A discreet investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible. Meanwhile, the state commissioner of police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has emphasized the commands strong determination to ensure Enugu State remains hostile to criminals throughout the yuletide season and beyond. He encouraged residents to remain alert, law-abiding, and proactive in providing the police with reliable information and intelligence. Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has issued warning to individuals, involving in the illegal sale and acquisition of government properties in the state. Speaking on Thursday in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, the Governor noted that his administration is determined to recover what belongs to his people. He also directed those in illegal possession of such assets to surrender them immediately to avoid severe punishment. Advertisement READ MORE: Plateau LP Reps Defect To APC Over Leadership Crisis The Governor said: Let me declare that very soon, we will establish a task force to recover all government properties currently in illegal possession or occupation across the state and beyond. Let me read the riot act: anyone in possession of government property acquired illegally should surrender it now before we come for them. We will investigate and deal decisively with those holding illegal C of Os. A grace period will be given for voluntary surrender. However, if we have to come after you, the resources spent on the recovery process will not go in vainyou will bear the full cost. The Nigerian Senate has directed Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to immediately stop the ongoing demolitions in the nations capital, except for those ordered by the court. This Thursday decision was made following a motion sponsored by Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the FCT. The Senates resolution also includes setting up an ad-hoc committee, led by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, to investigate the demolitions. Advertisement Also, Wike is expected to appear before the committee to answer questions about the demolitions that have left many people homeless. READ ALSO: FCT Minister Wike, Vows To Continue Building Demolitions Recently, Rita Lori-Ogbebor, CEO of Rita Lori Hotels, revealed that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) revoked a parcel of land in Abujas Life Camp area, which belonged to her late husband, retired Colonel Paul Ogbebor. Lori-Ogbebor has asked President Bola Tinubu to intervene, stating that the land has been in her family for decades. The Senates decision aims to address the concerns of residents and property owners in the FCT, who have been affected by the demolitions. The ad-hoc committees investigation will provide more insight into the matter and ensure that the rights of citizens are protected. The Federal Government has disclosed that many States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will comply with the new national minimum wage by January 2025. Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this during a meeting with a delegation from the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCN) in Abuja on Thursday. The FCT said it will comply with the new minimum wage in January. But your FCT chapter is saying that they want it done right now. I am not sure whether that is fair. Advertisement READ ALSO: ACF Sets Up Committee to Review Tax Reform Bills, Says All Concerns Must Be Addressed Many states are going to do it in January. So, I dont know why your FCT chapter is not accepting the same January. So, since you have raised this issue, we are going to look at the matter once again and see what could be done, particularly about the federal agencies you talked about, Dingyadi said. He emphasized that most states had set January 2025 as their compliance target and urged workers in the FCT to align with the same timeline. Dingyadi assured the ASCN delegation that all outstanding issues would be thoroughly examined and resolved amicably. The Nigeria Police Force has arrested five suspected armed robbers in Lagos and Anambra states during intelligence-driven operations. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Thursday. According to Adejobi, operatives from the Lagos State Command apprehended four criminals who were terrorising the Costain region of the state on Tuesday. Advertisement He said that the suspects confessed to their crimes after being interrogated. He stated, On December 10, 2024, police operatives attached to the Lagos State Command arrested four suspected robbers identified as Akeem Alabi, m; Adewale Sogbesan, m; Emmanuel Izeagbe, m; and Francis Okoko, m. The suspects, upon their arrest, confessed to being members of a robbery syndicate operating around the Costain area in the State. Adejobi stated that police operatives in Anambra arrested Miracle Nwakaloi after thorough surveillance. READ MORE: 51 Illegal Street Traders, Miscreants Arrested In Lagos Nwakaloi reportedly led the operatives to his residence, where they recovered three AK-47 rifles. Similarly, on December 6, 2024, police operatives of the Anambra State Command trailed and arrested a suspected armed robber identified as Miracle Mwakaloi m at Awka. Upon his arrest and subsequent interrogation, the suspect led the operatives to his apartment, where during a search, three AK-47 rifles were recovered. The Force PRO stated that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the deployment of police officers to black spots and critical areas to guarantee appropriate security ahead of the holiday season. He urged residents to remain calm about the increased police presence in these areas and to cooperate with them to bolster security. The IG has directed the immediate deployment of adequate personnel to strategic locations, and key areas and identified hotspots across all states, an initiative aimed at curbing traffic, highway robberies, and other criminal activities during this period of increased mobility, public gatherings and celebrations. The IGs directive includes mobilising police officers to highways, major roads, urban centres, and recreational centres nationwide. Officers will be strategically positioned to deter crimes via increased police presence and visibility on major highways and roads prone to criminal activities, particularly highway robberies, which tend to spike during festive seasons. While urging citizens to cooperate with a heightened police presence which promises to be professional and law-abiding, the IGP further encourages citizens to remain vigilant and report all suspicious activities to the police and other law enforcement agencies, Adejobi concluded. The city of Chicago has devised a brilliant plan to jack up its cloud computing tax from 9% to 11%. As someone who has worked in tech for decades, Ive seen this movie before, and (spoiler alert) it didnt have a happy ending. This is not a diatribe against taxes; taxes are not the issue here. This is about a ploy to soak a specific technology in a small geographical region with the hope that the money will come in without driving the businesses away. Heres another spoiler alert: That plot twist doesnt work out, either. Do the math Chicagos mayor, Brandon Johnson, is looking at a $1 billion budget shortfall. He thinks the answer is an extra $128 million in taxes from cloud computing users. Classic political movefind something growing fast (like cloud computing) and slap a tax on it. But heres what the politicians are missing: Cloud computing isnt a Piaget watch or Balenciaga handbag. Its the backbone of modern businesses. Also, cloud computing is everywhere and nowhere in particular. Companies can and will move their operations elsewhere, and when they leave, they will take all of their tax revenue with them, not just the cloud tax. Microsoft has released .NET Community Toolkit 8.4, with support for partial properties in MVVM Toolkit source generators as well as new MVVM Toolkit diagnostic analyzers. The update was unveiled December 12. Source code for the .NET Community Toolkit can be found on GitHub. Partial properties now are available thanks to new C# language features in the .NET 9 SDK. MVVM Toolkit source generators now will leverage partial properties and semi-auto properties for defining observable properties. Declaring properties is now integrated with the C# language, instead of the MVVM Toolkit creating a new property and inferring its characteristics based on the annotated field. .NET Community Toolkit 8.4 also introduces 16 new diagnostics to the set of analyzers in the MVVM Toolkit, providing both general code analysis for MVVM scenarios and CsWinRT trim/AOT code analysis for UWP and WinUI 3. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday rebuked President Joe Bidens decision to commute the remaining sentence of a former Luzerne County judge who had been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for sending children to jail while accepting millions of dollars in kickbacks. Biden commuted the sentences of 1,500 people on Thursday, including that of Michael T. Conahan, a former Pennsylvania judge in Luzerne County who was convicted in 2011 for the central role he played in the so-called kids-for-cash scandal. He and his fellow judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. accepted nearly $3 million in payments to send minors to for-profit jails instead of the county-owned juvenile detention center in the major scandal that ruined children and families lives. Advertisement Conahan, 72, had been serving his sentence at a Florida facility until he was released to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He still had at least two years remaining on his sentence that was wiped out as part of Bidens action on Thursday. The White House said all of the people whose sentences were commuted had been in home confinement for at least a year, and that the commutations represented the most people granted clemency in modern history. READ MORE: The Pennsylvania kids-for-cash judicial scandal, explained Shapiro, a Democrat, said at an unrelated news conference in Scranton Bidens hometown in Northeastern Pennsylvania, just over county lines from where the scandal occurred on Friday that the kids-for-cash scandal remains a black eye on the community that irreparably harmed children and their families, and Conahans sentence was too light to begin with. The fact that hes been allowed out over the last years because of COVID, was on house arrest, and now has been granted clemency, I think, is absolutely wrong, Shapiro said. He should have been in prison for at least the 17 years that he was sentenced to by a jury of his peers. He deserves to be behind bars, not walking as a free man, Shapiro added. Even the Biden administration did not research the specifics of the case besides that it fit a specific set of parameters, Politico reported late Friday. Shapiro, the states former attorney general who has signed only half of the clemency recommendations sent to him by the Board of Pardons, said he studies every single case that comes across my desk and takes the governors power to commute sentences very seriously. Shapiro is also said to have ambitions for higher office, and is a front-runner for the 2028 presidential election. Other Pennsylvania public officials criticized Biden for releasing Conahan, including State Sen. Lisa Baker (R., Luzerne), who chairs the state Senate Judiciary Committee. She called the commutation incomprehensible and indefensible in a statement on Friday. Where does ruining the lives of vulnerable kids in order to enrich oneself warrant a presidential commutation? Baker said. It is truly disheartening to see a national leader on criminal justice issues for decades so wantonly undermine the rule of equal justice in his waning days. Prior to the many commutations granted on Thursday, Biden faced mounting pressure from criminal justice advocates and progressive groups to issue more pardons and commutations before the end of his term, especially after he pardoned his son Hunter earlier this month. The YO sculpture in front of Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. President Biden signed a bill to study whether the museum should become part of the Smithsonian Institution. Read more On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed a bill that could lead to the Smithsonian Institution taking over the ownership of Philadelphias Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. The presidents approval is the latest in a series of steps needed before it can officially become a Smithsonian museum. The news comes less than a month after the museum named Dan Tadmor to be its next president and CEO, replacing Misha Galperin who is stepping down. Advertisement We think becoming a member of the Smithsonian will significantly elevate the mission of the museum to educate all Americans about the Jewish people in America, and their contributions. And expand [the museums reach] much more broadly across the country, Philip M. Darivoff, the Weitzmans chair emeritus, said. The Weitzman is already a Smithsonian affiliate museum but becoming a Smithsonian Institution will bequeath the 48-year-old organization with a national relevance along with wider engagement opportunities and increased resources to elevate its work. The bipartisan, bicameral bill H.R.7764 to establish a commission to study the viability of the ownership transfer was introduced in the House in March by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), and coled by Rep. Mike Turner (R., Ohio), Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), and Max Miller (R., Ohio). The bill was then presented in the Senate by Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine), and was passed unanimously in the House in September and the Senate on Dec. 3. On Thursday, Boyle called the presidents signing to be a critical step toward the Weitzman becoming a part of the Smithsonian Institution. Integrating the museum into the Smithsonian family would not only expand its reach and resources but also ensure its continued ability to educate and inspire future generations about the rich culture and contributions of American Jews, he said in a statement. In the next 90 days, Congress will appoint eight commissioners to the Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act. The commission will have two years to study the feasibility of the proposition and recommend whether or not the Weitzman should join the Smithsonian. If approved, separate legislation would be required to make it happen. The Weitzman will not have a say in the selection process for commissioners but will need to fundraise to support the commissions work. While Darivoff couldnt quote an exact number, the costs are estimated to be a couple million dollars. Im confident that there are many in our community who are enthusiastic about this and want to support the commissions work, he said. A change in ownership, Darivoff insisted, would not lead to the distancing of the Jewish community the museum aims to serve and celebrate. Instead, he said, the museums reach would grow alongside continued representation of the community within the new governance model, which will be headed by Smithsonians Board of Regents. The Smithsonian currently runs 20 museums, including New York Citys Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Washingtons National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of African American History and Culture; and the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City and Washington. The National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Womens History Museum are both in development. Commissions in the past have recommended against museums inclusion within the Smithsonian umbrella, but Darivoff is optimistic about the Weitzman. If there was a reason that they thought there shouldnt be a National Museum of American Jewish history to go alongside all of these other museums, that would be hard to understand, he said. And if they said the location of the museum on Independence Mall in Philadelphia is the wrong place for this museum, that would be hard to understand, too. Museum leadership, he said, is euphoric about the possibility to do something really important with this sacred Philadelphia cultural institution and make it truly national. Like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, Darivoff wants the Weitzman to become a monument of historical importance that, with complementary online exhibits and programming, will address the epidemic of ignorance about who Jews are and how theyve contributed to this country. The article has been updated to include Rep. Brendan Boyles statement. A new pedestrian footbridge is shown on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in the Wissahickon Valley Park's "Valley Green Run" section. Read more The Friends of the Wissahickon nonprofit group this week unveiled a new footbridge inside Wissahickon Valley Park, a $3.5 million project nearly a decade in the making. The bridge will allow park visitors to avoid walking alongside cars down Valley Green Road as they approach the Valley Green area to enter the park, which is part of the Fairmount Park system. Combining the restoration of eroded stream bank and the construction of a winding wooden bridge, the friends group said, the project is the parks largest capital investment to date. Advertisement It feels great, said Ruffian Tittmann, the groups executive director, who also spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday that honored the contributions of project supporters and volunteers. We had a lot of people that really love the park, not just doing this to to cement a legacy of some kind but really to just give back to a park that has meant so much to them in their lives, she said. The areas original stream bank and wooden boardwalk collapsed in 2014 after a major storm. Since then, park visitors havent had a clear pedestrian-only path into the popular Valley Green area. Tittmann said the issue can be especially pronounced on peak visitation days, when up to 2,000 people come to the Wissahickon, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this fall. After years of fundraising, the project finally broke ground in May. The first phase involved restoring the stream bank and installing features that will protect against future erosion, like trees, shrubs, and large boulders that will slow stormwater flow. Next, workers began construction on the 200-foot-long elevated footbridge, which includes an observation platform that gives visitors a view of the Valley Green area. Once the bridge was in place, workers continued with stream restoration and built a stone trailhead just north of the bridge. The footbridge is called Lida Way, a mash-up of two donors names, Linda and David Glickstein. Individual donors and private foundations were the projects largest funding sources, contributing more than $1.3 million combined. Other funding came from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state, the city Parks and Recreation Department, and the Philadelphia Water Department. Those interested in naming planks on the footbridge can visit fow.org for more information. Protesters against the arena stage a "car caravan" to simulate gridlock. Read more The protesters aimed to give the city a small preview of the potential traffic headaches to come with the construction of a $1.3 billion new arena for the 76ers near the Chinatown neighborhood. So, several hours after the City Council gave preliminary approval to the project on Thursday, dozens of vehicles with horns honking and protest signs in their windows gathered for a mass caravan in the vicinities of City Hall and 11th and Market Streets, the proposed arena site. Advertisement Todays vote was a demonstration of the citys failure, said Anlin Wang, who had grown up in Allentown. Wang, who said the protesters wanted to offer just a small preview of possible traffic messes in the future, recalled that when he first set foot in Chinatown, he felt a sense of community and that he had come home. Now, said Wang, an anti-arena activist, he feared for the future of the neighborhood. READ MORE: City Council members approved the 76ers Center City arena proposal in a preliminary vote The Sixers have insisted that impacts on traffic congestion and parking could be mitigated by the fact that about 40% of event attendees would use public transportation to get to the arena. Currently, about 85% of spectators drive to events at the Wells Fargo Center, where the Sixers are tenants, according to facility owner Comcast Spectacor. But gridlock issues, protest organizers countered, would create headaches for commuters and make accessing nearby Thomas Jefferson University Hospital more difficult. READ MORE: Inside the 76ers arena agreement approved by Philly City Council members Extra police were on hand for the protest, but traffic continued to move, and no arrests or major incidents were reported. The vehicles gathered around 5:30 p.m. and continued their protest for about an hour. Around 6:30 p.m., the sound of the honking horns began to fade as the protesters wrapped up the demonstration. On a final lap around City Hall, synchronized beeps provided the rhythm for a last chorus of no arena chants. Wang suggested the issues involved transcended traffic. He said that he hopes the city doesnt have to lose Chinatown to value it. Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter TGIF, Philly! Today is going to be sunny and crisp, with a high in the mid-30s. SEPTAs Eighth Street Station is old and leaky, but a $20 million waterproofing project is almost complete. That means dodging fewer drips, puddles, and buckets on your next commute. Advertisement Plus, we unpack the Sixers arena agreement after Council members gave initial approval to the controversial proposal. Erin Reynolds (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) P.S. Friday = new games! Test your Eagles players know-how with a new Bird Box, then take our latest news quiz, including questions on look-a-like contests, drones, and much more. If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. SEPTA is nearing the end of a $20 million project to plug leaks at Eighth Street Station. The transit agency moved to do the waterproofing project as water infiltration increased over the years and it became harder to keep up with spot repairs. (Picking your way around puddles there is likely a familiar dance.) To complete the work, crews used sealant and other industrial-strength waterproofing goops, meant to coat the top of the tunnels. Workers poured the stuff through trenches cut in the streets and sidewalks. Keep reading to learn about a surprising discovery workers made deep in the bowels of the multilevel subway complex. City Councils Committee of the Whole voted Thursday to give preliminary approval to the 76ers arena proposal. A final vote is slated for next week, and the project is all but certain to clear that final hurdle. The vote was 12-4, with one member absent. Heres a breakdown of how every member voted. Intense negotiations: The final sticking point was how much the 76ers would pay as part of the projects community benefits agreement. City Council President Kenyatta Johnson pushed for the 76ers to dramatically increase the amount, which is meant to offset impacts on neighboring communities and fund some citywide programs. The final deal involves a $60 million contribution to the CBA. The finish line: In a last-ditch effort to close the deal, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker offered to set aside $20 million in city resources to support affordable housing in Chinatown. Councilmember Mark Squilla called Parkers commitment critical to reaching a deal, but several members who voted against the project panned her offer. I didnt even understand where the money was coming from, said Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. The response: Chinatown activists described the vote as a betrayal, saying the arena project will usher in a wave of gentrification and disrupt businesses. We will not survive, Xu Lin, the owner of Bubblefish, at Ninth and Arch streets, told reporters after the vote. Others see economic opportunity. North Philadelphia Pastor Carl Day came out early in support of the arena, and called the passage of the bills the right thing. The Sixers have said the new arena could open for the 2031 season if City Council approves the legislation needed to begin the project by the end of this year. We share more details on the agreement here. Plus, columnist Inga Saffron considers the arenas potential impact on Jefferson Station, and public transit use in general. What you should know today Trivia time Who was Philadelphias most popular presidential write-in candidate in the 2024 general election? A) Former Republican primary candidate Nikki Haley B) Uncommitted C) Socialist candidate Claudia De la Cruz D) Gritty Think you know? Check your answer. What were... Remembering: When the first Susan B. Anthony coins were minted in Philadelphia. Visiting: The best holiday light shows in the region (yes, Macys is on the list). Watching: A Canadian figure skating company is performing in Philly, and its nothing like the figure skating you see on TV. Unscramble the anagram Hint: After 15 years, this staple of South Phillys brunch scene is closing. EARTH SHOWN Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Collen Brook who solved Thursdays anagram: A Man Full of Trouble. Phillys oldest surviving Revolutionary-era bar is now open for the first time in over a century. Photo of the day Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer! Ill be back in your inbox tomorrow. By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. From the outset, the Editorial Board urged the city, the Sixers, and community groups to work together to find a way to make the arena a win for everyone. After Thursday's vote, the only clear winner was the team. Read more After all the shouting, little has changed in the nearly two and a half years since the 76ers first proposed building a $1.3 billion arena that is expected to transform a forlorn section of Center City. Instead of striking a grand bargain that was a win-win-win for the Sixers, neighboring Chinatown, and the city, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, City Council, and the team owners instead forced the arena down everyones throat. Advertisement There was a pretense of a process, but it was largely a sham. Sure, there were studies and public hearings. But it was all stage-managed. Little new ground was broken. No hearts or minds were changed. Instead, the opposing sides largely talked past each other. As the initial vote in City Council neared, the focus turned to getting the Sixers to increase the $50 million they offered to offset the community impact of the arena. Council pushed for the Sixers to give $100 million. A coalition of groups opposed to the project asked for $300 million. READ MORE: Sixers arena proposal should not be a zero-sum game | Editorial In the end, the Sixers increased the community benefits agreement (CBA) to $60 million. But even before the Sixers agreed to up the ante, Council was busy divvying up the spoils. Who got what appeared ad hoc and came too little, too late. Thats because Parker had already quietly negotiated with the Sixers without Chinatown at the table. She revealed the deal in September in what looked more like a hostage video than a grand announcement. In doing so, the mayor steered a chunk of the CBA funds to her own pet projects: $7 million for year-round public schools and $4.5 million for an untested program to train residents for city jobs. Only $6.3 million of the initial $50 million was earmarked for Chinatown. This adds insult to the betrayal many in the neighborhood feel since they stand to be the most negatively impacted. Another $1 million was added to city parks and rec center renovations, $1 million was slated for an apprentice and workforce development program, and $3.5 million went to a nebulous program, formerly known as the Mayors Fund, to support the children of Philadelphia. Sprinkling around the CBA funds to a bunch of unrelated projects assures the impact will be nanoscopic. Even worse, the spending will lack much oversight or accountability. For their part, the opposition leaders failed to grasp that once Parker won the Democratic mayoral primary in May 2023 with the backing of the building trades union, the arenas construction was all but assured. Instead of trying to negotiate the best possible deal, opposition leaders in Chinatown remained a hard no. Understandably, in their minds, no amount of money was worth losing their neighborhood. From the outset, this board urged the city, the Sixers, and community groups to work together to find a way to make the arena a win for everyone. The East Market Street corridor has vexed city officials for decades. Leveraging more than $1 billion in private investment into a larger plan to remake Market Street and grow neighboring Chinatown could have resulted in a widely beneficial deal. But instead of trying to work with Chinatown and other opposition groups, the mayor and City Council worked around them. This is a failure of leadership. Parker and Council are elected to represent all city residents not just three billionaires. For their part, the Sixers admirably began the process by committing to pay for the arena without asking for city tax dollars as has been the case with other stadium projects. The team is funding the CBA and set aside $2 million to help Black-owned businesses become vendors and suppliers at the arena. READ MORE: Now that Mayor Parker backs the Sixers arena, whither Chinatown? | Editorial But the battle lines quickly became drawn, making it difficult to win over doubters who have legitimate concerns about traffic, parking, and gentrification. Looming over the process was the unstated threat that the Sixers could move to Camden. New Jersey officials offered $400 million in state subsidies to build the arena, and another $400 million to build an adjacent mixed-use development. After all the time and talk, the arena deal passed largely as it was initially proposed. City Council voted 12-4 on Thursday to give initial approval to the legislation that clears the way for construction to begin. Councilmembers Nicolas ORourke, Jeffery Young Jr., Rue Landau, and Jamie Gauthier voted against it. In a profile in cowardice, Councilmember Kendra Brooks was a no-show. While Council is expected to give final approval to the arena deal next Thursday, many details and questions remain along with some bruised feelings in a city deeply divided over the proposal. Going forward, the city needs to come up with a better process for large development deals. For starters, projects cant be controlled by a district councilmember. Community input should not be ignored. The arena deal could have been better and less contentious if the mayor used the convening power she often references to bring everyone together to map a broader vision for Market Street and Chinatown beyond the arena. For starters, the deal made more sense when it included an apartment tower that would have added residents to the neighborhood who would have supported surrounding businesses and spurred other development along Market Street. Much more effort should have gone into finding ways to protect and even grow Chinatown instead of just throwing a couple of million dollars its way. For example, capping the Vine Street Expressway and redeveloping the Roundhouse could enable Chinatown to grow to the north and east. Other creative solutions could have been found just by listening. All kinds of things open up when you do something with the community and not to it, Shanee Garner, the executive director of Lift Every Voice Philly, who opposed the arena, said in a meeting with the Editorial Board. When Parker announced the arena deal in September, she looked into the camera and told Chinatown residents, I see you. But Parker had her eyes on the arena the whole time. While the worlds Mideast focus has shifted to Lebanon and Syria, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza only gets worse. In the 14 months since Hamas carried out a brutal surprise attack in Israel, killing 1,200 and taking 250 hostages, Israel has decimated the groups leadership and cadres, blasted its underground tunnel network, and killed at least 45,000 Palestinians as many as two-thirds of them civilians. It has also destroyed most of the Gaza Strips housing and civilian infrastructure. Advertisement Most of Gazas civilians have been forced by fighting and by Israeli orders to relocate from their homes into flimsy tent camps or overcrowded schools and mosques that are never safe from bombing. Hunger is rampant, as Israelis block aid trucks or bar security for those who enter. Most hospitals have been destroyed by Israeli bombs or ground fighting, and the few that remain have no supplies to treat the ill or wounded. Worst of all, Gazans who have remained in the north of the strip, clinging to their damaged homes, are being ordered by Israel to evacuate south, supposedly so that Israeli forces can put down pockets of Hamas resistance. Yet, hard-line Israeli cabinet ministers make clear they want to empty northern Gaza of Palestinians to rebuild Israeli Jewish settlements there or even drive the Gazans into Egypt. READ MORE: Assads fall deals a blow to Russia and Iran, but leaves Syrias future uncertain | Trudy Rubin Some, like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, openly call for promoting the voluntary departure of Gazans. Translation: Make their life unbearable. This Israeli behavior is clearly ethnic cleansing, which is a war crime. Sure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies it. Yet, even his tough former defense minister (now a Netanyahu critic), Moshe Yaalon, responded bluntly when asked if Israel was on the way toward ethnic cleansing. Why on the way? he retorted. Theyre basically cleaning the territory of Arabs. Unless Israels allies and moderate Arab partners pressure Netanyahu to surge supplies to Gazan civilians and halt ethnic cleansing, this behavior will boomerang against Israel and its future security, further destabilizing the Middle East. Western journalists have been almost banned from Gaza, with a few exceptions on official junkets. To get a sense of the worsening conditions in Gaza, I spoke with two American doctors who worked there as volunteers in October for the medical relief agency MedGlobal. Greg Shay, a retired pediatric pulmonologist from Alameda, Calif., worked at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which has the largest remaining childrens ward in Gaza. He has undertaken 35 medical volunteer missions across the globe, including two in Gaza prior to Oct. 7, 2023. Working in refugee camps around the world, I have been faced with very difficult situations, he told me. However, my recent, third trip to Gaza was not only the most devastating and demanding physically, but more overwhelming emotionally. The desolate environment with total destruction of all buildings, homes, roads, electricity, and water, coupled with forced malnutrition and rampant infectious diseases, brings it to an all-new low. This was, of course, compounded by the lack of simple medical supplies, medications, soap, and even baby formula, he said. The suffering, amputations, and children shot in the head by snipers will live with me forever. Shay described hugely crowded wards where there wasnt room to isolate infectious diseases, and children were so malnourished they couldnt resist infections. The hospitals are flooded with diseases we havent seen in Gaza, which had a 95% vaccination rate before the war. Kids come in starving, with pneumonia, hepatitis, white phosphorus burns, and we dont have 80% of the meds that we need. The childrens cancer ward was bombed, and there is no way to treat cancer cases. The kidney dialysis building was also destroyed by Israeli soldiers, he said, along with ventilators and EKG machines. Yet, entering Gaza, Shay and other volunteers are not permitted to bring in desperately needed medicine or equipment. The saddest part was that I had all this cystic fibrosis equipment in Amman, Jordan, and I wasnt allowed to bring it in. Thirty children died. READ MORE: Yahya Sinwar, Oct. 7 mastermind, was killed in Gaza. What now? | Trudy Rubin I heard equally harrowing stories from Nabeel Rana, a vascular surgeon from Charlotte, N.C., who served two weeks at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and two weeks at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, having previously volunteered at Al-Aqsa Hospital from June to July. Conditions were definitely worse in October, he told me. We had no sutures or dressings or gowns. No aid was coming in. One of his most indelible memories was the children strewed across the floor of the emergency room at Al-Aqsa Hospital. Ive never been in a place where I saw so many kid amputees of all ages, from toddlers to 8 or 9 with shrapnel wounds and massive gashes in their heads and limbs. Rana marveled at the courage of the doctors there, some of whom had lost their entire family in Israeli bomb strikes. And the ambulance drivers who went to retrieve bodies, even though they knew they were at risk of an Israeli double tap, meaning a strike at the rescue workers after the initial bombing. These scenes are not just the normal carnage of war, but the product of Israeli targeting of hospitals and medical workers and the blockage of food and medical supplies into Gaza. Israeli officials say hospital strikes are necessary because Hamas fighters hide within the facilities. But when Hamas is reeling, and its commanders are gone, it is questionable why medical facilities are still targeted. On Dec. 6, Israeli strikes killed and wounded scores in and around Kamal Radwan Hospital in northern Gaza, which Israel had earlier ordered be evacuated. Residents in the north still desperately need the barely functioning hospital. Is its potential demise part of the move to make northern Gaza unlivable? Israeli officials also blame the lack of food and medical supplies on international aid agencies not delivering the goods from trucks lined up at the border. That, also, is only part of the story. Yes, many trucks are waiting to cross, but often because Israel keeps changing the rules. Moreover, aid agencies tell me it is also because Israel has made it impossible to secure the contents, barring Palestinian police from guarding the trucks because they worked for the Gazan government that was run by Hamas before the war. In fact, international aid agencies say the police were mostly professional. Moreover, private citizen groups who volunteer to guard the trucks have also been targeted by Israel. And Israeli troops often stand by as looters attack unprotected aid. There needs to be some international force approved by all to protect the aid convoys, I was told by Sean Carroll, the CEO of the U.S.-based aid agency Anera. But as of now, there is no visible Israeli effort to improve the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and surge the aid in. In October, when the entry of food aid virtually stopped, President Joe Biden gave Israel 30 days to improve. He failed to penalize Israel when that period ended, and there was only minimal improvement. Negotiations have begun once more on a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and the return of some Israeli hostages by Hamas. Yet, Netanyahu has made clear that Israeli troops will remain indefinitely in Gaza, and has offered no political plan for how nearly two million dispossessed Gazan civilians can survive. Both Netanyahu and President-elect Donald Trump appear to believe that Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates will rebuild the Gaza Strip. But the Saudis have made clear that they arent interested in so doing if Israel reoccupies and resettles Gaza, which guarantees a new generation of resistance fighters will rise. They want Netanyahu to lay out a path to a concrete political future for the Palestinians. If, instead, this Israeli government insists on ethnically cleansing Gaza (and the West Bank), a long-term Palestinian insurgency will bubble up from the ruins, built from angry young men. That instability will threaten Israels future and prevent any normalization with Saudi Arabia. And one day, Israel will no longer be able to prevent foreign journalists from witnessing the wreckage of Gaza that has gone way beyond Israels right to defend itself. Those scenes are already alienating a generation in the West against Israels very existence. Starving Gazan civilians and denying them medical care is not only a war crime but also a losing strategy for Israel. It needs to be stopped. Now. In this Feb. 12, 2009 file photo, Michael Conahan, center, leaves the federal courthouse in Scranton, Pa. Conahan, a former Pennsylvania judge involved in a scheme to send youths to a for-profit jail in exchange for kickbacks, was been released from federal prison with six years left on his sentence because of coronavirus concerns. Read more A former Pennsylvania judge who was convicted of sending children to jail while receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks from the facilitys operator in the early 2000s was one of the nearly 1,500 people whose sentences were commuted Thursday by President Joe Biden. Michael Conahan had been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after being convicted of racketeering conspiracy for his role in the so-called Kids for Cash scandal in Luzerne County. Conahan pulled funding from a county-owned juvenile detention center there and agreed to send juveniles to a for-profit facility in exchange for payments, a scheme that netted him and fellow jurist Mark Ciavarella nearly $3 million. Advertisement Conahan, who was convicted in 2011, had been serving his sentence in a Florida facility and was due to be released in 2026. But he was placed in home confinement in 2020 due to the pandemic. All those commuted by Biden on Thursday had been placed in home confinement for at least a year, the White House said. READ MORE: Kids For Cash scandal, explained Despite Conahans involvement in the scandal, news of his relief was welcomed by Marsha Levick, chief legal officer and cofounder of the Juvenile Law Center, an advocacy group that was among the first to raise concerns about the scheme. While we believe in a compassionate justice system that rejects an historically hyper-punitive approach to holding people accountable, we also hope former judge Michael Conahan has reflected on the harm he caused to thousands of kids, she said in a statement. We would like to see the same kind of compassion and mercy extended to children nationwide who continue to suffer harm from our juvenile and criminal legal systems. Also among those released was ex-Philadelphia Police Officer Rafael Cordero, who was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for passing sensitive information about drug investigations to his half-brother a member of a Kensington-based heroin trafficking group. Corderos attorney, Jack McMahon, called the commutation fantastic, saying in an interview that Cordero got a way more severe sentence than he deserved. Thats a long time coming, if you ask me. Clemency was also granted to people who had been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Philadelphia for dealing drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine; defrauding Medicare; and committing financial fraud. The total number of local residents granted relief could not be immediately determined. The White House did not specify where all of the 1,500 people were from, and a spokesperson declined to provide those details. Bidens clemency announcement came after mounting criticisms from criminal justice advocates and progressive groups that had called on him to issue more pardons and commutations, especially after he pardoned his son Hunter Biden on federal gun and tax law charges. At least a dozen advocates in Pennsylvania signed on to a national letter on Dec. 6 urging Biden to take action in the final weeks of his administration. In addition to those whose sentences were commuted, Biden pardoned 39 people who were convicted of nonviolent crimes. The White House said his actions represented the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre signaled on Dec. 2 that Biden would announce more pardons at the end of his term, a typical practice among presidents leaving office. The 39 individuals who were pardoned many of whom are parents, veterans, teachers, health-care professionals, or otherwise involved in their community received relief for nonviolent offenses and have been rehabilitated, according to a White House statement Thursday. Many of them have used their experiences in the criminal justice system to inspire and encourage others, the White House said. Elected officials and advocacy groups from the Philadelphia area applauded Bidens decision. This historic grant of pardons and commutations, and the corresponding restoration of rights, sends a powerful message in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform, said U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D., Pa.) in a statement. Scanlon and Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.) and James Clyburn (D., S.C.) led 64 of their colleagues in signing a letter urging Biden to use his clemency power in the final weeks of his administration. Robert Saleem Holbrook, executive director of the Abolitionist Law Center, said that hes glad that Biden issued these clemency grants but that he wishes more action was taken earlier. But they can move forward now without that threat of returning to incarceration over their heads, Holbrook said of the commutations. And the 39 [pardons], its good. Its a good start. Correction: An earlier version of this article used the wrong first name for Michael Conahan. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. Its the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released. Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread. At one point, 1 in 5 prisoners had COVID-19, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press. Advertisement Biden said he would be taking more steps in the weeks ahead and would continue to review clemency petitions. The second largest single-day act of clemency was by Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before leaving office in 2017. America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances, Biden said in a statement. As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses. The clemency follows a broad pardon for his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January. Hes also weighing whether to issue preemptive pardons to those who investigated Trumps effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and are facing possible retribution when he takes office. Clemency is the term for the power the president has to pardon, in which a person is relieved of guilt and punishment, or to commute a sentence, which reduces or eliminates the punishment but doesnt exonerate the wrongdoing. Its customary for a president to grant mercy at the end of his term, using the power of the office to wipe away records or end prison terms. Those pardoned Thursday range in age from 36 to 75. About half are men and half are women, and they had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses, fraud or theft and turned their lives around, White House lawyers said. They include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters; a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor; a doctoral student in molecular biosciences; and a decorated military veteran. Louisiana resident Trynitha Fulton, 46, was one of the pardons; she pleaded guilty to participating in a payroll fraud scheme while serving as a New Orleans middle school teacher in the early 2000s. She was sentenced to three years of probation in 2008. The pardon gives me a sense of freedom, Fulton said in a written statement to the AP. The conviction has served as a mental barrier for me, limiting my ability to live a full life. The pardon gives me inspiration to make more impactful decisions personally and professionally, she added. After her conviction, Fulton went on to earn a masters degree. She helps lead the nonprofit Skyliners-Youth Outreach, which supports New Orleans youth by providing hot meals, clothing, shelter and mental health referrals. The president had previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. Hes also broadly pardoned those convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, and pardoned former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and 34 other lawmakers are urging the president to pardon environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, who was imprisoned or under house arrest for three years because of a contempt of court charge related to his work representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron. Others are advocating for Biden to commute the sentences of federal death row prisoners. His attorney general, Merrick Garland, paused federal executions. Biden had said on the campaign trail in 2020 that he wanted to end the death penalty but he never did, and now, with Trump coming back into office, its likely executions will resume. During his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented number of federal executions, carried out during the height of the pandemic. More clemency grants are coming before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, but its not clear whether hell take action to guard against possible prosecution by Trump, an untested use of the power. The president has been taking the idea seriously and has been thinking about it for as much as six months before the presidential election but has been concerned about the precedent it would set, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. But those who received the pardons would have to accept them. New California Sen. Adam Schiff, who was a part of the House committee that investigated the violent Jan. 6 insurrection, said such a pardon from Biden would be unnecessary, and that the president shouldnt be spending his waning days in office worrying about this. Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., another target of Trumps threats, said in a statement this week that his suggestion that she and others be jailed for the investigations is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic. Before pardoning his son, Biden had repeatedly pledged not to do so. He said in a statement explaining his reversal that the prosecution had been poisoned by politics. The decision prompted criminal justice advocates and lawmakers to put additional public pressure on the administration to use that same power for everyday Americans. It wasnt a very popular move; only about 2 in 10 Americans approved of his decision, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In summer, we often continue to see and experience adverse weather conditions, and the best defence against these storms and severe weather is early preparation, such as having an emergency plan in place and knowing where to go for information, he said. Commenting on the regulators decision to take legal action against Ausnew, ACCC commissioner Liza Carver said: We have taken this legal action against NDIS provider Ausnew because we were concerned it was making misleading claims to consumers, many of whom were elderly or with a disability requiring support. Munich Re said that its projections are subject to uncertainties tied to geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, major losses remaining within normal bounds, and stability in currency and capital markets. The company also noted that changes in the tax environment or other one-off effects could impact results. McDougald believes he will benefit greatly from his lengthy tenure on the broking side noting he is proud of the time hes spent in the industry and the fact its all been in one place. Having hit the 35-year milestone in insurance in July this year, he noted his pride in encouraging a new generation into the business, particularly having got his own start in part thanks to his Dad who, working for a competing company at the time, helped him secure some early interviews during the economic downturn of 1989. A Massachusetts construction business owner was sentenced to 18 months in prison for an employment tax scheme and making a false statement at an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hearing about a workers death. According to court documents, Mauricio Baiense, formerly of Quincy, owned and operated Contract Framing Builders Inc. (CFB), a Medford, Massachusetts, construction business. From approximately 2013 through 2017, Baiense had approximately $11 million worth of checks drawn on CFBs corporate bank account to purported subcontractors, which were in fact entities that he controlled. The purported subcontractors included Strong Carpentry, Erlando Carpentry, JBV Construction, HRB Builders and Trust Builders, according to the July 2022 indictment. Baiense then directed others to cash the checks at a check cashing business and used the money to operate an off-the-books cash payroll for CFBs employees. Baiense did not report the cash wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. Baiense also assisted in the preparation of at least one fraudulent employment tax return that understated the actual wages paid to CFBs employees. Also, when questioned in 2017 under oath at an OSHA interview regarding a fatal workplace accident pertaining to an employee, Baiense falsely claimed to a federal investigator that the deceased employee did not work for him but for another company, which was JBV that he controlled. According to OSHA files, on April 13, 2017, the employee who was working on an elevated surface fell and struck the concrete floor. The employee was killed as a result of a traumatic brain injury. In total, prosecutors said Baiense caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $2,824,577.45. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge William G. Young for the District of Massachusetts ordered Baiense to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $2,824,577.45 in restitution to the United States. He is to report to prison on January 21.2025. Topics Workers' Compensation Construction The District of Columbia has sued Amazon, alleging the company secretly stopped providing its fastest delivery service to residents of two predominantly Black neighborhoods while still charging millions of dollars for a membership that promises the benefit. The complaint filed in District of Columbia Superior Court revolves around Amazons Prime membership, which costs consumers $139 per year or $14.99 per month for fast deliveries including one-day, two-day and same-day shipments along with other enhancements. In mid-2022, the lawsuit alleges, the Seattle-based online retailer imposed what it called a delivery exclusion on two low-income ZIP codes in the district 20019 and 20020 and began relying exclusively on third-party delivery services such as UPS and the U.S. Postal Service, rather than its own delivery systems. Driver Safety Amazon says it made the change based on concerns about driver safety. There have been specific and targeted acts against drivers delivering Amazon packages in the two ZIP codes and the company made the change to put the safety of delivery drivers first, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a prepared statement. We made the deliberate choice to adjust our operations, including delivery routes and times, for the sole reason of protecting the safety of drivers, Nantel said. The claims made by the attorney general, that our business practices are somehow discriminatory or deceptive, are categorically false. The District of Columbias attorney generals office alleged the company never told Prime members in the two ZIP codes about the change even though they experienced slower deliveries as a result. Amazon also did not tell new customers about the exclusions when they signed up for Prime memberships, the lawsuit says. Amazon is charging tens of thousands of hard-working Ward 7 and 8 residents for an expedited delivery service it promises but does not provide, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement, referencing the two areas in the city where Amazon is accused of excluding its speediest deliveries. While Amazon has every right to make operational changes, it cannot covertly decide that a dollar in one ZIP code is worth less than a dollar in another, Schwalb said. Prime Members The lawsuit says Amazon has nearly 50,000 Prime members who live in the two ZIP codes, a number that represents nearly half of the population. Prime members in those neighborhoods have ordered more than 4.5 million packages in the past four years, and are more likely to rely on Amazon since they have fewer services and retail stores nearby, the city said. The area is also a notorious food desert. The district says that in 2021, before Amazon implemented its delivery exclusion, more than 72% of Prime packages in the impacted ZIP codes were delivered within two days. But last year, it was only 24%, according to the complaint. Meanwhile, the districts lawsuit says Prime members who lived in other parts of the city received two-day deliveries 75% of the time. Amazon was also improving its delivery speeds nationwide. When some customers in the city complained about the slower deliveries, Amazon concealed the true reason for the delays and deceptively implied that the delays were simply due to natural fluctuations in shipping circumstances, rather than an affirmative decision by Amazon, the lawsuit says. District officials are asking the court to issue an order prohibiting Amazon from engaging in unfair or deceptive practices. They also want the company to pay restitution or damages to affected Prime members, as well as civil penalties. Past Claims This isnt the first time Amazon has been accused of offering slower deliveries to some places where Black people make up most of the households. In 2016, American news outlet Bloomberg published an investigation that said Black residents of cities like Atlanta and Chicago were about half as likely as white residents to live in neighborhoods with access to Amazons same-day delivery service. Local news website DCist reported a year later that Amazons restaurant delivery service which the company shut down five years ago had excluded some neighborhoods in Washington, including one of the ZIP codes mentioned in the districts lawsuit. Nantel said Amazon is always transparent with its customers during the shopping journey and checkout process about when, exactly, they can expect their orders to arrive. Since 2022, nearly 1.5 million Prime-eligible products were delivered in two days or less to Prime customers residing in the two ZIP codes, the company said. What wed like to do, and have offered, is to work together with the attorney general and their office in an effort to reduce crime and improve safety in these areas, Nantel aid. Nevertheless, we will proceed in the process and demonstrate that providing fast and accurate delivery times and prioritizing the safety of customers and delivery partners are not mutually exclusive. The complaint filed Wednesday represents the second major legal battle between Amazon and the District of Columbia which also filed an antitrust lawsuit against the company. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Profit Loss The National Rifle Association (NRA) must reform its operations to conform with New Yorks not-for-profit law and two of its former executives must pay the NRA $6.35 million in damages plus interest. That is the outcome of the latest battle between the gun owners organization and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both sides have praised the court ruling. This latest judgment follows a mixed jury verdict in February which found that the NRA failed to properly administer charitable funds and violated state laws. That jury found that the former NRA Executive-Vice President Wayne LaPierre and former Chief Financial Officer Wilson Woody Phillips Phillips owed the NRA millions in damages for money they misspent. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) sought to have the court order the executives to pay back the NRA, while also requiring the NRA to initiate governance reforms. On December 11, Judge Joel Cohen of the Supreme Court of New York County denied seven of the governance reforms requested by the OAG but agreed that the NRA must enact 13 governance reforms that are reasonable necessary to prevent future violations of law. The judge also ordered LaPierre to pay the NRA $4.35 million and Phillips to pay the NRA $2 million, as ordered by a February jury verdict, plus nine percent interest per year. Jury Finds Former NRA Chief LaPierre Misspent Gun Groups Funds, Owes $4.4M Regarding the governance reforms, the judgment requires the NRA to change how it conducts its board elections, hire an outside consultant to advise on the NRAs compliance with the courts directives and other governance practices, and increase leaderships transparency and communication with board members. The NRA is also ordered to permanently bar anyone who served on the NRAs audit committee between 2014 and 2022 from continuing to serve on the committee and requiring future members to be elected by the full board, not hand-picked by the board president. For decades, the NRA let self-interested and self-dealing insiders run the organization with complete disregard for the rule of law, said James. This decision requiring the NRA to significantly reform its governance, and the jurys verdict earlier this year, should send a clear message that we will hold not-for-profits and their leaders accountable when they violate our laws. The NRA is calling the ruling a successful conclusion of a multi-year legal battle with James, pointing to its defeat of her attempts to dissolve the organization and appoint an outside monitor. In the end, Justice Joel Cohen denied all invasive relief sought by the government. Instead, the courts order is tailored to compliance and governance measures in the NRAs interestmany proposed by the NRA itself, and several of which were already underway at the Association, the organization said in a statement. The NRA also noted that it pays no fines or penalties under this latest judgment and actually gets to collect millions of dollars from former executives found to have breached their duties. After the February 2024 jury verdict against the NRA and its executives, James sought to shut down the organization, but a judge rejected that remedy. James succeeded in getting Phillips to agree to a 10-year ban from serving as a fiduciary of a not-for-profit in New York and secured a 10-year ban on LaPierre from serving as an executive at the NRA and its affiliates. James filed the initial lawsuit against the NRA and senior officers in August 2020. The attorney general alleged that LaPierre and other executives engaged in lavish spending on travel, consulting contracts for ex-employees, and gifts for friends and vendors all of which contributed to financial troubles for the organization. In January 2021, the NRA filed for bankruptcy but in May 2021, a federal bankruptcy court in Texas rejected the NRAs bankruptcy petition, stating that the petition was not filed in good faith. In January 2024, Wayne LaPierre announced his retirement from the NRA, where he was in charge for more than 30 years. Topics Legislation New York Gun Liability New York State declared a state of emergency for portions of Western New York, Finger Lakes, Central New York and North Country regions as forecasts call for those areas to receive multiple feet of lake effect snow. Areas east of Lakes Erie and Ontario could see two to three feet of snow along with strong wind gusts of 30-45 mph continuing through Saturday. Last month, the state declared an emergency as the Buffalo and the Great Lakes region got slammed with lake effect snow of as much as five feet in some places. According to the National Weather Service, areas within the lake effect snow bands will experience near-zero visibility at times and covered roadways will make travel extremely hazardous, if not impossible. In addition, the eastern portion of the state including the Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island are seeing wind gusts surpassing 50 mph in some places. The state expressed concern about potential power outages and localized flash flooding. Topics New York A bill making its way through the Ohio General Assembly would prohibit requiring firearm liability insurance. Senate Bill 58 passed the House by a 61-27 vote and now heads to the Ohio Senate, where legislators in the chamber will have until the end of the month to vote on the bill. The bill, sponsored by Senators Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) and Theresa Gavarone (R-Huron),, seeks to remove any further license, permission, restriction, delay, or process that interferes with an individuals Second Amendment rights. The general assembly finds and declares that it is proper for law-abiding people to protect themselves, their families, and others from intruders and attackers without fear of prosecution or ciivl action for acting in defense of themselves or others, the bill says. The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) supported the legislation in a statement, saying that carrying firearm liability insurance is an unnecessary financial burden that infringes upon a constitutionally protected right. Three-fourths Americans believe gun owners should be required to carry firearm liability insurance, according to a survey last year. Most insurers dont require disclosure of gun ownership, the same survey found. Topics Liability Ohio Gun Liability Cincinnati Financial Corporation, headquartered in Cincinnati, promoted several leaders in its commercial/life operations and personal/specialty operations effective January 1. Sean M. Givler, senior vice president, commercial lines, will lead the commercial/life insurance operations, overseeing commercial lines, management liability and surety, sales and marketing and The Cincinnati Life Insurance Company. Givler held various positions of increasing responsibility over his 27 years with the company, including leading its commercial lines operations, managing its relationships with independent agents and executing its field marketing strategy. Will Van Den Heuvel, senior vice president, personal lines, will lead the personal/specialty insurance operations and will oversee personal lines, excess and surplus lines, Cincinnati Re, the companys assumed reinsurance business, as well as its global specialty underwriter, Cincinnati Global Underwriters Ltd. Van Den Heuvel joined the company in 2014 to lead its personal lines operations. Teresa C. Cracas, chief risk officer, adds executive responsibility for corporate marketing and communications, human resources and policyholder experience. She retains oversight of strategic planning, actuarial, reinsurance ceded and strategic innovation. Chet H. Swisher, vice president, commercial lines, assumes direct responsibility for the companys commercial lines operations. Swisher is currently head of commercial key accounts. Scott A. Schuler, vice president, personal lines, assumes direct responsibility for the companys personal lines operations. Schuler is currently head of personal lines underwriting. W&T Offshore, an independent driller operating in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, has asked a federal judge to block insurance companies demands for $250 million in additional collateral for taking apart old oil infrastructure. The offshore drilling industry faces mounting pressure to provide bonds for decommissioning oil and gas infrastructure in federal waters. The Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in June enforced a final rule that amended its financial assurance regulations in a bid to ensure the industry covers decommissioning costs, not the taxpayer. Youre at the mercy of the federal agency and youre at the mercy of the surety providers, so there is really not a whole lot of control there, W&T Offshore CEO Tracy Krohn told Reuters in an interview. The regulatory agency has no real basis for requiring a great deal more bonding than what they already have, Krohn added. The BOEM estimates offshore drillers would collectively pay just under $7 billion as a result of the final rule, in new supplemental financial assurances to cover the potential costs of decommissioning activities. As of June 2023, more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms were overdue for decommissioning in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In the lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, W&T Offshore asked Judge Keith Ellison to declare that the insurers have colluded to damage the company by jointly demanding additional collateral and premiums. The company claims the insurers used BOEMs final rule to demand additional collateral for surety, for which the operator has already paid premiums. Houston-based W&T Offshore did not immediately provide a comment. Endurance Assurance Corp and Lexon Insurance Co, both named in the suit, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Opponents said BOEMs final rule would disproportionately affect smaller companies that lack investment grade ratings or sufficient proven oil reserves. Oil majors are more likely to have large reserves, or meet credit criteria exempting them from putting up more money to cover potential future decommissioning. Days before the BOEMs final rule was enforced, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi sued the government in a bid to block it. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico produces roughly 1.74 million barrels per day of oil, according to the last government figures, about 13% of total U.S. output. Topics Carriers Legislation President-elect Donald Trumps antitrust picks are likely to take a hard-line on the tech giants, and a harder line on corporate consolidation than the average Republican. All three of the new administrations selections Gail Slater as DOJ antitrust chief, and Andrew Ferguson and Mark Meador for the US Federal Trade Commission are aligned with the New Right school that takes a more skeptical view of corporate power. While the Trump team may be more deal-friendly and have different priorities than the Biden administrations trustbusters, they are likely to continue pursuing aggressive antitrust enforcement. Mike Davis, a key outside adviser to the president-elect and head of anti-big tech organization Internet Accountability Project, said Trump selected serious antitrust reformers for the three key enforcement roles. Bidens antitrust law enforcers find a lot of common ground with Slater, Ferguson and Meador on the need to hold the trillion-dollar big tech monopolists accountable for their market abuses, he said. Josh Tzuker, a former senior official in the Justice Departments antitrust division, said Trumps picks indicate a fair bit of alignment with the departing Biden team. All three have thought deeply about antitrust and the role of competition in a free market economy, said Tzuker, who left the agency this summer and now is global head of antitrust and competition policy at advisory firm FGS Global. They are pragmatic, and also have a deep understanding of the law. Ferguson Memo Ferguson, one of the FTCs two current GOP members, is set to succeed Chair Lina Khan Jan. 20. He has already circulated a memo outlining his priorities. In it, Ferguson said he would roll back FTC rulemaking efforts and stop Lina Khans war on mergers by focusing the FTCs efforts on deals that would harm competition. Ferguson opposed nearly all of the rules proposed by Khan, including a ban on non-competes and a bid to force companies to make it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions. In the memo, earlier reported by Punchbowl News, Ferguson also pledged to protect free speech and fight wokeness by pivoting to key conservative issues such as alleged collusion among companies related to diversity initiatives, environmental, social, and governance or ESG standards and online advertising boycotts. He also pledged to fight back against the trans agenda by investigating doctors, therapists and hospitals that offer healthcare including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery for those under 18. Ferguson has also used a number of his recent dissents to advocate against perceived censorship by large tech companies. In a statement supporting a settlement over an online sneaker sellers misleading terms of service, he called for an investigation into tech platforms for banning users and censoring content. Trump had called for such an investigation during his first administration, but the FTC declined to take it up. Lobbyists for the tech companies and people close to House Judiciary Chairman and Ohio Republican Jim Jordan pushed to name the other GOP commissioner, Melissa Holyoak, as FTC chair, because she is viewed as a more business-friendly, libertarian candidate, according to people familiar with the discussions. Ultimately, Trump chose the more populist candidates with an eye toward their records and promises to keep the pressure on the tech giants, the people said. Tech Cases In a research note Wednesday, TD Cowens Paul Gallant said Fergusons anti-Big Tech stance likely means the FTC will continue pursuing its antitrust cases against Meta Platform Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. as well as a recently launched investigation into Microsoft Corp. And while Ferguson has pledged to be more deal-friendly, that may not apply to the tech giants, which have sought to invest in generative artificial intelligence startups, Gallant said. The ability of the largest tech platforms to buy pieces of the GenAI stack could be an important strategy for managing the risks and capturing GenAI upside (eg Amazon + Anthropic), he wrote. Fergusons comments raise questions about the viability of this M&A strategy. Ferguson declined to comment beyond a statement he issued Tuesday. At the FTC, we will end Big Techs vendetta against competition and free speech, Ferguson said. We will make sure that America is the worlds technological leader and the best place for innovators to bring new ideas to life. Antitrust Veteran Trumps selection of Meador as the third GOP commissioner is likely to help further some of Fergusons goals, such as focusing on advertiser boycotts. A veteran of both the FTC and the Justice Departments antitrust division, he spent three years as an aide to Senator Mike Lee, the ranking Republican on the Senate antitrust subcommittee, before starting a law firm with a former colleague of the departments outgoing antitrust head, Jonathan Kanter. In private practice, Meador has represented conservative social media platform Rumble Inc., which has sued Alphabet Inc.s Google and advertisers it alleges have illegally boycotted it. Meador has also advocated for reinvigorating the use of a dormant FDR-era antitrust law that bars price discrimination against smaller retailers. Slater, an economic policy aide to Vice President-elect JD Vance, is likely to continue many of the cases filed by the Biden team, such as the twin lawsuits against Google and an antitrust case against Apple Inc. Amanda Lewis, who worked with both Slater and Meador at the FTC and later on Capitol Hill, said they bring a unique combination of antitrust litigation and policy expertise, along with a sophisticated understanding of the US and global tech sector. The FTCs two remaining Democrats, Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, raised concerns about Fergusons proposed priorities. In a letter dated Tuesday, the Democrats noted that his memo doesnt mention key consumer issues like the cost of health care, prescription drugs or groceries. There has been a recent bipartisan alignment on the importance of challenging corporate power that threatens Americans freedom and autonomy, and hurts working people and small businesses, they wrote. We should not lose that. Photo: Photographer: Ting Shen/Bloomberg Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics InsurTech Tech McKinsey & Co has agreed to pay $650 million to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the consulting firms work advising opioid manufacturer OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma on how to boost sales. McKinsey has entered into a five-year deferred prosecution agreement filed in federal court in Abingdon, Virginia, to resolve criminal charges brought as part of a rare corporate prosecution concerning the marketing of addictive painkillers that helped fuel the deadly U.S. opioid epidemic. Prosecutors said that McKinsey provided Stamford, Connecticut-based Purdue advice on measures it could take to turbocharge OxyContin sales. It was charged with conspiring to misbrand a drug and obstruction of justice. A former senior partner at McKinsey, Martin Elling, has also agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying records related to McKinseys work for Purdue, according to court papers. He is scheduled to enter his plea on Jan. 10. McKinsey and a lawyer for Elling did not respond immediately to requests for comment. McKinsey previously reached agreements totaling nearly $1 billion to settle widespread lawsuits and other legal actions alleging the company helped fuel the opioid epidemic through its work advising OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and other drugmakers. The settlements involved all 50 states, Washington, D.C., U.S. territories, various local governments, school districts, Native American tribes, and health insurers. In 2019, McKinsey announced it would no longer advise clients on opioid-related businesses. The company has maintained that none of its settlements contain admissions of liability or wrongdoing. Purdue pleaded guilty in 2020 to criminal charges covering widespread misconduct regarding its handling of prescription painkillers, including conspiring to defraud U.S. officials and pay illegal kickbacks to both doctors and an electronic healthcare records vendor. Purdue is currently involved in court-ordered mediation over a multibillion-dollar settlement reached in bankruptcy proceedings that the U.S. Supreme Court turned aside. Topics USA Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a notice of violation against Allstate-owned Arity, a mobile data company that collects drivers information, for breaching the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The Nov. 29 notice alleges Arity fails to provide customers with a clear notice of the categories of sensitive data being processed and processes customers data without their consent. Arity processes sensitive data through its use of a software development kit to collect data from various mobile applications, including precise geolocation information and how fast a customers mobile phone is moving. Arity sells information to car insurance companies. Texas further alleges that Dallas-based Arity fails to provide the methods by which customers may exercise their right to opt out of the processing of personal data. The state is requesting that Arity address the violations of the TDPSA identified in the notice and provide a written statement explaining how the company cured the violations. Failure to address any violations identified may result in the Office of the Attorney General taking action against Arity by seeking civil penalties, the notice says. TDPSA authorizes the office to seek up to $7,500 per violation. Related: Senators Call on FTC to Investigate Automakers Sale of Driving Data Arity, which operates as a mobile data and analytics company independent of Allstate, has collected more than a trillion miles of driving data since 2016, according to an Allstate announcement. In 2023 Arity and Connected Analytic Services, a Toyota affiliate, announced a partnership that would bring connected-car data from Toyota and Lexus vehicles to the Arity platform. Arity and CAS will provide driving data from connected vehicles to auto insurance carriers, enabling vehicle owners to access usage-based auto insurance (UBI) products, the announcement said. Last year Arity announced a partnership with CSAA Insurance Group that will leverage the companys driving data solution to quote personal auto insurance policies. Data brokers have come under scrutiny this year over privacy concerns and fears that customer-shared data is raising personal auto insurance premiums. In April GM agreed to end its OnStar motor-assistance program after consumers said the product violated their privacy. Topics Texas Eight people and two law firms have been charged in what authorities say was more than a decade-long scheme of staging vehicle crashes in the New Orleans area and then submitting fraudulent insurance claims, leading to what prosecutors allege was the murder of one person to cover it up. The 10-count indictment, unsealed on Monday in the Eastern District of Louisiana, said the law firms Motta Law, LLC, and The King Firm, LLC, both of New Orleans, along with eight people, including attorneys, have been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, with some charged with additional counts. The new indictment brings the total number of defendants charged to 63 in the federal probe into allegations of staged auto collisions, which authorities dubbed Operation Sideswipe. Ryan J. Harris, 36, of New Orleans, has also been charged with witness tampering through murder, retaliation against a witness through murder and causing death through the use of a firearm. If convicted of any of those crimes, Harris would face a mandatory life sentence and up to a $250,000 fine for each count. The complex system, beginning in 2011, involved people allegedly crashing vehicles into 18-wheelers and then fleeing while passengers in those vehicles pretended to be the drivers and lying about what happened. Authorities say those persons staged witnesses on site claiming it was the commercial vehicles fault, according to officials. Mondays indictment alleges 22 collisions were staged by the defendants in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Harris, who officials say was one of the people who crashed the vehicles, allegedly killed Cornelius Garrison in 2020, four days after Garrison was indicted for offenses related to the crashes. It was part of a scheme to prevent Garrison from cooperating with the federal government and exposing the scheme to stage collisions, according to officials. Garrison had been secretly working with the federal government since 2019 in connection with the scheme. Sean Toomey, a lawyer representing Vanessa Motta, who was charged along with her law firm Motta Law, maintains his clients innocence The governments theory that a lawyer barely a year out of law school decided to participate in a sprawling conspiracy is terribly mistaken, he said in a statement. If these accidents were in fact staged, my client was also a victim and taken advantage by others. Officials claim that Motta was part of the effort to pursue fraudulent claims and lawsuits. The King Firm, LLC, and Harris lawyer did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment. The mail and wire fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain to any defendant or twice the gross loss to any victim. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Fraud A Lakeland, Florida, woman was charged this week with threatening mass violence after she reportedly told her health insurance company: Delay, deny, depose. You people are next echoing words allegedly used by the shooter of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. Briana Boston, 42, apologized after she was arrested at her home, and said she does not own any guns, according to multiple news reports. She was charged with making threats of mass shooting or acts of terrorism and was booked into jail in Polk County, the Miami Herald and others reported. Lakeland Police and the FBI were alerted after Bostons recent medical claims were denied by BlueCross BlueShield and she spoke on the telephone to a carrier representative, news sites noted. Similar delay, deny words were reportedly written on bullet casings found at the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot to death in New York on Dec. 4. The suspect in that shooting, Luigi Mangione, is in police custody in Pennsylvania. Boston told Lakeland Police that she didnt mean to threaten BCBS leaders, but used the delay, deny words because of the news stories that have gripped the world for the past two weeks, news sites reported. The infamous words also were part of the title of a 2010 book: Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Dont Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. The book was written by Jay Feinman, a professor emeritus at Rutgers Law School in New Jersey. BCBS apparently recorded the phone conversation Boston had with a company representative on Dec. 10, and a transcript was provided to the FBI. The FBI gave the transcript to Lakeland Police, who came to Bostons home the next day, the Herald and others noted. Insurance company leaders and police agencies have warned that the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting could inspire copycat violence, as some people around the country have expressed sympathy for the alleged shooter and have complained about claims denials. Photo: This combination of images provided by the New York City Police Department shows the suspect sought in the the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (New York City Police Department via AP) Topics Florida Seven people in South Carolina pleaded guilty this week to a scheme to defraud Aflac Insurance and other insurers out of more than $70,000 by making false claims with forged documents. But they wont be going to prison. The South Carolina Department of Insurance said the group had filed dozens of claims, using some of the same forged medical records. Aflac reported the fraudulent claims to the DOI, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigated. Three of the suspects received no prison time after they were sentenced this week. They include: Maurice Kendall Kollock, who had presented 81 false claims. He was sentenced to five years in prison, but that jail time was suspended. He was put on probation and was ordered to pay $67,000 in restitution. Ra Kem Dal Von Townsend made five false claims and pleaded to one charge. He was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended, and was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution. Laquasia Dontay Hepburn made a false claim and pleaded to making a false statement or misrepresentation with a value of over $1,000. She was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended, and was ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution. Further information about the scheme and the lack of jail time was not provided by DOI. Topics South Carolina MY JOB Name: Sandra Daly Occupation: CEO, Mater Private Network, Cork Background: The Mater recently unveiled its expanded Emergency Department and Urgent Cardiac Care facility, increasing its capacity for emergency patient care by 30%. The expanded Emergency Department and Urgent Cardiac Care infrastructure project at Mater Private Hospital has increased capacity for emergency patient care by up to a third, significantly enhancing emergency and urgent cardiac care capabilities in Cork and the wider Munster region. Streamlining consultant-led and delivered treatment to same-day diagnostics, it includes rapid access to onsite key specialities such as general medicine, surgery, cardiology, urology, pain management, spinal surgery and orthopaedics. There is clear and proven evidence that the Cork hospitals as currently configured are unable to meet current and future needs of growing demographic pressures and the needs of a growing Cork economy, Sandra Daly explains. The profile of health service use and growth indicates that services in the region will become increasingly stretched over the next 10 years now is the time to invest ambitiously, she says. The provision of modern, accessible and safe healthcare services is a key enabler when planning for people and place. I firmly believe Cork has an opportunity to become an influential leading city region. There has been an additional 30 million of operating capital invested since the Mater Corks opening, with an ambitious programme for further investment. In just a decade, the hospital has doubled its bed capacity, increased its workforce four-fold and is now treating over 74,000 patients per annum. The expansion of the Emergency Department and Urgent Cardiac Care facility comes at a most opportune time. This development significantly enhances the hospitals ability to provide timely emergency and urgent cardiac care services, rapid access to consultant-led care and same-day diagnostics. With over 2,500 staff and 300 consultants across a range of specialities, the Mater Network is a national leader for heart and cancer specialities, in addition to orthopaedic, ophthalmology, urology, womens health, respiratory medicine and rheumatology. If I was to mention one key speciality area, the hospitals Cardiology department is now the largest in Munster, which is a testament to our commitment to creating the pre-eminent cardiology service for the region. With an ever-expanding cardiology team, supported with significant investment in infrastructure and manpower, our patients benefit from rapid access for expert care by highly experienced medical professionals. The private hospital sector, along with Government departments, regulatory agencies, the HSE, plus academic and research partners share responsibility for shaping the future of healthcare in the region. She said: Mater Private Cork will work closely with those charged with supporting the implementation of Slaintecare Health Policy. Most people with private health insurance can readily access the extensive patient care and treatment options available at Mater Private Cork. This also leads to the added benefit of removing private patients from the public hospitals, ensuring equitable access to care, based on need. The hospital embarked on a significant change agenda over the past year, with key developments including establishing the identity and ownership of radiology diagnostic services, the opening of a new Outpatient Department, expansion and co-location of its Emergency and Urgent Cardiac Care Departments, the commissioning of an Intensive Care Unit and Accreditation in Laboratory Medicine. Many new consultant staff joined the hospital team and there has been significant recruitment in the wider multidisciplinary teams. There are now over 500 directly employed staff at Mater Private Cork, a 20% increase on the previous year. As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, Mater Private Hospital Cork is poised to make significant strides in healthcare excellence and patient care, she predicts. The overall clinical strategy is to be a leading provider of complex and intermediate elective surgical inpatient and day care across key specialities, specialist medical and chronic disease ambulatory care, urgent ambulatory care through the Emergency Department. A key focus within the plan for 2025 is the further development and expansion of existing core specialities, coupled with the ability to treat a higher acuity patient. We are ambitious for the future. Awards At the recent Private Healthcare Awards, the Mater Network received two accolades the Overall Excellence Award and the Best Private Hospital Award. While these accolades are indeed an honour, what truly makes our work fulfilling are the everyday moments witnessing our top-class teams in action within our state-of-the-art facilities, consistently delivering outstanding care to our patients. It is this relentless focus on patient care that drives us. The recognition is a direct result of the hard work, expertise, and commitment of the hospitals exceptional staff who provide superb care every single day, she says. Their dedication ensures that we continue to lead in healthcare excellence, and it is their efforts that make these achievements possible. Delivering for our patients remains our foremost priority, and these awards underscore our ongoing pursuit of excellence in all that we do. Patient care At a time when many sectors across society are presented with the constant challenge of finding and retaining quality staff, Ms Daly points to significant recruitment efforts to ensure the hospital possesses the necessary expertise to meet the growing demands of the region. Being part of the Mater Private Network provides our staff with opportunities to collaborate with other leading consultants and medical professionals, fostering an environment where teamwork, skill enhancement, and quality patient care are paramount. "Our dedication to cutting-edge technology and advancements not only enhances patient care but also attracts top-tier medical experts who are eager to work in a progressive and supportive environment. Challenges With the challenges of winter already upon us, the Mater stands ready to cope with the expected rush for its services. The winter months indeed present significant challenges for our healthcare system, especially for older individuals who may require hospital care. The recent service expansions in state-of-the-art facilities and advanced technology are specifically designed to enhance our capacity to provide timely and effective care during this critical period. "We constantly measure and listen to our patients, with high satisfaction rates and 97% of our patients saying they would use the hospital again. As to the most satisfying aspect of her CEO role, Sandra Daly remains focused on solidifying the Maters reputation in the region as a loyal and trustworthy provider of strong patient care. Im so fortunate that my role allows me the opportunity to oversee projects and developments that significantly enhance patient healthcare services for the people of Munster. "My focus goes beyond professionalism and reputation, as importantly, it is emphasising and creating a healthcare environment that is value-based and patient-centric, as care is at the heart of everything we do. It is a privilege to be the CEO of the Mater Private Cork Hospital and the real reward for me personally is the life experiences I have gained. Therapy dogs are a special kind of dog, providing assistance and support, and at times, just company, to people with additional needs. At Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland (AADI), the dogs are a game-changer for families of children with autism, and foster families play a huge role in the service the AADI provides. The foster family role is vital. We couldnt do what we do without our fosters, explains Rose Hurley, puppy programme manager at AADI. It takes a village to get these puppies from eight weeks to formal training ready. So when our long-term fosters need to go on holidays or when they have an emergency, we have an additional network of fosters that we call temporary fosters. They take the dogs for short, sporadic days. It could be a week, it could be 10 days, it could be a weekend. It really varies. And these people are crucial to what we do because we dont have a kennel facility, and its less stressful for the dogs to be in a home environment. These temporary foster families step in over the holidays, including Christmas, to give long-term foster families some respite. Michelle McCaffrey from Limerick is a long-term fosterer, and her family often provides temporary boarding to support other foster families. Just now, the McCaffrey family is waiting for a new puppy to arrive for the Christmas holidays. Were waiting for an eight-week puppy to arrive at the moment. Itll be fun to have them over the Christmas holidays. I hope the Christmas tree survives, says McCaffrey. 8 month old JayJay at the Parkway Shopping Centre in Limerick. Picture: Kieran Ryan-Benson. This isnt the McCaffrey familys first rodeo; theyve been fostering AADI dogs for eight and a half years, during which time they have fostered more than 30 puppies. Even after all that time, McCaffery says it is difficult to say goodbye to the puppies once theyve been matched with a family or theyre returning to their long-term foster home. She said: It doesnt matter whether you have a puppy for two weeks or two months, they get under your skin. They all have different characters some are funnier than others, some are gentle souls. Because you can bring them out and about when youre training them to go into shops and restaurants and whatever they become like your other child. "No matter what, when Im handing any dog back, the sunglasses go on and the tears drop down. Making an impact Martina ONeill, also from Limerick and a long-time fosterer for AADI, feels the same about the dogs: Last Christmas we had three puppies over the holidays. At the moment, we have one puppy with another arriving next week, and if a home falls through for another one, we will take them too. AADI puppy in training Triton 8 months old. at the Parkway Shopping Centre in Limerick. Picture: Kieran Ryan-Benson. Thats three puppies added to an already busy household. The family has two of their own dogs, a rabbit, a cockatoo, and two children. Theyve been fostering with the AADI for seven years now, so their kids have grown up with the puppies coming and going. ONeill explains how fostering puppies has benefited her children: While we havent been touched by autism in our family, we have friends who have, and its great for our kids to see that we can give back and help those families. Its the same for McCaffrey: For my lads growing up it has definitely shown them empathy and theyve been privileged enough to meet some of the families that have gotten their dogs, and to see the difference the dogs make makes them incredibly proud of the dogs weve had. The AADI understands how valuable their foster families are, and they do their best to keep the families updated on the dogs theyve fostered. ONeill says: We had a dog called Mustard last year and hes now with a foster family in Cork, and is going to be matched with a child after Christmas. They sent us his picture the other day, and there he is sitting in front of a Christmas tree, just last year he was here with us chewing the Christmas tree. The photos are a nice way of showing you how youve helped. And you get to see what the dogs are doing now, and that theyre happy. We had another dog called George, and one day myself and my husband were out in the car and we saw a dog and we said Thats definitely George. "He was helping a young kid, and he looked incredible. We were so happy to see him. Knowing the puppies are going on to make such a positive impact on another familys life makes it all worthwhile for McCaffrey: Volunteering with AADI has been life changing for us. To see the difference the dogs make when they go on to their families is incredible. "Thats the reason you do it; youre a part of that by providing a safe place for the puppies when they need it. Long road to qualification Its a long road for the puppies who go on to become assistance dogs. 8 months old JayJay at the Parkway Shopping Centre in Limerick. Picture: Kieran Ryan-Benson. Rose Hurley explains: The puppies begin their training when they are eight weeks old, and it can take up to two years for them to be fully trained. AADI matches around 30 dogs with families each year, and this year we also placed eight qualified education support dogs in primary and post-primary schools. In all, the organisation trains between 80 and 90 puppies a year. With that many dogs, its easy to see how important the foster families are to the organisation. We have between 90 and 100 foster families on the books at any one time, explains David McCarthy, head of fundraising and communications at AADI. As well as providing a safe place for the dogs, foster families provide crucial socialisation training for the puppies, Hurley explains: Socialisation is as important as their general training. That means getting the puppy out to environments theyre going to need to be comfortable working in when theyre qualified... places like restaurants, cafes, shopping centres, and playgrounds. "We try to expose the puppies in a measured, controlled way, so that they get gradual exposure and build up their confidence. Temporary foster families are not required to do shop walks, or the cafes or restaurants. If a dog goes into a temporary foster home, they have a few days off. The family might take them out for what we call maintenance walks, so they dont have to wear their jacket and theyre not in training mode, so to speak. Triton 8 with JayJay both 8 months old at the Parkway Shopping Centre in Limerick. Picture: Kieran Ryan-Benson. "And thats really because it wouldnt be fair if a dog is going to a new environment and new person for only a couple of days. The organisations training facility is in Little Island, Cork. Here, the training dogs learn how to be assistance dogs. We have a network of temporary fosterers who take the training dogs in the evenings and on the weekends. Those people need to be located close to Little Island so they can drop and collect the dogs every day its like the school run, says Hurley. For anyone thinking of being a therapy dog foster family, McCaffrey says to give it a go: The AADI provides everything including loads of support. Youre not being thrown into it. If you feel like you want to give something back, its a wonderful opportunity to make a huge difference to a family. Claudia Boyle topped the bill at Cork City Hall on Thursday night, as she joined the City of Cork Symphony Orchestra for a concert in aid of Cork Simon Community. Conductor was Brian Murphy for a hugely enjoyable evening that also featured the vocal talents of Viva Voce Choir Cork and Cor Geal Choir. Conductor Brian Murphy with the Cork Symphony Orchestra at the Carols by Candlelight concert featuring soprano Claudia Boyle at Cork City Hall on Thursday. Pictures: David Creedon Eating disorders are generally associated with teenage girls and those in their early 20s. However, they are not unique to this age group; women also experience eating disorders in midlife. Its not so much that women are developing an eating disorder in middle age, its more the case that midlife women with an eating disorder likely have a long history of having, at the very least, disordered eating, or more commonly, a long-standing eating disorder going back to adolescence. But with 5% of middle-aged women experiencing this, it is what we consider fairly common, says Dr Art Malone, consultant psychiatrist with the HSE Adult Eating Disorder Service at St Vincents University Hospital. In midlife, women can face specific life transitions that can trigger or amplify eating disorders, explains Harriet Parsons, psychotherapist and training and development manager with Bodywhys, the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland. # Their role in the family may be changing with children growing up and leaving home, they may be facing retirement, or a change in their relationship, whether thats divorce or bereavement, and of course, at this age in peoples lives they will naturally encounter bereavement more frequently parents, older siblings or partners. Another key life event at this time in a womans life is menopause, which typically starts with perimenopause between the ages of 45 and 55. Menopause is a significant change moment for midlife women. There is an element where their bodies may feel out of control as hormone levels fluctuate. Because of the physical toll eating disorders can have on the body, they are considered among the most deadly mental disorders. The three most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, where a person will restrict their food intake dramatically; bulimia nervosa, when someone will gorge on food and then purge it by vomiting or using laxatives; and binge eating disorder, where someone will consume excessive amounts of food, beyond the point of feeling full. There is no one cause for eating disorders, says Malone. Multiple factors or bumps along the road contribute to someone experiencing an eating disorder. That means there is no standard person that comes in the door to us. While there is no one cause, people who experience eating disorders will often fit into different groups with key characteristics. The most common is generally someone who has a tendency to be anxious about non-specific things and is prone to depression, says Malone. Anxiety and depression are common perimenopause symptoms Common symptoms of perimenopause are anxiety and depression, which means that women at this time, particularly those who have experienced an eating disorder earlier in their lives, can be at a heightened risk of relapse, says Catherine OKeeffe, author of All You Need to Know About Menopause. Menopause is a significant physical and emotional change where women experience rising anxiety and dips in mood, while at the same time, the decline in oestrogen means their body shape can change and they can gain weight around their middle. In todays society, there is so much pressure on women to look young and thin, and at this psychologically difficult time, it can be a trigger to engage in disordered eating. For many women, the eating disorder acts as a coping strategy, says Malone. With eating disorder treatment, were focused on giving them new tools. We dont focus on their weight, or devising a healthy meal plan, or taking the eating disorder away, its about working on a persons individual goals and values, looking at their challenges, and helping them become better at supporting themselves. Recovering from an eating disorder in middle age is more difficult than if you are younger and first presenting with an eating disorder, explains Malone. For younger patients, we typically see them feeling better and well enough to be discharged by around 18 months. But with the older group, the treatment can be significantly longer. "The longer youve been dealing with an eating disorder, the more its ingrained in your brain, in your daily habits, and your internal psychology. Stigma and shame Psychologically, it can be difficult for women in midlife to present for treatment they may feel shame accessing these services for something that is still considered a younger persons disorder. Women in midlife have a different stigma to overcome if they seek treatment, they may feel anxious if they see younger people in the waiting room, but they need to know that everyone with an eating disorder is worthy of treatment, says Malone. Women in middle age with an eating disorder are very much a missed generation. Up until recently there were no publicly available services for eating disorders. "These treatments are relatively new in Ireland, and so when these women may have been experiencing an eating disorder in their teenage years, the treatment options were not available. But they are available now, with five specialist eating disorder teams around the country. And a support organisation like Bodywhys can be a good starting point for anyone who thinks they need help. Parsons recommends anyone who is experiencing an eating disorder to visit their GP first and speak to them about it. This the first step, talk with your GP, get physically checked. The GP can then refer them on to their local AMHS where they will receive a clinical assessment and treatment will be determined based on their level of risk. Even if someone is feeling anxious about accessing treatment, Malone urges anyone who is experiencing an eating disorder in middle age to get a physical checkup. The physical consequences of an eating disorder in middle age include anaemia, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal problems, and cognitive issues. There will be a lot of wear and tear on the body, particularly if someone has been experiencing this for most of their lives. That physical check up is so important. "This is a treatable problem and older women shouldnt feel like theyve missed the boat, they will be treated with respect. But my advice is to seek treatment as early as possible. David Puttnam, the renowned film producer, educator, and environmentalist, has said equipping school teachers with strong digital literacy skills is key to ensuring our young children have the ability to make sound judgements on social media. Mr Puttnam this week received an honorary doctorate at University College Cork (UCC) along with actor Jeremy Irons, Chernobyl activist Adi Roche, and national rowing coach Dominic Casey. For Puttnam, who has lived in Skibbereen in West Cork with his wife Patsy since 1998, the award was special. Over the years, Ive had quite a number of honorary degrees. But what's different and special with this is its my hometown. It's somehow more difficult and yet more rewarding to get this award from what I consider my local university. Puttnam was honoured for his work in films, as an educator, and as an environmentalist. Born in London in 1941, he enjoyed a successful 30-year career in the film industry. David Puttnam was appointed Irelands first Digital Champion in 2012. Picture: Miki Barlok As a producer, he made several award-winning films including The Mission, The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone, and Local Hero, working with industry heavyweights such as Ridley Scott and Alan Parker. Although he left the world of filmmaking behind in 1997, Puttnam maintains an active interest in global cinema. At the moment, I'm watching a movie every day for the Oscars; over the weekend, I saw four fabulous films an Italian, Thai, Brazilian, and Mexican film. He is heartened by the rise of Irish language films and the industry here. Right now were seeing the emergence of a real depth of talent in Ireland. I remember going to see An Cailin Ciuin in Bantry Cinema in 2022. "About 10 minutes in, I realised I was watching a masterpiece, and 15 minutes in, I realised I wasn't aware that it was in the Irish language. I just got so caught up in the characters. This is the mark of a good film for Puttnam. David Puttnam speaking in the Aula Maxima, UCC. Picture: John Allen For me, really great movies need the dopamine hit to suck the audience in, but they also need to be about reflection, they need to challenge us and show us a different point of view. "Theres a saying that the marker of a great movie in the cinema is when you go for coffee after the movie that you immediately start talking about the movie. In his role as an educator at his company Atticus Education, which he set up in 2012, Puttnam delivers seminars on film, media, and screen to students at universities all over the world, including in UCC. Todays generation of filmmakers, he says, are looking more and more at short forms, not just streaming, but Tiktok and YouTube, and other ways of getting their films noticed. "They're also focused on telling shorter stories. Stories full of content, and documentaries. This trend has fortunately coincided with a rise in short film festivals, like the Fastnet Film Festival." Puttnams approach to teaching is based on his own premise that responsible filmmakers, working in a free society, have a duty to ensure that our chosen medium is a force for good something he says is needed now, more than ever. Education is at the core of what Puttnam believes in. When receiving his honorary doctorate on Wednesday, he said: I didnt have to be a brain surgeon to realise that the economic future of any self-respecting democracy rests on the quality of education it provides for its young people, and that, in turn, relies, in every respect, on a generation of gifted and committed teachers. He believes teachers are key, but teachers that are equipped with strong digital literacy skills. David Puttnam; Jeremy Irons, Adi Roche and Dominic Casey at UCC Picture: Daragh McSweeney/Provision When we look at Singapore, one of the worlds leading countries in STEM results, they require their teachers to do 100 hours of non-contact time of continuous professional development (CPD). "All of this is designed to ensure that the teaching world is ahead of the student world. Id love to see a more serious attitude to CPD here. I would also love to see the government insist that every eight-year-old is digitally literate. "It's a key age, where kids will absorb the very best of what's possible; once they get to 11 or 12, it all becomes more complicated. "So to me, at eight, you need to have an instinct for sifting out the right, the wrong, the good, the bad, and you need to be sophisticated. "Essentially, you need to be sophisticated enough to make judgments about the social media that's going to assail you. Puttnam was appointed Irelands first Digital Champion in 2012. In this role, he contributed to the development and implementation of a new National Digital Strategy. During his five years in the role, Puttnam put in place the Schools Digital Champion Programme, which is aimed at elevating digital skills in the classroom and helping students develop their creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills. Outside of film and education, Puttnam has long tackled the thornier issues of modern life. During his 24 years in the House of Lords in Britain, he sat on and chaired numerous committees focused on digital technologies, communications, and climate change, facing off against big Hollywood, big oil, big media, and big tech, said Ciara Chambers in her introduction to Puttnam at UCC on Wednesday. In all his endeavors, and particularly as a champion of digital education, he has challenged the injustices forced upon the world by elite powers who would destroy our environment, manipulate our voting rights, force us into unjust wars, and risk acute damage to the minds of our young people. There were nine terrorism arrests in Ireland last year for jihadist Islamic extremism more than twice the number in recent years. The EUs landmark terrorism report also shows there was a reduction in the number of dissident republican and right-wing terror arrests in Ireland in 2023. The Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2024, produced by EU police agency Europol, said that 426 individuals were arrested for terrorist offences across 22 EU member states last year with most (334) relating to jihadist terrorism. This category refers to terrorism connected to a radical and violent interpretation of Islam, as reflected in the ideology of so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), originating in South Central Asia. The total number of terrorist-related offences in Ireland has gone from 14 in 2021, to 19 in 2022, and down to 15 in 2023. A breakdown of those figures show: Jihadist: nine (2023), four (2022), and four (2021). Dissident republican: four (2003), 11 (2022), and seven (2021). Right wing: one (2023), four (2022), and one (2021). The bulk of the jihadist arrests in Ireland are related to the financing of terrorism, rather than terrorist attacks, security sources have said. In September 2023, the Gardas intelligence chief told the Irish Examiner that the Special Detective Unit (SDU) was investigating around 60 cases of suspected financing of terrorism every year, most relating to monies destined for IS-type terror groups. Assistant Commissioner Michael McElgunn said there was particular concern around ISKP which, he said, had a small presence in Ireland. The head of the Garda National Crime & Security Intelligence Service (NCSIS) said his officers achieved significant success in 2023 after they blocked entry into Ireland of a key ISKP player. In October of this year, the SDU seized more than 100,000 in cash in an operation targeting Islamist fundraising in Ireland. The amount of cash suggested this outfit was engaged in substantial fundraising, security sources said Police have seized drugs worth approximately 645,000 (777,000) over four weeks at Belfast International Airport in an operation targeting organised crime groups. Detectives said some of the seizures were destined for Northern Ireland while others were destined for the Republic of Ireland. PSNI officers, along with partners in the Organised Crime Task Force, have been conducting the proactive operation at the airport. As well as the seizures, four people have been charged with drug importation and supply offences. A PSNI spokesperson said: Increasingly, we see criminal groups vary the methods they use in an attempt to bring drugs into this country. Accordingly, we are constantly changing our tactics to deal with this threat and to keep our streets safe. My message to those responsible is: if you try to bring drugs in by whatever means, we will be waiting to take them from you. The spokesperson continued: Some of the seizures were destined for Northern Ireland, while some, we believe, were destined for the Republic of Ireland market. Throughout the process, there will be exploitation of individuals, whether in the production, supply or consumption of drugs. People should be aware there is no such thing as harmless drugs. Someone, somewhere in the process, is likely to have suffered. We, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to actively target those responsible. We also, however, rely upon information from the public. With your help, we can focus our efforts on identifying those who make their living by bringing drugs into and onto our streets and neighbourhoods. The family of Private Sean Rooney are set to receive information about his death that was previously undisclosed, the United Nations has confirmed. The 24-year-old from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, was killed when a convoy of Irish troops serving with a UN peacekeeping force was ambushed and fired upon in Lebanon in December 2022. Pte Rooney and his colleagues were just four minutes from the main highway into Beirut when their vehicle was fired upon in the southern Lebanon village of Al-Aqibiya. Back in October, Pte Rooney's family expressed concern after the UN failed to respond to a request from a coroner for assistance in examining the circumstances of his death. On Friday, the solicitor for the family of Pte Rooney, Darragh Mackin, said that this new report is "fundamentally important" and "directly relevant" to the coroner's investigation. "That report is the investigation that occurs almost immediately after the event. "The United Nations had access to the exhibits, to the witnesses, long before any other investigation," he told RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland programme. According to Mr Mackin, the Rooney family was "left fighting a public battle" to receive information, which he believes should be "a basic requirement in a case like this." "It's a credit to the family that they continue to persevere to get to this stage, and we look forward to seeing this information being provided. "The information should be unrestricted, there should be no caveat, it should be provided to the coroner with all the supplementary materials, so that the coroner can actually exercise her function in assessing what is relevant," he said. Mr Mackin said he would be disappointed if the family were to receive "anything less than the full report" for the simple reason that "the UN are no different to any other public body." He also said that he believes that parts of the UN's investigation "point clearly in the direction of systemic failings." "That is why we have always sought access to the report, it is one of many other pieces of crucial evidence in this case that need to be assessed and considered. "And only when all of the relevant pieces are assessed and considered collectively can the truth be told," he said. Commenting on the criminal process in Lebanon, Mr Mackin said "one must approach that with caution." "I think we all know the difficulties that process faces, that is why the inquest to the family is of fundamental importance. "It is an independent investigation that complies with international standards, it complies with international human rights standards, and it allows the family to engage in a process which allows them to access the material. "It allows them to ask the relevant questions, and gives them a forum to which an independent conclusion can be reached. "So for the family, the inquest is of central importance in the next stage of the process, and it is certainly a crucial factor in establishing the truth. "And as many know, only when the truth is told can justice actually be done," Mr Mackin concluded. The last of the 150,000 UK parcels destined for Ireland delayed by the closure of the port at Holyhead have been rerouted to other UK ports, An Post has said. It comes as industry figures dont expect Holyhead Port to open next Thursday, which could plunge Christmas travel plans for tens of thousands travelling to and from Ireland into chaos. Due to damage caused by Storm Darragh, Holyhead Port has been closed and will remain so until at least late next week. An Post has said it is not counting on Holyhead being reopened before Christmas. It has also said that many UK retailers have worked with ferry companies to secure alternative routes into Ireland. In a statement Friday, it said: Many UK retailers are working with ferry companies to secure alternative routes on larger vessels into Ireland while Holyhead remains closed. Larger capacity ferries are now accessing Ireland from Wales, Scotland and Liverpool via Rosslare Europort, Larne and Dublin Port, and will continue to do so right up to Christmas and into New Year 2025. On Amazon.co.uk on Friday, many items that would usually arrive within just a few days are giving estimated delivery dates well into next week or even after Christmas. An Post said that if customers ordered before Storm Darragh but havent received their parcel yet, it should arrive in the coming days but check with your retailer. If youre planning to order from UK retailers, An Post said to check their delivery dates to Ireland as many of them have secured working routes into the country, but dispatch times could take longer. Overnight and this morning, An Post received over 350,000 UK parcels into its Dublin, Portlaoise and Athlone hubs for processing and delivery tomorrow (Saturday) and early next week, it said. These large hubs have the latest technology, equipment and additional Christmas staff to meet this challenge and to deal with parcels arriving by air, as well as large volumes of domestic parcels being posted by Irish brands and personal customers. The ferries bringing incoming goods via Dublin, Larne and Rosslare are also carrying outbound parcel traffic back to the UK and beyond, though this may add some time to the journey. Passenger traffic problems Meanwhile, exporters, hauliers and maritime experts are concerned that the situation for cross-channel transport will worsen next week as passenger traffic increases for the holidays, further straining a system that is already under pressure. Simon McKeever, from the Exporters Association, said a coordinated effort was needed from the Irish, Welsh and British governments to reach solutions while Holyhead was still closed. He said he does not believe Holyhead would be re-opened by December 19, and rerouting for routes would be essential. There's a big coordination that needs to be done to make sure that all of this rerouting can be done through the various different parts, and that those ports have the capacity, he told RTE Radio. Mr McKeever said that in terms of toys or consumer electronics that people have bought from the UK, they will be affected by the ongoing issues. That's the Santa Claus, or lack of Santa Claus, story, he added. The Department of Transport had already indicated that additional capacity is being provided by Rosslare. While the Port of Cork currently has no direct UK sailings, it has indicated that it has the capacity to operate one sailing a day, possibly two based on scheduling, it said. Solutions for the medium term, if necessary, are also under consideration. Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries were advising passengers that all services were cancelled through to next week, and the possibility of alternate sailings. Irish Ferries told customers it could avail of alternate services between Rosslare and Pembroke. Stena Line said: Due to the closure of Holyhead Port, Stena Line has cancelled all ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead until Friday 20th December. We are currently in the process of contacting all affected customers. We are currently assessing options for additional sailings to our ports in Birkenhead (Liverpool) and Fishguard. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. Families face uncertainty over loved ones making it home for Christmas while retailers are scrambling to find alternate routes for their products due to the ongoing closure of Holyhead Port. Industry figures do not expect the Welsh port damaged during Storm Darragh to open next Thursday. That could plunge Christmas holiday plans for tens of thousands travelling to and from Ireland into chaos as journeys for the festive period are expected to kick off in earnest from the middle of next week. So far, Irish Ferries and Stena Lines have cancelled sailings on the Dublin-Holyhead route until next Friday at the earliest. Meanwhile, An Post has said the last of the 150,000 parcels destined for Ireland delayed by the closure of the port at Holyhead have been rerouted to other British ports. It comes as Rosslare Europort is experiencing an increase of over 120% in freight volumes from Britain amid the scramble to secure alternative routes. While it is a major port for freight coming in and out of Dublin, it is also a significant route for passengers to make the return journey to Ireland for the Christmas period. An Post has said it is not counting on Holyhead being reopened before Christmas. An Post has said it is not counting on Holyhead being reopened before Christmas. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire In a statement on Friday, it said: Many UK retailers are working with ferry companies to secure alternative routes on larger vessels into Ireland while Holyhead remains closed. Larger capacity ferries are now accessing Ireland from Wales, Scotland, and Liverpool via Rosslare Europort, Larne, and Dublin Port, and will continue to do so right up to Christmas and into New Year 2025. Overnight into Friday, An Post said it had received 350,000 British parcels into its hubs for processing and delivery on Saturday and into next week. Rob Horgan of Cork's Velo Coffee said the disruption at Holyhead is having a significant knock-on impact on food producers and exporters. "The 'just in time' supply chain model has broken down because of this," Mr Horgan, the current President of Cork Chamber said. "We are sending three vans on Sunday through Rosslare to Pembroke to pick up our green beans and bring them back here to Cork on Tuesday for roasting. It's easier to book vans on the ferries rather than trucks." Velo Coffee supplies a range of customers including Tesco, Dunnes and Aldi along with Tesco in Northern Ireland. "We are confident of our supplies for Christmas but there is a lack of clarity around the entire situation," he said. Alan Kingston of Glenilen Farm in West Cork which supplies a range of yoghurts to supermarkets across Ireland and the UK said the disruption at Holyhead has added an extra day to their UK exports with products having to be moved through the port in Larne. Irish Exporters Association CEO Simon McKeever said he would have a very low level of confidence that Holyhead port will reopen on December 19. Mr McKeever said there needs to be an intergovernmental operation now between the Irish, Welsh, and British governments in order to get goods moving again. This includes moving traffic to other ports in Wales or Birkenhead in Liverpool. Meanwhile, the Department of Transport has said that while the Port of Cork currently has no direct British sailings, it has indicated that it has the capacity to operate one sailing a day, possibly two, based on scheduling. "The ministers will continue to engage stakeholders over the weekend and intend to meet with Irish Ferries and Stena Line on Monday to ensure that there is optimal co-operation between companies so that freight, drivers, and passengers can be accommodated ahead of the festive season," it added. RTE's Toy Show appeal has raised over 5m for a number of Irish charities across the country, the broadcaster has confirmed. 2024 marks the fifth year of the initiative, which first began in 2020, with a combined total of 26m raised since it's inception. The appeal was inspired by the story of the late Saoirse Ruane, who won the hearts of the nation after her appearance on the show. Saoirse died in March following a long battle with bone cancer and was laid to rest in her home village of Kiltullagh on Mothers Day this year. The response from Late Late Toy Show viewers this year will again "help transform the lives of over one million children, young people and their families in Ireland, with every county on the island benefitting". This year, over 1.6m people tuned in to watch the festive special, with a record breaking number of streams recorded on the RTE Player, as 622,000 viewers tuned in from 139 countries. Late Late Toy Show host Patrick Kielty expressed his thanks to all who donated for their "huge generosity" this year. "We have so many projects across the island of Ireland that are going to benefit from this and with Christmas just around the corner, the difference this is going to make to kids and their families all across Ireland is huge. Thank you so much. The donations will be granted to charities under three main areas of support once applications open in January. These include Addressing Essential Needs for the most vulnerable children, Health and Well Being to include therapy and trauma support, with the third category being Creativity and Play. RTE Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst described these funds as "so important" in providing valuable support to many children and families right across the country. He described the appeal as one of the "most important and impactful things that we do in RTE". Among those across the country who benefitted from last years Toy Show Appeal were Hand in Hand Childrens Cancer Charity in Galway, Limerick Youth Service, Feed Cork, Laois Domestic Abuse Service, Graffiti Theatre Company and Neurodiversity Ireland. Denise Charlton, Chief Executive, Community Foundation Ireland said the generosity of viewers is passing an "incredible milestone" "It is the best possible festive story, but its impact on childrens lives will of course continue long after the decorations come down and the lights are switched off," While many chosen to donate via the official RTE Toy Show Appeal website, the public were also able to donate in-app with official donation partner Revolut Pay. Of the 5m raised, over 3.7m was donated via Revolut. Vlad Yatsenko, Co-Founder & CTO at Revolut, said the appeal is "an important cause", which delivers year after year. "Im thrilled with the incredible generosity our customers have shown to such a worthy appeal with donating made even easier this year with the introduction of Revolut Pay. Every last cent goes directly to childrens charities. A candidate in the general and local elections in Kerry, jailed earlier this week for contempt of court in connection with online social media posts about a female garda sergeant in Listowel, has been freed by a judge at Killarney Circuit Civil Court. Michelle Keane of Talbot Bridge, Knocknagoshel undertook to abide by an earlier court order removing posts and desisting from publishing further about Sergeant Melanie Walsh, directly or indirectly. In July, Ms Keane was ordered to remove all online social media posts about Sgt Walsh. The July interlocutory injunction also ordered Michelle Keane and any other party acting in concert with her from making future statements about Sergeant Walsh online. In Listowel Circuit Civil Court on Tuesday, the legal team for Sergeant Walsh said the order had been breached and they applied for an attachment and committal order. The court was told the background of the case was that Ms Keane last April posted a recording of a phone conversation between herself and Sgt Walsh online, making defamatory statements. This was after Sgt Walsh had been tasked in her duty as a garda to contact Ms Keane in relation to certain offensive material online. The order had been breached on a number of occasions, most recently on November 28 on a post on Facebook, the court was told, and although the sergeants name was not used the garda was identifiable by the posts, they said. Ms Keane vehemently denied breaching the interlocutory gagging order and refused to give future undertakings. James ODonohoe jailed her for contempt. Friday's proceedings The matter was adjourned to Killarney on Friday when Ms Keane was brought by prison van from Limerick. Up to 50 supporters were in attendance, cheering loudly, as she exited the prison van at 11.44 am. Most filed into court after her. Ms Keane, dressed in black and white, addressed the court from the custody bench, saying she represented herself and wished to make an application. Judge ODonohoe told her she had been imprisoned for contempt of court and asked her what her position was now. Ms Walsh, reading from the Bunreacht na hEireann, invoked Article 40.1 on detention of citizens, and referred to habeas corpus, alleging unlawful detention. Counsel for Ms Walsh, Elaine Davern Wiseman said very clearly she was incarcerated for breaching a court order and her detention was utterly lawful. Sgt Melanie Walsh (pictured) had been tasked in her duty as a garda to contact Ms Keane in relation to certain offensive material online. File photo Judge ODonohoe again asked Ms Keane what her position was, saying she had been given every opportunity in Listowel, including 40 minutes to talk to the barrister representing Sergeant Walsh, to give an undertaking. If she wanted to be released, he was giving her the opportunity to sign undertakings, the judge said. Ms Keane said she had a nine-year-old daughter and a son, and her children were everything to her. It is the position, the plaintiff, Melanie Walsh, does not wish Ms Keane to be incarcerated, but she does wish the protection of the court, which has been afforded her by law, Ms Davern Wiseman said. Her children came first and so she would give the undertaking, Michelle Keane told Judge ODonohoe. My hands are tied, she said, again referring to her two children. After a brief recess, in which the parties consulted, Ms Keane and the plaintiffs legal team returned to court. Ms Keane's undertaking Reading from a handwritten page, Michelle Keane swore to abide by the order of Judge Comerford in Ennis of July 9 in its entirety; to remove from any social media or online platform anything concerning the plaintiff and not publish anything, directly or indirectly, by description or name, pending the determination of this process. Judge ODonohoe then said she had purged her contempt and could be released. He awarded costs to Sgt Walsh. As she left the stand Ms Keane asked Judge Donohoe when he would give her a hearing date for defence of her case. It has been put into the call-over of next week, the court clerk said. Ms Keane, an author, and a campaigner against masts, and interior designer and a mother of two came to prominence during the local elections particularly, garnering large online followings with regular video and social media posts. Running as an Independent candidate in the Castleisland LEA in June she polled just under 1,000 first preference votes but failed to get a seat. In the November general election she listed immigration calling for deportations as top of her priority list. Other priorities included law reform and the release of Enoch Burke. She also listed herself as pro-life. Normally the word concrete would not crop up in my vocabulary when it comes to interiors usually it errs on the side of feathery cushions, toe-snuggling rugs and invitingly soft sofas. Then the growing trend for microcement as an alternative finish to tiling in bathrooms and kitchens comes along offering visual appeal, developing one of the most heavy-duty building materials into a level of refinement to rival any fine surface finish. Its typically composed of cement powder, quartz powder and resin mix which is then applied in a thin layer to just about any surface it seems, even kitchen worktops. The result is a combination of industrial chic meets polished concrete, with all sorts of colour options available to elevate it out of the dense grey we associate with polished concrete floors. Elise Peng, owner of Dublin-based interior designers EP Interiors, has been specifying it in some of her projects. Its quiet luxury with a high-end aesthetic to give a cosmetic update to the bathroom, she says. You can use it instead of tiles so youre not buying adhesive and grouting and theres no waste with off-cuts so its cheaper and more sustainable. "If youre renovating, you can apply it over existing tiles so it saves removal and gives you a quick refresh of the bathroom. But you do need to make sure the bathroom is waterproofed properly before using it. For a warm hue, get the plaster-effect with the Grandeco Blush concrete look wallpaper; 25.25, B&Q. The growing popularity of the product has meant Kerry-based Gintaras Bendaravicius, owner of Mymicrocement, gave up being a tiler after 18 years to work exclusively with microcement in 2022. "It's a big change in interior design," Gintaras, from Killarney. "Any walls or floors can be done in it and you have an endless choice of colours. You'll never have to paint it. You can also have different textures from stone effect to smooth as glass. It's a super flexible product." Anna Bougharbel's own bathroom shows her micro-cement work with curvy sanitary ware and wooden accents for an inviting look. He also cites what he sees as its particular value over regular concrete when doing up a property. "Polished concrete is difficult to pour in a renovation," he says. "Microcement is easy for a renovation and there are no joins. It's only 4mm thickness so if you have underfloor heating it will come up much faster than it would through concrete." It seems were only starting to get on board with the trend here in Ireland but it has been thriving in other parts of Europe, according to Anna Bougharbel of Cork-based Maison Anna B, a microcement and lime paint specialist boutique service. She first discovered the product as an option when she was choosing finishes for her own home. Short and simple, we were building our house and looking at the interior choices and we were attracted to micro cement, she says. Im French and its everywhere in France but there are not many providers here in Ireland. We wanted the seamless look, no tiles, no grout. The texture is fabulous, it really brings you somewhere else, the feeling like youre on holiday. Having it in her own ensuite bathroom and living with the practicality and aesthetic prompted her to set up her business, and far from it involving cement mixers outside our front door, the application technique requires skill and attention to detail. You need patience to apply it, an eye for detail, a feminine eye," she says. It can work on many surfaces, bathrooms, backsplashes, fireplaces and kitchen counters. Lots of people are looking for materials that are beautiful, she says, and theyre being bolder now with materials. Microcement is a coating, and its low-maintenance but you will need to reseal it after seven years or even longer. Rob Hennessy has opted for a blend of contemporary an vintage in his en-suite bathroom with micro-cement walls instead of tiles and a vintage sink unit. Day-to-day maintenance is easy according to Rob Hennessy who has used microcement in his Passage West, Co Cork home. Fans of RTEs The Great House Revival will remember when presenter Hugh Wallace visited him at the start of his mammoth and ongoing renovation of his period house back in 2022. Tackling his en-suite bathroom earlier this year, he opted for the product as he knew he didnt want tiles. I looked into different finishes, he says. No matter what you do in a house its always down to the finish and the microcement is a stunning effect. There are hundreds of colour choices so you never have to paint it. I went for a light cream. Its a small room and I didnt want it to look dark. Its an interesting choice for a period property but this is something Rob took into consideration when making his decision, blending the contemporary aesthetic of microcement with vintage elements like a repurposed washstand which hes turned into a sink unit. I brought in the old to work with the new, he says. The ensuite is now one of my favourite rooms. A bathroom project by Anna Maison B is finished in a warm neutral colour microcement. Having lived with it for eight months since it was done by Anna Maison B, does he have any advice for a homeowner considering it as a finish? Make sure the surface is skimmed with the standard plaster finish first, he says. Anna primed it and put two coats of microcement on it over two days. I absolutely love it. Im now planning to have elements of it in other rooms, and I love not having to clean grout. A former Syrian military official who oversaw a prison where alleged human rights abuses took place has been charged with several counts of torture after being arrested in July for visa fraud charges, authorities said Thursday. Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, who oversaw Syrias infamous Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008 under recently ousted President Bashar Assad, was charged by a federal grand jury with several counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture. Its a huge step toward justice, said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the US-based Syrian Emergency Task Force. Samir Ousman al-Sheikhs trial will reiterate that the United States will not allow war criminals to come and live in the United States without accountability, even if their victims were not US citizens. Arab League observers, with orange vests, oversee the releasing of Syrian prisoners as they leave Adra Prison in 2012 (AP) Federal officials detained the 72-year-old in July at Los Angeles International Airport on charges of immigration fraud, specifically that he denied on his US visa and citizenship applications that he had ever persecuted anyone in Syria, according to a criminal complaint. He had purchased a one-way plane ticket to depart Los Angeles on July 10, en route to Beirut, Lebanon. Human rights groups and United Nations officials have accused the Syrian government of widespread abuses in its detention facilities, including torture and arbitrary detention of thousands of people, in many cases without informing their families. The government fell to a sudden rebel offensive last Sunday, putting an end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family and sending the former president fleeing to Russia. Insurgents have freed tens of thousands of prisoners from facilities in multiple cities since then. In his role as the head of Adra Prison, al-Sheikh allegedly ordered subordinates to inflict and was directly involved in inflicting severe physical and mental pain on prisoners. He ordered prisoners to the Punishment Wing, where they were beaten while suspended from the ceiling with their arms extended and were subjected to a device that folded their bodies in half at the waist, sometimes resulting in fractured spines, according to federal officials. Our client vehemently denies these politically motivated and false accusations, his lawyer, Nina Marino, said in an emailed statement. Ms Marino called the case a misguided use of government resources by the US Justice Department for the prosecution of a foreign national for alleged crimes that occurred in a foreign country against non-American citizens. US authorities accused two Syrian officials of running a prison and torture centre at the Mezzeh Air Force base in the capital of Damascus in an indictment unsealed on Monday. Victims included Syrians, Americans and dual citizens, including 26-year-old American aid worker Layla Shweikani, according to prosecutors and the Syrian Emergency Task Force. Federal prosecutors said they had issued arrest warrants for the two officials, who remain at large. In May, a French court sentenced three high-ranking Syrian officials in absentia to life in prison for complicity in war crimes in a largely symbolic but landmark case against the Assad regime and the first such case in Europe. Al-Sheikh began his career working in police command posts before transferring to Syrias state security apparatus, which focused on countering political dissent, officials said. He later became head of Adra Prison and brigadier general in 2005. In 2011, he was appointed governor of Deir ez-Zour, a region northeast of the Syrian capital of Damascus, where there were violent crackdowns against protesters. The indictment alleges that al-Sheikh immigrated to the US in 2020 and applied for citizenship in 2023. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit torture charge and each of the three torture charges, plus a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each of the two immigration fraud charges. A prominent human rights lawyer has parted ways with the International Criminal Court to protest what he sees as an unjustified failure of its chief prosecutor to indict members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros government. Chilean-born Claudio Grossman, a past president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, has left due to the failure to bring prosecutions for crimes against humanity, The Associated Press has learned. He was appointed special adviser to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in November 2021 on the deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela. In a harshly worded email last month to Mr Khan, Mr Grossman said his ethical standards no longer allow him to stand by silently as Mr Maduros government continues to commit abuses, expel foreign diplomats and obstruct the work of human rights monitors from the United Nations without any action from the ICC. Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, right, shakes hands with National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez during a meeting at the National Assembly (AP/Ariana Cubillos) I can no longer justify the choice not to take correspondingly serious action against the perpetrators of the grave violations, Mr Grossman wrote in an email rejecting an offer by Mr Khans office in September to renew his contract. A copy of the email, which has not been made public, was provided to the AP by someone familiar with the ICC investigation into Venezuela. Following inquiries with Mr Khans office, Professor Grossmans name was removed from the courts website listing him as a special adviser. The Prosecutor is extremely grateful to Professor Grossman for the expertise and work he has rendered, the prosecutors office said in a statement without addressing Mr Grossmans stated reasons for cutting ties with the court, which based in The Hague, Netherlands. Professor Grossman declined to comment. The pressure on Mr Khan to indict Venezuelan officials, including Mr Maduro, comes as he battles allegations of misconduct with a female aide and the threat of US sanctions over his decision to seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The Rome Statute that established the court took effect in 2002, with a mandate to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide but only when domestic courts fail to initiate their investigations. Calls for faster progress in the courts only ever investigation in Latin America have grown louder as Mr Maduro tightens his grip on power, preparing to be sworn in for a third term on January 10 following an election marred by serious allegations of ballot box fraud and a post-election crackdown. More than 2,000 people were arrested and 20 killed following the vote. The US and even some fellow leftist leaders in Latin America have demanded authorities present voting records, as they have in the past, to refute tally sheets presented by Maduros opponents showing their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, prevailed by a two-to-one margin. Many in Venezuelas opposition have complained that the ICC is applying a double standard, moving aggressively to seek the arrest of Mr Netanyahu and Russias Vladimir Putin for atrocities in Gaza and Ukraine while showing undue leniency with Venezuelan officials Mr Khan has been investigating for more than three years. There is no justification whatsoever for the inaction, Mr Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado wrote in a recent letter to Professor Grossman and 18 other special advisers to the court appealing for their help. What is at stake is the life and well-being of Venezuelans, they added in the letter, which was also provided to the AP by the person familiar with the ICC investigation. This unjustifiable delay will cast legitimate doubts about the integrity of a system of accountability that has been an aspiration for the whole world. Claudio Grossman, chairperson of the Committee against Torture speaks during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations AP/Keystone, Martial Trezzini) At the request of several Latin American governments, Mr Khan three years ago opened an investigation into Venezuelan security forces jailing, torture and killing of anti-government demonstrators. At the same time, he promised technical assistance to give local authorities an opportunity to take action before the ICC, a tribunal of last resort. Earlier this month, Mr Khan delivered some of his harshest comments to date about the human rights situation in Venezuela, warning that officials repeated promises to investigate alleged abuses cannot be a never-ending story. I have not seen the concrete implementation of laws and practices in Venezuela that I hoped for, he said in a speech at ICC headquarters. The ball is in Venezuelas court. The track of complementarity is running out of road. Mr Maduros government, in response, said in a statement that it deeply regrets that the prosecutor is being led astray by campaigns that have emerged on social networks promoted by the extreme right, Zionism and Western powers seeking to apply legal colonialism against Venezuela. Some Venezuelan critics have linked what they view as foot-dragging to a potential conflict of interest involving Mr Khans sister-in-law, international criminal lawyer Venkateswari Alagendra, who has appeared on behalf of the Venezuelan government in two hearings before the court. An ICC code of conduct directs prosecutors to abstain from any conflicts that may arise from personal interest in the case, including a spousal, parental or other close family, personal or professional relationship with any of the parties. Ms Alagendra has previously worked with Khan and his wife defending Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan dictator, at the ICC. Mr Khans office declined to comment about the relationship. But in a filing this month seeking dismissal of a request for recusal filed by the Washington-based Arcadia Foundation, he said a sister-in-law is not a close enough personal relationship requiring automatic disqualification and that he doesnt recall ever discussing the Venezuela probe with Ms Alagendra, who is just one of several lawyers defending the South American government. No fair-minded and informed observer would conclude that there is a real possibility of bias, Mr Khan wrote, adding that he continues to actively and independently investigate the situation in Venezuela. Those claiming to be victims of the Maduro government have pushed for the court to wrap up its investigation without taking a position on whether Mr Khan should be recused. Muchuan grass dragons soar amid inheritance, preservation efforts People's Daily Online) 10:08, December 13, 2024 The Muchuan grass dragon is a folk art in Muchuan county, Leshan city, southwest China's Sichuan Province. In 2008, the craft of making Muchuan grass dragons was inscribed on the list of national-level intangible cultural heritage in China. To create a grass dragon, artisans select flawless, golden-yellow rice straws harvested that year. The straws are treated with fumigation, drying, and anti-insect and anti-mold processes to achieve shades of green and gold. Using local bamboo strips, artisans construct a skeleton and then weave the processed straws onto it, bringing to life the dragon's features like whiskers, teeth, tongue, jaws, horns, nose, and flames through various techniques such as weaving, wrapping, and coiling. Photo shows a Muchuan grass dragon performance. (Photo/Kong Sheng) Chen Huanbin is an inheritor of the Muchuan grass dragon making craft. One of his standout works is a dragon which is 32 meters in length. Chen Huanbin said the head and claws are the most difficult parts to create, adding that it takes nearly two months to weave a dragon head. Over the course of more than 30 years, Chen Huanbin has discovered his own method of making grass dragons by using bamboo and straw to craft intricate details such as the dragon's nose, eyes, whiskers, teeth, and scales, relying solely on his intuition and years of experience. In the past, Chen Huanbin's elderly family members would showcase their grass dragons on the streets during festivals, delighting the crowds as the dragons soared through the air. Today, the Muchuan grass dragon has transcended its traditional form, embracing new possibilities and greater potential. Photo shows a grass dragon handicraft. (Photo/Zou Songling) Chen Huanbin and his daughter Chen Liyan have been actively exploring the innovative development of the Muchuan grass dragon making craft by introducing creative cultural products like grass-woven lamps, encouraging more people to participate in preserving and promoting the craft. At the secondary vocational school in Muchuan county where Chen Liyan teaches, the grass dragon interest group is one of the most popular student groups. Chen Liyan mentioned that as the students' weaving skills gained market recognition, orders have been pouring in steadily. In recent years, Muchuan county has used the "dragon" as a cultural bridge to deeply integrate intangible cultural heritage with rural tourism. Through platforms like museums, the county has created unique cultural tourism projects that attract more visitors to Muchuan. These efforts have significantly boosted local rural tourism. Additionally, the county has developed creative cultural products featuring the grass dragon, introduced immersive viewing experiences based around the craft, and launched educational programs centered around the grass dragon. These new scenarios and industries have injected fresh vitality into Muchuan's cultural tourism market. Photo shows Muchuan grass dragons in a live-action performance. (Photo/Gao Luchuan) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) An ancient relic that some Christians revere as Jesus Christs Crown of Thorns is returning to Notre Dame, nearly five years after it was saved from the flames of the cathedrals devastating 2019 fire. The crown, a circular band of branches encased in a gilded, golden tube, is being brought back to its historic home on Friday. Colombia arrested a suspected British drug trafficker they described as invisible due to his low-key lifestyle, which allowed him to remain anonymous while allegedly operating as a cartels co-ordinator of cocaine trafficking from the South American country to the United Kingdom, authorities said on Friday. Christopher Neil was arrested on Thursday in the north-west city of Medellin in an operation by local law enforcement and Interpol. A majority of U.S. voters want President Joe Biden to reach out to the Cuban government to re-establish diplomatic ties before he leaves the White House next month, according to a public opinion survey published this week by a progressive think tank. A total of 58% believes the United States should renew relations with Cuba, while 23% oppose the idea, according to the poll of 1,225 likely voters conducted by Data for Progress. The numbers drop to 52% support and 34% in opposition when respondents were presented with arguments for and against renewing diplomatic relations with the communist-governed island. Other diplomatic actions receiving majority approval include 53% support for lifting commercial travel restrictions to Cuba, with 27% opposing. There was 52% support for sponsoring internet access in Cuba to facilitate the free flow of information between the two nations, with 29% against. The U.S. maintained a trade embargo with Cuba since the early 1960s, when Fidel Castro overthrew a U.S.-backed government, until Barack Obama took major steps to normalize relations during his last years in office. That included restoring diplomatic ties and expanding travel and trade. Donald Trump reversed many of those reforms, redesignating Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism for repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists just before he left office in January 2021. Joe Biden in turn has reversed some of those Trump regulations but has not gone completely back to the Obama policies. The State Department did remove Cuba from a short list of countries that the U.S. alleges were not cooperating fully in its fight against terrorism in May, but it hasnt removed the island from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list. Ignorant After a group of Democrats in Congress called on Biden to remove Cuba from that list recently, Florida Sen. Rick Scott fired back, claiming that such calls werent just ignorant, but dangerous. According to the poll, a narrow plurality of voters (38%-36%) agree, saying they dont want Cuba removed from that list, although nearly a third (27%) feel they lacked enough information to offer an opinion. A plurality (41%) opposes allowing private Cuban individuals and businesses to open bank accounts in the U.S, while 37% support the proposal. The Biden administration announced earlier this year that it would allow independent private entrepreneurs who are Cuban nationals to open, maintain, and remotely use U.S. bank accounts for the first time. In Miami-Dade County, home to the largest Cuban immigrant population in the country, 55% support continuation of the embargo, according to a Florida International University poll of 1,001 Cuban Americans conducted Sept. 25-Oct 9. Support for continuing the embargo drops to 43% among Cuban Americans not born on the island. The Data for Progress survey of 1,225 U.S. likely voters took place between Nov. 20 and Nov. 22. It was conducted in English using web panel respondents and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. This story appeared on the website of the Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of state government and politics from Tallahassee Firefighters are working diligently to control a wildfire in the coastal community of Malibu, California, where 6,300 residents have evacuated their homes as schools and businesses closed their doors. Almost 2,000 firefighters were engaged in combating the Franklin Fire, which has burned over 4,000 acres since it ignited on Monday, destroying nine structures and causing damage to six additional buildings, according to officials. As of last night, it was reported to be 7% contained. Your consent is required to load this comcast-player content. We utilize comcast-player to manage additional content which may set cookies on your device and gather information about your activity. Please review their information and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences The steep and rugged terrain to the northwest of Los Angeles has hindered firefighters access to much of the fire area, which is expected to take several more days to contain, as stated by Dusty Martin, assistant fire chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Vehicles destroyed in the Franklin Fire Firefighters focused their efforts on a specific canyon where helicopters were deployed to drop water. Nearby, a group took a break, their faces covered in dust just before sunset. Officials have lifted a red flag warning that was previously in effect to inform the public about the heightened risk of rapid fire spread. The affluent town of Malibu is situated in the secluded hills above the Pacific Ocean, approximately 50km northwest of Los Angeles, and is home to many celebrities. The wildfire has scorched 4,000 acres near Pepperdine University Among those evacuated was actor Dick Van Dyke, who will celebrate his 99th birthday tomorrow. He shared on social media that he and his wife evacuated safely, along with their pets, though one pet named Bobo remains missing. Captain Jennifer Seetoo of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department reported that around 22,000 people have been affected by the fire. No fatalities or injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to officials. A large portion of Malibu is currently without power, complicating communication efforts with residents still in the area. Wildfires are a recurring challenge in California, often intensified during this time of year by powerful Santa Ana winds that carry dry desert air from the interior. Scientists warn that climate change, driven by the unrestrained burning of fossil fuels, is disrupting weather patterns, leading to prolonged dry periods and an increased risk of destructive fires. Moreover, decades of land management policies advocating a zero-tolerance approach to wildfires have left many rural areas overburdened with fuel, resulting in fires that tend to be hotter, faster, and more perilous when they do occur. The parliament of Moldova has enacted a national state of emergency for 60 days, commencing on 16 December, in anticipation of a halt in Russian gas supplies starting 1 January. In a late-night vote just after midnight, fifty-six of the 101 members voted in favor of the resolution, following Prime Minister Dorin Receans appeal for approval to ensure the separatist region of Transdniestria receives the necessary gas supplies. This vote, as Mr. Recean articulated, was aimed at putting an end to gas blackmail from Moscow. By declaring a state of emergency, the government is empowered to take swift action and limit energy exports. Mr. Recean accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of wanting to deprive the population of Transdniestria of gas and electricity, effectively holding them hostage. He stated that Moscows intentions are to create instability in Moldova. He urged parliament to endorse the state of emergency, asserting that this winter must be the last in the countrys history when we can fall victim to energy blackmail. The government expressed in a statement that failing to supply gas to Transdniestria will lead to a humanitarian crisis and will pose risks to the stability of Moldovas electricity sector. Moldova imports approximately 2 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Russia. Since 2022, an agreement has been in place that stipulates all Russian gas that Moldova receives is redirected to Transdniestria. Transdniestria hosts a power plant fueled by Russian gas, which is crucial to the regions economy and supplies most of the electricity for areas controlled by the Moldovan government. The unrecognized region of Transdniestria declared its own state of economic emergency on Tuesday. Mr. Recean also referred to the transit difficulties through Ukraine as an artificial problem, suggesting that Russian gas could be rerouted through alternative pathways. Moldova proposed that one possibility could involve transporting Russian gas via the Turk Stream pipeline to Turkey, and subsequently through Bulgaria and Romania. However, the availability of these supplies remains uncertain, as Gazprom is linking continued deliveries through alternative routes to its demand for Moldova to settle a debt of $709 million (676m) for past supplies, according to Russian assessments. Ukraine Confronts Significant Russian Assault on Energy Infrastructure, According to Ministry Ukraine has reported that it is resisting a fresh missile assault on its energy infrastructure, marking the latest phase of Russias ongoing campaign against the war-ravaged nations power grid amidst the winter months. Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraines energy facilities, resulting in temporary blackouts for hundreds of thousands as temperatures fall to 0C. The enemy persists in its terror. Once more, the energy sector throughout Ukraine is under severe attack, stated Ukraines Energy Minister German Galushchenko. An air raid alert has been in effect since 7am local time (5am Irish time), with threat-monitoring channels reporting missile activity across various parts of Ukraine. We need your consent to load this rte-player content. We use rte-player to manage extra content that may set cookies on your device and gather data regarding your activity. Please review their details and accept to load the content. Manage Preferences Enhanced restrictions announced To address the power shortage, Ukraines energy operator has been implementing long outages. Following this mornings assault, increased restrictions have been declared. The Kremlin has previously admitted to targeting Ukraines energy sites, arguing that they are legitimate targets as they support enterprises in the Ukrainian defense industry. Ukrainian officials have consistently condemned the attacks on the energy infrastructure as efforts to undermine the morale of the population and have urged allies to provide additional air defense support. In response to the recent strike, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga reiterated this appeal. Russia aims to strip us of energy. Instead, we must take away its means of terror, he stated on social media. Senior Ukrainian official indicates Kyiv is not yet ready for negotiations with Russia Yesterday, Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, remarked in an interview that his administration is not yet prepared for talks with Russia, citing a lack of necessary weapons, security assurances, and international standing. Yermaks statements to public broadcaster Suspilne came as Zelensky publicly contemplates a potential negotiated resolution to the war initiated by Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Not today, Yermak responded to Suspilne when asked about Ukraines readiness for negotiations. We lack the weapons, and we lack the status we are discussing, which includes an invitation to NATO and a clear understanding of guarantees that ensure (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wont return in two to three years. Ukraines conflict with Russia has resulted in extensive damage across large areas of the country. Alongside German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, Zelensky remarked this week that Ukraine seeks to end the war and that efforts are necessary to strengthen his country and compel the Kremlin to pursue peace. In recent public statements, Zelensky has also indicated that negotiations could occur while Russia still holds territory seized during the invasion. However, he emphasized that Ukraine requires a formal invitation for the entire country to join NATO, with the alliances status applying only to areas controlled by Ukrainian authorities and real security guarantees being essential. During his visit to Paris last week, Zelensky met with US President-elect Donald Trump, who expressed a desire for a swift conclusion to the war without providing specific details. Russia has consistently dismissed any possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, with Putin asserting that Kyiv must recognize the Kremlins annexation of four Ukrainian regions, which it only partially controls. According to the United Nations humanitarian agency, over one million individuals, primarily women and children, have been newly displaced in Syria since rebels launched an offensive to remove President Bashar al-Assad. As of December 12, 1.1 million people have been newly displaced throughout the country since hostilities escalated on November 27. The majority are women and children, stated the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Syrias interim government has pledged to establish the rule of law following years of abuses under the ousted president Bashar al-Assad, while the United States cautioned against actions that could lead to further conflict. Mr. Assad fled Syria after a rapid offensive led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies, ending a repressive rule that lasted five decades. Yesterday, a spokesman for the new government informed AFP that the countrys constitution and parliament would be suspended during a three-month transition period. A Syrian man waved the independence-era Syrian flag over Umayyad Square in Damascus. A judicial and human rights committee will be formed to review the constitution and recommend amendments, said Obaida Arnaout. Speaking from the state television headquarters now under the control of the new rebel authorities, Mr. Arnaout emphasized they would uphold the rule of law. All individuals who have committed crimes against the Syrian people will be held accountable under the law, he further stated. Regarding personal and religious freedoms, Mr. Arnaout affirmed, we respect the religious and cultural diversity in Syria. Concern Over Additional Conflicts US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently in Jordan, stressed the importance of avoiding actions that could ignite further conflicts. His remarks came after he referenced recent Israeli and Turkish military activities on Syrian territory. Mr. Blinken stated that Washington aims to ensure Syria does not become a base for terrorism and does not pose a threat to its neighbors, clarifying that the US has hundreds of troops in Syria as part of a coalition against the Islamic State group. This situation has raised concerns for Turkey, which opposes the US military alliance with Syrian Kurds, as well as for Israel, which has targeted military sites in Syria since the fall of Mr. Assad. UN chief Antonio Guterres is particularly concerned about the Israeli airstrikes, according to his spokesman. From Jordan, Mr. Blinken proceeded to Ankara for discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey has appointed a new chief-of-mission to its long-closed embassy in Damascus, as reported by the Anadolu news agency. Israeli strikes near Damascus were reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, with AFP correspondents noting loud explosions. Mr. Blinken mentioned that the Israeli airstrikes aim to ensure that the military equipment abandoned by the Syrian army does not fall into the hands of the wrong people. The top US diplomat also indicated that Washington is working to bring home American Travis Timmerman, following announcements from Syrias new leadership about his release. The Syrian leadership expressed its readiness to cooperate with Washington in locating US citizens who disappeared under Assads regime, including an ongoing search for US journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in 2012. Inclusive Transition Leaders from the Group of Seven democratic nations expressed their willingness to support the transition towards an inclusive and non-sectarian government in Syria. They emphasized the need for the protection of human rights, particularly for women and minorities, while also highlighting the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes. Hundreds of Syrians mourned the passing of outspoken activist Mazen al-Hamada, who had publicized the torture he experienced while imprisoned in Syria during his testimony in the Netherlands. He later returned, and his body was among more than 30 located in a hospital morgue in Damascus this week. While many celebrated Mr. Assads removal, uncertainty looms over the future of the diverse, multi-ethnic country. HTS, rooted in Syrias Al-Qaeda faction and labeled a terrorist organization by numerous Western governments, has made attempts to moderate its rhetoric. The new leadership has also committed to seeking justice for the victims of Mr. Assads regime. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now known as Ahmed al-Sharaa, called upon nations to extradite criminals who may have escaped to ensure they face justice. UN investigators reported the compilation of secret lists containing 4,000 individuals implicated in serious crimes in Syria since the onset of the civil war. Remaining Hopeful The UNs World Food Programme has requested $250 million (238 million) in food assistance for displaced and vulnerable populations in Syria over the next six months. Jordan announced it will host a summit on the Syria crisis tomorrow, with participation from foreign ministers of various Western and Arab nations, as well as Turkey. After the Baath party, a feared tool of oppression, announced its activities would be suspended, members like Maher Semsmieh, 43, surrendered their weapons and denounced the party. The UNs World Food Programme has delivered aid to Syria since November 27. We are no longer Baathists, he declared with a smile, explaining that individuals had felt obliged to be part of the party. Mr. Assads regime was sustained by Russia, where a senior official recently informed US media that he had fled, along with support from Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah militant group. The rebels initiated their offensive on November 27, coinciding with a ceasefire implemented in the Israel-Hezbollah war, which resulted in significant losses for Mr. Assads Lebanese ally. On Sunday, Israel announced it had deployed troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, a move that the UN stated contravened a 1974 armistice. In the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexedan action not recognized by most of the international communitymany Druze Arab residents expressed hope for a return to Syrian governance. I cant imagine anything worse than his regime existing, Talal Abu Saleh, 69, told AFP regarding Mr. Assad. While uncertainty abounds, I choose to remain hopeful. Israeli forces have executed an initial withdrawal from a town in southern Lebanon, which was subsequently taken over by the Lebanese military under a ceasefire agreement, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM). The leader of the command, General Erik Kurilla, was present at the implementation and monitoring headquarters today during the ongoing first withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces and the replacement by the Lebanese Armed Forces in Al-Khiam, Lebanon as part of the (ceasefire) agreement, CENTCOM stated. This marks a significant first step toward achieving a lasting cessation of hostilities and establishes the groundwork for continued advancements, said Gen Kurilla in the statement. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati remarked that the deployment of troops in the Khiam and Marjayoun areas today signifies a crucial step towards enhancing the armys presence in the south, in adherence to the ceasefire decision. The Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers will be deployed in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army pulls out. Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced that its 7th Brigade had completed their mission in Khiam, southern Lebanon. In alignment with the ceasefire understandings and coordinated with the United States, Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers are being deployed in the area alongside UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission in the region, noted the Israeli statement. Israel intensified its military efforts in southern Lebanon in late September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges initiated by Hezbollah in support of Hamas, following the Palestinian groups attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. A ceasefire took effect on November 27 and has been generally upheld, although both parties have accused each other of numerous violations. As part of the agreement, the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers will be stationed in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws over a 60-day period. Hezbollah is also expected to pull its forces back north of the Litani River, approximately 30km from the border, and to dismantle its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. 12/13/2024 Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (center) is awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Jacksonville State University President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr., as (from left) Trustee Randy Owen, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Christie Shelton, and Board of Trustees Chairman Randy Jones look on. The honor was bestowed during Jax States fall commencement ceremony on December 13, 2024, at Pete Mathews Coliseum. (JSU Photo by Alyssa Cash) Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Jacksonville State University during its fall commencement ceremony on December 13, 2024, at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Speaker Ledbetter, who was in attendance as the keynote speaker for Jax States 10 a.m. commencement, was recognized for his exceptional leadership, dedication to public service, and significant contributions to the state of Alabama. President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr., and Board of Trustees Chairman Randy Jones presented the honorary degree to Speaker Ledbetter before a large audience of graduates, faculty, family members, and guests. Speaker Ledbetters unwavering commitment to the citizens of Alabama has transformed lives and strengthened communities, said Dr. Killingsworth. His leadership serves as an inspiration to us all, and we are proud to recognize his extraordinary impact on our state with this honorary doctorate. The resolution conferring the honorary doctorate highlighted Speaker Ledbetters remarkable career, which began in the electrical cooperative industry and expanded to include numerous leadership roles in public service. A native of Rainsville, Alabama, he built a successful career in his industry, contributing to the infrastructure and economic growth of the region. His dedication to local governance was demonstrated through various municipal government roles in his hometown. Elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2014, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the first freshman member of the House Republican caucus to be elected majority leader in 2017. In 2022, he was unanimously elected as the 67th Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives. Under his leadership, Speaker Ledbetter has championed reforms in mental health care, securing historic investments to improve access to free and effective treatment for Alabamians in crisis. He has also been instrumental in enacting historic tax cuts, advancing economic development, and improving education in Alabama. As noted in the resolution adopted by the Jax State Board of Trustees, the honorary doctorate was presented in recognition of exceptional leadership that has improved the quality of life for the people of Alabama. Jacksonville State Universitys impact extends far beyond Northeast Alabama, said Speaker Ledbetter. This institution is developing leaders who go on to solve problems for our state, nation, and global community. Thank you to President Killingsworth, the Board of Trustees, and the JSU Family for honoring me with an honorary doctorate. Congratulations to the graduates and Go Gamecocks. Jacksonville State University congratulates the graduating Class of 2024 for their accomplishments and contributions to society. The university remains committed to recognizing and celebrating individuals who exemplify its values of leadership, service, and excellence. By Daniel L. Douek, McGill University (The Conversation) When Hamas strategist Yahya Sinwar ordered the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis, he was planning to deal a mortal blow to an Israel weakened by internal divisions. Sinwar, killed by Israeli forces in Gaza a year later, likely did not imagine that he was instead setting in motion a cascade of events that would bring down longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and weaken the Iranian Axis of Resistance alliance to which Hamas belongs. Yet to understand the timing of Assads fall at the hands of rebels from Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (the Movement for the Liberation of the Levant, or HTS), we need to consider the war triggered by Hamass attack on Israel. That conflict has escalated into Israels invasion of Gaza, its war with Hezbollah and direct confrontations between Israel and Iran. As we consider Syrias future, we must also consider how it might be affected by the ongoing regional war in Gaza. Gaza war set the HTS wheels in motion So how is HTSs stunning advance on Damascus linked to this regional war? HTS forces had planned their offensive six months ago and received tacit approval from Turkey, which shares a northern border with Syria. At that time, the Lebanese Shia militia, Hezbollah, was still deploying thousands of troops in southern Syria to protect the Assad regime. Hezbollahs patron, Iran, had long viewed Syria as a key link in Irans regional alliance because it was a crucial transfer point for Iranian weapons shipments to Hezbollah. Any HTS attack at this point would have faced stiff resistance. Hezbollah, with tens of thousands of trained fighters and an arsenal of well over 100,000 missiles and rockets, was widely considered to be the worlds most powerful non-state army. But Hezbollah whose daily rocket fire at Israel since Oct. 8, 2023, forced the evacuation of more than 60,000 Israeli citizens overplayed its hand. Hezbollahs chief Hassan Nasrallah insisted that Hezbollah would only stop firing rockets once Israel had reached a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza. Suddenly, in September, Israel launched an offensive in which it killed Hezbollahs military leadership and Nasrallah himself, followed by an invasion into southern Lebanon in which over 3,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed. On Nov. 27, Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire with Israel and began to withdraw its forces from Syria. That same day, HTS launched its invasion of Aleppo, Syrias second-largest city. A weakened Iran Hezbollah was the capstone of Irans Axis of Resistance, a collection of militias in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria backed by Irans own military power. But after Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1, Israeli airstrikes a few weeks later damaged sensitive military facilities and wiped out Iranian air defences, exposing the country to further attack. With Hezbollah weakened and Irans territory vulnerable, Syrias Assad regime was the next domino to fall. Syria fought wars against Israel in 1948, 1967, 1973 and 1982. How will its new government perceive Israel? HTS leader Mohammed al-Julani has said HTS, unlike al-Qaeda or ISIS, will not pursue anti-western violence. HTS praised Hamass Oct. 7 attacks and supports the Palestinian cause, but since seizing power, HTS leadership has made no pronouncement specifically about Israel. On Dec. 8, a group of HTS fighters in Damascus declared they will attack Israel next, but this does not necessarily represent the aims of the broader movement. Hezbollahs recent battlefield setbacks would presumably deter other armed groups from confronting Israel, at least in the short term. New Flag, Digital, Dream / Dreamland v3, 2024 Questionable Israeli, American moves Yet recent Israeli moves risk starting off relations with a new Syrian government on the wrong foot. As Assad fled Syria on Dec. 7, Israel began waves of airstrikes targeting Syrias remaining air force, missiles and navy, along with remnants of its chemical weapons program, to deny them to future hostile entities. The United States similarly launched airstrikes against ISIS targets in northeast Syria. Since Dec. 8, Israel has also seized Syrian territory facing the highly strategic Golan Heights that the Israelis captured from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The Israeli government claimed this capture of Syrian territory to be a temporary defensive move to ensure it would not fall into jihadist hands, but it was condemned by the United Nations and several Arab states. On Dec. 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel does not want to meddle in Syrias internal affairs or provoke war with HTS rebels, but that Israel is prepared to fight if attacked. But the risk is real that Israels pre-emptive moves could spiral into a self-fulfilling prophecy, whereby the hostile forces Israeli authorities seek to deter could instead be provoked into attacking Israel. And although Assads fall has struck a serious blow to the Axis of Resistance, its possible that weak governments in Lebanon and Jordan could fall next, creating a jihadist axis that would pose an entirely new security challenge to the region. Daniel L. Douek, Faculty Lecturer, International Relations, McGill University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) US policy in the Middle East is a dinosaur-like holdover from two eras, the Cold War and the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Here I would like to raise the question of whether the U.S. lost both. The United State government does a lot o hand waving about human rights, but they obviously do not guide American policy, or else Washington would not be backing the genocide in Gaza and giving a free ride to Saudi Arabias authoritarianism, among the most oppressive in the world. What are long-lasting US policy goals in the region stretching west from Morocco to Afghanistan? The US above all wants American corporations freely to operate in Middle Eastern countries and to be able to expatriate profits easily. In the Cold War, it wanted to block Soviet influence and to keep Middle Eastern governments from adopting socialist principles of government ownership of much of the economy (since this policy would inevitably forestall US corporations from making money there). My belief that US foreign policy was often not so much driven by the Great Power considerations favored by Realists but by a desire to be of service to the US corporate sector is derived not so much from the Leninist tradition (which I find often scholastic and self-contradictory) as by historical research in the archives. The US embassies in the Gulf, for instance, were frequently appendages of Big Oil and often were secondary players. Although in the Middle East only South Yemen went Communist (1967-1990), the US in some ways nevertheless lost the struggle to keep the region open for US corporate money-making. In Egypt at the height of the socialist Nasser period, 50 percent of the economy was in the public sector. Even today, 31% of the economy is in government hands. That is more than in socialist India under Nehru in the 1950s and 1960s, where it was 25%. Moreover, the fate of the petroleum industry was consequential, since it is a major money-maker for much of the region. But the petroleum industry was widely nationalized, often inflicting massive damage on US corporations, in the 1970s. That happened in Kuwait, reducing the Mellon familys Gulf Oil Corp. from the 10th-largest company in the US to, essentially, an office in Standard Oil. Ironically, oil nationalization was pursued both by left-leaning governments like that of Libya and by right-wing governments like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Another irony: oil economies are typically dominated by the public sector, so they are all even more socialist than Nassers Egypt. Some 25% of Saudi Arabias economy is in the non-oil public sector, but another 42% of GDP is in the oil sector which is in the hands of the state-owned ARAMCO. So a majority of the economy is essentially public, maybe more than in Communist China. In any case, the place for US corporations is limited. While the strategic US goal of ensuring free export of petroleum to its Cold War capitalist allies in Europe and Japan was achieved, the economic goal of opening Middle Eastern economies to US companies a la Central America was not, at least by the 1970s. The other pillar of US policy in the region was to insert and establish the Israeli state as a sort of huge American aircraft carrier, and to beat the local population into accepting the displacement and marginalization of the Palestinian population. While this policy largely succeeded militarily, it failed with regard to public opinion. With the exception of the Arab Gulf countries, nobody in the Middle East likes the US or Israel. This public opprobrium poses a severe limitation on American investment and corporate profit-making in the region. The whole point of advertising is to convince the public that corporations are their friends. This campaign, aided by television and subsequent media, has failed in some sectors even in the United States. But it is a non-starter in the Middle East. Although particular boycott campaigns such as the targeting of McDonalds over Gaza, may not be long-lived, the general opprobrium in which US companies are held is a limitation on investment and profits over the long term. Today, US Direct Foreign Investment in the Middle East only amounts to $80 billion a year, out of a total of $6.68 trillion in US global investments. The Middle East and North Africa, with some 500 million people, is a rounding error in American corporate investment. So while the Soviet Union lost the Cold War in the Middle East, so did the US corporate sector, upholding which was a major reason for fighting the Cold War in the region. Obviously, the US win was far more significant in Eurasia. The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran set off another US war in the Middle East, since radical Muslim fundamentalism was as hostile to the American corporate sector as Communism had been. Bell, IBM, and other US firms lost billions in Iran as assets were nationalized or they were simply chased out. This exclusion of US firms has lasted until this moment, underlying Washingtons hostility to the ayatollahs (whose ideology otherwise resembles American Christian nationalism). Irans Shiite populism, which was anti-monarchical, scared Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies, which were close to the US diplomatically and militarily. Although these monarchies said they based their rule on Islam, it was a top-down royal ideology that left no place for popular sovereignty. It was often apolitical Islam. Meanwhile, radical Sunni groups in part inspired by the successes (but not the ideology) of the Shiite revolutionaries, were brewing. The al-Qaeda 9/11 attacks set off a Global War on Terror (GWOT), or at least that is the way the campaign was branded by the George W. Bush administration. The ostensible target of the GWOT, however, was asymmetrical networks of political Islam such as al-Qaeda, which aimed at overthrowing governments friendly to the US such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Obviously, where such movements might succeed, they would also be bad for the US corporate sector given their anti-Americanism. The US tried and failed to dislodge the Taliban from Afghanistan, though its status as the fifth poorest country in the world made it anything but a geopolitical prize. The US invaded Iraq and overthrew the nationalist government of Saddam Hussein, the leader of the Iraqi Baath Party and a foe of political Islam, in one of the great foreign policy paradoxes of American history. If the fight was against al-Qaeda and political Islam, why remove a bulwark against them? The answer to the puzzle is that Neoconservative thinkers such as Paul Wolfowitz viewed Baathist Iraq and Baathist Syria, and Qaddafis Libya, and some other regional governments as survivals of a kind of Middle Eastern Stalinism. Huge public sectors and hostility to capitalism were what marked them from this point of view. The war on Iraq was in essence a continuation for these figures of the Cold War, aiming at dismantling the last exemplars of socialist state economies. The Neoconservatives did not actually understand or take political Islam seriously as a threat, and therefore they inadvertently turbocharged it. Still, the US did take on, in that period, Muslim fundamentalist challengers such as al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia (Iraq), and its offshoot, ISIL (ISIS, Daesh), the al-Shabab in Somalia, and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen. These groups were pushed back. The region is now, however, seeing a resurgence of radical, populist political Islam of a sort that is unlikely to be good for American interests. In 2021, Afghanistan fell again to the Taliban. The Arab Spring revolts sometimes took this direction. The Houthis, political Islamists, have 80% of the population of Yemen under their rule, and the Muslim Brotherhood has some of the rest. Tripoli and Western Libya are ruled by exponents of political Islam. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in the Sudan, challenged by the Rapid Support Forces, has increasingly turned to fighters animated by political Islam a comeback for a group that had been powerful in previous Sudanese governments but lost out to secularists in the 2019 revolution. It is true that some of these movements are Shiite political Islamists, and some are Sunni, and that they are most often at loggerheads. They have very occasionally cooperated, as in 2004 in Iraq. But if they are generally anti-American, it is cold comfort to Washington that they do not like each other, either. And now a former al-Qaeda affiliate, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or Levant Liberation Council, which is still listed by many countries including the US as a terrorist organization, has proved victorious in Syria. An Islamist crescent now stretches from Kabul through Tehran to Baghdad and Damascus, with outlying enclaves elsewhere in the region. All of them have more or less socialist economies in practice, with enormous public sectors. All of them have a degree of hostility to the United States, though Iraq is the most ambiguous case in that regard, since the Shiite government fears ISIL more than it does Washington. Still, Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani has asked that US troops be out by 2026. In the end, the age of small public sectors and widespread openness to American investment of which the Cold Warriors dreamed has never dawned in the Middle East, despite the defeat of Communism. And now an age of political Islam that is hostile to most US interests seems to be being born. Is Usamah Bin Laden, somewhere in Davy Joness locker at the bottom of the Arabian Sea, having the last laugh? Bonus Video added by Informed Comment: Al Jazeera English: Who is Abu Mohammed al-Julani, leader of HTS in Syria? VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - Luca Mining Corp. ("Luca" or the "Company") (TSXV: LUCA) (OTCQX: LUCMF) (Frankfurt: Z68) is pleased to announce that Mr. Ramon Mendoza Reyes, P.Eng., has agreed to join Luca as Chief Technical Officer ("CTO") to oversee, manage and execute the Company's technical and growth initiatives. Mr. Mendoza has a successful track of managing a variety of projects in the Mexican mining sector and his expertise will ensure Luca is successful delivering value from its ongoing optimization and expansion efforts. Mr. Dan Barnholden, CEO, commented, "Luca is entering a new and exciting growth phase which is enabling us to attract top talent from the mining industry and we are delighted to welcome Mr. Mendoza to our team. His exceptional expertise further enhances our senior leadership as we continue to build a team capable of maximizing the potential of our cash-flowing assets. With the right people and strategy in place, we are well-positioned to execute our growth plans, which include expanding our resource base, increasing production, and achieving our cash flow and share price performance goals. We look forward to working with Ramon as we drive this Company's growth forward." Ramon Mendoza Reyes, M.Sc., P.Eng. Mr. Mendoza brings over 35 years of senior experience in the mining industry with expertise in mine development, mine process improvements, and a highly successful track record of managing both underground and open-pit operations. He specializes in advanced optimization techniques, integrating mine designs, planning, cost modeling tools, and geo-sciences into the mine and processing plans. Prior to joining Luca, he worked as a mining consultant and spent many years at First Majestic Silver Corp. where he was a member of the senior leadership team focused on strategic management and project implementation. In his prior roles, Mr. Mendoza: Provided technical oversight of the mineral resource and reserve estimation process, the geosciences group and the corporate projects delivery group. Led technical due diligence for two mine acquisitions in three years, doubling yearly metal output. Directed the exploration, mine design, and projects teams to successfully explore, design, and develop the Ermitano Mine project, brought into operation in less than five years starting from discovery. Guided the development of six major corporate projects for new mine developments, improving processing plant operations, and implementing cleaner energy generation and transmission infrastructure. Ensured geology, mining, and metallurgy groups created a cross-functional integrated team to support value creation for operations and development projects. Developed a team that leads change and innovation for the continuous improvement of the operations, ensuring integration of optimized business plans. Managed the operation of five assets in Mexico with +4,000 direct employees. with +4,000 direct employees. Successfully integrated the technical, operations, and business support teams, exceeding the yearly production goal. Mr. Mendoza commented, "I am very pleased to join Luca Mining as their new CTO. Luca is on a strong growth track, and I look forward to contributing to the experienced team. I am confident that we will be able to deliver significant value from the Tahuehueto and Campo Morado mines going forward." About Luca Mining Corp. Luca Mining (TSX-V: LUCA, OTCQX: LUCMF, Frankfurt: Z68) is a diversified Canadian mining company with two 100%-owned producing mines within the prolific Sierra Madre mineralized belt in Mexico which hosts numerous producing and historic mines along its trend. The Company produces gold, copper, zinc, silver and lead from these mines that each have considerable development and resource upside. The Campo Morado mine, is an underground operation located in Guerrero State. It produces copper-zinc-lead concentrates with precious metals credits. It is currently undergoing an optimization program which is already generating significant improvements in recoveries and grades, efficiencies, and cashflows. The Tahuehueto Gold, Silver Mine is a new underground operation in Durango State. which hosts numerous producing and historic mines along its trend. The Company is commissioning its mill and is expected to achieve commercial production by the end of the year. On Behalf of the Board of Directors (signed) "Dan Barnholden" Dan Barnholden, Chief Executive Officer For more information, please visit: www.lucamining.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements It should be noted that Luca declared commercial production at Campo Morado prior to completing a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Accordingly, readers should be cautioned that Luca's production decision has been made without a comprehensive feasibility study of established reserves such that there is greater risk and uncertainty as to future economic results from the Campo Morado mine and a higher technical risk of failure than would be the case if a feasibility study were completed and relied upon to make a production decision. Luca has completed a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") mining study on the Campo Morado mine that provides a conceptual life of mine plan and a preliminary economic analysis based on the previously identified mineral resources (see news releases dated November 8, 2017, and April 4, 2018). Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, anticipated discovery of higher-grade mineralization and ability to add to existing mine plans; other possible events, conditions or financial performance that are based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; the timing and costs of future activities on the Company's properties. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified using words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, that the current exploration, development, environmental and other objectives concerning the Tahuehueto Project and Campo Morado properties that can be achieved; the geological mapping from mining activity at Tahuehueto Project and Campo Morado will continue to provide information to guide exploration program plans; the continuity of the price of gold and other metals, economic and political conditions, and operations. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Acquisition secures all privately owned mineral tenements required for the development of the Berg Project Vancouver, British Columbia, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV: SURG) (OTCQB: SRGXF) (Frankfurt: G6D2) (Surge or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive option agreement (the Option Agreement) with Raye Resources Inc. and other private counterparties (collectively, the Vendors) to acquire a 100% interest in certain mineral claims (the MacLean East Property) contiguous with the Berg property. Figure 1. Berg-Huckleberry-Oosta district map. Leif Nilsson, Chief Executive Officer, commented: This Option Agreement is a critical milestone for Surge, securing all privately owned mineral claims required for the development of the Berg Project as envisioned in our 2023 Preliminary Economic Assessment. With this acquisition, our contiguous land package expands from 126,758 hectares to 133,081.3 hectares, solidifying our position in the region. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Vendors and look forward to collaborating as they advance their New Nanik Property to the west. Clinton Smyth, Executive Chairman of Raye Resources Inc. commented: We are pleased to enter into this Option Agreement with Surge Copper, which represents a meaningful opportunity to advance exploration and development activities in the region and will help to support our efforts on our New Nanik Property. We too look forward to collaborating with Surge to unlock the mineral potential of this area for the benefit of all stakeholders. Pursuant to the Option Agreement, Surge will within 30 days allocate $300,000 in assessment work credits (a non-cash expenditure) to the MacLean East Property and other contiguous mineral claims owned by the Vendors. In addition, Surge will make the following option payments totaling $1,685,000 to Raye Resources Inc., which are payable in cash or common shares of Surge (Consideration Shares), and may be accelerated at any time, both at the sole discretion of Surge: $285,000 payable by the first anniversary of the Option Agreement $550,000 payable by the second anniversary $575,000 payable by the third anniversary $75,000 payable by the fourth anniversary $200,000 payable by the fifth anniversary Upon exercise of the option and a vesting of a 100% interest in the MacLean East Property in favour of Surge, Surge will grant to the Vendors an aggregate 3.5% net smelter returns (NSR) royalty on mineral production from the MacLean East Property, with the option to buy back 50% of the royalty for $6,000,000. The Vendors retain a conditional right-of-way through the MacLean East Property for potential future development, subject to termination provisions. Additionally, Surge holds a right of first offer on an adjacent mineral claim (claim number 1116934) not covered by the Option Agreement. The Option Agreement contains customary covenants, representations, and warranties from both parties and is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Any Consideration Shares issued will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day following the date of issuance. Qualified Person Dr. Shane Ebert P.Geo., is the Qualified Person for the Berg Project and the Ootsa Property as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 41-101") and has approved the technical and scientific disclosure contained in this news release. About Surge Copper Corp. Surge Copper Corp. is a Canadian company that is advancing an emerging critical metals district in a well-developed region of British Columbia, Canada. The Company owns a large, contiguous mineral claim package that hosts multiple advanced porphyry deposits with pit-constrained NI 43-101 compliant resources of copper, molybdenum, gold, and silver metals which are critical inputs to modern energy infrastructure and electrification technologies. The Company owns a 100% interest in the Berg Project, for which it announced a maiden PEA in June 2023 outlining a large-scale, long-life project with a simple design and high outputs of critical minerals located in a safe jurisdiction near world-class infrastructure. The PEA highlights base case economics including an NPV8% of C$2.1 billion and an IRR of 20% based on long-term commodity prices of US$4.00/lb copper, US$15.00/lb molybdenum, US$23.00/oz silver, and US$1,800/oz gold. The Berg deposit contains pit-constrained 43-101 compliant resources of copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold in the Measured, Indicated, and Inferred categories. The Company also owns a 100% interest in the Ootsa Property, an advanced-stage exploration project containing the Seel and Ox porphyry deposits located adjacent to the open pit Huckleberry Copper Mine, owned by Imperial Metals. The Ootsa Property contains pit-constrained NI 43-101 compliant resources of copper, gold, molybdenum, and silver in the Measured, Indicated, and Inferred categories. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Leif Nilsson Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Riley Trimble, Corporate Communications & Development Telephone: +1 604 639 3852 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Twitter: @SurgeCopper LinkedIn: Surge Copper Corp https://www.surgecopper.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will", "may", "should", "expects", "plans", or "anticipates" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: exercise of the option and acquisition of the MacLean East Property; further advancement of the Berg Project; and the Companys plans regarding the Berg Project and the Ootsa Property. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and risks may include, among others, inability to satisfy the requirements for the exercise of the option, actual results of the Company's exploration activities being different than those expected by management, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required government or other regulatory approvals, the ability to obtain adequate financing to conduct its planned exploration programs, inability to procure labour, equipment, and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis, equipment breakdown, impacts of the current coronavirus pandemic, and bad weather. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect the Company's current judgment regarding the direction of its business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions, or other future performance suggestions herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 13, 2024) - District Metals Corp. (TSXV: DMX) (OTCQB: DMXCF) (FSE: DFPP) ("District" or the "Company") is pleased to report the voting results for the Company's annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on December 12, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. A total of 11,885,478 common shares were voted at the meeting, representing 9.10% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares. Shareholders voted in favour of all items of business before the meeting, including the election of all director nominees as follows: Director Votes For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Garrett Ainsworth 11,838,481 99.605% 46,997 0.395% Joanna Cameron 11,610,466 97.686% 275,012 2.314% Jonathan Challis 11,838,466 99.604% 47,012 0.396% Doug Ramshaw 11,610,466 97.686% 275,012 2.314% The shareholders also approved (1) the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and authorized the Board of Directors to fix the remuneration of the auditor; and (2) the adoption of an omnibus incentive plan (the "Omnibus Plan"). Results of the shareholder votes on these items are set forth below: Resolution Outcome of Vote Votes For % For Votes Against Votes Withheld % Against or Withheld Appointment of Auditors Carried 11,881,978 99.971% n/a 3,500 0.029% Approval of Omnibus Incentive Plan Carried 11,812,392 99.385% 73,086 n/a 0.615% The Omnibus Plan is a ten percent (10%) rolling plan, pursuant to which the Board of Directors may grant to eligible participants stock options, restricted share units, performance share units and deferred share units to acquire common shares of the Company (each, a "Share"). An aggregate of 13,056,587 Shares are issuable under the Omnibus Plan, representing ten percent (10%) of the issued and outstanding Shares as of December 12, 2024. The Omnibus Plan replaces the previous ten percent (10%) rolling stock option plan. Please see the Circular for further information on the Omnibus Plan. For further information regarding the matters considered at the Meeting, readers are encouraged to review the Circular, a copy of which is available under the profile for the Company on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and available on the Company's website. Technical Information All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Garrett Ainsworth, PGeo, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The data disclosed in this news release is related to historical results. District has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. District considers these historical results relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling. Mr. Ainsworth has not verified any of the information regarding any of the properties or projects referred to herein other than District's properties. Mineralization on any other properties referred to herein is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on District's properties. About District Metals Corp. District is led by industry professionals with a track record of success in the mining industry. The Company's mandate is to seek out, explore, and develop prospective mineral properties through a disciplined science-based approach to create shareholder value and benefit other stakeholders. District is a polymetallic exploration and development company focused on the Viken and Tomtebo Properties in Sweden. The Viken Property covers 100% of the uranium-vanadium Viken Deposit, which is an asset with substantial exploration and development expenditures that resulted in the definition of large historic polymetallic resource estimates in 2010 and 2014. The Viken Deposit is amongst the largest deposits by total historic mineral resources of uranium and vanadium in the world. The advanced exploration stage Tomtebo Property is located in the Bergslagen Mining District of south-central Sweden and is situated between the historic Falun Mine and Boliden's Garpenberg Mine that are located 25 km to the northwest and southeast, respectively. Two historic polymetallic mines and numerous polymetallic showings are located on the Tomtebo Property along an approximate 17 km trend that exhibits similar geology, structure, alteration and VMS/SedEx style mineralization as other significant mines within the district. For further information on the Tomtebo Property, please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Update Technical Report on the Tomtebo Project, Bergslagen Region of Sweden" dated effective October 15, 2020 and amended and restated on February 26, 2021, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking Information" This news release contains certain statements that may be considered "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information 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 statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" and any similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, predictions, indications, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking information in this news release relating to the Company include, among other things: statements relating to the Company's Swedish polymetallic properties; and the Company's interpretations and expectations about the results on the Swedish properties. These statements and other forward-looking information are based on opinions, assumptions and estimates made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this news release, including, without limitation, assumptions about: the reliability of historical data and the accuracy of publicly reported information regarding past and historic mines in the Bergslagen district; in respect of the intention of the Swedish government to eventually lift or amend its moratorium on uranium exploration and mining in Sweden; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to fund planned exploration activities, maintain corporate capacity; and stability in financial and capital markets. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date such statements are made, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks associated with the following: the reliability of historic data on District's properties; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to finance planned exploration; that the Swedish government maintains its moratorium on uranium exploration and mining in Sweden for the foreseeable future; the Company's limited operating history; the Company's negative operating cash flow and dependence on third-party financing; the uncertainty of additional funding; the uncertainties associated with early stage exploration activities including general economic, market and business conditions, the regulatory process, failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals, technical issues, potential delays, unexpected events and management's capacity to execute and implement its future plans; the Company's ability to identify any mineral resources and mineral reserves; the substantial expenditures required to establish mineral reserves through drilling and the estimation of mineral reserves or mineral resources; the uncertainty of estimates used to calculated mineralization figures; changes in governmental regulations; compliance with applicable laws and regulations; competition for future resource acquisitions and skilled industry personnel; reliance on key personnel; title matters; conflicts of interest; environmental laws and regulations and associated risks, including climate change legislation; land reclamation requirements; changes in government policies; volatility of the Company's share price; the unlikelihood that shareholders will receive dividends from the Company; potential future acquisitions and joint ventures; risks related to existing earn-in and joint venture with Boliden; infrastructure risks; fluctuations in demand for, and prices of metals; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; legal proceedings and the enforceability of judgments; going concern risk; risks related to the Company's information technology systems and cyber-security risks; and risk related to the outbreak of epidemics or pandemics or other health crises. For additional information regarding these risks, please see the Company's Annual Information Form dated July 11, 2022, under the heading "Risk Factors", which is available at www.sedarplus.ca. These factors and assumptions are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors and assumptions that could affect the Company. These factors and assumptions, however, should be considered carefully. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking information or information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Also, many of such factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. VANCOUVER, December 13, 2024 TheNewswire Hertz Energy Inc. (Hertz or the Company) (CSE: HZ; OTCQB: HZLIF; FSE: QE2) is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Agastya Lithium Property (Agastya Property) comprised of 209 mineral claims covering approximately 10,650 hectares located in the Province of Quebec through an arms-length option agreement (the Agreement) dated December 9, 2024 between prospector Prospectus Capital Inc. (the Vendor) and Canuck Lithium Corp. (the Buyer), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hertz. AGASTYA LITHIUM PROPERTY, JAMES BAY, QUEBEC The Agastya Property consists of three non-contiguous claim blocks along the greenstone belt that hosts the Adina, Trieste, and Galinee properties. These adjacent properties are known for their significant LCT (Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum) pegmatite potential hosted within greenstone/ metasediment packages: Winsome Resources Adina Lithium Project: One of the Top 3 largest lithium resources in North America with an Indicated Mineral Resource of 60.5 Mt at 1.14% LiO and Inferred Resource of 15.9 Mt at 1.17% LiO using a 0.5% LiO cut-off (source: NI 43-101 Technical Report on PEA and MRE for Adina Lithium Project authored by Synectiq Inc. with a report date of September 30, 2024 and filed under Winsomes SEDAR+ profile). Winsome also has an exclusive option to acquire the nearby Renard Operation, a fully permitted, former diamond mine located 60 km south of Adina with a convertible processing facility for future lithium production. Loyal Lithium Trieste Lithium Project: Discovery of six spodumene-bearing pegmatites including a significant drilling result of 31.8 m at 2.2% LiO. 50% Azimut Exploration / 50% SOQUEM JV Galinee Lithium Property: Drilling results include 1.62% LiO over 158.0 m including 3.33% LiO over 29.6 m, and Galinee features a 20 km long lithium-cesium anomaly. Rio Tinto/Midland Galinee Project: Spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes discovered over several hundred metres along a 7 km favourable contact zone. Significant drilling results include 1.38% LiO over 37.86 m including 1.88% LiO over 21.35 m. The Agastya Property covers the western extent of the greenstone belt that trends through Trieste, Adina, and Galinee (Figure 1). Greenstone belts are known to host LCT pegmatite mineralization and are commonly targeted by exploration companies as they are favourable hosts for lithium and other valuable metals including gold. Lake bottom geochemistry data highlights the greenstone belt/LCT trend throughout the region, showing strong anomalies along the greenstone and known LCT pegmatite deposits. The Agastya Property claims fall within this strongly anomalous lake bottom sediment trend, indicating a potential for LCT pegmatite mineralization within the Property (Figure 2 and Figure 3). Due to the significant exploration activity, there is strong support for infrastructure development in the region. This includes the extension of the road from the Winsome-optioned Renard Operation, which is expected to run through the Agastya Property once constructed. Figure 1: Agastya Property Geology & Regional Activity Figure 2: Lake Bottom Sediment Lithium Geochemistry Figure 3: Lake Bottom Sediment Cesium Geochemistry No mineral resources or reserves have been defined on the Agastya Property. References herein to potential grades herein are historical and conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource or deposit and there can be no assurance that further geological work will result in mineral resources, or a deposit being defined on the Agastya Property. Hertz Energy currently holds approx. $750,000 in critical minerals Flow-Thru capital and intends to aggressively explore the Agastya Lithium Property. OPTION AGREEMENT TERMS As consideration for the acquisition of a 60% of the Vendors legal, beneficial and registered interest in the Agastya Property, the sole shareholder of the Buyer, Hertz Energy Inc., shall, within ten business days of the Effective Date of the Agreement, issue 8,000,000 common shares in the capital of Hertz (the Consideration Shares) as directed by the Vendor and the Buyer shall grant the Vendor a 2% Gross Metal Royalty (GMR). The 2% GMR shall be payable to the Vendor on all metals including but not limited to precious and base metals, produced from the Agastya Property. PROJECTS UPDATE The Company also announces it has elected not to proceed further with its Snake Lithium Project in the James Bay Region in Quebec based on the lack of significant results from its prospecting and sampling programs in June 2024. No lithium and/or gold associated minerals were documented throughout the field traverses and no anomalies were observed. The Company remains fully focused on exploring and developing its Agastya Lithium, AC/DC Lithium, and Harriman Antimony properties in Quebec, Lake George Antimony Property in New Brunswick, and Namibia Uranium Project and will provide further updates as exploration programs are completed. Cautionary Statement: This news release contains scientific and technical information with respect to adjacent properties to the Companys Agastya Property, which the Company has no interest in or rights to explore. Readers are cautioned that information regarding the geology, mineralization, and mineral resources on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization potential on the Companys Agastya Property. LOAN AGREEMENT The Company also announces it has entered into a loan agreement (the Loan Agreement) with Kulwant Malhi (the Lender). Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement, the Lender has provided the Company with a non-revolving term loan in the principal amount of CAD$60,000, bearing interest at a rate of eight percent (8%) per annum (the Loan). The Loan has a term of one year maturing on December 5, 2025. The Loan constitutes a related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101) as the Lender is the Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the Loan does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company in accordance with MI 61-101. Qualified Person Statement All scientific and technical information contained in this news release was prepared and approved by Simon Dahrouge, P.Geo., Technical Advisor of Hertz Energy, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). About the Company Hertz Energy (CSE:HZ; OTCQB:HZLIF; FSE:QE2) is a British Columbia-based junior exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of energy and critical minerals properties. The Companys lithium exploration projects include the AC/DC Lithium Project, and Snake Lithium Project in Jame Bay Quebec and newly acquired Agastya Lithium Property. Hertz Energy also holds the Harriman Antimony Project in Quebec and the Lake George Antimony Project in New Brunswick, Canada. Hertz Energy also has permit application pending in Namibia for uranium exploration projects. For further information, please contact Mr. Kal Malhi or view the Companys filings at www.sedarplus.ca. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Kal Malhi Chief Executive Officer and Director Phone: 604-805-4602 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could or should occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Companys 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. Bashar al-Assad's government has been accused of carrying out torture, rape, summary executions and other abuses since since Syria's civil war started in 2011. UN investigators have said that accountability must be taken at the highest level after the downfall of the hardline ruler on Sunday. Here is what we know about the extent of the abuses committed: - Caesar's photos - In 2013 a former Syrian army photographer known by the codename "Caesar" fled the country, taking with him some 55,000 graphic images taken between 2011 and 2013. The photos, authenticated by experts, show corpses tortured and starved to death in Syrian prisons. Some people had their eyes gouged out. The photos showed emaciated bodies, people with wounds on the back or stomach, and also a picture of hundreds of corpses in a shed surrounded by plastic bags used for burials. Assad's Syrian government said only that the pictures were "political". But Caesar testified to a US Congress committee and his photographs inspired a 2020 US law which imposed economic sanctions on Syria and judicial proceedings in Europe against Assad's entourage. In Germany and Sweden eight people suspected of crime against humanity were arrested in July in an operation codenamed "Caesar". Germany, the Netherlands and France have since 2022 convicted several top officials from the Syrian intelligence service and militias. UN investigators say they have lists with the names of 4,000 government officials and operatives responsible for abuses. - 'Torture archipelago' - Human Rights Watch (HRW) in 2012 spoke of a "torture archipelago" in which the "use of electricity, burning with car battery acid, sexual assault and humiliation, the pulling of fingernails, and mock execution" were practised in government prisons. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in 2022 more than 100,000 people had died in the prisons since 2011. In 2023, the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Syria to stop "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". - Rapes - In 2020, seven Syrian refugees filed a complaint in Germany saying that they had been victims of torture and sexual violence, including rape, electric shocks on the genitals, forced nudity or forced abortion between 2011 and 2013. The UN said in 2018 there had been systmatic rape and sexual violence against civilians by soldiers or pro-Assad militias. It said an investigation had found rebels had committed similar crimes, but fewer. On November 25, 2024, the Syrian Human Rights Network (SNHR) said there had been at least 11,553 incidents of sexual violence against women, including girls aged under 18, by the warring parties since March 2011. Some 8,024 could be blamed on the Assad government and the others mainly on the jihadist Islamic State. - 'Extermination' - In 2016 UN investigators said Syrian authorities were responsible for acts which came down to "extermination" and could be compared to "crimes against humanity". It pointed to the Saydnaya prison outside Damascus, which was described in 2017 by Amnesty International as a human slaughter house carrying out a "policy of extermination". The United States said there was a "crematorium" at the prison which was used to dispose of the bodies of thousands of inmates. In 2022 the Syrian Observatory for Human Righs said around 30,000 people had been killed at Saydnaya, some of them after being tortured. - Chemical weapons - In April 2020, the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW accused the Syrian army of chemical weapons attacks in Latamne in northern Syria in 2017. In November 2023 France issued international arrest warrants against Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher and two generals on suspicion of complicity in the chemical attacks in August 2013 near Damascus, which according to US intelligence left 1,000 dead. Assad's forces have also been accused of using sarin gas on the rebel town of Khan Sheikhun in April 2017, and also of chlorine gas attacks. Assad's government denied using chemical weapons. Israel says it has staged strikes on some chemical weapons sites this week to stop supplies falling into the hands of extremists. Anwar al-Bunni: He [al-Jolani] simply cannot do that, and we shouldnt accept to deliver any criminal to him, as we cannot be sure that there will be fair trials. They deserve and we deserve to have fair trials to expose all the truth about what has happened. This can only come after we set up a transitional government that will represent all Syrians, with all the different ethnic groups, religions, and with women as well. Then we will be able to set up a transitional justice forum. This must include courts, in Damascus and maybe in other cities, and these courts should mix Syrian and international judges, to be sure that the court will be following international standards, and that there will be no death penalty. Besides that, we need to pay reparations for the victims, to establish a peaceful society, to make memorials, expose the truth, prepare new laws There are many things to work on, so its not about what al-Jolani says. So until now, the work you have done in Europe remain the most relevant? Until now, yes, its still the most important part. We will continue this work since there are many criminals here in Europe, and maybe more will come, after they run away from Syria. For instance, there are still cases submitted to the German Federal prosecutor in Karlsruhe, targeting 25 high-ranking Syrian officers, including Bashar al-Assad himself. There are cases submitted in Sweden, targeting several high-ranking officers, in the security services and in the army. There are cases submitted to the Norwegian prosecutor. Now, we think that all arrest warrants should be issued publicly against all of them. Besides, a trial took place in France six months ago with a verdict [in absentia] against Ali Mamlouk [the former head of the National Security Office], and Jamil Hassan [the former head of the Air Force intelligence service] where they were sentenced with life for crimes against humanity. There is also an arrest warrant in France against Bashar al-Assad himself for the use of chemical weapons in Douma in 2013. As you know, we are tracking many criminals here in Germany, in Sweden, in the Netherlands, in Belgium, in Austria, in France, and there were trials against some of them with maybe the most famous one in Koblenz against Anwar Raslan who was an officer of the Damascus state security branch 251. So, yes, in Europe, there are many people who have been arrested, and new trials will soon happen. The three heads of the military intelligence services of Bashar al-Assads regime were sentenced in Paris (France), in a trial in absentia, on 24 May 2024. An arrest warrant for the last two, issued by the United States, was also made public on Monday 9 December. After Bashar al-Assad, these are the most wanted figures of the fallen regime. Photos and graphics: Syrians for Truth and Justice Do you think all that will accelerate with the fall of Bashar al-Assad? Sure. There are cases we are working on -we cannot speak about the specifics of where or how-, but when the suspects will be arrested, we will publish about it. Its coming. We have been working on these for a long time. Some of them are still in Syria right now, some of them are out of Syria, we will figure out where they are, and we will follow them wherever they will go. They will be facing justice. Most of them have left Syria. For instance, we know that Ali Mamlouk has run away to Lebanon, and he took a flight to go to a European country, as we have learnt until now, but we will chase him. Eventually, well find them all. If you go back to Syria, what would be your priorities? My priority would be to establish our Center in Damascus and publish information on human rights, document the violence, help people to reach democracy, to get educated about the rule of law. These are my hopes today about what I could do in Syria. Ill go back to Syria. Its our duty to rebuild Syria, but we still have a lot of things to do here in Europe. We know that more than 100,000 Syrian detainees were killed under torture. The people dont want to believe it; they are still looking for their relatives, and they are right. They killed them, they put them in the acid, they crushed them with hydraulic machines. Its crazy, but thats the reality. This week, TV crews went to the Sednaya prison:everybody saw how they threw the bodies and make them disappear, vanish. Right now, we have also a team in Syria, and we try to collect as much information as we can from the former regimes archives. Beside in Koblenz, a witness also spoke about how they took bodies and put them in mass graves. We have known this for a long time. Its all recorded by state security, with orders from the National Security Bureau and from Bashar al-Assad himself. We already have documented that. We dont need more to prove that they are guilty. But we now need these documents to expose the truth, to tell the narrative about what happened, to connect the dots in the history, more than to prove their guilt. Do you have fears about the new power in Damascus? I am not afraid from them. But I worry about the fact that we should have now another fight, a peaceful fight for sure, to stop this violence, and I worry about what they want to do with the Syrians. We are not going to allow them to take us to places where we do not want to go. Syrians who are testing freedom and dignity, who have paid a lot to obtain these, will never give up and let it go now. Not for al-Jolani, not for people like him. We will continue our fight until Syria is a democratic country which respects human rights. Thats what the Syrians are asking for and thats what they deserve to have. To you, what are the conditions for justice and transitional justice to happen in Syria? We need full support from democracies because there are also some countries who will support radicals and want a new civil war in Syria. Some countries will fight not to allow Syria to become a democracy because it would be threatening their crown in the Arabic Gulf, or in Iran, in Russia, in Turkey. For that, we need support, full support, from Europe and from the US, from the free world. Its in their interest, its not for Syria. Its their interest to have a democratic, stable Syria. If they dont support us, if they do what they did in 2011, it will be a disaster for the world. A Sudanese militia chief Friday denied all charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, saying that prosecutors had got the wrong man. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman was addressing the ICC as his trial on charges of rape, murder, and torture came to an end. Chief ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said he was a leading member of Sudan's infamous Janjaweed militia, also known by the nom de guerre Ali Kushayb, who participated "enthusiastically" in brutal war crimes. But Abd-Al-Rahman told the court: "I am not Ali Kushayb. I do not know this person... I have nothing to do with the accusations against me." He said he had handed himself in and claimed to be Ali Kushayb because he was "desperate." "I had been waiting for two months in hiding, moving around all the time, and I was warned that the government wanted to arrest me, and I was afraid of being arrested," he said. "If I hadn't said this, the court wouldn't have received me, and I would be dead now," added the suspect. Abd-Al-Rahman fled to the Central African Republic in February 2020 when a new Sudanese government announced its intention to cooperate with the ICC's investigation. Four months later, he surrendered voluntarily. Fighting broke out in Sudan's Darfur region when non-Arab tribes, complaining of systematic discrimination, took up arms against the Arab-dominated government. Khartoum responded by unleashing the Janjaweed, a force drawn from among the region's nomadic tribes. The United Nations says 300,000 people were killed and 2.5 million displaced in the Darfur conflict. Friday, December 13, 2024 - Anti-Narcotics Unit detectives based at JKIA have arrested Quinter Achieng Matengo and recovered 2000 grams of Cannabis Sativa. While working with KAA staff who screened her luggage revealing the presence of suspicious items therein, the detectives intercepted the 27-year-old suspected drug trafficker who was to travel to Doha- Qatar. Upon interrogation, she was escorted to ANU offices where a search of her luggage revealed that she had concealed the drugs inside maize flour packets- not knowing that hawk-eyed detectives would nip her plans in the bud. Upon weighing the drugs, the same were kept in safe custody whereas the suspect was processed pending arraignment. The DCI's resolve in the fight against sale, distribution, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs remains high throughout the festive season and thereafter. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Thursday, December 12, 2024 - A five-year-old boy was declared dead after being pulled out of a 150ft-borewell in western India following a 56-hour rescue operation. Aryan Meena, who lived in the Dausa district of Rajasthan state, was trapped in the narrow well for three days after falling into it while playing on Monday afternoon, Dec. 9. The boy, wearing pants and a t-shirt, had to endure plummeting winter temperatures inside the well as well as hunger and thirst. Earlier, there were hopes he could be rescued alive. Rescuers raced against time to save the five-year-old boy after he had been trapped for 2 days at the bottom of a 175ft well in India. The boy, named only as Aryan, was playing with his mum when he fell into the well near his home, in Kaligarh village, Northern India. Rescue workers sent an oxygen pipe down to help him breathe as well as a CCTV camera to monitor his condition. The video showed a monitor screen displaying the movements of the child trapped in the well. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local authorities all worked to save him. In a bid to rescue the five-year-old, authorities launched 'Plan B' which saw a piling machine deployed from Sawai Madhopur to dig a 4-foot-wide pit, 5ft from the well. At the time authorities explained that once the pit reaches 150 feet, NDRF personnel will create a horizontal tunnel to reach Aryan. The machine progressed at a rate of 20 feet per hour, with the excavation expected to take seven or eight hours. Once complete, rescue teams will descend into the pit to finish the tunnel and bring Aryan to safety, they said. Sadly, despite their best efforts, the child did not make it. The rescue team that brought him out said he was trapped between old pipes. The child was pulled out after an almost 56-hour rescue operation that ended at around 11pm on Wednesday. He was unconscious and a road was cleared to take him to hospital in an ambulance for timely treatment. However, he was declared dead after a series of tests. The child was rushed to the district hospital in an ambulance that had an advanced life support system but he was already dead, police said. "The child was brought here so that we could try and revive him if possible. However, we declared him dead after conducting the ECG test twice on him, Deepak Sharma, chief medical officer of Government District Hospital Dausa said. From our initial examination, it appears he might have hit a hard object or sustained some kind of injury when he fell. He said the cause of death would be confirmed by the autopsy. Thursday, December 12, 2024 - CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk has become the first person in history to amass a fortune of more than $400 billion. His net worth now stands at around $440 billion (345 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, more than that of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Amazon's Jeff Bezos combined. Mr Musk's fortune has boomed in the weeks following Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election. A recent share sale at SpaceX played a key role in this milestone, contributing roughly $50 billion to Musks wealth and boosting SpaceXs valuation to $350 billion, making it the worlds most valuable private company. This increase, combined with a surge in Teslas stock price, pushed Musks net worth to $447 billion. Tesla shares hit an all-time high of $415, driven by investor optimism about the companys future in electric vehicles and clean energy following the election of President-elect Donald Trump Investors have been hopeful about regulatory changes under the new administration that could benefit Tesla, including potential updates to self-driving car regulations and tax policies. In addition to SpaceX and Tesla, Musks artificial intelligence company, xAI, has seen its valuation double to $50 billion since its May funding round, as the company works on developing advanced AI technologies. While Musks financial successes are unprecedented, he has encountered some setbacks. A Delaware court recently struck down his $100 billion Tesla pay package, a rare legal challenge. Nevertheless, this ruling is unlikely to affect Musks standing as the world's wealthiest person. As of December 10, Musk's fortune is $140 billion ahead of Jeff Bezos, the second-richest person on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Since early November, Musk has added about $136 billion to his wealth, cementing his position at the global billionaire rankings. Friday, December 13, 2024 - Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has poured scorn on President William Rutos Jamhuri Day speech, terming it 'rich in fake facts In a tweet, Kalonzo, who is also the leader of the Wiper Democratic Movement party, claimed the head of state used the 61st Jamhuri Day speech to self-congratulate instead of delivering a solemn and reflective national address. According to the former vice president, the president's speech was allegedly designed to mislead Kenyans. "It is highly regrettable that instead of the solemn and reflective national address it is supposed to be, the 61st Jamhuri Day Message today was a self-congratulatory Ode of Pipe Dreams and Misinformation by President William Ruto. It was rich in fake facts designed by a Predatory Kenya Kwanza regime to mislead Kenyans," Kalonzo said. The Wiper boss said Ruto's speech did not mirror the vision of the forefathers who sacrificed their lives for the country to attain its independence. "That is not the vision of our forebears', who sacrificed to free us from the punishing and dehumanising yoke of colonialism," he said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, December 12, 2024 - Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund. It appears to be the latest attempt by the Meta boss to build a closer relationship with the incoming president. The donation comes just weeks after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the offering Thursday, Dec. 12. Stephen Miller, who has been appointed deputy chief of staff for Trumps second term, has said that Zuckerberg, like other business leaders, wants to support Trumps economic plans. The tech CEO has been seeking to change his companys perception on the right following a rocky relationship with Trump. Trump was kicked off Facebook following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The company restored his account in early 2023. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president but has voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg praised Trumps response to his first ass@ssination attempt. Still, Trump had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly during the campaign. In July, he posted a message on his own social network Truth Social threatening to send election fraudsters to prison in part by citing a nickname he used for the Meta CEO. ZUCKERBUCKS, be careful! Trump wrote. Corporations have traditionally made up a large share of donors to presidential inaugurals, with an exception in 2009, when then-President-elect Barack Obama refused to accept corporate donations. He reversed course for his second inaugural in 2013. Facebook did not donate to either Biden's 2021 inaugural or Trumps 2017 inaugural. Google donated $285,000 each to Trump first inaugural and Bidens inaugural. Inaugural committees are required to disclose the source of their fundraising, but not how they spend the money. Thursday, December 12, 2024 - Hannah Kobayashi, a Hawaii woman whose father took his own life after she went missing has been "found safe", her family and police have said. Hannah, 30, flew from Hawaii to Los Angeles early last month. She was intending to take another flight to New York on 8 November but missed her connection. The budding photographer from Maui vanished days later after sending "alarming" texts to her family. Her father, Ryan, flew out to Los Angeles to try to find her, searching with other family members and volunteers. In late November, he was found dead in a car park near LA International Airport after taking his own life, police and his family said. After days of an extensive search operation, the Los Angeles Police Department reclassified Kobayashi as a voluntary missing person. Police said surveillance footage showed she crossed the border into Mexico on November 12 independently and they were halting the search for her. Authorities say Ms Kobayashi used cash and her passport to purchase a bus ticket at Union Station in Los Angeles, to get to the southern US border where she crossed by foot into Tijuana, Mexico. Once she arrived in Los Angeles, Ms Kobayashi's family members said they received unusual text messages from her phone before all communication ceased. On 11 November, her mother texted to ask if she had arrived in New York, to which Ms. Kobayashi replied, "no". She also sent messages to friends expressing fears for her safety and concerns that someone was attempting to steal her identity. Her family initially expressed concern that she might have been a victim of human trafficking. However, police said the investigation had not turned up any evidence that Ms Kobayashi was the victim of foul play, or that she was being trafficked. "She has a right to her privacy, and we respect her choices, but we also understand the concern loved ones feel for her. A simple message could reassure those she cares about," said Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell. On Wednesday evening, Ms. Kobayashi's family released a statement saying she had been "found safe". The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) also said she had been located. The family statement, signed Brandi Yee and Sydni Kobayashi, said: "We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe. "This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through. "We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us." The LAPD said it was "happy to learn" that Ms Kobayashi had been found. "Now that we have this new information, this has become a private matter and we will wrap up our investigation," it added. Thursday, December 12, 2024 - The British teenager, 18, jailed for a year in Dubai for having s3x with a 17-year-old girl has broken his silence over the sentence. Marcus Fakana has pleaded with the ruler of Dubai to commute the sentence and be allowed to return home. The 18-year-old was with his family in the UAE when he met and had s3x with the teenage girl, also from London. He now faces rotting in a maximum-security jail. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from the UAE where he faces 12 months in jail, the 18-year-old begged: Please give me my life back. Marcus apologised for breaking the law and described his devastation at the year-long sentence. He said: 'Today I was sentenced to one year in Dubai prison. My family and I are devastated and in shock. I never intended to break the law. It didnt occur to me at the time and for that, Im sorry. I am asking His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to please forgive me and pardon me. Let me go home. Please give me my life back. The teenager is out on bail while his lawyer prepares an appeal against the sentence. He is being allowed to stay at a rented apartment that is being funded by the more than 30,000 raised in a GoFundMe campaign. The teen is being comforted by members of his family who flew to Dubai ahead of his trial on Monday at the First Court of Instance. They were forced to sit outside the courtroom while his lawyer argued for leniency and were not allowed to participate in the 15-minute hearing. Under Dubai law, those accused are not allowed to take part in a trial with prosecutors and defence lawyers arguing the case. His lawyer is filing paperwork today to expedite an appeal but the legal process in Dubai is notoriously slow, and it could take months before his case is heard. Marcus, a construction apprentice, was arrested in August after the mother of the girl he had a secret romance with filed a complaint about Fakana to the Dubai authorities on her return to the UK. She had checked her daughter's phone and discovered they had been sleeping together. Since returning from Dubai the girl has turned 18. Under strict UAE law, only tourists aged over 18 are legally allowed to sleep together. Marcus has previously told how the couple had planned to see each other when they got home. He said: 'We had a wonderful time together. We really liked each other but she was secretive with her family because they were strict. 'My parents knew about our relationship, but she couldn't tell hers. She had to meet me without telling them it was to see a boy. 'They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn't tell me why. I couldn't imagine what for. I was frightened and my parents were terrified.' Ms Stirling added: 'Marcus is 18 years old, but faces the demise of his entire life for being intimate with someone in his same school year, who is his same age. 'This is where Dubai authorities need to be intelligent about their application of the law. Marcus had consensual relations with someone his own age, from his own country while on a short holiday. 'He does not deserve to be locked up in Dubai Central Prison for a fling'. Friday, December 13, 2024 - Migori County residents joined Nyandarua County residents in rejecting President William Rutos Jamhuri Day speech on Thursday. Nyandarua residents dismissed the President's speech at Engineer Grounds, insisting that the County Commissioner should read it himself. In Migori County, County Commissioner Kisilu Mutua faced disruptions while delivering President William Ruto's speech, ultimately halting his address as rowdy youths drowned him out with noise. It took the intervention of Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko to neutralise the crowd. His efforts partially bore fruit and allowed the county commissioner time to continue delivering the presidents speech. The rival groups embarked on their fight, prompting reactions from the security officers, some of whom threatened to fire in the air. Here is the video Rowdy youths in Rongo, Migori, disrupt reading of President Ruto's Jamhuri Day speech pic.twitter.com/h5gD3TCfjW Nation Africa (@NationAfrica) December 12, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, December 13, 2024 - Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President, Nelson Havi, has poured cold water on President William Rutos Monday meeting with his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta. Ruto, who is facing a fierce rebellion in the Mt Kenya region, drove himself to Uhuru's Ichaweri home in Gatundu South where the two deliberated on issues facing the country. The meeting surprised many because their relationship has seemingly been strained since Ruto served as deputy president under Uhurus administration. Uhuru refused to back Rutos 2022 presidential bid, instead throwing his weight behind former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as his preferred successor. Lawyer Nelson Havi, reacting to the meeting between President William Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta, stated that both leaders have failed the vote-rich Mt Kenya region and cannot regain the trust of the area's voters to boost their political fortunes. Havi told the Citizen TV breakfast show that Uhuru no longer represents the Mt Kenya region. Uhuru Kenyatta has only one vote and no longer represents Mt Kenya. "There is talk of a further coalition government above the coalition between President Ruto and Raila Odinga; to what end? Havi said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, December 13, 2024 - President William Ruto has quietly signed a bill exempting Members of Parliament from paying tax on their Sh7.5 million car grants. Initially, the Tax Amendment Bill required MPs to pay Sh 2.5 million tax on their car grants. The changes were introduced through the Tax Amendment Bill 2024 and were secretly hurried by MPs and later the president assented this week. In reaction to the move by the MPs and the Executive, Kenyans have accused government officials of prioritising the interests of the political elite over the public good, further deepening the divide between ordinary citizens and public servants. President William Ruto, regarded as the worst President Kenya has ever had, has remained mute on why he signed a bill that will exempt some people from paying taxes, despite his 2022 campaign promise that no one would be spared from taxation. The Kenyan DAILY POST By Pyo Kyung-min As protests demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol intensify across the country, K-pop has become a new centerpiece at rally sites, transforming the traditional demonstration atmosphere with infectious rhythms and resonant themes. In recent candlelight protests near the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, classic protest songs, long tied to Korea's activist history, have now given way to K-pop hits, as a growing number of younger participants have helped reshape the protests' soundtrack. A prime example is "Into the New World," K-pop act Girls' Generation's debut track from 2007. According to Melon, one of Korea's main music streaming platforms, the number of listeners for "Into the New World" surged 23 percent in the week following the failed Dec. 3 martial law declaration, compared to the previous week. While the track may seem new to the political scene, it previously made headlines as a rally anthem during the 2016 Ewha Womans University protests. Students sang the song while demanding the resignation of then-President Choi Kyung-hee over her plans to establish the Light Up Your Future in Ewha (LiFE) College, with their rendition of "Into the New World" going viral on social media. According to experts, the song's appeal in the political field lies in its empowering lyrics, which describe overcoming the fear of stepping into the unknown. Lyrics, which roughly translate to "I love you, just as this feeling is / the end of the wandering we dreamed of / goodbye to the sadness that repeats in this world" have struck a chord with demonstrators. "The song stands out for addressing universal struggles and the determination to move forward without losing hope," pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik wrote. "It softens the intense atmosphere of protests, expands empathy and strengthens solidarity. It elevates protests beyond physical demonstrations, creating a cultural expression of shared understanding." Other K-pop tracks, mostly with catchy hooks including BLACKPINK member Rose's "APT.," aespa's hit "Whiplash" and SHINee's "Ring Ding Dong" have also found their way into protest playlists, dominating recent rallies. Experts have pointed to several factors behind the integration of K-pop into Korea's protest culture, including the depoliticization of university student councils since the 2000s, the growing participation of women in their 20s and 30s in politics and the involvement of older generations from past activist movements. K-pop, they say, serves as a cultural bridge connecting these diverse groups. "As songs like 'Into the New World' resonate at protest sites, they gain more streams from different people discovering them through YouTube and TikTok," a music industry insider said, highlighting K-pop's relevance in politics. "K-pop lyrics have long been adapted into campaign jingles during election seasons, but their presence at protests marks a significant cultural shift." With young rally-goers waving K-pop light sticks instead of traditional candles and chanting along K-pop songs, the protests take on an atmosphere reminiscent of K-pop concerts, but with a clear political message. However, this cultural exchange is not one-sided. As middle-aged and older participants at the rallies show interest in K-pop songs and culture, learning lyrics from popular tracks like "Into the New World," efforts are also underway to introduce the younger generation to traditional protest anthems that played a pivotal role in Korea's democratic movements from the 1970s to the 1990s. As an attempt to bridge the generational gap in activism, a user on X, formerly Twitter, shared the lyrics of 10 grassroots activist songs for the pro-impeachment rallies, including "March for the Beloved," "Morning Dew" and "Like a Rock." The user noted that singing together at rallies transforms individual voices into a collective message of strength and unity and compiled the lyrics as a gesture of solidarity. By Lee Gyu-lee K-pop boy group Stray Kids expressed that it will showcase its own genre with the new album "SKZHOP HIPTAPE 'HOP.'" The new release, which hit streaming sites Friday, combines Stray Kids moniker, SKZ, with hip-hop, thus the name "SKZHOP HIPTAPE." The new album will showcase the groups new and unique genre, one that cannot be defined by existing genres. "We want to call it Stray Kids' hip-hop when we confidently express our individual personalities in music and on stage, creating a liberating atmosphere, the group said in a video to introduce its new album. Stray Kids hip-hop has been about us consistently presenting our self-produced songs since our debut. The album is comprised of 12 tracks, including the title song, Bounce Back, as well as U, which features Epik High's Tablo, and a hip-hop version of Walkin On Water. It also includes solo tracks that were performed by each of the eight members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N during its world tour, "Stray Kids World Tour." The title track is written and composed by Stray Kids producing team 3RACHA which consists of leader Bang Chan and members Changbin and Han. The three described the song as a challenge. It seems this is the first time we're presenting the groups song in the old-school hip-hop genre with a boom-bap beat. While we mainly focused on mixing diverse sounds with our previous works up to 'Chk Chk Boom, this time we worked diligently on the basics with consistent melodies and tracks from beginning to end, the group explained. We've prepared choreography that focuses even more on rhythm and steps compared to our previous performances. We've also included elements that STAY (fandom name) can easily follow along. We hope many will cover it." The group is ending the year on a high note, clinching the Top Global K-Pop Artist award and performing at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards on Friday. The group described 2024 as a "happy year, thanking each other and its fans, STAY. Next year, we want to run together with an even more solid mindset and really dig in." Stray Kids will celebrate its latest release with a popup store event, Stray Kids ' (HOP)' POP-UP STORE, from Dec. 14 through 22, in Jongno District, Seoul. It is also set to release various content including the groups reactions to the title tracks music video, a behind-the-scenes video of the making of the new album and choreography practice videos in the coming days. The group will also continue its large-scale world tour Stray Kids World Tour in Bangkok and Jakarta on Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, respectively. Stock price decline caused by rights offering announcement draws backlash from shareholders By Jun Ji-hye The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has put the brakes on Hyundai Motor Securities plan for a capital increase worth 200 billion won ($140 million), requesting a corrected filing for the securities registration statement it submitted on Nov. 27. The financial watchdog requires a corrected filing if the submitted statement is improperly formatted, contains false information, omits details or has unclear representations of important matters. Upon the correction request, the effectiveness of the statement submitted by the securities firm was suspended. If a corrected filing is not submitted within three months, it will be considered withdrawn. Hyundai Motor Securities has been planning a rights offering to raise approximately 200 billion won for facility funds and other purposes. The new shares to be issued through the capital increase would total 30,124,482 shares, which represents 94.9 percent of its existing total shares, marking a significant size. Following this announcement, the firms stock price dropped by 13.07 percent on Nov. 27 compared to the previous trading day. The continued announcements of rights offerings by listed companies have led to a decline in stock prices, sparking a backlash from minority shareholders. On Thursday, the shares of Isu Petasys closed at 21,100 won, down 13.52 percent from the previous day. During intraday trading, the stock price even fell to 21,000 won, marking a 52-week low. The sharp decline in the stock price of the printed circuit board manufacturer followed the firms announcement that it will push again for a rights offering worth 550 billion won. The number of new shares to be issued through this capital increase will account for approximately 31.8 percent of the total shares currently outstanding. The purpose of the plan is to acquire a stake in JEIO, which manufactures carbon nanotubes, a secondary battery material. The Isu Petasys first announced its rights offering plan on Nov. 8, after which its stock price plummeted. However, after the FSS rejected its securities registration statement and requested a corrected filing on Dec. 2, the stock price partially recovered. The stock price then fell again after the firm submitted the corrected filing and announced its decision to proceed with the plan. Minority shareholders are opposing the JEIO acquisition plan, arguing that it does not contribute to the companys growth potential and instead undermines shareholder value. An alliance of these investors has filed complaints with the FSS and the Korea Exchange, while also holding a protest using trucks in front of the firms Seoul office. Additionally, they are recruiting shareholders through an online platform to organize shareholder actions. It seems that Isu Petasys shareholders do not understand why the company is not investing in the future of semiconductors but instead plans to acquire a carbon nanotube manufacturer, an official in the financial investment industry said. There has not been enough communication with shareholders, which is why there is so much controversy about this issue. Woori Bank replaces half of execs, streamlines organization amid internal failure concerns By Lee Kyung-min A recommendation committee under the Hana Financial Group shortlisted Hana Card CEO Lee Ho-seoung as the sole candidate to head Hana Bank, the group said Friday. Lee will replace current Hana Bank CEO Lee Seung-lyul, who did not seek a second term so he could focus on his role as the groups vice chairman. The candidate has a strong track record in risk management and internal control, the group said, qualities critical to navigate the volatilities and uncertainties heightened in the domestic and global financial markets. Lee's top priorities of will include customer-centric growth strategies, coupled with experience-backed management of the group's business and internal affairs. The groups most lucrative banking subsidiary will be able to generate strong earnings, underpinned by demand-responsive marketing strategies and a corporate culture of optimism, it added. Lee has extensive experience and expertise in business strategies, the group said. His leadership and focus propelled growth, as illustrated by the successful launch of and subsequent profit from Hanas Travel Log Card. Similar initiatives are expected to lead the growth of the group. Lee was born in 1964. He joined Hana Bank in 1992 and has since held key positions, including as the head of corporate financing. Sung Young-su, the current vice president at the bank, was recommended to head Hana Card. The corporate financing and foreign exchange expert was born in 1965. He earned his bachelors and masters degrees from Korea University. The appointment of the two will be finalized after a review by the respective executive candidate recommendation committees of the firm, board meetings and shareholder meetings. Meanwhile, Woori Bank replaced half of its 23 deputy president-level executives, in a major personnel reshuffle. It reduced the number of senior executives by five and streamlined its head offices to 17 from 20. The ages of its key overseas branch heads were lowered, a major revision to the long-standing tradition whereby seniority was essentially the sole factor in appointing the heads of branches in the United States, Vietnam and China. Woori has elevated its anti-money laundering center and loan inspection department to higher-level bodies, fortifying internal controls and risk management. The launch of an intragroup oversight body will help strengthen compliance, as outlined by the firm's accountability charts. Woori Financial Group replaced three out of nine executives, seeking to stabilize the group with competent young leaders. Hana Financial Groups net profit in the first three quarters came to 3.22 trillion won ($2.2 billion), including 1.15 trillion won for the July-September period. Woori Financials net income in the third quarter came to 903.6 billion won, up 0.6 percent from the previous year. Its net income in the first nine months amounted to 2.65 trillion won, up 9.1 percent year-on-year. The chief of Korea's central bank has said that the ongoing political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration is unlikely to dent the economy, calling the short-lived move an "unimaginable mistake," according to a British newspaper. Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Rhee Chang-yong made the comment in an interview with The Economist, which was published Thursday as part of an article titled "Korea's unrepentant president is on the brink." Rhee was one of many senior officials who learned of Yoon's martial law imposition only when he saw Yoon's late-night surprise address on TV on Dec. 3, according to the report. "I initially thought the video was a deepfake and that the television station had been hacked," Rhee was quoted as saying, calling the declaration an "unnecessary and unimaginable mistake" and an "embarrassment." The martial law was lifted about six hours later after the National Assembly voted to reject it. Following the shocking incident, the stock market tumbled and the Korean won sank to a two-year low last week, though the market has somewhat been stabilized after financial authorities vowed to inject unlimited liquidity and implement necessary measures in a bold and swift manner, when needed. "There is a mechanism for economic issues to be dealt with irrespective of political issues," Rhee told the newspaper. In an effort to assure global investors and partner nations about the country's strong economic fundamentals, Rhee has stressed that Yoon's move was purely out of political reasons and that economic fundamentals are not linked to politics. The Economist assessed that the impact of Yoon's move on the Korean economy will probably be muted, but prolonged political uncertainty "will make it harder to tackle longer-term economic challenges." The opposition-controlled National Assembly will vote on a second impeachment motion against Yoon over the weekend after the first one to remove him from office failed last week due to a lack of quorum. At least eight ruling party members need to break ranks for the impeachment motion to pass. Yoon has rejected intensifying pressure to step down and pledged to "fight to the end." (Yonhap) Korea's continuing political turmoil in the wake of President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt will be the "worst case scenario" for the start of the second Trump administration and the alliance between Seoul and Washington, a prominent U.S. expert said Thursday. Victor Cha, the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), made the remarks, voicing concerns that the turmoil comes when it is "very important" for a Korean leader to build a personal relationship with the incoming U.S. president. "On the alliance, I'll just say ... I think in many ways, this is probably the worst case scenario for the start of Trump Two and the U.S.-Korea alliance," he said during a CSIS podcast. "Of course, there are people who will try to continue the connections. But the reality is that Trump is Trump, and the personal sort of leader-to-leader tie is very important," he added. Cha pointed out that during a forum this week, people with ties to Trump said it is not the first 100 days after Trump takes office, but the first 100 hours, during which there will be a raft of policy moves likely to affect Korea. "It could have to do with troops in Korea. It could have to do with tariffs. It could have to do with the CHIPS Act. It could have to do with a whole bunch of things," he said. "And there's nobody at home in Korea. There's nobody there." Cha also noted that in an impeachment motion against Yoon, there was reference to some foreign policy actions that Yoon has taken. "You can disagree with foreign policy ... I am not a constitutional lawyer, but that's not an impeachable offense," he said. Korea has been in a period of political uncertainty since Yoon declared martial law on Dec. 3 only to retract the decree hours later following social and political blowback. After the declaration, the U.S. voiced "grave concern" while stressing that democracy is a foundational pillar of the bilateral alliance. (Yonhap) A planned trilateral forum between South Korea, the United States and Japan was postponed due to "unforeseen circumstances," the State Department said Thursday, as Seoul is reeling from the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt last week. The three countries had planned to hold the Trilateral Conference on Women's Economic Empowerment at the State Department in Washington on Thursday and Friday. It was intended to bring together government officials and people from civil society and the private sector. "We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, the U.S.-Japan-ROK Trilateral Conference on Women's Economic Empowerment scheduled for December 12-13 has been postponed," the department said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. Following the martial law episode, Seoul and Washington put off a session of the Nuclear Consultative Group, the allies' key nuclear deterrence body, and a related exercise, which were scheduled for Dec. 4-5. The Korea portion of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's trip to the Indo-Pacific this week was also canceled. The postponements and cancellation of those events have raised concerns that political turmoil in Seoul could negatively affect security coordination between South Korea and the United States over growing North Korean threats and other shared challenges. Mindful of such concerns, U.S. officials have reaffirmed America's "ironclad" commitment to the bilateral alliance. (Yonhap) Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo visited Japan on Friday to meet his Japanese counterpart and discuss ways to expand bilateral economic cooperation amid global business uncertainties, Seoul's trade ministry said Friday. Cheong held the meeting with Vice Minister for International Affairs Takehiko Matsuo in Tokyo to share opinions on achieving tangible outcomes in economic exchanges, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The two officials assessed bilateral ties between the two countries were developing in a future-oriented manner amid revitalized exchanges since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry added. They also agreed to work together to deliver joint messages on trade-related agendas globally. The two expressed support for major international events set to be held in their countries next year, including the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Korea and the World Expo 2025 in Japan. The meeting, meanwhile, took place as Seoul continues its efforts to maintain communication with key trade partners amid lingering market instability caused by Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law last week. On the previous day, Cheong met with Li Fei, China's assistant minister of commerce, in Seoul. (Yonhap) The military assured Friday that there are no issues with its readiness posture against North Korean threats, despite concerns over a potential command vacuum in the aftermath of last week's botched martial law declaration. "The military is currently committed to its duties, and there are no issues in its readiness posture in border areas," a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official told reporters. The remark came as seven senior defense ministry and military personnel, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, have resigned or been placed under suspension since last week over their involvement in the Dec. 3 martial law operations. The move has also affected the Army chief and top commanders of major warfare units the Capital Defense Command, the Army Special Warfare Command, the Counterintelligence Command and the Defense Intelligence Command. "There are concerns over the substitute system, but the Capital Defense Command and the Special Warfare Command are mostly tasked with counterterrorism operations and are not units that directly combat enemy forces in the event of war," the official said. "There are no issues at all in the response system against North Korean provocations." On Thursday, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo also convened a meeting of commanders and urged the military to maintain a firm readiness posture while adhering to political neutrality. (Yonhap) A four-story library specializing in unification and North Korea will open in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, in 2027, the unification ministry said Friday. Construction of the unification information center will begin Monday with a total budget of 48.4 billion won ($33.8 million), aiming to launch it in the first half of 2027, according to the ministry. With a total floor space of 8,463 square meters, the building will have three stories above ground and one basement level, once completed. Upon its launch, the library will integrate the Information Center on North Korea, an institution on research and materials about North Korea, which the unification ministry has been operating in rented space at the National Library of Korea in southern Seoul. The ministry said that the new center, once completed, will be the country's only library specializing in unification and North Korea, providing high-quality, systematic materials and information to the public and researchers. (Yonhap) By KTimes The aftermath of the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, which shocked the nation, has led to a surge in cases of young people postponing their mandatory military enlistment. Concerns over the potential for a second attempt at imposing martial law have heightened fears, as President Yoon Suk Yeols national address on Thursday reiterated his stance that the martial law declaration was justified, leaving many uneasy about the possibility of a recurrence. Reflecting this unease, inquiries about deferring enlistment have increased among Koreans living abroad. Park, a 20-year-old preparing for college, shared his apprehensions: "I was contemplating enlisting, but seeing martial law troops entering the National Assembly scared me. Ive decided to delay my physical examination until President Yoons term ends." He added, "Im terrified of being mobilized if martial law is declared again. My parents and friends are also advising me to wait, fearing unforeseen events." Twenty-year-old Jang also said, "Ive seen friends in the army and marines struggling because of the martial law incident. I dont want to go through such tension myself." Concerns extend beyond personal fears to potential ethical dilemmas. "If those responsible for this martial law go unpunished, and theres even a slight chance of another declaration, Ill delay my enlistment as long as possible," Shin, another 20-year-old, said. He voiced his worry, "Im scared of receiving irrational orders as a soldier and being placed in situations where I might have to confront citizens. If I were a soldier facing citizens like what happened in the National Assembly, it would be truly chaotic." Anxieties of overseas residents Parents have also expressed rising concerns. Baek, 51, whose son is set to enlist in a month, said, "As far as I know, its too late to change the enlistment date. I just hope the situation stabilizes quickly before he joins." Posts on online forums echo similar sentiments, with one user lamenting, "My son applied to the Air Force on Dec. 2, but the martial law declaration made us consider canceling. However, they told us its not possible. If impeachment doesnt happen, I dont think I can send him to the army." Another user wrote, "My son was supposed to enlist at the Nonsan Training Center on Dec. 30, but he canceled, saying he cant go to the military under these circumstances." Concerns are also growing among Koreans living abroad. According to a military enlistment consultant, inquiries have surged from overseas residents asking, "Is it safe to enlist in Korea now?" and "Can I postpone my enlistment?" The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) says on its website that enlistment can be postponed under specific circumstances, including health issues, urgent family matters, natural disasters, overseas travel and other reasonable grounds supported by documentation. In response to the public's concern, an MMA official said, "If there are valid reasons, enlistment can be delayed." However, another consultant warned that postponement applications must be accompanied by justifiable explanations: "Those who have already received enlistment notices need a convincing reason for their request to be considered." This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times. Judge who acquitted opposition leader included in martial law arrest list By KTimes The Supreme Court condemned reports that a sitting judge who acquitted Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was included in the military's arrest list during the Dec. 3 martial law fiasco. The court described it as a severe infringement on judicial authority. In a statement issued on Friday, the Supreme Court said, "Reports have emerged that during the declaration of martial law, the military intended to arrest a sitting judge who had acquitted the opposition leader in a specific trial. If true, this constitutes a direct and grave violation of judicial independence, raising serious concerns." The court continued, "Such actions should never occur in a constitutional democracy, and the facts must be urgently clarified with those responsible held legally accountable." According to sources contacted by the Hankook Ilbo, Yeo In-hyung, former chief of military counterintelligence, called Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, on the night of Dec. 3, providing a list of about 15 individuals for location tracking. Yeo allegedly told Cho that the tracking was necessary to facilitate arrests. The list included major political figures such as Lee, ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik. When Cho asked about an unfamiliar name, "Kim Dong-hyun," Yeo replied, "The judge who acquitted Lee Jae-myung." Kim acquitted Lee on Nov. 25 of perjury instigation charges, a decision that defied widespread legal predictions favoring a guilty verdict. In his ruling, Kim said, "The evidence presented by the prosecution is insufficient to prove that Lee had the intent to instigate perjury." Former National Intelligence Service Deputy Director Hong Jang-won previously revealed that Yeos arrest list, shared shortly after the martial law declaration, also included Kim Myung-soo, a former Supreme Court chief justice and Kwon Soon-il, a former Supreme Court justice. The Supreme Court's administrative office director Chun Dae-yeop, addressing the issue at a National Assembly judiciary committee meeting on Dec. 6, said, "If this is true, it is an incomprehensible and highly inappropriate action." This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung urged ruling party lawmakers on Friday to vote in favor of a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed bid to impose martial law, saying that "history will remember" their decisions. Lee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) made the remark at the National Assembly, a day before the impeachment vote against Yoon is held, stressing that impeachment is the "fastest and surest way to end this chaos." "Lawmakers, regardless of their political party or ideology, be it progressive or conservative, have a duty to respect the Constitution and follow the order of their sovereign," he said. "What the lawmakers must protect is neither Yoon nor the ruling People Power Party but the lives of the people wailing out in the freezing streets," he added. On Yoon's address, Lee called it a "lunatic declaration of war" to the people and accused Yoon of attempting to "cover up his crime with ugly lies." (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol has requested that the National Assembly approve his appointment of Ma Yong-ju as a new Supreme Court judge, parliamentary records showed Friday. The request is another move by Yoon that exercised his presidential power, although he has publicly pledged that he would entrust state affairs to the ruling party and the government, as political turmoil deepened over his botched imposition of martial law. Yoon submitted Ma's nomination as a top court judge Thursday, after defending his decision to declare martial law on Dec. 3 and vowing to fight against calls to step down. Under the law, a Supreme Court judge nominee must undergo confirmation hearings and requires majority approval in the National Assembly to secure the appointment. Yoon promised in a public address last Saturday to entrust state affairs to the ruling party and the government, but he has approved the resignation of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and endorsed a series of laws and ordinances passed by the Cabinet earlier this week. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered police to "round up" all lawmakers when he invoked martial law last week, the chief of the National Police Agency (NPA) reportedly has told investigators. NPA Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho made the claim during questioning over his role in Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Cho has been taken into custody pending a court decision on his formal arrest. Cho reportedly claimed that Yoon had called him after declaring martial law and said: "Round them all up. They violated the martial law, so arrest them." Cho's claim is consistent with the testimonies given by military commanders in parliament hearings held in the wake of the botched martial law attempt. Cho reportedly told police that Yoon called him by phone six times to order the arrest of lawmakers, mainly his political opponents, during the martial law operations, but Cho did not pass on the instructions to the front lines, because he thought "none of them made sense." Cho purportedly told police that he did not record the phone calls. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun reportedly used Yoon's phone to call Cho and inform him of a delay in Yoon's announcement of martial law, Cho reportedly told police. Yoon had initially planned to declare martial law at 10 p.m. and begin operations to block the National Assembly and other institutions at 11 p.m. However, the declaration was announced in a televised speech at 10:23 p.m. (Yonhap) Yoon says, 'I will personally write my defense statement' By KTimes Ahead of his abrupt national address on Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol told aides, "I will personally write my defense statement," demonstrating his resolve to counter legal challenges in defending his Dec. 3 martial law declaration, according to sources. Yoons address that day, which he personally authored, was neither a sudden announcement nor an appeal to the ruling party. Instead, it fully reflected his perspective on national governance and perception of reality, suggesting that it was a calculated move to prepare for the unfolding legal battles in the wake of impending impeachment. He has remained largely out of public view since the martial law declaration, preparing for the Constitutional Courts impeachment trial and related investigations. Yoon has expressed to those around him his determination to "see this through to the end." His resolve was so strong that he demonstrated his desire by personally drafting his defense statement, thereby showing his deeply ingrained instincts as a prosecutor. A source familiar with the matter quoted him as saying, "I fully expect to be arrested, but I will fight until the end to explain why martial law was necessary." Trigger for martial law declaration The impeachment of Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chief Choi Jae-hae by the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Nov. 5 is seen as a key trigger for Yoons actions. It marked the first time in Koreas constitutional history that a BAI chief faced impeachment. Yoon said in his address that the DPKs push to impeach officials investigating or auditing the partys alleged misconduct left him "unable to stand idly by." The situation inside the presidential office on the night of Dec. 3, when martial law was declared, appears to have been far more chaotic than previously understood. Chief Presidential Secretary Chung Jin-suk, a five-term lawmaker who once served as deputy speaker of the National Assembly, was urgently summoned back from an evening dinner. During his return, Chung asked Kim Joo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, about the situation, but Kim was unaware of the full details. Upon arriving at the presidential office and trying to assess the situation, Chung attempted to dissuade Yoon, saying, You cannot do this. However, Yoon responded curtly, Step aside. Tensions escalated further when former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun entered the scene. Chung turned to Kim and shouted, What is this madness? but Kim, unfazed, glared back and retorted, We must implement martial law. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times. President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating fell to a record low of 11 percent, a survey showed Friday, amid growing public backlash over his martial law declaration last week. According to the survey conducted by Gallup Korea on 1,002 adults aged over 18 from Tuesday to Thursday, positive assessment of Yoon's performance fell 5 percentage points from a week earlier to 11 percent the lowest since he took office in May 2022. Negative assessment of Yoon rose to a record high of 85 percent, with the martial law situation cited by 49 percent of respondents and economic concerns cited by 8 percent. Regarding Yoon's possible impeachment, 75 percent of respondents supported it, while 21 percent opposed it. The National Assembly will hold an impeachment vote against Yoon over his botched martial law bid Saturday. Among supporters of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), 27 percent supported impeachment, while 66 percent opposed it. Meanwhile, 97 percent of supporters of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) supported impeachment, compared with 3 percent in opposition. Support for the PPP fell 3 percentage points from the previous week to 24 percent, while the figure for the main opposition DPK gained 3 percentage points to 40 percent. It marked the largest gap in support for the DP over the PPP since the launch of the current administration. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, with a confidence rate of 95 percent. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the arrest of a Seoul lower court judge who recently acquitted opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in a perjury trial during the period of martial law, a lawyer representing the national police chief said Friday. The lawyer defending National Police Agency Commissioner-General Cho Ji-ho, who is being investigated over the botched martial law imposition, claimed that Judge Kim Dong-hyun of the Seoul Central District Court was included in Yoon's arrest list. Last month, Kim acquitted Lee, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), of charges of suborning a former mayoral secretary to make false court testimony in his favor during a 2019 trial on his alleged election law violations. The ruling was seen as easing Lee's legal risks as a potential presidential runner in 2027. Cho's lawyer said that Defense Counterintelligence Commander Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung called Cho shortly after martial law was declared and asked him to track the locations of some 15 politicians. They included National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, DP floor leader Park Chan-dae, Rep. Jung Chung-rai of the DP, who heads the parliamentary judiciary committee, and ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon. The Supreme Court issued a statement expressing "grave concern" and strong criticism over Cho's purported claims. "If true, this represents a direct and serious infringement on judicial authority," it said. "Such an incident must never occur in a state governed by the rule of law, and we urge a swift investigation to uncover the truth and ensure strict legal accountability," the court said. (Yonhap) Prosecutors say Yoon once listened to others, but now appears to see power as 'personal property' By KTimes Former and current prosecutors who worked with President Yoon Suk Yeol said his posture during the address leaning forward with both hands gripping the edge of a desk reminded them of his days as a prosecutor. This stance, they said, often signaled his resistance to opposing views. One lawyer, a former deputy chief prosecutor, recalled, "When he adopted that posture, it felt like he was saying, 'Go ahead and make your case, even though I wont like it.'" Yoon's posture, a reflection of his strong self-confidence, has been consistent throughout his career, from his time as a prosecutor and prosecutor general to his current role as president. During a 29-minute address to the nation on Thursday, Yoon criticized the opposition party, defending his controversial attempt to impose martial law as a necessary act to counter alleged overreach by the opposition. Critics noted that his tone and content resembled a prosecutor presenting arguments in court rather than a head of state addressing the public. His apology, delivered briefly at the end of the speech, was seen as perfunctory. Unyielding stance Legal professionals and political analysts have expressed concern over what they see as Yoons extreme self-assurance morphing into paranoia. A former prosecutor said, "Yoons belief in his own reasoning was strong even back then, but now it seems he has spiraled into paranoia. How can a president echo narratives from YouTube broadcasts during an official address?" Another lawyer, also a former prosecutor, added, "In the past, he could occasionally be persuaded by persistent colleagues, but its hard to understand what has changed during his two years as president." Some observers believe that Yoons rigid confidence, combined with the powers of the presidency, has led to extreme views on current political and societal issues. "Yoon seems to have developed an antagonistic worldview, asking himself why he must tolerate constant opposition despite being president," said a former deputy chief prosecutor. "It appears his overconfidence and inability to manage anger have led him to view power as his own property." Despite growing criticism, many believe Yoon will not step down, even if faced with impeachment or criminal charges. His unyielding stance during a recent Cabinet meeting is believed to have left even Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and other ministers unable to intervene. Legal experts overwhelmingly dismiss Yoon's justification of martial law as unfounded. A former judge noted that, in cases of sedition, subjective intent can be inferred from circumstantial evidence, saying "The presidents directive to soldiers to storm the National Assembly and remove lawmakers clearly establishes the intent to disrupt constitutional order." Another judge said, "As someone who served as prosecutor general, Yoon should understand constitutional principles better." Strategy to counter sedition charges Regarding whether presidential acts are exempt from judicial review, opinions are clear. Lawyer Kim Jin-han, a former researcher at the Constitutional Court, said, "While it is impractical to scrutinize every act of a head of state, any action that violates the constitution or significantly infringes on others' freedoms and rights must be subject to judicial review." Hwang Do-su, a professor at Konkuk University and a former Constitutional Court researcher, said, "The idea that presidential acts are beyond judicial review is outdated. Constitutional law has evolved, and such acts must adhere to legal principles." Some speculate that Yoons address was part of a legal strategy to counter charges of sedition. A former chief prosecutor said, "The weakest link in sedition charges is proving intent, and while it is a minority view, courts could potentially accept Yoon's claims that there was no actual intent for sedition." He added, "With this address effectively revealing the presidents legal strategy, investigators must now gather overwhelming evidence to refute it." This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times. Prosecutors on Friday sought an arrest warrant for Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung over his role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law. Yeo is suspected of sending troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission at the orders of then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun after martial law was imposed on Dec. 3, and ordering the arrest of prominent politicians, including the leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties. Prosecutors sought the arrest warrant on charges of insurrection and abuse of power. Later on Friday, Yeo announced that he would waive a court hearing to review the arrest warrant. "Participating in the hearing to determine the necessity of my arrest would not be appropriate in light of my duties to the public and my subordinates. Therefore, I have decided to forgo it," Yeo said in a statement. (Yonhap) By Lee Hae-rin Rep. Kim Sang-wook of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) said Friday that he has been bullied by fellow party members and received death threats from voters after publically supporting the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law declaration. "To be honest, there are a lot of death threats and bullying," he said on a local radio program, Thursday. "Many persuaded me (not to support impeachment) right after martial law was lifted," he said. "When I stated my affirmation (in favor of impeachment) through a press conference on Tuesday, there was no more persuasion, only intimidation." Although Kim, a first-time lawmaker representing the conservative Ulsan electoral district, refrained from specifying how PPP lawmakers were intimidating him, Kim Woong, a former PPP lawmaker who appeared with him on the show, speculated that it would be about winning a party nomination for reelection. Kim also confessed that there is a lot of pressure from voters in his constituency. "For example, in the case of Rep. Kim Jae-sub (of the PPP) representing Dobong District in Seoul, voters strongly support impeachment. But lawmakers from the southeastern region could get in trouble when they say they support impeachment," Kim said. Kim even asked the police for safety cooperation as a large protest rally is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday at the partys regional office in his region. I can't go down to Ulsan right now," he said. "Conservatives were seen as more like interest groups and extremists (in Korea so far), but we started campaigning to renew this concept to more value-oriented conservatives," he said. "We are trying to make that change in our district first." The legal defense team representing former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law did not amount to insurrection as it was within the president's constitutional rights. Kim was arrested this week on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection. The defense minister is suspected of recommending Yoon impose martial law on Dec. 3 and ordering troops to the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from voting down the decree. "The declaration of martial law is a unique governance right given to the president by the Constitution," Kim's legal team said in a statement. "Claiming the president's declaration of martial law in itself is 'insurrection,' and attempting to investigate and try the case is very much an 'insurrection' that subverts the Constitution," it said. The legal team said Kim plans to join the president in "fighting and defending the Constitution" after Yoon, in a public address the previous day, defended his declaration of martial law as an act of governance and vowed to squarely face either impeachment or investigation. The team also argued that subjecting an act of governance to a judicial review would only politicize the justice system, violating not only the principle of the separation of powers but also the free and democratic basic order. (Yonhap) A second motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaration was reported to the National Assembly on Friday, with the nation reeling from Yoon's Dec. 3 invocation of martial law that triggered unprecedented political turmoil. Yoon has remained defiant, saying Thursday that declaring martial law was "within the realm of executive authority, which is not subject to judicial review," and he would fight "until the last moment." The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and other opposition parties had originally planned to begin voting on the motion as of 5 p.m. Saturday, but the office of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik brought forward the timing to 4 p.m. DPK leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung urged ruling party lawmakers to vote in favor of the motion, stressing that impeachment is the "fastest and surest way to end this chaos." At least eight lawmakers from the ruling party are needed to vote Saturday if the second impeachment motion is passed. So far, seven ruling party lawmakers have publicly said they would do so. By law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after it is reported to a plenary session. The first motion to impeach Yoon was scrapped last Saturday as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted the vote. Following the scrapping of the first motion, the DPK vowed to push for the passage of Yoon's impeachment every week. The second motion includes allegations that martial law troops and police attempted to arrest lawmakers under the leadership of the president. Allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee, including her suspected involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and interference in election nominations through a power broker, have been removed from the latest motion. Later on Friday, the newly elected floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) said the party would decide on its official stance regarding the impeachment vote on Saturday. "Currently, the party's official position is to vote down the impeachment, but it's an outcome of discussions among lawmakers," Kweon Seong-dong, a key confidant of Yoon, told reporters. During the vote on the first motion, 108 PPP lawmakers, with the exception of three, exited the parliamentary chamber in line with the party's official decision to boycott the vote. For the motion to pass, at least eight PPP lawmakers would need to support it. So far, seven have publicly stated they intend to vote in favor of impeachment. "If the party adopts an official position, as floor leader, all I can do is appeal to lawmakers to respect and adhere to it," Kweon said. He also noted that there is no way to forcibly compel lawmakers to comply with the party's stance. In another sign of mounting public outrage over the martial law bid, Yoon's approval rating fell to a record low of 11 percent, according to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea on 1,002 adults. In the same survey, 75 percent of respondents supported Yoon's impeachment, while 21 percent opposed it. If the motion is passed, the Constitutional Court will decide whether to reinstate or remove Yoon from office. If upheld by the court, Yoon would be the second president in South Korea's history to be removed from office through impeachment after former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. (Yonhap) Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday he would actively cooperate with the police's investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law last week. On Tuesday, police requested Han and 10 other officials who attended a Cabinet meeting just before Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law to appear for questioning as part of the investigation into alleged insurrection. "I will cooperate well according to the investigation proceedings," said Han during a parliamentary interpellation session. When asked about how he could be seen as a sympathizer to the martial law declaration, Han rejected the accusation and vowed to "actively" cooperate with the investigation for the authorities to make a decision. (Yonhap) By Lee Hyo-jin Roh Tae-ak, chairman of the National Election Commission (NEC), expressed shock, Friday, over President Yoon Suk Yeol's claim that the April 10 parliamentary elections were rigged. He called the deployment of troops to NEC facilities during the brief period of martial law as "unconstitutional." "I found the president's stance on election fraud shocking," Roh said during a parliamentary interpellation session. He added that "election fraud is impossible under our system," in response to a lawmaker's question whether Yoon's views seemed to be influenced by conspiracy theories raised by far-right political groups. The election watchdog chief also stated there was "absolutely no doubt" that the militarys unauthorized occupation of NEC facilities and attempts to seize servers during martial law were unconstitutional and unlawful. During the emergency military rule that Yoon declared on Dec. 3, which lasted for only six hours, nearly 300 soldiers were deployed to three NEC facilites, including its headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. Roh's remarks followed Yoons explanation on Thursday that concerns over election fraud were a key factor in his surprise martial law declaration. In a public address, Yoon said the NEC's computer systems were vulnerable to cyberintrusion and manipulation, yet the agency had not cooperated with necessary inspections. "How can our people trust election results when the computer system that manages the elections the very foundation of democracy is in such disarray?" Yoon said. Yoon added that he had demanded improvements before the April 10 general elections, but could not confirm whether those changes were made. "For this reason, I ordered the minister of national defense to inspect the National Election Commissions computer systems," the president said. The NEC has since called for a criminal investigation into those involved in the intrusions during martial law, while confirming no internal documents were leaked. President continues to exercise power despite promise to step aside By Kwak Yeon-soo Factional infighting is deepening in the ruling People Power Party (PPP) as a growing number of members are shifting their stance to support a parliamentary vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law, according to party officials and political watchers, Friday. The plenary session on Yoon's impeachment will be held at 4 p.m., Saturday, after opposition parties reintroduced a new impeachment motion on Thursday. The motion was presented to the National Assembly on Friday. The first impeachment vote last Saturday was scrapped after PPP lawmakers boycotted it, causing it to fail to meet the quorum. So far, seven PPP lawmakers Kim Sang-wook, Kim Yea-ji, Kim Jae-sub, Ahn Cheol-soo, Cho Kyoung-tae, Jin Jong-oh and Han Zee-a have publicly supported a vote to impeach him. Given that the opposition bloc holds 192 seats in the 300-member assembly, at least eight PPP lawmakers need to vote for Yoons impeachment in order to pass the bill with the two-thirds majority that is required. Things took a drastic turn after PPP leader Han Dong-hoon publicly threw his support behind the move to impeach Yoon on Thursday, saying that it has become clearer that the president is no longer able to fulfill his duties. Han convened the ethics committee on Thursday night to discuss whether to oust Yoon from the party. We have initiated disciplinary proceedings against the president. Considering the seriousness of the matter, we decided to proceed cautiously regarding the substance and procedures, the ethics committee said in a statement. Rep. Kim Sang-wook, one of three PPP lawmakers who participated in last week's impeachment vote and stated that he would no longer join his partys boycott of Yoons impeachment, staged a solo protest at the National Assembly on Friday, urging other PPP members to vote in favor of Yoons impeachment. Yoon is a traitor. He betrayed the conservatives and the public's trust. I request the ruling party to acknowledge our fault and cooperate with the opposition-led impeachment motion. I will vote in favor of Yoons impeachment, Kim said. However, the PPPs new floor leader, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, and the pro-Yoon faction vowed to protect the president ahead of the impeachment vote. Kweon said the party will hold a general meeting of its lawmakers on Saturday morning and discuss the opposition-led impeachment motion against Yoon. For now, the ruling party is against the impeachment motion. We will hold discussions on Saturday morning ahead of the vote and decide on the party line and whether to allow lawmakers to vote freely, Kweon said during a press conference on Friday. On the ethics committee meeting to review Yoons expulsion from the party, he said "I think it would be better to convey the partys opinion to the presidential office and have the president make a decision on his own." Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, a staunch supporter of Yoon within the PPP, criticized those who are turning against the president. How can we even think of removing the president from the party? Convening the ethics committee to review such an agenda without even going through the process of gathering opinions from party members is problematic," he said. Former President Park Geun-hye was expelled from the Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the PPP, in October 2017 due to a corruption scandal. This was roughly eight months after the Constitutional Court decided to impeach her. Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Jae-myung said on Friday that the best way to restore order in the country is to impeach Yoon, saying that history will remember their decisions. "All lawmakers, regardless of their political party or ideology, have a duty to respect the Constitution and follow the order of their sovereign, Lee said. "What the lawmakers must protect is neither Yoon nor the ruling party, but the lives of the people wailing out in the freezing streets," he added. Meanwhile, Yoon has requested that the National Assembly approve his appointment of Ma Yong-ju as a new Supreme Court judge in what appears to be a move to break his own promise of relinquishing his presidential power and authority. On Dec. 7, Yoon promised in a public address that he would entrust state affairs to the ruling party and the government as political turmoil deepened over his sudden martial law declaration. A court on Friday issued arrest warrants for the chiefs of the national police and the Seoul police on charges of playing key roles in President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law last week. The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrants for Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, citing risk of destruction of evidence. The arrests came days after they were placed under emergency arrest on charges of ordering police officers to enter the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from voting down Yoon's martial law decree. Reports later surfaced that Cho and Kim met with Yoon and then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun at a presidential safe house some three hours before the president declared martial law on Dec. 3. Police suspect Cho and Kim may have been involved from the planning stages of the martial law order. Both have been banned from leaving the country. (Yonhap) By William Pesek The last 13 days in Korea have the globe puzzled about whats really afoot in Asias fourth-largest economy. But the bigger question is where will President Yoon Suk Yeols antics leave Korea 10 years from now. Before Yoons martial law stunt on Dec. 3, few foreign investors assigned high odds of Korea suffering a Japan-like lost decade. Sure, Korea had its share of challenges on Dec. 2: crushing household debt; weak productivity; the lowest fertility rate anywhere; an over-reliance on exports as China slows and Donald Trump is set to return as U.S. president to make trade wars great again. But Yoons craven actions a day later made the distant risk of so-called Japanification a clear and present danger if not the most likely scenario for Korea. The problem is the chronic complacency thats long plagued Korea is catching up with the economy. This has Japanese echoes that cant be ignored. And Yoon just exacerbated it in ways that are hard to see amidst the political fog pervading Seoul. In May 2022, Yoon became the fifth elected president in roughly 20 years pledging to level playing fields, curb the economic dominance of family-owned conglomerates, increase efficiency and reduce the role of exports as the leading growth engine. The first half of his five-year term repeated a now well-established pattern: Korean leaders getting growth into the 2 percent-3 percent range, declaring victory and then pivoting to other pursuits. This cycle prevents bold moves to disrupt an economic system thats putting Korea at a disadvantage in the Chinese era. Despite its challenges, China continues to disrupt the global economic hierarchy. Its vast investments in high-value, tech-driven sectors from automobiles and smartphones to semiconductors and biotechnology are rapidly reshaping the business landscape at an astonishing pace. In top-down Korea, maintaining global market share requires constant reinvention. Sadly, most of the disruption is political parties clashing over what that vision should be. The disorientation caused by Yoons disastrous martial law decree will further distract lawmakers from structural reforms, limiting Koreas economic potential. Of course, this political paralysis problem is years in the making. Yoons predecessor, Moon Jae-in, came to power in 2017 with bold plans to champion trickle-up economics. Moon articulated a venture powerhouse vision to support Korea's vibrant tech startup scene. Yet such strategies have a cart-before-the-horse problem. Korea doesnt lack young entrepreneurs with great ideas. It lacks ample economic space and oxygen for innovators to grow their shops into mid-size companies that shake up an industry and create millions of high-paying, merit-based jobs. Moon, like those before him and Yoon later on, realized the magnitude of the task of remaking Korea Inc. and he throttled back on reforms. So did Park Geun-hye from 2013 to 2017. Koreas first female leader started with grand plans to dismantle the chaebol-centric system her father, Park Chung-hee, built in the 1960s and 1970s. She talked of devising a more creative economy. Instead, Park got co-opted and later impeached and imprisoned. Before Park, there was Lee Myung-bak, president from 2008 to 2013. Voters hoped the former CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction would use his business skills to recalibrate growth engines. Lee largely maintained the status quo. Roh Moo-hyuns liberal 2003-2008 presidency seemed to focus more on revitalizing North Koreas economy than raising his nations competitive game. And just like that, a 20-year window came and went with few major structural upgrades to devise a more dynamic and diversified economy a window Korea cant get back. These squandered years coincided with Chinas arrival to reshape regional competition. Thats why any list of major economies at risk of Japanification should place Korea high. Now more than ever, considering the gridlock sure to engulf Seoul as Yoon fends off calls to resign. Look no further than how the Bank of Korea (BOK) had to save the day after Yoons Dec. 3 maneuver. BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yongs team acted fast and transparently to pledge unlimited liquidity and "various other measures" to stabilize won-denominated assets. In doing so, the BOK reminded us that its both the financial adult in the room in Seoul and the economic overlord. This mission creep isnt by the BOKs design but by politicians who, Japan-style, long ago abdicated their responsibilities to a group of unelected economists. Korea isnt suffering from deflation. But with China exporting overcapacity and U.S. President-elect Trump about to unleash a torrent of tariffs, it cant be ruled out. Also, rapidly aging populations are inherently deflationary. Koreans in their 70s wont spend the way people in their 20s and 30s do. Any hope Yoons People Power Party or the Democratic Party of Korea at some point might get its economic reform groove back all but disappeared in the last 13 days. It means that as economists look to Asias 2025, they almost should be contemplating Koreas 2035. William Pesek is a longtime Asia opinion writer, based in Tokyo. He is a former columnist for Bloomberg and Barrons and author of "Japanization: What the World Can Learn from Japans Lost Decades." Will Project Moohan overcome shortcomings of Apple's Vision Pro? By Nam Hyun-woo Samsung Electronics teamed up with Google and Qualcomm to introduce its latest extended reality (XR) headset, code-named Project Moohan, jumping into the fray with big tech firms over XR devices. Samsung Electronics on Thursday (local time) held a developer event titled XR Unlocked in New York and announced that Project Moohan will make its global debut next year. It will be powered by the new version of Googles Android XR, a platform jointly developed by the three companies, enabling users to interact with both physical and virtual realities through multi-modal artificial intelligence (AI) that integrates various sensory experiences. Samsung said Googles Gemini AI chatbot will be embedded in the headset, allowing users to explore new information through natural conversations and physical gestures. XR is an umbrella term referring to a range of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality and mixed reality technologies. Upon release, the new device is expected to compete with Apples Vision Pro and Metas Quest, both of which currently dominate the XR device market. This is not Samsungs first attempt in the XR device market. In 2014, Samsung unveiled Gear VR, developed in collaboration with Oculus, which is now Meta, and rolled out a series of variations to the headset, but terminated services on related apps in 2020. Since 2017, Samsung also launched a number of VR headsets under its gaming gear brand Odyssey, but failed to gain popularity. Against this backdrop, Project Moohan is expected to face tough competition, as the XR market whose growth potential remains uncertain is currently dominated by Quest, while Vision Pro continues to struggle to secure its position. U.S. tech media AppleInsider reported that Apple only sold around 370,000 headsets in the first three quarters of 2024 and anticipated that only another 50,000 units will be sold by January, while analysts are also saying the devices expensive price tag, limited content and inconvenience show that the company focused on the product, rather than the market. Against this backdrop, reports suggest that Apple is preparing to release a more affordable Vision device next year to better compete with Quest. While Samsung has yet to disclose the price or detailed specifications regarding Moohan, Apples strategy underscores the need for Samsung to carefully consider pricing and focus on delivering diverse and engaging content. XR will open an entirely new dimension by seamlessly transitioning between the real world and virtual environments, enabling interaction with technology without physical limitations, Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Choi Won-jun said during the event. Android XR platform excels in its scalability that can be applied across various form factors. Through expanding ecosystem and a broad range of content, the Android XR platform will offer users a richer and more immersive experience, he said. The transport ministry said Friday it will conduct a flight demonstration of a commercial-level air taxi model this week as part of a government project to introduce the urban air mobility (UAM) industry in the country. The ministry will demonstrate the operation of the S-4 model built by U.S. electric aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's aviation center in Goheung, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on Saturday. The demonstration is part of the K-UAM Grand Challenge, a government-led demonstration program that will test UAM vehicle safety and traffic management capabilities for commercial services. The deployment of the S-4, capable of carrying a pilot and up to four passengers, will mark the first use of a commercial-level UAM aircraft in the country. The demonstration will include testing with UAM operational technologies, such as those involving flight management and air traffic, developed by a consortium formed by SK Telecom, Korea Airports and Hanwha Systems. (Yonhap) FKI feared to lose ground again if political leadership changes By Park Jae-hyuk Business associations have begun reaching out to the opposition bloc, breaking their extreme silence on President Yoon Suk Yeols short-lived martial law declared on Dec. 3. Their apparent focus shift from the business-friendly ruling party has been interpreted as a preemptive action to brace for a presidency of Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), amid the looming impeachment of Yoon. On Thursday, six business associations joined an emergency meeting with DPK leadership including Lee, after a growing number of ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers expressed their intent to vote for the next impeachment motion against Yoon at the National Assemblys plenary session on Saturday. The DPK said that the meeting was arranged upon continuous requests from the business associations, adding that its leader would hold additional meetings with businesspeople. During the meeting, Korea Enterprises Federation Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik expressed concerns over the recent political uncertainty possibly discouraging business activities and asked lawmakers to reconsider their proposals of bills unfavorable to companies. I hope the National Assembly makes efforts to relieve anxiety in our society and stabilizes the business environment, he said. Heads of business lobby groups representing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners directly mentioned the martial law declaration as the main cause of worsening earnings of their members. Small business owners and the self-employed, who had anticipated more consumers at year end, have been left frustrated at their restaurants and supermarkets, Korea Federation of SMEs Chairman Kim Ki-mun said. The DPK was also asked to allow businesspeople to join an emergency meeting on the economy between the government and lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties. The DPK and businesses agreed to open a hotline, said Rep. Jo Seoung-lae, the DPKs senior spokesperson. When business associations met with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Dec. 4 and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon belonging to the PPP on Tuesday, press releases on the closed-door meetings did not include what businesspeople said about the martial law fallout. Before the latest meeting with DPK leadership, the business associations had also not issued any statements on the current political situation, in contrast to foreign chambers of commerce here, which have spoken out on the martial law fiasco. On Dec. 17, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Korea International Trade Association Chairman Yoon Jin-sik are expected to accompany Sohn and Kim for a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who previously belonged to the DPK before he took the position and had to give up his party membership. Meanwhile, speculation is growing that the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) may lose ground once again, after a potential change in political leadership. Last month, the FKI was not invited to the DPKs meeting with seven business associations and executives of Koreas four largest conglomerates for a discussion on the proposed Commercial Act revision, as the federation had led the issuance of a joint statement opposing the new law. Additionally, the opposition bloc has locked horns with the FKI, citing the lobby groups connection with a corruption scandal in 2016 and 2017 that involved impeached former President Park Geun-hye and her close confidant Choi Soon-sil, who was accused of interfering with state affairs. By Nam Hyun-woo Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun stressed the importance of innovation during a town hall meeting with employees at the groups regional hub in Singapore, which marked its first anniversary. According to the automaker, Chung visited Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) to commemorate its first foundation anniversary and held a meeting to share his vision on HMGICS efforts to transform itself into a software-centric plant and strengthen trust among employees. During the meeting, Chung applauded the dedication and hard work of employees there, saying Our journey has been impressive so far, but the best is yet to come. We can meet the challenges ahead because we are Hyundai. We can meet the challenges because we have what it takes the right people like you, and our vision of progress for humanity, he said. Chung said the group decided to establish HMGICS to create an innovative platform that can prepare for the future. He said the group needed a test bed capable of conducting research and production tailored to increasingly diverse mobility needs. HMGICS was completed in November last year in Western Singapore as a research and development center and a test bed for new manufacturing technologies. Powered by digital twin technology, HMGICS established a multimodel small-scale production system that enables a flexible response to market demands. Instead of traditional conveyor belts for mass production, the facility uses oval-shaped cells capable of producing various types of mobility solutions, with robots carrying vehicle bodies and components to enable the efficient manufacturing of different vehicle models with varied specifications. It is now manufacturing the IONIQ 5, the IONIQ 6 and robotaxis. The manufacturing technologies developed at HMGICS will be gradually applied to factories globally, including Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia, and the dedicated electric vehicle plant in Ulsan. Chung stressed the importance of HMGICS mission of developing sustainable, innovative mobility solutions and enhancing customer experiences, saying HMGICS is exploring new business ideas and technologies that will revolutionize future mobility. Hyundai Motor President and CEO Chang Jae-hoon, who will become the groups vice chair on Jan. 1, emphasized the role of the innovation hub in Hyundai Motor Group's long-term strategy. We will proactively develop essential technologies for future factories, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, and verify their effectiveness through concrete projects, Chang said. The expertise accumulated during this process will become key assets for building smart factories and will be applied to Hyundais global manufacturing sites. NSEU urged to focus more on wage talks amid companys crisis By Park Jae-hyuk Leaders of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the largest among the tech firms multiple labor unions, are facing a backlash from union members, following their decision to join a protest calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon declared martial law on Dec. 3 and lifted the order six hours later, due to a National Assembly resolution repealing the decree. On the NSEUs official website, which bans nonmembers from leaving comments, many of its members urged their leaders to focus more on wage talks with the management, rather than spending the unions budget on a political purpose. This came as the NSEU issued a statement on Wednesday to announce its plan to join a rally near the National Assembly on Saturday for Yoons impeachment. The statement was the first of its kind since the union leaders were reappointed on Dec. 6. Although the union members were informed that their participation was not mandatory, many of them expressed their intent to leave the union, saying that they had never agreed to use the name of Samsung in the protest. I cannot understand why our organization made such an announcement, despite the irrelevance between our companys current situation and Yoon, one of the union members wrote on the NSEUs website. Im disappointed at the announcement without any prior notice. Throughout this year, Samsung Electronics has been said to be suffering its most challenging crisis to date, as its belated investments in high-bandwidth memory chips for artificial intelligence servers eventually led its semiconductor division to fall behind SK hynix in terms of third-quarter operating profits. The negotiation for this years wages has also been delayed until next year, as the companys labor and management failed to reach an agreement. However, some NSEU members emphasized the need for action against the incumbent administration, mentioning the ruling partys attempt to pass a special chips act, which aims to exclude semiconductor researchers from the 52-hour workweek system. I witnessed on Dec. 7 that many other unions even rented buses to join a rally in Yeouido, another member of the NSEU said. This is not just a political issue, as the martial law decree included a clause on labor repression. On Friday, a group of 11 unions at Samsungs affiliates also issued a statement demanding the immediate arrest of Yoon and his impeachment. President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month extending a diplomatic olive branch even as Trump threatens to levy massive tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump's incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Thursday that Trump invited Xi, but said it was to be determined if the leader of the United States' most significant economic and military competitor would attend. In fact it seems unlikely. Xi is likely to see the invitation as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Danny Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Xi would not allow himself to be reduced to the status of a mere guest celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader the U.S. president, no less. Still, Leavitt saw it as a plus. This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors too, she said in an appearance on Fox News' program Fox & Friends." We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone and he will always put Americas interest first. CBS News first reported the invitation to Xi. Asked at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing on Thursday about Trump's invitation, spokesperson Mao Ning responded: I have nothing to share at present. Leavitt said that other foreign leaders have also been invited, but did not provide any details. The move by Trump to invite a leader of an adversarial nation to the American moment that is Inauguration Day is unorthodox. But it also squares with his belief that foreign policymuch like a business negotiationshould be carried out with carrots and sticks to get the United States' opponents to operate closer to his administration's preferred terms. Jim Bendat, a historian and author of Democracys Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President, said he was not aware of a previous U.S. inauguration attended by a foreign head of state. It's not necessarily a bad thing to invite foreign leaders to attend, Bendat said. But it sure would make more sense to invite an ally before an adversary. Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis, said the invitation helps Trump burnish his dealmaker and savvy businessman brand. I could see why he might like the optics," Frantz said. But from the standpoint of American values, it seems shockingly cavalier." White House officials said it was up to Trump to decide whom he invites to the inauguration. I would just say, without doubt it's the single most consequential bilateral relationship that the United States has in the world, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. It is a relationship both fraught with peril and responsibility. Trump on Thursday during an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange , where he was ringing the opening bell to open the market, said hes been thinking about inviting certain people to the inauguration without referring to any specific individuals. And some people said, Wow, thats a little risky, isnt it? Trump said. And I said, Maybe it is. Well see. Well see what happens. But we like to take little chances. Meanwhile, a top aide to Hungarian President Viktor Orban, one of Trump's most vocal supporters on the world stage, said Thursday that Orban isn't slated to attend the inauguration. There is no such plan, at least for the time being," said Gergely Gulyas, Orban's chief of staff. The nationalist Hungarian leader is embraced by Trump but has faced isolation in Europe as he's sought to undermine the European Union's support for Ukraine, and routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the blocs efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion. Orban recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Every country's chief of mission to the United States will also be invited, according to a Trump Inaugural Committee official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Xi invitation comes as Trump has threatened to enact massive tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China to get those countries to do more to reduce illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He has said that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada and that China could be hit with even higher tariffs. China produces precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, but Beijing has stepped up efforts over the last year to crack down on the export of the chemicals. Weve been talking and discussing with President Xi, some things, and others, other world leaders, and I think were going to do very well all around, Trump said in a CNBC interview Thursday. Xi during a meeting with President Joe Biden last month in Peru urged the United States not to start a trade war. Make the wise choice, Xi cautioned. Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pushed back on Trump's threats, warning such a tariffs move would be perilous for the U.S. economy as well. Trudeau earlier this week said that Americans are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive and said he will retaliate if Trump goes ahead with them. Trump responded by calling Canada a state and Trudeau the governor. In addition to the tariff dispute, U.S.-China relations are strained over other issues, including what U.S. officials see as Beijing indirectly supporting Russia's war on Ukraine. The Biden administration says China has supported Russia with a surge in sales of dual use components that help keep its military industrial base afloat. U.S. officials also have expressed frustration with Beijing for not doing more to rein in North Korea's support for the Russian war. China accounts for the vast majority of North Koreas trade. North Korean leader Kim Jong- un has dispatched thousands of troops to Russia to help repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk border region. The North Koreans also have provided Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials. Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration takes place a day after the U.S. deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the United States. (AP) Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to thunderstorms and gusty winds late. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 57F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to thunderstorms and gusty winds late. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 57F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming windy with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 57F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming windy with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 57F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. On December 12, ARMYs belatedly commemorated BTS RM's inclusion on The Pixel Project's "16 Male Role Models Helping to Stop Violence Against Women" list, released on the 4th. The Pixel Project is a non-profit organization established in 2009 with the mission of stopping violence against women (VAW) through various campaigns and projects including popular culture and arts. Among the 16 significant personalities listed, the K-pop global star placed ninth. The article particularly commended RM for taking accountability for his previous controversial misogynistic lyrics in some of BTS' songs by taking women and gender studies classes. This also led him to have a women's studies professor check his lyrics up until now. RM has been selected by "The Pixel Project" as one of the Male Role Models who are making a positive impact by helping to stop violence against women. https://t.co/SPzKK8onug pic.twitter.com/kexN7ZSx3m Pop Core (@TheePopCore) December 12, 2024 READ ALSO: BTS RM Dubbed the 'Savior of Korean Literature' Here's Why "He has since used his enormous platform to influence pop culture and the arts in support of women," added the NPO. While ARMYs (BTS fandom) acknowledged this recognition, this, however, sparked criticism among supporters of female idols, claiming that RM didn't do anything to stop VAW. Netizens highlighted RM's link with Lee Jin Wook, who was accused of being a sexual predator. They added that the idol has kept his silence while some ARMYs were throwing hateful and demeaning comments against idols like NewJeans, BLACKPINK, and more, in the context of defending him from other fandoms. His fan wishing harm for 16 years old girl https://t.co/siAY7AieVb pic.twitter.com/ySG0yd1DPa salep (@NJ1soon) December 12, 2024 he helping to stop violence against women??? I GAGGED. his own fandom has done nothing but harass and sltshame women/girls since its existence and he haven't called them out not even once. what a fkn joke is this? https://t.co/p4mbgFw5Wi clau (@smiskimina) December 12, 2024 What exactly has he done to help women? His fans harass women daily, he's still friends with women beaters, and all he talks about is paving the way BFFR pic.twitter.com/MB3a3BTFpA https://t.co/sSswV3MSz7 .. || rosie (@karosa00_) December 12, 2024 no shade i dont think any man should be regarded as a role model when it comes to feminism https://t.co/I7O9QelIUc nes (@esnupijoy) December 12, 2024 RM's supporters quickly took his side and added more reasons the BTS leader deserved his spot on the list. "Namjoon literally got blacklisted by Korean men for being a woman supporter," said a fan. "He's the reason why HYBE has gender sensitivity training for their trainees. Can't say the name for other idols," stated another fan. Namjoon literally got blacklisted by korean men for being a women supporter. He is never going to be the bad guy y'all want him to be. https://t.co/Ov1RZU4Nbz lia (@jmndiorz) December 12, 2024 "what impact" he's the reason why hybe has gender sensitivity training for their trainees. Can't say the same for other idols https://t.co/SBoo3dVgvk pic.twitter.com/ktxkPSWCsa sig (@sambalsmatah) December 12, 2024 RELATED ARTICLE: 5 K-pop Idols Criticized for Reading 'Feminist' Books: Red Velvet Irene, BTS RM, More! Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. AN adorable toddler's life-saving transplant has been postponed for a week, as she fights an infection following pre-transplant surgery. The family of little Robyn Neville-Quinn are anxiously keeping vigil by her side in a London hospital, as she endures severe pain while a medical team battles to bring the infection under control. The only child of Meagan Quinn and Adam Neville, both from Portarlington, Co Laois, 18-month-old Robyn has a rare genetic disorder and will die unless she receives a successful bone marrow transplant. Sadly, the transplant and intensive chemotherapy that were due to go ahead this week have been postponed because of the infection. Meagan said on Tuesday 10 December: The past few days have been really tough. Robyn has been in a lot of pain after her surgery and has picked up an infection. The medical team is monitoring her closely and working hard to get the infection under control. As a result, her chemotherapy and transplant have been postponed by a week to give her time to heal and recover fully. Shell also need another procedure to replace her Hickman line and a CT scan before we can move forward. This delay is hard, but we know its whats best for her right now. Robyn continues to amaze us with her strength and were so grateful for all the support, messages and donations weve received. In an update on the fundraising page, which was set up by Robyns grandaunt Pamela Quinn from Bracknagh, Portarlington, Meagan said that her beloved daughter had her first surgery this week at St Marys Hospital, London. Meagan explained: She underwent cryopreservation to preserve her future fertility, as the chemotherapy shell be having will likely affect her ability to have children. She also had a PEG feeding tube inserted, to ensure she gets the nutrition shell need during treatment. Meagan added: This is a big and emotional step for us, but we are so grateful for the love, support and generosity weve received from you all. Its going to be a tough road ahead. Your continued support has made such a difference to us during this incredibly difficult time. Thank you for keeping Robyn in your thoughts. Robyn has the rare and life-threatening genetic disorder Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) and has battled serious medical issues since birth. Both aged in their mid-20s, Meagan and Adam moved to Belfast seven years ago but have a large extended family in Portarlington, who are supporting them every step of the way. Meagans mother Sabrina Moran, who lives at Cathair na gCapall in Portarlington, regularly travels to Belfast to help the couple with housework and everyday needs. Earlier this year, Sabrina told the Laois Nationalist,"Despite everything she has been through, Robyn is so bubbly and happy and gives her best side no matter what. She always keeps smiling. A past-pupil of Colaiste Iosagain, Adam has to take regular time off work due to Robyns medical needs, while Meagan had to give up work to care for her daughter full-time. As the family faces a big struggle financially, Pamela set up an online fundraiser in August with a target of 50,000 (58,683.75). The GoFundMe page titled Robyns Journey has passed the half-way mark, reaching 25,350 by 13 December. Generous donations include the proceeds of LOETB Portlaoise Further Education and Training Centres Christmas Market on 12 December, which was held at the centre on the Ridge Road. Due to the rarity of WAS and the complexity of the transplant, the procedure is not available in Ireland or Northern Ireland and will have to be carried out at the renowned Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital in London. Fortunately, Robyn's treatment will be covered by the NHS. Any money collected will go towards flights, accommodation, meals and everyday costs. GREENERY around the picturesque canal in Vicarstown has been scorched due to excessive spraying and is like a lunar landscape, according to a local councillor. Cllr Vivienne Phelan told a Laois council meeting that she was contacted by concerned residents, who noticed a major reduction in vegetation along the canal. The council has agreed to write to Waterways Ireland, asking that they desist from excessive cutting and spraying of vegetation in the interest of biodiversity at the popular visitor destination. The move comes after cllr Phelan received unanimous support for the proposal, at the December meeting of Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District. The Stradbally-based councillor said that several long-term residents in Vicarstown contacted her, after they noticed that the amount of greenery at the canal was getting less and less. She pointed out that biodiversity and the All Ireland Pollinator Plan have become central to the work of Tidy Towns groups across the county. Cllr Phelan said that when she went to Vicarstown, she saw that some of the vegetation was completely burnt with spray. She said: I also had an ecologist look at it and they agreed that the amount of spraying has gone way too far. It is more like a lunar landscape now. Senior council engineer Adrian Barrett said that Waterways Ireland is responsible for the management and maintenance of inland navigable waterways, including navigation channels, embankments, towpaths and adjoining lands. The engineer confirmed that correspondence would be sent to Waterways Ireland, after cllr Phelans proposal was unanimously supported by fellow councillors in the district. Jaunpur, December 13: A team of Bengaluru Police on Friday arrived at the record room of District and Sessions Court in Jaunpur, as a part of their investigation into the suicide case of a techie, Atul Subhash. Earlier today, a four-member team of Bengaluru Police, including one woman police personnel, arrived in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur. They pasted a notice outside the residence of the wife of Atul Subhash in Jaunpur which reads, "There are reasonable grounds to interrogate you to ascertain the facts and circumstances. You are directed to appear before the investigating officer at Bengaluru within 3 days." Atul Subhash, the 34-year-old deputy general manager of a private firm, died by suicide on Monday in his Bengaluru apartment, leaving behind a 24-page suicide note, accusing his wife and her relatives of harassment. In his suicide note, he also alleged that a judge had demanded Rs 5 lakh to "settle" the case. The father of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash, said his son had been "broken from inside" after multiple cases were filed against him and his family by his wife. Atul Subhash Suicide Case: No Arrests Made Yet, Says Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand (Watch Video). "My son used to say that there is a lot of corruption but he will fight as he is on the path of truth...He was broken from inside, though he didn't tell anyone anything," Subhash's father Pawan Kumar told ANI. Kumar, who currently stays in Bihar's Samastipur, said, Subhash's wife started filing cases against them in January 2021. "She started filing cases since January 2021...My son had thought that she had left (their home) after Corona and that their 1-year-old son would grow up a little at his maternal uncle's home... she also started filing cases against our entire family," the father said. Earlier on December 11, the Supreme Court also expressed concern over the growing tendency to misuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which penalises cruelty by husbands and their relatives against married women. While quashing a Section 498A IPC case against a husband and his parents in a different case, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said that the Section became a tool for unleashing personal vendetta against the husband and his family by a wife. Atul Subhash Suicide Case: Wife Nikita Singhania Absconds, Karnataka Police Arrest Her Mother, Brother From Uttar Pradeshs Jaunpur. Atul Subhash died by suicide in the early hours of December 9 after alleging harassment from his wife and her family. Subhash wrote "Justice is due" on every page of a 24-page note. He also alleged in his suicide note that his wife had filed nine cases against him under various sections, including murder, sexual misconduct, harassment for money, domestic violence, and dowry. (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], December 13 (ANI): India's dependence on traditional fossil fuel-based energy will reduce to 30 per cent by the time the country celebrates its 100th year of independence, Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Hardeep Puri said on Friday. "The transition (to clean fuels) is not a switch which you can on and off. You have to establish fairly expensive infrastructure also to make the transition," Puri said, speaking at the Times Now conclave. Also Read | HC on Sex on Marriage Promise: Kerala High Court Refuses To Quash Rape Case Against Man Who Withdrew His Marriage Offer by Saying 'Sex Is Not Promise'. By 2047, India's 100th year of Independence, the country's dependence on traditional fuels would be 30 per cent or so. "The test lies in what we are achieving on the green front," Puri said. Also Read | IND vs AUS Brisbane Test 2024-25: What Happened the Last Time Indian Cricket Team Played Against Australia at The Gabba in Border-Gavaskar Trophy?. Ethanol blending has gone up from 1.4 per cent in 2014 to 10 per cent 2022, and 20 per cent would be reached by 2025. Ethanol blending in petrol was introduced by the Centre to reduce the country's oil import cost, energy security, lower carbon emissions and better air quality. "CNG also we are doing very well," the minister said. The country is moving towards making 15 per cent of its energy mix through natural gas. "The green hydrogen is where the real success will come," he said, betting on potential the emerging source of energy. India imports USD 150 billion worth of energy annually. India depends on imports for over 80 per cent of its crude oil requirement. Various steps have been taken by the government to increase the production of domestic crude oil and bring down imports. At COP26 held in 2021, India committed to an ambitious five-part "Panchamrit" pledge. They included reaching 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, generating half of all energy requirements from renewables, and reducing emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030. India as a whole also aims to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 45 per cent. Finally, India commits to net-zero emissions by 2070. Green energy for climate mitigation is not just a focus area for India, but globally it has gained momentum. (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, December 13: South East Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ravi Kumar Singh said that as many as 30 schools across Delhi received hoax bomb threat emails on Friday. The DCP said that the investigation into the fake threats revealed that the e-mails sent to the schools had been generated outside the country. Upon receiving the information, schools were evacuated and the Bomb Disposal Squad carried out checks at the locations. "We received an alert around 5:30 AM that some schools have received bomb threats via emails in our district. Schools have been evacuated and the Bomb Disposal Squad checked the places. So far the investigation has revealed that it was a hoax call. 30 schools across Delhi including 3 from our district have received such emails," DCP told ANI. Meanwhile, DCP South West Surendra Chaudhary also spoke on the threats and said, "In our South West district, mail was received in 4 schools at around 12:54 am and it was about the presence of explosives in the schools." Delhi School Bomb Threat: 6 Schools Get Bomb Threat Emails, Search Operations Underway (Watch Videos). "Our teams went and checked and followed proper SOP and we did not find anything suspicious there. We also informed the school authorities and told the parents not to panic," he said. Earlier in the day, the Principal of Cambridge School in Srinivaspuri Madhvi Goswami said that immediate alerts were sent to the police following the threat e-mail and classes were shifted to an online mode to ensure students' safety. The threatening emails raised concerns among parents and staff, though the police assured that investigations are ongoing and safety remains their priority. No explosives or hazardous materials have been found in any of the schools so far. This is not the first instance of such threats disrupting schools in the national capital, underlining the need for robust security protocols. The schools that received the threats included the Bhatnagar Public School in Paschim Vihar, Cambridge School in Srinivaspuri, Delhi Public School in East of Kailash, and Delhi Public School in Defence Colony. Earlier, over 40 schools in the national capital received bomb threats via e-mail demanding a ransom of USD 30,000. This email came on December 8 at around 11:38 pm. Former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo on Friday voiced serious concerns about recurring bomb threats targeting schools in the national capital. Kejriwal questioned the potential psychological and academic impact on children, saying such incidents could disrupt their studies and well-being if they continue unabated. Delhi School Bomb Threat: 4 Schools Receive Bomb Threats Via E-Mail, Police Personnel Checking Premises. Earlier on November 19, the Delhi High Court instructed the Delhi Government and Delhi Police to develop a comprehensive action plan, including a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to address bomb threats and related emergencies. The court set a deadline of eight weeks for the completion of these directives. (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, Dec 13 (PTI) A delegation of BJP leaders met the Election Commission officials on Friday and submitted evidence of 5,000 pages of fake votes of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living in Delhi allegedly at the behest of the Aam Aadmi Party. No immediate reaction was available from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the BJP's allegation. Also Read | IndiGo Passengers Stranded at Istanbul Airport After Long Flight Delays, Airline Apologises for Inconvenience. Earlier this week, the AAP leaders led by party convener Arvind Kejriwal met the election commissioners and alleged that the BJP was trying to get thousands of votes deleted ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls due in February next year. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva talking to reporters after the meeting said that there was more evidence with the party regarding fake votes of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis illegally staying in Delhi and claimed such votes numbered in lakhs. Also Read | BPSC 70th Prelims Exam 2024: Rumours of Question Paper Leak Erupts During BPSC Exam, Commission Calls It 'Conspiracy', Vows Action. "Our party booth level agents have uncovered a disturbing pattern regarding illegal immigrants who have been, through the devious machinations, included in the electoral rolls of NCT of Delhi over the past 10 years," said a representation submitted by the Delhi BJP delegation to the Election Commission (EC). A very "sizeable number of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi" masquerading as Bengali speaking migrants from West Bengal are registered as voters, the BJP claimed. This situation is particularly alarming. The fact nevertheless remains that most of these are illegal immigrants and thus not being citizens of India are not entitled to be registered as voters, the party said. The delegation led by Sachdeva included BJP leader Om Pathak, Union Minister Harsh Malhotra, New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj and party's state general secretary Vishnu Mittal among others. "The AAP is engaged in appeasement and sheltering of illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis by sheltering them in Delhi. I want to warn that the BJP will not let any Rohingya or Bangladeshi to cast vote in the elections," Sachdeva said. Showing a page of "evidence" submitted to the Election Commission, Sachdeva said that in Janakpur, a man having same name, father's name and address, was mentioned four times in the voters list. "We have more such evidence besides the 5,000 pages submitted today. Such fake voter numbers run into lakhs," he told reporters. Meanwhile, Swaraj said voting is the right of every Indian citizen and alleged that the AAP was snatching this right from the people of Delhi and giving it to the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis illegally staying in the city. The BJP is fighting for rights of the people of Delhi and ensure that those who are not citizens of the country do not get to cast votes in the elections, said Malhotra. PTI VIT (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, Dec 13 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on the petitions by restaurant bodies challenging the guidelines prohibiting hotels and restaurants from automatically levying service charge on food bills. "Arguments heard. Judgement reserved," said Justice Prathiba M Singh. Also Read | Kolkata Junior Doctor Rape-Murder: RG Kar Former Principal Sandip Ghosh, SHO Abhijit Mondal Granted Bail. Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) moved court in 2022 by filing two separate petitions. The guidelines, issued by Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on July 4, 2022, were stayed by the high court later that month. Also Read | Delhi High Court Dismisses Appeal by Woman Claiming to Be Widow of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar IIs Descendant Seeking Possession of Red Fort. The counsel for FHRAI, in his rejoinder submissions on Friday, asserted the CCPA had no power or jurisdiction to impose such a ban, without following the principles of natural justice. "Merely holding a meeting with the industry body is not in compliance of natural justice," he said, "the guideline could only be advisory in nature". He said the service charge was levied on customers for the benefit of the restaurant staff, in line with the fundamental right of the owners to carry on any occupation, trade, or business. The Centre's standing counsel said no material was placed on record to show how service charge was benefitting the staff. Petitioners have argued that service charge, applicable in the last several years, was a traditional charge and sought by restaurants after a due display of notice on menu cards and premises. They argued the CCPA order was arbitrary, untenable and ought to be quashed. Seeking dismissal of the petitions, CCPA, in its counter affidavit, said the petitioners had "totally failed" to appreciate the rights of the consumers, whose hard-earned money was unjustly collected automatically or by default in the name of service charge. It added the objective of collecting mandatory service charge from consumers over and above the price of food items and applicable taxes was "unlawful" as no proportionate service was separately provided to consumers. The high court, on July 20, 2022, stayed the CCPA guideline and said the stay was subject to the petitioners ensuring the levy of service charge, in addition to the price and taxes, and the obligation of the customer to pay the same was duly and prominently displayed on the menu or other places. (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, Dec 13 (PTI) Delhi Police Crime Branch has apprehended three members of a family who had been on the run for 14 years after allegedly burning a woman alive, an official said on Friday. In 2010, Roshan Aara was set ablaze in her home in northeast Delhi's Gokul Puri allegedly by Mustafa, Masooma, and Zarrar Khan, Special Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Devesh Chandra Srivastva said. Also Read | HC on Sex on Marriage Promise: Kerala High Court Refuses To Quash Rape Case Against Man Who Withdrew His Marriage Offer by Saying 'Sex Is Not Promise'. Following the gruesome crime, an FIR was registered at Gokul Puri Police Station, he said. The three accused, natives of West Bengal's Asansol, belong to the same family and went absconding shortly after the murder, the officer said, adding that they remained elusive, assuming fake identities and moving across states to evade arrest. Also Read | Pakistan-Backed Terror Module Busted: Punjab Police Disrupt ISI-Backed Terror Module, Arrest Juvenile Among 2 With IED. It was not immediately known why the trio committed the crime. "In December, 2011, a court officially declared them Proclaimed Offenders' and recently, a reward of Rs 1.5 lakh (Rs 50,000 for each accused) was announced by the Delhi Police Commissioner for information leading to their capture," the Special CP said. The officer said that a team gathering intelligence, analyzing social media profiles, and reviewing call detail records led to the identification of a crucial clue. "A customer application form with a photograph of Mustafa, though the personal details had been altered, was recovered by the team, he said. The team's first breakthrough came in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand where Mustafa was living under a fake name, Abdul Karim, Srivastva said. Later, he was apprehended on December 11 at around 5.30 am. His interrogation revealed the whereabouts of Masooma, who had adopted the identity of Reshma Hafiz and was also residing in Jamshedpur. Subsequently she was also apprehended," he said. Further questioning disclosed that Zarrar Khan was hiding in Khoda Colony in Ghaziabad. The team conducted a raid and apprehended him on December 12. The police said all three accused have been handed over to the local police for further investigation. (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, Dec 13 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Friday paid tribute to the bravehearts who sacrificed their lives defending Parliament during the 2001 terror attack and said the nation remained deeply grateful to them. Reiterating India's unwavering resolve to combat terrorism, Murmu said the nation stood united against the forces of terror. Also Read | PM Modi Prayagraj Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi To Arrive in Prayagraj Today To Launch Development Projects Worth Around INR 5,500 Crore. Terrorists of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked the Parliament complex on this day in 2001, killing nine people. All five terrorists were gunned down by the security forces. Also Read | Delhi School Bomb Threat: 3 Schools Receive Threatening E-Mail; Police Declare Threats As Hoaxes (Watch Video). "I pay my humble tribute to the bravehearts who sacrificed their lives defending our Parliament on this day in 2001. Their courage and selfless service continue to inspire us. The nation remains deeply grateful to them and their families," the president said in a post on X. "On this day, I reiterate India's unwavering resolve to combat terrorism. Our nation stands united against the forces of terror," she added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar, Dec 13 (PTI) Lawyer Deepika Pushkar Nath returned to the Congress after almost six years on Friday and said her decision was not "opportunistic" but based on the belief that the party is the only one capable of addressing the challenges facing the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Nath, who shot to fame for representing the family of the eight-year-old victim in the 2018 Kathua rape and murder case, first joined the Congress in October 2021. She quit the party in January 2023 on "ideological grounds" after it allowed former minister Lal Singh to join the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra. Also Read | Latur Shocker: Doctor, Nephew Arrested for Beating Security Guard to Death at Hospital. According to Nath, Singh was responsible for sabotaging the Kathua rape case by "brazenly defending" the rapists of the nomadic girl. On Friday, Nath joined the Congress at the party office here in the presence of its general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir and Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra. Also Read | HC on Sex on Marriage Promise: Kerala High Court Refuses To Quash Rape Case Against Man Who Withdrew His Marriage Offer by Saying 'Sex Is Not Promise'. "This decision is neither abrupt nor opportunistic, it is the culmination of introspection, my unwavering commitment to the people of J&K and my belief... (that) the Congress is the sole platform capable of addressing the pressing challenges we face," she said. The Congress has consistently stood as the "custodian of India's democratic ideals and the aspirations of the people of J&K", she added. Nath said her return to the party is not a mere political gesture but a commitment to reinvigorate the Jammu and Kashmir Congress and reclaim its position as the voice of the people. "To those who question my motives, let me be clear: my commitment is to the people of J&K, not political expediency. To my colleagues in the Congress, I return with the resolve to rebuild and strengthen our party in J&K. "And to the naysayers, my return is a declaration that the Congress will not retreat but advance with renewed vigour and purpose," she said. Over the past two years, Nath said, she stepped away from active politics but remained deeply connected to the ground realities of J&K through her legal and social engagements. "This period of reflection has only reinforced my conviction that J&K requires a resolute political force that genuinely represents its people, ?not as a facade for power but as a vehicle of change," she said. The Congress, with its legacy of service and vision, is that force, she added. "Despite my brief absence, I have always aligned with its ideology, values and the belief that progress must be inclusive, rights-driven and grounded in constitutional integrity," Nath said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has conducted fresh searches in Kolkata in the Mahadev online betting-linked money laundering case and has frozen securities and deposits worth more than Rs 130 crore. The searches were conducted on Thursday, the agency said in a statement. Also Read | HC on Sex on Marriage Promise: Kerala High Court Refuses To Quash Rape Case Against Man Who Withdrew His Marriage Offer by Saying 'Sex Is Not Promise'. The case pertains to an ongoing investigation by the federal agency in which a number of high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved. During the searches conducted in Kolkata, securities, bonds and demat accounts worth Rs 130.57 crore were frozen under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED said. Also Read | Pakistan-Backed Terror Module Busted: Punjab Police Disrupt ISI-Backed Terror Module, Arrest Juvenile Among 2 With IED. The agency has alleged that its probe into the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) gaming and betting app has shown the involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the state where the two main promoters -- Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal -- of the app hail from. It has said the MOB app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enrol new users, create user IDs and launder money through a layered web of 'benami' bank accounts. The ED has arrested 12 people in this case and filed four chargesheets. It has also attached, frozen or seized properties worth Rs 2,426 crore. (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, Dec 13 (PTI) Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra's reference to the death of a judicial officer triggered an uproar in the Lok Sabha on Friday with Union minister Kiren Rijiju accusing her of raising a matter settled by the Supreme Court and warning her of "appropriate parliamentary action". Participating in a debate on 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Moitra made passing but contentious remarks on the death of the judicial officer. Also Read | Election Commission Quiet on How 75-Lakh Votes Spiked Post-Polling Hours in Maharashtra, Claims Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar. The House was adjourned briefly twice due to the uproar over the matter and the debate resumed after Speaker Om Birla said he has asked her to authenticate her claims. He also assured opposition members that he will look into their reservations against Rijiju's "threatening" language against a woman MP. BJP member Nishikant Dubey first raised the issue after Moitra finished her speech. Also Read | Fake Call Centre Busted: Noida Police Bust Illegal Call Centre in Sector 63, Arrest 76 People in Email Fraud Scheme. Dubey accused Moitra of making an insinuation about the judicial officer's death. Later in a post on X, Moitra said all those reporting that "Parliament Affairs Minister warned me - it is he who will face action for threatening me! His remarks to be deleted- not mine!" Rijiju said the case of the judicial officer's death is settled and the TMC MP's remarks were very serious. There is no question of any link or interference, he added. "We will take appropriate parliamentary action. You cannot escape. You are setting a very wrong precedent," the parliamentary affairs minister said. Otherwise, any member will make similar allegations, he added. When the House reconvened after two adjournments, senior opposition members, Saugata Roy of the TMC and K C Venugopal of the Congress, protested against Rijiju's choice of words, emphasising that it is the Speaker who is the custodian of the Lok Sabha. Both the MPs said the ruling party could have resorted to appropriate rules to seek action if they had an issue with Moitra's speech. Addressing Birla, Venugopal said, "You are the custodian. You have the powers to delete, expunge... The parliamentary affairs minister took the entire custody of the House and he virtually threatened the lady member." Venugopal said the minister's responsibility is to maintain peace in the House but he instead "threatened" and intimidated a woman member. He demanded that Rijiju apologise or his remarks be expunged. Roy accused Rijiju of making a "brazen effort" to threaten Moitra. The Speaker lamented members engaging in personal allegations and counter-allegations, and asked them to have a constructive debate over issues related to the Constitution. Birla said he has asked Moitra to authenticate her remarks. He said he will look into what the minister has said and will delete, if needed. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 13 (PTI) A 28-year-old advocate was on Friday taken into custody by the police for booing at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan when he arrived for the inauguration of the 29th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK 2024) being held here. An officer of Museum police station said that the man was a practicing advocate in the Kerala High Court and he was being questioned to ascertain why he booed at the CM. Also Read | Pakistan-Backed Terror Module Busted: Punjab Police Disrupt ISI-Backed Terror Module, Arrest Juvenile Among 2 With IED. "He is being questioned and his details are being collected. It does not appear he is affiliated with or part of any organisation. Based on his responses to our questions we will decide whether to lodge an FIR and arrest him or release him," the officer said. The officer also said that the man was having an older IFFK pass and was someone who regularly attends the event. Also Read | Delhi: AAP MLA Nangloi Jat Raghuvinder Shokeen Takes Oath As Minister in CM Atishi Led-Government. The man booed at Vijayan as the CM was proceeding towards the venue after alighting from his car, according to visuals on TV channels. He was immediately taken into custody by police and whisked away from the venue. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Patna, Dec 13 (PTI) Senior IPS officer Vinay Kumar was on Friday appointed as the new Director General of Police of Bihar. The 1991-batch IPS officer replaces Alok Raj, a 1989-batch IPS officer who had been the officiating DGP since August 30, 2024 and is due to retire in December 2025. Also Read | Assam Shocker: 8 People Arrested for Raping Woman on Temple Premises in Guwahati. According to a notification issued by the state Home Department on Friday, Vinay Kumar will head the state police for a two-year term in accordance with a Supreme Court directive. Raj, on the other hand, will serve as DG-cum-CMD of Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation. Also Read | Latur Shocker: Doctor, Nephew Arrested for Beating Security Guard to Death at Hospital. Another senior IPS officer, J S Gangwar, has been appointed as new Director General of the state Vigilance Department, the notification said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Amaravati/New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Two fishermen from Andhra Pradesh, who were jailed by Sri Lanka for entering its territorial waters were released, following efforts by Union Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, his office said on Friday. The fishermen are expected to return home soon after the completion of legal formalities. Also Read | Sambhal Mosque Imam Fined INR 2 Lakh for Using Loudspeaker at High Volume. "Two fishermen from Srikakulam district, who were jailed in Sri Lanka for the past three-four months after accidentally entering Sri Lankan waters, have been granted release," said a press release from Naidu's office. D Venkaiah (35) and G Korlaiah (33) from Peda Ganagallavanipet village of Srikakulam district ventured into the Bay of Bengal from Chennai on June 25 but were apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities later, it said. Also Read | Indian Students Killed in Canada: India Describes Recent Murder of Students As 'Terrible Tragedies', Demands Thorough Investigation. Subsequently, the families of the fishermen approached the Aviation Minister, prompting him to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy to secure their release. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Hyderabad, Dec 13 (PTI) Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday condemned the arrest of top Telugu actor Allu Arjun and alleged that the arrest intends to target an individual. He also criticised saying that the arrest of Allu Arjun is irresponsible and unwarranted. Also Read | Ashwini Vaishnaw Slams Congress Over Allu Arjun Arrest, Says Party Disrespects Creative Industry. "The intent behind this arrest seems motivated as the organizers of the show claim to have informed the concerned authorities in advance. Moreover, the onus and responsibility of law & order lies with the police authorities and the arrest clearly intends to target an individual," Kishan Reddy, also president of BJP in Telangana, said on social media platform X. The arrest also reminds the "targeting and witch-hunting of cine artists" in the state, he charged and termed it "high-handedness" of the administration. Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court granted him a four-week interim bail. Also Read | Priyanka Gandhi Biggest Threat to Rahul Gandhis Political Career: BJPs Amit Malviya on Congress MPs Maiden Speech in Lok Sabha. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai, Dec 13 (PTI) An attempt by an agent to send three Tamil Nadu youth to Cambodia for employment in "fraudulent, scam-based companies for cyber slavery" was foiled by the Protector of Emigrants (POE), Chennai, and the Tamil Nadu Crime Branch CID, police said on Friday. The youngsters were stopped before they could travel abroad, and the agent was apprehended during a raid at his office in Tiruchirappalli. Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for December 13, 2024 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. The agent lured the victims with promises of well-paying jobs in Cambodia and convinced them to pay allegedly large sums of money for job placements, a release said. Desperate to bypass legal emigration procedures, the agent instructed the youngsters to travel on tourist visas and misled authorities at the airport about the purpose of their travel. Also Read | RRB JE Exam 2024 Admit Card Out at rrbapply.gov.in: Hall Ticket for 7,951 Junior Engineer Posts CBT 1 Examination Released, Know Steps To Download. After learning of the plot, one of them opted out of the travel, while the other two were intercepted at Kochi airport before they could board their flight. Following a tip-off, POE Chennai, along with the state CB-CID, launched an operation and arrested the agent in Tiruchirappalli. Further investigation is ongoing. M Rajkumar, Protector of Emigrants for Tamil Nadu, urged job-seekers to exercise extreme caution, especially when travelling to Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. "It is crucial to ensure that overseas employment is arranged only through licensed recruitment agents authorized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)," he said in a statement. POE Chennai strongly advised potential emigrants to verify the credentials of recruiting agencies before making any financial commitments. A list of licensed agents can be found at emigrate.gov.in. He warned of stringent action against those violating the Emigration Act and urged anyone aware of illegal recruitment or cyber slavery activities to inform POE Chennai at 9042149222 or register complaints in person at the office. Further information on licensed agents and advisories can also be obtained at emigrate.gov.in, Rajkumar added. Cyber slavery is an emerging and alarming form of modern-day trafficking. Individuals are coerced or trafficked into committing online scams for organised criminal networks under duress. This growing cybercrime exploits vulnerable people, trapping them in illegal activities and online frauds. (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, Dec 13 (PTI) Brookfield India Real Estate Trust has raised Rs 3,500 crore by selling units to institutional investors through QIP issue mainly to reduce debt. In a regulatory filing on Friday, the company said it has successfully completed a capital raise of Rs 3,500 crore through a qualified institutional placement (QIP) of units. The issue was launched on December 9. Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for December 13, 2024 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. The issue saw strong demand from long-term investors including a mix offerings from institutions, mutual funds, and life insurance companies. "The issue marked the first REIT investments in India from the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank group) and Life Insurance Corporation of India," Brookfield India REIT said. Also Read | RRB JE Exam 2024 Admit Card Out at rrbapply.gov.in: Hall Ticket for 7,951 Junior Engineer Posts CBT 1 Examination Released, Know Steps To Download. Other anchor investors included SBI Mutual Fund and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund. The total demand secured from investors was over Rs 5,200 crore, of which Rs 3,500 crore was allotted. The funds raised will be used primarily for reduction of debt. The Issue Committee of the Board of Directors of Brookprop Management Services Pvt Ltd, the manager of Brookfield India Real Estate Trust, approved the issuance and allotment of 12.77 crore new units through this QIP. The proceeds will be used for the partial or full prepayment or repayment of the outstanding borrowings, equity contribution, general purposes, including funding operating expenses, funding capital expenditure, making investments in creditworthy instruments, and/or future inorganic or organic growth opportunities. This is the second institutional placement by the Brookfield India Real Estate Trust since its IPO. In August 2023, Brookfield India REIT raised over Rs 2,300 crore through QIP process. Brookfield India REIT portfolio consists of 28.9 million square feet of total leasable area, comprising 24.3 million square feet of operating area, 0.6 million square feet of under construction area and 4.0 million square feet of future development potential. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kolkata, Dec 13 (PTI) LIC Mutual Fund might consider an IPO once its asset under management (AUM) reaches the Rs 1 lakh crore mark, which it was targeting by FY'26, a top official said on Friday. At present, LIC MF's AUM was around Rs 38,000 crore, a significant jump from Rs 16,526 crore in FY'23. Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for December 13, 2024 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. "We have grown by 67 per cent in FY'24 and our current growth run rate is 30 per cent," LIC MF Asset Management Ltd MD and CEO RK Jha told PTI. He said the current equity contribution across all funds is 47 per cent, with debt accounting for the remaining 53. Also Read | RRB JE Exam 2024 Admit Card Out at rrbapply.gov.in: Hall Ticket for 7,951 Junior Engineer Posts CBT 1 Examination Released, Know Steps To Download. Institutional and corporate investors have put their money mostly in debt funds, while retail participation is skewed towards equity, he added. "We want retail or equity weightage to grow to 65-70 per cent when we hit Rs 1 lakh crore," he said, acknowledging the ambitious nature of the target with 15 months remaining. Jha said that to achieve it, LIC MF has taken several initiatives. Among them is expanding its offices by tapping the vast network of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), establishing distribution channels across various platforms, and deploying technological solutions. Additionally, LIC MF has reduced the minimum SIP amount to encourage wider participation from retail investors, he said. "SIP is a strong stable growth driver for us and we believe it will continue to gain traction. Reducing the daily minimum SIP amount to Rs 100 from Rs 300 and the monthly minimum to Rs 200 from Rs 1,000 will facilitate greater participation," he said. Jha said LIC MF is well-positioned in West Bengal with a presence in all major cities and also growing in the Northeast. As of November, the fund house manages assets worth Rs 3,000 crore in the state, wihich ranks second in its top investors' list. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Muzaffarnagar (UP), Dec 13 (PTI) A local court has sentenced a man, who had been absconding for several years, to life in prison in a 2002 murder case, a government counsel said on Friday. The main accused was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2003, the official said. Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for December 13, 2024 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanishk Kumar Singh has also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the accused Naushad after holding him guilty under section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code. The pair were convicted of shooting dead a late Army jawan's widow following a dispute over pension at a hotel along the Delhi-Dehradun national highway in this district in September 2002. Also Read | RRB JE Exam 2024 Admit Card Out at rrbapply.gov.in: Hall Ticket for 7,951 Junior Engineer Posts CBT 1 Examination Released, Know Steps To Download. The victim was the sister-in-law of Krishan, the main accused who was sentenced in 2003. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, Dec 13 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma transferred over Rs 700 crore to more than 70 lakh farmers under the Chief Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme at an event in Ajmer on Friday. Speaking at the event, Sharma said his government is committed to the welfare of farmers and cattle rearers and that the state can develop only with the prosperity of the farmer. Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for December 13, 2024 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. Sharma transferred over Rs 700 crore to more than 70 lakh farmers under the Chief Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi during the state-level farmers' meeting in Ajmer. Besides, an assistance amount of Rs 200 crore was transferred into the accounts of 3,25,000 cattle rearers. The meeting was a part of a series of events to mark the first anniversary of the BJP government in the state. Also Read | RRB JE Exam 2024 Admit Card Out at rrbapply.gov.in: Hall Ticket for 7,951 Junior Engineer Posts CBT 1 Examination Released, Know Steps To Download. "The farmer is the true son of mother earth. The dream of a developed Rajasthan will come true only when the farmer is prosperous and happy. Our government is working with determination for the welfare of farmers and cattle rearers," he said. "Our government has set a target of providing electricity to farmers during the day by 2027... the state government has taken many decisions in the interest of the farmers in the last one year," he said. Sharma said that during the recently held 'Rising Rajasthan Summit', more than 2,500 agreements were signed for investment of Rs 58,000 crore in the agriculture sector. Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani said the state government is working with the commitment for the welfare of farmers in the state. He said the farmers should adopt new technology in farming with the changing times. Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari also spoke during the meeting. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Marking 100 years of Raj Kapoor, the 'greatest showman' of Indian cinema, his family members gathered on Friday evening at a film festival organised in his honour in Mumbai. He Is Truly a Global Leader: Kareena Kapoor Khan Fulfills Lifelong Dream of Meeting PM Narendra Modi, Invites Him to Raj Kapoors Centenary Celebrations (Watch Video). From Raj Kapoor's son Randhir Kapoor, daughter Rima Jain, daughters-in-law Babita and Neetu Kapoor, to grandson Ranbir Kapoor and granddaughters Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, the 'Kapoor Khandaan' arrived in style to celebrate the legendary filmmaker's birth centenary. Their presence highlighted the family's collective pride in preserving and celebrating Raj Kapoor's extraordinary legacy. Kapoor Family at Raj Kapoors Centenary Celebrations View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manav Manglani (@manav.manglani) Ranbir Kapoor attended the festival's opening ceremony with his wife, Alia Bhatt, while Kareena Kapoor was accompanied by her husband, Saif Ali Khan. Neetu Kapoor was accompanied by her daughter Riddhima. All of them were dressed in ethnic attire. Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt at Raj Kapoors Centenary Celebrations View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manav Manglani (@manav.manglani) Ranbir opted for a black bandhgala suit with white pants. His moustache stole everyone's attention as he recreated his grandfather's look. Alia looked exquisite in a white saree with floral print. Kareena wore an ethnic suit, while her sister Karisma came to the event in a stunning saree. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor at Raj Kapoors Centenary Celebrations View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manav Manglani (@manav.manglani) Before coming to the ceremony, Karisma took to Instagram and shared an adorable picture with her father Randhir Kapoor and mother Babita. In the image, Karisma could be seen adorably looking at her father. "Most Precious (white heart emojis) #RajKapoor100," she captioned the post. Kareena arrived at the venue with Saif, who looked dapper in a black suit. Aadar Jain and Navya Nanda were also spotted arriving at the venue. Veteran actor Prem Chopra, too, marked his presence with his son-in-law and actor Sharman Joshi. As part of the grand celebration, R.K. Films, the Film Heritage Foundation, and NFDC-National Film Archive of India are presenting Raj Kapoor 100 - Celebrating the Centenary of the Greatest Showman. This festival features curated screenings of ten iconic Raj Kapoor films across 40 cities and 135 cinemas. The festival aims to put spotlight on Raj Kapoor's most celebrated works, spanning nearly four decades: Aag (1948), Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Jagte Raho (1956), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Bobby (1973), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985). A few days ago, the members of the Kapoor clan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and invited him to mark his gracious presence at the festival. The meeting in Delhi saw Kareena, Saif, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Neetu Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, and other family members come together to discuss the upcoming celebrations. Kareena shared delightful pictures from the meeting on social media, where the Kapoor family appeared overjoyed to meet the Prime Minister. The photographs also showed Saif and Ranbir engaging in a conversation with PM Modi. However, the highlight of the post was Kareena seeking an autograph for her sons, Taimur and Jeh from the PM The Prime Minister graciously wrote "Tim and Jeh" on a piece of paper, a gesture that delighted the fans on social media. Raj Kapoor Centenary Celebrations: Amitabh Bachchan Reminisces About Iconic Showmanship in Awaara; Says, Even Today Awaara Is a Film That Is Etched in My Mind. In a heartfelt post, Kareena expressed her gratitude for the special meeting. "We are deeply humbled and honoured to have been invited by the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to commemorate the extraordinary life and legacy of our grandfather, the legendary Raj Kapoor. Thank you Shri Modi ji for such a special afternoon. Your warmth, attention, and support in celebrating this milestone meant the world to us," she wrote. The festival, which kickstarted on December 13, will take place till December 15. Geneva, December 13: At least three feminist activists were detained on Friday after vandalising a monument outside the United Nations complex in Geneva to protest Russia's war against Ukraine and what they see as the UN's failure to stop the conflict. Two topless women with the group FEMEN, which is known for its provocative protests, used a chainsaw to cut into the wooden sculpture known as the Broken Chair. One woman with white flowers in her hair left several large gashes in a leg of the sculpture, a 12-metre tall giant chair with a broken leg. The artwork symbolises the dismemberment caused by land mines and is a call to ban the devastating weapons, which have also been used in the war in Ukraine. The two women wore bands in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag on their legs. They had words including stop mines and F- russia painted on their bare chests and backs in near-freezing temperatures, and shouted expletives repeatedly against the United Nations and Russia. Russia-Ukraine War: Donald Trump Calls for Immediate Ceasefire, Says US Withdrawal From NATO Possible. They declined to speak to reporters afterward. At least three women including a colleague of the two demonstrators were later detained by police officers in three cars. The UN was created to ensure peace, but its failure to stop the aggressor only adds to the tragedy of symbols such as the Broken Chair, a reminder of the human suffering caused by anti-personnel mines," a statement from the group read. Russia-Ukraine War: Volodymyr Zelensky Puts Forward New Conditions on Ceasefire, Moscow Stays Silent. Topless Women Protesting Ukraine War Detained TOPLESS REBELS WITH CHAINSAWS: FEMEN WARRIORS SHRED UN PEACE STATUE IN GENEVA! 2 fearless Femen activists put on the wildest show Genevas seen armed with chainsaws and wearing close to nothing and Ukrainian flag garters! Their target? The iconic Broken Chair pic.twitter.com/ckpWFjhof5 Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 13, 2024 Topless Women Protesting Ukraine War Detained View this post on Instagram A post shared by Asian News International (@ani_trending) The group called for the expulsion of Russia from the United Nations over its war in Ukraine, which involved a full-scale invasion in February 2022. "Ukraine has become a victim of betrayal and military aggression, and the world cannot cover itself with monuments, remaining indifferent while we are being destroyed, it said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New York, December 13: Amazon is planning to donate USD 1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, a move that comes as major tech companies seek to improve their relationship with the incoming president. A company spokesperson confirmed Thursday evening that the e-commerce giant will also stream Trump's inauguration on its Prime Video service, a separate in-kind donation worth another USD 1 million. Earlier in the day, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated USD 1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. Amazon's plans first reported by The Wall Street Journal came after Trump said Thursday morning that the company's founder, Jeff Bezos, was planning to visit him in person next week. Elon Musks SpaceX To Turn Its Starbase Site Into Texas City, Aerospace Company Sends Letter To Seek Approval From Local Officials. The two men had feuded in the past. During his first term, Trump criticised Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticised some of Trump's past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump's bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a USD 10 billion Pentagon contract. The Biden administration later pursued a contract with both Amazon and Microsoft. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. Last week, he said at The New York Times' DealBook Summit in New York that he was optimistic about Trump's second term while also endorsing president-elect's plans to cut regulations. In October, Bezos did not allow the Post to endorse a presidential candidate, a move that led to tens of thousands of people cancelling their subscriptions and to protests from journalists with a deep history at the newspaper. At the time, Bezos wrote in an op-ed in the newspaper that editorial endorsements create a perception of bias at a time when many Americans don't believe the media. Separately, the donation from Meta, which was also first reported by the Journal, came just weeks after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the offering Thursday. Stephen Miller, who has been appointed deputy chief of staff for Trump's second term, has said that Zuckerberg, like other business leaders, wants to support Trump's economic plans. The tech CEO has been seeking to change his company's perception on the right following a rocky relationship with Trump. Trump was kicked off Facebook following the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The company restored his account in early 2023. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but he has voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump's response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly during the campaign. In July, he posted a message on his own Truth Social platform threatening to send election fraudsters to prison in part by citing a nickname he used for the Meta CEO. ZUCKERBUCKS, be careful! Trump wrote. Corporations have traditionally made up a large share of donors to presidential inaugurals, with an exception in 2009, when then-President-elect Barack Obama refused to accept corporate donations. He reversed course for his second inaugural in 2013. Facebook did not donate to either Biden's 2021 inaugural or Trump's 2017 inaugural. Google donated USD 285,000 each to Trump's first inaugural and Biden's inaugural, according to Federal Election Commission records. Inaugural committees are required to disclose the source of their fundraising, but not how they spend the money. Microsoft gave USD 1 million to Obama's second inaugural, but only USD 500,000 to Trump in 2017 and Biden in 2021. Zomato Slapped With GST Demand: Food Delivery Aggregator Says It Receives Tax Demand of INR 803.4 Crore in Respect of Non-Payment of GST on Delivery Charges. Amazon had donated roughly USD 58,000 to Trump's 2017 inaugural, much lower than than USD 1 million it now plans to donate. The company also streamed Biden's inauguration on Prime Video in 2021. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ottawa [Canada], December 13 (ANI): As the threat of tariffs from US President-elect Donald Trump looms large, Canadian premiers have urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to 'respond robustly' and some suggested cutting off energy supplies and highlighted other products that the US "relies on" Canada for, CBC News reported. Trudeau met with Canada's premiers on Wednesday to discuss Ottawa's plan to address Trump's concerns, the second meeting since Trump threatened to impose steep tariffs on Canadian imports after he will be sworn in as President in January. Also Read | 'Maverick Diplomacy': Donald Trump Invites China's President Xi Jinping to Inauguration for 'Open Dialogue' Despite Tariff Threats. Canada's Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who was at Wednesday's meeting, says some premiers are in favour of robust response to threatened US tariffs, CBC News reported. She also took suggestions from premiers on which products to target if retaliatory tariffs become necessary. Also Read | Donald Trump Named Time Magazines Person of Year, Rings New York Stock Exchanges Opening Bell. "Some premiers proactively identified products that their provinces produce and export to the United States -- and which the US relies on -- and which should be considered as part of the Canadian response," she said. Further, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who currently the chair of the Council of the Federation, stated that the meeting was a "good start," as Canada needs to be ready to fight Trump's tariffs. "Canada needs to be ready to fight and that Trump's tariffs are 100 per cent coming. Folks, this is coming ... it's coming January 20th or 21st, and we need to be prepared. We need to stand as a country," he stressed. In a bold statement, Ford said that Canada could cut off energy supplies to the US as Canada sends a significant amount of oil, natural gas and electricity south of the border. "We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy," "I don't want this to happen, but my number one job is to protect Ontario, Ontarians and Canadians as a whole," he added. Notably, Trump announced plans to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods last month. According to CBC News, Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods unless both countries address what he describes as an "invasion" of drugs", particularly fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens" into the US. The US imported a significant amount of goods from Canada in recent years. In 2022, the total value of these imports was USD 614.3 billion, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. More recent data from the US Census Bureau shows that between January and September of this year, the US imported around USD 435 billion worth of goods from Canada. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], December 13 (ANI): Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday met with General Tharapong Malakam, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence of Thailand, on the sidelines of the 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue. The two leaders engaged in discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation. Also Read | Topless Women Protesting Ukraine War Detained for Vandalising Sculpture Near UN Building in Geneva (See Pics). Sharing a post on X, the Ministry of Defence wrote, "Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence, Thailand, General Tharapong Malakam today called on Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh on the sidelines of 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue and discussed ways to further enhance mutual #defencecooperation between the two countries." https://x.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/1867569508862296356 Also Read | Same-Sex Marriage in Japan: Ban on Recognising Gay Marriage Is Unconstitutional, Court Finds; Here's What To Know. Notably, the 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue took place in New Delhi on Thursday during which both sides agreed for early establishment of the Joint Working Group to "monitor the cooperation in the areas of the defence industry." India and Thailand also agreed to conduct the Subject Matter Experts Exchange between their Armed Forces to "carry forward regular engagement in niche domains." "The 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue took place in New Delhi on December 12, 2024. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Amitabh Prasad and Thailand's Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence Gen Tharapong Malakam," the Ministry of Defence said in a press release. "Both sides agreed for early establishment of a Joint Working Group to effectively steer and monitor the cooperation in the areas of defence industry. Both sides also agreed to conduct Subject Matter Experts Exchange between Indian and the Thai Armed Forces to carry forward and institutionalise regular engagement in niche domainsm," the release added. The Indian co-chair highlighted the potential of the domestic defence industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with the Royal Thai Armed Forces in its defence acquisition plans. Thailand appreciated the capability of the Indian defence industry ecosystem and proposed exploring possibilities for co-design, co-production and co-development in the field of defence industry. The dialogue is a significant milestone in intensifying defence relations with Thailand. Thailand is a maritime neighbour and a valued partner in India's 'Act East' Policy and the Indo-Pacific region. Thailand's 'Act West' Policy compliments India's 'Act East' Policy providing a basis for substantive elevation of bilateral relations, the release added. India and Thailand share a strategic partnership and defence is a key pillar of this cooperation. The bilateral defence engagements have expanded over a period of time to include wide-ranging contacts between the two countries including Defence Dialogue meetings, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity-building and training programmes and bilateral exercises. (ANI) (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], December 13 (ANI): Another case of enforced disappearance has surfaced in Balochistan, this time from Turbat, the main city of Kech district. Reports suggest that Shahjan, the eldest son of Barkat Ali and a resident of Sarikan, Turbat, was allegedly abducted from his home by Pakistani forces in the early hours of Thursday morning, around 1:00 AM. His family is devastated and has called for his immediate and safe return, The Balochistan Post reported. Also Read | Flying Taxi: Commercial-Level Air Taxis Arriving Soon in South Korea, Demonstration of Air Taxi Model This Week. Shahjan, the main breadwinner of his family, is described as a dedicated son who supported his household. A Baloch political activist told The Balochistan Post, "Shahjan's abduction has not only caused great distress to his family but has also sparked fresh concerns about the ongoing crisis of enforced disappearances in Balochistan." Local activists and human rights organisations continue to emphasise the widespread nature of enforced disappearances in the region, urging authorities to uphold human rights and ensure accountability. Also Read | Pakistan: Special Chartered Plane Carrying 318 Stranded Pakistanis From Syria Arrives at Islamabad International Airport. Shahjan's family has joined these calls, demanding his release and highlighting the severe impact of his absence on their livelihood and well-being, reported The Balochistan Post. Rights groups have accused Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies of indiscriminately targeting Baloch individuals, often in response to security failures. These actions, activists argue, deepen resentment against the state and fuel the ongoing insurgency in the region. Balochistan's situation reflects systemic failures by the Pakistani state to address legitimate grievances. Despite the region's wealth of natural resources, its people remain deprived of basic rights and opportunities. Enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and suppression of dissent have become widespread tools of state control, drawing condemnation from human rights organisations worldwide. As Islamabad continues its heavy-handed approach, the cries of Baloch families searching for their missing loved ones grow louder, The Balochistan Post reported. "These actions reveal Pakistan's disregard for human rights and its failure to build trust and unity among its diverse population," activists say. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], December 13 (ANI): The Pakistani government has unveiled plans to establish the National Forensics and Cybercrime Agency (NFCA), a centralised body dedicated to combating cyber and digital crimes, Dawn reported. The proposal comes as part of sweeping reforms to the country's digital laws, including amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. Also Read | France: President Emmanuel Macron To Name New Prime Minister Today. The draft legislation, currently under review, outlines the NFCA's role as a nationwide body under the interior ministry, responsible for tackling internet-based crimes, cyber forensics, and digital investigations. The agency is described as an upgrade from the National Forensic Science Authority, transforming it into a regular department capable of coordinating conventional, digital, and cyber forensic efforts across Pakistan. The government's plans for reform also include significant changes to PECA, which aim to address misinformation and cyber-related offences. State Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja confirmed the intent to amend PECA, stating, "We are addressing concerns regarding misinformation." She further emphasised that the amendments are being carefully reviewed to ensure a balanced approach. Also Read | China's President Xi Jinping Likely To Skip Donald Trump's Inauguration Ceremony on January 20, Says Report. The draft NFCA Act 2024 elaborates on the scope of the proposed agency, stating it will oversee cybercrime cases involving hacking, fraud, cyber espionage, terrorism, online harassment, cyber extortion, and cyber warfare. It defines cybercrime as "criminal activities conducted over the internet or using digital technologies that involved the use of computers, networks and electronic devices to commit offences." Additionally, it provides a detailed definition of deepfakes as fabricated digital media created using artificial intelligence algorithms. Under the proposal, the NFCA would function as a "supreme agency" for conventional, digital, and cyber forensics. Its responsibilities would include supporting crime investigations in Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan as a first-tier agency, while serving as a second-tier agency for re-examinations of forensic material nationwide. The NFCA would also advise courts and law enforcement agencies by providing expert opinions based on collected forensic evidence, reported Dawn. One of the agency's key tasks would be to address weaknesses in the legal framework affecting forensics and propose legislative amendments. The draft notes that the NFCA will "establish a law department to ascertain weakness in the legal system affecting conventional, digital and cyber forensics and propose amendments in laws/devise new laws." The draft specifies that the NFCA will be led by a director general with expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, information security, and related fields. The agency's board of governors will include the interior minister as chairperson, the interior secretary as vice chairperson, and representatives from major intelligence agencies, police departments, and other governmental bodies. Notably, the proposed legislation includes a controversial clause granting immunity to actions performed under the act. It states, "No action taken under the proposed act would be called into question in any court and no civil or criminal proceedings would be instituted against anyone, including the government, any provincial government or any local authority, for anything done in good faith or purported to have been done under the act." These developments align with the government's broader strategy to overhaul digital governance and tackle cybercrime more effectively. Last week, it was reported that proposed changes to PECA include harsher penalties for cyber offences, with prison terms of up to seven years and fines reaching PKR 2 million, Dawn reported. Additionally, the creation of a new authority to block online content and combat fake news has been suggested. The NFCA proposal has sparked discussions about the balance between cybersecurity and civil liberties, as well as the implications of granting sweeping powers to a centralised agency. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], December 13 (ANI): The government has welcomed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) apparent shift towards dialogue with political rivals, despite expressing concerns about the opposition party's "poor track record" in negotiations, The News International reported. The remarks came as political tensions continued to simmer amid PTI's planned civil disobedience movement. Also Read | US Plane Crash: Small Aircraft Crashes Onto New York Highway in Westchester County, 1 Killed. Speaking on Geo News' Capital Talk, Prime Minister's aide on political affairs Rana Sanaullah commended PTI's offer to hold talks, noting that this marked a departure from the party's past refusal to engage in dialogue. "When he [Imran Khan] was in government, he would say that 'I would not hold talks with the opposition and I would not spare them," Sanaullah recalled. Also Read | France: President Emmanuel Macron To Name New Prime Minister Today. He pointed out that during his tenure, Imran never reached out to opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif or members of the opposition in parliament. Sanaullah highlighted that the PTI founder's current stance on talks remains ambiguous. "As of today, his stance is that he will only hold talks with the establishment. But now, if they [PTI] have realised the importance of dialogue, then this is a very good thing," he added. These comments followed a key meeting at the Speaker House in Islamabad, where National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq met PTI leaders Asad Qaiser, Omar Ayub, and Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza. Sources said the meeting, prompted by telephonic communication between Sadiq and Qaiser, resulted in an agreement to sit at the negotiation table without preconditions, reported The News International. Responding to PTI's demand for Imran Khan's release, Sanaullah clarified that the prime minister had no authority to intervene. "The PTI founder is not under judicial custody due to an executive order but because of several cases registered against him," he explained. Sanaullah also revisited the government's previous overtures for dialogue, which were rejected by PTI. "Shehbaz Sharif had stated in the presence of [then prime minister] Imran Khan that we were ready to sit with you to chalk out the charter of economy," he said. Similarly, he added, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently reiterated his willingness to hold talks on the floor of the house. However, PTI consistently dismissed these offers, claiming they would only engage with those "wielding real power" rather than "powerless" rulers. In a separate statement, PML-N Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Senator Irfan Siddiqui said, "If PTI is ready for dialogue, we are all set for it." However, he urged PTI to adopt a constructive approach. "The PTI should not hang a sword that if talks were not held by such a date, they would start a disobedience movement. This kind of behaviour cannot go together," he remarked. Siddiqui emphasised the need for moving beyond past animosities. "We want to talk; we do not want any riots. Pakistan has to move forward, and to move forward, it is necessary to abandon old customs," he said. He further questioned the methods of protest, stating, "Whether peaceful protest is done with slogans of Jihad-Al-Jihad, kill and die, and sticks with nails." Meanwhile, PTI leader Latif Khosa, speaking during the same programme, reiterated the importance of dialogue to resolve disputes. "All the matters have to be resolved via dialogue," he said. He stressed that releasing Imran Khan remains PTI's primary demand, as the current leadership cannot make decisions without consulting him, The News International reported. Explaining PTI's shift in policy towards talks, Khosa maintained that their demands remain unchanged. "The party would present the same demands even in talks with the ruling parties that it had been protesting against, including alleged rigging during the February 8 elections," he said. Khosa dismissed any criticism of meeting government representatives, adding, "There is nothing wrong in meeting with the ruling parties' members, and the PTI would present the same demands before the incumbent rulers, including releasing Imran Khan." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad, December 13: A special chartered plane carrying 318 Pakistanis, stranded in Syria due to recent turmoil, landed at Islamabad International Airport on Thursday. The evacuation was made possible through a coordinated effort by the Pakistani government, with significant assistance from Lebanon. The passengers, who had been moved to Lebanon following the evolving situation in Syria, were greeted at the airport by Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, alongside representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Pakistani Plane Makes Emergency Landing: Major Tragedy Averted As Fly Jinnah Flight FL-846 Lands at Lahore Airport After Smoke Alert (See Pic and Video). Ahsan Iqbal expressed gratitude to the Lebanese government for issuing visas to the stranded citizens, a gesture facilitated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's outreach to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Speaking at the reception, Ahsan Iqbal said, "The NDMA has arranged buses to transport passengers to their respective destinations." He commended PM Shehbaz's leadership, noting that the premier had personally supervised daily reviews to ensure the safe return of Pakistani nationals from Syria. "Wherever Pakistanis face challenges, they are not alone as the Pakistani government stands with them," he added, reaffirming the government's commitment to supporting its citizens abroad. The evacuation became necessary after a lightning offensive led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, abruptly ending a five-decade rule. Pakistan Shocker: Pregnant Woman Killed by Her Mother-in-Law, Chopped Into Dozens of Pieces in Punjab Province. Following this, Pakistan's ambassador facilitated the evacuation process, overseeing the stranded citizens' departure from Beirut Airport earlier on Thursday. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's efforts to secure the evacuation included direct communication with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who assured his "wholehearted support" for Pakistanis seeking safe passage. Mikati also pledged to "extend all possible support" to facilitate their return to Pakistan. Upon arrival, a special help desk established by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis provided assistance to the passengers, while refreshments were arranged for their comfort. The NDMA coordinated logistics to ensure smooth onward travel for the evacuees. In a statement during her weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch highlighted Pakistan's stance on the Syrian crisis. "We are following developments in Syria and are concerned about the escalation in violence. We express full support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria," she said. Baloch reiterated Pakistan's belief that it is the "right of the Syrian people to determine their own future and make decisions about their destiny which any foreign interference or external imposition should not determine." (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], December 13 (ANI): The US House of Representatives has approved a USD 895 billion National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), which includes provisions to enhance Taiwan's defence capabilities with up to USD 300 million in military articles and training, Taipei Times reported. The bill, passed in a 281-140 vote on Wednesday, aims to support Taiwan's self-defence initiatives amid rising tensions in the region. Also Read | Flying Taxi: Commercial-Level Air Taxis Arriving Soon in South Korea, Demonstration of Air Taxi Model This Week. The NDAA includes the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, designed to help Taiwan maintain its self-defence capabilities. US Representative Jack Bergman, chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, called the bill "critically important" in ensuring Taiwan's ability to defend itself. He emphasised that the act would significantly contribute to Taiwan's defence infrastructure. In addition, Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the US and the Chinese Communist Party, highlighted the inclusion of a study on defence industrial agreements with Taiwan. Also Read | Pakistan: Special Chartered Plane Carrying 318 Stranded Pakistanis From Syria Arrives at Islamabad International Airport. "The bill requires a feasibility study of entering into defence industrial agreements with Taiwan to promote lethality and supply chain resilience," Moolenaar said. The NDAA authorises the Pentagon to provide Taiwan with military assistance in key areas such as anti-tank and anti-ship missiles, uncrewed aerial vehicles, long-range precision weapons, cyber defence, electronic warfare, and integrated air and missile defence systems. This funding is also intended for critical combat training, secure communications equipment, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support, reported Taipei Times. To speed up the delivery of arms, the bill directs the US State and Defence departments to provide Taiwan with defence articles directly from US inventories and to supply foreign partners with the necessary materials to replenish their own stocks used in supporting Taiwan. The bill also establishes a partnership program between the US and Taiwan in military trauma care, mental health conditions associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, and amputee care. In a related move, the bill proposes inviting Taiwan's naval forces to participate in the next year's Rim of the Pacific exercise, though this is a non-binding suggestion. Additionally, the bill incorporates the BOLSTER Act, aimed at coordinating plans with European allies in response to any attempts by China to overthrow Taiwan's government or block its access to the region. The NDAA also includes provisions for responses to potential cyberattacks on Taiwan or a naval blockade, Taipei Times reported. To assess the impact of Chinese military actions, the bill requires the US president to submit reports on the expected economic consequences of a 30-day and 180-day blockade or quarantine of Taiwan by the People's Liberation Army. With the approval of both the US Senate and House, the NDAA is now one step closer to becoming law, pending the signature of the US president. However, the bill's implementation also depends on the passage of a separate appropriations bill. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Dec 13 (AP) The White House has announced what it called the first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia, detailing more than 100 steps federal officials can take to curb hate, violence, bias and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans. The proposal follows a similar national plan to battle antisemitism that President Joe Biden unveiled in May 2023, as fears about increasing hatred and discrimination were rising among US Jews. Also Read | 'Maverick Diplomacy': Donald Trump Invites China's President Xi Jinping to Inauguration for 'Open Dialogue' Despite Tariff Threats. Officials worked on the anti-Islamophobia plan for months, and its release came on Thursday, five weeks before Biden leaves office meaning implementation will mostly fall to President-elect Donald Trump, if his administration chooses to do so. In a statement announcing the strategy, the Biden administration wrote that Over the past year, this initiative has become even more important as threats against American Muslim and Arab communities have spiked. It said that included the October 2023 slaying of six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, an American Muslim boy of Palestinian descent, who was stabbed to death in Illinois. Also Read | Donald Trump Named Time Magazines Person of Year, Rings New York Stock Exchanges Opening Bell. The plan details actions the Executive Branch can take, along with more than 100 other calls to action across all sectors of society. The strategy has four basic priorities: increasing awareness of hatred against Muslims and Arabs while more widely recognizing these communities' heritages; broadly improving their safety and security; appropriately accommodating Muslim and Arab religious practices by working to curb discrimination against them; and encouraging cross-community solidarity to further counter hate. Many of those state goals are similar to the ones the Biden administration laid out in its plan to reduce antisemitism especially the emphasis on improving safety and security and building cross-community solidarity. While individuals have sometimes been targeted because they are thought to be Muslim, it is also crucial to recognize that Arabs are routinely targeted simply for being who they are, the announcement of the strategy states, noting that Muslims and Arab Americans have helped build out the nation since its founding. It says that new data collection and education efforts are increasing awareness of these forms of hate as well of the proud heritages of Muslim and Arab Americans. The plan calls for more widely disseminating successful practices of engaging Muslim and Arab Americans in the reporting of hate crimes, and that federal agencies are now more clearly spelling out that discrimination against Muslim and Arab Americans in federally funded activities is illegal. The White House's plan also urges state, local, and international counterparts, as well as the nongovernmental sector, to pursue similar initiatives that seek to build greater unity by recognizing our common humanity, affirming our shared values and history, and embracing equal justice, liberty, and security for all." Pro-Palestinian groups decrying his administration's full-throated support of Israel in its war with Gaza, frequently disrupted Biden campaign events, as well as those of Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden abandoned his reelection bid in July. Trump, who implemented a travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries during his first term, won the largest majority-Muslim US city in last months elections. Yet some Arab Americans who backed Trump have begun expressing concerns about his some of his choices to fill out his Cabinet and other picks for his incoming administration. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh, December 13: Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have disrupted Pakistans ISI-backed terror module being operated by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harvinder Rinda and Harpreet Singh with the arrest of two members, who confessed to having placed an improvised explosive device (IED) at a police station in Ajnala, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. Those arrested have been identified as Jashandeep Singh, a resident of Amritsar, a 17-year-old juvenile. Police teams have also recovered two Chinese-made P86 hand grenades and one sophisticated Turkey-made 9MM Zigana pistol along with ammunition from their possession. The development came less than three weeks after the recovery of an IED planted close to the Police Station on November 23, 2024. Pertinently, the terrorist organisation BKI used social media platforms to claim responsibility for the terror act. Punjab Police Bust Terror Module, Arrest Two. DGP Yadav said preliminary investigations have revealed that accused Jashandeep Singh Danny and the other arrested accused were in touch with Gurdev Jaisal, who allured them to work for him in lieu of money and drugs. Apart from planning terror activities, Jaisal also used them for drug peddling, he added. He said both the accused confessed to having placed an IED at the police station following directions of their handlers and also revealed that they had received various consignments of weapons and explosives. The DGP said further investigations are being conducted to unearth the entire network of Rinda, Happy Passia and Jaisal. Efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of this group to bring the case to a logical end, he added. Sharing operation details, Assistant Inspector General (State Special Operation Cell) Sukhminder Singh Mann said they have received a tip-off that Rinda, Passia and Jaisal have mobilised their associates to carry out anti-national activities in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala areas and also arranged huge consignment of weapons and explosives for them to execute the plans of targeting government establishments. Punjab Police Dismentles Cross-border Terror Module, Arrests 10 People. Acting swiftly, the teams launched an intel-based operation and arrested accused Jashandeep Danny and his juvenile accomplice from the Amritsar area after recovering arms and explosives from their possession, he added. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 13, 2024 07:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Mumbai, December 13: The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar has claimed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) remains vague on the partys queries on how 75 lakhs votes shot up after the polling hours in the Nov. 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections on Friday. Ambedkar said that the VBA had written a letter to the ECIs State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) seeking details on this, plus individual letters sent by many of the 225 party candidates who lost in the elections. While the ECI and CEO have not responded to the queries so far, only three Returning Officers (RO) have provided evasive replies to the concerned losing VBA candidates. The prime question still has not evoked any response from the ECI, as to how the vote count increased by 75 lakhs after the voting closed at 6 pm that day, according to the official data provided by the ECI itself, Ambedkar pointed out. Maharashtra Assembly Elections: ECI Sets All Doubts at Rest, Says No Discrepancies Found in VVPAT Voter-Slips Count. He recalled his letter of Dec. 6 to the State CEO S. Chockalingam raising pointed questions and seeking details of the polling data though later the ECI issued a statement (December 10) asserting that there was no discrepancy in the counting of the VVPAT voters slips. The ECI said on Nov. 20th, that 75 lakhs votes were cast after 6 pm or the closing of voting hours. The ECI must provide the data on exactly how much voting took place in each of the 288 Assembly constituencies, said Ambedkar. Furthermore, he asked the ECI to come clear on the number of voters standing in the queues who were issued the tokens after 6 pm, along with the video footage and photographic evidence to show that the entire process was transparent. VBAs Chief Spokesperson Siddharth Mokle said that going by the ECI figures, on average, as many as 26,000 people had cast their votes after 6 pm on Nov. 20, which is difficult to believe unless the booth-wise figures of voting with video photos are made available. So far, the ROs of Aurangabad West, Paranda and Nanded South Assembly constituencies have replied to the VBA candidates queries and the remaining around 245 are still awaited, he added. The identical replies by the ROs said that the requisite information was sealed in the envelope of the days polling and deposited in the security strongroom, and hence it is not possible to divulge those details, said Ambedkar. EVMs Cannot Be Hacked, Tampered: States Additional CEO on Opposition Allegations Regarding Electronic Voting Machines After Maharashtra Assembly Election Results 2024. The VBA chief said that as per the rules, at 5.59 pm the election process must be stopped, and the door of the polling centre should be shut, but those inside the polling booths are issued tokens while those outside lose the chance to cast their votes, hence these details are pertinent to ascertain what happened. Ambedkar said that shedding aside their political differences, the VBA will share the ROs replies with all the Opposition parties, but if the elections are continued in this manner, then the whole process will be rendered meaningless for democracy. It may be recalled that VBA, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and other parties/individuals have launched their respective campaigns against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The anti-EVM drive started after the move by Markadwadi village in Solapur which shot to national prominence after its attempt to conduct a paper ballot poll on December 3 but was thwarted by the police and district administration. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 13, 2024 11:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Apparently written in the Russian language, the bomb threat email was sent to the official website of the Central Bank on Thursday afternoon, threatening to blow up the RBI building with explosives. Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge retorted, accusing the Chairman of disrespect. 'When the Chairman does not respect me, how can I respect him?' Kharge remarked, further alleging that the Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar encouraged ruling party MPs to target him and his party. Malayalam film director P Balachandrakumar passed away in the early hours of Friday (December 13). He had been undergoing treatment for a severe kidney ailment at the Dr KM Cherian Institute of Medical Science Hospital in Thiruvalla, Kottayam. He had been battling with severe health issues for so long and took his last breath at 5.40 AM. Balachandrakumar's death has left the film industry in mourning, as he was known for his contributions to Malayalam cinema. P Balachandrakumar was a key witness in the 2017 actor assault case in Kochi, Kerala. Director Jayabharathi Dies: All You Need To Know About the Kudisai Filmmaker and Tamil Alternate Cinema Pioneer. P Balachandrakumar No More Director P Balachandrakumar passed away. He was undergoing treatment for heart-related ailments. P. Balachandrakumar was a key witness in the actress attack case in Kochi. pic.twitter.com/ReRApvCCAZ AB George (@AbGeorge_) December 13, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter (X), 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.) IAS Officer Ashwini Bhide has been appointed as Principal Secretary to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who took charge last week as the state CM for the third time. Ashwini Bhide served as the managing director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) prior to her appointment as principal secretary to Maharashtra CM. Bhide will replace Brijesh Singh. Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion: BJP's List of Probable Ministers Ready, Central Leaders to Take Final Call, Says CM Devendra Fadnavis. Ashwini Bhide Appointed As Principal Secretary to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis | Bhide, at present the MD of Mumbai Rail Corporation, will take the place of Brijesh Singh. Along with the pic.twitter.com/FtJRulRN2Y MUMBAI NEWS (@Mumbaikhabar9) December 13, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter (X), 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 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office in Mumbai received a bomb threat via email on December 13, warning of an attack on the building. The email, written in Russian, threatened to blow up the RBI premises. Mumbai Police have registered a case against unknown individuals at Mata Ramabai Marg (MRA Marg) police station. The investigation into the matter is currently underway, with authorities working to trace the source of the threat. The police have assured that appropriate measures are being taken to ensure the safety and security of the RBI building. RBI To Maintain Continuity and Stability in Policy Matters, Says New Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra. RBI Office Gets Bomb Threat Mumbai | A threatening email was received on the official website of Reserve Bank of India. The email was in Russian language, warned to blow up the bank. A case has been registered against unknown accused in Mata Ramabai Marg (MRA Marg) police station. Investigation into the ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter (X), 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.) Multiple drone sightings reported across the Lehigh Valley and Warren County on social media Thursday night are raising concerns and alarm from residents. Drones all over Bushkill Township, wrote on commenter around 10:30 p.m. Thursday in a local Facebook group. I live in Palmer Township and I believe theres 7 drones or more flying over our neighborhood, wrote one commenter at 6:30 p.m. in the Facebook group All Things Palmer Twp P.A. Palmer Township police acknowledged the drone sightings and encouraged folks to report them. A statement was posted Friday on their Crimewatch page. There are sooo many flying over us, wrote someone around 9:30 p.m. Thursday in the Facebook group Slate Belt Chatter. Since mid-November, drone sightings in New Jersey have raised concerns and calls for action from law enforcement and elected officials. More than 3,000 sightings have been reported to the FBI and no one knows whos flying the drones or why. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security downplayed any possible threat posed by the aircraft on Thursday. In a joint statement, they said it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. The statement runs counter to earlier statements from Picatinny Arsenal, which reported 11 confirmed drone sightings. Two sightings were reported over Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County and a Coast Guard commander reported to Rep. Chris Smith that more than a dozen supposed drones were chasing a Coast Guard cutter Sunday night. The agencies reiterated there was no evidence that the drone sightings posed a national security or public safety threat, nor that they were of foreign origin. It also said there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. Still, eastern Pennsylvania leaders are taking the sightings seriously. Monroe Countys Department of Emergency Services urges residents to call 911 when they see drones. Northampton Countys office of Emergency Management also acknowledged the drone sightings. That agency reported the sightings to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Northampton County Emergency Management has received several reports of possible drone sightings this evening. These... Posted by County of Northampton on Thursday, December 12, 2024 Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said whoever is flying the drones should be transparent. A lack of notice from the business or government agency or hobbyist flying the drones is inciting panic, he said on Facebook. Without transparency, the internet will fill in the gaps, and that wont be pretty, he wrote. One Facebook poster said he saw drones around midnight over northwest Bethlehem. One person from Easton shot video of a drone around 8 p.m. Thursday. Another alerted her Warren County neighbors. 11 drones just flew over Lopat!! reported one post around 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Facebook group Whats Really Going On Pburg? The Warren County Police Chiefs Association issued a statement Wednesday calling for more transparency from federal investigators. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Laois TD Brian Stanley has aligned with left-wing politicians in the Dail in a grouping that includes some of the most outspoken socialist politicians in Irish politics. The former Sinn Fein TD has confirmed that after discussions he has, for now, joined a technical group made up which will be made of eight left-leaning TDs. "All three independent groups spoke to me last week about this. For the past week, I'm in a group with Catherine Connolly, Seamus Healy, Charles Ward and the three People Before Profit TDs. This is a Technical Group only to ensure that we get our fair share of speaking time as TDs," he told the Leinster Express / Laois Live. The statement all but rules out supporting the Government following the General Election and means that the self-styled independent republican TD will now share Dail time with some high-profile TDs if he stays on board. Dublin TD Richard Boyd Barrett is an Irish People Before ProfitSolidarity politician who has been a TD for the Dun Laoghaire constituency since the 2011 general election which is when Dep Stanley also first won a seat in the Dail. Previously a Socialist Workers Party member, the TD is one of the most vocal critics of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael Governments. He was active in the water charges campaign and more recently has been visceral in his criticism of the Government's approach to housing policy. Another well-known member of People Before Profit - Solidarity in the Dail is Paul Murphy who is a Dublin South West TD. He was to the fore in campaigning against austerity and took a lead role in against water charges organisation advocating non-payment. The former Socialist Party TD was found not guilty in a trial that followed a 2014 protest in Jobstown against Tanaiste Joan Burton. MORE BELOW PICTURE. Paul Murphy TD Ruth Coppinger is another member of PBP-Solidarty. She has campaigned on similar issues to Dep Murphy and Dep Boyd Barrett. Another outspoken politician with a high media profile, she lost her seat in 2020 but was returned to the Dail for the Dublin West constituency at the 2024 General Election. Independent Galway West TD Catherine Connolly also has a high profile in politics campaign on social issues and the need for investment in the West of Ireland. Seamus Healy is back in the Dail as a TD for South Tipperary after losing his seat in 2020. He was first elected to the Dail at a by-election on 22 June 2000 and has been a constant advocate for hospital services in Tipperary. Charles Ward is the final member of the grouping. He was elected for the first time in Donegal as 100% Redress party. The party was set up to represent homeowners impacted by the Irish defective block crisis. Technical groups are formed so that TDs can get certain rights or benefits that would otherwise remain unavailable to them outside a formally recognised parliamentary group. It emerged earlier this week that Dep Stanley would not be joining the Regional Independent Group which looks poised to join a coalition with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. His former Sinn Fein colleague and ex-Laois Offaly TD Carol Nolan has joined this group. Dep Stanley has said during the campaign that he will work with all sides in the Dail when elected to advance the issues he believes in and the constituents of Laois. The Dail is due to convene on December 18 for the first time since it was dissolved on November 8. A government is unlikely to be in place until January. Fianna Fail as the most TDs followed by Sinn Fein in second with Fine Gael just behind in third. People in Laois are encouraged to take part in the annual GOAL Mile this Christmas to raise funds for communities in need. For many people, the GOAL Mile is a favourite festive tradition and raises vital funds for the organisation's life-saving humanitarian work across 15 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Ukraine. Everyone is encouraged to get involved this year, whether you want to walk, run or just show up and lend your support for the cause. There will be over 160 GOAL Mile events taking place across the country this Christmas, including three in Laois. The three events in Laois will be taking place in Stradbally, Portarlington and Clough Ballacolla. READ NEXT: Abbeyleix shop planned to be knocked for new apartments and houses On Christmas Day from 10am to 12pm, the GOAL Mile will be taking place in Oakville Woods in Stradbally. Also on Christmas Day, Portarlington's GAA Club will host their GOAL Mile from 11am to 11.30am. Clough Ballacolla GAA & The Harps GAA will host their GOAL Mile at the Clough Ballacolla GAA club on December 22 at 10am. GOAL Mile champion, Laura Mahony, has urged the people of Laois to take part. She said: "The Healthy Club committees from The Harps and Clough Ballacolla are delighted to come together to organise our 1st Goal Mile and really hope that our GAA and Camogie communities will come out in force to support this." Last year, the GOAL Mile raised a staggering 630,000 and they hope to make an even bigger impact in 2024. Commenting on the significance of the GOAL Mile, the Director of Fundraising at GOAL, Helen McVeigh, said: "Every year, the GOAL Mile unites people from all corners of Ireland in a powerful display of solidarity and generosity. This cherished Irish tradition is not only deeply meaningful for communities here at home but also has a profound ripple effect across borders, reaching those who need it most." She added: "The funds raised through the GOAL Mile directly support GOALs vital work in some of the worlds most challenging regions, providing life-saving aid and hope to vulnerable communities. To our incredible GOAL Mile Organisers, thank you for making this possible. And to anyone thinking of joining their local GOAL Mile, we encourage you to take part. "Its more than a traditionits a lifeline. Together, we can keep this tradition alive and continue to bring hope to communities around the world." You can register to take part in your local GOAL Mile on GOAL's website. ALDI is making its popular Too Good To Go Surprise Bags available for reservation earlier than ever before for Christmas and New Years Eve. Customers in Kildare will be able to reserve a bag via the Too Good To Go app up to five days in advance, giving shoppers even more flexibility during the busy festive period. This means that bags for Christmas Eve will be available to order from Thursday, December 19 for collection and bags to collect on New Years Eve can be ordered from Friday, December 27. The Surprise Bags cost just 3.99 each and contain at least 12 worth of food approaching its sell-by or use-by date. Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at ALDI UK & Ireland, said: Were making our Too Good To Go bags even more accessible this Christmas and New Year. By allowing customers in Kildare to reserve their bags earlier than ever, we hope to provide even more people with affordable items that also help to reduce food waste. This partnership continues to play a vital role in supporting our sustainability goals, and it has been incredible to see how many customers now regularly use the service. Sophie Trueman, Country Director at Too Good To Go UK and Ireland, added: "Were delighted to help ALDI and its customers save even more food from going to waste across this seasonal period. Not only does our win-win-win solution support ALDI in tackling surplus food, but it also enables customers to enjoy products at great value for money, all while making a positive impact on the planet." In addition to its Too Good To Go partnership, ALDIs Irish stores donate surplus food to local causes year round via its successful partnership with FoodCloud. On average each month, ALDI stores donate the equivalent of more than 100,000 meals to local charities and community groups across Ireland. Christmas Opening Hours ALDI stores are set to close on the December 25 and 26 for Christmas Day and St. Stephens Day, as well as New Years Day, January 1. However, shoppers will have plenty of time to stock up before Christmas, with stores open from 8am until 10pm in the lead up to Christmas Eve. Stores will also open until 7pm on Christmas Eve. Customers should check local store details on ALDIs website to avoid disappointment. Two members of a Romanian organised crime gang who used cars to ram raid commercial premises, including a shop at Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge. have been jailed for a total of ten years. The men were arrested as part of operation Docht targeting an organised criminal group responsible for burglaries and high-value vehicle thefts on July 3 and 4 last year. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard last Monday that a Vodafone shop in Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge was targeted just before 2.30am on July 3, 2023. The court heard that a silver Mercedes Benz with two occupants wearing gloves approached the front of the shop. There was 16,000 worth of damage was caused as the raiders broke into the store with bags in hands and left with the store till. Apart from the till, no other items were taken in the course of that burglary as the phones were in a safe. Ricardo Stancu, Daniel Murgea, and Ionut Leonard Petriu appeared before a sentencing hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Stancu (19) of North Circular Road Dublin, and Murgea (31), also of North Circular Road, pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage and organised crime offences. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced Stancu to five years in prison with the final 12 months suspended. She noted that he was a younger man who had limited previous convictions and said she would suspend part of the sentence to incentivise rehabilitation. Judge Crowe said a headline sentence of eight years in prison was warranted for Murgea before she imposed a sentence of six years having taken into account his significant history of dishonesty referring to Murgeas previous convictions in both France and Italy for offences involving theft. Petriu (38) of Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to assisting the group and his culpability was the lowest of the three, the court heard. Judge Crowe said Petriu played a different role to Murgea and Stancu. She adjourned his case to March 20 next and ordered the preparation of a probation report for that hearing. Judge Crowe said the offences before the court were "inherently serious" and said the crimes were committed over two days on three unoccupied commercial premises that had been deliberately targeted in an organised way. She said it was a highly organised crime and extensive damage had been caused to the properties. Judge Crowe acknowledged that Murgea and Stancu had been described as foot soldiers in the operation. Each of the accused pleaded guilty on their trial date in October this year and further pleas were entered on Monday. Stancu and Murgea are in custody but Petriu is on bail. The court heard Murgea has no previous convictions in Ireland but has 13 in Italy and three in France for offences including theft, dealing in stolen goods and criminal association. Stancu has one previous conviction. Petriu has one previous conviction which relates to paying someone else to do a driving theory test, the court heard. Dean Kelly SC, for Stancu, said his client went back to Romania as a teenager before returning to Ireland. He was put in touch with people and was under pressure to take part. Drugs gangs are running riot and hundreds of thousands of euro worth of damage has been caused by petrol bombs to homes in the Derrinturn area. Thats according to fine Gael councillor Brendan Wyse, who called for the deployment of CCTV systems to tackle crime. He said, at a Kildare County Council meeting, that people have CCTV systems in their homes and yet we dont have them on the street. Cllr Brendan Wyse Another councillor, Fintan Brett, asked Kildare County Council to work proactively with community groups to support the installation of a countywide CCTV network. He said that apart from the activities of local criminals, people are coming from Dublin to target residential areas within the county. Cllr Brett said CCTV is a deterrent and we need to progress it asap. Read more Kildare news He said money is available to the community for this and some 50,000 has been put aside to set up a system in Naas. He said there are no data protection issues associated with CCTV use and we need to support the gardai. Athy-based Cllr Aoife Breslin said anti-social behaviour and dumping are issues that CCTV can help solve. She complained that 60,000 was spent on equipment in Athy but its out of date and wont work. In Newbridge, it could help tackle poor driving habits including people driving in the wrong direction, said Cllr Chris Pender while Cllr Bernard Caldwell said CCTV pictures have been used to identify alleged possible rioters in Dublin. At the moment gardai rely on businesses for CCTV footage, which costs these enterprises a lot of money, said Cllr Daragh Fitzpatrick, who said there should be a publicly-run system. However KCC official Marian Higgins said there are significant legal requirements and responsibilities associated with these systems. Its not as simple as putting up cameras," she said. She said KCC and all local authorities must assess each proposed project on a case-by-case basis. Ms Higgins said some systems had been stood down elsewhere. She also said that in the absence of joint policing committees (forums for the gardai, council officials and councillors to meet) there does not appear to be a mechanism currently available to apply for establishment of any community CCTV schemes at this time. Environmental group Save Leitrim have called for greater regulations on forestry planters as many residents in South Leitrim remain without power a week after storm Darragh ravaged Ireland. Like Storm Ophelie in 2017, Storm Darragh caused extensive damage to the country's electric infrastructure leaving over 400,000 people without power with areas in Leitrim being some of the last to have power restored in the country. This is not new, this has been happening before, there are individual houses, and homes, and small areas that have been out of power after storms for a number of years, says Brian Smyth of Save Leitrim, an environmental group that is opposed to current forestry practices in the county. Trees and branches from forests that have grown too close to power lines that run along the roads, or over land, that are blown down during storms can knock out electricity to surrounding areas. There's a problem there are houses that are out for four, five, six days and repeatedly out over recent years that means there is a problem with trees close to the power lines and somebody needs to take responsibility, says Smyth. In a statement Collite, a semi-government owned forestry company, who and is responsible for managing over 14,000 acres of forestry in Leitrim said that it is not them but The power companies that are responsible for cutting trees that endanger power line. Coillte have said that they have followed regulations in keeping trees at a safe distance from powerlines and the surrounding forests are generally far enough back from powerlines so as not to pose a direct risk. When asked by the Leitrim Observer, given the damage forestry has caused to power lines in this storm, if they would cut future back in future they did not reply. Save Leitrim has criticised Coillte for its forest activity in the county stating on X, formerly Twitter, that power outages are related to forest management in the county. If you watch Coillte ads on TV produced by PR firms they are very fussy and warm and they are great but these Coillte trees are leaving people cold in their houses for a week, said Smyth. Around 20% of Leitrim was covered in forestry in 2023, according to a Forestry Statistics Ireland report, though that is higher with new forestry licences having been granted in the county this year. Smyth has called on the Department of Agriculture and Forestry services to put updated and tighter restrictions on how close forestry can be to power lines, stating they should be at least 50 metres away, and he has said that local communities should be involved in the process of granting licences. No forest licence regulation takes account of a social and community impact, if you go to get a licence none of that is assessed and what we are saying is that the system is problematic, he says. Storms causing problems for small numbers of individual families and farms will continue unless somebody does something and that means that the forest service, the department of agriculture, forest owners, Coillte, ESB, and local community representatives must be present to solve the problem READ MORE: Clarity sought on refugee accommodation in Leitrim hotels Independents appear to be more interested at this stage in government formation talks with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail than Labour and the Social Democrats, a TD has said. Exploratory talks between political parties have been held this week with the aim of forming a government in the new year. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who are just a couple of seats short of a majority of 88, said they had a positive and constructive initial discussion with one another on Wednesday. The Social Democrats said they would continue to engage with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail next week, as well as Sinn Fein and the Labour Party. Labours parliamentary party is meeting on Friday to discuss their stance on government formation. Fianna Fail TD for Clare Timmy Dooley said that it remains to be decided how stable a coalition that included independents would be. Theres nobody putting pressure on anybody, theres still time for those other parties such as Labour and the Social Democrats to decide do they want to participate and do they want to enter more formal discussions and negotiations. The independents from the start appeared to be quite interested, he said on RTEs Today with Claire Byrne programme. Taoiseach Simon Harris said he had met each of the eight independent TDs in the Regional Group and did not doubt their sincerity or bona fides. The Fine Gael leader said it would be absolutely essential that the next government has a whipped majority in order to pass five budgets and any confidence votes. He said the fact that a group had been set up and a point of contact for government talks appointed was a sign of a group of independent TDs who are serious about doing business in terms of being a constructive force in government. But absolutely there will be a moment of truth, a crunch moment where every individual TD, including in Fine Gael, will have to sign up and commit to delivering the programme for government and voting with the government, he said. It will be for us to work through that process for how best that structure is in place. He added: We have seen in the past how it is possible to work with independents in government and work successfully with them in government. He said that key to this would be getting the structure of government right, such as the leaders meeting on Monday night in the last coalition, which he said had prevented public disagreements and clashes on policy. The new Dail parliament of 174 TDs is to sit for the first time next Wednesday. Elsewhere on Friday, Sinn Fein said it had nominated Aengus O Snodaigh to become the next Ceann Comhairle. Mary Lou McDonald said Mr O Snodagh was an outstanding parliamentarian, noting his proficiency with the Irish language and more than 22 years of experience in the Dail. Aengus has a sharp intellect and has a first-rate understanding of parliamentary process and procedures. He is highly respected right across the Oireachtas community The others include incumbent Sean O Fearghail, his Fianna Fail colleague John McGuinness and the Regional Groups Verona Murphy. Professor Philip Nolan has said he experienced significant reputational damage following his termination from Science Foundation Ireland, as he welcomed clarification that the organisation had made no findings of misconduct against him. SFI had terminated his contract as director-general of the organisation earlier this year. Prof Nolan, who became a national figure during the Covid-19 pandemic as the then chairman of the national virus modelling unit, begun legal proceedings against the termination of his contract. The body which has since been reformed as Taighde Eireann-Research Ireland said all legal proceedings had been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties on Friday. It added that the termination of his contract was never intended to imply wrongdoing. In a statement, it said: We wish to acknowledge the significant contribution of Professor Nolan in the formation of Taighde Eireann/Research Ireland, and to the development of research and innovation in Ireland, in particular during his time at Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). We confirm that there were no findings of misconduct or poor performance made against Professor Nolan and the termination of his contract was never intended to imply any finding of wrongdoing on his part. We regret the unauthorised and harmful publication from unknown sources of incomplete internal reports. The significant reputational damage flowing from such publication, both for Professor Nolan and Science Foundation Ireland, and its staff, is acknowledged. This litigation has been damaging to the reputations of all parties and we are pleased to record agreement to its conclusion and wish Professor Nolan every success in his career. Prof Nolan has returned to work in Maynooth University as a researcher, having previously been president of the institution. In a broadly similar statement, he said: I am very pleased that the legal proceedings between myself and Science Foundation Ireland (now Taighde Eireann/Research Ireland) have been fully resolved. I very much welcome the statement made by Taighde Eireann/Research Ireland, and in particular the confirmation that there were no findings of misconduct or poor performance made against me, the regret expressed at the unauthorised and harmful publication from unknown sources of incomplete internal reports, and their acknowledgement of the significant reputational damage that resulted. I am deeply grateful to my legal advisers for their advice, guidance and support, which ultimately led to the successful resolution of these matters. Mitsubishi Electric to Establish Heat Pump Compressor Factory in the U.S. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced today that it will invest U.S.$ 143.5 million to retrofit a U.S.-based factory to make variable-speed compressors that are a key component of high-efficiency heat pumps. As part of Mitsubishi Electric US Holdings, Inc., the Maysville, Kentucky-based factory of Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, Inc. currently manufactures and sells automotive electrical equipment. Production of the compressors, targeted to start in October 2027, is expected to help the company meet growing demand in the United States for low-greenhouse-gas-impact and energy-efficient HVAC solutions. Initial estimated annual capacity will total 1,000,000 compressors. When complete, the revamped factory will represent the first time that variable-speed compressors using twin rotary technology for highly efficient ductless heat pumps will be manufactured in the United States. More than 90% of these compressors for in-demand ductless heat pump systems are currently built in China and other countries in Asia. While the company will make a significant investment in this project, its U.S. subsidiary, MELCO HVAC US, Inc., is pleased to receive a $50 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) for the domestic production of high-efficiency heat pump technology. This funding will be allocated over three years for the retrofitting of the U.S. factory. MELCO HVAC US will also utilize the economic assistance programs of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Mitsubishi Electric appreciates support from DOE/MESC as well as economic assistance from the Commonwealth of Kentucky that were key factors in the decision to site the factory in the U.S. For the full text, please visit: www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/ 12 december 2024 at 21:15 News published onand distributed by: Fireweed Metals Corp. awarded up to C$35.4 M in joint US-Canadian government funding to advance Mactung and essential Infrastructure to unlock the critical minerals district at Macmillan Pass, Yukon Territory VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FIREWEED METALS CORP. ("Fireweed" or the "Company") (TSXV: FWZ; OTCQX: FWEDF) is pleased to announce it has been awarded US$15.8 M (~C$22.5 M) from the U.S. Department of Defense and up to C$12.9 M from the Government of Canada in support of its critical minerals projects at Macmillan Pass, Yukon Territory. Highlights Fireweed has been awarded US$15.8M (~C$22.5 M) from the U.S. Department of Defense under Title III of the Defense Production Act of 1950 ("DPA Title III") to advance its 100%-owned Mactung tungsten project toward a final investment decision. Fireweed will also receive up to C$12.9 M from the Government of Canada, pending final due diligence, through the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund ("CMIF") to lead planning for road and power infrastructure supporting Fireweed's critical mineral assets at Macmillan Pass, Yukon Territory. With this funding, Fireweed's team will advance its Mactung tungsten project to a final investment decision, while concurrently leading the planning for improvements to regional infrastructure (road and power) that serve the entire critical mineral district at Macmillan Pass. CEO Statement Peter Hemstead, President and CEO, commented: "The coordinated investments by the United States and Canadian governments underscore the critical importance and strategic value of Fireweed's mineral assets at Macmillan Pass. This joint announcement is a testament to the determination of both governments to unlock this new critical minerals district in Canada. In the coming months and years, our team will work to ensure our projects and the enabling infrastructure move forward in a way that respects rights-holders, provides benefits to communities in the region, and demonstrates how critical minerals can be developed responsibly." Adam Lundin Statement Adam Lundin, Fireweed's Strategic Advisor, stated: "The emerging critical minerals district at Macmillan Pass is a profound opportunity to address key supply chain vulnerabilities of the North American industrial base. These investments are significant milestones on the path to advancing both Macpass and Mactung projects toward development." Statement from the Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources The Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, stated: "Canada is positioning itself as a global supplier of responsibly sourced critical minerals, which are increasingly in demand for the clean and digital economy as well as for defence applications. The Fireweed project will develop the necessary energy infrastructure to power multiple critical minerals mines and communities with clean energy. These investments by Canada and the United States build on our long history of friendship and collaboration, complement the region's deep expertise in mining, create good jobs in the Yukon and advance economic growth, now and into the future." A Critical Minerals District at Macmillan Pass Macmillan Pass is an emerging critical minerals district (the "Macpass District"), with two immediately-adjacent, best-in-class critical mineral projects being advanced by Fireweed. The Macpass Project ("Macpass") is a district-scale collection of high-grade zinc deposits, forming one of the largest undeveloped zinc resources globally, while also containing the world's largest known accumulation of germanium and gallium1,2. The Mactung Project ("Mactung") is the world's largest, high-grade tungsten deposit1,3, with sufficient mineral resources to potentially supply North America's expected tungsten demand for decades. Macmillan Pass and the North Canol Road (the district's primary overland access) are located within Kaska Nation Traditional Territory and the Traditional Territory of the First Nation of Na-Cho Ny?k Dun. The Mactung access road passes through the Sahtu Settlement Area (Tul??t?a District in the Northwest Territories), which include both First Nations and Metis communities. US Government Funding to Advance the Mactung Tungsten Project Fireweed has been awarded US$15.8 M (~C$22.5 M) by the U.S. Department of Defense under DPA Title III to advance its 100%-owned Mactung tungsten project toward a final investment decision. The objective of the DPA Title III funding is to progress Mactung to a final investment decision, a precursor to project construction and subsequent production of domestic tungsten concentrates for the North American industrial base. The award will support an expansive, Fireweed team-led program that includes mine design optimization, geotechnical investigations, and metallurgical test programs, culminating in the development of a new feasibility study. A range of environmental studies will be undertaken, supporting the pursuit of licenses and permits necessary to construct Mactung. The program builds on extensive past drilling at Mactung and an updated 2023 mineral resource estimate that supersedes a historical 2009 Feasibility Study. The project also benefits from a positive environmental assessment decision issued in 2014 by Yukon and Canadian Federal regulators. The DPA Title III award is non-dilutive to Fireweed shareholders and no commercial covenants are included in the award conditions that would impair Fireweed's current business nor its future sale of tungsten concentrates to the industrial base. Fireweed's own management team will lead the work and periodically report progress to administrators of the award. Canadian Government Funding to Advance the "North Canol Infrastructure Improvement Project" Fireweed will also receive up to C$12.9 M, pending final due diligence, from the Government of Canada through the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund ("CMIF") to lead planning efforts for infrastructure improvements that would serve the critical minerals district at Macmillan Pass. The CMIF funding will support Fireweed's implementation of the first phase (Phase I) of the "North Canol Infrastructure Improvement Project" ("NCIIP"), which includes developing preliminary designs for approximately 250 kilometers of road improvements, as well as upgrades to an existing transmission line between Faro and Ross River, and the construction of a new transmission line from Ross River to Macmillan Pass. The effort also includes seeking the consent of local Indigenous groups, completing necessary environmental assessment processes and facilitating multi-party project agreements necessary to advance NCIIP toward construction (Phase II). Fireweed anticipates NCIIP Phase II to be advanced through a collaboration of government, Indigenous groups and industry. Funding sources for NCIIP construction have yet to be determined but will likely involve ?stacking' a range of new and existing funding sources, potentially including previously announced Yukon Resource Gateway funding. Qualified Person Statement Technical information in this news release has been approved by Fireweed Metals VP Geology, Jack Milton, Ph.D., P.Geo. (BC), a ?Qualified Person' as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Dr. Milton is not independent of Fireweed for purposes of NI 43-101. About Fireweed Metals Corp. (TSXV: FWZ; OTCQX: FWEDF; FSE:M0G): Fireweed Metals Corp. is an exploration company unlocking significant value in a new critical metals district located in the Yukon, Canada. Fireweed is 100% owner of the Macpass District, a large and highly prospective 977 km2 land package. The Macpass District includes the Macpass zinc-lead-silver (germanium-gallium) project and the Mactung tungsten project, both characterized by meaningful size, grade and opportunity. At Macpass, Fireweed owns one of the largest undeveloped zinc resources worldwide1,2, in a region with enormous exploration upside potential. The Mactung project is a strategic critical metals asset that hosts the world's largest high-grade tungsten resource1,3 ? a potential long-term supply of tungsten for North America. A Lundin Group company, Fireweed is strongly positioned to create meaningful value. In Canada, Fireweed (TSXV: FWZ) trades on the TSX Venture Exchange. In the USA, Fireweed (OTCQX: FWEDF) trades on the OTCQX Best Market for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies and is DTC eligible for enhanced electronic clearing and settlement. Investors can find Real-Time quotes and market information for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. In Europe, Fireweed (FSE: M0G) trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Additional information about Fireweed and its projects can be found on the Company's website at FireweedMetals.com and at www.sedarplus.com. ON BEHALF OF FIREWEED METALS CORP. "Peter Hemstead" President & CEO, and Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking" statements and information ("forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein, including, without limitation, statements relating to receipt of the DPA Title III award, use of proceeds of the DPA Title III award, receipt of CMIF award and the actual amount thereof, the use of proceeds of the CMIF award (including leading planning efforts relating to road improvements and transmission line construction and upgrades), pursuit of necessary licencing and permits and/or environmental assessment processes, seeking the consent of local Indigenous groups, the making of a final investment decision with respect to Mactung, interpretation of drill results, targets for exploration, potential extensions of mineralized zones, future work plans, and the potential of the Company's projects, are forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Company management and reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include but are not limited to, exploration and development risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, expenditure and financing requirements, general economic conditions, changes in financial markets, changes in the Company's work programs, the ability to properly and efficiently staff the Company's operations, the sufficiency of working capital and funding for continued operations, title matters, First Nations and local Indigenous group relations, operating hazards, political and economic factors, competitive factors, metal prices, relationships with vendors and strategic partners, governmental regulations and oversight, permitting, seasonality and weather, present and future infrastructure capacities, technological change, industry practices, uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and laboratory tests, and one-time events. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward?looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections or other factors, except as required by law. Footnotes and References 1 References to relative size, grade, and metal content of the Mactung resources and Macpass resources in comparison to other tungsten, zinc, gallium, and germanium deposits elsewhere in the world, respectively, are based on review of the Standard & Poor's Global Market Intelligence Capital IQ database. 2 For Tom, Jason, End Zone, and Boundary Zone Mineral Resources, see the technical report filed on https://www.sedarplus.ca/ October 18, 2024, entitled "Technical Report for NI 43-101, Macpass Project, Yukon, Canada". The effective date of the Mineral Resource is September 4, 2024. SLR Managing Principal Resource Geologist, Pierre Landry, P.Geo. (BC) is a ?Qualified Person' as defined under NI 43-101. Mr. Landry is considered to be "independent" of the Company for purposes of NI 43-101. Mr. Landry, of SLR, is responsible for the Macpass Mineral Resource Estimate. 3 For Mactung Mineral Resources, see Fireweed news release dated June 13, 2023 "Fireweed Metals Announces Mineral Resources for the Mactung Project: the Largest High-Grade Tungsten Deposit in the World" and the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report, Mactung Project, Yukon Territory, Canada," with effective date July 28, 2023 filed on https://www.sedarplus.ca/. Garth Kirkham, P.Geo. is considered independent of the Company, and a ?Qualified Person' as defined under NI 43-101. Garth Kirkham, of Kirkham Geosystems Limited., is responsible for the Mactung Mineral Resource Estimate. Contact: Peter Hemstead Phone: +1 (604) 689-7842 Email: [email protected] 13 december 2024 at 17:00 News published onand distributed by: THERE will be no temporary closure of the O'Connell Street bus lane over the Christmas period, Mayor John Moran has confirmed. It comes despite calls from businesses across the city to consider only having the lane operational during the morning and evening peak. Off the back of this, and a motion from Cllrs Sarah Kiely and Daniel Butler, a public consultation was opened to get an idea of how the public felt about the measure. READ MORE: Gardai advise partygoers in Limerick to be 'very conscious' while using mobiles this Christmas This closed on Wednesday lunchtime, and in a statement issued just before 5pm this Friday evening, Mayor Moran said there is an "absence of an overwhelming public appetite" to even do this as a pilot over the festive season. In the survey, people were asked if they would like to see the bus lane opened to general traffic outside the hours of 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm - yes or no. Some 1,097 people said they would be in favour of this. But 2,747 said they would not, the council has added in a statement. Submissions were invited via email, and council said 43 people wrote in support of the measure and 106 voted against. "Accordingly I cannot justify the pilot requested at this time," Mayor Moran confirmed. "I wanted to make this decision quickly in the interests of certainty and to do so in time for consideration at the metropolitan meeting on Monday," he said. He acknowledged the decision will not please everybody, saying: "I want therefore to clarify that I am very open, in early 2025, to receive additional evidence from those in favour of changes to the existing scheme and I will share that with the relevant agencies and give it full consideration myself to ensure we get the operation of this street right finally." The mayor says he has not happy with the way Limerick's main thoroughfare is laid out, and plans to make changes down the line. Local trader Owen Silke, part of the Limerick City Centre Traders Association, described the decision as "disgraceful". "This time of year, we are all struggling to keep going and we need every bit of help. A temporary relief on the bus lane isn't an awful lot to ask. Its not like we we were asking to close the bus lane completely," he said. LIMERICK is gearing up to make some serious noise this festive season with a brand-new event for your holiday calendar. On Saturday, December 14, from 12pm to 5pm, The Commercial and the Record Room will transform into a hub of music, merch, and holiday cheer for the Merch and Record Fair. In tune with the citys DIY spirit, the gathering will feature stalls from some of the county's most exciting bands, alongside record dealers and music collectives that embody its fiercely independent ethos. Free to wander in, its a chance to immerse yourself in the creativity driving Limericks music scene, discover exclusive finds, and feel the sense of community that is cementing the city as a powerhouse of Irish music. The line-up of participants features some of Ireland's best acts such as: T.A. Narrative, His Fathers Voice, SWEETS, 50 Foot Woman, Emma Langford, Hermitage Green, Siege of Limerick/Bad Reputation, Annas Anchor, The Hitchers, The Low Field, Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets, and Zealot Cult. Whether youre picking up bespoke band merch, hunting for vinyl treasures from Downbeat Records and Steamboat, or grabbing a signed copy of photographer Keith Kellys new book 'A River Runs Through It,' merch from Irelands greatest music festival Feile na Greine, theres something for everyone. This event is more than just a market - its a celebration of Limericks thriving music community and a chance to connect and support the people who make it so special. Wired 99.9FM will broadcast live from the venue between 12pm and 2pm, chatting to artists, and showcasing the best of Limerick and its festive spirit. READ MORE: Moncrieff announces headline show in Limerick next summer Ray Burke, co-producer of Live at Record Room, a celebration of Limerick music released last December, commented: The idea sparked from a conversation about the anniversary of the the Live at Record Room album, and we wanted to mark it in some way. Were not making claim to it being an original one, music fans will be aware of the annual Merchy Christmas in the Grand Social in Dublin, but we wanted to do something for Limerick acts something that will hopefully appeal to all shoppers and not just those aware of our thriving music scene. Later in the evening, the Record Room welcomes the return of Jinx Lennon, the punk poet troubadour from Dundalk. Jinx is a force of nature on stage, delivering razor-sharp, deeply personal, and often hilarious, performances. His lyrics cut through the absurdity and surreal contradictions of contemporary Ireland, offering a raw, unfiltered soundtrack to a society caught between tradition and chaos and his songs capture the bite of everyday struggles, and the humour that thrives in the face of it all. Supporting Jinx is UK artist Hailey Beavis, a versatile artist, she blends brooding electro-pop, celestial strings, and folk-tinged melodies, effortlessly shifting her voice to match each song's unique emotional landscape. And when the live music wraps up, the party isnt over, Tom Prendergast will take over with a typically eclectic and electric set that will keep the crowd dancing into the wee hours. Known for his impeccable song choices and infectious energy, Tom P guarantees a night of feel-good fun. The Merch and Record Fair takes place from 12pm to 5pm at The Commercial (46/47 Catherine Street), with free entry. Later, doors open at 8pm for Jinx Lennons unmissable live gig, with tickets priced at 10 online (5 for students/unwaged) or 12 on the door. Supported by The Commercial/Record Room, Wired 99.9 FM, and Wav Mastering. A SISTER of Joe Drennan said the man who killed the young UL student should have been locked up like the animal he is at the time of the fatal road traffic collision. Sarah Drennan fought back tears as she read out an emotional victim impact statement at Limerick Criminal Circuit Court this Friday. Joe Drennan (pictured below), aged 21, of Knocknagad, Mountrath, Co Laois was killed at Dublin Road, Castletroy, Limerick on October 13, 2023 while he was waiting for a bus after working a shift in a local restaurant. Kieran Fogarty, aged 21, of Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston was before the court for sentencing this December 13. He has pleaded guilty to a number of offences including dangerous driving causing death, failing to offer assistance at the scene and criminal damage. John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, instructed by State solicitor Padraig Mawe, outlined the evidence with the assistance of the senior investigating officer Inspector Padraigh Sutton, of Henry Street garda station. Sarah Drennan said the fact that Fogarty chose to drive dangerously is an unbearable injustice. Fogarty was on bail at the time. One of the conditions was not to drive. It was not an accident - it could have been prevented. It was caused by his disregard for the safety of others. He knew that my brother was lying there broken and needed help, and instead of calling for assistance he chose to run away. He didn't check to see if Joe was alive. We are haunted everyday by the thought of him dying alone, scared, no one to hold his hand, no one to tell him help was on the way. He did not deserve to die like that, abandoned and disregarded like his life meant nothing. My brother did not have to die, said Ms Drennan. Her father and mother Tim and Marguerite Drennan clung to one another as she read out the victim impact statement. Tim Drennan had his head bowed while Marguerite Drennan wept quietly. He (Fogarty) should never have been driving in the first place. He shouldn't have been out on the street. The night of October 13, 2023 was when our life sentence began. Joe received a death sentence that night. Kieran Fogarty was judge, jury and executioner - he killed our Joe. He left our Joe to die on the street pinned under his car alone. He wiped down the car and ran away like the coward he is. He was out on bail when he killed Joe. He should have been locked up like the animal he is. "He imposed the death penalty on Joe. He imposed a life sentence on everyone who loved Joe, said Sarah Drennan, who added that her brother wanted to make the world a better place. Joe Drennan was a fourth year journalism student in University of Limerick and editor-in-chief of the Limerick Voice publication. Earlier in the sentencing hearing, Insp Padraigh Sutton, said that Mr Fogarty was driving at 122kmph on the Dublin Road on the wrong side of the road, went through a red light, struck a glancing blow to a car which caused Mr Fogarty's car to spin. It collided with a wall. The vehicle pinned Joe Drennan under the car, said Insp Sutton. The garda inspector said Joe Drennan would not have felt anything and did not suffer. Mr OSullivan gave the pathologists evidence who said Joe Drennan suffered multiple traumatic injuries including serious head injuries. Insp Sutton said Fogarty spent 14 seconds in the car, cleaned it - which shows he was forensically aware, before fleeing the scene. Fogarty was arrested in Cork over a week later. He exercised his right to silence in the first two interviews before making admissions and apologising. Insp Sutton said gardai had insurmountable evidence. Fogarty told gardai he did not know he had struck someone and would have "stuck around" if he had known. Gardai secured access to his Facebook account. One message from Fogarty to a criminal read: I bounced off that wall and took that young fella with me. Insp Sutton said Fogartys apologies rang hollow in comparison to messages he sent to family and criminal associates. Mark Nicholas SC, defending, said nobody in this court can remain unmoved at the enormity of what occurred. He said the pain visited on the Drennan family is palpable. Mr Nicholas said Mr Drennan was killed in his prime and was adored. In mitigation, the senior counsel said Fogarty has pleaded guilty, made admissions, referred to his youth (19) at the time and read out a letter of apology to the Drennan family. Judge Colin Daly said he has a lot to consider and requires time. The judge said he won't be proceeding to sentence this Friday. Judgement was adjourned until January 30. A MULTI-MILLION euro investment is set to transform a former convent and school in the village of Doon. Ballyhoura Rural Services, which took ownership of the former Sisters of Mercy Convent and secondary school, have 8.4m plans to bring a new lease of life to the buildings which have been out of use for 20 years. Initially, 23 homes for people fighting loneliness and isolation will be developed - but there is more to come, all going well, said John Walsh, the chairman of Ballyhoura Rural Services. READ MORE: Limerick's Debenhams building back in temporary use Its a depressing enough site in the village. But changing it would be a part of the villages renewal, he explained. Itll be massively significant for the village of Doon. Ballyhoura Rural Services has formally announced its intention to apply for planning permission from Limerick City and County Council to develop the independent living units. But Mr Walsh also hopes to transform the old secondary school building to provide residential units in its old dormitory rooms. We are meeting with the HSE to identify their requirements in rural Limerick. We would follow the direction they would give us into the future, he told Limerick Live. For now the focus is on developing these independent living units, Mr Walsh said. A number of things held it up. The initial planning ran out. But the funding is in place there, and the quotes are with contractors. We should definitely be ready to go early to mid 2025. Its just a case of getting the planning permission over the line. The planning application will stipulate the change of use of the three-storey convent building to accommodate the 23 independent community living units. A new entrance will be provided from the east side of the building. A new car park will be provided and modern-day extensions to the convent will be removed. A commercial kitchen is also proposed for the ground floor, according to a planning notice. Community space will be available in the former chapel, and John says he hopes this can be enjoyed by the whole village. Wed like this to be a social hub for the village. Everyone in the village could utilise this, he said. The independent living units will provide a mix of single and double bedroom apartments. Occupants will be aged over 50 and have lifetime tenancies. The old convent building is around 33,000 square feet, and has previously been described as being dilapidated. The Sisters of Mercy donated the convent and the former St Josephs Secondary School on the same campus in Doon to Ballyhoura Rural Services back in April 2019. Local Fianna Fail councillor Martin Ryan has admitted he is upset a second planning application has been necessary, adding he feels an extension could have been sought to the first one. He said: Im disappointed a new application has to be lodged instead of the original application being extended. Its a further delay when we need services delivered. New Delhi: State transmission companies led by the Gujarat Energy Transmission Company (Getco) are considering going public to raise funds and set up the infrastructure needed to carry 500 GW of clean energy, in keeping with the governments directions, two people with knowledge of the developments said. "Several transcos have shown interest in going public. Getco is among the frontrunners," one person said. "The Centre has given a clear directive that state transcos need to pick up the pace of capacity addition and for the need of capex they would have to find ways to raise funds through asset monetisation or by going public," the second person said. The push for state transcos to raise funds comes amid the requirement of 42 trillion to be invested in the renewable energy space till 2030, of which transmission infrastructure alone would need 9.15 trillion. Set up in 1999, the Gujarat government-backed Getco plans to spend 96,000 crore over the next eight years on transmission facilities. In July, theHindu BusinessLine reported that Getco has been spending about 4,000 crore every year on transmission infrastructure. Over the next eight years, the company would only have to spend more. Getco has set up transmission capacity of 73,054 circuit km and 2,203 substations, according to the companys annual report for FY23. Its gross fixed assets were valued at 31,399.88 crore and net profit for FY23 stood at 1,256.73 crore. Queries mailed to the ministry of new and renewable energy and Getco remained unanswered till publishing time. RE taskforce The "urgent requirement" of additional capital and scaled up transmission capacity for the targeted 500 GW of non-fossil energy was stressed during the 'Chintan Shivir' held in Bhubaneswar on 14 and 15 November. Union minister for new and renewable energy Pralhad Joshi emphasised the need to install 288 GW of renewable energy capacity over the next six years and the huge investments required, according to a statement from the ministry on the conclusion of the Bhubaneshwar conclave. The minister noted that the target would require all stakeholders to work together to solve the challenges in the renewable energy space. The minister also said a dedicated task force with all stakeholders will be set up by the ministry in collaboration with the ministry of power to achieve the goal of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030. Although state transcos develop the major part of the electricity transmission networks in the country, the pace of capacity addition has fallen. Of the targeted 15,253 circuit km of transmission lines to be installed in FY25, state transcos are to be set up 8,254 circuit km, or about 54% of the overall target. Central government-owned companies primarily Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd have been allocated 5,413 circuit km and private companies 1,586 circuit km. Transmission capacity addition has lagged the pace needed to meet energy transition targets. Data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) showed that the addition of new power transmission lines fell by half in the April-October period from a year earlier, hampered by a wetter-than-usual monsoon. The country added 4,762 circuit km of transmission lines during the first seven months of the current fiscal, about 47% lower than the 7,026-circuit km in the year-ago period, the data showed. The capacity added was just about a third of the FY 25 target. About 1,240 circuit km have been added by central government companies, with the states adding the most at 2,710 circuit km and private companies contributing 812 circuit km, according to the data. A strong transmission network with adequate storage capacity is crucial for stabilising power supply, more so with increasing renewable energy capacity in the country. It is also needed to connect the Indian grid with the national transmission networks of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Singapore under the One Sun One World One Grid initiative. National plan In October, the ministry of power launched the Nation Electricity Plan (Transmission) prepared by the CEA. The plan takes into consideration the requirement of storage systems 47 GW of battery energy storage systems and 31 GW of pumped storage plants to be developed along with renewable energy. The plan is for the transmission system to deliver power to green hydrogen and green ammonia manufacturing hubs at the coastal locations of Mundra, Kandla, Gopalpur, Paradeep, Tuticorin, Vizag, and Mangalore, among others. As per the National Electricity Plan, over 191,000 circuit km of transmission lines and 1,270 GVA (gigavolt-ampere) of transformation capacity are planned to be added during the 10-year period from FY23 to FY32 (at 220 kV and above voltage level). In addition, 33 GW of HVDC (high voltage direct current) bi-pole links are also planned. The bipolar configuration provides redundancy in case of failure of one monopole and is preferred for high power transmissions above 1,500-2,000 MW. Inter-regional transmission capacity is expected to increase to 143 GW by 2027 and further to 168 GW by 2032 from the present level of 119 GW. The transmission plan also covers interconnections with Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka as well as probable interconnections with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, among others. The Trump transition team has started to explore pathways to dramatically shrink, consolidate or even eliminate the top bank watchdogs in Washington. In recent interviews with potential nominees to lead bank regulatory agencies, Trump advisers and officials from his newfound Department of Government Efficiency have, for example, asked whether the president-elect could abolish the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., people familiar with the matter said. Advisers have asked the nominees under consideration for the FDIC, as well as the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, if deposit insurance could then be absorbed into the Treasury Department, some of the people said. Any proposal to eliminate the FDIC or any agency would require congressional action. While past presidents have reorganized and rebranded departments, Washington has never shut down a major cabinet-level agency and rarely closed other agencies like the FDIC that are not. Bank executives are optimistic President-elect Donald Trump will ease a host of regulations on capital cushions and consumer protections, as well as scrutiny of consolidation in the industry. But FDIC deposit insurance is considered near sacred. Any move that threatened to undermine even the perception of deposit insurance could quickly ripple through banks and in a crisis might compound customer fears. After several banks failed last year, customers panicked about whether their deposits were safe at smaller banks. Many fled to the biggest of big banks who are perceived to be so important that the government would never let them fail. Since then, banks have been calling for wider deposit insurance protections to keep smaller banks competitive. The DOGE interview round The discussions underscore the drastic approach Trump could take in his attempt to slash the size of the government and ease oversight, including for the highly-regulated financial industry. Potential bank regulator nominees have interviewed with Treasury Secretary pick Scott Bessent and the new DOGE department, the outside advisory group co-chaired by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, some of the people said. Musk last month also called for the elimination of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency Republicans have long hated. There are too many duplicative regulatory agencies," Musk said. Trump advisers and potential nominees have also discussed plans to either combine or otherwise restructure the main federal bank regulators: the FDIC, OCC and the Federal Reserve, the people said. View Full Image The Trump advisers discussed closing or having the FDIC merge with other agencies. Photo: Nathan Howard/Bloomberg News Project 2025, a policy document drawn up by the Heritage Foundation and former Trump officials, calls for the merging of the FDIC, OCC and nonmonetary policy parts of the Fed, along with the National Credit Union Administration. (Trump has said he had nothing to do with Project 2025.) Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican from Kentucky and Trump ally on the House Financial Services Committee, has backed the plan to eliminate or drastically alter the CFPB and said he wants to get rid of what he calls one-size-fits-all" regulation for banks. Really hard to get done Banks have a love-hate relationship when it comes to the oversight of multiple regulators. Some like it to the extent it can allow them to shop between regulators for a lighter touch. But they often complain about mixed messages and contradictory rulings. We could use some streamlining on financial regulation," said former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair. But it is really hard to get done." View Full Image Former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair (right) said it is tough to streamline financial regulations. Photo: Ting Shen/Bloomberg News A proposal to eliminate a bank regulator would struggle to gain the support of Congress and the industry, she said. Banks may complain, but at the end of the day, they like to have their own regulator they have a relationship with," Bair said. They like the status quo." Frank Sorrentino III, chief executive at ConnectOne Bank in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., said there needs to be more alignment among the regulators. But it is helpful for the system to have multiple regulators that understand the size, complexity and future challenges" of different banks, he said. With technology such as artificial intelligence, for example, you need a different set of regulators to be able to manage the banks that utilize these things at full force than others that have a more simplistic business model," he said. In a separate plan that has been floated with the transition team, the FDIC, OCC and parts of the Fed wouldnt merge but only one of them would continue to regulate banks, one of the people said. The other agencies would keep only nonregulatory staff. View Full Image The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is an agency unpopular with Republicans. Photo: Ting Shen/Bloomberg News At the CFPB, consumer-education jobs could replace regulatory and supervisory jobs, another person said. In any plan, significant job cuts are likely. Trump is expected to reinstate an executive order that made some federal workers easier to dismiss, known as Schedule F. Stricter return-to-office policies that could prompt workers to leave are also being discussed, the people said. Major bank-regulation changes are uncommon outside of financial crisis. Most banking rules today were implemented after the Great Depression or the 2008-09 financial crisis, when bipartisan groups and popular opinion called for stricter bank protections. Republicans will hold thin majorities in both the Senate and the House next year, but are unlikely to find any Democratic support for dramatic changes. Democrats were the party after the 2008 crisis to close one banking regulator. Many of the worst offending lenders in that crisis were supervised by the Office of Thrift Supervision, which wasnt a Cabinet-level agency. The 2010 Dodd-Frank law abolished the agency by folding it into the OCC. Peter Rudegeair and Corrie Driebusch contributed to this article. Write to Gina Heeb at gina.heeb@wsj.com Mumbai/New Delhi: The ever-bulging employee databases of companies are increasingly getting leaked into the internet for want of adequate security measures and, in some cases, for want of investment into available cybersecurity technologies. For instance, On 12 November, Amazon Inc. confirmed a 2023 employee data leak through a third-party vendor, bearing PIIs (personally identifiable information) of more than 100 million individuals from 2,000-plus companiesthe biggest reported incident of its nature. Then, in October this year, US telecom firm Cisco faced a significant data leak of classified internal documents. In India, the problem is getting more acute as companies attempt to increase their diversity quotient, as hiring or even retrenchments increase in a volatile economic environment, and as companies seek to roll out increasingly customised benefit plans for key employees. Rajesh Padmanabhan, CEO of Talavvy, a Mumbai-based business transformation lab, said leaked employee databases can put the entire enterprise at risk, and breach of privacy means violation of corporate governance. For instance, if the list of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) details are leaked externally, then one can access information of the employees, their special abilities and sell them to insurance etc. without their consent," he said. Firms are now outsourcing their payroll processes, insurance, HR services, and there is no way to keep track of whether those firms are keeping data safe," said Dhiraj Gupta, chief technology officer of MFilterIt, a fraud detection and prevention firm. Increase in data breaches Noting that there has been a 20% increase in data breaches from corporates since 2022, including employee data, Gupta said that employees have little knowledge where their database is stored and with whom". IBMs global Cost of a data breach, 2024 report said that employee PIIs were a part of 40% of all breaches reported this year, which increased 10% over 2023. Further, the average cost of leaked employee information to businesses rose to $189 million for each breacha 4.4% year-on-year rise. The overall cost of a data breach, $4.88 million this year, is at its highest ever. The increasing popularity of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools such as ChatGPT also increases the risk, experts said. While matching job hiring mandates with the candidates skills, many HR heads upload resumes on ChatGPT, which means the data of the candidate is available to others. Also read | Electronics brand Boat starts investigation into alleged data breach On the other hand, staffing firms that recruit for companies say they are aware of the leaks and take great caution. We have enhanced security audits and conduct them quarterly and, when needed, even more frequently. Access to data is restricted based on the specific role, ensuring only relevant information is available rather than all data," said Neeti Sharma, CEO of staffing firm Teamlease Digital. The recruitment firm, which hires in large numbers for its clients, told Mint that its employees and technology platforms are trained to distinguish between mandatory and optional data. For instance, Aadhaar may be required for background verification, but other data points access may not be needed for everyone at all times," Sharma added. Aware of GDPR Firms exposed to global clients are especially aware of GDPR (general data protection regulation) compliance, which lay down the rules of handling personal data. GDPR was created by the European Union to protect the data of EU residents. Companies like Indias software exporters, which have US clients, follow GDPR guidelines. All our group companies ensure that personal data available with the firmlike insurance, PAN and Aadhaar etc, have limited access and are masked," said Supratik Bhattacharyya, chief talent officer of RPG Group. We are also discussing potential ways of masking gender information of candidates to prevent any form of bias at the time of their hiring. Data security is discussed in detail whenever any new initiative is launched," he further added. Also read | Dont wait for the next big data breach to freeze your credit However, protecting data is expensive, and companies often resort to hosting data in open-source platforms instead of investing more in cloud platforms that need to be upgraded. According to the product head of a popular HR services platform, corporates need to invest in blockchain in order to make personal data access transparent to those who own the data. But blockchain is very expensive, and companies do not want to invest in this technology," this person said on condition of anonymity. Transparent transfer of data Blockchain, which stands for distributed ledger to establish transparent transfer of data, can establish accountability in ownership and transfer of data. However, most blockchain implementations so far are public, leaving privacy and cost as key concerns. Pareen Lathia, founder of blockchain-based web3 social network ValuesDAO, said that the usage of blockchain can potentially transform privacy and security standards in the long run, but the same is not happening now because the technology itself is on an evolutionary streak. Recruitment agencies have access to data from resumes, who then scrape it and sell it to partners without disclosure, this is a privacy issue," said Lathia, adding that Blockchain is specifically designed to solve this. An on-chain app where credentials can be posted lets the owner of the data access all of their own information, and see where and when they are transferred. But right now, the challenge is that blockchain networks make all information publicand requires technologies such as zero-knowledge (ZK) or fast software encryption (FSE). But they are expensive, costing up to $0.5 ( 43) per transaction, which is too much for head-hunters to afford for each persons application," Lathia said. Sam Altmans Worldcoin, to be sure, is an option at hand for private blockchain deployment, where personally identifiable information can be attached to a person without compromising their identity or making the information public without consent. However, the latter remains expensive to deploy. Realistically, this will take at least another year to scale up in the enterprise space," Lathia said. Culture as a tool to shape the futurethat is the premise underlying the ninth edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival, all set to take place in Panjim, Goa. The various workshops, performances, conversations and exhibitionsspanning music, dance, theatre, food, craft and visual artsare looking at our relationship with the body, time, space, community, ecology, and more. As one pores over the lineup of events and dialogues, there is an introspective feel to this annual interdisciplinary. In the face of the uncertainties that we are facing as a society, a cultural festival such as this brings us together as a community, shows ways of coexisting, and makes us resilient," says Smriti Rajgarhia, director of the festival and the Serendipity Arts Foundation that helms it. The idea is to look at creative solutions for new problems. Liberal arts need to be part of everyones lives. In the modern day and age, when everything is about control, culture gives you tools on how that control can be negotiated," she adds. This edition sees some of the curators from past editions return to the festival such as Quasar Thakore Padamsee for theatre and Geeta Chandran for dance, while some of the newer ones such as the collective, Edible Issuesrun by Anusha Murthy and Elizabeth Yorkeare adding a new dimension to the dialogue around the culinary arts. There is a greater focus on accessibility with writer-disability campaigner Salil Chaturvedi curating projects such as Blind Date with Friends about overcoming barriers to accessboth physical and social. Also read: What to watch this week: Jamie Foxx: What Happened Was.., Awaara and more The fact that each year, the festival takes place across different buildingssome which have remained constant over time, and others that are granted access to by the state government each year, adds a certain serendipity to the nature of the festival itself. This offers a space for experimentation and incubation of new ideas. As a result some important conversations emerge. For instance, with technology becoming an important part of creation, the focus often shifts to the object and not the person making things. In such a scenario, how does the community become a co-creator of art?" asks Rajgarhia. An important project in this regard, curated by the Delhi-based artist duo, Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, is the Traveling Balcaos. Conceptualised by the Social Design Collaborative, itinerant balcaosor traditional porches in homes, which serve as spaces for conversationare coming up across Panjim at the moment. Residents of the city are responding to these public installations in their own way. During the festival, these travelling structures will park themselves at the entrance of the Art Park, thus asserting the role of community and identity in a rapidly changing Goa. View Full Image Sonnets of Samsara Body in time and space Jayachandran Palazhy, founder and artistic director of Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, has co-curated the dance segment for the festival. With technology emerging as a tool of control, he is looking at the body as the final frontier in the way we experience the worldhow it remains the sole medium for independent thought and expression. Palazhy has also looked at the relationship between the body, time and space in his curation, and ways in which artists can animate those spaces and reimagine them through different imagery and metaphors. Once he formulated the idea, an open call was sent, which received nearly 87 entries. Of these six choreographers were chosen to create work as part of the theme, Folios of Time. They were mentored at the Attakkalari studios in Bengaluru by Italian artist-choreographer Damiano Ottavio Bigi and dramaturg Alessandra Paoletti. They also engaged with Japanese digital artist Kunihiko Matsuo. At the festival, two performances will take place under Folios of Timealmost like two chapters of a single bookfeaturing work by three choreographers each. It is not just emerging voices in contemporary dance, but leading practitioners such as Ottavio Bigi, who will also showcase their works in Thats All Folks, which is the second part of a trilogy combining dance, science and myth. It is inspired by the concept of an event horizon, an imaginary boundary beyond which one cannot see. It is a visually beautiful and technically demanding piece. The Indian audience and artists should be introduced to these kinds of articulations of visual space, design and sonic spaces as well," says Palazhy. Another important work is Deus Nos Acudi by African choreographer Pak Ndjamena. Also read: The Big Bang Music Festival: An event rooted in Assam's creative community The conversation around the body and its relationship to various physical, social and cultural constructs continues with Allegories of Anatomy: A Triple Bill, which brings together three artists from New Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh and Seoul. Then there is Sonnet of Samsara, a collaboration with Attakkalari and UK-based Kinetika, that looks at connections between myth, experience and dream. Though each of these comes from the same source, it belongs to a different timescape," he adds. The sonic scape of the performance is interesting, with drums from ancient musical of traditions of Kerala being used alongside the deva vadyam, which was earlier played outside the sanctum sanctorum during temple rituals in the state. Four different kinds of drums from Tamil Nadu such as the thavil are also a part of the Sonnet of Samsara, giving the performance a touch of a spiritual musical procession. For the performance, Kinetika has created flags of sorts painted on Murshidabad silk. The images on the 50 hand painted flags hail from experiences of different communities in todays world. We animate them through our dance and processional movement. The treatment seems ritualistic, wherein we are invoking something from our inner spaces," elaborates Palazhy. Reflecting the times we live in Just like for dance, theatre curators, Quasar Thakore Padamsee and Sankar Venkateswaran too sent out an open call for new works earlier this year to truly understand what theatre practitioners were responding to and how. When Sankar and I talked about the kind of festival we wanted to build this year, we were clear that it should not come solely from our phone books. Serendipity is now an important festival not just on the art calendar but for the theatre fraternity as well, and hence should reflect on what is happening around us. We wanted to move out of what we knew and were limited by," explains Thakore Padamsee, artistic director of the theatre and arts management company QTP. Little did they know that they would be inundated with hundreds of entries, and they ended up sifting through all of those in July-August. As a result, the theatre segment at the festival has a mix of new commissioned work and existing productions that they discovered through this call. We would never have come across works such as Buried Treasure otherwise," he adds. The programming features both the classical and the new-age. So, if there is a production of Sakuntalam in Kutiyattam and the ritualistic performance of Mudiyetta, there is also the Shahi Tukra, which explores tenderness, caregiving and sacrifice in an intimate session. It takes place for only one audience member at a time and is completely visceral about feeling textures and smelling aromas. View Full Image Shahi Tukra Then there is the House Blue, which is a narrative collaborative performance, which falls at the intersection of storytelling and theatre. The work is rooted in a series of images by documentary photographer-filmmaker Mrityunjay, of a government quarter taken on the last day of its occupancy by his family. It explores whether home is an idea or a physical space that one inhabits. The visitor will see something like Beloved [about gender issues] in a conventional presentation space, but then also wander into an exhibition space to find this one man telling a story in House Blue accompanied by music and projections. Those are the ideas that we want to push," adds Thakore Padamsee. Also read: Despatch review: Breaking news, broken man There is also Relief Camp, perhaps one of the most sociopolitically relevant works to emerge in recent times, by Kalakshetra Manipur. At a time when the state is struggling with ethnic conflict, the performing arts collective looks at the role that theatre must assume at this point. Through a psychophysical theatre process, the performance looks to highlight the traumatic experiences of people living in relief camps. These are important topicsnot in the sense that they are heavy weighted subjectsbut things that people are thinking about. When you see the theatre section in the festival, you will get a good idea of where we are at," he says. Music as a wakeup call Another set of artists from Manipur at the festival include Imphal Talkies, a folk rock band, known for its political songs that represent the minority communities in India. Artists suffer the most as a result of a conflict. Through performances by Imphal Talkieswhich opens the festivaland collaborations such as One World, we are talking about the role of music not just in soothing souls but as means to wake people up to important truths," says Zubin Balaporia, Mumbai-based musician, who has for 30 years performed and toured with the band Indus Creed, and has co-curated the music segment at Serendipity. He has known Akhu Chingangbam, who helms Imphal Talkies, for years now, and reconnected with him earlier this year when they collaborated on a Manipuri film. The concept of One World came to me while discussing with my co-bandmate, Uday Benegal, the idea of a concert which was also a peace initiative," elaborates Balaporia. The eventual concert at Serendipity, hopes to transcend cultural divides, and brings together 17 songs of peace and anti-war by Lou Majaw, Warren Mendosa and Pratika Gopinath. It may sound simplistic, but it has been tried and tested in the pastthat if people from different nationalities play music together, there can never be any fighting," he adds. View Full Image Imphal Talkies The festival has always tried to be rooted in the cultural ethos of Goa, and the musical segment this year is no different. Last year Balaporia had performed on the opening night with Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ranjit Barot. The lineup also featured a Fadoa melancholic musical form, which originated in Portugal and was practiced in the olden days in Goa by Nadia Rebelo. This year, Balaporia decided to take the Fado performance a notch further, by making it a little more contemporary. Fado is beautiful when performed in the original form. But how do we take it to the younger audience? There has to be some sort of evolution without destroying the essence of it. In Sempre Fado: Antigo e Novo, we have paired vocals by Nadia with a string quartet and keyboards," explains Balaporia. Also read: The voices of Mrinal Sen and Payal Kapadia Another performance, which transcends divides of a different kind is by the young vocalists from the Mumbai-based Happy Home School for the Blind. Balaporia has worked with the various students from the school for over 17 years. At the festival, the choir will be backed by pianist Nitesh Sonawane, who is also visually impaired. He comes from a middle class Maharashtrian family but has this connection with jazz music. We enrolled him at the True School of Music and he has really blossomed. This will be followed by a conversation with Nitesh about his practice and the way he has mapped out his keyboard," he adds. The future of food Edible Issues, helmed by Elizabeth Yorke and Anusha Murthy, has been fostering thought and conversation on the Indian food system since 2018. At the FoodLab at Serendipity this year takes this forward and looks at how culture, climate, and identity shape the choices we makefrom the field to the kitchen. The duo want to use the idea of the future of food as a tool to get people to think about choice. Is this the food future we want or desire? If not, what do we need to change? Culture plays a huge role in shaping these choices. Hence our curation looks at three broad ideas," explains Yorke. One is the idea of climate as culture, in which visitors explore the local biodiversity and how our cultural relationship with food influences choices. We do that in projects such as Nectar, a project which gets participants to mimic the role of bees. There are sessions on seaweed and a tide pool walk to go into the ocean and see the role it plays as a climate commodity," she adds. Then, there is a workshop on insects, our cultural relationship with them and the role they could play in food security and in the context of climate change. The next big theme is people as cultures, in which the various experts look at how migration, community and society can determine food futures. So, the lineup includes culinary researcher Shubhra Chatterjis workshop on performance, body and food. It is a theoretical technique and approach towards exploring our deepest relationship with food. Then there is Sri Vamsi Mattas performance, Come Eat with Me, in which the relationship between caste and food is discussed over a meal," says Yorke. Researcher-artist Sreejata Roys workshop, Crisis Cuisine, explores the idea of future food in times of crisis such as covid-19 and climate change-related catastrophes. The third theme looks at the tools for our future, which can act as bridges between traditions and transitions. These come through in workshops on design and recipe creation, such as Priya Manis visual encyclopedia of Indian food. Can we use climate recipes as a tool to capture our current narratives or be hopeful of what future recipes could look like? We are helping people think about choice in different manners," she adds. Through such conversations, the festival does not just consider new ideas in art and culture, but also the fresh ways in which we need to navigate the uncertain futures that lie before us. The festival will take place across venues in Panjim, Goa, between 15-22 December. I wish I could move to Australia!" That was a sentiment expressed by a mother of two teen boys soon after she heard about Australias recent decision to bar children under 16 from using social media. Is such a ban practically possible to implement? Minimum age verification can be tricky but the Australian government promises to work with experts and the industry to find ways to implement it without collecting personal information. Whats interesting about the law is that it will not penalise parents or children. Instead, it puts the onus squarely on companies like Meta, X, Snap, ByteDance (TikTok) and Reddit. If they fail to keep children from accessing their platforms, they could be fined up to $32 million. Naturally, it has drawn the ire of billionaires like Elon Musk, who described the legislation a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians". Also read: A rainy retreat in the rolling hills of the tea countryside Of course, parents need to set strict boundaries with children and not have to rely on a ban, but lets face it, social media and device addiction is the epidemic. In 2021, in a series of reports, The Facebook Files, The Wall Street Journal chronicled how Facebook (now Meta) research showed that social media had a negative impact on teens mental health and that 32% of teenaged girls felt Instagram worsened their body image issues. Barring minors from having social media accounts would address peer pressure. My 14-year-old, for instance, asks me everyday why I wont let her have an Instagram account like all her friends. Addiction aside, bullying is also common on social media and digital literacy and counselling are needed to help children deal with the dark side of social media. Gayathri Ananth, a special educator and ed-tech entrepreneur from Bengaluru, says her 14-year-old son Hrishikesh is one of the few students in his school who doesnt have a phone and is not on social media. At first he felt left out but later realised he prefers being outdoors or hanging out with his friends," she says. Studies show that the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with decision-making develops at the age of 25. When 45-year-old adults get addicted to Instagram, how can we expect teenagers to use it responsibly?" Teens themselves have mixed feelings about it. Rithvik Rishi, 15, of Hyderabad, likes using social media and communities like Reddit. My friends use Instagram to review books or upload music. Ive also made friends on social media who have my interests." Hrishikesh acknowledges that some of his classmates are always on their phones. But technology is everywhere, so instead of a ban, there should be limited exposure. I enjoy a few social media platforms where I read about current affairs." (His father bookmarks interesting articles and social media posts.) Fathima Asghar, a Bengaluru-based parenting consultant and founder of childcare organisation EvolveED, says keeping children off social media could be counterproductive for shy or anxious children. Introverted or anxious children who rely on social media as a safe space to socialise might feel isolated. Also, children will find ways to bypass restrictions. The ban may drive children to other platforms, such as online gaming, which already has its own set of challenges," says Asghar. Australias social media ban might just force people to consider their obsession with screens, make them focus on giving children more unstructured play time and helping them form stronger offline connections and family bonds. Also read: The voices of Mrinal Sen and Payal Kapadia Shweta Sharan is a freelance journalist who lives in Mumbai. There would be plenty of boozy lunches, I was told. On workdays. And parties. Evenings filled with glamorous and frightfully intelligent people that would be the talk of town for days afterwards. Not to forget the adventures of fishing gems out of the slush pile", being surrounded by books all day, every day. As far as USPs go, my boss couldnt have sold the job better because the pay was abysmal. Delhi it was, I decided, and moved to the city on a salary that just about covered the rent and kept me fed and clothed. I had turned 30 that year, that age when people start settling into professional monogamy, building a vision of a career". Instead, there I was, throwing caution to the wind, shifting gears from media to publishing, daring to start an affair when I should have known better. Unlike some of my colleagues, I didnt have the security of family heirloom that came in the form of three-bedroom flats in Jor Bagh or Defence Colony, but I had the all-consuming love of reading to justify my place in the pecking order. It proved to be a torrid and short-lived fling in the end. How many summers can you survive in Delhi for love without being able to afford an AC? One day the penny dropped and I found out that a love of reading didnt make you fit for the business of publishing, a non sequitur if there ever was one. My brief stint inside the bubble of English language publishing richly compensated me with sentimental education I couldnt have anticipated, though. Your most important KRA will be to meet three new potential writers every week," my boss had told me at the outset. And so, into the glamourised world of book launches, festivals, talks, and after-parties I dived. It was the way to do businessmeet new authors, poach others, find out the next hot trend. In the 2010s, big publishers had enough liquidity, or at least enough pull to draw sponsors, to ensure that an assortment of intoxicating liquids flowed generously at book events. One of my first gala events in that category was the launch of Jeet Thayils debut novel, Narcopolis , an evening spent in a haze of smoke, alcohol fumes, winter smog, ending with a reading of a stream-of-consciousness passage by the author, that left me with a giant hangover. Then there were the festival parties, especially the daily drinks and dinner at Clarkes Amer hotel during Jaipur Literature Festival, to say nothing of the exclusive gatherings hosted by publishers, a hotbed of disgruntled writers comparing notes on deal sizes and sales (both shrinking), while sneering at the rise of upstarts like Rupi Kaur, even as the targets of their condescension swanned around trailing thousands of screaming and hooting fans. View Full Image Visitors at the 2024 Jaipur Literature Festival (Getty Images) For a commissioning editor hungry to discover new voices, these dos were my hunting ground, though little did I know how hard it would be for nobodies like me to be seen by said bright young talent at first. The first few months I braced myself with a drink or three, before I tried to work the roomonly to meet with tight smiles and shifty eyes that kept darting around the room in case a more important person" was around and deserved attention than a newbie from Kolkata. But soon enough I had cracked the code. All you needed was to be loud and brazen about flaunting your job title and before long, someone desperate would attach themselves to you, begging to have theiror a kins manuscript to be evaluated. Soon enough, I was tiptoeing around parties, afraid of running into writers I had rejected, ghosted or alienated through some obscure slight. On the bright side, I may not have been as lucky as the protagonist of Joanna Rakoffs My Salinger Year, but at least I had some pretty incredible experiences, such as a chance to declare my undying adoration to Helen Fielding and her books in a fit of inebriation at one party. Literary parties of yore were sites where myths were made. In 1966, 540 people showed up at Truman Capotes infamous Black and White masked ball, ostensibly hosted in honour of publisher Kay Graham. In the 1970s, Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal got into several fights at parties, which became as much part of their reputations as their books. The closest to such a lore-in-the-making I had witnessed was at a cosy sit-down dinner for a literary grande dame organised by a socialite, where I had the unenviable luck to be seated between a lapsed journalist (the hottest thing that season for taking down a slimy plutocrat turned self-help writer) and the victim of his poison pen himself. You could have cut the air with the steak knife. Speaking of knives, there was the other time when no one could, it seemed, cut into the lamb chops at a dinner thrown by a publisher who self-avowedly described herself as the best party giver" around town. Even as she tried to persuade a heartthrob heroine from the 1970s to write her memoirs, the regal lady tut-tuted at the meat and kept scraping the roast tin to serve me the vestiges of the gravy with maternal concern so that I wouldnt choke. Around the same table that evening were three leading literary lights, all men of a certain age and (premature) eminence, talking at cross purposes to impress each other with. Two of the wives (the third wasnt married still) listened on impassively, one of them a brilliant social scientist whose field work probably amounted to far more than the sum everything the men had done so far. Looking back, I wonder what those hours of drinking, eating, flirting, wheeling and dealing amounted to? Building social capital? Or was it intellectual capital we sought? Did we, the wheels of the publishing industry, bask in the momentary whiffs of (misguided) power that came from being gate keepers of quality and opportunity? What does any of it mean now that trade publishing itself is in decline, self-publishing isnt a declasse word, and anyone can make their career, rake in fame and glory, thanks to the levelling power of the internet? Of course, we had some good conversations, made acquaintances who became friends, and had some wild times, too. But some of us did it all, outside these cloying bubbles of privilege and gate-keeping. Writing and, by extension, forming lifelong relationships with agents or editors is mostly a thing of the past nowa good, bad and unavoidable thing. But the best in the business continue to build these foundations in their own styles. Some drop off the circuit", shun the limelight of parties, while embracing the reclusive life of the mind. Others still troop around the sweet chai and cold samosa served in poky seminar rooms of fuddy-duddy institutions in these inflation-ridden times. Like everything else, literary parties were always a bit of this and a bit of thatunevenly balanced, unevenly rewardingand continue to be so even as their stars keep waning. Also read: A new anthology captures the defiance and resilience of ordinary Iranians New Delhi: The department of consumer affairs is preparing to launch a future-ready" platform to redressing consumer grievances through a new e-Jagriti app and an updated portal, which is expected to streamline the resolution of complaints, two people aware of the matter said. The new system looks to take into account changes in consumer behaviour resulting from, among other things, the launch of quick deliveries across segments, from groceries and medicines to cosmetics and fashion, they added. The platform aims to offer a seamless and user-friendly experience, allowing consumers to file complaints, track their status, and even appear for hearings through the app or portal, the first person said. Also read: Consumer affairs ministry cancels e-gaming study planned for framing new rules The new app and portal will be launched on National Consumer Day on 24 December. Features will include instant case-status updates, integrated document uploads, and a simplified complaint submission process through mobile devices, this person added. Queries emailed to the ministry of consumer affairs remained unanswered. Cutting red tape More than 500,000 consumer complaints are filed every year across Indias consumer forums. The new platform aims to ensure complaints are resolved quickly and with minimal hassle. Currently we have the e-Jagriti portal, but it has certain shortcomings. To address these and fast-track the redressal of consumer complaints, we are launching a dedicated app and revamping the portal as well," the second person cited above said. Once launched, consumers will be able to file cases directly through the app and receive real-time updates on their complaints, eliminating the need to submit physical copies of documents in consumer courts. Complainants will be able to submit all required documents via the app, this person added. The registrar will approve cases online, and if there are any issues with the submitted documents, they will be flagged through the app or the new portal. These features are not available on the current portal. Also read: How rising palm oil prices impact India and its consumers Manish K Shubhay, partner at The Precept Law Offices, said, The revamped mechanism through the e-Jagriti app is set to benefit millions of consumers annually, especially those in rural and semi-urban areas. By reducing the need for physical appearances and eliminating bureaucratic obstacles, it paves the way for faster and more accessible justice. This initiative represents a transformative step towards ensuring justice in the digital age." The new platform will also include a dashboard for judges at consumer courts, which will give them access to all documents related to a particular case, removing the need to sift through piles of papers. There will be a separate module for lawyers to monitor each case through the app. Consumers will also have access to counter-affidavits through the app or portal. If necessary, notices will also be served via the platform. Huge backlog On 2 February the ministry of consumer affairs said in response to a query in the Lok Sabha that as of 30 January, 5,43,592 consumer cases were pending in consumer commissions across the country. It said, however, that the number of pending cases has been declining steadily over the past three years. There were 5,60,700 pending cases in 2021, 5,54,809 in 2022, and 5,43,359 in 2023, the ministry said. On 7 August, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, minister of state for food and consumer affairs BL Verma said 2,44,813 cases related to real estate have been filed in consumer courts at the national, state and district levels. Of these, 1,94,555 cases had been disposed of, while 50,258 cases remained pending as of 31 July. Also read: We need a national survey to track financial grievances The outlines of President-elect Donald Trumps initial efforts to end the war in Ukraine from his visit to Europe last week are starting to emerge for the first time. The main takeaway: Europe would have to shoulder most of the burden of supporting Kyiv with troops to oversee a cease-fire and weapons to deter Russia. At a meeting in Paris on Dec. 7, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron that he doesnt support Ukrainian membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but that he wanted to see a strong, well-armed Ukraine emerge from any cessation of fighting, according to officials briefed on the meeting. Trump said that Europe should play the main role in defending and supporting Ukraine and that he wanted European troops present in Ukraine to monitor a cease-fire, according to the officials. He hasnt ruled out U.S. support for the arrangement, although no U.S. troops would be involved, the officials said. Trump also pushed the Europeans to do more to get the Chinese to press the Kremlin to end the conflict, according to a person briefed on the meeting. They discussed using tariffs on China as a bargaining chip, if Beijing doesnt agree to do so. Trump has long said that he wants to bring a swift end to the three-year war but has given few details in public about how he plans to achieve it. European officials have said that in postelection conversations, the president-elect has mainly asked questions and sought out views on the conflict, and that they dont think he has formed a clear plan on what to do. Any effort to end the war will face stiff headwinds, particularly from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has shown no inclination to end a war he feels he is winningeven though gains by Russian forces are slow and with heavy losses. For Ukraine, a cease-fire along the current front lines would also be a painful step, ceding control for the foreseeable future of 20% of the country. Trump isnt wedded to any specific Ukraine plan yet, aides say, and hasnt thought deeply about the issue as he prepares to take power. Members of his transition team and close confidants are drawing up proposals and briefing him. Key decisions will come after his national-security team is in place and Trump has had further conversations with alliesand potentially Putin himself. The incoming president has repeatedly criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine, raising concerns in Kyiv and European capitals that he could cut off support. While European countries have given more total aid to Ukraine than the U.S., Washington has been particularly crucial for military aid. European military capabilities are limited, and Ukraine has relied mainly on supplies from the Pentagon to try to fend off the Russian invasion. Some Trump advisers have privately welcomed the recent Biden administration decision to give Ukraine weapons that can reach deeper into Russia, believing it will give the incoming administration leverage to prod Russia into talks. But Trump has blasted the move. I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia," he told Time in an article published Thursday, as the magazine named him the Person of the Year for 2024. The most dangerous thing right now is whats happening, where Zelensky has decided, with the approval of, I assume, the president, to start shooting missiles into Russia." The discussions over placing European troops on the ground in Ukraine are still at an early stage, with several unresolved questions, including which European countries would be involved, the number of troops, Washingtons role in supporting the arrangement and whether Russia would accept a deal involving troops from NATO countries. However, what started as quiet discussions between British and French officials about the possibility have broadened to include Trump, Zelensky and other European governments, according to people briefed on discussions. On Thursday, several European foreign ministers met in Berlin for discussions on security guarantees. NATO chief Mark Rutte invited the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Poland, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, to meet with Zelensky in Brussels on Dec. 18 to discuss the security guarantees, according to two officials familiar with the plans. Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after the Paris meeting. There should be an immediate cease-fire and negotiations should begin." Any European troops on the ground would be part of a specific peacekeeping or cease-fire monitoring force and wouldnt be a NATO operation, officials said. The Biden administration, many European capitals and the incoming Trump administration have all spoken of wanting to avoid any direct fighting between Russia and NATO troops in Ukraine, fearing it could escalate into a global conflict. However, there are widespread fears that even if Moscow accepts a cease-fire, it will use it to rebuild its forces and try again to invade unoccupied areas of Ukraine. In February, Macron floated the idea of Europe putting troops in Ukraine following discussions between European leaders in Paris, although he didnt specify the conditions for doing so. The idea was at the time dismissed by Berlin and NATO among others, but Trumps push for a cease-fire has revived discussions. There are still multiple doubts about the idea. European governments are likely to be wary about a force that would put them in a position of having to resist a Russian breach of a cease-fire. French officials have made clear that the idea would need to involve some kind of U.S. backup, something it isnt clear a Trump administration would consider. It isnt clear European countries would be able to spare the troops or get the political backing to participate. Above all, the Kremlin may balk at any plan that allows troops from NATO countries to be present in Ukraine. Putin said earlier this year that European talk of sending NATO country troops into Ukraine during the war raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict." On Thursday, Macron traveled to Poland to discuss Ukraine and security guarantees with Polish leaders. At a press conference after the meeting, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his country had no plans to put troops in Ukraine and wouldnt be pushed into any decisions by others. Zelensky has repeatedly said that the only reliable security guarantee for Ukraine is NATO membership, but he has long accepted that this wouldnt come before the end of the war. However, in recent weeks, with Trump pressing for a swift end to the fighting, Zelensky has started to shift his position, indicating he would be open to negotiations with Russia on the back of a NATO invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance in future. Zelensky on Monday welcomed Macrons suggestion of putting troops on the ground. He stressed, however, that Kyiv must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will join the EU and when it will become a NATO member. Understanding our future, such guarantees would be very effective." Bojan Pancevski, Alexander Ward and Drew Hinshaw contributed to this article. Write to Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com and Stacy Meichtry at Stacy.Meichtry@wsj.com Arbitrage is one of the most fundamental principles of economics, and that holds for the tax system as well. People will go to great lengths buying a home they can barely afford, say, or running up itemized expenses to minimize their tax liabilities. And as knowledge of the system evolves, they devise new methods for tax arbitrage. A peculiar problem arises when personal income tax rates are much higher than tax rates on corporate perks and benefits. Assume, for instance, that workers face marginal income tax rates of 50% to 60%. Such tax rates are not unusual in Western Europe and can also apply to upper-class workers in New York and California. Now imagine that a company paid its workers somewhat lower wages than it would otherwise, instead offering extravagant in-kind benefits. Also read: Now you can avoid taxes like the rich and famous If the company served fresh high-quality sushi for lunch every day in its stylish cafeteria, for example, the workers wouldnt be taxed on the sushi at all, whereas if they were paid cash to buy their own sushi, they would have to fork over at least half of that income to the government. In this example, workers who would be buying lunch anyway are better off. The system helps transfer money to them indirectly, by eliminating the need for lunch expenses and avoiding the personal tax liability. But other parties are worse off. The government gets less revenue, and some workers are stuck with a consumption bundle too much sushi that is not ideal. The company may be able to reduce its overall compensation costs, but it is not clear that translates into a better deal for the customers, since (tax effects aside) sushi-based compensation may be a less effective motivator than cash-based compensation. In short, to some degree, everyone is engaging in distorting behaviour. This phenomenon is one reason that many office jobs in Nordic countries seem so pleasant. The workers have nice lunches and the use of comfortable and stylish furniture, which they are not taxed on, though of course their take-home pay may be less. If you think that such workplace comforts make people happier than cash, then you may approve of such arrangements. And it is one vision for how to make society marginally less competitive. An alternative model is that, with a proliferation of workplace perks and a diminution of earning power, workers become somewhat less ambitious on the earnings front. Peer norms may change, and the dynamism and innovation of the economy can decline accordingly. There are, in fact, signs of these problems in current-day Europe. A recent study looked at some comparable effects in Portugal where the in-kind benefits accrue to a firms owners rather than its workers. When people own enough of a firm to control its behaviour, they charge some of their personal consumption to the firm. Or, to put it another way: They draw more in-kind income from the firm, and take less cash. That lowers their total tax burden. For the top quintile of the Portuguese income distribution, once those people are able to control a business, about 20% to 30% of their consumption expenditures are switched to benefits reaped within the firm. For the top 1% of earners, attaining a position of business manager is associated with an almost 18% drop in monthly expenditures. And lest there be any doubt about whats happening here, the paper notes that business expenditures on hotels and restaurants significantly increase by 9.8% in the birthday month of the owner-manager and by 6.1% in the birthday month of the owner-managers spouse." The paper estimates that the revenue loss from these arrangements is about 1% of Portuguese GDP. Income inequality rises as well, since it is the wealthy who have greater latitude to create and exploit such arrangements. Still, all this arbitrage raises several questions: Are tax rates on personal income too high, or are they too low on business perks? Or both? Also read: Redo the Income Tax Act not just to simplify but rationalize taxation Does it really make sense to evaluate for tax purposes all the nice things businesses do for their workers? Whos to say how much that sushi is really worth, after all? Is the smile of the boss to be taxed as well? Making much progress on this front wont be easy, if its even worth trying. The core lesson is that tax arbitrage is powerfuland difficult to stop. It has negative consequences, but it is also a check on the rapaciousness of tax authorities. No one should feel too good about what is going on here. The author is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A defendant found in possession of 200 worth of cannabis was fined 300 at Longford District Court. Aloyzas Bukantus (43) of 56B Church St Edgeworthstown, faces a charge that on January 17, 2024 at Church St, Edgeworthstown, he was in possession of cannabis. The defendant, who appeared before Judge Bernadette Owens by videolink, was assisted by a Romanian interpreter. Also Read: Christmas events in Longford spread festive cheer Counsel for the defendant, Patrick O'Sullivan BL, said his client was entering a plea of guilty to the charge before the court. Sergeant Enda Daly gave details of the incident that brought the defendant to the attention of Gardai. Garda Jamie Rosney was undertaking a search of the defendant premises when he found a quantity of cannabis valued at 200. Also Read: Longford Area hosts an abundance of festive Christmas events Mr Bukantus admitted ownership and signed the officers notebook accepting the drugs were his. Addressing the court Mr O'Sullivan said his client, a Latvian national, had no previous convictions. Counsel told the judge Mr Bukantus has lived in Ireland for a number of years and cooperated fully with the Gardai. Also Read: Longford's Kids court recieves national award The barrister said the defendant had entered a guilty plea the first time the matter had come before the court. He said his client has been on remand in respect of another matter since last March. Taking the facts of the case into consideration Judge Owens recorded a conviction and imposed a fine of 300 to be paid forthwith, with four days in custody in default. The lack of support for autistic students in second level schools in Longford is an issue that is not going to go away. A motion at the December meeting of Longford County Council by Cllr Paul Ross called on the Minister for Education to provide additional ASD units in secondary schools in Longford. Addressing the meeting, Cllr Ross said: The current demand is greater than the available places and this is causing great stress to families who are seeking places. Also Read: Longford Gardai on hunt for owner of lost iPhone Autistic Spectrum Disorder unit assists students with ASD to complete their education with the skills necessary to participate, to the best of their ability, in an inclusive way in society and to live independent and fulfilled lives. Cllr Ross said Longford local authority would hold off on sending a letter to the Minister until a government has been formed and a new Minister is in place. The Fine Gael representative said it is a particularly pressing issue: On our canvas in the last few weeks this issues came up time and time again, he said. Also Read: Longford Trio eye up the Seanad At present there are 47 ASUs in Longford, with 30 at primary level and 17 at second level: There's a major demand for second level ASD places, Cllr Ross told members. Cllr Ross said the issue must be addressed: It's causing great distress to parents in Edgeworthstown. Granard is full, Ballymahon is full, Longford is near capacity, some have to look to Castlepollard. It's hard enough on families as it is, without having to worry about where their children will be going next September. The motion was seconded by Cllr Pauric Brady (FG): The Department is well aware of the need that is out there. It is a matter of getting funding in place to make it happen. Supporting the proposal, Cllr Martin Monaghan (FF) said: The primary to secondary school ratio is almost two to one. We have children commuting to Boyle and Castlepollard. This a problem that is coming up on the doorsteps. We need to get a grip on this, it is an issue that is not going to go away. Also Read: Longford TD calls for 'pay parity' agreement Cllr Pat O'Toole (FF) described it as a very apt motion. Ballymahon has three ASD units. Cllr O'Toole, who is on the Board of Management of Ballymahon Vocational School, said he would be pushing to increase the number of units: it is something we need to address urgently. Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi (FF), Cllr Mick Cahill (FF), Cllr Garry Murtagh (FG), Cllr Kevin Hussey, Cllr Martin Skelly, Cllr Niall Gannon, and Cllr Padraig McNamara (FF) all added their support to the proposal. Two defendants accused of possessing air powered firearms without the appropriate certificates will have their case heard in Longford Circuit Court. Urzula Bocianowski (43) Pavel Bocianowski (42) both of 8 Dun Darrach Dublin Rd, Longford were sent forward for trial in the Circuit Court by Judge Bernadette Owens at last week's sitting of Longford District Court. The defendants face seven charges relating to the possession of weapons without a certificate. The charges are that on February 19, 2022 at Aquaristik4you Little Water Street, Longford they had for sale a display of air pistols and rifles, and six other counts of possession of air weapons without the appropriate firearms certificates. Also Read: Longford man is Climate Ambassador Champion Sergeant Aisling Flynn gave evidence of serving the Book of Evidence on the defendants on the morning of the court sitting. Sergeant Enda Daly told Judge Owens the Director Of Public Prosecution was seeking to have both Urzula and Pavel Bocianowski returned for trial on January 14, 2025 on the seven charges. The defendants were remanded on bail, with the same conditions previously set out in court. Also Read: An Garda Siochana Longford uncover cannabis worth 25,000 Judge Owens issued the defendants with a bail warning, telling them that if they wished to rely on an alibi he must inform the prosecution within 14 day. Legal aid was granted in the name of their solicitor, Brid Mimnagh, and one junior council. The judge also provided a certificate to cover the translation of the Book of Evidence into Polish and for an interpreter. Travel & Local Attractions, Seasonal & Current Events By Lyndsay McCabe Published: December 13 2024 Take a trip to one of Long Island's most haunted places for a good scare this Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th is a day enveloped in superstition that is supposed to bring bad luck due to a combination of the supposedly unlucky number 13 and Friday viewed as an unlucky day in some religions. On Long Island, Friday the 13th often brings the locals especially teenagers out to the most haunted spots on the Island, from Kings Park Psychiatric Center to a drive-by search for the Amityville Horror House. For your Friday the 13th, enjoy some local haunts and urban legends that are unique to Long Island. Here are some of the most popular haunts in the region: Kings Park Psychiatric Center The Kings Park Psych Center operated from 1885-1996, and after it shut down, it became the go-to place to teens and photographers alike looking to catch a glimpse of this eerie location. Many say they see ghosts or hear screams or other chilling sounds inside the buildings. In 2000, part of the psych center campus was reopened as Nissequogue River State Park, which protected the area from development. This legendary site is one of the few haunts that you can actually visit and stroll the grounds, but it is illegal to enter the derelict psychiatric buildings, which are often patrolled by police. Amityville Horror House In 1975, the Lutz family moved into 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville. The house had been put on the market because thirteen months prior, the former resident shot and killed six members of his family. The Lutzes moved out of the house after only 28 days of living there, claiming that they were harassed by paranormal experiences, such as a swarm of flies that plagued the home in the winter, doors slamming, green slime coming out of the walls, and one of the children developing an imaginary friend who appeared to be demonic. Again, this haunted location is private, and is actually inhabited by a family. Lake Ronkonkoma According to legend, a young Native American princess was drowned in a lake by her tribe when they felt she betrayed them after falling in love with a European. There are some varying versions of the tale, but they all end up with a lovelorn Native American princess whose spirit haunts the lake and who captures one male each year, drowning them to be her companion. There have been several drownings at the lake, which further adds to the mystery of the location. People also often say that Lake Ronkonkoma is bottomless, but this deep kettle lake certainly has a floor, but some bodies of those who have drowned still have not been reclaimed. Katies of Smithtown This popular bar was featured on Paranormal State on A&E, which focused on the bars resident ghost, Charlie. Legend has it that Charlie was a bartender and bootlegger in the 1920s who supposedly committed suicide, and is said to be the cause of many mysterious happenings at the bar, such as glasses flying across the room and small lights or gray spots being scene on the security footage. Come by the bar for a drink and talk up the bartenders about the history and any spooky goings on that they have heard about! Country House Restaurant This Stony Brook site is said to be haunted by the ghost of Annette Williamson, the daughter of the bars former owner who lived during the pre-revolutionary war period. The story goes that Annette allowed British soldiers to stay in the home, and may have been a spy. She was hanged from the second story rafters in the building, and visitors say that she can be heard crying and that light bulbs in the restaurant often flicker on and off. The restaurant also has a Ghost Bar devoted to photos of Annette Williamson and the history of the bar. For more local haunts and urban legends, check out our page here on the most popular haunted spots on Long Island. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: December 13 2024 Khamari Elie was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges in the attempted robbery of Kyle Midtlyng in November 2021. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Hempstead man was sentenced today to 17 years to life in prison for the murder of a 24-year-old man during a November 2021 attempted robbery in Uniondale. Khamari Elie, 20, pleaded guilty on September 30, 2024, before Judge Tammy Robbins to Murder in the Second Degree (an A-I felony); Attempted Robbery in the First Degree (a C violent felony); and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony). He also pleaded guilty to three counts of Robbery in the First Degree (a B violent felony); two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony), Menacing in the Second Degree (an A misdemeanor) and Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree (an A misdemeanor) stemming from a separate indictment. The defendant was sentenced today to 17 years to life in prison. NCDA recommended a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Khamari Elie and his friends lured Kyle Midtlyng to Uniondale to rob him, contributing to the young mans tragic and senseless death, said DA Donnelly. While Mr. Elie did not pull the trigger and kill Kyle Midtlyng himself, todays sentence reflects the gravity of this defendants actions and his participation in Kyles death. I hope this sends a clear message that anyone involved in violent crimes in our neighborhoods will be held accountable with severe consequences. DA Donnelly said that on the night of November 10, 2021, Elie, co-defendant Kyle Colthirst, and two additional co-defendants, Tariq Pitaud and Tyrel Cason Jr., went to 1001 Alexander Avenue in Uniondale to rob 24-year-old Kyle Midtlyng. Pitaud lured Midtlyng to the location under the pretense of wanting to buy marijuana, texting him to set up the purchase. Elie drove Colthirst and the co-defendants to the scene, where Colthirst exited the vehicle to rob Midtlyng. Cason Jr. also allegedly accompanied Colthirst to confront Midtlyng. Colthirst entered the front passenger side of the victims vehicle and during the attempted robbery, shot Midtlyng once in the right side, piercing both lungs and his aorta. Colthirst then exited the vehicle and fled down Lee Road. Nassau County Police Department officers responded to the area after a 911 call was placed and found Midtlyng lying in the middle of the road outside of his car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A shell casing was recovered from the passenger side floorboard of the victims vehicle and blood droplets were found on the sidewalk of Lee Road that matched Colthirsts DNA. Colthirst, 20, was also wearing an Electronic Monitoring device at the time of the murder, and GPS data placed the monitor at the scene during the time the crime was committed. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on April 2, 2024, after being convicted at trial of Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Robbery in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. Tariq Pitaud, 21, was sentenced to 17 years in prison on November 1, 2024, after he was convicted at trial of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. The case against co-defendant Tyrel Cason Jr., 22, of South Farmingdale, is pending. The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Tracy Keeton of the Homicide Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Jared Rosenblatt and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Litigation Division Kevin Higgins. Colthirst was represented by Doug Rankin, Esq. Pitaud was represented by Gilbert Bayonne, Esq. Elie is represented by Jeffrey Groder, Esq. Cason Jr. is represented by Mitch Barnett, Esq. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: December 13 2024 Central Islip received $2 million for the project through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. Governor Kathy Hochul, the Department of State and Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter today announced the completion of a $13.7 million sewer infrastructure project along Carleton Avenue in downtown Central Islip as part of the community's Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The sewer line will support compact, mixed-use development in the downtown around the Long Island Rail Road station, including housing, small businesses, cultural attractions, walkable streetscapes and public amenities. Central Islip received $2 million for the project through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. "New York's downtowns are the life blood of our state, and the Downtown Revitalization Initiative helps our communities transform into even better places to live and work," Governor Hochul said. "This new sewer line will unlock a host of opportunities for Central Islip, creating more housing for residents and driving economic revitalization for businesses and local communities." "Sewer infrastructure might not sound exciting on the surface, but it is the key to unlocking increased development and downtown vibrancy here in Central Islip and throughout Suffolk County," said Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley. "This essential project brings the community one step closer to realizing the vision outlined in their Downtown Revitalization Initiative plan." The Carleton Avenue sewer project included the installation of approximately 4,500 feet of new sewer line that will serve Central Islip with an average flow of 277,000 gallons per day. This project is vital to the success of Central Islip's entire downtown revitalization effort. Previously, businesses and housing within the DRI along Carleton Avenue were served only by septic systems. This prohibited the development of certain "wet use" establishments, such as restaurants. It also severely restricted mid- and high-density development over two stories that are necessary for downtown vibrancy and revitalization. The project was funded by: $2 million from the New York Department of State's Downtown Revitalization Initiative $7.2 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce $1 million from the Town of Islip IDA $1.8 million from Suffolk County $1.7 million from the Town of Islip U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said, "I am proud to support the revitalization of downtown Central Islip through federal investments I secured for the new sewer line along Carleton Avenue, including $7.2 million in EDA funding from the American Rescue Plan and a $3 million federal HUD grant. The completion of this project, with the help of these vital federal investments, will bolster Islip's local economy by updating its wastewater infrastructure, creating jobs, and generating investment in the area." Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said, "Wastewater infrastructure is the most pressing need we have to protect our environment and help grow the economy. I thank Gov. Hochul and our federal representatives for their support of this project." Town of Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter said, "The completion of the Carleton Avenue sewer extension represents what's possible when every level of government works together with the community. This transformational project not only modernizes our infrastructure but unlocks Central Islip's potential for smart, sustainable growth while protecting our environment. We are proud to deliver this essential upgrade to the community." Senator Monica Martinez said, "Suffolk County's economic potential is tied to the capacity of its wastewater infrastructure. Investing in water treatment capacity is one of the most important ways municipalities support a community's growth, and completing the Central Islip Sewer Project will sustain and enhance the vitality of this downtown corridor. Today is a recognition of that investment and of the partnership between New York State and Suffolk County to make it happen." Assembly Deputy Speaker Phil Ramos said, "The completion of the sewer installation on Carleton Avenue, along with the repaving, marks a significant milestone for our community and will serve as the spark that revitalizes our downtown. Securing the necessary funds years ago was a crucial achievement, and now, with the completion of this phase, these improvements are paving the way for new businesses, enhancing services, and ensuring that Central Islip remains a vibrant and diverse place to live, work, and thrive. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Governor Hochul and Supervisor Carpenter for their partnership and dedication to building a stronger, more prosperous Central Islip." Central Islip's DRI Strategic Investment Plan focuses on the Carleton Avenue corridor between Suffolk Avenue and South Street, which constitutes the core of the community's downtown. Prior to the DRI award, the area was lacking in public realm and physical amenities and a desirable mix of land uses, which prevented the community from functioning as a vibrant downtown district. Through the DRI, the community envisions a vibrant, diverse and walkable downtown with a mix of higher density land uses, such as housing, businesses, cultural attractions and public gathering spaces, that are accessible to the LIRR station. Central Islip is the Long Island Region's Round 3 winner of a $10 million DRI award in 2018. Other Long Island DRI winners include Westbury, Hicksville, Baldwin, Amityville, Riverhead, Huntington Station and Smithtown/Kings Park. The Long Island Regional Economic Development Council is currently reviewing applications for DRI Round 8 awards. Other projects supported through the DRI award include: Pedestrian Enhancement along Carleton Avenue to improve pedestrian safety and connect the downtown to other community resources Transform the former LIRR site into a vibrant, mixed-use, transit-oriented project, including affordable and market-rate housing, retail, cultural facility and public plaza Develop a mixed-use building at a highly visible corner of the Carleton Avenue corridor, including multi-generational housing, commercial space and parking Create a 5-mile Central Islip walking and biking History Trail, with interpretive signage and marketing A fund administered by the Town of Islip Community Development Agency to rehabilitate and improve buildings along the downtown corridor to attract new businesses, activities, customers and visitors About the Downtown Revitalization Initiative The Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) was launched in 2016 to accelerate and bolster the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all 10 regions of the State to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for increased local investments. Led by the Department of State, DRI communities benefit from partnerships with and coordinated technical assistance provided by the Department of Housing and Community Renewal, Empire State Development and the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority. The DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative "plan-then-act" strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation. To date, DRI has awarded a total of $800 million to 81 communities in its first seven rounds and invested in the creation of over 4,500 new housing units. It is estimated that every dollar invested in the DRI generates $3 in additional investments as the revitalization accelerates and projects are completed. This catalytic effect will continue well after DRI communities complete all their projects. In 2022, Governor Hochul created the NY Forward program to build on the momentum created by the DRI. The innovative program, which is funded at $100 million in this year's Enacted State Budget, supports a more equitable downtown recovery for New York's smaller and rural communities with a focus on hamlet and villages. NY Forward is meant to serve smaller communities and support local economies that often have a feel and charm that is distinct from larger, metropolitan urban centers funded through DRI. To date, NY Forward has awarded a total of $200 million to 43 communities over two rounds. Thus far, the DRI and NY Forward have invested in the revitalization of 124 communities throughout the State, with a total statewide investment of $1.2 billion. Credit: Town of Islip Crime By Chris Boyle Published: December 13 2024 Robert Peyser, the Owner and Principal Agent of Kessler Thermometer Corp., Also Pleaded Guilty to Misdemeanor Reckless Endangerment. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Robert Peyser, 66, of Bellmore, and his corporation, Kessler Thermometer Corp., located in West Babylon, pleaded guilty to Reckless Endangerment, for knowingly exposing several of their employees to hazardous levels of mercury and for not providing proper ventilation or protective equipment to them, despite having knowledge of at least one employees prior mercury poisoning diagnosis. Despite being notified that an employee was suffering from mercury poisoning, this defendant and his corporation continued to put their employees health, and lives, at risk, said District Attorney Tierney. I thank our detectives in the Suffolk County Police Departments District Attorney Squad, as well as the EPA and OSHA, for their efforts to ensure that these defendants were held responsible for their actions. Kessler Thermometer Corp. knowingly endangered the lives and health of their employees by ignoring basic safeguards to control hazardous mercury in the workplace and failed to acknowledge its employees were being sickened by mercury exposure, said OSHA Area Director Kevin Sullivan. This company has been operating for about 20 years and knows the dangers their workers face. We reserve criminal investigation for egregious cases involving serious employer misconduct, especially when workers are placed in harms way, said Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge with EPAs Criminal Investigation Division in New York. Workplace safety violations will continue to be an area of focus for EPA to ensure employers are following important health and safety requirements. According to the investigation and admissions made during guilty plea allocutions, on or about August 29, 2022, several employees of Kessler Thermometer Corp. were exposed to mercury at their worksite in West Babylon. Mercury is a neurotoxin and hazardous substance. Once spilled, if mercury is not cleaned properly, it can vaporize into the air. The mercury exposure can result in internal injuries, such as lethal damage to the nervous system, lungs, kidneys, and heart. It can also severely attack ones mental faculties. Employees of Kessler Thermometer Corp. worked with mercury daily when manufacturing and filling orders for glass thermometers and hydrometers. These employees were exposed to the neurotoxin when glass instruments or machines broke, causing the mercury to spill on their work area, clothes, and skin. The employees were not provided with the proper protection, ventilation, or cleaning supplies needed once a spill occurred, causing the mercury to vaporize into the air. In the days and weeks after the large mercury spill on August 29, 2022, multiple employees began to exhibit symptoms consistent with mercury poisoning and receive medical treatment at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. According to blood and urine tests, four employees exhibited high levels of mercury and were diagnosed with mercury poisoning. One of those employees had a heart block which required the implementation of a permanent pacemaker. Another employee was in a coma, and to this day needs an oxygen tank to assist his breathing. Other employees suffered from memory loss and fatigue. A treating physician notified OSHA, the EPA, and the New York State Department of Health of the employees mercury exposure. There were several complaints prior to the August 29, 2022 incident, particularly in July 2020, when Peyser was notified by a physician that one of the employees at Kessler Thermometer Corp. had been exposed to toxic levels of mercury. The physician recommended that Peyser implement the necessary health and safety procedures to protect all of his employees at Kessler Thermometer Corp. However, Kessler Thermometer Corp. failed to change and implement proper health and safety standards. During his plea, Peyser himself admitted that he failed to implement the necessary and legally required safety measures to protect the corporations employees from the harmful effects of mercury. On October 18, 2024, Kessler Thermometer Corp. pleaded guilty, as charged, to Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, a Class D felony, before Acting County Court Judge Pierce F. Cohalan. As a component of an extensive plea disposition, the SCDA required the corporation to pay $75,000 in fines. This is in addition to a separate civil assessment of approximately $97,000 against Kessler as a result of OSHA violations. On that same day, Peyser pleaded guilty to Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor, before Judge Cohalan. Peyser was sentenced to probation on December 13, 2024. During his probationary period, Peyser must ensure corporate compliance with all of OSHAs, the EPAs, and the NYS DECs health and safety standards. Should he violate any term of his plea or condition of his probation, Peyser faces a sentence of up to 1 year in jail. Peyser and Kessler Thermometer Corp. are being represented by Michael J. Brown, Esq. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Adriana Noyola of the Biological Environmental Animal Safety Team (BEAST), and the investigation was conducted by Detective Thomas Smith and other members of the Suffolk County Police Departments District Attorney Squad. Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law. Former Syrian President Bashar al Assad meeting with Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei in 2001. (Khamenei.ir) The sudden collapse of the Islamic Republics closest state-actor ally stunned the world, as Syrian rebels captured Damascus just 11 days after launching a new wave of insurgency. To deflect this humiliating defeat, Iranian officials have claimed that the Tehran-Damascus alliance had been weakening, and Iran no longer aimed to preserve the Assad dynasty. However, leaks from Tehran and insights into Iranian regional strategy tell a different story: Iran was incapable of safeguarding the Syrian regime, and the latters collapse has sparked internal divisions among Iranian officials. Iran had no intention of getting involved in Syria In response to Assads downfall, regime officials have propagated three narratives: that Iran never intended to support Assad, Assad ignored Iranian warnings about the looming threat, and Assad never requested Tehrans assistance in the first place. In his first public address following Assads collapse, Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei sought to shift the blame onto Syrian forces. In his December 11 speech, Khamenei criticized the Syrian armys lack of morale, stating, [If] the army shows weakness and lack of determination, the Basij forces (militias loyal to Tehran) cannot succeed. Unfortunately, this is what happened in Syria. Khamenei further alleged that Syria fell due to its failure to heed Irans warnings: In Syria, the enemy acted quickly, but the [Syrian government] should have foreseen and prevented this in advance. Our intelligence apparatus had conveyed warning reports to Syrian officials months prior to these events. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and speaker of the Iranian Parliament, echoed Khameneis stance on December 12. He remarked, The developments in Syria were more inevitable than surprising. We had also warned the government of that country (the Assad regime), while suggesting that Assad had disregarded Tehrans concerns. Similarly, on December 13, Brigadier General Ramazan Sharif, head of the IRGCs War Research Center, asserted, Had Syria taken our (Irans) advice, they would have been victorious. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkians administration and its diplomats went further, suggesting that Assad neither sought Tehrans assistance nor had Iran prioritized defending him. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, The Syrian government did not expect this (military intervention) from us either, adding that Irans role was limited to offering guidance and advice. Irans former ambassador to the United Kingdom parroted these claims, stating, Iran had no intention of getting involved in Syria. Advisors to Pezeshkian amplified this sentiment in Western media. One analyst affiliated with the so-called reformist faction commented, Assad had become more of a liability than an ally, which means his time had run out. Defending him was no longer justifiable, even if it marked a major setback for Iran. Internal rifts and the strategic disaster of Assads collapse Other voices within the regime paint a contrasting picture, suggesting Tehran was neither prepared for Assads fall nor willing to abandon him. Araghchi himself described the rebel takeover of Damascus as surprising, while Siavash Moslemi, commander of the IRGC Karbala Base, labeled Assads collapse a strategic disaster. Beyond public statements, leaked internal discussions among Iranian officials reveal growing dissatisfaction and blame-shifting. IRGC sources reportedly informed The Telegraph that Assads downfall has caused significant rifts in Tehran, with officials accusing each other of mismanagement. No one ever imagined seeing Assad fleeing, as the focus for 10 years had been only on keeping him in power, said one Islamic Republic insider. A December 13 New York Times report further disclosed that IRGC members who served in Syria privately admitted that Iran lost everything in just 11 days. These officials described the regime as disoriented, befuddled, and scrambling to reassess its Syria strategy. The IRGCs Quds Force (QF), responsible for exporting Irans revolutionary ideology, is reportedly under intense scrutiny. As the QF commander, Esmail Ghaani is facing significant internal criticism for failing to preserve Assads regime. According to The Telegraph, many within the regime are holding Ghaani accountable, and Khamenei may demote him. Notably, Ghaani has remained conspicuously silent since Assads collapse, raising further speculation. Irans strategic priorities in Syria have always been substantial. Beyond IRGC involvement, the Iranian conventional army supported Assad during the civil war and continued deployments even during the fall of Aleppo. Additionally, Iranian lawmakers have raised concerns over Assads $30 billion debt to Tehran, which covered both military support and reconstruction projects led by the IRGCs Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters. Such investments indicate anything but weakening ties. Interestingly, Assad himself was confident in his position and rebuffed proposals that could have ensured his survival. A former Syrian diplomat informed The Washington Post that Assad dismissed offers from global powers, including one relayed by the United Arab Emirates on behalf of the United States, that promised to lift crippling US sanctions in exchange for severing ties with Iran. Coordinating the weakened Axis of Resistance and maintaining regional influence Khameneis latest speech conveyed hope that the new Syrian government could eventually align with Irans interests: The courageous Syrian youth will liberate Syria. In contrast, Reuters reported on December 9 that Tehran has opened communication channels with Syrian rebels, a claim corroborated by the New York Times: Iranian leaders were now resigned to accepting any level of diplomatic presence, however small, that Syrias new leaders allowed. Maintaining cohesion within the increasingly fragmented Axis of Resistance has proven challenging for Tehran. Despite Irans efforts to direct its proxies focus toward Israel, Sunni factions within the axis have never favored Assad. Given that Assads forces were responsible for the deaths of over half a million Sunni Syrians, Islamist factions tied to Hamas have consistently expressed discontent with how Iran and Assad managed the Syrian Civil War. After Assads fall, the Iran-backed Hamas terror group congratulated Syrians for achieving their aspirations for freedom and justice. Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal hailed the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad as a victory for the revolution against oppression and injustice. Similarly, Ziad al-Nakhala, head of the Iranian-supported Palestinian Islamic Jihad, reflected the same stance, expressing hope that Syria would continue to support the Palestinian people and their cause. Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republics regional malign influence. FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, and other apps offer live captions for calls and videoconferences. You can record calls in FaceTime. Several services and some apps transcribe audio to text using machine learning. Why not combine all these into a single service? Apple did with the Phone app and FaceTime in iOS 18.1. Starting with that release, you can opt to record calls if you meet Apples broad requirements. The integration into the operating system is still a little wonky: Apple has the Phone or FaceTime app record into a Notes item, which is also where you find a transcript in a special format embedded in the note. For transcription, you need at least an iPhone 12 model. Presumably for reasons of software development, call recording and transcription are limited to many of the most-spoken languages. See the bottom of this article for more details. If you have iOS 18.1 installed and you see the recording icon described and shown below, you have the right intersection of language, country, and hardware to record. Record a call Heres how to record a call: In the FaceTime or Phone app, look for the new Recording icon that appears overlaid in the app. Tap it. (If you dont see it, read the requirements at the end of the article.) A countdown begins with an automated message that speaks the phrase, This Call Will Be Recorded. Theres an X icon you can tap to prevent that message and back out of recording before it starts. The recording starts. You can tap the stop button to end the recording; when you end the call, the recording stops automatically. When the recording starts in a language supported by transcription, youll see a notification that says, Take notes on this call. Tap it, and youre taken to the note that is capturing the active calls audio and will later have a post-call transcription. The sequence from an active call to active recording starts by tapping the Record icon (highlighted in red with an arrow pointing at it) through alerts and notifications. Foundry Playing audio Visit the note, which is nested in a Call Recordings folder, to play back audio. If youre using a language that supports transcription, the text of the conversation follows audio playback. If not, or if you tap the Transcription icon in the lower-left corner (to de-select it), you will see an audio waveform. Working with the transcript In languages that support transcription, opening the note reveals the conversation as text and audio control tools at the bottom. You can drag to scroll through the transcript. Speakers are identified based on Caller ID or contact information. Youre listed as You. Tap on any point in the transcript and the audio playback jumps to that position and starts to play. You can use the Transcription icon to switch between the audio waveform and the transcript to move the audio to the point you want to read the transcript and then tap the icon again. If you want to extract the transcript as plain text you can work with, tap the (More) icon and choose Add Transcript to Note. From the menu, you can also copy the transcript to use in another app (or paste on another device via Universal Clipboard), or save or share the audio. The transcript in Notes can be dragged through to find audio or, by tapping the Transcription icon (highlighted in red at right bottom), you can scrub through audio instead. Foundry You can search within the transcript with Find in Transcript or by tapping Search at the bottom of the view. With Apple Intelligence available and enabled, you can tap Summary to get a short description of the conversation. Additional requirements Apple currently supports only a few languages for call transcription, which it lists in this way: Cantonese (Hong Kong), English (Australia), English (United States), Korean (South Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), and Spanish (United States). Call recording has broader support, but Apple also lists availability by language rather than country. There are 31 supported languages, which include Chinese in both Cantonese and Mandarin forms. For more information about iOS 18 read our guide to iOS 18. Troubling news from inside Apple Park, where the engineering team is reportedly struggling to deal with the increasingly dire state of iOS 18 development. The public version of iOS 18.0 launched back in September, but it did so without the inclusion of Apple Intelligence, the most highly anticipated new feature for this cycle. Its debatable whether the company always planned to hold back Apple Intelligence until a later software update, but it seems unlikely, given that this meant the iPhone 16 launched without its flagship feature. Apple Intelligence eventually arrived as part of the iOS 18.1 update at the end of October, but was still missing many of its features (including Image Playground, the heavily hyped generative AI illustration feature), not to mention support for any countries other than the U.S. England-language users in Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, and the U.K. had to wait until iOS 18.2, which has just arrived, and Apple is set to carry on adding new AI features well into 2025. iPhone owners in other countries who are keen to try out Apple Intelligence may be heartened by a seeming leak by Apple, which claims in the iOS 18.2 press release that the initial set of additional languages will arrive in April 2025. Its not clear which will be first, but the company said its working on support for Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Nevertheless, according to well-informed Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the iOS 18 rollout is not going according to plan. So much so that engineers who were supposed to be working on next years iOS 19 update have been told to pitch in with iOS 18 instead. leading to delays of some features scheduled for iOS 19. Gurman previously reported that Apple was working on a major upgrade for Siri in iOS 19, including the development of a of more advanced large language model. Its not clear whether this delay will change the schedule for that release or if it was always planned for a mid-cycle launch like the next-gen Siri coming as part of iOS 18 in 2025. That diversion of resources may help in the short term, but its storing up problems for the future. With the result that iOS 19, according to Gurman, will have a staggered rollout of features much like iOS 18, and features that might have been slated to appear in iOS 19.0 being pushed back to a later release. The Boston Police Department is investigating a death at a luxury apartment building in the South End after discovering a persons body there Thursday night. Officers responded to the area of 390 Harrison Ave., the address listed for the Harris South End apartments, around 7 p.m. for a well-being check, a department spokesperson said. They found an adult dead in an apartment and called homicide detectives to the scene, he said. The spokesperson added that the investigation was ongoing and he did not know the persons age or sex. He did not say how the person appeared to have died. Police urged anyone with information on the persons death to contact detectives at 617-343-4470 or to submit an anonymous tip at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to 27463. Citing Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Haydens office, CBS Boston reported the person found dead was a woman. A spokesperson for the district attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking information. The Harris apartment complex website describes the property as luxury urban living in the heart of [the] South End. A single-bedroom apartment is listed at $4,295 per month. In the week since Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested on federal fraud and theft charges, five fellow councilors and the mayor have called for her to step down. One colleague is pitching a new council ethics committee to restore trust in the elected body. Fernandes Anderson, a second-term Democrat, has defied the push for her resignation. Speaking before a City Council meeting Wednesday, she maintained that she could still effectively represent her constituents in Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of the South End. I say, onward with the peoples work, she told reporters. Fernandes Anderson is accused of funneling a $13,000 bonus to a family member hired to her council staff, then pocketing more than half the money as part of a kickback scheme. Prosecutors said she brazenly accepted a $7,000 payout in cash in a City Hall bathroom. Fernandes Anderson was arrested last Friday and pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her. She was released from federal court in Boston without bail. Read more: Timeline of misconduct involving Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson She returned to work this week but turned away questions on the criminal case. Everyone knows that that is not something you comment on, she said Wednesday, according to footage shared by CBS Boston. Boston City Council member Tania Fernandes Anderson leaves federal court in Boston after pleading not guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 in Boston. (AP Photo/Steve LeBlanc) AP Also Wednesday, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn proposed the ethics commission, a move he said would increase public trust in the council. Members were shaken by other scandals in recent years, including campaign finance violations by Fernandes Anderson, a $5,000 civil citation when she violated ethics laws by hiring her son and sister, an ethics complaint against former Councilor Ricardo Arroyo and a court case involving former Councilor Kendra Lara, who crashed her car into a Jamaica Plain home. Theres a cloud over the body, Flynn said, according to NBC Boston. Flynn is one of the five councilors who called last week for Fernandes Andersons resignation. Joining him were Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and Councilors Gabriela Coletta Zapata, Erin Murphy and Sharon Durkan. Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, left, speaks with City Councilor Ed Flynn, right, at City Hall in Boston, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)AP They were backed by Mayor Michelle Wu, who said that while Fernandes Anderson held the right to a fair legal process, the seriousness of the charges against her undermine the public trust and will prevent her from effectively serving the city. Fernandes Anderson told reporters she is asking her colleagues for a respectful relationship moving forward. People have the right to their opinion, she said. I think that they should allow for the privilege that everyone has to due process. Im not taking it personally. I think that politics comes with certain performances. Two Suffolk County Sheriffs Department corrections officers were arrested Friday and face charges in connection with submitting fraudulent information to receive pandemic-era unemployment and loan funds, United States Attorney Joshua Levys office announced. Christnel Orisca, 25, of Boston, was indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, specifically Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), traditional Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan benefits from before his employment at the Suffolk County Sherriffs Department. Jasmine Murphy, 38, also of Boston, was indicted on seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, also from PUA, UI and PPP also obtained before her employment. Orisca has been a corrections officer since late 2021, Murphy since early 2022, Levys office said in a statement. Both applied for pandemic unemployment and small business loan benefits. Orisca worked full-time, first for a security company and later for a delivery company. Murphy worked for trucking and workforce service companies. Orisca collected about $54,700 in benefits and loans, while Murphy received $44,346. Both made fraudulent representations about their employment status, the statement read. On a weekly basis, they claimed they did not work and did not receive income in the prior week. They also made false representations on the forms submitted requesting their PPP loans be forgiven. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of making false statements to a financial institution provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. These defendants, who hold positions of public trust as corrections officers, are alleged to have knowingly exploited pandemic relief programs intended to support small businesses and unemployed workers during a time of unprecedented crisis, Levy said in the statement. Such conduct not only undermines the integrity of these programs but also betrays the publics trust. The Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud," Levys statement read. A Boston man pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester on Thursday to charges of child exploitation, United States Attorney Joshua Levys office announced. Jalen Latimer, 26, of Roxbury, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He remains in state custody on related offenses and was previously charged on Feb. 16, 2024, Levys office said in a statement. In July 2022, Latimer had two children engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to make child sex abuse material, the statement read. One year later, he and another person conspired to sex traffic a child. Latimer was arrested in February 2024 and faces charges in Worcester Superior Court of rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault and battery of a child, human trafficking of a minor and depicting a minor in sexual conduct, Levys office said. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret Guzman scheduled Latimers sentencing for March 18, 2025. The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides of a sentence of up to life in prison, up to a lifetime supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Levys office said. Dr. Marie Russell was on the witness stand in the Karen Read case for the third time this year on Thursday, giving hours of testimony as prosecutors move forward with a bid to keep her from testifying during Reads second trial next year. Russell, a retired emergency room physician who spent decades working in California, testified during Reads first trial last summer that the injuries sustained by her late boyfriend, John OKeefe, were consistent with dog bites and a dog attack. Two 15-year-old boys were charged Thursday morning the stolen BMW they were driving crashed into a pickup truck, propelling it to slam into a State Police cruiser on Interstate 93, authorities said. The boys who were unidentified because they are minors were hit with several charges including, delinquent by reason of receipt of stolen motor vehicle; delinquent by reason of unlicensed operation; delinquent by reason of negligent operation, the Massachusetts State Police Department said. A little after 9 a.m., a state trooper driving on Granite Avenue in Milton saw the stolen BMW, the police said. The trooper tried to stop the vehicle, but it fled onto the ramp to I-93 north, state police said. The stolen car then hit a pickup truck on the highway, which then slammed into a Massachusetts State Police cruiser. After the first crash, the BMW hit the guard rail on the right side of the highway and then stopped, police said. The driver of the pickup truck was taken to the hospital, police said. Nobody else was hurt at the scene. driver Another housing-related showdown between the city of Boston and the state Legislature is poised to unfold next year if city councilors embrace a push to shield renters from paying brokers fees. City Councilor Liz Breadon and Council President Ruthzee Louijeune on Wednesday introduced a new proposal that would require any broker fees in the city to be paid by the party who contracted with a real estate broker, effectively prohibiting landlords from passing those costs onto their tenants. The only thing thats surprising about the bomb threats that were phoned in against two Massachusetts lawmakers this week is just how depressingly mundane and run-of-the-mill they have become. In separate incidents on Saturday and Monday, local police responded to the homes of Democratic U.S. Reps. Lori Trahan, of Westford and Ayanna Pressley, of Boston, for threats that turned out to be unsubstantiated. No one was harmed. But those who phoned in the threats got what they wanted: The lives of Trahan and Pressley and their families were temporarily upended. And law enforcement resources that could have been directed elsewhere were diverted to these false threats. Public officials, who have been the target of ire at least since Julius Caesar had that very bad day at the office in 44 BCE, have raged against such incidents, even as theyve stoically accepted their inevitability. Threats against lawmakers are unacceptable, and I am glad that my colleagues who have faced recent threats are safe, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., told MassLive. We must condemn any hateful rhetoric that inspires political violence. Hate has no place in our country. Still, if you feel like somethings changed, youre right. Since 2016, theres been a dramatic rise in attacks and plots that are motivated by partisan political beliefs, according to an October analysis by The Center for Strategic and International Studies. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, speaks to supporters and members of the Massachusetts Democratic Party as they take in election results at a watch party at the SoWa Power Station event hall in Boston. (Sebastian Restrepo/MassLive).Sebastian Restrepo/MassLive Pressley, who is the only Black member of the states Capitol Hill delegation and one of its most outspoken progressives, has seen that up close and more than once. There are moments in real-time when youre offering something on a stage in a dais, in an interview where you become aware: Im going to experience a lot of vitriol for this, Pressley said in a 2020 interview with The 19th. The threats against Pressley and Trahan are known as swatting attacks, in a nod to the scale of the law enforcement response often employed against them. Theyre rising because we seem to be at a place in society where some people think its perfectly fine to lash out, even dangerously, at someone just because they have a different opinion, Frank Figluzzi, a former FBI assistant director, and MSNBC commentator said earlier this year. These incidents have been made easier by technology that allows us to spoof a phone number to make police think the call is coming from somewhere else, Figluzzi continued. This stuff can be deadly. People have died from swatting incidents. The threats against Pressley and Trahan also came days after at least five Democratic members of Congress from Connecticut said they had been targeted by bomb threats during the Thanksgiving holiday, NPR reported. U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy, along with U.S. Reps. Sen. Chris Murphy, Jim Himes, Joe Courtney, John Larson and Jahana Hayes all said they had been the subject of threats, NPR reported on Nov. 29. Its one of those things youre seeing with elected officials at every level, senators and [representatives] having a really proactive security presence, Matt Gorman, the executive vice president of the political consulting firm Targeted Victory, told MassLive. Its just a fact of life. Gorman agreed that the anonymity granted by technology has made it easier for people to be anonymous and get away with it. The increased polarization of our politics hasnt helped either, he added. Last weeks fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of Midtown Manhattan similarly has reinforced the need for vigilance, experts told The New York Times. Companies concerned about the safety of top executives had already upped their spending on security, the newspaper reported. As the attacks have become more prevalent, the FBI has amassed a database to track and prevent them, CNBC reported in 2023. But despite the threat posed by the attacks, there is no specific law that prevents them, Lauren R. Shapiro, an associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told CNBC. While there are legal avenues to prosecute those who engage in swatting, they often result in a slap on the wrist, thats minor compared to the chaos and disruption the attacks cause, Shapiro told CNBC. So is there a way back to sanity? Author and speaker Alexandra Hudson, the author of the Substack newsletter Civic Renaissance, said she believes there is. And it starts with us and not mistaking civility for just good manners. Politeness is about manners, technique, and etiquette external behaviors, she told the National Conference of State Legislatures, a resource organization for lawmakers. Civility is something deeper and richer its a disposition of the heart. Its a way of showing others a bare minimum amount of respect just by our shared dignity and moral status as members of the human community, she said. Which is far easier said than done but no less important for trying it. There has been an statewide uptick in cases of whooping cough, say Massachusetts medical experts, who are urging residents to get vaccinated. The illness, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious, acute bacterial infection. It can be particularly harmful or even deadly to babies, people with preexisting respiratory conditions and the unvaccinated. SPRINGFIELD The cost of a night out with pepper spray for a party of nine? In Western Massachusetts, it works out to $300 per victim. Thats the penalty to be paid by former corrections supervisor Christopher Walker, 62, who sprayed a group of nine bar patrons back in 2023, a judge ruled Thursday. A spokesperson for Worcester City Manager Eric Batistas office has confirmed to MassLive he permitted the release of an attorneys statement that criticized the Department of Justices explosive report of the Worcester Police Department (WPD). In that statement, Kelly, a lawyer representing the city, described the report as unfair, inaccurate, and biased. That contradicted statements from the city manager, mayor, and several city councilors, all of whom said they took the report very seriously. The spokesperson also confirmed to MassLive that the city managers office received the report in confidentiality on Friday and that the administration took the necessary time to process the report before rushing out a response. The 41-page report, released on Dec. 9, found that WPD officers used excessive force, engaged in discriminatory enforcement practices, and engaged in illegal sex acts with vulnerable women, particularly those working in the sex trade. Hours before the report was released, Kelly, who the spokesman said has been representing the city on the matter since the beginning of the investigation, released a statement pushing back on its findings, including the reports of illegal sex acts. DOJ also makes very serious sexual misconduct allegations based on anonymous hearsay statements and a paper prepared by a group of Clark University students a paper which even the student authors themselves doubted would hold up as credible and sought to withhold from public disclosure," the statement reads. Notwithstanding the flimsy nature of the report, the WPD diligently attempted to investigate the allegations. Some organizations and city leaders, such as District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, were angry at this response, as it was the only initial response on behalf of the city. In a post to X, Haxhiaj slammed Kellys response and questioned why he was allowed to undermine and dismiss the report. Haxhiaj told MassLive that she was disappointed to hear that the city manager approved Attorney Kellys statement before it was released. Batista did not comment on the report on Monday or for most of the day Tuesday. He released a statement shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday announcing several initiatives, including establishing a hotline for members of the public to report misconduct by police officers. In his statement, Batista wrote that the findings in the report were unacceptable and shocking. He said it was unfathomable to him that any police officer or employee of the city could or would have acted in manners he described as unlawful egregious, and immoral. While I appreciate the managers statement, the two statements sent conflicting messages to the community and victims, Haxhiaj said. Haxhiaj also questioned Kellys role in representing the city. Did we hire him to represent the police union or the City of Worcester? Did we hire him to undermine the credibility of the Department of Justice report or to represent the City of Worcesters desire to undo harmful practices that community members have reported and talked about for decades? she asked. Fred Taylor, the president of the Worcester NAACP, said it was painful reading that response, and that he and others were angry at how the statement was rejecting and dismissing the DOJ report. After Batistas statement was released on Tuesday, Taylor sent a letter to the city manager, Mayor Joseph Petty, the Worcester City Council, and interim Chief of Police Paul B. Saucier that the Worcester NAACP appreciated Batistas statement on Tuesday but felt the statement fell short of ensuring the community will have an active seat at the table. The Worcester NAACP intends to be actively involved in developing a plan and agreement with the DOJ that takes every part of this report seriously and gives all of it the attention and response that Worcester residents deserve, the letter reads. We look forward to working side by side with all of you to abruptly rectify these issues, correct any injustices and create something new which will benefit everyone. Xi extends congratulations to 2024 Imperial Springs Int'l Forum Xinhua) 08:09, December 13, 2024 BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2024 Imperial Springs International Forum. Xi pointed out that since its establishment 10 years ago, the forum has adhered to advocating multilateralism, conducted in-depth discussions on global governance issues, actively shared China's propositions, and played a positive role in enhancing exchanges and understanding between China and countries worldwide. Xi emphasized that in a world marked by intertwined changes and turmoil, peace and development remain the shared aspirations of all peoples. China stands ready to work with other countries in the spirit of "promoting global solidarity," upholding fairness and justice to safeguard global peace and stability, adhering to win-win cooperation to promote sustainable global development, and committing to inclusiveness and mutual learning to advance human civilization to new heights, Xi said. The "2024 Imperial Springs International Forum" opened Thursday in Madrid, Spain. Themed "Collective Action for One Future," the forum is co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, the Guangdong provincial government, and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid. 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(30-12-2024)Que quelques heures pour voter pour votre chanson de lannee sur R1Homelie de Mgr Durhone a loccasion de la messe de Noel a la prison de Melrose147.8 mm a Riche en eau en 24 heuresTrois zones perturbees dans le nord de la region[Document] Export and Import Price Indices for 3rd Quarter 2024Deces de Jimmy CarterFin de la Veille de fortes pluies pour MauriceDeux zones perturbees et une perturbation tropicaleOrages dans lOuestSoft Robotics to debut at CES 2025Bulletin meteo special pour AgalegaPremiere cohorte de femmes certifiee en gestion de pepiniere au sein de lAgri-Hub de la Vallee de FerneyLegend Hill ouvre son paradis panoramique aux Mauriciens en mars 2025Communique du National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre ( 29/12/2024)30.2 mm de pluie en trois heures a Riche en Eau[Document] 50 mm de pluie pour les premiers 15 jours de decembre 2024[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 28 decembre 2024[Video News] Dawood Rawat a rencontre 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decembre 2024Global Movement to drive clean energy solutions and sustainable livingDepression tropicale a lEst-Nord-est[Document] Debats parlementaires du 20 decembre 2024[Document] The Special Allowance Act 2024[Document] The Employment Relations (Amendment) Act 2024Maurice et lAfrique du Sud veulent renforcer leurs liens culturels en 2025[Video News] Message de Noel de Mgr Jean-Michael Durhone[Video News] Message de Noel de Mgr Stelio Andre[Video News] Message de Noel de Dharambeer Gokhool[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto et Loto Plus du 25 decembre 2024 The last day of this month will mark the 25th anniversary of the ushering in of the new millennium, and nowhere was the occasion more fittingly celebrated than in the town of Balla in the centre of Mayo. That night saw the planting of 2,000 oak trees in the towns woodlands, an achievement which was remarkable both in scale and imagination. On the night of December 31, 1999, meticulous planning and community cohesion fused perfectly when even the elements despite a week of storms, rain and blizzard turned benign enough to facilitate the efforts. The Balla Dawn Oak project had its origins two years earlier, when severe Christmas storms had devastated much of the towns rich woodlands, a feature of the local landscape that went back hundreds of years. It was in its aftermath that retired Garda officer, Stephen Clancy, had the idea of replenishing the woods with 2,000 oak saplings, a legacy for future generations to enjoy. An eager local committee took the project in hand, all kinds of resources were tapped in support, and when the towns 300-years-old marching drum started to count down the minutes to midnight, 600 volunteers were ready to spring into action. With clockwork precision, the tree plantings took place within the time allotted to entitle the event to be officially entered into the Guinness Book of Records, and Ballas contribution to millennium history had been recorded. Among the thousands of goodwill messages from around the world that day to Balla was that from the island nation of Kiribati, thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean. What prompted that message was that Kiribati, a republic which straddles the International Date Line and, as such, was the first nation on earth to welcome the dawn of the new millennium, wished to express its affinity with a community whose reverence for nature was being exemplified by the Dawn Oak plantings. But the people of Kiribati could hardly have envisaged how the fortunes of the two communities would diverge so much in the ensuing quarter of a century. While the Mayo town has thrived and prospered over those years, the Pacific nation today stands in grave danger of disappearing from the face of the earth. Many of the 33 small islands that constitute Kiribati are now under threat of rising sea levels, itself a result of global warming and melting ice caps. The lowest lying of these islands, only a few feet above sea level, have already been submerged, their freshwater supplies, and the crops which depend on freshwater, ruined by the seas advances. Mary Robinson, in her book, Climate Justice, cited Kiribati as one of the most distressing examples of what we are doing to our planet. And well she might. The nation which, 25 years ago, wished mutual blessings and a hopeful future on its friends in Mayo, will now have the dubious distinction of having the first climate-induced relocation of an entire countrys population. Its leaders have already negotiated the purchase of 6,000 acres of forested land in Fiji, 1,000 miles away, in preparation for the final evacuation of its 113,000 citizens. Its government harbours slim hopes that it might be able to create a necklace of artificial islets similar to offshore oil drilling platforms to which some of its population can be moved. But most already recognise such an impracticality. And the nations leader is a realist; his objective is to arrange the dignified migration of his people as their homeland sinks beneath the waves. It is to that end that Kiribati is encouraging its skilled workers to emigrate to Fiji, where they can integrate into a new homeland and make it easier for the relocation of thousands more, hopefully to be done gradually and without the societal upsets which a sudden influx to a host country could cause. And all the while, the waters keep on rising. The sea defence walls become more porous; unprecedented sea storms hasten coastal erosion; food production collapses as the salinated earth can no longer produce sustenance for its people. And by the next millennium, there will be no Kiribati to send words of friendly greeting to the people of central Mayo. She lay like a log in the water, stationary and barely visible. Thick vegetation hid half her bulk; shafts of reed and water rush blended well enough with their own shadows to cast camouflage stripes along her length and half hide the light tremor at her front end. Indeed, I had to squint and stare a minute more before I finally made out her form, before I saw her blunt, broad head with forward facing eyes and her leering grin with its trap of razored teeth. How long had she been watching me, I wondered. Or had she seen me at all from the watery world that was her forever home? The shoal of perch circled the boat with caution. I saw them approach those serrated jaws, saw the eyes above almost glaze with indifference, watched as her mouth gave an involuntary twitch. Perch passed by and carried on their circular route around the shallow bay. In summer these perch had numbered in their thousands, but then they were small, an inch and no more. Each time those that spawned them came to call there were progressively less, for there is little these fish like more to eat than their own offspring. That pike, together with more of her kind, would also take a daily toll from the same shrinking shoals until now, six months from their birth, the many had become few, the thousands reduced to no more than a few score. Those among us humans who would eat a pike are likewise few. They eat rats! is a common complaint, although if all the pike in the world depended solely on the local population of rats I think they would remain very small indeed, and would never attain the great length and considerable weight of the fish that lay like a log in the water before me. I steadied the boat and picked up my rod, testing the line and giving special consideration to the knot at the end with its carefully wrapped coils and double-tucked tail. The log gave a toothy gloat. Every other fish has its eyes one to each side; those of the pike are forward facing, for the pike has nothing to fear, other than another, bigger specimen of its own kind. My lure was a soft, rubber-bodied artificial perch armed with a strong single hook sticking up from its back, so that it might not catch in the weeds. I threw it beyond my target and slightly to the left, and pulled it slowly back toward the boat. It had reached somewhere about half way when the pike gave no more than a flick of its tail and was gone, leaving a cloud of silt to mark the spot where it had been. I uttered a silent oath at my own clumsy approach, yet even as thoughts of self-reproach were formed the line drew tight and the rod pulled sharply down. The fish gave a heavy swirl, as yet unaware that anything might be amiss. Then, pulled slightly off balance, it made a sudden run of 30 yards or more. Confident the hook was well home, I leaned into the fish hard. It thrashed briefly at the surface, making such disturbance I thought it alarmingly too large and too heavy to handle. The fish made another run, this time back into the shallows. On feeling sand beneath its belly it gave a leap, a great, furrowing, greyhound bound amid a blast of frigid winter hail on an already cold, late November day. I saw the huge mouth open wide half a yard, I swear saw line over line of interlocking, inch-long teeth, heard the tail slap angry at water and watched the line fall slack as the fish claimed my lure and took it into the deep. The shoal of perch reappeared, watching warily lest their nemesis be still on the prowl, while I wound up and picked up the oars, already plotting my return. How big was that fish? Should you want to know the truth, ask another, for all anglers fish grow in the telling of them, as you likely know. The record Irish rod-caught pike weighed a little over 42 pounds. A Mr Farrell reportedly once caught a larger one of 71 pounds from Lough Erne. In 1962, two Lough Derg anglers battled for two hours to bring a five-foot, eight-inch pike of more than 90 pounds ashore. Another Lough Derg fish, or perhaps the same one, now 84 pounds in weight, was found dead at Portumna some time later. My fish was bigger than that, of course. Like a log. Michael Kingdon, a naturalist and keen fisherman, lives on the shores of Lough Carra, Co Mayo, the best example of a shallow marl lake in western Europe and an SAC of enormous ecological and conservation importance. Castlebar Rotary Club will again host its annual fundraising event, The Tree of Remembrance, on this Saturday and Sunday, December 14 and 15, and from Thursday, December 19 to Monday, December 23. Since this fundraising event started in 2008, it has raised over 50,000 for local charities. The purpose of the Tree is to give members of the public an opportunity to remember a loved one at Christmas while supporting deserving charities with a voluntary donation. The Tree of Remembrance will again be located on Hopkins Road, outside Dunnes Stores. You can remember a loved one, either living or dead, by placing a ribbon on the Tree and making a voluntary donation. All those remembered will be prayed for at Mass in the Holy Rosary Church on Christmas Eve. Donations made will support Mayo Cancer Support, Castlebar Social Services and other Rotary causes. Rotary Club President John Mulroy, in launching the event, said: This project is unique in that it affords people an opportunity to remember their loved ones in a very tangible way while at the same time supporting very deserving charities. The Club are delighted to support Mayo Cancer Support and Castlebar Social Services, both of which provide much needed services in the local community. We are again appealing to the people of Castlebar and all visitors to the town during this festive period to take some time out and visit The Tree of Remembrance on Hopkins Road and take part in this unique event. BALLINROBE has been left devastated following the passing of popular local general practitioner Dr Martin Finnerty. Dr Finnerty died after he was struck by a vehicle on Main Street in Ballinrobe after 6.30pm on Thursday evening. His body has been removed to Mayo General Hospital for post-mortem examination. Church Lane remained closed on Friday morning to allow for a forensic investigation. A man (aged in his 30s) has been arrested in connection with the incident and has since been released without charge. Dr Finnerty, who was in his 60s, had operated a GP practice in Cornmarket for many years after taking over the practice from Jimmy Cummins. The father-of-three was well-regarded among his patients and in the wider community. Frank Keane, a local businessman and Chairman of Ballinrobe Community Development Council, described Dr Finnerty as a gentleman. The whole town is numb, the whole town is reeling, Mr Keane told The Mayo News. Local county councillor Michael Burke extended his sympathies to Dr Finnertys family and described his passing as an awful blow to the town. He was so many peoples doctor and he was an integral part of our community, Cllr Burke told The Mayo News. He was an unbelievable doctor, he never rushed anyone out the door, he added. His funeral details have yet to be announced. Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area between 6pm and 7pm are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardai. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Claremorris Garda Station on 094 937 2080, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. NEWLY-elected Mayo TD, Paul Lawless, has criticised the RSA for raising the price of an NCT and drivers licenses. The Aontu TD was reacting to the decision by the RSA to raise the price of a driving license from 55 to 65, a learner permit from 35 to 45 and a full NCT from 55 to 60. The RSA said the fee adjustments were due to a planned 18 million expenditure on public interest activities and government priorities. The price changes will come into effect from 1 January 2025. They will be the first RSA price hikes since 2012. Deputy Lawless accused the Government of double-speak on dealing with the cost of living and called on the government to overrule the RSAs decision. This Government have long tried to tell the public that public transport would negate their need to use cars for work and leisure, yet many areas across the country have no reliable public transport services. Now, when using the car is the only option for taking children to and from school or commuting to work, there is a further cost burden that is unacceptable, said Deputy Lawless. A Donegal man has pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault at a sacred Christian pilgrimage site in Donegal. Tomas Gallagher appeared at Donegal Circuit Court where he pleaded guilty to seven charges relating to offences at St Patricks Purgatory at Lough Derg. Gallagher, aged 42 and of Rathanlacky, Dunkineely, was formally arraigned before Judge John Aylmer at Letterkenny Courthouse. Gallagher, dressed in a navy three-piece suit, spoke only to say guilty when the charges were put to him during a brief appearance. Six charges of sexual assault involving five female victims are alleged to have taken place at Lough Derg, Pettigo, on dates in 2022. The identity of the alleged victims cannot be reported at this time. READ NEXT: BREAKING: Man arrested on suspicion of murdering Kyran Durnin The offences are contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. Gallagher is further charged that in the same period and location, he did attempt, by inviting, inducing, counselling or inciting a child to sexual touching. This offence is contrary to Section 4 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017. Mr Colm Smyth SC, barrister for Gallagher, instructed by Mullaney Solicitors, told Judge Aylmer that his client has been under psychiatric care and asked that legal aid be extended to cover a psychiatric report. Adjourning the matter until the next term of Donegal Circuit Court, Judge Aylmer agreed to the request. A book of evidence was served ahead of a recent appearance before the District Court, which heard that the defendant made no reply when charged by Gardai. Gallagher, who was working at the centre when the alleged offences took place, was granted bail on the same terms and conditions. Gallagher was ordered to have no contact with any of the injured parties by any means including through a third party, by social media, or any electronic means; have no contact with any employees of Lough Derg, past or previous; sign on once per week at an allocated Garda Station; surrender his passport and do not apply for a replacement; be of good behaviour; be contactable 24/7 via a mobile phone number supplied to gardai. Legal aid was previously granted to Mullaney Solicitors and two legal counsel have been assigned in the case. by Fern Siegel , December 13, 2024 Creative agency Venables Bell + Partners named Katie Smith as new business director. Smith is expected to help fuel agency growth strategies. Her appointment comes shortly after San Francisco-based VB+P was named agency of record for Scout Motors. Were thrilled to welcome Katie to our team. She has fantastic experience, an entrepreneurial spirit and drive that are so key to our independent agency culture, said Brittni Hutchins, managing director. Prior to VB+P, Smith spent 10 years at Ogilvy, where she secure high-profile accounts across various industries, including B2B, technology, food and beverage, auto and financial services. Her recent post as new business director led Ogilvy's efforts across its San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento offices. Before that, Smith worked at Mindshare North America, part of WPP, where she managed business development and marketing efforts and helped the agency win more than $800M in media billings. As senior media buyer on the national broadcast team, she worked with CVS Pharmacy, Cisco, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Venables Bell + Partners has worked with brands such as Chipotle, Girl Scouts of the USA, Opendoor and AG1. by Teresa Buyikian , December 12, 2024 What does the legacy of a music icon and that of an almost 200-year-old liqueur have in common? If it's Future and Grand Marnier, its a new multiyear creative partnership. The classic, orange-flavored cognac and Grammy-winning artist have joined forces for Remix Your Legacy, Make It Grand, a new creative campaign that inspire(s) fans to remix their own legacies by breaking the codes of tradition and evolving culture. Direct fan engagement is a large component of the partnership, with experiential intimate as well as grand pop-ups across the country, which begin this month. In New York City, Houston, and Atlanta the duo will host Grand Margarita tasting events through the end of the year and into early 2025. On Instagram @GrandMarnierUSA, consumers can post their own interpretation of the Grand Margarita to get a chance to win one of three grand prizes: an autographed copy of Futures seminal Dirty Sprite 2 on vinyl in honor of the albums 10th anniversary. advertisement advertisement As someone who's flipped the script and reinvented how artists approach making music, I'm excited to see the response from fans and look forward to seeing how people remix their drink of choice and further elevate the Grand Marg," added Future in the announcement. The campaign also consists of content on both the brand and Futures social media platforms. Customers can find out the locations of upcoming pop-ups via Grand Marniers Instagram @GrandMarnierUSA. by Ray Schultz , December 12, 2024 News publisher Lee Enterprises continues to place its hopes on digital, which accounted for 51% of its operating revenue in Q4. In fiscal 2024, the company realized $299 million in digital revenue, an 11% gain over 2023. In contrast, print revenue fell by 21% to $312 million. Total operating revenue was $611 million. The team achieved significant milestones in FY24, driving 41% revenue growth( in digital subscriptions and approaching $100 million in Amplified Digital revenue for the fiscal year, says Kevin Mowbray, president and chief executive officer of Lee Enterprises. We successfully met our digital subscription unit target and laid a robust foundation for our digital transformation through talent investments in AI, technology expertise, and complex IT infrastructure. advertisement advertisement However, while these achievements reflect strong execution of our strategy, we are not satisfied with the overall operating metrics, as we fell short of our Adjusted EBITDA target, Mowbray adds. Although it did not elaborate, the company says it may be required to indemnify the previous owners of BH Media or The Buffalo News for unknown legal and other matters that may arise, as a potential risk factor. But overall, Lee emphasized positive news for the fiscal period ending September 29. Digital subscriptions grew to $84 million, up from $61 million in 2023. However, print subscription revenue fell to $197 million -- down from $252 million. "As we look ahead to FY25, we remain confident in the strength of our core strategy and the opportunities it presents, Mowbray says. We are uniquely positioned to lead the growth of local advertising driven by advancements in AI. With our vast library of hyper-local content and strong relationships with over 25,000 local advertisers, we have an unparalleled foundation to capitalize on this shift. Mowbray continues: Through strategic partnerships with leading AI and technology companies, like Perplexity and ProRata.ai, that were recently announced, we aim to scale rapidly and further solidify our dominant position in the local market, unlocking new growth opportunities and delivering enhanced value to our stakeholders. by Danielle Oster , December 13, 2024 In the week since national LGBTQ+ advocacy organization PFLAG launched a campaign in partnership with Vet Voices Foundation focused on a Navy veteran father of a trans daughter, military families with trans children received some devastating news. On Dec. 12, the House of Representatives passed a version of the National Defense Authorization Act that included an amendment banning coverage of gender-affirming care for trans children of military families. "We have a solemn obligation to those who serve that the government will support their families and will ensure that all their children, including their transgender children, have the freedom to thrive. This provision in the NDAA is a slap in the face to their sacrifice," PFLAG National CEO Brian K. Bond told Marketing Daily. In PFLAGs 60-second video, ad, Brandens Daughter, Branden opens with a stark reflection of his familys reality. Id love to show you a picture of my family, but I cant, because there are people who would target one of my children simply for being who she is, he says. I didnt swear an oath to defend our country's freedom to have to fight for my childs freedom to be who she is. advertisement advertisement At the conclusion of the ad, he pleads parent to parent for viewers not to make life any harder than it has to be for his daughter and other trans youth. The ad ran on targeted social media in Washington D.C., North Carolina and Texas -- locations chosen for their concentration of veterans, and, in the case of the two states in question, harsh state laws attacking the rights of trans people. Bond explained. PFLAG said it will evaluate its performance and decide whether to extend the length of the campaign. The point is to allow people to pause the noise and humanize the reality that these are decent, loving parents just trying to do the best possible for their kids, Bond said. Utilizing vet voices and dads will hopefully open the doors on the conversation. Branden told Marketing Daily that veterans who transitioned -- either while serving or after -- now are also questioning whether healthcare services will still be available to them under the new administration, fearful that attacks on veteran healthcare access will soon extend to them as well. From a personal perspective, it's sad that one of my children might be limited in what they can do in their life -- in any aspect, he added, suggesting it could also open the door to further restrictions like banning transgender doctors from serving in the National Institute of Health. Its certainly not how this nation was founded, not why I raised my hand to volunteer and serve, and makes me think about my service and what it meant, and where were going as a country. The campaign follows a barrage of anti-trans spots during the presidential election, with over $200 million spent by Trump and allies on ads that often ran during prominent sporting events. This has just been a continuing assault on kids and human beings for political gain, Bond said, This [issue] is not going to go away anytime soon. The more we can share our stories, highlight commonalities, the more we can highlight parents who are doing good things, and the more opportunity we have to change hearts and minds. Modifying the chemotherapy regimen for Hodgkin lymphoma patients could reduce long-term health effects and improve fertility recovery without compromising treatment effectiveness. Did You Know? In the UK, 2,000 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma annually. #HodgkinLymphoma #medindia In the UK, 2,000 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma annually. #HodgkinLymphoma #medindia Advertisement Kinder Chemotherapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma Trusted Source The genomic and clinical consequences of replacing procarbazine with dacarbazine in escalated BEACOPP for Hodgkin lymphoma: a retrospective, observational study Go to source Trusted Source Advertisement Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Rare but Treatable Blood Cancer Advertisement Chemotherapy: The Cornerstone of Cancer Care Blood Cancer Warrior: Louisas Inspiring Journey The genomic and clinical consequences of replacing procarbazine with dacarbazine in escalated BEACOPP for Hodgkin lymphoma: a retrospective, observational study - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(24)00598-9/fulltext) A minor modification to the chemotherapy regimen for Hodgkin lymphoma patients could lessen the long-term health effects of treatment, suggests a team of researchers in Cambridge. This discovery could lead to a revision of national chemotherapy guidelines for these individuals.The study, published inwas led by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. It compares the lasting effects of two chemotherapy regimens used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma in younger adults. Hodgkin lymphoma is often diagnosed in younger people (age 20-40) so kinder treatments have the potential to deliver significant benefits, such as reduced hospital time and greater likelihood of recovering fertility ().Data previously collected from 1,945 patients treated with the existing chemotherapy regime (eBEACOPP) was compared to 312 patients treated with a similar regimen, called eBEACOPDac. Both treatments use combinations of drugs, and the change replaces one of these, procarbazine, with another called dacarbazine. Both chemotherapies achieved the same success in treating cancer (93.3% in remission 3 years after treatment), but comparison of data from the two groups showed that patients treated with eBEACOPDac generally experienced fewer, less severe side effects.A similar drug substitution is already approved for use in children and is increasingly widely used for the treatment of adults, but this is the first study to rigorously examine its impact in adult patients.Patients treated with the new regimen spent less time in hospital, required fewer blood transfusions following treatment, and more patients showed signs of recovering fertility sooner. This also has the potential to reduce hospital admissions and demand for hospital appointments. Part of the study used whole genome sequencing at the Wellcome Sanger Institute to look at the effects of both treatments and showed that eBEACOPDac has a greatly reduced impact on patient genes.Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare, treatable blood cancer. Around 2,000 people per year are diagnosed in the UK and treatment success is high, with over 95% of younger patients cured with treatment. The occurrence of Hodgkin lymphoma in younger people means there is a significant need to reduce the long-term health and fertility impacts of treatment.Chemotherapy is a well-established approach for treating various cancers, including Hodgkin lymphoma. There are many different chemotherapies consisting of several different drugs used in combination. Chemotherapies are highly effective for treating cancer but also have well-known side effects (e.g. nausea and hair loss) and can have lasting effects following treatment, including anaemia and infertility.A commonly used standard first-line treatment for people with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma involves chemotherapy known as eBEACOPP. The new eBEACOPDac regimen does not increase the cost of treatment and is administered to patients in the same way. Making eBEACOPDac the recommended treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma in adults could improve the long-term health of patients and enable more of them to go on to have children.Professor George Follows, Consultant Hematologist at Addenbrookes Hospital and the Department of Hematology, University of Cambridge and co-lead author on the study, said: Our findings highlight the potential to make the short and long-term side effects of chemotherapy much kinder for Hodgkin lymphoma patients without compromising the effectiveness of treatment. By making a small change to how patients are managed, we can greatly reduce the lasting impacts that this disease, and its treatment, has on their lives giving many more patients the opportunity to go on to raise families.Dr. Raheleh Rahbari, Wellcome Sanger Institute and co-lead author on the study, said: This is an example of how genomics can impact lives and help change healthcare. Through the use of genome sequencing weve gained a deeper insight into the lasting effects of chemotherapies, allowing us to learn more about their role in long-term health, and make progress towards effective treatments that minimise side effects as much as possible.Dr. Cathy Burton, Chair of the UK Hodgkin lymphoma study group, and Hematology Consultant at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: This excellent work provides strong evidence of the benefits of using eBEACOPDac for treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma. This approach of switching procarbazine to dacarbazine is preferable due to its reduced side effects and improvements in fertility recovery. Crucially, these findings are of international significance and should be used to inform treatment guidelines globally to ensure patients are receiving the best treatments.This work is illustrative of the benefits that can be delivered through the effective translation of research into clinical practice, which will be further strengthened through the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital. The next steps for this research will include more long-term follow up of patients treated with eBEACOPDac, and Professor Follows hopes it will inform a global change in the guidance for treating adults with Hodgkin lymphoma.The study was co-led by Professor George Follows, Consultant Haematologist at CUH and Dr Raheleh Rahbari, Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The clinical research was co-ordinated by Dr Anna Santarsieri, Haematologist at CUH, supported by the Anglia Ruskin University MD Programme. The research was also supported by the Addenbrookes Charitable Trust (ACT), Wellcome and National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Cambridge BRC).Louisa, a patient in her 30s from Peterborough, was treated with eBEACOPDac as part of the study. Three years later, she has gone on to have her second child. She said: When I was told I had lymphoma, it was the start of the COVID pandemic and we had a new baby in the house. It was a challenging time and instinctively, what I wanted most was to get the best treatment, that would allow me to be there for my new family and do the things I love. Undergoing treatment was still difficult but I received excellent care and support throughout.She added: "Regaining my fertility was the most unexpected and incredible experience. I knew my chances of fertility after chemotherapy treatment would be somewhat compromised, so to have another child last year was wonderful and I am eternally grateful to be able to experience motherhood for a second time".Source-Eurekalert Telugu superstar Allu Arjun who is basking in the record breaking success of Pushpa 2: The Rule was recently arrested by the Hyderabad police over a theatre stampede during the films premiere last week that led to a womans death and critically injured her young son. Following the stampede and the unfortunate demise of the woman, police had filed a complaint against Sandhya Theatre management, Allu Arjun and his security team stating that they were not informed in advance that the actor was arriving at the premiere. A team from Chikkadpally police station took Allu Arjun in custody on Friday morning and a video of the same is now viral on social media. In the video, Allu Arjun can be seen consoling his wife and meeting his father before the cops take him away. Check out the clip below: The Pentagon said Thursday it has managed to make a major dent in the number of sexual assaults at the nation's three service academies, but its newly released data also show that, despite the progress, problems with culture and climate still linger. "For the first time in 10 years, the department is seeing a decrease in sexual assault prevalence at the military service academies," Beth Foster, the executive director of the Pentagon's Office of Force Resiliency, told reporters. That decrease disrupted "what had been an alarming increasing trend in sexual assault at the academies." However, this year's data presented by Foster and her colleagues also showed that women still broadly distrust academy leaders with their reports of sexual assault and, of the 783 cadets that experienced an assault, only 103 chose to actually file a report. Read Next: Transgender Troops, Confronting Shifting Policies of Acceptance, Just Want to Serve The main progress reported by the Pentagon was a decline in the total number of incidents of sexual assault across the three military service academies. In 2024, the percentage of women who experienced unwanted sexual contact at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy fell to about 13% compared to about 21% last year, according to data presented to reporters. For men, the same statistic fell from 4.4% to 3.6%. The number of incidents of unwanted sexual conduct -- a term that encompasses everything from unwanted touching to sexual penetration -- has been on a steady rise at the academies since 2014, when the rate was only about 8% of women and 1% of men. Last year's data, according to Foster, showed an "alarming increase" in this statistic, and that led Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to order an investigation into what was going on at the academies. Foster says that "those visits found that it was overall climate and training environment that was driving the increase in sexual assault." Specifically, "the climate was really characterized by a sense of lack of trust, lack of transparency, and a lot of mixed messages," Dr. Andra Tharp, the senior prevention adviser for the Office of Force Resiliency, told reporters. "The message that the cadets and Midshipmen were getting about how to treat each other, how to hold each other accountable, was not aligned with the message the senior leaders were trying to set," she said. Given that so few cadets actually report assaults, and even fewer cases get prosecuted, the issue of sexual assault at the nation's premier military schools is often discussed in sterile or statistical terms. However, cases that are prosecuted and become public show that some perpetrators are able to commit multiple assaults for long periods of time before they face any sort of prosecution. In September, officials at West Point charged Cadet Jorge Hurtado for allegedly groping cadets' breasts, genitals and other body parts on or near the campus -- all without their consent -- over the span of nearly two years between December 2020 and October 2022. In April, another West Point cadet, Tyjaha Batiste, pleaded guilty to eight sexual misconduct charges and was sentenced to 21 months in prison and dismissal from the Army. One key factor, and one that Pentagon officials have yet to address in any meaningful way, is that most women don't trust their leaders to actually deal with a reported sexual assault. In 2024, only 41% of women at all three academies said they trusted their leadership to ensure their safety after making a report and 37% trusted them to protect their privacy -- although both those figures have gone up since 2022. Foster said that she and other officials at the Pentagon see these latest figures as an encouraging sign "that we've bent the curve and that we're starting to see the prevalence of sexual assault decrease at the academies," but she readily noted that "we've got a lot more work to do." Officials highlighted efforts to work prevention efforts more thoroughly into the curriculum at each academy and offer cadets more time with instructors and military leaders so that they can better learn from their example. Foster said that the Air Force Academy is "focusing on developing cadet leadership intentionally and thoughtfully through each year" of a cadet's time at the school. Similarly, at West Point, "they've been very focused on ensuring that we're ingraining prevention curriculum throughout the cadet life cycle and ensuring that that curriculum isn't just treated as sort of a nice thing to do or kind of an after-hour of training, but that it is a core part of military leadership training," she said. In addition to being clear-eyed about the work they still need to do, Foster also warned that "unless we continue to institutionalize that work ... there is a possibility that these rates and this trend could go right back up again." The remark comes as many top Pentagon officials prepare to leave and make way for the incoming Trump administration, whose newly appointed officials would have wide latitude over any ongoing efforts to deal with the issue. The man nominated to replace Austin, former Fox News host and Army officer Pete Hegseth, has not spoken directly on the issue of sexual assault at the academies. However, he has faced allegations of a sexual assault and sexist behavior. In mid-November, a lawyer for Hegseth confirmed that he made a payment to a woman in exchange for not publicizing allegations of a 2017 incident in which he allegedly prevented a woman from leaving his hotel room, took her phone and sexually assaulted her. Hegseth's lawyer did not deny that Hegseth and the woman had sex but insisted it was consensual. The incident came weeks after his second wife, Samantha, had filed for divorce and about a month after he had a daughter with Fox News producer Jennifer Rauchet, to whom he is currently married. In his latest book, published in June, Hegseth also made anecdotal claims on behalf of a male friend who was allegedly wrongly accused of sexual assault or harassment by two women in an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program while he was teaching at a university in Virginia. "He soon realized the biggest danger to his career was female cadets at ROTC," Hegseth wrote about his friend. In early December, The New Yorker reported that Hegseth was forced out as president of the advocacy group "Concerned Veterans for America" over a variety of issues that included sexist behavior, and "that, under Hegseth's leadership, the organization became a hostile workplace that ignored serious accusations of impropriety, including an allegation made by a female employee that another employee on Hegseth's staff had attempted to sexually assault her at [a] Louisiana strip club." When asked if she was concerned whether a new administration could wipe out the progress they've made on the issue, Foster said that she wasn't "going to speculate what, what will or will not happen in the next administration." "What I will offer is that I think any incoming leader will see the same data that we've seen, which is that combating sexual assault and harassment and combating the risk factors that lead to sexual assault and harassment is essential to maintaining an effective, ready and lethal force," she said. Related: Kings of Campus: How Some Army Instructors Use Their Clout to Prey on College Cadets "The snow turned red," machine gunner Vincent Speranza recalled, as the hastily dug-in troops of the 101st Airborne Division opened up on attacking German infantry and tanks to defend the Belgian crossroads town of Bastogne 80 years ago. Then-Pvt. 1st Class Speranza, the son of Italian immigrants, said his lieutenant had ordered the first-line defenders to hold fire until the unsuspecting Germans were within 400 yards as they moved at an easy pace across an open field in the bitter cold of first light on Dec. 19, 1944. "When they got to the 400 yards, the lieutenant said, 'Now! Now!' and we opened up with everything we had. It was a slaughter," Speranza recalled in a 2021 talk at the American Veterans Center. Read Next: New Housing Allowance Rates for Troops Have Been Set for the Coming Year The Germans gave up on frontal assaults after that initial defeat and instead surrounded the town. On Dec. 22, the German commander, Gen. Heinrich Freiherr von Luttwitz, sent messengers under a white flag with a note to demand surrender from Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, the American commander. "There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: That is the honorable surrender of the encircled town," von Luttwitz said in his note. "In order to think it over, a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note." McAuliffe scribbled a quick reply. "Nuts," he famously wrote, although some accounts suggest that he used much stronger language. One of McAuliffe's aides, Col. Joseph "Bud" Harper, gave the confused German messengers a paraphrase of what McAuliffe meant in his one-word reply -- "Go to hell!" The siege of Bastogne was lifted on Dec. 26, 1944, when a tank column from the 4th Armored Division of then-Lt. Gen. George Patton's Third Army reached the city led by a Sherman tank nicknamed the Cobra King -- now on display at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. As his troops entered Bastogne, Patton wrote in his diary: "What a glorious day for killing Germans!" Then-Lt. Gen. George S. Patton pins an award on a 101st Airborne Division soldier in Bastogne as Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, the 101st commander in Bastogne, looks on. (Photo courtesy of the 101st Airborne Division) To mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, more than 100 troops from the Fort Campbell, Kentucky, base of the 101st Airborne Division were in Bastogne for a series of events that began Friday with a commemoration ceremony hosted by the American Battle Monuments Commission at the Battle of the Bulge Monument at Bastogne. The monument, in the shape of a five-pointed American star, honors the estimated 19,000 U.S. troops killed and more than 75,000 wounded, sick or missing in the Battle of the Bulge, which Winston Churchill called "undoubtedly the greatest American battle" of World War II. The 101st Airborne Division's casualties from Dec. 19, 1944, to Jan. 6, 1945, were 341 killed, 1,691 wounded, and 516 missing. Air Force Brig. Gen. Matthew Jones, deputy director for operations, J3, on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and a member of the American Battle Monuments Commission, said those who fought in the Battle of the Bulge "changed the course of the war" in repelling the last German offensive on the Western Front. Jones, who was to speak at the ceremony Friday, told Military.com earlier this week that the American GIs who went into the battle without cold weather gear to stop the German advance set the example for today's U.S. military with their "sense of calling, their sense of purpose higher than themselves." Jones also noted that what was then called the Army Air Forces "did make a big difference" in stopping the German advance and allowing U.S. ground forces to take the offensive. But the overwhelming U.S. airpower advantage was of little use in the early days of the battle as snow, sleet and freezing rain kept the American aircraft grounded. Then on Dec. 23, the skies cleared and P-47 Thunderbolt attack aircraft began tearing up German columns, retired Army Col. Frank Cohn recalled at a National Archives event in November. Cohn, then a private first class with an intelligence unit in Belgium, said "the sky was blue and our planes started to fly. We cheered those planes so hard that maybe they heard us." What became known as the Battle of the Bulge, named for the wedge that German forces drove into allied lines, began on Dec. 16, 1944, when more than 200,000 German troops and 1,000 tanks under the command of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt launched an offensive through the hilly and wooded Ardennes region aimed at splitting Allied forces and capturing the Belgian port of Antwerp. The Allied high command was caught completely by surprise, but Army Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the overall Allied commander who was in Paris at the time, sensed quickly that the effort to drive back the Germans would rely on small-unit tactics and the grit of individual soldiers. Three modern-day 101st Airborne troops now in Bastogne in front of a photo of 101st leaders who defended the town in December 1944. (Photo courtesy of the 101st Airborne Division) "These were the times when the grand strategy and the high hopes of high command" would take a backseat to what would be a "soldiers' war," in which success would be measured by the "sheer courage, and the instinct for survival" of the individual GI, Eisenhower wrote in his order to the troops in Belgium. The enemy "is fighting savagely to take back all that you have won and is using every treacherous trick to deceive and kill you," Eisenhower wrote. "In the face of your proven bravery and fortitude, he will completely fail." On Saturday, the 101st Airborne Division troops in Belgium will join in solemn remembrance ceremonies at the Luxembourg American Cemetery, the last resting place for more than 5,000 U.S. service members who died in the Battle of the Bulge and the advance to the Rhine. The 101st troops will then join in a parade to the Bastogne town hall, where the tradition under Mayor Benoit Lutgen is to throw fistfuls of walnuts from the town hall balcony in honor of McAuliffe's famous reply to the German surrender demand. Former Army Private 1st Class Harry Miller, who has returned to Belgium several times since he served in a Sherman tank during the Battle of the Bulge, recalled what his mind's eye saw when he visited the Luxembourg American Cemetery. At a National Archives event in November, Miller said that, instead of neat rows of white crosses, "I see GIs, dirty GIs, unshaven, dirty as the devil, cold, miserable, worn-out boots -- that's the kind of people I see instead of crosses. That's tough, that's tough." Related: Airmen's Search for Remains Recalls Top Secret WWII Mission to Turn Planes into Flying Bombs DAMASCUS, Syria An American who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assads notorious prison system said early Friday he was released by the liberators who arrived in Damascus a day after the longtime ruler fled the capital. Travis Timmerman called his release a blessing when he spoke to The Associated Press from a hotel room in Damascus, where he arrived late Thursday. He was among the thousands of people released from Syrias sprawling military prisons this week after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad and ending his familys 54-year rule. Timmerman, 29, said he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer. The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple Assads government, said the group had secured his release. We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the U.S. administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime, the group said, adding that a search was underway for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. An official with the group later said it was arranging for Timmerman to leave Syria, but gave no details. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didnt know of any other Americans held in the facility. I was there seven months. There were women there up above me, Timmerman said. He heard the women singing and teaching their children and could hear some of the men being beaten regularly. I was never beaten, he said. He was detained after he crossed into Syria from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June. He was questioned for three and half hours by interrogators who thought he must be a spy. In a brief second interview, they searched his mobile phone, and in the last interview, he started discussing his dreams with his captors. He said their threat of using violence against him was implicit because he could hear daily beatings next door. But his captors let him use his mobile to call his family three weeks ago. At the time, Timmerman didnt tell his family he was in Damascus, only that he was fine. He said later in his detention, he could hear explosions at a time when Israel was intensifying its strikes in Syria. Israels war with the Hezbollah militant group had intensified in September, before a ceasefire was reached last month. I heard some explosives that shook the building, he said. In his prison cell, Timmerman said he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste. He had three bathroom breaks and had exercise breaks in the first half of his stay. He said the Friday calls to prayers helped keep track of days. He said he gained weight at first because he ate unleavened bread, rice and oats. Sometimes he would get a potato or a tomato a treatment clearly reserved for non-Syrian prisoners, who often ended up emaciated or sick. It is a time of solace and you can meditate on your life, he told AP. It was good for me. Timmerman was disheveled, with a scraggly beard and long hair and nails. He said he had a good sleep and a meal on Thursday. He said he planned to return to Damascus. Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017. Timmermans mother, Stacey Gardiner, told the AP that as of Thursday evening, she hadnt spoken to her son. She said he told her he was visiting Prague and Budapest, Hungary, to write about different churches. She said she last heard from him in May, when he said he was going somewhere without internet and that he would call when he had access again. Then he stopped replying to calls and texts and she didn't know whether he was alive or dead. I couldnt help him, and that broke my heart more and more each day, Gardiner said. I just want my baby (to) come home. The family reported him missing, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a bulletin saying Pete Timmerman" had gone missing in Hungary in early June. In late August, Hungarian police put out a missing persons announcement for Travis Pete Timmerman, saying he was last seen at a church in Budapest. Timmerman goes by Travis. In describing his release from prison, Timmerman said the action outside his cell woke him up. Those who came to release him spoke to him in Arabic. It was an excited scene. It was not clear if the guards who were there were still there, Timmerman said. I didnt know if they were taking us out in the midst of a war zone in hindsight, this shooting was not actual clashes. He said he was panicked for a moment. But he realized some of the gunfire was celebratory from blanks. One man was shooting from an AK-47. At one point, he went running back into the prison with two other prisoners. A fellow prisoner helped him out, holding his arm, and speaking Arabic to those around. They both accompanied a female prisoner to her home. He spent two nights in Damascus, one in abandoned apartment in the old town and another at a new friends house. He then started walking toward Jordan, when a Syrian family found him barefoot on a main road in the countryside of Damascus early Thursday. At first some mistook him for Tice. The Syrian family told AP that Timmerman appeared cold and hungry so they brought him back to their home. I fed him and called a doctor, said Mosaed al-Rifai, the 68-year-old waste collector who first found Timmerman. A few hours after al-Rifai discovered him, rebels arrived at the familys house to pick him up, he said. Mouaz Mostafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based nonprofit group, who was in Damascus learned of Timmermans location, reached him and contacted US authorities about him. Timmerman is now recovering until the rebels can figure out how to hand him to U.S. authorities, Moustafa said. From Aqaba, Jordan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that the White House was working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria but declined further comment for privacy reasons. Washingtons top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, travelled to Lebanon this week in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Tice. President Joe Biden has said his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged on Sunday that we have no direct evidence of his status. The case has frustrated U.S. intelligence officials for years. This is a priority for the United States, Blinken said. Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus in August 2012 as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men. He hasnt been heard from since. Assads government had denied that it was holding him. ___ Ingram reported from Urbana, Missouri. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in OFallon, Missouri; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; and Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report. This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. The night the EMTs carried Elizabeth Nakagawa from her home, bleeding and in pain, the tarp theyd wrapped her in reminded her of a body bag. Nakagawa, 39, is a Coast Guard commander: stoic, methodical, an engineer by trade. But as they maneuvered her past her young daughters bedroom, down the narrow steps and into the ambulance, she felt a stab of fear. She might never see her girls again. Then came a blast of anger. Shed been treated for a miscarriage before. She knew her life never should have been in danger. Earlier that day, April 3, 2023, Nakagawa had been scheduled to have a surgical procedure called a D&C, or dilation and curettage, to remove fetal tissue after losing a very wanted pregnancy. But that morning, she was told the surgery had been canceled because Tricare, the militarys health insurance plan, refused to pay for it. While her doctor appealed, Nakagawa waited. Then the cramps and bleeding began. In recent months, ProPublica and other media outlets have told the stories of women who died or nearly died when state abortion restrictions imposed after the Supreme Courts 2022 Dobbs decision impeded them from getting critical care. But long before Roe v. Wade was overturned, military service members and their families have faced strict limits on abortion services, which are commonly used to resolve miscarriages. Under a decades-old federal law, the military is prohibited from paying for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. This applies even to service members based in states where abortion is legal; Nakagawa lives in Sonoma County, California. Theres also no exception for catastrophic or fatal fetal anomalies. In such cases, service members either have to pay out of pocket for abortions or carry to term fetuses that wont survive outside the womb. Tricare does allow abortions in cases like Nakagawas, in which the fetus has no heartbeat. But even then, some doctors who treat military service members say that Tricare requires more documentation and takes longer to approve these procedures than other insurers, putting women at risk. There definitely have been cases where our Tricare patients have required emergency services, emergency D&C procedures, blood transfusions, things that have been critical to lifesaving care because their procedure had yet to occur, said Dr. Lauren Robertson, an OB-GYN who has served military members and their spouses in San Diego for more than a decade. It just feels very unnecessary. Since the Dobbs decision, abortion care for service members seems to be coming under heightened scrutiny, said retired Rear Adm. Dana Thomas, who was until recently the Coast Guards chief medical officer and advocated for Nakagawa. Trust me, post Roe v. Wade, Im sure people felt there was much more of a spotlight, Thomas said. I think they were more guarded after June of 22. After being rushed to the emergency room, Nakagawa hemorrhaged for four more hours before doctors performed the surgery Tricare had refused to authorize. Later, Tricare and Defense Department officials would all agree that Nakagawa should have been treated as her doctor recommended, and she said they told her theyd taken steps to prevent future mistakes. But her experience, which doctors say nearly cost Nakagawa her life, laid bare the challenges service members have long faced in obtaining reproductive health care. And it raises questions about whether the Supreme Courts ruling has created a chilling effect that has further complicated access to these procedures. Officials at the Defense Health Agency, which runs the military health system, including Tricare, did not respond to specific questions from ProPublica, but they provided a statement saying its policies havent budged. There have not been any changes to Tricare coverage or documentation requirements for medically necessary care of D&Cs following the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, the statement said. Medically necessary care was, and continues to be, covered. The agency declined to answer questions about Nakagawa, saying that as a matter of practice it doesnt discuss individual beneficiaries care. (ProPublica is involved in an unrelated public records lawsuit with the DHA.) As a senior officer, Nakagawa felt duty-bound to press for answers about what happened to her. The abortion policy, in theory, is supposed to protect life, and in my case it did the opposite, Nakagawa said. It almost led to my children not having a mother. After the Supreme Court upended Roe, the Biden administration took steps to reassure service members that their access to reproductive health care would remain unaffected by a wave of state abortion bans. An October 2022 memo from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged to facilitate leave for service members seeking abortions that were not covered by Tricare, and to pay for travel if care wasnt available nearby. It also emphasized that these procedures would be consistent with applicable federal law. The statute barring the Defense Department from paying for most abortions goes back to 1985 and mirrors language in whats called the Hyde Amendment. Named for its author, Henry Hyde, a Republican representative from Illinois, Congress has attached the amendment to spending bills since the late 1970s to prohibit the use of federal funds on abortion. With Congress in control of military spending, abortion care is highly politicized, said Kyleanne Hunter, a Marine Corps combat veteran and senior political scientist at RAND Corp. Theres been a lot of backlash and a lot of scrutiny and a lot of congressional disapproval as to how the DOD has engaged with abortion care, D&C care and the like. About 9.5 million people, including active-duty service members and their families as well as military retirees and their dependents, rely on Tricare for health services. Women make up a growing portion of the active-duty force, more than 17%. They also leave the military at higher rates. Research by RAND and others suggests the militarys reproductive health policies may make it harder to recruit and retain them. Dr. Toni Marengo, a former Navy OB-GYN, said she left the service in part because she felt unable to provide patients with appropriate care. Many of them only discovered how sharply Tricares policies curtailed access to procedures like D&Cs when they needed them. It was like living in a pre-Roe world, said Marengo, now chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. The effects have been felt for decades. In 1994, Maureen Griffin and her then-husband, a captain in the Air National Guard, ended her pregnancy after learning their baby had anencephaly, a fatal birth defect. They found out the military considered her induced labor an abortion when she got a phone call from a bill collector for the hospital seeking thousands of dollars in reimbursement for the procedure. I said: We have full coverage. My husbands in the military. And they said, They dont pay for abortions, Griffin recalled. We were completely blindsided. I mean, no one called it an abortion. It was a horrible tragedy. Griffin, then known as Maureen Britell, was so outraged that she sued the Defense Department, winning a judgment in federal district court in 2002. Two years later, an appeals court reversed the decision, upholding the Defense Departments refusal to cover abortions in such circumstances. Twenty-five years after Griffins pregnancy, Samantha Babcock spent the equivalent of seven paychecks to fly home from her husbands Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan, for an abortion Tricare wouldnt cover. She was five months pregnant when doctors told her that her fetus had multiple abnormalities and wasnt viable. The grief was crushing. Then she found out that, by law, the military couldnt perform or pay for a surgery called a D&E, or dilation and evacuation, which her military doctors agreed was the safest option. She and her family paid $14,000 most of it for plane tickets with help from a GoFundMe so that she could go home to Portland, Oregon, to get the procedure. She still cant believe such a step was necessary. I assumed Tricare had my best interest at heart, she said. If the condition was fatal, why wouldnt they help me? Babcock said her specialist told her that the military would pay to transfer her temporarily to Hawaii for more testing. They also offered to move her family to a location where they would have access to specialty care for the baby in the unlikely chance she survived outside of the womb. For Babcock, that was untenable. I did not want to keep growing a baby that wouldnt live, she said. In August 2022, Thomas, the Coast Guards chief medical officer, was galvanized into action when a service member sought help to end her pregnancy after receiving a diagnosis similar to Babcocks. Doctors had recommended that, like Babcock, she have a D&E. Because the fetus still had a heartbeat, Tricare would not approve the procedure. Thomas called Tricare daily trying to find a solution, then elevated the case to leaders at the DHA, which sets policy for the health plan. We have to do something, she told them. Tricare stuck to its denial even after the service members doctor appended a note explaining that continuing the pregnancy would endanger the patients life. That was the first case Thomas had taken on after Dobbs. The second was Nakagawas. Nakagawa and her husband, Matt, met a couple years after earning engineering degrees from the Coast Guard Academy in the mid-2000s. Their path to a family was long and bittersweet. In 2015, they suffered a miscarriage. A year later, their first daughter was born. Then came a second miscarriage, followed by the birth of a healthy girl. For the next three years, they tried for another child. Then Nakagawa got pregnant in 2021, only to learn at 10 weeks there was no fetal heartbeat. She waited, hoping to miscarry naturally, then tried abortion pills. When a follow-up exam showed she hadnt passed all the fetal tissue, her OB-GYN scheduled a D&C. The procedure was approved by Tricare, and she had the surgery soon afterward. By early 2023, Nakagawa had risen to become chief of engineering at the Coast Guards training center in Petaluma, California, and her husband had left the service and was supporting her as a stay-at-home dad. They were thrilled to learn she was pregnant, only to have their joy turn to devastation when two ultrasounds showed that once again, her fetus had no heartbeat. This time, since abortion pills hadnt worked in 2021, Nakagawa and her OB-GYN agreed the best course would be to schedule a D&C as soon as possible. Her doctors office scheduled the procedure for Monday, April 3, and requested approval in advance, or prior authorization, from Tricare. Then, five hours before the procedure was scheduled to begin, the office told Nakagawa the surgery was canceled Tricare had refused to cover it. In its denial letter, Health Net Federal Services, the contractor that administered claims for Tricares western region, said the services requested were not a covered benefit. The insurers letter also said it had requested additional information from Nakagawas doctor, but that the information had not been sent. (Health Net declined to answer questions from ProPublica about Nakagawa even though she waived her right to privacy.) Her doctor maintains that wasnt the case. She declined to be identified, citing concerns about safety. Tricare has always been difficult to work with for coverage of womens health care they require records more than other insurances this often creates a delay in care, the doctor said via text. The office staff appealed the denial, telling Nakagawa theyd provided documentation of the ultrasounds showing no fetal heartbeat. The staff also told her a Tricare medical director wasnt available to review it that day and that it might take an additional three to five days to get a response. Nakagawa called Tricare for answers herself, only to be told her options were to wait or pay out of pocket not only for the surgery but for any follow-up care, including mental health counseling. It was surreal. I was angry and shaking, Nakagawa said. She couldnt understand why Tricare had approved her D&C in 2021 under similar circumstances, then denied the same care two years later. Overwhelmed by emotion, she climbed into bed and cried herself to sleep. At about 5 p.m., her doctor provided a prescription for abortion pills as a backup plan. But before Nakagawa could pick it up, she started to miscarry. The first signs were mild cramping and spotting. Soon after, the fetus passed. Nakagawa yelled for her husband and sobbed. They consoled themselves with the thought that theyd made it through the hardest part. At least this is over, Nakagawa recalled saying. At least Gods giving us a break for once. Then the hemorrhaging started fist-sized clots of blood that soaked through sanitary pads in minutes. Nakagawa lay in the fetal position on towels, in so much pain she couldnt sit up. Around 9 p.m., her husband called the doctor, who recommended they go to the emergency room. At the hospital, she was given fluids, a clotting drug and a transfusion, but her bleeding continued. After four hours, doctors decided her condition was critical and they needed to intervene. They performed a D&C to remove the remaining tissue. Nakagawas recovery took more than a week. Lying on her couch, unable to walk, she was determined to ensure other service women would get the care she was denied. Taking a risk, she banged out a long email to Thomas, who had a reputation for being approachable. I feel compelled to report a traumatic experience I went through that will undoubtedly impact more women in the CG and DOD if the TRICARE policy is not changed, the email began. The summary is that I nearly lost my life last week due largely to a TRICARE policy regarding miscarriages and abortions. Thomas connected Nakagawa to the Defense Health Agencys chief medical officer, Dr. Paul Cordts, who called her personally a month after her emergency surgery. Nakagawa said that Cordts seemed apologetic and even angry on her behalf. This shouldnt have happened to you, she recalled him saying, adding that hed get to the bottom of what went wrong. (Cordts didnt respond to emails from ProPublica.) Two days later, a new record appeared in Nakagawas Tricare file: a letter approving the scheduled D&C shed never received and no longer needed. Please contact the provider to schedule your appointment(s), it said. Cordts also arranged for Col. John Verghese, Tricares chief of clinical oversight and integration, to look into her case. Nakagawa said she had two calls with Verghese, who looped in a senior official at Health Net, the Tricare contractor that had dealt with the request to cover her D&C. In one, she said, Verghese acknowledged Tricare had become more conservative in reviewing requests for D&Cs, requiring more documentation to justify approving these procedures. (Verghese, who has retired, declined to answer questions from ProPublica about the case.) He admitted that until her case, Tricare hadnt understood that delaying or denying care could put women at risk, she said. This infuriated Nakagawa. I just said, Well, maybe you didnt realize there would be physical negative consequences, but you had to know there would be mental and emotional consequences to making women carry around their [dead] fetuses after a miscarriage. Verghese quickly apologized, she said. On the final call, Nakagawa said that Verghese and the Health Net official told her that from now on, they would no longer require doctors to submit proof of no fetal heart tones to get approvals for D&Cs and would speed up reviews of appeals. In its statement to ProPublica, the DHA maintained that Tricares coverage and documentation requirements for D&Cs have not changed. Nakagawa is one of few women in senior leadership within Coast Guard civil engineering. She remains committed to serving in the military. But she worries about the impact the Defense Departments reproductive health policies could have on service members and their spouses and daughters. Junior members especially might be less able to advocate for themselves, she said. At the very least, this policy will likely encourage women, like myself, to work for a company that has insurance that will cover these procedures, she said, At the worst, it will lead to service members or their dependents losing their lives. Marines with Skin Condition Affecting Mostly Black Men Could Now Be Booted Under New Policy A new Marine Corps policy says troops with a genetic skin condition that can cause pain and scarring from shaving and mainly... DAKAR, Senegal Niger's ruling junta suspended the BBC for three months over the broadcaster's coverage of an extremist attack that allegedly killed dozens of Nigerien soldiers and civilians, authorities said Thursday. BBC broadcasts false information aimed at destabilizing social calm and undermining the troops' morale, communications minister Raliou Sidi Mohamed said in letters to radio stations that rebroadcast BBC content. Mohamed asked the stations to suspend BBC's programs with immediate effect. The BBC said it had no comment on the suspension. Popular BBC programs, including those in Hausa the most-spoken language in Niger are broadcast in the Central African country through local radio partners to reach a large audience across the region. The British broadcaster had reported on its website in Hausa on Wednesday that gunmen had killed more than 90 Nigerien soldiers and more than 40 civilians in two villages near the border with Burkina Faso. The French broadcaster Radio France International, also known as RFI, also reported on the attack, calling it a jihadi attack and citing the same death toll. Niger's authorities denied that an attack happened in the area in a statement read on state television and said it would file a complain against RFI for incitement to genocide. Niger, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russias mercenary units for security assistance. But the security situation in the Sahel has worsened since the juntas took power, analysts say, with a record number of attacks and civilians killed both by Islamic militants and government forces. Meanwhile, the ruling juntas have cracked down on political dissent and journalists. Earlier this year, Malian authorities banned the media from reporting on the activities of political parties and associations. Burkina Faso suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a mass killing of civilians carried out by the countrys armed forces. In August 2023, Niger banned French broadcasters France 24 and RFI, a month after its military rulers took power in a coup. Generally speaking, the three juntas censor the media as soon as the security situation in the country is addressed in an unpleasant manner or when abuses are revealed, Sadibou Marong, head of the sub-Saharan Africa office of Reporters Without Borders, told The Associated Press in September. Finding reliable and neutral information on government activities has become extremely complex, as has covering security situation in these countries, Marong added. A wide-ranging veterans policy bill has passed the Senate, but it will need to be approved by the House for a second time before being signed into law. On Thursday evening, the Senate voted by unanimous consent to approve the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which, among other things, would make it easier for aging and disabled veterans to get home- and community-based nursing care. While the bill previously passed the House last month, the version approved by the Senate had "minor technical changes," meaning the House will need to pass it again before it can head to the president's desk, a Senate aide told Military.com. The bill is on the House's calendar to be approved next week, the last before lawmakers take a holiday break. Read Next: New Housing Allowance Rates for Troops Have Been Set for the Coming Year Senators applauded their passage of the bill, which has been a priority of veterans service organizations this year. "The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act will better support veterans, caregivers and survivors by improving access to VA health care and benefits, expanding long-term care programs, strengthening programs for student veterans and military family members and more," Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement. One of the biggest changes in the bill aims to make home nursing care more affordable for veterans by increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs' share of covering the costs of the care from 65% to 100%. The change has been a longtime goal of caregivers and their advocates who say that veterans should be able to live out their final days at home if they choose. Another major element of the bill seeks to bolster veterans homelessness support by increasing the per diem rate the VA can pay to organizations providing short-term transitional housing from 115% of costs to 133%. The bill would also give the VA flexibility to provide unhoused veterans bedding, shelter, food, hygiene items, blankets and rideshare services to medical appointments. The bill was the result of months of negotiations that got bogged down in election season politics and a broader debate about the future of the VA's community care program, which allows veterans to seek care from private doctors using VA funding. The final negotiated agreement includes some provisions aimed at strengthening the community care program, including one that would ban the department from overriding a VA doctor's referral for their patient to get outside care. But other controversial provisions related to community care were taken out of the negotiated bill, including one that aimed to allow more veterans to use non-VA residential mental health and substance abuse programs if the wait for a VA program is too long. Despite the outcome of the negotiations on the Dole Act, the debate over community care is poised to continue into next year, when Republicans will control the Senate and White House, in addition to the House. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., recently introduced a bill to give veterans more access to private care that is expected to be one of his legislative priorities next year. And Moran, who will become the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee next year, suggested he will continue pushing for the residential treatment provisions that got taken out of the Dole Act. "While I look forward to the enactment of this bill and the good it will do for veterans and their loved ones, I am disappointed that it does not address access to care for veterans in need of residential care to help them overcome mental health or substance use issues," Moran said in his statement about the Dole Act. "As chairman, I will prioritize making certain these veterans receive the support they need to succeed." Related: House Approves Wide-Ranging Veterans Bill After Bipartisan Compromise Reached The Nationals have signed lefty Konnor Pilkington and right-hander Clay Helvey to minor league deals, per a team announcement. Both will be in major league camp as non-roster invitees this spring. Pilkington, 27, has pitched in parts of two seasons with the Guardians (2022-23) and carries a career 3.75 ERA in 60 innings. Fielding-independent metrics are more bearish thanks to worse-than-average rate stats, including a 19.5% strikeout rate, 12.4% walk rate and 39.9% ground-ball rate in that time. He sits just over 92 mph, on average, with his heater and complements the pitch with a low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup. Though hes worked both as a starter and reliever in his professional career, Pilkington has seen the bulk of his work come out of the rotation. Hes had a very rough go of it in Triple-A, thanks in part to a pair of seasons with the D-backs system and their extraordinarily hitter-friendly environment in Reno, though environment alone cant explain away the southpaws 6.80 ERA in 209 frames at that level. Hell get a chance to compete for a spot on the Nats staff, be it in the bullpen or rotation, and will otherwise head to Rochester to serve as depth. Helvey, 28 in February, was a 22nd-round pick by the Giants in 2018. Hes spent his entire career in San Franciscos system, most recently pitching 71 1/3 innings of relief with Triple-A Sacramento in 2024. He posted a 5.17 ERA in that span but also punched out a gaudy 30.5% of his opponents albeit against an unsightly 11.1% walk rate. Missing bats has never been an issue for Helvey, whos punched out 28% of his opponents in his pro career. Command has been a persistent struggle, however, evidenced by his lifetime 12.9% walk rate. DETROIT - Its a little taste of Vegas in Michigan as Cirque du Soleil brings some holiday cheer for all ages just in time for Christmas. Twas the Night Before is Cirques first-ever holiday production. Its based on the classic poem A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore. The show will be at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit from Friday, December 20 through Tuesday, December 31 with afternoon and evening shows most days. Tickets can be purchased here. The shows stage director and writer says when he was tasked with putting this production together, he was surprised Cirque didnt have a holiday show yet. I was always surprised they already have one, James Hadley told MLive. Because Cirque is all about surprise, wonder and excitement. So, we got right to work. Hadley says there are multiple productions of this show taking place across the country during the holidays, with each show featuring more than two dozen artists from around the world. At the studio in Montreal, at one point, we had 200 people all working in different ways for four different shows with 26 artists per show. It was an enormous job. Hadley says, while this is a Vegas-style production, because its designed for theaters, the show will be a little different than what youd see in Vegas. From the beginning, we knew this show was going to be at theatrical venues, so its more intimate than a show in Vegas and its much more theatrical, so we have a linear storyline and I wanted to make sure we had a story to hang the whole show around. When Cirque says the show features performers from around the globe, it isnt kidding. We have Americans and Canadians and we have performers from China, Ukraine, Russia, South America... so they really come from all over. It just depends on their specialties. The casting department just scours the earth for the best of the best. And its not just the visuals with this production. The show also features holiday music re-invented by Cirque. People mention to me all the time about how much they love the music. We have a fantastic composer who not only wrote a lot of new music for the show, but re-orchestrated some Christmas classics that we all know. IF YOU GO MOUNT CLEMENS, MI -- A Westland man was convicted by a jury Thursday on two counts of moving violation causing death in connection with a June 6 crash that left two people dead. Jose Medina-Hernandez, 33, faces up to one year in jail for his conviction. On the day of the crash, Medina-Hernandez was driving a box truck along M-53 in Shelby Township when he rear-ended a Buick Verano, triggering a chain-reaction of crashes that involved two other vehicles. The two people who were in the Verano, 88-year-old Nancy Richmond and 63-year-old Crystal Brunn were killed in the crash. Thank you to the Macomb County jury who delivered justice for the families who lost their loved ones in this tragic and preventable crash. Our hearts remain with the victims families as they continue to heal from this devastating loss, said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido. ST. CLAIR COUNTY, MI A water main break has left residents of a small, Michigan island without running water. According to officials in Clay Township, the issue is believed to have occurred somewhere in the North Channel near Harsens Island, an island at the mouth of the St. Clair River on Lake St. Clair near the Canadian border. Freezing temperatures and snow had already been in the area. Clay Township has declared a state of emergency and dive teams will be trying to locate the leak, but windy conditions and waves have hampered and delayed the efforts, officials said. Its going to be very complicated. The waterline was put in 1978, and theyve never had a failure until today, Justin Westmiller of Homeland Security told Fox 2 in Detroit. First we need to find where its broken. Theres about 1800 feet of water pipeline under there, and its buried a couple feet below the bottom. But, we need to find where that break is, and then decide the course of action. In the meantime, residents can pick up water rations at the fire department on La Croix. My office is aware of the water main break affecting Harsens Island. St. Clair County Homeland Security and Emergency Management are on the scene and working with state and local authorities to resolve the matter, Rep. Lisa McClain said in a statement. If you are located in the affected zone, I urge you to follow the guidelines set forth by the locality and reach out to Clay Township if you need emergency assistance. Its estimated that 600 homes, or 1,500-2,000 people, on the island are without water, according to WXYZ-TV in Detroit. SWARTZ CREEK, MI -- One of the nearly 1,500 sentences President Joe Biden commuted this week is that of a Swartz Creek man who pleaded guilty to wire fraud after operating a $72 million Ponzi scheme. Gregory McKnight, 64, ran a company called Legisi Holdings, where he solicited investments and promised high returns for more than 3,000 investors. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Growing up, large families seemed to be the norm. In our home, there were my two sisters, three brothers and my parents. Our family of eight was smaller than more than a few neighbors. I cherished the close bond of having a large family. Our house never seemed crowded, nor did I feel like I needed to vie for attention. This holiday season I have reflected on our many traditions at Christmas. Reporter John Agars story about Adoption Day made me smile, reading about the joy of foster kids joining their forever families, with 19 adoptions finalized. In less than two weeks, they will get to make good memories, sharing in the traditions of their new families. The Kent County 17th Circuit Court, Family Division, celebrated its 28th annual Adoption Day this month. It is intended to increase awareness about the need for adoptive families. The story that got a lot of interest from readers this week was the top 10 high schools in the Grand Rapids area with the highest SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) scores. The standardized test can be important in college admissions. Reporter Danielle James, with graphics from data reporter Scott Levin, shared the school scores, ranking and percentage of students deemed college ready. Five schools are among the top 20 schools in Michigan: Grand Rapids Public Schools City High/Middle School, East Grand Rapids High School and all three high schools in Forest Hills Public Schools, with an average score of 1118.6 or higher. Danielle also told readers the results of MLives survey, asking readers for their thoughts on top nightlife destinations in Grand Rapids. Over half of respondents said they preferred two downtown spots - The B.O.B. and Tin Can. Meanwhile, reporter John Tunison told readers about former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr, charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Black motorist Patrick Lyoya, being scheduled for trial on April 28. John also told us about the severance deals the Ottawa County Commission approved Tuesday that are expected to cost more than $280,000, with interim Administrator Ben Wetmore and Executive Aide Jordan Epperson. Reporter Brian McVicar shared some concert news. The Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority unanimously signed off on a 25-year, no-bid contract for Live Nation to provide promotional and booking services at Acrisure Amphitheater, the 12,000-capacity venue, which is being built at 201 Market Ave. SW, is expected to open by summer 2026. Reporter Ehren Wynden had business news for lovers of bourbon. He told readers about a specialty bourbon 10 years in the making that New Holland Brewing is bringing back Saturday for the holidays. Dragons Milk Origin 10 is expected to sell out fast at the brewpub at 66 E Eighth St. in downtown Holland. Ehren also told us about the new Homewood Suites by Hilton at 625 South Point Hotel Dr. in Holland. The four-story hotel features 123 suites that include a full kitchenette. Thats what caught our eye in the Grand Rapids area this week that interested readers. Take a look at those headlines, and others, below. Ex-police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya has murder trial date finally scheduled Here are the top 10 Grand Rapids area high schools with the highest SAT scores 2 downtown spots dubbed top Grand Rapids nightlife locations by readers in survey Separation deals for Ottawa County government executives to cost more than $280,000 See which 11 private Grand Rapids area high schools are among the most expensive to attend Families, children celebrate adoptions during Kent Countys 28th annual Adoption Day New hotel opens on Hollands south side Superintendent Leadriane Roby rated effective by Grand Rapids school board, gets 3% raise Grand Rapids board inks 25-year, no-bid Live Nation amphitheater contract New Holland Brewing will soon release limited bourbon aged 10 years About Hello, Grand Rapids: Each week, we deliver the big headlines straight to your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter here. Monica Scott is the editor for MLive Media Groups The Grand Rapids Press and Muskegon Chronicle, who was a reporter who previously covered the city, county and schools in Grand Rapids. WYOMING, MI For years, Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood recalls driving past the vacant, 75-acre slab of concrete off 36th Street that once was a giant General Motors plant, wondering if the sprawling forlorn property would ever see new life. This has been an eyesore in the city for a long time, he said. Weve had several tries and several attempts (to redevelop it) and nothing ever worked out. We just thought, Is it ever going to happen? After over a decade of attempts to redevelop the site, the 75-acre property is finally seeing movement. Construction has begun on a new 315,000-square-foot Benteler Automotive plant that will create electric battery parts for Ford. Right next-door, Corewell Health is building a massive consolidated service center, and a third developer is expected to be finalized soon. RELATED: Eyesore to economic engine: Old GM plants rebirth to add 500 new jobs Wyoming city leaders are thrilled about the economic impact of the redevelopment of the former General Motors stamping plant site, known as Site 36, Vanderwood said. The three new employers coming to the site will create nearly 500 new good-paying jobs, hopefully drawing new families to the growing city of Wyoming, located just 10 minutes southwest of downtown Grand Rapids. Its going to really be nice to have actual businesses and workers pulling in and out of here, Vanderwood said. City leaders and Benteler officials celebrated the official groundbreaking of the new facility at 4011 Stafford Ave. SW on Thursday, Dec. 12. Construction already kicked off on the site in September, but the project recently celebrated a boost in funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The new facility is expected to be up and running in 2026. RELATED: New EV battery plant in Grand Rapids suburb gets $1.4M state grant The new Wyoming plant will be Bentelers seventh facility in the U.S., in addition to another facility also in Wyoming, at 3721 Hagen Dr. SE, as well as the companys headquarters in Auburn Hills. Benteler considered building the new EV plant in Florida and South Carolina, which would have saved the company on labor and building heating costs. But ultimately Benteler chose to build the facility in West Michigan because the region has proven itself to be a source of reliable, great talent, said Executive Vice President Steve Bates. The Hagen plant is a mile away, and every guy over there has 20 years of great experience in our company, and we needed to rely on that for this new building, Bates said. For us, it really was about that access to resources, to our own people. You can draw in people to build a place, but to get it successful, you need your own breed of people. So it was about the people. Benteler, a German automotive supplier, plans to use the Wyoming assembly plant to produce V801 Ford transit van battery components for commercial vehicles. The operation will mostly include welding, coating and painting, to supply 160,000 parts per year for at least a decade. While some may consider a $105 million electric vehicle battery plant to be a risky investment, Bates said Benteler felt comfortable making such a huge investment because the battery parts will be made specifically for commercial vehicles. Benteler is also working with Ford on a sister project in Turkey to make the same battery components, which could be a solution if the market here fluctuates, he said. The EV market -- everybodys nervous about it, he said. No volumes are guaranteed. Our passion for this project was, its a commercial vehicle. Emerson Galina, President Americas of the Benteler Automotive Components Division, called the Wyoming plant a major investment that represents the companys commitment to e-mobility. Ive been on the board six years, and this is the biggest investment weve approved for a single project, for a single customer, ever, he said. I tried to retrieve the data from the past, there was no other project of this magnitude. This is very important because this shows trust into the country, trust in the team and trust in Ford. The project is expected to create 147 new jobs. Just over half of those will pay a starting wage of $21.62 per hour plus benefits, and the rest will have starting wages ranging from $23.80 to $67.31. Site plans were approved for the project by the Wyoming City Council in September. RELATED: New $105M automotive parts facility planned for Grand Rapids suburb UPDATE: During boil water advisory, risk of harm slim to none for Jackson residents, officials say JACKSON, MI - A boil water advisory has been issued for water customers in the city of Jackson, as well as select properties in surrounding townships. A malfunction at the Jackson Water Treatment Plant could cause bacteria to be released in the water supply within the city limits, as well as parts of Summit, Blackman and Leoni townships serviced by city water, officials said in a news release. This incident triggered a mandatory advisory from the State of Michigan, officials said. Tests of the water supply have not shown any bacteria, officials said in the release. However, its important for our customers to know what happened. Important information on what to do with drinking water during the advisory can be found on the citys website. As a precaution, residents are advised to boil tap water for one minute before using to kills any potential bacteria. City officials plan to update the community on the status of this advisory on Sunday, Dec. 15 following further testing. If customers are unsure if they receive their water from the City of Jackson, a water service coverage map is also available on the city website and social media pages. Its important to know that not everyone in the Jackson area receives their drinking water from the city, despite having a Jackson address, so residents are asked to reference the coverage map," officials said. More information about the advisory will be posted on the city website, and updates will be sent through the CodeRED system and will be posted on the city website and social media. A news conference about the advisory is planned for 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, in the second-floor City Council Chambers of City Hall, 161 W. Michigan Ave. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter. KALAMAZOO, MI Three 410-square-foot tiny homes are ready to open on Kalamazoos Northside, at North Street and Westnedge Avenue, and will be filled with residents by the end of December. The tiny houses were built for people with a history of substance abuse or a criminal record. These people are often denied housing because of their past, said Tobi Hanna-Davies, HOPE Thru Navigation communications manager. Helping Other People Exceed (HOPE) Thru Navigation broke ground at 447 W. North Street in April. Applicants must have been impacted by the criminal justice system, be at least a year sober and able to pay rent set at $1 per square foot a month. Tenants can stay as long as they meet those requirements, said Gwendolyn Hooker, HOPE Thru Navigation CEO. Ideally, theyll be able to save up, establish credit and transition into a home or apartment within two years. Its an opportunity for them to dream, Hooker said. That dream might be buying a home. Or starting a business. Each home has a living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom with space for a stacked washer and dryer. Despite the limited footprint, high ceilings and natural light create a spacious feel. The kitchen tucks into a sidewall of one of three tiny houses of HOPE in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. The houses aim to provide permanent, affordable, supportive and safe housing for adults without dependents who have a criminal background and/or substance use disorder history and meet eligibility requirements.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com About 25 people filled the unfurnished living room and kitchen during a ribbon cutting on Thursday, Dec. 12. Some stood in the open spaces where a dishwasher and stove will later go, between marble countertops. Others stood in the doorway of the bathroom, enjoying its heated tile floor, or wandered into the bedroom where voices floated in over the partial wall. Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson addresses community stakeholders who gathered to cut the ribbon on three tiny house of HOPE in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. The houses aim to provide permanent, affordable, supportive and safe housing for adults without dependents who have a criminal background and/or substance use disorder history and meet eligibility requirements.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com Each home costs about $180,000, Hooker said. Details like cabinet hardware and appliances were cut to stay on budget. Instead, the organization is relying on appliance and furniture donations to fill the homes, Hooker said. A commercial space, where residents can get on-site job training and support services, will break ground on the property in spring 2025, Hooker said. Job training will focus on construction, computer skills and cutting hair, said Hanna-Davies. For now, the organization will give support through partnerships with local organizations. Kalamazoo community stakeholders gathered to cut the ribbon on three tiny house of HOPE in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. The houses aim to provide permanent, affordable, supportive and safe housing for adults without dependents who have a criminal background and/or substance use disorder history and meet eligibility requirements.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com Three more tiny homes are planned across the street, Hooker said. Eventually, she wants to build 24 of them throughout the city. I didnt know anything about development when I started this, Hooker said. I learned to really lean on people that have the expertise. When Hooker dreamed up the tiny house project in 2018, the city hadnt yet passed its non-discrimination ordinance or made zoning changes to allow for secondary housing units on a lot zoned for single-family homes. HOPE thru Navigation raised $82,000 at Mingles for Shingles house parties in the community before going to city and county officials for additional funding, Hooker said. The county contributed $300,000 from its Homes for All millage and another $100,000 came from the city in 2022. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. BERRIEN COUNTY, MI A man was killed in a crash with multiple vehicles including a truck pulling a camper trailer and a semitruck hauling gravel, the Berrien County Sheriffs Office reports. At 5:11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, police and emergency responders were called to northbound I-196 at Hagar Shore Road for an injury rollover crash involving multiple vehicles. Police found a semitruck hauling two trailers of gravel was involved, along with a Dodge pickup pulling a camper trailer and a Chevrolet Equinox. Investigators found the driver of the Chevy Equinox unresponsive and pinned in his vehicle. Crash investigators found the Dodge pickup truck and camper, driven by a North Carolina man, was headed north on I-196 when a vehicle began to pass on the left and swerved toward the truck, causing the driver of the Dodge to make an evasive maneuver to avoid a crash. The pickup and camper struck a guardrail and jackknifed, sliding to a stop and blocking both lanes of travel. A northbound Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Jimmy Cunningham Jr, 58 of Mishawaka, Indiana, swerved to the left to avoid the truck but struck the Dodge in the front, striking the guardrail and coming to rest on the left shoulder. A man was killed in a crash with multiple vehicles Friday, Dec. 13, on northbound I-196 at Hagar Shore Road.(Courtesy | Berrien County Sheriff's Office) Then, a Kenworth semitruck pulling two dump trailers with 160,000 pounds of gravel drove to the left shoulder to avoid the Dodge as its driver attempted to slow down. The semitruck struck the Equinox that was stopped on the shoulder. The chain-reaction crash caused the dump truck to slide toward the median and the rear trailer flipped over, dumping its load. The semitruck had just picked up a load of gravel in Niles and was headed to Ludington, police said. Cunningham was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Western Michigan School of Medicine in Kalamazoo for an autopsy, police said. The vehicle involved in the initial interaction with the Dodge pickup has not been identified and no description was obtained. The Berrien County Sheriffs Office asks if you were in the crash area and may have observed or witnessed anything to contact Berrien County Public Safety Dispatch at 269-983-3060, or the Berrien County Sheriffs Detective Bureau at 269-983-7141, Ext. 7224. The crash remains under investigation. Road conditions and alcohol/drugs are not factors in this crash, police said. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. OTSEGO, MI -- Otsego Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Haase will be retiring on June 30, 2025. Haase has been superintendent of OPS for 11 years, according to a news release from the district. Hes retiring to spend more time with his family, the release said. I am proud of what we have accomplished and confident that the district is in an excellent position to plan for the future, Haase said in the release. During his tenure, Haase implemented the Early College Allegan County program, increased literacy and reading excitement and helped pass the 2016 sinking fund to implement safety and security measures and facility improvements, the release said. The district also passed bond extension requests in 2017 and 2020 to construct a new early childhood education center, build a new aquatic center and buy new technology for students. The district is planning to ask voters for another bond extension in May 2025, the release said. Our district has remained a destination district because of the support of the community. The pride is something you can feel here and its resulted in incredible facilities and opportunities for all, Haase said in the release. Haase also received the Michigan School Public Relations Association Superintendent Communicator of the Year award in 2023. The Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) will facilitate the search for a new superintendent. The district will release a survey in early January seeking community feedback about what they want in a new superintendent, according to the release. The OPS Board of Education plans to interview candidates for the position by late March 2025. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. MUSKEGON, MI - Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson called the recent vandalism of a Black-owned businessmans vehicle abhorrent and unacceptable. Johnson said during Tuesdays city commission meeting that he felt compelled to acknowledge the incident at Big Weezys Kitchen, 1125 West Hackley Rd, that police are investigating. Owner Tawayne Davis said on Monday, Dec. 9, the letters KKK were spray-painted on the side of his SUV parked at the restaurant, with the windows smashed out and gasoline inside. He said he felt it was racially motivated. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is a hate group with a history of violence. I want to repudiate it, Johnson said at the Dec. 10 meeting. I have no doubt that this entire city commission and the entirety of our organization finds that act abhorrent and unacceptable. A neighbor called Davis around 1 a.m. after seeing someone on the property. Given the gasoline in the vehicle, Davis said the person most definitely intended to also start a fire. I was just wondering, why? Davis said. I really dont think its the neighborhood; I just think its the individual. Big Weezys Kitchen opened in July in Muskegons Campbell Field neighborhood. Davis works alongside three family members at the restaurant. Theyve been showing me a lot of love and support, Davis said, of the neighborhood. Im just going to keep striving. It didnt change my mind about the area - I love it. Theyre going to have to do more than that just to move me out. Davis said while a neighboring business has cameras installed, the suspect was not recognizable on the footage. The Muskegon Police Department could not be reached about the status of the investigation. The logo for Big Weezy's Kitchen, located at 1125 W. Hackley in Muskegon.Photo provided to MLive by Tawayne Davis Want more Muskegon-area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. MUSKEGON, MI Plans to transition ownership of six Samaritas facilities are still underway. The Grand Rapids-based social services nonprofit announced plans in October to divest of five Muskegon-area facilities and one in Scottville, laying off 52 employees in the process. The layoffs were expected to be finalized around the end of November, but with the search for new ownership ongoing, Samaritas will maintain operations of these facilities and keep all 52 staff members, Kelli Dobner, chief growth officer at Samaritas, said. Samaritas has committed to keeping the homes fully operational and under the same care until those new providers are in a position to takeover, so it will be a seamless transition of care, she said. The six locations are homes for people with disabilities at 599 S Brooks Road, 1635 Hansen St., 1271 Ducey Ave. and 1231 Horton Rd. in Muskegon, 2760 E Mararebecah Lane in Muskegon Township. and 314 N Main St. in Scottville. Dobner said it could take six to eight months for a new provider to be identified and assume ownership. Samaritas is in discussions with a potential buyer, but the name of the organization was not disclosed. Samaritas is working with the respective community mental health agencies, such as HealthWest in Muskegon, that have jurisdiction over these homes to ensure a smooth transition. CEO Dave Morin said in October that the divestment of these facilities was part of Samaritas strategy to narrow its focus to child and family services and turn over assisted living care to organizations that do this very specifically and can provide as good or better service. Samaritas previously divested its senior living properties over the past two years as part of this renewed focus. Want more Muskegon-area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. BAY CITY, MI A more than three-month investigation into the district credit card spending of six current and former Bay City Public Schools administrators revealed no questionable trends, according to a forensic audit report prepared by a financial advisory firm and made public this week. The findings, district officials said in a statement issued Thursday, Dec. 12, showed that while there were some expenses in the past that could have been more carefully considered, no wrongdoing was found. In September, the Board of Education updated Board policies and guidelines that put further restrictions and controls in place for district credit card spending, the statement reads. These updates have proven to be effective since their adoption and implementation in September. The audit was launched following allegations that district officials were excessive in their spending with district credit cards. The claims were raised earlier this year by members of the local teachers union, the Bay City Education Association. Those claims heightened when Superintendent Stephen Bigelow and the district reached a separation agreement that saw him walk away with a more than $90,000 severance package. In the time since union members first began commenting publicly on the alleged frivolous spending, two other district administrators left on their own volition one before Bigelow and one in November. The district has yet to replace Bigelow on a full-time basis, first hiring former Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow as an interim superintendent and then moving to former Gladwin Public Schools Superintendent Rick Seebeck as Sharrows replacement. Bay City Education Association President Rick Meeth said in a statement the union is committed to working with the school board and new administration going forward. Im satisfied that we are moving forward and not looking back and we will hold everyone to the highest standards, he wrote in a text message to MLive/The Bay City Times. The Audit Attorneys representing the district board of education contacted Rehmann Corporate Investigate Services in August to request a review of credit card transactions on the part of six current and former district administrators from Jan. 1, 2021, to June 2024. The results of that review were shared with the board during closed session Monday, Dec. 9, and obtained by MLive/The Bay City Times via a Freedom of Information Act request after the board voted to waive attorney-client privileges over the report. Prior to the audit, BCPS policy allowed for credit cards to be used for transportation, conferences, hotel reservations, reasonable meal expenses, vendor purchases, safety and security in connection with student trips, and other purchases on a case-by-case basis. Rehmann was tasked specifically with reviewing overnight travel outside the district and to ensure meal per diem guidelines were followed. The district allows meals to be purchased with district credit cards with an allowance of $8 for breakfast, $12 for lunch and $20 for dinner. Meal per diem rates were difficult to compare, investigators wrote in the report, because the majority of the receipts included charges for multiple individuals. Many of the receipts do not contain a list of attendees and thus it cannot be determined if the attendees were District employees or other individuals being entertained in furtherance of District-related business, the report reads. Rehmann CIS learned that it is not uncommon for administrators to entertain non-District individuals who attend the conferences, and the purpose of the meeting is business-related. In these cases, the per diem rates would not necessarily apply. In some instances, there were overnight travel receipts submitted to the district by administrators who had individual meal receipts. No instances were identified where the administrator exceeded the per diem rate in an apparent reckless manner, the report reads. If the per diem was exceeded, the amount was within reason and only by a dollar or two. No material excessive amounts were identified. The audit report noted that in the 42-month period it investigated, nearly 98% of credit card transactions were supported with a receipt. Only a few transactions had no supporting documentation. Based upon the in-depth review conducted by Rehmann CIS and the fact that no questionable trends or exceptions were identified, Rehmann CIS concludes that the Board established policies and procedures, as they relate to the utilization of credit/debit cards by District Administrators, are working effectively and sufficient internal controls are in place to minimize any material risk. Rehmann recommended four policies to the district in the wake of its investigation. One addressed meetings during which food was purchased with district cards and called for a form to allow the card holder to explain the purpose of the meeting and detail those in attendance. Another concerned monitoring overnight and out of state travel to provide oversight for any questionable trends of frequent travel by administrators as well as the purpose and necessity of the travel. The district implemented temporary measures that are currently in place that include having board approval for all food and travel charges on district cards. Other recommendations included delineating between out-of-state travel and local purchases. Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw. BAY CITY, MI A Bay City man is facing five criminal charges for allegedly using his 1-year-old son as a human shield and stabbing two police officers as they tried to arrest him. Bay County District Judge Timothy J. Kelly on Thursday, Dec. 12, arraigned 23-year-old Eshawn K. Langston on two counts each of assaulting police causing injury, assault with a dangerous weapon, and fourth-degree child abuse. The first two charges are four-year felonies, while the last one is a one-year misdemeanor. Police around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, went to a residence in the 1100 block of North Jackson Street to arrest Langston for violating his bond. Langston in August was charged with domestic violence against his childs mother and was prohibited from having contact with her, a condition he violated earlier that day, court files state. They found Langston seated in the drivers seat of a locked silver Jeep with his 1-year-old son in the passenger seat, reports state. Officers told Langston they had probable cause he violated bond and he was under arrest. Langston refused to step outside and was screaming and moving around in his car violently enough to shake the Jeep, officers wrote in their reports. Langston cursed at the officers, who told him they would break the Jeeps windows to extract him, reports state. Langston then grabbed his son and put him on his lap. Civilian relatives stood nearby trying to deescalate the volatile situation, urging Langston to surrender or give up his son. Officers smashed a rear passenger window. Langston began punching the window and door, swinging his infant son around the front seat of his vehicle, officers wrote. Langston revved the Jeeps engine as he held his son on his lap, police reports state. Langston put the Jeep in drive and rammed a 2002 Ford Police Interceptor, pushing it about 10 feet, reports state. An officer reached into a shattered window and tried unlocking the door, at which point Langston cursed again and told officers they would have to kill him, reports state. An officer reached into an open passenger door, turned off the Jeeps ignition, grabbed the baby, and passed him off to his mother who stood nearby. Officers struggled with Langston as they pulled him from the Jeep, stunning him with a Taser at one point. Once they had him on the ground and handcuffed, two of them realized they had been wounded, according to police. A sergeant suffered a stab wound to his lower abdomen. A patrol officer had a gash on his right thigh, which one of his peers addressed on-scene with a tourniquet. Police found an 8-inch folding knife under Langston, their reports state. Investigators reviewed officers body-worn camera footage and spotted Langston holding the knife, reports state. An officer asked Langston why he would stab his colleagues. Why would yall do that with my kid in the car? Langston replied, according to reports. Eshawn was repeating that he was going to beat the case because his child was in the car during some of the incident. Taken to headquarters for an interview, Langston said he blacked out after police broke his Jeeps window. The two wounded officers were taken to the McLaren Bay Region hospital emergency room for treatment. They were discharged within a few hours. The police vehicle incurred an estimated $3,358 in damage, reports state. Langstons criminal record includes a conviction of attempted assault on police out of Saginaw County, for which he was sentenced to six months probation on June 5. Judge Kelly set Langstons bond at $25,000 cash. Langston is to appear for a preliminary examination at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 23. SAGINAW, MI Police have arrested a suspect in Saginaws most recent fatal shooting, that of a local business owner and athlete. Michigan State Police troopers on Tuesday, Dec. 10, arrested the 41-year-old man in Bay City on a warrant hed been wanted on since January charging him with two counts of possession of controlled substances-analogues. While he was in custody the next day, prosecutors charged him with open murder, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and three counts of felony firearm. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Johannesburg The much-watched, and often controversial, couple from the Moja Love reality show Isencane Lengane, Thando and Siyacela Dlamuka, have officially ended their marriage. The announcement, made by Thando herself during an appearance on the Meaningful Conversation with Zandy Mfeka podcast, brings to a close a relationship that has captivated and, at times, shocked viewers for years. Thando revealed that the decision to separate was driven by years of alleged physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Siyacela. Initially he was good, hed bring me lunch at school but hes always been controlling. He isolated me from my friends and I wasnt allowed to talk to boys at school. Eventually I wasnt allowed to go to school, hence I didnt finish matric, she explained. The marriage, which began when both Thando and Siyacela were just teenagers Thando 15 and Siyacela 16 was met with disapproval from Thandos mother from the start. Thando admitted to ignoring the concerns of her mother and social workers who tried to intervene. I was young and naive, I was deeply in love and I knew nothing about marriage. My mother was against this marriage but I forced my way out. I just didnt know any better. But today I can see I made a huge mistake. I should not have married him, in fact Id be far in life if he wasnt part of my life, she said. The relationship had deteriorated significantly over time, with Thando describing a complete lack of intimacy and connection. The spark is gone, were no longer intimate and we dont spend time together anymore. Were more of a brother and a sister. He still protects me, but we both know theres nothing left for us. Were emotionally divorced. Its only a matter of time before I formally call it quits and leave him for good, she stated. Their tumultuous relationship has played out publicly on Isencane Lengane, often showcasing Siyacelas controlling behaviour. However, this latest revelation confirms long-held suspicions among viewers about the true nature of their union. Thandos decision to finally speak out about the abuse is a significant step, shedding light on the darker side of their high-profile relationship. The couples relationship first gained national attention in 2019 when they married as teenagers. Their story, however, has been far from a fairytale. Five months ago, Siyacelas comments on the show about Thandos sexual performance ignited a public outcry. His frank and disrespectful statements caused significant distress to Thando and her family. In July of this year, Thandos mother, Ntombikayise Msomi, publicly addressed Siyacelas behaviour, expressing her outrage at his humiliating remarks on national television. I dont have a problem with Siyacela, but he needs to remember that Thando has a mother, Ntombikayise said. When he claims my child doesnt satisfy him in bed and broadcasts it on TV, its offensive and insults me. He must never do that again, especially since my brothers and other family members were also watching. My family is furious, she added, highlighting the pain and humiliation caused by Siyacelas actions. She suggested that if Siyacela was unhappy, he should address his concerns privately or allow Thando to return home. Siyacelas response was to express his desire to avoid any further contact with Thandos mother. I dont know how to describe her. I no longer want her in my life, and I dont even want her near Thando, he said. Sunday World reached out to Siyacela for comment on the separation, but he had not responded by the time of publication. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Yves here. New York Citys Mayor Eric Adams complained early and often about how the Biden liberalization of southern border entry resulted in a migrant influx that taxed city services, particularly to the homeless. That plus his former life as a police officer makes it not surprising that he would like to cooperate with the Trump Administration push to round up criminal illegal immigrants. But how does this square with sanctuary city laws? Note that it is not clear that Trumps campaign will be anywhere near as aggressive as originally signaled. Early talk of mass deportations which would take a massive amount of resources, appear to have been scaled back to a still pretty tall order of finding and removing the roughly 1.3 million immigrants with final deportation orders. As for the idea of deporting criminals, the numbers are not negligible but does include those who already left the US on their own. Nevertheless, from NBC in 2024: According to ICEs fiscal year 2023 budget justification, there were 405,786 convicted criminal immigrants on the non-detained docket as of June 5, 2021, just under five months after Trump left office, indicating many crossed during the Trump administration. As of July of this year, according to the data provided by ICE to Rep. Gonzales, over 435,719 convicted criminal immigrants were on ICEs non-detained docket. As the article below explains, Adams would like to cooperate with acting ICE director on criminal removals. It points out that Adams ducked the question of exactly what criminal meant in this context, as in whether it included suspects, who do have due process rights. But it would seem that ICE detention for the purpose of pursing a case against them would not violate due process requirements.1 But Adams is faced with sanctuary city laws enacted under the previous mayor, Bill de Blasio. The article below acknowledges that there are carveouts for convictions of various crimes, as opposed to mere charges. Here is where things presumably get messy. If the crimes are or arguably have a Federal nexus (say the alleged crime was committed in another state), the sanctuary city laws do not allow New York City employees to obstruct justice. Presumably all they can do is not cooperate. But where do you draw that line? Gothamist was less measured that THE CITY was below and led with Adams threat to use executive orders to get around the sanctuary city laws. From Gothamist: Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday said he would issue an executive order to amend the citys sanctuary laws during a fiery 10-minute press conference that followed his meeting with Tom Homan, the incoming border czar for the Trump administration. The mayor began his remarks by accusing the press and others of distorting his comments. In recent weeks, Adams has suggested that undocumented New Yorkers are not entitled to due process. He later walked back the statement. He said on Thursday that the city would not be a safe haven for those who have committed crimes, but neglected to specify whether he was referring to people who had been convicted of a crime, or just charged with one Adams, whos faced repeated questions about his stance on sanctuary laws, has been unclear about exactly what additional crimes and circumstances he believes should allow city officials to cooperate with federal immigration officials. On Thursday, he mentioned using executive orders to target repeat offenders. Finally keep in mind that even though Homans has been baring his teeth, his threats against mayors have been limited to one who interfere with the removal of convicted criminals. But as the story below shows, Adams says he will pursue criminals that are engaged in violent activity, which suggests he will go beyond the convicted and will also pursue suspects. By Yoav Gonen, a senior reporter for THE CITY, where he covers NYC government, politics and the police department. Originally published at THE CITY on December 12, 2024 Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday said he and incoming border czar Tom Homan have the same desire when it comes to dealing with migrants, immigrants and the undocumented: To go after those who are committing repeated violent acts. The mayors comments came roughly an hour after he met at Gracie Mansion with Homan, whom president-elect Donald Trump has tapped to serve in his incoming administration. Following the meeting, Adams took questions from the press for about 10 minutes, saying he was keeping it short because reporters have been distorting his views on the topic. Advocates and political rivals have recently accused Adams of hardening his rhetoric on migrants since Trump won the presidency last month. Were going to protect the rights of immigrants in this city that are hard working, giving back to the city in a real way, said Adams. Were not going to be a safe haven for those who commit repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants and long-standing New Yorkers. Immigrant-rights advocates protest outside City Hall against Mayor Eric Adams meeting with incoming-boarder czar Tom Homan, Dec. 12, 2024. Credit: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY The citys ability to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was curtailed under Mayor Bill de Blasio, Adams predecessor. However, both their administrations have allowed local government agencies to cooperate with ICE in cases where undocumented immigrants are convicted of any of about 170 serious and violent crimes. Adams has not specified what power he would like beyond that existing policy. Adams, whos been critical of the administration of President Joe Biden for not providing more financial and other assistance for dealing with an influx of migrants, also said his position on immigration enforcement hasnt changed, despite the growing criticism. Reporters asked Adams Tuesday whether he wants city agencies to cooperate with ICE without having to wait for a conviction of a crime, but he didnt reply. An administration press release later in the day specifically mentioned convictions, saying the mayor is exploring lawful processes to remove from New York City individuals who have been convicted of a major felony and lack legal status to remain in the United States. Adams said hes also asked the City Hall legal team to see whether theyre allowed to speak with ICE attorneys about how to operationalize his and Homans desire to go after violent offenders. He has previously asked his attorneys whether he can address the issue unilaterally through executive orders. Any changes to city law would need approval of the City Council, whose leaders have not indicated a desire to do so. Homan didnt immediately comment publicly on the meeting. But he said earlier this week in Chicago that hes been asked to run the biggest deportation effort in the countrys history and that he plans to start in the Midwest city. If your Chicago mayor doesnt want to help, he can step aside, Homan reportedly said at a holiday gathering of a Republican group. But if he impedes us if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien I will prosecute him. _____ 1 Even the very liberal New York State allows for suspects to be incarcerated without bail, colloquially kept on remand, if they are deemed a flight risk. An illegal alien, with weak/no ties to the community, would be seen as a flight risk. Picks from the Past: October 1951 The Crowninshield Elephant The surprising story of Old Bet, the first elephant ever to be brought to America Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his introductory note to The Scarlet Letter, wrote: Here on the granite steps of the Custom House in Salem, Massachusetts, you may greet the sea-flushed ship master just in port with his vessels papers under his arm in a tarnished tin box. When he wrote this he may have been thinking of his own ancestors, who for over a hundred years had braved the salt spray and gales on ships that sailed the high seas to India and the Orient to bring back precious perfumes, spices, silks, tea, ivory, and other rare products. From the pages of one of these old logbooks, as well as from sea captains letters that have lain forgotten for more than a century and a half in the archives of the Essex Institute, comes an interesting story that was front-page news in its day. This story definitely fixes the date when the first living elephant set foot on American soil. It was on April 13, 1796, and the port was New York. It is the story of an enterprising sea captain who had something of the spirit of the great P. T. Barnum beneath his rugged exterior. [node:667] The logbook, now faded and stained with brine, was written in the handwriting of one Nathaniel Hathorne, the father of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, who later added the w to the family name. He must have been an officer on board the Private Armed Ship America. The captain of the ship America, was Jacob Crowninshield, who came from a family of shippers that ran the firm of George Crowninshield and Sons of Salem. There were five brothers, all in command of ships in trade with India about this time. The America set sail from Calcutta for New York on December 3, 1795. Nothing of interest appears in Nathaniel Hathornes Logbook until Wednesday, February 17, 1796, at St. Helena. This day begins with moderate breezes . . . latter part employed in landing 23 sacks of coffee . . . took on board several pumpkins and cabbages, some fresh fish for ships use, and greens for the elephant. Below is written in large letters ELEPHANT ON BOARD. On February 24, the America stopped at the island of Ascension, where the men got several turtles and saw a large sea lion. The last page in the Log records the sighting of Long Island at 7:00 p.m. on April 11. From the times and distances, it can be estimated that the elephant must have been landed in New York on April 13, 1796. The voyage had been a remarkably calm one. Except for a few squalls, no storms were recorded. The next important information we have concerning the elephant seems to be a clipping from a New York paper dated April, 1796. It reads: The Ship America, Captain Jacob Crowninshield of Salem, Massachusetts, Commander and owner, has brought home an elephant from Bengal in perfect health. It is the first ever seen in America and is a great curiosity. It is a female, two years old. From a pile of letters, sea journals, and charts that have lain securely ensconced in an old sea chest of John C. Crowninshield for well over a century, we can learn something of the human side of the venture. Jacob Crowninshield writing in India to his brothers John and George in command of the Belisarius on the way to India on November 2, 1795, says: We take home a fine young elephant two years old, at $450.00. It is almost as large as a very large ox, and I dare say we shall get it home safe, if so it will bring at least $5000.00. We shall at first be obliged to keep it in the southern states until it becomes hardened to the climate. I suppose you will laugh at this scheme, but I do not mind that, will turn elephant driver. We have plenty of water at the Cape and St. Helena. This was my plan. Ben did not come into it, so if it succeeds, I ought to have the whole credit and honor too; of course you know it will be a great thing to carry the first elephant to America. The fact that the America was the ship that brought the first elephant to the United States is corroborated in An Account of the Private Armed Ship America of Salem by B. B. Crowninshield, also in the Historical Collection of the Essex Institute. This record states that the ship arrived from Calcutta at New York in April, 1797, and mentions that the animal sold for $10,000. He had the facts right except that the year should have been 1796. Various writers on early American events fail to agree on the date of the landing of the first elephant in America. They put it all the way from 1776 to 1833. Much of the confusion seems to be due to the fact that there have been many ships named America. The one that carried the elephant was a French vessel bought for Elias Hasket Derby at the Isle of France by Jacob Crowninshield in 1794. She was insured in March, 1795, and was taken over by Jacob and Benjamen Crowninshield, who immediately sailed for Calcutta. She returned to New York April 13, 1796, and was sold in the early summer. A summary of the travels of the elephant can be traced through newspaper reports and public notices. The first account [is] in The Argus and Green Leaf Advertiser, which on April 23, 1796, and in many succeeding issues advertised the first elephant as being on exhibition in New York at the corner of Beaver Street and Broadway. The next record is from a handbill dated August 18, 1797, advertising the exhibition of the elephant at Boston. On September 5, 1797, the Salem Gazette states that, The elephant will leave town in two days and go to Marblehead for three days. On September 12, the Gazette carried this announcement: The elephant will be exhibited in Beverly at the new house opposite Captain Goodridges. The elephant appears to have been taken south about this time for the winter, and according to harbor reports was brought north to Philadelphia in April, 1798. (This entry evidently misled a writer in the Chicago Inter-Ocean in October, 1895, who claimed this date for the arrival of the first elephant in America.) Mr. E. Savage, one of Americas earliest showmen, exhibited the elephant in Boston on June 25, 1804, and on July 3 it was again in Salem and on view at the Sun Tavern. Top 11 CRIMES Democrat and Liberal law enforcers RARELY EVER arrest or jail anyone for committing unless its conservatives If youve been living in America the past 4 years, then you may have felt like you were living in a third-world country, where there arent many police, the court system barely works, and the judges side with the politicians, who can put anybody in jail at any time for just about anything they claim is a crime. On the flip side, crime is running rampant everywhere, and if youre an illegal immigrant or your skin is a dark color, you can commit all kinds of crimes and your chances of being arrested and jailed are quite slim, compared to white folks who dont like this rogue government and these insane, inconsistent ways of policing society. In America today, the Democrat-Communist government does NOT like when you practice religion. This goes against the immoral society thats festering in all the big cities, where crime is promoted, like violent riots, human trafficking, hardcore drug use, pornography, creepy transgender-style living, and begging for government handouts. In America right now, the word patriot is a dirty word, and to wave or post the American flag means you support white supremacy, racism, and gay bashing. To oppose or question any of the liberal government stances regarding this means you are a domestic terrorist and a threat to democracy, and should be arrested and jailed, without bail, without contacting a lawyer, without due process or right to a trial, and with an indefinite sentence. In America today, if you hate all police and want to defund them, you are allowed (never prosecuted for it) by the liberal, communist government to burn police cars, break into stores in metro cities, do drugs in the streets, defecate on sidewalks, and violently takeover peoples homes, businesses, hotels, and entire apartment complexes. If you are a Democrat politician, or a RINO (think Neocons and Trump haters here) Republican who supports unnecessary wars around the world, insider trading, embezzling millions of newly printed dollars, and running Ponzi schemes like climate change, then you are the top of the food chain and can get away with it all. Top 11 crimes and assault methods that Democrat and Liberal law enforcers hardly ever arrest or jail anyone for committing, unless of course, youre a Conservative #1. Black people engaging in violent protests, including assault, arson, stealing (think BLM and Antifa riots here) #2. Black people attacking police officers, even with deadly force #3. Illegal immigrants committing crimes, including theft, breaking and entering, drug dealing, rape, human trafficking, and voting in American elections #4. Democrat politicians embezzling, laundering tax-payer money, and insider trading #5. Targeting Republican, Conservative, and independent businesses with censorship (should be a violent crime in many instances), debanking, blocking advertising, and other online harassment #6. Spying on Americans and Trumps teams via email, phone calls (wire taps), texts, private videos and chats, etc. #7. Fixing elections with falsified ballots, vote flipping machines, illegal use of voter rolls, and polling workers and election officers putting same ballots through several times #8. Celebrities and politicians engaging in child abuse, rape, prostitution, child pornography, etc. #9. Defamation of character and ginning up fake charges against political adversaries #10. Hacking private information and doxing whistleblowers, political opponents, or anyone publishing truth news exposing Democrat crimes #11. Illegal raids by the FDA, FBI, USDA, EPA of conservative figures, journalist, doctors, scientists, businesses, private citizens, politicians, etc. Tune your apocalypse dial to Preparedness.news for updates on real news about surviving the Democrat-led government aggression, lies, and propaganda thats about to get stomped on in about 6 weeks. #BullyBeatDown Sources for this article include: Censored.news Brighteon.com NaturalNews.com How the digital rupee could redefine Indias financial future Outgoing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Gov. Shaktikanta Das emphasized the pivotal role of India's home-grown central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital rupee, in shaping the country's financial future. The RBI under Das' leadership launched pilot projects for the digital rupee, including retail and wholesale applications, with 16 participating banks and features like offline use and programmability to enhance financial inclusion. Despite modest adoption (one million retail transactions by June), the RBI deputy governor stressed the need for a measured approach, advocating for a phased rollout to fully understand the impact of CBDCs. India's CBDC strategy includes plans for cross-border payments with countries like Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and the UAE, and offline solutions to boost rural adoption. While hailed as a global leader in CBDC innovation, the RBI faces criticism from privacy advocates and human rights activists over concerns about centralized control and potential government abuse. As Shaktikanta Das concluded his tenure as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday, Dec. 10, his vision for India's economic transformation through the adoption of a home-grown central bank digital currency (CBDC) the digital rupee took center stage. Das, who spearheaded the RBI's efforts to embrace emerging technologies, emphasized the pivotal role of the digital rupee in shaping Indias financial future. During his farewell speech, the outgoing RBI governor reflected on his six-year tenure, highlighting the establishment of the RBI Innovation Hub in Bengaluru and the introduction of a regulatory sandbox for fintech innovation. These initiatives were part of a broader strategy to position India as a global leader in digital currency innovation. Das noted that while many central banks worldwide are still in the early stages of CBDC discussions and experimentation, the RBI has emerged as a pioneer with its active pilot projects. The RBI's CBDC pilot, which includes both retail and wholesale applications, features 16 participating banks and has expanded beyond basic payments to explore offline and programmable use cases. The programmability feature, in particular, has been hailed as a significant enabler for financial inclusion, allowing for the precise delivery of funds to targeted beneficiaries. However, adoption has been modest, with only one million retail transactions recorded by late June. This figure, achieved by giving incentives to local banks that embrace the digital currency, falls short of the RBIs initial goal to assess scalability. (Related: Coming economic collapse will be used to close banks and introduce central bank digital currencies.) Despite the slow uptake, RBI Deputy Gov. T. Rabi Sankar emphasized the importance of a measured approach. Last month, Sankar stressed that a full understanding of the CBDC technologys impact is necessary before scaling its usage nationwide. Das had previously advised against a system-wide CBDC rollout without sufficient user data from pilots, advocating for a phased introduction. Privacy advocates warn about dangers of centrally controlled digital ledgers India's CBDC strategy also includes ambitious plans for cross-border payments. The RBI is seeking to expand its instant settlement platform by adding new trading partners in Asia and the Middle East. Currently, the platform operates with agreements with Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Nepal, with plans to include the United Arab Emirates. A Bloomberg report suggested that CBDCs could become the primary settlement mechanism for this platform, further solidifying India's position as a global leader in digital currency innovation. Das' tenure also saw the RBI explore offline solutions for the digital rupee to encourage its use in rural areas with limited online connectivity. By August, the digital rupee pilot program had amassed about five million users. However, the outgoing central bank governor reiterated that there was no rush to standardize the CBDC for the Indian population, emphasizing the need for careful evaluation. One of the key initiatives unveiled during Das' final months in office was the plan to make sovereign CBDC schemes more interoperable through a "plug-and-play" program. This would enable seamless and efficient transactions between different systems, enhancing the digital rupee's potential for both domestic and cross-border payments. Despite India's leadership in CBDC development, the push has not been without criticism. Privacy advocates, human rights activists and liberty-minded individuals have raised concerns about the dangers of centrally controlled digital ledgers and the potential for government abuse. Critics argue that the risks far outweigh the potential benefits in terms of cost and efficiency. As Das steps down, his legacy is marked by a pioneering vision for India's economic future through digital currency innovation. The digital rupee, with its potential to underpin the payment systems of the future, represents a bold step toward a more inclusive and efficient financial ecosystem. However, the journey toward widespread adoption remains fraught with challenges, requiring careful navigation and a commitment to balancing innovation with safeguarding user rights. CryptoCult.news has more stories about the digital rupee and other CBDCs. Watch Brother Nathanael Kapner warning that CBDCs will usher in a One World Government in this clip. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Central banks will begin using digital currencies soon and it won't matter whether people are ready for it. CBDCs will allow police to collect, store personal data for surveillance state, IMF paper reveals. "Over 98%" of worlds central banks are preparing to unleash the global cashless society. Sources include: CoinTelegraph.com 1 Cryptonews.com CoinTelegraph.com 2 Brighteon.com Journalisms cruel dilemma Modern journalism is all about deciding which facts the public shouldnt know because they might reflect badly on Democrats. Blogger Sean Medlock (a.k.a. Jim Treacher) posted that jibe on Twitter back in 2014, and not much has changed since then, except that today the American press finds itself in the middle of a slow-motion cataclysm. (Article by Bill Dunne republished from AmericanThinker.com) Where all the debris finally settles is anybodys guess, but one thing thats been blasted for sure is the medias credibility with the public. Fewer than one in three respondents to a Gallup poll now say they trust the medias reporting a great deal or a fair amount. Its a poll the Gallup organization has been taking since the early 1970s. Back then, the number was 70 percent. What accounts for that remarkable collapse? Well, as the Mike Campbell character in The Sun Also Rises tells how he went bankrupt, it happened gradually, then suddenly. In the case of journalisms credibility, the gradually part was the slide that stretched across three decades since the early Seventies. The suddenly part began in 2016 with Donald Trumps ascent to the White House. Thats when the media establishment threw caution to the wind and marched into what author and media researcher Andrey Mir has dubbed the post-journalism era. The professed ideal of objectivity and fairness in reporting was explicitly abandoned. Trumps unique threat to our nation (per historian Jon Meacham) demanded it. Shortly before election day 2016, New York Times reporter Jim Rutenberg issued the first clarion call to colleagues in a prominent front-page column. He wrote: If youre a working journalist and you believe that Donald J. Trump is a demagogue playing to the nations worst racist and nationalistic tendencies, that he cozies up to anti-American dictators and that he would be dangerous with control of United States nuclear codes, how the heck are you supposed to cover him? Rutenberg answered his own question: throw out the textbook [that] American journalism has been using for the better part of a half-century. Author and former CIA analyst Martin Gurri? calls Rutenbergs incitement a leap vigorously into advocacy. Trump could not safely be covered; he had to be opposed.? Journalists were now staunch allies of the powers that be -- the White House, the FBI, the CIA, the DoJ, all the other branches of the federal bureaucracy. In the old days they fondly told themselves that their mission was to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted, now its comforting the comfortable. No less a press luminary than Dean Baquet, then the executive editor of the New York Times, essentially blessed the new zeitgeist half a year later. Thats when former U.S. Attorney General Robert Mueller came out of retirement to head the investigation into Trumps alleged collusion with Russia for help in getting himself elected. Gurri estimated that within a two-year period the Times alone devoted more than 3,000 articles to the Russia, Russia, Russia story.?The Times and the Washington Post both were garlanded with Pulitzer Prizes.? It was, said Gurri, the first sustained excursion into post-journalism by the American news media, led every step of the way by the New York Times. But that was then, and this is now. Its seven years later with a further plunge in media credibility. It shouldnt be surprising, then, that cracks -- significant cracks -- have appeared in the post-journalism regime. Most shocking to uniformly left-wing newsroom personnel were the decisions, first by the Los Angeles Times and then the New York Times, to refrain from endorsing Kamala Harris for president, as expected. Both papers saw instant staff resignations and many thousands of subscription cancellations. That, however, did not stop Jeff Bezos, owner of the WaPo since 2013 and generally regarded as a liberal in his political leanings, from reading the riot act to his employees. The headline over his column on the WaPos op-ed page was startling enough: The hard truth: Americans dont trust the news media. Under it he wrote: In the annual public surveys about trust and reputation, journalists and the media have regularly fallen near the very bottom, often just above Congress. But in this years Gallup poll, we have managed to fall below Congress. Our profession is now the least trusted of all. Something we are doing is clearly not working. He would not allow his paper, which lost $77 million in 2023 and is heading toward a $100 million loss this year, to stay on autopilot and fade into irrelevance... not without a fight.?Bezos analogized the role of news reporting to voting machines. Like them, he said: We must be accurate, and we must be believed to be accurate. Its a bitter pill to swallow, but we are failing on [that] requirement. Most people believe the media is biased. Anyone who doesnt see this is paying scant attention to reality, and those who fight reality lose. If that wasnt enough of a wake-up call, along came Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times. He announced he is reconstituting the papers editorial board, which includes getting rid of a number of very left members. Soon-Shiong explained he is committed to creating a more balanced and diverse editorial voice, with the hope of better reflecting the political landscape of the United States. He added, the new editorial board will work to offer perspectives across the political spectrum, aiming to foster a broader conversation within the papers pages. Do these smacks upside the head to the media establishment portend any lasting changes? Given recent perusals of the WaPo and the Times, it doesnt look like it. Bezos and Soon-Shiong, after all, are mere business tycoons. What do they know about the blessed profession of journalism? The old Hollywood image of the gruff, rumpled, streetwise newshound, the Pat OBrien type, is long gone. Many reporters and editors in the legacy media today are degreed idealogues. Their mission is not so much to inform as it is to instill proper thoughts in peoples minds. Along came the digital age to upset all that, like the asteroid strike that doomed the dinosaurs. The basic dynamic of the news business, as Martin Gurri tells us in his City Journal article, has been decidedly and permanently turned on its head. Originally it was a means of selling audiences to advertisers; now its advertisers chasing audiences. Those audiences have a million alternative information sources at their fingertips now. If modern journalism continues to see its role as deciding which facts the public shouldnt see for fear of hurting Democrats, its credibility hasnt hit rock bottom yet. Read more at: AmericanThinker.com NASA is hiding crucial details about asteroids that could THREATEN Earth, warns senior SETI Institute astronomer On Dec. 3, a 70-cm asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere and exploded over Siberia. The event underscored the risks posed by larger asteroids, which could cause significant damage or even global disasters. NASA and ESA monitor Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) but cannot cover the entire sky due to limited resources. The Siberian asteroid was detected just seven hours before impact, highlighting the need for better early detection systems. Most advanced telescopes are concentrated in specific regions, leaving "dark zones" vulnerable to undetected asteroids. Amateur astronomers can help fill monitoring gaps with affordable telescopes and citizen science networks. UNISTELLAR, founded by Dr. Franck Marchis, connects amateur astronomers so they can help monitor asteroid trajectories and assess threats. Collaboration with professionals ensures faster and more accurate identification of potential impacts. NASA's DART mission successfully demonstrated asteroid deflection in 2022, but early detection is critical for effective defense. Expanding monitoring networks, which includes amateur astronomers involvement, is essential for identifying threats years in advance. Amateur astronomers and citizen scientists play a vital role in planetary defense by observing and reporting potential threats. Projects like Dark Energy Explorers engage volunteers in galaxy mapping and understanding dark energy, showcasing the power of collective effort in space exploration. The future of planetary defense depends on the collaboration between professionals and citizens to protect Earth from cosmic dangers. On Dec. 3, the small asteroid COWECP5 streaked into Earth's atmosphere and exploded in a fiery display above Siberia. While the event was dramatic, it was ultimately harmless because the space rock was only 70 centimeters across and disintegrated before it could cause any damage. But for people who study asteroids, this near-miss was a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the cosmos. What if that asteroid had been bigger? What if it had been a "city killer?" Earth is far more vulnerable to asteroid impacts than most people realize, and the systems in place to protect the planet are far from perfect. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are tasked with keeping an eye on Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), the term used for asteroids and comets that come dangerously close to the planet. These agencies have sophisticated telescopes and advanced tracking systems, but the reality is that they cant monitor the entire sky all the time. The Siberian asteroid was only spotted by a NASA-funded telescope in Arizona seven hours before it hit Earth. While that might sound like plenty of time, it is actually a dangerously short window. If the asteroid had been larger, it could have caused significant damage on the ground. And if it had been a true "city killer," like the 400-meter-wide asteroid that astronomers feared would hit Earth on Christmas Day in 2004, seven hours would not have been enough time to evacuate millions of people or devise a defense strategy. The fact is, there simply are not enough professional astronomers and telescopes to cover every possible angle. Most of the worlds advanced telescopes are concentrated in a few regions, leaving vast "dark zones" where no one is watching. This means that asteroids coming from certain directions like over Japan or Russia could slip through the cracks. While NASA and ESA are doing their best, they are fighting an uphill battle against the sheer number of space rocks out there. Every day, Earth is bombarded by an estimated 100 tons of space debris, most of which burns up harmlessly in the atmosphere. But every now and then, something much larger and more dangerous appears. Astronomers have identified 36,765 NEOs, including more than 11,000 that are over 140 meters across and 868 that are larger than a kilometer. Out of those NEOs, 1,714 are considered potentially hazardous, meaning there's a non-zero chance they could collide with Earth. But even relatively small asteroids can cause catastrophic damage. The Chelyabinsk meteor, which exploded over Russia in 2013, was only 18 meters in diameter. However, it injured over 1,600 people and damaged more than 7,000 buildings. Larger asteroids, like the one that narrowly missed Earth in 2004, could wipe out entire cities or even trigger global disasters. According to Dr. Franck Marchis, a senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, an asteroid larger than 120 meters will strike Earth about once every 10,000 years. "This shows that, if we want our civilisation to last for a long period of time," he says, "we need to look around us and characterise those objects." (Related: Evidence of alien life could be made public next month, says filmmaker.) Amateur astronomers and planetary defense Marchis explained that the solution lies in recruiting amateur astronomers to help monitor the skies. While professional telescopes are powerful, they are few and far between. On the other hand, amateur astronomers are everywhere and with the right tools, they can make a huge difference. In 2015, Marchis founded UNISTELLAR, a network of citizen astronomers equipped with "smart telescopes" that can track objects in space and share their observations with a global database. When NASA and ESA spot something suspicious, they notify the Minor Planet Center, which alerts amateur astronomers in the UNISTELLAR network. These citizen scientists then use their telescopes to refine the observations, helping confirm the asteroid's trajectory and determine whether it poses a threat. This collaboration proved crucial in the case of the recent asteroid over Eastern Siberia. After it was spotted by NASA, amateur astronomers in Japan and Australia used their telescopes to pinpoint exactly where and when it would hit. Thanks to their efforts, it was determined that the asteroid would burn up in the atmosphere, and no further action was needed. But if the asteroid had been larger, these citizen scientists would have played a key role in identifying the danger zone and coordinating an evacuation. Of course, knowing when an asteroid is coming is only half the battle. If humanity is to survive in the long term, there should also be a way to stop these space rocks before they hit Earth. Fortunately, there's reason for hope. In 2022, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission successfully demonstrated that its possible to deflect an asteroid using a spacecraft. The DART probe slammed into a distant asteroid, knocking it slightly off course. While the full results wont be confirmed until 2026, early data suggests that the mission was a success. However, to deflect an asteroid, Earth must have years of warning, not hours. Thats why its critical to expand current monitoring efforts and identify potential threats as early as possible. By filling in the "dark zones" with small, affordable telescopes, amateur astronomers can help create a global network capable of watching the entire sky all the time. Space agencies need help from ordinary people The truth is, NASA and ESA can't do this alone. They need help from ordinary people with a passion for astronomy. Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or a complete beginner, there's a role for you in planetary defense. All you need is a telescope (or even just a pair of binoculars) and a willingness to look up at the stars. As of writing, astronomers on an ambitious and large-scale galaxy-mapping mission have activated more than 10,000 amateur scientists in 85 countries to help in their quest. They are also currently trying to significantly scale up their volunteer force for a unique project that could reveal for the first time the nature of dark energy. The research project known as the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) is based at The University of Texas at Austins McDonald Observatory. It welcomes volunteers to participate online in a project called Dark Energy Explorers. Using their smartphones or computers, volunteers can take a closer look at the mysteries of the universe while also helping professional astronomers find distant galaxies and learn more about the mysterious force known as dark energy, which is causing the universe to rapidly expand. Since Dark Energy Explorers launched in February 2021, more than 10,000 volunteers have identified an estimated 240,000 galaxies. That is equivalent to at least one-tenth of the number of galaxies that the researchers expect to ultimately find in their survey of a patch of sky that is about the size of 2,000 full moons. The universe is vast and full of mysteries, but its also full of dangers. If humanity wants to protect the planet and the future everyone must work together. Visit Space.news for similar stories about space and space exploration. Watch this clip to find out when scientists will know if asteroids will strike Earth in 2029. This video is from the TruNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Chinas Mars rover may have stumbled across a lost ancient ocean on the Red Planet. Elon Musks SpaceX tapped to rescue 2 astronauts stuck in space aboard malfunctioning Boeing Starliner. Strange blue orb seen speeding past New York City skies. Elon Musk: Aliens could be here on Earth RIGHT NOW. NASA only provided a 7-hour warning before asteroid collided with Earth. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk CapeAndIslands.org SkyAtNightMagazine.com News.UTexas.edu Zooniverse.org Brighteon.com Quebec suicide prevention charity targeted by the city government of Waterloo The suicide prevention charity, founded in 1999, was ticketed by Waterloo for violating a city bylaw by soliciting without a permit. For 25 years, Le Groupe Jaspe, with 70 volunteers, has visited 50 cities and 771 villages across Quebec, saving lives through suicide prevention efforts. The charity is challenging the bylaw in court, arguing that it violates their freedom of expression and religion -- rights protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A victory for Waterloo could set a precedent for restricting religious expression across Canada, potentially silencing organizations sharing beliefs. Previous court rulings have supported religious freedom for organizations like Jehovah's Witnesses, and the 2015 case involving Claude Tremblay provides a precedent that the charity is relying on to fight this new challenge. Suicide prevention charity Le Groupe Jaspe has been ticketed by the city of Waterloo for violating a bylaw by soliciting without a permit. Le Groupe Jaspe, a charity founded by Claude Tremblay in 1999 following the tragic suicide of his son, has tirelessly worked to combat isolation and promote dialogue with vulnerable individuals, particularly those with suicidal thoughts for the past 25 years. The charity, supported by 70 dedicated volunteers, has taken them to the doors of 50 cities and 771 villages across Quebec, delivering a powerful message of hope and the value of life. Their work has saved countless lives, often through the simple act of a volunteer knocking on the right door at the right time. However, this vital work is now under threat. Earlier this year, a volunteer of Le Groupe Jaspe was ticketed for soliciting without a permit in Waterloo. Despite Quebec law explicitly recognizing the right to share moral or religious messages door-to-door, the prosecutor argued that the law has changed since the adoption of Loi sur la Laicite de l'Etat in 2019. This law, designed to promote the separation of state and religion, is being used to argue that religious expression no longer deserves constitutional protection. (Related: Suicide rates in the U.S. seriously underestimated because "drug intoxication suicides" are misclassified, according to public health expert.) The case raises a critical question: Should the state have the power to block religious messages from reaching the public? For Le Groupe Jaspe and its supporters, the answer is no. The charity, with the backing of the Justice Centre, is now challenging the bylaw of Waterloo. They argued that it violates their freedoms of expression and religion -- rights enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec court rulings, which serve as binding precedents, also support their position. This legal battle is set to unfold in early 2025, with the potential to set a precedent that could reverberate across Canada. If Waterloo wins, it could embolden other municipalities to restrict religious expression. This, in turn, could undermine the freedoms of expression, conscience and religion that Canadians hold dear. The separation of church and state, a cornerstone of modern democracy, should not be used as a pretext to silence individuals or organizations that seek to share their beliefs. Furthermore, a victory for Waterloo would not only silence their message but also set a dangerous precedent for religious freedom in Quebec and beyond. Quebec has been stifling freedom of religion This is not the first time Quebec municipalities have attempted to stifle religious expression. In 1996, the city of Blainville passed a bylaw requiring door-to-door canvassers to obtain a $100 permit, leading to the ticketing of 17 Jehovah's Witnesses. Fortunately, the religious group successfully challenged the bylaw, winning their case in the Quebec Court of Appeal in 2003. The court ruled that equating Jehovah's Witnesses with salespeople was an affront to their religious mission and that their outreach addressed critical community issues. Similarly, Claude Tremblay himself was ticketed in 2015 for "soliciting without a permit" while delivering his suicide prevention message in a Quebec village. The court found that the ticket violated his constitutional right to freedom of religion, relying on the 2003 Blainville precedent. Now, Waterloo is attempting to circumvent this precedent by invoking the province's secularism law. Visit Freedom.news for more stories like this. Watch this video about U.S. suicides hitting an all-time high in 2022. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: British lawmakers move forward with bill legalizing ASSISTED SUICIDE in the United Kingdom. Suicide or "suicided" by pharma cartel? Breast cancer clinical trial investigator now DEAD without reasonable explanation. SUICIDE SCIENCE: Boston University creates new chimeric COVID bioweapon with 80% KILL RATE has humanity learned NOTHING? Suicide spike in Japan linked to coronavirus pandemic; Prevention measures must be implemented immediately, experts warn. SUICIDE CULT: Left-wing grandmothers launch new group to demand abortions of grandchildren. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com JCCF.ca Brighteon.com Russia can produce 300 long-range missiles per year, Kyiv intel estimates Moscow is ramping up production of the intermediate-range Oreshnik ballistic missiles and is said to be capable of producing up to 300 missiles annually. This move signals a significant expansion of Russia's military capabilities and regional influence. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to supply Belarus with Oreshnik missiles, a strategic move that could escalate tensions between Russia and NATO, as Belarus borders multiple NATO countries. The Oreshnik missile features a 4,000-kilometer range and multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), making it a game-changer in modern warfare. It can deliver both nuclear and conventional warheads to multiple targets simultaneously. Despite international sanctions, Russia has managed to overcome previous limitations and sustain its production of advanced missile systems. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of current sanctions against Russia. The surge in missile production, coupled with Russia's strategic shift towards regional deployments, could ignite a new arms race, challenging regional stability and prompting neighboring countries to seek countermeasures. The involvement of Western semiconductor companies in producing components for these missiles further complicates the situation. In a stark reminder that the post-Cold War era is truly over, Russia is ramping up the production of its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles, setting off alarm bells across the globe. With the capacity to produce up to 25 Oreshniks monthly, which is equivalent to 300 missiles per year, Moscow is solidifying its military might and hinting at a far broader regional deployment strategy. Most alarmingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to supply Belarus with these powerful weapons, a move that could easily escalate tensions to unprecedented levels. First unveiled during Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, the Oreshnik missile is a technological marvel in the realm of modern warfare. Not only does it boast a staggering range of 4,000 kilometers, but it's also equipped with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), allowing a single missile to strike up to six targets. This capability has instantly made the Oreshnik a game-changer, capable of striking deep into NATO territories with both nuclear and conventional warheads. Given its range and payload, the Oreshnik's ability to shift the balance of power in Europe and beyond cannot be overstated. (Related: Russia pondering an Oreshnik missile strike on Zelensky's HQ in Kyiv.) The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's intelligence assessment points to a significant shift in Russia's production capabilities, with the country apparently managing to overcome earlier sanctions-induced setbacks. Back in 2022, it was reported that Russia's missile inventory was rapidly depleting. Yet, Moscow has managed to not only sustain its current arsenal but also expand it, defying expectations and stirring global anxiety. What makes the Oreshnik's production even more alarming is the potential reallocation of resources away from Russia's intercontinental-range ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The RS-24 Yars system, one of Russia's primary ICBMs, could face reduced production in favor of Oreshnik. While the immediate impact may not seem significant, the long-term implications of such a shift are both concerning and far-reaching. This strategic shift is not merely about enhancing Russia's immediate military capabilities, it's a calculated move to project power and influence across Eastern Europe and beyond. The decision to supply Belarus with Oreshnik missiles is particularly troubling, effectively converting Belarus into a missile-launching platform just steps away from NATO's borders. This kind of regional deployment could very well ignite a regional arms race, with neighboring countries scrambling to counter Russia's growing missile arsenal. More importantly, Russia's ability to continue producing advanced weapons systems despite international sanctions sends a chilling message: the global sanctions regime, at least in its current form, is not fully effective in preventing the arms industry from functioning. This revelation raises critical questions about the future of international sanctions and the lengths to which countries will go to circumvent them. Russia's missile production surge increases the risk of global escalation Journalists from Military Watch Magazine (MWM) have highlighted that the production surge is not just about the numbers; it's about the technological edge the Oreshnik brings. With its ability to carry MIRVs and target multiple locations simultaneously, the Oreshnik is not just a missile it's a strategic game-changer. The implications of this potential arms build-up are dire. As Russia continues to expand its missile capabilities, the risk of accidental or deliberate escalation increases exponentially. The regional stability that has been painstakingly cultivated over decades could crumble under the weight of a new arms race. Moreover, the fact that these missiles are being produced using components manufactured by Western semiconductor giants, despite sanctions, is a sobering reminder of the porous nature of international regulations. Companies like Texas Instruments, XILINX, AMD and others are unwittingly contributing to the enhancement of Russia's military capabilities, undermining international efforts to contain Russian aggression. Russia's actions are not just a reflection of its ambitions; they're a call to arms for the global community. Will diplomatic channels, economic sanctions, and technological countermeasures be enough to prevent a full-blown arms race, or are we on the brink of a new Cold War? Watch the video below that talks about how fast the Oreshnik missile can hit U.S. bases all around the world. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Russian state media says Oreshnik missiles can hit American bases within minutes. Putin vows to massively expand stockpile of Oreshnik hypersonic missiles as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine. Putin says Russia's new hypersonic Oreshnik missile is like a meteorite that can reduce everything to dust. Russia unveils hypersonic "Oreshnik" missile in attack on Ukraine, warns it can strike European capitals within minutes of launch. Sources include: MilitaryWatchMagazine.com Taarifa.rw KyivIndependent.com Brighteon.com The surveillance states assault on privacy: A dangerous precedent The federal government has conducted over 3.3 million warrantless searches of private financial data in 2023, targeting individuals with conservative political beliefs, involving more than 14,000 federal employees. - Collusion with Financial Institutions: Major banks like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Chase have willingly provided sensitive customer data to the FBI without legal process, allowing federal employees to compile detailed profiles on individuals. - Violation of Constitutional Protections: The Fourth Amendment has been disregarded, as financial institutions have been conditioned to cooperate with federal authorities, effectively circumventing legal safeguards required by law. - Chilling Effect on Free Expression: By labeling routine transactions as suspicious, the government is stifling free expression, potentially deterring individuals from participating in normal activities that could be misinterpreted as extremist behavior. - Growing Calls for Accountability: There is an increasing demand for reform and accountability, including calls to hold federal employees involved in warrantless searches accountable and downsize agencies responsible for such surveillance. The proposed Department of Government Efficiency could be a potential solution. In an era where the line between national security and personal liberty grows increasingly blurred, the federal governments recent actions have raised alarm bells about the erosion of privacy, liberty, and civil rights in America. A damning report released by the House Judiciary Committees Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government has exposed a shocking level of financial surveillance targeting individuals with conservative political beliefs. The findings reveal a systemic abuse of power, with over 14,000 federal employees conducting more than 3.3 million warrantless searches of private financial data in 2023 alone. This is not just a breach of privacy; it is a deliberate and dangerous overreach by the federal government. The investigation uncovered how major financial institutions, including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Chase, willingly provided sensitive customer data to the FBI without legal process. This data, which included transaction details, locations, and descriptions, was funneled into an FBI-created portal, allowing federal employees to compile detailed profiles on individuals. The use of broad search terms such as MAGA and TRUMP to monitor and profile citizens is particularly troubling. Transactions as mundane as purchasing a Bible or shopping at outdoor stores were flagged as potential indicators of extremism, raising serious questions about the governments motives and methods. What is most concerning is the blatant disregard for constitutional protections. The Fourth Amendment explicitly prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures without probable cause and a warrant. Yet, the federal government has effectively circumvented these safeguards by manipulating the Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) system. Financial institutions, conditioned to cooperate with federal authorities, have become de facto arms of law enforcement, providing access to highly sensitive information without the legal process required by law. This is not just a technicality; it is a fundamental violation of Americans rights. The implications of this surveillance are far-reaching. By labeling routine transactions as red flags, the government is not only intruding on personal privacy but also chilling free expression. Individuals may now think twice before engaging in activities that could be misconstrued as suspicious, whether its purchasing a firearm, attending a political rally, or even shopping at a store associated with conservative values. This chilling effect undermines the very essence of freedom in a democratic society. The collaboration between financial institutions and federal authorities is particularly alarming. Banks, entrusted with safeguarding customers financial information, have become complicit in a system that prioritizes surveillance over privacy. The subcommittees report highlights how financial institutions have been conditioned to work for the government, undermining the trust between banks and their customers. This dynamic sets a dangerous precedent, where financial privacy is sacrificed at the altar of government convenience. Calls for accountability and systemic reform are growing louder. Critics argue that the 14,000 federal employees implicated in these warrantless searches should be held to account, and that agencies involved in such surveillance should be downsized. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), proposed by figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, could play a crucial role in addressing these issues. However, reform must go beyond bureaucratic restructuring; it must address the root causes of this surveillance state. The Biden administrations role in this debacle cannot be ignored. The report alleges that the administration worked with banks to spy on Americans without a warrant, targeting individuals supportive of President-elect Donald Trump. This politicization of surveillance is deeply troubling and raises questions about the governments commitment to impartial law enforcement. The federal governments actions suggest a deliberate effort to target Americans critical of firearm regulations, open borders, COVID-19 mandates, and the so-called deep state. This is not the behavior of a government that respects the rule of law or the diversity of political thought. Personal privacy, national security and the modern age As the investigation unfolds, one thing is clear: the balance between national security and personal privacy has been dangerously skewed. The federal governments widespread, warrantless surveillance programs are a threat to civil liberties and a betrayal of the principles upon which this nation was founded. The erosion of financial privacy is just one facet of a broader trend toward authoritarianism, where the government increasingly views its citizens as potential threats rather than as partners in democracy. In an era of e-commerce and cashless transactions, the future of financial privacy looks increasingly bleak. The subcommittees report warns that absent renewed safeguards, the federal government and financial institutions will continue to siphon off Americans sensitive financial data, place it into the hands of bureaucrats, and erode any remaining semblance of financial privacy in the United States. This is a call to action for all Americans who value their freedoms. The time to demand accountability and reform is now, before the surveillance state becomes an unstoppable force. The federal governments disregard for privacy, liberty, and civil rights is a wake-up call. It is a reminder that the fight for freedom is never-ending, and that vigilance is the price of liberty. The question remains: will Americans allow their government to continue spying on their bank accounts, or will they stand up for the principles of privacy and freedom that define this nation? The choice is ours. Sources include: YourNews.com Dailymail.co.uk FoxNews.com Trump sets the stage for immigration crackdown: Meet the new BORDER ENFORCERS President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rodney Scott to lead the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Caleb Vitello to head the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), highlighting their extensive experience in immigration enforcement. Scott, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, previously served as Chief of the Border Patrol, during which time he implemented policies like Remain in Mexico, Title 42 and Safe Third Agreements, achieving record-low illegal immigration levels. Vitello, currently assistant director at ICE's Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs, is praised for his leadership and commitment to ICEs mission, particularly in addressing illegal alien crime. Trump's second administration aims to strengthen immigration enforcement through measures like completing the border wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy and conducting a large-scale deportation program, while also considering ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal migrants. Trump has appointed Tom Homan as border czar and Stephen Miller as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, signaling a hardline approach to immigration. Additionally, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been nominated to lead the Department of Homeland Security, further emphasizing Trumps commitment to border security and immigration reform. President-elect Donald Trump has revealed his picks for the top roles at two key immigration enforcement agencies, attesting to his choices' track records in immigration policy. The real estate mogul announced his nominations on Truth Social. Rodney Scott, a veteran with nearly three decades in the U.S. Border Patrol, has been chosen to lead Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Meanwhile, Caleb Vitello currently assistant director at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs will head the agency itself. "Caleb's exceptional leadership, extensive experience, and commitment to ICE's mission make him an excellent choice to implement my efforts to enhance the safety and security of American communities who have been victimized by illegal alien crime," Trump wrote of Vitello. He also lauded Scott for his almost 30 years of service in the Border Patrol, "building vast experience and knowledge in law enforcement and border security." The president-elect continued: "Rodney served as the 24th chief of the U.S. Border Patrol where he implemented Remain in Mexico, Title 42 [and] Safe Third Agreements and achieved record low levels of illegal immigration." A strong team for BORDER SECURITY During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised to bolster the country's immigration enforcement by completing the border wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy and conducting the "largest deportation program in American history." He also pledged end birthright citizenship for children born to illegal migrants in the United States. (Related: Trump seeks to end BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP when he returns to the White House next month.) To achieve these goals, Trump appointed former Acting ICE Director Tom Homan as border czar. Homan's position, which does not require Senate confirmation, grants him significant authority over the second Trump administration's immigration enforcement strategy. Longtime Trump aide and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller will serve as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, further signaling the administrations intent to pursue aggressive immigration measures. Meanwhile, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been nominated to lead the Department of Homeland Security. The department oversees ICE, CBP and other critical immigration agencies. Her leadership, coupled with Vitello and Scott's appointments, underscores Trump's commitment to his hardline immigration agenda. As Trump prepares to take office, his administrations focus on these issues is expected to spark significant debate in Congress and beyond. The nominations set the stage for an ambitious overhaul of U.S. immigration enforcement under Trumps leadership, prioritizing border security and immigration reform as he promised during his run for the presidency. Watch this video from Fox News about President-elect Trump's picks for his "border security dream team." This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Homan reveals Trump plans for investigating foreign nations, NGOs fueling border crisis. U.S. farm industry groups urge Trump to exempt illegal immigrant agricultural workers from mass deportation orders. Trumps incoming border czar claims the Biden administration has blood on their hands for the murder of Laken Riley. Trump confirms a national emergency is coming so he can carry out mass deportations with the help of the U.S. military. Time for state governors and legislators to be carted-off in federal hand cuffs for aiding and abetting ILLEGAL immigration. Sources include: YourNews.com TruthSocial.com 1 TruthSocial.com 2 Brighteon.com The new normal: U.S. shows unwavering support for Israels aggression, including its Syrian incursion The U.S. Department of State defended Israel's incursion into Syrian territory, citing the Syrian army's departure and potential threats from terrorist groups. Critics argue that U.S. support for Israel overlooks complex geopolitical issues and risks drawing the U.S. into another conflict in the region, potentially destabilizing the area further. Israel's incursion beyond the buffer zone and its bombing of Syria raise questions about international law and sovereignty, setting a precedent for countries to cross borders under the guise of defense. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has outlined a roadmap for a democratic and inclusive transition process in Syria, indicating a shift towards recognizing a post-Assad government that meets certain criteria. The U.S. demands that any future Syrian government respect minority rights, allow humanitarian aid, prevent terrorism and secure chemical weapons. On Monday, Dec. 9, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller defended Israel's invasion, stating that the Syrian army's abandonment of their positions in the buffer zone separating Syria proper from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights which the international community recognizes as Syrian territory created a "vacuum" that could be filled by so-called "terrorist organizations." Miller's statement followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that it was conducting a "defensive action" against terrorists in Syria. Critics point out that this isn't just about "defending" Israel. It's about a complex geopolitical web that includes Syrian rebels, Islamic State (ISIS) remnants and other non-state actors. By supporting Israel's actions, the U.S. risks getting dragged into yet another messy conflict in the region, they argue. Moreover, Israel's incursion beyond the buffer zone and its bombing of over 100 sites inside Syria raises serious questions about international law and sovereignty. The idea that a country can cross into another's territory because its previous government has been deposed is a dangerous precedent. The State Department's defense of Israel's actions also highlights a broader issue: The U.S. often prioritizes its relationships with certain allies over the stability and rights of other countries. In this case, the U.S. seems more concerned about protecting Israel's interests than fostering sustainable peace in the region. (Related: US hypocrisy reaches a new level: Israel's occupation of Syria is 'security,' Russia's moves in Ukraine are 'aggression.') Now, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned, ISIS could take advantage of the current instability. Moreover, the U.S. is reportedly discussing the "merits" of removing the $10 million bounty on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. This group, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization, has played a key role in the rebel offensive that ousted Bashar al-Assad. The potential ramifications of removing the bounty are significant. It could signal a shift in U.S. policy towards HTS, a group that has links to al-Qaeda and was able to control a significant portion of Syria for years. Blinken: U.S. to recognize Syrian government that comes from inclusive transition process Meanwhile, Blinken has backed a post-Assad Syria, laying out a roadmap for a democratic and inclusive transition process that could finally end the decade-long conflict. The U.S. will recognize and fully support a Syrian government that emerges from a transparent and inclusive transition process. This is a significant shift from the former President Barack Obama's administration's reluctance to commit to Assad's ouster fully. But Blinken's statement also comes with strings attached. The future Syrian government must demonstrate respect for minority rights, allow humanitarian aid to flow freely, prevent terrorism and secure any chemical or biological weapons. More news about the Middle East can be found at WWIII.news. Watch the video below that talks about Israel's Syria incursion. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israel continues to unleash hell on Earth, with 250 new airstrikes across Syria. Syria's Fall: A Strategic Blow to Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia Highlights from the Mike Adams Brighteon Broadcast for Dec 9, 2024. Biden bombs 75 "targets" in Syria, opening possibility ISIS uses Syria's massive chemical and biological weapons arsenal to wipe out U.S. food supply. Sources include: MiddleEastEye.net 1 MiddleEastEye.net 2 MSN.com Brighteon.com Christopher Wray RESIGNS from FBI, dodging potential conflict with Trump FBI Director Christopher Wray stepped down after a seven-year tenure, announcing his resignation on Dec. 11, more than a month before President-elect Donald Trump's second term. Wray cited personal reasons and a desire to spend time with his family, but sources suggest political pressures and disagreements over the FBI's direction also played a role. Critics argue he may have resigned to avoid conflicts with Trump. His leadership was marked by high-profile controversies, including the FBIs handling of investigations into Trump's 2016 campaign and the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate will serve as acting director until Kash Patel assumes the role. Trump praised Wray's resignation, claiming it would end the "weaponization" of the Department of Justice. Wray's departure marks the end of an era and raises questions about the FBI's future under Patel. The agencys ability to unify and address challenges remains uncertain amid ongoing political divisions. Christopher Wray has stepped down as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), marking the end of his seven-year tenure at one of the nation's most powerful law enforcement agencies. Wray announced his resignation Wednesday, Dec. 11, more than a month before President-elect Donald Trump's second term. This sparked speculation about the timing and underlying reasons for his departure. Trump himself appointed Wray in 2017 following the dismissal of James Comey. Since then, he has been a steady presence at the helm of the FBI during a period of intense political scrutiny and division. His resignation letter, obtained by the Daily Caller, cited personal reasons and a desire to spend more time with his family. However, sources close to the matter suggest that political pressures and disagreements over the agency's direction played a significant role in his decision. Critics argue that Wray may have chosen to step down to avoid potential conflicts with a president known for his adversarial relationship with federal law enforcement agencies. During his first term, Trump frequently criticized the FBI, accusing it of bias and corruption, particularly in its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Wrays tenure was marked by several high-profile controversies, including the FBI's handling of investigations into Trump's 2016 campaign and the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. While Wray maintained a relatively low profile compared to his predecessors, he faced criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Democrats accused him of being too deferential to Trump, while Republicans accused him of failing to root out internal bias within the agency. The president-elect welcomed Wray's resignation on Truth Social, calling it "a great day for America." In the meantime, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate will serve as acting director until Kash Patel assumes office. (Related: Trump nominates "America First fighter" Kash Patel to lead FBI.) Trump: Wray's resignation "a great day for America" According to Trump's Truth Social post, Wray's departure from the bureau will end the "weaponization" of the Department of Justice. The president-elect promised to restore the rule of law for all Americans, now that the FBI can start anew under Patel. "We look forward to a very smooth transition at the FBI and I'll be ready to go on day one," Patel said in response to Wray's resignation. The incoming FBI director will work under former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was nominated to lead the Justice Department after former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) withdrew. As the nation prepares for a new chapter in its political and law enforcement landscape, the resignation of Wray serves as a reminder of the deep divisions that continue to plague American society. Whether the FBI can emerge from these challenges stronger and more unified remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the stakes have never been higher. In the meantime, Wray's legacy will be debated for years to come. While some view him as a steady hand during turbulent times, others see his resignation as a tacit acknowledgment of the agency's failures. Whatever the case, his departure marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for the FBI. Watch this clip from InfoWars about Kash Patel's plan to release the Jeffrey Epstein client list and prosecute human traffickers once he becomes FBI director. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump nominates Kash Patel to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Vance reveals Trump is now interviewing candidates for the FBI director role. Trump's reported FBI finalists mark key battle between deep state and loyalist. FBI Director Wray reveals Trump shooter apparently researched JFK assassination. FBI Director Christopher Wray confirms collusion with Big Tech censorship during marathon House hearing. Sources include: DailyCaller.com Breitbart.com TruthSocial.com Brighteon.com DISTURBING: 26 FBI informants coordinated on January 6 to setup and incarcerate Americans who were frustrated with election fraud The FBIs use of informants at the January 6, 2021 rally has been exposed by the DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, revealing the extent of the corruption and political persecution that took place that day. According to Horowitzs report, 26 FBI confidential human sources (CHSs) were present during the Capitol breach, with multiple informants entering the Capitol and the restricted grounds. This expose shines a light on the biased prosecution and selective persecution of individuals associated with that fateful day, echoing the dark tactics of Soviet-era political purges. FBI informants fomented violence, not prevented it The Inspector Generals report, though meant to address the FBIs preparedness for the January 6 events, inadvertently unveiled a deeply concerning practice: the FBIs deployment of informants to foment unrest. Four informants breached the Capitol itself, and 13 entered restricted grounds without authorization. Whats worse, the FBI did not seek to charge or prosecute these informants despite their blatant disregard for law and order. Instead, these informants played a key role in facilitating and encouraging violence, their presence providing cover for more egregious crimes. The fact that the FBI knowingly sent informants into the volatile environment, and subsequently did not hold them accountable, raises serious questions about the bureaus priorities and the selective justice system it operates under. The presence of FBI informants at the Capitol on January 6 was not about preventing violence or maintaining order; it was about gathering information that would later be used to persecute and imprison individuals deemed enemies of the political elite. A modern-day witch hunt perpetuated by the January 6 Committee The January 6 Committee, led by Liz Cheney, has become a vehicle for politically motivated persecution. This committee, which has been widely criticized for its biased approach, has imprisoned innocent individuals while ignoring exonerating evidence. Among the many incidents of selective prosecution, the committees deliberate omission of a crucial transcript that detailed then-President Trumps requests for National Guard troops to protect the Capitol stands out. According to Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato, who testified on January 28, 2022, then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows had spoken with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser about Trumps request for 10,000 troops. This testimony directly contradicts the committees baseless claims that there was no evidence to support Trumps account. Yet, the committee opted to suppress this critical information, perpetuating a narrative of dishonesty and bias. Liz Cheneys role in this modern-day witch hunt cannot be overstated. As one of only two Republicans on the committee, Cheney has relentlessly pursued a vendetta against President Trump and his supporters, often under questionable and politically motivated circumstances. Her aggressive approach to prosecution, facilitated by the FBIs misuse of informants and the committees penchant for selective justice, is deeply troubling. The targeting of individuals and the deliberate cover-up of exonerating evidence are reminiscent of the Soviet-era purges, where political dissidents were sent to gulags under false pretenses. The January 6 Committees actions have led to the wrongful arrest and incarceration of innocent people, their lives and futures shattered by politically motivated prosecutions and convictions. Holding the Perpetrators Accountable The establishment of the January 6 Committee was sold to the American public as a vessel of democracy to uncover the truth and bring justice to those involved in the breach of the Capitol. However, it quickly became a vehicle for political vengeance and a cover-up of corruption at the highest levels of government. It is imperative that Americans pressure their newly elected representative to work toward transparency and accountability in this matter. Those responsible for the biased prosecution, the suppression of exonerating evidence, and the corrupt use of FBI informants must be held accountable. The January 6 Committees role in perpetuating this witch hunt must be scrutinized, and any individual found to have contributed to the wrongful persecution of innocent individuals should face justice. Sources include: Zerohedge.com TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Controversial clemency: Biden releases Chinese nationals accused of espionage Outgoing President Joe Biden granted clemency to three convicted Chinese nationals just before Thanksgiving. These individuals include Yanjun Xu, Ji Chaoqun and Shanlin Jin, whose release were part of a prisoner swap with China. Xu, a Chinese intelligence officer, was sentenced to 20 years for espionage; Chaoqun received an eight-year sentence for aiding Xu's espionage efforts; Jin faced 97 months for possessing child pornography. All were ordered to leave the U.S. as part of the clemency. Biden also pardoned his son Hunter, issued pardons for 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes, and commuted sentences for nearly 1,500 others, aiming to enhance the criminal justice system's fairness and efficacy. The pardons faced criticism for setting a dangerous precedent and prioritizing personal interests over justice. Some, like Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Sen. Chuck Grassley, criticized the pardon of Hunter Biden. These actions have sparked debate on criminal justice reform and the use of executive clemency, likely shaping the political landscape under the new administration. Donald Trump also promised to pardon Jan. 6 riot participants, adding to the political tension. In a controversial move that has reverberated across the political spectrum, outgoing President Joe Biden granted clemency to three convicted Chinese nationals just before Thanksgiving late last month. The three individuals pardoned were Yanjun Xu, Ji Chaoqun and Shanlin Jin. Xu, a Chinese government intelligence officer, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to obtain U.S. aviation industry trade secrets through espionage. Chaoqun was sentenced to eight years for aiding Xu's espionage efforts and attempting to recruit other Chinese nationals for the same purpose. Jin, meanwhile, received a 97-month sentence for possession of child pornography. His family's influence in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may have played a role in him receiving a pardon. According to the Biden White House, the release of the three men were part of a prisoner swap with Beijing. All three have been ordered to leave the United States as a condition of their clemency. The decision to grant clemency to the three Chinese nationals comes at the heels of the outgoing president's unprecedented pardon and commutation actions aimed at individuals convicted of non-violent offenses, a move that has both praised and criticized by various factions. In early December, the elder Biden issued a pardon for his son Hunter spanning 10 years, despite earlier claims that he wouldn't do so. The Dec. 1 pardon for the younger Biden came ahead of his sentencing hearings this month for federal gun and tax charges he was convicted of. (Related: Joe Biden PARDONS son Hunter despite repeatedly insisting he wouldn't.) The outgoing president later announced a pardon for 39 individuals convicted of convicted of non-violent crimes, alongside the commutation the sentences of nearly 1,500 others serving long prison terms. According to the elder Biden, the pardons announced Thursday, Dec. 12, are part of a larger effort to ensure a fair and just criminal justice system. "As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities," Biden stated. Trump plans to PARDON J6ers However, the timing and context of these pardons especially that of Hunter's have raised eyebrows. Critics argue that this decision sets a dangerous precedent and prioritizes personal interests over the law. But a day after the presidential son's pardon, President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to pardon participants of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot who are still in jail. He made this promise in a post on Truth Social, further emphasizing his campaign's pledge to reform the "Democrat-controlled" Department of Justice. Trump also blasted the agency's handling of investigations into his own administration. The controversy surrounding these actions has generated significant debate among politicians on both sides of the fence. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, criticized Biden's decision to pardon his son, calling it a decision that prioritized family over the country. U.S. Sen Chuck Grassley (R-IA) expressed disappointment over Biden eventually pardoning his son despite claiming otherwise. These actions have the potential to dramatically reshape the conversation around criminal justice reform and the use of executive clemency in the United States, setting the stage for what promises to be a contentious and politically charged beginning to the new administration. Visit JoeBiden.news for more stories about the outgoing president's pardons. Watch this clip that discusses the next high-profile member of the Biden administration to be pardoned. This video is from the mcr channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Biden may grant PREEMPTIVE PARDONS to people who could be investigated and indicted under Trump. Hunter Biden pardon shows how little regard Democrats have for the rule of law. Biden mulls shielding Fauci and Cheney as Trump plans to pardon J6 patriots. Biden pardons Hunter on his way out the door; Trump calls it "shocking." Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com Reuters.com ConservativeBrief.com Brighteon.com Bill Clinton allegedly considering talking Joe Biden into giving Hillary a PREEMPTIVE PARDON so she cant be arrested Bill Clinton expresses openness to discussing a preemptive pardon for Hillary with President Biden, amid fears of Trump targeting her during his second term. Biden is reportedly considering blanket pardons for political allies, including family members, to shield them from potential legal challenges under the Trump administration. Trump has frequently targeted Hillary, particularly over her email server controversy, while his FBI nominee, Kash Patel, suggested she may have committed federal crimes. Bill defended Hillary, stating she followed rules and faced no evidence of wrongdoing, criticizing the pursuit of political enemies as counterproductive. The prospect of preemptive pardons highlights concerns about political retribution and the future use of pardon power in U.S. politics. Former President Bill Clinton has expressed openness to discussing a potential preemptive pardon for his wife, Hillary, with outgoing President Joe Biden, amid concerns that President-elect Donald Trump may target her during his second term. Clinton made the remarks during an appearance on ABC's "The View," where he addressed the possibility of Trump pursuing political enemies, including Hillary, who has been a frequent target of Trump's criticism since the 2016 presidential election. (Related: Biden may grant PREEMPTIVE PARDONS to people who could be investigated and indicted under Trump.) "I think if President Biden wanted to talk to me about that, I will talk to him about it," but added that he does not believe he is the appropriate person to offer public advice on the pardon power. His comments come as Biden considers using his pardon authority to shield political figures who may face legal challenges under the Trump administration. Hillary Clinton has been a focal point of Trump's political attacks, particularly over her use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State. Trump frequently chanted "Lock her up!" at campaign rallies, and his nominee to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, recently suggested that Hillary may have committed federal crimes. Bill came to his wife's defense, asserting that she "followed the rules exactly as they were written" and that official investigations found no evidence of wrongdoing. He also highlighted that Trump's State Department concluded Hillary sent and received zero classified emails on her personal device, calling the controversy a "made-up phony story." Bill further criticized the potential pursuit of political enemies as a "fool's errand," arguing that such actions are often counterproductive. He expressed hope that Trump would not engage in such efforts, though he acknowledged that Patel could theoretically pursue legal action if determined to do so. Biden considering blanket pardons to allies, family members who may be investigated by Trump The Biden administration has reportedly discussed the possibility of issuing blanket pardons to protect political figures from potential legal threats under a Trump presidency. These pardons would not require evidence of wrongdoing but would shield individuals from costly legal battles. Biden has already issued a controversial pardon for his son, Hunter, who was convicted on tax evasions and firearms charges. The White House defended the decision, stating that circumstances had changed, and Biden argued that his son was unfairly targeted due to his family connection. The incoming Trump administration's potential actions remain a source of concern for political figures who have been critical of the former president. Patel has reportedly compiled lists of perceived "deep state" enemies, including Hillary and other prominent figures within Biden's Department of Justice. Patel's nomination has raised questions about the future direction of the FBI and its role in investigating political adversaries. While Bill expressed reluctance to publicly advise on pardons, his willingness to engage in private discussions with Biden underscores the gravity of the situation. The prospect of preemptive pardons reflects a broader concern about the potential for political retribution in the upcoming administration. As the transition to a second Trump presidency approaches, the use of the pardon power and the potential targeting of political opponents will remain key issues in U.S. politics. The Biden administration's decisions on pardons, as well as Trump's actions once in office, will likely shape the political landscape for years to come. Watch this clip from "Wake Up America" on Newsmax discussing the increasing likelihood that President Joe Biden will pardon more of his family members accused of criminal activities. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Merrick Garland goes full hypocrite after Hunter Biden pardon threatens January 6 political prisoners if they accept pardons from Donald Trump. Biden mulls shielding Fauci and Cheney as Trump plans to pardon J6 patriots. Rep. Comer says Joe Biden will pardon his brother James after son Hunter. Trump hints at pardon for J6 political prisoners after Joe Biden pardons his son. Hunter's lawyer jumps at chance to dismiss his indictment after Daddy Joe Biden issues pardon. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk TheHill.com Newsweek.com Brighteon.com FBI Director Christopher Wray resigns ahead of Trump administration, clearing path for Kash Patel : Wray announced his resignation, effective at the end of President Joe Bidens term in January, citing pressure from President-elect Donald Trump and allegations of mismanagement from Republican lawmakers. - Controversial tenure and political tensions: Wrays leadership was marked by high-profile investigations, including the probe into Trumps handling of classified documents, which led to the Mar-a-Lago raid in 2022. Trump repeatedly criticized Wray, accusing him of bias and mismanagement. - Trumps response and Patels nomination: Trump welcomed Wrays resignation, calling it a great day for America, and plans to replace Wray with Kash Patel, a loyalist and former GOP congressional staffer. Patels nomination has drawn criticism for his lack of experience and impartiality. - FBIs future under Patels leadership: Wrays departure raises concerns about the FBIs independence and ability to uphold its core values of integrity and objectivity under Patels leadership, as the agency faces unprecedented political pressure. - Wrays farewell message: In his farewell address, Wray emphasized the FBIs commitment to serving the American people and the Constitution, highlighting the challenges the bureau faces in maintaining its mission amid political turbulence. In a move that underscores the growing divide between federal law enforcement and the incoming Trump administration, FBI Director Christopher Wray announced his resignation on Wednesday, effective at the end of President Joe Bidens term in January. Wrays decision, which came after weeks of careful deliberation, marks the end of a tumultuous tenure marked by political controversy and criticism from President-elect Donald Trump. Wray, who was appointed by Trump in 2017 following the firing of James Comey, has served as the FBIs director for seven years. His term was set to expire in 2027, but mounting pressure from the president-elect and allegations of mismanagement from Republican lawmakers ultimately led to his decision to step down. In a heartfelt address to the FBI workforce during a town hall meeting, Wray explained that his resignation was intended to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray and to keep the focus on our mission. This is not easy for me, Wray said, addressing the emotional crowd. I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people. But my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing whats right for the FBI. His remarks were met with a standing ovation that lasted over a minute, reflecting the deep respect many within the bureau have for Wrays leadership. The outgoing directors tenure was not without controversy. Under his watch, the FBI became embroiled in high-profile investigations, including the politically charged probe into Trumps handling of classified documents, which culminated in a raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022. Trump has repeatedly criticized Wray, accusing him of bias and mismanagement, and has vowed to replace him with Kash Patel, a loyalist and former GOP congressional staffer. Big changes on the horizon Trump welcomed Wrays resignation on his Truth Social platform, calling it a great day for America. He accused Wray of overseeing a weaponized FBI that had illegally raided my home, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and interfered with the success and future of America. Trump also claimed that the bureau had used its vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans. The president-elects nomination of Patel has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who argue that Patel lacks the experience and impartiality necessary to lead the FBI. Patel, who has previously served in the Defense Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, has been outspoken in his criticism of the FBI and has promised to implement sweeping reforms if confirmed. Despite the controversy surrounding Patels nomination, Republicans on Capitol Hill have largely expressed support for the pick, viewing it as an opportunity to bring much-needed change to the agency. However, former national security adviser John Bolton, who worked with Patel during Trumps first term, compared the nomination to Joseph Stalins secret police chief, calling for the Senate to reject it 100-0. Wrays resignation marks a significant moment in the history of the FBI, which has long prided itself on its independence and nonpartisan mission. His departure raises questions about the future of the bureau under Patels leadership and whether the agency will continue to uphold its core values of integrity and objectivity. In his farewell address, Wray emphasized the importance of maintaining those values, telling the FBI workforce, Were not on any one side. Were on the American peoples side, and on the Constitutions side. His words serve as a reminder of the challenges that lie ahead for the bureau as it navigates the turbulent political landscape of the Trump administration. As the nation awaits Patels confirmation, one thing is clear: the FBI is at a crossroads, and its future will depend on whether it can remain true to its mission in the face of unprecedented political pressure. Sources include: RT.com NewsMax.com APNews.com CBSNews.com Biased or just bizarre? Judge in unusual Daniel Penny self-defense trial allows prosecution to take a different tack : Judge Maxwell Wiley dismissed the manslaughter charge against Daniel Penny, a former Marine accused of placing Jordan Neely in a chokehold on a New York City subway, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the more serious charge. - Debate Over Self-Defense and Mental Health: The case has sparked a national debate on self-defense, mental health, and the criminalization of individuals who intervene in dangerous situations. Pennys supporters argue he acted to protect others from Neely, a mentally ill man threatening passengers. - Prosecutions Tactical Move Criticized: The prosecutions decision to drop the manslaughter charge (carrying up to 15 years) and focus on criminally negligent homicide (up to 4 years) was criticized by legal experts and Pennys defense team as a strategic maneuver to secure a conviction. - Racial and Political Divisions: Critics, including Black Lives Matter activists, accuse Penny of excessive force and frame the case as racially charged, highlighting deep societal divides over the incident. - Implications for Self-Defense Laws: The outcome of the case could significantly impact the legal understanding of self-defense, with concerns that a conviction might discourage citizens from intervening in dangerous situations to protect others. The courtroom drama surrounding Daniel Penny, the former Marine accused of placing Jordan Neely in a chokehold on a New York City subway, took a shocking turn on Friday as Judge Maxwell Wiley dismissed the manslaughter charge against him. This unprecedented decision came after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the more serious charge, leaving Penny to face a lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran, was vilified by some as a racist vigilante after the May 2023 incident. However, many others have hailed him as a hero who acted in self-defense and to protect others from Neely, a mentally ill homeless man who had been threatening passengers on the subway. The case has ignited a fierce debate about the right to self-defense, the role of mental health in public safety, and the broader implications of criminalizing those who step in to protect others in dangerous situations. The jurys inability to reach a verdict on the manslaughter charge, which requires proving that Penny recklessly caused Neelys death, highlights the complexity of the case. Manslaughter carries a potential 15-year prison sentence, while criminally negligent homicide carries a maximum of four years. The prosecutions usual decision to drop the manslaughter charge and focus on the lesser offense has been criticized by Pennys defense team as a desperate attempt to secure a conviction. Pennys lawyers argued that the prosecutions move was novel and could set a dangerous precedent, encouraging overcharging in future cases. Defense attorney Thomas Kenniff stated, This has never been done before. It would encourage prosecutors to over-charge in the grand jury, with the option of withdrawing if hung, under coercion. The defense maintains that Penny acted reasonably and in self-defense, believing Neely posed a threat to others on the subway. They opposed the prosecution's motion to dismiss, concerned it could lead to a "coercive" or "compromised verdict." The case has also drawn attention to the broader societal issues surrounding mental health and public safety. Neely, a 30-year-old street performer with a history of mental illness and drug addiction, had a troubled past. His erratic behavior on the subway that day, including threats to harm others, left passengers fearing for their safety. Pennys supporters argue that he was justified in his actions, noting that no one else on the train intervened to stop Neely. However, critics, including Black Lives Matter activists, have accused Penny of acting with excessive force and have framed the case as a racially charged incident. Hawk Newsome, the founder of Black Lives Matter Greater NY, claimed that the jury had been targeted by a white supremacist jury specialist and accused the defense of eliminating potential jurors based on race. Newsomes comments reflect the deep racial and political divides that have emerged in the case. If one charge doesn't work, try another The prosecutions decision to drop the manslaughter charge has sparked outrage among legal experts and Pennys supporters. Criminal defense attorney Jonna Spilbor called the move a blatant miscarriage of justice, arguing that it robbed Penny of a fair chance at being fully exonerated. A hung jury means the prosecution failed to meet its burden of proof on the top count, Spilbor said. This isnt justiceits a tactical maneuver that undermines the jurys role and the principle of reasonable doubt. The case has also raised questions about the role of the justice system in protecting individuals who act in self-defense. If Penny is convicted of criminally negligent homicide, it could send a chilling message to others who step in to protect themselves or others in dangerous situations. As Spilbor warned, If Penny is convicted of anything, the city that never sleeps will quickly become a city of sitting ducks. The jury will reconvene on Monday to continue deliberations on the criminally negligent homicide charge. The outcome of this case will not only determine Pennys fate but also have far-reaching implications for the right to self-defense in America. As the nation watches, the question remains: should a person who acts to protect others in a moment of crisis be punished, or should they be hailed as a hero? In a society grappling with issues of mental health, public safety, and the right to self-defense, the Daniel Penny case serves as a stark reminder of the challenges we face in balancing justice with the protection of individual rights. The jurys verdict will undoubtedly shape the conversation for years to come. Sources include: InformationLiberation.com DailyMail.com ABCNews.com CNN.news RFK Jr. blows the whistle on the DREADED FLU SHOT: Influenza vaccine makes you highly susceptible to other viruses, especially COVID-19 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warns against taking the flu shot due to limited protection against circulating flu strains and increased risk of non-flu viral infections. Research from the British Medical Journal indicates that the flu shot may prime the immune system for non-flu viral upper-respiratory infections. A Pentagon study found that individuals who received the flu shot were 36% more likely to catch coronavirus. Flu shots contain toxic mercury, with levels exceeding EPA standards, posing a risk of neurological damage as mercury can cross the blood-brain barrier. Despite high mercury content, flu vaccines are marketed as risk-free without scientific clinical trials to prove efficacy, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical industry. I would not take the flu shot in a million years, and Ill tell you why, says Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed head of Health and Human Resources for the United States of America. Basically, when you get a flu shot, you are only protected against a few (sometimes only one) particular strains of flu, out of about a dozen or more possible that could be circulating that flu season, which lasts from October through May. Those injected folks are FOUR TIMES more likely to get a non-flu viral infection. Ever notice how many people who get the flu shot get sick right away? RFK Jr. says, from the research he reviewed from British Medical Journal, that the flu shot gives you what is called flu shot priming, so it injures your immune system so that you are more likely to get a non-flu viral upper-respiratory infection. Whats worse is that a study published by the Pentagon found that people who got the flu shot were 36 percent more likely to catch wait for it Coronavirus. Thats right. So, who wants to rush to the pharmacy, school, or clinic for their flu shot now? And thats not the only study revealing that horrendous influenza vaccine outcome, there are more. Six other major studies revealed the same result. Anyone who gets the flu shot is more likely to get Covid-19 There are several ways the dreaded flu shot sets up your immune system for a viral takeover. In a mind-blowing study conducted by Mike Adams at the Natural News Forensic Food Lab in 2014, his team uncovered a disturbing truth about flu shots. The influenza vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline (lot #9H2GX) contains an alarming level of toxic mercury, a staggering 51 parts per million. To put this into perspective, this mercury concentration is over 25,000 times higher than the EPA's maximum contaminant level for inorganic mercury in drinking water. The tests, conducted using advanced ICP-MS technology with a 4-point mercury calibration curve for precision, have exposed a level of mercury in this flu shot that surpasses anything previously seen. Even notorious mercury-laden fish like tuna pale in comparison to the toxicity found in this vaccine. What's even more concerning is that vaccines are directly injected into the body, bypassing the body's natural defenses against toxins. The presence of mercury in flu shots poses a grave risk as mercury has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, leading to potential neurological damage. Despite irrefutable evidence of high mercury content in flu vaccines, the medical establishment continues to deceive the public. The claim that mercury has been removed from vaccines is a blatant lie, contradicted by the very packaging of the vaccine vial. Furthermore, the package insert for this flu shot shockingly admits that the vaccine has never undergone scientific clinical trials to prove its efficacy. This revelation exposes the fraudulent marketing tactics surrounding flu shots, which are portrayed as risk-free and highly effective without any scientific basis. With all that mercury going into the brain, the entire human body becomes a polluted, weakened vehicle for viruses to takeover. It is time to confront the harsh reality of flu shots and the dangers they pose. The unchecked use of mercury in vaccines is not only a betrayal of public trust but a grave threat to our health. It's a wake-up call to question the narratives pushed by mainstream media and demand transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical industry. Your health is too precious to be gambled with mercury-laden injections. Bookmark plague.info to your favorite independent websites for updates on new gain-of-function viruses the CDC and WHO release into the wild. Sources for this article include: Pandemic.news GatewayPundit.com NaturalNews.com ChildrensHealthDefense.org Russia warns citizens against traveling to the United States, Canada and the European Union The Russian Foreign Ministry warns citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the U.S., Canada and certain EU countries, citing political targeting risks. Maria Zakharova, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, describes Russian-American relations as "teetering on the verge of rupture," due to ongoing tensions, particularly over Ukraine. Zakharova alleges the U.S. is "hunting down" Russian nationals and using "fraudulent schemes" for politically motivated prosecutions, citing extradition cases like Vadim Konoshchenok and Vladislav Klyushin. The warning follows the August 2023 prisoner swap involving Russian nationals, including Klyushin and Konoshchenok, exchanged for U.S. citizens Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. Both Russia and the U.S. have issued warnings to their citizens, with the U.S. cautioning Americans about potential harassment or detention in Russia. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the United States, Canada and certain European Union countries. The advisory, issued by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova during a press briefing on Wednesday, Dec. 11, highlights concerns that U.S. authorities could target Russian nationals for political reasons. Zakharova stated that travel to the U.S. poses "serious risks" due to the "increasing confrontation in Russian-American relations," which she described as "teetering on the verge of rupture." She urged Russian citizens to refrain from visiting the U.S., Canada and EU countries, particularly during the upcoming holiday season. The spokeswoman also cautioned travelers to avoid situations that could lead to detention under the pretext of violating local laws. The warning comes amid deteriorating relations between Moscow and Washington, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Both Russian and U.S. diplomats have characterized the current state of affairs as the worst since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with significant military and financial support, including $62 billion in aid since the beginning of Russia's special military operation in February 2022. In September, the U.S. authorized Ukraine to use long-range tactical missiles, a move that drew sharp criticism from Moscow. (Related: White House tells Ukraine to lower conscription age from 25 to 18 to funnel more young men to the front lines killing fields.) U.S. allegedly "hunting down" Russian citizens Zakharova accused the U.S. of "hunting down" Russian nationals and using "fraudulent schemes" to lure them abroad for politically motivated prosecutions. She cited several high-profile cases, including the extradition of Russian citizens from European countries to face charges in the U.S. For example, Vadim Konoshchenok was arrested in Estonia on a U.S. warrant, while Vladislav Klyushin was extradited from Switzerland in 2021. Other notable cases include the prosecution of businessman Viktor Bout and pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, both of whom were returned to Russia in prisoner swaps in 2022. The Russian Foreign Ministry also referenced the August 2023 prisoner swap, which involved the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Corps veteran Paul Whelan in exchange for several Russian nationals, including Klyushin and Konoshchenok. Zakharova claimed that the U.S. justice system "leaves no room for a fair trial," suggesting that Russian citizens abroad are at risk of being wrongfully detained. In response to the Russian advisory, the U.S. has issued its own warnings to American citizens traveling to Russia, cautioning that they may face harassment, detention or arbitrary enforcement of local laws based on their nationality. Watch this clip of Maria Zakharova discussing how the U.S. has detained Russian journalists. This video is from the channel Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Western attempts at crippling Russia's economy with sanctions have FAILED, warns Putin. Ukraine's front lines COLLAPSING as Russia gains ground; U.S. desperately sending "massive surge" of arms, cash to Kyiv. Zelensky willing to sign peace deal with Russia in exchange for NATO membership. Most Americans are woefully unprepared for World War III and will not survive the aftermath fewer than 7% of Americans are preppers and only 6% have generators. Russian state media says Oreshnik missiles can hit American bases within minutes. Sources include: RT.com AlJazeera.com Reuters.com Brighteon.com Texas declares war on FOREVER CHEMICALS: AG Paxton sues 3M and DuPont for marketing toxic PFAS as safe Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against chemical giants 3M and DuPont over PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals," accusing them of knowingly producing and marketing toxic substances while misleading the public about their safety. The lawsuit points to scientific evidence linking PFAS to serious health risks, including cancer, liver damage and reproductive issues. PFAS have contaminated water, soil and air, posing a significant threat to public health due to their persistence in the environment. Paxton's complaint seeks damages for cleanup, medical monitoring for affected communities and penalties for alleged violations of state consumer protection laws. The lawsuit emphasizes the need for accountability and immediate action to address PFAS contamination. 3M and DuPont have defended their practices, claiming compliance with regulations and efforts to reduce PFAS use. However, the lawsuit could set a precedent for future litigation against PFAS manufacturers and prompt other states to follow Texas's lead. Although the lawsuit is a significant step forward, it highlights the need for stronger federal regulations to address PFAS contamination comprehensively and coordinate a nationwide response to the issue. Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton has filed a landmark lawsuit against two major chemical manufacturers over so-called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals." Paxton's lawsuit filed Wednesday, Dec. 11, accused chemical giants 3M and DuPont of knowingly producing and marketing toxic PFAS while misleading the public about their safety. The complaint marks a significant escalation in the Lone Star State's efforts to hold corporations accountable for environmental and public health damages caused by PFAS contamination. In a statement released on his official X account, Paxton declared that the two companies have knowingly poisoned Texans for decades, and it's time for them to face the consequences. The tweet, which has garnered widespread attention, highlights the AG's determination to "protect Texas families from the harmful effects of these dangerous chemicals." 3M and DuPont are accused of falsely advertising their products containing PFAS as safe, despite extensive scientific evidence linking the chemicals to serious health risks, including cancer, liver damage and reproductive issues. The lawsuit further alleges that the companies engaged in deceptive marketing practices and failed to disclose the long-term environmental and health impacts of PFAS. The chemicals, which are resistant to degradation, have been used in a wide range of consumer products, including non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, and waterproof clothing. Their persistence in the environment has led to widespread contamination of water supplies, soil and air, posing a significant threat to public health. PFAS contamination has become a pressing issue across the United States, with numerous states and municipalities taking legal action against manufacturers. However, Texas' lawsuit stands out for its scope and the specific allegations against 3M and DuPont. The complaint seeks damages for the cleanup of contaminated sites, medical monitoring for affected communities, and penalties for the companies' alleged violations of state consumer protection laws. Paxton's legal battle for the health of Texans Paxton's office has emphasized the urgency of addressing PFAS contamination, particularly in Texas, where numerous water systems have tested positive for high levels of the chemicals. The lawsuit cites studies showing that exposure to PFAS can lead to a range of health problems, including increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease and developmental delays in children. The AG's office has called for immediate action to mitigate the risks and hold the companies accountable for their role in perpetuating the crisis. In response to the lawsuit, 3M and DuPont have defended their practices, arguing that they have complied with all applicable regulations and have taken steps to reduce the use of PFAS in their products. The companies have also pointed to ongoing research into safer alternatives to PFAS, which they claim demonstrates their commitment to environmental stewardship. However, critics argue that these efforts are insufficient and that the companies have a moral obligation to address the harm caused by decades of PFAS production and use. (Related: Common bandages contain alarming levels of cancer-causing PFAS, which leach directly into the blood.) Legal experts anticipate that the case could set a precedent for future litigation against PFAS manufacturers, particularly if Texas is successful in proving that the companies engaged in deceptive practices. The lawsuit could also prompt other states to follow Texas's lead and take similar action against chemical manufacturers. While the lawsuit represents a significant step forward in the fight against PFAS contamination, some environmental advocates have called for stronger federal regulations to address the issue. Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency has set interim health advisories for PFAS in drinking water but has not established enforceable limits. Critics argue that federal action is needed to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive response to PFAS contamination nationwide. In the meantime, Paxton's lawsuit serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing threat posed by PFAS and the need for accountability. As the case moves forward, it will likely draw attention to the broader issues surrounding chemical regulation and the role of corporate responsibility in protecting public health and the environment. Visit Chemicals.news for more stories about PFAS. Watch this video about PFAS levels in Australian drinking water, which are 140 times higher than in the U.S. water system. This video is from the DC Learning to Live channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: EPA monitoring a new class of toxic PFAS in municipal water supplies GenX chemicals. Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Biden HHS over proposed rule that would hide abortion info from criminal investigations. EPA claims it has no legal obligation to regulate toxic PFAS in sewage sludge, dismisses pollutant that affects every American. Sources include: X.com TexasAttorneyGeneral.gov TexasTribune.org Brighteon.com Trump approves RFK Jr. to investigate the growing link between vaccines autism Making good on his promise, President-elect Donald Trump has approved Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to investigate the growing link between vaccines and autism, if Kennedy is confirmed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This move is met with both hope and skepticism from parents around the country who have long doubted the safety of the current vaccine schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC childhood vaccine schedule about to get a makeover The CDC's current childhood vaccine schedule mandates a staggering 77 doses of vaccines, many of which contain well-known neurotoxins such as mercury and aluminum. Independent scientists argue that this over-vaccination is directly contributing to the unprecedented rise in autism and neurodevelopmental issues among children. While the CDC staunchly defends the safety and effectiveness of their vaccine schedule, the available data tells a different story. According to a series of studies, often dismissed by the mainstream media and medical establishment, a strong correlation exists between vaccines and autism diagnoses. Dr. Paul Thomas's study, which examined 561 unvaccinated children, found zero cases of autism. In contrast, among 894 children vaccinated according to the CDC schedule, 15 cases of autism were reported. The study, with a p-value of 0.0008, presented statistically significant results, revealing a striking disparity between vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. Furthermore, the Generation Rescue (GR) study, conducted in 2007, surveyed over 9,000 boys in California and Oregon. The results found that vaccinated boys had a 155% greater chance of developing neurological disorders such as ADHD or autism compared to their unvaccinated peers. Despite raising serious concerns about vaccine safety, this study has not been replicated by government agencies, leaving many to question the motivations behind this lack of follow-up research. Dr. Brian Hooker and Neil Miller's 2021 study found a 5.03 times higher odds ratio for autism in vaccinated children compared to their unvaccinated counterparts. Similarly, Dr. Tony Mawson's 2017 study reported a 4.2 odds ratio for autism among vaccinated children. These studies further corroborate the potential dangers of the current CDC-recommended vaccine schedule. Perhaps the most alarming study is the 2022 Garner control group study, which revealed an astonishing 82 times higher odds ratio for autism in vaccinated children compared to unvaccinated children. Among children with zero vaccine exposure, the rate of autism was effectively zero. This study, conducted with a comprehensive analysis of 10,000 children, found a statistically significant association between vaccinations and autism, with a confidence interval ranging from 5.12 to 1315. RFK Jr. rises to the call These findings challenge the prevailing narrative that vaccines are completely safe and essential for public health. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long advocated for vaccine safety and informed consent, argues that the current vaccine schedule is causing more harm than good. When asked about the issue, Kennedy stated, "Something is wrong. If you go back 25 years ago, you had very little autism. Now you have it." The increasing rates of autism diagnoses over the past two decades are undeniable. CDC information shows that around one in 36 American children today has an autism diagnosis, compared to one in 150 in the year 2000. These staggering numbers cannot be ignored, and parents are left with one question: Are vaccines the driving force behind this epidemic? As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. prepares to take the helm at HHS, many hope that an in-depth investigation into the vaccine-autism connection will finally be conducted. It is time to put the health and safety of our children above corporate interests and scientific dogma. The CDC's vaccine schedule has become a coercive practice that forces parents into making dangerous choices for their children. If the studies mentioned above are taken seriously, the current vaccine schedule could be scrapped, allowing future generations of children to grow without many of the chronic diseases that are the result of vaccine poisons being routinely pumped into their blood, past their gastrointestinal defenses. RFK Jrs appointment to this role is not indictment of immunization, but rather a call for transparency, accountability, and thorough, unbiased research. Parents deserve to know the truth and have a choice for their children's health. There are better ways to help a child develop their immune system to make them more resilient to the evolving nature of pathogens over the course of their life. In the meantime, it's essential to consider the potential risks and consequences of over-vaccination. As Dr. Paul Thomas and other researchers have demonstrated, skipping or delaying vaccines can lead to better health outcomes and significantly lower rates of autism. It's time for the CDC and other health agencies to address the critical issues surrounding vaccine safety and provide evidence-based information for informed parental decision-making. Until then, the demand for vaccine freedom grows louder each day. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com NTD.com Trump extends unprecedented invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping for inauguration Trump invites Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration, a historic first for a foreign leader. The invitation reflects Trumps strategy of engaging adversaries through diplomacy and personal relations. Trump and Xis relationship has fluctuated, marked by initial rapport followed by trade tensions. Xis attendance remains uncertain, with potential implications for U.S.-China relations. The move is seen as either a bold diplomatic gamble or a strategic effort to reset ties. President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration on January 20. This gesture, which marks the first time a foreign leader has been personally invited to a U.S. presidential inauguration, underscores Trumps willingness to engage in diplomacy with even his most significant adversaries. The invitation to Xi, extended shortly after Trumps election victory in early November, is a departure from tradition. Typically, ambassadors and diplomats are invited to such ceremonies, but no foreign head of state has ever attended a U.S. transfer-of-power event, according to State Department records dating back to 1874. Trumps team has also hinted at inviting other world leaders to the Capitol on Inauguration Day, although details remain scarce. This move reflects Trumps belief that foreign policy, much like business negotiations, should be approached with a mix of incentives and pressure. By inviting Xi, Trump is signaling a willingness to engage with China on terms that prioritize American interests, even as he threatens to impose massive tariffs on Chinese goods. A complicated relationship Trump and Xis relationship was a rollercoaster during Trumps first term. The two leaders first met in April 2017 at Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate, where they established a rapport that was initially seen as a positive step in U.S.-China relations. Trump even described his interactions with Xi as very good in a recent NBC News interview. However, the relationship soon soured as trade tensions escalated, with Trump imposing tariffs on Chinese imports and accusing Beijing of unfair trade practices. Despite these tensions, the two leaders maintained a level of communication, meeting multiple times at international summits and engaging in bilateral talks. Trumps invitation to Xi for his inauguration suggests a desire to reset the relationship, even as his administration continues to advocate for tough economic measures against China. Will Xi attend? It remains unclear whether Xi will accept the invitation. Chinese officials have not commented publicly on the matter, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry has stated that they have nothing to share at present. Historically, Chinese leaders have been cautious about attending events that could be perceived as endorsing a foreign administration, especially one that has been critical of Beijing. However, if Xi were to attend, it would be a significant diplomatic milestone and could signal a willingness to engage in dialogue with Trumps administration. It would also mark a departure from Chinas usual approach to such events, where it typically sends lower-level officials or diplomats. Trumps invitation to Xi is part of a broader effort to engage with world leaders, including those from adversarial nations. While no other specific invitations have been confirmed, Trumps team has indicated that other foreign leaders may be invited as well. This approach aligns with Trumps reputation as a dealmaker, willing to engage with anyone to advance American interests. The move has drawn mixed reactions from experts. Some view it as a bold and unconventional approach to diplomacy, while others question the wisdom of inviting a leader from a nation with which the U.S. has significant economic and military tensions. A risky gamble or a strategic move? Trumps decision to invite Xi, despite ongoing trade disputes and threats of tariffs, reflects his belief in the power of personal diplomacy. By extending an olive branch to China, Trump is signaling a willingness to engage in dialogue, even as his administration prepares to impose economic sanctions. This approach, while unconventional, mirrors Trumps first-term strategy. Whether this move will pay off remains to be seen. If Xi attends, it could pave the way for renewed dialogue between the two nations. If he declines, it could be seen as a snub, potentially escalating tensions. Either way, Trumps invitation has already made history and will be closely watched by global leaders and diplomats. Sources for this article include: RT.com APNews.com DailyMail.co.uk The war on gender biology: A globalist effort to divide and depopulate Globalist Agenda Targets Traditional Foundations: The globalist movement seeks to undermine family, religious freedom, and biological truths, with a focus on redefining gender to divide populations and advance societal control. The globalist movement seeks to undermine family, religious freedom, and biological truths, with a focus on redefining gender to divide populations and advance societal control. U.N. Proposal Threatens Free Speech and Biological Reality: A proposed U.N. treaty aims to criminalize dissent against gender ideology, labeling those who uphold biological truths (e.g., distinctions between men and women) as criminals, threatening free speech and traditional family values. A proposed U.N. treaty aims to criminalize dissent against gender ideology, labeling those who uphold biological truths (e.g., distinctions between men and women) as criminals, threatening free speech and traditional family values. Vatican Warns Against Treatys Radical Redefinition: The Vatican has criticized the treaty for omitting the traditional definition of gender from the Rome Statute, which defined gender as "the two sexes, male and female," warning of its destabilizing effects on society. The Vatican has criticized the treaty for omitting the traditional definition of gender from the Rome Statute, which defined gender as "the two sexes, male and female," warning of its destabilizing effects on society. Globalist Agenda Linked to Depopulation and Social Engineering: The push to redefine gender is part of a broader strategy to undermine traditional family structures, reduce birth rates, and promote ideologies that reject biological truths, aligning with depopulation goals. The push to redefine gender is part of a broader strategy to undermine traditional family structures, reduce birth rates, and promote ideologies that reject biological truths, aligning with depopulation goals. Resistance to Globalist Agenda Essential: Defending natural family, religious freedom, and biological truths is crucial to countering the globalist agenda, with calls for political action, such as opposing the U.N. treaty and cutting funding to organizations promoting gender ideology. In recent years, the globalist agenda has increasingly targeted the very foundations of society, seeking to undermine the sanctity of family, religious freedom, and biological truths. At the heart of this effort lies a concerted push to redefine gender, a move that not only threatens the natural order but also serves as a tool to divide populations and advance a broader agenda of societal control. This war on gender biology is not merely a cultural debate; it is a calculated strategy to reshape humanitys understanding of itself, with far-reaching consequences for families, nations, and the future of civilization. The United Nations, often the vanguard of globalist initiatives, has played a central role in this effort. A recent proposal for a new U.N. treaty on crimes against humanity reveals the depth of this agenda. This treaty, which seeks to weaponize international law against those who oppose gender ideology, would criminalize dissenting views and enforce a radical redefinition of gender. Under its provisions, individuals who advocate for biological truths, such as the distinction between men and women, could be labeled as criminals. This is not just an attack on free speech; it is an assault on the natural family and the biological reality that underpins it. The Vatican has been one of the few voices of reason in this debate, warning against the dangers of this treaty for over four years. The Holy See has emphasized that the omission of the traditional definition of gender from the treaty would effectively replace the sound definition established in the Rome Statute. The Rome Statute, adopted in 1998, defines gender as "the two sexes, male and female, within the context of society." This definition was the result of extensive negotiations and was intended to clarify the meaning of "gender persecution," a new category of crime at the time. However, Western leftists have been working tirelessly to erase this definition, replacing it with a fluid, socially constructed concept that undermines the biological and societal roles of men and women. The implications of this redefinition are profound. By removing the biological basis of gender, the treaty would enshrine a radical ideology that rejects the natural order. This is not just a philosophical shift; it is a deliberate attempt to destabilize society and create division. The globalist elite, who have long sought to undermine traditional institutions, see this as an opportunity to further their agenda of control. By promoting a gender ideology that rejects biological truths, they aim to create confusion and conflict, weakening the family unit and eroding the social fabric. Moreover, this war on gender biology is closely tied to the globalist agenda of depopulation. By undermining the natural family and promoting ideologies that reject biological truths, globalists seek to discourage traditional family structures and reduce birth rates. The promotion of abortion, contraception, and the normalization of non-traditional lifestyles are all part of this broader strategy. The U.N.s efforts to redefine gender and criminalize dissent are not just about social engineering; they are about reshaping humanity itself. The threat to free speech and religious freedom is also significant. The new treaty would label anyone who publicly opposes gender ideology as an international criminal, effectively silencing dissent and criminalizing traditional beliefs. This includes not only those who advocate for female-only spaces or oppose transgender policies but also those who defend the sanctity of life and traditional family values. The globalist agenda is clear: to create a world where dissenting voices are silenced, and traditional values are eradicated. The woke agenda is already in motion, threatening the world as we know it The consequences of this agenda are already being felt around the world. In countries like the United Kingdom, individuals are being arrested for expressing traditional views on sexuality and morality. The globalist elite are using international law to police thought and behavior, creating a climate of fear and repression. This is not just a threat to conservative values; it is a threat to the very essence of human freedom. The path forward is clear: we must resist this globalist agenda and defend the natural family, religious freedom, and biological truths. The Trump administration, if re-elected, must take a strong stand against this U.N. treaty and work to dismantle the global censorship regime. This includes cutting funding to organizations that support the removal of the traditional definition of gender and working multilaterally to ensure that the crime of gender persecution is defined precisely, as in the Rome Statute. In conclusion, the war on gender biology is a globalist effort to divide and depopulate the world. It is an attack on the natural family, religious freedom, and the biological truths that underpin society. We must stand firm in our convictions and resist this agenda at every turn. The future of humanity depends on it. Sources include: TheFederalist.com HolySeeMission.org Heritage.org Phnom Penh, Dec 12 : Cambodia made $568 million in revenue from exports of natural rubber latex in the first 11 months of 2024, up by 26.7 per cent over the same period last year, said an official report on Thursday. The kingdom exported 342,010 tonnes of the commodity during the January-November period this year, up by 2.34 per cent from 334,177 tonnes over the same period last year, according to the report of the General Directorate of Rubber that was released on Thursday. "A tonne of rubber latex averagely cost $1,662 during the first 11 months of 2024, about 319 dollars higher than that of the same period last year," Khun Kakada, Acting Director General of the General Directorate of Rubber, said in the report. The Southeast Asian nation exports the commodity mainly to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and China, Xinhua news agency reported. Cambodia has so far planted rubber trees on a total area of 407,172 hectares, in which the trees on 320,184 hectares, or 78.6 per cent, are old enough to be tapped, the report said. In the first 10 months of the year, Cambodia had earned $472 million in revenue from exports of natural rubber latex, up 22.5 per cent over the same period last year. The kingdom exported 291,269 tonnes of the commodity during the January-October period this year, up 2.6 per cent over the same period last year, said the report of the General Directorate of Rubber. Natural latex comes from many flowering plants, including Hevea brasiliensis, the 'rubber tree.' The milky white latex is found directly under the bark of the rubber tree and is harvested via careful tapping methods perfected over many years. Synthetic latex, however, is made entirely by humans. Mumbai, Dec 12 : The Maharashtra government in a serious bid to maintain its pre-eminence in attracting domestic and foreign investments on Thursday announced a slew of initiatives including setting up a country desk to advise and assist investors in their proposals. The government said that the emphasis will be placed on creating policies consistent with global and regional investment trends for new investments. Efforts will be made to increase coordination between the state government and major industry groups. The state government has already sent communication with potential investors for preferential investments in Maharashtra. The government will provide continuous support to investors. The MoUs signed to date will be implemented on a fast-track basis, and the state government will make all efforts to create awareness regarding investment opportunities in Maharashtra. According to the Chief Ministers Office, the government will increase cooperation with multilateral organisations and development banks, step up coordination with embassies and trade associations, and encourage the Marathi migrant community in Maharashtra to invest. In addition, the government will focus on attracting investments on a priority basis in various sectors such as electronics, textiles, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation Cell, and Directorate of Industries will play an active role in the implementation of these new initiatives to attract more investments in the state. Further, the government will craft new investment strategies in line with global and regional trends and encourage Maharashtrian entrepreneurs from abroad to invest in the state. The state governments move is crucial, especially when Maharashtra has topped in getting FDI in two consecutive years: 2023-24 and 2024-25. The state topped the country in foreign direct investment with 1,25,101 crore in 2023-24, and it again topped the country in the first two quarters, from April to September of this year 2024-25, with FDI of 1,13,236 crore, which is more than 90 per cent of last years total FDI. The state is a preferred destination for FDI. Maharashtra is one of the leading industrial states in the country, contributing more than 14 per cent to the country's total GDP. The government has set a very ambitious target of making Maharashtra the first state in the country to achieve the target of a one trillion US dollar economy by the year 2027-28. Mumbai, Dec 12 : Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, who is receiving a lot of positive response for his recently released blockbuster Pushpa 2: The Rule, has expressed his gratitude to the audience as he said that the box-office numbers of the movie are temporary but the love from the audience is permanent. The National Award-winning actor attended the success press conference of the film in Delhi. In his speech, he spoke about the beauty of our country, where one film is celebrated across so many states, and expressed his humility in response to the audience's generosity. He said, The numbers are temporary, but the love that is etched in your hearts will remain forever. Thank you for that love. Pushpa 2: The Rule, directed by Sukumar, also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil. Meanwhile, Pushpa: The Rule, which was released on December 5, is racing on the box-office with the downforce of fan adulation and the legacy built by the films predecessor Pushpa: The Rise which was released in December 2021. Pushpa: The Rule picks up from where Pushpa: The Rise ended. It sees the Telugu superstar Allu Arjun reprising his titular role. Prior to its release, Pushpa: The Rise just had a cold poster launch as the Indian cinema was struggling to get back on track with its wobbly feet owing to months of lockdown and slowing down of the economy following the devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India with close to half a million casualties. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar writings with music on T Series, the film is running in theatres. New Delhi, Dec 12 : The Ministry of Defence on Thursday placed a Rs 13,500 crore order to buy 12 Su-30MKI fighter jets with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in a major boost to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the government. "The aircraft would have an indigenous content of 62.6 per cent, enhanced due to indigenisation of many components to be manufactured by the Indian defence industry," according to a Defence Ministry statement. An official said that these aircraft will be manufactured at Nasik division of HAL. The supply of these aircraft would enhance the operational capability of the Indian Air Force and strengthen the defence preparedness of the country. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a two-seater, twinjet, multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian manufacturer Sukhoi and built under license by HAL for the Indian Air Force. A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, the MKI is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter. The announcement comes close on the heels of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials to further strengthen defence ties between the two countries. In September, the defence ministry signed a Rs 26,000-crore contract with HAL for advanced engines for Su-30MKI planes. These aero engines will be produced by the Koraput division of HAL. The engines will meet the needs of the Indian Air Force to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet. The central government's policy of boosting defence production as part of the drive towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat is increasingly reflected in the rising order books of the country's defence equipment manufacturing companies and underlines a positive outlook for the sector ahead. Public sector giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which caters mainly to the Indian Air Force, is also poised for a bigger leap in technology as India and the U.S. are ready to sign an agreement for the manufacture of advanced GE engines for military planes at HAL's facilities. Driven by strategic government policies, India's defence production has shot up to an unprecedented 1.27 lakh crore in FY 2023-24. This represents a massive increase of approximately 174 per cent from 46,429 crore in 2014-15, according to official figures. Historically, India relied heavily on foreign countries for its defence needs, with about 65-70 per cent of defence equipment being imported. However, this landscape has dramatically shifted, with around 65 per cent of defence equipment now manufactured within India. New York, Dec 12 : Continuing with his maverick diplomacy, U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump has invited Chinas President Xi Jinping to his inauguration next month for open dialogue with adversaries, his spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday. The invitation to the leader of China, which had been his target during the campaign and afterward, aligns with the unconventional diplomacy that Trump practiced in his first term. This approach involved reaching out to North Koreas dictator Kim Jong Un. Without being specific about Xi, Trump commented on the invitations being sent out, saying, Some people said, Wow, thats a little risky, isnt it? And I said, Maybe it is. Well see. Well see what happens. But we like to take little chances. Leavitt stated in an interview with Fox News, This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors too. She added, He had done this in his first term and he got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around the world. He is willing to talk to anyone. He will always put Americas interest first. As of Thursday night, Beijing had not reacted to the invitation. Throughout his campaign for the presidency and after his election, Trump criticized China for its predatory trade practices and its role in the narcotics network that has contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. He has threatened to increase tariffs on Chinas imports if it did not end the export of materials used to make synthetic narcotics. Additionally, he has expressed concerns about China maintaining developing country status at the World Trade Organization, which grants it favorable export status. Trump has named David Perdue as his Beijing Ambassador, who is regarded as a hawk on China. Earlier, David Perdue warned in a newspaper article, Americans first have to realize the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) actually is at war with us. New Delhi, Dec 13 : The World Banks Board of Executive Directors has approved a $325.1 million project in Uttar Pradesh to increase farmers incomes through improved crop productivity, adoption of digital technologies and climate-resilient practices, and strengthened market linkages. The project also aims to leverage $15 million in private finance to support these initiatives, according to an official statement issued on Friday. The $325.10 million Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening (UP-AGREES) Project will strengthen agricultural value chains, improve access to finance, and create opportunities for value addition. Further, innovative financial instruments will be launched to make access to credit such as the Kisan Credit Card (eKCC) more timely, affordable, and transparent. The Project will benefit one million producers across Eastern UP and Bundelkhand regions of the state, the statement said. The project will promote sustainable practices such as low-methane rice varieties, rice residue collection and conversion into biogas, and optimized fertilizer use, reducing agricultures impact on climate change and boosting productivity, said Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Banks Country Director for India. The project will also establish a dedicated centre for building the capacity of government officials and farmers in climate adaptation strategies. The $325.10 million loan from the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a final maturity of 33.5 years, including a grace period of six years. The project will help to strengthen the ecosystem for digital services and agriculture finance. It will also incentivize private sector entities to provide solutions through market-based approaches. Geographic clusters for agricultural commodities and fisheries -- networks of producers, agribusinesses, and public institutions -- all engaged in the same subsector will also be extended assistance under the project. It will also provide support for the proposed Integrated agri-export hub near Jewar Airport, Greater Noida. The Project will especially work with women farmers and entrepreneurs for the adoption of climate-resilient and cutting-edge digital technologies, enhancing farmgate infrastructure, and strengthening market linkages both locally and globally, said Vinayak Ghatate, Andrew Goodland, and Harsh Jhanjaria, the Task Team Leaders for the project. This will help to improve productivity, create jobs and increase incomes. The Project will leverage resources from various sources, including the governments of France, Israel, and the Gates Foundation, to support its initiatives, the statement added. New Delhi, Dec 13 : Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav expressed concerns on Friday over security along the borders, economic inequality and the treatment of minorities in the country. During his speech in the Constitution Debate in the Lok Sabha, the Kannauj MP alleged that the Indian "borders are shrinking" due to alleged "Chinese interventions." "A sovereign country has its primary duty to safeguard its bordering areas. We have infiltration of people, and the honourable minister is well aware of the fact that our borders are shrinking," he asserted. "Chinese Army in our territories has partially retracted its forces," he said, adding that the Rezang La Memorial in the area is not there anymore as it was destroyed. "We want to know if our territories are still under our border?" he questioned. He also paid tributes to freedom fighters, victims of the December 13 Parliament attack, and Dr B. R. Ambedkar, crediting him for the enlightened vision that shaped the Indian Constitution. "The Constitution we have today ensures justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. India is a union of states, and we take pride in our unity in diversity," Yadav said. He stressed that the Constitution has held the nation together despite its linguistic, regional, religious, and social diversity. Highlighting Dr. Ambedkar's words, he noted that the "success of the Constitution depends on its implementation by the legislature, executive, and judiciary." The SP chief described the Constitution as a "shield" that empowers the marginalised and oppressed. "Protecting our Constitution is a matter of life and death for the poor, the downtrodden, and the vulnerable," he said, adding that it has ensured rights and justice for those neglected by society. He slammed the government for "increasing economic disparities", claiming that 82 crore Indians rely on government ration, while two-thirds of the country's wealth was "controlled" by a handful of families. "Those who claim we are the world's fastest-growing economy should also disclose data about the 60 per cent living below the poverty line. Let the government reveal the per capita income of those struggling to survive," Yadav demanded. On caste census issue, the SP chief said, "The Minister said that we can initiate a caste census if we choose to. As citizens, we were told to conduct this census ourselves. I can assure you that we will pursue this opportunity whenever it arises." "Caste Census will not create divisions; it will bridge gaps. It will ensure justice and respect for those denied their rights. Therefore, we wholeheartedly support this initiative," he added. The Samajwadi Party chief alleged that minorities, especially Muslims, are being reduced to second-grade citizens. Citing a viral video showing a policeman brandishing a gun to prevent women from voting in Uttar Pradesh bypolls, Yadav lauded the courage of the women who "risked" their lives to participate in the election process. He accused the government of alienating citizens, leading thousands to renounce their Indian citizenship under the NDA rule. Yadav argued that economic disparities are "hindering" political justice, and "dissent is being criminalised". He alleged that certain elements seek to create unrest by looking for temples under mosques. He thanked the Supreme Court for its recent intervention to temporarily halt such activities. In his address, Yadav stressed that justice cannot prevail until "economic inequalities" are resolved. "Our Constitution is the soul of democracy and the cornerstone of our nation. It is imperative to protect it to ensure justice for all," he said. Sydney, Dec 13 : Travellers in Australia were warned to expect flight delays on Friday after hundreds of Qantas engineers across the country began strike action over a pay dispute with the airline. Around 500 engineers at Australia's five busiest airportsSydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perthbegan walking off the job at 3:30 a.m. local time on Friday and would not return until 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. This strike followed the breakdown of pay negotiations between Qantas and several trade unions representing the engineers, according to Xinhua news agency. The unions indicated that the strike would likely have an immediate impact on flights at the five airports. A spokesperson for Qantas stated that the airline had several contingencies in place to prevent delays. The engineers, whose duties include towing and marshalling planes, demanded an immediate 15 percent pay rise followed by a 5 percent annual raise. In contrast, Qantas offered a 3 percent wage increase per year over three years. Friday marked the first day of Australia's six-week summer travel period, with 13.5 million passengers expected to pass through capital city airports during this time. Over 80,000 domestic passengers were set to depart from or arrive at Sydney Airport on Friday, which was its busiest day for domestic travel since 2019. In October, Australia's flag carrier and largest airline was ordered by a Federal Court in Sydney to pay significant compensation to 1,700 employees who were illegally fired during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the ruling, Qantas is required to compensate these former ground crew employees with varying amounts. Justice Michael Lee stated that three "test case" workers would be awarded a combined 170,000 Australian dollars (approximately 114,173.2 US dollars) in compensation. Justice Lee commented, "I consider that the amounts of compensation for non-economic loss reflect the harm sustained by each of the three individuals in a way that is appropriate, just and rational." The compensation will be capped at roughly 12 months' pay for the affected workers. Ottawa, Dec 13 : A senior official in the government of Ontario, Canada, recently warned that the province might ban US-made alcohol and restrict electricity exports to several American states if President-elect Donald Trump imposes tariffs on all Canadian products, according to media reports. This warning, along with others issued by Canadian officials, has heightened concerns about a potential trade war between the United States and one of its most important trading partners. Additionally, according to a senior official, Canada's most populous province is considering imposing export bans on critical minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries and barring US-based companies from participating in Ontario's government procurement processes, reports Xinhua news agency, citing the Associated Press. Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed on Thursday that the province is considering cutting energy supplies to the US states of Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin. "We power 1.5 million (US) homes, and if they impose tariffs, it will become unaffordable for Americans to buy electricity," Ford told reporters. "If you come and attack Ontario, you attack the livelihoods of people in Ontario and Canadians; we are going to use every tool in our toolbox to defend Ontarians and Canadians," said Ford. Commenting on Ford's warnings, Trump said on the same day, "That's OK if he does that. That's fine." "I have so many friends in Canada, but we shouldn't have to subsidise a country," said the US President-elect, who announced in late November his intention to impose a sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico. Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with provincial premiers to coordinate a response to the potential tariffs. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland revealed that several premiers supported "a robust Canadian response," including restricting exports of critical minerals and metals to the United States. Freeland also noted that Canadian business and labour leaders are engaging with their US counterparts to address the issue. The proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico would significantly impact US consumers, driving up prices for automobiles, vegetables, fuel, prepared foods, and animal products, according to a Peterson Institute report cited by CNN on Thursday. "American consumers and firms will bear the effect of higher tariffs, with the substantial cost for the average American household, and a burden that falls more heavily on lower-income households," said Peterson Institute researchers. Meanwhile, a Nanos Research survey commissioned by CTV News earlier this month revealed that approximately 65 per cent of Canadians would be "less likely" or "somewhat less likely" to purchase US products if the proposed tariffs were implemented. A model by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce estimates that a 10 per cent tariff alone would shrink Canada's GDP by 0.9 to 1 per cent, costing approximately 30 billion Canadian dollars ($21.3 billion) annually, while the United States could lose 125 billion ($88.8 billion) a year. A 25 per cent tariff would likely amplify these losses, according to a Canadian Press report in November. Unveiling a global crisis: groundbreaking research highlights the immense impact of HSV infections on health, urging a shift towards vaccine innovation and prevention measures. Study: Estimated global and regional incidence and prevalence of herpes simplex virus infections and genital ulcer disease in 2020: mathematical modelling analyses. Image Credit: sokolova_sv / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, a group of researchers estimated the global and regional incidence and prevalence of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections and associated genital ulcer disease (GUD) in 2020, disaggregated by World Health Organization (WHO) region, sex, and HSV type. Background Widespread impact of oral HSV-1 infections: In 2020, over 3.4 billion people aged 049 years were estimated to have oral HSV-1 infections, highlighting the virus's overwhelming global prevalence beyond genital infections. HSV type 1 and type 2 cause lifelong infections with significant global prevalence, resulting in substantial disease and economic burdens. Both types involve frequent subclinical shedding and symptomatic reactivations, adversely affecting quality of life, sexual health, and mental health, including depression and anxiety. HSV-2 increases the risk of HIV acquisition and transmission threefold, demonstrating a synergistic relationship between the two infections. HSV-2 is primarily transmitted through sexual contact and is the leading cause of recurrent GUD. Neonatal herpes, which is transmitted during birth or through postnatal oral contact, has a high fatality rate and poses significant public health challenges. HSV-1, typically acquired orally in childhood, can also cause serious complications, including neurological, corneal, and mucocutaneous conditions, and has emerged as a major cause of genital herpes in high-income countries. Further research is essential to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies, including vaccines. About the Study The study utilized data from systematic reviews and meta-analyses to provide the model input, updated as of March 30, 2022, to ensure completeness for all WHO regions. Only data collected up to 2020 were included, with country-level data reorganized into WHO region groupings. The study also incorporated methodological enhancements, including refined calibration techniques and updated prevalence data, to improve the accuracy of its estimates. The validity of HSV diagnostic assays was assessed to address limitations such as sensitivity, specificity, and cross-reactivity between HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies. Studies using unreliable laboratory methods were excluded. To ensure accuracy, assays had to detect type-specific antibodies, such as glycoprotein G-2 for HSV-2. Meta-analyses were conducted using DerSimonian-Laird random-effects models, and pooled prevalence estimates were stratified by sex and age. These estimates were used to calibrate a mathematical model based on the WHO HSV estimation framework. Calibration incorporated prevalence data using a constant incidence rate model while adjusting for demographic shifts and sparse data in specific regions. The study generated incidence and prevalence estimates for genital HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections among individuals aged 15-49 and oral HSV-1 infections for ages 0-49. GUD estimates were derived by applying natural history parameters to infection estimates. Uncertainty intervals were calculated using Monte Carlo simulations. Study Results Emerging HSV-1 genital infections in high-income countries: While traditionally associated with oral infections, HSV-1 is increasingly being acquired genitally in high-income countries due to changes in sexual practices. HSV-2 remains the leading cause of genital infections and recurrent GUD. In 2020, the estimated number of new HSV-2 infections globally among individuals aged 15-49 years was 25.6 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 23.1-29.4 million), with females accounting for 15.6 million cases and males 10.0 million. The African region reported the highest incidence, contributing to 38.3% of all infections. Incidence rates were notably higher among younger adults, particularly in Africa and the Americas. This reflects both demographic trends and differing sexual behavior patterns across regions. The estimated global prevalence of HSV-2 in the same age group was 519.5 million cases (95% UI: 464.3-611.3 million), with a higher prevalence in females (17.0%, 95% UI: 14.9-20.1%) compared to males (9.7%, 95% UI: 8.0-13.0%). For genital HSV-1 infections, the number of new cases globally in 2020 among individuals aged 15-49 years was 16.8 million (95% UI: 10.6-22.4 million), evenly distributed between sexes. The Western Pacific region recorded the highest incidence. The global prevalence of genital HSV-1 infections in the same demographic was estimated at 376.2 million cases (95% UI: 235.6-483.5 million), with slightly higher prevalence in females (10.5%, 95% UI: 6.4-13.8%) than males (9.9%, 95% UI: 5.9-13.4%). Overall, the combined global incidence of genital HSV infections (HSV-1 and HSV-2) among individuals aged 15-49 years was 42.4 million (95% UI: 33.7-51.8 million), while the prevalence was 846.1 million (95% UI: 661.1-1034.2 million). GUD prevalence due to HSV-2 in this age group was 4.8% (95% UI: 3.0-7.5%), affecting an estimated 187.9 million people, with females experiencing a higher prevalence (6.2%, 95% UI: 3.8-9.6%) than males (3.5%, 95% UI: 2.2-5.8%). For HSV-1, GUD prevalence was 0.5% (95% UI: 0.3-0.7%), affecting 16.7 million people globally. This results in a combined GUD burden of 204.6 million individuals, with significant psychosocial and economic consequences. The total number of person-days with HSV-related GUD was estimated at 8.8 billion (95% UI: 5.8-15.4 billion). Regarding oral HSV-1 infections, the global prevalence in 2020 among individuals aged 0-49 years was 58.6% (95% UI: 53.5-62.1%), equating to approximately 3.4 billion people. The African region exhibited the highest oral HSV-1 prevalence, while the Western Pacific had the largest number of infected individuals. Conclusions To summarize, in 2020, 26 million individuals aged 15-49 acquired new HSV-2 infections, with 520 million living with HSV-2 and 188 million experiencing HSV-2-related GUD. Similarly, 17 million acquired new genital HSV-1 infections, with 376 million living with genital HSV-1 and 17 million experiencing HSV-1-related GUD. Despite advances in treatment, prevention efforts remain inadequate, highlighting the critical need for HSV vaccines to curb transmission and reduce the disease burden. HSV-2 is primarily sexually transmitted, while HSV-1 is mostly acquired orally in childhood, though genital transmission is increasing. Genital HSV-1 infections are less recurrent than HSV-2. Global efforts to combat malnutrition reveal uneven progress, with critical gaps in tackling anemia and childhood obesity threatening health outcomes worldwide. Study: Global, regional, and national progress towards the 2030 global nutrition targets and forecasts to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Image Credit: kwanchai.c / Shutterstock In a recent article published in The Lancet, researchers evaluated the progress, trends, and projections of six global nutrition targets (GNTs) associated with anemia, child growth, exclusive breastfeeding, and low birth weight between 2012 to 2021. While some countries have made progress in meeting certain targets, fewer than 25% are projected to meet any GNTs by 2030, identifying substantial challenges to addressing anemia and overweight children. Background Over 155 million children under five years old were affected by stunting in 2021, highlighting a significant global health challenge despite progress in some regions. Maternal, child, and neonatal health have long been indicators of the performance of health systems, with suboptimal nutrition contributing significantly to disability and death in these groups. The 2012 World Health Assembly set GNTs to address six key nutrition indicators anemia among females of reproductive age, child wasting, child stunting, child overweight, low birth weight, and exclusive breastfeeding by 2025. These targets are integral to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating hunger by 2030. The World Health Organization extended these targets to 2030 for all indicators except child overweight, which retains the original 2025 target definition. About the study The study used Bayesian meta-regression modeling and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) to estimate the prevalence and burden of six GNT indicators for various countries, regions, and demographics. Data were collected from population-representative surveys, administrative sources, and published scientific literature. Researchers used models to estimate prevalence for each indicator, accounting for factors like age, sex, and location. Socioeconomic and health-related covariates, such as maternal education, sanitation, income, and urbanization, were incorporated into these models. Different statistical models were tested and optimized to predict the prevalence of low birth weight, stunting, wasting, child overweight, anemia, and exclusive breastfeeding. Each indicator's attributed burden, measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), was calculated based on its relationship to health outcomes like mortality and morbidity. The study also analyzed the annualized rate of change (ARC) in the prevalence of these indicators from 2012 to 2021 and compared it with expected trends based on Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) levels. To predict future prevalence up to 2050, the researchers incorporated SDI projections, socioeconomic changes, disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and future health trends. Findings Only 45% of infants globally were exclusively breastfed in 2021, falling short of the 70% global nutrition target, with disparities persisting across regions. From 2012 to 2021, the prevalence of key malnutrition indicators varied widely across countries. In 2021, several countries, including Georgia, Mongolia, and South Korea, met two out of six GNTs, while most countries fell short of their targets. Global prevalences of low birth weight slightly declined but remained above the 30% reduction target, with no country achieving the GNT for this indicator. Exclusive breastfeeding improved globally, with a higher percentage of countries meeting the target, especially Rwanda, Burundi, and Sri Lanka. However, the prevalence of stunting in children under five remained a major challenge, with many countries, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, failing to meet reduction goals. While stunting showed improvement in several regions, it remained a significant issue in 155.7 million children under five globally in 2021. The global incidence of child overweight increased from 2012 to 2021, with a few countries like Georgia managing to stabilize it. Anemia in women of reproductive age slightly worsened globally, with no country achieving the target of halving its prevalence. Notably, anemia and child overweight trends deviated significantly from expected progress based on SDI levels in many regions. Looking ahead to 2030, the projections indicate that more countries will meet the wasting target, with some countries achieving the exclusive breastfeeding and stunting targets. However, the targets for low birth weight, child overweight, and anemia reduction are unlikely to be met by 2030. Projections for 2050 suggest that even with continued progress, anemia, and child overweight will remain unmet in most regions globally. Conclusions Child overweight prevalence increased in 201 countries and territories between 2012 and 2021, signaling a growing health burden that contributes to long-term non-communicable diseases. This study analyzed country-level and global progress between 2012 and 2021, assessing trends and projecting future prevalence up to 2050. It found that progress has been slow and inconsistent, with few countries on track to meet the targets by 2030. Researchers also highlighted the importance of adapting policies and addressing factors like the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for multisectoral, long-term interventions to tackle the determinants of suboptimal nutrition. This study faces several limitations, including inconsistent data quality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and sparse data after 2019 due to factors like conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on exclusive breastfeeding may be overestimated due to reliance on self-reporting, and the models for childhood overweight are not directly comparable to future targets for children under five years. The study also excludes factors like malaria and uterine fibroids that could affect predictions of anemia. Additionally, disruptions to food security and healthcare may worsen the estimates. Future research should improve data collection, particularly on low birth weight, and consider the long-term effects of anemia and childhood obesity. Just The Registration Of This Mumbai Land Cost Rs 27 Crore. Can You Guess Its Actual Price? Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 13:27 IST According to the registration document, Agarwal Holdings acquired the 1,819.90 sq. m. land parcel in Mumbai's Juhu area from Shapoorji Pallonji Gwalior Private Limited Juhu and Bandra, renowned for their seaside location and luxury residences, have consistently attracted significant investment. (Representative/Shutterstock) Mumbai, Indias financial capital and home to billionaires and celebrities presents a challenging real estate market. Property rates are notoriously high, making it difficult to purchase land or build a house. While news of expensive apartments is commonplace, a recent land deal has made headlines. According to Square Yards, Agarwal Holdings Private Limited has acquired a land parcel in Mumbais highly sought-after Juhu area for a staggering Rs 455 crore. related stories The plot was acquired from Shapoorji Pallonji Gwalior Private Limited, a part of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, a prominent business conglomerate. According to Square Yards examination of the plots registration document, the elongated parcel encompasses approximately 1,819.90 square metres (19,589.22 square feet). The land transaction concluded with registration in November 2024. The registration of this plot incurred a stamp duty of Rs 27.30 crore and a registration charge of Rs 30,000. Only a smaller portion of the Juhu land has been monetised with the larger parcel remaining under the groups ownership," Shapoorji Pallonji Group spokesperson said. In September 2022, Agarwal Holdings acquired two land parcels in Juhu. The properties, measuring approximately one acre and three-quarters of an acre, totalled Rs 332.8 crore in value. Mumbai is the commercial capital of the country and a major business centre, so property prices are very high here," Anand Moorthy, Co-founder and CBO Capital Market & Services at Square Yards said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Agarwal Holdings, established on December 11, 2020, is a private, non-government entity registered with the Registrar of Companies in Mumbai. The company specialises in activities auxiliary to financial intermediation, providing essential support to financial institutions such as banks, investment firms and insurance companies. Bandra-Kurla Complex, along with several locations in South and West Mumbai, remains highly sought-after in the citys property market. Juhu and Bandra, renowned for their seaside location and luxury residences, have consistently attracted significant investment. In recent years, numerous billionaire industrialists have made substantial apartment purchases in Mumbai. First Published: December 13, 2024, 13:27 IST Stocks To Watch: Tata Motors, HAL, Zomato, HDFC Bank, Titan, TCS, And Others Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 07:59 IST Stocks to watch: Shares of firms like Tata Motors, HAL, Zomato, HDFC Bank, Titan, TCS, and others will be in focus on Friday's trade Stocks To Watch Stocks to Watch: Markets ended slightly lower on the weekly expiry day, dipping nearly half a percent amid mixed signals. In todays session, stocks of Tata Motors, RIL, HAL, Zomato, JK Tyre, JSW Energy, and others will be in focus due to recent developments. Reliance Industries (RIL): Russias state-owned Rosneft has agreed to supply up to 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil to RIL, marking the largest-ever energy deal between the two countries. related stories HDFC Bank: The private sector lender has received an administrative warning letter from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), citing alleged non-compliance with regulations governing merchant bankers, capital issuance, and insider trading. Axis Bank: Axis Asset Management Company, the banks mutual fund arm, has opened a new branch in GIFT City, Indias premier international financial services hub. Zomato: The GST department in Thane has imposed a tax demand of Rs 803.4 crore on the food delivery platform, including penalties and interest. Siemens: Siemens has appointed Harish Shekar as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of its energy business, effective January 1, 2025. Titan: Titans luxury brand Zoya is targeting 20 new stores in the next three to four years. The brands CEO Ajoy Chawla announced this on the occasion of the Zoya boutique launch in Kolkata. JK Tyre: Germanys DEG will provide JK Tyre with a long-term loan of 30 million (Rs 267 crore). Tata Motors: Tata Motors has announced a price hike of up to 2% across its range of trucks and buses, effective January 1, 2025. NBCC: The company has been appointed as a project management consultant for the completion of 16 real estate projects by Supertech Ltd at a cost of nearly Rs 9,500 crore, bringing relief to thousands of homebuyers. Tech Mahindra: Tech Mahindra has teamed up with American software company ServiceNow to launch the One E2E Platform, a GenAI-powered enterprise service management solution. State Bank of India (SBI): SBI is reportedly seeking a 30 billion ($197 million) facility, as part of the record volume of yen loans raised by Asian borrowers this year, excluding Japan. TCS: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has extended its partnership with Telenor Denmark (TnDK) for the next five years. L&T: L&Ts data center business, L&T-Cloudfiniti, has onboarded its first major customer at its hyperscale data center in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai. Punjab & Sind Bank: The public sector lender plans to raise Rs 3,000 crore from its maiden infrastructure bonds this month to help expand its loan book. Ashok Leyland: The company has received an order worth Rs 345.58 crore for supplying 1,475 BS-VI diesel fuel-type passenger bus chassis to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation. Additionally, Ashok Leyland Russia, a subsidiary, is being voluntarily liquidated. HAL: The Ministry of Defence has signed a Rs 13,500 crore contract with HAL for the procurement of 12 Su-30MKI aircraft. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Bajaj Finance: Bajaj Finance, Indias largest non-bank consumer financier, has unveiled a new five-year business plan that includes integrating artificial intelligence (AI) across all its processes. Disclaimer: Disclaimer: The views and investment tips by experts in this News18.com report are their own and not those of the website or its management. Users are advised to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. First Published: December 13, 2024, 07:59 IST Pay Rs 30,000 Every Month To Gurugram Homebuyers Until Flats Are Ready: RERA To NBCC Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 13:06 IST The case involves residents who bought flats in Green View Society, only to discover serious structural issues shortly after moving in. NBCC to pay monthly rent to Green View Society buyers. (Representational Image: PTI) In a landmark decision, the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) of Haryana instructed the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) to pay Rs 30,000 every month to homebuyers in the Green View Society, located in Sector 37D, Gurugram, until their flats are ready for occupancy. The ruling comes in response to significant concerns over the safety of the buildings, highlighting the crucial role of RERA in safeguarding consumers rights in the real estate sector. The case involves hundreds of residents who purchased flats in the Green View Society, only to find that the buildings developed serious structural issues shortly after they moved in. Cracks began to appear, and following an inspection by engineers from IIT Roorkee, the buildings were declared unfit for habitation, posing serious safety risks. As a result, in March 2022, the residents vacated their flats and began renting alternative accommodation. related stories Two of the affected buyers, Saurabh Mehta and Jai Prakash Mehta, filed a complaint with RERA, which led to this significant ruling. According to RERAs order, NBCC is obligated to pay Rs 30,000 per month to each affected homebuyer as compensation for their inability to live in their purchased flats. The payments are to be made starting within one month, and failure to comply will result in an additional penalty interest at a rate of 10.5% per annum on the outstanding amount. The company had initially proposed demolishing the problematic towers and rebuilding them; however, the district administration has intervened, halting the demolition due to ongoing legal proceedings and disputes related to compensation. The district administration clarified that a ban has been imposed on the demolition of the buildings until the legal cases are resolved. Homebuyers, particularly those from economically weaker sections, raised claims for compensation in the Delhi High Court. The courts verdict is awaited before any demolition can proceed. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Meanwhile, the administration urged the commissioner to expedite the registration of homebuyers so that they can receive their due compensation from NBCC. NBCC had earlier argued that all seven towers in the society are at significant risk of collapse and should be demolished to protect residents. The District Magistrate had supported this recommendation, issuing an order for the prompt demolition of the towers. However, with legal hurdles in place, the process has been delayed. Until the demolition is carried out, NBCC will be required to continue the monthly payments to homebuyers, as directed by RERA. First Published: December 13, 2024, 13:06 IST BPSC Rejects Paper Leak Claims As 'Conspiracy'; Police Investigation Underway Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 21:36 IST Rumours of a question paper leak for the BPSC preliminary exam sparked chaos at an exam centre on Friday. BPSC Exam: Around 300-400 students skipped the exam alleging that the paper was leaked. Rumours of a question paper leak for the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) preliminary exam led to uproar at an exam centre on Friday. The commission also warned of police action against those responsible for the alleged conspiracy." Around 300-400 candidates boycotted the BPSC 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 at Bapu Examination Centre in Kumhrar, Patna, alleging that the question paper was leaked on social media prior to the examination. related stories However, BPSC Chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai said that the exam was conducted fairly across more than 900 Centres, with nearly five lakh candidates appearing for the test on Friday. The BPSC CCE 70th preliminary examination was held in a single shift from noon to 2 pm. The examination was held in 912 centres across the state, and of those, free and fair exams were held in 911 centres," Parmar told PTI. However, in one centre in Patna, some of the candidates snatched questions papers from the invigilators and stormed out of the examination hall screaming that the paper had been leaked. Snatching of question papers from invigilators and showing those to outsiders tantamount to looting public property. Police action will be initiated against these persons who seem to have acted as a part of conspiracy we are examining CCTV footage to identify them," Parmar said. The use of mobile phones was strictly prohibited inside the examination centre, so its unclear how these candidates learned about the rumours of a question paper leak. Clearly, theres a conspiracy involved. The police are looking into the matter, but I assure you, there was no leak of the question paper," he added. Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh reached the examination centre upon hearing about the commotion. A large crowd gathered outside the exam Centre, and news channels showed footage of the District Magistrate slapping an unruly bystander and instructing the police to detain those causing trouble. Authorities are in the process of registering an FIR against those who attempted to take law into their hands inside and outside an examination centre at Kumhrar. There was a slight delay in distribution of question booklets inside one-two examination halls at the centre," Singh said. Against the seating arrangements for 272 students in each examination hall, boxes of each question booklet had only 192 sets. This caused delay in the distribution of question booklets this was objected to by the aspirants who snatched question papers from invigilators and alleged that the paper was leaked," he said. Following this, around 300-400 students came out of their examination halls alleging that the paper was leaked, the DM said, adding they boycotted the exam. The remaining candidates of other examination halls in the same centre took the exam and came out of the halls only after 2 pm. The district administration will submit its report on the incident to the BPSC for appropriate action," the DM said. Speaking to reporters, some students claimed that the question booklet/OMR sheets were given late. When seating arrangements were made for 272 candidates, why only 192 question papers were brought in one set?" questioned a student outside the Kumhrar centre. ALSO READ: How Formal And Informal Learning Can Help You Build Your Career All About RPL Bihar Police Investigates BPSC Paper Leak Claims Bihar Police have launched an investigation into the allegations made by students regarding a possible question paper leak. Deputy Inspector General of the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), Manavjit Singh Dhillon, stated, We are gathering details and closely monitoring the situation." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The preliminary examination of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) was conducted on Friday to select candidates for Group A and B posts. Earlier, BPSC aspirants staged a protest in Patna, opposing alleged rule changes for the preliminary exam and requesting an extension of the exam date. However, the BPSC clarified that there were no changes in the examination process. First Published: December 13, 2024, 20:48 IST IIM CAT 2024 Results To Be Released Soon At iimcat.ac.in, Here's How To Download Scorecards Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 11:42 IST CAT Result 2024: IIM Calcutta released the provisional answer key for CAT 2024 on December 3. IIM CAT 2024 Result will be declared on the official website - iimcat.ac.in The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta is set to release the results for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 soon, although the exact date and time have not been confirmed. Candidates who appeared for the exam can check their results on the official website- iimcat.ac.in. The provisional answer key for CAT 2024 was released on December 3, with the opportunity for candidates to raise objections until December 5. The final answer key will be published alongside the results. To access the scorecard, candidates will need to log in using their User ID and password on the official website. related stories IIM Calcutta CAT 2024: How To Check Result? Step 1: Go to IIM CATs official website- iimcat.ac.in. Step 2: Select the link for the IIM CAT 2024 scorecard from the homepage. Step 3: Enter your password and user ID to log in. Step 4: The scorecard for CAT will be shown. Step 5: Check your result and save the PDF version for future use. To be eligible for admission in the current academic year, students must download their CAT 2024 scorecards and retain them until the completion of the admissions process. The results will be determined through a normalisation process that considers multiple factors, including percentile distributions, mean, median and both the highest and lowest scores. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all This year, a total of 3.29 lakh students enrolled for the CAT 2024 exam, with 2.93 lakh appearing for it, resulting in an impressive 89% attendance rate. The exam was conducted across 389 testing centres on November 24, 2024. The CAT 2024 exam pattern was also revised, with the DILR and QA sections each featuring 22 questions, and the VARC section containing 24 questions, summing up to a total of 68 questions. Based on past trends, the CAT results are typically released 20 to 25 days after the exam. For instance, the CAT 2022 results were announced on December 21, 2022, 24 days after the exam was conducted on November 27, 2022, while the CAT 2023 results were released on December 21, 2023, 25 days after the exam was held on November 26, 2023. Following this pattern, it is expected that the CAT 2024 results will be announced either this week or the next. First Published: December 13, 2024, 11:19 IST Rains Lash Tamil Nadu, Schools Closed In Chennai And Several Other Districts Published By : PTI Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 09:08 IST Authorities have declared a days holiday for schools in districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengelpet and Kancheepuram. The intense rain throughout the Tamil Nadu inundated several areas and submerged standing crops in the districts. (Representative Image: PTI) Widespread rains lashed parts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday, prompting authorities to declare a holiday for schools in Chennai and many other districts. With the people yet to come to terms with the devastation caused in 14 districts across Tamil Nadu by Cyclone Fengal, the intense rain throughout the state inundated several areas and submerged standing crops in the districts. In Chennai, apprehensive of destruction to their cars, many residents parked their vehicles on the Velachery flyover. At many places in the city people had to confront knee-deep water even on the arterial roads and many residential areas were flooded due to the rain since Wednesday night. related stories We didnt want to take the risk of losing our cars, so we parked our vehicles on the flyover," a resident of Velachery said. Traffic at Kathipara, Poonammallee, Porur, Maduravoyal, Vysarpadi, and Chennai suburbs came to a standstill with all sorts of vehicles getting stranded in the rainwater. Residents of Vyasarpadi and Pallavaram complained that water logging in their areas during monsoon has become a regular feature. They hoped the civic authorities would ensure an effective mechanism to drain excess flood water and make the roads safe and motorable. At least three subways here were heavily inundated with rainwater, forcing the civic body to temporarily shut them. Efforts were on to bail out the water. Several areas in Thiruvannamalai, which had experienced mud slips atleast four times when Cyclone Fengal crossed the Tamil Nadu and Karaikal coast on November 30, and some parts in the southern districts, as well, were swarmed by swathes of water. An NDRF team has been deployed at Thiruvannamalai, equipped with advanced disaster management equipment to respond to any emergency, an official said. In Thiruvannamalai, the Sri Arunachaleswar temple staff and volunteers braved the downpour to carry the 6.5 feet high copper cauldron (koparai) with the Lords name on their lips, to place it atop the 2,668 feet high mountain to light the Maha Deepam on December 13 evening. The lighting of the gigantic ghee lamp on the hill top marks the conclusion of the annual 10-day Karthiga deepam festival at the renowned temple. The Bharani deepam will be lit at the temple on Friday morning. According to a source in Public Works Department (PWD) the reservoirs and tanks in the state which were replenished due to heavy downpour triggered by the recent cyclone, were now receiving copious inflows. The water level in many dams reached 60 to 80 percent, he said. Following a sudden increase in the inflows into the Sathanur dam in Thiruvannamalai district that sharply surged the water level, about 13,000 cusecs water was released from the reservoir today. In Chennai, about 1,000 cusecs water was released from the Poondi dam, one of the chief sources of drinking water to the metro, in the afternoon and the quantum was gradually increased to about 5,000 cusecs in the evening, PWD said. The water level in the Chembarambakkam dam here inched towards the full reservoir level. Its present level stood at 21.90 feet against its full level capacity of 24 feet. Its storage increased to 84.88 percent owing to heavy rain in the catchment areas. The six lakes/dams supplying drinking water to Chennai with a total storage capacity of 13,213 Mcft water at present have a combined storage of 10,487 Mcft water that is 79.37 percent. The state government has urged people in the low lying areas to remain vigilant and take appropriate action. It said 2,000 cusecs of surplus water will be released from Pichatur reservoir into the Arani river. The state received 16 per cent more than normal rainfall during this North East Monsoon which commenced on October 15. The NEM is likely to intensify and last till mid-January 2025," IMD Regional Meteorological Centre director S Balachandran said. The well-marked low pressure area which lay centred in the Mannar Bay will weaken into a depression in the next 12 hours causing heavy to very heavy rainfall activity in the coastal and interior districts of Tamil Nadu, he told reporters here. Balachandran said there was an indication of another system forming in the Andaman Sea on December 15. Following the heavy rainfall warning issued by the IMD, six NDRF teams have been alerted to swing into rescue and relief activity in case of emergency, the government said. Overnight rains lashed Chennai and the neighbouring Tiruvallur, Chengelpet and Kancheepuram, besides Villupuram and some areas in the Cauvery delta region. Following sharp showers, authorities declared a days holiday for schools in districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengelpet, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore. The regional weather office has forecast more spells of rain in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengelpet and Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur districts in the state, besides the neighbouring union territory Puducherry. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Paddy crop ready for harvest in Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts was submerged in rainwater. Three electric poles collapsed due to heavy rain near Mannargudi in Thiruvarur district, said police. First Published: December 13, 2024, 09:08 IST RRB JE Admit Card 2024 Released At rrb.gov.in, Here's Direct Link To Download Published By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 13:17 IST RRB JE Admit Card 2024 for CBT 1 exam is now available for download through the regional websites of the Railway Recruitment Board. RRB JE Admit Card 2024 is now available on RRB websites. (Image: RRB) RRB JE Admit Card 2024: The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has released the admit cards for the Junior Engineer (JE) recruitment exam on the regional websites. Candidates appearing for the first stage Computer-Based Test (CBT 1) can download their hall tickets by submitting the registration number and date of birth. RRB JE CBT 1 exam will be held on December 16, 17, and 18, 2024, at various centres across the country. The duration of the exam will be 90 minutes and include 100 multiple-choice questions. related stories RRB JE Admit Card 2024 Direct Link (Click Here To Download) RRB JE Admit Card 2024: Steps To Download Hall Ticket Follow these simple steps to download your RRB JE Admit Card 2024: Step 1: Visit the official website of RRBs. Step 2: On the homepage, click on the RRB JE Admit Card link. Step 3: A new page will open where you need to submit your registration number and date of birth. Step 4: RRB JE Hall Ticket will be displayed on your screen. Step 5: Check and download it. Step 6: Take a printout for the exam day. ALSO READ: IIM CAT 2024 Results To Be Released Soon At iimcat.ac.in, Heres How To Download Scorecards top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The recruitment process for RRB JE consists of three stages: CBT 1, CBT 2, and Document Verification (DV) along with Medical Examination (ME). The application process for these posts was started from July 30 and ended on August 29, 2024. This recruitment drive is being conducted to fill a total of 7,951 vacancies. Among these, 17 posts are for Chemical Supervisor/Research and Metallurgical Supervisor/Research, while 7,934 posts are for Junior Engineer, Depot Material Superintendent, and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant. First Published: December 13, 2024, 13:11 IST Does Kalyans Durgadi Fort Have A Temple Or Mosque? Court Verdict And History Explained Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 17:40 IST The legal battle to stake a claim over the Durgadi fort began in the early 1970s, when the Maharashtra government asserted its ownership. In February 1974, Maharashtra handed the land over to the Kalyan Municipal Corporation, a decision that was challenged by the Muslim side... Read More A Kalyan court has ruled in favour of the Maharashtra government, rejecting the suit filed by a Muslim Trust. (File Photo: News18 Hindi) A civil court in Kalyan has ruled in favour of the Hindu side over the disputed Durgadi Fort, where the Shiv Sena unfurled a saffron flag in September 1968 - marking a foray of Hindutva into Maharashtras politics. The verdict of the case, which spans nearly five decades, was rejected by the Majlis-e-Mushawarat Trust, who has decided to challenge the judgment in the Bombay High Court. related stories Civil Judge AS Lanjewar dismissed the Trusts suit as time-barred and upheld the state governments ownership of the hilltop fortress. Let us understand the history of Durgadi Fort, the case and claims and counter-claims by the Hindu and Muslim sides. History of Durgadi Fort Reports suggest that the Durgadi Fort dates back to the 16th Century when Kalyan, some 50 km from present-day Mumbai, was a key trading port under the Bijapur-based Adil Shahi Sultanate. The fort is spread over 70 acres on an elevated ground next to the Ulhas river. The historical documents compiled by the British say that the fort has existed since 1570, with accounts stating that it housed a Musalman tomb, prayer place, and other buildings". On the top of the mound, on the west crest which overhangs and is about 100 feet above the river, is the Prayer Wall or Idga, sixty-four feetlong, thirteen high, and seven thick, and near the east crest of the mound a mosque, twenty-two feet long, twenty-two high, and twenty broad. About thirty yards from the mosque is a round cut stone well of great depth, eleven feet in diameter, with a wall two feet seven inches thick at the top," the gazetteer stated. When the Marathas captured Kalyan in 1760, they made major changes to the fort. They built a small wooden temple dedicated to the goddess Durgadevi inside the premises, and renamed it to fort Durgadi Killa. When the British took control of Kalyan in 1818, the Durgadevi temple had ceased to be a place of worship. At present there are, on the mound at the north-west corner of the fort, the prayer-place and the mosque-temple, which has ceased to be a place of worship, since 1876 when the image of the goddess was stolen," according to the gazetteer, as mentioned in The Indian Express report. How The Fort Led To Communal Tensions In the mid-1960s, the local Muslims known as Koknis claimed they had been offering Eid prayers at the fort for centuries. They also said the local Muslim Kokni possessed the land in question. Gradually, the Hindus began questioning Muslim control over the land, and demanded the right to pray there as well. The Maharashtra government in 1966 started asserting control over the land, saying it was the owner of the property. It actually handed over the site to the Kalyan Municipal Council to build a park, according to the report. The move was met with resistance by the Majlis-e-Mushawarat Masajid-O-Awqaf Kalyan, which has been looking after the upkeep of the mosque in the fort. In 1968, the Muslim side claimed that Hindus had placed a red stone adorned with vermillion inside the mosque. But tensions escalated that same year when the local Hindus decided to celebrate Navratri festival inside the fort, asserting that the structure was in fact a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga. The situation became worse when Bal Thackrey visited the fort on September 20 that year, and declared his intention to install an idol of the goddess in its premises. The legal battle to claim stake over the fort began in the early 1970s, when the state government asserted its ownership. In February 1974, Maharashtra passed an order handing the land over to the Kalyan Municipal Corporation, a decision that was challenged by the Muslim side in 1976. What Is The Case? The case became a rallying point for the local party leaders from Shiv Sena, who made pilgrimages to the fort to assert their claim over the fort. But the Muslim community continued offering Eid prayers twice a year at the fort after receiving approval from the District Collector. In 1994, the court permitted the state public works department (PWD) to undertake urgent repairs to the fort, affirming that it belonged to the Maharashtra government. While the Kalyan Municipal Corporation (KMC) was later entrusted with its upkeep, the state government resumed direct control after the KMC failed to comply. On December 10, 2024, the Kalyan Civil Court ruled in favour of the Hindu side, and noted that the Muslim communitys possession of the land had been interrupted in 1968, and since the legal petition was filed only in 1976, the suit was deemed to be invalid under the Limitation Act. What Are The Reactions? The Muslim trust has decided to appeal in the Bombay High Court. The trust chairman, Sarfuddin Karte, said the court ruled against them because it failed to file the lawsuit within the three-year window after alleged dispossession, as mentioned in The Times of India report. Karte said trust members were not called to submit proof during the hearing of the case, the report added. Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Zende said security in Kalyan town and at Durgadi Fort has been intensified in light of the courts decision. Hindu Manch president Dinesh Deshmukh, who is also a petitioner in the case, welcomed the ruling, noting that all pleas from the Trust had been rejected. Following the verdict, Shiv Sena, Hindu Manch, and other organisations conducted a symbolic aarti at the forts temple. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Kalyan District and Sessions Court has today given an important verdict that the historic Durgadi Fort of Kalyan is not a mosque but a temple of Goddess Durga. Shiv Sena welcomes this decision. The court has clarified that this fort is not the property of the Waqf Board. This is the fruit of blessings given by Mother Durga at Durgadi Fort," Shiv Sena posted on X. Shiv Sena Kalyan chief Ravi Patil highlighted the forts historic significance, noting that it was captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from the Nizam rulers in 1656. Patil also recalled late Balasaheb Thackerays visit to the site, during which he dismissed claims of the Muslim community over the fort. First Published: December 13, 2024, 14:40 IST Is Europe Sending Back Syrian Refugees After Assads Fall, What About Lebanon, Turkey? Explained Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 17:56 IST Germany, which has the highest number of Syrian refugees in Europe, has paused the asylum applications, and has said it wants to enable secure and dignified returns. Some refugees have reportedly started returning to Syria from Turkey and Lebanon Nearly 14 million Syrians were either displaced internally or fled to other countries since the 2011 civil war. (Representational Photo: AP File) Thousands of Syrians fled their country in the wake of the civil war that started in 2011. Now, in 2024, with the fall of tyrannical Bashar al-Assad government, many refugees, who are mostly living in Europe, UK, Turkey and Lebanon are happy, relieved, and perhaps contemplating return. European countries are rethinking their asylum policies for Syrians in the light of developments. Many also fear that the Syrian refugees will have to go back. related stories The civil war has displaced nearly 14 million Syrians internally or to other countries since 2011. More than 1 million Syrian refugees have sought asylum in Europe, according to Euro news. What Has Happened In Syria? Events in Syria spiralled on Sunday when rebels claimed Damascus after a lightning offensive that forced Assad into exile in Russia and raised hopes of an end to a 13-year civil war that has left the country in ruins. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in Syrias war, which began in 2011 and pitted Assads army against various rebel groups. May important cities were flattened by bombing. Millions fled or are in need of humanitarian assistance. At present, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed terrorist organization, has emerged as the de facto authority in Syria. HTS was listed in May 2014, when the Security Council Committee responsible for overseeing sanctions concerning ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaeda, and individuals associated with these groups, assessed that it was a terrorist organization with ties to Al Qaeda. Its leader Ahmed al-Sharaabetter known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani has evolved from being a Jihadist leader to a rebel statesman, and has said he does not want war with the West, but security of Syrians. How Many Syrian Refugees Are There In The World? According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data, as of December 11, 2024, there are 6.3 million Syrians living as refugees across 130 countries. As many as 7.4 million Syrians have been displaced internally. Over half of them stay in Turkey, which has taken in over 3.1 million displaced Syrians. The refugees are also spread across Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Among European countries, Germany has the largest number of Syrian refugees, which is about 781,232, followed by Austria (112,926) and Sweden (87,702). The UNHCR also said only 5% of Syrians live in refugee camps. And more 70% live in poverty without access to education and employment. What Is Europes Plan For Syrian Refugees? Germany, which has the highest number of Syrian refugees in Europe, said it wants to enable their secure and dignified returns". The German Foreign Office has set out an eight-point plan for a free and democratic Syria. Voluntary, secure and dignified returns which we have always called for now appear, for the first time in years, to be within the bounds of the possible," it said. Its plan also includes the need for a cease-fire and for a commitment to reaching a power-sharing agreement that upholds Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity." Meanwhile, Austria announced plans to deport Syrian migrants. Caretaker minister of interior, Gerhard Karner, a hardliner on migration policy, announced the suspension of family reunification and the introduction of a new programme of orderly repatriation and deportation" that would apply to around 40,000 Syrians who have been granted protection in the last five years. Belgium, France, Greece and Germany have decided to pause Syrian asylum applications. The vast number of Syrian refugees, who came to the EU seeking asylum, were granted either refugee status or subsidiary protection and allowed to remain inside the bloc for an indefinite time. UK too has paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims. By the end of February 2021, more than 20,000 Syrian refugees had been resettled in the UK under a government scheme, according to the Refugee Council. How Many Of Syrian Refugees Have Returned? Since the start of the offensive on November 27, around 1 million people have been newly displaced from areas including Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Idlib governorates, according to UNHRC. In addition, between late September and late November, Syria received more than half a million people fleeing Israeli airstrikes in neighbouring Lebanon. About 60% were returning Syrians, while the rest were Lebanese. Though the figures are not available yet, but thousands of Syrian refugees have reportedly started returning to the country from Lebanon via the official Masnaa border point and other unofficial border crossings. At the same time, some Syrians have fled in the opposite direction into Lebanon. Some are also returning from Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salam border crossings in northwest Syria, according to UNHRC. Last year, only 38,300 of the 5.1 million Syrian refugees hosted by neighbouring countries chose to return to their country, according to the UNCHR. What Will Be The Future Of Syrian Refugees? There are refugees who are not rushing into returning to their country, but instead are trying to understand the dramatic events of the last two weeks. According to Will Todman, CSISs Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program, Syrias political future is uncertain, with many Syrians fearful of the rebels led by HTS. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all A power struggle seems likely, with Turkish-backed groups fighting Kurdish-led groups in the north, exiled political leaders returning, and HTS trying to strengthen its control," he wrote. Many Syrians fear what HTS rule would mean. While HTS has attempted to assure minorities that they wont be targeted, many Syrians are skeptical about their promises, given HTSs Al-Qaeda roots and record of authoritarian rule in northwest Syria." He further stressed that the refugee return to Syria will be fraught with challenges", as this would put even more pressure on the country and would undermine the prospect of a successful transition". It could backfire in ways that destabilize the wider Levant", he added. First Published: December 13, 2024, 17:56 IST What Has Netanyahu Gained By Attacking Syrias Military? How Israel Has Violated 1974 Disengagement Deal Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 14:24 IST Israel has said it was carrying out air and naval strikes against Syria to ensure that the advanced military infrastructure does not fall into the hands of Jihadist groups. But Israel also conducted ground operations in demilitarised buffer zone in Golan Heights, breaching the 1974... Read More The demilitarized buffer zone in Golan Heights was established in the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria, which concluded the Yom Kippur War. (AP Photo) Israel has carried out more than 350 air and naval strikes against Syria since President Bashar al-Assad fled the country, destroying about 80% of Syrias military capabilities. Israel said it targeted Syrias naval fleet, air bases, chemical weapons, long-range missiles, helicopters, anti-aircraft batteries and other military sites as a measure to pre-empt advanced military infrastructure falling into the hands of the rebel groups. The operations were aimed at dismantling Syrias strategic weapons stockpiles, the Israeli military sources said. related stories What is Israels larger mission in Syria, what are the areas whose security it has stepped up, what does it think of the HTS rebel group? Let us understand the changing dynamics. Why Is Israel Attacking Syria? Israeli PM Netanyahu had said he approved the bombing of strategic military capabilities left with the Syrian military to ensure that advanced weapons would not be used by extremist factions like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group with historical ties to al Qaeda. We have no intention to meddle in Syrias internal affairs, but we certainly intend to do whatever is needed to guarantee our security," stated Netanyahu. The Israeli PM compared the attacks to the British bombing of the fleet of the Vichy regime, which was co-operating with the Nazis, so that it would not fall into the Nazis hands" during the World War II. The airstrikes also heavily targeted Syrias naval capabilities. Israeli missile ships struck naval facilities in Al-Bayda and Latakia ports, reportedly sinking multiple vessels. Defence Minister Israel Katz declared on Tuesday that Israel had successfully completed the destruction of the Syrian Navy". How Israel Has Violated The 1974 Syria Disengagement Deal The short answer is, yes. The United Nations has accused Israel of breaching the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria, after Jerusalem said it had taken limited and temporary measures" in a demilitarised buffer zone in Golan Heights a region established after the 1973 Middle East war. The area, previously patrolled by United Nations forces, spans 235 square km and borders Syrian-controlled territory. The demilitarized buffer zone was established in the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria, which concluded the Yom Kippur War, and has been manned for decades by UN peacekeepers. However, Israel said Sunday that with the fall of the Assad regime, it considered the agreement void until order is restored in Syria, while Netanyahu said during a visit to the border that the agreement had collapsed". Netanyahu justified the ground operations, stating that the 1974 deal had collapsed because Syrian troops protecting the buffer zone abandoned their posts. Israeli officials described the operation as essential to creating a defence zone free of weapons and terror threats in southern Syria". Defence minister Katz announced that Israel had created a new demilitarized buffer zone beyond the already existing one, but said it would be without a permanent Israeli presence. The size and location of the new zone is not yet known, but tanks, soldiers, and special forces are placed on Syrian soil to prevent Jihadist rebels from reaching the Golan Heights. Gideon Saar, Israels foreign minister, has stressed that his countrys control of the Syrian buffer zone was temporary." But it is unlikely that Israel will withdraw before a new government is formed in Syria. As for the Golan Heights, which Israel had annexed in 1981, Netanyahu said earlier this week that Israel would remain in the region for eternity". What Does Israel Think Of HTS? Israel is no stranger to radical Islamist groups who do not want a Jewish state to exist. Jerusalem is keeping a close eye on HTS, which is leading rebel groups in Syria and had claimed cessation of the Assad government. HTS can be called an offshoot of Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Houthi rebels and al-Qaeda. Netanyahu also warned Syrias new government against allowing Iran to use Syrian territory for military purposes, stating, If this regime allows Iran to reestablish itself in Syria, we will respond forcefully and exact a heavy price." However, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Mohammed al-Jolani, said Syria was not ready to enter wars and has no intentions to enter wars in the future". He added: On the contrary, the source of concern was the presence of Iran and Hezbollah". Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is the strongest rebel group, and is the former al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. The outfit has been regarded by the US and others as a terrorist organisation. How Has The World Reacted To Israels Move? Egypt called the incursion a violation of international law, accusing Israel of exploiting Syrias instability. Turkey, a key backer of Syrian opposition forces, accused Israel of acting as an occupier. The UN also expressed concern, with spokesperson Stephane Dujarric highlighting that Israels actions violated the 1974 disengagement agreement. This needs to stop," said Geir Pedersen, the UNs special envoy for Syria. He warned that military actions from external actors could derail efforts to achieve a peaceful transition in Syria. Iran condemned Israels incursion. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated: This aggression is a flagrant violation of the United Nations charter." Saudi Arabia slammed Israels seizure of the buffer zone, which it said was proof of Israels desire to ruin Syrias chance of restoring its security." The seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights confirm Israels continued violation of the rules of international law, and its determination to sabotage Syrias chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity," the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The US, meanwhile, defended Israels takeover of the buffer zone while noting Israels statements that the action was temporary. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller explained during a press briefing that the Syrian army had abandoned positions on its side of the Golan Heights and noted that this created a potential vacuum that could have been filled by terror organisations that threaten Israel. The Syrian government fell early Sunday in an unprecedented end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, after a sudden rebel offensive sprinted across government-held territory and entered Damascus in 10 days. First Published: December 13, 2024, 11:58 IST 4 Girls Drown During School Picnic In Karnataka, 6 Teachers Arrested Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 11:41 IST One body was recovered Tuesday evening and three others on Wednesday morning. The lifeguard, police, and fishermen rescued three students, who were admitted to the hospital Disregarding a lifeguard's warning, seven students ventured into the sea and tragically drowned. (Representative/Shutterstock) Four schoolgirls tragically drowned in the sea during a school excursion at Murudeshwar in Karnatakas Uttara Kannada district. The deceased, all 15 years old and in the ninth grade at Morarji Desai Residential School, Mulabagilu in Kolar district, have been identified as Sravathi, Deeksha, Lavanya, and Lipika. A group of 46 students arrived in Murudeshwar at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Disregarding a lifeguards warning, seven students ventured into the sea and tragically drowned. One body was recovered on Tuesday evening, while the remaining three were found yesterday morning. related stories The lifeguard, police, and fishermen successfully brought the other three students safely to shore, and they were subsequently admitted to the hospital. We have registered a case under Section 106 (Causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and arrested all six teachers in connection with the incident," said Narayana M, Superintendent of Police, Uttara Kannada. Six teachers who led the student group were arrested and subsequently released on station bail, the SP added. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed that teachers should provide safety awareness to students before organising field trips to potentially dangerous locations. The Chief Minister also announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the four deceased. Taking to X, he said: The families of the four students who died in the accident will be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each by the state government. I have spoken to the Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada district and suggested making arrangements to transport the bodies to their hometowns." Location : Karnataka, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 11:41 IST Allahabad HC Orders Man's Appointment As Judicial Officer After 'Honourable Acquittal' in Espionage Case Reported By : LawBeat Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 16:28 IST Pradeep Kumar, who had been accused of spying for Pakistan in 2002, was acquitted in 2014 after a decade-long trial The court emphasised that Kumar's acquittal in the criminal trial should have cleared him of any stigma and allowed him to move forward with his career. (Representational image/X@ani_digital) In a landmark decision, the Allahabad High Court has directed the appointment of Pradeep Kumar to the Uttar Pradesh Higher Judicial Service (HJS) Cadre, nearly seven years after his selection was held up due to allegations of espionage. Kumar, who had been accused of spying for Pakistan in 2002, was acquitted in 2014 after a decade-long trial. Despite being selected for the HJS post in 2016, the state authorities withheld his appointment letter, citing the lingering suspicion over his past allegations. A bench comprising Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Donadi Ramesh noted that there was no substantial material linking Kumar to espionage or any foreign intelligence agency. The court emphasised that his acquittal in the criminal trial should have cleared him of any stigma and allowed him to move forward with his career. What survives with the respondent state authorities is a lingering belief or suspicion that the petitioner had spied for a foreign country," the court stated. However, it added that this suspicion lacked any fresh or objective evidence beyond the original trial. related stories The court underscored that Kumars acquittal in espionage-related criminal trials must be viewed with fairness, particularly in light of his honourable acquittal". Kumar had faced two criminal trials over espionage chargesone in 2004 and another in 2007both of which resulted in acquittals. Despite these judgments, the state authorities refused to appoint him to the judicial post, citing concerns over his character, primarily based on the espionage allegations. The court criticised the states reliance on outdated and irrelevant materials from the trial, declaring that neither suspicion nor simple belief" without objective material could guide the states decision to withhold the appointment. The court observed that merely being suspected of an offence, without any proven wrongdoing, could not be used as a basis to deny a citizen their constitutional rights. To be suspected of an offence is not an offence or a scar on a citizens character," the bench said, emphasising that the fact Kumar was on the radar" of intelligence agencies was inconsequential in the absence of any factual evidence. Unless a citizen is reasonably suspected to be involved in an illegal or other activity that may invite adverse civil consequences, the fact that an intelligence agency or police authority may opine -purely subjectively and thus suspect that such a citizen had indulged in any illegal nature of activity or to have performed such act, without any supportive objective material, may remain a wholly inactionable belief, therefore extraneous to the issue of character certification of the concerned citizen," the bench said. The court also dismissed the argument that the petitioners unemployment status or his financial struggles should be taken into account. It pointed out that many innocent people could face unfair suspicions due to such circumstances, and it would be absurd to base judgment solely on an individuals financial condition. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Additionally, the bench rejected the states attempt to bring up the allegations against Kumars father, who had been dismissed as a judge in 1990 over bribery charges. The court made it clear that a persons character should not be judged based on the actions of their relatives. A person may not be penalised, and their character may not be judged for the act of another," it stated. In response to the states continued suspicion, the court ordered that Kumars character be verified within two weeks and directed the authorities to issue his appointment letter by January 15, 2025. The court clarified that the petitioner could be appointed against the current vacancies as, though selected against a 2017 vacancy, neither of those vacancies survives in the light of the provision of UP HJS Rules. First Published: December 13, 2024, 16:28 IST 'Threatened To Kill Me And My Family': What Atul Subhash Wrote About His In-Laws In Suicide Note Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 11:16 IST Atul Subhash's suicide note contained allegations against his mother-in-law Nisha Singhania, brother-in-law Anurag and his wife's uncle Sushil of unreasonable demands from him and his family. Atul Subhash said his family was repeatedly harassed by his in-laws with death threats and false cases. Atul Subhash, a 34-year-old Bengaluru techie who died by suicide after alleged harassment by his wife and his in-laws, has sparked widespread outrage with social media buzzing with calls for justice. His 90-minute video and a 24-page note giving details about the alleged harassment by his in-laws have reignited debate about mens rights. In his letter, Atul accused his wife Nikita Singhania, mother-in-law Nisha Singhania, brother-in-law Anurag Singhania and Nikitas uncle Sushil Singhania of harassment, extortion and years of emotional distress that eventually forced him to take the extreme step. related stories Atul alleged harassment, including physical and mental abuse, as well as financial demands from Nikita and her family during their ongoing divorce proceedings. Atul also wrote a letter to his four-year-old son, whom he had not seen in three years due to his wife. ALSO READ: He Wasnt Depressed, Did Not Contest Maintenance Order, Claims Bengaluru Techies Lawyer Death Threats, False Cases: Atul Subhashs Allegations On In-Laws In his suicide note titled Justice is Due, Atul gave details about a court hearing in March inside the cabin of the principal family court judge. During this hearing, his wife allegedly told him: Toh tum bhi suicide kyun nahin kar lete (So, why dont you die by suicide too)?", to which the judge laughed. Following this hearing, Atul said his mother-in-law Nisha Singhania tried to provoke him outside the courtroom and asked him, Tum abhi tak suicide nahi kiye, mujhe laga aaj tumhare suicide ki khabar aayegi. Uss din judge ko suicide karoge boley thay tum (You havent yet died by suicide? I thought wed get the news today since youd told the judge the other day that youll die by suicide). To this, he responded: Main mar gaya tum logon ki party kaise chalegi (If I die, how will your party go on)?" His mother retorted by saying, Tab bhi chalegi. Tumhara baap dega paise. (It will go on. Your father will pay). She continued to make threats, saying whatever a husband owns belongs to his wife after his death. Tere marne ke baad tere maa-baap bhi jaldi marenge phir. Usme bhi bahu ka hissa hota hai. Puri zindagi tera pura khandan court ke chakkar katega. (Your parents will die soon after you die. And in that too, your wife will have the right to your property. All your family members will be stuck in court proceedings throughout their lives)." Atul said he kept walking frustrated and helpless and said he had become the source of all evil". He also accused Nisha, Anurag and Sushil Singhania of making multiple threats to him and his parents on the phone and in person, threatening to have them thrashed, killing them and filing false cases against his family. Demanded Rs 3 Crore For Settlement, Harassed My Family Atul alleged that his wife and her family initially demanded Rs 1 crore for settlement, but the amount rose to Rs 3 crore and would have increased even further after the maintenance awarded to his four-year-old son. He said his wife and his mother-in-law often harassed his family by demanding six sarees and one full gold set for every small occasion. My wife, mother-in-law and my brother-in-law kept pressuring me to give them money since early 2020. I sent Rs 3 lakhs on 31st May, 2020 after my wife threatened to leave if I didnt lend the money to my mother-in-law. Around 15 Lakhs were demanded in March 2021. I sent Rs 9 Lakhs in March 2021. I sent another 4 Lakhs on 17th April, 2021," he said. ALSO READ: Atul Subhashs Monthly Salary Was Rs 84,000. Heres How Much Went To His Estranged Wife Atul said he later found out that his wife and her mother were planning to use his money to but a house worth Rs 1 crore, after which he asked them to return the money. However, they demanded Rs 50 lakh more from him and pressured him to invest in a cloud kitchen and buy land in Jaunpur, which he strongly objected to. He said after agreeing to return her money, his wife Nikita stopped any contact between Atul and his son. His in-laws then launched a full-scale smear campaign" among his relatives where they claimed he had epilepsy and accused him of domestic violence. They also alleged that Atul forced his wife to eat non-veg while she was vegetarian. His in-laws even demanded Rs 1 crore, threatening Atuls family with dire consequences and breaking his bones if he tried to meet his son. Atul said a friend of his wife and in-laws and one of her female friends came unannounced to take the rest of their stuff and put a lock outside his house in his absence. His wife, mother-in-law and two of her friends created a ruckus outside his house, after which he called the police and officers told him to hand over his wifes things to her. No FIR was filed and Nikitas brother continued to harass Atul with unreasonable demands, like publicly apologising in front of their relatives. I choose to commit suicide today that seems to be the best option. This will satisfy my wife and mother in law while stopping the funds to wage war on my family and me. It will also expose the corruption of the Judge and madness of this legal system against me and my old parents and brother," he said in his letter. Family Of Atuls Wife On The Run After FIR After Atul was found dead at his home in Bengaluru, his brother Bikas Kumar, lodged a complaint with the Marathahalli police, leading to an FIR against Nikita and her family, who reside in Uttar Pradesh. Atuls wifes family came out and said that they regretted Atuls death, but were not guilty of what happened. Nikita Singhania alleged physical and mental harassment by her husband Atul and his family in her police complaint. My husband started to beat me up after drinking alcohol and started treating the husband-wife relationship with me like a beast. He used to transfer my entire salary from my account to his account by threatening me," her complaint stated. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all After threatening reporters over their coverage of Atul Subhashs suicide yesterday, the Bengaluru techies in-laws are reportedly on the run now. They have left their Jaunpur residence to avoid arrest after being named in an FIR by Bengaluru police under sections 108 and 3(5) of the BNS. Disclaimer: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) First Published: December 13, 2024, 11:16 IST 'Judge Demanded Rs 5 Lakh To Settle Case': Atul Subhash's Father Says His Son Was 'Broken' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 10:05 IST Atul Subhash, a Bengaluru techie, died by suicide on December 9, alleging harassment from his wife and family. His death has sparked calls for reforms to address misuse of laws and support for men. Atul Subhash with his family Days after 34-year-old Atul Subhashs death by suicide sparked outrage across the country, his father, Pawan Kumar, has said his son was disappointed and broken from inside" as multiple cases were filed against him. He also reiterated what the Bengaluru techie said in his 90-minute video, that the judge at the court demanded Rs 5 lakh to settle the case. My son used to say that there is a lot of corruption but he will fight as he is on the path of truth. He was broken from inside, though he didnt tell anyone anything," Pawan Kumar told news agency ANI. related stories Also talking about the deceaseds wife, Nikita Singhania, Atuls father said, She started filing cases in January 2021. My son had thought that she had left his home after the Covid-19 pandemic and that their one-year-old son would grow up a little at his maternal uncles home. Later, she started filing cases against our entire family." As things escalated, they approached the court for mediation. It began from Rs 20,000 and then escalated to Rs 40,000; then the judge said that if he (the deceased) wants a settlement, he should give Rs 5 lakh," the father said. Also speaking to the media, the techies brother said his family had no idea that Atul would take such a drastic step. We talked to him normally. We had no idea he had decided to take such a step. We had never felt he was going to take such a step. I am in touch with a few of his friends and even they didnt have any idea of his thoughts," the brother said. He also alleged that there had been false cases" filed on him and his family too, adding that his brother had been mentally tortured. False cases have been filed against me and my parents, just like against my brother. Action should be taken against all those who mentally tortured my brother and filed false cases against him," the brother said. If those emails (the ones Atul Subhash wrote to court judges and President Droupadi Murmu) have reached them, we hope action is taken and some laws, forums, or committees are made where men can go to seek justice. Laws and provisions made to empower women are today being misused," he added. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Atul worked as the deputy general manager at a private firm in Bengaluru. He ended his life on December 9 after releasing a 90-minute video of himself narrating his ordeal on social media. He also left a 24-page suicide note, accusing his wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family of harassing him. First Published: December 13, 2024, 10:05 IST Bengaluru Police Pastes Notice Outside Atul Subhash's Wife's UP House, Gives Her 3 Days' Time Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 15:22 IST Atul Subhash's suicide triggered an outpouring of calls for justice and a debate on the misuse of dowry provisions and men's rights. Atul Subhash's wife is reportedly absconding, while his mother-in-law and brother-in-law were arrested. Amid widespread outrage over Bengaluru techie Atul Subhashs suicide following mental distress and harassment by his in-laws, Bengaluru Police pasted a notice outside the residence of his wife Nikita Singhania, who is reportedly absconding after an FIR was filed. There are reasonable grounds to interrogate you to ascertain the facts and circumstances. You are directed to appear before the investigating officer at Bengaluru within three days," read the notice by Bengaluru Police. related stories #WATCH | Techie dies by suicide in Bengaluru | Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh: Bengaluru Police paste notice outside the residence of the wife of Atul Subhash, the techie who died by suicide.There are reasonable grounds to interrogate you to ascertain the facts and circumstances. You pic.twitter.com/oIg0uHBRiY ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 Meanwhile, Karnataka Police have arrested Atuls mother-in-law Nisha Singhania and brother-in-law Anurag Singhania, both accused by the techie of harassment, torture, false criminal cases and extortion. Atul alleged his wifes family had demanded Rs 3 crore as a settlement. The sensational case of Atul Subhashs suicide, along with a 90-minute video and a 24-page note giving details about the alleged harassment by his in-laws, has reignited debate about mens rights and misuse of the legal system. An FIR was lodged with the Marathahalli police against Nikitas family. No Arrests Made So Far: Bengaluru Police In a counter-complaint, Nikita Singhania alleged physical and mental harassment by her husband Atul and his family in her police complaint. My husband started to beat me up after drinking alcohol and started treating the husband-wife relationship with me like a beast. He used to transfer my entire salary from my account to his account by threatening me," her complaint stated. However, her family reportedly went on the run as their Jaunpur residence was found locked. It was earlier reported that Karnataka Police had arrested Nisha and Anurag Singhania on Thursday, while a hunt has begun for Nikita Singhania, who is reportedly absconding. However, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand later clarified that no arrests have been made so far in the Atul Subhash suicide case. Speaking to the media, the Police Commissioner said no arrests have been made yet in the case and special teams of the police department have launched a hunt for the accused persons. The case is being probed by the officer of the rank of a police inspector. A comprehensive investigation has been taken up as the case is being discussed widely on social media and in society," he said. Earlier, Police sources told news agency IANS that Nisha and Anurag tried to escape when they came to know that the Karnataka Police was on its way to take them into custody. However, the police gathered information about the accused and arrested them from the vicinity. Atuls lengthy suicide note made shocking revelations, saying his wife filed false criminal cases and demanded Rs 3 crore for a settlement and her family made numerous threats to his family that forced him to take the extreme step. He also penned a note for his four-year-old son, whom he had not seen for three years. The suicide note, under the headline Justice is Due", addressing his 2-year-old child, read: Now with me gone, there will not be any money to loot and I hope that they might start to look at the facts of the cases. Someday, you shall know the real face of your mother and her greedy family." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all He had also shared a link on X, tagging his video to CEO Elon Musk and US President-elect Donald Trump. A dead man is requesting Elon Musk and Donald Trump to save millions of lives from woke ideologies, abortion, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and restore freedom of speech in India. I will be dead when you read this. A legal genocide of men happening in India currently," the suicide note read. His family collected his remains from the Bengaluru crematorium on Wednesday where Atuls final rites were conducted. The family stated that the ashes would be taken to Patna, from where the family originally hails from and it will be immersed into the river as per the traditions. Location : Jaunpur, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 13:02 IST 'Both Sides Agreed To Put Restraints': Jaishankar on India-China Border Agreement In LS Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 13:53 IST Jaishankar earlier told the Parliament that full disengagement has been achieved in eastern Ladakh and that the India-China ties have seen some improvements. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressing the Lok Sabha on Friday. (Sansad TV) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday responded to a query on the border agreement between India and China by Congress MP Manish Tewari in the Lok Sabha, saying the last of disengagement agreements between both sides pertained to Depsang and Demchok. Speaking in the Lower House of the Parliament, Jaishankar said that the understanding between the two countries envisages that Indian security forces would be going to all the patrolling points in Depsang and would be going to the eastward limit which has Indias patrolling limit in that part. related stories Tewari asked a question on a paper presented by a senior IPS officer to the Conference of Director-Generals and Inspector-Generals of Police in 2023, which said that 26 out of the 65 patrolling points from Korakoram Pass to Chumar were inaccessible to the Indian security forces as a consequence of Chinese transgressions. Tewari asked whether those patrolling points had become accessible or not. #WATCH | Responding to a question by Congress MP Manish Tewari in the Lok Sabha, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says What somebody wrote as a paper is for that somebody to answer for. I can answer for the government. I gave a very detailed statement on the disengagement and recent pic.twitter.com/mcMqrNjEU3 ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 Both Sides Agreed To Put Certain Restraints" EAM In response to Tewaris query, Jaishankar said, What somebody wrote as a paper is for that somebody to answer for. I can answer for the government. Now let me, let me sir through you, remind the honourable member, I gave a very etailed statement on the disengagement and recent developments in the India-China border areas. In that statement, I highlighted that the last of the disengagement agreements had taken place which pertained to Depsang and Demchok." Referring to his previous statement in the parliament, where the EAM said a de-escalation between India and China was the next priority, he said, We have also, the same statement made it clear that we have had some previous disengagement agreements. Those disengagement agreements also had certain provisions where both sides on a temporary basis had agreed to put certain restraints on themselves. So I think the position is very clear in that statement, and I would urge the honorable member to read that statement again." On October 21, India announced that it had reached an agreement with China on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control. The deal was confirmed by China the next day, with Beijing saying that a resolution has been reached on relevant matters" and that it would work with New Delhi to implement these resolutions. Earlier this month, Jaishankar said full disengagement has been achieved in eastern Ladakh and that the India-China ties have seen some improvements. He also said the next priority for India would be to continue de-escalation. The situation arising after our counter-deployment in 2020 called for multiple sets of responses. The immediate priority was to ensure disengagement from friction points so that there would be no further untoward incidents or clashes. This has been fully achieved. The next priority will be to consider de-escalation, which would address the massing of troops along the LAC with associated accompaniments," the EAM told the House. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all At their Kazan meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping endorsed the India-China agreement on patrolling and disengagement along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and issued directions to revive various bilateral dialogue mechanisms, signalling attempts to normalise ties that were hit by a deadly military clash in 2020. (with agency inputs) First Published: December 13, 2024, 13:51 IST Last Updated: December 14, 2024, 00:08 IST Parliament Winter Session, Constitution Debate in Lok Sabha: The Lok Sabha on Friday saw intense exchanges between the opposition and the ruling party, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accusing Congress of prioritising power over the Constitution. In response, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sharply criticised the BJP government, accusing them of undermining the suraksha kavach provided by the Constitution. A ruckus also erupted following remarks by TMC leader Mahua Moitra on Justice Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, leading Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to accuse her of raising a matter already settled by the Supreme Court and warning of appropriate parliamentary action. Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, convened today for a two-day intense debate to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of Indias Constitution. The Constitution debate took place in Lok Sabha on December 13 and it will continue on December 14 before concluding, with a similar session in Rajya Sabha scheduled on December 16 and 17. Several top leaders from the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led INDIA bloc will participate in the discussion. The special Constitution debate will culminate with a reply by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, according to party sources. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to start the debate in Rajya Sabha on Monday. Delhi: On The Run For 14 Years, 3 Of Family Held For Burning Woman Alive Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 21:28 IST The police said all three accused have been handed over to the local police for further investigation. In 2010, Roshan Aara was set ablaze in her home in northeast Delhi's Gokul Puri allegedly by Mustafa, Masooma, and Zarrar Khan (Image credit: PTI) Delhi Police Crime Branch has apprehended three members of a family who had been on the run for 14 years after allegedly burning a woman alive, an official said on Friday. In 2010, Roshan Aara was set ablaze in her home in northeast Delhis Gokul Puri allegedly by Mustafa, Masooma, and Zarrar Khan, Special Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Devesh Chandra Srivastva said. related stories Following the gruesome crime, an FIR was registered at Gokul Puri Police Station, he said. The three accused, natives of West Bengals Asansol, belong to the same family and went absconding shortly after the murder, the officer said, adding that they remained elusive, assuming fake identities and moving across states to evade arrest. It was not immediately known why the trio committed the crime. "In December, 2011, a court officially declared them Proclaimed Offenders and recently, a reward of Rs 1.5 lakh (Rs 50,000 for each accused) was announced by the Delhi Police Commissioner for information leading to their capture," the Special CP said. The officer said that a team gathering intelligence, analyzing social media profiles, and reviewing call detail records led to the identification of a crucial clue. "A customer application form with a photograph of Mustafa, though the personal details had been altered, was recovered by the team," he said. The teams first breakthrough came in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand where Mustafa was living under a fake name, Abdul Karim, Srivastva said. Later, he was apprehended on December 11 at around 5.30 am. His interrogation revealed the whereabouts of Masooma, who had adopted the identity of Reshma Hafiz and was also residing in Jamshedpur. Subsequently she was also apprehended," he said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Further questioning disclosed that Zarrar Khan was hiding in Khoda Colony in Ghaziabad. The team conducted a raid and apprehended him on December 12. The police said all three accused have been handed over to the local police for further investigation. Location : Delhi, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 21:28 IST 'You Don't Check Students' Bags': Six Delhi Schools Receive Bomb Threats, Second In A Week Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 11:33 IST More than 40 schools in the national capital had received "hoax" bomb threats on Monday via e-mail. The IP address was traced to New York's Utica. This is the second time in a week that schools in Delhi have received bomb threats. (Photo: PTI) At least six schools in Delhi received a bomb threat on Friday, forcing them to suspend classes, according to the Delhi Police. Fire officials and police have reached the sites and nothing suspicious has been found so far. These schools include Bhatnagar International School in Paschim Vihar, Cambridge School in Shri Niwas Puri and DPS Amar Colony in the East of Kailash. Venkateshwar Global School in Rohini The Fire Department, police and bomb detection teams, along with dog squads have reached all schools and are conducting checks. Authorities of the schools have sent messages to guardians to not send their wards for classes. related stories #WATCH | Delhi | Visuals from outside of Delhi Public School, East of Kailash one of four schools that received bomb threats, via e-mail, today morningBomb detection team, fire officials present at the spot. pic.twitter.com/lhqR7avJqU ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 You Dont Check Your Students Bags, Several Explosives In Schools The bomb threat e-mail received by authorities read, This email is to inform you that there are many explosives in your school premises and I am sure that you all do not check your students bags frequently when they enter the school premises. A secret dark web group is involved in this activity and many red rooms also. The bombs are powerful enough to destroy the buildings and harm people." It is confidential that the bombs will be blasted on the 13th of December or the 14th of December. But, surely, the bombs are planted right now. But it is super confidential that it will blast on 13th December or 14th December. Were pretty sure that you dont check your students backs while they enter your school premises to start their school day, and you all schools have similar school timings. Reply back to this email for our demands, otherwise the bombs will be detonated," said the mail. Fire Department officials and police teams swiftly responded to the alerts, conducting thorough checks of the premises to ensure the safety of students and staff. After a meticulous search, authorities said no suspicious items were found. A police source told news agency PTI that the emails were received at 12:54 am, with the sender mentioning parent-teachers meeting" and sports day" activities in the schools. Reacting to the development, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal highlighted that it was the second case in a week, and called the situation extremely serious and concerning". If this continues, how badly will it affect the children? What will happen to their studies?" he said. Second Bomb Threat In Four Days The latest bomb threats are the second in a week, after 44 schools in the national capital received similar hoax" threats via e-mail on Monday, according to Delhi Police. The police declared the threats a hoax" after an initial investigation in which they did not find anything suspicious. The schools that received threats on Monday included RK Purams DPS, Paschim Vihars GD Goenka Public School, Mother Marys School, British School, Salwan Public School, and Cambridge School among others. The threat mail received by the schools read, I planted multiple bombs inside (school) buildings. The bombs are small and hidden very well. It will not cause much damage to the building, but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate. If I do not receive $30,000 I will detonate the bombs". Sources told News18 that the IP address of the threat mail was traced to New Yorks Urica. A proxy server was used to send the email. A proxy server is a computer server that gives facility to another system to use an indirect network connection to another network service," said a senior officer involved in the cyber investigation of the case. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Delhi Chief Minister Atishi had criticised the Centre over law and order in the city, stating that the home ministry, under which the Delhi Police functions, has failed in the sole responsibility" of ensuring security. (with agency inputs) First Published: December 13, 2024, 08:10 IST Kerala Lottery Results 13.12.2024: Nirmal NR-410 Winners Announced; Full List Here! Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 18, 2024, 09:22 IST Kerala Lottery Results: Here's full list of winning numbers for Nirmal NR-410 lucky draw for Friday, December 13. Kerala Lottery Nirmal NR-410 Results: The first prize winner of Nirmal NR-410 will get Rs 70 lakh. (Image: Shutterstock) KERALA LOTTERY NIRMAL NR-410 RESULT ON FRIDAY, 13.12.2024, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results of the Nirmal NR-410 lucky draw for Friday, December 13. Participant with ticket number NH 346716 has won the first prize of Rs 70 lakh. The jackpot winning ticket was sold at Alappuzha by an agent, Shibu K (Agency No.: A 5269). The second prize of Rs 10 lakh is won by the person with ticket number NG 743216. It was sold at Palakkad by Abdul Raheem KM, agency number P 3133. Check the Full List of Winning Numbers below. ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Results 18.12.2024: Fifty Fifty FF-121 Winners; First Prize Rs 1 Crore! related stories NIRMAL NR-410 LOTTERY: WINNING NUMBERS WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 70 LAKH IS NH 346716 (ALAPPUZHA) Agent Name: SHIBU K Agency No.: A 5269 WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 10 LAKH NG 743216 (PALAKKAD) Agent Name: ABDUL RAHEEM K M Agency No.: P 3133 WINNING NUMBER FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE NA 909551 NB 827276 NC 675718 ND 318473 NE 845503 NF843433 NG 238752 NH 922750 NJ 672599 NK 404923 NL 327671 NM 710045 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE 0251 0734 1406 2641 3216 3658 3860 3937 4496 5398 5440 7102 7429 7555 7574 8226 8299 8426 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE 0088 0396 1316 1622 1626 1946 2072 2466 2720 2725 3278 3469 3531 3567 3754 3763 4207 4257 4477 4846 4886 5265 5670 5755 5773 6163 6413 6694 8160 8204 8404 8541 8823 8909 9036 9621 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE 0144 0214 0369 0388 0481 0643 0929 0984 1009 1256 1376 1510 1521 1614 1679 1801 1884 1898 2069 2173 2364 2712 2732 2765 3124 3228 3252 3702 3767 3879 3908 3915 3990 4052 4223 4313 4457 4479 4488 4600 4797 4860 5349 5351 5360 5719 5780 5782 6041 6172 6235 6499 6533 6561 6592 6830 7107 7311 7456 7524 7614 7672 7675 7680 8239 8702 8847 8950 9139 9191 9242 9380 9398 9473 9524 9556 9559 9560 9593 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE 0172 0285 0299 0310 0374 0417 0478 0496 0672 0712 0751 0830 0908 1113 1128 1283 1311 1333 1586 1632 1746 1971 1996 2081 2122 2221 2336 2432 2437 2460 2492 2495 2547 2613 2724 2757 2874 2917 3101 3125 3273 3331 3366 3386 3411 3439 3509 3519 3663 3829 4214 4315 4418 4503 4509 4690 4754 4857 4863 5037 5049 5123 5319 5423 5490 5577 5584 5637 5650 5661 5740 5823 5855 5955 6031 6084 6113 6254 6534 6538 6698 6718 6926 6937 7182 7240 7370 7407 7438 7528 7561 7607 7801 7880 7944 8018 8031 8033 8050 8121 8271 8296 8317 8610 8625 8731 8850 8852 8880 9136 9199 9241 9374 9400 9497 9576 9634 9644 9722 9729 9805 9961 WINNING NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE NA 346716 NB 346716 NC 346716 ND 346716 NE 346716 NF 346716 NG 346716 NJ 346716 NK 346716 NL 346716 NM 346716 NIRMAL NR-410 LOTTERY: PRIZE STRUCTURE 1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakh 2nd Prize: Rs 10 Lakh 3rd Prize: Rs 1 Lakh 4th Prize: Rs 5,000 5th Prize: Rs 1,000 6th Prize: Rs 500 7th Prize: Rs 100 Consolation Prize: Rs 8,000 HOW TO CHECK KERALA NIRMAL NR-410 LOTTERY RESULTS? Visit www.keralalottery.info, the official site of the Kerala Lottery Department, to see the results for the Nirmal NR-410 lottery. Another option for checking ticket numbers is the Kerala Government Gazette office. HOW TO CLAIM THE PRIZE MONEY? To determine if youve won in the Nirmal Lottery NR-410, follow these steps: Check the results published in the Kerala Government Gazette using your ticket number. You may be entitled to a prize if your ticket number matches with the published results. Winners have a window of 30 days after the announcement to collect their prizes at the Kerala Lottery Office in Thiruvananthapuram. To claim their winnings, winners need to present their winning tickets along with any required identification for verification. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO CLAIM PRIZE MONEY? A duplicate of the winning ticket, showing both sides with a self-attestation. A signature from a Gazette official on passport-sized images. A photocopy of the participants signed PAN card. Fill out the online award money receipt form and include a revenue stamp before submission. Identification documents such as voter ID, ration cards, Aadhaar cards, and PAN cards must be provided. HOW TO DOWNLOAD A PDF WITH A FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS? Go to the official website of the Kerala Lottery Department at www.keralalotteries.info or keralalotteryresult.net. Select the link for the Nirmal Lottery NR-410 Result. The results will display all of the winning numbers. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Look for the download link on the website. Click the link to access the lottery results in PDF format. Location : Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India First Published: December 13, 2024, 09:00 IST AI, ChatBots To Be Part Of Kumbh Mela For The First Time, Says PM Modi In Prayagraj Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 20:34 IST PM Modi will inaugurate various projects for Mahakumbh 2025 to boost infrastructure and provide seamless connectivity in Prayagraj. PM Modi performs worship at the Sangam, in Prayagraj on Friday (PTI Image) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated 167 key development projects worth Rs 5,500 crore in Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj on Friday. The projects included SahAIyak Chatbot an Artificial Intelligence-based platform to streamline communication for devotees attending the highly-anticipated Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi lauded all workers who worked relentlessly to ensure that the Maha Kumbh 2025 will be a successful event. A new history is being created on this land of Prayagraj. Organising Maha Kumbh next year will establish the cultural and spiritual identity of the country at a new height," he added. related stories ALSO READ |Kumbh Mela 2025: AI Chatbots, Apps To Transform Maha Kumbh Mela Experience Describing the organisation of the 45-day Maha Kumbh as a Maha Abhiyaan" (grand initiative), the Prime Minister asserted that it will become a Maha Yagya (grand act of devotion) of unity that will be discussed across the world. I wish all of you for the grand and divine success of this event," he said. #WATCH | Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, I congratulate the workers and sanitation workers who are working day and night to make Maha Kumbh a success. A new history is being created on this land of Prayagraj. Organizing Maha Kumbh next year will pic.twitter.com/EUfhUu4kzp ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 He further said India is a country of holy sites and pilgrimages. Maha Kumbh reflects the inner consciousness of a man instead of any external system. It is an event which provides a divine communion of devotion, religion and culture," he added. Mahakumbh 2025 To Feature AI, Chatbots PM Modi also announced that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and chatbots will be used in the Kumbh Mela next year, marking a first in the prominent Hindu event. They are capable of communicating in 11 Indian languages. I have also proposed to connect more and more people with data and technology," he said. He launched the Kumbh SahAIyak chatbot that will provide details to give guidance and updates on the events to devotees on Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. The Prime Minister said these initiatives are helping India to progress towards a Viksit Bharat. When there were no modern means of communication, then events like Kumbh had prepared the basis for big social changes. Such events send a positive message to every corner of the country, to the society," he said, while taking a dig at previous governments of not giving enough attention to Kumbh and religious pilgrimages. Earlier today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the arrival of PM Modi in Prayagraj for all Sanatan Dharma followers ahead of the Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj. After hundreds of years, on the inspiration, guidance and ideals of the PM, for the first time in the 2019 Prayagraj Kumbh, devotees got the darshan of Akshayvat (sacred tree)," he said. PM Modis Schedule In Prayagraj Prime Minister Modi performed pooja and darshan at Sangam Nose, the Akshay Vata Vriksh, Hanuman Mandir and Saraswati Koop, after which he undertook a walkthrough of Maha Kumbh exhibition site. The projects included various rail and road projects like 10 new Road Over Bridges (RoBs) or flyovers, permanent Ghats, riverfront roads and more to boost infrastructure and provide seamless connectivity in Prayagraj ahead of the Kumbh Mela, according to an official statement. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Prime Minister also inaugurated major temple corridors which include the Bharadwaj Ashram corridor, Shringverpur Dham corridor, Akshayvat corridor and Hanuman Mandir corridor among others. These projects will ensure ease of access to devotees and also boost spiritual tourism. The Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the most prominent religious events for Hindus, will be commemorated in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, from January 13 to February 26, 2025. This great Hindu celebration attracts millions of devotees to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. The event also symbolises the victory of good over evil. Location : Prayagraj, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 14:39 IST Only 19 Indians Remain In Russian Armed Forces: Centre Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 19:25 IST The government has requested the Russian authorities concerned to provide an update on the whereabouts of the remaining Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces. Representative image of Russian forces | AP Image Most of the Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces have been discharged and only 19 of them are currently deputed there, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh shared the data in a written response to a query about the number of Indian nationals recruited for serving the Russian Army who are yet to be repatriated and the reasons for the delay in their release and repatriation despite assurances from the Russian authorities. related stories The query also sought to know whether the Indian nationals are deputed on the war front, if the Indian mission is able to contact all of them and the measures taken or proposed to be taken by the government for their early release and repatriation. "As a result of concerted efforts by the government, most of the Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces have been discharged and several have been repatriated to India," Singh said in his reply. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all According to the available information, "currently only 19 Indian nationals remain in the Russian armed forces", he said. The government has requested the Russian authorities concerned to provide an update on the whereabouts of the remaining Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces and also ensure their safety, well-being and early discharge, the minister said. First Published: December 13, 2024, 19:25 IST 'Congress Leaders Carry Constitution In Pockets': Rajnath Singh's Big Attack In Lok Sabha Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 14:51 IST Rajnath Singh slammed the Congress in the Lok Sabha for allegedly undermining the Constitution's principles, while asserting the BJPs commitment to upholding its values. Rajnath Singh slams Congress during Constitution debate in Lok Sabha (Photo: PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday attacked the Congress party in the Lok Sabha and said leaders from the Opposition roam around with a copy of the Constitution in their pockets. Initiating a debate in the Lok Sabha as the House took up a two-day Discussion on the Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India", the Defence Minister said the contribution of several leaders in the making of the Constitution was deliberately ignored and hit out at the Congress, asserting that a particular party" always tried to hijack and appropriate" the framing of the Constitution. related stories On many occasions, the Congress has disrespected the Constitution and its spirit. It could not tolerate the independence and autonomy of institutions. It always tried to destroy the basic principles of the Constitution," he alleged. Talk of protection of the Constitution does not seem appropriate coming from it. These days, I see many opposition leaders keep the Constitution in their pockets. Actually, this is what they have learnt from childhood, they have seen their families keep the Constitution in their pockets for generations," he said. But the BJP always bows before the Constitution and has never played with the independence and autonomy of institutions, Singh asserted. He pointed out that the Constitution talked about religious freedom and it had been specified that the state would not have a religion but be secular. This was stated by those who were dubbed communal by people of the Congress," he said. The Constitution is an expression of the general will of the people, Singh said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Our Constitution touches upon social, economic, political, cultural life and shows the way for nation building. It is a roadmap for giving India its place in the world stage It is the outcome of a series of historical events," he said. We must also remember those who were not part of the Constituent Assembly but their ideas are part of it (Constitution) and they played an important role. We must remember Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh, Veer Savarkar and several other such icons whose ideas strengthened the Constitution," Singh said. First Published: December 13, 2024, 14:51 IST Reserve Bank Of India Gets Bomb Threat In Russian Language, Mumbai Police Launches Probe Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 10:40 IST The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday received the second bomb threat in less than a month. Reserve Bank Of India's Mumbai Headquarters | File Image The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday received the second bomb threat in less than a month, which was reportedly delivered via email in Russian language to the banks official website. Acting on the banks complaint, the Mumbai Police launched an investigation and filed a case against an unknown individual at the Mata Ramabai Marg (MRA Marg) police station. related stories The Zone 1 DCP of the Mumbai Police said, A threatening email was received on the official website of Reserve Bank of India. The email was in Russian language, warned to blow up the bank. A case has been registered against unknown accused in Mata Ramabai Marg (MRA Marg) police station. Investigation into the matter is underway." Sources claimed that the Mumbai Police officials are investigating whether a VPN connection was used to send the email to mask the real IP address and location. It comes a few days after new RBI Governor, Sanjay Malhotra took charge as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank, replacing Shaktikanta Das who demitted office after six years. Malhotra, an IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, was selected by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In a similar incident, at least six schools in Delhi received a bomb threat by mail on Friday morning, prompting a multi-agency search of the school premises. The latest threats come on the back of at least 44 schools receiving similar emails on December 9. Police had declared those threats as hoaxes. First Published: December 13, 2024, 10:34 IST Ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh, Cop Get Bail In RG Kar Case, Victim's Parents Say 'System Failing Us' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 18:44 IST Ghosh and Mondal were arrested in August this year after state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital hogged media attention after a 31-year-old doctors body was found in the fourth-floor seminar room of the hospital. Former RG Kar Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh (Image: PTI/File) A Kolkata court on Friday granted bail to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, the then officer-in-charge of the Tala police station, in connection with the rape and murder case of a 31-year-old doctor as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) couldnt file the chargesheet against them within the 90 days period. The additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM), Sealdah court, granted bail to the two accused persons as chargesheet against them was not filed within the mandatory 90-day period, a lawyer representing Ghosh said. related stories Mondals lawyer told reporters outside the court that he will walk out of the correctional home where he is incarcerated on judicial remand. However, Ghosh would remain behind the bars as he has been arrested by the probe agencys anti-corruption branch in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the medical establishment during his tenure. Ghosh and Mondal were arrested in August this year after state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital hogged media attention after a 31-year-old doctors body was found in the fourth-floor seminar room of the hospital. The doctor was allegedly raped and killed by a civic volunteer Sanjay Roy in the intervening night of August 9-10. The were arrested on the charges of misleading the probe into the case. Ghosh was accused of being involved in causing considerable delay in registration of FIR", according to a petition by the agency in a CBI court. While the trainee doctors body was found on the morning of August 9, the police took over 12 hours to convert the case of unnatural death into an FIR (first information report), a gap that has invited the Supreme Courts scrutiny. Sources suggested that CBI fears evidence destruction in the case. The metropolis police arrested one person, a civic volunteer who had easy access to the hospital, soon after they launched an investigation, but the Calcutta high court handed over the probe to CBI amid allegations of evidence destruction and cover-up. The central agency had pointed to the lack of evidence in the Supreme Court as well. CBI sources said they were not convinced about the answers Ghosh gave during his quizzing. While the former RG Kar principal had said that he got to know about the incident at 10:20 am, his driver had informed officials that he was asked to come to the Ghosh residence at 6am, the sources said. The RG Kar incident had sparked massive protests, brought the functioning of the hospital as well as Bengals health system under the scanner, prompted a scrutiny of the case by the Calcutta HC and the Supreme Court, spawned allegations of a larger conspiracy, led to the passing of a stringent anti-rape bill in the state assembly, and sparked a bitter political war of words. System Failing Us: Victims Parents Expressing disappointment with the CBI investigation, the parents of the deceased doctor said that they were heartbroken with the two key suspects in the case getting bail and it seemed like the system" was failing them. We thought the CBI would speed up the investigation and bring those responsible to justice. But now, with the accused being granted bail, it feels like the system is failing us," said the mother of the victim whose body was found in the hospital on August 9. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Every day, we wonder if this will be another case in which the powerful escape without punishment," she said. (With inputs from agencies) First Published: December 13, 2024, 16:50 IST RG Kar Rape-Murder: Heres Why Sandip Ghosh, Abhijit Mondal Got Bail. What Next? Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 20:03 IST RG Kar rape-murder case: Abhijit Mondal will be released from jail, but Sandip Ghosh will not be released as he is also an accused in the RG Kar corruption case The family of the victim is in a state of shock. (PTI File) A court in Kolkatas Sealdah on Friday granted bail to Sandip Ghosh, former principal of Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, the then officer-in-charge of the Tala police station, in the rape and murder on the premises. During their arrest, the CBI had said in the remand copy that it suspected their involvement in removing the evidence in the rape-murder. Reason? The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could not file a charge sheet within the stipulated 90 days. related stories WHAT HAPPENED IN COURT? The public prosecutor representing the CBI said that the agency will not file a prayer of remand and the charge sheet for the timebeing, as the investigation related to the involvement of the duo is going on. The counsel for both the accused then sought their release on default bail". Mondals lawyer said that the station house officer (SHO) was being kept in jail without any reason. Ghoshs lawyer, too, sought bail. Barely a week ago, @WBPolice and our justice system secured capital punishment within just 62 days for the perpetrator of a brutal rape-murder of a minor in Joynagar. Today, death penalty has been awarded to one of two accused in the heinous rape-murder of yet another minor in Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 13, 2024 Section 187 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) gives a statutory right to the accused to be released on bail, if a charge sheet is not filed within 60 or 90 days. The Sealdah court order said: No charge sheet has been filed against both of these accused, though a chargesheet has already been filed against another accused namely Sanjay Roy and the trial against the accused namely Sanjay Roy is going on before the Court of Ld. ADJ 1." WHAT NEXT? Mondals lawyer Sajid said, He has been unnecessarily harassed, there was no point in keeping him in jail. After 90 days, he got bail." Mondal will be released from jail, but Ghosh will not be released as he is also an accused in the RG Kar corruption case. The SHOs arrest was a blow to the Kolkata Police. TMC REACTION Kunal Ghosh, general secretary of TMC, said, The Kolkata Police arrested the main accused, Sanjay Roy, within 24 hours. Those who were anti-government wanted the CBI to take over the case. Now that the case is with the CBI, we are getting to know that Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal got bail This was a baseless case with distorted information meant to malign the government. Even the CBI could not establish the case. The CBI could not prove the involvement of these people with the rape case, hence they were granted bail" VICTIMs FAMILY SHOCKED top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The family of the victim is in a state of shock. Her mother said, The CBI did not give a charge sheet. We are frustrated and shocked. We really dont know what to do." Dr Kinjal Nanda, who has been among those spearheading the fight for justice, too, questioned the role of the CBI. First Published: December 13, 2024, 19:45 IST Sex Is Not Promise: HC Refuses to Quash Rape Case Against Man Who Retracted From Marriage Reported By : LawBeat Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 13:53 IST The prosecutrix was subjected to rape by the accused, who was a member of the police department, on repeated promise of marriage The accused had engaged with the complainant's family, where marriage discussions occurred between their respective fathers. The Kerala High Court (HC) refused to quash a rape case against an accused who allegedly made a false promise of marriage to the victim (prosecutrix) to establish a sexual relationship with her and later retracted from marrying her saying that sex is not a promise". A single-judge bench, led by, Justice A. Badharudeen, observed : When, prima facie, materials would show that the prosecutrix was subjected to sexual intercourse on the promise of marriage without any bona fides and under a misconception of fact, then the consent is vitiated." related stories According to the prosecution, the accused, a member of the police department and the brother of a friend of the complainant, made her acquaintance in 2019 during the time her marriage was fixed with another man. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her marriage was delayed. During this period, the accused offered to marry the complainant and, based on this promise, established physical relationship with her on multiple occasions. The accused further engaged with the complainants family, where marriage discussions occurred between their respective fathers. However, the accused later retracted his promise to marry. Following this, the victim filed a complaint on before the police on January 9, 2022. The complaint also alleged that the accused, upon knowing about the complaint made against him, visited her workplace, a hospital, where she was a nurse, threatening to publish her nude photos if she did not withdraw the complaint. Seeking to quash the proceedings against him, the accused argued that the relationship was consensual and that no offence of rape was made out. The counsel for the accused, Advocate K. Siju, relying on precedent cases, including Deepak Gulati v. State of Haryana (2013) and Shambhu Kharwar v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2022), submitted that a consensual relationship, even on a promise of marriage, would not amount to rape unless the promise was false at the inception. Opposing the plea by the accused, the Public Prosecutor argued that the case should go for trial as the accused deliberately misused the promise of marriage to obtain consent for sexual intercourse, which vitiates consent under Section 90 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). It was also argued that the threat to publish intimate photographs constituted further intimidation and harassment. The court noted that consent obtained through a promise to marry, when the promisor lacks genuine intent to fulfill the promise, is invalid under Section 90 of the IPC. The court noted : the legal position is emphatically clear that a promise to marry, without having any intention or any inclination to marry the victim, will vitiate the consent in terms of Section 90 of IPC, concomitantly if consent has been given under fear of injury or misconception of fact, such consent obtained, cannot be construed to be valid consent. So also, when the prosecutrix had sexual intercourse with the accused on the bona fide representation made by the accused that he would marry her, the same was a false promise at the instance of the accused and the same is hit by Section 90." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Explanation 2 to Section 375 of IPC provides that consent means an unequivocal voluntary agreement when the woman by words, gestures or any form of verbal or non-verbal communication, communicates willingness to participate in the specific sexual act," the court further clarified. The court ruled that the facts of the present case show that the consent of the victim was vitiated and dismissed the petition stating that quashment prayer is liable to fail". First Published: December 13, 2024, 13:53 IST Tiny, Parasitic & Fascinating: 5 New Species Of Rare Darwin Wasps Discovered in India And Thailand Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 06:00 IST Out of the five species, one each was found in Kerala and Tamil Nadu (on either side of the Western Ghats), one in the Siang valley in Arunachal, one in Uttarakhand, and the fifth species in Thailand The species name Microleptes sandeshkaduri honours wildlife photographer Sandesh Kadur for his contribution towards the conservation of biodiversity. Image/News18 A team of researchers from India and Thailand has discovered five new species of the rare Darwin wasps. All the new species belong to a very small subfamily of wasps and mark the first-ever documentation of these wasps in the country. These tiny winged insects are critical to the ecosystem because they play an important role in controlling the population of crop-damaging pests, such as aphids and caterpillars, without contaminating the environment. related stories What makes them particularly interesting is that they are parasitic wasps and lay their eggs on these insects. The eggs grow inside the host and eventually kill it. This unusual nature also intrigued the noted British biologist Charles Darwin, the father of evolution about 150 years ago, after whom they are named, leading him to conclude that not all of the worlds creation could have been made by God. Out of the five species, one each was found in Kerala and Tamil Nadu (on either side of the Western Ghats), one in the Siang valley in Arunachal Pradesh, one in Tehri in Uttarakhand, and the fifth species in Thailand. The team led by Ranjith AP and Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan from Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), along with collaborators from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and the Russian Academy of Sciences, collected these specimens by Malaise traps and sweep nets, examined them, and recently published their findings in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research. This only goes on to show Indias rich biodiversity. All four new species have been discovered from geographically distinct regions, which indicates that they have a much broader distribution across the country. This also points to the need for more comprehensive taxonomic studies," said lead author and senior entomologist Dr Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan from ATREE. One of the species, Microleptes chiani, has been named to honour the teams long-time associate, Tamilazhagan, a senior technical assistant at ATREE fondly called Chian for his contribution in collecting the insects specimens from difficult terrains. The second Microleptes gowrishankari after wildlife biologist Dr P Gowri Shankar for his work on the study and conservation of the King Cobra. The third species, Microleptes sandeshkaduri, honours wildlife photographer Sandesh Kadur for his contribution towards the conservation of biodiversity, and the fourth, Microleptes tehriensis, is named after Tehri in Uttarakhand, from where it was found. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The latest discovery also stands out because all the new species belong to the smallest of the 42 subfamilies of the wasps called Microleptinae, which just has a single group (genus) in which only 14 species were known previously, which makes them quite rare. In fact, only one of the 14 species known has been reported from East and Southeast Asiafrom Myanmar in 1998. Interestingly, the team also recorded the presence of the Chinese species Microleptes xinbinensis in India, describing its previously unknown female. Such discoveries are important in taxonomic research and biodiversity conservation to understand the ecological roles," said the team. The specimens have been deposited in the National Zoological Collections of the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, Kozhikode. First Published: December 13, 2024, 06:00 IST Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link: Work On Tracks Completed Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 15:58 IST "The ballastless track work for the 3.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed today at 02:00 hrs, Vaishnaw wrote on X Ashwini Vaishnaw called it a historic milestone on X. The work on the tracks for the Udhampur Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL) was completed on Friday, union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced. In a post on social media platform X, Vaishnaw called it a historic milestone". Final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link is complete. The ballastless track work for the 3.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed today at 02:00 hrs," he said. related stories Last month, the ministry hinted that the Vande Bharat train connecting Kashmir to New Delhi on the new line is likely to be inaugurated in January 2025. In February 2024, the ministry opened the 48.1-km Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section, including Indias longest tunnel falling between the Khari-Sumber section. With this, trains could run from Baramulla to Sangaldan via Banihal, which used to be the last or originating station earlier. Historic milestone; Final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link is complete.The ballast-less track work for the 3.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed today pic.twitter.com/VUZTTi61A7 Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) December 13, 2024 USBRL OFFERING TRAIN SERVICES FROM SRINAGAR Of the 272-km project, work on 200 km has already been commissioned. The work on the remaining part was underway. As per the ministry, the USBRL project is, perhaps, the most difficult new railway line project undertaken in the country post-independence. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. This section predominantly involves tunnelling 97.42 km out of 111 Km (87%) of length of Katra-Banihal section is in tunnels and maximum length of tunnel T-49 is 12.77 km, which will be longest transportation railway tunnel in the country," the ministry said in a statement. The railway has also made the worlds highest railway bridge over the Chenab river in Reasi District of Jammu and Kashmir. The iconic Chenab Bridge is 1,315-m-long, having an arch span of 467 m and a height of 359 m above the river bed. Indian Railways first cable-stayed bridge has been constructed over Anji Khad. Its bridge deck is 331m above the river bed level and height of its Main pylon is 193m," it added. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The ministry also said the USBRL project has made substantial socio-economic contributions to the region, with employment generation being a significant aspect of its impact. Another crucial facet of the USBRL projects socio-economic development efforts has been the construction of over 215 km of approach roads, which include construction of a tunnel and 320 small bridges," the Ministry added. The railways also assured that adequate safety provisions have been kept in the USBRL project, in accordance with international norms. All tunnels having length more than 2 km have been provided with mechanical ventilation systems to ensure air quality as per international norms. Firefighting system consisting of fire hydrants and fire extinguishers, to promptly address and contain potential fire incidents has been provided in all the tunnels. Proper access roads have been constructed to all escape tunnels," the ministry added. First Published: December 13, 2024, 15:48 IST Kumbh Mela 2025: Key Dates To Remember For Maha Kumbh Mela In Prayagraj Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 09:19 IST Kumbh Mela 2025: Planning to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh? Here are all the key dates to help you plan your visit. Maha Kumbh Mela will be held from January 13 to February 26, 2025. (Image: Shutterstock) The Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the most prominent religious events for Hindus, will be commemorated in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, from January 13 to February 26, 2025. This great Hindu celebration attracts millions of devotees to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. The event is one of the largest religious fairs in the world. Kumbh Mela has its roots in Hindu mythology, specifically Samudra Manthan (the churning of the seas). According to popular belief, gods or devas and anti-gods or asuras churned the ocean to obtain amrita, a nectar of immortality. related stories ALSO READ: Kumbh Mela 2025: Spiritual Significance And Rituals Behind Maha Kumbh Its believed that during this tremendous conflux, certain drops of amrita fell on earth at four holy places: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain. The event also symbolises the victory of good over evil. Devotees take a ritual bath in the holy rivers at these locations, in a belief that it would cleanse them of their sins. The Kumbh Mela celebrates togetherness, faith and rejuvenation and is regarded as one of the largest peaceful gatherings of humanity in the world. If youre planning to attend this grand festival in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, weve mentioned all the important dates to help you plan your visit. PHOTOS: Kumbh Mela 2025: The 8 Sacred Rituals Of Divine Purification Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 Dates top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all January 13, 2025: Paush Purnima Paush Purnima is an important day during the Kumbh Mela that marks the beginning of the festival and Kalpvasa, a period of spiritual practice. January 14, 2025: Makar Sankranti- The first Shahi Snaan, or royal bathing, of the Kumbh Mela takes place on the holy occasion of Makar Sankranti. Pilgrims and tourists bathe in the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati at the Sangam confluence. January 29, 2025: Mauni Amavasya- On this day, devotees take the second shahi or royal bath at the rivers and take a vow of silence, known as Mauna Vrat, to realign their minds and bodies. February 3, 2025: Basant Panchmi- It is the day for the third Shahi Snaan. During the Kumbh Mela, pilgrims celebrate Basant Panchami by taking a sacred dip in the Sangam and seeking blessings. February 4, 2025: Achla Saptami- Achla Saptami, also known as Ratha Saptami, commemorates the birth of the Sun God and is marked by prayers for health and prosperity. Bathing on this day is thought to wash away sins and bring longevity and strength. February 12, 2025: Maghi Purnima- Maghi Purnima is a full moon day in the month of Magh. It is regarded as extremely auspicious to take a holy dip in the Ganges, as it marks the conclusion of the month-long Kalpavas. It is thought that bathing on this day brings spiritual blessings and salvation. February 26, 2025: Maha Shivratri- Maha Shivratri is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Devotees take the final holy dip on this day. It is believed that taking a dip on this day absolves devotees of their sins and leads them towards moksha (liberation). During the Maha Kumbh Mela, devotees also perform prayers, rituals and hawan on the banks of these rivers. Location : Prayagraj, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 09:15 IST Aanchal Munchal Has THIS To Say About Her Role In Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 18:01 IST Aanchal Munchal shared that she feels over the moon and ecstatic with all the praise received for her role in Pushpa 2. Aanchal Munchal is a popular television actress. (Photo Credits: Instagram) Those who have watched Pushpa 2 must have seen Aanchal Munjal, delivering a short yet noteworthy performance in the film. Was seen alongside Saurabh Sachdeva and Allu Arjun in a few scenes, primarily set against the backdrop of the Maldives. Recently, she sat down for an interview, talking about the response she has been receiving for her role in the pan-India film. She also heaped praises on the protagonist of the film, calling him dedicated and professional. Talking to Hindustan Times, Aanchal Munchal shared that she feels over the moon and ecstatic with the praise for her role in Pushpa 2. Highlighting the reason behind signing the film, she said, I dont think there needs to be a reason to say yes to a film like Pushpa; the world knows its a huge franchise." related stories Well, Aanchal Munchal had more scenes in the film at the time of shooting but they were removed given the long duration of the film. Speaking about the same, she said, Unfortunately, people couldnt see me in those scenes because they were quite fun to shoot." However, she was not disappointed and was focused on the impact her scene had on the film. I feel proud to be a part of this film. I just wanted to be a part of Pushpa 2, and I achieved that," she added. Aanchal Munjal only had words of praise and admiration for Allu Arjun when asked to share her experience of working with him. Recollecting the first two days on the sets, Aanchal admitted to having felt that the actor was arrogant as he didnt speak to anyone. However, it took her time to understand his personality. She said, He is such a sweetheart, hes quite humble actually. And I realised he wasnt speaking to anyone because hes in character when hes on set. His dedication is truly something else because you dont see Allu Arjun; you only see Pushpa." Pushpa 2 continues to shatter box-office records worldwide, entering the Rs 1000 crore mark within just a few days of its release. Apart from Allu Arjun, the film also saw Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil reprising the roles of Srivalli and Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat. Directed by Sukumar, the movie is expected to have its third installment as well. First Published: December 13, 2024, 17:45 IST Allu Arjun Arrest: BRS Leader KT Rama Rao Slams Telangana Congress, Says 'Treating Him As A Common Criminal' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 15:18 IST Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection with the tragic death of a woman at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad during a screening of Pushpa 2: The Rule. Allu Arjun has been arrested. Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection with the tragic death of a woman at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad during a screening of Pushpa 2: The Rule earlier this month. The actor was detained at his residence on Friday morning and taken to the Chikkadpally police station for questioning. The charges against him include Section 118(1) and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. BRS leader KT Rama Rao slammed Telanganas ruling Congress on Friday over the arrest of actor Allu Arjun, calling it the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers!" related stories He wrote, Arrest of National Award winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers! I totally sympathize with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isnt directly responsible. There is always space for respect & dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high handed behaviour of Govt. Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by Hydra." Arrest of National Award winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers! I totally sympathize with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isnt directly pic.twitter.com/S1da96atYa KTR (@KTRBRS) December 13, 2024 The incident at Sandhya Theatre A large crowd gathered outside the theatre in hopes of catching a glimpse of the films lead actor, Allu Arjun, who attended the screening alongside music director Devi Sri Prasad. As fans surged toward the venue, chaos ensued, causing the theatres main gate to collapse. In the ensuing panic, a 35-year-old woman tragically lost her life, and her 9-year-old son sustained serious injuries. Despite efforts from law enforcement to control the crowd, the stampede resulted in a fatal outcome. First Published: December 13, 2024, 15:18 IST Allu Arjun Granted Interim Bail By Telangana HC In Pushpa 2 Stampede Death Case Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 19:59 IST Allu Arjun was previously arrested and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. Allu Arjun was arrested earlier in the day. Allu Arjun, who was previously arrested and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the tragic death of a woman during a stampede at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad during the Pushpa 2 premiere, has now been granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court. The incident, which occurred on December 4, sparked widespread concern over crowd management and safety at high-profile events. The courts decision to grant interim relief comes as investigations continue into the mishap. The Telangana High Court has ruled that there was no malafide action associated with Allu Arjun in the ongoing case. Granting him interim bail for a period of four weeks, the court provided the actor with a significant relief. In addition, the court set a personal bail bond of Rs 50,000. related stories Earlier in court, Allu Arjuns lawyer argued that the actor had neither the intention nor the knowledge that his visit to Sandhya Theatre during the screening of Pushpa 2 would lead to such a tragic mishap. As such, the lawyer contended that a case of culpable homicide was not applicable, and at most, negligence could be considered. He further said that the essential elements of criminal intent such as causing bodily harm were absent, as the victims death resulted from asphyxiation caused by the crowd surge, not any deliberate act by the actor. Before the court, Allu Arjuns lawyer cited the 2017 case against Shah Rukh Khan when he and others were booked for allegedly causing a stampede at the Vadodara railway station while promoting Raees. The lawyer said Shah Rukh was involved in actions, but Allu Arjun was simply watching the film. Meanwhile, Bhaskar, the husband of the deceased woman Revathi, has said that he is willing to withdraw the case. In his statement, he shared that he doesnt hold Allu Arjun responsible for the stampede that claimed his wifes life. I am ready to withdraw the case. I was not aware of the arrest and Allu Arjun has nothing to do with the stampede in which my wife passed away," he said. First Published: December 13, 2024, 17:42 IST Allu Arjun To Spend Night In Jail As Bail Procedure Faces Delay In Pushpa 2 Stampede Case Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 23:26 IST Following his arrest, Allu Arjun was taken to the Chikkadpally police station before being presented at the Nampally court. Pushpa 2 actor Allu Arjun was arrested for woman's death in stampede during the film's Hyderabad premiere. Telugu superstar Allu Arjun will spend the Friday night in jail after delays in completing the bail formalities following his arrest in connection with the death of a woman during a stampede at the premiere of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule in Hyderabad. Although the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail earlier in the day, procedural setbacks and the superintendent leaving for the day prevented his release. He is expected to be released tomorrow morning. Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday and remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a local court in Hyderabad. The arrest was made in connection with a tragic incident on December 4, where a 35-year-old woman lost her life, and her 8-year-old son was injured during a stampede-like situation at the Sandhya Theatre. Thousands of fans had gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor during the movie premiere, leading to the chaos. related stories The police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after the deceased womans family filed a complaint. Arjuns legal team approached the Telangana High Court on December 11, seeking to quash the FIR. Earlier on Friday, drama unfolded as police arrived at Arjuns residence to take him into custody. Visuals from the scene showed the actor visibly upset and reportedly arguing with police officers, objecting to their entry into his private space. It is definitely not a good thing," he was heard saying in the video that has since gone viral. Following his arrest, Arjun was taken to the Chikkadpally police station before being presented at the Nampally court, which sent him to judicial custody. Amid heavy security, he was then shifted to jail. While the Telangana High Court granted interim bail, the procedural delay in processing the order copy led to his extended stay in jail. The case has been posted for further hearing on January 21, 2025. The sudden arrest of the national award-winning actor has left his fans shocked and sparked a debate over accountability in such incidents. First Published: December 13, 2024, 23:26 IST Darshan Gets Bail In Renukaswamy Murder Case, To Walk Out Of Jail After 6 Months Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 15:04 IST The Karnataka High Court granted bail to Darshan and his partner Pavithra Gowda, who are the prime accused in the case. Darshan was arrested in the Renukaswamy murder case. Kannada actor Darshan has finally been granted bail in connection to the Renukaswamy murder case. On Friday, the Karnataka High Court granted bail to the Kannada star and his partner Pavithra Gowda, who are the prime accused in the case. More details are awaited. Darshan was arrested by the Bengaluru police from Mysuru on June 11, 2024. Police officials were investigating his involvement in the Renuka Swamy murder case and had also already seized his cell phones. His bail plea was also rejected multiple times previously. related stories Renukaswamy was found dead at Sumanahalli Bridge in Bengaluru on June 8, 2024. He hailed from a middle-class background with his father Kashinatha Shivanagoudara being a retired government employee. Reportedly, Renukaswamy used to work at an Apollo Pharmacy branch in Chitradurga. Previously, Darshan claimed that Renukaswamy was vulgar and a menace to orderly society." During one of his bail plea hearings in the Karnataka High Court, Darshan and his legal team made shocking allegations against Renukaswamy and claimed that he used to send nude photos to women. Before this, police officials also claimed that Renuka used to send vulgar messages to Kannada actress Pavithra Gowad, a friend of Darshan. Angry about this, Renuka Swamy was murdered and his dead body was allegedly thrown in a canal at Kamaksshipalya, Bengaluru in front of Darshan. However, Renukaswamys wife denied claims that her late husband used to send derogatory messages to anyone. My husband called me on June 8 afternoon. If my husband had sent derogatory messages on social media, he should have been given a warning. What was the need to kill him," she said and then added, Whether he is an actor (Darshan) or a star, I want justice." First Published: December 13, 2024, 14:49 IST Did Shawn Mendes Confirm The Alleged Camila Cabello And Sabrina Carpenter Love Triangle? Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 20:14 IST Shawn Mendes appears to address a long-rumoured love triangle with Camila Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter in an interview with John Mayer on SiriusXM's Hows Life. Mendes broke up with Camila Cabello in November 2021. (Photo Credits: Instagram) Shawn Mendes has left fans speculating about a possible love triangle involving Camila Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter. In a recent interview with John Mayer on SiriusXMs Hows Life, Mendes made comments that seemed to allude to the long-running rumours surrounding the trio, particularly following the release of Sabrina Carpenters sixth studio album, Short n Sweet, in August 2024. In a teaser for the upcoming episode, Mendes opened up about his complex relationships, stating, Im with someone. Two days before going to hang with my ex, [I] express Im going to hang with my ex because I have unresolved feelings. Maybe instead of two days it could have been two weeks." related stories His remark seemed to reference the time in February 2023 when he was seen spending time with Carpenter, just over a year after his breakup with Camila Cabello in November 2021. The mention of unresolved feelings, coupled with his reflections on love, raised eyebrows. Mendes added, The biggest lesson Ive heard is no one gets out of this life without getting hurt, and no one gets out of this life without hurting someone." When the podcast host asked Mendes if there was anything in the situation he felt he had mishandled, he replied that none of his therapists fully understand the challenges of being a popular musician. Take a look at the clip here: These comments have only fuelled speculation about his connections with both Cabello and Carpenter. Carpenters Short n Sweet album has sparked even more questions, with tracks like Coincidence, Sharpest Tool and Taste believed to hint at a rekindled romance with a former partner. The music video for Taste features Jenna Ortega, leading many fans to speculate that she represents Cabello in the storyline. Adding to the intrigue, Camila Cabello herself has fuelled speculation with a TikTok post, where she sings along to her own song June Gloom. The lyrics seem to touch on feelings of betrayal, with lines such as, Shes cool, I heard/ Wont act surprised, I saw the pictures/ [] If shes so amazing, why are you on this side of town? / If you like her so much, what are you here trying to find out?" Despite these speculations, none of the stars has directly addressed the alleged love triangle. But Sabrina Carpenter did acknowledge the publics curiosity in an interview, stating, They can listen to my album and decide for themselves what the songs are about." First Published: December 13, 2024, 20:14 IST Meghna Gulzar Turns 51: Top 5 Movies And Upcoming Projects Of The Filmmaker Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 08:22 IST On her birthday, let's celebrate Meghna Gulzars illustrious career by recalling her top 5 films that you should not miss. Meghna Gulzars last directorial has Vicky Kaushal portraying the role of Indias first Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw. (Image: meghnagulzar/Instagram) It is writer-director Meghna Gulzars birthday today. The daughter of poet and lyricist Gulzar, throughout her career, has directed some commercially and critically successful films, craving a niche for herself in the industry. Before making her direction debut in 2002, she worked as an assistant director on the films like Maachis and Hu Tu Tu. With films like Raazi and Talvar released over the last decade, she emerged as one of the finest directors in the country and deservingly so. Today, on her 51st birthday, lets celebrate his illustrious career by recalling her top 5 films that you should not miss. related stories Meghna Gulzars Top 5 Films Sam Bahadur View this post on Instagram A post shared by Meghna Gulzar (@meghnagulzar) Meghna Gulzars last directorial has Vicky Kaushal portraying the role of Indias first Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw. It portrays the in-depth exploration of Maneckshaws life and illustrious career while also reflecting on his role in Indias victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh also play key roles in the film. Talvar The crime thriller is based on the 2008 double murder case of Aarushi Talwar and her house staff. The plot explored the CBIs investigation of the case, with Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead roles. The movie was critically acclaimed, winning applause from the cinephiles. Raazi View this post on Instagram A post shared by Meghna Gulzar (@meghnagulzar) This spy thriller has an Indian female spy, married into a Pakistani Army family at the centre stage. Working as an agent, she tries to help her countrys security forces. With Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal as the lead stars, the film became one of the highest-grossing films of 2018 and received numerous accolades. Chhapaak View this post on Instagram A post shared by Meghna Gulzar (@meghnagulzar) Depicting the narrative of Laxmi Agarwal, a survivor of an acid attack, the film won criticial acclaim for its direction, screenplay and impressive perfromances by Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey and Madhurjeet Sarghi. The film bagged several nominations at different award ceremonies. Filhaal This 2002 film marked the debut of Meghna Gulzar as the director. Starring Sushmita Sen, Tabu and Sanjay Suri, the films plot is based on the story of a woman who discovers that she cannot become pregnant. Meghna Gulzars Upcoming Films Untitled Meghna Gulzar is reportedly teaming up with Sidharth Malhotra for an upcoming project, set against the backdrop of a true story. A source from the industry told Pinkvilla that the actor and director duo have zeroed in on a topic that will leave the nation shocked. Daayra Starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, the film is based on a true story with disturbing details. Before Prithviraj, the film was also offered to Ayushmann Khurrana but the actor stepped out due to date issues. First Published: December 13, 2024, 06:00 IST Mohan Babu Apologises To Journalist After Attempt To Murder Charge: I Deeply Regret The Pain Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 10:34 IST Mohan Babu's family dispute made headlines on December 9 after the actor filed a police complaint alleging that his son Manoj and his wife had orchestrated" a plan to take possession of his Jalpally home through intimidation and force. The journalist visited Mohan Babus Jalpally residence on December 10. Actor Mohan Babu has apologised to the journalist he allegedly assaulted outside his Hyderabad residence earlier this week. He took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle and issued a statement claiming he was only trying to protect himself from anti-social elements" when the media got inadvertently intertwined". Mohan Babu called the incident unfortunate" and apologised to the journalist. I would like to mention that due to health reasons, I was admitted to the hospital over the last 48 hours and was unable to respond immediately. I appreciate your patience and I am sending this letter at the earliest possible opportunity," he wrote. related stories In the heat of the moment, when my gate was broken and approximately 30-50 individuals comprising anti-social elements, forcibly barged into my house with an intent to harm those present. I lost my composure. Amidst the chaos, the media inadvertently became intertwined in the situation. As I tried to manage the situation, Mr Ranjit, one of your journalists, unfortunately, sustained an injury, This was a deeply regrettable outcome and I deeply regret the pain and inconvenience caused to him," the actor added. This comes a day after a police complaint was filed by the 35-year-old journalist following which a case was filed under Section 118 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons or substances) of the BNS against the actor. For the unversed, the journalist visited Mohan Babus Jalpally residence on December 10 to cover the ongoing dispute between the actor and his son Manoj. However, the situation got out of control there when the actor confronted journalists aggressively. Mohan Babus family dispute made headlines on December 9 after the actor filed a police complaint alleging that his son Manoj and his wife had orchestrated" a plan to take possession of his Jalpally home through intimidation and force. However, the son claimed that his fight was not for a share of the property" but for self-respect and the safety of his wife and children." First Published: December 13, 2024, 10:34 IST Pushpa 2 Stampede: Allu Arjuns Lawyer Draws Parallel To Shah Rukh Khan's Raees Stampede Case During Bail Hearing Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 19:18 IST Allu Arjun, who was arrested and sent to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the stampede case by a local court was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court. While arguing, Allu Arjuns legal counsel recalled the incident, when Shah Rukh Khan faced charges after a stampede occurred during a promotional event for his film Raees. (File) The Telangana High Court on Friday while hearing interim bail petition of Tollywood actor Allu Arjun after his arrest over his alleged involvement in a stampede at the premiere of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule witnessed a parallel to a similarly tragic incident involving Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and his film Raees, in which also one person died. Follow LIVE Updates related stories While arguing, Arjuns legal counsel recalled the incident, when Shah Rukh Khan faced charges after a stampede occurred during a promotional event for his film Raees at Vadodara Railway Station in 2017. The lawyer said that Shah Rukh Khan was involved in actions, but Allu Arjun just attended the screening of the film. The main question before the court was that is somebody doing a rash or negligent act? In Raees case, the actor threw clothes at the station, which led to a stampede. In that case he was not found criminally liable," the lawyer said. However, in this case, the actor was only watching the film. So, it has to be seen if even negligence stands against him, he added. The lawyer further argued that Arjun was on the first floor of the theatre while the stampede took place on the ground floor where the victims were stuck. The allegation is that a surge occurred in the lower area where the victims were stuck. My client was on the first floor at the time and was simply watching the film. Even the police and theatre management did not ask him not to attend," the legal counsel said in Arjuns defence. Arjuns lawyer also argued that the actor had neither the intention nor the knowledge that his visit to Sandhya Theatre during the screening of Pushpa 2 would lead to such a tragic mishap. As such, the lawyer contended that a case of culpable homicide was not applicable, and at most, negligence could be considered. He further said that the essential elements of criminal intent such as causing bodily harm were absent, as the victims death resulted from asphyxiation caused by the crowd surge, not any deliberate act by the actor. Allu Arjun Arrested, Sent to Judicial Custody, Then Granted Bail Arjun, who was arrested and sent to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the stampede case by a local court was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court. The actor was booked under Sections 105 and 118(1) of the BNS Act. He has been accused of criminal negligence and voluntarily causing hurt. The court ruled that there was no malafide action associated with the Tollywood actor in the ongoing case. Granting him interim bail for a period of four weeks, the court provided the actor with a significant relief. In addition, the court set a personal bail bond of Rs 50,000. December 4 Stampede On December 4, a woman died when a tragic incident that took place during the Pushpa 2 screening at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad. The chaos unfolded as massive crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the films star, Allu Arjun, who was attending the event alongside music director Devi Sri Prasad. In the ensuing commotion, the theatres main gate collapsed, resulting in a stampede. A 35-year-old woman lost her life, and her 9-year-old son sustained severe injuries. However, the deceased womans husband, has said that he is willing to withdraw the case. In his statement, he shared that he doesnt hold Allu Arjun responsible for the stampede that claimed his wifes life. I am ready to withdraw the case. I was not aware of the arrest and Allu Arjun has nothing to do with the stampede in which my wife passed away," he said. First Published: December 13, 2024, 19:18 IST Vikrant Massey BREAKS Silence On His 'Retirement' Post: 'Zyada Angrezi Likhdi' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 14, 2024, 01:45 IST Bollywood star Vikrant Massey spoke candidly about the emotional and physical toll his career has taken on him. Vikrant Massey was recently seen in The Sabarmati Report. Vikrant Massey recently sparked confusion with a social media post suggesting he was taking a break from acting in 2025, leading some fans to believe he was retiring. However, at the Times Network India Economic Conclave, Vikrant addressed the misunderstanding and clarified his statement. In an interview with Times Now, Vikrant explained, Maine socha nahi tha ye sab hoga jeevan mein. 12th fail karli, aur mere kaam ko itna saraha. Mera sapna tha jeevan mein Filmfare mile, woh bhi mil gaya." He shared how deeply grateful he feels for the recognition hes received, especially as someone from a middle-class background. For a person from a middle-class family, meeting the Prime Minister, having him and the entire cabinet watch a film that means so much to methis is already a huge accomplishment," he added. related stories Vikrant spoke candidly about the emotional and physical toll his career has taken on him. Physically, Im exhausted," he admitted, reflecting on the challenges he has faced while juggling multiple projects. He went on to discuss how he felt a sense of creative saturation" after years of hard work, which led him to contemplate stepping back for a brief break. He also mentioned that his social media post, written in English, may have caused some confusion. I thought it was the right moment when the Honourable Prime Minister was going to watch a film thats very close to my heart, and I thought from here, things could only get better. But when theres not much creativity left, you need to recalibrate. Maine bhi yhi karne ki koshish, dikkat yhi hogyi ki zyada angrezi likhdi. I wanted to express that, but I wrote too much in English, and not everyone understood it," Vikrant explained with a laugh. Vikrants career has seen a surge in recent years, with successful films such as 12th Fail, The Sabarmati Report, Cargo, and A Death in the Gunj. He also has another release lined up for 2025. Fans continue to admire his versatile performances, especially his memorable roles in TVs Balika Vadhu and the web series Mirzapur. First Published: December 14, 2024, 01:45 IST Opinion | How Noida's Jewar Airport Will Transform India's Aviation Sector Written By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 17:19 IST PM Narendra Modi stated that the airport will be north India's Logistics Gateway, helping UP become an export hub and enabling even MSMEs to access overseas markets more easily Airport officials pose for a photograph after the successful landing of the first test flight at Noida International Airport, at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (PTI Photo) Noida International Airport Ltd (NIAL) at Jewar, in the Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, conducted its first flight validation test on 9 December. According to NIAL officials, the first commercial flight from Noida International Airport is scheduled to take off on 17 April 2025. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the construction of NIAL during a well-attended foundation stone-laying ceremony on 25 November 2021. 9 December Validation Flight related stories An IndiGo test flight travelled from Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) to NIAL, completing the final security-related analysis for the facility. Officials stated that the flight was conducted under close coordination between the pilots and the air traffic controllers (ATC). There were no passengers on board when the flight landed on the 3.9-kilometre runway shortly after noon. Earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had granted flight and security approvals. Technically, the airport will now be readied for commercial operations. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) oversaw the exercise, and all data collected will be submitted to the DGCA for review. Supervising personnel included officials from the DGCA, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), NIAL, and the Uttar Pradesh Civil Aviation Department. The test assessed systems such as airspace coordination, communication protocols, emergency response readiness, and runway performance. Previous milestones included the successful calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) in October 2024. With the validation flight completed, we are committed to finishing the airport project before the end of April", said Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu. Today marks a very important occasion in the progress of the airport and definitely whatever support is required from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, we will continuously provide, so that the early operations from the airport can begin," he said. The aim is to complete the validation process by December 15, after which the airport concessionaire will apply for an aerodrome license, a key requirement for commercial operations. Greenfield Airport This greenfield airport will be the largest in the country. It is located approximately 72 kilometres from Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), which, until now, has been the only other international airport in the National Capital Region and is nearing its capacity. Uttar Pradesh, Indias most populous state, currently has 15 operational civil airports. The airport is being developed through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. It will be owned by Noida International Airport Ltd (NIAL) and operated by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of Zurich Airport AG. In June 2022, Tata Projects was awarded the construction tender, with the goal of making it Indias first net-zero emissions airport. Airport Location In addition to serving the NCR, the airport will cater to several towns in Uttar Pradesh. It is located 48 kilometres from Greater Noida; 60 kilometres from Noida; 70 kilometres from Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Mathura; approximately 65 kilometres from Aligarh and Gurgaon; and 130 kilometres from Agra. The airport will be connected to the Yamuna Expressway, providing domestic and international tourists with convenient access to Agra, Mathura, and Vrindavan. It is also expected to benefit first-time homebuyers in Greater Noida. The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has identified 13,000 acres for the project, with 3,280 acres acquired in the first phase for the construction of terminal buildings and runways. Under the National Capital Region Transport Plan, Hisar Airport, located 190 kilometres northwest of IGIA and 270 kilometres northwest of Noida International Airport (NIA), is being developed as an alternative to IGIA. Additionally, the dual-use IAF airport at Hindon will serve as the nearest diversionary runway. Initial Conceptualisation The project was first proposed in 2001 by the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh, as a greenfield Taj International and Aviation Hub (TIAH) at Jewar village. The Central government approved the techno-feasibility report for establishing TIAH in April 2003, with plans for completion by 20072008. However, the project was put on hold during the UPA regime because the site was within 150 kilometres of the existing greenfield IGIA in Delhi. The IGIA operator, GMR Group, protested against the plans, arguing that the new airport would affect traffic and revenue. GMR also held the right of first refusal (RoFR) for any new airport within 150 kilometres of IGIA, which gave the group preferential bidding rights if its bid price was within 10 per cent of the lowest bidder. In 2012, the Akhilesh Yadav-led UP government considered shelving the Jewar project and proposed a new international airport in Agra instead. In June 2013, the state government finalised a site in the Firozabad district for the proposed airport. However, in January 2014, the Defence Ministry raised objections to the site. Later, in November 2014, the state government allocated land near Etmadpur, east of Agra. When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre, the project was shifted back to Jewar. The Ministry Clearances The Ministry of Civil Aviation cleared the proposal for the new airport to be established on 2,200 acres in June 2015. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved the project in June 2016, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) granted in-principle approval to the Uttar Pradesh government to build the airport in May 2018. Meanwhile, the UP government had to expedite the planning process as the Haryana government was advocating for a similar airport at Hisar. Land Acquisition and Project Go Ahead In November 2018, the UP government approved funds for land acquisition. By September 2019, 1,750 acres of land had been acquired. In November 2019, a contract was awarded to Zurich Airport AG for the development and operation of the airport for 40 years. By January 2020, 3,300 acres of land had been acquired. In October 2020, the final agreement was signed between NIAL and Zurich Airport International AG. In February 2021, the master plan for the airport was approved by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), followed by the Central governments approval in September 2021. The airport will be developed in four phases, with work on the first phase expected to be completed within 36 months. Cargo Terminal For the first time, an airport in India has been conceptualised with an integrated multi-modal cargo hub, aiming to reduce the total cost and time of logistics. The cargo terminal will initially have a capacity of 20 lakh metric tonnes, expandable to 80 lakh metric tonnes. The airport will facilitate the seamless movement of industrial products" and promote industrial growth in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the airport will be North Indias Logistics Gateway," helping the state become an export hub and enabling even MSMEs to access overseas markets more easily. Road Connectivity Connectivity will be managed through a multimodal transit hub" featuring metro and high-speed rail, along with taxi and bus services. Additionally, a proposed driverless pod taxi system or personal rapid transit (PRT) will connect the airport to an amusement park included in the planned film city project in Greater Noida. The airport will also link to major roads and highways, including the Yamuna Expressway, Western Peripheral Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, KGP Expressway, and Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Metro and Rail Connectivity The airport is proposed to connect with the Noida Metro via the Greater Noida route and with the Delhi Metro through the FaridabadBallabhgarhPalwalJewar route. The 71-kilometre GhaziabadJewar RRTS rapid rail line, featuring 11 stations, will be completed in two phases by 2031. The 61-kilometre PalwalNoida International AirportKhurja Railway will include a new railway station at Noida airport, linking Palwal on the New DelhiMumbai main line and Khurja on the AmritsarKolkata line. The airport will connect to Hisar via the Hisar AirportNIARailway line (HANAR) at Palwal. It will also have direct connectivity with IGIA through the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC) and the DelhiJaipur line. Additionally, the airport will feature a station on the High-Speed Railway (HSR) proposed for the DelhiVaranasi HSR corridor, enabling travel between Delhi and the airport in just 21 minutes. Among the Worlds Largest Airports With six runways upon full completion, it will be Indias largest airport and among the largest airports in the world. Chicago OHare and Dallas/Fort Worth airports are larger, with eight and seven runways respectively. Other existing airports with six runways include Amsterdam, Detroit, Boston, and Denver. As of September 2019, Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, with four runways, has the highest number of runways of any airport in India. Since 2019, there has been a proposal to add two additional runways at Jewar, bringing the total to eight runways upon completion. This is being done keeping future expansion in mind and subject to the availability of land. Such a proposal has been given the green signal by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Airport Passenger Handling Capacity The airport spans over 1,300 hectares of land in its initial phase, costing approximately Rs 10,050 crore. This phase will create the capacity to serve around 1.2 crore passengers annually. The initial plan includes constructing two runways, with the eventual goal of expanding it into a 7,200-acre (2,900-hectare), six-runway facility. According to the proposed plan, the airport will handle five million passengers per annum (MPA) initially, scaling up to between 60 MPA and 120 MPA over a 30-year period. Swing Aircraft Stand Concept The airport is introducing a swing aircraft stand concept, providing flexibility for airlines to operate an aircraft for both domestic and international flights from the same contact stand, without having to re-position the aircraft. This will ensure quick and efficient aircraft turnarounds at the airport while ensuring a smooth and seamless passenger transfer process. Operational Plans On February 28, 2022, YIAPL signed an agreement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the provision of Air Navigation Services at NIA. The airport was awarded the IATA code DXN" in September 2023. In July 2023, SITAs airport management system was selected to enhance operational efficiency and boost collaborative decision-making. YIAPL signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with IndiGo as its launch carrier in November 2023, and Akasa Air joined the list in January 2024. In April 2024, the airport conducted its first calibration test flight of the Doppler Very High-Frequency Omni Range (DVOR) equipment on the runway. In February 2024, BPCL was tasked with constructing an ATF pipeline from Piyala to Noida International Airport. Bird Group was selected for ground handling services in April 2024, and by October 2024, the calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) was successfully completed. Governments Vision for the Airport Once operational, this will be Uttar Pradeshs fifth international airport, the highest number for any state in India. The other international airports in Uttar Pradesh are located in Lucknow and Varanasi. A third airport was recently inaugurated in Kushinagar, a Buddhist pilgrimage site, and a fourth is under development in Ayodhya, which is being transformed into a tourist hub. While laying the foundation stone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the project would significantly boost commerce, connectivity, and tourism. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remarked that the initial investment of Rs 10,000 crore would eventually rise to Rs 35,000 crore once the airport is fully developed. The airport is set to become Asias largest and is expected to generate employment for more than one lakh people. It aligns with PM Modis vision of creating a future-ready aviation sector." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The airports design prioritises passenger convenience, with processes being digitally enabled. Billed as Indias first net zero emissions" airport, the project also includes a designated area for forest development to offset its environmental impact. We are ensuring that projects do not get delayed or remain stagnant we strive to complete infrastructure works within the stipulated time," PM Modi said. The writer is Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. First Published: December 13, 2024, 17:17 IST For Debate On Constitution, Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju Lead BJP's List Of Speakers In Lok Sabha Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Pragati Ratti Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 11:17 IST While the ruling party has time for more than five hours out of the 12 hours to speak, the saffron party has appointed 10 speakers to talk on the debate on behalf of the BJP. It is learnt through sources that the longest speech in the constitution debate on behalf of the ruling party will be made by Rajnath Singh followed by Rijiju. (Image: PTI) On Friday, Lok Sabha will begin the debate on 75 years of Indias Constitution after the completion of the Question Hour at about 12 noon. The business advisory committee has already allotted a time discussion period of 12 hours on the subject, which is expected to end in the evening of Saturday, December 14, with the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will reply to the debate. While the ruling party has time for more than five hours out of the 12 hours to speak, the saffron party has appointed 10 speakers to talk on the debate on behalf of the BJP. related stories Leading the debate from the front will be Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Lok Sabha and is expected to be the first speaker on the debate on behalf of the treasury benches. Apart from Rajnath Singh, another union minister who will intervene in the debate will be Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Rijiju is also the Minister for Minority Affairs in the Modi government. The party has also made a thoughtful choice of the other speakers for the debate with the list including former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and former minister of state for justice PP Chaudhary, who is also a constitutional expert. The party has also decided to field retired Calcutta High Court judge and now member of Parliament from Bengal Justice Abhijeet Ganguly to speak on the debate. Veteran Parliamentarian Jagdambika Pal and experienced parliamentarian Bhartruhari Mahtab will also be speaking on behalf of the BJP in the debate. Second time MP from Bengaluru South, and presently the Chief of the Youth Wing of the BJP, Tejaswi Surya, will also be participating in the debate on behalf of his party. Among the women MPs who have been given a chance to speak on the debate are D Purandeshwari and IAS officer turned politician Aparajita Sarangi. It is learnt through sources that the longest speech in the debate on behalf of the ruling party will be made by Rajnath Singh followed by Rijiju. The other speakers will get equal time. The saffron party has also ensured participation and time allocation to its alliance partners for the debate. Two speakers are expected to participate in the debate on behalf of the principal alliance partner Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Participation of two MPs will also be seen on behalf of the Janata Dal United (JDU). On Saturday, the debate will begin at 11 am and will continue till the last speaker speaks after which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to begin his reply at around 5 pm to culminate the debate as India marks its 75th year of Constitution and opposition parties, especially the Congress, had asked the Lok Sabha speaker to have a debate on the issue in both houses. The debate on the same issue will begin in the Rajya Sabha from Monday, and is expected to end on Tuesday evening. However, in the Rajya Sabha, it is expected that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the first speaker on behalf of the ruling party. The debate, however, will end with the reply by the Leader of the House, JP Nadda, who is also the BJP national president and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemical and Fertilisers in the Modi government. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Even in the Rajya Sabha, a list is being prepared and one can expect intervention by a couple of union ministers amongst other speakers. It is learnt that the ones who can intervene can be the likes of Hardeep Singh Puri and Nirmala Sitharaman among others. The ongoing winter session of Parliament began on November 25 and on November 26, a special programme was organised in the central hall to mark Constitution Day as Indias constitution turns 75. During the function, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint session of Parliament and speeches were also made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on the occasion. First Published: December 13, 2024, 09:00 IST 'No Respect For Creative Industry': Ashwini Vaishnaw Slams Congress Over Allu Arjun's Arrest Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 23:32 IST Vaishnaw blamed the Congress-led Telangana govt for "engaging in publicity stunts" to shift the blame over the stampede situation outside Sandhya theatre in Hyderabad. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (PTI Image) Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday slammed the Congress over actor Allu Arjuns arrest, stating that the party shows no respect for the creative industry". Allu Arjun was arrested earlier in the day at his home in Hyderabad in connection with the death of a woman during a stampede at the premiere of his blockbuster film Pushpa 2: The Rule. related stories Congress has no respect for the creative industry and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again," the railway minister wrote in a post on X. Vaishnaw blamed the Congress-led Telangana government for engaging in publicity stunts" to shift blame for the incident. The mishap at Sandhya Theatre was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration. Now, to deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity stunts," he said. Congress has no respect for the creative industry and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again.The mishap at Sandhya Theatre was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration. Now, to deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) December 13, 2024 The Telangana Government should assist those affected and punish those making the arrangements that day instead of continuously attacking film personalities. It is also sad to see this becoming a norm in the one year Congress has been in power there," the BJP leader stated. Meanwhile, the actor, who was arrested and sent to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the stampede case, was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court. The court granted him a four-week interim bail and scheduled the next hearing for January 21, 2025. Two others arrested in the case were also granted bail. Revanth Reddy Clarifies Govt Stance Responding on Allu Arjuns arret, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy denied any involvement of the state government. Law will take its own due course, and nobody will intervene in the investigation of the case," he stated. Political Leaders Condemn Actors Arrest Several BJP leaders, along with ministers from other political parties, condemned the arrest of Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, accusing the ruling Congress in Telangana of targeting him unfairly. Union Coal Minister and BJP leader G. Kishan Reddy expressed strong disapproval, calling the arrest irresponsible and unwarranted." The intent behind this arrest seems motivated as the organizers of the show claim to have informed the concerned authorities in advance. Moreover, the onus and responsibility of law & order lies with the police authorities and the arrest clearly intends to target an individual," Reddy, who also serves as the BJP president in Telangana, wrote in a post on X. The arrest of Shri Allu Arjun is irresponsible & unwarranted. The intent behind this arrest seems motivated as the organizers of the show claim to have informed the concerned authorities in advance. Moreover the onus and responsibility of law & order lies with the police G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) December 13, 2024 Another BJP leader and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar slammed the arrest, stating that Allu Arjun deserved better treatment. On X, he described how the actor was lifted straight from his bedroom" without being allowed time to change. A star of his stature, who brought global recognition to Indian cinema, deserved better treatment," Kumar noted. Meanwhile, BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao also condemned the actions of the state government, accusing it of treating the star like a common criminal." Rao said the arrest was the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers." I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating Allu Arjun garu as a common criminal is uncalled for, especially for something he isnt directly responsible," Rao sated. Condemning the arrest, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that blaming the actor over the stampede was not fair. Jagan also noted that the actor has displayed a responsible approach in expressing grief over the tragedy and offered support to the affected family during this difficult time. But how far is it fair to hold him directly responsible for this incident? Even though he was not involved in the stampede, it is not acceptable to frame criminal cases against Arjun and arrest him," he wrote on X. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all (With inputs from agencies) First Published: December 13, 2024, 22:30 IST Priyanka Could Be 'Biggest Threat' To Rahul Gandhi's Political Career, Says Amit Malviya Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 22:12 IST In her 32-minute speech in Hindi in the Lower House, Priyanka Gandhi was combative yet restrained, never raising her voice, as she raised the Opposition's key planks Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during the Winter session of Parliament in Delhi. (PTI photo) BJP IT department head Amit Malviya on Friday said Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could be the biggest threat" to the political career of her brother and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi if her maiden speech in Lok Sabha was any indication. In her 32-minute speech in Hindi in the Lower House, Priyanka Gandhi was combative yet restrained, never raising her voice, as she raised the Oppositions key planks. These included the BJPs alleged attempts to change the Constitution, growing monopoly" of the Adani Group, atrocities on women, incidents of violence in Sambhal and Manipur, and the demand for a nationwide caste census. related stories Commenting on her speech, Malviya said in a post on X, If Priyanka Vadras maiden speech is any indication, she poses the biggest threat to Rahul Gandhis political career, not just in terms of heir in waiting, but someone who can outmatch him in raising the levity quotient in public discourse." Participating in a debate on the Constitution in Lok Sabha, the newly elected member of Parliament from Keralas Wayanad launched a blistering attack at the BJP and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not understood that it is Bharat ka Samvidhan" not Sangh ka Vidhan". If Priyanka Vadras maiden speech is any indication, she poses the biggest threat to Rahul Gandhis political career, not just in terms of heir in waiting, but someone who can outmatch him in raising the levity quotient in public discourse. Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 13, 2024 She said the Constitution is a protective shield of justice, unity and freedom of expression, but the BJP-led government has made every effort to break it in the last 10 years. Had it not been for the Lok Sabha poll results, the ruling BJP would have started changing the Constitution, she claimed. Asked about the speech, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament complex, Wonderful speech Better than my maiden speech, let us put it like that." Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also praised the Wayanad MPs speech, saying it was excellent". top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all All the facts she put before the government We are very happy about her performance," he told reporters when asked for his comments. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also hailed Priyanka Gandhis maiden speech in Lok Sabha, saying she did not speak like a first-time MP and rightly pointed out to the government that it should talk about current times rather than harping on the past. First Published: December 13, 2024, 22:11 IST Rajya Sabha Adjourned Till Monday Amid Dhankhar, Kharge Face-Off Over No-Trust Motion Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 12:51 IST The uproar in Rajya Sabha began as BJP MPs targeted the opposition after filing a no-confidence motion against the Vice President. Vice President Dhankhar and Congress President Kharge sparred with each other yet again on Friday. (Sansad TV) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sparred again in the Rajya Sabha on Friday amid a row over the no-confidence motion against him, creating a ruckus in the Upper House of the Parliament. Dhankhar at one point said he would die for the country" while arguing with opposition MPs I am a farmers son; I will not show weakness. I will sacrifice my life for my country. You (opposition) have only one job 24 hours a day, why is a farmers son sitting herelook what you are saying. I have tolerated a lotyou have the right to bring a motion but you are insulting the Constitution," the Rajya Sabha Chairman said amid the ruckus. related stories Dhankhar said the resolution brought forth by the opposition was their right, but accused them of violating the Constitution. Who has blocked your resolution? Your resolution will be put to vote after 14 days. Yet you give such statements outside," he said. The Rajya Sabha chairman also requested MPs to come to meet him at whatever time they felt right to resolve any issues and offered to visit them himself if they could not. The House further plunged into chaos as Kharge and Dhankhar shouted at each other, with the VP asserting that he would not fall weak and accusing the opposition of anti-farmer mentality. If You Are Farmers Son, I am A Labourers Son: Kharge On the other hand, Kharge accused the VP of encouraging the Treasury to attack the opposition, and of keeping quiet while BJP MP Neeraj Shekhar made inflammatory remarks towards the Congress President. If you are the son of a farmer, I am also the son of a labourer. I have come from an even backward section of life and have suffered worse ordeals than you. You are insulting the Leader of the Opposition," Kharge told the Chairman. Dhankhar also told Kharge to introspect about his behaviour in the Parliament, while the Congress Parliament accused the Chairman of not letting him speak. Later, Dhankhar adjourned the Rajya Sabha till Monday and reiterated that the opposition was entitled to bring a motion against him. I request the parliament be run smoothly for the benefit of the country and society. We need to work in this House," he said, while requesting MPs to meet him in his office at noon to end the logjam. It is their (opposition) constitutional right to bring a motion against him, but they are deviating from constitutional provisions. Day in and day out, there is a complaint against the chairman. I have gone through everything which has been transacted in the public domain. Why cannot we follow the constitution to give a notice that was received? The Constitution is very clear, I will stand by my oath," he added. No-Confidence Motion Against Dhankhar The Congress-led INDIA bloc had earlier moved a no-confidence motion against Vice-President Dhankhar, accusing him of bias and partisan functioning. The Opposition claimed that he favoured the ruling party during House proceedings and stifled their voice. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all This was a rare sign of unity among opposition parties, as members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Samajwadi Party (SP), have also signed the motion. The BJP called the notice a diversionary tactic of the opposition. Both the Houses of Parliament- Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha- have witnessed regular disruption since the beginning of the winter season. While the BJP upped the ante against Congress leadership for their alleged connection with anti-India" George Soros, the grand old party continued its tirade against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over several issues. First Published: December 13, 2024, 11:58 IST Accenture Faces Backlash, Locks CEO Julie Sweets X Handle Amid Allegations Linked To Atul Subhash's Death Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 18:39 IST The backlash continued to mount and Accenture locked its official X account to limit public access to the flood of complaints coming in. Protests mount against Accenture amid harassment allegations. (Photo Credits: X) The recent suicide of Atul Subhash, a 34-year-old software engineer from Bengaluru, has raised public outrage and brought to the fore severe concerns regarding mental health, domestic abuse and corporate responsibility. Subhash tragically ended his life on December 9, 2024, leaving behind a 24-page suicide note and a 90-minute video detailing his allegations of harassment and extortion by his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania, employed at Accenture. The news of Subhashs death burst into a crescendo on social media, with a host of demands for action against Accenture. Many users asked the company to terminate Singhanias employment, accusing her of having driven Subhash to suicide. Posts on X included aggressive demands such as Dear @Accenture you have 24 hours to fire the murderer of Atul Subhash" and accusations that the company was an accomplice in her alleged actions by continuing to employ her. related stories Dear @Accenture you have 24 hours to fire the murderer of Atul SubhashYour time starts now. pic.twitter.com/C2hnoAUjEW Akshit Singh ?? (@IndianSinghh) December 10, 2024 The backlash continued to mount and Accenture locked its official X account to limit public access to the flood of complaints coming in. This has been seen as an effort to shield the company further from scrutiny as the situation develops. Further, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet also locked her X profile amid raging backlash. Meanwhile, candlelight vigils were held outside Accentures offices in Bengaluru as IT professionals gathered in solidarity with Subhash to demand justice. Accenture locked Twitter handle after getting countless request to fire Nikita Singhania.She is the wife of Atul Subhash who committed suicide after her torture pic.twitter.com/xrpg6mFw0Q G K AGARWAL (@ipo_agarwal) December 10, 2024 The marriage between Nikita Singhania and Subhash Atul, which took place in 2019, led to a disputed breakup in 2021. The former accused Singhania and her relatives of harassing him continuously, including demanding a large share of Rs 3 crores as the settlement money and filing a fake domestic violence and dowry harassment case on him, in the notes, which were retrieved from a suicide note that was considered his last letter to close ones. He claimed that these pressures forced him into a state of despair that culminated in his tragic decision to take his own life. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Subhashs suicide note read that he had to go through more than 40 court notices within one year against all those lawsuits the Singhania and their family moved against him, as he claimed that they hounded him for Rs 30 lakh instead of seeing his four-year-old son. This agony in front of his four-year-old son was the continuous, mental harassment besides all allegations of character assassination at various courts where Subhash described his torture as faced mock by legal authorities. The police have initiated an investigation into the circumstances leading to Subhashs death. An FIR has been registered against Singhania and some members of his family for abetment of suicide, among other charges. The police will investigate whether they were involved in extortion and harassment in the days preceding Subhashs death. Though both families have denied the accusations against them, the case has spiralled into a bigger debate about deep-seated problems in India that involve marital disputes and, for the most part, the legal rights of men. Location : Delhi, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 14:00 IST Australian Couples Complaint About South Asian Curry Smell Draws Racist Comments Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 12:16 IST While some of the social media users were empathetic with the couples problem and suggested using baking soda and vinegar or hiring a cleaning company, others complained about the post for its racial undertones. Debate over a homes persistent smell. (Representative Image) An Australian couple and their new house became a topic of debate on the social media platform after they highlighted an issue with their new home. The couple complained about a persistent odour they said was of South Asian cuisine. They allegedly bought the house which was earlier rented by two South Asian men. The post was originally shared on Reddit and a screenshot of the same was shared by a user on X. A post where the Australian couple opted to seek solutions to get rid of the smell, drew criticism, backlash and racist comments. In their elaborate post, they said that the smell brought to their mind dishes from South Asia; these include butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, beef vindaloo and saffron rice. As per them, the smell never left the walls and persisted even when they cleaned the house and let fresh air inside. The couple said they had gone out of their way by buying an ozone generator to rid of the smell but to no avail. Their post, which was a plea for help on how to eliminate odours, reached millions of people, amassing over five million views and polarising audiences. related stories While some of the social media users were empathetic with the couples problem and suggested using baking soda and vinegar or hiring a cleaning company, others complained about the post for its racial undertones. Some people contended that assigning certain odours to a given culture was inappropriate because it is discriminatory. As the couple alleged that the smell has been persistent, a user asked: How did they cover up the smell when you went and looked at it?" A racist comment read: Note to self: never rent to Indians." Note to self: never rent to Indians sf triad?? (@boxerrebel88) December 11, 2024 Another person said: I worked in property management for almost 20 years. The amount of money we had to spend on turns that were previously occupied by Indian residents was three times the normal amount of turn costs for other units. Ive been to properties that had a majority Indian community and you could smell the curry literally just pulling into the clubhouse area. Its incredibly difficult to get rid of those odours." I worked in property management for almost 20 years. The amount of money we had to spend on turns that were previously occupied by Indian residents was three times the normal amount of turn costs for other units. Ive been to properties that had a majority Indian community and Courtney (@crystalandqueue) December 11, 2024 Someone else stated: Moved into my first apartment years ago, the lady who managed it asked me if I cooked with cumin. Told her no, and she was relieved. Apparently some Indians had just moved out of a unit and completely ruined it with the smell of their cooking." Moved into my first apartment years ago, the lady who managed it asked me if I cooked with cumin.Told her no, she was relieved. Apparently some Indians had just moved out of a unit and completely ruined it with the smell of their cooking. Arthur Cockburn (@CockburnArthur) December 12, 2024 A user interestingly commented with a picture of a Cambridge University scholar Dr Ally Louks, who faced backlash for her PhD in Politics of Smell". Just food? Doesnt sound that bad", a comment read. Just food? Doesn't sound that bad. JB (Meta-Logic) (@DouglasDon77694) December 11, 2024 Another user noted: She had me at butter chicken. If she doesnt want to live there I will!!! I love butter chicken and garlic naan." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all she had me at butter chicken ? if she doesnt want to live there i will!!! i love butter chicken and garlic naan ??? lunaspandas (@lunaspandas1351) December 12, 2024 Though the couple has not responded to the criticism, their post has become an ongoing reference point for discussion of unconscious racism, cultural sensitivity and how everyday frustrations might sometimes be pointers to institutionalised racism. Location : Delhi, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 12:16 IST Chinese Influencer Arrested For Faking Struggles Of Single Father To Gain Sympathy And Money Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 17:41 IST In one video, Yu, dressed in a food delivery service uniform, claimed to have delivered 43 orders in a single day, earning Rs 3,500 for his child. He was neither a single father nor a delivery agent. (Image for representation: News18) A Chinese social media influencer with over 400,000 followers on Douyin, identified only by his surname Yu, has been arrested for fabricating a story about being a single father to gain sympathy and financial support online, South China Morning Post reported. Yu, who uses the handle @qianyibaobei on the popular platform, claimed his daughters mother had abandoned them, leaving him as the sole caregiver. In his videos, he prominently displayed the message: She does not have a mother." To amplify his narrative, Yu shared more than 100 videos where he described his struggles, urging viewers to like his content to support his daughters livelihood. related stories In one video, Yu dressed in a food delivery service uniform and claimed to have delivered 43 orders in a single day, earning 300 yuan (approximately Rs 3,500) to provide better food for his child. His posts garnered widespread attention and sympathy from his followers, many of whom engaged with his content, believing his story. An investigation by Chinese authorities revealed that Yus story was entirely fabricated. He was neither a single father nor a delivery agent and the childs mother was found to be living with them. The delivery uniform Yu wore in his videos was purchased online. The police have charged Yu with disturbing public order, a violation punishable in China with up to 10 days of detention and a fine of 500 yuan (approximately Rs 5,900). While details of Yus penalty have not been disclosed, the authorities emphasised the need for responsible behaviour on social media platforms. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The incident sheds light on a rising trend known as sadfishing," where individuals fake hardships to elicit sympathy and monetary support from online audiences. Yus case is not an isolated one. Earlier this year, a 21-year-old influencer with 4 million followers was sentenced to 11 months in prison and fined 80,000 yuan (approximately Rs 9.3 lakh) for pretending to live in poverty to deceive her audience. Such cases show the importance of vigilance among social media users and the growing challenges faced by authorities in addressing misinformation and fraudulent behaviour in the digital space. Location : Delhi, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 17:41 IST Cooked Directly On A Volcano, The World's Most Dangerous Pizza Is Available Here Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 13:18 IST This pizza is considered dangerous because it is not cooked in a conventional oven but directly in the flames and ashes of a volcano Pacaya is an active volcano in Guatemala, which erupted in May 2021. (News18 Hindi) Food lovers often seek unique and delicious dishes from different places, with some adventurous ones even going beyond the usual to experience something special. For them, food not only satisfies the stomach but also the mind and soul. Some people are more interested in eating at adventurous locations than focusing on the taste, and one such location is in Guatemala, a country in Central America. Here, several people visit to try one of the worlds favourite Italian dishes, pizza, cooked directly on a volcano. Chef Mario David Garcia has been cooking and serving this pizza on a volcano for quite some time now. related stories Dangerous Pizza This pizza is considered dangerous because it is not cooked in a conventional oven but directly in the flames and ashes of a volcano. The pizza is placed in the hot ash of the volcano, which gives it a unique taste but also exposes it to harmful gases and poor air quality. The amount of sulphur dioxide from volcanic eruptions is high in this area, and this gas lingers in the atmosphere, degrading the air quality. Despite this, adventure enthusiasts still flock here to enjoy the pizza. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Having pizza on the edge of an active volcano has become an important part of tourism in Guatemala. Tourists sit in the middle of an active volcano and enjoy pizza made right there. Pacaya is an active volcano in Guatemala, which erupted in May 2021. It is one of Guatemalas three active volcanoes, standing 2,500 metres high, and thousands of tourists flock here regularly, all enjoying pizza cooked directly on the volcano. Location : Guatemala First Published: December 13, 2024, 13:18 IST Google Faces Flak For Christmas Ad Featuring Nonbinary Beauty Influencer Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 16:13 IST The advertisement has led to many controversies, with some social media users expressing disapproval and accusing Google of promoting a "woke" agenda. The ad features beauty influencer Cyrus Veyssi. (Photo Credits: X) Google is facing criticism for its latest Christmas advertisement, featuring nonbinary beauty influencer Cyrus Veyssi. The ad promotes Google Shopping and shows Veyssi using the service to find skincare products. In the ad, Veyssi is shown wearing makeup and womens clothing, complaining about dry skin during the winter season. Veyssi says, This winter dryness is not it. Especially when I have so many holiday looks to pull off. Thankfully, I know just the thing." The influencer then proceeds to search for skincare products on Google Shopping. The ad concludes with the Veyessi, saying, Hydrated skin is a gift to everyone. No wrapping needed. Happy holidays to me," as the Google Shopping logo appears on the screen. related stories Google launches WOKE Christmas campaign featuring man wearing womens clothing complaining about his skin. pic.twitter.com/Rvk7wa5NIh Oli London (@OliLondonTV) December 11, 2024 The advertisement has led to many controversies, with some social media users expressing disapproval and accusing Google of promoting a woke" agenda. One user shared the video on X, writing, Google launches WOKE Christmas campaign featuring a man wearing womens clothing complaining about his skin." Another user commented, Google is cancelling women. Bizarre marketing strategy." Others added, This has gone too far" and Google keeps getting more woke and more cringe." In response to the backlash, a Google spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the advertisement featuring Cyrus Veyssi was part of a larger campaign showcasing dozens of smaller social media influencers. Everyone likes to find a good deal and save money. Thats why were promoting Google Shopping as the best way to do that. To put it in perspective, this was a single sponsored Instagram post, representing a fraction of a per cent of a much wider Google Shopping campaign," the spokesperson said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Cyrus Veyssi, a 30-year-old non-binary beauty influencer and content creator, initially gained popularity on TikTok for their makeup tutorials, skincare routines and inspirational videos. Veyssi, who uses both he/him" and they/them" pronouns, has been recognised for promoting self-acceptance, inclusivity and diversity within the beauty industry. The content creator has collaborated with several brands and has been featured in various publications. The controversy surrounding the ad shows ongoing discussions about inclusivity and representation in advertising, with differing opinions on how brands portray diversity in their campaigns. Location : Delhi, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 16:13 IST In A First, Body Of Newborn Girl Donated 2.5 Days After Birth In Dehradun Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 14:13 IST The parents of a two-and-a-half-day-old girl in Uttarakhand, who passed away from a heart condition, set an inspiring example by donating her body to hospital Baby Saraswati had a heart condition and was admitted to the NICU, but she passed away on December 10. (Local18) In a remarkable act of courage and generosity at Doon Medical College Hospital in Dehradun, a mother donated her two-and-a-half-day-old daughters body. The baby girls name was Saraswati. According to reports, Saraswatis mother went into labour, and she was delivered via caesarean section. The family was overjoyed with the arrival of their daughter, but their happiness was short-lived because after an examination, it was discovered that Saraswati had a heart condition. She was placed in the NICU, but sadly, she passed away on December 10. related stories Following the guidance of the Dadhichi Dehdaan Samiti and the hospital staff, Saraswatis parents were made aware of the option to donate the body. In an extraordinary act of generosity, they agreed, and her body was donated to the hospitals anatomy department. This act of selfless giving marks the first case of its kind. Dr Anurag Agarwal, the Medical Superintendent of Doon Hospital, shared that on December 8, a couple from Haridwar came to Doon Hospital with their baby girl, who was struggling to breathe due to a heart-related issue. Despite the doctors best efforts, she passed away on December 10. After the tragedy, the Mohan Foundation and Dadhichi Dehdaan Samiti encouraged the parents to donate their daughters body. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Dr Agarwal remarked that although the girl had been in this world for only two days, her donation would contribute to the welfare of society. Donating a body after death helps medical professionals better understand human anatomy, and this selfless act will inspire others to consider body donation as a way to support medical research and education. The hospital administration honoured the girls parents with a plant in recognition of their remarkable decision. Location : Dehradun, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 14:11 IST Internet Ships Suspect Luigi Mangione With Viral Cambridge Academic, She Responds Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 12:59 IST A new trend has emerged involving "shipping" Mangione with Dr Ally Louks, a Cambridge University academic who gained viral fame for her groundbreaking thesis on "Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose." Her response endeared her to users, who called her reaction ''wholesome''. (Photo Credits: X) The internet is abuzz with the curious case of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, earlier this month. Mangione, a software engineer, has gained unprecedented fame, as memes, viral posts, and social media campaigns surrounding him dominate online conversations. Mangione was arrested last week after the tragic murder that sent shockwaves through corporate and public spheres. While his legal troubles mount, his social media presence has taken an unexpected turn, with users circulating old photos and posts from his accounts. Some internet users have even started campaigns calling for his release, sparking debates over the ethics of turning criminal suspects into viral sensations. related stories Adding a bizarre twist, a new trend has emerged involving shipping" Mangione with Dr Ally Louks, a Cambridge University academic who gained viral fame for her groundbreaking thesis on Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose." Social media users have flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter) with posts humorously pairing the two, even creating fictional narratives about their supposed connection. I saw a bunch of tweets shipping me with Luigi and I thought yall meant the character from Mario Dr Ally Louks (@DrAllyLouks) December 11, 2024 One viral post featured side-by-side photos of Louks and Mangione with the caption, I ship them." Louks, initially confused by the trend, responded in good humour, admitting she misunderstood the reference. I thought yall meant the character from Mario," she joked, referencing Luigi from the popular Nintendo game franchise. Her response endeared her to users, who called her reaction wholesome." Some posts imagined elaborate scenarios, with one user writing, She was a PhD student living a peaceful life, but fate brought her to New York, where she encountered a young Italian man with many secrets. What could happen between them?" Another user commented, No one could have predicted how this month would turn out for you!" while others suggested Louks should start her podcast, given the viral attention. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Despite the humorous tone of the online discussions, critics have raised concerns about the ethics of romanticising or trivialising serious criminal cases. Mangione, now a central figure in an ongoing legal investigation, remains in custody, while his online fame continues to grow. As the case unfolds, the internets fascination with Mangione and its surprising intersections with academia shows the unpredictable nature of social media virality. Location : Delhi, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 12:59 IST 'Living Nostradamus' Athos Salome Predicts World War 3 But It Has A Connection With Technology Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 16:23 IST The 36-year-old famously predicted the Covid-19 pandemic, Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter (now X) and the death of Queen Elizabeth II. By the end of 2024, humanity could witness the onset of a battle of technology. (Photo Credits: Instagram) Athos Salome, a Brazilian parapsychologist often referred to as the Living Nostradamus," has gained recognition for his eerily accurate predictions. In 2024, he claimed four of his forecasts came true, including the looming threat of an asteroid. Now, Salome has made a chilling prediction: World War Three may be closer than anticipated, but not in the conventional sense of battles fought on the ground. The 36-year-old, who famously predicted the Covid-19 pandemic, Elon Musks acquisition of Twitter (now X) and the death of Queen Elizabeth II, believes the next global conflict could unfold in the realm of technology. Speaking to Daily Star, Salome pointed to the escalating tensions worldwide, particularly in the Middle East and Russia, as indicators of a potential conflict. related stories This is not just a war of men, but of machines," Salome said. Russia has reached new levels of aggression towards Ukraine, firing an Oreshnik supersonic missile towards the city of Dnipro. At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that Russia is ready to protect itself by any measure. Loose talk and the employment of high-technology equipment to engage in the conflict are raising the sentiments of escalating the war." According to Salome, the signs of an impending war may manifest more prominently online than on the battlefield. He hinted that by the end of 2024, humanity could witness the onset of a battle of technology," marking a shift in how conflicts are fought. Salomes predictions echo the ominous legacy of Nostradamus, the 16th-century French astrologer whose prophecies have captured imaginations for centuries. Known as the Prophet of Doom, Nostradamus is said to have foretold significant events and his work continues to be studied for insights into the future. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Researchers analyzing Nostradamuss writings have suggested that 2025 may bring catastrophic events, including an asteroid collision and a plague-like disease outbreak in the United Kingdom. As global conflicts intensify and technological advancements reshape warfare, Salomes predictions serve as a stark reminder of humanitys vulnerability. Whether his latest prophecy will come true remains to be seen, but it has already sparked debate about the nature of future wars and the role of technology in global power struggles. Location : Delhi, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 16:23 IST War, Medical Discovery And Alien Encounter: A Look At Baba Vangas 2025 Predictions Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 16:20 IST Baba Vanga predicts a devastating conflict between the East and the West in 2025, as well as the possibility of a crisis due to extraterrestrial contact. Baba Vangas observations are fascinating and cause people to worry. (Photo Credit: X) Vangelia Pandeva Gushterova, famously known as Baba Vanga, was a blind Bulgarian mystic healer and astrologer who passed away in 1996 at 85. Her predictions continue to captivate people worldwide even after her passing. Referred to as the Nostradamus of the Balkans, Baba Vanga claimed that she acquired the gift of prophecy after losing her sight at twelve. Some of her most prominent predictions were the attack on the New York Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Princess Dianas passing. Baba Vanga gave many terrifying forecasts for 2025, many of which called for death and devastation. Her predictions for 2025, which still captivate people, include dire predictions of worldwide catastrophes. related stories These predictions seem to foretell worldwide turmoil that might even impact the entire globe, which is concerning. Because of her ability to foresee such events, Baba Vangas predictions are a topic of ongoing attention and concern. Some of the most outrageous yet plausible predictions made by the Nostradamus of the Balkans are included here: Europes Destruction Baba Vanga thinks severe internal conflict in Europe could lead to regional devastation and a population decline. It presents questions about internal conflict and its long-term ramifications, even though the specifics are still unknown. Scientific and Medical Developments Baba Vanga predicts groundbreaking advancements in medical science by 2025. She foresaw significant advancements in science and medicine, including potential breakthroughs in lab-generated organs and revolutionary treatments for diseases like cancer. These advancements could revolutionise healthcare, increasing life expectancy and improving the quality of life for millions of people. Engaging with Extraterrestrial Life Baba Vanga hinted that people might encounter extraterrestrial life or have encounters related to aliens or other otherworldly phenomena. Telepathys Development According to her, human telepathy could develop by 2025, which will fundamentally change how people relate to one another. People may converse with one another regardless of their distance from one another thanks to telepathy. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Beginning of a World Crisis or Apocalypse She claimed that a series of disasters might start in 2025, which she referred to as the beginning of the apocalypse. Although there would not be a complete extinction of humanity, this period may foreshadow challenges that may ultimately lead to global transformations. Location : Delhi, India First Published: December 13, 2024, 16:20 IST All Indians Who Wished To Return Home Brought Back From Syria: MEA Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 20:31 IST India has evacuated from Syria all its nationals who wished to return home after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar Assad's authoritarian government in the Arab nation. India evacuated its nationals from Syria on Tuesday. (X/@MEA) India has evacuated from Syria all its nationals who wished to return home after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar Assads authoritarian government in the Arab nation. The Syrian government collapsed on Sunday as the rebels seized control of capital Damascus after capturing several other prominent cities and towns. related stories India evacuated its nationals from Syria on Tuesday. We have evacuated all Indian nationals in Syria who wished to return home following recent developments in that country. So far, 77 Indian nationals from Syria have been evacuated," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday. #WATCH | Delhi: On repatriation efforts for Indians in West Asia, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, You would have followed the repatriation and evacuation of Indians from Syria. 77 Indians have been evacuated so far, these are those who wanted to return. The other have pic.twitter.com/sVqtjy6iFc ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 Our embassy personnel in Damascus accompanied them to the border, after which our mission in Lebanon received them and facilitated their immigration, he said. He was replying to a question at his weekly media briefing. Jaiswal said the embassy made arrangements for their boarding and lodging in Beirut and for their travel back home. Most of our nationals have already returned to India and the remaining will be arriving later today or tomorrow," he said. "The 44 Zaireen who were on a pilgrimage to Syria have also left Beirut yesterday to visit other religious sites in the region," Jaiswal added. The Indian Embassy in Syria continues to function, he added. India on Monday called for a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process to bring stability in that country. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all We are monitoring the situation in Syria in the light of on-going developments. We underline the need for all parties to work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria," the MEA had said. We advocate a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process respecting the interests and aspirations of all sections of Syrian society," it said. First Published: December 13, 2024, 20:31 IST Murder Case Filed Against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi Over Paramilitary Soldiers' Deaths Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 23:32 IST Three soldiers of paramilitary Rangers were crushed to death and another was seriously injured in a car accident allegedly driven by a PTI supporter during the protest in Islamabad. Murder case was filed against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi over deaths of paramilitary soldiers. (Image: AFP) A murder case was filed against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: founder Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and senior party leaders in connection with the deaths of paramilitary soldiers during a protest last month. Three soldiers of paramilitary Rangers were crushed to death and another was seriously injured in a car accident allegedly driven by a PTI supporter during the protest in Islamabad. related stories A First Information Report (FIR) was filed at the Ramna Police Station in Islamabad on a complaint by a Rangers official, who claimed that the entire incident was planned in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, where Khan has been imprisoned, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Friday. The former prime minister and his wife have been named as the primary suspects and PTI leaders, including Ali Amin Gandapur, Umar Ayub, Waqas Akram, Salman Akram Raja, Murad Saeed, Zulfi Bukhari, Rauf Hassan, Hammad Azhar, and others have been accused of conspiring to carry out the plan, the report said. The FIR alleged that the killing of the Rangers personnel occurred at the behest and under the orders of Khan, with the involvement of senior PTI leadership. It said that the plan was devised during various meetings between PTI leaders and certain prisoners at the jail, and its purpose was to target security forces. The FIR further identified several witnesses to the plot, including prisoners, labourers, and secret police employees within the jail. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Additionally, the FIR stated that Bushra Bibi and other party leaders incited the public through a video message, urging them to rise against the army and government. The PTI leadership is accused of inciting rebellion and violence through their calls for public unrest. According to political experts, the new case may add to the worries of Khan who already faces nearly 200 cases. A vast majority of them have been filed after his government fell in April 2022 following a no-confidence vote. Location : Islamabad, Pakistan First Published: December 13, 2024, 23:32 IST 'Multiple' Drones Entered New Jersey Naval Station's Airspace: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 23:54 IST The naval station, located in Colts Neck said it was aware of the unexplained sightings across New Jersey. New Jersey residents have described the drones as frequently hovering overhead, sometimes travelling in clusters or making different kinds of patterns. (Image: X) Multiple drones were spotted entering the airspace at a Navy weapons station in New Jersey during the recent surge in unexplained and mysterious drone sightings across the state, United States (US) Navy officials on Friday. While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle. The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities," facility spokesperson Bill Addison said in a statement to ABC News. related stories The naval station, located in Colts Neck said it was aware of the unexplained sightings across New Jersey and added that it continues to closely coordinate with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and operations." The navy official further encouraged the members of the community to report any suspicious activity near the base to local law enforcement officials. According to NJ.com news outlet, Earle naval weapon station is the second New Jersey military base to report drone sightings after Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County reported at least 11 drone sightings in recent weeks. A spokesperson for the federal Department of Defences US Northern Command confirmed that the drones were spotted above the New Jersey military facilities. Earlier on Wednesday, a Congressman claimed that the mystery drones seen over the state were Iranian. He further said that the drones were coming from a mothership parked off the East Coast. The drones could very possibly be from Iran", Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Republican, said during an appearance on Fox News. Law enforcement officials, including the FBI, are still trying to confirm what exactly New Jersey residents are seeing and where theyre coming from. We have reports from the public and law enforcement dating back several weeks," the FBI field office in Newark said December 3. The Department of Homeland Security and White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft" operating lawfully, and experts told CNN that the objects in sighting" videos theyd reviewed appeared to be airplanes. I wrote to @POTUS to express my concerns about reports of unmanned aircraft systems in and around NJ airspace.Since existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter UAS, more federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity. pic.twitter.com/mkeUeW7ury Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) December 13, 2024 The White House has also said there is no evidence at this time" that the mysterious sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Unidentified drones were reported flying over multiple counties in New Jersey, causing widespread concern. The unusual scenes across the skies of New Jersey prompted a federal investigation. These sightings, which began in late November 2024, involve large, often car-sized drones flying in coordinated patterns, the New York Times reported. They have been spotted hovering over critical infrastructure, including reservoirs, power lines, and railroads, as well as flying over residential backyards, highways, and often in groups. Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: December 13, 2024, 23:50 IST Several IndiGo Flyers Stranded In Istanbul With No Food, Stay; Many Vent On Social Media Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: December 13, 2024, 10:06 IST Passengers alleged that the IndiGo flights from Turkey to India were cancelled and they were stranded in Istanbul with no food or proper accommodation facilities. Passengers slammed IndiGo for irresponsible work after they were allegedly stranded in Istanbul for hours. (Image: X) As many as 400 IndiGo passengers en route to Mumbai and New Delhi were allegedly stuck at the Istanbul Airport in Turkey for more than 12 hours without any food or accommodation. Furious passengers vented their anger on social media platforms as the airline said the flight was delayed due to operational reasons. Taking to X, Parshwa Mehta said the passengers were not provided with proper accommodation facilities, alternative flights, any communication from IndiGo or even reparations. This delay isnt just an inconvenienceits a blatant failure of basic customer service. Where is the accountability? Where is the empathy for the passengers stranded overnight at the airport?" he said. related stories Mehta also said no person from IndiGo was present at the gate to explain the chaotic situation as several passengers were apparently stranded in Istanbul. They only received the information from the Turkish Airlines crew. Moreover, the passengers were given lounge access, which was far too small to accommodate all of them. We were told wed get lounge access at Istanbul airport as compensation. But the lounge was far too small to accommodate the huge number of stranded passengers. Many of us were left standing for hours without proper facilities. Seriously, @IndiGo6E? Parshwa Mehta (@parshwa_1995) December 12, 2024 Flights to Delhi were allegedly delayed by around 20 hours. Anushri Bhansali said her flight to India was delayed twice by an hour, then cancelled with no notice and rescheduled 12 hours later. Theres no Indigo rep at the airport, no accommodation or meal vouchers, and Im sick with a fever now! My worried parents cant even get in touch with indigo via call-no one picked, and over 400 passengers are stuck with no support," she added. @IndiGo6E ,After months of saving to book a flight home to India, Im now stranded in Istanbul, exhausted and sick, thanks to your delays and cancellations!Delayed TWICE by an hour, CANCELLED with no notice RESCHEDULED 12 hrs later, NO DETAILS or final confirmation! Anushri Bhansali (@BhansaliAnushri) December 13, 2024 Other passengers also took their frustration out online at the airline, calling out the airline for its poor handling of the situation by not explaining the situation or sending a single representative at the Istanbul Airport. Worst flight and very irresponsible and unprofessional airline. I booked the flight from Edh to Delhi via istanbul . I have made stuck at the istanbul airport due to an indigo flight being overbooked," wrote one user. @IndiGo6E worst flight and very irresponsible and unprofessional airline. I booked the flight from Edh to Delhi via istanbul . I have made stuck at the istanbul airport due to an indigo flight being overbooked. I have been waiting for last 7hrs and no one knows anything Aditi Singla (@aditi_singla1) December 12, 2024 @IndiGo6EA flight from Istanbul to Delhi, scheduled to leave by yesterday evening was delayed and started today at 17:00 hrs. Initially no one from airlines was there to talk to passengers even for four hours.Certificate for Indigo services becoming international airlines. BhaskaraSG (@BhaskaraSG123) December 12, 2024 Is this a joke happening indigo flight from Istanbul to Delhi is delayed by more than 24hr and no alternative is provided and my brother got stuck in Istanbul @IndiGo6E @TK_HelpDesk @TurkishAirlines @TGS_AERO @RamMNK Arpit Bhadani (@ArpitBhadani) December 12, 2024 Some even alleged that Turkish Airlines were misbehaving with the stranded passengers, without any representative from IndiGo to help them. @IndiGo6E Turkish Airlines staff misbehaving with all passengers. No one from Indigo here yet. Shameful.Stuck at the airport for more than 26hrs, waiting for Istanbul to Delhi flight.#worstairlinesever pic.twitter.com/WknGA0SJfp divykriti madaan (@MadaanDivykriti) December 12, 2024 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Last week, IndiGo was ranked among the worlds worst airlines this year. The AirHelp Score Report 2024 placed the domestic carrier near the bottom at 103rd place out of 109 analysed. The report also ranked Air India at 61st and AirAsia at 94th. In a statement, IndiGo said the data published in the survey does not report the sample size from India, and neither takes into account the methodology or compensation guidelines used by the global aviation industry casting a doubt on its credibility". IndiGo said it has consistently scored high on punctuality and has the lowest customer complaint ratio for an airline of its size and scale of operations. First Published: December 13, 2024, 09:50 IST President-elect Trump has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his upcoming inauguration, hinting at a willingness to engage with key global figures. Despite the warm gesture, Trump continues to threaten significant economic penalties on Chinese imports, raising questions about the future of US-China relations. Trump's spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, emphasized his approach of maintaining dialogue with both allies and rivals, remarking that he "will always put America's interest first." The invitation to Xi was first reported by CBS News. In addition to President Xi, other international leaders and every country's chief of mission to the United States have been included on the guest list, sources say. This outreach comes amidst Trump's commitment to imposing heavy tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada as a strategy to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. On his first day in office, Trump plans to implement a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada, with potentially higher tariffs targeted at China. This move has already prompted reactions from world leaders. Xi, during a recent meeting with President Biden in Beijing, urged against entering a trade conflict, advising the US to "make the wise choice." Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has criticized the proposed tariffs, warning they could harm the US economy and signaling readiness to retaliate. Despite tensions, Trump's invitation to Xi signals a complex diplomatic approach as he prepares to assume office. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP) An alleged Colombian hitwoman is off the streets after she was arrested last week and accused in a string of gang killings, per the Independent . Authorities say 23-year-old Karen Julieth Ojeda Rodriguez, known by the alias "la Muneca," or "the Doll," is second-in-command of the Los de la M gang, involved in drug trafficking in Colombia's Santander region, and led a small group of assassins. In a recent case, she allegedly lured an ex-boyfriend, who was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle on July 23, per Global News . And it has not gone unnoticed that she greatly resembles actor Aubrey Plaza. "Sometimes, criminal organizations offer some women the opportunity to develop a leadership scheme," says an organized crime expert. "And since prejudice and machismo make them invisible in some waythey can advance in those activities without being seen." Rodriguez was arrested alongside Paula Valentina Joya Rueda, 24, who reportedly used the alias "Gorda Sicaria," or "Fat Hitwoman," and a male suspect who used the alias "Leopoldo." "With the capture of alias La Muneca and alias Leopoldo, a period of calm has been created in the region," said Lt. Col. Mauricio Herrera. A 9mm pistol and a revolver were seized during the arrests. They will now undergo ballistics tests to determine if they were involved in murders and other crimes in the city of Barrancabermeja. No charges against the suspects have yet been announced. But there is plenty of "source material for a Netflix series three to five years from now," Vice reports. During her Dec. 5 arrest, Rodriguez peered up through her long dark hair, staring straight at a camera, "pulling a straight-faced expression akin to Plaza's signature deadpan style," per the Independent. Fans of the 40-year-old Parks and Recreation alum, who is of Puerto Rican descent, noticed the resemblance, with many on social media calling for her to play Rodriguez "in the inevitable movie." After all, "Plaza has made a career of playing characters with dead eyes and a dark personality," per the Escapist. She even played a hitwoman on Criminal Minds. (More assassin stories.) Local officials in New Jersey are demanding answers from the government on the mysterious drones that have been spotted over the state in recent weeksand some lawmakers say they should be shot down. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, said Thursday that the drones should be "shot down, if necessary," the AP reports. " The Biden administration ought to be acting more aggressively against these drones," he said. Republican US Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, who represent Jersey Shore districts, have also called for the drones to be shot down, though the Pentagon has rejected Van Drew's claim that the drones are being launched by an Iranian "mothership" off the East Coast, NBC News reports. "There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Wednesday. Dawn Fantasia, a New Jersey assemblywoman briefed by Homeland Security the same day, said the drones are up to 6 feet in diameterlarger than those normally used by hobbyistsand they appear to avoid radar detection, CNN reports. "We know nothing. PERIOD. To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading," Fantasia said in a post on X. Mayors who were at the same briefing said nobody from state or federal agencies could confirm how many drones had been spotted, NBC News reports. One mayor said sightings number in the thousands. Some drones have been seen near the Picatinny Arsenal military site, where officials say they had nothing to do with military testing, NJ.com reports. The FBI is investigating the sightings, but lawmakers are calling for more transparency. "Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread," New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said Thursday. (More drones stories.) The White House on Thursday announced what it called the first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia, detailing more than 100 steps federal officials can take to curb hate, violence, bias, and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans. The proposal follows a similar national plan to battle antisemitism that President Biden unveiled in May 2023, as fears about increasing hatred and discrimination were rising among US Jews. Officials worked on the anti-Islamophobia plan for months, the AP reports, and its release came five weeks before Biden leaves officemeaning implementation will mostly fall to President-elect Trump, if his administration chooses to do so. "Over the past year, this initiative has become even more important as threats against American Muslim and Arab communities have spiked," the administration wrote in its announcement. It said that included the October 2023 slaying of 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume, an American Muslim boy of Palestinian descent who was stabbed to death in Illinois. The plan details actions the Executive Branch can take, along with more than 100 other calls to action across all sectors of society. The strategy has four basic priorities: Increasing awareness of hatred against Muslims and Arabs while more widely recognizing these communities' heritages. of hatred against Muslims and Arabs while more widely recognizing these communities' heritages. Broadly improving the communities' safety and security. the communities' safety and security. Appropriately accommodating Muslim and Arab religious practices by working to curb discrimination against them. Muslim and Arab religious practices by working to curb discrimination against them. Encouraging cross-community solidarity to further counter hate. The goals are similar to the ones the Biden administration laid out in its plan to reduce antisemitismespecially the emphasis on improving safety and security and building cross-community solidarity. The announcement noted that Muslims and Arab Americans have helped build out the nation since its founding. The plan calls for more widely disseminating successful practices of engaging Muslim and Arab Americans in the reporting of hate crimes, saying that federal agencies are now more clearly spelling out that "discrimination against Muslim and Arab Americans in federally funded activities is illegal." The White House plan also urges state and local governments, as well as the nongovernmental sector, to pursue similar initiatives. (More Islamophobia stories.) A Florida woman was arrested this week after allegedly ending a call with her insurance company by saying, "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next." Those first three words, of course, are the ones found on bullet casings at the scene of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Those bullet casings, in turn, may have been referring to a common criticism of the insurance industry, and title of a 2010 book, "delay, deny, defend.") The FBI informed local police about the call on Tuesday, and they arrested the woman, Briana Boston, WFLA reports. She has been charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, Fox 13 reports. "She's been in this world long enough that she certainly should know better that you can't make threats like that in the current environment that we live in and think that we're not going to follow up and put you in jail," the Lakeland police chief says. But Boston, a mother of three who has no criminal history, says she doesn't even own a gun and is not a danger to the public. She was on the phone with BlueCross BlueShield regarding a recent claim that was denied. An attorney not involved in the case notes, "Although stupid, although ignorant, something you shouldn't say, the law allows you to say stupid, ignorant things, and even violent things, as long as it's not what's considered a true threat. It's political hyperbole." (More Florida stories.) A woman who accused three Duke University lacrosse players of rape in 2006 has publicly admitted for the first time to making a false claim. "I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn't," Crystal Mangum said in an interview published Wednesday. "And that was wrong." The case against David Evans, Collin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann was dismissed in 2007, but it "permanently altered" the lives of those involved, per the Duke Chronicle . Roy Cooper, North Carolina's attorney general at the time, did not prosecute Mangum for perjury, saying investigators thought "she may have actually believed the many different stories that she has been telling." Mangum was an exotic dancer hired for a house party the lacrosse team held on March 13, 2006. She later said three players trapped her in a bathroom and raped her, per WRAL. The statute of limitations on perjury charges in North Carolina is typically two years, meaning "Mangum can no longer be prosecuted for lying under oath," per the Chronicle. She said she "made up a story that wasn't true because I wanted validation from people and not from God." "And I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me," Mangum tells interviewer Katerena DePasquale, speaking from the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, where she's being held for the second-degree murder of a boyfriend in 2013. Mangum, who spoke much of her faith in God, asked for the men's forgiveness, saying she hoped they "can heal." DePasquale said she didn't realize Mangum wanted to apologize to the former players when she first requested an interview. In her response, Mangum said she was "not proud" to have lied and "it's been on my heart to do a public apology," per the Chronicle. "I admire her courage," DePasquale wrote on her website, adding she was "struck by her openness and thoughtful honesty." A media storm resulted from Mangum's false claims. The university later reached an undisclosed settlement with the players, who argued former University President Richard Brodhead had sought to deprive them of a fair trial. (More Crystal Mangum stories.) Evan Gershkovich says that when he was arrested in Russia last year and became the first foreign correspondent charged with espionage since the Cold War, he "never stopped reporting." In his first piece for the Wall Street Journal since he was released in August after 16 months in custody, Gershkovich looks at the powerful but little-known unit that has stepped up a campaign of arresting Americans, including himself, on Russian soil. The DKRO. The Department for Counterintelligence Operations, known as DKRO, "has played an enormous and unreported role in plunging Russia into its biggest wave of repression since the demise of Joseph Stalin," Gershkovich writes. It has the "power to compel hundreds of thousands of personnel across Russia into surveilling, intimidating, or arresting foreigners and the Russians it suspects of working with them," he writes. Two Americans on holiday in western Mexico were fatally shot before midnight Wednesday. The married couple were identified by Mexican prosecutors only as Rafael C., 53, born in the US to Mexican parents, and Mexico-born naturalized American Maria Gloria A., 50, per Reuters . They had traveled from California in late November and planned to spend the holidays with family in Mexico, said Magdalena Guzman of the Michoacan prosecutor's office, per the New York Times . She said it was unclear why the pair were targeted. They were driving a black 2016 Ford Platinum pickup truck through the town of Angamacutiro when gunmen riddled the vehicle with bullets, per the Independent. Gloria was found dead at the scene. Rafael was gravely wounded and died at a hospital early Thursday, Guzman said. The couple had family and a home of their own in Angamacutiro, Reuters reports. The Michoacan town bordering Guanajuato, one of Mexico's most violent states, often sees bloody violence. As the Times reports, Angamacutiro's former mayor was abducted earlier this year, while the town's police chief was gunned down in late October. A day before the couple were killed, Mexico's new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, had vowed to "bring crime rates down" during a security meeting in Acapulco. Also Wednesday, a senior judge was shot and killed as he walked out of a court building in Acapulco, per the Times. (More Mexico stories.) Morgan Wallen is facing the music this week for a brouhaha last spring at a Tennessee bar. The AP reports that the 31-year-old country star pleaded "conditionally guilty" on Thursday to two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment after hurling a chair in April from the rooftop of the 6-story Chief's bar in Nashville, narrowly missing two cops standing on the ground below. For his crime, Wallen, who appeared in court with his attorney, was hit with a seven-day stay at a DUI education facility, as well as two years' supervised probation. The Tennesseanwhich notes the charges were pleaded down from the original three felony counts for reckless endangerment, plus a misdemeanor for disorderly conductadds that Wallen will also have to fork over court fees and a $350 fine. Per the arrest affidavit in the case, Wallen threw a chair off the rooftop of the bar, owned by fellow country star Eric Church, around 11pm local time on April 7. The piece of furniture landed just 3 feet away from the pair of police officers, who entered the bar, interviewed witnesses, and viewed security footage to determine Wallen was the person responsible. According to Judge Cynthia Chappell, the cops who were almost hit agreed to Wallen's conditional plea, per NewsChannel 5. "Upon the successful completion of his probation, the charges will be eligible for dismissal and expungement," said his lawyer, Worrick Robinson, per the AP. "Mr. Wallen has cooperated fully with authorities throughout these last eight months, directly communicating and apologizing to all involved." story continues below Wallen didn't speak after the brief 10-minute sentencing hearing. Nearly two weeks after the incident, Wallen tweeted on X, "I'm not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility." Robinson added that Wallen, who was recently named the Country Music Association Awards' entertainer of the year, "remains committed to making a positive impact through his music and foundation," per the AP. (More Morgan Wallen stories.) Tesla stock jumped to an all-time high of $424.77 on Wednesday, beating its November 2021 record of $409.97, reports CNBC . Per Bloomberg , Tesla owner Elon Musk has Donald Trump to thank for that "assist," with a 69% stock surge for the EV manufacturer since the president-elect won a new round in the Oval Office. Now, the automaker is hoping for even more good news from the incoming administration: The Trump transition team is recommending to its boss that a reporting mandate on car crashes that Tesla has long pushed back on be nixed, per Reuters . Musk's company is already the subject of at least three probes by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as the entity that's reported most of the crashes under the program, with more than 1,500 of them registered. The transition team, which had been told to come up with a 100-day auto policy strategy, insisted that the crash-report provision is overreach fueled by "excessive" data collection, reports Reuters. The outlet notes that getting rid of the rule, however, "could cripple the government's ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems." It's not clear how much sway Musk had with the transition team, or if the Trump administration would actually put in place the team's suggestions. Meanwhile, Tesla was included Friday in George Chidi's analysis for the Guardian of Musk's "six major conflicts of interest" with the US federal government. Chidi, who also cited Musk's SpaceX and X platform as being problematic, writes that "Musk, the richest man on Earth, has a wider and deeper range of potential conflicts of interest with the federal government than perhaps any person has ever had," with several of his companies "the subject of federal investigations and regulatory actions, including accusations of hiring discrimination, environmental damage, and safety deficiencies." And, now that Muskwho's been tapped by Trump to head up the soon-to-be commander in chief's Department of Government Efficiency, along with billionaire Vivek Ramaswamyseems to have Trump's ear, Chidi writes, he fears that Musk is only "likely to get richer." (More Tesla stories.) / He Just Got Elected in W. Virginia. Now He's in Custody Joseph de Soto, GOPer-turned-Dem in state House, is accused of threats against other pols 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. TDT | Manama Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com Bahraini women have taken on more senior roles in government and business than ever before, holding 48 per cent of executive positions in the public sector and quadrupling their share of ministerial posts over the past two decades. MP Maryam Saleh Al Dhaen, a member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and National Security Committee in Parliament, attributed this progress to policies backed by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Women. Bahraini women have earned their place at every level of public life, driven by determination and bolstered by sound policies that ensure equal opportunities, Al Dhaen said. Their success is no accident but the result of years of effort and national will. Speaking at the Global Summit on Gender Equality in National Laws, held in Geneva on 10-11 December, Al Dhaen shared figures that point to this steady rise in womens participation. Ministerial roles She noted that women now make up 43 per cent of the national workforce, with 22 per cent holding ministerial roles four times the number from two decades ago. Women have also expanded their presence in diplomacy, where they account for 37 per cent of the foreign service, according to mid-2023 data from the Supreme Council for Women. Their influence in the judiciary has grown too, with women making up 11 per cent of the countrys judges. Legislature Political representation has strengthened as well. Womens presence in the legislature has tripled in 20 years, rising from 8 per cent in 2002 to 23 per cent in 2022. They now hold 25 per cent of seats in the Shura Council and 20 per cent in Parliament, while securing 18 per cent of municipal council seats after last years elections. Bahraini women have been trailblazers in education, public service, and enterprise, Al Dhaen said. Their story is one of continuous progress and growing influence in shaping the countrys future. Key players The business world has not been left behind. Women now make up 35 per cent of Bahrains entrepreneurs, proving themselves as key players in the economic arena. Al Dhaen stressed that none of these achievements would have been possible without Bahrains long-term policies aimed at opening doors and levelling the playing field. SURREY, BC, Dec. 13, 2024 /CNW/ - The Maan family will be donating a truck full of toys to The Salvation Army to help families in need this Christmas season. Collected over the past month the toys were donated by members of the community at donation boxes left in local businesses and purchased through funds raised at events like their second annual Christmas Market. The Salvation Army logo (CNW Group/The Salvation Army British Columbia Division) Named after the late Vinny Maan, Uncle Vinny's Toy Drive allows the family to honour his legacy of taking care of others, especially during the holidays. Now in its fourth year, the Toy Drive has collected approximately $90,000 worth of toys since starting in 2021. Members of the family also volunteered at The Salvation Army Toy Shop this year where they helped families in need select toys off shelves to gift to their children. "When we set out with this toy drive it was just to help us get through the last little bit of the year his birthday is on November 29 and he passed on December 11," says Pinder, Vinny's sister and organizer of the toy drive. "Christmas was so big for him. The drive has helped us heal and cope with our grief." We invite the media to join us. Photo-ops and interviews available. Where: 17965 98 Ave. Surrey, BC When: Monday, December 16, 2024 / 3 pm Who: The Salvation Army spokespeople, Maan family members Donations collected from this year's Uncle Vinny Toy Drive will be made available at the Boundless Vancouver Christmas Toy Shop where families can walk through and choose the gifts they prefer according to their children's preferences. About The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become one of the largest providers of social services in the country. Working in 400 communities across Canada and more than 130 countries around the world, we provide practical, compassionate support to meet basic human needs. By giving people hope, we transform lives of British Columbians today and every day. SalvationArmy.ca CONTACT: SOURCE The Salvation Army British Columbia Division A Milestone in Honouring Canada's Christian Legacy and Values TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2024 /CNW/ - At the Christmas on the Hill celebration hosted by Liberal MP Jean Yip on December 11th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a powerful message in support of Canada's Christian community and their enduring contributions to the nation. His endorsement of the campaign to formally declare December as Canadian Christian Month marks a significant step in recognizing the foundational values that continue to shape Canadian society. Molly Banerjei Appeals to PM Trudeau: Declare December as Christian Heritage Month in Canada" Christian Heritage Month official flag (CNW Group/Christian Music Festival) Christian Heritage Month Initiative. Molly Banerjei, CEO, Christian Music Festival (CNW Group/Christian Music Festival) Molly Banerjei, CEO of the Christian Music Festival and a leading advocate for this initiative, reflected on the significance of this support: "Prime Minister Trudeau's personal pledge of support is the Christmas gift I've been waiting for. Meeting so many MPs and Ministers who backed our initiative was truly heartwarming. I am deeply grateful for this overwhelming support. I also want to express my sincere thanks to MP Jean Yip. When I asked her to introduce a motion recognizing Canada's Christian legacy and to host Christmas on the Hill, she delivered on both. Her dedication and commitment to this initiative have been invaluable." Motion M-171 calls for the House of Commons to recognize that, "In the opinion of the House, the government should designate the month of December, every year, as Canadian Christian Month." This motion acknowledges the historical and ongoing contributions of Christians to Canada's identity and underscores the importance of preserving and celebrating these contributions. In his address, Prime Minister Trudeau emphasized the core principles of the Christian faith peace, kindness, generosity, and service values that resonate deeply within Canadian life. He praised the country's diverse Christian communities for their commitment to serving others and standing by the vulnerable. We are happy to report that our tenacious advocacy has resulted in over 40 municipalities, two regions, and the province of Saskatchewan officially recognizing the Christian heritage of Canada. This growing recognition reflects the importance of acknowledging the values of faith, service, and community that have long contributed to the fabric of our nation. Building Momentum for Recognition "MPs and Ministers from diverse faiths and cultures have personally pledged their support for Motion M-171," Banerjei added. "This reflects the shared understanding that recognizing Christian heritage contributes to the broader story of Canada's multicultural fabric." Christian Heritage Month initiative is a movement by the Christian Music Festival, a Toronto based non-profit dedicated to fostering unity, inclusivity and multiculturalism through music and community events. Founded by Jay and Molly Banerjei, the festival attracts over 20,000 attendees annually and serves as a platform to celebrate faith and heritage. www.Christianheritagemonth.ca SOURCE Christian Music Festival Media Contact: Molly Banerjei CEO Christian Heritage Month Initiative [email protected] 647-979-3220 The executive director of the Camden Parking Authority was arrested in November on charges he choked a woman he is in a relationship with, county officials said. Willie Everett Hunter, 56, was charged with aggravated assault by strangulation, aggravated assault of a domestic violence victim, making terroristic threats and weapons offenses, Camden County Police Department spokesperson Dan Keashen said Wednesday. Camden County police responded to the 3100 block of Fremont Avenue in Camden on Nov. 29 for a report of domestic violence, Keashen said. The woman told police Hunter became incensed when she told him that she was ending the relationship, authorities said. Hunter told the woman to leave the residence before he grabbed her by both arms and threw her against a wall, authorities said. The woman told police she fell to the ground, but stood up and grabbed a nearby belt with a broken buckle and started swinging it at Hunter in self defense, according to the criminal complaint. Hunter grabbed the belt and wrapped it around the womans neck, authorities said she told police. Youre going to make me kill you, the woman told police Hunter said during the altercation. The woman reported bruising and pain in her throat, according to the criminal complaint. Hunter was held in the Camden County Correctional Facility until the following Wednesday, according to court records. Messages left with the Camden Parking Authority requesting comment were not immediately returned. Hunters next court date is scheduled for Feb. 26, online court records show. An attorney for Hunter declined to comment on the charges Thursday. A spokesperson for Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen said the mayor is aware of the charges filed against Hunter but does not know the details surrounding the incident. The Camden Parking Authority is an independent agency and does not fall under the city governments purview, according to the mayors spokesperson. Hunter was hired as the executive director of the parking authority in 2012 and has faced legal issues from former employees and whistleblowers in recent years. Hunter faced corruption accusations in 2019 by a former employee of the parking authority claiming bid-rigging and payroll fraud at the agency while Hunter was in charge, according to a whistleblower lawsuit filed in May 2019. Hunter was also accused of discrimination and sexual harassment in June 2020 in a separate lawsuit, court records show. Both cases were settled in 2022 and the plaintiffs in both cases were represented by the same attorney and law office, court documents show. Hunters salary was $141,460 in 2023, according to a database that tracks public employees' pay. Editors Note: Reach the New Jersey Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-572-SAFE (7233). Reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), chat with their advocates here or text LOVEIS to 22522. 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 29-year-old New Jersey man who allegedly chatted with girls on SnapChat and convinced them to send him explicit photos of themselves has been arrested, authorities said. Michael A. Romig, of Commercial Township in Cumberland County, was in possession of 16 photos and 26 videos among 276 files when he was taken into custody Friday morning, the Cumberland County Prosecutors Office said. Officials in New Jersey learned about the suspect after Columbus, Ohio police informed the prosecutors office that someone in Cumberland County was talking with a 10-year-old girl on social media and sharing inappropriate materials with her. After investigating, detectives identified Romig and discovered he was talking via SnapChat to several girls between 10 and 15 years old, authorities said. He is charged with causing a child to engage in a prohibited sexual act, a first-degree crime. He is also charged with possession of child sexual abuse material and a related offense. Attorney information for the suspect wasnt immediately available. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call prosecutors office Detective Kyle Mecouch at 609-332-4379. Anonymous tips can be left at CCPO.TIPS. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit against the State Attorney Generals Office by one of the largest anti-abortion nonprofits in New Jersey that is attempting to block a subpoena seeking its donor records and identities. The U.S. 3rd District Court of Appeals rejected, in a 2-1 vote, an appeal by First Choice Womens Resource Centers to block enforcement of a subpoena issued by Attorney General Matthew Platkins Office in November 2023 seeking a broad range of documents going back more than 10 years. In issuing the subpoena, the Attorney Generals Office said it believed First Choice was deceiving its donors by running multiple websites, that it was conducting medical procedures without the proper licensing, and sharing medical information that may be misleading. Additionally, the state said First Choice represents that its services are confidential and private but elsewhere, it claims that it is exempt from HIPAA because it does not accept insurance, raising patient-privacy concerns. A press secretary for the State Attorney Generals Office said Thursday the office has no comment. READ MORE: Inside the unexpected anti-abortion battle unfolding in the abortion safe haven of N.J. First Choice, a Christian nonprofit that operates five pregnancy centers in New Jersey, claims its being unfairly targeted by Platkin and the Attorney Generals Office. The government cannot target and harass pregnancy centers by demanding their donors identities without any basis. That information is protected by the U.S. Constitution, and the courts must safeguard First Choices donors from government harassment and intimidation, said Lincoln Wilson, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, the Christian legal advocacy group representing First Choice. First Choice has been a key support system for women in the New Jersey community and deserves to be able to use its resources to fulfill its mission of serving women and their unborn children rather than responding to these retaliatory demands, Wilson said Friday. But the District Court of Appeals ruled that the nonprofit failed to prove that complying with the state subpoena would harm its activities, patients, and donors. Having considered the parties arguments, we do not think First Choices claims are ripe, Judge Cindy K. Chung and Judge Jane R. Roth wrote in a four-page opinion. Under the United States Constitution, federal courts can only decide cases that are ripe for review, or appropriate for argument in federal court. A claim may may not be justified if it is based on future events that may not occur as predicted or at all, according to the federal government. First Choices current affidavits do not yet show enough of an injury, the judges wrote. Judge Stephanos Bibas dissented and found First Choices constitutional claims justified because he said that the case is indistinguishable from Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, a 2021 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a California requirement that charities share the identities of donors. Thursdays opinion is just the latest development in an ongoing fight in New Jersey over the practices of the nonprofit facilities known as crisis pregnancy centers, which are often nonclinical facilities that advertise counseling and support for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. The centers and their supporters say they provide necessary services and resources to women and families in need. In New Jersey, that added up to an estimated $3.6 million in services to more than 23,000 women, men, and youth, according to a 2022 report from the Charlotte Lozier Institute, an anti-abortion think tank, and Care Net, a Christian organization that supports 1,200 centers in North America. However, critics say the centers try to dissuade patients from getting abortions by giving false information, such as claiming a pregnancy is further along than it is, exaggerating the dangers of abortion, and promoting the unproven abortion reversal pill. In 2022, a consumer alert issued by the state Attorney Generals Office and the Division of Consumer Affairs accused pregnancy centers of seeking to prevent individuals from accessing abortion care, sometimes by providing false or misleading information about the safety and legality of abortion. Attorneys for First Choice claim that the state is attempting to chill free speech. They are still fighting attempts to enforce the subpoena in state court. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. Bayonne police on routine patrol were more than a little surprised to hear loud music coming from a warehouse on the eastern, industrial side of the city one early morning late last month. Even more startling is that the massive warehouse on Lefante Way was vacant of any businesses. In what turned into a large-scale police response, with departments from neighboring cities even lending manpower, Bayonne authorities broke up an early morning rave that numbered more than 250 people, Bayonne Sgt. Kenneth Drago said. The party-goers parked their vehicles 165 of them, according to police inside the warehouse. While everyone, including the man who organized the unauthorized party, was issued summonses for trespassing, a Jersey City attendee is facing more serious charges. Drago said police saw Yeraldy M. Amparo, 21, remove a handgun from his waistband and place it in the trunk of his vehicle. Inside the trunk police found two weapons: a Glock 17 Gen 4, 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a 31-round magazine and 24 rounds inside the firearm; and a Glock 45 Gen 4 semi-automatic handgun with a 17-round magazine and 13 rounds inside the firearm, according a criminal complaint. Amparo was charged with possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, criminal trespass and prohibited weapons and devices, for the illegal magazines. Drago said these types of illegal parties are rare for Bayonne. As police approached the building just after 1 a.m. on Nov. 24, they noticed a man with a handheld radio who was shouting Police! Police! The attendees found out about the warehouse party via friends and social media posts and they paid a $20 entry fee, Drago said. The warehouse was initially breached when someone broke the gate and forcibly removing the key from a lockbox that was affixed to the gate. Police identified Junio E. Cedano-Adams, of Paterson, as the organizer and he was additionally cited for maintaining a nuisance, Drago said. The attendees cooperated with police and were issued their disorderly persons summonses for trespassing via mail and provided a date to appear in court. Styx and Kevin Cronin are heading to New Jersey for two shows this summer. The rockers will perform in Holmdel at the PNC Bank Arts Center on July 20, 2025, and in Camden at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Aug. 8, 2025, during the Brotherhood of Rock tour. This tour is meant to celebrate their bond of over 25 years and their greatest musical hits. Here is how you can get tickets to Styx and Kevin Cronins summer tour. How to get Styx and Kevin Cronin 2025 tour tickets Tickets for the Brotherhood of Rock tour went on sale to the public on Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. If you happened to miss the general sale, fans can still find a several tour tickets available on sites, like StubHub and Vivid Seats, with the cheapest tickets starting at $25. If you are a first time Vivid Seats customer, you can also receive $20 off your entire ticket purchase just by using the code NJ20 at checkout. Fans of Styx and Kevin Cronin can also find affordable tickets on sites, like TicketNetwork, SeatGeek and Viagogo, for as little as $53. If you want to catch Styx and Kevin Cronin at their Holmdel show on July 20, 2025, the cheapest ticket, before any fees, is $25 on StubHub. For their Aug. 8, 2025 show in Camden, the cheapest concert ticket is $33 on Vivid Seats. You can find a full schedule of all of Styx and Kevin Cronins tour dates here. Styx and Kevin Cronin tour 2025: Dates, schedule & more Styx and Kevin Cronin will begin their Brotherhood of Rock tour on May 28, 2025, in Greenville, S.C., and will wrap up on Aug. 24, 2025, in Milwaukee. This tour will be the sixth time the rock icons teamed up, and former lead Eagles guitarist Don Felder will join them. Styx and Kevin Cronin, who is part of REO Speedwagon, first toured together in 2000 and in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. The two musicians came together to form the Rock to the Rescue 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Fans can expect to hear some of their favorite rock anthems, including Renegade, Keep On Loving You, Come Sail Away, Cant Fight This Feeling and Hotel California. Upcoming 2025 PNC Bank Arts Center tours Styx and Kevin Cronin are not the only artists heading to PNC Bank Arts Center while on tour. Here are a few more tours you wont want to miss out on: Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Nelly and Goo Goo Dolls. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. Long Branch police made an arrest early Thursday after a man allegedly shot a gun toward the sky not far from Monmouth University. He was not shooting at a drone, Long Branch police director William Broughton told NJ Advance Media on Friday, referring to the recent rash of unexplained drone sightings across New Jersey being investigated by the FBI. He was just shooting into the air. Had nothing to do with drones, Broughton said. The shots were fired around 3 a.m. in the area of Cedar Avenue. No one was injured and no property was damaged, Long Branch police said. Monmouth University, the private university in West Long Branch, is a short distance away. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. The buzz over the mysterious sightings of alleged drones hovering over New Jersey has intensified after federal officials raised doubts Thursday about the legitimacy of widespread reports. Officials from the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the White House said many of the flying objects in the night sky were nothing more than ordinary planes or helicopters not drones. In addition to stressing theres no known threat to public safety or national security, they said theres no evidence of any drones flying over restricted airspace. However, parts of the statements from federal officials Thursday were in sharp contrast to public statements made by some military officials, New Jersey lawmakers and law enforcement agencies. When did the drone sightings begin? The first drone sightings occurred in North Jersey, including Morris and Hunterdon counties, about a month ago, according to media reports. One of the earliest reports was a confirmed Nov. 13 sighting of an unauthorized drone near Picatinny Arsenal, an Army research facility in Morris County, military officials said. Since then, hundreds of alleged drones some described as being as large as small cars and some flying in clusters have been reported by the public in more than a dozen New Jersey counties. What did the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security say? The FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement late Thursday saying after trying to corroborate reports of mysterious drones flying at night over New Jersey in recent weeks, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. Reports of what appear to be drones are actually planes or helicopters, the statement said. Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities, the statement said. The two federal agencies reiterated there was no evidence that the alleged drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat. They also said theres been no evidence that the aircraft were of foreign origin, and there were no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. What is the White House saying? Investigators looking into the rash of reported drone sightings in New Jersey in recent weeks have been unable to confirm any of the reports, the White House said Thursday. During a press briefing, John Kirby, the national security spokesman in President Joe Bidens administration, echoed some of the same points made by the FBI and Homeland Security agency, saying, Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. Doesnt that contradict what N.J. military officials said? Thursdays statements from the FBI, Homeland Security and the White House conflict with earlier statements from military officials who said there were 11 confirmed drone sightings over the Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and two drone sightings over Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County. Unauthorized drone flights are prohibited over military installations. In addition, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., said a Coast Guard commander told him more than a dozen drones were seen following a Coast Guard cutter Sunday night. What about the theory the drones came from an Iranian ship? Another New Jersey congressman, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, doubled down Thursday on his claim that the mysterious night-flying drones that have been reported across the state may be coming from an Iranian ship off the East Coast. Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., cited a Business Insider article from Dec. 5 which stated there was satellite confirmation of the departure of a militarized drone ship from its port in Iran. The article says the ship left its port between Nov. 12 and Nov. 28, which Drew said aligns with the timeframe of when drones first began appearing over New Jersey. The theory that the alleged drones seen in New Jersey are linked to Iran was quickly rejected by the Pentagon and by the Department of Defenses U.S. Northern Command. What is Gov. Phil Murphy saying? Gov. Phil Murphy said this week he is taking the drone reports very seriously and he vowed he will continue to press the federal government, including the FBI, for answers on behalf of the public. After 20 drones were reportedly spotted over Hunterdon County on Sunday night and dozens of drones were reported in other parts of the state, Murphy said it was unclear how many of the reports were legitimate drone sightings. Murphy stressed, The most important point is: We dont see any concern for public safety. Having said that, its really frustrating that we dont have more answers as to where theyre coming from and why theyre doing what theyre doing, he added. On Friday, Murphy said on the X social media platform that he sent a letter to Biden to express my concerns about reports of unmanned aircraft systems in and around NJ airspace. Murphy also said he wrote to several congressional leaders to encourage Congress to pass legislation empowering state and local law enforcement entities to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to deal with UAS, unmanned aircraft systems. I wrote to @POTUS to express my concerns about reports of unmanned aircraft systems in and around NJ airspace. Since existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter UAS, more federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity. pic.twitter.com/mkeUeW7ury Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) December 13, 2024 What are local N.J. officials saying? The Morris County Board of County Commissioners is calling on the federal government to marshal all federal resources at its disposal, including the military, to end the unauthorized flight of drones over our county and other parts of New Jersey. The commissioners accused federal officials of not doing enough to investigate and stop the unknown aircraft from flying over the state. As elected officials, servicemen and women you are failing to abide by the oath you took to protect us from enemies, foreign and domestic, they said in a statement Friday. It is your duty to rectify this situation. Other state and local officials across the state also called for more transparency about the FBI investigation and for temporary bans on drone use in New Jersey. How do you report a drone sighting? The FBI and New Jersey State Police are encouraging the public to share any information related to recent sightings of possible drones with investigators, as well as any photos or videos of the aircraft. To report information, you can: Call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Submit it online at tips.fbi.gov . Citizens can also upload videos directly through the FBIs online portal. How do you tell the difference between a drone and a plane? It can be challenging to differentiate between the two, experts say. Particularly from a distance or at night, a crafts blinking lights are sometimes all that can be picked out as it moves across the night sky. And both drones and planes can appear to have similar lights. But there are ways to tell them apart, according to Ian Petchenik, communications director for the live flight tracker Flightradar24. He offers these tips. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local 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. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No its a drone! Or no, wait, maybe its a plane. Actually, hang on The FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security cast doubt Thursday on the reports of mysterious drones flying at night over New Jersey in recent weeks. Federal authorities said many of the more than 3,000 drone reports received by the FBI were actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. So, how do you tell the difference between a drone and a plane? It can be challenging to differentiate between the two, experts say. Particularly from a distance or at night, a crafts blinking lights are sometimes all that can be picked out as it moves across the night sky. And both drones and planes can appear to have similar lights. But there are ways to tell them apart, according to Ian Petchenik, communications director for the live flight tracker Flightradar24. NJ Advance Media spoke to Petchenik and Pramod Abichandani, an associate professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the director of its Advanced Air Mobility Lab, about how to tell a drone and a plane apart in the night sky. Here are their tips: Objects in the air may be larger than they appear. When it comes to aircraft, size matters. On the ground, its clear: Airplanes are larger than drones. One thing we know is that humans, when they see something in the sky, theyre really bad at telling how far away it is, Petchenik said. Our depth perception is awful, particularly at night. So what appears as a tiny, battery-powered drone a couple hundred feet up in the air might just be a commercial jet airliner cruising at 32,000 feet. Widen your perspective, widen your field of view, Petchenik advised. Things youre seeing are often further away than you think. Listen closely. Many multi-rotor drones produce a distinct buzzing or humming noise that makes them distinguishable from the louder jet engines of planes. Their propellers are directly connected to their motors, which is what produces the noise, Abichandani said. Some unmanned aerial vehicles, such as fixed-wing drones, which are designed to fly longer distances and carry heavier loads, are generally quieter than multi-rotor drones. But based on the videos and eyewitness accounts hes seen, Abichandani said many of the drones spotted in New Jersey are multi-rotor and therefore distinctly noisy. Look closely at the lights. A drone will often have a simple set of anti-collision lights positioned around its body. These lights can be red, green or white, and are usually displayed in pairs. So, look for two, four, or six lights close together, Abichandani said. Meanwhile, fixed-wing aircraft like airplanes have lights that are more spaced out and a little more sophisticated, he said. While they also sport anti-collision lights, planes will typically have uniform navigation lights: red on the left wing, green on the right wing, and white on the tail. These colors are the key to decoding a crafts direction. For example, if you see a white light on the left and a green light on the right, that means the plane is moving from left to right from your perspective. If you see all three lights in a row, on the other hand, it means that the plane is moving directly away from you. Watch how the aircraft moves. Observing the way the unknown aircraft moves will help narrow down whether its a drone or a plane, according to both Petchenik and Abichandani. Multi-rotor drones can perform more aggressive maneuvers thanks to their propellers, often making tight controlled turns. They have whats known as six degrees of freedom, a term that refers to an object that can move and rotate up, down, left, right, forward and backward. Fixed-wing airplanes do not have the same freedom of movement. A plane cannot hover, move sideways, or perform vertical takeoff and landing maneuvers, the way a drone can. Planes have a non-zero turning radius, Abichandani said. If its nose is pointing in a certain direction, that is generally the direction it will move in. Consider your proximity to an airport. Just because an object in the sky is far away from where you might usually see an airplane miles away from the usual flight paths into Newark Liberty International Airport, for instance doesnt mean that it isnt a plane up there. There are all sorts of fairly benign reasons a plane might be outside of its usual environment, Petchenik said. Bad weather, holding patterns, loitering for traffic. New Jersey also has multiple small airports, including military installations, and is in the flight path to airports in neighboring states. Use flight-tracking apps. Consult flight tracking websites and apps, including FlightAware or Flightradar24, to determine whether youre looking at an airplane. If you see the aircraft turn at any point, you can also compare that to any movement reflected on your screen, Petchenik suggested. Trust the experts. Its entirely possible that the glut of drone sightings in New Jersey in more recent days is being boosted by confirmation bias, which is the human tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing views, experts say Thats why its so important to rely on those with expertise in aviation and drone technology, particularly those who have devoted years to studying them up close and from afar. Abichandani, who started working with drones around 2007, said he would love for members of the public, particularly those unfamiliar with the craft, to exercise caution and leave the identification work up to the specialists. If you see something, dont chase it or shoot it down to identify it, he said. Open-source it. Take good photos and videos, zoom in, post it online. Let us help you figure out what it is. How to file a report with the FBI: Note the time and location, and take any photographs or video you can. The FBI and New Jersey State Police have encouraged the public to report any information related to recent sightings of possible drones. To report information, you can: Call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) Submit it online at tips.fbi.gov. Residents can also upload videos directly through the FBIs online portal. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. A New Jersey man arrested in Florida earlier this week was being sought because he shot a friend outside a restaurant in Camden last month after the two argued, authorities allege. Edwin G. Facenda-Suriel and the victim had a verbal dispute at El Conuco, a Dominican restaurant on Marton Street on Nov. 17, according to an affidavit of probable cause from the Camden County Prosecutors Office charging the 46-year-old with attempted murder. The victim was escorted out of the restaurant but the spat resumed outside, officials said. Someone eventually separated the two and the victim walked to a vehicle parked in the rear alley of the eatery. A short time later, Facenda-Suriel drove his vehicle into the alley, exited and began yelling before he shot his friend once in the back, the complaint said. The victim told police Facenda-Suriel shot him but detectives in New Jersey were unable to find the Camden resident for more than three weeks. He was arrested Monday in Haines City in Polk County, Florida, after being stopped by the Florida Highway Patrol. Deputies had been notified that a pickup truck matched the description of a vehicle wanted in connection with a felony in New Jersey. Facenda-Suriel remains held in the Polk County jail in Winter Haven on Friday morning, according to online jail records. He is also charged in New Jersey with weapons offenses and assault. Facenda-Suriels 42-year-old wife, a passenger in the pickup, was not charged. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. The Fair Share Housing Center has released a guideline to help create affordable homes in New Jersey. The new report details how towns can choose from a range of options, including 100% affordable housing, mixed-income housing, or preservation of existing homes that otherwise would no longer be affordable. Each of the states 564 municipalities are required to create plans that realistically zone for low- and moderate-income housing on land available for residential development. Gov. Phil Murphy signed new affordable housing legislation into law earlier this year to streamline municipal obligations, which for the past decade had fallen to state courts to enforce. The states first affordable housing laws were passed in 1985 and a series of state Supreme Court rulings from 1975 to 2015 have been upheld. I think there is a lot of misinformation out there about what affordable housing is, Josh Bauers, an official with the nonprofit advocacy Fair Share Housing Center, told NJ Advance Media this week. What we tried to do is how these developments can fit into communities, and that we can do really good development with good planning. Theres certainly a lot of fear mongering out there. Fair Share co-authored the 34-page report it issued this month with the nonprofit Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey. The obligation to create affordable homes is recalculated every 10 years in cycles known as rounds, the report said. Those obligations are determined by looking at the growth of low- and moderate-income households for housing in each municipality. Over the next 10 years, hopefully many more towns will build affordable housing, Bauers said. Its important for people to know what it is and what it isnt. A group of 21 towns filed a lawsuit in September challenging the states new affordable housing laws. They want a delay in meeting obligations that are scheduled to start in January until their case is heard. NJ Advance Media reported in November that the group calls the new laws an overreach. Bauers said the Superior Court judge hearing the case allowed Fair Share to file a brief challenging the lawsuit, which has delayed the hearing until Dec. 20. I dont see the lawsuit as anything other than an attempt to delay affordable housing, said Bauers, the director of exclusionary zoning litigation for Fair Share. It has no merits. But Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali disagrees. He is part of the group that filed the court complaint. I havent heard one policy issue regarding our lawsuit; we spelled out exactly what the issues are, Ghassali told NJ Advance Media on Thursday in an email. We need affordable housing; we dont need high-density housing. Without assistance to build affordable housing, we are forced to have a developer incorporate affordable housing in high-density housing to meet our obligations. Municipalities are expected to add or rehabilitate more than 146,000 units of affordable housing by 2035, according to the states new calculations. But other state and national studies place needed units at up to 240,000. An example of qualifications for 30% to 80% of median incomes calculated for regions include a family of four in Essex County to have income of $38,825 to $103,533; a family of three in Burlington County with $30,969 to $82,584, and a single person in Ocean County with $27,311 to $72,830. This market-rate housing development in Cherry Hill designates 15 percent of its units for affordable housing.provided FSHC is based in Cherry Hill in Camden County. The township faced decades of affordable housing lawsuits from Fair Share. Eventually, common ground was found. Now, an upscale apartment and townhome development with 192 units, steps from Cooper River Park, was cited in the report as an example of what can be accomplished. The market-rate complex includes 29 affordable units. Bauers said the 29 units were awarded in a lottery system, but had 7,000 applicants. Its not any of the boogeymen that a lot of NIMBY folks are saying it is, Bauers said about responsible affordable housing. Its not going to be doom or gloom. Staff writer Brianna Kudisch contributed to this report. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. A New Jersey congressman doubled down Thursday on his claim that the mysterious night-flying drones that have been reported across the state are coming from an Iranian ship off the East Coast. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., cited a Business Insider article from Dec. 5 which stated there was satellite confirmation of the departure of a militarized drone ship from its port in Iran. The article says the ship left its port between Nov. 12 and Nov. 28, which Drew said aligns with the timeframe of when drones first began appearing over New Jersey. While the Pentagon and the Governor may try to dismiss the idea of an Iranian drone ship, we now have additional confirmation that this ship exists and it is no longer in its port, Van Drew said in a statement. I am not claiming that this ship is stationed right off the coast of New Jersey, but we certainly have to explore the possibility it is somewhere out in the ocean. Van Drew said the coincidence is too great too ignore. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that one of their ships was trailed by several dozen drones while commercial fishermen and local law enforcement have reported observations of drones flying in and out of the Atlantic Ocean, and if that is the case, they have to be landing somewhere, he added. The congressman said the drones are reportedly the size of minivans, meaning that they are not the work of some backyard hobbyist and that the source is either the U.S. government or a foreign adversary. The government has repeatedly denied any involvement, so we are left with only one option to believe, he said. While we still do not have clear answers on who is operating the drones over New Jersey or their purpose, it is our job to fully consider all the evidence and explore every possibility. When our national security is on the line, it is reckless to rule any possibility out, he continued. The American people deserve nothing less than our full commitment to finding out the truth. Gov. Phil Murphy and other law enforcement officials, including county prosecutors, have said there is no evidence the unexplained drones pose a threat to the state and have called for any sightings to be reported to the FBI, which has been investigating the sightings statewide. A spokesperson for the federal Department of Defenses U.S. Northern Command said this week that there is no evidence Van Drews theory is correct. Murphy chastised Van Drew during his radio show Wednesday night, saying the congressman is fear-mongering. At a press briefing on Thursday, a White House spokesman said Thursday that most of the drone sightings are likely just planes. Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully, said John Kirby, the Biden administrations national security spokesman. There have been multiple reports of the drones appearing over military bases, including Naval Weapons Station Earle, which is located in Colts Neck in Monmouth County. That base had two reports of drones in its airspace, facility spokesman William Addison said Thursday. Naval Weapons Station Earle is at least the second New Jersey military base to report drone sightings after Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County said it had at least 11 confirmed drone sightings in recent weeks. In a joint statement released Thursday evening, the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security said they continue to investigate the reports of drone sightings to determine if the aircraft were actually drones or planes. We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus, the two agencies said. The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings. Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities, the agencies added. We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection, the FBI and DHS said. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Still waiting for ADA rights Editors note: The following letter originally appeared on The Jersey Journal Opinion pages in 2011. The authors have resubmitted it, saying there is still not enough access for (the) disabled. In 1990, George H. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act and promised handicapped people they would now have the same opportunities as able-bodied people. We cried, Freedom at last! but 21 (now 34) years later were still waiting. My friends and I live in wheelchairs. We dont have many choices. Those of us who drive have specially made vans with devices to secure our wheelchairs, hand controls, and a ramp to get in and out. These vans require more space than ordinary handicapped spaces. You can recognize them by their zebra stripes. This double parking space allows room for the ramp and for the wheelchair to turn when it gets off the ramp. Usually there are two van accessible spaces with zebra lines to every six or seven of the smaller handicapped spaces. The problem is anyone with a blue handicapped sticker is allowed to park in any handicapped space whether they have a walking disability or not, whether they use a wheelchair or not. Where does this leave a person with a van and a ramp? We cant use regular parking; we cant even use single-space handicapped parking. We cant go shopping, out to eat, do errands, or just normal everyday things that able-bodied people take for granted. I have a sign on the side of the van door that says, Please do not park within eight feet, wheelchair ramp comes out, but people read it and park there anyway. My friends and I write to politicians, but we are ignored. Nobody seems to care about our rights. I have a friend with post-polio, who has to move, and needs a handicapped apartment because she cant do steps and needs a wheelchair. Where is she supposed to go? Public bathrooms are really bad for wheelchair users. The doors are very heavy, and toilet paper and soap are up high for people who are standing. If someone is kind enough to open the door, you get in, and if they leave before you, you can be stuck in there forever!!! When I complain, the help looks at me blankly and says the bathroom passed the inspection. And I say, was he standing up or sitting down? When you go to a concert, they put you in the back; everybody stands up in front of you and you cant see a thing. Same price for tickets but all wheelchairs go in the back. It doesnt matter how much you pay. We vote, we pay our taxes, and most of us worked all of our lives. Tear down the barriers and give us a break, please! Mildred E. and George Bullerdick, Edgewater People hold candles during a candlelight vigil against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)AP Democracy is a shared responsibility In the grand theater of history, South Korea has often occupied a precarious stage, teetering between the echoes of its authoritarian past and the luminous promise of democracy. Yet, the recent withdrawal of the attempted martial law in response to a groundswell of citizen resistance marks a pivotal act that deserves recognition for its poetic symmetry with the nations arduous journey toward self-governance, an irreversible forward momentum. The attempt to impose martial law, though troubling, served as a catalyst for a powerful reaffirmation of democratic principles. Citizens of South Korea students, workers, activists and even ordinary families rose not with weapons, but with voices united in resolute opposition. Their collective action thwarted an encroachment that, in a less resilient democracy, might have quietly succeeded. This moment, then, is not merely about averting a crisis, but about showcasing the vibrant, vigilant spirit of the Korean people who have learned, through painful history, the price of silence. We need only glance over our shoulder at the era of Presidents Park Chung-hee, Chun Doo-hwan and Kim Dae-jung to appreciate how profound this achievement is. Under Parks and Chuns iron-fisted rule, dissent was stifled and opposition often met with grim fates. Conversely, Kims struggle symbolized the indomitable will to resist tyranny. The contrast between those eras and today is nothing short of extraordinary. That a nation once steeped in suppression could produce citizens who instinctively resist such a regression is a testament to the progress wrought by time, sacrifice and relentless advocacy for democratic ideals. This episode also serves as a reminder to the global community. Democracy, though a fragile construct, thrives where people guard it zealously. South Koreas citizens have shown us that democracy is not merely a system of governance but, instead, a shared responsibility, a daily labor to ensure that liberty prevails over the shadow of oppression. To borrow the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, democracy is indeed of the people, by the people, for the people. And in South Korea, the people have spoken with clarity and conviction. May this serve as an enduring lesson that even in moments of peril, the human spirit, when aligned with justice, can illuminate the darkest hours. Igor La Manna, Seaside Heights Send letters to the editor and guest columns for The Jersey Journal to jjletters@jjournal.com. A Little Falls police officer who was seriously hurt Thursday after crashing his patrol vehicle into the side of a building had suffered a medical episode while driving, according to the townships police chief. The single-vehicle crash occurred shortly after 1 a.m. on Main Street when the black-and-white SUV left the roadway at a high rate of speed and struck a local business, according to Little Falls Police Chief Bryan M. Prall. Our preliminary investigation indicates that the officer suffered from a medical episode while driving, Prall said in a statement. The name of the officer has not been released. A photo posted to X by the police union on Thursday showed debris strewn around Main Street and the badly damaged SUV lodged against the side of a building. The officer was not responding to calls for service and was not involved in motor vehicle enforcement action at the time of the crash, according to Prall. Due to the severity of his injuries, the officer was transported to St. Josephs University Hospital in Paterson, where he was still being treated late Thursday. The New Jersey State PBA said in a statement the officer was in stable condition and asked the public to keep him and his family in their prayers. Prall said the police department received messages of support from members of the community. I want to thank everyone for their calls and texts inquiring about our officers condition and ask everyone to keep our officer, his family, and our department in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate through this difficult situation, Prall said. The Little Falls Police Departments Investigation and Services Division is investigating the crash, Prall said. 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 Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Should companies that pollute New Jerseys climate be made to pay for that pollution? A bill that would do just that, legislation that about half a dozen states are mulling now and Vermont first enacted, advanced in a state Senate committee on Thursday. Efforts behind the recent legislation, S3545 or the Climate Superfund Act, are relatively new as environmentalists statewide seek to hold fossil fuel giants to account. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) responded to the publics reaction to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO by highlighting the issues people have with the health insurance industry. Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan last Wednesday. However, many social media users have mocked his death and have showed their support for the suspect for the killing, Luigi Mangione, who was apprehended in Pennsylvania earlier this week and charged with murder. Ocasio-Cortez explained why the public reacted this way to CBS News on Thursday while also condemning the killing of Thompson. And I think that this collective American experience, which is so twisted to have in the wealthiest nation in the world, all of that pain that people have experienced is being concentrated on this event, and its really important that we take a step back, she said. This is not to comment, and this is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them, she added. Regarding the public reaction to the shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said on Thursday, "I think people need to really understand how much everyday people are living with." "This is not to say that an act of violence is pic.twitter.com/nYiNASNElW CBS News (@CBSNews) December 12, 2024 She went on to explain the issues with healthcare in the U.S., noting that she did not have health insurance until being elected to Congress. When I first ran for Congress, I had to sit in a free clinic while waiting so that I could get a blood test that I could afford while people were canvassing and knocking doors with flyers with my name on it, she said. Healthcare in this country has gotten to such a depraved state that people are living with things that they should never have to live with. But we need to understand that extreme levels of inequality in the United States yield high degrees of social instability, and this is why we this is one of the practical reasons for people who are not moved by the moral case for why everybody should have a house over their head and the ability to see a doctor, she added. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonalds in the city of Altoona, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City. His lawyer there, Thomas Dickey, has said Mangione intends to plead not guilty. Dickey also said he has yet to see evidence decisively linking his client to the crime. Mangiones arrest came five days after the caught-on-camera killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Police say the shooter waited outside the hotel, where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, early on the morning of Dec. 4. He approached Thompson from behind and shot him before fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park. The Associated Press contributed to this report. CNN data reporter Harry Enten broke down why Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has received strong support to be the nations health czar despite his controversial views on medicine and vaccines. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Kennedy to lead the Health and Human Services Department shortly after winning the White House last month. Enten said that new Fox News polling showed that Kennedy has more support among Americans than not to be confirmed by the Senate. Enten suggested on Thursday that his support may come from the publics distrust in the government to keep food safe and growing skepticism of vaccines, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said just 57 percent of Americans trust the government to keep food safe, which is a 25-percentage point drop from 2001. Kennedy, who has questioned vaccines and falsely suggested that vaccines can lead to autism, has also been an outspoken advocate for keeping chemicals and dyes out of foods. Many parents have resonated with the movement to ban artificial dyes from foods in the U.S.a policy that some countries have already adopted. RFK Jr. looks likely to lead the HHS... More Americans than not want him confirmed... Why? Americans trust in the the government to keep our food safe is down 25 points from the beginning of the century. Those who think childhood vaccines should be required is down to just 51%! pic.twitter.com/lifx8hUk3h (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) December 13, 2024 Enten then suggested that vaccine skepticism could be becoming the new norm among Americans. No, theyre not on the fringe at all, he said, speaking of controversial views on vaccines. In fact, theyre becoming more and more mainstream. He said that in 1991, 81 percent believed that the U.S. government should require childhood vaccines. That dropped to 62 percent in 2019 and later dropped to 51 percent in 2024, he said. In five years. I mean, my goodness gracious, as the son of a pediatrician, I never thought I would see it, but here we are, he said, adding that the COVID-19 vaccine absolutely contributed to these views on vaccines. Enten went on to say that these views on food and vaccines is what led to Kennedys strong support among Americans, especially parents. The Fox News poll showed 48 percent of Americans support Kennedy to be confirmed while 43 percent oppose him. And when I was looking around the cross tabs, one of the most interesting things is where does he get that most support from? From young folks, from parents, from folks who might have children growing up. And so, I think that really just tells you that this whole thing, this kind of what I would call anti-science, but they would say theyre looking at the science sort of movement is really gaining steam with the younger generations, Enten said. Thats part of the reason why we see all that distrust with vaccines and the food protection in this country, he added. Kennedy received the most support from the polls respondents compared to all of Trumps other Cabinet picks. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) closely followed with 46 percent of Americans saying he should be confirmed for Trumps Secretary of State. Kennedy has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. He has also pushed other conspiracy theories, such as that COVID-19 could have been ethnically targeted to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people, comments he later said were taken out of context. He has repeatedly brought up the Holocaust when discussing vaccines and public health mandates. No medical intervention is risk-free. But doctors and researchers have proven that risks from disease are generally far greater than the risks from vaccines. Vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective in laboratory testing and in real world use in hundreds of millions of people over decades they are considered among the most effective public health measures in history. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. Devon faces a decade of disruption to train services as a London railway station is transformed into a new transport superhub. When finished, Old Oak Common station just west of Paddington will have 14 platforms to serve up to 250,000 passengers every day as part of the nationwide HS2 project. But Devon MPs fear that work to build the station will cause major problems for travellers to and from the county. Some services will go to Euston instead of Paddington, adding time to journeys. Services over Christmas will be affected by the works, and passengers going to and from London are being advised to check the timetables. Speaking at prime ministers questions this week, David Reed (Conservative, Exmouth and Exeter East) said passengers across the south west face years of disruption. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said the government had earmarked 30 million towards mitigating problems. In a separate Westminster debate on Devons rail network, Rachel Gilmour (Lib Dem, Tiverton and Minehead) called for rail fares to be cut to encourage people to travel during the Old Oak Common project, and for more investment in Devons rail and road infrastructure during the disruption. Steve Darling (Lib Dem, Torbay) said the work in West London is a new threat and challenge to the county He said: The fact that the section of HS2 between Old Oak Common and Euston will cost 6.5 billion is astounding. The mitigation of 30 million that I understand may well be on the table for the impact of Old Oak Common on the south west is a drop in the ocean, compared with the overall costs of the whole HS2 project. And he said the cost of completing the final part of the vital resilience scheme on the vulnerable railway line at Teignmouth and Dawlish is small change compared to the cost of HS2. MPs from around Devon took part in the debate on the countys railways, and Steve Race (Labour, Exeter) told them: We face challenges that will hold back our economy if we do not address them. One of the major challenges is the regularity and the resilience of our public transport system. Exeter, he said, is the fourth-fastest-growing city in the UK and the biggest economy west of Bristol. Around 35,000 people commute into the city every day, and passenger numbers are increasing. Investment in the rail network would take traffic off the roads and cut carbon emissions, he said. Mr Race highlighted the need to complete work to protect the vulnerable sea wall line between Dawlish and Teignmouth, a project that is still awaiting funding confirmation. And, he said, restoring the Exeter to Plymouth line north of Dartmoor via Okehampton and Tavistock is a viable alternative. He also said passing loops on the single track line between Exeter and Salisbury would help avoid long delays. Ian Roome (Lib Dem, North Devon) said trains on the Tarka line from Barnstaple were currently over-capacity, with large numbers of college students traveling to and from Exeter. Extra carriages are needed, but station platforms are too short. He added: Something as basic as lengthening a platform is likely to leave passengers in Devon feeling hard done by, given the significant rail investment elsewhere in the country? Mr Darling also highlighted the importance of the planned new Edginswell station at Torquay. It supports a business park and regeneration in one of the most deprived parts of the south west peninsula, which is sadly my constituency; and it helps our NHS, he said. We need to see investment in our health services, particularly Torbay Hospital, including to ensure that there is sufficient accommodation for NHS employees. Part of that is about regenerating Paignton town centre, so that those people can stay in Paignton, jump on a train and be dropped off at Edginswell, almost on the doorstep of a renewed Torbay Hospital. That is joined-up government. Richard Foord (Lib Dem, Honiton and Sidmouth) highlighted the importance of new stations planned for Cullompton and Wellington. He said: With so much new housing proposed at Cullompton, it is desperately important that there is a railway station to go with it and that we do not simply see housing without infrastructure. Simon Lightwood, parliamentary under-secretary for transport, said the government recognises the importance of rail services in Devon and wants to see further improvements. But, he said, not all proposed rail projects for the county could be delivered. He said: Ministers have been clear that in the context of the financial situation that the government inherited, it will not be possible to afford the delivery of all proposed projects. He said a thorough review of the previous governments transport plans was under way. Old Oak Common station, he said, is crucial for growth, but would inevitably have an impact. The government will continue working with industry partners to ensure that disruption for passengers using the Great Western main line is kept to a minimum, both during construction and once services are in operation, he added. S/ Tanaka Terumi, Co-Chairperson, Nihon Hidankyo / I am relieved to think we were able to successfully accomplish what we needed to. S/ Mimaki Toshiyuki, Co-Chairperson, Nihon Hidankyo / The award was thanks to our predecessors. I am thinking of visiting their cenotaph next week. S/ Tanaka Shigemitsu, Co-Chairperson, Nihon Hidankyo / I see the award as an encouragement to us atomic bomb survivors to keep doing our best as long as we're alive. The representatives of Nihon Hidankyo made the remarks on December 12 as they wrapped up their visit to Norway to attend the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony. They expressed hope for younger generations to work hard toward achieving the abolition of nuclear weapons. Nihon Hidankyo is seeking a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru. Group representatives want to ask the Japanese government to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. They also hope that Japan, as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in war, will stand at the forefront of international public opinion toward the abolition of nuclear arms. Delegates arrived at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on December 13. GARY Nippon Steel plans to invest nearly $1 billion in Gary Works if its acquisition of U.S. Steel goes through. The Japan-based steelmaker said it would invest $950 million in U.S. Steel's flagship steel mill at 1 N. Broadway in downtown Gary, and would look at reviving the idled tin mill. Nippon Steel Representative Director and Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori announced the potential investment during a news conference at Gary City Hall Thursday. Nippon Steel will protect and grow U.S. Steel to secure a prosperous future for its employees, customers and communities. Gary Works has been central to the companys history and success, and we have already committed to nearly $1 billion in investments that are specifically earmarked to maintain and upgrade its facilities so that it can thrive for years to come, Mori said. "Our investment commitments total no less than $2.7 billion. Among these, almost $950 million, nearly $1 billion, will be allocated to Gary." Nippon Steel pledged to invest $300 million to revamp Blast Furnace #14, which some steelworkers fear U.S. Steel would otherwise idle and not make an investment in. The company also would invest $648 million to maintain and prolong the life of equipment, spokesman Jack Coster said. Nippon Steel would reline or repair four blast furnaces at Gary Works by 2030 and continue to operate the hot mill and cold mill. Mori toured Gary Works Thursday as Nippon Steel presses to close the $14.9 million deal before the end of the year in the face of bipartisan political opposition. Im pleased to be here today in Gary to tour the city and speak with employees about the important role that Gary Works will play in our vision. I want to thank Mayor Melton for his partnership and advocacy on behalf of his constituents, and the talented workers at Gary Works for their continued dedication to U.S. Steels mission, he said. Mayor Eddie Melton voiced his support for the merger, saying it would bring much-needed investment and help sustain the steel mill for the long term. "I'm coming to share my perspective on this, and my support for this deal and why it's important for the city of Gary," he said. "In 1906, U.S. Steel founded the city of Gary. If it was not for that entity, we would not be here today. When you flash back over the years, when you have Eastern Europeans and individuals from all over the world who migrated to work in our steel mills, that same vibrancy is still here today in terms of that grit and determination, whether it was individuals who migrated from the south, from Mississippi and Alabama like my family that was seeking employment and seeking job opportunities for United States Steel. They put their roots down here in Gary, Indiana." Melton called on President Joe Biden to approve the acquisition before the end of his term. "This is not just about Gary, Indiana," he said. "There are communities like Birmingham, Alabama; Mon Valley, and Pittsburgh that are wrestling with the fate of this deal. When I first heard of this deal, I was skeptical as well. I wasn't sure what the fate was going to look like for the city of Gary. I was uncertain what the next direction it would go in. But for the city, this partnership would mean so much." The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is poised to give a report to Biden about whether the acquisition would pose a national security threat to the United States. "There shouldn't be an issue for us to allow one of our closest allies in Japan, that has been in Indiana for over 50 years," he said. "They have two plants in central Indiana." Gary Works once had 30,000 workers but now has around 4,000, Melton said. Gary once had 200,000 residents but now has around 70,000. "Gary has had its fair share of the impact of the downturn of the steel industry over the last several decades," he said. "As the 22nd mayor of the city of Gary, I wanted to show my support for the city of Gary. We have done our due diligence to make sure it's the right thing for the citizens, the right thing for the economy and the right thing for the United States." Melton encouraged the United Steelworkers union to sit down with Nippon to address any issues or concerns about the sale and encouraged steelworkers to urge the union leadership to work out its differences with Nippon Steel. Congressional Black Caucus members Bennie Thompson, Maxine Waters and Jim Clyburn, whom Melton described as champions for the city of Gary, also voiced support for the deal in a letter. For years, the city of Gary has shouldered the economic and environmental consequences of U.S. Steels operations, enduring divestment, job losses, and diminished community investment," Thompson and Waters wrote in the letter, which Melton read. The steel industrys decline has left a lasting mark on Gary, where citizens deserve security and assurance that their quality of life will not be further jeopardized. Melton also voiced fears about U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt saying he would potentially close down some of U.S. Steel's integrated facilities. He said the sale could result in job security for union steelworkers, result in local investment, ensure competitiveness, attain tax equity, facilitate community support, bring about environmental remediation and result in pollution controls that would comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates and result in cleaner air and water. Protestors gathered outside the steps of Gary City Hall to protest Nippon Steel's plans to reline blast furnaces, extending their campaigns. We remain opposed to this deal based on Nippon Steels abysmal global track record on environmental issues. Nippon is currently building two outdated blast furnaces in India and is also investing heavily in coal mining operations in Australia and Canada when we must move away from coal and fossil fuels to meet global climate goals. Even their own shareholders in Japan protested these moves simply because it is not a profitable, sustainable model," Just Transition Northwest Indiana Director of Legislative Policy Susan Thomas said in a statement. No matter who ultimately purchases USS, any buyer with plans to reline its blast furnaces will be condemning the future of Indiana steel jobs in a global industry already transitioning to sustainable steel, where buyers are rapidly emerging. Sustainable steel based on Direct Reduced Iron technologies and green hydrogen made only from renewable sources like wind and solar energy is the direction steel manufacturing in Indiana must go to preserve jobs and protect worker health and communities. Hundreds of buildings located on the edge of a steep earthen cliff on the outskirts of El Alto, in Bolivia, have been dubbed suicide homes because of the high risk of a devastating landslide. Located on Avenida Panoramica and in La Ceja, one of the busiest commercial areas of the city of El Alto, Bolivias suicide homes have been getting a lot of attention because of their precarious positioning, on the very edge of an earth cliff that has been deemed very susceptible to landslides. In recent weeks, rains have been wreaking havoc in Bolivias capital and its surrounding area, increasing the risk of a landslide even more. But that doesnt seem to scare the inhabitants of these suicide homes one bit, as most of them refuse to move away. These buildings are inhabited by local shamans known as yatiri and merchants who dont want to give up their place of business even if it means falling to their deaths one day. Photo: Mabel Duran We are not going to move from this place, because this is our daily work place, one yatiri recently told Reuters. But we are going to take care of the soil, especially the rainwater, we are going to channel it so that the water goes somewhere else. Preventing the water from eroding the earthen cliff even more is easier said than done, and local authorities say that further collapse of the cliff is imminent, so the buildings must be evacuated for the good of their inhabitants. Photo source The precipice in this valley is 90 degrees, said Gabriel Pari, municipal secretary of water, sanitation, environmental management and risk. That is precisely why we want them to leave this place, if they do not want to leave we are going to have to use force. Built out of brick and covered with sheets of corrugated iron, the rickety suicide homes of El Alto are very important to the yatiris and they would do anything to keep them. Some have even suggested making offerings to the Pachamama, the goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes. Photo source We can do an offering ceremony, we do it as a payment and in this way, the land will never move because Pachamama needs an offering, one shaman said. It is like giving food and this way this place will not move. On the contrary, it will stabilize. The suicide homes of El Alto have been on the edge for a while, but heavy rains and environmental changes attributed to climate change have exacerbated the risk of a landslide. Not a Subscriber? Join O'Dwyer's & Get RFP Access Stop wasting time tracking down RFPs. O'Dwyer's connects you with organizations looking for PR firms & services. Get new business with O'Dwyer's! Join O'Dwyer's THE County Arms in Birr is celebrating a remarkable achievement as its fine dining restaurant, Hacketts Eatery, has been shortlisted for two major honours at the Gold Medal Hotel Awards, one of Irelands most prestigious hospitality accolades. Hacketts Eatery has been named as a finalist for Irelands Best Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant, a recognition that places it among the finest culinary destinations in the country. Adding further prestige to this achievement, the restaurants Executive Head Chef, Gerard ORiordan, has been shortlisted for the coveted title of Irelands Best Chef. This dual recognition is a source of immense pride for both the County Arms and the Midlands community. Hacketts Eatery is not just any finalist - it is the only restaurant in the Midlands to make the shortlist, standing shoulder to shoulder with some of Irelands most renowned dining establishments. The County Arms, a beloved four-star destination in Birr, has long been synonymous with exceptional hospitality, elegance, and charm. Hacketts Eatery, its crown jewel, offers a culinary experience that seamlessly blends innovation with tradition, showcasing the finest local ingredients in imaginative and beautifully crafted dishes. Chef ORiordans talent and leadership have been instrumental in elevating the restaurant to this national stage. The Gold Medal Hotel Awards, recognised as the leading independent awards programme that celebrate the very best in Irish hospitality, and both nominations underscore Hacketts Eaterys commitment to excellence. For the people of Birr and Co. Offaly, it is an opportunity to celebrate local talent making waves on a national level. Experience the award-worthy dining for yourself by reserving a table at Hacketts Eatery. Call (057) 912 0791 or visit www.countyarms.ie. It is unlikely that Labour will go into government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, party leader Ivana Bacik has said. It comes as a Fianna Fail TD said at this stage it appeared that independents were more interested in government formation talks than Labour or the Social Democrats. Exploratory talks between political parties have been held this week with the aim of forming a government in the new year. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who are just a couple of seats short of a majority of 88, said they had a positive and constructive initial discussion with one another on Wednesday. The Social Democrats said they would continue to engage with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail next week, as well as Sinn Fein and the Labour Party. After a meeting of Labours parliamentary party, Ms Bacik said they had not yet received a substantive response from Fianna Fail nor Fine Gael to the partys priorities for government. She said: We are not under any illusions. Were conscious of the numbers in the Dail, but we do also have a duty to engage fully and to ensure that we are giving every opportunity to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to provide us with with their response to the policy priorities that weve outlined. She added that the very small gap between the two big parties and an overall majority would mean a small party would have very little capacity, influence or leverage to deliver on its priorities. We want to see a state construction company, weve been really clear about that. But equally, Micheal Martin has been very clear about his scepticism about that and these are the real policy differences that we have, she said. This is what we discussed on Tuesday, but we want to give those discussions a little more focus and substance. I wouldnt understate the policy gulf between the Labour Party and Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, Louth TD and Labour parliamentary party chair Ged Nash said. I have said right throughout the campaign, based on the very detailed economic and fiscal document that we published, that our own position and that of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael especially around tax cuts and the management of the economy, that is a huge divide that is potentially unbridgeable. We have not received a response to that. Fianna Fail TD for Clare Timmy Dooley said that it remains to be decided how stable a coalition that included independents would be. Theres nobody putting pressure on anybody, theres still time for those other parties such as Labour and the Social Democrats to decide do they want to participate and do they want to enter more formal discussions and negotiations. The independents from the start appeared to be quite interested, he said on RTEs Today with Claire Byrne programme. Taoiseach Simon Harris said he had met each of the eight independent TDs in the Regional Group and did not doubt their sincerity or bona fides. The Fine Gael leader said it would be absolutely essential that the next government has a whipped majority in order to pass five budgets and any confidence votes. He said the fact that a group had been set up and a point of contact for government talks appointed was a sign of a group of independent TDs who are serious about doing business in terms of being a constructive force in government. But absolutely there will be a moment of truth, a crunch moment where every individual TD, including in Fine Gael, will have to sign up and commit to delivering the programme for government and voting with the government, he said. It will be for us to work through that process for how best that structure is in place. He added: We have seen in the past how it is possible to work with independents in government and work successfully with them in government. He said that key to this would be getting the structure of government right, such as the leaders meeting on Monday night in the last coalition, which he said had prevented public disagreements and clashes on policy. The new Dail parliament of 174 TDs is to sit for the first time next Wednesday. Elsewhere on Friday, Sinn Fein said it had nominated Aengus O Snodaigh to become the next Ceann Comhairle. Mary Lou McDonald said Mr O Snodaigh was an outstanding parliamentarian, noting his proficiency with the Irish language and more than 22 years of experience in the Dail. Aengus has a sharp intellect and has a first-rate understanding of parliamentary process and procedures. He is highly respected right across the Oireachtas community, she said. Other possible candidates include incumbent Sean O Fearghail, his Fianna Fail colleague John McGuinness and the Regional Groups Verona Murphy. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018) So many Trump .X's. on the Constitution, one hardly knows where to begin. But I do, in this column. (Image by IoSonoUnaFotoCamera) Details DMCA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First, (and this does have to be considered, given "Jan. 6"), is a Trumpian version of the 1933 German "Reichstag Fire" in the offing? I have discussed that possibility on more than one occasion, at previous times in the Era of Trump. Since in my mind it is even more of a possibility now, I am considering it again. Very possible? Well, not very. But hey, you never know. Who could have seen "Jan. 6" coming? Briefly, to begin, leading up to the "Reichstag Fire," this is what happened in Germany, 1932-33. In an election for seats in the Reichstag (the German Parliament) held in late 1932, the National Socialist German Workers Party (abbreviated NSDAP, "Nazi" for short-er in German), actually saw its vote total go down slightly, compared to those of the Kommunist Partei Deutschland (KPD) and the Sozialistische Partei Deutschland (SPD) in previous elections. As it happened in early 1933, the German (post-World War I, Weimar Republic) parliament faced another one of its repetitive leadership crises. An increasing amount of noise was heard advocating for the Weimar Republic's President, Paul von Hindenburg (yes, the infamous German airship was named after him), who had been, in the First World War, the Commander of the Prussian military, to appoint the Nazi Party's leader, Adolf Hitler, as Chancellor. Ernst Thaelmann, the leader of the German Communist Party, famously said words to the effect of "Hitler's a joke. Let the President appoint him. In a few months, it will be our turn." As we know, Hitler was appointed, on January 30, 1933, and it was not a joke. Within weeks the Nazis arrested Thaelmann. He spent the rest of his life in a Gestapo prison, only to be executed in his cell by a gunshot to the head as the Soviet Red Army was closing in on Berlin. On February 27, 1993, the famous "Reichstag Fire" occurred. The Nazis very quickly (using forged documents) blamed it on the KPD and the SPD. Neither of those organizations knew anything about it. It was later proven that it was actually se t by a detachment under the command of Herman Goering, already a close right-hand man of Hitler. The equivalent in our time of course would be the burning down (to the extent that that could be achieved) of the United Sates Capitol. It would have to be meticulously planned and managed in the highest secrecy. "Jan. 6" would pale in comparison. And of course it would be blamed on "the Dems., and etc.," with, following the Nazi plan very carefully, forged documents. Why did the Nazis do this? To establish the basis for an authoritarian government which happened to be provided for under the Weimar Constitution, through its "Establishment Clause." Of course there is not such equivalent provision in the U.S. Constitution. But since the Supreme Court has added a "Presidential immunity" clause to Article II of the Constitution (which happens to contain no language even vaguely authorizing such an additional clause), they could likely figure out a way to sanction authoritarian governance, under Trump and no one else, of course. Trump has already made it clear that he would like-to/intends-to overthrow Constitutional governance in the United States. For example, he famously said to Sean Hannity (despite the latter's best efforts to get him to walk it back) that he would like to, would, be "Dictator of Day 1." Of course, if he assumed such powers on Day 1 (certainly nothing of the kind is provided for in the Constitution) nothing would prevent him from saying "well, I am going to continue them for another day," and another, and etc. Even though during the campaign Trump distanced himself from "Project 2025," many of its authors are already taking their places, at one level or another, in the in-coming Administration, presumably by decree (since it doesn't spell out any other method). (For an early, comprehensive, treatment of "Project 2025," see The Nation's June, 2024 issue.) Some would call that fascism. Of course, that depends upon which definition you use (among the numbers of them out there). Here's mine: "There is a single, all-powerful executive branch of government, in service of a capitalist ruling class that controls, for the most part, the functions of production, distribution, finance, and exchange. There is no separation of the principal governmental powers: executive, legislative, and judicial. There are no independent media. There is a single national ideology, based on some combination of racism, misogyny, religious bigotry and authoritarianism, homophobia, and xenophobia. There is a political party supporting the movement. There is a state propaganda machine using the big and little lie techniques. There may be a full-blown dictatorship, a charismatic leader, engagement in foreign wars, and the use of the mob/private armies to enforce governmental control." Second let's go on to, however you want to characterize them, the Policies-of-Trump that are being announced every day, by: direct statement, appointments to staff positions that do not need Congressional approval, and nominations for Cabinet positions that do. It is becoming very clear that Trump intends to overthrow the existing Constitutional order this time around (by, for example, destroying the Federal Civil Service, and by deporting "birthright citizens," which are provided for in the 14th Amendment [see further on this below]). Given the flaccidity of the Republican Party, with majorities (although thin) in both Houses of Congress, and the absolute lining up of the Republican Supreme Court majority behind Trump, a "Second Reichstag Fire" might not be necessary for the installation of U.S. version of fascist governance. But, as I like to say, "hey, you never know." Because, as I said some time ago (late 2015, to be exact), are we facing Hair Trump or Herr Trump? So, let's briefly consider certain statements, positions, and policies of Trump and his henchmen (some of which we have already mentioned): Dictator on Day One (again). What he might do. But further, what provision of the Constitution does the establishment of that Federal office come under? Further amending the Constitution without bothering to go through the Amendment process, as in deporting birthright citizens (as that citizenship is established in Section 1, of the XIVth Amendment -- which, of course, was designed to provide citizenship for formerly enslaved persons). One Kevin Roberts, of the Heritage Foundation, a long-time Trump-influencer, has pronounced the coming of "the 2nd American Revolution" (see P2025), without bothering to tell us exactly why one is necessary or how exactly it is to be accomplished. He will stay at Heritage, presumably to offer more advice, which might be implemented with or without the consent of, say, the Congress. As is very well-known, Trump's lied about the outcome of the 2020 election (and continues to do so to this very day), and he lies, in the opposite direction, about the elections of 2024, which he claims was a popular vote landslide in his favor (it wasn't). (Actually, it appears as if there is a Trumpian loyalty test as a condition of appointment to a position in his incoming Administration: one has to hold to the view that the won the 2020 election.) Trump wants to arrest FBI agents who were doing their jobs, investigating various aspects of his functioning (as in the national security files removed by him to Mar-a-Lago), because he didn't/doesn't like the job they were doing. What statute is that under? (Kash Patel, if he becomes FBI Director, which seems increasingly likely, has announced as his first task rooting out all the "Deep-staters" [that is agents who were doing their jobs] at the FBI. It will then become Trump's private "intelligence" agency. Which then might even be called "The Secret State Police" [which, translated into German reads "Gestapo"]). Trump has announced something else unprecedented, in advance: apparently without going through any kind of pardons-procedure, he will pardon all tried-and-convicted "Jan. 6-rioters" "on Day 1." Just because --- apparently the because being that they were on his side in his attempt to reverse the results of the 2020 election. The implications of that one are far-reaching, but we are not reaching that far here. For Trump it's simple: they were on his side. Trump is a convicted felon in New York State (regardless of what happens with the sentencing for now), and is a person found guilty of sexual assault in a civil trial (as well as in the "paying-off-the-porn-star" case which now seems to be widely forgotten). Trump will do whatever he can to further cover-up those legal findings, about which covering-up he has been very successful so far. Trump wants to arrest the members of the "Jan. 6 Committee." As it happens, he has not stated: a criminal action under which such an arrest would be made, under which jurisdiction it would occur, and which provision(s) of Article I of the Constitution were violated in the appointment of the Committee. And what, keep them in confinement indefinitely (since no law appears to exist under which they could be tried, much less found guilty)? Of course, he also wants to arrest Jack Smith and presumably all the staff who worked with him, again proposing to do so without naming the statutory authority under which such arrests would be carried out. And so on, and so forth. None of the actions and procedures described above, which Trump has said he will carry out (or would like to carry out) from Day 1 of his Presidency, is provided for anywhere in the Constitution of the United Sates, or in any legislation that has been created under its provisions. At least I know of none such, and I haven't heard Trump or his acolytes referring to any such legislation either. And since he's got the Supreme Court majority in his pocket, he doesn't have to worry about any opposition coming from that direction. What is all this called, folks? Being repetitious, of course it's a well-known term. It's called "fascism," at least according to the definition I use (see above). (Indeed, in my view, the word should only be used as a term defining a form of government, not as definition-less slogan to be waved around at moment's notice.) More importantly, it is coming, folks, whether there is a Second Reichstag Fire or not. How does one know that? Just read Trump's lips, and read the statements of the White House Policy people coming in around him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Addendum: Just as I was coming to the end of the editing for the next-to-final draft for this column, came the news of the resignation of the current Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, coincident with the end of the Presidency of Joe Biden. Not that Trump would not have fired Wray anyway in order to put his own man in the slot. But the symbolism is important. Wray, a career law-enforcement official, seems to not even want to force Trump to, for the second time in history, dismiss an FBI Director. But that is only symbolic. The real focus here must be on the man that Trump has picked to replace him, not a career law-enforcement person, but a career far-rightist. And as is very well known, Kash Patel has already announced that his number one task will not be, for example, to expand the FBI's activities against organized crime, or to expand their counter-intelligence functions in an increasingly dangerous world. (Actually, Patel would not want to do that. The FBI might come up with who-knows-what kind of further intelligence concerning Trump's own foreign entanglements. Or other top-secret documents hidden who-knows-where. [It was in fact Wray's raid on Mar-a-Lago that really turned Trump against him.] The pee-tapes, anyone?) For Patel it would seem that the one-and-only task will be to go after Trump's political enemies, whether there is a basis-in-law for doing so or not. After all, doing so seems to be right-at-the-top of Trump's personal "to-do-list." Gestapo (see above), anyone? (Article changed on Dec 13, 2024 at 4:09 PM EST) (Article changed on Dec 13, 2024 at 6:28 PM EST) (Article changed on Dec 13, 2024 at 7:44 PM EST) Remarks at December 13 Online U.S.-Iran Town Hall I was asked to talk about Gaza and Syria, and so I shall, but I also want to talk about de-normalizing murder. There have been human societies in which murder was unthinkable, where the most typical Hollywood movie -- marketed to U.S. children -- has been seen as horrific and traumatizing. Normalizing murder is an option, not required by genes or economics or physics. I want us to take responsibility for that. This week in the United States, two things happened. First, a man who murdered a health insurance CEO was widely celebrated and turned into a figure of romantic adoration. Second, the House of so-called Representatives voted overwhelmingly for nearly another trillion U.S. dollars for the war machine. People in the U.S. don't generally condone murder, but they've learned very well how to justify it, as in the movies and the Pentagon press conferences: "He murdered a guy who causes lots of deaths." "He murdered a guy while avoiding collateral damage." "He did what you secretly want to do but are afraid to do." People don't want all their money going into wars, but not a single protest opposed the latest bill, and only one Congresswoman said a word against it prior to the vote, and that was the same day as the vote. Meanwhile, Joe Biden pardoned lots of people, but not those waiting in cells to be murdered by the U.S. government, even though he'd opposed the death penalty to get elected. Also -- and it's so normal I almost didn't mention it -- more police were acquitted for murder and a white veteran was acquitted for murdering a poor black man in front of a crowd. In the U.S., as in much of the world to various degrees, murder is treated as perfectly normal. But the way the U.S. does it is the furthest thing from normal. Mass shootings and police shootings and shootings by veterans and suicides by guns are all areas in which the United States is a leader globally. In the latest numbers on military spending, of 230 other countries, the U.S. spends more than 227 of them combined. Russia and China spend a combined 21% of what the U.S. and its allies spend on war. Since 1945, the U.S. military has acted in a major or minor way in 74 other nations. At least 95% of the foreign military bases on Earth are U.S. bases. Of 230 other countries, the U.S. exports more weaponry than 228 of them combined. Most places with wars manufacture no weapons. Most wars have U.S.-made weapons on at least one side, and often both. Only the U.S. military has devoted various sections to various portions of the Earth, seeking to dominate everyone everywhere. The world is nonetheless an extremely complex place. The evils of the U.S. military do not excuse the evils of anyone else's military or weapons dealing or any nation's domestic evils. As Iran copies U.S. drones and (if reports from Sudan are to be believed) sends them off to murder people in Africa, so there are politicians in the United States seeking to copy Iranian abuses of women. None of it excuses any of the rest of it. The world is also a very corrupt place. If the United States had a democracy it would have fewer wars. If Congress Members weren't owned by weapons dealers or Israel, they'd make fewer wars. If Kamala Harris had been willing to say three words against genocide, she'd be president elect. And nonetheless, it matters that the U.S. public -- like much of the world -- just opposes wars and military spending in opinion polls, and not by nonviolently surrounding the Capitol or the State Department until the wars end. Why are the people of South Korea or Bolivia or so many other nations able to block coups and to do so without murder? It's not just that the United States is too big. It's not just that the United States is too divided by distractions. (The only real dispute over the latest military spending bill was over transgender healthcare.) It's also that U.S. culture leads the world in lack of outrage over murder. When I began working seriously to end wars, Bush and Cheney and gang (young people may know them as the portrait painter friend of the Obamas and the beloved father figure whose daughter in Congress dislikes Trump) were busy in Afghanistan and Iraq normalizing occupation, kidnapping, torture, murder, and creative lawless use of secret prisons. They sent prisoners in many cases to other nations that were known for torture and secrecy. For instance, in 2002, they arrested a Canadian engineer in New York named Maher Arar and sent him to Syria to be tortured by the government led by Bashar al-Assad. When U.S. troops freed those left alive in Nazi death camps, reports seldom mentioned that the United States had led the world in refusing to accept the people the Nazis wanted to expel before deciding to kill. When the U.S. lost its ever-loving mind over the crimes of September 11, few reports mentioned past arming, supporting, and glorifying of those responsible. When the U.S. went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, it was not deemed appropriate to discuss past U.S. support for its newfound enemies. And when Syrian prisons were opened this past week, no U.S. corporate media referred in any way to past U.S. alliance with Assad, few mentioned U.S. efforts to overthrow Assad, and most tried to generally avoid the fact that the new Syrian allies are on a U.S. list of terrorists. According to U.S. General Wesley Clark, Bush and Cheney attacked Iraq, working off a list that included Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran. Not on the list was Afghanistan, but UK Prime Minister Tony Blair had told Bush he'd be better able to join in on Iraq if they attacked Afghanistan first. There was more opposition back then to those wars than there is now to the war on Gaza, never mind the wars in Ukraine or Sudan, even as opponents of the war on Gaza call it the worst war ever, most refusing to call it a war at all, claiming that a genocide is something different. Clearly the rhetoric is worse. Clearly the popular support in Israel is worse. Clearly the destruction of infrastructure and in fact of every built object is worse. The elimination of homes and food, the targeting of aid workers and journalists, the abandonment of pretense of compliance with laws -- all are worse. But even believing as I do that the official death count is less than half the reality, we're still talking about a relatively small number. It is a relatively high percentage of the population in Gaza -- I think certainly over 5 percent and threatening to go much higher. But -- and this is something almost everyone I know has tried very hard to avoid knowing -- the genocide in Gaza is less one-sided than your typical U.S. war. The U.S. deaths in the war on Iraq were 0.3 percent of the dead. That compares to Israeli deaths, currently at 1.3 percent of the deaths in the past year in Gaza/Israel. The peace movement did succeed in making the war on Iraq a badge of shame for its supporters -- at least for many years. As with the Vietnam Syndrome, the U.S. media created the Iraq Syndrome, naming as a disease public resistance to any more wars after such a horrific one that cost U.S. lives and was based on particularly clumsy lies. Will we be able to impose a Ukraine Syndrome or a Gaza Syndrome or a Syria Syndrome, and if not, what does that say about us? I think we've also tended to avoid knowing or have actively forgotten from those days what Operation Merlin was, namely a U.S. project to give Iran nuclear bomb plans in order to accuse Iran of making nuclear bombs, in order to have an excuse to attack Iran -- which is of course the very last thing you'd want to do if Iran really had nuclear bombs. Iran is, by the way, the only nation on Wesley Clark's list not yet attacked in a major way, only through lies, sanctions, assassinations, threats, etc. Several times, the U.S. government has come very close to attacking Iran and been stopped in large part by public pressure. President Obama almost attacked Syria with a major campaign of widespread carpet bombing, and was stopped by public pressure. That was how badly the U.S. wanted to overthrow Assad, come what may -- and knowing that nothing good, even on their own terms, had come from any of the U.S. overthrows dating back to Syria 1949, Iran 1953, Guatemala 1954 and so on. We have to reckon with the fact that Obama told everyone to let Bush and Cheney off the hook, that he turned their crimes into public policies, and that he merged war with small-scale murder through widespread drone killings, and we let it happen. And we let Syria divide us. One had to be either on the side that Assad can do no wrong or the side that the CIA can do no wrong. No contact was permitted between the peace movement and the real world in which both the CIA and Assad did evil things. And now you are required to believe that either NATO or Russia is God's gift to the world. So we have something of a lasting lesson to take from Gaza and expand. At least where I live, ordinary people are able to oppose warmaking by both Israel and Hamas. Of course, if they don't oppose warmaking by Hamas, they are labeled as bigots. In one way, this is insane. Criticism of the Israeli government has been defined as supposed anti-Semitism. But in another way it's exactly right: failure to oppose both sides of a war is bigotry. This rare and remarkable opposition to both sides of a war is to be treasured and learned from, and not dismissed with accusation of equating two uneven sides and that sort of nonsense. Because the very most basic problem is not the governments that wage the most war. The very most basic problem is the idea that it is ever an acceptable policy to kill people. ## 1/2/2009 10:01:26 AM Here's my favorite joke: A nighclub bouncer sees a drunk searching the ground under a streetlight. He asks: "Did you lose something?" "Car keys." "Where's your car?" "Over there across the street." "Why don't you look near the car?" "There's more light over here." The current unfolding massacre in Gaza is a perfect illustration of this principle. If there is a solution to the problem of peace in the Middle East, it certainly is not to be found where anyone in power is looking. The US, with typically bizarre logic, insists that Hamas must stop the Israeli bombing immediately. Performing the same action repeatedly expecting a different result, the popular definition of insanity, seems to be the only thing "on the table." We're searching for a peaceful solution, as long as we can look in the same old empty places. Western media attention on the Israeli invasion of Gaza decodes the story in the murky light of the unquestioned rationales put forth by the people doing the bombing: "Self defense" and "Going After The Terrorists." And nowhere, on no channel, in no press conference do we hear anyone asking: "What is the US, who is footing all of the bills, doing to stop the killing?" One supposes everybody knows the answer to that one anyway. We can only conclude that nobody is seriously interested in anything other than Secretary Rice's carefully phrased "sustainable and lasting" solution. That unquantifiable condition might be remembered as the one so successfully imposed the last time Lebanon was destroyed, by American made weapons, with American dollars, while Americans watched the unbelievable terror and distruction and did nothing but parrot the Israeli cover story about some "kidnapped" soldier. As with Gaza, Dr. Rice imposed this flexible precondition of "sustainability" on any solution, and blamed Hezbollah for the Israeli carpet-bombing of civilian population centers. As to who will be left alive in Gaza after Dr. Rice's dreadful formula is satisfied - the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. It begins to be clear that when it comes to solutions, "sustainable and lasting" is the new "final." As in my favorite joke,[1] you see, it's dark over where peace might lie waiting to be discovered. It could be lying right out in the open. But nobody is looking for it there. Much better to look where we already know the time-worn answers we'll find. [1] I learned that this is an ancient parable, warmed over and given modern dress: wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nasreddin Nasreddin's Ring Mullah had lost his ring in the living room. He searched for it for a while, but since he could not find it, he went out into the yard and began to look there. His wife, who saw what he was doing, asked: "Mullah, you lost your ring in the room, why are you looking for it in the yard?" Mullah stroked his beard and said: "The room is too dark and I can't see very well. I came out to the courtyard to look for my ring because there is much more light out here" Dear Annie: My son is in a relationship with a young woman who had three children prior to meeting. They have had two additional children 11 months apart. Jordan, his girlfriend, grew up in foster care. She went through some rough stuff. When she became pregnant with my sons first child, I vowed that I would treat her children like they were part of my family. My other children also agreed that that would be the only way to move forward. It wasnt long, however, that Jordan said things to me like threatening to keep the kids from me. Additionally, both she and the kids are very motivated by material items. They pretty much value visits based on what theyll receive from it. Because Jordan grew up in foster care, I understand that she places value on things and receiving gifts, but I am single, trying to save for retirement and also trying to get by in a challenging economy. Because that relationship has become very strained and because Jordan exhibits a lot of negative behaviors, my other kids dont want to be around her or her kids. I feel really uncomfortable with things that she has said to me. I dont know how to get past it. This unfortunately means that I dont see a lot of my son or his children. Im afraid to do anything special for them or buy them toys or books because their mom and the other kids would resent it. My son recently complained that he feels isolated from us. I told him that we love him very much, but that we dont know how to navigate that relationship. Ive been very troubled by the situation. I feel like I should have the grace to manage this situation. I feel selfish. On the other hand, at age 61 and after a late-in-life divorce, Im working harder than I ever have in my life. My job is very socially demanding, and I dont have much social energy to expend outside of work. I am very, very protective of my personal time and dont want to spend it with unpleasantness. I dont want to be around rude adults or kids who are unruly and need gifts to feel validated. I should add that I recently moved to an apartment in the urban core from a house in the suburbs. My apartment is not large, and five visiting children would make it feel very small. My complex is lovely and very secure, but it is very urban -- and homelessness and crime are part of the deal. There is no place for children to play outdoors. I love it here. I love the diversity. I respect the hard things that are part of living in a city. Ive wanted this most of my adult life, and I feel that Ive finally earned this life and hold it precious. How can I manage to make my son feel less isolated and balance my time and well-being? -- Trying to Figure it All Out Dear Trying: It sounds like Jordans childhood was tainted by trauma, which means some of her behaviors in adulthood may be strange or upsetting to you. Though its not your job to accommodate her insults, it might help to try to understand where she is coming from -- and the best way to learn more is to ask. If you feel comfortable, reach out to her for lunch or coffee and try to learn a bit more about what her unusual and offensive comments might be motivated by. If thats not possible, have a conversation with your son about her, and make it clear that you are trying to understand her better rather than just complaining. In terms of hosting them at your new apartment, there are plenty of alternatives. Offer to come to them instead, or meet at a neutral place like a park or a restaurant. You have worked hard for a peaceful home, and you have every right to keep it that way. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM A Washington County man who worked as an Oregon prison guard fatally shot his daughter and then turned the gun on himself earlier this week, authorities say. Sheriffs deputies responded to the Baseline Woods apartments, 545 S.W. 201st Ave. in unincorporated Washington County, about 10 a.m. Wednesday following a request for a welfare check. Once inside, they found 16-year-old Larissa Alexander lying dead near the body of her father, Nicholas T. Alexander, 45. Nicholas Alexander was a longtime Oregon Department of Corrections officer, state officials confirmed. State records show he started with the agency in 2015 and was assigned to the Oregon State Penitentiary. He was later transferred to Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the states womens prison. Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards & Training records show he was on a leave of absence as of Oct. 4. His daughter was a junior at Century High School in Hillsboro. Investigators determined the double killing was a murder-suicide, Deputy David Huey said Thursday. I dont know if were going to get the why, he said. Huey said someone became concerned after Larissa Alexander stopped responding to messages and asked Washington County Sheriffs deputies to check on her. The case remains under investigation. On Monday, Nicholas Alexander was arrested on allegations of driving under the influence of intoxicants, according to Huey. The arrest took place about 3:05 a.m. in the 400 block of Southwest Basilone Terrace. Last month, a former Oregon corrections officer was charged in the fatal shooting of his brother in Polk County. After the shooting, Alonzo Rowell, 51, apparently made his way to the Oregon State Penitentiary where he previously worked, according to authorities, who allege he had the potential intent to harm others. Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083, zsparling@oregonian.com or @pdxzane. Noelle Crombie is an enterprise reporter with a focus on criminal justice. Reach her at 503-276-7184; ncrombie@oregonian.com Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe. Overdose deaths increased nearly 33% in Oregon last year compared to the year before, setting a grim new record that shows the states overdose crisis is far from over. Oregons overdose crisis has affected every community across the state, and the highly sensitive and traumatic nature of these events has caused harm, trauma and loss that impact the well-being of everyone, said Liz McCarthy, an Oregon Health Authority epidemiologist, in a statement. McCarthys agency released the finalized overdose data for 2023 on Thursday, promising to release data for 2024 as soon as it is available. The newest numbers show 1,833 people died in Oregon from a drug overdose last year, compared to 1,383 in 2022, 1,189 in 2021, 824 in 2020 and 626 in 2019. That means that nearly three times as many people died of overdoses in Oregon last year than did four years earlier. It also means that the increase in overdose deaths isnt even slowing down. In 2022, overdose deaths increased only 16% compared to 2021. Thats about half of the percentage point increase in deaths from 2022 to 2023. Synthetic opioids fentanyl and stimulants account for the vast majority of overdose deaths, state figures show. Just over half of all unintentional overdose deaths in Oregon this year involved both opioids and stimulants, the Oregon Health Authority said. Fedor Zarkhin is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. Do you have a story? Reach him by phone or text at 971-373-2905 or by email at fzarkhin@oregonian.com. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com In the darkness of a cold and wet morning, a crowd slowly formed in the lower levels of The Grotto around an illuminated statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Flanked by a Mexican flag, the symbol united hundreds on Dec. 12 to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. At 5:30 a.m., Aztec dancers opened the ceremony with joyful dancing and cries of viva la Virgen de Guadalupe (long live Our Lady of Guadalupe), welcoming visitors to The Grotto, The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, in Northeast Portland. The feast day, one of the most important religious events for Latino Catholics, drew hundreds to honor the Our Lady of Guadalupe with music, dance and prayer. The event is traditionally celebrated with processions and early morning celebrations in Mexico that draw thousands of pilgrims from all over the country. Today, on this special day as Mexicans, we find ourselves celebrating our holiday in another country, Sister Lizbeth Nevarez of the Oblates of Santa Marta said in Spanish. However, we unite as Mexicans celebrating this holiday and entrusting our Mother of Guadalupe for the peace of Mexico, for the peace of the entire world. On December 12, 1531, Our Lady of Guadalupe is believed to have appeared to San Juan Diego, a humble Indigenous man in Mexico City, speaking to him in his Native language and asking for a church to be built in her honor. Since then, Our Lady of Guadalupe has been revered as the mother of all people, who embraces and celebrates diverse cultures. Mother Mary is also carrying this hope, said the Rev. Leo Hambur, director at The Grotto. When she appeared to San Juan Diego, she was pregnant, and its a hope for all especially immigrant mothers who are pregnant, who give birth in manger-like situations. Hambur emphasized this years theme of hope during the feast day. As we celebrate this Advent season, Pope Francis continues to talk about hope in this world, he said. With all this war going on, all the violence happening in the world, we need hope. While the celebration holds particular significance for Latinos, it resonates with Catholics worldwide. Our Lady of Guadalupe is in many different countries, Audifas Ruiz, an attendee at the celebration, said in Spanish. They celebrate in many different countries because of the miracles she has done. Ruiz participated in a pilgrimage to see Our Lady of Talpa Basilica in Jalisco, Mexico, earlier this year. Walking for three days was challenging, he said, but worth it. We want to go back this year, said Ruiz. Lets see if we can do it for four or five days. After the performances outside, visitors processed behind the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe into The Chapel of Mary, where they prayed the Rosary and celebrated Mass. Hundreds gathered in The Chapel of Mary at The Grotto to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.Chiara Profenna The annual celebration at The Grotto has been growing for nearly five years since the introduction of a Spanish-language Mass. The events success is thanks in part to dedicated volunteers like Maria Ramirez and her husband, Roberto, who coordinate the Hispanic Ministry at The Grotto. I think that at all times we must venerate our mother, but today is a very special day for Mexicans when the apparitions occurred in Mexico, Ramirez said in Spanish. Ramirez also highlighted the support from volunteers and the community, which makes the event possible. Its nice that we have many volunteers who have always supported us and donated to us, said Ramirez. We are very blessed with the power to also give from what we receive from the community. Following mass, attendees enjoyed pan dulce, tamales, pozole and champurrado.Chiara Profenna After Mass, visitors gathered for a meal of pozole, tamales, pan dulce (sweet bread) and champurrado (a rich, spiced chocolate drink) in the auditorium beneath the chapel to exchange stories and nurture a shared devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327; cprofenna@oregonian.com or @chiara-profenna on BlueSky. The Oregonian/OregonLive receives support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to bring readers stories on religion, faith and cultural connections in Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive is solely responsible for all content. In the late 1930s, Portland children would flock to Toyland at Lipmans downtown department store at Southwest Fifth Avenue and Washington Street, where they could watch a sound cartoon for 25 cents in the Thimble Theater, see Santa Claus and most special of all meet his sidekick, Cinnamon Bear. Cinnamon Bear was among Portland families favorite holiday shopping traditions until the 1990s, when the department store appearances were no more. These days, however, children are lining up to meet Cinnamon Bear on a cruise ship. Part of a 1938 Lipman Wolfe's ad in The Oregonian includes a promotion for the Cinnamon Bear radio series, airing at the time on KALEOregonian Cinnamon Bear, whose official name is Paddy OCinnamon, was the creation of Glanville Heisch, who worked at KFI AM radio in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Heisch told The Oregonian in 1979 that a friend in the advertising business had asked him to write a 26-episode childrens serial to run between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The first of Heischs five daughters had just been born, and hed written a poem, The Cinnamon Bear with the Shoe Button Eyes. That poem inspired the radio story. Lipman's mainstay Cinnamon Bear dances with 4-year-old Jeanmarie Kitson in a 1979 file photo.Oregonian The series followed Jimmy and Judy, two children who head to their attic to retrieve the silver star to top their Christmas tree. When they discover the star is missing, a magical talking teddy bear tells them a dragon took it to Maybeland. Over a series of 12-minute episodes, the children go on a Wizard of Oz style adventure, meeting a cast of fanciful characters in search of their tree topper. The Cinnamon Bear story, as told in that 1937 radio production, was broadcast on radio stations across the country, but it became a particular local tradition when Portland-based Lipmans department store adopted Cinnamon Bear as its Christmas mascot. Along with Santa Claus, children could meet the bear at Lipmans flagship store (which is today home to the Royal Sonesta hotel). The tradition continued after Lipmans was sold and became Frederick & Nelson in 1979. In 1985, sales associate Debbie Williams laughs as Rachel Kafoury, 82 and Marie Haskell, 93, get a hug from Cinnamon bear during a shopping day at Frederick & Nelson's downtown store.Oregonian But Frederick & Nelson closed its downtown store in 1986, and the companys last Oregon location, at Washington Square mall, closed in 1991. Though versions of Cinnamon Bear made a few community appearances in the early 1990s, he began to fade from Portlanders collective Christmas memories. Until Dennis Corwin, general manager with Portland Spirit cruises, suggested a revival. I remember going to Washington Square and seeing the Cinnamon Bear at Frederick & Nelson and sitting on his lap and telling him what you wanted for Christmas, said Corwin, 54. I remember listening to the radio serial growing up. It was something my grandmother introduced me to, and my parents listened to it, and so it was a tradition. Children at the Heidi-Ho day care center gather around Frederick & Nelson's Cinnamon Bear during one of his pre-Christmas visits in 1987.Oregonian In 2004, Corwin was in a management meeting to discuss Christmas cruises. Portland Spirit had long offered trips that coincided with the Christmas Ship parades along the Willamette River. Those evening cruises were (and are) hugely popular, but the December daytime schedule was light. Someone suggested a morning Santa cruise. At the time, Meier & Frank had the big Santaland downtown, Corwin said. I was like, we dont want to compete with that. Everyone does Santa. Why dont we do the Cinnamon Bear? It turns out, the Cinnamon Bear was ripe for a rebranding. Unlike that other beloved department store Christmas mascot Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer Cinnamon Bear was never copyrighted. The Portland Spirit hired a mascot company to redesign the Cinnamon Bear costume. The old Lipmans bear had black button eyes surrounded by white circles and oversized protruding lips a design that could best be described as creepy. Even the 1990s version of the bear was a bit dated. The Cinnamon Bear is flanked by Jimmy, played by J.D. Knight, and Judy, played by Kaitlin Olson (yes, the actress) in a 1991 file photo from The Oregonian. The trio are preparing for holiday appearances based on the characters in the old radio play.Oregonian The new Cinnamon Bear was given a rounder face, oval eyes, a green bowtie and a little sailors cap printed with the words Portland Spirit. The first Cinnamon Bear cruise launched in 2005. The phones rang off the hook the first year, out of the gate, Corwin said. It was amazing. And the kids didnt know the character, even some of the parents didnt quite know, but grandma and grandpa did, so grandma would bring all of her grandkids. The first cruise featured only Cinnamon Bear, but over the years, more characters from the original radio serial were added to the cast. In the 1937 story, the children sail across the Root Beer Ocean in a boat piloted by Captain Taffy. This was a natural element to highlight in the Portland Spirit version. The Cinnamon Bear greets children aboard the Portland Spirit cruise.Samantha Swindler/ The Oregonian It was agreed upon pretty early that Captain Taffy was going to be the Santa of the cruise, Corwin said. Santa does exist in the Cinnamon Bear story, but hes one of the characters we decided would never be a part of the cruise because it really was all about the Cinnamon Bear. Santas one of those things that can trump Cinnamon Bear. Side characters include the Crazy Quilt Dragon and Queen Melissa. Early cruises featured a character called Presto the Magician, but when the actor performing the role retired and because so many children are repeat customers Corwin knew he couldnt just replace him. I have families that have been with me every year for 20 years, and so they know all the players, he said. Thus, Jack Frost, who also appeared in the original story, was introduced as the new magician. While inspired by the original radio serial, many elements on the Portland Spirit cruise are original creations. Local composer Rick Lewis wrote five new musical numbers for the cruise, and Portland Spirit worked with a publisher to design and produce their own Cinnamon Bear childrens book version of the story. (Those songs and the book, by the way, are copyrighted.) Cinnamon Bear merchandise for sale aboard the Portland Spirit.Samantha Swindler/ The Oregonian Aboard the Cinnamon Bear cruise, parents can buy dragon or fairy wings, books, ornaments, stuffed bears, and an assortment of Cinnamon Bear merch. They can also, thankfully, hit up a cocktail bar while the kids enjoy story time or the magic show. The cruise had a two-year pause during the COVID pandemic. When it returned, Corwin updated the program to feature sit-down breakfast service rather than a buffet. It required the cost of the cruise to increase. Corwin wasnt sure it would work but parents loved the changes. Today, the Cinnamon Bear cruises which can hold up to 220 guests are near sell-outs, especially closer to Christmas. Jess Lawlor is a Portland transplant, so she hadnt grown up with Cinnamon Bear. But last year, she took her children, then ages 3 and 5, on the cruise for the first time. Its kind of like a Disney cruise or character cruise, but its so charmingly low budget, and my kids loved it, she said. The family is going again this year, and Lawlor anticipates it will be an annual excursion for at least a few more Christmases, until the kids become a little too old for Cinnamon Bear. Its fun as an adult to experience this weird, campy thing, she said. There are pictures, a magic show, story time, theres so many things to engage the kids. This is the 20th season of the Cinnamon Bear cruise, and Corwin attributes Cinnamon Bears longevity to nostalgia. Its become a tradition, passed down from each generation, and Cinnamon Bear himself has become an unofficial mascot for the company. I only do 12 Cinnamon Bear cruises, and we do about 2,000 cruises a year, so to put this much energy into 12 cruises, most of our industry thinks were insane, Corwin said. Why would you invest that kind of money and that kind of time into 12 cruises? I dont know. Its now become almost part of our identity, and thats why we do it. In a 1969 file photo, Cinnamon Bear intrigues 9-year-old Leonard Larson.Oregonian Want to listen to The Cinnamon Bear? KBPS-AM radio, run by Portland Public Schools, still broadcasts the original radio series. It begins airing at noon this Friday and will run daily the rest of the month. Listeners can also find it for download on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Online radio station ICAN, based in Portland, broadcasts episodes at noon and 6 p.m. daily throughout the month. You can even find an updated version of The Cinnamon Bear serial, produced by Audible in 2019, with actor Alan Cummings playing Paddy OCinnamon. Want to take The Cinnamon Bear cruise? Cinnamon Bear cruises take place Saturday and Sundays before Christmas, and the week of Christmas Dec. 23, 24, 26 and 27. Each two-hour cruise begins boarding at 9 a.m. and leaves at 9:30 a.m., and it includes breakfast, gratuity and a souvenir photo. Tickets are $80 for adults and $60 for children. Reserve tickets at portlandspirit.com. Samantha Swindler covers features for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Here is Oregon. Reach her at sswindler@oregonian.com. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. Like many other Oregonians, I cheered when the Student Success Act passed in 2019, (Opinion: Student Success Act offers state a model for effective, accountable education funding, Dec. 8). It promised a new beginning for our K-12 education system, but its promise was soon diminished. Sadly, the state Board of Education agreed that one group of special-needs students should be excluded from the full benefits of the act, perhaps the first time that any student group has been deliberately singled out for neglect. The bill created funding for students experiencing academic disparities. However, the board decided that lack of access to programs for academically gifted and high-achieving students does not constitute academic disparity. According to the report that underlay the act, many parents spoke to the Legislatures Joint Committee on Student Success about the lack of resources for Talented and Gifted programs; the committee recommended categorical TAG funding. Today, half of all Oregon districts either do not fund or do not identify TAG students. Portland Public Schools, by its own admission, has been out of compliance for mandated TAG services since 2016. Tens of thousands of students have wasted much of their time in school while our tax dollars have been squandered on teaching them material they already know. In the words of the opinion writers, if we want our kids to live out their most ambitious dreams, we must provide the education they need and keep expectations high. Any education system that has high expectations for every student includes high-achieving students. Margaret DeLacy, Portland To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion. Sophia 'didn't understand' why she continually broke out in hives. But she later learned a common culprit was to blame. Six months after moving into her Sydney property, Sophia began breaking out in hives. Source: Supplied An expat living in Australia has detailed her "concerning" and unexpected health battle since moving Down Under, explaining severe hives and skin reactions have consumed her body since living in her current property. Sophia, from the US, moved to Sydney from Los Angeles in February 2020 and eventually settled in the city's eastern suburbs in September last year. But within six months, she began noticing severe skin reactions when inside her home. "I got rashes all over my body that were not going away, I had to take antihistamines every four hours of every day for the first two weeks. But the hives were ongoing for three weeks," she told Yahoo News Australia. When things "weren't getting better" a doctor prescribed her steroids in oral form until, eventually, the hives began to go away. But last month, the hives came back with a vengeance, she said. ADVERTISEMENT "I just didn't understand what it was from. Then one day, I noticed that there was black mould in the [spare] bedroom," she explained. Expat discovers cause of her severe hives and skin rash While living in California years earlier Sophia learned she was allergic to mould and dust through testing. So right away, after seeing the black mould spread across her ceiling, she suspected it was the cause of her ills. "Before I moved here, no one ever talked about mould, but since moving to Sydney I've heard a few people mention it," she said. "When I moved in, they'd painted the walls so it all looked fine. But my neighbours mentioned recently [the owners] had previously fixed the ceiling due to mould so they were aware." Sophia broke out in hives all over her body including her back, chest, arms and legs. Source: Supplied Renter forced to move out after 'blowing up like a ballon' She convinced her real estate agent to send a mould specialist to clean the room before flying out to the US where she stayed for a few weeks. During that time she said her symptoms eventually went away. But not long after returning her "face blew up like a balloon". She was experiencing another allergic reaction. ADVERTISEMENT "My eyes were swollen, my face was swollen but I hadn't eaten anything [that could cause a reaction]. So I thought 'okay there's definitely something wrong with my apartment'," she said. The following day Sophia realised her entire bedroom ceiling was covered in mould. This time a different specialist came to inspect the property, and what he said left her "shocked". "He was like, 'you need to move out'. He didn't even say, 'Oh, I can clean this and everything will be fine'. So now I'm in the process of moving out," she said. In addition to her skin reactions, Sophia, the founder of a swimwear brand, said mould has ruined many of her belongings. Clothes, shoes, bags and even her guitar which was "sentimental". "It's just insane. It's everywhere.. in every room and every ceiling", she said. ADVERTISEMENT The expat has resorted to throwing most of her belongings away while attempting to clean some. "I really hope they [the agent and landlord] compensate me for what I've lost," she confided to Yahoo. Others experience similar health battles from mould exposure After detailing her issue on social media Sophia said she's been "so shocked" by how others have experienced something similar. "It's just crazy that we're not educated about this because it's such a huge problem in Sydney," she said. Sophia discovered mould had taken over her ceiling and belongings, including her guitar. Source: Supplied Another Sydney couple previously shared their experience living with mould. For 18 months, Katie Williams, an ex-beach sprinter, and contestant on Big Brother Australia, suffered from physical symptoms including "rashes on my eyelids and really bad asthma". ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, another Sydney tenant documented the "poor living conditions" she was made to endure as mould quickly began taking over the home just two months after moving in. Mould is 'common' in Aussie homes, especially in Sydney and Melbourne The issue of mould is a common dispute between renters and landlords, according to Leo Patterson Ross, the CEO of the Tenants Union of NSW. "We often see these kinds of disputes coming out of basically a dispute about whether tenants are treating their property well," he previously told Yahoo. Sophia is now forced to moved out as the hives continue affecting her. Source: Supplied "Unfortunately it seems that lots of people are told that it must be them and their behaviour, even when its pretty clear that theres a problem with the building". Parts of Victoria, where it's colder, have a similar issue. It often comes down to older homes having improper heating and ventilation, Dr Nicola Willand from RMIT explained earlier this year. "Many people are unaware of the health risks associated with cold homes," even in summer when mould can still form," she said. "Sydney has got a little bit more moisture outside. It's a little bit warmer than Melbourne, but I think the conditions that produce mould would be very similar in various cities". Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Editors note: This story first appeared on palabra, the digital news site by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. It is part of our Safe to Learn investigative series, exploring how communities define safety for their children and what those children need in order to develop their full potential in and out of the classroom. This story may contain scenes or references that could be triggering. If you or someone you know needs mental health support, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. Crisis counselors are available in English and Spanish, as well as for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. By Aitana Vargas | Edited by Ruben Castaneda When 16-year-old Daniel Joseph Puerta-Johnson died of fentanyl poisoning at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in April 2020, his father, Jaime Puerta, was unaware of how pervasive fentanyl poisoning, overdoses and deaths had become among adults and youth nationwide. That year alone, this powerful, highly addictive synthetic drug which is also legally prescribed for certain medical conditions and other opioids were responsible for an estimated 74.8% of all 93,655 drug-related deaths in the U.S. Three years later, drug overdoses killed 107,543 people and fentanyl and other opioids were responsible for 75.4% of those. While there is no guaranteed solution in sight, parents, school districts, local, state and federal government officials and legislators across the country are scrambling to find effective strategies to mitigate the death and societal destruction fentanyl is inflicting on families and communities nationwide. Daniels father feels authorities arent doing enough. Fentanyl poisoning is killing more people than suicide. Its killing more people than gun violence. Its killing more people than car accidents, but yet were sitting here scratching our heads, says Puerta. Jaime Puerta co-founded Victims of Illicit Drugs (VOID), a nonprofit that uplifts the Latino community in CA and the U.S. by going into schools to educate students about the dangers of drugs, at his home in Santa Clarita, California. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for palabraPalabra Available data confirms his assertion: 48,204 people died of gun-related deaths in 2022, according to the National Safety Councils Injury Facts website. Of those, 56% were suicides. Car accidents killed 42,514 people and fentanyl overdoses amounted to 84,181 that year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, a September 2024 report by Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, whose authors analyzed 2022 data, revealed that gun violence remains the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens up to 17 years old, as it has been since 2020. In just 2022, gun violence, which disproportionately affects Black youth, claimed the lives of 2,526 children and teens. Like gun violence, deaths caused by fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on Latino parents. The statistics tell part of the story; they dont quantify the searing grief and the emotional toll such deaths have on parents and families who have lost a child or loved one to fentanyl. It never occurred to Puerta that his son would become a statistic when doctors diagnosed him with severe depression and ADHD. He was receiving medical treatment, doing well, and wasnt using alcohol and drugs, says Puerta. But the pandemic hit, and we feel that, you know, it really put him in a very dark place. To escape isolation and darkness, Daniel turned to self-medication. He used Snapchat which leaves no trace of conversations to connect to a drug dealer, who sold him what looked like a legitimate Oxycodone pill. Unknown to the teen, it contained about six to eight milligrams of fentanyl, authorities said. That amount could kill up to four adults. For Daniel, that one pill was lethal. So many children are dying through no fault of their own, Puerta says. They die through deception. Daniel Joseph Puerta-Johnsons ashes are surrounded by pictures of the 16-year-old in his bedroom. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for palabraPalabra Counterfeit prescription pills, such as oxycodone, benzodiazepines and others, laced with fentanyl known as blues or fentapills can be deadly. A UCLA Health report released this year showed that, on average, 22 teenagers between 14 and 18 died each week in the U.S. in 2022. Following Daniels death, his father co-founded Victims of Illicit Drugs (VOID), a nonprofit that uplifts the Latino community in California and the U.S. by going into schools to educate students about the dangers of drugs. One way it does this is by showing Dead on Arrival, a 21-minute documentary by Dominic Tierno and Christine Wood. The film, available in English and Spanish, recounts the stories of four families, including Puertas, who have lost loved ones to fentanyl. Puerta strives to bring drug prevention information to students attending junior high schools and high schools in Los Angeles to ensure they are adequately equipped to navigate potential periods of stress and anxiety. Ultimately, he wants to detract students from turning to social media platforms in search of drugs to alleviate mental health struggles. His nonprofit partners with the Los Angeles Police Department. Unlike some parents and organizations, he supports the presence of school resource officers (SROs) on campus and believes that police view their role as protecting children, not finding reasons to arrest them. The Advancement Project, a nonprofit devoted to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and removing law enforcement presence and SROs from schools, views police officers as a threat to Black, Brown and Latino students. They also say police are the wrong vessels for a drug prevention message. When you place a police officer in a school, you increase the likelihoodof suspensions and expulsions, and you increase the risk of school-based arrests, as well as the physical assaults that accompany that, says Tyler Whittenberg, deputy director of the projects Opportunity to Learn program. Jaime Puerta sees a photo of him and his son included in the Dead on Arrival documentary. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for palabraPalabra In the 1980s, the LAPDs D.A.R.E. program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) placed police officers in schools and it was measurably ineffective at preventing students from experimenting with drugs, Whittenberg says. Scholarly research supports Whittenbergs claim. But the long-ago programs merits are immaterial to Puerta and other parents who have lost a loved one to fentanyl. These parents have no illusion that their efforts will stop or solve the crisis but theyre galvanized by their respective losses to try to mitigate the toll fentanyl is exacting on their communities. Following the death of 15-year-old Melanie Ramos in September 2022, a group of parents including Melanies mother, Elena Perez and community leaders contributed to the October 2023 passage of SB 10 or Melanies Law, a statewide bill requiring all California public schools to develop safety plans and create fentanyl education, prevention training and response programs for staff, students and families. The goal: to save an overdosing student. The teenager had fatally overdosed in the girls bathroom at Bernstein High School in Hollywood, part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Earlier that day, a friend of Melanies overdosed at the school but survived. Both girls had taken pills they thought were Percocet. The pills were laced with fentanyl, according to published reports. Melanies mother filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the LAUSD, arguing school officials knew there was a rampant drug problem on the Bernstein campus, including overdoses in recent months, yet failed to act. Authorities confirmed that at least seven teenagers in Hollywood had overdosed on pills believed to be laced with fentanyl in the span of a month. The LAUSD is now trying to have the case dismissed. The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Dave Cortese (District 15), who represents most of Santa Clara County, which saw an 863% increase in fentanyl deaths between 2018 and 2021. The legislation also provides schools with access to Narcan (Naloxone), an emergency nasal spray that rapidly reverses the effects of fentanyl. Bernstein High School in Hollywood. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for palabraPalabra Having Narcan at schools will save lives, says Mira Parwiz, coalition leader of the Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project (SCCOOPP), a diverse group of healthcare professionals and volunteers working to promote opioid safety throughout the county. Parwiz explains that, faced with skyrocketing overdoses in Santa Clara where 25% of the population is Latino the county had no time to spare. In 2022, SCCOOPP provided opioid education and training to all school districts and made Narcan available to each schools staff, parents and students. Senator Cortese has told us that he was inspired by our work and pushed it forward to become a model for all California schools, she adds. SB 10s effectiveness remains unclear. In Santa Clara County, authorities have yet to track whether the law made a difference. However, Parwiz is sure the measure will help all schools, regardless of socioeconomic factors. Other tools used by SCCOOPP include screenings of the feature-length documentary Fentanyl High at community events and schools. The film was directed by Kyle Santoro, a Taiwanese-American student at Los Gatos High School. A scene from the documentary Dead on Arrival, which highlights stories of four families, including Jaime Puertas, who have lost loved ones to fentanyl. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for palabraPalabra Youth and young adults join the drug prevention effort Santoro is not the only student or young adult raising awareness of the dangers of opioid addiction. In Arizona, 31-year-old Ronny Morales has been working as a recovery advocate for years now. A former Arizona State University journalism student, Morales quit his college studies after developing a years-long addiction to prescription opiates following a car accident that left him with third-degree burns. After only three months of supervised treatment, he developed a drug dependency. I started using it like my coffee in the morning, he says in an interview with palabra. In the throes of his addiction, Morales went to social media, where he found abuelitas who sold him medication from the comfort of their own homes. You would see themyou would be like, oh, shes such a cute grandma butthey get down to business, Morales explains. In 2019, he started sharing his recovery journey on social media and realized that he was not alone in his struggle with opiates or fentanyl. He has since brought his message to students and parents at community and recovery events. But its been an uphill recovery journey, and as a Latino, he says, it was embarrassing to share his struggles with others. Because of the cultural differences, culture barriers, its just so much more difficult to come out with something like that (fentanyl addiction) and be public about it. Its very taboo, he says. Morales relapsed multiple times until he cut off all contact with his drug providers and network and became sober in 2019. This decision appears to have been crucial in his recovery journey. I blocked them. I deleted them. I wanted nothing to do with them. I didnt want them to reach out to me because I wanted just no connection with them, he says. Jaime Puerta keeps pins from government agencies he has visited during speaking events about the effects of fentanyl in schools across the country. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for palabraPalabra Cartels recruit young U.S. citizens and permanent residents to smuggle drugs Both in Arizona and California, Mexican cartels primarily the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel are exploiting decades-long logistics and distribution routes to smuggle fentanyl into the U.S. It is not immigrants without documents bringing in the drugs, as president-elect Donald Trump has claimed repeatedly. Rather, drug organizations enlist U.S. citizens and green card holders including some students as mules to slip fentanyl past the border. In August 2019, Phillip Junior Webb, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for recruiting high school students and attempting to smuggle methamphetamine and fentanyl at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry multiple times. At the time of the offense, Webb was an 18-year-old high school senior. Juveniles he recruited strapped drugs to their bodies, according to the DEA. At least 50% of U.S. Customs and Border Protections fentanyl seizures occur in San Diego. This means that students in school districts on or close to the border such as those in San Ysidro, National City, and Chula Vista are particularly vulnerable to recruitment by drug organizations, which offer to pay thousands of dollars for smuggling drugs into the U.S. The legal entry points of Tijuana and San Ysidro are the most valuable piece of drug trafficking property in the world, says Rocky Herron, a retired DEA agent currently working as the ambassador of Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention for the San Diego County Office of Education. Herron, parent of three daughters, spoke to palabra on behalf of himself, not as a spokesman for the county education department. Herron speaks fluent Spanish and has delivered nearly a thousand presentations in the U.S. and over 200 abroad. His message to youth is simple: the power to make the right choices even if one is already using drugs resides within them. In his talks, he also explains that drug consumption disrupts brain development and has negative consequences for the users friends and family. Herron works on prevention campaigns with school districts on the border that have a mix of U. S. and transborder Mexican students. While fentanyl deaths are getting the lions share of attention, methamphetamine is also fatally poisoning many people, he says. The toll exacted by both drugs is quantifiable. According to a 2024 annual report card, unintentional fentanyl-caused deaths (both prescribed and illicitly obtained) rose from 151 to 749 between 2019 and 2023 in San Diego. Fentanyl-only deaths accounted for 62% of all unintentional drug and alcohol deaths in 2023. In 2019, this number was considerably lower: 23%. In 2023 also, the explosive methamphetamine and fentanyl mix killed 458 people, compared to 56 in 2019. Herron acknowledges that its hard to prove the effectiveness of preventive care: How do you prove how many drug users you prevented? Beatriz Villarreal also believes in the power of preventive strategies. More than 25 years ago, Villarreal who at the time was running an advisory program at the San Diego County Juvenile Hall founded Mano a Mano, a San Diego-based non-profit working with the police, state universities, public schools and churches to bring drug prevention information exclusively in Spanish to Latino children and families in San Diego County. She wants parents to start the war on drugs at home, takes a hard stance on crime and believes that dealers, including students, have to face serious consequences for committing drug-related crimes. Left: Beatriz Villarreal, in a yellow dress, with other supporters of Mano a Mano at their fentanyl conference in Imperial Beach in 2024. Right: A slide presented to young attendees at the conference. Photos courtesy of Beatriz VillarrealPalabra Online videos of her presentations show Villarreal encouraging Latino parents to have frequent conversations about drug and alcohol prevention with their children. She shows parents how to visually identify drugs, teaches them street drug names, explains how prevalent specific drugs are in different regions, breaks down popular drug use by ethnic group and describes the effects of each drug on the body. There are signs that prevention efforts and calls to action like Herrons and Puertas talks, the students awareness efforts, Villarreals classes and the widespread availability of naloxone may be having a positive effect among students and parents attending these events. Villarreal launched her fentanyl prevention campaign in Spanish about two years ago, encouraged Puerta to include Spanish subtitles on Dead on Arrival, and currently provides free Narcan to families attending her events. Multiple times, she has invited Puerta to speak and screen his short film on fentanyl. This year, he spoke before an audience of 2,500 students. The response was overwhelming. All (attendees) ended up crying and hugged him. And thats what we need, that he goes to each school and presents his video, she recalls. Aitana Vargas is a Columbia University graduate and an award-winning on-camera foreign correspondent and live tennis commentator based in Los Angeles. She began her career anchoring a local Spanish-language TV show while obtaining her BS in Physics from Berry College and then interned at the BBC, CNN International, and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Communications Department in Germany. Her Masters thesis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at Columbia University was supervised by Professor Rashid Khalidi. Her stories have appeared on NPRs The Pulse, the EHRP, Publico, EFE, CNN Expansion, the LA Times, DirecTV Sports, TVE Internacional, Cuatro/Telecinco TV Network, HITN TV Network, Narratively, Hoy Los Angeles and others. Shes received several LA Press Club awards (Investigative Series, Sports Journalist of the Year, Race & Society Reporting, Hard News Feature, Obituary, Consumer Reporting, Sports and Hard News) and the 2018 Berry College Outstanding Young Alumni Award. She is a Livingston Award finalist, a Fundacion Gabo & Organized Crime Corruption Reporting Project finalist and a 2024-2025 Rosalynn Carter fellow. Aitana was also the Spanish-English interpreter for transgender artist Daniela Vega, lead actress in the Academy Award-winning film A Fantastic Woman. Learn more about her. @AitanaVargas Zaydee Sanchez is a Mexican American visual storyteller, documentary photographer, and writer from Tulare, California, in the San Joaquin Valley. She seeks to highlight underreported communities and overlooked narratives, with a focus on labor, gender, and displacement. Zaydee is an International Womens Media Foundation grantee and a 2021 USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism Fellow. Her work has been published in Al Jazeera, National Geographic, NPR, among others. She lives in Los Angeles. @Zaydee_s Ruben Castaneda is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist with more than three decades of experience as a reporter and an editor. He has worked for the Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and is the author of the book S Street Rising: Crack, Murder and Redemption in D.C. @sstreetrising A front, packing plenty of rain, pushes inland Friday ending the work week with a good shot of moisture. The bulk of western Oregon will see rain, but the National Weather Service is warning travelers of accumulating freezing rain the in the upper Hood River Valley and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Warmer rain will fall on top of frozen ground, causing slick conditions in those areas. Portland will see steady rain by mid morning. Once the front passes, showers will linger through the evening. The high temperature is expected to reach 47 degrees. Winds will kick up overnight ahead of the next system moving in Saturday. The valleys have a 50%-70% chance of gusts of 30 mph or greater. The coast has a 30% chance of seeing gusts stronger than 40 mph. The Cascades will see new snow from these systems and those driving through the passes this weekend should be prepared for winter driving. Portland will see another damp day Saturday as showers remain in the forecast. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms after about 4 p.m. The high should reach about 49 degrees. Sunday brings a weak transient ridge that should dry out much of western Oregon and offer partly clear skies. Portland still has a slight chance of morning showers, but the afternoon should be partly sunny, with high temperatures reaching about 48 degrees. A front traveling south from British Columbia will move into the metro area early Monday. Portland will see steady rain much of the day and a high of 47 degrees. Extended forecasts keep rain or showers in the region through Wednesday. High temperatures should stay in the upper 40s to low 50s. A teacher in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, is now facing child abuse charges after taping a nine-year-old student to a desk for nearly an hour. Todd Lewis, 57, was working as a teacher at Lenox Elementary School in October when he reportedly used a masking tape and placed it around the back of the student's neck before securing the young boy to his desk. Law enforcement officials said the nine-year-old was left in that position for between 40 to 50 minutes, per NJ.com, citing Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes. It is unclear who freed the student after. It was also unclear what led to the incident. Where Was the Teacher at the Time? Officials said Sallyann Scala, the teacher's aide, 67, "failed to intervene" at the time of the incident despite being present in the classroom. Lewis has since been charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He has been released from police custody on monitoring conditions. He is also prohibited from having any contact with minor children, including the victim, according to Patch. Scala, on the other hand, was charged with fourth-degree abuse and neglect of children. She was not arrested. Both Lewis and Scala have been placed on administrative leave while awaiting the outcome of the court proceedings. District Superintendent Paul Amoroso noted that they have taken measures to ensure neither staffer has access to school premises. "We want to assure our parents, students, staff, and school community that we are working very closely with law enforcement to guarantee the safety and security of our students," he added in a statement. Other Incidents of Child Neglect Earlier this year, a West Clermont High School student was allegedly taped to a chair by school staff by a former teacher and aide. It is noted that the student has Down syndrome and autism. The incident was discovered after one of the two staffers recorded the aide restraining the student by taping him to a chair. His arms were positioned down to his side, and he was taped from his arms around his waist. Speaking to the police, the staffers said they taped the student to the chair as part of a joke. They have since been charged with misdemeanor unlawful restraint. Vital Signs 43/4 (2024), the current issue of the newsletter of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), includes the text of a letter (dated 30 October 2024) that was sent by Dr. Janice Miner Holden, who currently serves as the president of IANDS, to the actor Al Pacino. Mr. Pacino recently experienced an acute health crisis, and Dr. Holden is responding to a public comment that he made about it. She expresses gratitude that he is still around, and then explains why she felt that she should write to him: From your description, you did not have an NDE; you had a close brush with death without an NDE. Like you, about 85% of people survive their close brush with no memory of anything or anything unusual. But about 15% of people report that during the medical crisis, they had a vivid, emotionally intense experience of lucidly perceiving the material world from a position outside the physical body and/or perceiving and interacting with beings and environments not of the material world. Afterwards, experiencers are usually profoundly changed. Heres the paragraph, though, that struck me as most important: We researchers havent yet found a difference between people who do or who-like you-dont report an NDE following what seem to be identical physical medical crises. Because you dont remember anything from your cardiac arrest, it makes sense that you would conclude that nothing exists beyond this life. However, among people who have had multiple close brushes with death due to a serious chronic medical condition or to just being unlucky, they sometimes report an NDE and other times do not. For this reason, one cant conclude from one experience that consciousness does not continue after physical demise. Be prepared for the possibility of a very different experience the next time you come close to death! Critics of NDEs have often urged against me the fact that most people who come close to dying or who actually seem, temporarily, to be dead do not report having had an experience of extraordinary consciousness or extreme lucidity while in that state. But a substantial minority of such people do return with such reports And its true that we dont know why some do and some dont. But the fact seems to me very significant that, among people who have died more than once, some report NDEs on some occasions but not on others. I think that Ill go on to quote two more paragraphs from Dr. Holdens letter to Mr. Pacino: Despite many unanswered questions, we researchers now know a great deal. For example, 5-10% of the population have reported an NDE. Experiencers usually say that their perception during the NDE was vivid and was as real or more realthan reality as experienced in the physical body. And beyond being subjectively real, in many cases the experiencer learned something during their NDE that was not previously known to them but turned out to be accurate; these cases have recently been compiled into the second edition of the book The Self Does Not Die. After NDEs, most experiencers lose their fear of death because they know from experience that their consciousness continued functioning apart from their disabled body. Most researchers who have studied NDEs and related experiences deeply have concluded that human consciousness is not a product of the brain and that it survives physical demise. A good source on this topic is the Bigelow Contest Essays in which many of the leading figures in the field of near-death studies compiled the voluminous evidence for the survival of consciousness after physical death. For an overview of NDEs themselves, an excellent source is the book After by psychiatrist Bruce Greyson of the University of Virginia, the leading researcher in the field of near-death studies. The IANDS Fact Sheet: Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) offers an even more concise summary. Newly posted on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: The Temple: Past, Present and Future: Cherubim and Seraphim: Iconography in the First Jerusalem Temple, written by John Gee: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article originally appeared in The Temple: Past, Present and Future, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw. For more information, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/the-temple-past-present-and-future/. For video and audio recording of this conference talk, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2020-temple-on-mount-zion-conference/videos/gee/. A number of passages in the Hebrew Bible describe the temple and its iconography. Two of the features of the temple are the presence of cherubim and seraphim. These were well known to the writers of the Bible, but the images that spring to the modern western mind are probably not correct. I will demonstrate what the ancient iconography of these figures was and how we know that this is correct. A helpful note for anybody who might find this difficult and bewildering: The piece to which I link above is part of our book chapter reprint series. It is not an article in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. Items in our book chapter reprint series appear on Thursdays. (Today is Thursday.) Articles in the Journal appear on Fridays. (Today is not Friday. Tomorrow will be Friday.) I hope this helps! I was unaware of it until yesterday, but Jeff Lindsay posted an entry at his Arise from the Dust blog back on 18 September 2024 about his resignation as executive editor of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. (He remains a member of the Interpreter Foundations board of directors.) This is what he had to say: Ive Stepped Down from My Executive Editor Role with Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, but Remain a Fan One particular passage in Jeff Lindsays little article caught the attention of the Peterson Obsession Board cast member who goes by a pseudonym resembling Everybodys WC: I recently told a granddaughter, Brother Lindsay wrote, that serving in that role [as an executive editor and gatekeeper for Interpreter] was like being a bishop over a large ward of numerous papers, almost all in need of some repentance and many of which needed excommunication . . . . To EWC, Thats another pretty damning public repudiation of the Interpreters scholarship. However, I invite you to try to parse these sentences, which also come from Jeff Lindsays little article, as a public repudiation of the Interpreters scholarship': I remain a strong fan of Interpreter and have already begun working on a couple of contributions for it that I plan to submit shortly. I hope youll read and learn from Interpreter. There are so many gems there that demand more attention. Brother Lindsays comparison of his editorial work with Interpreter to the labors of a bishop over a large and challenging ward could also, of course, be understood as reflecting the high editorial standards that we try to maintain at the Interpreter Foundation and the demands that such standards make on an editor and gatekeeper. But such an understanding wouldnt fit the narrative that EWC has sought to maintain over multiple years of distortion and, often, brazen mendacity. At this very moment, for example, although he monitors my blog like a meth-fueled hawk for anything and everything that he might be able to deploy against me, he has thus far refused to acknowledge repeated flat denials of his anonymous, vague, unsupported, and false allegation that, some years ago, I deliberately sought to destroy the family and the career of a BYU colleague. Ive challenged him to furnish at least some evidence in support of what is, otherwise, merely yet another redundant example of his continual slanders against me. But his reasoning is amusing. Ill give him that. By the same logic, were he so inclined, he could point to the fact that Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology reject approximately 97% of those who apply for undergraduate admission as evidence for the low quality of their applicants. Posted from Newport Beach, California It's believed the Northern Pacific seastar arrived in Australia in the 1980s as stowaways. Since then their numbers have absolutely exploded. Volunteers have removed hundreds of thousands of Northern Pacific seastars from Tasmanian waters, most recently 1,000 in a single haul. Source: Facebook/Keith Thomas-Wurth Environmental advocates are summoning the public to come forward and assist with efforts to help remove the highly invasive Northern Pacific seastar from waters around the country's south. The toxic species thrives in plague proportions in southern Australia, largely in Tasmania but in parts of Victoria too, after arriving in Australia as stowaways on ships in the 1980s. Recent estimates suggest there are as many as 30 million seastars in Tasmanian waters alone, where the species significantly impacts local ecosystems by preying on native shellfish, including commercially important species such as scallops and oysters. Like many introduced threats, the Northern Pacific seastar has no natural predators in Australia though they do north of the equator meaning they're able to breed prolifically, almost totally unchallenged by any competitor. ADVERTISEMENT Benita Vincent lives in the state and runs the recurring Invasive Seastar Clean Up, now approaching its 64th event. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Vincent said she, alongside other dedicated volunteers, have removed approximately 200,000 seastars from local waters, particularly around the Derwent River. That equates to roughly 9,500 kilograms worth of organisms, collected across dozens of clean-ups. A permit is required to remove seastars from Tasmanian waterways, due to the fact they can be easily confused with natives. Source: Facebook/Keith Thomas-Wurth Removing invasive seastars 'near impossible' but every bit counts Vincent said removing the Northern Pacific seastar altogether from Australia is near-impossible due the fact they "breed so fast and so voraciously". "They release thousands of eggs per individual, so it's hard to imagine how many they would produce each year but it's billions," Vincent told Yahoo News. ADVERTISEMENT "We're talking about the ocean here. It's impossible to capture something in the ocean on that scale, they just breed like crazy and there's nothing that bothers them." Online, volunteers recently shared photos of the incredible volume of seastars they hauled out of the ocean in one trip "exactly 1,000 seastars at around 40kg". According to Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, seastars have been recorded from Banks Strait in the state's north, to Recherche Bay in the south. It's believed the Northern Pacific seastar arrived in Australia in the 1980s on ships and has since exploded in numbers, with some estimates warning there are now 30 million. Source: Tasmanian/Victorian Governments The highest population densities are found in sheltered bays in southeast Tasmania, particularly the Derwent Estuary. The predator disrupts marine biodiversity and affects the livelihoods of local fisheries, with their ability to tolerate various environmental conditions allowing them to spread quickly. Vincent said that she believes because "eradication is impossible", governments will not "invest any money" in those efforts, believing it'd largely be fruitless. This is why she started her event, to help make as much of a dent in local colony numbers as possible, in turn minimising the impact on native species. ADVERTISEMENT "That's the whole basis of the volunteer program," she said. "But there's a permit required for collection, so the best thing to do is get in touch with someone from our page, take a photo, and make sure you know what you're looking at first." It's important species are properly identified, as Tasmania is home to several native species of seastar, which play important roles in the local ecosystems. These natives differ significantly from invasive species like the Northern Pacific, as they have evolved within the local ecosystem and maintain a balanced relationship with other marine organisms. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Wide range of ergonomic adjustments Great contrast ratio provides immersive image 240Hz delivers good motion clarity Cons Stand is too large, doesnt use clip-in mount Limited image quality customization Motion clarity isnt as good as more expensive 240Hz monitors Our Verdict The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is a good budget gaming monitor with a focus on motion clarity. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 Retailer Price Lenovo $194.99 View Deal Product Price Budget gaming monitors just keep getting better, and refresh rate is one of several areas where theyre pushing forward. The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 has a refresh rate of 240Hz, yet typically retails for less than $200. Thats less than a buck a hertz! Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 specs and features The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30s basic specifications are typical for a budget monitor. It has a 27-inch widescreen display panel with a resolution of 19201080. Refresh rate is the monitors most alluring specification, as it can reach up to 240Hz (or 280Hz in the overclock mode). Display size: 27-inch 16:9 curved widescreen Native resolution: 19201080 Panel type: Vertical Alignment (VA) 8-bit Refresh rate: Up to 240Hz, up to 280Hz (overclocked) Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro HDR: Yes Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm audio-out VESA mount: Yes, 100x100mm Speakers: 2x 3-watt speakers Price: $229.99 MSRP / $149.99 typical The Legion R27fc-30 has a value of $229.99 (Lenovos version of MSRP) but is currently sold for $194.99 and appears to sell below $200 frequently. That makes it one of the less expensive 240Hz gaming monitors available. Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming monitors to learn about competing products. Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 design Lenovos Legion R27fc-30 leans heavily into a gaming-centric design, which often works to the monitors detriment. From the front, the panel is standard, featuring slim bezels on three sides and a small chin at the bottom. Turning the monitor around reveals a plain expanse of smooth, matte black plastic that feels unremarkable. Its no Pixio PX248 Wave, but the Legion R27fc-30s panel design is fine for the price point. The stand is where things start to falter. Lenovo opts for a wide stand with a design reminiscent of a steel truss. Unfortunately, the materials used are obviously plastic rather than metal, which gives away the monitors budget pricing. The stand also takes up a lot of desk space, and while the base is technically flat, its truss-like design makes it difficult to place objects on top of it. Matthew Smith / Foundry But its not all bad news. The Lenovo has significant ergonomic adjustment which includes height, tilt, and swivel. It can even pivot into portrait orientation. These features cant be taken for granted in a budget monitor, as many are limited to tilt adjustment. A standard 100x100mm VESA mount is available, too, for attaching a third-party monitor stand or arm. While the stand has many ergonomic adjustments, it attaches to the monitors display panel with screws instead of employing a more convenient quick-release mechanism. The monitor ships with thumbscrews that can be turned by hand, at least, so a screwdriver isnt necessary to set up the monitor. The display has an aggressive 1500R curvature. This curvature is noticeable but doesnt feel overwhelming due to the monitors smaller 27-inch size. Personally, Im not a fan of curved designs on a 27-inch monitor, as I dont find it adds much to immersionbut its a matter of taste. The R27fc-30 is unique among budget monitors in offering the full range of ergonomic adjustments. Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 connectivity There isnt much to discuss when it comes to connectivity on the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30. The monitor ships with two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4, providing a total of three video inputs. All video inputs support the monitors maximum refresh rate of 280Hz at its full resolution. Beyond that, the monitor includes a single 3.5mm audio jack, and thats itthere are no USB ports. I think all monitors should have at least a couple USB ports, I consider this a miss. However, many budget monitors omit USB ports. Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 menu and features Like most monitors, the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 features a joystick for controlling the on-screen menu, located discreetly on the right-hand side of the monitor. The joystick is responsive, and the menus are logically arranged, making navigation easy. This is notable, as many budget monitors have clunky, hard-to-use menu systems. Thats especially true of monitors from budget-oriented brands like Spectre, Innocn, and KTC. When it comes to options, though, the Legion is barebones. The monitor offers basic controls for refresh rate and pixel response time, which allow for fine-tuning motion clarity. In terms of image quality adjustments, youll find settings for presets, brightness, contrast, and color saturation. The monitor lacks more advanced adjustments, such as fine-grained controls for color temperature, gamma, and full color calibration. Matthew Smith / Foundry A pair of three-watt speakers provide built-in audio. Theyre reasonably loud and clear (traits that make them better than average for this price point) but lack the low-end required to handle music and games well. Most owners will want to use a headset or external speakers. Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 image quality The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 has a Vertical Alignment (VA panel), a type of panel technology thats especially popular among budget and mid-range monitors. VA panels arent always the best in terms of color performance, but they do well in contrast, which is good news for the Legions SDR performance. Matthew Smith / Foundry First up, though, is brightness. Here the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 performs well, as it hit a maximum sustained SDR brightness of 353 nits. Thats towards the high end for a budget monitor and certainly bright enough to use in most rooms. Theres one caveat here. The monitors curve can focus the light from lamps or windows that sit opposite the monitor (or, in other words, behind the viewer). That could be a problem if you plan to use the monitor in a room with light sources that cant be moved. Matthew Smith / Foundry Contrast is the big strength of a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel, and the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 capitalizes on it with a measured contrast ratio of 6030:1 at 50 percent brightness. Thats a great result for any budget or mid-range monitor and it leads to a more immersive, alluring image with respectable shadow detail. This is a major difference between the Legion and competitors that use IPS panels, such as the Gigabyte M27QA ICE and Pixio PX248 Wave. IPS panels tend to show a distracting IPS glow in dark scenes, which is the result of light from the monitors backlight leaking through the display panel. VA panels dont entirely conquer this, but theyre much better and dont appear to have a glow unless used in a room thats nearly pitch black. Matthew Smith / Foundry While VA panels do well in contrast, they can stumble in color gamut, and this trips up the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30. It achieved 99 percent of sRGB, 86 percent of DCI-P3, and 81 percent of AdobeRGB. These arent bad results but, as the graph shows, theyre a bit behind most budget and mid-range monitors weve recently tested. Only the Pixio PX248 Wave was less impressive. Whether this matters depends on your use. The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 still looks colorful in SDR games and movies. However, content creators might find the limited color gamut an obstacle. The monitor is not able to display as many colors as some peers, and that can lead to issues when editing photos, videos, or digital art. Matthew Smith / Foundry The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is technically the least color accurate of the budget monitors weve recently tested. However, budget IPS and VA panel monitors have become shockingly accurate in recent years, so this isnt a major issueespecially not at this price point. I measured a default gamma of 2.1, which is only a tad off our preferred target of 2.2 and indicates the image looks a bit brighter than it should. This error isnt bad for a budget monitor. Its the same story with color temperature, as we measured a default color temperature of 6400K, just off the target of 6500K. That means the image is very slightly warmer than it should be and, again, its a good result for the price. However, the monitor lacks good gamma and color temperature controls, so owners who want to drastically alter the monitors performance in these areas will need to rely on color calibration software. Sharpness, meanwhile, is mediocre. The monitors 19201080 resolution works out to about 81 pixels per inch, which is towards the low end of a modern computer monitor. Pixelation and aliasing can be rather distracting around small fonts and in games that lack a good built-in anti-aliasing solution. Video, meanwhile, can seem a bit soft. The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 delivers mixed but respectable SDR image quality for the price. It delivers a bright, high-contrast image that looks alluring and realistic, but fails to stand out in color performance or sharpness. However, given that this monitor usually sells for well below $200, its overall SDR image quality is competitive. Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 HDR image quality The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 technically supports HDR input. That came as a surprise, as nothing in Lenovos marketing indicated the monitor has HDR support. Omitting mention of HDR was a wise decision, though, as the Legion R27fc-30s HDR performance is rather bad. It lacks both brightness and color gamut required to do HDR justice. Because of that, HDR content often fails to look any better than SDRinstead, it just looks a bit different. Thats to be expected, as most budget monitors are incapable of good HDR image quality. Those who want passable HDR on a budget should consider an entry-level Mini-LED monitor like the Xiaomi G Pro 27i. Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 motion performance Gamers will appreciate the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30s refresh rate of up to 240Hz, which can be overclocked to 280Hz. This is an extremely high refresh rate for a budget monitor, and it leads to good motion performanceaside from a couple caveats. First, the good news. A refresh rate of up to 240Hz/280Hz provides a huge boost in motion as compared to a 60Hz or 144Hz monitor. The monitor also supports AMD FreeSync and VESA Adaptive Sync for smooth frame pacing (Nvidia G-Sync should also function but is not officially supported). The result is a buttery gaming experience. The fact its possible to buy a monitor this smooth for well under $200 is a bit astounding. However, the monitors VA panel is not the best when it comes to pixel response times. Longer pixel response times cause ghosting, so while motion is generally crisp, its not as good as a high-end IPS or OLED gaming monitor with the same refresh rate. When viewing test clips of League of Legends, for example, I noticed that character and moving UI fonts were still hard to read, whereas theyre often legible (with a bit of difficulty) on more expensive gaming monitors. The Legion R27fc-30 tries to mitigate that with its 280Hz overclock and several overdrive modes. This can slightly boost clarity, but it also creates visible shimmer around high-contrast objects. Personally, I preferred the 240Hz mode with Overdrive off. Theres also a backlight strobing mode, which is another tactic to improve motion clarity. This mode reduces a monitors brightness and creates a noticeable double image effect. Its not a great implementation and I cant recommend using it. But dont let these flaws turn you off, as theyre quite common in the sub-$200 monitor category. Taken as a whole, the Legion R27fc-30 provides great motion performance for the price. Should you buy the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30? The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 is a solid choice for gamers who want good motion clarity and contrast in a gaming monitor often available for less than $200. It has some flaws, like the oversized stand and lack of image quality adjustments, but also some perks, like a good range of ergonomic adjustments. Image quality, meanwhile, comes up a bit short in color performance but delivers on motionwhich, for many gamers, will be a good compromise. Fox Mulder must no longer be working the X-Files at the FBI. As a month of mysterious drone sightings reached a fever pitch in New Jersey and were now being reported in Pa., New York and Connecticut, too, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement late Thursday, essentially saying: Nothing to see here. We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus, the joint statement began, then noted all the personnel and technology that has gone into investigating the thousands of reports that started last month in New Jersey. So what are all the lights or shadows in the sky, often captured in blurry cellphone video footage posted and shared on social media? According to the FBI/DHS statement, theyre manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings. The statement added: Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities. We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. That statement would seem to debunk one of the most serious drone sitings chronicled by our sister outlet, NJ.com, at Picatinny Arsenal. In recent weeks, there have been reports of 11 confirmed drone sightings at Picatinny, including two sightings over Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County that were confirmed by the military, NJ.com wrote, adding: There was also a Coast Guard commanders report to Rep. Chris Smith of more than a dozen supposed drones chasing a Coast Guard cutter Sunday night. If true, all of that drone activity would amount to serious violations of federal law, as unauthorized drone flights are prohibited over military installations. Instead, the FBI/DHS statement appears to dismiss these incidents as inaccurate: We take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports. To be clear, they have uncovered no such malicious activity or intent at this stage. While there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight the insufficiency of current authorities, the statement read. The joint agencies werent the only federal government entities to weigh in on the drone reports that only seem to be accelerating on social media. As NJ.com reported, John Kirby, the Biden administrations national security spokesman, also pooh-poohed the drone sitings at a press briefing Thursday. Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully, Kirby said. As for whether the multiple government statements pushing back on the drone sightings will quell what increasingly looks like mania -- thats another story. What started in North Jersey, including Morris and Hunterdon counties, about a month ago with a few drone sightings has spread exponentially since then. In Jersey, residents of more than a dozen counties across the state have reported seeing large, low-flying objects hovering in sky in recent weeks, NJ.com writes, adding: Other reports have begun to trickle in from the Philadelphia area and Staten Island. Map released by the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office showing drone sightings across the regionMonmouth County Sheriff's Office And after the FBI had asked the public for reports and video of the supposed drones, they agency received more than 3,000 tips and submissions. All of these were apparently debunked when the agency investigated, culminating in the joint statement Thursday. Still, with the drone mania seeming only to spread, its hard to believe this will be the final word on all those lights in the sky. Many, it appears, want to believe. Where is Fox Mulder when you need him? A teacher in Passaic County, N.J., was arrested Wednesday after an investigation revealed he taped a 9-year-old student to a desk for nearly an hour while a teachers aide failed to intervene, authorities said. The teacher, Todd J. Lewis, 57, of Wayne, is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child for an incident that reportedly occurred Oct. 30 in a classroom at Lenox Elementary School in Pompton Lakes. The teachers aide, a 67-year-old woman who lives in Pompton Lakes, was issued a summons for fourth-degree cruelty and neglect of children, court records show. The woman was not arrested. Police said they received a complaint in October that Lewis had placed masking tape around the back of the students neck and secured it to the childs desk for approximately 40-50 minutes. The teachers aide was present in the classroom the entire time and failed to stop the abuse, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in a statement. Lewis appeared in court Thursday and was released on pretrial monitoring, with special release conditions prohibiting him from contacting minors, including the victim, Valdes said. Both the teacher and the aide have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of court proceedings, school officials said. We want to assure our parents, students, staff and school community that we are working very closely with law enforcement to guarantee the safety and security of our students, district Superintendent Paul Amoroso said in a statement. Attorney information for Lewis and the aide were not contained in court records on Thursday. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Nothing really gets one into the holiday spirit like biting into a seasonal treat. And theres one treat which really gives Pennsylvania joy the most during the Christmas season. According to a press release sent out by Coffeeness, sugar cookies reign supreme in Pennsylvania as far as Christmas desserts go. These simple yet delightful sweets represent the joy of holiday baking, often decorated with festive colors and shapes that capture the spirit of Christmas, the release reads. Sugar cookies are a canvas of holiday creativity, with a history as rich and sweet as their flavor. These cookies were first created by German Protestant settlers in Pennsylvania in the 1700s. The easy recipe butter, sugar, flour, and eggs and the fun of decorating them makes sugar cookies popular not only at Christmas, but also Hanukkah, Halloween and various other holidays. Sugar cookies were the second most beloved nationally. In first place was staple, pumpkin pie, which was the top Christmas dessert in 20 states total. Pumpkin pie reigned supreme. (Coffeeness)Coffeeness Some states were outliers in their number one yuletide sweet choices: Connecticut and Washington D.C., for example, were the only ones that preferred pecan pie above the rest. And only Georgia expressed a love for biscotti the most. While our map of Christmas desserts shows remarkable diversity, it also reveals a beautiful commonality, the report concludes. Regardless of the specific treat, Americans share a love for sweet traditions that bring warm and joy during the holiday season. Whether its a slice of pumpkin pie in Vermont, sugar cookies in Texas or tiramisu in Florida, these desserts represent more than just food. They are edible memories, family traditions and expressions of love shared around the Christmas table. By SARAH EL DEEB and NICK INGRAM, The Associated Press DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) An American who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assads notorious prison system said early Friday he was released by the liberators who arrived in Damascus a day after the longtime ruler fled the capital. Travis Timmerman called his release a blessing when he spoke to The Associated Press from a hotel room in Damascus, where he arrived late Thursday. He was among the thousands of people released from Syrias sprawling military prisons this week after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad and ending his familys 54-year rule. Timmerman, 29, said he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer. The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple Assads government, said the group had secured his release. We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the U.S. administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime, the group said, adding that a search was underway for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. An official with the group later said it was arranging for Timmerman to leave Syria, but gave no details. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didnt know of any other Americans held in the facility. I was there seven months. There were women there up above me, Timmerman said. He heard the women singing and teaching their children and could hear some of the men being beaten regularly. I was never beaten, he said. He was detained after he crossed into Syria from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June. He was questioned for three and half hours by interrogators who thought he must be a spy. In a brief second interview, they searched his mobile phone, and in the last interview, he started discussing his dreams with his captors. He said their threat of using violence against him was implicit because he could hear daily beatings next door. But his captors let him use his mobile to call his family three weeks ago. At the time, Timmerman didnt tell his family he was in Damascus, only that he was fine. He said later in his detention, he could hear explosions at a time when Israel was intensifying its strikes in Syria. Israels war with the Hezbollah militant group had intensified in September, before a ceasefire was reached last month. Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017. Stacey Collins Gardiner holds a picture of her son, Travis Timmerman, in her home in Urbana, Mo., Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. Timmerman, an American citizen, was found outside Damascus, Syria, after having been imprisoned for months after crossing from Lebanon into Syria on a Christian pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Nick Ingram)AP Timmermans mother, Stacey Gardiner, told the AP that as of Thursday evening, she hadnt spoken to her son. She said he told her he was visiting Prague and Budapest, Hungary, to write about different churches. She said she last heard from him in May, when he said he was going somewhere without internet and that he would call when he had access again. Then he stopped replying to calls and texts and she didnt know whether he was alive or dead. I couldnt help him, and that broke my heart more and more each day, Gardiner said. I just want my baby (to) come home. After getting out of jail, he spent two nights in Damascus, one in an abandoned apartment in the old town and another at a new friends house. He then started walking toward Jordan, when a Syrian family found him barefoot on a main road in the countryside of Damascus early Thursday. At first some mistook him for Tice. Mouaz Mostafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based nonprofit group, who was in Damascus learned of Timmermans location, reached him and contacted US authorities about him. Timmerman is recovering until the rebels can figure out how to hand him to U.S. authorities, Moustafa said. President Joe Biden has said his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged on Sunday that we have no direct evidence of his status. The case has frustrated U.S. intelligence officials for years. This is a priority for the United States, Blinken said. Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus in August 2012 as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men. He hasnt been heard from since. Assads government had denied that it was holding him. By Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to his inauguration next month an unorthodox move that would fold U.S. allies and adversaries into a very American political tradition. Trump said Thursday during an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange, where he was ringing the opening bell to kick off trading for the day, that hes been thinking about inviting certain people to the inauguration without referring to any specific individuals. And some people said, Wow, thats a little risky, isnt it? Trump said. And I said, Maybe it is. Well see. Well see what happens. But we like to take little chances. His comments came soon after his incoming White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed during a Thursday morning appearance on Fox & Friends that Trump had invited Xi and other world leaders to attend his inauguration. No head of state has previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration, according to State Department historical records. The unprecedented invitations come at a moment when much of the world is bracing for what comes next when Trump and his America First worldview return to the White House. The president-elect has vowed to levy massive tariffs against the United States' chief economic competitor, China, as well as neighbors Canada and Mexico unless those countries do more to reduce illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. Trumps also pledged to move quickly to end Russias nearly three-year war in Ukraine and press NATO allies who are spending less than 2% of their GDP on defense to step up or risk the United States not coming to their defense, as required by the transatlantic alliances treaty, should they come under attack. Weve been talking and discussing with President Xi some things, and others, other world leaders, and I think were going to do very well all around, Trump said. Weve been abused as a country. Weve been badly abused from an economic standpoint, I think, and even militarily, you know, we put up all the money, they put up nothing, and then they abuse us on the economy. And we just cant let that happen. Xi is likely to see the invitation as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Danny Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Xi would not allow himself to be reduced to the status of a mere guest celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader the U.S. president, no less. Still, Leavitt saw it as a plus. This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors, too, she said on Fox & Friends. We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone, and he will always put Americas interest first. Asked at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing Thursday about Trumps invitation, spokesperson Mao Ning responded, I have nothing to share at present. Leavitt did not detail which leaders beyond Xi have been invited. But Trumps decision to invite Xi, in particular, squares with his belief that foreign policy much like a business negotiation should be carried out with carrots and sticks to get the United States' opponents to operate closer to his administrations preferred terms. Jim Bendat, a historian and author of Democracys Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President, said he was not aware of a previous U.S. inauguration attended by a foreign head of state. Its not necessarily a bad thing to invite foreign leaders to attend, Bendat said. But it sure would make more sense to invite an ally before an adversary. China's President Xi Jinping gathers for the world leaders' group photo at the G20 Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)AP Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis, said the invitation helps Trump burnish his dealmaker and savvy businessman brand. I could see why he might like the optics, Frantz said. But from the standpoint of American values, it seems shockingly cavalier. White House officials said it was up to Trump to decide whom he invites to the inauguration. I would just say, without doubt, its the single most consequential bilateral relationship that the United States has in the world, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said. It is a relationship both fraught with peril and responsibility. Its unclear which leaders, if any, might show. A top aide to Hungarian President Viktor Orban, one of Trumps most vocal supporters on the world stage, said Thursday that Orban isnt slated to attend the inauguration. There is no such plan, at least for the time being, said Gergely Gulyas, Orbans chief of staff. The nationalist Hungarian leader is embraced by Trump but has faced isolation in Europe as hes sought to undermine the European Unions support for Ukraine, and routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the blocs efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion. Orban recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Every countrys chief of mission to the United States will also be invited, according to a Trump Inaugural Committee official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Such invitations to diplomats stationed in Washington has been customary during past inaugurations. Xi, during a meeting with President Joe Biden last month in Peru, urged the United States not to start a trade war. Make the wise choice, Xi cautioned. Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pushed back on Trumps threats, warning that such tariffs would be perilous for the U.S. economy as well. Trudeau earlier this week said Americans are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive and said he will retaliate if Trump goes ahead with them. Trump responded by calling Canada a state and Trudeau the governor. In addition to the tariff dispute, U.S.-China relations are strainedover other issues, including what U.S. officials see as Beijings indirect support of Russias war on Ukraine. The Biden administration says China has supported Russia with a surge in sales of dual-use components that help keep its military industrial base afloat. U.S. officials also have expressed frustration with Beijing for not doing more to rein in North Koreas support for the Russian war. China accounts for the vast majority of North Koreas trade. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dispatched thousands of troops to Russia to help repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk border region. The North Koreans also have provided Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials. Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration is set to take place a day after the U.S. deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the United States. Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington and Balint Domotor in Budapest, Hungary, contributed to this report. At long last, the Century III mall in West Mifflin, Allegheny County, is coming down. And its getting some help from the state government to speed the process along On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis announced during a press conference that Pennsylvania will be investing $1 million via a RACP grant to continue the demolition process. The grant money will help retain local construction jobs and create 150 new jobs for a proposed mixed-use development that will replace the mall. So many of us who grew up in the area remember going to the Century III Mall over the years it was truly a gem, Davis said via a press release. Im excited to see what the future brings for this site and proud that the state has invested $1 million in funding to keep the project moving forward. Shawl Pryor, the CEO of Moonbeam Capital, which owns Century III, told WTAE that the demolition should be done in 12 to 18 months. Once one of the largest malls in the country, Century III has been empty since 2019 and has been a danger for trespassers since then. In April 2023, there was a fire at the mall. A teenage boy fell through the roof in June and was hospitalized. Later that same month, four people were charged after filming a YouTube video in the abandoned mall. In November, another YouTuber was charged with trespassing in the mall. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato told WPXI that the planned mixed-use development will include commercial spaces, residences, and public amenities. This transformation isnt just about the physical demolition of the mall, its about creating an asset that serves everyone across this region, Innamorato said. This site will be an economic development generator, bringing a mix of commercial spaces, residences, and public amenities that reflect the needs of this community. Im excited so see the state step up and help assist with the rehabilitation of Century III Mall, said state Sen.-elect Nick Pisciottano via a press release. This is only the first step in the ultimate goal of returning this property to the tax rolls as a community asset. Folks in this area have been waiting a long time for this, and Im happy we could get this done with our partners in the Shapiro-Davis Administration and local government. The largest species of salamander in the United States and the official amphibian of Pennsylvania could soon become an endangered species, according to the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal Thursday to include the salamanders under the Endangered Species Act following a years-long push by local and national organizations. This decision will set in motion a 60-day public comment period beginning Friday in the Federal Register. Information on how to submit comments can be found on regulations.gov by searching docket number FWSR3ES20240152, according to a press release. Per the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, there are more hurdles and red tape to look at, such as how to handle the sticky subject of critical habitat, and questions to be answered. But for now, it is a big step for a creature that typically doesnt travel far from home. The proposal comes after a lawsuit was filed in 2021 by the Center for Biological Diversity on behalf of Waterkeepers Chesapeake, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, and Waterkeeper Alliance. With an official listing under the Endangered Species Act, conservation efforts can expand to support the life of the eastern hellbender, said Ted Evgeniadis of the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. Unchecked development and irresponsible use of our water resources have allowed their populations to decline but todays proposal gives this critical species a future. Eastern hellbenders, which are known to live throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern and Midwestern states, have seen drastic changes to their habitats and declines in population, including right here in central Pennsylvania. The salamanders which can grow to 12 to 29 inches in length and weigh as much as 5 pounds at maturity depend on clean, well-oxygenated, and fast-flowering water for their habitats because they absorb up to 95 percent of their oxygen through their skin. Former Gov. Tom Wolf signed a law in 2019 listing the eastern hellbender as the states official amphibian, creating a symbol and goal for clean waterways in the Commonwealth. This undated photo provided by Peter Petokas, a research associate at the Clean Water Institute of Lycoming College's biology department, shows an adult Eastern hellbender, an aquatic salamander that can grow up to two feet long, making them the largest North American amphibian according to the Center for Biological Diversity. (Peter Petokas via AP) However, experts now estimate around 95 percent of eastern hellbender habitats throughout the country either no longer exist or are not clean enough to support the species. Mining, drilling and development projects are some of the major threats to the habitats of the hellbender, experts said. However, extreme storms and climate change are also contributing to their plummeting populations. Hurricane Helene recently destroyed the healthiest stretch of habitats for eastern hellbenders in North Carolina, and forest damage and storm contamination are expected to continue to pollute the area. The push to have the eastern hellbender listed as endangered goes as far back as 2010 when the Center for Biological Diversity and its allies petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to a Thursday press release. In 2021 hellbenders from the Missouri River gained protection, but range-wide protections were denied. But that ruling was challenged, and a court ordered the Service to redo its analysis, ultimately leading to Thursdays announcement. Fifteen states have eastern hellbenders, but only 12 percent of their populations are considered to be stable and successfully reproducing. Populations of hellbenders can still be found in sections of the Susquehanna River in north-central Pennsylvania. Robin Broder, deputy director of the Waterkeepers Chesapeake, called the proposed listing a great victory, not only for the hellbenders but for all species that rely on clean, free-flowing streams and rivers. Hellbenders are like the canary in the coal mine. This ancient species is now almost gone from much of Appalachian streams because they are incredibly sensitive to pollutants and the destruction of their habitats. Riverkeepers in central Pennsylvania also commended the proposal, saying the eastern hellbenders are misunderstood. We applaud this long-overdue proposal to protect a species that desperately deserves our recognition and protection. There are few creatures as symbolically significant to our work in the Susquehanna River watershed as the eastern hellbender, a misunderstood and underappreciated species that is a critically important litmus test of water quality, said John Zaktansky of Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper. In 2023, PennDOT announced it would offer special Pennsylvania license plates featuring the eastern hellbender. Among those gathered for a news conference on Monday announcing the availability of a license plate featuring an artist rendering of the Eastern Hellbender are Sen. Gene Yaw, who sponsored the legislation naming it the state amphibian; Emma Stone, who as a Carlisle high school student led a group to push for that designation for the hellbender, and Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Dunn. Oct. 2, 2023 Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive. com In 2019, a crew with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy discovered a new population of hellbender salamanders in Butler County, an immediate sign of extremely clean water. Other common names for the salamander species include Allegheny alligator, devil dog, grampus, lasagna lizard, Leverian water newt, mud devil, mud dog, snot otter and water dog. Hellbenders can live as long as 25 years in the wild and much longer when protected in captivity. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) last week released its final report on the fatal plane crash that took place near a Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange in York County last year. The NTSBs investigation determined fuel exhaustion was the cause of the crash, which seriously injured the 71-year-old pilot, Kenneth Sager, of Derry Township, and killed 74-year-old Lawrence Sager, of Harrisburg. According to the Dec. 5 report, Kenneth Sager fueled the 1955 Cessna 180 to its 55-gallon capacity before departing on a three-leg flight from Farmers Pride Airport in Bethel Township, Lebanon County, around 8:15 a.m. Sager said he filled the Cessna to the brim, which was further corroborated by the airport owner. However, when Sager landed at Brokenstraw Airport in Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, around 9:30 a.m., the airport owner told the NTSB he saw a Cessna 180 or 185 and was certain it was not refueled before taking off around 10:28 a.m., the report said. The next leg of the flight was from Pittsfield to a private grass airstrip in Rowlesburg, West Virginia, where Sager landed around 11:40 a.m. The owner of the private airstrip told the NTSB he was not at the property that day and fuel was not available on the property. The Cessna took off from West Virginia around 1:24 p.m. with a flight plan returning to Farmers Pride Airport, the NTSB said. According to the report, Sager considered stopping to refuel at Carlisle Airport, about 40 miles from Farmers Pride Airport, but said he was concerned about the availability of fuel and chose to complete the 15-mile trip to Capital City Airport instead. The NTSB confirmed fuel was available at the Carlisle Airport. About 30 miles from Farmers Pride Airport, Sager announced his intention to divert to Capital City Airport, which was approximately 9 miles ahead of the planes current path. This map, included in the NTSB report, shows the three legs of the May 31, 2023, flight before the Cessna 180 crashed near a Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange in Fairview Township, York County. Credit: National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety Board About 5 miles from Capital City Airport, Sager announced the Cessna 180 had sustained an engine failure. The plane was a mile away from the Capital City Airport and aligned to land on one of the runways when it crashed into a utility truck on a Pennsylvania Turnpike exit ramp in Fairview Township around 2:35 p.m. Sager estimated the Cessnas fuel consumption to be approximately 12 gallons per hour, the NTSB said. A chart in the airplanes operating handbook noted the Cessna would use an additional 1.5 gallons per engine start, warm up and takeoff. With those figures in mind, the Cessna consumed at least 52.5 gallons of its 55-gallon capacity without accounting for the increased fuel consumption (approximately 16.5 gallons per hour) during the three ascents made during the trips legs, the NTSB said. Investigators found trace evidence of fuel in the Cessna following the crash and determined no mechanical anomalies prevented the plane from being normally operated. A test run of the engine confirmed those findings. About one pint of fuel was found in one of the planes gas tanks, while the other was completely empty, the NTSB said. The report noted that Sagers pre-flight fuel planning could not be determined and it is unknown if he visually checked the planes fuel level before taking off for each leg of the trip. The accident may have been prevented if the pilot had been more closely monitoring the airplanes fuel state as the flight progressed, the report said. At the time of the crash, Sager held certifications as an airline transportation pilot, flight engineer and flight instructor, the NTSB said. On his most recent FAA medical certificate in October 2022, Sager declared a total of 31,000 flight hours of experience. The planes logbook showed Sager had flown a total of 58 hours in the Cessna 180. The Cessnas engine also had a top overhaul completed seven months and 31 flight hours before the crash. The work included installing new cylinders, piston pins, pushrods, and two rocker arms. According to Sager, he had been performing the recommended break-in procedures, which included running the engine pretty hard. The NTSB listed the probable cause of the crash as the pilots inadequate preflight fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent collision with terrain and objects. By Chris Palmer, Fallon Roth and Ryan W. Briggs, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) PHILADELPHIA A former Pennsylvania judge who was convicted of sending children to jail while receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks from the facilitys operator in the early 2000s was one of the nearly 1,500 people whose sentences were commuted Thursday by President Joe Biden. Michael Conahan had been sentenced to 17-1/2 years in federal prison after being convicted of racketeering conspiracy for his role in the so-called Kids for Cash scandal in Luzerne County. Conahan pulled funding from a county-owned juvenile detention center there and agreed to send juveniles to a for-profit facility in exchange for payments, a scheme that netted him and fellow jurist Mark Ciavarella nearly $3 million. Michael Conahan, center, leaves the federal courthouse in Scranton, Pa., in 2009. (AP Photo/David Kidwell, File)AP Conahan, who was convicted in 2011, had been serving his sentence in a Florida facility and was set to be released in 2026. But he was placed in home confinement in 2020 because of the pandemic. All those commuted by Biden on Thursday had been placed in home confinement for at least a year, the White House said. Despite Conahans involvement in the scandal, the news was welcomed by Marsha Levick, chief legal officer and cofounder of the Juvenile Law Center, an advocacy group that was among the first to raise concerns about the scheme. While we believe in a compassionate justice system that rejects an historically hyper-punitive approach to holding people accountable, we also hope former judge Michael Conahan has reflected on the harm he caused to thousands of kids, she said in a statement. We would like to see the same kind of compassion and mercy extended to children nationwide who continue to suffer harm from our juvenile and criminal legal systems. Not all the victims agree, though: Its a big slap in the face for us once again, Kids for Cash victim Amanda Lorah told WBRE/WYOU. Also among those released was ex-Philadelphia Police Officer Rafael Cordero, who was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for passing sensitive information about drug investigations to his half-brother a member of a Kensington-based heroin trafficking group. Corderos attorney, Jack McMahon, called the commutation fantastic, saying in an interview that Cordero got a way more severe sentence than he deserved. Thats a long time coming, if you ask me. Bidens clemency announcement came after mounting criticisms from criminal justice advocates and progressive groups that had called on him to issue more pardons and commutations, especially after he pardoned his son Hunter Biden on federal gun and tax law charges. At least a dozen advocates in Pennsylvania signed on to a national letter on Dec. 6 urging Biden to take action in the final weeks of his administration. In addition to those whose sentences were commuted, Biden pardoned 39 people who were convicted of nonviolent crimes. The White House said his actions represented the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre signaled on Dec. 2 that Biden would announce more pardons at the end of his term, a typical practice among presidents leaving office. Invasive fish are having disastrous impacts on Aussie waterways and councils are fighting to solve the issue. A trailer full of fish might have once indicated a bountiful fishing trip for many anglers. But a recent photo showing just that has highlighted the disturbing reality in Aussie waterways. Rivers across the country are being taken over by invasive fish species and authorities are taking massive steps to fix the problem. Councils have been attempting to remove the threats such as carp and goldfish by the trailer load with Greater Shepparton City Council recently removing hundreds of invasive carp and goldfish from a series of local lakes and wetlands in a massive five-day electrofishing effort. VFA and the Victorian Government are working with the Federal Government and leading fisheries researchers to develop a plan on how we can best reduce carp numbers," a spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia, adding it's supportive of "fishers catching carp in order to reduce their numbers. This particular effort saw 427 carp, ranging from 25-75cm, and 556 goldfish were removed from waterways to "allow the waterways to recover from their carp-induced damage." From one lake, 750kg of carp were removed. ADVERTISEMENT "Its been a massive effort, and their fifth major project to reduce the biomass of carp in their patch since 2012," the authority said. Carp is a major contributor in displacing native fish, causing some to be listed as rare or threatened as well as smothering aquatic vegetation by stirring up water and contributing to harmful blue-green algal blooms. In Victoria, carp is declared a noxious aquatic species, which means that it is an offence to possess, transport and release live carp or use it as fishing bait. While it may be eaten in Victoria and New South Wales, eating the fish in Queensland is prohibited. It's prohibited to eat carp in some states. Source: Facebook Plan to infect millions of invasive fish with herpes virus The huge effort in Shepparton highlights the ongoing battle to keep carp populations down in waterways. "Thats why were developing a plan to trial the controlled release of the carp virus in Victoria, pending approval by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry," it said, referring to the National Carp Control Plan. ADVERTISEMENT The plan would see a herpes virus released into river systems to kill off invasive carp. It's understood that as the plan is yet to be approved, there is no timeline for this taking place. It's expected that the carp virus could reduce populations by up to 60 per cent. Sharing his thoughts on the plan, Invasive Species Council acting CEO Jack Gough told Yahoo last month the plan is "not a silver bullet, but it will allow much greater control. He highlighted that there's not a good solution to the issue of carp. While industry leaders were successful in destroying the species in Tasmania, on the mainland they are thriving. So much so, Charles Sturt Universitys Dr Ivor Stuart told Yahoo they could even spread into the tropics, into the Snowy Mountains pristine mountain streams, and new parts of Western Australia. But not everyone agrees with the plan, with local business owners concerned doing so will harm an already struggling tourism industry. Tracy Hill from Coorong Wild Seafood, southeast of Adelaide, previously told Yahoo the intended deaths of millions of feral fish could create a big, stinky rotten carp soup in waterways, potentially devastating local businesses. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A Penn State Harrisburg student died Wednesday, two days after he shot himself on the universitys campus, authorities said. A student called the police out of concern for another student at 8:52 p.m. Monday after finding the 20-year-old man lying on a bench on Olmsted Drive, according to Dauphin County dispatch and campus police logs. Dispatch said the man was shot and bleeding from the head, from a wound that appeared to be self-inflicted. He was conscious but not alert when emergency responders arrived. The 20-year-old was taken to a hospital, where he died on Wednesday. Campus police did not immediately respond to PennLives request for additional information. The Dauphin County coroners office said he died from a gunshot wound to the head, and that his death was ruled a suicide. Penn State Harrisburg confirmed the students death in a Wednesday afternoon email to the community. During this difficult time, we are reminded of the importance of community and care. Words alone cannot fully express the profound sorrow we feel, both individually and as a united campus community, the email said. As we navigate the final days of the semester, we must continue to provide grace, empathy and understanding to each other. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Chat online at 988lifeline.org. Central Pennsylvania will be chilled by a brief cold snap, followed by a wintery mix this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Sunny skies will push the temperatures into the mid-30s Friday afternoon, according to meteorologist David Martin. But the temperature will drop this evening to as low as 14, he said. The frigid temperatures will remain Saturday morning, Martin said, but sunny skies will take over again. The high temperature Saturday is supposed to be around 32. The wintry mix comes in at the end of the weekend. Sunday will start off cloudy with temperatures in the low to mid 20s, he said and then the precipitation will start in the Harrisburg area. Itll be a mix of light rain and snow, freezing rain and even some sleet, Martin said. He said the rain and snow will last until 4 p.m., with temperatures around 34 degrees. The wintery mix will transition into mostly rain throughout Sunday evening. Forecasters are predicting a snow accumulation of less than a half inch. Martin said residents who will be traveling this weekend should be cautious of the road conditions. Next week, the rain will continue into Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures in the 40s, he said. Although the weather service meteorologist is predicting that there will be another shot of arctic air heading toward central Pennsylvania later next week, he said it could be weeks before temperatures drop again. Heres the forecast for the next few days: Americans spend thousands more on healthcare than people in other developed nations, and by many accounts, we are less healthy and die younger than they do. Thats why many Americans are so angry at a system that seems to put corporate profits above helping people when they need it most, when they are sick. The question is why? Why are millions of sick Americans suffering under mounds of medical debt while Canadians, Brits, Germans, and Australians enjoy better healthcare for far less? Three little letters hold a clue: PBMs. Patient advocates say pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are companies that stand between drug manufacturers and people who need their products. PBMs are supposed to help health insurance companies negotiate lower prices for drugs, but patient advocates say the opposite is true. Whatever savings they negotiate from Big Pharma stay in their pockets and is not passed on to consumers, they argue. And the whole pricing system is shrouded in smoke and mirrors. A Federal Trade Commission chart shows how six of the nation's largest pharmacy benefit managers are part of larger healthcare conglomerates.(Courtesy: FTC) A bipartisan group of senators and representatives wants to bring some light into a very dark system. In their letter to leaders of the House and Senate, they note the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says, PBMs have abused their economic power by rigging pharmaceutical supply chain competition in their favor, forcing patients to pay more for life-saving medication. These congressmen and women are hearing directly from angry Americans who believe the healthcare system in this county is broken, and they say PBMs bear a lot of the blame. Pennsylvania lawmakers have taken important steps to reform the practice of PBMs in our commonwealth, but patient advocates say federal laws are needed to bring more transparency into how PBMs operate and to bring down the astronomical cost of many life-saving prescription drugs. The congressmen and women are asking leaders of both the House and Senate to pass bills this month to help people like Maria Shoemaker. Shoemaker told the Editorial Board of PennLive and The Patriot-News that she has a rare blood disease, and for 15 months she had to pay thousands of dollars for medication that kept her from dying. She also had to forego surgeries she needed because she just couldnt pay for them. A PBM stood between her and the insurance company, denying her coverage for the drugs she desperately needed. Independent pharmacists like Chris Antypas are standing with patients like Shoemaker to demand Congress reform the practices of PBMs. Antipas is president of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association. He told our Editorial Board that PBMS are one of the biggest reasons many independent pharmacies have been forced out of business. Chris Antypas is an independent pharmacist who is calling for reforms in the way pharmacy benefit managers operate. He wants more transparency in how they negotiate prescription drug prices.Zoom screenshot Pharmacists want to see more transparency in how PBMS determine the price of drugs. They say the whole system needs more oversight and regulation because in addition to negotiating the prices of prescription drugs, many PBMs have interests in drug companies and own their own pharmacies. Antypas rightly argues many PBMs have serious conflicts of interest that puts money into their pockets at the expense of vulnerable, sick people It doesnt have to be this way in the United States of America. We join Shoemaker and Antypas in demanding law makers act before they go home for the holidays to rein in PBMs and reduce the costs of prescription drugs for all Americans. We urge all of Pennsylvanias senators and representatives in Washington to join the bipartisan effort to make sure legislation to reform PBMs passes immediately. We need to ease the anxiety millions of Americans are facing this holiday season as they struggle to pay for the medicine they need to stay alive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. You deserve the best. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers know they will likely be without George Pickens against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, they will likely be without standout safety DeShon Elliott, too. Backup safety Damontae Kazee hinted that he and Cam Sutton will take over most of the role left behind by Elliott and that they would be ready to step up. "Right now, me and Cam are going to be filling in for his role, and also playing our role, Kazee said. Without Elliott, it could mean that Minkah Fitzpatrick will roll into the box and reprise his 2023 role rather than play back at single-high safety. However, Kazee is in his third season with the Steelers, and it should not be too hard for him and Fitzpatrick to work off one another. Nah, man, Kazee said when asked if it would be different playing in the box. This is my third-year here. I think Mink and I know to disguise things and give teams a lot of different looks. We should be able to do that. The Eagles come in as the top-ranked rushing offense in the entire NFL, cracking it at more than 190 yards per game. Pittsburgh has allowed just 91.5 yards per game, largely due to additions across the defense, but Elliott has been at the forefront of their improvement from a season ago. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form A superintendent and an English language arts/journalism teacher have been recognized by Pittsburg State Universitys College of Education with the Distinguished Service Award, and two graduating seniors have been honored with the Teachers of Promise Award. The awards were presented by Dean John Oppliger during the Student Teacher Recognition Ceremony on Dec. 12 in the Bicknell Family for the Arts. Teachers of Promise Two top graduating seniors who have completed their student teaching assignments were awarded the Teachers of Promise Award. The award is a statewide initiative developed by Kansas State Department of Education. Kimberly (Ballew) Medlock, an Elementary Education Unified major from Joplin, Missouri, was a student teacher at Webb City Middle School. She plans to substitute for the spring semester. Emilie Crowley, a Family and Consumer Sciences major from Tonganoxie, Kansas, was a student teacher at Mission Trail Middle School and Olathe High School. She will begin her master's degree in education policy at the University of Kansas this spring and hopes to begin teaching Family and Consumer Science next fall. Distinguished Service Award The Distinguished Service Award, a prestigious honor recognizing exemplary commitment and leadership in education, was awarded to Brad Miner, superintendent of the USD 247 school district at Cherokee, and Shawn LaSota, high school English language arts and journalism teacher at USD 101 Erie. Dean Oppliger said both Miner and LaSota embody the spirit of the Distinguished Service Award through their tireless dedication, innovative approaches, and unwavering commitment to their school communities. Their impact extends beyond the classroom, inspiring students, colleagues, and the broader community. Miner has served as superintendent at Southeast Cherokee since 2015. His career spans more than three decades, beginning as an industrial arts teacher in Montrose, Missouri, before moving into a technology education teacher position at Chanute (1992-2000). He transitioned into middle school administration at Chanute as assistant principal and principal from 2000 to 2015 before moving to Cherokee. A dedicated lifelong learner, Miner earned his BS in Education in 1989 and an MS in Technology Education in 1992 from Pitt State, and an EdD in Educational Leadership in 2017 from Wichita State University. Miner is an active member of the United School Administrators of Kansas, Kansas School Superintendents Association, Kansas Association of School Boards, Cherokee Ruritan Club, and Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce. He is also the recipient of the Department of Technology Studies Excellence of Professional Service Award. Nomination letters lauded his unwavering commitment to students and staff, highlighting his personal care, leadership, and willingness to go above and beyond, such as driving a school bus during a staff shortage. A nominator described him as a true champion for students and our school community who demonstrates this on a daily basis. LaSota, a passionate educator with a flair for creativity and innovation, has made a significant mark as a high school English language arts and journalism teacher. After earning a BS in English Education from Pitt State in 2011, he went on to teach at Eureka and Fort Scott high schools before landing in Erie. In Erie, LaSota was tasked with developing a new Journalism class, which has since flourished into a hub of creativity. Under his guidance, students produce a weekly school newspaper and a professional-grade video broadcast. His innovative teaching extends to rewriting classic works, such as The Crucible, into modern scripts to engage todays students. A graduate of the Greenbush Leadership Academy, LaSota serves on the District and Building Leadership Teams and has presented twice at the Missouri Write to Learn Conference. His principal describes the Journalism class as one of the most creative endeavors he had witnessed. As the PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague winds down, the Main Event reaching the business end and other events wrapping up, some of the most prolific players in the world will be taking their seat for Day 1 of the 10,300 EPT High Roller at the Hilton Hotel. Last year, Shyngis Satubayev made a heads-up deal with France's Antoine Saout after the pair battled througha 240 entry field, leaving 40,000 and the trophy left to play for. Satubayev emerged as the winner to earn himself a top prize of 415,600 from the 2,328,000 prize pool. 2023 Prague 10,300 EPT High Roller Final Table Results Rank Player Country Prize 1 Shyngis Satubayev Kazakhstan 415,600* 2 Antoine Saout France 383,700* 3 Tarmo Tammel Estonia 219,550 4 Scott Margereson United Kingdom 168,850 5 Juan Pardo Spain 129,900 6 Anton Suarez Sweden 101,450 7 Kubanychbek Abakirov Kyrgyzstan 84,550 8 Christopher Nguyen Austria 70,450 9 Salih Atac Switzerland 61,250 *Denotes a deal 10,300 EPT High Roller features 60-minute blinds, with starting stacks of 50,000 and blinds kicking off at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. There will be ten levels played on Day 1, with a 20-minute break every two levels and a 75-minute dinner break at the end of Level 6. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2 in this three-day event, although players can only take a maximum of two entries over the course of the event. Shot clocks will be in play from the get-go, granting players 15-seconds to act on their first decision and 30-seconds thereafter. Players will be given four time bank cards at the start of play and an additional time bank at every odd blind level. Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates straight from the tournament floor as reporters follow coverage of all three days of action in the 10,300 EPT High Roller. Even before Tropical Storm Helene hit, Golden Harvest Food Bank was already addressing food insecurity in the area. But in the aftermath of Helene, the need to help was even greater. We really were a lifeline for many of our neighbors," Golden Harvest Food Bank President and CEO Amy Breitmann said. Golden Harvest Food Bank provided many in the area with food, water, clothing and other assistance that was needed. The storm caused widespread damage across the region. Golden Harvest serves 24 counties, including Aiken and Edgefield in South Carolina, and the Georgia counties of Burke, Columbia and Richmond. The agency provides assistance with food collections and book bag programs for students. A call to action We began quickly triaging food in our 24 counties, again with the help of trucks and personnel from other food banks, we began emergency distribution in our counties in figuring out where it was most needed, Breitmann said. Brietmann said the agency responded quickly and for the first few weeks was focused on getting food to individuals and partners. She said Golden Harvest had assistance from Feeding America, which mostly helped with the food bank, trucks and personnel. Also during the storm, the Master's Soup Kitchen was open to serve people. Tammy Butler, executive director of Community Ministries of North Augusta, said her agency stepped up to the plate. During the first week after the storm, they had a drive-though meal and food pantry for those in need and served more than 100 people. Since Helene CMONA has served over 500 people in North Augusta, Belvedere and Clearwater with food, clothing, utility bills and purchasing items at the thrift store. She said there would be lines of people waiting for them to open their doors. Butler said the agency has also seen an increase in donations from the community and the 28 churches that support it. The public has really stepped up, they have just been filling the holes the churches arent able to, she said. Chinese tea and coffee drink brands, such as Mixue, are winning hearts in Indonesia with their affordable and high-quality ice cream and drinks. These brands are also generating jobs and offering career development opportunities for young local professionals. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Shanghai (Gasgoo)- EHang, a Chinese company specializing in urban air mobility (UAM) technology, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KC Smart Mobility, a subsidiary of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited, and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (Cyberport), according to a press release EHang issued on December 11 via its WeChat account. The collaboration aims to advance the R&D and application of unmanned electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Hong Kong, promoting the development of urban air mobility and sustainable transportation solutions in the city. Photo credit: EHang Under the MoU, EHang plans to leverage its early-mover advantage in the low-altitude economy to provide safe, environmentally friendly, and efficient urban air mobility solutions. KC Smart Mobility will contribute its expertise in intelligent logistics and public transportation operations to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with Hong Kong's infrastructure. Cyberport, appointed by the HKSAR Government as the venue partner for the low-altitude economy "regulatory sandbox" pilot project, will provide venue facilities and digital infrastructure. This partnership will integrate the strengths of the three parties to advance projects in smart mobility and competent logistics, contributing to the development of Hong Kong's low-altitude economy industry. Cyberport Chairman Simon CHAN Sai-ming commented, "The low-altitude economy is a key innovation area supported by the nation and an important strategic engine for developing new productivity. This collaboration among Cyberport, KC Smart Mobility, and EHang integrates the strengths of all parties in different fields to drive technological innovation in smart mobility and logistics, further helping Hong Kong develop its low-altitude economy and enhance the foundational strength of strategic emerging industries." Mr. Wong Leung Pak, Chairman of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited, stated, "Kwoon Chung Bus is committed to providing excellent transportation services. Forming a strategic partnership with EHang and Cyberport marks a new chapter in our passenger transport services. By investing in the R&D and application of eVTOL aircrafts in Hong Kong, we aim to promote the long-term development of the low-altitude economy. We will collaborate to establish industry safety standards for low-altitude airspace traffic and prepare for full commercialization, aligning with the national low-altitude economic development strategy and making timely plans and strategic deployments that fit the Hong Kong market, actively promoting innovation and development ofHong Kong's low-altitude economy industry." In July this year, EHang signed a cooperation agreement with KC Smart Mobility to promote the deployment and operation of the EH216-S autonomous manned aerial vehicle in Hong Kong, Macao, as well as Hubei province's Xiangyang and Shiyan cities. Under this agreement, KC Smart Mobility plans to procure 30 EH216-S vehicles from EHang. From November 5 to 7, 2024, EHang, in collaboration with Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited, showcased the EH216-S autonomous manned aircraft at the Super Terminal Expo. This presents a safe, automated, and environmentally friendly advanced air mobility ecosystem and low-altitude economy service solution to attendees from Hong Kong and around the world. April Santana covers Lexington County for the Post and Courier Columbia. A New Jersey native, she studied journalism and political science at Syracuse University. April has written for Lohud/Democrat and Chronicle, The Arizona Republic and Syracuse.com. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Partly cloudy this evening. Fog developing late. Low 51F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening. Fog developing late. Low 51F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- BYD recently put five new energy vehicle (NEV) models, including the BYD HAN, BYD ATTO 3 (named BYD Yuan Plus in China), BYD SEAL, BYD SONG PLUS DM-i, and BYD QIN PLUS DM-i, onto the Omani market, according to a post on its WeChat account. Photo credit: BYD Meanwhile, the company also celebrated the opening of three flagship showrooms in the city, marking a significant step in BYD's market expansion into the Gulf region and highlights its commitment to driving the adoption of electric vehicles in the area. At the event, AD Huang, General Manager of BYD Middle East & Africa, emphasized the alignment between BYD's mission to promote green mobility and Oman's Vision 2040 for sustainable development. He expressed that this partnership would provide a strong impetus for achieving their shared goals. Mr. Abdullah Mohamed Bahwan, Managing Director of Corporate of Saud Bahwan Group, praised BYD's Blade Battery technology and its leadership in the NEV sector. He highlighted the strategic significance of BYD's entry into Oman's passenger vehicle market, viewing it as a key driver of the countrys energy transition and sustainable development. The three flagship showrooms BYD newly opened in Oman are located in prime locations: Wattayah, Al Mouj, and Mall of Oman. The showroom at the Mall of Oman is the first automotive showroom within a shopping mall in the country, offering consumers a convenient platform to explore NEV technologies. BYD plans to deepen its collaboration with local dealer partners, expand its sales and service network, and provide customers with a seamless car-buying experience and high-quality after-sales support. BYD also announced plans to introduce the BYD SEALION 07 model to further diversify its NEV lineup and meet the growing demands of Oman's market. By rolling out innovative products and technologies, the company remains committed to advancing green mobility solutions in Oman and across the Gulf region, contributing to a more sustainable future. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On December 12, FAW Jiefang (FAW Trucks), the commercial vehicle arm of FAW Group, opened its 2025 Global Partner+ Conference in Qingdao, unveiling its "SPRINT2030" global strategy. Photo credit: FAW Jiefang During the conference, FAW Jiefang outlined its roadmap for future marketing efforts and development. The company plans to achieve annual sales of 330,000 vehicles in 2025 (+27% YoY), including 80,000 units in overseas markets and 46,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs). Photo credit: FAW Jiefang As the global commercial vehicle industry accelerates its transformation, FAW Jiefang is seizing opportunities to expand its global footprint. The "SPRINT2030" strategy sets ambitious goals for 2030, targeting annual global vehicle sales of 500,000 units, with 180,000 units from overseas markets, accounting for 36% of the total. In November 2024, FAW Jiefang sold 15,622 vehicles, representing a 14.97% drop year-on-year. In the first eleven months of this year, the truck maker's cumulative sales amounted to 226,854 vehicles, which slightly dipped 0.41% from a year ago. PR-Inside.com: 2024-12-13 14:10:32 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 1026 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 Jakarta, Indonesia, Dec 13, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is set to conduct its mega promotion campaign, Think Business, Think Hong Kong (TBTHK), in Jakarta on 8 January.The full-day symposium, set to take place at Shangri-La Jakarta, will bring together business leaders from Hong Kong and Indonesia. More than 20 government representatives and business leaders will speak about the latest developments and opportunities in Asia and across diverse sectors, including finance, smart city, sustainability, transportation, innovation and technology (I&T) and more. Over 1,000 participants, including Indonesian government officials and business leaders from large corporations and SMEs, are expected.TBTHK aims to showcase Hong Kong, a resilient business and investment hub, as an ideal springboard for Indonesian businesses to access new opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), as well as the wider China and Asia markets.Ronald Ho, HKTDCs Regional Director of Southeast Asia and South Asia, said at a press conference in Jakarta, Hong Kong's strategic location as an international financial, fundraising and investment hub and as the gateway between Mainland China and the rest of the world presents immense opportunities for Indonesian businesses seeking to expand in the GBA and Mainland China. We look forward to connecting businesses with opportunities at TBTHK in Jakarta on 8 January. He continued, the Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive led a delegation organised by the HKTDC last year to ASEAN, including Indonesia, which resulted in the signing of 15 MoUs. The TBTHK promotion will build on that previous success to further promote business cooperation between Indonesia and Hong Kong. Event HighlightIn addition to the symposium, some 20 Hong Kong service providers and start-ups will feature their flagship products and solutions in the exhibitions Business Support Zone and InnoVenture Salon to create opportunities for collaboration with Indonesian participants.A delegation of some 100 senior executives, innovators, start-ups and professional service providers from various service sectors including I&T, infrastructure and transportation will explore business opportunities in Indonesia through company visits, networking events and business matching meetings.A high-level gala dinner, during which Hong Kong and Indonesia business leaders will have the opportunity to further engage in dialogue and network, concludes the days events.Indonesia-Hong Kong strong tiesAs the largest country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is an important partner for Hong Kong. Economically, Hong Kong and Indonesia have seen their trade and investment ties deepen over the past decades. In 2023, Indonesia was Hong Kongs 6th largest trading partner among ASEAN member states.Regarding bilateral investment, at the end of 2023, Hong Kong was Indonesias 6th largest investor, after Singapore, Japan, the US, the Netherlands and Mainland China, with a total FDI stock of US$17,253 million. In the same year, Hong Kong was Indonesias 2nd largest source of FDI, after Singapore, with a FDI flow of US$3,769 million.Presenting Hong Kong as an Ideal Business PartnerHong Kong has consistently ranked high on economic freedom and competitiveness. Its institutional strengths, including its free trade and investment regimes, a simple and low tax system and free flow of capital and goods offer a favourable business and investment environment.As a major business and trading hub in Asia, the city boasts excellent connectivity to the rest of Asia, with half of the worlds population within a five-hour flight. The new three-runway system at Hong Kong International Airport will significantly enhance passenger and cargo capacity, further solidifying its status as an international aviation hub. With Mainland China at its doorstep, Hong Kong serves as a gateway to this vast market, acting as a super connector between China and the world. Home to numerous international logistics firms and experienced supply chain service providers, Hong Kong can address the needs of ASEAN businesses.ASEAN countries can leverage Hong Kong's status as a premier international finance and business centre to raise funds and attract investment for developing smart cities, advancing the manufacturing sector and enhancing sustainability initiatives. As the largest offshore RMB market, the city provides robust infrastructure for efficient clearing and settlement of cross-border transactions. Its supportive regulatory environment fosters innovation and collaboration among ASEAN nations, promoting economic integration and offering diverse options for trade settlement. Through strategic partnerships with central banks, Hong Kong is ideally positioned to facilitate the growth of local currency usage, strengthening trade and investment across the region.With its strategic location as a finance, fundraising, and investment hub, combined with its role as superconnector, Hong Kong presents immense opportunities for Indonesian businesses seeking to expand into the GBA, Mainland China, Belt and Road countries and the wider Asia market.For more information, visit:Photo download: https://bit.ly/4iyAChi A press conference was held in Jakarta today, during which Ronald Ho, HKTDCs Regional Director of South East Asia and South Asia, announced details of the Think Business, Think Hong Kong (TBTHK) mega promotion, taking place in Jakarta on 8 January.(from left) Ronald Ho, Regional Director, South East Asia and South Asia, HKTDC; Suwito, Chairman, Hong Kong and Macau Bilateral Committee, Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Indonesia); Didit A. Ratam, Vice Chair, International Relations Division, Indonesia Employers Association (APINDO); Ira Sofwan, Deputy Chairman, DPP Indonesia Women Entrepreneurs Association (IWAPI); and Muhammad Aaron Annar Sampetoding, Chairman of International Relations, Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI), attended the Think Business, Think Hong Kong (TBTHK) press conference at the Shangri-La Jakarta today.Media enquiriesAdvo Public RelationsFriska Rani Tel: 081298980400 mail: friska@ advo-indonesia.com HKTDCs Communication & Public Affairs Department:Snowy Chan Tel.: (852) 2584 4525 Email: snowy.sn.chan@hktdc.org About HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus A businessman, Kehinde Balogun, on Friday, told a Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan to put an end to his 14-year-old marriage with his estranged wife, Stella, on the grounds of adultery. Mr Balogun, a father of three, regretted that he would not have exchanged marital vows with her if he had known that Stella would bring him such future embarrassment. My lord, I became utterly frustrated when I found out that Stella was having extra-marital affairs with my plumber, and I made her realise this. Then, she decided to move out of my house, pack my belongings with her, and abandon our three children, Mr Balogun said. During cross-examination, the petitioner said that his wife did not catch him on their matrimonial bed with any woman. He also denied sending her photographs to anybody. However, Stella denied any wrongdoing, stating that one of her friends had told lies against her. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later That friend of mine had told Balogun that Ive been sleeping around, and he began to react negatively to me. He turned me into a punching bag and stopped sleeping in the house. Later on, Balogun started sending my photographs to his girlfriend. My lord, he has remarried with my three children in his care, and they are not properly catered for, Stella told the court. The courts President, S.M. Akintayo delivered judgement and pronounced the marriage dissolved because Balogun and Stella were no longer willing to continue with the union. She granted the order restraining Stella from harassing, disturbing, threatening and interfering with Baloguns private life henceforth. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On Friday, legendary Afro-Juju musician Sir Shina Peters said he was ordained as a Bishop because of Gods directive. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that in 2021, Shina Peters was ordained as a Bishop at Cherubim and Seraphim Church of God in the Iju area of Lagos State. The musician, speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that the church leadership received divine instruction on his ordination. He said the instruction divinely delivered to the churchs leadership came years before he accepted the ordination. He said: The Almighty God said I should be made the first bishop in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church of God. He told the leaders of the church. God said this is because I am the only musician who has consistently used the hymns in my music and performances, and with this, I have won many souls for Christ. You know my music is usually taken from the hymns. And I tried to dodge the ordination for a while until God finally got me arrested. Regarding his career, Peters expressed satisfaction over his growth and appreciated God for guiding him through the years. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I am fulfilled; I am contented. The only thing I ask my creator for now is to keep me more enlightened in His word and the grace to get closer to Him. There is absolutely nothing I want to ask again than to continue to thank God for my achievements so far, by His grace. When I go down memory lane and think about those who started the journey of life together, who are no longer, I remain grateful to my creator. On what my fans should expect, I will only say they should expect something unusual very soon, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Spotify has unveiled the top five most streamed podcasts in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa for 2024. Ncebakazi Manzi, Spotifys Sub-Saharan Africa Podcast manager, said in a statement on Thursday that Apostle Femi Lazarus remained the most streamed podcast in Nigeria. Ms Manzi said others were: Motivation Daily by Motiversity, Success Addicted Podcast with the voice of Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill, Jim Rohn and many more, Apostle Joshua Selman and The HonestBunch Podcast. She said the top five most streamed podcasts in South Africa were: The Joe Rogan Experience, The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, What Now? With Trevor Noah, Motivation Daily by Motivarsity and Podcast and Chil with MacG. Manzi listed the top five most streamed podcasts in Kenya as The97sPodcast, So This Is Love, The Mkurugenzi Podcast, Mic Cheque Podcast, and The Sandwich Podcast. She described podcasts as one of Africas favourite ways to tell stories, adding that the continents appetite for the content had become loud and clear, with almost four billion minutes of podcast audio played in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024. South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya listened to the most shows this year, with South Africa contributing over two billion minutes. The numbers dont lie. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Podcasting is here to stay because it lets creators take control of their narratives and tell these stories on their terms while bringing their community along for the journey. Podcasts are personal, but trends exist across the continents leading markets and beyond, she said. Manzi said motivational shows about managing finances, relationships, personal goals, and health remained popular across the three leading countries. She said shows like The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett, Motivation Daily by Motiversity, and The Success Addicted Podcast have attracted listeners who want to get their lives in order and learn from the stories of inspirational people. Audiences in Nigeria and South Africa embraced shows about spirituality. Christian Motivation had one of the most shared episodes in South Africa, while Apostle Joshua Selman maintained his popularity in Nigeria for another year. As the continents second-largest podcast market, Nigerians listened to 700 million minutes in 2024, creating half of the new shows published in Sub-Saharan Africa this year. Even though spirituality dominated Nigerias top charts, the continued popularity of shows like I Said What I Said and The HonestBunch Podcast tell us that listeners also want conversation-style shows. Listeners in Kenya and South Africa also showed affinity toward these shows, she said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Movie piracy is a grave menace that Nollywood is still grappling with. These acts of piracy, often unwittingly supported by consumers, profoundly impact actors, producers, investors, and the industry. Even the smallest piracy gesture has far-reaching and detrimental implications. Similarly, Nollywood producers and investors have to deal with the struggle of piracy, as there are no parameters for effectively managing or curbing it. To this effect, actor and director Funke Akindele has urged Nigerians to desist from piracy and warned intending pirates of her most recent movie, Everybody Loves Jenifa, which premiered over the weekend in Lagos. On her Instagram handle on Wednesday, the actress lamented the alarmingly high piracy rates, adding that it downplays the quality of work and finances. The actress, set to release her movie Everybody Loves Jenifa in cinemas this Friday, also clarified that recording the screen while watching a movie at the cinema is piracy. She further encouraged fans to desist from such behaviour as it kills their labour: Recording short videos at the cinemas is piracy!!! Acknowledging her fans love and support, she encouraged them to direct that support appropriately by posting snippets of the trailer and other content created to promote the movie on their social media handles. Offence She also emphasised that recording and uploading the movie to social media will not leave her smiling. Do not be scared. I am fine. But I will not be fine if you see my new movie Everybody Loves Jenifa- and bring your phone or any device you have to film it on. I know you have got mad love for me as my fan. I know you respect me so much. I know you respect me so much. I know you want to support me. I know you want to promote me. But you filming it is not you supporting me, she said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Do not upload on your social media accounts. Do not bring out your phone. If you want to support me, go to the cinemas, take pictures at the stands, and post my trailers and teasers of the movies. Ill be fine. Because your filming is called piracy, we will not encourage piracy. We will take all necessary security measures to arrest anyone caught doing it. I love my fans very much. It is affecting us. We need to grow more than this. We spent a lot of money on that project Everybody Loves Jenifa. Everybody Loves Jenifa is a movie based on Funkes 28-season comedy series Jenifas Diary. Its important to remember that piracy is not a victimless crime. In May 2024, PREMIUM TIMES reported on Femi Adebayos success: He was awarded N25 million for damages against online TV Murphy Ben International that pirated his movie Survival Of Jelili. This case serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of piracy. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Shanghai (Gasgoo)- NIO Capital recently announced the successful completion of an investment in Shenzhen Infypower Co., Ltd. (Infypower), a Chinese digital energy solution provider, according to a press release NIO Capital released on December 13. The proceeds raised from the fresh round are earmarked primarily for supporting Infypower's energy transformation and sustainable development via high-quality products and professional solutions. Photo credit: NIO Capital Infypower's Chairman Zhu Chunhui commented: "The path to energy transformation and sustainability is full of challenges, but each step is highly significant. This partnership with NIO Capital will further strengthen our position in the smart automotive supply chain and energy transformation sector. Infypower will continue to gather industry expertise, deepen technological innovation, and explore the limitless possibilities of new energy technologies with an open and inclusive mindset. We are committed to contributing to the green transformation of the global energy sector." Mr. Ian Zhu, Managing Partner at NIO Capital, stated: "Infypower's founding team has over 20 years of expertise in power conversion technology. They have developed industry-leading products and solutions in fields such as electric vehicle (EV) charging, battery swapping, energy storage, and V2G (vehicle-to-grid). NIO Capital will continue to support Infypower in driving energy transformation through technological innovation, deeper industry collaboration, and accelerated commercialization, contributing to global sustainability goals." Infypower stands as a global leader in digital energy products and power system solutions. With a focus on power electronics and digital energy technology, the company specializes in fields such as EV charging, energy storage, smart energy services, and intelligent power equipment. Its product portfolio includes high-performance charging modules, smart energy routers, as well as EV charging, battery swapping, and energy storage systems. Infypower takes the lead in photovoltaics-charging-energy storage integrated technology, and was among the first in China to master liquid-cooled ultra-fast charging solutions and successfully mass-produce V2G modules. To date, Infypower has operated over 3 million modules safely, with its products and services spanning over 3,000 companies across more than 100 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Headquartered in Shenzhen, Infypower has established R&D centers and manufacturing bases in cities like Nanjing, Fuyang, Changzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, and Munich, supporting its global operations and accelerating the process of energy transformation and sustainable development. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a global mandate aimed at ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access quality health services without suffering financial hardship. It is a cornerstone of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3.8, which reads, Achieve UHC, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), UHC covers the full continuum of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. However, with only six years left until the 2030 target, Nigeria, Africas most populous nation, faces mounting pressure to fulfil its UHC commitment. While significant strides have been made through policy reforms like the National Health Insurance Authority Act (NHIA 2022) and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), millions of Nigerians still grapple with inequitable access to healthcare. As the world marked UHC Day on 12 December with the theme Health: Its on the Government, PREMIUM TIMES examines Nigerias journey so far, challenges, and prospects for achieving UHC by 2030. NHIA, a major step As part of efforts to ensure health coverage for all, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022 on 19 May 2022. The new law replaces the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Act, which existed for about 18 years with no significant impact. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The NHIA makes health insurance mandatory for all citizens and legal residents and creates a mechanism to finance health service delivery for the poor and vulnerable. It is one mechanism for providing financial protection from the costs of healthcare services, a key pillar of achieving UHC. This is especially important as research from the World Bank and the WHO indicates that more than half a billion people are pushed into extreme poverty annually due to healthcare expenses. Despite this, according to a 2024 survey by NOI Polls, only about 19 in 100 Nigerians have health insurance coverage in Africas most populous country. Also, according to the World Bank, Nigerias out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure stood at over 76 per cent in 2021. Although most Nigerians are yet to be covered by health insurance, the Director-General of NHIA, Kelechi Ohiri, said the country has recorded significant progress in recent years. Mr Ohiri, at a press briefing to commemorate the 2024 UHC Day, said before the enactment of the NHIA in 2022, Nigerias health insurance coverage stagnated at approximately seven per cent for nearly two decades. He said this was largely due to the limited scope of health insurance, which predominantly served the formal sector, leaving the poor and vulnerable underserved. However, he said health insurance coverage has increased from 16.7 million to 19.2 million Nigerians a 14 per cent growth in about a year. The NHIA now aims to address existing gaps by enforcing mandatory health insurance, increasing public awareness, and restoring trust in the system, he said. Bolanle Faleye, chief of party for the USAID Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) project, acknowledged the progress made through UHC initiatives but emphasised persistent gaps in financial risk protection, equitable healthcare delivery, and access to essential services. Mrs Falaye highlighted the burden of out-of-pocket payments, which she said should ideally be reduced to no more than 30 per cent of total healthcare spending. Out-of-pocket expenses, a key barrier to UHC, remain as high as 76 per cent. This places a significant financial burden on individuals during vulnerable moments, she said. She stressed the need to significantly boost health insurance enrolment to meet the 2030 UHC target, emphasising that only about 19 million people are covered under health insurance nationwide a far cry from the target. Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) Established in 2014 under Section 11 of the National Health Act, the BHCPF provides funding to enhance access to primary health care, a critical step towards advancing the countrys progress towards UHC. It was designed to be financed from at least one per cent of the federal governments Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) and other sources, including donors contributions. The Fund provides a Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS) aimed at increasing the fiscal space for health, strengthening the national health system, particularly at the PHC level, and ensuring access to healthcare for all. Although the BHCPF was established in 2014, funding was not allocated for its implementation until 2018. Since then, over 8,000 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across the country have benefited from the fund, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate. In December last year, Mr Pate said the BHCPF would receive at least $2.5 billion in pooled and non-pooled financing from 2024 to 2026 to improve the primary health system nationwide. During the ministerial sectoral briefing in May, Mr Pate said N260 billion has been set aside to revitalise PHCs nationwide. Also, in November, he said N45 billion had already been disbursed through direct facilities to the state and to serve the countrys population. Under the PHC 2.0 reform, we have emphasised equity by allocating financial and human resources across over 8,000 primary healthcare centres. Direct facility disbursements totalling N45 billion have been sent to states, reaching our people directly, he said. Despite these efforts, challenges persist in implementing and managing the BHCPF. Delayed disbursements, weak accountability mechanisms, and disparities in fund utilisation have limited its effectiveness. Many PHCs nationwide still lack essential equipment, medicines, and trained personnel, making it difficult for them to meet their communities demands. Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) One year ago, President Bola Tinubu unveiled the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) to drive Nigeria towards achieving UHC by 2030. The initiative aims to improve population health outcomes through the primary healthcare system and enhance the countrys reproductive, maternal, and child health services. At the unveiling, Mr Pate said the quest to achieve UHC and better health for Nigerians requires a multi-sectoral and whole-of-government approach. He said the initiative will leverage the BHCPF, in partnership with state governments and development partners, in a transformational Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) to improve health outcomes. The idea is to align resources with national health priorities, reduce duplication of efforts, and foster accountability. Health experts are optimistic that the approach, focusing on collaboration and coordination, will significantly impact the countrys health outcomes. The Executive Director of the Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), Chika Offor, said the sector-wide approach is commendable because the government cannot achieve these health objectives alone. Ms Offor said all sectors, including the private sector, must fully engage in the process. Health sector funding Nigerias health sector has long struggled with underfunding, which remains a critical barrier to achieving UHC and improving overall health outcomes. In 2001, African Union (AU) member countries, including Nigeria, committed to allocating at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to healthcare under the Abuja Declaration. However, Nigeria has consistently fallen short of this target over the past two decades. A review of the budgetary allocation to the health sector in the last 22 years revealed that Nigeria has consistently fallen below the 15 per cent benchmark. In 2024, despite expectations for a shift in funding priorities under President Tinubus administration, the health sector received just over five per cent of the national budget. The low allocation to the sector has led to inadequate healthcare facilities, delays in implementing health programmes, and persistent gaps in essential services, particularly in rural areas. Ms Offor said the health sector is underfunded, which is why it is underperforming. She noted that the majority of children are still unimmunised because of a lack of adequate funding in the health system. As Nigeria approaches the 2030 UHC target, this shortfall in funding continues to undermine efforts to improve life expectancy, reduce maternal and infant mortality rates, and strengthen the nations overall health infrastructure, she said. Workforce crisis, brain drain One of the most pressing challenges facing Nigerias health sector is the ongoing workforce crisis. A critical shortage of skilled healthcare professionals, particularly doctors and nurses, has undermined efforts to achieve UHC and deliver quality care nationwide. The crisis is particularly severe in rural and remote areas, where healthcare professionals are unwilling or unable to work due to poor infrastructure, inadequate compensation, and limited professional development opportunities. As a result, many rural communities remain underserved, with little or no access to essential health services such as maternal and child care, treatment for infectious diseases, and chronic disease management. In addition to these geographical disparities, Nigeria has been grappling with an increasing exodus of healthcare professionals, especially doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, to developed countries. According to recent reports, thousands of healthcare professionals leave Nigeria annually to seek better opportunities abroad. In March, Mr Pate disclosed that about 16,000 doctors had left the country in the last five years, noting that Nigeria now has only 55,000 licensed doctors to serve its growing population of over 200 million. The mass exodus of skilled healthcare professionals, which has further strained the countrys healthcare system, is driven by poor working conditions, low salaries, limited career advancement, and insecurity. According to Mohammad Mohammad, president of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), fewer than 10 per cent of PHCs have doctors, and specialist shortages at primary and secondary healthcare levels intensify the crisis. Mr Mohammad, a surgeon, stressed the need for deliberate strategies to retain healthcare workers and incentivise rural postings. Out of the 110,000 registered doctors inducted by MDCN, only about 40,000 remain in Nigeria. This uneven distribution increases workloads, leading to burnout and compromising the quality of care. Dependence on donor funding Nigerias health sector has historically relied heavily on donor funding to sustain many programmes. Contributions from international organisations like the Global Fund, Gavi, and USAID have played a vital role in addressing the countrys pressing health needs. These funds support a significant portion of immunisation initiatives, ensuring millions of children receive life-saving vaccines, and contribute extensively to HIV/AIDS programmes, among other health interventions. While donor contributions have been instrumental, this heavy reliance poses significant risks to the sustainability of Nigerias health system. Unpredictable funding flows often influenced by global economic challenges and shifting health priorities in donor countries can result in abrupt programme disruptions. For instance, in 2021, the United Kingdom announced it would withdraw its annual 3 million from the basket fund for Family Planning (FP) commodities in Nigeria. This decision left the Nigerian government scrambling to bridge the funding gap, which jeopardised womens access to essential contraceptives. Such reliance also limits domestic ownership, making it challenging for Nigeria to establish and sustain locally driven health initiatives. Health experts believe that achieving UHC by 2030 requires Nigeria to take the lead in financing its health system. The Executive Director of VNDC, Ms Offor, stressed the importance of transitioning from donor-dependent programmes to sustainable, locally financed initiatives. By taking the lead in financing its health system, Nigeria would have greater control over its health priorities and resource allocation, she said. She said overcoming this dependency will necessitate increased investment in the health sector, strategic partnerships with the private sector, and sustainable funding mechanisms to ensure continuity and resilience in healthcare delivery. She added that this shift is essential for achieving UHC, strengthening Nigerias health sovereignty and ensuring long-term health outcomes are not at the mercy of external decisions. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A recent study by CLEEN Foundation highlights the implications of Nigerias inadequate compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act/Law (ACJA/L), revealing systemic weaknesses and threats to the rule of law. The study, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, revealed gaps in stakeholders awareness and understanding of ACJA provisions. Presenting findings from the report at a media parley on Thursday in Lagos, the Director of Programmes at CLEEN Foundation, Salaudeen Hashim, noted that inadequate infrastructure, skills deficits within the police force, and political interference, hinder effective justice delivery. Mr Hashim stated that the study, conducted across eight states, surveyed 1,658 respondents within the criminal justice system, assessing compliance among key actors, including police, judiciary, and correctional services. The selected states are Edo, Delta, Bauchi, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Kwara, and Cross River, with respondents from Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Correctional Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Civil Society Organisations, among others. About ACJA ACJA was signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 to reform Nigerias criminal justice system. Some of the key provisions of ACJA include the protection of human rights during investigation and trial, timely trial and resolution of cases, enhanced investigative techniques and evidence handling. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later It also provides support and protection for victims and witnesses. However, nine years after its enactment, Nigerias compliance with the law remains a concern, hindered by limited resources, infrastructure gaps, skills shortages, and corruption. Key findings The study notes that while 54.5 per cent of the respondents reported that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other policing actors are compliant with ACJA/L regarding arrest procedures, 18.9 per cent indicated non-compliance and 26.7 per cent reported indifference. Respondents also held mixed views on the NPFs treatment of defendants and accused individuals. While 50.2 per cent reported respectful treatment, 40.1 per cent indicated disrespect. The NPFs compliance with ACJA/L provisions on obtaining confessions was also questioned. Only 43.4 per cent reported mostly compliant practices, with 37.8 per cent indicating rare or total non-compliance. About 67 per cent of the respondents, including court officials and EFCC personnel, also admitted that Nigerias police lack modern investigative methods. Mr Hashim explained that law enforcement agencies still rely on outdated tools, undermining their ability to gather and preserve evidence effectively. About 56 per cent of respondents also identified investigators and prosecutors engagement in corrupt practices as one of the most critical problems with the criminal justice systems performance. Effectiveness, understanding of ACJA Of the eight states in the study, Sokoto, Edo, and Katsina are the leading states regarding the effectiveness of criminal justice actors. Cross River, Kwara, Bauchi, Delta and Jigawa followed on the chart. Delta, Sokoto and Katsina topped the chart analysing the understanding of the provisions of the law by police. To improve compliance with the law, the study emphasises the need for a change in the funding system to address resource inadequacy across all service portals of the criminal justice system across the focal states. It added that states must address corruption systemically, by establishing clear anti-corruption policies, conducting regular audits, and enforcing strict penalties for corrupt practices among all actors. Recommendations The report highlights the need for public education campaigns to foster a better understanding of the ACJA among Nigerias law enforcement officers and its citizens. It also emphasised the need for the court system in the focal states to create implementational protocols around novel policies introduced by the ACJA. An example is the need for a structured way of implementing non-custodial sentencing, which is largely restricted to convicts mandated to sweep and clean court premises, it noted. There is the need to integrate non-custodial sentencing with extensive social service in communities. It added that there is a need to create a system of institutional engagement that allows collaboration and feedback across all service points. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A new report has shown that over 500 million children under five globally have been registered at birth in the past five years. The report by the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) indicates that significant progress has been made in global efforts to secure legal identities for children. The report titled Right Start in Life: Global Levels and Trends in Birth Registration shows that despite increase in the number of registered children, about 150 million children still remain unregistered and invisible to government systems. It also highlighted that over 50 million children with registered births lack birth certificates which is an essential document for proving legal identity, acquiring nationality, and accessing healthcare, education, and protection. The Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, expressed concerns over the millions of children who remain unregistered, rendering them invisible in the eyes of government and legal systems. She said despite progress, too many children remain uncounted and unaccounted for. Every child has the right to be registered and provided with a birth certificate so that they are recognised, protected, and supported,she said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Regional disparities The report indicates that while global birth registration rates have climbed from 75 per cent in 2019 to 77 per cent in 2024, progress has been uneven. Although, progress has been notable in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean (95 per cent) and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (94 per cent), sub-Saharan Africa lags behind with only 51 per cent of children registered. This region accounts for over half of the worlds unregistered children, approximately 90 million. Within sub-Saharan Africa, disparities persist. Southern Africa leads with 88 per cent registration, Western Africa has made significant strides, reaching 63 per cent, Eastern and Middle Africa trail at 41 per cent. According to a statement by UNICEF, slow pace of improvement combined with a rapidly growing child population means that sub-Saharan Africa could have over 100 million unregistered children by 2030 if current trends continue. The statement also identified persistent barriers to birth registration. Many families around the world continue to face barriers due to weak political commitment, long distances and multiple visits to registration facilities, lack of knowledge about the registration process, unaffordable fees and prohibitive indirect costs, and, in some places, discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, or religion, the statement read. The statement further revealed that despite these challenges, countries like Botswana and Cote dIvoire have achieved significant progress, with Botswana attaining universal birth registration and Cote dIvoire surpassing 90 per cent. It added that Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania have also demonstrated sustained improvements, serving as models for other nations. Closing the gap Recognising the need to close gaps in birth registration, UNICEF has outlined key recommendations aimed at ensuring every childs right to a legal identity. These measures are designed to overcome existing barriers and strengthen registration systems worldwide. To achieve this, UNICEF calls for comprehensive reforms, improved processes, and greater community involvement. Register every child at birth as the foundation of legal identity, streamline registration processes and implement digital systems, leverage health, social protection, and education systems to promote registration. Reform legal frameworks to ensure inclusive and equitable registration systems, empower communities to demand civil registration as a fundamental right. Highlighting the importance of birth registration in ensuring childrens rights and access to vital services, Ms Russell emphasised the need for continued efforts to protect every child. Birth registration ensures children are immediately recognised under the law, providing a foundation for protection from harm and exploitation, as well as access to essential services like vaccines, healthcare, and education, she said. Birth Registration Birth registration is a fundamental right of every child, as enshrined in Article 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It provides a legal identity, ensuring access to essential services like healthcare, education, and social protection. Without registration, children remain invisible to government systems, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, statelessness, and exclusion from opportunities. The process involves recording a childs birth details in a civil register, offering a foundation for lifelong protection and legal recognition. Globally, birth registration rates have improved significantly over the years. Yet, millions of children remain unregistered due to systemic barriers such as poverty, cultural practices, and lack of awareness. These challenges are most acute in low-income regions, where registration services are often inaccessible or unaffordable. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Edo State have confirmed the killing of a guest at the popular Raptor Club and Lounge, Stadium Road, Benin. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victim was shot dead by gunmen in the early hours of Friday, while his female passenger sustained gunshot injuries. Moses Yamu, the police spokesperson in Edo, told NAN that investigations into the incident were ongoing. According to him, the police received a distress call at 3 a.m. that there were gunshots at Raptor Club. He said the operatives, on reaching the scene, went after the hoodlums, who escaped and abandoned a pump action gun and two expended shells. Mr Yamu, a superintendent of police, explained that efforts were ongoing to arrest the perpetrators. NAN also reports that the incident, which occurred at about 2 a.m., has left the nightclubs management and patrons in shock. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later A source told NAN that the deceased, whose identity has not been disclosed, was shot inside his white Lexus SUV while stray bullets hit the female passenger on her lap. The incident left the club with some damages, including shattered show glasses and a destroyed glass door. Police operatives were seen at the scene of the incident as the deceaseds vehicle was towed away. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State has re-emphasised its ban on teachers and children hawking during school hours. The council vowed to henceforth arrest and jail any parents whose child or ward violates the ban. The Chairperson, Public School Supervision Committee (PSSC) of the Igbo-Etiti Local Council, Amadi Aroh said this on Friday during a meeting with education secretaries, head teachers and School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) in Ogbede. Mr Aroh warned that the committee would no longer tolerate teachers using school hours to engage in other businesses. He asked such teachers to resign from their teaching appointments. He blamed teachers, who were not dedicated to their duties, for the loss of trust in public schools, saying the action encouraged parents to enrol their children and wards in private schools. While noting that most private schools were not standard, the chairperson pledged the committees determination to restore public schools lost glory and parents confidence in them. According to him, the interaction with the headteachers and SBMC members aligned with the plans and vision of the Igbo-Etiti Council Chairperson, Eric Odo, on education, which must be achieved. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said the PSSC was not interested in witch-hunting any teacher or head teacher, adding, however, that it would not hesitate to sanction anyone found wanting in his or her responsibility. In his remark, the Education Secretary of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, Johnson Nwafor, pledged the cooperation of the four secretaries of the Igbo-Etiti West, East, North, and Central Education Authorities. Mr Nwafor said the move to reposition public schools in Igbo-Etiti would lessen the pressure faced by parents, who pay exorbitant fees in private schools. He commended the choice of Mr Aroh as the chairperson of the PSSC, describing him as a capable person for the job. A member of the SBMC, Okpara Memorial Primary School, Ikolo, Paul Agada, appealed to the committee to create conducive environment for the learning activities in the area. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Anambra State have arrested a 40-year-old man, Alfred Bassey, for alleged lack of care and negligence that led to the sudden death of his seven-year-old son. Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Friday in Onitsha. He explained that the arrest was in connection with an ongoing investigation of a reported case of the sudden death of a seven-year-old child at a construction site along the Trans-Nkisi Layout in Onitsha. According to him, the police operatives attached to the 3-3 Divisional Headquarters arrested Mr Bassey, who hails from Abi in Cross River State, on Friday by 9.30 a.m. Preliminary investigation reveals that the father of the victim forcibly took the minor from the mother and has been living with him in an uncompleted building at Trans-Nkisi Layout Onitsha. Furthermore, on 11 December 2024, the lifeless body of the child was found in a soak-away pit dug in the abandoned uncompleted building after the suspect left the child for an unknown destination. The body of the child was later recovered and taken to the hospital before he was confirmed dead by a doctor, said Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Ikenga said the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Nnaghe Itam, was saddened by the boys death. Mr Itam admonished parents to prioritise the well-being of their children against any difference they may have had with their spouses to avoid exposing them to emotional and psychological trauma or death. He directed the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for a more detailed investigation. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Majority of Nigerias 36 states have agreed that states should have their own police, an official has said. Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna disclosed this after the 146th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday. Central to the agenda of the meeting was the issue of state police which was also extensively discussed at the last NEC meeting in November. After the last NEC meeting held in November, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, told reporters at the State House that 33 states excluding Adamawa, Kebbi and Kwara have considered the creation of state police. He also added that the Federal Capital Territory had not made its position known about the subject matter. The Council mandated these remaining states and the FCT to make their submissions within the next one week and resolved to present a consolidated states position on the state police to the National Economic Council at our next meeting, he had said. The new development Briefing journalists at the State House after Thursdays NEC meeting which seems to be the last for the year, the Kaduna State governor said, virtually most of the states are in agreement with the establishment of state police in Nigeria. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later However, the discussion was stepped down, Mr Sani disclosed, adding that further deliberation will continue at the next council meeting because we need to come up with a report from the secretariat. After the report, there will be deliberation at the next NEC meeting that is likely taking place in January, he said. And not only that, theres also a resolution in the last NEC meeting, which today the Secretariat has also agreed on that there will be further stakeholder engagement after the panel and deliberation by the members of the NEC. Mr Sani belives many states agreed to the creation of state police because of the security challenges plaguing the country. Knowing fully well that we have a lot of ungoverned space in Nigeria, and also that we have a lot of deficit in terms of number of boots on ground, looking at the fact that a lot of security agencies, the police, the army and other relevant security agencies have no personnel to cover all the government space, that is the reason why most of us agreed that establishment of state police in Nigeria is the way forward toward addressing the problem insecurity in our own country, he said. Like Mr Sani stated, Nigeria is fighting various non-state actors across the country. In the North-east, troops are fighting years-long insurgency by Boko Haram and its splinter groups, including the slamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The counter-insurgency war has claimed thousands of lives including military operatives. More than a million of people have been displaced by the conflict which has extended to countries in the Lake Chad region. The spill over of the North-east insurgency has created a similar pattern of violence in North-central where fighters of Boko Haram have maintained a strong presence in places like Kurebe, Allawa and Bassa all in Shiroro LGA of Niger State. The region is also plagued by banditry, partly fuelled by the incessant conflict between farmers and herders, especially in places like Benue and Plateau states. A resource-based conflict has also taken another dimension in the North-west which has become a breeding ground for grassroots violence mainly perpetrated by local terrorists known as bandits. More than 10 bandit groups operate in the region, killing and kidnapping people. The region is also experiencing another wave of terrorism which experts have blamed on on the influx of jihadists or collaboration between bandits and jihadists. The South-east and South-south are also not left out. Armed separatists routinely attack security and government officials, as well as civilians. All these have triggered the call for creation of state police in Nigeria. However, critics say state police could be used by governors to oppress critics and opponents in their states. If the NEC eventually declares support for state police, it would influence the National Assembly to pass laws for it. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerias electoral commission, INEC, said it would soon present to the joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters eight items of electoral reforms for consideration. The Chairperson of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Thursday during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the commission in Abuja. Mr Yakubu said the eight items are part of the 142 identified recommendations from the report of the 2023 general elections. He said 86 of the 142 recommendations require administrative action by INEC, which prompted Thursdays meeting with the RECs, who play a frontline role in the implementation of the recommendations. He said 48 of the recommendations require action by a variety of stakeholders, including security agencies, mobile network operators, statutory bodies, political parties, transport unions, civil society organisations and the media. He added, however, that eight of the recommendations require legislative action by the National Assembly. Very soon, the Commission will make a presentation to the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Electoral Matters as they continue to deliberate on electoral reform, the INEC chairman said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Part of the items for legislative actions include the unbundling of INEC with the establishment of an electoral offences tribunal and a separate agency to handle the registration and regulation of political parties, legal clarity as regards the manual transfer versus the electronic transmission of results, he said. Mr Yakubu stated that the recommendations, drawn after internal and external engagements, deal with the general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management, electoral operations and logistics management, election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and the electoral legal framework. He listed some of the recommendations being considered for implementation by his commission to include early or special voting for officials on election duty and the phasing out of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) as the sole means of accreditation for voting Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has said the commission would, among other things, seek legal clarity in election result management with regard to the manual transfer or the electronic transmission of election results. Mr Yakubu, a professor, disclosed this on Thursday during a meeting of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the commission in Abuja. He said it is part of the commissions implementation of recommendations contained in the report of the 2023 general elections. He said the commission is ready to commence the implementation of the recommendations after review and wide consultations with stakeholders in the electoral process as well as its staff members. Among the major highlights of the commissions recommendations is the imperative of legal clarity in result management, with regard to manual transfer versus the electronic transmission of results, he said. The hardcopies of the General Election and Review reports will be presented to the public shortly. The softcopy of the Report will also be uploaded to our website in earnest, he added. Other reforms under consideration According to Mr Yakubu, some of the recommendations to be implemented include early voting for officials such as security personnel, election officials, journalists and the phasing out of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) as the sole means of accreditation for voting. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Part of the recommendations is the unbundling of INEC with the establishment of an electoral offences tribunal and a separate agency to handle the registration and regulation of political parties, he said. Other areas of reform include advocacy for affirmative action for greater participation of under-represented groups, more robust voter education and public communication to combat fake news and misinformation. Furthermore, the Commission intends to review the mechanisms for a more effective implementation of agreements on logistics with the transport unions and other service providers by consolidating on the recent experience with early deployment and commencement of elections in the recent Ondo State Governorship election. Reviewing the use of PVCs Mr Yakubu noted that the commission strongly suggested the review use of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on election day. INEC has a maxim in the existing electoral process that goes No PVC, No Voting which means individuals who do not present their PVCs would not be accredited to be voted. The commission also calculates the number of eligible voters by the number of persons who have collected their PVCs from the commission. Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commissions website will suffice for voter accreditation. This will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them, the INEC chair said. READ ALSO: INEC to present eight election reform items to National Assembly Early/Special voting for election officials Mr Yakubu also stated that the report contains recommendations on early/special voting for Nigerians who do not currently vote due to the role they play during elections. He listed affected professionals to include INEC officials, security personnel, ad hoc staff, observers and journalists who are deployed outside the places where they registered to vote. There are also recommendations in support of diaspora voting, he said. Similarly, the Commission will step up action on voter access and distribution to Polling Units. Cleaning up the voter register The INEC chair said the commission also intends to, as a matter of urgency, develop protocols for the cleaning up of the voters register in collaboration with other agencies such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Population Commission (NPC). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf sacked the Secretary to the State Government, Baffa Bichi, and five commissioners in a major cabinet reshuffle on Thursday. In a statement, the governors spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, said Mr Yusuf also scrapped the office of Chief of Staff (CoS) and directed its occupant, Shehu Sagagi, to standby for further instructions. Those affected by the major shake-up are the Chief of Staff, Alh. Shehu Wada Sagagi, whose office is now scrapped, and Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, dropped on health grounds, the statement stated. The commissioners relieved of their appointments are Ibrahim Fagge of the Ministry of Finance; Ladidi Garko of Culture and Tourism; Baba Dantiye of Information and Internal Affairs; Shehu Yammedi of Special Duties; and Abbas Sani-Abbas, of Rural and Community Development. The governor also reassigned the deputy governor, Aminu Abdulssalam, from the Ministry of Local Government to Higher Education; Mohammad Usman moved from Science and Technology to the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Yusuf Ibrahim from Higher Education to Science, Technology and Innovation. Others on reassignment include Amina Abdullahi from Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation to the Ministry for Women, Children and the Disabled and Nasiru Sule-Garo from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to the Ministry of Special Duties. READ ALSO: Kano governor bans 14 journalists from Government House The Commissioner for Project Monitory and Evaluation, Ibrahim Namadi, moved to the Ministry of Transport, while Umar Doguwa moved from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Water Resources. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Also, Ali Makoda moved from Water Resources to the Ministry of Education, Aisha Saji from the Ministry of Women, Children and Disabled to Tourism and Culture, and Muhammad Diggol from Transport to the Ministry of Project Monitoring and Evaluation. According to the statement, the governor directed the chief of staff and the five dropped commissioners to report to his office for possible reassignment. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Beijing (Gasgoo)- JAC Group recently launched its T9 diesel-fueled AT (automatic transmission) pickup in Brazil, marking a significant step in its global strategy, according to the company's announcement via WeChat. Photo credit: JAC Group The launch event offered an immersive experience for attendees through product presentations, static displays, and dynamic testing. Sixteen vehicles were prepared for test drives, enabling journalists to explore the T9's performance at a professional pickup testing facility. Brazil, a key strategic market for JAC Group, boasts substantial demand for pickups with immense growth potential. The successful launch of the T9 not only enriches JAC's product lineup in Brazil but also underscores the company's commitment to its global expansion. As one of the first Chinese auto brands to enter Brazil, JAC Group has been continuously deepening its presence in the region since 2011. The company has established long-term partnerships with over 30 Fortune 500 clients, including DHL, PepsiCo, and Carrefour, showcasing its growing influence in Latin America and beyond. An academic and legal practitioner, Foluke Dada-Lawanson, a professor, has said that building mental resilience and the ability to maintain a work-life balance are crucial skills needed for women to rise confidently above their challenges as they navigate their careers in a male-dominated society. Speaking to female scholars from different African countries at a summit recently, Ms Dada-Lawanson of Caleb University, Imota, Ogun State, used her personal experience and life story to explain how scholars can rise above their challenges. Keynote Speaker at the summit, Dorcas Odunaike, a professor at the Department of Private and Commercial Law, School of Law and Security Studies, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, encouraged the scholars with the words of Maya Angelou, the American memoirist and poet, that they should go beyond mere survival but to thrive to maintain your status as a scholar with passion, confidence and style. She advised the scholars to utilise the training acquired and maintain quality and excellence in their professional work. In his address, Nduka Otiono, a professor and principal investigator of the scholarship programme, also spoke about the challenges women face in trying to juggle their studies and role as mothers, particularly their stoic determination to make a mark in society. Those of us who have daughters, wives and female friends have also come to understand the power of women and women have more mental resilience than men and that when it matters most, even if we are men, we are men because we have had mothers, wives and friends. Without them, we wont be who we are. And so. I want to celebrate you again and just to hear your voices, he said. The summit The summit, held in Lagos, was organised by Carleton University, a Canadian institution, for scholars under its Queen Elizabeth Scholarship-Advanced Scholars Programme. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The scholarship programme titled: Wurin Ta na Yin Rubu, the Hausa phrase for Her Own Room to Write, and supported by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Advanced Scholars West Africa, is designed to provide an opportunity to gain experience through travel to Carleton University and/or across West Africa to one of our research placement partners. The scholarship provides for research supervision, focused seminars, experiential learning through aligning your research proposal with research placement opportunities, leadership, and network building, the university said. Participants at the summit were female African scholars from different countries who were also beneficiaries of the scholarship. They include; Claude Pefole, a magistrate and PhD candidate in private law at the University of Douala, Cameroon; Sophia Abiri-Franklin, a legal and governance practitioner, as well as the Managing Partner of Georgetown Solicitors; Rashidat Akande of the Department of Economics and Development Studies Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria; Ngueda Raphaelle of the Regional Centre for Poultry Science (CERSA), University of Lome, Togo. Others are; Jane Ezirigwe, a professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS); Oluyemisi Majebi of the Department of Early Childhood and Educational Foundations at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State; Oluwabunmi Bakare-Fatungase, a Senior Lecturer, Library and Information Science, Department of Information Management, Faculty of Information and Information Sciences at Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail on Friday to Yahaya Bello, former Governor of Kogi State, in his trial on money laundering charges involving alleged diversion of N80.2 billion in public funds. This came after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned him on 18 counts of money laundering involving N80.2 billion he allegedly diverted from the coffers of Kogi State during his eight years as governor. The trial judge, Emeka Nwite, approved the defendants bail application following an agreement between the prosecution and defence teams. Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), represented the prosecution, while Joseph Daudu, also a SAN, represented Mr Bello. We have a new team of lawyers, so we want to plead with the judge for any impression created that the defendant does not wish to appear before the Court, Mr Daudu said. Responding, Mr Pinheiro noted his respect for the defence counsel and confirmed that both sides had discussed to avoid unnecessary delays. Although Mr Pinheiro acknowledged a counter-affidavit the prosecution team filed to oppose the bail application, he agreed that the defendant should be granted bail subject to conditions imposed by the court. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Granting bail lies entirely at the discretion of this honourable court. We trust the assurances provided by the defence counsel, Mr Pinheiro said. Following the parties agreement, the judge granted Mr Bello bail for N500 million with two sureties in the same amount. He also said the sureties must have landed properties in Abuja. He ordered Mr Bello and the two sureties to submit their passports to the courts registrar. He consequently ordered Mr Bello to be remanded at Kuje correctional centre in Abuja pending the perfection of his bail conditions. The lead defence lawyer, Mr Daudu, expressed readiness for trial. The judge fixed 24 and 28 February and 6 and 7 March 2025 for trial. Charges EFCC is prosecuting Mr Bello for allegedly conspiring with his nephew, Ali Bello, and others to convert N80.2 billion belonging to Kogi State for personal use. The anti-graft agency further alleged that between July 2021 and April 2022, Mr Bello aided E-Traders International Limited in concealing over N3 billion in an Access Bank account. The money laundering charges were read to Mr Bello, who pleaded not guilty to all 18 counts. After Mr Bello pleaded not guilty to the charges, the defence lawyer, Mr Daudu, expressed readiness to proceed with the case. After Mr Bello pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on Friday, defence lawyer, Mr Daudu, expressed readiness to proceed with the case. Bellos detention continues despite Federal High Court bail Mr Bello was produced for arraignment from the detention facility on Friday. Earlier Tuesday, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja denied Mr Bellos bail application in a separate case involving N110 billion in fraud charges. The judge, Maryanne Anenih, denied Mr Bellos bail application because it was premature and incompetent. She then adjourned till 29 January 2025 for the commencement of trial. Except for an intervening development, the adjournment implied that Mr Bello would spend the entire Christmas and New Year festivity period and, in fact, the whole of 50 nights before the next hearing date in January in prison. Background Since April, the EFCC has made futile efforts to bring Mr Bello to court to begin his prosecution. Mr Bellos eventual surrender to the EFCC on 29 November followed eight missed appearances at the Federal High Court. At one of the most recent court proceedings, the prosecution argued that the trial should proceed in his absence, citing provisions in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act that permit arraignment in absentia. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In response to criticism from Nigerias Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, says she stands by her remarks about Nigeria and her experience in the country. Ms Badenoch said on Wednesday that she is not interested in laundering Nigerias image and is not in the PR business. The Conservative Party leader, born in the UK but raised in Nigeria by her Nigerian parents until age 16, has often spoken about her life and childhood in Nigeria, especially during the party leadership race. She has repeatedly described Nigeria as a country plagued by corruption and insecurity. At this years Conservative Party conference, Ms Badenoch reflected on the stark contrast between her life in the UK and her childhood in Lagos, describing the pervasive fear she experienced growing up. She also described the country as chaotic and lawless while recounting memories of hearing neighbours scream as they were being burgled and beaten and the constant dread of wondering if her own home would be targeted next. In 2022, during her unsuccessful bid to lead the party, she said, I grew up in Nigeria and I saw first-hand what happens when politicians are in it for themselves, when they use public money as their private piggy banks, when they promise the earth and pollute not just the air but the whole political atmosphere with their failure to serve others. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I saw what socialism is for millions. Its poverty and broken dreams. I came to Britain to make my way in a country where hard work and honest endeavour can take you anywhere. Vice Presidents reaction In response to Ms Badenochs constant criticism of Nigeria, Mr Shettima accused the Conservative leader of disparaging the country. At the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue at the State House in Abuja on Monday, Mr Shettima said, Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Labour or Conservative Party. We are proud of her despite her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin. He also went on to say Ms Badenoch could remove Kemi from her name if she was not proud of her country of origin. Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Labour or Conservative Party. We are proud of her despite her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin. She is entitled to her own opinions; she has even every right to remove the Kemi from her name, but that does not underscore the fact that the greatest black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria. One out of every three or four black men is a Nigerian, and by 2050, Nigeria will surpass the United States and will be the third most populous nation on earth. Mr Shettima compared Mrs Badenochs approach to that of her predecessor, Rishi Sunak, whom he described as a brilliant young man who never denigrated his nation of ancestry. Mr Sunak, who is of Indian heritage, left office as Prime Minister and head of the Conservative Party after it was roundly defeated in the last UK general elections. Kemis reply When asked about Vice President Shettimas comments, Ms Badenochs spokesperson said on Wednesday that she stands by what she says and is not the Nigeria public relations representative. The spokesperson described her as the leader of the British opposition who is very proud of her leadership of the opposition in this country. She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She is not going to couch her words, the BBC quoted her spokesperson as saying on Wednesday. Ms Badenoch was born in Wimbledon, South West London in 1980. She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and in the United States where her physiology professor mother lectured. Born Kemi Adegoke, she returned to the UK at the age of 16 to live with a friend of her mother and study for her A-levels. She married Scottish banker Hamish Badenoch and adopted his family name. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Majority Leader of the Nigerian Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, on Friday disclosed that the weak primary healthcare system being run in the country contributes substantially to rising mortality rate among Nigerian citizens. Mr Bamidele said most citizens often died of treatable diseases on account of poverty and poor access to robust medicare, saying this propelled him to offer free medical intervention for constituents in Ekiti Central Senatorial District to rescue them from afflictions. He said this in Ado Ekiti, the state capital while rounding off the second phase of his free medical outreach across the five local government areas in Ekiti Central Senatorial District, where 9,400 people benefited. A total of 6,600 residents of the district had earlier benefited from the first phase of the programme undertaken in partnership with the Industrial Arbitration Panel, thereby increasing the tally of beneficiaries to an aggregate of 16,000. Treatment The beneficiaries were diagnosed and treated for ailments such as hepatitis, hypertension, hernia, visual problems, diabetes, and were offered free eye glasses for those suffering all manners of visual impairments. Lamenting poor access of many Nigerians to quality healthcare, Mr Bamidele, who was represented by his Senior Legislative Assistant, Bunmi Oguntuase, posited that the trend had brought a snag in the attainment of the the Universal Health Coverage. To tackle the recurrence of the dangerous scenario, Mr Bamidele appealed to state governors to prioritise the health needs of those at the grassroots, where he noted that over 70 per cent of the population reside. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said: What we are doing is to give succour to those being afflicted by diseases and they dont have the means to seek medical treatments. Let me advise our governors to invest more in the primary healthcare sector that remains the closest to the poor masses. Going by what some of the beneficiaries said, most of them had been experiencing the sicknesses for years, but today, they have been treated. Those with chronic health issues had been referred to better hospitals and Senator Bamidele is ready to foot the bills to give our people the dividends of democracy they deserve. He promised that the programme is going to be continuous to provide safety nets for some of his poor constituents. Applause Applauding the Senator for the free health programme, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, said what Mr Bamidele was achieving for Ekiti further buttressed the fact that having a ranking federal lawmaker can be beneficial to the state. Oba Adejugbe saluted the robust working partnership between Governor Biodun Oyebanji and Senator Bamidele, saying this has helped in giving the state a facelift in all spheres of the economy, especially in human capital development as a pillar of this administration. The monarch stated that through Senator Bamideles unflagging commitment, the Ekiti Central Senatorial District had benefited road infrastructures, healthcare delivery, scholarship programmes, bursary awards to students and building of hostels for the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, to give students affordable accommodation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The law firm of top lawyer Afe Babalola has urged the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to disbar lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi, over his controversial book, titled, Nigeria and its criminal justice system. Mr Farotimis book, a freewheeling criticism of Mr Babalola, his law firm and its lawyers as well as the entire Nigerian justice system, has prompted criminal and civil cases against him in different courts last week. Afe Babalola & Co.s 90-page petition dated 6 December was addressed to the LPDC, the regulatory body in charge of disciplining lawyers in line with the Legal Practitioners Act and the Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers. Guardian Newspaper reported that, in the petition, the law firm said Mr Farotimi violated provisions of the rules governing the professional conduct of lawyers. It said that he engaged in conduct which is unbecoming of a legal practitioner by making false accusations against the Supreme Court and the legal profession. The petition also stated that Mr Farotimi engaged in a conduct that he believes to be unlawful by bribing judicial officers and having unlawful access to a judicial officer. It also accused Mr Farotimi of making defamatory remarks about the Nigerian justice system and its judicial officers. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Treated his fellow lawyers without respect, fairness, consideration and dignity, allowing ill feeling between opposing clients to influence his conduct and demeanour by distorting the facts of a case in the cause of his practice as a legal practitioner, a part of the petition stated. The law firm also accused him of joining his clients in committing misconduct and breaching the law, engaging in illegal activities and disrespecting a judicial officer. The petition said he also treated the courts, particularly the Supreme Court, without respect, dignity and honour by using uncouth, unprofessional, undignified and offensive language against the Supreme Court and the justices of the Supreme Court. The petition accused Mr Farotimi of indicating that he discussed a pending case with a judge trying the case in the absence of an opposing lawyer. The contravention of these rules by the Respondent (Farotimi) prompted this petition to protect the dignity of the legal profession, the dignity of the court as the temple of justice and to uphold the standards of the legal profession, the petition added. The book, Farotimis legal challenges Mr Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), had petitioned the police in Ekiti State accusing Mr Farotimi of defaming him in his book. Mr Babalola had cited 31 excerpts from the book, including one that accused him of corrupting the Supreme Court in the service of his clients. Acting on Mr Babalolas petition, the police have charged Mr Farotimi with criminal defamation at a chief magistrates court and with cybercrime at the Federal High Court, both in Ado-Ekiti. The Federal High Court judge, Babs Kuewumi, granted bail to Mr Farotimi in the sum of N50 million and adjourned the trial till 29 January 2025. But the chief magistrates court fixed 20 December to rule on Mr Farotimis bail application. In addition to the criminal cases, a lawyer from Mr Babalolas firm, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has also sued Mr Farotimi for N500 million in a civil libel case at the FCT High Court in Abuja. Mr Ogunwumiju said Mr Farotimi libelously accused the law firm of compromising the integrity of the Supreme Court, scheming with crooked lawyers and incompetent justices, and doctoring a Supreme Court judgement. He denied all the allegations. On Wednesday, the court ordered the seizure of physical copies of the book wherever it might be found. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Over the years, we have focused on borrowing best practices from other nations but real solutions to our corruption problem lies in adapting measures drawn from our unique experiences. The kind of introspection that todays forum engenders should propel us in identifying gaps that need urgent closure for effective recalibration of the anti-corruption framework for greater efficiency. I am pleased to have been invited to participate in this conversation on the state of the anti-corruption policy and practice in Nigeria. Let me commend Agora Policy and its partners (CDD and CFTPI) for putting together this initiative which affords an opportunity to reflect on the state of the anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria, with a view to coming up with ideas to strengthen the existing anti-corruption framework. Nigeria has long acknowledged its corruption challenge. Indeed, successive administrations have come up with initiatives to tackle the malaise. These initiatives, in the last two-and-a-half decades since the emergence of democratic governance, have been driven by all the anti-corruption agencies in the ecosystem, but notably the EFCC and the ICPC. Within the period, we have recorded major gains, including deepening public consciousness of the criticality of the fight against corruption, recovery of stolen assets and prosecution for alleged corrupt practices. In addition, a number of institutions have been created and laws enacted to enhance public accountability and transparency. In spite of these milestones, we acknowledge the fact that we are still far from Uhuru. Corruption remains a huge enterprise, with the theft of public resources across all levels of government a grave concern. A number of issues have encumbered the fight against corruption, many of which are known to this distinguished audience. They include public cynicism, which is a major morale dampener for anti-graft officials; security of tenure of anti-corruption agency heads, with implication for the independence of the agencies; challenges in prosecution of high-profile corruption cases; non-sustenance of accountability reforms in the public sector, and more. With the cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders, we have faith that Nigeria can overcome the challenge of corruption. Therefore, the EFCC remains resolute in its anti-graft efforts as we continue to collaborate with all our partners. We are not likely to make the kind of impact envisaged until these challenges are addressed. We must also examine the ease with which public officers are able to siphon humongous sums from the public till without any warning systems. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Over the years, we have focused on borrowing best practices from other nations but real solutions to our corruption problem lies in adapting measures drawn from our unique experiences. The kind of introspection that todays forum engenders should propel us in identifying gaps that need urgent closure for effective recalibration of the anti-corruption framework for greater efficiency. At the level of the EFCC, we have taken a conscious decision to use the fight against corruption to stimulate the economy and support critical social investment initiatives. As some of you may be aware, funds recovered by the EFCC are part of the resources deployed by the Federal Government in financing the students and consumer credit schemes. Both schemes have the potential to reduce the penchant for criminality by vulnerable segments of the population. We have also prioritised corruption prevention, leading to the establishment of the Department of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) in the EFCC. With the cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders, we have faith that Nigeria can overcome the challenge of corruption. Therefore, the EFCC remains resolute in its anti-graft efforts as we continue to collaborate with all our partners. On this note, I thank you for listening and wish us fruitful deliberations. Ola Olukoyede is the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This is the text of a goodwill message delivered at the policy conversation organised on 10th December by Agora Policy, CDD and CFTPI, with the support of MacArthur Foundation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Police should drop the charges against Mr Farotimi and he should be immediately released without preconditions. The Attorney General of Ekiti State should step in immediately to officially discontinue the case against Mr Farotimi if the police do not act fast enough in doing so. All laws that support criminal defamation in Nigerias criminal jurisprudence should be immediately repealed and cases initiated under those laws should be struck out by the courts. There appears to be panic and deep pain in Afe Babalolas actions since the publication and sales of the new international bestseller, Dele Farotimis book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System. It became a bestseller precisely because the all-powerful Mr Babalola is determined to stop Nigerians and the international community from reading it. Apparently, no one has explained to him that the best way to get everybody to read a book is to tell them that they must not read it. Mr Babalola has however persisted in his errors by getting a court to restrain Dele Farotimi Publishers, as well as bookshops, from circulating and selling the book. MA Adegbola, the presiding judge, restrained the defendants and their republishers, including Amazon Online Bookstore, Rovingheights Bookstore, Booksellers Bookstore, Jazzhole Lagos Bookstore, Glendora Bookshop, Quintessence Lagos Bookstore, and Patabah Books Limited, from further publishing and selling the book. Deep panic. Last week, the Ekiti police command, acting on behalf of Mr Babalola, had arrested Farotimi over alleged defamation and cyberbullying. The activist was accused of spreading false information against Babalola. That was not enough, subsequently the inspector-general of Police filed a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime against Farotimi. The ruling on the book followed an application by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and managing partner at Afe Babalola & Co. seeking N500 million in damages from Mr Farotimi for allegedly defaming him in the book. The said book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, is an unfiltered, freewheeling critical account of Mr Farotimi about some top Nigerian legal firms and the Nigerian judiciary. Many of my readers will wonder how some top lawyers can pursue routes to futility with such determination. The book gained tremendous traction, reaching a top spot on Amazons bestseller list within days of cascading police actions against Mr Farotimi, following Mr Babalolas petition last week. PDF copies of the book, which was launched in July, have circulated widely in the last one week due to the free publicity offered by Mr Babalola. Now the entire Nigerian Police Force might be placed in streets all over the country on a search and hide the book mission. Goodluck Mr Babalola. Meanwhile, all that the 104-page book did was to research what led to the accusation that the law firm was guilty of compromising the integrity of the Supreme Court, scheming with crooked lawyers and incompetent justices, and doctoring a Supreme Court judgement. It also accused Mr Babalola of corrupting the Supreme Court in the service of his clients. The problem is that most Nigerians would consider such accusations to be most likely TRUE. There are many troubling aspects of Mr Fatotimis encounter with Nigerian law enforcement, beginning with the unnecessarily aggressive and confrontational manner in which his arrest was affected. The CCTV footage released by his office after his arrest revealed the thoroughly unprofessional and violent nature of the police officers who travelled out of the state of their posting to arrest him. The officers were not dressed in uniform and could have passed as armed thugs. The response of Mr Babalola, the police, and the judiciary has been extreme punishment for Farotimi for daring to tell his story. It is for this reason that civil society organisations strongly condemn the arrest, detention, persecution and torture of Mr Dele Farotimi. The manner of his arrest was an aberration and Mr Farotimi should never have been subjected to the criminal justice process in this case. In addition, the prohibitive terms of bail for what is supposed to be a misdemeanour raises the real possibility that Mr Farotimis right to be tried as required by Nigerias constitution by a court constituted in such a manner as to guarantee its independence and impartiality has been compromised. There are many troubling aspects of Mr Farotimis encounter with Nigerian law enforcement, beginning with the unnecessarily aggressive and confrontational manner in which his arrest was affected. The CCTV footage released by his office after his arrest revealed the thoroughly unprofessional and violent nature of the police officers who travelled out of the state of their posting to arrest him. The officers were not dressed in uniform and could have passed as armed thugs. They also threatened Mr Farotimis staff for no reason after unlawfully seizing their phones. The brutal manner of his arrest suggests the apprehension of a bandit on a most-wanted list, rather than a publicly accessible human rights lawyer. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Even more troubling than the manner of the arrest was the reason adduced for it. Before he was unlawfully picked up from his office on the 2nd of December, Mr Farotimi had foretold the Nigerian public of his impending arrest. In a press release that went out from his office a day before, he stated that the police had invited him to answer certain claims he had made in his most recent book. Mr. Farotimi went on to state that his impending arrest was being orchestrated by two powerful individuals Chief Tony Elumelu and Chief Afe Babalola (CFR, SAN) who were apparently displeased with the unflattering depictions he had made of them in his book. Rather than challenging his claims by suing him for defamation in a civil court, they decided to wield their enormous influence to have him arrested, detained, and charged to court for a crime that does not exist in the jurisdiction of his arraignment. Another troubling aspect of this saga is the fact that Mr Farotimi was charged by the Police before a Magistrate Court in Ekiti State on 16 counts of criminal defamation. However, criminal defamation is unknown to the Ekiti States Criminal Law of 2021, which currently spells out the criminal law regime in Ekiti State. It also does not exist in the Criminal Code of Lagos where Mr Farotimi resides, works, presumably wrote his book, and was abducted from. Defamation is a civil matter and should be treated as such. Section 4 of the Police Act 2020 clearly forbids the police from wading into civil matters. In an orderly society built on the rule of law, those contending the veracity or otherwise of the claims Mr Farotimi made in his book or who feel he has defamed them in any of his writings or speech would seek justice in the civil court, where Mr Farotimi would have had to defend his claims or provide redress, should he have been found to have maligned their character. In the process, the resources of the Nigerian state, our law enforcement agents, and our criminal justice system would not be trivialised and expended on pursuing personal vendettas. When a person feels that his or her reputation has been tarnished, the law creates opportunities for redress in a civil court. As Nigerias Supreme Court pointed out in 2021, criminal defamation was invented by the Star Chamber in late Mediaeval England. That is why it has been written out of the law in most states in Nigeria, as well as in many more Commonwealth countries. Another troubling aspect of this saga is the fact that Mr Farotimi was charged by the Police before a Magistrate Court in Ekiti State on 16 counts of criminal defamation. However, criminal defamation is unknown to the Ekiti States Criminal Law of 2021, which currently spells out the criminal law regime in Ekiti State. It also does not exist in the Criminal Code of Lagos where Mr Farotimi resides, works, presumably wrote his book, and was abducted from. Our Constitution provides in Section 36(12) that subject as otherwise provided by this Constitution, a person shall not be convicted of a criminal offence unless that offence is defined and the penalty therefore is prescribed in a written law. The Nigerian Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed this canonical provision as the anchor of our criminal jurisprudence, so we are left to wonder under which powers the court in Ekiti presumed to order the remand of Mr Farotimi. Moreover, the act of charging Mr Farotimi before the Magistrate Court for a crime that the Court clearly did not have jurisdiction to entertain, is an abuse of legal processes. The Police should drop the charges against Mr Farotimi and he should be immediately released without preconditions. The Attorney General of Ekiti State should step in immediately to officially discontinue the case against Mr Farotimi if the police do not act fast enough in doing so. All laws that support criminal defamation in Nigerias criminal jurisprudence should be immediately repealed and cases initiated under those laws should be struck out by the courts. We need to make the case that our law enforcement agencies need to uphold their constitutional mandate to serve and protect citizens, rather than act as tools for the powerful to silence dissent. A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The tax reform bills mark a remarkable paradigm shift from the current tax regime putting an end to the complex and multi-layered tax system with its consequent lapses and inefficiencies. In concert, the bills foster economic equity, encourage exportation, extend the tax net to reflect current global trends and create a business-friendly environment to attract local and foreign investments. The bills further strengthen fiscal federalism and facilitate cooperation between taxpayers, subnational governments and MDAs for a vibrant and prosperous economy. Introduction The tax regime in Nigeria is made up of a complex web of disjointed tax laws which leave much to be desired in terms of efficiency and effectiveness both in administration and in achieving the nations fiscal policy goals. Sequel to this, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) established the Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee in August 2023 to address the pressing need for comprehensive tax reform in Nigeria. The committee, chaired by the tax expert, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, was tasked with producing recommendations aimed at overhauling the nations tax system and achieving fiscal policy goals. Recently, the President transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly proposing significant changes to the face and character of the tax landscape. The tax reform bills together represent the comprehensive efforts and recommendations of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee. The Nigeria Tax Bill (from now on referred to as the NTB) is a comprehensive piece of legislation that seeks to outline all taxes in the country hitherto administered by different laws and compress them into a single simplified law. Most importantly, the NTB vests upon the Nigeria Revenue Service (expected to succeed FIRS) powers to collect all national taxes, including royalties hitherto collected by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and excise duties, import VAT etc, hitherto collected by the Nigeria Customs Service. The Tax Bills are: The Nigeria Tax Bill (NTB) 2024 The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (NTAB) The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill (NRSEB); and The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill (JRBEB). The enactment of the NTB will lead to the repeal of 11 laws, while 13 other laws will experience consequential amendments. The NTB will also revoke one subsidiary legislation and consequential amendments on two other subsidiary legislations. The laws that would be revoked once the NTB comes into effect (as currently proposed) include: Capital Gains Tax Act Companies Income Tax Act Casino Act Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Act Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act Income Tax (Authorised Communications) Act Personal Income Tax Act Petroleum Profits Tax Act Stamp Duties Act Values Added Tax Act and Venture Capital (Incentives) Act. The existing legislation that will witness consequential amendments include: Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The Petroleum Industry Act, No 6. 2021 (the areas to be deleted in the PIA include parts I X of chapter four; the Fifth and Sixth Schedule; paragraphs 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the Seventh Schedule; and subparagraph 6 of paragraph 14 of the Seventh Schedule. The Nigerian Export Processing Zones Act (sections 8 and 18(1)(a) deleted). The Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Act (sections 8 and 18(1)(a) deleted). The National Information Technology Development Agency Act (sections 1, 2, and 3(3) deleted). The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Establishment, Etc.) Act (sections 1, 2, and 3(3) deleted). The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (Establishment) Act (section 20(2), paragraph b(i) and b(ii) deleted). The Customs, Excise Tariffs, Etc. (Consolidation) Act (section 21(2) deleted). The National Lottery Act (sections 35A, 35B and 35C deleted). The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (sections 28 and 33 deleted). The Nigeria Start-up Act (sections 25(2), (3), (4) and 29(3) deleted). The Export (Incentives and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (section 11(1) deleted). The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (Establishment, Etc.) Act (section 14(1)(h) deleted). The Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act (subsections (2)(a) and (4) of section 44 and the Second Schedule are deleted). For the subsidiary legislations, the Value Added Tax Act (Modification) Order 2021 will be revoked, while the Company Income Tax (Significant Economic Presence) Order 2020 will be amended by deleting paragraph 2 even though the parent legislation, the Company Income Tax, would be repealed. Finally, the Petroleum (Drilling and Production) Regulations 1969 would be amended by deleting regulations 60B, 60C, 61(1), (2), (4) and 62. Crucially, the Nigeria Tax Bill included a supremacy clause in Section 202, part of which states that this Act shall take precedence over any other law with regards to the imposition of tax, royalty, levy, excise duty on services or any other tax, where the provisions of any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, the provisions of this Act shall prevail and the provisions of that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void. This clause effectively elevates the NTB to be Nigerias supreme legislation on taxes.[1] This Article appraises the four Tax Bills highlighted above with particular focus on the Nigeria Tax Bill, which seeks to harmonise all the major taxes such as corporate income tax, personal income tax, and value-added tax etc., discussing key provisions and significant changes. The Nigerian Tax Bill at a Glance As a comprehensive tax legislation, the NTB harmonises all tax laws in the country into a more simplified and manageable single piece of legislation. Section 1 of the NTB[2] provides that the objective of the Act is to provide a unified fiscal legislation governing taxation in Nigeria. Hence, various taxes which were previously administered under different tax legislations are by the provisions of the NTB unified and compressed into one simplified law and administered accordingly. This simplification is intended to ease compliance for businesses and individuals, making it easier for them to understand their tax obligations. In addition, the unification and simplification of our tax laws which the NTB promises is motivated by the need to engender efficiency and effectiveness in tax administration while eradicating conflicts and the multiplicity of tax laws that the current tax regime is plagued with. Aim of the Bills Include: Address the challenge of multi-layered taxation Consolidate various legal frameworks relating to taxation Expand the countrys tax base Generate sustainable revenue streams for national development Address complexities of the current tax system. Enhance tax-compliance. Significance of the NTB To Individuals, Corporate Entities and States To Individuals Contrary to most speculations on social media, the NTB adopts a progressive personal income tax system and provides tax relief for low-income earners. Particularly, incomes below (800,000.00) eight hundred thousand naira are completely exempted, and higher earners are taxed progressively according to their earnings.[3] It follows, therefore, that the tax burden on low-income earners is reduced, and that the tax burden is generally spread to reflect equity and fairness in wealth distribution. The annual tax rate, as outlined in the Fourth Schedule of the bill, is as follows: First N800,000 0 per cent Next N2.2 million 15 per cent Next N9 million 18 per cent Next N13 million 21 per cent Next N25 million 23 per cent and Above N50 million 25 per cent. Before now, the personal income tax rates for different bands of annual income are as follows: First N300,000 7 per cent Next N300,000 11 per cent Next N500,000 15 per cent Next N500,000 19 per cent Next N1.6 million 21 per cent Above N3.2 million 24 per cent. A glance at the two sets of rates shows that while currently a low-income earner who earns N25,000 monthly, which translates to N300,000 annually, is required to pay 7 per cent income tax, the new rates proposed in the Nigeria Tax Bill exempts individuals who earn N800,000 or less annually from paying any income tax. In effect, every minimum wage earner in Nigeria would be exempted from personal income tax. However, with the new provisions in Section 28 of NTAB, financial institutions are now mandated to furnish tax authorities with details of individuals whose monthly cumulative transactions amount to N25 million or more. This would bring more high-income earners into the tax net. Also, the Bill progressively redesigned the capital gains tax regime by exempting some forms of capital gains from taxation and, in other cases, raising the gain threshold before imposing a capital gains tax. For example, Section 51 of the bill exempts an individual from paying tax on the proceeds of the sale of his residential property or land adjoining his residential property up to a distance of one acre. In Section 50, the Bill exempts compensation paid to individuals for personal injuries, such as loss of employment, defamation, libel, slander, etc., from capital gains tax once the amount is N50 million or below. Above N50 million, only the excess constitutes chargeable gains. The current provision of the subsisting Capital Gains Tax Act is that compensation for loss of office, etc, is subject to capital gains tax on the portion of the income above N10 million at 10 per cent. To Corporate Entities The Bill aims to ensure ease of doing business, which has long been a hurdle in Nigerias economic growth. Businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), have historically struggled with the complex web of tax regulations. By streamlining tax rules, the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024 simplifies compliance, enabling businesses to focus more on innovation and expansion rather than wading through bureaucratic red tape. In doing so it creates a more conducive environment for entrepreneurship and investment. The Bill in Section 20(1)(a)-(l) also indirectly reduces the taxable income of companies by increasing the deductions allowed from the companys gross earnings before ascertaining the companys profit, which is eventually taxed. The bill also eliminates a minimum income tax of around 1 per cent of gross earnings hitherto imposed on companies that did not declare profit. For corporate entities, the NTB pursuant to Section 56[4] provides for a reduction of the current 30 per cent rate for corporate income tax, and proposes 27.5 per cent in 2025 and 25 per cent in 2026, while completely exempting small companies. This significantly reduces the tax obligation of corporate bodies, and according to research, is rather conservative compared to 27 per cent and 30 per cent rates in sister African countries like South Africa and Kenya.[5] Additionally, the NTB raises the threshold for corporate tax emption from 25 million naira to 50 million naira in annual turnover, thereby exempting many small businesses from corporate tax.[6] Furthermore, the NTB tackles the problem of multiplicity of taxes for corporate bodies by harmonising multiple levels of taxes by introducing a 4 per cent development levy which will regress to 2 per cent by 2030.[7] The bill went further in Section 59 to harmonise all the special deductions on companies profit (different from the profit tax) into a single development levy that is expected to progressively decline from a rate of 4 per cent in 2025 and 2026 assessment years to just 2 per cent from 2030. The three direct annual deductions on companies profit consolidated into a one-off development levy by the bill include: Tertiary Education Tax as of today, companies are required by the TETFUND Act to pay 2 per cent of their annual assessable profit as tertiary education tax into TETFUND; NASENI Levy apart from the deduction of 3 per cent of the total revenue accruing to the Federation Account, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Act also mandates FIRS to collect 0.25 per cent of the turnover of companies and firms with income or turnover of N4,000,000 (Four Million naira) and above; and Information Technology Tax companies with an annual turnover of N100 million or more who are engaged in banking and other financial activities; insurance activities; pension fund administration; GSM service providers and telcos, as well as cyber and internet service providers, are required by the NITDA Act to pay 1 per cent of their profit before company income tax (CIT) as information technology tax annually to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Nigeria Fund (NITDF). Nigerian Education Loan Funds (NELF) primary funding source is through the deduction of 1 per cent of all taxes, levies and duties collected by FIRS and not necessarily extra direct deductions from companies profits. However, in the Nigeria Tax Bill, the NELFUND is the greatest beneficiary of the development levy. According to section 59(2), the development levy to be collected by NRS (i.e. FIRS) at progressively declining rates from 2025 shall be distributed as follows: Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETF) will receive 50 per cent of the total development levy in 2025 and 2026 (rate of 4 per cent). In 2027, 2028 and 2029, TETFUND will receive 66 per cent of the total development levy collected (the levy rate declines to 3 per cent). From 2030 and above, TETFUND will cease to receive any share of the development levy. The Student Education Loan Fund will receive 25 per cent of the development levy in 2025 and 2026, 33 per cent in 2027, 2028, and 2029, and 100 per cent from 2030 onwards. This would now be 2 per cent of the assessable profits of all companies (except small companies and non-resident companies). The National Information Technology Development Fund will receive 20 per cent of the development levy in 2025 and 2026 and 0 per cent from 2027 onwards. The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) will receive 5 per cent of the development levy in 2025 and 2026 and 0 per cent from 2027 onwards. For most companies, the Nigeria Tax Bill is coming to harmonise their taxes into a maximum of two (income tax and development levy) with a maximum total rate of 27 per cent (25 per cent profit tax and 2 per cent development levy) for the biggest companies from 2030 instead of a top rate of 33.25 per cent they currently pay, which is a relief for businesses. Also, the Nigeria Tax Bill effectively handed over the revenue collection duty of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to the NRS (FIRS). The Seventh Schedule of the Nigeria Tax Bill prescribed the royalties all production of petroleum (from inland basin, onshore, offshore and deep water) would be subjected to, which are to be collected on behalf of the Federation by the NRS (FIRS) with the royalties so collected by the NRS administered in accordance with provisions of the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (Act). To States The notable implication of the tax bills to the States is the changes regarding revenue sharing generated from Value Added Tax (VAT). Pursuant to Section 77 of the Nigerian Tax Administration Bill, the new sharing formula has the States and Local Governments receiving the bulk of the VAT revenue, thereby reducing the existing quota accruable to the federal government. Precisely, 55 per cent and 35 per cent of the VAT revenue is accruable to the State and Local Governments respectively, while 10 per cent goes to the federal government. While this sharing formula represents fiscal federalism, it is noteworthy to state that the VAT derivation model pursuant to Section 77[8] which potentially redistributes revenues amongst state governments equitably, incurs significant losses to some state governments. Based on the 60 per cent derivation model, states that contribute more in VAT revenue will earn more while states that contribute less might earn significantly less. Benefit To Lawyers Advice on Compliance and Regulatory Services: The introduction of the new tax Bill means an increase in the demand for legal services related to compliance and regulatory issues. Lawyers will be essential in guiding businesses and individuals on what the new tax Bill is all about and how to navigate the tax law and structure their businesses efficiently to ensure compliance and avoid penalties, thus creating a business opportunity for lawyers. Tax Dispute Resolution: The unification of the various existing tax laws into a more coherent and consolidated system has significant advantage for lawyers. A unified Tax law means that lawyers can quickly identify the applicable rules when briefed on tax-related matters, helping lawyers to conduct dispute resolution more efficiently and reducing the complexity involved in representing clients in tax-related matters. Lawyers will no longer have to navigate through a maze of different legislations which can occasion overlooking important provisions. Other Notable Highlights of the Tax Reform Bills In line with the aims of the bills to address the challenge of multi-layered taxation, expand the tax base, simplify and harmonise various tax legislations, and generate sustainable revenue streams for national development, the following are notable highlights of the bills: Establishment of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and Joint Revenue Board (JRB):The tax reform bills, particularly the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill establish the NRS and JRB respectively. [9] Pursuant to the NRSEB [10] the NRS replaces the FIRS and performs a broader role of revenue administration in Nigeria, and also drives collaboration with subnational governments and MDAs. In the same manner, the JRBEB established the JRB to replace the current Joint Tax Board (JTB) with an enhanced role for cooperation and tax harmonisation. Additionally, the bill also established the office of the tax ombudsman to protect taxpayers and ensure tax simplification. Promotion of Exports and International Trade: Exports of goods, services, and intellectual property will benefit from zero-rated VAT alongside additional incentives aimed at boosting Nigerias competitiveness in international trade. By eliminating VAT on exports, the new law provides a fertile ground for international trade, support for local industries in accessing global markets, and attracting foreign investment. Simplifying and Rationalising Taxes: Over 50 nuisance taxes are to be repealed, with remaining levies harmonised into a few number of taxes. Corporate income tax rates will reduce from 30 per cent to 25 per cent over the next two years, and earmarked taxes on companies will be replaced with a streamlined single levy. Further, essential goods and services, such as food, education, and healthcare, will be subject to 0 per cent VAT, while rent, public transportation, and renewable energy will also be VAT-exempt. Enhancing Business Competitiveness: Businesses will gain from input VAT credits on assets and services, alongside the removal of minimum tax requirements for companies with low margins or those reporting losses. These changes will reduce production costs and foster increased investment activity. A Tax System Based on Equity and Fairness: the bills implement progressive rates for personal income tax, VAT, and capital gains tax, ensuring protection for low-income earners. In addition, taxes on foreign currency transactions will be payable in naira, simplifying compliance for businesses and alleviating pressure on the exchange rate. Equity Among States: VAT revenue will be allocated to states using a fairer model that rewards their actual economic contributions, replacing the current system that disproportionately benefits states hosting corporate headquarters where VAT remittances are typically made. Tax Accountability and Transparency: With the establishment of the Tax Ombudsman vulnerable taxpayers are protected thereby ensuring equity and fairness in tax administration. Conclusion The tax reform bills mark a remarkable paradigm shift from the current tax regime putting an end to the complex and multi-layered tax system with its consequent lapses and inefficiencies. In concert, the bills foster economic equity, encourage exportation, extend the tax net to reflect current global trends and create a business-friendly environment to attract local and foreign investments. The bills further strengthen fiscal federalism and facilitate cooperation between taxpayers, subnational governments and MDAs for a vibrant and prosperous economy. References [1] ProShare. President Tinubus Tax Reform Bills Under a Microscope. Avaliable at https://proshare.co/articles/president-tinubus-tax-reform-bills-under-a-microscope?menu=Economy&classification=Read&category=Taxes%20%26%20Tariffs accessed 6th December 2024. [2] NTB 2024, s 1. [3] Ibid, section 58 and the Fourth Schedule. [4] NTB 2024, s 56. [5] Opeyemi B., Five Takeaways from Tax Reform Bills. Punch (December 3rd, 2024) accessed 5th December 2024. [6] NTB 2024, s 203. [7] Ibid, s 59. [8] Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, s 40. [9] Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, s 3 and the Joint Revenue [10] Ibid. Oyetola Muyiwa Atoyebi is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Looking around, its hard to escape the conclusion that the devils are no longer confined to myth or imagination. They walk among us governing, exploiting, and sowing misery that mirrors our darkest visions of hell. Shakespeares The Tempest gave us the line, Hell is empty, and all the devils are here, a poetic reflection of disorder. Today, it feels more like a grim everyday truth. Just over a month ago, Donald Trump was re-elected as president. For many, myself included, despair now feels like a constant shadow, given the character of the incoming administration and its ominous promises. The very soul of America, long heralded as a beacon of hope and a bastion of democracy, now teeters on the brink of self-destruction. This great human experiment my adopted homeland seems poised to unravel under the weight of its own contradictions, its promises of justice and equality replaced by the shadow of cynicism and division. The thought of watching this nation, once a symbol of resilience and progress, descend into chaos is almost too much to bear. In the wake of the election, I stepped away from my weekly opinion column for an entire month. What was the point, I wondered, of spilling ink when my homeland, Nigeria, already stands as a monument to chaos, and America seems hell-bent on following the same path? Writing felt like an exercise in futility; who even reads it? It was like screaming into an endless void, watching helplessly as the world spirals ever faster into madness. Looking around, its hard to escape the conclusion that the devils are no longer confined to myth or imagination. They walk among us governing, exploiting, and sowing misery that mirrors our darkest visions of hell. Shakespeares The Tempest gave us the line, Hell is empty, and all the devils are here, a poetic reflection of disorder. Today, it feels more like a grim everyday truth. Imagine Dele Farotimi, a man who, by law, should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Yet, he has been detained under a law that experts confirm does not exist in Ekiti States statute book. He is left languishing in jail, not for committing a crime, but because he is ensnared in a corrupt system that thrives on injustice. His story, however, is far from unique; it reflects the lived reality of countless others punished not for wrongdoing, but for their vulnerability. Meanwhile, those in power, the executives, lawmakers, and judges, bask in their privilege, ensuring the weak remain voiceless, while the guilty prosper. Across the Atlantic, in the United States, a nation once seen as a beacon of democratic ideals, a convicted felon now stands at the helm, assembling a cabinet that seems better suited for a courtroom drama than governance. Its not just the absurdity of the situation but the unsettling fact that nearly half the country is cheering him on, mistaking his crimes for virtues. Its a grotesque spectacle, a stark reminder of what happens when charisma and divisive rhetoric overshadow accountability and moral clarity. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Perhaps most damning of all is the indifference of those who have the power to act. The global elite, safe in their fortified enclaves, observe chaos with detachment. They host summits, issue statements, and launch performative initiatives that do little to disrupt the status quo. Philanthropy becomes their shield, a facade of benevolence that allows them to maintain privilege without making meaningful sacrifices. Meanwhile, the systems that breed suffering remain untouched. The devils are not confined to politics. Wars rage worldwide, tearing lives apart in the service of greed and geopolitical games. In Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, and countless other regions, innocent people are crushed under the weight of conflicts they neither started nor can end. Refugees, desperate for safety, face closed borders and hostile policies. Meanwhile, powerful individuals and nations profit, selling arms and fuelling the flames under the guise of strategy. Each dropped bomb and fleeing family tells the story of a world in which human lives are expendable. Even in peacetime, theres no respite. Economic systems quietly perpetuate inequality, ensuring that billions remain in poverty, while a select few hoard unimaginable wealth. Corporations strip resources, exploit labour, and evade taxes, all while touting hollow commitments to social responsibility. Insurance companies rake in billions, yet deny patients essential care. Politicians, complicit in this scheme, safeguard these structures. They tell us the markets are thriving, but for whom? Certainly not for the workers who cant afford rent, food, or basic dignity. If hell exists, it resides in boardrooms where profits take precedence over humanity. Hatred and division form yet another layer of evil. Racism, xenophobia, and religious persecution fracture societies, turning neighbours into enemies. Across continents, minorities are scapegoated, their suffering justified by twisted ideologies. The Rwandan genocide, when ethnic tensions between the Hutus and Tutsis erupted in mass slaughter, and the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, fuelled by economic frustrations, are glaring examples of how intolerance thrives when left unchecked. These arent isolated incidents; they are symptoms of a world that tolerates and even nurtures prejudice. Perhaps most damning of all is the indifference of those who have the power to act. The global elite, safe in their fortified enclaves, observe chaos with detachment. They host summits, issue statements, and launch performative initiatives that do little to disrupt the status quo. Philanthropy becomes their shield, a facade of benevolence that allows them to maintain privilege without making meaningful sacrifices. Meanwhile, the systems that breed suffering remain untouched. The real question is whether we are willing to confront the devils not just in others but within ourselves. Are we complicit in systems of oppression? Do we ignore suffering because it feels distant? Do we excuse the devils when they serve our interests? Facing these uncomfortable truths is the first step toward reclaiming a sense of morality in an increasingly fractured world. And yet, even amidst this bleakness, we must refuse to abandon hope entirely. For every devil, there are countless individuals fighting back, often unnoticed: grassroots movements challenging corruption, communities uniting against injustice, and ordinary people choosing compassion over indifference. These acts of defiance remind us that while the devils may seem omnipresent, they are not invincible and they do not have to win. Progress is neither linear nor easy. It requires enduring failures, navigating setbacks, and pushing forward even when despair feels overwhelming. Viktor Frankl, a psychologist and Holocaust survivor, called this tragic optimism, acknowledging lifes inherent suffering, while choosing to move forward with resilience. This philosophy allows us to hold space for the full range of human emotions: joy and sorrow, hope and despair, courage and fear. Tragic optimism demands that we see the world clearly, its beauty and its brutality and then focus on what we can control. It reminds us that weve faced challenges before and survived. To stand still is not an option; to rise, even when weighed down by despair, is the only path forward. Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. These devils thrive on our apathy, our cynicism, and our silence, feeding on the spaces where our resistance should be. Yet, humanity holds the power to challenge them. The question is not whether we can it is whether we will summon the courage to stand, to speak, and to fight for what is right. Our salvation lies not in waiting for someone else to act but in confronting these devils head-on, refusing to let them define the world we leave behind. The real question is whether we are willing to confront the devils not just in others but within ourselves. Are we complicit in systems of oppression? Do we ignore suffering because it feels distant? Do we excuse the devils when they serve our interests? Facing these uncomfortable truths is the first step toward reclaiming a sense of morality in an increasingly fractured world. Osmund Agbo is a US-based medical doctor and author. His works include Black Grit, White Knuckles: The Philosophy of Black Renaissance and a fiction work titled The Velvet Court: Courtesan Chronicles. His latest works, Pray, Let the Shaman Die and Maam, I Do Not Come to You for Love, have just been released. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As the headline sponsor of the monumental 10th Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN), Sterling Bank, the One Customer Bank, reinforced its dominance as a driving force behind Nigerias creative revolution, boldly empowering artistic visionaries and entrepreneurial trailblazers to redefine global fashion narratives. Chidimma Okoli, Head of Brand Marketing, articulated the banks strategic vision: Our objective is clear we are equipping Nigerian designers with the skills, networks, and opportunities necessary to compete on the global stage. This is a deliberate, systematic approach to building national creative capacity. Our support transcends traditional banking, emphasised Abiola Adelana, Head of Tourism, Creative Arts, and Business at Sterling Bank. We recognise the transformative power of our creative industries and are dedicated to providing meaningful platforms for emerging talents. A prime example of this commitment was the recognition of Lambert Fashions CEO, Ogboghodo Adesuwa Ella. With eight years of industry experience and a successful progression to the main fashion show, Ella received an all-expenses-paid opportunity to the Kunle Afolayan Production Film Village. This award represents more than a prize it is a push in individual creative potential. We leverage this platform to enhance capacity-building efforts, teaching participants how to better brand their products so they can compete on a global scale. Ms Okoli further emphasised that all Nigerian vendors at the exhibition have been integrated into the Made By Nigerian Initiative, which will facilitate ongoing collaboration until the next event. We participate in AFWN to offer emerging designers invaluable opportunities to refine their branding and positioning strategies for international competitiveness, she added. Sterling Bank will always support initiatives that help build capacity and positively impact the communities they serve. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Sterling Bank isnt just supporting creativityits driving Nigerian innovation, resilience, and global leadership in the competitive world of fashion and the arts. This initiative extends far beyond the fashion industry. It represents a profound belief in Nigerian talent and a strategic commitment to providing creators with the tools, resources, and platforms to shine on the world stage. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. Tesla China to launch Actually Smart Summon feature On December 13, Tesla China officially announced the release of a new in-car featureActually Smart Summon (ASS), which is available for the vehicles equipped with the Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) or Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities. This feature allows Tesla owners to summon their vehicles from a parking space via the Tesla mobile app. The vehicle can automatically drive to the owners location or a designated spot, provided the car remains within the owner's line of sight during the movement. This function is set to be rolled out to owners through an over-the-air (OTA) software update shortly. Photo credit: Tesla China TANK 500 Hi4-Z kicks off pre-sale On December 13, Great Wall Motor's TANK brand officially commenced pre-sales for the TANK 500 Hi4-Z model, priced at 379,800 yuan. The model is positioned as a premium mid-to-large plug-in hybrid electric SUV. NIO already deploys 2,779 battery swap stations across China by Dec. 12 As of December 12, NIO has already deployed 2,779 battery swap stations across China, 907 stations of which are located along highways, the company said on the day at a media communication event. NIO also revealed that it plans to complete a battery swapping network that covers the country's 9 northsouth and 9 eastwest main highways by the end of this year with over 900 battery swap stations expected to be operational. EHang, Cyberport, KC Smart Mobility sign MoU to support Hong Kong in R&D of unmanned eVTOL aircrafts EHang, a Chinese company specializing in urban air mobility (UAM) technology, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KC Smart Mobility, a subsidiary of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited, and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (Cyberport), according to a press release EHang issued on December 11 via its WeChat account. NIO Capital invests in Chinese digital energy solution provider Infypower NIO Capital recently announced the successful completion of an investment in Shenzhen Infypower Co., Ltd. (Infypower), a Chinese digital energy solution provider, according to a press release NIO Capital released on December 13. The proceeds raised from the fresh round are earmarked primarily for supporting Infypower's energy transformation and sustainable development via high-quality products and professional solutions. BYD introduces five NEV models, opens three showrooms in Oman BYD recently put five new energy vehicle (NEV) models, including the BYD HAN, BYD ATTO 3 (named BYD Yuan Plus in China), BYD SEAL, BYD SONG PLUS DM-i, and BYD QIN PLUS DM-i, onto the Omani market, according to a post on its WeChat account. AI tech company ModelBest closes new financing round ModelBest, an AI-focused technology company, recently announced the completion of a new financing round, which raised for the company several hundreds of millions of yuan. The funding will expedite the company's efforts to commercialize efficient AI large models, particularly in edge computing applications. JAC Group introduces T9 diesel AT pickup to Brazilian market JAC Group recently launched its T9 diesel-fueled AT (automatic transmission) pickup in Brazil, marking a significant step in its global strategy, according to the company's announcement via WeChat. Geely-backed eVTOL aircraft developer AEROFUGIA breaks ground on global headquarters On December 12, Chinese eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft developer AEROFUGIA officially broke ground on its global headquarters in Chengdu city, the capital of China's Sichuan province, according to a post on the company's WeChat account. This marks a key milestone as the company from critical technology development to scaling production capabilities. Sunwoda, XTC New Energy form cooperation on R&D of solid-state batteries, related materials Sunwoda Electronic Co., Ltd. ("Sunwoda") announced on December 12 that its subsidiary, Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co., Ltd. ("SEVB"), has signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with XTC New Energy Materials (Xiamen) Co., Ltd. ("XTC New Energy"), aiming to jointly advance the industrialization and joint development of materials for solid-state batteries, with plans to expand into further commercial cooperation when the timing is appropriate. Dowstone, UESTC team up on R&D of ultra-thin metallic lithium anodes for solid-state batteries Chinese lithium battery materials developer Guangdong Dowstone Technology Co., Ltd. ("Dowstone") recently signed a Project Technology Development Contract with the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China ("UESTC") to jointly develop ultra-thin metallic lithium anodes, according to a post on Dowstone's WeChat account. INCHTEK deploys inHSM security firmware on SemiDrive's E3 series chip On December 13, automotive-grade chip supplier SemiDrive and automotive cybersecurity solution developer INCHTEK announced the deployment and release of INCHTEK's inHSM security firmware on SemiDrive's automotive-grade MCU products, E3119F8 and E3118F4. This collaboration addresses critical information security needs for domain controller applications, offering seamless AUTOSAR integration to reduce development complexity and costs while enhancing efficiency and reliability. FAW Jiefang launches 'SPRINT2030' global strategy, aims to sell 330,000 vehicles in 2025 On December 12, FAW Jiefang (FAW Trucks), the commercial vehicle arm of FAW Group, opened its 2025 Global Partner+ Conference in Qingdao, unveiling its "SPRINT2030" global strategy. BAIC puts BJ30 new energy SUV onto UAE market Chinese automaker BAIC Motor (BAIC) recently held a product launch event in Dubai, UAE, officially introducing its BJ30 SUV to the local market. With years of collaboration with local partners, BAIC has built a strong brand presence in the UAE, recognized for its high-quality off-road vehicles. This launch event marks another significant milestone for the brand in the UAE. The Jigawa State Government has earmarked N400 million to renovate seven Tsangaya schools established 12 years ago. The Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Tsangaya Education Board, Abubakar Maje, made the disclosure shortly after defending the boards budget for the 2025 fiscal year before the Jigawa House of Assembly Committee on Education in Dutse on Thursday. Mr Maje said the state government approved N1.82 billion as the boards capital and recurrent expenditure in 2025. He explained that N400 million would be used to renovate the seven Tsangaya schools established by the federal government in 2012. The schools were established to integrate the Tsangaya Islamic education into the Western system of education and to tackle the problem of out-of-school children, including almajiris. The pilot scheme took off in 2012 in Niger, Kano, Adamawa, Yobe, Katsina, Oyo, and Jigawa states. The seven schools were established in different locations across the selected local government areas in Jigawa state. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We plan to spend N400 million to renovate the seven Tsangaya schools established by the federal government in Gwiwa, Jahun, Sulenkarkar, Maigatari, Birniwa, Kirikasamma and Buji LGAs. The first thing we intend to do is to renovate these schools as they are currently in dilapidated condition. When I approached our governor about this, he quickly approved the renovation of all the seven schools, Mr Maje said. He explained that the development would enable the board to enrol more students, particularly those out of school. The executive secretary added that the schools are expected to admit 7,500 more students after the renovation. Our target is to enrol 2,000 more pupils in each of the two biggest schools in Gwiwa and Gantsa because theyre the biggest. While in the remaining five schools, we plan to enrol 500 more pupils, the executive secretary said. According to him, the board also planned to hold a three-day sensitisation and awareness-creation workshop for Islamic teachers across the state to identify and address grey areas in the Tsangaya education system. During this workshop, there will be a question and answer session where grey areas will be identified in order to address them for the success of the system, Mr Maje assured. He added that the Tsangaya education system has three components: tsangaya (recitation hall), conventional class, where pupils will be taught English language, mathematics, and science, and skills acquisition classes, where pupils will be trained in Plaster of Paris (POP), carpentry, and plumbing, among other trades. This is to enable the students to become self-reliant after graduation, without waiting for white collar job. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY), have killed two bandits and recovered weapons at Bambaran, a village in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Abubakar Abdullahi, the coordinator of the Joint Media Coordination Centre, disclosed this is in a statement on Thursday in Gusau. Mr Abdullahi, a lieutenant colonel, said the operation was carried out by the Forward Military Operations Base in the Anka area in collaboration with Zamfara Community Protection Guard (ZSCPG) and local vigilantes. As a result, two terrorists were neutralised while items recovered from the terrorists include a PKT machine gun, one AK-47 rifle, a magazine, and 3 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition. This successful operation underscores the collaborative efforts between the military and other security forces in the Operation Fansan Yamma Theatre of Operations towards ensuring safety within Zamfara State and the North-west Zone at large. READ ALSO: Multiple bomb blast rocks Zamfara communities again Operation Fansan Yamma remains dedicated to eliminating threats to peace and stability in the North-west. We are striving to protect the lives and property of residents as operations continue, the statement added. (NAN) Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Delta State Government, Thursday, received $400,000 from the Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge, organised by the Nigerian Governors Forum in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for outstanding performance in primary health care management. The award, organised by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Federal Ministry of Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and UNICEF, was in recognition of Governor Sheriff Oborevworis initiative in the health sector for the past year, in line with the MORE agenda of his administration. Nigerias Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and the Chairman of the Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, who is also Governor of Kwara State, were present during the handover of the prize and money to Delta State Government officials. The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Joseph Onojaeme, and the Director-General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Isaac Akpoveta, were on the ground to receive the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori. The award, which started in 2019, is to shore up performance at the Primary Health Care level so as to make healthcare more accessible to the people at the grassroots. It is the first time since the inception of the awards that Delta would be considered for mention in any category of recognition. It had never won any prize money. ALSO READ: Delta enrols more than two million persons into health insurance scheme After receiving the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori, Mr Onojaeme said that the award was proof that the administrations MORE agenda was on course and yielding positive results. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He disclosed that Governor Oborevworis determination and commitment to revamping the health sector was not in doubt, adding that the recent approval for the renovation of over 150 Primary Health Care centres must have been pivotal to the state earning the award. Delta State was considered for the award after a visit of the technical committee set up to assess the state of PHCs in all 36 states and Abuja, the federal capital. The committee comprised representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank and the United Nations Food Programme (UNFPA), among others. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has announced a N150,000 Christmas bonus for each state civil servant in appreciation for their dedication and commitment to service. The announcement is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Abakaliki by the governors spokesperson, Monday Uzor, According to the statement, the governor announced this at a state banquet at Government House Abakaliki in honour of the visiting British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever. Workers in Ebonyi State Civil service will receive N150,000 each as a 2024 Christmas bonus from the State Government. The gesture is in appreciation of workers commitment to duty and understanding during the strike. Our workers have shown a lot of commitment and respect to us as a government. During the strike action, they heeded our appeal because they understood the situation of things, and we are most grateful and ready to always dialogue on how to improve their welfare, the statement read. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The governor further directed that every worker should receive the bonus before the close of work on Tuesday, 17 December Mr Uzor said the governor had earlier received the British Deputy High Commissioner in his office at Ochoudo Centenary City, Abakaliki, where he solicited the assistance of the British Government in the areas of Water, Health, power and education as well as Agriculture. We are committed to industrialising the state. We have made progress in Ebonyi Pipe Production Company, Ebonyi State Fertilisers and Chemicals Company, Industrial Clusters, and Ebonyi State Hatchery, Nkaliki. We cultivate rice in large quantities and seek your collaboration to enhance production for exportation, the governor said. The statement added, Water and sanitation are another area in which we have made significant progress in our quest to increase the provision and access to quality water supply in rural and urban areas. We have revived the Oferekpe water scheme with the capacity to produce 100 million cubic litres of water on a daily basis. Governor Nwifuru commended the UK Foreign Office and other development partners for their active support and commitment to Nigerias development. Earlier, the deputy high commissioner had expressed satisfaction with ongoing development in the state and pledged to assist, considering the long-standing ties between the UK and Nigeria. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print SINGAPORE, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 51Talk Online Education Group ("51Talk" or the "Company") (NYSE American: COE), a global online education platform with core expertise in English education, announced that its students showcased their talent at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event, held from November 11 to 22, 2024, brought together Heads of State, policymakers, environmental advocates, and youth leaders from around the globe. Among the voices were the Global Outstanding Students of 51Talk, who once again made their mark on the world stage. Students from Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Japan delivered articulate speeches in fluent English, sharing their unique perspectives and ideas with confidence and clarity. Their participation not only highlighted their linguistic proficiency but also underscored the role of 51Talk in providing a platform for young learners to express themselves on an international stage. Since 2019, students from 51Talk have consistently engaged audiences at significant global events, including previous United Nations conferences. This ongoing involvement illustrates 51Talk's commitment to collaborating with leading global organizations such as the UN and COP29, enabling students to showcase their abilities in front of a worldwide audience. Mr. Jack Huang, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of 51Talk, stated: "At 51Talk, we are dedicated to cultivating international talent and supporting youth. Our platform goes beyond English instruction; it prepares students to connect and communicate effectively in a global context." SOURCE 51Talk Online Education Group CINCINNATI, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a groundbreaking achievement for pediatric heart care, the FDA has expanded the labeling of Johnson & Johnson MedTech's Impella Support System to include treatment for certain children suffering from heart failure, extending the original approval for care of adults with heart failure. This significant advancement is the result of a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson MedTech and ACTION (Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network), a network of over 60 medical institutions. The collaboration is aimed at building real-world, adjudicated data to support FDA approvals. Impella 5.5 Previously, the Impella Support System was approved for use in adults. ACTION's clinical providers not only gathered essential foundational data but also enhanced clinical understanding of ventricular assist devices (VADs) for pediatric use. Families, caregivers, and medical providers can now benefit from improved access to this life-saving technology. "This announcement marks a monumental achievement for children with heart failure," said Angela Lorts, MD, MBA, and David Rosenthal, MD, Co-Founders of ACTION. "Historically, this area of care has been underfunded and understudied in pediatrics. The approval of the Impella Support System for children with heart failure represents an enormous leap forward in improving heart failure outcomes for children. We are proud to have collaborated with Abiomed on this crucial FDA process and look forward to further partnerships that will enhance care for these vulnerable patients." The collaboration between ACTION and Johnson & Johnson MedTech includes not only evidence generation but also the development of pediatric-focused educational materials about heart failure. These resources will be available on the ACTION education site, MyACTIONEducation.org, featuring engaging animations, infographics, and articles designed to help children, parents, and caregivers better understand heart failure and explore their treatment options. ACTION and Johnson & Johnson MedTech are paving the way for innovative therapies, offering renewed hope to thousands of children living with heart failure and their families. See the press release issued by Johnson & Johnson MedTech. MEDIA CONTACT On behalf of ACTION Phillip Sontag 917.446.4123 [email protected] SOURCE ACTION NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The aesthetic devices market in mexico size is estimated to grow by USD 533.06 million from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period. Rise in awareness regarding aesthetic surgeries is driving market growth, with a trend towards rising demand for minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures. However, adverse effects related to application of energy-based aesthetic devices poses a challenge. Key market players include AbbVie Inc., Bausch Health Companies Inc., BTL Group, Candela Corp., Cutera Inc., Cynosure LLC, Galderma SA, Hologic Inc., Home Skinovations Inc., Inmode Ltd., Lumenis Be Ltd., Merz Pharma GmbH and Co KGaA, Rohrer Aesthetics Inc., Salient Medical, Sanuwave Health Inc., Sisram Medical Ltd., Venus Concept Inc., and Laser Technology Inc.. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Aesthetic Devices Market in Mexico 2024-2028 Key insights into market evolution with AI-powered analysis. Explore trends, segmentation, and growth drivers- View Free Sample PDF Aesthetic Devices Market In Mexico Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.4% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 533.06 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 8.29 Regional analysis Mexico Performing market contribution North America at 100% Key countries Mexico and North America Key companies profiled AbbVie Inc., Bausch Health Companies Inc., BTL Group, Candela Corp., Cutera Inc., Cynosure LLC, Galderma SA, Hologic Inc., Home Skinovations Inc., Inmode Ltd., Lumenis Be Ltd., Merz Pharma GmbH and Co KGaA, Rohrer Aesthetics Inc., Salient Medical, Sanuwave Health Inc., Sisram Medical Ltd., Venus Concept Inc., and Laser Technology Inc. Market Driver The Mexican aesthetic devices market is experiencing significant growth due to increasing trends in aesthetic treatments for cosmetic concerns. Individual preferences for enhancing surface-level appearance and improving quality of life drive the demand for aesthetic procedures. Minimally invasive treatments, such as wrinkle reducers and dermal fillers, are popular among the geriatric and elderly populations. Aesthetically conscious consumers seek innovative features from pioneering startups and multinational giants, including laser resurfacing, breast implants, and facial enhancements. Safety standards are crucial, with a focus on medical-grade injectables and specialized aesthetic clinics, hospitals, and medical spas. Emerging economies and medical tourists contribute to the market's expansion, influenced by changing beauty standards and heightened awareness, as well as celebrity influence. Innovative devices, such as laser systems, tattoo removal devices, and thread lift products, cater to various aesthetic concerns, including facial wrinkles, volume loss, and skin lighteners. Minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures have gained significant traction in Mexico's aesthetic market due to their numerous benefits. These techniques limit the size of incisions, expedite recovery, minimize pain and scarring, and reduce post-surgical complications. Facial resurfacing and body contouring procedures, such as laser treatments, have replaced traditional surgeries. Laser treatments, including laser hair removal and fat and cellulite removal, offer quick and efficient solutions with natural-looking results. The popularity of these non-invasive procedures continues to grow as they provide a youthful appearance with minimal downtime and risks. Request Sample of our comprehensive report now to stay ahead in the AI-driven market evolution! Market Challenges The Mexican aesthetic devices market is witnessing significant growth due to increasing aesthetic concerns among individuals, particularly in the areas of wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots, and hair loss. The geriatric and elderly populations are a large consumer base for aesthetic procedures, seeking improvements in their surface-level appearance and quality of life. Minimally invasive treatments, such as aesthetic injectables and implants, are popular choices, with breast implants, face implants, and penile implants leading the market. Laser resurfacing, laser systems, and innovative features from pioneering startups are driving the market forward. Safety standards are a top priority, with medical tourists from emerging economies seeking expert local knowledge and personalized treatments. The market is dominated by multinational giants, but innovative startups are gaining ground with grants and funding. Cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, facial enhancements, skin lighteners, tattoo removal devices, and thread lift products are also in demand. Clinics, hospitals, and medical spas offer a range of surgical and nonsurgical procedures to meet the diverse needs of the aesthetically conscious population. Energy-based aesthetic devices, such as lasers and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) systems, offer various benefits for cosmetic procedures. However, they come with potential risks and complications. These devices emit hazardous radiation, which can cause serious health effects, including skin color changes and herpes infection. High-power energy devices pose a risk of damaging the eye and skin. Anesthesia complications, blood clots, allergic reactions, and adverse effects due to undiagnosed medical conditions are other potential risks. Long-term side effects can impact the quality of life of end-users. Previous versions of carbon dioxide (CO2) resurfacing lasers had a high rate of thermal injury, discomfort, pain, depigmentation, skin eruptions, scarring, erythema, and infections, requiring extended downtime. As professionals, it's crucial to weigh the benefits against the risks and ensure proper training, certification, and adherence to safety guidelines when using these devices. Discover how AI is revolutionizing market trends- Get your access now! Segment Overview This aesthetic devices market in Mexico report extensively covers market segmentation by Type 1.1 Energy-based aesthetic devices 1.2 Non energy-based aesthetic devices End-user 2.1 Hospitals 2.2 Dermatology clinics 2.3 Others Application 3.1 Skin resurfacing and tightening 3.2 Body contouring and cellulite reduction 3.3 Hair removal 3.4 Others Geography 4.1 North America 1.1 Energy-based aesthetic devices- The Mexican market for energy-based aesthetic devices is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing popularity of cosmetic procedures. These devices, which include laser, light therapy, ultrasound, and RF technologies, are used for minimally invasive or invasive treatments to address various skin and body defects. Mexico's affordability and the rise in the number of working women have made aesthetic procedures more accessible, leading to a surge in demand. In 2021, Mexico accounted for 5.1% of global plastic surgeries, making it the fourth largest market after the US, Brazil, and Japan. The market's expansion is further fueled by the availability of multiple treatment options, such as RF-based devices for various skin types and new technologies for cellulite treatment and fat reduction. Additionally, research on skin procedures for diverse skin conditions and hair removal for all skin types is driving growth in this segment. Overall, these factors are expected to positively impact the energy-based aesthetic devices market in Mexico during the forecast period. Download a Sample of our comprehensive report today to discover how AI-driven innovations are reshaping competitive dynamics Research Analysis The aesthetic devices market in Mexico continues to grow as more individuals seek noninvasive procedures to address their cosmetic concerns and enhance their surface-level appearance. Aesthetic treatments, including facial rejuvenation, wrinkle reduction, and volume loss correction, are increasingly popular among both young and elderly populations. Personalized treatments using medical-grade injectables, laser therapy, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion cater to individual preferences for improving aesthetic concerns such as sagging skin, age spots, and facial wrinkles. Safety standards are paramount in this industry, ensuring that emerging economies like Mexico offer high-quality treatments that adhere to international safety and efficacy guidelines. Beauty standards continue to evolve, leading to an increase in demand for cosmetic and reconstructive procedures such as breast augmentation, facial enhancements, and buttock implants. Medical tourists from around the world travel to Mexico for affordable and expert care, further fueling the growth of the aesthetic devices market. Local expertise and adherence to skin aesthetic and cosmetic implant standards ensure that patients receive the best possible results. Market Research Overview The Aesthetic Devices Market in Mexico is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing awareness and acceptance of aesthetic treatments among the population. Individuals are prioritizing their surface-level appearance as a means to enhance their quality of life, addressing cosmetic concerns such as wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots, and hair loss. Aesthetically conscious consumers seek personalized treatments using medical-grade injectables, laser resurfacing, and innovative devices like Botox, dermal fillers, and laser therapy. The geriatric and elderly population also contribute to the market's growth, as they seek solutions for aging-related concerns. Changing beauty standards, heightened awareness, and celebrity influence further fuel the demand for aesthetic operations, including breast implants, face implants, penile implants, and surgical interventions like liposuction, facelifts, and buttock implants. The market is dominated by multinational giants and pioneering startups, offering innovative features and safety standards. Emerging economies and medical tourists contribute to the market's growth, with clinics, hospitals, medical spas, and specialized aesthetic centers offering a range of surgical and nonsurgical procedures, from cosmetic implants and skin aesthetic treatments to body contouring and physicians-dispensed cosmeceuticals. Grants and funding opportunities further support the development of new and innovative devices in the market. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Type Energy-based Aesthetic Devices Non Energy-based Aesthetic Devices End-user Hospitals Dermatology Clinics Others Application Skin Resurfacing And Tightening Body Contouring And Cellulite Reduction Hair Removal Others Geography North America 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Vero Beach home service company to provide complementary tune-ups for each qualified contest participant VERO BEACH, Fla., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Docs Heating & Cooling, the top-rated provider of superior air conditioning services and ventilation systems for Vero Beach, is accepting submissions for its Oldest HVAC Unit contest, a challenge to find and replace the area's oldest HVAC system with a new state-of-the-art HVAC system. The deadline for entries into the contest is December 22. "At Air Docs, we believe in giving back to the community, and we want to repay the Vero Beach area that has supported us throughout the years," said Josh Roberts, owner of Air Docs Heating & Cooling. "This giveaway is our way to spread cheer during the holiday season by helping a deserving family experience the comfort of a modern, energy-efficient air system by providing them with a new HVAC unit and installing it for free." To enter, participants can visit the Air Docs website at https://airdocsac.com/giveaway-2024/ to nominate themselves or another deserving recipient, provided the nominator has the permission of the nominee to enter. In addition to the grand prize, every nominee with an HVAC unit that is more than 12 years old will receive a complimentary HVAC tune-up. Air Docs technicians will use this appointment to verify the age of the contestant's HVAC to ensure the homeowner with the oldest HVAC unit wins the prize. The winning entry will be named on Dec. 24, and Air Docs will work with the winning homeowner to schedule the free installation. "If your HVAC unit is a relic of the past and you find yourself crossing your fingers and hoping your unit works when you turn it on, this contest is for you," Roberts said. "We love supporting our community and want to make this holiday season brighter for everyone in the Vero Beach area." As a full-service HVAC contractor for air conditioning installation, repair and maintenance, Air Docs services customers throughout Vero Beach and the Treasure Coast. For more information about Air Docs Heating and Cooling, call (772) 356-0254 or visit https://airdocsac.com. About Air Docs Heating and Cooling Homeowners in Vero Beach, Florida, have relied on Air Docs Heating and Cooling for heating and cooling services since 2012. Air Docs Heating and Cooling helps customers beat the heat with year-round HVAC installation, repair and maintenance and deliver premium indoor air quality service, including whole-home air purifiers and UV lights. For more information, call (772) 356-0254 or visit https://airdocsac.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR (865) 977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Air Docs Heating and Cooling Beijing (Gasgoo)- ModelBest, an AI-focused technology company, recently announced the completion of a new financing round, which raised for the company several hundreds of millions of yuan. The funding will expedite the company's efforts to commercialize efficient AI large models, particularly in edge computing applications. Photo credit: ModelBest Founded in August 2022, ModelBest has previously secured tens of millions of yuan in angel funding in April 2023 and another significant funding round worth hundreds of millions of yuan in April 2024. ModelBest has distinguished itself as an innovator in AI large model technology and its practical applications. In November 2023, the company publicly launched its multimodal large model service, Luca. This was followed by the February 2024 release of the open-source edge-side model, MiniCPM. MiniCPM integrates capabilities such as unlimited text processing, ultra-clear OCR, and real-time video understanding into edge devices for the first time, achieving over 3 million downloads since its debut. ModelBest's business portfolio now spans AI phones, AI PCs, intelligent cockpits, smart homes, and embodied robotics, through partnerships with industry leaders such as Huawei, MediaTek, Lenovo, Intel, Great Wall Motor, and Yeelight. Notably, ModelBest signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Great Wall Motor in September 2024 to develop AI large model applications in the automotive sector. Urges Shareholders to Vote "FOR" ONLY Air Products' Nominees on the WHITE Proxy Card LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE:APD) Board of Directors today issued a letter to shareholders containing important information for shareholders to consider in connection with its upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Annual Meeting"), which will be held at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on January 23, 2025. All Air Products shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 27, 2024 will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Shareholders should visit voteairproducts.com for additional information on voting. Key takeaways from the letter are below and the full letter is embedded within this release: Air Products' core industrial gas business continues to drive the Company's industry-leading adjusted EBITDA margin. Air Products has built leading positions in atmospheric gases serving global customers across multiple industries and is the world's leading supplier of hydrogen. Air Products' onsite business is governed by take-or-pay contracts with minimum volume commitments, price escalation provisions, and cost-pass-through mechanisms, allowing the Company to grow at GDP-plus rates, with an industry-leading adjusted EBITDA margin of more than 40% and strong and contracted cash flows. We continue to focus on investing in and growing our core industrial gas business; in fact, more than half of our total capital investment in the last four years has been in our core industrial gas business, and this will also be the case in 2025. Air Products has built leading positions in atmospheric gases serving global customers across multiple industries and is the world's leading supplier of hydrogen. Air Products' onsite business is governed by take-or-pay contracts with minimum volume commitments, price escalation provisions, and cost-pass-through mechanisms, allowing the Company to grow at GDP-plus rates, with an industry-leading adjusted EBITDA margin of more than 40% and strong and contracted cash flows. We continue to focus on investing in and growing our core industrial gas business; in fact, more than half of our total capital investment in the last four years has been in our core industrial gas business, and this will also be the case in 2025. Air Products has 80+ years of relevant industrial gas and 65+ years of hydrogen experience and is positioned to be the global leader in clean hydrogen. Clean hydrogen is a natural extension of Air Products' core business, which was started in 1940. Air Products has grown to become the most profitable industrial gas business in the world based on adjusted EBITDA margin. Air Products is applying this same successful first-mover strategy to the clean hydrogen market, which is expected to be worth more than $600 billion by 2030, and exceed $1 trillion by 2050 1 . Air Products' clean hydrogen projects are expected to deliver returns at or above our core industrial gas return levels, producing significant additional value to our shareholders. Clean hydrogen is a natural extension of Air Products' core business, which was started in 1940. Air Products has grown to become the most profitable industrial gas business in the world based on adjusted EBITDA margin. Air Products is applying this same successful first-mover strategy to the clean hydrogen market, which is expected to be worth more than by 2030, and exceed by 2050 . Air Products' clean hydrogen projects are expected to deliver returns at or above our core industrial gas return levels, producing significant additional value to our shareholders. Air Products is executing a prudent capital allocation strategy while derisking its clean hydrogen business. Air Products has delivered 42 consecutive years of dividend increases, with approximately $1.6 billion of dividend payments in fiscal year 2024, and a dividend per share CAGR of 9% over the last decade. The Company is not making any final investment decisions on new low-carbon projects until the current low-carbon facilities under construction are at least 75% loaded with contracts, and unless the new projects are contracted with an anchor off-take customer, consistent with our traditional onsite business. Air Products has delivered 42 consecutive years of dividend increases, with approximately of dividend payments in fiscal year 2024, and a dividend per share CAGR of 9% over the last decade. The Company is not making any final investment decisions on new low-carbon projects until the current low-carbon facilities under construction are at least 75% loaded with contracts, and unless the new projects are contracted with an anchor off-take customer, consistent with our traditional onsite business. Mantle Ridge's history of value destruction, contradictory and disorganized actions, and pursuit of company control without any serious plan did not provide any basis for engagement and should concern every Air Products shareholder. Mantle Ridge has no concrete long-term plan or ideas beyond what Air Products is already executing or has already delivered. Mantle Ridge has never run an activist campaign or made a CEO change that has driven outperformance. Since its initial proposal to nominate a full slate of directors, Mantle Ridge has subsequently backtracked and reduced the number of its Board nominees it plans to run at Air Products' 2025 Annual Meeting. Mantle Ridge continues to seek control of Air Products by targeting leadership of the Board and management, including Mr. Ghasemi and Mr. Monser, two leaders integral to the success of the Company's strategy. Mantle Ridge's proposed CEO candidate, Eduardo Menezes, has never served as a public company CEO or board director, and has not been active as an executive for almost four years. Mr. Menezes was also passed over for an "able alternative" as CEO of Linde. Further, Mr. Menezes has had no known employment experience following his retirement from Linde in 2021. Mantle Ridge's proposed Executive Chairman candidate, Dennis Reilley, has not served in an operating role in over 17 years or on a board of directors in over five years. Mantle Ridge's nomination of non-independent candidates stands in stark contrast to its own stated intentions and electing any of Mantle Ridge's nominees would halt our significant progress. Despite Mantle Ridge's claims that its director nominees are independent, Mantle Ridge's nominees have longstanding relationships and conflicted ties to each other and Paul Hilal, Mantle Ridge's Founder, calling into question why they were selected for the nomination. The Air Products Board believes it would be highly disruptive to the successful execution of its strategy to elect any of Mantle Ridge's nominees and unanimously determined they would not bring any additive skills to the Board that are not already present in Air Products' proposed refreshed slate. The full text of the letter to shareholders follows: VOTE "FOR" ONLY AIR PRODUCTS' HIGHLY QUALIFIED DIRECTOR NOMINEES ON THE WHITE PROXY CARD. DO NOT LET MANTLE RIDGE JEOPARDIZE OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER SUPERIOR LONG-TERM SHAREHOLDER VALUE. December 13, 2024 Dear Fellow Shareholder, At our upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting, scheduled for January 23, 2025, you have a critical decision to make to protect the value of your investment in Air Products. Activist firm Mantle Ridge's last-minute maneuver to drastically reduce its slate of nominees from nine to four, after Air Products had already filed its definitive proxy solicitation materials, underscores its flawed campaign that threatens to impede the significant progress we have made in advancing our two-pillar growth strategy. Our strategy, which focuses on growing our core industrial gas business and capitalizing on our first-mover advantage in the clean hydrogen market, is producing results and positions Air Products to drive significant long-term value creation. Mantle Ridge's criticism, on the other hand, ignores basic facts and is rife with inaccuracies and mischaracterizations. The contrast between Mantle Ridge's short-term, opportunistic and poorly developed stance and our proven and successful approach to our business could not be more stark. While the Air Products Board and management team are working judiciously to execute the Company's well-articulated and sound strategy, Mantle Ridge continues to run its disruptive and misguided campaign without any concrete long-term plan or ideas beyond what Air Products is already executing or has already delivered. Holding only 1.8% of Air Products' common stock, Mantle Ridge has stated that it seeks to replace Air Products' leadership, including Chairman and CEO, Seifi Ghasemi, and Lead Director, Ed Monser, and implement a wholesale turnover of the management team as soon as possible. This is despite Air Products having engaged in continuous Board refreshment and being on track to deliver on its carefully planned CEO succession process, which the Company has clearly and repeatedly outlined. Simply put, Mantle Ridge's brazen and opportunistic bid to take charge of Air Products has proven that it lacks a fundamental understanding of the benefits of our strategy and disregards our value-creating approach to capital allocation. Air Products shareholders must not allow Mantle Ridge to halt the significant progress we have made in positioning the Company to deliver superior long-term shareholder value. OUR STRONG CORE INDUSTRIAL GAS BUSINESS CONTINUES TO DRIVE OUR INDUSTRY-LEADING ADJUSTED EBITDA MARGIN. Air Products has leading positions in atmospheric gases and is the world's leading supplier of hydrogen. We deliver proven reliability, significant efficiency and productivity benefits for our global customers across multiple industries. Underscoring our commitment, more than half of our total capital investment in the last four years has been in our core industrial gas business, and this will also be the case in 2025. Our onsite business is governed by take-or-pay contracts with minimum volume commitments that often run up to 20 years and contain price escalation provisions and cost-pass-through mechanisms. This has allowed Air Products to grow at GDP-plus rates, with an industry-leading adjusted EBITDA margin of more than 40% and strong and contracted cash flows. We are expanding the core industrial gas business in secular growth verticals, including electronics, industrial manufacturing, medical and food. For example, our leading position in serving global electronics providers enables us to capitalize on tailwinds such as the artificial intelligence-driven demand for a variety of end markets, including data centers. LEVERAGING 80+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, AIR PRODUCTS IS POSITIONED TO BE THE GLOBAL LEADER IN CLEAN HYDROGEN. Clean hydrogen is a natural extension of Air Products' core business, which was started in 1940. With this strong foundation, Air Products has grown to become the most profitable industrial gas business in the world based on adjusted EBITDA margin. In the 1980s and 1990s, as refineries faced increasingly strict emissions regulations, Air Products acted quickly to build high-efficiency hydrogen plants, set up distribution infrastructure and form key relationships, positioning the Company as the hydrogen supplier of choice to refineries and multiple other end markets. Now, amid another global push to decarbonize, Air Products is applying this same successful first-mover strategy to the clean hydrogen market. We are building the world's largest green hydrogen-based ammonia production facility in NEOM and signed a pioneering supply agreement earlier this year with TotalEnergies. Negotiations are ongoing for additional offtake agreements which would exceed the expected initial production proving that our foresight and investments have established Air Products as the supplier of choice in the growing market for clean hydrogen. This market is expected to be worth more than $600 billion by 2030 and exceed $1 trillion by 20502. Capturing even a small portion of that market opportunity means that Air Products will be well positioned to deliver significant growth and shareholder value. Our clean hydrogen projects are expected to deliver returns at or above our core industrial gas return levels, producing significant additional value for our shareholders. AIR PRODUCTS CONTINUES TO EXECUTE A PRUDENT CAPITAL ALLOCATION STRATEGY WHILE DE-RISKING OUR CLEAN HYDROGEN BUSINESS AND DELIVERING STEADILY INCREASING DIVIDENDS TO SHAREHOLDERS. Under the visionary and prudent leadership of Mr. Ghasemi, Air Products has continued to invest in growth while returning record amounts of capital to our shareholders. We have delivered 42 consecutive years of dividend increases, with approximately $1.6 billion of dividend payments in fiscal year 2024. Our dividend per share has grown at a 9% CAGR over the last decade. We remain committed to prudent capital management and de-risking our projects and will not make any final investment decisions on new low-carbon projects until our current low-carbon projects under construction are at least 75% loaded with contracts, and unless the new projects are able to contract with an anchor off-take customer, consistent with our traditional onsite business model. Our strong track record in large project execution, be it in core industrial gases or clean hydrogen, demonstrates our ability to deliver reliably on our investments. We have made close to $5 billion in investments in large projects in the last seven years, including the Lu'an gasification project, the Uzbekistan gas-to-liquids facility, and the Jazan gasification-of-syngas complex, with overall returns across these projects exceeding our target. As our capital expenditure moderates, we expect to increase our return of capital to shareholders, including through dividend increases, share repurchases or other means. MANTLE RIDGE'S TRACK RECORD OF UNDERPERFORMANCE SHOULD CONCERN EVERY AIR PRODUCTS SHAREHOLDER. As you consider your vote at the upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting, you should take stock of Mantle Ridge's previous campaigns and history of value destruction. Since Mr. Hilal started his own activist hedge fund, Mantle Ridge, in 2017, he has deployed a similar value-destructive playbook in three successive campaigns. In fact, since its founding, Mantle Ridge has never run an activist campaign or made a CEO change that has driven outperformance. Why should shareholders trust Mr. Hilal's judgement on the leadership and direction of Air Products given his track record? Consider the following: CSX Mantle Ridge placed a CEO candidate at CSX Corporation who was reported to be unwell and passed away within months of his appointment. CSX shareholders funded the CEO's obligation to reimburse Mantle Ridge for compensation and benefits, totaling $84 million . Mantle Ridge has sold almost its entire position in CSX, even as Mr. Hilal remains on the Board. Under Mr. Hilal's board oversight, CSX appears to have been plagued by poor governance and weak financial controls. CSX said in October 2024 it had received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission over an accounting restatement, as well as information requests about some of the company's performance metrics. Since Mantle Ridge's settlement with CSX, CSX's total shareholder return (TSR) vs. the S&P 500 is - 68% 3 . Dollar Tree At Dollar Tree, Mantle Ridge gained control of the Board through a settlement and appointed its handpicked executive as the new CEO. In less than two years, the CEO and CFO resigned, and the total shareholder return plummeted by approximately -55% through the announcement of the CEO's resignation, while the S&P 500 increased over 42% during the same period. 4 Since Mantle Ridge's settlement with Dollar Tree, Dollar Tree's TSR vs. the S&P 500 is - 104% 5 . Aramark After Mantle Ridge announced a stake in Aramark, the company announced its CEO would resign. Mantle Ridge then settled with the company to appoint directors, including Mr. Hilal as Vice Chair, and a new CEO. Mr. Hilal has since stepped down from the Board. Since Mantle Ridge's settlement with Aramark and concurrent appointment of Mr. Hilal to the Aramark Board, Aramark's TSR vs. the S&P 500 is - 88% 6 . MANTLE RIDGE'S CONTRADICTORY AND DISORGANIZED ACTIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED A LACK OF ANY SERIOUS PLAN OR BASIS FOR ENGAGEMENT. The Board regularly engages with shareholders to solicit their views and perspectives. An ad hoc group of independent directors of the Board (Ms. Calaway and Messrs. Monser, Paull and Smith) met in-person with Mantle Ridge at its request for nearly four hours, less than a week after we first learned of their investment. At this meeting, Mantle Ridge came ill-prepared with no formal presentation and focused the discussion on taking control of the Board, and on replacing our leadership team, including Mr. Ghasemi, as soon as possible. Specifically, Mantle Ridge proposed replacing Mr. Ghasemi with Dennis Reilley for several months while the Board searched for a permanent CEO, despite Mr. Reilley not having served in an operating role in over 17 years or on a board of directors in over five years. When the ad hoc committee questioned the choice of Mr. Reilley, given his lack of recent operating and board experience, as well as the instability that could occur with appointing an interim CEO for just a few months, instead of the Board completing its previously announced CEO succession process, Mantle Ridge changed course and sent a letter to the Board, several days later, proposing that the Board consider a CEO candidate, supported by a more "seasoned" executive chairman. Several days later, it was leaked to the media that Mantle Ridge's CEO candidate would be Eduardo Menezes, who has never served as a public company CEO or on the board of directors of a public company, and has not been active as an executive for almost four years, with Mr. Reilley serving as their proposed Executive Chairman. Despite Mantle Ridge's claim that Mr. Menezes was excluded from Air Products' CEO succession process, our Board evaluated his candidacy thoroughly and deemed him inadequate. For reasons Mantle Ridge has not provided to Air Products' Board or shareholders, it has excluded Mr. Menezes from its director candidate slate. One would have to question why Mantle Ridge did not include its envisioned CEO as part of its Board nominees, given the critical function the role serves for any well-functioning company board. Mr. Menezes' past level of seniority did not satisfy our Board's publicly stated criteria for its own CEO succession search process of requiring prior experience as a "public company CEO." Mantle Ridge even admits in its December 10, 2024 letter to Air Products' shareholders that Mr. Menezes was passed over for an "able alternative" as CEO of Linde. Further, Mr. Menezes has had no known employment experience following his retirement from Linde in 2021. As Mantle Ridge acknowledges in its letter to Air Products' shareholders, Linde decided not to trust Mr. Menezes with the pivotal role of CEO, and Air Products' Board, following careful deliberation, sees no reason to reach a different conclusion when it comes to your Company. Air Products' Board concluded that Mantle Ridge's disorganized, unprepared and unconstructive approach to discussions with the Board, along with Mantle Ridge's choice of successors to Mr. Ghasemi indicated that further engagement with Mantle Ridge would be fruitless, and that the best course of action was to let shareholders hear the facts and then decide the direction of Air Products. DESPITE REDUCING ITS SLATE, MANTLE RIDGE IS STILL SEEKING EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF AIR PRODUCTS, WITHOUT DETAILING SPECIFIC PLANS TO PROTECT LONG-TERM SHAREHOLDER VALUE. Since its initial proposal to nominate a full slate of directors, Mantle Ridge has subsequently backtracked and reduced the number of its Board nominees it plans to run at Air Products' 2025 Annual Meeting. Nonetheless, Mantle Ridge continues to seek control of our Company by targeting the leadership of our Board and management, including Mr. Ghasemi and Mr. Monser, two leaders integral to the success of our strategy, despite Mr. Hilal supporting their initial appointments at Air Products and, just weeks ago, expressing deep admiration for both of them in private conversations with the Board, and in written statements. These actions reinforce the obvious discrepancy between what Mantle Ridge says and what they do a deeply concerning proposition for all Air Products shareholders. Consider the following: In its letter to the Air Products Board dated October 4, 2024 , Mantle Ridge wrote, " We are so grateful for and proud of our history with the Company and with Seifi. We have admired with greatest satisfaction the Company's many important achievements under Seifi's leadership, and under the stewardship of the Board. We have a deep admiration and personal regard and affection for Seifi ." 7 , Mantle Ridge wrote, " ." A week later, in a letter to the Air Products Board dated October 11, 2024 , Mantle Ridge wrote, " Ed Monser [is] the kind of truly independent, high-integrity, and shareholder-oriented director nominee[ ] that we think can best serve shareholders ." 8 , Mantle Ridge wrote, " ." In the same letter, Mantle Ridge expressed support for the Company's previously announced succession plan, writing, " We support the Company's articulated intention to install a successor to Seifi Ghasemi as CEO," and then further stating, " Like each of you, we have a truly profound admiration, gratitude, and affection for Seifi. We are confident that change can be effected in a way that ensures Seifi's legacy is duly protected, preserved, and celebrated. This is a priority for us, just as it is for the Board." 9 and then further stating, " Mantle Ridge is now recommending to shareholders that they not support the election of Messrs. Ghasemi and Monser, despite having sung their praises as recently as several weeks ago. Mantle Ridge's recent actions confirm its true intentions to hastily overhaul Air Products' management team without regard for the stability of the business and a smooth succession process. Mantle Ridge is even calling on shareholders to consider "whether to terminate the current CEO as soon as possible" and "whether they prefer a clean start for a new CEO, without the presence of Mr. Ghasemi on the Board or involvement with the Company in any capacity."10 Mantle Ridge's incoherent pivot from praising Air Products' leaders to calling for their removal within the space of a few weeks underscores its lack of credibility and absence of any real plan to create shareholder value. MANTLE RIDGE'S NOMINATION OF NON-INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES STANDS IN STARK CONTRAST TO ITS OWN STATED INTENTIONS. We believe Mantle Ridge's four nominees may have been selected not because their experience is superior to or more relevant than our existing nominees, but instead based on potential loyalty to Mr. Hilal and his viewpoints due to pre-existing relationships or their willingness to support activist investors in the past. Mr. Reilley has a longstanding relationship with Mr. Hilal, including serving as a two-time Mantle Ridge candidate in proxy contests at CSX Corporation and Dollar Tree. Mr. Reilley has also entered into a consulting agreement with Mantle Ridge, advising on industry matters. Mr. Evans and Ms. McKibben have both served as nominees for other activist investors, including Carl Icahn and The Clinton Group, respectively. This information is in stark contrast to the letter Mr. Hilal delivered to the Air Products Board on October 17, 2024, where he wrote, "Our approach to board reconstitution is well understood and well documented. We discussed it with the committee with which we met. We nominate one Mantle Ridge representative, plus other nominees who are independent of us."11 It is also contrary to the best-fit-for-purpose approach that Air Products has applied to the recruitment and candidacy of its Board Directors . Mantle Ridge's continued retraction of its original positions sheds new light on its lack of credibility and should concern all shareholders. It is crystal clear to us that the short-term interests of Mantle Ridge's activist Board nominees would be detrimental to the long-term interests of Air Products' shareholders. ELECTING ANY OF MANTLE RIDGE'S NOMINEES WOULD HALT OUR SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. The Air Products Board believes it would be highly disruptive to the successful execution of our strategy to elect any of the now remaining four members of Mantle Ridge's slate. The Board, with the support of leadership and its advisors, considered Mantle Ridge's nominees and unanimously determined that they would not bring any additive skills to the Company's Board that are not already present in Air Products' proposed refreshed slate. Further, they would serve to impair the Company's thoughtful, long-term growth strategy and succession planning currently being executed by the Board and management team, which would result in significant shareholder value destruction. Mantle Ridge ignores the substantial Board refreshment that Air Products continuously undertakes, with four Directors having joined our Board in the last five years. With the support of Air Products' shareholders for all our nominees at the 2025 Annual Meeting, six out of nine Directors will have joined our Board in the last five years. For the reasons outlined above, and in our prior communications, we strongly recommend that you vote your shares on the Company's WHITE proxy card "FOR" ONLY Air Products' full slate of well-rounded director nominees: Tonit M. Calaway, Independent Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary of BorgWarner Inc. Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary of BorgWarner Inc. Charles "Casey" Cogut, Independent Retired Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Retired Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Lisa A. Davis , Independent Former Member of the Managing Board and CEO of Gas and Power for Siemens AG Former Member of the Managing Board and CEO of Gas and Power for Siemens AG Seifollah "Seifi" Ghasemi, Chairman, President, and CEO Jessica Trocchi Graziano , Independent S enior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United States Steel Corporation enior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United States Steel Corporation Edward L. Monser , Independent, Lead Director Retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Emerson Electric Co. Retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Emerson Electric Co. Bhavesh V. Patel , Independent, New Nominee Former President of Standard Industries Former President of Standard Industries Wayne T. Smith , Independent Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BASF Corporation Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BASF Corporation Alfred Stern , Independent, New Nominee Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board of OMV Aktiengesellschaft The Board strongly believes that it is NOT in the best interests of its shareholders to support Mantle Ridge's nominees. We strongly recommend that you vote your shares "FOR" ONLY Air Products' full slate of director nominees on the WHITE proxy card. Please discard any blue proxy card you may receive from Mantle Ridge. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, The Air Products Board of Directors For more information regarding our Board nominees and strategy, please visit: www.voteairproducts.com . YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. Whether or not you plan to virtually attend the 2025 Annual Meeting, please take a few minutes now to vote by Internet or by telephone by following the instructions on the WHITE proxy card, or to sign, date and return the enclosed WHITE proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope provided. Regardless of the number of Company shares you own, your presence by proxy is helpful to establish a quorum and your vote is important. OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE " FOR " ONLY AIR PRODUCTS' NINE NOMINEES AND PROPOSALS ON THE ENCLOSED WHITE PROXY CARD. If you have any questions or require any assistance with voting your shares, please call the Company's proxy solicitor: Innisfree M&A Incorporated 501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor New York, New York 10022 Shareholders: 1 (877) 750-0537 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada) or +1 (412) 232-3651 (from other countries) About Air Products Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 80 years focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets and generating a cleaner future. The Company supplies essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, medical and food. As the leading global supplier of hydrogen, Air Products also develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest clean hydrogen projects, supporting the transition to low- and zero-carbon energy in the industrial and heavy-duty transportation sectors. Through its sale of equipment businesses, the Company also provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers globally. Air Products had fiscal 2024 sales of $12.1 billion from operations in approximately 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of over $65 billion. Approximately 23,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products' higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and reimagine what's possible to address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook or Instagram. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This communication contains certain financial measures that are not prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). We have posted to our website, in the relevant Earnings Release section, reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide investors, potential investors, securities analysts, and others with useful information to evaluate our business because such measures, when viewed together with our GAAP disclosures, provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business. The non-GAAP financial measures supplement our GAAP disclosures and are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. These measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this communication and are not guarantees of future performance. While forward-looking statements are made in good faith and based on assumptions, expectations and projections that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors, including the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the assumptions, beliefs or expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any such forward-looking statements are based. 1 Source: Deloitte 2023 Global Green Hydrogen Outlook 2 Source: Deloitte 2023 Global Green Hydrogen Outlook 3 TSR reflects dividend-adjusted total return percentage as of 12/11/2024 4 TSR reflects dividend-adjusted total return percentage from settlement with Mantle Ridge on March 8, 2022, through the announcement of the CEO's resignation on November 4, 2024 5 TSR reflects dividend-adjusted total return percentage as of 12/11/2024 6 TSR reflects dividend-adjusted total return percentage as of 12/11/2024 7 Permission to use quote was neither sought nor obtained. 8 Permission to use quote was neither sought nor obtained. 9 Permission to use quote was neither sought nor obtained. 10 Mantle Ridge Proxy Filings 11 Mantle Ridge Proxy Filings SOURCE Air Products Vote Comes After Amazon Illegally Refuses to Recognize Union, Says International Brotherhood of Teamsters NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon Teamsters at two New York City facilitiesJFK8 and DBK4have voted overwhelmingly to authorize strikes following Amazon's illegal refusal to recognize their union and negotiate a contract addressing the company's low wages and dangerous working conditions. "Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "We've been clear: Amazon has until December 15 to come to the table and bargain for a contract. If these white-collar criminals want to keep breaking the law, they better get ready for a fight." Amazon workers at 10 facilities around the country have organized with the Teamsters. Amazon has repeatedly failed in its legal obligation to bargain with its unionized workforce. This June, over 5,500 workers at the Staten Island JFK8 facility made history when they affiliated with the Teamsters and chartered Amazon Labor Union (ALU)-IBT Local 1. They authorized a strike as part of their fight for fair wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. "Our members are ready to do whatever it takes to get a contract," said Connor Spence, President of ALU-IBT Local 1. "While Amazon continues to disrespect us by refusing to listen to our concerns, our movement is only growing stronger." "We aren't asking for much," said James Saccardo, a worker at JFK8. "We just want what everyone else in America wants to do our jobs and get paid enough to take care of ourselves and our families. And Amazon isn't letting us do that." In Queens, Amazon workers at DBK4the corporation's largest delivery station in New York Cityvoted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike of their own. "Driving for Amazon is tough," said Luc Rene, a worker at DBK4. "What's even tougher is fighting a mega-corporation that constantly breaks the law and games the system. But we won't give up." "Amazon Teamsters are ready to strike. They are being left with no other choice," said Vincent Perrone, President of Local 804. "These Amazon workers have the full weight of our union supporting them." As the December 15 negotiating deadline approaches, Amazon is pushing its workers closer to a strike that will disrupt key operations for customers nationwide. Momentum is continuing to grow throughout Amazon's rank and file as more workers organize with the Teamsters. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters ANNKE, a leading brand in the home & business security solution industry, is delighted to offer special discounts on our security solutions this Christmas. Even last-minute shoppers can snag up to 60% off on these curated selections of security cameras. LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As the holiday season approaches, ANNKE brings you the perfect blend of holiday cheer and unwavering security. Designed to connect seamlessly via wired or wireless setups through your router, ANNKE cameras stream live footage directly to your smartphone, allowing you to enjoy every moment of your Christmas party without worry. Keep a vigilant eye on potential porch thieves, safeguard your neighborhood, and ensure the well-being of elderly family members, all with the touch of a button. ANNKE Christmas Sales 2024 Save Up to 60% Off on Top Security Camera Solutions Here are all the best ANNKE smart security camera deals that you can snag by Christmas, available exclusively through the official website. Launching into Christmas with a New Arrival ANNKE proudly unveils the CPT500, a 3K mini PT speed dome PoE security camera. This advanced camera is a cost-effective choice for those seeking reliable security. Equipped with auto tracking lite, it ensures moving targets stay in frame, providing continuous visibility. With a 345horizontal pan and 80vertical tilt, it delivers extensive coverage, ideal for large areas such as parking lots and warehouses. The CPT500 is now just $59.99 after an incredible Christmas discount, making it the perfect budget-friendly gift to enhance your home security this holiday season. Elevate Your Security with Wireless Cameras SC300 the latest 4G LTE dual-light outdoor security camera powered by both battery and solar energy. This camera guarantees uninterrupted operation, providing peace of mind wherever you are. As an off-grid security solution, it ensures stable coverage even in remote locations such as rural homes, campsites, farms, and construction sites. Whiffle a smart doorbell camera, offering 1080P full HD video for clear visibility of your doorstep. With motion detection and two-way audio, you can see, hear, and speak to visitors right from your smartphone. Custos a 100% wire-free camera powered by battery and solar energy. Its compact size makes it easy to fit in any spots without taking up space. With its siren, strobe alarm and two-way audio, it provides enhanced smart home protection. DualLens Cameras with 180 Coverage NCD800 a 4K outdoor panoramic camera which was ranked as the best night vision security camera by the German media outlet heise. It delivers impressive night-time images, a high resolution and the largest horizontal field. Featuring the acme color night vision, it can easily capture facial details or license plates in complete darkness, meeting critical surveillance needs. Beyond AI human & vehicle detection, the NCD800 also offers additional alarm functions, which include line crossing, area entry & exit, and sabotage detection, ensuring comprehensive security surveillance. FCD600 a 6MP outdoor panoramic camera, leverages innovative fusion technology to seamlessly stitch two lenses, minimizing distortion and enhancing FOV beyond traditional fisheye lenses. With adaptable night vision, it can switch between IR and white light via browser settings for clear imagery. Like the NCD800, it features smart detection motion, delivering accurate alerts for enhanced security. Outdoor Surveillance Systems ADLK800 Series a wired security system excels with stunning 4K video quality. Equipped with smart dual light, it ensures clear target detection at night, switching to white light for clear color images when motion is detected. Additionally, it offers versatile compatibility with TVI, AHD, CVI, and CVBS output modes, which can be perfectly matched with most DVRs. H800 Series a PoE security system which delivers 4K images with 4 image enhancement, ensuring clarity in any lighting. Featuring smart dual light for crisp night details and advanced human & vehicle detection, it significantly reduces false motion alerts, enhancing security precision. This Christmas, choose ANNKE for a home security solution that is not only top-notch but also a wise investment. Celebrate with confidence and make this holiday season truly memorable. About ANNKE Established in 2014, ANNKE has been at the forefront of the home and business security solution industry. Committed to excellence, affordability, and customer delight, ANNKE provides a diverse portfolio of security cameras and smart home devices, ensuring peace of mind for users worldwide. Press Contact https://www.annke.com/pages/christmas-sales-2024 Press Contact Klaire +1 833 717 0187 https://www.annke.com/ SOURCE ANNKE Fourth Pilot for Aquarius in the United States The agreement was signed as part of Aquarius's collaboration with EnviroCharge, which installs and operates electric vehicle charging stations in the United States . The success of the pilot is expected to yield significant orders for Aquarius for the years 2026-2027. Aquarius's innovative systems generate and provide clean electricity and are designed to enable ultra-fast charging of electric vehicles in the growing electric vehicle market. Aquarius's systems are smaller and more efficient compared to existing market solutions and are not dependent on the electrical grid. TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Gal Friedman, CEO of Aquarius: "We are proud to collaborate with one of the largest and leading car rental companies in the world on this groundbreaking project. This project will significantly increase the number of electric vehicles the rental company can charge at its sites, thereby allowing it to rent more vehicles to its customers as a direct result of using our innovative power systems at its locations. This agreement joins several other significant agreements we have recently signed in the American market. We continue to present our revolutionary system to more and more companies. The dual achievement we are reporting today is both the payment we will receive for conducting the pilot and the type of companies we are collaborating with, companies that are planning to jointly examine and implement our system. This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to innovation and green energy, and we look forward to the success of the pilot and the broad commercial potential that will follow." Aquarius Engines (TASE: AQUA) announced today that it entered into a memorandum of understanding with EnviroCharge, an American company that operates electric vehicle charging stations, to initiate a pilot with one of the largest car rental companies in the world. The pilot will start in 2025 and will integrate Aquarius's solution into the electric vehicle charging infrastructure for rental and fleet management companies. Additionally, the agreement presents potential for extensive orders for the years 2026-2027. The memorandum is valid for 18 months or until a final agreement is signed. Contact: [email protected] About Aquarius Engines Aquarius Engines is an energy company specializing in developing and producing groundbreaking small generators for electricity production. The company holds approximately 44 registered patents in the U.S. and other countries and around 43 additional patents currently in the registration process. Aquarius has been publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since December 2020. Aquarius's shareholders include major global players such as Tier-1 Japanese automotive companies, TPR (a leading piston manufacturer), MUSASHI (partially owned by Honda), and prominent institutional investors in Israel. The Aquarius engine is a small, lightweight generator with only one moving part, offering exceptional power and efficiency. It stands as a highly competitive player with significant advantages in its field. The company's initial target market is the telecommunications sector, where it collaborates with industry leaders such as Nokia to provide green backup power solutions for telecom towers. The core technology of Aquarius enables the use of a variety of fuels, including hydrogen, ethanol (E85), methanol, and LPG. Aquarius plans to expand into additional markets, supplying its engines for truck power units, aviation, maritime, and defense propulsion solutions, as well as range extenders for the automotive industry. Aquarius operates development and activity centers in Israel, Germany, and Poland. SOURCE Aquarius Engines NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The global barite market size is estimated to grow by USD 353.88 million from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.25% during the forecast period. Increase in oil and gas drilling activities is driving market growth, with a trend towards rising use of barite in middle Eastern oil and gas industry. However, volatility in oil and gas prices poses a challenge. Key market players include Anglo Pacific Minerals Ltd., BARIT MADEN TURK A.S., Barium and Chemicals Inc., CIMBAR Performance Minerals, CSGLOBAL, Dev International, Guizhou Red Star Development Co. Ltd., IBC Ltd., Mil Spec Industries Corp., Milwhite Inc., Newpark Resources Inc., Sachtleben Minerals GmbH and Co. KG, Schlumberger Ltd., Sojitz Corp., SVA S.r.l., The Cary Co., Emprada Mines And Minerals LLC, J and H Minerals Pvt. Ltd., PVS global trade Pvt. Ltd., and Vishnu Chemicals Ltd, Ashapura Group; Demeter O&G Supplies Sdn Bhd; Excalibur Minerals Corp.; International Earth Products LLC; P & S Barite Mining Co., Ltd.; PVS Chemicals; SLB; The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Ltd Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Barite Market 2024-2028 AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Type (Powder and Lumps), End-user (Drilling mud, Chemical manufacturing, Paints and coatings, and Others), and Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America), Application. Region Covered APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America Key companies profiled Anglo Pacific Minerals Ltd., BARIT MADEN TURK A.S., Barium and Chemicals Inc., CIMBAR Performance Minerals, CSGLOBAL, Dev International, Guizhou Red Star Development Co. Ltd., IBC Ltd., Mil Spec Industries Corp., Milwhite Inc., Newpark Resources Inc., Sachtleben Minerals GmbH and Co. KG, Schlumberger Ltd., Sojitz Corp., SVA S.r.l., The Cary Co., Emprada Mines And Minerals LLC, J and H Minerals Pvt. Ltd., PVS global trade Pvt. Ltd., and Vishnu Chemicals Ltd, Ashapura Group; Demeter O&G Supplies Sdn Bhd; Excalibur Minerals Corp.; International Earth Products LLC; P & S Barite Mining Co., Ltd.; PVS Chemicals; SLB; The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Ltd Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The Barite mining market is experiencing significant growth due to its extensive applications in various industries. One of the major sectors driving this demand is the Plastics industry, where Barite is used as a weighting agent in the production of plastic products, especially those based on petroleum. With increasing energy demand and the expansion of the Plastics industry, the market for Barite is expected to grow. Barite is also widely used as a radiation-proof material in structures shielding against gamma rays and X-rays. In the Oil & Gas industry, Barite is used as a drilling mud additive, improving the drilling process's efficiency. As a filler in paints and coatings, Barite enhances product quality and durability. In the Industrial sector, Barite is used in rubber products, cable cars, submarines, and ballast tanks for weight and stability. The Fine chemical market, particularly the Powder segment, is another significant consumer of Barite, used in the production of Barium sulfate, a key ingredient in X-ray machines, shielding panels, CT scans, and diagnostic tests. Barite is also used as a filler agent in the Paints industry, Coatings industry, and Cement industry. With the growing demand for white paint applications, the market for Barite is expected to expand. The Mining sector, including Oil & Gas and Mining, uses Barite for various purposes, such as in oil drilling, sedimentary rock analysis, and as a substitute for Calcite, Silica sand, or Celestite. Barite's versatility and wide range of applications make it an essential mineral in numerous industries, from the Plastics industry to the Oil & Gas sector and beyond. Despite its numerous applications, the Barite mining market faces challenges such as increasing competition from Barite substitutes like Nano-silica grains and the environmental impact of mining, including the carbon footprint. However, with ongoing research and development, the market is expected to continue its growth trajectory. Barite suppliers play a crucial role in meeting the market's demand for this versatile mineral. USP Barite, with its high purity levels, is in high demand in various industries, including the Pharmaceutical industry for the production of Iodine and tablets/capsules. In summary, the Barite mining market is experiencing growth due to its extensive applications in various industries, including the Plastics industry, Oil & Gas sector, and the Industrial sector. Despite challenges, the market is expected to continue its growth trajectory, driven by increasing energy demand and the expanding applications of Barite in various industries. The Middle East, home to significant oil and gas producers like Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, and Iraq, witnessed growth in the barite market in 2021. Saudi Arabia, a major exporter of oil and gas globally, saw an increase in completed projects in its oil and gas sector due to substantial investments. This boosted the country's upstream and downstream capabilities, enabling it to reap benefits from cost-effective contracts and engineering services. In 2021, Saudi Arabia's oil industry, the largest contributor to its GDP, experienced in projects, driving the demand for barite in the region. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges The Barite mining market faces challenges from the increasing use of plastic and petroleum-based products, which have a larger carbon footprint compared to barite. However, barite's unique properties as a radiation-proof material make it essential in various industries. In the energy sector, barite is used as a weighting agent in drilling mud for oil and gas exploration. In the industrial sector, barite is used as a filler in various applications such as automotive soundproofing material, brake linings, and X-ray machines. Barite suppliers face competition from substitutes like calcite and silica sand. The fine chemical market, particularly the powder segment, is a significant consumer of barium sulfate, the primary component of barite. The paints and coatings industry uses barite as a filler agent, while the rubber industry uses it for hydrostatic pressure applications. The demand for barite in radiation shielding applications, such as shielding panels in X-ray machines and CT scans, is expected to grow due to the increasing use of diagnostic medical tests. The USP barite market is driven by the demand for iodine in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of tablets and capsules. The prices of oil and gas, the primary consumers of barite in the drilling industry, impact the barite market. Barite is also used in various applications in the cement, cosmetics, and diagnostic medical tests industries. The mining of barite involves challenges such as the extraction of barite from sedimentary rock and the transportation of heavy barite ore using cable cars, submarines, and ballast tanks. The oil & gas industry's shift towards tight oil resources and the use of nano-silica grains as barite substitutes pose additional challenges to the barite mining market. The price of crude oil significantly impacts the financial performance of upstream oil and gas companies. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the average price of crude oil rose from USD8/bbl to USD81.80/bbl between 2020 and 2022, reducing its discount to the North Sea Dated to its lowest level since March 2022 at USD12.20/bbl. However, in April 2020, the benchmark price for US crude oil briefly turned negative due to the global economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an oil market collapse. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports that global oil demand decreased by 25% year-over-year (y-o-y) in April 2020, primarily due to a significant decline in domestic and international transport operations. These fluctuations in oil prices and demand can significantly impact the profitability of companies in the oil and gas industry. Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This barite market report extensively covers market segmentation by Type 1.1 Powder 1.2 Lumps End-user 2.1 Drilling mud 2.2 Chemical manufacturing 2.3 Paints and coatings 2.4 Others Geography 3.1 APAC 3.2 North America 3.3 Europe 3.4 Middle East and Africa and 3.5 South America Application 1.1 Powder- The global barite market is experiencing notable growth, particularly in the barite powder segment. Barite powder, derived from the mineral barite or barium sulfate (BaSO4), is commonly used as a filler in various industries such as paints, plastics, and engine compartments for sound reduction. In the construction industry, it serves as a substitute for sand, enhancing the mechanical performance of concrete. Barite powder production surpassed 7.5 million metric tons in 2022. The oil and gas industry remains a significant consumer, while improvements in its use in the construction sector contribute to market expansion. Emprada Mines and Minerals Private, based in India, is among the providers of barite powder in various grades, catering to diverse applications. The powder's unique properties, including radiation shielding capabilities and improved mechanical strengths like compressive, flexural, splitting tensile, and modulus of elasticity, make it a valuable addition to various industries. These factors underpin the positive growth trajectory of the global barite powder market. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) Research Analysis The Barite Market is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing demand for barite in various industries, particularly in the Plastics and Petroleum-based products sectors. Barite, a mineral composed of barium sulfate, is widely used as a weighting agent in drilling mud for the oil and gas industry. In the Plastics industry, barite is used as an industrial filler in the production of plastic products, reducing their carbon footprint by improving density and reducing the need for additional raw materials. The Powder segment of the Barite Market is expected to dominate due to its wide application in various industries, including the production of radiation-proof structures for shielding against gamma rays and X-rays. The Barite Mining Market is expected to grow due to the increasing energy demand and the need for drilling mud in the oil and gas industry. Other significant applications of barite include use in the Fine Chemical Market, as a filler in rubber, and as a hydrostatic pressure agent in brake linings. Market Research Overview The Barite market is witnessing significant growth due to its extensive applications in various industries, particularly in the production of Plastic and Petroleum-based products. Barite, a mineral composed of barium sulfate, is widely used as a weighting agent in drilling mud for Oil & Gas industry to enhance drilling efficiency. It also finds extensive usage in Radiation-proof structures as a radiation shielding material against Gamma rays and X-rays. In the Plastics industry, it acts as an industrial filler, reducing the carbon footprint by improving the density and durability of the final product. The Powder segment holds a major share in the market due to its wide applications in various industries, including the Fine chemical market, Paints and coatings, Textiles, and Rubber. Barite is also used in Hydrostatic pressure testing as a replacement for water and sand. In the Energy sector, it is used in the production of Nuclear fuel, Cable cars, Submarines, and Ballast tanks. In the Medical industry, it is used in X-ray machines, Shielding panels, CT scans, Diagnostic tests, Tablets, and Capsules. Barite is also used in the production of White paint applications, Adhesive industry, and Rubber industry. The demand for Barite is driven by the increasing Energy demand, Natural gas resources, Sedimentary rock, Lead, Zinc, Silver, and Oil prices. Barite suppliers are exploring new opportunities in Nano silica, Celestite, and Barite substitutes like Nano-silica grains to cater to the evolving market trends. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Type Powder Lumps End-user Drilling Mud Chemical Manufacturing Paints And Coatings Others Geography APAC North America Europe Middle East And Africa South America Application 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio // NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES // VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BioVaxys Technology Corp. (CSE: BIOV) (FRA: 5LB) ("BioVaxys" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche (the "First Tranche") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") with the issuance of 2,200,000 units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $110,000. Each Unit consist of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") and one (1) whole Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"), whereby each Warrant is convertible into one additional Share at an exercise price of $0.15 until December 13, 2026, being the date that is 24 months from the date of issue. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the First Tranche for working capital. No finder's fees were paid in connection with the First Tranche. All securities issued pursuant to the First Tranche are subject to a statutory hold period expiring April 14, 2025, being the date that is four months and one day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation In addition, the Company announces that it has entered into a debt settlement agreement with an arm's-length consultant of the Company to settle an aggregate of $500,000 in debt owed to the consultant by issuing 5,000,000 Shares at a deemed price of $0.10 per Share (the "Debt Settlement"). The board of directors of the Company has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to settle the outstanding debt through the issuance of Shares in order to preserve the Company's cash for working capital purposes. All securities proposed to be issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. Closing of the Debt Settlement is conditional upon a number of conditions, including receipt of all applicable corporate and regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the Canadian Securities Exchange. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy of any securities in the United States. The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to available exemptions therefrom. About BioVaxys Technology Corp. BioVaxys Technology Corp. (www.biovaxys.com), a company registered in British Columbia, Canada, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving patient lives with novel immunotherapies based on the DPX immune-educating technology platform and it's HapTenix 'neoantigen' tumor cell construct platform, for treating cancers, infectious disease, antigen desensitization, and other immunological fields. DPX is a patented antigen delivery platform that can incorporate a range of bioactive molecules to produce targeted, long-lasting immune responses enabled by various formulated components. The DPX platform facilitates antigen delivery to regional lymph nodes and has been demonstrated to induce robust and durable T cell and B cell responses in pre-clinical and clinical studies for both cancer and infectious disease. BioVaxys' common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the stock symbol "BIOV", on the Frankfurt Bourse (FRA: 5LB), and quoted in the US on the OTC Markets. For more information, visit www.biovaxys.com and connect with us on X and LinkedIn. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed "James Passin" James Passin, Chief Executive Officer Phone: +1 740 358 0555 Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, the statements relating to the Private Placement and the Debt Settlement, including the expected use of proceeds from the Private Placement and related issuance of the Shares for the Debt Settlement, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates, primarily the assumption that BioVaxys will be successful in developing and testing vaccines, that, while considered reasonable by BioVaxys, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the impact of any changes that may affect the anticipated use of proceeds from the Private Placement and the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary approvals to proceed with the Debt Settlement. BioVaxys does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2415135/5078410/BioVaxys_Technology_Corp_Logo.jpg SOURCE BioVaxys Technology Corp. TAIPEI, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 29th UN Climate Change Summit (COP29) ended with consensus in Azerbaijan, during which Cathay Financial Holdings' (Cathay FHC) President Chang-Ken Lee led the corporate delegation, hoping to advocate for climate finance mobilization. As the opening speaker at the "World Climate Summit (WCS)," a key event alongside COP29, Lee delivered a speech titled "Driving Systemic Change for Climate and Nature Solutions." His visionary and comprehensive insights garnered strong resonance from the diverse global audiences. President Lee emphasized the need for a "Climate Industrial Revolution" and a "Nature Industrial Revolution" to achieve net-zero transformation. These revolutions, he stressed, are essential for driving structural and systemic changes across energy, the circular economy, nature-based solutions, and technological applications. Concluding his speech with a touch of humor, Lee referenced a popular Taiwanese saying: "Money doesnt disappear; it just turns into something you like." He remarked, "Every dollar invested in climate solutions transforms into a better, more sustainable future." Lee urged businesses and financial institutions to accelerate their efforts, stressing that global unity is critical to creating a lasting and profound impact on sustainability. In his remarks, Lee highlighted the unprecedented challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic transformation. Drawing parallels to the transformative impacts from the First Industrial Revolution's steam engine to the Fourth Industrial Revolution's digital advancements, Lee called for a "Climate Industrial Revolution" and a "Nature Industrial Revolution" to drive structural and systemic transformation across energy, circular economy, nature-based solutions, and technological innovation. He acknowledged that such transformations will inevitably impact existing economic structures and social equity, making the establishment of just transition mechanisms a critical task. Lee expressed optimism that collaboration and dialogue with global leaders would accelerate the development of climate finance solutions across Taiwan, Asia, and the broader international community. Lee noted that "finance" has become increasingly central to COP discussions, with COP29 dubbed the "Finance COP." This underscores the critical role of financial mechanisms in achieving climate goals. He emphasized that the financial sector's growing focus on supporting climate resilience projects hinges on integrating cross-sectoral resources and leveraging diverse financing approaches. Aligning resources effectively with specific projects based on varying risk profiles and capital needs is essential to make climate finance solutions both actionable and scalable. Lee emphasized that beyond proper resource allocation, innovative financial models and tools can unlock suitable funding. He pointed to the promising progress of mechanisms such as blended finance, transition finance, impact investing, and pay-for-success bonds. By adopting these innovations, financial institutions can better assess risks and channel significant resources toward sustainable transformation. Lee also shared Cathay FHC's decade-long commitment to climate finance. With over USD 400 billion (approximately TWD 12 trillion) in assets under management and a client base representing 63% of Taiwan's population, Cathay FHC has spearheaded initiatives such as low-carbon financing, international advocacy, and the development of sustainability-focused products and services. In 2011 and 2016, for example, Cathay FHC financed Taiwan's first solar power and offshore wind energy projects, advancing renewable energy development. The company launched Taiwan's first sustainability-themed private equity fund and pledged to achieve 100% renewable energy use across all global operations by 2050, in line with its net-zero emissions goal. By 2023, Cathay FHC had committed over USD 50 billion (TWD 1.6 trillion) to sustainable financing, including more than USD 10.3 billion (TWD 330.5 billion) in low-carbon investments. In closing, Lee humorously referenced a popular Taiwanese saying: "Money doesn't disappear; it just turns into something you like." He remarked, "Every dollar invested in climate solutions transforms into a better, more sustainable future." Lee called on corporations and financial institutions to take bold and immediate action, emphasizing that global unity is crucial to achieving a lasting impact on sustainability. Since 2021, Cathay FHC has partnered with the World Climate Foundation (WCF) to participate in key COP events, including hosting live broadcasts of COP27 in Egypt and becoming the first Taiwanese company to serve as a global strategic partner for the WCF in 2023. Lee has represented Taiwan's financial sector at key global forums, including the COP28 World Climate Summit in Dubai, highlighting Taiwan's innovative contributions to climate finance. Cathay FHC continues to gain international recognition for its leadership in sustainability. Actively participating in global initiatives such as the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC), Climate Action 100+, RE100, and Nature Action 100, Cathay FHC has solidified its reputation as a leader in sustainable finance. Domestically, the company co-hosted the "Cathay Sustainable Finance and Climate Change Summit" with the Taiwan Stock Exchange, engaging companies that represent 82% of Taiwan's market capitalization and account for 54% of carbon emissions from listed companies. Cathay FHC remains steadfast in driving industry and societal progress toward sustainable development, cementing its role as a climate finance pioneer in Taiwan. SOURCE Cathay Financial Holdings NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with the AI impact on market trends - The global commercial combi ovens market size is estimated to grow by USD 1.52 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.87% during the forecast period. For comprehensive forecast and historic data on regions,market segments, customer landscape, and companies- Click for the snapshot of this report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global commercial combi ovens market 2024-2028 Report Attribute Details Base Year 2023 Forecast period 2024-2028 Historic Data for 2018 - 2022 Segments Covered Product (Commercial combi ovens with boiler and Commercial boiler-less combi ovens), End-user (Foodservice sector, Institutional sector, Retail sector, and Others), and Geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa) Key Companies Covered Ali Group S.r.l., Alto Shaam Inc., Angelo Po Grandi Cucine Spa, Baxter International Inc., Electrolux Professional AB, Eloma GmbH, EssEmm Corp., Fagor Industrial S. Coop, HANGZHOU ROBAM APPLIANCES Co. Ltd., Henny Penny Corp., HOUNO AS, Illinois Tool Works Inc., Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer GmbH and Co. KG, PALUX Aktiengesellschaft, RATIONAL Group, RETIGO Sro, The Manitowoc Co. Inc., The Middleby Corp., UNOX Spa, and WELBILT INC. Regions Covered Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Region Outlook North America Europe Asia Rest of World 1. Europe - Europe is estimated to contribute 42%. To the growth of the global market. The Commercial Combi Ovens Market report forecasts market growth by revenue at global, regional & country levels from 2017 to 2027. The European region dominated the global commercial combi ovens market in 2023, holding the largest share, and is projected to continue leading during the forecast period. Major contributors to this market in Europe include Germany, the UK, Italy, and France. Notable foodservice equipment manufacturers in Europe, such as Electrolux and Rational, are focusing on enhancing the designs of commercial combi ovens to provide improved energy efficiency. The expansion of the foodservice sector is the primary driver for the growth of the commercial combi ovens market in Europe. However, the increasing preference for pre-owned models could potentially impact the sales of new commercial combi ovens. For more insights on Europe's significant contribution along with the market share of rest of the regions and countries - Download a FREE Sample Segmentation Overview Product 1.1 Commercial combi ovens with boiler 1.2 Commercial boiler-less combi ovens End-user 2.1 Foodservice sector 2.2 Institutional sector 2.3 Retail sector 2.4 Others Geography 3.1 Europe 3.2 North America 3.3 APAC 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1.1 Fastest growing segment: Commercial combi ovens with boilers are popular in high-volume food preparation settings due to their rapid heat-up capacity. These ovens utilize boiler-based steam generators, which can produce large quantities of steam for cooking. The boilers maintain the water at the required temperature, enabling the door to be opened for food placement even during operation. Leading vendors, such as RATIONAL, WELBILT, and Middleby, provide commercial combi ovens with boilers using high-quality raw materials for enhanced durability. Middleby, under its G.S. BLODGETT brand, offers commercial combi ovens with boilers featuring dual water inlet standards and brass fittings (NPT) for long-lasting performance and leak-proof joints. Despite higher utility costs due to continuous water supply, commercial combi ovens with boilers are preferred for their quick cooking capabilities. The increasing demand for high-volume food production in restaurants and food outlets is expected to fuel the growth of the commercial combi ovens market with boilers during the forecast period. Research Analysis Commercial combi ovens are a versatile and essential piece of kitchen equipment for restaurants, fast food places, professional kitchens, and catering businesses. These ovens combine the functions of a convection oven, steamer, and grill in one unit, allowing chefs to prepare a wide range of dishes with ease. With advanced temperature control and humidity control features, combi ovens enable precise cooking times for various dishes, from continental cuisine to industrial automation in the foodservice industry. Recipe databases and smart technology make it simple for chefs to access and save their favorite recipes, while self-cleaning functions and liquid detergents minimize maintenance time. With cook times optimized for quality control and food waste reduction, commercial combi ovens are an indispensable tool for any professional kitchen. Market Overview Commercial Combi Ovens: Revolutionizing Professional Food Preparation in the Foodservice Industry Commercial combi ovens are a game-changer in the foodservice sector, combining convection, steaming, and grilling capabilities in one appliance. These versatile ovens cater to various culinary experiences, from traditional dishes to vegetarian options, plant-based meals, and fermented veggies. They enable professional kitchens to prepare homemade bread, zero waste cooking, and a wide range of baked goods like cupcakes and muffins. With smart technologies, artificial intelligence, and IoT connectivity, commercial combi ovens offer temperature control, recipe databases, and energy efficiency. They meet food safety regulations and cater to the growing middle class population's demand for quality dishes. The foodservice industry benefits from energy-efficient appliances, reducing electricity consumption and carbon emissions. From full-service restaurants and fast-food places to cafes, catering businesses, and production plants, combi ovens are essential kitchen equipment. They provide humidity control, industrial automation, and multi-cooking capabilities, enabling skilled operators to deliver consistent food quality, hygiene, and dining out experiences. In the hospitality sector, combi ovens support sustainable kitchen equipment, steam-generated ovens, boilerless models, and gas-powered ovens. They offer energy-efficient models and insulation materials, ensuring efficient kitchen operations and reducing maintenance time. Gastronomic innovation thrives with combi ovens, offering a wide range of cooking methods for dishes like salmon fillets and various cuisines, including continental. Start exploring market insights by Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Key Topics Covered: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Venodr Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dechert LLP and its lawyers have again been honored by the Financial Times for creativity and fresh thinking in the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards for North America. Dechert has had more lawyers ranked as "Innovative Legal Practitioners" by the FT in North America than any other firm, and it is the only firm in 2024 with lawyers ranked in the Top 10 across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. This year, Dechert was again named among the "Most Innovative Law Firms in North America", ranking among the top three firms. This firmwide recognition is calculated on the strength of firms' legal innovations, alongside scored assessments of their digital maturity, commitment to pro bono, policies towards people and financial success. Suzanne Turner, chair of pro bono, was named winner in the "Intrapreneurs" category for positioning pro bono at the heart of the Dechert experience, for innovating to ensure the program remains effective in solving an ever-growing "justice gap", and for helping drive the development of a global pro bono infrastructure. Brenda Sharton, global chair of Dechert's Cyber, Privacy and AI Practice, was recognized among the FT's Top 10 "Most Innovative Legal Practitioners in North America" for repeat innovations in matters involving privacy and cybersecurity law and for advising clients on data breach responses and related regulatory and litigation issues. "Dechert has a long tradition of innovation in the practice and business of law," said firm co-chair Mark Thierfelder. "We constantly enhance creative problem-solving and analytical thinking to deliver excellent client service. I am incredibly proud that our success has been recognized by the Financial Times in this way." Dave Forti, co-chair for the firm, added, "We strive to remain dynamic and agile, staying ahead of the most important challenges facing our clients by investing in our people to be innovative in finding new ways of doing things." A number of Dechert teams were also ranked and recognized in other categories in the FT awards, including: STANDOUT (and #2 ranking) - in the "Innovation in AI Strategy" category, for Dechert's "build first" approach to Generative AI. Led by chief information officer Michael Rinehart and driven by associate director of innovation Thor Alden, the firm's Innovation Team devised a strategy to learn through doing that successfully harnessed new technologies to deliver increased value to clients and distinguish the firm from its peers. COMMENDED - in the "Innovation in Dispute Resolution" category for achieving successive wins on behalf of Prisma Labs in groundbreaking AI privacy cases. Brenda Sharton, Benjamin Sadun and Theodore Yale obtained precedential wins in cases in California and Illinois, securing some of the first AI-related class action rulings anywhere in the United States. Dechert lawyers were also featured extensively in the FT's Innovative Lawyers report that accompanied the awards. Lawyers and firms recognized by the FT were honored at an award ceremony held at Gotham Hall in New York City on December 9. About Dechert Dechert is a global law firm that advises asset managers, financial institutions and corporations on issues critical to managing their business and their capital from high-stakes litigation to complex transactions and regulatory matters. We answer questions that seem unsolvable, develop deal structures that are new to the market and protect clients' rights in extreme situations. Our nearly 1,000 lawyers across 19 offices globally focus on the financial services, private equity, private credit, real estate, life sciences and technology sectors. SOURCE Dechert LLP PHOENIX, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Voice4Equity is proud to announce Dr. Lupita Hightower, Superintendent of Tolleson Elementary School District, as the recipient of the 2025 Voice4Equity Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes Dr. Hightower's exceptional contributions to educational equity and her influential role in advancing women's leadership in public education. The award will be presented at the Tech, Power and Equity Conference, taking place January 23-25, 2025, at the Hyatt Place Phoenix. The presentation ceremony will be held during a special recognition event on Saturday, January 25, at 11:00 AM. "Dr. Hightower exemplifies the bold educational leadership that transforms communities," said Dr. Christina DeJesus Kishimoto, Chief Executive Officer of Voice4Equity. "Her impact extends far beyond Arizona, inspiring women educators nationwide to pursue superintendent roles and advocate for educational equity." "Dr. Lupita Hightower's legacy in our district is one of excellence and equity, evident in the countless opportunities provided for students and the barriers removed to ensure their success. Her impactful mentorship has modeled true leadershipkind, compassionate, and inclusiveleaving a lasting impression on both adults and children. Through her advocacy, Dr. Hightower has brought high-quality programs to our schools and fostered meaningful engagement with community leaders, organizations, and businesses, leaving the district poised to continue to succeed and thrive for years to come," said Assistant Superintendent Gisselle Herrera, who will succeed Dr. Hightower as superintendent. The Voice4Equity Lifetime Achievement Award honors educational leaders who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to equity in public schools while fostering pathways for women in educational leadership. Dr. Hightower joins a distinguished group of past recipients, including Dr. Sharon Contreras (2024) and Dr. Carmen Ayala (2023). In recognition of Dr. Hightower's influence in Arizona, Voice4Equity is offering a special one-day conference registration to Arizona Educators for the Saturday morning program. This will allow local educational leaders to participate in celebrating Dr. Hightower's achievements and lifetime commitment to educational equity. The Tech, Power and Equity Conference brings together educational leaders committed to advancing equity and innovation in public education. See voice4equity.com/tpe to learn more. About Voice4Equity Voice4Equity is dedicated to elevating women to executive leadership roles in education and creating more equitable futures for all students. Through conferences, networking events, and leadership development programs, the organization works to transform educational leadership and outcomes across the nation. Learn more about Voice4Equity at voice4equity.com For more information about the Tech, Power and Equity Conference or Voice4Equity, please contact Steve Smith at [email protected]. SOURCE Voice4Equity Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese lithium battery materials developer Guangdong Dowstone Technology Co., Ltd. ("Dowstone") recently signed a Project Technology Development Contract with the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China ("UESTC") to jointly develop ultra-thin metallic lithium anodes, according to a post on Dowstone's WeChat account. Dowstone's solid-state battery R&D institute; photo credit: Dowstone The collaboration will focus on the development of single-sided and double-sided lithium-coated copper anodes, as well as self-supporting ultra-thin lithium anode foils. The partnership spans three years, running from December 2, 2024, to December 1, 2027. In the realm of solid-state battery, while solid electrolytes are key materials, enhancing the performance of anode and cathode materials is equally critical. Metallic lithium is regarded as the ideal anode material for all-solid-state batteries, yet commercial adoption faces challenges such as the difficulty of mass-producing ultra-thin lithium anodes with an active layer thickness below 20m and high manufacturing costs. This collaboration aims to address these hurdles and pave the way for the commercialization of ultra-thin lithium anodes in high-energy-density and high-safety lithium-ion and solid-state batteries. The project will be led by Professor Li Jingze from UESTC, supported by a team with extensive experience and technical expertise. The team will employ techniques such as utilizing interactions between molten metallic lithium and metal current collectors to enhance wetting properties, enabling the preparation of ultra-thin lithium anodes through molten-liquid casting. Furthermore, in-situ alloying reactions between lithium and the metal current collector will create micro-nano alloy network structures that serve as a three-dimensional framework. This approach addresses the drawbacks of conventional pure lithium anodes, including significant volume changes and lack of nucleation control, effectively suppressing lithium dendrite growth, prolonging anode cycle life, and significantly improving electrochemical performance and safety. These advancements are expected to accelerate the commercialization of the reused solid-state lithium batteries. Dowstone plans to integrate its existing expertise in materials essential for solid-state batteriessuch as single-walled carbon nanotubes, high-nickel ternary precursors, sulfide electrolytes, lithium-rich manganese precursors, and silicon-based anodesinto this project to expedite the industrialization of research results. TACOMA, Wash., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Espire Dental, a fast-growing, elite, cosmetic and multi-specialty group practice, founded by dentists, is pleased to announce our partnership and acquisition of Tranquility Dental Wellness, a four-practice dental group located in Tacoma, WA. Espire Dental, based in Denver CO Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Espire Dental continues their mission to radically elevate the dental experience for our providers and team members. Their growing footprint of 39 practices is located throughout Colorado, California, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Texas, and now Washington. The company continues to seek high quality dentists and practice teams that share a commitment to elevated patient experiences, clinical care, and employee fulfillment. The addition of this new group of dental practices located in the Pacific Northwest strengthens Espire's positioning in the market by expanding into another large MSA, expanding excellent dental care and cosmetic dentistry options to patients in Tacoma and surrounding areas. Tim Hill, CEO of Espire Dental, highlights the strong cultural alignment between Espire and Tranquility Dental Wellness founded by doctor and CEO, Lori Noga. Founded over 12 years ago, Tranquility Dental Wellness has grown from a single-location practice to a four-location group of practices, serving individuals of all ages in Tacoma, Washington, and surrounding areas. The organization is recognized for its commitment to exceptional patient care and community impact. Sarah Montgomery, Chief Financial Officer at Espire Dental, commented, "We are thrilled to welcome the Tranquility Dental Wellness team to Espire Dental. Tranquility Dental Wellness has built a strong reputation as a premier dental care provider in the region. We look forward to supporting their continued growth and success." Dr. Lori Noga and her amazing clinical providers and support teams have been providing exceptional patient care in Tacoma and surrounding communities for over 12 years. Dr. Lori Noga shares, "Espire's commitment to elevating both the patient and the team experience precisely mirrors the vision Tranquility Dental Wellness set out with at its inception. It's the perfect partnership to continue to expand Dr Noga's desire to have an endless impact in the dental industry." Espire Dental provides its practices with best-in-class business support services, including leadership in practice operations, clinical training, human resources, payroll, marketing, insurance cycle management, and accounting. This comprehensive support empowers Espire's dentists and teams to focus on delivering exceptional patient care, building lasting patient relationships, and leading their dedicated teams. Tim Hill, CEO of Espire Dental, explains that the company's unique combination of business support, advanced clinical care, and hospitality-driven patient experiences sets it apart from other dental groups. Hill stated, "We are proud of our distinct culture and the seamless integration of our robust support systems. This is what differentiates Espire in the dental industryraising the standard for patient care, redefining support services, and ensuring positive, rewarding experiences for dental providers." About Espire Dental Espire Dental is an integrated group of private practices founded by doctors with a vision to create something extraordinary: a dental group where excellence in dentistry meets inspired hospitality. Espire is pioneering a new practice category: an Integrated Dental Organization (IDO) instead of a DSO, to create a large, top quality and unique group practice operating under one single, trusted brand. With a focus on cosmetic dentistry, elevated clinical care, multi-specialty offerings, and creating exceptional experiences for patients and employees, Espire believes that we will turn the dental industry upside down. Espire is a fast-growing group of 39 practices, looking to expand and further build its presence in the United States. Learn more at www.espiredental.com. Contact Espire Dental Dentists interested in joining Espire Dental may complete an inquiry form: EspireDental.com/practice-transition SOURCE Espire Dental NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is redefining market landscape - The global ewing's sarcoma treatment market size is estimated to grow by USD 205.09 million from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.26% during the forecast period. Growing awareness about and funding for ewings sarcoma is driving market growth, with a trend towards emergence of regenerative therapies. However, lack of approved therapies for ewings sarcoma poses a challenge. Key market players include Actiza Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd., Advantech Co. Ltd., Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc., Baxter International Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Cellectar Biosciences Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Co., Fresenius Kabi AG, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Gradalis Inc., Johnson and Johnson, LGM Pharma LLC, Merck and Co. Inc., Novartis AG, Ocean pharmaceutical, Pfizer Inc., PharmaMar SA, Salvavidas, and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Ewing's Sarcoma Treatment Market 2024-2028 Key insights into market evolution with AI-powered analysis. Explore trends, segmentation, and growth drivers- View Free Sample PDF Ewing's Sarcoma Treatment Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.26% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 205.09 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 5.74 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 48% Key countries US, Canada, UK, Germany, and Japan Key companies profiled Actiza Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd., Advantech Co. Ltd., Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc., Baxter International Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Cellectar Biosciences Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Co., Fresenius Kabi AG, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Gradalis Inc., Johnson and Johnson, LGM Pharma LLC, Merck and Co. Inc., Novartis AG, Ocean pharmaceutical, Pfizer Inc., PharmaMar SA, Salvavidas, and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Market Driver Ewing sarcoma, a type of bone cancer affecting children and adolescents, is characterized by the activation of the EWS gene on chromosomes 11 and 22. The disease primarily affects the legs, pelvis, chest, and abdomen, causing symptoms like lump formation, fever, bone pain, broken bones, weight loss, paralysis, and bladder loss. Treatment typically involves a combination of chemotherapy drugs such as Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Etoposide, Ifosfamide, and Dactinomycin. Technological advancements have led to the development of pipeline drugs like CDK inhibitors and Regenerative Therapies. Government organizations and healthcare providers continue to invest in disease diagnosis and healthcare spending for approved treatments like Gene Therapy and Disease Diagnosis. Companies like Zydus Cadila and Seqens are leading in this field. Surgery, radiation therapy, and multidrug chemotherapy are common treatment methods. Surgical procedures are performed in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, with medical tourism and digital services playing a role in accessibility. The mortality rate for Ewing sarcoma is high, emphasizing the need for continued research and innovation. Symptoms may also affect vital organs like the lungs, heart, kidneys, and skin tissue. The Ewing's sarcoma treatment market has witnessed notable progress in addressing metastatic and recurrent Ewing's sarcoma cases. A cutting-edge approach gaining attention is regenerative medicine, specifically gene therapy. In this method, the patient's mutated gene is extracted and altered in a lab before being reintroduced. The new gene replaces the faulty one. Although no approved gene therapies exist for Ewing's sarcoma, numerous pharmaceutical companies are researching and developing these treatments to combat metastatic and recurrent tumors. Request Sample of our comprehensive report now to stay ahead in the AI-driven market evolution! Market Challenges Ewing sarcoma, a type of bone cancer affecting children and adolescents, poses significant challenges in treatment due to its aggressive nature and complex genetic makeup. The primary treatment involves multidrug chemotherapy using Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Etoposide, Ifosfamide, and Dactinomycin, which target the activation of the EWS gene on chromosomes 11 and 22. However, the disease's incidence and symptoms, including lump formation, fever, bone pain, broken bones, weight loss, paralysis, and bladder loss, necessitate continuous research and technological advancements. Government organizations and healthcare providers invest heavily in pipeline drugs, such as CDK inhibitors and Regenerative Therapies, to improve disease diagnosis and treatment. Companies like Zydus Cadila and Seqens are developing new therapies, including Gene Therapy and Anti-stathmin therapy, to address recurrent Ewing tissue. The treatment landscape includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and through medical tourism. Symptoms and vital organ involvement, such as the lungs, heart, kidneys, and skin tissue, require specialized care. The mortality rate underscores the need for continued research and investment in this area. Healthcare spending on Ewing sarcoma treatment is substantial, with diagnostic services, digital services, and surgical procedures being key components. The challenges in treating Ewing sarcoma necessitate a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Ewing's sarcoma is a severe bone and soft tissue cancer primarily affecting adolescents and young adults. The primary tumor is treated with either surgery or radiation, depending on the feasibility of surgical resection. Due to the high risk of metastasis, even in localized cases, chemotherapy is also administered to eliminate microscopic tumors. Chemotherapeutic agents like vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide are commonly used. Although most patients with initially localized Ewing's sarcoma survive long-term, relapse remains a significant issue. There is currently no standard approach to treating relapsed patients. Discover how AI is revolutionizing market trends- Get your access now! Segment Overview This ewing's sarcoma treatment market report extensively covers market segmentation by End-user 1.1 Hospitals 1.2 Specialty clinics 1.3 Others Type 2.1 Combination therapy 2.2 Monotherapy Geography 3.1 North America 3.2 Europe 3.3 Asia 3.4 Rest of World (ROW) 1.1 Hospitals- Hospitals, particularly large and medium-sized institutions, play a significant role in driving the growth of the Ewing's sarcoma treatment market. These hospitals, with over 500 beds, are key end-users due to their high patient volume and purchasing power. They procure therapeutics in large quantities, enabling manufacturers to expand their product reach and enhance brand image. With advanced medical infrastructure and a growing number of emergency department visits due to the increasing incidence of Ewing's sarcoma, sales of treatment therapeutics are expected to rise in these hospitals. Medium-sized hospitals, with around 200-300 beds, also contribute to market expansion. Despite their limited budgets, they engage closely with various stakeholders and have an increasing number of patients, leading to increased demand for Ewing's sarcoma treatment therapeutics. Download a Sample of our comprehensive report today to discover how AI-driven innovations are reshaping competitive dynamics Research Analysis Ewing sarcoma is a rare and aggressive type of bone cancer that primarily affects children and young adults. It is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells in the soft tissues surrounding the bones, often found in the legs, pelvis, chest, and abdomen. The exact cause of Ewing sarcoma is unknown, but it is linked to genetic changes in the EWS gene on chromosomes 11 and 22. The primary treatment for Ewing sarcoma is chemotherapy using drugs such as Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Etoposide, and Infoposide, as well as Dactinomycin and CDK inhibitors. These drugs target the genetic material and chromosomes of the cancer cells, damaging their ability to divide and grow. The treatment can affect vital organs like the lungs, heart, kidneys, and skin tissue, and may also impact the bone marrow, which can increase the risk of infection and anemia. Age can also be a factor in treatment, as older patients may have different treatment options due to the increased risk of complications. The thigh is a common site for Ewing sarcoma in the legs, and the disease can also occur in the limbs and other bones in the body. Market Research Overview Ewing sarcoma is a rare and aggressive type of bone cancer that affects children and adolescents, typically appearing in the legs, pelvis, chest, and abdomen. The disease is caused by the activation of the EWS gene on chromosomes 11 and 22, leading to the uncontrolled growth of cells. The primary treatment for Ewing sarcoma is multidrug chemotherapy using agents like Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Etoposide, Ifosfamide, and Dactinomycin. These drugs work by damaging the genetic material of the cancer cells. Technological advancements have led to the development of pipeline drugs and diagnostics, including CDK inhibitors and Regenerative Therapies such as Gene Therapy and Disease Diagnosis. Healthcare spending on Ewing sarcoma treatment is significant, with approved treatments including Surgery, Radiation therapy, and Chemotherapy. Symptoms of Ewing sarcoma include lump formation, fever, bone pain, broken bones, weight loss, paralysis, and bladder loss. Treatment options depend on the location and severity of the disease, with surgical procedures and medical tourism also playing a role. Mortality rate is high for recurrent Ewing tissue, with organizations like Gradalis and Seqens offering anti-stathmin therapy as a potential treatment. The disease can affect various bones, including the thigh, pelvis, and limbs, as well as vital organs such as the lungs, heart, kidneys, and skin tissue. Age is a significant factor in the diagnosis and treatment of Ewing sarcoma, with hospitals and clinics providing essential services to those affected. Nursing homes and digital services also play a role in the care of patients. Overall, the Ewing sarcoma treatment market is continually evolving, with ongoing research and development efforts aimed at improving outcomes for patients. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation End-user Hospitals Specialty Clinics Others Type Combination Therapy Monotherapy Geography North America Europe Asia Rest Of World (ROW) 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio SILVER SPRING, Md., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Crenessity (crinecerfont) to be used together with glucocorticoids (steroids) to control androgen (a testosterone-like hormone) levels in adults and pediatric patients 4 years of age and older with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). "Today's approval provides an important advance for patients with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia and highlights the FDA's continued commitment to advancing effective and safe treatments for rare diseases," said Theresa Kehoe M.D., director of the Division of General Endocrinology in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "The FDA will continue working with patients, drug companies and health care providers to address the unmet medical needs of the rare disease community." Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a rare genetic condition affecting the adrenal glands, which produce hormones such as cortisol and androgens. Patients with classic CAH do not produce enough cortisol and produce too many androgens. These patients require high doses of glucocorticoids (more than is typically needed to replace the deficient cortisol) because the glucocorticoids also help to reduce the excess levels of androgens. Crenessity works by reducing excessive adrenal androgen production, which helps reduce the amount of glucocorticoid treatment needed. Crenessity's approval is based on two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in 182 adults and 103 children with classic CAH. In the first trial, 122 adults received Crenessity twice daily and 60 received placebo twice daily for 24 weeks. After the first four weeks of the trial, the glucocorticoid dose was reduced to replacement levels, then adjusted based on levels of androstenedione, an androgen hormone. The primary measure of efficacy was the change from baseline in the total glucocorticoid daily dose while maintaining androstenedione control at the end of the trial. The group that received Crenessity reduced their daily glucocorticoid dose by 27% while maintaining control of androstenedione levels, compared to a 10% daily glucocorticoid dose reduction in the group that received placebo. In the second trial, 69 pediatric patients received Crenessity twice daily and 34 received placebo twice daily for 28 weeks. The primary measure of efficacy was the change from baseline in serum androstenedione at week 4. The group that received Crenessity experienced a statistically significant reduction from baseline in serum androstenedione, compared to an average increase from baseline in the placebo group. At the end of the trial, patients assigned to Crenessity were able to reduce their daily glucocorticoid dose by 18% while maintaining control of androstenedione levels compared to an almost 6% daily glucocorticoid dose increase in patients assigned to placebo. Crenessity has a warning for acute adrenal insufficiency or adrenal crisis, which can occur if patients with underlying adrenal insufficiency who do not also receive adequate doses of glucocorticoid replacement therapy in situations associated with increased cortisol need (i.e., "stress dose steroids"). Crenessity should not be taken by patients with hypersensitivity to Crenessity's active ingredient or any of its components. Because Crenessity is metabolized by a specific enzyme, using Crenessity at the same time as drugs that activate that enzyme can decrease the amount of Crenessity exposure and reduce Crenessity's efficacy. Information about recommended dose adjustments is included in Crenessity's full prescribing information. The most common side effects of Crenessity in adults include fatigue, dizziness and arthralgia (joint pain). For pediatric patients, the most common side effects are headache, abdominal pain and fatigue. The FDA granted Crenessity Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy, Orphan Drug and Priority Review designations. The FDA granted the approval of Crenessity to Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Media Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, 301-796-4540 Consumer Inquiries: Email or 888-INFO-FDA The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products. SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration 2024 Nanhai Buddhist Roundtable Forum Successfully Held in Kathmandu KATHMANDU, Nepal, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Xinhua Silk Road: On December 13, the 9th Nanhai Buddhist Roundtable Forum was successfully held in Kathmandu, Nepal, the country where the Buddha was born. Hundreds of Buddhist monks and masters from 28 countries and regions, including China, Nepal, Thailand, India, the United States, Russia, were gathered under the same belief to talk about peace and development. Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal, Chen Song, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, and Wang Qiang, President of Shenzhen Overseas Friendship Association attended the launching ceremony of the forum and delivered speeches. Venerable Yin Shun, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, and abbot of Hongfa Temple in Shenzhen and China Temple in Nepal, gave a keynote speech, saying that this year is the fifth anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Nepal, and it is the first year of practicing the Declaration of Mount Xuedou formulated by the World Buddhist Forum, and the first year of the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and Nepal. The Roundtable Forum was held in Nepal, to carry forward the spirit of Buddha's compassion, strengthen religious and cultural exchanges between China and Nepal, promote the cultural inheritance of Nanhai Buddhism, and contribute religious wisdom to strengthen the exchanges and mutual understanding of human civilization and build a community with a shared future for mankind. Many dignitaries congratulated the conference by letters or videos. In his congratulatory letter, Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, President of the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction, also hoped that the Nanhai Buddhist Roundtable Forum would be held in Laos in 2025 and praised the initiator of the Roundtable, Venerable Yin Shun, as a "contemporary Xuanzang", who has made outstanding contributions to the promotion of international exchanges of Buddhist culture. Representatives of the participating countries had thorough exchanges and dialogues on the theme of the forum, "Flowing of One Dharma, Harmonizing the World", formed a consensus, and jointly signed the initiative of this year's Roundtable Forum . On the day of the Forum, more than 200 believers from Shenzhen chartered a plane to Gautam Buddha International Airport to participate in the Prayer for World Peace Puja held during the Roundtable Forum at the China Temple in Lumbini the following day. This is also the second time this year that China and the Airport chartered direct flights. The launching ceremony of this year's Roundtable Forum and the education sub-forum were held on December 6 in Bangkok, Thailand. During the event in Nepal, the youth sub-forum and the Silk Road Light and Charity Journey will also be organized. SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road CHICAGO, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- GO Airport Shuttle (GOWithUs.com), a leading provider of airport ground transportation services, is now offering airport transportation at Tulum International Airport (TQO) Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport. GO already serves Cancun International Airport (CUN), making Tulum the second airport the company serves in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The launch comes just in time for peak warm destination travel. GO STP Caribe offers free water and Wifi in its vehicles GO STP Caribe offers premier airport ground transportation Services will be provided by award-winning GO Group member GO STP Caribe. The company's fleet includes modern, air-conditioned luxury cars, stretch limousines, SUVs and private vans to accommodate individuals and groups of up to 11 passengers. Transportation is provided between the airport and top destinations such as Playa Del Carmen, Playa Mujeres, Akumal, Isla Holbox, Valladolid and more. "GO STP Caribe has been a long-time valued partner of the GO Group," says John McCarthy, president, The GO Group, LLC, GO Airport Shuttle's parent company. "They have a reputation for consistently providing exceptional customer service, going above and beyond with amenities such as airport reception, complimentary bottled water and wet towels plus free WiFi. By launching service at Tulum Airport, GO extends its commitment to serving travelers across sought-after global destinations." GO STP Caribe has been recognized as the "Best Luxury Limousine Service" in Mexico by the Luxury Lifestyle Awards for 2023 and 2024. Its Black Luxury service has won on a Global basis for "Best Limousine Company" for the past three years and is top rated on Trip Advisor, having been awarded Certificates of Excellence and Travelers Choice Awards. "We are excited to be able to offer our safe, reliable and comfortable services to visitors and residents of Tulum," says Lorena Herrera, director general, GO STP Caribe. "We aim to ensure travelers' Mexican experience is stellar from the moment they step off the plane until they arrive at their destination." The GO Group LLC is one of the world's largest airport transportation providers, offering shared rides, private vehicles, charters and tours, serving airports and cities in the United States, plus Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Media contact: Dyana Flanigan Flanigan Communications, Inc. (312) 213-6233 [email protected] SOURCE The GO Group, LLC HONG KONG, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Forum, jointly organized by Friday Culture Ltd, HK Coalition and DotDotNews, was held on December 13, officiated by Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Wang Songmiao, Secretary General of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR, Li Yongsheng, Deputy Commissioner of the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, Cheung Chi-kong, Deputy Secretary-General of Hong Kong Coalition, Wang Kaibo, Vice Chairman of HKTKWW Media Group, and Herman Hu, Chairman of Friday Culture. Chief Executive John Lee said that the world was faced with accelerating changes not seen in a century and exploring the path to sustainable development has become the responsibility of our generation. Herman Hu said Friday Culture is a young media group that creates content to balance out the rather negative portrayal of our city and our country. Liu Meng, Head of China Office of UN Global Compact, said the organization is committed to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development goals by mobilizing the private sector to do businesses in a sustainable manner. At the panel, titled "Green Businesses and Beyond" moderated by Henry Ho, Chairman of OCTS Youth Forum, Johannes Hack, Vice Chair of European Chamber of Commerce highlighted the fact that HK plays a key role for raising capital for green projects globally. Joseph Law, MD of CLP Power HK, said the company's carbon credit program supports businesses on decarbonization. Nick Chan, Director of AALCO HK Regional Arbitration Centre, highlighted the fact that BRI countries rely more on China's technology in its green transformation. Paul Pong, Founder of Institute of ESG and Benchmark, said companies can boost profit by adopting ESG practices. At the panel "Innovation Drives Greener Future" moderated by Witman Hung, Member of Global Council of World Summit Awards, Samuel Chui, Director of Environmental Protection, highlighted Hong Kong targets to achieve zero carbon emission by 2050. Peng Gong, Vice-President of HKU, said innovative technologies can help resolve the climate issue, and Michael Yang, Senior Vice-President of CityUHK, said technologies enhance business productivity in green economy. Albert Oung, Founder and President of the World Green Organisation, said technology advancement should benefit humankind and the ecology. Cheung Chi Kong concluded that the sustainability was concept rooted in Chinese culture and it's time to make it universal. Revisit Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xLeimzWovI SOURCE Friday Culture Limited CHANGCHUN, China, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 22nd Auto Guangzhou 2024, HONGQI, the "World's New Luxury" automotive brand, proudly unveiled its latest creationthe Guoya. Featuring a design that blends tradition and modernity, meticulous craftsmanship, and powerful performance, the Guoya sparked lively discussions among attendees at the event. The HONGQI Guoya spans 5.32 meters in length and has a wheelbase of 3.26 meters, offering a commanding road presence and spacious interior. The front fascia features a vertical grille flanked by slim LED headlights, creating a modern yet recognizable look. The streamlined side profile emphasizes aerodynamics, contributing to better efficiency and stability at higher speeds. At the rear, the horizontal tail lights with LED strips provide a cohesive and contemporary design. This combination of thoughtful proportions and functional details ensures the Guoya is both visually striking and purposefully crafted. Inside, the Guoya prioritizes passenger comfort and practicality. High-quality materials, including soft-touch surfaces and premium leather, are combined with a thoughtful layout to create a welcoming and functional space. Adjustable seating and a customizable ambient lighting system add a sense of personalization, while the spacious cabin ensures comfort for all passengers on long journeys. The Guoya integrates state-of-the-art intelligent driving technologies, delivering a harmonious blend of safety, performance, and driving pleasure. Its advanced all-wheel-drive system ensures optimal traction and handling across diverse conditions. Meanwhile, the AR-HUD (Augmented Reality Heads-Up Display) projects real-time driving data onto the windshield, enhancing both safety and intuitive navigation. These innovations, combined with other cutting-edge features, elevate the Guoya's driving experience to unparalleled levels of sophistication and convenience. Under the hood, the Guoya is powered by the most powerful in-class V6TD/V8TD + HEV powertrain and an intelligent four-wheel drive system, delivering exhilarating performance and effortless driving control. Its 8-speed automatic transmission enhances driving dynamics, while advanced safety features, including nine airbags and intelligent driving assistance, prioritize the safety of all occupants. The Guoya, which made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Paris Motor Show 2024, has already attracted widespread global media attention. As a masterpiece of craftsmanship, it highlights HONGQI's strength in luxury vehicle design and production. Looking ahead, the HONGQI brand is poised to present its flagship models at more international auto shows, accelerating the expansion of its presence in overseas markets and allowing global audiences to experience the cutting-edge luxury of Chinese automotive innovation. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580740/image_5028817_38742528.jpg SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Korea Zinc (KRX:010130) has successfully completed the 'Onsen Smelter Rationalization Project,' a key initiative undertaken throughout 2024 to strengthen the competitiveness of its Onsan Smelter. This achievement is expected to result in higher operating profits than initially forecasted in its business plan. Korea Zinc's Onsan Smelter Korea Zinc, led by Chairman Yun B. Choi, announced the successful completion of its year-long 'Onsan Smelter Rationalization Project,' aimed at bolstering the competitiveness of its operations. As a result, the company expects operating profits to exceed its original business targets for the year. Through this project, Korea Zinc implemented improvements in operational processes, enhanced energy efficiency, and strengthened cost competitiveness, yielding significant results expected to positively impact profitability. The company attributes this success to the dedicated collaboration of management and employees, underscoring the value of teamwork and unity. Korea Zinc has maintained profitability for 99 consecutive quarters since 2024, achieving an annual operating margin of approximately 10%. However, the company faced global uncertainties in 2024, including the ongoing Ukraine war, rising energy costs (electricity and coal), and falling treatment charges (TC), which increased raw material expenses. In light of these challenges, Korea Zinc conservatively projected KRW 6.828 trillion in sales and KRW 407.8 billion in operating profit (6.0% operating margin) for 2024 relatively lower than its five-year average operating margin of 12.2%. To address these difficulties, Korea Zinc devised various strategies, including Onsan Smelter Rationalization Project. The initiative, which engaged all employees from senior executives to frontline workers, focused on improving processes and enhancing cost competitiveness. The project was led by Chief Smelting Officer President Tae-Woong Jung, who personally supervised its execution. Jung relocated to Ulsan, spending 2-3 days per week at the smelter while working the rest of the week at the Seoul headquarters. His hands-on leadership style facilitated close collaboration between the site and headquarters ensuring unified efforts toward achieving ambitious goals. Key initiatives included: Appointing 23 Key Personnel for process rationalization management; Forming task forces for process optimization and cost management; Establishing cross-functional task forces for materials, technology, production, research and development, safety, environment, and equipment; Organizing 18 cost-reduction teams with 95 sub-groups, incentivizing top-performing teams; Managing global price fluctuation risks for raw material purchases and product sales. Jung's "on-the-ground management" approach encouraged seamless collaboration, aligning the workforce toward a common goal. Vice Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Je-Joong Lee also played a pivotal role by leading weekly process improvement meetings between the Seoul headquarters and the Onsan Smelter. This effort increased profitability and advanced technical capabilities. A notable achievement was increasing annual lead production from 420,000 tons to 450,000 tons. Additionally, logistics system improvements reduced related costs to KRW 3 billionone-third of the previous year's expenses. Other initiatives included themed cost management activities, such as conveyer system improvements, and rationalizing integrated processes for zinc, lead, and copper. The project's success was further bolstered by strong labor-management cooperation. Korea Zinc credits the success to decades of trust and collaboration among leadership, managers, and employees, underscored by a record of 37 consecutive years without labor disputes. A Korea Zinc representative remarked that the domestic steel industry is struggling due to dumping by other major steelmakers, and the non-ferrous metals market faces numerous challenges with bleak prospects for 2025. To adapt to rapidly changing global conditions and internalize supply chains, we remain committed to maintaining our smelters' competitiveness. Korea Zinc's sustained superior performance compared to peers is a testament to the exceptional leadership of our current management and the long-standing trust and collaboration among all employeessomething speculative capital cannot replicate. SOURCE Korea Zinc CHICAGO, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LaSalle Investment Management (LaSalle) is pleased to announce it has been named a Best Place to Work in Money Management for 2024 by Pensions & Investments. This marks the ninth consecutive year LaSalle has received this prestigious recognition. Presented by Pensions & Investments, the global news source of money management and institutional investing, the 13th annual survey and recognition program is dedicated to identifying and recognizing the best employers in the money management industry. "Earning the 'Best Place to Work' recognition for the ninth time highlights what drives LaSalle's success: our people and culture. This culture, shaped by every employee, fuels our client service, investment performance, and talent development. We're proud that our commitment to an inspiring workplace continues to be recognized. Thank you to our employees for making LaSalle not just a great place to work, but a leader in investment management," said Brad Gries, LaSalle Head of Americas. "As their employees attest, the companies named to this year's Best Places to Work list demonstrate a commitment to building and maintaining a strong workplace culture,'' said P&I Editor-in-Chief Julie Tatge. "In doing so, they're helping their employees, clients and their businesses succeed.'' "Pensions & Investments is proud to honor the Best Places to Work in Money Management for the 13th year. A strong workplace culture that supports talent, advocates progress and drives innovation is paramount to driving the best outcomes and these asset managers demonstrate that. Congratulations to the 2024 honorees for their commitment to employee well-being, attractive incentive structures and talent development that demonstrate how investing in your employees can elevate our industry to greater heights," said P&I President and Publisher Nikki Pirrello. Pensions & Investments partnered with Workforce Research Group, a research firm specializing in identifying great places to work, to conduct a two-part survey process of employers and their employees. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 20% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 80% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies. For a complete list of the 2024 Pensions & Investments' Best Places to Work in Money Management winners and profiles of the top firms across size categories, go to http://www.pionline.com/BPTW2024 About LaSalle Investment Management | Investing Today. For Tomorrow. LaSalle Investment Management is one of the world's leading real estate investment managers. On a global basis, LaSalle manages US$88.2 billion of assets in private and public real estate equity and debt investments as of Q3 2024. LaSalle's diverse client base includes public and private pension funds, insurance companies, governments, corporations, endowments and private individuals from across the globe. LaSalle sponsors a complete range of investment vehicles, including separate accounts, open- and closed-end funds, public securities and entity-level investments. For more information, please visit www.lasalle.com, and LinkedIn. About Pensions & Investments Pensions & Investments, owned by Crain Communications Inc., is the 51-year-old global news source of money management and institutional investing. P&I is written for executives at defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as those at investment management and other investment-related firms. Pensions & Investments provides timely and incisive coverage of events affecting the money management and retirement businesses. Visit us at www.pionline.com. Contact: Alissa Schachter LaSalle Investment Management Telephone: +1 (312) 228-2048 Email: [email protected] SOURCE LaSalle Investment Management BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a heartwarming holiday gesture, Abogados Centro Legal and Mi Pueblo Supermarket are teaming up to gift 500 Boston Butts to Latino families in Alabama on December 18 and 19. Building on last year's success, the two Hispanic-owned businesses aim to bring joy and unity to the community with this special Christmas giveaway. Last year, the collaboration helped over 300 families enjoy a festive holiday meal, and this year's event promises to be even bigger. Latino Businesses Join Forces to Gift 500 Boston Butts to the Latino Community This Christmas Post this Last year's Boston butt giveaway at Mi Pueblo Supermarket Event Details: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 : 250 Boston Butts will be distributed at Mi Pueblo Supermarket 's Pelham location starting at 1:00 PM . Address: 3060 Pelham Pkwy, Pelham, AL 35124 : 250 Boston Butts will be distributed at 's location starting at . Address: 3060 Pelham Pkwy, 35124 Thursday, December 19, 2024 : Another 250 units will be distributed at Mi Pueblo Supermarket's Homewood location starting at 10:00 AM . Address: 216 Green Springs Hwy, Homewood, AL 35209 These are free events, but availability is limited to one unit per family on a first-come, first-served basis. Giving Back to the Community "I arrived at Homewood quite early. There were some people already lined up, but I was lucky and got my ham fairly quickly. My family and I had an amazing Christmas dinner thanks to Mi Pueblo and Abogados Centro Legal," shared Jorge, a recipient from last year's giveaway. This initiative highlights the commitment of Abogados Centro Legal and Mi Pueblo Supermarket to supporting and uplifting the Latino community in Alabama. "Our goal is to bring people together and ensure everyone can celebrate the holidays with their families. This event allows us to share the spirit of Christmas with the community we serve," said E. Nathan Harris, CEO of Abogados Centro Legal. "Giving back is at the heart of what we do," added Dulce Victoria Rivera, CEO of Mi Pueblo Supermarket. "It's wonderful to see the joy and gratitude of families during this season." About the Organizers Abogados Centro Legal: A Hispanic-owned law firm specializing in personal injury and immigration law, dedicated to serving the Latino community in Alabama . Visit their website https://abogadoscentrolegal.com/ or call them directly at 205-894-3737. Mi Pueblo Supermarket: A Hispanic-owned supermarket chain providing high-quality products and supporting community initiatives in Alabama . You can visit their website https://mipueblosupermarket.com/ or call them directly at (205) 685-1446. For more information, visit the official websites of Abogados Centro Legal and Mi Pueblo Supermarket. Contact: Jacqueline Grabinsky, [email protected] SOURCE Abogados Centro Legal Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On December 12, 2024, Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer Li Auto celebrated the successful rollout of its first high-strength high-tenacity stainless steel coil at Tsingtuo Group's factory. The milestone was marked by a joint unveiling ceremony with Tsingtuo Group, Anhui NEV Power Systems Co., Ltd., and Hongwang Holding Group for the newly developed UFHS stainless steel material. Photo credit: Li Auto According to Li Auto, the proprietary stainless steel offers a 46% improvement in strength compared to traditional stainless steel and significantly enhances stress corrosion resistance. The material is used in the high-pressure stainless steel fuel tanks for the entire Li Auto L series lineup, significantly improving safety under extreme conditions. This development signifies Li Auto's capability in proprietary material formulation and component design for high-strength stainless steel applications. Tsingtuo Group is a leading global stainless steel and nickel producer based in Fujian province. Anhui NEV Power Systems, a Chinese local enterprise supported by Li Auto, specializes in the R&D, production, and sales of fuel modules for automotive power systems. This tripartite partnership is set to accelerate technological advancements in high-pressure stainless steel fuel tanks and other critical components, enabling Li Auto to meet the evolving demands of its NEV users. Through this collaboration, Li Auto aims to strengthen its technical capabilities and deliver safer, more innovative solutions to its customers. On the same day, Li Auto and Tsingtuo Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement to establish a joint innovation platform. Leveraging their respective technological and resource strengths, the partnership aims to create cutting-edge stainless steel solutions for the NEV industry through the envisioned joint innovation center. NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions market in brazil size is estimated to grow by USD 6.99 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.55% during the forecast period. Tax benefits of meal vouchers in Brazil is driving market growth, with a trend towards strategic partnerships between market and meal kit delivery vendors. However, data privacy and security issues on personal information of employees poses a challenge.Key market players include Alelo, Asinta, Axis Bank Ltd., bswift LLC, CIRFOOD s.c., Edenred SE, PayPal Holdings Inc., Rakuten Group Inc., Sodexo SA, SWILE, Up group, and Zeta Services Inc.. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Meal Vouchers and Employee Benefit Solutions Market in Brazil 2024-2028 AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Application (Meal vouchers and Employee benefits), Product (Non-cash voucher and Cash voucher), Type (Book card and Digital card), and Geography (South America) Region Covered Brazil Key companies profiled Alelo, Asinta, Axis Bank Ltd., bswift LLC, CIRFOOD s.c., Edenred SE, PayPal Holdings Inc., Rakuten Group Inc., Sodexo SA, SWILE, Up group, and Zeta Services Inc. Key Market Trends Fueling Growth Meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions have become essential tools for business organizations in Brazil to attract and retain their workforce. Meal vouchers, also known as meal cards or electronic vouchers, help employees manage their food expenses at restaurants, providing financial benefits and improving work-life balance. Employers offer meal vouchers, gift coupons, and prepaid cards as part of their employee benefits package, which includes health-related policies, travel vouchers, and cultural coupons. Employees, including working and office professionals, restaurant staff, and government agencies, appreciate these benefits, leading to increased employee engagement, motivation level, and productivity. Meal vouchers and employee benefits solutions offer tax benefits, social insurance changes, and contribute to employee health and wellbeing, including physical health conditions and mental health services. However, businesses must address data security issues and security concerns when implementing these solutions. The meal segment, travel segment, and financial well-being are significant areas of focus for employers, with trends including digital cards, gift hampers, and meal cards. Geopolitical influences, natural disasters, climate change, and economic impact can also impact the meal voucher and employee benefit solutions market in Brazil. The meal voucher and employee benefit solutions market in Brazil is witnessing significant growth, with meal kit delivery services gaining popularity due to their convenience and affordability. Consumers appreciate the time saved from grocery shopping and the opportunity to explore new ingredients and cooking techniques. Vendors ensure meal kits come with easy-to-follow recipes, cooking tips, and precise ingredient quantities, making meal preparation more efficient and enjoyable. This trend may impact the dine-in restaurant industry, as consumers opt for the convenience of meal kits. Sustainably sourced ingredients add to the appeal, making meal kit delivery services an attractive option for health-conscious individuals. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges Meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions have become essential tools for business organizations in Brazil to attract and retain their workforce. Meal vouchers, including meal cards and electronic vouchers, help employees manage their food expenses and improve their purchasing power. Employers offer various types of vouchers, such as health-related policies, travel, fuel, and financial benefits, to enhance employee engagement and productivity. However, businesses face challenges in implementing meal voucher programs. Social insurance changes and tax benefits require continuous updates. Employers must ensure data security and address security concerns related to electronic vouchers. Moreover, meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions should cater to the diverse needs of working professionals, office professionals, restaurant staff, and other employees. Geopolitical influences, natural disasters, and climate change can impact meal voucher programs, requiring flexibility and adaptability from employers. In addition, meal vouchers and employee benefits extend beyond financial benefits, encompassing mental health services, medical insurance, gift hampers, coupons, and cultural experiences to promote overall health, workplace productivity, and team engagement. to attract and retain their workforce. Meal vouchers, including meal cards and electronic vouchers, help employees manage their food expenses and improve their purchasing power. Employers offer various types of vouchers, such as health-related policies, travel, fuel, and financial benefits, to enhance employee engagement and productivity. However, businesses face challenges in implementing meal voucher programs. Social insurance changes and tax benefits require continuous updates. Employers must ensure data security and address security concerns related to electronic vouchers. Moreover, meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions should cater to the diverse needs of working professionals, office professionals, restaurant staff, and other employees. Geopolitical influences, natural disasters, and climate change can impact meal voucher programs, requiring flexibility and adaptability from employers. In addition, meal vouchers and employee benefits extend beyond financial benefits, encompassing mental health services, medical insurance, gift hampers, coupons, and cultural experiences to promote overall health, workplace productivity, and team engagement. In the Brazilian market for Meal Vouchers and Employee Benefit Solutions, businesses have experienced significant gains due to technological advancements and digitization. However, these developments come with risks, particularly concerning data security. Vendors provide mobile apps and cards for managing employee benefits, collecting and storing personal information. While many employ commercially available security technologies, potential vulnerabilities in servers or apps could jeopardize privacy and negatively impact market leaders. In today's digital era, safeguarding data is crucial. Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions market in Brazil report extensively covers market segmentation by Application 1.1 Meal vouchers 1.2 Employee benefits Product 2.1 Non-cash voucher 2.2 Cash voucher Type 3.1 Book card 3.2 Digital card Geography 4.1 South America 1.1 Meal vouchers- Meal vouchers are a common form of compensation provided by employers to their employees in Brazil. These vouchers can be used to purchase food products from food service outlets or grocery stores. Employers work with meal voucher vendors, such as Sodexo SA and Edenred SE, to print and distribute these vouchers to their employees. In return, vendors charge an equivalent amount for printing and distribution, along with a commission from the employers. Meal vouchers offer tax benefits for employees, as many countries, including Brazil, have specified tax exemptions for meal vouchers. Sodexo SA, for instance, offers specialized meal vouchers for employees working over 30 hours a week. The meal vouchers segment is expected to experience growth in the meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions market in Brazil due to these advantages. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) Research Analysis Meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions have become essential tools for business organizations in Brazil to enhance their employees' financial and overall health. These solutions, which include meal vouchers, meal cards, Lunch Pass cards, electronic vouchers, and gift coupons, enable employers to offer their workforce a range of benefits, from meal subsidies to cultural and book cards. Meal vouchers help working professionals and office employees save money on daily meals, while travel vouchers facilitate commuting expenses. These benefits not only improve employees' financial well-being but also contribute to their overall health and job satisfaction. Voucher issuing companies play a crucial role in facilitating these solutions, with digital cards and government agencies collaborating to ensure seamless implementation. Employers can choose from various options to customize their employee benefit packages, fostering a more engaged and productive workforce. Market Research Overview Meal vouchers and employee benefit solutions have become essential tools for business organizations in Brazil to attract, retain, and engage their workforce. Meal vouchers, also known as meal cards or electronic vouchers, enable employees to purchase meals at restaurants or canteens, providing financial benefits and improving employee productivity. Employers can also offer health-related policies, such as medical insurance, mental health services, and wellness programs, to enhance overall employee health and wellbeing. Employee benefit solutions extend beyond meal vouchers to include travel vouchers, prepaid cards, and gift vouchers. These benefits cater to various segments, including working professionals, office professionals, and restaurant staff. Government agencies and employers are increasingly adopting these solutions to navigate social insurance changes and tax benefits. Employee engagement, motivation level, and work-life balance are critical factors influencing the adoption of meal and employee benefit solutions in Brazil. Data security issues and concerns regarding security are essential considerations for businesses implementing electronic vouchers. The meal segment is a significant component of employee benefits, with physical health conditions and workplace productivity impacting employee health and wellbeing. Businesses can also offer cultural coupons, book cards, and digital cards as part of their employee benefits package to promote team engagement and workforce motivation. Geopolitical influences, natural disasters, and climate change can impact the adoption and effectiveness of meal and employee benefit solutions in Brazil. Employers must consider these factors when designing their employee benefits strategies to ensure long-term success. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Application Meal Vouchers Employee Benefits Product Non-cash Voucher Cash Voucher Type Book Card Digital Card Geography South America 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Regardless of company size, all employers that provide self-insured health coverage to employees are required to file an annual return, reporting certain information for each employee covered. Halfpricesoft.com has released a remote and in office solution to process ACA forms, with the latest 2024 ez1095 ACA software. 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Software from halfpricesoft.com is trusted by thousands of customers and will help small Business owners simplify payroll processing and streamline business management. SOURCE Tekplus, LLC Brainy Bodies investigates the complex and reciprocal relationship between our brains and our bodies SEATTLE, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Science Center (PacSci) is pleased to announce the opening of its new exhibit Brainy Bodies on Saturday, December 14, 2024. The bilingual exhibit, presented in both English and Spanish, explores the intricate connection between our brains and our bodies, examining our nervous, muscular, and sensory systems. Through a series of engaging, hands-on interactives, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of movement, perception, and the ways in which we interpret and experience the world around us. As our experiences shape our brains, our brains, in turn, influence our actions. Brainy Bodies celebrates the diversity of the human experience, inviting visitors to explore both our shared strengths and unique differences. The exhibit highlights that, while we are all wired in our own distinct ways, we are stronger when we work together, just like our bodies' systems do. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets. SOURCE Pacific Science Center UDF IV's Plan "Not to Reconvene the Annual Meeting" is Unacceptable Outcome for Shareholders NexPoint Urges UDF IV to Reconvene Meeting Following Full Disclosure of Ready Capital Transaction Details and to Disclose Amount of Shareholder Funds Used on Advisors for an Annual Meeting it has Failed to Hold DALLAS, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Real Estate Opportunities, LLC (together with its affiliates "NexPoint") today issued a statement regarding the "adjournment" of the United Development Funding IV ("UDF IV" or the "Company") Annual Meeting of Shareholders ("Annual Meeting") due to a lack of quorum and the Company's statement that it will not reconvene the Meeting. NexPoint provided the following comment: "We are deeply alarmed by UDF IV's announcement that it will not reconvene the Annual Meeting after failing to meet the quorum threshold. This decision exemplifies UDF IV's governance failures and unwillingness to engage with shareholders. This outcome also raises serious concerns about the current Board's ability to protect shareholder interests in the context of the proposed acquisition by Ready Capital (NYSE: RC). UDF IV's decision appears predicated on the assumption that the Ready Capital deal will close before the next Annual Meeting, suggesting they may seek to avoid holding its first contested annual meeting and Trustee election in nine years. "We call on UDF IV to reconvene the Annual Meeting in accordance with the Company's bylaws within 120 days after the record date, but only after providing shareholders with the disclosures necessary to assess the proposed transaction, including previously omitted disclosure schedules, recent financials, the proxy statement and many other material details. We also call on UDF IV to obtain a non-objecting beneficial owners (NOBO) list to ensure greater shareholder oversight and engagement." As stated, NexPoint declined to appear at the Annual Meeting due to concerns over the Company's last-minute announcement of the proposed Ready Capital merger, which appeared to be an attempt to sway the Annual Meeting's outcome without providing shareholders the necessary information to evaluate the proposed transaction. NexPoint would support the acquisition if full disclosure is presented, including current financials, and the transaction terms are fair. Independent proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis shares NexPoint's concerns about UDF IV's disclosure deficiencies and the Ready Capital deal: "While we understand a transaction of this nature could be viewed as something of a panacea for investors dissatisfied with the Trust's longstanding lack of liquidity and poor corporate governance, we believe shareholders have ample cause to question the timing of the transaction, the absence of key disclosures and, most fundamentally, the board's ability to credibly negotiate and secure a transformative transaction of this nature. That such an agreement would be executed less than two weeks prior to the Trust's first substantive election of directors in nearly ten years is more alarming still, and, in our view, further stokes concern about the board's true commitment to good governance and shareholder feedback." 1 NexPoint believes the Annual Meeting vote was a dead heat certainly much closer than reported by UDF IV demonstrating significant shareholder dissatisfaction with UDF IV's leadership. The Company exploited the purpose of the Annual Meeting and positioned it as a referendum on the merger to sway votes, which indeed caused some shareholders to change their vote in favor of the Company just days before the election. Glass Lewis states: "With the first meaningful board referendum in nearly a decade on the near-term docket in this instance, seemingly only as a result of legal action in Maryland by NexPoint UDF has notionally elevated the stakes by announcing a prospective acquisition of the Trust by Ready Capital in a partially contingent cash, stock and CVR transaction executed just eight days prior to the forthcoming AGM."1 UDF IV has actively suppressed shareholder engagement, refusing any constructive dialogue with NexPoint. To avoid accountability, the Company first spent significant shareholder funds to prevent this meeting from occurring. Then, once a Maryland court ordered it to hold this meeting, it took no steps to obtain the NOBO list representing approximately 24 million of UDF IV's 30 million shares, which would have enabled them to advise those shareholders directly about the first election of independent trustees in nine years. They later fought NexPoint's efforts to obtain such a list, but spent significant shareholder funds on high-priced attorneys and public relations firms to advance their agenda. NexPoint now calls on UDF IV to disclose the costs borne by shareholders related to the Annual Meeting (and efforts to avoid it) the Company now suggests it may never hold. Shareholders are entitled to information from UDF IV to make their own decisions about the current Trustees and the proposed merger and deserve the opportunity to hold the Trustees accountable for years of value erosion and lost trust in favor of NexPoint's independent nominees. We encourage UDF IV shareholders to contact the Company to demand they reconvene the shareholder meeting, publish information on the merger, then meaningfully engage with NexPoint and other shareholders to answer their questions. (1) Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC.: United Development Funding IV. December 6, 2024. About NexPoint NexPoint Real Estate Opportunities, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of NexPoint Diversified Real Estate Trust, Inc. (NYSE: NXDT), an affiliate of NexPoint Advisors, L.P. NexPoint Advisors, L.P. is an SEC-registered adviser on the NexPoint alternative investment platform. It serves as the adviser to a suite of funds and investment vehicles, including a closed-end fund, interval fund, business development company, and various real estate vehicles. For more information visit www.nexpoint.com IMPORTANT INFORMATION NexPoint Real Estate Opportunities, LLC ("NexPoint") has delivered a proxy statement with respect to its solicitation of proxies for nominees to be elected to the United Development Funding IV ("UDF IV") Board of Trustees at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of UDF IV. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE NEXPOINT PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) IN ITS ENTIRETY. Copies of the documents are available free of charge from NexPoint by accessing the website www.udfaccountability.com . NexPoint, its affiliates, their directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be participants (collectively "Participants") in the solicitation of proxies by NexPoint. Information about NexPoint's nominees to the UDF IV Board of Trustees and information regarding the direct or indirect interests in UDF IV, by security holdings or otherwise, of NexPoint, the other Participants and NexPoint's nominees will be available in the proxy statement. NexPoint's disclosure of any security holdings will be based on information made available to NexPoint by such Participants and nominees. UDF IV is no longer subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Consequently, NexPoint's knowledge of significant security holders of UDF IV and as to UDF IV itself is limited. NexPoint has neither sought nor obtained consent from any third party to use previously published information in this press release, including any quotes used in this press release. CONTACT INFORMATION UDF IV Investor Contacts Chuck Garske / Jeremy Provost / Theo Caminiti (Okapi Partners): Email: [email protected] Phone: (212) 297-0720 For Additional Information/Updates on UDF IV Website: www.udfaccountability.com Email: [email protected] Media Contacts Lucy Bannon (NexPoint): [email protected] Paul Caminiti/Pamela Greene (Reevemark): [email protected] NexPoint Investor Relations Kristen Griffith: [email protected] SOURCE NexPoint Advisors, L.P. VisionCraft AI is Awarded with United States Pilot and Funding Opportunities DALLAS, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) , a 501(c)3 regional consortium of over 40 municipalities, agencies, corporations and academic institutions across North Texas working to create the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country, and partner Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, have announced VisionCraft AI as the winner of the 2024 Smart Cities Global Startup Challenge. Including partners and Texas cities Frisco and McKinney , the select group of judges evaluated the four finalists live at Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) in Barcelona in front of a global audience. "All four of our finalists across Ecosystem Informatics , L&T Technology Services , Sial-tronica 22 SL and VisionCraft AI did a fantastic job showcasing their solutions and pitching to our panel of judges," said NTXIA Executive Director Jennifer Sanders. "It was truly a difficult deliberation to decide a winner. Each finalist hit the nail on the head regarding this year's problem statements of the future of transportation, sustainability and VRUs. We want to thank each of these incredible companies for making the trip to SCEWC in Barcelona for the final competition, and also for their time and efforts in applying and pitching. We send our warmest congratulations to the VisionCraft AI team and cannot wait to move forward in having you all visit the U.S. and begin your deployments!" Based in the Czech Republic, VisionCraft AI is a technology company providing a 'Digital Data Eye,' with solutions that provide real-time information from AI-based computer vision object detection algorithms. Their solutions can determine an object's speed, direction, size, trajectory and more to increase safety and improve function across ITS, manufacturing & logistics, healthcare, enterprises & retail and more. This is the only IoT sensor on the market that processes video streams directly at the edge and is not dependent on 24/7 electricity or wired data in real time. "We are honored to award VisionCraft AI the title of the 2024 SCEWC Smart Cities Global Startup Challenge Winner. VisionCraft's solution will be a strong addition to our smart city ecosystem," said Curiosity Lab Executive Director Brandon Branham. "There can be specific challenges entering the U.S. market if you do not have a pilot program in place with the resources to understand a new country launch. At the lab, we are equipped to remove those challenges for VisionCraft as they are ready to enter the U.S. market. With our partners NTXIA and their members in North Texas, we will be able to provide them with the resources they need to succeed. We are looking forward to seeing the VisionCraft AI team in the U.S. in the upcoming months!" As part of the award, VisionCraft AI received office space, funding for their first pilot, travel and accommodations across the U.S., introductions to high-level individuals across public and private organizations to support their entrance into the U.S. market and more. "We were thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in this global pitch competition and to have the chance to share our story and solutions with some of the leading smart cities in the United States," said VisionCraft Founder and CEO Robert Pinkas. "Thank you to Curiosity Lab, NTXIA, McKinney, and Frisco for taking the time to hear our pitch and for selecting us as the winner, and thank you to everyone who has supported us on our journey thus far. We cannot wait to begin piloting in the United States, beginning in Spring of 2025! Thank you to all of the partners who put together this competition and for your generous support." "The Inaugural 2024 Smart Cities Global Startup Challenge was a massive success, and it was an honor to serve on the judging panel. Our partners at the NTXIA are great visionaries to work alongside to bring international awareness to our innovation efforts in McKinney, alongside our other regional partners working tirelessly to elevate the startup ecosystem across North Texas. We can't wait to welcome VisionCraft into McKinney's dynamic startup ecosystem and utilize their innovations to help improve our community," said Michael Talley, Senior Vice President of McKinney Economic Development Corporation. "Frisco is a best-in-class city that champions innovation, technology and entrepreneurship," said Gloria Salinas, Vice President of Frisco Economic Development Corporation. "As a pilot city for driverless cars, drone deliveries and other innovative technologies, we are at the forefront of smart city initiatives that seek creative solutions to today's problems. Mobility is critical to the future of Frisco, and VisionCraft's program has the potential to optimize traffic, manage infrastructure and congestion, improve pedestrian safety and further enhance the quality of life for our residents. Our established ecosystem fosters an environment where innovators like VisionCraft can learn from other technology leaders while scaling their business. We are excited for VisionCraft to bring their solutions and creativity to North Texas." NTXIA and Curiosity Lab plan to hold this startup pitch competition again in 2025 at SCEWC in Barcelona. Learn more about VisionCraft AI at https://www.visioncraft.ai/. ABOUT THE NORTH TEXAS INNOVATION ALLIANCE The North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) is a 501(c)3 consortium of key cross-sector stakeholders working to develop and implement a smart region strategy for North Texas. The NTXIA is building the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country bringing together government entities on all levels, transit agencies, utilities/infrastructure, public safety, educational institutions and some of the world's top technology developers in the private sector to pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. The organization's mission is to break down silos and drive the collaborative use of data, technology and community to address the most pressing topics and create solutions that will improve quality of life, drive inclusive economic development and promote resource efficiency. For more information, please visit www.NTXIA.org , or follow LinkedIn and Twitter . About the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia As the heart of what is being called #SiliconOrchard in the metro-Atlanta region, Peachtree Corners is a vibrant municipality that's home to more than 45,000 residents, 45,000 jobs and an innovation hub that houses some of the world's most disruptive technology companies. As the United States' premier smart city powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G, Peachtree Corners serves as the model for how government and private industry can better collaborate to create a better future for society and business. From the world's first deployment of teleoperated e-scooters to fully autonomous shuttles being utilized by actual residents, and from a solar roadway to the largest electric vehicle fast-charging hub in the region, Peachtree Corners is where the most future-forward Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technologies come to life for the benefit of its citizens, and the world. For more information, visit http://www.peachtreecornersga.gov . About Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners Curiosity Lab is a 5G-enabled intelligent mobility and smart city living laboratory located in the southeastern United States near Atlanta, Georgia. Designed as a proving ground for IoT, mobility and smart city emerging technologies, the centerpiece of the lab is a three-mile autonomous vehicle lane leveraging cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies. Additional infrastructure includes intelligent traffic cameras and traffic signals, smart streetlights, the country's first "IoT Central Control Room" implemented in a city and a 25,000 square foot technology incubator. Owned and operated by the City of Peachtree Corners, Curiosity Lab is one of North America's only real-world testing environments and is available for use free of charge. Additional information can be found at www.curiositylabptc.com . SOURCE North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) The initiative will develop new structures, systems, and solutions to transform small business lending within community development finance WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Opportunity Finance Network, the nation's leading network and intermediary focused on community development investment, announced a partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The partnership will support the Infrastructure for Scale CDFI3 Innovation Initiative to transform small business lending. This two-year partnership will help create new solutions, capital, and financial products for small business-focused community development financial institutions (CDFIs). "Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, yet millions of hardworking entrepreneurs can't access the capital needed to pursue dreams," said OFN President and CEO Harold Pettigrew. "Small business CDFIs provide critical financing for entrepreneurs starting or growing their businesses, helping them build wealth and create quality jobs. With the Center's investment in the CDFI3 Innovation Initiative, OFN will further develop the infrastructure for these specialized lenders and expand support for more small businesses in underinvested communities across the country." OFN seeks to address the large-scale challenges affecting the CDFI small business ecosystem. With assistance from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, OFN will support sustained industry growth and facilitate the flow of reasonably priced small business capital into low- and moderate- income communities. OFN is excited to participate in the Mastercard Strive USA community alongside other practice leaders in small business lending. "Mastercard and the Center are deeply committed to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs across the U.S.," said Sandy Fernandez, Vice President of Social Impact, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. "OFN's network of CDFIs and mission-driven lenders has the unique ability to meet these entrepreneurs where they are and provide critical support through capital and technical assistance to nurture successful businesses. We're proud to support OFN's innovation initiative that will build the infrastructure for CDFIs to support more small businesses nationwide." The years ahead will introduce unprecedented opportunities and pose significant challenges for the CDFI industry. The CDFI3 Innovation Initiative is structured to help CDFIs meet the moment ahead with new strategies, including: The creation of the Innovation Advisory Council to provide thought leadership and turn data-driven insights into scalable innovations. to provide thought leadership and turn data-driven insights into scalable innovations. The establishment of the Innovation Center, an action tank that will take insights and promising solutions and seed them with capital and support. Although the CDFI industry has grown significantly, the supply of affordable capital does not meet the scale of ambition among entrepreneurs in underserved communities. This partnership will specifically focus on transforming the small business ecosystem for greater scale, impact and capital to flow to historically underserved communities. The CDFI3 Innovation Initiative will be at the center of OFN's strategic direction for the next five years and beyond. These programs will reinforce the industry's ability to foster financial health and resilience in low-income communities, expand entrepreneurship and affordable housing, and accelerate economic opportunity. About Opportunity Finance Network Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is the nation's leading network and intermediary focused on community development investment, managing over $1 billion in total assets and a membership of more than 450 community development financial institutions (CDFIs), which includes community development loan funds, credit unions, green banks, banks, minority depository institutions, and venture capital funds. Our network of CDFIs works to ensure communities underserved by mainstream finance have access to affordable, responsible financial products and services, with a deep focus on serving rural, urban, and Native communities across the United States. OFN is a trusted investment partner to the public, private, and philanthropic sectors foundations, corporations, banks, government agencies, and others and, for 40 years, has helped partners invest in communities to catalyze change and create economic opportunities for all. Since its founding in 1986, OFN members have originated over $110 billion in financing, helping to create or maintain more than 3 million jobs, start or expand more than 850,000 businesses and microenterprises, and support the development or rehabilitation of nearly 2.4 million housing units and more than 14,000 community facility projects. SOURCE Opportunity Finance Network NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global optometry software market in North America size is estimated to grow by USD 576.62 million from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.67% during the forecast period. For comprehensive forecast and historic data on regions,market segments, customer landscape, and companies- Click for the snapshot of this report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Optometry Software Market in North America 2024-2028 Report Attribute Details Base Year 2023 Forecast period 2024-2028 Historic Data for 2018 - 2022 Segments Covered Type (Cloud-based and Web-based), End-user (Hospitals, Nursing homes, and Others), and Geography (North America) Key Companies Covered Barti, Compulink Healthcare Solutions, Doctorsoft Corp., EssilorLuxottica, EverCommerce Inc., Eye Care Leaders, First Insight Corp., Health Innovation Technologies Inc., iTRUST.IO LLC , LiquidEHR Inc., MacPractice, Nextech Systems LLC, Optical POS Software LLC, Optometric Services Inc., Solutionreach Inc., SOTH Inc., Vision Service Plan, Weave Communications Inc., WINK Technologies Inc., and WRS Health Regions Covered North America Region Outlook North America Europe Asia Rest of World 1. North America - North America is estimated to contribute 100%. To the growth of the global market. The Optometry Software Market in North America report forecasts market growth by revenue at global, regional & country levels from 2017 to 2027. The optometry software market in North America is primarily driven by the large and mature market in the United States. The presence of a well-established eyecare infrastructure, including hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, along with a high adoption rate of modern medical technology, makes the US the largest segment in the region. However, the growth of the optometry software market in the US is expected to be moderate during the forecast period due to market saturation. New technological advancements will fuel the market, as eyecare institutions upgrade their existing systems or invest in new solutions to stay competitive. For more insights on North America's significant contribution along with the market share of rest of the regions and countries - Download a FREE Sample Segmentation Overview Type 1.1 Cloud-based 1.2 Web-based End-user 2.1 Hospitals 2.2 Nursing homes 2.3 Others Geography 3.1 North America Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1.1 Fastest growing segment: The optometry software market in North America is experiencing growth, with a particular focus on cloud-based deployment solutions. These solutions offer benefits such as quick deployment, flexibility, scalability, real-time data visibility, and customization capabilities. Cloud-based deployment enables integration with other eyecare software solutions, including online booking and payment processing. Flexible payment options, like monthly subscriptions and pay-as-you-go models, make these solutions cost-effective. Small and medium-scale eyecare organizations are adopting cloud-based software due to its scalability and cost savings. Innovations in data security will further increase adoption by large-scale enterprises. Cloud-based solutions provide optimal cost and efficiency by allowing organizations to store critical data on-premise and infrequently used data on a public cloud server. The market growth is driven by these advantages, with the cloud-based deployment segment expected to grow at a higher Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) than on-premise deployment during the forecast period. Research Analysis The optometry software market in North America is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing prevalence of chronic ophthalmological conditions such as glaucoma, dry eye, cataracts, and refractive errors. With an aging population, there is a greater need for electronic health records (EHR) and cloud-based solutions to manage patient data and records in optometry clinics, hospitals, specialist centers, and ambulatory settings. Telehealth, telemedicine services, and AI-based software are also gaining popularity for remote patient consultations and diagnosis. Eyefinity, Crystal PM, Compulink, Inpatient EHR, Ambulatory EHR, Maxim Eyes, Revolution EHR, Doctor soft, and Liquid EHR are some of the leading optometry software solutions providing cloud-based EMR and health records data management services. These software solutions enable optometrists to streamline their workflows, improve patient care, and enhance overall operational efficiency. Market Overview The optometry software market in North America is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing prevalence of chronic ophthalmological conditions such as glaucoma, dry eye, cataracts, and refractive errors in the aging population. Electronic health records (EHR) and cloud-based solutions are becoming increasingly popular, enabling optometrists to manage patient data and records more efficiently. Telehealth and telemedicine services are also gaining traction, allowing for remote patient consultations and monitoring. AI-based software is being integrated into optometry practices to enhance diagnosis and treatment, particularly for conditions like retinal detachment, uveitis, and astigmatism. Optometry clinics, hospitals, specialist centers, and ambulatory care facilities are adopting cloud-based EMR systems to streamline operations and improve patient care. Key trends include expansions, joint ventures, and acquisitions by major players in the market, including Eyefinity, Crystal PM, Compulink, Practice Mate, MaximEyes, EyeMD, and others. IOP measurement and prescription history are critical features of optometry software, ensuring accurate and up-to-date patient information. Overall, the North American optometry software market is poised for continued growth as technology advances and healthcare providers seek to improve patient care and outcomes. Start exploring market insights by Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Key Topics Covered: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Venodr Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio The global bakery cafe brand expands their presence, reinforcing their commitment to bringing freshly baked goods to communities across the U.S. and Canada. MOONACHIE, N.J., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Paris Baguette , the renowned global bakery-cafe brand, is thrilled to announce the opening of their 200th location in North America. This significant milestone marks a major achievement in the brand's expansion and commitment to bringing their high-quality, freshly baked goods to communities across the U.S. and Canada. "Opening our 200th North American cafe is an exciting moment for Paris Baguette ," said Darren Tipton , CEO. "This continued growth reflects our dedication to offering an authentic bakery cafe experience and spreading joy to our guests each and every day. We're proud to be re-establishing the neighborhood bakery as the heart of the community, and this milestone sets the stage for even further growth in the coming years." The 200th cafe, which recently opened at 549 Roosevelt Rd. in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, in early December, marks a major step in Paris Baguette's expansion across the U.S. and Canada. Since opening their first cafe in the U.S. in 2005, Paris Baguette has seen steady growth across the country. Their expansion into Canada in 2023 further proved the strength of the business model, and strong responses from guests continue to support successful openings and high volumes of success. A key driver of Paris Baguette's success is the guests' affinity for the brand. As a French-inspired bakery cafe, Paris Baguette offers breads and pastries that are baked fresh daily, artisan cakes, savory lunch items, and handcrafted, artisan coffee beverages. Their commitment to using only the highest quality ingredients shines through in everything they do, allowing their expert bakers, cakers and baristas to produce the finest goods each day. With a growing loyalty base of close to 750,000 members an over 36% increase since the program recently relaunched in mid-July and double-digit system-wide sales growth, Paris Baguette continues to prove their strength in the market and secure their place in guests' hearts. For entrepreneurs looking to join the bakery cafe industry, Paris Baguette offers an enticing opportunity as they work to continue expanding across the U.S. and Canada, including 34 cafes in development in Texas, another 33 in development in New Jersey, 16 in development in Georgia and 14 in development in Ontario. Paris Baguette has over 115 cafes coming soon nationwide and is poised to break into Connecticut, Delaware, Guam, Puerto Rico, Missouri, and Oklahoma in the coming years. As they look toward 2025 and beyond, Paris Baguette will continue to pursue the 1,000-cafe milestone in an effort to reestablish the neighborhood bakery cafe experience across the U.S. and Canada, offering a warm, welcoming atmosphere for guests to gather and spread joy with each bite and sip. ABOUT PARIS BAGUETTE: Paris Baguette is a bakery cafe franchise with more than 4,000 units across the globe. The global brand first franchised in the U.S. in 2015 and has since established over 200 locations in markets across the country, making them one of the premier franchise opportunities in their category. Paris Baguette's primary mission, executed every day by their expert staff of bakers, cakers and baristas, is to provide guests with a warm, welcoming bakery cafe experience that creates joy for all. To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://ownaparisbaguette.com/ . MEDIA CONTACT: Julie Maw Mainland 209.617.6518 [email protected] SOURCE Paris Baguette "We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from the 'Chip in for Charity' Flare Account and Porte 'DoorToChange' programs, which empowers us to advance our mission of advocating for the welfare of all animals," said Steve McVeigh, Vice President of Business Development for the Humane Society of the United States. Over the past few months, the HSUS Animal Rescue Team has provided lifesaving support to animals after Hurricane Helene and Milton's destruction, working across Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The HSUS delivered truckloads of essential suppliescarriers, crates, cat litter, pet food, veterinary supplies, and moreto the hardest-hit counties in multiple states. "Supporting the HSUS is deeply meaningful to us at Populus," said Jacqueline O'Reilly, Vice President of Marketing at Populus Financial Group. "Our team's visit to Black Beauty Ranch was an eye-opening experience, underscoring the incredible impact that compassionate care and dedicated advocacy can have on animals in need. This partnership aligns with our commitment to giving back and inspires us to help create a world where every animal is treated with respect and kindness." Since the beginning of 2020, Populus Financial Group has made significant contributions totaling over $274,000 to the HSUS. Through these donations, we are actively supporting initiatives that provide immediate care, rehabilitation, and shelter for vulnerable animals, helping to create a safer environment for them in the aftermath of challenging situations. Together, we are making a meaningful impact on the lives of countless animals in need. For more information about the Flare Account, visit www.flareaccount.com. For information about Porte's #DoorToChange charitable giving program, visit joinporte.com/features/door-to-change. Populus Financial Group, Inc., d/b/a ACE Cash Express, donates $0.05 for each $100.00 in debit card purchase transactions (net of refunds and chargebacks) made with a Humane Society of the United States branded debit card associated with a Flare Account to the Humane Society of the United States, Inc, a 501(c)(3) organization. Pathward, National Association, Ouro Global, Inc, and Visa do not endorse or sponsor this offer. The Flare Account is a demand deposit account established by Pathward, National Association, Member FDIC, and the Flare Account debit card is issued by Pathward, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Ouro Global, Inc. is a service provider to Pathward, N.A. After selecting a charity through your Porte mobile app, Populus Financial Group will donate an amount equal to 0.05% of every debit card purchase transaction, subject to certain terms and conditions described in the Porte mobile app, made with your Porte debit card to a charity selected by you through the mobile app. Ouro Global, Inc., Pathward, and Visa are not affiliated in any way with this offer and do not endorse or sponsor this offer. Porte is a deposit account established by Pathward, N.A., Member FDIC, and the Porte debit card is issued by Pathward, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Certain products and services may be licensed under U.S. Patent Nos. 6,000,608 and 6,189,787. The Porte debit card and Flare Account debit card can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. About Populus Financial Group Populus Financial Group provides financial services through its family of brands including ACE Cash Express, ACE Elite Visa Prepaid Debit Card, Flare Account and Porte. Populus Financial Group delivers a broad range of financial products and services including short-term consumer loans, card services, check cashing, money transfers, bill payments and money orders. Visit PopulusFinancial.com for more information. About the Humane Society of the United States We fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, we take on puppy mills, factory farms, the fur trade, trophy hunting, animal cosmetics testing and other cruel industries. We rescue and care for thousands of animals every year through our Animal Rescue Team's work and other hands-on animal care services. We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: a humane society. For more information, please visit https://www.humanesociety.org/. About Pathward Pathward, N.A., a national bank, is a subsidiary of Pathward Financial, Inc. Pathward is a U.S.-based financial empowerment company driven by its purpose to power financial inclusion. Pathward strives to increase financial availability, choice and opportunity across our Partner Solutions and Commercial Finance business lines. The strategic business lines provide end-to-end support to individuals and businesses. Learn more at Pathward.com. SOURCE Populus Financial Group, Inc. NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The global robotics system integration market size is estimated to grow by USD 4.95 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 9.59% during the forecast period. The report provides a comprehensive forecast of key segments below- Segmentation Overview Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global robotics system integration market 2024-2028 Application 1.1 Material handling 1.2 Welding and soldering 1.3 Assembly line 1.4 Others End-user 2.1 Electronics 2.2 Automotive 2.3 Healthcare 2.4 Aerospace and defence 2.5 Logistics and others Geography 3.1 APAC 3.2 Europe 3.3 North America 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1.1 Fastest growing segment: The robotics system integration market for material handling is experiencing significant growth, particularly in industries such as automotive, chemicals, electrical and electronics, industrial machinery, and food and beverage. Robots are increasingly being used for material handling due to their ability to work on multiple processes simultaneously and improve process efficiency. In the automotive industry, the need to move bulk payloads efficiently has resulted in high demand for robotics system integration. The chemical industry also represents a major consumer due to the handling of hazardous materials and the desire to reduce liability and refurbishment costs. In the electrical and electronics industry, the trend towards miniaturization necessitates high throughput and quality, making robots an attractive solution. The industrial machinery industry seeks to reduce worker fatigue, accidents, and costs by automating production processes, including material handling. In the food and beverage industry, robots help improve efficiency in material handling and packaging a variety of SKUs within a short timeframe. Companies like Coop in the food industry have automated their warehousing, distribution, and order fulfillment functions to address labor shortages, increasing wages, and consumer expectations. As the demand for material handling automation continues to grow, manufacturers, system integrators, and consultancies stand to benefit from this trend in industries worldwide. Analyst Review Robotics system integration refers to the process of bringing together industrial robots, programming software, and infrastructure to create a cohesive automation solution. This market encompasses the integration of units from various robotics manufacturers to meet specific manufacturing tasks in industries such as automotive, electronics, aerospace and defense, and material handling applications. The next generation of robots, including collaborative robots, are driving growth in this sector. Robotic system integrators provide configuration, optimization, hardware, and software solutions to automate processes in manufacturing units. The goal is to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance productivity in the robotic industry. Mesh Engineering, for instance, offers integration services for Robots, Automation, and Infrastructure, enabling seamless communication between hardware and software components. Market Overview Robotics system integration refers to the process of bringing together industrial robots, collaborative robots (cobots), and related hardware, software, and infrastructure to create a cohesive automation solution. This involves programming, configuration, optimization, and application integration to automate tasks in manufacturing, material handling, automotive, electronics, aerospace and defense, and various industries. The next generation of robots is characterized by advancements in AI, machine learning algorithms, IoT sensors, data analytics, and real-time monitoring. Robotic system integrators play a crucial role in the robotic industry, providing consulting services, infrastructure integration, and productivity improvements, while reducing operational costs and enhancing product quality. The adoption of robotics is accelerating due to advancements in robotics and AI, as well as the need for labor cost savings and dynamic automation solutions. Skilled robotics engineers and technicians are in high demand to meet the increasing demand for robotic systems in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, defense, IT and telecom, data centers, network management, bomb disposal, reconnaissance, surveillance, banking, financial services, insurance, inspection maintenance, exploration, surgeries, medications, patient care, political stability, and more. Robotic system integration also involves dealing with cyberattacks and ensuring the security of robotic systems. To understand more about this market- Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Key Topics Covered: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Venodr Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio LOS ANGELES, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers should expect large rate hikes but not more insurance policies sold under new rules issued by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and finalized by the Office of Administrative Law today, said Consumer Watchdog. The rules gut the transparency at the heart of California's insurance consumer protection law, Proposition 103, by allowing insurers to use secret calculations from black box models to set rates. The Insurance Commissioner claims that insurance companies will have to cover more homeowners in wildfire areas in exchange for the right to raise rates with secret algorithms. However, this requirement is not in the text of the regulation. Instead, insurance companies won the right to keep how they project wildfire losses secret, meaning the public and regulators will have no way to determine if wildfire insurance rates are fair. "Full transparency is what keeps insurance rates honest but Commissioner Lara's rule does away with that protection. The rule will let insurance companies raise rates based on secret algorithms but not expand coverage as promised," said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog. The rules violate insurance consumer protections under Proposition 103 that allow regulators and the public to confirm rates are justified. Lara claimed the rule is exempt from review by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL). Consumer Watchdog urged the OAL to reject that claim and to review the regulations for consistency with state insurance laws as required by the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). Read Consumer Watchdog's letter. "Particularly now, when the insurance industry has fomented insurance shortages across the state and is threatening further widespread economic disruption unless Commissioner Lara rolls back current regulatory requirements, it is crucial that the APA's bedrock protections against arbitrary government action be respected," wrote Consumer Watchdog staff attorney Ryan Mellino in the letter. It is the latest example of Insurance Commissioner Lara rejecting independent oversight of his actions. At a hearing happening now in Los Angeles Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Department of Insurance is addressing the Insurance Commissioner's attempt to limit judicial oversight in rate cases. Read Consumer Watchdog's public comment. Insurance Commissioner Lara promised insurance companies will have to cover 85% of homeowners in wildfire areas in exchange for the right to raise rates using secret models. However loopholes in the regulation allow all insurance companies to say they will increase coverage in fire areas by just 5%, not the 85% coverage the commissioner has promised (watch the KGO story). Or they may opt for a third, undefined, "alternative commitment". After two years, the regulation allows insurers to move the goalposts if they don't meet their commitments. "This giveaway to the insurance industry won't get Californians access to the home insurance they need. Lawmakers must step in and require insurance companies to cover those Californians who meet state standards and make their homes safe from wildfires," said Balber. The Insurance Commissioner ignored testimony by consumer advocates in public workshops concerned with the secrecy of the model review process, lack of minimum disclosures, lack of any technical standards for models, and the lack of accountability for how algorithms will impact rates. Read Consumer Watchdog's testimony outlining how the regulation guts the transparency, standards and robust oversight that are needed to ensure consumers pay fair insurance rates and are required under Proposition 103 here: September 17, 2024 June 26, 2024 April 23, 2024 Among the other loopholes in the regulation's "insurer commitment" sections: Insurance companies won't have to sell comprehensive coverage. They may offer a bare-bones policy equivalent to what consumers get today on the FAIR Plan. Rate hikes start on Day 1, but insurers won't report progress toward commitments for two years until at least 2027. After two years, an insurer may put off meeting a commitment indefinitely, as long as it claims to be making a "reasonable effort." There are no penalties if a company fails and no timelines for completion. Among the regulation's failures to require any meaningful oversight of black box models and their impact on rates: Creates a process designed to keep models and their algorithms private, violating Prop 103's public disclosure requirements. Does not require wildfire models be proven reliable, predictable and unbiased. Contains no guidelines for minimum information to be made public; required disclosures will be different for every model. Actively discourages public participation and expert review of models. Makes the whole process voluntary, and any model currently in use is exempted from review for years. SOURCE Consumer Watchdog SHANGHAI, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Smartee Denti-Technology, a trailblazer in the clear aligner orthodontics industry, is proudly celebrating its 20th anniversary. Over the past two decades, Smartee has driven advancements in clear aligner technology, transforming orthodontic care through cutting-edge innovation, digital precision, and a commitment to improving patient outcomes. Smartee Celebrating 20th Anniversary Smartee Intelligent Production Base Founded in 2004, Smartee has played a pivotal role in the evolution of clear aligner technology, a field that emerged in the late 1990s with the advent of digital advancements and 3D printing. Over the years, Smartee has established itself as a leader in the industry by consistently setting benchmarks in product quality, customer care, and technological innovation. To commemorate this landmark occasion, Smartee has gathered testimonials from investors, partner orthodontists, and employees, offering a unique perspective on its growth journey and future aspirations. Investor Reflections: Commitment and Confidence Fund Founder Mr. Shengyu Peng, one of Smartee's earliest investors, shared his thoughts on the company's journey: "As investors, we seek businesses with solid fundamentals and clear growth potential. Smartee stood out for its ability to secure a significant position in the clear aligner market, backed by its innovative technology and strong market strategy. Additionally, the founder's vision, dedication, and the vibrant energy of the team impressed us deeply. Over the years, Smartee's remarkable growth has been a testament to its strategic direction and execution. As Smartee celebrates its 20th anniversary, I look forward to seeing it continue advancing clear aligner technology to deliver outstanding orthodontic solutions and improve the lives of its users worldwide." Fund Founder Mr. Min Lou, who joined as an investor in 2015, highlighted Smartee's evolution and potential: " When I first encountered Smartee, it had already established a strong foothold in the market with advanced and well-optimized products. After speaking with doctors and patients, I saw how Smartee prioritized customer needs by leveraging its innovative materials and cutting-edge technology, solidifying its position as a market leader. Looking forward, the next 20 years hold even greater promise. I believe Smartee will not only sustain its leadership in the domestic market but also evolve into a prominent global player, with a distinctive voice and brand identity." Orthodontist Partnerships: Shared Goals for Excellence Prof. Gang Shen, Executive President of TaiKang ByBo Dental Corporation, reflected on their collaboration: "Before partnering with Smartee, our team had spent 30 years building theoretical systems and clinical practices. Smartee provided the platform to share our GS Clear Mandibular Repositioning concept within China and the world. Over the past five years, we've completed 83,000 GS cases. In the next five years, we aim to reach 20,000 GS cases annually on the international stage, hoping to hit 150,000 cases by our 10th year of collaboration." Dr. Zhen Shi praised Smartee's culture of efficiency and support: "Working with Smartee has been a truly fortunate experience. The team's high standards consistently push me to improve, and their spirit of pragmatism and innovation is inspiring. I hope Smartee continues to support orthodontists in China with outstanding products and advances further into the global market." Employee Insights: The Heart of Smartee Mr. Guoming Zhang, Production and Manufacturing Director, shared his journey: "I joined Smartee in 2011 and have witnessed its rapid expansion. The process has been a learning experience for me, and I deeply admire the company's culture of simplicity. Mr. Junfeng Yao, the founder of Smartee, exemplifies this ethos, maintaining a hands-on, humble approach even as the company grew from a handful of employees to over 1800. I believe this culture will propel Smartee to global success." Mr. Haoxue Pu, Automation R&D Chief Engineer, highlighted Smartee's technological advancements: "When I first joined, I was struck by the youth and energy of the team. Together, we've created an intelligent factory with Industry 4.0 capabilities, simplifying aligner production while enhancing product stability. With the recent establishment of our factory in Spain, I hope that in the future our smart production techniques will be able to serve doctors and patients worldwide." Headquartered in Shanghai, Smartee has four research & development centers and four manufacturing bases in China and Spain. By serving over 83,000 doctors in over 47 countries, Smartee has launched over 10 aligner products catering to different malocclusion problems for children, adolescents and adults. As a pioneer in clear aligner technology, Smartee Denti-Technology is celebrating 20 years of innovation, teamwork, and dedication to health and beauty. While proud of its past achievements, Smartee looks forward to an even brighter future, driven by its commitment to serving customers worldwide. Learn more about Smartee at: https://smarteealigners.com/ SOURCE Smartee Denti-Technology NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global strategy consulting market size is estimated to grow by USD 121.2 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 23.3% during the forecast period. The report provides a comprehensive forecast of key segments below- Segmentation Overview Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global strategy consulting market 2024-2028 End-user 1.1 Large enterprises 1.2 SMEs Type 2.1 Business strategy consulting 2.2 Operations consulting 2.3 Investment consulting 2.4 Technology consulting Geography 3.1 North America 3.2 Europe 3.3 APAC 3.4 Middle East and Africa and 3.5 South America Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! 1.1 Fastest growing segment: The large enterprises segment is a significant part of the global strategy consulting market. Companies like McKinsey, Bain and Company, A.T. Kearney, and PricewaterhouseCoopers provide strategy formulation assistance to large enterprises. Strategy consulting offers large businesses a fresh perspective, innovative methods, and a competitive edge. These consulting firms help create sustainable competitive advantage and profitability through forward-looking business strategies. They build alignment within organizations and offer industry-specific solutions for strategic challenges, including market assessment, scenario planning, strategic planning process design, and alliance management. The availability of these services for large enterprises contributes to the growth of this segment. Analyst Review Strategy consulting is a specialized area of management consulting that focuses on helping businesses make high-level decisions and develop corporate strategies. In today's rapidly changing business landscape, strategy consulting services are more crucial than ever. Consultants provide expert advice on various aspects of business operations, including staff optimization, corporate sustainability, digital business models, and customer relationship management. As businesses increasingly embrace ecommerce and digital channels, strategy consultants play a vital role in helping them adapt to disruptive technologies and automation. They help identify risks, such as data security breaches and cyber security regulations, and provide solutions to mitigate them. Moreover, strategy consultants bring domain expertise and a deep understanding of customer purchasing patterns to the table. They help businesses optimize their operations, develop operational strategies, and enhance brand experience through cloud-based marketing automation and other digital means. In the era of digital transformation, strategy consulting is essential for businesses looking to stay competitive and thrive in an ever-evolving market. Whether it's navigating complex security concerns or implementing innovative operational strategies, strategy consultants are the trusted advisors businesses turn to for guidance. Market Overview Strategy consulting is a specialized area of management consulting that focuses on helping organizations make high-level decisions and develop long-term plans for achieving their business objectives. This can include staff optimization, corporate sustainability, digital business models, and business model innovation. In today's digital age, digital strategy, digital transformation, and the adoption of disruptive technologies such as SaaS, intelligent automation, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Blockchain, and digital transaction management are key areas of focus. Consulting firms provide expert advice and domain expertise to large enterprises and startup projects, assisting with risk management, assurance technology platforms, and professional services. Digital channels, customer purchasing patterns, and ecommerce are also important areas of consideration. Security concerns, including data security, cyber security regulations, and risk identification, are increasingly crucial in the digital landscape. Organizational strategy, economic policy, and IT and telecommunication are additional areas of expertise. Strategy consultants help clients navigate the complexities of digital transformation, providing guidance on operational strategies, brand experience, and information security. To understand more about this market- Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Key Topics Covered: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Venodr Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 11.1 Accenture 11.2 AT Kearney 11.3 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (Deloitte) 11.4 Boston Consulting Group 11.5 Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY) 11.6 Bain & Company, Inc 11.7 Oliver Wyman Inc 11.8 PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP) 11.9 KPMG International 11.20 McKinsey & Company 11.21 Booz Allen Hamilton Inc 11.22 Accenture PLC 11.23 Bain and Company 11.24 Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp 11.25 Capgemini Service SAS 11.26 CGI Group Inc 11.27 Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp 11.28 Infosys Ltd 11.29 International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) 11.30 Marsh and McLennan Companies Inc 11.31 Oracle Corp 11.32 Roland Berger Holding GmbH 11.33 Tata Consultancy Services Ltd 11.34 The Hackett Group Inc. 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio AN INSURANCE NEWS NET, INC. FEATURE SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- C. Constantin Poindexter, Founder of Surety One, Inc., has donated 500,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles to the airline's Social Good program. This substantial contribution will support critical humanitarian efforts, including disaster relief, food distribution, and aid for vulnerable communities through organizations such as the American Red Cross, Feeding America, and UNICEF. C. Constantin Poindexter The American Airlines Social Good program channels donated frequent flyer miles to nonprofit partners, enabling them to address essential travel needs, such as deploying relief workers, transporting critical supplies, and reuniting families during crises. Poindexter's donation aims to bolster these efforts and amplify the reach of these organizations' missions. "Travel resources and the value of accumulated miles are often a lifeline for organizations providing aid to those in need," said Poindexter. "I'm honored to support the Social Good program, which helps incredible organizations like the Red Cross, Feeding America, and UNICEF to make a meaningful impact on lives worldwide. The recipients of their charitable contributions need my miles far more than I need a plane ticket upgrade." Through this contribution, Surety One, Inc. continues its practice of corporate responsibility and community support. The donation will help nonprofit partners reduce travel costs and focus their resources on providing aid where it is most needed. Surety One, Inc. is deeply committed to aiding the sick, disabled, hungry and underserved members of its communities. To amplify the impact of philanthropic efforts, the firm and parent holding company, Janus Assurance Re donate monetary support under a matching agreement with C. Constantin Poindexter and the Carlyle Poindexter Charitable Foundation. Surety One, Inc. is an international insurance intermediary specializing in surety bonds, domiciled in Puerto Rico, licensed nationally, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada and the Dominican Republic. For more information call (800) 3732804 or email [email protected]. Related Links https://suretyone.com/about SOURCE Surety One, Inc. BOSTON, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The China Fund, Inc. (NYSE: CHN) (the "Fund") announced today that the Fund's annual stockholder meeting (the "Meeting") will be scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2025, via a virtual forum at 11:00 a.m. ET. Stockholders of record as of January 15, 2025 will be entitled to notice of, and to attend and vote at, the Meeting. The notice for the Meeting will be mailed to shareholders on or about February 10, 2025. The Fund is a closed-end management investment company with the objective of seeking long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities (i) of companies for which the principal securities trading market is in the People's Republic of China ("China"), or (ii) of companies for which the principal securities trading market is outside of China, or constituting direct equity investments in companies organized outside of China, that in both cases derive at least 50% of their revenues from goods and services sold or produced, or have at least 50% of their assets, in China. While the Fund is permitted to invest in direct equity investments of companies organized in China, it presently holds no such investments. Shares of the Fund are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CHN". The Fund's investment manager is Matthews International Capital Management, LLC. For further information regarding the Fund and the Fund's holdings, please call (888)-CHN-CALL (246-2255) or visit the Fund's website at www.chinafundinc.com. SOURCE The China Fund, Inc. JINGMEN, China, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In the energy storage industry, both systems and battery cells are expanding at an astonishing pace. While the global market is rapidly adopting the 300Ah+ battery cells primarily based on 314Ah, research and mass production of the next-generation 500Ah+ large-capacity battery cells are already in full swing. Inauguration ceremony for the first phase of EVE Energy's 60GWh Super Energy Storage Factory As many companies rush to enter the market for 500Ah+ large-capacity battery cells, EVE Energy has become the first in the industry to achieve mass production of the 628Ah large battery cell. On December 10th, EVE Energy's first phase of the 60GWh Super Energy Storage Factory, Mr. Big, officially commenced operations in Jingmen, Hubei. By the end of the third quarter of 2024, EVE Energy's global energy storage battery cell shipment volume has firmly secured the top 2 position. As the single largest energy storage factory and the first to mass-produce the 600Ah+ large battery cell, these two milestones undoubtedly showcase the ambition and strategic positioning of this leading lithium battery enterprise in the energy storage sector. 01 First Disclosure of Intelligent Battery Cell Technology Addressing the Pain Points of Large Capacity Battery Cells Large capacity battery cells have undoubtedly emerged as a significant trend in the energy storage field over the past two years. In fact, as early as 2022, when the market was still promoting 280Ah battery cells, EVE Energy, leveraging its keen market insight and foresight, proposed the trend of large capacity battery cell development and launched the 560Ah battery cell. Now, after more than a year of development, EVE Energy has upgraded the cell capacity to 628Ah, transforming bold innovation into practical reality and delivering a heavy blow to competitors in the industry. The advantages of increasing cell capacity are clear: it can reduce the cost and integration complexity of energy storage systems, improve energy density and safety, and reduce the use of components in the PACK stage, thus simplifying the assembly process and further lowering costs. However, challenges remain, particularly concerning thermal management and overall efficiency for large capacity battery cells. To tackle these issues, EVE Energy partnered with Professor Yang Hanxi from Wuhan University, a top global university, to create an electrochemical collection model based on electrochemical principles. Inspired by the "low drag" design found in automotive engineering, the company continuously optimizes the thickness of the collection medium, the positioning of the tabs, and the shapes and sizes of the terminals, paving a high-speed road for electrons. This invention significantly reduces the internal resistance of the battery cell, thereby lowering the risk of heat generation. In terms of safety and reliability, EVE Energy unveiled its intelligent battery cell technology for the first time during this launch ceremony. This technology employs intelligent high-precision source perception to capture key signals throughout the entire lifecycle of the battery cell in real-time. Similar to how smartwatches monitor blood oxygen and heart rate, this technology can monitor gases, temperatures, and other critical information in real time, effectively identifying parameters from different characteristics based on a powerful database matching mechanism and performing advanced processing and analysis on the signals. Once an anomaly is detected, timely warnings and defensive measures are taken. The intelligent battery cell technology acts as a guardian of safety and will open a new track for battery safety in the energy storage industry. 02 1.5 Cells Per Second The 60GWh Super Energy Storage Factory Facilitates Mass Production To support the mass production of Mr. Big's large battery cells, EVE Energy's 60GWh Super Energy Storage Factory officially commenced operations on December 10th. EVE Energy has established a virtual factory leveraging digital twin technology, creating a super intelligent factory that integrates automation, digitization, and low-carbon processes. In the face of mass production, the size of large batteries poses challenges to production lines and manufacturing processes, comparable to the difficulties faced during the development phase. The 60GWh Super Energy Storage Factory at EVE Energy employs over 80 advanced industry technologies, featuring automated production across the entire process. The company holds 140 intellectual property rights related to core equipment and products. It can be said that this production line and factory are tailor-made for Mr. Big. One set of figures illustrates the efficiency of EVE Energy's Super Energy Storage Factory: the production line can achieve an average output of 1.5 battery cells per second from material feeding to finished batteries; it completes four entire battery packs in one minute; produces over 40 containers of 5MWh daily; and can deliver 1GWh output in just five days. For a more intuitive concept: 1GWh of batteries, calculated at a charge and discharge cycle of 300 times a year, can satisfy the annual electricity demand of 300,000 households. Furthermore, taking advantage of Jingmen's unique industrial environment and geographical location, the integration of upstream and downstream supply chains around the super factory has emerged, enabling wall-to-wall supply, significantly reducing logistics and warehousing costs, improving collaboration efficiency, and forming advantages in industrial agglomeration development, thus ensuring delivery capabilities. In terms of quality management, the product defect rate has reached the PPB (Parts Per Billion) level. By constructing an extreme manufacturing standard system and defining ten core indicators for globally leading battery cell manufacturing, EVE Energy adheres to an extremely rigorous management philosophy focused on eliminating dust. The factory management spans from macro-level cleanliness to micro-level 0.5m dust CLASS 5 control, ensuring quality through competency. Simultaneously, an image database of various control points has been established, along with the introduction of equipment health models, BP neural networks, knowledge graphs, and AI autonomous tuning to achieve digital closed-loop quality management. Each product is also equipped with a "data package" and a "battery passport" for one-click full lifecycle traceability. Additionally, this factory is currently the largest single energy storage factory in the industry, with a single line capacity exceeding 15GWh (while the highest capacity for current Japanese and Korean battery companies is only 3-4GWh). With the commissioning of the energy storage super factory and the mass production of Mr. Big, EVE Energy's global capacity construction process has been accelerated, ensuring sufficient capacity supply to meet customer and market demands. As the first company in the industry to achieve mass production of 600Ah+ large capacity battery cells, EVE Energy's forward-looking layout has begun to see practical applications. In this challenging and opportunity-filled arena of energy storage, we look forward to EVE Energy contributing significantly to the global energy transition and sustainable development. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580424/image.jpg The Standard Grows Its Sibling Brand, The StandardX BANGKOK, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The StandardX brand, which debuted its first hotel in Melbourne's Fitzroy neighborhood, continues its expansion with the recent opening of The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit in November 2024. This second outpost embraces Bangkok's vibrant art scene, offering a rotating art gallery, two culinary concepts, and intentionally minimalist rooms that immerse guests in the local culture. Sunset on The Roof, The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit is a stylish hotel located in Bangkok's historic district. It's immersed in a thriving arts scene, with nearby Silapakorn University and 10 10 Art Space, that showcases both visiting and permanent collections by local artists with international recognition, launching with Gongkan and MRKREME. Both artists were commissioned to decorate The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit's streetside and riverfront facades with their signature, eye-catching artwork. Guests can also enjoy stunning river views and easy access to the city's cultural offerings. The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit was designed as a collaboration between The StandardX's in-house team and Studio Freehand. The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit's 62 guest rooms range from 30 to 46 square meters across four categories, from the intimate Cozy King and Cozy Twin to King on the River and the spacious King of Kings. Each room blends the raw, gritty spirit of Bangkok with the modern comforts a discerning traveler expects. Similar to its Melbourne counterpart, The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit offers a unique blend of local and international experiences. The hotel features a Thai restaurant, BANG, an all-day Thai restaurant located on the ground floor, where local ingredients bring a bold perspective to beloved traditional Thai dishes. Dishes include Grilled Chicken (Gor Lae) with Roti, Pong-Neng Fried Mussels and Som Tum Chao Phraya, and The Box, a retail concept store that offers a selection of curated and crafted everyday essentials, snacks, beverages, and local goods. Additionally, The Roof, a rooftop pool bar, serves Mexican-inspired cuisine with stunning river views. The hotel's commitment to sustainability is evident in its partnership with local coffee growers in Nan Province. Opening rates for The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit begins at THB 3,799++. Ready for a big deal with the opening offer? Enjoy up to 15% off your stay, along with complimentary breakfast for two; when you book by 10 December 2024, for stays through 30 June 2025. For more details on The StandardX, please visit www.standardx.com/bangkok. CONTACT: Maprang Pidichanan Macaluso, [email protected] SOURCE Standard Asia A roundup of the most newsworthy tech announcements from PR Newswire this week, including our own expanded AI suite, new molecular tech to authenticate spirits and AstroRad's space radiation vest. NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help tech journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. PR Newswire Weekly Technology Press Release Roundup, Dec. 9-13, 2024. For more news like this, check out all of the latest technology-related releases from PR Newswire. Do you have a technology press release to distribute? Sign up with PR Newswire to share your story with the audiences who matter most. Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers, and freelancers have access to the following free features: Customization: Users can create customized newsfeeds that will deliver relevant news right to their inbox. Newsfeed results can be targeted by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Users can create customized newsfeeds that will deliver relevant news right to their inbox. Newsfeed results can be targeted by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include in a journalist or blogger's next story. Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include in a journalist or blogger's next story. Subject Matter Experts: Journalists will have access to ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in their articles. Journalists will have access to ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in their articles. Related Resources: Our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, features regular media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more. About PR Newswire PR Newswire is the industry's leading press release distribution partner with an unparalleled global reach of more than 440,000 newsrooms, websites, direct feeds, journalists and influencers and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages. From our award-winning Content Services offerings, integrated media newsroom and microsite products, Investor Relations suite of services, paid placement and social sharing tools, PR Newswire has a comprehensive catalog of solutions to solve the modern-day challenges PR and communications teams face. For 70 years, PR Newswire has been the preferred destination for brands to share their most important news stories across the world. For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. SOURCE PR Newswire NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com), a global technology leader in engineered bearings and industrial motion, rang the opening bell today at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in celebration of 125 years of continually creating solutions and innovations for a world in motion. President and CEO Tarak Mehta joined the board of directors and company leaders on the podium at the NYSE, where Timken has been listed since 1922. "While we celebrate our past, we're excited about the opportunities we have to build on Timken's legacy of customer-focused innovation and excellence in quality," Mehta said. "We have a bright future and are poised to profitably grow the business and deliver significant shareholder value, thanks to our strong brands, diverse portfolio and a global team of talented employees." The NYSE bell-ringing culminated a year of commemorative events at Timken locations around the world and an increased global commitment to STEM education to help mark the milestone. Throughout its history, Timken has played a role in landmark innovations, from the Wright Brothers' first flight and space exploration to automation and marine propulsion systems. Founded in 1899, Timken built its reputation on designing the highest-quality engineered bearings and has consistently identified new markets and applications for products designed to drive the industrial evolutions of the future. Today's Timken is a diversified industrial leader with expertise in friction management, power transmission, industrial motion and materials science to support customers across a wide range of industries, including aerospace, marine, robotics and more. Earlier this year, Timken was named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company. About The Timken Company The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com) a global technology leader in engineered bearings and industrial motion, designs a growing portfolio of next-generation products for diverse industries. For 125 years, Timken has used its specialized expertise to innovate and create customer-centric solutions that increase reliability and efficiency. Timken posted $4.8 billion in sales in 2023 and employs more than 19,000 people globally, operating from 45 countries. Media Relations: Scott Schroeder 234.262.6420 [email protected] SOURCE The Timken Company NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Law firms Berry & Munn PA and Porter & Malouf filed a new lawsuit in the Eastern District of Louisiana alleging lawyer Tony Buzbee and his Firm took advantage of former client Adam Guidry for their own personal gain. Buzbee and his Firm represented Guidry in a Texas lawsuit against Callan Marine, Ltd. after Guidry was injured on a Callan-owned vessel. Guidry was told his case was worth $1 million, but eventually Buzbee lawyers coerced Guidry into settling for less than one-third of that amount. According to the lawsuit, Buzbee lawyers never explained Guidry's options, the pros and cons of trial versus settlement, mounting expenses, or the meager amount Guidry would receive upon conclusion of his case. Left in the dark by his lawyers, Guidry agreed to accept $325,000. When settlement funds were distributed, Guidry received a check for $5,123.19. The Buzbee firm collected the rest as attorney fees, expenses, loan repayment, and interest. The suit alleges that Buzbee's Firm charged Guidry over $23,000 in interest on an $85,000 "loan." The lawsuit also alleges that Buzbee attorneys violated the Rules of Professional Conduct requiring fairness and transparency in financial dealings with clients. The complaint describes a pattern of unethical conduct by Buzbee Defendants and various breaches of fiduciary duties that Buzbee lawyers owed Guidry. This is the second suit in a week against Buzbee and his firm. Both were sued earlier this week for allegedly misappropriating money owed to former client, Matthew Ray Thompson Jr. Contact: Kelley M. Berry [email protected] SOURCE Berry & Munn PA "Coming to study in China was the best decision I ever made," said a Laotian student at Mengla Vocational High School in southwest China's Yunnan. Laotian students have expressed their commitment to serving a friendship bond between the two countries. #GLOBALink New Jersey Institute of Technology will propel life science innovation forward at the Northeast Science and Technology Center. KENILWORTH, N.J., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) Center today announced New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) as its first academic partner at the campus, marking a significant milestone in the creation of a life science, technology, and pharmaceutical research hub. The university plans to establish the NJIT @ NEST Center for Translational Research with the goal of expanding upon its track record of translating fundamental research into products and services that benefit humanity. NEST NJIT Ranked as one of the nation's top research universities (R1) by the Carnegie Classification and as a top 50 public university by U.S. News & World Report, NJIT is set to expand its presence into the NEST campus , occupying 25,000 square feet at building 15 NEST. The NJIT @ NEST Center for Translational Research will equip professors and students with a dedicated area to conduct groundbreaking research and accelerate the transformation of discoveries into tangible solutions for real-world problems. "New Jersey is at the forefront of life sciences and technology innovation, and this partnership between NJIT and the NEST Center solidifies our position as a global leader in these critical industries," said Governor Phil Murphy. "By investing in academic-industry partnerships, we're not only fostering groundbreaking research but also creating jobs and driving economic growth that benefit all New Jerseyans. I'm proud to see NJIT and NEST lead the way in shaping the future of science and technology." "This partnership will provide NJIT's researchers with access to first-class lab spaces and will open up tremendous opportunities for collaboration with others at the NEST Center," said NJIT President Teik C. Lim. "This opportunity aligns perfectly with our vision and new strategic plan, which calls for an expansion of NJIT's role as a nexus of innovation that brings together people and ideas from around the world to spur creativity, innovation and high-impact practical research." NJIT's researchers and students will utilize the facility to explore cutting-edge fields, including life sciences, biomedical engineering, biology, material science and engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, computing, and artificial intelligence fields. "The ecosystem created between the private and public sector and both large companies and startups is best anchored by academia," explained John Saraceno, co-founder and Managing Principal of Onyx Equities. "For these reasons, we felt it was critical to bring NJITan institution of the highest caliberto NEST. The decision for the university to move these facilities to the NEST campus will positively impact both healthcare and humanity." This partnership follows the recent announcements of CoreWeave establishing an AI co-location data center at the 11 NEST building and Revlon relocating its Science and Innovation Lab to part of the 15 NEST building . The location of CoreWeave and NJIT on the NEST campus supports NJIT's growth in machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics, with the goal of becoming a major player in AI innovation in higher education. Dan Loughlin of JLL and Jonathan Scheinberg of Outshine Properties represented the ownership group of Onyx Equities, Machine Investment Group, and Pivot Real Estate Partners. About Northeast Science and Technology Center (NEST) Conveniently located in Kenilworth, NJ, the Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) Center is a 100+ acre campus that is purpose-built and zoned for life science innovation, answering a need for immediately available, turn-key, and customizable office, laboratory, and bio-manufacturing space in the tri-state area. Formerly the global headquarters of Merck, the Onyx Equities-led venture acquired the campus February 2023 and have since begun work with partners Machine Investment Group, Pivot Real Estate Partners, and Outshine Properties to develop it into a hub of research and innovation in the Northeast region of the United States. For more information about NEST, visit www.NestCenter.com . About NJIT New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is the greatest producer of technological talent and knowledge in New Jersey and is a nexus of innovation a physical and intellectual focal point for innovative ideas, actions, and people. NJIT is the only public university in New Jersey and one of only 54 universities nationally to receive a five-star rating in Money's annual best colleges list. The Wall Street Journal ranks NJIT No. 26 nationally for alumni salaries, No. 30 for upward mobility and No. 50 for value. NJIT also is among the top 2% of universities for alumni earnings, according to PayScale.com, and is ranked No. 23 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College, in addition to being rated among the top 50 public national universities and top 100 overall by U.S. News & World Report. NJIT also is the only polytechnic university that is an R1 (highest level) Carnegie Classification research university and is designated both an Asian-American and Hispanic serving institution. About Onyx Equities, LLC Headquartered in Woodbridge, New Jersey, Onyx Equities, LLC is a leading full-service real estate firm specializing in investment, asset repositioning, and ground-up development. Since its founding in 2004, Onyx has acquired more than $4 billion worth of diverse real estate assets throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and has executed over $1 billion in capital improvement projects under its signature repositioning program. For more information about Onyx Equities, visit www.OnyxEquities.com . About Machine Investment Group Machine Investment Group is a real estate investment platform focused on investing in opportunistic, distressed, and special situations across all major asset classes in diverse geographies throughout the United States. Machine principals are directly responsible for deploying over $2.0 BN in capital to date. With a strong reputation, solutions-oriented approach, and extensive lender relationships, Machine aims to deliver consistent, opportunistic returns while minimizing losses. For more information, please visit https://machineinv.com/ . Contact: Amy Roberts, media relations Email: [email protected] SOURCE Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) JAMAICA, N.Y., Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) today announced that Turkish Airlines will begin operations at the new terminal when it opens in 2026. Turkish Airlines will also unveil a brand new, state-of-the-art lounge for its premium customers, launching the next phase of the award-winning airline's growth at its top U.S. gateway. The New Terminal One, set to be the largest international terminal in the United States, will offer best-in-class amenities and innovative technology for a transformational and efficient travel experience. The New Terminal One is a key component of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's $19 billion transformation of JFK Airport into a world-class gateway, which will include two new terminals, the modernization and expansion of two existing terminals, a new ground transportation center, and an entirely new, simplified roadway network. Turkish Airlines, which currently flies 19 times weekly from JFK Airport to its hub at Istanbul, providing seamless connections to its extensive global network, will continue to offer top-tier service from the new terminal. As part of its expansion in the JFK market, Turkish Airlines will open an 11,000-square-foot lounge in the New Terminal One twice the size of the airline's lounge at the existing Terminal 1. The new lounge will feature premium amenities, expansive views of JFK Airport's airfield and provide direct boarding access to aircraft, offering unmatched convenience for Turkish Airlines' business class customers and top-tier frequent flyers. Recognized for its exceptional in-flight service, Turkish Airlines recently received the World Class Award from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) for the fourth consecutive year, placing it among just 10 airlines in the world to have received this prestigious recognition. Turkish Airlines was also chosen as the Best Airline in Europe nine times by Skytrax. Over the years Turkish Airlines also received accolades from Skytrax and other prestigious organizations numerous times for its Business and Economy Class offerings and Lounges. Turkish Airlines offers service to 351 destinations, including 25 in the Americas. Turkish is a member of the Star Alliance and will join other alliance members at the New Terminal One: LOT Polish Airlines, EVA Air and Air China. "We are thrilled to welcome Turkish Airlines to the New Terminal One at JFK, where their commitment to world-class customer service aligns perfectly with our mission to provide an unparalleled customer experience," said The New Terminal One Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Aument. "We look forward to working closely with our colleagues at Turkish Airlines to elevate the travel experience for customers from 2026 and beyond." Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee Prof. Ahmet Bolat stated: "We are excited to bring Turkish Airlines' world-class service to the New Terminal One at JFK, further enhancing our passengers' travel experience with a state-of-the-art-lounge. This move underlines our commitment to continue our growth in the U.S market." In addition to Turkish Airlines, the New Terminal One has partnered with several other global carriers, including Air France, KLM, Etihad, LOT Polish Airlines, Korean Air, EVA Air, Air Serbia, SAS, Neos and Philippine Airlines. Air China is also partnering with the terminal on elevating the travel experience for Chinese customers visiting New York. The New Terminal One is focused on improving the customer experience by collaborating with potential airline partners. This includes working with airline teams across all customer journey touchpoints. Set to be JFK Airport's largest terminal when complete, the New Terminal One will offer a world-class customer experience and additional widebody aircraft gate capacity providing international airlines a unique opportunity to grow their service at JFK, the top global gateway to the U.S. About The New Terminal One The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport is a bold and exciting project to develop a world-class international terminal that will serve as an anchor terminal in the Port Authority's $19 billion transformation of JFK into a global gateway to the New York metropolitan area and the United States. The New Terminal One will set a new standard for design and service, aspiring to obtain a Top 5 Skytrax ranking and be considered one of the finest airport terminals in the world. The New Terminal One is being built on sites now occupied by Terminal 1 and the former Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, where it will anchor JFK's south side. Construction is taking place in phases. The first phase, including the new arrivals and departures halls and first set of 14 new gates, is expected to open in 2026. At completion, anticipated in 2030, the New Terminal One will be 2.6 million square feet, making it the largest terminal at JFK and nearly the same size as LaGuardia Airport's two new terminals combined. The New Terminal One will be a 23-gate, state-of-the-art, international-only terminal. Sustainably designed and future-focused, the terminal will feature expansive, naturally lit public spaces, cutting-edge technology, and an array of amenities, all designed to enhance the customer experience and compete with some of the highest-rated airport terminals in the world. The New Terminal One consortium of labor, operating, and financial partners is led by Ferrovial, JLC Infrastructure, Ullico, and Carlyle. The New Terminal One is being built by union labor and is committed to local inclusion and labor participation, focusing on diversity and capacity-building opportunities, including ambitious participation goals of 30% for minority and women-owned enterprises, 10% for local business enterprises and 3% for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. To learn more about the New Terminal One at JFK International Airport, visit https://www.anewjfk.com/projects/the-new-terminal-one/ About Turkish Airlines Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 491 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 351 worldwide destinations in 130 countries (298 international destinations and 53 domestic destinations within Turkiye). More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official website www.turkishairlines.com or its social media accounts on Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram. SOURCE The New Terminal One at JFK "Every year we aim to bring the best experiences to the island of St. Croix's locals and visitors, spotlighting our territory's rich and diverse culture," shares Commissioner Joseph Boschulte of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. "This year, we are spotlighting our deep connectivity to the Caribbean region, with performers representing a wide array of our neighboring islands, as well as homegrown stars." The Crucian Christmas Festival Food Fair launches the territory into the new year with food, family, and tradition on January 1, followed by a celebration of cultural resilience with J'ouvert on January 2, 2024, taking over the roads of Frederiksted for a daybreak celebration like no other. "We are excited to continue growing the experience of the Crucian Christmas Festival for all who attend while also remaining in touch with our rich heritage," adds Shamari Haynes, Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Kicking off on December 27, the Crucian Christmas Festival Village will feature free nightly performances from international and nationally acclaimed acts, headlined by soca superstar Machel Montano. Culture and tradition take center stage during the first two days with the Calypso Monarch and Band Clash shows featuring Karnage, Blind Earz, and Black Empire, amongst others. Crucian Christmas Festival Performance Line-up Friday, December 27, 2024 Calypso Monarch Competition Saturday, December 28, 2024 Band Clash Sunday, December 29, 2024 Cultural Night DJ Poppy Pops & Willy Chin, RVP, Stanley TSK, What It Is Band, KES Monday, December 30, 2024 International Night Unlimited Sound, Triple Kay, Xpress Band, Kruziano, Los Maestros, Manny Manuel Orchestra Tuesday, December 31, 2024 DJ Night Wednesday, January 1, 2025 Soca Monarch Thursday, January 2, 2025 Flag-O-Rama Night DJ Avalanche, Lips International, Exodus HD, Blind Earz, Bugz, Sisa, Problem Child, Karnage Temisha, Th3rd, Black Empire Friday, January 3, 2025 Reggae Night Big Kat, Freeze Int'l, VI Collab (Jahman & Reemah), Luciano, Sizzla Kalonji, Aidonia Saturday, January 4, 2025 Madras Mas Night DJ Karl, International Steven, Rudy Live & QC Deh Band, Trilla G, VIO Int'l, Pumpa, Machel Montano "The U.S. Virgin Islands has three reasons to fete, and the Division of Festivals invites everyone to come and experience 10 days of festival in St. Croix 'Keeping our Traditions and Culture Alive,'" adds Director Ian Turnbull of the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Festivals. For the full Crucian Christmas Festival schedule, please visit here. For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, please visit https://www.visitusvi.com/. About the U.S. Virgin Islands About 40 miles east of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands comprise a United States territory located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The three islands are St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, where the capital of Charlotte Amalie is located. Perfect for leisure or business travel, the U.S. Virgin Islands features breathtaking, world-renowned beaches, an international marine industry, European architecture, and a burgeoning restaurant industry. No passports are required from U.S. citizens traveling from the U.S. mainland or Puerto Rico. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are equivalent to entering the United States from any international country. Upon departure, a passport is required for non-U.S. citizens. For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to www.VisitUSVI.com, follow us @VisitUSVI on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Pinterest, and @USVITourism on TikTok, X and LinkedIn. SOURCE U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism LONDON, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- VARTID (Virtual Augmented Real-Time Diagnostics), a pioneer in the integration of augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) for orthopaedic surgery, has been named by Business Worldwide Magazine's as one of the "20 Most Innovative Companies to Watch, 2024". This recognition highlights VARTID's groundbreaking contributions to advancing surgical precision and patient care in orthopaedics. Business Worldwide Magazine's annual list celebrates organisations revolutionising industries across the globe. Spanning sectors such as healthcare, construction, energy, and technology, the companies selected for this accolade share a commitment to driving innovation, disrupting established markets, and creating scalable solutions that redefine their fields. VARTID's transformative platform seamlessly integrates pre-operative planning, intraoperative navigation, and post-operative documentation into a unified system. By eliminating reliance on traditional markers and static imaging, VARTID's markerless AR-enhanced system provides real-time motion tracking and precise overlays tailored to individual patient anatomies. Central to this innovation is the company's 3D Dynamics Sensor, which leverages AI to ensure unparalleled surgical accuracy, enhancing outcomes and reducing errors. From automated resection plane calculations to AI-powered implant selection and detailed 3D visualisations, VARTID is setting a new benchmark for surgical excellence. A Vision for Accessible and Personalised Surgery VARTID's mission is to make advanced orthopaedic solutions more accessible, sustainable, and personalised. Its approach addresses critical healthcare challenges by: Enhancing Sustainability: Reducing waste and improving operating theatre efficiency. Enabling Personalisation: Adapting surgical plans to unique patient anatomies. Supporting Collaboration: Facilitating remote consultations and second opinions. Empowering Patients: Providing transparency and data-driven decision-making tools. For more information about VARTID and its groundbreaking orthopaedic solutions, visit www.vartid.com . Further information about the 2024 Business Worldwide Magazine Awards, including the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies to Watch list, can be found at https://www.bwmonline.com/20-most-innovative-companies-to-watch-2024-winners/ About Business Worldwide Magazine Business Worldwide Magazine is the leading source of business and dealmaker intelligence throughout the world. Our quarterly magazine and online news portal enable an established audience of corporate dealmakers to track the latest news, stories and developments affecting the international markets, corporate finance, business strategy and changes in legislation. This readership includes CEO/CFO - Banks, Corporate Lawyers and Venture Capital/Private Equity Companies to name a few. Contact David Jones Awards Department E: [email protected] W: www.bwmonline.com SOURCE Business Worldwide Magazine ATLANTA, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Veritiv Operating Company, a leader in specialty packaging distribution, announced today that it has acquired Arjay Company, including substantially all assets of PPE Sales, LLC, a distributor of packaging solutions and equipment serving customers in Long Island and the Greater Metropolitan New York area. The transaction represents the fifth acquisition of 2024 for Veritiv under the leadership of Sal Abbate, Veritiv's Chief Executive Officer. "This acquisition is another investment in building on our industry-leading packaging distribution capabilities and national footprint by strengthening our geographic reach," said Sal Abbate, Chief Executive Officer of Veritiv. "Arjay Company brings to Veritiv a significant and well-established customer base in Long Island, NY an area previously challenging to serve from our Northeast locations. Acquiring these types of businesses enables us to expand our national platform to better serve customers by combining the strength and scale of Veritiv with the entrepreneurial spirit of these well-run family businesses. We look forward to welcoming Arjay Company's employees, customers, and suppliers to the Veritiv team as we continue delivering innovative and sustainable products and services to meet customers' most complex supply chain needs." "At Arjay Company, our team has a 45-year history of serving businesses in the Long Island and Greater Metropolitan New York area with an unwavering dedication to first-class service," said Ronald Kahane, President of Arjay Company. "Joining Veritiv enables us to leverage their established commercial infrastructure, packaging procurement and distribution expertise, and enhanced design and testing capabilities to better serve our customers. Our team is excited for the growth opportunities Veritiv brings for our customers and for our employees and look forward to a future of continued success." About Arjay Company Founded in 1980, Arjay Company is an Edgewood, New York-based distributor of packaging solutions and equipment serving Long Island and the Greater Metropolitan New York area. For more information visit arjaycompany.com. About Veritiv Headquartered in Atlanta, Veritiv Operating Company is a leading full-service provider of packaging solutions. Additionally, Veritiv provides JanSan, hygiene, print, and publishing products and services. Serving customers in a wide range of industries both in North America and globally, Veritiv and its recent acquisition of Orora Packaging Solutions have distribution centers primarily in the U.S. and Mexico, with additional resources and team members around the world helping shape the success of its customers. For more information about Veritiv and its business segments visit www.veritiv.com . SOURCE Veritiv Operating Company 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 Juba, Dec 13 : South Sudan's ceasefire monitors expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in Tambura County of Western Equatoria State, located southwest of Juba, the national capital. Yitayal Gelaw Bitew, chairperson of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), said the security situation in the restive Tambura County remains concerning following the attempted assassination of the county commissioner on November 28, Xinhua news agency reported. "CTSAMVM is concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Tambura County. One man was killed in what was assessed to be an attempt on the life of the Tambura county commissioner," Gelaw said during the meeting of CTSAMVM members in Juba. Armed people shelled the residence of Tambura County Commissioner Matthew Mabenge with a rocket-propelled grenade, leaving one person dead. "This represents a concerted attempt to remove an official from office and undermine peace and security in Western Equatoria," Gelaw said. Tambura County has been experiencing ethnically motivated fighting since June 2021, which drew in the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and the opposition Sudan People's Liberation Army-In-Opposition to fight on opposite sides of the conflict. On November 8, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) ramped up peacekeeping patrols following reports of the mobilisation of armed groups, which have increased tensions and fear among local communities in Tambura County. The peacekeeping mission also said the number of displaced individuals seeking refuge near the UNMISS temporary operating base in Tambura rose from around 3,700 to over 10,500. Beirut, Dec 13 : An Israeli airstrike targeted Khiam town in southeastern Lebanon following the Lebanese army deployment in the area, killing one person and injuring two others. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called the attack Israel's "treachery" that "violates all the pledges" binding on it under the ongoing ceasefire agreement, requiring the US and France, who sponsored the ceasefire, to curb the Israeli aggression, according to a statement released by Mikati's office, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA). The prime minister also blamed the continued Israeli violations on a committee monitoring the ceasefire agreement, demanding the committee address such violations immediately and prevent their recurrence, said the statement. According to the NNA, the Lebanese army's Engineering Regiment entered Khiam on Thursday with three bulldozers, several troop carriers, and about ten ambulances. After ensuring the area was free of explosives, unexploded shells, and explosive devices, the regiment began removing the rubble and opening the roads previously identified in coordination with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. A ceasefire agreement, effective on November 27, aims to halt more than 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The ceasefire terms stipulate Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory within 60 days, with the Lebanese army deploying along the border and in the south to assume security control and prevent any armed presence. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have conducted strikes in Lebanon, resulting in casualties. Cape Town, Dec 13 : Traveller movement at South Africa's main border crossing point with Mozambique is now open "until further notice," the country's Border Management Authority (BMA) announced. This came after the BMA temporarily suspended operations at the Lebombo Port of Entry on Monday due to election-related protests in Mozambique near the border area. These protests have repeatedly forced the closure of the crossing since the results of the southeast African country's disputed elections were released on October 24, Xinhua news agency reported. "The Acting Commissioner of the BMA, Jane Thupana, has provided the latest update on the Lebombo Port of Entry, that traveller movement is now open until further notice," the authority said in a statement. According to the statement, pedestrians and small vehicles are being processed, with statistics reflecting that 7,471 travellers were processed on Wednesday. "The statistics indicate that movement is about 50 per cent less than what it was this time in December 2023," it said. The authority added that the processing mainly took place in the early hours and late afternoon when the unrest on the Mozambican side subsided. However, the processing of cargo remained suspended "due to protesters blocking their entry into Mozambique." The BMA said the situation remains under close observation and advised trucking companies to divert vehicles to nearby depots or the designated truck holding area. "Transporters are continuously urged not to dispatch new vehicles to the port until further notice," it said. The authority also reaffirmed its commitment to effective collaboration, proactive management, and resolution of the current challenges at the border. "The BMA is working tirelessly together with key stakeholders in the border management sector to manage the situation," it said. "We urge all affected parties to exercise patience as we continue to monitor the situation and engage with relevant authorities to find lasting solutions." Damascus, Dec 13 : Senior officials from Turkey and Qatar arrived in Damascus to engage in discussions with militant coalition leaders that overthrew the government of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Syria's interim information ministry announced. The Turkish delegation included Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, while Qatar was represented by Khalfan bin Ali bin Khalfan Al-Batty Al-Kaabi, head of the State Security Service, Xinhua news agency reported. Both delegations were joined by "expanded advisory teams," according to a statement by the ministry. The officials are scheduled to meet Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which played a pivotal role in toppling al-Assad. They are also set to hold talks with Mohammed al-Bashir, a former regional militant leader now serving as the interim prime minister appointed by the militant coalition. Discussions are expected to focus on advancing internal political dialogue among militant factions, the ministry said. There has been no official confirmation of the visit from either the Turkish or Qatari governments. Fidan stated earlier that Ankara intends to reopen its embassy in Damascus "once conditions permit." Turkey closed its embassy in the Syrian capital on March 26, 2012, citing escalating violence and its call for Assad to step down amid Syria's civil war that began in 2011. The Syrian constitution and parliament have reportedly been suspended for three months, according to Sawt al-Asima, a news outlet supportive of militant groups that overthrew the Assad government. The outlet reported the development on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, but did not provide details on how the suspension would be implemented. Earlier on Wednesday, Syria's Military Operations Administration announced that it has lifted the curfew previously imposed on Damascus and its surrounding areas, calling on residents to resume their daily activities and return to their workplaces. Minsk, Dec 13 : Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko approved the country's defence plan for 2026-2030. The military-political situation around Belarus has changed in recent years, Lukashenko said at the Security Council meeting on Thursday. Individual states continue to escalate the situation around Belarus, he added. Lukashenko said that destructive rhetoric from European countries toward Belarus is growing, indicating ongoing attempts to destabilise the domestic political situation in the country, Xinhua news agency reported. The president stressed the Belarusian army does not threaten anyone and is an instrument for preventing war, and in the event of aggression, the army must be able to repel it. Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said the approved defence plan was developed on the basis of a deep analysis of the events of 2020 in Belarus and the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus Pavel Muraveiko said one of the main directions of the plan for the next five years is reducing the level of military danger and preventing military conflicts. "Also among the main directions of the plan is the preparation of the state for defence which covers all areas from the economy to the military sphere. These are options for armed defence of the country in various modern conflicts. The issues of preparing the economy of the state and the state as a whole for functioning in conditions of military action are also included in the plan," Muraveiko said. Mumbai, Dec 13 : Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan, who was last seen in the Rajkumar Hirani directorial 'Dunki', has sent his best wishes to the Tamil cinema legend on his birthday. SRK, who gave a hat tip to Thalaivar in his 2013 production 'Chennai Express', took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a throwback image. In the picture, the two can be seen seated next to each other at a public event. The actor wrote, "To the coolest of the cool. The bossest of all the bosses. The man, the legend and an absolutely remarkably simple man, despite being the Superest of Stars!! Sir, thank u for inspiring us. Be healthy and know u are respected and loved too much. Have a great birthday @rajinikanth sir (sic)". Last month, King Khan celebrated his 59th birthday on November 2. The actor, who entered the film industry after a brief stint in television, capitalised on the opening of India's economy, and made a seamless shift from grey characters to the king of romance. SRK is inarguably the face of Indian cinema across the world with several honorary doctorate degrees, a Padma Shri, and the French Legion of Honour. The actor single-handedly pulled the Hindi film industry out of the commercial lull induced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the actor's streak of consecutive success, with 'Pathaan' and 'Jawan', experienced a bumpy rise with 'Dunki'. The combo of one of the most successful and influential filmmakers of modern Hindi cinema, and one of the biggest stars in the world, received a more than lukewarm response at the box-office. The film clashed with the Prabhas-starrer 'Salaar: Part 1 Ceasefire' around the same time last year. Both the films eventually suffered because of the clash unlike the recent box-office clash of Ajay Devgn-starrer 'Singham Again', and the Kartik Aaryan-starrer 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3'. New Delhi, Dec 13 : The Lok Sabha will begin a two-day debate on Friday to mark 75 years of the Constitution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the debate on Saturday. The Business List of the Lower House mentions, "Discussion on the glorious journey of 75 years of the Constitution of India." Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will initiate the debate on the Constitution. The BJP and Congress have issued a three-line whip for all its members to be present in the House on December 13-14. The discussions will begin soon after the Question Hour, which is also listed in the agenda of the House. As per the Lok Sabha schedule, papers will be laid by seven ministers on various issues related to their departments and various committees will also present their reports. Both parties held their strategy meetings on Thursday. As per reports, PM Modi held a strategy meeting, which was attended among others by Home Minister Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh besides BJP chief J.P. Nadda. The Home Minister also held a meeting with senior BJP Ministers. The opposition Congress met at the party headquarters. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, besides other senior leaders, including K.C. Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, were in the meeting. The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on November 25, is likely to end on December 20. The session so far has witnessed a ruckus on various issues, including the Congress' link with Soros. The debate on the Constitution has been the key demand of the opposition during this session. The focus of the debate is expected to be on the significance and evolution of the Constitution since its adoption on November 26, 1949. After the Indian Constituent Assembly formally adopted the Constitution, which came into effect on January 26, 1950, India was established as a sovereign, democratic republic. The Government of India in 2015 declared November 26 as the Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas). Since then, the nation has celebrated the Constitution's adoption annually on this day. Seoul, Dec 13 : South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics said on Friday it will launch an "extended reality" (XR) headset jointly developed with Alphabet's Google and Qualcomm in global markets next year. Seoul, Dec 13 (IANS) South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics said on Friday it will launch an "extended reality" (XR) headset jointly developed with Alphabetas Google and Qualcomm in global markets next year. The extended reality headset is part of wearable devices to be powered by the new version of Google's Android software -- called Android XR -- developed in tandem with Samsung. "The XR headset product will arrive in global markets sometime next year. No further details are available about the product for now," a company spokesperson said over the phone, reports Yonhap news agency. Extended Reality is a blanket term that refers to a range of virtual-, augmented- and mixed-reality technologies. The new headset, code-named Project Moohan, taken from the Korean word for "infinity," will have Google's Gemini chatbot built into its core, allowing users to control their apps with conversational commands and physical gestures. The Samsung headset is equipped with Qualcomm's XR2 Gen 2 chip for mixed-reality devices. Shahram Izadi, Google's vice president of XR, said Android XR has been developed as an open and integrated platform for headsets and smart glasses with screens embedded in their lenses. Google's smart glasses, built on Android XR, are also set to be launched, though the exact timeframe has yet to be decided. Google's new operating system and the Samsung-built headset are expected to challenge Appleas Vision Pro headset and Meta Platformsa smart glasses and virtual reality headsets. Meanwhile, Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong expressed his commitment to joining the international community's efforts for safe, innovative and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) technology at a global summit, the company said. "Beyond impacting industrial innovation and economic growth, AI is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and interact with the world," Lee said in a video conference during the leaders' session of the AI Seoul Summit the previous day, according to Samsung. a"IANS na/ Seoul, Dec 13 : The transport ministry said on Friday it will conduct a flight demonstration of a commercial-level air taxi model this week, as part of a government project to introduce the urban air mobility (UAM) industry in the country. The ministry will demonstrate the operation of the S-4 model built by U.S. electric aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation Inc. at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's aviation center in Goheung, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on Saturday. The demonstration is part of the K-UAM Grand Challenge, a government-led demonstration program that will test UAM vehicle safety and traffic management capabilities for commercial services, reports Yonhap news agency. The deployment of the S-4, capable of carrying a pilot and up to four passengers, will mark the first use of a commercial-level UAM aircraft in the country. The demonstration will include testing with UAM operational technologies, such as those involving flight management and air traffic, developed by a consortium formed by SK Telecom Co., Korea Airports Corp. and Hanwha Systems Co. Meanwhile, the government has pledged comprehensive support toward a pilot program for a commercial air taxi service on the southern resort island of Jeju. The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province aims to launch the pilot programme on Jeju Island in 2025 in partnership with an urban air mobility (UAM) consortium comprised of public and private firms, including SK Telecom and Hanwha Systems. The government and the province plan to establish vertiports for air taxi takeoffs and landings initially in three locations: Jeju International Airport, Seongsan Port in Seogwipo and the Jungmun Tourist Complex. The pilot operation will focus on verifying the safety and commercial viability of UAM routes based at these locations. Jeju plans to apply for the designation of UAM pilot operation zones in 2025. a"IANS na/ New Delhi, Dec 13 : The Russian Embassy in India hosted a distinguished reception to honour Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, with Russia's esteemed Order of Friendship. The event, held on Thursday evening in New Delhi, celebrated the Catholicos' exceptional contributions to fostering ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, alongside his significant humanitarian efforts. Denis Alipov, Ambassador of Russia to India, presented the honour on behalf of the President of Russia, emphasising the Catholicos' unwavering dedication to promoting dialogue between the two sister Churches. The accolade also acknowledged his role in facilitating groundbreaking partnerships, such as the collaboration between Moscowas Central Clinical Hospital of St. Alexis and Keralaas St. Georgeas Hospital. This recognition, presented by the President of Russia, honours individuals who have significantly fostered friendship and understanding between nations. Youhanon Mar Demetrios, Metropolitan of the Delhi Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also addressed the gathering, highlighting the shared values and mutual respect that underpin the relationship between the Churches. The ceremony was attended by prominent diplomats, including ambassadors from Belarus, Uzbekistan, Egypt, and Mongolia, as well as representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and other nations. Members of the business, social, and religious communities, along with Russian expatriates, graced the occasion. A performance of Antonio Vivaldias Gloria by the Delhi Chamber Choir, adds a touch of cultural grandeur to the solemn event and was a special highlight of the evening. The recognition of Baselios Marthoma Mathews III marks a significant milestone in the history of the Malankara Orthodox Church. Bengaluru, Dec 13 : Karnataka Police have arrested the mother-in-law and brother-in-law of late Atul Subhash, who committed suicide on December 9 over alleged demand by his wife's family for Rs 3 crore as settlement. The sensational case has triggered debate over harassment of married men and misuse of dowry provisions in the country. Atul Subhash ended his life on Monday leaving behind a 40-page death note and 90-minute video explaining how he was allegedly tortured by his wife. The Karnataka Police arrested Nisha Singhania, Atul's mother-in-law and brother-in-law Anurag Singhania on Thursday night. Atul's wife Nikita Singhania is absconding and police have launched a hunt for her, sources stated on Friday. The accused were arrested in the limits of Jaunpur police station limits in Uttar Pradesh. The accused are now being questioned at the Jaunpur police station and the Karnataka Police will bring them to Bengaluru on Friday after obtaining permission from the court. Police sources stated that the accused after getting to know that Karnataka Police were arriving to take their custody, accused Nisha Singhania and Anurag Singhania tried to escape from their residence after locking their house. However, the police gathered information about the accused and arrested them from the vicinity. Marathahalli police in Bengaluru have filed an FIR against deceased Atul's wife's family over abetment of suicide charge. Atul Subhash had sent mail to President Droupadi Murmu and the Supreme Court urging them to come to the rescue of harassed husbands and arrest the accused persons, his wife, mother-in-law and others in his case. A part of the suicide note left behind by 34-year-old Atul Subhash, besides disclosing shocking details, revealed his wish to get ashes poured into a gutter outside the court if those who harassed him were not found guilty. Atul Subhash, who was working with an automobile company here, allegedly committed suicide as a demand of Rs 3 crore was made for a divorce settlement. Subhash ended his life at his apartment in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving behind a 90-minute video and a 40-page-long death note, explaining how harassment by his wife Nikita Singhania and her family compelled him to take the extreme step. The note left by him read: "If the court decides that the corrupt judge and my wife and other harassers are not guilty, then pour my ashes into some gutter outside the court. Don't do my 'asthi visarjan' till my harassers get punished." However, the family collected the 'asthis' from the Bengaluru crematorium on Wednesday where Atulas final rites were conducted. The family stated that the ashes would be taken to Patna, from where the family originally hails from and it will be immersed into the river as per the traditions. The suicide note, under the headline "Justice is Due", addressing his 2-year-old child, read: "Now with me gone, there will not be any money to loot and I hope that they might start to look at the facts of the cases. Someday, you shall know the real face of your mother and her greedy family. "I pray that they donat devour you and your soul. I often laugh when I remember that I started saving money for a car when you go to college. Silly me. Remember this always that you don't owe anything to anyone. Donat trust the system." Atul Subhash further listed out his last wishes in the note. "All my case hearings should happen live and people of this country should know about my case and learn the terrible state of the legal system and misuse of law these women are doing." He also requested to allow the suicide note and videos as his statement and evidence. "I fear that the judge might tamper with the documents, put pressure on witnesses and can adversely affect other cases. Based on my experience, the Bengaluru courts are relatively more law-abiding than Uttar Pradesh courts. I request to run the cases in Karnataka in the interest of justice and keep her in the judicial and police custody in Bengaluru till the trial goes on," the note read. He further wrote: "Give the custody of my child to my parents who can raise him with better values. Donat let my wife or her family come near my dead body. Give maximum punishment to my harassers though I donat trust our legal system too much. If people like my wife are not put behind jail, they would be more emboldened and will put more false cases on other sons of society in the future. "To wake up the judiciary and urge them to stop harassment of my parents and my brother in false cases. There shall be no negotiations, settlements and mediation with these evil people and the culprits must be punished," the letter read. He had also shared a link on X, tagging his video to CEO Elon Musk and US President-elect Donald Trump. "A dead man is requesting Elon Musk and Donald Trump to save millions of lives from woke ideologies, abortion, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and restore freedom of speech in India. I will be dead when you read this. A legal genocide of men happening in India currently," the suicide note read. Seoul, Dec 13 : South Korea has called on major nations to seek ways of actively using zero-carbon energy resources and joining hands to achieve technology innovation in an effort to address various global economic challenges, the finance ministry said on Friday. The Seoul government made the point during the Group of 20 (G20) meeting for finance and central bank deputies, which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday and Thursday (local time), according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It was the first meeting in the financial track for this year's G20 gatherings under South Africa's presidency, reports Yonhap news agency. During the meeting, Deputy Finance Minister Choi Ji-young said the participating nations need to implement measures to ensure the stable global financial system and plans to reform multilateral development banks. Choi also stressed the need to come up with guidance on the efficient use of financing to respond to downside risks for the global economy, maximize zero-carbon energy resources and push for technology innovation centering on artificial intelligence so as to boost productivity and achieve sustainable development, the ministry said. The G20 finance ministers' meeting is scheduled to take place in Cape Town in February to discuss economic and financial issues of mutual concern, it added. Meanwhile, the three major global credit appraisers shared a common view on Friday that South Korea's credit rating remains stable despite the recent political turmoil, the finance ministry said. The three credit appraisers -- Moody's Ratings, Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's Global Ratings (S&P) -- made the assessment during separate virtual meetings with Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on the day, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The meetings came about a week after President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law. a"IANS na/ New Delhi, Dec 13 : The Supreme Court on Friday said that former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee should be released on bail on or before February 1 next year in connection with the money laundering case linked to the alleged cash-for-school-job scam matter. A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant asked the trial court to decide on framing of charges before the commencement of winter vacations or before December 31, whichever is earlier. Further, it asked the court below to record the statements of prosecution witnesses who are most vulnerable in the second or third week of January next year. Asking Partha Chatterjee to extend full cooperation in the trial, Justice Kant-led Bench clarified that in any case, he cannot be kept in custody beyond February 1, 2025. When released on bail, Partha Chatterjee will not be able to occupy any public office except his continuation as MLA, it clarified. Last week, the Bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, reserved its judgment after hearing the oral arguments of senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, appearing on Partha Chatterjee's behalf and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Rohtagi contended that the former minister had been under custody for over two years and there was no likelihood of early completion of the trial. The senior counsel, assisted by advocate Misha Rohtagi, added that the other co-accused have been granted bail in connection with the money laundering case. Opposing the bail plea, the ED said that Partha Chatterjee would indulge in influencing witnesses and evidence tampering if released. In an earlier hearing, the top court had hinted at granting relief to Partha Chatterjee and expressed concern over the delay in the commencement of the trial. Questioning the ED as to how long can Partha Chatterjee be kept behind bars, the Justice Kant-led Bench asked: "How long can we keep him behind bars? This is a case where more than two years have passed. If ultimately he (Chatterjee) is not convicted, what will happen?" It also flagged the poor conviction rate in the cases lodged by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In response, the ED had highlighted that there were serious corruption charges against the former West Bengal minister as jobs were offered to undeserving candidates after receiving bribes. The federal anti-money laundering agency said that Partha Chatterjee was under custody in connection with the corruption case and if released on bail, he will influence the witnesses to retract their statements. The Supreme Court, on October 1, issued notice to the ED and asked the Central probe agency to file its reply within two weeks. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had rejected Chatterjeeas bail plea. After being denied bail in the lower court multiple times, Chatterjee approached the high court, contending that he had no connection with the huge amount of cash recovered from the residence of his close aide Arpita Mukherjee, and should be granted bail. The ED had recovered huge quantities of cash and gold from the twin residences of Mukherjee in July 2022, which the latter had claimed were kept there by Chatterjee. In the course of the investigation, the ED also confiscated some property in the form of land plots or residential houses indirectly or jointly held by the Trinamool Congress leader and his close associates and relatives. Chatterjee was arrested from his residence by the ED in July 2022. Since then, after the initial days of central agency custody, his address had been a cell at Presidency Central Correctional Home in south Kolkata. New Delhi, Dec 13 : Half of teenagers in the US are almost constantly online on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, finds a study, raising concerns about technology's impact on youth. The study by Pew Research Centre, based on a survey of US teenagers ages 13 to 17, showed that nine-in-10 teenagers reported to be mostly on YouTube. Overall, 73 per cent of teenagers said they watch YouTube daily, making it the most widely used and visited platform. This share includes 15 per cent who describe their use as "almost constant." "Nearly half of teenagers say they are online almost constantly, up from 24 per cent a decade ago. This share has stayed consistent over the past few years. Overall, nearly all teenagers 96 per cent report using the internet daily," the report said. The alarming report comes even as the Australian government, last month, passed a social media ban for children under 16. The ban will apply to Instagram, X, Snapchat, and others from late 2025. Meanwhile, Pew research showed that about 6-in-10 teenagers in the US reported using TikTok and Instagram, and 55 per cent said they use Snapchat. About six-in-10 also reported visiting TikTok daily. This includes 16 per cent who report being on it almost constantly. Roughly half of teenagers said they go on Instagram or Snapchat daily. This includes about one-in-10 who say they're on each of these platforms almost constantly. The share of teenagers who say they use Instagram almost constantly has increased slightly, from 8 per cent in 2023 to 12 per cent today. The use of Facebook (32 per cent) and X (17 per cent) has steeply declined over the past decade among teenagers. Further, about a quarter of teenagers (23 per cent) said they use WhatsApp, while 14 per cent reported using Reddit. Across all five platforms, one-third of teens use at least one of these sites almost constantly. Notably, "no gender differences" were observed in the shares of teenagers who reported using Instagram and Facebook almost constantly. Yet, teenage girls use Instagram (66 per cent vs. 56 per cent) and TikTok more widely than teenage boys (66 per cent vs 59 per cent). On the other hand, boys are more likely than girls to use YouTube (93 per cent vs. 87 per cent). Kochi, Dec 13 : The Kerala High Court has suspended the sentence of the third accused M K Nasar, who was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court last year for chopping the right palm of Professor T J Joseph, and also gave him bail. In the court, the prosecution submitted that Nasar was the main conspirator for hatching the conspiracy of chopping the hand and alleged that he was also accused of recruiting persons for terrorism and had monitored and supervised the entire operation. Hearing Nasar's plea, a divisional bench, comprising Raja Vijayaraghavan V and PV Balakrishnan, stated that the accused has been in jail for more than nine years after he surrendered in 2015, but the trial did not begin until June 2021, and the judgment was delivered only in 2023. "The applicant has been undergoing incarceration, at the pre-conviction and post-conviction phases, for over nine years. Furthermore, the fact that the accused facing the same allegations were earlier imposed a lesser term of imprisonment and have been released after having undergone the sentence is a factor that cannot be ignored," the Court said. Additionally, the appeals filed by the NIA against the findings of the learned Sessions Judge are being considered in separate appeals, which have not yet been taken up. There is also the likelihood of delay, as the prime accused has surrendered, and the learned Sessions Judge may have to take up the trial and dispose of it in accordance with the law and some of the original records may be required for that purpose. In view of these facts and circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that the sentence imposed on the applicant can be suspended pending the consideration of the appeal," said the Court. A total of 31 accused persons faced trial and the trial court convicted 13 accused persons and acquitted the remaining 18 in 2015. The case pertains to a College professor Joseph, who in July 2010, after attending the Holy Sunday services at a nearby church in his hometown Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district, was returning home. A group of eight men in an Omni van waylaid him, blocked his car, dragged him out and chopped off his right palm. The attack on Joseph was on account of a question paper for the second-year B.com students of Newman College in which the Islamists claimed he had used derogatory words against Prophet Mohammed. The dastardly act that shocked the state was committed by the now-banned Popular Front of India activists after the alleged verdict of an illegal court functioning in Erattupetta in Kottayam district. Life took a turn for the worse for Joseph, who was sacked from the college by the Christian management. His wife, Salomi committed suicide in 2014 leaving him shattered. His autobiography, 'Attupokatha Ormakal' (Unforgettable Memories) is a hard account of what he had undergone in life and won the Kerala Sahithya Academy award. It has been translated into English, 'A Thousand Cuts: An Innocent Question and Deadly Answers'. The Court further stated, "As the appeal is of the year 2013, and as appeals preferred by the accused undergoing sentence are pending, it may not be possible to take up the appeal and hear the matter soon. "Furthermore, the appeals seeking enhancement of sentence in the earlier case are also pending," added the Court. The Court observed that the long delay in considering the appeal was a favourable factor for releasing the accused on bail and hence the Court suspended the sentence and granted him bail. Bengaluru, Dec 13 : Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand said on Friday that no arrests have been made so far in the Atul Subhash suicide case. Speaking to the media, the Police Commissioner said no arrests have been made yet in the case and special teams of the police department have launched a hunt for the accused persons. "The Marathahalli police have lodged an FIR based on the complaint of the brother of the deceased person. The case is being probed by the officer of the rank of a police inspector. A comprehensive investigation has been taken up as the case is being discussed widely on social media and in society," he stated. "It is our duty to get justice for the deceased person and the accused will be tracked soon. The police are gathering evidence in the case," Dayanand stated. Earlier, sources stated that Karnataka Police arrested the mother-in-law and brother-in-law of late Atul Subhash, who committed suicide on December 9 over alleged demand by his wife's family for Rs 3 crore as settlement. The sensational case has triggered debate over harassment of married men and misuse of dowry provisions in the country. Atul Subhash ended his life on Monday leaving behind a 40-page death note and 90-minute video explaining how he was allegedly tortured by his wife. Atul Subhash had sent mail to President Droupadi Murmu and the Supreme Court urging them to come to the rescue of harassed husbands and arrest the accused persons, his wife, mother-in-law and others in his case. A part of the suicide note left behind by 34-year-old Atul Subhash, besides disclosing shocking details, revealed his wish to get ashes poured into a gutter outside the court if those who harassed him were not found guilty. Atul Subhash, who was working with an automobile company here, allegedly committed suicide as a demand of Rs 3 crore was made for a divorce settlement. Subhash ended his life at his apartment in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving behind a 90-minute video and a 40-page-long death note, explaining how harassment by his wife Nikita Singhania and her family compelled him to take the extreme step. The note left by him read: "If the court decides that the corrupt judge and my wife and other harassers are not guilty, then pour my ashes into some gutter outside the court. Don't do my 'asthi visarjan' till my harassers get punished." However, the family collected the 'asthis' from the Bengaluru crematorium on Wednesday where Atulas final rites were conducted. The family stated that the ashes would be taken to Patna, from where the family originally hails from and it will be immersed into the river as per the traditions. The suicide note, under the headline "Justice is Due", addressing his 2-year-old child, read: "Now with me gone, there will not be any money to loot and I hope that they might start to look at the facts of the cases. Someday, you shall know the real face of your mother and her greedy family. "I pray that they donat devour you and your soul. I often laugh when I remember that I started saving money for a car when you go to college. Silly me. Remember this always that you don't owe anything to anyone. Donat trust the system." Atul Subhash further listed out his last wishes in the note. "All my case hearings should happen live and people of this country should know about my case and learn the terrible state of the legal system and misuse of law these women are doing." He also requested to allow the suicide note and videos as his statement and evidence. "I fear that the judge might tamper with the documents, put pressure on witnesses and can adversely affect other cases. Based on my experience, the Bengaluru courts are relatively more law-abiding than Uttar Pradesh courts. I request to run the cases in Karnataka in the interest of justice and keep her in the judicial and police custody in Bengaluru till the trial goes on," the note read. He further wrote: "Give the custody of my child to my parents who can raise him with better values. Donat let my wife or her family come near my dead body. Give maximum punishment to my harassers though I donat trust our legal system too much. If people like my wife are not put behind jail, they would be more emboldened and will put more false cases on other sons of society in the future. "To wake up the judiciary and urge them to stop harassment of my parents and my brother in false cases. There shall be no negotiations, settlements and mediation with these evil people and the culprits must be punished," the letter read. He had also shared a link on X, tagging his video to CEO Elon Musk and US President-elect Donald Trump. "A dead man is requesting Elon Musk and Donald Trump to save millions of lives from woke ideologies, abortion, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and restore freedom of speech in India. I will be dead when you read this. A legal genocide of men happening in India currently," the suicide note read. New Delhi, Dec 13 : A fiery exchange of words took place in the Rajya Sabha on Friday between Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge over the no-trust motion moved by the opposition parties. The verbal duel showed escalating tensions between the ruling and opposition parties in the Upper House, as accusations of bias and disrespect took centre stage. Chairman Dhankhar expressed deep disappointment over the no-confidence motion brought against him, stating, "I am saddened that the main opposition party is questioning my role publicly instead of following constitutional procedures. While the opposition has the right to bring a no-confidence motion, undermining the process through press conferences is inappropriate." Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge retorted, accusing the Chairman of disrespect. "When the Chairman does not respect me, how can I respect him?" Kharge remarked, further alleging that the Chairman encouraged ruling party MPs to target him and his party. In response, Dhankhar invoked his humble roots, asserting, "I am a farmer's son; I will not be weak. Bring your motion -- it's your constitutional right -- but do not derail the process." Kharge retorted, "If you are a farmer's son, I am a farmer-labourer's son. You are insulting us and our party members." The confrontation comes against the backdrop of the no-confidence motion submitted by opposition MPs, including Congress, accusing the Chairman of bias. They claimed that he stifled their voices and prioritised the ruling party. Meanwhile, BJP MPs rallied in support of the Chairman. MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal called for a breach of privilege motion against those who filed the no-confidence notice, arguing that the issue was discussed outside the House in violation of parliamentary norms. "A 14-day notice is mandatory before moving such a motion. Congress has a history of disrespecting the President and Vice President," he said. MP Surendra Singh Nagar framed the opposition's no-confidence motion as "anti-farmer," while MP Neeraj Shekhar said, "If a farmer's son holds such a high post, why does the opposition have a problem?" Congress MP Pramod Tiwari defended Kharge, emphasising his background as a Dalit and a farmer, only for the Chairman to interrupt, reiterating his own identity as a farmer's son. The heated debates led to chaos in the House, forcing the Chairman to adjourn proceedings until Monday. "Running the House is essential for the nation and society," Dhankhar remarked before adjourning. The incident reflects the growing rift between the ruling and opposition benches, with both sides determined to assert their positions amidst mounting tensions. Bengaluru, Dec 13 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the "bold decision" to introduce the One Nation, One Election system through a constitutional amendment. He criticized those opposing the initiative, stating they were against the nation's development. Bengaluru, Dec 13 (IANS) Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the "bold decision" to introduce the One Nation, One Election system through a constitutional amendment. He criticized those opposing the initiative, stating they were against the nationas development. Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Bommai said the Union Cabinet, under PM Modias leadership, has approved the proposal for a constitutional amendment to implement this system. He added that it may be tabled in this parliamentary session. "This is a significant step as frequent elections hinder the countryas progress," Bommai stated. "From cooperative bodies to panchayat elections, assembly polls, and Lok Sabha elections, the nation is constantly in election mode. This involves massive resource expenditure and disrupts developmental work," he added. He emphasized that the One Nation, One Election framework would ensure governance stability, which is crucial for development. "No other country has such frequent elections. This issue has been debated for decades. The Prime Minister has now taken a courageous decision that will have long-term positive impacts," he said. Bommai also noted that the proposal is based on the recommendations of a committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. He urged citizens to welcome and support this initiative, asserting that those opposing it are doing so for political reasons and against the nationas progress. "Prime Minister Modi must be congratulated for taking this bold step," he said. Reacting to the development, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar alleged that the move was designed to weaken regional parties. Speaking in Vijayapura, Shivakumar said, "This is a plan to eliminate smaller parties. They feel regional parties like the Trinamool Congress, Communist parties, and others in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are gaining strength. They want to stop this." He further accused the BJP of pushing this agenda to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament. "Some state governments were elected recently, while others were elected two or three years ago. This decision is being pushed with a specific agenda," he alleged. Shivakumar reiterated that the Congress party would align with its national leadershipas stance on the matter, as outlined by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. New Delhi, Dec 13 : Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday stressed the importance of the Constitution as a "shield and guarantee" for the nation's security and freedom of speech. Speaking during the Constitution debate in the Lok Sabha in her maiden speech, she accused the central government of "eroding trust" in the Constitution over the past decade. Paying homage to security personnel who lost their lives defending Parliament during the December 13 attack, Priyanka began her speech by expressing heartfelt gratitude toward them. "Our civilisation, spanning thousands of years, is rooted in dialogue and communication," she remarked, citing traditions from the Vedas, Upanishads, and religions like Islam, Jainism, and Buddhism. "This tradition of dialogue shaped our unique freedom struggle, which was democratic at its core, involving peasants, labourers, advocates, intellectuals, and people from all castes and communities." She highlighted the efforts of leaders like B.R. Ambedkar, Maulana Azad, Rajaji, Jawaharlal Nehru, and others who dedicated years to drafting the Constitution. Calling the Constitution a "lighthouse," Priyanka said it embodies justice, hope, and aspiration, empowering citizens to demand their rights and hold governments accountable. "Our Constitution talks about justice, hope, expression and aspiration. It is a lighthouse of all the emotions of millions of Indians. This lighthouse has given us hope that we can fight for our rights and get justice. It has given strength, belief and faith to every citizen of the country to raise their voice before which the government will have to bow down, the citizen can make or break any government," she said. Recalling the Unnao rape case, Priyanka spoke about the struggles of a victim whose family faced severe retaliation for seeking justice. "She was burned down, her father's crops destroyed, and her family members cruelly beaten," she said, stressing the challenges victims face when seeking justice. She also mentioned her recent visit to the home of Arun Valmiki, a sanitation worker accused of theft and allegedly beaten to death, leaving behind a young family. Similarly, she referred to the Sambhal violence and her interactions with victims' families, underscoring the need to uphold constitutional values in such cases. Priyanka accused the ruling government of undermining the Constitution over the last ten years. She argued that the BJP now speaks of the Constitution only because the public has shown determination to protect it. "Today, people demand a caste census to understand the nationas reality and shape policies accordingly. But the government evades responsibility, often citing events from 1929 or questioning Nehru's actions. What is your responsibility?" she asked. She also slammed leaders who switched parties, sarcastically referring to them as "washed in the ruling party's washing machine." Priyanka accused the government of misusing agencies like the ED and CBI to target opposition leaders, labelling this practice as a reflection of fear. Priyanka mocked the BJP for avoiding debates and criticism. "We have long sought discussions, but they lack the courage to engage. They live in fear, so much so that their media machine spreads lies and forges cases against opposition leaders," she said. She also asserted, "The Constitution is not a document of the Sangh. If not for the Lok Sabha election results, the BJP might have already begun altering it." New Delhi, Dec 13 : Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi has said the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken bold steps to revive Indian heritage, religion, and culture. He was speaking at the Shri Veerabhadreshwara Jayanti event organised by the Veerashaiva Lingayat Coordination Forum of Bengaluru at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on Friday. Joshi declared that those who chant "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Hindustan Ki Jai" are welcome to unite. Unlike some others, he said, they are not politicizing this. Preserving Sanatana Dharma and tradition, which aims for the welfare of all, remains the government's goal, and it will not hesitate in its mission. He highlighted that under PM Modi's leadership, cultural rejuvenation efforts have been undertaken across the country, including initiatives at sites like Kashi Vishwanath, Mahakal Ujjain, and Ayodhya's Shri Ram Temple. Joshi emphasized that Indian heritage and culture are necessary for global peace, harmony, and prosperity. The lofty principle of "Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu" (May all beings be happy) rooted in Sanatana Dharma and culture is what the world needs today. India is the only country that propagates peace through religion, striving for the welfare of humanity. To preserve such a unique culture, the government has prioritized cultural revival, he said. Joshi condemned those who, for political gains, want to eradicate Sanatan Dharma like a virus. He warned that politics should not be played when it comes to preserving Indian Sanatan Dharma and culture. Expressing concern, he said that attacks on Indian culture are coming not just from outside but also from within the country. Some people, driven by hatred, are attacking the Hindu society, nation, Sanatan Dharma, traditions, and culture. He stated that some forces do not want India to rise and are making all attempts to destroy Sanatan Dharma and culture through societal fragmentation. He called for a united effort to counter these challenges. Joshi dismissed the idea that India was not a unified nation before British rule, asserting that India has been culturally united for thousands of years, with ample evidence to support this claim. He added that the government has introduced the "Ramayana Circuit" and is improving facilities for pilgrims to visit ancient temples, including railway connectivity across different parts of the country. The event was graced by Niranjan Gurusiddha Rajayogi Swamiji of Hubballi's Moorusavira Math, Jayashantalinaga Swamiji of Hire-Naganav Shantalingeshwar Math, Chandrashekhar Shivacharya Swamiji of Hukkeri Math, and Shivlinga Murugha Rajendra Shivacharya Swamiji, the National President of the Shri Veerabhadreshwara Jayanti Committee. Union Minister of State V. Somanna, MPs Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, B.Y. Vijayendra, Govind Karjol, and Sagar Khandre, among other dignitaries, were present at the event. Mumbai, Dec 13 : Actor Vikram, who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, has joined forces with filmmaker Madonne Ashwin for his upcoming film, tentatively titled 'Chiyaan 63'. The makers of the film made the announcement on social media about the film on Friday through a post featuring an image of the actor, the filmmaker, and the producer. A part of their official statement read, "It gives us immense joy and pride to announce our Production No.3 with one of the best actors in the country, Chiyaan Vikram sir, whose journey has inspired millions. We are honoured to join hands with an actor who has given us many memorable roles and path-breaking films". It added, "The film will be directed by one of the finest craftsmen, Madonne Ashwin, whose storytelling magic has given us Mandela and Maaveeran. As a production house, we are elated to collaborate with Madonne for the second time. Together, we are committed to delivering a film that will entertain audiences globally". The film is being produced by Shanthi Talkies, and marks its production Number 3. As soon as Shanthi Talkies announced this huge collaboration, the netizens were quick to express excitement and anticipation, with a user hailing it as the 'Best Collaboration'. Madonne Ashwin has directed critically acclaimed films including 'Mandela' and 'Maaveeran'. However, 'Chiyaan 63' will mark his first team-up with Vikram. On the other hand, the ace actor is currently filming for director SU Arun Kumar's 'Veera Dheera Sooran'. While further details of 'Chiyaan 63' are highly awaited, the audiences are in for an absolute treat. Meanwhile, Vikram was recently seen in 'Thangalaan' along with Parvathy Thiruvothu and Malavika Mohanan. The film was directed by the acclaimed director Pa. Ranjith. Damascus, Dec. 13 : Russia hopes to keep its military bases in Syria as they are important in the fight against terrorism, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said late Thursday. "I think there is general agreement that the fight against terrorism and the IS is not over, it requires collective efforts. In this regard, our presence played an important role in the fight against international terrorism," state-run RIA news agency reported, citing Bogdanov. The Russian diplomat added that Moscow has established contacts with the political committee of Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and discussed issues of ensuring the security of the Russian diplomatic mission and citizens in the country, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he is "deeply concerned" by the recent and extensive violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging parties to de-escalate violence throughout the country, his spokesperson said. "The Secretary-General is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Syria, and stresses the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts, throughout the country," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, said at a daily press briefing. Turkey too on Thursday appointed an acting charge d'affaires at its embassy in Damascus, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey's Ambassador to Mauritania, Burhan Koroglu, was appointed as the acting charge d'affaires at the Turkish embassy in Damascus. Turkey closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012, citing escalating violence and its call for then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down amid the country's civil war that began in 2011. The country's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday discussed regional conflicts, bilateral ties, and mutual cooperation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Ankara, according to the Turkish presidency. In their meeting, Erdogan emphasised the importance of strengthening relations between the two nations, which have surpassed a century, said a statement from his office. He expressed his commitment to increasing mutual trade volume and deepening cooperation across various sectors, said his office. Prayagraj, Dec 13 : As Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked his presence in Prayagraj on Friday, meeting saints and worshipping river Ganga at Sangam, common people were thrilled to welcome him. PM Modi is set to inaugurate 167 development projects worth Rs 5,500 crore. These projects include Akshayavat Corridor, Hanuman Temple Corridor, Saraswati Koop Corridor Bhardwaj Ashram Corridor, Shringaverpur Dham Corridor, and the launch of Kumbh Sahayak Chatbot. As the Prime Minister arrived at the meeting place in Prayagraj, lakhs of people reached the meeting premises to see him and listen to him. Present on the occasion, Janeshwar Mishra shared his jubilation with IANS. "The Prime Minister is definitely writing history with this Mahakumbh mega event. His visit here has been immensely important. With people from different walks of life, the example of unity in diversity has come alive in this place," he said. "It feels nice that the Prime Minister is visiting our home and taking forward our dharma," said the Prayagraj resident. "With attendees arriving from different regions and walks of life, this is a matter of pride for us that his event is taking place in Uttar Pradesh. I thank the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister," he added. Another local Pinki Varma likened the visit of PM Modi to that of a caring father. "As a father responsibly oversees the processes for a function organised at home, in a comparable manner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is here in the same spirit, making sure that visitors from India and abroad will be received with the best arrangements," she said. Rakesh, who hails from Ballia in the Purvanchal region, said that Prayagraj "feels like home," praising the grandeur of Mahakumbh which will take place from January 13 to February 26, 2025. United Nations, Dec 12 : More than 1.1 million people have fled their homes across Syria since the recent hostilities erupted two weeks ago amid reports of food and fuel shortages, UN humanitarians have said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the United Nations and its partners continue humanitarian activities as the security situation allows, with some partners operating in a limited scope in the cities of Damascus, Tartous, Latakia and Raqqa. The world body is closely monitoring the situation. In Syria's northwest, the lack of flour and fuel has shuttered Aleppo bakeries, the office said. There are limited vegetable supplies. Electricity outages are reported in some neighborhoods. Fuel prices remain high, Xinhua news agency reported. OCHA said hostilities near Tishreen Dam in the Aleppo governorate have extended electricity outages since Tuesday, affecting more than 400,000 people in some areas, such as Menbij and Kobani cities, disrupting access to water and other key services. Despite the challenges, and as security allowed, the United Nations and partners have provided food to more than 700,000 people in northwest Syria since the escalation of hostilities. In the northeast, humanitarian access and delivery remains challenging, according to OCHA. Checkpoints are restricting movement in the cities of Raqqa, Tabqa, Hassakeh and Derik, where reports of looting continue. More than 40,000 displaced people are staying in around 200 collective centers. Humanitarian organizations are distributing food, hygiene kits, cash, and psychosocial support to children and adults. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday had said that he is "deeply concerned" by the recent and extensive violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging parties to de-escalate violence throughout the country, his spokesperson said. "The Secretary-General is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Syria, and stresses the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts, throughout the country," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, said at a daily press briefing. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Hyderabad Police on Friday arrested Tollywood actor Allu Arjun in the case registered against him in connection with a stampede at a theatre during the premiere show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' that killed a woman. After recording the statement of the actor at Chikkadpally Police Station, he was taken to Gandhi Hospital for a medical check-up. He is likely to be presented before the Nampally Court later in the day. A woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere show attended by Allu Arjun on December 4. A police team took the national award-winning actor into custody from his house in Jubilee Hills, hours after his return from Delhi, where he attended the success meet of 'Pushpa 2'. Allu Arjun's father, well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind, actor brother Allu Sirish and other family members were present when he was arrested. The police team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akanksh Yadav questioned Allu Arjun for nearly two hours in light of the statements made by eyewitnesses. Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre. The case was registered at Chikkadpally Police Station on December 5 on a complaint by the deceased woman's husband. The police arrested the theatre owner, general manager and security manager on December 8. According to police, there was no intimation from theatre management or the actor's team that they would be visiting the theatre. The theatre management also did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd. Allu Arjun on December 6 announced assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the deceased's family and said that he is "deeply heartbroken". The actor assured the grieving family that he would meet them personally and extend every possible assistance. Allu Arjun also promised to take care of the medical expenses of the boy, whose condition remained critical. Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court postponed the hearing on Allu Arjun's quash petition to 4 p.m. on Friday. The actor's lawyers requested for early hearing of the petition filed on December 11. The Public Prosecutor told the court that he would gather all details from the police and inform the court. Kolkata, Dec 13 : The suspended registrar of iconic Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) Subir Maitra in Kolkata has been dismissed from service on various charges, including financial irregularities. The information about the decision of his dismissal has already been communicated to him through a communique issued on Thursday evening, an insider from the university said. An inquiry was initiated against Maitra a couple of months ago following allegations of severe financial irregularities against him. On November 5, the inquiry officer submitted a report to the university authorities based on his findings in the matter. After that, the university authorities examined the report and, accordingly, issued a show-cause notice to Maitra seeking his reply within seven days. After receiving his reply to the show-cause notice, insiders said the university authorities once again reviewed the report findings, statements of witnesses and the reply from Maitra. Following a detailed review of all these aspects, the university authorities finally took the decision to dismiss him from his service and the matter was intimated to him through the communiquA dated Thursday. It is learnt that following the dismissal from service, some of his retirement benefits will also be withheld. At the same time, he will have to refund the money incurred as a loss because of the financial irregularities that he indulged in. Maitra was suspended as the university registrar and replaced by an acting registrar soon after the probe into the matter was initiated against him. Since July 2023, Rabindra Bharati University has been functioning without a full-time vice-chancellor running under a former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, who was appointed as the interim vice-chancellor by Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. The West Bengal government then accused the Governor of appointing the interim vice-chancellor without consulting the state education department. Recently, the West Bengal education department initiated the process of appointing a full-time vice-chancellor through a search committee constituted for that purpose. --IANS src/ dpb Patna, Dec 13 : The Bihar government has teamed up with the Sankara Eye Foundation to establish a state-of-the-art eye hospital in the capital city, Patna. The MoU was signed by Sanjay Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Health Department, and Padma Shri Dr R.B. Ramani, Managing Director of the Sankara Eye Foundation India, in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. This upcoming facility will provide free treatment to 75 per cent of its patients. Those with an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh will qualify for free care, while others will need to pay for the services. The initiative aims to enhance access to advanced eye care for economically disadvantaged individuals in the region. With Chief Minister Nitish Kumar overseeing the agreement, the path has been cleared for the establishment of a state-of-the-art eye hospital, Shankara Netralaya, in Kankarbagh, Patna. The Bihar government has transferred 1.6 acres of land to the Sankara Eye Foundation India at the token money of Rs 1 for 99 years. During the previous cabinet meeting, the Bihar government also sanctioned Rs 48 crore to transfer the land from the Bihar State Housing Board to the Health Department. The hospital, designed to be a super-specialty facility, is expected to be completed within 18 months. The Coimbatore-based Sankara Eye Foundation, renowned for its expertise in ophthalmology, will lead the project. Health Minister Mangal Pandey called the collaboration a significant achievement, crediting the prompt action of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar following an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once completed, the hospital is anticipated to provide world-class eye care services, addressing a critical need for advanced ophthalmological treatment including Retina detachment and eye cancer apart from normal eye diseases in Bihar and benefitting countless residents. During the occasion, Pratyay Amrit, the development commissioner of Bihar welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries like Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Water Resource Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Health Minister Mangal Pandey and many other guests. Prayagraj, Dec 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Prayagraj on Friday and lauded the tireless efforts of employees and sanitation workers involved in the preparations for the grand Maha Kumbh 2025. Addressing a public gathering, PM Modi emphasized the historical significance of the event, describing it as a "great yagya of unity" that will captivate global attention. He remarked, "The Maha Kumbh will be a monumental event which will unite people from all walks of life. A new chapter of history is being written on the sacred land of Prayagraj, where a continuous Mahayagya is going on to host lakhs of devotees daily for 45 days." In preparation for this cultural and spiritual extravaganza, the Prime Minister inaugurated 167 development projects worth Rs 5,500 crore. These projects include the construction of 10 new road overbridges, flyovers, permanent ghats, and riverfront roads to enhance infrastructure and connectivity in Prayagraj. PM Modi further highlighted Indiaas rich cultural and spiritual heritage, stating, "India is a land of countless holy places and sacred rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kaveri, and Narmada. Prayagraj, the confluence of three holy rivers, is a spiritual epicentre where sanctity resides at every step." He quoted ancient scriptures, saying, "When the Sun enters Capricorn in the month of Magh, all divine powers, sages, and pilgrims gather in Prayag. Without Prayagraj, the stories of our Puranas remain incomplete." The Prime Minister described the Maha Kumbh as a "living symbol of Indiaas cultural and spiritual journey that has been thriving for thousands of years." He explained that the event transcends mere rituals, symbolizing the awakening of collective consciousness and inner spirituality. "This consciousness draws people from villages, towns, and cities to the banks of the Sangam, creating an unparalleled spectacle of unity and devotion," he added. He also emphasized the transformative nature of the Maha Kumbh, stating, "Here, caste differences dissolve, sectarian conflicts end, and crores of people unite with one goal and one idea. Saints, sages, scholars, and ordinary people come together to take a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam, embodying the true essence of unity." As the preparations for Maha Kumbh 2025 continue, PM Modi expressed his best wishes for the eventas grand and divine success, reiterating that it will be an extraordinary celebration of Indiaas cultural heritage and collective spirit. Earlier after reaching Prayagraj, PM Modi was welcomed by Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He proceeded to Arail Ghat, where he met saints and performed a ceremonial puja at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. PM Modi received a warm welcome from sadhus and saints and boarded the Nishadraj Cruise to reach Sangam from Arail. Thousands of people gathered to witness the event, with crowds lining the roads from GT Jawahar Chowk to the pandal on the Sangam bank. New Delhi, Dec 13 : Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit has expressed confidence in contesting the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections and remarked that nobody praises Kejriwal's ten-year tenure. Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, criticised Kejriwal's governance, stating, "The way Sheila Dikshit transformed Delhi, this man has destroyed it. Today, the legacy of her work is what keeps Delhi functional." Highlighting key factors in local elections, Dikshit emphasised that a candidate's work in the constituency and the government's performance are crucial. On both counts, Dikshit alleged, Kejriwal and AAP have failed. "There isn't a single person on the streets of Delhi who praises Kejriwal's ten-year tenure. The roads, infrastructure, and public services once built during Sheila Ji's government are now in ruins," he claimed. When asked about his mother's legacy, Dikshit expressed confidence that it would benefit both him and the Congress party. He remarked, "It is rare for any political leader's legacy to be remembered with such respect even a decade after their tenure. Sheila Dikshit's fifteen years of work in Delhi remain unmatched." Dikshit also addressed the current state of the AAP, pointing to the exodus of leaders from the party and internal turmoil. "AAP is in a very weak position. More than half their sitting MLAs have been replaced, and many of their candidates are former Congress leaders who could not secure tickets with us. This shows their desperation," he said. On AAP's promise of transferring Rs 2,100 per month to women's accounts, Dikshit dismissed it as a hollow promise, stating, "Why didn't they implement this scheme earlier in their ten-year rule? Even in Punjab, where they promised similar benefits, it has not been implemented. These announcements are nothing but a last-minute effort to salvage their falling credibility." Finally, Dikshit expressed optimism about Congress' prospects, asserting, "I have no doubt that Delhi's voters, who saw the development during Sheila Dikshit's era, will trust Congress again. By 2025, no government in Delhi will be formed without the Congress." Belagavi : , Dec 13 (IANS) Karnataka BJP MLAs staged a walkout from the Legislative Assembly on Friday accusing Speaker U.T. Khader of not allowing the party to raise the Waqf Board issue. The members led by Leader of Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka staged the walkout when the Congress MLAs demanded that the charges of alleged honey trapping and infecting opponents with HIV against BJP MLA N. Munirathna should be discussed in the House. After the walkout, LoP Ashoka and state BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra addressed the media together at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. Ashoka said the Speaker has been acting unilaterally and one-sided. "On Monday I had given a request to him for raising the issue of Waqf row in the Assembly. Normally, the time would be granted after the question and answer session. Deliberately, the state government is not allowing the discussion," he said. "The involvement of frontline leaders of the ruling Congress party in this is evident. Four days have passed after the submission in this regard. We want to raise the issues of the Waqf row, maternal deaths, deaths of newborn babies, Rs 700 crore excise scam, north Karnataka development issue. Whenever the strong demand is made, the House is adjourned," Ashoka said. The ruling party MLAs also expressed outrage on the issue of not releasing the funds. "Speaker Khader has not been given the post of a minister. He is showing his anger during the Assembly session," he chided. The Congress party leaders are quarrelling with the BJP in a planned manner, and in protest, the BJP MLAs walked out, Ashoka stated. "On the other hand, the Speaker's words are not respected by the Congress members. The Speaker is also one-sided and dancing to the tunes of the ruling government. What message will this convey? The CM Siddaramaiah-led government has strategically conspired to take away the Constitutional rights of the opposition party to debate in the state legislature," Ashoka alleged. "Following the Waqf row, farmers in the state are thrown on the streets, maternal deaths are reported and these issues need to be discussed in the session. In my 26-27 years of attending sessions, nothing of this sort has happened," Ashoka said. State President Vijayendra stated the conduct of the Speaker is questionable. The ruling party is not showing any interest in discussing the Waqf row and maternal deaths. "All rules regarding the conduct of the session are violated. We had met the Speaker in his chamber along with senior legislators and told him enough is enough. The due proceedings are over and a chance to raise the Waqf issue is not given. Instead, other matters are taken up," he stated. When asked about the Congress trying to discuss BJP MLA Munirathna's honey-trapping case, Vijayendra stated the matter is before the court. "The MLA had gone to jail and came out, what are you going to discuss in the session about him? The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has not come to the session for two days. An entire week of the winter session has passed. It is the murder of democracy. The Speaker had allowed discussion for half a day on the inauguration of a portrait of Anubhava Mantapa as if CM Siddaramaiah had built a monument. The opposition is not able to carry out its function," he stated. The BJP has launched an agitation against the alleged listing of farmers' lands and properties of religious institutions as the property of the Waqf board in Karnataka. Following the backlash, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that notices by the Waqf board to farmers and others would be withdrawn and land records corrected. Brasilia, Dec 12 : Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will seek reelection in 2026, the presidency's Secretary of Social Communication Paulo Pimenta has confirmed. In an interview with CNN Brasil, Pimenta assured that the president was in good health following medical interventions to treat a brain bleed, adding he was "the most qualified and prepared person" to continue leading the country. Lula underwent emergency surgery on Tuesday to drain a hematoma in his head and an embolization procedure on Thursday to prevent a recurrence. According to his medical team, the president will not suffer any aftereffects and should be discharged early next week, either Monday or Tuesday. "President Lula is doing very well. This is a simple procedure. President Lula is a person who takes care of himself, who has demonstrated that constantly, with discipline. A person who knows Brazil and who is extremely prepared," said Pimenta. "I have no doubt that President Lula is the most qualified and capable person. And he will certainly be our candidate in 2026 to be able to maintain our project," he stressed, Xinhua news agency reported. On his microblog, Pimenta celebrated the results of the latest Genial/Quaest poll, published Thursday, which gives Lula a significant lead over all potential rivals in the electoral arena. "The Brazilian people know that life has improved and that it will improve even more under President Lula," the minister posted online. In the televised interview, Pimenta also criticised sectors of the opposition that have spread malicious rumors about the president's health. Certain reports had cited that the Brazilian President will undergo a new medical procedure to complement the surgery he had Tuesday to drain an intracranial hematoma. "As part of the therapeutic programme, the surgery will be complemented with an endovascular procedure tomorrow morning," claimed reports attributing the information to the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo, where the country's president is being treated. The non-surgical procedure, also known as middle meningeal artery embolization, aims to reduce the risk of hematoma recurrence. Lula, 79, underwent emergency surgery early Tuesday morning due to an intracranial hematoma resulting from a blow to the back of the head suffered on October 19 at his presidential residence. One of Lula's doctors had said Tuesday that the president was expected to be discharged next week. New Delhi, Dec 13 : As many as 18,735 district and subordinate courts have been computerised under the e-courts Integrated Mission Mode Project aimed at enhancing access to justice through technology, the Parliament was informed on Friday. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal told Lok Sabha in reply to a question that the highest number of 2,222 district and subordinate courts were computerised in Uttar Pradesh under the supervision of Allahabad High Court. The second largest number of 2,157 lower courts were computerised under the supervision of the Bombay High Court in Maharashtra. The number of courts computerised in Madhya Pradesh was 1,363, Gujarat 1,268, Rajasthan 1,240, Bihar 1,142 and Karnataka 1,363. MoS Meghwal said that eCourts Phase III (2023-2027) was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2023 at an outlay of Rs 7,210 crore, which is over four times the funding for Phase II. He said the project envisages various new digital initiatives, such as the establishment of Digital and Paperless Courts that aim to bring court proceedings under a digital format and digitisation of court records (both legacy records and pending cases). He said under the eCourts Phase III, efforts will also be made for the expansion of video conferencing facilities to courts, jails and hospitals, the scope of online courts beyond adjudication of traffic violations, a saturation of all court complexes with eSewa kendras, state of the art and latest Cloud-based data repository for easy retrieval and supporting the digitised court records, software applications, live streaming, and electronic evidence, use of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and its subsets like Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis of case pendency, forecasting future litigation, etc. A new "Judgment Search" portal has been started with features such as search by Bench, Case Type, Case Number, Year, Petitioner/ Respondent Name, Judge Name, Act, Section, Decision: From (Date), To (Date) and Full Text Search. This facility is being provided free of cost to all, the MoS said. As a part of the project, 605 trainings and awareness programmes on the ICT services provided under the eCourts project were conducted from May 2020 to October 2024 covering nearly 6,64,144 stakeholders, including High Court Judges, Judges of the District Judiciary, Court Staff, Master Trainers among Judges/DSA, Technical Staff of High Courts, and Advocates, the House was informed. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday criticised the Congress government in Telangana for the arrest of Tollywood actor Allu Arjun over the stampede at a theatre in Hyderabad recently that killed a woman and injured her son. The BJP leader took to social media platform X to find fault with the way the Hyderabad Police arrested Allu Arjun from his residence in Jubilee Hills here. "National Award-winning actor Allu Arjun, lifted straight from his bedroom without even being given time to change, is a disgraceful act of mismanagement and disrespect. A star of his stature, who brought global recognition to Indian cinema, deserved better treatment," Bandi Sanjay posted. "The tragic death of a woman in the stampede at Sandhya theatre is deeply unfortunate, but it only underscores the Congress government's failure to manage the massive crowd. After the phenomenal success of 'Pushpa: The Rise', fans had high hopes for 'Pushpa: The Rule', and the massive turnout was expected given his popularity," said the MoS. "The real failure lies in the Congress government's inability to ensure proper arrangements for such a high-profile event. This negligence and mishandling are unacceptable. Icon Star and his fans deserve dignity, not chaos," added Bandi Sanjay. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Raja Singh has also criticised the arrest of Allu Arjun. The MLA from Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad stated that the actor was not responsible for the stampede. The BJP leader alleged that the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' happened due to the government's failure. He alleged that the police failed to take measures to manage the crowd at the theatre which resulted in the stampede. Raja Singh said it was not proper to name Allu Arjun as the accused in the case. He mentioned that by bagging a national award, Allu Arjun brought glory to Telugu states. Imphal, Dec 13 : Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said on Friday that a combined team of security forces comprising Police, Forest Department, Assam Rifles and district administration carried out a significant poppy destruction operation in the Khamasom hill ranges under Ukhrul district on Thursday. He said that besides destroying 110 acres of poppy plantation, eight huts found in the fields were burnt down and an FIR has been registered for further investigation. "A huge shout out to the entire team including the Assam Rifles for their tireless commitment in combating this menace during this trying time. Your hard work and determination are making a significant difference in safeguarding our future," the Chief Minister said in a post on the X. The state and the Central security forces have intensified their operations to destroy the illegal poppy cultivation in the state and almost daily razed the illicit poppy farming mostly in hilly areas. On December 7, Assam Rifles in collaboration with the villagers of Saibol Joupi, TM Dingpi, and T Bollon, successfully cleared approximately two square kilometres of illegal poppy cultivation in Chandel district. Manipur Police also in a separate operation on December 7 destroyed 30 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in the Khamason range of Ukhrul District and arrested four persons. For making various drugs, poppy farming is mostly done in the reserve and protected forest destroying the forest and environment. According to a government report, various law enforcement agencies, including Manipur Police, have destroyed 19,135.60 acres of illegal poppy cultivation in the state's 12 districts between 2017 and 2024. The report, prepared by Manipur Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MARSAC), in the mountainous Kangpokpi district, the highest areas of 4,454.4 acres of illegal poppy cultivation were destroyed in the last seven years (2017-2024), followed by 3,348 acres in Ukhrul and 2,713.8 acres in Churachandpur. The MARSAC is an autonomous government institution under the Planning Department of the Manipur government. The report said that deforestation, due to mass poppy cultivation, resulted in several adverse impacts on the ecosystem, including soil erosion, a loss of biodiversity, and changes in the local climate, the report said. The Manipur government on a number of occasions said that the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur (since May last year) is a creation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar adding that these migrants after illegally settling in the state started the cultivation of illicit poppies. Sydney, Dec 13 : The leader of Australia's federal opposition party, Peter Dutton, has revealed his nuclear energy plan would cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Dutton, the leader of the Coalition, on Friday, released the long-awaited costing of his plan to build seven nuclear reactors on the sites of retiring coal plants if he is elected Prime Minister (PM) at the 2025 general election, reports Xinhua news agency. According to the independent costing, the plan would cost 331 billion Australian dollars ($210.7 billion). Under Dutton's proposal, the first two publicly-owned reactors would begin operation by the mid-2030s, with coal-fired power plants to fill the generation gap in the meantime. In 2050 -- by which the remaining five reactors would be operational -- Dutton said that nuclear power would account for 38 per cent of Australia's electricity generation, with renewables covering 54 per cent and the remaining eight per cent coming from a combination of storage and gas. The governing Labor Party has committed to pursuing a renewables-only future, which the Coalition has claimed would cost over 600 billion AUD ($381.9 billion). "This is a plan which will underpin the economic success of our country for the next century," Dutton told reporters on Friday. "This will make electricity reliable. It will make it more consistent. It will make it cheaper for Australians, and it will help us decarbonise as a trading economy -- as we must." Australia has had a ban in place on nuclear power since 1998, but Dutton has said he would repeal the ban and start work on building the reactors within two years of taking office as PM. A report published by the national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) on Monday found that nuclear reactors would cost twice as much over a 60-year timeframe as wind and solar generation. The annual report concluded that the development time for a nuclear reactor in Australia would be at least 15 years. The Australian Energy Council -- the industry group for electricity retailers and generators -- on Thursday told an ongoing government inquiry that it is highly unlikely that nuclear power would be a viable replacement for coal-fired power over the next 10-15 years. Mumbai, Dec 13 : Bollywood star Varun Dhawan, who is gearing up for his upcoming release 'Baby John', has come out in support of Telugu superstar Allu Arjun after the latter was arrested by cops in Hyderabad. A video showing Varun talking about the unfortunate stampede at Sandhya Theatre has surfaced on the Internet. In the video, the actor said, "Safety protocols are not something that an actor can take on himself. We can tell people around us. I can talk about this only. Cinepolis theatre has made a very good arrangement here. And we are grateful to them for that. Don't get me wrong, the incident that took place in Hyderabad is very painful. I feel very sorry for it, and send my condolences. But at the same time, I think the blame cannot be placed on just one person". Varun defended Allu Arjun as he inferred that the Telugu superstar wasn't solely responsible for the mishap. Allu Arjun was allegedly arrested from his house in Hyderabad on Friday, as he was taken in for questioning by the cops. The 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' actor also expressed his discontent at the cops who entered his bedroom, and reportedly told them that it was wrong on their part to enter his private space. Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection to a fan death at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of his latest film, 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'. The actor is the fourth person to be arrested in the case. On December 4 during the premiere of his film, the actor visited Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad to watch the film with fans. The crowd surge there resulted in a stampede, with a fan named Revathi and her young son asphyxiated in the crowd. She lost her life, and her son has been hospitalised in critical condition. The cops arrested the owner and two employees of Sandhya Theatre based on a complaint filed by her family. Manila, Dec 13 : Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos said on Friday that the government has evacuated over 45,000 residents from villages around the active Kanlaon Volcano, which erupted on Monday. Marcos said the government targets evacuating around 84,000 villagers within the six-km danger zone from the volcano. He said the government is ready to assist residents impacted by the eruption, which blanketed several villages with ashes and contaminated drinking water sources in the community, reports Xinhua news agency. "We will step up. Any escalation in damages and destruction will be met with a stronger government response," Marcos said. Kanlaon, which straddles the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental on the island of Negros in the central Philippines, spewed a "voluminous plume" that rose more than 4,000 meters into the sky on Monday afternoon. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level to three on a scale of five, warning that a "magmatic eruption has begun that may progress to further explosive eruptions," urging residents within the danger zone and beyond to move to safety. Following this, the Philippine Office of Civil Defence said that an "urgent" evacuation of around 87,000 people was underway due to the eruption of the Kanlaon Volcano. Residents living within a 6-km radius of the volcano's summit are advised to evacuate, the institute said, adding that the public "must be prepared for additional evacuation if activity warrants." Marcos appealed to the residents, especially those reluctant to leave their houses and farms, to immediately move to safety by staying in makeshift evacuation centres such as schools that were temporarily converted into shelters. The Kanlaon Volcano last erupted in June this year. The volcano, which straddles the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental on the island of Negros, is one of the country's most active volcanoes. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Megastar Chiranjeevi and his actor brother Nagababu on Friday visited the house of actor Allu Arjun, hours after he was arrested for a stampede at a theatre recently that killed a woman and injured her son. Chiranjeevi, who is the uncle of Allu Arjun, met his family members and expressed his solidarity. Allu Arjunas father, Allu Arvind, is the brother-in-law of Chiranjeevi. The megastar was reportedly heading to Chikkadpally Police Station, where Allu Arjun was taken after his arrest. However, officials requested him not to visit the police station as this may result in a large number of people gathering there. Several film personalities also visited Allu Arjunas house, police station, Gandhi Hospital, and Nampally Court to show their solidarity. Film producer Dil Raju, who was recently appointed chairman of Telangana Film Development Corporation, also visited the police station. Earlier, Allu Arvind and his younger son and actor Allu Sirish had also reached the police station. After recording the statement of All Arjun, police took him to Gandhi Hospital for his medical check-up. He was subsequently taken to Nampally Criminal Court complex and presented before a magistrate. aPushpaa producers Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar also visited the Nampally Court. Film producers Bunny Vasu and Naga Vasmi were also seen at the court premises. Allu Arjun was arrested in the case registered against him in connection with a stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show of aPushpa 2: The Rulea on the night of December 4. A woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at the theatre during the premier show attended by Allu Arjun. Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre. The case was registered at Chikkadpally Police Station on December 5 on a complaint by the deceased womanas husband. The police arrested the theatre owner, general manager and security manager on December 8. New Delhi, Dec 13 : A total of eight petitions were filed in 2024 for matching of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail unit (VVPAT) slips with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes in the Supreme Court and various High Courts, the Parliament was informed on Friday. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal told Lok Sabha in a reply that the ECI has informed that after counting of votes, mandatory verification of VVPAT slips of randomly selected five polling stations per Assembly constituency/segment is conducted, in pursuance of the Supreme Court order of April 8, 2019, in N. Chandrababu Naidu versus Union of India. The MoS said no deposit is required for the said mandatory verification. The ECI has further stated that as required, the mandatory verification has been done in all elections held in 2024. In response to another question related to the evaluation mechanism for the performance of government lawyers and government-empanelled lawyers, MoS Meghwal said there is a system of In-charge litigation for all the courts/tribunals in the country who submit monthly reports with regard to the allocation of cases and performance of the Panel Counsel to Department of Legal Affairs. Further, the feedback/complaints received from ministries/departments against performance of panel counsel which are duly examined and where any delinquency is found the counsel is removed from the panel. Replying to a question on the measures implemented to establish an online platform for all Government and agencies to upload all relevant data pertaining to each Government case, he said, The Department of Legal Affairs has launched Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS) in February 2016. It is a web-based application used for monitoring of all court cases involving the Union of India. It is innovative, easy to access and is 24x7 available to various ministries/departments of the Government of India, its organisations, Law Officers and the empanelled Counsels, enabling them to upload data related to cases of Union of India, pertaining to them. Tokyo, Dec 13 : The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. Nearly 2,100 items, including archives, historical materials, relics and publications collected by the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in recent years, were unveiled at the exhibition, according to Zhang Yang, deputy director of the facility, reports Xinhua news agency. Zhang said that some of the newly displayed evidence serves as crucial supplements to existing historical materials and provides valuable resources for further research on Japanese germ warfare activities during WWII. According to Zhang, this exhibition has also put on display various medical journals published in Japan between the 1920s and the 1940s, totalling 347 volumes. Joint research by the exhibition hall and Heilongjiang International University has identified 42 medical papers authored by core members of Unit 731, including Shiro Ishii and Masaji Kitano. Jin Shicheng, a researcher with the exhibition hall, said that these wartime medical journals document numerous so-called "research achievements" published by Unit 731 members involving bacterial and viral diseases such as anthrax and plague. "This evidence highlights interactions and personnel exchanges between Japanese wartime medical universities, army hospitals and research institutions with Unit 731, exposing the role of Japan's medical community in supporting the war of aggression against China," Jin said. The exhibition also showcases litigation documents on incidents involving chemical weapons abandoned by the Japanese army in China, along with confessions from Japanese war criminals. In addition, 616 relics collected by the facility in recent years and donated by private owners, including military sabres, uniforms, medical equipment, bacterial bombs and Japanese military medals, are on display. Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin as the nerve centre for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during WWII. At least 3,000 people were used for human experiments by Unit 731, and more than 300,000 people in China were killed by Japan's biological weapons. Since last winter, the exhibition hall has attracted over 3.5 million visitors. New Delhi, Dec 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the fourth National Conference of Chief Secretaries in Delhi on December 14 and December 15 to prepare a common social and development agenda for higher economic growth, ahead of the Budget 2025-26. The Conference will discuss how to strengthen cooperative federalism and ensure better coordination between the Centre and the States to achieve faster growth and development. The Conference has been held annually for the last three years. First Chief Secretaries Conference was held in June 2022 at Dharamshala, followed by second and third conference at New Delhi in January 2023 and December 2023 respectively. The three-day Conference to be held from December 13 to December 15 and will emphasise on the evolution and implementation of a common development agenda and blueprint for cohesive action in partnership with the States. It will lay the ground for collaborative action to harness India's demographic dividend by promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing skilling initiatives, and creating sustainable employment opportunities for both rural and urban populations. Based on the extensive deliberations between Central Ministries/Departments, NITI Aayog, States/UTs and domain experts, the fourth National Conference will focus on the theme aPromoting Entrepreneurship, Employment & Skilling -- Leveraging the Demographic Dividenda covering best practices and strategies for States/UTs to follow. Under this overarching theme, special emphasis will be on six areas -- Manufacturing, Services, Rural Non-farm, Urban, Renewable Energy, and Circular Economy, which have been identified for detailed discussions. Four special sessions will also be held on Frontier Technology for Viksit Bharat, Developing Cities as Economic Growth Hubs, Economic Reforms in States for Investment, and Capacity Building through Mission Karmayogi. Besides, focused deliberations over meals would be held on Atmanirbharata in Agriculture: Edible Oils & Pulses, Care Economy for the Ageing Population, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana Implementation, and Bharatiya Gyan Parampara. Best practices from States/UTs under each of the themes would also be presented at the Conference to encourage cross-learning across States. Chief Secretaries, senior officials of all States/Union Territories, domain experts among others will be present at the Conference. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : In a new twist to the Hyderabad theatre stampede case in which actor Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday, the husband of a woman who died in the stampede said that he is ready to withdraw the case. Bhaskar, husband of Revathi who was killed in the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' on December 4, told mediapersons that police had not informed him about Allu Arjun's arrest. Bhaskar also said that the actor has nothing to do with the stampede in which his wife died. "My son wanted to see the movie. I took the family to Sandhya Theatre. Allu Arjun had come there but it was not his mistake," he said, adding that he was ready to withdraw the case. Bhaskar was speaking to the media at the hospital, where his eight-year-old son is still undergoing treatment. Allu Arjun was arrested by police on Friday in connection with the case. He was produced before a city court. Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre. The case was registered at Chikkadpally Police Station on December 5 on a complaint by the deceased woman's husband. The police arrested the theatre owner, general manager and security manager on December 8. According to police, when Allu Arjun came to the theatre with his personal security, all the people gathered there tried to enter the theatre with him. His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre. According to police, Revathi (35) died and her son Sri Tej felt suffocated due to the large public influx and the police personnel who were on duty pulled them out of the public from the lower balcony and performed CPR on her son and immediately shifted them to the nearby hospital. While Revathi was declared dead at the hospital, Sri Tej is still undergoing treatment. Police said that there was no intimation from the side of theatre management or the actor's team that they would be visiting the theatre. Allu Arjun on December 6 announced assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the deceased's family and said that he is 'deeply heartbroken'. The actor assured the grieving family that he would meet them personally and extend every possible assistance. Allu Arjun also promised to take care of the medical expenses of the boy. Kolkata, Dec 13 : In a dramatic turn of events, a special court in Kolkata, on Friday, granted bail to the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal in the case of ghastly rape and murder of a lady junior doctor within the hospital premises in August this year. The bail was granted to the duo since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to give a supplementary charge sheet in the case establishing the charges against Ghosh and Mondal of misleading the investigation and tampering or altering with evidence while the initial investigation in the matter was being carried out by the Kolkata Police. The CBI so far has filed just one charge sheet in the rape and murder case where civic volunteer Sanjay Roy had been identified as the "sole prime accused" in the crime of rape and murder. However, despite being granted bail in the rape and murder case, there is no chance for Sandip Ghosh to come out of jail since a parallel case against him is being conducted by the CBI on charges of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. In the CBI charge sheet in the financial irregularities case, Ghosh has been named as one of the prime accused. However, since there is no other case against Mondal except that of evidence tampering, there will be no problem for him to be free from behind the bar. However, the court has set some conditions for him while granting bail. He will have to go to the police station whenever summoned. On Friday, the counsels for Ghosh and Mondal argued that 90 days had passed since their clients were arrested and the CBI is yet to file any charge sheet against them as yet, they deserved to get bail in the case. The CBI also informed the court that since its investigation in the matter is continuing it has not submitted any supplementary charge sheet in the matter. Thereafter, the special court granted bail to Ghosh and Mondal in the rape and murder case. Highly disappointed by the decision of the special court, the victim lady doctor's father said that since the beginning they had been claiming that CBI had not been investigating in the right direction. He also said that he was weighing legal options whether to approach any higher court in the matter. New Delhi, Dec 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and launched multiple development projects worth around Rs 5500 crore at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister bowed in devotion to Prayagraj, the auspicious land of Sangam, and paid his respects to the saints and sadhus attending the Mahakumbh. PM Modi expressed gratitude towards the employees, shramiks and safai karmacharis who have made the Mahakumbh a grand success with their hard work and dedication. Reflecting on the magnificent scale and size of the Mahakumbh, the Prime Minister said that it is one of the largest gatherings in the world where lakhs of devotees are welcomed daily for the Mahayajna lasting 45 days and a whole new city is set up for the occasion. "A new history is being written on the land of Prayagraj", the Prime Minister exclaimed while underlining that the organisation of Mahakumbh next year would take the spiritual and cultural identity of the nation to new peaks and said that such a 'MahaYagya' of unity would be discussed around the world. "India is a land of sacred sites and pilgrimages," said PM Modi. He added it was a land of rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kaveri, Narmada and many other innumerable rivers. Describing Prayag as the confluence, collection, congregation, combination, influence and power of the sacred flow of these rivers, the importance of many pilgrimage sites and their greatness, the Prime Minister said that Prayag was not just a confluence of three rivers, but more than that. Explaining the importance, PM Modi remarked that it has been told about Prayag that it is a pious time when the sun enters the house of Makar, and then all the divine powers, nectar, sages and saints descend down to Prayag. He added that Prayag was one such place without which the Puranas would be left incomplete. He further noted that Prayag was one such place which was praised in the verses of the Vedas. "Prayag is a place where there are holy places and virtuous areas at every step," said PM Modi. Throwing light on the cultural and spiritual significance of Prayagraj, the Prime Minister recited a Sanskrit shloka and explained: "The effect of the Triveni, the glory of Venimadhav, the blessings of Someshwar, the land of penance of Rishi Bhardwaj, the special place of Lord Nagaraj Vasu ji, the immortality of Akshayvat and the grace of God - This is what makes our Teertharaj Prayag." He further explained that Prayagraj is a place where all four elements of 'Dharma', 'Arth', 'Kama' and 'Moksha' are available. "Prayagraj is not just a geographical piece of land, it is a place to experience spirituality," the Prime Minister said, expressing gratitude towards the citizens for getting to visit Prayagraj. He recalled taking a holy dip in the Sangam during the last Kumbh and also mentioned getting the opportunity today. Speaking about his darshan and pooja earlier in the day at Hanuman Mandir and Akshayvat, the Prime Minister informed about the development of Hanuman Corridor and Akshayvat Corridor for easy access by devotees and also mentioned inquiring about the redevelopment project of Saraswati Koop. PM Modi also congratulated the citizens for the development projects of today worth thousands of crores. "Maha Kumbh is a living identity representing our legacy of the divine festival of our faith, spirituality and culture," PM Modi said. He added that every time, the mega event symbolises the divine gathering of religion, knowledge, devotion and art. Reciting a sanskrit shloka, the Prime Minister explained that a holy dip in the sangam is equivalent to visiting crores of pilgrimage places. He added that an individual taking a holy dip is rid of all his sins. The Prime Minister remarked that this eternal flow of faith has never stopped despite reigns by various emperors and kingdoms or even during the despotic rule of the British and the major reason behind this was that Kumbh is not driven by any external forces. He added that Kumbh represented the consciousness of the inner soul of man, the consciousness which comes from within and draws people from every corner of India to the banks of Sangam. He further added that people from villages, towns, and cities set out towards Prayagraj and such a power of congregation and mass gathering is rarely seen anywhere else. PM Modi said that once an individual comes to Mahakumbh, everyone becomes one, be it saints, sages, wise men, or common people and the difference between caste and sects ends. He added that crores of people get connected with one goal and one idea. The Prime Minister remarked that this time during the Maha Kumbh, crores of people from different states with different languages, castes, and beliefs would gather at Sangam and be in unison. He added that this was his belief why Maha Kumbh was the MahaYagya of unity, where every kind of discrimination is sacrificed and every Indian who takes a dip in the confluence here represented a beautiful picture of Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat. PM Modi also emphasised the significance of Kumbh in India's cultural and spiritual tradition, highlighting how it has always been a platform for deep discussions among saints on critical national issues and challenges. He said that when modern communication channels did not exist in the past, Kumbh became a foundation for significant social changes where saints and scholars gathered to discuss the nation's welfare and deliberated on both present and future challenges, thereby providing new direction and energy to the country's thought process. The Prime Minister further added that the Kumbh retains its importance as a forum where such discussions continue, sending positive messages across the nation and inspiring collective thought on national welfare. Even though the names, milestones and paths of these gatherings may vary, the Prime Minister said that purpose and journey remain the same. He underlined that the Kumbh continues to be a symbol of ongoing national discourse and a beacon for future progress. The Prime Minister pointed out the past neglect of Kumbh and religious pilgrimages by previous governments, stating that despite the significance of these events, devotees faced difficulties. He attributed this to a lack of connection with India's culture and faith and also reassured the citizens of the deep respect for India's traditions and faith under the current government, both at the Centre and state level. He said that the governments at both centre and state, consider it a responsibility to provide facilities for pilgrims attending Kumbh. The Prime Minister informed that thousands of crores have been allocated for various projects, with both Centre and state governments working together to ensure smooth preparations. He highlighted the special emphasis on improving connectivity to Prayagraj from cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Raebareli, and Lucknow, ensuring ease of travel for pilgrims. He also praised the collective efforts of multiple government departments in preparing for the grand event, demonstrating the 'Whole of the Government' approach in action. The Prime Minister emphasised that the government is focused on both development and enriching India's heritage. He mentioned various tourist circuits being developed across the country and gave examples of the Ramayana Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, and Tirthankar Circuit. Touching upon schemes like Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD, the Prime Minister said that the government is expanding facilities at pilgrimage sites. He highlighted the transformation of Ayodhya with the construction of the grand Ram Mandir which has elevated the entire city. He also mentioned projects like Vishwanath Dham and Mahakal Mahalok that have gained global recognition. In Prayagraj, the Prime Minister said, the Akshay Vat Corridor, Hanuman Mandir Corridor, and Bharadwaj Rishi Ashram Corridor reflect this vision, while sites like Saraswati Koop, Patalpuri, Nagvasuki, and Dwadas Madhav Mandir are also being revitalized for pilgrims. The Prime Minister highlighted that Prayagraj, the land of Nishadraj, held a significant place in Lord Ram's journey to becoming Maryada Purushottam. He added that the episode of Lord Ram and Kevat continues to inspire us where Kevat washed Lord Ram's feet and helped him cross the river with his boat, symbolising devotion and friendship. He further added that this event conveyed that even the Lord can seek help from his devotee. PM Modi remarked that the development of Shringverpur Dham is a testament to this friendship and the statues of Lord Ram and Nishadraj will continue to convey the message of harmony to future generations. PM Modi underlined the significant role of cleanliness in making the grand Kumbh a success. He noted that the Namami Gange program has been accelerated to ensure proper sanitation and waste management in Prayagraj and initiatives such as appointing Ganga Doot, Ganga Prahari, and Ganga Mitras have been launched to raise awareness. The Prime Minister also informed that more than 15,000 sanitation workers will ensure the cleanliness of the Kumbh this time. He expressed his gratitude to these workers in advance and acknowledged their dedication to providing a spiritual and clean environment for crores of devotees. The Prime Minister gave the analogy of Lord Krishna who picked up used plates and sent out the message that every work is important, and said that the sanitation workers will add to the greatness of this event with their actions. He recalled the appreciation received for cleanliness during the 2019 Kumbh and how he showed his gratitude by washing the feet of the sanitation workers, which remains a memorable experience for him. PM Modi emphasised that the Kumbh Mela brings a significant expansion in economic activities, which often goes unnoticed. He added that even before the Kumbh, economic activities in the region were rapidly increasing. The Prime Minister remarked that a temporary city will be set up on the banks of the Sangam, for approximately one and a half months which would witness millions of people visiting daily. He added that a large number of people would be required to maintain order in Prayagraj during this period. PM Modi said that over 6,000 boatmen, thousands of shopkeepers, and those assisting with religious rituals and holy dips will see an increase in their work, which would create numerous employment opportunities. He added that to maintain the supply chain, merchants will need to bring goods from other cities. The Prime Minister underlined that the impact of Kumbh would also be felt in the surrounding districts. He added that pilgrims coming from other states will use train or air services, further boosting the economy. He also emphasised that the Kumbh will not only strengthen society but also contribute to the economic empowerment of people. PM Modi noted the significant advancements in technology that will shape the upcoming Maha Kumbh 2025. He pointed out that compared to previous years, smartphone users have increased and data is much cheaper than in 2013. He said that with user-friendly apps available, even those with limited tech knowledge can utilise them easily, referring to the launch of the 'Kumbh Sahayak' chatbot, marking the first use of AI and chatbot technology for Kumbh, capable of communicating in eleven Indian languages. He suggested leveraging data and technology to engage more people, such as organising photography competitions that capture the essence of Kumbh as a symbol of unity. These photographs shared widely on social media, would create an immense visual canvas, blending countless emotions and colours. Additionally, he proposed organising contests focused on spirituality and nature, which would further enhance the appeal of Kumbh, especially among the youth. Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that the collective and spiritual energy emerging from the Maha Kumbh will further strengthen the nation's resolve towards a developed India. He wished for the Kumbh Snan to be a historic and unforgettable event and prayed for the welfare of humanity through the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. Extending his best wishes, he welcomed all pilgrims to the sacred city of Prayagraj. UP Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak were present among other dignitaries. Earlier, PM Modi travelled to Prayagraj and performed pooja and darshan at Sangam Nose and then Pooja at Akshay Vata Vriksh followed by darshan and pooja at Hanuman Mandir and Saraswati Koop. The PM also undertook a walkthrough of the Mahakumbh exhibition site. PM Modi also inaugurated various projects for Mahakumbh 2025 including various rail and road projects like 10 new Road Over Bridges (RoBs) or flyovers, permanent Ghats and riverfront roads, among others, to boost infrastructure and provide seamless connectivity in Prayagraj. In line with his commitment towards Swachh and Nirmal Ganga, the Prime Minister also inaugurated projects of interception, tapping, diversion and treatment of minor drains leading to river Ganga which will ensure zero discharge of untreated water into the river. He also inaugurated various infrastructure projects related to drinking water and power. The Prime Minister inaugurated major temple corridors which include the Bharadwaj Ashram Corridor, Shringverpur Dham Corridor, Akshayvat Corridor, and Hanuman Mandir Corridor among others. These projects will ensure ease of access to devotees and also boost spiritual tourism. The Prime Minister launched the Kumbh Sah'AI'yak chatbot that will provide details to give guidance and updates on the events to devotees on Mahakumbh Mela 2025. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : A Hyderabad court on Friday sent Tollywood actor Allu Arjun to judicial custody for 14 days in a case related to a stampede at a theatre during the premier show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' in which a woman lost her life. The police, which arrested the National Award-winning actor from his residence in Hyderabad, presented him before a magistrate at Nampally Criminal Court complex. The Ninth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate sent the actor to judicial custody till December 27. Police were making arrangements for shifting Allu Arjun to Chanchalguda Jail amid tight security. Earlier, the police recorded the statement of the actor at Chikkadpally Police Station. He was then taken to Gandhi Hospital for medical check-up. A woman died, and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show attended by Allu Arjun on December 4. A police team took the national award-winning actor into custody from his house in Jubilee Hills, hours after his return from Delhi, where he attended the success meet of aPushpa 2a. Arjunas father, well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind, actor brother Allu Sirish and other family members were present when he was arrested. The police team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akanksh Yadav questioned Allu Arjun for nearly two hours in the light of the statements made by eye-witnesses. Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre. The case was registered at Chikkadpally Police Station on December 5 on a complaint by the deceased womanas husband. The police arrested the theatre owner, general manager and security manager on December 8. According to police there was no intimation from theatre management or the actor's team that they would be visiting the theatre. The theatre management also did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd. Four people who were formerly employed at the now-closed KinderKidz day care in Bismarck, including the owner, are facing charges after an investigation revealed alleged incidents of child abuse and neglect. Angela Kunz, 31, of Minnesota, was charged with child abuse and failure to report suspected child abuse or neglect. The child abuse charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison while the mandatory reporting charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail. Jennifer Moser, Jordan Casson and Susan Bosch are all charged with child neglect following reports of injuries to children, and failure to properly report the alleged incidents. Casson also faces charges related to tampering with evidence. The child neglect and tampering with evidence charges each carry maximum sentences of five years in prison. Moser, of Dickinson, is the owner of KinderKidz, which has a facility in Dickinson, according to records from the North Dakota Secretary of State's Office. Kunz, Bosch, and Casson, also known as Jordan Walz, were employees at the Bismarck day care facility formerly located on Sharloh Loop. Kunz is currently in custody at the Burleigh Morton Detention Center on a $1,000 cash bond after an initial court appearance Wednesday. She arrived in Burleigh County after she waived extradition from Isanti County, Minnesota, during a late-November hearing, court records indicate. Kunz was living in Cambridge, which is in Isanti County, roughly 45 miles north of Minneapolis, jail records indicate. Casson is free on an unsecured $5,000 bond and her next court appearance is a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 27, court records indicate. Bosch is also free on an unsecured bond of $1,000, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 6. Moser's attorney Jesse Walstad filed paperwork waiving Moser's initial appearance and entered not guilty pleas, according to court records. Assistant Burleigh County State's Attorney Gabrielle Goter told the Tribune a bond in Moser's case could be set following her preliminary hearing scheduled to take place Jan. 6. The alleged incidents Bismarck police began investigating KinderKidz day care after receiving a report on Aug. 8 about a child who returned home with bruising on his leg, allegedly caused by being grabbed, the affidavit stated. The investigation uncovered similar reports of injuries to other children at the facility between March 1 and Aug. 11, 2023, according to the document. One child allegedly had bruising on his lower back following an April incident, while another suffered rib cage bruising in May after an employee allegedly grabbed the child to prevent a fall, the affidavit stated. The employees allegedly failed to submit the required SFN 960 form, which day care workers and other mandated reporters are required to file when suspecting child abuse or neglect, according to the affidavit. Child care workers are among more than a dozen occupations required under state law to report instances of suspected child abuse or neglect. If a SFN 960 is filled out, it would be sent to the state Department of Health and Human Services, which can then forward information to law enforcement for investigation. Bismarck police spokesperson Lt. Luke Gardiner said the department usually gets notifications from the Burleigh County Human Service Zone regarding SFN 9860 reports "within a day or two." He said there are circumstances where the department does not receive the form, but he classified those occurrences as "rare." Once the department receives such notice, reports are "triaged to make sure they are criminal by our detective supervisors and then assigned to a detective," he said. When the detective visited KinderKidz on Aug. 9, Casson and Bosch allegedly admitted that they had not filled out the form, adding that they didn't know what it was, according to the affidavit. The pair also allegedly told the detective they made any necessary reports over the phone. The detective obtained a copy of KinderKidz's in-house report on the May 2023 incident, which was kept at the day care for parents to review and sign, the document stated. The detective asked Casson for surveillance video, but Casson allegedly said it had been recorded over after seven days, according to the affidavit. In a subsequent phone call, Moser allegedly told the detective that Casson never reported the incident or requested the video be saved. The detective then requested a copy of the May incident report, but Casson could not provide it, the document said. The report was eventually obtained from the child's mother. Kunz was interviewed about an incident in which a child had bruising on his thigh resembling finger marks. Kunz admitted to grabbing the child too tightly while changing his diaper, and she later received a message from Casson stating the injury would be reported as caused by a toy, the affidavit stated. Kunz also said she had never received training on mandatory reporting requirements, despite repeated requests. The affidavit also detailed an incident on Aug. 11, 2023, in which a parent was contacted by KinderKidz staff after her daughter hit her head and appeared dazed. The child was lethargic, crying, and wanted to go to bed, her mother said. After being taken to the hospital, medical professionals determined the child had suffered a severe concussion, the affidavit stated. The mother was told the child tripped over a block and fell on a styrofoam mat, and that her request for video footage of the incident was not fulfilled, according to the affidavit. The detective requested the video and watched it with the child's mother. The footage allegedly showed the child hitting her head on a wooden bookshelf, falling to the floor and remaining unresponsive as a staff member attempted to lift her, the affidavit stated. The child's head snapped back, and she did not respond. Other instances in the affidavit include repeated reports of children being sent home with dirty diapers despite concerns raised by parents, according to the affidavit. A review of the KinderKidz handbook confirmed that staff members are mandated reporters and must comply with laws and regulations related to reporting suspected child abuse and neglect, the document stated. KinderKidz no longer occupies the property on Sharloh Loop, as it is now the home of Blu Haven Kids Academy. A woman who answered a call from the Tribune stated Blu Haven purchased the facility in mid-May of this year and is in no way affiliated with Moser of KinderKidz, nor did Blu Haven retain the vast majority of KinderKidz employees. Attorneys representing Moser, Kunz, Casson and Bosch did not immediately respond to Tribune requests for comment. Houston, Dec 13 : Texas, the second-largest US state, is suing companies including DuPont and 3M, charging them of having made products containing toxic "forever chemicals" commonly known as per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) and falsely advertising over their safety. DuPont's Teflon and 3M's Scotchgard were among products sold to Texans and concealing "substantial risks from consumers and the State," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in the lawsuit. "Defendants marketed products containing harmful PFAS chemicals for over 70 years and were aware of the harmful effects of PFAS chemicals for over 50 years," the lawsuit said. Texas has found PFAS contamination in some drinking water systems, reports Xinhua, citing the Texas Tribune, noting that nearly 50 public water systems across the state have reported exceeding the US Environmental Protection Agency's newly released PFAS limits for drinking water. According to a report by The Hill, several states have already filed lawsuits over the chemicals. Some of these suits have alleged false advertising, while others have sought compensation for alleged contamination. In 2022, 3M reportedly announced plans to exit PFAS manufacturing by 2025 in response to growing environmental and legal pressures. According to The Hill report, DuPont spun off its division that makes PFAS-containing products in 2015. PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is the name of a family of manmade chemicals widely used in a range of consumer products. Known as "forever chemicals" because of their persistence in the human body and environment for long periods, PFAS refers to a group of over 10,000 synthetic chemicals that are used in products, including food packaging, cosmetics, clothing and cooking equipment. Recently, Australia's peak health authority, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), published new draft guidelines revising the safe limit of four PFAS and significantly cutting the country's acceptable limits of "forever chemical." Bengaluru, Dec 13 : The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted bail to Kannada superstar Darshan and his partner Pavithra Gowda in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case. The bench, headed by Justice Vishwajith Shetty, also granted bail to accused Nagaraju, Anukumar, M. Laxman, Jagadish and Pradoosh Rao. Senior counsel C. V. Nagesh represented Darshan and the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) P. Prasanna Kumar made submissions for the prosecution. Gowda's advocate Shilpa said bail was granted to her based on arguments questioning her involvement in the case. Gowda, presently lodged in the Central Prison of the Parappana Agrahara, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, will be released on Monday. During arguments on the regular bail plea, C. V. Nagesh had countered the objections raised by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), stating that although Renukaswamy's body reportedly had 39 blood stains, there was only one bleeding injury. Nagesh asserted that at every stage, from recording eyewitness statements to conducting the investigation, the prosecution "lied". "The bail was granted based on a report by doctors from Ballari. The doctors at BGS Hospital also accepted the Ballari doctors' report, confirming the need for surgery of the actor," he said. "We must proceed with the operation as recommended by the doctors. It cannot be done on demand after three or four weeks," he argued. Earlier, Special Public Prosecutor P. Prasanna Kumar submitted to the Karnataka High Court that Darshan was "misusing" the interim bail granted to him on medical grounds. Submitting his objections to the court for granting the regular bail, Prasanna Kumar said that the interim bail was taken citing urgency and the court was told that he was likely to suffer a stroke. Prasanna Kumar further said that in the case of Darshan, dramatic situations are created. Recently, the court had extended Darshan's interim bail on medical grounds. Darshan was released from prison on October 30 on interim bail after spending 131 days in jail. Darshan, admitted to the BGS Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru, was being treated for severe back pain. Darshan, his partner Gowda and 15 others were arrested on June 11 on charges of kidnapping and brutally murdering his fan Renukaswamy from Chitradurga. Renukaswamy had allegedly sent derogatory and obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda as he was miffed with the actor having a relationship with her despite being married. Jaipur, Dec 13 : The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to BJP leader and former MLA Girraj Singh Malinga, who has been accused of assaulting an engineer with the state's electricity department. Jaipur, Dec 13 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to BJP leader and former MLA Girraj Singh Malinga, who has been accused of assaulting an engineer with the stateas electricity department. A bench of Justice MM Sundaresh and Justice Arvind Kumar has asked the trial court to decide the conditions of bail. Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma, on behalf of the state government, meanwhile opposed the bail and said that there are serious allegations against the accused. In fact, Girraj Singh Malinga is accused of attacking an Assistant Engineer and a Junior Engineer of the Electricity Department while being an MLA. After the Supreme Court's order in the case, Malinga surrendered to the SC-ST Court of Dholpur district on November 20. The Supreme Court had asked Malinga to surrender in two weeks during the hearing on November 8 in the assault case. The apex court had said that it will start hearing the case four weeks after the surrender. Harshadapati and Nitin Gulati were assaulted on March 28 2022 at the Bari Discom office in Dholpur. Harshadapati had filed a case against the then Congress MLA Girraj Singh Malinga and others on March 29 for assault, obstruction in government work and under the SC-ST Act. Five people were arrested in the case. After the incident, the then Dholpur SP Shivraj Meena was also transferred. There was anger among the employees of the corporation after the assault on the engineers of the electricity department. On May 11, 2022, Girraj Malinga surrendered before the then Police Commissioner of Jaipur Anand Srivastava. On May 12, he was produced in the SC-ST court which sent Malinga to 15-day judicial custody. Girraj Singh Malinga, accused of assaulting Harshadapati and a junior engineer in the Bari Discom office of Dholpur, was granted bail by the High Court on May 17, 2022. However, on July 5, 2022, the high court revoked his bail, citing its misuse. During the hearing, Harshadapati argued that Malinga had exploited his bail under the pretext of a COVID-19 health concern. Once released, he allegedly organised a procession, threatened the victim and witnesses, and undermined the legal process. This led to Harshadapati's plea for the cancellation of Malinga's bail, which the court upheld. Malinga, a former BJP candidate from the Bari Assembly seat in the 2023 elections, lost to Jaswant Singh Gurjar of BSP. He had previously served as the MLA from Bari for 15 consecutive years. He contested the election for the first time in 2008 on a BSP ticket and became an MLA. After this, he joined Congress. He became MLA in 2013 and 2018 on Congress ticket. When Congress did not give him a ticket in the 2023 elections, he left Congress and joined BJP. Patna, Dec 13 : The candidates of BPSC created a huge ruckus against an alleged paper leak during the 70th preliminary examination at Bapu Examination Centre in Kumhrar, Patna on Friday. It has sparked significant controversy and candidate unrest outside the examination centre. Candidates allege that the examination question paper went viral after 1 PM. The students claimed they received the question paper late, around 12:30 PM, which allegedly caused disruptions and dissatisfaction among examinees. Following these allegations, candidates at the Bapu Examination Centre created a ruckus, with some stepping out in protest. The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has categorically denied the paper leak allegations, terming them as "mischief" by certain individuals. The district administration has also refuted claims of a paper leak. The examination was conducted under stringent surveillance, with over 25,000 CCTV cameras deployed across 912 centres in 36 districts of Bihar. A live Command Control Center at the BPSC headquarters monitored all centres, with separate district-level desks operated by technical staff. District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev Mishra visited the Bapu Examination Center to assess the situation and address candidate concerns. A significant police force was deployed to manage the crowd and restore order. At one point, DM Chandrashekhar Singh lost his cool and slapped a person who was supposed to be a candidate. A video of this regard went viral on social media. The BPSC examination continued under its established protocols, with officials emphasising the integrity of the process. They said any disruptive activity by candidates was recorded for future reference, enabling authorities to take necessary disciplinary action post-exam. Despite the significance of the examination, the attendance of candidates has been notably low this year. The 70th BPSC preliminary exam offers the largest-ever recruitment in the commission's history, with 2,031 posts available. Approximately 4.80 lakh candidates applied for these positions, emphasising the high stakes of the examination. The officials of the BPSC are currently analysing the situation and waiting for the reports of duty magistrates deployed at every centre. Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 13 : Amid escalating organizational meetings and heightened media scrutiny, CPI-M Kerala State Secretary M.V. Govindan on Friday hit out at the media for spreading "anti-Communist" narratives, asserting that the party remains united. The CPI-Mas organizational meetings, now in their final stages, began with the first district conference in Kollam, which concluded on Thursday. Thirteen more district meetings are scheduled, culminating in the state party conference in Kollam in March next year. Since the grassroots meetings began, reports of factionalism in the party have surfaced, particularly in districts like Kollam, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha. Tensions even spilled onto the streets, with media reporting in detail about alleged dissent over Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's leadership and the prominence of his son-in-law, P.A. Mohammed Riyas, a first-time legislator and State Tourism Minister, over party veterans. Govindan dismissed these reports as baseless. "It was claimed that I delivered a tough speech at the start of the Kollam meeting, but the truth is I spoke only yesterday," he said, accusing the media of fabricating events and reporting falsehood. He further alleged that the media is fixated on disseminating anti-Communist narratives. "We donat seek your help, but we urge you to refrain from spreading false news," Govindan stated. Addressing the party's agenda, Govindan emphasized that the focus is on securing a third consecutive term for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front government in the 2026 Assembly elections. "Our discussions are centered on strengthening the party to ensure victory in 2026. When the state party conference concludes in March next year, the CPI-M in Kerala will be at its strongest," he said. The 2021 electoral victory marked a historic second consecutive term for the Left in Kerala, and Govindan affirmed the partyas determination to repeat the feat in 2026. Kolkata, Dec 13 : A district court in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, on Friday, handed a death sentence to one convict and life imprisonment to another in the rape and murder of a minor girl case, which took place in Farkka in October. The convict, Dinobondhu Halder, has been sentenced to death by Jangipur Fast Track Court in Murshidabad district while the other convict, Subhojit Halder, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. The charge sheet, trial process, conviction and finally pronouncing of the sentence have been completed within two months from the date of the crime. Both were convicted by the same court. Last week, there was a similar case of fast completion of the trial process, charge sheet, conviction and pronouncing of the sentence when a district fast-track court in South 24 Parganas district handed the death sentence of Mustakin Sarkar, the convict in a similar minor rape and murder case at Jayanagar, just 62 days after the date of the crime. Incidentally, the pronouncement of the sentence in the Farkka rape and murder was announced on the same day when a special court in Kolkata granted bail to the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal in the case of ghastly rape and murder of a woman junior doctor within the hospital premises in August this year. The bail was granted to the duo since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has failed to give a supplementary chargesheet in the case establishing the charges against Ghosh and Mondal of misleading the investigation and tampering or altering with evidence while the initial investigation in the matter was being carried out by Kolkata Police. The trial process in the R.G. Kar rape and murder case is going on at the same special court in Kolkata on a fast-track and daily basis. --IANS src/dan Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Telangana High Court on Friday adjourned to December 19 the hearing on anticipatory bail petition of veteran Tollywood actor Mohan Babu in the attempt to murder case booked against him for attacking a television journalist. Mohan Babu sought interim orders, directing police not to arrest him till the next hearing of his petition. However, the court declined to pass any orders to bar police from taking any action. The court directed the police to file its counter affidavit to Mohan Babu's petition. The veteran actor, who is also a former Member of Parliament, was booked for attempting to murder after he attacked a reporter of a television channel after grabbing the mike. The reporter was injured and was admitted to a hospital. The incident had occurred on Tuesday night during the chaos at Mohan Babu's house in Jalpally amid the dispute with his actor son Manchu Manoj. Rachakonda Police, initially registered a case under Bharat Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 118 (1) (causing hurt with dangerous weapons or substances) against Mohan Babu, later added section 109 (attempt to murder). The FIR was registered on a complaint by M. Satyanarayana, a reporter of Telangana news channel TV9. Mohan Babu attacked the TV reporter when the latter had gone to his residence in Jalpally to cover the ongoing dispute between the veteran actor and his actor son Manchu Manoj. Journalists had staged protests on Wednesday, demanding the police to book attempt to murder case. They had also demanded an apology from Mohan Babu, who is also a former Member of Parliament. Mohan Babu, who was also admitted to hospital on Tuesday night and was discharged on Thursday, apologised to the journalist and TV9. Mohan Babu posted a letter on X to express regret over the unfortunate incident. "It pains me deeply that what started as a personal family dispute spiraled into a larger situation, causing distress not only to the esteemed TV9 family but also to the broader journalist fraternity," he wrote. The senior actor also gave his version of the incident that happened at his house in Jalpally on the night of December 10. "In the heat of the moment, when my gate was broken and 30-50 individuals, comprising anti-social elements, forcibly barged into my house with an intent to harm those present, I lost my composure. Amidst this chaos, the media inadvertently became intertwined in the situation. As I tried to manage the situation, Mr Ranjith, one of your journalists, unfortunately sustained an injury. This was a deeply regrettable outcome, and I deeply regret the pain and inconvenience caused to him, his family and the TV9 community," he posted. Kolkata, Dec 13 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday raided the residence of the Trinamool Congress leader in East Midnapore in connection with the blast Bhupatinagar blast case of December 2022, which killed three persons. The NIA also raided the residence of Manab Kumar Parua, the public works executive officer with East Midnapore Zilla Parishad, whose name has been already included in the chargesheet filed by NIA in the Bhupatinagar blast case in July this year. Sources said that besides interrogating Paruya for hours, the NIA officials also seized a number of paper documents from his residence. However, the NIA officials refused to talk to the media persons waiting outside the Paruya's residence. However, Parua confirmed that the NIA officials raided his residence in connection with the agency's investigation in the Bhupatinagar blast case. "I am extending full cooperation with the central agency officials in the investigation process and have assured them of total cooperation in the matter in future as well," he said. The NIA sleuths and Central Armed Police Personnel (CAPF) were attacked by local Trinamool Congress activists in April this year while they were returning to Kolkata after arresting two local Trinamool Congress leaders namely Manobrata Jana and Balai Charan Maity. The windscreen of the vehicle of NIA was also smashed by the aggressive ruling party activists. One NIA officer was also injured in the attack. After the blast in December 2022, initially, the cops of West Bengal police started an investigation. Later the charge of the investigation was handed over to NIA following an order of the Calcutta High Court. The central agency took over the investigation assignment on June 4, 2023. --IANS src/dan Bhubaneswar, Dec 13 : The Commissionerate Police in Odisha on Friday arrested four cyber fraudsters for duping gullible victims of their hard-earned money on the pretext of high returns on investments in a fake online gaming platform. The accused persons were identified as Vaibhav Khanna (29) and Kamaljeet Singh (39) of Delhi, Tejas Kumar Mahendra Bhai Patel (26) of Gujarat and Gugulavath Mahipal (32) of Telangana. The city police in a press statement on Friday revealed that accused Gugulavath is a B Tech 2nd year dropout while Vaibhabv, Kamaljit and Tejas have studied up to 11th, 8th and 10 standards of schooling respectively. "Our officials from Cyber Crime and Economic Offence police station and the special squad carried out a raid (Sundarpada area of the city) and detained four suspicious youths who were found operating a system using different electronic devices. We ascertained later during the investigation that the accused were running a fake gaming app," said Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra on Friday. The DCP further added that the accused cybercriminals have created a fake gaming application impersonating a Chinese gaming website, WINBUZZ365. Mishra also said that a case has been registered by police under different sections of the BNS and IT Act and arrested the four accused persons in the case. Various electronic and digital gadgets have been recovered from the possession of the accused during the raid. The police sources also noted that the accused persons used to lure victims into joining WhatsApp and Telegram groups, promising high returns on gaming investments. i.e. winbuzz365. They would send a link i.e. www. winbuzz365.com (Official Website) inviting them to join the group by paying a joining fee of Rs.100 initially. The fraudsters then ask the victims for more money to invest in the fake gaming app. The participants were asked to deposit money via UPI payments using QR codes, but once the funds were transferred, the victim's accounts were blocked, denying them access to their invested money as they have the administrative power of the gaming platform i.e. winbuzz365 and transferred the money to their account through a payment gateway. The accused persons used to earn Rs.30,000 to 40,000 each to perform these operations. They had been running the illegal gaming fraud scam for six months. Ranchi, Dec 13 : Jharkhand BJP's acting president and former MP Ravindra Kumar Ray criticised the Hemant Soren-led state government, alleging that law and order situation has deteriorated in the state. At a press conference held at the state office here on Friday, Ray stated that recent incidents across districts like East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Latehar, and Chatra indicate the return of "Jungle Raj." Ray highlighted a surge in violent incidents, including multiple murders in Chaibasa within a span of five to six days. "These incidents are shameful. Innocent villagers were targeted by extremists while the police failed to act. This inaction has forced youths to take up arms for self-defense. Reports suggest many casualties," he said. The BJP leader also pointed to other alarming events -- the killing of two individuals in East Singhbhum during clashes over sand quarry dominance, arson targeting railway contractorsa vehicles in Latehar, and the brutal murder of a person at the Ranchi-Chatra border. He compared the situation to the "Jungle Raj" in Bihar under the RJD, where unchecked extremism and lawlessness prevailed. Recalling the past, Ray said, "When Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, the region inherited the Maoist menace that thrived under Bihar's RJD regime. During that period, crimes like the murder of MPs, MLAs, and even the son of a former Chief Minister were rampant. Levy collection from industrialists and businessmen became routine. It was only through the concerted efforts of BJP-led governments at the Centre and state that extremism was curbed effectively." Ray lauded the previous BJP governments for a crackdown on extremism, emphasizing that numerous extremists surrendered, were neutralized by security forces, or fled Jharkhand altogether. "Their hideouts were demolished, and their activities curtailed significantly," he remarked. However, Ray expressed concern that organized crime and extremism have surged again under the current administration. "Rural communities are being forced to arm themselves for self-defense, and some have resorted to mass actions against extremists. Villagers are staying awake through the night to protect their lives and property, fearing reprisal from the government for their self-defense efforts," he alleged. The BJP leader further accused extremists of intimidating the public and businessmen to extort money from sand quarries, coal mines, and other natural resources. "The Hemant Soren government has even declared 24 roads in the state as unsafe, which is a glaring testament to the deteriorating law and order situation," he said. Ray demanded that the state government take immediate and decisive action to restore law and order. "The government must prioritize public safety and ensure the rule of law is reestablished," he urged. Jammu, Dec 13 : J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday that the discussion on 'one nation, one election' should be transparent while Congress said to implement the idea is not possible. Omar Abdullah said it has to reach the Parliament where it must be discussed in a transparent manner and it should not resemble what transpired with Article 370 in 2019. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and member of the legislative assembly, G.A.Mir said the idea of 'one nation, one election' is beyond imagination as it cannot be implemented in a big country like India. Mir accused the BJP of trying to hide its failures behind such issues "The 'One nation, one election' idea is beyond imagination and cannot be implemented in a big country like India. There will be a debate on it in the Parliament and all the parties will present their viewpoint. But, this is not a small country, this is a huge country which is democratic. It seems beyond imagination that we can have all the elections at the same time in this country, whether it is the Parliament, assemblies, panchayats or municipalities," Mir told reporters. He added the government brings up debates like these to hide from their basic responsibilities of providing employment opportunities to the youth, taking the country forward, and others. "I do not think that we have become so advanced that we can have all the elections at the same time," Mir added. The Union Cabinet approved two bills to implement 'One Nation, One Election', one of the bills also proposed simultaneous Assembly polls with Lok Sabha and other State Assemblies in the three Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Puducherry, the only UTs with Legislature. One of the bills proposed to amend provisions in three laws dealing with the Union Territories that have Legislative Assemblies including Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Puducherry. The bill will seek to align the terms of these Houses with other Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha as proposed in the Constitution Amendment Bill. --IANS sq/dan New Delhi, Dec 13 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed extortion and conspiracy charges in a Special Court in Ranchi against two more accused in a case related to the revival of the terror group People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) in Jharkhand and neighbouring states. The second supplementary chargesheet in the case named Nilamber Gope alias Delga alias Dikal and Shiv Kumar Sahu, both hailing from district Khunti of Jharkhand, under section 120 B read with section 384 of IPC. They were also charged under Sections 13, 17, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act that deal with raising funds for terrorist acts. Shiv Kumar Sahu and Nilamber Gope had assisted other members of PLFI in collection of "levy" from businessmen by forwarding the PLFI threat pamphlets, channelising the extorted funds through customer service centres and banking channels, and providing the mobile numbers of contractors and businessmen engaged in development work in the state of Jharkhand to other PLFI cadres. NIA investigations have established the involvement of both the accused, identified as members of the PLFI, and their involvement in the case registered suo motu by the agency on October 11, 2023. The case relates to the involvement of PLFI cadres in generating funds through extortion from various coal traders, transporters, railway contractors, businessmen, etc. in Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. The PLFI members had also conspired to commit various terrorist activities, including murders, arson and violent attacks, to create terror among the public, especially businessmen and contractors, with the aim of reviving and strengthening the organisation in these states. Mumbai, Dec 13 : Ashwini Bhide, an IAS of 1995 has been appointed as the Principal Secretary to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Bhide is currently the managing director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation. As per the orders issued by the general administration department, Bhide will continue to hold this additional charge till further orders. Her appointment is crucial when Fadnavis has asked the state administration to focus on making the government functioning more transparent while putting the implementation of various decisions on fast track. The state government last week appointed Shrikar Pardeshi, an IAS of 2001 batch as the Secretary to the Chief Minister. Bhide is popularly known in the bureaucratic and corporate circles as the Metro Woman for her role in the implementation of the Mumbai Metro 3 project Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ. The Metro 3 between Aarey Colony and BKC has been opened for traffic ahead of the state assembly election while the remaining phase will be operational in the coming months. Bhide was removed from the post of managing director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation and transferred as the additional municipal commissioner in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation after Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Aghadi government took over in November 2019. The MVA government had stayed the construction of the Metro3 crashed project being developed in the Aarey Colony citing protection of forest cover there. Bhide as the BMC additional commissioner played a major role in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic by implementing a slew of measures. She along with the BMC staff supervised the slew of decisions taken by the state government under the Disaster Management Act to tackle the situation. After the Eknath Shinde-led MahaYuti was formed in June 2022, Bhide was transferred again as the MD of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation assigned the job of completion of Metro 3 project. Tehran, Dec 13 : A senior Iranian diplomat took a swipe at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi for his "political" remarks about the "potential of nuclear proliferation" by Tehran. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in a post on social media platform X while reacting to part of Grossi's speech at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Norway, where he pointed to the risks of the "ignition of smouldering tensions between Israel and Iran" and their exchange of attacks with each other. He described the IAEA chief's emphasis on Iran's "potential for nuclear proliferation" as entirely "unprofessional and political," stating that Grossi should refrain from making comments based solely on possibilities and speculation, reports Xinhua news agency. Gharibabadi said Iran was committed to its safeguards obligations, stressing that while the "cruel" sanctions against the country were still in place, Tehran would not accept inspection and monitoring by the IAEA beyond its obligations. He called on the IAEA's director general to report any "observed deviation" based on evidence instead of uttering "speculations" through media. This comes days after Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have expressed their determination to continue bilateral interactions and collaborations. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi exchanged views on the latest state of cooperation between the two sides within the framework of the safeguards agreement in a phone conversation, said the Iranian Foreign Ministry. During the phone conversation, Araghchi strongly criticised the "unconstructive" actions by some of the members of the IAEA Board of Governors in late November to pass an anti-Tehran resolution, saying it undermined Grossi's efforts to achieve progress towards resolving the safeguards issues between Iran and the agency. He emphasised that while Iran did not hesitate to respond decisively to such actions, the country was still ready and determined to cooperate constructively with the agency within the defined technical framework. The IAEA chief, for his part, highlighted the agency's determination to continue "serious" interactions with Iran, stressing that he had held consultations with other sides within the framework of his responsibilities and authority to prepare the ground for the resolution of the existing problems. The Board of Governors of the IAEA on November 21 passed a resolution that orders Iran to urgently improve cooperation with the agency and requests a "comprehensive" report aimed at pressuring Iran into fresh nuclear talks. In response to the resolution, Iran announced the following day the activation of a "substantial" number of new "advanced" centrifuges. Iran signed the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with several major countries in 2015. The agreement imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the US government under then President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement unilaterally in May 2018, reinstating sanctions and prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments. Chandigarh, Dec 13 : Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday emphasized the importance of purchasing crops from farmers at the minimum support price (MSP). He targeted Congress and AAP governments on the issues related to farmers and urged them to ensure that all crops are procured at MSP, thereby supporting farmers in their respective states. Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Saini hit out at the Punjab government, urging it to take decisive steps to strengthen farmers in its jurisdiction. "The state government must prioritize farmers' welfare in the states it governs. Punjab must step forward and assure its farmers that all crops will be procured at MSP," he said. Highlighting the pro-farmer initiatives undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past decade, Saini claimed these measures have caused discomfort to opposition parties. "The Congress and other members of the INDIA bloc frequently politicize every decision made in favour of farmers. Their opposition only reveals their lack of commitment to farmers' welfare," he added. The Chief Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of a craft exhibition in the city. Saini also lauded the Union Cabinet's approval of the 'One Nation-One Election' initiative, describing it as a historic step toward saving time and resources. "This move will significantly benefit the common people by expediting developmental projects and ensuring India achieves developed nation status by 2047," he stated. Responding to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's concerns that the initiative could harm regional parties, Saini accused the Punjab government of failing to meet public expectations. "In Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders are embroiled in corruption cases and have failed to deliver on their promises of transparent governance. Instead of politicizing reforms, they should focus on improving people's lives, providing clean drinking water, and cleaning the Yamuna River," Saini remarked. He predicted defeat for the AAP in the upcoming Delhi elections, saying people have grown disillusioned with the party's governance. Targeting the Congress, Saini said the party has been rejected by the people due to its history of deceit and failure to govern effectively. "Congress-led governments in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana have not worked in the people's interest. Their failures are evident, just as they were defeated in Haryana and Maharashtra," he noted. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioners from Haryana's Jind and Ambala districts have written to their Punjab counterpart in Sangrur, urging proper medical assistance for farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The farmer leader's hunger strike entered its 18th day on Friday. Ankara, Dec 13 : Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting on Friday on combating terrorism and achieving stability in Syria, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. "Our priorities include ensuring stability in Syria and preventing the dominance of terrorist organisations such as IS (Islamic State) and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party)," Fidan said at a joint press conference with Blinken in the capital, Ankara. Fidan stressed the alignment between the two nations in addressing key challenges in the region and said their talks focused on exploring solutions to Syria's ongoing crisis and broader regional issues, reports Xinhua news agency. "We agreed that a ceasefire in Gaza should be reached as soon as possible," Fidan said. Blinken, for his part, acknowledged Turkey's role in influencing Hamas to reach a hostage ceasefire agreement, adding that there's broad agreement on expectations for the interim government in Syria -- one that is inclusive, protects minority rights, rejects extremism, and poses no threats to its neighbours. The two officials also reiterated their commitment to ongoing counter-IS efforts. Blinken arrived in the Turkish capital on Thursday following a visit to Jordan. Upon his arrival, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting with him on the situation in Syria. The visit comes as Syria navigates a critical juncture, with a newly formed transitional government assuming power after al-Assad's departure to Russia for asylum. Turkey has long expressed concerns over the role of Kurdish groups in Syria. Ankara views the US-backed Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, which it has battled for decades. Blinken's regional tour will also include a stop in Jordan, where he is expected to meet officials in Aqaba to build consensus on Syria's future and address other pressing issues across the Middle East, the US State Department said on Wednesday. Kaithal, Dec 13 : Haryana's Energy and Transport Minister Anil Vij on Friday slammed the Opposition, saying, it's failing to play its responsible role due to Gandhi family's connections with George Soros. "As it appears, I believe the Opposition is playing into the hands of foreigners, and it is possible that these dictations are also coming from there," he said. The Lok Sabha has witnessed unruly scenes after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raised allegations about Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's links to Soros, leading to Opposition MPs climbing the dais of the Speaker in protest. Responding to media queries after a meeting of the District Public Relations and Grievance Redressal Committee in Kaithal, he said, "The Opposition has never said before the Vice-President or the Rajya Sabha Chairman is biased, and these statements are being made in a planned manner." On the issue of farmers, Vij said, "BJP ministers have been consistently talking to farmers. Now, since the Supreme Court has set up a committee to talk to them, that committee is engaging with the farmers." When asked about 'One Nation, One Election', he said, "This is a decision that will take the country forward. This should have been implemented immediately after Independence, but it was not on the agenda of the governments formed thereafter. Now, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist vision, the country aims to become a developed nation by 2047." He added that due to frequent elections and the imposition of the model code of conduct, development work is continuously stalled. "When the Lok Sabha elections were held, work was stalled, then the state assembly elections took place, halting public work," he said. In response to a question about whether Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda's rightful place is in jail, Vij said: "Absolutely, it's true, because there are ongoing court cases against him. I have studied them to some extent, and as per my understanding, he will definitely face a jail term. When and where this happens will be decided by the honourable court." He said all complaints that came up during the District Grievance Redressal Committee meeting, he said: "My effort is to ensure people don't have to keep going around and asking for justice repeatedly. I would tell officials that if a complaint has come to you and no action is being taken, it should not be like that. We should ensure that people get justice, not just multiple court dates." Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail to Tollywood actor Allu Arjun, minutes after a city court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days in the case relating to a stampede at a theatre during the premier show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' that killed a woman. Hyderabad, Dec 13 (IANS) Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail to Tollywood actor Allu Arjun, minutes after a city court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days in the case relating to a stampede at a theatre during the premier show of aPushpa 2: The Rulea that killed a woman. The High Court gave interim bail for four weeks during the hearing of the quash petition filed by the actor. The court asked him to submit a personal bond of Rs 50,000 to the Jail Superintendent. The pan-India actor received the respite even as the police were shifting him to Chanchalguda Jail from Nampally Criminal Court Complex. It was immediately unclear when the actor would be released later tonight (Friday night) or if he would have to wait till Saturday. For regular bail, Allu Arjun was asked to approach Nampally Court. The High Court took up the hearing of the quash petition after a request made by Allu Arjunas lawyers following his arrest earlier in the day. The actoras counsel S. Niranjan Reddy argued that the actor canat be held responsible for the stampede. He also informed the court that the theatre management and producer had informed the police in advance about Allu Arjunas visit. Niranjan Reddy cited the case of the 2017 stampede at Vadodara Railway Station during actor Shah Rukh Khanas train journey from Mumbai to Delhi to promote his movie aRaeesa. The Gujarat High Court had quashed the complaint filed against Shah Rukh Khan for the stampede, which had killed one person and injured several others. The Supreme Court later upheld the High Court order. The Public Prosecutor told the court that Allu Arjun visited the theatre despite a request by police not to come in view of the possibility of a huge gathering. The court was informed that the actor reached the theatre in a rally. The police, which arrested the National Award-winning actor from his residence in Hyderabad, produced him before a magistrate Nampally Criminal Court complex. He was named accused number 11 in the case. The Ninth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate sent the actor to judicial custody till December 27. Earlier, police recorded the statement of the actor at Chikkadpally Police Station. He was then taken to Gandhi Hospital for a medical check-up. A woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show attended by Allu Arjun on December 4. A police team took the national award-winning actor into custody from his house in Jubilee Hills, hours after his return from Delhi, where he attended the success meet of aPushpa 2a. Allu Arjun's father, a well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind, actor brother Allu Sirish and other family members were present when he was arrested. The police team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akanksh Yadav questioned Allu Arjun for nearly two hours in the light of the statements made by eye-witnesses. Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre. The case was registered at Chikkadpally Police Station on December 5 on a complaint by the deceased woman's husband. The police arrested the theatre owner, general manager and security manager on December 8. According to police there was no intimation from theatre management or the actor's team that they would be visiting the theatre. The theatre management also did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd. Kyiv, Dec 13 : Explosions were heard all over Ukraine on Friday morning as Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on its energy infrastructure, Ukrainian media reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that preliminary reports showed 93 missiles and almost 200 drones were launched against Ukraine in "one of the largest strikes on our energy sector." Explosions sounded in the northern Kyiv region, the southern Odesa region, and the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, reported Xinhua, quoting the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. Ukraine's state-run energy company, Ukrenergo, announced plans to toughen power supply restrictions in the wake of the attack. Russia's defence ministry said the massive strike, which involved high-precision long-range air- and sea-based weapons and drones, was in response to Ukraine's attack on its territory with US-made missiles. Earlier on Wednesday, the ministry said Ukrainian forces used six US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles to attack the Taganrog military airfield in Russia's Rostov region. Moscow had vowed to respond with "appropriate measures." In a major shift of policy on the Ukraine crisis, the United States in November authorized Ukraine to use US long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia, triggering an escalation of tension around the conflict. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the administration of US President Joe Biden announced another tranche of weapons worth $500 million to Ukraine. According to a statement from the US Department of Defense, the latest military assistance to Ukraine is the 72nd time Biden has used his executive authority to approve the fund since August 2021. Weapons in the latest tranche included air defence capabilities, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, and anti-tank weapons, among others. Earlier in the day, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the US National Security Council, told a daily press briefing at the White House that the Biden administration, with just weeks remaining in office, will "continue to provide additional packages right up until the end of this administration." President-elect Donald Trump, who will take over the White House on January 20, said in an interview aired on NBC News on Sunday that Ukraine "probably" should prepare for reduced American aid when his administration is sworn into office. Trump said he considered it unfair that the United States spent more than triple the amount of money that European nations spent on supporting Ukraine. "Why isn't Europe in for the same as us?" Trump said. "The one thing that should happen is that Europe should come in for -- they should equalise." Mumbai, Dec 13 : The Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will mark the 162nd birth anniversary of the philosopher-monk Swami Vivekananda by holding the party's mega-convention in the pilgrimage town of Shirdi, Ahmednagar next month, a top leader said here on Friday. State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that the convention -- to be held on January 12 -- shall be addressed by top party brass including BJP President and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah among others. The convention will be significant, coming barely two months after the party and its MahaYuti allies Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party swept to power in the November 20 Assembly elections. Celebrating the huge MahaYuti victory, the convention will felicitate Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his role in the electoral success that virtually wiped out the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. The meet also assumes added importance as it comes ahead of the much-anticipated municipal and local bodies elections that are due early in 2025. The convention date -- January 12 -- coincided with the 162nd birth anniversary celebrations of the Calcutta-born icon, Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), who walked into history with his famous "Sisters and Brothers of America" in his address at the Parliament of Religions convention in Chicago (1893). "Based on the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda, a new campaign will be launched at the (Shirdi) convention to inspire the youth and attract them to the BJP," said Bawankule. With over 10,000 BJP office-bearers and youth activists scheduled to participate from all over the state, Bawankule said that the program would be critical for the party's upcoming plans, among them to increase contact with the youngsters. Incidentally, this will be the first major party event in the state after the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, both held in the first and second half of 2024, with the mood cheerful for the upcoming local bodies elections. The MahaYuti suffered a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, within six months it bounced back to turn the tide and was rewarded with a landslide victory over the MVA in the Assembly elections. Mumbai, Dec 13 : The share of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has underperformed in the last three months, and India's largest private firm stock is heading towards negative return for the first time in the last 10 years. RIL, which holds an 8 per cent weight in Nifty, has corrected 15 per cent in the last three months. During this period, Nifty was down by 4.9 per cent. RIL's stock has declined by 2.3 per cent since the start of 2024. This is the first time since 2014 that this stock is giving negative returns on an annual basis. RIL's stock has been seeing a decline since the company's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in August. In the AGM meeting, no timeline was given for the monetisation of Reliance Retail and Reliance Jio , due to which investors were very disappointed. RIL's stock has posted a return of -2.2 percent in September, -9.8 percent in October, -3 percent in November, and -3.9 percent in December. Apart from this, Reliance Industries is facing heat from multiple levels. The margins of the company's oil-gas and petrochemical business are under pressure. The operationalisation of the New Energy Business, where a large part of the capital expenditure (Capex) is invested, is running behind schedule. Meanwhile, the average revenue per user (ARPU) of the telecom business is growing at a slower pace than expected due to competition and SIM consolidation. However, the full impact of the tariff hike is yet to come. RIL is restructuring and consolidating the retail business and that has delayed value unlocking for shareholders. Apart from this, significant cash flow was expected from the capital expenditure made in the last few years, but due to global headwinds and margins pressure impact, it is below than expected and the company may need debt to fund future capital expenditure. Chandigarh, Dec 13 : Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have disrupted Pakistan's ISI-backed terror module being operated by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harvinder Rinda and Harpreet Singh with the arrest of two members, who confessed to having placed an improvised explosive device (IED) at a police station in Ajnala, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. Chandigarh, Dec 13 (IANS) Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have disrupted Pakistanas ISI-backed terror module being operated by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harvinder Rinda and Harpreet Singh with the arrest of two members, who confessed to having placed an improvised explosive device (IED) at a police station in Ajnala, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. Those arrested have been identified as Jashandeep Singh, a resident of Amritsar, a 17-year-old juvenile. Police teams have also recovered two Chinese-made P86 hand grenades and one sophisticated Turkey-made 9MM Zigana pistol along with ammunition from their possession. The development came less than three weeks after the recovery of an IED planted close to the Police Station on November 23, 2024. Pertinently, the terrorist organisation BKI used social media platforms to claim responsibility for the terror act. DGP Yadav said preliminary investigations have revealed that accused Jashandeep Singh Danny and the other arrested accused were in touch with Gurdev Jaisal, who allured them to work for him in lieu of money and drugs. Apart from planning terror activities, Jaisal also used them for drug peddling, he added. He said both the accused confessed to having placed an IED at the police station following directions of their handlers and also revealed that they had received various consignments of weapons and explosives. The DGP said further investigations are being conducted to unearth the entire network of Rinda, Happy Passia and Jaisal. Efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of this group to bring the case to a logical end, he added. Sharing operation details, Assistant Inspector General (State Special Operation Cell) Sukhminder Singh Mann said they have received a tip-off that Rinda, Passia and Jaisal have mobilised their associates to carry out anti-national activities in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala areas and also arranged huge consignment of weapons and explosives for them to execute the plans of targeting government establishments. Acting swiftly, the teams launched an intel-based operation and arrested accused Jashandeep Danny and his juvenile accomplice from the Amritsar area after recovering arms and explosives from their possession, he added. Nairobi, Dec 13 : The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that it has secured $118 million to provide life-saving assistance to over 1 million displaced people in Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Laurent Bukera, the WFP's regional director for eastern Africa, said the number of displaced people in the region has doubled over the past four years to 26.5 million in 2024, up from 13.2 million in 2020. People who have lost their homes and livelihoods represent a significant portion of those the WFP aims to reach across eastern Africa, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting Laurent Bukera. "This funding is critical to ensure we can maintain support for these vulnerable displaced people, many of whom rely almost entirely on humanitarian assistance to survive," Bukera said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The food programme organisation said the increased displacement is largely due to conflict, with the war in Sudan forcing record numbers of people from their homes, as well as extreme weather events such as the 2020-2023 Horn of Africa drought. According to the WFP data, the growth in the number of displaced people in recent years has not been matched by a growth in resources, forcing the WFP to make difficult decisions about who receives food assistance and how much. Additionally, the WFP called for timely contributions to enable it to provide cash transfers and in-kind food assistance to over 1 million displaced people, including refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, internally displaced persons, and some food-insecure host communities. "None of the displaced people that WFP supports in Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, or Uganda are receiving a full ration (equivalent to 2,100 kilocalories) due to funding pressures," the WFP said. Bengaluru, Dec 13 : The Karnataka BJP said on Friday that after 'land jihad', 'love jihad' has been started in the state as part of appeasement for the Muslims regarding the Waqf Board. "Land jihad has started in the state similar to love jihad which involves fencing off farmers' lands, evicting them, and including Wakq entries in records. The state government is using the Waqf Board to encroach the Hindu lands, temples, and cemeteries, thereby creating divisions between Hindus and Muslims," said Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka while addressing the Legislative Assembly. He further alleged that Congress is following the British policy of "divide and rule" and demanded the removal of Waqf entries from farmers' land records. He insisted on withdrawing previous notifications and called for support of the Central government's amendments to Waqf laws to rectify injustices against Hindus and farmers. Ashoka compared the Waqf land encroachment issue to poet Kuvempu's statement about oppressive governments exploiting farmers. He alleged that historic temples, grazing lands, schools, cemeteries, ancestral properties, and government lands are being taken over by the Waqf Board, with land records being altered overnight. "Due to droughts and floods, farmers are already struggling, and now the Waqf Board is claiming their land. The residents are being forced to travel to the Waqf Board office in Bengaluru to defend their case and are being pressured to lease the land for 30 years with annual payments," he said. He alleged that during India's partition, Pakistan took over Hindu lands as state property, while in India, they were declared Waqf properties, marking the beginning of Congress's appeasement politics. "Originally, Waqf properties could only be donated by a Muslim. However, the P.V. Narasimha Rao-led Congress government amended the law to allow anyone to donate land, creating problems. The law mandates that if a Deputy Commissioner refers a land proposal to the Waqf Board, it must be published in the gazette within six months, which even BJP governments have had to follow," he said. Ashoka criticised the 2013 UPA government led by Manmohan Singh for amending the law to mandate that only a Muslim official could manage the Waqf Board, unlike the Hindu religious affairs department, which has no such rule. He argued that this led to the current issues where farmers have to prove ownership if the Waqf Board claims their land. "Additionally, complaints against the Waqf Board cannot be easily pursued in court," he said. He also accused the government of issuing widespread notices after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reportedly directed them to do so, following insistence by Minister for Waqf and Housing Zameer Ahmad Khan. He cited incidents where forest lands in Sirsi, an old government school site in Mandya, and 19 guntas of land at Sir M. Visvesvaraya's school in Chikkaballapur were claimed by the Waqf Board. He noted that a mosque was built inside the school compound and land records were altered right before his visit. Ashoka also mentioned the Windsor Manor Hotel land lease issue reported from Bengaluru. "An assembly committee was formed to resolve the dispute. The committee had found irregularities. This property generates revenue to the tune of Rs 5 to Rs 6 crore rupees annually," he said. Ashoka challenged Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan to prove him wrong about the notices issued to 100 Kuruba homes in Mysuru, stating that if proven false, he was ready to face public rebuke. Khartoum, Dec 13 : At least 45 civilians were killed and 28 others injured in an artillery shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on residential neighbourhoods and displacement camps in western Sudan, the Sudanese army said on Friday. "Neighbourhoods and camps in El Fasher city witnessed a significant massacre yesterday, as a result of deliberate shelling by the rebel militia, killing 45 citizens, including children and women, and injuring 28 others who were transferred to health centres," the command of the 6th Infantry Division of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said in a statement. According to the statement, the shelling targeted residential neighbourhoods in the southern sector of El Fasher, the Zamzam displacement camp south of the city, and the Abu Shouk camp to the north. The RSF has not yet issued any comment on the attacks. Earlier on Wednesday, at least 15 people were killed and 64 others wounded in an artillery attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a displacement camp and a market south of El Fasher, the capital city of Sudan's North Darfur State, a local health official said. "So far, 15 people were killed and 64 others injured, while the RSF militia's shelling on Zamzam camp and the livestock market is still continuing," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's health ministry, said. He added that most of the casualties were children and women. The Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher, a local non-governmental group, confirmed in a statement that the RSF attack on the market and Zamzam camp had resulted in more than 60 injuries and 15 deaths, including children, women, and elderly people. An eyewitness described Wednesday's shelling, which took place at 6:00 a.m. local time, as "the most violent" since the RSF began besieging El Fasher on May 10. "About six shells fell in the middle of the Zamzam camp, which is crowded with displaced people, while four others fell in the livestock market south of El Fasher," the eyewitness said. Since May 10, fierce clashes have raged in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan, between the SAF and the RSF. Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023. Sudan has been embroiled in a conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since mid-April 2023, resulting in more than 27,000 deaths and the displacement of over 14 million people, according to international organisations' estimates. New Delhi, Dec 13 : Discussions in Parliament over farmers, youth and the common man are far more important than issues related to alleged links between a politician with top businessmen or which politician is flying in which tycoon's aircraft or which politician has received funds from which foreigner, said NCP MP Amol Ramsing Kolhe in Lok Sabha on Friday. Speaking during the Constitution debate, Kolhe said personal comments in the House often turn it into a ring for political bouts. "Political sloganeering often disrupts proceedings, overshadowing issues of national interests," he said, in a passionate speech which also raised concerns over the alleged wrongdoings in Maharashtra Assembly elections. The 14-minute speech by a 44-year-old MP from Shirur in Maharashtra also carried a message for both the treasury benches and the Opposition who have been locked in a prolonged battle, disrupting both Houses on several occasions during the current session of Parliament. While the Opposition is adamant about proceeding ahead with the no-trust notice against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, the ruling BJP and its allies have been raising the issue of the alleged relationship between former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and US billionaire George Soros. Raising the issue of alleged wrongdoings in Maharashtra Assembly elections, he said voters in the state had a right to seek answers to their doubts. Pointing to the alleged inclusion of fresh names of voters after revision of rolls and alleged non-adherence of the stipulation for VVPAT-EVM vote matching, Kolhe alleged that if the authorities are denying any wrongdoing, why are they afraid of a check. Seeking access to "EVM log data" for all candidates and VVPAT-EVM vote matching in 5 per cent EVMs, Kolhe also cast aspersions on the Election Commission, claiming that there were questions being raised over the transparency of elections. Kolhe suggested a dual system, offering the option to a voter whether he or she wants to vote using an EVM or ballot paper. Kolhe said, "During this brainstorming on the Constitution, there is no point digging up the past. It would be better to analyse the present and plan for the future." Demanding social and economic justice for farmers, the MP from Maharashtra highlighted that growers were not getting the right price for their yields. "The farmers continue to suffer despite government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi," he said, asking for tweaking the country's export and import policies to benefit farmers. Highlighting joblessness, he asked, "Are we delivering economic justice to the youth to match their education qualification?" "Is it an achievement or a failure that even after 75 years of Independence, the government is forced to give free ration to 80 crore people?" he asked, adding that an honourable job is much better than a free ration for leading a dignified life. Touching upon the issue of social justice, Kolhe said the Constitution is the most holy of scripture, irrespective of the religions of individual citizens. Pointing towards the masjid-temple issues, he said the wastage of government's and judiciary's time over deciding such matters would be better utilised in focusing on issues related to nation-building and citizen-centric issues. "The right to differ is now being used to brand rivals as anti-national," he said, stressing that every debate or disagreement should revolve around nation-building. He also lashed out at the disinterested voters in urban areas and the insufficient focus on civics and parliamentary issues in the school curriculum. Srinagar, Dec 13 : J&K Police on Friday attached the single-storey house and 10 Marlas of land belonging to Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat in Chenigam Frisal village of Kulgam district. The property was attached in the presence of an executive magistrate under section 25 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). "The action pertains to case FIR number 53/2024 registered in Yaripora police station. Four terrorists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in this house on July 6, 2024, where they had been harboured," police said adding that more actions like this will follow against those who harbour terrorists. J&K Police have launched an aggressive campaign against terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs) and their sympathisers. J&K L-G Manoj Sinha has chaired top-level security review meetings in which clear orders have been given to the security forces to dismantle the ecosystem of terror. Intelligence agencies believe that after peaceful people participative Lok Sabha and legislative assembly elections in J&K, handlers of terrorism sitting across the border became impatient and directed terrorists to carry out attacks against army, security forces, police and civilians. On October 20, two terrorists opened indiscriminate firing inside the workers' camp of an infrastructure company in the Gagangir area of the Ganderbal district. Seven people including six non-local civilian workers and a local doctor were killed in the Gagangir attack. One of the two terrorists responsible for the Gagangir attack was killed by the security forces in an encounter in the higher reaches of Dachigam National Park in Srinagar last month. --IANS sq/dan Gurugram, Dec 13 : A special investigation team (SIT) of the Gurugram Police has arrested three more people in connection with hurling crude bombs outside two clubs in Gurugram in the early hours of Tuesday, officials said. The accused were identified as Ankit (30) of Meerut, Vikas (28) of Sonipat and Vinit Malik (27), Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday and took them on six days of police remand. The police have already arrested Sachin from the incident spot on the same day. The police have also recovered two crude bombs and weapons from him. Noted gangster Rohit Godara, an aide of the Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi gang had claimed responsibility for the crude bomb explosion outside a Sector 29 club. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Godara threatened that the recent blasts were minor and hinted at their capability to execute larger attacks. "Ram-Ram Jai Shri Ram to all, I, Rohit Godara, Bikaner, Goldy Brar, we have caused the bomb blasts outside two clubs in Chandigarh and two days ago in Gurugram Sector 29. Gambling bookies, hawala traders and dance clubs who are earning crores of rupees daily will all have to pay tax. This is just a small demo to open your ears. We can create an even bigger explosion that will disintegrate such dance clubs. Don't take this as our warning, we do what we say. Those who suck the blood of the poor and those who earn crores of rupees by evading the country's taxes, they all will have to pay," reads the post. Sachin, who is reportedly a supporter of the designated terrorist Goldy Brar, was taken into police custody for seven days. Soon after the incident, Vikas Arora, Commissioner of Gurugram Police, had also visited the crime scene. The bomb disposal team of Gurugram Police was also called to the crime scene and the 02 live bombs recovered from the possession of the accused were defused by the bomb disposal team. In the incident, a scooty and a board have suffered some damage, police said. A senior officer requesting anonymity said that a lot of information had been obtained from the arrested suspect during the interrogation. The involvement of some more people has also come to the fore in this case, and they will be apprehended soon. Gurugram Police appealed to the people that if they notice a suspicious person or object, immediately inform control room numbers 112, 0124-22216010 and 124-2316100, he said. Recently, five hotels in Gurugram had also received bomb threats. The threat sent through email has created panic in all the hotels. It has been told that the hotels which have received the threat are located at five different locations in the city. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy has condemned the arrest of actor Allu Arjun for the recent stampede at a theatre in Hyderabad during the premier show of his movie 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' that killed a woman and injured her son. He termed the arrest as irresponsible and unwarranted. "The intent behind this arrest seems motivated as the organizers of the show claim to have informed the concerned authorities in advance. Moreover, the onus and responsibility of law & order lies with the police authorities and the arrest clearly intends to target an individual," Kishan Reddy posted on X. "The arrest also reminds us the targeting and witch-hunting of cine artists in the state. I condemn the arrest and high-handedness of the administration," added Kishan Reddy, who is also the president of Telangana BJP. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has also condemned the arrest of Allu Arjun. BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao posted on 'X' that arrest of National Award-winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers. Stating that he totally sympathised with the victims of the stampede, Rama Rao asked who really failed. The former minister said that treating Allu Arjun as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn't directly responsible. "There is always space for respect and dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high-handed behaviour of the government," wrote KTR. "Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by HYDRA," the BRS leader added. Another senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao has also strongly condemned the arrest of Allu Arjun. He asked who gave the permission for the benefit show. The former minister also wanted to know who screened the movie without precautionary measures. "It is unfortunate that a woman Revati lost her life when she went for the movie. The state rulers are responsible for this," he said. Harish Rao said action should be taken against the Congress government. He claimed that a former sarpanch of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's native village committed suicide and wrote in his suicide note that 'he was dying because of the harassment by Reddy brothers'. Riga, Dec 13 : Swedish lawmakers approved the country's long-term participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s multinational brigade in Latvia, according to information from the Latvian Defense Ministry. Sweden plans to deploy a mechanised infantry battalion of up to 600 personnel to join the multinational unit in Latvia. The Swedish troops are scheduled to arrive at the beginning of 2025, marking Sweden's first deployment to another allied country since its accession to NATO in March 2024. Upon joining the alliance, Sweden declared its intention to contribute a combat battalion to the NATO multinational brigade in Latvia. Currently, the NATO brigade in Latvia comprises forces from 13 member states: Albania, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Canada, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Meanwhile, in another development, European members of NATO on Thursday began discussing a plan to gradually increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, reports Xinhua, quoting Financial Times. Preliminary talks took place at last week's foreign ministers' meeting, during which members envisaged "a short-term pledge to hit 2.5 per cent and, by 2030, a target of 3 per cent." The report said the decision could be made at the next NATO summit, which will take place in June 2025 in The Hague. The current target, agreed on in 2014, is 2 per cent of GDP. The report added that increasing it to 3 per cent would "put intense pressure on already strained national budgets. " Seven European NATO members, including Italy and Spain, have not reached the 2 per cent target in 2024. Germany reached the target for the first time this year. The increase in defence spending comes as US President-elect Donald Trump, who has been demanding Europe pay more for its own security, is to take office in January. Ahmedabad, Dec 13 : The 'captain' of the fake ED team recently arrested in Gujarat is Abdul Sattar, who is General Secretary of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of the state party unit. Gujarat's Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, shared this information on his X account. He also posted on the X the pictures of Sattar with AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, captioning them with, "Kejriwal ke chelon ki asal kartoot" (The real deeds of Kejriwal's associates). Ahmedabad, Dec 13 (IANS) The 'captain' of the fake ED team recently arrested in Gujarat is Abdul Sattar, who is General Secretary of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of the state party unit. Gujarat's Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, shared this information on his X account. He also posted on the X the pictures of Sattar with AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, captioning them with, "Kejriwal ke chelon ki asal kartoot" (The real deeds of Kejriwal's associates). Minister Harsh Sanghavi further shared the images of Sattar with Kejriwal and other prominent AAP leaders. One photo showed Sattar shaking hands with Kejriwal, while another depicted him with Isudan Gadhvi, AAP's face for the Gujarat Chief Minister's post during the state elections. This revelation is set to create another controversy with the AAP leadership being forced to clear the air. Sattar, along with several accomplices, was arrested for posing as ED officials and extorting money from a jeweller in Gandhidham, Kutch. The fake team conducted a raid at Radhika Jewellers and its owner's residence, stealing gold, silver, and cash worth Rs 22.25 lakh. The jeweller filed a complaint, leading to the investigation and the subsequent arrests. The accused were found in possession of forged identification and official documents that mimicked those of the Enforcement Directorate. Abdul Sattar's alleged involvement in this scam has shocked many, particularly in view of his association reportedly with AAP as general secretary. Earlier, the police had arrested 12 individuals, including a woman, for impersonating ED officials. They had targeted the jeweller's shop and residence, posing as part of an official investigation, before making off with the stolen goods. This scandal has come at a time when AAP is gearing up to retain power in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The revelation of this fake ED scam in Gujarat has the potential to damage the party's image, especially as it claims to champion clean governance, say political commentators. As the situation develops, all eyes are on Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP leadership to see how they will respond. Whether this is an isolated incident or a sign of deeper issues within the party will likely become clearer in the coming days. Chandigarh, Dec 13 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday condemned remarks by BJP MP (Rajya Sabha) Ram Chander Jangra against farmers and the people of Punjab. The AAP unit of Punjab said the MP's statement alleging the disappearance of 700 women during the farmers' movement and accusing Punjabis of spreading drugs, reflects a deeply prejudiced and malicious mindset. AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said here, "Such vile statements are not isolated incidents but part of a calculated attempt by BJP leaders to malign the image of Punjabis and farmers. Even if the BJP later distances itself by calling these personal remarks, it is evident that these statements align with the BJP's divisive agenda and mindset." Garg pointed out that the farmers' movement was a historic struggle that garnered national and international attention, with extensive media coverage at all levels. "If such baseless allegations were true, they would have been reported". He questioned the intent behind such claims, saying these remarks "are a continuation of the BJP's attempts to discredit the farmers who forced the central government to repeal the controversial farm laws". "Instead of apologising for their failure to address the farmers' concerns and the heavy-handed approach during the protests, BJP leaders are resorting to spreading lies and propaganda. These statements are not just an insult to the farmers but to every Indian who stood in solidarity with them," Garg added. The AAP demanded an unconditional apology from BJP's central leadership for this deplorable statement. "We urge the BJP to ensure that no leader makes such baseless and divisive remarks against Punjabis or farmers in the future. The BJP must acknowledge and apologise for its divisive mindset that continues to hurt the fabric of this nation," added Garg. He also appealed to the people to reject and resist the BJP's attempts to tarnish the image of Punjabis. New Delhi, Dec 13 : The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea in which a woman claiming to be the widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar II from the Mughal dynasty sought possession of the Red Fort in the national capital. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela refused to entertain the appeal moved by the woman challenging the 2021 decision of the single-judge bench which had rejected her petition. Without entering into the merits of the case, ACJ Bakhru-led Bench rejected the matter on delay in filing the appeal. It opined that the delay spanning over two-and-a-half year should not be condoned. According to the plea, their family property was taken away by the British East India Company following the first War of Independence in 1857, after which the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled from the country and possession of the Red Fort was taken away from the Mughals. The petitioner woman sought possession of the Red Fort or adequate compensation from 1857 till date for 'illegal possession' by the government or any other relief deemed fit. In the course of hearing, a single-judge bench of Justice Rekha Palli had said: "My history is very weak, but you claim injustice was done to you by the British East India Company in 1857. Why is there a delay of over 150 years? What were you doing for all these years?" Justice Palli also noted that there was no documentary evidence to support the claim that the petitioner was related to the last Mughal emperor. aYou have not filed any inheritance chart. Everyone knows Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British, but if his heirs did not file any plea can she do it?" the Delhi HC had asked. In response, the petitioneras counsel said that Begum was an illiterate woman. However, the court had rejected the petition saying merely because the petitioner is an illiterate woman there is no reason why, if the petitioner's predecessors were aggrieved by any action of the East India Company, no steps were taken in this regard at the relevant time or soon thereafter. Jaipur, Dec 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Dadiya in Jaipur on December 17 to lay the foundation stone for the ambitious ERCP as well as to commemorate the first-year anniversary of the BJP government in the state. Preparations are underway for a grand celebration on December 17 to mark the successful completion of one year of the BJP government in Rajasthan. A meeting was held on Friday at the BJP state office in Jaipur, led by senior party leader and programme coordinator Rajendra Rathore, to discuss arrangements for party workers attending the event. Addressing the meeting, Rathore emphasised that a large number of BJP workers from across districts, divisions, and booth levels of the state would attend the event. BJP State President Madan Rathore instructed party officials to ensure proper facilities for the workers and the successful organisation of the programme. Speaking at the meeting, Rathore highlighted the achievements of the "double-engine" government led by Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. He noted that Chief Minister Sharma has taken historic decisions to enhance women's safety, uplift the poor, create youth employment opportunities, and support farmers. Among the government's notable achievements are the ERCP-PKC project and the Yamuna Water Agreement, both aimed at providing long-term benefits to Rajasthan. Rathore also mentioned the enthusiasm among citizens following the BJP's success in the recent by-elections, where the party secured victory in five out of seven Assembly seats. The meeting saw participation from prominent BJP leaders, including former state president Arun Chaturvedi, state vice-president Mukesh Dadhich, state general secretary Jitendra Gothwal, former general secretary Narayan Singh Dewal, and others. They discussed various logistical arrangements to accommodate the workers and ensure the smooth execution of the event. The celebration marks a significant milestone for the BJP government, showcasing its commitment to development and the welfare of the people of Rajasthan. New Delhi, Dec 13 : A Delhi BJP delegation, led by party state president Virendra Sachdeva, met with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two other Election Commissioners on Friday to lodge a formal protest against the inclusion of illegal voters, including infiltrators of Rohingya and Bangladeshi origin, duplicate voters, and non-existent address entries in the voter lists of Delhi. The delegation demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) prioritise the issue and ensure a transparent and fair election for the Delhi Assembly. The delegation, which included BJP leaders Om Pathak, MoS Harsh Malhotra, MP Bansuri Swaraj, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, and Advocate Sanket Gupta, submitted a detailed representation to the ECI, supported by primary evidence spanning 5,000 pages. Sachdeva raised concerns over the sudden and abnormally high registration of new voters between the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections and the start of the Delhi Assembly elections. He pointed out that this trend is significantly higher than the usual voter registration process during the annual summary revision. He also highlighted the discovery of thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators registered as voters, as well as duplicate entries and voters with non-existent addresses. The BJP delegation urged the ECI to launch a campaign against the enrolment of illegal voters and to take steps to prevent illegal voting. Sachdeva suggested that the ECI should run radio and print media campaigns warning bogus voters about potential imprisonment for illegal registration or voting. Bansuri Swaraj presented 18 pieces of evidence showing how infiltrators are registered, including instances of multiple entries for individuals with the same family details and address. She also shared evidence of voters listed at non-existent addresses. Bansuri cited at least six cases with evidence from different assemblies where voters of a particular community stand registered on non-existent addresses. Harsh Malhotra called attention to the misleading narrative created by the Delhi Government, clarifying that BJP's objection is not against voters of Indian origin but against infiltrators and bogus entries. Om Pathak urged the ECI to ensure a free, fair, and transparent election process in Delhi. The meeting has raised hopes for swift action by the Election Commission. Sachdeva said that on the strength of August 2024 circular of ECI, the BJP BLAs and other workers have been going across all 70 assembly constituencies and have found the existence of lakhs of Bangladeshi or Rohingya origin infiltrators registered as voters in Delhi apart from duplicate voters, non- existent address voters. Every constituency in Delhi has a huge number of dead or permanently shifted voters in Delhi. Guwahati, Dec 13 : At least 44 families were evicted in an anti-encroachment drive in Assam's Goalpara district on Friday, officials said. Guwahati, Dec 13 (IANS) At least 44 families were evicted in an anti-encroachment drive in Assamas Goalpara district on Friday, officials said. The eviction drive was carried out by the district administration in the Pancharatna area, under the Balijan revenue circle of Goalpara district. A senior official said that the illegal settlers were served eviction notices much prior to the eviction drive. Security forces were deployed by the administration to carry out eviction exercise in a peaceful manner. Meanwhile, the residents claimed that they have been residing at the place for the last three decades. However, the administration said that all the 44 families illegally settled on government land. Earlier, in September, in the Sonapur area of the Kamrup district, a routine eviction drive on Thursday descended into violence. A violent clash broke out between the local police and the residents when the police attempted to remove what they believed to be unlawful colonies on a 100-bigha tract of land that housed about 150 people, resulting in the tragic deaths of two inhabitants and injury to several others. Juwahid Ali and Haider Ali were identified as the two deceased. Both the persons were pronounced dead at Sonapur District Hospital after suffering injuries that were allegedly caused by police shooting. In addition to the deaths, the violence caused a number of injuries, one of which was to Shahjahan Ali, who was shot in the leg. During the clash, at least 22 policemen including a woman constable and Revenue Circle Officer Nitul Khatoniar got injured. They were rushed to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital to receive urgent treatment. According to sources, the encroachers reportedly threw stones at the police and authorities on Thursday, the fourth day, damaging and vandalising numerous police vehicles. Onlookers said that they were also attacked with sticks and other dangerous objects. According to them, the paramilitary and police forces opened fire to bring the situation under control. According to sources, there was little to no security presence during the first three days of the eviction campaign. In a statement, the Assam Police said that 248 bigha (155 acres) of government land and 237 unauthorised buildings built in the tribal zone by unauthorised individuals have been cleared. To recall, in September 2021, two persons were killed and 15 policemen injured when a clash broke out between alleged encroachers and the police during an eviction drive in Assam's Gorukhuti village. Mogadishu, Dec 13 : The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has welcomed an agreement signed between Ethiopia and Somalia to end their bitter dispute over Addis Ababa's plans to build a port in Somaliland, a region of Somalia. Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and Head of ATMIS Mohamed El-Amine Souef described the deal, inked in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, as an exemplary act of leadership that is crucial in advancing regional peace, security and stability, reports Xinhua news agency "ATMIS remains fully committed to supporting Somalia's state-building and security transition, in line with the aspirations of the Somali people and the African Union's vision for a stable and prosperous Africa," Souef said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, Thursday evening. He urged the two parties to implement the agreed measures and further consolidate mutual trust and cooperation. Earlier, African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also welcomed a recent agreement signed between the leaders of Ethiopia and Somalia over a dispute concerning Somaliland, a region of Somalia. "The chairperson welcomes the communique signed by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on December 11 in Ankara, under the auspices of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," the AU said in a statement issued on Thursday. The AU chief praised "this important act of high responsibility on the part of the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia," urging them to implement the agreed-upon measures without delay. Tensions had been escalating between Ethiopia and Somalia after Ethiopia and Somaliland reportedly signed an agreement earlier this year allowing Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in exchange for its recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, an agreement condemned by Somalia. In a joint statement issued in Ankara, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reaffirmed their respect for and commitment to one another's sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity and agreed to work together to finalise arrangements that will allow Ethiopia to enjoy access to and from the sea. Jammu, Dec 13 : Border Security Force (BSF) IG Jammu Frontier D.K. Boora said on Friday that there is no information about Rohingyas living near the international border (IB) in J&K. The top BSF official also ruled out the possibility of any unidentified person roaming near the IB without the knowledge of the BSF. "Border has always been sensitive and we keep a close watch on the situation irrespective of what happens in Bangladesh or elsewhere. We do not have any information about Rohingyas living near the IB in Jammu. The entire border is under strict surveillance of BSF and other agencies while border police also plays an important role in the hinterland," the officer said. He also ruled out any attempt by Rohingyas or Bangladeshis to cross the IB to enter Pakistan. He did not agree that a large number of labourers were working close to the IB without proper verification of their antecedents. "You may feel that their verification has not been done, but the reality is otherwise. The secret services or the police continue to do that work and the people hiring them for work have to report to the police and get their verification done. So, there is no such situation that unidentified people are roaming near the border and no one knows about it," he said. He refused to comment on the situation along the Bangladesh border, saying: "We have no direct role in its security as far as the Jammu border is concerned, it has always been sensitive irrespective of what happens in Bangladesh or elsewhere. Keeping that in mind, we keep a close watch and increase over-deployment as per the requirement." The BSF officer said adding that there was no instance reported anywhere in Jammu when any person posing as insane crossed into this side from Pakistan and returned back. "As far as drug smuggling is concerned, the police and all other security agencies are working hard to counter the menace and have managed to control it," he said. Additional deployments of the security forces have been made in J&K to check border incursions and also deal with terrorism in the hinterland in synergy with the army and the local police. --IANS sq/dan Seoul, Dec 13 : Prosecutors on Friday arrested Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo, the chief of South Korea's Capital Defence Command, as part of their ongoing investigation into his alleged involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law. "The commander was arrested this evening under a warrant," the prosecution said. Lee, who had previously been placed under a travel ban, is accused of ordering the deployment of martial law troops to the National Assembly building after Yoon declared martial law on December 3, reports Yonhap news agency. Several military commanders are currently under investigation in connection with the military's role in enforcing martial law, which was soon lifted by the parliament. Prosecutors plan to seek a separate warrant to formally detain Lee within 48 hours. Prosecutors also sought an arrest warrant for Defence Counterintelligence Command chief Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung over his role in the imposition of martial law. Yeo is also suspected of sending troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission at the orders of then-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun. The arrest warrant was sought on charges of insurrection and abuse of power. Prosecutors revealed that Yeo had allegedly ordered military officials to prioritise the arrest of three prominent politicians -- the leaders of both the ruling and main opposition parties, as well as National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, according to legal sources. Additionally, several other figures, including politicians, judges and a progressive reporter, were reportedly listed as targets. Later on Friday, Yeo announced that he would waive a court hearing to review the arrest warrant. "Participating in the hearing to determine the necessity of my arrest would not be appropriate in light of my duties to the public and my subordinates. Therefore, I have decided to forgo it," Yeo said in a statement. New Delhi, Dec 13 : A Delhi BJP delegation led by President Virendra Sachdeva on Friday met Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar to lodge a protest against the inclusion of names of alleged infiltrators of Rohingya and Bangladeshi-origin in the city's electoral rolls. New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) A Delhi BJP delegation led by President Virendra Sachdeva on Friday met Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar to lodge a protest against the inclusion of names of alleged infiltrators of Rohingya and Bangladeshi-origin in the cityas electoral rolls. Leading the party delegation, Sachdeva also raised the issue of duplicate names, voters not living at their listed addresses and inclusion of dead personsa names in the rolls. Sachdeva submitted a detailed representation before ECI, along with primary evidence running into 5,000 pages, and demanded early action to ensure a transparent Assembly election around February. The delegation led by Sachdeva included the National Convenor of Election Coordination Committee of Delhi BJP Om Pathak, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, MP and Senior Advocate Bansuri Swaraj, Delhi BJP Media Head Praveen Shankar Kapoor and Convenor of Delhi BJP Election Committee Advocate Sanket Gupta. The Delhi BJP President told ECI that it was surprising that an abnormally high number of new voters were being registered between the period of the conclusion of Lok Sabha elections and before the Assembly elections. Sachdeva said on the basis of an August 2024 circular of ECI, the BJP workers have been going across all 70 Assembly constituencies and have found the existence of lakhs of Bangladeshi or Rohingya-origin infiltrators registered as voters in Delhi. Every constituency in Delhi also has a huge number of voters who are either dead or have permanently shifted out of the city. He requested the ECI to run a campaign against enrollment of illegal voters as well as against illegal voting. The Delhi BJP President urged ECI to run a radio and print media campaign dissuading and warning the bogus voters with imprisonment. Sachdeva, talking to mediapersons after an hour-long meeting at ECI, said that the BJP will not let infiltrators or bogus voters vote in the upcoming elections. MP Advocate Bansuri Swaraj in her legal submission kept before the ECI a list of 18 strong evidence showing how Rohingya and Bangladeshi-origin infiltrators stand registered. She cited pages from voter lists of several Assembly constituencies wherein a single person with the same family details and address stands repeatedly registered as a voter with a different EPIC. Union MoS Harsh Malhotra drew the attention of the ECI to the false narrative being created by the AAP government in Delhi that the BJP was objecting to voters of Indian origin in voters list. Senior leader Om Pathak requested the ECI to ensure an atmosphere for free, fair and transparent elections in Delhi. GLOBALink | Macao's top legislator affirms legislature's commitment to national security, public welfare Pub Date:24-12-13 10:21 Source:Xinhua Macao's top legislator affirmed that the local legislature has remained steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding national security and enhancing people's well-being since the city's return to China in 1999. #GLOBALink Editor:Qin Shuying Related News #ShowMeChina Documentary | Water from the ... BRI boosts trade, fosters mutually benefic... New generation takes on mission of remembe... EconomyInFocus | China's South-to-North Wa... Bhopal, Dec 13 : The death of businessman Manoj Parmar and his wife Neha Parmar at their home in the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh on Friday has sparked a major controversy in the state. The fresh controversy erupted after the BJP shared a purported video, wherein MP Congress unit chief Jitu Patwari is seen talking to the son of the deceased couple. Following this, the son of the deceased couple blamed MP BJP chief and Khajuraho MP V. D. Sharma for the death of his parents. Later, BJP MLA Bhagwandas Sabnani alleged that Jitu Patwari misled the boy and convinced him to blame V. D. Sharma. He further accused Congress of playing politics on over death of a businessman and his wife. "The minor boy was convinced by Jitu Patwari to take MP BJP chiefas name (V. D. Sharma), the video clearly shows. He had gone there to express his condolences, but tried to play politics, which is condemnable," Sabnani said during the press conference. Sabnani further said that Patwari should apologise for his act, otherwise BJP workers will stage a protest against him. He also warned of legal action against Patwari. Earlier, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh held the ED responsible for the deaths, alleging that Parmar was harassed unnecessarily. "Manoj Parmar was being harassed by the ED without any valid reason mainly because his children had gifted a piggy bank to Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. His house was raided by ED Assistant Director Sanjeet Kumar Sahu," Digvijaya Singh said. Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh further stated that he had arranged an advocate to defend him in the court, however, he ended his life. "I had also arranged for a lawyer for Manoj. But, Manoj was so scared that today he and his wife committed suicide this morning. I demand a fair investigation in this matter from the ED director," Digvijaya Singh said in a series of social media posts. Notably, the ED sleuths had conducted raids at several locations, including four premises of Parmar in Sehore and Indore on December 5. Several other businessmen, including some prominent jewellers and a Chartered Accountant (CA), were also raided. During the raids, ED had seized documents related to several movable and immovable assets and froze a bank balance of Rs 3.5 lakh. Parmar was also arrested in connection with an alleged Rs 6 crore fraud case involving a nationalised bank. Family members allege that the couple was under extreme stress due to the actions taken by the ED against them. "He (Manoj Parmar) was under mental stress due to the ED's raid. He ended his life because he was harassed by ED," Manoj's younger brother Kailash Parmar, who is district level Congress leader told the media persons. Police reportedly have recovered a suicide note from Parmar's residence, however, the investigating team has yet to disclose the contents of it. The investigation into the matter was underway, police said. New Delhi, Dec 13 : BJP youth leader Ujjwal Deepak was honoured with the prestigious Young Leaders Award by Rishihood University for his outstanding contributions to politics, leadership abilities, and efforts to bring about positive change in society. The award ceremony was organised by Rishihood University, Sonipat, at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. The award was presented to Ujjwal Deepak by former Railways minister Suresh Prabhu, and renowned industrialist Ajay Piramal. "I am grateful to the entire university family for honouring me with the Young Leaders Award. I am pleased that the political and social work I am doing has been encouraged by the university through this award, inspiring me to continue working towards bringing about positive change in the country's politics," said Ujjwal Deepak. He further said: "I would like to dedicate this award to the young candidates of Chhattisgarh, who fully supported the movement against corruption in the Chhattisgarh PSC exams. Because of their efforts, today the PSC exams in Chhattisgarh are being conducted with transparency and integrity." Ujjwal Deepak, educated at the prestigious Columbia University, has also been selected for the Reliance Leadership Programme. Currently, he is emerging as a prominent voice for the youth in his home state of Chhattisgarh. The Rishihood Young Leader Awards are an initiative by Rishihood University to recognise the contributions of youth across various fields. Rishihood University claims to be India's first and only impact university "nurturing passionate learners of today to solve the big questions of tomorrow". According to information, the Young Leader Awards were part of Rishihood University's celebration of its 10th anniversary. The university started as the Vision India Foundation, a public policy think tank, and has since evolved into Rishihood University. Kolkata, Dec 13 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday expressed satisfaction over the speedy completion of the trial, conviction and sentencing process in the ghastly rape and murder of a minor girl at Farakka in the state's Murshidabad district in October this year In fact, last week also, she expressed satisfaction over a similar speedy completion of the trial, conviction and sentencing process in a similar ghastly rape and murder of a minor girl at Jaynagar in South 24 Parganas district. That incident also happened in October this year. "Barely a week ago, @WBPolice and our justice system secured capital punishment within just 62 days for the perpetrator of a brutal rape-murder of a minor in Jaynagar. Today, the death penalty has been awarded to one of two accused in the heinous rape-murder of yet another minor in Farakka on 13.10.24, with his co-accused getting a life term," the Chief Minister said in a statement posted on X. She reiterated that her stand is clear that every rapist deserves nothing less than the harshest punishment, which is capital punishment. "As a society, we must unite to eradicate this heinous social malice. I believe that swift, time-bound trials and punishments will serve as a powerful deterrent, sending a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated," the Chief Minister said. She also congratulated the state police and others involved in the prosecution process for the achievement and said that her thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim. On Friday, the Jangipur Fast-Track Court at Murshidabad besides sentencing one to death sentence and life-imprisonment for the other, had also directed payment of Rs 20 lakh as compensation to the victim's family. New Delhi, April 13 : Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto are scheduled to visit India early next year as both countries continue to unlock the unparalleled potential of strategic partnership driven by a shared vision outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni who have held five meetings over the last two years. In an exclusive interview with IANS, Italian Ambassador to India Antonio Bartoli revealed that the Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 unveiled by the both leaders during their discussions held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro last month, has infused further momentum and depth in the bilateral agenda. "Defence and space are top on the agenda of the Joint Strategic Action Plan. It means that we are assuring an ever-increasing presence in the Indo-Pacific region," Bartoli told IANS while confirming the visits of Italian Deputy PM and Defence Minister, early next year. Both countries have been working extensively on the possibilities of joint development, including fostering the interaction of the Indian start-ups with the Italian defence companies, since the visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Rome last year during which he held detailed discussions with Crosetto on a range of defence cooperation issues, including training, sharing of information, maritime exercises and maritime security. In October, India welcomed Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and frigate ITS Alpino on their first Indo-Pacific deployment - a visit that Rome underlined was a testimony to the importance Italy attaches to the Indo-Pacific and the will to work closer with India. "The idea of 'Make in India' applies also to the defence sector, so our defence industries are eager and ready to move some productions here and develop co-design and co-production projects with the industry of India. The next step is to identify this area and proceed," the Italian Ambassador told IANS. The Joint Strategic Action Plan mentions interactions between respective Armed Forces in the framework of Italy's growing interest in the Indo-Pacific region, aimed at increasing interoperability and cooperation, including negotiations of any useful arrangement supporting such interactions. It also lists exploring avenues of enhanced partnerships and dialogue among public and private stakeholders, focusing on technology collaboration, co-production and co-development of defence platforms and equipment besides negotiating a Defence Industrial Roadmap, between the two Ministries of Defence and promote a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and the Italian Industries Federation for Aerospace, Defence and Security (AIAD). Jaipur, 13 Dec : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday transferred Rs 700 crore to over 70 lakh farmers under Chief Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi in Ajmer. "I myself was born in a farmers' family, have ploughed and done all farming work. I understand the pain of the farmers very well. That is why our government has set the target of providing electricity to the farmers during the day by 2027," said Sharma while addressing the state-level Kisan Sammelan organised as part of the programmes held to celebrate the first anniversary of the state government. The Chief Minister also gave more than Rs 29 crore to 15,983 farmers for drip/fountain plants, and more than 1,200 farmers were given farm ponds, pipelines, fencing, pit construction, and agricultural equipment, among others. Sharma said that the interest of the farmers is the first priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Prime Minister has honoured the great farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh with Bharat Ratna, which shows how much respect he has for the farmers. Former Prime Minister Late. Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji was the one who started celebrating Kisan Diwas," he added. The Chief Minister said that understanding the pain and aspirations of the farmers, the state government has taken many decisions in the interest of farmers in the last one year. "We have signed an MoU for the ERCP project and have started working on it rapidly. To meet the water shortage in the Shekhawati region, we have also signed a long-pending MoU to bring Yamuna water from Tajewala. Our government is working simultaneously on many other important irrigation projects so that the yield of the farmers of the state can increase. He said that soon the Dholpur Lift Project will also be launched. Along with this, a new program 'Karmabhoomi se Matribhoomi' is also being started with the cooperation of migrant Rajasthani for recharging groundwater," he added. Sharma said that during the Rising Summit, MoUs have been signed worth an investment of Rs 58000 crore in the agriculture sector. Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani said that the state government is working with commitment for the welfare of the farmers of the state. Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari said that Rising Rajasthan has been successfully organised under the leadership of the Chief Minister, in which MoUs worth Rs 35 lakh crore have been signed. Water Resources Minister Suresh Singh Rawat said that the ERCP scheme and other important water schemes are going to be realised due to the far-sighted vision of the Chief Minister and the efforts being made for the prosperity of the common people and farmers of the state. Jaipur, Dec 13 : The bail plea of Naresh Meena who contested as an Independent candidate from the Deoli-Uniyara Assembly constituency in the Rajasthan by-election, has been rejected. Meena has been behind bars for allegedly slapping an SDM, besides other charges. Naresh Meena was denied bail by Judge Surabhi Singh of the Uniara Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Friday. Naresh Meena's bail plea, filed on December 7, was heard on Thursday, with the decision reserved for the next day (Friday). The rejection comes amid serious allegations against him, including slapping Malpura SDM Amit Chaudhary, obstructing government work, arson, and escaping police custody. On November 13, during the by-election in Samravata village (Tonk), Naresh Meena staged a protest along with villagers, accusing officials of coercion at the polling booth. When he attempted to enter the booth, SDM Amit Chaudhary intervened, leading to an altercation during which Naresh reportedly slapped the SDM. The situation escalated when the police attempted to arrest Naresh that night. Clashes ensued between villagers and the police, resulting in lathicharge, tear gas shelling, and aerial firing to control the mob. Over 50 people were arrested that night, including Naresh Meena, who was detained from the protest site the next day. On November 15, Naresh was presented via video conferencing in court, while 52 other accused were physically presented in Niwai court, where all were remanded to judicial custody. Four minors involved in the case were granted conditional bail recently, while bail for others, including Naresh, has been denied. According to Uniara Deputy S.P. Raghuveer Singh Bhati, a total of 63 people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident. Among those arrested, four were minors. The clashes left 26 policemen injured. Additional Public Prosecutor of the ACJM Court confirmed that Naresh Meena's bail plea was rejected under relevant sections. The legal battles for others involved in the case continue, with strict action being taken against those implicated in the violence and disruption. Patna, Dec 13 : While denying the possibility of the question paper leak, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) said on Friday that the examination would not cancelled under any circumstances. A high-level meeting was also held at the BPSC headquarters in Patan following the allegations of a paper leak. The meeting included BPSC Chairman Ravi Manu Bhai Parmar, Examination Controller, Secretary, and other senior officials to evaluate the situation. BPSC Joint Secretary Kundan Kumar dismissed the allegations, stating that no paper leak occurred at any examination centres in Bihar. He acknowledged reports of disturbances at the Bapu Examination Centre in Patna around 12:15 PM but maintained that the claims of a paper leak were baseless. Chairman Ravi Manu Bhai Parmar supported his stance, stating: "The examination process remained intact despite the unrest caused by a group of students. Some unruly candidates disrupted the examination by looting question papers and OMR sheets from the centre. These individuals are being identified, and strict action will be taken against them." Parmar emphasised that approximately 5,500 candidates appeared for the exam at the Bapu Examination Centre, and the incident was isolated to one block of this centre. He confirmed that the exam, conducted across 912 centres in a controlled and monitored environment, would not be cancelled under any circumstances. The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) continues to grapple with the aftermath of allegations surrounding the 70th Preliminary Examination, which saw disturbances at the Bapu Examination Center in Kumhrar, Patna. Parmar addressed concerns about delays in distributing question papers and the resulting unrest, clarifying that any delay is typically offset by providing additional time to affected candidates. "The idea of cancelling the exam, wherein the participation of 3.25 lakh candidates, impractical and unfair to the majority, despite disruptions affecting 300-400 students," Parmar said. Chairman Parmar maintained that the disturbances were limited to a small group of candidates and stressed that the integrity of the exam remains intact. He reaffirmed that the paper was not leaked and that appropriate action would be taken against those who disrupted the examination process. While the BPSC held a meeting to review the situation, agitated candidates gathered at the commission's office, causing commotion. The protests grew intense, prompting police from four stationsSecretariat, Kotwali, Shastri Nagar, and Airport police stationsto intervene and disperse the crowd. The situation deteriorated after Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh slapped a candidate during the initial unrest at the examination centre. "Around 150 candidates left the examination hall with question papers and OMR sheets, creating a ruckus. The exam had not been compromised, as the question paper boxes were opened in the presence of students in their respective classrooms," Singh said. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Hyderabad Police have denied that its personnel misbehaved with actor Allu Arjun at the time of his arrest on Friday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) Akshansh Yadav has issued a statement denying that they misbehaved with the actor. "When the police reached his residence, he requested some time to change his clothes. He went inside his bedroom, police personnel waited outside and took him into custody when he came out. There was no use of force or any misbehavior with him by any police personnel," the DCP said. The police officials clarified that Allu Arjun was given enough time to interact with his family and wife and he himself came out and entered the police vehicle. Allu Arjun was arrested in the case booked against him for the death of a woman during a stampede at Sandhya Theatre on December 4 during the premier show of his film 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'. On the December 2 letter from the theatre management to the police requesting for police security which was widely circulated on social media after All Arjun's arrest, the DCP said the organisers did not meet any police officer but simply submitted a letter. "We receive a lot of requests for 'bandobust' citing visits by some political personalities, film celebrities, religious programs etc., However it is beyond our resources to provide bandobust for every event. In specific cases where heavy crowd is expected or some popular personality is visiting, the organiser personally visits the police station / ACP / DCP office and brief about the program depending upon which we provide the bandobust. In this case the organizer did not meet any officer and simply submitted the letter in the inward section. No details were made available to the police despite this we arranged suitable 'bandobust' for crowd management outside the theatre," reads the statement. The police official stated that the crowd was well in control till the actor arrived. "He came to the theatre, came out from the sunroof of his vehicle and started waving to the public gathered there. This gesture attracted a lot of public towards the theatre main gate. At the same time his private security started pushing people to make way for his vehicle. "His team was intimated to take him back citing large public gathering but they didn't act on it and Mr. Allu Arjun was there inside the theatre for more than two hours. Therefore, it is clear that adequate police 'bandobust' was in place, it was his actions which led to this unfortunate incident, in which a lady died and her son is still unconscious on ventilator even after 9 days of the incident," the DCP added. Mumbai, Dec 13 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will expand his cabinet on December 15 at Nagpur and not on December 14 in Mumbai. A senior BJP functionary confirmed that the swearing-in will take place at Raj Bhavan on December 15 on the eve of a week-long winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature starting from December 16. Governor CP Radhakrishnan will administer the oath of office to new ministers. The MahaYuti partners have arrived at a formula for sharing cabinet berths; accordingly, BJP is expected to get 21, Shiv Sena 12 and NCP 10. The cabinet formula has been finalised based on the strength of the three partners. BJP has 132 legislators, Shiv Sena 57 and NCP 41. All 40 ministers from three parties are expected to take oath on Sunday. "BJP has yet to get a nod from the party's central leadership for its list. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to give its approval on Saturday and thereafter the cabinet expansion will take place on Sunday at Nagpur," said a BJP functionary. State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday evening met Deputy CM and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde seeking his consent for the swearing-in function on December 15 instead of December 14. After that Bawankule on Friday met NCP chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and also took his consent for the swearing-in ceremony to be slated for December 15. Earlier on Wednesday and Thursday, Fadnavis, who was accompanied by Bawankule, had held a series of meetings with the PM, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and party chief JP Nadda. Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar met Shah over cabinet expansion on Wednesday night when Shinde was conspicuous by his absence. After the cabinet expansion, Fadnavis will host a customary tea meeting with cabinet colleagues and opposition parties and later he will chair the cabinet meeting to discuss the agenda including Bills to be tabled during the winter session. BJP has already rejected Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde's demand for giving home, revenue and housing departments to his party. BJP will retain home and revenue while it will give housing to NCP led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. BJP had promised to give housing to NCP after Ajit Pawar joined the MahaYuti government in July 2023. But it did not happen, so now the BJP will fulfil its promise. BJP is set to retain home, revenue, energy, irrigation, public works, rural development, forest, tourism, cultural affairs, higher and technical education and OBC welfare. On the other hand, Shiv Sena will continue to hold urban development, industry, school education, public health, water supply, water and soil conservation and MSRDC. In the case of NCP, it will retain planning and finance, cooperation, food and civil supply, agriculture, medical education, women and child welfare, ports and sports. This will be the second time in the recent past after 1991 that the cabinet expansion will take place at Maharashtra's second capital Nagpur. In 1991, Chhagan Bhujbal was sworn in as the minister in the cabinet headed by the chief minister Sudhakarrao Naik after he staged a rebellion against Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on the Mandal Commission report issue and joined Congress. Former Governor C Subramaniam had administered the oath of office and secrecy to Bhujbal. Bengaluru, Dec 13 : Reacting to the bail granted to the Kannada superstar and others accused in a sensational fan murder case, victim Renukaswamy's father, Kashinathaiah Shivanagoudar, on Friday said that he is confident that the bail granted to actor Darshan will be challenged in the Supreme Court. Speaking to the media, Kashinathaiah Shivanagoudar, said in Chitradurga: "I have full faith in the judicial system. I came to know about the bail granted to Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and the other accused. I believe that after the court trial is completed, justice will prevail." "The accused may have been granted bail temporarily, but I trust the judicial system to ensure they receive the appropriate punishment." Kashinathaiah further demanded that the government provide a job for his daughter-in-law, Sahana (Renukaswamy's wife). "There is no possibility of Darshan coming down to meet us. We have nothing to discuss with Darshan. We are grieving the loss of my son, Renukaswamy. We want our son back -- we do not want any negotiations," he said emotionally. "No one has contacted us for negotiations so far, and there is no chance of any negotiations. We do not wish to have any discussions with Darshan. I will consult with my well-wishers about meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah," he added. "The government challenged the interim medical bail granted to Darshan in the Supreme Court. I have confidence that the government will also challenge the regular bail order in the Apex Court," he stated. "We will not pressurise the Chief Minister or the government. We will consider our options," Kashinathaiah said. The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted bail to Kannada superstar Darshan and his partner Pavithra Gowda in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case. The Bench, headed by Justice Vishwajith Shetty, also granted bail to accused Nagaraju, Anukumar, M. Laxman, Jagadish and Pradoosh Rao. Senior counsel C.V. Nagesh represented Darshan and the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) P. Prasanna Kumar made submissions for the prosecution. Gowda's advocate Shilpa said bail was granted to her based on arguments questioning her involvement in the case. Gowda, currently lodged in the Central Prison of the Parappana Agrahara, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, will be released on Monday. During arguments on the regular bail plea, C.V. Nagesh had countered the objections raised by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), stating that although Renukaswamy's body reportedly had 39 blood stains, there was only one bleeding injury. Nagesh asserted that at every stage, from recording eyewitness statements to conducting the investigation, the prosecution "lied". "The bail was granted based on a report by doctors from Ballari. The doctors at BGS Hospital also accepted the Ballari doctors' report, confirming the need for surgery by the actor," he said. "We must proceed with the operation as recommended by the doctors. It cannot be done on demand after three or four weeks," he argued. Earlier, Special Public Prosecutor P. Prasanna Kumar submitted to the Karnataka High Court that Darshan was "misusing" the interim bail granted to him on medical grounds. Submitting his objections to the court for granting the regular bail, Prasanna Kumar said that the interim bail was taken citing urgency and the court was told that he was likely to suffer a stroke. Prasanna Kumar further said that in the case of Darshan, dramatic situations are created. Recently, the court had extended Darshan's interim bail on medical grounds. Darshan was released from prison on October 30 on interim bail after spending 131 days in jail. Darshan, admitted to the BGS Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru, was being treated for severe back pain. Darshan, his partner Gowda and 15 others were arrested on June 11 on charges of kidnapping and brutally murdering his fan Renukaswamy from Chitradurga. Renukaswamy had allegedly sent derogatory and obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda as he was miffed with the actor having a relationship with her despite being married. Bhopal, Dec 13 : Madhya Pradesh BJP on Friday celebrated the completion of one year of the state government and also congratulated Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The Chief Minister also visited the BJP headquarters and offered prayers to the founding members of Bharatiya Jana Sangh Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Deendayal Upadhyay. "After winning the Assembly elections in November 2023, the BJP leadership gave me responsibility to lead the government as Chief Minister. I express my gratitude to every BJP worker for extending support to serve the people of Madhya Pradesh," the Chief Minister said. Senior BJP leader and cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya also congratulated the Chief Minister saying that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government will take Madhya Pradesh to new heights. "Today, under the able leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the Madhya Pradesh government has completed one year of public service and dedication. Hearty congratulations to all the people of the state," Vijayvargiya said. Party's state unit chief and Khajuraho MP V. D. Sharma said that BJP workers are determined to implement the schemes of the BJP government. Notably, following the resounding victory in the state Assembly election held on November 17, 2023, BJP's central leadership replaced former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with Mohan Yadav. Three-time BJP MLA from temple town Ujjain, Mohan Yadav took oath as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on December 13, 2023. Two senior party leaders - Rajendra Shukla (Rewa) and Jagdish Devda were made as Deputy Chief Ministers. Bhubaneswar, Dec 13 : The opposition Biju Janata Dal on Friday condemned a 'derogatory' social media post on the official X account of the BJP's Odisha unit over the failed Potato Mission during the previous Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government. Senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra has described the portrayal of former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in post as extremely derogatory and shameful. He criticised the ruling party for depicting former Chief Minister and BJD Supremo Patnaik in a very unpleasant way. "Respected @BJP4India President Shri. @JPNaddaJi, attached is a shocking social media post on X handle of @BJP4Odisha which depicts former Honble CM of Odisha and @bjd_odisha President Shri. @Naveen_Odisha in an extremely derogatory, malicious, spiteful and disparaging manner," Patra wrote in his official 'X' handle. "He is the same person who so graciously attended the swearing-in of the BJP Govt in Odisha, the Tallest Leader of Odisha who is loved by 4.5 crore people of Odisha and beyond. Is this the way your party treats a statesman, a Tall Leader, a Man who was cited as an epitome of leadership by the highest leadership of your Union Government and the Party? We strongly condemn this malicious and derogatory post by @BJP4Odisha in the strongest of words. Simply put, it's shameful," Patra added. The state BJP unit on its official X handle on Thursday posted a picture of Patnaik, his close aide and former bureaucrat VK Pandian holding them guilty for the failed potato mission in Odisha. The ruling party accused former CM Patnaik of creating the potato crisis in Odisha. It is alleged that a total Rs 267 crore was spent on the much-hyped potato mission since 2015 to increase the production of potato, which failed completely. It is pertinent here to mention that the state has recently faced a severe shortage of potato and subsequent price rise following frequent disruptions of the supply of potato from the neighbouring state, West Bengal. As per reports, Odisha requires around 14 lakh tonnes of potatoes annually to meet the demand in the state. Meanwhile, the state mostly depends on West Bengal for the supply of potato. Ahmedabad, Dec 13 : Senior officials from India and the UK on Friday touched upon reforms in respective financial services sectors, including capital markets, insurance and reinsurance, pensions, fintech, sustainable finance and International Financial Services Centre. The third meeting of aIndia-UK Financial Markets Dialoguea was hosted by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, in GIFT City, Gujarat. Delegates from India and the UK shared perspectives on priorities and ongoing reforms within their respective jurisdictions. The dialogue focused on collaboration in evolving fields of financial regulation, noting the areas of mutual interest in both markets for increasing bilateral trade and investment between the financial sectors. The dialogue was led by senior officials from the Indian Ministry of Finance and HM Treasury, with participation from Indian and the UK regulatory agencies, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), the Bank of England (BoE) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Delegates also discussed work on developing our capital markets, noting recent UK reforms to primary and wholesale regimes and new and innovative products launched in Indiaas capital markets. Delegates also discussed ongoing reforms in respective pensions sectors. The Indian representatives presented on efforts to increase workplace pension participation rates and develop pay out methods. Both sides agreed on the opportunity presented by reforms for exploration of areas of mutual interest, and to support the mutual ambition of driving growth. The UK welcomed the recent notification of pension schemes as financial products to be regulated by IFSCA. It also noted that insurance companies in GIFT-IFSC are allowed to invest overseas and the proposal to enable pension companies in GIFT IFSC to invest overseas is under consideration. Participants also discussed related priorities, including the G20 payments roadmap, digital payment connectivity, regulatory sandbox collaboration, collaboration on Central Bank Digital Currencies, and future cooperation on other emerging technologies including AI and Quantum computing. a"IANS na/ Patna, Dec 13 : Two persons died and two others were critically injured after their car collided with a truck in Bihar's Chhapra, police officials said on Friday. Among the injured is Dr Amitesh Kumar, the in-charge of a Community Health Centre (CHC) in Siwan. The accident happened under the jurisdiction of the Daudpur police station when the car travelling from Chhapra to Siwan collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction. The impact of the collision was such that the driver and security personnel sitting in the front seats died on the spot. Dr Amitesh Kumar and another passenger sustained serious injuries in the accident. All injured were initially rushed to Chhapra Sadar Hospital. Due to the critical condition of Dr Amitesh Kumar and another victim, they have been referred to Patna for advanced medical treatment. Daudpur police station in-charge Navlesh Kumar confirmed the incident, stating, "It occurred in the night and an investigation is underway. Two persons lost their lives. Locals who witnessed the accident reported that the collision was intense." "We have registered an FIR against the driver of the truck under the relevant sections of rash and negligent driving and the matter is under investigation to trace the location of the errant driver. The accident took place on Thursday night around 10 p.m.," Navlesh Kumar said. Four days ago, a similar accident took place in Saran district when two people died while two others sustained serious injuries near Dudhaila under Sonpur police station in Saran district on December 9. The accident occurred when a new car hit a stationary truck. The deceased were identified as Aman Kumar, son of Laxman Bhagat of village Kasmar under Sonepur police station, and Jitu Kumar, son of Shio Sah of the same village. The injured -- Alok and Ritesh -- were sent to Patna Medical College Hospital for treatment after the first aid at Sonepur PHC. Jaipur, Dec 13 : Rajasthan Police on Friday issued an advisory to alert residents about potential cyber frauds ahead of the festive season - Christmas and New Year. The advisory warns against scams involving congratulatory messages, gift links, and fake updates related to PAN cards. Director General of Police (Cyber Crime), Hemant Priyadarshi, emphasised that public awareness is crucial in preventing cybercrimes. He noted that fraudsters often exploit occasions like Christmas and New Year by sharing malicious links on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and Facebook. "These links may claim to offer gifts or facilitate the upgrade of PAN cards, but they are designed to defraud unsuspecting users," said DGP Priyadarshi. DGP Priyadarshi further highlighted that clicking on these links could expose devices to malware, putting personal and financial information at risk. He urged the public to avoid engaging with such links or falling for enticing offers from unknown sources. The advisory also flagged a new tactic used by cybercriminals involving the supposed upgrade to a digital PAN card (PAN 2.0). The DGP also clarified that no such initiative has been launched by the Central government. He advised citizens to rely solely on the official Income Tax Department website) for any PAN-related updates or applications. Residents who fall victim to cyber fraud are urged to act promptly by reporting the incident through the cyber helpline number 1930, the cybercrime portal or their nearest police station. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Suspense continued over the release of popular Tollywood actor Allu Arjun on Friday night as Chanchalguda Central Jail authorities had not received the orders of Telangana High Court, which granted him interim bail in the case relating to a stampede at a theatre during the premier show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'. Hyderabad, Dec 13 (IANS) Suspense continued over the release of popular Tollywood actor Allu Arjun on Friday night as Chanchalguda Central Jail authorities had not received the orders of Telangana High Court, which granted him interim bail in the case relating to a stampede at a theatre during the premier show of aPushpa 2: The Rulea. A large number of fans of the actor remained outside the jail waiting for his release. However, there are indications that the Pushpa actor may have to stay in jail tonight. Allu Arjuas lawyers had prepared two personal bonds of Rs 50,000 to be submitted to jail authorities as per the direction of the High Court. A woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show attended by Allu Arjun on December 4. Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre. The interim bail capped the day-long dramatic developments that began in the morning with the actoras arrest from his residence in Jubilee Hills. The bail orders came in the evening, barely an hour after a city court sent Allu Arjun to judicial custody for 14 days. The High Court gave interim bail for four weeks during the hearing of the quash petition filed by the actor. The pan-India actor received the respite even as the police were shifting him to Chanchalguda Jail from Nampally Criminal Court Complex. The High Court also granted interim bail to three members of the theatre management who were arrested earlier in the case. The Public Prosecutor raised an objection to the interim bail. The court adjourned further hearing to December 21. During the hearing on the quash petition, Allu Arjunas counsel argued that BNS section 105 does not apply to him as he had nothing to do with the stampede. S. Niranjan Reddy argued that the actor canat be held responsible for the stampede. He also informed the court that the theatre management and producer had informed the police in advance about Allu Arjunas visit. Niranjan Reddy cited the case of the 2017 stampede at Vadodara Railway Station during actor Shah Rukh Khanas train journey from Mumbai to Delhi to promote his movie aRaeesa. The Gujarat High Court had quashed the complaint filed against Shah Rukh Khan for the stampede, which had killed one person and injured several others. The Supreme Court later upheld the High Court order. The Public Prosecutor told the court that All Arjun visited the theatre despite a request by police not to come in view of the possibility of a huge gathering. The court was informed that the actor reached the theatre in a rally. The police, which arrested the national award-winning actor from his residence in Hyderabad, produced him before a magistrate Nampally Criminal Court complex. He was named accused number 11 in the case. Earlier, police recorded the statement of the actor at Chikkadpally Police Station. He was then taken to Gandhi Hospital for a medical check-up. A police team took the national award-winning actor into custody from his house in Jubilee Hills, hours after his return from Delhi, where he attended the success meet of aPushpa 2a. Arjunas father, well-known filmmaker Allu Arvind, actor brother Allu Sirish and other family members were present when he was arrested. The police team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akanksh Yadav questioned Allu Arjun for nearly two hours in light of the statements made by eyewitnesses. New Delhi, Dec 13 : Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday slammed the Congress government in Telangana over the arrest of the Tollywood superstar Allu Arjun, saying that the grand old party has no respect for the creative industry. "Congress has no respect for the creative industry and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again," the Union Minister wrote on X. He added that the mishap at Sandhya Theatre was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration. "Now, to deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity stunts," the Union Minister said. He further pointed out that the Telangana government should assist those affected and punish those making the arrangements that day instead of continuously attacking film personalities. "It is also sad to see this becoming a norm in the one year Congress has been in power there," the Union Minister wrote on X. On Friday, the Hyderabad Police arrested Allu Arjun in the case registered against him in connection with a stampede at a theatre during the premiere show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' that killed a woman. On December 4, a woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere show attended by Allu Arjun. A police team took the national award-winning actor into custody from his house in Jubilee Hills, hours after his return from Delhi, where he attended the success meet of 'Pushpa 2'. However, the Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail to Allu Arjun, minutes after a city court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days in the case. The High Court gave interim bail for four weeks during the hearing of the quash petition filed by the actor. The court asked him to submit a personal bond of Rs 50,000 to the Jail Superintendent. The pan-India actor received the respite even as the police were shifting him to Chanchalguda Jail from Nampally Criminal Court Complex. It was immediately unclear when the actor would be released later tonight (Friday night) or if he would have to wait till Saturday. For regular bail, Allu Arjun was asked to approach Nampally Court. The High Court took up the hearing of the quash petition after a request made by Allu Arjun's lawyers following his arrest earlier in the day. Mumbai, Dec 13 : Amid reports of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) shoddy concrete road works, the Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar on Friday urged the Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to set up a Special investigation team (SIT) to enquire into the quality aspects of work done, carry out detailed audit including experts from IIT Bombay, VJTI of 40 per cent of concretised road patches on randomised basis and investigate lapses if any in quality control, vigilance process and the contractor's working. He has also demanded that strict action be taken against the errant road contractors including levying of penalties, blacklisting and action be taken against negligent agencies, and officials for their lapses, if any. Shelar's demand during his meeting with Gagrani comes in the wake of media reports of cracks in the newly concretised roads in various parts of Mumbai. The BMC is currently spending Rs 6000 crore on road concretisation across the city which was recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shekar in his letter to Gagrani said he has received several complaints from citizens regarding the poor quality of road concreting work done. "During my inspection of Badhwar Road in Santacruz west area of my assembly constituency, I noted the recently completed concretised road has developed cracks, layers of concrete are peeling off and even curing for latest road works done is not correct. In view of many such issues of poor quality work with road concreting works done coming to notice and highlighted in media reports," he added. Shelar's letter and his visit to inspect the quality of concretisation comes after several residents from Powai, Bandra West and Andheri's Lokhandwala raised concerns about the newly concretised road conditions. They claimed that it was due to the negligence of contractors and civic officials. They accused them of their failure to conduct regular monitoring resulting in bad quality of work. Taking serious note of the complaints by citizens, a BMC officer said it would fix the responsibility on contractors and quality management agencies for shoddy work. Hyderabad, Dec 13 : BJP OBC Morcha president and MP K. Laxman has condemned the arrest of Tollywood actor Allu Arjun in the case relating to the death of a woman in a recent stampede at a theatre during the premier show of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'. "I strongly condemn the arrest of nationally renowned Telugu actor Mr. Allu Arjun. I am expressing deep sorrow and grief for the woman who died in the gathering held on the occasion of the release of the movie," said Laxman in a statement. "It is inhumane to arrest Allu Arjun who is not directly involved in false cases. To cover up the failures of the police and the government, the government has written a movie script to divert people's attention. People are angry with the government's ill-conceived actions," said Laxman, who is a member of Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has termed All Arjun's arrest as 'unjust'. He expressed profound sorrow over the tragic loss of a woman's life in the stampede at Sandhya Theatre, Hyderabad. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, acknowledging the irreplaceable nature of their loss. Taking to X, he tweeted that actor Allu Arjun has shown a responsible approach in expressing grief over the tragedy and offering support to the affected family during this difficult time. However, he strongly condemned the move to hold Allu Arjun accountable for the incident. "Blaming him for the stampede, filing criminal charges, or arresting him is neither fair nor acceptable, as he was not involved in the tragic event," he stated. Jagan Mohan Reddy urged authorities to act judiciously and focus on ensuring justice for the victim's family without unfairly targeting individuals. A woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show attended by Allu Arjun on December 4. Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre. Police arrested the actor on Friday and produced him in a city court, which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. However, hours later Telangana High Court granted him interim bail. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State Railway & Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu said that Allu Arjun's arrest exposes the Congress government's apathy toward the creative industry. "The chaos at Sandhya Theatre was a direct result of administrative failure, but instead of addressing their incompetence, the Telangana Government is deflecting blame with headline-grabbing stunts," the minister said. He added that rather than targeting artists, they should focus on compensating the victims and holding those responsible for the mismanagement accountable. "Unfortunately, in just a year under Congress rule, scapegoating prominent figures has become their preferred way to dodge responsibility," the minister said. Aizawl, Dec 13 : Over 15,000 pigs were killed and over 24,200 pigs culled as the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) continued in Mizoram since February 9 this year, officials said on Friday. A senior official of the Mizoram Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (AHV) Department said that after weeks of declining fatalities due to the infectious ASF, the northeastern state witnessed a sharp increase in pig deaths and Culling this week. According to the official, the deaths of pigs recently occurred in two districts a" Kolasib district along Assam and Lunglei district bordering Bangladesh. The AHV Department official said that though the ratio of pig deaths due to ASF and culling has reduced after the summer season was over, the outbreak of the infectious disease continues unabated in many districts. The official referring to the unofficial estimates said that pig farmers and rearers in seven of the 11 districts in the mountainous bordering state have suffered huge losses due to the outbreak of this communicable disease since February this year. The pigs both in government and private farms and homes in around 260 villages in seven districts -- Aizawl, Champhai, Kolasib, Lunglei, Saitual, Khawzawl and Serchhip -- have been infected by the ASF outbreak so far. The official said that the 260 villages were declared infected by the veterinary department. To prevent the spread of the ASF virus, the department has barred the supply of pigs, piglets and pork from the infected areas. The state government also banned the import of pigs and piglets from neighbouring states and countries where often ASF infestations are being reported. Officials said that the outbreak of ASF mostly occurs when the climate begins to warm up and pre-monsoon rain commences in the state. However, this year the outbreak continued even after the winter season began. The ASF outbreak caused huge losses to the farmers and government farms since mid-March 2021, the AHV officials said, adding that this year's first ASF case was reported on February 9 in Leithum village in Champhai district, which shares unfenced borders with Myanmar. In 2021, 33,420 pigs and piglets died due to the contagious disease while 12,800 pigs and piglets died in 2022 and 1,040 in 2023. Mizoram Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister C Lalsawivunga recently said in the state assembly that the pig farmers of the state incurred a loss of nearly Rs 800 crore following the outbreak of ASF in the state in 2021. After the outbreak of ASF, the AHV department following the central guidelines has declared various villages and localities in seven districts in Mizoram as infected areas under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animals Act, 2009. The government has provided compensation to several hundred families for the loss of pigs due to the disease. The ASF, which, however, does not affect humans, is a highly infectious disease among pigs and poses a severe threat with a very high mortality rate. According to experts, the outbreak of ASF may have been caused by pigs or pork brought from neighbouring Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the adjoining states of the northeast. Mizoram shares a 510-km-long unfenced border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh. Pork is one of the most common and popular meats consumed by both the tribals and non-tribals in the northeastern region. With heavy demand for pork in the region, its annual business is worth around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore in the northeast region, with Assam being the largest supplier. Bhopal, Dec 13 : A court in Madhya Pradesh on Friday announced its verdict on a case dating to November 2022 pertaining to the kidnapping and murder of an 11-year-old boy, handing the main accused a life sentence. Pawan Sharma, owner of a private school, has been awarded life imprisonment while five other co-accused in the case were sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. Justice Manoj Kumar, who pronounced the judgement on Friday, also imposed a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh against Sharma and Rs 1 lakh against each of five co-accused. Notably, 11-year-old boy Aryan Sharma was kidnapped when he was playing near the R.K.D. school in Bhind district in November 2022. The school owner (Pawan Sharma) had kidnapped the boy for ransom as he had suffered huge losses during the coronavirus period when offline schooling remained suspended. He had even recorded a video of the minor which the police had recovered from his possession, with the intention of sending it to his parents to demand ransom. But he couldn't send the video due to poor Internet connectivity. The accused had strangled Aryan to death due to fear of their arrest and threw the body in a bid to destroy the evidence. The police recovered his body two days later at an under-construction building just about 50 metres from his house in the Chandanpura area. Six persons, including the owner of a private school (Pawan Sharma) and a local journalist, who is said to be a relative of Pawan were arrested in connection with the case, and they were booked for charges of kidnapping, murder and other charges. The incident had become a matter of prestige for MP police as Aryanas father, Virendra Sharma, works as a constable with the Special Armed Force (SAF) and is posted in Chhattisgarh. Canadian author and performer Rupi Kaurs first illustrated book of poetry, milk and honey, began as a series of Tumblr posts that migrated to Instagram and were then self-published as a book in 2014, when the author was 23 years old. The rights were picked up by Andrews McMeel in the United States, and the book was republished, going on to become a mega-hit. This year, Andrews-McMeel rereleased the book in a limited 10th anniversary edition. Together with her subsequent collections, The Sun and Her Flowers and Homebody, Kaur has sold over 11 million copies of her poetry, which has been translated into more than 43 languages. PW spoke with Kaur about her decade of international success and the work that still inspires her. When did you first decide to become a writer? What was your route to publication? It was never a decision I consciously made. I didnt think or imagine myself as an authorbut I did see myself as an artist. Performing poetry and writing was a hobby that I was really passionate about. It was my readers on Tumblr who actually planted the idea of publishing a book into my mind. They kept asking, where can I buy your book? or, do you have a book out? To which I thought, waitshould I have a book out!? I then began to explore the idea of publishing. A professor of mine told me that no one published poetry so I was better off submitting my poetry to anthologies and journals. That didnt lead to much success. When I asked the same professor about self-publishing, they said, no one in the industry respects that. And so I self-published, because I wanted to connect with my readers. I wasnt concerned about the industry gatekeepers. I finished writing milk and honey, designed the cover, and eventually released it on my own in 2014 Which authors do you particularly admire? Do you feel any influence your writing style? I really admire Khalil Gibran, Louise Gluck, Audre Lorde, Sharon Olds. I think the authors Ive read and loved have probably influenced my writing style. Your events for the public and tour dates are more like those of a rock star than a poet. Can you tell us what is special about them? When I meet my readers, so many of them ask, How do you write so specifically about my life!? How do you know how I feel!? I think thats why the connection is so strong. When people find words they feel so specifically relate to their deepest experiencesand they feel seen by those wordsthen theyre empowered to come to see my shows and be on the journey with me. People in the West have this idea that poetry is not entertaining, or that it is not relatable. Its not a genre thats a part of mainstream culture. Thats not the case in other parts of the world, where poetry actually takes center stage in a lot of places. I love performing. Its where Im the happiest and Im so grateful that Ive been able to reach audiences around the world. And I put on a show. Its not me on stage doing a reading. My live shows are more of a one-woman theatrical performance, through poetry, music, visuals, and storytelling. Sometimes its absolutely wild to digest that I tour the world to perform my poetry. Is there an international market in which your books sell particularly well? The international markets are actually some of my favorites. Countries where my books do particularly well include Brazil, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Spain. Weve rounded up several exhibitions featuring the artwork of childrens book creators this season. Created in Color: The Picture Book Art of Raul Colon On view at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Mass. January 18June 1, 2025 Organized by the National Center for Childrens Illustrated Literature, this exhibition highlights the work of childrens illustrator Raul Colon. His catalog, often inspired by his Puerto Rican heritage, includes Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt and Susanna Reichs Jose! Born to Dance. On view for visitors will be various work from the celebrated artist, who over the span of his career has earned a Golden Kite Award, two Pura Belpre Awards, a gold and silver medal from the Society of Illustrators, two Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Awards, and more. The 35th Annual Illustration Celebration On view at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, Mass. Now through January 15 R. Michelson Galleries is celebrating its 45th anniversary with an exhibit curated by staff members Liz Finney, Paul Gulla, Haley Kean, Richard Michelson, and Meghan Zaremba, highlighting the work of various childrens creators such as Micha Archer, Brian Collier, Sydney Smith, Mark Teague, and more. Featured art includes the original Olivia illustrations from Ian Falconerwhich are available for viewing and purchasing for the first timea recreation of Jerry Pinkneys studio, and more. Journey to Joy: Rise of Representation in Childrens Picture Books On View at the Elmer L. Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota Now through January 24 This four-floor exhibit is presented by the Childrens Literature Research Collections, which houses the Kerlan Collection of Children's Literature, and was developed in consultation with award-winning childrens book Andrea Davis Pinkney and Miranker Family Curatorial Chair, Lisa Von Drasek. The exhibit highlights the work of diverse creators such as Ezra Jack Keats, Jessica Love, Meg Medina, Bao Phi, Don Tate, and contemporary Minnesota Native American illustrators Annette Lee, and Marlena Myles, Jonathan Thunder, and more. More than 300 titles are on display for visitors to explore. Free to Be...You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Songs On view at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Now through April 6, 2025 Marlo Thomass 1972 record and 1974 book of the same name has influenced a swath of childrens literature and television since its release. This exhibit, organized by guest curator Margi Hofer, features 28 original artworks by varying artists across all three books, including illustrations from the 1974 publication by Bascove and Arnold Lobel, as well as art from the 35th-anniversary book by Tony DiTerlizzi, LeUyen Pham, and Peter Reynolds. Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak On view at the Denver Art Museum Now through February 17, 2025 This exhibition highlighting the life and career of childrens book creator Maurice Sendak is co-organized by the Denver Art Museum and the Columbus Museum of Art in partnership with the Maurice Sendak Foundation and curated by Jonathan Weinberg, curator and director of research at the Maurice Sendak Foundation, and Christoph Heinrich and Frederick and Jan Mayer of the Denver Art Museum. On view will be the final artwork for Sendaks picture book classic Where the Wild Things Are, as well as set designs from the Where the Wild Things Are opera and the costumes for the live-action, feature-length film. Also featured will be drawings, paintings, posters, and mockups for other books, work from Sendaks collection and collaborations. With more than 400 pieces of art, this is the largest exhibition highlighting the artist to date. A few years ago, we had Monet here. Next year, well have Pisarro, Denver Art Museums Frederick and Jan Mayer Director Christoph Heinrich said of the main gallerynow home to childrens book author-illustrator Maurice Sendaks largest-ever retrospective, Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak, showing through February 17, 2025. Heinrich recently gave PW a personal tour of the exhibit. Its a well-deserved spot, Heinrich believes. Maurice Sendak was an artist, not an illustrator, he said, an opinion visitors will likely share after touring this 450-object exhibit. Co-organized by the Denver Art Museum and the Columbus Museum of Art, in partnership with the Maurice Sendak Foundation, the show dives deep into Sendaks artistic origins, sources of inspiration, and increasing complexity as an artist who refused to settle into one style, no matter how commercially successful it had proven. That said, the exhibit is also designed to be a satisfying multimedia feast for all agesespecially to devotees of the Caldecott-winning Where the Wild Things Are, beginning with the shows theatrical entrance, a cut paper-like replica of the stage curtain Sendak designed for the books later opera, made more inviting by music Sendak adored: Mozarts The Magic Flute. In some ways the show is like a big pop-up book. And in other ways its like stepping onto a theater stage, Heinrich said. These two poles, the small book and the big production of an opera, were the two poles of Maurice Sendaks life. Between them is all this work that pushed boundaries. Over his 65-year career, Sendak charted new creative territory in childrens books, and then in stage design and production, as well as film, collaborating with talents such as Spike Jonze, Carole King, and Tony Kushner. For the first time, all of Sendaks final artwork for Where the Wild Things Are is gathered for public display, appearing around midway through an exhibit divided into 11 chronological and thematic chapters. This complete collection of the books paintings provides the opportunity to appreciate their original vibrancy, subtlety, and inventive mix of watercolor, pencil, and ink. Also on display are printed copies of Where the Wild Things Are, showing some of its 40+ translations, even including Mayan and Latin. Artifacts from the books later incarnations include two giant, kid-pleasing, Jim Henson-created monster costumes from Spike Jonzes feature film and, on a more intimate scale, Sendaks costume studies for the Where the Wild Things opera. The exhibit spotlights Sendaks artistic processseen, for example, in his 1952 fantasy sketch which fully laid out the story for Wild Things more than a decade before it was published. (Sendak apparently saved every scrap of paper during his long career, and returned to them, as there were often years between concept and product.) With fantasy sketches, Sendak would listen to, say, Mozart, and challenge himself to tell a complete story through a series of drawings before the music ended. Sendak was also exceptionally involved in the publishing process, including typography choice and endpaper design. His book dummies provide a taste of his craft. So does the whiteout-streaked final art for A Kiss for Little Bear and countless other books. Endpapers are used as wallpaper in the exhibits reading area. And a 1950 sketchbook underscores his iterative process. Sendaks very rough drawings of a girl he saw from his childhood bedroom window in Brooklyn would evolve into the grandly dressed, dramatic star of his Rosie books. (Sendak was often sick as a child, which is why windows figure prominently in his worksee Kennys Window.). For visitors, Sendaks work also becomes a window into his life, revealing, for instance, how a sketch in Higglety Pigglety Pop mirrors a family photo of him as a baby. Display text and audio narration also convey how the monsters in Where the Wild Things Are sprung from his childs view of loud, looming immigrant relatives who would kiss him, pinch his cheeks and sayto him, ominouslyI could eat you up! Sendak said that all of his characters were a part of him, a point the exhibit makes throughout. Sure, he produced things that became a commercial product, but he didnt intend them for a specific audience, Heinrich said. These were his illustrations, his stories. Like every artist, he just had to write them. Maurice was a great artist, period, agreed Michael di Capua, Sendaks editor for more than 50 years. This is why he believes Sendaks work remains so beloved the world over, and why the Denver exhibit sells out every weekend and many weekdays. I think the simple explanation is that people of all ages respond to great art, di Capua said. Maurices art communicates, catches the eye, and makes you want to look harder. Ive seen six-month-olds obsessively examining Where the Wild Things Are when other picture books wouldnt hold their attention. A Self-Made Artist Denver Art Museums exhibit traces Sendaks progression into a highly sophisticated artist despite being largely self-taught. Paintings from his short stint at the Art Students League of New York are impressive, indicating his early promise as a fine artist. However, working at F.A.O. Schwarz would turn his life in a different direction. His talent at window displays led to discovery by Ursula Nordstrom, publisher of childrens books at Harper & Brothersand his first commission to illustrate a childrens book, The Wonderful Farm, in 1951. Book after book, Sendak pushed himself to try on new styles, a trait that becomes evident when viewed through such a comprehensive collectionespecially a side-by-side display of his early books with writer Ruth Krauss. She and husband Crockett Johnson mentored Sendak and encouraged him not to settle on a style, despite its success. Out of the eight books they collaborated on, seven feature different illustration styles. The exhibit also makes it possible to see how Sendaks self-taught skills sharpened over the years. About the Little Bear series, which stretched over an 11-year period, di Capua said, Look at them chronologically. Its the same characters, but you see his draftsmanship, his increased complexity in drawing, evolving from book to book. His career was an extraordinary example of self-education, di Capua said. By looking at other great artistsand as he would have told you unashamedly, mimicking other great artistsMaurice got better and better. Sendaks wide-ranging personal art collection reveals his inspiration and adds further dimension to the exhibit. Displayed side by side with his own work, the pieces spotlight Sendaks ability to adopt new techniques and make them his own. An intricate watercolor and pencil of a bat by Beatrix Potter inspired his illustrations for Randall Jarrells The Bat-Poet. Dark and moody etched cross-hatching in British artist Samuel Palmers The Lonely Tower finds its way into Higglety Pigglety Pop. The romanticism of Winslow Homer and Goya are represented in his work as well, along with Winsor McKays early 1900s comic strip, Little Nemo in Slumberland, whose fluid panels and fantastic adventures inspired In the Night Kitchen. This kind of thoughtful analysis and celebration of Sendaks work is exactly what the Maurice Sendak Foundation hoped forand foundat Sendaks preceding shows at the Columbus Museum, the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, and now at this four-fold expansion at the Denver Art Museum. We were determined to get into an art museum and not just strictly a childrens museum, said executive director Lynn Caponera. It took some time and talking to many museums, she said, but these three shows indicate an increasing appreciation of Sendaks artistryby audiences of all ages. People are realizing that this is a serious show that also appeals to children, Caponera said. She has been to the Denver show twice and was amazed by how intently children were listening to the audio tours and taking in the art. Its a good reminder of the picture books importance in young childrens lives, she said. Theyre the first books you give your children, what they grow up on and remember. So they should be good quality. People overlook the fact that this is literature too. Once the show ends in February, materials will return to the Maurice Sendak Foundation in Ridgefield, Conn., awaiting their next outing. Caponera said the foundation is in talks with East Coast venues to celebrate Sendaks centennial in three years, as well as some European venues. Clearly, Maurice Sendak remains very much a part of our culture. When asked to imagine how his longtime friend would feel about the current exhibit, di Capua said, It would be, to him, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I know he suffered from being relegated, as he would scornfully put it, to being a kiddie book artist. I know that this kind of validation of his work would have made him quietly, very, very happy. When theyre not writing and illustrating books, many childrens creators pursue other artistic paths, some far afield of publishing. We spoke with four artists who came to picture books and graphic novels with experience in design, typography, murals, and multimedia. Audiences may already have encountered their work outside the bookstore, without connecting their artistry to print media. Designer Annie Atkins, a resident of Dublin, Ireland, creates props and period ephemera for film and TV, and moviegoers might recognize her creations, notably the coveted, pink Mendls Patisserie box from Wes Andersons The Grand Budapest Hotel or the maps in Andersons stop-motion animated Isle of Dogs. I was a graphic designer for years in advertising, Atkins says, but then I realized my heart wasnt really in it. I dont know if you can be good at something you dont enjoy. She left advertising for film school, imagining a career in directing or cinematography, only to discover that her design chops met on-set needs. I put two and two together and was like, oh, right, you need graphic designers in film as well, she recalls. Her style was perfect, she said, for historical dramas or genre work set in other worlds. Atkins supplements her online image research with visits to museum archives and occasional purchases of mementos found in family collections. I buy a lot of things from eBay, like old telegrams and odd love letters and stuff, she says. They dont cost very much money, and its great to be able to hold things in your hand and feel the texture of the paper. This year, Atkins made her picture book debut with Letters from the North Pole: With Five Letters from Santa Claus to Pull Out and Read (Magic Cat), a nostalgic, interactive title Atkins compares to Janet and Allan Ahlbergs Jolly Postman toy book series. Typographer Jessica Hische, who lives in Berkeley, Calif., specializes in lettering. Companies hire her to tweak and refresh imagery created by other designers, and she has updated the logos of brands including Southern Living and Eating Well. She and Atkins share a cinematic connection: Hische created the titles for Andersons Moonrise Kingdom; she also did the main title design for the Lionsgate film Are You There, God? Its Me, Margaret, based on the novel by Judy Blume, the titles for Natasha Rothwells Hulu show How to Die Alone, and the main title for The Wonder Years TV reboot. At the start of her graphic design career, Hische felt an affinity with editorial illustrators, book illustrators, and typographers. There werent a ton of people doing illustrative typography, so it became this fun playground for me, she says. Commercial clients came to know her as their go-to letter artist, and she channeled her love of illustration into childrens book projects including her debut, Tomorrow Ill Be Brave, which became a selection of Dolly Partons Imagination Library and a PW Flying Start. Hisches abecedary, My First Book of Fancy Letters, was published by Penguin Workshop in October. Brooklyn-based painter Katie Yamasaki creates murals with communities in the New York metro area and far beyond. Shes worked with neurodivergent public school students near her neighborhood, young women questioning military recruitment in Sunset Park, and hospital staffers in the Bronx. Shes also created art with rural Appalachian residents and with the Zapatistas, a Mexican revolutionary group, and she now leads an expressive arts program at a maximum security womens prison every week. Yamasakis projects complement her picture books, which include Place Hand Here and Everything Naomi Loved (co-written with Ian Lender), stories of young painters. Her writing and illustration stem from formative experiences as a mural-maker, including her first collaboration with teenage girls in Brooklyn, more than 20 years ago. The site was a 60-by-40-foot wall on top of another building; we had to take a 25-foot ladder up to a rooftop and go up a huge scaffold from there, Yamasaki says. They prepared a grid to enlarge their image, painted each section, and only saw the results once the scaffolding was removed. At first, Yamasaki felt disappointed by the technical imperfections, yet the girls in the group were so moved to have their image up in such a large scale and prominent place. She came to realize that a mural is not about the artist and her ego. Instead, a mural is a collective endeavor meant to provide a platform for people to tell their stories. She also believes mural making sharpens your storytelling skills because its like trying to tell a whole story in a single image, and she says her agentTanya McKinnon of McKinnon Literarylikewise sees my work as a whole package of storytelling, from picture book pages to grand-scale outdoor walls. Yamasakis forthcoming Mural Island (Norton Young Readers, Mar. 2025), edited by Simon Boughton, features an unstoppable young artist who has talents in common with Yamasaki and the diverse people she meets on the job. Fabric artist Kay Healy, who lives in Philadelphia, paints and screen-prints on fabric, and assembles it into large, pillowy sculptures sewn together with trapunto and quilting techniques. Among Healys creations are life-size houseplants and sprawling installations made of cloth and displayed on large gallery walls. My artwork tends to be very detailed, but it always has an element of story in it, says Healy, whose pieces are based on interviews in which people describe objects from their lives. Her quest for stories led her to a degree in book arts and printmaking at the University of the Arts, where she learned bookbinding and created screen prints of armchairs and household items: I liked the fact that I could make a lot of them. [Plus] we had a lot of abandoned buildings in Philly back then, [so] I used to wheat paste them on bare walls. When she began screen-printing on fabric and creating reliefs using trapunto stitchery, that started me on this new pathway. Healy also has turned her love of stories into humorous anecdotes about an 11-year-old semi-sleuth. Shell make her comics debut next February with Caseys Cases: The Mysterious New Girl, the first in a two-book deal, edited by Taylor Norman at Holiday Houses Neal Porter Books imprint. Artistry On and Off the Page Each creator brings their expressive ideals to their non-book art and childrens books alike. Yamasaki wrote Mural Island about a Black child named Kengi, who uses they/them pronouns and loves doodling on every available surface. Kengis teacher suggests they visit an outdoor art space, dubbed Mural Island, where kids can paint with abandonbut the catch is that visitors often paint over each others pictures. In Mural Island, graffiti isnt permanent. Yamasaki has met kids like Kengi, including a 14-year-old who was assigned to make murals as a punishment for his graffiti. He would go into the bathroom and tag every square of toilet paper, Yamasaki says. He would go into the fridge and tag everybodys food. He was trying to carve out his place, trying to have a voice. She created Kengi to demonstrate how such an irreverent artist might find an outlet for their energy. When youre doing graffiti or painting murals, youre having a full sensory experience because your whole body is involved, Yamasaki says. There are the smells of the neighborhood, the heat, the sounds of the cars or the sounds of whatever. Theres the physical and visual component being embodied in whatever it is youre doing. If you see people painting graffiti, they are fully in their moment, and she wants to convey that liberatory feeling to her audiences. Letter designer Hische, who works with Penguin Workshop VP and publisher Daniel Moreton and literary agent Seth Fishman of the Gernert Company, wants to awaken a sense of possibility in young readers too. Developing My First Book of Fancy Letters, she says, brought back all these memories of learning to write in bubble letter styles and graffiti styles and reminded her of that childhood realization that letters can look cool. Drawing fancy letters is a really accessible art form for kids who are worried about not being able to draw things correctly, she says. Letters can be bent and shaped, and kids dont have to get hung up on it being realistic. In her alphabet book, a hot H blazes, a brassy J is jeweled with gemstones, and a short and sweet S looks like a candy stick. I wanted to make sure that all of the words that I picked were easy to visualize, Hische says, so everythings a concrete word or adjective. Healy, the fabric artist, says she came up with Caseys Cases organically while working on other projects, and her character projects a casual DIY aesthetic. Caseywhose wide base and pointy noggin recall a piece of candy cornwas a little character that I would just draw in my sketchbook and put in situations. What would she look like in a swimsuit? What would her best friend look like, what would her mom look like, what would her cat look like? Jotting stories of Caseywho reckons with a snarky classmate, a crush, and a rescued cat named Mr. MuffinHealy envisioned elementary-age students in the community art classes she taught: I was always trying to think about what they would find funny or important, and using that as a guiding light. After working on the comics in secret, Healy put together a dummy for her husband, Greg Pizzoli, author-illustrator of Lucky Duck and The Watermelon Seed. I had no other aspirations for it, she says, but I knew he liked it because he had notes. She reworked it for three months, and Pizzolis agent, Steven Malk at Writers House, suggested his colleague Hannah Mann. I know what a struggle it can be to produce the thing and get it in front of people who can help you turn it into something, Healy now says. So I had a fast pass for that one. For props designer Atkins, Letters from the North Pole likewise came about serendipitously, when the Magic Cat team and publisher Rachel Williams asked her to recommend a designer for a seasonal book with paper props. I said, Oh, Id love to write a book! Atkins says. And they said, Oh, you want to write it? So we started a whole other conversation. It was a real gift. When making props, Atkins says she stays in character all the time. I use the real tools that the characters would use, so I started thinking about, How would Santa Claus write his letters? Does he use a fountain pen? Does he use calligraphy? To keep Santas script legible, she gave him a vintage typewriter, one of those old smudgy ones with imperfect keys and an unevenly inked ribbon; she reserved calligraphy for Santas signature and the addresses on the envelopes. For the franking marks and postal marks, I had real rubber stamps made, she added. It was all hand-done and then scanned in, for a subtle and realistic look. Illustrator Fia Tobing contributed color imagery, and Jonathan McGonnell drafted diagrams of invented toys. Atkins saw Letters as a rare chance to get her meticulous pieces into peoples hands, in close-up, and shes now at work on a middle-grade book with interactive components too. The sad thing about film is most of this stuff is never, ever seen by the audience, she reflects. Youre [creating] deep background work or its just off camera, out of focus, or not in the frame at all. Atkinslike Healy, Hische, and Yamasakitransformed her custom handiwork into a book of paper props that would actually be held by a reader and studied in detail. On November 27, 2024, a fragile ceasefire took effect in Lebanon following two months of intense Israeli bombardment mostly in southern Lebanon and Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburb. Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah's party headquarters is located, is composed of multiple neighborhoods with varied social, economic, and urban histories, and is also home to numerous warehouses, printers, and bookbinders on which the Lebanese book industry relies. On the evening of October 20, Mohamed Hadi, of Dar al Rafidain publishing house, saw one of his five branches destroyed. The second floor of the building in Dahiyeh housed his bookstore and publishing house offices where management, editing, layout, accounting, and marketing were centralized. "We must rebuild all our work and archives, and our employees are scattered throughout Lebanon without homes," Mohamed Hadi said. A few weeks earlier, on September 28, Jihad Baydoun of Dar al Kotob al Ilmiyah, saw his 7,500-square-meter (80,729.3 sq-ft.) warehouse spanning two underground floors destroyed by an airstrike. The warehouse lies buried under four collapsed buildings. Of his 7,500 titles, Jihad Baydoun lost stock of 1,500 titles in all or an estimated 2,520,000 bound books. Disruptions to production and distribution The various book fairs around the Middle East, in particular in the Gulf states, are important sources of revenue for Lebanese publishers. But they take an initial risk by even deciding to travelfinding tickets to leave isn't easy, and those who leave risk being stranded abroad if the airport closes. Until the ceasefire, the national airline, Middle East Airlines, was the only company serving Beirut and while several airlines resumed flights in December, the long term viability of the ceasefire is uncertain. It's particularly risky for publishers "especially if we're stuck in a country where we don't have family or with a limited visa," Rana Idriss, publisher of Dar al Adab, one of the oldest and most prestigious publishing houses in the Middle East, said. But there are also stories of luck and courage: Idriss, with uncanny foresight, had decided two months before October 7, 2023, to move the 500,000 books she had in her Dahiyeh warehouse since 1953, including her best-selling titles, closer to her office near central Beirut, to reduce the time she spent stuck in traffic. The move was costly, but the books in Dahiyeh were relocated to a second warehouse owned by Dar al Adab, and the less successful books from the second warehouse were sent to Dahiyeh. Idriss was recently able to check on her warehouse in Haret Hreik in Dahiyeh; the door had blown open from the pressure of explosions, but she said locals put a new lock on the warehouse. In November while she was preparing for the Sharjah Book Fair, Idriss had eight main titles in production, including 4,000 copies of the second volume of a possible trilogy by Palestinian prisoner Basim Khandaqji, whose first book, A Mask, the Color of the Sky won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2024. Idriss was also printing the debut novel by Yemeni author Ahmad As Salami, Open Sky. Dar al Adab's printer was in a relatively calm region, said Idriss. But her bookbinder was in Dahiyeh. On September 17, two days after the death of her acclaimed author Elias Khoury and the day of his funeral, the deadly pager explosions attributed to Israel took place in the afternoon, followed by the walkie-talkie attacks the following day. Ten days later, significant military action took place in Haret Hreik. "I didn't dare ask my bookbinder how he was doing with the work," Idriss said. A few days later, she called the binder who told her he would go to Dahiyeh with his sons and three cars to retrieve Dar al Adab's 18,000 books, as well as his binding machines, which they would dismantle to take to a workshop loaned to her by a colleague in a safe location. "That's how Basim Khandaqji's book, which had to be smuggled out of prison, ended up being printed and bound and arrived in Sharjah," said Idriss. War's broader impact Other publishers such as Hassan Yaghi of Dar al-Tanweer, who also has a branch in Tunisia, said that "everything has changed in a year. We couldn't print our books in Dahiyeh anymore. Employees became refugees." Hassan Yaghi's home is 100 meters from the Dahiyeh region, and all his windows exploded due to bombings. Originally from southern Lebanon, Hassan Yaghi said all his family members have become homeless and he must stay "strong to support them." He had "dreamed of another world," he added. "I studied European philosophers, I believed in democracy, I educated my children with these beliefs but I doubt this European democracy today." Salah Chebarothe son of late publisher Bassam Chebaro, founder the publishing house Arab Scientific Publishers and who was posthumously honored at this year Sharjah Book Fairfounded the Arabic language online bookstore Neelwafurat in 1998. Chebaro said that following the pager and walkie-talkie attacks, he understood that a new phase of the war, until then still low-intensity, had begun. When the air raids on Dahiyeh began, eight of his 40 employees became refugees. "Everyone was panicked, our warehouse isn't far from Dahiyeh, and the publishers I work with often have their printers and warehouses there. Printers outside of Dahiyeh were overloaded with work." And in Beirut, "which we thought was an undeclared safety zone, [Israeli] drones began flying over the city." Neelwafurat sells books from 1,000 publishers based in the Middle East, of which 40% come from Syrian and Lebanese publishers. The border crossings with Syria were bombed and then closed temporarily, meaning books from Syrian publishers could no longer reach him. When all airlines besides Middle East Airlines stopped flying into Beirut, packages previously handled by DHL and Aramex which had their own planes had to be handed over to Middle East Airlines. "All our orders were delayed with titles that weren't reaching us. When customers don't receive their orders, they stop buying from us." Neelwafurat's sales dropped by 50%, noted Salah Chebaro. "And 50% is good compared to others." Although Lebanese publishers have faced multiple challenges for years, all agreed that since the civil war ended in 1990, they never experienced challenges as trying as those they faced over the past two months. If the ceasefire remains in place and the airport stays open, there remains some hope for a return to near-normalcy. Nevertheless, the challenges persist. A version of this article originally appeared in the French publishing trade journal Livres Hebdo. Donald Trump and Democrats didnt agree about much this year but for a few exceptions. One area of agreement centered on reforming outdated marijuana laws. This summer, President-elect Trump outlined reasonable and fair changes to cannabis laws that included an end to minor possession incarcerations, legalization of adult use in Florida, recategorization of marijuana to a lower-risk drug, support for states rights to pass reforms and commercial banking access for legal cannabis businesses. And voters agree. Public opinion surveys by The Tarrance Group showed that more than two-thirds of likely voters in the November presidential battleground states favored these changes. Other pollsters have found similar sentiment nationally for years. A new generation of Republicans and Democrats are embracing these reforms as well. Yet Congress has failed to act. With Trump ready to take the helm, the time is right for progress. A starting point is passage of the SAFER Banking Act, which would give legal cannabis businesses access to the federal banking system in the same manner other businesses in America conduct their commercial banking. Doing so before year end would signal a commitment for change. Consider the popularity and impact of putting these changes in motion now. Thirty-eight states - 39 if you count the ballot initiative passed in November by Nebraska voters - have legalized marijuana for medical use, and two dozen more have greenlit cannabis for adult use. Still others are considering legalization. With approximately 40,000 state-licensed businesses in operation, legal cannabis is a $33 billion annual industry creating an estimated 440,000 jobs. The SAFER Banking Act creates a solid foundation for other changes. Thats because failure to give cannabis companies access to commercial banking forces them to conduct business in cash and limits their ability to make investments to fuel more economic growth. As a result, they are exposed to physical threats and crime, which hurts their employees and broader communities. Beyond reducing potential crime and providing legal cannabis businesses the ability to bank with and borrow from federally backed financial institutions, SAFER would enable their employees to take out mortgages and do routine bank transactions. Passage of SAFER could set up the Trump administration to take the second step of following through with the recommendation to reclassify marijuana. Currently, marijuana is a Schedule I substance, a designation reserved for drugs with no medical value and a high potential for physical or psychological dependence and abuse. These include heroin, LSD and ecstasy. The Department of Health and Human Services recommended earlier this year to list marijuana with Schedule III drugs, which have accepted medical uses and a moderate to a low abuse potential. If rescheduling happened, medical researchers would be freer to look for beneficial uses of cannabis. Additionally, cannabis companies would be allowed for the first time to take advantage of standard tax benefits available to other companies. Never has there been a better time for much-needed sensible cannabis reform. Things are lining up for action. And the best part is, its what voters from both parties want. Donald Trumps astounding return to the White House has the Middle East bracing for change. In Gaza, the West Bank, and beyond, Trump 2.0 could spark a major peace and reconstruction effort backed by regional Arab allies as part of a new series of Abraham Accords. In the year since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel has effectively rendered Hamas dysfunctional as a fighting force and governance apparatus. Its recently concluded war in Lebanon drove Hezbollah into hiding. Meanwhile, Hamas and Hezbollahs master the Mullah regime in Iran appears stunned by Israels military successes and Trumps seismic election victory. All the while, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are watching intently from the sidelines and jostling for new roles in the emerging Middle East. A new peace and security deal between the US and the kingdom, structured by President Joe Bidens national security team, is ready for signature and could be inserted into a new round of Abraham Accords negotiations that is expected soon after Trump takes office. The deal would ensure comprehensive security guarantees for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf underwritten by the US and is expected to include a strong component on Israel-Gulf peace and security. Trump takes pride in getting additional Gulf states to sign further rounds of Abraham Accords and his incoming administration would waste little time in sealing off something closer to peace in the Middle East. The proposed plan also provides incentives such as a large-scale reconstruction and revival project in the areas of Gaza and possibly Syria intended to give these war-ravaged communities a fair shot at economic empowerment. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other rich Gulf economies with the possible inclusion of other Muslim states could become partners in this project that would be a centrepiece of a new and emerging Middle East in a post-Abraham Accords era. However, its unclear how this rosy-looking landscape aligns with the now-precarious aspirations for a two-state solution. Where does a politically sovereign and economically autonomous Palestinian state fits into the puzzle? For the immediate future, a two-state solution as described in UN resolutions is highly unlikely. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues that two states the quasi-autonomous territories of Gaza and the West Bank effectively existed on October 7, 2023; Hamass terror attacks destroyed the immediate chance for peace and security between Israel and these territories. Clearly, if the Palestinians are to have another shot at political autonomy, fresh solutions must be put forward that do not include Hamas in a leadership position. The Palestinians will need to accept Israels right to exist as a Jewish nation and abandon their mantra of From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. As far as Iran is concerned, it has two stark choices: either the Mullah regime sticks with its tired anti-Israel, anti-US, anti-West ideology, which in practice means holding the Middle East hostage by terrorist proxies, or the Iranian people force the regime to abandon its dreams of regional dominance and move the country towards the path of peace. Unfortunately, Irans theocratic totalitarian government is highly unlikely to change its very survival relies on fostering hate for Israel and the US. So, the most realistic route to peace is regime change in Iran. Trump recently nominated several staunch Israel supporters for key roles in his Cabinet, sending a strong signal to the entire Middle East that the status quo will not remain. And while the likelihood of a two-state solution has faded, this is not necessarily a bad thing for the region. In the words of Democrat Senator for Pennsylvania John Fetterman: Stop freaking out about everything Trump does sounds like the right advice to us. Raheel Raza is a Munk Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a contributor to the Center for North American Prosperity and Security. Rizwan Mohammad is a senior member of the Council for Muslims Against Antisemitism. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate The outage raised broader concerns about the dependency on a few large tech companies controlling critical platforms. Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtesy Matheus Bertelli/Pexels.com In an increasingly artificial intelligence (AI)-driven world, the recent outage of ChatGPT has reignited debates around the growing reliance on AI and, more broadly, on popular tech platforms. The outage, which impacted ChatGPT, OpenAI's API, and Sora services, left hundreds of users unable to access critical functions. Although services were eventually restored, the disruption revealed key vulnerabilities in tech infrastructure. Compounding the issue, Meta's platforms -- including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook -- also faced outages during the same period, further amplifying concerns about the stability of widely used platforms. Despite ChatGPT's popularity, its adoption for critical enterprise applications in India remains limited. According to Downdetector, complaints about the ChatGPT outage peaked at 377 in India, compared to 27,645 in the US. This indicates that the disruption had a relatively smaller impact in India. In contrast, Meta's outage drew higher complaints from Indian users, with Instagram alone receiving 30,964 reports on Downdetector. This disparity highlights a gap in the adoption of generative AI (GenAI) platforms like ChatGPT in India versus traditional tech platforms. Anushree Verma, director analyst at Gartner, explains that Indian enterprises are still in the early stages of adopting ChatGPT and GenAI. "Adoption of ChatGPT in India is increasing, but the majority of usage is concentrated in Western countries. While India is a powerhouse of skill and resources, most end applications are being catered to the West," she said. The outage also raised broader concerns about the dependency on a few large tech companies controlling critical platforms. Verma cautions that this trend is particularly concerning with the rise of GenAI. "Currently, the impact of such outages is limited because GenAI is primarily used for resource and knowledge management. However, with the emergence of agentic AI -- capable of independent decision-making -- such disruptions could be far more consequential," she said. Agentic AI refers to systems capable of acting independently and making decisions with minimal human supervision. These AI agents can perform complex tasks across various domains, from customer service to sales and marketing, opening new possibilities for automation. "As Adoption grows, outages of agentic AI systems could result in significant economic losses, potentially running into millions or billions of dollars," she said. In case of healthcare, it could even mean direct impact on human lives," she added. Analysts shared that the dependency on AI is only going to increase. Hence, having a diversified strategy is important. Jaydeep Singh, general manager for India at Kaspersky, said, "The recent service disruptions across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp underscore how deeply digital services are embedded in our daily lives. "While such outages can be caused by technical challenges, they also remind us of the critical need for resilient and secure information technology infrastructures, especially as AI-powered services continue to scale globally." Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com The 10-year agreement amounts to 0.5 per cent of global oil supply and is valued at roughly $13 billion per year. Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters Russias state-owned oil firm Rosneft has agreed to supply up to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil to Indian upstream oil and gas major Reliance Industries (RIL) in the largest-ever energy deal between the two countries, Reuters reported on Thursday. The 10-year agreement amounts to 0.5 per cent of global oil supply and is valued at roughly $13 billion per year at current prices, it said. The deal will ensure stability in crude oil flows and is part of Rosnefts efforts to expand its presence in India, officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said. Without confirming the size of the agreement, ministry officials said the government was aware of negotiations nearing a final stage between the two companies. Commercial contracts are confidential and based on market conditions. "The government is not involved. However, such a deal will ensure greater stability in supplies, said an official. The government official said: Even when prices remain on a long-term downward trajectory, securing stable flows is of paramount importance. Government sources said a deal of this size could give Rosneft more confidence in retaining its global business ties at a time when the United States (US) is reportedly planning to escalate sanctions on Russian firms, particularly its oil sector. The incumbent US President seeks to enact a tighter framework of sanctions on Russian entities before he leaves office next month. "A mega pact with Indian firms would help Moscow send a message at this juncture, a highly placed source said, under the condition of anonymity. The agreement will also expand RILs exposure to Russian crude oil. Queries sent to the ministry did not elicit a response until the time of publication. A RIL spokesperson told Business Standard: We do not comment on specific details of any supply contract that are confidential in nature. "As always, any such supplies are compliant with prevailing sanctions policies as applicable to Indian buyers of such feedstock. Rosneft did not reply to requests by Reuters for comments. Rosnefts India plans The second-largest Russian company by market capitalisation and one of its highest earners, Rosneft is increasingly making efforts to bolster its presence in. In early December, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted Rosnefts $20 billion investment in India, without elaborating further. Energy cooperation is expected to take priority during Putins upcoming visit to India, sometime in early next year, the Kremlin has said. In 2023, Rosneft expressed interest in building a greenfield refinery in India through a joint venture (JV) with public-sector refiners. Also, Rosneft last year appointed Govind Kottieth Shah to its board the first such appointment from India. An industry veteran, Shah had been the chairman of several Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) JVs, including IndianOil-Adani Gas and IndianOil Total, before joining Rosneft. Currently, Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy operates more than 6,000 retail fuel outlets in India, with an additional 1,200 in various stages of commissioning. The company also runs Indias second-largest refinery, located in Gujarats Vadinar, with an annual capacity of 20 million tonnes, equivalent to 405,000 bpd. Responding to queries about Russian oil supplies, the RIL spokesperson said: Russia is currently the largest supplier of crude oil to India. "This is well-documented. We are always engaged with several international suppliers, including Russia, to source feedstock for our refinery. "As per practice, such supply contracts are done for the following year. The number of cargoes will vary depending on market conditions and economics. In FY23, the volume of Russian crude in Indias total sourcing mix has remained at nearly 40 per cent since FY23. Indias crude oil import bill declined by nearly 15 per cent year-on-year in FY24 even with a slight increase in crude oil imports, mainly due to availability of cheaper Russian crude and the said benefit continued in the first eight months of FY25 but with reduced discounts on Russian crude," said Hardik Shah, director, CareEdge Ratings. What India needs more than one simultaneous election is better governance both at the central and state level. Yes, we need reforms, but our priority should be to make elections less expensive, make it more democratic, do away with freebies which are actually bribes before elections, allow only those who are educated to contest, and bring in a bill to make it impossible for criminals to contest, asserts Ramesh Menon. IMAGE: First-time voters shows their ink-marked fingers after casting their votes for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections at a polling booth Kishenpur in Samba, Jammu, April 26, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The Narendra Modi government is toying around with the idea of introducing a bill in Parliament soon to have simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Is it because the trend in recent elections has shown that the voter votes for the BJP coalition in the national elections, but chooses a regional power in the state assembly? The moot question is whether the voter will differentiate between both in a simultaneous election... Home Minister Amit A Shah has said the BJP-led coalition government plans to roll it out in the current tenure. The BJP has wanted to do it since its landslide win in 2014. It is a complicated affair and a contentious one, too. It will require about 15 Constitutional amendments. The Opposition is not taking kindly to the idea. The Lok Sabha is where the voter decides who should helm the country's affairs, and the state assembly is where the voter chooses a party that understands local and regional issues and would ideally resolve them. Both elections in India are, therefore, not the same. We have seen numerous times how voters vote differently in both polls. For instance, Delhi voters backed the Aam Aadmi Party in the state assembly while they voted for the BJP in all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the capital. The Constitution wanted a federal form of government, as the visionaries who sculpted it, found it to be democratic. If the one nation, one election plan has to come through, it needs the nod of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The states will have be consulted and cajoled as there will be 17 state governments that will have to be disbanded before their term ends. How many will agree to such an eventuality in a power-hungry political culture? And how fair would it be for voters to evaluate the truncated terms of their state governments? IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi being felicitated by then Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and then deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at an election meeting in Shivaji Park, Mumbai, November 14, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The Modi government had appointed a committee under former President Ram Nath Kovind to present a report on the One Nation, One Election idea. But it was not to go into studying if it was the right thing to do but to just prepare a roadmap for it to happen. It just had a garb of looking at electoral reform. Nothing of the kind. That Kovind agreed to do it after holding the highest office in the land was surprising. All its eight members appointed by the Modi government were unanimous in their recommendation that it should be implemented. Opposition leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury remarked that its terms of reference guaranteed the conclusion it would reach. One central argument being forwarded is that it will cut down the humungous costs that elections today have to bear. Also, it would save resources. It was estimated that the last Lok Sabha elections in 2024 cost around Rs 135,000 crore. The 2019 general elections cost around Rs 60,000 crore. Another rationale that is a good argument is that there is policy paralysis all the time in India, as both the central and the state governments in power are constantly engaged in one election or the other, wasting a lot of time that could be used to ensure good governance and policy making. This is true as soon after the election results in Maharashtra were announced, BJP ministers got busy strategising for the upcoming Delhi elections. The desperation is evident as even elections for a couple of seats in a minor by-election has all political parties devoting their time to it ignoring other priorities for which the voter voted. The Kovind Committee observed that frequent elections created uncertainty, so simultaneous elections would ensure stability and predictability in governance. It will also help reduce costs, it argued. The Committee said that in the 2029 election for the Lok Sabha, all state assemblies and local bodies could be dissolved as a one-time measure, while local body elections could be held within 100 days. An election due to a hung legislature could be held mid-way but only have a shorter term to synchronise with the following nationwide election, it said. The Committee said it had discussions with stakeholders before submitting the report, and of the 47 political parties that had submitted their views, 32 supported the idea. The Congress, AAP, TMC, DMK, CPM, SP, BSP and CPI were among those who opposed it. IMAGE: Voters queue to cast their vote for the Maharashtra assembly elections in Mumbai, November 20, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal says that with synchronised elections, local agendas and concerns of various states would be neutralised by aggressive national party campaigns that can impact the federal structure. It is a fact that around half a dozen state elections happen every year. So, the ruling government and the Opposition are constantly spinning in an election campaign mode. Almost all the ministers get busy campaigning all around the year. The lust for power is overpowering for politicians. So, when are they busy with governance? Is this what we want in a democracy? One cannot guarantee they will be involved in carving policy if elections are held only once in five years. But that is being touted as an argument to have simultaneous elections. The administration is also overworked, handling numerous elections to Parliament, state assemblies and local bodies in cities and rural areas. What India needs more than one simultaneous election is better governance both at the central and state level. Yes, we need reforms, but our priority should be to make elections less expensive, make it more democratic, do away with freebies which are actually bribes before elections, allow only those who are educated to contest, and bring in a bill to make it impossible for criminals to contest. Ramesh Menon, award-winning journalist, educator, documentary film-maker and corporate trainer, is the author of Modi Demystified: The Making Of A Prime Minister. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The Bengaluru City Police on Friday issued a summons to Nikita Singhania, the wife of engineer Atul Subhash who died by suicide, and asked her to appear before it within three days. IMAGE: Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash. Photograph: X The 34-year-old techie ended his life on Monday in Bengaluru, alleging harassment at the hands of his estranged wife and her family. A four-member Bengaluru City Police team led by sub-inspector Sanjeet Kumar arrived at Singhania's residence in the Khowa Mandi area in this Uttar Pradesh district around 11 am and pasted the notice for her summons. According to Circle Officer (City) Ayush Srivastava, the Bengaluru City Police notice said, "Nikita Singhania to appear before the investigating officer at Marathahalli police station, Bengaluru, within three days for interrogation regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of her husband, Atul Subhash." The notice, addressed solely to Singhania, did not mention other accused family members, including her mother Nisha Singhania, uncle Sushil Singhania and brother Anurag Singhania despite their names being in the FIR. At the time the notice was pasted, the main door of the house was locked and no family members were present. The Bengaluru City Police team arrived in Jaunpur late on Thursday. After meeting Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma, the team proceeded to the city police station for further action. The team planned to visit the civil court in Jaunpur to gather information about cases previously filed by Singhania, Srivastava said. Subhash, a 34-year-old engineer, died by suicide in Bengaluru on December 9, allegedly due to harassment by his estranged wife and her family. A case of abetment to suicide has been filed against Singhania and her family members. On a day when a key suspect of the evidence tampering case in the rape-murder of the RG Kar hospital medic walked on account of the Central Bureau of Investigation's failure to file a timely chargesheet, the West Bengal police secured capital punishment for a convict of a similar crime on a minor and life imprisonment for his accomplice. IMAGE: Junior doctors take part in a protest rally against the bail grant of two accused suspended Tala police station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal and former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's principal Sandip Ghosh in connection with the RG Kar rape-murder case, in Kolkata, December 13, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo This was the second such success of the state police inside a week, after it secured death sentence for a 19-year-old man for raping and murdering a 10-year-old school student in Joynagar's Kultali in South 24 Parganas district on December 6. Conviction and sentencing of the Farakka and Kultali cases were completed in about two months, leading Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to laud the achievements of both the police and justice system in the state for wrapping up air-tight investigations, and delivering speedy justice to the victims' kin by awarding harshest punishments to the guilty. In a sharp distinction, though, the Sealdah court in Kolkata on Friday granted bail to former officer-in-charge of Tala police station Abhijit Mondal and RG Kar hospital ex-principal Sandip Ghosh in evidence tampering charges of the on-duty medic's rape and murder after the CBI, which is investigating the case on a Calcutta high court order, couldn't file chargesheet against them within the mandatory 90-day period, a lawyer representing Ghosh said. While Mondal was accused of alleged delay in filing of FIR in the case, Ghosh was charged with tampering with evidence. Mondal's lawyer told reporters outside the court that he will walk out of the correctional home where he is incarcerated on judicial remand. Ghosh, who is on judicial remand in another case of alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar hospital, will, however, remain behind bars despite being granted bail in the rape-murder case. The failure to file the chargesheet has led certain sections to question whether the agency ever had solid grounds to arrest the accused and detain them behind bars for nearly four months, like it has been claiming before courts so far. The central probe agency, though, has filed a chargesheet against the prime accused, Sanjay Roy, in the rape-murder case. Adding to the angst of the parents of the RG Kar hospital victim, Friday's developments led them to state they were heartbroken with the two key suspects in the case getting bail, and that it seemed like the "system" was failing them. "We thought the CBI would speed up the investigation and bring those responsible to justice. But now, with the accused being granted bail, it feels like the system is failing us," said the mother of the medic, whose body was found in the hospital on August 9. "Every day, we wonder if this will be another case in which the powerful escape without punishment," she added. The rape and murder of the on-duty doctor shocked the state, leading to never-seen-before protests across West Bengal. "We are heartbroken. We trusted the CBI to deliver justice, but now we are left wondering if we will ever see justice for our daughter," said the victim's father. Both the Kultali and Farakka crimes were committed at a time when unprecedented agitations were rocking the state in protest against the RG Kar hospital incident. In the Farakka case verdict, the sentence of death awarded by the additional sessions judge, Jangipur court, to Dinabandhu Halder and life term to Subhojit Halder in the rape and murder of a minor girl and committing of necrophilia came on the 61st day of the crime. Investigation into the case was completed and a chargesheet submitted by the police in 21 days. The court had on Thursday declared Dinabandhu guilty of rape and murder, and Subhojit of assisting him in the crime. Following the pronouncement of the sentence on Friday, additional director general, West Bengal Police, Supratim Sarkar said that Dinabandhu had lured the girl, offering her flowers on Vijaya Dashami on October 13 at Farakka in Murshidabad district. She was raped and murdered, and rape was committed on her dead body again thereafter, which is termed necrophilia, by Dinabandhu and he was assisted in the crime by Subhojit, the officer told reporters. Hailing the sentence, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that every rapist deserves capital punishment. "I have said this before, and I will say it again: Every rapist deserves nothing less than the harshest punishment capital punishment. "As a society, we must unite to eradicate this heinous social malice. I believe that swift, time-bound trials and punishments will serve as a powerful deterrent, sending a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated," she said in a post on X. Barely a week ago, the district sessions court of South 24 Parganas had awarded another death sentence to a man for the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl at Joynagar. The sentence to Mostakin Sardar on December 6 was awarded on the 62nd day after the body of the girl was discovered on October 4. Expressing disappointment with the sluggish pace of CBI investigation in the RG Kar hospital crime cases, junior doctors in Kolkata resolved to chart their next course of action in their continuing fight for justice. "The accused have been allowed to go free due to the sluggishness of the investigation. This delay in justice is a slap in the face of all those who have been fighting for accountability," Aniket Mahato, a junior doctor at the hospital, said. The electric bus of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport hit the speed of 46 kmph when it ploughed into a crowd and mowed down seven people on a crowded road in Kurla area earlier this week, a senior official of the civic-run bus service said on Friday. IMAGE: Mangled remains of the BEST bus and a car after the bus collided with several vehicles on a road, at Kurla in Mumbai, December 10, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Throughout the day, before the tragic accident around 9.30 on Monday night, the speed of the bus did not exceed 32 kmph, much less than what BEST considers dangerous. Besides seven people who died, 42 others were injured as the Olectra bus, hired by the civic-run BEST undertaking on wet-lease basis, hit several vehicles before coming to a halt inside a housing society. Driver Sanjay More (54) is now in police custody for alleged reckless driving. The speed of the 12-metre long bus was locked at 80 kmph, though some other buses of the same manufacturer remain locked at 50 or 60 kmph as well, said the BEST official. "For the entire day on December 9, the highest speed clocked by the driver was just 32 kmph, except at the accident time," he said. BEST constantly monitors the speed of all its buses through the Vehicle Location Tracking Device, mandatory for all public transport vehicles. If a driver crosses the limit of 40 kmph, he is treated as "high speed". On crossing 50 kmph, a driver is red-flagged as "dangerous driver" and counseled, said the official. "Crossing 50 kmph on highways, or in early morning or late at night is not considered as dangerous driving, but still we counsel drivers about limiting speed," he added. BEST has set up a five-member committee to investigate the Kurla accident. At a meeting of the panel in the chamber of the BEST general manager, the five 'wet lease' operators -- contractors who provide both buses and drivers to BEST -- said their vehicles are locked at different speeds, ranging from 50 to 75 kmph. BEST is now planning to limit the speed of all wet-leased buses at a uniform level, and has sought replies from the operators regarding this, an official said. Notably, with growing congestion on roads, increased traffic signals, illegal parking, hawkers and never-ending utility works, the average speed of BEST vehicles on Mumbai roads dipped to 9 kmph in 2024 from 11.5 kmph in 2014, officials said. On average, a BEST bus plies for 169 km per day, against 184 km per day in 2023. As a result, the frequency of the service has gone down, and more buses are needed. Meanwhile, BEST has restored all the bus routes connecting to Kurla station (West), suspended after the accident. It would bring relief to commuters travelling to the business district of Bandra Kurla Complex and other parts of the city. Both BEST and Olectra have submitted reports to the transport commissioner's office regarding the accident and they would be forwarded to Mumbai police and the Maharashtra government, a transport department official said. As per BEST, driver More had started operating automatic transmission buses (ones without a clutch) from December 1. Before that, he drove diesel-run mini Tempo Traveller buses of two other wet lease operators whose services BEST discontinued due to different reasons. BEST administration has claimed that More had received three days' training before he was allowed to drive the electric bus. RTO officials suspect that human error and lack of proper training for driving automatic transmission buses could be the reason behind the accident, among the most horrific involving BEST buses in recent history. A total of 106 accidents involving BEST buses, including 79 wet-leased and 27 self-owned, have taken place in FY 24-25 as of December 9, against 68 during the same period (March-December) in FY 23-24 and 73 in FY 22-23. The 79 accidents of wet-leased buses in this financial year included 20 fatal, 48 serious accidents, while 27 accidents involving self-owned buses of the BEST undertaking included four fatal and 21 serious accidents. 'I will continue to donate blood till I am healthy.' Photograph: Archana Masih/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Bhuvneshwar Kumar with his mementos. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has donated blood at the Red Cross Blood Bank 21 times so far. In January he will make his way to the Red Cross donation centre in Saran, Bihar, to donate blood again. "I was a member of the Scouts and Guides organisation and joined the Red Cross Society in March 2018 as a volunteer which sensitised me to contributing to society," he says. Bhuvaneshwar first came to know about a blood donation drive through Facebook in 2018. Hesitant, he did not inform his parents that he was going to donate blood. But once at the donation centre, he was confident. "It was no big deal. After it was done, I was given juice and rasgulla. I had to wait for 20 minutes and then went home." Photograph: Archana Masih/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Bhuvneshwar shows his certificates. He has been donating blood every three months and has accumulated several certificates from the Red Cross Society for doing so. In recognition of the donation, a donor card is given. A donor card makes the person eligible to get a unit of blood during an emergency at the state run blood bank. He has helped 15-16 people get blood on his donor card. "Healthy individuals can donate blood every three months. I have three friends who also donate regularly," says the young man who has an MCom degree. His family operates a local shop. Bhuvaneshwar has been featured in the local newspaper several times for his blood donation actions. The district magistrate gave him a pat on his back the last time he donated blood. "No big task is possible without motivation. I will continue to do this as long as I am healthy and hope others are encouraged to do the same." Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The Karnataka high court on Friday granted bail to Kannada film actor Darshan Thoogudeepa in the Renukaswamy murder case. IMAGE: Kannada film actor Darshan Thoogudeepa. Photograph: Darshan Thoogudeepa on Instagram Along with Darshan, the court also gave bail to his friend Pavithra Gowda and seven others who are still in jail in connection with the case. The actor was arrested on June 11 this year for allegedly killing Renukaswamy, his fan, on June 8 for sending obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda. The actor was earlier lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Jail in Bengaluru, but when a photograph went viral showing him relaxing with some of the jail inmates, he was transferred to Ballari Central Jail. Darshan is presently hospitalised for back pain. Pavithra Gowda will not be released immediately, sources said, adding that the procedure would require two more days and may come out of jail on Monday. On June 9, the body of 33-year-old Renukaswamy was discovered near a drain in Sumanahalli, Bengaluru, bearing multiple injuries. Investigations revealed that Renukaswamy was abducted from Chitradurga and allegedly tortured before his death. Following the discovery, four individuals surrendered to the police, claiming responsibility for the murder over a financial dispute. However, inconsistencies in their statements led authorities to suspect a larger conspiracy. Subsequent investigations implicated actor Darshan, his associate Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others. On June 11, 2024, Darshan was arrested in Mysuru and brought to Bengaluru for questioning. By June 16, all suspects were arrested and produced before the court. Reacting to the bail granted to the actor, Renukaswamy's father Kashinath Shivanagouda said he has faith in judiciary. "I got to know through the media that the criminals who killed my son got bail. I don't have the details of it. We have faith in the judiciary. Bail may have been granted, but we have firm belief that the accused will be punished," he told reporters in Chitradurga. He once again requested the government to grant a permanent job to his daughter-in-law who recently gave birth to a child. Meanwhile, following the news about bail given to Darshan, his fans burst into celebration. A huge crowd of his followers gathered outside the BGS Global Hospital on Uttarahalli-Kengeri Road. They garlanded his photograph, performed aarti, offered abhisheka with milk and broke coconuts. As a precautionary measure, the police beefed up security near the hospital as well as the actor's residence. Celebrations also took place in Ballari, where the actor was lodged in the jail before being shifted to Bengaluru for treatment of his back pain. Also, fans celebrated in Chitradurga, Hubballi, Raichur, Davangere and a few other parts of the state. It may be noted that Renukaswamy hailed from Chitradurga. The cabinet expansion of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maharashtra government would take place on December 15 with the new ministers taking the oath of office at a ceremony in Nagpur, official sources said on Friday. IMAGE: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis with state deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Mahayuti MLAs attend the special session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai, December 7, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo A senior BJP leader told PTI that 30-32 ministers are likely to take oath. The week-long winter session of the state legislature is slated to begin in Nagpur, Maharashtra's second capital, from December 16. Devendra Fadnavis took oath as chief minister with Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar as his deputies at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on December 5. The council of ministers in Maharashtra can have a maximum of 43 members including the chief minister. Meanwhile, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday met deputy CMs Shinde and Ajit Pawar separately to finalise cabinet formation. Hectic parleys took place at Pawar's Deogiri bungalow in south Mumbai where he met his party leaders. In the November 20 assembly polls, results of which were announced on November 23, the Mahayuti swept to power winning 230 out of 288 seats in the state. The BJP led with 132 seats, followed by Shinde's Shiv Sena with 57 and Pawar's NCP getting 41. The government formation has already seen its fair share of twists and turns with Shinde making way for Fadnavis on the top post. Shinde, who did not want to be part of the government and was keen on focusing on the party organisation, was persuaded to take oath as deputy CM. The Shiv Sena, on several occasions, spoke of Shinde being given a post befitting his stature and sought the home portfolio, which the BJP has not agreed to. Sources said BJP is likely to get 20-21 ministerial berths, followed by 11-12 for the Sena and 9-10 for the Nationalist Congress Party. Six schools in Delhi received bomb threats over email early on Friday, triggering a multi-agency search of their premises, officials said. IMAGE: People stand outside a school which received a bomb threat in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI on X The latest threats come on the back of at least 44 schools receiving similar emails on December 9. Police had declared those threats as hoaxes. Reacting to the development, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal pointed out that it was the second such instance within a week and asked how these bomb threats would affect the children. A Delhi Fire Services official said, "We received calls (regarding the threat emails) from Bhatnagar International School in Paschim Vihar (4:21 am), Cambridge School in Shri Niwas Puri (6:23 am) and DPS Amar Colony in East of Kailash (6:35 am)." "(Calls were also received) from the South Delhi Public School in Defence Colony (7:57 am), Delhi Police Public School in Safdarjung (8:02 am) and Venkateshwar Global School in Rohini (8:30 am)," he added. The fire department, police and bomb detection teams, along with dog squads, have reached the schools and are conducting checks, the official said. The schools' authorities sent messages to guardians to not send their wards for classes or take them back if they already reached. A police source said the emails were received at 12:54 am, with the sender mentioning "parent-teachers' meeting" and "sports day" activities in the schools. The sender also mentioned that the "schools will face bomb blasts" on Friday and Saturday, the source said. A police official said checks were underway. Cambridge School principal Madhavi Goswami said she was checking the school mail, as routine, when she saw the threat. "I informed the police and they worked proactively. We were assured by the Delhi Police about the investigation. We informed the parents that classes would be online today," she said. Karmveer, a guard at South Delhi Public School, said he received a message at 7:20 am, following which they started to ask the parents coming to school with their children to return. "The school administration declared that all the students should be asked to return. Only a few children were already inside the campus and they were also sent back," he told PTI Videos. AAP supremo Kejriwal, who had on December 9 hit out at the Delhi Police and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over that day's bomb threats, shared a news clip about the latest threats on his official X handle. "This is the second time this week that Delhi schools have received bomb threats, which is extremely serious and worrying. If this continues, how badly will it affect the children? What will happen to their studies?" he asked in Hindi in the caption of the post. The Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights (CDPHR) on Friday presented a report on the state of minorities in Bangladesh following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. IMAGE: An Isckon monk puts up pamphlets outside the organisation's headquarters against the arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmay Prabhu by Dhaka police, at ISKCON HQ in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo The report titled 'Bangladesh Minorities Under Siege: A Wake-Up Call for the International Community' details the incidents of violence and unrest affecting the Hindu communities in the country in the wake of the political changes. According to the report, there were 190 reported cases of looting, 32 homes were set on fire, 16 temples were desecrated and two incidents of sexual violence were recorded between August 5 and 9 after Hasina's resignation. By August 20, the number of reported incidents had increased significantly, with 2,010 total cases of violence against the Hindus, including the desecration of 69 temples and attacks on 157 families, it states. The report claims that the situation for religious minorities continued to deteriorate despite the formation of an interim government under Muhammad Yunus on August 8. CDPHR president Prerna Malhotra, who is also the director of the Department of Hindu Studies at the Delhi University, described the situation as 'a civilizational tragedy' calling for greater international attention to the plight of the minorities in Bangladesh. The report further explores the broader geopolitical implications for India, with historian Kapil Kumar warning that the rise in radicalism in Bangladesh poses a potential security threat to neighbouring India. It also includes several recommendations to address the violence against the minorities in Bangladesh. The report calls for the establishment of a United Nations-backed commission to investigate the atrocities, the deployment of peacekeeping forces and targeted sanctions against those responsible for the violence. The report urges the Bangladeshi interim government to uphold secular constitutional values, restore minority rights and take action against the extremist groups. Additionally, it recommends that international bodies, including Western nations and India, apply diplomatic and economic pressure to ensure the protection of the minorities. The data in the report was collected through a combination of field investigations conducted by the CDPHR's partners, news reports, fact-finding missions by minority organisations in Bangladesh and global media sources. The methodology involved triangulating evidence from these diverse sources to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of the reported incidents. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra's reference to the death of judge B H Loya 'long before his time' created uproar in Lok Sabha on Friday as Union minister Kiren Rijiju accused her of raising a matter settled by the Supreme Court and warned of 'appropriate parliamentary action'. IMAGE: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament. Photograph: SansadTV/ANI Photo Participating in a debate on 75 years of the the Indian Constitution, Moitra made a passing, but contentious, remarks on Loya's death as she attacked the ruling BJP for allegedly targeting institutions and opposition leaders to silence critical voices. The House was adjourned briefly twice due to the uproar over the matter, and the debate resumed after Speaker Om Birla said he has asked her to authenticate her claims. He also assured opposition members he will look into their reservations against Rijiju's 'threatening' language against a woman MP. Bharatiya Janata Party member Nishikant Dubey first raised the issue Moitra finished speech. He also objected to her criticism of former chief justice of India D Y Chandrachud, who recently retired, for a host of reasons, including receiving Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence during the Ganapati festival. Dubey accused Moitra of making insinuation about Loya's death. Later in a post on X, Moitra said all those reporting that 'Parliament Affairs Minster warned me - it is he who will face action for threatening me! His remarks to be deleted- not mine!'. Rijiju said the judge's death case is settled and the TMC MP's remarks were very serious. There is no question of any link or interference, he added. The parliamentary affairs minister said, "We will take appropriate parliamentary action. You cannot escape. You are setting a very wrong precedent." Any member will otherwise make similar allegations, he added. When the House reconvened after two adjournments, senior opposition members, Saugata Roy of the TMC and K C Venugopal of the Congress, protested against Rijiju's choice of words, emphasising that it was the Speaker who is the custodian of Lok Sabha. Both the MPs said the ruling party could have resorted to appropriate rules to seek action if they had an issue with Moitra's speech. Addressing Birla, Venugopal said, "You are the custodian. You have the powers to delete, expunge... The parliamentary affairs minister took the entire custody of House and he virtually threatened the lady member." Roy accused Rijiju of making 'brazen effort' to threaten Moitra. Congress leader Venugopal said the minister's responsibility is to maintain peace in the House but he instead 'threatened' and intimidated a woman member. He demanded that Rijiju apologise or his remarks be expunged. The Speaker lamented members engaging in personal allegations and counter-allegations, and asked them to have a constructive debate over issues related to the Constitution. Birla said he has asked Moitra to authenticate her remarks. He said he will look into what the minister has said and will delete, if needed. Judge Loya's death in 2014 had created a major row following a media report alleging foul play as he was hearing a politically sensitive case. The matter reached the Supreme Court. While hearing some PILs, the SC had said there was no merit in pleas alleging foul play. It said, the judge died of natural causes. Observing protesting farmers should adopt the Gandhian way, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered immediate medical aid to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose health is deteriorating owing to his indefinite fast for over a fortnight at a Punjab-Haryana border. IMAGE: Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal Photograph: ANI Photo A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Centre and Punjab government representatives to immediately meet Dallewal, who has completed over 17 days of fast. "Farmers should not get violent and do peaceful agitation. They should adopt the Gandhian way of protests because their grievances are being looked into," the bench said after being informed that violent agitations had created problems at both the sites. The court further asked to provide him with medical help and persuade him to break his indefinite fast saying his life was precious. "It is the bounden duty of the state of Punjab and union of India to take all peaceful measures and provide adequate immediate medical aid to Dallewal without forcing him to break the fast, unless it is imperative to do so to save his life," the bench said. The top court said it was harsh winters and the agitating farmers at Shambhu and Khanauri borders should not get violent and disrupt highway traffic. The apex court said a high-powered committee constituted by it, which was stated to be doing a good job, would talk to the protesting farmers and make recommendations to the court which eventually be put to the stakeholders for a decision. "We should not pass any order, which is very difficult to implement. It is the stakeholders, which will ultimately have to take a decision," the bench said. The protesting farmers, it said, could temporarily shift the venue and clear the highways or perhaps even temporarily suspend the ongoing agitation with a view to enable the committee to make its recommendation followed by due consideration by the stakeholders. It observed the member secretary (high-powered committee) was present in the court and had assured in its next meeting it would persuade the farmers in the light of the court's suggestions to temporary suspend the protest or shift to another venue. The bench directed the committee to file a short status report to this effect. During the hearing of the matter, one of the counsel handed over media reports where it was stated Dallewal, a senior citizen, was on an indefinite fast for the last 17 days and his health was deteriorating. It directed, "In this regard the DGP, Punjab and his officers along with the representative of the Centre, if it helps in diffusing the crisis, may immediately meet Dallewal and other farmers leaders who are sitting at the dharna so as to convince them that the first priority as of now should be to provide the adequate emergent medical aid to Dallewal." Justice Kant told solicitor general Tushar Mehta and Punjab advocate general Gurminder Singh to immediately do whatever was needed in this regard. When Singh tried to highlight the issue of over 2,000 farmers surrounding Dallewal, the bench said Punjab government officials were on the ground talking to him, and therefore, efforts should be made to persuade him to end his fast. "Your officers have direct access to him. They are in a position to have a direct dialogue and communication and even other farmer leaders who are sitting with him. They will also realise that the life of Dallewal is more precious than anything else," the bench said. It went on, "Agitations will start, continue and then stop. In the future also there will be agitations but a person like him, who is providing them statesmanship, providing them leadership, his life is more important than anything else. As of now, all of them should join hands with you to ensure that his life is saved." The bench indicated if a need arose, Dallewal could be shifted to PGIMER in Chandigarh or any other hospital in Patiala. The court would look at the shifting of the farmer leader to a hospital on December 17. Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre into accepting the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) on crops. Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces. The Haryana government set up the barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi National Highway in February after it was announced that the farmers would march to Delhi in support of their demands, including legal guarantee of MSP for their produce. In its interim report, a Supreme Court-appointed panel on farmers' grievances listed reasons for agrarian distress which among others include stagnant yield, rising costs and debts and inadequate marketing system. The high-powered committee, constituted on September 2 under former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nawab Singh to resolve the grievances of farmers agitating at the Shambhu border, suggested solutions including examining the possibility of giving legal sanctity to MSP and offering direct income support. The husband of a woman who died when fans jostled during the December 4 premiere show of Pushpa 2 at a film theatre in Hyderabad, said on Friday he doesn't hold the film's male lead Allu Arjun 'responsible for the tragedy'. IMAGE: Actor Allu Arjun addressing a press meeting in New Delhi. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo Bhaskar, the woman's husband, stated he was 'ready to withdraw' his case over the incident. "Allu Arjun is not at fault for coming to the theatre. I am ready to withdraw my case," he told reporters. Bhaskar added that he was not informed by the police about Arjun's arrest and learned about it only from the news. His eight-year-old son, who suffered serious injuries in the incident, has been undergoing treatment at a private super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad. The city police arrested Allu Arjun on Friday in connection with the woman's death. However, the Telangana high court granted him a four-week interim bail. I learnt that Yogi was deeply unhappy with the BJP's choice of Lok Sabha candidates. He had proposed a list of names, but hardly any of his suggestions were accepted. An interesting excerpt from Rajdeep Sardesai's new book, 2024: The Election that Surprised India. IMAGE: Amit A Shah and Yogi Adityanath in Tehri Garhwal. Photograph: ANI Photo In early May 2024, as the temperature soared, so did the election chatter. Had Yogi Adityanath been excluded during the campaign, or had the Uttar Pradesh chief minister voluntarily distanced himself from it? Yogi's alleged turf battle with the BJP's central leadership, especially Home Minister Amit Shah, was being whispered about in hushed tones in Uttar Pradesh's power circles, as was the possibility of a change in guard in Lucknow after the elections if the party won big. Gossip is at its juiciest when there is a kernel of truth to it. The Shah Yogi story fits into this category. A next-gen battle over who might succeed Narendra Modi in the future was the subject of much political speculation. Shah was Modi's de facto No. 2, the BJP's crisis manager and chief poll strategist, while Yogi Adityanath was a highly popular leader from the country's numerically decisive state. Now, in the heat of another big election, the internal tug of war was getting traction once again. After speaking to multiple sources, I learnt that Yogi was deeply unhappy with the BJP's choice of Lok Sabha candidates. He had reportedly proposed a list of names, but hardly any of his suggestions were accepted. One of the sitting MPs Yogi strongly batted for was former army chief and then Union minister General V K Singh, who had won the 2019 elections from Ghaziabad by a massive 5.6 lakh votes. When he saw that General Singh's name was missing from the 2024 list, Yogi became incensed. 'How can you drop someone of his stature? This will send out the wrong message,' Yogi cautioned at an internal party meeting. The warning went unheeded. General Singh had reportedly fallen out of favour with the central leadership. Thoroughly put off that the chief minister's nominees were being ignored, the Yogi camp blamed the charmed circle around the home minister, especially Sunil Bansal, the influential BJP general secretary referred to by Adityanath's supporters as 'Chhota Chanakya'. Another 'suspect' was the director of a national news TV network who had easy access to Shah and was accused by his critics of 'deal-making'. 'These guys sitting in their air-conditioned rooms in Delhi seem to know more than us on the ground in Uttar Pradesh,' argued a Yogi supporter. Amit Shah undoubtedly had a special interest in Uttar Pradesh. It was here, after all, as general secretary in charge of India's most politically crucial state, that he had acquired a national profile by spearheading the BJP's spectacular 2014 win. IMAGE: Narendra Modi chats with Shah at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo Shah had his own loyalists in the Uttar Pradesh BJP unit, not all of whom saw eye to eye with Yogi Adityanath. The hands-on organizational man Bansal was one of them, deriving his power from his proximity to the central leadership, but in August 2022, he was moved out of his post as Uttar Pradesh BJP organizational secretary and given charge of West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana instead. His departure established Yogi, the face of the BJP's impressive 2022 assembly victory, as the only power centre in the state. 'Yogi takes decisions without consulting any BJP leader; no minister, no MP, no MLA has any role in governance. Only a handful of bureaucrats matter,' lamented an MLA. 'At least when Bansalji was around, we could complain to him -- now there is no one.' Accusations that the chief minister was promoting members from his Thakur community at the cost of the BJP's Brahmin and OBC leaders added to the murmurs of discontent. Keshav Prasad Maurya, Yogi's deputy chief minister and the party's OBC face, was the leader of the dissident group. Maurya was convinced that Yogi's loyalists had conspired to defeat him in the 2022 assembly polls. Even though the chief minister and his deputy lived just 75 metres away from each other on Lucknow's Kalidas Marg, the city's VVIP hub, they hadn't visited each other's residences in almost five years. The only time Yogi came calling was once in 2021, to bless Maurya's newly wed son and daughter-in law. He had skipped the marriage ceremony and reception, which was attended by the top brass of the Sangh Parivar. 'A few senior RSS leaders had to persuade Yogi to at least maintain cordial relations with his deputy in public, but the truth is, there was a complete breakdown in ties,' confessed a senior Uttar Pradesh leader. The BJP's predicament in Yogi-led Uttar Pradesh was not unlike that faced by the party during the Modi years in Gujarat. Then, as chief minister, Modi was blamed for sidelining all potential challengers to his chair. Now, Yogi, a saffron-clad self-proclaimed 'monk' endorsed by the party's rank and file for his extremist Hindutva stance but accused by his peers of running a one-man show, was facing similar charges. As decision-making became excessively centralized in both Delhi and Lucknow, the fault lines within the BJP widened. Excerpted from 2024: The Election that Surprised India by Rajdeep Sardesai HarpersCollins, with the publisher's kind permission. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 33F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 33F. Winds light and variable. Now, its been 15 years. Most of the girls that are coming in here today dont know anything about Jessica, said Debbie Bolognani. But, she Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. BRATTLEBORO In a 76-55 vote, Representative Town Meeting rescinded the Acceptable Community Conduct Ordinance. Brattleboro.gov says the ordinance "defines community standards of behavior in specific locations around town and grants authority to town officials to issue tickets or warnings for prohibited behaviors, which include harmful, dangerous, illegal or unreasonably disruptive actions." Also included is a mechanism to fine owners of "high response properties," where issues occur or are reported four or more times within a three-month period. No amendments could be made to the article since it was brought by petition, Town Moderator David Gartenstein said Thursday at the start of the special RTM at Academy School. Competitive elections in caucuses before the meeting caused a nearly 50 minute delay in getting started. Town Meeting members to debate community conduct ordinance BRATTLEBORO Representative Town Meeting members are getting ready for a special meeting to Cristina Shay-Onye of District 8, who submitted the petition, called the ordinance "poorly written" and susceptible to legal challenges. "The town manager would have a lot of power about what is enforced," she said, adding that the ordinance could be open to selective enforcement. She suggested attorneys were ready and willing to fight the ordinance if RTM didn't overturn it. Given the health and safety issues at play, Town Attorney Bob Fisher said he believes the town can defend itself in court. Restorative processes in the ordinance are already underway in Vermont and don't need to be duplicated, said Kaci Viado, co-director of restorative justice programs at Interaction. "What other duties will not get accomplished if staff are pulled away to do this?" Bob Oeser of District 9 said. "I think there is a good emphasis on restorative justice but how does that interface what state law and our partners in restorative justice in the community?" Gary Stroud of District 8 said the ordinance is "creating something that's already there." "The police are doing a bang up job for sure," he said. "We have the resources." Select Board Vice Chairwoman Elizabeth McLoughlin called the addition of civil penalties and a restorative justice alternatives "an improvement" to using the criminal justice system. Some of the prohibited behaviors in the ordinance may be subject to criminal penalties, Fisher said. "A lot of that is going to be police discretion based on the circumstances," he said, describing the ordinance as "less intrusive." Fisher said the intent of penalties is to "do a better job with their properties." "Clearly there's a split in the community," board member Franz Reichsman said, recounting how the ordinance was created "because our downtown has some real problems right now." Reichsman called for "putting our faith in the downtown." "If we let it deteriorate without doing anything, I think there will be a big price to pay," he said. Board member Peter "Fish" Case said board members aren't looking to criminalize poverty. He estimated more than 100 people attended several board meetings in succession, calling for action on downtown safety issues. Town staff and board members have been working on public safety for a long time, Board Chairman Daniel Quipp said. Social services and town government are collaborating on "situational table" exercises to address issues in a project called One Brattleboro. Peter Elwell, former town manager who joined the RTM body Thursday and criticized the ordinance in a letter to other members before the meeting, said the town needs to invest in that project instead of the ordinance. "This ordinance is dividing us apart," he said. Former town manager speaks out against community conduct ordinance BRATTLEBORO Former town manager Peter Elwell is asking Representative Town Meeting members Robin Morgan of District 8 said the ordinance doesn't address the underlying issues such as the housing crisis, opioid epidemic and mental health struggles. Marta Gossage of District 9 read the American Civil Liberties Union's position that adoption of such ordinances "reflects a broader trend nationally, with cities coercing landlords to penalize and evict tenants who call the police or who simply live in properties where criminal activities occur. Rather than promoting public safety, research shows that these ordinances discourage residents from reporting crime and create distrust of law enforcement. These ordinances particularly harm communities of color, low-income households, people with disabilities, domestic violence survivors, and other people who are otherwise deemed 'undesirable.' US President Donald Trump said he sees a "very good chance" for peace between Ukraine and Russia after "very good and productive discussions" between US officials and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a March 14 post on his Truth Social site, Trump also said the United States had urged Russia to spare the lives of "thousands" of Ukrainian soldiers that Putin has said have been isolated by Russian troops in Russia's Kursk region. Ukraine disputes that claim. The post came just hours after the Kremlin said it was "cautiously optimistic" following a meeting late on March 13 between Putin and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. "We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end," Trump wrote. Trump added that "thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military, and in a very bad and vulnerable position." "I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared," he wrote. "This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II." Putin said a day earlier that a group of Ukrainian troops were "isolated" in the Kursk region, the site of a surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces last August. Responding to Trump's plea on March 14, he said the soldiers' lives would be spared if they surrendered and urged Kyiv to order them to do so. Officials in Kyiv have said that while Ukrainian forces have been slowly withdrawing in the Kursk region under heavy pressure from Russian troops, but the armed forces general staff said on March 14 that "[r]eports of the alleged 'encirclement' of Ukrainian units...in the Kursk region are false and fabricated." "There is no threat of encirclement of our units," it said in a statement on social media. Zelenskyy Challenges Putin's Motives Earlier on March 14, Putin's spokesman said there were grounds for "cautious optimism" over Trump's 30-day cease-fire proposal, which Ukraine accepted earlier this week at talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine, meanwhile, questioned Moscow's sincerity in ending the war, which is now in its fourth year since Russia's full-scale invasion on February 2022. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that Putin sent Trump a message about his cease-fire proposal after his talks with Witkoff in the Russian capital. "When Mr Witkoff brings all the information to President Trump, we will determine the timing of a conversation (between Trump and Putin). There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic," Peskov said. Putin said a day earlier that he agrees in principle with the US proposal for a temporary cease-fire with Ukraine, but added that "there are nuances," such as Western weapons deliveries to Kyiv, that he wants addressed first. The Russian leader also said any agreement should lead to long-term peace that addresses the "root" reasons for the war, an apparent reference to NATO expansion and other developments Putin claims have put Russia's security in jeopardy. In a video posted late on March 13, Zelenskyy questioned Putin's motives, saying the Russian leader was preparing to reject the proposal but was afraid to tell Trump. "That's why in Moscow they are imposing upon the idea of a cease-fire these conditions -- so that nothing happens at all, or so that it cannot happen for as long as possible," Zelenskyy said. He followed up on March 14 with a post on social media accusing the Kremlin of trying to "complicate and drag out the process." "Russia is the only party that wants the war to continue and diplomacy to break down," he said on X after a call with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, cardinal Pietro Parolin. Putin's Response To Trump's Pressure Kyiv agreed to Trump's 30-day cease-fire proposal at a meeting in Jeddah on March 11, putting the onus for peace in Moscow's lap. Putin's response threw the ball back into US hands, at least to some degree. Trump called Putin's initial reaction to peace talk developments "promising" but incomplete, though he added he hoped Russia would "do the right thing" and agree to the deal. "I think the Russians are keen not to be seen as the intransigent party as that could lead to consequences from Trump, such as sanctions. So that informed Putin's comments today," John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank, told RFE/RL. Trump has made ending the war in Ukraine a top priority since taking office for a second term less than two months ago, and is wielding US leverage to get both Kyiv and Moscow to the table. On March 13, the US administration heightened pressure on Russia by increasing restrictions on the country's oil, gas, and banking sectors. Among the measures, the Treasury Department was allowing the expiration of a 60-day exemption put in place in January by the Biden administration that let some energy transactions involving sanctioned Russian banks continue. The move would make it more difficult for other nations, especially in Europe, to buy Russian oil. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) -- which includes the United States, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan -- said they discussed imposing more sanctions on Russia and boosting support for Ukraine if the Kremlin does not agree to the cease-fire. Among the measures discussed during the March 13-14 meeting were caps on the price for Russian oil exports, they said in a joint statement. Western nations in late 2022 imposed a $60-a-barrel price cap on the export of Russian oil using Western ships or insurance. It is unclear if the G7 discussions touched on lowering the price cap. Russia's economy is heavily dependent on oil exports, which account for a third of federal budget revenues. In a joint statement following the meeting, the G7 said that "we reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty, and independence." "We welcomed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and in particular the meeting on March 11 between the US and Ukraine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," it added. Putin also said there were several unanswered questions in the proposal, such as what to do about Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region. "If we have a cease-fire, does that mean that everyone there would leave?" Putin said. "Should we release them [Ukrainian troops] after they committed crimes against the population? Or would they surrender?" Ukraine denies committing such crimes, saying it abides by humanitarian law and does not target civilians. Why Should Russia Agree To A Cease-Fire? Kyiv seized a swath of the Kursk region in a stealth incursion in August, a move seen as an effort to divert Russian forces from eastern Ukraine and use the territory as a bargaining chip in any peace talks. That strategy is now failing as Russian forces supported by North Korean troops push the Ukrainians out of Kursk. Russia has regained more than half the territory in Kursk initially captured by Ukraine. Zelenskyy told reporters on March 14 that the situation in Kursk was "obviously very difficult." Among the other concerns Putin voiced about the cease-fire proposal is whether Ukraine would use the 30-day period to mobilize and train forces or rearm with the help of the West. He also raised the question of how the nearly 2,000-kilometer front would be monitored. Zelenskyy told reporters that the front could be monitored by US satellites. Experts had warned that Putin would likely seek to drag out cease-fire talks because his forces have the upper hand on the battlefield. Aside from the advances in Kursk, Russia is gaining territory in eastern Ukraine -- albeit at high human and material costs -- due to its significant manpower advantage. However, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has stopped Russian forces at the gates of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub in Donetsk region, after months of fighting on the outskirts of the city. Zelenskyy asserted that the incursion into Kursk forced Russia to pull forces from eastern Ukraine, giving his troops time to defend the city. Russia is seeking to capture at a minimum the entirety of the four regions of Ukraine it claims to have annexed in September 2022: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson. A cease-fire freezing the current front lines would leave them short of that goal. "One way the Russians could slow down this process without coming out directly and saying 'no', is by dragging out those technical discussions on monitoring" the cease-fire, Hardie said. "That could also give them ways to try to pin the blame back on Ukraine, by insisting on certain technical matters that Ukraine might find objectionable," he said. Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking China's resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. I'm RFE/RL's China Global Affairs Correspondent Reid Standish and here's what I'm following right now. Minding The Transatlantic Gap China is looking to capitalize on a transatlantic rift between the United States and Europe that is widening as U.S. President Donald Trump looks to quickly end the war in Ukraine. But how much of an opening is there actually for Beijing? Finding Perspective: The threat of tariffs, a war of words at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, U.S.-Russia talks that excluded Europe and Kyiv, and a standoff at the United Nations over how to commemorate the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine have all been recent fissures between Washington and European governments. That brought new questions about relying on the United States to European capitals and left an opening for Beijing, which has been trying to woo back Europe over the past four years. On the sidelines in Munich, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held bilateral meetings with several top European officials, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Spain's foreign minister seems to be at least more open to the idea of keeping China closer amid tensions with the United States. Jose Manuel Albares told the Financial Times that the European Union should craft its own China policy and not follow the more confrontational line with Beijing advocated by those in the Trump administration. "Europe must take its own decisions, on its own. And we have to decide when China can be a partner and when China is a competitor," Albares told the newspaper. How We Got Here: During Trump's first term in office, Washington pushed European governments to take a harder line on China. That led to the bloc labeling China a "systemic rival" in 2019. The Chinese government's untransparent handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade, human rights, and supply chain concerns, and Beijing's backing of Russia throughout the war in Ukraine all saw that harder line solidify in Europe under former U.S. President Joe Biden's tenure. Now amid growing transatlantic tensions, some European governments see following Trump's tough stance on China as a way to win over Washington. Others, like the Spanish government, are arguing to preserve vital economic ties with Beijing, especially amid growing uncertainty about the United States. This has even led to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, one of Brussels's more hawkish voices on China, calling in January for a new effort to improve relations between Brussels and Beijing. A True Rift? Tensions on each side of the Atlantic are real. Following his party's victory in elections on February 23, Friedrich Merz, Germany's chancellor-in-waiting for the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said the Trump administration "does not care much about the fate of Europe" and that the Continent needs to act accordingly. "My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the U.S.A.," he said. Talk of a seismic shift in the geopolitical order is also under way in Brussels. One EU official recently back from discussions with U.S. officials told RFE/RL that the White House's focus is on ending the war in Ukraine and that there is a "take it or leave it" attitude from Washington. The Trump administration wants to "remove the Ukraine issue from the table and move on to other issues. It is becoming clear that Trump's goal is to rule the world together with Russia and China" and work toward "strategically separating them from each other," said the official, who was granted anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters. Why It Matters: Europe may be grappling with a realignment, but that doesn't mean China is its only option to hedge. As European leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visit Washington, von der Leyen is set to arrive in India on February 27. James Crabtree, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told me that "it's hard to imagine a better time to re-energize Europe's and India's historically lackluster ties" and that a focus of the trip will be technology cooperation. "A meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council -- only the second since its foundation in 2023 -- offers opportunities to deepen collaboration in areas ranging from artificial intelligence to clean technologies," he said. China may also be short on opportunities, with most EU members unable to look past its support for Russia amid the war in Ukraine. The bloc's most recent sanctions package passed on February 24 once again included Chinese companies and individuals. What is likely to emerge is a more fragmented Europe when it comes to China. While some governments look to countries like India, South Korea, and Japan to balance out their foreign policy, others -- such as the current Spanish government and Hungary -- will keep courting Chinese investment and create new openings for Beijing. Three More Stories From Eurasia 1. A Reverse Nixon? China publicly backed the Trump administration's recent talks with the Kremlin, but analysts and former U.S. officials I spoke with mostly said the prospect of a U.S.-Russia reset is also making Beijing "nervous" about having less leverage over its partner. The Details: "While a complete rapprochement might not be in the cards, they're nervous because if Trump lifts sanctions on Russia, then Moscow's dependency on China decreases," Dennis Wilder, who was a top White House China adviser to former U.S. President George W. Bush, told me. One of the hallmarks of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's foreign policy has been a burgeoning strategic partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin that's grown closer since Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Beijing has propped up the Russian economy through enhanced trade and energy purchases while fueling the Kremlin's war effort with the supply of key goods as both Xi and Putin have found common ground in wanting to challenge the West and unseat the United States. The fear of all that being derailed by a new type of U.S.-Russia relationship born out of a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is real for Beijing. Wilder says he's had conversations with "very senior Chinese officials" since Trump's election in November who have expressed concern about a potential U.S.-Russia reset. He says they've used the phrase "Only Trump goes to Moscow," a play on the historical reference to former U.S. President Richard Nixon's landmark visit to Beijing in 1972, when he defied precedent and courted China to exploit its split with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. 2. But Can It Work? A grand bargain would be a major diplomatic feat, but it's something Trump administration officials have hinted at in public comments of late. What You Need To Know: The Trump administration has made clear it sees managing a long-term rivalry with China as its top foreign policy objective and may look to deprioritize regions like Europe and the Middle East in order to raise pressure on Beijing in Asia. Following the talks in Riyadh, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the possibility for future "geopolitical and economic cooperation" between Washington and Moscow was among the key points discussed. And in an interview this month with The Wall Street Journal, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Washington was prepared to reset the relationship with the Kremlin following an agreement over Ukraine as a move to end Russia's isolation and its growing dependence on China since the war began. "It's not in Putin's interest to be the little brother in a coalition with China," Vance said. The thinking is that even new cracks between the two powers may loosen Moscow's alignment with Beijing and could have a deterrent effect on China, especially if it decides to use military force to take Taiwan. Still, both Beijing and Moscow are aware of what the White House is trying to do, and Beijing has made a point to show it and Moscow are still a tandem, including a recent phone call between Putin and Xi on the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Steve Tsang, director of SOAS University London's China Institute, told me he believes Washington's efforts to reset its Russia ties are also not all bad news for Beijing. "Xi does not want Putin to fail in the war, and so Trump delivering a peace that mostly meets Russian conditions is a positive," he said. "Who knows who will be the next U.S. president and if there will be a reversal of U.S. posture post-Trump." 3. Taiwan Watches A New U.S. Line On Ukraine Ukrainians living in Taiwan and local supporters protested outside the de-facto Russian Embassy in Taipei on the eve of the third anniversary of Moscow's invasion. What It Means: The self-governing island has been a vocal supporter of Kyiv, which the Taiwanese government sees as a foil for its own tenuous geopolitical position where China has long threatened to invade and annex Taiwan if it refused to peacefully accept unification. Those parallels have grown since Trump's election. The United States is Taiwan's largest military backer and its support is considered vital for its survival, but Trump's global shakeup, including launching negotiations with Russia without Ukraine and threatening to cut off future aid to Kyiv, has brought anxiety to Taiwan about a similar withdrawal of American assistance. When I was in Taiwan in December, I spoke with several senior officials who said they were closely watching what happened to Kyiv on the battlefield and with the new U.S. administration. So far, the White House has reaffirmed its support for Taiwan, but Washington has also threatened tariffs on the island's semiconductor industry, which is responsible for around 60 percent of world production for microchips and 90 percent of the most-advanced ones needed for the global AI boom. Across The Supercontinent Choking Off Iranian Oil: Earlier this month, the United States brought in a new tranche of sanctions on Iranian oil, my colleague Kian Sharifi and I reported . The move is seen as an opening shot against Tehran and Beijing -- Iran's top oil customer. New Bridge Deal: The Transport Ministry of Tajikistan and the Tajik branch of the Chinese company Zhejiang Communications Construction Group (ZCCC) signed a cooperation agreement for the construction of what will be the longest road bridge in Central Asia. New Tools For Tashkent: Uzbekistan showcased on February 25 newly purchased Chinese-made air-defense systems, including the FM-90 short-range surface-to-air missile system and the KS-1C medium-to-long-range air-defense system. One Thing To Watch A Chinese-crewed cargo ship is detained in Taiwan's southern port of Tainan after a key Taiwan-Penghu Internet cable was mysteriously severed. Taiwanese prosecutors are investigating whether this was an accident or part of a broader pattern of disruptions to vital communication lines, but the country's Coast Guard released footage of them apprehending the vessel. The move comes amid growing tensions from a rise of so-called gray zone tactics, the term often used by Taiwanese officials to refer to the hybrid tactics used to intimidate the island but which remain below the threshold for war. That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have. Until next time, Reid Standish When he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently believed Russian forces would topple the government within weeks and restore Moscow's dominance over the country after 30 years of independence. Putin was mistaken, and the war he started rages on nearly three years later. It's hard to imagine Putin didn't mull over his miscalculation when militant-led opposition forces seized Damascus and swept Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power less than two weeks after launching an offensive. The Kremlin's focus on the war against Ukraine is one of the factors that fed into the speed and success of the Syrian rebel offensive. Russian warplanes stepped up attacks on rebel-held territory as the offensive took hold, but with its military capabilities in Syria limited and its eyes on Ukraine, Moscow made no massive effort to stop it. Now that Assad has fallen, what effect will Russia's big Middle East setback have on its war against Ukraine? On the battlefield, not a huge one, analysts say, though it will depend in part on the fate of Russia's forces and bases in Syria: the airfield at Hmeimim and the naval facility at Tartus. "A partial or full withdrawal would free up some reconnaissance, air force, special forces, and intelligence assets.... But Russia's presence in Syria is probably only a few thousand troops," Dara Massicot, a military analyst and senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told RFE/RL in e-mailed comments. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said in a Telegram post that as of this past summer "there were about 6,000-7,000 Russian military personnel in Syria," including members of private military companies tied to the Russian state. "Even if all these soldiers were transferred to the Russian Federation and then sent to the war against Ukraine, this would not significantly affect the situation on the front, given the rather high daily losses of the Russian Army in assault operations," Kovalenko wrote. The Russian military has suffered massive casualties as it seeks to augment its gains in recent months, particularly in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, ahead of what is widely expected to be an effort by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to push for peace when he takes office in January. Analysts pointed out that if Russian ships based at Tartus leave the Mediterranean, they cannot enter the Black Sea because Turkey has restricted passage through the Bosporus. The departure of warplanes from Syria would be more meaningful because "it could strengthen the aviation group fighting against Ukraine," Kyiv-based military analyst Mykhaylo Samus told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "It is the aviation component that could play a negative role" for Ukraine. Ivan Kyrychevskiy, an analyst at the consulting firm Defense Express in Kyiv, was more dismissive, saying, "Russia's manipulation of its resources in Syria will in no way affect Ukraine" and that, at this point, "We can't say that the Russians are leaving [Syria,] and that's the end of it." "Russia would be willing to offer a lot to the new coalition in Syria to retain some presence there as a first priority," Massicot told RFE/RL. "Russia will try to solidify agreements in Libya and Sudan as a partial offset." Some experts say the reputational blow Russia has suffered in Syria may further sharpen Putin's hunger for control over Ukraine. "Assad's collapse has...shaken Putin, making him less inclined to demonstrate flexibility with Ukraine," Tatyana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, wrote on X. "The war in Ukraine has, to some extent, cost him Syria, which reinforces his unwillingness to compromise." Ruth Deyermond, a senior lecturer in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, says the events in Syria seem unlikely to affect Russia's determination to prevail in Ukraine. "Given how tightly Putin's presidency is tied to the war in Ukraine, how far he's been willing to reshape Russian economy and society, how many lives he's been willing to sacrifice for it, and how dependent he's made Russia on other states (China, Iran, North Korea), it's hard to imagine that the loss in Syria will make much difference because it's hard to see how the Kremlin could take victory in Ukraine more seriously than they already do," she wrote in e-mailed comments to RFE/RL. Massicot suggests it will depend on how much of a presence in Syria and the surrounding region Russia manages to salvage. "If Russia is pushed out entirely from Syria and they are unable to offset with basing elsewhere in the region, such a serious blow to Russian power would probably make Putin more rigid and determined to show control and 'success' in Ukraine," she wrote. At the same time, Ukrainian commentators say the collapse of a regime that had stood as a symbol of newfound Russian clout abroad could prompt the rest of the world to view Moscow as weaker and more vulnerable than when Assad's grip on power seemed firm for almost a decade after Russia's military intervention in Syria in 2015. The "myth that Russia is great, invincible, and so forth -- it's all just propaganda. And I think this was seen clearly once again in many capitals, and it will influence all subsequent events," Volodymyr Ohryzko, Ukraine's foreign minister in 2007-09 and now the head of a center for the study of Russia, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "For us, I think this is a positive moment in our work with Western partners. And we must take advantage of this moment," Ohryzko said. "We can use this in Ukraine, showing that nuclear powers can lose. The Soviet Union lost in Afghanistan, the United States essentially lost in Vietnam," Ukrainian political analyst Oleksandr Khara told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, adding it could help persuade Kyiv's supporters "that we can win in Ukraine if they help us with the necessary weapons and other things." "We've seen in the past that the West has been willing to extend further support to Ukraine when they've had military successes against Russia. The Kremlin's inability to take any serious steps to prevent this geopolitical humiliation [in Syria] shows how overstretched they are in Ukraine," Deyermond wrote. "That and the failure of Putin's recent nuclear threats should encourage NATO members in their support for Ukraine." Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking China's resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. I'm RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and here's what I'm following right now. A Warning From The Baltics Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis offered a clear warning for those who say that China is able to mediate an end to the war in Ukraine. Finding Perspective: Speaking to the French international affairs outlet Geopolitique.eu, Landsbergis stamped down the idea. China is waiting for a moment of weakness to step in and offer solutions and I fear that some in Europe would accept this offer because its a cheap alternative to us stepping up, in the same way that you buy a Chinese car because its cheaper. The same goes for their peace proposals. Landsbergis was commenting on a recent interview with outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and The New York Times, where Blinken said that one of the reasons that Moscow had not escalated into a nuclear war in Ukraine was because of China. If you follow that line of reasoning, it means that China has become a protector of Europe. That would be the beginning of a new paradigm, Landsbergis said. If we accept that China, which in my view supports Russia and is therefore an adversary of the countries supporting Ukraine, is now the guarantor of nuclear deterrence on our continent, it would be a dangerous mistake and a failure. Why It Matters: Landsbergiss warning comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office and Europe anxiously looks at a very different geopolitical reality. Trumps tariff threats and less traditional approach to Washingtons relationship with Europe is a source of consternation in European capitals and there is talk in some corners about having a more amenable position toward Beijing to balance the Trump administration. On January 14, Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke with European Council President Antonio Costa to begin what many analysts believe will be a charm offensive from Beijing toward the continent. But while Trump may have a rockier relationship with Brussels and various capitals than his predecessor, Beijing is also facing a different playing field than when U.S. President Joe Biden took office. Chinas support for Russia amid the war in Ukraine has strained ties with Europe, and Brussels is taking aim at Chinese companies in some sectors, a trend that looks set to continue. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas has also voiced strong criticism of China, especially for its stance around the war in Ukraine and its long-term repercussions. Landsbergis shared similar sentiments, saying that Ukraine is central to what will happen in the future between China and Taiwan. I mentioned earlier that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has managed to change the nuclear doctrine by getting us to accept, at least for now, that resisting an attack is a form of escalation and therefore a nuclear strike is justified. One can imagine a situation where China imposes a blockade, even a partial one, on Taiwan and they resist and we try to lift it, then China could use the Russian playbook, he said. I dont think we collectively understand how reckless it is. Three more stories from Eurasia 1. The Taliban Courts Chinese Capital My Afghan colleagues at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi and I reported about a new road built by the Taliban in northeast Afghanistan that the hardline group is hoping can better connect the country to neighboring China. The Details: The first section of the road in the Wakhan Corridor was completed a year ago in early 2024, and the Taliban is looking to build out the connections further to one day open up more trade with China. The road link is part of a series of announcements and groundbreaking ceremonies in 2024 -- from oil deals to mining rights -- that the Taliban are hoping will keep moving ahead in the coming year. But the main questions remain over whether the militants can finally calm China's long-standing security concerns. Haiyun Ma, an associate professor at Frostburg University, told me that, despite the lofty deals, Chinese investment is still not flowing in Afghanistan and that there are growing frustrations under the surface between Beijing and the Taliban. Ma says that the announcement in 2024 helps bring prestige and legitimacy to the Taliban as it adapts to governing and that it offers a low-risk, low-commitment way for Beijing to signal long-term intent toward the country. But he adds that China is in no hurry to have a footprint in Afghanistan. China is yet to set up a border crossing in the area where the Wakhan road leads and despite all the resource deals, Beijing has plenty of already developed alternatives elsewhere in the world to help meet its domestic needs. 2. Trump, Greenland, China, And The Arctic Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has once again kicked up a storm by refusing to rule out the use of force to gain control of Greenland. As my colleague Todd Prince writes, Trumps pursuit shines a light on the complicated national-security picture in the Arctic between the United States, China, Russia, and other players. What You Need To Know: While China is not an Arctic nation, it is seeking to be a major player in the region. In recent years, Beijing has sought to buy ports, other infrastructure, and mining rights on Greenland though it has not been successful. Todd writes that the United States suspected China's real interest in those projects was to place dual-use sensors and radars in the Arctic Circle to help control their military satellites and gather intelligence on U.S. space-based operations in the region. 3. U.S. Energy Sanctions Hurt Chinese, Indian Purchases Of Russian Oil Chinese and Indian refiners are looking for new fuel supplies as they adapt to hard-hitting new U.S. sanctions on Russian oil producers and tankers. What It Means: Many of the newly sanctioned tankers brought oil to China and India, and both Bloomberg and Reuters reported that the sanctions have led to a jump in prices and driven Chinese refiners back to sellers of oil that is not restricted. The sanctions were announced on January 10 and they target Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, two of Russia's five largest largest oil producers, as well as 183 vessels transporting Russian oil and oil products to foreign markets. The Biden administration also sanctioned opaque traders of Russian oil, more than 30 Russia-based oil-field service providers, and more than a dozen leading Russian energy officials and executives. The Chinese refiner Yulong Petrochemical has previously bought Russian crude, but, according to industry data, it purchased 4 million barrels of crude from the United Arab Emirates following the sanctions. After the sanctions announcement, Unipec, a subsidiary of Chinas state-owned energy giant Sinopec, booked four large carriers of crude from the Middle East which the data intelligence firm Kpler said could carry a total of up to 2 million barrels. Across The Supercontinent Kyivs China Consultations: Ukraines Foreign Ministry told RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service that 2024 was a year of developing political dialogue in Beijing, pointing to the extensive high-level talks with their counterparts in the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi added that Kyiv considers China one of the countries that can and does have influence on the Russian Federation. And we will continue to maintain this contact with the Chinese side. Parting Shots: In a speech at the State Department on January 13 summing up his administrations record, Biden said the United States has widened its lead over competitors like Russia and China. "Our adversaries are weaker than they were when we came into this job four years ago. Let's consider Russia. Putin invaded Ukraine. He thought he'd conquer Kyiv in a matter of days. But the truth is, since that war began, I'm the only one that stood in the center of Kyiv, not him," Biden said, referring to his visit to the embattled nation last year. The China Connection: As Russian forces have intensified their advances in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, they're being helped by a new tool on the battlefield: drones that fly with the use of fiber-optic cables, RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service and I reported. Some Ukrainian experts have said that the drone models used by Russia are very similar to Chinas commercially available Skywalker drone. There are also growing reports in Ukrainian media of high-quantity orders being placed at Chinese factories by Russian companies for large spools of fiber-optic cables. One Thing To Watch Trade between China and Russia reached a record high in 2024, according to official data released on January 13 by Chinas General Administration of Customs. The figures show how Beijing and Moscows efforts to strengthen their relationship are paying off in the face of tough Western economic sanctions on Russia. While the 2024 trade data reached an all-time high, the year-on-year growth rate slowed significantly compared to the 26.3 percent surge seen in 2023. Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have. Until next time, Reid Standish If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every other Wednesday. Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here. I'm Abubakar Siddique, senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm watching in the days ahead. The Key Issue In a major blow to Afghanistans Taliban government, the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) claimed credit for killing its refugee affairs minister. On December 11, Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed in a suicide bombing inside the ministry building in Kabul, which claimed the lives of at least five more people. Haqqani, in his 60s, was the uncle of the Taliban's interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani. He is the most senior Taliban figure killed by IS-K since the Islamist group returned to power in August 2021. In 2011, the United States designated him a global terrorist and offered a $5 million bounty for help in capturing him. Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani was the younger brother of the late Jalaluddin Haqqani, a leading anti-Soviet mujahidin commander in the 1980s who joined the Taliban in the 1990s. But his extended family and its loyalists are known as the Haqqani Network, once a brutal Taliban military wing. Why Its Important: The killing negates Taliban claims that its harsh crackdown against the IS-K has eliminated the ultraradical transnational jihadist group from Afghanistan. It is a significant blow to the powerful Haqqani Network, which dominates the Taliban governments internal security apparatus. Its members lead the Interior Ministry and the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), which has led the Talibans crackdown against IS-K. The murder proves IS-Ks small presence in Afghanistan is dangerous, said Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator. He said Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqanis killing would further isolate Sirajuddin Haqqani, who relied on his uncle to express sensitive views. His absence may create a leadership void, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Potentially weakening [the Haqqani Networks] influence and internal cohesion. Yousafzai believes that senior Taliban figures will now limit their public dealings, which will further alienate ordinary Afghans from the Taliban government. What's Next: In retaliation for the killing, the Taliban government is likely to launch a new campaign against the IS-K, which will disproportionality target Afghanistans tiny Salafist community for providing some of the groups fighters. The IS-K, however, will be encouraged by the killing and will continue to attack the Taliban, as well as religious and sectarian minorities in Afghanistan, to undermine its rule. What To Keep An Eye On The Taliban government has welcomed the initial approval of a proposed Russian law that will pave the way toward removing the extremist group from the Kremlins list of terrorist organizations. The step represents a great development and is meant to remove obstacles in enhancing bilateral relations, said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Talibans Foreign Ministry, on December 11. Moscow has engaged with the Taliban after its return to power in 2021. But it has been slow in delivering on repeated promises to take the group off its list of terrorist organizations. Moscow has eagerly courted the Taliban after the Islamist State-Khorasan (IS-K) claimed credit for attacking a concert hall near Moscow. At least 145 people were killed in the attack in March. The move comes months after Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban "a trusted ally" in fighting terrorism in July. Why It's Important: Like other regional powers, Moscow is keen on engaging the Taliban to prevent itself from terrorist threats emanating from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. It has consistently dangled the Taliban delisting and recognition of its government as a carrot to encourage the internationally unrecognized Taliban administration to cooperate on its security concerns. That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org Until next time, Abubakar Siddique If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org Behind closed doors in Moscow, Kyiv, Brussels, Washington, and other capitals, diplomats, elected leaders, and military officers are gearing up for what will likely be a full-court press to find a resolution to Europe's largest land war since World War II. On the battlefield, momentum has shifted decisively toward Russia, its forces grinding down Ukrainian troops across the 1,100-kilometer front line. It's pummeling Ukraine's energy infrastructure, trying to black out and freeze an exhausted population. In Western negotiating rooms, sentiment has shifted decisively toward a push to resolve a conflict that has killed or wounded more than 1 million men on both sides over 34 months and counting. Nowhere else is the shift more apparent than in the election of Donald Trump who, even before his inauguration in January as the next U.S. president, has insisted he will find a way to end the fighting "within 24 hours." "There's a lot of talk, a lot of noise that some peace talks are imminent," Rosa Balfour, director of Carnegie Europe, a Brussels-based think tank, said on December 12. "We don't really have a plan. Nobody seems to have a plan yet. And of course, the situation on the ground is not in favor of Ukraine at the moment, so it's a very difficult moment." Here's what we know about the ideas under discussion, for a cease-fire or otherwise. Blood And Treasure European and U.S. officials this week took up active discussion about whether Western troops could be sent to Ukraine as peacekeepers, once the shooting stops and a cease-fire or armistice is in place. French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly floated the idea of 40,000 troops being deployed to Ukraine, and he traveled to Warsaw to discuss the idea with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on December 12. At a news conference after the meeting, Tusk told reporters that Poland did not intend to send troops to Ukraine, and he said Warsaw would not be forced into doing so. The proposal for Western peacekeepers also came up five days earlier in Paris, when Macron hosted a meeting that included Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump, who has repeatedly said Europeans should take a more active role in supporting and defending Ukraine, said that he wanted European soldiers on the ground to monitor any cease-fire. Trump does not want U.S. troops involved, the Journal reported, though he backs some sort of U.S. support for the effort. Ukraine's leadership, which released a five-point Victory Plan in October, supports Western peacekeepers. But there's little incentive for Moscow to agree, says Oleksandr Khara, a former Ukrainian diplomat. "Of course, it's good that they're talking about this, butthere's no basis for the beginning of peace talks to begin," Khara, now an expert at the Kyiv-based Center for Defense Strategies, told Current Time. "Since Russia believes that it can still break Ukraine, and the West has wavered, and Trump is going to put pressure on Ukraine and stop supplying weapons and other aid, why then sit down at the negotiating table when it's possible to seize more Ukrainian territory, kill more Ukrainians, and, in fact...show that there's no point in [arguing] with Russia?" he said. North Atlantic Allies One of the Kremlin's original grievances in justifying its February 2022 invasion continues to be one of Kyiv's central demands: NATO membership. As recently as December 9, Zelenskiy repeated his insistence that membership was paramount. But many NATO members are cool to the idea of Ukraine's membership. At a summit in 2008, U.S. and European leaders hashed out a weak compromise that pledged eventual membership but didn't actually set up a road map. Some officials and experts have argued that was a mistake that led to Russia's 2022 invasion. Since the invasion, NATO has expanded, admitting Sweden and Finland. But admitting Ukraine at present would mean admitting a battered, exhausted country partially occupied by a foreign power, problematic to many alliance members. The United States is also cool to the idea. In Paris this week, Trump reportedly told Macron and Zelenskiy he didn't support Kyiv's membership bid, according to the Journal. Deferring membership is "capitulation to Russian demands, and this will be a massive win for Putin," Mick Ryan, a retired Australian major general, wrote in a blog post. "This will justify in the minds of Putin, and authoritarians like him, that the Russian aggression against Ukraine has worked because keeping Ukraine out of NATO was a core demand of Putin before the war." Buffer Zones Barring some unforeseen event, Ukraine is all but certain to lose territory to Russia, which currently occupies around 20 percent of Ukrainian land. That includes nearly all of the eastern Donbas region, plus the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. For most observers, setting up some sort of no-man's-land. The demilitarized zone that has separated North and South Korea for decades is a model for many. Putin floated the idea in March after winning reelection. "I do not exclude that...we will be forced at some point, when we deem it appropriate, to create a certain 'sanitary zone' in the territories today under the Kyiv regime," he said. For Ukraine, the tricky part is where that line will be drawn -- and how much of its economic base it will lose. Much of Ukraine's mining and heavy industry is in the Donbas occupied by Russia; and about 8 million hectares of Ukrainian farmland is occupied, according to one estimate. In an audacious move, Ukraine invaded Russian territory in August, seizing part of the Kursk region. Zelenskiy later said the aim was to create a buffer zone and to push Russian missiles further away from Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv. Since that time, however, Russia has ground down Ukrainian troops, taking back nearly half of the Kursk territory initially seized by Ukraine. Also tricky with such a zone -- buffer, sanitary, demilitarized -- is surveillance and verification: what each side, or the peacekeepers, would be allowed to do to keep an eye on the other. The explosive evolution of drone warfare could potentially complicate this. The Elephant In The Room The biggest question mark for future talks may be Ukraine's largest weapons supplier: the United States, and the incoming Trump administration. Trump has for years complained about the amount of U.S. weaponry sent by the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden and has suggested Zelenskiy was a con man. He has also said that his skills as a businessman and real estate developer make him a negotiator capable of reaching a deal with Putin. Trump's point man is Keith Kellogg, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who advised Trump's vice president during his first term. In a widely cited paper he co-authored before Trump's November election, Kellogg laid out a plan including freezing the front lines and using both sticks and carrots to get Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate. For Kyiv, for example, the sticks mean cutting off U.S. weapons. For Moscow, that means things like flooding global markets with oil to drive down prices for the commodity, which Moscow relies heavily on for revenues. Carrots for Moscow would be lifting Western sanctions or delaying Ukraine's NATO ambitions. For Kyiv, it would be continued military aid, funding for reconstruction, or even nonrecognition of Russian-occupied territories -- similar to what Washington did over four decades regarding the Soviet annexation of the three Baltic states. "We tell the Ukrainians, 'You've got to come to the table, and if you don't come to the table, support from the United States will dry up," Kellogg told Reuters in June. "And you tell Putin, 'He's got to come to the table, and if you don't come to the table, then we'll give Ukrainians everything they need to kill you in the field.'" The Kremlin itself -- impatient with an invasion that was supposed to be over in just days and that has thrown its economy out of whack -- has signaled openness to a new, Trump approach. But there are doubters. "We don't think [Putin] is serious about negotiations," a senior NATO official, speaking on condition that he not be identified publicly, told RFE/RL last week. "He may be willing to talk, but as long as he believes that he is winning, there is no incentive for negotiations. And he continues to believe that time is in his favor." With reporting by RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak Sonya McLean A man who attacked a cardiologist with a champagne bottle in the victims home after they met in a pub in Dublin that night has been remanded in continuing custody for sentence next week. Liam Whelan (43) of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm and robbery of the victim in Dublin city on August 25th, 2023. Whelan was convicted unanimously by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury on both counts following a trial in November. The court heard that the victim later required surgery to remove a large blood clot that was putting pressure on his brain and to reconstruct his skull due to a fracture. He has suffered permanent hearing loss in one ear and was unable to work for six months due to a risk of epilepsy and seizures. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned finalisation of the case to next Thursday to allow her time to consider various reports before the court. Garda Ryan Delaney told Conor McKenna BL prosecuting the victim lived and practiced as a cardiologist outside of Dublin but had come to Dublin that night to a home he owned in the city. He went for dinner with a friend before he went for drinks in The George Bar on Georges Street in the city centre. The victim met Whelan while he was outside in the smoking are and the men decided to go back to the victims home nearby. Gda Delaney agreed with Mr McKenna that the victim has very little recollection of what happened afterwards but recalled going to his bedroom with Whelan before he heard a crunching noise. He came to later on the ground in a pool of his own blood. He estimated that he had been there for some time as his face was stuck to the ground. The doctor continued to go in and out of consciousness. He recalled seeing Whelan in the room, naked trying on his clothes and asked him to call an ambulance. He remembered Whelan laughing at him and saying to the victim that he had not made up his mid yet if he was going to clip him. Whelan later left the house with the victims money, wallet, credit cards, phone and clothing. The victim got out of the house and bought some paracetamol before he returned home to sleep. It had been his intention to seek help in St Jamess Hospital but when he arrived there, he discovered there were 11 ambulances lined up, so he decided to drive to his home in the south of the country. The doctor was treated for the following day in hospital. He underwent surgery to remove the blood clot in his skull and to reconfigure the fragmented bones in his skull. He spent five days in hospital and was not able to return to work as a cardiologist or drive for six months due to the potential risks of seizures. Mr McKenna said there were two medical reports before the court. The first outlined that the victim suffered severe bruising to his head and face and had multiple cuts to his face and scalp. He suffered a significant skull fracture and a facial fracture. The blood clot which was removed was considered large and life threatening. A second medical report indicated that the victim would have a permanent hearing loss in one ear and his balance was also impacted. Scene of the attack Mr McKenna reminded the court that the jury were shown photographs of the mans injuries and the scene of the attack. They also viewed various pieces of CCTV footage which showed the mens first meeting, them walking back to the victims home hand in hand and them arriving at the victims home. Whelan was identified on CCTV footage and was ultimately arrested on January 4th this year. During the subsequent garda interview he claimed that he had been sexually assaulted by the victim and as a result he struck him with a bottle. He maintained this defence throughout his trial. He also claimed that the victim came at me with a knife. Gda Delaney said Whelan had 63 previous convictions including breach of barring order, road traffic offences, possession of drugs for sale or supply, possession of knives and handling stolen property. A victim impact statement read into the record by Mr McKenna said the victim has made a good physical recovery all things considered. He had an estimated loss of earnings of 106,760 due to the fact that he could not practice in cardiology for six months. He said he lost seven pints of blood during the attack and the walls in his bedroom needed to be repainted due to blood splatter. He has scars on his face and scalp. The doctor said he previously had no history of mental illness but has since suffered severely. He said through counselling he has begun to deal with his social anxiety and is very dependent on friends and family. He suffers from severe and crippling depression which he finds both socially and professionally embarrassing. I am a paper-thin version of the person I was, the statement continued. I will never understand how someone I was having a lovely time with refused to call an ambulance, laughed at me and allowed me to fall back into a pool of my own blood, he said. It is difficult to accept the reality of life now, he concluded. Gda Delaney agreed with Maurice Coffey SC defending that at the time of the offence Whelan was a homeless drug addict. He accepted that he has no previous convictions for violent assaults or robbery. Mr McKenna said the Director of Public Prosecutions view is that the offence fell into the upper range and justified a sentence of between 10 and 15 years given the severity of the injuries and the impacts it had on his life, the fact that it was an unprovoked attack that occurred in the victims home and that Whelan had used a bottle as a weapon. The maximum penalty available to the court for both offences is life imprisonment. Mr Coffey told Judge Ryan that while Whelan still maintains that he was acting under self-defence he accepts that he carried out those actions and caused the harm. He deeply regrets the level of harm done to the victim, Mr Coffey said adding that Whelan is remorseful for the injuries caused. Mr Coffey asked the court to accept that his client had a difficult life and handed in a letter from his sister which portrayed the difficult family background they had. He had tragedies within the family and the deaths of close friends and family throughout his early life impacted his life in a severe way, counsel continued. Mr Coffey asked the court to take in account Whelans vulnerability at the time of the offence but acknowledged that it was a very severe assault that had long lasting and permanent injuries on the victim. There is a massive need for additional parking at Roscommon University Hospital, a meeting of the HSE West Regional Health Forum heard last week. In a written question, Cllr Gareth Scahill said that with the current services provided and the age demographic of most people attending the hospital, it is not acceptable that patients have to walk from the parking available in front of the Hyde Centre. He asked the group to provide an update on plans to facilitate more parking at this site. In response Saolta said, Roscommon University Hospital is currently engaged with the estates department in the development of a spatial plan for the site which will include plans for provision of additional parking on the site. Parking at the hospital, the group acknowledged, is extremely limited at present. Cllr Scahill said that delivering additional parking was one of the most important and easily achievable things the group should be looking at. I passed the hospital yesterday and 600 metres down the road in front of Dr Hyde Park, parking was packed out. There were a lot of people walking up and having to walk two roads up to get to the radiology unit and other services, he said. He said that patients and visitors to the hospital deserved easier access, and he asked that addressing the parking to be given the utmost urgency. Saolta Chief Operating Officer, Ann Cosgrove acknowledged that the matter had been raised several times in recent years. While we are waiting for the spatial plan and any additional car parking, I have really pushed this with the site and they are looking at options to reconfigure the parking that is within the site at the moment and looking at creating barriered areas outside the Urgent Care Centre for patients, for public use, from 8 in the morning till 5 in the evening. She said that the area was not huge and would give approximately 20 spaces. It currently is probably being used by the staff when it should be available for patients, so that is one action that is going to be progressed. She added that the mobile CT scanner unit occupied several spaces, including parking for people with mobility issues. Again, that number of spaces is small in number, single figures, but those will be reinstated, when the CT project comes to a conclusion and the mobile CT scanner goes off site, she said. Those are small things, but they will make a difference for some patients in the short term. She said that a site used for staff parking was taken up by the contractor working on the CT scanner project. This would come back into use at the conclusion of the project. Speaking to the Herald after the meeting, Cllr Scahill, who had submitted questions to the forum about this issue several weeks ago, said that the issue had been raised with him repeatedly, including by his party colleague, Cllr Domnick Connolly. It is an older demographic mainly using the services at Roscommon hospital and in this day and age it is not acceptable that they have to walk down from the Hyde, he said. There is ample space to the rear of the hospital, I dont need a report from someone in Dublin to realise that. He added that measures proposed at the forum to increase parking would be completely inadequate. If we are going to deliver the increased services at Roscommon, they are going to have to address the parking issue. It is up to myself and my colleagues on the Regional Health Forum, representing Roscommon, to fight for additional services to our county hospital. A woman in her 50s has died in hospital days after she was assaulted in Ballinasloe, County Galway. The woman had been receiving medical treatment in Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe but died from her injuries on Thursday. She was discovered with serious injuries at a domestic residence in Ballinasloe on Monday at approximately 7 p.m.. The woman passed away from her injuries, yesterday, Thursday, December 12th. The local coroner has been notified. A post mortem examination will take place in due course. Investigating Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have any information on this incident to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballinasloe Garda Station at 090 963 1890, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. A male (50s) appeared before Ballinasloe District Court yesterday, Thursday, in connection with the incident Muhurat of Lakadbaggey Marks theBeginning of an Exciting KableOne Original The film is set to explore compelling narratives that resonate deeply with audiences. The muhurat ceremony for Lakadbaggey, a KableOne Original production, took place with great enthusiasm and energy. Set to stream exclusively on KableOne, the film promises a captivating cinematic experience with its unique storyline and stellar team. Produced by Sumeet Singh and Arman Sidhu, Lakadbaggey is helmed by the visionary directors Parm Riar and Hrishabh Sharma. With Harpreet serving as the Director of Photography, the movie aims to deliver visually stunning scenes that complement its gripping narrative. Advertisement The powerhouse team includes: Dialogue Writer: Gurinder Rai Associate Director: Hariish Kumar Chief Assistant Director: Pranay Art Director: Reetika Tanwar Executive Producer: C.P. Gill The cast of Lakadbaggey boasts a talented ensemble, featuring: Gurpreet Ratol, Ravneet Kaur, Chakresh Kumar, Jodh Anttal, Avar Brar, Navneet Randhey, Gurjeet Sohi The film is set to explore compelling narratives that resonate deeply with audiences, showcasing a blend of thrilling performances and powerful storytelling. Advertisement On the occasion, producers Sumeet Singh and Arman Sidhu expressed their excitement, stating, Lakadbaggey is not just a film; its a reflection of creativity and passion. We are thrilled to collaborate with such a talented team to bring this story to life on KableOne. Director Parm Riar added, This is a project close to our hearts, and were committed to making it an unforgettable experience for viewers. Stay tuned for updates on Lakadbaggey and its release date. For exclusive behind-the-scenes content and updates, follow KableOnes official social media channels. Telangana High Court Grants Interim Bail to Allu Arjun, Questions Applicability of Charges Details regarding the circumstances of the arrest remain unclear at this point. Allu Arjun Arrest Latest News, 'Pushpa' Arrested in Sandhya Theatre Stampede Case: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to renowned actor Allu Arjun in a case related to allegations under Sections 105(b) and 118 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court, while granting the relief, raised critical questions about the applicability of these charges against the actor. The matter stems from an incident that led to a tragic outcome, prompting the registration of a case involving conspiracy and aiding unlawful activities under the aforementioned sections. However, during the hearing, the presiding judge observed, Whether the offence under Section 105(b) and Section 118 are applicable to the petitioner simply because he is an actor? Is he responsible for the tragedy that happened? Advertisement Allu Arjun, represented by his legal counsel, argued that he had no involvement in the incident and that the allegations lacked substantial evidence connecting him to the purported offences. The actor also expressed his willingness to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The courts decision to grant interim bail comes as a temporary reprieve for the actor, who remains under scrutiny. The judge's remarks, however, indicate a deeper examination of the charges and whether they hold merit in light of Arjun's role. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for later this month, during which the court is expected to deliberate further on the evidence presented and the legal standing of the allegations. Meanwhile, the case has sparked public debate, with supporters of the actor lauding the courts questioning of the charges, while others call for a thorough investigation to ensure accountability. Advertisement This development marks a pivotal moment in the legal proceedings, as the court navigates the intersection of individual accountability and the broader implications of holding public figures liable for unforeseen events. NHAI's Toll Collection Hits Rs. 55,882 Crore in FY 2023-24 In his reply, Gadkari revealed that there are currently 1,015 toll plazas functioning on National Highways as of October 2024. NHAI's Toll Collection FY 2023-24: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has reported a substantial increase in toll collection, with the total user fee collection for FY 2023-24 reaching Rs. 55,882 crore. This marks a 103.17% increase in toll revenue over the last five years. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, shared the data in response to questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana, Sanjeev Arora. The toll collections for the past five years are as follows: Advertisement 2019-20: Rs. 27,503.86 crore 2020-21: Rs. 27,926.67 crore 2021-22: Rs. 33,928.66 crore 2022-23: Rs. 48,032.40 crore 2023-24: Rs. 55,882.12 crore Arora, during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, had sought information on the number of toll plazas operating on National Highways, along with the annual revenue generated from toll collection. He also asked about the rise in the use of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems and its effects on toll booth efficiency. In his reply, Gadkari revealed that there are currently 1,015 toll plazas functioning on National Highways as of October 2024. He credited the implementation of FASTag lanes in all toll plaza lanes from February 2021 for enhancing the overall toll collection process and efficiency. Regarding the use of Electronic Toll Collection, Gadkari reported that ETC penetration has increased significantly over the past two years, with 97% of vehicles using the system in 2022 and 98% in 2023. The impact of the FASTag system has been particularly evident in reducing toll booth congestion. NHAI's study on the FASTag system found that the average waiting time at toll plazas decreased from 734 seconds to 47 seconds in FY 2022, thanks to the widespread adoption of ETC. Advertisement Additionally, Gadkari highlighted that traffic congestion at toll plazas is closely monitored through a GIS-based solution to ensure better management of road usage. I Will Sacrifice My Life for the Country: Dhankhar Responds to No-Confidence Motion The no-confidence motion, filed by the INDIA alliance on December 10, has sparked controversy. New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned until December 16 after a fierce exchange between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge over the no-confidence motion filed against Dhankhar. In an impassioned defense, Dhankhar stated, I will sacrifice my life for the country in response to the oppositions criticism, accusing them of insulting the Constitution. He also stressed that he would not show weakness despite being targeted by the opposition. Advertisement Kharge, in his reply, emphasized that the opposition was not there to listen to Dhankhar's praises but to engage in meaningful discussions. The no-confidence motion, filed by the INDIA alliance on December 10, has sparked controversy, with the opposition claiming it is necessary to safeguard democracy and the Constitution. Full Schengen membership for Romania Romanias and Bulgarias full Schengen membership as of January 1, 2025 entails major benefits for the two countries. Schegen-EU flag Credit: pixabay Mihai Pelin, 13.12.2024, 14:00 After years of waiting, Romania and Bulgaria are becoming full members of the Schengen area. On Thursday, the Justice and Home Affairs Council approved the lifting of the two countries land border controls, as of January 1, 2025. The benefits of our membership of the free movement area are multiple and have a direct impact on citizens, on the economy and on the image of our country. The lifting of land border controls means faster and simpler movement for those who travel, the time spent at the borders will be considerably reduced, and logistics costs for companies will decrease, which will rapidly improve the competitiveness of Romanian products and services on the European market, President Klaus Iohannis said. It is a historic decision, a victory for justice and national dignity and a clear signal that we will never accept to be second-rate European citizens, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in his turn. He explained that, for Romanians, this decision brings concrete and immediate benefits, especially for those in the diaspora, who travel frequently to Romania. The full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area brings about a number of undeniable benefits for the two countries. First of all, greater freedom of movement towards Western Europe. Similarly, towards the south, Romanians will no longer be stopped either at the border with Bulgaria or at the next one, with Greece. The greatest benefits, however, will be for carriers who will no longer have to wait for hours at the borders, most often in difficult conditions. There will be, however, a six-month period of partial controls at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria. Such controls have been temporarily initiated on various internal Schengen borders, due to the increase in illegal migration into the Union. The justice minister Catalin Predoiu provided more details: Catalin Predoiu: Whenever border police notice something wrong with a vehicle carrying individuals or when they receive information that there is a risk in terms of compliance with the law, they step in and carry out checks. Bulgaria and Romania, members of the EU since 2007, partially joined the Schengen area in March, with passport controls abolished for those crossing the air and sea borders. Romania went through several Schengen assessment reports before 2011, the first deadline for joining the area. Subsequently, over the years, countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands or Austria opposed Romanias accession, citing issues related to corruption, organised crime, judicial reforms or migration. With a population of almost 420 million people, Schengen is the largest free movement area in the world, covering over 4 million square kilometers and now including 29 countries. (AMP) Money for local investments The Romanian Government announces new public investments Photo: Septimiu-pixabay.com Bogdan Matei, 13.12.2024, 13:50 In the last days of their mandate, at least theoretically, the PSD-PNL Government in Bucharest decided, in Thursdays meeting, to allocate total funds of billions of lei for a series of new investments. It is money that would support local communities, as well as projects in the fields of industry and health. The Bagdasar-Arseni Emergency Clinical Hospital in Bucharest is the largest neurology clinic in Romania. It has 263 beds and already treats traumatic, vascular, cranial, degenerative and spinal pathology, as well as oncological diseases. An oncology and stereotactic radiosurgery center will be added to the compound, over an area of over ten thousand square meters. We continue investing in health and allocate over 200 million lei (the equivalent of 40 million euros) to the oncology and radiosurgery center of the Bagdasar-Arseni Hospital in Bucharest. This center will offer innovative treatments to patients with oncological conditions, said Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The Government also approved a document aimed at reducing the seismic risk for vulnerable buildings in a country where earthquakes occur frequently. The value of the non-refundable financing granted to a beneficiary is a maximum of 300,000 euros. The Government spokesman, Mihai Constantin, stated that the scheme is valid until December 31, 2030, and payments will be made until the end of 2036. The estimated budget is over 1.3 billion lei. The design and execution of intervention works for spaces where economic activities are carried out, as well as for buildings of public interest or utility, will be financed. The consolidation of private homes is not included in the financing through this program. According to estimates, 750 enterprises will be able to benefit from this form of support. Also on Thursday, the Ciolacu Cabinet also approved the reorganization of the National Anti-Drug Agency, at a time when drug trafficking and consumption have become widespread practices in Romania. The new vision is not limited to the enforcement of the criminal law, but emphasizes prevention and integrated assistance to victims of drug use, especially minors, who need special support. Assistance is moving from the Ministry of the Interior to the health system, and the coordination of anti-drug policies is under the direct attribution of the prime minister. Also, special centers for the prevention of addictions will be established, where all those who need them will receive specialized medical assistance. The project, the Government says, was developed based on consultations with non-governmental organizations and experts in the field. (MI) The Bank of Japan will on Friday release the results of its quarterly Tankan survey of economic sentiment, highlighting an otherwise light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. The large manufacturers index is expected to see a score of +13 with an outlook of +14, both unchanged from the previous survey. The small manufacturing index is expected to come in at -2, down from 0 in the previous three months. Large all-industry capex is expected to rise 9.6 percent, easing from 10.6 percent in the third quarter. Small all-industry capex is seen higher by 3.5 percent, up from 2.6 percent in Q3. Japan also will see final October numbers for industrial production, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 3.0 percent on month, up from 1.6 percent a month earlier. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. The European Council has decided to lift internal land border controls with Romania and Bulgaria from January 1, making it possible for its citizens to travel without land border controls to and between these two countries. This important step completes the full entry of both countries into the Schengen area. Welcoming the move, the European Commission said this not only strengthens the Schengen area but it will further strengthen the internal market, increase travel, trade and tourism. Since December last year, when the Council decided to welcome Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area, both Member States have taken all necessary measures to ensure a smooth application of the Schengen rules from 2024 March 31. On that date, the controls at the internal air and sea borders were lifted and the Schengen rules started to apply including on issuing Schengen visas. Since their accession to the EU, Bulgaria and Romania have applied parts of the Schengen legal framework, including those relating to external border controls, police cooperation and the use of the Schengen Information System. The Cooperation Frameworks that the Commission launched in March this year with Bulgaria and Romania build on the successful implementation of the pilot projects for fast asylum and return procedures. Both countries will further support joint European efforts to address EU security at the EU's external borders and tackle migratory challenges. The Commission said it will continue to offer financial support and Frontex assistance to both Member States. As pointed out in the 2024 State of Schengen report, Schengen remains the most visited destination in the world, guaranteeing smooth and secure travel to a region with a population of nearly 450 million people. Schengen is the largest free travel area in the world. Border checks between France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were first dropped in 1985. The Schengen area now covers 29 countries, including 25 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Controls at the internal borders with Cyprus have not yet been lifted, and Ireland is not part of the Schengen area. Hungarian Minister for Home Affairst Sandor Pinter said it is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members. "Lifting checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between those member states has been a top priority for the Hungarian presidency, and today we have made it a reality. This step will benefit not only Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, but also the EU as a whole." For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News To implement the Healthy China strategy and actively respond to the healthy aging strategy, Anhui focuses on the Great Yellow Mountain area, fully leveraging its advantages in science and innovation, ecology, and culture. The province promotes the specialized, clustered, and intelligent development of the health and wellness industry to meet the diverse and high-quality health and wellness needs of the public. Since 2023, Anhui has been fully committed to creating the Great Yellow Mountain as a world-class leisure, vacation, and health tourism destination. It encourages the coordinated development of Huangshan, Chizhou, Anqing, and Xuancheng cities, achieving an upgrade from traditional sightseeing tourism to modern leisure, vacation, and health tourism. Not long ago, Anhui issued the "Opinions on Supporting the High-Quality Development of the Health and Wellness Industry," focusing on building a number of international comprehensive health and wellness bases with strong influencing power around themes such as health and wellness + elderly care, health and wellness + cultural tourism, and health and wellness + sports. In September this year, Anhui formally signed an agreement with Shanghai to jointly establish the Yangtze River Delta (Guangde) Health and Wellness Base in Guangde City, Xuancheng. Up to now, 44 key projects including the "Ganxi Health and Wellness Demonstration Village," "Big Health" Industrial Park, and theme parks have been constructed or put into operation one after another. As a national-level forest health and wellness base, Guangde has also created more than ten research and study health and wellness routes tailored for cultural experiences and knowledge needs of the elderly, middle-aged, young, and children this year. Leveraging advantages in science and innovation, ecology, and culture, Anhui has been promoting the specialized and clustered development of the health and wellness industry. The province strives to form a rich and reasonably distributed health and wellness industry system by 2027, with output value from enterprises above designated size surpassing 400 billion yuan, an average annual growth of over 10%, and the number of such enterprises reaching 4,000. Source: ANHUI NEWS News / National by Simbarashe Sithole Police in Harare are investigating a murder case in Kambuzuma where a dead man was found at a car park with head injuries. Tadiwa Mudadirwa was killed and dumped at a car park along Watonga street section 5 Kambuzuma on Tuesday.Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the murder case."We are appealing for information which may lead to the arrest of the suspects and anyone with information should report to the nearest police station," Nyathi said. Canadian shares may open with a slightly positive bias Friday morning with energy stocks finding support from higher oil prices. Trading is likely to remain a bit lackluster due to trade war fears and caution ahead of next week's policy announcement from the Federal Reserve. Data on Canadian manufacturing sales, wholesale sales and new motor vehicles sales, all for the month of October, are due at 8:30 AM ET. A report on capacity utilization in the third quarter is also due at 8:30 AM ET. TerraVest Industries (TVK.TO) reported fourth-quarter net income of $12.83 million, compared to $17.39 million in the year-ago quarter. The Canadian market closed notably lower on Thursday as stocks tumbled on sustained selling pressure due to weak commodity prices and rising concerns about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats. The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended with a loss of 246.99 points or 0.96% at 25,410.71, a more than two week low. Asian stocks ended mixed on Friday after Chinese leaders pledged more stimulus measures during a two-day huddle of the Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing, a key economic meeting that sets policy priorities for the coming year. Top officials vowed to deliver rate cuts and lower the reserve requirement for banks to maintain economic growth and ensure overall stability of employment and prices. However, the meeting lacked policy details of fiscal stimulus and monetary easing steps. European stocks are subdued today, weighed down by disappointing economic data from Germany and the UK. In commodities, West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures are up $0.56 or 0.8% at $70.58 a barrel. Gold futures are down $18.10 or 0.66% at $2,691.30 an ounce, while Silver futures are lower by $0.299 or 0.95% at $31.320 an ounce. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Import prices in the U.S. unexpectedly edged higher in the month of November, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Friday. The Labor Department said import prices crept up by 0.1 percent in November, matching the downwardly revised uptick in October. Economists had expected import prices to dip by 0.2 percent compared to the 0.3 percent increase originally reported for the previous month. The report also said the annual rate of import price growth accelerated to 1.3 percent in November from 0.8 percent in October. The year-over-year growth was expected to accelerate to 1.0 percent. The modest monthly increase by import prices largely reflected a rebound by pries for fuel imports which shot up by 1.0 percent in November after falling by 0.8 percent in October. Excluding the jump by prices for fuel imports, prices for non-fuel imports were unchanged in November after rising by 0.2 percent in October. The Labor Department said higher prices for foods, feeds, and beverages and consumer goods offset lower prices for non-fuel industrial supplies and materials, capital goods and automotive vehicles. Meanwhile, the report said export prices were unchanged in November after jumping by an upwardly revised 1.0 percent in October. Economists had expected export prices to slip by 0.2 percent compared to the 0.8 percent advance originally reported for the previous month. Export prices in November were up by 0.8 percent compared to the same month a year ago after edging down by 0.1 percent year-over-year in October. The Labor Department said prices for agricultural exports fell by 0.4 percent in November after surging by 1.9 percent in October. On the other hand, prices for non-agricultural exports inched up by 0.1 percent in November after climbing by 0.8 percent in October. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Recent advancements in have led to a shift from traditional handwriting to the use of digital devices. The preference for typing is increasing due to the practicality and speed it offers in various educational settings. However, the question arises: does typing truly enhance a child's learning process as effectively as writing by hand? A study conducted by researchers at the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), led by FW Ruud van der Weel and Audrey van der Meer, examined young adults to see if handwriting enhances memory and learning more than typing. This study. which involved 36 students, utilized EEG technology to measure brain activity, and found that there is greater brain connectivity during handwriting than when typing. When a child writes, there have to be accurate coordinated complex hand movements to carefully shape each letter with a pencil. This coordinated movement calls in various parts of the brain to form connections that create an optimal condition for learning and remembering. In contrast, pressing keys in typing only involves simple finger movements and thus less demand on the brain to form connections within neurons. Neurons take different roles when incorporated into different activities. The EEG readings during handwriting showed involvement of the left, right, and mid-parietal lobes, as well as central brain regions and the hippocampus. These brain areas are crucial for functions related to attention, cognitive processes, memory formation, learning, visual perception, and language understanding. Interestingly, these parts also connect with the sensorimotor cortex which plays a significant role in eye-hand movement coordination. The authors of the study state "As these increasing connectivity in different parts of the brain was observed only when writing by hand and not simply by pressing keys on keys, our finding has provided evidence that handwriting promotes learning". They conclude that precise controlled handwriting movement has a beneficial impact on the brain's connectivity patterns related to learning and remembering. These positive activations on the brain were not found when using a keyboard. The study findings are published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. As of 2024, 24 U.S. states reportedly mandate cursive writing instruction in public schools, marking a resurgence of the practice after its decline following the adoption of the Common Core Standards in 2010, which excluded cursive from the curriculum. The reintroduction has been supported by legislative efforts and is driven by research showing the benefits of handwriting for cognitive development and literacy. In a recent survey, 50-60% of students still favor handwriting for tasks that require comprehension and retention even though the younger generation is gravitating towards digital devices. Given the distinct differences in brain connectivity between writing and typing, it is essential for children to receive handwriting training in school. Children should learn to write by hand successfully while also gaining skills in keyboard usage, depending on the task at hand. Recognizing when to choose handwriting over digital tools is vital, whether it's for taking lecture notes to grasp new concepts or composing longer essays. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Speculations suggest Ford India revival plan will commence with the launch of Ranger pickup and Endeavour (Everest) SUV In India, Ford is currently in a see-saw action as the company seems to be going back and forth on its plans to revive Indian operations. While Ford has shipped the Ranger pickup truck and Everest SUV (Endeavour in India) supposedly for internal testing and assessments, the trail seems to have gone cold after that, as developments from Blue Oval are low. However, the launch probability of Ford Endeavour (Everest) to rival large SUVs like Toyota Fortuner and MG Gloster and Ford Ranger to rival Toyota Hilux is pretty decent. Both vehicles are based on a common platform to fit different body styles. Ford Ranger pickup truck was recently crash-tested by Latin NCAP and lets take a look at the results. Ford Ranger Pickup Truck Latin NCAP has just crash-tested a Ford Ranger pickup truck and has awarded it a healthy 5 Star crash rating. The particular Ford Ranger pickup truck crash tested by Latin NCAP was a 2024 model manufactured in Argentina for the Latin market. This particular market has a rated weight of 2,332 kg. The Blue Oval scored an impressive crash results of 5 Stars showing excellent adult occupant safety and decent child occupant safety. The test sample crash tested by Latin NCAP had a lot of safety equipment as standard. For example, it had 7 airbags as standard fitment including front, side, curtain and even a drivers knee airbag. All the occupants get proper seatbelts along with seatbelt reminders. ESC (Electronic Stability Control) is offered as standard along with Speed Assist System. ISOFIX anchor points for child seat installation are present at the outboard seats at the back only and front passenger seat gets an airbag cut out switch. Ford Ranger pickup truck managed to bag 37.24 points that accounts for 93.11%. The truck was subjected to frontal offset deformable barrier test, side movable deformable test (car) and side pole impact test to yield satisfactory results. Where child occupant safety is concerned, Ford Ranger scored 44 points that accounts for 89.80%. Comments from Latin NCAP In frontal impact scenarios for Adult Occupant safety, Ford Ranger o?ered good head and neck protection for driver and passenger. Passengers chest showed adequate protection. Also, the drivers and passengers knees showed good protection. Drivers tibias protection was adequate, while passengers tibias protection was good. Notably, footwell area was rated as stable. The bodyshell was rated as stable and it is capable of withstanding further loadings. Side impact: Head, abdomen, chest and pelvis protection was good. In side pole impact tests, Ranger offered good protection for head and pelvis, while protection to abdomen and chest protection was adequate. The only area of concern denoted by these crash tests was seen in adults neck protection. Also, Ranger met the rear impact structure requirements set by Latin NCAP. Ford offers some ADAS features with Ranger and as reported by Latin NCAP, the truck offers good AEB performance and meets all requirements set by Latin NCAP. During the Christmas of 1971, an 11-year-old Janet Defever learned lessons about Santa Claus, forgiveness, second chances and being human, while on an Alma dairy farm.Decades later, these vivid memories and moving lessons from life-on-the-farm have found their way into Defevers debut childrens book, Second Chance Christmas. Defevers childhood consisted of many labor-intensive farm tasks, much different than most of her peers upbringing. Her early memories consist of cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, lots of work and responsibility. While her classmates were at Girl Scouts activities, cheerleading, or hanging out together after school, she was busy carrying pails of milk, filling buckets with grain, and spreading bales of straw on the farm.Agriculture has changed a lot in 50 years. When I was growing up on the dairy farm, things were not automated like they are now. We needed a lot of hands to help do all of the work, she says. I became very resentful by the time I got into late elementary years, my friends were starting to do things socially, but we just werent able to.My mom said We need you home to do the chores and help out, so I was never able to do any of those things my friends were doing, and I got very resentful. That kind of spilled into my attitude about my work on the farm.Having that much responsibility asan adolescent could be stressful, and sometimes, Defever felt the heaviness of it all. She became fed up with life on the farm. Her original book details how a sibling fight broke out around the dishes in the sink, and made young Janet grow weary about whether or not her actions would stop Santa from bringing her any presents this year.Christmas time was a big deal for her because presents werent a common occurrence on birthdays or other occasions, rather, just on December 25.Christmas was your one shot in the year to get a toy, or something new and fun, she says. When I explain that to the kids, it makes it more meaningful. They understand why I was so upset when my sister and I got caught fighting over doing dishes.As an adult, Defever worked with children as a paraprofessional at Hillcrest Elementary in Alma for nearly a decade. While on playground duty around Christmas time, students started sharing their personal holiday presents and memories, and Defever joined in.I told the kids, I have a bell from Santas sleigh, and they were just enthralled. They wanted to hear all about it, so I told them about how I found it, and told them I still had it if they wanted me to bring it to school, Defever says. They were thrilled, so I brought it to school, and they were just mesmerized by it. From that, they wanted to know more, so I started to tell them more about my growing up years on the farm, and the story just kind of morphed from there.The paraprofessional started going from classroom to classroom, sharing the story to bright-eyed students. These young ears provided a great soundboard, helping Defever shape the books contents, and answer questions surrounding the storyline. This feedback proved valuable for the progression of Second Chance Christmas.Anybody that loves to tell stories knows that you do embellish a little bit because you want to make that story bigger than life, she says. It was fun to hear the things that the kids caught or had questions about.Defever enjoys and cherishes each reaction and response, whether theyre positive, or if the kids were questioning her if Santa is actually real. Others shared their unique experiences and what they related to from the story. After sharing the story hundreds of times, another co-worker suggested the oral story of the bells should become a published book. Defever initially brushed off the idea, but after a few years, she decided to pursue the project.In January 2022, right after Christmas, she looked up publishers and found Mission Point Press in Traverse City. The writer knew the many hurdles that getting a book publishing deal could bring, so she decided to self-publish.Writing the book was fun, but actually going and reading it to students is the best part, she says. For me, thats the most fun part. Its always interesting, every time, its new because youve got different kids, different takes on what they perceive Christmas to be, and their own experiences.For one of Defevers own children, Landon, seeing the familiar story take the shape in the form of an illustrated book, has also been inspiring.She told us the story when we were younger I remember throughout my childhood my mom always had ideas for stories shed drafted or written that shed love to turn into childrens books, as far back as the late nineties, which is why her decision to do independent with Second Chance Christmas was so exciting to see her pursue, he says. Im in awe of her and so indescribably proud of her initiative.Growing up, Defevers children had a much different upbringing than her life on the farm. Landon and Justine were the only siblings, compared to Janets multiple siblings and multiple required tasks.My sister and Is responsibilities were a mix of domestic, indoor work with my mom and outdoor work with my dad, he says. We luckily didnt have a ton of animals to take care of as far as livestock is concerned, but we always had cats and rabbits to some degree and helped feed them. Im really thankful that we didnt have to shovel waste, milk cows, or feed tons of animals, as fun as that sounds.Defevers son reflects on his mothers love for reading and writing, which has been integral throughout his life. Watching her journey to become a published author has been incredibly inspiring, he says.My mom has always instilled a love of reading and writing, even from an early age, he says. One of my moms most consistently touted achievements from when we were kids was the fact that she read to us every night, even though we usually fell asleep a few minutes later.Defevers story about mistakes, second chances, being human, and being accepted remains a universal timeless message thats been shared with young kids, middle school age students, and adults alike.Reading the 32-page, illustrated picture-book-story to multi-age audiences has been rewarding for the author, as its themes prompt personal memories and provide different touching meanings with each person. Although the picture-book is suggested for four- to 12-year-olds, the story delivers a big lesson for all, including those big kids at-heart.For me, the big takeaway is that we all make mistakes and do things that sometimes we just get the opportunity to apologize for, Defever says. Going forward into adulthood, there are a lot of times when we misstep, say something, or do something we didnt intend to. You dont always get the opportunity to apologize but having somebody extend grace to you when you have done something wrong is a huge thing.Although the book centers around one beloved holiday of the year, the message is relevant year-round.Theres such a focus at Christmas time, especially on gifts. The material stuff comes and goes, but I believe the things that we remember most are those moments when somebody extends grace and forgiveness to us when we mess up, and we all mess up, Defever says.Defever left the family farm around 23 years old when she moved out to her own apartment, but those lessons on hard work remain with her to this day. She hasnt fully escaped life on the farm either, although it looks a little different.Around 31 years ago, Defever and her husband bought her mothers centennial farm, just about five miles away from where Defever grew up in Alma. Today, the farm is rented out to a local farmer, and a portion of the land is also tied into a big solar farm in Gratiot County.The fourth-generation steward is retired but continues volunteer work with late elementary and early middle school students and is active in writing groups.Second Chance Christmas" is available online as an audiobook , and for purchase on Amazon and at local bookstores.The Downtown Alma Public Library will be hosting Defever for a book reading and signing on Friday, Dec. 13 from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. as part of their Come Home to Alma for the Holidays event. Sarah Spohn is a Lansing native, but every day finds a new interesting person, place, or thing in towns all over Michigan, leaving her truly smitten with the mitten. She received her degrees in journalism and professional communications and provides coverage for various publications locally, regionally, and nationally writing stories on small businesses, arts and culture, dining, community, and anything Michigan-made. You can find her in a record shop, a local concert, or eating one too many desserts at a bakery. If by chance, shes not at any of those places, you can contact her at sarahspohn@issuemediagroup.com The 10th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC 2024) and Arogya Expo were inaugurated in Dehradun, in the august presence of the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami; Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and Dr Shekhar Mande, President,Vijnana Bharati. Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State, Independent Charge, Ministry of Ayush, in his address said that thousands of minds are gathered here to discuss digital health. This marks 10th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) a pivotal juncture where various streams of ideologies, cultures, and innovations converge. The Union Ayush Minister also mentioned that on the occasion of 9th Ayurveda day on 29.10.2024 at All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, a nationwide 'Desh Ka Prakriti Parikshan Abhiya' was launched. This initiative to evaluate the Prakriti of over 01 crore individuals based on Ayurveda principles represents a significant milestone. I request everyone to actively participate in this campaign and contribute to this monumental effort. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush said that we have Tech-enabled solutions now with Ayush Grid, it revolutionises healthcare with innovations, enhancing effectiveness, safety, and affordability. He also added, more than 1.3 billion dollar investment is in pipeline from global partners. The biennial event is organised by the World Ayurveda Foundation (WAF), an initiative of Vijnana Bharati. This year's edition of this landmark event is set to unite Ayurveda practitioners, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the globe. As stated by the organising officials, for the 4-day event, more than 5500 Indian delegates and over 350 delegates from 54 countries have registered to participate in the mega event. The event will feature over 150 scientific sessions and 13 associate events besides plenary sessions. The central theme for the WAC2024 is, 'Digital Health: An Ayurveda Perspective', will delve into the transformative potential of modern technologies in advancing Ayurveda. The event will also include in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing on leveraging cutting-edge digital tools and innovations to enhance healthcare delivery, redefine research, and integrate Ayurveda into the rapidly evolving global health landscape. The event will also feature technical sessions, panel discussions, plenary and scientific sessions, an international delegates assembly, a health ministers conclave, an investors meeting, and satellite seminars. The deliberations will also focus on Ayurveda solutions for diverse healthcare challenges of modern day. The Ministry of Ayush is instrumental in organising the World Ayurveda Congress, underscoring Indias commitment to promoting Ayurveda on the global stage. As a key facilitator, the Ministry contributes to advancing knowledge, research and practices through international collaboration. The WAC is a platform for experts, practitioners, and policymakers to engage in meaningful discussions on Ayurvedas global relevance, scientific validation, and future growth. The Ministrys active involvement highlights Ayurvedas role in promoting holistic health and its potential to contribute to global wellness initiatives. As the 10th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo unfolds in Dehradun, it will not only celebrate the Ayurvedas rich heritage but also chart the path for its future in the global healthcare ecosystem. By bringing together experts, innovators, and stakeholders from around the world, the event serves as a significant milestone in the ongoing global recognition of Ayurvedas transformative potential. With a focus on bridging traditional wisdom with modern technology, the WAC aims to ensure that Ayurveda continues to thrive as a sustainable and holistic healthcare system. The 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue took place in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Shri Amitabh Prasad and Thailands Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence Gen Tharapong Malakam. Both sides agreed for early establishment of Joint Working Group to effectively steer and monitor the cooperation in the areas of defence industry. Both sides also agreed to conduct Subject Matter Experts Exchange between Indian and the Thai Armed Forces to carry forward and institutionalise regular engagement in niche domains. The Indian co-chair highlighted the potential of domestic defence industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with the Royal Thai Armed Forces in its defence acquisition plans. Thailand appreciated the capability of Indian defence industry ecosystem and proposed exploring possibilities for co-design, co-production and co-development in the field of defence industry. The dialogue is a significant milestone in intensifying defence relations with Thailand. Thailand is a maritime neighbour and a valued partner in Indias Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific region. Thailands Act West Policy compliments Indias Act East Policy providing basis for substantive elevation of bilateral relations. Earlier in the day, the Deputy Permanent Secretary laid a wreath and paid homage to the fallen heroes at National War Memorial, New Delhi. The Thailand delegation also visited National Museum and paid respects to the Holy relics of Lord Buddha placed at Museum. As part of the visit, the Thailand delegation will visit DRDO headquarters and discuss ways to enhance defence industrial capabilities by cooperation in defence research and joint production. ABB India, a leader in industrial automation and digital technology, has partnered with PwC India to provide advanced solutions across industries, with a focus on digital operations, cybersecurity, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives. This collaboration aims to equip organizations with innovative tools, including AI and machine learning, to boost efficiency, tackle emerging challenges, and drive sustainable growth. The collaboration will leverage ABBs expertise in cutting-edge automation and digital solutions, combined with PwC Indias strong consulting capabilities. Together, they aim to optimize manufacturing operations, improve real-time monitoring, boost production efficiency, and minimize energy consumption. Additionally, the alliance will prioritize securing digital infrastructure against evolving cyber threats while enhancing product quality and operational consistency. Sanjit Shewale, Global Business Line Manager for Digital at ABB Process Industries, highlighted the strategic importance of this partnership: By merging consultancy, automation, and digital technology leadership, we can provide Indian manufacturers with the tools to achieve greater resource efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. This collaboration aligns with the countrys push toward advanced manufacturing sectors and elevated growth. Vivek Belgavi, Partner and Leader Alliances & Ecosystems at PwC India, emphasized the benefits of this alliance: With the increasing interconnectivity of people and systems across industries, our joint efforts will enable clients to analyze and act on critical business data in real-time. By utilizing ABBs state-of-the-art automation solutions and PwC Indias consulting expertise, we are equipping enterprises to optimize processes, improve operational outcomes, and make informed decisions, ensuring a robust foundation for long-term success. The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA), under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, has signed a transformative Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to advance financial literacy, investor education, and investor protection. The MOU, executed in New Delhi, marks a significant milestone in the shared commitment to enhance financial education across the nation, both in urban and rural sectors, ensuring a secure financial future for generations to come. Mrs. Anita Shah Akella, CEO of IEPFA and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and Helen Brand OBE, Chief Executive of ACCA, officiated the signing, which was a major step in the organizations' efforts to increase financial literacy among Indian schoolchildren. This significant accomplishment highlights the two organizations' common goal of educating young people about fundamental financial concepts and fostering a society that is financially robust. Under the terms of the MOU, both parties have agreed to collaborate on a range of educational initiatives, with a particular emphasis on the ACCAs Financial Literacy Programme, known as 'Financial Education for You' (FEFY). The FEFY program, a four-year course targeting schoolchildren in grades 6 through 9, aims to foster sound financial decision-making among young minds, thus laying a strong foundation for a future generation of informed investors. Through this four-year partnership, IEPFA will facilitate the introduction of FEFY in select schools, spanning both urban and rural regions. ACCA will generously provide the programs digital content free of cost, ensuring that financial literacy is accessible to a wide range of educational institutions. Additionally, ACCA members will offer professional training to school educators, empowering them to effectively deliver this vital curriculum to students. The pilot phase of FEFY will kick off in select schools, with ACCA providing digital content and resources to these institutions. The program is designed to be highly interactive, utilizing experiential learning to drive behavioral change in financial decision-making among students. Schools will be equipped to host the program provided they meet the digital requirements and allocate time for teacher training and student engagement. In addition to the FEFY program, the partnership will see ACCA organizing seminars, workshops, and roundtables on topics related to financial education, investor protection, and capital market development. These activities, funded by ACCA, will further deepen the collaboration between IEPFA and ACCA, facilitating a broader reach for investor education initiatives. Mrs. Anita Shah Akella, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and CEO of IEPFA, stated: "We are happy to collaborate with ACCA to promote financial awareness among students throughout India. Our goal is to equip future generations with the information and abilities necessary to make wise financial decisions, and our partnership supports that goal. Our goal in incorporating financial education into schools is to foster a financial literacy culture that will help build a more robust economy and responsible investors". Helen Brand OBE, Chief Executive, ACCA, emphasized the importance of this collaboration by saying, "Financial literacy is about giving the next generation the tools they need to take charge of their financial destinies, not merely about knowing how much money is in circulation. Our partnership with IEPFA is intended to provide students throughout India with this vital information. By giving them the tools to make wise choices, this collaboration will create a generation that is prepared for the challenges that lie ahead and has financial stability". Both IEPFA and ACCA are committed to maintaining confidentiality regarding any proprietary or sensitive information shared during the course of their collaboration. Transparency will be the cornerstone of this partnership, ensuring that the objectives of both parties are met with mutual respect and integrity. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has been honored with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Intellectual Property (IP) Award 2024, recognizing its significant contributions to innovation, IP management, and the commercialization of technologies. This award underscores the Institutes leadership in fostering an IP-savvy ecosystem and advancing Indias technological landscape. According to an official statement from IIT Roorkee, this achievement stems from its robust innovation ecosystem, which combines research, industry collaboration, and a strong commitment to protecting intellectual property. A crucial factor in this success is the active utilization of various government schemes that provide essential support, enabling IIT Roorkee to prioritize IP management and technology commercialization. This year, IIT Roorkee has set a record with a notable increase in IP filings and granted patents, marking a new benchmark in its efforts. The faculty's dedication to developing innovative technologies that address real-world challenges across diverse sectors has been instrumental in this achievement. The Institute has also focused on the commercialization of its technologies through a dedicated technology transfer and innovation cell, facilitating partnerships with industry players, start-ups, and government agencies. Indian Light Tank (ILT) has achieved a major milestone by firing a number of rounds at different ranges at an altitude of more than 4200m, at a High Altitude Location with consistently accurate results. This was subsequent to the Phase I trial in desert environment in September 2024. This light tank has been defined, designed and developed by Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment, the Chennai-based laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) against the Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements of Indian Army. It is manufactured by the Industry Partner Larsen & Toubro Precision Engineering & Systems. ILT is being designed as a 25-ton class armoured fighting vehicle to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces for High altitude applications. In an integrated manner, the design to realisation to demonstration at high altitude has been achieved in three years. The airlift capability of ILT was also demonstrated by the Indian Air Force. Such a capability would assist in quick deployment of ILT in operating conditions which are remote and difficult to access through road or rail. With these two phases of internal performance trials, which were actively supported by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, ILT would be undergoing some more trials before being offered for User trials. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and L&T on the successful High Altitude Trials of the Light Tank. Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat congratulated the entire Light Tank Team including Industry Partner L&T for their efforts. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Nordstrom Rack, the luxury goods retailer that anchored the Empire Outlets in St. George since the malls opening in 2019, has officially closed. Signage posted in the emptied retailers windows direct visitors to shop at nearby Nordstrom stores in Manhattan. With our lease set to expire in January 2025, weve made the decision to close our Empire Outlets Nordstrom Rack store (#511) located at 15 Richmond Terrace Ste 301 in Staten Island, New York, the company previously told the Advance/SILive via email. The stores last day of business was reportedly Dec. 4. Citing the sites lease expiration as the reason for closure, the company noted it had assessed its network of stores in the New York City market before making the decision, and will continue to serve customers in the area by focusing on nearby Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack locations, as well as online. Our other Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores in the area will remain open, the email said. This includes our flagship New York City store, our mens store, two Manhattan Rack locations, and two Manhattan locals. Customers can continue to take advantage of our suite of services at any of these locations. Empire Outlets, which opened in 2019 and entered into foreclosure in 2022, was sold at a public auction in Richmond County Supreme Court last year. Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group (GSUIG) paid $10 million to retain control of the St. George shopping destination at that auction, putting an end to an almost two-year-long foreclosure process and bumping BFC Partners, the malls original operator, out of the ownership equation. Goldman Sachs is committed to Staten Island and identifying the best outcome for Empire Outlets, a spokesperson for GSUIG told the Advance/SILive.com at the time of the auction. GSUIG did not respond to a request for comment about the Nordstrom Rack closure, and Nordstrom maintained that the closure is based entirely on lease expiration, emphasizing that the company is still in good standing. Financial results continue to be strong at the Rack banner, CEO Erik Nordstrom shared during a recent Q2 earnings call, noting that the company opened 11 new Nordstrom Rack locations last spring, and will open 12 more this fall. Rack stores that were opened last year are performing well, delivering a solid return on investment while attracting new customers. The NYPD is asking the publics assistance locating an individual wanted for questioning in connection to a robbery that occurred last month in the Bronx involving the perpetrators dog. It was reported to the police that on Monday, Nov. 18, at approximately 6:10 p.m., a 53-year-old man was in the vicinity of Villa Avenue and Bedford Park Boulevard when he was approached by an unidentified individual who allowed his dog to bite him. The unidentified individual then allegedly removed the victims phone from his pocket before fleeing on foot in an unknown direction, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. The victim refused medical treatment at the scene, police said. The NYPD released a surveillance image of the sought individual. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Tina Watson has lived at the New York City Housing Authoritys (NYCHA) New Lane complex for the past five years and said Friday that in that time shes seen many of her neighbors fall victim to scams. Thats why Watson, who serves as the complexs tenant association president, and several other residents joined a group of local officials Friday to warn against possible scams, particularly those targeting electronic benefit transfers (EBT), and to call for more action. Its a shame, because...a lot of them depend on that for their day-to-day food, Watson said. Seniors are very vulnerable. [Scammers] take advantage. Watson said that while she herself has not been the victim of a scam, that many neighbors have had money stolen from their EBT accounts or been the victims of other financial crimes. Smart phone EBT apps, which older people often have trouble navigating, have provided a particularly easy target for would-be scammers. James Clinton, a spokesperson for District Attorney Michael McMahon, said that part of the problem around crimes targeting EBT is that victims can typically recoup the money through a lengthy process, so they often dont report it. He said the office hasnt been made aware of a similar problem at NYCHAs Cassidy-Lafayette housing complex in New Brighton, but that the underreporting of the crime means it may very well be going on there too. To curb the scammers, Rep. Nicole Mallitoakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn), State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn), Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore) and McMahon organized a Friday press conference at the New Lane complex to raise awareness among the community and call for more law enforcement action. Hanks urged seniors at New Lane to try to keep track of where theyre shopping to better help investigators track where scams are happening. Scarcella-Spanton said the Albany Legislature is looking at ways to possibly increase penalties against criminals who target seniors. [Crimes against seniors] is something that should face a harsher penalty, she said. Coming up in the new year, we will look at legislation to prevent that. For those who have been victimized, we urge folks to file a police report with their local precinct and contact RCDAs scam hotline at Reportscams@rcda.nyc.gov or 718-556-7226. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Pizzaiolo Emmanuel Ramirez Diaz, 46, known for his quick wit and funny one-liners, passed away Monday, Dec. 9, at Lenox Hill Hospital surrounded by family. Known as Manny by close friends and colleagues at Ungaro Coal-Fired Pizza Cafe, he succumbed to complications from Infective endocarditis. Manny and his wife Veronica Berrocal (Courtesy of Ungaro's)silvestri His pizzeria co-workers called him a master at his craft and a true artist. On Oct. 8, 1978, Emmanuel Ramirez was born in the town of Tilzapotla in Morelos, Mexico. He was the second youngest of five children of humble parents. In 1995 at the age of 17, Emmanuel Ramirez arrived in the United States. He was intent on learning English and became fluent over time. By the age of 20, he met Veronica Berrocal. They were married Dec. 9, 2000. Manny died Dec. 9, 2024, the day of their 24th wedding anniversary. Manny Emmaneul (Courtesy of Ungaro's)silvestri Remembered as a hard-working family man, friends also shared his love for Mexican music, particularly that of the ranchera genre and Amor Prisionero. Restaurant co-owner Kim Ungaro said, Mannys trade was a professional pizzaiolo. The pizzeria was his second home and his coworkers were his extended family and best friends. They were his brothers. Manny, right, worked at Ungaro's. (Courtesy of Ungaro's)silvestri She said, He was a proud and loving family man. His wife, son, and daughter were everything to him. His beautiful family was his first priority. Manny cherished his Mondays off and called it his family day. He especially loved his Monday family dinners. She added, Manny deserves to be remembered as a good-hearted person, who always gave the best of himself. He was a cheerful, kind and respectful man. He was always the first to lend a helping hand. Manny Emmaneul (Courtesy of Ungaro's)silvestri The restaurant workers started a GoFundMe at Mannysgofundme.com. To help his family. Emmanuel Ramirez leaves behind his wife and two children, son Joshua Ramirez and daughter, Yarani Ramirez, both in their 20s. He is survived by his mother and four sisters, plus many nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to visit the Cherubini McInerney Funeral Home at 1289 Forest Ave. on Friday, Dec. 13 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at our Lady of Good Counsel Church R.C. at 10 Austin Pl. on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. The Mass will follow with the burial at Moravian Cemetery at 2205 Richmond Rd., New Dorp. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Public schools across Staten Island will once again be a sea of pink to remember retired longstanding principal Dr. Nora De Rosa, who died on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer, according to the school. De Rosa was the principal of Bernstein Intermediate School (I.S. 7), Huguenot, for 21 years from 2003 until her retirement in March 2024. She was the longest-serving middle school principal on Staten Island, according to the school. At the time of her retirement, she received an abundance of support for her fight against cancer, with students and staff wearing various shades of pink and matching shirts for breast cancer awareness. In October, the middle school opened its new Dr. De Rosa Wellness Center in dedication to the former principals vision to create a safe space for students. The school sent a letter to the school community about De Rosas passing on Wednesday. Dr. De Rosa was an extraordinary leader and a source of inspiration to everyone around her, stated the letter by I.S. 7 Principal Dina Testa. She was more than just a principal she was a friend, a mentor, and a pillar of strength for all who knew her. Her loss is deeply felt across Staten Island and beyond." The school is providing counseling support services to students this week, and will provide counseling to anyone who needs additional supports. The school also referred families to free support services offered through NYC Health by visiting nyc988.cityofnewyork.us, or calling or texting 988. As always, the entire school community and I are here to support you and your children, stated Testa in the letter. Thank you for your support during this difficult time. Let us continue to carry forward her legacy, embracing challenges with resilience and opportunities with hope, just as she taught us. Some schools across the borough, including Totten Intermediate School (I.S. 34) Principal John Boyle, shared posts on social media calling on students and staff to wear pink to school on Thursday in honor of De Rosa, and to show support to the entire I.S. 7 community. The Community Education Council (CEC) 31 for Staten Island shared on Facebook that the community is devastated by De Rosas passing. She was a dear colleague, who cared deeply about her students, faculty and families, stated the CEC on a Facebook post. She was a passionate educator and administrator who was always at the forefront of supporting programs that would benefit the students of I.S. 7 and truly a champion for children. Her legacy of love is woven into the lives of all those lucky enough to encounter her. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew her, as she was a loved member of our District 31 family. Nora will be forever missed and remembered. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Simbang Gabi, which translates to Night Mass, is a cherished Filipino Catholic tradition that takes place during the Advent season in the lead-up to Christmas. The Masses bring Filipinos together, strengthening their connection to both their faith and their shared cultural heritage. The tradition consists of a series of nine consecutive early morning Masses, offering Filipino Catholics and non-Filipinos, too as a way to spiritually prepare for Christmas. The Rev. Rhey Garcia, the first Filipino pastor on Staten Island, is the pastor of Sacred Heart R.C. Church, West Brighton, which will host the first of the nine Masses of Simbang Gabi. The other eight churches on Staten Island participating in Simbang Gabi include: St. Charles Church, St. Joseph Church, St. Rochs Church, Holy Rosary Church, St. Rita Church, St. Thomas Church, St. Sylvester Church and Blessed Sacrament Church. The tradition of Simbang Gabi has deep roots in Filipino culture, dating back to Spanish colonial times, originally designed for farmers who needed to attend Mass before heading out to the fields, so the Masses were held early in the morning. Over time, the practice evolved into a beloved religious and cultural observance. Simbang Gabi serves as a time for spiritual preparation, allowing Filipino Catholics to reflect and renew their faith as they await the birth of Jesus. The nine-day series of Masses provides an opportunity for personal reflection and connection to the Advent journey. Simbang Gabi, which translates to "Night Mass," is a cherished Filipino Catholic tradition that takes place during the Advent season. On Staten It will kick off on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church. Pictured is the Pastor of Sacred Heart, Fr. Rhey Garcia. (Courtesy Mary Blaich Photogrpahy)Courtesy Mary Blaich Photography AFTER MASS, FILIPINO DELICACIES! After the Masses, it is common to enjoy traditional Filipino delicacies such as puto bumbong, a purple rice cake, bibingka, a rice cake, and suman, sticky rice wrapped in leaves. These treats are often sold outside the church or shared with family and friends at home, adding a festive (and delicious) community element to the Simbang Gabi tradition, and fostering a sense of community. Many Filipinos believe that attending all nine days of Simbang Gabi will result in their wishes and prayers for the coming year being granted. This belief makes the tradition not only spiritually significant but also a time for personal hope and aspiration. On Christmas Eve, the final Mass of Simbang Gabi is often followed by a festive family meal, marking the official start of Christmas celebrations. The tradition concludes with a sense of anticipation and joy, as it ushers in the holiday season. Simbang Gabi, which translates to "Night Mass," is a cherished Filipino Catholic tradition that takes place during the Advent season in the lead-up to Christmas. On Staten It will kick off on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, West Brighton. (Staten Island Advance/Dr. Gracelyn Santos)Staten Island Advance/Dr. Gracelyn Santos PARTICIPATING STATEN ISLAND CHURCHES Here is the list of churches on Staten Island that will be participating in Simbang Gabi 2024: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Baby Nico, nearly three months after birth, is still not home -- continuing his battle with a serious heart condition. Currently, he is on life support, waiting to reach a level of health that will allow him to be placed on the heart transplant list. I feel hopeless and very isolated right now. He hasnt been doing well, said his mother, Melissa Valez, who was finally able to hold him for the first time two months after giving birth. Melissa, who grew up in Pleasant Plains, and Joseph Velez of Midland Beach (both now living in New Jersey), welcomed their baby, Nico Anthony Velez, at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) on Sept. 24. Shortly after his birth, Nico was diagnosed with Interrupted Aortic Arch (IAA) type B, a heart defect where a portion of the aortic arch that carries blood to the head and neck is missing. Type B occurs when the missing part is between the left carotid and left subclavian arteries. It is the most common form of interrupted aortic arch, accounting for about about 53% of reported cases. According to the National Institute of Health, IAA is a very rare condition that occurs in about 2 out of every 100,000 live births. Nico's parents, Melissa and Joseph Velez, have been by their baby's side every day for the past three months as he battles health complications. (Courtesy of Melissa Velez)Melissa Velez In addition, Nico was born with two holes in his heart: an atrial septal defect (ASD) and a ventricular septal defect (VSD). Almost all babies born with an IAA also have a VSD, a hole between the lower chambers of the heart. Other heart conditions, such as ASD or truncus arteriosus, may also be present. Hopefully, my grandson will survive, John Depietro cried. Theres a picture that my daughter sent me on Halloween after the nurses laid an outfit on top of him and it said superman. They didnt put it on him, but it fit so perfect over his two arms and legs and body. I texted back, youre damn right hes superman. Babys heart health treatment journey A little over a week after Nico was born, he was rushed to Mount Sinai hospital in Manhattan where he underwent aortic arch surgery to close the gap in his heart. The following day, on Oct. 4, he had another surgery to remove blood clots. I feel like Im on an emotional roller coaster, Melissa said, noting that Nicos health improves, then worsens, constantly fluctuating. Today, Nico is at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, a life-support system used for patients with life-threatening heart or lung complications. ECMO pumps blood, provides oxygen, and helps remove carbon dioxide from the body. Nico has been on ECMO for two months now. Im feeling guilt as a mother because I have two other kids at home, Melissa said, referring to her 4-year-old Sophia and 2-year-old Joe Joe. When Im home with my two children, I think about Nico at the hospital all alone and want to be with him. When Im at the hospital, I feel guilty that I am not home with my other two children. She shared that she feels shes missing her son Joe Joes transition from baby to toddler and her daughter Sophias first year of school. Also, with Nico so sick, she feels shes missing out on his newborn stages and it makes her feel deeply sad. The family is desperately awaiting Nicos health to improve so he can be added to the heart transplant list. Once on the list, they hope a donor match will be found and the transplant can take place. Please consider becoming a donor as it can save one life or more, Melissa said. Organ donors can give people across America a second chance at life. No one really thinks about how important it is until you are the one in it. Community rallies in support A GoFundMe has been created by Melissas sister, Michelle Kiernan, to support Nicos heart transplant journey. This family cannot sustain this type of advocacy without our help. We are asking for donations to help Melissa and Joe get through this difficult and challenging time, Michelle wrote. Little Nico is strong and keeps fighting everyday. His family will never give up on him. According to Melissa, the donations will help cover transplant-related expenses, necessary home repairs to meet transplant requirements, and follow-up appointments and medications for Nico after the procedure. So far, nearly 500 donations have been made. To support the Valez family, please visit and donate at the GoFundMeLink: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-nico-velezs-heart-transplant-journey. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Though New York Citys congestion pricing is set to officially start in January 2025, charging tolls to drivers who enter a Congestion Relief Zone, theres still a chance the plan could die in the courts, according to a recent New York Times report. The official start date for the plan, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, will be midnight on Sunday, Jan. 5. At that point, the programs myriad cameras will come alive and begin charging drivers a once-a-day fee either through E-ZPass or the Tolls by Mail program. And even though the governor, federal transportation officials and the MTA are on board, and congestion pricing seems like it will finally happen despite months of challenges and delays, it could still hit a wall at the last minute due to any one of the lawsuits filed by Borough President Vito Fossella, the state of New Jersey and the United Federation of Teachers. In the recent 10 or more cases over the past few years, it has been argued that the new tolls would hurt commuters, small businesses, and shift traffic and pollution unfairly to other parts of the city. It isnt uncommon for traffic programs such as this to end up in front of a judge. This one has already been halted once by Hochul. And, its most prominent opponent, President-elect Donald J. Trump, has said he would end it permanently once he takes office next month. So, if a court decides on even a small delay, it would make Trumps promise a more real possibility. Were not giving up, Kathryn Freed, a member of New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing Tax, which is suing to stop the program, told The New York Times. Freed said the tolls would result in a rise in the cost of goods and services, including deliveries, in the congestion zone, and toll charges would be passed along to customers. When Hochul put a halt on the program in June, she said it out of fear that the new tolls would weigh on New York Citys economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. But she resurrected it last month with a lower toll ($9 instead of $15 for most drivers) and she and transportation leaders moved quickly into the restart. Under the new iteration, most drivers will be paying a toll of $9 when entering the Congestion Relief Zone, which is any surface street in Manhattan south of 60th Street. Later, Director of State Operations Kathryn Garcia said the current plan is to not raise the $9 toll for at least three years after its implemented. According to Hochul, the 40% lower fee would still allow the MTA to secure $15 billion in bonds for capital projects while saving daily commuters around $1,500 annually. The FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that after trying to corroborate reports of mysterious drones flying at night over the New York-New Jersey area in recent weeks, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. The statement, released after 5 p.m., came shortly after a White House spokesman told reporters that experts looking into reported drone sightings have been unable to confirm any of the reports. Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully, John Kirby, national security spokesman for President Joe Bidens administration, said at a press briefing. The FBI had asked the public for reports and video of the supposed drones, receiving more than 3,000 tips. There had been 180 drone sightings reported Tuesday night, according to a briefing of state and local lawmakers Wednesday. Thursdays joint statement from Homeland Security and the FBI runs counter to earlier statements from Picatinny Arsenal reports of 11 confirmed drone sightings, two sightings over Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County that were confirmed by the military, and a Coast Guard commanders report to Rep. Chris Smith of more than a dozen supposed drones chasing a Coast Guard cutter Sunday night. Unauthorized drone flights are prohibited over military installations. Local law enforcement officials have also reported numerous night-time drone sightings in recent days. But the two-agency statement raised the possibility that all the reported sightings were easily explained. The investigation is continuing, the agencies said, to confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings. Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities, the statement noted. The agencies reiterated there was no evidence that the drone sightings posed a national security or public safety threat, nor that they were of foreign origin. It also said there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he spoke with White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall on Thursday to discuss my concerns over the federal governments response to recent drone sightings in NJ. Ill continue to press the federal government, including the FBI, for answers on behalf of the public, Murphy added on social media. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. We have a chance to glance at fireballs in the sky Friday and Saturday night, when the Geminids, among the few major meteor showers to come from asteroids, peak and potentially produce the best and brightest shooting star show of the year. Under ideal viewing conditions, the Geminids typically put on an unmatched brilliant performance. However, an almost full moon this year will likely wash out a lot of the 15 meteors per hour expected, according to the American Meteor Society. But there is still much to enjoy for the last time in 2024, according to EarthSky.org. And viewing lasts until Dec. 21. What is a meteor shower? Several meteor showers occur annually, and you can view them with the naked eye. Most of them originate from the debris of comets, but a few including the Geminids result from the debris of asteroids. The Geminids come from the sun-orbiting asteroid 3200 Phaethon. When rocks from space enter Earths atmosphere, the resistance from the air makes them very hot, causing the air to glow around them. And the rocks briefly leave a fiery tail behind them the end of a shooting star. The rocky nature of the asteroid debris makes the Geminids especially likely to produce fireballs, NASAs William Cooke told the Associated Press. Those are pretty tough rocks that can penetrate deep into the atmosphere, he said. How to view a meteor shower Meteor showers are usually most visible between midnight and pre-dawn hours. Its best to view them under dark skies, away from city lights. And on bright moon nights, as expected on Friday and Saturday, its suggested to look for moon shadows, areas where the moons glow is blocked, for better viewing, according to EarthSky.org. You can do this by finding a plateau area with high-standing mountains to block out the moon. Or, find a hedgerow of trees bordering a wide open field somewhere. Another option is to sit in the shadow of a barn or other building. Instead of counting the meteors, as is popular practice, try to focus on each one on a night with a bright moon, according to the experts at EarthSky. When to watch The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight on Friday and Saturday nights, according to EarthSky.org. But the days before and after the peak can also offer views of shooting stars. Since the radiant for the Geminids rises in mid-evening, they tend to be visible all night long, according to EarthSky.org. The radiant rises in mid-evening and is highest around 2 a.m. Caused by debris from an asteroid, the Geminids are one of the strongest and most popular meteor showers each year. This shower is best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, but observers south of the equator can also witness the show. Viewers can use a meter that relies on data from the Global Meteor Network to show them the best time to view real-time fireball activity levels, increasing in the next few days. Clear skies are predicted in much of New York, but cold weather will require viewers to dress in extra warm layers. Those in the Southwest will have prime visibility, experts said, pointing to skies over New Mexico, southeastern Arizona and parts of Utah as the most likely star show locations. There will be a brief window in Southern California early in the evening, too. The internet and social media are overflowing with theories about the origins of the drones that have allegedly been hovering in New York-New Jersey areas night skies over the past few weeks. The sightings, which began last month, have led to an FBI investigation that has yielded at least 3,000 reports of unexplained drones. It remains unclear how many of the sightings are legitimate or whether they are related to a single source. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and most other public officials have repeatedly said there is no known threat to public safety. While federal and state officials have not provided an explanation, at dinner tables and social gatherings, everyone seems to have theories about the lights in the sky. The ideas include: hostile drones sent by foreign powers; a top-secret U.S. military venture the FBI doesnt know about; or plain old hobbyists trolling the news cycle. On Facebook groups and Reddit, some suggest aliens are visiting, disguised as drones. Or they say the sightings are part of some dark psychological operations to distract the population from something worse. Military officials shot down a theory U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., released Wednesday that said the drones were tied to a missing mothership from Iran floating off the East Coast. Theres no evidence or credible intelligence thats true, a spokesperson for the federal Department of Defenses U.S. Northern Command said. Officials at Picatinny Arsenal, the U.S. Army facility in Morris County, N.J., where some of the first drone sightings were reported, also denied the drones had anything to do with military testing at the site. NJ Advance Media spoke to several local drone experts to get their theories on whats behind the recent drone reports. Here are some of their ideas: Theory: Local drone hobbyists set off a panic. Brandon Valeriano a professor at Seton Hall Universitys School of Diplomacy and a distinguished senior fellow at the Marine Corps University specializes in research on cyber security and international conflict. He said the initial sightings in New Jersey were likely tied to hobbyists. People look for the wild explanations for the things they cant understand. And thats just what the mind jumps to, Valeriano said. And it makes us feel better because we come up with these radical explanations, when the reality is its probably some hobbyists who are messing around. He believes theres likely zero nefarious intent around the drones. It was likely just some drone enthusiasts having some fun as the cold weather set in. Most likely it is just a hobbyist dealing with the onset of winter. We will likely find a few 13-foot drones hidden in a barn somewhere in Morris County next year, Valeriano said. The FAA and FBI are getting involved because there are rules to drone usage. You need a license, and interrupting emergency services is a big federal issue, hence how this escalated so quickly. There will likely be serious fines leveled, he said. Theory: The drones are tied to defense contractors or the U.S. military. Pramod Abichandani, a professor and head of the Advanced Air Mobility Lab at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, said he is testing some working theories about the drone sightings using advanced equipment. He believes the simplest explanation is the correct explanation, he said. The drones are most likely tied to commercial or U.S. military operators, Abichandani said. Some of the drone reports say drones returned to the same area every night for days or weeks. An operator flying many drones for many hours on many days would have to have significant money and staff time, he said. And some of the sightings have been of drones in groups, known as swarms, which is technically challenging. There are companies in New Jersey that are defense contractors that do swarming of drones, Abichandani said. There are enough smart people now in the world, in the U.S. and New Jersey, that if they really want to, they can start experimenting with swarms of drones. Theory: A startup company is testing new drone technology. William Austin, president of Warren County Community College and founder of its drone-related associate degree, suspects the reports stem from a startup company doing drone testing. Someone may also be testing classified military activity they dont want to tell you about, and probably shouldnt tell you about, Austin said. However, it is difficult to have a definite theory on what is happening in New Jersey when the number of drone sightings has spiked, he said. It is unclear whether some of the sightings are now drone owners putting up their own aircraft at night to see if they can find the mystery drones. You have all kinds of drones being reported now, some smaller ones, and theres so much news and media attention. Either people are putting up their drones looking for the original drones, or theyre reminded that they can fly at night, Austin said. My guess is were getting a lot of false positives, he said. Staff writer Nyah Marshall contributed to this report. 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 week Premium Includes: -- Access to the Daily Journals e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. You can download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. You can also clip & download articles or images from the e-edition to share with others The most recent 90 issues are available at any given time. -- Unlimited access to our award-winning online content -- Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community -- NEW! Access to our online-only digital crossword puzzle. A new puzzle every day, seven days a week! 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The resulting gold sales have reached an impressive $33.14m, with the highest price per ounce peaking at a striking $4233 per ounce. And it seems an even better result may be on its way as the company still has a lot of gold in play. Auric has 228,000t of ore left to process and pour at both the Three Mile Hill and Greenfields mills, with the grades expected to climb back up to 1.61g/t and impressive recovery rates already running at 93.5 per cent. Auric Mining managing director Mark English said: Jeffreys Find will soon start to deliver further substantial cash for Auric, we are extremely happy. It has been an outstanding investment for the company and our shareholders. English said the company expects a terrific result from the return on investment and free cashflow generated from mining Jefferys Find, and that this impetus should carry the company forward into 2025 and future years. Aurics joint venture with Kalgoorlie-based BML Ventures has been a cornerstone of its success. Under the terms of the agreement, BML oversees mining, haulage, milling operations and all related expense. After sale of the gold, BML subtracts all direct costs before splitting the surplus cash proceeds with Auric on a 50:50 basis. Since the final processing of ore is due to wind up at the end of January and mining at site is almost complete, most of the costs associated with the highly successful Jeffreys Find mine have been incurred, leaving an increasingly big cash surplus in the kitty to be distributed between the partners in the next month or two. With a series of bigger cheques likely to be coming Aurics way, the company will soon be able to turn all its attention and funding towards its Munda mine near Widgiemooltha in WA. The company will next year begin a 125,000t starter pit grading 1.8g/t to pull out 6100 ounces of gold. It will look to gather more detail and a better understanding of the bigger 145,000-ounce orebody prior to ramping up a full-scale mining and toll treatment operation at site in 2026. With Australian dollar gold prices touching all-time highs in the past few days above $4270 per ounce, converting the 6100 starter pit ounces to cash should give Aurics coffers a good short-term kick. Having already produced 8794 ounces in 2024, the residual ore being processed from Jeffreys Find could take that total number to more than 20,000 ounces. With the addition of a further ounces likely to come from Munda in the next six months and gold prices on the rampage, it seems Auric may well have been touched by the gold gods. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Lin-Manuel Miranda is the guy who wrote the Broadway show Hamilton, and the soundtracks for the animated films Moana, Vivo and Encanto, and the coming live-action Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King. Robert Lopez co-created The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q, and, with his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the songs for the Disney films Frozen, Frozen II and Coco. That bit, you likely know. The bit you may not know is that when both Miranda and Richard Lopez were kids enrolled at Hunter College Elementary School in Manhattans Upper East Side they had the same sixth-grade music teacher, Barbara Ames. So the question isnt how did these guys become the most influential composers of 21st-century stage and cinema, but just what was Miss Ames putting in the cordial in that classroom? Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer of Hamiton, Encanto and, now, Mufasa: The Lion King. Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision When I sit down with Miranda to discuss his musical career and work on Mufasa: The Lion King, Miss Ames seems like an unexpected, almost off-piste place to start. And yet, I say to him, she really feels like the beginning of the story. Mirandas eyes are glowing in response, his enthusiasm for his former music teacher is as all-consuming now as it was, no doubt, back in grade six. Barbara Ames was one of the biggest sources of love in elementary school, Miranda says. You would go to music class, you knew you were going to sing for 30 minutes. She had a poster of Into the Woods on the side of her upright piano, she taught at her piano and she would have us all sing. Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) and Taka (voiced by Kelvin Harrison Jr.) in Disneys live-action Mufasa: The Lion King. Credit: Significantly, Miranda adds, Miss Ames and the pairs teacher, Mr Sherman, would collaborate on a sixth-grade play every year. And if she had more kids than parts, she would write parts, and she would write songs for those parts, Miranda says, laughing. Advertisement She wildly flouted the rules of licensing for these musicals, Miranda adds. The notion of access to creating these moments was there because Miss Ames would just make up songs for the other characters so that everyone would have a part. She did a production of Chorus Line where there were 32 kids on the line, and they all had their moment. When Miranda came to do the sixth-grade play, they had run out of age-appropriate musicals, so we did these 20-minute versions of the previous six years, and it was a lethal dosage of musical theatre. I got to be in Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, a mash-up of The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz, Oklahoma and Peter Pan. The rush of doing that for most of sixth grade is the high Im still chasing as a 44-year-old man. Lin-Manuel Miranda was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the 2016 film Moana. Credit: We move on. To William Shakespeare, and his observation, in the comedy masterpiece Much Ado About Nothing, that: Is it not strange that sheeps guts could hail souls out of mens bodies? The question he was asking about the intangible but stunning power of music itself weighs on the minds of many composers, Miranda says. Thats the heart of the whole thing, right? Miranda says, quoting his good friend, 97-year-old American composer John Kander, who wrote Cabaret and Chicago, who once told him: Ive made a living making music, and Ive never been able to hold it, or touch it, or taste it, or feel it. And yet, my hands go to the piano, and if I know what were writing, my hands know what to do. Says Miranda: I find that extraordinary. My hands arent as skilled as John Kanders, very few are. But I think theres something about the fact that both hemispheres of your brain light up when you listen to music. That it sticks in the short term and in the long term that Alzheimers patients can still sing songs from when they were children. Advertisement Theres something about it that goes deeper than anything else in our lives, about that collection of organised sound, whether it comes from a bossa nova or sheeps guts, Miranda adds. Its extraordinary. Its extraordinary to get to make it up for a living. Im very grateful to get to put my hands on a piano for a living. The peculiarity of film music is that, like pop music, it is composed of an infinite collection of emotional triggers. There are notes in Giorgio Moroders soundtrack for Scarface that intentionally unsettle the emotions. The Picnic at Hanging Rock score is intentionally undercut with the slowed-down sound of an earthquake, designed to subconsciously trigger the viewers fight or flight response. The way we were how the stars of The Lion King looked in the original 1994 film. Credit: Disney Among Angelo Badalamentis compositions for Twin Peaks, Lauras Theme is designed to make you feel sad, and then to slowly restore your emotions through a twist and turn of flat notes to sharps, then to intentionally build to a crescendo, and finally to rip your heart out as the sequence of notes peaks. Loading That sense of weaponisation in music the idea that it is deployed in films as a deliberate force upon the viewer is conscious and not conscious, Miranda says. You are your own first audience, and you have to make yourself feel something before you can expect anyone else to feel anything. And it not only has to feel true, it has to feel true to that character at that moment, and it needs to be the right words on the right music at that moment. In Mufasa, the track featured in the film and trailer I Always Wanted a Brother was this four-chord groove [with] a melody that felt like it came from another plane. Advertisement So, sometimes its in surprising yourself that you find it. What I am conscious of, as Im writing it, [is that] I can bring that back around later, to devastating effect. Im not going to worry about it now, but I know it can turn. Before he wrote a note of Moana, Miranda says, he immersed himself in music from the Pacific Islands and those traditions, same as with Colombia with Encanto, which shared its DNA with the Puerto Rican music I grew up with. Lin-Manuel Miranda (centre) struck global gold with his historical musical, Hamilton. Credit: With his smash-hit musical Hamilton, in contrast, and leaning into the Sondheim quote content dictates form, Miranda says his inspiration was the idea that every time American founding father Alexander Hamilton puts pen to paper his life changes. Every time he opens his mouth, hes going to change his circumstances and his destiny, and thats a terrific engine for a musical, Miranda says. Mufasa: The Lion King was something different again. It was already a successful animated musical and Broadway show with music written by Elton John and Tim Rice, and a score composed by Hans Zimmer when Miranda was asked by director Barry Jenkins to write the soundtrack to the prequel. In that sense, Miranda says, [For Mufasa] Im in service of Barry Jenkins, and this musical language that has already been really wonderfully established. The Lion King made a hugely successful switch to the stage. Credit: As for The Lion King itself, its an unusually complex story when you consider Disney packaged it as a kids movie: after the power-hungry lion Scar murders his brother Mufasa, Mufasas son Simba escapes but later returns to become king of the Pride Lands. Theres literally a 12-minute stretch where a child essentially witnesses their uncle murder their father, and then walks up to their fathers prone body, Jenkins says. Advertisement Its like we have very selective memories. We have very convenient memories of what is light [in touch] and what is not light. What I love about that, though, is somehow Disney was able to perform this magic trick where parents would take their kids to see this film. That scene is intense. You know its intense. And yet somehow everyone embraces that intensity because its real. The cast of Mufasa: The Lion King (from left): Kelvin Harrison jnr, Tiffany Boone, Aaron Pierre, Anika Noni Rose, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogan, and director Barry Jenkins at a photo call in London. Credit: AP At the same time, Jenkins says, the films story was never over-sensationalised. And you sometimes go, [the kids] are not going to watch that again, are they? And there they are, day after day, you put in the VHS, and theyre watching it, and theyre learning to process this emotion, he says. Loading Its one of the really wonderful things that Disney, especially in that era, was able to sort of pull off, which is, bring us your children, and were going to entertain them, and theyre going to have a very fun time, Jenkins says. But were also going to speak to some very important things about human nature and human life. Mufasa: The Lion King picks up the story of the 2019 remake of The Lion King, which was directed by Jon Favreau and used photorealistic animation to bring the world of the Pride Lands to life. In the new film, Rafiki the mandrill tells the origin story of the two lions Mufasa, an orphan, and Taka, the princeling who would become known as Scar. The film stars Aaron Pierre as the voice of Mufasa. It is a formidable role for an actor to take on, because of its central role in the Disney cinematic filmography and the intimidating fact it was originated by actor James Earl Jones in the original 1994 film and the 2019 remake. Jones, who also voiced Darth Vader in Star Wars, died earlier this year. Advertisement The popular people-watching spot at the junction of Oxford and Flinders streets will reopen in a new location in 2025. Its one of the most happening corners in Sydney. At the junction of Oxford and Flinders streets, Cafe Fredas has been the intersection of the citys nightlife for the past four years. Its been a spot for drop-ins, people-watching over pasta and natural wine, and for many, a final destination after a big night out. However, the yellow, green and red plastic chairs will soon be packed away, with owner David Abram announcing the venue will close at the end of summer. The outdoor tables at Cafe Fredas are hot property. Edwina Pickles We knew it was going to happen, Abram says. We were only ever on a rolling lease there as it was always going to be a development site at some stage. Obviously, with COVID and everything that happened over the last few years, that timeframe changed. Despite the upheaval, Abram says he is happy to have had four years in the space. This location draws people in from so many areas. Oxford Street and Taylor Square is an iconic area, and really interesting people live around there. Its close enough to the inner west, its close enough to the eastern suburbs, and it is, in many ways, a centrepoint for people. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size There was a stroke of evil genius in the way Man Haron Monis secured a worldwide audience for the horrific events that he unleashed in the heart of Sydney on a fine summers day 10 years ago. The Lindt chocolate cafe, on the corner of Martin Place, sat directly across from what was then Network Sevens TV studios, adjacent to one of Sydneys busiest pedestrian precincts. Wall-to-wall coverage was virtually guaranteed. I first got wind of the attack when a worried friend phoned to say another friends son, a waiter at the cafe, was trapped inside by a gunman. I immediately switched on the TV to see images of the stricken hostages, standing in the windows with hands raised as their captor prowled unseen behind them. It had been 8.33am on December 15, 2014, when Iranian-born Monis walked purposefully up Martin Place and pushed through the cafe doors, taking a seat and calmly ordering tea. An hour later, hed drawn a sawn-off shotgun from his backpack, trapping 18 customers and staff and forcing 34-year-old cafe manager Tori Johnson to declare (by way of a call to triple zero) that this was an Islamic State attack on Australia. Monis also claimed to be carrying a bomb in his backpack, and that two more were planted around the city. It was an attack on a scale the country had never previously experienced. Hostages lives were under imminent threat, entire city blocks were plunged into lockdown and thousands of office workers began evacuating under police guard from surrounding buildings. The collective shock was profound. As I wrote later in my book, Siege: Inside the Lindt Cafe, Lindt ripped away Sydneys sense that it couldnt happen here . Advertisement For nearly 17 excruciating hours, the siege dragged on. During that time, a dozen hostages managed to engineer their own escape, increasingly enraging Monis. At 2.06am, he forced Tori to his knees. Seven minutes later, he cold-bloodedly executed the young man, triggering a police emergency entry. Thirty-eight-year-old barrister Katrina Dawson was fatally injured in those final seconds, felled by lethal fragments from a police bullet. As someone with a background in defence and security reporting, Id watched the denouement with alarm. The cafe was rocked by a cacophony of gunfire (police firing 22 times) and dozens of explosions from stun grenades (or stunnies, as the police called them). This entry seemed chaotic nothing like the kind of clinically executed exercise one would have expected from an elite tactical unit. Political leaders had reassured the country early on that police were well equipped and well trained. Then NSW police commissioner Andrew Scipione proclaimed his negotiators to be the very best in the world. Yet when a coronial inquest began in earnest five months later, the multiple failures of management started to become clearer. Just a few examples: police negotiators never managed to make direct contact with Monis despite their billing as the worlds best. Communication between different commanders was inexplicably poor. Vital snippets of intelligence never seemed to make their way up the line to senior officers making the key decisions. Police consistently misread the mood inside the cafe, not recognising in the final hour of the siege that the gunman, far from settling down for the night as several commanders and the police psychiatrist believed, was growing increasingly agitated. A dozen hostages managed to engineer their own escape, which increasingly enraged the gunman. Credit: Reuters What caused particular distress afterwards to the Dawson and Johnson families was that Monis, a self-proclaimed Islamic cleric, should never have been at liberty. He was facing grave charges of being an accessory to murder and perpetrating a raft of sexual assaults, hed publicly declared fealty a month earlier to the Islamic State Caliphate, and no less than 18 warning calls had been made about him to the national security hotline in the days immediately before the siege. Yet authorities had left him at large. Advertisement Equally galling to the families and former hostages was the revelation that police commanders had never signed off on what in counterterrorism doctrine is known as a deliberate action plan, or DA which might have allowed an earlier, more controlled and potentially more propitious entry. Commanders would tell the inquest they believed Monis false assertion that he had a bomb and that this constrained their choices. Yet it was odd that they did not search his flat seeking any sign of access to bomb-making equipment or expertise until 11 that night, some 14 hours into the siege. The possibilities of help from the army (which had lethally trained commandos stationed at Holsworthy) and of specialist surveillance equipment from ASIO were not fully explored. Indeed, a formal submission from the NSW police to the coronial inquiry contained the revealing assertion that the commonwealth, the ADF should not intrude [my emphasis] by way of direct or formal substantive involvement unless the state felt the situation was out of control. Thankfully, the idea that cumbersome bureaucratic gears have to be engaged before action can be launched appears to have been laid to rest. NSW deputy police commissioner Dave Hudson, who describes the siege as a defining moment in our citys history, says lessons from Lindt have been vital in overhauling preparation for terrorist attacks, ensuring the force is now more forward leaning . This was evidenced by the extraordinary resourcefulness of Inspector Amy Scott in April this year, when she single-handedly shot and killed the Bondi Junction Westfield knife attacker after hed slaughtered six people. Under changed laws, a sniper would no longer have to wait for permission from higher up to take a shot if the opportunity presented itself unlike the situation at the time of the siege. All officers now complete Active Armed Offender (AAO) training. The skill set of police negotiators has been upgraded and the threshold for Defence involvement in a terrorist attack has been lowered. But as the Dawson family told me this week, what will most count in any future attack is a proactive mindset on the part of police, and what they felt was most lacking on the night leadership courage. Advertisement The loss of Tori and Katrina to their families was incalculable. So many others have also suffered in long-lasting ways, particularly the surviving hostages (a number of whom will carry a psychological injury for the rest of their lives) and first responders. Photos of siege victims Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson amid a sea of flowers outside the Lindt cafe. Credit: Photographic Mike Baird, then the states premier, wept on Nines 60 minutes two weeks ago as he talked about the devastating impact the siege had on him. Louisa Hope and her elderly mother Robin, since deceased, were forced to stand each side of Monis as he shot Tori. The siege has left Louisa with a disabling shrapnel wound to her foot that has yet to heal. Some eight years after the attack she began suffering from violent, intrusive thoughts at night, requiring fresh rounds of therapy. She continues to believe the inquest was too narrow: It suited most of the main players not to have a bigger inquiry. Loading She has recently joined Caroline OHare, a former officer in the NSW police counterterrorism squad, to co-found a new organisation called Victims of Terrorism Australia. OHare hopes VOTA will ensure that victim-centric thinking will be at the forefront of those managing a terrorism event and its aftermath in any future attacks. Many of the tactical officers on the front line that night have been left traumatised. Criticism of the way the siege unfolded is in no way to question their bravery. Advertisement Officer A, who shot and killed Monis, continues to struggle with deep guilt over Katrinas death, even though it will never be known if he or another officers gun fired the bullet that ricocheted and fatally injured her. Only recently has he been able to speak publicly and under his own name Ben Besant about PTSD, after a court lifted a long-standing suppression order on his identity. How to mark this 10th anniversary has presented something of a dilemma for authorities. Public commemoration of anniversaries can be healing for the community and for some victims, but exquisitely painful for others. Baird told this masthead the way the public covered Martin Place with a sea of bouquets in the days after the siege was a moment of deep connectedness, unlike anything I had experienced before or after. Loading Louisa has given dozens of speeches about her Lindt experience over the years, raising money for nurses and briefing counterterrorism experts. Another former hostage tells me hes moved on to a new life and wants nothing to do with commemorations. Others I contacted for the book have not renewed that contact. The Dawson family made clear to the state government they didnt want an ostentatious public event to mark the anniversary. Instead, they honour Katrinas life with a scholarship set up in her name at her alma mater, Sydney University Womens College. Toris mother, Rosemary Connellan, was planning her own private ceremony. Advertisement New information has raised suspicions about the deaths of twin baby boys at a Queensland home three years ago. Officers were called to a unit at Joan Street in Bungalow, Cairns about 11.10am on December 13, 2021 following reports the young boys were unresponsive. The three-month-old twins who were subject to significant special needs care were declared dead in a bedroom. Queensland Police Far North Detective Inspector Kevin Goan briefs press about the deaths. On the three-year anniversary of the deaths Queensland Police revealed they have been provided new information, and urged anyone with further information to come forward. Two police officers who took part in a joint criminal enterprise with Lawyer X to manipulate a witness, according to a court finding, are fighting to keep their names a secret. This masthead is fighting the suppression order. Lawyer Marcus Hoyne, representing this and other news outlets, said the public interest in the disclosure of the names of the police officers was overwhelming. The officers lawyer, Renee Enbom, KC, said her clients, who have not faced criminal charges, had been deprived of procedural fairness during a recent court hearing as no one put to them the allegations they had broken the law. Tony Mokbel being led into court on in November. Credit: AAP This, she said, deprived the witnesses of the ability to defend their reputations, and the publication of their names would therefore prejudice the administration of justice. Pakistan official highlights new energy, agri co-op with China 08:37, December 13, 2024 By Qi Xijia ( Global Times This photo taken on Sept. 18, 2024 shows a view of fishermen dockyard near the Gwadar port in Gwadar, southwest Pakistan. Launched in 2013, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a corridor linking Gwadar port with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, highlighting energy, transport, and industrial cooperation. (Photo: Xinhua) Pakistan's eastern Punjab province is open for business and welcomes investment from Chinese companies, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab province, told the Global Times in a group interview, following the Punjab Investment Conference held in Shanghai on Thursday. She highlighted the potential of China-Pakistan cooperation across a wide range of sectors including new energy, agriculture and healthcare. Over the past few days, Sharif, currently on an official visit to China, has been engaging with the business executives of some of the most innovative companies in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, finance, automobiles, IT, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, semiconductors and robotics. "I have come to China with an invitation that includes special incentives and possibilities for Chinese businessmen to invest in Punjab. We have already been overwhelmed by the response and are progressing discussions with some of these companies, even before the visit is over," Sharif said. She noted that the Punjab Investment Conference is set to be a major milestone, showcasing the province's potential and announcing key collaborations across sectors. "We have invited Chinese businessmen and Chinese businesses to explore opportunities in the province, focusing on a range of sectors. Punjab's strategic location, clear comparative advantage, skilled workforce and business-friendly policies, along with new policy reforms, make it an ideal place for global businesses to thrive and succeed," she said. Punjab has emerged as an economic powerhouse, excelling in services manufacturing, and agriculture. Its geographical positioning and strategic connectivity make it a regional trade hub. Punjab has also been driving the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through strategic energy initiatives, industrial development and improved regional connectivity, Mujahid Sherdil, Finance Secretary of Punjab said in his presentation when sharing the investment opportunity of Punjab at the investment conference. Launched in 2013, the CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The project highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while the new phase expands to fields of agriculture and livelihood, among others, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to promoting high-quality development under the new phase of CPEC with a particular focus on renewable energy projects to build a China-Pakistan green corridor. "The government of Punjab is committed to fostering partnerships with China and formulating environmental policies, adopting clean technologies and executing green initiatives," she said. "Renewable energy remains a top priority for us. By working with Chinese partners, we are advancing our efforts to make clean energy more affordable and accessible," she added. She also highlighted the potential of cooperation in terms of agriculture and healthcare. "We have met with companies that are looking to invest in the modernization of our agriculture sector. This is a great example of how technology and investment can improve traditional industries and boost economic growth. In healthcare, the visit has led to possible partnerships that will bring advanced medical technologies to Pakistan," she said. "Punjab is open for business and we welcome you to be our partner in the shared prosperity of our people," she added. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) On a warm summer morning about a year ago, Jules Lin watched in dismay as a tourist began climbing a tree in the tiny coastal hamlet of Kennett River, apparently attempting to rouse a sleeping koala for a photo. After she urged the man to leave the animal alone, he descended the tree before throwing a handful of gravel at the koala. I could see the animal had gravel dripping out of its ear, and gravel matted to its fur, Lin said. Throngs of tourists at Kennett River. Credit: Joe Armao Lin, who lives part-time in Kennett River, said this example of wildlife harassment was not an isolated incident. Every day hordes of visitors arrive at the hamlet on the Great Ocean Road hoping for a close encounter with native wildlife. To implement its plan, the opposition would need to convince federal parliament to overturn the national ban on nuclear energy enacted under the Howard government, and persuade state government to do the same. The Coalitions plan also hinges on running coal plants for potentially decades longer than forecast by the Australian Energy Grid Operator (AEMO), capping the rollout of renewables at just over half of energy supply and building the first nuclear plant by 2037 50 per cent more quickly than the CSIRO said is possible. Frontiers modelling assumes energy demand will be 40 per cent lower in 2050 than is forecast by AEMO. A key reason the grid is smaller in the oppositions forecast is its assumption that just 63 per cent of Australians will drive an EV by 2050, with 37 per cent still driving traditional cars. The government is planning for 97 per cent EV ownership by 2050. About 1 per cent of all cars on the road today are electric, but sales are growing. Solar panel installations would also be lower under the Coalition plan. For the past three years, households have been installing panels rapidly, but under the opposition, this would more than halve, resulting in several million homes being squeezed out. When asked by reporters how much the Coalition would reduce power bills by in coming years, opposition energy spokesperson Ted OBrien conceded Frontiers modelling did not include an analysis of electricity bills, but argued a cheaper grid would flow through to smaller bills. I think its fair and reasonable that over time, prices reflect cost, OBrien said. Will the Coalition be delivering cheaper power prices? Yes, they will. In a short briefing with Coalition MPs after the press conference, OBrien faced two questions about what MPs should tell voters about the policys effect on near-term energy prices, according to several sources on the call who spoke on condition of anonymity. Several MPs were dissatisfied with his reiteration that power prices would reflect the cost of the energy grid. Loading One MP said a forecast on bill prices was the only thing that mattered in terms of selling the policy. Labor went to the last election promising a $275 drop in power bills by 2025, but consumers have instead faced rising prices due in part to global inflation and the war in Ukraine. Confusion over daylight savings time led to dozens of Coalition MPs logging onto the briefing an hour before it was scheduled, furthering the frustration of a group of MPs who believed they deserved to be briefed on the plan before Dutton made it public. One MP, who declined to be named in order to speak frankly, said it was lucky that Dutton had strong internal authority because the process was insulting. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the opposition had opted to build a smaller, cheaper grid that delivered less economic growth to the nation. We believe in economic growth. We believe in giving Australians the options of using more electricity, not less, Bowen said. We need to be planning an energy system for the future, one that has data centres and artificial intelligence. The experts have already done that work and have said [nuclear] could increase bills by $1200. Bowen was referencing a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, that found average power bills would rise between $665 and $1200 a year to fund the typical construction costs from reactors recently built in other nations. Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean, a former NSW Liberal treasurer, said his agency would model the consequences of the Coalitions plan. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton with Coalition energy spokesman Ted OBrien, left, and Nationals Leader David Littleproud, right. Credit: Glenn Hunt That will include a deeper look at what appears at first blush to be the assumption that electricity usage will be minimised, which is indicative of a contracted economy and suppressed economic conditions, Kean said. The governments ambitious renewable energy rollout, which hinges on boosting renewables to 82 per cent of the grid by 2030 and reaching more than 90 per cent by 2050, includes rapid growth in rooftop solar and nearly universal uptake of electric vehicles. Duttons plan would use taxpayers money to fund the construction costs of nuclear plants, while the governments plan relies on private investment to be repaid by electricity customers via their bills. OBrien said the government was over-investing in renewables and more fossil fuels were needed in the grid, until zero-emission nuclear was ready to take over. That means we need to pour more gas into the system. We shouldnt be closing our baseload power stations prematurely as we continue to roll out renewables. As coal retires from the system, it should be replaced with zero emissions nuclear energy, he said. Loading Coal plant extensions are baked into the oppositions plan because it will cap renewable energy at 53 per cent of the grid, which is the amount of clean energy expected to be built by as soon as 2026, and the fossil fuel must run until the mid-2040s when nuclear plants are expected to be completed. But the Australian Energy Council, representing coal plant owners including AGL, Origin and EnergyAustralia, said the Coalition plan would be a significant departure for the sector and the emissions cuts Australia can achieve. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday morning rubbished Duttons policy as a nuclear fantasy that would not be available until the 2040s. Opposition Leader Peter Duttons nuclear power plan is one of those big ideas that has all but disappeared from the political landscape. But it faces a hard row to hoe. The advent of a nuclear election represents a 180-degree swerve for Australians who endured nuclear bombs, anti-nuclear marches, supported Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and nuclear-free zone councils. Those days were put far behind when the Albanese government signed on to the AUKUS agreement to spend up to $368 million over the next three decades for a nuclear submarine program. Dutton has weaved his nuclear thread through the bigger election issue the cost of living repeatedly blaming Albanese government policies for making Australians worse off, promising a nuclear future would help pensioners with airconditioning and heating costs. Dutton claimed his $331 billion nuclear power plan, a cost and timeframe adjacent to the AUKUS program, would deliver massive savings over Labors renewables policy. It is based on a highly questionable assumption Australians power use wont surge rapidly despite growing electric vehicle sales and hinges on running coal plants for potentially decades longer than forecasts, capping the rollout of renewables at just over half of energy supply and building the first nuclear plant by 2037 50 per cent more quickly than the CSIRO said is possible. Dutton started talking up the nuclear option more than two years ago and last June, when he announced a Coalition government would build seven nuclear power stations across Australia we noted that, like a salesman who spruiks a product but wont reveal the cost, the opposition leader refused to tell Australians how much his nuclear vision would cost. NSWs freshly appointed building commissioner says a culture of doing the bare minimum has taken root in parts of the Australian construction sector, driving building non-compliance and defects. Data obtained by the Herald under freedom-of-information laws shows more than 3300 defects have been reported in NSW standalone houses this year. Incoming Building Commissioner James Sherrard says Australia must tackle a cultural issue with construction standards. Credit: Janie Barrett In his first interview since replacing inaugural commissioner David Chandler this month, James Sherrard said an awful lot of builders did the right thing but some had a mentality of scraping by, doing the least work possible. We have a culture in our building community that its OK just to sort of do the minimum standard with some work, the former Transport for NSW executive said. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Thursday was a big day for the Pesutto household. Johns youngest daughter got her VCE results and the opposition leader failed his own stern examination when the Federal Court ruled he had defamed one of his party colleagues, Moira Deeming. Pesutto is two years into his job and has achieved what to many appeared is a mission improbable taking the political basket case also known as the Victorian Liberal Party and turning it into something that resembles a viable government-in-waiting. But for some of his colleagues, a third year with Pesutto as leader is untenable after his missteps exposed the inner workings of their party room to the fierce judgments of Justice David OCallaghan. Whatever else Pesutto has done well as Liberal leader, this is the monumental stuff- up that, in the eyes of his party detractors, he will never come back from. Opposition Leader John Pesutto and wife Betty outside the Federal Court. Credit: Eddie Jim Shadow minister Sam Groth, touted as a possible contender to lead the party, resigned from the frontbench on Friday afternoon in a significant challenge to Pesuttos already delicate stability. It is with regret that, following yesterdays Federal Court judgment against John Pesutto and his subsequent decision to remain as Liberal leader, I have decided to resign from his front bench, Groth said in a statement. In good conscience, I can no longer continue to serve in this role. He might not be the last, one MP suggested. Advertisement For all the froth and anger of agitating MPs in the hours after OCallaghan delivered his judgment and Pesuttos press conference that showed little contrition or humility the 54-year-old is still most likely to enter the Christmas break as opposition leader. Far from resolving this unedifying affair as Pesutto hopes, the court judgment could fester over the summer months before MPs return to parliament in February. Kim Wells, a former treasurer and state party veteran, was more sad than angry on Friday as he reflected on the embarrassing episode. Moira Deeming (centre) after her court win on Thursday. Credit: AAP The Deeming case has wrecked relationships and friendships, and in many cases, these will never be mended, said the Rowville MP, who played a protracted and ultimately failed peacemaker role in the Pesutto and Deeming dispute. Wells had also been courted in October to consider a tilt for a leadership role, before those rumblings fizzled. The Liberal Party needs to rebuild, and an essential first step would be to readmit Moira Deeming back into the party room because a court has proven that she did nothing wrong, he said. His message underlines the impossible task any leader would face in trying to unify a deeply fractured party. Advertisement Pesutto, whether stubbornly or bravely, is not for turning. Having been dragged through a bruising court battle initiated by Deeming and facing a significant financial burden from the $300,000 damages bill and likely costs order, he has no appetite for bringing her back or appeasing those who want him to. He says his mind is focused on the main game. Two years ago this month, I took on the responsibility of being Victorias opposition leader and alternative premier, Pesutto told journalists on Thursday. I have to fight every day to prove Im worthy of this role. Its an enormous responsibility. Sam Groth resigned from the frontbench on Friday. Credit: Eamon Gallagher Pesutto framed his resolve to expel Deeming from the party room as driven by a desire to lead an electable, mainstream Liberal Party. OCallaghan noted that while Deemings views and role in the Let Women Speak rally on the steps of parliament, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis last March, may be controversial and polarising, that did not mean she had a bad reputation for being hateful. For Pesutto, Deemings full-throated advocacy on sex-based rights in the short few months she spent as a Liberal MP ran counter to the essential values he was trying to bring to the party. Mr Pesutto is a progressive, inclusive, modern liberal, who believes that we are free to be whoever we want to be, whoever we want to love and whatever identity we want to adopt, written closing submissions from Pesuttos legal team said. Having endured the humbling experience of losing his seat of Hawthorn live on air while sitting on an ABC election night panel in 2018, Pesutto knew the party had to connect with as many people across Victoria as possible to be electable in 2026. Advertisement It was a searing experience losing my seat in 2018, Pesutto wrote in his second affidavit to the court. I felt the party lost seats like Hawthorn because we had, as a party, drifted from the mainstream. In the intervening years before I won re-election, I spent time in deep reflection about my values and the future of the party. I felt the party needed to become and be perceived to be more mainstream. The most recent polls suggest that, despite the protracted distraction of the Deeming affair, Pesutto and the Liberal Party are on the right track. A September survey by the Resolve Political Monitor for The Age, released last month, found Pesutto was leading as preferred premier for the first time. The Coalitions primary vote reached 37 per cent, while Premier Jacinta Allans Labor government flat-lined on 27 per cent. On Friday, former leader Matthew Guy provided a succinct summary for wavering colleagues. Hes doing a good job, were well ahead in the polls, he told ABC Melbourne radio. Its time for everyone to shut up and do their job and stop commenting on his. But Pesuttos party room has never fully shared this view. The parliamentary party of 30 is roughly divided into three groups of equal membership. One of those is squarely behind Pesutto, and one-third firmly against. Advertisement Bev McArthur, one of those against Pesutto, described his leadership as untenable. Pesutto laughed it off, but understands how fragile his situation remains. He won the December 2022 leadership ballot by one vote and has survived this long, in part because his rivals arent willing to park personal ambition and swing behind an agreed challenger. OCallaghan, in Thursdays judgment, found Pesuttos urgency to respond to Deemings role in the rally seemed to be driven by more of a fear of the political damage that would be inflicted upon his fledgling leadership by the then Premier [Daniel Andrews] than by his professed concern that the party and the parliament would be brought into disrepute. This political anxiety could be heard in two clandestine recordings of meetings between Deeming and the leadership. Andrews managed to win both sides of the street, Pesutto told Deeming in February 2023. We kind of get ourselves caught in this no mans land, and we lose both. In the other recording surreptitiously taken the day after the Let Women Speak rally Pesutto told Deeming he would seek her expulsion: Its not personal. Im putting the team first. The damage to the team and our prospects is too severe. The court ruled that Pesutto subjectively believed it was in the public interest to explain why he was seeking Deemings expulsion, but OCallaghan found this was not a reasonable belief. This is why Pesutto could not claim public interest as a defence for defaming her as a Nazi sympathiser. Deeming was vindicated by the court decision but remains furious at the relentless and remorseless campaign against her. I was never going to let it go unchallenged in this state and under my Liberal Party logo, she said in the hours after her victory. I still believe in this party. If you look at the Liberal Party platform, they are good values. Advertisement When Miguel Frohlich bought his first electric vehicle, he was thrilled to be driving a car that wouldnt contribute to pollution and would be so much cheaper to run. But then, when he asked his apartment building if he could charge his Tesla on one of the no fewer than three power points in his garage and attach a meter to it so he could refund the cost, he drove into a blank wall. Miguel Frohlich wants to charge his electric car at home, but cant. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos They said no, said Frohlich, 39, an environmental planner whos been a renter in the apartment block on Sydneys northern beaches for the past three years. Instead, they said I should install a fourth power point in the garage and directly connect it to my electricity meter. It was ridiculous. A senior Google executive has warned that fake IT workers from North Korea have infiltrated Australian businesses as part of a complex multi-year scheme to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft. The US Department of Justice overnight announced indictments against 14 North Korean nationals, who allegedly posed as remote IT workers and used stolen identities and AI-generated credentials to infiltrate US-based companies. The US Justice Department has announced indictments against 14 North Korean nationals who allegedly posed as remote IT workers to infiltrate US-based companies. Credit: AP The 14 workers whose names and photos were released by the Justice Department allegedly were mandated to earn a minimum salary of $US10,000 ($16,000) monthly, to be siphoned back to North Korea, and extorted their employers by stealing sensitive data and threatening to release it unless payments were made. In total, $US88 million was then allegedly used to help fund Pyongyangs weapons programs. The defendants, in various capacities, were associated with a sanctioned DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] front company named Yanbian Silverstar, based in the Peoples Republic of China [PRC], and a sanctioned DPRK front company named Volasys Silverstar, based in the Russian Federation, the US Department of Justice indictment reads. When Russian scientists released a pair of orphaned Amur tiger cubs into the wild in a remote corner of Russias far-east in 2014, they were trying to save a species. While the tigers, sometimes called Siberian tigers and the worlds largest big cats, remain endangered, the scientists created something else: an unlikely love story. The cubs, Boris and Svetlaya, had been rescued from the wild as unrelated three- to five-month-old cubs in the Sikhote-Alin mountains, the animals main stronghold. They grew up in captivity and were released at 18 months old. The cats were separated by more than 160 kilometres with the goal of expanding the distribution of released tigers as much as possible in the Pri-Amur region along Russias border with China. Amur tigers Boris and Svetlaya, observed by a trail camera in 2018. Credit: ANO WCS/The New York Times The scientists tracked the cubs until, more than a year after their release, something strange happened: Boris walked more than 200 kilometres, almost in a straight line, to where Svetlaya had made a home. Six months later, Svetlaya gave birth to a litter of cubs. Damascus, Syria: After sweeping into this capital city with ease, exposing the hollowness of the Assad regime after more than half a century of dictatorial rule, Syrias rebels now face the more daunting task of governance. As forces from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led the charge, advanced steadily from their home base in the north to the gates of the presidential palace, they released conciliatory messages on social media, reassuring minorities that they would not be persecuted, and emphasising a commitment to a Syria for all Syrians. People sing and dance on top of a destroyed tank in Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syria, following the fall of the Assad regime. Credit: Getty Images Now in charge of a newly hopeful but still wary nation, HTS is confronted with vexing challenges. The group will need to consolidate control over a patchwork of rebel forces and demonstrate political inclusivity, which will be key to getting relief from international sanctions. Most critically, the rebels must allay public fears that they will seek to replace Assadism with their own form of absolute rule. For now, the groups political plan revolves around exporting its government from Idlib the northern province where it built up organisational power in recent years to Damascus. It is too soon to tell how HTSs model of local administration will translate on a national scale, as it expands its area of control from a small, conservative Sunni Muslim enclave to a vast swath of territory home to many sects and ethnicities. The bullets that killed Thompson on December 4 were inscribed with the words Deny, Defend and Depose. This seems to be a reference to the reported behind-doors strategy of US health insurers, who use these tactics to not pay out insurance claims to patients, thereby maximising their profits. The manifesto reportedly found in Mangiones backpack was a soup of anti-capitalist vigilantism and motherhood-statement morality about corporate America. It is shocking that an alleged murderer should be celebrated in this way, but not at all surprising. Gun violence in America is quotidian. It is a country with a long history of vigilantism. It also has a history of public fascination with killers possessing (alleged) sex appeal, from Charles Manson to the more recent case of the Menendez brothers. The lawlessness and moral glibness of the internet is the flipside of the United States culture of individual freedom. Loading In a perfectly American twist, the anti-capitalist crusader has been exploited for merchandising opportunities. T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags and mugs bearing Mangiones image are available online. But we cant blame the internet we must look at why there is a market for Mangione merch and why ordinary people, including those who presumably dont have homicidal tendencies themselves, would cheer on a murderer. It doesnt hurt that hes beautiful. There is also the widespread rage many share over his cause. The US health insurance industry is a multibillion-dollar profit giant funded by the sickness of the American people. Stories of its institutional cruelty are legion. Just this week, it was reported that a different health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, had quietly announced it would impose time limits on anaesthesia during certain surgeries in certain states. The company later backed down in the face of a public outcry. A paper by the Commonwealth Fund (an American research body dedicated to promoting a high-performing, equitable healthcare system) states that healthcare spending in the US, both per person and as a share of GDP, is far higher than other high-income countries. A poster depicting Mangione outside the Hilton Midtown Hotel in New York. Credit: AP But Americans are getting sicker. According to the Commonwealth Fund, People in the United States experience the worst health outcomes overall of any high-income nation. They are more likely to die younger from avoidable causes than people in peer countries. They have higher maternal and infant mortality rates, the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions among peer countries, and an obesity rate nearly twice the OECD average. Another Commonwealth Fund paper reported that media investigations have found that insurers are becoming increasingly adept in using technology to deny payment of medical claims and pressure their company physicians to deny care during prior authorisation reviews. It has been reported that UnitedHealthcare has the highest claim-denial rate (32 per cent) of all the private insurance companies. Loading The Manhattan shooting can be read as a cautionary tale illustrating the far-reaching consequences of economic inequality (not to mention a moment to give quiet thanks for the taxpayer-funded universal healthcare we enjoy in Australia). But the tasteless cheering over the assassination a defenceless man shot in the back with no warning is something more than that. It is a nihilistic expression of the hopelessness of American politics as a remedy for anything, not even something so fundamental as access to healthcare. President-elect Donald Trump has at least named the problem of Americas bad-health epidemic. But his tonic is his nominee to head the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr an anti-vaxxer who advocates cooking in beef tallow (a heart disease-inducing saturated fat) because he says the seed-oil industry is poisoning us. Trump told Time magazine this week that he and RFK Jr will discuss ending some child vaccination programs. Trump suggested vaccines might be responsible for autism, a dangerous myth that has been widely debunked. In the embittered, conspiracy-laced realm of online radicalisation, there are no crucial distinctions between left and right. Instead, there is bipartisan agreement that politicians wont help and that democracy is an inefficient vehicle for generating social solutions. A lack of self-criticism, ideological sectarianism, discourse that avoids terms such as 'crisis' to describe the Cuban economic and social reality, is what the 9th Plenary Session of the Communist Party of Cuba's (PCC) Central Committee will bring us, as is evident from the remarks of the regime's members on a recent edition of Mesa Redonda (Round Table) addressing the subject. According to economist Pedro Monreal, the program on Monday, December 9 "was an early confirmation of the irrelevance of the Plenary Session of the PCC's Central Committee for the effective management of the country's severe economic, social and moral crisis." At the beginning of the event Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, a member of the Secretariat and head of the Central Committee's Economic Productive Department, spoke of "the difficult economic and social circumstances that Cuba is going through," which he attributed to "the multidimensional crisis that affects nations, on a global scale," in addition to "the natural disasters that have taken place in recent months in the country," Washington's embargo, and the regime's inclusion on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, these last two being Havana's favorite scapegoats to shirk responsibility for its failed policies. Broche Lorenzo described the situation with the national electricity system as "tense" ("chaotic" would be more accurate, with total disconnection on three occasions in less than two months) and cited the country's shortages of fuel, goods, services, and medicines, and high prices. According to the official, these are "latent realities" in Cuban society, which "not only entail distress for the population, but also constitute obstacles to the recovery of the national economy." The authorities said that the "central axes and pillars of the plenary session" will be a plan to "correct distortions and promote national development" and advance proposals for the 2025 economic plan, budget and the CCP's experiences in strengthening business management, along with addressing social deviations and ideological strengthening." Yoerky Sanchez Cuellar, president of the Ideological Commission of the Central Committee and editor-in-chief of the regime's newspaper, Juventud Rebelde, said that there is "an exacerbation of social differences, abusive prices, tax evasion, problems in the relationship between the state and non-state sectors, insensitivity by some officials, limited use of criticism and self-criticism, and flaws in the exercise of social communication and the bureaucracy." He admitted that there is a "feeling that nothing can be done" among people; that is, "apathy, indolence and resistance to change." In Pedro Monreal's opinion, the speakers on Mesa Redonda "demonstrated a partisan absence of self-criticism regarding the essential causes of the economic policy's failure. They evaded the concept of a crisis, glossing the situation over by referring, nondescriptly, to 'difficult economic and social circumstances.' "With a misdiagnosis, more due to political sectarianism than to technical incompetence, the government 'projections' (the new euphemism for their economic programs targets) will never be realized," the analyst predicted. "A political party that promotes economic policies that result in Cuba's brutal gutting of wages cannot be considered one that manages transformation in favor of popular welfare," he lamented. The analyst stated that, "by maintaining, essentially, a central planning scheme, with half-measures that do not transcend the basic format of the 'socialist' reform of the mid-1960s, the Cuban Government is bound to fail in the fulfilment of its 'projections.'" "No economic reform undertaken by ruling Communist parties in the USSR and Europe in the 1980s was successful because they, essentially, maintained centralized planning. The 'conceptualization' and 'projections' in Cuba are destined to replicate that type of failure," Monreal said. According to the economist, "the official 'projections' in Cuba follow the same pattern as the failed 'socialist' economic reforms of the 1980s. Economic reform is a political process, and averting this trajectory would require political decisions that do not seem to interest the Communist Party of Cuba." A recent Government decision, rescinding the right to sell wholesale to MSMEs in Cuba, is the latest example of a policy indicative of an aversion to change and a need for control. Experts have predicted that the new regulations could aggravate the Cuban economic and social crisis and have described them as "political suicide." On Tuesday, the United States Government expressed its concern in this regard. "The measures adopted by the Cuban government on December 5 will further shackle the country's independent entrepreneurs and worsen food insecurity on the island. Cubans deserve better," Brian A. Nichols, Undersecretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, wrote on X. In his blog on Facebook "The State As Such" the Cuban economist Pedro Monreal noted, that "exclusively private wholesale trade had been prohibited since August in Cuba. Resolution 56 now outlines its implementation under the ruse of 'ordering', but it is a blow to market relations and discriminates against private activity." According to the expert, the Cuban regime's bureaucracy seems to consider it "feasible to kill several birds with one stone: take advantage of private cash to re-politicize wholesale supply, and undercut competitors, enabling State wholesale companies to increase their market power and profitability." "Resolution 56 turns non-State actors, who have liquidity and flexibility, and who today engage in most retail trade, into a large mass of customers captive to State wholesale companies, which are devoid of cash and, in many cases, inefficient," he says. "It seems that someone wants to steer Cuba straight into economic suicide. In reality, this is an act of political suicide, " Carlos Alzugaray, a former diplomat and spokesman for the Cuban regime, said on X. Alzugaray made his comment in a post by Ricardo Herrero, executive director of Cuba Study Group, which favors business between the US and the island. Herrero also shared a comment by Ernesto Moreira Sardinas, a Professor of Law at the University of Havana. "We are putting things on a silver platter for Trump and Rubio. "They can't even believe it..." the professor wrote, referring to the government team that will arrive at the White House next January. Marigot:--- In a decisive step to address the alarming rise in criminal activities in the Simpson Bay Lagoon, an urgent high-level cross-border meeting was convened this morning by Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling. Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina, Prefet Vincent Berton of Saint Martin, Coast Guard leadership, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Stuart Johnson, and other key stakeholders joined the meeting. This high-level meeting follows reports of burglaries targeting yachts moored in the Dutch side of the lagoon, with incidents involving dinghies used to conduct night-time thefts. The St. Maarten Marine Trades Association flagged the situation earlier this week, prompting swift and coordinated action by authorities. The safety and security of both our residents and visitors is of paramount importance, stated Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina. Todays discussions reaffirm our commitment to a united front against crime in the lagoon. This is not just a security issueit impacts the very fabric of our tourism and marine economy. Sint Maarten stands ready to take bold, immediate actions alongside our French counterparts to ensure a secure environment, PM Mercelina added. Effective immediately, intensified patrols and surveillance will take place across the lagoon. Efforts include: Enhanced collaboration between the Coast Guard, KPSM, and marina security teams. Strengthening of communication between the relevant authorities for immediate action is necessary. Deployment of aerial support to monitor territorial waters and track criminal activity. Joint patrols by the Coast Guard and Gendarmerie, ensuring a seamless approach to enforcement. Strengthened communication channels between Dutch and French authorities to facilitate rapid response. Prefet Vincent Berton emphasized the importance of solidarity in addressing these challenges: The lagoon connects our two territories, and so must our efforts to protect it. We are committed to supporting the Dutch side through operational flexibility. Security is a shared responsibility, and todays meeting has laid the groundwork for more robust cross-border cooperation. During the meeting, the issue of jurisdictional challenges between the Dutch and French territories was highlighted. The safety of our residents, visitors, and the marine community is not negotiable, stated Minister Tackling. We are taking immediate action to address the criminal activity in the Simpson Bay Lagoon. Patrols have been increased, aerial support will be deployed, and collaboration with our French counterparts is stronger than ever. Together, we are sending a clear messagecriminals have no safe haven in our waters. She further emphasized, The protection of lives, livelihoods, and assets is paramount. We are committed to doing everything necessary to ensure that Sint Maarten remains a safe and secure destination, not just for our visitors but also for our people who depend on the marine industry for their livelihoods. The meeting concluded with a firm commitment for lagoon security, comprising representatives from both territories, law enforcement agencies, and the marine industry to maintain clear communication. Stakeholders pledged to maintain continuous dialogue and operational coordination to stay ahead of criminal activities. Randolph Paskel, Head of the Coast Guard Sub-Station, added: Our joint efforts, including aerial surveillance and enhanced patrols, demonstrate our commitment to securing the lagoon. The Sint Maarten government thanks all parties involved for their swift and proactive response to this pressing issue as the safety and security of all is of utmost importance. Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill 33, hit flour trucks Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories, Dec 12 (AFP) Dec 12, 2024 Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed at least 33 people, including 12 guards securing aid trucks, while the military said it targeted militants planning to hijack the vehicles. The latest bloodshed came despite growing optimism that negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal might finally succeed, with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan saying on Thursday that the regional "context" had changed in favour of an agreement. Seven guards were killed in a strike in Rafah, in southern Gaza, while another attack left five guards dead in nearby Khan Yunis, agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said. "The (Israeli) occupation once again targeted those securing the aid trucks," Bassal told AFP, though the military said it "does not strike humanitarian aid trucks". Bassal added that around 30 people, most of them children, were wounded in the two strikes. "The trucks carrying flour were on their way to UNRWA warehouses," Bassal noted, referring to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. Witnesses later told AFP that residents looted flour from the trucks after the strikes. The military said its forces "conducted precise strikes" overnight on armed Hamas militants present in an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. "All of the terrorists that were eliminated were members of Hamas and planned to violently hijack humanitarian aid trucks and transfer them to Hamas in support of continuing terrorist activity," a military statement said. - 'Apocalyptic' - The United Nations and aid agencies have repeatedly warned about the acute humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip, exacerbated by the war that has persisted for more than 14 months. "Conditions for people across the Gaza Strip are appalling and apocalyptic," UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge told journalists during a visit to Nuseirat in central Gaza. She added that life-saving aid to "besieged areas in north Gaza governorate has been largely blocked" since the Israeli military launched a sweeping assault there in early October. In southern Gaza, UNRWA said earlier this week it had successfully delivered enough food aid for 200,000 people. But on Thursday it said "a serious incident" meant that only one truck out of a convoy of 70 travelling along Gaza's southern border reached its destination. The agency did not provide any details on the incident, but called on "all parties to ensure safe, unimpeded and uninterrupted" aid deliveries. As diplomacy aimed at ending the war appeared to be gaining pace again, the violence continued. The civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes on two homes near Nuseirat refugee camp and Gaza City killed 21 people including children. Fifteen people, at least six of them children, died "as a result of an Israeli bombing" of a building sheltering displaced people near Nuseirat, Bassal said. Bassam al-Habash, a relative of the dead in Nuseirat said: "These people are innocent, they are not wanted. They have nothing to do with the war." "They are civilians, and this is not a war between two armies, but a war armed with weapons, planes and Western support against a defenceless people who own nothing." - Diplomatic push - In the latest diplomatic effort to secure an end to the violence, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Wednesday calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The non-binding resolution was rejected by the United States, Israel's main military backer. However, in recent days, there have been indications that previously stalled ceasefire negotiations could be revived. Families of the 96 hostages still in Gaza since the Hamas attack that triggered the war, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead, are pressing for their release. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who visited Israel on Thursday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he "got the sense" that the Israeli leader was "ready to do a deal". He also said that the Hamas approach to negotiations had changed, attributing it to the overthrow of their ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the ceasefire that went into effect in the war between Israel and another ally, Lebanese group Hezbollah. "We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker," he said. Hamas, Hezbollah and Assad have all been backed by Iran. Militants abducted 251 hostages during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. This count includes hostages who died or were killed while held in Gaza. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,805 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable. bur-az-jd-dcp/ami Rapes, torture, killings -- a litany of abuses blamed on Assad forces Paris, Dec 12 (AFP) Dec 12, 2024 Bashar al-Assad's government has been accused of carrying out torture, rape, summary executions and other abuses since since Syria's civil war started in 2011. UN investigators have said that accountability must be taken at the highest level after the downfall of the hardline ruler on Sunday. Here is what we know about the extent of the abuses committed: - Caesar's photos - In 2013 a former Syrian army photographer known by the codename "Caesar" fled the country, taking with him some 55,000 graphic images taken between 2011 and 2013. The photos, authenticated by experts, show corpses tortured and starved to death in Syrian prisons. Some people had their eyes gouged out. The photos showed emaciated bodies, people with wounds on the back or stomach, and also a picture of hundreds of corpses in a shed surrounded by plastic bags used for burials. Assad's Syrian government said only that the pictures were "political". But Caesar testified to a US Congress committee and his photographs inspired a 2020 US law which imposed economic sanctions on Syria and judicial proceedings in Europe against Assad's entourage. In Germany and Sweden eight people suspected of crime against humanity were arrested in July in an operation codenamed "Caesar". Germany, the Netherlands and France have since 2022 convicted several top officials from the Syrian intelligence service and militias. UN investigators say they have lists with the names of 4,000 government officials and operatives responsible for abuses. - 'Torture archipelago' - Human Rights Watch (HRW) in 2012 spoke of a "torture archipelago" in which the "use of electricity, burning with car battery acid, sexual assault and humiliation, the pulling of fingernails, and mock execution" were practised in government prisons. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in 2022 more than 100,000 people had died in the prisons since 2011. In 2023, the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Syria to stop "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". - Rapes - In 2020, seven Syrian refugees filed a complaint in Germany saying that they had been victims of torture and sexual violence, including rape, electric shocks on the genitals, forced nudity or forced abortion between 2011 and 2013. The UN said in 2018 there had been systmatic rape and sexual violence against civilians by soldiers or pro-Assad militias. It said an investigation had found rebels had committed similar crimes, but fewer. On November 25, 2024, the Syrian Human Rights Network (SNHR) said there had been at least 11,553 incidents of sexual violence against women, including girls aged under 18, by the warring parties since March 2011. Some 8,024 could be blamed on the Assad government and the others mainly on the jihadist Islamic State. - 'Extermination' - In 2016 UN investigators said Syrian authorities were responsible for acts which came down to "extermination" and could be compared to "crimes against humanity". It pointed to the Saydnaya prison outside Damascus, which was described in 2017 by Amnesty International as a human slaughter house carrying out a "policy of extermination". The United States said there was a "crematorium" at the prison which was used to dispose of the bodies of thousands of inmates. In 2022 the Syrian Observatory for Human Righs said around 30,000 people had been killed at Saydnaya, some of them after being tortured. - Chemical weapons - In April 2020, the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW accused the Syrian army of chemical weapons attacks in Latamne in northern Syria in 2017. In November 2023 France issued international arrest warrants against Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher and two generals on suspicion of complicity in the chemical attacks in August 2013 near Damascus, which according to US intelligence left 1,000 dead. Assad's forces have also been accused of using sarin gas on the rebel town of Khan Sheikhun in April 2017, and also of chlorine gas attacks. Assad's government denied using chemical weapons. Israel says it has staged strikes on some chemical weapons sites this week to stop supplies falling into the hands of extremists. European countries say they could reimpose sanctions on Iran United Nations, United States, Dec 12 (AFP) Dec 12, 2024 Britain, France and Germany have raised the possibility of restoring sanctions against Iran to keep it from developing its nuclear program. In a letter to the UN Security Council seen Thursday by AFP, these three countries known as the E3 say they "remain committed to a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear issue." "We reiterate our determination to use all diplomatic tools to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, including using snapback if necessary," they added. This term alludes to a mechanism in a landmark 2015 deal on Iran's nuclear program that allows signatories to reimpose sanctions which had been eased. That deal with Tehran traded sanctions relief for limits on its nuclear program. It was signed by Iran on one side and France, Germany, Britain, China, Russia and the United States on the other. But in 2018 then US president Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement and reimposed US sanctions against Iran. Iran has retaliated by increasing its production of uranium enriched to 60 percent -- on its way to the 90 percent needed to make a nuclear weapon. "We are rapidly approaching a critical juncture on UNSCR 2231 next year. Iran must deescalate its nuclear program to create the political environment conducive to meaningful progress and a negotiated solution," the European letter said. That resolution endorses the 2015 agreement with Iran and expires in October 2025, 10 years after the accord went into effect. The Security Council is scheduled to address the Iranian nuclear issue next week. Representatives of the E3 and Iran met in Geneva last month and agreed to keep talking. Iran says it has the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and has consistently denied any ambition of developing weapons capability. Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill 58, hit flour trucks Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories, Dec 12 (AFP) Dec 12, 2024 Gaza's civil defence agency said a series of Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed at least 58 people, including 12 guards securing aid trucks, while the military said it targeted militants planning to hijack the vehicles. The latest bloodshed came despite growing optimism that negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal might finally succeed, with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan saying on Thursday that the regional "context" had changed in favour of an agreement. Seven guards were killed in a strike in Rafah, in southern Gaza, while another attack left five guards dead in nearby Khan Yunis, agency spokesman Mahmud Basal said. "The (Israeli) occupation once again targeted those securing the aid trucks," Basal told AFP, though the military said it "does not strike humanitarian aid trucks". Basal added that around 30 people, most of them children, were wounded in the two strikes. "The trucks carrying flour were on their way to UNRWA warehouses," Basal noted, referring to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. Witnesses later told AFP that residents looted flour from the trucks after the strikes. The military said its forces "conducted precise strikes" overnight on armed Hamas militants present in an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. "All of the terrorists that were eliminated were members of Hamas and planned to violently hijack humanitarian aid trucks and transfer them to Hamas in support of continuing terrorist activity," a military statement said. - 'Apocalyptic' - The United Nations and aid agencies have repeatedly warned about the acute humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip, exacerbated by the war that has persisted for more than 14 months. "Conditions for people across the Gaza Strip are appalling and apocalyptic," UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge told journalists during a visit to Nuseirat in central Gaza. She added that life-saving aid to "besieged areas in north Gaza governorate has been largely blocked" since the Israeli military launched a sweeping assault there in early October. In southern Gaza, UNRWA said earlier this week it had successfully delivered enough food aid for 200,000 people. But on Thursday it said "a serious incident" meant that only one truck out of a convoy of 70 travelling along Gaza's southern border reached its destination. The agency did not provide any details on the incident, but called on "all parties to ensure safe, unimpeded and uninterrupted" aid deliveries. As diplomacy aimed at ending the war appeared to be gaining pace again, the violence continued. The civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes on two homes, near Nuseirat refugee camp -- which was again hit later in the evening -- and Gaza City killed 21 people. Fifteen people, at least six of them children, died "as a result of an Israeli bombing" of a building sheltering displaced people near Nuseirat, Bassal said. Bassam al-Habash, a relative of the dead in Nuseirat said: "These people are innocent, they are not wanted. They have nothing to do with the war." "They are civilians, and this is not a war between two armies, but a war armed with weapons, planes and Western support against a defenceless people who own nothing." Another strike late on Thursday killed at least 25 people and wounded 50 others in the Nuseirat refugee camp, the civil defence said. - Diplomatic push - In the latest diplomatic effort to secure an end to the violence, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Wednesday calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The non-binding resolution was rejected by the United States, Israel's main military backer. However, in recent days, there have been indications that previously stalled ceasefire negotiations could be revived. Families of the 96 hostages still in Gaza since the Hamas attack that triggered the war, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead, are pressing for their release. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who visited Israel on Thursday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he "got the sense" that the Israeli leader was "ready to do a deal". He also said that the Hamas approach to negotiations had changed, attributing it to the overthrow of their ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the ceasefire that went into effect in the war between Israel and another ally, Lebanese group Hezbollah. "We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker," he said. Hamas, Hezbollah and Assad have all been backed by Iran. Militants abducted 251 hostages during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. This count includes hostages who died or were killed while held in Gaza. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,805 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable. bur-az-jd-dcp/ami Niger junta suspends BBC for three months Abidjan, Dec 12 (AFP) Dec 12, 2024 Niger on Thursday announced it was suspending BBC radio for three months, with the British broadcaster joining the growing list of Western media sanctioned by military juntas in the Sahel. The ban on the BBC -- accused of airing "erroneous information likely to destabilise social peace and undermine the morale of the troops" fighting jihadists -- will come into force "with immediate effect" countrywide, the leadership said. Popular BBC programmes including ones in the Hausa language are broadcast in Niger via local radio partners. Since seizing power in a July 2023 coup, the military government has banned several Western media outlets. Besides the BBC, two French broadcasters, Radio France Internationale (RFI) and France 24, have been banned there since August 2023. On Thursday evening, the junta also said it was "filing a complaint" against RFI. No programme in particular was mentioned in the decisions taken concerning the BBC and RFI. But on Wednesday both broadcasters reported that jihadists had killed 90 soldiers and upwards of 40 civilians in Chatoumane, in the western Tera region bordering Burkina Faso teeming with armed fighters. Although AFP was unable to verify those numbers from an independent local source, a Western security source told AFP that 90 to 100 people died in Tuesday's attack. - 'Baseless assertions' - But on Wednesday Niger's junta denied the attack happened, describing reports of the atrocity as "baseless assertions" and a "campaign of intoxication". For years Niger -- along with its two neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali -- has been plagued by jihadist violence. The frontier lands straddling the three states -- where Tuesday's attack is said to have taken place -- have long been a hideout for jihadists linked to the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. All three of those Sahel countries have experienced military coups in recent years, and Niger's fellow juntas have likewise suspended foreign media outlets. With the three turning their backs on former colonial ruler France, many French media outlets have been suspended on accusations of being propaganda mouthpieces for Paris. Other voices deemed critical of the military authorities have been silenced. All three juntas have turned towards Russia for their security needs and expelled French troops stationed in the Sahel to fight against jihadists. Niger's army occasionally releases official reports on some of the jihadists' attacks, which it says are carried out by "terrorists". On Wednesday it announced the death of 10 soldiers in an attack the previous day in the west of the country. Near the borders with Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, Niger's far southeast also faces attacks from Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) group. Jihadist attacks have killed at least 1,500 civilians and troops in Niger in the past year, according to conflict monitoring group ACLED -- more than double the 650 killed from July 2022 to July 2023. 'Alarming' US mystery drones confound officials, scare locals Edgewater, United States, Dec 12 (AFP) Dec 12, 2024 A rash of unexplained drone sightings in the skies above New Jersey has left locals rattled and sent US officials scrambling for answers. Breathless local news reports have amplified the anxious sky-gazing and wild speculation -- interspersing blurry, dark clips from social media with irate locals calling for action. For weeks now, the distinctive blinking lights and whirling rotors of large unmanned aerial vehicles have been spotted across the state west of New York. But military brass, elected representatives and investigators have been unable to explain the recurring UFO phenomenon. Sam Lugo, 23, who works in the Club Studio gym in New Jersey's Bergen county, one of the corners of the state that has seen several drone sightings, called the reports "crazy." "It's pretty concerning they were sighted... without explanation. It can be alarming," he said. Officials including the governor have called on people not to be alarmed, but have not yet offered an explanation for the aerial activity. The clamor for transparency intensified on Thursday when the four senators for New Jersey and New York called on the FBI, Department of Transportation and Homeland Security (DHS) to brief them on how the agencies were working to "identify and address the source of these incursions." The White House said the sightings featured in a briefing received by President Joe Biden, while National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said there was "no evidence" of a threat -- and that they may be manned aircraft. "There's just no indication that this is some sort of foreign, malign activity -- or, in fact, even criminal," Kirby said. He also called on lawmakers to expand legislation clamping down on drone operations near airports and other high-risk sites. Later, the FBI and DHS said in a statement that "upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space." But social media users have been adamant they have seen outsized drones. "I've seen them every night since Thanksgiving, they're smaller than my Jeep," wrote X user Gus Seretis. "They hover just about tree height or a little higher," he added, describing them as like aircraft too small for a pilot and vowing to "shoot at one if it comes low enough." New Jersey congressman Chris Smith wrote to the Pentagon on Tuesday demanding answers. "There have been numerous instances of unmanned aerial systems flying over New Jersey, including in close proximity to sensitive sites and critical infrastructure, to include military installations located in my district," he wrote to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. - 'Get abducted'? - Smith said he had been told that more than a dozen drones pursued a coastguard lifeboat over the weekend. The lawmaker then spent "hours" monitoring the night sky with the sheriff of Ocean County, the location of a number of sightings, according to his office. The Pentagon, the nerve center of the US military, insists the objects are not "US military drones." "Our initial assessment is that this is not the work of a foreign adversary or a foreign entity," said deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh. Singh also rejected claims by Republican lawmaker Jeff Van Drew on Fox News that Washington's foe Tehran was behind the spate of sightings. "There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States," she said. New Jersey native Joseph Boutros, 21, said he had seen the reports of drone activity on social media. "But I've not seen them myself," he said. "It's not something that worries me as long as they aren't carrying weapons," said the suited local as he collected takeout from a Bergen county strip mall as night fell. In the cloudy skies above, the only aerial vehicles with flashing lights were passenger jets on approach to New Jersey's Newark airport. The FBI told AFP it was aware of the sightings "in multiple locations over the past several weeks" and said it was working with other agencies on the issue. But the agency would not confirm reports of a crisis meeting between various government departments over the mounting concern. Drones are permitted for both business applications and recreational use but are regulated by Federal Aviation Administration rules. Witnesses stress that the unexplained aerial objects are larger than those commonly used by drone enthusiasts. "I don't want to get abducted or anything like that," said Lugo with a smile. gw-wd/st As a mum of three, I personally fit the psychographics of my target customer so I always had confidence in HeyDoodles potential to fill a gap in the market for products that combine education, fun and sustainability. Beatrice Toh In 2019, Beatrice Tohs simple idea to keep her kids entertained sparked a revolution in creative play. What began as a self-funded side hustle, HeyDoodle, has grown into a global phenomenon, blending education, sustainability, and fun. Born out of a quest for a mess-free, eco-conscious solution that encouraged learning, HeyDoodles silicone playmats have captured hearts worldwide. Today, the brands innovative products are sold on HeyDoodle.com.au, stocked in over 800 Australian stores, and reach families in more than 25 countries. Beloved by parents, educators, and healthcare professionals alike, HeyDoodles award-winning range combines the joy of drawing and coloring with developmental benefits. Whether inspiring creativity in toddlers or supporting therapy sessions, these reusable, FDA-approved mats are a game-changer for imaginative play. Fueled by a commitment to sustainability and social impact, HeyDoodle is more than a brandits a movement that turns everyday moments into endless possibilities. The beginning Beatrice described her venture as addressing a gap in the market. Reflecting on the origins of her business, she explained that her eureka moment came during the construction industry slump in 2018-19, coinciding with her early years of parenthood. I am a Master of Architecture graduate and a registered architect. Id been working as a full-time architect for many years and my husband runs an architecture firm. The slump hit us hard and it was quite an uneasy time for us as for many in our field. In addition to all the professional pressures at the time and like most mums, I was constantly on the hunt for ways to keep my kids entertained while encouraging their development and eco-consciousness. As a parent looking for a convenient, affordable and mess-free solution for busting boredom that isnt screen-based and can be used anywhere, especially when we were out and about, I recognised a gap in the market for a product that combines education, fun and sustainability. So effectively my self-funded startup turned full-time small business now reaching a global market and still rapidly growing, HeyDoodle has flourished from my personal solution to a product range used by tens-of-thousands of families, allied health professionals, educational institutions, within hospitals and soon, within aged care facilities too. She acknowledged carefully weighing the decision to leave architecture for full-time e-commerce, especially given her limited experience in the latter field. However, Beatrice expressed her gratitude for taking the leap, emphasizing that her architectural training played a key role in driving HeyDoodles innovation. I did carefully consider the pros and cons of leaving architecture for the world of e-commerce full-time. By repurposing my architectural experience, Ive been able to utilise my skills in problem solving, design, effective collaboration and strategies for mastering silicone manufacturing and working with partners to test and develop new ideas, to ultimately create an innovative product range thats filling a market gap. Along with my genuine passion for eco-friendly products and commitment to social responsibility in business, motherhood definitely also played a pivotal role in inspiring the birth of HeyDoodle. Ive involved my three kids in various aspects of the business (especially product-testing) and I love that theyre learning such invaluable skills at an early age as a result. Not too unlike the journey of parenthood actually, diving into HeyDoodle and now nurturing its growth is certainly proving a wonderfully wild experience. The Export Strategy Our online store experience is crucial to customer satisfaction and thus crucial to our bottom line but also, were heavily focussed on leveraging the reach of our wholesale customers too and this has been massive part of our business growth. Beatrice emphasized that making customer-centric choices and pursuing strategies aligned with HeyDoodles brand identityrather than succumbing to the temptation of excessive experimentationhas been pivotal in achieving sustainable growth. While taking advantage of opportunities as they arise is important, weve been deliberately measured in our approach to growth, and I think its actually this careful approach and attention to detail that is helping the business grow beyond my wildest expectations. HeyDoodle is a family-owned business. As CEO and Founder, I am involved in all important decisions and I love that my husband and three kids are on the ride with me. My kids especially enjoy product-testing (of course!) and contribute to the business in other ways too which makes the experience all the more gratifying. More specifically though Beatrice elaborated on the key strategies driving HeyDoodles success: Branding: From the very beginning, Beatrice defined HeyDoodles brand identity, rooted in strong values. While open to evolution, the business has remained steadfast in upholding its core principles. Sustainability and reusability form the cornerstone of HeyDoodles value proposition. These themes are consistently emphasized across digital channels, packaging, brand tone, and in partnerships, which has proven instrumental to the brands growth. Product Innovation: Beatrice credited her architectural background as a key contributor to HeyDoodles product innovation. The business consistently keeps its product range fresh and engaging, offering varied themes, designs, and special or limited-edition collaborations. This innovation keeps customers excited and fosters loyalty. E-commerce and Wholesale Strategies: HeyDoodle places significant importance on providing a seamless online store experience, recognizing its direct impact on customer satisfaction and the businesss bottom line. Additionally, the companys focus on wholesale partnerships has been transformative. Starting with just its website in 2019, HeyDoodle now collaborates with over 800 Australian retail partners and operates in more than 25 countries, with wholesale efforts being a major growth driver. Sustainable Manufacturing: The choice to use FDA-approved, food-grade silicone underscores HeyDoodles commitment to safety, durability, and eco-consciousness. Beatrice noted that this decision resonates with customers and strengthens the brands sustainable image. While financial considerations around manufacturing and logistics are always factored in, they are never prioritized at the expense of sustainability. Export Marketing: Global expansion is another significant focus area for HeyDoodle. Beatrice explained that targeted efforts to penetrate key international markets are playing an increasingly important role in the companys growth strategy. Beatrice concluded by noting that these approaches reflect only a few examples of how HeyDoodle achieves business growth. At the core of the companys success lies an unwavering commitment to its vision, values, and brand identity, which remains steadfast despite the emergence of more competitors in the market. As a mum of three, I personally fit the psychographics of my target customer so I always had confidence in HeyDoodles potential to fill a gap in the market for products that combine education, fun and sustainability. However, confidence even an ample amount of confidence in not enough in such a competitive market. Again, its a commitment to our brand identity: blending playfulness with professionalism in our branding that helps us to stand out from the pack and appeal to both parents / caregivers as well as to children. Working with suppliers: has very much aided our ability to innovate and stay ahead. I visit our suppliers and really get to know how they work to educate myself on the ins-and-outs of our product manufacturing. Doing so helps me to adequately grasp which boundaries can be further pushed for product innovation. Strategic collaborations: via partnerships with brands that naturally share our values is also working wonders for HeyDoodle. Partnerships with institutions like museums, zoos and cultural organisations are crucial to keeping our brand exciting in such a saturated market as kids toys. Corporate responsibility and community support: is another key focus for HeyDoodle. We give in a number of ways to worthwhile causes and communities. I wish I could say this is true for more toy-based businesses but the reality is that it isnt and our customers seemingly recognise that. Challenges Beatrice acknowledged that HeyDoodle has faced numerous challenges over the years, though she highlighted a few key ones that shaped the companys journey: 1. Poor Manufacturing Outcomes: Early in the business, Beatrice encountered significant issues with mass-produced goods not matching their samples. The team had to inspect each product individually, which was both tedious and time-consuming. To address this, Beatrice led efforts to switch manufacturers and implement more stringent quality control measures during production, ensuring consistent outcomes moving forward. 2. Competing in a Crowded Market: Navigating the highly competitive toy industry, dominated by large players, was no small feat. Beatrice explained that HeyDoodle differentiated itself by emphasizing the sustainability of its products, incorporating educational and expert-backed designs, and using high-quality materials. Recognition through awards and collaborations with renowned institutions further validated the brands unique value proposition, helping it stand out despite being a relatively small player in a massive market. 3. Scaling Internationally: Expanding into global markets brought its own set of challenges, from logistical complexities to cultural differences and varying customer expectations. Beatrice spearheaded efforts to overcome these hurdles by showcasing HeyDoodle at prestigious trade fairs, designing localized products, and partnering with distributors. These efforts have enabled the brand to establish a presence in over 25 countries and counting. Strategic collaborations, such as the Australia Zoo range, also played a pivotal role in opening international doors. Beatrice reflected on these challenges, sharing that resilience has been a critical lesson throughout her entrepreneurial journey. Every problem has a solution, she remarked. She also emphasized the importance of planning ahead while remaining adaptable, as unforeseen changes often arise along the way. My top five tips are: Focus on your niche: Identify your target audience and tailor your products and messaging to resonate with them. Start small but dream big! Begin with a manageable idea that aligns with your passion and skills, but dont be afraid to envision where you want to take it, and back yourself to take it there! Be true to your identity but also remain adaptable: Entrepreneurship is full of challenges, from unexpected setbacks to steep learning curves. Know your identity as a brand and remain true to that identity but also, be open to opportunities and flexible enough to move with whats needed for your business to grow. Build a support network: Running a business can be lonely, you need to have people around you who get your struggles and can provide sound advice. Factor in your wages into your expenses as early on as you can to build a sustainable business model. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Chinese ships return to China, signalling maritime drills over: Taiwan authorities Taipei, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signalling the end of a massive maritime exercise, Taiwanese authorities said Friday. "All the Chinese coast guard went back to China yesterday, thus, although they haven't officially made any announcement, we consider it over," Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director general of Taiwan's coast guard, told AFP. Beijing held its biggest maritime drills in years, stretching from near the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea, Taiwanese authorities said this week. About 90 Chinese warships and coast guard vessels were involved in the exercises that include simulating attacks on foreign ships and practising blockading sea routes, a Taiwan security official said Wednesday. There was no announcement by Beijing's army or Chinese state media about increased military activity in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea or Western Pacific Ocean. "The nine ships went back to Chinse ports last night in two groups," Hsieh said of vessels that had been in waters to the southeast and southwest of Taiwan. A defence ministry spokeswoman said Friday that Chinese warships and coast guard vessels had been detected returning to China. Taiwan's military on Thursday closed emergency response centres that were set up in response to the huge mobilisation of Chinese ships. Australia's opposition says nuclear plan cheaper than renewables Sydney, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 Australia's opposition said Friday its plan to launch nuclear power in the sun-baked country will be cheaper than a renewables-only strategy -- a claim blasted by the government as "fiction". With elections looming by May 2025, the conservative opposition has proposed nuclear power as a way to cut carbon emissions with less reliance on solar panels and wind turbines. Critics say nuclear power plants would cost far more than renewable energy sources and arrive far too late. Australia's national science agency CSIRO said in a report this week that nuclear power would be 50 percent more expensive than renewables and would take at least 15 years to build. But opposition Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton said his proposal -- which would require overturning Australia's 26-year nuclear ban -- would lead to comparatively lower costs and a more reliable electricity supply. "It will keep the lights on. And it will set our country up for generations to come," Dutton told reporters as he unveiled his nuclear option's costings for the first time. The nuclear plan would cost Aus$331 billion (US$210 billion) over 25 years, the opposition said, providing about 38 percent of the country's energy by 2050, with wind and solar contributing 50 percent. It would rely on keeping coal-fired power stations open for longer than currently planned, despite energy companies already preparing to close them. The nuclear costing, conducted by Frontier Economics, also reportedly assumes that electricity demand will not grow by as much as the government expects. "The truth is that renewables are the cheapest form of new energy," said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, deriding the opposition's costings as "fiction". "Everyone knows that that's the case and science tells us that that's the case," he told national broadcaster ABC. Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said the nuclear modelling was "full of holes". For a fraction of the cost of nuclear power, rooftop solar panels could be installed on every house in the country, O'Shanassy said. "We would be waiting at least 20 years for the reactors. That is far too slow to be an effective response to the climate crisis, which is affecting Australians right here, right now," she said. "We don't have two decades to waste." Polling released by the Lowy Institute think-tank this year showed Australia's longtime scepticism about nuclear power had "shifted markedly", with six in 10 Australians supportive of some form of nuclear energy. Over the past decade, an ideological brawl dubbed the "climate wars" has dominated Australian politics, repeatedly undermining attempts to reduce carbon emissions. More than 30 percent of Australia's total electricity generation in 2022 came from solar and wind and the country has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. Taiwan says Chinese ships have left, signalling drills over Taipei, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signalling the end of a massive maritime exercise, Taiwanese authorities said Friday. Taiwan's coast guard released images it said showed Chinese coast guard vessels sailing north in rough seas past the island on Thursday, on their way to China. "All the Chinese coast guard went back to China yesterday, thus, although they haven't officially made any announcement, we consider it over," Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director general of Taiwan's coast guard, told AFP. Beijing's biggest maritime drills in years stretched from near the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea, Taiwanese authorities said this week. About 90 Chinese warships and coast guard vessels took part in the exercises, which included simulating attacks on foreign ships and practising blockading sea routes, a Taiwan security official said Wednesday. There was no announcement by Beijing's army or Chinese state media about increased military activity in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea or Western Pacific Ocean. However, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's recent visit to the United States and a call with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson sparked fury in Beijing. While Taiwan regards itself as a sovereign nation, China claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of it. The Taiwan security official said China began planning the massive maritime operation in October and aimed to demonstrate it could choke off Taiwan while also drawing a "red line" ahead of the next US administration. As Chinese ships returned to China on Thursday, Taiwan's military and coast guard closed emergency response centres set up in response to the huge maritime mobilisation. "The nine ships went back to Chinese ports last night in two groups," Hsieh said of vessels that had been in waters to the southeast and southwest of Taiwan. A defence ministry spokeswoman said Friday that Chinese warships and coast guard vessels had been detected returning to China. Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan in recent years as it pressures Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty. China has refused to rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, leaving the island to face the constant threat of invasion. The latest exercise exceeded Beijing's maritime response to then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, the security official said. Those war games were China's largest-ever around Taiwan. China says any drills around Taiwan 'decided by us alone' Beijing, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 China's defence ministry said Friday that any drills it may hold around Taiwan "are decided by us alone", as Taipei announced the apparent end of massive military exercises not formally declared by Beijing. Taiwanese authorities said this week that Beijing was holding its biggest maritime drills in years, deploying dozens of warships and coast guard vessels in an area stretching from near the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea. Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director general of Taiwan's coast guard, said Friday that the ships had returned to China, adding that Taipei considered the manoeuvres to be "over". Asked about the alleged drills on Friday, Wu Qian, a spokesman for Beijing's defence ministry, did not confirm whether they had taken place. But he said that "whether or not we hold exercises, and when we hold them, are decided by us alone, based on our own needs and the circumstances of our struggle", according to an official social media account of the armed forces. "Safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and the common interests of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait are the (military's) sacred duties," Wu said. "No matter whether it holds exercises, the People's Liberation Army will not be absent or soft-hearted when it comes to striking down (Taiwanese) 'independence' and pushing for unification," he said, referring to the Chinese armed forces. Any effort by Taipei to achieve independence "will inevitably be strictly punished and are doomed to failure", Wu said. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control. Beijing has reacted angrily to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's recent visit to the United States and call with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. Cambodia says US navy ship to make port call Phnom Penh, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 A US warship will dock in Cambodia next week, the country's defence ministry said Friday, in the first American military port call in eight years to one of China's closest regional allies. Washington's relationship with Phnom Penh has been deteriorating for years, with China pouring billions of dollars into infrastructure investments under Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen. In a statement, the ministry said the USS Savannah's visit to the southern port city of Sihanoukville aims to "strengthen and expand friendship" and "promote bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and the United States". Since 2022, China has been funding the renovation of the Ream naval base -- some 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Sihanoukville -- originally built partly using US funds. Washington has said Ream could give Beijing a key strategic position in the Gulf of Thailand near the disputed South China Sea, which China largely claims. But Cambodian officials have repeatedly denied that the base is for use by any foreign power. Chinese warships first docked at the base in December last year, and in May two berthed at Sihanoukville port as part of Beijing's biggest-ever joint military drills with Cambodia. Cambodia's defence ministry said 27 US navy vessels have visited the nation since 2007, but that next week's five-day visit would be the first docking in eight years. Members of the ship's 103 crew will meet with Ream's commander and engage in activities to "enhance the exchange of culture and cooperation," the statement said. The announcement follows a visit by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in June aimed at resetting ties with the staunch China ally. Cambodia's foreign minister Prak Sokhonn and the US embassy's Bridgette Walker on Wednesday hailed the "reinvigoration" of military ties between the two countries. IAEA says Iran agrees to more monitoring at Fordo enrichment plant Vienna, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 Iran has agreed to additional monitoring measures by the UN nuclear watchdog at its Fordo enrichment plant, after it voiced plans to significantly increase its production of highly enriched uranium at the site, the agency said in a report seen by AFP on Friday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week that Iran had revamped its Fordo enrichment plant (FFEP), south of Tehran. The changes would "significantly increase the rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent", the agency said -- close to the 90 percent needed to make a nuclear weapon. The rate of production will jump to more than 34 kilogrammes of highly enriched uranium per month, compared to 4.7 kilogrammes previously, it added. The IAEA called on Iran to implement inspections urgently, while European powers pressed Tehran to "immediately halt its nuclear escalation". "Iran agreed to the Agency's request to increase the frequency and intensity of the implementation of safeguards measures at FFEP," the IAEA said in a confidential report seen by AFP. Iran insists on its right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and has denied any ambition of developing weapons capability. But according to the IAEA, it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state enriching uranium to 60 percent purity. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told AFP last week that Iran's expansion of enrichment was "a clear message that they are responding to what they feel is pressure". Iran said last month that it would launch "new and advanced" centrifuges in response to an IAEA resolution that censured Tehran for what the agency called lack of cooperation. Nuclear tensions between Iran and the West have simmered since Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark 2015 deal with Tehran during his first term as US president, which had exchanged sanctions relief for limits on its nuclear programme. Taiwan says Chinese ships have left, signalling drills over Taipei, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signalling the end of a massive maritime exercise, Taiwanese authorities said Friday. Taiwan's coast guard released images it said showed Chinese vessels sailing north in rough seas past the island on Thursday, on their way to China. "All the Chinese coast guard went back to China yesterday, thus, although they haven't officially made any announcement, we consider it over," Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director general of Taiwan's coast guard, told AFP. Beijing has not confirmed the drills and its defence ministry did not say whether the manoeuvres had taken place when asked at a press conference on Friday. But ministry spokesman Wu Qian said that "whether or not we hold exercises, and when we hold them, are decided by us alone, based on our own needs and the circumstances of our struggle", according to an official social media account of the armed forces. "Safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and the common interests of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait are the (military's) sacred duties," Wu said. "No matter whether it holds exercises, the People's Liberation Army will not be absent or soft-hearted when it comes to striking down (Taiwanese) 'independence' and pushing for unification," he said, referring to the Chinese armed forces. Taiwanese authorities said this week that Beijing's biggest maritime drills in years stretched from near the southern islands of Japan to the South China Sea. About 90 Chinese warships and coast guard vessels took part in the exercises, which included simulating attacks on foreign ships and practising blockading sea routes, a Taiwan security official said Wednesday. There was no announcement by Beijing's army or Chinese state media about increased military activity in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea or Western Pacific Ocean. However, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's recent visit to the United States and a call with US House Speaker Mike Johnson sparked fury in Beijing. While Taiwan regards itself as a sovereign nation, China claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of it. - 'Red line' - The Taiwan security official said China began planning the massive maritime operation in October and aimed to demonstrate it could choke off Taiwan while also drawing a "red line" ahead of the next US administration. As Chinese ships returned to China on Thursday, Taiwan's military and coast guard closed emergency response centres set up in response to the huge maritime mobilisation. "The nine ships went back to Chinese ports last night in two groups," Hsieh said of vessels that had been in waters to the southeast and southwest of Taiwan. A defence ministry spokeswoman said Friday that Chinese warships and coast guard vessels had been detected returning to China. The de facto US embassy in Taiwan said Thursday it was monitoring "with concern" Beijing's military activity near the island and in the region. A US military patrol plane flew south to north over the sensitive waters separating Taiwan and China on Friday morning, Taiwan's defence ministry said. Beijing has ramped up the deployment of fighter jets and warships around Taiwan in recent years as it pressures Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty. China has refused to rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, leaving the island to face the constant threat of invasion. The latest exercise exceeded Beijing's maritime response to then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, the security official said. Those war games were China's largest ever around Taiwan. burs-amj/sco Blinken meets Iraq PM in unannounced stop on Syria crisis tour: AFP Baghdad, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Iraq's prime minister on Friday in an unannounced visit as he seeks to coordinate a regional approach to Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. The top US diplomat flew to Baghdad from the Turkish capital Ankara and headed into talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, an AFP journalist travelling with Blinken said. Iraq is keen to prevent any spread of chaos from Syria, where on Sunday Islamist-led rebels toppled the five-decade rule of the Assad dynasty following a lightning offensive. Both Iraq and Syria are still reeling from the insurgency by the ultra-violent Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, which set up a self-proclaimed caliphate a decade ago over vast swathes stretching across their border. Iraq's government has urged respect for the "free will" of all Syrians and the country's territorial integrity after Assad's fall. The deposed Syrian leader hailed from a rival faction of the Baath party of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, ousted in a 2003 US-led invasion. The United States maintains some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 more in Syria as part of a campaign to prevent IS resurgence. President Joe Biden's administration has agreed with Iraq to end the coalition's military presence by September 2025 but stopped short of a complete withdrawal of the US forces, whose presence has been opposed by Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month and has long been sceptical of US troop deployments, although it remains unclear whether he would backtrack from Biden's agreement or change tactics in light of developments in Syria. Blinken has pushed for an "inclusive" political process to bring an accountable government to Syria and avoid sectarian bloodletting of the sort seen in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Speaking in Jordan on Thursday, Blinken said that all regional players he had spoken to "agreed on the need to have a unified approach to advance many of our shared interests" in Syria. He also said that he was seeking to ensure "that Syria is not used as a base for terrorism" and that it does not pose "a threat to its neighbours, or ally with groups like ISIS", using an alternative acronym for IS. Turkey strongly opposes the US alliance with Syrian Kurdish fighters, who assist the United States with the fight against the Islamic State group but whom Ankara links to outlawed Kurdish separatists at home. Israel in turn has been pounding Syria, decimating military sites across its historic adversary on the heels of a deadly campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, aiming in part to curb the regional influence of Tehran which had allied itself with Assad. Blinken pledges to work with Iraq against IS on Syria crisis tour Baghdad, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Friday to work with Iraq to ensure no resurgence of the Islamic State group after Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in neighbouring Syria. On a regional tour on the Syria crisis, the top US diplomat flew to Baghdad from the Turkish capital Ankara and headed into talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Blinken said he told Sudani of "our commitment to working with Iraq on security and always working for Iraq's sovereignty, to make sure that that is strengthened and preserved". "I think this is a moment as well for Iraq to reinforce its own sovereignty as well as its stability, security and success going forward," Blinken said. He added that "no one knows the importance" more than Iraq of stability in Syria and avoiding the resurgence of Islamic State (IS) jihadists, also known by the Arabic acronym Daesh. "We are determined to make sure that Daesh cannot re-emerge," Blinken said. "The United States (and) Iraq, together had tremendous success in taking away the territorial caliphate that Daesh had created years ago." Iraq is keen to prevent any spread of chaos from Syria, where on Sunday Islamist-led rebels toppled the five-decade rule of the Assad dynasty following a lightning offensive. Both Iraq and Syria are still reeling from the insurgency by the ultra-violent IS group, which set up a self-proclaimed caliphate a decade ago over vast swathes stretching across their border. After taking a helicopter into central Baghdad, Blinken also complimented Iraq on a construction boom, saying it showed growing success. - US troops - Iraq's government has urged respect for the "free will" of all Syrians and the country's territorial integrity after Assad's fall. The deposed Syrian leader hailed from a rival faction of the Baath party of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, ousted in a 2003 US-led invasion. The United States maintains some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 more in Syria as part of a campaign to prevent IS resurgence. President Joe Biden's administration has agreed with Iraq to end the coalition's military presence by September 2025 but stopped short of a complete withdrawal of the US forces, whose presence has been opposed by Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month and has long been sceptical of US troop deployments, although it remains unclear whether he would backtrack from Biden's agreement or change tactics in light of developments in Syria. Blinken has pushed for an "inclusive" political process to bring an accountable government to Syria and avoid sectarian bloodletting of the sort seen in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Speaking in Jordan on Thursday, Blinken said that all regional players he had spoken to "agreed on the need to have a unified approach to advance many of our shared interests" in Syria. He also said that he was seeking to ensure "that Syria is not used as a base for terrorism" and that it does not pose "a threat to its neighbours, or ally with groups like ISIS", using an alternative acronym for IS. Turkey strongly opposes the US alliance with Syrian Kurdish fighters, who assist the United States with the fight against the Islamic State group but whom Ankara links to outlawed Kurdish separatists at home. Israel in turn has been pounding Syria, decimating military sites across its historic adversary on the heels of a deadly campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, aiming in part to curb the regional influence of Tehran which had allied itself with Assad. On Syria tour, Blinken pledges to work with Iraq against IS jihadists Baghdad, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Friday to work with Iraq to ensure no resurgence of the Islamic State group after Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in neighbouring Syria. On a regional tour devoted to a suddenly-changed Syria, the top US diplomat flew to Baghdad from the Turkish capital Ankara and headed into talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Blinken said he told Sudani of "our commitment to working with Iraq on security and always working for Iraq's sovereignty, to make sure that that is strengthened and preserved". "I think this is a moment as well for Iraq to reinforce its own sovereignty as well as its stability, security and success going forward," Blinken said. He added that "no one knows the importance" more than Iraq of stability in Syria and avoiding the resurgence of Islamic State group (IS) jihadists, also known by the Arabic acronym Daesh. "We are determined to make sure that Daesh cannot re-emerge," Blinken said. "The United States (and) Iraq, together had tremendous success in taking away the territorial caliphate that Daesh had created years ago." Iraq is keen to prevent any spread of chaos from Syria, where on Sunday Islamist-led rebels toppled the five-decade rule of the Assad dynasty following a lightning offensive. Both Iraq and Syria are still reeling from the insurgency by the ultra-violent IS group, which set up a self-proclaimed caliphate a decade ago over vast swathes stretching across their border. After taking a helicopter into central Baghdad, Blinken also complimented Iraq on a construction boom, saying it showed growing success. - US troops - Iraq's government has urged respect for the "free will" of all Syrians and the country's territorial integrity after Assad's fall. The deposed Syrian leader hailed from a rival faction of the Baath party of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, ousted in a 2003 US-led invasion. The United States maintains about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 more in Syria as part of a campaign to prevent IS resurgence. President Joe Biden's administration has agreed with Iraq to end the coalition's military presence by September 2025 but stopped short of a complete withdrawal of the US forces, whose presence has been opposed by Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month and has long been sceptical of US troop deployments, although it remains unclear whether he would backtrack from Biden's agreement or change tactics in light of developments in Syria. Blinken has pushed for an "inclusive" political process to bring an accountable government to Syria and avoid sectarian bloodletting of the sort seen in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. In Baghdad, he said he spoke with Sudani about "the situation in Syria and the conviction of so many countries in the region and beyond that, as Syria transitions from the Assad dictatorship to hopefully a democracy, it does so in a way that... protects all of the minorities in Syria, that produces an inclusive, non-sectarian government and does not become in any way a platform for terrorism". Speaking in Jordan on Thursday, Blinken said that all regional players he had spoken to "agreed on the need to have a unified approach to advance many of our shared interests" in Syria. He also said that he was seeking to ensure "that Syria is not used as a base for terrorism" and that it does not pose "a threat to its neighbours, or ally with groups like ISIS", using an alternative acronym for IS. Turkey strongly opposes the US alliance with Syrian Kurdish fighters, who assist the United States with the fight against the Islamic State group but whom Ankara links to outlawed Kurdish separatists at home. Israel in turn has been pounding Syria, decimating military sites across its historic adversary after a deadly campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, aiming in part to curb the regional influence of Tehran which had allied itself with Assad. As Australias job market shows signs of slowing, with job ads down for the second month in a row, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may find a silver lining. While fewer job ads might initially seem like a challenge, this shift could offer SMEs a rare opportunity to attract top talent, reduce competition, and focus on employee retention. Australias job market saw a slight 1.1% decline in job ads in November 2024, per SEEK Employment Report, but applications per ad surged by 3.4%, indicating increased job seeker interest despite fewer postings. With less hiring activity overall, SMEs can leverage their agility, enhance productivity, and invest in their workforce, all while lowering recruitment costs and positioning themselves for long-term growth. The decline in job ads may seem like a challenge at first, but for SMEs it could actually present a unique opportunity. With fewer job ads circulating, SMEs may face less competition for talent from larger corporations, giving them a better chance to attract top candidates, especially for niche roles critical to their business. Moreover, as the job market tightens, applicants tend to become more selective, resulting in a pool of higher-quality, committed candidates. This also opens the door for SMEs to focus on employee retention, investing in training and development to boost job satisfaction and reduce turnover costs. Additionally, the agility of SMEs allows them to adapt quicklypivoting strategies, streamlining processes, and implementing new technologies to enhance productivity. The reduction in job ads could also lower recruitment costs, freeing up resources to be reinvested into business growth and innovation. Ultimately, this shift could allow SMEs to not only survive but thrive in a changing job market. What the data is saying In November 2024, Australias job market showed a slight decline, with job ads down 1.1% from October marking the second consecutive month of minimal drop. However, year-on-year (y/y), the rate of decline slowed to just 8.4%, the smallest decrease in nearly two years. Metro areas took a harder hit, dropping 2.3% quarter-on-quarter (q/q), compared to a gentler 0.8% drop in regional areas. Interestingly, despite these declines, applications per job ad surged by 3.4%, the biggest jump since Aprilshowing that while fewer jobs are being posted, job seekers are more eager than ever. Across industries, the trend was similarsome sectors showed growth, but overall, the job market is still feeling the effects of the past year. The biggest winner was Consulting & Strategy, which saw job ads jump by 6.7% after a prolonged decline. Community Services & Development also saw a slight 1.6% increase, while Information & Communication Technology (ICT) showed minimal growth (1.6%), although it still lags behind 2019 levels. On the flip side, Retail & Consumer Products and Hospitality & Tourism experienced consecutive drops3.9% and 4.0%, respectively. However, the latter still saw a solid 8% rise q/q, suggesting seasonal demand. Despite these declines, a few industries saw positive y/y growth, including Consulting & Strategy (up 5.5%) and Real Estate & Property (up 4.9%). Applications per job ad are also rising across many sectors, with Education & Training (8%), Legal (10%), and Healthcare & Medical (6%) all seeing increases. Its clear that competition for jobs is heating up as fewer positions are available. While most states and territories saw a dip in job ads, Tasmania bucked the national trend with a strong 5.6% spikethe biggest monthly rise in almost two years. This surge was driven by a booming demand in industries like Community Services & Development, Hospitality & Tourism, and Healthcare & Medical. Meanwhile, job ads in Western Australia and Victoria dropped by 3.2% and 2.3%, respectively. The Australian Capital Territory (2.4%) and South Australia (0.3%) were the only states to see an increase in job ads, offering a silver lining for those regions. When we zoom out, comparing job ads to pre-COVID levels (November 2019), most states and territories are seeing more opportunities. The exceptions are the Australian Capital Territory, which is down by 26.5%, and Victoria and New South Wales, which are also experiencing significant declines of 15.4% and 10.8%, respectively. So while some regions are struggling, many others are seeing a steady recovery. Hopeful signs emerge Australias job market continues to navigate a turbulent landscape, with certain industries and regions experiencing growth, while others lag behind. While job ads may be on the decline overall, the rise in applications per ad signals that job seekers are more engaged than ever. Industries like consulting, healthcare, and real estate remain resilient, and the steady growth in Tasmania and South Australia offers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise challenging environment. As 2024 wraps up, the job markets future remains uncertain, but there are clear signs that adaptation and demand are paving the way for a recovery in key areas. Here are some ways SMEs can thrive in a tighter job market: Improving Hiring Strategies: In a job market where top talent is becoming more discerning, small businesses need to think outside the box when it comes to hiring. Instead of relying only on traditional job ads, SMEs should focus on proactive recruitment tactics. Building a strong network within their industry, tapping into employee referrals, and attending relevant events are great ways to expand their talent pool. Social platforms like LinkedIn are ideal for reaching passive candidatesthose who arent actively seeking new roles but are open to opportunities if the right one comes along. These candidates often possess valuable experience and can be more engaged than active job seekers. By nurturing these relationships and making the right offer, SMEs can attract top talent, even in a competitive market. Investing in Employee Retention: With hiring becoming more costly and competitive, SMEs should shift focus towards retaining the talent they already have. When the hiring landscape slows down, its an opportunity to invest in your current team. Whether its through training, career development, or simply showing appreciation, creating an environment where employees feel valued goes a long way. Workers who feel supported are more likely to stay loyal, which ultimately saves businesses money on turnover costs. Offering opportunities for professional growth not only strengthens your team but shows employees that youre committed to their future. In addition to development programs, cultivating a positive company culturethrough flexible working options, team-building events, and open communicationcan foster loyalty and keep employees motivated. By investing in your existing workforce, SMEs can reduce recruitment costs and avoid the headache of frequent hiring, allowing them to focus on long-term growth. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. On Syria tour, Blinken pledges to work with Iraq against IS jihadists Baghdad, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Friday to work with Iraq to ensure no resurgence of the Islamic State group after Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in neighbouring Syria. On a regional tour devoted to a suddenly-changed Syria, the top US diplomat flew to Baghdad from the Turkish capital Ankara and headed into talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Blinken said he told Sudani of "our commitment to working with Iraq on security and always working for Iraq's sovereignty, to make sure that that is strengthened and preserved". "I think this is a moment as well for Iraq to reinforce its own sovereignty as well as its stability, security and success going forward," Blinken said. He added that "no one knows the importance" more than Iraq of stability in Syria and avoiding the resurgence of Islamic State group (IS) jihadists, also known by the Arabic acronym Daesh. "We are determined to make sure that Daesh cannot re-emerge," Blinken said. "The United States (and) Iraq, together had tremendous success in taking away the territorial caliphate that Daesh had created years ago." The Islamic State group (IS) overran large swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in 2014, proclaiming its "caliphate" and launching a reign of terror. It was defeated in Iraq in 2017 by Iraqi forces backed by a US-led military coalition, and in 2019 lost the last territory it held in Syria to US-backed Kurdish forces. Iraq is keen to prevent any spread of chaos from Syria, where on Sunday Islamist-led rebels toppled the five-decade rule of the Assad dynasty following a lightning offensive. Sudani, in his meeting with Blinken, "underscored the necessity of ensuring the representation of all components of the Syrian people in managing the country to bolster its stability," Sudani's office said. He stressed Iraq "expects tangible actions, not just words" from Syria's transitional authorities, and "emphasised the importance of preventing any aggression on Syrian territories by any party". After taking a helicopter into central Baghdad, Blinken also complimented Iraq on a construction boom, saying it showed growing success. - US troops - Iraq's government has urged respect for the "free will" of all Syrians and the country's territorial integrity after Assad's fall. The deposed Syrian leader hailed from a rival faction of the Baath party of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, ousted in a 2003 US-led invasion. The United States maintains about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 more in Syria as part of a campaign to prevent IS resurgence. President Joe Biden's administration has agreed with Iraq to end the coalition's military presence by September 2025 but stopped short of a complete withdrawal of the US forces, whose presence has been opposed by Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month and has long been sceptical of US troop deployments, although it remains unclear whether he would backtrack from Biden's agreement or change tactics in light of developments in Syria. Last Saturday, the day before rebels took control of Damascus, Trump on his Truth Social platform called Syria "a mess," and added: "THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT." Blinken has pushed for an "inclusive" political process to bring an accountable government to Syria and avoid sectarian bloodletting of the sort seen in Iraq after the fall of Saddam. In Baghdad, he said he spoke with Sudani about the conviction of many countries that "as Syria transitions from the Assad dictatorship to hopefully a democracy, it does so in a way that... protects all of the minorities in Syria, that produces an inclusive, non-sectarian government and does not become in any way a platform for terrorism". Speaking in Jordan on Thursday, Blinken said all regional players he had spoken to "agreed on the need to have a unified approach to advance many of our shared interests" in Syria. Turkey strongly opposes the US alliance with Syrian Kurdish fighters, who assist the United States with the fight against the Islamic State group but whom Ankara links to outlawed Kurdish separatists at home. Israel in turn has been pounding Syria, decimating military sites across its historic adversary after a deadly campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, aiming in part to curb the regional influence of Tehran which had allied itself with Assad. Startups are driving innovation across Australia and New Zealand, and the latest funding announcements showcase the diverse and ambitious tech ecosystem powering the region. Here are the top funding highlights of the week: Balmain Invests $3.2M in Caruso Caruso, a modern unit registry and fund administration software company founded in 2023, has secured a $3.2 million investment led by Balmain, a key player in Australias private credit sector. This follows a $3 million raise last year, led by Icehouse Ventures with support from GD1, Chris Heaslip (Pushpay founder), and the Rae family (Gull Oil). LambdaTest Secures $38M to Transform QA LambdaTest, a cloud-based testing platform, has raised $38 million in a funding round led by Avataar Ventures, with Qualcomm Ventures also participating. This brings the total raised to $108 million. The investment will help advance LambdaTests AI-driven innovation, KaneAI, which revolutionizes quality engineering in web and mobile software. Founded in 2017, LambdaTest has previously secured nearly $70 million from top investors including Sequoia Capital India and Premji Invest. Old Youngs Distillery Raises $1.42M Despite Tough Market James Young of Old Youngs Distillery has raised $1.42 million from 394 investors via equity crowdfunding platform Birchal. Despite a tough economic climate, the distillerys campaign saw the average investment rise to $3,602, 125% higher than the typical Birchal raise. Startup Muster Report: Deep Tech Gains Ground in Australia Startup Musters 2024 report reveals that 93% of deep tech startups align with the National Reconstruction Fund priorities, compared to 56% of non-deep tech startups. Key sectors include AI, medtech, decarbonisation, and advanced manufacturing, with a reported addressable market of $441 billion. Federal grants are crucial for deep tech startups, with 32% leveraging them, compared to just 11% in other sectors. Fleet Space Reaches $800M Valuation After $150M Series D Fleet Space Technologies, a South Australian satellite developer, has raised $150 million in a Series D round, valuing the company at over $800 million. The round was led by Teachers Venture Growth, with support from Blackbird Ventures, Hostplus, and other investors. Terria Raises $3M in Seed Round After Spinout from CSIRO Geospatial startup Terria has raised $3 million in a Seed round after spinning out from CSIRO. Backed by deep tech VC Main Sequence, Terria specializes in creating digital twins for spatial data, aiding in urban planning and environmental monitoring. The funding will support its global expansion. GoodWork.ai Raises $4M to Revolutionize Retail Analytics AI startup GoodWork.ai has raised $4 million in Seed funding led by Square Peg. The company is developing real-time analytics for retailers to optimize performance, incorporating factors like promotions and weather. Founded by veterans from Boston Consulting Group, GoodWork.ai aims to transform retail trade performance analysis. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I'm sorry, but ADHD has become a scam that is wildly overdiagnosed and an excuse for poor behaviour I'm sorry, but ADHD has become a scam that is wildly overdiagnosed The mother of a black boy who was surrounded by armed officers and arrested when his water pistol was mistaken for a gun has said the police would not have treated my son in the way that they did if he had been a white 13-year-old boy His lawyers also argued that there was evidence that it was difficult for a Chinese national involved in business to avoid any contact with the CCP and that material related to his relationship with Andrew had to be read in the context of an advisor writing to someone who had been loyal to the Duke in difficult times. Officials said they had imposed additional power cuts due to the attack. In the region outside Kyiv, the power cuts were scheduled to last for 11 hours, up from eight hours before the attack. Around a half of power company Yasno's 3.5 million consumers were without power on Friday, their CEO said. By flaunting luxury cars and watches to give social media users the impression he had become rich rapidly by investing in stocks, TikToker Mr. Pips managed to scam thousands. Pho Duc Nam, his real name, and Le Khac Ngo (known as Mr Hunter on social media) were the masterminds behind Vietnams "biggest foreign currency and stock fraud," according to the Hanoi police. The police arrested Nam and many of his accomplices in October, but only made this public on Tuesday. Luxury cars linked to Pho Duc Nam seen at the police station. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Ha Since 2021 the accused ran a number of stock trading websites that masqueraded as legitimate international trading platforms, not doing real trade but merely serving to siphon off victims money. The police said Nam, after graduating from high school, secured a full IT scholarship in Singapore. He is fluent in English and has an IELTS score of 8.5. He promoted himself on social media as a trading guru with 10 years of experience in investing in gold and international stock markets. When some users said on social media he was just "showing off," Nams response was "showing off is okay as long as I bring good things to people." To lure victims, he portrayed an image of a wealthy investor with expensive cars, gold bars and cash to his millions of followers on TikTok and Facebook. Among the assets the police seized from him were 31 luxury cars like Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Mercedes, 59 luxury watches and more than 246 kilograms of gold. In all, they are worth VND5.2 trillion (US$205 million). A watch and handbag collection of Pho Duc Nam seized by the police. Photo courtesy of Hanoi police Many victims, when contacted by the police, were not even aware that they had been scammed and thought they lost money to bad investment decisions. Others did not cooperate because they were afraid of being charged with gambling. Among them was a 22-year-old university student who admired Nams wealthy lifestyle. He messaged Nam in June to learn more about his trading methods and eventually transferred VND8 billion to the fake platforms. Victims were coaxed into investing by Nams 1,900 employees working in 44 offices across the country and their headquarters in HCMC. The employees, none of whom have a brokers license, advised customers on "investment opportunities" and persuaded them to increase their investments gradually. Around 2,660 victims have been identified nationwide, and they have invested at least $50 million in the platforms. But the exact extent of the scam is still not known, the police said. Nam and other suspects are facing several charges including fraudulent appropriation of assets and money laundering. However terrible Rasputin was, a bar from whom it takes its name tops my list this year: Rasputins (171 Mare Street, E8 @rasputinsbar). I dont think anywhere in London defines a changing culture as Rasputins does, in that it is frivolous but affordable, whimsical yet welcoming. It was opened accidentally originally, as a prep kitchen, but soon a bar transpired by the team behind cult sandwich purveyor Doms Subs. At Rasputins, five-olive martinis are nothing but fun for 7, each one a reminder that being alive need not always be too costly. See also 3 mystery shots and a recession busting offer comprising a pint and two hotdogs for 11. I love the place, illuminated in red, a little wonky, framed as some might frame Berlin. "While this was an informal social gathering, not an official Palace Christmas party, the facts will be fully investigated, with a robust disciplinary process followed in relation to individual staff and appropriate action taken." The Malaysian Business Chamber Vietnam (MBCV), led by president Angus Liew, participated in the inaugural ASEAN-Malaysian Business Chambers Summit on Dec. 6, marking a milestone in its history. Held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, this event highlighted the unity and influence of Malaysian business communities across Southeast Asia, reinforcing regional economic cooperation. The summit provided a platform for networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among Malaysian business leaders and government officials across ASEAN. MBCV representatives participate in the discussion panel at the ASEAN Business Summit 2024. Photo courtesy of Gamuda Land Organized by the Malaysian Business Chamber Cambodia, the summit brought together chambers from Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Indonesia under the unified MBCs ASEAN platform for the first time. The gathering emphasized collaboration in promoting cross-border trade and investment. In his keynote speech, MBCC President Oknha Tan Khee Meng highlighted the transformation of the organization into MBCs ASEAN, emphasizing its pivotal role in fostering regional cooperation and economic growth. He encouraged Malaysian entrepreneurs across ASEAN to represent their nation with pride while fostering innovation and collaboration. Prominent speakers such as Malaysian Ambassador to Cambodia Shaharuddin Onn and Cambodian Investment Board Secretary General Chea Vuthy highlighted the critical role of regional business networks in driving sustainable economic growth. The transformation into MBCs ASEAN reflects a shared commitment to strengthening ties and mutual prosperity across all 10 ASEAN member states. Attended by approximately 300 participants, the summit received strong support from the Cambodian and Malaysian governments, symbolized by the attendance of Chea Vuthy and Shaharuddin Onn. Vietnam remains a key economic force within ASEAN, with GDP growth projected at 6.1% in 2024 and foreign direct investment exceeding $20 billion. Vietnam's strategic policies, young workforce, and focus on sustainability present significant opportunities for Malaysian investors, aligning with the goals of Malaysian business leaders. The MBC Vietnam representative emphasized the importance of harnessing collective expertise to unlock new opportunities. The chamber has played a key role in strengthening partnerships between Malaysian businesses in Vietnam and their ASEAN counterparts, fostering innovation and supporting Vietnam's green and sustainable development agenda. MBCV's chairman Angus Liew ( 3rd, R) receives a certificate of appreciation. Photo courtesy of Gamuda Land Under MBC Vietnam's guidance, foreign investment projects have been facilitated, bilateral trade has been promoted, and Vietnam's economic transformation has been supported. These efforts align with Vietnam's priorities of sustainability, digital transformation, and diversified trade partnerships. Malaysia is Vietnam's second-largest trading partner in ASEAN and its 11th globally, with two-way trade growing from over $8 billion to over $14 billion between 2014 and 2022. The nations aim to increase this to $18 billion in the near future. Malaysia is also the second-largest ASEAN investor in Vietnam, ranking 11th globally among 143 investing nations and territories, with registered capital exceeding $13 billion. Angus Liew delivering a speech at the ASEAN Business Summit 2024. Photo courtesy of Gamuda Land The ASEAN-Malaysian Business Chambers Summit 2024 underscores the power of regional collaboration and visionary leadership. MBC Vietnam's contributions to fostering partnerships and driving economic development underline its commitment to bridging Malaysia and Vietnam. As ASEAN continues its journey toward shared prosperity, institutions like MBC Vietnam will play a vital role in shaping the region's success. "MBCV is committed to fostering stronger ties between Malaysian businesses in Vietnam and our ASEAN neighbors. We look forward to continuing to contribute to the growth and development of the Malaysian business community in Vietnam and the broader ASEAN region," said Liew. Phan Thi Nguyet Mai (L) and Luong Van Dung at the point of their arrest. Photo courtesy of the police Vietnamese and Lao police have put two Chinese and four Vietnamese people under investigation for their potential involvement with a human trafficking ring that forces women into prostitution. The Ministry of Public Security on Thursday said the police are investigating Phan Thi Nguyet Mai, 33, and Luong Van Dung, 35, for trafficking a person under 16. Lao police have also put two Chinese and two Vietnamese under investigation for allegedly trafficking and forcing women into prostitution. In late 2021, Mai and Dung lived together in Hung Yen. Dung was managing employees at several karaoke parlors at the time. In early 2023, the duo schemed to bring women into Laos for prostitution. Mai went to Laos first to make preparations. She later returned to Vietnam and recruited women to work for Dung. In March, Mai and Dung hired a 15-year-old girl to work at a karaoke parlor in Hung Yen. Mai later persuaded the girl to come to Laos to work as a karaoke parlor waitress. On March 25, Mai brought two girls to Laos, handing them over to a woman in Laos Luangnamtha Province. The girls were forced into prostitution in service of Chinese customers from the evening until the next morning. After two weeks under exploitation, one girl managed to escape back to Vietnam and informed authorities of what happened. The police on Sept. 11 managed to rescue five victims under exploitation at karaoke parlors managed by Mai and Dung. Vietnamese and Lao police then cooperated to arrest several suspects for forcing these women into prostitution. Around 2,000 professional soldiers took the Military oath on Friday in more than 50 major units of the Romanian Armed Forces, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) announced. In a message delivered on the occasion, Chief of Defense Staff, General Gheorghita Vlad congratulated the new recruits for their choice. "It is a pride, but also a responsibility, as this career offers both challenges and satisfactions. It will not be easy, especially given the complexity and instability of the current security environment. However, you will have reliable companions by your side and together we will succeed in accomplishing the tasks entrusted to us," the Chief of Defense Staff pointed out. The taking of the oath will be followed by a specialized training module, after which the soldiers will start their activity in the units in which they were assigned. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced on Friday that it will share exposure, under the Risk-Sharing Facility (RSF), on half of the EUR 40 million Banca Transilvania loan to cornstarch producer Omnia Europe SA. The financing will support the company in expanding its operations by establishing a new unit dedicated to producing waxy starch, according to an EBRD press release. Omnia Europe SA, based in Medgidia, Constanta County, is a producer of starch, maltodextrin and by-products, key ingredients for many products in the food, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper and chemical industries. It is a subsidiary of Omnia Nisasta Ticaret AS and part of the Turkish Tosmur Group, one of the largest producers of corn starch and derivatives products. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is using its Risk Sharing Framework (RSF) to support the expansion of businesses in its countries of operations and boost the lending capacity of local partner banks. 'We are delighted to reinforce our commitment to the Romanian agribusiness sector by supporting the expansion of Omnia Group within the country. This transaction highlights the strong collaboration with Banca Transilvania and underscores the effectiveness of the Risk Sharing Framework in facilitating the growth ambitions of companies across EBRD's Countries of Operations. Furthermore, this initiative is particularly significant as it focuses on processing agricultural commodities into higher-value products, contributing to Romania's efforts to improve its food and agricultural trade balance' said Victoria Zinchuk, EBRD's Head of Romania. The EBRD is a major institutional investor in Romania. To date it has invested almost EUR 11.5 billion in 550 projects in the country. AGERPRES The general approach of the Directive on combating sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children, as well as the one on combating illegal migration, were passed during the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA), the Ministry of Justice announced on Friday. According to a press release from the Ministry of Justice sent to AGERPRES on Friday, the Minister of Justice, Alina Gorghiu, participated in the JHA meeting in Brussels. During the debates, the general approach relating to the Directive on combating illegal migration was passed, an activity that is as reprehensible as it is profitable, with the member states agreeing on the need for a firm response at the Union level, mentions the cited source, who adds that the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, highlighted the historical importance of full integration of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen area, by the unanimous decision of the JHA Council on Thursday. Also, the ministers of justice passed the general approach of the Directive on combating sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children, an absolutely necessary legal framework in the concerted effort to combat sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children, as well as child pornography, especially from the perspective technological and societal developments of the last decade. At the same time, the ministry conveys that the officials from the member states have adopted the partial general approach regarding the Directive on the harmonization of certain aspects of insolvency law, a crucial legislative initiative for the creation of integrated European capital markets and for the facilitation of investments. The JHA Council also included an exchange of opinions dedicated to the future of the criminal law of the European Union, Romania actively supporting the steps that can contribute to improving the quality of criminal legislation at the level of the Union. European officials also had in mind an evaluation of the state of coordinated measures in the fight against impunity, in the context of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, and the President of the Eurojust Agency, Michael Schmid, reiterated their determination to support these irreversible steps. The theme of the working lunch of the Ministers of Justice followed the development of the actions foreseen by the conclusions of the Council regarding the use of artificial intelligence systems in the field of justice, also adopted on the occasion of the meeting of the JHA Council on December 12, 2024. The exchange of views initiated a robust identification exercise of the purposes of using these systems, respecting the 'human centric' approach to their implementation. "The Minister of Justice, Alina-Stefania Gorghiu, had a dialogue, on the sidelines of the meeting, with the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, on which occasion she reaffirmed Romania's commitment to supporting the values and principles of the state. At the same time, the Romanian official had an exchange of views with the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, welcoming the full integration of of Romania in the Schengen area and ensuring that the Romanian state will remain a solid and stable partner in the European construction", the Ministry of Justice informs. Romania stands with the Republic of Moldova in the face of the energy challenges this winter, with the Ministry of Energy acknowledging the decision of the government in Chisinau to declare a state of emergency starting December 16, 2024, due to the risks associated with energy supply. According to a press release from the Ministry of Energy, Romania is prepared to support the Republic of Moldova through this critical period. "We are in constant contact with our brothers across the Prut River. Of course, the top priority is the national energy system, but we are confident that we can lend a hand to Chisinau's effort to get through the winter safely, as Romania has done before," said Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja, as quoted in the release. He added that Romania remains a reliable partner for the Republic of Moldova. "In the face of these challenges, the close collaboration between our governments and energy companies is key to ensuring energy security and the comfort of citizens this winter. Thus, with our support and that of the European Union, our brothers across the Prut should not be left to fall back into Russia's hands to get through this winter," Burduja further said. According to the source, Romania reaffirms its commitment to supporting the energy stability of the Republic of Moldova, focusing on electricity supply, natural gas provision, and intensified dialogue between operators and authorities. Thus, the companies Nuclearelectrica and Hidroelectrica are already in contact with Energocom to explore the possibility of supplying additional electricity volumes to the right bank of the Dniester. At the moment, the transfer capacity (NTC) for imports from Romania is 315 MW, and an increase of 80 MW is expected in the next week, reaching 395 MW. The Ministry of Energy supports the identification of a mechanism for the commercial allocation of capacity on the four 110 kV electrical lines, in collaboration with Transelectrica and Moldelectrica. On the other hand, Romania has natural gas reserves in the Depogaz storage facilities and is ready to consider priority extraction options if supplies to the Transnistrian region are affected. Increasing the operational balancing account (OBA) value between VestMoldTransGaz and Transgaz is considered an essential solution to mitigate the impact in the early days of the crisis. The Ministry of Energy facilitates dialogue between Energocom and Romanian companies (Nuclearelectrica, Hidroelectrica, OMV), ensuring efficient cooperation for the energy supply. Furthermore, cooperation between Moldelectrica and Transelectrica will be intensified to implement the necessary technical solutions. "In the context that the Cuciurgan MGRES power plant may not produce energy for the right bank of the Dniester, Romania is prepared to support the Republic of Moldova, with the help of European partners, to cover an estimated 600 MW deficit, through coordinated governmental solutions and the use of available resources, and, in the medium term, through new electricity production units and measures to modernise the heating system in Chisinau," the press release concludes. AGERPRES Romanian and Dutch defence ministers Angel Tilvar and Ruben Brekelmans on Thursday signed a letter of intent in The Hague, reaffirming the two countries' commitment to strengthen and expand collaboration within the Romanian F-16 Training Centre. "We are determined to support the training of pilots from allied and partner states within this modern centre, which also uses the 18 F-16 aircraft provided by the Dutch side," Tilvar wrote on Facebook on Friday. This, he said, proves that defence investments are essential for the security of the Black Sea region. "The joint efforts of Romania, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the support of Lockheed Martin represent a concrete example of collaboration to strengthen defence capabilities," added Tilvar. The Romanian minister appreciated that over a year after the operationalization of the F-16 Centre, "the results are clear": both Romanian and Ukrainian pilots benefit from an advanced training programme. "We will continue to expand these activities, directly contributing to the security of the Romanian Air Force and our partners," said Angel Tilvar. The minister wrote on the social media platform that during his official visit to The Hague, he discussed with his Dutch counterpart, Ruben Brekelmans, about deepening of defence cooperation between the two countries, as well as about the coordination of efforts within NATO and the European Union to strengthen security. The main topics discussed during the meeting referred to the preparation of next year's NATO Summit, which will take place in The Hague, as well as concrete measures to support Ukraine, in the context of the Russian aggression. "We also discussed the challenges posed by hybrid threats to European security, underscoring the importance of strengthening national resilience and international coordination to deal with them," Angel Tilvar added. AGERPRES The painting "Little Peasant Girl Resting" by Nicolae Grigorescu has been sold for 365,000 EUR, on Thursday evening, at the winter auction organized by Artmark House, according to a press release of the Artmark, inform agerpres.ro. The sale represents a new record for the Romanian art market (after 1990), in the context in which Grigorescu's work, oil on canvas, has been initially estimated to worth between 100,000 and 200,000 euros. The painting is breaking thus the record established in 2018 by another work by Grigorescu, "Peasant Girl with White Headscarf," sold back then for 340,000 euros. Artmark sold a total of four works by Nicolae Grigorescu on Thursday evening, their total value accounting for more than half a million euros. The work "Shepherd with His Flock of Sheep" was sold for 95,000 euros, and the works "Ox Carts, On the Field" and "Hay Gathering" were sold for 40,000 euros and 50,000 euros respectively. Another work that was sold for 47,500 euros on Thursday evening belonged to painter Eustatiu Stonescu, and shows the Wagner concerts that took place at the Romanian Athenaeum in 1937, the painting, which dates from 1946, being called "Concert at the Athenaeum (conducted by George Enescu)". This is the most valuable work of this artist so far (his previous record was settled in 2012 by his work "The Lamp from Draghiceni", which was sold for 36,000 euros). The next events of the auction house will have Christmas as a theme, with jewelry and decorative art to be put up for auction. The United States has made defending human rights a policy priority. Everyone, everywhere is entitled to fundamental human rights, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Human Rights Defender Award Ceremony. And its because we know that a world where human rights are respected is profoundly in our interest. As the last four years have underscored, countries that respect human rights are on the whole more stable, more secure, more peaceful. Theyre more reliable partners. Theyre better stewards of our shared planet. The Human Rights Award recipients this year are courageous individuals who have been willing to take extraordinary risks to defend fundamental rights. One of those is Juana Alicia Ruiz. In the aftermath, of Colombias civil war, she joined other women from the community to create a project to help survivors recount their abuses and to process their traumas through quilting. In Ghana, Ebenezer Peegah and his organization started developing and distributing daily virtual updates that provide thousands of LGBTQI+ the information that they need to avoid vigilante groups. Mary Ann Abunda left her home in the Philippines for Kuwait and ended up as a domestic laborer, where she endured exploitation and abuse. She teamed up with fellow workers to create an organization that advocates for the rights of domestic workers and other migrant laborers in Kuwait. In Azerbaijan, Rufat Safarov was falsely accused of bribery and sentenced to nine years in prison in a sham trial. Upon his release, he founded an organization to help people who are targeted for defending human rights. The government has again detained him for seeking a visa to come to the U.S., said Secretary Blinken. The government of Azerbaijan should release Rufat and release him immediately as well as all the other journalists, human rights defenders, political opponents, and others that are unjustly detained. Thulani Rudolph Maseko dedicated his entire life to advancing human rights in Eswatini. On January 21, 2023, he was shot and killed in his home. No one has been held accountable. Other award winners include Aida Dzhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan, Mang Hre Lian of Burma, and Amparo Carvajal of Bolivia. [T]o our honorees today, said Secretary Blinken: to everyone fighting for human rights around the globe: I urge you to keep setting the example. Keep challenging us to prove worthy of your courage. Keep holding us accountable. BRENTWOOD Schools here closed Friday after an unspecified threat. School officials said they made the decision to close all of the district's schools out of "an abundance of caution." "This decision follows a report to the Brentwood Police Department of an alleged threat involving our schools," the district said in a message to parents. The message went out about 6:20 a.m. Brentwood police referred a reporter to the city's communications manager, Michelle Boyer. Boyer said in a release that the threat referenced Brentwood Middle School. She did not provide specifics, such as what was threatened or how the message was delivered. In a release, the school district asked the community to be patient as the threat was investigated. "Additional security measures, including increased police presence at school campuses, have been implemented as a precautionary step," the district said. Later Friday, the district told parents the investigation found no immediate safety concern for the community. Infineon Technologies witnessed notable fluctuations in its stock performance, with shares initially trading sideways at 33.38 before experiencing a significant decline on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The semiconductor giants stock reached a daily low of 33.04 before stabilizing around 33.10, representing a 0.9 percent decrease. Trading volume surpassed half a million shares during the morning session alone. The companys recent quarterly results revealed challenging business conditions, with revenue declining by 5.54 percent to 3.92 billion compared to the previous years quarter, accompanied by a loss per share of 0.07. Annual Performance Overview Despite current market challenges, the stock has shown some resilience with a positive monthly gain of 8.34 percent, though it remains approximately 19 percent below its 52-week high of 39.35 recorded in December 2023. With a market capitalization of 43.3 billion, Infineon maintains its position as a significant player in the semiconductor sector. The company has distributed a dividend of 0.35 per share in 2024, while Analysts maintain an optimistic outlook with an average price target of 38.89. Ad Infineon Stock: New Analysis 11 December Fresh Infineon information released. Whats the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends. Read our updated Infineon analysis Infineon Technologies witnessed notable fluctuations in its stock performance, with shares initially trading sideways at 33.38 before experiencing a significant decline on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The semiconductor giants stock reached a daily low of 33.04 before stabilizing around 33.10, representing a 0.9 percent decrease. Trading volume surpassed half a million shares during the morning session alone. The companys recent quarterly results revealed challenging business conditions, with revenue declining by 5.54 percent to 3.92 billion compared to the previous years quarter, accompanied by a loss per share of 0.07. Annual Performance Overview Despite current market challenges, the stock has shown some resilience with a positive monthly gain of 8.34 percent, though it remains approximately 19 percent below its 52-week high of 39.35 recorded in December 2023. With a market capitalization of 43.3 billion, Infineon maintains its position as a significant player in the semiconductor sector. The company has distributed a dividend of 0.35 per share in 2024, while Analysts maintain an optimistic outlook with an average price target of 38.89. Ad Fresh Infineon information released. Whats the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends. (iStock) I have bad news, my 29-year-old son, Hayden, said sullenly during a recent conversation. The owners are putting the house back on the market. Ever since graduating from college in 2018, Hayden has lived in an apartment in a Victorian house. When the owners, a group of adult sisters who inherited the house, told Hayden they might try to sell it, he was terrified. The first time the sisters put the house on the market, they allowed Hayden to continue to rent month-to-month. This uncertainty was a constant worry Hayden was unable to shake, and our assurances that everything would be fine fell on deaf ears. That first attempt to sell failed, much to Haydens relief. But only a few months later, the sisters decided to try again. When Hayden gave us the bad news, my husband and I could hear fear in his voice again. They said I could stay until spring, but then Ill have to move out, he said as if moving was a dire fate. Im not sure what to do, he repeated. If things go wrong, could I stay here temporarily and pay you rent? Of course you can, and you dont have to pay! But youll be able to find a new place. Maybe even better than your apartment now! we assured him. From the look on his face, we could see that it would take a lot more to convince our son that moving was not the end of the world. Why, we wondered, would our son, a brilliant, independent, responsible software engineer with a great career and bright future, be so scared of moving? The answer was obvious: Hayden was a military brat. Our Navy family moved frequently during his vulnerable adolescent years, when he attended three different high schools. Despite his gifted intelligence, his Eagle Scout status and our familys constant emotional support, Hayden was impacted by those military moves during his teen years. While weve never had him psychoanalyzed for evidence of metothesiaphobia (fear of change), it doesnt take a Ph.D. to see that the mere thought of moving causes our son an irrational amount of stress. Over the years, weve seen signs that our smart and successful adult son might be overly anxious, or possibly, depressed. Military children are resilient, but how much of their resilience is forced? They dont have a choice. They arent in control. They must move when their service member parents receive orders to move. They must hide their fear. They must change schools. They must make new friends. They must be the new kids, again and again. So, when the child becomes an independent adult, with the power to control his own life, will he react differently when facing fear? Will he remember the stress of those childhood moves and do everything in his power to avoid experiencing it again now that he can? Can military child resilience turn into adult avoidance? The National Military Family Association (NMFA) and Bloom Military Teens recently released the results of their annual Military Teen Experience Survey (MTES). The 2024 results showed that only 8% of military teens report high mental well-being, while a staggering 35% are struggling with low well-being. Like Hayden did, many military teens internalize their stress. The MTES results uncovered an alarming trend in self-harm behavior among military teens, revealing that half of respondents (45%) reported engaging in self-harm, far exceeding the global rate of adolescent self-harm of 18%. The MTES researchers describe self-harm as a maladaptive coping mechanism that is an attempt to externalize the emotional pain they feel from the instability in their lives. [T]his years MTES paints a picture of adolescents under tremendous emotional strain, the survey concluded. The MTES results, coupled with a study released in August concluding that childhood moving is associated with the likelihood of developing adult depression, indicate that resilient military children may not always become resilient adults. I might buy a house, Hayden called to announce last week. Our recent talks about moving and a few emails listing apartments for rent had paid off. It took a little extra time and thought, but Hayden eventually realized that by embracing change, he controls his own destiny. Read more at themeatandpotatoesoflife.com and in Lisas book, The Meat and Potatoes of Life: My True Lit Com. Email: meatandpotatoesoflife@gmail.com A significant factor in the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was the lack of help he received from allies that had propped up his regime and kept him in power for decades: Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. As Islamist rebels swept through Syrias cities, Assads backers failed to come to his assistance; they were distracted or severely weakened: Russia by the war in Ukraine; Hezbollah and Iran after defensive actions taken by Israel, the United States, and other allies, following Iranian and Hezbollah attempts to expand the war against Israel. To a considerable extent, the Middle East has been transformed, noted National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby in an interview with Voice of America. As Iran wakes up and looks at the region, it is different, and their axis of resistance has been broken in many, many places. ... And they too, have been weakened as a military and as a capability, just in terms of air defense, he said. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said it is not clear what judgement Iranian leaders will make about the new reality: If I were them, I would look back at the course of action that they have pursued over the last decade-plus of trying to support terrorism and further destabilize the region as a strategy that has failed. When you look at their support for proxy groups, they clearly had a strategy that they were pursuing to try and threaten the state of Israel from outside its borders to launch repeated terrorist attacks against civilians inside Israel and, of course, to launch terrorist attacks against other entities around the region. Spokesperson Miller expressed the hope that Iran would look at its failed policy and choose the path of de-escalation and discontinue attempts to foment instability and support terrorism. Im under no illusions that theyre going to have a change of heart, but I would think that would be the wiser assessment, he said. A recent report by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence noted that there has been public debate in Iran recently about the deterrent value of nuclear weapons. The DNI also reported that Iran currently has enough fissile material for over a dozen of such weapons. State Department Spokesperson Miller reiterated and emphasized long-standing U.S. policy: We will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Reporters covering a U.S. airmans trial on sexual assault and kidnapping charges wait outside Naha District Court on Okinawa, Dec. 13, 2024. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes) NAHA, Okinawa A Japanese court sentenced a U.S. airman to five years in prison with hard labor Friday, immediately after convicting him of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl one year ago on Okinawa. The verdict and sentence concluded one phase of a case that over the summer temporarily upended the relationship between the U.S. military and Okinawa civil authorities. A three-judge panel found Senior Airman Brennon Richard Edward Washington, 25, of Kadena Air Base, guilty of kidnapping and sexually assaulting the girl after picking her up in a Yomitan park and taking her to his home on Dec. 24, 2023. Washington sat slumped in the courtroom, gazing at the floor as Presiding Judge Tetsuro Sato rendered the verdict and sentence. This is a severe and malicious criminal act toward the victim, Sato said. Based on the severity of the circumstances, there are no mitigating factors in this situation. He has no sign of remorse or apology, but we also took into consideration that he had no prior offenses. The case against Washington and unrelated charges of attempted sexual assault against Marine Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton unleashed discontent within the Okinawa government and prompted a mass demonstration by Okinawa citizens. It also led U.S. Forces Japan and bases on Okinawa to impose restrictions to curb excessive drinking by U.S. troops across the country. In the wake of Washingtons March indictment, undisclosed until June, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki accused Japans central government of withholding information from Okinawa prefecture about criminal allegations against U.S. service members. The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly also called for changes to the status of forces agreement governing the U.S. military population in Japan. The commander of Kadenas 18th Wing, Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, said he trusted the court conducted a proper accounting of these charges. I am deeply troubled by the actions of Senior Airman Brennon Washington and the damage he inflicted on the victim and her family, he said in a statement the wing issued immediately after the verdict. We will continue to cooperate with local authorities to ensure the individual completes the sentence mandated by the local court. Sexual assault has no place in the Air Force. The girl testified on Aug. 23 that she used English, Japanese and hand gestures to tell Washington she was 15. She testified that Washington at his home kissed her with his tongue, penetrated her with his fingers and his tongue and touched her breast underneath her shirt. She had to repeat stop in English and Japanese several times, she testified. Washington admitted in court on Aug. 29 that he was intimate with the girl, but with her consent, and that he did not penetrate her. He also testified that he believed the girl was 18. The court gave credence to the girls testimony, some of which was backed up by security cameras in the Yomitan park, Sato said. The judges also determined that Washington was aware he did not have consent based on the girls repeated requests for him to stop. They found that Washington invited the girl into his car with the intention of acting indecently. Washington will have 14 days to appeal the decision. Philippine marines visited Camp Asaka, Japan, Dec. 7-8, 2024, to observe the annual Yama Sakura exercise. (Philippine Marine Corps) The Philippines will soon become a full participant in annual Yama Sakura warfighting drills involving U.S., Japanese and Australian ground forces, according to defense experts. The Philippine navy, on Thursday, posted photos on social media of Filipino marines in Japan observing the weeklong exercise, which kicked off Dec. 6. The drills involve 1,500 U.S. personnel, 5,000 Japanese troops and 300 Australian soldiers doing a range of training, including simulated missile strikes, from locations across Japan, Alaska, Hawaii and Australia, according to a Dec. 5 Army news release. Its the first time U.S. Marines have joined the command post exercise and the second year Australians have participated, the release said. Philippine marines or soldiers will likely join Yama Sakura as full participants next year or in 2026, according to retired Marine Col. Grant Newsham, a senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo. Philippine military leaders have been visiting Japan over the last few years and the overall Japan-Philippine defense relationship has been developing steadily, he said by email Thursday. The U.S. will welcome the cooperation, which shows four governments committed to mutual defense, Newsham said. Philippine marines visited Camp Asaka, Japan, Dec. 7-8, 2024, to observe the annual Yama Sakura exercise. (Philippine Marine Corps) The Philippines and Japan signed a reciprocal access agreement in July. Australia, which signed a similar agreement in 2022, joined Yama Sakura for the first time last year. Such agreements facilitate the movement of forces and equipment into signatory countries for training. The agreement between the Philippines and Japan will promote joint exercises and disaster relief, said Carlyle Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales and a lecturer at the Australian Defence Force Academy. The agreement notes how the Philippines is at a strategic juncture on the sea lanes with Japan, he said by email Thursday. The participation of Marines from the Philippines as observers at this years Exercise Yama Sakura and the inaugural involvement of U.S. Marines, clearly signals the Japan welcomes their presence and is likely to expand their participation in relevant military exercises alongside Australia which has already commenced reciprocal training with Japan, he said. The trend line seems clear, Thayer said. There will be increased bilateral military exercises, an expansion of bilateral exercises to include other security partners, and larger scale multilateral exercises involving Australia, Japan, and the Philippines in each others countries plus the United States in coming years, he said. Coast guards from Japan and the Philippines have been working closely for five years, according to Patricio Abinales, a professor at the University of Hawaiis School of Pacific and Asian Studies. These are good moves given that we do not know what [President-elect Donald] Trump will do with the West Philippine Sea issue once he comes to power, he said by email Thursday, using the Philippines name for South China Sea waters inside the countrys exclusive economic zone. Manila has butted heads regularly with Beijing over disputed territory on the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Japan has clashed with China over disputed territory in the East China Sea. A decade ago the idea of any foreign troops training in Japan other than the Americans was political dynamite, Newsham said. Nowadays, nobody remembers what they were complaining about. U.S. and South Korean soldiers and marines carry out a land navigation exercise in South Korea, Oct. 22, 2024. (Eric Kestner/U.S. Army) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea The 71-year military alliance between South Korea and the United States wont be affected by the political turmoil in Seoul even if President Yoon Suk Yeol is impeached this weekend, according to experts. The countrys National Assembly is scheduled Saturday to vote a second time to suspend Yoon from office, 11 days after he abruptly enacted martial law and deployed South Korean soldiers to prevent lawmakers from voting to end his declaration. The assembly nonetheless managed to force an end to Yoons late night decree after six hours. Despite a high level of uncertainty in its political arena, South Koreas close relationship with the U.S. will continue, Hahm Sung Deuk, the dean of Kyonggi Universitys Graduate School of Political Studies based in Seoul, said by phone Friday. Regardless of our ideology, liberal or conservative, we know that the relationship between the U.S. and South Korea is so important, so critical to survive in our democracy, he said. So regardless of who is in power, regardless of what kind of impeachment process we are confronted with, we all realize the importance of the relationship between the U.S. and South Korea. The move to impeach Yoon the first attempt failed Dec. 7 when Yoons own People Power Party lawmakers boycotted the vote has attracted disaffected People Power members, including party leader Han Dong-hoon. He urged his fellow lawmakers Thursday to vote for impeachment to protect the democratic republic. A vote by at least 200 of the 300-member National Assembly is required to impeach Yoon. If the measure passes, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve in the interim while the Constitutional Court examines whether Yoon should be reinstated or removed permanently from office, a process that can take up to six months. Hahm said the U.S. military alliance is the essence of the relationship between the two countries, as evidenced by the Iraq War. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun of the liberal Uri Party deployed roughly 3,500 troops there to support the U.S.-led coalition in 2004. We have our democratic procedures and institutions set up, so itll take a little time, but well solve this problem peacefully, Hahm said. Retired South Korean army Lt. Gen. Chun In-Bum, the former head of the countrys Special Warfare Command, said the damage has already been done by Yoons martial law declaration and that he expects the military will continue operating as normal. South Koreas military has always been able to go about its business, as demonstrated during the 2017 impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye, Chun said by phone Friday. Park was removed and imprisoned for nearly five years on charges of abuse of power and bribery. If you look very closely, the democratic government system that we have is working, Chun said. The chain of command is still there. Park Jae Jeok, an associate professor at the Seoul-based Yonsei University, said relations with the U.S. may be business as usual for now, but a potential Democratic Party successor to Yoon could prompt broader changes. A liberal South Korean president will likely draw back Yoons efforts to expand Seouls contributions to regional security alongside the U.S., and become reluctant to join in multinational maritime exercises, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, Park said by phone. Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, agreed Thursday with interim South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Sun-ho to continue joint military exercises and keep all lines of communication open, according to a USFK news release that day. Kims predecessor, Kim Yong Hyung, resigned Dec. 4 after Yoons failed decree and is under arrest in Seoul. We remain prepared to respond to external threats while completely respecting [South Koreas] sovereignty and individual rights, LaCamera said in the release. Oliver Doerre, the CEO of Munich-based radar maker Hensoldt AG, in London, on Dec. 13, 2024. (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg) German auto workers are finding a lifeline with defense contractors, who are ramping up hiring just as the faltering car industry cuts back on jobs. Munich-based radar maker Hensoldt AG is in talks to hire full teams from two separate auto-parts suppliers in one case up to 100 people to keep up with a surge in military orders, Chief Executive Officer Oliver Dorre said. The current struggle of the automotive is a pure chance for us, Dorre said Friday in an interview with Bloomberg Television. The teams consist of software engineers and will add to Hensoldts ranks after the company hired around 1,000 employees this year, Dorre said, declining to name the auto suppliers. He sees Hensoldts headcount expanding by a similar amount next year, and plans to be active with new partnerships and potential dealmaking. Defense spending is on the rise across Europe, giving a boost to weapons makers as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East drag on and the return of President-elect Donald Trump stokes calls for a stronger commitment to security. Trump has pressed European allies to shoulder more military spending, while political leaders are seeking to channel government funds to homegrown companies and jobs. At the same time, Europes auto industry is grappling with stagnant demand for electric vehicles and increasing competition from China. Parts suppliers including Continental, Bosch as well as Schaeffler have cut jobs as the slump has worsened. The German auto industry is forecast to shed 12% of the 770,000 jobs in the sector by 2030, according to consulting firm PwC, as digitization and automation make current roles obsolete. Volkswagen AG is locked in tense talks with unions as the carmaker seeks to retrench. Other defense contractors are also taking in workers. Rheinmetall AG, which makes tanks and ammunition, said in June that it plans to hire up to 100 workers from tire manufacturer Continental. French traincar maker Alstom told Bloomberg News last month that it was in talks to transfer an unwanted manufacturing site in Gorlitz, Germany, to the Amsterdam-based arms company KNDS. Dorre sees a chance for German defense firms to drive innovation in key areas such as AI and software development, after decades of military underinvestment. He said that while Germanys political environment remains rocky, rearmament over the next decade aligns with the political need to bolster the economy. The current discussion in the election campaign is a lot about re-strengthening Germanys economy, and I think here the defense and security industry can play a major role, he said. Consolidation Hensoldt, whose top shareholders include Italys Leonardo SpA and the German government, can play a role in European defense-sector consolidation, Dorre said, while cautioning that each deal needs to fulfill a specific objective rather than just adding scale. 2025 will be a year of new partnerships for Hensoldt, he said. We are well-prepared, if things would move, to act immediately, and even go for a bolder move, if that would be necessary. Hensoldt has ramped up production since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as German military spending picked up. The company this week raised its medium-term targets to 10% annual revenue growth and said it wants to more than double revenue to around $5.2 billion in 2030. Dorre, though, said politicians need to provide more clarity on spending plans for the longer term in order for contractors to make investments to expand capacity. In Germany, Hensoldts biggest market, the governments decision on whether to set aside strict limits on debt will be key, he said. We need the planning security from politicians, he said. They have to walk the talk. With assistance from Albertina Torsoli, Aaron Kirchfeld and Benedikt Kammel. Travis Timmerman, right, sits with Mosaed al-Rifai, center, who found him in the Syrian desert, and the unnamed owner of the house where he took refuge, left, in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 12, 2024. (Syrian Emergency Task Force via AP) DAMASCUS, Syria An American who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assads notorious prison system said early Friday he was released by the liberators who arrived in Damascus a day after the longtime ruler fled the capital. Travis Timmerman called his release a blessing when he spoke to the Associated Press from a hotel room in Damascus, where he arrived late Thursday. He was among the thousands of people released from Syrias sprawling military prisons this week after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad and ending his familys 54-year rule. Timmerman, 29, said he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door (of his cell) down with a hammer. The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple Assads government, said the group had secured his release. We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the U.S. administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime, the group said, adding that a search was underway for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. An official with the group later said it was arranging for Timmerman to leave Syria, but gave no details. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didnt know of any other Americans held in the facility. I was there seven months. There were women there up above me, Timmerman said. He heard the women singing and teaching their children and could hear some of the men being beaten regularly. I was never beaten, he said. He was detained after he crossed into Syria from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June. He was questioned for 3 hours by interrogators who thought he must be a spy. In a brief second interview, they searched his mobile phone, and in the last interview, he started discussing his dreams with his captors. He said their threat of using violence against him was implicit because he could hear daily beatings next door. But his captors let him use his mobile to call his family three weeks ago. At the time, Timmerman didnt tell his family he was in Damascus, only that he was fine. He said later in his detention, he could hear explosions at a time when Israel was intensifying its strikes in Syria. Israels war with the Hezbollah militant group had intensified in September, before a ceasefire was reached last month. I heard some explosives that shook the building, he said. In his prison cell, Timmerman said he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste. He had three bathroom breaks and had exercise breaks in the first half of his stay. He said the Friday calls to prayers helped keep track of days. He said he gained weight at first because he ate unleavened bread, rice and oats. Sometimes he would get a potato or a tomato a treatment clearly reserved for non-Syrian prisoners, who often ended up emaciated or sick. It is a time of solace and you can meditate on your life, he told AP. It was good for me. Timmerman was disheveled, with a scraggly beard and long hair and nails. He said he had a good sleep and a meal on Thursday. He said he planned to return to Damascus. Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017. Timmermans mother, Stacey Gardiner, told the AP that as of Thursday evening, she hadnt spoken to her son. She said he told her he was visiting Prague, Czech Republic, and Budapest, Hungary, to write about different churches. She said she last heard from him in May, when he said he was going somewhere without internet and that he would call when he had access again. Then he stopped replying to calls and texts and she didnt know whether he was alive or dead. I couldnt help him, and that broke my heart more and more each day, Gardiner said. I just want my baby (to) come home. The family reported him missing, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a bulletin saying Pete Timmerman had gone missing in Hungary in early June. In late August, Hungarian police put out a missing persons announcement for Travis Pete Timmerman, saying he was last seen at a church in Budapest. Timmerman goes by Travis. In describing his release from prison, Timmerman said the action outside his cell woke him up. Those who came to release him spoke to him in Arabic. It was an excited scene. It was not clear if the guards who were there were still there, Timmerman said. I didnt know if they were taking us out in the midst of a war zone. In hindsight, this shooting was not actual clashes. He said he was panicked for a moment. But he realized some of the gunfire was celebratory from blanks. One man was shooting from an AK-47. At one point, he went running back into the prison with two other prisoners. A fellow prisoner helped him out, holding his arm and speaking Arabic to those around. They both accompanied a female prisoner to her home. He spent two nights in Damascus, one in an abandoned apartment in the old town and another at a new friends house. He then started walking toward Jordan, when a Syrian family found him barefoot on a main road in the countryside of Damascus early Thursday. At first, some mistook him for Tice. The Syrian family told AP that Timmerman appeared cold and hungry so they brought him back to their home. I fed him and called a doctor, said Mosaed al-Rifai, the 68-year-old waste collector who first found Timmerman. A few hours after al-Rifai discovered him, rebels arrived at the familys house to pick him up, he said. Mouaz Mostafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based nonprofit group, who was in Damascus, learned of Timmermans location, reached him and contacted U.S. authorities about him. Timmerman is now recovering until the rebels can figure out how to hand him to U.S. authorities, Moustafa said. From Aqaba, Jordan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that the White House was working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria but declined further comment for privacy reasons. Washingtons top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, travelled to Lebanon this week in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Tice. President Joe Biden has said his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged on Sunday that we have no direct evidence of his status. The case has frustrated U.S. intelligence officials for years. This is a priority for the United States, Blinken said. Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus in August 2012 as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men. He hasnt been heard from since. Assads government had denied that it was holding him. Ingram reported from Urbana, Missouri. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in OFallon, Missouri; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; and Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report. The Defense Department is being sued by the National Ranger Memorial Foundation to reinstate the name of Confederate Col. John S. Mosby to Fort Moores Ranger Memorial and as a member of the Ranger Hall of Fame. (National Ranger Foundation/Facebook) COLUMBUS, Ga. An Army Ranger foundations lawsuit seeking to reinstate a Confederate officer to a Fort Moore memorial hinges on an inconsistency in a congressional panels report that identified military items that must be stripped of ties to the Confederacy, the groups attorney argued in federal court. Jonathan Corley, the attorney for the National Ranger Memorial Foundation, told U.S. District Judge Clay Land that the judge should allow the suit to continue to the evidence-gathering stage because it is unclear why the Pentagons Naming Commission identified Col. John Mosbys name to be removed from the Ranger memorial in the body of its September 2022 report but omitted the Confederate from a final list in the reports appendix. Maybe they changed their minds, Corley said Thursday of the commission. That is why we want discovery to find out what happened between the body of the report to [Mosbys] non-inclusion on the list in the appendix. Supporters of the National Ranger Memorial Foundation gather in front of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia in downtown Columbus on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. A hearing on the foundations lawsuit to reinstate the name of Confederate Col. John Mosby to the Ranger memorial at Fort Moore, Ga., was held in the courthouse just miles from the Army post. (Corey Dickstein/Stars and Stripes) The Naming Commission was established by Congress in 2020 to make recommendations on scrubbing the U.S. militarys bases of items linked to the Confederacy, including the renaming of nine Army bases that honored Confederate leaders. Corley argued the 17-page list of hundreds of items for removal from those nine Army bases, which included Fort Moore, formerly known as Fort Benning for Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry Benning, was the specific list that the Naming Commission provided the Pentagon to have scrubbed. He said every other item named in the body of the three final Naming Commission reports appeared on the lists in their appendices. The list, itself, identifies itself as the list, Corley told the judge. It is the list. A Justice Department attorney representing the Pentagon dismissed the inconsistency as unimportant in the case, which the federal government has sought to have dismissed as lacking merit. It is not ambiguous. It is clearly in the text, said Sarah Suwanda, the Justice Department attorney. The [law] says, remove all names that commemorate or honor those who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America. If [Mosby] was not in the body of the report, we would agree, but it is there. Undated photo of Col. John S. Mosby, a Confederate cavalry commander known as the Gray Ghost for leading daring raids on Union forces. (Library of Congress) The Naming Commissions list in its appendix did specify at least six other items associated with Mosby to be removed or renamed, including a range and an airstrip at Fort Moore. The foundation filed its suit last year against the Pentagon to return Mosbys name to the memorial as an inaugural member of the Ranger Hall of Fame, arguing Fort Moore leaders and the Pentagon overstepped their authority in removing it. The memorial is a privately funded monument for Army Rangers that was gifted by the foundation to the service for display at Fort Moore, which is home to the Armys Ranger School, the 75th Ranger Regiments headquarters, its 3rd Battalion and the annual Best Ranger Competition. Foundation officials argued Mosbys name should not have been removed, in part, because after his Confederate service he went on to serve decades in the U.S. federal government as an assistant U.S. attorney and as U.S. consul to Hong Kong. Barry Todd, the foundations president, described Mosby as an honorable man. Mosby wrote after the Civil War that he opposed slavery and secession, but he joined the Confederate army in 1861 out of loyalty to his family and his native state of Virginia. More than two dozen former Rangers and other supporters of the National Ranger Memorial Foundation attended the hearing Thursday at the downtown Columbus federal courthouse, just miles from the gates of Fort Moore. Corley at one point during the hearing alluded to the crowd in attendance, telling Land that Mosby was important to these people and he was enshrined on the monument for developing tactics and maneuvers [that] are still studied today. Known as the Gray Ghost, Mosby led a band of Confederate cavalrymen known as Mosbys Rangers, who conducted daring raids on Union forces, often behind their lines. In 1992, he was inducted into the initial class of the Ranger Hall of Fame. He remains the only Confederate ever admitted in the group. Land at times appeared to doubt the foundations arguments to reinstate Mosbys name to the Ranger Memorial. He posited the Naming Commissions omission of removing Mosbys name from the memorial in its appendix list was likely a clerical error. It seems clear to me that they intended for him to be removed from the memorial and some mistake was made, the judge said. But Land left open the possibility he would allow the lawsuit to move forward. He said Thursday that he would consider the case further and issue a written ruling in the future. No timetable was offered. Mosby should have been listed in the appendix, Land said. Someone made a mistake here. Or not. Ideally, if [the commission] wanted to remove him, he would be on the list. They messed up by not listing him on the list that appears to be what happened. He said he had been drinking and could not remember where he left the car and that his daughter was inside The Garda helicopter was deployed in a bid to find the car with the infant inside A father who left his 9-month-old child in a car for over eight hours will be sentenced next week. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that a thirty-five-year-old man who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his child pleaded guilty to one count of child neglect at a location in the Dublin 15 area on October 21, 2023. He has two previous convictions, one of which was for a minor road traffic matter. Garda Sergeant Cian Logan told Maddie Grant, BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question, the defendant presented to the Clondalkin Garda Station in a distressed state and told gardai that he could not find his daughter or his car. He told gardai that he had searched for both for several hours. He said he had been drinking and could not remember where he left the car and that his daughter was inside. The court heard that the child's mother was away on a pre-planned trip. The defendant told gardai that he had also gone to meet someone to buy drugs. As a result of this information, the gardai launched a search that involved all available gardai from Dublin and Meath, and the Garda helicopter was deployed. The defendant had contacted his neighbours at 9.15pm and they drove him around for a number of hours to try to locate both the child and the car. The gardai sought an emergency ping for the defendant's phone as he believed it may be in the car. The mobile phone ping was located in the Dublin 15 area, and gardai began to search this location. At 4.55am, a car was located, and an infant was seen unsecured and in a distressed state in the car. The court heard that a window of the car was broken, and a member of the gardai climbed in and unlocked the car. The baby was shivering and observed to have blue feet and was dressed in a babygro. The baby was wrapped in additional blankets and brought to Temple Steet Children's Hospital. The baby was changed into warmer clothes, and milk and yoghurt were given. The doctor who examined the child noted that its temperature had returned to normal but confirmed that the baby had been exposed to low temperatures. Gda Sgt Logan said that Section 12 of the Childcare Act was evoked, and TUSLA were alerted. The baby was placed in the care of other family members until the baby's mother could return back to the country, which she did immediately. The court was told that the baby made a full recovery. A large amount of CCTV footage was harvested by gardai, which traced the defendant in different locations throughout Dublin. The court heard that the baby had been alone in the car for eight and a half hours. The defendant was arrested, interviewed and charged. His car was seized, and traces of cocaine were found near the gear stick and in a bag at the driver's door. Gda Sgt Logan agreed with Michale Bowmann, SC, defending, that his client admitted to gardai he had been drink driving and did not know where his child was. The garda agreed with counsel that the defendant presented to the garda station in a very upset and distressed state and described his child as his whole world. He further agreed that the man entered a guilty plea at the earliest possible stage. The partner of the defendant and the mother of the child agreed with Mr Bowmann that she was not aware that the defendant was a full-blown alcoholic and that he had been masking these issues. She also agreed that she was not happy to have the defendant in the family home after the incident. The woman told the court that her partner is a good person who has done a bad thing which should not define him and described him as a kind, caring and committed father. Mr Bowmann said that a probation report, which was before the court, placed his client at low risk of re-offending and that no other interventions were deemed necessary by them. Counsel said that TUSLA carried out an investigation and found that the defendant was not a risk to his daughter. He said the defendant completed a five-week residential rehabilitation programme and has now been involved in their aftercare services for the past year. The court heard that he is drug-free and tested regularly. Mr Bowmann said, The court is dealing with a very serious incident and due to efforts and intervention of the gardai stopped this from being an even more serious incident. He handed in a number of testimonials to the court from family members on behalf of his client, who described him as someone who has grown into a loving and caring father. The court heard that the maximum sentence available is seven years in prison and or a fine. Judge Sarah Berkeley remanded the accused into custody and adjourned this matter for finalisation until next Tuesday. He faced one charge of threatening and abusive behaviour relating to an incident that occurred in December 2023. An anti-immigration activist and unsuccessful candidate in the recent General Election has been convicted of threatening and abusive behaviour in the District Court because he refused to make a charity donation to the Irish Refugee Council. Derek Blighe, 44, of Croughevoe, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork appeared before Judge Colm Roberts at Fermoy District Court. Mr Blighe, who is the leader of the right-wing Ireland First party was an unsuccessful candidate for the party in Cork North Central at the 2024 General Election. He faced one charge of threatening and abusive behaviour relating to an incident that occurred in December 2023. It was alleged that Mr Blighe had been abusive towards Mr Christopher Gomez, the caretaker at Abbeyville House, Fermoy, Co. Cork, a property that was being prepared for refugee accommodation at the time. At a previous hearing on November 15, 2024 Mr Gomez gave evidence that he was alone in the building and had ordered an oil delivery from a local company. He said that when the oil delivery truck arrived Derek Blighe approached the driver and spoke to him. Mr Gomez said Mr Blighe then told him the drivers not going to give you oil and the truck left. Mr Gomez contacted the oil company and a second truck was dispatched which arrived at about midday. When the second truck arrived Mr Gomez opened the gates and the driver began making a delivery. Mr Blighe then began recording Mr Gomez with his mobile phone and the court was shown footage that he had uploaded to Facebook. In the video Mr Blighe can be heard saying to Mr Gomez: You are a guest in this country. Shame on you. You should be ashamed. You will go down in the history books, you will go down in the sewers of Irish history. Go back to where you came from. Mr Gomez said that Mr Blighe live-streamed the incident which he said really traumatised me. He said that later that afternoon he downloaded the footage from Mr Blighes Facebook page and provided it to gardai when he made a complaint. He told the court that he had been an Irish citizen for 20 years and had never experienced anything like this before. Judge Roberts found the facts proven in the case and ordered Mr Blighe to make a donation of 350 to the Irish Refugee Council in order to avoid a conviction and allowed him one month to make the payment. Defence solicitor Matthew Bermingham told the court that Mr Blighe, who was present, was not willing to make a donation to the Irish Refugee Council. Judge Roberts said that he would often ask for donations to charities that were relevant to the particular case and Mr Blighe was not being treated differently in that respect. He said that if Mr Blighe would not make a donation he would not be able to receive the benefit of the Probation Act. Derek Blighe was convicted under Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, fined 400 and given one month to pay. Drugs, money, mobile phones, five high-value cars and Rolex watches were also seized as part of the raids. Watches were seized as part of the major investigation (PSNI/PA) A cross-border organised crime gang has been smuggling multi-kilo consignments of cocaine across the border into Northern Ireland over the past two years, a court heard today. Police said big amounts of cannabis and cash were also moved by a group set up and run on a hierarchical structure. Details emerged as three men and a woman were remanded in custody at Belfast Magistrates Court on charges linked to a major investigation into the suspected operation. They were detained during a series of searches carried out across Belfast earlier this week. Drugs, money, mobile phones, five high-value cars and Rolex watches were also seized as part of the raids. Steven Brown (36), of Dalewood in Newtownabbey, was alleged to be one of the top-ranking members of the Organised Crime Gang (OCG) operating on either side of the border. He faces nine charges, including being concerned in the supply of cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis, and possessing and transferring criminal property. Also in the dock were: 34-year-old Conal Burns, of Altona Drive in Lisburn; Stephen McCormick (46), from Lagmore Dale in Dunmurry, and Catherine Osbourne (24) of Canning Grove in Crumlin, Co Antrim. The court heard police have been investigating a gang involved in large-scale importation and onward distribution of illegal drugs and prescription medication since 2022. Based on evidence gathered from the mobile phones, an investigating detective said: The OCG are regularly moving multi kilos of cocaine from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland and regularly moving tens of thousands of pounds of criminal cash. There is a clear hierarchy, with the upper echelons arranging and facilitating these movements without appearing to go hands-on themselves. Mr Brown controlled and coordinated criminality in Northern Ireland, it was claimed. He allegedly took control of up to 15 kilos of cocaine at a time from crime members in the Republic and used his own pricing structures to sell it on at a profit of 5,000 per kilo. Brown (and another suspect) are controlling a network of drivers supplying lower-level dealers with multi kilos of cannabis, the detective told the court. He was also said to be up to 450,000 in debt, paying it off at 50,000 per month. Brown was approached by the criminal creditor, with an offer that they could take control of his Spanish villa which he values at 700,000, the detective claimed. We have not identified the location of that villa. Another suspect was said to have operated as a logistics manager overseeing collection, storage and cutting of the drugs, as well as gathering money. Burns faces charges of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and possessing criminal property. Police claimed he was one of the lower-level dealers buying the cut and mixed narcotics to sell on for their own profit. Based on the phone messages, he also allegedly discussed his ongoing efforts to pay off a 20,000 debt owed to another gang member. High-value cars were among the items seized (PSNI/PA) He was described as acting as a middle man, proposing and vetting new street-level dealers to use. The court was told police have seized a journal in which Burns allegedly wrote about his thoughts and reflects on being involved in the drugs operation. At one stage he talks about not doing a lot or making enough money to justify it, and hes trying to find a way to clear his debt, start afresh and come up with a way to earn legitimate money, the detective added. Osborne is accused of possessing criminal property and being concerned in the supply of Class A and B drugs. According to police the messages revealed her role as an intermediary in moving drugs and cash, along with having access to a ledger. She has access to a drug hide, takes drugs to supply others and she leaves cash in return, the detective said. McCormick, who did not seek bail, also faces charges of conspiracy and being concerned in the supply of both cocaine and cannabis. Lawyers for the other three defendants disputed the police case against them and argued that they should be released at this stage. Refusing bail, however, the District Judge remanded all of the accused in custody until January 9. Ballymena woman Nikella Holmes has waived her right to anonymity to speak out about what she suffered. Alan Lewis- PhotopressBelfast.co.uk 12-12-2024 Ex -Fire Chief Gary Thompson at Belfast Crown Court today, (Thursday 12th Dec), where he was jailed for under-aged sex offfences committed against a 15 year-old girl. The former NIFRS, (Northern Irel Nikella Holmes waived her right to anonymity after Gary Thompson (inset) was sentenced. A woman sexually abused by former Northern Ireland fire chief Gary Thompson has said she is glad that people now know hes a sex offender and his conviction gives her power. Ballymena woman Nikella Holmes has waived her right to anonymity to speak out about what she suffered. At Belfast Crown Court on Thursday, Thompson (56), of Rogan Wood in Newtownabbey, was sentenced to serve eight months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent assault committed in 2006. Thompson will also be subject to 15 months supervision by the probation service, a five-year sexual offences prevention order, and he is prohibited from contacting his victim. He nodded and spoke only to confirm he agreed to being subject to a custody probation order before being led away in handcuffs. Thompson led the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) from 2016 until his suspension in 2018, and then he subsequently retired. Gary Thompson at Belfast Crown Court. Picture: Alan Lewis. In her only newspaper interview Nikella, who the judge praised for her courage and persistence, told the Belfast Telegraph she is relieved the challenging and drawn-out legal process has finally concluded. She said: There is no way I can get the last 18 years back, but I am glad people now know what he is - a sex offender. Nikella, a 33-year-old researcher and mother-of-one, explained she was aged 13 when she first met Thompson, then in his mid 30s, at the Victory Praise Centre, now Victory Praise Community Church, in Ballymena. It was 2004, and after initially attending the youth group with friends, Nikella became a Christian. I loved learning about the Bible and studying, she said. The first time I remember him was at the new Christians course. He was leading that and facilitated the Bible study lessons. In hindsight, that is when the grooming started. He would give us verses to read and questions to answer for the next week. Towards the end of the course, he asked me to lead those. He told me that he had noticed me, and that I was special. He said he had recognised what I was doing, and was making suggestions that gave me responsibility. In 2005, Thompson became a church youth leader, responsible for leading church activities for Nikella and others. In 2006, Nikella was experiencing great upheaval in her family life, including the death of an uncle, and her mother not being well. It was a difficult time. He (Thompson) became a real support for me. By summer 2006, we were texting every day, and that was when it turned sexual. He texted one day and asked was I in school. When I said I was, he texted, thats good, youre wearing a skirt. At the time, it was shocking and flattering to me that he saw me that way. Nikella says there was lots of flirting and messaging of a sexual nature. He told me he was masturbating to our conversation in an on-call room in the fire station. That sort of conversation happened many times. During one exchange, Nikella says Thompson mentioned feeling old and she replied, try being 15 again. He then replied with I thought you were 18 and apologised for the messages he had sent. That night, Nikella says she got drunk with friends and Thompson picked her up from a house party. We were intimate in the car before I went into my house. The court heard there was kissing, and non-penetrative touching of the legs, breasts, and genital areas above clothes. The next day there was a text conversation about how it shouldnt have happened, and he said we both needed to repent, she said. We also agreed we wouldnt tell anyone, which was his suggestion. After I agreed not to tell anyone, he said if I went back on it, he would deny it and people would believe him. I thought I was committing a sin and didnt want anyone to know. Nikella Holmes. Picture by Peter Morrison Nikella says she would often sneak out of the house in the early hours of the morning, that Thompson would pick her up in his car, and they would park up. On an occasion in 2006, when Nikella was struggling with GCSEs, she attended the church youth group in school uniform. He told me that me being in my uniform was a turn-on for him. He took me into the main church building which was empty, and into the sound desk. He lifted my skirt and put me on his knee. I completely froze and was terrified. When I wasnt engaging, he put me on the desk, and I remember him standing between my legs touching my legs. "I could see members of the youth group through the glass in the foyer and I asked him to stop, and he didnt. I pushed him off me and left the room. I was scared people would see what I was doing. After that incident, Nikella said she asked Thompson not to contact her again outside of church, something she says he characterised as dramatic and inconsiderate. About a month later, he said he had felt bad about what was going on with us and to not text him outside of church. All the physical stuff stopped, but we were still in regular text contact. That was a nightmare. Keeping it to myself but I couldnt even share it with him any more. At 15, cutting everything off and pretending nothing had happened was hard work. Nikellas mental health deteriorated. In 2007, aged 16, Nikella was part of a church mission trip to Romania led by Thompson. Thompson left the church not long afterwards and while outside of the scope of the specimen charge that he pled guilty to, in 2008 Nikella claims when she turned 17 he text me to wish me happy birthday. Texts became sexual after that, and I met him once in the middle of the night. We parked up, and there was sexual touching. That was the last time anything like that happened. I was very committed to the church, and I felt really guilty. To me, it was just sin. I felt like he was struggling and had issues and I was making it worse. Nikella says, at 17, she sought comfort from loved ones about what had happened with Thompson and over the years that followed her mental health was particularly bad. When I was 21, I was suicidal. I had guilt and self-hatred. And I was carrying the blame for it all. In 2018, I got in contact with him because I thought it would help get closure. We had coffee. I wanted to apologise and move on. I couldnt understand how I couldnt move on. He said we should stay in contact and not let the devil win. I realised afterwards that meeting him had been a mistake and had been even more damaging. I spoke to my GP about how I was feeling. We didnt go into a lot of detail, but she recommended Nexus. Victim Nikella Holmes. Picture by Peter Morrison Nikella says Nexus counselling sessions were life changing, and helped her realise I was abused, and that I had no blame. Towards the end of 2018, Nikella reported Thompson to the PSNI. He was arrested and in 2019 prosecuted. After pleading not guilty to charges of indecent assault, a trial date was scheduled for 2020, but delayed by the pandemic. Applications for Facebook material further delayed the case and then a trial was set for summer of this year. Thompson then admitted to two specimen charges of indecent assault, and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register. A specimen charge is made when someone is being charged with numerous violations of the same offence. He denied the remaining seven identical charges which remain on the books. I felt like I had done my job, Nikella said. At this point, it was enough for me to be done with it all. Companies House records show that Thompson served as secretary of Exchange Church Belfast from March 2016 until June 18, 2024, the same day he changed his plea. Nikella says as well as mental health challenges since her teens, she has experienced relationship and trust issues, and has lost people from her life over the years because of the fallout from Thompsons abuse. I lost friends of many years because they didnt agree with me reporting to the police. I was told I was selfish. My faith is now in question and I dont attend any church at all. Nikella adds that she got a sense of closure when Thompson admitted his guilt, and her motivation to waive her right to anonymity was to raise awareness of grooming and sexual abuse. I was believed and look forward to my first Christmas without this all hanging over me. I want all churches and organisations to think about their child safeguarding practices, and be supportive of victims and survivors. Predators target spaces where people are supposed to feel safe and where themes like grace and forgiveness can be used to hide their crimes. She added: I dont know what is next for me, but I am looking forward to finding out and not thinking about court. People dont talk about abuse enough. It needs to be talked about more so people arent uncomfortable and victims and survivors arent scared to speak out. Nikella says she has taken strength from French feminist campaigner Gisele Pelicot. She is right. The shame is not ours. I am finally giving that back to him. He is a paedophile. A registered sex offender. What happened to me is now on legal record and that gives me a power I didnt have before. Any fear I had is gone. The Belfast Telegraph contacted Victory Praise Community Church and Exchange Church Belfast for comment. In a statement, Exchange Church Belfast said: Our primary concern remains with the victim in this case. We fully respect the outcome of todays decision and acknowledge the gravity of the offences committed. These offences occurred in 2006 while Gary Thompson was a member of a different church in Ballymena. We want to emphasise that there has never been any connection between our church and any individuals involved in this case. We first became aware of this matter when Mr Thompson was arrested in December 2018. At that time, we acted immediately by suspending him from his position on the board and implementing enhanced child protection measures to uphold all safeguarding responsibilities. It is important to note that Mr Thompson had no role involving children or young people within our church. As in all situations of this nature, we are deeply sorry for the pain and suffering experienced by the victim. There is no justification for what occurred. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and we hope she finds the time and support needed to heal and rebuild her life. A spokesperson at Victory Praise Community Church said: Gary Thompson has not attended our church for nearly two decades. We have been careful to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures are in place. As a church, we are saddened by this news and our thoughts and prayers are with Nikella. A NIFRS spokesperson said: Mr Gary Thompson, former chief fire and rescue officer, retired on January 14, 2020. He was placed on precautionary suspension on December 10, 2018, while a PSNI investigation was ongoing. Nikella recommends anyone affected by themes in this interview should contact a range of support services including the PSNI, Victim Support NIs sexual offences legal advisers service, and Nexus NI. Anyone in distress or despair can contact lifelinehelpline.info In October, it emerged that an Irish politician had been recruited by Russian intelligence Russias shadow war in the West is being funded through underworld banking networks after a massive global money-laundering operation was exposed this week. Ransomware gangs, like those who hacked the HSE computer system, used the scheme to convert crypto currency which they extorted from their victims and convert it into cash. Money also found its way to Russian language media organisations after sanctions were announced against the firm which owned the Russia Today TV channel. It is estimated the Kremlin spends between 1.5bn to 2bn each year on disinformation and places huge value on any support it can get. In October, The Sunday Times broke the story that an Irish politician had been recruited by Russian intelligence. Russias alleged agent in Ireland christened Cobalt was not identified, but several of his Oireachtas colleagues have called on the politician to show himself. It prompted Taoiseach Simon Harris to say: It shouldnt come as any surprise to any of us that Russia seeks to influence public opinion, distort facts, and is active in relation to that across the world Ireland is not immune. Sergey Prokopiev, a Russian spy, worked as a counsellor at his countrys embassy in Orwell Road, Dublin, from 2019 to 2022. He is reported to have headed up the intelligence operation that allegedly recruited the politician. Its understood he had earlier been arrested and a property linked to him outside the prison was also searched. A PRISON officer has been arrested and his locker in Mountjoy prison searched by gardai as part of an ongoing probe to disrupt the distribution of contraband in the prison. Sources confirmed gardai entered the prison at lunchtime on Thursday and carried out a search of the officers locker. Its understood he had earlier been arrested and a property linked to him outside the prison was also searched. Its further understood no evidence of contraband was recovered during the searches and the officer was later released without charge. The arrest follows the cancellation of the security clearance of a counsellor in the prison last month as part of the same operation to disrupt the flow of contraband, specifically drugs and mobile phones, in Mountjoy Prison. The move to revoke the clearance came in early November after a prisoner was searched following a counselling session and discovered to be in possession of two packages of tablets. Its understood the counsellor is not an employee of the Irish Prison Service. Sources confirmed to the Sunday World that both Thursdays and the earlier operation in November were intelligence led. The Irish Prison Service is currently engaged in a major clampdown on the smuggling of illegal drugs to prisoners. Earlier in November, three people were arrested as part of an operation aimed at preventing individuals throwing drugs to inmates over the walls of Cloverhill Prison. Separately, on October 24th, the Irish Prison Service seized a substantial number of phones, weapons and drugs following a general search at Wheatfield. Twenty-four phones, including iPhone chargers and accessories were first discovered on a landing and some hidden in light fittings. The prison was then locked down as officers from the Operational Support Group along with the canine unit carried out a wider search. Another 13 phones were recovered along with tablets, cannabis and other drugs packaged in dealer portions and for internal concealment. Five weapons, blades, shivs and homemade knives were also discovered. In a previous statement, a spokesperson told the Sunday World: The Irish Prison Service continues to have high level engagement and the sharing of intelligence with An Garda Siochana on a regular basis which is resulting in the seizure of contraband, arrests and significant disruption to organised crime involved in smuggling contraband into Irish Prisons. An Garda Siochana continues to support the Irish Prison Service operationally with ongoing operations in each relevant Garda Division, including Operation Throwover which is supporting the Irish Prison Service at Mountjoy Prison. Operations such as Operation Throwover are intended to disrupt, interdict and prosecute attempts to introduce contraband into prisons." The statement continued: The Irish Prison Service is committed to preventing the access of contraband into prisons and continues to be a high priority for the Irish Prison Service. The Irish Prison Service has committed to continuing to invest in new technologies and measures to support our efforts to keep contraband out of prisons. Prison staff have increased the use of random and intelligence led cell searches on a daily basis. Our Canine Unit carry out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons. There is a free confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) and text line (086 180 2449) which is operational. Prisoners, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of prohibited items into our prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence. Responding to a query about the arrest of the officer on Thursday, an IPS spokesperson said: The Irish Prison Service does not comment on security or operational matters. I think its very, very important that there still remain victims who havent been found to this very day, he said. Writer Ronan Blaney (L) and director Michael Lennox attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage) Scene from the Disney documentary Say Nothing Say Nothing director Michael Lennox hopes the hard-hitting drama will help bring home the remaining Disappeared. He directed four episodes of the Disney+ series about the lives of IRA bombers Dolours and Marian Price and the abduction and murder of Jean McConville in 1972. The mother of ten, whose remains were found on a Co Louth beach in 2003, was the most high profile of 17 paramilitary victims who were killed and secretly buried. The remains of Columba McVeigh, Captain Robert Nairac and Joe Lynskey have never been found, although Lynskeys family are hopeful that a body exhumed from a Co Monaghan graveyard recently might end their torment. Writer Ronan Blaney (L) and director Michael Lennox attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage) Michael, director of Derry Girls and the Oscar-nominated Boogaloo and Graham, told the Hollywood Reporter he hopes the drama will make a difference. I think its very, very important that there still remain victims who havent been found to this very day, he said. Theres still countless people that are seeking justice and deserve justice. And I think if theres one thing our series can do, its a big hope that it may bring some of this stuff up again as a discussion point. I thought that was one of the least things we could do in a story like this. The series, based on the book by American journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, could also shine a light on the untold stories of the Troubles, said the director. And he hopes it will inform an international audience and people closer to home in the UK about the dark period of Northern Irelands history. One of the other things for me is that maybe not an awful lot of people know this story, specifically internationally, about the Disappeared and Jean McConville. And also for a new generation of people in the UK to look at this story again. And not just this story, but all the stories. This is one book and one TV series that isnt the definitive story of the Troubles. So I hope it opens up and points to other books, to other documentaries and opens up the conversation. Michael, from Belfast, directed the early episodes of Say Nothing reflecting the idealism of the early days of Dolours and Marian joining the IRA as teenagers. They were later convicted of the Old Bailey bombings in 1973 and served seven years in prison, during which they were force fed nearly 200 times when they went on hunger strike. Maxine Peake plays the older Dolours, recording with the oral history Boston Tapes project, with Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe playing the sisters as younger women. Then we fast forward into a modern Belfast where people had to live Dolours and the McConville kids, especially with what happened and the unprocessed trauma of that. So it was really exploring for me the cost of that and diving in deep, said Michael. He was also at the helm for the final episode showing Jean McConvilles murder. The scenes were filmed on a beach in England in a shoot which was distressing for the director and the cast. It was harrowing to film a scene like that, especially for me, being from Northern Ireland, he said. And just by nature of the scene, its an extraordinarily emotional scene to be part of, and for the actors to do. It was important for me to take it as seriously as I could and everyone did that night we filmed it. The actors, everyone knew what we were doing, why we were doing it, and then wanted to put it out there in the best way we could, said the director. Denise Smith eats and treats her way around the five boroughs I am taking a proverbial bite out of the Big Apple or at least I am shucking, sucking and slurping my way around the city that never sleeps. Im standing on the sidewalk (its Americanisms from here on out), and in hand I have an oyster that just seconds earlier was expertly plucked and shucked from an ice-filled container that lines the cracked grey pavement. Wisp-like clouds of air are bubbling from my mouth as my breathing becomes more laboured in anticipation of the slimy mollusc sliding down my oesophagus. Before I bottle it completely, I add some hot sauce and down it in one my technique is all teeth and frenzied slurping, while I hop on one foot to distract my brain from what it is actually ingesting. Dramatic? Moi? On a bitingly cold day in mid-November, standing in the heart of the Bronx, I have my very first oyster a seminal moment for all involved. We are at Cosenzas Fish Market a zero-frills open-air raw bar where shellfish is shucked to order and its a feast for all the senses. For about $1 a pop, patrons can chow down on fresh, ice-chilled Blue Point and Kumamoto oysters, littleneck clams and more. Denise at Pier 51 I am on Arthur Avenue, a two-block spread of historic, multi-generational family eateries and businesses at the centre of the Bronx thats famous for being the boroughs Little Italy. And today, myself and my cohort are getting the full foodie experience with brothers Anthony and Paul Ramirez, co-owners of From The Bronx and The Bronx Beer Hall. Ill level with you: my knowledge of the home of hip-hop extended to the fact that it was the birthplace of J-Lo. And that was it. This is part of the reason why our guides, brothers who were born and raised in the Bronx, have come together to promote a host of home-grown collectives and artists to elevate and magnify the boroughs rich culture and history with the world. And food is at the heart of that. Our first stop is Joes Italian Deli, where we are treated to an authentic mozzarella-making demonstration. Kurt making mozzarella at Joes Deli Kurt, who looks like he stepped off the set of The Sopranos, ushers us in closely as he deftly commands a wooden paddle, working the melty goodness into bite-sized samples that we happily gorge on. The salty, gooey, flavour explosion has ruined store-bought mozzarella for me forever. I hope youre happy, Kurt I hope youre happy now. He regales us about the delis famed 45-year history serving fine imported cheeses, Italian meats, oils and vinegars, and Italian pasta but its their homemade, fresh mozzarella cheeses are what they are truly famed for, and what Id come back for again and again. If youre looking for a bouquet of sausages, Calabria Pork Store is for the meat lover in your life. There is as an actual chandelier of sausage hanging from the ceiling. It is a true sausage spectacle and I stand there agog, not able to look away. The classic Italian-style dried meats are impossible to pass up on and I end up loading several pieces into my suitcase and hope I am not pulled by customs. Arthur Avenue in the Bronx Our next stop is Madonia Bakery. An institution in Little Italy, it has been in the business for over a century. The bakery was founded in 1918, which explains why the cannoli taste so good. With each stop, the brothers pack up mouth-watering bites as well as tasty morsels of history so we can chow down and culture up at The Bronx Beer Hall a premier craft beer destination nestled in the heart of the historic Arthur Avenue Retail Market. It is the epicentre of the indoor market that houses everything from a butchers, deli counters and green grocers. We pull up a chair and the wooden tables, stools and memento-laden bar have a charm unbeknownst to itself. A picnic table-sized assortment of delights is laid out before us and we dig in, washing down our good eats with the crown jewel of craft beer, Bronx Little Italy Italian Pilsner. Denise Smith hits the giddy heights of the Empire State We are on a whistlestop tour 48 hours to be precise and we are exploring all that New York Citys five boroughs have to offer. Because of that, theres no such thing as a food coma when you have such breathtaking landmarks on your doorstep. The Bronx Zoo may only be a hop, skip and a jump away but we have a one-way ticket from the beer hall to New York City. Lush acres of greenery stretch out before us but we are here for the Holiday Train Show, which has been in operation for over 30 years and where model locomotives and trolleys trundle between familiar landmarks, around iconic museums, and over city bridges. And whats even more impressive? The miniature cityscape is made completely from plant parts. Its honestly the most darling and meticulously crafted display I have ever seen. I can only imagine my twin boys wonder if they had a chance to put on their conductor hats and follow each train as it whistles by. The attention to detail is incredible a must-see for the holidays. Switching gears we head to Manhattan for one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. A $165m top-to-bottom redesign of the Empire State Building means there is all the more to marvel at than the iconic skyline views and a new, improved queuing system means you can enjoy it all with zero stress or wait times. Denise with a pair of bronzes at the refurbished Empire State Building My ears are popping as we climb to the 80th floor and take a step back in time when the elevator ceiling illuminates with footage of iron workers and masons shouting over the din of machinery, moving steel beams into position, and tossing hot rivets into place. Interactive simulations and models showcase the building at different points during construction and I take my opportunity to pose with the life-like bronze sculptures of four workers who were inspired by the historical photography of Lewis Hine. On the main deck observatory on the 86th floor I am having my own Sleepless in Seattle moment as I take in the twinkling cityscape, but its the open-air observation deck on the 102nd floor that truly takes my breath away. Providing 360-degree views of New York, Brooklyn, Queens, and beyond, its a shimmering light-show spectacular, and possibly one of the best in the world. No trip to New York is complete without a trip to Broadway. Hamilton is the soulful, revolutionary musical that is the hottest ticket around and I am pinching myself as I am sitting front and centre to take it in for the very first time. Its a rousing lyrical masterclass all wrapped up in a frenzy of rap battles and moving songs which follows the USs newfound independence and constitution, seen through the eyes of its first treasury secretary. It packs a sucker punch and I find myself weeping and laughing throughout. Five stars! When youre clocking more than 20,000 steps a day, a good hotel bed can never be underestimated. Fitzpatricks Hotel in Manhattan is famed for its Irish welcome and it is a true home away from home if my home was beautifully furnished and had 24/7 room service available. My adjoining suite is exquisite and when I see the king-size bed I have a full Kevin McAllister moment, but swap out the ice cream for some cooled Champagne. The staff feel like family and nothing feels like too much of as ask. And, joyfully, it is ridiculously central and the subway is just a hop away if you want to venture farther afield. Before we are tucked up in our Aer Lingus seats on the seven-hour flight home, there is room for a little more food. The Holiday Train Show in the Bronx Botanical Gardens Enjoying a culinary tour through the iconic Manhattan neighbourhoods of Chelsea and the West Village that weave together the architectural beauty and culinary evolution of the area, we kick things off at the Chelsea Market with our tour guide from Like A Local. Lets just take a moment for the curry tacos at Takumi Taco and the salted caramel miniature donuts at Doughnuttery before we go any further. Theres also crispy pizza slices and Portuguese tarts thrown into the mix before we head to the innovative Market 57 at Pier 57, which is home to more than a dozen kiosks with a talented mix of minority- and women-owned businesses. Featuring a nearly two-acre rooftop park with stunning panoramic views of Lower Manhattan and New York Harbour, including the Statue of Liberty, its the perfect place to stop and pose for a picture. The High Line brings our tour to its grand finale. The elevated railway turned park is a unique urban escape, offering a trail of greenery in an otherwise concrete jungle. We lope along at our own pace, taking in the artwork and plant beds along the 1.45-mile formerly abandoned freight rail track on Manhattans West End, all set to the magnificent backdrop of New Yorks towering skyline. A few hours later we are bedding down for the night in our business class beds and I cant help but think that Ive taken more than a bite out of the Big Apple. FACTFILE: NEW YORK CITY Denise was hosted by NYC Tourism. For all there is to see and do across New York Citys five boroughs, visit here Denise travelled to New York with Aer Lingus, which operates two daily flights between Dublin and JFK, and daily flights from Dublin to Newark and from Shannon to JFK. Economy fares start from 219 each way and business class fares start from 1,899 return including taxes and charges. Denise stayed at the 4-star Fitzpatrick Hotel Manhattan. For up-to-date information on reservations click here A bomb disposal unit have arrived at the building, a senior party source said. The Social Democrats offices have been evacuated after a suspect package arrived this morning after a week of controversy. The party offices on Frederick Street in Dublin were evacuated after a suspect package addressed to Eoin Hayes arrived. It is understood gardai are attending the scene and the offices were evacuated. A bomb disposal unit have arrived at the building, a senior party source said. Mr Hayes faced controversy this week after it emerged he only sold his shares in an Israeli Defence Forces linked company which he previously worked for after he was elected as councillor. Mr Hayes previously said he sold the shares before getting involved in politics. He has apologised and has been suspended from the parliamentary party. A package addressed to Mr Hayes, the newly elected Dublin Bay South TD, arrived this morning and suspicions were raised. Gardai were called to the scene. Sharon Naughton (55), from Loughbaun, Aughrim, Ballinasloe died from injures sustained during an incident at her home on Monday night A Galway woman who died followed an alleged assault has been remembered as a good soul. Sharon Naughton (55), from Loughbaun, Aughrim, Ballinasloe died from injures sustained during an incident at her home on Monday night. Ms Naughton, a mother-of-five, was rushed to Portiuncula Hospital where her condition deteriorated progressively. On Thursday, her husband Owen Naughton, appeared in court charged with assault causing harm to his wife Sharon. The couple, who have five children, were well known in Ballinasloe and the tragedy has left the community reeling. A former neighbour of Ms Naughtons recalled her as a good soul and a character. I knew her from when she was a child and I know she brought a lot of joy to her parents lives. They were wonderful people. Sharon would have been well known and what has happened is just absolutely heartbreaking. They have a beautiful family and everyone is very sad for them all. There is an awful gloom over the town. Everybody is talking about it and the timing just could not be worse with Christmas on the way. Let God comfort them all. Sharon Naughton had previously worked for Bank of Ireland in Ballinasloe. On Thursday Owen Naughton, of Loughbaun, Aughrim, Ballinasloe in Co Galway, was brought before Ballinasloe District Court and formally charged with assaulting his wife and causing her harm. Mr Naughton made no reply when the charge was out to him. Gardai objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the charge. Judge Deirdre Geraghty refused bail and remanded Mr Naughton in custody. When you walk into the mass of colourful ukulele players at Jack Dustys Ale House on any Monday evening, its almost impossible to picture the humble beginnings of the enthusiastic group. It was in 2021 that Jill Leighton asked the pub whether she and a few friends could sit in a corner and quietly practise playing their instruments together. I cant say Id had that kind of request before, but were a venue that embraces live music and Mondays were quiet, so I thought why not, bar manager Jess Luxton said. It snowballed, surprising even Leighton. To begin with, there were five of us in the corner and over the last two and a half years its got bigger as people tell their friends about it. We ended up forming a band from within our members to lead the singing because it had grown so much, said the 72-year-old Papamoa resident. Now, groups of 10-25 players from Jack Dustys Ukulele Club perform at gigs around the city and the money earned is donated to charity. This is the second year theyve donated to Otumoetai Social Supermarket. We all get immeasurable joy performing for people in residential facilities and at community events. Its wonderful having the opportunity to give to others by sharing our passion for playing ukulele and singing, Leighton said. The ukulele group founder Jill Leighton. Photo/ Bob Tulloch Graeme Crossman, of Kiwifruit Country Tours, has been instrumental in organising cruise ship companies to contribute to the band, knowing the money is going back into the community. As part of our excursion we visit the Historic Village and needed some activity there, so we created it by inviting the musicians, said Crossman. These ukulele players are enthusiastic and happy and connect with the passengers brilliantly. I think the reason the Monday event has become popular is that everyone is participating and we keep it straightforward with simple strumming and singing, Leighton said. As this is predominantly older people, we play mostly 1960s and 1970s songs. We also play traditional and local Maori waiata. Rawini Ngaamo and Jill Leighton on stage leading the ukelele strummers. Photo/Bob Tulloch Leighton insists within half an hour, first-timers pick up enough to be able to join in. We always dress up, which adds to the fun. Its the kind of instrument that really lends itself to this. We dont have a uniform, we just dress in bright, colourful clothing. Its like a symphony of colour when we walk into a gig venue. People are meeting and making new friends here and everyone is so positive. Youre immediately in a party mood when you walk in. Its a great vibe. If youd like to join, you know where to find the group on Monday evenings. A stiff south-westerly wind of about 15-20 knots was blowing offshore as Biriauea left around 3pm with two rods but no lifejacket. It was something the 25-year-old competent swimmer who was familiar with the sea did regularly. On a November afternoon two years ago, Betero Biriauea paddled out into choppy water to go fishing in his kayak. As he paddled out into the Firth of Thames on the sleek, sit-on-top kayak, it was the last time he was seen alive. The Kiribati-born marine engineers body was found seven days later washed up on a beach about 60km north of where he had launched his kayak. Coroner Rachael Schmidt-McCleave said there was little doubt that had Biriauea been wearing a lifejacket and had a reliable means to call for help, he may not have died. It is an oft-repeated, but often ignored, message that lifejackets are imperative to survival in the water. She said in her just-released findings that the degree of possible complacency in this case was dangerous for all recreational water users, no matter their level of experience. Members of the Papakura Coastguard who helped in the November 2022 search for missing kayaker Betero Biriauea. On the afternoon of November 5, 2022, Biriauea picked up his father and girlfriend and drove to Whakatiwai in the Firth of Thames near Kaiaua Beach. He was said to often go there from his home in Pukekohe, as he liked fishing around the nearby mussel farm. His partner, Selepa Iliesa, would sometimes go with him and wait in the car for his return before dark. On this occasion, neither she nor Biriaueas father saw him put on the lifejacket he usually had with him in the kayak. They became concerned when he failed to return at dusk and reported him missing around 9pm. The police Eagle helicopter helped with the initial search as the family searched in a boat. The next day a fisherman found his kayak in the water off the Orere boat ramp, about 17km north of Whakatiwai. The kayak was upright with two fishing rods in it, but there was no sign of Biriauea, who worked for Bluebridge. An extensive police search continued throughout the following week, with the help of Coastguard NZ, Land Search and Rescue, plus searchers in aircraft. Iliesa then found the rubbish bags filled with sand and rocks, which Biriauea used as an anchor, near Tapapakanga Regional Park. On November 12, 2022, around 6am, a dog walker at Te Puru Park found a body, later confirmed to be Biriauea, washed up in a fenced-off bird area at the beach. Te Puru Park is south of Beachlands, about 60km north of Whakatiwai. Schmidt-McCleave said that based on survival times in water of 18C she believed that Biriauea died sometime between November 5-6 and his body then drifted to Te Puru Park, just south of Beachlands. A post-mortem examination determined he had drowned. A Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) report provided to the coroner found that the kayak was suitable for what Biriauea was doing and that he had shared his intended fishing plan, including an estimated return time, with his family before departing. However, he did not have his mobile phone, a GPS beacon or other form of communication with him. MNZ said although it was not known when Biriauea came off his kayak, it was reasonable to assume he had been in the water a long time without a lifejacket or wetsuit. Schmidt-McCleave found that, at some point, Biriauea became separated from his kayak and was unable to get himself back on board. Without the means to call for help, and being inadequately dressed for the conditions, he likely succumbed to the effects of immersion in cold water and drowned. Among a list of recommendations, Schmidt-McCleave referred to MNZs Boating Safety Code which recommended recreational boaties wear a proper-fitting lifejacket. The recommendation was based on statistics which showed that more than two-thirds of boating fatalities may have been prevented if lifejackets were worn. MNZ also encouraged all recreational boaties to file a trip report with Coastguard NZ, which could be done from a mobile phone on the Coastguard NZ app or *500. Schmidt-McCleave also recommended that kayakers and kayak fishers consider taking part in a KayakSafe workshop to learn skills such as getting back on to or into a kayak after falling out. One person has died following a two-vehicle crash in the Coromandel. Emergency services were called to Main Rd, Tairua, about 5.20pm on Thursday, police said today. The crash happened between Manaia and Daphne Rds. One person was unable to be revived. Their death has been referred to the Coroner, police said. Customs has warned drug smugglers this summer after arresting a 29-year-old Canadian at Auckland International Airport for attempting to smuggle methamphetamine disguised as a Christmas gift in her carry-on duffle bag. The woman arrived in Auckland on a flight from Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday, 8 December 2024, and was questioned by Customs officers upon arrival. A baggage search found her with an estimated 10.2 kilograms of methamphetamine wrapped as a Christmas present. This amount of the drug would have been worth up to $3.8 million in street value and a potential social harm cost of approximately $10.7 million. This is a classic attempt by transnational organised criminal groups to exploit the busy travel season. However, a busy airport does not mean Customs is not focused on or paying attention to anyone who may pose a drug risk. The airport teams are made up of vigilant officers who are intently focussed on catching those trying to bring harm to New Zealand, Customs Manager Auckland Airport, Paul Williams, said. Customs takes a layered approach to protecting the border, and every passenger is risk-assessed even before arriving in New Zealand. Criminal syndicates will use whatever tactics necessary to smuggle drugs, including manipulating people to do their bidding. These criminal groups make the mistake of thinking Customs wont chase smaller targets, but we know that drugs sent from North America are an increasing risk, and we are prepared. We also have an excellent working relationship with our Canadian partners and collaborate with them closely to, in some cases, stop the drug couriers even before they board a flight here. The arrested woman has appeared in the Manukau District Court on charges of importation and possession for supply of a Class A controlled drug. She has been remanded in custody. Anyone concerned about possible smuggling behaviour can contact Customs confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Police are disappointed by a significant increase in drug use across New Zealand revealed in the latest quarter of wastewater testing. Testing was conducted during quarter three of 2024 (July, August, and September) at the 59 wastewater sites covering around 76% of New Zealands population. Methamphetamine consumption was up substantially with a more than 100% increase in use, or over double the average quantity of the drug consumed per week compared with the previous four quarters. In real terms, that is an estimated average of 32.4kg of methamphetamine consumed per week. All policing districts recorded above-average methamphetamine use when compared to the previous four quarters. It is estimated that methamphetamine use across sample sites in quarter three equates to around $34 million per week in social harm costs. Cocaine use remains high in New Zealand, according to the Police. Photo / file Cocaine use had an 86% increase, with all testing sites recording above-average cocaine consumption rates that equate to an estimated 5.5 kilograms used per week during this quarter. MDMA use saw a 22% increase compared to the previous four quarters, with an estimated 8.5 kilograms of the drug used weekly. Half of the districts recorded above-average use of MDMA. A full report on these results can be found here. Police, along with our partners, are exploring various reasons for the increase in drug use during this period. The factors that influence drug use are so varied that it makes it difficult to identify a specific cause for any increase or decrease, however, we know globally that availability and pricing play a significant role in illicit drug consumption. Detective Inspector Tim Chao of the National Drug Intelligence Bureau says Police and our Transnational Organised Crime (TNOC) partners remained focused on targeting and disrupting the supply of illegal drugs wherever they are coming from. Police has carried out a number of major operations targeting the Comancheros gang and other organised crime groups, as well as the establishment of our new Gang Disruption Units. Police is one piece of this complex social challenge of trying to combat drug importation and supply as well as the more difficult part in trying to educate and deter people from using drugs in the first place. Police also want those who consume illicit substances to understand the violence, harm and dysfunction that occurs in the manufacture and distribution of these substances before they reach the user. It is extremely damaging to many communities both here and internationally. Our Police staff and partners are all working hard every day to target those who wish to wreak havoc amongst our communities by bringing these drugs into New Zealand. Police and our partners are focused on our ongoing TNOC strategy, which sees 20 government agencies working towards the common purpose of making New Zealand an unattractive place for organised crime groups to conduct their business. These results are concerning, and work continues to try and understand the sudden increase. Police are focussed daily on the enforcement of those importing and supplying these illicit drugs and remind our community that we can all play a part in reducing the social harm and misery that drugs cause by reporting any suspicious activity or information which may help us to stop those involved in these types of crimes. They can contact us directly or by calling Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, says Detective Inspector Chao. If you or anyone you know needs support with addiction or drug use, there are places they can turn to for help. Lorena Cadiz Mijas Friday, 13 December 2024, 12:14 Compartir Mijas still has 53 tonnes of donated material stored in municipal facilities intended for victims of the floods that hit Valencia on 29 October. The people of Mijas, like those of many other municipalities, showed their support and wanted to help the thousands of families affected with food, cleaning utensils, hygiene and other materials that were considered necessary at the time. In total, according to the data provided by the town hall, around 100 tonnes of products of all kinds were collected. Of these, approximately half are still in Mijas, which has provoked criticism from the opposition, and surprise from the government team, which claims to have followed the guidelines set by the Spanish federation of municipalities (Femp) to the letter. According to the council, on 4 November they received notice from Femp asking them to slow down the deliveries in view of the massive response from citizens all over Spain and the impossibility of managing everything at the same time. In this email, they continued, they were told that all the material could be delivered at a later date, once previous deliveries had been organised. "The civil protection service has been in constant contact with Femp technicians and the provincial authority of Valencia to coordinate the process. The last communication we were given was that probably after the December bank holiday they would resume," sources from the town hall said. The council also said that the last 19 tonnes of food in storage will be sent to Bancosol this week. It will be Bancosol that will decide which route the food will follow, giving priority to those areas where there are still needs due to the Dana. Once these 19 tonnes have been sent, there will still be another 34 tonnes in storage, including a wide range of products, but not food. The local government has set next week as the likely date for distribution to begin. They recognise that the clothes are the most complicated to distribute and that it will be the last thing to go out, as Valencia has asked them not to send any more clothes. Therefore the idea of the town hall is to work with local associations to give them the clothes so that they in turn can distribute them to whoever they consider necessary. All these donations are stored in two municipal warehouses. One part is in the old fire brigade building and the other in the cleaning and waste collection building. The PSOE in Mijas have strongly criticised this situation, both for the delay in the delivery of donations and for the storage conditions, which they considered "not very hygienic". The council rejected this last point and assured that the material has always been controlled and stored in good conditions. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Friday, 13 December 2024, 10:51 | Updated 15:44h. Compartir Spain's minister for transport, Oscar Puente, had already shown signs of his enthusiasm via social media for a trainline to run along the Costa del Sol, following the transport meeting in Malaga on 28 November. He has now been explicit about his commitment in the Congreso de los Diputados, the lower house in the Spanish parliament. "This government has started to study the Costa del Sol train and I am going to reiterate what I said the other day on social media: we are not only going to carry out the study, but we are going to build the line," said the minister. "This government is going to make the Costa del Sol train a reality, and this minister is not known for making smoke and mirrors announcements; if we say that we are going to do it, Andalusians can believe it," he said. On a political note, Puente added: "That is, if they trust us to do it, because the one that will certainly not do it is a PP government, which for many years did absolutely nothing. "We are finally working on the Costa del Sol train, and this should be welcomed by the PP, because we have the mayor of Malaga (Francisco de la Torre) and the mayor of Marbella (Angeles Munoz) and many mayors of that area (all of them are from the PP) demanding this train for a long time". During the minister's appearance on the management of the Dana and the criticisms of the Popular Party for the "railway chaos" in Valencia and other parts of the country, the minister listed the projects in which his department is currently immersed, among which he placed special emphasis on the Costa del Sol railway. Little precedent The first serious attempt in history was that of the Junta de Andalucia, which in March 2009 awarded the contract for what could have been the first section of the Costa del Sol railway corridor between Las Lagunas and La Cala de Mijas. The four-kilometre route was divided into two tunnels. At that time an agreement signed in 2004 between the Andalusian and central governments was in place, through which the then Junta de Andalucia was to be in charge of building the track between Fuengirola and Estepona (53.2 kilometres long and with an estimated demand of 100 million passengers per year). On the section between Malaga city and Fuengirola, the Ministry of Public Work was responsible for modernising the existing platform. The latter made considerable progress, but fell short. The petition for the coastal train has reached almost 30,000 signatures The SUR petition 'Por un tren para la Costa del Sol' (For a train for the Costa del Sol) has already reached 30,000 signatures. The petition, promoted by SUR, shows citizens' commitment to the future of the province and its sustainable development. This initiative, which began almost six months ago, has been key to making both the Spanish government, which has the powers to make the project possible, and the other administrations, aware of the demands of the people of Malaga regarding the necessary and urgent construction of the coastal train, after decades of neglect on the part of politicians and institutions of all colours. Not surprisingly, in this time there has been an important turn of events and the Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, has gone from denying this infrastructure to defending it with enthusiasm and the conviction that it is technically and economically feasible. At the state level, we have to go back to the times of the minister Inigo de la Serna (PP) to find one of the few precedents of such a strong and relevant commitment. In January 2018, the minister for public works came to Marbella to present a study for an extension of the C1 (Malaga-Fuengirola) commuter line to Marbella and Estepona. At that time, the ministry's civil servants considered two possible routes, with an investment of between 2,370 and 3,850 million euros, but only for a train like the current one and limited to that route, not from Nerja to Algeciras, which is what is being proposed now. Moreover, under his mandate, the feasibility study was launched, but the project was halted due to the lack of budgets and the change of government. Previous studies Now, the context is different. From initial misgivings, the minister has moved on to fully support the initiative, which he has already vehemently defended on two occasions in the space of a few days. "I am sure that this infrastructure is possible and will be a reality sooner rather than later", he said on X after the meeting on 28 November. The general secretary for sustainable transport, Alvaro Fernandez Heredia, promised at the end of last month in Malaga to put out to tender a feasibility study for the Nerja to Algeciras railway before the end of the year. He also asked citizens for "patience", adding, "These projects are slow, but the important thing is to start after 30 years of waiting. Once again, it will be a socialist government that will do it, like all the major infrastructures in the province." Example of abuse Paradoxically, almost at the same time, in other public forums, prominent Andalusian leaders were criticising the government for its inaction regarding the coastal railway. This was the case of the president of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno, who cited this project as one of the examples of what he considers "mistreatment" of the central government towards the region of Andalucia. Meanwhile, in Madrid, the president of the provincial Diputacion de Malaga, Francis Salado, appealed to the unity of all the mayors of the Costa del Sol and Campo de Gibraltar, the two provincial councils and the Junta to legitimise the need for the coastal train between Nerja and Algeciras. The president assured that this investment "will be paid off in five or six years, due to the savings it will generate" in income for families and companies, in safety and accidents, and in time and emissions. Before (1992) and after (2024) in the Froncaire valley, in Tolox, after the planting of 16,000 gall oaks; now there are 25,000. Pilar R. Quiros Friday, 13 December 2024, 16:42 Compartir Anyone who has not headed into the Sierra de las Nieves National Park to see the Spanish 'pinsapos' firs, a rare, unique type of ancient spruce fir that has settled in this mountain range, needs to add it to their bucket list. The pinsapos were ravaged for years, mercilessly cut down to build roofs and other structures, to make charcoal, ship masts, railway sleepers and even chopped down to become ideal Christmas trees. However, tree species never grow in isolation. The pinsapos were part of a very biodiverse forest and the logging most deeply affected the gall oak that also frequented the higher reaches of this sierra alongside the pinsapo. By the 1990s the gall oak ('quejigal' in Spanish, quercus faginea subspecies alpestris being its scientific name) was endangered - currently classed as "vulnerable" Back then only about 4,000 specimens remained. That is as many as the Spanish fir, but this oak forest was already dying. Zoom The plan to combat erosion and desertification that was put in place at that time has been completed some 30 years later. Of the 16,000 new gall oaks planted there are now about 25,000 thanks to natural regeneration. They have grown blending with a vast mass of Spanish fir trees and 230 low walls and embankments, which prevent severe erosion from causing the Guadalhorce, Costa del Sol and Malaga to flood with sediment from the upper basins of the Verde, Turon, Genal and Grande rivers. Today, a splendid, typically Mediterranean high mountain forest - the 'quejigal de Tolox' - stretches proudly along the Froncaire ravine. With the plan the flow of sediment from the upper basins of the Verde, Turon, Genal and Grande rivers is controlled Humans took away much of the forest, but now other people have given nature a big helping hand here - quite the miracle. The dreadful rains of 1989 had generated a high level of erosion and desertification on the peaks of the Sierra de las Nieves, to which were added the intense grazing and troubles with the mountain goats for which the young tree shoots, the saplings, are manna from heaven to eat. All together it was a fearsome Molotov cocktail, which caused six centimetres of topsoil to be lost during the torrential rains. It was a disaster. Zoom Pepe Quintanilla shows the protection used for gall oaks, pinsapos, mountain ash and maple trees. SUR Over thirty years ago This story is told by Miguel Angel Catalina, who was the director of the natural park at the time (now retired), and who, on this occasion, ascends these mountains with the current director of the now national park, Rafael Haro, and the head of the Junta's forestry department, Pepe Quintanilla. With the joint aim of protecting Malaga city, the Guadalhorce and the coast against flooding and to do everything possible to prevent the loss of the jewel that is the gall oak forest, a plan to combat erosion and desertification was launched in 1991, initiated by the ministry of agriculture at the time and now with the finishing touches completed by the regional government's environment office for Malaga province. These interventions in the natural environment, known as 'hydrological-forestal corrections', are essential to protect the populated areas nearby and the Mediterranean forests themselves. The forests suffer from strong desertification processes because here, in the Mediterranean, the mountain ranges are nothing like forests across the Atlantic or elsewhere in Europe where the greenery just acts like a sponge. Here every centimetre of green has to be cultivated, nurtured. There were only 4,000 gall oaks left, now there are 25,000. Over 16,000 were planted; the rest are part of natural regeneration The climb to Puerto Pilones, from where you can see a large part of the mountains of the province and the coast at an altitude of 1,700 metres, is a real breath of fresh air. Zoom During the walk everyone's thoughts turn to how the Dana storm devastated the towns and villages in Valencia and how important it is to take action in the environment to protect the population when there are torrential rains. The forestry specialists wanted shepherds to play a leading role in their reforestation plans because they had to give their approval to the project as their livestock would be grazing in the same parts of the Sierra de las Nieves. At the beginning, in order to save the trees from being nibbled by the sheep and mountain goats, plots measuring 5x5 metres were created in which three gall oak saplings were planted, and/or a Spanish fir, a maple or a rowan tree. Quintanilla is proud of what his friend Catalina started and which he has finished. They believe that anyone who reforests in a homogeneous way, always with the same tree, does not know what they are doing. Forests with a variety of species withstand fires, pests and bad weather better. Shepherds' concerns Shepherds Jose Sanchez, now 85 years old, and Juan Vera Leiva (67) welcome the hikers. Leiva, who is an old acquaintance, explains the initial reluctance to such a project mostly because the sheep would have large areas closed off to them. In exchange, however, the shepherds were left large grazing spaces between the reforested areas. This philosophy of 'let's respect each other' has pretty much lasted a lifetime. This is the job of the forestry engineers to convince them that people can coexist with the forest. Zoom Along the way, the spongy-looking, spiky bush nicknamed 'cojin de monja' (literally nun's cushion) appears, a bush that resembles a green porcupine giving ground cover in the high mountain areas and mixing with creeping juniper. Dozens of mesh fencing with support poles surround the gall oaks, firs, yews and maples to protect them. The mature ones, now over 30 years old, are no longer protected, but others still need saving from the voracious mountain goats. Nearby are some of the reatining walls with stones held in place by wire cages. These support the soil, slowing down the passage of rainwater to stop erosion and were designed by Catalina. Anything that comes down from the summits with the force of a flash flood of water is extremely dangerous. We are now right in the heart of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. A thick fog accompanies the visitors as the sun tries to break through. The humidity provided by this cloud bank shows up as condensation on the protective netting wrapped round each tree like a cylinder. In August the soil of the sierra is dry, and yet these saplings have damp roots thanks to Catalina's walls and mini-dams retaining water to feed both the trees and the vegetation surrounding them. Back to nature The project is nearing completion, but there is one important detail left. Some retaining walls need refurbishing, and all those nets around the strong trees should be removed, as they can now survive on their own. Others will still need them until they reach two metres, but in general, it's time to restore the forest to its natural state. Zoom The director of the national park, Rafael Haro, points to one of the retaining walls among the vegetation. Haro and Quintanilla check the final touches being done on the project with current project manager and forestry engineer Marta Rios and coordinator Cristobal Becerra, together with adviser to the national park and forestry engineer Natalia Rios. In the final stage of this project they will also make changes to the footpaths and clear vegetation to create mountain pastures, so that both flora and fauna will benefit from the last of the work overseen by the Junta's environmental office. This has been a very special day, and you can see it on everyone's face. Quintanilla, guardian of the pinsapos for 38 years, has ended his professional career and is retiring. Facing all the greenery now on show near where the locals come to venerate the Virgen de la Victoria de Malaga in a small shrine, they toast Quintanilla on his retirement who, together with Rafael Haro, have formed an unbeatable team to defend the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. Nobody is irreplaceable, but Pepe is very close to this definition. These mountains will surely miss him. Zoom At the helm of the project since it started, Miguel Angel Catalina (frist right), and Pepe Quintanilla (fifth left) with other experts and engineers. P. R. Q. Night falls and the route through eight kilometres of high mountains ends in the Sierra de las Nieves National Park, the greatest natural jewel in the province of Malaga. Behind it lies a dreamy glen full of Spanish firs, gall oaks, maples and yews. A miraculous forest that grew back thanks to human intervention. By Alex Gault | Watertown Daily Times, N.Y. (TNS) Watertown, N.Y. President Joseph R. Biden on Thursday commuted the sentence for convicted fraudster and former Jreck Subs principal Christopher M. Swartz. In 2017, Swartz, of Watertown, was convicted of defrauding over 150 people out of about $21 million, and evading over $4 million in taxes. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice released after his sentencing, Swartz had taken money from people interested in investing in the sandwich shop chain and other hospitality companies he owned, providing fraudulent promissory notes and offers of ownership in his companies. When people attempted to get their money back, he made false assurances and partial payments, ultimately concealing his assets in a web of shell companies and secondary accounts to hide the money from those he owed money to. He did this between 2005 and 2015. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to wire fraud and tax evasion counts. READ MORE: He also sold worthless shell company stocks to about 70 people in the U.K., defrauding them of about $1.1 million. Christopher Swartz stole millions of dollars from investors and lenders and cheated the public treasury out of millions of dollars of taxes, said Acting U.S. Attorney Jaquith at the time of his sentencing. His elaborate scheme to defraud relied on a mind-boggling web of accounts and enterprises and concealment of his assets and diversions of funds. He was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison for the fraud and tax evasion, and was serving his time in the Otisville prison in Orange County. But in December of 2022, Swartz was relocated from the prison to a halfway house in Pittsburgh, meant to aid a transition out of the corrections system. He served just over 5 years in prison of his original 12 1/2 -year sentence. According to the federal prisoner lookup database, Swartz was meant to be released from that program on Jan. 12, 2027 his Thursday commutation means his total time served will be 7 years. He was also ordered to pay $25.7 million in restitution to the victims of his crimes and to forfeit any interest he had in the Jreck sandwich chain. The U.S. Marshals Service held an auction for Jrecks assets, and Fresh Start Franchising, headed by Matthew G. Darrah, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, took control of the business. It was unknown Thursday if the commutation of his sentence has any effect on Swartzs restitution obligations. ___ (c)2024 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Update: The missing college student from Central New York has been found in good health, New York State University Police at SUNY Cobleskill said. Cobleskill, N.Y. Police have asked the public for help finding a missing college student from Central New York. John Koscinski, an 18-year-old student at SUNY Cobleskill, was last seen Wednesday afternoon on the Capital Region colleges campus, New York State University Police at SUNY Cobleskill reported today in a news release. Investigators started looking for the freshman Wednesday night after Koscinskis parents contacted SUNY Cobleskill officials when their son failed to return their calls, WKTV reported. Koscinski also failed to show up for a final exam on Wednesday, the Daily Gazette reported. In an alert, the states Missing Persons Clearinghouse said Koscinski may be endangered. Koscinski is from Utica, WKTV said, and is majoring in culinary arts. He previously attended and swam for Proctor High School in Utica, Syracuse.com | The Post-Standards archives show. Koscinski was last seen around 1 p.m. Wednesday on SUNY Cobleskills campus in Cobleskill, a small village about 50 minutes west of Albany. He drives a dark grey 2012 Subaru Legacy with license plates numbered LBA 2792, police said. The Missing Persons Clearinghouse described Koscinski as: 5 feet 11 inches tall 210 pounds Brown hair and brown eyes Last seen wearing a grey hooded Metallica sweatshirt, a black coat and blue jeans University police asked anyone with information about Koscinskis whereabouts to call (518) 255-5555 or email unipol@cobleskill.edu. Please be on the lookout, police wrote on Facebook. Syracuse, N.Y. The state Attorney Generals Office has issued its report into the fatal shooting of a man who killed Syracuse police officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga County Sheriffs deputy Michael Hoosock. The attorney general is required to investigate any death caused by a law enforcement officer. They are also required to prosecute the case if charges are warranted. Related article: In chaotic Salina shooting where two cops died, officers struggled to talk by radio The AG ruled police were justified in killing the shooter, Christopher Murphy, 33, according to the report released Wednesday. Jensen, 29, and Hoosock, 37, were investigating a car that had been driving erratically earlier in the evening on April 14. Officers tracked the car to 4945 Darien Drive in Salina, where they found it parked in a driveway with ammunition inside. Murphy came out of the house and opened fire on the police. They returned fire and killed him. Here is the report Syracuse, N.Y. A Syracuse judge facing backlash for refusing to marry a same-sex couple will recuse herself from criminal cases while there is a pending grand jury investigation against her, court officials said Friday. Judge Felicia Pitts Davis is temporarily recusing herself from all cases involving the Onondaga County District Attorneys Office, Deborah Karalunas, the Administrative Judge for the Fifth Judicial District, said in a statement. Pitts Davis recused herself to avoid the appearance of impropriety, Karalunas said in a statement released by a state court spokesperson. She will be assigned to civil cases while the matter is pending, Karalunas said. A grand jury is hearing evidence presented by the district attorneys office to determine whether Pitts Davis should be charged with a crime. Shawntay Davis, 33, and Niccora Davis, 29, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that they were asked to testify before a grand jury about the incident Wednesday. District Attorney William Fitzpatrick has declined to comment on whether there is a grand jury looking into Pitts Davis. Grand juries are secret in New York state. The Syracuse City Court judges decision to step back from criminal cases comes a week after Fitzpatrick told syracuse.com | The Post Standard that he planned to ask her to recuse herself. You shouldnt have to walk into the court and wonder, Am I getting a fair shake? Fitzpatrick said. Pitts Davis refused to marry the couple on Nov. 16 after performing a marriage for a heterosexual couple in the same courtroom moments before, two sources told syracuse.com. The couple said that Pitts Davis was emotional during the wedding she conducted and then left without acknowledging them. Pitts Davis cited her religious beliefs as the reason she refused to marry the two women, sources said. Syracuse City Court Judge Mary Anne Doherty, who is gay, performed the marriage ceremony instead. Same-sex marriage has been legal in New York state since the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in 2011. The law declared marriage a fundamental human right. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples. Judges who choose to perform marriages cannot discriminate when deciding which couples they will marry. The incident is also being reviewed by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, according to Al Baker a spokesperson for the state Office of Court Administration. After a complaint is investigated, the commission can either confidentially caution a judge or charge a judge for misconduct. From there, a judge could either be publicly admonished, censured or removed from office or the complaint could be dismissed. City and state officials, including Gov. Kathy Hocul and Mayor Ben Walsh, have criticized Pitts Daviss actions. The Onondaga County Democratic Committee and the CNY Pride organization have called for Pitts Davis to resign. Pitts Davis was elected to a 10-year term in 2020. She was paid $190,586 in 2023, according to state payroll records. Pitts Davis has not responded to multiple inquiries from Syracuse.com on her refusal to marry the same-sex couple. Local and state officials have refused to answer questions submitted by Syracuse.com nor to confirm that the weddings that day even took place. Shawntay Davis and Niccora Davis are married by Judge Mary Ann Doherty in Syracuse City Court on Nov. 16, 2024. The judge is behind the two women.Provided photograph Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, met here Thursday with Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 75 years ago, China and Russia have blazed a new path featuring mutual respect, harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between major and neighboring countries, setting an example of new-type international relations as well as relations between major neighboring countries, Xi said. He said China is willing to work with Russia to strengthen the synergy of development strategies, tap the intrinsic momentum of bilateral cooperation, and continuously bring benefits to the two countries and peoples. China and Russia should strengthen communication and coordination within such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations (UN), the BRICS cooperation mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, and practice true multilateralism so as to make the international order more just and equitable and jointly safeguard global strategic stability and international fairness and justice, Xi said. Xi pointed out that since the establishment of relations between the CPC and the United Russia party more than 20 years ago, the two sides have conducted high-level and constructive interactions, strengthened exchanges and mutual learning on party and state governance, continuously enriched the content of institutionalized exchanges between the two parties, and helped consolidate political and strategic mutual trust between China and Russia. As important forces promoting human progress, the two parties should further coordinate and cooperate closely, lead the global governance in the right direction, and pool the consensus of friendly political parties in countries around the world, especially in the Global South countries, to push the world forward in the right direction, Xi said. On the Ukraine crisis, China has repeatedly emphasized the need to uphold the three principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no provocation by any party, to promote the easing of the situation as soon as possible, Xi said. He added that China will continue to adhere to its consistent position and work with the international community to create favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis. Medvedev delivered a signed letter to Xi from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and expressed his delight at visiting China again on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. The current high-level cooperation between Russia and China is the result of the joint guidance and promotion by President Putin and President Xi, he said. The Russian side will unswervingly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote strategic coordination, Medvedev said. Noting that the exchanges and cooperation between the United Russia party and the CPC bear special responsibilities in the relations between the two countries, Medvedev said the United Russia party is willing to promote pragmatic cooperation and youth exchanges through the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of Russia and China, strengthen education on traditional values such as patriotism and promote the long-term development of bilateral relations. Medvedev said that the Russian side speaks highly of China's position on the Ukraine crisis, pays attention to the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis, an initiative put forward by China, Brazil and other countries, and is willing to actively promote the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Editor: ZAD Syracuse, N.Y. A Syracuse man faces 15 years to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to selling 81 pounds of cocaine. From at least February through July 10, John Cummings Jr. was a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in Syracuse, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. On July 10, 2024, law enforcement searched Cummings Jr. residence in Syracuse and found 50 grams of cocaine, drug packaging materials and digital scales. They also seized $34,426 and a 9mm handgun, court documents said. Law enforcement also found 274 grams of stimulants and 693 grams of THC in his residence. Cummings Jr. pleaded guilty this week to all three charges which include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime. Prior to this, he had a previous federal conviction for the intent to sell a controlled substance on March 20, 2019. He served 12 months in prison, according to court papers. Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun has announced a 2025 tour, titled the Ask That God tour, in support of their fourth studio album of the same name, which was released on July 26. This tour marks the duos first tour since their 2016 album, Two Vines. The U.S. leg will kick off on April 23 in Detriot and span 16 cities, including Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and more, before wrapping up on May 24 in Boston. Empire of the Sun 2025 tour dates and tickets Tickets for the tour are on sale now through Ticketmaster and secondary market platforms such as Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and StubHub, which offer verified tickets with buyer guarantees. 4/23 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore 4/24 - Chicago, IL - Radius 4/26 - Saint Louis, MO - Saint Louis Music Park 4/28 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre 4/30 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater 5/01 - Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater 5/03 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre 5/11 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl 5/14 - Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater 5/15 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom 5/16 - Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall 5/18 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy 5/20 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore 5/21 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Mirage 5/23 - Washington, DC - The Anthem 5/24 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway Empire of the Sun first achieved mainstream fame with their 2008 debut Walking on a Dream. Theyre best known for hits like We Are the People and Walking on a Dream. Ask That God is their first new album in eight years and features the hit singles Changes, Music on the Radio, and Cherry Blossom. You can listen to the album and the rest of their extensive discography on Apple Music (free trial). Crouching behind his police cruiser, Syracuse police officer Michael Jensen tried to contact his dispatcher to get a handle on a call that was quickly going bad. 430 to dispatch, he said into his radio. No response. Why is no one fucking answering? he said to his partner. Jensen was one of seven officers who arrived on the night of April 14 at the Salina home of Christopher Murphy. They were there for a mundane call: to ticket Murphy for speeding through Syracuse earlier that evening. But Murphy was waiting with an assault rifle. Just five minutes after police arrived, two of the officers were dead. Those five minutes are documented in a report issued Wednesday by the state Attorney Generals Office. The AGs report provides the first detailed public account of the handling of the call that ended in tragedy and devastated two police departments and the community. It reveals that the officers, in the dark of night, struggled to communicate with each other and did not know where their attacker was, as the situation unraveled quickly. City and county police officials, who have conducted their own internal reviews of the incident, said there is nothing the officers should have done differently that could have prevented the tragedy. Communications at the scene were hindered. Jensen and three other city cops were unable to talk by radio with the three Onondaga County sheriffs deputies at the scene, according to the AG report. City police officials said they are revising their communications policy to try to prevent similar confusion in the future. In the darkness that April night, Jensen tried to assess the location of the deputies. Hey, Jensen radioed to the county 911 center. This is SPD unit 430. You got, you county boys anyone around back of the house? Seconds later, a series of gunshots rang out. Twenty shots in several bursts over half a minute. Jensen didnt know it, but sheriffs Lt. Michael Hoosock had been shot dead. Hoosock was behind a tree in the backyard of a neighboring house. Jensens partner, Officer James Zollo, told the dispatcher, Weve got shots fired over here. The dispatcher responded that they were trying to get all the officers on the same radio channel. Were working on patching channels here, he said. Less than ninety seconds later, the gunman rounded Jensens vehicle and shot the officer before being killed by Jensen and another city police officer, John Canestrare. The incident unfolded so quickly that its not surprising there was some confusion about which radio channel to get all the officers on, Syracuse police Chief Joseph Cecile told syracuse.com. Zero to 100 very fast, he said. To avoid those situations in the future, city police are working on a new protocol for when Syracuse officers answer calls outside the city, where dispatchers typically use other radio channels. Officers heading to a call outside the city will notify a supervisor to establish communication with the outside agency prior to arriving on the scene, Cecile said. Julie Corn, commissioner of emergency communications and the Onondaga County 911 center, could not say when the new policy would take effect. SPD is the best to answer that question on the timeline. We are only aware that that is something they are considering, she said. As the shooting erupted, Jensen and other city officers were talking to one dispatcher. Hoosock and the other sheriffs deputies were talking to another. Frederick Cornelius, a former detective lieutenant in the Cayuga County Sheriffs Office who now runs a private investigation firm, said 911 dispatchers should have moved more quickly to get city and county cops talking on the same channel. The long and the short of it seems like there was a 911 problem, he told syracuse.com. Cornelius said he is not familiar with Onondaga Countys 911 system, but read the AGs report and offered insight into what the protocol should have been. It was clear from the report that the two dispatchers speaking to Jensen and Hoosock were not talking with each other, Cornelius said. They should have been. At one point, after officers heard a gun being loaded and took cover, Jensen asked his dispatcher to put the officers on a private radio channel that Syracuse police sometimes use. At about the same time, Hoosock asked a different dispatcher to switch the officers to a county channel that is often used in large emergency situations. Somebody needed to pick a channel and have everybody on it, Cornelius said. He said the right person to do that, in this situation, was someone at the 911 center. When Jensen asked to switch to the private channel, one of the two dispatchers or a supervisor should have put everyone on the county radio channel, Cornelius said. Cornelius said he wasnt sure if having everyone on the same channel would have changed the outcome because Murphy fired so many rounds so quickly. Corn said it is normal to initially have confusion on the radio during a major incident. Officers at the shooting requested a dedicated radio channel after roughly a minute on the scene and they were set from there, she said. Corn said neither city nor county police raised any concerns about the April 14 incident. There was no issue with comms when all agencies debriefed post-event, she said. Ive talked to my partners and all were very content with the comms and the support we provided that day. Police go through 4945 Darien Drive and the neighboring yards where Syracuse police officer Michael E. Jensen and sheriffs Lt. Michael Hoosock were killed. (Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com) Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com Sheriff Toby Shelley agreed that the 911 center was not at fault. Given the lightning-fast escalation from traffic ticket to shooting, it would be unreasonable to expect either the officers or the dispatchers to have coordinated better. We respond to such a mundane call that spirals out of control in seconds, Shelley said. How are you going to get everything patched together, the different channels, and get everybody talking on the same channel in the time frame this went down? In any case, Shelley said, it would be difficult for officers to switch their radio settings while they have their weapons drawn and are taking cover from a gunman. Heres a brief look at how fast things happened, as documented in the AG report. Five minutes of mayhem: 8:44:51 p.m.: Jensen and his partner, Zollo, arrive in their patrol car. A backup unit with officers John Canestrare and Benedict Rath arrives at the same time. Hoosock and sheriffs deputies Jacob Barnaba and Adam Bezek are already at the scene. 8:45:22 p.m.: Jensen and Hoosock separately radio that it sounds like someone is racking a firearm and ask for backup. City officers shining a flashlight into the back of Murphys car spot two assault rifle magazines. All the officers take cover. 8:47:25 p.m.: Jensen attempts to call his dispatcher on the radio. He turns to his partner and says, Why is no one fucking answering? 8:48:13 p.m.: Murphy begins firing his weapon in several short bursts. 8:48:38 p.m.: Murphy fires again and strikes Hoosock, who is behind a tree in a neighbors backyard. 8:49:59 p.m.: Murphy moves from the back of the house to the front. He comes around Jensens patrol car and begins firing. Jensen moves toward the back of the car, while returning fire. Jensen is struck and falls. Youre not thinking as youre pulling up looking for a motor vehicle violation that somebodys going to start shooting at you, said Brian Higgins, the former police chief in Bergen County, N.J. He is now an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. They werent really given a chance. Higgins said the radio issues experienced by the officers are common. It is such an age-old concern that it was flagged by the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Radio systems, frequencies, how to communicate, he said. Its very confusing. County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said he had not read the attorney generals report as of Thursday morning. But he said interagency communications have been a longstanding concern for all police agencies and deserve ongoing attention. If you have a multi-jurisdictional response, youve got to be able to communicate, he said. The citys got to communicate with the sheriff, whos got to communicate with the city, whos got to communicate with the town and village. 22 1 / 22 Two police officers killed in shooting in Salina Unsurprisingly, the attorney generals report concluded there was no cause to prosecute Officer Canestrare for shooting Murphy. Among other points, the report said: Hoosock, who was behind a tree in the backyard of a neighboring house, was struck twice by bullets fired by Murphy from his rear deck. Hoosock never fired his gun. About 90 seconds of silence passed before Murphy appeared in the street in front of his house and started firing at Jensen. Jensen returned fire but was fatally injured. The medical examiner recovered four bullets from Murphys body one from Jensens gun and three from Canestrares. At least twice during the mayhem, officers shouted to neighborhood residents to get back in their houses. Staff writer Jon Moss covers breaking news, crime and public safety. He can be reached at jmoss@syracuse.com or @mossjon7. Staff writer Tim Knauss can be reached at: email | Twitter | 315-470-3023. Marnie Eisenstadt writes about people and public affairs in Central New York. Contact her anytime email | Twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246. Some of the most-read stories in our outdoors coverage detail the exploits of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers and conservation officers (ECOs). We collected 13 of the highest-read reports from 2024 that reveal a little of the wild and wooly side of life in the Empire State. Here they are in no particular order: A Putnam County man was ticketed on Jan. 13 for painting squirrels bright red and releasing them in a local park.NYSDEC Upstate NY man caught red-handed for spray painting squirrels bright red In our most popular story of the year, a Putnam County man was ticketed in February for spray painting squirrels bright red and releasing them in a park near his house for unknown reasons. Jayson Zorda, of Oneonta, pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanors for illegally shooting two large bucks in an area closed to deer hunting in the town of Tonawanda. Zorda and another poacher used fake social media profiles to pinpoint locations of mature urban bucks so they could illegally hunt them.NYSDEC Two Upstate NY poachers busted after using fake social media profiles to target big deer Two poachers were fined in January for illegally shooting two deer in Tonawanda. ECOs uncovered a scheme where the two men used fake social media posts and wore disguises to target large bucks in suburban areas closed to hunting. A Schoharie County man is facing several charges for illegally hunting a bear in the town of Fulton after he posted pictures of the dead bear on social media.NYS DEC Upstate NY hunter charged with illegally hunting bear in Fulton In October, a Schoharie County man posted on social media photos of a bear hed killed in Fulton and was later charged for illegally hunting a bear over bait, and for failure to properly supervise youth hunters. DEC Forest Ranger Patch Rangers rescue Long Island hiker unprepared for wintry hike up Catskills mountain An 18-year-old man from Long Island set out on a wintry November day to hike Indian Head Mountain without snowshoes, boots, a hat, gloves, or moisture-wicking layers. When rangers later rescued the teen, his pants were frozen to his legs. Cody Johnson, 39, of Watson, and his service dog, Afton. Johnson's body was found Oct. 16 after he went missing four days earlier. Searchers found Afton still at his side, unharmed.Lewis County Sheriff's Dept. Body of missing North Country man found with service dog still at his side After a four-day search in October, Cody Johnson, 39, was found dead in a forested area in the town of Watson. Searchers also found Johnsons service dog, Afton, still standing guard over Johnsons body. A Manlius hiker and her Siberian husky tried to climb Giant Mountain on Aug. 3 but had to quit when the dog hurt its paw. A forest ranger bandaged the dog's paws and walked them out.NYSDEC Big Manlius dog with injured paw rescued from ADK mountain Rangers rescued a big, floofy Siberian husky from Manlius when the pooch pooped out while attempting to climb Giant Mountain, a 4,637-ft. Adirondack High Peak overlooking Keene Valley thats considered difficult even for non-floofy hikers. On July 7, DEC police ticketed a Hancock man who killed, skinned, and planned to eat a timber rattlesnake, a protected species in NY state.NYSDEC Catskills man ticketed after killing rattlesnake with BB gun, skinning and eating it ECOs ticketed a Catskills man in July for intentionally killing a timber rattlesnake, a protected species in NYS. The man had also skinned and butchered the snake with the intention of eating it. Black bear photographed at a bird feeder in Michigan. DEC advises New York residents to take down bird feeders and secure garbage in spring to avoid potential conflicts with hungry black bears.DNR Cazenovia man ticketed for shooting bear eating from birdfeeder in his yard John Foley, 72, of Cazenovia, got a ticket in March for unlawfully killing a bear on his property. He complained that the bear was eating from a bird feeder. Forest rangers traced the tracks of a 33-year-old New York City man who went missing recently during a snowstorm on Mount Marcy. They found him frostbitten and hypothermic at an elevation of 4,000 ft.NYSDEC Frostbitten and freezing NYC man rescued near summit of states highest peak Rangers rescued a 33-year-old from New York City near the summit of Mount Marcy, the states highest peak, just as a snowstorm blew into the Adirondack High Peaks region last March. This photo provided by Tony Cavallaro of Hamburg, N.Y., shows his alligator, Albert, inside the custom enclosure he built for the reptile in his house, in Hamburg, N.Y. Albert was seized by the Department of Environmental Conservation in mid-March, 2024. (Tony Cavallaro via AP)Tony Cavallaro via AP Upstate NY man illegally kept giant gator as pet, allegedly let people swim with it In March, ECOs seized an 11-foot, 750-pound alligator from a home in Hamburg. The homeowner had built an addition for the gator and installed an in-ground swimming pool where he allegedly allowed people to swim with it unsecured. Forest Ranger Nate Laymon attempts to rescue two brothers who fell through thin ice on Basswood Pond in Otsego County last Saturday. One brother survived, the other drowned.NYSDEC Two brothers plunge through thin ice while fishing on Upstate NY lake, one drowns Two brothers from Richfield Springs, ages 41 and 42, plunged through thin ice in January while fishing on Basswood Pond, Otsego County. Rangers rescued one man, but his brother drowned before rangers could reach him in time. Three campers were evicted from Lower Saranac Lake campground on Aug. 27 after torching a 50-square-foot site when they started a campfire with gasoline.NYSDEC Campers torch ADK campground after starting campfire with gasoline Three campers at Lower Saranac Lake campground started a campfire using gasoline in August. The fire quickly got out of control, torching a 50-foot-square area beyond the stone fire ring and lighting up the night sky. Rangers extinguished the fire and ticketed the fire-starter. An active search continues for a 22-year-old Quebec man, Leo DuFour, who went missing on November 30, 2024, at setting off a multi-agency search now in its sixth day.NYS DEC After 8 days, search for Quebec man missing in ADK high peaks turns to recovery phase Dozens of rangers led an eight-day active search for Leo DuFour, a 22-year-old-Quebec man who went missing on November 30 while climbing Allen Mountain. The search was hampered by brutal winter conditions, including 4-ft. snow drifts, whiteouts and subzero temperatures. Sign up for the CNY Outdoors Newsletter Enter your email address to get weekly updates on CNY outdoors news delivered to your inbox: Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors. A former Upstate New York college campus has been sold for well below its total debts. WNYT reports the Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority bought the former College of Saint Rose campus for $35 million at an auction Thursday. The school closed in June after more than 100 years due to financial problems. According to the Times Union, the land authoritys bid was well below the $61 million that the college needed to pay off its debts. There were 92 parcels with 72 buildings in the sale, including academic buildings, dorms and residential housing; 15 individual properties were bid on by others, but the land authoritys price beat the combined bids. The College of Saint Rose presidents house sold separately at the auction for $625,000. Additional assets were also sold. The schools Board of Trustees voted last year to close at the end of the academic calendar as enrollment declined and its budget gap grew following $100 million in expansion costs between 1996 and 2012. Hundreds of employees, including faculty, lost their jobs and students were forced to transfer to another school. Albany County Executive Dan McCoy told the Times Union he wants the campus to be redeveloped into affordable housing, restaurants and schools. A land authority member told the Albany newspaper that they plan to reach out to bidders, including a local Hebrew Day School that wanted to expand. This is more than an investment in land, it is an investment in the future of our community. By securing this property, we are preserving the assessed value and integrity of the surrounding neighborhoods and serving the best interests of Albany County, McCoy said in a statement. The land authority is now awaiting final approval from bankruptcy court, according to WNYT. Colleges and universities nationwide have faced financial challenges and declining enrollment in recent years, forcing 579 schools to close or merge between 2019 and 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Cazenovia College closed permanently closed last year and Wells College, located in the Cayuga County village of Aurora, shuttered this past spring. Sam Hou Fai, Macao's incoming chief executive, speaks at an interview in Macao, south China, Nov. 19, 2024.(Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) MACAO, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sam Hou Fai, Macao's incoming chief executive, has pledged to further the success of the "one country, two systems" practice, which has been in place in the region since Macao's return to China from Portuguese rule in 1999. "Improving livelihoods and enhancing the quality of life of residents will be a cornerstone of the new regional government's agenda," said Sam, who will assume office as the sixth-term chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Dec. 20. In an interview with Xinhua, he emphasized plans to address public concerns across multiple areas, including employment, social security, public services, healthcare, housing, and transportation. Having lived in Macao for 38 years, Sam has established both his career and family in this region. Sam was elected on Oct. 13 with an overwhelming 394 votes. During his candidacy, he engaged extensively with community groups, institutions and residents, gathering insights and feedback to effectively shape his policy vision for the next five years. As the former president of the SAR's Court of Final Appeal, Sam underscored the critical role of law-based governance in achieving effective leadership. He intends to implement a series of reforms in legal, administrative, judicial and grassroots governance systems to improve governance in Macao. Reflecting on Macao's economy, which has been reliant on the gaming industry, Sam highlighted the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed the risks of relying on a single-industry economy. "Challenges during the three years of the pandemic deepened society's understanding of the urgency and necessity of appropriate economic diversification," he said. The SAR government will foster non-gaming industries, build a higher-level economic governance system, and explore innovative, forward-thinking reforms. This includes making medium- and long-term development plans tailored to various sectors, according to Sam. Under the "one country, two systems" framework, Macao enjoys distinct advantages, including its status as a free trade port, a separate customs territory, a simple and low-tax environment, extensive global connections, and a rich blend of Chinese and Western cultures. Looking forward, Sam said the government aims to enhance Macao's openness and internationalization. He envisions the city playing a key role in China's domestic and international economic flows and acting as a platform for both outbound and inbound exchanges -- while actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Macao will also focus on attracting high-caliber international talent to support its development and contribute to national growth, he noted. In addition, Sam expressed Macao's commitment to strengthening its role as a "precise intermediary" for cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Meanwhile, Macao will deepen its collaboration with Guangdong and Hong Kong in advancing the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he said. Sam emphasized the importance of removing barriers to help foster integration across industries, technology and public welfare -- with the ultimate goal of creating a unified market within the Greater Bay Area and enabling more efficient flows of people, goods, capital and information. "Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the highest priority under the 'one country, two systems' policy," Sam said. "The SAR government will prioritize maintaining national security and ensuring Macao's social stability," he said. "We will uphold the authority of China's Constitution and Macao SAR Basic Law, fully implement the 'patriots administering Macao' principle, strengthen legal and enforcement mechanisms to safeguard national security, and counter anti-China forces and foreign interference." "The successful practice of 'one country, two systems' over the past 25 years has demonstrated its vitality and strengths," Sam added. "At this new juncture, we must draw from our experience and further advance the implementation of 'one country, two systems' to fully realize its advantages." Looking ahead, Sam urged government departments to enhance their research efforts to craft more precise, evidence-based policies that are in line with the public's core needs. "Macao is our shared home. Its high-quality development relies on the collective efforts of every resident," he said. Editor: JYZ Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. WTF?! Microsoft recalled Recall because of privacy outrage, er, concerns. It promised to improve its AI-based Windows surveillance feature before release, providing privacy safeguards and a more secure experience. Now that it is here, users can assess how much Microsoft's promises are worth for themselves. After multiple delays and afterthoughts, Microsoft is now bringing Recall to more systems and CPU architectures. The new feature takes screenshots of the desktop every few seconds, using the on-device large language model to scan, store, and process information. In theory, Recall should work as a fine-tuning machine for Copilot's GPT-4o AI model. However, the new technology is an absolute mess of privacy violations and security dangers. Tom's Hardware tested the "improved" Recall feature and recommended that every Windows 11 user should disable the feature immediately. While Recall includes a filter designed to avoid capturing screenshots with sensitive information, it doesn't really work. Despite activating the filter, Recall senselessly captured screens with credit card numbers, credentials, Social Security numbers, and other personal information. Recall saved everything it saw while using the Notepad text editor. The same thing happened while opening a PDF in the Edge browser and entering information in an HTML form asking for credit card details. Recall's filter works as intended while visiting online web stores, taking screenshots only before or after the credit card form. The AI surveillance machine provides "full control" of the feature, meaning users can check which screenshots it saves and when. However, the idea that Recall saves credit card details and other extremely sensitive information to feed AI model training tasks is frightening and unnecessary. At this point, every privacy-conscious customer should worry about what Microsoft has done to its traditionally user-centric Windows platform. There is no good reason for this to be an opt-out feature. Tom's Hardware's Avram Piltch asked Microsoft about Recall's apparent inability to filter private information from its saved screenshots. The company reminded Piltch that Recall is a privacy-abiding feature, updated to detect sensitive information such as credit card details, passwords, and personal identification numbers. Microsoft developers are still improving the feature. It urges concerned users to help with the development by sharing their experience through the Feedback Hub. Many companies went their way towards developing the marvels of generative AI, and Google is one of them, but apparently, its CEO Sundar Pichai has a problem with those who rely on other companies for their tech. However, Pichai also went as far as to throw shade at its rival Big Tech company, Microsoft, particularly for their use of OpenAI's models because of their renowned partnership. Moreover, Pichai did not stop there as he also issued a challenge against Microsoft to test their AI models side-by-side and see which technology performs better, faster, and which is more capable between the two. Google's Sundar Pichai Throws Shade Against Microsoft, OpenAI The recent Dealbook Summit hosted by the New York Times had Google CEO Sundar Pichai as its speaker, and while the executive talked about the many achievements and milestones of Google with AI, he also had strong opinions against rivals. More particularly, Pichai targeted the renowned Big Tech software company from Redmond, Microsoft, going as far as to reiterate that they are using "someone else's models." It is known that Microsoft holds a massive partnership with OpenAI which initially started as an investment to the startup AI company, and later turned into one of the biggest collaborations in AI. Thanks to its massive investments in OpenAI, the AI company was able to succeed in its development which gave the world ChatGPT, with its renowned LLM, GPT, made available to Microsoft's Bing AI. After this, other models from OpenAI were also applied to more technologies of Microsoft which also helped the company develop their models. Pichai Issues a 'Test' Challenge on AI Models vs. Microsoft Pichai highlighted that Microsoft's success in the artificial intelligence space is largely because of OpenAI, but this is known to be one of the setups in the tech industry, particularly for big companies that invest in startups or smaller ones. That being said, Pichai went as far as to say that he would like to see a "side-by-side comparison of Microsoft's own models any day, any time," to what Google has. Google's Newfound Dedication to Artificial Intelligence From being one of the most popular internet and search companies, Google has made a significant shift towards transforming its business into an AI-first corporation where almost all of its products already feature AI. First off, its acquisition of DeepMind a decade ago is now paying off as its subsidiary focuses on expanding more of what the tech giant can deliver on the AI side of things. Last year, Google first started with its Bard chatbot which features the optimized version of its 'research' large language model, LaMDA, but the company developed the most popular multimodal model with Gemini's introduction. Since then, the company went massive to debuting generative AI experiences and features on its different products including the Workspace, Android, Pixel, Search, and more. One of the most notable things for Google is that it had many years of developments for its AI models which saw the company integrating several of them into the pre-generative AI era, and it was ready to deliver its take when OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the world. However, Pichai believes that Google is ahead of other companies with their developments including its Big Tech rival, Microsoft, saying that they are using another company's model, and then challenging them to one of the first AI side-by-side demonstration. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), artificial general intelligence (AGI), which refers to the point where machines are super intelligent in most areas and outperform humans, remains a speculation. Tech leaders Sam Altman and Elon Musk predict that AGI might arrive by 2025-2028, but the facts differ. The real risk in 2025 is that humans might misuse current AI tools instead of having superintelligent machines. Unintentional Misuse of AI Tools The AI adoption in several fields has caused some unforeseen impacts, especially in the law field. Lawyers who excessively relied on AI have been sanctioned for presenting wrongful documents prepared by chatbots. Here are a few examples that WIRED included in its report: Attorneys Steven Schwartz and Peter LoDuca were sanctioned for submitting false citations from ChatGPT in New York for a penalty of $5,000. Chong Ke was penalized for adding a series of fabricated cases in legal submissions in British Columbia. Colorado attorney Zachariah Crabill was sanctioned for attributing mistakes in several court cases to an AI-generated intern. The cases remind one of the dangers of blind trust in AI without verification which may bring about reputational damage or legal penalties. This is why we need to be careful about AI-produced information. Intentional Misuse: The Deepfake Dilemma AI tools have also been weaponized for ill-faith purposes. Unwanted deepfakes like those of sexually explicit images of Taylor Swift created using Microsoft's Designer AI tool have become rampant. Despite protection mechanisms, loopholes, such as misspelling names, can bypass the restrictions. Open-source deepfake tools make it even worse. Such misuse affects the individual but also creates societal distrust, thereby making it difficult to regulate and combat fake content. The 'Liar's Dividend': Manipulating Perception AI-generated content blurs the line between reality and fiction, thus enabling a phenomenon called the "liar's dividend." This allows people to dismiss actual evidence as being fake, thus undermining accountability. Examples include: Tesla argues that a 2016 video of Elon Musk exaggerating Tesla Autopilot's safety could be a deepfake. An Indian politician claimed doctored audio clips despite verification of authenticity. January 6 riot defendants falsely claimed that incriminating videos were AI-generated deepfakes. As AI-generated audio, video, and text become more realistic, the ability to distinguish truth from fabrication will become increasingly difficult. Dubious AI Products as Means of Exploitation Companies exploiting AI hype usually sell broken products that make critical decisions about people's lives. The hiring platform, Retorio, claims it can determine a candidate's job suitability by interviewing them via video. Research, however, showed the system is prone to manipulation, including changes in backgrounds or glasses. In the Netherlands, the Dutch tax authority used AI in a way that resulted in thousands of parents wrongly accused of welfare fraud, demanding exorbitant repayments. The scandal was so egregious that it caused the Prime Minister and his cabinet to resign. Mitigating AI Risks in 2025 The most significant risks in 2025 arise from human misuse of AI, not from rogue superintelligence. They include: Over-reliance on AI where it fails (for example, legal errors). Intentional misuse (such as deepfakes and misinformation). Poorly designed AI systems that cause harm to people. Governments, companies, and society have to focus on these immediate concerns first. As long as the possibility of AGI remains distant, focusing on today's concrete AI risks will be a protection against real-world harm. An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 27, 2024 shows a sewage treatment plant in Danjiangkou City, central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun) A staff member of a municipal cleanup team looks at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 30, 2024. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun) An aerial drone photo taken on March 22, 2024 shows a view of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) A staff member of a municipal cleanup team removes floating objects at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 28, 2024. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun) A staff member of a municipal cleanup team carries out cleanup operation at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 25, 2024. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 30, 2024 shows a view of the Danjiangkou Dam in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun) An aerial drone photo taken on March 22, 2024 shows a view of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 28, 2024 shows staff members of a municipal cleanup team carrying out cleanup operation at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun) A staff member of a municipal cleanup team carries out cleanup operation at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 25, 2024. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Staff members of a municipal cleanup team carry out cleanup operation at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 25, 2024. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) An aerial drone photo taken on March 22, 2024 shows a view of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) An aerial drone photo taken on March 22, 2024 shows a view of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) An aerial drone photo taken on March 21, 2024 shows a view of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 29, 2024 shows a view of the Danjiangkou Dam in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun) An aerial drone photo taken on March 22, 2024 shows a view of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) Staff members work at the Danjiangkou water-quality safety center in Danjiangkou City, central China's Hubei Province, Oct. 30, 2024. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the operation of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which was initiated to address China's regional water imbalance. The project has three routes. The middle route, the most prominent one, starts at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. Since the middle route began supplying water in December 2014, strict regulations have been enacted to reduce pollutants, and the city has organized more than 450 volunteer groups to protect the water quality. As a result, water quality in the Danjiangkou Reservoir rarely falls below the second class on China's five-tier quality scale for surface water. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun) Editor: JYZ Five hundred and five filling stations of PJSC Ukrnafta are equipped with generators and can supply fuel during periods of power outages, the company said in a press release on Friday. At the same time, 115 of them have additional energy sources and operate in the Invincibility Points mode. "There you can charge your gadgets, drink hot coffee or tea, have a snack," the press release says. At the same time, the company declares a stable supply of European quality Euro-5 fuel for cars and generators. "Another massive attack by the enemy on the power grid led to a power outage throughout Ukraine. The Ukrnafta filling station network is always ready to support Ukrainians," the company noted. Ukrnafta is the largest oil producing company in Ukraine and is the operator of the national network of petrol stations. In March 2024, the company took over the management of Glusco assets and operates a total of 547 petrol stations - 462 of its own and 85 under management. The company is implementing a comprehensive program to resume operations and update the format of its network of gas stations. Since February 2023, it has been issuing its own fuel vouchers and NAFTA Cards, which are sold to both legal entities and individuals through Ukrnafta-Postach LLC. Ukrnafta holds 92 licenses for industrial development of deposits. It has 1,832 oil and 154 gas production wells on its balance. The largest shareholder in Ukrnafta is Naftogaz Ukrainy, which holds a 50% plus one share. In November 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to transfer the corporate rights of the company, previously owned by private shareholders, to the state. The Ministry of Defense now oversees these shares. Canada unveils 2035 climate goal critics say is weak Ottawa, Dec 12 (AFP) Dec 12, 2024 Canada released Thursday what it called an achievable 2035 greenhouse gas reduction target that environmental groups panned as not ambitious enough. The target for 2035 would see emissions slashed by 45 to 50 percent from 2005 levels, on its way to net-zero by mid-century. But it is only five percent above its previous commitment for 2030. Both objectives would require a major acceleration of the nation's climate efforts as Ottawa struggles to advance initiatives amid pushback over their costs. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government has faced growing calls from his main rival, Tory leader Pierre Poilievre, to scrap his centrepiece carbon tax. Polls show Poilievre leading Trudeau by 20 percentage points, and he has been itching for snap elections. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said the 2035 target "keeps us on track to keep the promise to our kids and grandkids that the world we leave behind for them will be safe, sustainable, affordable and prosperous." In a statement he called the target "realistic and achievable." But environmental group 350.org said it was "gravely concerned" that the target falls short of what is needed to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis, while the Climate Action Network called it "weak". The Pembina Institute said "Canada's governments and industries must be more ambitious to fully enhance our competitiveness in the new global clean energy economy." Canada is responsible for less than two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is one of the highest emitters per capita. One of the world's top oil and gas producers, Canada has missed all its interim carbon emission targets. Emissions finally started to fall in recent years. But an audit last month by Canada's environment commissioner, Jerry DeMarco, warned that time was running out to bridge the gap to 2030. Canada's greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 7.1 percent from 2005 levels to 708 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, according to the latest government data. DeMarco said in November that Ottawa "has not made sufficient progress" to reduce emissions by up to 45 percent from 2005 levels and now has only six years to achieve most of those reductions. Guilbeault responded, "We have a fair shot at meeting our 2030 target." Six rare giant catfish surface in Cambodia Phnom Penh, Dec 13 (AFP) Dec 13, 2024 Conservationists in Cambodia on Friday celebrated the discovery of six highly endangered Mekong giant catfish in the critical Southeast Asian waterway plagued by illegal fishing, habitat loss and plastic waste. Fishermen smiled alongside officials from Cambodia's Fisheries Administration (CFA) as they held up the two-metre-long creatures -- weighing up to 130 kilograms (287 pounds) each -- before releasing them back into their river habitat. The survival of the giant catfish -- one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world -- underscores the urgent need to protect the river's free-flowing connectivity, a statement by the USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong conservation group said. Besides overfishing and plastic pollution, the Mekong River Basin has been degraded by upstream dams and climate change, which have had a major impact on water levels in the critically endangered catfish's aquatic home. Its current population is unknown but is thought to have declined by around 80 percent over the last 13 years, according to the IUCN Red List. Cambodia has placed tough restrictions on fishing in the vast river to try and reduce the number of endangered aquatic species killed in nets. Numbers of Irrawaddy dolphins -- which once swam through much of the mighty Mekong -- have dwindled despite efforts to preserve them. In 2022, Cambodian fishermen got a shock when they inadvertently hooked an endangered giant freshwater stingray four metres (13 feet) long and weighing 180 kilos. Over the past 25 years, the CFA and researchers tagged and released around 100 giant catfish as part of a conservation program that encourages fishermen to report catches of rare species. Conservationists said the recent giant catfish catches mark "a new era of conservation" and "new hope for the survival of a species that has become increasingly rare in much of its native habitat". The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine at a meeting on Friday approved attracting up to $15 billion in a grant for budget support from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of the World Bank Group. These will be the first funds within the G7 initiative to allocate $50 billion to Ukraine at the expense of income from frozen Russian assets As representative of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnychuk reported on the Telegram channel, we are talking about attracting from the IBRD, acting as the executive institution of the Financial Intermediation Fund to assist in attracting resources for investment in strengthening Ukraine within the eighth additional financing of the Project Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance in the amount of up to $15 billion. A week ago, the Ukrainian government approved the terms of a contingent agreement, under which the American Federal Financing Bank (FFB) will provide a 40-year loan of up to $20 billion in line with the previously agreed G7 initiative to provide Ukraine with $50 billion from revenues from frozen Russian assets. "The loan funds are provided by transferring to the Facilitation of Resources to Invest in Strengthening Ukraine Financial Intermediary Fund, established by the World Bank on October 10, 2024, in favor of the state," stated Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1388 of December 6, published on the government portal. It is specified that this transaction with contingent liabilities is carried out by concluding a Certificate Purchase Agreement between Ukraine as a borrower, FFB and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as a Loan Guarantee and Repayment Agreement between Ukraine and USAID and the issuance by Ukraine, represented by the Ministry of Finance as a borrower, of a Certificate of Indebtedness in favor of FFB, secured by a USAID guarantee. The loan amount bears interest at a rate of 1.3% per annum plus the current average rate on one-year U.S. Treasury bills, and their repayment and repayment are carried out at the expense of income received from the frozen assets of the Russian Federation. This week, the U.S. Treasury announced the allocation of the said $20 billion. The chief executive of a superannuation administration platform has hit back at Cbus chair Wayne Swans claims that the paucity of competent administrators was to blame for super fund members waiting too long to receive their insurance payouts. Vivek Bhatia refused to respond to Swans main swingeing criticism that his organisation, MUFG Pension and Market Services, was principally responsible for delaying the handling of 10,000 Cbus members death and disability claims, but denied that the issues were solely a result of incompetent third-party providers. MUFG Pension and Market Services chief executive Vivek Bhatia. Credit: We have strong and long-tenure relationships with 20 superannuation funds where we do provide end-to-end administration services from time-to-time there are challenges, but we have always worked together to ensure that we can remedy them, Bhatia told a Senate inquiry on Friday. This is a highly competitive environment. We have a lot of local and international players in this market who provide a plethora of options for administration services I believe there are a lot of options [for super funds]. MEMOIR Cactus Pear for My Beloved Samah Sabawi Penguin, $36.99 If a single book could challenge the phrase A land without a people for a people without a land once frequently invoked by Zionists and their supporters in the lead-up to the creation of the state of Israel then Samah Sabawis memoir Cactus Pear for My Beloved would be a strong contender. The award-winning author, playwright and poets new book firmly places her father, and his father, and his father before him in Palestine, their family just one of many that lived in this supposedly uninhabited piece of land that is still being fought for today. And yet, the book is not just a personal story one that traces more than 100 years of her familys life but a historical one: charting the day-to-day lives of Palestinians who lived under the Ottoman Empire, during the British mandate, and through the 1948 Nakba and beyond it. We meet Sabawis dad Abdul Karim (who died in October this year) and his siblings, born to a disabled, highly intelligent and well-regarded father, and an illiterate, fierce and doting mother. We follow their humble, tight-knit family through the streets of Gaza as they play, dream, learn and work, making ends meet while building friendships across cultural, class and religious lines, a testament to the diversity of Palestinian society before the Jewish gangs terrorising its inhabitants upended it. Abdul Karim is a six-year-old when the Nakba, or catastrophe, occurs, his coming of age and his path to adulthood intertwined with stories of people massacred, ethnically cleansed from their villages, and displaced, living out their days cold and hungry in refugee tents as more of their ancestral lands are occupied. Hours after shock jock Ray Hadley finished his long radio career, fellow 2GB presenter Chris OKeefe has announced he is leaving to start his own political and media advocacy business. Adding to the dizzying number of end-of-year changes in Sydney and Melbourne radio, the Drive host said he had been thinking for a year of ending his media career. 2GB Drive presenter Chris OKeefe has announced he is bowing out of journalism. Credit: 2GB Today is my last show and my last day in journalism, the 36-year-old told listeners. As much as Ive enjoyed my time here at 2GB and my 13 years at Nine, the time is right for me to make the call to move on. Im a young father, and Im looking at what the next 10 years looks like for me and my family. Advertisement Exclusive Eating outFood French gets a buzzy update at Brisbanes hottest new dining precinct It suits everything from occasion dinners to those wanting to drop by for oysters and caviar. Plus, it has a killer wine list with more than 40 champagnes. Matt Shea December 13, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share Whats your idea of the perfect date restaurant? As in, a swipe-right first date. Maybe its keenly priced Chinese plates at Happy Boy. Or Thai at Same Same or Italian at Bianca. Or approachable Greek at Greca or innovative Mexican at Baja. All these restaurants are fast-paced, interesting and big on vibe. Pompette opened this week at Queens Wharf. Cindy Yohana But French? Your options are a little more limited. Make no mistake: some of Brisbanes best restaurants are French RDA, Montrachet and Cest Bon among them. But if French is the food of love, in Brisbane its typically angled more towards occasions and anniversaries. But thats beginning to change. French has made a massive comeback in Australias dining scene over the past decade, and with the rebirth has come a rethink. Theres LHotel Gitan, Bar Margaux and Smith St Bistrot in Melbourne, and Porcine and the reworked Monopole in Sydney. Advertisement Exclusive Enter this moody Queens Wharf eatery to experience the wagyu of lamb In Brisbane, brothers Cameron and Jordan Votan opened the stripped-back Petite earlier this year, with a clever menu that encourages exploration of both food and wine. Now comes Pompette, the second opening at Queens Wharf for restaurateur Michael Tassis in as many weeks (after Dark Shepherd). Pompettes design features flashes of French inspiration with fluted glass and timber-edged tables and mosaic-tile flooring. Cindy Yohana Ive always wanted to do a French restaurant, says Tassis, who trained as a chef. When you do your apprenticeship, its one of the mother cuisines. Everything you do with [Western] cooking comes from those French foundations. Advertisement Ive watched that comeback, and I wanted an opportunity to launch a really spectacular French restaurant in this location. Pompette features an al fresco dining area with views north up the river. Cindy Yohana The location is hard to argue with. Pompette might be one of the last restaurants to open on Queens Wharfs fourth-level dining terrace but its scored the prime spot right next to the Neville Bonner pedestrian bridge and an al fresco dining area that looks up the river towards the CBD. Tassis approach makes sense then. Pompette is designed to be flexible: you can go large with a group it has three private dining rooms with just that in mind or you can simply drop in for champagne and oysters on the daybeds outside. Sand crab salad with espelette mayonnaise and a saffron rouille. Cindy Yohana Advertisement French food makes people feel special, but the name Pompette means slightly drunk and we want the venue to live up to that name, Tassis says. You come in, have fun and walk out a little tipsy. Tassis Groups go-to designer company Clui hasnt so much created a French restaurant, but a restaurant with flashes of French inspiration. Theres fluted glass and timber-edged tables and mosaic-tile flooring and a lengthy marble comptoir, but the restaurant is very much an open-air affair and a series of interlocking banquettes have been cut low to capture a sense of intimacy without losing the buzz. Its clever stuff. Raw beef tartelettes with sour cream and caviar. Cindy Yohana For food, chef Jean Luc Morcellet is cooking a bunch of classics given a modern twist. For entrees, French go-tos such as escargot and steak tartare are lined up alongside a sand crab salad with espelette mayonnaise and a saffron rouille, scallops with blue cheese and creamed quinoa, and lightly cured kingfish with an apple fennel salad and honey mustard dressing. Advertisement The venue features a lengthy bar for counter dining and drinking. Cindy Yohana On the mains menu theres toothfish with a bouillabaisse sauce and fennel fondue, gnocchi a la Parisienne with wild mushrooms, comte and parmesan crisp, a wagyu beef burger with foie gras, tomato, fries and a blue-cheese dipping sauce, and a five-score wagyu sirloin steak frites with cafe de Paris butter. There are also larger plates to share such as a nine-score wagyu cote de boeuf served with two sides of your choice, live rock lobster thermidor, a 400-gram eye fillet bouef filet en croute, and a half or full duck a lorange. Pompette is the second opening from Tassis Group in as many weeks. Cindy Yohana For those dropping through, there are snacks such as foie gras with fig jam and brioche, and a raw beef tartelette with sour cream and caviar; oysters served either natural or mornay; and a caviar menu served with blinis, cultured cream and lemon. Advertisement For drinks theres a lengthy, French-focused wine list that includes 40 champagnes and close to 40 wines by the glass. There are also signature cocktails alongside a bunch of spritzes and featured classics. The principles with this restaurant are the same as any other, Tassis says. You make sure youre doing good food and providing excellent service. But I think that becomes particularly important with French. We might be doing an evolution with Pompette but at a certain point, you need to get old-school and make sure the fundamentals are right. Open daily 11am-late The Terrace, Level 4, Queens Wharf pompette.com.au Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Hugh Cornish was Queenslands first TV personality, the face of QTQ-9, and one of the most influential figures in the states television history. On Sunday, August 19, 1959, Cornish was the first person to appear on Queensland TV, broadcasting from the new station being built in bushland on Mount Coot-tha. When Cornish arrived for work at the station, he was taken aback by how primitive the building was. He was the gentleman of TV. Hugh Cornish was a 25-year-old rookie when he appeared on the airwaves, the first person on TV in Queensland. Credit: Nine There were no toilet facilities, he recalled in his 1996 autobiography, Funny You Should Ask. There was an outhouse for the girls and the fellows just had to make do. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the December 14 edition of Good Weekend. See all 16 stories . The image remains for a moment after I lie down and turn off the torch: something large and dark on the tent ceiling directly above my head. I turn the torch back on. Credit: Illustration by Simon Letch No f---ing way! Spiders dont grow this big! Its so big I can see the spiky hairs on its head and legs twitching; I can count its multiple black eyes eight! and see its long furry jaws writhing like a pair of tumescent testicles. Its a massive, biting huntsman an arms length away on the inside of the poky little dome tent, and I know as a veteran arachnophobe that one wrong move will bring it down on top of me. I can hear surf breaking and smell the embers of my campfire on a soft onshore breeze. But I cant move. Id talked about my solo camping trip to this isolated Queensland island for months. Just a few days with minimal equipment, high on a wooded dune beside the sea. Id fish the surf, dig pipis, hike bush trails and revive memories of long-ago family adventures on the same island, when I was a young man with hair and hope and supple knees. It was the knee thing that made me slow to set an actual date for this years trip. (Mine are generally OK for an old dude, but the last time I did rough camping a few years earlier they complained so much when I tried to rise from the ground that I took to crawling everywhere.) In the end, Id told so many people I was going camping that I had to go. Advertisement On a perfect winters day, I roll off the vehicle barge and point the 4WD towards a little settlement where, decades ago, fishermen were known to trade blows over rights to the last stale pie at the store. Today, thanks to the influence of tourism, the much-expanded store offers freshly baked frittata pies, two of which I share with an ancient labrador before following a rough sand road to the islands surfside. It takes a while to find the perfect campsite, poking in and out of narrow tracks until all the requirements line up: elevated with breezes, level tent site, view of sea, no one else around. Its almost sundown by the time the camp is set up. I light my little campfire, devour a pre-cooked curry and settle into a folding chair within arms reach of the wine-bearing Esky. Heart thudding, I inch sideways off the mattress, keeping the spider in the light. Almost immediately, biting ants rain down on to my bald spot from overhanging branches. I don my new brown bush hat, adjusting the angle so that incoming ants bounce harmlessly (at least for me) to the ground. Just to be sure, I apply repellent and put the dispenser in a bag at my feet, together with the useless phone (no coverage), books, reading glasses, torch, car keys and other mustnt-lose stuff. Sweet. Crackling fire, chilled wine, sighing waves, distant curlew calls, blazing stars and a comfy bed waiting in the tent. Every so often, I rise to make sure the tents various flaps and zips are still properly secured. (My terror of large spiders hasnt diminished since one ran up my boardshorts soon after I arrived in Oz as a teenage Kiwi. It may also explain why their jaws make me think of balls.) Only later do I realise that at some stage during my fireside reminiscing, a huntsman at least twice the size of Donald Trumps brain must have lumbered into the open essentials bag at my feet. When I turn in, clutching this little Trojan horse, the cunning Heteropoda venatoria turns in with me. Advertisement Around 3am I crawl outside for a leak, zipping the tent behind me, then crawl back in again. Then I see it. Before finally daring to move, I fix the spider in the torch beam and plan for battle. Striking up wildly with a shoe wont work because the flimsy tent will yield and the huntsman, horribly fast and born to parkour, will either spring onto my face or rush into the bed-clothes, never to be found. Yeah, spider lovers, I know that despite their painful bite, huntsman venom isnt lethal and we should leave them alone. And if it was outside, I would. But dont try to tell me the ugly mofo grinding its mandibles above my face is more frightened than me. Because that is just not f---ing possible! Loading So heart thudding, I inch sideways off the mattress, keeping the spider in the light. Near the tent entrance, still inching, I grab my sneakers before rolling commando-style through the door and leaping to my feet. (OK, make that struggling painfully upright with the aid of a low branch.) With the torch positioned near the entrance, I hold one sneaker outside the tent above the spiders position, then lean inside with the other sneaker, and when everything aligns whack the shoes together, exploding the spider into a mass of custard and body parts that dribbles, still twitching, onto my pillow. On my last day at Camp Karma, my knees get so bad I become the thing I murdered. I crawl about for a couple of hours packing up and loading the vehicle, then scuttle over to the spot where I threw my squashed bro and peer into the undergrowth. Incredibly, two days after the event, ants are still busy chopping the big protein bomb into portable bits and bearing them off to their larder. Encouraged by this, and with a frittata stop in mind, I rise in triumphant stages to full height (cue the opening track from 2001: A Space Odyssey) and evolve a new plan for my upright future: I will never go camping again. Advertisement What he knows is that banks have vast intelligence capacities to track the behaviour of customers that can be used to trace local, national and international criminals. It was an eye-opener on what intelligence we can generate. Crooks want money, and usually, they need a financial institution to move it. He says the banks and law enforcement have a common interest: to expose crooks. We dont want criminals as our customers. The trouble is the criminals dont walk into a bank branch wearing prison pyjamas, a bail ankle bracelet and a parrot on their shoulder when inquiring about opening a new account. They use mule accounts to move money around the world. Sheehan says there are two types, complicit and non-complicit. Non-complicit can involve a real person who has their identity stolen. He says the victim may not know until they apply for a loan only to find their credit rating is in the toilet because they have failed to repay credit card debts accrued by the thieves. Banks have vast intelligence capacities to track the behaviour of customers that can be used to trace local and international criminals. Credit: Bloomberg Sexploitation victims can be forced to set up accounts, says Sheehan. Then there are the complicit. Foreign students can sell their Australian bank accounts to crime syndicates when they return home. One syndicate used the bank accounts of 250 Chinese students who had studied in Australia to launder $62 million. Police seized $2 million found at one house, illicit tobacco and four luxury cars. The investigators found thousands of withdrawals and deposits into ATMs moving money around the world. The former students have been able to sell their identities and bank details on the dark web. Organised crime groups fly out people just to set up thousands of accounts, Sheehan says. In Australia, the gangs infiltrate large ethnic social events and offer locals $1500 to set up an account and $200 as a callout fee if they need to deal directly with the bank to maintain it. A perfect example of the sort of results that can be achieved when financial institutions work with police is Operation Huntsman - an AFP, AUSTRAC, bank investigation that has closed 1800 mule accounts since 2022. Loading The investigation found multiple payments between $50 and $1000 from sexploitation victims, usually young males. It found more than 100 of the mule accounts were set up by blackmail victims forced to co-operate. According to AUSTRAC: Criminal networks primarily target international students and non-permanent residents, offering them a way to make money while living in Australia. They recruit them face to face or online to launder their proceeds of crime. The FBI has found launderers advertise their services as a money mule, to include what actions they offer and at what prices. This may also include a review and/or rating by other criminal actors on the money mules speed and reliability. Travel, as directed, to different countries to open financial accounts or register companies. In the international police sting operation Ironside, Sheehan says, banks were embedded with the AFP and were able to identify the assets of criminals before police were kicking down their doors. For Sheehan, it wasnt enough, and he established, with the approval of the NAB board, a team to assist police in attacking sexploitation rings and linked up with the AFP Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation and the Queensland police. We can be the canary in the coalmine. They look for patterns, such as young customers transferring relatively small amounts regularly to questionable accounts. If the bank finds suspicious transactions, they are reported to specialists who simply knock on the door of the customer in what is really a welfare check. Loading Sheehan says authorities cant wait for a victim to report. We know that self-harm, including suicide, can occur within hours or days of the first blackmail threat. Since October last year we think we have saved eight lives. In one case a 15-year-old boy in Queensland was the victim of sexploitation. The bank contacted police with its suspicions, and they went to the home. He denied it at first but when he was told he was not in trouble he admitted what had happened. He was in a bad state and self-harm wasnt too far away, says Sheehan. These syndicates are opportunistic and well resourced. They can infiltrate sporting and school groups, making friend requests and then chipping away at everyone in the group. The technique is simple. Throw out a massive net, catch the unsuspecting, flirt, ask for intimate images and then demand payment with the threat of dumping the images online. Of course, it will be only one payment and then there will be another and another. The victim doesnt even need to be duped, with the gangs using artificial intelligence deep-fake images and threatening to release them online unless there are payments. AFP Commander (Human Exploitation) Helen Schneider tells us: We have seen this lead to self-harm including suicide. Our priority is the victim. They need to know they are not in trouble. She says signs of a set-up are unsolicited friend requests, fake profiles that claim their microphone and webcams are not working, pressure to move from one app to another and indications the person sending the messages has English as a second language. The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation has an online kit for parents on sexploitation. The AFPs Operation Blackheath identified 47 offenders who tricked young people into performing sexually explicit acts. The offenders capture or cap the images and then sell them to international pay-for-view platforms. The victims did not know they had been exploited. AFP commander Helen Schneider Nearly 100 victims were found in the US, Britain, Russia, Denmark, Argentina, South Korea, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Italy, South Africa, Germany and France. Schneider says: The majority of Australian child victims are identified by offshore offenders searching the list of people that follow, like or comment on prominent online pages or sites relating to school-aged children. Those children and their friends are then approached by offenders via social media or direct-messaging apps. Once children respond, the offender communicates to establish a common link, and the child is encouraged to install and communicate via an alternative application they are less familiar with (usually one that provides the illusion of anonymity and has video functionality). The children readily forget that the offender has access to their family, friend and social contacts via the original mainstream application, which is later used as part of the extortion. In the first six months of 2024, the [Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation] received 560 reports of sextortion, an average of 93 reports a month, compared to an average of 300 reports a month in the 2023 calendar year. Loading This is still an under-reported crime and the sad reality is that we are still receiving almost 100 reports of children in Australia being targeted by criminals every month. When talking to a young person about sextortion, we advise you to stay factual. Avoid suggesting that a young person is stupid because they sent an image. Remember that young people in these situations are tricked by sophisticated and skilled online criminals. It is not their fault this has happened. Poland's air defense and radar reconnaissance have been put on high alert due to the Russian missile attack on Ukraine, and NATO aircraft have also been lifted into the air, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces reported on Friday. "Attention, in connection with another attack by the Russian Federation with cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles on objects located, including in the west of Ukraine, military aviation has begun operating in our airspace," the message says. As reported, the operational commander of the armed forces used all the forces and means at his disposal, pairs of fighters on duty were lifted into the air, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance equipment were brought to the highest alert. This journey proper begins by the riverside in My Tho, where we board the Aqua Mekong after a minibus ride from Ho Chi Minh City. Theres such a heady romance to the Mekong even here at the busy dock, as the sun sets into the distant haze, local ferries cruise by blasting local pop music, and ships laden to the gunwales with cargo chug down the rushing brown river. The 20-suite Aqua Mekong billed as the first five-star vessel to cruise the Mekong Delta to Cambodia. The Aqua Mekong is billed as the first five-star luxury vessel to cruise the Mekong Delta to Cambodia. There are only 20 suites, each with king-sized beds and floor-to-ceiling windows that can be eased open to breathe the muggy, fragrant air, or kept closed to allow the air-conditioning to do its thing. Theres a plunge pool up on the top deck; a media room for movie screenings, and spaces indoor and out to lounge around and watch as South-East Asia glides by. Menus are designed by Thai specialist chef, Australian David Thompson. And that it does when we awake for breakfast the next day, taking seats in the dining room to enjoy a mix of Vietnamese and Western standards the menus here have been created by the Thai specialist chef, Australian David Thompson as the frantic river traffic of the lower Mekong begins to shift into high gear. One of the signature attractions of this vessel is the fleet of skiffs carried on board, which can be floated at a moments notice and used to ferry passengers into spots that many standard river-cruise ships cannot access. Sa Dec is a case in point, a riverside town with no large dock, accessible for us via a scenic skiff ride and a clamber out just by the market. The ideal blend of action and idle. That afternoon, we enjoy another of Aquas signature experiences: a bike ride. There are 10 mountain bikes on board, which are all waiting for us on land as our skiffs pull up on a large island in the Mekong, and were given helmets to begin a gentle ride through villages and plantations. This is a perfect opportunity to slow down and take in the languid nature of rural life here, the only traffic the occasional scooter, the only sounds the barking of dogs and the shriek of kids as they jump from bridges into canals. Their parents, meanwhile, just smile and stare at the passersby. Guest suites offer a choice of fresh air via floor-to-ceiling windows or air-conditioning. Well soon discover that this cruise provides the ideal blend of action and idle, the time spent on board lounging around taking in the Mekong at the appropriate pace interspersed with time on the bike, where you can stretch your legs and raise your heartbeat while getting closer to the soul of the Delta, the people, the villages, the culture. The ship acquires fresh produce along the way. The next morning were back on the bikes again for a flat 18-kilometre ride on an island close to the Cambodian border, where coconut husks dry by the roadside, cockerels are kept in small cages, and the smell of cooking fires wafts as we pass through villages. Theres time to call into a shop for a ca phe sua da, a Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, one of the true pleasures of this part of the world. And then were in Cambodia. Its incredible the way an imaginary, invisible line can change the world completely. Suddenly the river traffic of Vietnam is gone, as are all the tributaries splaying out into the delta: now the Mekong is a single, sluggish, and very much empty mass of water, its banks similarly bare as we make our way north towards Phnom Penh. The crew on board the Aqua Mekong are predominantly Cambodian, and its clear that this chance to share their own culture and nation, so often underappreciated on a global scale, has been keenly awaited. (I later ask Narath, one of Aquas Cambodian guides, about the architecture we see in a local Cambodian temple, and where its similar to Thai or Burmese architecture. Yes, he says, pointedly, the architecture they have is similar to Cambodian.) Mekong meander become absorbed in river life. On a day spent motoring towards the nations capital were treated by Narath to a demonstration of the krama, a traditional Cambodian scarf with numerous uses and traditions attached. Were also served a few delicacies: deep-fried tarantulas, a regional specialty here, plus a few other crispy bugs and beetles. Far tastier than you might expect. Loading Phnom Penh appears soon, around a bend in the river. Its flashy new skyscrapers seem incongruous with the torpor of the Mekong, and its almost a relief as we continue on north to Koh Oknha Tei, also known as Silk Island, where silk is still produced by hand, right from the cultivation of the worms. Theres time again for a bike ride today, this time on the neighbouring island of Koh Dach, accessible via local ferry, where the roads are rougher and the villages smaller than were used to by now, though the welcome is just as friendly. As usual, money changes hands with locals. Small items are bought, theres a genuine exchange. Tomorrow we will be in the heart of Phnom Penh, where this sort of thing wont matter so much. But today, a little means a lot. The details Fly Jetstar has direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City from Sydney and Melbourne, and also flies from Phnom Penh to Australian ports via Singapore. See jetstar.com Cruise Aqua Expeditions four-night Mekong Explorer Cruise travels from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh (and the reverse) aboard its luxury 20-suite vessel. Packages include transfers from your hotel, all food and selected drinks, laundry, Wi-Fi, and two daily guided excursions aboard private speedboats with the use of bikes and kayaks from $US6080 ($A9125) a person, twin share. See aquaexpeditions.com Photo: MFA of Ukraine Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, in response to the massive missile attack by the Russian Federation, again called on partners to urgently supply 20 NASAMS, HAWK or IRIS-T air defense systems. Massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine this morning, primarily targeting the energy system. Russia aims to deprive us of energy. Instead, we must deprive it of the means of terror. I reiterate my call for the urgent delivery of 20 NASAMS, HAWK, or IRIS-T air defense systems, he said on X. As result of massive attack on energy infrastructure, TPP equipment seriously damaged DTEK On Friday morning, the Russian Federation carried out another massive terrorist attack on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, hitting the DTEK thermal power plant. "According to preliminary information, there are no casualties," the energy holding reported. At the same time, according to its data, as a result of the massive attack, the thermal power plant equipment was seriously damaged. After the shelling ended, energy workers quickly began to eliminate the consequences and resume the operation of the equipment. "This year, this is already the 12th massive attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the ninth massive attack on the company's energy enterprises," DTEK noted. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the thermal power plants of the energy holding have been fired upon more than 200 times. As reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the Russian attack on December 13 one of the largest strikes on the country's energy sector. Negative consequences are being recorded in Ternopil region after the Russian missile attack, there are no casualties among the population, the Regional Military Administration has reported. "According to the results of the enemy's missile attack, there are negative consequences. There are no casualties. Critical infrastructure is operating normally, " the Administration said on the Telegram channel on Friday. The consequences are being clarified. U.S. delegation arrives in Kyiv to meet with reps of defense industry Photo: https://t.me/usembkyiv/1248 U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace Nathaniel Fick and Director of the Defense Innovation Unit Doug Beck arrived in Kyiv to meet with representatives of the defense technology sector of Ukraine, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine reported. "Great to welcome Ambassador Nate Fick and Doug Beck, Director of DIU, to Kyiv - even during an air alert," said U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, quoted by the embassy's press service on Telegram on Friday. "They will meet Ukraines defense-tech sector to discuss lessons learned from the battlefield and explore opportunities for future U.S. collaboration," the ambassador added. Cabinet nod to bills for simultaneous polls NEW DELHI : UNION Cabinet on Thursday approved two bills, including one to amend the Constitution to implementone nation, one election, and the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing winter session, sources said. As of now, the Cabinet has given its nod to draft legislations to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies only, the sources said. While a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind Had also proposed holding the municipality and panchayat polls along with the national and State elections in a phased manner, the Cabinet has decided to stay away,as of now, from the manner in which local body elections are conducted. The Constitution amendment bill to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies will not require ratification by at least 50 per cent of the States, the sources noted. Another Constitution bill proposed by the Kovind panel was aimed at creating provisions to hold simultaneous elections to municipalities and panchayats, along with the elections to the Lok Sabha and State legislative Assemblies, by inserting a new Article 324A. It would have required ratification by half of the State Assemblies. But the Union Cabinet has kept the local body polls out as of now. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The second bill will be an ordinary one to amend provisions in three laws dealing with Union territories that have legislative Assemblies -- Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir -- to align the terms of these Houses with other legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha as proposed in the Constitution amendment bill. The statutes it proposes to amend are the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act-1991, the Government of UnionTerritories Act-1963 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act-2019 The proposed bill will be an ordinarylegislationnotrequiring a change in the Constitution and will also not needratificationby theStates. The Governmentis keen on holding wider consultations on bills that are likely to be referred to a parliamentary committee. The sources said the Government also wants to consult the speakers of variousStatelegislativeAssemblies through the committee. Moving ahead with its one nation,oneelection plan,the Government in September accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies and local bodies ina phasedmanner. In its report submitted to the Government in March, just beforethegeneralelectionwas announced,the panelrecommended implementing one nation, one election in two phases. While the ruling Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP)anditsallies are pushing for simultaneous polls, several Opposition parties have opposed the idea. The Government is of the view that simultaneous polls willreduce expenditure in the long run and different parts of the country will not be under the Model Code of Conduct throughouttheyearduetovarious polls. Simultaneous polls were held in the country between 1951 and1967.The concept of simultaneous elections has featured in many reports and studies since 1983, essentially implyingareturn to theprevious practice of conducting polls concurrently 59 students hospitalised after exposureto fumes from tank at JSW plant MUMBAI : AS MANY as 59 students and a woman were affected after exposure to fumes from a storage tank at a company in Maharashtras coastal Ratnagiri district on Thursday, said officials. While police saidthe tankwas in JSW Energys thermal power plant,thecompany saidnosuch incident took place on their premises. The affected students are from the JaigadVidya Mandir school, which is near the plant, a police official told PTI. Of the 250 students who were in the school, 53 boys, six girls and a woman were admitted to different hospitals after they complainedofeyeirritation,restlessness and nausea following exposure to fumes coming from the cleaning process ofthe tank, officials said. Three students are in the ICU though their health is stable. Comparedtothe others, they are experiencing more restlessness and nausea, and have complained of an aggravated stomach ache, a health official from thedistrictcivilhospitaltoldPTI. Thestudentsare underobservation and will most likely be dischargedonFriday afternoon, he said, adding that doctors will conduct a thorough check-up before letting the children go home. The fumes were from ethyl mercaptan, which is a colourless,flammable,andhighlyodorousliquidthatisusedasanodorantfornatural gas andas a starting material for plastics, insecticides, and antioxidants, apolice official said. At JSW Energy, we prioritizethe safety and well-being ofour employees, thecommunity, and theenvironment. We adhere to stringent safetyprotocols and continuouslymonitor our operations toensure they meet the highest standards, JSW Energy said ina statement. Beauty is only skin deep ...Gen Z begs to differ! By Maithili Bisne : Hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, peptides, retinol, niacinamide. No, these are not chemicals that your teenage children are jotting down in their chemistry notebooks but the ingredients that they are splattering on their skin and scalp, day in and day out. Today, a growing number of teenagers are hopelessly hooked to a new trend of skincare and selfcare regimen that is majorly driven by social media influencers. Until some years ago, we were still debating over the effectiveness of skin whitening creams, sunscreens and conditioners. But it is a whole new game now. An explosion of information of sorts. Mention skincare to teen girls, even as young as 13, and they may well recite a long list of product names, from head to toe, with their ingredients, even their percentages along with which product is to be applied at what time of the day and which chemicals work well together and which do not. Their study of the fine print is both amazing as well as worrisome. For somewhere down the line, Gen Z is unknowingly falling prey to a culture that talks of accomplishing selfcare but nurtures an urge to ascertain self worth through beauty. Dr Shishir Palsapure, leading Psychotherapist of the city, says that the reasons behind this fascination to look good are rather complex. Teens develop a certain body image in their mind and as per their limited cognitive abilities, create their own notions about good looks. And there is no denying the role social media overuse plays in this, he says. Upto 14 years of age, a child can develop 50 percent of his/her psychological disorders and by 21, 75 percent. It is therefore a sensitive phase in an individuals life which needs to be handled with adequate attention as well as restrictions from the parents, he suggests. Dr Palsapure calls upon parents to share teachable moments with their kids and educate the tender minds about the facade on social media and dispel childrens discouraging notions about beauty. He also favours keeping teens below the age of 16 years away from social media as they often fail to perceive the content in the correct way. With teens wanting to be selfie-ready at all times they take skincare influencers for their gurus. Brands no longer need extensive ad campaigns with film stars or models. A social media influencer recommending products from his/her bedroom also does the job. The faces may or may not, but what is glowing right now is the beauty industry. Costemics companies are specifically targeting Gen Z with attractively packaged products. Also, salons are witnessing a rise in teenaged customers. A senior staffer at Kutz Salon, Nagpur seconds this. Teenagers today are redefining self-care, understanding that healthy skin is not just about appearance but also about confidence and self expression. They feel investing in skincare early is investing in a brighter future, she says. But where does the good old dermatologist fit into this equation? While the companies claim their products are dermatalogically tested, expert guidance is still advisable regarding the dos and don'ts. Puja Dharmik, a leading Dermatologist in the city, says the Korean glass skin in the in thing among youngsters today. But Indian skin is not genetically equipped for that, she reminds. She advises a healthy lifestyle and minimalist skincare routine of clean-moisturise-nourish over the onslaught of beauty products. No one should not blindly follow the half-baked gyan from socia; media. Like one shoe wont fit every foot, one skin regimen wont apply to every skin type. And at times, the user may end up doing more damage than good, cautions dr Dharmik. Meanwhile, most of these products cost a bomb as compared to the regular creams and shampoos. Sanket Deshpande (name changed) is father of two teen daughters whose fetish for cosmetics and medical treatment for every small issue is getting under his skin. One breakout on the face and they want some fancy product to get rid of it immediately or see a dermatologist. Offer them the good old multani mitti or dahi besan face pack and their noses crumple in disgust, he laments. A healthy body that is a result of a healthy lifestyle is often enough for that prized glow. But with the novel ways of the new world, one wonders if the days of inner beauty and natural glow are now numbered. Propelled by the social media, now, beauty lies in the eyes of the screen-holder! Cgarhs promising journey under Vishnu Deo Sai By E V Murli : December 2023 marked a turning point for Chhattisgarh, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing a resounding victory in the assembly elections, winning 54 out of the 90 seats. For a party that was reduced to a mere 15 seats in 2018, this comeback is not only significant but also historic, even by its own admission. What stood out about this victory was the absence of a projected chief ministerial candidate during the campaign, making the eventual choice of Vishnu Deo Sai to lead the state a carefully deliberated one. A tribal leader from Jashpur, Sais political career is marked by humility, accessibility, and a reputation for being grounded. Even after completing a year in office, these qualities remain his hallmark. His appointment was hardly surprising to those familiar with the BJPs inner workings. During the partys earlier 15-year rule under Dr Raman Singh, Sais name was often floated as a potential successor. This speaks volumes about his standing within the party and his readiness to lead. Sais leadership combines patience, vision, and an unyielding commitment to Chhattisgarhs development. While his demeanour might suggest a slow starter, his aptitude for governance and his ability to fulfil the promises encapsulated in the partys manifesto, Modi Ki Guarantee, are evident. For the first time since Chhattisgarhs creation, a tribal leader has taken the reins, aligning with the vision of the states founders. However, the Sai Government inherited a challenging legacy. The momentum of progress achieved during Dr Raman Singhs tenure had been lost over the preceding five years, marred by corruption and inefficiency. The new administration faced the formidable task of restoring governance and tackling issues like Naxalism. As the Sai Government marked its first year in office, it showcased its achievements, emphasising its commitment to transparency and good governance. The Chief Minister reaffirmed the administrations aspiration to create a Ram Rajya and outlined ambitious plans to elevate Chhattisgarhs GDP to Rs 10 lakh crore by 2028. Declaring 2024 as the Year of Faith, Sai criticised the previous Congress regime for creating distrust while highlighting his governments strides in restoring democratic values. The Sai administrations key initiatives are both ambitious and impactful. Approval of 18 lakh houses, the disbursement of Rs 6,530 crore to 70 lakh women under the Mahatari Vandan Yojana, and the establishment of high-tech libraries stand out among the milestones. On the security front, the governments efforts to combat Naxalism have been noteworthy, with over 200 militants neutralized and 37 new security camps established. Progress in education, infrastructure, and rural development further underscore the governments developmental thrust. The transformation of Chhattisgarh under Sais leadership has begun, though much remains to be done. As the state charts this new path, it is crucial that the administration remains focused and unwavering in its goals. Sais leadership, anchored in the mantra of Modi Ki Guarantee, offers hope for a Chhattisgarh that is prosperous, transparent, and free from corruption. With the Chief Minister at the helm, the state stands poised for a brighter future, one rooted in welfare, trust, and inclusive growth. CM performs bhoomipujan of Freeganj RoB Project in Ujjain Staff Reporter : Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, during the bhoomipujan ceremony of the Freeganj Railway Over Bridge (RoB), reaffirmed the state government's commitment to the development of Ujjain and the overall state. He emphasised that the ongoing development works in Ujjain, especially around the revered Baba Shri Mahakal temple, will enhance the honor of not just the city but the entire country. Dr Yadav highlighted that over one crore saints, mahants, and devotees from across India and abroad visited Lord Shri Mahakaleshwar during the Sawan month of 2024. To accommodate this large number of devotees, extensive infrastructure and development projects are underway in Ujjain to ensure their comfort and convenience. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister announced that public programs under the "Mukhya Mantri Jankalyan Abhiyan" will be held from December 11 to December 26, 2024, where citizens and beneficiaries will receive various government benefits. The programmes will extend from Gita Jayanti to January 26, 2025. He also emphasised that through the initiative Aapki Sarkar Aapke Dwar, citizens will have direct access to Government services like Ayushman Card, Property Tax, Building Permits, Aadhaar Cards, and over 76 other welfare schemes. Dr Yadav also highlighted the significance of Gita Jayanti in the State, linking it with devotion, knowledge, and yoga. He further praised Prime Minister Narendra Modis government for realising the vision of Ramrajya, which is now being actualised through various initiatives. Regarding the new Freeganj Railway Over Bridge, the Chief Minister inspected the proposed layout and performed the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for the construction of this crucial infrastructure. The bridge, costing Rs 91.76 crore, will connect Freeganj to the Chamunda intersection. With a width of 21.40 meters and a length of 633 meters, the bridge will facilitate smooth traffic flow and pedestrian movement, ensuring better connectivity for the residents of Ujjain. Additionally, Freeganj and its surrounding areas will be developed into a major business and cultural hub. The Freeganj Railway Over Bridge is expected to be a key development project for Ujjain, particularly for the upcoming Simhastha 2028 event. The bridge will include wide carriageways, footpaths, and dividers to accommodate both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. In his address, Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Dr. Yadav for his significant contributions, including a generous Rs 128 crore donation to Geeta Bhawan. The event was also attended by MLA Anil Jain Kaluhera, Municipal Corporation Chairman Kalavati Yadav, former Union Minister Satyanarayan Jatia, Sanjay Aggarwal, and several local officers and representatives. The Freeganj Railway Over Bridge is poised to be a transformative infrastructure project for Ujjain, supporting the citys rapid growth and ensuring smoother connectivity for devotees and residents alike. Over one crore devotees visit Ujjain in a month Staff Reporter : Unprecedented rise in number of devotees in Avantika city in Shravan-Bhadon month according to the Ujjain administration. Over One Crore Saints, Mahatmas, and Devotees Visited Trinetradhari Avantikanath Shri Mahakal During Saavan month. From July 22 to August 19, 2024, more than one crore devotees came to Ujjain to seek the blessings of Lord Shri Mahakal, visit the Shri Mahakal Mahalok, and participate in the grand processions.The growing influx of devotees has elevated Ujjain as a key tourist, economic, and social hub of the Malwa region. The increase in business activity has provided multifaceted employment opportunities to the citizens, further boosting the citys development and prosperity. Ujjaini is a great religious, cultural, literary, mythological and historical city. Situated at the center of the Earth, it is a crucial point for Yogis and spiritualists having knowledge of Kundalini Shakti awakening. Citing reason behind this upward trend of pilgrims, Chief Minister Dr Yadav said after the construction of Shri Mahakal Lok, there is surge in number of pilgrims. Kumbh festival has been organised here for a long time every 12th year when Jupiter is placed in Leo. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav is leaving no stone unturned in the development of the State as well as Ujjain with continuous development works. The south-facing temple of Shri Lord Mahakaleshwar, one of the world-famous twelve Jyotirlingas of Ujjaini city, is the center point of the lifestyle of Ujjain. Since the construction of Shri Mahakal Mahalok in Avantikanath Lord Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple, more and more devotees are arriving from India and abroad and the number of devotees is on the rise. As per the vision of Chief Minister Dr Yadav, the sawaris and the royal Rajsi Sawari of Lord Shri Mahakaleshwar during the months of Shravan and Bhadon captured the attention of the entire nation. Over one crore devotees from India and abroad visited Ujjain in the single month of Shravan to witness the grandeur and divine splendor of Lord Shri Mahakaleshwar. This year, under the guidance of Chief Minister Dr Yadav, several attractions enhanced the sawari celebrations. Highlights included vibrant folk dance performances by artists from various tribal groups across the country, the melodious tunes of the police band along the procession route, a world record-breaking Damru Vadan, and a spectacular flower shower from a helicopter as the palanquin reached Ramghat. In line with Chief Minister Dr Yadav's vision to restore Avantika city to its former glory from the era of Samrat Vikramaditya, Ujjain has hosted a series of events, seminars, symposiums, and festivals throughout the year. These initiatives have established Ujjain as a hub for saints, scholars, thinkers, litterateurs, and researchers from across India. On the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Navratri and Gudi Padwa, a grand programme titled Shivjyoti Arpanam was organised, featuring a ceremonial Deepdaan at Ramghat on the sacred banks of the Kshipra River, adding to the citys cultural and spiritual grandeur. Various cultural, literary, religious and science programmes were organised under Vikramotsav and All India Kalidas Mahotsav. Great personalities from India and abroad attended these programmes and Ujjain remained the center of litterateurs, thinkers and scientists throughout the year. Pandhurna: Truck rams into stationary truck, driver injured Our Correspondent PANDHURNA, A road accident took place near Rajna Power House in Pandhurna tehsil at 7 am on Thursday where two trucks collided leaving a driver injured. According to the information, the truck numbered MH 40 AK 5288 was standing in the middle of the four-lane highway due to technical fault. Meanwhile, another truck coming from behind hit this standing truck. The injured driver was rescued and sent to the civil hospital for treatment. In the accident, the driver of the rear truck, Nanhe Singh, was badly stuck in the cabin. On receiving information about the incident, Badchicholi outpost in-charge, Vikram Baghel and Pandhurnas Dial 100 team, which included constable Gajendra Raghuvanshi and driver Surendra Devatwal, reached the spot. The team took out the injured driver and sent him to the civil hospital for treatment. Outpost In-charge, Vikram Baghel said that both the trucks were going from Nagpur to Bhopal. Panchnama was done after the incident. If the injured driver complains against the standing truck driver, a case will be registered and investigation will be started. At present the matter is under investigation. PM Modi to perform bhoomipujan of Ken-Betwa river linking project on Dec 25, confirms CM Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav addressing the mediapersons while presenting the one year report of his Government, on Thursday. Bhavana'Aparajita' Shukla : Dr Mohan Yadav presents one years report card of his Government Highlighting his one years achievements, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, who had taken oath on December 13 as the 19th Chief Minister of the State in 2023, said several major but delayed projects got momentum in the last eleven months. Prominent among those were Hukumchand mill, Providing Kshipra river water to devotees, removal of BRTS and river linking projects. Top most among these halted projects was Ken-Betwa river linking project. But now all the hurdles have been resolved. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to visit Madhya Pradesh on December 25, on the 100th birth anniversary of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for the bhoomipujan of the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Chhatarpur, Cheif Minister Dr Mohan Yadav informed mediapersons at the Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre in Bhopal, on Thursday. While intereacting with media in Bhopal on Thursday Chief Minister Dr Yadav lauded former PM, the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for envisioning river connectivity and said that MP and UP are working on the ambitious Ken-Betwa river linking project. The project will benefit Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwadi, Damoh, Shivpuri, Datia, Raisen, Vidisha and Sagar districts of the State. It will provide water for irrigation in 10.62 lakh hectares in the Bundelkhand region, spread across Madhya Pradesh (8.11 lakh hectares) and Uttar Pradesh (2.51 lakh hectares), besides supplying drinking water to 41 lakh population in MP and 21 lakh in UP, he said. The State Government has also decided to implement the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal river linking project which will benefit Guna, Shivpuri, Sehore, Dewas, Rajgarh, Ujjain, Agar-Malwa, Indore, Shajapur, Mandsaur and Morena districts of the State, said Dr Yadav. This project will provide water for irrigation in 6.13 lakh hectares in MP and PM Modi will lay its foundation stone on December 17 in Jaipur, Dr Yadav added. The State Government is working on four missions - youth power, welfare of poor, farmers welfare, and women empowerment - to ensure the holistic development of the State as per the wish and direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dr Yadav said, the State will observe 2025 as the Industries Year and PM Modi will inaugurate the Global Investors Summit, which will be held in Bhopal on February 24-25. The Chief Minister added that the State Government plans to provide about 2.50 lakh Government jobs in the next five years, with approximately one lakh recruitments already underway. He said that more than 36 lakh pucca houses have been provided to the poor in rural areas under the PM Awas Yojana, while over eight lakh such houses have been built in the urban areas of the State. He said the Government has paid a total of Rs 1,92,122 crore to 1.29 crore Ladli Bahna beneficiaries, as part of the regular monthly payments under the Ladli Bahna Yojana. The CM informed that investment proposals worth more than Rs 4 lakh crore have been received through various regional investor summits. Ujjain has emerged as prominent centre of religious tourism. Shri Krishna Pathey by connecting all places associated with Lord Krishna, including Sandipani Ashram, Narayana village, Ujjain, Janapav (Indore) and Amjhera (Dhar) will be developed. He also underlined how people are getting benefit during golden hour by availing Air Ambulance facility. On dais he was acompanied with Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devera, Principal Secretary, Public Relation Department, Dr Sudam Khade, State BJP President V D Sharma and State BJP Media -Incharge Ashish Agrawal. Nova Poshta increases number of branches in Poland to 50, plans to open twenty more The Nova Poshta company, the leader in express mail in Ukraine, has increased the number of branches in Poland to 50 in two years, and plans to open another 20. As the press service of Nova Poshta reported on Friday, December 6, the 50th branch was opened in Poland. It began operating in Krakow. The branch provides a full range of services: you can buy packaging materials, send and receive documents, parcels up to 30 kg from/to Ukraine, and European countries where Nova Poshta has branches. "We have united those who were separated by borders and opened free access for Ukrainians to marketplaces in European countries, and for Ukrainian entrepreneurs - an easy path to Western markets. That is why we do not stop developing and plan to open 20 more new branches in Polish cities: Tychy, Elblag, Pock, Koszalin and others. We are also considering opening two more sorting terminals - in Krakow and Poznan, and we will launch a fulfillment center in Warsaw - for business clients who want to receive a full range of logistics services from Nova Poshta," the press service quotes Nova Post Europe CEO Oleksandr Lysovets as saying. The first branch of Nova Poshta opened in Poland in October 2022, the press service recalled. To date, the company's branches operate in 31 Polish cities in 16 voivodeships. Courier delivery is available in more than 100 localities in 23 Polish cities. More than 300,000 clients have already used the services of Nova Poshta in Poland, including 2,000 business clients. On the Polish market, Nova Poshta cooperates with the inPost company, which delivers parcels to 25,000 parcel terminals. The company operates two sorting terminals in Warsaw and Gogow Maopolski. Both terminals process up to 170,000 parcels per month. Earlier, it was reported that Nova Poshta launched a service for delivery and sending to InPost parcel terminals in the UK. Shakuntala Railway Rly Boards Member Finance in Yavatmal today By Sagar Mohod : The 190 km route stretches to Murtizapur-Yavatmal and Achalpur, and is owned by a British firm Indian Railways is exploring possibility of taking over the vintage Shakuntala Railway from a British firm that still owns the only private railway line in the country that falls under Central Railway jurisdiction. Against this backdrop, the visit of Roopa Srinivasan, Member Finance, Railway Board, to Yavatmal on Friday, assumes significance. She will study the ground situation and inspect the conditions to help Railways decide on the plan. Srinivasan will hold talks with local railways officials, discuss the contours of the project so as to understand the requirement of funds for infusion in revival of Shakuntala Railway. Presently, the service stands discontinued as the Shakuntala Express has lost its relevance in todays jet age, and railways incurring losses in operations. Entire route needs to be upgraded and in past though announcement was made, it could not take off owing to multiple issues, the major one being Railways not owning the route. The 190 km line from Murtizapur-Yavatmal-Achalpur ownership still vests with Central Province Railway Company (CPRC), a wholly owned subsidiary of British firm Killick-Nixon, it was formed in 1910 during British era. Railways though had announced funding for gauge conversion, the final contours of project, including complete take over by Railways still remains in limbo. The issue of take over of Shakuntala Railways has not been resolved even after 75-years of independence, though all other routes were nationalised by Indian Government in 1952 itself. The vintage train used to operate on Narrow Gauge line, covering the 190 km distance in 20 hours, as old assets and technology prevented acceleration of the speed. While the track is owned by British firm, Indian Railway used to operate train services. Railways would pay the British company Rs 1 crore to utilise the railway route. After studying various representations, Railways is now keen to expand its footprint in one of the backward region of Maharashtra and hence taking serious look at the Shakuntala Railway issue to settle the matter.. Member Finance opinion is going to weigh on the issue, as the owner company is seeking hefty compensation to transfer the ownership to Indian Railways. The operational jurisdiction of Shakuntala Railways lies with Bhusawal Division of CR and they have even started survey to study feasibility of Gauge conversion, it is learnt from officials. There are two components of Shakuntala Railway, one stretch from Mutizapur to Achalpur and Murtizapur to Yavatmal, totalling 190 km distance, and another branch line from Arvi to Pulgaon, a 35 km section, that was part of same company. Murtizapur to Achalpur is a 76 km distance, while the Yavatmal route is a 113 -km stretch. The Yavatmal route was opened in 1903 while the Achalpur line was commissioned in 1913 and they merged into GIPR in 1925. Prior to that, Pulgaon section was started in 1917. These routes were primarily meant for transporting cotton from hinterland of Vidarbha to Manchester in England. Post independent these line were converted to passenger line and the NG section catered to vast populace along the line. Post introduction of Broad Gauge network, the need was felt for upgrading the Shakuntala Railway route. The then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in 2016-17 announced grant of Rs 1500 crore but somehow the project did not materialise. Now that Yavatmal is being connected with railway line, Achalpur still lacks rail connectivity. Hence Railways is keen to operationalise erstwhile route of Shakuntala Railways as it aggressively expanding network of railways. Murtizapur already had Board Gauge connectivity. Smart India Hackathon 2024: Students find solutions to complex problems Staff Reporter DURG, The hardware version of Smart India Hackathon is being organised at Bhilai Institute of Technology Durg. Smart India Hackathon (SIH) is being organized from December 11 to 15. In this national level innovation competition, 100 students and 55 girls from across the country are continuously working on solutions to the problems of common daily life and industries. Giving the context of the programme, Principal of Bhilai Institute of Technology, Dr Arun Arora said that students of IIT Mumbai are trying to develop a system for charging electric vehicles so that moving vehicle can be charged without stopping. This innovation will reduce time and energy consumption. Innovators from Velammal Engineering College, Chennai are making a vehicle that will be easily operated by the disabled. This vehicle is being prepared by connecting it with various linkages. Students from Rajkot, Gujarat are developing a system to monitor the live location of the city bus in urban traffic. Likewise, facing the current traffic problem, students from Coimbatore are working on research on solenoid operated engine. This experiment will promote less polluting and environmentally sensitive traffic system. Sludge treatment in sewage treatment plant is a big challenge. To treat it, students Ramaiah University Bangalore are developing a closed structure under clean and green technology. This structure will be equipped with gas sensors and artificial intelligence, which will not only reduce human risks but will also produce high quality organic manure. Through, Smart India Hackathon (SIH), students are not only giving shape to their innovation but are also acquiring high quality skills through this platform. Thankful to Indian Government: Man evacuated from Syria NEW DELHI : WITH Indian nationals who were evacuated from Syria returned to India, a Ghaziabad resident recounted horrors of the Syrian uprising. Ravi Bhushan, the firstIndian national out of 75 to return has recounted the Indian embassy efforts to help them get back to India. India has started a rescue operation and we are the first team who rescued from Syria. The best part is that they contacted each and everyone. They were even motivating them and asking them if they were okay. The Syrian embassy was updating us through messages every hour about when and what they are going to do with regards to rescue operation. If somebody faced any problem regarding food or anything, they arranged it.We are very much thankful to Indian Government and Indian embassy at Lebanon and Syria both places, Bhushan told ANI. Wesawhowpeoplefromother countries were suffering. We saw small children and women, how they were made to sit outside for over 10-12 hours in the 4-5 degree temperature. It was really horrible. But because of Indian Government, we did not face any such kind of issue, he told ANI. Bhushan futher told ANIthatthesituationinSyriawas very bad. People are firing each other everywhere. At present, the situation in Syria is worst. There is widespread panic. People are firing in the open road, bombarding, looting the banks. They damaged the airport completely.They are damaging all the vehicles which are parked in the hotels andeverywhere.So the situation is not good there.Iwould say that in coming few days, situation is goingtobeworsethere, he said. Bhushan toldANIthathewent to Syria for a few days for some business meeting. The situation was okay then, and the uprising started suddenly. All 75 Indian nationals evacuated from Syria including 44 Zaireen from Jammu and Kashmir who were stranded at Saida Zainab, reached Beirut on Wednesday. Villagers clueless about alternatives to stubble burning Stubbles ashes still remain in the fields. (Right) On November 18, at 1.42 pm, stubble was burned in the fields of Khajuri village, Bhopal. By Aditya Akash : Amid the eye-opening cases of stubble burning in the State as it tops in the country leaving behind Punjab, there is more surprising facts coming to fore when The Hitavada visited the fields. Most of the villgers to whom the The Hitavada contacted residing at the edge of State capital are (in Bhopal division) are not aware with the consequence of burning crop residue. The Hitavada has spoken to some of the farmers of Bilkheda and Khajuri villages in the Huzur tehsil and found out that they are still burning their crop residue in the field. Unaware villagers continued this practice till last month (November) when the higher officials were passing orders to go tough against those engaged in stubble burning. District adminstration is slapping fines on defaulters instead of conducting drive to make innocent farmers aware with the adverse effects of this practice on the enviroment. Ramesh Chandra, a farmer from Huzur villege, said Every year we used to burn residue here (farm) only. We dont any other options since generation to generation we are doing this only. When asked about any visit by any official or field staff from the administration to make them aware, the farmer said, No, we have never ever been asked for this. First time, we are hearing from you , we should not burn it in farmland. We have no other option to take this huge amount of residue to other place. We dont even know where we should take this. Surprisingly, this was not an exception, other villagers too were of the same opinion. Although the administration has imposed a ban on burning stubble and has made arrangements for alternative methods of disposal, these initiatives or resources do not seem to have reached the farmers. The farmers also mentioned that they are aware that the Government is addressing the issue of stubble, but they have not been informed about any specific measures or options available to them. The district administration of Bhopal had previously issued an order prohibiting the burning of crop residue (parali). However, when we spoke to the farmers from Bilkheda and Khajuri villages in the Huzur tehsil of Bhopal, they informed that the Government or the Municipal Corporation has not provided them with any guidelines on how or where to dispose of the crop residue. Despite the administrations ban on burning stubble, the farmers mentioned that they have not received any information on alternative ways to manage it. When contacted the officials about the issue of crop residue burning, they informed that strict action would be taken against those who continue to burn stubble . Under the Indian Citizens Protection Act, Section 183, violators will face punitive measures. Additionally, the officials explained that the Agriculture Department conducts campaigns to promote the disposal of crop residue using machines, which shred the Stubble and convert it into fodder. It was also enquired about how this message reaches the farmers, encouraging them to avoid burning stubble and instead use machines to convert it into useful fodder. The official mentioned that such information is frequently shared through the news, which should keep farmers informed. However, the farmers responded by stating that no agricultural officers, SDMs, or Tehsildars have visited their villages to provide guidance on how to properly manage crop residue. They expressed that without direct communication from Government officials, they have no way of knowing the proper methods for disposing of stubble. Despite the Governments efforts, the lack of on-ground outreach is preventing farmers from accessing the necessary information and support to manage crop residue effectively. The newly appointed European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius, who is on hist first visit to Kyiv, has said the EU will continue supporting Ukraine, putting pressure on Russia. "Good meeting with Andriy Sybiha, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs. As Ukraine is again suffering under a massive air attack by Russia, I am here to express EU solidarity with Ukraine. We will continue supporting Ukraine, putting pressure on Russia to stop its illegal aggression," he said on the X social network on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held the first Headquarters meeting on technology, the participants of which discussed the protection of the Ukrainian sky, in particular, countering Russian "Shaheds" and missiles. "This was actually a founding meeting. A special format for the implementation of innovations for defense with the participation of scientists and weapons manufacturers, developers of technological solutions for our defense forces and the security of Ukraine. Of course, there were all the necessary commanders and representatives of the army, intelligence and security forces," Zelenskyy said in Telegram channel on Friday. According to him, the participants of the Headquarters focused on the first and key task protecting the sky, countering "Shaheds" and missiles. "A long and fairly detailed discussion on these issues has already taken place, and there are already the first outlines of how we can further strengthen our defense," Zelenskyy said. He stressed that specific solutions should be presented at the next Headquarters meeting on technology. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko held a traditional meeting with foreign ambassadors and representatives of international organizations in Ukraine before the New Year holidays, congratulated them on the upcoming holidays and called on them to continue and strengthen their support for Ukraine, the press service of Kyiv City State Administration has said on Friday. "It is very important that assistance to Ukraine continues and intensifies. [...] Today is a critical moment in the war. Russia is interested in a war of attrition. And with its resource, the risk of spreading hostilities to other European countries may become a reality," he said. According to the mayor, the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not let the catastrophic scenario for Ukraine to become a reality. "But they need adequate and timely supplies of weapons. The duration of the war and the result will largely depend on the wisdom and foresight of politicians, their understanding of the situation and possible consequences. That is why I once again urge all partners, the civilized world, not to stop supporting Ukraine," Klitschko said. He noted that Ukraine needs the latest weapons, in particular long-range weapons, as well as financial and economic support from partners. He also noted that for Ukraine this struggle is a civilizational choice. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Friday the consequences of Russia's morning massive attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and the need to provide Ukraine with real and effective security guarantees to achieve stability and long-term peace. "We discussed the consequences of Russia's morning massive attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which once again demonstrated the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine's air defense capability," Zelenskyy said in his Telegram. Zelenskyy thanked Stubb for his principled and unwavering support for the independence of Ukraine and our people. "I separately thanked Finland for its readiness to strengthen our air defense capabilities," the president said. "It is important for us that Finland strongly supports Ukraine's sovereign right to choose its own future without external interference, in particular our choice regarding joining the EU and NATO," Zelenskyy said. The leaders of the countries agreed on the need to provide Ukraine with real and effective security guarantees to achieve stability and long-term peace. Trump's future special envoy for Ukraine, Russia believes in possibility of ending Russian war in Ukraine in coming months Photo: https://x.com/generalkellogg The future U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said on Friday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will be able to find a solution to end the Russian war in Ukraine in the next few months. "I really believe that this will be resolved within the next few months. Since the only person who can do this is President Donald Trump, and he will do it. They are tired of killing each other there," Kellogg said on Fox News. To a journalist's question, he added that he would not be surprised if Trump invited Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin to the inauguration and held talks with them in Washington on resolving the situation in Ukraine. "Could he do that? Of course he could. Trump is known for making bold moves," Kellogg said. According to him, Trump often takes actions that "we look at with great surprise." In late November, Trump said he would appoint former National Security Council Secretary Keith Kellogg as a special envoy for Ukraine. This summer, Western media reported that Kellogg presented Trump with a plan to end the war in Ukraine, which included freezing the front lines and starting negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. He proposed depriving Ukraine of American weapons if it did not agree to participate in the negotiation process. As part of the initiative of the President of Ukraine Bring Kids Back UA, another child was successfully returned from the temporarily occupied territory, Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said. "Due to pressure from the occupation authorities, Mykhailo (as Yermak points out, the child's name has been changed for security reasons) was forced to attend a Russian school, and the family's attempts to evacuate on their own were unsuccessful," he said in his Telegram on Friday. Yermak expressed gratitude to the partners, the Ukrainian Network for Children's Rights and all involved structures, for their active participation in the implementation of the president's task the return of Ukrainian children home. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua Since the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, some 131 combat clashes have been recorded along the entire front line, the hottest ones are in Pokrovsk axis, where the number of battles has reached 32, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said. "The enemy does not stop trying to advance deep into the territory of Ukraine. Currently, the enemy has attacked the positions of the Defense Forces 131 times. It is most active in Pokrovsk and Vremivka axes, where it carried out almost half of all attacks," the General Staff said in a summary on Facebook on Friday. The General Staff said "the hottest ones are in Pokrovsk axis." Since the beginning of the day, the occupiers have already carried out 32 attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Myroliubivka, Lysivka, Luch, Dachenske, Shevchenko, Novy Trud, Zelene, Pischane and Pushkine. The defense forces, holding back the enemy onslaught, repelled 23 attacks. Nine clashes are ongoing. "There are 18 combat clashes in Kurakhove axis, the invaders are most actively trying to advance in the areas of Stari Terny, Sontsivka, Zoria, Kurakhove, Dalne, Dachne, Hannivka and Uspenivka. Seven clashes are still ongoing," the General Staff said. In Vremivka axis, the invaders have launched 29 offensives on the positions of the Ukrainian troops near the settlements of Trudove, Vesely Hai, Kostiantynopilske, Sukhi Yaly, Blahodatne, Storozheve, Neskuchne, Makarivka and Novodarivka, ten battles continue. In Lyman axis, the Russian Army continues to attack in the areas of the settlements of Hrekivka, Nadia, Zeleny Hai, Shyikivka, Makiyivka, Terny, Zarichne, Torske, Dibrova and Hryhorivka. Since the beginning of the day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already repelled ten out of 19 attacks in this direction. The battles continue. The enemy fired unguided rockets at Serhiivka. The Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled one assault in Bilohorivka area in the northern direction. The enemy dropped unguided bombs on Siversk. In Kramatorsk axis, the occupiers attacked five times in Chasiv Yar area. Currently, seven enemy attacks have occurred in Toretsk axis. The enemy was active in the areas of Toretsk and Deliivka. Two attacks have been stopped, five clashes continue. In Kharkov axis, the Russian Army attempted to carry out offensive actions near Vovchansk, one combat clash continues. Enemy aviation struck Hranove and Vovchanski Khutory with UABs. The enemy attacked our positions in Kupiansk direction six times. Ukrainian defenders repelled all enemy assaults near Kolesnykivka, Bohuslavka and Lozova. In Dnipro axis, the occupiers made one unsuccessful attempt to attack the positions of Ukrainian forces. "In Kursk region, our defenders repelled nine attacks by the invaders today, five more combat clashes continue," the General Staff said. Preparing for meetings with European leaders in Brussels next week Ukraine is preparing for meetings with European leaders in Brussels (Belgium) next week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "We are already preparing for meetings in Brussels next week with European leaders," he said in an evening video address on Friday. As reported, on December 1, European Council President Antonio Costa expects to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the next meeting of the European Council, which will take place on December 19 and 20. Statements by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban about the alleged Christmas truce are "PR for headlines" and have also only helped Russia, in particular, for a new attack on the Ukrainian energy sector, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser on Communications Dmytro Lytvyn said. "Now we see that this PR by Mr. Orban was simply used by Moscow to cover up the preparation of another missile strike on our energy sector, Russian missiles even approached the borders of EU countries again. Unfortunately, with this work for loud headlines, Mr. Orban helped Moscow with the attack," Lytvyn told the BBC on Friday. At the same time, Orban on Friday again posted a post and a video on the X social network that the possibility of a mass prisoner exchange and a Christmas ceasefire proposed by Hungary is still "on the table." "It doesn't matter how it appeared there, it is there. You can do two things with it: accept it or reject it. One side accepted it, and the other, obviously, rejected it. But there are still a few days until Christmas, let's hope for the best!" - the Hungarian Prime Minister asserts. At the same time, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhy pointed out on Friday that agreements with Russia on a ceasefire are hopeless. "There had been 20 ceasefire agreements between 2014 and 2022. All of them broken by the Russian side soon after announcement. The entire multi-year ceasefire exercise ended on February 24th, 2022, when Russia launched its illegal all-out invasion of Ukraine," he said on the X social network. As reported, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban on December 11 reported an hour-long phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was sharply criticized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after which the Hungarian Prime Minister reported that the Ukrainian side allegedly rejected the Christmas ceasefire and prisoner exchange he proposed to the two sides. On the same day, Lytvin said the Hungarian side had not discussed anything with Ukraine and had not warned about its contacts with Moscow. Attorney General Ryan Pinder brings remarks at at an industry briefing hosted by the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, in partnership with the Bahamas Financial Services Board and the Association of International Banks and Trust Companies, at Baha Mar yesterday. Torrell Glinton Hungary and Bulgaria have found a legally and financially acceptable solution for both parties to continue the transit of Russian gas through Bulgaria to Hungary amid U.S. sanctions against Gazprombank, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto posted on a personal page on social media. Szijjarto said that Hungary pays for Russian gas through Gazprombank, Bulgaria receives funds through Gazprombank for transiting gas, and the parties have found a solution that is not subject to sanctions. Hungary receives Russian gas via the Turk Stream pipeline from Russia to Turkey, and then in transit through Bulgaria to Hungary. Hungary has received the bulk of the over 7 billion cubic meters of gas that the country consumes via this route this year. At the same time, Bloomberg, citing the Bulgarian Energy Ministry, reports that only an option for solving the problem was discussed, which would include Hungary and allow Bulgaria to continue receiving transit fees after the arrival of Russian gas. Bulgaria had previously warned that it could stop the transit of Russian gas to Central Europe if Gazprom did not find a payment solution, the agency recalls. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part in a meeting with the leaders of Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, NATO and the EU in Brussels on Wednesday, December 18, to discuss support for his country in the war with Russia, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the meeting plan. "It won't be a meeting that has concrete decisions, but more political to discuss the coming weeks and months," the source said. As the agency writes, the meeting, organized by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, will take place on the day when the leaders of the countries were already supposed to gather for the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels, and will include a joint meeting and several bilateral meetings with Zelenskyy. According to the publication, Zelenskyy and some of his European allies are calling for European troops to be sent to Ukraine to serve as a deterrent to further Russian military action after the ceasefire. A recent roundtable discussion titled "Ukraine NATO 2024: From Strengthening Partnership to Exploring Security Paths" took place in Kyiv. It was organized by the Ukraine-NATO Public League jointly with the Public Council within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the support of the NATO Representation in Ukraine. Held at the Ukrinform news agency, the event brought together prominent figures from military sectors, diplomacy and security. The key speaker in the discussion of NATO's support for Ukraine was NATO's Senior Representative in Ukraine Patrick Turner. Other participants included Serhiy Dzherdzh, Chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Chairman of the Ukraine-NATO Public League, Senior Lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Maksym Yemelianov, Deputy Director of the EU and NATO Department, Head of the NATO Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Ihor Dolhov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Turkey, Germany, Belgium and Georgia, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO (2010-2014); Colonel Hennadiy Kovalenko, Director of the Department of International Defense Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Director of the Foundation's Ukrainian representative office Mykola Hirni, and others. Participants highlighted the critical role of civil society in strengthening Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic resilience. Serhiy Dzherdzh noted that since cooperation with NATO contributes to the development of democratic processes in Ukraine, the annual summing up of the results of this cooperation is extremely important. NATO's support for Ukraine This public discussion further affirmed NATO's strong commitment to supporting Ukraine. NATO's Senior Representative in Ukraine Patrick Turner, referenced Ukraine's current slogan "Freedom or Death" and expressed Alliance's dedication to assisting Ukraine both now and in the future, while also thanking Ukraine for becoming a "shield of global security." Turner assured that the Alliance is focused on enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities, including through over $40 billion in assistance in 2024. In response to questions about the prospects for continued cooperation amid existing challenges, particularly the ongoing war, Turner emphasized that "NATO as an organization is not afraid of russia." According to him, it is obvious that Russia represents a significant threat, and Ukraine's experience proves this. After all, there is a war that could potentially spread to other territories. The NATO's Senior Representative in Ukraine stressed that NATO will help Ukraine end the war and described Ukraine as "an inseparable part of the European family." Ukraine is an important partner for Europe due to its vast territory, shared values, progressive worldview, strategic aspirations, innovations, significant human resources and strong armed forces. When addressing concerns about the preparedness of young men for modern high-tech warfare, Turner explained that under the agreement between Ukraine and NATO, the Alliance provides weapons and technology, while Ukraine, unfortunately, provides human resources. He assured that NATO is responsible for the high-quality training of Ukrainian defenders and adheres to gender equality standards for women in service. Commenting on mobilization issues, Turner emphasized the importance of involving young people in the process of strengthening the country's defense capabilities. In his opinion, young people are a source of innovation and strategic vision for the future. In addition, the NATO's Senior Representative in Ukraine drew attention to the concerning sociological survey showing a third of Ukrainians consider the development of nuclear weapons as security guarantee. He reiterated that the Alliance advocates for peaceful solution to security issues and called for avoiding a return to nuclear weapons. Asked about Ukraine's challenges towards NATO membership, Turner replied that the primary focus is on efforts towards reform and called the war the biggest obstacle. He pointed out that NATO has never accepted a country while it was at war. Therefore, the NATO's main focus is to help end the conflict by providing material support and military training, concentrating on specific priorities rather than just ideas. Thus, the event served as a vital platform for discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine-NATO partnership, exploring new opportunities to support Ukraine in the military-political aspect, as well as reinforcing regional Euro-Atlantic security. It is clear that only through joint efforts can peace and stability in the region be ensured. Text by Roksolana Stefanyshyn, a representative of the PanteonX International Charitable Foundation. In a significant boost to healthcare infrastructure, Powergrid handed over an advanced medical equipment, endobronchial ultrasound unit to the department of respiratory medicine at IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital, under the CSR scheme at a cost of Rs 85 lakh. The handing over ceremony took place on Thursday, in the esteemed presence of Prof (Dr) Manimoy Bandyopadhyay, director, IPGME&R & SSKM, Prof (Dr) Somenath Kundu, professor & head, and Dr Surajit Chatterjee, assistant professor, department of respiratory medicine, from SSKM and Sh. Amitava Barat, executive director, Powergrid ER-II, S J Lahiri, chief GM (AM) and Prashant Kumar, general manager (HR) from Powergrid. This contribution is expected to enhance the hospitals capacity to provide high-quality medical care to the community, significantly benefiting patients in Kolkata and neighbouring regions by effectively diagnosing lungs infection, tumour, lungs cancer and other lungs ailments. Advertisement Advertisement The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) on Thursday directed a private hospital in southern Kolkata to refund treatment charges of around Rs 3.68 lakh to a patient after the commission found negligence in his treatment. The WBCERC has also urged the state health department to conduct an inquiry to probe the matter. Advertisement Pranab Ghosh was admitted to the Genesis Hospital in the Kasba area on 26 April for gall bladder surgery under a treatment package of Rs 80,000, initially. He was scheduled for discharge from the hospital on 28 April but it was deferred by one more day after he developed some complications. He was discharged on 29 April. Advertisement Following a complaint lodged with the WBCERC by the patient, the commission along with its panel of expert doctors held a hearing with complainant and representatives of the hospital. Our doctors felt that the patients condition was in such a state that he should not have been discharged from the hospital. As a result, he had to take admissions to the hospital repeatedly. He was admitted to the Genesis Hospital for five times, once at Apollo and three times at Liver Foundation since April. The gentleman has been suffering for the past four to five months. Rather, the Genesis Hospital has not taken the responsibility, Justice Asim Banerjee, WBCERC chairman and retired judge of the Calcutta High Court, told reporters this evening. Genesis has been charging bills for his admissions during the second, third and fourth times. During the fifth time, the patient party refused to pay the bills saying that they dont have money and they took him to their residence from the hospital. The Apollo hospital has also charged around Rs 9 lakh from the patient. Its creating pressure on the patient to pay the dues. Ultimately, the patient has been cured by the grace of God by the Liver Foundation after admissions to the hospital three times, Justice Banerjee said. Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta on Friday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of intentionally suppressing 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports to cover up its alleged corruption. He has called for a special session of the Delhi Assembly to immediately table all the CAG reports. Advertisement Addressing a press conference, he said that despite consistent pressure from the Opposition, and multiple requests from the Delhi Lt Governor and Finance Secretary, the government has not tabled these reports in the Assembly so far. Advertisement Since 2017-18, CAG reports for seven financial years (up to 2021-22) have been pending with Delhi Finance Minister. Despite being notified, the Delhi government has failed to present them in the Assembly, he said. Claiming that Principal Account Office had formally reminded the Finance Minister Atishi in a letter dated this October17 that under Article 151 of the Constitution, Section 411 of the Government of NCT of Delhi Act, 1991, and Regulation 210 of the Audit and Accounts Regulations, 2007, the CAG reports must be mandatorily presented in the Delhi Assembly, he said yet, the government has continued to withhold these reports. The AAP government must send a formal proposal to the LG to table the CAG reports in the Assembly. But the government has deliberately avoided doing so. Only under pressure from the Opposition and the High Court did it submit 10 reports to the LG, Gupta claimed. Asking the ruling dispensation why the remaining four have not been sent to LG, Gupta asserted that the people of Delhi have the right to know about the governments financial activities. He also informed that the BJP legislators would meet the LG and urge him to direct the government to table the CAG reports in the Assembly. The Congress has released the first list of 21 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi. According to a communique issued by the Congress general secretary in-charge of Organisation KC Venugopal on Thursday, the partys Central Election Commission (CEC) has selected the candidates. Advertisement The Congress fielded partys Delhi Pradesh president Devender Yadav as its nominee from Badli Assembly constituency. Advertisement Former Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar Chaudhary will contest from Patparganj constituency, as per the list. It may be mentioned that it was Chaudhary who first raised the issue of alleged liquor scam during his tenure as the Delhi Chief. He is also the former MLA from Patparganj constituency. Other prominent candidates include former Delhi minister Haroon Yusuf, Sandeep Dikshit and Ragini Nayak. Earlier in a post on X , the Congress wrote, Today an important meeting of CEC related to Delhi was held in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Organisation General Secretary KC Venugopal. Senior Congress leaders of Delhi were present. The Delhi Congress chief had earlier said the party would contest the upcoming Assembly elections alone, and it will come to power. Congress will contest the upcoming Assembly elections alone as it is in a very strong position to win the elections and come back to power, he said. Elections to 70 Assembly seats in Delhi are scheduled to be held early next year. The Telangana High Court granted interim bail to actor Allu Arjun after he was arrested by the Hyderabad Police in connection with the stampede that occurred last week during the special premiere of his movie Pushpa 2 leaving a woman dead and her nine-year-old son critically injured. Earlier in the day, a local court remanded the actor to judicial custody for 14 days and sent him to Chanchalguda jail under tight security. Advertisement Opposition parties condemned the arrest with the BRS accusing the Congress government of trying to divert public attention while the BJP accused it of resorting to sensationalism. The Telugu star was arrested by the police from his residence at noon before taking him to Gandhi Hospital for medical examination. He was then produced before the magistrate at a local court in Nampally. However, his counsel moved a lunch motion before a bench of Justice Juvvadi Sridevi of the high court. Advertisement Allu Arjun had already filed a quash petition in the high court against the FIR filed against him in connection with the stampede at Sandhya Theatres. His counsel cited several cases, including that of Shahrukh Khan whose promotion of his film Raees had led to a stampede, and also of the arrest of Arnab Goswami while the Public Prosecutor vehemently opposed the bail and sought time to file a counter. However, the judge granted him interim bail for four weeks on a personal surety of Rs 50,000 upholding his right to personal liberty. Meanwhile, in a surprising turn of events, the husband of the woman killed in the stampede offered to withdraw the case. Revathis husband Bhaskar stated, I am ready to withdraw the case. My son wanted to watch the film so we went there. Allu Arjun has nothing to do with the stampede in which my wife passed away. While Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who was away in Delhi, initially told the vernacular media that Law will take its course later, he modified his statement saying, Will find out and comment. BRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned the arrest attributing it to the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers and lashed out at the high-handed behaviour of the state government. He further alleged, All that the Congress government tried to do today was to take away the attention from their atrocities against tribal farmer Hirya Naik. Lets not forget or forgive. BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said, Drama over delivery, diversion over governance thats Telangana Congress government for you! While those who once misruled and looted the state walk free, they arrested a National award-winning actor to steal the spotlight. Sensationalism wont hide their incompetence the whole nation saw through Congress desperate drama. Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy condemned the arrest. He further said, Allu Arjun expressed his sorrow over this (stampede) and acted responsibly, saying he would stand by the family. How far is it fair to hold him directly responsible for this incident? The magistrate has ordered 14-day remand for Pushpa star Allu Arjun in connection with the stampede at Sandhya Theatres that had left a woman dead and her 9-year-old son critically injured. However, he has filed a lunch motion petition before the Telangana High Court to squash the FIR against him which has been taken up. He was taken to Gandhi Hospital for medical examination and then produced before the magistrate at Nampally court. Advertisement While investigating, the police had blamed the actor and the management of Sandhya Theatres for the stampede, saying that they were not informed about his plans to visit the venue for the special premier show. Moreover, there was no arrangement for separate entry of the stars. Advertisement Videos taken during the arrest of the Telugu star showed him objecting to his arrest. He was apparently taken from his bedroom. BRS working president K T Rama Rao slammed Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for the arrest. He said,Arrest of National Award winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers! I totally sympathize with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isnt directly responsible for. He went on to add in his social media post There is always space for respect & dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high handed behaviour of the Government. Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by Hydra. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 12. On December 12, the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan visited the Alley of Honor with regard to the commemoration day of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. Wreaths and flowers were laid at the grave of the National Leader and tribute was paid to his bright memory. Then the leadership of the Ministry of Defense paid tribute and laid flowers at the grave of prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has undertaken numerous historic initiatives for the welfare of farmers over the past ten years which has caused discomfort to other political parties. Congress and other parties in the INDIA bloc frequently question and politicise every pro-farmer decision made by the prime minister, Nayab Singh Saini contended. Advertisement The Haryana government is procuring all crops from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and is continuously working towards empowering them. The Congress government should follow suit and decide on strengthening farmers in the state governed by them, he said. Advertisement The chief minister, while interacting with the media persons after inaugurating a craft exhibition here, said the Punjab government should procure its farmers crops at MSP. If Punjabs farmers face any issues, the Punjab government must step forward and announce that they will purchase all crops at MSP, he added. Lauding the decision taken by the Union Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi to approve the One Nation-One Election vision, the chief minister said this move would save both time and money, benefiting the common people significantly. It will also expedite development works, ensuring that India becomes a developed nation by 2047, said Nayab Singh Saini. Responding to the Punjab chief ministers statement on the One Nation-One Election that it could harm regional parties, Saini said that the Punjab government has failed to meet the expectations of its people. In Delhi, leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are embroiled in corruption cases and are behind bars. They came to power promising transparent governance but failed to deliver, said the chief minister. He advised AAP leaders to focus on improving peoples lives, providing clean drinking water to Delhi residents, and cleaning the Yamuna River. However, he noted that people have understood their reality and are eagerly waiting for the Delhi elections in which the AAP will face a big defeat. Tagretting Congress, the chief minister said the people have now rejected Congress because its leaders lie and have used deceit to gain power in states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. However, those governments have not worked in the interest of the people. This is evident from Congresss debacle in Haryana and Maharashtra, said Nayab Singh Saini. The chief minister expressed confidence that the people of Haryana and Maharashtra have confirmed their support for the BJP, ensuring that under Prime Minister, Modis leadership, the BJP will form the government for the fourth time in 2029. He said the country is progressing steadily with efforts being made for the welfare of all sections of society, including farmers, the poor, youth, and women. The Election Commission of India on Friday wrote to Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi over the representations received form the AAP and the BJP raising several issues including alleged threat of mass voter deletion in the national capital, and asked to examine the matter carefully and necessary action be taken strictly following the guidelines. In a letter addressed to the CEO Delhi, ECI Secretary BC Patra wrote: I am directed to forward herewith a copy of representation of the BJP along with its enclosures handed over during its meeting with Commission on 13th December, urging the need to remove names of illegal/temporary migrants, ghost voters from the electoral roll during the ongoing Special Summary Revision 2025. Advertisement The official informed that earlier a representation received from the AAP regarding the threat of mass voter deletion in Delhi was forwarded to the CEO. Advertisement I am further directed to reiterate that the issues raised in representations of both the parties, viz., to delete illegal/temporary migrants, ghost voters and not to undertake mass deletions of voters without proper enquiry, has to be examined carefully and necessary action taken strictly following the laid down statutory provisions and Commissions guidelines contained in the manual of electoral rolls, said the Secretary. The official said as per laid down instructions, no deletion can take place without a corresponding Form-7. Further all cases of deletions must be personally got cross verified by ERO. I am directed to convey that the extant process should be scrupulously followed by the entire machinery involved in the revision process including EROS, AEROS, BLO supervisors and BLOS, so as to ensure that changes in the electoral roll during the SSR period are backed by proper enquiry with fullest possible participation of the political parties, said Patra. The official said the list of claims and objections, including Form-7 should regularly be shared with all political parties and also be uploaded on the website of CEO Delhi. Patra said the objections to these Claims and Objections, including those raised by BLAs of the political parties before the concerned BLO/ERO, must be disposed off after proper scrutiny/hearing the concerned. Elections to 70 Assembly seats in Delhi are scheduled to be held early next year. Indias security landscape is undergoing a remarkable transformation, with cities increasingly adopting advanced solutions such as video analytics, facial recognition, and integrated CCTV systems, driving the shift toward smarter and safer urban environments. AI-powered solutions are revolutionising security systems, while strategic partnerships are fostering innovation in critical areas like quantum technology and cybersecurity. Highlighting the significance of the ongoing collaboration between the UK and India in the security sector, Christina Scott, Deputy High Commissioner, UK High Commission in India, said, Indias success in executing the worlds largest democratic process with minimal risks highlights the strength of its security infrastructure. The UK, as the third-largest exporter of security and defence technologies, continues to lead in innovation and R&D. Advertisement She said initiatives like the technology security initiative and strengthened bilateral strategic partnerships underscore our commitment to advancing collaboration in cutting-edge areas such as quantum, cybersecurity, and emerging threats. Advertisement With Indias unmatched manufacturing capabilities and the UKs technological expertise, the potential for joint efforts to address global security challenges is immense, she said. Scott made the remarks at the 17th edition of International Fire and Security Conference and Exhibition (IFSEC) India 2024 organised by Informa Markets in India. She said the participation of prominent British companies at the UK Pavilion exemplifies this shared vision for a secure future. From cutting-edge CCTV and video surveillance systems to biometrics, RFID, integrated systems, and perimeter security technologies, the expo showcased latest innovations shaping the future of security. With the Indian electronic security market expected to grow from USD 2.56 billion in 2024 to USD 7.36 billion by 2029, at a strong CAGR of 23.57 per cent, IFSEC India serves as a key platform for exploring groundbreaking solutions and industry advancements. Meanwhile, airing his views on the security sector, SK Singh, DCP, Delhi Traffic Police, HQ & Road Safety, said advanced technologies like AI-driven facial recognition and anomaly detection have transformed security systems but also introduced challenges such as password breaches and vulnerability exploitation. With 35 per cent of critical assets still at risk of cyber threats, integrating robust digital defences alongside physical measures has become imperative. Innovations like spider networks, developed by Indian scientists, underscore the nations ability to tackle these evolving security challenges effectively, he said. Seven people, including two women and a three-year-old child, were dead in a major fire at a private hospital in Dindigul town, 425 km south of Chennai. The victims were visitors who were trapped in a lift due to snapping of electricity as a precaution to prevent the fire spreading further, Revenue and Fire and Rescue Service officials said. The ortho hospital with four floors was gutted in the fire Thursday night . Advertisement All the patients, including those in the ICU, have been rescued and shifted to the GH and nearby private hospitals. Six other visitors, trapped in another lift at the hospital, were also rescued. They have been sent for medical check-up, District Collector MN Poongodi, who visited the spot and oversaw the rescue efforts, told reporters. The District Superintendent of Police also visited and carried out an initial investigation. Advertisement The fire broke out at the ground floor shortly after 9 pm, engulfing three floors with smoke, and on information Fire Service personnel landed at the hospital within 10 minutes. Fortunately, a 30-member Fire and Rescue team could reach the spot since a contingent was deployed at Dindigul as a red alert for extreme rainfall had been issued for the district. On landing here, we split into 3 teams and sprang into action. With lifts non-functional, our personnel brought the patients with their bed to safety through the stairs at great risk, a Fire Service official said. DMK legislator IP Senthil Kumar, son of Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy, said It was the smoke that engulfed the hospital that made the rescue efforts difficult and challenging. However, the Fire Service had rescued all the patients. The Chief Minister will announce compensation for the victims and the injured. Meanwhile, the Electricity Board had ruled out an electric short circuit as the cause for the fire. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has dismissed the INDIA bloc as dead, urging West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to reconsider her association with the coalition. Sarmas remarks came amidst ongoing speculations about Banerjee assuming a leadership role in the opposition alliance. Advertisement Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sarma said, I want to request Didi (Mamata Banerjee) You are a Chief Minister and have to work for Bengal and fight elections in the coming days. Why are you taking leadership of a dead alliance, which will never be reborn? Advertisement The INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties aiming to challenge the BJP-led NDA, has faced internal dissent in recent weeks. While Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the blocs functioning, prominent leaders like NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and RJD president Lalu Prasad endorsed her potential leadership. Sarma reiterated the importance of an updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) to distinguish Indian citizens from infiltrators. He proposed linking the NRC to Aadhaar card eligibility, a step he claims would strengthen the verification process. During his visit to the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Sarma emphasised that technological measures could enhance border security, especially in areas where natural obstacles like rivers make fencing impractical. He accused the West Bengal government of inadequate cooperation in securing the border, contrasting it with efforts in Assam and Tripura. Sarma also condemned recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, expressing confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modis diplomatic interventions to safeguard minorities in the neighboring country. He criticised the Congress for its alleged inaction on such issues, stating, Neither Rahul Gandhi nor the Congress party ever stood by the Hindu community. They wont do it in the future either. Sarma also voiced support for the one nation, one election initiative, highlighting its potential to streamline governance and minimise disruptions caused by frequent elections. In Assam, Assembly and Parliament elections are held at different times, hampering development for almost an entire year. The Prime Ministers proposal will ensure continuity in developmental projects, he noted. The proposal, requiring constitutional amendments with a two-thirds majority in Parliament, is a key reform agenda of the Modi government. Malayalam film director P Balachandra Kumar, a key witness in the 2017 actress assault case, died at a private hospital in Chengannur at 5.40 am on Friday. He was 52. Balachandrakumar was under treatment for a critical kidney ailment at Dr KM Cherian Institute of Medical Science Hospital, Thiruvalla in Kottayam. His revelations with actor Dileep in the Kerala actress abduction and assault case proved pivotal. Advertisement Kumars disclosure that Dileep had a role in the assault and had a copy of the visuals of the alleged rape by key accused Sunil Kumar (alias Pulsar Suni) created a storm in the Malayalam film industry. His statements significantly impacted the investigation into the 2017 case. He had leveled serious allegations against Dileep leading to a new investigation and subsequent trial in the case. Advertisement In one of his statements to the police, he asserted that Dileep had close contact with Sunil Kumar (Pulsar Suni). He also alleged that the copy of the visuals of the assault was in Dileeps possession, leading to further charges of conspiracy to murder, evidence tampering, and more being added against Dileep. He also alleged that he had met Pulsar Suni at Dileeps house. Dileep had maintained that he did not know Pulsar Suni. Balachandrakumar supported his claims with a series of audio clips, leading to fresh investigations and an additional case against Dileep and a few people close to him. Despite his deteriorating health, Balachandrakumar attended the trial for 40 consecutive days. His wife Sheeba noted that his involvement in the case exacerbated his health issues. Balachandra Kumar, a native of Manakkootam, Thirupuram, Thiruvananthapuram, directed the film Cowboy in 2013. He had plans to make another film starring Dileep. It was during discussions for this film that he claimed to have discovered Dileeps possession of the assault visuals. The cremation will take place at his native place in Thiruvananthapuram Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, described the next years Maha Kumbh as a mahayagya of unity which would take the spiritual and cultural identity of India to new peaks. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating and launching multiple development projects worth around Rs 5,500 crore here, Modi said such a mahayagya of unity would be discussed around the world and also conveyed his best wishes to the people for a successful organization of the Maha Kumbh. Advertisement A new history is being written on the land of Prayagraj, he exclaimed. Advertisement The Prime Minister pointed out the past neglect of Kumbh and religious pilgrimages by previous governments, stating that despite the significance of these events, devotees faced difficulties. He attributed it to a lack of connection with Indias culture and faith and also reassured the citizens of the deep respect for Indias traditions and faith under the current government, both at the Centre and state level. Modi said the current governments at both the Centre and state consider it a responsibility to provide facilities for pilgrims attending Kumbh. He noted that thousands of crores have been allocated for various projects, with both Centre and state governments working together to ensure smooth preparations. Modi highlighted the special emphasis being laid on improving connectivity to Prayagraj from cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Raebareli, and Lucknow, ensuring ease of travel for pilgrims. The prime minister praised the collective efforts of multiple government departments in preparing for the grand event, demonstrating the Whole of the Government approach in action. The prime minister said this time, during the Maha Kumbh, crores of people from different states with different languages, castes, and beliefs would gather at Sangam. He believes that Maha Kumbh is the mahayagya of unity, where every kind of discrimination is sacrificed and every Indian who takes a dip in the confluence of rivers here represents a beautiful picture of Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat. Modi performed puja and darshan at Sangam Nose and then worshipped at Akshay Vata Vriksh followed by darshan and puja at Hanuman Mandir and Saraswati Koop. He also undertook a walkthrough of the Maha Kumbh exhibition site and inaugurated various projects for Maha Kumbh 2025 including various rail and road projects like 10 new Road Over Bridges (RoBs) or flyovers, permanent Ghats, and riverfront roads, among others, to boost infrastructure and provide seamless connectivity in Prayagraj. Mr Modi bowed in devotion to Prayagraj, the auspicious land of Sangam, and paid his respects to the saints and sadhus who arrived here to attend the event. He also expressed gratitude towards the employees, shramiks, and safai karamcharis who have made the Maha Kumbh a grand success with their hard work and dedication. Reflecting on the magnificent scale and size of the Maha Kumbh, he said it is one of the largest gatherings in the world where lakhs of devotees are welcomed daily for the Mahayajna lasting 45 days and a whole new city is set up for the occasion. India is a land of sacred sites and pilgrimages, he noted, adding it was a land of rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kaveri, Narmada, and many other innumerable rivers. Describing Prayag as the confluence, collection, congregation, combination, influence, and the power of the sacred flow of these rivers, the importance of many pilgrimage sites and their greatness, the prime minister said Prayag was not much more than just a confluence of three rivers. The Hyderabad Police have arrested Pushpa star Allu Arjun in connection with the stampede at Sandhya Theatres that had left a woman dead and her nine-year-old son critically injured. He was taken to Gandhi Hospital for medical examination before being produced before the magistrate at Nampally court. While investigating the case, the police blamed the actor and the management of Sandhya Theatres for the stampede saying they were not informed about his plans to visit the venue for the special premier show. Moreover, there was no arrangement for separate entry of the stars. Advertisement Videos of the arrest of the Telugu star showed him objecting to his arrest. He was apparently taken from his bedroom. Advertisement BRS working president KT Rama Rao slammed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for the arrest. He said, Arrest of National Award-winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers! I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isnt directly responsible. He went on to add in his social media post, There is always space for respect & dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high-handed behaviour of the government. Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by Hydra. The Rajasthan State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (RSEIAA) has been reconstituted, paving the way for the timely renewal of environmental clearances for approximately 23,000 mines in the state. As per a notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change on Tuesday, four State-Level Expert Appraisal Committees have also been reconstituted by the Centre in consultation with the Rajasthan government to assist the State Authority. Advertisement Munish Kumar Garg, based in Jaipur, has been appointed as Chairman of the State Authority, with Manphool Singh of Jaipur as a member. The Secretary of the Rajasthan Environment Department will serve as an ex-officio Member Secretary. Advertisement The State-Level Expert Appraisal Committee-I, headed by Ajay Kumar Gupta (Jaipur), will oversee Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, Baran, Karauli, Bharatpur, Dholpur, and Sawai Madhopur districts, while the State-Level Expert Appraisal Committee II, led by Tikam Chand Verma (Jaipur), will cover Dausa, Alwar, Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, Tonk, Sikar, Ajmer, and Nagaur districts. The State-Level Expert Appraisal Committee III, chaired by Daya Ram Saharan (Bikaner), will oversee Jodhpur, Sirohi, Pali, Barmer, Jalore, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Sri Ganganagar, Churu, and Hanumangarh districts. The State-Level Expiert Appraisal Committee IV, led by Rahul Bhatnagar (Udaipur), will manage Udaipur, Banswara, Pratapgarh, Dungarpur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, an5d Bhilwara districts. Mining and other environmentally impactful projects must secure mandatory clearances from the RSEIAA, based on recommendations from the respective expert appraisal committees. The authoritys term, along with that of the appraisal committees, had expired in October, causing delays in the renewal of environmental approvals for around 23,000 mines. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had issued a closure ultimatum for November 9, prompting the Rajasthan government to seek a stay from the Supreme Court. The apex court granted the stay on November 8, providing temporary relief. The reconstitution of these bodies ensures the continuation of mining operations, which employ over 1.5 million workers. Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant has since directed authorities to expedite the clearance process, aiming to resolve pending issues swiftly. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday received a bomb threat email targeting its Mumbai office. The email was written in Russian, and sent to the official ID of newly appointed RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra. Mumbai Police promptly registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and began an investigation. Advertisement A threatening email was received on the official website of the Reserve Bank of India. The email was in Russian, and warned to blow up the bank. A case has been registered against unknown accused in Mata Ramabai Marg (MRA Marg) police station. Investigation into the matter is underway, said Zone 1 DCP, Mumbai Police in a post on social media platform X. Advertisement Notably, the development comes on the same day when 16 private schools in Delhi received bomb threats, prompting a multi-agency search of their premises. Schools such as Delhi Public School in East of Kailash, Salwan School, Modern School, and Cambridge School were among the targets. The bomb threat mail to RBI comes just few days after Sanjay Malhotra assumed office as the 26th Governor of the RBI, succeeding Shaktikanta Das, who recently completed his six-year tenure. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. The holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports are mutually exempted from short-term visas between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Trend reports. According to the information, President Ilham Aliyev approved the law On Approval of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on mutual exemption of holders of diplomatic, special and service passports from short-term visas. To note, the Memorandum was signed on September 27, 2024, in the city of New York. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh is a source of concern to India. With regard to the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, it has been a source of concern. There have been multiple incidents of attacks on them. We have drawn our concern to their attention. Recently (the) Foreign Secretary visited Dhaka. This subject came up during his meeting and it is our expectation that in its own interest Bangladesh would take measures so that its minorities are safe, he said while responding to a question in the Lok Sabha. Advertisement Certainly we hope that with the new dispensation in Bangladesh, we will settle down to a mutually beneficial and stable relationship, the minister said. Advertisement Mr Jaishankars remarks came days after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka for foreign office consultations with his Bangladesh counterpart. Mr Misri on Wednesday briefed members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the External Affairs on the Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship and said the neighbouring country has assured action against perpetrators of violence against the minorities. Indias escalating air pollution crisis is one of its gravest public health challenges, yet it remains strikingly absent from mainstream cultural narratives. While disasters like floods and droughts have inspired Indian literature and films, the slow violence of toxic air rarely becomes a focal point. A few creators have dared to explore this issue, but their efforts remain isolated, underscoring the need for a broader cultural reckoning. Some works have touched on the subject, offering glimpses of what storytelling could achieve. In the 2016 film Pink, a masked Amitabh Bachchan stepping into Delhis smog-laden streets was a poignant visual, though not incidental to the plot. More directly, Nila Madhab Pandas Meghas Divorce dramatised a couples breakup over whether to endure Delhis unliveable air. The film offered an innovative lens on how environmental crises infiltrate personal lives, framing pollution as more than just a backdrop. Documentaries have delved deeper into the human and ecological toll of polluted air. All That Breathes follows two brothers in Delhi who rescue black kites injured by the citys smog. Through its story, the film explores the interplay between climate change, pollution, and human-animal relationships, showing how environmental degradation shapes daily struggles. Such narratives blend urgency with empathy, turning abstract statistics into relatable human experiences. Advertisement Yet, these examples are exceptions rather than the norm. Indias literary and cinematic canon has rarely tackled air pollution head-on. Unlike floods or droughts, air pollution lacks the dramatic immediacy that fuels compelling visuals. Its impacts, such as chronic illnesses and long-term environmental damage, are gradual, making it harder to evoke strong emotional responses. Moreover, creators often struggle to humanise the crisis. Statistics, like the millions who die annually from pollution-related causes, can feel distant unless paired with personal stories. This gap between data and narrative leaves audiences disengaged, even as the crisis worsens. Whats missing is the integration of air pollution into mainstream storytelling in a way that entertains while raising awareness. Filmmakers and writers must embrace subtlety and craft narratives that embed environmental themes without alienating audiences. Nila Madhab Pandas approach ~ using relatable conflicts like a familys future in a smog-filled city ~ offers a blueprint for how environmental stories can resonate widely. Advertisement Indias cultural creators also need to step out of privileged bubbles and connect with those living on the frontlines of pollution. Stories rooted in the lives of people battling toxic air daily ~ families making hard choices, children with asthma, or communities rallying for cleaner skies ~ could catalyse both empathy and action. Indias killer air is more than a public health crisis; it is a cultural blind spot. The few works addressing it show the potential of art to transform apathy into engagement. The challenge now is for storytellers to breathe life into this invisible crisis, turning it into a narrative that de mands attention and inspires change. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, represents a bold step to address long-standing governance, operational, and structural challenges in Indias banking sector. With a banking network catering to over 400 million Indians daily, the Bills provisions are aimed at fostering stability, inclusivity, and efficiency. However, the road to realising its transformative potential is fraught with challenges. While these reforms have the potential to modernise the banking sector, the real test lies in overcoming operational challenges. Smaller banks, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, may find it difficult to comply with the new governance standards due to resource constraints and a lack of skilled personnel. Addressing these gaps will be crucial for the reforms to succeed. One of the Bills notable strengths lies in its focus on governance reforms. By extending directors tenures and mandating stronger connections between cooperative and central bank boards, the legislation seeks to stabilise leadership within cooperative banks. This continuity could promote better risk management practices and strengthen the sectors resilience. Advertisement However, for smaller cooperative banks, implementing these measures might prove difficult due to limited resources and the challenge of attracting qualified professionals in leadership and audit roles. The Bill also introduces measures to enhance depositor confidence, such as updating nomination processes and protecting unclaimed funds by transferring them to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF). These reforms aim to reassure the public and improve participation in the formal financial system. However, the effective management of unclaimed funds will require robust oversight mechanisms to prevent misuse or inefficiencies, as transparency in fund handling will be critical for sustaining public trust. Operational efficiency is another focal point of the Bill, with changes to reporting structures that align with fortnights, months, and quarters. Advertisement By streamlining reporting and ensuring timely regulatory interventions, these provisions could lead to more effective monetary policy and a stronger financial system. However, smaller banks may struggle to adapt, underscoring the need for capacity-building initiatives. The broader economic context adds another layer of complexity. Despite high credit demand from households, MSMEs, and the agricultural sector, large corporations are borrowing less due to subdued consumer demand and a lack of capacity expansion. This trend suggests that credit is often being used to finance existing debt rather than to fuel productive investments. Without addressing this structural imbalance, the Bills potential to drive long-term economic growth could be undermined. To ensure the Bills success, a multi-pronged approach is necessary. Capacity-building support for smaller banks, independent oversight for fund management, and policies to stimulate private investment are crucial. Encouraging productive credit utilisation and addressing the deposit credit growth gap can pave the way for a more robust banking ecosystem. The success of the legislation will depend on effective implementation, transparent governance, and addressing the systemic challenges that have long hindered the sectors growth. With careful execution, this legislation could lay the foundation for a more resilient and inclusive financial future. The term Great Games (inspired by the French term Le grand jeu suggesting risk, chance and deception) was coined in the 19th century to frame the rivalry between the competing British and Russian Empires over dominating Asia. The British wanted the vast arid lands and steppes of the Central Asian Region to become a strategic buffer to protect its crown jewel i.e., the Indian SubContinent. Naturally, places like Afghanistan were given to vested interests, intrigues and much bloodlust. It could be well argued that the surreptitious concept of Great Games was, and is, equally applicable to the ancient and civilisational land of AlShams or modern day Syria. It has been yet another region that has been given to relentless ravages, raids and competing agendas of foreign powers for eons. It is only natural for one of the oldest capital cities of the world i.e., Damascus, also poetically called City of Jasmine, to have been the epicentre of fierce competition, aspirations and machinations. From the Romans, Macedonians, Persians, Babylonians to the Phoenicians, to even latter day Egyptian, Ottoman, French, English, Italian and German overlords ~ this land has witnessed relentless attempts to control its narrative. Advertisement Proximity to the Biblical/ Abrahamic land and multiplicity of foreign invaders bestowed it with unprecedented diversity that includes religious and ethnic citizenry who could be Muslim (both Sunni and Shia e.g., Alawite), Christian, Druze, Kurd, Armenian etc., Ironically this diversity enabled many competing foreign powers to usurp certain denominations and turn them into their proxies to do their bidding. The problems of foreign interests are so deep rooted that many regional and global powers still fancy Syria as their backyard. For example, just before its independence in 1945, it was under the Ottoman-ruled French Mandate. Therefore, Turkey as the successor to Ottoman credentials always sought a role in Syrias internal affairs. Advertisement Naturally, independence ensured a testy existence as it was given to multiple coups, supported by vested interests. It even underwent an unnatural experiment in sovereignty when it entered a brief union with Egypt as United Arab Republic (UAR) ~ it had got caught under the spell of Egyptian Pan-Arab nationalism. It had taken a coup detat in 1961 to revert back to Syria (though yet another coup detat occurred in 1963). Many turbulences and bloody intrigues later, it was the decisive takeover by Hafiz Al Assad in 1971 (after leading his third coup) that gave a sort of stability to the land that constantly kept changing hands. But Hafiz Al Assad had one fundamental challenge ~ he belonged to the minority Shia Alawite sect that made up only about 10 per cent of the Syrian population (as opposed to the majority 75 per cent of Sunni denominations). This was a fault line that Hafiz Al Assad had to navigate (often brutally) by ensuring that the most sensitive security positions were only given to his loyal Shiite Alawite members. Neighbouring countries that were predominantly Sunni e.g., Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey were not pleased by the regime of a proverbial other. But Hafiz Al Assad had to earn his stripes amongst the comity of Arab neighbours, and he did so by championing the common cause of Palestinian rights, to the extreme consternation of yet another neighbour, Israel. From a sectarian perspective, co-Shia Iran and members of neighbouring Lebanons Shia militia i.e., Hezbollah, became instinctive allies. The unique composition of the Al Assad familys sectarian background and co-sectarian affiliations made the Syrian regime under him militate with other predominantly Sunni Arab monarchies and their principal benefactor, the United States of America, who all opposed Assads regime. This American outcome of anti-Syrian sentiments along with Syrias avowed commitment to the Palestinian cause led to yet another American ally i.e., Israel, positioning itself against the Assad regime. Reflexively, Syria aligned with the Soviet Union (later with Russia) on the superpower mapping. At a regional level, it was aligned to the much pariahised Iran and its co-sectarian proxies like Hezbollah in Le ba non. All these alliances, grandstanding, and regional politics led to the decidedly more affluent, powerful and influential neighbours like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel and even the United States to inadvertently support forces that were inimical to the Al Assad family rule, even after it had passed from Hafiz Al Assad to his son, Bashar Al Assad. While the Assad family rulers were as dictatorial and undemocratic as any of the neighbouring Arab monarchies, they did not pander to religious extremism as was done by the likes of Saudi Arabia or Turkey which fanned fundamentalism and nurtured friendly militias. If anything, the Bashar Al Assad led Syrian military was at the forefront of taking on (and successfully countering) the scourge of the Al Qaida or later, ISIL. Ironically, while the US was supposedly against religious extremism of ISIL et al, it counterintuitively targeted Assads Syrian forces and the likes of Iranian General Soleimani who fought valiantly against the likes of ISIL like no one else. Now it has taken the offspring of the ultra-extremist Al Qaida i.e., Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led by Abu Mohammad alJulani, to end the Assad familys 50-year-old reign as it finally overran Damascus. Even though he is ostensibly a Specially designated global terrorist (with a bounty of $10 million on his head) ~ unsurprisingly, neither al-Julani nor his forces were targeted meaningfully by the forces of US, Saudi Arabia, Israel or Turkey and he seemed oddly flush with resources to dislodge the Assad regime. In fact, he had great tactical support from the age old nemesis of Turkey through their proxies like Ahrar ash-Sham, Jabhat al-Nusra etc., It is unfathomable to think that the ouster of Bashar Al Assads regime could have been undertaken without the tacit support (or at least an approving nudge) from the likes of US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia or Israel. Now that HTS has taken over Damascus, it guarantees no peace as history is instructive of such bigoted and extremist forces ousting dictators only to lead to even more lawlessness, violence, and spiral of sectarianism than before. It is the same sort of ouster as was facilitated in Saddam Hussiens Iraq, or with Muammar Gadhafis Libya, by a combination of Western forces and short-term interests, and the subsequent flow of events only confirmed the worst. Syrias secular but dictatorial ruler has now been replaced by religiously charged extremists and regressive revisionists, and this can hardly augur well for Syria. The timeless curse of the Great Game continues to define Syria as foreign powers play sides dangerously, to the detriment of stability (however imperfect) and order, as prevailed earlier. (The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry) Graphic novels have always been a major attraction for Raj Sen, who pursued a BFA in Acting at the New York Film Academy, Los Angeles Institute. As given, acting and direction courses involve some writing too; Raj had the opportunity to write certain special papersscriptwriting, etc.which honed his writing skills. I have had a great liking for action genre movies since childhood; I decided to create my own action-packed thriller in the form of a novel, says the author of his first book, In Raydiant Shadows, recently launched in Kolkata. The writing triggered after watching the web series Reacher Season based on Lee Childs debut novel Killing Floor in 2022. Advertisement The book launched by Ahava Communications Readers and Writers Club (helmed by Mona Sengupta and Sushroota Sarkar), which has brought writers and readers together on a literary platform, witnessed a lively discussion around the book recently. Filmmaker and film scholar Ashoke Viswanathan asked the author several probing questions, including his preference for an efficient albeit vulnerable protagonist in the fashion of Batman. Advertisement Raj confesses he is strongly influenced by Christopher Nolans version of Batman, who seemed more human than the all-powerful Superman. Viswanathan referred to the soundtrack as well as to the delicate phraseology that made the film come to life, which finds a resonance in the novel, as it were. The novel is about the lead character, Aniruddha Ray, who faces a number of ordeals in solving the case he has been assigned. However, amidst feelings of quitting, the lead character always finds a ray of hope that keeps him going. With seven scientists dead at Wesner Chemicals, Detective Ray finds himself immersed in the most challenging case of his LAPD tenure. Joined by fellow officer Wendy, their investigation plunges them into the perilous underbelly of Californias criminal world. Racing against time, Ray must uncover the truth before more lives are lost. But Ray is unprepared for the shocking revelations ahead: an intricate struggle for power and a mystery. Shadows are usually obscure. However, the ray of hope that keeps the lead character going is justified through the title. Moreover, the word radiant is spelt as raydiant to include the name of the lead character in the title. An engrossing tale of good versus evil, this gripping story promises to keep readers in suspense until the very last page. It is not hard to guess that this young writer whose father always encouraged him to write was brought up on Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie in addition to classics by Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, and books like The Invisible Man, The Three Musketeers and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, among others. It was only as a young adult that Raj started reading novels of the action genre and was completely hooked. The book published by the Kolkata-based independent publisher Boichitra is the first fiction thriller. Says Chayanika Chakraborty of Boichitra, It is a pleasure to do books we feel are waiting to be published. We were delighted to do Rajs book because he sees the world through his young, fresh eyes. She reasons that although publishing involves investments and distribution, by keeping things tight and focused, the modest successes have kept the publishing house afloat since 2016. It is all about passion and diverting money we may spend in other useless areas, she adds. Although Raj is trained in acting, having acted in some short films in Los Angeles, out of which one named Forbidden Love is available on Amazon Prime, US and UK editions, he is already plotting his next novel. It is going to be a sequel to this one, is all that he is willing to divulge for now. The writer is a freelance journalist President Joe Biden on Thursday commuted sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoned 39 convicts of non-violent crimes, making it the largest grant of clemency in a single day in modern U.S. history. America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances, said Biden. Advertisement He added that as President, he has the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offences. Advertisement That is why, today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer. I am also commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who are serving long prison sentences many of whom would receive lower sentences if charged under todays laws, policies, and practices, the President said. The commutation recipients mostly included those placed in home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic, those pardoned were people convicted of non-violent crimes such as marijuana possession. A pardon wipes out a conviction. A commutation leaves the convict guilty but reduces or ends the punishment. President Biden had pardoned his son Hunter Biden a few weeks ago for his conviction on charges of gun law violation and tax evasion. Biden still has 40 days left of his term and the White House said more such actions are expected. While todays announcement marks important progress, there is more to come. President Biden will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver criminal justice reform in a manner that advances equity and justice, promotes public safety, supports rehabilitation and reentry, and provides meaningful second chances, the White House said. It added that these actions build on the Presidents record of criminal justice reform. The White House added that the President has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms. He is also the first President ever to issue categorical pardons to individuals convicted of simple use and possession of marijuana, and to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted of private conduct because of their sexual orientation, the White House said. The White House added that in the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and commutations. Continuing with his maverick diplomacy, U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump has invited Chinas President Xi Jinping to his inauguration next month for open dialogue with adversaries, his spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday. The invitation to the leader of China which had been his target during the campaign and after is in keeping with the unconventional diplomacy that Trump practiced in his first term reaching out to North Koreas dictator Kim Jong Un. Advertisement Without being specific about Xi, Trump said of the invitations that are being sent out, Some people said, Wow, thats a little risky, isnt it? And I said, Maybe it is. Well see. Well see what happens. But we like to take little chances. Advertisement Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News, This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors too. She added: He had done this in his first term and he got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around the world. He is willing to talk to anyone. He will always put Americas interest first. Beijing had not reacted to the invitation as of Thursday night. Throughout his campaign for presidentship and after his election, Trump had criticised China for its predatory trade practices, and its role in the narcotics network that is behind the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. He has threatened to increase tariffs on Chinas imports if it did not end the export of materials used to make synthetic narcotics. He has also complained about China continuing to have developing country status at the World Trade Organization giving it favourable export status. Trump has named David Perdue as his Beijing Ambassador, who is considered to be a hawk on China. Earlier, David Perdue, warned in a newspaper article, Americans first have to realise the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) actually is at war with us. Traveller movement at South Africas main border crossing point with Mozambique is now open until further notice, the countrys Border Management Authority (BMA) announced. This came after the BMA temporarily suspended operations at the Lebombo Port of Entry on Monday due to election-related protests in Mozambique near the border area. These protests have repeatedly forced the closure of the crossing since the results of the southeast African countrys disputed elections were released on October 24, Xinhua news agency reported. Advertisement The Acting Commissioner of the BMA, Jane Thupana, has provided the latest update on the Lebombo Port of Entry, that traveller movement is now open until further notice, the authority said in a statement. Advertisement According to the statement, pedestrians and small vehicles are being processed, with statistics reflecting that 7,471 travellers were processed on Wednesday. The statistics indicate that movement is about 50 per cent less than what it was this time in December 2023, it said. The authority added that the processing mainly took place in the early hours and late afternoon when the unrest on the Mozambican side subsided. However, the processing of cargo remained suspended due to protesters blocking their entry into Mozambique. The BMA said the situation remains under close observation and advised trucking companies to divert vehicles to nearby depots or the designated truck holding area. Transporters are continuously urged not to dispatch new vehicles to the port until further notice, it said. The authority also reaffirmed its commitment to effective collaboration, proactive management, and resolution of the current challenges at the border. The BMA is working tirelessly together with key stakeholders in the border management sector to manage the situation, it said. We urge all affected parties to exercise patience as we continue to monitor the situation and engage with relevant authorities to find lasting solutions. A second motion to impeach South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaration was reported to the National Assembly on Friday, with the nation reeling from Yoons December 3 invocation of martial law that triggered unprecedented political turmoil. Yoon has remained defiant, saying on Thursday that declaring martial law was within the realm of executive authority, which is not subject to judicial review and he would fight until the last moment. Advertisement The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and other opposition parties had originally planned to begin voting on the motion as of 5 p.m. on Saturday, but the office of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik brought forward the timing to 4 p.m., reports Yonhap news agency Advertisement DP leader Lee Jae-myung urged ruling party lawmakers to vote in favour of the motion, stressing that impeachment is the fastest and surest way to end this chaos. At least eight lawmakers from the ruling party are needed to vote on Saturday if the second impeachment motion is passed. So far, seven ruling party lawmakers have publicly said they would do so. By law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after it is reported to a plenary session. The first motion to impeach Yoon was scrapped last Saturday as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted the vote. Following the scrapping of the first motion, the DP vowed to push for the passage of Yoons impeachment every week. The second motion includes allegations that martial law troops and police attempted to arrest lawmakers under the leadership of the president. Allegations against First Lady Kim Keon Hee, including her suspected involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and interference in election nominations through a power broker, have been removed from the latest motion. Later on Friday, the newly elected floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) said the party would decide on its official stance regarding the impeachment vote on Saturday. Currently, the partys official position is to vote down the impeachment, but its an outcome of discussions among lawmakers, Kweon Seong-dong, a key confidant of Yoon, told reporters. During the vote on the first motion, 108 PPP lawmakers, with the exception of three, exited the parliamentary chamber in line with the partys official decision to boycott the vote. For the motion to pass, at least eight PPP lawmakers would need to support it. So far, seven have publicly stated they intend to vote in favour of impeachment. If the party adopts an official position, as floor leader, all I can do is appeal to lawmakers to respect and adhere to it, Kweon said. He also noted that there is no way to forcibly compel lawmakers to comply with the partys stance. In another sign of mounting public outrage over the martial law bid, Yoons approval rating fell to a record low of 11 per cent, according to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea on 1,002 adults. In the same survey, 75 per cent of respondents supported Yoons impeachment, while 21 per cent opposed it. If the motion is passed, the Constitutional Court will decide whether to reinstate or remove Yoon from office. If upheld by the court, Yoon would be the second president in South Koreas history to be removed from office through impeachment after former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. Job Title: Gender and Protection Assistant (Fresher NGO Jobs) Organisation: World Vision Uganda Duty Station: Lamwo, Uganda About the Company: World Vision Uganda is a Christian Relief, Development and Advocacy Non-Government Organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. We currently work in over 41 districts in Uganda. World Vision is committed to the protection of children and we will not employ people whose background is not suitable for working with children. All employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of all applicable background checks, including criminal record checks where possible. Our Vision for every child, Life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every Heart, the will to make it so. Gender and Protection Assistant Key Duties and Responsibilities: Project Planning and Implementation: Community Mapping: Conduct participatory SGBV asset mapping to identify available resources, services, and gaps in community-based SGBV response systems. Facilitate focus group discussions and community meetings to gather input for asset mapping. Response Mechanisms: Support the establishment or strengthening of community-based referral pathways for SGBV survivors. Ensure SGBV response systems are inclusive, culturally appropriate, and survivor-centered. Capacity Building: Train community members on identifying SGBV risks, reporting mechanisms, and available support services. Assist in developing materials for SGBV awareness and prevention campaigns. Gender Mainstreaming and Protection: Gender-Based Violence (GBV): Proficient in addressing GBV issues, including prevention, response, and support for survivors. Familiarity with SGBV minimum standards, Case management, and GBVIMS (Gender-Based Violence Information Management System). Faith Actor Engagement: Mobilize and engage faith-based organizations (FBOs) and leaders to promote SGBV prevention and response within their communities. Facilitate training sessions for faith leaders on gender equality, positive gender norms, and the role of faith in SGBV prevention. Consortium Coordination: Support the creation and functioning of Faith Actor Consortiums, ensuring representation from diverse faith groups. Organize meetings and forums for faith actors to share best practices, collaborate with other SGBV actors, and align on shared goals. Advocacy and Awareness: Assist faith actors in designing and delivering SGBV prevention messages, leveraging their influence in communities. Promote interfaith collaboration to strengthen community resilience against SGBV. Economic Empowerment Initiatives: Support the implementation of livelihood programs, and savings groups targeted at empowering women and girls. Collaborate with partners to integrate SGBV prevention into economic empowerment activities. Social and Behavior Change (SBC): Implement SBC strategies to challenge harmful gender norms and promote positive social practices. Facilitate community dialogues, theater performances, and multimedia campaigns to drive behavior change. Male Engagement: Organize workshops and initiatives to engage men and boys as allies in SGBV prevention, emphasizing positive masculinity. Train male community members to advocate for gender equality and participate in household decision-making. Coordination and Advocacy: Networking and Representation: Represent the organization in relevant coordination forums, including Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Protection Working Groups. Advocate for gender-sensitive and protection-focused approaches among project stakeholders. Support Proposal Implementation: Ensure project interventions align with the gender and protection outcomes articulated in the proposal. Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) team to integrate gender and protection indicators. Monitoring and Evaluation Data Collection: Regularly collect data on project activities, including participation, outcomes, and challenges. Document case studies, lessons learned, and success stories to support reporting and future programming. Reporting: Contribute to regular project reports by providing detailed updates on activities under each outcome. Ensure all reports align with organizational and donor requirements. Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration Partnerships: Foster relationships with local authorities, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to strengthen SGBV prevention and response. Coordinate with SGBV actors to avoid duplication and ensure holistic support for survivors. Community Mobilization: Work with community leaders, faith actors, and local stakeholders to promote collective action against SGBV. Ensure the active participation of marginalized groups, including women, girls, and persons with disabilities, in project activities. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Essential: A degree in Social Work, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or a related field. At least 1-2 years of experience in gender and protection programming, with a focus on SGBV prevention and response, Gender mainstreaming, and transformative gender programming. Knowledge of faith-based approaches to development and gender equality. Familiarity with economic empowerment initiatives and SBC frameworks. Strong facilitation and communication skills, with experience working in diverse cultural contexts. Desirable: The ability to ride a motorcycle is a must. Experience working with faith-based organizations and community leaders. Skills and Competencies: Proven experience in implementing gender, GBV and Male engagement. Proficiency in participatory approaches and community engagement methods. Ability to facilitate discussions on sensitive topics such as SGBV. Analytical skills to identify SGBV risks and propose solutions. Strong organizational and multitasking abilities. Ability to network, build relationships with different partners, faith leaders and local networks. Applicant Types Accepted: Local Applicants Only How to Apply: All suitably qualified candidates are encouraged to submit your application and complete Curriculum Vitae by applying online through visiting World Vision Internationals e-recruitment jobs portal at the web link below. Click Here Deadline: 19th December 2024 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Date Posted 2024-12-13T05:47 Valid Through 2024-12-20T00:00 Employment Type FULL_TIME Hiring Organization World Vision Uganda Job Location Kampala, Kampala, Kampala , 0256, Uganda Related Jobs BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. On December 13, the First Deputy Minister of Defense Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev met with a delegation led by the Commandant of the NATO Defense College (NDC), Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The Chief of the General Staff spoke about the successful reforms carried out in the Azerbaijan Army, the victory of the Army in the Second Karabakh War, and the application of gained combat experience during subsequent military operations in the troops training. Colonel General Karim Valiyev commended Azerbaijan's cooperation with NATO within the framework of various programs and emphasized the significance of further development of relations. Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen expressed gratitude for the hospitality and conveyed satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan. The guest highly appreciated the activities of the Azerbaijan Armys servicemen in partnership with NATO in peacekeeping missions and other events. Prospects for the development of cooperation with NATO in the field of military education and other issues of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting. Job Title: Organisational Development Advisor-Enhancing Good Governance in Sudan Programme. Ref No.GIZ- GGSP/ODA/1224060 Organisation: GIZ Uganda Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About Organisation: The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has commissioned the Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) with implementing the Enhancing Good Governance in Sudan Programme. This intervention aims to strengthen Sudanese civil society actors in their efforts to contribute to peaceful and inclusive development in Sudan. The programme comprises four areas of intervention, namely 1) enable Sudanese civil society actors to continue their work outside and inside of Sudan, 2) supporting Sudanese citizens to engage in inclusive activities strengthening peace and social cohesion, 3) to connect Sudanese civil society and to elevate their voices as well as 4) to support adaptive and context-sensitive implementation. Job Summary: GIZ Uganda is recruiting Organisational Development Advisor to successfully realize the implementation of the programme, with a focus on intervention area 1. Key Duties and Responsibilities: The Organisational Development Advisor will be responsible for: Advising Sudanese civil society organisations regarding their organisational development and technical capacity building needs. Supporting the strengthening of cooperation among Sudanese diaspora organisations and their networks. Coordinating activities and exploring synergies with other relevant GIZ programmes, especially the GIZ Uganda Governance programme and contributing to monitoring and evaluation as well as communication efforts of the Sudan Governance Programme. Specific Tasks The Organisational Development Advisor performs the following tasks: Advising Sudanese CSOs regarding their organisational development and technical capacity building needs Mapping and networking with Sudanese civil society networks in Uganda and the region, their work and potential capacity development needs. Providing technical advice to Sudanese CSOs, in coordination with the GIZ Uganda Governance Programme, on the following areas: Establishing new partnerships with selected Sudanese diaspora civil society organisations based in Uganda. Technically supporting the review and strengthening of internal governance and organisational capacities. Identifying and coordinating with local and international OD/CD service providers Providing technical support to the development and implementation of different cooperation modalities with programme partners, including the management of consultancies and financial agreements. Supporting the strengthening of cooperation among Sudanese diaspora organisations and their networks Contributing to networking and peer-to-peer-learning meetings of Sudanese CSOs. Supporting in the organisation of thematic events with the participation of relevant Sudanese CSOs and other stakeholders. Coordinating activities and exploring synergies with other relevant GIZ programmes, especially the GIZ Uganda Governance programme and contributing to monitoring and evaluation as well as communication efforts of the Sudan Governance Programme Ensuring regular, transparent and pro-active communication within the team and with other relevant GIZ programmes, both in physical and virtual formats. Supporting the internal and external representation of the programme in coordination with the line manager. Ensuring visual documentation of activities, collection of stories and other relevant material with the appropriate consent. Ensuring smooth project implementation, including project development, planning and management, budget development and monitoring, monitoring and evaluation, reporting. Other Duties/Additional Tasks Perform other duties and tasks at the request of management. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Bachelors degree in Law, Political Science, Social Science, Development Studies. Details of experience 5 years of professional experience in similar field. Knowledge, skills and competences Proficiency in English; excellent command of Arabic is a strong asset. Proven knowledge of Sudan and its civil society is a strong asset. Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, especially real-time collaboration and messaging. How to Apply: Applications and CVs should be in one document and a maximum of 5 pages only and sent electronically, quoting the position and reference number. Please include name and contact of three references. One official reference from your current workplace is a MUST. Eligible candidates are encouraged to apply to the Head of Human Resources by email to [email protected] Please note: This is a national position. Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Disclaimer: GIZ DOES NOT charge any kind of FEE(s) at whichever stage of the recruitment process. Deadline: 16th March 2025 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Date Posted 2025-02-28T05:22 Valid Through 2025-03-17T00:00 Employment Type FULL_TIME Hiring Organization GIZ Uganda Job Location Kampala, Kampala, Kampala , 0256, Uganda Related Jobs The Indian hotel industry has seen strong growth in the last few years. Post-COVID, as more Indians have begun travelling domestically and now as business travel is beginning to look up again, premium and luxury hotels have seen rising demand. Against this backdrop, investors have lapped up shares of some of the listed hotel companies, like Indian Hotels, EIH and Chalet Hotels, which have jumped 92 per cent, 75 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively, over the past year. The listed hotels segment is now set to expand, with at least three companies likely to go public. Together Schloss Bangalore, which operates properties under the Leela brand, Ventive Hospitality, a unit of Pune-based Panchshil Realty, and Brigade Hotel Ventures, a unit of realty company Brigade Enterprises, are expected to cumulatively raise around Rs 8,000 crore, pointed research firm Jefferies. Of the total money being raised, Rs 6,000 crore will be fresh fundraising. Already this year, there have been three IPOs in this space. Samhi Hotels, Juniper Hotels and Park Hotels, cumulatively raised Rs 4,000 crore. Separately, Chalet Hotels, real estate developer K. Raheja Corp's hospitality arm, which had gone public in 2019, raised Rs 1,000 crore via a qualified institutional placement. Cigarettes to software major ITC is also expected to demerge its hotel business and list it separately. It had already been approved by the National Company Law Tribunal in October. What's driving this IPO frenzy and strong investor interest in the hospitality industry? "Travel demand in India has remained healthy even post the growth normalisation seen in many consumer segments post COVID. Industry pricing across segments remains elevated without hurting growth materially, suggesting that Indian consumers are prioritising travel over many other spending categories, also aided by macro trends. The demand and supply growth imbalance continues to support growth in average room rates (ARR) for the hotel industry," pointed out Jefferies analysts Prateek Kumar and Raghav Malik. According to IBEF (India Brand Equity Foundation), the market size of the hospitality industry in India is expected to grow to USD 31 billion by 2029 from USD 24.61 billion in 2024. With demand expected to outpace supply, revenues are expected to remain firm. A report by Axis Capital sees demand growing at a 12 per cent compounded annual rate over FY2024-2027, while supply is estimated to rise at a 9 per cent CAGR. Among the three new companies that are expected to go public, Ventive and Schloss (Leela) will be among the top five listed players by revenue, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation), noted Jefferies. The two hotel companies will also be among the top five in terms of average room rates and RevPAR (revenue per available room), given their higher mix of luxury hotels, it added. All three companies are comparatively smaller than some of the listed players, like Indian Hotels. The operator of the Taj Group of hotels has a room inventory of over 25,000 keys. In comparison, the inventory of the three upcoming IPOs is in the range of 1,600-3,400 keys, according to Jefferies. All three have expansion plans, which will see them cumulatively add around 2,000 rooms in the coming years. Barely a couple of days after the new governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) assumed charge, law enforcement officers are investigating a bomb threat to the countrys central bank. Police in Mumbai said they launched an investigation into the alleged bomb threat to the RBI. The central bank received a warning email earlier on Friday morning in Russian language about a possible explosion. The news of the threat was first reported by India TV. According to multiple reports, police officials said that they registered a case, and the investigation into the matter was launched promptly after the threat was reported. The email in Russian was sent to the official inbox of RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra, reports said. ALSO READ Delhi on alert as 6 schools receive bomb threat emails second time in a week Friday has been a day of bomb threats in both the major metros of the country, with six schools in Delhi receiving bomb threat emails in the morning. Students were sent back home, and Delhi police, along with other security forces, conducted rigorous checks at all school premises. At least 45 schools in Delhi have received a threat so far this year. Hoax threats to airlines and airports across the country amounted to almost 1,000 from the start of the year. India stock markets slump in Friday trade Weak global cues, foreign investors pulling out funds, and many factors together saw benchmark Indian indices slump in the first half of Friday. The Sensex shed at least 1,207 points, while the Nifty lost around 368 points. Blue-chip stocks such as JSW Steel, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, Larsen and Toubro, ITC Mahindra and Mahindra all traded in the red. On Thursday alone, FIIs sold off at least Rs 3,560 crore worth of shares as per the NSE. In the near term, the market has a headwind and a tailwind. The headwind is the resumption of selling by the FIIs who sold stocks for Rs 3,560 crore yesterday. Given the high valuations in India, FIIs are likely to sell more at every market rise, said V K Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Financial Services. Advanced technology deployed along the International Border has led to a significant decline in drone activity, Inspector General (IG) of the Border Security Force (BSF), Jammu Frontier, D.K. Boora, said in Jammu on Friday. Speaking at a press conference on the BSFs 60th Raising Day in Jammu, the IG said the anti-drone system is operational across the border and that technological advancements have played a key role in reducing cross-border drone activity. He noted that the use of advanced technology to counter infiltration along the International Border is effectively in place. Boora highlighted the deployment of additional troops in the Jammu Frontier as part of the winter security mechanism, which reinforces the security grid. He said technical surveillance capabilities are being expanded and the entire border area will soon be under both physical and technological monitoring. BSF is equipped with high-tech weapons and state-of-the-art technology along the borders. ALSO READ: India Army's drone arsenal expands: Nagastra-1 brings enhanced lethality and precision to battlefield Regarding the movement or settlement of Rohingya refugees along the border, the IG clarified that there have been no reports of such settlements near the Jammu Frontier. He assured that the BSF maintains a high level of vigilance and security along the International Border. On infiltration attempts and recoveries this year, the IG noted that the BSF oversees approximately 192 kilometres of the International Border with Pakistan and collaborates with the Indian Army along the Line of Control. Despite various challenges, including drone activities, smuggling attempts, and unprovoked firing, the IG assured that the BSF Jammu successfully thwarted all adversarial efforts. This year, the BSF killed two Pakistani intruders, apprehended two others, and seized approximately 7.659 kg of narcotics. Drones have been used to drop weapons and drugs along the IB and in areas close to the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. In what comes as a major milestone for self-reliance in India's defence sector, the government signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 12 Su-30MKI fighter aircraft along with associated equipment. The procurement of these twin-engine, two-seater multirole fighter aircraft, developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation, will be made at a cost of Rs 13,500 crore, including taxes and duties. A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30 tailored for the Indian Air Force (IAF), these jets are now manufactured by the HAL under an intergovernmental framework. According to the defence ministry, aircraft will have an indigenous content of 62.6 per cent, enhanced due to indiginisation of many components manufactured by Indian defence industry. ALSO READ: With Rajnath Singh's Moscow trip, Indias strategic autonomy is on overdrive The supply of these aircraft would enhance operational capability of Indian Air Force and strengthen defence preparedness of the country, the defence ministry said in a release. Equipped with longer-range weapons, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, the Su-30MKIs do have a competitive edge against newer fifth-generation fighters. Highly versatile, these fighter jets can perform various roles, from air superiority to ground attack missions, making them a critical asset in India's defense strategy. These aircraft would be manufactured by the Nashik division of HAL. Aircraft Division, Nashik is an independent profit center currently engaged in the overhaul of Su-30MKI aircraft under license and repair/overhaul of MiG-21/27M aircraft variants, BISON, Su-30MKI Aircraft and their aggregates. HAL Nashik is also involved in mid-life upgrade and modification of various types of Russian origin aircrafts, providing design and development support to MiG-21 series, MiG-27M and SU30MKI series aircrafts and its systems. In a significant advancement in India's military capabilities, the indigenous Indian Light Tank (ILT) fired several rounds at different ranges at an altitude of more than 4,200 metres with consistent accuracy. The highly versatile 25-tonne class armoured fighting vehicle has been developed to boost the Army's combat capabilities along the frontier with China. The development of the light tank is seen to be aimed at countering China's deployment of tanks of the same categories. The Indian Air Force has already shown that the tank can be airlifted and deployed at locations that are difficult to access through road or rail. The Indian Army is looking to deploy over 350 light tanks, mostly in the mountainous border areas. The latest trial of the tank followed the phase-one trial in the desert environment in September. ALSO READ: Game-changer defence deal: 12 Su-30MKI fighter jets to soon boost India's military might This light tank has been defined, designed, and developed by Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment, the Chennai-based laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) against the Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements of Indian Army. It is manufactured by the Industry Partner Larsen & Toubro Precision Engineering & Systems. With these two phases of internal performance trials, which were actively supported by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, ILT would be undergoing some more trials before being offered for user trials, the defence ministry said in a release. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, and L&T on the successful high-altitude trials of the tank. The lawyer of Allu Arjun, while arguing for interim bail in the Telangana High Court on Friday, referred to the 2017 stampede case involving Shah Rukh Khan. Senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy, who appeared for Allu Arjun, said: "While actor Shahrukh Khan was on a train journey to promote his film Raees, the actor threw clothes at the station, which led to a stampede. Though a case was filed, the court held that the actor was not criminally liable." Reddy further argued that the deceased woman was on the ground floor where the stampede occurred, while the actor was on the first floor. He said not only the actor, but even the producer wrote to the Sandhya theatre staff informing them about Allu Arjun's visit. "Everybody knew the actor was coming, even the Police knew. Here the actor was not even proactively doing anything, whereas in SRK's case, the actor threw balls, the crowd jumped to grab them," Reddy said. The lawyer stated that the charges under Section 118 of BNS (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) do not hold. "It mandates the use of dangerous weapons. On the face of it, it's not applicable". Actor #AlluArjun arrested days after a woman was killed in a stampede at a 'Pushpa 2' screening in Hyderabad. But what's his fault? Isn't crowd control the police's responsibility? pic.twitter.com/bZoPa0LIdh Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) December 13, 2024 He also submitted that the police were already trying to move the people before Allu Arjun reached the incident spot. "If something goes wrong, the Police will say we are not responsible, somebody else is responsible...This is a complete travesty and infringement of my personal liberty. What SC says is very clear- Interim orders are permitted," he said. Meanwhile, the High Court expressed concern over the arrest of the actor. The petition to quash the FIR came before the bench headed by Justice Juvvadi Sridevi. DJustice Sridevi orally observed that the arrest was bothering her. Expressing her inclination to give interim bail to the actor, the judge said: "It's actually bothering me. Just because he is an actor, can he be held like this? There are no ingredients. On this earth, he has the right to life and liberty. It can't be taken away by virtue of being an actor". While the public prosecutor appearing for the state argued that Allu Arjun was not entitled to get any relief, the lawyer for the actor said for the actor to face the charges of culpable homicide, there has to be an intention. "When you read the FIR, does it say that Allu Arjun knew some death was going to happen? Even the instructions by the SHO don't say that there was a chance of death. The highest case that can be charged is 'death by negligence," Reddy argued. 'Ready to withdraw case' Meanwhile, the complainant in the case of the stampede outside Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre, which led to the arrest of Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, has said that he was willing to withdraw the case. Bhaskar, the husband of the deceased 35-year-old Revathi, told reporters that he does not hold Allu Arjun responsible for his wife's death. The stampede, which occurred on December 4 during the release of Pushpa 2, resulted in the death of Revathi and left her son injured after a massive crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun. Bhaskar, in his complaint, alleged that Allu Arjun and the theatre management had neglected to inform the police of the latter's plan to attend a screening of the film at the theatre. "I am ready to withdraw the case. I was not aware of the arrest, and Allu Arjun has nothing to do with the stampede that led to my wifes death," he said adding that the police did not inform him of the actor's arrest. The Great Showman of Indian Cinema made a dashing return to the silver screen with R.K. Films, Film Heritage Foundation and the National Film Archive of India (NDFC-NFAI) presenting 'Raj Kapoor 100' to celebrate the actor's birth centenary across 40 cities in the country, from December 13 to 15. Ten films of the Kapoor stalwart are screened as part of the retrospective at PVR-Inox and Cinepolis theatres. Raj Kapoor (born Shrishti Nath Kapoor) was a multihyphenateactor- director-producerand considered as one of the greatest and most-prominent filmmakers and actors of the country. Fondly referred to as the Charlie Chaplin of Indian Cinema, Kapoor earned three National Film awards and 11 Filmfare awards in the course of his illustrious career. The actors performance in Awaara (1951)one of the films that will be screened at the festivalearned him a place among the Top-Ten Greatest Performances of All Time in World Cinema by TIME magazine in 2005. The actor ventured into film-making, founding his own banner R.K. Films and making his directorial debut with the 1948 musical drama Aag. What followed were glorious years for Raj Kapoor including the huge success of Andaz and the blockbuster Barsaat (1949), which also became the highest grosser at the time of its release. The event features Raj Kapoors most celebrated works, stretching across nearly four decades. The films include Aag (1948), Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Jagte Raho (1956), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), Sangam (1964), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Bobby (1973), and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985). Kareena Kapoor Khan, following the Kapoor familys meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also took to Instagram and wrote, As we celebrate 100 glorious years of Dadajis artistry, vision, and contribution to Indian cinema, we honour the timeless impact of his legacy, which continues to inspire us and generations to come. The event not only commemorates Kapoors legacy but also the growth of Indian cinema, to which he contributed so arduously. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaija BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Major General Kanan Seyidov, Commander of the Separate Combined Arms Army of Azerbaijan, visited Ankara at the invitation of the Commander of the Land Forces of the Republic of Turkiye, Army General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, the Ministry of Defense told Trend. Major General Kanan Seyidov and his delegation first visited the Heydar Aliyev Park in Ankara and the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. "The Azerbaijani delegation laid a wreath at the monument to National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the park and the grave of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and tribute was paid to their memory. As part of the visit, Major General Seyidov met with Army General Bayraktaroglu. During the meeting, the sides stressed the importance of further expanding cooperation in the military, military-technical, and military educational spheres, and conducting joint tactical-special exercises was stressed, as well as discussing the upcoming work in this direction and a number of other issues of mutual interest," the ministrys statement said. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel As Bollywood and film enthusiasts in India and the world over celebrate the centenary of the legendary filmmaker, actor, director and writer Raj Kapoor, with screenings scheduled to take place from December 13 to 15 across 40 cities, one question that comes to mind is what kind of content would he have made, had he been alive in today's time and age? Would his films reflect his passion for storytelling, social commentary, and showcasing the human condition? Would his filmography be based on diverse themes that dominate our discourse in today's times? We'd have loved to see his take on social issues that have plagued society, for instance, LGBTQ+ rights and mental health issues. What about climate change? Add to this, the many romantic dramas he'd have loved to experiment with in the realms of online dating as we see it today - imagine his lead actor and his love interest catching up on a blind date and they mutually discover their love for Salsa! Given his love for exploring complex relationships and love triangles via romantic dramas, one wouldn't be surprised if he incorporated Gen Z elements like the DINK (double income no kids) couples and their relationship with traditional family structures at the centre of his narratives. the truth of life explained by legendary Raj Kapoor sahab.. pic.twitter.com/ikzQCoWPzZ Hail Hydra (@Lordofbattles8) December 13, 2024 His treasure trove of ideas for biopics and historical dramas would be well fed at all times and for those unsung heroes of history, Kapoor might have created modern musicals including fusion and contemporary, given his legendary taste in music, which generations continue to enjoy to date. Although we can only contemplate what kind of films Raj Kapoor would make today, based on his legacy and filmography, his films would likely continue to be thought-provoking and resonant. But going by his cinematic style, one can also be sure that he might definitely not have liked mindless masala films that show excessive violence and unnecessary gore. So maybe Mirzapur, Kuttey, and the like would cringe. The same may be (Kabir Singh or Animal) both of which objectify women and perpetuate gender stereotypes. Additionally, Rohit Shettys of Bollywood (Golmaal, Housefull) would fall in this category because the ace Showman was much beyond repetitive, formulaic and predictable storylines that lack depth and authentic storytelling at the core Loads of academic journals and university classrooms have tried to decipher the Showman and his sensibilities and his brilliance in filmmaking, especially the place women occupied in his filmmaking as a whole. Examining Kapoor's career of "the legendary Bollywood filmmaker of the postwar decades," Geoffrey Jones, faculty from Harvard Business School, writes in a paper, titled, 'Raj Kapoor: The Socialist Showman,' - "how Kapoor built RK studios after 1948 by releasing a series of movies that combined romance with social messages focused on the fate of the common man in a world of social injustice. The case discusses how women were depicted in Kapoors films and enables a discussion of the role of cinema in propagating gender stereotypes and contributing to the challenges faced by women in rural India today." His films return to Indian screens this weekend as part of the RK Film Festival. PVR and Film Heritage Foundation are re-releasing his cult films to commemorate his 100th birth anniversary this year. The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that Chatterjee shall be released on February 1, 2025 subject to the trial court framing charges before the winter vacation and examination of vulnerable witnesses by the second and third week of January 2025. The top court said upon his release Chatterjee shall not hold any public office but can continue as MLA. The bench said that a suspect cannot be detained indefinitely and, therefore, it has to balance the rights of the accused and the victims. On December 4, the top court had reserved its verdict on his bail plea and told him, "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises." The top court in October issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate on the appeal filed by Chatterjee against an April 30 Calcutta High Court order denying him bail on the grounds that a prima facie case was established against him under the PMLA. Chatterjee was arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided primary schools. The politician and his alleged close aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the ED in connection with its probe into the money trail in the alleged illegal recruitments. The ED claimed to have recovered Rs 49.80 crore in cash, apart from jewellery, gold bars from flats owned by Mukherjee, besides documents of properties and a company in joint holdings. The Supreme Court on Friday directed the High Power Committee appointed by it to persuade agitating farmers to suspend their protest temporarily, owing to harsh climate conditions or shift their protest from the Shambhu border to ensure smooth traffic movement on the national highway. Hearing a plea challenging the Haryana and Punjab High Courts order to unblock the highway, the apex court also directed the Punjab government and Centre to provide medical aid to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose health has deteriorated due to his fast unto death. The member secretary of the committee informed the court that the matter would be taken up as a preliminary issue in their meeting with farmers and they would file a report. A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan observed, The primary task of the committee is to convince the farmers to either shift the site so that the highway is unblocked or pause the protest for a while because of the harsh weather and let the committee handle it and if the committee cannot handle it they can always resume it, Bar and Bench reported. The bench advised senior authorities of governments to meet Dallewal and have a dialogue. The bench directed that Dallewal must not be forced to break his fast unless it is imperative to save him. Farmers have been protesting at the Shambhu border since February after Haryana police blocked their protest march to Delhi citing security reasons. The farmers are seeking a Minimum Support Price for their produce and various other demands. Recently, farmers attempted twice to cross the border, however, security forces stopped them, forcing farmer leaders to suspend the march temporarily. For the second time within a week, six schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails on Friday, putting the national capital on high alert. Students have been sent to their homes and Delhi police and other security agencies are conducting checks at school premises. #WATCH | Delhi: Team of Dog squad, fire officials leave after checking the premises of Delhi Public School, East of Kailash. A total of 6 schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails today: Delhi Fire Service "Nothing has been found", says a police official. pic.twitter.com/YarNeoWmMj ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 A Delhi Fire Services official said, "We received calls (regarding the threat emails) from Bhatnagar International School in Paschim Vihar (4.21am), Cambridge School in Shri Niwas Puri (6.23am), DPS Amar Colony in East of Kailash (6.35 am), South Delhi Public School in Defence Colony (7.57am), Delhi Police Public School in Safdarjung (8.02 am) and Venkateshwar Global School in Rohini (8.30 am), PTI reported. Cambridge School principal Madhavi Goswami said she saw the email during a routine check and alerted police immediately. "I informed the police and they worked proactively. We were assured by the Delhi police about the investigation. We informed the parents that classes would be online today," Goswami told PTI. At South Delhi Public School, guards asked parents coming to school with their children to return. According to police, the schools received the email at 12.54am on Friday and the sender mentioned schools will face blast on Friday and Saturday. The sender also mentioned parent-teachers' meetings and 'sports day' activities in the schools. Delhi police, fire department and bomb detection teams along with dog squads have reached the schools and are conducting checks. On December 9, 44 schools in the national capital received bomb threats. However, police declared they were hoax threats after conducting searches at all school premises. Former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Centre and said the situation was worrisome. "This is the second time this week that Delhi schools have received bomb threats, which is extremely serious and worrying. If this continues, how badly will it affect the children? What will happen to their studies?" he asked in a tweet. In connection with the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Sealdah court on Friday granted bail to former officer-in-charge of Tala police station Abhijit Mondal and former principal Sandip Ghosh. #WATCH | Kolkata: Tala police station's former officer incharge Abhijit Mondal leaves from Sealdah Court after being granted bail in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case, as CBI couldn't file the chargesheet within 90 days period. pic.twitter.com/e9u2VdvAoR ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 The duo was accused of allegedly tampering with evidence and delaying the FIR in the rape and murder case. The bail was granted as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to file a chargesheet within the mandatory 90 days. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) granted the bail on a surety bond of Rs 2,000 each and on the condition that the accused would have to appear before the CBI whenever they are called by the central agency. The CBI in the court said that the investigation against the accused in the rape and murder case is still ongoing. The development also came as senior lawyer Vrinda Grover decided not to represent the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder victim's family. However, Ghosh, who is in judicial custody in another case related to the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, is likely to remain behind bars. Ghosh was accused of allegedly destroying the evidence in the case, while Mondal was accused of alleged delay in filing the FIR. On completion of one year of his government, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that better utilisation of the states rich resources was bringing prosperity to the lives of farmers, women, youth and the poor. CM Mohan Yadav also spoke of making former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayees dream of interconnecting rivers to eliminate the water crisis in many parts of the country come true. He said that all complexities that lay in the path of connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers had been ironed out. The project shall be initiated on Vajpayees birth anniversary- December 25. While this project will benefit 11 districts of MP and UP; the state government is also in the final stage of connecting rivers, Chambal-Kali Sindh-Parvati, with Rajasthan. Another important project was the re-charging of the Shipra River. The CM also recounted the governments commitment to farmers. These include- a bonus of Rs 125 per quintal on the purchase of wheat and the purchase of soybean at Rs 4,892 per quintal. Land-related matters are being tackled by greater use of e-services. Farmers's incomes were being promoted through animal husbandry for which the government has signed an agreement with the National Dairy Development Board. Yadav said that the economic, social and political empowerment of women had been the priority of his party. The government had given 35 per cent reservation to women in government jobs and this is the highest anywhere in the country. The government has deposited more than Rs 19212 crore in the accounts of 1.29 crore sisters under the Ladli Behna Yojana. He also took on critics who had said that the scheme would not run for long. Another focus group was the young for whom the government has started PM Excellence colleges in all 55 districts. These colleges have been equipped with modern teaching systems and arrangements have also been made to get students to the college. To provide better employment opportunities to the youth, the government is setting up industry corridors and industry conclaves are being organised in every division. His government, Yadav said, was in the process of providing government jobs to 2.5 lakh youth of the state, while about three lakh youth will get employment opportunities in the industries to be set up in various divisions. Given the importance of agriculture in the state, BSc Agriculture courses were being introduced in all universities and in select PM Excellence Colleges. The two-day discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution began on a positive note, with the Lok Sabha functioning smoothly and members expressing their viewpoints on the subject. Newly elected MP Priyanka Gandhi made her debut speech during the discussion, criticising the ruling party for attempting to subvert the Constitution. Speaking with poise for over 30 minutes in Hindi, Priyanka punctuated her arguments with real-life examples of people suffering due to the indifference of authorities. Her debut speech provided ample evidence that the Opposition benches have found an effective speakeran essential, long-missing element in their arsenal. "The ruling party would have started changing the Constitution, had it not been for the Lok Sabha. People didnt allow that." From the treasury benches, the lead speaker was Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a scathing attack on the grand old party for appropriating the work done by the constitutional framers. Rajnath Singh reminded the Congress of the imposition of Emergency, dismissal of state governments and superseding of Supreme Court judges in the past. "Expressions for protecting the Constitution from the Congress do not look good." Later leaders from other parties too expressed their views on the "holy book" saying it should be preserved at all costs. Predictably, the debate also became an occasion to attack each other for going against the spirit of the Constitution. Earlier during her speech, Priyanka questioned the ruling partys obsession with discrediting Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. "His name can be erased from the books, but his role in the Independence struggle and nation-building can never be erased from this country." Priyanka shied away from addressing the criticism over the imposition of Emergency by her grandmother and PM Indira Gandhi. "You should learn from it and apologise for your mistakes." This showed that she was not afraid to brush the criticism hurled at them, but instead turned it back towards the ruling party an effective strategy to handle political attacks. The ruling party had fielded Rajnath Singh to lend heft to its stand on the constitution. The BJP has lived the principles of the Constitution -- be it giving constitutional status to the backward commission, providing for women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies or introducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and has also defended those against the assault from the Congress. The defence minister added that he was proud that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, their government was working with the spirit of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas.' During his speech, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also attacked the BJP governments for fostering inequality and failing to uphold the rights of marginalised communities, particularly the Muslims. "This Constitution is our armour, our security. It provides us strength whenever needed. The Constitution is the true guardian of the rights of the oppressed, neglected, suppressed, and deprived for whom the Constitution is a matter of life and death." TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, meanwhile, said every provision of the Constitution must be broadly interpreted and extended to every poor person in India. Panchayati Raj Minister and JDU MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh also attacked the previous Congress governments for "misusing Article 356 of the Indian Constitution to topple the opposition governments in states". "All their Prime Ministers, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, have several times invoked Article 356 of the Constitution to topple elected governments in the states," Rajiv Ranjan said questioning the records of the Congress governments. As many as 13 districts of Tamil Nadu should brace for heavy showers on Friday, December 13, as the deep depression in the southwest Bay of Bengal has weakened and changed direction, the Meteorological Department has said. Southern Tamil Nadu is likely to get the most rainfall today, the weather department was quoted as saying by local media. Without a doubt the heaviest day to Tamil Nadu monsoon in a long time. In almost all district one heavy rainfall recorded. ====================== Not able to mention one district. Every district has got heavy rains. Manjolai la Oothu 500 mm poiduchu. Mayiladuthurai-Cuddalore pic.twitter.com/bnevvlG82v Tamil Nadu Weatherman (@praddy06) December 13, 2024 A holiday has been declared for schools in 16 districts and colleges in eight districts in the backdrop of the weather report. Schools and colleges will remain shut in Villupuram, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Trichy, Ariyalur and Perambalur districts while schools have been closed in Theni, Karur, Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, Mayiladuthurai, Salem, Dharmapuri, Thiruvarur, Ramanathapuram, Namakkal, Naga, Tiruppur, Madurai, Dindigul, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar distritcs. A holiday has been declared for schools in Puducherry and Karaikal as well. Tamil Nadu rains today, Dec 13 Moderate rains are likely to persist across Tamil Nadu till Sunday, December 15. Today, moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to lash many places in the southern districts and a few places in the northern districts of the state. The weather department is expecting heavy rains in at least a few areas of the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Tenkasi, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts today. "Without a doubt the heaviest day to Tamil Nadu monsoon in a long time. In almost all district one heavy rainfall recorded," Tamil Nadu Weatherman tweeted around 8:00 AM on Friday. "Every district has got heavy rains.Ranipet is pounded, which means Nandhiyar got massive run-off and Poondi dam is getting inflows close to 13000 cusecs. Water release will be increased to 12000 cusecs. Tenkasi - 300 mm+ recorded in Ayikudi and entire district which had poor NEM in one day it is going into excess," he said. Two bridges were broken due to the flood at the Courtallam Main Waterfall in Tenkasi district. Daily Thanthi said in a report that the floodwaters entered shops and other buildings in the neighbourhood. A video of the incident doing rounds on the internet caused a panic, the report added. A Supreme Court bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjala Bhuyan, on Friday, granted conditional bail to Partha Chatterjee, the former education minister of West Bengal, in the money laundering case related to the alleged West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. Chatterjee was arrested by the ED in July 2022. Despite over two years of investigation, the central agency has not yet framed charges. The apex court has directed the trial to be expedited, with the framing of charges and witness examinations to be completed by February 1, 2025. The Supreme Court ruled that Chatterjee could be released before February 1 if the ED completes its proceedings early, but he cannot be detained beyond that date. Upon release, he cannot hold public office but may remain a West Bengal MLA. The court noted that the 72-year-old undertrial accused, jailed for over two years now, should not face punitive treatment. However, it raised concerns about potential witness tampering, given Chatterjee's political influence, if he is released before the trial court concludes examining all witnesses. During the course of its investigation, the ED has recovered about Rs 49 crore in cash, apart from jewellery, gold bard and other immovable properties from a flat owned by Chatterjees associate Arpita Mukherjee. She had also been arrested by the ED but was released on bail last month. Mukherjee consistently denied the allegations against her, claiming she was being framed. The special ED court at the City Sessions Court in Kolkata observed that she was eligible for bail, as she had already served one-third of the potential sentence if convicted of the charges against her. Meanwhile, for Chatterjee to finally come out of jail, he must also secure bail in a separate case under investigation by the CBI, related to an alleged recruitment scam in the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBPE). In November, a two-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court delivered a split verdict on Chatterjees bail plea in this case. While Justice Arijit Banerjee approved his bail, Justice Apurba Sinha Ray opposed it. Consequently, the matter would now be referred to a larger bench as assigned by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. Deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad misled his Army and security chief into believing that Russia was sending troops to fight rebels before secretly fleeing Damascus. No one in the ministry or his family, including his younger brother Maher, was aware of his plan to escape from Syria. Hours before the Islamic insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) stormed Damascus, Assad convened a meeting of 30 army and security chiefs at the defence ministry. He then informed them that Russian military support was on its way and urged them to hold their ground, Reuters quoted a commander who spoke on conditions of anonymity. After he finished work on Saturday, Assad informed his presidential office manager that he was going home. He also summoned his media adviser Buthaina Shaaban to his home to write him a speech. She arrived at Assad's house to find it empty. Assad even kept his younger brother, Maher, commander of the Armys elite 4th Armored Division, in the dark. Maher later escaped Syria on a helicopter, first to Iraq and then to Russia. Not just Maher, Assad's maternal cousins Ehab and Eyad Makhlouf too were not informed about his move. The duo learned about their fate once the rebels stormed Damascus. They fled by car to Lebanon but, according to unconfirmed reports, were ambushed by rebels. Ehab was reportedly shot dead while Eyad was wounded. On December 8, Assad went directly to the Syrian airbase and fled Damascus by plane. The aircrafts transponder was switched off to avoid detection. It was Russian intelligence agents who persuaded Assad to flee Syria and the agents themselves orchestrated the escape. The plane took him to Russias Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, and from there on to Moscow. Though his wife and three children already left Syria for Moscow, Assad's departure was last-minute, as evident from the images of a mob rampage on his presidential complex. Images showed cooked food left on the stove and personal belongings left behind, such as family photo albums. Assad had already known that Russia wouldn't intervene during his visit to Moscow on November 28. However, didnt convey the reality of the situation to aides back home, and told his close aides that "military support was coming." Though he met an Iranian official, Assad never requested that Tehran deploy forces in Syria. As he decided to leave the country, Assad reportedly wanted asylum in UAE but was denied by its rulers fearing international backlash. His only option then was Russia. Even if Putin disliked Assad, he was never going to let him get devoured by the rebels, the former diplomat told The Guardian. However, Assad will have to make do without his extravagant lifestyle in Moscow. What possibly awaits him is life under tight surveillance of Russian security officers, probably in a secluded estate. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaija BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Representatives of the National Defense Academy and the "Strategic Course of Defense and Security" of the Defense Institution Building School of Georgia, who are on a visit to Azerbaijan, visited special military educational institutions, the Ministry of Defense told Trend. As part of the visit, the guests met with the senior staff of the Military Administration Institute and the Military Lyceum named after Jamshid Nakhchivanski of National Defense University. Georgian delegations were provided with detailed information about the activities of the National Defense University and the reforms carried out in the field of military education. The sides exchanged views on issues of regional security in the South Caucasus, the ministrys statement said. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Offers a long-term policy and unparalleled, highly customisable solutions for evolving healthcare needs Now available across all platforms Pan-India with flexible coverage options and family discounts Provides immediate coverage for pre-existing conditions like Diabetes and Hypertension Star Health aims to double its business in the next 4 years CHENNAI, India, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited, the first standalone health insurance company in India, today announced the launch of its revolutionary retail health insurance product, 'SUPER STAR'. 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PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Levi Strauss (India) posted a 13.4 per cent decline in profit to Rs 159.4 crore in FY24 even as its sales rose 3.3 per cent to Rs 1,668.7 crore, the company said in an RoC filing. Total revenue of Levi Strauss (India) was up 3.4 per cent to Rs 1,843.7 crore for the financial year ended on March 31, 2024, helped by other income, according to financial data accessed through business intelligence platform Tofler. Levi Strauss (India) Pvt Ltd had reported a total standalone profit of Rs 184.1 crore a year before in FY23 and its revenue from sale of products was at Rs 1,615.1 crore. Its 'advertising promotional expenses' in FY24 were up 15.62 per cent to Rs 118.4 crore. This was at Rs 102.4 crore a year ago in FY23. Levi Strauss (India) royalty fees paid to its California, US-based parent company Levi Strauss & Co was at Rs 119.5 crore, up 4.27 per cent. The 'cost royalty' of the denim maker was at Rs 114.6 crore a year ago. Total expenses of Levi Strauss (India) during the financial year under review were Rs 1,630.2 crore. Levi Strauss (India) is 99.95 per cent owned by Levi Strauss Mauritius Ltd, a unit of Levi Strauss & Co. It has "strong support from its parent company, Levi Strauss & Co, considering the potential of the Indian market and the strength of the brand," Levi Strauss (India) said in its overview. It has earned in the Indian retail market space and hence benefitted immensely from the group-level initiatives, it added. On the future outlook, it said the Indian economy is on course to be among the top economies in the world. "The key factors driving the India consumption story include a large proportion of the young population, rising urbanisation, growing affluence, increasing discretionary spending and deeper penetration of digital," it said. As the year progresses, and things return to normal, the company should be in a much stronger position to bounce back, given its portfolio of strong brands, innovative processes and a credible workforce, it added. New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said those who win elections in the name of caste, do not do anything for their community, instead they seek tickets to field their family members in the election. "Now the problem in politics is that backwardness has become a political interest...so everyone wants to prove that he is backward,"Gadkari said while replying to a question at the 'Times Network India Economic Conclave 2024'. The minister said those who have no work to show to the people, try to win elections in the name of caste. "Tell me one example, when someone has won elections in the name of caste, has worked for the welfare of his community? After they get elected, they seek tickets to contest elections for their wives and children," Gadkari, who is known for his frank views said. The political parties, he said, should work for welfare of poor people, youth, farmer, women and to strengthen Indian economy. Gadkari said while campaigning during elections he never talked about caste. "Politics is not my profession. It is an instrument of socio-economic reform. I believe social service and good work will help win public support and I will go by my conviction instead of resorting to caste politics, he said. Replying to a question on RSS-chief Mohan Bhagwats 3-children pitch, Gadkari said, "While he agrees with the idea, it is time to see population growth in the country in proposition to the land, water, electricity and other resources. It is time to think on economic terms and not on religion and caste lines, he added. Mumbai, Dec 13 (PTI) Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla on Friday exhorted India Inc to push up the pedal on investment. The government has increased its capital expenditure five-fold in the last decade, Birla said while speaking at a Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 189th foundation day event here. In the comments that come amid concerns of slowing private capex, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group said his diversified grouping and other large conglomerates have embarked on unprecedented capacity expansion spree. "It is now time for India Inc to join the party this investment fervour needs to be far more widespread," Birla said. "We (businesses) have the capacity and the responsibility to define the vision for development and shape the India of tomorrow," the billionaire added. The comments come at a time when growth has hit a seven-quarter low of 5.4 per cent for the July-September period as per official data. Reluctance to invest and a preference to operate at higher capacities has been diagnosed as one of the contributors to the growth slowdown. Birla said the government has done its bit by creating the enabling ecosystem and it is now for the businesses to drive growth forward. There is a need to think big, he said, adding that India can rewire the supply chains of the world as a manufacturing and service hub. He said the new vision should be globally benchmarked, and added, "we stand at a pivotal juncture where Indians' ambition and imagination will pave the way for progress". India will also have to devote sufficient focus on innovation, talent and sustainability to achieve the stated goal of turning into a developed country by 2047, he said. He said 18-year-old chess grandmaster D Gukesh's historic feat is emblematic of the rise of a new India, which is young and self-assured. New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) The suspension of the MFN (most favoured nation) clause by Switzerland underscores the need for India to adopt a more consistent and strategic approach to international taxation treaties, think tank GTRI said on Friday. This suspension introduces tax challenges for Indian firms operating in Switzerland, particularly in sectors like financial services, pharmaceuticals, and IT, it said. They will now have to pay a 10 per cent tax on dividends and other incomes, up from the earlier 5 per cent, effective January 1, 2025. It said that proactive negotiations to clarify and harmonise interpretations of treaty provisions are essential to safeguard Indian firms' interests abroad. Additionally, India must ensure that its treaty frameworks reflect contemporary business realities, particularly in the digital and service sectors, to reduce tax uncertainties and promote global competitiveness, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. The Swiss government has suspended the most favoured nation status (MFN) clause in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and Switzerland, potentially impacting Swiss investments in India and leading to higher taxes on Indian companies operating in the European nation. According to a December 11 statement by the Swiss finance department, the move follows the Supreme Court of India last year ruling that the MFN clause doesn't automatically trigger when a country joins the OECD if the Indian government signed a tax treaty with that country before it joined the organisation. GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava said the suspension of the MFN clause is a setback for Indian firms operating in Switzerland. Previously, Indian companies benefited from a reduced tax rate of 5 per cent on dividends and other incomes, thanks to Switzerland's earlier application of MFN benefits. With the reversion to a 10 per cent residual rate starting January 1, 2025, these firms face higher tax liabilities, reducing their competitiveness compared to businesses from countries still benefiting from MFN provisions, he said. The Supreme Court judgment sets a precedent that could influence how India handles similar clauses in agreements with other trading partners, he said, adding that if disputes over MFN interpretations persist, Indian businesses could face similar challenges in other jurisdictions, potentially deterring outbound investments. "The suspension of the MFN clause by Switzerland and earlier issues with Australia underscore the need for India to adopt a more consistent and strategic approach to international taxation treaties," Srivastava said. The DTAA are subject to different interpretations many times due to imprecise language. For example, Indian software firms faced disputes over the classification of income under the India-Australia DTAA. He explained that Australia often categorises payments for software licenses and services as royalties, making them subject to source taxation. Indian firms argue that such payments should be treated as business income, taxable only in India unless they maintain a permanent establishment (PE) in Australia. "This mismatch in interpretations leads to potential double taxation and compliance challenges, compounded by Australia's reliance on domestic laws that may override treaty provisions," Srivastava said. The India-Switzerland Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement was signed on November 2, 1994, and subsequently amended in 2000 and 2010. The agreement aimed to facilitate smoother cross-border trade and investment by mitigating the risks of double taxation. The MFN clause, a critical component of the treaty, ensures that countries treat partner nations' investors no less favourably than investors from any third country. For instance, if Switzerland offered reduced tax rates or additional benefits to another country, these benefits were expected to extend to Indian firms under the MFN clause. India signed a free trade agreement in March with the four European nation bloc EFTA. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Switzerland is the largest trading partner of India followed by Norway in the bloc. In 2023-24, India's imports from Switzerland stood at USD 21.24 billion, in stark contrast to its exports of USD 1.52 billion, leading to a substantial trade deficit of USD 19.72 billion. India received about USD 10.72 billion in foreign direct investments from Switzerland between April 2000 and September 2024. Kolkata, Dec 12 (PTI) Indo-Italian co-production Parikrama, which was screened in the Kolkata International Film Festival, will be released in early 2025, the movies director Goutam Ghose said. The movie tells the story of a migrant teenage boy and an Italian man who was making a documentary film on Narmada river pilgrimage. Parikrama dwells on issues like threats to ecology, environmental damage, battle for survival. "The film is not preachy and didactic in approach. It is not political or a commentary on the Narmada Bachao Andolan. It talks about the journey of two humans who are somehow connected with the river and Mother Nature. It has several layers," Ghose told PTI. Narmada Bachao Andolan is a movement launched in 1985 opposing the proposal to build dams on the Narmada River, which flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Italian actor Marco Leonardi essays the role of documentary filmmaker Alessandro while Aryan Badkul, who was picked up by Ghosh during location hunting for Parikrama, essayed the role of Lala, the teenager. The pre-production for the movie began in 2019, and shooting commenced in January 2020. The project, however, was then stuck by the Covid pandemic. Shooting resumed after the pandemic phase was over in India. Leonardi said he was fascinated by the journey along the course of Narmada, clean at one end and choked by constructions, siltation, dams and reservoirs at the other. Ghose said he was happy with the overwhelming response to the film when it was screened at the Kolkata International Film Festival held from December 4 to 11. "The theatre was packed during the screening at the festival venue. Now I look forward to the larger audience response by early next year," he said. A source close to the production house said efforts are being made to release Parikrama by January-February. Jaipur, Dec 13 (PTI) Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan on Friday came out in support of Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, who was briefly arrested in connection with the death of a woman during the premiere of his film "Pushpa 2: The Rule", saying one person alone cannot be blamed for this. Arjun was arrested, sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Hyderabad court and granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court in the case on Friday -- all in less than five hours. The woman died in a stampede during the premiere of Arjun's film on December 4. Her eight-year-old son suffered serious injuries in the incident and was hospitalised. Talking to reporters here during the promotion of his upcoming film "Baby John", Dhawan said an actor cannot take everything on himself. "The actor is not the only one responsible for the incident. The incident that took place was very painful, I extend my condolences. It is unfortunate but we cannot blame just one person," he said. Last week, Arjun announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the victim's family and also assured the grieving family that they were not alone in this painful situation and he would meet them personally. The husband of the woman who died in the stampede said on Friday that he did not hold Arjun responsible for the tragedy and was "ready to withdraw" the case. Jaipur, Dec 13 (PTI) An actor is not in charge of safety protocols and can't be blamed for an unfortunate incident, Bollywood star Varun Dhawan said on Friday, hours after Telugu superstar Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with a woman's death at a promotional event of his latest movie. Arjun was taken into custody amid tight security from his residence and taken to Chikkadpally police station in a police vehicle. A 35-year-old woman died and her eight-year-old son has been hospitalised in the incident which took place on December 4 night when a large number of fans thronged the Sandhya theatre in Hyderabad to have a glimpse of the actor. Dhawan was asked about Arjun's arrest at the promotional event of his upcoming movie "Baby John". "Safety protocols are not something that an actor can take on himself. We can tell people around us," Dhawan told reporters. He gave the example of movie theatre chain Cinepolis and said the company has made good arrangements for the film's promotional event. "We are grateful to them for that. And the incident that took place is very painful. I feel very sorry and send my condolences. But at the same time, you can't blame one person for this," he added. The city police have registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under sections 105 and 118(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint lodged by the deceased woman's family. Arjun on December 11 approached the Telangana High Court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him in connection with the death of a woman. After the formal arrest, Arjun was taken to state-run Gandhi Hospital for medical tests. A senior police official told mediapersons that he will be produced in a local court. Peshawar, Dec 13 (PTI) Pakistani authorities on Friday said the World Bank will provide funding for the conservation of the ancestral houses of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, located in the heart of this city and designated as national heritage sites. "The physical work on the project is set to begin in four months with an initial budget allocation of Rs 200 million," Dr Abdus Samad, Director of Archaeology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told PTI. "The funding will come from the World Banks 'Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project'," he said. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government project funded by the global lender is designed to enhance tourism infrastructure, promote cultural heritage, and support economic development in the province, officials said. The conservation work will focus on restoring the historical sites to their original form and establishing state-of-the-art museums in both houses located in the historic Qissa Khwani bazaar. These museums will be open to the public to raise awareness of the contributions made by Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor to the Indian film industry. Raj Kapoors haveli is situated in the Dhakki Dalgaran area, while Dilip Kumars ancestral residence is in Mohallah Khudadad. Both properties are less than half a mile apart within Qissa Khwani bazaar. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Archaeology and Museums took possession of these ancestral homes in 2021 after their ownership was legally transferred to the provincial government. Both residences are now officially the properties of the Directorate of Archaeology, said Dr Samad, emphasising that the possession process adhered to all legal requirements. The directorate also compensated the former owners, with Raj Kapoors haveli valued at Rs 11.5 million and Dilip Kumars house at Rs 7.2 million. The properties were appraised at Rs 1.5 million per marla. Marla, a traditional unit of area used in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, is considered equal to 272.25 square feet or 25.2929 square metres. Samad said that the directorate plans to contact family members of both legends. The restoration initiative aims to preserve Peshawars historical connection to Bollywood and celebrate the legacy of these cinematic icons. Lahore/Karachi, Dec 13 (PTI) A farm worker belonging to minority Ahmadi community was shot dead on Friday allegedly for his faith in Sindh province of Pakistan, police said. Ameer Hassan, 40, was on his way to his home after the morning prayers when he was fatally shot by two unknown assailants in Fazl Bhambro area of Mirpurkhas district in Sindh. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. Police said they were investigating the claim by Hassan's family that he was killed for his faith as he had recently received threats from religious extremists. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan (JAP) spokesperson Amir Mahmood also reiterated the claim that Hassan was gunned down by religious extremists because of his faith. He said Hassan's 12-year-old son witnessed the horrible incident. The victim leaves behind two sons and three daughters. This is the sixth such faith-based Ahmadi killing this year, he told PTI. Last week, an Ahmadi trader was axed to death in Rawalpindi by religious extremists. Mahmood said the Ahmadi community continues to suffer at the hands of extremists with no accountability of the culprits. The government must put an end to the hate speech and violence against the community, he demanded. Although Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, Pakistans Parliament in 1974 declared the community as non-Muslims. A decade later, they were not just banned from calling themselves Muslims but were also barred from practising aspects of Islam. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Azerbaijan is implementing additional advantages for highly skilled migrants, Trend reports. The matter was reflected in proposed amendments to the Migration Code and the Law "On State Duty," which were discussed at a session of the Azerbaijani Parliament on December 13. Under the proposed amendments to the Migration Code, highly qualified migrants are defined as foreigners and stateless persons who have received a positive response to applications made under a program designed to attract skilled professionals to the Republic of Azerbaijans labor market. The draft law proposes several benefits for highly qualified migrants. It includes provisions for issuing entry visas to these migrants for business purposes, adding them to the list of individuals eligible for temporary and permanent residence permits, and applying the temporary residence period outlined in Article 49.2 of the Migration Code. Additionally, the draft proposes exempting the spouses and children under 23 years old of highly qualified migrants from the labor migration quota when issuing work permits. In line with the proposed amendments to the Law on State Duty, the document aims to reduce the processing times for issuing and renewing temporary and permanent residence permits for highly qualified migrants, their children under 23, and other family members (a reduction of five working days for temporary residence permits and ten working days for permanent residence permits). Moreover, a proposed change to Article 18.58-1 of the law would extend the shortened work permit issuance and renewal period to spouses and children under 23 of highly qualified migrants. The draft law was put to a vote and passed in the first reading. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Damascus (Syria), Dec 13 (AP) An American who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad's notorious prison system said early Friday he was released by the liberators who arrived in Damascus a day after the longtime ruler fled the capital. Travis Timmerman called his release a blessing when he spoke to The Associated Press from a hotel room in Damascus, where he arrived late Thursday. He was among the thousands of people released from Syria's sprawling military prisons this week after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad and ending his family's 54-year rule. Timmerman, 29, said he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer. The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple Assad's government, said the group had secured his release. We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the U.S. administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime, the group said, adding that a search was underway for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. An official with the group later said it was arranging for Timmerman to leave Syria, but gave no details. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn't know of any other Americans held in the facility. I was there seven months. There were women there up above me, Timmerman said. He heard the women singing and teaching their children and could hear some of the men being beaten regularly. I was never beaten, he said. He was detained after he crossed into Syria from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June. He was questioned for three and half hours by interrogators who thought he must be a spy. In a brief second interview, they searched his mobile phone, and in the last interview, he started discussing his dreams with his captors. He said their threat of using violence against him was implicit because he could hear daily beatings next door. But his captors let him use his mobile to call his family three weeks ago. At the time, Timmerman didn't tell his family he was in Damascus, only that he was fine. He said later in his detention, he could hear explosions at a time when Israel was intensifying its strikes in Syria. Israel's war with the Hezbollah militant group had intensified in September, before a ceasefire was reached last month. I heard some explosives that shook the building, he said. In his prison cell, Timmerman said he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste. He had three bathroom breaks and had exercise breaks in the first half of his stay. He said the Friday calls to prayers helped keep track of days. He said he gained weight at first because he ate unleavened bread, rice and oats. Sometimes he would get a potato or a tomato a treatment clearly reserved for non-Syrian prisoners, who often ended up emaciated or sick. It is a time of solace and you can meditate on your life, he told AP. It was good for me. Timmerman was disheveled, with a scraggly beard and long hair and nails. He said he had a good sleep and a meal on Thursday. He said he planned to return to Damascus. Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017. Timmerman's mother, Stacey Gardiner, told the AP that as of Thursday evening, she hadn't spoken to her son. She said he told her he was visiting Prague and Budapest, Hungary, to write about different churches. She said she last heard from him in May, when he said he was going somewhere without internet and that he would call when he had access again. Then he stopped replying to calls and texts and she didn't know whether he was alive or dead. I couldn't help him, and that broke my heart more and more each day, Gardiner said. I just want my baby (to) come home. The family reported him missing, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a bulletin saying Pete Timmerman" had gone missing in Hungary in early June. In late August, Hungarian police put out a missing persons announcement for Travis Pete Timmerman, saying he was last seen at a church in Budapest. Timmerman goes by Travis. In describing his release from prison, Timmerman said the action outside his cell woke him up. Those who came to release him spoke to him in Arabic. It was an excited scene. It was not clear if the guards who were there were still there, Timmerman said. I didn't know if they were taking us out in the midst of a war zone in hindsight, this shooting was not actual clashes. He said he was panicked for a moment. But he realized some of the gunfire was celebratory from blanks. One man was shooting from an AK-47. At one point, he went running back into the prison with two other prisoners. A fellow prisoner helped him out, holding his arm, and speaking Arabic to those around. They both accompanied a female prisoner to her home. He spent two nights in Damascus, one in abandoned apartment in the old town and another at a new friend's house. He then started walking toward Jordan, when a Syrian family found him barefoot on a main road in the countryside of Damascus early Thursday. At first some mistook him for Tice. The Syrian family told AP that Timmerman appeared cold and hungry so they brought him back to their home. I fed him and called a doctor, said Mosaed al-Rifai, the 68-year-old waste collector who first found Timmerman. A few hours after al-Rifai discovered him, rebels arrived at the family's house to pick him up, he said. Mouaz Mostafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based nonprofit group, who was in Damascus learned of Timmerman's location, reached him and contacted US authorities about him. Timmerman is now recovering until the rebels can figure out how to hand him to U.S. authorities, Moustafa said. From Aqaba, Jordan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that the White House was working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria but declined further comment for privacy reasons. Washington's top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, travelled to Lebanon this week in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Tice. President Joe Biden has said his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged on Sunday that we have no direct evidence of his status. The case has frustrated U.S. intelligence officials for years. This is a priority for the United States, Blinken said. Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus in August 2012 as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men. He hasn't been heard from since. Assad's government had denied that it was holding him. (AP) NSA NSA Toronto, Dec 13 (AP) Canada's most populous province may bar American-made alcohol in addition to restricting electricity exports to Michigan, New York and Minnesota if US President-elect Donald Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products, a senior official has said. The official in Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government said on Thursday that it's contemplating restricting Ontario's liquor control board from buying American-made alcohol. Ontario is also considering restricting exports of critical minerals required for electric vehicle batteries and preventing US-based companies from the government's procurement process, the official said on condition of anonymity because the functionary wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the potential measures. Ford confirmed on Wednesday evening that Ontario is contemplating restricting electricity exports to the three states. He reiterated that on Thursday and said it would make electricity unaffordable for Americans. It's a last resort, Ford said. I don't think President-elect Trump wants that to happen. We're sending a message to the US If you come and attack Ontario, you attack the livelihoods of people in Ontario and Canadians, we are going to use every tool in our tool box to defend Ontarians and Canadians. Let's hope it never comes to that." Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tax on all products entering the United States from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs. Ontario powered 1.5 million homes in the US in 2023. "That's OK if he does that. That's fine, Trump told CNBC when asked about Ford's remarks on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The United States is subsidizing Canada and we shouldn't have to do that," Trump said. And we have a great relationship. I have so many friends in Canada, but we shouldn't have to subsidize a country." The CNBC reporter said Trump told him off camera that they hope they can work something out with Canada. The premier of the oil rich Canadian province of Alberta ruled out cutting off oil exports. Under no circumstances will Alberta agree to cut off oil and gas exports, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said. Instead, we're taking a diplomatic approach and we're meeting with our allies in the US We're making the case for Alberta oil and gas to be part of the solution to energy affordability and energy security. Canada supplies more oil to the US than any other country, nearly 4.5 million barrels a day. About 60 per cent of US crude oil imports are from Canada and a fifth of the crude refined in the US comes from Canada. If you put a 25 per cent tariff on oil from Alberta that increases every gallon of gasoline by one dollar, Ford said. About 85 per cent of US electricity imports come from Canada as well. Canada also has 34 critical minerals and metals the Pentagon is eager for. Nearly 3.6 billion Canadian dollars (USD2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states. Canada has promised more border security spending to address Trump's border concerns. Ford said that will include more border and police officers, as well as drones and sniffer dogs. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently had dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida, said they plan to share details of those border plans with the incoming Trump administration soon. Alberta's government is creating a new sheriff patrol unit that will include about 50 sheriffs, 10 cold weather surveillance drones and four drug detection dogs. Alberta officials said a two-kilometre deep zone along the border with Montana will be deemed critical infrastructure, so sheriffs can arrest without a warrant anyone found attempting to cross illegally or trafficking illegal drugs or weapons. At the Mar-a-Lago dinner, Kristen Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the US, said that Washington's trade deficit with Canada was also raised. Hillman said the US had a USD75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year but noted a third of what Canada sells into the US is energy exports and prices have been high. Trudeau said this week that US-imposed tariffs would be absolutely devastating for the Canadian economy, but it would also mean real hardship for Americans. Canada imposed duties in 2018 against the US in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canadian officials have said that it's unfair to lump Canada in with Mexico. LeBlanc said that illegal migration from Canada to the US is only 0.6 per cent of the total, and fentanyl from Canada is 0.2 per cent of the total of US seizures. Canada Border Services Agency President Erin O'Gorman said the US Drug Enforcement Administration has characterized the amount of fentanyl coming from Canada as small amounts sent over for personal use, mostly by mail. Quebec Premier Francoise Legault said Trump told him in Paris last week that he doesn't want to see anymore illegal immigration coming from Canada. Legault noted Trudeau's plan to strengthen border security. I prefer that than starting a war and stopping sending energy to the United States, Legault said. Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey said he had a call with New England governors this week and said there is a significant concern on both sides of the border. We hope it is just bluster, Furey said. We are preparing as if it is not. There will be no winner in a trade war." (AP) IJT IJT Damascus, Dec 13 (AP) Thousands of Syrians gathered Friday at Umayyad Square, the largest in Damascus, to celebrate after the first Muslim Friday prayers following the downfall of former President Bashar Assad. Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of insurgency that toppled Assad in a lightning 10-day march across the country to Damascus, appeared in a video message in which he congratulated the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution. I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people, he said. "And then after we will work to build this country and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God. Al-Sharaa's force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and its allied insurgents have been working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital early Sunday. At the same time, they have tried to reassure a public that is both stunned by the fall of the state that had long ruled with an iron hand and concerned over extremist jihadis among the insurgents. The Friday prayers have a particular symbolism because in the early days of the anti-government uprising-turned-civil-war in Syria in 2011, protesters would turn out en masse after going to the mosque. Unified Syria to build Syria, the crowd gathered in Damascus' Umayyad Square chanted. Some shouted slurs about the former president and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centres of Assad's security forces. The crowd included many families with children, and some of the demonstrators had come from far-flung areas of the country, including from Idlib the longtime rebel enclave in the northwest of Syia, for years isolated on the other side of the civil war's battle lines. Wardan Aoun, who identified himself as a fighter from Idlib, said, There is a good government now and God willing corruption will be gone." "We lived in Idlib under this government and there is no corruption there, he said, referring to the rebel-led administration in the enclave. Khaled Abu Chahine, 51, from Kafr Shams in the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted, said he hoped for "freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze. No to racism. The former government was a government of crime and executions," he said, calling on foreign nations "hosting these gangs to bring them to justice and those who are in Syria and committed crimes should face justice. As the gathering took place, the top US diplomat was in the region discussing the US view on the developments in Syria with regional powers. In the Turkish capital, Ankara, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was broad agreement between Turkiye and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women and does not pose any kind of threat to any of Syria's neighbours, Blinken said during joint statements with Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country. Israel says it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands, and has seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. Blinken said it was imperative to continue with efforts to the keep the Islamic State group under control. The Turkish foreign minister said the two had discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren't dominant, Fidan said, in reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. The US and Turkiye have different stances on the allied Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led group in Syria that has been a key part of the fight against IS but that Turkiye regards as a terrorist group. Blinken said Washington is "very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves. (AP) GRS GRS Brussels, Dec 13 (AP) European Union countries agreed on Friday a draft law aimed at preventing and countering migrant smuggling, which critics say could be used to target people or charity groups that try to help migrants in trouble. The aim of the new law is to broaden the definition of what migrant smuggling involves and to increase prison sentences and fines. The agreement between the 27 EU member countries forms their position for final negotiations on the law with the European Parliament. If we want to be serious about protecting our borders, we need to step up the fight against migrant smuggling, said Hungarian Justice Minister Bence Tuzson, whose country holds the EU presidency. Criminalising this offence in a uniform manner across the EU would play a key role in this area. About 380,000 unauthorised crossings were detected at the EU's external borders last year. The police agency Europol estimates that more than 90 per cent of those migrants who reach Europe's shores use the services of smugglers. The law would oblige all countries to ensure that it would be a crime for anyone to intentionally help a migrant enter, cross or stay in the EU in exchange for financial or material benefit. Convicted smugglers should be jailed for up to three years, or over 10 years if someone dies. It sets fines for organisations or their representatives implicated in smuggling of up to 40 million euros (USD 42 million). The draft contains a humanitarian clause which would specify that certain assistance to irregular migrants, notably assistance to close family members or support to provide basic human needs, may not qualify as the criminal offence of migrant smuggling. However, member countries would not be legally bound to apply it. The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), which represents 160 organisations focused on migrants' rights, is concerned that the non-binding nature of the clause could mean more legal action against migrants and people who help them. Its senior advocacy officer, Marta Gionco, said that the draft law goes in the direction of more criminalisation, with more people expected to face trials, fines and prison sentences simply for helping other people. Some migrants are charged as smugglers for steering the boats they're picked up on. PICUM says that at least 117 people faced legal proceedings for helping migrants last year and at least another 102 people in 2022. Some were charged for rescuing or helping migrants in distress at sea, others for providing shelter, food, water or clothing. Italy has waged a legal campaign against NGOs that it accuses of attracting people to its shores by using ships to scour the Mediterranean in search of migrant boats in trouble. Italian authorities have seized and impounded charity boats dozens of times in recent years. The reasons for holding them, often for weeks and sometimes for months, range from aiding and abetting illegal migration to seemingly more minor charges like maritime security technical irregularities or the illegal management of waste. One ship was held for not ignoring migrant mayday calls while it was taking other migrants it had rescued to a safe harbour; another for carrying too many passengers after a rescue. An NGO spotter plane was grounded for spending too many hours at sea. (AP) GRS GRS Baghdad, Dec 13 (AP) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. He is meeting on Friday with Turkey's foreign minister after talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to try to bring Turkey into a consensus to prevent Syria from collapsing into wider turmoil. It's Blinken's 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza last year but first since the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. The fighting between Israel and Hamas has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel's offensive has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war in Gaza was sparked by an Oct 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in southern Israel in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. (AP) SCY SCY London, Dec 13 (PTI) A Conservative Party peer in the UK Parliament has been recommended for a three-week suspension and behaviour training after the House of Lords Conduct Committee noted that she had been offensive and insulting in referring to an Indian-origin colleague as Lord Poppadom. Baroness Catherine Meyer was accused of referencing Lord Navnit Dholakia, a Tanzania-born Liberal Democrat peer of Indian heritage, in a derogatory way during a visit to Rwanda as fellow members of a parliamentary committee earlier this year. A report published on Thursday on the conduct of Baroness Meyer upheld the complaint of harassment with a racial element in relation to her conduct towards the octogenarian Lord Dholakia, who is the deputy leader of the Lib Dems in the House of Lords. Due to the significance of Baroness Meyers breach of the Code of Conduct and the impact of her behaviour on the complainants, I consider a short suspension to be justified in the circumstances, reads the report. Accordingly, I recommend that Baroness Meyer be suspended from the House for three weeks. In determining the length of suspension, I considered incident 1, where Baroness Meyer twice referred to Lord Dholakia as Lord Poppadom, to be the more serious of the two breaches, given the racial element to it. The recommended suspension is because of this breach, it notes. I also consider that behaviour training would be beneficial for Baroness Meyer, to address the specific behaviour in this case. I therefore recommend that Baroness Meyer undertake bespoke behaviour training provided by an approved external provider, it adds. Two separate incidents gave rise to the case during a visit of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) to Rwanda in February 2024. The first incident occurred when during the visit Meyer mistakenly addressed Dholakia as Lord Popat, another Indian-origin member of the House of Lords. She is said to have immediately apologised and the matter seemed to be closed, but it was later reported to Dholakia by others on the tour that she had subsequently twice referred to him as Lord Poppadom during a taxi journey. Although he did not hear these remarks at the time, he heard the response of others who were in the taxi. Lord Dholakia is said to have felt shocked and very uncomfortable and stated in his complaint that he felt he could not continue as a member of the JCHR alongside Meyer and went on to submit his formal complaint to the Commissioners for Standards in April. I find that Baroness Meyer twice referring to Lord Dholakia as Lord Poppadom constituted harassment within the definition in the Code of Conduct, notes the conduct report. Another incident from the same visit involved Labour MP of Ghanaian descent Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who was asked by Meyer if she could touch her braided hair. Without waiting for a reply or for permission, the accused is said to have reached out and lifted one of Ribeiro-Addys braids. I find that Baroness Meyer touching Bell Ribeiro-Addys hair without consent constituted harassment within the definition in the Code of Conduct, the report notes. It records that Meyer has demonstrated remorse for her actions and a willingness to apologise. After her first interview, she followed up with a written note to sincerely apologise for any distress caused and said that she never intended to be disrespectful, unkind, or insensitive. However, the report goes on to record that Meyer twice using the phrase Lord Poppadom to refer to Lord Dholakia related to a protected characteristic of race and was therefore an aggravating factor. Damascus, Dec 13 (AP) Thousands of Syrians gathered Friday in Damascus' historic main mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since the downfall of former President Bashar Assad, while giant crowds celebrated in the capital's largest square. The gatherings were a major symbolic moment for the dramatic change of power in Syria, nearly a week after insurgents swept into Damascus, ousting the Assad-led state that had ruled the country for a half century with an iron grip. It came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region looking to shape the transition, calling for an inclusive and non-sectarian interim government. After talks in Jordan and Turkey - which backs some of the insurgent factions - Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop. So far, US officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has been working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital early Sunday. At the same time, they have tried to reassure a public that is both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned over extremist jihadis among the rebel ranks. The insurgents' leadership says it has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labelled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. The group's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution. I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people, he said. And then after we will work to build this country and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God. Syrians celebrate in the historic heart of Damascus Huge crowds, including some insurgent fighters, packed Damascus' historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital's old city for Friday prayers, many of them waving the rebel opposition flag - with its three red stars - which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. According to Arab TV stations, the Friday sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world's oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria had been tightly controlled under Assad's rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would often emerge from Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad - before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. I didn't step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011," because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. Since 11 or 12 years, I haven't been this happy. Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was fear and trepidation for what's to come - but there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build. Blocks away in Damascus' biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children - a sign of how, so far at least, the country's transformation has not seen violent instability. Unified Syria to build Syria, the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centres of Assad's security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine, was originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted. He said he hoped for freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze. No to racism. The former government was a government of crime and executions, he said, calling on foreign nations hosting these gangs to bring them to justice and those who are in Syria and committed crimes should face justice. The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition's enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels had been bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. They finally seized Damascus early Sunday, as Assad's military and security forces melted away. Among the crowd in Umayyad Square, Wardan Aoun - who identified himself as a fighter from Idlib - praised the new administration. There is a good government now... We lived in Idlib under this government and there is no corruption there. US and its allies try to shape a rapidly changing Syria Al-Sharaa, HTS' leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians - especially its many minority communities - that the insurgents will bring a hardline, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in Syria, a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS - and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria's Kurds. The US has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and backs Kurdish-backed fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad's fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands, and has seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Blinken said there was broad agreement between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women and does not pose any kind of threat to any of Syria's neighbours, Blinken said. Fidan said the priority was establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren't dominant - referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Turkey considers the PKK a terrorist group - as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the United States. In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group - also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh - doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge. Having put Daesh back in its box, we can't let it out, and we're determined to make sure that that doesn't happen," Blinken said. (AP) SCY SCY Beirut, Dec 13 (AP) After insurgents toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad this month, many senior officials and members of his dreaded intelligence and security services appear to have melted away. Activists say some of them have managed to flee the country while others went to hide in their hometowns. For more than five decades, the Assad family has ruled Syria with an iron grip, locking up those who dared question their power in the country's notorious prisons, where rights groups say inmates were regularly tortured or killed. The leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham insurgent group which led anti-government fighters who forced Assad from power has vowed to bring those who carried out such abuses to justice. We will go after them in our country, said HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani. He added that the group will also ask foreign countries to hand over any suspects. But finding those responsible for abuses could prove difficult. Some 8,000 Syrian citizens have entered Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing in recent days, according to two Lebanese security officials and a judicial official, and about 5,000 have left the neighbouring country through Beirut's international airport. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release the information. Most of those are presumed to be regular people, and Lebanon's Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said earlier this week that no Syrian official entered Lebanon through a legal border crossing. In an apparent effort to prevent members of Assad's government from escaping, the security officials said a Lebanese officer who was in charge of Masnaa was ordered to go on vacation because of his links to Assad's brother. But Rami Abdurrhaman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says several senior officers have nonetheless made it to neighboring Lebanon using travel documents with fake names. Here's a look at Assad and some of the officials in his inner circle. Bashar Assad: The Western-educated ophthalmologist initially raised hopes that he would be unlike his strongman father, Hafez, when he took power in 2000, including freeing political prisoners and allowing for a more open discourse. But when protests of his rule erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to brutal tactics to crush dissent. As the uprising became an outright civil war, he unleashed his military to blast opposition-held cities, with support from allies Iran and Russia. He has fled to Moscow, according to Russian state media. Maher Assad: The younger brother of the ousted president was the commander of the 4th Armoured Division, which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centres. He is under US and European sanctions. He disappeared over the weekend, and Abdurrhaman said he made it to Russia. Last year, French authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Maher Assad, along with his brother and two army generals, for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, including in a 2013 chemical attack on rebel-held Damascus suburbs. Maj Gen Ali Mamlouk: Mamlouk was a security adviser to Assad and former head of the intelligence services. He is wanted in Lebanon for two explosions in the northern city of Tripoli in 2012 that killed and wounded dozens. Mamlouk is also wanted in France after a court convicted him and others in absentia of complicity in war crimes and sentenced them to life in prison. The trial focused on the officials' role in the 2013 arrest in Damascus of a Franco-Syrian man and his son and their subsequent torture and killing. Abdurrahman said Mamlouk fled to Lebanon, and it is not clear if he is still in the country under the protection of Hezbollah. Brig Gen Suheil al-Hassan: Al-Hassan was the commander of the 25th Special Missions Forces Division and later became the head of the Syrian Special Forces, which were key to many of the government's battlefield victories in the long-running civil war, including in Aleppo and the eastern suburbs of Damascus that long held off Assad's troops. Al-Hassan is known to have close ties to Russia and was praised by Russian President Vladimir Putin during one of his visits to Syria. Al-Hassan's whereabouts are not known. Maj Gen Hussam Luka: Luka, head of the General Security Directorate intelligence service, is not well known among the wider public but has played a major role in the crackdown against the opposition, mainly in the central city of Homs that was dubbed the capital of the Syrian revolt. Luka has been sanctioned by the US and Britain for his role in the crackdown. It's not clear where he is. Maj Gen Qahtan Khalil: Khalil, whose whereabouts are also unknown, was head of the Air Force Intelligence service and is widely known as the Butcher of Daraya for allegedly leading a 2012 attack on a Damascus suburb of the same name that killed hundreds of people. Other officials: -- Retired Maj Gen Jamil Hassan, former head of the Air Force Intelligence service, is also suspected of bearing responsibility for the attack in Daraya. Hassan was among those convicted in France this year along with Mamlouk. -- Defence Minister Lt Gen Ali Abbas and Maj Gen. Bassam Merhej al-Hassan, head of Bashar Assad's office and the man in charge of his security, are accused of human rights violations. (AP) SCY SCY Bhopal, Dec 13 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday inaugurated the Ratapani Tiger Reserve in Raisen district, which will be named after renowned archaeologist Dr Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar. Yadav expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for granting permission for the reserve, which will further enhance forest and wildlife in the state. "Among all state capitals in the country, Bhopal is the only one with Ratapani Tiger Reserve in its backyard. The reserve will be named after noted archaeologist Vishnu Wakankar, who is credited with the discovery of Bhimbetka rock caves, a world heritage site," the chief minister said after inaugurating the eighth tiger reserve of the state. Bhimbetka is situated in the Ratapani reserve forest area. The chief minister inaugurated the reserve from the Jhiri gate in the presence of Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda. Yadav said the ninth tiger reserve will soon be notified. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved nine tiger reserves in the state, but the state government has yet to notify Madhav Tiger Reserve, an official said. Yadav said that the Ratapani reserve will increase employment opportunities for locals. A motorbike rally was organised to highlight the importance of this achievement. He said the reserve has created great potential for tourism activities in Bhopal. Hotels, lodges and other tourism facilities will provide employment, skills and entrepreneurial opportunities. The state government is also ready to extend all possible cooperation in this direction, he said. Yadav said the Ratapani Tiger Reserve should be developed as the best reserve, and Madhya Pradesh already boasts of having the coveted status of a tiger state. A senior forest official said Ratapani has always been home to tigers, and the sanctuary has now been upgraded to a reserve. There was a steady increase in the number of tigers in the Ratapani Sanctuary, making the area an important habitat for tigers. Ratapani was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1976. It is home to tigers and many other wild animals. This is where people will be able to see the diversity of nature up close, the official said. The total area of Ratapani Sanctuary in Raisen and Sehore district is about 1,272 sq km. Of this, 763 sq km is the core area, where tigers can roam freely without any human intervention, the official said. The remaining 507 sq km are buffer zones, which will be used for local communities with some restrictions. As per the report "Status of Tigers: Co-predators & Prey in India-2022", released by the NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India, Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of 785 tigers in the country, followed by Karnataka (563) and Uttarakhand (560). Kanha, Satpura, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Sanjay Dubri, Panna and Veerangana Durgavati are other tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh. Ranchi, Dec 13 (PTI) People belonging to the Birhor tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group in Jharkhand, have joined a movement against child marriage in Giridih for the first time, according to an organisation working in the field of protection of children's rights. Birhor people are forest-dependent, belong to a semi-nomadic tribal community and are economically and socially much behind others. Children's rights protection body Just Rights for Children Alliance (JRC) said, "Something different happened in Jharkhands Giridih district. For the first time, hundreds of people from the Birhor community joined a movement for a social cause. In the dimming light of dusk, people from the community came out of their dwellings to gather against child marriage, a rampant practice among the community." This was the first time that community members were made aware of the consequences and legalities of child marriage and how to prevent the same, the organisation claimed. Standing under the glow of burning candles, youth, children, women, and elders took a collective pledge to work towards ending child marriage, it said. The candlelight marches were also being organised by Banvasi Vikas Ashram in support of 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat', a campaign against child marriage, launched by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, a statement of the organisation said. Banvasi Vikas Ashram is among 250 partner NGOs of Just Rights for Children (JRC) alliance. The ill effects of child marriage on childrens health, education, and overall well-being were discussed to make the Birhor tribe aware of the social evil. Everyone pledged not to marry off their children before the legal age, and to report child marriage cases, the statement said. Active in 416 districts across the country, the civil society organisation claims to have stopped more than 7,000 child marriages in Jharkhand between April and December 2024. Events were being held in blocks, villages and schools in support of the government campaign in all 24 districts of Jharkhand. However, Jamtara, Deoghar, Godda, Giridih, Koderma and Dumka are among the districts where reports of child marriage are on the higher side, it added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. On December 13, the Rector of the National Defense University, Major General Gunduz Abdulov met with a delegation led by the Commandant of the NATO Defense College (NDC), Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, Trend reports, citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. NATO Defense Colleges delegation was briefed on the National Defense Universitys establishment history, education system and main activity areas. The delegation was informed in detail about the positive results of successful reforms carried out in the Azerbaijani Army in the military educational field. At the meeting, a broad exchange of views on issues of mutual interest in the field of military education was held. The importance of further expansion of the work done in this area and the implementation of joint projects was highlighted. New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) The Congress has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to expunge what it said were "defamatory" remarks made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey during the Zero Hour on Thursday. In his letter to Birla, Congress whip Manickam Tagore said the content of almost the entire matter raised by Dubey during the Zero Hour was unacceptable and also in gross violation of the provisions of Rule 352 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. He cites Dubey's comments in the letter and said that "as is well evident, the aforementioned remarks by Nishikant Dubey are derogatory and imputing false and damaging motives and casting aspersions on the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party and Member of Rajya Sabha Sonia Gandhi". "So much so that aspersions have also been cast on Late Rajiv Gandhi, Former Prime Minister of India. In the context of derogatory references," he said. "In view of the foregoing, the remarks of Nishikant Dubey, as mentioned above, are defamatory, undignified and in violation of the provisions of Rule 352 of the Rules," Tagore said in his letter to Birla dated December 12. It is, therefore, requested that the said remarks be immediately expunged from the proceedings of Lok Sabha Debates dated December 12, 2024, the Congress leader said. Dubey had raised the issue of alleged connections between Congress leaders and George Soros-backed outfits that were purportedly working on an agenda to destabilise India. New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to arrange special trains from cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram so that Keralites working and living outside the state can return home for the holidays. In his letter to Vaishnaw, Tharoor said the festive season witnesses a significant increase in travel as people return home to celebrate with their families. He stressed the need for special train services from major cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram during the upcoming holidays, Christmas and New Year. "Regular train-services often face excessive demand, leading to overbooked trains and inconvenience for passengers. Many travellers, including students, professionals and families, are unable to secure tickets due to this surge," the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said. "To address this issue and provide relief to travellers, I humbly request the Ministry of Railways to arrange special trains between these cities and Thiruvananthapuram during this period," Tharoor said. These additional services will not only alleviate passenger traffic but also ensure safe and comfortable travel for all, he added. "Your prompt consideration of this request will greatly benefit numerous citizens and make their festive season more joyous," Tharoor said. New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday lauded the success of Indian nationals globally, but asked why India still remains a 'developing' country despite the achievements of its citizens internationally. Addressing the 25th foundation day celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University here, she said that students from this university are making a name for themselves in the country and globally. The university offers 190 academic programs across 40 disciplines, and currently, over 90,000 students are enrolled here. It is not only Delhi's largest university but might also be one of the largest in the country," she said. Atishi lauded that achievements of Indian-origin professionals globally, noting that many leading tech companies have Indian CEOs. She cited the example of Chanel, world's number one perfume company, and said its CEO is of Indian origin. Similarly, in major hospitals in Canada, England, and elsewhere, most departmental heads are Indians. Indians are not just excelling globally, but also leading in fields like medicine, technology, art, and music, she said. "Seeing Indians achieve so much worldwide evokes two sets emotions in me. First, I feel immense pride. Second, I wonder, if our people can achieve such great success, why is our country still classified as developing and not developed," Atishi added. The chief minister shared that when she was in school social science books predicted that India would become a developed nation by 2020, however in 2024 the country is still a developing nation. She attributed the country's "developing" status to the lack of prioritisation of education in the past. The countries that gained independence along with India in 1947, are now developed because they prioritised education, she shared. Atishi emphasised the transformation in government schools under the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) tenure since 2015. Government schools in the city were in a dismal state, with toilets emitting a foul smell, desks and tables missing, and windows broken. Teachers were often assigned election or polio duties, preventing them from focusing on their students, she said. "After ten years of education revolution under Delhi Government the governments schools have witnessed great transformation and have similar facilities as private schools," she added. Atishi said that students from these schools are performing exceptionally well in Class 10 and 12 exams and are now securing admission to IP University with outstanding performance. This educational revolution is not limited to schools but is also evident in higher education, and IP University is a shining example of it, she said. The Chief minister shared that in 2014, before AAP's education revolution only 83,600 students were enrolled in technical and higher education institutions under the Delhi government. After 10 years of effort, 1,55,000 students are studying in these universities, she added. "Now, along with traditional degrees like BA and B.Com, students are pursuing advanced courses in fields like Robotics and Artificial Intelligence," she said. New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday expressed displeasure over misrepresentation of its last hearing in certain media reports pertaining to the hearing of a PIL against the practice of charging an additional fee for "VIP darshan" in temples across the country. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar last heard the plea filed by one Vijay Kishor Goswami on the issue on October 25 and made certain observations. Last time whatever happened in the court was completely misrepresented in the mediacompletely misrepresented, the CJI said. CJI Khanna further said, Look sometimes, in the course of hearing, we put some questions, you on a tangent saying I am not asking for this or that. The bench said stray questions raised during hearings should not be misconstrued or exaggerated by the media. The lawyer for the PIL petitioner said he was not aware. It is all over the countryObviously you (PIL petitioner) went to the media. There is no question of them finding out what is happening in the court. Some stray observation of the CJI and you blew (it) out of proportion, said Justice Kumar. There are journalists who track hearings, the lawyer said. It has now posted the plea in the week commencing January 27, 2025. The plea said the practice violated the principles of equality enshrined in Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, as it discriminated against devotees unable to afford the fee. The petition also raised several concerns about the additional fee charged for an expedited access to temple deities. The plea said charging fee ranging between Rs 400 and Rs 500 for the special darshan privileges created a divide between the affluent devotees and those who were unable to afford such charges, particularly disadvantaged women, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens. It highlighted despite representations made to the home ministry, only a directive was issued to Andhra Pradesh, while other states like Uttarakhand, UP, and Madhya Pradesh remained unaddressed. The plea therefore sought a direction to declare the levying of the additional fee violative of the constitutional rights of equality and religious freedom. It sought directions to ensure equal treatment for all devotees in temple premises and framing of standard operating procedures by the Centre to ensure equitable access to temples. The plea further sought setting up of a national board to oversee the management and administration of temples nationwide. New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) A Delhi court on Friday sent AAP's Uttam Nagar MLA Naresh Balyan to judicial custody till January 9 in a case related to alleged organised crimes while denying police his further remand and said that he could not be "compelled" to cooperate in the probe. Dismissing Delhi Police's application seeking Balyan's further custody for 10 days in the case lodged under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Special Judge Kaveri Baweja said the ground stated by the probe agency did not justify any further extension. The judge noted that police sought the extension of Balyan's police custody remand stating that he did not cooperate during his custodial remand granted earlier and did not reply to queries during interrogation. One of the grounds stated by the investigating officer (IO) for seeking police custody remand is that the accused is not disclosing the names of other members of the organised crime syndicate. "Undoubtedly, the accused cannot be compelled to cooperate in an investigation or to provide any information that could be used against them," the judge said. She further said that the extension of police custody remand could not be granted for confronting the accused with other members of the syndicate who are admittedly still absconding. "There can be no certainty as to when and if at all they would be arrested and therefore, it cannot be a ground to seek extension of police custody of the accused that he has to be confronted with persons who are absconding," she said. The judge passed the order after Balyan was produced before the court on the expiry of his seven-day police custody in the case. Special Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh, representing Delhi Police, sought further police custody of Balyan, saying he was required to be quizzed to unearth the larger conspiracy in the case. Balyan was arrested in the organised crime case on December 4. A court earlier granted him bail in an extortion case. Chennai, Dec 13 (PTI) Rain continued to batter several districts across Tamil Nadu on Friday and the Thamirabarani river was in spate due to continuous downpours in the southern districts. The Thoothukudi district administration has issued a flood warning in the Srivaikuntam and Eral areas owing to the heavy inflows into the Thamirabarani river. People in low lying areas have been advised to shift to safe places. In Chennai, the Public Works Department (PWD) has issued the first flood warning for the areas near the Redhills and Chembarambakkam reservoirs, among the chief sources of drinking water for the city, following the dangerous increase in water levels due to incessant rain in the catchment areas. The quantum of surplus water being discharged from the Poondi dam in the city suburb has been increased to 12,000 cusecs this morning from 5,000 cusecs on Thursday evening. Due to a heavy downpour upstream of Thamirabarani, a flood warning was issued to all villages and towns situated on the banks of the river, the administration said. The revenue officials have been instructed to evacuate the people from all vulnerable places in Srivaikundam and Eral. Police and Fire and rescue services personnel have asked people to shift to safer areas. In Maduranthakam in neighbouring Chengalpattu district, a private bus that got stranded in rainwater had to be towed to safety by the police and public. None of the passengers in the bus or its crew were injured. While a house collapsed in Suthamalli in Tirunelveli district and a Primary Health Centre in Vadakarai in Tenkasi district was inundated following overnight rain, rainwater entered the Sankaranarayana temple in Sankarankoil. Inspite of the rain, the administration of the renowned Sri Arunachaleswar temple in Thiruvannamalai began the preparation for lighting the Maha Deepam atop the hill this evening, marking the conclusion of the grand ten-day festival at the shrine. The IMD has forecast heavy rain in 14 districts due to a well-marked low pressure area over the Southwest Bay of Bengal off Sri Lanka coast, which lay over the Gulf of Mannar and neighbourhood. The system is very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards towards South Tamil Nadu and weaken gradually into a low pressure area during the next 12 hours, the IMD said. Chandigarh, Dec 13 (PTI) Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have busted a terror module backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and run by operatives of proscribed outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). "In a major breakthrough, @PunjabPoliceInd has disrupted, #Pakistan - #ISI backed terror-module run by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harvinder Rinda and Harpreet Singh @ Happy Passia and executed by foreign-based Gangster Gurdev Singh @ Jaisel @ Pehalwan, native of village Chambal in #TarnTaran," Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said in a post on X. Acting on intelligence inputs, Jashandeep Singh of Amritsar and a juvenile were nabbed, he said. "During interrogation, they revealed that they placed #IED at Police Station Ajnala on 23.11.2024 and carried out other attacks," he added. Two hand grenades, a pistol, ammunition and a motorcycle have been seized from the apprehended accused, Yadav said. An FIR has been registered in the matter at the State Special Operation Cell in Amritsar, according to police. "Investigations are underway to unearth the complete network of Rinda, Happy Passia and Gurdev Jaisal," the DGP said. One of those arrested has been identified as Jashandeep Singh alias Danny, a resident of Jandiala Guru in Amritsar. The other accused is aged 17, a police statement said. Police teams also recovered two Chinese-made P86 hand grenades and one sophisticated Turkey-made 9MM Zigana pistol along with ammunition from their possession. The motorcycle the two accused were riding was also impounded, it said. The development comes weeks after an IED planted close to the Ajnala police station was recovered on November 23. The BKI had claimed responsibility for this "act of terror", police said. Preliminary investigation has revealed that Jashandeep and the other arrested accused were in touch with gangster Gurdev Jaisal, who lured them to work for him in exchange for money and drugs. Besides planning terror activities, Jaisal used them for drug peddling, DGP Yadav said. Both the arrested accused have confessed to their involvement in planting the IED near Ajnala police station based on the directions of their handlers and also revealed that they received various consignments of weapons and explosives, the officer said. Yadav said further investigations are being conducted to unearth the entire network of Jaisal, Harvinder Singh Rinda and Happy Passia. Efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of this group to bring the case to a logical end, he said. Additional IG, State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar, Sukhminder Singh Mann said they received secret information that Rinda, Passia and Jaisal have mobilised their associates to carry out anti-national activities in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala areas and have also arranged huge consignments of weapons and explosives for the execution of these plans to target government establishments. Acting swiftly on the information, teams of SSOC Amritsar launched an intel-based operation and arrested Jashandeep and his juvenile accomplice from Amritsar after recovering arms and explosives from their possession, he said. Jashandeep was arrested by Batala police in May for his involvement in extortion. After getting bail in the case, he again got involved in criminal activities, Mann said. Similarly, the juvenile was also arrested by Amritsar city police in August for stealing a scooter, but was released after a few days due to his age, the additional IG said. Two Swedish brothers in their 20s, converts to Islam, were arrested by Stockholms SAPO security agency in March on charges of planning attacks on shuls and other Jewish sites on behalf of the Islamic State (ISIS). The suspects, identified as residents of Tyreso, a suburb southeast of Stockholm, allegedly pledged allegiance to ISISs Somali branch. Local media reported that they acquired a weapon at a basement mosque near their home. The older brother, 25, was allegedly tasked with recruiting terrorists to carry out mass killings of infidels. In February, he reportedly attempted to travel to Somalia to join ISIS but was stopped in Turkey and sent back after raising suspicions with his one-way ticket. The younger brother, 23, who worked as a substitute teacher despite evidence of radicalization following his 2023 conversion to Islam, is accused of assisting in recruitment efforts and furthering the groups aims. Wiretaps revealed plans to target Jewish places of worship and community centers, with the older brother dismissing the potential deaths of children as collateral damage, according to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. The case is connected to a broader probe into terror activities in Sweden. In June, an unexploded bomb was found outside the Gothenburg offices of Elbit Systems Sweden, a subsidiary of Israels largest defense contractor. The following day, two individuals carrying explosives were arrested at the site. Later, in October, a gunman opened fire at the Elbit office, and separate explosions occurred near Israels embassy in Denmark. Swedish authorities have suggested potential links to Iranian operatives, with SAPO alleging that Tehran has recruited Swedish criminal gangs to carry out attacks on Israeli targets. Israels Mossad intelligence agency has also implicated Iran in orchestrating terrorist acts targeting Israeli missions across Europe, including in Sweden. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The family of Rabbi Paysach Krohn has expressed its thanks for the overwhelming support and tefillos following his stroke this past Friday night. In a statement, the Krohn family thanked everyone for their tefillos and the kabalos they have undertaken in Rabbi Krohns zechus. We are grateful to the many individuals who have gone above and beyond to help, the family said. Rabbi Krohn, a renowned author, speaker and mohel, has been discharged from Stamford Medical Center and is now continuing his recovery at a rehabilitation center. While his journey to full health remains ongoing, his family says they are very optimistic that the tefillos will lead to a refuah sheleima. Please continue davening for Paysach Yosef Ben Hinda. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Classified documents revealed by Sky News Arabia on Wednesday indicate that Israel maintained a direct communication channel with ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad and his army through an Israeli agent nicknamed Musa or Moses. The report is based on documents discovered after the fall of the Assad regime and published on social media. The documents authenticity has not been verified but the documents bear the Assad military emblem and appear to have been written by top military officers. According to the documents, Musa transmitted messages from political figures in Israel directly to former Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas and from him to Assads former national security advisor Ali Mamlouk. The documents, signed by the Syrian intelligence chief, explicitly state that they are messages from the Israeli agent Musa to the Syrian Defense Minister. The messages warn Assad against allowing his territory to be used by foreign actors hostile to Israel and explain why Israel carried out certain attacks on Syrian territory. For example, on April 8, 2023, Musa berated Abbas for allowing Hamas to fire rockets from Ramat Hagolan. Three rockets were launched from the Golan under Khaled Mashals command, he wrote. We demand you stop these incidents or consequences will follow. You are responsible for what happens in your territory. Our last step was a warning shot. If you dont curb these actions, the next attack will be far more severe. Youll pay an unprecedented price. On May 7, 2023, Israel struck Hezbollah-affiliated weapons depots. Musa warned Assad: We wont allow the presence of Haj Hashim or his soldiers in southern Syria, a reference to Musa Ali Daqduq, also known as Abu Hussein Sajid, who was reportedly killed in an Israeli strike. On May 17, 2023, eight aircraft landed at Khmeimim Air Base four Iranian and four Syrian planes to deliver weapons to Hezbollah depots in Latakia and Qutayfah. The Russian mechanism allows you to operate without risking an Israeli response, Musa wrote. However, supporting Iran and Hezbollah will compel us to act with severity. Any unmonitored activity bypassing Russian oversight will be seen as a direct threat to Israel and prompt a response. On July 14, 2023, Musa wrote: Supporting Hezbollahs air defense capabilities is an act against Israel. It serves Hezbollahs interests alone and harms your army. In another document, Musa warns Assad against receiving Iranian aid for his country after the earthquake that struck Turkey and northern Syria in February 2023 due to Israeli intelligence information that Iran was exploiting the civilian aid shipments for arms deliveries to Hezbollah. Musa added that the Iranian weapons shipments disguised as humanitarian aid following the earthquake was the reason Israel attacked the al-Nayrab military airport near Aleppo. Two months after Iran attacked Israel on Motzei Shabbos, April 14, 2023, Musa informed Syria that Israel was aware that Assad allowed Iran to launch drones and missiles from Syrian territory, and that was the reason for the strikes on the command posts of the 4th Division in Damascus a month and a half later. As early as 2022, Musa transmitted messages to Syria indicating that Israel attacked a convoy of trucks on the Syrian-Iraqi border due to Israeli intelligence information that the trucks were transporting Iranian arms intended for Hezbollah. Musa warned Assad against granting Iran freedom of action in Syrian territory: The choice is yours, he wrote. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. The Imperial Springs International Forum has taken place in Madrid with the official co-partnership of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), a source in the center told Trend. The event gathered over 100 political leaders and international experts from over 40 countries, including former heads of state and government, as well as representatives of international organizations, who participated. The opening ceremony featured a speech by the President of China, Xi Jinping. "The world more than ever needs a commitment to the fundamental values and core principles of multilateralism," he said in the speech. The forum held sessions on topics such as "Expanding global cooperation: shaping a common future for humanity," "Financing development for the full realization of the Sustainable Development Goals," "Global strategic stability," and "The Pact for the Future and COP29". The NGIC was represented by co-chair Ismail Serageldin, former Latvian president Valdis Zatlers, former Bulgarian presidents Petar Stoyanov and Rosen Plevneliev, former Serbian president Boris Tadic, former Bosnian and Herzegovinian president Mladen Ivanic, former Croatian president Ivo Josipovic, former Montenegrin president Filip Vujanovic, permanent representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN and former prime minister Zlatko Lagumdzija, former Moldovan prime minister Kirill Gaburich, former Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme, former deputy prime minister of Georgia Eka Tkeshelashvili, the 77th President of the UN General Assembly Chaba Korosi, the 73rd President of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa, and UNESCO Honorary Ambassador Hedva Ser. To note, the Imperial Springs Forum has been functioning as a high-level platform promoting mutual understanding and cooperation on global issues since 2014. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The U.S. House of Representatives passed an $895 billion annual defense bill on Wednesday, allocating hundreds of millions of dollars for U.S.-Israel defense collaboration while also addressing broader national defense priorities. The legislation, officially titled the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, includes $500 million for U.S.-Israel missile-defense cooperation, $47.5 million for joint efforts in emerging technologies, and $80 million for anti-tunneling initiatives. One notable provision prohibits the U.S. Department of Defense from referencing casualty figures provided by the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is controlled by Hamas. The act specifies that such figures should not be cited in public communications or used to assess casualties during hostilities. The move comes after Pentagon officials, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, faced criticism for citing Gaza casualty statistics during congressional testimony earlier this year. Investigations, including one by the Associated Press in June, revealed discrepancies in Hamass casualty claims, leading to a reassessment of figures by the United Nations. Beyond Israel-related funding, the 1,813-page bill includes a 1% increase in overall U.S. defense spending compared to fiscal year 2024 and provides a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops. The bill also includes a provision barring Tricare, the military health-care program, from covering medical procedures related to gender dysphoria in children. The defense bill passed with bipartisan support in a 281-140 vote. Among Democrats, 81 members backed the legislation, while 16 Republicans voted against it. Key Democratic leaders, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, supported the bill, while others, such as Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, opposed it. The Republican opposition featured several of the partys most conservative members, including Reps. Andy Biggs and Bob Good. With House approval secured, the legislation now heads to the Senate, where it will undergo further deliberation. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Rebel groups in Syria discovered a network of huge underground tunnels under the Qalamun Mountains that cross the border from Syria to Lebanon. The massive tunnel network was funded by Iran to the tune of millions of dollars and used for years to transfer munitions and weapons to its proxy Hezbollah. In a video uploaded on social media, Syrians ride motorcycles inside the tunnels, commenting on the batteries for surface-to-surface missiles stored inside the tunnel. A similar tunnel system on a smaller scale was discovered under the palace of ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad and the home of his brother, Maher Assad, the ex-head of the Syrian Army. It is not yet clear whether the IDF was aware of the existence of the massive tunnel network. The Islamic Republic has spent billions of dollars to entrench itself in Syria, which shares a border with Lebanon, as part of its plan to arm its proxy Hezbollah to serve as the military front to destroy the Jewish state. Iran, in close cooperation with Hezbollah, established secret routes in Syrian territory through which thousands of trucks carrying thousands of missiles and other weapon components were transported to Lebanon. Senior Syrian officials aided the arms transfer efforts through two essential methods: storing weapons before their transfer to Lebanon in Syrian Army warehouses, and turning a blind eye at internal checkpoints managed by Syrian military intelligence officials. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) At the conclusion of a security assessment on Thursday, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz instructed senior IDF officials to bolster efforts to protect yishuvim and roads in Yehudah and Shomron against the possibility of terror attacks by Islamic extremist terrorist elements inspired by the rebel groups in Syria. Katz stated: Israel is determined to defend its borders and yishuvim in the south, north, and east against any threat we will not allow a return to the reality that existed before October 7. Terrorism in Yehudah and Shomron has increased since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. An Arab from the Palestinian Authority committed Wednesday nights terror attack that killed Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simcha, Hyd and wounded several others. Following the attack, the head of the Beit El Local Council, Shai Alon, said: We wake up to a terrible morning that reminds us all that the war is not over there is a main front that threatens Israelis and it in Yehudah and Shomron. After the Iranian failures in Lebanon and Gaza, the focus of efforts to harm Israel is in Yehudah and Shomron. The ceasefire in Lebanon allows the IDF to bring more forces to reinforce Yehudah and Shomron and act more forcefully against the terror nests in the area. We must transition to a war footing! To surround the Palestinian cities and conduct a thorough cleaning of weapons and terrorists. This time the attack was at the tunnels checkpoint, and next time, chalilah, it could be in the center of Tel Aviv. Get your heads out of the conceptzia before more blood is shed! (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) The rapid fall of the Assad regime in Syria led Israel, concerned that Syrian extremist groups could take advantage of the vacuum to attack Israel, to open another front in its war against its Arab neighbors, taking control of Syrias buffer zone, including the Syrian side of Har Chermon. There lies the Chermons highest peak, a vital strategic asset as it is the highest point on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. According to experts quoted in an article in The Media Line, Israel captured the peak in order to monitor the situation on the Israeli-Syrian border following the fall of the Assad regime. Syria is now ruled by several rebel groups, most of them adhering to extreme Islamic ideology posing new security threats to the Jewish state. The territory guarantees strategic control over the whole southern Syrian arena, which generates an immediate threat to Israel, said Kobi Michael, a researcher at INSS and the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy. There is no higher vantage point than the Syrian part of the Golan. Israel is not looking to apply sovereignty to the buffer zone, but rather to militarily control the area in order to prevent danger under conditions of instability. Referring to the IDFs airstrikes throughout Syria in the past days, during which Israel destroyed 85% of the Syrian militarys assets, Michael said: This is an unprecedented event in which the Israeli army has the ability to completely destroy an enemy army without a war. This opportunity is being used wisely by Israel in order to ensure a better reality. For decades, the Israeli security establishment considered the border with Syria its quietest and closely associated to the Assad regime, said Dr. Joel Parker, a researcher from the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University. Assad is the devil Israel knows, but at the same time, with the de-facto commitment to non-aggression with Syria, Israel watched it build up military abilities, including the development of chemical weapons, to levels that were far beyond when the armistice line was created. Although the head of the rebel groups, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has professed to be interested in maintaining positive ties with Syrias neighbors, Israel is not taking his words at face value. What is known about al-Golani poses red flags for Israel, said Parker. He is the new kid on the block, associated with many jihadist operatives in the world, which has access to almost unlimited manpower. His charisma, his jihadi ideology, and his current control in Syria have Israel wanting to have access to chemical weapons, ballistic missiles, and even helicopters. There is no way to tell where this is going, said Michael. Israel could be facing a difficult reality that will force it to stay and broaden its hold on territory, perhaps even act more forcefully in order to pre-empt danger. The collapse of the Assad regime is one of the most significant shifts to occur in the Middle East in decades, the article concluded. While Israel and Syria were sworn enemies under both Bashar Assad and his father, there was stability in the relationship, which has now been rattled. While this has removed Iranian presence from Israels border, it could be replaced by extreme Islam, which is also not favorable to the Jewish state. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Israeli security officials assess that in light of the Air Forces amazing achievements in the past week, during which IAF fighter jets destroyed 85% of Syrias air defense systems, opening the skies for IAF pilots to fly over Damascus for the first time in over 50 years, the time is ripe to attack Irans nuclear sites. Our UAVs can now fly as far as eastern Syria and our fighter pilots circle Damascus freely. This is unprecedented, a military official said, as quoted by Ynet. The official added that the withdrawal of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials and indications of Russian troop pullbacks, including S-300 batteries, add to the IDFs renewed confidence. Israels defense establishment wants to use this new operational opportunity to target Irans nuclear facilities. The IDFs focus is now on Iran, Kan News reported. The IDF is updating its plans to target Irans nuclear facilities, motivated by concerns that the collapse of the Shiite axis and the weakening of Hezbollahs weakening might drive Tehran to make a desperate move toward reaching military nuclear capabilities. Other factors at play include the upcoming inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, signaling potential shifts by 2025; the IDFs significant blow to Irans air defense capabilities in a major strike six weeks ago, and the loss of Hezbollah, Irans primary regional deterrent against an attack on its nuclear sites. Kan also reported that the IDF estimates that the Houthis in Yemen are trying to take the lead in what remains of Irans Axis of Resistance in the region. In the last 24 hours, the Houthis launched four explosive drones at Israel. Two were intercepted by the IDF and two fell in open areas. The IDF has noted the increasing Houthi attacks against Israel on behalf of Iran. They are trying to cause significant damage to Israeli assets, such as the ports of Ashdod and Haifa, the Israel Electric Corporations power stations, and Israels off-shore gas rigs. According to the report, Israel is considering an attack on Yemen in retaliation for the increasing drone and ballistic missile attacks. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) In recent days, hundreds of Israeli Air Force fighter jets and aircraft delivered extensive damage to Syrias most critical military capabilities, including fighter jets, helicopters, Scud missiles, UAVs, cruise missiles, surface-to-air systems, and precision-guided rockets. According to IDF reports, over 90% of Syrias identified surface-to-air missile systems were destroyed. This marks a significant blow to one of the Middle Easts strongest aerial defense networks, highlighting Israels regional air superiority. Key Syrian Air Force bases were also neutralized, including the T4 Airport near northern Damascus, where SU-22 and SU-24 squadrons were obliterated. Another major target was the Ble Airport, home to three fighter squadrons. A surface-to-surface missile storage site near the Ble base was also destroyed. Central to the strikes was a facility in the Homs area, identified as a hub for Syrias Scud missile project and part of the countrys critical manufacturing infrastructure, known as CERS. The IDF characterized these operations as a preemptive measure to prevent Syrias advanced weaponry from being used against Israel or its allies, underscoring their commitment to regional stability and security. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) President-elect Donald Trump is exploring options to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear program, including potential military airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Sources within Trumps transition team have indicated that discussions regarding military options have gained momentum. The talks are influenced by Irans weakened regional standing due to the ongoing conflict in Syria, the fall of Tehrans ally President Bashar al-Assad, and Israels actions against Hezbollah and Hamas, two Iranian-backed proxy militias. Recent reports about Irans expanding nuclear activities have further accelerated these deliberations. Trump has expressed concern about a potential Iranian nuclear breakout during his presidency. In conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump has reportedly sought ideas to prevent such an outcome while avoiding a direct military conflict that could escalate into a broader war. According to experts, Iran possesses enough highly enriched uranium to potentially create four nuclear weapons. With its stockpile of 60% near-weapons-grade fissile material, Iran could produce weapons-grade nuclear fuel within days, though it might take several months to field an operational weapon. In reaponse, Trumps transition team is developing a maximum pressure 2.0 strategy, combining economic sanctions with potential military measures. One proposed approach involves deploying additional U.S. forces and advanced weaponry to the Middle East and bolstering Israels military capabilities with bunker-busting bombs to target Iranian nuclear sites. Another strategy involves leveraging the threat of military action to compel Tehran into diplomatic negotiations. This approach mirrors Trumps earlier dealings with North Korea, although those efforts ultimately fell short of achieving lasting agreements. A decision to pursue military action would represent a huhe shift in U.S. policy. The Obama administration sought to curb Irans nuclear ambitions through the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump abandoned during his first term. The Biden administration attempted to revive the agreement, but negotiations stalled, leaving many of Trump-era sanctions in place. Israel has long considered striking Irans nuclear facilities but has held back, partly due to U.S. caution. In the past, American administrations discouraged unilateral Israeli action, urging diplomatic solutions instead. Trumps allies believe his return to office presents a rare chance to counter Irans nuclear program while the regime is politically and economically weakened. However, military action carries risks, including the potential for escalation and uncertainty over the success of targeting Irans deeply buried nuclear sites. While Trump has emphasized his desire to avoid a new Middle Eastern war, he acknowledged in a recent interview the possibility of conflict with Iran, partly in response to alleged assassination plots against him. For now, Trumps transition team continues to assess options, with decisions likely to depend on the input of incoming cabinet members, intelligence updates, and coordination with allies like Israel. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Record passenger numbers at Heathrow indicate that wanderlust has been rekindled, with multitudes expected to take to the skies during the Christmas break. The results are more evidence that we continue to prioritise holidays over other spending. For many, a getaway is not an indulgence, but an essential. Does this proof that the post-pandemic passion for travel is here to stay mean that you should consider a flutter on airline stocks? Yes, but it is important to sort companies that are thriving from those whose predicament illustrates why this sector can be 'a difficult investment destination', as Richard Hunter of broker Interactive Investor puts it. But Jack Barrat, portfolio manager at investment manager Man Group, contends that there are some 'rare opportunities' available. The airline industry is frequently a source of irritation, with flight delays and poor customer service. But the things that may most annoy you as a customer, like extra costs for bags, can be a useful source of income for airlines, boosting their key metric, the RASK (revenue per available seat kilometre). Flying high: IAG, or International Airlines Group, is the 14.2billion group that owns British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling Some in the sector are finding fresh ways to turn their planes into what have been called 'shops with wings'. Earlier this year WizzAir launched a 534 All You Can Fly Netflix-like subscription scheme. The 100,000 members enjoy unlimited flights for 8.90 each but they must pay for all luggage, except one small personal item. Although we can expect more innovation, investors should be aware that all airlines are vulnerable to severe turbulence from external factors outside their control. In 2010, they suffered after the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull, which caused thousands of flights to be cancelled. The pandemic also played extreme havoc with the industry. So which shares are ready for take-off and which will continue to be left behind? IAG IAG, or International Airlines Group, is the 14.2billion group that owns British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling. In June, when its share price stood at 167p, this column reported that several analysts considered the stock to be undervalued. This was a reasonable assessment since the price has subsequently climbed to 293.2p, although it remains 50 per cent down over five years, revealing the extent of the damage wrecked by the pandemic. However, third-quarter results indicated that IAG is continuing to leave this unhappy era behind. Operating profits rose by 15 per cent to 1.7billion, boosted by improved demand for seats on transatlantic routes, a share buyback scheme, the restoration of the dividend and some reduction in debts. Despite this year's rise, some analysts argue the shares are still headed upwards. The average target price is 342p. One analyst evidently believes that the sky is the limit, however, setting a target of 599p. EASYJET The shares in this 4.4billion airline have risen by 16 per cent to 586.6p since January, propelled by a 34 per cent rise in full-year pre-tax profits to 610m and the outlook for 2025 is positive. EasyJet has been helped by a successful foray into higher-margin package holidays, a venture pioneered by boss Johan Lundgren who last month stepped down. His successor, Kenton Jarvis, plans to attract '25 per cent more customers' on such vacations, which suit value-conscious families. Most analysts think that the only way for easyJet shares is up from here, rating the shares a 'buy'. JP Morgan analyst Harry Gower earlier this month set a target price of 750p. Jarrod Castle of UBS has opted for 800p. WIZZAIR Despite the popularity of its All You Can Fly loyalty programme, shares have fallen by 33 per cent since January and by 63 per cent since the onset of the pandemic. This is partly due to a string of crises at the London-listed Hungarian airline. These include problems with its Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engines that left about 40 planes temporarily grounded, leading to a 20 per cent drop in half-year profits. Boss and founder Jozsef Varadi has said the engine issue may not be fully solved until 2027. But analysts think that anyone already holding the shares should stay put. RYANAIR Controversial: Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary Shares in Dublin-listed Ryanair have rebounded in recent months, amid the perception the low-cost carrier may be casting off some of its woes. Last month Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's perennially controversial and disputatious boss, said the airline was 'over-scheduled, over-crewed and over-costed' during the summer. He also revealed that it was trimming passenger growth numbers for 2025 in response to delays in the delivery of its Boeing 737 Max planes. But Ryanair has settled its dispute with online travel agents such as Booking.com which had refused to sell its tickets after a period of conflict. This week Alexander Irving of the brokers Bernstein advised clients to buy Ryanair, setting a target price of 22.50. JP Morgan's Alexia Dogani is also a fan and has set a price of 25. Since O'Leary owns a 3.9 per cent stake in the company, he will be hoping that these predictions come true. JET 2 The woes of Ryanair and Wizz Air have been something of a boon to AIM-listed Jet 2. Last month, the Leeds-based airline reported record revenues, profits and passenger numbers for the half-year. The company seems to please its customers, while also rewarding its investors. The shares have leapt by 30 per cent this year to 1620p. You might not think that further progress was possible, but analysts rate Jet 2 a 'buy', with an average target price of 1,996p. Investors will be hoping that the ascent to this level will be smooth. Britain's communications regulator has slapped Royal Mail with a fine for late deliveries for the second time since the pandemic. Ofcom levied a 10.5million fine after it found that Royal Mail had only delivered 74.7 per cent of first-class mail and 92.7 per cent of second-class post on time between April 2023 and March 2024. The postal service is legally required to deliver 93 per cent of first-class mail within one working day of collection and 98.5 per cent of second-class mail within three working days of collection. Royal Mail claimed the targets were missed due to its difficult financial situation and delays to the ballot on a pay deal following industrial action by the Communication Workers' Union last year. However, Ofcom said neither of these excuses were 'justifiable reasons' for the firm providing an insufficient level of service. While acknowledging that Royal Mail has lost hundreds of millions of pounds, it insisted that the company bore ultimate responsibility for managing its fiscal position. Targets missed: Ofcom found that Royal Mail had only delivered three-quarters of first-class mail and 92.7 per cent of second-class post on time between April 2023 and March 2024 It added that the group took 'insufficient and ineffective steps to try and prevent this failure, which is likely to have impacted millions of customers who did not get the service they paid for'. Because Royal Mail acknowledged liability and agreed to settle the case, its fine has been reduced by 30 per cent from 15million to 10.5million. Ofcom previously fined the business 5.6million in November 2023 for falling short of its targets in the 2022/23 financial year by a 'significant and unexplained margin'. Royal Mail has breached its regulatory obligations in every year since 2019/20, but avoided penalties from Ofcom during the Covid-19 pandemic, when its operations were severely impacted. Ian Strawhorne, director of enforcement at Ofcom, said Royal Mail's performance was 'eroding public trust in one of the UK's oldest institutions'. He added: 'Royal Mail has provided an improvement plan, and we're seeing some signs of progress, but it must go further and faster to deliver the service that people expect.' Royal Mail's latest penalty comes as Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky closes in on acquiring the firm's parent company, International Distribution Services. The proposed 3.6billion takeover has generated significant controversy, partly due to Royal Mail's vital role in the UK's communications infrastructure and Kretinsky's commercial ties in Russia. Should he finalise the deal, Royal Mail would be foreign-owned for the first time since being founded in 1516 during King Henry VIII's reign. International Distribution Services shares were only 0.2p down at 357.8p on late Friday morning. Many London-listed firms have fallen into overseas hands in recent years, driven by a perception that they are undervalued relative to their global peers. Just in 2024, cybersecurity specialist Darktrace, veterinary products manufacturer Dechra Pharmaceuticals, and energy investment company Smart Metering Systems were all bought by private equity firms. Investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, Robinsons Squash owner Britvic, and car parts maker TI Fluid Systems have also struck billion-pound takeover deals. US fast food giant Chick-fil-A is aiming to avoid another backlash over the anti-gay views of its billionaire owners when it opens in the UK next year. Chick-fil-A scrapped its Reading pop-up site after just six months when gay rights campaigners targeted it in 2019. But the Atlanta-based restaurant chain has been in talks with LGBT group Stonewall and other charities in a bid to distance itself from accusations of homophobia. The company was founded in 1946 by devout Christian S Truett Cathy and is the third largest fast-food chain in the US by sales. It has more than 3,000 sites in America and has launched in Canada where it also faced backlash from LGBT campaigners and Puerto Rico in the last five years. Despite the popularity of its chicken sandwiches, comments and donations made by the Cathy family, who still own and run the business, have triggered controversy. Protests: Chick-fil-A scrapped its Reading pop-up site after just six months when gay rights campaigners targeted it in 2019 They have historically donated to various organisations that have been linked to anti-LGBT beliefs. And chairman Dan Cathy, father of chief executive Andrew Cathy, revealed his opposition to gay marriage in 2012. But the business has been in talks with Stonewall about how to be 'a more inclusive workplace' ahead of another bid to conquer the competitive British market. A Stonewall spokesman said: 'We frequently have conversations with companies and organisations at various stages on their journey to becoming more inclusive workplaces for their employees. Outspoken: Chairman Dan Cathy 'We have had some recent conversations with Chick-Fil-A about the training and services we could provide to support the company on this journey.' When asked about the controversy ahead of the UK launch, Chick-fil-A international vice president Paul Trotti told the Mail that the firm's 'desire is to be inclusive to all people and to treat all people with honour, dignity and respect'. Launching in the UK comes with other challenges including tough competition from the likes of KFC and Nando's, and recent American imports Popeyes and Wingstop. Chick-fil-A believes its 'unique' owner-operator franchise model, its focus on fresh ingredients and its trademark Southern hospitality will set it apart. Trotti said: 'The UK place in the world market is something that we absolutely can't ignore as we think about wanting to be a global business.' BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. A group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) - 27 families (152 people) - is returning to the native Ballija village in Azerbaijan's Khojaly district, Trend reports. Currently, plans are in place to repair 192 private residential houses in the village. Of these, 82 houses will be repaired in the first phase, and 110 in the second phase. At the same time, the village is equipped with water, gas, electricity, and an internet connection. The buildings for the medical and police stations are ready, as well as a full secondary school with 200 student seats and a kindergarten with 35 spots. To note, Ballija is located 10.6 kilometers from Khojaly city. Until the 19th century, it was a summer pasture for Ahmadbayli village residents in the former Ganja district, and in 1992, it was occupied by Armenia and used by the Armenian army as a weapons depot. On October 5, 2020, during the Second Karabakh War, the weapons depot was destroyed by the Azerbaijani Army. As a result of local anti-terrorism measures conducted by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in Karabakh on September 19-20, 2023, the village was liberated from occupation. More than 30,000 people are currently living in the liberated territories. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Rachel Reeves yesterday hailed the impending listing of a French TV and film giant on the London Stock Exchange as a 'vote of confidence' in the UK. Ahead of the LSE debut of Canal+ shares on Monday, the Chancellor met the Paris-based firm's chief executive Maxime Saada and chief financial officer Amandine Ferre at Number 11 Downing Street, to discuss the UK's attractiveness as a destination for foreign companies to list and do business. Reeves said: 'Economic growth is my number one mission and attracting more investment to the UK is key. 'Canal+'s decision is a vote of confidence in the UK's capital markets, the stability we are delivering and our plan for change.' Aside from boosting the UK's standing as a global financial centre, she said Canal+'s arrival would boost the 125billion creative sector. Vote of confidence: Canal+, which created films including Love Actually, has been expanding into new markets Canal+, which created films including Love Actually, has been expanding into new markets particularly in Africa. It is being listed in London as part of the break-up of owner Vivendi, the media conglomerate controlled by billionaire Vincent Bollore. But as a demerger rather than an initial public offering, it will not be raising new cash from shareholders. And trading is likely to prove rocky to start with as funds that track France's Cac 40, where Vivendi is listed, automatically dump the shares while others subject to a French demerger tax also weigh selling up. It may mean that the company trades some way below a valuation of 6billion that has previously been placed on it. Nevertheless, the listing will provide the LSE with a welcome boost, after seeing scores of companies defect to rival exchanges. This week, equipment rental firm Ashtead became the latest to shun London announcing plans to switch its primary listing to New York. Photo: National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. On December 13, 2024, the international conference "Mapping the World in Lexicography: on the 950th Anniversary of Diwan Lughat al-Turk" was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, Trend reports. The event was dedicated to the 950th anniversary of Mahmud al-Kashgari's splendid work as part of UNESCOs 2024 Anniversaries Programme. Organized by Turkic Heritage in collaboration with Turkic states, the conference brought together prominent officials and scholars. Keynote speakers included Aktoty Raimkulova, President of Turkic Heritage; Firmin Matoko, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations; Seymur Fataliyev, Ambassador at Large, Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO; Amb. Elman Abdullayev, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO and other notable participants. Bank of Ireland has apologised to the thousands of customers who were impacted by a crash of its mobile banking app and its 365 online services this Friday morning. Friday-the-13th has proven unlucky for Bank of Ireland which has confirmed the services were down for a number of hours. However, the bank announced shortly after 1pm that the issue had been resolved and that the services had been restored. Our mobile banking and 365 Online banking have now been restored. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused to our customers today. Bank of Ireland (@talktoBOI) December 13, 2024 Earlier, representatives of the bank - one of the largest in Ireland - were inundated with complaints from frustrated customers on social media who were unable to access their online banking. Hi Richard, we are very sorry about the inconvenience caused by this. We are working to restore the app as soon as possible. Thanks, Jack Bank of Ireland (@talktoBOI) December 13, 2024 READ NEXT: Father who left baby in car for more than eight hours to be sentenced for child neglect One X user expressed their frustration: "Once a month now, time to switch to a more up to date bank at this stage." Another user said: "the app is down now once or twice a month it's ridiculous." BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, visited a school near Kigali, Rwanda, as part of the Foundation's project "Development of Education and Culture in African Countries," Trend reports. During her visit, Leyla Aliyeva met with the school's management and students, familiarizing herself with the facilities and programs offered at the institution. The school, designed to accommodate 1,000 students, has been equipped with computers provided by the Foundation to enhance the quality of education and introduce children to high technologies. Internet access has also been established to further support the educational needs of the school. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has a history of implementing impactful projects across Africa in health, social welfare, and education. Notable among these are financial contributions to the development of the School of African Heritage and the provision of medical equipment to the Republic of Djibouti to strengthen its healthcare system. In the future, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation plans to implement projects in education and culture in other African countries. Irish premier Simon Harris has said there should be reflection on peoples disaffection from politics after Gerry Hutch narrowly missed out on being elected. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said there was a need to address the fact that Mr Hutch nicknamed The Monk won 3,096 first preference votes, placing himself fourth in a four-seater Dublin Central constituency. Transfers put him on 5,321 votes by the eleventh and final count, finishing behind Labours Marie Sherlock on 6,102 votes, who took the final seat. Dubliner Mr Hutch, 61, has been described in court by a judge as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation. He announced his surprise candidature after arriving back in Ireland following his arrest in Spain last month as part of an international investigation into money laundering. He has reportedly been released on bail of 100,000 euro. Speaking at the Templemore Garda College on Friday, Irish premier Simon Harris suggested that Mr Hutch almost received more media attention than the leaders of political parties. Hordes of people at the airport to welcome him back criminality isnt celebrity, its something that brings pain, misery and suffering to communities, he said. I think for those of us in politics, I think we do need to reflect on the disaffection that sometimes people can feel from the political system, and sometimes that communities can feel from the political system. But the other point is he didnt get elected, and our democracy didnt elect a convicted criminal in the guise of Gerry The Monk Hutch to Dail Eireann, and I think that is a good thing. He added: I think disaffection is a big issue. I always think its very arrogant of a politician to tell the public why they went out and voted that way that is for the people of Ireland. But I do believe that we must continue to do more in terms of engaging with communities that sometimes feel disconnected and disaffected from the political system or indeed from the State more generally. He said that North Inner City Taskforce and the Community Safety Partnerships were among the initiatives already under way to try to address this, but added the work is not yet done. Asked about the commissioners concerns, Mr Harris said: The commissioners job and the job of An Garda Siochana is to continue to tighten the net on criminality in this country, and Im sure that is where their focus will be. The focus of those of us in government will be on supporting the gardai in doing that job, making sure those who engage in criminal activity are where they belong and that is not in Dail Eireann. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Following the I State Program of "Great Return" to the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan that were liberated from 30 years of Armenian occupation, the subsequent group of displaced persons returned to Ballidzha village in the Khojaly district, Trend reports. According to information, 152 people, consisting of 27 families, who had been living in temporary settlements across various cities and regions of the country, returned to their homeland just ahead of the Solidarity Day of World Azerbaijanis and the New Year. Residents were warmly welcomed by Elchin Yusubov, the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the cities of Khankendi, Aghdere, and Khojaly districts. Yusubov handed over the keys to the new apartments and wished the families a happy and prosperous life in their homeland. The former internally displaced persons expressed their immense happiness at returning to their native land after 32 years. The restored village is now fully equipped with water, gas, electricity, and an internet connection. Key public facilities, including a medical center, a police station, a secondary school with a capacity for 200 students, and a kindergarten for 35 children, have also been reopened for use. To note, Ballidzha village, located in the Khojaly district, is situated 10.6 kilometers from the regional center. Nestled on the left bank of the Ballidzha River at the foot of the Karabakh ridge, the village was named after the river flowing through the region. The village was occupied by the Armenian army in 1992. However, following local anti-terrorist measures on September 19-20, 2023, Ballidzha was liberated from enemy occupation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. As part of her visit to Rwanda, Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Trend reports. As a sign of respect for the victims of the Rwandan genocide, Leyla Aliyeva laid a wreath at the memorial before touring the exhibits and familiarizing herself with the documents and materials on display. The memorial, open since 2004, plays a crucial role in preserving the memory of the 1994 genocide victims, shedding light on the tragic events, and raising awareness of the atrocity. The visit also included a briefing on the "Justice for Khojaly" international awareness campaign, launched by Leyla Aliyeva to honor the victims of the 1992 Khojaly tragedy. The briefing emphasized the importance of international recognition of genocides and the need for justice to prevent similar atrocities in the future. Here's what might be a smart political move in a case that will now NEVER garner any definitive answers . . . [Victims] along with others in the community, got the chance to share their grievances with others but not to local leaders. We had invited the mayor, the district attorney, the chief of police and members of the Unified Government Board of Commissioners and they all turned us down to show up here this evening, Steve Kraske said. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Alleged victims of disgraced KCK detective speak during Town Hall Alleged victims of disgraced former Kansas City, Kansas Police Detective Roger Golubski are sharing their pain. Fair warning . . . A lot of this is or might/be (bad) cowtown political theater . . . However, just for kicks and keeping in mind that Mayor Q's administration always operates like they're SMARTER THAN EVERYONE . . . Accordingly . . . KANSAS CITY PARKS HONCHO RESIGNATION IN DOUBT & NOW RISKS FUTURE OF ROYALS DOWNTOWN!!! Context . . . The honcho was, reportedly, against the downtown idea and then was ultimately booted. Also . . . There's legit debate on whether or not the Mayor has power to boot Parks Board appointees but even then that's not REALLY the crux of this story . . . And again . . . There's a very good chance that all of this is just another distraction and another example of dysfunction that is being STAGED to justify the imminent departure of both the Royals & Chiefs . . . Check-it: Asked about Gorencs situation after looking at part of the citys charter. Part of Article X says, A member may be removed by the council upon recommendation of the Mayor. Were covering a lot, but Mr. Gorenc resigned, Mayor Lucas said when asked why there wasnt a city council vote when he removed Mr. Gorenc. He resigned from the Parks Board. He has expressed that to a number of folks at City Hall, and thats my understanding of why hes no longer on the Parks Board. Gorenc, on the other hand, claims thats not the case. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. A meeting was held at the Azerbaijan Food Security Institute (AFSI) with a delegation from the Belarusian BelVitunipharm Open Joint-Stock Company, currently visiting Azerbaijan, Trend reports via the AFSI. The meeting highlighted the need to further expand the existing cooperation between the relevant institutions of the two countries. During the meeting, the Chairman of the AFSI, Ali Nabiyev, and the General Director of BelVitunipharm OJSC, Ilia Dorovskikh, signed a cooperation agreement to establish a joint venture in Azerbaijan for the production of veterinary medicines. The agreement aims to develop industrial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus and to create a local manufacturing plant to supply domestically produced veterinary medicines and sell them to third countries. The agreement also covers the production of ready-made feed additives and chemical-pharmaceutical veterinary products containing Rabies vaccines. Additionally, it includes plans for training specialists in the production and use of veterinary medicines, providing consultations and training to improve staff qualifications, and exchanging information on new scientific research. Following the meeting, the Belarusian delegation toured the AFSIs laboratories to observe the operations within the company. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Local news has attempted to offer some insight into this GOP super-majority power move. Tonight we take another glimpse at Missouri respect for the Prez-Elect & 2024 Time Magazine Person Of the Year . . . Here's the best explanation we've seen so far . . . Republican Rep. Michael Davis of Belton, a suburb of Kansas City, pre-filed House Bill 318 on Dec. 3. The bill, named the Donald J. Trump Election Qualification Act, would make it possible for those who have been guilty of a felony charge to run in a Missouri office if otherwise qualified. While Missouri allows convicted felons to vote after completing their sentence and to run for a federal office, it prohibits them from becoming candidates for local and state offices. Davis calls this a discrepancy within the qualifications of running for different offices. I believe that we should punish those who do wrong, but once theyve completed the terms of their sentence, we should allow individuals to reintergrate into society, he said. They are citizens. They have the ability to work and pay taxes, and one of the aspects of being a citizen is being represented by your government and deciding who should represent you. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . After a horrific local dog mauling that garnered global media attention along with years of mostly ignored urban core complaints, Kansas City is finally coming to terms with good intentions that helped to shape bad policy. One of our BEST & BRIGHTEST TKC READERS asks a quick and IMPORTANT question that should inspire critical thinking going forward . . . Is adherence to "no kill" philosophy the cause of the current predicament for KC Pet Project? As always, it's important to define terms . . . Here's a summary from the animal humane society . . . Others might vary but this is a good place to start: "The term 'no-kill' comes from a movement that began in the 1980s and 90s. At the time, a common way to obtain a dog or cat was to go to your local breeder. Shelter animals were often seen as a less desirable, broken alternative for those who couldnt afford a purebred animal. "No-kill was formed as a response to the overwhelming numbers of healthy animals being euthanized in shelters across the United States. The no-kill campaign asked for a commitment from communities to take proper measures to save all healthy and treatable pets from unnecessary euthanasia. "To be considered no-kill, a shelter or rescue has to have at least a 90% placement rate for the animals in their care." Now . . . In practice . . . We want to stress two points . . . NO-KILL PHILOSOPHY ISN'T PRACTICAL IN KANSAS CITY WHERE SO MANY DANGEROUS PIT BULLS WILL NEVER BE PLACED!!! Sorry . . . But there A LOT of irresponsible pit owners out there and simply not enough good-hearted people to rehab all of the dogs on local streets. And this is a more complicated point . . . ANIMAL CONTROL THAT DOESN'T STRESS "NO-KILL" CAN STILL BE HUMANE!!! In fact . . . Most definition of "no-kill" include allowances for animal euthanization but in KC it has become painfully obvious that KC Pet Project seems unwilling to put public safety ahead their own good intentions . . . And the result has been more dangerous streets and a heartbreaking tragedy that inspired the world to take notice. Now . . . In a move that hopes to switch the narrative . . . This note was shared with newsies toward the end of the week that almost confirms our thesis . . . "Kansas Citys largest animal shelter has no more room. In an Instagram post, KC Pet Project announced that the shelter is now at critical capacity, meaning there are no open kennels for incoming dogs." Meanwhile . . . Council now seems decided about the future of local animal control that might not include a formerly celebrated crew of local animal lovers . . . "Melissa Patterson Hazley previously told KSHB 41 she proposed the measure after hearing from residents who called for the city to handle animal services again. "Among those who've called for change is the family of Chris Culbertson, who died after being mauled by a pack of dogs in November. " Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . KCTV5: There is not a single open kennel!: KC Pet Project reaches maximum capacity KSHB: Kansas City council passes plan that explores letting city handle animal services within city limits again Newspaper: KC Pet Project cited a pit bull owner for animal law violations near where dogs killed man Developing . . . Parting shot from this Missouri politico seems confident about the future . . . Here's the word from our favorite right-wing bloggers . . . This has been one of the darkest chapters in the bureaus history, Hawley says in an exclusive interview with The Heartlander on Thursday. What happened under his tenure? Well, the FBI lied regularly to FISA courts, the secret courts to get wiretaps on political opponents. Right there, that should be enough to introduce a major host of reforms at the FBI. But it gets worse. Christopher Wray presided over the FBI recruiting informants into Catholic parishes. He sent SWAT teams to the homes of pro-life demonstrators. He worked with the biggest tech companies in the world to censor American speech on COVID, on DEI in schools. And of course, thats before we even get to the targeting of Donald Trump and the attempts to keep him off the ballot so that Americans wouldnt have a choice in the election. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Actually . . . Some of our old school AWESOME TKC READERS might remember watching this movie during school hours or even on a field trip. The decorative order might cause a bit of unease for parents who might want to decline religious instruction from strangers . . . Still . . . The trendy Christian move is all fun & games until the Satanists want to add their idols into the mix . . . Check-it . . . "The bill follows similar legislation in GOP-led states, such as Louisiana, and is part of a broader push to inject religious teachings into schools." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 13. KMG PetroChem, a subsidiary of KazMunayGas, and Tengizchevroil have signed an updated contract for the purchase and sale of dry gas, which includes additional enhanced guarantees for raw material supply, Trend reports. According to an official source from KazMunayGas, Tengizchevroil will supply up to 9 billion cubic meters of dry gas annually to the gas processing plant in the Atyrau region. The ethane extracted from the dry gas will be used as raw material at the polyethylene production plant (the "Polyethylene" project) in the Atyrau region, with a capacity of 1.25 million tons per year. It is worth noting that such projects are being implemented for the first time in Kazakhstan. The Gas Separation Complex (GSC) project is expected to extract at least 98 percent of the ethane from the dry gas, and the polyethylene plant will produce premium-quality products. "Thanks to the revision of a number of conditions of the previously signed agreement, we are one step closer to implementing strategically important oil and gas chemical projects for Kazakhstanthe gas separation complex and polyethylene plant. These projects are primarily aimed at furthering the industrial and economic development of the country," said Askhat Khassenov, Chairman of the Management Board of KazMunayGas. To note, Tengizchevroil (TCO) is a Kazakhstani joint venture engaged in the development, extraction, and sale of crude oil, liquefied gas, dry gas, and sulfur. TCO uses modern technologies and operates in compliance with global safety and environmental protection standards. TCO was established in April 1993 as a joint venture between the Republic of Kazakhstan and Chevron Corporation. The company's partners include Chevron (50 percent), KazMunayGas (20 percent), ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc. (25 percent), and Lukoil (5 percent). BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Banca Transilvania (BT) has extended a 40 million euro loan to Omnia Europe SA, a prominent corn starch producer and owner of the largest starch factory in Romania and southeastern Europe, Trend reports. Half of the loan, 20 million euros, is guaranteed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) under its Risk Sharing Facility (RSF) with BT. The financing will enable Omnia Europe SA to establish a new production unit for waxy starch, further expanding its operations in Medgidia, Constanta County. The company, a subsidiary of Omnia Nisasta Ticaret AS and part of Turkeys Tosmur Group, specializes in producing starch, maltodextrin, and other by-products used in industries ranging from food and pharmaceuticals to chemicals and paper. Victoria Zinchuk, EBRDs Head of Romania, emphasized the significance of the transaction: We are delighted to reinforce our commitment to the Romanian agribusiness sector by supporting the expansion of Omnia Group within the country. This initiative focuses on processing agricultural commodities into higher-value products, contributing to Romanias efforts to improve its food and agricultural trade balance. The EBRDs Risk Sharing Framework is designed to support business expansion in its countries of operation by enhancing the lending capacity of local partner banks. As a key institutional investor in Romania, the EBRD has invested nearly 11.5 billion euros in 550 projects to date, fostering economic growth and development. Syria: The Bigger Question At the geopolitical level, the Syrian saga has not yet ended, but it has just begun Friday December 13, 2024 3:24 PM , Asad Mirza [The graffiti on a Damascus wall that sparked revolution in Syria in 2011, finally toppling the Assad regime twenty-three years later.] The Syrian Saga Unfolds The dramatic toppling of Bashar al-Assads Syrian regime at the hands of rebel forces this weekend could have far-reaching consequences for Syria, global and regional powers, and alliances. It also may prove to be a replay of earlier events in Iraq courtesy the western powers. Over the past fortnight, rebel forces led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) carried out a lightning-fast offensive across Syria, seizing key cities along the way. The faction finally claimed the capital Damascus at the weekend ( December 8, 2024 ), prompting President Bashar al-Assad to flee the country and seek refuge in Russia. The overthrow of Assad was greeted cautiously by Western nations who are wary of the potential for further bloodshed and of a power vacuum in Syria, if a chaotic and contested transition of leadership takes place. But it would not be wrong to say that these Western powers themselves will take decisions which may lead Syria to further chaos. An example of this was evident when in-spite of American president-elect Donald Trump claiming on social media that Its NOT our war. However, the Biden administration and Israel started aerial pounding to eliminate alleged chemical weapons in Syria. It reminds one of the Iraq story, and the future events might be duplication of it yet again. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that it has struck more than 75 targets, including ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps, to ensure that the group does not take advantage of the chaotic situation following the end of Assads rule. Al Jazeera reported Israel carrying out 480 air strikes in just two days (9-10 December) across Syria. Meanwhile, Israeli troops have moved into the buffer zone on the edge of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. This was a longstanding Israeli dream, and in strategic terms it means that whosoever controls Golan Heights, could be a threat to Israel, as from the western Golan, it is only about 60 miles without major terrain obstacles to Haifa and Acre, and Israels industrial heartland. A UN spokesman described this as constituting a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria. Additionally, Israels military offensive in Syria could well be part of the pro-western plan to tame the rebels from day one. The bigger question here is, who gave the right to the US and Israel to bomb Syria, a sovereign state? They do not have the UN mandate or the wider acceptance by other western powers. So how could they act as the international militia? Regional Winners At the geopolitical level, the Syrian saga has not yet ended, but it has just begun. After the installation of any care-taker government, the western powers led by the US and Israel will continue to interfere in the countrys political process besides undermining its defence capabilities, in the name of countering ISIS or al-Qaeda. Meanwhile Syrias old supporters, Russia and Iran, will try to carve out a more robust engagement with the new government. Though for the moment, Al Golani aka Al Jolani aka Sharra has indicated his animosity towards Iran, but real-politick and pressure from the Iranian proxies in Syria may make him change his tune. For now, however, the fall of the Assad dynasty after over 50 years in power has more immediate global ramifications, with Russia and Iran seen as losers after the ousting of the Syrian dictator, while the US, Turkey and Israel are viewed among the main beneficiaries from the regime change. Europe could also be a beneficiary of the regime change in Syria, if it means fewer displaced refugees entering the region - a development that has fuelled anti-immigrant sentiment and the rise of populist right-wing parties in recent years, accompanied with a rise in Islamophobia. The major immediate geopolitical winners are Israel and Turkey, with the former seeing its regional nemesis Iran weakened further, thanks to Assads downfall - while Ankara could emerge as the most influential foreign actor in the country. Israel is seen as a beneficiary of Assads fall because of its impact on Iran, which has used Syria as a supply route to its proxy in Lebanon, the Hezbollah. Israel has looked to severely weaken this supply chain as part of its military campaign against Iranian proxies in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Additionally, there is no doubt that Russia will be concerned over the amount of much influence - and good will - it can expect from a new leadership in Syria. Moscow has a vested interest in keeping the new government on its side, as it operates an air base in Hmeimim, along with a naval base in Tartus that gives it access to the Mediterranean Sea. Reuters reported citing Russian news agencies that though the rebel forces have given the Kremlin assurances that they would guarantee the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions in Syria, but Russias long-term military presence in the country is seen as far from certain. How the rebellion started The events of the last 15 days have taken many by surprise. And it may seem like taking another page out of the Arab Spring saga. Just like the Arab Spring, it was a simple act of rebellion. A teenager, a spray can, and a wall. But what happened next would change the course of history, leaving a nation in ruins and a dictator fighting for survival. This is the story of Mouawiya Syasneh, a 14-year-old whose graffiti lit the fuse of the Syrian Civil War. A conflict that has now come full circle as Bashar al-Assads grip on power has been crushed. But how did a teenager spark a revolution, and where does Syria stand today? Lets take you back to 2011, to the dusty streets of Daraa in southern Syria. Alex Croft, in his article in The Independent writes that Mouawiya Syasneh and his friends were like any other teenager - curious, mischievous, frustrated with the world around them. But Syria wasnt just any place. It was a nation ruled with an iron fist, where dissent was dangerous and silence was survival. Armed with nothing but a spray can, Mouawiya sprayed a message on a school wall. The message was a warning which read 'Ejak el door, ya daktoor', which means 'Now its your turn, Doctor'. The doctor in the message was President Bashar al-Assad, whose background as an ophthalmologist had earned him the nickname. The graffiti wasnt just a jab. It was a spark of defiance against a regime that had held Syria in a chokehold for decades. What happened next was brutal. Mouawiya and his friends were arrested by Syrias secret police, the notorious Mukhabarat. For 26 days, they were held in captivity, tortured, and humiliated. When their parents and neighbours demanded their release, the regime responded with violence - tear gas, bullets, and bloodshed. But instead of silencing the people, the regimes actions ignited something unstoppable. On March 15, 2011, Syrians organised the first Day of Rage . Inspired by the Arab Spring that had toppled dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, Syrians from all walks of life took to the streets, demanding freedom, justice, and the downfall of the Assad regime. However, the fast-paced developments also lead one to wonder whether the western powers led by the US, and in this instance helped by Israel, are trying to replay the Iraqi story once again in Syria. The realities are simple to understand, first create a conflict, then sell arms to the victim country, thirdly destroy its infra-structure. All for the sake of profit making, first through arms sale and then reconstruction of that country by western companies, once the so-called aims of these powers have been allegedly attained or due to increasing international ostracism. (The writer, Asad Mirza, is a New Delhi-based senior commentator on national, international, defence and strategic affairs, environmental issues, an interfaith practitioner, and a media consultant.) Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Turkish app 'Quran Kuran' data breached, over 3.6 Muslims at risk A data breach involving the Turkish app "Quran Kuran" has feared to have leaked over 3.6 million sensitive records, putting millions of Muslims at risk of unauthorized surveillance and privacy breaches Friday December 13, 2024 11:38 AM , ummid.com News Network A data breach involving the Turkish app "Quran Kuran" has feared to have leaked over 3.6 million sensitive records, putting millions of Muslims at risk of unauthorized surveillance and privacy breaches. The Turkish app QuranKuran data leak was first noticed by the Cybernews research team on August 15 this year when it discovered an unprotected Elasticsearch server exposing more than 3.6 million extremely sensitive data records to anyone on the internet. The leaked data was later found to be linked to popular Quran Kuran app, downloaded over 1 million times from the Google Play Store. "Highly sensitive information" Quran Kuran app has been developed by Sigma Telecom, an Istanbul-based telecommunications company. The app helps users study, read, and learn Quran, the Muslim holy book, while also providing guidelines about prayer timing and practices. The exposed data contained detailed personal and technical information, making it highly sensitive and possible to exploit in multiple scenarios. Malicious actors could utilize leaked information for identity theft and other forms of cyber fraud, Cybernews reported Thursday. The Quran app data breach included highly sensitive information, such as Geodata and location, device and network identifiers, MAC addresses (unique 12-digit hexadecimal codes for devices), IP addresses of the subscribers, SIM serial numbers, carrier details and application-specific information, the cybersecurity and tech news portal said. This is not the first time when the Muslims have been put at risk due to data collected by prayer apps. The US federal government had in 2020 purchased cellphone location data collected from popular prayer apps used by millions of Muslims worldwide, according to reports. Harvesting of data on Muslim app users worldwide is a serious threat to privacy and religious freedom, said the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) at the time. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. U.S. releases strategy to combat anti-Muslim, anti-Arab hate The United States Friday December 13, 2024 released its first ever national strategy to combat Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate Friday December 13, 2024 5:23 PM , ummid.com News Network Washington: The United States Friday December 13, 2024 released its first ever national strategy to combat Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate. "The Strategy was developed through a whole-of-government collaboration with a broad range of civil society partners to describe and address the bias, discrimination, and threats Muslim and Arab Americans have long faced", the White House said in a statement released today. The 64-page document comes weeks before the inauguration of former President Donald Trump, who imposed a travel ban on people from some majority Muslim countries during his first term that Biden rescinded on his first day in office. "Threats against Muslims, Arabs spiked" This initiative has become even more important as threats against American Muslim and Arab communities have spiked over the past year, the White House said, recalling how 6-year old Wadee Alfayoumi, an American Muslim boy of Palestinian descent, was viciously killed in his home in Illinois in October 2023. In a foreword to the strategy, the outgoing President, Joe Biden, called the attacks on the Chicago boy and his mother heinous acts. Muslims and Arabs deserve to live with dignity and enjoy every right to the fullest extent along with all of their fellow Americans, Biden wrote. Policies that result in discrimination against entire communities are wrong and fail to keep us safe. "Over 100 Executive Branch Actions" The Strategy contains more than 100 Executive Branch Actions and more than 100 Calls to Action to every sector of society to prevent and address such violent attacks and to ensure that Muslim and Arab Americans enjoy the liberties and opportunities that are the bedrock of our country. "With this initiative, we are creating a path for progress, in partnership with all levels of government, civil society, and the private sector, both now and over the long term", the White House said. The initiative noted that Muslim and Arab Americans are facing discrimination in settings such as education, employment, public accommodations, land use, housing, health care, and access to financial services even though they are illegal. "The Administration has instituted new practices to accommodate religion and produced a wide range of resources and trainings on nondiscrimination and religious freedom", the White House said. While emphasising on the need to build cross-community solidarity and collective action to counter hate, the White House stressed, "Threats to one community must be treated as threats to all." "Everyone deserves to live their lives without fear of violence, harassment, or discrimination. The Strategy addresses the targeting of Muslim and Arab communities, including through unprecedented investments in strengthening the security of nonprofits and increased efforts to ensure easier access to those funds; correction of discriminatory travel restrictions; and new tools to address transnational repression, doxing, swatting, and hoax threats", the White House said. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 13. Investment opportunities in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan were discussed in Italy, Trend reports. A delegation from the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan, led by Akim Nurlybek Nalibayev, visited Rome and Florence on a working trip, where they held meetings with several major Italian companies. The visit provided a platform for establishing connections, exchanging experiences, and discussing promising projects between the two countries. During a meeting with the President of the Italian Export Credit Agency SACE, Filippo Giansante, Nurlybek Nalibayev, and the Italian side discussed the signing of a credit agreement between the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, SACE, and the Italian bank CDP to finance projects aimed at developing key sectors of the economy. In meetings with other Italian companies, the Kazakh delegation discussed production localization projects and construction and environmental initiatives. The energy company Ansaldo Energia expressed interest in participating in projects to localize the production of components for gas turbine and combined cycle plants in Kyzylorda. The industrial company Confindustria offered assistance to exporters from Kazakhstan in accessing the Italian market. SGM Group showed interest in biochemical projects in Kazakhstan, while Sogesid focused on flood control and Aral Sea restoration projects. Tirrena Costruzioni expressed interest in producing seismic panels, and representatives of the financial company CLIFF also showed interest in investing in niche projects in Kyzylorda. As part of the visit, the Kazakh delegation also visited the Santa Croce sull'Arno district in Tuscany, where approximately 35 percent of Italy's leather production and 98 percent of the national production of sole leather is concentrated. To note, since 2005, foreign direct investment from Italy to Kazakhstan has totaled over $7.6 billion. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced a 20 million euro venture debt loan for Tau Group, an Italian technology startup focused on electrifying transport and advancing energy transition solutions, Trend reports. The funding, backed by the InvestEU program, will help Tau Group increase its production capacity for high-performance magnet wire from 2,000 to 12,000 tons annually by 2027. The investment will be directed toward Tau Groups plant in Turin, where the company will scale up its patented DryCycle process. This innovative technique replaces traditional solvent-based wire enameling methods with a single-step process that eliminates harmful solvents, reduces energy consumption, and minimizes production waste. The result is environmentally friendly, cost-efficient magnet wire suitable for electric vehicles and other electrical machinery. Electrifying the car manufacturing industry and ensuring its production efficiency is fundamental, not only to step up the fight against climate change but also to reinforce Europes competitiveness, said Alessandro Izzo, EIB Director for Equity, Growth, and Project Finance. Tau Group CEO Francesco Taiariol highlighted the significance of the EIB's support: This funding will enable us to scale up production capacity, advance the DryCycle process, and strengthen Europes position in the global energy transition. The EIB's venture debt offering is designed to meet the needs of innovative, fast-growing businesses. Since 2015, the EIB has invested over 6 billion euros in 200 projects across Europe, underscoring its commitment to fostering sustainable innovation. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will announce Monetary Policy on December 16 in a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will announce Monetary Policy on December 16 in a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The MPC will meet on Monday, December 16 to decide about the Monetary Policy, a press release issued by SBP said. The SBP will announce the Monetary Policy decision in a press statement on the same day after the MPC meeting, it added. (@FahadShabbir) The Asian Institute of Ecocivilization Research and Development (AIERD) from Pakistan attended the Belt and Road Green and Low-Carbon Expert Network (GLEN) dialogue and the Belt and Road Green Development International Alliance "Green Alliance" Partners Exchange meeting here on Friday ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) The Asian Institute of Ecocivilization Research and Development (AIERD) from Pakistan attended the Belt and Road Green and Low-Carbon Expert Network (GLEN) dialogue and the Belt and Road Green Development International Alliance "Green Alliance" Partners Exchange meeting here on Friday. The high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative emphasizes the concept of a "Green Silk Road as the guiding principle," showcasing broad prospects for win-win cooperation, a news release said. Nearly 100 experts and guests from the green and low-carbon development field, both domestic and international, gathered at the Belt and Road Green and Low-Carbon Expert Network (GLEN) Dialogue and the Belt and Road Green Development International Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the "Green Alliance") Partners Exchange meeting. The event aimed to share experiences, deepen consensus, and pool strengths to advance green and low-carbon cooperation, provide recommendations for achieving sustainable development, and contribute wisdom and energy toward the green transition of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held in October 2023, proposed the establishment of a green and low-carbon expert network. The importance of this initiative was further emphasized during the Fourth Belt and Road Construction Work Symposium earlier this month. The green and low-carbon expert network is both an innovative mechanism for enhancing international exchanges in emerging fields, and one of Chinas key measures under the Promoting Green Development action within the eight initiatives supporting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. Looking ahead, we are full of expectations for building a Green Silk Road, noted Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment. He outlined three key priorities including fostering consensus, innovating cooperation paths and promoting pragmatic cooperation. Supported by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Green Alliance serves as the secretariat for GLEN. Experts participating in the dialogue represent various fields, including climate, energy, environment, finance, and international cooperation. They unanimously agreed that the GLEN platform allows cross-sector sharing of research outcomes and establishes cooperative mechanisms. These efforts support partner countries and regions in improving top-level designs and standard systems for green and low-carbon development. Moreover, GLEN offers decision-making advice, theoretical research, project evaluation, and capacity-building support for enterprises, financial institutions, and other stakeholders involved in Belt and Road green international cooperation projects. Rui Wanjie, CEO of Rui Na Xin International Consulting, emphasized the importance of the six key tasks proposed by GLEN for advancing the green and low-carbon transitions of partner countries. For African nations, she highlighted that future China-Africa cooperation should prioritize the development of green infrastructure and related projects in manufacturing, environment, and commodities to promote ecological civilization on the continent. Guo Jing, Chair of the Green Development International Alliance (Green Alliance), highlighted the significant achievements in 2024 across policy research, international communication, and conference organization. Throughout the year, the Green Alliance and its domestic and international partners conducted joint studies on key areas of the Green Belt and Road, including green energy, green finance, and climate financing. Reports such as the Belt and Road Green Development Outlook, Chinas Actions on South-South Cooperation in Addressing Climate Change, and Cooperation on Low-Carbon Energy Transition between China and Key Belt and Road Countries were officially released during the conference. These reports, as milestones in building an international think tank platform for Green Belt and Road development, systematically showcased progress, shared Chinas green development practices, it also served as a valuable reference for identifying opportunities and challenges in building a Green Belt and Road and advancing international cooperation in ecological and climate-related fields along the Belt and Road. Zhang Jieqing, Chief Representative of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Beijing Office, stated that four institutions from China, Indonesia, and the Philippines jointly completed the report titled "Cooperation on Low-Carbon Energy Transition between China and Key Belt and Road Countries." Fabby Tumiwa, Executive Director of Indonesia's Institute for Essential Services Reform, emphasized that in the process of low-carbon development, countries need to strengthen cooperation rather than act individually, as only through joint efforts can the challenges be addressed. By signing the Memorandum of Cooperation, the Green Alliance and Indonesia's Institute for Essential Services Reform will work together within the framework of the Green Development Investment and Financing Partnership (GIFP) to deepen China-Indonesia and China-ASEAN green and low-carbon cooperation, promoting energy low-carbon transitions and green transportation development. Additionally, the Green Alliance will collaborate with the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, focusing on mutual recognition of carbon footprint rules and capacity building. It will also cooperate with the China Quality Certification Center on the development of carbon footprint platforms and rules, jointly advancing innovation and development of the Belt and Road carbon management system. BingX, a global leading cryptocurrency exchange, is excited to launch its CreatorX Program, an initiative designed to empower content creators worldwide VILNIUS (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) BingX, a global leading cryptocurrency exchange, is excited to launch its CreatorX Program, an initiative designed to empower content creators worldwide. This program aims to inspire individuals passionate about blockchain and cryptocurrency by offering structured incentives, amplified exposure, and collaboration opportunities. The BingX CreatorX Program is to cater to a diverse range of content creators, from influencers and educators to emerging social media enthusiasts. It provides a streamlined participation process where creators can register, submit content, and track their progress. Creators shall be categorized into four performance-based tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond, each with specific requirements and tailored rewards. Consistent high performers across consecutive sessions can unlock greater incentives as this aims to help creators grow expertise, expand reach, and establish a strong presence. The rise of Web3 and blockchain technology has sparked a surge in demand for trustworthy information and educational resources. The CreatorX Program leverages BingX's global strength and expertise to meet this demand by empowering creators to produce insightful and engaging content that bridges the gap between blockchain technology and everyday users for improved Web3 understanding. "We are thrilled to introduce the BingX CreatorX Program as a platform for creators to showcase their talent and share brilliant ideas within the crypto community," said Vivien Lin, Chief Product Officer of BingX. "This initiative transcends all boundaries, inviting applications from across the globe. We warmly welcome creators across the globe and are ready to reward those who bring authenticity, inspiration, and insight to the audience. The BingX ecosystem will also provide the necessary support and resources for creators to succeed, ensuring that they are rewarded fairly." The first session of the CreatorX Program invites creators to apply and share their unique experiences and highlights of using BingX Futures. By fostering authentic storytelling and knowledge-sharing, the initiative seeks to spark meaningful conversations and inspire a new wave of creativity and innovation in the evolving world of cryptocurrency. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Friday retrieved precious land of worth millions in Mustafa Town Housing Scheme on Friday. LDA teams demolished illegal huts and temporary/permanent encroachments in Hidayat Ullah Block of Mustafa Town, retrieving public land worth millions. The teams also removed encroachments in the surroundings of Civic Centre. LDA Director Housing-III Sumaira Ali Jan and Director Enforcement Kashif Awan supervised the operations carried out by the enforcement teams with the help of heavy machinery and Police. The LDA Director General had directed carrying out anti-encroachment operation during his visit to Mustafa Town a couple of days back. He directed continuing operations in different housing schemes and taking appropriate measures for saving public land from land grabbers and encroachers. American Grammar school, Leads academy, Biryani Master included among 94 sealed properties in Lahore Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday visited Huawei Technologiess Bantian headquarter in Shenzhen longgang district ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday visited Huawei Technologiess Bantian headquarter in Shenzhen longgang district. According to news release issued by Huawei, she was warmly welcomed by Huawei authorities. She met Huaweis Government Affairs Director Wang Chengdong to discuss various initiatives to make Lahore a modern digital city. She also discussed with him issues relating to e-commerce, ecosystem and ICT infrastructure development, digitalization of health and education department. Chief Minister was briefed in detail by Huawei President Wang Chengdong about Huawei's ongoing projects in Pakistan, especially in Punjab. She took keen interest and discussed with him Huawei's projects in the health and education sectors. She apprised him of the Safe City projects in different cities of Punjab, and vowed to make Lahore Pakistans first modern smart city with the help of Huawei. She invited Huawei to invest in Pakistan, especially in Punjab, and offered them full cooperation to set up Huawei office in Nawaz Sharif IT City. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif also assured Huawei to set up Huawei office and after-sales service center across Punjab. She said, The vision of Digital Punjab will be realized with the cooperation of Huawei. She added, We want to benefit from Huawei's expertise in telecommunication and digitalization. She highlighted, Punjabs first full-fledged AI university will benefit from Huaweis professional skills. Chief Minister said, Huawei will assist in capacity building and IT research at Nawaz Sharif IT City. She added, We want to introduce Punjabs youth to the latest digital technologies with Huaweis assistance. She underscored, Huawei will also assist Punjab in ecosystem development. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said,Lahores first Safe City project was established in collaboration with Huawei. She visited Huawei Technologies and saw its various sections. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) The Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) has announced to organize a ten-day Interprovincial Residential Program for Young Writers from January 16 to 25 to interact and share their literary endeavours. According to an official source, the program is aimed at bringing together emerging writers under the age of 40 from across Pakistan to enhance their literary skills and foster intellectual exchange. The residency will be held at the academy's headquarters in Islamabad, where participants will be provided with accommodations, meals, and a stipend of Rs. 5,000 to cover travel expenses. During the program, young writers will engage in workshops, discussions, and mentoring sessions conducted by renowned literary personalities. This initiative will provide an opportunity for young writers to learn and grow while promoting interprovincial harmony and inclusivity. The proportional representation will be ensured, with participants selected from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Special attention will be given to gender balance, representation of minorities, and inclusion of differently-abled individuals. Around 14 to 16 participants will be selected to maintain the quality and objectives of the program while the selection will be made purely on merit by a high-level committee. As a large number of applications are expected, competition for this prestigious program will be intense. The academy emphasizes that the limited number of seats is intentional to ensure that the program's goals are effectively achieved. Interested individuals are required to submit the application form which can be downloaded in image or MS Word format from the academy's official website at www.pal.gov.pk. The completed forms, along with the required documents mentioned on the website, must be sent to the Deputy Director (Admin & Finance), Academy of Letters Pakistan, Sector H-8/1, Islamabad. The applications must reach the Academy no later than December 23 as submissions received after the deadline will not be entertained. The Names of selected participants will be announced through an official notification before the start of the program. The PAL encourages aspiring writers to seize this unique opportunity to contribute to the countrys literary landscape. \395 ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain on Friday lauded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its unwavering humanitarian efforts and contributions to Pakistan at an event marked the distribution of food baskets to underprivileged communities in remote areas of the country. Addressing the launch of latest food security initiative in Pakistan for 2024-2025, organised by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) here at the Saudi Embassy, the minister said, It is indeed a privilege and honor for me to stand here today as we gather for this noble occasion, a testament to the enduring spirit of generosity and compassion shared by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Rana Tanveer praised their commitment to global humanitarian causes. He described their benevolence as a shining example of Islamic values and teachings. The distribution of food baskets, he noted, would bring much-needed relief to thousands of families grappling with poverty, malnutrition, and food insecurity. These efforts resonate deeply with Pakistan's vision of building an inclusive and resilient society where every individual has access to basic necessities of life, he said. Highlighting the historic ties between the two brotherly nations, the minister underscored the multifaceted relationship based on shared faith, culture, and mutual respect. In times of joy and adversity, our two nations have always stood shoulder to shoulder, demonstrating the strength of our bond, he remarked. Rana Tanveer emphasized the importance of such initiatives in addressing critical issues faced by underprivileged communities. Food security is a critical concern for the government of Pakistan, and we are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind. The assistance provided by KSrelief complements our national efforts and serves as a beacon of hope for those who need it the most, he said. The minister also pointed out the broader impact of humanitarian projects, stating that by meeting immediate needs, these initiatives help build healthier and more productive communities, contributing to the nation's social and economic stability. He assured the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of Pakistan's full cooperation in ensuring the transparent and efficient distribution of food aid. Together, we will strive to reach every corner of the country and every family that needs support, he said. In his concluding remarks, Rana Tanveer expressed his deepest gratitude to KSrelief for its generosity, praying for Allahs blessings on the efforts aimed at alleviating human suffering. The event ended with the minister reaffirming the enduring friendship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Friendship Zindabad! Pakistan Paindabad! he exclaimed. The initiative, undertaken by KSrelief, is part of a broader effort to support vulnerable communities in Pakistan and strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) The Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination on Friday discussed the hefty fees charged by the medical colleges and the steps taken by the PMDC in this regard. The meeting was chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, who revealed that in 2023-24, private medical colleges charged unprecedented fees for MBBS and BDS programs, said a press release. Registrar PMDC, Dr Shaista Faisal, highlighted that under the 2023 Act, PMDC was empowered to regulate the private medical colleges and ascertain whether or not the fees being charged by the medical colleges are justifiable. Earlier, PMDC had regulated the medical colleges but it was not protected by the law. In 2012, PMDC has fixed the fee at 5, 00,000 per annum with 5 percent increase for private medical colleges. Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan said that PMDC was empowered in 2023 and asked whether PMDC had taken any action after that specific period. However, PMDC failed to provide any details. Special Secretary NHSR&C, Mirza Nasir ud din Mashud apprised the Sub-Committee that Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has also constituted a committee to determine the reasonableness of fees charged by the medical colleges. Senator Palwasha, ensuring anonymity, invited the general Public to submit their grievances against the medical colleges before the committee. She maintained that the hefty fees charged by the private medical colleges should be reimbursed to the parents of these young students. The Sub-Committee restrained the private medical colleges from charging next years fee until the resolution of the matter. The Sub-Committee also directed the PMDC to examine the audit report of these medical colleges. Aggrieved parties can submit their grievances by reaching out to Room No. 2, Parking Area, C-Block, Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, G-5 Islamabad, or by calling 051-9223955. In attendance were Senators Syed Masroor Ahsan, Dr. Muhammad Humayun Mohmand, Special Secretary for NHSR&C Mirza Nasir ud din Mashud, Registrar PMDC Dr. Shaista Faisal and other senior officials from relevant departments. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 13. Spanish companies are interested in collaborating with the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan, exploring the investment potential of Kyzylorda, in Spains Barcelona, Trend reports. During a working trip to Barcelona, the Akim of the Kyzylorda Region, Nurlybek Nalibayev, along with a group of regional entrepreneurs, met with several leading Spanish companies. The visit, organized with the support of the Foreign Representative of Kazakh Invest in Italy, Altynay Mukanova, opened up opportunities for mutual cooperation aimed at implementing joint investment projects. During a meeting with Rafael de la Cuadra, President of DLQ International Consulting, the Kazakh side discussed the prospects of developing the leather industry in Kyzylorda region and proposed that the Spanish company consider niche projects in other priority sectors of the economy. At a meeting with Krystaline Technology S.A., company representatives expressed interest in producing concrete waterproofing mixtures in Kazakhstan. The leadership of Kyzylorda's construction companies invited the Spanish side to visit Kazakhstan to discuss the prospects of cooperation. In a meeting with Carlos Leon Falcon, Deputy Director of the Chamber of Industrial Engineers of the Valencia region, the Kazakh side expressed interest in utilizing Spanish technologies for the construction of water reservoirs and hydraulic structures in the Kyzylorda region. The delegation also met with William Benthall, Director of International Affairs at Glovo, to discuss the possible expansion of the company's operations in Kazakhstan. An online meeting was held with a representative of Salinas Espanolas during which the Kazakh delegation presented the Araltuz plantthe country's main salt producer, covering 90 percent of Kazakhstan's salt needs. Additionally, during the visit, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Spanish company Groinn and the Kazakh company Abzal and K to establish phased localization of sensors for optimizing agricultural and forestry management using components from domestic producers in Kazakhstan. To note, since 2005 the total volume of Spain's investments in Kazakhstan's economy has exceeded $300 million. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) Energy Minister of Tajikistan Daler Jumma Friday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the PM House and discussed matters of mutual interests. During the meeting, regional connectivity projects, including CASA-1000, were discussed. Both sides agreed to further promote cooperation in sectors such as communications, particularly land-based connectivity, energy, education, and agriculture. Daler Jumma is visiting Pakistan to participate in the Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Commission. The prime minister welcomed Daler Jumma to Pakistan and expressed satisfaction with the progress made in bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various sectors during the Joint Commission. Recalling his visit to Tajikistan and his recent meetings with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Riyadh and Baku, the prime minister extended his best wishes to the Tajik President and expressed hope that President Rahmon would visit Pakistan soon. He expressed satisfaction with the memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and agreements reached during his visit and emphasized that timely implementation of these agreements would further strengthen bilateral relations. The Tajik Minister thanked the Prime Minister for the warm welcome and hospitality and emphasized the importance of enhancing relations and cooperation between the two countries. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for investment and communications Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Energy Awais Ahmed Leghari, Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik, Advisor to the PM Tariq Fatemi and relevant government officials. ISTANBUL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar on Friday visited the headquarters of the Turkish National Television channel "TRT World" and discussed media cooperation between the two countries. During a meeting with Director General International Broadcast of TRT Umar Farooq Tanriverdi, he discussed media production of joint documentaries and other matters of mutual interest including the promotion of tourism. Pakistan values ??brotherly relations with Turkiye, he said adding these relations between the two countries were based on historical and common religious and cultural values. "Agreements with the Turkish government regarding the co-production of dramas, and documentaries are part of our strategic framework," he said. The minister said there was immense talent in both countries. He made a special mention of Pakistani youth Arshad Nadeem, who set a record of 92.97 meters in the javelin throw in the Summer Olympics. There is a very inspiring story of Arshad Nadeem and documentaries could be produced on such iconic youth, he maintained. In the meeting, there was also a discussion regarding the Shandur Polo Festival in Pakistan. "Shandur Polo Festival not only promotes tourism and culture but also sports. Shandur Polo Festival is the highest polo match in the world," he remarked. He stated that a documentary on the Shandur Polo Festival in collaboration with ptv World can be shown to the whole world. The minister proposed that PTV and TRT World could enter and joint broadcasting agreement and programmes produced by TRT World could be telecasted on Pakistan Television. He said common culture and religious values ??between Pakistan and Turkiye were the reason that Turkish dramas and documentaries were very popular in Pakistan. Information Minister also highlighted the issue of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the meeting. The minister also emphasized the need to prepare a digital documentary film on the atrocities being committed in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. APP/mhn (@ChaudhryMAli88) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) Zahida Aftab Bhatti is known as a symbol of women empowerment in the village of Behlol Pur Bhattian in District Hafizabad due to stitching courses for uneducated and less-educated women, including disabled individuals. Talking to APP on Friday, Zahida said that in her family, girls were not allowed to go to school but despite the challenges and confrontation from family, she completed matriculation with the support of her elder brother, Arshad. "However, I could not continue my studies after matriculation in 1996, i was determined to stand on my own feet that's why decided to channel my passion for sewinga skill I had learned from my elder sister at the age of 12into a means of financial independence", Zahida shared. She stated that her talent for creating stylish and beautifully crafted clothes quickly garnered praise from family and friends, when her work was recognized in the village. "I began offering free three-month stitching courses to uneducated and less-educated women, including disabled individuals", she added. "I divided trainees into morning and evening shifts to accommodate growing interest and I also provided certificates upon completion, enabling the women to seek opportunities confidently, she maintained. In 2008, Zahida relocated to Bara Kahu, Islamabad, and by 2010, she established a vocational training centre for women. Over the years, I have trained over a thousand women, many of whom have gone on to start their own businesses or contribute to their household incomes through their newfound skills, she narrated. She said her centre offers all the courses and training is free for needy women, while those who can afford it pay a nominal fee. Some of her trainees are running their outlets, while others work from home to support their families, Zahida said with pride. Despite her remarkable achievements, she emphasized the need for support from the government and NGOs to sustain and expand her initiative. This is a broader cause that requires resources at a larger scale. With proper support, I can serve even more women in the future, she urged. If a woman empowers herself, she can empower others and contribute to the community and the countrys progress, she gave a thoughtful message concluding her journey. \395 Ankara, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began talks with Turkiya's top diplomat Friday after reassurances that Ankara would never allow any let-up in the fight against militants in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Blinken began meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at 9:40 a.m. (0640 GMT), a US official said. He flew into the Turkish capital late Thursday and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for more than an hour at the VIP lounge inside Ankara airport, a US official said. During their talks, Erdogan said Turkiya would never ease up in the fight against militants from the Islamist State (IS) group in Syria. Turkiya, he said, would take "preventive measures against all terrorist organisations, primarily the PKK/PYD/YPG and ISIS (IS) terrorist organisations, operating in Syria and posing a threat to Turkiya, primarily for its own national security". Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) President Emmanuel Macron is to name a new prime minister on Friday, aides said, after days of deadlock over finding a candidate to replace Michel Barnier whose ousting by parliament pushed France into a fresh crisis. Barnier was toppled in a historic no-confidence vote on December 4 and there had been expectations Macron would announce his successor in an address to the nation even a day later. But in a sign of the stalemate in French politics after inconclusive legislative elections this summer, he did not name his successor then and has now missed a 48-hour deadline he gave at a meeting meeting of party leaders on Tuesday. On Thursday, Macron left France on a day-long trip to key EU and NATO ally Poland but shortened the visit in an apparent bid to finalise the appointment. "The statement naming the prime minister will be published tomorrow (Friday) morning," said an aide to to the president, asking not to be named, late Thursday just after Macron touched down from the trip to Poland. "He is finishing his consultations," the aide added, without giving further details. - 'Stuck' - Whoever is named will be the sixth prime minister of Macron's mandate after the toppling of Barnier, who lasted only three months, and faces an immediate challenge in thrashing out a budget to pass parliament. Each premier under Macron has served successively less time in office and there is no guarantee for the new premier that they will not follow this pattern. Macron remains confronted with the complex political equation that emerged from the snap parliamentary polls -- how to secure a government against a no-confidence vote in a bitterly divided lower house where no party or alliance has a majority. All the candidates widely floated so far have encountered objections from at least one side of the political spectrum. "They are stuck," said a person close to Macron, asking not to be named and lamenting that "each name gets blocked." "No one is in agreement around the president," added the source, expressing hope Macron will surprise everyone with an unexpected choice. Macron's rumoured top pick, veteran centrist Francois Bayrou, raises hackles on the left -- wary of continuing the president's policies -- and on the right, where he is disliked by influential former president Nicolas Sarkozy. Beyond Bayrou, prime ministerial contenders include former Socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve, current Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a Macron loyalist, and former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. Another name being discussed in the media is Roland Lescure, a former industry minister, but the nomination of the former Socialist risks inflaming the right. - 'Fresh wind' - These "are Names that have been around for years and haven't seduced the French. It's the past. I want us to look to the future," Greens leader Marine Tondelier said. "The French public want a bit of enthusiasm, momentum, fresh wind, something new," she told France 2 television. Polls indicate the public is fed up with the crisis. Just over two-thirds of respondents to one Elabe poll published on Wednesday said they want politicians to reach a deal not to overthrow a new government. But confidence is limited, with around the same number saying they did not believe the political class could reach agreement. In a separate IFOP poll, far-right National Rally (RN) figurehead Marine Le Pen was credited with 35 percent support in the first round of a future presidential election -- well ahead of any likely opponent. She has said she is "not unhappy" that her far-right party was left out of the horse-trading around the government, appearing for now to benefit from the chaos rather than suffer blame for bringing last week's no-confidence vote over the line. In a critical looming moment, Le Pen on March 31, 2025 faces the verdict in an embezzlement trial on charges she denies. If convicted, she could lose the chance of standing in the 2027 elections and with it her best chance yet of winning the Elysee. A high-profile Pakistani delegation led by Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab, reached a key milestone in Shanghai this week, strengthening economic cooperation with China in information technology, e-commerce, and environmental management BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) A high-profile Pakistani delegation led by Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab, reached a key milestone in Shanghai this week, strengthening economic cooperation with China in information technology, e-commerce, and environmental management. The visit, running from December 8 to 15, aims to attract investment, boost trade, and draw lessons from China's development model. In Shanghai, Maryam Nawaz Sharif met with Zhu Zhongming, a high-rank official of the Shanghai Municipality. The two discussed enhancing cooperation between Shanghai and Pakistani local governments, focusing on practical, business-oriented exchanges, CEN reported on Friday. The delegation also toured the Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center, which hosts a Pakistan National Pavilion showcasing textiles, handicrafts, and other products. With live-streamed e-commerce promotions, the pavilion provides Pakistani exporters a pathway into China's vast consumer market, potentially boosting exports. In addition, the delegation visited a major solar energy enterprise to explore renewable energy collaboration, reflecting Punjab's commitment to green development. Discussions centered on advancing clean, sustainable energy solutions in the province. The trip's highlight was the Punjab Investment Conference, where the Bank of Punjab signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Gobi Partners, an Asia-based venture capital firm. The agreement aims to bolster investment in technology and innovation in Punjab, leveraging Gobi Partners regional expertise. Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Dec, 2024) Conspiracy theories about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy have floated around the fringes of US politics for decades. Now his nephew Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could bring them into the heart of the White House. Kennedy -- the vaccine skeptic tapped by President-elect Donald Trump as his health secretary -- has been pushing for his daughter-in-law to be the deputy director of the CIA, US media reports say. The US news outlet Axios said that part of Kennedy's motivation for getting Amaryllis Fox Kennedy the job was to prove his belief that the intelligence agency had a role in the shooting of his uncle in Dallas in November 1963. It's a move that has reportedly angered some US lawmakers -- but which also shows the extraordinary influence that the man dubbed RFK Jr. already has in Trump's transition team. As with his views on vaccines, autism, Covid-19 and fluoride in water, Kennedy's ideas about the assassination are far from the mainstream. In a radio interview in 2023, RFK Jr. said there was "overwhelming evidence the CIA was involved" in JFK's murder, adding that it was "beyond a reasonable doubt at this point." That runs counter to the findings of the Warren Commission that investigated the shooting, which found it was carried out by a former Marine sharpshooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone. Kennedy said in the same interview that there was "very convincing" but "circumstantial" evidence the agency was also behind the 1968 assassination of his own father, Robert F. Kennedy, who was killed while campaigning for the Democratic nomination for president. Palestinian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan, who was seized immediately at the scene of the shooting, was convicted of the killing and remains in jail. Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2024) The United States on Thursday announced a new $500 million package of military aid for Ukraine, as Washington races to bolster Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. "The United States is providing another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to our Ukrainian partners as they defend against Russia's ongoing attacks," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, with the aid to be drawn from US military stockpiles. Trump's November election victory has cast doubt on the future of American aid for Ukraine, providing a limited window for billions of Dollars in already authorized assistance to be disbursed before he is sworn in next month. The Republican has said his incoming administration will "probably" reduce aid to Ukraine, which Washington has been steadfastly backing since its invasion by Russia nearly three years ago. The package announced Thursday includes ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, artillery ammunition, drones, armoured vehicles, and equipment to protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks, along with other equipment, the statement said. It follows a $988 million security assistance package and a separate $725 million package, both announced earlier this month. The outgoing US administration is working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump -- who has repeatedly criticized US assistance for Kyiv and claimed he could secure a ceasefire within hours -- takes over. As President Joe Biden has "made clear, we're going to continue to provide additional packages right up to the end of this administration," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier Thursday. Trump's comments have triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the future of US aid, and Ukraine's ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of further American support. The United States has spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging a coalition to back Kyiv after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 and coordinating aid from dozens of countries. Ukraine's international supporters have since then provided tens of billions of dollars in weapons, ammunition, training and other security aid that has been key to helping Kyiv resist Russian forces. 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. Fleeing an arrest warrant issued by Myanmars junta, journalist Nyan Linn Htet moved to neighboring Thailand three years ago. From there, the founder and managing editor at the Mekong News Agency has continued to provide coverage of issues affecting his home country. But a new draft law being considered by Thailands Ministry of Interior after a public consultation could damage the fragile existence that he and so many others in exile from Myanmar have. The Association and Foundations Bill was proposed in October. If passed, it would require nonprofits to register with the Minister of Interior and to have a minimum of 30 Thai staff members. Noncompliance comes with fines of up to $3,000. The draft bill is concerning for journalists like Nyan, who have been working from exile in Thailand since the February 2021 military coup. Many registered their outlets as nonprofits, and do not have the capacity to comply with the law. "The new draft bill is one of the challenges for our exiled media," Nyan told VOA. "When it comes to making financial information available to Thai authorities, many local media can find it difficult to follow since they are currently operating with the financial support made by the donors or [nongovernmental organizations]." Thailands government says the bill is needed to counter national security concerns. But analysts say it would give authorities expansive powers and could make the work of Myanmars exiled media more precarious. Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, an advocacy lead at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, says the legislation could lead to interference in nonprofits, and would give authorities the power to dissolve organizations and put civil society organizations at risk of being deemed national security threats. "The draft act on Association and Foundations is yet another attempt by the authorities to monitor and control the work of civil society organizations, many of which take the form of either an association or a foundation," he told VOA by email. Akarachai noted that the law would give authorities "expansive powers" to close organizations on grounds such as "good morals of the people," "public order," or "national security." Failure to submit an annual report or balance sheet within 30 days could also result in being closed. Thailand is not alone in passing laws around foreign funding and national security. "The Ministry of Interior and related national security agencies seem determined to follow the lead of authoritarian neighbors like Cambodia and Vietnam in severely restricting civil society organizations, regardless of the damage it does to Thailands reputation and its ability to operate as a regional hub for international agencies," Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, told VOA. The Thai government "need to live up their progressive principles and face down this conservative threat against peoples civil and political freedoms," he said. Safe haven Thailand, which has a 2,400-kilometer border with Myanmar, has seen thousands of people flee the conflict between opposition groups and junta forces. When Myanmars military seized power, it revoked some broadcast licenses and detained dozens of journalists, including a VOA contributor. Fearing arrest or retaliation, many journalists fled. In Thailand they found a temporary base, especially in border towns. But the threat of being sent back to Myanmar weighs heavily. Strict paperwork and requirements make it hard for Myanmar nationals to get proper media visas. Not all of them have the necessary documentation after fleeing their homes, and some are wanted by the junta over their coverage. Journalist Toe Zaw Latt says most exiled media chose Thailand because they had "nowhere else to go." It offers better facilities including internet connection and communications as well as "easy access to the sources," he told VOA. The journalist said he believes it would be impractical for the media to operate further away. And if the legislation comes into force in Thailand, he predicts many will evade it. "A lot [of journalists] will go undercover. I don't think any media want to legally register under Thai law, simply because they don't trust it, or [because its] very difficult," he said. In Nyans case, he says the majority of his 17-person team are based in Thailand. "We cant afford to move back to Myanmar since it is crystal clear that we are at risk of being arrested, tortured or even murdered unlawfully," Nyan said. Myanmar is one of the worlds worst jailers of journalists, ranking second, only behind China. At least seven journalists have also been killed since the coup, according to data by the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ. Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative, described the draft bill as a danger for Myanmar media "that operate from Thailand and play crucial roles in supporting the many Myanmar journalists driven into exile since the 2021 coup." "Thai lawmakers should scrap this severe and wrong-headed legislation and allow Myanmar's exile media organizations to continue functioning without fear of reprisal," he told VOA via email. Nyan fears that a reduction in active exiled Myanmar media in Thailand will pave the way for Myanmar state media to spread disinformation. He says if the law comes into force and Myanmar media are forced to leave Thailand, it will mean there is only limited independent news in Myanmar. "This will result in having militarys disinformation, misinformation or hate speech campaigns proliferated seriously," he said. Editor's note: The third and fourth paragraphs have been updated to clarify details on the draft legislation. An American who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad's notorious prison system said early Friday he was released by the "liberators" who arrived in Damascus a day after the longtime ruler fled the capital. Travis Timmerman called his release a "blessing" when he spoke to The Associated Press from a hotel room in Damascus, where he arrived late Thursday. He was among the thousands of people released from Syria's sprawling military prisons this week after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad and ending his family's 54-year rule. Timmerman, 29, said he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by "the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer." The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple Assad's government, said the group had secured his release. "We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the U.S. administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime," the group said, adding that a search was under way for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. An official with the group later said it was arranging for Timmerman to leave Syria, but gave no details. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn't know of any other Americans held in the facility. "I was there seven months. There were women there up above me," Timmerman said. He heard the women singing and teaching their children and could hear some of the men being beaten regularly. "I was never beaten," he said. He was detained after he crossed into Syria from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June. He was questioned for three and half hours by interrogators who thought he must be a spy. In a brief second interview, they searched his mobile phone, and in the last interview, he started discussing his dreams with his captors. He said their threat of using violence against him was "implicit" because he could hear daily beatings next door. But his captors let him use his mobile to call his family three weeks ago. At the time, Timmerman didn't tell his family he was in Damascus, only that he was fine. He said later in his detention, he could hear explosions at a time when Israel was intensifying its strikes in Syria. Israel's war with the Hezbollah militant group had intensified in September, before a ceasefire was reached last month. "I heard some explosives that shook the building," he said. In his prison cell, Timmerman said he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste. He had three bathroom breaks and had exercise breaks in the first half of his stay. He said the Friday calls to prayers helped keep track of days. He said he gained weight at first because he ate unleavened bread, rice and oats. Sometimes he would get a potato or a tomato a treatment clearly reserved for non-Syrian prisoners, who often ended up emaciated or sick. "It is a time of solace and you can meditate on your life," he told AP. "It was good for me." Timmerman was disheveled, with a scraggly beard and long hair and nails. He said he had a good sleep and a meal on Thursday. He said he planned to return to Damascus. Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 80 kilometers north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017. Timmerman's mother, Stacey Gardiner, told the AP that as of Thursday evening, she hadn't spoken to her son. She said he told her he was visiting Prague and Budapest, Hungary, to "write about different churches." She said she last heard from him in May, when he said he was going somewhere without internet and that he would call when he had access again. Then he stopped replying to calls and texts and she didn't know whether he was alive or dead. "I couldn't help him, and that broke my heart more and more each day," Gardiner said. "I just want my baby (to) come home." The family reported him missing, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a bulletin saying "Pete Timmerman" had gone missing in Hungary in early June. In late August, Hungarian police put out a missing persons announcement for "Travis Pete Timmerman," saying he was last seen at a church in Budapest. Timmerman goes by Travis. In describing his release from prison, Timmerman said the action outside his cell woke him up. Those who came to release him spoke to him in Arabic. "It was an excited scene. It was not clear if the guards who were there were still there," Timmerman said. "I didn't know if they were taking us out in the midst of a war zone in hindsight, this shooting was not actual clashes." He said he was panicked for a moment. But he realized some of the gunfire was celebratory from blanks. One man was shooting from an AK-47. At one point, he went running back into the prison with two other prisoners. A fellow prisoner helped him out, holding his arm, and speaking Arabic to those around. They both accompanied a female prisoner to her home. He spent two nights in Damascus, one in abandoned apartment in the old town and another at a new friend's house. He then started walking toward Jordan, when a Syrian family found him barefoot on a main road in the countryside of Damascus early Thursday. At first some mistook him for Tice. The Syrian family told AP that Timmerman appeared cold and hungry so they brought him back to their home. "I fed him and called a doctor," said Mosaed al-Rifai, the 68-year-old waste collector who first found Timmerman. A few hours after al-Rifai discovered him, rebels arrived at the family's house to pick him up, he said. Mouaz Mostafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a U.S.-based nonprofit group, who was in Damascus learned of Timmerman's location, reached him and contacted US authorities about him. Timmerman is now recovering until the rebels can figure out how to hand him to U.S. authorities, Moustafa said. From Aqaba, Jordan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that the White House was "working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria" but declined further comment for privacy reasons. Washington's top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, travelled to Lebanon this week in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Tice. President Joe Biden has said his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged on Sunday that "we have no direct evidence" of his status. The case has frustrated U.S. intelligence officials for years. "This is a priority for the United States," Blinken said. Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus in August 2012 as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men. He hasn't been heard from since. Assad's government had denied that it was holding him. As Syrians celebrate the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's regime after more than 50 years of brutal father-son rule, the search continues for tens of thousands of Syrians who are still missing after having been arrested, detained or disappeared. Human rights experts are urging the preservation of evidence of the torture and death of political prisoners as the doors of the countrys prisons are finally opened. We must prioritize accounting for the missing, ensuring that families receive the clarity and recognition they desperately need, Geir Pedersen, U.N. special envoy for Syria, said in a statement Thursday. Evidence of atrocities must be preserved and thoroughly documented to ensure accountability under international humanitarian law. Justice for the victims and their families is not only a right, but also essential for healing and for preventing further violations. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has been documenting the thousands of arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared and persons tortured to death under Assads rule since 2011, when a regime crackdown on peaceful anti-government protests grew into a civil war. According to SNHRs figures, at least 231,000 civilians have been killed in the war, with 202,000 deaths attributed to the regime and the rest to various armed factions. SNHR says those killed by the regime include 23,000 children and 22,000 women as well as 15,000 who were tortured to death. The group has also documented more than 96,000 forcibly disappeared persons and about 40,000 detainees. SNHR director Fadel Abdul Ghany told VOA that his group has been continuously monitoring who has been released from detention since the Assad regime collapsed Sunday. So, approximately 31,000 have been released from those arbitrary arrests or enforced disappearances, he said, from a total of 136,000 persons. He said that leaves about 105,000 people who are unaccounted for. Abdul Ghany said his organizations research over the past 14 years, including the examination of thousands of death certificates, has enabled us at the Syrian Network for Human Rights to announce that the vast majority of those, the remaining 105,000, have been killed. It is devastating news for families, many of whom have held out hope for more than a decade that they might see their missing loved ones again. This week, many families descended upon the notorious military prison on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus, known as Sednaya. In 2017, Amnesty International described the prison as a human slaughterhouse, where authorities quietly and methodically killed thousands of people. International news reports this week have shown men, many barefoot and some half naked, walking out of the prison, many emaciated, some unable to recall their own names. Some prisoners had been in the facility since before the war, dating back decades to the rule of Assads father, Hafez al-Assad. Video from inside Sednaya shows torture chambers and cells, walls and floors caked in years of blood, mold, filth and thick cobwebs. Brazilian political science professor Paulo Pinheiro has chaired the U.N.-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic since 2011. The Assad regime would not grant them access to Syria, but the commission carried out its work, methodically chronicling testimony from more than 11,000 survivors and witnesses of abuses and atrocities in the civil war. Pinheiro said Sednaya had close links to the government. We know what units were responsible for the arbitrary detention, what personnel was involved in each center, the command of the center, the articulation with central organizations in the Syrian state, he told VOA. Also seen in video from Sednaya were people taking documents, perhaps in the hope of finding their loved ones names among the pages. Other papers appeared burned to ashes. Pinheiro said evidence must be preserved for the new authorities. And we are intending to contact the new authorities precisely to affirm this need, he said. I think it is in the best interests of the new authorities that the evidence is being preserved. Those new authorities are members of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which until 2016 was affiliated with al-Qaida. HTS is listed by the United Nations and the United States as a terrorist organization. The group's leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, led the coalition of rebels whose offensive toppled the Assad regime in just over one week. Assad and his family fled to Russia as the rebels approached the capital. On Tuesday, Jolani said he would name officials from the former regime who are wanted for torturing Syrian citizens. In its latest report launched in August, the U.N. Syria Commission of Inquiry said it had reasonable grounds to believe that the Government continued to commit acts of torture and ill-treatment against persons in State custody, including practices causing death in detention, as well as arbitrary imprisonment, rape or other forms of sexual violence of similar gravity, and enforced disappearances, again confirming continuing patterns of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Pinheiro said since the conflict began in 2011, the commission has compiled and updated a confidential list of alleged perpetrators. Their names are held in a safe in Geneva with the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. When the government will be established, we will be very happy to contribute this list to the judicial system, Pinheiro said. SNHR issued an appeal this week to Russian President Vladimir Putin to extradite Assad to face trial in Syria for the crimes his regime committed, which include the use of chemical weapons and barrel bombs against the population in opposition areas. Abdul Ghany told VOA that the new authorities should offer assurances that Assad or any security or military officers will not be subject to torture. This should be a rule that no one should be subjected to any type of torture, he said. The uprisings aim is to move our state from brutal dictatorship, family rule, toward democracy and toward rule [that] respects the human rights. Both Abdul Ghany and Pinheiro say accountability must not be limited to only the Assad regime. Rights violations were committed by other armed groups in Syrias civil war, including HTS, although to a much lesser extent than the regime. The Commission of Inquirys August report cited HTS for some executions, as well as detentions including a 7-year-old child, beatings, coerced confessions and reports of torture in their prisons. Since HTS launched its lightning offensive across several cities and towns on November 27, SNHR says the group has been responsible for the deaths of fewer than 10 civilians. I think it is a good indication, Abdul Ghany said. He said his group has recorded minor violations by HTS and will continue to monitor them as the transition plays out. Until now, they are doing good, he said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Iraq on Friday after Syria-focused talks with his counterpart in Turkey. Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad, after flying from Ankara on a C-17 U.S. Air Force plane. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken underscored the U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraqs security, stability and sovereignty. The secretary reaffirmed the United States support for a Syrian-led political process resulting in an inclusive and representative civilian government, said Miller in a statement. He emphasized that the transition process and resulting government must uphold clear commitments to respect the human rights of the Syrian people, including women and members of minority communities, and all of Syrias religious and holy sites. During talks with Iraqs prime minister, Blinken also emphasized the need to facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance, and to prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors. The two also discussed continuing efforts to prevent ISIS from resurging and destabilizing the broader region. ISIS is an acronym for the Islamic State terror group. Talks in Turkey Earlier on Friday, the secretary of state met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Turkeys capital, where Blinken called for an interim Syrian government that is inclusive and nonsectarian, one that protects the rights of minorities and women, one that preserves institutions of the state and delivers services to the people. Blinken said both countries would like to see the interim Syrian government find and appropriately destroy chemical weapons left over from former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. He said he does not want Syria to pose a threat to its neighbors and wants the interim leadership to reject any alliances with extremist groups, particularly Islamic State. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate, Blinken said. He added there is a basis to ensure that that threat doesn't rear its head again. And it's imperative that we keep at it, keep up those efforts. Blinken met with Fidan on the second leg of his Middle East tour, which was triggered by the ouster of Assad's regime in a lightning offensive spearheaded by Islamist-led HTS rebels, ending 54 years of the Assad familys repressive rule. On Thursday, the secretary of state met with Turkish President Recep Erdogan. Blinken was also in Jordan Thursday where he met with King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi. He told reporters following those talks in Aqaba, Jordan, that the sides are working to coordinate regional efforts to support the Syrian people as they transition away from Assads brutal dictatorship. American rescued Blinken also discussed 29year-old Travis Timmerman, a missing American who turned up in Syria Thursday. Timmerman was among thousands of people released by rebels from Syria's notorious prisons last weekend as the rebels swept toward the capital, Damascus, and overthrew Assad. Timmerman was initially mistaken by some for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago and has yet to be found after the rebel takeover and Assad's flight to asylum in Russia. In a video, Timmerman was seen lying on a mattress under a blanket in what appeared to be a private house. A group of men in the video said that he was being treated well and would be safely returned home. It was not immediately clear where Timmerman had been held. Blinken told reporters U.S. officials were working to confirm Timmerman's identity and provide him support. He said the White House was "working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria" but declined further comment for privacy reasons. "I can't give you any details on exactly what's going to happen," he said. In a later interview with the Al-Arabiya TV network, Timmerman said he had illegally crossed into Syria on foot from the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle before being detained and held in a cell alone. Timmerman, who said he had been trying to make a Christian pilgrimage, said he had been treated well but could hear other young men being tortured. "It was OK. I was fed. I was watered. The one difficulty was that I couldn't go to the bathroom when I wanted to," he said. Timmerman said he was allowed to go only three times a day. "I was not beaten and the guards treated me decently," he said. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The United States and its NATO allies are paying increased attention to military cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic, where the two countries have conducted joint naval exercises, coast guard patrols and strategic bomber air training. That cooperation includes more closely coordinated military drills, said Iris Ferguson, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and Global Resilience. She spoke during an online December 5 discussion hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The increasing levels of collaboration between Russia and the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] and the unprecedented style of collaboration, especially in the military domain, give us again pause," said Ferguson. In October, the coast guards of China and Russia conducted their first joint Arctic maritime patrol. In July, four Russian and Chinese strategic bombers flew over the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea, marking the first time their military aircraft launched from the same airbase in northern Russia and the first time Chinese bombers flew within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. China and Russia also held joint naval exercises in the Bering Strait in 2022 and 2023. China has no Arctic territory of its own but is interested in growing opportunities for mineral exploration and a shipping route to Europe as climate change causes the Arctic ice cap to recede. "It is an interesting development showing that a level of cooperation that a few years ago we didnt think will get to that level," said Stephanie Pezard, associate research department director at the RAND Corporation, headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The U.S. Department of Defense published a "2024 Arctic Strategy" in July that identifies Chinese and Russian collaboration as a major geopolitical challenge driving the need for a new strategic approach to the Arctic. Chang Ching, a senior researcher from the Society for Strategic Studies based in Taipei, said China's presence in the Arctic creates pressure on the U.S. and other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "In the past, Russia was the only traditional adversary in the Arctic, but now there is an additional challenge," Chang told VOA Mandarin this week. No immediate threat Other NATO members are responding to the increased military activities of Russia and China in the Arctic. Canada released a new Arctic Foreign Policy report December 6 to address its growing military cooperation with other like-minded nations in the region. The report recommends that Canada strengthen diplomatic and technological cooperation with NATO countries in the Arctic and like-minded nations such as Japan and South Korea. It also emphasizes enhancing Canada's military presence in the Arctic. Canadas Arctic territory makes up about 40% of the country and more than 70% of its coastline. Canada, Finland, and the U.S. in November agreed to jointly build icebreakers, ships to cut through frozen waters, a decision driven at least in part by a desire to counter Russia's influence in the region. Despite their stepped-up joint military activities in the Arctic, analysts say China and Russia do not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. and its partners in the region. "I think its really important to not overstate what the PRC is getting from Russia as well," Ferguson said. "We know what it takes to operate with allies. We know the years of investment and trust building and interoperability required to make an alliance, and you know their flying in [a] circle together is not the same." Why is China in the Arctic? China is a new player in the Arctic. Beijings "Arctic Policy White Paper," published in 2018, stated that China's polar strategy focuses on issues such as climate change, environmental protection, scientific research, navigation routes, resource exploration and development, security and international governance. "China will not and has no intention of using Arctic issues to promote its geopolitical interests," said the Chinese Embassy to VOA Mandarin in an emailed response Wednesday to the comments made at the online CSIS discussion. "As a non-Arctic country, China is an active participant, builder and contributor to Arctic affairs, contributing its wisdom and strength to the change and development of the Arctic," the embassy statement said. However, Yang Zhen and Ren Yanyan, researchers at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, suggest that China-Russia naval cooperation in the Arctic is a way to counterbalance what they call the U.S.s "maritime hegemony." Meanwhile, Beijing and Moscow have been developing Arctic shipping routes, especially for Russian oil and gas, as Western sanctions over Russias invasion of Ukraine have largely halted the trade with Europe. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya says it has begun training Kenyan journalists to promote professionalism and integrity. But press advocates say the initiative is ironic as China sits close to the bottom in a key press freedom ranking for 2024. Kenyan news anchor and reporter Allan Aoko is one of dozens of reporters and editors at the state-run Kenya Broadcasting Corporation who recently participated in a Chinese Embassy-sponsored media course in Nairobi. The course touched on a range of journalism topics. ''It was very critical for me to understand the kind of tools that we should be using in artificial intelligence as a reporter using those tools to disseminate the news," he said. "It was important for me to understand the details.'' Some 70 journalists participated in the training. Speaking at the opening of the training session, the Chinese Embassys deputy ambassador to Kenya, Zhang Zhizhong, talked about the importance of the role of journalism in a nation. ''Journalists and reporters, you are the core of media and also the key factor in the success of media in conveying information and shaping perceptions and leading a country or nation into the correct direction," Zhang said. Studies by independent journalist advocacy groups have documented how China uses such partnerships to try to foster more positive coverage, including via press junkets, sponsorships and so-called career development opportunities to nurture better media relations. It has also offered tightly controlled press trips to Xinjiang to try to counter investigative reporting that has exposed its mass detentions and abuses in the region. As the world's leading jailer of journalists, China is considered one of the most censored countries in the world, using a combination of censorship, surveillance and legal threats to prevent free expression. The country ranks 172nd out of 180 on the Press Freedom Index, where 1 reflects the best media environment. Aleksandra Bielakowska works for Reporters Without Borders, which compiles the index. She said that "inside their country, Beijing is conducting a full-scale campaign against independent voices, which is also independent journalists. In the past 10 years, we could see some space for independent journalism in China. The investigative journalists have almost died out. The Kenyan national broadcasters editor-in-chief, Simon Maina, told VOA that because resources are limited, accepting help from China may be inevitable. But Maina said his newsrooms editorial decisions are free of Chinas influence. ''The sponsorship they have given us does not interfere with our editorial policy," Maina said. "Our editorial policy still stands, so it has nothing to do with how they operate in their country. A 2021 report by the International Federation of Journalists found that Beijing's strategy was to target journalists in developing countries, such as in Africa, where it has deep financial interests. The report further showed that three quarters of African respondents said they viewed cooperation with Chinese entities as positive, especially where there was not enough media infrastructure. Kenyan foreign policy professor Noah Midamba said that even with Beijings efforts and investments in Africa, the continent's mass media are still aligned with the West because of the language barrier with China. ''What is lagging for the Chinese is their information has not penetrated to the people in the streets, people in the rural areas and the most populous [regions] in Africa, as most Africans dont understand Chinese,'' he said. At the same time, what has made the headlines is Kenyas participation in Chinas global infrastructure development project called the Belt and Road Initiative - a partnership many economists say has led the country into a debt trap. Brutal tactics employed by Russia in its war on Ukraine have shocked much of the world but come as no surprise to older residents of Chechnya, who this week marked the 30th anniversary of an equally brutal war one that many believe bore the seeds of the current conflict in Ukraine. It was on December 11, 1994, that then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin launched an armed response to a bid by Chechnya, an autonomous republic in southern Russias North Caucasus region, to break away from the Russian Federation. To thwart the self-styled Chechen Republic of Ichkerias independence bid, the Russian military threw poorly trained and equipped conscripts against highly motivated Chechen guerrillas. Between December 1994 and August 1996, when the two sides signed the Khasavyurt Accords ending the First Chechen War, an estimated 8,000 Russian troops were killed or listed as missing in action, and more than 50,000 wounded. The conflict also killed an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 Chechen civilians and fighters, and claimed the lives of as many as 35,000 ethnic Russian residents of Chechnya. British journalist Thomas de Waal, who had worked in Chechnya before the war, returned to the Chechen capital of Grozny in January 1995 and found a horrific scene. "Already the city had fallen to the Russian forces, but [only] after the most intense bombardment I think anyone had seen certainly Russia had seen since the end of the Second World War," De Waal, now a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, recently told Voice of Americas Russian Service. "Most of the city lay in ruins," he said. "Entire blocks had been destroyed, leaving gaping holes in their place. People were coming out of the basements where they had been hiding for weeks." Among those hiding from Russian bombing in Groznys basements was Abubakar Yangulbayev, now a lawyer and human rights activist, who was then 2 years old. The First Chechen War left a deep imprint on him. "It was total devastation," he told VOA. "There was nothing, everything was broken, everything was destroyed. And here is my first understanding: Is there any peace anywhere, where everything is not destroyed, where there are roads, where there is normal life without mud, without those constant annoying tanks, armored personnel carriers and all that?" One generals bid Chechnyas independence bid was launched by Dzhokhar Dudayev, a former Soviet general who had commanded strategic nuclear bomber aircraft divisions. He declared the regions independence from the Russian Federation in October 1991, following a referendum that confirmed him as the Chechen Republic of Ichkerias president. De Waal, who met Dudayev three times, called him "an extraordinary figure," but also "pretty crazy." "Hed become a general in the Soviet army, but he also had become a Chechen nationalist," De Waal said. "He was very Soviet in his mentality as well as Chechen. He would give these long, long speeches, denunciations of Russian imperialism, but he was really part of the problem." However, the Russian militarys indiscriminate mass bombardment of civilian areas in Chechnya, along with looting and human rights abuses committed by Russian troops deployed there, soon tipped the scales in the moral assessment of the conflict. "It was complete devastation," said De Waal. "It had gone from a situation where Russia had said that they wanted to remove, as they described it, the anti-constitutional regime of Dzhokhar Dudayev, to a position of total war. And it certainly felt that way to the Chechens. They did not feel that they were being liberated from an unfriendly regime." De Waal, along with other observers, believes that the First Chechen War marked a watershed in Russias post-Soviet development. "For me, Yeltsins invasion of his intervention in Chechnya, whatever you want to call it, in December 1994, was a Rubicon moment," he said. "It was the moment when Russias democratic post-Soviet dream ended, and it entered a much darker period from that moment on." Lost diplomatic opportunity? That "Rubicon moment," however, was not acknowledged by Western governments that supported Yeltsin. Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, was a U.S. Foreign Service officer working in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow when the First Chechen War started. He noted that then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, who "had decided early on that Yeltsin was the best hope for democratic transition in Russia," compared the Chechen conflict with the American Civil War. "Now, that was a bit far-fetched even for some people inside the Clinton administration at that point, who saw, I think even in the early stages, that this was going to pose a threat to the democratic transition," Graham told VOA. "The question is, what could we have done differently at that point? You know, we certainly werent going to insert ourselves militarily into this and we werent going to support the Chechen rebels by any stretch of the imagination," he added. "We could have perhaps put more pressure on Yeltsin in the private conversations to bring this conflict to an end or to pursue the conflict with greater regard to what you would call the laws of armed conflict and so forth." Khasavyurt Accords On April 21, 1996, Dudayev was assassinated by two laser-guided missiles fired by Russian warplanes. Several months later, his successor, Aslan Maskhadov who would be killed by Russian forces in Chechnya nearly nine years later negotiated the Khasavyurt Accords with the Yeltsin government, ending the fighting. The cessation of hostilities, however, would prove to be relatively short-lived. Over the next several years, Chechen militants, increasingly influenced by radical Islamist ideology and operating jointly with allied fighters from neighboring North Caucasus republics and Middle Eastern jihadists, ratcheted up attacks. Amid persistent rumors that President Boris Yeltsins health was deteriorating, the rising violence and unrest in the North Caucasus ultimately sparked the Second Chechen War in August 1999. Yeltsins newly chosen prime minister, former spy chief Vladimir Putin, increasingly took the lead in the new North Caucasus military campaign, taking full charge of the Second Chechen War after Yeltsin stepped down and Putin became acting president on December 31, 1999. The renewed conflict again saw systematic human rights violations against civilians committed by Russian forces. For their part, the Chechen insurgents, sometimes operating together with allied regional and Middle Eastern militants, carried out high-profile terrorist attacks targeting Russian civilians. According to human rights activist Abubakar Yangulbayev, Putin "built his career" on the "reoccupation or retaking of Chechnya." "He built his elections on this, he built his promises on this," he said. "By creating a cult of impunity in Chechnya, he created the same foundation for all of Russia, which ultimately led to the war in Georgia, and the war in Syria, and the war in Ukraine." The First Chechen War, said de Waal, was not only "a huge tragedy for the Chechen people, who still live with the legacy of this war," but "also a huge tragedy for Russia, not only in terms of the lives of Russian soldiers lost, but in a social sense, in terms of the violence that permeates society." The U.S. mid-Atlantic state of Maryland may seem like an odd place for hula dancing. Yet every weekend, dancers gather in downtown Silver Spring to practice the ancient form of storytelling, despite the thousands of miles between them and Hawaii, the tropical island state where hula was born. VOA's Keith Lane has the story. South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said on Friday the best way to restore order in the country is to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, a day ahead of a planned parliamentary vote over Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law. Yoon's move to impose military rule on December 3 was rescinded within six hours, but it plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and there were widespread calls for him to step down for breaking the law. Yoon on Thursday vowed to "fight to the end," blaming the opposition party for paralyzing the government and claiming a North Korean hack into the election commission made his party's crushing defeat in an April parliamentary election questionable. Democratic Party leader Lee called Yoon's remarks "a declaration of war" against the people. "It proved that impeachment is the fastest and the most effective way to end the confusion," he said. Yoon survived the first attempt to impeach him last Saturday, when most of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote. Since then, some PPP members have publicly supported a vote to impeach him. Opposition parties, which control the single-chamber parliament, have introduced another impeachment bill and plan to hold a vote on Saturday. They need at least eight PPP members to join to pass the bill with the two-thirds majority required. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR and Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo have signed an agreement on the attraction of financial resources, Trend reports via SOCAR. The signing ceremony was held in Milan, Italy, during a meeting of the SOCAR delegation headed by Vice President Zaur Gurbanov with the management of Intesa Sanpaolo Bank as well as its subsidiary Vseobecna Uverova Banka. The meetings weaved a tapestry of dialogue, exploring the vast horizons of collaboration yet to be charted. Additionally, discussions were conducted with current and prospective Italian investors who own or express interest in SOCAR bonds available in the international financial market. Detailed information was provided on the current state of financial markets, SOCAR's financial indicators and ratings, as well as the company's plans in the field of green energy. X: @Lyaman_Zeyn Its all diplomatic hands on deck in the Middle East as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Jordan Thursday for talks with Jordanian and Turkish officials about the fall of the Syrian regime, and top Biden aides are pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza. A look at how U.S. foreign assistance is allocated and where it goes, French President Emanuel Macron is in Poland for meeting about security in Ukraine. Plus, what is "birthright citizenship" and what would happen if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his plan to eliminate it? Two Namibian political parties scored a legal victory Friday when three judges on the countrys Electoral Court ruled they can examine Electoral Commission materials from last months presidential and legislative elections. The parties have rejected election results, which showed the long-ruling SWAPO party retaining control of parliament, although with a reduced majority. The two parties the Independent Patriots for Change, or IPC, and the Landless Peoples Movement, or LPM appear to be looking for evidence of irregularities in the elections that returned the SWAPO party to power. Opposition parties say voter turnout was suppressed in some areas due to a lack of ballot papers. But critics argue that even though there were widespread irregularities, they were of a logistical nature and cannot be seen as having affected the final election results. John Nakuta is a human rights lawyer and lecturer at Namibias national university. Speaking to VOA at the courthouse Friday, Nakuta outlined what he believed the IPC and LKM are trying to accomplish. So, it is as if they want to inspect whether or not there indeed was irregularities, as they seem to be unofficially saying there were irregularities," said Nakuta. "They want to investigate as to establish evidence whether there was irregularities and then after they would then, I suppose, come back to ask the court to nullify based on the evidence they would produce. A spokesperson for the IPC, Imms Nashinge, said Fridays ruling is just a first step in a legal challenge that the party intends to bring to court in about a week. We made it clear that we are not accepting anything from this sham of an election from day one and our colleagues, other political parties such as PDM, UDF and others are in support with us. Thats why you have seen on the day of the announcement we did not attend," said Nashinge. "We made it clear even before the results were announced that even if it come out on our favor, we were not going to accept anything because it violates the principles and values of our democracy. At the courthouse, Elections Commissioner Pius Iikwambi said the commission had already reached an agreement with the aggrieved parties where they offered them the opportunity to inspect election materials and this court process was just an affirmation of what they had already decided. Electoral commission spokesperson De Wet Siluka told VOA the political parties that object to the outcome of the elections are themselves to blame for failing to send representatives to various polling stations to inspect the election process as it was being carried out. We even allocated them tables, chairs and computers where they could verify, as we verify also, to say, 'OK, this is what we have received from the collation center, these are the documents we have received from the polling station themselves and here is what...' Because here we only verify to see what we received from the collation center and what they received from the polling station are they adding up, then we proceed, said Siluka. Twenty-two political parties contested the just-ended presidential and National Assembly elections in Namibia. Of those, 13 managed to obtain seats in the 104-member National Assembly where SWAPO holds a majority of 51 seats. The ruling Friday by the electoral court says the opposition parties can inspect the forms showing results from various polling stations. Critics say its unclear what, if anything, the parties will be able to prove once they are done inspecting the documents. Malawi is on high alert for the impact of Tropical Cyclone Chido, as meteorological experts said Friday the cyclone will bring heavy rain and flooding to the countrys south. An update from Malawis Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services said the cyclone, which at the time was northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, has maintained its strength with maximum winds of 250 kilometers per hour. It said the cyclone is expected to sustain that intensity through Saturday afternoon as it slowly moves westward at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour, with significant potential for heavy rainfall. According to the update, Cyclone Chido will likely pass through 11 districts in southern Malawi Mangochi, Machinga, Phalombe, Balaka, Mulanje, Blantyre, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Zomba, Mwanza and Neno. Its expected to make landfall Sunday near Nacala in Mozambique, causing heavy rain and flooding in some areas until Tuesday. Chipiliro Khamula, spokesperson for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, told VOA that the agency has advised people in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground and follow evacuation orders. We have alerted all [district] councils and activated all clusters for swift preparatory and anticipatory actions, Khamula said. We have also made standby arrangements for the deployment of a search-and-rescue team comprising the Malawi Defense Force, the Malawi Police Service, the Marine Department and the Malawi Red Cross Society. Tropical Cyclone Chido comes a year after Cyclone Freddy, which killed over 1,000 people in southern Malawi and washed away large numbers of crops and livestock. Freddy also hit Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This year, even before the coming cyclone, Malawi has had to cope with the impact of El Nino weather conditions, which caused drought and food shortages for more than a quarter of the countrys population of 20 million. Paul Turnbull, country director for the World Food Program in Malawi, told VOA via a messaging app on Friday that the WFP has available food stocks in its warehouses to complement the governments food stocks. These stocks were mainly intended to be food assistance for people affected by El Nino as the requirement for El Nino persists, he said. If food is needed to respond to Cyclone Chido, WFP will be seeking support to cover these costs so that we would not compromise the support for the ongoing El Nino response. Turnbull also said the WFP has boats to assist the Malawi government fleet if boats are needed to deliver food and rescue victims of post-cyclone flooding. Malawis President Lazarus Chakwera has renewed his appeal for international assistance to address severe food shortages affecting more than one quarter of the countrys population of 20 million. Malawi is currently facing one of its worst food shortage situations in decades with about 5.7 million people affected, according to a recent Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report. This is about a quarter of the countrys population of about 20 million people. In rural areas, some villagers were reported to be surviving on wild plants like buffalo beans. In a televised address to the nation Wednesday evening, Chakwera discussed the ongoing issue. "We are not out of the woods yet," he said. "This is why I continue to lobby for international support to address the humanitarian crisis we are facing." In March of this year, the president appealed for $200 million in food aid for millions of citizens facing starvation due to a drought linked to the El Nino weather condition. In his renewed appeal on Wednesday, Chakwera acknowledged the donations that Malawi has so far received from various development partners through the U.N. World Food Program. "From the governments of Sweden and Netherlands, the WFP received a donation of $11.8 million," he said. "I say thank you. From the government of the United States, the WFP received a donation of $7 million, and I say thank you. From the government of the United Kingdom, the WFP received a donation of $3.8 million , and I say thank you. From the government of Japan, the WFP received a donation of $1.9 million, and I say thank you." Chakwera said additional food aid is urgently needed to save lives. "If you are out there standing with Malawians and giving them the help they need during this crisis, I can assure you that Malawians are honest and fair-minded people who will remember those who are bringing them food in this season of drought and hunger, and who know how to distinguish them from those who brought them nothing," he said. Kylie Scott, head of partnerships and communication for the U.N.s World Food program in Malawi, told VOA that the U.N.s food agency still needs more assistance. "At the moment, we have got funding until the end of the year," Scott said. "But there will be a gap until March 2025. So, we are working really hard to make sure that we can close that gap and make sure that no one gets left behind." In the meantime, Malawis Department of Disaster Management Affairs, the World Food Program and several local humanitarian organizations are distributing assistance to communities facing food shortages. Millions of faithful gathered to mark Mexico's Virgin of Guadalupe Day, honoring the country's patron saint. But calls by the Roman Catholic Church for a truce in Mexico's cartel violence apparently went unheeded as more dead bodies were found in the country Thursday. Enormous crowds gathered early in the day, singing the traditional Mexican birthday song "Las mananitas" at Mexico City's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe to honor the virgin on the 493rd anniversary of her apparition in 1531. Mariachi bands and traditional dance groups were also present at the basilica, which has a mix of modern and colonial-era architecture. Maria Luisa Vazquez Mendoza, 33, a homemaker, walked for 16 hours from neighboring Mexico state to visit the basilica on the capital's north side and give thanks "for another year of life, and that my family is all right." "You feel joy in your heart when you see the gates of the basilica so close," said Vazquez Mendoza. "Your body relaxes completely. You don't feel pain or tiredness anymore." Earlier this week, the Mexican Council of Bishops wrote an editorial calling for "a halt to the armed violence and hostile statements." "In a country where violence has left painful wounds in families and polarization among the public, this is a proposal to reflect, and act in favor of reconciliation and human dignity," the council wrote on a church website, Desde la Fe. But in the north-central state of Guanajuato which has the highest number of homicides of any of Mexico's 32 states the day was possibly even more violent than usual. Police and prosecutors said 15 dead bodies were found on the streets in various cities in Guanajuato, and they warned that the death toll might be higher. In one macabre location, a pile of human remains was discovered on a highway near the city of Salvatierra, but authorities were still investigating how many victims it contained. Local media said parts of hacked-up human bodies were left in black garbage bags in the back of a pickup truck with a banner signed by a drug cartel. In Guanajuato in 2023 there were 8.5 homicides a day on average, according to official figures. Vazquez Mendoza said she hoped the call for a truce might still influence people "to be a little more human, more conscious." Over 11 million worshippers had visited the basilica in the days leading up to the annual celebration of Mexico's patroness, authorities said. Many had walked from distant villages and others rode on bicycles or buses to reach the basilica's enormous patio, where a sea of tents held pilgrims who had slept overnight to greet the virgin in the morning. The cold temperature, long walks and the wait to see the virgin's cloak inside the basilica did not discourage them. Many of the pilgrims walked the last mile or so carrying flowers or large paintings of the virgin. According to church tradition, in 1531, the dark-skinned virgin appeared to the Indigenous peasant Juan Diego and her image was imprinted on his cloak, which is on display inside the church. Juan Diego was made a saint in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. Traditionally, those who have asked for help from the Virgin of Guadalupe come in a sign of appreciation. Some, like street vendor Christofer Hernandez, completed the last stretch to the basilica barefoot or on their knees. Arturo Rivas was one of 200 people who made the pilgrimage on bicycle from the nearby state of Tlaxacala, a ride of over 60 miles (100 kilometers). "We are excited to come year after year," Rivas said. "This is what our parents taught us." In Kwango, a remote part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an unknown illness continues to rage in villages, killing mostly children. So far, public health officials there have reported 143 deaths. On December 10, the World Health Organization said that of the 12 initial samples of the mysterious disease, now dubbed X, "10 tested positive for malaria, although it's possible that more than one disease is involved." ''The disease is mostly affecting the patient suffering from severe malnutrition, making it harder to trace the illness's exact source," WHO has said. With public health officials and WHO battling to control the spread of the disease and investigate its origin, dozens of social media users, without evidence, blamed the U.S. and other foreign public institutions for the outbreak. One such X user and activist, Egountchi Behanzin, known for sharing pro-Russia and anti-U.S. narratives, claimed: "Is it a coincidence that the Congo has become an experimental laboratory where populations have become guinea pigs to allow the World Health Organization, the #BillGates foundation, American European pharmaceutical firms and American biolabs to test viruses and other dirty things?" That is false. For decades, Russia has launched widespread disinformation campaigns in Africa attacking U.S. public health campaigns. On February 12, the Global Engagement Center, the State Department's unit countering disinformation, published The Kremlin's efforts to spread deadly disinformation in Africa, a report that exposed a web operated by the Russian intelligence services through a news agency, Africa Initiative. "One of Africa Initiative's first major campaigns is to target U.S. and Western health initiatives in Africa with dangerous health-related disinformation," the report said. "Africa Initiative recruits African journalists, bloggers and members of local publics to support and amplify the organization's work of bolstering Russia's image and denigrating that of other countries. Mark Duerksen, a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, told VOA Fact Check in an interview that ''the statement repeats a number of conspiratorial claims that we have seen recycled by FIMI [Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference] campaigns in Africa as a way of spreading disinformation. These campaigns prey on the fear and uncertainty of disease outbreaks and cynically use that as fodder to discredit Western public health initiatives." Duerksen added, ''Egountchi Behanzin has used his platform to make similar claims about malaria vaccines in Burkina Faso. His claims have been amplified by pro-Russian influencers and the African Initiative, a Russian-sponsored disinformation outlook. His claims should be evaluated within this context." Behanzin was recently exposed by The New York Times, the BBC and The Wall Street Journal, among others, for spreading disinformation about anti-malaria vaccines in Africa. Contrary to Behanzin's claims, WHO, created 76 years ago, is a credible U.N. agency with 150 offices worldwide. It is the largest intergovernmental health organization in the world and is mainly responsible for global public health. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Before a drug can be tested in people, the drug company or sponsor performs laboratory and animal tests to discover how the drug works and whether it's likely to be safe and work well in humans." Fondation Hirondelle, a Swiss nonprofit organization that provides information to populations faced with crisis in Congo and other parts of the world, said there have been similar conspiracy theories against [the] Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that it plans to reduce the Congolese population,'' but ''there is no credible or factual basis to support the thesis.'' Although the U.S. has labs in several countries, including Congo, the U.S. State Department said the U.S. works with partner countries to support the control and surveillance of infectious-disease outbreaks with epidemic potential. "The United States' peaceful cooperation and assistance activities comply with and help fulfill our obligations under the BWC [Biological Weapons Convention]. These cooperation and assistance activities have been transparent and designed to help countries detect, prepare for and respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases," the State Department said. In Congo, the U.S. operates a lab jointly with Japan that monitors malaria, measles, Ebola and Marburg, among other diseases. The governor of Russias central Oryol region said early Saturday that Ukranian drones had attacked a facility in the area that stores fuel, sparking a fire. Andrei Klychkov said on the Telegram messaging app that the "mass attack" targeted an infrastructure site. He said some homes in the region had been damaged by fragments of downed drones. Ukrainian military blogs posted video of a fire that they said was at a Russian fuel storage facility. Other Russian regions also reported Ukrainian drone attacks, including Krasnodar, Bryansk and Belgorod. Meanwhile, Ukrainian news outlets on Friday said Russian troops were closing in Pokrovsk, an eastern city that is considered a key logistical hub for the Ukrainian military. The Kyiv Post and Kyiv Independent newspapers reported Friday that Russian troops control areas 5 kilometers or less from Pokrovsk, a city of about 60,000 in Ukraine's Donetsk region. On the positive side for Ukraine, the Independent, citing the DeepState monitoring group that tracks the Russia-Ukraine war, reports that Ukrainian forces have resisted Russian assaults on several other Donetsk locales in recent days. Earlier Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched one of the largest assaults to date on his nation's energy infrastructure, sending 93 missiles and nearly 200 attack drones against the nation. In a report from his X social media account, Zelenskyy said Ukraine's air defenses managed to shoot down 81 of the missiles, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by Ukraine's F-16 fighter aircraft. The Ukrainian president said there was at least one North Korean missile used in the attack. In his comments, Zelenskyy lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying of the attack, "This is Putin's 'peaceful' plan to destroy everything. This is how he wants 'negotiations' terrorizing millions of people." Zelenskyy also called for a strong reaction from world leaders: "a massive strike a massive reaction. This is the only way to stop terror," he said. Russias Defense Ministry said the Russian military used long-range precision missiles and drones on critically important fuel and energy facilities in Ukraine that ensure the functioning of the military industrial complex. It said the strike was in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack on a Russian air base on Wednesday. Zelenskyy said he discussed the attack later Friday in a telephone call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. He said Stubb expressed his readiness to help enhance Ukraine's air defenses as well as Finland's strong support for "Ukraine's sovereign right to choose its own future without external interference, including our choice to join the EU and NATO." Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. A photojournalist who captured one of the most enduring images of World War II the U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima had a block in downtown San Francisco named for him Thursday. Joe Rosenthal, who died in 2006 at age 94, was working for The Associated Press in 1945 when he took the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo. After the war, he went to work as a staff photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle, and for 35 years until his retirement in 1981, he captured moments of city life both extraordinary and routine. Rosenthal photographed famous people for the paper, including a young Willie Mays getting his hat fitted as a San Francisco Giant in 1957, and regular people, including children making a joyous dash for freedom on the last day of school in 1965. The 600 block of Sutter Street, near downtown's Union Square, became Joe Rosenthal Way after a short ceremony Thursday morning. The Marines Memorial Club, which sits on the block, welcomed the street's new name. Aaron Peskin, who heads the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, welcomed the city's political elite, military officials and members of Rosenthal's family to toast the late photographer, who was born in Washington, D.C., to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. The famous photo became the centerpiece of a war bonds poster that helped raise $26 billion in 1945. Tom Graves, chapter historian for the USMC Combat Correspondents Association, which pushed for the street naming, said the image helped win the war. "But I've grown over the years to appreciate also his role as a San Francisco newspaper photographer who, as Supervisor Peskin says, went to work every day photographing the city where we all live, we all love," he said. Graves and others said they look forward to tourists and locals happening upon the street sign, seeing Rosenthal's name for perhaps the first time, and then going online to learn about the photographer with the terrible eyesight but an eye for composition. Rosenthal never considered himself a wartime hero, just a working photographer lucky enough to document the courage of soldiers. When complimented on his Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, Rosenthal said: "Sure, I took the photo. But the Marines took Iwo Jima." A defiant South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a second impeachment vote on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, a move that shocked the country, split his party and imperiled his presidency halfway through his term. Yoon rescinded his December 3 move to impose military rule barely six hours later, after the opposition-controlled parliament defied troops and police to vote against the decree. But it plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and triggered widespread calls for him to step down on the grounds that he had broken the law. Opposition parties plan to hold an impeachment vote at 4 p.m. (0700 GMT), with large demonstrations planned ahead of the vote. Yoon's conservative People Power Party boycotted the first impeachment vote a week earlier, preventing a quorum. Since then, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon has urged party members to vote for impeachment this time, and at least seven PPP members have said they would vote to impeach. The opposition parties need at least eight PPP votes to impeach Yoon, as they control 192 of the 300 seats in the single-chamber parliament and impeachment requires a two-thirds majority. Ahn Cheol-soo, a PPP lawmaker backing Yoon's impeachment, said in a Facebook post on Saturday that he would vote for impeachment "for the sake of swift stabilization of people's livelihood, economy and diplomacy." The PPP floor leader said on Friday, however, that the party's stance remained to oppose impeachment. PPP lawmakers were meeting Saturday morning to decide whether to change that position. The main opposition Democratic Party said on Saturday Yoon's "madness" could no longer be tolerated. "Refusing impeachment is treason against the people," the party said in a statement, asking more from the ruling party to join the impeachment. 'Fight to the end' If impeached, Yoon would lose authority but remain in office until the Constitutional Court either removes or reinstates him. In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would serve as acting president. If the court removes Yoon or he resigns, a presidential election must be held within 60 days. Yoon is separately under criminal investigation for alleged insurrection over the martial law declaration and authorities have banned him from traveling overseas. He has not signaled a willingness to resign and in a speech on Thursday vowed he would "fight to the end," defending his martial law decree as necessary to overcome political deadlock and protect the country from domestic politicians who he said were undermining democracy. Yoon, president of Asia's fourth-largest economy, hopes political allies will rally to support him, but the fiery remarks appeared to find mixed reception among PPP lawmakers. A Gallup Korea poll on Friday found two-thirds of supporters of Yoon's party opposing the impeachment, though three-quarters of all respondents supported it. Protesters calling for Yoon's impeachment began gathering near the parliament on Saturday, while pro-Yoon right-wing rallies at the center of Seoul were due to start early in the afternoon. Some K-pop celebrities have slammed the president and plan to donate food and drinks for those participating in the rally to demand Yoon's impeachment. People have been using delivery apps to preorder food and coffee for protesters. Elected in 2022, Yoon was widely welcomed in Washington and other Western capitals for his rhetoric defending global democracy and freedom, but critics said that masked growing problems at home. He clashed with opposition lawmakers whom he has labeled as "anti-state forces," and press freedom organizations have criticized his heavy-handed approach to media coverage that he deems negative. The crisis and ensuing uncertainty have shaken financial markets and threatened to undermine South Korea's reputation as a stable, democratic success story. South Korean shares rose for a fourth straight session on Friday on hopes that the political uncertainty would ease after this weekend's parliamentary impeachment vote. Switzerland wants to update its network of aging nuclear shelters, which are increasingly seen as an asset at a time of greater global uncertainty, notably since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Thanks to a 1963 law, Switzerland is already ahead of neighbors like Germany. Each of its 9 million residents, including foreigners and refugees, is guaranteed a spot in a bunker to protect them from bombs and nuclear radiation. "In the coming years, the [Swiss] Confederation wants to remove some of the exceptions to the current rules and update some of the older shelters," Louis-Henri Delarageaz, civil protection commander for the Vaud canton, told Reuters. The government launched consultations in October to ensure Swiss "resilience in the event of armed conflict" and plans a $250 million upgrade of old structures. "It doesn't mean we're preparing for a conflict that's not the message but we have a network of shelters and we need to maintain them and make sure they're functional." In the village of Bercher in Vaud canton, civil protection officers in orange overalls inspected a bunker beneath an apartment block as part of a mandatory 10-year check-up. One tried to shove the bunker's door to seal it shut but it would not budge. An air vent wedged between plant pots and a stone ornament was deemed fit, but an escape tunnel full of cobwebs led to a deep manhole with no ladder. "This shelter is not usable in the current state," concluded team head Gregory Fuhrer. The owner will be given a year to fix the faults or else must pay $900 for each resident's spot in a public shelter, he added. Switzerland has stayed out of foreign wars since it became neutral in 1815. It was occupied by France in the 18th century and suffered some aerial bombing in World War II. Delarageaz said his office had received a surge in calls from worried residents about shelters after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. "All of a sudden ... we were indeed extremely sought-after with people wanting to know: where the shelters were, where is my place, is my shelter ready?" he said, adding that requests for a spot from French citizens had to be turned down. While most Swiss have private shelters, some rely on community bunkers. Next to his office is one of the canton's 350 such shelters, well-maintained with bunk beds and toilets. Nearby is an underground command center, an underground hospital with an operating theater and decontamination showers and a bunker to protect works of art. "In Switzerland we have foresight," said Delarageaz. "There's a Latin adage that says: 'If you want peace, prepare for war'." BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. QatarEnergy has selected a joint venture between Japans Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd. (MOL) and Chinas COSCO Shipping LNG Investment (CSLNG) to own and operate six QC-Max size LNG vessels, Trend reports. The vessels will be constructed by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in China. This deal marks the final batch in QatarEnergys ambitious shipbuilding program, which includes a total of 128 LNG vessels104 conventional and 24 QC-Max ultra-modern ships. The long-term contracts were awarded during a ceremony at QatarEnergy's headquarters in Doha, attended by Qatars Minister of State for Energy Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, and senior executives from both MOL and CSLNG. Minister Al-Kaabi emphasized the significance of the deal, stating, This is the last batch of long-term shipowner contracts in our historic shipbuilding program, which will support QatarEnergys LNG expansion projects and the replacement of parts of our existing fleet. The MOL-CSLNG joint venture had previously secured contracts for seven conventional LNG vessels in 2022, bringing its total to 13 long-term agreements under QatarEnergys fleet expansion program. This new partnership is a key step in strengthening QatarEnergys LNG transportation capabilities. The search for secret prisoners in the dungeons of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is now the top priority of the Syrian civil defense group known as the White Helmets, which has been working throughout the civil war to rescue victims of bombing raids on civilian areas. Since the fall of Assad's government earlier this month, the group has also been documenting the former regimes alleged war crimes and helping millions of displaced Syrians to return home. In an interview with VOAs Ukrainian Service, White Helmets co-founder Abdulrahman Almawwas discussed what the groups volunteers have found in the liberated areas, how they are gathering evidence to bring Assad regime elements to justice, and whether Syria faces a threat from radical Islamist forces. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length. VOA: What have White Helmets volunteers found in the newly liberated areas of Syria? Abdulrahman Almawwas, White Helmets co-founder: After the [rebel] military operation started, we started to receive a lot of calls related to unidentified bodies. We found more than 400 unidentified bodies, most of them [Syrian government] soldiers. Moreover, we found a lot of documents in the military facilities [that] had geolocations for potential targets, mostly in civilian areas. We also found some lists of detainees with the names and dates of their arrest, and execution orders with the names of the dead. When we moved to Damascus, we also found prisons. We werent there from the beginning, so we didn't meet the prisoners in Sednaya, but we were in touch with other prisoners. We were there to find if there were any underground cells. After that, we started receiving a lot of calls about secret prisons, and that is what we are working on now to find any secret prisoners. That is our top priority. ... We are also working on the unexploded ordnance. A lot of civilians, including our volunteers , come home and their houses were mined or have unexploded ordnance. And our UXO exploded ordinance teams are trying to deal with this. VOA: Photos of Sednaya prison shocked the world. Can you talk a little bit more about your work helping to free the prisoners and also how you documented crimes against people held there? Almawwas: We don't work on freeing prisoners, but we come after that, trying to connect them with their families, trying to provide first aid. And in this case, we brought some prisoners to hospitals in Damascus and transported them from the hospitals to their families if needed. VOA: According to the human rights organizations, around 137,000 Syrians were missing from the Assad regimes war on its own people. Only a small percentage of those people have been found. What are you doing to find those people, alive or not? Almawwas: We are collaborating with other organizations because we cannot do all this work ourselves. Our vision for the future is to document and preserve all these facts to use for transitional justice and share it with the families. This is exactly what we aim to do to make this reconciliation and then to have a peaceful country. Therefore we are focusing more on documenting the witnesses' testimonies and identifying the bodies. Later, we will reach the families to interview them, collect the DNA, do the matching and simply find an answer to their questions about their loved ones fate. VOA: In the Oscar-winning documentary about your organization, one of your volunteers, Muhammad Farah, said that justice will prevail one day. Do you believe that Syrias liberation from the Assad regime is the justice you've been waiting for? Almawwas: No, I don't believe this is justice, yet I believe this is a victory for these families, for these detainees. In the videos from Sednaya, I saw a woman who was arrested when she was 19 years old she was a virgin. And now she is released with four kids; she doesn't know who the fathers of these kids are. [Ending the regime's] arrests, torture and detentions this is a victory. This is something we can be proud of. But justice hasn't started, because the perpetrators, the criminals, are still free. There is no court now, national or international. And that's what we are asking other states, other governments we call them the friends of the Syrian people to take real steps towards reconstructing Syria and bringing reconciliation and transitional justice. And without these three things, we will not have a country. VOA: You worked closely with your Ukrainian counterparts on documenting Russian war crimes in Syria and in Ukraine. Can you tell a little bit more about that collaboration? Almawwas: We worked on many cases. One of the most important ones was about the double tap airstrikes and attacks against humanitarian workers. We believe that this collaboration must continue. Russian perpetrators committed war crimes in Syria, and then they moved to Ukraine. And this collaboration is aimed to stop it from spreading. We also need to share what we have to bring criminals to justice. VOA: The Assad family regime ruled Syria for 53 years and it collapsed in 11 days. Very unexpectedly. In that context, do you have any message for the Ukrainian people? Almawwas: Yes. We were suffering a lot, but we believed that this day would come. Despite a lot of disappointment with many countries and the international community they let us down many times in the end it happened. So my message to Ukrainians, on behalf of the White Helmets and the Syrian people: We are standing with them against war crimes and their perpetrators. They should have confidence that justice will happen one day. No perpetrator or criminal will live forever. VOA: Following the liberation of Syria, Russian propaganda has expressed concern about the rise of Islamist forces in the country, which is also a concern of some Western experts. What do you have to say about those concerns? Almawwas: This was the [Assad] regimes narrative since 2011. It was trying to export this image about Syria: You have Bashar al-Assad, or you will have ISIS, you will have Islamic groups. If you look at Syria, you will find a lot of civil society organizations. You will find that a lot of Syrians are not to the right or to the left they are in the middle, they are just normal people, like in any country. We have Muslims, Christians, other groups, and we used to live together. And the only one who divided these groups was the regime. So we hope that the next government will be a serious transitional government and it will lead us to a new Syria that all Syrians dream of. The recent assassination of a Taliban minister in Afghanistan by a local Islamic State offshoot has raised concerns about the terrorist network's expansion in the region, while signifying an escalation of the terror groups conflict with the countrys de facto Taliban leaders. Taliban Minister of Refugees and Repartition Khalil-Ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed, along with several staff members, in a suicide bombing while he was exiting his office in the Afghan capital on Wednesday. Haqqani, 58, is the highest-profile target of Islamic State-Khorasan, or IS-K, since the Taliban swept back to power in August 2021. The group has so far killed at least eight high-ranking Taliban officials and prominent figures in suicide bombings. The victims include the governors of the northern Afghan provinces of Balkh and Badakhshan. Taliban authorities have repeatedly claimed that their security operations have effectively diminished IS-K in Afghanistan, urging critics to provide evidence or stop making unfounded allegations about the terrorist groups presence within the Afghan population. Islamic State social media channels again derided the Talibans claims following Haqqanis assassination, asserting the latest deadly attack was a testament to the groups presence in the country and its capacity to strike at will. The United States has refrained from immediately commenting on the deadly attack against the Taliban minister. The only thing I would say is that we recognize and we said so at the time that there was still an ISIS threat inside Afghanistan, National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby told a White House news conference on Thursday, using an acronym for the terrorist group. And clearly, they have set their sights on the Taliban. Afghanistans growing terror threat? The assassination and the terrorism threat emanating from Afghanistan prominently figured in a meeting the United Nations Security Council held Thursday to discuss the situation in the crisis-ridden country. Terrorist forces in Afghanistan such as Daesh, al-Qaida and ETIM/TIP still pose a major threat to international peace and security, Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassador to the U.N., told the gathering. Fu used the Arabic acronym Daesh for the IS-K and referenced the anti-China group known as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP). We call on the Afghan interim government to take counterterrorism measures to eradicate the breeding ground for terrorism and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a gathering place for terrorist organizations again, the Chinese ambassador said. The Russian representative, Vassily Nebenzia, addressed the meeting and highlighted Moscows concerns regarding Islamic State activities in Afghanistan. We are particularly concerned about the ongoing security risks emanating from the persistent terrorist activity of the ISIL Afghan wing, Nebenzia said, using another acronym for the regional IS offshoot. The Russian envoy acknowledged the Talibans efforts to combat the terrorist threat but characterized them as insufficient. We see that the fighters are enhancing their presence in the country, and they are deliberately escalating the situation, thereby recruiting new fighters, including foreign terrorist fighters, and carrying out new terrorist attacks targeting representatives of religious and ethnic minorities, including women and children, he said. Nebenzia went on to assert that Islamic State militants are actively attempting to establish themselves as an alternative force, thereby jeopardizing stability in Afghanistan and the broader region. Transnational terror groups On Thursday, the U.S. State Departments annual country report on terrorism also underscored the threat transnational groups pose to regional stability from Afghanistan. Despite commitments by the Taliban that Afghan soil would be used neither to support terrorist groups nor to launch attacks against the United States or its allies, terrorist groups such as the Islamic States Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (the TTP) continued to take advantage of poor socioeconomic conditions and uneven security procedures that make for a more-permissive operating environment, the report stated. The Taliban arrested some notable ISIS-K operatives in 2023 and viewed ISIS-K as the primary threat in Afghanistan while appearing to apply less pressure against al-Qaida and TTP, the report noted. TTP, a globally designated terrorist group, has waged attacks against Pakistan and has intensified its cross-border raids since the Taliban seized power in Kabul. The IS-K began its extremist operations in the region in early 2015 and mainly consisted of defectors from members of the then-insurgent Afghan Taliban and the TTP. Despite both being ardent advocates of the strict interpretation of Islamic law known as Sharia, the Sunni-based Afghan Taliban and IS-K are notorious for their intense rivalry. ISIS-K claimed responsibility for multiple attacks it carried out beyond the Afghan borders in 2024. The targets included a memorial service in Shiite Iran, a Moscow concert hall and a church in Turkey, collectively killing nearly 250 people. Pakistan, while briefing the Security Council Thursday, highlighted growing TTP attacks, saying the violence is being orchestrated from Afghan hideouts. The TTP with 6,000 fighters is the largest listed terrorist organization operating in Afghanistan. With safe havens close to our border, it poses a direct and daily threat to Pakistans security, Usman Iqbal Jadoon, the Pakistani representative at the U.N., told the meeting Thursday. We have evidence of its [the TTPs] collaboration with other terrorist groups to disrupt Pakistans economic cooperation with China. Given its long association with al-Qaida, the TTP could emerge as al-Qaidas arm with a regional and global terrorist agenda, Jadoon asserted without elaborating further. Taliban leaders deny allegations Afghanistan is being used by foreign militants, including the TTP, to threaten other countries, including Pakistan. President-elect Donald Trump has been named Person of the Year by Time magazine, ringing the opening bell Thursday at the New York Stock Exchange. Time editors noting the choice was a measure of Trump's remarkable comeback from an ostracized former president who refused to accept his election loss four years ago to a president-elect who won the White House decisively in November. As Trump marked the ceremonial start of the days trading, the magazine cover featuring him was projected onto a wall at the NYSE. He was flanked by family and members of his incoming administration. We talked with Kelly Kaufhold, an associate professor of digital media innovation in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Texas State University. U.S. President Joe Biden met virtually with G7 leaders Friday to secure support for Kyivs fight against Russias invasion, less than six weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, a skeptic of aid to Ukraine, is set to take office. The talks followed Washingtons $20 billion disbursement earlier this week to a new World Bank fund that will provide economic support for Ukraine. The money is part of a new $50 billion loan for Kyiv from the Group of Seven democracies that will be paid back with interest income earned from Russian sovereign assets immobilized in G7 countries. Earlier this week Biden approved a new security assistance package for Ukraine that will provide Kyiv with additional air defense, artillery, drones and armored vehicles the 72nd such drawdown package announced by Washington since Russias invasion. As the president made clear, were going to continue to provide additional packages right up until the end of this administration, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said during a news briefing Thursday. On January 20, Biden will hand over power to Trump, who has been critical of using American taxpayers money to help Kyiv. Without providing details, Trump often boasts he can swiftly end the war a statement that many in Europe fear would mean forcing Ukraine to capitulate. We are likely to see the G7 redouble support for Ukraine in part because of concerns that President Trump may reduce support, said William Courtney, adjunct senior fellow at the RAND Corp, to VOA in an interview. Additional sanctions on Russia appear to be in the works, Courtney told VOA. Syria aftermath G7 leaders also focused on fast-moving events related to the momentous transition of power in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. On Thursday , the leaders said in a statement they "stand ready to support a transition process that leads to credible, inclusive and nonsectarian governance" in Syria. Support for the new government is conditional upon respect for the rule of law, universal human rights, including women's rights, the protection of all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minorities, transparency and accountability, the leaders statement said. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that toppled Assad, is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. Its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has a $10 million bounty on his head. The U.S. and other G7 countries have signaled that HTS delisting from their terror list would be dependent upon how inclusive the new government would be. In recent years, Jolani has distanced himself from extremist ideology. Since the rebels victory, he has sought to assure his nonsectarian stance to Syrias ethnic and religious minorities, which include Christians, Kurds, Druze and the Alawite community, a sect from which the Assad family originates. Trump has also signaled that he wants the U.S. to stay out of the Syrian conflict. This is not our fight," Trump said on social media in response to Assads ouster. "Let it play out. Do not get involved! Its unclear whether a new U.S. administration would be able to maintain a hands-off approach that Trump said he wants. There are approximately 900 American troops stationed in Syria, and Washington has close ties with all of Syrias neighbors, including allies Turkey and Israel. Both are already making military maneuvers to secure their interests. Two days after the Syrian rebels took control of Damascus on December 8, Israel launched airstrikes across the country, further weakening what remains of the Assad regimes military, once a stalwart ally of Israels archnemesis, Iran. Since then, Israeli troops have advanced deeper into the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syrian territory. The United Nations said Israels actions violate the countrys 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria. The U.S. said it is in line with Israels right to self-defense, to avoid weapons falling into extremists hands amid a vacuum in power. Meanwhile, Syrian Kurds near the northern border with Turkey have been displaced amid clashes between U.S.-backed Kurdish forces and Ankara-backed rebels. The U.S. brokered a ceasefire deal between the groups on Wednesday but it is unclear whether the fragile truce will hold. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan are currently in the region for talks, hoping to ensure a smooth transition in Damascus and making a last-ditch diplomatic push to achieve a deal to end fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Kim Lewis contributed to this report. The United Nations warned Thursday that the Taliban's decision to prohibit female students from pursuing medical training is expected to worsen Afghanistan's already dire humanitarian crisis, which the U.N. undersecretary-general says is the second-worst in the world after Sudan's. Tom Fletcher, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told a quarterly Security Council meeting that the proposed restriction could potentially inflict "serious and lasting damage" on health care for Afghan women and girls. Earlier this month, Taliban health authorities ordered public and private medical institutions across the country to halt enrollment of female students and the completion of their end-of-semester examinations. However, the abrupt directive gave 10 days to medical institutions to allow female students to take their semester exams. "This was the last remaining sector in which Afghan women could pursue higher-level learning, following the ban on girls' higher education," Fletcher said. "It would prevent more than 36,000 midwives and 2,800 nurses from entering the workforce in the next few years, and rates of antenatal, neonatal and maternal mortality could dramatically increase," he said. The ban on female medical education comes as the Taliban have barred male doctors in several Afghan provinces from treating female patients. Fletcher noted that one-third of women in Afghanistan already give birth without professional medical assistance, and preventable maternal complications claim the life of a woman every two hours in the country. The female medical education ban is the latest in a series of edicts that radical Taliban leaders have enforced in the country since sweeping back to power in August 2021. Previously they banned secondary school education for girls and excluded Afghan women from most workplaces except those in health and a few other sectors. The restrictions are part of what is known as the "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" law, or PVPV law, which the Taliban have promulgated in line with their stringent interpretation of Islamic law, known as Shariah. During a virtual address to Thursday's Security Council meeting, Roza Otunbayeva, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said she had strongly urged the Taliban to reconsider their ban on female medical education. However, Otunbayeva said, de facto Afghan authorities have persistently pursued their vision of an Islamic system "characterized by unprecedented" restrictions on women and girls. "It is now approaching nearly 1,200 days without girls having access to formal education beyond sixth grade, with women and girls facing a progressive erasure from almost all walks of life," she said. She lamented that the enforcement of the PVPV law has impacted women's already constrained freedom of movement and access to public services, with the Taliban morality police inspectors preventing women who are unaccompanied by a male guardian from traveling in vehicles, even for short distances from their homes, and from accessing health care facilities. "There has been a notable expansion of de facto PVPV inspectors' enforcement of the requirements regarding men's beards and Western-style haircuts through visits to mosques and other public places to advise on the requirements of the law, arrests of barbers and men identified as having shaved their beards and forcing barbershops to close," she said. Her mission, she said, has been engaging with the Taliban to establish a "constructive dialogue" in support of Afghan peace and stability. "The objective is an Afghanistan reintegrated into the international community and upholding its international obligations," she said. Responding to those criticizing her engagement with the Taliban despite their bans on women, the UNAMA chief emphasized that isolation is not a solution. "Some say that engagement has not worked because these decisions keep coming despite international condemnation," Otunbayeva said. "But pressure and condemnation do not seem to be working, and if pursued without forward-leaning principled engagement, it will lead to Afghanistan's isolation." Otunbayeva told the Security Council meeting that her office had documented a "widening pattern of restrictions" on the media, noting that the "space for public debate, including on key issues such as the rights of women and girls, continues to shrink" in Afghanistan. The Taliban government, which is neither officially recognized by any country nor allowed to represent Afghanistan at the U.N, did not immediately respond to Thursday's criticism of its policies. Nonetheless, de facto Afghan authorities have persistently ignored international objections to their governance, saying their rules are aligned with Sharia and local culture. 'Sick' and 'heartless' In her address to Thursday's meeting, the head of the United States mission to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, condemned the Taliban for restricting the education, employment and overall well-being of women and girls. She decried as "sick and heartless" the restriction on female medical education, calling it "a death sentence" for Afghan women in need of potentially lifesaving medical treatment. "How will women's health care needs be met in the future if there are no qualified women doctors, nurses, dentists and midwives? And male doctors are not allowed to treat women," Thomas-Greenfield said. "This is not cultural, and it's not religious. It is unfathomable. It is sick. It is heartless. It means these men Taliban are sentencing their mothers who birthed them, their sisters, their wives, their own daughters, to die before their eyes if they become ill," she said. The U.S. envoy emphasized that any engagement with the Taliban must be linked with a broader dialogue on human rights and a political road map in line with the U.N. resolutions. The Biden administration announced another package of weapons aid for Ukraine on Thursday, valued at $500 million, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. White House spokesperson John Kirby said earlier the U.S. would continue to provide additional packages for Ukraine "right up to the end of this administration." Washington said 10 days ago it would send Ukraine $725 million worth of missiles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines and other weapons. Biden's outgoing administration is seeking to bolster Ukraine in tackling Russia's invasion, before Biden's term ends in January when Republican President-elect Donald Trump would take office. Thursday's package worth about $500 million included ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs), among other assistance, according to Blinken. After Thursday, about $5.6 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to rush weapons from U.S. stocks to the front lines remains available to Biden without requiring congressional approval. Moscow's troops have been capturing village after village in Ukraine's east, part of a drive to seize the industrial Donbas region, while Russian air strikes target a hobbled Ukrainian energy grid as winter sets in. The United States and China Friday signed a protocol to amend the bilateral, government-to-government Science and Technology Agreement and extend it for five years, according to the State Department. The STA, first signed in 1979 by then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, is aimed at facilitating cooperation in areas such as agriculture, energy, space, health, environment, earth sciences, engineering, and educational and scholarly exchanges. The amended agreement, which U.S. officials said excludes critical or emerging technologies, took effect retroactively as of August 27 for a five-year term and was signed in Beijing by representatives from both countries. A senior State Department official told reporters the new agreement narrows the scope of the previous deal and introduces "guardrails" to ensure reciprocity, transparency and openness. Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters in February that the nature of scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation between the two countries is "mutually beneficial and a win-win." U.S.-China science and technology cooperation has faced criticism and raised security concerns over the years, with critics arguing it could bolster Beijing's military capabilities. Since its inception, the STA has been renewed approximately every five years. In August 2023, it was granted a six-month extension, which was followed by another in February 2024, to maintain the agreement while the U.S. negotiated an amended deal. The short-term extensions occurred amid scrutiny from several members of Congress, who argued China had previously exploited the agreement to advance military objectives against the U.S. In June 2023, Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, who is President-elect Donald Trumps pick for U.N. ambassador, and other lawmakers wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him not to renew the STA when it was set to expire on August 27, 2023. They cited concerns over joint research projects between the U.S. Agriculture Department and Chinese entities, including concerns over such dual-use technologies as those used to analyze drone imagery for irrigation management. Covers basic research The amended agreement focuses on basic research in fields such as weather, oceanography and geology. It supports U.S. scientific agencies with research related to tsunami warnings, influenza data, air quality monitoring, agriculture, and pest management, according to the State Department. Another senior State Department official said the amended STA framework enables agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the departments of Energy and Agriculture to propose cooperation and set up data-sharing agreements and joint research projects with their Chinese counterparts. The State Department reviews proposed collaborations, which also undergo a broader interagency review process led by the White House. Once vetted, the proposals can be implemented. If either party fails to adhere to the agreed terms, a dispute resolution mechanism is triggered. Additionally, a termination clause allows cancellation of proposed projects in the case of "bad faith action." The amended agreement sustains intellectual property protections and establishes new guardrails for implementing agencies to protect the safety and security of their researchers, according to a State Department statement. Security concerns However, concerns persist regarding China's stricter data localization and privacy laws, which raise legal risks for U.S. researchers handling Chinese data. The new STA has yet to clarify the protections available for U.S. researchers who may use or transfer Chinese data outside of China. Congressional critics, including Republican Senator Marco Rubio, Trumps pick to be secretary of state, have been outspoken opponents of renewing U.S.-China science and technology cooperation. Earlier this year, Rubio called for stronger measures to safeguard the security of U.S. scientific research. He also introduced a bill to underscore the risks posed by problematic research collaborations with Chinese-linked entities. Since the Assad regimes entry into Damascus, prisons across Syria were opened, but Kurdish activists claim that many Afrinis remain imprisoned by armed groups, with their fates unknown. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the annual defense authorization bill, sending the mammoth measure to the Senate for consideration. Representative Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the legislation would help the U.S. better deter China. Click here for the full story in Mandarin. The White House on Thursday announced what it called the first national strategy to counter Islamophobia, detailing more than 100 steps federal officials can take to curb hate, violence, bias and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans. The proposal follows a similar national plan to battle antisemitism that President Joe Biden unveiled in May 2023, as fears about increasing hatred and discrimination were rising among U.S. Jews. Officials worked on the anti-Islamophobia plan for months, and its release came five weeks before Biden leaves office meaning implementation will mostly fall to President-elect Donald Trump, if his administration chooses to do so. In a statement announcing the strategy, the Biden administration wrote that "over the past year, this initiative has become even more important as threats against American Muslim and Arab communities have spiked." It said that included the October 2023 slaying of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, an American Muslim boy of Palestinian descent, who was stabbed to death in Illinois. The plan details actions the Executive Branch can take, along with more than 100 other calls to action across all sectors of society. Four pillars of plan The strategy has four basic priorities: increasing awareness of hatred against Muslims and Arabs while more widely recognizing these communities' heritages; broadly improving their safety and security; appropriately accommodating Muslim and Arab religious practices by working to curb discrimination against them; and encouraging cross-community solidarity to further counter hate. Many of those goals are similar to ones the Biden administration laid out in its plan to reduce antisemitism especially the emphasis on improving safety and security and building cross-community solidarity. "While individuals have sometimes been targeted because they are thought to be Muslim, it is also crucial to recognize that Arabs are routinely targeted simply for being who they are," the announcement of the strategy states, noting that Muslims and Arab Americans have helped build out the nation since its founding. It says that new data collection and education efforts are "increasing awareness of these forms of hate as well of the proud heritages of Muslim and Arab Americans." The plan calls for more widely disseminating successful practices of engaging Muslim and Arab Americans in the reporting of hate crimes, and notes that more federal agencies are now more clearly spelling out that "discrimination against Muslim and Arab Americans in federally funded activities is illegal." The White House's plan also urges "state, local and international counterparts, as well as the nongovernmental sector, to pursue similar initiatives that seek to build greater unity by recognizing our common humanity, affirming our shared values and history, and embracing equal justice, liberty and security for all." Pro-Palestinian groups, decrying his administration's full-throated support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza, frequently disrupted Biden campaign events, as well as those of Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden abandoned his reelection bid in July. Trump, who implemented a travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries during his first term, won the largest majority-Muslim U.S. city in last month's elections. Yet some Arab Americans who backed Trump have begun expressing concerns about some of his choices to fill his Cabinet and other positions for his incoming administration. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., panned what it called "the White House's long-delayed document" as "too little, too late." "The White House strategy lays out some positive recommendations related to anti-Muslim bigotry, but it has been released too late to make an impact, fails to promise any changes to federal programs that perpetuate anti-Muslim discrimination on a massive scale," the council said in a statement. The council further noted that the plan doesn't address what it called a "federal watchlist" targeting some Arab-Americans as potential terrorists. It added that the plan "fails to promise an end the most significant driver of anti-Muslim bigotry today: the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza." BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Kazakhstans KazMunaiGas Aereo and Italys Maire Tecnimont have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), marking a significant step in advancing green energy solutions in Central Asia. Marco Beretta, President of the Italo-Kazakh Trade Association (ACIK), spoke with Trend about the importance of this collaboration. "Kazakhstan is uniquely positioned to lead in SAF production, thanks to its abundant resources and established industrial infrastructure. This partnership is a testament to Kazakhstans commitment to sustainable development and diversification of its economy," he said. Beretta highlighted the environmental and economic benefits of the initiative. "Sustainable Aviation Fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% over its lifecycle. By focusing on SAF production, Kazakhstan not only addresses global sustainability challenges but also creates opportunities for significant foreign investment and job creation. This will stimulate growth in high-tech industries and strengthen the countrys green energy credentials," he noted. The partnership will leverage Maire Tecnimonts advanced biofuel technologies, which Beretta emphasized as a critical factor. "Italy brings cutting-edge expertise in biofuel production, and this collaboration ensures Kazakhstan can adopt the latest innovations. Joint research efforts will also help improve feedstock conversion and logistics efficiency," he explained. Beretta also underscored the regional impact of the initiative. "Kazakhstans success in SAF production has the potential to inspire neighboring countries in Central Asia to pursue similar green energy solutions. This positions Kazakhstan as a leader in sustainable aviation, driving regional cooperation and innovation," he said. Marco Beretta expressed optimism about the future of the partnership. "This collaboration showcases how international cooperation can pave the way for a sustainable future. Its a significant milestone for both Kazakhstan and Italy, setting a benchmark for innovation in renewable energy and sustainable aviation". Anger in the Syrian capital is palpable as families search for loved ones who are now missing or have died in their fallen governments brutal prison system. At a rally in Damascus, VOAs Heather Murdock reports that crowds are calling for the execution of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) Zimbabwes Senate has approved a bill to abolish the death penalty, a key step in scrapping a law last used in the southern African nation nearly 20 years ago. Zimbabwes Parliament said Thursday that the bill was passed by senators the night before. The death penalty will be abolished if it is signed by the president, which is likely. The southern African country uses hanging, and last executed someone in 2005, partly because at one point no one was willing to take up the job of state executioner, or hangman. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwes leader since 2017, has publicly spoken of his opposition to capital punishment. He has cited his own experience of being sentenced to death which was later changed to 10 years in prison for blowing up a train during the countrys war of independence in the 1960s. He has used presidential amnesties to commute death sentences to life in prison. Amnesty International, which campaigns against the death penalty, urged Mnangagwa to sign the bill into law without delay and commute death sentences. Zimbabwe has more than 60 prisoners currently on death row. According to Amnesty, about three-quarters of countries in the world no longer carry out the death penalty. Zimbabwe is one of more than a dozen in Africa and more than 50 across the world that have the death penalty enshrined in law without any official moratorium on it. Amnesty International said it recorded 1,153 known executions globally in 2023, up from 883 the previous year, although countries that carried out executions declined from 20 to 16. Due to a veil of secrecy, the figures do not include those from North Korea, Vietnam and China. China is the worlds lead executioner where thousands of people are believed to have been executed, Amnesty said in a report released in October. Iran and Saudi Arabia accounted for almost 90% of all executions recorded by Amnesty in 2023. The United States recorded an increase from 18 executions in 2022 to 24 in 2023. Last year, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and the U.S. recorded the most executions, in that order. Zimbabwe is among four African countries alongside Kenya, Liberia and Ghana that have recently taken positive steps towards abolishing the death penalty, Amnesty said. The secretary of the Syrian Council of Ministers, who had declared himself ready to assume the transfer of power, was installed at the Four Seasons Hotel (owned by Qatar). Note that the Syrian Arab Republic is a presidential system. Like the United States, it does not have a prime minister, but a secretary of the Council of Ministers, which is not at all the same. On 10 December, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) appointed jihadist Mohammed al-Bashir, former governor of Idlib for HTS, as prime minister of the new regime. He is a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He made his first appearance in a staging orchestrated by the British services (MI6). The green/white/black three-star flag became the official flag. It was that of the French mandate. The appointment of Mohammed al-Bashir indicates that the agreement reached between the British, French, Israeli and Turkish secret services, which enabled the regime change, no longer holds. This provided for the following government, which will never see the light of day: Prime Minister: Mohammed al-Bashir (former Director of Islamic Education at the Ministry of Islamic Heritage); Riad Hijab (former Secretary of the Council of Ministers in 2012); Minister of Education: Haitham Manna (former manager of the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan); Minister of Defense: Ahmed Al-Sharaa (leader of the jihadists under the name of Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani); Minister of Foreign Affairs: Hadi Al-Bahra (former president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, in 2014-15); Minister of Industry: Ahmed Jarba (former President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, in 2013-14); Minister of Information: Faisal Al-Qasim (Al-Jazeera journalist); Minister of Agriculture: Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib (former President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, in 2012-13); Minister of Industry: Anas Al-Abdah (former president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, in 2016-17); Minister of Tourism: Ahmed Touma (was initially appointed Prime Minister in 2014); Minister of Local Administration: Anas Ayrout (preacher); Minister of Endowments: Muhammad Rateb Al-Nabulsi (preacher, author of the Nabulsi Encyclopedia of Islamic Sciences); Minister of Finance: Hisham Mroua Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources: Mustafa Al-Mousa Minister of Culture: Riad Naasan Agha Minister of Health: Nasr Hariri Minister of Interior: Kamal Al-Labwani Kahanist Israeli lawmaker (Otzma Yehudit, Jewish Force) and chairman of the National Security Committee Zvika Fogel pushed through the Knesset in September a law authorizing the police to conduct widespread surveillance using new technologies without judicial oversight. In November, he pushed through the first reading of a law authorizing a police commander and other officials to request permission from the president of a district court or his deputy to access a personal computer or cell phone. He has just passed a third law empowering the police, on the instructions of the prosecutor, to take measures restricting freedom, which the accused must comply with or risk four years in prison. This could include administrative detention, i.e. without trial, on the sole basis of classified information, without the police having to provide any evidence. Voltaire, International Newsletter is a weekly newsletter on international politics. It features 10 to 15 pages of contextualized, sourced news items. Its aim is to enable you to follow the decline of the unipolar world and the emergence of a multipolar system. The newsletter is published in several languages. Several foreign ministries from different countries have already subscribed. Our director of publication and editor-in-chief directed French magazines several years ago, and has won journalism awards abroad. He has regularly contributed to some fifteen major dailies and magazines around the world. Voltaire, International Newsletter is available by subscription for 500 a year, is published 42 times a year (not in July-August, nor during the Christmas holydays). Its an indispensable tool for any professional in international relations or defense. Whats more, 10 times a year, subscribers are invited to Zoom virtual meetings with publications director Thierry Meyssan. Contents of issue N111 EDITORIAL 2568 Israel Passes Law Allowing Four-Year Detention Without Trial or Evidence AMERICAS 2569 The United States has never imposed an arms embargo on Israel 2570 Donald Trump and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Levant 2571 State Department still offers $10 million for Abu Mohammed al-Jolanis arrest 2572 Anthony Blinken cautious about HTS 2573 The Pentagon massively bombs Daesh EUROPE 2574 Dutch bankers worried about the consequences of a war on computer transactions 2575 Olaf Scholz calls for a vote of confidence 2576 Poland could penalize the glorification of Stepan Bandera 2577 Romanian presidential election cancelled 2578 Christine Lagarde and Bruegel Institute want to increase imports of US energy and military equipment 2579 Freedom of expression: SLAPP proceedings on the rise in Europe 2580 Russia will not be able to save the Syrian Arab Republic AFRICA 2581 Political reorganization in Egypt 2582 Morocco reconnects with Iran ASIA 2583 Amnesty International accuses Israel of genocide 2584 Benjamin Netanyahu to be tried for his crimes committed in Israel 2585 Israeli Poll 2586 Pro-Western Iranian faction exposes Iranian spies in Israel 2587 Hamas says a ceasefire agreement is possible in the near future 2588 Israel carries out a campaign to assassinate Hamas leaders wherever they may be 2589 Hamas Concessions to the IDF 2590 Hezbollahs commitments 2591 Wafic Safa organizes Hezbollahs withdrawal from southern Lebanon 2592 Demonstration for the release of Islamists detained in Lebanon 2593 Exile of Ali Mamlouk and Boutheina Chebaan 2594 Gen. Michael Kurilla assures Jordan of US protection 2595 IDF cuts off communications between Lebanon and Syria 2596 The new face of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani 2597 No torture chamber in Sednaya 2598 Looting of the Syrian presidential palace 2599 Secret agreement between Russia and Iran for the fall of the Syrian Arab Republic 2600 Jihadist Mohammed al-Bashir, new Syrian Prime Minister 2601 General Kurilla visits US troops in Syria 2602 Assassination of a Syrian scientist 2603 Pentagon Brokering Agreement Between Turkiye and Kurdish Mercenaries 2604 Palestinian refugees in Syria lay down their arms 2605 General Kurilla Ensures Iraqs Military Neutrality 2606 CentCom bombs Ansar Allah 2607 BJP accuses Biden administration of funding journalists investigating Gautam Adani 2608 Aftermath of the Coup Attempt in South Korea INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 2609 Renewed accusations against Syria in the Security Council 2610 Security Council decides on humanitarian exemptions for jihadists 2611 Filippo Grandi worries about possible deportation of Syrian refugees to Europe TuranBank, a leading bank in Azerbaijan specializing in financing small and medium-sized businesses, has signed a new loan agreement in local currency with the EMF Microfinance Fund, facilitated by the reputable Enabling Qapital management fund. Under the terms of the agreement, the international financial institution has provided TuranBank with a synthetic loan of 5 million US dollars, which will be disbursed in Azerbaijani manat, for a period of 3 years. The funds will be directed toward financing small and medium-sized businesses, aligning with TuranBank's strategic objectives of enhancing competitiveness and fostering inclusiveness. This initiative will also contribute to expanding entrepreneurs' access to financial resources in local currency. Orkhan Garayev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TuranBank OJSC, commented: To ensure sustainable economic growth in our country, particularly in the regions, it is essential to increase financial support for the formation and development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. We consider the loan agreement signed with the prestigious European EMF Fund to finance this sector as a result of our purposeful efforts. We are confident that the funds will facilitate the growth of micro, small and medium sized enterprises, further enhancing access to financial resources for entrepreneurs in local currency. It is worth noting that since its foundation 32 years ago, TuranBank, with 22 points of sale, has established a strong position in the financial sector, both in terms of the quality and quantity of its services. The bank has a successful track record in attracting international credit lines to finance small and medium-sized businesses. The bank plays a vital role in supporting the sustainable development of Azerbaijan's non-oil sector through partnerships with reputable financial institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the EMF Microfinance Fund, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB), the Islamic Corporation for Private Sector Development (ICD), the Incofin Investment Fund, and the ECO Trade and Development Bank (ECO TDB), among others. Photo: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/SIPA/AP It seems like a candy-striped glitch in the matrix an oversight so unbelievable, its a wonder casting directors missed it. How the hell has Jennifer Love Hewitt, known to her Instagram followers as the Holiday Junkie, never starred in a Christmas movie until now? At long last, Hewitt debuts her first Lifetime holiday film this week (called, of course, The Holiday Junkie). Hewitt stars as Andie, who makes a living decorating peoples homes and scheduling their holiday plans for maximum cheer. When we first meet her, Andie is grieving the loss of her mother, the original holiday junkie, who passed her love for the holiday (and the family business) down to her daughter. While Andie hopes to grieve alone this Christmas, she instead gets stuck working with Mason, a wealthy clients house manager who also happens to be a bit of a grinch working through some grief of his own. For Hewitt, this film is unusually personal, and not just because her real-life husband, Brian Hallisay, co-stars as her prickly love interest. She pitched the story to Lifetime herself, inspired by the loss of her own mother, Patricia Mae, to cancer in 2012. For Pat, Christmas was more than just a holiday; it was almost a state of mind. Hewitt has memories of her mother stringing up Christmas lights to lift her spirits on a bad day and surprising the family by dropping a blizzard of fake snow on their front yard. In both The Holiday Junkie and her new memoir, Inheriting Magic: My Journey Through Grief, Joy, Celebration, and Making Every Day Magical, Hewitt processes what it means to mourn a loved one during the holidays. The Holiday Junkie features all of the expected genre tropes and story beats of a Christmas movie like the feverish cookie baking, the meddlesome friends, the ominous travel delays, and the emotional tug-of-war between a sentimental soul and a hot grinch but it is also disarmingly heartfelt. The plot might be made up, but Hewitts delivery (and her tears) feel real. Apart from starring in it, Hewitt co-wrote, produced, and directed the film herself her feature debut. She felt she was the only one who could do the material justice. How far into preproduction were you when you pitched yourself as a potential director? We were pretty far, to be totally honest. Brian being in it and me directing it were pretty much the last two pieces of the puzzle before we went into filming and I think only because we had so much other stuff to do working on the script, making sure we could shoot it in L.A. because it had to be done in the time between me wrapping 9-1-1 and then going very quickly back into it. I threw that out there, and, and then, sort of simultaneously, they were like, Well, you know, we havent talked about casting yet, but what do you think about Brian for this? Brian and I had met on and done a show for Lifetime called The Client List, and so they still loved him from that. I didnt think of him for this initially because hes not a Christmas movie guy. He loves that I watch 900 of them a season, and hell watch the classics with me and the kids. But when I mentioned it to him, hes like, Yeah, of course, I want to be in it. This would be so fun, and it honors your mom. After The Client List, you worked with Brian on 9-1-1 as well. What is it like bringing a romantic relationship onscreen together? Is it ever awkward or challenging? No, the funny part was that Anna [White], the writer, was on set a lot, and she would constantly scream, Kids, keep kissing! during our kissing scenes. Or the crew would be like, Ooooh, Andie and Mason! So them being dorks was the only awkward part about it. The rest of it was lovely, and its funny, most of the time, either Im running off to 9-1-1 or Brian and I are, like, trying to get errands done while our kids are at school sometimes meeting for lunch, high-fiving in the hallway. With three kids, we dont get tons of time to just sort of, like, stare into each others eyes. We got 15 days of that on this movie, and it was so wonderful. Even though I had 100 jobs on this movie, my main job was to just, like, look at him and be with him and fall in love with him again. And I did, and he felt the same. We kind of ended the movie going, Wow, all married people should have this opportunity. Like, this was really lovely. And its captured onscreen, so our kids get to always have it to watch and see, even if they dont like the kissy parts. Your mom and her love of the holiday inspired this story. When did you first start thinking about this idea and writing it out? I started writing the book a little over two years ago now maybe two and a half years ago. I write about this in the book, but I definitely felt grief with all three pregnancies and births, just because your moms supposed to be there, right? Shes supposed to come and visit and hold them and meet them. My kids never got that experience, and I feel really sad about that. Ive tried, since they were all born, to keep her alive for them in some way, which was why it was important to do the movie and the book. I want them to have something always to hold on to that is representative of Mimi and my love of her. Jennifer Love Hewitt and real-life husband Brian Hallisay in The Christmas Junkie. Photo: Lifetime Of course. And so I just sort of sat down I think in postpartum, really to write stuff about her. I hadnt been able to do that yet. I mean, it really took me 12 years, or 11 years at the time that I started writing the book, to be able to do that. I would read stuff to Brian and sob uncontrollably. And hed be like, This is good. This is a new part of grief. Keep writing and get it out. I remember my first thought after losing my mom besides How am I going to do this? and I cant believe shes gone was, Oh my god, all the magic Ive known my entire life is gone. Like, nothing will ever be magical again because she was the magic, right? And then I started having my own children, and in that first Christmas after my daughter, Autumn, was born, I realized I couldnt sit in grief that whole time. I had to create magic because I now had a family, and I realized that my mom, her magic probably came out of some sort of grief, too. She and my dad were divorced, and maybe it came out of that for her. Maybe we were more alike in that moment than ever before. How else did your mother shape this story? Are there more literal nods to her in the Holiday Junkie script? Kristin Chenoweth actually does the two voicemails of my mom in the movie. She was really good friends with my mom, and my mom absolutely adored her. Kristin also lost her birth mom, and so the two of us connected about that. When I called her, she literally, in two seconds, was like, Ill do anything for Pat. So thats sort of a nod to my mom. When Mason does the Christmas lights in the room for me, thats a direct nod to something that my mom used to do for me. When she knew that I was heartbroken or if I had bad cramps or whatever it was, she did that to kind of make things magical. I say in the movie that my mom would take me out of school on a random Thursday to celebrate life, and she did, in fact, do those things. Her name is Mimi in the movie because my niece my brothers daughter, who was the only grandchild that my mom got to know thats what she called her. There were paparazzi outside my house, and there were people that just constantly wanted to know how I was feeling, and I was like, This is so inappropriate. Theres a glitter Santa in the movie, and thats mine that my mom gave me, oh my gosh, like, 20-something years ago now. I bring it out every Christmas. The penguins that are in the movie, those are a nod to my mom. Those were her favorite, and one of the last trips she took, she got to actually go to Antarctica and have lunch with penguins. So theres lots of, like, little things sort of laid in there. The same snow company that we used for the movie to make the snow at the cookie-swap scene, my mom surprised us with real snow in her front yard, and it was that same company. We actually called them, and the guy was like, Of course, Ill do anything for Pat. There were so many times people would be like, Of course, for your mom, anything. So she was very present and alive in the movie. Youve said that the media knew about your mothers passing before you did, and that that was sort of a familiar experience for you. Was that difficult at the time? Yeah, I mean, being brutally honest, I was really angry about it for a long time. That was a hard one for me not because they knew but because probably the first, you know, two months after her passing, I literally had to remind myself, Oh, I have to get out of bed this morning and do things. I cant just lay here and miss her and ask myself over and over again, Why did this happen? What is my life going to look like now? There were paparazzi outside my house, and there were people that just constantly wanted to know how I was feeling, and I was like, This is so inappropriate. I dont know how Im feeling, and if Im going to give anybody the answer, its certainly not going to be a random photographer outside my house. There was this moment where this guy was outside my moms house. I was trying to throw away stuff from the house, and I remember him sitting there. I went up to his car, and I did ask him, What are you trying to capture? And he was like, I think people just want to know that youre okay. And I was like, Im not okay, so stop taking pictures because Im not okay. Like, youre not going to get an okay picture for me. Photo: Lifetime Right. I will say, he was very human. He was like, Im so sorry. Youre right. He put his camera down, and he was like, How are you doing? And I was like, Im struggling, but Im going to be okay. I just need to not be an actress right now. I need to not be in Hollywood. I just need to be a person. That was hard for me, for sure, in the beginning again, not because I dont respect what their jobs are or that people wanted to know. I mean, Im a public figure. Everybodys known everything about me for as long as I can remember, and thats just a part of it. But when it came to her, it felt wrong. Im glad the photographer was receptive. He was, and he was very human. I did see him again after that a couple of times, and he was always very kind. It ended up as an okay moment, but it was definitely weird to land and get that news for the first time when it was already, like, [in] magazines and on talk shows. I was like, Wait, what? How is this happening? What was your hardest day on set either as an actor, director, or producer? Oh my gosh, so there is a crying scene in The Holiday Junkie where Im on the stairs. Because I was doing 14 different jobs on this movie, I didnt realize that we scheduled that on the anniversary of my moms passing. Thats always just a really hard day for me. I was able to hold it together all day, and then we got there and I was like, Oh no Oh my gosh, this is gonna happen, and its gonna hit me, and its gonna hit me in front of the entire crew. I will tell you, it was the most beautiful cry that Ive ever been afforded because the crew knew. I gave everybody a warning. The first AD, Will, he was so sweet. He was like, Oh my God, why didnt you tell me? And Im like, No, I actually think its good. We set up a picture of my mom, and I played this song in the background that I love and that I listened to a lot when she passed, and they just rolled the camera. Everybody was really quiet, and I literally just sat in a room full of love and support and just cried about missing her. We were all a hot mess. It just did not feel like we were shooting a movie at all. This felt like a very, like, human experience, and it kind of bled through, and its there in the movie. It ended up being so beautiful, but it was hard. That whole day, I was like, Oh my God, what have I done to myself? It was perfect, and it was exactly as I would have wanted it. And I think she would have wanted it. In promoting The Holiday Junkie, youve said youre finally making a Christmas movie. How long have Lifetime and Hallmark been begging you to make one? Ive never been offered a Christmas movie. Really? That shocks me. Right? Like, I am the quintessential Christmas movie person. Im basically a descendant of someone at the North Pole unofficially, probably, if I did one of those swab tests. Im such a go-getter and a hustler normally in my business, but a Christmas movie has never been something Ive gone out and searched for. So the only thing that I could say to myself in this process is that this is the one that was supposed to be the first. But now that Ive done one, like, if somebody doesnt come and offer another one, theyre going to hear about it because I love them and I had a blast. Send me all the scripts, guys; Im ready. Did you go straight to Lifetime with this one, or did they beat out other studios like Hallmark and Netflix? The truth is, I only went to Lifetime, and they bought it immediately, which I was obviously very thankful for. I lost my mom when I was doing The Client List while I was at Lifetime, and I had to go back to work pretty quickly after her passing on that. They took really good care of me. They really cared about me getting through that, and there were some people there who were very kind to me about her passing, so it felt like a safe place for me again. The pitch was pretty vulnerable. It was like, I dont have a script. I just have this thing in my heart that I want to do. I was able to do that on the Zoom with people that I knew and who honestly had known her or known of her in our relationship. Youve directed before, but this was your first feature film. What did you enjoy about that experience, and what surprised you? I truly would stop everything else and only direct if I could. Im creative and bossy by nature, sometimes to a fault, which is great in directing because people are waiting for you to control all the things. I think what surprised me about doing this the most from a director standpoint is how crazy a Christmas movie schedule is. Its 15 days in and out. We did, you know, like, 120 scenes or something in 15 days, and I was in 98 pages of that, if not more. The prep is fast, and this was the first time directing that I actually got to be a part of the editing process. When you direct TV, you get your quick cut, but then you pass it off and you dont really see it again until it airs. This, I mean, I picked the sound effects of the door chime at the diner, what the oven timer sounded like. I got to color-time every version of this movie. There was not one part of this movie that I did not get to be a part of. I mean, we literally sat on the Zoom for four hours like, Oh, I dont love that that chair slid back like that. That sounds weird. Weve got to take that out. It was wild. The whole time, I was like, Guys, this is awesome. I love this. They got the biggest kick out of it. They were like, Oh my God, shes literally never done this before. I learned just so much. What kinds of projects would you like to direct next? I would really love to do a young-adult something, only because I was a kid actor and I think that it would be really fun to take a bunch of young actors and give them all the information thats been helpful to me and then just watch them flourish and grow and make it into something. I would definitely love to do some more Christmas movies. Id love to do an edgier Christmas movie something like a Netflix comedy Christmas movie thats got, like, some fun edge to it. And I really want to direct a 9-1-1, even though it would be bananas. Im really open, but those are probably the three things that interest me the most. Are there any young actors who jump out as someone youd want to work with on one of these projects? Lacey Chabert, the queen of Christmas movies, and I would really like to do something together in the Christmas space or in any space. And Jenna Ortega is somebody that really shines for me. God, I would love the opportunity to direct her. I think that would be tremendous. In the spirit of the holiday, I wonder if youll indulge just one sentimental question: If you could tell your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? I think I would tell her to relax. I feel like I spent so much time in my earlier career, dont get me wrong, enjoying it and loving it, but worried worried that I wasnt enough or comparing myself to other girls at auditions. I had dragged my mom and my whole family into this crazy business, and was I going to even make it to another audition? Or were they going to tell me to pack up my bags and go? I feel like I was so consumed with that that maybe I didnt fully understand that it was working and that we were doing it and it was going great. I would just want her to stress less. This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Eight episodes into this first Matlock season, with a long holiday break ahead before we get the next episode, this show has made one idea abundantly clear: Lying aint easy. Matty Matlock has to remember every piece of the backstory she created for herself when it comes up conversationally like in this weeks episode, when Olympia asks for some advice about Julians philandering, given that Mattys fictional dead husband, according to the lore, was a cheater. None of these lies are harmless. At the very least, theyre an abuse of trust. Thats why its probably not a coincidence that this pre-break episode is about a lie that spins out of control. While handling a drop-off at her twins school, Olympia learns that one of her familys favorite nannies, Nadira (Ashley Romans), has been effectively ostracized by her fellow upper-class moms. It seems a website called Eyes From Afar has posted misleading, out-of-context photos of Nadira roughly grabbing a kid at a playground. Olympia wants to see if she can either get the images removed or file a defamation suit against whoever put them there (or both). But she wants to stay out of sight as much as possible, lest the meanest mothers at her kids school accuse her of defending an abuser. Now, other more law-focused legal dramas mightve used this premise as an entry point into a larger consideration of social media, misinformation, and cancel culture, and Matlock does, too a little. A lawyer defending Eyes From Afar stands up for free speech and crowdsourcing justice persuasively enough to convince a judge. But the judge also rules against Jacobson-Moore because shes annoyed by Matlock being Matlock. Rather than going hard on law stuff or culture stuff, this episode relies a lot on Matty using her powers of empathy and her facility with fibs to crack the mystery underlying this case. First, using a tip from Olympia, she tries and, like I said, fails to win over the judge by reminding her that her own nephew has been branded as a criminal for life because of one bit of trouble with the law. (The judge: My nephew is a moron. Tell Olympia I said hello.) Later, Matty plays the weak little old lady card at Olympias kids school to get the receptionist to step away from the front desk long enough for Matty to steal some pages from a visitors log. The latter caper bears fruit, as Matty and Olympia with the help of, appropriately, a nanny cam are able to coax one of Olympias friends, Lacy (Cathryn Mudon), into confessing to framing Nadira to cover up evidence of her affair with one of the other moms husbands. (As it turns out, Nadira had no idea about the affair, so Lacy lied about her online for no reason. Never lie, kids.) While all this is going on, Matty is as always sneaking around Jacobson-Moore, looking for the smoking gun that will prove Senior buried evidence against Wellbrexa. Using the password she tricked Stuart into revealing last week, she prints out what she hopes will be a damning document but is dismayed when the papers come out at the offices print center. The pages are routed to Olympia, who immediately stashes them in her bag. While capering around with her boss, Matty keeps looking for a private moment alone with Olympias luggage. In the end, Matty retrieves the document but discovers that it only proves Senior was out of the office in Sydney (with some mystery woman!) when the damning Wellbrexa files arrived. This is terrible because it means either Julian or Olympia likely forged his signature. Even worse, the result of all this is that both Olympia and Julian can sense Mattys vibe is off. She wants to stay on Julians good side so she can get more pharma work, but she overcompensates to ease his mind at the expense of her relationship with Olympia who is annoyed when she hears from Julian that he asked Matty to keep her in check during the case. Matty apologizes and promises to be the trusted confidante of whichever partner shes working for on any given case. (Then she plants a surveillance pen on Julians desk.) As often happens with Matty, shes able to ground her lie in something real and then use that to get Olympia back on her side. She blames her squirrelly attitude throughout the case on a promise she made to Alfie to watch him in a mock trial at his school that she had to break due to work. Matty and Olympia have one of their revealing heart-to-hearts about how their personal lives and identities have affected their respective careers. Olympia wonders why Matty put her Alfie appointment in the office calendar as a doctor visit, and Matty replies that back in her first go-round as a lawyer, women always pretended anything child-related was actually a health thing so their male bosses wouldnt use their commitment to family as an excuse to block promotions or raises. While on the whole, I felt like this fall finale of Matlock was one of its weaker episodes with very little progress on the Wellbrexa investigation and an underwhelming case of the week I do think it contains one of the seriess most revealing moments after Matty fails to make it to Alfies event. Edwin, trying to make her feel better, chuckles that he covered for her just like the old days with Ellie. She responds with righteous ire, noting that she had to cover for him, too, and that he never seemed as bothered about missing those school events. Matty, on the other hand, felt responsible for every parenting misstep and worked extra hard to make up for them. I worry sometimes that Matty has become so driven to avenge Ellies death that shes deluding herself about what she can actually achieve and whether itll matter. Still, if nothing else, returning to the workforce in her 70s has given her a new perspective on her past as a lawyer and mother. Shes working her way toward some truth, even if its not the one she set out to find. Hot Doggin How is Billy doing post-Claudia? In his own words, hes not currently operating at 100 percent battery. In Sarahs words, hes as fragile as a Forever 21 T-shirt. But according to Olympia, hes doing just fine. (People let you down. Better he know now.) Ill say this for Matty the Liar: Shes really good at playing the Matty Matlock part, making offhanded references to how cash-strapped and low-rent she is. Here she is in this episode looking for a usable prop from Olympias bag: You got any of those protein bars that taste like leather and cost more than dinner at Arbys? Olympia and Matty after a successful private school entry-log heist: Hit it, Louise! Copy that, Thelma! Kids, man. Photo: Variety via YouTube We come to the Variety Actors on Actors studio to laugh, to cry, to convince our kids that were cool. On the latest edition, Nicole Kidman and her interview partner, Zendaya, giggle and swap leading-lady stories, all with the purpose of Kidman going home with some major street cred. Never mind that Kidman is absolutely eating her suit and loose tie, or that shes a certified sexy baby(girl). The real reason shes cool, she tells Zendaya, is that shes talking with the Disney Channel star her daughters grew up watching on TV. Im obsessed, she says. This is, like, the highlight for me, because I get to go home and go, Look, Sunday and Faith: Zendaya! Ive made it! She even slides in some of her best (but still dated) internet lingo, asking Zendaya to spill the tea on Euphoria. Elsewhere in the interview, they talk that three-way kiss in Challengers, whether scripts or directors attract them to projects, and how they let go of characters whove taken physical and emotional tolls on them. For Kidman, that includes cleaning her chakras, praying, and sageing out the bad energy. Its pretty cool, to be honest. But not as cool as Kidmans coolest pastime: 365 babygirl raving. David Forsythe An anti-immigration activist and unsuccessful candidate in the recent general election has been convicted of threatening and abusive behaviour in the District Court because he refused to make a charity donation to the Irish Refugee Council. Derek Blighe, 44, of Croughevoe, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, appeared before Judge Colm Roberts at Fermoy District Court. Mr Blighe, who is the leader of the right-wing Ireland First party, was an unsuccessful candidate for the party in Cork North Central at the 2024 general election. He faced one charge of threatening and abusive behaviour relating to an incident that occurred in December 2023. It was alleged that Mr Blighe had been abusive towards Mr Christopher Gomez, the caretaker at Abbeyville House, Fermoy, Co Cork, a property that was being prepared for refugee accommodation at the time. At a previous hearing on November 15th, 2024 Mr Gomez gave evidence that he was alone in the building and had ordered an oil delivery from a local company. He said that when the oil delivery truck arrived Derek Blighe approached the driver and spoke to him. Mr Gomez said Mr Blighe then told him the drivers not going to give you oil and the truck left. Mr Gomez contacted the oil company and a second truck was dispatched which arrived at about midday. When the second truck arrived, Mr Gomez opened the gates and the driver began making a delivery. Mr Blighe then began recording Mr Gomez with his mobile phone and the court was shown footage that he had uploaded to Facebook. In the video Mr Blighe can be heard saying to Mr Gomez: You are a guest in this country. Shame on you. You should be ashamed. You will go down in the history books, you will go down in the sewers of Irish history. Go back to where you came from. Mr Gomez said that Mr Blighe live-streamed the incident which he said really traumatised me. He said that later that afternoon he downloaded the footage from Mr Blighes Facebook page and provided it to gardai when he made a complaint. He told the court that he had been an Irish citizen for 20 years and had never experienced anything like this before. Judge Roberts found the facts proven in the case and ordered Mr Blighe to make a donation of 350 to the Irish Refugee Council in order to avoid a conviction and allowed him one month to make the payment. Defence solicitor Matthew Bermingham told the court that Mr Blighe, who was present, was not willing to make a donation to the Irish Refugee Council. Judge Roberts said that he would often ask for donations to charities that were relevant to the particular case and Mr Blighe was not being treated differently in that respect. He said that if Mr Blighe would not make a donation he would not be able to receive the benefit of the Probation Act. Derek Blighe was convicted under Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, fined 400 and given one month to pay. Ann O'Loughlin A girl who had sued over her treatment in a hospital A&E when she was brought there with ear problems has settled a High Court action for 40,000. Penny Fahey was two years of age when it was claimed she was brought to Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street, Co Dublin, on three separate occasions complaining of problems with her right ear and a high temperature. Now aged 6 of Ratoath, Co Meath, through her mother Lynsey Fahey has sued Childrens Health Ireland and the HSE. In the proceedings it was claimed that the complaints regarding her symptoms were misdiagnosed or undiagnosed or allegedly ignored and she was not provided with appropriate treatment in a timely manner. It was further claimed the girl was allegedly not properly examined or referred to a specialist when she attended A&E at the Temple Street hospital on January 12th and 16th, 2020; which it was claimed led to a delay in receiving the correct treatment. The girl, it was further contended, had been allegedly unnecessarily exposed to a risk of harm and there was an alleged failure to have a proper specialist referral system in place when she presented with her ear symptoms. All of the claims were denied. Her counsel Nandika Seth BL told the High Court that the toddler was first brought to CHI Temple Street on January 10th, 2020, where a viral infection was diagnosed and she was given eardrops. Pennys parents brought her back to the hospital A&E on two other occasions where we was prescribed more eardrops. Counsel told the court the little girl returned to A&E on January 12th when she was again prescribed ear drops and she was diagnosed with swimmers ear. Four days later on January 16th, her GP referred her back to A&E as she had a high temperature and a significant discharge from her ear. Counsel said at that stage the toddlers ear had begun to protrude at a 90 degree angle from her head. At Temple Street, it was noted she had bilateral eardrum perforation and a collection of non-infected fluid in the middle ear. She was prescribed ear drops and told to come back if there was no improvement. On January 18th, Counsel said the little girl had a high temperature, was lethargic and was noted as becoming unresponsive by her patents. This time she attended the A&E at CHI Crumlin where she was seen by the Ear Nose and Throat team and was diagnosed with Mastoiditis, which is an infection which affects a bone behind the ear. She was immediately put on antibiotics and had to have an operation the next day. Mr Justice Paul Coffey approved the settlement. The students of VTOS Retail Studies course in Waterford held a very successful Christmas Fair recently with the aim of raising money for local charities. Last September, the students agreed to host a Christmas Fair and it proved very successful and the overall aim this time around was to build oin that. Tori, Brian, Grainne, Cadhla and Miko, at the WCFE Christmas Fair 2024 beneficiariesare The Women's Centre and Helping Hands, with over 1, 200 raised at the event in WCFE. Photo: Joe Evans Another reason for the initiative was as a means to say thank you from the Ukranian community in Waterford to the people of the Deise for their welcome and generosity. A lot of people have settled here from Ukraine and they have become very much part of the fabric of the local community. Mayor of Waterford City & County Cllr Jason Murphy, with the Christmas Jumper winners at the WCFE Christmas Fair 2024 beneficiariesare The Women's Centre and Helping Hands, with over 1, 200 raised at the event in WCFE. Photo: Joe Evans A raffle took place this year which was very well supported and there was also music from the Ukranian Emeralds. One of those involved with the initiative commented on the day to Waterford News & Star: "We planned, prepared and organised the Fair that came together so beautifully today." "Along the way, VTOS Health Care joined us as well as Ukrainian students throughout WCFE," she said. Mayor of waterford City & county Cllr Jason Murphy, at the WCFE Christmas Fair 2024 beneficiariesare The Women's Centre and Helping Hands, with over 1, 200 raised at the event in WCFE. Photo: Joe Evans The students decided every detail of a day that was a huge success. The local community also supported the raffle by donating generously to it in terms of items. "With teachers playing a supporting role, the students put in hours of time to make this now annual event, a huge success," said one of those involved. Kateryna, Maranna, Natallia, Teriaca and Olena, at the WCFE Christmas Fair 2024 beneficiariesare The Women's Centre and Helping Hands, with over 1, 200 raised at the event in WCFE. Photo: Joe Evans The women's Centre and Helping Hands will be the beneficiaries of the event this year. Both organisations are worthy beneficiaries thanks to the work they do within the local community. The event raised over 1,200 much to the delight of all those involved A Waterford man has been found guilty of possession of cocaine with intent to sell after a two day trial. Stephen Foley (32) of Hazel Terrace, Waterford, had pleaded not guilty to two charges; possession of cocaine contrary to Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act and possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply, contrary to Section 15. At Waterford Circuit Court, a jury of 4 women and 8 men heard evidence from several members of An Garda Siochana. The court heard how on the evening of January 31, 2023, members of the Waterford Drug Unit carried out a search warrant at an address in Lisduggan after obtaining a warrant from peace commissioner Tom Cullen. A Garda officer was searching a shed on the outside of the property when he saw Foley travelling on Elm Terrace on an electric scooter. The officer observed Foley drop a small package wrapped in black lining behind his foot, in an attempt to conceal the drop. The Garda cautioned Foley and as he approached him, Foley said "It's just a bit of smoke", referring to the package. The Garda searched Foley and took his details, initially suspecting that the package contained cannabis. The package was inspected by another member of Gardai and was sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. The substance was positively identified as cocaine. According to one officer, the cocaine weighed 8.396 grams and was valued at just under 600. Foley was arrested by appointed a month after the incident. Unanimous verdict Defence Counsel Tom Giles Kelly BL, asked a Garda witness if that was the usual procedure for a person suspected of possession. Mr Kelly put it to the witness that he was mistaken in seeing Foley drop an item. The witness rejected that assertion. The jury were in deliberation for roughly two hours over two days. When they returned a unanimous verdict, Foley was kept in custody and sentenced shortly afterwards. Judge Eugene O'Kelly imposed a sentence of two and half years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended. The Court heard that the defendant had 26 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences. High Court reporters Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has said its termination of Prof Philip Nolans director general contract was never intended to imply any finding of wrongdoing on his part. In a statement read in the Court of Appeal on Friday, the State-funded research agency said the litigation with its former chief has been damaging to the reputations of all parties and it is pleased that they have agreed to bring the case to a conclusion. The former member of the high-profile National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) sued the foundation last May seeking to prevent his dismissal. The High Court granted him a short injunction halting his dismissal from his director general post for five weeks while various court applications were pending. The same judge, Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy, in June refused to substantially extend the injunction. On Friday, Prof Nolans senior counsel, Padraic Lyons, instructed by Daniel Spring & Co Solicitors, he was happy to tell the court his clients case and appeal have been settled. He told Ms Justice Caroline Costello she could strike out the appeal against the High Courts refusal to grant Prof Nolan a long-term injunction preventing dismissal. As part of the settlement, an agreed statement was read to the court by SFIs senior counsel, Mark Connaughton, instructed by McCann Fitzgerald solicitors. Mr Connaughton said his client, SFI but now called Taighde Eireann/Research Ireland as a result of a merger of SFI and the Irish Research Council, wishes to acknowledge the significant contribution of Prof Nolan in the formation of Tagihde Eireann and to the development of research and innovation in Ireland, particularly during his time at SFI. It said the organisation regrets the unauthorised and harmful publication (from unknown sources) of incomplete internal reports. This is related to an SFI inquiry into claims made against Prof Nolan, then director general, by five senior staff members in December 2023. Prof Nolan strongly disputed the allegations. We confirm that there were no findings of misconduct or poor performance made against Prof Nolan and the termination of his contract was never intended to imply any finding of wrongdoing on his part, the statement continued. The "significant reputational damage" to him and the agency flowing from the unauthorised publication of internal reports is "acknowledged", it read. In his June judgment refusing to extend the injunction, Mr Justice Mulcahy said the principal question for the court was whether Prof Nolan was dismissed for misconduct (which would have entitled him to fair procedures before dismissal) notwithstanding SFIs claim to the contrary. The judge noted the director generals contract permitted the SFI board to dismiss for no reason at all. He said the SFI board gave some reasons for the dismissal which are no doubt connected to disruption following the December 2023 claims. The judge said Prof Nolan may be able to show at full trial that this was, in substance, dismissal for misconduct, but the current evidence did not establish this. An inquiry into the December 2023 allegations made no findings against the director general but concluded he engaged in inappropriate behaviour and this could ground allegations of gross misconduct. Prof Nolan has always strongly denied this charge. He argued he should have been permitted to defend himself via a disciplinary process but was instead dismissed. SFI argued that the only basis for terminating his employment was by reference to the express terms of his contract. Prof Nolan was appointed CEO-designate of Research Ireland. Minister for Research, Innovation and Science Patrick ODonovan last October confirmed Prof Nolan was no longer chief executive designate. Prof Nolans legal case is due to be mentioned before Mr Justice Mulcahy next week to deal with ancillary matters, such as liability for legal costs in the High Court. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a 65 million euro loan to Marsa Maroc SA to support the expansion of Moroccos maritime infrastructure, Trend reports. The loan will be used to increase the capacity of multipurpose terminals at the ports of Casablanca and Jorf Lasfar. This project aims to enhance the operational efficiency of these terminals by funding infrastructure improvements and the acquisition of hybrid and electric cranes. The initiative will also contribute to the sustainability of port operations. By using more energy-efficient electric rail cranes and boosting terminal capacity, Marsa Maroc expects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of cargo. The civil works planned for the Jorf Lasfar terminal will integrate climate resilience measures to address potential sea-level rise. The loan is supported by the European Unions European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), which provides risk cover through the Municipal Infrastructure and Industrial Resilience (MIIR) guarantee program. Additionally, the EBRD will assist with the digital transformation of Marsa Maroc, focusing on the development of digital solutions at the Casablanca terminal and providing gender-responsive digital upskilling for employees. EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso highlighted the importance of the project for modernizing Moroccos infrastructure and promoting sustainable growth in the maritime sector, which handles over 95% of the countrys trade. Marsa Maroc CEO Tarik El Aroussi emphasized that the loan would enhance the competitiveness of Moroccan trade by improving port facilities. The EU Ambassador in Morocco, Patricia Llombart, also stressed the partnerships role in advancing Moroccos green and digital transition, particularly within the maritime sector. Marsa Maroc is the leading port operator in Morocco, managing terminals in 11 ports across the country and in Benin. Since 1995, the EBRD has invested nearly 5 billion euros in Morocco through over 100 projects focused on sustainable energy, infrastructure, and private enterprise development. Eoin Reynolds A teenager with no previous convictions who is on trial accused of murdering a gunman lost control in reaction to the "horror" of seeing his friend shot and fatally wounded, a barrister has told the Special Criminal Court. Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, for 18-year-old David Amah, said her client was a child at the time of the killing and had never faced or even imagined a scene such as that which unfolded in the busy restaurant where he had gathered with friends and people he regarded as his family for a Christmas Eve party. The trial at the three-judge, non-jury court has previously heard that Tristan Sherry and a second gunman entered Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown on December 24th last year where Jason Hennessy snr and about 30 others had gathered. Sherry shot and fatally wounded Hennessy Snr before himself being dragged to the ground and beaten to death. Three men, including Mr Amah, are on trial accused of Sherry's murder while three others, including Hennessy snr's son Brandon Hennessy, are accused of violent disorder. Ms Lawlor asked the court to consider whether Sherry's actions in shooting dead Hennessy snr had so provoked her client that he lost all self-control. She reminded the court that Mr Amah, who was 17 at the time, was a child and the self control of a child is different to that of an adult. Ms Lawlor said she rejects the prosecution's description of Mr Amah's actions, as seen on CCTV footage, as "calm, controlled and careful". His actions were, counsel said, "wholly consistent with a loss of self-control" and were an "immediate reaction" to the deliberate killing of his friend by a gunman dressed in black and wearing a balaclava. The prosecution's cold analysis of the footage was, counsel said: "A dry, arid, detached, lifeless, fleshless, bloodless characterisation of what occurred that evening." She said the prosecution had failed to take into account the "horror of what David Amah saw" and his reaction to seeing Hennessy snr fall to the ground having been fatally wounded. Counsel accepted that her client is not blameless but she asked the court to consider his age, the fact he had no previous convictions, had never been questioned by gardai about anything and found himself in a horrific scene not of his making surrounded by people screaming and crying. Ms Lawlor also asked the court to look closely at the CCTV and assess whether Mr Amah can actually be seen stamping on Sherry, as was alleged by the prosecution. She asked the court to question where on Sherry's body Mr Amah made contact. If there is any doubt as to whether Mr Amah inflicted injuries that caused Sherry's death, the court must give the accused the benefit of that doubt, she said. Ms Lawlor asked the court to return a verdict that properly reflects Mr Amah's culpability. Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers previously told the trial that Sherry died from blunt force trauma to the head resulting in injuries to the brain with sharp force injuries. Michael Hourigan SC represents Jonas Kabangu (18), who denies a charge of violent disorder arising from Sherry's death. The prosecution alleges that Mr Kabangu first left the restaurant through a kitchen door but then returned "for no apparent reason" and twice kicked Sherry to the body while he lay on the ground being beaten to death. Mr Hourigan said the prosecution case was shorn of the context of the live and ongoing threat that people in the restaurant faced. The second gunman had evaded capture and nobody knew where he was or if he posed further threat. They also didn't know if more attackers were coming and whether the killing of Hennessy snr was just the beginning. His client had seen the gun being pointed at him and heard shots being fired in his immediate vicinity. When he returned to the restaurant, Mr Kabangu could not have known that Sherry was no longer a threat during the four seconds when it is alleged that he twice kicked the deceased. Mr Hourigan asked the court to acquit his client. The trial will resume on Monday when lawyers for Brandon Hennessy and Diarmuid O'Brien, both of whom deny violent disorder, will deliver their closing speeches. The three men charged with Sherry's murder are Noah Musueni (18), Corduff Park, Blanchardstown; David Amah (18), Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin; and Michael Andrecut (23), Sheephill Avenue, Blanchardstown. Jonas Kabangu (18), Corduff Park, Blanchardstown and 18-year-old Diarmuid O'Brien of Corduff Place, Blanchardstown are charged with violent disorder at the same location on that date. Brandon Hennessy (21) of Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15 is also charged with violent disorder. All accused have pleaded not guilty. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When Michael Cox was 17 and paddling out for a surf, another surfer collided with him and struck him in the head. After three weeks on life support and six months in hospital he was left with permanent brain damage that harmed his speech. It was a major deal Ive got a hole in my head, Cox says. Its been hard. Now 50, Cox says he understands everything but struggles to make himself understood. After a lifetime of part-time, casual positions, interspersed with long spells of unemployment, he started working at Thora mill near Bellingen a month ago. He has already proven himself a good worker, his bosses say. Its the first time in my life that Ive got a full-time job; its been hard to find a full-time gig, Cox says. Its going well, Im happy and everyone else is happy, they dont judge me. If the mill closes, Cox expects to be unemployed again. Michael Cox has found steady work at Thora mill. Credit: Janie Barrett Thora mill provides stable employment for 32 people, many of whom fear they would struggle to find other work. Like many in the region, their fate hinges for better or worse on the NSW governments imminent decision about the Great Koala National Park. Advertisement Creating the park by adding state forests to 140,000 hectares of existing national parks was an election promise, but a lot is riding on the size. An extra 176,000 hectares is under assessment for possible inclusion. The industry wants a much smaller footprint. Many people on the Mid North Coast are looking forward to the park and want as much forest protected as possible. The environmental case is strong recent thermal drone surveys suggest the assessment area is home to about 12,000 koalas, as well as other endangered species such as greater gliders. Scientists say better connectivity between the forests will ensure it is better able to withstand climate change. Ill happily take a job farming koalas but I cant see that happening. Andrew West, Thora mill employee There are many people, too, who are eagerly anticipating the park as a driver of tourism an industry that employs roughly twice as many people as forestry and timber processing in the Coffs-Grafton area alone. Yet every decision has winners and losers. The creation of the park has long been opposed by the Coalition in favour of other koala conservation work, and National MPs say there already is a koala park its called state forests. On the line are hundreds if not thousands of jobs. Forestry and related industries, including wood and paper processing, accounted for 958 jobs in the Coffs-Grafton region in the last census. That is about 2 per cent of jobs in the region. An Ernst & Young report, commissioned by the hardwood industry, says it is responsible for 5700 jobs in North-East NSW a broad region, extending from the Hawkesbury River in the south to the Queensland border and inland to Armidale. That includes jobs in plantations. Advertisement The Great Koala National Park assessment area is much smaller, spanning from north of Kempsey to around Grafton, but the industry argues that jobs across the whole region will be at risk from constrained wood supply. NSW Forestry Corporation regional manager Dean Caton says change has been a constant theme for the industry, and his staff have been pretty resilient through that and will continue to enact the policies of the government. Australian Workers Union NSW branch secretary Tony Callinan says forestry workers are extremely worried about their future, both for their own jobs and their communities. The Australian Forest Products Association estimates there are about 50 small-to-medium mills in the north-east region similar to Thora mill. Without a supply of wood, they must either close down or import timber. Thora mill manager Brook Waugh, whose grandfather started the business, says he has no confidence whatsoever to invest anything in our sawmill given the political climate. Brook Waugh, manager of Thora mill, who sources timber from forests that may be locked up by the establishment of the Great Koala National Park. Credit: Janie Barrett Advertisement Basically, well be starved out, meaning you just wont get enough [timber] and itll become unviable and youll just shut the doors, Waugh says. Thats my fear. The greenies have been given so much over the years, and no matter how much they get, its never enough. Waugh says the proposed size of the park is ridiculous and the koalas are thriving. His sister Shannon Scott, who manages the book work in the office, says the family feels huge pressure to keep the mill going. We feel like we have an obligation to all the workers, Scott says. You dont want to see anyone lose their job and go hungry because a lot of them are unskilled workers, and I dont know how easily they would find jobs in the region, and I dont know how suitable those jobs would be for them. Shannon Scotts grandfather started Thora mill and she says the family feels a responsibility to keep going for the sake of the workers. Credit: Janie Barrett Andrew West, 58, who has worked for Thora mill for 24 years, is sceptical about any claims that the Great Koala National Park would create jobs. Ill happily take a job farming koalas, but I cant see that happening, says West. I quite like the job I have. It will really disappoint me the day when this is going to close. Id hoped it would see me through to retirement. Advertisement Australian Forest Products Association NSW chief executive James Jooste says the industry wants an immediate decision to end the uncertainty. The longer the government takes to make that decision, the greater the human cost will be, Jooste says. The forestry industry has put forward a case for $1.35 billion in compensation if the park is 176,000 hectares, but only $271 million if it is 37,000 hectares. The Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, chaired by former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, claims these figures are inflated by at least $300 million by exaggerating the cost of wood buyouts and land management services under NPWS. Native forest logging businesses are either trying to scare the NSW government with inflated costs to force them to break an election promise or line their pockets with unjustified buyouts at taxpayers expense, Henry says. Environmentalists are hanging out for a quick decision, too, since logging has continued within the assessment area since the election. The longer the park is delayed, they say, the greater the destruction. Advertisement After an exhaustive six-month search that saw the names of Hedi Slimane from Celine, Jacquemus founder Simon Porte Jacquemus and former Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs tossed around the front row like empty goody bags, the house of Chanel has settled on 40-year-old Matthieu Blazy to run its fashion business. I am thrilled and honoured to join the wonderful house of Chanel, Blazy said in a statement. I look forward to meeting all the teams and writing this new chapter together. Blazy arrives at Chanel with the respect of the industry, having made the Italian label Bottega Veneta a flattering bright spot in the fashion conglomerate Kerings portfolio, with sales rising by 4 per cent in the first nine months of 2024 to 1.23 billion ($2 billion). Mathhieu Blazy takes a bow in Milan following his ready-to-wear collection for Bottega Veneta in February. Credit: AP With his trompe loeil collections of elevated basics, such as T-shirts and jeans rendered in leather and hit Kalimero, Andiamo and Sardine-style handbags, Blazy has also gained a celebrity following that includes Kate Moss, Jacob Elordi, Greta Lee and Julianne Moore. But unlike women and LGBTQ sex workers, Scott says men face less stigma, in part due to the social and political capital they hold, but also because theyre more likely to work independently than as part of an agency or brothel. Men have always been more inclined to get involved in the escorting market, so you could say, in that sense, its been less exploitative than, say, female sex work. Certainly, the police werent cracking down on male sex workers unless it was associated with homosexuality, he says. Emma Thompson starred in the 2022 film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, as a woman who hires a male escort for a day. Hunter says there are myriad reasons women come to him. For many, its the convenience. Safety is another big motivator. These women have big, full lives, and they just want that intimacy with someone who they know is safe and fun and can fulfil their needs. Hunters fees start at $1000 for two hours, but he says his most common booking is for four hours ($1600), which is his preferred choice for first-time meetings. He runs most of his sessions out of his home in Sydney but will also travel for an additional fee. One of the biggest misconceptions, he says, is that his work revolves purely around the act of sex itself. Definitions of sex are very different to people, and really its just about intimacy, he says. I love that I provide a safe space for women to explore their sexuality. Samuel Hunter, male escort Most of Hunters sessions will start with a cocktail and conversation, but while sex and all its variations is on the cards, its never a requirement, he says. Consent, on the other hand, is always part of the discussion. In his experience, many women have never even had conversations about consent with sexual partners, and so oftentimes dont really know how to answer, he says. I love that I provide a safe space for women to explore their sexuality ... though the flip side of this is the heartbreak and frustration that so many women havent had the space to do this previously. For his part, Hunter says his work has helped him feel more secure about my body image ... as well as giving me plenty of opportunities to explore aspects of sex and sexuality Id not explored in my personal life. Sexual wellness Anna Grosman founded Her Confidant in February this year, a male escort agency catering to women. While based in Melbourne, the agency also has escorts working in Sydney and Perth. Grosman sees her business as being more in line with the wellness world than the traditional sex industry something reflected in the growing sexual wellness movement that puts womens pleasure at the centre of their wellbeing. Anna Grosman says the services offered by her escort agency are just another form of dating. Credit: Simon Schluter Women are putting male escorts on retainers just like you would go and have your hair done once a week or once a fortnight ... its really an overall mind, body and soul wellness experience, she says. The language used in Her Confidants marketing indicates this, too male escorts are called companions, and their profiles include details about their favourite music and movies. Some even include snippets of escorts voices, a nod to the growing popularity of audio erotica among women. Grosman also sees the growing popularity of male escorts as a reflection of the lack of options available to women seeking heterosexual relationships. Its another form of dating, she says. Theyve either been divorced, or theyre single, and they dont really want to be living with a male as such, but they still require intimacy every so often. I was very scared to be intimate with a man after so long. Sarah, client Services offered by Her Confidant range from a 20-minute coffee meeting ($200) through to a sleepover ($3000) and week-long companionship ($20,000). Escorts receive 50 per cent of this fee. Prospective escorts are put through a rigorous vetting process, which includes a police check, health check, 35-question questionnaire, interview and trial. Bokeem, who uses an alias, is an escort with the agency. He agrees that his work is about far more than sex itself, but about creating a safe space for the clients, many of whom have experienced sexual trauma. Bokeem, a male escort with the agency Her Confidant. Credit: Ebony Williamson, @erboudoir/Instagram I lean into mindfulness practices and breathwork. Often, Ill invite people to just lie down and join me in a breathwork, and its not something thats very structured, he says. Im constantly asking, does it feel good? Are you happy? Do you feel safe? Sarah, a woman in her 50s who is choosing to keep her real name private, sought the services of a male escort through Her Confidant after the end of a long marriage, the last decade of which she says was without intimacy. I was very scared to be intimate with a man after so long. I feared my body had forgotten how to have sex, and I had lost so much confidence in my body, even though I was fit, she says. I contemplated seeking a one-night stand with a man, but I was very scared for my safety and nervous to use an app. She wants to see the stigma women face in seeking sex work removed. It has never historically been questioned for men. Women should be able to explore these services with no sense of shame. Womens pleasure should be a right, she says. NDIS, sex and disability Women living with a disability can face additional stigmatisation, as well as barriers in accessing the various kinds of care that are important for wellbeing. In October, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) removed sex work from its funding. Hunter got into the industry after a life-changing motorcycle accident and has worked as a disability support worker and as an advocate for Touching Base, a volunteer-run organisation that connects people with disability and sex workers. Someone with a disability is not broken, he says. We need to step away from the medical model of disability and embrace the social model, where the person is not the problem not providing accessibility to the full diversity of the human experience is the problem. Priya, a disabled woman in her 40s who chose to use a pseudonym, has been seeing Hunter for the past few years. Before seeing Samuel [Hunter], the act of touching towards me was only medical, or as a client needing care and in a clinical rehabilitation environment, she says. I never saw myself as a sexually desirable woman by anyone. But seeing Hunter has changed this. I was gutted and so deflated. It was like okay, disabled people dont matter! It felt dehumanising. Priya*, a disabled woman on the NDIS removal of sex work from its coverage Priya was upset to see the NDIS decision to remove sex work from its coverage. I was gutted and so deflated. It was like, OK, disabled people dont matter. It felt dehumanising, she says. Simone, another client who also chose to use a pseudonym, sees Hunter every few months. The 39-year-old has cerebral palsy and says that the experience has helped her define what the truth is about sex and what isnt. For me, its about being seen as a sexual and desired woman. Thats very rare. I dont experience that kind of human touch organically. I often have to verbally ask someone, which is quite embarrassing, but with escorts, thats normally their basic request. The largest ever quarterly fall in net overseas migration outside the pandemic has brought population growth down to its lowest rate in 19 months, giving the Albanese government hope it will be able to cut immigration to manageable levels. Amid an ongoing political battle over migrants and population, Australian Bureau of Statistics data on Thursday showed net overseas migration fell to 63,200 in the three months to June 30. This compares to 133,500 in the March quarter and 120,500 in the June quarter last year. Through the 2023-24 financial year, a net 445,638 migrants moved into the country, exceeding the governments May budget forecast. Credit: Getty Through the 2023-24 financial year, a net 445,638 migrants moved into the country, the lowest intake since late 2022. In the June quarter alone, migrant arrivals fell by 35 per cent while departures from Australia increased by 7.9 per cent. Outside the first stages of the pandemic, when the international border was closed, it was the largest single quarterly fall in net migrants. Last Friday, Rabbi Shlomo Kohn woke to the news that the home of his Adass Israel congregation had been burned down. The Orthodox synagogue in the suburbs of Melbourne found itself at the centre of Australias reckoning with antisemitism after several ugly incidents. However, Kohn and members of his three-generation family were only temporary residents of the country. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Rabbi Shlomo Kohn, now granted permanent residency. Immigration Minister Tony Burke phoned Kohn on Thursday to change that. If people made you feel unwelcome, then in the most direct way I can and Ive got the paperwork in front of me I would like to make you and your family permanent residents of our Australia, Burke said on a video call this week with the rabbi, his wife and grandchildren. Mangiones arrest has stunned his friends and family, most of whom appeared to have lost touch with him in the past six months. Police believe Mangione had an animosity towards the US health insurance system. Credit: nna\josh.hohne We all condemn violence of any kind, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesman for Surfbreak HNL, a co-living community in Honolulu where Mangione lived for six months in 2022. He added: Theres sadness because he was a person who was well-loved and no one saw this coming. Ryan said Mangiones back pain was well-known within the Surfbreak community. It was a real problem for him, and he had to think about that in a way that most 24-year-old young men living in Hawaii would not have to worry about their health, Ryan said. Mangiones struggles with his back pain offer a glimpse into the interior life of a man who outwardly lived a charmed existence the scion of a wealthy family in Maryland who was valedictorian of his prestigious private school in Baltimore and earned degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania. In archived Reddit comments, Mangione doesnt express anger toward UnitedHealthcare or other health insurers. But the posts chronicle his struggle over the years to deal with back pain that became increasingly debilitating. From childhood until age 23, my back would always ache if I stood too long, but it wasnt too bad, he wrote in February. But as he entered his mid-20s, the pain began to disrupt his life. He once described the sensation of an unstable spine as being able to feel the bones moving/grinding. Loading He also struggled with cognitive issues, according to his posts. In a Reddit group focused on brain fog, he wrote, The people around you probably wont understand your symptoms they certainly dont for me. By January 2022, Mangione was living at Surfbreak in Hawaii, where a surfing accident exacerbated his spinal condition, according to his Reddit posts and interviews with friends. He had a spinal fusion surgery a procedure that stabilises the spine with surgical screws in July 2023, according to his Reddit posts, and he seemed pleased with the results for months afterward. Havent had a bad day since, he wrote in November 2023. Mangiones discussion of surgery aligns with an image of an X-ray prominently displayed on his profile for the social media platform X. An orthopedic surgeon who reviewed the image for the Post described it as a lumbar spine with posterior spinal instrumentation, possible fusion. Its a common procedure for people with spondylolisthesis, a condition where a vertebra shifts forward and can cause excruciating pain in the lower back. United Healthcare chief executive Brian Thompson. Credit: AP He found a community on Reddit dedicated to spondylolisthesis, which he described as my injury in handwritten notes uploaded to his profile on the book-review site Goodreads in 2019. Mangione regularly offered advice to others, sometimes with an edge of bitterness about the reluctance of the medical profession to provide the care he considered necessary. To persuade doctors reluctant to perform surgery, he suggested an extreme option would be to fake a foot drop (difficulty lifting the front part of the foot) or piss yourself. This is the absolute nuclear option, but there comes a point where its just ridiculous that people wont operate on your broken spine. Loading His struggles drew empathy from people close to him. Surfbreaks owner R.J. Martin told The New York Times that Mangione knew that dating and being physically intimate with his back condition wasnt possible. In a text message to the Post, Martin said he was overwhelmed and exhausted and deferred comment to Ryan, his spokesman. Martin found Mangione to be a really special person, Ryan said. He expected to have a lifelong friendship with him. Mangiones arrest was pretty devastating for him. Marc McCoy, 59, owner of Moped Garage, a store near Surfbreak, said that he sold Mangione a moped and that they had multiple conversations. The Maryland native was eager to talk to McCoy, who has lived in Hawaii for half a century, about how to fit in and respect the local culture and not be an ugly American stereotype, McCoy said. He was well-spoken, intelligent, conscientious, he said. Im in complete shock. Mangione spent some time in Japan this year. A picture posted to X in late February by Japanese professional poker player Jun Obara shows him appearing to enjoy a meal at a Tokyo restaurant with a smiling Mangione and others. He came in by himself and we talked to him and treated him to a meal and drinks because we wanted him to enjoy Japan, Obara wrote in a subsequent post this week. He said he was on vacation from Hawaii. Most friends and family appear to have lost touch with Mangione since May. That appears to be when he last posted to his accounts on Goodreads and Reddit, where he linked to a video shared by another user in a group for discussing Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. His apparently last post on X, formerly Twitter, was a retweet of a podcast episode on how smartphones and social media impact mental health on June 10. June 10 also was the last time Gurwinder Bhogal, a UK-based writer, said he received a message from Mangione, who was seeking advice about curating his social media feeds. The two had struck up a correspondence in April after Mangione subscribed to his Substack publication. They discussed politics, said Bhogal, who recalled him complaining about how expensive health care in the U.S. was. In comments circulated to reporters, Bhogal wrote, Overall, the impression I got of him, besides his curiosity and kindness, was a deep concern for the future of humanity, and a determination to improve himself and the world. New York police crime scene unit members photograph bullets on the footpath in the hours after the shooting. Credit: AP He added, He was so polite and thoughtful it was hard to conceive of him murdering someone. Mangiones movements in the summer and autumn are still not clear. Mangiones mother, Kathleen Mangione, called the San Francisco police on November 18 and said her son had not been heard from since July, according to local media reports. A source familiar with the matter confirmed to the Post that a missing-person report was filed. The Tech Guild Kick-Off event, organized by Kapital Banks Agile and Technical Office, has successfully concluded. The event was dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and experience among employees working in technical and business fields, as well as the introduction of new approaches in the field of technology. In the opening session, Shahnaz Nuri, Head of Agile COE, emphasized that guilds bring a fresh perspective to Agile transformation and pave the way for development in multiple directions. She highlighted that guilds serve as an important tool for employees to enhance their knowledge and skills not only in their own areas of expertise but also in other fields, contributing to both speed and quality in business operations. Meanwhile, Mikhail Gromov, Chief Information Technologyy Officer, spoke about future prospects and the impact of innovative solutions on business growth. A panel discussion, featuring Kapital Bank's business and technical leaders, stood out at the event. Topics such as the balance between technical excellence and business speed, priority management, and expectations from agile roles were discussed, with participants' questions addressed. The event included 16 sessions across four main areas on DevOps, Architecture and Development, QA and Analytics, and Information Security. Over 400 employees participated in these sessions, with speakers from Kapital Bank, as well as representatives from Umico and Pasha Pay, contributing their insights. Kapital Bank, the country's first bank, is part of PASHA Holding. Kapital Bank has the largest service network in Azerbaijan with 120 branches and 53 departments all over the country. For more detailed information about the banks products and services, please refer to https://kapitalbank.az website, 196 Call Centre or the banks various social network pages. To apply for a consumer loan visit https://kbl.az/prgtk, for a Birbank installment card visit https://kbl.az/prcrc. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Azerbaijans Baku has set its sights on swapping out all forms of public transport for electric-powered alternatives by the year 2030, transport expert Fuad Aliyev told Trend. The expert pointed out that making the switch to electric buses in Baku by 2030 is within reach, even though there are a few bumps in the road. "To achieve this, extensive charging stations and other infrastructure for electric buses need to be built. For the power supply and grid in Baku to withstand such a load, significant investments are required. The number and accessibility of charging points must increase. Electric buses are more expensive than traditional diesel or gasoline buses, but they have lower operational costs for long-term use. It is crucial for both the government and the private sector to allocate financial resources for this purpose. Additionally, the government can adopt various incentives to encourage the production of electric buses. Electric vehicles are developing rapidly, but technological advancements are still needed to produce high-performance and affordable electric buses capable of covering long distances. Furthermore, advancements in battery technologies and an increase in their lifespan will also play a vital role. The use of electric buses is essential for cleaning up the urban environment and improving air quality. This goal will be an important step forward, especially in the fight against global warming. The transition to electric buses must also have public support. People need to embrace these vehicles and be satisfied with their comfort and reliability. Therefore, a full transition to electric buses in Baku by 2030 is achievable with a well-planned and gradual approach. However, realizing this goal will require specific resources, technologies, and strategic measures," he said. The Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency also informed Trend that the introduction of electric buses is an integral part of the country's sustainable transport system. "Moreover, priority will be given to the development of charging infrastructure for electric buses, special bus lanes, and the introduction of low-carbon infrastructure. Starting in 2025, a plant by the Chinese BYD company will begin producing electric buses in Azerbaijan. All of this will play a significant role in ensuring that the capital city has electric buses," the agency noted. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. From the dawn of January through the twilight of October in 2024, the exchange of trade between Azerbaijan and Australia soared to heights beyond $1.3 billion. Data obtained by Trend from the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan indicates that this marks a substantial increase of 27.1 percent, or $997.8 million, compared to the same period last year. Noteworthy, Azerbaijan's exports to Australia amounted to $114,000 over the ten months, marking a 99.6 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. The good news is that in the span of ten months, Azerbaijan's appetite for Australian goods blossomed, surging by 115.1 percent compared to the previous year, reaching a remarkable $1.3 billion. In this chapter of trade, the exchanges with Australia danced to the tune of 6.23 percent, weaving a thread in the intricate tapestry of the nation's total imports. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Transition Year students from schools across Mayo and Galway paid a visit to the Lough Mask Water Treatment Plant on Friday afternoon last to learn about the processes that go into treating raw water to make it safe for domestic use. The Lough Mask WTP, perched high on a hillside just outside Tourmakeady, is one of the biggest and most productive plants in the west of Ireland, supplying clean water to homes across South Mayo and North Galway, as far west as Louisburgh and as far east as Ballinlough in West Roscommon. The ten students, drawn from Transition Year classes in Sacred Heart College in Westport, Sancta Maria of Louisburgh and St Josephs College of Castlebar in Co Mayo, and High Cross College in Tuam, took part in the site visit as part of a six-week STEM Programme with Uisce Eireann. Before travelling to Tourmakeady, the students were given a presentation by Ger Cafferkey (Asset Strategy Technical Lead) on the importance of catchment and abstraction management. David Henry (Project Manager, Delivery) then provided the students with a concise overview of the planned upgrades at Lough Mask. After induction, the tour began at the pumping station on the shore of Lough Mask, from which raw lake water is pumped up to the plant, and ended where the clean, treated water is taken by gravity flow to reservoirs and on to homes and businesses across South Mayo and beyond. Led by Conor OToole, the WTP Supervisor, Ronan McDonnell (Operations Technical Lead) and Eoin Hughes (North West Water Process Optimisation Manager), the students received a detailed tour of the plant, outlining each stage in the water treatment process. The students were shown the plants operations room, which provides the operatives with real-time information on water quality and production output. They were then brought to the raw water balance tanks, before progressing on to the sedimentation tanks, filtration tanks and disinfection chambers, where the treated water is made safe for domestic use. Finally, they were shown the laboratory and given demonstrations of the chemical tests carried out to ensure the water leaving the plant is compliant with regulations. These demonstrations were led excellently by operational personnel Michael Lally and Paul Thomas. Eoin Hughes said the STEM programme is a valuable opportunity to educate young people about the work that goes into managing and protecting our water resources. The students were really engaged and curious to learn about the water treatment process during our visit, said Eoin. At Uisce Eireann were always keen to show young people how we enable our communities to thrive, and to demonstrate the various highly-skilled careers paths available to them in the water services sector. Id like to thank Conor and his team for facilitating the visit and sharing their experience and expertise with the students, and also the students themselves and their teachers for their enthusiasm, continued Eoin. Conor McGreal and Jack McDowell, both from Sancta Maria College in Louisburgh, said they found the visit to the plant interesting. Especially the treatment part, how clear they can make the water, offered Conor. Abigail Marley, Ciara Brennan and Layala Murray, all from Sacred Heart School in Westport, said that they have an interest in science and that their favourite part of the tour was seeing the water being tested in the laboratory. They have been enjoying their STEM programme with Uisce Eireann so far. Ive enjoyed the more practical work, and its been interesting to see the work that goes into getting our water to us. Theres a lot of stuff you wouldnt really think about, said Ciara. Sean McCarthaigh An occupant of a car that was diverted down small country roads by a Satnav system after missing a turn suffered life-altering injuries after the vehicle collided with a train at an unmanned level crossing in Co Mayo last year. Details of the near-fatal incident at the level crossing located between Ballyhaunis and Claremorris are revealed in a new report by the Railway Accident Investigation Unit. Railway investigators concluded the main factors causing the collision was the failure of the previous user to close the gates and the lack of familiarity of the motorist with unmanned level crossings as well as his failure to react to advance warning signs and to stop to check for approaching trains. The incident occurred as a Heuston-Westport passenger train with 190 passengers on board approached a location known as Prendergasts Level Crossing at around 3:15pm on September 9th, 2023. The RAIU report reveals that the train driver had sounded the horn on its approach to the level crossing while the train was travelling at 110km/h. It revealed that the driver, who lives in Galway, had taken a wrong turn in Claremorris on the way to Longford and was using a Satnav system which had diverted him onto unfamiliar local roads. It was also the first time ever that the 20-year-old driver, who held a full driving licence, had used such a crossing. The train driver sounded the horn a second time after seeing the car was travelling a bit fast as it was heading towards the crossing. The driver applied the trains emergency brake once he realised the vehicle was not going to stop. According to the train driver, the car slowed to the point that it came to a standstill on the line directly in front of the train which left insufficient time to avoid a collision. It was propelled 31 metres into an adjacent field where it landed on the passenger side, while the train came to a halt around 310 metres past the level crossing. The driver and the other male occupant of the Skoda Octavia were airlifted to University Hospital Galway after being treated at the scene by a doctor, nurse and two rapid responders who had been on the train. The passenger suffered life-changing injuries and requires ongoing medical intervention and therapies, while the driver sustained a broken ankle. The RAIU said a coupler at the front of the train had been in an extended position which may have contributed to the extent of the damage to the car and the injuries to its occupants. The vehicle suffered massive damage on the passengers side which bore the brunt of the impact with the train. The RAIU also concluded that the signage on approach roads did not portray clear meaning that road users were approaching an unmanned level crossing or alert them of the severity of not adhering to the warning by a possible collision with a train. The report revealed that a decision support system which provides information for users about the approach of trains had been installed at the crossing but had not been commissioned as a result of difficulty in getting electricity to the location due to issues with a local landowner. The RAIU recommended that the Department of Transport should continue with a trial at a number of unmanned level crossings including the accident location on a new warning sign depicting a train striking a car to highlight the approaching hazard. It noted that Iarnrod Eireann has also taken a number of actions as a result of the accident including the painting of the gates and roads at the level crossing, which is used by an average of 50 vehicles daily. The report revealed that there were two previous near miss incidents at the same level crossing in August 2019 and June 2022, where train drivers had to apply emergency brakes. The RAIU said there was also another near miss at Prendergasts Level Crossing on February 26 this year when a silver jeep drove through the junction at speed. The RAIU said it had also contacted Google about possible warnings about the location on Google Maps. The report revealed that the line was closed for over five hours and resulted in delays to four passenger trains, while the cost of bus and taxi hire for the onward journeys of train passengers as a result of the accident totalled 8,073. Overall, the accident was calculated as costing Iarnrod Eireann just over 271,000. The report noted that there are still 42 unmanned level crossings of the type at the location of the collision on the rail network. Iarnrod Eireann has estimated that it could cost up to 6 million to close them. Prendergasts Level Crossing is ranked as having a high level of abuse due to gates being left open but a tolerable risk. Track patrolling records show the gates were open approximately 46 per cent of the time. The RAIU said Iarnrod Eireann staff had reported 242 instances of level crossing gates being left open in the 12 months before the collision, although none related to the location of the incident. It said its latest report was the 10th investigation into collisions between trains and road vehicles since its establishment in 2007. The local Supermacs outlet is expecting a 5% to 10% increase in sales in 2024 compared to 2023, with passing trade from the GAA Centre of Excellence key to the performance, according to franchise owner and manager Dinal Swaris. The number of customers coming through the door will be up 3% on 2023 figures but sales will be up by between 5% and 10%. Its not too bad, the trade is steady," he said. "After the mid-terms its quiet but then Christmas starts and people start doing their shopping and business picks up. Notably, customer habits remain altered since Covid lockdowns. The night trade has collapsed since Covid as peoples going out habits changed. In smaller towns there is no longer any late-night business, we dont stay open late, only our Galway city stores open late now. The higher cost of living continues to reverberate locally, noted Mr Swaris, making dining out an occasional rather than a daily consumer habit. If they want a treat they will come out... Mr Swaris has seen footfall in Ballyhaunis diminish as smaller retail outlets continue to close. Passing through traffic, particularly teams visiting the Connacht GAA Center of Excellence, helps a huge amount". Theyll often call us and let us know theyre coming in. They also spend in other shops in Ballyhaunis. A new surge of town centre rental accommodation much of it former retail properties - is bringing some business to Supermacs. "They [renters] will often go for a Friday night or a Sunday treat. Supermacs is also facing more competition, especially from retailers. Youre not only competing with fast food but also with convenience retailers. Theres more competition: a Centra takeaway dinner costs 9 and our meal with drink is 10.50. As a result, every business is widening its offerings. We added Papa Johns in 2023 because it was hard to survive on Supermacs alone. Some 15% to 20% of Mr Swaris sales now comes from pizzas but the new offerings also requires more labour. We have two people doing the pizzas. The wider you go the more work is involved. On that front he is expecting higher costs in 2025 due to an increase in the minimum wage and other labour reforms. Definitely, PRSI is increasing and the sick pay entitlement will increase from three to five sick days. Mr Swaris expects stronger trade in the run up to Christmas. Its quieter because theyre more conscious of spending because they want to save for Christmas. A few [social welfare] payments are coming in too so itll pick up. Rachel organises weekly Vigil for Palestine A local music teacher is spearheading a weekly vigil for Palestine which started in the Square in Ballyhaunis last month. Rachel McGeehan said that after watching the news every day coming out of Gaza and the West Bank and feeling so affected and moved by what I was bearing witness to she felt compelled to show her solidarity with the Palestinian people in a local setting. Thus, her decision to invite like-minded people to stand in the Square on Friday afternoons. Especially in a town as culturally diverse as Ballyhaunis, I really wanted to start something locally. In the summer of this year, some new neighbours moved in, and they are from Palestine, this really propelled me into action, I felt like it was my sign to take a step forward. I am in some groups based in Dublin and even Glasgow, and within the Mayo branch of IPSC - a lot of the vigils are taking place in Castlebar and Westport. With a young child, the distance and timings wasn't really available to me. "Abaigeal Warfield (of Dragonfly Yoga) and Emer Tansey and myself organised an Oiche Shamhna Toddler Fundraiser with great support from local businesses and the free use of the Community Hall from Ballyhaunis Community Council. But I wanted to keep it going, to have a sense of momentum, to keep Palestine in people's minds, to create a 'space' where people can come together in solidarity, for support. We have had two vigils in Ballyhaunis Square so far, and have decided to show up every week from 4pm to 5pm with flags, banners and open hearts, to let people know there is a place they can come too if they are feeling the same way. We have had a lovely positive response from cars and passers-by, with beeps, thumbs up, some cheering. Originally from Dublin, Rachel moved to the UK as a child with her family before later returning to Ireland do a music degree and masters. After teaching in Abu Dhabi for six years she moved to a house in Ballyhaunis during the pandemic in 2020. As a performer I have played with a number of orchestras, and shared the stage with the likes of Andrea Bocelli, George Fenton and Hussain Al Jassimi, she said. Mohammed Hani Kezze: international businessman and pioneer The recently deceased Mohammed Hani Kezze was a pioneer in many ways, being the first Syrian to settle in Ballyhaunis but also a pioneer in the casings industry, turning a byproduct from the local meat processing industry into a valuable commodity exported worldwide. His brother had come before him and told him there was an opportunity here, explained Mohammeds son, Hazim Kezze who today runs the family business, Iman Casings, in Ballyhaunis. Another son, Housam runs a UK branch of the business. A native of Aleppo in western Syria, Mohammed had learned the craft of cleaning and salting animal intestines for use as casings for sausages. The establishment of a meat factory in Ballyhaunis by Pakistani businessman Sher Mohammed Rafiq in the late 1970s created a supply of by-products for other ends of the meat industry. Rafiqs sales of carcasses in continental Europe created new business connections and partnerships. It was a French guy doing business with Rafiq, this guy heard there was a meat factory in Ballyhaunis and he wondered what they were doing with the casings. He told my dads brother. Mohammed had been working in Spain but had returned to Syria and had gotten engaged, explained Hazim. His brother called him and said theres a factory in Ireland which you should have a look at, see if theres an opportunity there. When he came to Ballyhaunis he wasnt planning to stay long term. The first thing he saw was the cold weather. He intended to go back and thats why he worked by himself in the early years. Purchasing the intestines from Mr Rafiqs Halal meat factory, Mohammed cleaned and stripped them before salting them. Then they were ready for sausage meat. Kezze exported the casings across Europe but also to the Middle East. My father saw phenomenal growth in his sales in the first five years during which time he worked mostly alone. It took him a while to realise this was the place he would stay. But then he began to take on Irish staff. He taught them the trade. Tributes posted online after his death include reflections from Ballyhaunis locals who worked for Mohammed in the early years, a time when local employment opportunities were fewer than those available today when Ballyhaunis' meat processing industry relies on a largely immigrant workforce. While the countrys broader economy stagnated, there were a lot of opportunities in the early 1980s in Ireland as the countrys meat processing industry came of age, explained Hazim. Ireland was becoming one of the most important producers of meat and meat by-products. A few plants had been built, including Halal. My dad saw the opportunity because no one else was doing these [casing] products. Those were early days. Today the Irish meat industry is a ten billion euro industry but before that farmers were bringing a couple of cows for slaughter at the local abattoir. Then the meat factories opened up and were killing hundreds or thousands of animals a day. Mohammed Hani Kezze was a polyglot with clients across Europe, and later in China. His was a long connection with Spain, where hed gone as a 19-year-old and worked in the casings industry. He learned the language, he used to always speak Spanish with his customers, explained Hazim. As a businessman he was old school. He was friends with his customers. Theyd visit and hed visit them. Hed go to Spain and sign a deal for one or two million, hed just go over and chat with his friend. When he passed away in November at the age of 71, Mohammed had also had a profound impact on the demographic makeup of Ballyhaunis. Forty-four years after he arrived to check out the Halal meat plant there are now between 300 and 400 Syrians in Ballyhaunis, Hamid estimates. A wing of the family, the Cherbatjis, run Nour Foods, a meat business, from the premises on Clare Street previously occupied by Iman Casings before it moved in 2011 to its current site, a purpose-built plant on the Clare Road built with support from LEADER, the EU-state funded programme for rural development. Today Iman Casings employs 25 at its Ballyhaunis plant and 46 at its operations in the UK. A smaller casings company, RC Casings, is run by a former Irish associate of Hamids and processes pork casings. He left us debt free... he brought us into the trade, says Hazim in tribute to his father. "He turned what was effectively a waste product into something valuable. We went from 50,000 to 100,000 to millions of euros in sales per year. The business is counter-cyclical, expanding when the broader economy contracts. Staff numbers and sales soared during the economic crash of the past decade. People eat less steak and more sausages in an economic downturn, explains Hamid. A stronger economy also makes finding and retaining staff a challenge and recent increases to the minimum wage adds pressure, Hazim explains. Its labour intensive work, our products are hand-made... People prefer to work in Aldi for 13 or 14 an hour. The company is more reliant now on exports. France and Spain remain key markets while Irish sausage makers have embraced an alginate gel derived from seaweed to make casings. Having grown up adjacent to the workplace, the family left Clare Street in 2011 to move into a house on the Knock Road. In the last ten years, his father wasnt very active in the business, explained Hazim. He travelled a lot, spending half of the year at a house hed purchased in Spain. He had booked a trip to Wales to visit his younger son, Hussain, before heart trouble took his life. The evening he died hed been eating paella, his favourite dish, Hazim relates. Mohmmad had also travelled to Syria six or eight months ago for the first time in a long time. All thats left now in Aleppo are distant relatives: the closer family all live in Ballyhaunis now. He loved it. He was planning to go back. Hazim was alarmed in recent weeks to see the ancient city fall to rebel fighters. Its a 10,000-year-old beautiful city fall. Now its gone, gone. GAA 50/50 winners Congratulations to P&J, c/o Paddy's Bar, winners of 500 in the Ballyhaunis GAA 50/50 draw on December 1st on an envelope sold in Paddy's Bar. The next draw, on December 8th, is in Paddy's Bar. Reading, PA (19601) Today A mild and dry evening, then becoming cloudy overnight with some patchy fog and drizzle possible late at night. . Tonight A mild and dry evening, then becoming cloudy overnight with some patchy fog and drizzle possible late at night. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) have signed a $1 billion risk-sharing agreement aimed at increasing trade finance in emerging markets, Trend reports via the IFC. This landmark initiative seeks to address the trade finance gap faced by banks in developing economies. Under the agreement, IFC and HSBC will equally share the risk on a portfolio of trade-related assets valued at up to $1 billion. These assets are held by banks in 20 emerging-market countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The facility is part of IFCs Global Trade Liquidity Program (GTLP), designed to support global trade in underfinanced regions. Over the past two decades, GTLP has facilitated more than $80 billion in global trade through nearly 30,000 transactions. The program has provided critical support to over 400 financial institutions in 74 emerging markets, including 30 International Development Association (IDA) countries and nine nations affected by fragility and conflict. IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution dedicated to fostering private sector growth in emerging markets. With a presence in over 100 countries, IFC leverages its capital, expertise, and global influence to create opportunities and drive development. In fiscal year 2024, IFC committed a record $56 billion to private sector initiatives, mobilizing resources to combat poverty and promote sustainable development. The partnership between IFC and HSBC represents a significant step toward enhancing trade finance availability in regions where it is most needed, contributing to economic growth and stability in emerging markets. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Nuclear power is making a strong comeback around the world in three ways - building traditional large-scale nuclear power plants from scratch, lifetime extension to existing nuclear power plants and growing interest on an emerging technology, namely small model reactors, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol said during the discussions on nuclear energy hosted by the IEA, Trend reports. It is around the world, in all the continents. Some countries opt not to use it, which is, of course, their decision. At the IEA, we also name the challenges in front of this. As far as the nuclear is concerned, there are many challenges, but two of them are crucial. The first one is that the nuclear industry hasnt performed very well. There were many cost overruns and lots of delays in terms of the delivery of the nuclear industry. There may be different reasons for it in different countries, but this is the picture. The second one is the financing of nuclear power plants, because nuclear power plants typically need a substantial amount of the first capital, very capital-intensive technologies, he said. Birol announced that the IEA is coming up in mid-January with a report on financing nuclear power. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn African men most at risk of prostate cancer African men have a high risk of prostate cancer. Research has found genetic regions associated with this disease. A breakthrough study has identified the genetic risk factors that contribute to increased prostate cancer in African men. The study, the largest of its kind, recruited 7,500 men from eastern, southern and west Africa. The study is especially important because African men have a high risk of prostate cancer. Medical scientist Wenlong Carl Chen explains why the findings are significant and the promise they hold for future treatment. What did your research look into and why? Prostate cancer disproportionately affects men of African descent. Studies from the US and African countries report a higher occurrence of prostate cancer in men of African ancestry when compared with men of other ancestries. Men of African and African Caribbean ancestry were also found to be at higher risk of developing a more aggressive form of prostate cancer and of developing it at a younger age when compared with men of European ancestry. Prostate cancer also accounts for nearly one-quarter of all cancer cases diagnosed in Africa. Our study aimed at uncovering aspects of genetic architecture of prostate cancer that were specific to men of African descent. In other words, we wanted to understand what it is about African mens genetic makeup that puts them at higher risk for prostate cancer. Evidence emerging in the literature suggests that genetic risk factors significantly contribute to the development of prostate cancer. Genetic risks can be put into two groups: Hereditary risk factors or germline mutations: There are rare genetic mutations in genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, that have been linked to increased risks for developing cancers. Mutations in BRCA2 particularly are linked to higher risks of developing more aggressive prostate cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms or variants: These are common genetic variants that are linked to increased disease risk. Each variant by itself confers a very small increase in risk. But several variants combined may raise the risk profiles for a disease. In this study, we assessed the risk contributed by inherited genetic variants to prostate cancer. Despite the high burden of disease, genetic studies of prostate cancer in continental African populations are limited. The technology needed for these studies is typically very expensive and requires specialised instruments which are very scarce in Africa. Whats unique about your work? To better understand the genetic causes of disease, we needed to study diverse populations, particularly African populations. African populations have much higher genetic diversity when compared with other populations. As the place of origin of Homo sapiens, the African population is much older than other populations and has therefore had more time to accumulate genetic variations. Ours is the largest study to date to investigate the ancestry-specific genetic architectures and disease associations for prostate cancer across multiple regions in sub-Saharan Africa. Numerous studies like this have been conducted worldwide. But participation from Africa, both in terms of researchers and study participants, is very low. How did you go about your research? Our consortium, the Men of African Descent, Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP), was formed in 2016. Hospitals and universities in five African countries Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda and South Africa partnered with several US-based universities to form the consortium. The US National Institute of Health provided funding. The African centres enrolled men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer and, as controls, men of the same population groups who did not have cancer. Demographic, social, economic, and clinical information and bio-samples were collected from the participants. Our study consisted of 3,963 prostate cancer cases and 3,509 controls. Most bio-sample processing and genotyping was performed in Africa, using a custom genotyping array. A genotyping array provides information on hundreds of thousands of DNA variants. This specific one was designed and optimised to capture African genetic variations. What did you find? We identified three loci (genetic regions) with a strong association with increased prostate cancer incidence. The lead signals within these loci were common in African populations but were almost absent in non-African populations. Although these three loci were previously found in other populations, our signals within these loci are unique to African populations. They would not have been found if we had not studied African populations. There are also differences within Africa. The genetic parts that contribute to prostate cancer risk differ by geographical population. Why does your research matter? It is crucial to study diseases in populations with the highest disease burden. Our findings highlight the importance of studying the possible causes of disease in diverse populations. We found novel associations by studying the genetics of prostate cancer across Africa. These signals would not have been found in studies done outside Africa. The genetic diversity of African populations further allowed us to fine-map the regions of associations to better understand whats driving the signals. Our findings pave the way for the development of genetic tools that could grade people by their degree of risk. Another example of this was a 2019 study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics which used genetics to predict the risk of breast cancer. Women placed in higher risk groups would become eligible to enter the UK breast cancer screening programme at a much earlier age. The results from our study will lay the foundation for the development and implementation of similar tools in an African setting. Wenlong Carl Chen, Researcher, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Photo: Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, December 13. China and Tajikistan have significant opportunities for expanding cooperation in the mining sector, Trend reports via the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan. This was highlighted during a meeting between Sherali Kabir, the Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan, and Liu Danyang, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Importers and Exporters of Metals, Minerals, and Chemicals of China. The Chinese delegation included leaders from major international companies such as China Minmetals Corporation and Jinchuan Group. The discussion focused on the potential for expanding collaboration between companies in Tajikistan and China, particularly in the mining and chemical industries. The sides emphasized the importance of industrial cooperation, with a particular focus on the mining sector. It was noted that Tajikistan has a rich mineral base, which is large enough to sustain the sector's long-term development. The importance of geological exploration, preparing deposits for development, and attracting Chinese technology and equipment for mining operations were also highlighted. China Minmetals Corporation, founded in 1950, specializes in metals and minerals. Jinchuan Group Co., Ltd., established in 1959, focuses on mining, ore processing, metallurgy, chemicals, and high-tech processing, producing nickel, copper, cobalt, gold, silver, platinum group metals, advanced non-ferrous materials, and chemical products. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Austrias exports to Uzbekistan have experienced a notable surge, increasing by 21 percent in 2023, amounting to 131.8 million euros, a source from the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs told Trend. "This growth highlights the strengthening of economic ties between the two countries. The majority of Austrian exports to Uzbekistan are machinery of all kinds, followed by measuring instruments, pharmaceutical products, plastics, processed goods, and other finished goods," the source noted. According to the source, the Austrian businesses have been especially active in healthcare and agricultural processing, capitalizing on the Uzbek market's demand for technological advancements and infrastructure improvement. "Moreover, Austrias commitment to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Uzbekistan is underscored by the credit facilities being provided to Uzbek banks. This move aims to facilitate business development and expand trade relations, fostering a sustainable economic partnership between the two countries," the representative of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs emphasized. The source added that with continued growth in trade and new opportunities emerging in sectors such as energy and energy efficiency, the future of Austrian-Uzbek economic relations looks promising. Xac minh 'than y' chua ung thu bang phuong phap 'truyen nang luong' "Than y" Nguyen Van Kien (trai) lam viec voi co quan chuc nang - Anh: Cong an cung cap Ngay 28-2, ong Nguyen Tuong Duy - chu tich UBND xa Hai Yang (huyen ak oa, Gia Lai) - cho hay ang phoi hop cac co quan chuc nang xac minh truong hop nguoi xung... An Giang lien tiep xuat hien mua trai mua Mua bat chot giua cao iem ma kh khien nguoi dn bat ngo. Theo ng Luu Van Ninh, Gim oc i Kh tuong Thuy van tinh An Giang, nguyn nhn cua hien tuong ny l do nhieu ong nhiet oi trn cao trong ieu kien La Nina ket hop cua ra pha Nam khoi khng kh lanh... TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 13. Uzbekistan and Mongolia discussed establishing direct flights on the Tashkent-Ulaanbaatar route, Trend reports. The matter was reviewed at a meeting between Uzbekistans Minister of Transport, Ilkhom Mahkamov, and Mongolias Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Daadanhuu Batbaatar. During the meeting, the sides discussed promising projects in the field of transportation and logistics, the development of bilateral cooperation relations, and further plans in this direction. In particular, they talked about the development of road transportation by forming new transport corridors and creating favorable conditions for carriers and outlined practical steps to take particular measures for the implementation of joint projects. The parties agreed to hold a regular meeting of the Joint Commission on road transportation in January 2025 and discuss the implementation of a pilot road rally from Mongolia to Tashkent along the new Southern route of the route. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan and Mongolia are planning to establish trade houses in both countries soon. This was announced at a joint meeting between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the President of Mongolia, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, with representatives of the business circles of the two countries. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2024. [Xinhua/Ding Haitao] BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, met here Thursday with Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 75 years ago, China and Russia have blazed a new path featuring mutual respect, harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between major and neighboring countries, setting an example of new-type international relations as well as relations between major neighboring countries, Xi said. He said China is willing to work with Russia to strengthen the synergy of development strategies, tap the intrinsic momentum of bilateral cooperation, and continuously bring benefits to the two countries and peoples. China and Russia should strengthen communication and coordination within such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations (UN), the BRICS cooperation mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, and practice true multilateralism so as to make the international order more just and equitable and jointly safeguard global strategic stability and international fairness and justice, Xi said. Xi pointed out that since the establishment of relations between the CPC and the United Russia party more than 20 years ago, the two sides have conducted high-level and constructive interactions, strengthened exchanges and mutual learning on party and state governance, continuously enriched the content of institutionalized exchanges between the two parties, and helped consolidate political and strategic mutual trust between China and Russia. As important forces promoting human progress, the two parties should further coordinate and cooperate closely, lead the global governance in the right direction, and pool the consensus of friendly political parties in countries around the world, especially in the Global South countries, to push the world forward in the right direction, Xi said. On the Ukraine crisis, China has repeatedly emphasized the need to uphold the three principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no provocation by any party, to promote the easing of the situation as soon as possible, Xi said. He added that China will continue to adhere to its consistent position and work with the international community to create favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis. Medvedev delivered a signed letter to Xi from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and expressed his delight at visiting China again on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. The current high-level cooperation between Russia and China is the result of the joint guidance and promotion by President Putin and President Xi, he said. The Russian side will unswervingly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote strategic coordination, Medvedev said. Noting that the exchanges and cooperation between the United Russia party and the CPC bear special responsibilities in the relations between the two countries, Medvedev said the United Russia party is willing to promote pragmatic cooperation and youth exchanges through the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of Russia and China, strengthen education on traditional values such as patriotism and promote the long-term development of bilateral relations. Medvedev said that the Russian side speaks highly of China's position on the Ukraine crisis, pays attention to the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis, an initiative put forward by China, Brazil and other countries, and is willing to actively promote the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2024. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu] (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Wang Shasha TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 13. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan discussed the implementation of joint projects on the construction of the Uchkuduk-Kyzylorda and Darbaza-Maktaaral railroads, Trend reports. The news follows a meeting between Uzbekistans Minister of Transport, Ilkhom Makhkamov, and the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, Beibut Atamkulov. During the meeting, the parties reviewed aspects related to the development of bilateral and transit road transportation between both countries, including the current situation at border checkpoints and the creation of competitive equal conditions for national carriers of the two countries. Both sides also noted the possibilities of developing cargo transportation through the Aktau and Kuryk ports through the formation of competitive tariffs for transportation and port services by Kazakhstans side. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover with Kazakhstan reached $3.4 billion from January through October 2024. This is 2.9 percent less than in the same period last year ($3.5 billion from January through October 2023). Kazakhstan ranked the top three largest trading partners of Uzbekistan in terms of trade turnover for the specified period. Weather Alert ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CDT /5 AM EDT/ SATURDAY... * WHAT...South winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...Until 4 AM CDT /5 AM EDT/ Saturday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution. && Discussion about the state taking a stake in Germanys largest steel company, Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (TKSE), has intensified with the steel summit hosted by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Social Democrat, SPD) on Monday. Much of big business, all the establishment parties and the IG Metall trade union favour state participation. However, their main concern is not the preservation of industrial jobs, but the maintenance of steel production for the war economy. IG Metall protest on June 14 in Duisburg to demand subsidies for Thyssenkrupp Representatives of companies, trade unions and works councils came to the steel summit at the Berlin Chancellery, including Dennis Grimm, head of Thyssenkrupp Steel, Jurgen Kerner, second chairman of IG Metall and a member of the supervisory board of the Thyssenkrupp parent company, and Tekin Nasikkol, head of the Thyssenkrupp group works council. Because the bosses of other steel companies such as Salzgitter, Stahl Holding Saar, Arcelor-Mittal, Georgsmarienhutte and Swiss Steel Germany were also invited, the states entry into Thyssenkrupp Stahl was not discussed directly. But Scholz himself had fuelled such discussion. In an interview with the Funke media group, to which the local newspapers in the Ruhr area also belong, he responded to the question of whether the state should take a stake in Thyssenkrupp Stahl shortly before the summit: Im not taking any options off the table now. Above all, the steel summit was the start of the chancellors campaign for Februarys early federal election, similar to his visit to the Ford plant in Cologne a day later. After the meeting in the Chancellery, Scholz called the steel industry indispensable for Germany. The steel produced here is of the highest geostrategic importance for industrial production in Germany, he said. Works council leader Nasikkol enthused afterwards that Scholz had recognised the signs of the times and promised concrete measures to strengthen the systemand security-relevant steel industry. Discussion about state participation in ThyssenKrupp must be seen in this contextthe defence of the security-relevant steel industry. The company plans to cut 11,000 of the 27,000 steel jobs over the next few years. The IG Metall and works council dominated by it have already agreed to this jobs massacre and are merely demanding that it be made socially acceptable, i.e., without compulsory redundancies. State involvement is intended to strengthen the war-relevant steel industry. In recent months, almost all parties represented in the Bundestag (federal parliament) have spoken out in favour of this. Speaking for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Dennis Radtke, head of its so-called employee wing CDA, once again suggested the creation of a Deutsche Stahl AG with federal government participation. Green Party leader Felix Banaszak, who comes from Duisburg in the Ruhr, said that in the current situation it would be irresponsible to make the question of state participation taboo. Sarah Philipp, head of the North Rhine-Westphalia SPD, said that involving the state as it did with the Meyer Werft, one of the largest and most modern shipyards in the world. could be a bridging solution. Just last week, the EU Commission under Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) approved the German states investment in the Meyer Werft. The federal government and the state of Lower Saxony are taking over more than 80 percent of the companys shares. They are also guaranteeing 80 percent of loans totalling 2.6 billion. The federal government explicitly justified state involvement at Meyer Werft, which currently only builds cruise ships, with military considerations. Ultimately, Meyer Werft could also play a significant role in German military shipbuilding if the geopolitical situation were to worsen, Die Presse quoted in September from a government background paper for the Bundestag budget committee. According to the head of the liberal ifo Institute, Clemens Fuest, the state should normally not help companies in crisis. But geopolitical reasons could, however, speak in favour of not allowing steel production to migrate entirely, because, among other things, the arms industry must not be cut off from steel supplies in the event of a crisis, he added. Fuest wants to develop and implement this in cooperation with European partner countries in a security concept. However, the German government is not interested in this and is focusing on strengthening the national steel and arms industry. The state already has a stake in the steel industry. The state of Lower Saxony holds a good quarter of the shares in Germanys second-largest steel company, Salzgitter. In Saarland, the state government has transferred its shares in the remaining steel companies to the Saar Steel and Coal Foundation, which controls both Saarstahl and Dillinger. Dillinger is Europes leading manufacturer of heavy plate. The group has been supplying the security industry with specialist steels for decades. For about 12 years, Dillinger has also been producing for the arms industry. Since the military new era of 2022, German arms companies have been inundated with orders; tank manufacturer Rheinmetall has tripled its production. The steel being used is increasingly coming from German production. For years, German arms companies such as Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann bought their steel for Leopard, Boxer or Puma tanks from Swedish steelmaker SSAB. Since the new era in foreign and military policy, German manufacturers have wanted to concentrate procurement of armoured steel as much as possible in Germany. The clear favourite so far was Dillinger Hutte, as leading representatives of the arms industry assured the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in September 2022. The Thyssenkrupp-owned arms company Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), led by former IG Metall district secretary in North Rhine-Westphalia, Oliver Burkhard, is also part of the German arms industry. This division was able to increase turnover in the 2023/24 financial year by around 16 percent to about 2.1 billion, and its profit from 73 million to 125 million. TKMS boss Burkhard was supposed to take the global market leader in conventional submarines and a leader in the development of new naval surface and underwater technologies (Thyssenkrupp) public. He negotiated with the Carlyle Group for a long time. At the end of October, Thyssenkrupp announced that the US financial investor is withdrawing from the bidding process for a stake in Thyssenkrupps naval division. Citing government circles, finance daily Handelsblatt reported that the US investor had withdrawn due to resistance from the German government. However, TKMS remained open to industrial partnerships, and talks with the German government about federal participation would continue. State participation in these industrial corporations vital for the conduct of war is part of Germanys remilitarisation. In August of this year, Handelsblatt was the first to report on a draft for a national Security and Defence Industry (SVI) strategy. According to this, Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) wanted to simplify the states entry into armaments companies. The aim was to make Germany less dependent on foreign producers and German producers less dependent on private (foreign) investors. Armaments projects are to be considered undertakings of paramount public interest, the civilian clause prohibiting military research at universities is to be abolished, and approval procedures for military purposes are to be accelerated. Start-ups with close ties to the military will be able to access venture capital more easily through a public-private future fund. When the cabinet adopted the SVI strategy on December 4, Pistorius stated: For Germanys defence capability, it is crucial that we have innovative and efficient defence companies in the country. Only in this way can we succeed in developing state-of-the-art weapons systemsalso together with our alliesand, above all, in producing them in sufficient numbers. The current threat situation requires us to promote key technologies in Germany. ... With the SVI strategy, we are improving the framework conditions for companies and opening a new chapter in the relationship between state and industry, very much in line with the new era. In short, Germany should become fit for war, and every economic and social consideration should be subordinated to rearmament and warfareespecially in Ukraine against Russia. Thyssenkrupps steel division has so far been mainly focused on civilian products, in particular producing steel and sheet metal for the household appliance and packaging industries, the energy sector and for carmakers. That is why Thyssenkrupp Stahl is so severely affected by the current crisis in the automotive industry. Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) wants to ensure that Thyssenkrupp benefits from the German governments warmongering policy in the future. In the summer, the former SPD leader, vice-chancellor, foreign, economic and environmental minister, staged his resignation as chairman of the supervisory board of Thyssenkrupps steel subsidiary as a reckoning with group CEO Miguel Lopez. Now the money-hungry lobbyist Gabriel has signed on with Germanys largest arms manufacturer, Rheinmetall. The Dusseldorf-based company announced that its supervisory board had decided to nominate Gabriel for the position. In a rapidly changing world, Sigmar Gabriels expertise in geopolitics is of particular value to us, said Rheinmetalls chief supervisor Ulrich Grillo, explaining the decision. Rheinmetall is making every effort to fulfil all orders on time. The company is expanding and building new plants in Germany and in war-torn Ukraine. Gabriel is tasked with polishing up the image of these war profiteers, who are coining a fortune from the deaths of hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainians and Russians. My membership on the Rheinmetall supervisory board should be understood as a contribution to dealing proactively with the necessity of a strong and efficient defence industry in Germany and Europe, Gabriel said. On the other hand, he will use his ties to Thyssenkrupp to provide the group with new steel production capacities. In doing so, Gabriel remains loyal to the line of the SPD and the coalition government, which is already initiating the next escalation of remilitarisation. Member of Parliament Joe Weingarten, rapporteur for the SPD faction in the Bundestag budget committee, called for a new special fund for the Bundeswehr amounting to 200 billion. The coalition agreement for a new federal government should form the basis for this. The proposal for the state to take a stake in Thyssenkrupp is therefore part of the warmongering policy being pursued by the SPD, the Greens and all the other parties in the Bundestag. IG Metall and its works council representatives are fully behind this policy. Ali Guzel, head of the steel works council, has already assured Scholz that he will make an election appearance in Duisburg during the federal election campaign at the beginning of the year. IG Metall and its works council reps are part of Berlins all-party war alliance. The struggle to defend jobs at Thyssenkrupp requires an energetic fight against them. We call on all steelworkers, IG Metall members or not, to stand against the IG Metall and works council bosses and to link the struggle against job cuts and wage cuts with the struggle against war. They are two sides of the same coin. Support the building of an independent rank-and-file action committee. Call +491633378340 or write a WhatsApp message and register using the form below. The White Paper Get Britain Working by work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall outlines plans by the UK Labour government to force millions of disabled people into looking for work. White papers are policy documents produced by governments setting out their proposals for future legislation, and underpinning Kendalls is the drive to slash the welfare bill. The government estimates that the cost of the welfare bill is set to rise from 60 billion to in excess of 100 billion by 2030. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall speaking in Parliament, October 7, 2024 [Photo by UK Parliament/Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 There are 4.2 million people nationwide in receipt of health-related benefits, two thirds of them receiving long-term support. A quarter of people aged between 16-64 suffer with a long-term health condition placing limitations on what they are able to do on a daily basis. Disabled people are three times more likely to be out of work than those considered not to have a disability. Labour have repeatedly referred to this group of peoplemany with longstanding health conditionsin terms of their economic inactivity and worklessness. Get Britain Working refers to economic activity 89 times throughout the document and reaffirms the ambition to achieve an 80 percent employment rate. The figures the government have used to calculate economic activity are provided by the Office for National Statistics. Research published by the Resolution Foundation (RF) think tank casts doubt on these figures, however, suggesting that since the first COVID lockdown in 2020 there has been a gross under estimation of those who are economically active by approaching a million workers (930,000). Its report, Get Britains Stats Working, warns that efforts to reach this target are marred by poor quality data about the true state of the labour market. The governments white paper has met criticism from disability rights groups for its lack of any clarity as to how disabled people receiving out-of-work benefits will be treated by the Department for Work and Pensions. Proposals for reforms are not being published till next spring. Linda Burnip, co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts, was concerned by the emphasis on increasing the engagement between disabled people on out-of-work benefits and employment support servicesparticularly those disabled claimants who do not have any current contact with the government agency Jobcentre Plus. It tears up the approach that engagement with the DWP should be voluntary and initiated by disabled people themselves choosing to want to look for work, rather than being pressured to do so. Fazlilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK, criticised, Given that disabled people are the subject of the white paper, it is disappointing that we werent engaged with prior to publication. The situation leaves many disabled people worrying what will happen and concerned their paltry benefits will be sanctioned or stopped if they are unable to engage with thew DWP and attend appointments. Labours paper places particular emphasis on getting people with health conditions, and specifically long-term health conditions, back into work. It skates over the fact that many of these people are too unfit to work and cannot access the appropriate medical treatment or help that they need. The National Health Service (NHS) is already under immense strain and without the capacity to deliver the quality health care needed for those with long-term conditions, requiring substantial resources over a long period of time. A survey carried out by mental health charity Rethink in June this year showed the impact of NHS waiting times: 80 percent of those surveyed reported that their mental health had deteriorated whilst waiting for support, with some waiting up to 727 days before they were seen. Of those whose mental health had deteriorated, 64 percent had experienced a mental health crisis, with 25 percent attempting suicide. 42 percent had to seek urgent emergency care, with 22 percent having contact with the police due to their distress. 34 percent of people had to take time off work, and some had lost their jobs. The overall NHS waiting list for treatment is at 7.5 million, with over 230,000 people waiting more than a year. Long COVID continues to drag on the populations health, with an official study in April estimating that two million people had the condition in England and Scotland. Nearly 20 percent of participants reported that it seriously impacted daily life. Government plans to invest an additional 22.6 billion in the Department of Health and Social Care in England by 2025-6 will barely scratch the sides of the problem. Moreover, it is being coupled with a productivity drive which will run a still under-resourced NHS ragged, pressed for an extra 40,000 appointments a week. The same can be said of promiseseven assuming they are keptof an additional 8,500 mental health staff and increased access to Individual Placement and Support, targeting those with severe mental illness and reaching an extra 140,000 people by 2028/29. Get Britain Working also promises support for young people in the form of a Youth Guarantee, supposedly enabling every young person aged 18-21 to be able to access further learning, help to get a job or an apprenticeship. Unpublished comments made in October this year by Kendall in an interview with the BBCs economics editor Faisal Islam revealed that youth would face harsh sanctions if they did not comply. A Freedom of Information request revealed Kendalls statement: Therell be no option, no option of not earning or learning. This was an absolute part of our Youth Guarantee. Compulsion always means cut-price jobs and courses, aimed at creating a heavily exploitable new layer of workers. The foreword to the white paper, by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Kendall, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, makes clear the overall goal of transforming a department for welfare into a genuine department for work through a new national jobs and careers service, focused on peoples skills and careers not only monitoring and managing benefit claims. Streeting has made clear how his plans to cut waiting lists are driven by economic goals and the foreword notes that this means fixing the NHS, cutting waiting lists so people can get back to health and back to work Behind all the empty rhetoric about supporting disabled people back into work, Starmer is pledged to slash the benefits bill, with hundreds of thousands forced back into work, the majority into dead-end low-paid jobs. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer recently wrote a column for the Mail on Sunday, which specialises in demonising welfare recipients whether disabled or not. Starmer pledged to get to grips with the bulging benefits bill blighting our society and to crack down hard on anyone who tries to game the system. His comments were fully in line with the sentiments of the right-wing rag which ran a front page story, Starmer declares war on benefits Britain: Sir Keir vows to crack down on 137 billion welfare blight. The Labour government is continuing and deepening Tory austerity. Already in her October budget, Reeves committed to delivering 3 billion worth of savings from health and benefitswith policies to be announced in the springthe same amount as pledged by the Sunak government. The attacks on welfare and the pushing of the sick and disabled into work are being brought in by a Labour government pledged to a pro-corporate agenda and rearmament at vast cost, which it is planning to fund with a war on the working class at home. Last Saturday, Reeves was also treated to a front-page splash by the Mail, telling the paper of the need to increase military spending: If you spend money on one thing, you cant spend it elsewhere. Theres not a magic money tree. Other departments had to learn to live within their means. On November 20, New Zealands National Party-led government passed a law banning the wearing of gang insignia in public. The ban targets mainly Maori gangs to prevent them wearing jackets and clothing emblazoned with their identifying patches. The law bans displaying gang insignia in all public places. Courts can issue non-consorting orders to prevent gang members communicating and associating, and police have increased arrest powers. Repeat offenders can be banned from even owning a patch, with police empowered to search and seize patches from private homes. Police in Auckland, New Zealand [Photo: NZ Police] Greater weight will be given to gang membership in court sentencing, providing for more severe punishments for unrelated criminal convictions. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told Radio NZ that being a gang member should always be an aggravating factor in any sentencing process. The legislation is part of the far-right governments sweeping law and order agenda targeting the most alienated and vulnerable layers of society, including impoverished youth and welfare beneficiaries. Sooner rather than later, the crackdown will extend to the wider working class. The anti-democratic measures are being imposed amid a vast restructuring of social relations involving tax cuts for the wealthy, thousands of workers being thrust into unemployment and growing poverty and homelessness. In a joint statement on the ban, Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchellan ex-private military contractor in Iraqboasted that the free ride for gangs is over. Goldsmith claimed that to earn the right to wear a patch you have to have committed violent crime. There are a trail of tears and victims behind each one of those gang patches. No evidence was provided for these lurid accusations based on guilt by association. The police wasted no time exercising their new powers. The first arrest was made just three minutes after the law came into effect, with 12 people charged on the first day. Later that week, a huge police presence, including a police helicopter, was mobilised in the small Bay of Plenty community of Matapihi for Mongrel Mob members Maori tangi, or funeral. Several arrests were made, prompting an outpouring of anger and shouts of disrespect from mourners. Like bikie gangs in other countries, including Australia, these outfits are frequently alleged to be involved in drug importing and distribution and other crimes. They are socially backward, with some flaunting Nazi symbols and exhibiting violence towards women. Inter-gang reprisals and shootings are not uncommon. New Zealands gangs are mainly, but not exclusively, focused on recruiting marginalised Maori youth, without jobs or stable families. The outlawing of gang regalia is, of course, no solution to the complex social issues involved. A significant number of gang members have come out of extremely abusive state institutions. A royal commission of inquiry recently found that from 1950 to 2019 more than 250,000 people were abused or neglected while in foster care, schools, orphanages, psychiatric hospitals and other places. A recent study undertaken by the police themselves, Understanding Policing Delivery, identified patterns of bias, unfair treatment, racism and excessive use of force by police against gang members. This has contributed to longstanding community distrust of law enforcement across generations, particularly among Maori. One gang member said: Police dont really represent rescue for me. They represent coming to break the family up. The New Zealand Herald noted in an editorial that 90 percent of New Zealanders, particularly in the major cities, only ever have chance encounters with gangs and therefore wouldnt need to be sleeping safer now that gangs are not wearing their insignia. The legislation is in reality intended to set a precedent that can be readily applied more broadly to political organisations deemed to be threatening or intimidatory. Left-wing and oppositional groups will be first in line to be proscribed. The wearing of keffiyeh by protesters opposing the genocide in Gaza is already being cracked down on internationally and could well be illegalised and targeted. There are attempts to create a climate of fear and suspicion towards the anti-genocide protests. The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service issued a statement on December 10 declaring that a terrorist attack is a realistic possibility and claiming that there were anti-Semitic and Islamophobic narratives linked to the Israel/Gaza conflict, without elaborating or providing any examples of the alleged antisemitism. Another plank in the governments escalation of state repression is the campaign against so-called youth crime, which played a major role in the 2023 election. As part of this, the National Party and its far-right coalition partnersACT and New Zealand Firsthave created a Young Offender Military-Style Academy, commonly known as a boot camp, for 14-17 year-olds. A pilot programwith military style activities and a special curriculumis being run by the child welfare agency Oranga Tamariki. In the first three months, 10 recidivist offenders were placed in Palmerston Norths youth justice facility before transitioning to a closely supervised in-community phase for nine months. The trial has already proved to be a debacle. One of the participants released into the community died last month in a car crash involving three vehicles, which injured 14 others. Two other 15-year olds subsequently absconded, one while attending the young mans funeral, and went on the run from police. At least one other has allegedly reoffended. A bill currently before parliament creates a framework for military-style boot camps being written into law. Childrens Commissioner Claire Achmad has defended the current trial but warned that if the bill passes it will move us further away from a childrens rights approach to our youth justice system. Criminology professor Elizabeth Stanley was more scathing, writing for Newsroom that international research shows boot camps are the worst criminal justice response we can take. Boot camps are criminogenic, Stanley wrote. They create more crime, rather than reduce it. The kids fall out tougher and quicker. The royal commission into abuse in care highlighted multiple heinous acts, including beatings and rape, against youth sent to a state-funded boot camp that operated on Great Barrier Island from 1988 to 2004, under successive Labour and National Party governments. The normalisation of military-style institutions is also bound up with the needs of the ruling class to funnel more working class youth into the armed forces, as New Zealand and Australia are increasingly integrated into US-led plans for imperialist war against China. Other law and order measures being implemented include: The reintroduction of three strikes laws that force judges to impose the maximum possible sentence when someone is convicted with a third serious offence. Plans to restrict the right of an accused person to trial by jury, increasing the number of judge-only trials. The prison system is being significantly expanded with the expectation of hundreds more people incarcerated. This punitive agenda is directly connected to the intensifying social crisis. To slash public spending and attack the living standards of the working class, a massive assault on jobs is under way. Unemployment in the September quarter was 4.8 percent, up from 4.2 percent earlier in the year, with 148,000 officially unemployed. With the economy tanking, the government has launched a sweeping new sanctions regime on welfare beneficiaries. These include: compulsory work check-ins; penalties for those who fail to attend interviews; establishing a community-based work for the dole system, and requiring Jobseeker Support recipients to reapply every six months. The repressive laws are not aimed primarily at gangs. Their purpose is to suppress the inevitable class struggles that will erupt against poverty, unemployment, the assault on working conditions and public services, and imperialist war. The working class must prepare, above all by building the necessary socialist and internationalist party that will lead the political struggle against the capitalist system, which is the source of war and social inequality. The current savage physical attack on the Palestinian population of Gaza and the West Bank has been accompanied by the disappearance of certain Palestinian films on streaming platforms, and a general artistic and cultural assault. Yasmin Khan at Rock and Art notes that recent allegations suggest that Netflix may be engaging in censorship by quietly removing Palestinian films from its librarya move some claim is an attempt to align with Israeli political interests. Many of these were reviewed by the WSWS over the course of the past year. Khan goes on Palestinian filmmakers have long used cinema as a form of resistance, documenting Palestinian communities lived experiences, struggles, and resilience. By focusing on themes of displacement, identity, and occupation, Palestinian cinema provides a crucial counter-narrative to the dominant framing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict often seen in Western media. Films like Omar, Paradise Now, and The Present offer deeply personal stories that transcend political agendas, allowing viewers to see beyond the headlines and into the humanity of a people affected by decades of conflict. She further observes that research from the Global Media Institute indicates, not surprisingly, that media platforms that amplify one side of a conflict while silencing the other significantly influence public opinion, often leading to skewed perceptions of complex geopolitical issues. To say the least. Moreover, according to December 10 article on Hyperallergic, A wave of anti-Palestinian repression has swept the Western art world in the aftermath of October 7th, 2023. From Amsterdam to San Francisco, artists who have criticized Israels brutal war on Gaza have seen their exhibitions canceled, their work deinstalled, and other opportunities rescinded. There is obviously a concerted attempt by pro-Zionist forces to make Palestinian oppression and suffering invisible. Alam (2022) One of the works still available is the 2022 film Alam (The Flag), written and directed by Palestinian debut feature filmmaker Firas Khoury and streaming on Amazon Prime. The narrative unfolds through the thoughts and feelings of 17-year-old Tamer (Mahmood Bakri of the Bakri family of actors). Although Tamer lives in an Arab village located near Arab ruins, he is a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Among other injustices, he must attend a school that teaches an Israeli-organized curriculum, in which Israels Independence Day is celebrated without mentioning the Nakba (the Catastrophe), the day Palestinians memorialize their dispossession and displacement by the hundreds of thousands in 1948. Israeli soldiers occasionally drop by the school, to check on the students. This is education under the gun. The kids have heard from their parents and grandparents of the land they lost and the villages erased through ethnic cleansing. They are subjected to media stories dominated by Israeli lies. Tamer is part of a generation of Palestinian Arabs whose families chose to stay and found themselves second-class citizens or worse after 1948 in what used to be their own land. The youth and his high school friends, the aggressive Safwat (Mohammed Abd El Rahman), Shekel (Mohammad Karaki), and Rida (Ahmed Zaghmouri), suffer chronic psychological trauma. In fact, Safwat angrily challenges his schools Israeli educator. Local activist Adel (Riyad Sliman), counsels youths at a community center on their rights and how to behave if arrested; and Lenin, the neighborhood drug lord, deals from his elderly mothers home. Interestingly, Tamer has a mug that plays The Internationale. The boys are totally disconnected from their history and culture, symbolized by the illegality of their flying the Palestinian flag, an egregious affront as the blue and white Israeli flag is ubiquitous in the village. Director Khoury skillfully depicts the labyrinth of control that follows the forced denial of history. A flag proves as explosive as a bomb, with cinematographer Frida Marzouk capturing the acute disturbances in the protagonists tender inner and outer lives. Alam When the militant and resolute Maysaa (Sereen Khass)her brother is a martyrjoins Tamers class, the latters up-to-that-point apolitical existence is challenged. The reason he remains non-committal has a great deal to do with his Uncle Naji (Saleh Bakri), who was tortured and imprisoned by the Israelis for revolutionary activities. Physically broken and mentally ill, Naji spends much of his time setting fires. Tamers father (Amer Hlehel) is quick to drive home the fact that anti-Israeli activism is a potentially deadly game. A plot, nonetheless, is hatched. Tamer and company are recruited by their classmates Safwat and Maysaa into an act of political protest. They also attend an Israeli rally with near-fatal consequences. In a statement, director Khoury explained that in Alam he wished to give prominence to the Palestinian youth, who have willingly and despite [everything,] chosen to turn their peaceful struggle against injustice [into] their primary vocation. High school students with courageous souls have become a great source of inspiration to me, since I began following and observing them in recent years. His aim in this film, Khoury continued, was to expose their struggle to define and reinvent themselves, as well as to bring forth their personal story. I wish to show the world that a Palestinian teenager is no different from any other around the world, they have similar dreams and aspirations, and they seek to embark on new experiences, to find love and recognition while transforming into adults. This, I believe, would contribute to how Palestinians are perceived beyond the eye of the media. Movingly, he asserted: It is also an attempt to bring into light under which circumstances the Palestinian youth is forced to develop, the sharp existential contradictions they are subjected to at a young age. In that sense, Alam is a story of a collective, embodied in the life of a young man (Tamer), who wishes to step out of the safe zone of passive fear into the light of freedom. But as always, freedom does not come without sacrifice. Tamer will know freedom only if he is willing to pay the price. In an interview with Variety, the 40-year-old filmmaker explained that Alam in some ways reflects his own belated political awakening. When I was younger, I was afraid to go to demonstrations and participate, he said. He became more politically active while researching the film, writing about the plight of Palestinians and going to demonstrations where 90 percent of these demonstrators were youths under the age of 20. Alam is a sincere and honest film. Its thoughtful presentation of its central characters dilemmathe desire to live a normal life under conditions of perpetual repression and violence, conditions that make normalcy in fact impossiblehas a resonance beyond the borders of the Middle East. To dramatize an individuals political awakening, or perhaps more accurately, in this case, his decision to act despite serious risks, to accept that sacrifices are part of a life of struggle, is a complicated matter. Khoury presumably wants to contrast scenes of what is conventionally called coming of age, which take up much of Alam, with other more urgent sequences, and thus to criticize Tamers initial apparent social indifference. In fact, Salwat and Maysaa have more politically on the ball. One cheers for Tamer, all the while being annoyed through much of the film with his semi-flaneur existence. In any case, after 14 months of the current Israeli war of extermination, one suspects that exhortation has become almost redundant. It has become literally impossible for Palestinian youth to remove themselves from the ongoing nightmare. GM Renaissance Center [Photo: GM Media] General Motors is threatening to demolish its signature Renaissance Center headquarters, the tallest building in the city of Detroit, unless it receives public funds for renovations. The latest shakedown follows the companys announcement last week that it is selling its stake in the Ultium Cells battery plant outside of Lansing, Michigan to its joint venture partner LG Energy Solutions. General Motors received $666 million in taxpayer funds from Michigans Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve for the Lansing battery plant and for electric truck production at its Lake Orion, Michigan Assembly Plant. Meanwhile, reports in the Detroit News and other sources reveal that billions in cash handouts from the state of Michigan for auto and EV related production have produced few net jobs. So far only 100 jobs have been created at the Lansing facility and production at Lake Orion has been pushed back to July 2026. Both projects were supposed to create between 3,200 and 4,000 jobs. These types of public subsidies are in line with the policies of the Biden administration, which is offering massive financial support for the EV transition, including the announcement this month of an almost $7 billion loan to Stellantis for two Indiana battery plants. The Biden administration is handing another $6 billion to Rivian to build an EV plant in Georgia. For its part, the UAW has backed the state handouts to Ford and GM, falsely claiming that they will create good paying jobs. In fact, the planned battery plant jobs will pay substantially below even the inadequate wages negotiated in the 2023 national auto contract. The real interest of the UAW apparatus, as always, is not good paying jobs but additional dues income to sustain the salaries of the unions bloated staff. The request for additional funding comes as GM, Ford and Stellantis have carried out thousands of layoffs in Michigan and beyond in recent months. In November, GM announced 1,000 layoffs, mostly targeting salaried workers in Suburban Detroit. Stellantis has laid off more than 4.000 US workers since September and Ford has significantly scaled back production at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REV-C) in Dearborn Michigan. The threat to demolish the Renaissance Center, a supposed symbol of Detroit revival and the citys tallest skyscraper, typifies the arrogance and greed of the corporate elite, who view public funds as a private piggy bank. Dan Gilbert, CEO of Quicken Loans and a partner in the GM shakedown operation, has benefited from massive state handouts as well as funding from the city of Detroit for various projects. Gilberts wealth soared during the pandemic, making him briefly the 10th richest man in the world. He profited handsomely from the redevelopment of Detroit, which has focused on a few high profile projects, mainly in the downtown area, but has done little to improve services or ease poverty for working class residents. University of Michigan architecture professor Craig Wilkins, quoted by the Detroit News, made the obvious point, Its not uncommon that big corporations, when they want to do large-scale projects, present things in an either-or fashion to shape the debate in the direction they would like, Wilkins said. The idea of if you dont go with this, then well just tear it all down seems like extortion to me, and I dont think the public should allow itself to be extorted. General Motors, as well as Michigan-based Ford, have been major recipients of cash from the Democratic Whitmer administration, largely targeted toward the development of electric vehicle production. The Whitmer administration intervened to massively increase funding for EV development after Ford decided to locate major EV facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee rather than Michigan. A battery is lifted into place for installation in the Chevrolet Bolt EV at the General Motors Orion Assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan. [AP Photo/Duane Burleson] The 2025 state budget pushed through by the Whitmer administration provides another $500 million to the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund along with money for other grants and initiatives for corporate interest. The same budget slashes funding for education. The Detroit News reported that both Ford and GM have refused to state how many jobs had actually been created as a result of hundreds of millions in taxpayer subsidies. A survey by Bridge Magazine in September found that of some $2 billion in corporate handouts by the state since 2021, only about two percent of the 12,000 promised jobs had materialized. One of the costly investments that have failed or been delayed or scaled back is the Ford Blue Oval Battery Plant in Marshall, Michigan in the south-central part of the state. Ford has received various incentives from both the state and local government totaling some $2 billion. This included tax breaks worth $772 million over 15 years and $630 million to finance site preparation and infrastructure. This was in addition to direct cash grants. In November 2023 Ford announced it was reducing its investment in the facility from $3.5 billion to between $2.5 and $3.0 billion and decreasing the number of projected jobs from 2,500 to 1,700. The facility is not set to open until 2026. The state of Michigan recently rescinded, after a public outcry, a $100.8 million handout to Ford for investments in Detroit area facilities after the company, rather than creating jobs, cut back production at REV-C in Dearborn. According to the Detroit News, another company, One Energy, received over $200 million from the state and other public sources to help subsidize construction of a battery plant in Van Buren Township west of Detroit. The facility was supposed to create 2,112 jobs, however, at the most recent count there were just 240 employees in Michigan out of a total workforce of 270. Another battery manufacturer, Gotion, received support for a plant near Big Rapids, Michigan. It was approved for about $125 million in critical industry program funds from Michigan and $50 million in strategic site readiness funds. The company also has been promised $636 million in tax abatements over 30 years. However, few, if any, of the 2,350 jobs the company promised have materialized. In June the state appropriated $250 million for a semiconductor complex in Mundy Township outside of Flint. No concrete plans for an actual facility, let alone the projected employment, have been made public. Meanwhile, Midland, Michigan-based Dow Chemical is seeking $120 million in state funds to modernize the companys research and development operations. Midland said the money would not create jobs but would only serve to retain 5,000 existing jobs, a not so subtle threat to move operations if state legislators do not pony up. The lavishing of public funds on private investors takes place at the same time that education and other burning social needs are being starved for funds. The 2025 Michigan budget cuts state funding for education by nearly $1 billion and cut mental health funding for schools from $328 million to just $25 million. A genuine fight to defend jobs must be based, not on the further enrichment of the capitalist oligarchs, but the development of a socialist political movement based on the working class. To put an end to the theft of societys resources by the rich, the giant auto companies must be placed under the democratic public ownership of the working class. Even before Trump is inaugurated as US president and moves to hike tariffs against Chinahe has threatened to impose a 60 percent impostBeijing is demonstrating it is prepared to retaliate far more powerfully than it has so far to the economic war being waged against it by the US. Chinese President Xi Jinping [AP Photo/Maxim Shemetov] China moved very quickly in response to the decision of the outgoing Biden administration earlier this month to impose a new series of export controls on high-tech components. Those US measures are aimed at shackling Chinas high-tech development, which President Xi Jinping has placed front and centre of the drive to develop new high quality productive forces. Beijing imposed restrictions on the export of critical minerals last week and this week announced an antitrust investigation into the leading US chip maker Nvidia in a move that the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) characterised as sending a message that China wont stand by quietly when targeted by trade and technology sanctions. The export bans cover gallium, germanium, antimony and various compounds known as superhard materials, as well as graphite, which play a key role in the production of semi-conductors. Not only has China banned the direct export of the minerals to the US, it has also extended the ban to third countries which export to the US after acquiring the minerals from China. This is in line with measures employed by the US which has sought to prevent countries that use components containing American technology that are embodied in products from then exporting them to China. It is the first time China has banned such trans-shipment of strategic exports. In another move following the latest US bans, four major Chinese industry associations cautioned companies against buying American chips. The WSJ cited an executive from a European chip design company who said he had been receiving nervous calls from Chinese clients seeking assurances they were not American. This is the first time private companies have been directed to cut out US chips. It is not a direct order but will have a chilling effect, the WSJ commented. China has banned the export of so-called rare earths and critical minerals in the past. Such bans were imposed on Japan in 2010 after its coast guards arrested a Chinese fishing boat captain in waters surrounding the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea following a collision with its vessels. The immediate dispute was resolved when the fishing boat captain was released but the incident underscored the significance of the bans. Reviewing these events in an article published in October last year, the World Economic Forum said: The embargo sent Japanese industry into panic, especially the automobile sector for which rare earths for the production of magnets were indispensable with Japan dependent on China for 90 percent of the supply of the minerals. In response to the bans, it continued, the prices of rare earths soared 10 times in a year following the incident. Japan then instituted measures to lessen its dependence on China, which cost the equivalent of $1.2 billion. As the article noted: The speed and the scale were unprecedented, reflecting the strong sense of urgency. Clearly anticipating an escalating response by China to the increasing list of US bans, the WEF said the lesson to be drawn was the development of concerted international efforts to lessen dependence on China. If the experience of Japan is anything to go by that will be a difficult and costly task. Even with its major efforts following the 2010 incident, Japan is still highly dependent on China for rare earths to the tune of 60 percent. A report by the US Geological Survey last October concluded that as China is the main supplier of gallium and germanium, a complete ban on their export could deliver a $3.4 billion hit to the US economy. The antitrust probe into Nvidia was announced via state media, indicating the decision was taken at the top levels of the Chinese government rather than simply by the State Administration for Market Regulation which has carriage of the investigation. Few details were released but the investigation relates to the $6.9 billion takeover of the Israeli networking firm Mellanox Technologies in 2020. This was a major advance for Nvidia and helped propel it to its leading position in the production and marketing of the advanced chips used in artificial intelligence (AI). As part of Chinese approval of the deal, necessary for Nvidia to continue to operate in the Chinese market which contributes about 12 percent of its total global revenue, Nvidia and Mellanox agreed to the uninterrupted supply of graphics-processing units, crucial for the development of AI and networking equipment to China. The Chinese regulator did not provide details of how the terms of its approval had been possibly violated. Nvidia is also under scrutiny in other jurisdictions, including the US and France, on antitrust grounds. While the probe may be formally grounded on these considerations, that is not the underlying reason for the decision. It is hardly coincidental that it came within days of a significant escalation by the US of export bans and other restrictions on China, including the placing of 140 Chinese companies on an entity list, meaning they must obtain approval from the commerce department, seldom granted, to engage in trade. The effect of the announcement on Nvidia was immediate with its shares falling by around 2.6 percent on Wall Street, wiping off $8.9 billion from its market capitalisation. Commenting on the Nvidia action, Angela Lang a professor of law at the University of Southern California, with expertise in Chinese antitrust law, told the WSJ that by taking aim at one of the most valuable US companies, China is now flexing its regulatory muscles to demonstrate its capacity to retaliate and to deter potential further aggressive actions. How far that retaliation will go remains to be seen and for China there is the danger that its actions will bring about a major escalation in the US economic war against it under conditions where the government is having to contend with lower growth rates. So far, its actions have been carefully targeted. As Sydney Morning Herald columnist Stephen Bartholomeusz commented: By targeting critical minerals and Americas second-most valuable company China is highlighting its capacity to respond to US trade sanctions that cost it little but cost America a lot. The most recent round of measures and countermeasures will not be the last. If Trump goes ahead with his 60 percent tariff against Chinese goodsand he said he would in an NBC News interview last Sundaythere will be a further escalation. It will impact not just China and the US but the whole world as economic conditions come to increasingly resemble, at a much higher level, the dog-eat-dog fight of the 1930s, which helped create the conditions for World War 2. UPS workers: Speak out against the automation-led layoffs and the sellout contract! Fill out the form below; all submissions will be kept anonymous. UPS Olympic Hub, Los Angeles, California. Across the United States, current and former UPS workers are speaking out against ongoing layoffs that are leaving thousands of workers jobless. In just the last month alone UPS has announced major layoffs at facilities in Commerce City, Colorado; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Los Angeles, California, affecting more than 1,000 workers. The layoffs are part of the Network of the Future, an ongoing process initiated by UPS management to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs as part of a modernization operation. Executives, at the behest of Wall Street, are aiming to close and remodel 200 facilities across the country in order to introduce automation and artificial intelligence technologies to eliminate labor costs for the company. On Thursday afternoon, a source confirmed with the WSWS that UPS plans to close down its large Swan Island hub in Portland, Oregon, next summer. The facility is one of the largest in the region but has been decimated by shift cuts in the recent period. Numerous sources inside the plant have confirmed to workers that the facility will be converted into an automated hub following its closure. Once reopened, it will employ a fraction of the workforce; already existing technology, which the company is implementing, has the potential to eliminate 80 percent of warehouse jobs. Last year, the Teamsters union deliberately concealed these plans in order to secure passage of a contract they falsely claimed was historic. Since then, the bureaucracy has kept a near-total silence on the cuts. The UPS Workers Rank-and-File Committee, formed during the contract struggle, warned workers early this year the cuts were underway. In April, it issued an open letter to General President Sean OBrien demanding answers about the layoffs which he has not answered. Several current and former UPS workers in Southern California expressed outrage that nothing is being done by the Teamsters to fight to protect workers jobs in the face of layoffs. Furthermore, anger is growing over the so-called historic contract forced through by the Teamsters last year which prevented a joint strike between UPS workers and tens of thousands of actors and writers, who were on strike at the same time fighting for the same protections against artificial intelligence and automation. Hugo, a driver for UPS for 33 years, told the WSWS that a lot of members are pissed at Sean OBrien. All this talk about a historic contract ... maybe it was historic for UPS but not for the members. There is no protection against AI or automation. Hugo recalled being at a rally last year that featured OBrien and the Teamsters bureaucracy held at the Olympia facility in Los Angeles with SAG-AFTRA and WGA members. OBrien knew damn well then, because the actors were raising it too. SAG-AFTRA, their main concern, a major focus of their contract, was AI. OBrien knew we had to have protections too, but he did nothing. Teamsters president Sean O' Brien speaking at the rally, April 15, 2023. The veteran driver recalled that in the lead-up to the expiration of the contract, the union did nothing to address workers demands. They ignore you. If you wanted to go ahead and have anything constructive added on to the contract, they would just go ahead and not give you the time of day. They had a survey card that they passed around for people to go ahead and list their top five priorities that you want them to discuss in the contract. But the choices, they give you, they are outlined on that card. As far as you selecting AI, or having a box thats labeled like Other for you to go ahead and have a write-in option, no, there is nothing like that. Hugo noted that the democracy within the trade union was a micro example of what happens in, you know, national politics. He said the unions operate in the same manner. They try to go ahead and keep the membership dumbed down and ignorant. They do not want to give them much information. They do the bare minimum that the [National Labor Relations Board] requires of them. Members pay union dues, but they dont have a voice, he added. Hugo also noted that the five-year contract forced through last year only included a 25 cent increase to pension contributions for West Coast Teamsters members in the first year. There is no new money in pension contributions for the second, third, fourth or fifth years. Considering all the billions in revenue that UPS makes, there is no reason we could not have had an increase to our pension contributions every year of the contract, he said. Vivian, a recently hired worker at the Grande Vista facility in Los Angeles told the WSWS the coming layoffs were unfair for the people have been working here so long. She is trying to avoid being laid off herself saying she does everything. ... I get less than 30 hours a week. The benefits are supposed to kick in after 9 months. Youre supposed to get medical, dental, vision and even life insurance. Thats if you pass 9 months. Jesus, a 25-year worker at the same facility, told the WSWS, Whoever has been here five years or less, they are high risk. But I know it is not our fault. I dont agree with the layoffs, but the company is not for the people. So hopefully it wont affect me because Ive been here too long. He said it is so busy because of the shopping season. We have three shifts: its twilight, night and they still have one in the morning. Last year they were letting the people in the morning go and help us. Thats doing double shifts so thats extra pay. But this year they are not letting anyone do doubles, and they hire a lot of people doing temporary jobs. So thats the way they save money. And you know the benefits dont kick in for 9 months. A lot of people got hired a month ago. Theyre not going to get the benefits. I worry about the younger generation. Its impossible to get a good job and have a future. For many part-timers, who make around $21 an hour, the goal is to eventually become a driver. But Hugo noted even for drivers earning pretty good money, $80,000 to $100,000, $120,000, and they still cant afford to buy a home. Its just impossible for them to go ahead and come up with the down payment and then to make the mortgage and then put food on the table and gas and all the expenses, send your kids to school, feed your kids. I mean, yeah, it takes a lot. Thats the future were staring at. The work is rigorous, he added. It doesnt matter what job you do at UPS, whether youre a part-timer moving packages, unloading them from the trailers, or loading them into the trucks, for the drivers to come in in the mornings and have their routes ready to go. Its tough work. Getting up at 3:00, 4:00 in the morning and go ahead and start your schedule to preload, yeah, it is tough. You see a lot of your co-workers go through shoulder surgeries, elbows, your joints, knee replacements, hip replacements. Some of these employees that walk out of there your cartilage on your knees is giving out theyre wobbling by the time they retire. Hugo rejected lies advanced by the ruling class and both parties that the problems in society are the fault of immigrants or the homeless. If youre going to have a conversation about homeless people and immigrants taking from the system, well, have that conversation about the f***ing corporations not paying their fair share of taxes, he said. I dont want to hear you complain about the homeless and the immigrants and everybody that is so-called draining the system. Both of these parties ... they throw money into whoever is going to go ahead and make them profitable. They have no loyalty to the working people or working families. Hugo predicted a massive response in the working class to Trump and the Republicans plans for mass deportations. You are going to have a lot of these encampments back up under a different name. People are going to be pissed off as hell. He added that the fight to defend immigrants is the same fight against endless war. I mean, labor is tied together to this, immigration is tied together to this, civil rights is tied to this. The defense industry they go ahead and proliferate these wars. They have got to go ahead and continue to make these, you know, bombs and artillery, you know, and continue to sell it because its profitable. [The Democrats] they are not going to go ahead and come out and talk about, you know, Lets liberate Palestine, lets go ahead and have a ceasefire, lets get Israel out of there, you know. While workers are left high and dry, he continued, The banking industry wants a bailout, and Congress finds the money to go ahead and bail them out. No problem at all. You want universal health care? No, the money is not there. You want to go ahead and bail out student loans? The money is not there. Its unconstitutional. They come up with all this b.s. just not to go ahead and be able to fund it. When this reporter raised the fact that Canadian Postal workers are currently on strike and face the same issues effecting UPS, logistic and other non-logistic workers, Hugo replied, Canada should be like a mirror where we can stare at it and see exactly what is going on and what they want to do here. The US House of Representatives approved the largest annual military spending bill in US history on Wednesday, allocating another $895 billion to wage war all over the world and expand the US nuclear arsenal. B-52 bomber flies over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. [AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File] The 2025 spending bill is 45 percent larger than it was a decade ago, following years of massive military spending increases under the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. This years National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is $53 billion larger than the 2024 bill and $122 billion more than the 2023 bill. The bill is expected to be fast-tracked through the Senate before being signed by US President Joe Biden by the end of the month. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that the bill ensures our military has the resources and capabilities needed to remain the most powerful fighting force on the planet. Critically, the bill continues the multitrillion-dollar nuclear modernization program, initiated under the Obama administration, that replaces every part of the US nuclear arsenal, from intercontinental ballistic missiles to nuclear submarines and nuclear-capable aircraft, with newer and deadlier versions. The bill authorizes the Air Force to restore the nuclear capability of the B-52 bomber and expand its capabilities for delivering long-range nuclear standoff weapons. It prohibits, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, reducing the number of deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles below 400. The bill authorizes the construction of new nuclear-powered submarines and guided missile destroyers as part of a $33.5 billion expansion of shipbuilding, alongside the construction of 92 new fighter aircraft. As happens every year, both parties voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, despite some Democrats objecting to it over issues related to gender-affirming care. Even those sections of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party who criticized the bill for being wasteful did so from the standpoint of making the US military more efficient at waging war all over the world. I want the US to have the greatest military in the world and the resources to counter increasingly sophisticated threats from our adversaries, declared progressive Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who voted against the bill. The far-right Heritage Foundation praised it, declaring, The FY25 NDAA takes an important step toward a defense budget that flows from strategy and directs DOD to become as lethal as possible. The Heritage Foundation continues, The bill ... supports military construction in the Indo-Pacific and shipbuilding, including a third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and incremental funding for a second Virginia-class submarine. A major focus of the bill is the further military buildup against China, through the expansion of the so-called Pacific Deterrence Initiative, which is funded to the tune of $15.6 billion. But even this massive, nearly $1 trillion budget is just a baseline, with further emergency allocations for the war in Ukraine against Russia, for Israels war throughout the Middle East and for the militarization of the Pacific to be expected. Since February 2022 the US has provided Ukraine with $61 billion in weapons. Over the past year, the US has given over $18 billion in weapons to Israel for use in the Gaza genocide and war throughout the Middle East. Commenting on the vast fortunes to be made from the expansion of military spending by the US and its allies, Barrons published a column titled Military Spending Is Ready to Surge. Heres How to Invest. It noted, The West, along with its allies, is now growing its armories with munitions, tanks, and other war materiel. After decades of complacency from some countries, the spending surge could continue for the foreseeable future, experts say. Barrons noted that the $625 million Future of Defense exchange-traded fund (ETF), which tracks a wide basket of defense stocks based in member countries of NATO, has returned 34% for the year through Dec. 9. It added, An alternative is the iShares US Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA), which tracks a bundle of defense stocks and aerospace companies. These include military contractors Northrop Grumman, L3Harris Technologies, and General Dynamics. The fund has returned 19% this year. The surge in military spending is mirrored across the Atlantic, where the USs NATO allies are massively expanding their military spending. In his first speech since taking office, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday called on European countries to spend more than their current target of 2 percent of GDP on their militaries. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset, Rutte said. And turbo-charge our defense production and defense spending. He added, During the Cold War, Europeans spent far more than 3 percent of their GDP on defense, adding that a target considerably more than 2 percent is needed. This massive expansion of military spendingwhich will come at the expense of social programs and the living standards of the working classcomes amid the rampant escalation of the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine. Earlier this month, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the outgoing Biden administration is planning a massive surge of weapons to Ukraine in the weeks until the next administration takes office. Last month, US President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use US-made ATACMS long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia. Later that week, the UK did the same with its Storm Shadow cruise missiles, with both weapons systems being used to strike deep inside Russia within days of the announcement. On November 21, the New York Times reported that the Biden administration is discussing allowing Ukraine to deploy nuclear weapons. The Times wrote, Several officials even suggested that Mr. Biden could allow Ukraine to have nuclear weapons again, as it did before the fall of the Soviet Union. On Wednesday, a magistrates court in Sri Lanka bailed four School Development Officers (SDO) who had been arrested on December 2, during a protest of more than 500 SDOs outside the education ministry office in Pelawatte, Colombo. School Development Officers outside Kaduwela Magistrate court on 10 December 2024 [Photo by SDO] L. P. S. Abeywickrema, H. Y. L. Perera, K. M. G. Koswatte and H. W. Arachchige were granted bail on separate 100,000-rupee ($US335) personal sureties. The magistrate ordered them to appear before the courts on March 25 next year because the police wanted more time to investigate. Around 16,000 SDOs, who are in fact teachers, have been serving as such since 2021. They are paid 6,500 rupees per month less than other teachers, who have been directly recruited by the education ministry. The SDOs have been constantly demanding absorption into Sri Lankas teaching service and to be given the same rights as all other teachers. President Dissanayakes Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna/National Peoples Power (JVP/NPP) government deployed hundreds of police officers to attack and disperse the December 2 protest. It was yet another indication that the new regime will ruthlessly suppress any opposition to its savage International Monetary Fund (IMF)-dictated austerity program. The police have accused the four teachers of being members of an unlawful gathering and blocking traffic. Even though they are released on bail, if the court convicts them on these spurious charges, they could be jailed for no less than three years and fined. Previous allegations included that the arrested teachers had injured three police personnel. Police officers did not identify any of the arrested teachers as perpetrators during an identification parade on December 10. The real story of what happened at the December 2 demonstration, however, is now starting to unfold. During the protest, SDOs apprehended a stranger in their ranks and handed him over to the police. The media has since reported that Thalangama police have said this person was an Army intelligence officer. Yesterday, the police media division revealed that Sri Lankas Acting Inspector General of Police has ordered an investigation into whether the police officer from Thalangama who appeared in the Kaduwela court on Wednesday told the magistrate that the apprehended Army intelligence officer was responsible for the police injuries. During Wednesdays bail hearing lawyers for the arrested SDOs presented photos of the suspicious person hanging around with a knife in his hand. The photos were later published in the media. As in the past, any police investigation into these events will be aimed at suppressing the truth. The person identified as Army intelligence was not mingling among protesters for fun. He may have been assigned a definite job by his superiors. Workers must be told why this person was planted in the demonstration, and what is his name? On what grounds was he released by the police, without informing the SDOs who apprehended him? Are the police and military intelligence operatives preparing more dirty tricks and provocations against workers coming into struggle against the Dissanayake government? These urgent and legitimate questions must be answered. The Sri Lankan police and military were notorious for their dirty tricks operations during Colombos 26-year communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. None of these provocations were probed. Special Development Officers have been holding protests to demand full integration into the teaching service since 2021. The JVP/NPP leaders promised during the presidential and parliamentary election campaigns that if elected they would resolve this issue. SDOs are currently circulating a video of K.D. Lal Kantha, a top JVP union bureaucrat and now Sri Lankas agriculture, livestock, land and irrigation minister, making this promise during the election campaign. SDOs and other workers are being treated with contempt by Lal Kantha and other JVP trade union leaders who have publicly supported the violent police attack on the December 2 protest. Speaking in parliament, Mahinda Jayasinghe, leader of the Ceylon Teacher Service Union and now the deputy minister of labour, denounced the SDO protesters, accusing them of injuring police officers without providing a shred of evidence and siding with the cops. Mahinda Jayasinghe, Sri Lanka's deputy minister of labour. Jayasinghe is secretary of the Ceylon Teacher Service Union and a longtime member of the JVP central committee [Photo: Facebook/Mahinda Jayasinghe] This protest should not have happened. We have the problem of whether this protest was launched to embarrass the government, Jayasinghe said. He repeated the current political mantra that The government should be given time. Jayasinghe declared that any recruitment into the teaching service should be according to the Teachers Service Minutes, with competitive examinations. Joseph Stalin, secretary of the so-called independent Ceylon Teachers Union, took the same position and denounced SDOs for demanding they be integrated to teacher service without a competitive examination. The United Teachers Service Union, which is controlled by the fake-left Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), is also opposed to SDOs being absorbed in what it claims is a violation of Teachers Service rules. Other trade union bureaucracies have said nothing about the police attack or the SDOs demands, indicating their support for the government. In 2021, the former government of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse provided jobs to about 50,000 graduates to dissipate the long-standing and growing demands of tens of thousands of unemployed graduates. While 16,000 SDOs were hired during this timeteaching primary, secondary and advanced level classes, as well as other educational activities, including sportabout 30,000 unemployed graduates remain jobless. Dissanayake presided over a cabinet meeting during the December 2 protest. After the meeting, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa referred to the SDOs demands, telling the media that everyone must understand that the government cannot provide instant solutions to complex and prolonged issues of this nature. In other words, no one should expect the government to grant the SDOs demands. The governments contemptuous response is in line with cost-cutting social assaults by previous administrations, including the slashing of free education and total indifference to youth unemployment. It has also revealed the treacherous role of the trade union bureaucracies and their unwavering defence of the capitalist profit system. Last month, university student unions, which have hailed the new government, met with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the education minister. She fobbed off their demands for increased education spending, including the allocation of 6 percent of Sri Lankas gross domestic product to the sector, the hiring of over 12,000 university teachers and cuts in university registration fees, stating that none of this was immediately possible. On December 7, the Collective of Workers Action Committees (CWAC) issued a statement calling on the working class to defend the struggle of SDOs, to demand the immediate release of the arrested teachers, and the dropping of all charges against them. The statement said: We declare: these four arrested teachers are the first victims of the class war being prepared against the working class by President Dissanayakes government. The working class cannot allow such attacks to occur. In implementing the IMFs ruthless austerity program, the government will take you on, sooner than later. An attack on one section of our class brothers and sisters is an attack on us all! The CWAC statement added: Workers cannot rely on these trade union bureaucracies to defend their rights. The CSDOA [Combined School Development Officers Association] is falsely claiming that SDOs can achieve their demands by pressuring the government. This is a political dead end and will lead to defeat. This is why workers must establish independent action committees in their workplaces, working-class neighbourhoods and the plantations. Trade union bureaucrats and capitalist parties will not be allowed in these committees. Explaining that the attack on the SDOs is part of a broader assault on the social conditions of workers and the poor, the statement urged workers to fight on the following demands: * No to the brutal IMF program! * No to privatisation or restructuring, and for all SOEs to be placed under the democratic control of their workers! * No to the repayment of foreign debts! The CWAC is holding an online meeting at 7 p.m. on Sunday December 15 to discuss these vital issues and urges you to attend. Please register for the meeting here. United Auto Workers International staffers picket law offices of UAW general counsel Benjamin Dictor on December 6, 2024 The 10-day strike by United Auto Workers regional temporary organizers and local staff members in New York City against the UAW International Executive Board ended Wednesday night with UAW Staff United (USU) announcing it had reached a tentative agreement. In an X post Thursday morning, the staff union said, After 10 days on strike, the IEB moved on key demands on layoff protections. USU is made up of about 40 members in UAW Region 9A, which includes eastern New York, New England and Puerto Rico. In New York City, the region covers academic workers at New York University, Columbia University and The New School, as well as Legal Aid Society lawyers and publishing workers at HarperCollins. The conflict centered on the low wages and part-time status the UAW International apparatus keeps its lower-level organizers, negotiators, public relations and other staff members on. In a December 2 press release announcing the unfair labor practices strike, USU organizers announced they had launched it in response to bad faith bargaining committed by the UAW throughout our negotiation process and the retaliatory termination of a union leader. USU specifically denounced the UAW Internationals practice of using temporary organizers, who work under three-month contracts for up to three years, as an exploitative tiered system of employment for USU staff. Instead, it has called for an end to the three-year cap on employment, four weeks notice of non-renewal, longer durations of employment and protections against layoffs. The UAW International has been thoroughly hostile to the minimal demands of its low-level staffers, no matter how much USU organizers have sworn their loyalty to UAW President Shawn Fain and his bogus claims about democratizing the union apparatus. In a May 5, 2023 statement, USU organizers recounted how they had informed Fain on March 27, 2023 that they were forming a union in order to collectively address issues which could improve the quality of representation of our members and further build on our new International Executive Boards vision of a union truly run by its members. But before an NLRB election and recognition of the USU, the UAW International announced that the UAW Staff Councilwhich secures the high salaries for the UAW International representativesfiled its own NLRB petition to represent temporary organizers nationwide. The move, the USU letter said, was a clear attempt to destroy our new union. This recalled what happened during the previous effort by temporary organizers to unionize in 2018, the letter stated, when they were swiftly retaliated against and laid off en masse by the infamous former President Gary Jones, affiliated with the same Administration Caucus which dominates the Staff Council to this day. Union-busting by the union In response to the staff members walkout, the UAW bureaucracy immediately cut off their pay. One USU organizer told the Detroit News, Its pretty disheartening to see people who we had formerly helped elect to use many of the same tactics at the bargaining table that weve seen [when] we work for our members to fight managers. ... Its really disturbing to watch a union union-bust. This episode only further demonstrates that the only thing that has changed since the installation of Fain and his Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) slate in March 2023 has been the rhetoric of the UAW apparatus, not its pro-corporate, anti-democratic and bureaucratic character. If this is the way Fain & Co. treat their own hirelings, the abuse the UAW bureaucracy metes out to rank-and-file workers is a million times worse. This has been shown most clearly in the UAW bureaucracys sellout of 150,000 GM, Ford and Stellantis workers after the bogus stand up strike in late 2023, which paved the way for the UAW-approved firing of thousands of temporary workers and indefinite layoffs for thousands of full-time autoworkers. Since taking office, Fain has overseen the sellout of one strike after another, including at Clarios, Mack Trucks, CNH Industrial, The New School, the University of California, Dakkota and Eaton Aerospace, to name just a few. Fain and other UAW bureaucrats have forced workers to repeatedly vote on pro-company contracts they previously rejected, and joined management in blackmailing workers into accepting last, best and final offers under the threat of being replaced by strikebreakers. Fain became the foremost labor spokesperson for first Biden, then Harris, and promoted these warmongers and lifelong corporate shills as champions of the working class, providing the fascist Trump with the opportunity to exploit popular anger over the economic and social crisis and win the election. In public appearances with the Democratic candidates, the bureaucracy silenced the anti-genocide protests of their own UAW members. In fact, Fain, who had spent 20 years climbing up the ladder of the UAW apparatus, including the previous 10 years as a top staffer at the unions national Solidarity House headquarters in Detroit, was brought into power through a thoroughly undemocratic election. Faced with a rank-and-file rebellion after the exposure of widespread corruption in the UAW apparatus, including extortion of union dues and the taking of corporate bribes in exchange for signing pro-company sweetheart contracts, the US Labor Department engineered the first-ever direct membership vote for top union officers in 2022. Will Lehman After rank-and-file Mack Trucks worker Will Lehman was nominated as a candidate for union president at the UAW Constitutional Convention in July 2022running on a program of abolishing the UAW bureaucracy and transferring power to workers on the shop floorthe union apparatus did everything it could to suppress the turnout for the vote. The UAW officials refusal to update mailing addresses and publicize the elections, along with other anti-democratic measures, resulted in a record low vote of 9 percent in the first round. UAW presidential candidate Will Lehman speaks with striking adjunct professors at The New School in November 2022 Fain would go on to win the rigged election, which was sanctioned by Bidens US Labor Department and praised by the UAWD for paving the way for union reformers to make labor history. Early on, Lehman, who ran as a socialist and fighter for the international unity of autoworkers, warned that the only result from the election of Fain would be a sharp increase in the income of the new UAW chief and his entourage. Indeed, Fain oversees a bloated bureaucracy, which controlled assets worth $1,136,712,055 at the end of 2023, according to the unions financial filing with the US Department of Labor. His reported salary was $228,000, nearly 10 times more than the temporary part-time workers whose mass firing was sanctioned by Fain & Co. Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who led Harvard grad workers to a sellout in 2021, got $203,829 in 2023. Fain hired a host of other DSA members and operatives for Bernie Sanders and other Democratic Party-aligned campaigns, including former Labor Notes staff writer and organizer Jonah Furman (who was paid $106,667 by the UAW in 2023 as an Administrative Assistant) and Ben Dictor whose New York City law firm, Eisner & Dictor was paid $484,870 by the UAW for legal services in 2023. In a USU press release issued before the strike ended, the staff organizers said they were not after higher salaries and the whopping six figure salaries that [our] supervisors in the Staff Council make. Whatever the personal motivation of this or that organizer, there is a relentless political evolution of those seeking careers in the labor bureaucracy, whether they wish to recognize it or not. In fact, it serves the purpose of the UAW apparatus to have low-paid rank-and-file organizers to gather dues-paying members so they can be sold out. It is no doubt the case that these organizers were directly involved in the sellout of strikes, particularly by academic workers in recent years. Moreover, being drawn from the DSA and other pseudo-left organizations, many of them have perpetuated the lie that the corporatist, pro-capitalist and pro-war UAW bureaucracy has been reformed, a lie that has had devastating consequences for workers. This was demonstrated in the above-mentioned press release, which stated, The UAWs current layoff proposal leaves staffers as precarious as at-will employees, and shows how little management understands the needs of their own campaigns. It also clearly signals that layoffs in the labor movement are coming as we head into a second Trump administration. In fact, the UAWs campaigns are all aimed at deceiving workers as it colludes with corporate management and the capitalist political parties to destroy the jobs and living standards of workers and suppress opposition to social inequality, war and dictatorship. As for the incoming Trump administration, Fain has already signaled his willingness to collaborate with the fascist president on his plans for trade war and military confrontation with China and American imperialisms other competitors. Only a rank-and-file rebellion aimed at abolishing the UAW apparatus can transfer power and decision-making from the bureaucracy to workers themselves, as fought for by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. Such a fight will be integral to the development, being spearheaded by the Socialist Equality Party, for an industrial and political counteroffensive by the working class against capitalism and the socialist transformation of society. Political reaction all along the line is a characteristic feature of imperialism, Lenin declared in the midst of the mass extermination and barbarism of World War I. The reaction of the ruling class in Germany to the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria fully corresponds with this feature. A masked fighter carries a flag of the Al-Qaeda linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in the old walled city of Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Politicians and media outlets of all stripes are celebrating the coming to power of Islamist militias in Damascus, advocating a stronger role for German imperialism in Syria and throughout the region, and demanding the rapid return of Syrian refugees to the war-torn country now terrorized by Islamists close to Al Qaeda. In his first statement on the situation, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Social Democrats, SPD) described the end of Assads rule over Syria as good news. Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a similar statement. One cannot say exactly what is happening now in Syria. But what is clear is that the end of Assad means for millions of people in Syria a first big sigh of relief after an eternity of the Assad regimes atrocities. Leading politicians of the opposition parties in the Bundestag and the major media outlets have joined forces to praise the Islamists in the strongest terms. Some of the particularly repulsive comments of jubilation in this regard can be found in the press close to the Left Party. The late-blooming Revolution in Syria, was the title of the first commentary in Neues Deutschland. It praised the success of the opposition groups as unprecedented, and fantasized: Initial official announcements give hope that the transition to a new Syria could actually be completed without further suffering. The leader of the Islamist militia Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, instructed his fighters not to damage state institutions; he also assured that no distinction would be made between religions or ethnicities, all were Syrians. This corresponds to the propaganda of the German government, which in turn trivializes the Islamists and works with them to secure the influence of Berlin in the imperialist subjugation of Syria and the entire Middle East, and to push back the influence of Russia and Iran. The HTS militia has created facts on the ground in the last few days and, whether we like it or not, it will play a role in the further course of the reorganization of Syria, said Federal Foreign Office spokesman Sebastian Fischer at the federal press conference centre on Monday. HTS has separated from the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front and is trying to pursue a different course, at least in its statements to the outside world. In addition, it has made efforts in recent months and years to distance itself from her jihadist origins and built up a civil administration in its territory in Idlib. And, their leaders have said in recent days that they call for the protection of minorities or warned against acts of revenge, for example. Ultimately, HTS must be measured by its actions. The actions of HTS, which politicians and media deliberately ignore, are as clear as they are vile. Nothing has changed about al-Jolanis terrorism with the founding of HTS. While he, as the leader of the al-Nusra Front, was responsible for numerous terrorist attacks and massacres of religious minorities, he and his followers initially established an Islamist terrorist state in the Syrian province of Idlib, which is now to be expanded throughout Syria. Numerous videos on social media show how HTS Islamists have executed Christians, Alawites or supporters of the Shia Hezbollah militia in recent days. The glorification of the Sunni Islamist terrorist forces goes hand in hand with the support of the Israeli regime, which is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, and is now also massively bombing Syria and occupying part of the country with ground troops. At the federal press conference centre, Fischer defended the illegal action by saying that Israel, in the confusing situation, is now first and foremost concerned with warding off a potential threat. The IDFs entry into the disentanglement zone on the Golan Heights is merely temporary in nature. A brutal war of aggression is justified by a potential threat. The complete breach of international law could not be defended more openly. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who has visited German troops in Jordan and Iraq in recent days, also defended the destructive actions of the Israeli army. In view of the situation in Syria, the Israeli attacks must be seen in a broader context and understood as a measure for regional security and beyond, he explained, adding cynically: The idea that, for example, poison gas weapons from Syrian factories could fall into the wrong hands and play a role in Islamist-motivated attacks anywhere in the world is an idea that would hardly be tolerable. One doesnt know whether to laugh or cry. Pistorius manages to justify Israels bombing campaign and the intervention of the imperialist powers in the Middle East with the war on terror, while at the same time supporting the de facto takeover of power by al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in Damascus. Obviously, Israel and its supporters are not interested in peace and security in the Middle East, but in subjugating the entire resource-rich and geostrategically central region by military force and bringing it under imperialist control. Especially Berlin, which has played a central role in the regime change war in Syria from the beginning, sees the overthrow of Assad as an opportunity to increase its political and military weight in the region. Against the background of the changed situation, the issue is to expand support and the political and military presence in the region, in order to make an important contribution to stabilization, Pistorius explained in a live interview with the Tagesthemen from Iraq. Europe and Germany cannot and must not allow themselves to be just spectators here, the region is too important for that. Pistorius brazenly brought an increase in German troops into play. We may be ramping up our capacities, he explained. For example, in the training of the security forces and the armed forces here in Iraq. It could mean just as much that we are doing more in Erbil. But it could also mean that we [cooperate] with the new rulers in Syria, if they take advantage of the opportunity thats now on offer and can quickly provide some peace and quiet on which to build. One of the mistakes 13 years ago was that no one in Europe cared intensively about Syria and that the field was ultimately left to Putin. Pistorius could not be more clear about the reactionary agenda of German imperialism. The ruling class is relying on al-Jolanis HTS Islamists to pursue its imperialist interests in Syria and the region, especially against Russia, and to suppress any opposition in the working class with brutal terrorist methods. This also applies to the masses of new refugees who will try to flee from the Islamist death squads if they escalate their pogroms against dissenters and infidels. On Wednesday, the German Foreign Office presented a so-called eight-point plan for the reorganization of Syria. In addition to the swift lifting of sanctions, a pragmatic approach to HTS and the appointment of a special coordinator for Syria to increase the German presence after the coup, the plan also provides for the return of Syrian refugees. Although the plan speaks of a voluntary, safe and dignified return, this is only the cynical language of the German deportation bureaucracy, a language with which brutal mass deportations are regularly prepared and justified. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees suspended processing Syrian asylum applications earlier this week. In the election campaign, representatives of all parties are engaged in a vicious campaign against the approximately one million Syrian refugees in Germany. For example, the former Minister of Health and deputy leader of the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag, Jens Spahn, cynically proposed a premium for every deported Syrian refugee. How about if the federal government says: Anyone who wants to return to Syria, for which we charter planes, will receive a startup grant of 1000 euros. Similarly aggressive was the leader of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a split-off from the Left Party. I expect the Syrians who are cheering the coming to power of Islamists in this country to return to their home country as soon as possible, Wagenknecht declared. Almost verbatim, the leader of the fascist Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, wrote on X: Whoever celebrates free Syria in Germany has apparently no longer a reason for fleeing. They should return to Syria immediately. She called on the German government to immediately get in touch with the neighbouring countries that welcome or support the current situation. That is exactly what the Scholz government is doing. According to the Federal Government Press and Information Office, the Chancellor spoke by telephone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday evening about the situation and further developments in Syria. Among other things, the two heads of state had agreed that Syria must become a safe home for all Syrians. Given that the Erdogan regime itself occupies parts of Syria and finances and arms Islamist terrorist militias, this is a cynical threat. It aims to prepare the mass deportation of Syrian refugees and, if necessary, to stop any new wave of refugees by force. A new movement of refugees cannot be permitted to happen again, Pistorius also warned in an interview with the Tagesthemen, and announced that he would, to that end, meet with his Turkish counterpart in January. Last week, reports emerged that the US Federal Maritime Commission may investigate whether Spain is creating unfavorable conditions for maritime transport in U.S. foreign trade by denying certain vessels access to its ports. Fire and smoke rises from buildings following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Sunday, November 5, 2023. [AP Photo/Abed Khaled] These vessels are two container ships operated by Danish company Maersk, part of the Maritime Security Program (MSP), a fleet of commercial ships available to the US Department of Defense in cases of war. The ships were denied entry to the Spanish port of Algeciras on November 8 and 14 while en route from New York, carrying weapons destined for Israel. The FMC could impose fines of up to 2.18 billion per ship and might even ban Spanish ships from entering US ports. On May 16, the Spanish government, formed by the Socialist Party (PSOE) and its pseudo-leftist ally Sumar, announced its intention to ban ships carrying military materials for Israel from docking at Spanish ports. Washingtons threat is a clear sign that it will not tolerate any opposition to arming of Israel for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. It comes after an Amnesty International report charged Israel with genocide, citing official figures of 44,580 killed and estimates as high as 186,000 in a study published by The Lancet. Amnesty argued this mass killing stems from genocidal intent, evident from leaders of the Israeli government down to individual soldiers. Despite this, the US and other imperialist powers continue to back Israel as part of their agenda to reshape the Middle East under imperialist control. But while US threats might suggest Madrid is blocking arms destined to Israel, the reality is that these are isolated and selective cases meant to obscure Madrids active cooperation in the arms trade, as well as other support for the Zionist regime. It is part of Spains attempt to posture as sympathetic to the Palestinians, such as by verbally recognizing a nonexistent Palestinian state. An investigation by Progressive International and the Palestinian Youth Movement, published by ElDiario.es, revealed that from May to September at least 25 ships, carrying 13,000 tons of weaponryincluding armored vehicles, engines, vehicle and aircraft parts, airplane tires, projectile bodies, and various military equipmentsailed from the US to Israel, stopping at Spains Algeciras port. This report provided undeniable evidence that, despite pledges to the contrary, the PSOE-Sumar government continues to collaborate in the genocide in Gaza. The same ElDiario.es article reported that the Maersk Denver and Maersk Seletar ships, carrying weapons, were scheduled to arrive in Algeciras in the following days. Faced with this revelation, the government decided to act to avoid being exposed. On November 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that both ships would not be allowed to dock in Spain. Two days earlier, in a cynical move aimed at deflecting responsibility from Sumar, its deputy Enrique Santiagoalso the secretary general of the Stalinist Communist Partysubmitted a document to the State Prosecutors Office requesting measures regarding the arrival of two cargo ships from the United States bound for Israel, scheduled to transit through Algeciras. In other words, Santiago was asking the prosecutor to act against his own government in which his own party participates, with his colleagues serving as ministers. This maneuver was intended to create the illusion that Sumar was opposing the genocide when, in fact, they had done nothing in the preceding months to address the continued arrival of ships carrying weapons for Israel. The PSOE-Sumars cynical posturing was further exposed when it refused to discuss in parliament the confidentiality agreement signed in 2014 by Spains right-wing Popular Party, then in power, with Israels Ministry of Defense. This agreement ensures absolute secrecy in arms deals between the two countries. Nonetheless, information about the ships docking in Algeciras and their cargo is public and well-known. If PSOE and Sumar failed to act in previous months, it is because they share the same genocidal policy as the US government. They were only forced to act when their lies were exposed, and their complicity in Israels genocide became undeniable. An investigation by Alejandro Pozo of the Centre Delas for Peace Studies found that the port of Algeciras has long served as a transit hub for weapons bound for Israel, well before May. Pozo also stressed that the ports of Valencia and Barcelona function as key links between New York, Norfolk and Savannahthe main US ports exporting arms to Israeland Israels major ports, Haifa and Ashdod. As with Algeciras, information about the ships and their cargo arriving in Valencia and Barcelona is public and can be accessed through the ports official websites. Pozo notes that the arrival of ships carrying weapons to Israel is the norm, rather than the exception. These ports are essential to Israels genocide and military offensive across the Middle East, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and preparations for war against Iran. Without the Mediterranean route, ships carrying weapons from the US would have to circumnavigate Africa and enter through the Red Seaa much longer, costlier and riskier alternative, where the Houthi government of Yemen has attempted to stop the weapons trade by attacking ships. By allowing the use of these ports, PSOE and Sumar are aligning with the US and NATOs global strategy in their conflict against China, Russia and their allies. This policy also would be impossible without the collaboration of the trade unions, the Sumar-linked Workers Commissions (CCOO), the social-democratic General Union of Workers (UGT) unions and the anarcho-syndicalist General Confederation of Labour. The unions could have mobilised their members to block ships carrying weapons to Israel at Spanish ports, following the example of Greek dockworkers who, in October, prevented a container of ammunition from being loaded onto a ship bound for Haifa. Such actions were demanded by the Palestinian unions at the outset of Israels invasion over a year ago. Indeed, a coordinated international action by port workers could block shipment of weapons and other resources to Israel, halting the genocide in Gaza and mobilizing workers for a broader political offensive against imperialism. However, the US and European union bureaucracies have done virtually nothing in this regard, allowing the arms trade to proceed. In Spain, trying to conceal their collaboration with Israel and imperialism, the CCOO, UGT and CGT sent a letter to the Spanish government requesting an arms embargo on Israel and the development of a protocol for inspecting ships bound for Israel. This was a despicable act. All these bureaucrats know perfectly well that this letter would achieve nothing. It is merely a maneuver to mask their inaction, which ultimately serves to defend the imperialist interests of Spain and NATO. The PSOE-Sumar government, and previously the PSOE-Podemos coalition, have spent years preparing Spain for imperialist war. They have exponentially increased military spending to record levels, deployed more soldiers to NATO missions, and have not even halted the purchase of weapons from Israel. There is significant opposition among workers to this policy. This was demonstrated last year by the announcement by 1,200 dockworkers of the Organization of Port Workers of that they would refuse to service any ships carrying war materiel to Israel. Moral appeals to the imperialist governments will achieve nothing. Workers can only intervene to stop the genocide if they develop into a broader, international movement, building rank-and-file committees and taking control of their struggles out of the hands of the union bureaucracies. This alone can allow the working class to bring fully to bear its power against the Gaza war and genocide. This requires waging a political struggle against NATO governments, including pseudo-left parties like Sumar in Spain, which support the Israeli war effort. After perpetrating a massacre of unarmed anti-government protestors on November 26 in Pakistans capital, the big-business Muslim League (PML-N) led minority government and the countrys US-backed military are continuing their brutal crackdown against supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or Movement for Justice (PTI). Thousands of Khan supporters who were either arrested while traveling to Islamabad to join the march or during the massacre remain behind bars. They are threatened with severe criminal charges, including under Pakistans draconian anti-terrorism laws. Police officers fire on supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, November 26, 2024. [AP Photo/Irtisham Ahmed] Khan himself faces anti-terrorism charges for calling for the Nov. 26 protest from his jail cell, as does his wife. She led protesters in their attempt to bring the protest to central Islamabad, the so-called Red Zone, where an anti-democratic blanket ban on all protests is in effect. PTI spokesman Waqas Akram Sheikh has said 12 party supporters were killed, adding that, The actual number is higher, but we are sharing only the confirmed figures with the media. The live ammunition fire unleashed in the pitch dark after power was cutoff, left scores, possibly hundreds injured. The PTI has now called for the launching of a civil disobedience movement from Saturday, December 14, unless the government releases its arrested supporters and establishes a judicial commission to investigate the Nov. 26 mass arrests and massacre. At present, the right-wing PTI is viewed sympathetically by a large portion of the population. They resent the militarys brutal repression and domineering political role, and view the governmentwhose election victory was achieved through military-engineered vote-riggingas illegitimate and committed to imposing IMF austerity. To the consternation of the dominant factions of the military and Pakistani bourgeoisie, Khan and his PTI continue to retain support within the state apparatus, among some judges and sections of the military itself. On Tuesday, the military announced that it has initiated court martial proceedings against the former head of its intelligence agency, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, on multiple charges. These include violation of the Official Secrets Act, abuse of authority and engaging in political activities. As head of the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, Hameed masterminded the militarys intervention in the 2018 elections to secure victory for Khan and his PTI. Once in power, the PTI quickly jettisoned their phony promises of an Islamic welfare state in favour of imposing still more IMF austerity. While Khan paid back the military for its support by ceding it more governmental power, especially in the economic sphere, he later ran afoul of the military top brass, the dominant wing of the Pakistani ruling class, and Washington, principally over issues of foreign policy. Khan and his PTI have time and again indicated their willingness to compromise with the military. They have directed their criticism over the military-engineered ouster of Khan, the stealing of the Feb. 2023 elections, and continuing repression only at certain generals. Above all, they have signaled their eagerness to mend relations with Washington, including by praising Trump on his November 5 election victory. The military and PML-N led government, meanwhile, have adamantly rejected all PTI overtures. Instead, they have intensified their drive to suppress and criminalize the PTI. In regard to the November 26 massacre, the government continues to brazenly lie, denying outright that any of the protesters were shot down. Declared Information Minister Attaullah Tarar in a post on X, These bodies will only be found on TikTok, Facebook and WhatsApp. They are playing politics of jokes and lies with the nation. Although X has been blocked in Pakistan since February for most of the population, it is heavily used by the government, the military and major political parties. The government and military-intelligence agencies are maintaining a tight grip on the media, enforced through threats and sanctions, to ensure that as little as possible is reported about the crackdown on the PTI and the widening repression more generally. In rare cases where this regime of state censors and media self-censorship is broken, journalists have been targeted, as exemplified by the kidnapping of Matiullah Jan, a prominent journalist, who was later charged with terrorism. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan demanded Jans immediate release and stated that the authoritarian tactic to silence journalists must cease. The World Socialist Web Site was informed by its readers that it was inaccessible in several major cities, including Lahore and Quetta, for several days after November 29 when it published Pakistani army opens fire in brazen, US-backed massacre of pro-Imran Khan protest. While it is impossible to accurately assess the extent of this blockade, any such ban is a blatant act of state censorship. The WSWS article provided an analysis placing the political crisis that has gripped Islamabad in the context of the devloping US imperialist-led global war. The massacre was carried out by the Pakistani army, but it has the fingerprints of Washington and its European allies all over it. Khan is in prison as a result of an imperialist vendetta after he fell afoul of US-NATO war plans against Russia and China, it stated. Significantly, the WSWS article cited at length a leaked diplomatic cable that revealed Washingtons behind-the-scenes role in the ouster of Khan. The cable included extensive quotations of US State Department official Donald Lu in which he warned officials at the Pakistani embassy in Washington that the Biden administration viewed Khans removal as non-negotiable. Pakistans bourgeois ruling elite is confronted by an unprecedented multi-faceted crisis. The economy of the nuclear-armed South Asian nation of 240 million people barely averted bankruptcy last year, only to see its crisis deepen under a new spell of austerity and pro-market reforms dictated by the IMF. It is also in a geopolitical impasse, caught in the comprehensive and intensifying US imperialist onslaught on China and its growing economy and global influence. Islamabad traditionally based its economic and security policy on the close strategic partnership between the Pakistani military and the Pentagon, and its all-weather alliance with China. This balancing act is increasingly impossible to maintain as Washington accelerates its economic, diplomatic, and military offensive throughout the Asia-Pacific to prepare for war with China to thwart its economic rise. Above all, the venal Islamabad elite is fearful of its own population. The military operates as a virtual occupation force in the countrys northwestern tribal regions and Balochistan in the west. It employs methods of terror, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances and colonial style collective punishment. In October, the government proscribed the Pashtun Defence Movement or PTM, which has led mass protests against military repression in the tribal regions since its founding in 2018. As brutal as its response is to various nationalist and Islamist groups (the latter rooted in Pakistans nurturing and arming of the mujahedeen in the 1980s to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan), what preoccupies the Islamabad ruling elite even more is its fear of the emergence of mass opposition within the working class. No section of the Islamabad elite has any answer to the social, democratic and egalitarian aspirations of the Pakistani masses. That is why, amidst widespread opposition, the government is seeking to further strengthen the militarys hand. The Anti-Terrorism Act Amendment Bill 2024 and Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2024 are being rushed through parliament. The first will further broaden the anti-democratic repressive apparatus erected by the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. The bill will allow the security forces to put any individual in preventive detention for up to 3 months. Amnesty International found the bill does not comply with international human rights law and standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The 1997 act was a primary tool of the US-backed dictatorship of General Pervez Musharraf (1999-2008) to target its opponents, and was deployed in the fraudulent war on terror, which Islamabad used to pursue the broadening of its reactionary alliance with US imperialism. According to an increasing number of reports, the government is also deploying a new firewall technology to regulate Internet traffic in and out of the country, and spy on the populations internet usage. The new technology provides the government with unprecedented powers to monitor, throttle, and block online content. Unlike the firewall that it replaced, the new technology cannot be bypassed by using VPN technologies, which it can detect and block. The firewall can also geo-fence content based on its location, and carry out IP-level blocking, allowing for the targeting of specific network addresses. It can detect where messages are generated and received. Beyond regulating access to the Internet, the government is seeking to broaden the Internet crackdown through the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act. The English-language daily Dawn, which has seen the proposal, said the bill seeks the formation of a Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA) to deal with issues such as the removal of online content, prosecuting people for sharing or accessing prohibited content and action against social media platforms where such content is hosted. The amendments include the broadening of the definition of social media platform to include tools and software used to access social media and any person managing a system that allows access to social media. The amendments introduce draconian measures against fake news, the catch-all justification for censorship used internationally. One is a new non-bailable offence with up to five years imprisonment or fine of up to one million rupees (most Pakistan workers wont make 40,000 rupees a month by comparison). Quebec Solidaire Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Haroun Bouazzi has been vilified by Quebecs political establishment and mainstream media for daring to point an accusatory finger at them for their unwavering support for the Israeli states genocide of the Gaza Palestinians. In early November, Bouazzi, who has been a legislator for the pseudo-left Quebec Solidaire (QS) since 2022, was invited to address a gala organized by the Club Avenir Foundation, a non-profit organization working to integrate North African Maghrebin immigrants into Quebec society. In his speech, the QS MNA alluded vaguely to the Quebec political elites anti-immigrant chauvinism, declaring that he saw in the National Assembly every day the construction of this other who is Maghrebin, who is Muslim, who is black, who is aboriginal, and his culture which, by definition, would be dangerous or inferior. He then attempted to draw a link between this and the Israeli states genocidal assault on the Palestinians, which is being carried out with the full support of Washington and Ottawa, saying: The more we humanize the other ... the more we will de-normalize the complicity that exists in our society and unfortunately in the National Assembly when it comes to dehumanizing our brothers and sisters in Palestine. QS MNA Haroun Bouazzi at a press briefing last September to demand that the SAQ (Societe des alcools du Quebec) stop selling wines produced in the Occupied Palestinian territories and labeled Made in Israel. [Photo: Bouazzi/X] Bouazzi had already drawn the ire of the political establishment for criticizing the demonization of immigrants and highlighting that the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, a vital financial instrument of the ruling elite, invests in companies complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. His critical remarks at the November gala provided the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), the Parti Quebecois (PQ) and the ultra-nationalist journalists at the Journal de Montreal with a long-awaited pretext to settle scores with Bouazzi and try to silence him. He was vehemently denounced for attacking Quebec and, horror of horrors, impugning the honour of his fellow politicians. PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon accused Bouazzi of mudslinging, negative politics and populism based on lies. The Journal de Montreals star far-right columnist, Mathieu Bock-Cote, called Bouazzi an islamogauchist (Islamic leftist) who hates Quebecers. Whats most striking about this fabricated controversy is not so much the virulent nature of the campaign against Bouazzi, as Quebec Solidaires craven adaptation to the chauvinist agitation of the Quebec nationalist right and far right and its participation in the political flogging of its own MNA. The official co-leaders of QS, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Ruba Ghazal, rushed to distance themselves from Bouazzis polarizing and frankly clumsy and exaggerated remarks. In a motion adopted at their mid-November National Council meeting, QS reiterated that the party does not and has never maintained that the National Assembly and its members are racist. In the typical fashion of a middle-class pseudo-left organization seeking to camouflage its capitulation to the most reactionary forces, the QS motion strongly condemn(ed) the threats, violence and smear campaign directed against MNA Haroun Bouazzi and offers him its support in the face of these circumstances. But this was all hot air. In reality, the QS leadership flirted with the idea of suspending Bouazzi from the partys legislative caucus. But after running up against organizational impediments (such action would have need to be endorsed by the entire QS membership), the QS finally decided to compel him to publicly retract his remarks. Bouazzi complied, declaring on several occasions that the National Assembly and its elected representatives are not racist. To placate his fellow QS MNAs he even went so far as to proclaim his esteem for the right-wing CAQ and PQ politicians he had previously condemned. At the National Assembly, two motions denouncing Bouazzis remarksone from the PQ and the other from the Quebec Liberalswere passed unanimously. The Liberal motion said the Assembly dissociate(d) itself from any statement implying that elected officials are racist, while the PQ motion called on the Assembly to strongly denounce any such suggestion. These motions received the full support of all QS MNAs, including Bouazzi himself! The conduct of the QS in the Bouazzi affair demonstrates yet again that this supposed left party is turning ever more sharply to the right and adapting to and legitimizing, when not openly embracing, the chauvinism and national-ethnic exclusivism of the CAQ and pro-Quebec independence PQ. This is far from surprising. Time after time over the past decade or more, QS has publicly intervened to whitewash these parties chauvinist declarations and anti-immigrant agitation, declaring that they are not racist even as they promote one chauvinist, anti-immigrant policy after another. Since the reasonable accommodation controversy in 2007 and the PQs Charter of Values in 2013, which inspired the CAQs Bill 21, Quebec Solidaire has consistently tried to give a progressive veneer to the discriminatory, anti-immigrant policies advocated by the ruling elite under the pretext of guaranteeing the secularity of the state. This has served to normalize the type of chauvinist and xenophobic politics that were traditionally the sole preserve of the far right and to legitimize the ruling class turn towards discriminatory and anti-democratic forms of rule. QS systematically downplays the scale and political import of the CAQ-PQ led agitation against immigrants. This includes adamantly insisting that their attempts to scapegoat immigrants for the housing crisis and collapse of public services and their claims immigrants constitute an existential threat to the Quebec nation are not part of the same international, far-right campaign to demonize immigrants that is being led by the President-elect Donald Trump in the US, Marine LePen in France, Giorgia Meloni in Italy, the AfD in Germany and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands. QS provides left cover for the political establishment as a whole. But especially important is its role in covering up the ultra-reactionary tendencies developing among its allies within the sovereignist movement, principally the PQ, with which it maintains close ties through its support for the retrograde project of creating an independent capitalist Republique du Quebec. Bouazzi propagates the erroneous, identity politics-rooted notion of systemic racism There is an element of truth in Bouazzis criticism of the complicity of the Quebec and Canadian ruling class and political establishment in the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Their blithe indifference to the ongoing slaughter and starvation of the Palestinian, which has already costs tens of thousands and possibly hundreds of thousands of lies, cannot but provoke disgust and outrage. But, contrary to what the QS MNA claims, their complicity is not the product of systemic racism. The Israeli Zionist regime could not carry out its genocidal policy without the active financial and military support of Washington and its imperialist allies like Canada. The State of Israel was itself created by the United States and Great Britain in the aftermath of the Second World War precisely to serve as imperialisms attack dog in the Middle East. If the Canadian state, with the full support of Quebecs ruling elite (both its federalist and sovereignist wings), supports, finances and arms Israel, it is to advance the predatory interests of Canadian imperialism in the region as Washingtons junior partner. Racism is not the cause of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Just as it was historically developed and used to defend the colonial subjugation and capitalist exploitation of the peoples of Africa, Asia and the Americas, today it forms part of the imperialist ruling classes political-ideological weaponry, serving as a justification for their ruthless campaign to establish their unbridled domination over the worlds principal oil exporting region. More broadly, the capitalist ruling elites, Quebecs and Canadas among them, use anti-immigrant and chauvinist politics to divide the working class along ethnic, racial and religious-communal lines to prevent its unity against capitalism and imperialism, which are the real source of wars and genocide. By blaming immigrants for all the social problems caused by capitalism, the ruling class tries to divert attention from its own responsibility and channel mounting social anger and frustration into reactionary channels. The systemic racism theory, developed by petty-bourgeois defenders of identity politics, distorts reality and obscures the real class issues behind the complicity of the Quebec capitalist elite in the Gaza genocide and its increasingly virulent promotion of Quebec chauvinism and anti-immigrant agitation at home. According to this theory, the racism propagated by the political establishment permeates Quebec society as a whole and, consequently, all of society is guilty of complicity. Without minimizing the impact of the anti-immigrant campaign, popular disgust at the genocide in Gaza demonstrates that, contrary to Bouazzis assertions, the efforts of the ruling class face real opposition among workers and young people. From the superficial perspective of systemic racism also flows Bouazzis futile proposal to end this complicity with moral appeals to the ruling class to show more humanity towards minorities. In reality, whats needed is the political mobilization of the international working class against the entire capitalist profit system that is the root cause of war. But such a political orientation, based on the working classthe only social force capable of putting an end to imperialist genocide and waris completely opposed by Quebec Solidaire. Despite its progressive pretensions, QS is an organization of privileged sections of the middle class, whichlike its cousins SUMAR in Spain or SYRIZA in Greeceis rooted in a profound hostility to Marxism and to the economic and political emancipation of the working class. While it may occasionally deplore Netanyahus actions and the plans to open a Quebec government office in Israel, QS says nothing about Ottawas massive rearmament drive, and promotes Canadian imperialism, its federal state and Quebec government as a force for peace in the world. While timidly criticizing Israel out of one side of its mouth, it proclaims its supports the US-NATO instigated war against Russia over Ukraine and Canadas leading role in it. Workers and young people seeking an alternative to the bankrupt capitalist system must reject QSs nationalist, pro-capitalist and pro-imperialist policies. To counter social inequality, war, genocide and the descent into barbarism, the task of the hour is to build an independent political movement of the working class, animated by a Trotskyist perspective, i.e. one that is internationalist and socialist. Fears that social unrest, economic stagnation, political corruption and unprecedented levels of popular hatred for the government are creating a crisis of bourgeois rule dominated the recent annual conference of Perus big business executives. Demonstrator stands in front of riot police with sign reading "APEC = Plunder and exploitation" The 62nd Annual Executives Conference (CADE 2024), organized by the Peruvian Institute of Business Administration (IPAE) was held on November 26, 27 and 28. According to the CADE website, the conference aims to generate a space for reflection, inspiration, and action. During these conferences, the top 500 national companies showcase their growth projections, presenting a positive outlook to attract investors and secure a competitive market position. Instead, widespread pessimism marked this years CADE, which was held in the immediate aftermath of an APEC summit, which the government had hoped would lift its international standing, but was instead dominated by mass strikes and street protests. A central feature of CADE 2024 was the presentation of results gathered by the polling company Ipsos. The survey asked businessmen whether the country has regressed or advanced. The results showed that 63 percent believed it had regressed, marking a 10 percent increase from the previous year, while only 9 percent thought it had progressed, a decline of 8 percent since 2022. The main issues identified were corruption, which was cited by 86 percent of respondents, while crime and a lack of security were cited by 85 percent. The disapproval ratings for Congress reached 96 percent, followed closely by the Executive and the Judiciary at 92 percent. This is only slightly better than the jaw-dropping 3 percent approval rating for President Dina Boluarte in a recent nationwide opinion poll. The 6 percent approval rating for President Boluarte in the latest Ipsos poll compares to 37 percent just last year. Boluarte has been accused of crimes against humanity for directing the bloody repression of protests against the ouster of her elected predecessor, Pedro Castillo, which claimed some 50 lives and left another 1,400 wounded. In the Ipsos survey, 61 percent of the big business respondents identified political risk related to crime and insecurity as a major factor. Twenty-eight percent expressed pessimism or intense pessimism about doing business in Peru, while 53 percent felt neutral about the business climate, and only 22 percent were optimistic or very optimistic. Another concern at the CADE conference was economic stagnation. The Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP) indicates a disappointing economic growth of 2 to 3 percent for this year, with similar figures forecast for 2025. Norman Loayza, director of the World Banks Indicator Group, said that Peru needs to reach a 5 percent growth rate to regain economic stability and maintain its investment grade rating from US risk rating agencies. Similarly, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) issued a report earlier this month on Peru warning that the political uncertainty was threatening to choke off foreign investment flows and limit economic growth. The report predicted 3.1 percent growth this year, falling to 2.8 percent and 2.6 percent in the next two years. At least 4 percent growth is seen as necessary to put any dent in the countrys soaring poverty rate. At CADE 2024, the president of the BCRP, Julio Velarde, ventured beyond his typical role, commenting on the political situation, which is unusual for a central bank president expected to maintain autonomy. His emphasis was on cost-cutting, improving education, and eliminating palliative tax cuts to micro and small businessesknown by the acronym of MYPESlike beauty salons, small shops, and restaurants, leaving untouched large conglomerates to meet the desired 5 percent GDP growth. Significantly, media reports on CADE 2024 highlighted President Javier Mileis drastic economic program in Argentina, which has left half of the population in poverty, as a model to follow. Following Velardes line, economist Elmer Cuba, a member of the BCRP board, highlighted worrying education results. Forty percent of primary school students do not understand what they read, and only 20 percent can solve basic math problems, he said. The BCRPs rejection of tax-cut measures for MYPES coupled with suggestions for cost reductions, mean that the burden of economic recovery will fall primarily on the working class and small business owners. In contrast, big businesses and their foreign partners would remain unaffected. The opinion of the BCRP president is highly influential; according to Ipsos, 99 percent of those surveyed approve of Julio Velardes management. Given the pessimistic outlook regarding the future of doing business in Peru and the high dependence on the BCRP presidents judgment, the Peruvian economy is hanging by a very fragile thread. There are signs that Peru is on the verge of a recession. The vital mining region of Arequipa is projected to close 2024 with a GDP growth of -2.6 percent. Arequipa has also become the epicenter of a massive movement of artisan miners. As CADE 2024 was taking place, over 3,000 artisanal miners set up roadblocks on the main highways used to transport minerals from the Southern Andes to the Matarani seaport, whose shipments go to China, and protested in front of Congress demanding an extension of the Integral Registry of Mining Formalization (Reinfo), which was established in 2017 with an expiration of December 31, 2024, for registration as formal miners. Since 2017, there have been 90,265 registrations, but only 2,108 have been approved, which is 2.34 percent. This highlights the states inability to meet the needs of its citizens. Cumbersome, bureaucratic governmental processes have made it nearly impossible for artisanal miners to fulfill the registration requirements. As a result of their mobilizations, Congress extended the deadline to an additional 6 to 12 months. Most artisan miners come from peasant families who abandon their fields and livestock to pursue what the bourgeois press often labels illegal mining. The press claims that the peasants, drawn by the lure of quick money from precarious mining, are contaminating the environment and becoming involved in sexual exploitation, child labor, and alcohol abuse. However, the bourgeois press seldom addresses the question of why peasants decide to abandon their traditional way of life for the dangerous work of informal mining. This involves the grinding poverty confronting the bulk of Perus rural population as well as the inability of peasants to access employment in the formal sector. CADE 2024 focused on how crime impacts business owners, not on how it affects the working class and the urban poor. Felipe James, the president of the National Society of Industries (SIN), stated that 51 percent of industries have been victims of criminal acts, and 45 percent raise costs to invest in personnel and security equipment. Business leaders proposed a program combining military service with technical education for young people. This idea, presented initially by the pseudo-leftist former President Pedro Castillo to gain support from the armed forces, pretends to address the issue of ninisan acronym referring to youth aged 14 to 29 who neither work nor study. Undoubtedly, the costs of such a program will be born by the working class, while the armed forces absorb the undesirable ninis as soldiers and the mafia criminals with their connections to Congress and the police will go untouched. Pollsters like Ipsos, aligned with the capitalist establishment, are likely to disregard statistics about crime victimization across different socioeconomic classes. Meanwhile, street crime in working class areas continues to escalate. La Republica reported 1,494 murders in 2023 and approximately 2,000 in 2024, a 34 percent increase. With the failure of Peruvian capitalism and the government that defends it to provide decent jobs, quality education and proper nutrition, criminal organizations may seem for youth like a way out of poverty. Extortion mafias and hitmen emerged in the late 1990s during Alberto Fujimoris dictatorial regime. Their origins can be traced back to economic informality and lack of opportunities for youth, stemming from the atomization of the working class under Fujimoris Constitution of 1993. Initially, gangs of youngsters in the northern city of Trujillo stole cars to sell for parts, but they soon discovered contacting owners and selling their vehicles back to them was more profitable. As they grew more sophisticated, they formed alliances with more prominent criminals and began using threats of kidnapping to enforce compliance, marking their evolution into extortion mafias. Hitmen were initially used in territorial wars between mafias. By the 2000s, these gangs expanded to other cities, targeting sectors of the working class and MYPES and eventually becoming a threat to corporations. Conspicuously, passing as trade unions, the mafias began asking construction companies for 1 percent to 2 percent of the construction budget. Their operations became highly organized and protected from legal repercussions by lawmakers, judges and police. Due to the prevailing ungovernability in Peruvian cities, many store owners, beauty salons, and small-bus drivers have sought protection from organized crime, finding it cheaper to ask for assistance than to face violence. The shift of youth gangs stealing cars to full blown extortionist mafias is linked to a 75 percent rate of informal employment and policies pushing unemployed workers into the unstable future of becoming small entrepreneurs. The impact of rising crime, and in particular the actions of the extortionist mafias against the working class, have sparked a series of mass protests and strikes led by transport workers and owners of small transportation companies. The prevailing political confusion, rooted in the multi-class character of these actions, has prevented them from raising a program aimed at the root cause of crime: the vast chasm separating the working class and other oppressed layers from Perus ruling class and the privileged upper-middle class. For the big business representatives gathered at the CADE-2024 conference, the concern is that these protests are the harbinger of a mass revolt against the intolerable levels of social inequality and exploitation endemic to Peruvian capitalism. There is no national solution to these problem. The worsening economic climate and the increasing deprivation of the working class have their roots in a global crisis of capitalism that is dragging humanity to the brink of a third world war. While the bankrupt union bureaucracies and pseudo-lefts demand greater action by the police, courts and military, workers must fight for the dismantling of the corrupt capitalist state and for placing the main corporations, mines and resources under the control of the working class as part of a socialist reorganization internationally. BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 13. Participants of the 34th session of the Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), held at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, voiced their disagreement with Western countries' attempts to impose double standards and divide the journalistic community into "us" and "them," said First Deputy Director General of the Russian TASS news agency Mikhail Gusman, who is a member of the IPDC Presidium, Trend reports. Speaking on the matter during the session, Gusman added that participants emphasized the need for the UNESCO Secretariat to heed these concerns. The discussion revealed that the UNESCO Secretariat needs to listen more to the views of countries from the Global South. The delegations from Venezuela, Egypt, and Cuba expressed their disagreement with the attempts by Western countries to impose double standards, dividing the journalistic community of member states into 'us' and 'them,' Gusman said during a break in the session. He added that representatives from these countries, particularly Venezuela, during the debates called for focus efforts on ensuring the safety of media representatives. There should be no room for double standards when it comes to journalists at UNESCO, Gusman added. Moreover, the methodology used by the UNESCO Secretariat to compile reports and track the deaths of journalists became a point of contention. Several delegations agreed that the Secretariat must obligatorily consider data provided by member states. The Russian delegation in particular insisted on this. During November debates, diplomats had already expressed dissatisfaction that the report on journalist safety did not include information provided by Russia about the killings of Russian journalists. The Russian delegation also noted that the methodology used by UNESCO had never been put to a vote when it was adopted many years ago and had been established by the Secretariat at its own discretion. During the ongoing session of the IPDC, delegations are discussing the draft report by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay on journalist safety and the issue of impunity for the years 2022-2023. The text, which was presented in November but not yet adopted, states that from January through December 2023, 162 media workers were killed worldwide, including 72 in conflict zones. The report's annex, which lists the countries where journalists were killed, notes that in Ukraine, 14 media workers were killed in 2022-2023, including a Russian journalist, Rostislav Zhuravlev, whose death UNESCO's Director-General expressed regret over in an official statement. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel On Saturday, December 14, Ukraine plans to introduce hourly power cuts from 00:00 to 22:00. Despite being a day off, this is much longer than on previous days when the power was not cut off at night. The reason for the tightening of the schedule was the consequences of the Russian shelling of the energy sector. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Ukrenergo. It is noted that for household consumers, the time of application and the scope of restrictions will be as follows: 00:00 13:00 one round of outages; 13:00 17:00 two rounds of outages; 17:00 22:00 one turn of outages. For industry and business, the blackouts will last even longer around the clock, from 00:00 to 24:00. The restrictions do not apply to critical infrastructure and companies that import more than 60% of electricity for their own needs. "The reason for the restrictions is the damage to power facilities caused by Russian missile and drone attacks in November and December. Repairs at the power facilities are ongoing," Ukrenergo added. ADVERTISIMENT They also warned that the schedules could change during the day. "Please do not turn on several powerful appliances at the same time when the power comes on according to the schedule," the statement said. The company advises Ukrainians to find up-to-date information on the schedules of outages in their region on the website or official pages of regional power distribution companies on social networks. You can view your schedule at the following links: Region Special section on the website of regional power companies Vinnytsia and the region https://www.voe.com.ua/disconnection/detailed Volyn region https://energy.volyn.ua/spozhyvacham/perervy-u-elektropostachanni/hrafik-vidkliuchen/#gsc.tab=0 Dnipro and region https://www.dtek-dnem.com.ua/ru/shutdowns Donetsk region https://www.dtek-dem.com.ua/ru/shutdowns Zhytomyr and region https://www.ztoe.com.ua/unhooking-search.php Transcarpathia https://zakarpat.energy/customers/break-in-electricity-supply/schedule/ Zaporizhzhia www.zoe.com.ua/--/ Kyiv https://www.dtek-kem.com.ua/ru/shutdowns Kyiv region https://www.dtek-krem.com.ua/ru/shutdowns Kirovohrad region https://kiroe.com.ua/electricity-blackout Lviv and the region https://info.loe.lviv.ua/ (only in your personal account) Mykolaiv and region https://www.energy.mk.ua/grafik-obmezhennya-spozhyvachiv Odesa and the region https://www.dtek-oem.com.ua/ru/shutdowns Poltava and region https://www.poe.pl.ua/files/gpv/gpvB2.pdf Ivano-Frankivsk and the Carpathian region https://oe.if.ua/ru/sections/ Rivne and the region https://www.roe.vsei.ua/disconnections (files need to be uploaded) Sumy and region https://www.soe.com.ua/spozhivacham/vidklyuchennya (search by subscriber account number) Ternopil and region https://www.toe.com.ua/news/71 Kharkiv and Kharkiv region https://oblenergo.kharkov.ua/ru/gaoinfo Kherson and Kherson region https://ksoe.com.ua/cabinet/login/ (only in your personal account) Khmelnytskyi and region https://hoe.com.ua/shutdown/new Cherkasy and region https://cherkasyoblenergo.com/off Chernivtsi and region https://oblenergo.cv.ua/shutdowns/ Chernihiv region https://chernihivoblenergo.com.ua/blackouts Now, during scheduled power outages, Ukrenergo announces daily how many lines will be cut off simultaneously in each region. This is essentially technical information for regional power distribution companies. However, there is a conditional correlation between the number of blackout queues and the number of hours without electricity: ADVERTISIMENT 1 queue of schedules means 4 hours of outages per day (out of a total of 24 hours); 2 queues 8 hours of restrictions per day; 3 queues 12 hours without electricity per day; 4 queues up to 16 hours of restrictions per day. The schedule of power outages will change throughout Ukraine Soon, all regions of Ukraine will have unified rules for hourly power outage schedules according to a new instruction from the Ministry of Energy. Each outage queue (group) will be divided into two sub-queues, which will allow outages to be carried out at different times even for consumers of the same group. Ukrenergo has already provided examples of when such outages can be applied. For example, if it is possible to balance the system without disconnecting an entire queue of consumers, the dispatcher can order the disconnection of 0.5 queues. And if two queues are not enough, 2.5 queues can be disconnected. ADVERTISIMENT The new blackout rules include other changes that may come into effect in the new year. Specific schedules have not yet been drawn up, but the key rules are already known. As reported by OBOZ.UA, on December 13, Ukraine's energy sector came under a new massive attack from the Russian Federation, in particular, DTEK's thermal power plants and other energy facilities in several regions were attacked, and 5 out of 9 nuclear power units had to reduce their capacity. As a result, the blackout schedules have significantly increased. Some regions were directly affected by Russian attacks. The most difficult situation with the power supply after the shelling was in Odesa. The town of Burshtyn in the Carpathian region was left without heat. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! In Ukraine, fraudsters are stealing citizens' data and funds under the guise of the state program "Winter ePromotion" ("Zelenskyy's Thousand"). Thus, one of the Ukrainians was cheated out of UAH 71,000. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Oleh Horokhovskyi, co-owner and founder of Monobank. He noted that the criminals call Ukrainians, "accept applications" for money, and then "act depending on the client's behavior." "In the 'most vivid' case, the client transferred the entire balance, UAH 71,000, to a new account specifically opened to receive UAH 1,000. We need to be more careful," Horokhovskyi said. Earlier, the Main Directorate of the National Police reported on another scheme used by fraudsters to steal data and money from Ukrainians under the guise of the "winter" UAH 1000. In particular, they create phishing sites that look like official resources. To do this: ADVERTISIMENT The scammers send messages in messengers or social networks offering to quickly receive payments from the state. The link leads to a fake website that imitates an official resource. The fake website requires the user to enter confidential data. As soon as the person enters the data, fraudsters gain access to their account. Money is debited instantly, and it is often extremely difficult to get it back. How to protect yourself from fraudsters To avoid becoming a victim of fraud, you should follow several rules. In particular: Do not click on suspicious links. Especially if they come from unknown persons or sources. Do not enter confidential information such as passwords, PINs, CVV codes, and account numbers. Check information about payments. Look for information about government support programs exclusively on official websites or in the Diia app. Use anti-virus programs. They can warn you about dangerous links and protect your data. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Wray maintained that his stepping down is the best option for the FBI as a whole. I'll go a step further, it's the best option for the United States of America as a whole. That's one less partisan hack swamp creature we have to contend with. Or to put it another way, in keeping with the holiday season: "Every time a deep state dirtbag gets his ass kicked out of office, an angel gets his wings," to paraphrase Zuzu from "It's A Wonderful Life." Wray did not want to be fired right before Trump comes into office, as the President-elect has already announced his nomination of Kash Patel for the position. "He's going to be gone at the inauguration," a source told the Washington Times. "On or before the inauguration." Wray had no choice. He had to kill himself. President Trump said Wray's resignation "is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice. I just don't know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans." And when asked about Wray this past week on NBC's "Meet the Press," President Trump said that he wasn't "thrilled" with him. "He invaded my home," Trump said. "He invaded Mar-a-Lago." Wray was in concert with other deep staters within the Biden administration, like Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was Wray's direct boss. While they tried to jail Donald Trump for removing so-called "classified documents," they looked the other way when it was discovered that Joe Biden had even more "classified documents" stashed in his garage at home and in several other places. Wray's FBI also conducted the largest investigation in its long history in response to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot leading to the arrest of over 1,500 people accused of breaking the law that day. Sen. Josh Hawley, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, called Wray's resignation announcement "a great development. He's the worst FBI director in American history, he should go." Hawley stated that Wray had "violated the constitution" during his tenure. "This should not be partisan by the way. He's a Republican, but he's just been a bad director." Wray was among those who doubted the severity of the assassination attempt on President Trump, initially asserting that there was "some question" on whether Trump was struck by "a bullet or shrapnel." After hearing Wray's stupid comments, President Trump shot back on Truth Social, "FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress yesterday that he wasn't sure if I was hit by shrapnel, glass, or a bullet (the FBI never even checked!), but he was sure that Crooked Joe Biden was physically and cognitively uneventful' Wrong!" "That's why he knows nothing about the terrorists and other criminals pouring into our Country at record levels. His only focus is destroying J6 Patriots, Raiding Mar-a-Lago, and saving Radical Left Lunatics, like the ones now in D.C. burning American flags and spray painting over our great National Monuments with zero retribution," President Trump stated. "No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a bullet wound to the ear,' and that is what it was," he said, adding, "No wonder the once storied FBI has lost the confidence of America!" So now that Wray is histoWray, we have one less Grinch on the government payroll. And with that Grinch gone, Kash Patel can be sure of having a very happy holiday season. As for the rest of us, one deep stater gone, but still thousands left to go. Keep going, President Trump! So far, so good! (COMMENT, BELOW) At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia set conditions for Ukraine to end the war, which were in fact an ultimatum for our surrender. Currently, the position of the aggressor country remains unchanged. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in an interview with Lb.ua. He emphasized that Ukraine is the country among all the countries of the world that is most eager for peace, unlike Russia. "I remember well the first hours and days of the full-scale Russian invasion. The conditions that were put forward to Ukraine. They were not conditions, they were an ultimatum of surrender. And this has not changed," Sybiha said. He noted that it is now important to focus on how to increase the cost of further aggression for Russia and force it to the negotiating table. "Each of these issues has a clear set of elements on how to achieve this. From inviting Ukraine to join NATO, to a deterrence package, to lifting all taboos on the use of weapons. I mean long-range weapons. And, of course, sustainability in all its manifestations. Economic, long-term social, humanitarian, macro-financial support," the minister said. ADVERTISIMENT According to him, all these factors make up a comprehensive negotiating position based on our national interests. The Minister also emphasized that the battlefield directly affects Ukraine's position in the diplomatic and foreign policy spheres. "We have a goal to achieve a comprehensive, sustainable, just peace for Ukraine. And this terminology is indivisible. It is very important. It defines our position because there are no negotiations now. And it is, accordingly, communicated to our partners. There is a battlefield that affects our positions diplomatic and foreign policy, and there is a diplomatic track. These two areas are complementary and mutually reinforcing," the Foreign Minister said. At the same time, the task of the diplomatic service is to provide convincing arguments to key capitals with which we have common approaches in order to strengthen our position. ADVERTISIMENT "I believe we have a clear understanding: "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." This is unequivocal. No compromises on the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or security of Ukraine. This is also clearly shared by everyone," Sybiha added. Earlier, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andrii Yermak, said that Ukraine is not ready to start negotiations with the aggressor state Russia to end the war. It needs to receive more weapons from partners, as well as an invitation to join NATO and clear security guarantees. As a reminder, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainians are pinning their hopes on the future US President Donald Trump because he has repeatedly said that he can end the war in Ukraine. His former (and future) adviser Keith Kellogg summarized the position in three words, "peace through strength." Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of President-elect Donald Trump, has been spotted holding hands with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, though he has not publicly called off his engagement to former political commentator and future ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. Trump Jr., 46, attended Andersons 38th birthday party in Palm Beach this past week, and photos published by the DailyMail.com captured them holding hands. Still, neither Guilfoyle, 55, nor Trump Jr. has made an official statement announcing their split after a six-year relationship. Heres everything we know about Anderson among the rumors: (Getty Images for FIGUE) Anderson has described herself as a typical stay-at-home mom, but without a husband, kids, or household chores, according to her Instagram bio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She is the daughter of the late Harry Loy Anderson Jr., who became the youngest bank president in the country at the age of 26. He died in 2013. She is a third-generation Palm Beach resident, according to the New York Times. She has worked for a the nonprofit Paradise Fund organization, helps with disaster relief. Its unclear if she still works with the group. Anderson often shares photos of herself modeling clothing and jewelry on social media. Rumors about Anderson and Trump Jr. were first ignited in September when the two were reportedly spotted kissing. Anderson was later spotted last summer attending the Republican National Convention where Guilfoyle was a featured speaker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A source close to close to the couple toldThe Daily Beast that Trump Jr. was unhappy with the way Guilfoyle dressed. Donald Trump Jr spotted holding hands with a Florida socialite despite his engagement to Kimberly Guilfoyle (Getty Images) Don Jr. has been telling people for months that Kim is so uptight and always dresses so professionally in these kinds of dresses and high heels, and never looks relaxed or casual, the source said. The tight dresses need to go and she has been told that. The president-elect recently appointed Guilfoyle ambassador to Greece , which will keep her far from New York for long stretches of time. Dec. 13Browsing for new land in New Mexico, or just interested in what a ranch would cost? Here are three of the most expensive ranches in the state and their features and history. Check out each massive ranch below: C Bar Ranch Rd (Silver City) The C Bar Ranch spans approximately 8,000 acres across deeded land and New Mexico State leases, offering buyers the opportunity to own the most expensive ranch in New Mexico at $7,700,000. This ranch justifies its price with meticulous management, productivity for agriculture and wildlife, rich history and stunning views. The property features mountainous terrain with sandstone bluffs, productive canyons, rolling hills and expansive grasslands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The C Bar Ranch received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which was used to implement ground-nesting bird habitat, leading to a thriving quail population. The ranch boasts 11 wells, eight storage tanks and approximately 30,000 feet of water pipeline to ensure excellent water distribution. It is fenced and cross-fenced, having been used for both cattle grazing and wildlife habitat management. Located in Game Management Unit 23 in Grant County, the ranch is about 10 miles from the Hidalgo County line. 3260 NM 114 (Causey) This large farm and ranch property is located in eastern New Mexico. The asking price for nearly 5,200 acres is $5,200,000. The property is divided into four sections of deeded land, each with its own distinct features. The property includes five tanks, two wells and pipelines to connect the water system. One area has a large population of mule deer, antelope, coyote, quail and doves. There is a ranch house, a shop and a set of pens for sorting and shipping. The land, house, shop and wells are all included in the asking price. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 12 Continental Divide Ranch (Datil) This ranch, valued at $4,500,000, is located in the Catron County mountains and offers a view of the Continental Divide. The property blends rustic charm and modern functionality, spanning 75 sections, with 40 patented acres. The total acreage of the ranch is approximately 48,500 and consists of productive grazing land that supports year-round operations, with capacity for up to 400 cattle. The ranch features a mix of grasslands and diverse browse for livestock. The layout of the ranch is designed to maximize both function and efficiency. The entire property is fenced and cross-fenced to allow for effective livestock rotation. Water management is also a priority, with two solar wells, multiple dirt tanks and natural springs placed throughout the property to support both livestock and wildlife. The ranch also includes corrals, shipping pens and livestock scales to facilitate cattle management and transportation. Owning a ranch is no easy task, and this property is protected under NM Statute Law 19-3-13 and grounded in the 1889 Territorial Act, making it not only a tangible asset but also a living piece of history. With its rich history and well-managed operations, this ranch offers more than just landit's an opportunity to immerse yourself in the traditions of ranching that have shaped New Mexico's heritage for centuries. If youre seeking a peaceful escape from the daily grind, Iceland has just been named the top destination for a quiet getaway. According to BookRetreats.coms Holiday Relaxation Report, which analyzed 76 vacation spots based on safety, solitude, serenity, nature, and wellness, Iceland emerged as the clear winner for those looking for a tranquil retreat. Situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, Icelands isolation from the rest of the world contributes to its serene atmosphere. With only one big city, Reykjavik, the country boasts low noise levels, minimal light pollution, and little traffic congestion. But peace and quiet are just the beginning of what Iceland has to offer. With countless things to do in Iceland, visitors can explore vast stretches of untouched terrain, glaciers, black sand beaches, and volcanic geothermal springs. And of course, theres the Blue Lagoon, one of the countrys most relaxing and popular attractions. The best holiday destinations for quiet: The full list Coming in second is Montenegro. With its beautiful mountains and golden beaches along the Adriatic coastline, its hard not to feel relaxed in this Balkan gem, which received one of the best scores for minimal noise and light pollution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In third place is Botswana, a country largely defined by the Kalahari Desert. With fewer crowds and abundant wildlife, Botswana received one of the best scores when it comes to traffic congestion. Here are the other destinations that made the list: Iceland Montenegro Botswana Estonia Finland Lithuania Norway Sweden Denmark Croatia The post This country was just named the No. 1 destination for a quiet getaway appeared first on The Manual. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Trinity Academy students have built these amazing gingerbread structures for nine years. The creative creations are made by fifth graders, and its both impressive and educational. Its a Kansas winter wonderland on a smaller stage from the Oz Museum to Allen Fieldhouse. The talented students are assigned a building and provided with munchable materials when the project is complete. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peter is a fifth grader at Trinity Academy behind the Capitol construction. Storm Track 3 Forecast: Freezing drizzle possible for northern Kansas Friday Stands at 304 feet tall, and so I built the dome the round dome using styrofoam, said Peter. Kelly Truby has been teaching for 35 years. This is her ninth year at Trinity Academy. Any time I can get my kids to show off, what theyve done is always a blessing, said Truby. A blessing that started 10 years ago, Truby would build gingerbread houses with her friend. We would share our designs around the world, and so we dont do that anymore, but it has turned into a tradition at Trinity, said Truby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As HaysMed loses doctors, concern about future grows All of the candy creations are based on the dimensions of the Epic Center in downtown Wichita. It means these replica structures are built to scale. A hands-on approach to expanding their knowledge of the state they call home. Getting to hear them along the way, hearing them telling me what they were doing and what they were doing and what their ideas were incredible incredible, said Truby. The gingerbread creations remain displayed for students and staff for another week and a half. If youre wondering, they do not eat the buildings. Truby says there are no plans to stop this tradition any time soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. OGUNQUIT, Maine The holiday spirit will be celebrated in Ogunquit during the Chamber of Commerces 38th annual Christmas by the Sea celebration. Festivities kick off on Friday night, Dec. 13, and conclude on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 15. Friday nights events kick off with the lighting of Footbridge Beach Bridge and the Ogunquit dory at 4:30 p.m. There will be caroling and smores in Perkins Cove at 5 p.m., sponsored by Ogunquit Rotary and Ogunquit Parks & Recreation. Festival-goers admire the lights on the tree in downtown Ogunquit, Maine, during the annual Christmas By the Sea celebration in 2022. Santa will arrive for pictures at 5:45 p.m., with the tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. Other events that night include the Atlantic Harmonies Choir concert at the Baptist Church at 7 p.m., and the downtown tree lighting at Veterans Park at 8:15 p.m., featuring hot cocoa, cookies and caroling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Discover Ogunquit: Chamber unveils new tech-savvy welcome center Ogunquit Christmas parade, bonfire and fireworks Visitors and residents alike will have a wide variety of happenings from which to choose on Saturday.Signature events include the annual Christmas Parade presented by the town of Ogunquit at 3 p.m., the bonfire on the beach at 4 p.m., and fireworks at Main Beach at 4:45 p.m., sponsored by The Front Porch Piano Bar & Restaurant. Crowds gather around a bonfire at the beach during the annual Christmas By the Sea celebration in Ogunquit, Maine, in 2022. Other Saturday activities include shopping along the Ogunquit craft fair trail, with locations upstairs and downstairs at the Dunaway Center and at the adjacent fire station from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Santa will be stopping to visit folks at the firehouse, La Pizzeria, Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Beachmere Inn, and other locations throughout town and he will be in the parade. The annual Christmas Parade presented by the town of Ogunquit will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. Saturdays festivities conclude with a barbershop choir concert, Seacoast Men of Harmony, at the Baptist Church at 7 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement York's viral Realtor: How Mitchell Tebo is shaking up southern Maine real estate Holiday celebrations, craft fairs and more On Sunday, festivities move a bit north of town as Ogunquit helps celebrate the holidays at the Wells Christmas Parade at 2 p.m. Back in town, there will be holiday celebrations, craft fairs, and music at Ogunquit restaurants. Christmas By the Sea in Ogunquit brings festive cheer with tree lightings, caroling, and a visit from Santa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Area businesses with a variety of holiday events. These include theatrical performances, live music, childrens crafts and story time, book signings, outdoor hot chocolate bars, ugly sweater parties, decorated tree celebrations, open houses, free movies, specialty food and drink events, and more. Participating businesses include For the Love of Food & Drink, Ogunquit Playhouse, Peppers Seafood Co., MaineStreet, Jonathans, Wells Ogunquit Senior Center, Ogunquit Memorial Library, Historical Society of Wells & Ogunquit, Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Village Toy Funatic, Leavitt Theatre, Clay Hill Farm, Mornings in Paris Cafe, The Lady Mary Inn, and Nikanos. This is such a joyful event in the town of Ogunquit," said Alice Pearce, executive director of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce. "Guests return year after year and compliment us on the warm welcome and community spirit they feel when they celebrate the holidays in Ogunquit. We believe thats why Ogunquit was once again, for the second year in a row, rated No. 2 on Travel + Leisures list of the 25 Best Christmas Towns in the U.S.! You can download a full schedule of events at ogunquit.org/christmas-by-the-sea/ or pick up one of the Chambers program guides at the Chamber Welcome Center at 20 Shore Road, and at participating businesses throughout Ogunquit. Christmas By the Sea in Ogunquit brings festive cheer with tree lightings, caroling, and a visit from Santa. The Ogunquit Chamber would like to thank the 2024 sponsors of Christmas by the Sea, who make the event possible: fireworks sponsor, The Front Porch Piano Bar & Restaurant; premier sponsors, Village Food Market and Spoiled Rotten Ogunquit; associate sponsor, InnSeason Resorts-The Falls at Ogunquit; and supporting sponsors Aland Realty, Jonathans Ogunquit, Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit Rental Properties, Terrace by the Sea, and The Colonial Inn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce fosters and promotes business, enhances economic and community development, and serves as a catalyst for improving the overall quality of life in the Ogunquit area. More than 300 businesses in the region are members of the Ogunquit Chamber. To learn more about the Ogunquit Chamber, its members, its services, and other programs, visit ogunquit.org or call 207-646-1279. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ogunquit's Christmas by the Sea: Family fun, fireworks, and festivities Novo Nordisks (NVO) blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic may have a potential link with an eye condition that causes vision loss, according to a non-peer reviewed study published Thursday on medRxiv. Diabetes patients using Ozempic were found to be over twice as likely to develop a rare eye condition known as NAION compared to those taking other diabetes medications, according to researchers who analyzed years of patient data from Denmark and Norway. Ozempic and prescription weight loss drugs: How they work, what they cost, side effects, and everything to know Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the study determined that the overall incidence of the condition was exceptionally low, with just 1.4 additional cases per 10,000 patient-years of observation calculated as the number of patients multiplied by the years they were monitored among those taking Ozempic compared to users of other diabetes medications. If the risk remains consistent over time, a type 2 diabetes patient taking Ozempic for 20 years would face a 0.3% to 0.5% likelihood of developing NAION, according to the study. The findings for Wegovy the companys weight-loss drug that shares the same active ingredient as Ozempic were inconclusive due to an insufficient number of patients in the analysis. Wegovy didnt launch in Denmark until 2022 and in Norway until 2023. NAION is a condition in which blood flow in the optic nerve a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the back of the eye to the brain is reduced leading to sudden and irreversible blindness. The condition is the most common optic nerve disease in the United States, affecting up to 10 out of 100,000 older Americans every year, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Novo Nordisk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Quartz. This study follows another one from earlier this year that also found a link between semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, and NAION. Given the well-established effects of semaglutide in managing both diabetes and obesity, it is crucial to weigh the potential risk of NAION against the substantial therapeutic benefits of semaglutide, the researchers wrote. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As of 1 January 2025, Romania and Bulgaria will officially become full-time members of the Schengen Area, which allows free movement between member states for 450 million citizens. The two countries have been members of the European Union (EU) since 2007, but as they were not part of the border-free area, travellers were still required to show passports upon entry. Now, border controls for the two countries will be simplified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what travellers to Romania and Bulgaria need to know about the changes. Schengen membership: A milestone years in the making for Romania and Bulgaria Back in 2011, the European Commission (EC) determined both eastern European countries were ready to become Shengen members. Despite the pronouncement, neither were immediately granted entry into the group. Related Fellow EU members, including Germany and France, denied their joint candidacy over governance and immigration issues, delaying their Schengen accession year after year. But the opposition gradually eased. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, the Netherlands - one of the last two holdouts - lifted its veto, leaving Austria as the only country still in opposition. They lifted their veto in November, leaving the path free for Romania and Bulgaria to enter. Despite Austrias resistance to Romania and Bulgarias Schengen membership, the EC lifted air and sea checks earlier this year, signalling bigger changes to come. Do you need a passport to enter Romania and Bulgaria? When Romania and Bulgaria join the Schengen zone in the new year, it will be easier for travellers to visit the two countries. At least in principle. Citizens of Schengen countries do not need to show their passports when flying between countries in the Schengen zone, although not always when travelling by road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But while Romania and Bulgaria will be fully-fledged members, the EC isnt ready to pull all border checks yet. The EC anticipates maintaining checks at land borders between Hungary and Romania and between Romania and Bulgaria for "at least" six months to "prevent any serious threat to public policy and internal security" - a decision likely made to appease Austria. Related This means if you are driving or arriving by train or bus into Romania and Bulgaria, you will still need to carry your passport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Travellers arriving by air or sea from other Schengen countries will no longer have to show passports upon arrival, however. Meaning, passengers on flights, cruises and ferries will not be subject to passport checks. Which European countries can you enter without a passport? Travellers without EU citizenship should remember that stays in Bulgaria and Romania count towards time spent in the Schengen zone, which cannot be longer than 90 total days within 180 days. If a traveller spends 30 days in Bulgaria or Romania and enters another Schengen country such as Greece, for example, those 30 days will count toward the 90-day maximum stay in the Schengen Area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Exceeding this limit can result in penalties, including fines or bans on re-entry. Related How many countries are in the Schengen Zone? The latest country to join the Schengen zone was Croatia in 2022. Every year, 1.25 billion trips take place within this area and 3.5 million people cross the borders of its member countries every day. Now, including Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen zone comprises 29 states. 25 belong to the EU and four are associated states of the European Free Trade Association: Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Related Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Schengen Area was created in 1995 following the signing of the Schengen Agreement 10 years earlier between five member states of the European Economic Community: Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Several other agreements followed until the 2007 enlargement, integrating nine additional countries into the free movement area. Most large cruise ships sailing out of Florida stop in Nassau, Bahamas. It's a large port with a dock that can support as many as seven ships at a time, and there's no limit to the size of the ships that can stop there. Nassau, however, has a number of problems. First, many regular cruisers have been there multiple times. Theyve seen the port, visited many of the special sites, and had their full share of the shopping and dining opportunities. Related: Royal Caribbean shares its strict, new beverage policy In addition, Nassau's port has become known for pushy vendors. That used to just be in the straw market (a market of local goods), but in the postpandemic world many of the vendors have become very aggressive. Some people also are pushing illegal wares and are not all that subtle about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For these reasons many passengers on Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines consider Nassau a "stay on the ship" port. That's not necessarily fair to Nassau. In Nassau you can walk to a wonderful beach that does not cost a dime extra. You can find very good food close to the port and some quality shopping if you are willing to put up with the overall tenor of the shopping area. Still, many cruisers stay on the ship at Nassau. And thats something Royal Caribbean hopes to change with its latest private destination. The cruise line has shared some info about when that destination will open and what it will offer. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. The Atlantis has long been a possible, but expensive, Nassau shore excursion. Image source: Daniel Kline/ComeCruiseWith.com Royal Caribbean builds a new concept Cruise-line private islands have long been a staple of the Caribbean/Bahamas sailing model. Royal Caribbean set a new standard for cruise ship private islands when it overhauled its island and turned it into Perfect Day at CocoCay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cruise line added a dock meaning that small ships called tenders no longer had to be used to visit the island. And it installed a massive pool and built an added-fee water park, beach club and adults-only area. Visitors could still have a classic free beach day, but Royal Caribbean added ways to spend money for richer experiences. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Beginning late next year Royal Caribbean will transform its port stops in Nassau when it launches the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau, the first beach club destination in its Royal Beach Club Collection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 17-acre beach club will combine the beaches of Paradise Island in Nassau and Royal Caribbeans signature experiences to create an all-inclusive beach day. Basically, it's a new take on Perfect Day that will cost an added fee rather be free for all visitors. Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will include: Two beaches, three seaside Paradise Grills serving locally inspired fare, over 40 cabanas available for rental, water-taxi transportation to and from the beach club, local artisan shops, loungers, towel stations, and more all designed with Bahamian influence. Three zones curated with a unique vibe, each with its own pool and swim-up bar: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family Beach: Designed for families to make memories together. Vacationers can stay and play all day in the zero-entry pool, the Shallow End, at Family Beach and with beach games like jumbo tumbling tower, cornhole and paddleball. Plus, vacationers can kick back and relax to a whole new level with the Ultimate Family Cabana a one-of-its-kind exclusive retreat with two stories of amenities, including a thrilling slide, dedicated whirlpool, frozen drink machine and more. Party Cove: Party Zone is an unmatched beachfront party with the worlds largest swim-up bar, the Floating Flamingo, as well as its own infinity pool, live DJ and VIP section. Chill Beach: Vacationers can unwind and spend the day relaxing beachside at Chill Beach or poolside at the Deep End while enjoying picturesque scenery. ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise Slated to open in December 2025, Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will be the first beach club to join the cruise lines growing destination lineup, which includes Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas and Labadee, Haiti. Royal Beach Club Cozumel will follow in 2026 as well as Perfect Day Mexico in Quintana Roo in 2027. Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one? Visit our Come Cruise With Me website to have all your questions answered. The most wonderful time of the year is here. But who wants to spend the holidays in the kitchen? Like Thanksgiving, several restaurants in Greater Cincinnati cater Christmas dinner. So sit back, relax, enjoy the Yuletide season and let a local eatery do all the cooking for you. Who says you can't take credit for the delicious spread? You did pay for it after all. Continue below for a list of local restaurants (and national chains) where you can get Christmas meals to-go. Greater Cincinnati has many places that offer Christmas meals to-go. Where to get carryout meals in Cincinnati for Christmas Bob Evans Celebrate Christmas with Bob Evan's signature Farmhouse Feast, available for pre-order now through Dec. 24 for pick-up or delivery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Locations may vary. bobevans.com. Honey Baked Ham Honey Baked Ham offers a variety of holiday dinner packages that feature classic oven-roasted turkey or the chain's signature ham available for pick-up or delivery. Locations may vary. honeybaked.com. Cracker Barrel Cracker Barrel offers "heat 'n serve" holiday meals for pick-up from Dec. 21-28. Orders must be placed at least 24 hours in advance. Locations may vary. crackerbarrel.com. Mexi-Q Mexi-Q offers holiday catering for pick-up or delivery now through January 2025. Call, text or visit the restaurant's Facebook page, facebook.com/mexiq2018, for more information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 6676 Tri Way Drive, Mason. mexican-bbq.com. Wyoming Meat Market Wyoming Meat Market offers Christmas catering at its Wyoming and Covington locations. Orders must be placed by Dec. 20. Holiday menu options include mini barbecue meatballs, twice-baked potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, duck, goose, wagyu tenderloin and more. To place an order, call 513-821-2200. 513 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming. instagram.com/wyomingmeatmarket Midwest Best BBQ and Creamery Midwest Best BBQ is taking holiday catering orders now through Sunday, Dec. 15. Pick-up is from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24. Menu options include ham or smoked turkey breast, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, winter salad and sweet potato souffle, as well as a variety of brunch options. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 669 Justice Court, Loveland. midwestbestbbq.com/thanksgiving. What's Christmas without dessert? Cracker Barrel offers whole pies in pumpkin, apple streusel, chocolate pecan, pecan, and cinnamon roll pie, each for $13.99. Incline Smoke Shack at 13 Below Pre-order holiday dinner meal kits at Incline Smoke Shack all December. Meal kits feed up to six people and include an appetizer, dinner with sides, a salad and a sweet treat for dessert. 7391 Forbes Road, Sayler Park. facebook.com/inclinesmokeshack. Sweets & Meats BBQ Catering & Food Truck Sweets & Meats BBQ is selling holiday packs that come with apple dressing stuffed pork loin, macaroni and cheese, roasted root vegetables, mashed potatoes with gravy and a dessert of your choice. Orders are accepted through Dec. 20. Pick-up must be scheduled between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2249 Beechmont Ave., Mount Washington. sweetsandmeatsbbq.com. Buck's Riverside Grill Buck's Riverside Grill offers several Christmas dinner packages for two, five or 10 people. Meals can be picked up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Dec. 24. To place a catering order, call 513-718-8429. 100 Front St., New Richmond. facebook.com/bucksrsg. Morton's the Steakhouse Morton's is offering $50 off catering orders of $350 or more with the code "HOLIDAY50." This offer is valid Monday through Friday only through Dec. 31. 441 Vine St., Downtown. www.mortons.com. Chart House Chart House offers two meal kit options, prime rib or citrus salmon. Pre-orders must be placed by 4 p.m. Dec. 22. Delivery and pick-up take place between noon and 4 p.m. Christmas Eve and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Christmas Day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 405 Riverboat Row, Newport. www.chart-house.com. Maggiano's Little Italy Maggiano's Little Italy offers holiday bundles available through Jan. 8. Holiday packages come with a starter, a pasta, two entrees and a dessert. 7875 Montgomery Road, Sycamore Township. www.maggianos.com. Many places offer carryout options for Christmas dinner. Brio Italian Grille Brio Italian Grille offers holiday catering for 10 or more people. The catering menu includes fresh salads, signature pastas, such as lasagna or Pasta Brio, and specialty entrees such as chicken Milanese and grilled salmon. To find a location near you, visit www.brioitalian.com. Bravo! Italian Kitchen Bravo! Italian Kitchen offers holiday catering for 10 or more people. The catering menu includes fresh salads, signature pastas, such as lasagna, Pasta Bravo or Pasta Woozie, and specialty entrees including chicken marsala, chicken parmesan and grilled salmon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To find a location near you, visit www.bravoitalian.com. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill Holiday pre-orders must be placed by Wednesday, Dec. 18, for pick-up on Dec. 23 or 24. The menu includes a herb-rubbed prime rib with au jus and horseradish sauce, salad, parmesan mashed potatoes, asparagus with roasted garlic thyme butter, bread and whipped butter, and bananas foster bread pudding. 5075 Deerfield Blvd, Mason. firebirdsrestaurants.com. Whole Foods Market Whole Foods Market is accepting holiday catering order by Dec. 22. Pick-up is available Dec. 19-24. To find a location near you, visit wholefoodsmarket.com. Bee's Barbecue Bee's Barbecue is currently taking holiday catering pre-orders, available while supplies last. Options include smoked brisket or smoked bone-in ham. Pick-up takes place Dec. 21 and 22. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To find a location near you, visit beesbarbecue.com. Crown Republic Restaurant Group Crown Republic is offering both full meal kits and a la carte options. Preorders must be placed by 1 p.m. Dec. 18. Pick-up takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 24 at Five on Vine in Over-the-Rhine. 1324 Vine Street, Over-the-Rhine. crgcincy.com/holiday-dinner-2024 The New York strip Christmas dinner from Crown Republic Gastropub. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pickles & Bones Barbecue Pickles & Bones is selling "heat and serve" holiday meal kits available for pick-up Monday, Dec. 23. The menu includes red wine braised pot roast, mashed potatoes, rosemary roasted winter vegetables, Brussels sprouts and broccoli salad, buttermilk biscuits and more. Call 513-317-2214 to order. 887a Business 28, Milford. picklesandbones.com. Out of Thyme Out of Thyme is selling holiday meal kits that serve up to 10 people. Orders must be picked up by 6 p.m. Dec. 23 or between noon and 3 p.m. Dec. 24. Customers have a choice between beef tenderloin with red wine sauce and sage and apple turkey breast with gravy, as well as a variety of sides, bread and desserts. Out of Thyme is also selling holiday appetizer trays that serve up to 20 people. 11915 Montgomery Road, Symmes Township. outofthymechef.com. The Fresh Market Fresh Market offers a variety of meal packages and a la carte options ranging from classic holiday ham meals to prime rib meals and holiday brunch spreads. Online ordering is currently available now through 2 p.m. Dec. 22. Pick-up is Dec. 21-24. To find a location near you visit, thefreshmarket.com. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Christmas 2024: Where to get carryout meals in Cincinnati One person is dead and two more are seriously injured after a crash in Coweta County on Thursday afternoon. Georgia State Patrol says a Nissan Altima was driving along Hwy. 16 near Marion Beavers Road when it crossed the center line and crashed into a Toyota 4Runner around 2 p.m. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Nissans driver was pronounced dead at a local hospital. That persons identity has not been released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both the passenger of the Nissan and the driver of the Toyota were rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital with serious injuries. There is no word on either of their conditions. GSP says they are still investigating the crash. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev and made several statements regarding Sino-Russian relations and the situation in the world. In particular, he called the relations between Russia and China "exemplary" but noted that their countries should "promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction." ADVERTISIMENT Medvedev has been in China for three days, but only now has the Chinese leader met with him, the South China Morning Post reports. The Russian official brought Xi a letter from dictator Vladimir Putin, the content of which has not been disclosed. Welcoming the "exemplary relations" between the countries, Xi said that China is "ready to strengthen strategic synergy" with Russia. The Chinese leader also reiterated Beijing's position on the war in Ukraine, saying that China has "repeatedly emphasized" the need to adhere to three principles. These are "non-expansion of battlefields, inadmissibility of escalation of hostilities, and inappropriateness of incitement." "China will continue to defend its position and work with the international community to create favorable conditions for a political solution to the crisis," the newspaper quoted Xi as saying to Medvedev. Separately, the leader of the ruling Chinese Communist Party said that the parties of the two countries would continue to strengthen their cooperation. As a reminder, former Russian President Medvedev also heads the ruling party of the aggressor country. "We must reach a consensus among friendly political parties from around the world, especially those in the Global South, and push the world in the right direction," Xi said. As reported by OBOZ.UA, China continues to insist on the need for negotiations to resolve the "Ukrainian crisis." They believe that the international community should help create conditions for the resumption of direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! UPDATE (5:33 p.m.): Mobile Police Chief William Jackson has shared his thoughts about Thursday nights deadly shooting at Hunters Pointe Apartments. It happened between two known parties, Jackson said. Not an act of random violence, but nonetheless, still senseless violence. Jackson said people need to settle their differences without violence. We continue to ask that the public (to) find other ways to resolve their disputes other than firearms or weapons, period, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Too many people get hurt in such a permanent situation like this. UPDATE (10 a.m., Dec. 13): The Mobile Police Department has identified the suspect and victim in the Thursday night homicide at Hunters Pointe Apartments. According to department officials, Charell Smith, 21, was arrested after police responded to 3205 Lloyds Lane in reference to a shooting. Officers said Smith was identified as the suspect after investigators found a known male shot the victim during an argument. Charell Smith (Mobile Police Department) Jail records show that Smith is currently in the Mobile Metro Jail on a manslaughter charge. Police also identified the victim who was originally found with life-threatening injuries as 44-year-old David Keevan. Keevan was pronounced dead after the shooting, reports said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MPD is working on the investigation. UPDATE (10:33 p.m.): One person is in custody in this deadly shooting, according to an MPD spokesperson. UPDATE (9:52 p.m.): Mobile police identified the victim as a man who died from his injuries. Original Story: MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) The Mobile Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred before 9 p.m. Thursday at a local apartment complex. According to an MPD spokesperson, one person is injured. Angel Baby: 1995 Mobile County cold case closed after infants mother found MPD officials said the shooting occurred at Hunters Pointe Apartments, located at 3205 Lloyds Lane. LOCATION: This is a developing story. News 5 will provide updates as more information becomes available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A police sergeant with the Bakersfield Police Department signed off from the department for the last time Thursday. Sgt. Chance Koerner retired after serving numerous roles at the department. Sgt. Eric Celedon with the police department told 17 News Koerner served the community as a cadet, senior police officer, detective and sergeant. Sgt. Celedon said in an email statement: His commitment to our department and the community is unmatched. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davids Barbershop celebrates 10-year anniversary with toy collection drive In a Broadcastify recording, Koerner thanked his fellow employees and his family. The end of my career is bittersweet but also excitingthank you all and a special thanks to my children and especially my wifeyou always stood by my sideBadge 834 10-98, forever, Koerner said in his farewell message. To hear Koerners full message watch the video in the player. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A proposal is coming to the Kern County Board of Education to allow the 10 commandments to be posted in every public school classroom within the boards jurisdiction. The proposal was introduced by a church pastor, who will make his case next Tuesday. Nationwide nonprofit Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to the board calling on them to deny this motion or face legal action. The 10 commandments are maintained in Jewish and Christian faiths, but Reverend Angelo Frazier claims its also an important historical document. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is Freedom and Justice for all based on? I think partly based on what God has said in his word, said Frazier. I believe he set some things in stone, he made the world, and you dont have to believe that but I believe that. Louisiana recently passed a law requiring the 10 commandments to be taught in schools as well as the bible which sparked Fraziers push to teach it in Kern schools. I think public school or private schoolit doesnt matter, I see it as education, said Frazier. I see education as one thing and I think we can get education as much as we can about our historical documents. Woolworths ambitious renovation is loud, proud and on schedule Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chris Line of the Freedom of Religion Foundation a nonprofit dedicated to keeping religion out of public schools sent a letter to the board of education claiming that allowing the commandments to posted in the classroom is unconstitutional. Displaying the 10 commandments, a religious code central just to the Jewish and Christian Beliefs, said Line. That excludes students that adhere to different beliefs or no faith at all, and directly violates the U.S. and California Constitutions. Line said they dont want to sue the board, but if trustees do pass this, it could cost the board thousands of dollars. We want the schools to have as much money as they can to use to fund the education of these students, we dont think the school should waste its money on raging a religious culture war, said Line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the presentations, the board can chose whether or not to put it on the agenda as an action item. If it does and it passes, it would only affect the 500 students the board oversees. Kerns 46 individual school districts would have to vote on any similar measure themselves if they chose too. The Board meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, December 17th at 6:30 p.m. where both sides will give their presentations. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) Over 100 deserving families received a special delivery on Thursday. Deputies from across the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office helped spread a little holiday joy by dropping off plenty of treats. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office picked the families by receiving referrals from deputies, social workers, and school resource officers. The office then worked with community partners to buy gifts and collect food to provide families with a nutritious holiday meal. We feel so happy. My son and I because we didnt expect this until they reached out to us and even then I couldnt believe it, said Alejandro Arroyo Dominguez. Paola Alonzo, a single mother of six, said she feels blessed and lucky to have this extra help, Im happy about it. Im really excited for them to get something this year, not only for me, but with the little bit of extra gift that they are going to receive its exciting and Im happy about it. The department said that they were able to help more families than ever before, doubling their numbers from last year and the response has been astounding, I just want to thank you guys for giving us this blissful holiday gift to my kids and myself and Im just very thankful, concluded Alonzo. Costco, Walmart, Smiths, and non-profit U.S. United, donated items to the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Department. BCSO said that allowed them to help more families. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. BANGKOK (AP) A 14-year-old has been arrested on charges alleging that he stabbed a Thai-Australian schoolmate to death in a fight after having an ongoing feud, police in Thailand said Friday. The suspect told investigators he and the victim harbored a mutual dislike from school and they agreed via the Line messaging app to meet outside a grocery store near their homes on Tuesday in Sattahip in Chonburi province, said police Col. Tanapol Klinkesorn, director of the Sattahip police station. The suspect appeared to have lost the fight because the other boy was bigger, but the suspect rushed to his car to grab a cooking knife and stabbed the victim in the back, Tanapol said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was also 14, but the suspect was an eighth-grader while the victim was a year behind him, police said. They did not release their names because of their age but said the Australian Embassy confirmed the victim had dual nationality. The boy was found lying at the entrance to the store with the knife in his back and its broken handle on the ground, according to Sawang Rojanatham Rescue Foundation, a charity organization whose EMS workers rushed to the scene. Tanapol said the suspect, accompanied by his parents, surrendered to Sattahip police about an hour after the stabbing. Police charged him with causing fatal physical harm to another person and a weapons offense. He was release on 10,000 baht ($295 ) bail Wednesday by the Chonburi Juvenile and Family Court. Police said the maximum sentence under the charges is 15 years imprisonment, and that they are investigating the case further. Adolescent violence is not rare in Thailand but fatal cases usually involve rival gangs of older students. Sattahip is about 114 kilometers (71 miles) southeast of the capital Bangkok. A 16-year-old high school junior was killed by her 45-year-old dad in a murder-suicide in Oregon, officials said. The bodies of Larissa Juniper Alexander and Nicholas Alexander were discovered at about 9:50 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11 in an unincorporated community, the Washington County Sheriffs Office said in a post on Facebook. Deputies said they were conducting a welfare check at the apartment after a caller reported not hearing from one resident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A medical examiner will determine a cause of death for the father and daughter. Larissa Alexander was a junior at Century High School, Beth Graser, a spokesperson for the Hillsboro School District, told McClatchy News by email. This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts are heavy. We are doing our best to wrap around students and staff, and support them as they process this unthinkable situation and grieve the loss of their friend and classmate, Graser said. Our Century family is a close community and any time we experience trauma and loss, it affects all of us deeply. It will take time to heal, but we will get through this together. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to Larissas family, friends, and all who knew her, Century High School Principal Julie Kasper said in a letter to families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicholas Alexander had worked as a guard at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility since 2016, a womens prison in Wilsonville, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Corrections said in an email. He was put on administrative leave on Oct. 15. He was the subject of an internal investigation. Up to 600 murder-suicides happen each year, according to the FBI. They account for about 1,000 deaths a year. Although uncommon, such incidents vary widely in terms of the persons involved, how they are related, and where the crimes take place, the FBI reported. Usually, law enforcement personnel deal with murder-suicides involving two people in domestic settings or relationships. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 65% of murder-suicides involve intimate partners, officials said, and 81% happen in the home. Washington County is in northwestern Oregon and includes part of the Portland metropolitan area. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988. 13-year-old sells gun to 19-year-old, then fatally shoots him, Florida deputies say Man kills brother, then himself, after argument over borrowing vehicle, Florida cops say Woman streams her girlfriend killing another woman on Facebook Live, Florida cops say OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) 2025 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. We remember and honor those 168 who lost their lives on April 19, 1995, when a bomb went off in front of the Murrah building in downtown Oklahoma City. 168 Days to remember those lost in the OKC bombing: Kim R. Cousins. Image courtesy Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. We want to remember Kim R. Cousins, while honoring those who survived and thanking those changed forever. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) Waterbury police arrested two people on drug-related charges after a search and seizure warrant Thursday. According to police, at around 6:25 p.m. in the area of Baldwin Street, police seized ammunition, 57 grams of cocaine packaged for sale, 88 glassine bags of fentanyl packaged for sale and other related items from the apartment. Waterbury woman charged with attempted murder in hit-and-run Courtesy of Waterbury PD Courtesy of Waterbury PD Hector Alvarez, 42, of Waterbury was charged with operating a drug factory, interfering with a search warrant, criminal mischief in the second degree, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of ammunition, possession of half an ounce or more of cocaine in free base form. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said Alvarez was on parole and was remanded. He is in custody at the Connecticut Department of Corrections. Stephanie Mercedes-Diaz, 33, of Waterbury was charged with operating a drug factory, interfering with a search warrant, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of ammunition and possession of half an ounce or more of cocaine in free base form. Mercedes-Diaz remains in custody at the Connecticut Department of Corrections on a $200,000 bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. MADISON, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) In the latest round of President Bidens pardons, 2 are from Wisconsin. 70-year-old Jerry Manning from Sun Prairie and 63-year-old Audrey Simon from Prescott are among those receiving clemency. Manning was convicted of a violent crime and was awarded early termination of his probationary sentence. He has been an active member of his community since then. He is also a veteran of the US Army and received a medal during Operation Desert Storm. Simon was convicted of a non-violent offense and has since received a bachelors degree. She now serves as a deacon in her church. Through the church, she works in the field of addiction and recovery. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX2548 & WIProud. 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 When did the wave of hard-right, nationalist, and populist movements sweeping the globe begin? It is often said that it started in 2016, with the Brexit referendum and Donald Trumps first victory. However, the roots of this phenomenon can be traced further back to the conservative revolution led by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. They combined ultra-liberal economic policies with a heavy-handed approach to social issues and a morally unrestrained foreign policy. This was a precursor to what would later emerge with Trump, but it doesnt stop there look at Javier Milei in Argentina and his chainsaw against the state. The neoconservative movement, and its offshoot, neoliberalism, permeated what was once considered economic orthodoxy, at least until the devastating financial crisis that began in 2008. Now, the push for strongman leadership and a minimal state is resurfacing, with an added twist: deglobalization, in the form of fierce protectionism and tariff wars. For a closer look at the lessons of the 1980s, there is The Reagan Show, a documentary produced by CNN and released in 2017, the first year of Trumps presidency. While Reagan is never directly compared to Trump, the story offers a compelling look at their parallels and differences. Reagan, like Trump, was considered an outsider in the political landscape of his time a familiar Hollywood face who upended the Republican establishment. However, his demeanor was far more refined than Trumps, a feat thats not to achieve. Reagan excelled as a communicator: not only did he love the camera, but he was always eager to be in front of it. And he had a knack for irony. When asked about his unconventional career, he famously quipped: How can a president not be an actor? The documentary The Reagan Show brought to light previously unseen footage from his many public appearances, including outtakes where he would prank his collaborators. One example: he recorded a peace message addressed to the Russians, and once the cameras stopped rolling, he said: Take that, Mr. Gorbachev. The story itself is whimsical: the hawkish Reagan ended up being perceived as a dove, signing a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union during the Perestroika that marked the end of the Cold War. The documentary emphasizes the thawing of relations that allowed Reagan to hold multiple summits with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and reach important agreements in a world that lived in fear of nuclear war. Films like The Day After and Threads depicted fictional atomic attacks in Kansas and Sheffield, respectively, while the public held its collective breath. Reagan was already using the phrase, Well make America great again. He began his presidency with the Star Wars program, an anti-missile system in space designed to challenge the evil empire, as he referred to the USSR, and it foreshadowed a new arms race. We hear him say, The force is with us, as if he were a Jedi; Reagan was known for his fondness for cinematic metaphors. But by the end of the documentary, he is portrayed as a champion of peace, delivering anti-war speeches alongside Gorbachev remarks that seemed out of character for him. This portrayal glosses over the aggressive foreign policy Reagan pursued in other areas, such as in Chile and Argentina, where he supported brutal, genocidal dictators without hesitation, or in Nicaragua, where he orchestrated a civil war against the Sandinistas. Not to mention the invasion of Grenada. It does, however, touch upon the scandal of the Iran-Contra affair, which involved the ayatollahs, the Nicaraguan Contras, and Central American drug traffickers, which contradicted the otherwise coherent stance Washington took in global diplomacy. We also hear Reagan defending his economic policies, known as Reaganomics, which emphasized deregulation, tax cuts (particularly for the wealthy), and reduced public spending. However, the documentary doesnt address the long-term consequences of these policies. While they helped stimulate the economy after the oil crisis, they also led to the deterioration of public services, skyrocketing inequality, and a massive deficit that persists to this day. The idea championed by economist Arthur Laffer that lowering taxes would ultimately increase revenue was never realized. Trump, like Reagan, is an effective communicator, though much more abrasive and unpolished. Instead of Hollywood, he honed his persona on the reality show The Apprentice. His economic policies are expected to follow a similar path dismantling the state (with his First Buddy, Elon Musk, likely playing a key role) and reducing regulations, which could eventually lead to long-term consequences much like those of Reaganomics. In foreign policy, Trump is expected to adopt a less interventionist stance, which would mean largely stepping back and allowing leaders like Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue their agendas without interference. There are, of course, key differences. Reagan was not opposed to free trade (he helped launch the Uruguay Round, which eventually led to the creation of the World Trade Organization), and he was far more open to immigration, regularizing the status of three million undocumented people. Reagan never conspired against the constitutional order, as Trump did on January 6, 2021, and he was never convicted of the 34 crimes Trump is now facing. The lessons of the 1980s offer little insight into how to prepare for this new era of extreme political polarization. Reagan made history for the conservative right, but Trump represents a different story altogether. Rather than drawing inspiration from Star Wars, this new political era embodied by Trump and his sinister circle seems to be heralding a dystopia. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Health officials are investigating possible cases of H5 bird flu after two cats died from consuming recalled raw milk, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The department issued a release on Thursday saying the two cats that died consumed milk from Raw Farm, LLC after the company voluntarily recalled all raw milk and cream products earlier this month. After consuming the raw milk, the cats reportedly showed onset symptoms of lack of appetite, fever and neurologic signs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The infected cats died after severe worsening of their illness, and subsequently tested positive for Influenza A, a rare result in cats, said the department in a release. As the department waits to obtain confirmatory testing, it notes that the nationwide H5 bird flu outbreak has seen other cats infected with the virus after drinking infected raw milk. The risk of H5 bird flu remains low in Los Angeles County, but this suspected case of the virus in a pet cat that consumed raw milk is a reminder that consuming raw dairy products can lead to severe illness in cats, said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. To avoid the spread of disease, including H5 bird flu, we strongly encourage residents and their pets to avoid raw dairy and undercooked meat products, limit contact with sick or dead animals, report sick or dead birds and keep pets or poultry away from wild animals and birds. The cats owners and other people who had direct contact with them are monitoring for symptoms and have been offered antiviral prophylaxis, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been no human cases of bird flu associated with exposure to these cats yet identified, said the department. The investigation is ongoing. As health officials investigate these two cases, they urge residents to be proactive about preventing the spread of infection. According to the department, cats can be exposed to H5 bird flu by consuming infected birds or other animals, consuming unpasteurized milk from infected cows, or just simply being in contaminated environments. Officials say symptoms of H5 bird flu infection in humans include eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing and fever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone who has consumed these specific recalled raw milk products and is experiencing symptoms should immediately contact their health care provider or local health department, stated the release. For more information, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. (KTLA) Health officials are investigating possible cases of H5 bird flu after two cats died from consuming recalled raw milk, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The department issued a release on Thursday saying the two cats that died consumed milk from Raw Farm, LLC after the company voluntarily recalled all raw milk and cream products earlier this month. After consuming the raw milk, the cats reportedly showed onset symptoms of lack of appetite, fever and neurologic signs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The infected cats died after severe worsening of their illness, and subsequently tested positive for Influenza A, a rare result in cats, said the department in a release. As the department waits to obtain confirmatory testing, it notes that the nationwide H5 bird flu outbreak has seen other cats infected with the virus after drinking infected raw milk. The risk of H5 bird flu remains low in Los Angeles County, but this suspected case of the virus in a pet cat that consumed raw milk is a reminder that consuming raw dairy products can lead to severe illness in cats, said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. To avoid the spread of disease, including H5 bird flu, we strongly encourage residents and their pets to avoid raw dairy and undercooked meat products, limit contact with sick or dead animals, report sick or dead birds and keep pets or poultry away from wild animals and birds. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cats owners and other people who had direct contact with them are monitoring for symptoms and have been offered antiviral prophylaxis, according to the release. There have been no human cases of bird flu associated with exposure to these cats yet identified, said the department. The investigation is ongoing. As health officials investigate these two cases, they urge residents to be proactive about preventing the spread of infection. According to the department, cats can be exposed to H5 bird flu by consuming infected birds or other animals, consuming unpasteurized milk from infected cows, or just simply being in contaminated environments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials say symptoms of H5 bird flu infection in humans include eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing and fever. Anyone who has consumed these specific recalled raw milk products and is experiencing symptoms should immediately contact their health care provider or local health department, stated the release. For more information, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. DANVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) FLOCK cameras in Danville helped recover a van that was reported stolen, leading to other stolen items being recovered on Wednesday. According to the Boyle County Sheriffs Office, a stolen dark blue Nissan Quest was detected on the city FLOCK camera system pulling out of the Danville Manor on Wednesday. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office confirmed that the vehicle was recovered on Skywatch Drive, and the reported driver, William Falconberry, was arrested without incident. Falconberry was charged with: Receiving stolen property valued between $1,000 and $10,000 Failure to produce an insurance card No registration plates or receipt That same day, deputies said they were following up on a lead in connection with the stolen van. It led them to a home on Tank Pond Road in the Parksville community. The sheriffs office said that deputies were searching for Mark Belcher, but he fled the home as deputies were closing in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After searching the home, deputies said they found three motorcycles, some lawn equipment, and other miscellaneous items, all of which had been reported stolen. There was also a firearm and suspected methamphetamine found at the home. Danville items reported stolen (Boyle County Sheriffs Office) Belcher, who deputies confirmed was wanted on two prior arrest warrants, was found at a home on Lebanon Road, where he reportedly tried to escape again but was quickly arrested. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Belcher was charged with: Receiving stolen property in excess of $10,000 Possession of a handgun by a convicted felon First-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Falconberry and Belcher were both booked into the Boyle County Detention Center. Belcher is being held on $10,000 and $200 cash bonds. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) New Orleans police are trying to solve a pair of burglaries that were just blocks apart, but one of them ended with the victim being shot. The cases are the latest ones to roll on the Wheel of Justice. According to police, the first burglary happened at 8:40 in the morning on December 10 in the 7800 block of Lady Gray Street. Police say once the burglar left that location, he committed a second burglary around the corner in the 770 block of Lacombe Street. But during the second burglary, the victim was shot in the leg when he confronted the suspect. New pics released of accused Chalmette Christmas vandal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police released some security camera images of the man who they believe is responsible for the crimes. He was wearing a hoodie and shorts with a geometric patter on them. Police say the man who was shot was listed in stable condition in the hospital. To see the latest Wheel of Justice report, including the security camera images, watch the video at the top of this story. If you have information that could help police identify or locate the suspect, call CrimeStoppers at 504-822-1111. You dont have to reveal your name or testify in court, and you could be eligible to earn a cash reward. 6 years later, this Seventh Ward murder remains unsolved Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, more than 475 people have been booked after their cases rolled on the Wheel of Justice. 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 Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. Students and a staff member at the William W. Henderson Inclusion School were burned after a mishap in the school cafeteria Thursday. A mobile lunch cart containing hot water beneath the food trays tipped over and spilled onto the students in the cafeteria of Dorchester K-12 school. The school nurse immediately provided care and the students were taken to a hospital to be cared for, according to a Boston Public Schools spokesperson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the students suffered serious injuries while the other student had only minor injuries, according to Boston police. We are grateful for the quick response and are now working to ensure that our students and families have the support they need, Boston Public Schools said in a statement. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) Dec. 12, 2024, is a tough day for the Greensboro community. It marks two years since a fire on Grimsley Street claimed the lives of three children under the age of five. Investigators say their mother left them home alone when the fire broke out. Brandi Sturdivant has been charged with their murders, but there has been little movement in court. Also untouched is their old home on Grimsley Street. The windows are boarded up, the memorial out front has faded into a pile of faded toys, and the house stands as a constant reminder of the three young lives lost and the investigations that followed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The street is silent, but the absence of anything at this home speaks louder than words. Its a stark contrast to the massive scene two years ago. A four-year-old and one-year-old twins died from carbon monoxide poisoning when they were trapped inside this home during the fire. Sturdivant is charged with child abuse and second-degree murder. Since the investigation is ongoing, officials cannot speak with FOX8 about the case. The district attorneys office shared a few reasons why a case like this takes years to get through the court system, including evaluation and analysis of evidence, and the public defenders are stretched thin. Sturdivants court hearings have been pushed back a few times. Her next scheduled court date is on Jan. 23 for the murder charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services also launched an investigation into the Guilford County Department of Social Services and how that agency might have failed the family. It found that GCDSS workers did not thoroughly address safety, maintain ongoing contact with families and follow up on safety concerns reported. The investigation uncovered violations in this case and 29 others. As a result, the state and county together came up with a corrective action plan to prevent future tragedies. GCDSS implemented a number of changes, including monthly case reviews with supervisors, refined training and more child welfare teams. The state continues to check in on progress. Their next scheduled assessment is for February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, the GCDSS said in part: Guilford County remains committed to protecting children, preserving families, and thus strengthening our child welfare practice. FOX8 spoke with the property owner of the Grimsley Street home. He said that as soon as the house is released back to him from investigators, he wants to donate it to Habitat for Humanity so they can tear this down and build a new home for someone in need. But that wont happen until the case is resolved in court, and there is no sign of when that might happen. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Three men are accused of tying a man up inside an apartment, waterboarding him and burning his body with boiling water, documents said. Mark Lissy, 46; Peter Phillips, 45; and Gabriel Zerda, 41, face charges including kidnapping resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, documents said. A grand jury indicted the trio last week. On Oct. 8, Metro police received a call about a person who was burned and who needed medical attention near Charleston Boulevard and Eastern Avenue. While responding to the call, an officer encountered the person needing help on the street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mans burns were severe to the point his skin was blistering and peeling, documents said. The man sustained severe second-degree burns to 10% of his body, police said. The man told the officer two other men burned him and tied him up with zip ties inside an apartment, documents said. The man said he escaped when one of the men eventually untied him. The victim told police he met Zerda about a year ago and hung out with him and two other men the previous night, documents said. The group then smoked, drank and sang karaoke at an east valley bar. The group then migrated to a nearby apartment. At some point in the morning, the victim said something that may have been offensive, documents said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [The victim] recalls everything shifted when he said something, like offensive or inappropriate, officers said. He cannot recall exactly what was said, stating he is an awkward person and tends to say things that are inappropriate or that offend people unintentionally. [The victim] stated the other males became upset, stating they were going to teach him some respect and how to talk to people from the streets. One of the men then tied the victim to a chair, pouring water over his face. The victim described it as waterboarding, a form of torture involving water where a person cannot breathe and experiences a drowning-like sensation. The men then poured hot water over his body, including to his groin, police said. The victim described the pain as excruciating, according to grand jury transcripts. As part of their investigation, officers determined Lissy was named as the person on the apartments lease, documents said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zerda told police the victim was calling everyone in the apartment derogatory names and was [throwing] things around, documents said. He added all three [men] decided to restrain him for their safety. Zerda also claimed the victim liked having water poured on him, adding, he was trying to calm him down and explain the importance of respecting others and their property. Lissy, Phillips and Zerda remained in custody Thursday on $100,000 bail. All pleaded not guilty during their arraignments in district court Wednesday. A trial was scheduled for May. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has announced the first round of charges in the shooting death of a doctor in Woodland Hills. One day after announcing five arrests in the killing of Dr. Hamid Mirshojae outside of his Woodland Hills medical clinic on Aug. 23, Hochmans office announced murder and other charges against three people: Sarallah Jawed, 26, from Canoga Park One felony count of murder One felony count of assault with a deadly weapon Special allegations that the murder was intentional and carried out for financial gain Evan Hardman, 41, from Tomball, Texas One felony count of murder One felony count of assault with a deadly weapon Special allegations that the murder was intentional, carried out for financial gain, carried out by lying in wait and that Hardman personally and intentionally used a handgun Ashley Rose Sweeting, 40, from Reseda One felony count of being an accessory after the fact (knowledge of crime) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hawed was arrested on Wednesday, while Hardman and Sweeting were arrested on Tuesday. According to prosecutors, Hardman fatally shot Mirshojae from behind, while Sweeting drove him to and from the crime scene. Jawed helped facilitate the murder and drove Hardman out of state a few days after the murder, prosecutors added. Ex-wife, 4 others arrested in ambush-style killing of Woodland Hills doctor Two others have also been arrested in connection with the case: Mirshojaes ex-wife, 53-year-old Ahang Mirshojae of Calabasas, and 46-year-old Shawn Randolph of Valley Village. Both are accused of murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our thoughts and condolences are with Dr. Hamid Mirshojaes loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and we vow to seek justice for these heinous acts with the full force of the legal system, Hochman said in the release. We understand that no words can fully ease the pain the victims family is experiencing, but please know that we stand with you as you navigate this unimaginable grief. This tragic event underscores the devastating impact of violent crime on our community, and I want to make it clear: these crimes will not be tolerated. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the well-being of every individual in Los Angeles County. Prosecutors are asking that Hardman and Jawed be held without bail and Sweeting held in lieu of $1 million bail. Jail records show that Jawed is being held without bail, though his location was not available, while Sweeting is being held without bail at the Century Regional Detention Center. Hardman did not appear in a search of records. Sweeting pleaded not guilty on Thursday and is due to appear at the Clara Foltz Shortridge Criminal Justice Center on Dec. 24. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jawed is expected to be arraigned on Friday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Three employees at a Maryland Cracker Barrel have reportedly been dismissed after staff refused to seat a group of students with special needs on Dec. 3 Superintendent of Charles County Public Schools, Maria V. Navarro, revealed in a Dec. 5 statement that the group had been visiting the restaurant as part of community-based instruction (CBI) Cracker Barrel said it was "completing an internal investigation with guest and employee interviews" following the incident, per 7News Three Cracker Barrel employees have reportedly been dismissed from one of the restaurant's locations in Maryland after a group of students with special needs were allegedly denied dine-in service. The alleged incident occurred on Tuesday, Dec. 3, while 11 students and seven staff members visited the Cracker Barrel in Waldorf, according to a Dec. 5 statement from Superintendent of Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Maria V. Navarro. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group was visiting the restaurant as part of community-based instruction (CBI) which offers the students an opportunity to practice generalizing skills they are learning in the classroom in the community" when Navarro said they were refused service. They'd allegedly been told that no reservation was needed and that school staff members had notified the establishment of the planned visit, including how many were in the party, per the superintendent. It's now been reported that three members of the store's team including the General Manager have been let go following the incident, per 7News, NBC4 Washington and USA Today. Cracker Barrel didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE. Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty A stock photo of a Cracker Barrel store A stock photo of a Cracker Barrel store Related: Sisters Create Dating App to Give People with Disabilities, Chronic Illnesses a Safe Space to Find Love, Feel Seen Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Senior Cracker Barrel executives met on Monday with leadership and teachers from the school as well as the parent community to hear their concerns directly," a Cracker Barrel release obtained by 7News read. "We also shared the actions we have taken and are taking to address recent missteps at that store location," it added, per the outlet. "These actions include completing an internal investigation with guest and employee interviews, separating three members of the stores team, including the General Manager, moving forward with specialized training for all employees at this particular store, and bolstering the already robust training we provide to managers nationwide," the release continued, stating that the company strives to "create a welcoming environment and great experience for guests of all abilities." Per the release, the company insisted it has "a zero-tolerance policy against any form of discrimination," before reiterating that the service refusal was due to "staffing shortages." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cracker Barrel said in a previously released statement obtained by PEOPLE that the incident occurred "due to our inability to accommodate a party of 18 that arrived when we were facing unexpected staffing issues and had partially closed our second dining room." Despite acknowledging it was "unacceptable" to leave the students "disappointed," the restaurant chain insisted, "Our missteps last week were unfortunate but were unrelated to the students capabilities. ... Our failure to follow certain operational protocols combined with poor communication on our part then led to misunderstandings and misperceptions." CCPS staff members have offered to work with Cracker Barrel to provide training in disability awareness for its employees, Navarro said in the previous statement. Getty A stock photo of a Cracker Barrel sign A stock photo of a Cracker Barrel sign Related: Pizza Hut Apologizes After Special Needs Students Allegedly Told to Rush for 'Regular' Customers Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the incident, Dustin Reed whose 7-year-old daughter is nonverbal said, "It broke my heart," per NBC4 Washington. Reed said of the group being able to place a carry-out order, Pushed off to the side, and just not even paid attention to. Only thing they wanted to go in there to do was eat some food and enjoy their time there and learn from it, according to the outlet. 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. Elise Horne one of the parents who attended Monday's meeting with Cracker Barrel executives has a 9-year-old nonverbal, autistic son and said it "upset the parents" when an exec apologized "that the community felt as if the students had been discriminated against," per USA Today. A Charles County Public Schools spokesperson didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment on the news of the employees' dismissal. Read the original article on People YANTIS, Texas (KETK) Three people have been sentenced in connection to a 2021 ATM robbery at City National Bank in Yantis, according to the Wood County District Attorneys Office. Man gets life in prison for murder of Tyler Army veteran Wood County Sheriffs Office deputies reportedly responded to the bank on Sept. 21, 2021 and found that the ATM had been damaged along with the concrete in the bank parking lot. Travion Price, photo courtesy of Wood County District Attorneys Office. According to the Wood County District Attorneys Office, a tow hook and U Haul were found at the scene before three suspects were identified by a search warrant for local cell phone tower data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Travion Price pleaded guilty to the charge of theft of property less than $300,000 ATM on Aug. 16. He was sentenced to 12 years in state prison and must pay a $5,000 fine along with $32,958.80 in restitution to the bank. Dante LaCharles Fagan, photo courtesy of Wood County District Attorneys Office. Dante LaCharles Fagan pleaded guilty to the same charge on the same day. Wood County judicial records showed that Fagan was also sentenced to 12 years in state prison and must pay a $5,000 fine along with the same amount in restitution. Shanquet Jera McCray, 34 of Houston, challenged the amount of restitution requested by the bank, according to the Wood County DAs office. At a hearing, bank manager Ammie Saucier and chief of operations for City National Bank Tony Cook were called to testify. Shanquet Jera McCray, photo courtesy of Wood County District Attorneys Office. Saucier testified that the ATM was destroyed beyond repair and that all of the cash in the machine had been taken. Saucier also testified that she had never had an ATM destroyed and all of the funds stolen before this crime. Cook testified about the loss to CNB. Cook advised that while insurance paid $61,600 to the bank on the loss, the bank was still out $32,958.80 after the bank paid a deductible on the claim. CNB was also required to purchase a new ATM which cost the bank $50,000. Cook advised that the total restitution requested by CNB was $32,958.80. Wood County District Attorneys Office Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCray was also sentenced to pay the $32,958.80 in restitution. She was given five years deferred adjudication probation after pleading guilty, according to the DAs office. I am pleased with the outcome of these cases. All three defendants were held accountable and are required to pay the bank for the loss of currency and property. Ms. Saucier and Mr. Cook were very grateful that our office pursued these thieves and that because of that hard work, not only CNB, but the citizens of Wood County who do business with that bank, will be recompensed for the theft. Thefts have been and will continue to be prosecuted and justice sought as long as I am the criminal district attorney. Wood County Criminal District Attorney Angela Albers According to Albers, the bank will only get $32,958.80 total in restitution from the three. Albers said that McCray was first arrested in this case by the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. Five years after the coronavirus was first detected in China, no one knows how many people live with long Covid. The disease is undetectable through biological exams and those who live with it often feel misunderstood, in part because a large part of society, including some doctors, doesnt believe in the illness, in the words of Elena Perez Porres of Spains Association of Patients with Long Covid. They see you as a bum who doesnt want to work. Many of those who turn to the association, explains Perez Porres, do so looking for a group in which theyre not the weird ones. The majority of them are women. Long Covid does affect some men, but largely seems to impact females, who have symptoms that range from dyspnea (difficulty breathing), mental fog, cognitive and cardiac issues, muscle pains, and fatigue. It is diagnosed by discarding other illnesses, when one or more symptoms last for three months after a Covid infection. The challenge of identifying long Covid is one of the reasons why no one really knows how many people are living with it. A study published in the Nature Medicine journal earlier this year put the number at 400 million individuals worldwide. But that number refers to the people who had experienced the disease at any point up until now, and its less clear how many are still exhibiting symptoms. The most recent review of studies (which was carried out in 2022) finds that 12 months after their diagnosis, only 15% of people continue to have symptoms. Due to this, it is difficult to know the illnesses current incidence. Another metric for the phenomenon is sick leave. Spains National Institute of Social Security has dubbed the persistence of physical, cognitive and/or psychological symptoms that cannot be explained by any other diagnosis, 12 weeks after the acute phase of the infection has passed, post Covid-19 syndrome or post Covid-19. Manuel Vicente Pardo, director of the International Chair of Evaluative, Expert and Labor Medicine at the Catholic University San Antonio of Murcia and an expert in long Covid, explains that no detailed follow-up of cases has been carried out. It can be estimated that, of the nine million sick leaves due to Covid registered [in Spain] from March 2020 to the end of 2023, around 800,000 workers stayed away from work for more than six months due to long Covid symptoms. This does not mean that all of them are still experiencing a disability that prevents them from working, since most improve at least enough to be able to work after a year of being affected by the condition. But others do maintain persistent symptoms that prolong their functional limitation, he says. The percentage of patients who develop long Covid after a Covid infection, Vicente continues, continues to fall. In the first year of the pandemic, they comprised an estimated 16% of those infected, while today the number stands at 4%. Among those who were hospitalized due to seriousness of symptoms, those numbers are much higher; between 60% and 80% experience long Covid. What is long Covid? What happens to people who suffer from this illness? Though we still have much to learn about long Covid, it has been classified as a post-viral syndrome, a category that includes reactions to other pathogens. Pilar Rodriguez Ledo, president of the Spanish Research Network on Long Covid and the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians, explains that after coming into contact with a virus, most people return to normal, but others can experience an inflammatory cascade associated with alterations to ones immune system. This produces an imbalance, depending on the immune and inflammatory state and on the persistence of the virus itself, which triggers all these conditions. Depending on which organ is most affected, different symptoms are triggered, she says. Those alternations are a (hypothetical) explanation that have been offered by researchers as to why the majority of long Covid patients are women, given that females experience more immunological diseases than men do. Long Covid alterations do seem to be connected to hormones, as some symptoms have been observed to vary in different phases of ovulation. The Spaniard Maira Bergami, who is 48 years old, has lived with the disease since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. I couldnt get up for a month. They told me I had a post-viral syndrome and that Id get over it, but that never happened. To the contrary, it has gotten worse: I have muscular problems, mental fog, tremors in my feet and hands, I started to lose my memory, have trouble breathing and developed arrhythmia. I started going from doctor to doctor, but no one could tell me anything. They tell you that you have to go to a psychiatrist, that youre in low spirits, that you have to try to stop thinking about the disease, she says. Maira Bergami has been on sick leave for more than 570 days due to long Covid. JUAN BARBOSA Shes been on sick leave for more than 570 days, but her benefits are coming to an end. After two years, Spanish Social Security will make an assessment to determine whether she has a permanent disability or if shell be let go from her job. Perez Porres says that many people who are not yet able to work are let go and wind up unemployed. You are left helpless by the state, she says. Many of their cases are winding up in Spanish courts, which are beginning to rule in favor of those affected, although, according to Perez Porres, thats not always the case. New hope At the end of November, Spains Congress considered, at the request of a parliamentary group, a proposition to improve the recognition and care of people living with long Covid. It aims to improve the processing of long Covid sick leave, but also the care, diagnosis and training of doctors, who are often unable to identify the disease. To address the issue, the proposal calls for the creation of more multidisciplinary health units, as patients often experience varied symptoms that require them to see more than one specialist. The first long Covid multidisciplinary health unit in Spain was created at the Hospital Germans Trias in Barcelona in the spring of 2020. Lourdes Mateu, its director, explains that its first step was to develop professional training, particularly for primary care doctors, who often wind up treating long Covid patients. There is a great lack of knowledge regarding the facts that this disease exists. Many think that patients are somatizing, and of course, many do have psychological problems, but those are secondary conditions to the other symptoms they have often been enduring for a long period of time. Once physicians have better training, the work of the multidisciplinary units will consist of assisting them in the facilitation of treatment and tests so that patients do not have to make appointments with separate specialists and their treatment plan is better unified. Another issue with long Covid is that there is no specific treatment associated with the disease. One or more symptoms can be alleviated, depending on the patients condition, but there is no miracle drug that can cure them though clinical trials are underway that could produce results related to pharmaceutical relief in coming years. Both positive and negative results are important, because they will allow us to rule out unscientific treatments that are often used by desperate people, says Mateu. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Traffic on Interstate 30 in Saline County will be affected as crews work on improvements. Officials with the Arkansas Department of Transportation said crews will be working to widen I-30 to six lanes. The construction will require an overnight closure of the I-30 east on-ramp at South Street from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16 through Friday morning, Dec. 20. Overnight highway closure planned for Jacksonville by Arkansas Department of Transportation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ARDOT crews will close the on-ramp for barrier wall work and paving operations. Drivers may use alternate nearby roads to navigate around the closure. Traffic will be controlled with message boards, construction barrels, barricades and signs. Saline County I-30 drivers frustrated with construction ARDOT officials said that areas near the interstate may experience noise during the night. The construction is part of ARDOTs Connecting Arkansas Program. For more information, visit ConnectingArkansasProgram.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. In December 1994, Russian troops launched a brutal and eventually unsuccessful military campaign against Chechen rebels, effectively beginning the First Chechen War. Thirty years later and two wars since, Chechnya, under strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, has become a key pillar of Russian President Vladimir Putin's oppressive regime. After losing the first and winning the second Chechen War, Russia has consolidated its hold over the region, home to 1.5 million people, with the help of Kadyrov's father, Akhmat, and loyalist forces under his command. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The now pro-Kremlin Chechen Republic has become a state within a state, exporting brutality and silencing critics of both Kadyrov's and Putin's regimes. The Kadyrov family has been able to successfully muster a private army of what local authorities claim to be 70,000 Chechen fighters loyal to the warlord. Chechen militants and police officers have been abducting, torturing, and murdering activists, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those suspected of disloyalty to the regime. In exchange for maintaining peace in Chechnya, Kadyrov has been given free rein far beyond the borders of his tiny republic, reportedly carrying out extrajudicial killings in Grozny, Moscow, and Berlin. "The trauma of (the Chechen War) in the early 2000s still looms over the Kremlin like a specter," Vadim Dubnov, a Caucasus expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the Kyiv Independent. "The last thing Moscow needs now is instability in the North Caucasus, particularly in Chechnya." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harold Chambers, a North Caucasus expert at the Jamestown Foundation, agreed, saying that "Putin needs Kadyrov to maintain the status quo in Chechnya." "Reintegrating Chechnya was and is the cornerstone of Putin's legitimacy," he told the Kyiv Independent. Putin's decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine further tied the survival of Kadyrov's regime to that of Putin's and vice versa. Kadyrov and his loyal troops now play a central role in keeping Putin's regime afloat. "The Kadyrov family's dominance of (Chechnya's) ruling structures is only growing. Essentially, Kadyrov has made his family Putin's only option to rule Chechnya within the current Russian political system," Chambers said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Kadyrov claims group of Russian lawmakers are plotting his assassination Putin's 'foot soldier' Kadyrov and his father Akhmat, then Chechnya's grand mufti, fought against Russia during the First Chechen War from 1994 to 1996. They switched their allegiance to Russia during the Second Chechen War, which lasted from 1999 until 2000, with some skirmishes taking place until 2009. Akhmat Kadyrov became the Russian-installed head of Chechnya in 2000 and was killed in a terrorist attack in 2004. His son, Ramzan, consolidated power by 2007. Kadyrov repeatedly proclaimed his loyalty to the Russian president and called himself "Putin's foot soldier." Grozny's central street and Chechnya's police academy have been named after Putin. The archival photo shows Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov (R) and his son Ramzan standing in front of Ramzan's house in Tsentoroy, Kadyrov's native village, some 40 km from Chechen capital Grozny, Chechnya on Jan. 30, 2004. (Stringer /AFP via Getty Images) Mugs decorated with images of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Soviet leaders Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin and Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov are seen on sale among other items at a gift shop in Moscow, Russia on March 11, 2020. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images) Despite these statements, Kadyrov has turned Chechnya into a semi-independent fiefdom, with Chechen law enforcers fully subordinated to Kadyrov and not to Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kadyrov claimed in October that he had 70,000 troops at his disposal. Some of Kadyrov's troops are formally subordinated to the Interior Ministry's National Guard (Rosgvardiya), and other units are under the Defense Ministry's jurisdiction. In 2015, however, Kadyrov permitted Chechen law enforcement agencies to fire at federal troops if their actions were not authorized by the Chechen government. "Having forced the (Russian) forces out of Chechnya, (Kadyrov) became, in fact, the head of an independent regime, connected with Putin through a personal union," Nikolai Petrov, a Russia expert at Chatham House, told the Kyiv Independent. Chambers agreed, saying that "Kadyrov has grown so powerful in part because of his unique status within Russia's political system." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He has leveraged this position to gain a degree of autonomy otherwise unseen in Russia," he added. "The other main explanation for how he became so powerful is his unique relationship with Putin. This relationship extends beyond patronal to something more akin to familial." Chambers added that "there is a level of trust between (Kadyrov and Putin) that has allowed Kadyrov to overcome all of his colossal failures and violations." Dubnov said that "within Chechnya, there is only one master." "there is a level of trust between (Kadyrov and Putin) that has allowed Kadyrov to overcome all of his colossal failures and violations." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "(If anyone visits Chechnya), they will deal with Kadyrov, not Putin, and Kadyrov will decide everything there," he said. "Nothing will happen there if Kadyrov doesn't want it. In this sense, he is independent but only as long as he maintains stability in Chechnya." Ryhor Nizhnikau, a Russia expert at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told the Kyiv Independent that Kadyrov is among the top representatives of the Russian political elite and can be compared to a member of the Soviet politburo, the de facto collective presidency of the USSR. The Chechen government has also received lavish subsidies from the Russian authorities in what analysts see as an effort to buy Kadyrov's loyalty. This has allowed the Chechen government to launch large-scale construction projects in the republic. "Chechnya remained part of Russia because Kadyrov served Putin, for which Putin paid him," Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told the Kyiv Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Is Chechnya preparing for Kadyrovs demise and what could come next? Kadyrov's clout outside Chechnya With no serious challenge to his rule, Kadyrov has also expanded his influence beyond Chechnya's borders. People in several Russian regions who criticized Kadyrov have been forced to publicly apologize to him or face abduction or murder. His business empire also extends beyond Chechnya. In recent months, he has been involved in a dramatic conflict with Dagestani billionaire Suleiman Kerimov over the control of Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries. Kadyrov's men broke into Wildberries' office not far from the Kremlin in Moscow in September and started a shootout that resulted in two people being killed and around 10 being injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has also tried to extend his influence abroad, presenting himself as a protector of Muslims worldwide. Kadyrov has lashed out at journalists of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo who were killed in 2015 by terrorists after ridiculing the prophet Muhammad. In 2017, Kadyrov also organized rallies in support of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya people, who were persecuted by the country's government. Read also: Navalnys death preceded by long list of Putin critics murders A killing spree Journalists and human rights groups have published a lot of evidence implicating Kadyrov's regime in murders, torture, kidnappings, and other human rights violations. About a dozen of Kadyrov's opponents have been killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sulim Yamadayev, a Russian officer whose unit clashed with Kadyrov's forces, was assassinated in the United Arab Emirates in 2009. A local court has convicted two Chechens for the murder, and the United Arab Emirates police believe lawmaker Adam Delimkhanov, Kadyrov's closest associate, to be the organizer of the crime. Another assassination of a Kadyrov critic, Chechen militant Umar Israilov, took place in Austria in 2009. Several Chechens have been found guilty by an Austrian court for the murder, and Austrian police believe it was ordered by Kadyrov. Mourners gather to place tributes at the site where Russian opposition leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov was killed on Bolshoi Moskvoretsky bridge near St. Basil cathedral in central Moscow, Russia on Feb. 28, 2015. (Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images) The most high-profile murder in which Kadyrov could be implicated occurred in 2015, when Russian liberal politician Boris Nemtsov, a major critic of both Kadyrov and Putin, was shot dead near the Kremlin in Moscow. A Russian court has convicted Zaur Dadayev, an ex-top commander of Kadyrov's Sever (North) police battalion, and several other Chechens for Nemstov's murder. Kadyrov's regime has also cracked down on Chechnya's LGBTQ+ community. In 2017, dozens of men were arrested and tortured in Chechnya on suspicion of being homosexual, and at least three were killed, according to the independent Russian publication Novaya Gazeta and Human Rights Watch. Read also: Drones attack Chechnya, hitting police building, Kadyrov claims Kadyrov's role in Ukraine, Syria Kadyrov has actively supported Russia's aggression against Ukraine, becoming one of the loudest pro-war figures following the launch of the all-out invasion in 2022. Kadyrov's fighters, most of whom are formally part of Russia's National Guard, have participated in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022. They have been involved in war crimes on Ukrainian territory, according to the Slidstvo.info investigative journalism project. Kadyrov's fighters have published a number of staged combat videos from Ukraine on TikTok and other social platforms, gaining the nickname "TikTok forces." According to the Conflict Intelligence Team, an open-source intelligence outfit, Kadyrov's fighters have mostly engaged in staged operations, and there is little evidence of their effectiveness in combat. This triggered speculation that Kadyrov was reluctant to send his troops to war, since he would need a significant force to preserve his power in Chechnya. He has routinely issued flamboyant threats against Ukraine and its allies during the full-scale invasion. Kadyrov threatened to attack Poland in May 2022 unless it stopped arms supplies to Ukraine. In July 2022, he boasted that his fighters were ready to "go forward and easily take over Kyiv and NATO countries." Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov poses with a Tesla Cybertruck, mounted with a machine gun, in a video posted on Aug. 17, 2024. (Ramzan Kadyrov/Telegram) After Ukrainian forces liberated the town of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast in September 2022, Kadyrov called for using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine to improve the military situation. In early December, Kadyrov threatened to use Ukrainian prisoners of war as a human shield against Kyiv's drone attacks on the region. He publicly toured his region in a seized Ukrainian Bradley armored fighting vehicle, showed off Ukrainian POWs, and suggested that one of them commit suicide. Yet, despite his bravado and constant calls to destroy Ukraine, Kadyrov refused to implement Putin's mobilization of conscripts in Chechnya when the move was announced in September 2022. Kadyrov's troops had also fought in Syria on the side of Russian-backed dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose regime collapsed on Dec. 8. "Any parallel army with a separate commander is also a potential threat to Putin, more so when he appears weak, as he currently does, with his army so overstretched in Ukraine that he could not support his ally Assad and now faces the potential loss of his military bases in Syria," Samantha de Bendern, a Russia expert at Chatham House, told the Kyiv Independent. "Putin will need Kadyrov more than ever for his shadow diplomacy in the Middle East, although the Chechen leader could be a liability in Syria as his forces fought on the side of the deposed regime." She added that "Kadyrov's foreign policy advisor, Ziyad Sabsabi, spent many years studying in Damascus, and he could be a useful conduit for Putin's discussions with the new government if he wants to keep a foothold in the country and keep some sort of presence on his bases." "The swift victory of (Islamist group Tahrir al-Sham) in Syria has the potential to inspire a myriad of anti-regime movements all over Russia, especially in the republics where there is a strong Muslim presence," de Bendern said. "In this context, Kadyrov's iron grip on Chechnya will be all the more important to Putin." Read also: What does Assads downfall mean for Russia and Ukraine? Challenges to Kadyrov's power So far, there is little indication of any serious threat to Kadyrov's authority inside Chechnya. One of the Islamist insurgent groups in the North Caucasus, the Caucasus Emirate, was dissolved in 2016. Another one, the Caucasus Province of the Islamic State, has kept a low profile since its last leader was killed in 2021. "Insurgents are not currently a real threat to Kadyrov's power," Chambers said. "There have been around ten shootouts or attacks in Chechnya since 2020, with most of them occurring in 2020 or 2021. Most of the attacks have been isolated, with the militants killed or captured." Petrov agreed, saying that "the main threat to Kadyrov's power is not so much the Islamists, but the numerous representatives of the clans he suppressed within Chechnya." Dubnov said that "in Chechnya, Kadyrov's main capital is his monopoly on communication with Moscow." Russia's President Vladimir Putin talks to head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov following his meeting with Emirati counterpart at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on Oct. 21, 2024. (Artem Geodakyan / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) "If he loses this, he will become less attractive to the local elites and less formidable to the population," he said. "Kadyrov has many enemies, even within Chechnya itself, because it's a society that does not forget blood feuds. For now, the situation is frozen, but if it unfreezes, I don't think Kadyrov will survive for very long." But it also works the other way around. It is not clear what Kadyrov will do if Putin's regime faces a serious crisis. "As the balance of power shifts, maintaining control over the firebrand Kadyrov will be more important than ever for Putin," de Bendern said. "Could Kadyrov turn into Putin's Frankenstein, the monster who turns on its creator? While there is no prospect of Kadyrov taking over the Russian presidency, he could become a significant destabilizer in a fragilized Russia should Putin's rule look under threat." Read also: Moscow shooting aftermath: Repressions, racism, terror Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Interstate 35 South closed early Friday due to an accident near Riverwind Casino, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. ODOT reported on its Twitter feed this morning that all lanes were closed "Due to a crash." "All lanes of southbound I-35 remain closed at SH-9W near Goldsby in McClain County due to a crash," ODOT wrote. "Traffic is being diverted to the SH-9W off-ramp and back to the on-ramp continuing on I-35 southbound." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Chickasaw Nation, a Lighthorse police officer was injured after falling 6-8 feet from the bridge while investigating the accident. On Dec. 13, a Chickasaw Lighthorse police officer assisted the McClain County Sheriffs Office with a vehicle accident near Interstate 35 and State Highway 9, Norman, Oklahoma," wrote Charles C. Palmer, Chief of Police, Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department. "The officer attempted to cross the center barrier of the bridge while checking on a vehicle believed to be involved in the accident when he fell. The officer was treated and released from a local hospital with minor injuries. Thirty-seven suspects were arrested during a massive retail theft bust in Ventura County. The two-day blitz operation took place at the Pacific View mall in Ventura from Dec. 6-7, according to the Ventura County Sheriffs Office. Around $2,000 worth of stolen property was discovered by officers, along with burglary tools used in the thefts and various illicit narcotics including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspects were identified as: Fredy Velasquez, 18, Santa Paula Savanah Hartman, 18, Oxnard Sahrayah Hartman, 21, Oxnard Jacob Aragon, 22, Camarillo Jonathan Zazueta, 26, Oxnard Skylar Martin, 26, Ventura Ashlee Honsberger, 27, Ventura Erika Martinez, 29, Ventura Heraclio Lara, 29, Ventura William Borchard, 32, Ventura Alyona French, 33, Ventura Travis Ross, 34, Ojai Anthony Romero, 34, Oxnard Randy Martinez, 35, Santa Paula Andres Fernandez, 35, Oxnard Tony Valdez, 37, Ventura Richard Munoz, 39, Ventura Matthew Raley, 43, Ventura Candice Arsenault, 43, Oxnard William Martinez, 45, Ventura Valentin Lucero, 53, Ventura 16 unidentified juveniles Officers collaborated with loss prevention teams from Target, JCPenney, and Macys, along with Allied Security, which provides security services for Pacific View mall. This effort highlights the significant shoplifting challenges affecting not only the mall but also businesses across the county, said the Ventura County Sheriffs Office. Authorities released images from a shoplift with a cop operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriffs Office) Authorities released images from a shoplift with a cop operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriffs Office) Authorities released images from a shoplift with a cop operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriffs Office) Authorities released images from a shoplift with a cop operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriffs Office) Authorities released images from a shoplift with a cop operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriffs Office) Authorities released images from a shoplift with a cop operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriffs Office) Authorities released images from a shoplift with a cop operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriffs Office) Authorities released images from a shoplift with a cop operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriffs Office) Over $100 million worth of marijuana discovered in Southern California drug bust Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force force is comprised of detectives from various agencies within Ventura County focused on combatting organized retail theft, vehicle/vehicle parts theft and cargo theft. The task force aims to provide a safe environment for everyone while working hand in hand with retailers, law enforcement agencies and the public to identify, locate and arrest the criminals involved in these types of crimes, the sheriffs department said. Detectives with the Task Force teamed up with members from the sheriffs West County Special Enforcement Unit and the District Attorneys Bureau of Investigations. They were assisted by officers from the Ventura Police Department and patrol deputies from the Thousand Oaks and Camarillo stations. Anyone with information on possible theft cases is encouraged to call the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force at 805-383-8703. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Retailers that are experiencing significant retail theft and are interested in participating in similar blitz operations can call 805-383-8703. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Russia unleashed one of the largest airborne assaults of the conflict against Ukraine's energy infrastructure Friday, launching almost 300 missiles and drones against targets from Lviv in the west to Odessa on the Black Sea and Kharkiv in the east where four people were injured. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X that early information indicated Russia had launched nearly 200 drones and that at least one of the 93 ballistic and cruise missiles fired was North Korean-made but that air defenses and F-16 fighters had downed all but 12 of the missiles. "This is Putin's 'peace plan' -- to destroy everything. This is how he wants 'negotiations', by terrorizing millions of people. He is neither limited in long-range capabilities nor in acquiring the necessary components to produce missiles," wrote Zelensky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Oil gives Putin enough money to believe in his impunity. A strong reaction is needed from the world: a massive attack must be met with a massive reaction. This is the only way terror can be stopped. Ukraine's Air Force said hypersonic air-launched Kinzhal missiles were also used while the International Atomic Energy Agency said on its account on X the attacks had forced five of Ukraine's nine working nuclear reactor units to dial back power output. Warning people that the danger was not over and to remain inside shelters, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a social media post that Ukraine's energy sector was "under massive attack" once again. State-run power company Ukrenergo said its facilities and networks had been damaged across the country and warned of an increase in emergency power outages while repairs were carried out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blasts were reported all around the country including Odessa in the southwest, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Cherkasy, and Kyiv province where the regional administration took to social media to warn that air raid warnings remained in force. European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernovas said she had been forced to welcome newly appointed EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubiliusr to Kyiv "in a shelter" in a post on X accompanied by photos of the pair huddled underground. Ivano-Frankivsk oblast Gov. Svitlana Onishchuk said it was the largest attack on her province since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022. "The targets are critical energy infrastructure. There are hits! Luckily, currently, there are no victims," Onishchuk said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Guardian reported that the attack was part of a concerted campaign to inflict as much damage to Ukraine's electricity generation capacity -- around half of which has already been destroyed over the past 33 months -- ahead of sub-zero temperatures forecast in the next few days. Kyiv-based energy analyst Andrian Prokip told the paper he believed Russia would persist in its attacks as Moscow and Kyiv jockey for position in the run-up to Jan. 20 when U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump takes over the reins of power from President Joe Biden. "I have a feeling that they would like to pressure the Ukrainian power system as much as they can before Trump's inauguration. The Russians would like Trump to believe that Ukraine is already destroyed," said Prokip. ORLANDO, W.Va. (WBOY) A Lewis County man has been charged after allegedly abusing an infant multiple times while he was blacked out, leading to possible permanent brain injury. On Dec. 6, deputies with the Lewis County Sheriffs Department responded to Ruby Memorial Hospital in reference to a 4-month-old infant who had reportedly been abused at a residence in Orlando, West Virginia, according to a criminal complaint. Eric Auen When deputies arrived, they met with family members and CPS workers who said that the preliminary diagnosis for the victim were a brain bleed, fractured skull, bleeding behind the eyes, broken ribs and bruises on the head and other parts of the body, deputies said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family members also showed deputies photos of the injuries to the infant and said that Eric Auen, 20, of Orlando, would tell deputies what happened, according to the complaint. Deputies then interviewed Auen at the hospital, and in a Mirandized statement, he admitted to having caused these injuries to the victim, but admitted that he did not know exactly what he did because he was blacked out during the incidents, deputies said. Auen also told deputies that he blacked out approximately three times while being alone with the child, according to the complaint. Man allegedly escaped from custody, hid in attic of Elkins home On Dec. 9, deputies spoke with one of the family members who had been at the hospital and learned that on Nov. 3, that person had taken Auen to UHC because he was having bad thoughts, and that his thoughts had consisted of him placing the infant on his lap and squeezing the childs head until it popped off, according to the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That person also told deputies that injuries to the infant started occurring around Sept. 1 when Auen quit his job and detailed multiple injuries that happened between Sept. 3 and Nov. 25, deputies said. On Dec. 11, deputies received the victims medical records, and on Dec. 12, deputies spoke with the victims attending physician who said that the injuries were a result of intentional child abuse. The physician said that head trauma was the result of blunt force and indications of old brain bleeds along with the newest bleeds meant that shaking baby syndrome could not be ruled out, according to the complaint. The physician also said that the injuries sustained by [the victim] in the most recent acts of child abuse are life threatening and that the victim suffered from organ damage and injury due to blunt force trauma to the abdomen; the physician noted that if the child survives, they will most likely suffer permanent and irreversible brain damage and seizures, deputies said. Auen has been charged with child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. He is being held in North Central Regional Jail on $500,000 bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Four Pacific Northwest residents were among the group of people pardoned by U.S. President Joe Biden. The White House revealed the presidents list of clemency recipients on Thursday. With 39 pardons and 1,499 commutations issued, the move from Biden has been described as the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. Owner of now-shuttered Vietnamese restaurant sues Portland over odor code Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the announcement, Gary Michael Robinson is the only Oregon pardon recipient on the list. Officials said the 70-year-old Redmond native previously pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense, but has built a successful firefighting and habitat preservation business since his conviction. Robinson previously served in the U.S. Army and earned the National Defense Service Medal, among other awards. President Biden also pardoned three Washington residents, all of which also pleaded guilty to non-violent drug offenses. 2 dead bodies found inside Washington County apartment The White House reported that 60-year-old Rosetta Jean Davis has maintained steady employment since her conviction. The Colvile woman has worked as a peer supporter for people facing substance abuse issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pardon recipient Russell Thomas Portner, age 74, has gotten married and raised four children since being convicted. Officials said the Army veteran from Toutle has operated a successful business and engages in community service. Additionally, Seattle resident Terence Anthony Jackson received a pardon. The 36-year-old man was convicted of a non-violent drug offense at 23 years old, according to the announcement. Gresham woman shot in head after complaint about music volume: Court docs If Mr. Jackson had been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices, he would have likely received a shorter sentence, the White House said. In the years since his release, Mr. Jackson has worked in the legal industry and is pursuing a degree while he works full-time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bidens move to pardon 39 people follows his decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, for gun and tax convictions. A poll from the Associated Press found that just two out of 10 Americans agreed with the decision. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. More than 40 U.S. senators have signed on to a letter opposing the inclusion of anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion provisions in must-pass spending bills. The letter, addressed to Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray, a Democrat, and Vice Chair Susan Collins, a Republican, comes as the Senate is about to consider the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill, as passed by the House of Representatives, has a provision denying health care coverage under TriCare, the militarys insurance plan, for gender-affirming care for trans people under 18, which would affect children of service members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter is led by Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Cory Booker of New Jersey, all Democrats. The signatories are all Democrats or independents who caucus with the Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, are copied on it. We write to urge you to keep the FY25 appropriations bills free of any new poison pill policy riders, the letter begins. Partisan, discriminatory, and harmful policy riders have no place in must-pass legislation such as appropriations bills. In the recent past, the Senate has had success passing bipartisan bills in committee because these bills did not contain new poison pill riders. Unfortunately, in FY25, the House has included more than 55 new anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ riders in its appropriations bills, which we urge you to reject from any final FY25 appropriations bills. There are 12 appropriations bills, plus the NDAA, which is considered a policy bill rather than an appropriations bill. It sets funding goals, while appropriations bills actually provide the money. A rider is an attachment to a bill that isnt relevant to the bills primary purpose. The Senate, with a Democratic majority for now, managed to reject such riders last year, but Republicans, especially in the House, keep trying. Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization Supreme Court decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade and its national guarantee of abortion rights, our country has experienced a reproductive health care crisis, the senators write. Thirteen states have banned abortion entirely and seven have banned it at various stages of pregnancy, affecting one-third of the nations women as well as trans and nonbinary people, and disproportionately affecting low-income people, people of color, and those living in rural areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have continued to attach anti-abortion riders to appropriations bills, the senators note. These new riders include a measure to stop the implementation of the Biden administrations executive orders to protect access to abortion care in the wake of Dobbs, a provision that would interfere with essential postgraduate medical training in abortion care, and a provision that would restrict access to abortion and fertility care for servicemembers, veterans, and their families, the letter states. Also, at a time when more than 574 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across 42 state legislatures House Republicans have introduced more than 50 anti-LGBTQ+ provisions across all 12 appropriations bills, the letter continues. This includes provisions in every appropriations bill that would allow people and organizations, including those that receive taxpayer funds, to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and several provisions that would prevent the administration from enforcing executive orders and laws to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. Half of the Houses appropriations bills also contain dangerous riders that severely restrict access to gender-affirming care, which would deprive transgender people of critical, medically necessary, evidence-based, and often life-saving healthcare. Among those who would be impacted by these riders are the more than 134,000 transgender veterans who rely on the Veterans Affairs Administration for their healthcare. Dangerous poison pill provisions like those included in the FY25 House appropriations bills will severely undermine Congress ability to push forward must-pass legislation and keep the government open and working for the American people, the letter concludes. As such, we urge you to reject these extremist riders from the final FY25 appropriations bills. The Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield, Ariz., had six animals test positive for avian flu, with five dying of the infection, the Maricopa County Public Health Department said on Wednesday, Dec. 11. A mountain lion, a cheetah, a kookaburra, a swamphen, and an Andean goose all died of the infection. A white tiger was also infected and is currently recovering after receiving treatment. "While we are deeply saddened to report the loss of a few cherished animals, we are grateful that the impact was limited thanks to our swift response, robust biosecurity protocols, and the invaluable support of Maricopa County Department of Public Health and state and federal agencies, Kristy Hayden, president of Wildlife World Zoo, said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The zoo has begun implementing increased safety precautions, including disinfecting enclosures, restricting access to affected areas, and quarantining exposed animals. The zoo also temporarily suspended visitors' activities of directly contacting the animals. Related: What to Know About the Bird Flu amid the Current Outbreak Getty Stock image of a Kookaburra Stock image of a Kookaburra Our team worked diligently to contain the situation, and we remain committed to the health and safety of our animals, staff, and visitors, Hayden said. Hayden was aware of other cases of avian flu in Arizona and implemented precautions as soon as possible. Despite their efforts, the animals were infected, making this the first time any animals at the zoo contracted the avian flu. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have over 6000 animals here, so it's something we had to take very seriously from the start, Hayden told NBC 12 News. We immediately started working with the Maricopa County Health Department, the CDC, just to assess if there was any risk with the general public, she said. Related: Bird Flu Detected in Milk Sold in California, State Health Officials Say Getty Stock image of Canada Goose Stock image of Canada Goose In addition to the animals, Hayden reported that 25 employees were exposed to the infected animals. Now, those employees are being monitored for symptoms. As of Dec. 12, no employees have tested positive, Dr. Nick Staab, the assistant medical director for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, said, per NBC 12 News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is Maricopa County's second outbreak, with the first affecting a commercial poultry backyard flock, per the press release. No people in Maricopa County have been infected. However, two people in Pinal County, east of Maricopa County, tested positive and recovered. "Those individuals who are getting sick do have that close contact with these animals, whether it's dairy cattle, or sick birds, Dr. Staab told NBC 12 News. The general risk to the population remains low. 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. Bruce Bennett/Getty Stock image of Swamphen Stock image of Swamphen The avian flu primarily affects birds, and human infections are considered rare, per Maricopa County Public Health Department's press release. People who are infected may experience mild symptoms, from upper respiratory symptoms to conjunctivitis/pink eye, or more severe symptoms, which include pneumonia, multi-organ failure, or death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People can reduce their risk of illness with basic steps by practicing good hygiene and getting seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Seasonal flu vaccination will not prevent infection with bird flu viruses but can reduce the risk of getting sick with human influenza viruses and thus the risk for seasonal and bird flu co-infection, the Maricopa County Public Health Department's statement reads. Read the original article on People Since June 27, 2022 (three days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade), Mississippi has prohibited nearly all abortions. According to the 2007 bill that resulted in that ban, "every human being, including those in utero, possesses a natural intrinsic right to live." It is therefore hard to understand why Brandy Moore, a mother of four who lives in Leake County, Mississippi, was recently arrested for a felony because she decided not to have an abortion back in 2019, when the procedure was still legal in her state. The explanation for that puzzling situation lies at the confluence between the war on drugs and a child protection system that often breaks up families without solid evidence of neglect or abuse. In this case, that dangerous combination was compounded by a local prosecutor, District Attorney Steven Kilgore, who for years deployed patently frivolous criminal charges in an attempt to get drug-using mothers the help he thought they needed, whether they wanted it or not. Moore's legal ordeal, which stemmed from surreptitious drug tests at the hospital where she gave birth to her daughter Remi in 2019, is detailed in a Mississippi Today story, produced in collaboration with The Marshall Project, that shows her situation is far from unique. Across Mississippi and across the country, postnatal drug tests can trigger grueling investigations by state-appointed social workers, separation of mothers from their newborn children, and even criminal charges. These interventions are all based on the faulty presumption that women who use illegal drugs during pregnancyor are mistakenly suspected of doing so based on erroneous test resultsare manifestly unfit parents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore's experience is nevertheless striking in several ways. She stopped using methamphetamine around the middle of her pregnancy after a religious epiphany inspired her to reject abortion and turn her life around. For reasons that remain unclear, she was secretly indicted in 2020 but was not arrested until last May, at which point Remi was 4. And most remarkable of all, Kilgore, who seems to have previously overlooked the human consequences of treating mothers as criminals based on hospital drug tests, had an awakening of his own as a result of Mississippi Today's investigation. "I've reevaluated our stance on the topic and have decided not to handle these cases anymore," Kilgore told Mississippi Today reporter Anna Wolfe after learning how his decisions had harmed Moore and other women, several of whom received stiff prison sentences because they failed to fully comply with the 8th Judicial District's drug court program. "It was eye-opening to learn of the fate of these women. I believe we can all do better." As Kilgore tells it, he never thought these women belonged in prison. He just wanted to scare them straight. Toward that end, he charged them with "aggravated domestic violence," a felony punishable by up to 20 years behind bars. Under Mississippi law, "a person is guilty of aggravated domestic violence" when he "attempts to cause serious bodily injury to another, or causes such an injury purposely, knowingly or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life." Contrary to the way Kilgore read that statute, simply using an illegal drug during pregnancy does not meet the elements of that offense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore, for example, says she used meth early in her pregnancy to help her deal with stress at a difficult time. "The father wanted no involvement and encouraged her to get an abortion," Wolfe writes. "As Moore plotted where and when to get the procedure, which was still legal in Mississippi at the time, she was using crystal meth to cope." Once she decided to keep the baby, "it wasn't hard to stop getting high." Moore initially attracted scrutiny because her urine tested positive for marijuana and opioids after Remi's birth. She says she smoked marijuana near the end of her pregnancy to relieve nausea. She also took prescribed opioids for pain relief the night before Remi was born. But the urinalysis results led to a drug test of Remi's first bowel movement, which detected traces of amphetamines. Since that sort of test has a detection window up to 20 weeks or so, the result is consistent with Moore's account that she stopped using meth midway through her pregnancy. The test result led to an investigation by Child Protective Services that was closed without any finding of abuse or neglect. But although Moore had no idea her case had been presented to a grand jury, she was indicted for aggravated domestic violence when Remi, her alleged victim, was about five months old. Moore plainly did not "attempt" to cause anyone "serious bodily injury." Nor did she actually cause such harm, whether "purposely, knowingly or recklessly." Wolfe says "Kilgore's districtencompassing Neshoba, Leake, Scott and Newton countiesappears unique in its use of the domestic violence statute, as opposed to child abuse, to prosecute these cases." It is not hard to see why. Proving that charge in a case like Moore's would be more than a little difficult, since the facts do not fit the crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Kilgore, he never intended to try these cases. "Ultimately the goal wasn't to get a conviction upheld after a trial, which would be the goal in a murder case or something like that," he told Wolfe. "It was to get help for this mother." To avoid prison, the defendants had to successfully complete the drug court program. "The program has more than 20 conditions, including paying hundreds of dollars in fines and fees each month, attending weekly check-ins, abstaining from any substance, including alcohol, submitting to home searches and drug tests, and waiving medical privacy," Wolfe notes. "Participants can be under these demands for up to five years." For defendants who fell short, the consequences were severe. Although Kilgore was not sure exactly how many times he had charged new mothers with aggravated domestic violence because of their drug use, he gave Mississippi Today a list of 11 cases, including Moore's. The other women all "pleaded guilty to avoid the risk of a jury conviction and a long prison sentence," Wolfe reports. They received suspended sentences, contingent on completing the drug court program. Eight of them were deemed to have "violated a condition of the program at one time or another," and judges "ordered six of them to prison. Four of those women are currently incarcerated." One got five years, and three are serving 20-year sentences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore, by contrast, was determined to fight the charge against her. "I'm not guilty, and they're not gonna make me believe I'm guilty," she told Wolfe in June. After her arrest, "she stayed in jail for two days, missing her shifts as a caretaker at a local child care center, before her friends could bail her out," Wolfe writes. At her arraignment, "Judge Ruby Graham told her that because of the domestic violence charge and Moore's past drug use she must order Moore not to see" her daughter, who is now 5. The separation lasted a week, during which Moore's ex-husband looked after Remi. "I've never been away from her," Moore told Wolfe. "I knew she was OK with my ex-husband, but I knew, a week goes by that she doesn't see her mama, she was going to be hurting too." For months following Moore's arraignment, "her court-appointed public defender wouldn't answer her calls, and she struggled to find a private lawyer to take her case." One lawyer "offered to represent Moore if she paid him $40,000." Moore eventually found a lawyer, Jackson attorney Vicki Gilliam, who was eager to challenge criminal cases like hers. "Every prosecutor in this state needs to know, I'll be there," Gilliam told Wolfe. Mississippi Today and The Marshall Project "found 44 women across Mississippi who were arrested between 2015 and 2023 for felony child abuse or child endangerment after their newborns tested positive for drugs." Such cases lead to family separation, intrusive surveillance, and criminal punishmentoutcomes that reflect the arbitrary distinctions drawn by U.S. drug laws. Although alcohol consumption during pregnancy can harm a fetus, caseworkers and prosecutors do not target new mothers simply because they are drinkers. Yet any detectable use of an illegal drug is enough to trigger life-disrupting and liberty-threatening interventions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond the individual injustices, these policies may deter drug-using women from seeking medical care, which surely is not in the interest of the children whom officials claim to be protecting or the mothers they claim to be helping. The threat of criminal penalties might even tip the scale in favor of abortion, the option that Moore rejected years before she discovered that decision could send her to prison. Gilliam thinks the demise of Roe v. Wade has encouraged prosecutors to pursue such cases. "Some local prosecutors across the nation have been charging women in these scenarios for years," Wolfe notes. "But no year saw more of these criminal charges than the year following the U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe." After Kilgore saw the error of his ways, he dropped the case against Moore, who has mixed feelings about that result. "When she learned of the dismissal, Moore broke down in tears of relief," Wolfe writes. "But she said she was also almost sad about the conclusionthat she would have no public trial to challenge how the [district attorney] is criminalizing pregnant women in her community. Maybe a trial would have helped others, possibly changed some laws, she thought. That's what she hopes telling her story might do, especially for the mothers currently incarcerated." The post 5 Years After Giving Birth, a Mississippi Mother Was Arrested for a Felony Based on a Postnatal Drug Test appeared first on Reason.com. Venezuela reached a peak of more than 2,000 arrested protesters after the presidential elections. Four months later, the government is beginning to release some of these people from prison. According to a statement from the Vice Presidency of Citizen Security and Peace headed by Diosdado Cabello, who serves as the interior minister and is also the Chavista movements second-highest leader there have been 103 releases since Tuesday, although human rights organizations that defend political prisoners have only been able to confirm 25 as of Thursday. According to the authorities, these measures are in addition to another 225 releases granted in November, but which have not been fully implemented either. Of the individuals released this week, at least 19 are teenagers out of a group of more than 150 people who were arrested during protests on July 29 and 30 across the country. Protesters were rejecting the results announced by the National Electoral Council proclaiming President Nicolas Maduro the winner of the election, without presenting disaggregated data and amid allegations of fraud by the opposition. The cases of the minors, who are between 14 and 17 years of age, have generated international condemnation and have kept their mothers at the forefront of protests and continuous vigils to demand their freedom. Most of the detainees have been accused of terrorist crimes. Many of them were arrested during protests in street raids in which the police found political content against the government on their phones, or who were reported by their neighbors as being opponents, a practice that is promoted by the State. Maduro is now trying to ease the pressure amid a crisis of legitimacy triggered by the election. The inauguration is due to take place in less than a month, in a new milestone after which the international community could enter a new phase of disavowal of his presidency, as happened in 2019, after the questioned elections of 2018 in which the opposition was not allowed to participate. The Chavista regime has responded to criticism of the July election with severe repression, even leading the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to agree to go into exile in Spain, from where the latter continues to defend his electoral victory and assures that on January 10 he will be back in Venezuela to wear the presidential sash. Maduro has accused him of provoking a civil war. The advance manoeuvres to hold on to power at all costs have also given new urgency to the probes into human rights violations against the Venezuelan government, with an open investigation at the International Criminal Court. The Fact-Finding Mission has denounced the reactivation of the repressive apparatus after the elections with arbitrary detentions, short-term forced disappearances, ill-treatment and sexual violence. Chavismo is trying to give signs that it is promoting democratic guarantees. This Friday the High Commissioner for Human Rights will provide an update on the situation in Venezuela. Officials from this organization returned to the country at the end of November, after being expelled by Maduro last February when they reported the disappearance and detention of activist Rocio San Miguel, a dual Spanish-Venezuelan citizen, of whom the first images were released this week confirming her condition after being arrested when she was about to take an international flight, then tried for treason and conspiracy. Alongside these gestures, the arrests of political leaders continue to occur, such as the case of former councilman Jesus Armas, taken by hooded men and whose whereabouts are still unknown. Missing Spanish-Venezuelan citizen Human Rights Watch has demanded that the Venezuelan government provide information about Sofia Maria Sahagun Ortiz, another Venezuelan-Spanish citizen who has been missing since October 23, as she was about to board a flight at Maiquetia Airport. The Venezuelan government should urgently clarify whether Sofia Maria Sahagun Ortiz, a Venezuelan-Spanish citizen, has been arrested, reveal her whereabouts, the reasons for her detention, and guarantee respect for her rights, the statement said. The organization adds that according to information provided by her relatives, Sahagun Ortiz sent a text message to her husband telling him that she had passed passport control and then learned the next day that she had not been allowed to board the plane, but were not told what happened next. Her family has repeatedly asked Venezuelan authorities to reveal whether she is being held. Sahagun Ortiz appears to be the victim of an enforced disappearance, a serious crime under international law and, unfortunately, common these days in Venezuela, said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition DORCHESTER, Mass. (WWLP) A six-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital after sustaining burn injuries at his school in Dorchester. Toddler struck by vehicle in Lowell suffers serious injuries Boston Police say they were called to Henderson Elementary School for a report of a six-year-old boy who has suffered severe burns, NBC Boston states. The boy was taken to the hospital, and police are still trying to figure out how he got those injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No other information has been released. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Voters in the City of El Paso and the City of Socorro will be going to the polls on Saturday, Dec. 14 to decide a total of eight runoff races. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. You can vote at any polling location. In the City of El Paso, the mayor and five City Council seats are being contested in the runoff, after no one in those races secured a majority of the vote during the general election on Nov. 5. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the mayors race, businessman and political newcomer Renard Johnson and city Rep. for District 1 Brian Kennedy emerged from an eight-person field to succeed incumbent Oscar Leeser. Leeser is barred by term limits from seeking another term after serving two non-consecutive four-year terms. Here is a breakdown of the City Council races: In District 1, school administrator Monica Reyes is facing Alejandra Ale Chavez, a former restaurant owner. They are running to serve the unexpired term of Kennedy, who is having to resign his seat on the City Council to run for mayor. In District 3, Deanna Maldonado-Rocha is facing off with Jose Rodriguez. They are vying to succeed incumbent Cassandra Hernandez, who served two terms and ran for mayor. Maldonado-Rocha is a capacity analyst in the health-care industry and Rodriguez is a Realtor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In District 4, incumbent Joe Chief Molinar is in a runoff with challenger Cynthia Boyar Trejo. Molinar is finishing his first term in office. Boyar Trejo is a first-time candidate and a business owner. In District 5, Ivan Nino, the chief of staff for city Rep. Isabel Salcido, is facing off with Amanda Cunningham, a social services worker and consultant. They are seeking to fill the unexpired term of Salcido, who is having to vacate her seat on the council after running unsuccessfully for mayor. In District 7, Lily Limon, a retired educator and former city representative, is facing Chris Hernandez, who is currently serving as a trustee on the Ysleta Independent School Board. They are vying to succeed Henry Rivera, who is finishing up his second term on council and couldnt run for re-election. Also in the runoff is Municipal Court No. 4 in El Paso pitting incumbent judge and attorney Lauren Ferris against attorney Samuel Flores. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Socorro, Irene Rojas and Enrique Cisneros are in a runoff for City Council District 4. Incumbent Yvonne Colon-Villalobos was defeated on Nov. 5, but neither Cisneros nor Rojas were able to secure a majority of the vote. To find a polling location near you, you can click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) Looking for festive activities this weekend? Here are 8 things you can do! All weekend, see MJ at The Bushnell, a Tony award-winning musical about Michael Jackson centered around the making of the Dangerous World Tour. All weekend, see the New Haven Ballets production of The Nutcracker at The Shubert with two professionals from New York and many local students. 8 Things To Do This Weekend: Ivoryton Illuminations, Holiday Pops & Festival of Trees and Traditions Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take a train ride to the North Pole courtesy of the Gray Granite Railroad at Cavanna Farm. Visit Santa in his hidden away cabin on a scenic Christmas tree farm. Saturday afternoon, Santa will be visiting Natures Art Village, home to The Dinosaur Place. Take pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus who will be making balloon animals at this free event. On Saturday, rain or shine, take part in the Niantic Jingle Bell 5K run/walk to benefit the Brian Dagle Foundation, providing grief support for the public. Visit Santa and take a short ride on a vintage train, The Snow Clipper, at the Danbury Railway Museum. Reservations are required. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through early January, take part in a local tradition. See the Festival of Silver Lights at Hubbard Park and Castle Craig with more than 350,000 twinkling lights. This weekend and next, enjoy the Lantern Light Village at Mystic Seaport Museum with horse and carriage rides, festive lights and a visit from Santa. Please send information about future events to Sarah.Cody@wtnh.com. Have a great weekend, Everyone! Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. PIEDMONT TRIAD, N.C. (WGHP) Several people from the Piedmont Triad are among the 36 people in federal custody after a massive drug bust, according to the Moore County Sheriffs Office. The extensive two-year investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash. 30 kilograms of fentanyl, 80 kilograms of methamphetamine, 14 kilograms of cocaine and over $600,000 in cash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bust was a part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative. OCDETF targets high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations by leveraging a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, and multi-agency approach. The following individuals from the Piedmont Triad were charged in the investigation: Jerry McClure Jr., 40, of Winston-Salem Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine Crandal Ortais Ingram, 32, of High Point Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine Money laundering conspiracy Anthony Okurtis Rashad Lloyd, 29, of High Point Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine Abel Gabrehiwet Zeratsion, 30, of Winston-Salem Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine Bernard Esquire Cain, 33, of Winston-Salem Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine Nikonda Taye Ingram, 31, of High Point Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine Ahmad Rashaun Saunders, 31, of Winston-Salem Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine Michael William Curtis, 49, of Archdale Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine Several other people from different places in North Carolina were charged as well as eight people from Arizona. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields released the following statement: The sale of illicit drugs and the violence often associated with these crimes remain a pressing concern for our community. This investigation underscores the importance of partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies. Together, we have made a substantial impact on criminal networks that threaten our streets with death and destruction. Sheriff Ronnie Fields Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP. It was an ordinary day at his Los Angeles law office when John Nadolenco opened a letter from Brazil enlisting his help in a mission to retrieve a stolen, and quite possibly cursed, 836-pound emerald. The year was 2014, the heyday of the Nigerian prince email scam, and the up-and-coming attorney was no fool. I immediately thought it was just completely fake, a total hoax, he said. I was like, I'm not falling for this one. I'm smarter than this.'" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He tossed the letter in the trash. But Nadolenco's boss asked if, as a favor, he could look into the Indiana Jones-esque request to reclaim the Bahia Emerald. So Nadolenco skeptically reached out to a colleague in his firm's Brazil office. He was flabbergasted to learn that not only was the Bahia Emerald real, but the Brazilian government was genuinely interested in using his legal skills to retrieve the gem, which was being held in the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department's custody amid lawsuits over its ownership. The emerald had been plucked from a mine in the Carnaiba mountain range, located in the Bahia region of northeastern Brazil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bahia Emerald is a misnomer because it is not one gem but nine dazzling crystals encased in a rough black rock 30 inches wide and 33 inches high. Each crystal is as thick as a Coke bottle, and one is believed to be the largest single emerald ever found. But how did the stone, which weighs about as much as a full-grown female bison, end up in L.A. County? And how could Brazil get it back? It was Nadolenco's mission to find out. The stone, he learned, was smuggled to the U.S. in 2005, and a series of lamentable tales some fact, some fiction have followed those who claim to own it, giving rise to the belief that the emerald is cursed. A Bay Area building contractor swore his house burned to the ground (true) with his deed of ownership inside (likely false). Investors in a failed tech startup almost lost the gem to the flooding of Hurricane Katrina (true). A Northern California plumber claimed he was kidnapped by Brazilian warlords while owning the emerald (false). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The value of emeralds in general is highly variable and often set at whatever a buyer is willing to pay; appraisals of the Bahia Emerald have ranged from a couple thousand dollars to a jaw-dropping $925 million. Its value is especially tough to pin down due to its sheer size and one-of-a-kind nature. Our final valuation is that we would never sell it because it's priceless for us, said Fernando Filgueiras de Araujo, a federal attorney in Brazils foreign disputes unit. Despite the many hands grasping to own it, few people have ever laid eyes on it. No one in the Brazilian government has seen the emerald in person, nor has Nadolenco. One of the few who have seen the stone is Scott Miller, a now-retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detective, who seized the emerald from a Las Vegas warehouse in 2008. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wasnt as pretty as the pictures, Miller said. It was this large black rock, almost like a lava rock. But it did have the huge spires of emerald coming out of it, which was really cool to see. The men responsible for starting the mythology surrounding the Bahia Emerald are Elson Alves Ribeiro and Rui Saraiva Filho, the two Brazilians who took possession of the stone after it was pulled from a mine in 2001. What happened to the rock for the next 23 years is the subject of controversy and confusion. The following timeline of the stone's convoluted history is drawn from the facts laid out in a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling over its ownership. According to court documents, in September 2001, two friends from Northern California mining consultant Kenneth Conetto and building contractor Anthony Thomas flew to Brazil to purchase emeralds as part of a Hail Mary effort to save a failing tech start-up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thomas had sunk more than $200,000 into a digital imaging company, Digital Reflections Inc. (DRI), which was in dire financial condition and on the brink of shutting down. The company learned of an investment opportunity that promised sky-high returns on a $100-million investment, and the following get-emeralds-get-rich plan was born: Conetto, Thomas and DRI executive Wayne Catlett would secure $25 million worth of small cut and polished emeralds from Ribeiro and Filho. Then, they would use the stones as collateral for the $100-million loan needed to participate in the investment program. The idea was to make quick money, pay Ribeiro and Filho over $3 million, save the failing company and live happily ever after. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Things did not go as planned. For starters, no one from DRI had been able to assemble a loan that could use the cut emeralds as collateral by the time Conetto and Thomas arrived in Brazil in September 2001. During the trip, Ribeiro and Filho did, however, take the Americans to see the Bahia Emerald in storage. The Bahia Emerald is not a single gem but consists of nine dazzling crystals encased in a rough black rock 30 inches wide and 33 inches high. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department) A month later, Thomas wired $60,000 to Ribeiro a fee that he said was to purchase the Bahia Emerald, but that court documents said was used to cover the cost of cutting and polishing the collection of emeralds the Brazilians had gathered for the DRI loan. Thomas told the court that the Bahia Emerald mysteriously disappeared in transit to California and he suspected a corrupt Brazilian government was to blame, which is why he never bothered filing a theft report. When asked where his bill of sale was, Thomas said it burned up in a 2006 fire that destroyed his home in Morgan Hill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson ultimately ruled against his ownership claim, writing in a 2014 judgment, Thomass testimony was like sand in the wind constantly shifting and changing its shape. Thomas filed for bankruptcy a few weeks later. Thomas never ended up possessing the stone, which instead was sent from Brazil via FedEx to his friend-turned-rival Conetto in 2005. Conetto then sent the stone from San Jose to a storage facility in New Orleans, where it was submerged for weeks after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city that year. At the time, Conetto was still working with DRI staff and the two Brazilians to use the Bahia Emerald as collateral for a loan, but as time passed and no progress was made, the team decided to sell the emerald. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In order to do so, they enlisted the help of two additional colorful characters: a Northern California plumber called Larry Biegler and a Florida gem dealer called Jerry Ferrara. Both men would later join the legal fray, claiming they owned the emerald. The value of the Bahia Emerald is the subject of great debate. The highest appraisal for the gem was a jaw-dropping $925 million. But others say it's an ugly, mostly black rock likely worth thousands, not millions, of dollars. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department) Biegler shipped the stone back to San Jose in August 2007 and unsuccessfully tried to secure a buyer. Biegler later told Ferrara that he'd been kidnapped by Brazilian warlords and asked him to send ransom money, according to reporting from Wired. In April 2008, Ferrara decided to take over efforts to sell the stone and had it transported to a storage facility in El Monte. Ferrara, too, struggled to find a buyer, but had no problem using the stone as collateral for an expensive diamond deal with Idaho businessman Kit Morrison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morrison paid $1.3 million upfront for the diamonds, but the deal fell through and he suddenly found himself the unintentional owner of an 836-pound emerald. With Ferraras help in September 2008, he moved the stone to Las Vegas. Biegler was not happy about the disappearance of the precious emerald and reported the stone stolen from the El Monte storage facility. This is where detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department enter the scene. Unable to determine who was the true owner of the stone, Miller and his colleague Mark Gayman decided to track it down and let the courts decide. The pair traveled to Morrison's home in snowy Idaho, where after a threat to unwrap every present under his Christmas tree in pursuit of the gem Morrisons attorney informed them that the gem was in Las Vegas, Miller said. So the detectives drove back to the Boise airport, landed in Los Angeles at 2 a.m., rendezvoused with co-workers at 4 a.m. and headed to meet Morrison at a high-security storage center in Las Vegas. He let us in and we opened up the crate and there was the emerald, Miller said. It took five of us to lift the crate into a van. We did some quick photographs for evidence and then drove in a caravan, fully armed all the way back to L.A. This was part of their heritage that had been stolen from Brazil. They felt wronged and they wanted it back. Attorney John Nadolenco on Brazilian efforts to reclaim the emerald Soon afterward, a member of the U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection contacted the Brazilian government to say the Sheriff's Department was in possession of a massive Brazilian emerald. The Los Angeles County Superior Court ownership battle over the stone began in 2009. This tussle was still ongoing five years later, when Nadolenco received the letter from the Brazilian government and embarked on a separate legal battle to repatriate the stone to Brazil through federal court. Nadolenco remembers being extremely stressed when it appeared that the Los Angeles County Superior Court judge would rule on the gem's ownership before Brazil could finish presenting its case. To the Brazilians, "this wasn't just a legal case," Nadolenco said. This was part of their heritage that had been stolen from Brazil. They felt wronged and they wanted it back. In June 2015, Judge Johnson ruled the stone did indeed have an owner: FM Holding Inc. presented evidence establishing clear title to the Bahia Emerald." This company was co-owned by Morrison, the Idaho businessman; his business partner Todd Armstrong; and Ferrara, the Florida gem trader. But as seems to happen with the giant gem, there was a twist. Just days before the stone was to be released, a federal court judge ordered that the emerald remain under lock and key until the federal case with Brazil concludes. Meanwhile back in Brazil, government attorneys were accusing Filho and Ribeiro of illegally mining the gem and smuggling it out of the country. After a lengthy trial and appeal process, the men were found guilty in 2017, but they never served jail time because of the statute of limitations surrounding their crime, said Filgueiras de Araujo, the federal attorney. Nevertheless, their conviction allowed Brazil to invoke a mutual legal assistance treaty with the United States and ask the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order the emeralds forfeiture. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton approved the forfeiture motion on Nov. 21, asserting that American "interventors" have no right to the stone. The true owner, he declared, was Brazil. If no appeal is filed, the next step will be to schedule a repatriation ceremony to turn the stone over to Brazilian officials, who plan to display it in a museum. Nadolenco said he hopes to attend the ceremony, as he's curious to finally make the gem's acquaintance. He never asked to earlier because it wasn't necessary to the legal case. But he'd like to see it now, with slight trepidation. I'd love to see it in person, but theres a small part of me that may throw salt over my left shoulder or keep my fingers crossed behind my back, just in case, he said. In its travels around Brazil and America, the stone has wreaked havoc on the lives of smugglers, schemers and dreamers. But retired detective Miller, one of the few people to have temporarily possessed the stone and suffered no dark twists of fate, sees no reason to fear the emerald. I believe that greed, he said, is the only curse that stone ever had. 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. DENVER (KDVR) The Transportation Security Administration is reminding travelers about what they can and cannot bring through the checkpoints at Denver International Airport ahead of the busy holiday travel season. DIA expects to screen over 1 million travelers between Dec. 19 and the new year. During a media briefing Thursday, TSA showed commonly confiscated items at security checkpoints. Some items were taken recently, others a while back. One of those items was a cane sword that was confiscated as recently as Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Denver International Airport holiday travel rush begins this week TSA officials said it appeared to be a traditional cane, but when agents pulled off the top, a large blade was inside the core of the cane. It looks like a cane. It was brought by a 91-year-old woman on Saturday to the checkpoint, and when it was placed through the X-ray, because we do X-ray every piece of personal property people are traveling with, heres what they found. This is called a cane sword. So, the cane is concealed in the handle of the sword itself. Ive seen many of these during my time working for TSA, said Lorie Dankers with TSA. Dankers continued and explained that oftentimes, travelers arent aware they brought a banned item. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many times the travelers unaware. Ive seen them with duck handles. Ive seen some like this. Theyre a big item at flea markets, so people might pick that up, think they have a handy cane to take with them traveling, and then when it gets X-rayed, we see why, in fact, it wont be allowed into the cabin of the aircraft, she said. Dankers also mentioned that pepper spray, martial arts accessories for kids, blades and power tools are frequently confiscated. No tools over 7 inches long are allowed. Photos: What Denver International Airport looked like when it first opened vs. now She added that a recent increase in stun guns, often pink ones, have been taken through the checkpoints lately. Those are not allowed in your carry-on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TSA said DIA is in the top 10 nationwide for people attempting to bring firearms through airport security. So, its a reminder of why we screen every traveler. Its a reminder of why we screen every item. So, its a little bit surprising. Our officers have seen it. In fact, theyve pretty much seen it all, Dankers said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. The ACLU issued a five-point plan for how state and local leaders can fight civil rights abuses they expect President-Elect Donald Trump and his administration will unleash over his term. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) The American Civil Liberties Union is urging state and local officials to enact a firewall of laws and policies to protect citizens against civil rights abuses they expect will unfold over President-elect Donald Trumps second term. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, ACLU leaders said states and cities should be ready for Trump to implement Project 2025, the controversial policy wish list circulating among conservatives that Trump has distanced himself from even as he has filled his administration with many of its key players. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the first Trump administration, we learned that collective power among state and local officials was critical in blunting some of the worst abuses, said Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer of the national ACLU. From city leaders who fought to make their city safe from federal deportation raids to state attorneys general who took legal actions on a range of issues, resistance was national and widespread, and it also worked, which is why Project 2025 tries to limit the power of states and increase executive overreach. We will resist that. Schifeling outlined a multi-year plan, dubbed Firewall for Freedom, that calls for state and local leaders to act in five ways: Protect private information. The ACLU urges state and local leaders to fight federal efforts to access sensitive data like health information and location data, which the feds could use to go after people seeking abortions, immigrants, protesters, political opponents, communities of color, and more. Prepare communities for mass deportations, including strategizing on how to respond to immigration raids, setting up a hotline, and providing free legal help. Policymakers should establish legal assistance funds, pardon processes, and policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, they said. Fund abortion care and travel. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion in 2022, so many states have banned or restricted the procedure that some people have to travel long distances to get one. Protect children, including transgender kids and children of undocumented parents. State legislators, education officials, school board members, and more should safeguard student data, stop collecting information that could be weaponized, and enact school policies that protect against discrimination and harassment, they said. Keep the military out of law enforcement. Trump has warned he would use federal troops to suppress protests or aid in mass deportation. State governors and legislators should bar state National Guard units from participating in such activities, ACLU officials said. Schifeling pointed to sanctuary state policies in place around the country, including in New Jersey, as a successful example of the type of action the ACLU envisions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our message to state and local leaders is simple. Just say no. Just say no to Trumps radical agenda and requests from the Trump administration to use state and local resources to violate our rights, Schifeling said. In New Jersey, where Democrats control the Statehouse and governors office, policymakers have adopted, or at least introduced, policies in line with what the ACLU supports. State legislators banned immigrant detention centers in a 2021 law that remains somewhat in limbo because of an ongoing court challenge. Gov. Phil Murphy declared New Jersey a sanctuary state for transgender and nonbinary people. Lawmakers codified the right to abortion and have advanced other measures to protect or expand abortion access, including requiring insurers to cover the procedure, protecting patient data, and creating funds to support clinic security, training, and care. Still, New Jersey is one of the most diverse states, with more than 2 million immigrants, including about a half-million who are undocumented, noted Amol Sinha, who heads the ACLU-NJ. Thats why state legislators must act on several stalled bills that would further heighten protections for immigrants and communities of color, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This isnt about simply playing defense. We have to play offense too, Sinha said. Amol Sinha is executive director of the ACLU-NJ. (Photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor) State legislators should remove barriers to voting by passing measures that would prohibit voter suppression and by expanding language assistance for voters, Sinha said. They also should act to pass the Immigrant Trust Act, which would protect the privacy rights of immigrants so that were not unnecessarily handing over information to those who want to cause our communities harm, Sinha said. There are a lot of leaders out there that have said, Well, lets just kind of take a look at what he actually does before we take any action. We already know what hes going to do based on his first term and all the rhetoric on the campaign trail and what weve seen from his cabinet picks, Sinha said. We cant be complicit in the cruelty of the next administration and we must be aggressive in defending and expanding rights for all. ACLU leaders from Minnesota and Washington joined Wednesdays press briefing, too, exhorting leaders in their states to build firewalls against Trumps plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ACLU-Minnesota executive director Deepinder Mayell said his group urged Gov. Tim Walz to schedule a special legislative session to pass policies to support vulnerable populations. Protecting immigrants and health and personal data are his groups priorities, Mayell said. We are asking our state leaders to lead in the face of these devastating threats, he said. The ACLU leaders conceded that the resistance they urge could carry consequences. Trumps incoming border czar, Tom Homan, threatened to jail Denver Mayor Mike Johnston over his plans to block the administrations mass deportation efforts. Naureen Shah, the ACLUs deputy director of government affairs, said she regards such threats as saber-rattling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whatever the consequences, Mayell added, theyre part of a culture of fear Trump and his supporters have deliberately crafted. But no ones feeling the fear more than those in our affected communities immigrant families who have been here for decades (and) transgender children, Mayell said. We are hearing from our communities about a growing sense of fear and apprehension, and thats why it is so important right now for leaders to lead. Our state leaders need to lead at this moment. This story was originally published by New Jersey Monitor. Like Maine Morning Star, New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Firefighters were called to a vacant building in downtown Dayton. According to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch, fire crews were sent at 2:06 p.m. to the 40 block of S. Main Street in Dayton. Crews were dispatched in reference to a smell of smoke. Dayton Police and Fire confirmed crews were working to extinguish a fire on the fourth floor of a building. It is reported the building is believed to be vacant. Hazmat was seen on Fourth Street opposite Levitt Pavilion in downtown Dayton around 8:15 p.m. Friday, outside the presumed vacant building that had been the subject of a reported fire, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Channing King/WDTN) Hazmat was seen on Fourth Street opposite Levitt Pavilion in downtown Dayton around 8:15 p.m. Friday, outside the presumed vacant building that had been the subject of a reported fire, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Channing King/WDTN) Hazmat was seen on Fourth Street opposite Levitt Pavilion in downtown Dayton around 8:15 p.m. Friday, outside the presumed vacant building that had been the subject of a reported fire, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (Channing King/WDTN) Dayton Police & Fire Roads had been blocked to traffic, but were reopened by the evening. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Happy Thursday, Utah! High pressure in place this morning is shifting east throughout the afternoon, and a storm system along the coast is ushering moisture into the state this evening through Friday. High clouds are already moving in, and well see an increase in southwest winds later today as the system gets closer. That said, the storm weakens as it moves inland, and most of the moisture gets stuck on the other side of the Sierra Nevada. Snowfall tonight into Friday looks light, with only a dusting to about 1 inch along the Wasatch Front maybe enough to make roads slick for the Friday morning commute. The mountains could pick up 1 to 3 inches before a ridge settles back in Friday night. A ridge will bring a quiet start to Saturday, but clouds will increase as a new trough inches closer. Temperatures will stay warmer than usual for December. Precipitation ramps up Saturday night into Sunday morning as the storm moves through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Early snow totals are estimated to be 4 to 10 inches in the northern mountains, with higher peaks getting up to 14 inches. Lower elevations probably wont see much, if any, snow. Impacts will mostly affect mountain travel and passes. After this system, theres a quick lull on Monday before another weaker storm rolls through Tuesday into early Wednesday. This one looks much drier, with just a small chance of mountain snow. By midweek, a stronger ridge builds in, bringing dry, warmer weather, but it could also trap haze in northern valleys due to inversions. Well keep you posted on the latest updates in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah! Mild Thursday afternoon w/ clouds Light snow possible Thursday night into Friday morning Another chance for rain and snow Sunday Possibly another next Tuesday Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati arrives in Spain at a particularly sensitive moment for the Middle East. The ceasefire brokered between Israel and the Shiite militia Hezbollah in his country was followed just days later by the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. As the regional puzzle pieces are being reshuffled to create a new, still-elusive order, the situation in Lebanon remains extremely complicated. Mikati, 69, has been labeled an interim leader for more than two years, governing alone due to the parties failure to agree on a president. This institutional vacuum, combined with Israels ongoing war with Hezbollah, has exacerbated an economic crisis that, by 2022, had already pushed 80% of the population into poverty. Mikati is, according to Forbes, the richest man in Lebanon. In the countrys fragile state, this moderate Sunni politician a position traditionally reserved for his community under Lebanons power-sharing system chose to avoid controversy during his interview with EL PAIS on Wednesday. He refrained from commenting on either the actions of the Israeli government or the implications of the fall of Assads regime. However, he emphasized that his priority remains Lebanons stability and security. Question. Lebanon has condemned Israels continued violations of the ceasefire agreement. How do you assess the situation? Answer. The government of Lebanon condemns the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territories, in addition to the ongoing violations of the ceasefire more than 100 since we reached the agreement to implement Resolution 1701 [of the United Nations, which calls for Israel and Hezbollah to withdrawal troops and weapons from southern Lebanon]. Now, we are hoping for the proper Implementation of the ceasefire agreement since the technical committee chaired by the U.S. and France together with the Lebanese Armed Forces, the U.N. and the Israeli army, has started the monitoring process. The first meeting of that committee, convened by the United States, took place on Monday. This will give us assurance that there will be no further violations of the agreement. Q. Is Israel withdrawing from southern Lebanon? A. Israel has 60 days to withdraw completely from the territories it has occupied in Lebanon. That retreat began today [Wednesday] and our army is prepared to take charge of that area. Q. And Hezbollah? A. The government of Lebanon endorsed the ceasefire agreement, called for the full implementation of Resolution 1701 and given our armed forces full authority to implement that resolution. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati during a conversation with this newspaper in Madrid. Claudio Alvarez Q. Are you worried that Donald Trumps return to the White House will give the Israeli government carte blanche? A. President Trump is a pragmatic man. We hope that he will succeed in imposing on the countries of the region a solution for the Palestinian issue. The Abraham Accords [which saw Israel normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco] are an example. The Accords cannot succeed without a just, fair, and sustainable solution to the Palestinian conflict. It is time for this to happen. We need someone like president Trump to make this happen. Q. Has your government been in contact with the future Trump administration? A. We are in contact with [Massad] Boulos and the entire [Trump] team. Trump is committed to the situation, and that is why he appointed Mr. Boulos as envoy to the Arab and Islamic world, which is very important because he knows the region very well and has lived in Lebanon. We are very optimistic that he will help find long-term stability in the country. I am sure that Trump will give his support to impose a solution to the Palestinian problem. He has already shown in his first term that he seeks peace in the region and throughout the world. This is what he has said he will do in Ukraine, Russia and Palestine. Q. From the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 last year to the overthrow of the Syrian regime this month, the Middle East is experiencing significant geopolitical shifts. How may this affect Lebanon? A. It is premature to make judgments. As you said, it all started with the war in Gaza, then Lebanon and Hezbollah, and today it is Syria. For us, our priority is to protect and provide security to Lebanon, as well as safeguard our national interests, by preventing internal divisions and political strife. Q. What is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking in this new context? A. This question should be addressed to Netanyahu himself. The two-state solution remains a solution. Without a solution that allows the Palestinian people to live in freedom and independence, this situation will be reproduced periodically. A conference will be held in June, attended by Saudi Arabia and all influential countries of the region, as well as regional and international organizations and the EU. I am optimistic about the possibility of reaching a solution. As the Saudis say, that solution will be imposed, regardless of who agrees and who does not. Israel should recognize that if it wants to live in peace with its neighbors, it should create a peaceful environment. Q. What requirements do your country set for achieving lasting peace? A. We must give everything necessary to the Lebanese army to do its job. In the Council of Ministers, we have given our full support to a plan to support the army [in its deployment] in the south. We have gone through four different crises during the last four or five years, and the current army resources are very limited. So, we also ask the international community to commit to supporting our army. Q. Ma fi dawla. This phrase which can be translated as There is no state sums up the Lebanese peoples distrust of the political class. How does your government plan to combat this perception? A. We are trying to elect a new president to have a new government in which all parties are represented and thus be able to begin the necessary reforms for the country. This is very important. We have gone through very difficult times in the last five years. First, the coronavirus pandemic, then the strongest economic crisis that a country has ever experienced in the world, and then the war. But despite everything, we still have a public administration in Lebanon. We are making progress. But its not enough. We have to make reforms and put the country on the right track. Q. But what specific measures is your government considering? A. My request is that the population understands that we have no choice but to seek the unity of the country. If we have a united Lebanon, we can save the country. Lebanon must be able to protect itself. We have different religious communities. Its a privilege. And the way to save Lebanon is to balance those different communities. Q. Over the past two years, differences between Hezbollah and the other parties have prevented a president from being elected. Has Hezbollahs position changed? A. For us, the most important thing is the stability of Lebanon, which requires a new president, something we have not had in the last 24 months. We hope that he will be elected in the session of January 9. The speaker of the parliament said that he would not leave his office until he achieves this. This is an important sign. I am optimistic. Q. What does the Lebanese army need to ensure that it can fulfil its mission? A. We have very few resources, but Western countries have promised that they would support us. The army needs about $1 billion for the next three years. Although the Paris conference focused on humanitarian aid, $200 million was pledged for the Lebanese armed forces. There will be another conference to seek more support. Q. What is the refugee situation in Lebanon? A. The situation is changing. We had 1.2 million internally displaced people, but about 94% have returned or are trying to return to their homes. This is very important. We also have 1.5 million Syrians in our country, who felt in danger with Assad in power. They feared being hurt or imprisoned if they returned home. But the regime has fallen, and they can return to Syria. Q. You advocate for a national consensus that would address the disarmament of Hezbollah and make the Lebanese army the sole military authority. Do you have any indication that the Shiite militia-party will accept such a process? A. It is not a question of Hezbollah becoming a classic political party, because it is already a very influential party in Lebanon. We are moving forward step by step. The most important thing now is to fully implement Resolution 1701 and then address the situation across the country. I am sure that Hezbollah is looking forward to having stability in the country. Q. How do you expect the fall of Assad to impact Lebanon? Is your government in contact with the new Syrian authorities? A. We have not yet made contact with them, but I plan to congratulate the new prime minister. Again, my priority is Lebanon. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit on Thursday against gun manufacturer Glock, claiming it has been manufacturing, marketing, and selling semi-automatic handguns that can easily be converted into illegal machine guns. Attorney General Ellison's lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County District Court, alleges that Glock Inc. and its Austrian parent company have knowingly marketed and sold handguns that can be easily converted to automatic fire with a device known as a "Glock switch." In the complaint, Attorney General Ellison outlines that Glock has known since its creation in 1988 that its semi-automatic handguns can be converted. Glock Complaint The suit describes the "Glock switches as "small devices that allow Glock handguns to fire continuously with a single trigger pull." The lawsuit provides multiple posts in which the company promotes the conversion of these guns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Glock does not make these switches, many bear Glocks logo. "Glock could fix this problem by changing its handgun design to prevent the easy conversion of legal handguns into illegal machine guns. But Glock has chosen not to do so," the suit continues. An estimated 65% of all handguns sold in America are made by Glock. Attorney General Ellison states that Glocks are so popular because switches are readily available and can be purchased online for as little as $10 apiece. Switches with the Glock logo Ellison's suit cites examples where Glocks had been converted to machine guns, such as in the Minneapolis nightclub shooting in 2021 that killed 21-year-old Charlie Johnson, and the August 2023 non-fatal shooting of an undercover Minneapolis police officer. I am suing Glock for knowingly manufacturing and selling handguns that can easily be converted into machine guns, said Attorney General Ellison. Glocks actions, and their inaction, violate Minnesota law and put kids, communities, and law enforcement in danger. This has to stop. Today's lawsuit against Glock is about protecting our kids and protecting the guardians who look out for us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint asks the court to order the manufacturers to modify the design of the semi-automatic handguns that are sold to the public, be given the maximum civil penalties and monetary relief. Rob Doar, senior vice president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, criticized Ellison's lawsuit. Courts have long held that manufacturers cannot be held responsible for the misuse of their products," he said. "Instead of pandering to national anti-gun groups to boost his political clout, Ellison should focus on cracking down on the armed criminals terrorizing Minnesotans and putting public safety at risk." Credit - Getty Images Andriy Onufriyenko As companies race to build more powerful AI, safety measures are being left behind. A report published Wednesday takes a closer look at how companies including OpenAI and Google DeepMind are grappling with the potential harms of their technology. It paints a worrying picture: flagship models from all the developers in the report were found to have vulnerabilities, and some companies have taken steps to enhance safety, others lag dangerously behind. The report was published by the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit that aims to reduce global catastrophic risks. The organizations 2023 open letter calling for a pause on large-scale AI model training drew unprecedented support from 30,000 signatories, including some of technology's most prominent voices. For the report, the Future of Life Institute brought together a panel of seven independent expertsincluding Turing Award winner Yoshua Bengio and Sneha Revanur from Encode Justicewho evaluated technology companies across six key areas: risk assessment, current harms, safety frameworks, existential safety strategy, governance & accountability, and transparency & communication. Their review considered a range of potential harms, from carbon emissions to the risk of an AI system going rogue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The findings of the AI Safety Index project suggest that although there is a lot of activity at AI companies that goes under the heading of safety, it is not yet very effective, said Stuart Russell, a professor of computer science at University of California, Berkeley and one of the panelists, in a statement. Read more: No One Truly Knows How AI Systems Work. A New Discovery Could Change That Despite touting its responsible approach to AI development, Meta, Facebooks parent company, and developer of the popular Llama series of AI models, was rated the lowest, scoring a F-grade overall. X.AI, Elon Musks AI company, also fared poorly, receiving a D- grade overall. Neither Meta nor x.AI responded to a request for comment. The company behind ChatGPT, OpenAIwhich early in the year was accused of prioritizing shiny products over safety by the former leader of one of its safety teamsreceived a D+, as did Google DeepMind. Neither company responded to a request for comment. Zhipu AI, the only Chinese AI developer to sign a commitment to AI safety during the Seoul AI Summit in May, was rated D overall. Zhipu could not be reached for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anthropic, the company behind the popular chatbot Claude, which has made safety a core part of its ethos, ranked the highest. Even still, the company received a C grade, highlighting that there is room for improvement among even the industrys safest players. Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment. In particular, the report found that all of the flagship models evaluated were found to be vulnerable to jailbreaks, or techniques that override the system guardrails. Moreover, the review panel deemed the current strategies of all companies inadequate for ensuring that hypothetical future AI systems which rival human intelligence remain safe and under human control. Read more: Inside Anthropic, the AI Company Betting That Safety Can Be a Winning Strategy I think it's very easy to be misled by having good intentions if nobody's holding you accountable, says Tegan Maharaj, assistant professor in the department of decision sciences at HEC Montreal, who served on the panel. Maharaj adds that she believes there is a need for independent oversight, as opposed to relying solely on companies to conduct in-house evaluations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are some examples of low-hanging fruit, says Maharaj, or relatively simple actions by some developers to marginally improve their technologys safety. Some companies are not even doing the basics, she adds. For example, Zhipu AI, x.AI, and Meta, which each rated poorly on risk assessments, could adopt existing guidelines, she argues. However, other risks are more fundamental to the way AI models are currently produced, and overcoming them will require technical breakthroughs. None of the current activity provides any kind of quantitative guarantee of safety; nor does it seem possible to provide such guarantees given the current approach to AI via giant black boxes trained on unimaginably vast quantities of data, Russell said. And its only going to get harder as these AI systems get bigger. Researchers are studying techniques to peer inside the black box of machine learning models. In a statement, Bengio, who is the founder and scientific director for Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms, underscored the importance of initiatives like the AI Safety Index. They are an essential step in holding firms accountable for their safety commitments and can help highlight emerging best practices and encourage competitors to adopt more responsible approaches, he said. Contact us at letters@time.com. KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) Major technology upgrades are headed to the Kentwood Police Department as part of their new Officer Safety Plan. In May, Kentwood voters approved a millage increase to support its police and fire services. Part of the funding will help the city hire more officers. Thatll be the first time in almost 26 years that weve added officers and our city continues to grow, Chief Bryan Litwin with the Kentwood Police Department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some funds from the millage will also help the police department upgrade its technology and equipment. To continue what we have and to improve as we move forward, Litwin said. On Dec. 3, the Kentwood City Commission approved a 10-year, $5.9 million contract with the company Axon. The agreement will update the police department body cameras with live capabilities, allowing supervisors to see what officers are doing in real-time. (If) our dispatch is checking on their status and theyre not answering, a supervisor can go on, pull that screen up, and look and go theyre ok, theyre talking to somebody right now, and maybe the radios turn down low or something, Litwin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Litwin said Kentwood will also be the first department in West Michigan to have body cameras that can use artificial intelligence to translate discussions with non-English speakers. We have over 110 languages that are spoken by families that are part of our school district, so we saw this as a major benefit to us to be able to communicate with our residents, Litwin said. Another update coming to the department is AI report writing, which Litwin said can take an officer hours to complete with current technology. Thats time theyre not out there being proactive, working with our community, helping to work to solve problems, Litwin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through an officers body camera, AI will document whats said during a police encounter and write a report in seconds. However, officers must still review the information for accuracy and report any visual observations. An individual during a domestic assault has a bruise on their face, the officer would have to go in and state that, Litwin said. And they have to do that throughout the report acknowledging all those, and theyre signing off this was generated by AI and theyre attesting to the fact that all the information is correct. Through the safety plan, the Kentwood Police Department will also have Tasers that reach 45 feet, allowing officers to create distance and time to de-escalate an encounter. Patrol vehicles will also be equipped with automatic license plate readers to help police track vehicles involved in crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new Tasers, in-car cameras, and live translation body cameras are expected in the next six to nine months. The AI report writing system is expected to take two years. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. AKRON, Ohio (WJW) An Akron teen was sentenced to prison after investigators say he shot a gas station employee during a robbery earlier this year. On Thursday, Summit County Common Pleas Judge Thomas Teodosio sentenced 18-year-old Joseph Johnson to at least nine years in prison. The robbery happened on Jan. 25, when investigators say Johnson walked into a gas station on West Exchange Street and stole a jar from the counter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators say the employee chased after Johnson, who then shot the victim multiple times on Delia Avenue. Ohio hunter to pay record-setting restitution According to Summit County prosecutors, the employee suffered long-term complications after the shooting, including losing his leg. Johnson was originally charged in the Summit County Juvenile Court, but he was later charged as an adult for using a firearm while over the age of 16. How much minimum wage is going up in Ohio He pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery with a firearm specification. The impact of this crime is no less due to it being committed by a juvenile, said Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich. Our thoughts are with the victim, knowing that our community is safer without this offender on the streets and his prison term serves as a reminder that violence has consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) The Association of County Commissions of Alabama hosted over 400 county officials from all 67 counties for the 2024 Legislative Conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery. County leaders said there are a few issues they want lawmakers to tackle in the 2025 legislative session. If there are no questions, I will now entertain a motion to adopt the 2025 Alabama County Platform, said Lee Patterson, ACCA Board president, addressing a crowd of county commissioners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That platform calls for opposing unfunded mandates and reform in Alabamas prisons and to consider the impact that those reforms have on local communities. Sonny Brasfield, executive director of ACCA, said these arent the only policy issues. Our group is very concerned about rural healthcare, he said. And we are looking strongly at being an active supporter for whats called the All Health Initiative here in Alabama, that would use federal money to help expand medical care coverage. For Marcus Campbell, Sumter County Commissioner, that concern hits close to home. Especially in the blackbelt area where a lot of rural hospitals are closing, said Campbell. But we are blessed to still have ours there. We know that economic development, job creation- we need to have that key centerpiece to remain open there, hospital there in York. But other areas of the state have a different focus, like in Baldwin County, where commissioner Billie Jo Underwood says the gulf coast is driving tourism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baldwin County is now the fourth largest county in population, she explained. We think were the best county in the state. But we have an average of nineteen people a day making Baldwin County their home- their residence. Or in Limestone County, where commissioner Collin Daly says industry is key. A diverse industry up there- we have auto manufacturing, we have Redstone Arsenal, Space Force is looking in that area, he explained. With all that going on, were growing so fast. Its really important for legislative law to keep everything moving forward. Now that the Alabama County Platform is adopted, the ACCA will begin drafting legislation and finding bill sponsors to address their priorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. Dec. 13Beginning in January, high school students in Decatur City Schools will have the opportunity to take dual enrollment courses at Alabama State University, the first time in school district history to partner with a historically black college and university. The Decatur school board approved a memorandum of understanding for a contract with Alabama State university at a meeting on Tuesday. The MOU was presented to the board by Supervisor of Secondary Curriculum Instruction Anita Clarke, who noted this was the 10th college that has partnered with the district by offering dual enrollment courses. She said students will take the Alabama State courses online and that officials from the college discussed with her about coming to Decatur and offering students scholarships on the spot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Decatur school board President Michele Gray King said at the meeting she was pleased with the MOU. "A lot of students here in Decatur City Schools go to Alabama State," King said. "We could even explore other (HBCUs) like Tuskegee." Superintendent Michael Douglas agreed and said he hoped this partnership would encourage other HBCUs, both in-state and out-of-state, to jump on board as well. Douglas said more of his students are taking dual enrollment courses every semester because of the opportunity to take those courses at their desired college. "We're making it easier for students to earn college credit through multiple universities they may want to attend or go to," Douglas said. "So, if I've got a kid who wants to go to Alabama State, they are going to walk in with dual enrollment credits. Even though you pay for the dual enrollment class, it's cheaper in high school, and you're reducing the number of years it is going to take to get a degree." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Douglas said the cost of dual enrollment courses is set by the college themselves, with some courses being more expensive than others. "UNA is $99 for one course ... or Calhoun may have a grant where any career tech class is free," Douglas said. "I know right now UNA is one of the cheaper ones." Douglas said they have existing partnerships with the University of North Alabama, Calhoun Community College, J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College, The University of Alabama, Auburn University and Athens State University. "We'll partner with any college who wants to offer our students dual enrollment," Douglas said. "I don't know if we have any out of state. I know we send a lot of kids to Mississippi State but I don't think we currently have an MOU with them. But, we would do an MOU with an out-of-state college if they were interested." wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on May 31, 2024. Nina Simona Allen, pardoned by Biden, was convicted of a non-violent offense in her 20s but has since dedicated her life to education and community service. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) A Harvest woman is among the 39 individuals pardoned by President Joe Biden Thursday. Nina Simona Allen, 49, was convicted of a non-violent offense in her 20s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the years since, Ms. Allen returned to school to earn a post-baccalaureate degree and two masters degrees. She now works in the field of education. Ms. Allen strengthens her community by volunteering at a local soup kitchen and at a nursing home. Ms. Allen is described by people who know her as a dependable, hardworking woman of integrity, said a note in the clemency list released by the White House on Thursday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The White House did not describe the nature of the crime Allen was convicted of. Attempts to contact Allen on Thursday were not successful. Allens pardon is part of Bidens larger push to extend clemency to individuals who have demonstrated rehabilitation and a commitment to their communities, according to a statement from Biden. The program also reflects an effort to address disparities in sentencing for non-violent offenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer, Biden said in a statement. The president also commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals, many of whom had been placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The clemencies granted represent the most ever in a single day by a U.S. president, according to the White House. Allens pardon came after the president gave a sweeping pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, on any other offenses from 2014 until December, including the gun and tax charges Republicans targeted. Advocates and Democrats have also urged Biden to use his clemency authority on the 40 men on federal death row before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in January. During the final six months of his first term, Trump fast-tracked 13 federal death row executions. DC Bureau reporter Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Dec. 13An Alaska federal prosecutor said she felt pressured to send nude photos to a federal judge who was promoting her for a potential judicial appointment of her own, according to newly unsealed court documents. "Judge (Joshua) Kindred used his position of authority as a federal judge to force me into an emotionally manipulative and abusive relationship," the prosecutor wrote to Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit investigators in August 2024. She felt trapped, she wrote, because she knew he had "the power to ruin not only my career, but my personal life as well." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Alaska federal judge Joshua Kindred resigned in July after a sexual misconduct investigation found he'd pursued a sexual relationship with a law clerk and exchanged explicit photos with the federal prosecutor, whose office appeared before him regularly, among other conduct. The prosecutor's own account of what happened was made public for the first time Monday when a judge unsealed filings included a cyberstalking case in which the defendant's conviction was overturned because of the undisclosed conflict between Kindred and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Rolando Hernandez-Zamora was granted a new trial that ended in a conviction. He has now been sentenced to four and a half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The criminal case is among dozens now being challenged by defense attorneys on grounds that the tangle of conflicts created by the judge's sexualized relationships were not properly disclosed. The senior Alaska federal prosecutor is not named in the filings but has been widely identified in media accounts. The Daily News generally does not publish the names of people who assert that they are victims of sexual abuse or misconduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal prosecutor has reportedly been moved to the civil litigation section of the U.S. Attorney's Office. The office did not respond to a request for information about her current employment status. She could not be reached for this report. Kindred could not be reached for this article. Kindred's conduct had been under investigation for months when the senior prosecutor turned in a written statement to the Judicial Council dated Feb. 23, 2023. She denied having a sexualized relationship with the judge. "I do not now, nor have I ever had a romantic, intimate, or close personal relationship with Judge Kindred. I have not sought such a relationship with Judge Kindred. My relationship with Judge Kindred has always been courteous, but professional," the statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then her account changed. On Aug. 9, 2024, after Kindred had resigned and the judicial investigation had been made public, the federal prosecutor submitted a second statement to investigators that contradicted her earlier account. The new statement describes how the two first met during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and interacted at the federal building gym, and got to know each other as the prosecutor spoke to Kindred about a networking group involving judges and attorneys she hoped to start. The statement describes Kindred boasting about how he would soon be the chief judge of the Alaska federal court and bragging about his political connections, referring to U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan as "Lisa" and "Dan." Kindred told the senior prosecutor he thought she was "great" and had included her name in a list of potential federal judicial candidates, the statement said. "As soon as he told me he'd recommended me for a federal judgeship, he started asking me to send him nude photos," the statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal prosecutor wrote that at first she said no but then agreed, "feeling pressured to appease Judge Kindred given his inherent position of power and authority over me as a federal judge, his ability to influence decisions in the U.S. Attorney's Office and his influence over my future." Starting around December 2021, the two exchanged explicit nude photos over the encrypted messaging app Signal, she wrote. The photos were "demeaning," she wrote. Kindred sent her photos of his genitals, asking for "compliments," the statement contends. If she didn't respond quickly enough, he'd get angry, she wrote. He told her that he "had to participate in a program due to his rage problems," that he was "extremely petty, holds grudges, and he had taken revenge on someone in the past," she wrote. Later, Kindred told her she'd made Murkowski's short list for possible federal judgeship nominees, the statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He said he was a gentleman, so he wasn't going to ask for anything in return. However, after he left the gym he messaged me and insinuated that I should find a way to thank him. He also implied he had the power, ability and willingness to ruin everything if he did not get what he wanted. I asked him what he wanted. He said he wanted more photos." Through a spokesperson, Murkowski simply said the assertion that Kindred would have influenced her judicial choices was "bullshit." Sullivan's office also disputed that Kindred had had influence over judicial nominations. "Sen. Sullivan believes that Josh Kindred is a disgrace and should be disbarred," his spokesperson said. "Senator Sullivan never talked to Kindred about any nominee to the federal bench and has rarely talked to Kindred ever." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the second statement, the prosecutor wrote that she initially didn't disclose the sexual texts to investigators because she was "afraid of what Judge Kindred would do if he found out." In at least one instance, the U.S. Attorney's Office itself has doubted, in court filings, the veracity of her statements, saying they could be a self-serving excuse for why she didn't tell investigators the true nature of her relationship with the judge earlier. "There is reason to question the accuracy" of both of the senior prosecutor's statements because "they are inconsistent with each other," and her explanation "could be interpreted as a self serving attempt to excuse her failure to notify either the United States Attorney's Office or opposing counsel in cases before Judge Kindred of her personal relationship with him," the U.S. Attorney from Oregon, now representing the government in the cyberstalking case, wrote in a footnote of a filing in the Hernandez-Zamora case. The issue is government misconduct, said Jamie McGrady, the head of the Alaska Federal Defender Agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We share the government's suspicion about the veracity of (the senior prosecutor's) account," McGrady wrote in an email. The senior prosecutor and Kindred continued messaging on a different encrypted app, Telegram, even after the Ninth Circuit investigation began, McGrady wrote and the prosecutor "appeared in his courtroom for numerous trials and hearings ... when she was not the attorney of record." "These circumstances demand further investigation into her relationship with Kindred, her decision to keep it secret, and whether their secret relationship affected the fairness of other prosecutions." The U.S. Attorney's Office "had an obligation to disclose it to defendants appearing before Kindred as soon as they found out" about what was happening between the senior prosecutor and attorney, wrote Jamie McGrady, the head of the agency, in an email. Management in the office knew as early as October 2022 and reported it to the chief judge but "hid it from defense counsel and even their own line prosecutors," McGrady wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Management at the U.S. Attorney's Office effectively helped Kindred keep judging cases for nearly two years when he should have been off the bench immediately." In September, Murkowski wrote that she was "aware" of a Department of Justice investigation into the U.S. Attorney's Office in Anchorage. The nature of that investigation is not clear, and the U.S. Attorney's Office has not confirmed it. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks at the news conference announcing his budget for the 2026 fiscal year. Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum and Office of Management and Budget Director Lacey Sanders stand behind him. The budget includes a $1.5 billion deficit. (Screenshot from Facebook stream) Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced a state budget proposal on Thursday that would draw down roughly half the amount remaining in the states budget reserve fund. Were going to follow the laws and we have the savings, the governor said at a news conference announcing the spending plan. Thats why you have the budget designed as it is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $16.8 billion draft budget for the 12 months beginning in July is $344 million more than the amount the state plans to spend in the current budget. The increase is due to $1.6 billion more in spending on the Permanent Fund dividend, the estimated amount of which would be more than $3,800. When Dunleavy was asked about why he chose to draw from savings, he pointed to the requirements of state law. The PFDs in law, just like some of these other programs in law. You dont have enough revenue. If you have savings, so, you have to make a choice as to whether youre going to reduce education or reduce other aspects of the programs to get that budget balanced, he said. Not including the dividend, the budget proposal includes $1 billion less in federal funding for roads and other items, and $205 million less in the state spending thats most directly under the control of the Legislature. The spending decline matches a projected drop in revenue, with oil prices lower than the state previously forecast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While most state services would be funded at a similar level to the current budget, public education spending would drop by $213 million, primarily due to the fact that $175 million added to the current budget for school aid is not repeated in the governors plan. State budget director Lacey Sanders said the education budget does not include reductions, since the additional school aid was considered one-time spending when it was included in this years budget. Dunleavy and legislators have not reached agreement on the future of the formula used to determine the bulk of state spending on schools. Dunleavy said a roughly $200 million increase in school funding could be included on a permanent basis if he and legislators can reach an agreement on changes to state education laws. Legislators respond Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, said he was concerned that Dunleavy was repeating his approach from last year, which Stevens said would have harmed school districts and led to more funding for private schools. He also criticized Dunleavys proposal last year to focus on teacher salary bonuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know that they need to be addressed, Stevens said of teacher salaries. But Im not sure his approach is going to work in the Legislature. Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, said its disappointing the administration relies on savings for the budget as well as in its 10-year state plan. She and Stevens lead a majority caucus with five Republicans and nine Democrats. As any family knows, repetitive spending from savings is not a plan, she said in an emailed response. The mentality that its ok to leave Alaskans with no savings within the next two years is disappointing. It puts the problem into the lap of the next Governor, for her to solve. Other legislators who are more philosophically aligned with Dunleavy responded positively to the budget proposal. Senate Minority Leader Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, expressed hope in a news release that the Legislature would address a long-term plan to balance the budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate Republican Caucus stands in solidarity with Governor Dunleavy in producing a fiscally responsible budget which addresses critical services and infrastructure, while exploring options to reduce the rapidly increasing costs of our state government, said Shower, whose caucus is entirely Republican. Rep. Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, said in a news release that the Republican House minority caucus that recently chose her as its leader looks forward to the legislative session. This session, we look forward to working with the Governor to craft a responsible budget along with meaningful legislation that will move Alaska forward, Costello said. We share his goals of achieving better educational outcomes, improved public safety, and working towards affordable, abundant, and sustainable energy for all Alaskans. Relying on resources for state revenue Dunleavy said his answer for future state revenue is to develop more of the states natural resources. He also expressed hope about President-elect Donald Trumps effect on resource development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dunleavy said the United States has always looked at the state for its resource potential. He noted that Alaska could pay off the $6.7 million the U.S. paid Russia in 1867 for Alaska with a half-day of oil production. Just to put that in perspective, we also have tremendous amounts of other resources in Alaska: huge amounts of gas, huge amounts of rare earths copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver. You name it, weve got it, almost unlike any other state. We have enormous amounts of potential farmlands, forests, waters, he said. We have everything we need here in the state of Alaska to pay our way to create a future for our kids and our grandkids, if we so choose to do that. He proposed adding $50 million to the current years budget for the liquefied natural gas pipeline thats been proposed to run 800 miles across the state from the North Slope. The total cost of the long-stalled project has been estimated at $44 billion, though a smaller portion to connect it to Southcentral gas consumers has been estimated at $10.7 billion. The total projected state deficit over the next decade is $16 billion, according to the Dunleavy administrations 10-year plan. Some legislators have expressed concern that once the states main reserve account to cover budget deficits the Constitutional Budget Reserve is exhausted, the state may turn to the Permanent Fund. The size of the 10-year deficit is more than one-fifth of the $79 billion Permanent Funds size. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previous Alaska governors have also pointed to more resource development as central to balancing the budget. When asked whether Alaskans should be concerned about the states reliance on resource development, Dunleavy said they should instead be excited by the possibilities. If we unleash and we are not stopped or prohibited by the federal government from maximizing our resources, were going to have more oil in the pipeline, he said. Neil Steininger, a former budget director for Dunleavy who now writes for the Alaska Political Report, noted that state law requires that the 10-year plan include ideas for balancing the budget in the long term. He asked his former boss why he didnt include the legally mandated proposals. Dunleavy in turn asked Steininger if he was asking about introducing statewide sales or income taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Again, I believe that the resource base of Alaska is a solution to the future, Dunleavy said. I believe an income tax on the people of Alaska, a sales tax on the people of Alaska, taking whats left of the dividend from the people of Alaska if thats whats going to happen, I would suggest that we all invest in U-Haul, to be honest with you. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Dunleavy based his proposed Permanent Fund dividend on a formula in state law that the state has not followed since 2015. Legislators have not agreed on a dividend formula in line with current state revenue, and have funded the dividend at lower amounts. They have cited a need to preserve the funds value for the future. Other budget items There are several other targeted spending increases in the proposed budget, including: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In public safety, $2.4 million for an Alaska State Troopers post in Talkeetna; $1.3 million for three troopers to investigate child crimes in Kotzebue, Nome and the Northwest Arctic region; and $1.2 million for five new village public safety officers; $5 million for the University of Alaska Fairbanks in its effort to be classified in the highest tier of research universities; In energy development, $6.5 million for the Bradley Lake Hydropower Dixon Diversion Project and $6.3 million in renewable energy project grants; In transportation, $4.2 million for Copper River Highway improvements; $2.5 million for Dalton Highway heavy maintenance; and $18.1 million for coastal resilience improvements for infrastructure damaged by Typhoon Merbok, with $14.5 million in federal funds; $10 million for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute over three years; and In programs aimed at affordability; $11.5 million for the rural professional housing program; $10.1 million for the homeless assistance program; and $6 million for a child care assistance program. Stevens, who represents a Kodiak district reliant on the seafood industry, questioned whether the marketing money would be enough. He noted that Dunleavy vetoed $10 million for only one year for the current budget. He described $3 million per year as a drop in the bucket. That doesnt solve the problem the industry is facing, he said. The industry needs real assistance when it comes to marketing, so Im quite concerned about that. Reporter Yereth Rosen contributed to this article. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE ALBANY Whether one brushes their teeth at a Blaylock Street residence, flushes a toilet at a hotel in northwest Albany or takes a shower at the Dougherty County Jail, the water swirls down the drain barring a clogged drain pipe and disappears forever. Like magic, right? Actually, it has less to do with Harry Potter-type spells and more to do with bacteria, oxygen, gravity, heat, mechanical processes, a tad of chlorine and the patience to allow those elements to perform their roles in converting waste water, including the solid materials that put the ew in sewage, into H20 suitable for discharge into the Flint River. Wherever that wastewater is generated in the city of Albany, it eventually moves through the citys network of pipes and drains by a combination of gravity and pump stations to 2726 Joshua Street, home of Joshua Wastewater Treatment W.P.C.P, a couple of blocks off Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in south Albany. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, a Herald reporter got a tour of the facility, originally built in 1959 and upgraded in the 1970s and again in the 1990s, from Andy Griffis, water pollution control/plant manager at the site, and Deputy Public Works Director Don McCook. Griffis ran through the steps that turn sewage into water that meets requirements for discharge during the walk through the facility that takes up part of a 33-acre fenced area owned by the city, starting with the headworks. All of the city (water) goes here, he said. When water arrives, a bar screen removes organic material a quarter-inch in size or larger and it's then moved into a grit basin to remove small rocks and sand in the liquid. In all, the plant handles an average of 15 million gallons of wastewater per day and can handle up to 45 million gallons. The Joshua Street plant, which is working around the clock, is operated and maintained by a staff of 15, plus two supervisors and Griffis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the large solids and rocks and grit are removed, the water flows to the plant's primary sedimentation facility. Once its screened, it flows up here and sits in a calm condition, Griffis said. The water sits in the huge tanks and a raking mechanism at the top scrapes off floating materials, and gravity does the work on the heavier matter. A large part of solids sink to the bottom, Griffis said. The goal of the whole thing is to get most of the solids out of the water. This is one of the areas that allows the solids to settle. The next step on the journey is the aeration basins. There are seven of these large tanks at the facility, and each can hold up to 5 million gallons. Inside the tanks, bacteria and air do the work of taking care of remaining solids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is where a large part of the work in a wastewater plant takes place, Griffis said. The idea here is you have millions of bacteria that consume the organic solids. In order for the bacteria to remain happy, they have to have food, which is the solids coming in, and air. There are three blowers that keep air fed to aeration basins. Once the active blowing is done, its on to the secondary clarifiers for another period of waiting. In the calm state, the remaining solids are allowed to settle to the bottom in the six tanks and are pumped out. At the thickener step in the process, the solids from the primary sedimentation facility and aeration basins arrive in a mixture that is about 0.5% solids. It looks like chocolate milk, Griffis said. It gets air added to it. Air bubbles attract to solids, and it all floats to the top. It makes a cake that gets scraped off the top. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From there, the remaining solids and water diverge, with the solids pumped to the slurry digester for a heat treatment and more bacteria. The idea there is to keep the bacteria happy, Griffis said. We try to keep it at about 95 degrees. The sludge spends about two months in the digester. Any organic material left breaks down. The resulting material is destined for land application, and the city pays a company to remove the material that is trucked to Alabama for application on non-food crops. The material looks like mulch, and Griffis had no issue with picking up a handful to display. People think its nasty, he said. Its nothing of the sort. Its primarily the dead and dying bodies of the bacteria that were used up. I would wash my hands before I ate after handling it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the remaining water, the penultimate process occurs at the contact chamber. Here, chlorine is added in two chambers. It sits for about 30 minutes and allows the chlorine to work, Griffis said. Its a very low amount. One of the things were required to monitor for is E. coli, and the chlorine helps keep that down. From there, the water gets its final push to the east, where it cascades over granite rocks to add more air on its way to join the flow of the Flint River. This is the finished product here, Griffis said. Once it removes the chlorine, it flows underground and it flows to the river. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In November, the city was awarded a $12 million loan by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to help renovate the aging infrastructure at the plant, with up to $3 million of that loan forgivable. The plant initially treated all of the wastewater from the sewage system as well as stormwater, except on occasions when heavy flow kicked in the overflow system to carry it to area streams. The city is also in the process of a combined sewer overflow project that has a price tag of well over $100 million. The underground system dates back to the early 1900s Currently, on heavy rain days the overflow system takes untreated water to the river. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city is under a mandate to achieve 85% separation of stormwater and sewage by June 2025 or face steep fines of up to $10,000 per day. Once that work is done stormwater will to go the river and all the sewage will go to the treatment plant, said David Dixon, an honorary board member of Flint Riverkeeper, which spurred the city into taking action. On heavy rain days, whatever individuals flush down the toilet ends up in the river and dumps harmful loads of bacteria into the river. Weve seen prophylactics, tampons, Dixon said. Everything flows in the river when they have a large rain, or even a medium rain. Weve even found blood vials as far south as Newton. There was the hint of a threat (of a lawsuit) if they didnt do anything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And that material isnt just an issue for Dougherty County, as the water inevitably flows downstream. Albany was among the last three cities that had the combined overflow system that allowed combined water and sewage to flow into waterways, the others being Atlanta and Columbus. Atlanta has pretty much finished its work, and Columbus has worked on its system, Dixon said. Overall, he said he is satisfied with the citys efforts. Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the city has faced challenges in getting materials and contractors on the job to do the required work. In conversations with Georgia Environmental Protection Division officials, Dixon said he has been assured the city has shown sufficient progress to avoid penalties if it runs a little late in meeting the deadline. There's just been a lot of things that slowed down the project, but it hasnt stopped the project, Dixon said. New York Mayor Eric Adams is considering changing laws that make the city a safe haven for migrants by executive order. Since the re-election of Republican Donald Trump, Adams a moderate centrist within the Democratic Party has visibly shifted to the right. This change is attributed to his frustration with managing the ongoing migration crisis, which began in the spring of 2022. During that time, buses of migrants were sent to New York City and other Democratic strongholds such as Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and Boston by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, in a bid to pressure the Democratic administration in Washington. Last week, Adams controversially stated that convicted immigrants have no rights because the Constitution is for Americans. Over the weekend, he escalated the rhetoric by explicitly suggesting an idea rumored to have been under consideration at City Hall for months that he may seek to modify the citys longstanding sanctuary laws, established in the 1980s. These changes would allow local law enforcement to collaborate more closely with federal immigration authorities to detain and deport dangerous immigrants, including those with criminal records or outstanding deportation orders. To achieve this, Adams indicated he might issue an executive order, circumventing the Democratic-majority City Council. Adams who is at a political low point following corruption charges brought against him in September also met on Thursday with Thomas Homan, the incoming administrations so-called border czar. The meeting aims to discuss the federal governments immigration policy plans for New York City and explore potential collaboration between the two administrations. Adams a former police officer who made law and order the bedrock of his campaign platform has said that his position on immigration stems from concerns about public safety, and is supported by many New Yorkers. A series of violent incidents involving immigrants in recent months has further fueled his rhetoric. People are saying, okay, after the president-elect [Donald Trump] is coming in, Eric is now saying different things, he remarked, referring to himself in the third person during a television interview on Sunday. No, I was saying this prior to the election. I was saying those who are committing crimes in our city must be addressed. Analysts suggest that the growing perception of insecurity on New Yorks streets and subway system, coupled with the political fallout from his recent indictment, may have influenced Adams shift in strategy. Last week, he did not rule out the possibility of running in next years municipal elections as a Republican a prospect he firmly denied on Monday, reiterating his intention to remain a Democrat. However, his overtures to Republicans are increasingly apparent, exemplified by his criticism of President Joe Bidens pardon of his son, Hunter Biden. Closure of two camps Adams rhetoric on immigration has hardened in tandem with the increasing number of arrivals, which have now surpassed 220,000. The city has allocated more than $6 billion to shelter the migrants, fueling the mayors frustration with what he perceives as inadequate support and financial aid from the Biden administration. Despite his combative stance, Adams has avoided addressing the future of undocumented immigrants residing in the citys network of 250 shelters, provided they have no criminal records or pending legal issues. The imminent closure of the encampment on Randalls Island in February once the largest in the city along with facilities on federal land in Brooklyn housing approximately 2,000 people, has heightened fears that the mayors office will turn its back on migrants. The shutdown of the Floyd Bennett Field camp, located in a remote area of Brooklyn, is reportedly a preemptive move by the city council. Officials fear that the Trump administration, upon taking office, could terminate the lease or target the site for one of its planned immigration raids. The camp, the only shelter on federal land in the city, has housed immigrant families with children since November of last year under a lease agreement signed with the Biden administration at the height of the migration crisis. These are not the only shelters slated for closure. After a steady decline in migrant arrivals over the past five months, the city has announced plans to shut down 25 shelters, including several hotels, two university dormitories in Upper Manhattan, and a warehouse-turned-shelter near J.F. Kennedy Airport. Additionally, 10 hotels in upstate New York, previously used to house migrants, are set to be vacated. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Dec. 12A state district court judge handed down the maximum sentence almost three centuries of prison time to a man who raped several women in the 1990s before the cases went cold. Second Judicial District Judge Clara Moran sentenced Edward Gilbert Duran, 66, to 270 years in a New Mexico prison during a hearing Thursday. Duran had faced a minimum sentence of 18 years. Duran has been behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center since late 2021, when charges were first filed against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Duran's attorney did not respond to a request for comment on the sentencing. In May, Duran pleaded no contest to 15 counts of rape in the middle of the trial, sending the proceedings straight to sentencing. Duran was linked to the rapes of eight women, between 1990 and 1997, after his DNA was matched to the suspect's DNA, which sat untested for decades. The 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office said in a release Thursday that two women were "unable to move forward with their cases because of health issues." The DA's Office said a son of one of the women, who since has died, told the court during Duran's sentencing how much his mother suffered because of the attack. "The work this team does is incredible. With their tireless dedication, we hope this gives some peace to Duran's victims. Nothing can take away the years of trauma they have suffered but now they know the man responsible for their pain can never hurt anyone again," District Attorney Sam Bregman said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities allege Duran's modus operandi was to break into the women's apartments and rape them at knifepoint. All but one rape happened while Duran was on probation, having received a suspended jail sentence for trying to rape a woman in 1989. Duran's trial focused on DNA evidence from cold case rapes that was tested in recent years as an effort to clear a backlog of thousands of rape kits. Duran faced his first charges from the rape kits in 2021, stemming from a 1997 case. In that incident, a woman told Albuquerque police she was sleeping when a man forced her head into a pillow and violently raped her, poking a knife into her back. Afterward, she said, her attacker made her take a shower, and "she had the feeling he had raped many women before." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He was not nervous once he had literally beaten me into submission," the woman told officers. "... He was assured, commanding, and knew every step. He was very smooth and knew exactly what he would do next." The attacker took her belongings, and her stolen credit card was used at a gas station soon after, according to court records. It's unclear if officers ever pursued that lead or any others in the case. In 2019, the woman's rape kit was tested and, although no suspect profile was found, came back as a match to seven other backlog rape kits. Detectives then submitted the DNA for genealogy testing and found it matched one of three Duran brothers. Edward Duran was the only brother who fit the suspect's description and had an attempted rape conviction in his past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Nov. 15, 2021, a detective tailed Duran and his family as they celebrated his birthday at a sushi restaurant in Northeast Albuquerque. After the family left, the detective went to their table and collected the plastic fork used by Duran. A month later the detective got results back from the fork, matching Duran's DNA to the 1997 case and seven other rape kits. Officers re-interviewed the woman from the 1997 rape. The woman told police the attack destabilized her life in every way. She said, although she had a degree in chemistry, she only held jobs as a clerk at a gas station and at a day care. The woman told police she was afraid to live alone and had repeatedly moved to find somewhere she could feel safe, to no avail. A letter sent by an alderman to Illinois state authorities decries the degree to which school board members are allegedly involved in ongoing teacher contract negotiations and asks for an investigation and opinion regarding the potential legal and ethical breaches as a result. Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, hand-delivered his message Thursday to Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Tony Sanders, the state superintendent of education. Various media outlets have published disturbing reports of conduct on the part of some personnel associated with Chicago Public Schools, potentially implicating unfair labor practices and breaches of fiduciary duty, Villegas wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chicago Teachers Unions contract expired in June, and bargaining has been ongoing for months ramping up recently as both sides make public their frustrations with negotiations. CTU members argue that the election of Donald Trump as president adds urgency as the nations new leader promises to dismantle the Department of Education and lead the largest deportation efforts in the history of the United States. Meanwhile, some aldermen like Villegas have questioned the school boards alignment with Mayor Brandon Johnson and the powerful teachers union that helped him rise to power. The mayor is a former teacher and CTU organizer. We have conflicts of interest just all over the place, Villegas said in an interview with the Tribune. I want to make sure that the teachers have a fair contract, but I also want to make sure that the taxpayers are also protected as well. I dont feel that (the) second part is being taken into consideration. The letter urges the importance of ethical governance within CPS. Villegas suggests that the Chicago Teachers Union and board members are cutting out the districts CEO, Pedro Martinez, in collective bargaining negotiations. Under the Illinois School Code, Martinez has exclusive statutory authority to negotiate collective bargaining agreements, Villegas wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Villegas called the boards discussions of contract negotiations ahead of time troubling. The boards role, he said, is to wait until the CPS CEO and their staff have agreed to a contract and then the board is to approve the contract after getting briefed. In a post on social media, CTU said the board is not colluding with the union during contract negotiations. CTU called the letter an absurd and legally incoherent accusation. There isnt an organization in America where the CEO gets to operate independently from its board of directors or a school district in America where a superintendent gets to override the school board, CTU wrote. Ultimately, the CEO and board are supposed to have a collaborative relationship. The CEO reports to the board, which studies the needs of the students and community. According to the districts board rules, Martinez negotiates all collective bargaining agreements on behalf of the board and submits tentative agreements to the board for adoption and approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The board and CEO have been at odds since they were appointed by the Mayor in October. At issue, how to shore up the districts finances, including funding the new teachers contract and a pension payment previously paid for by the city. The union and district are getting closer to a resolution at the bargaining table, both union and district officials said Thursday. But the letter suggests that lines between the distinct Board of Education and the CTU are being blurred in murky ways. Beyond concerns about overstepping the CEOs authority, Villegas wrote about how some board members participating in negotiations have a direct connection to CTU, presenting a clear conflict between CPS interests and CTU interests. Villegas cited a 1984 Illinois Appellate Court case between the Board of Education of Niles Township and the Regional Board of School Trustees of Cook County that he said emphasized the invalidity of board decisions when there are conflicts of interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moving forward, Villegas directed the two Illinois state officials and recipients of the letter to investigate whether the involvement of one or more school board members in CTU collective bargaining matters constitutes a breach of labor practices and to provide an opinion on how the district or public can respond. Raoul said he would review the letter and follow up with Villegas. Sanders did not immediately respond when asked for comment. nsalzman@chicagotribune.com COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) Convicted murderer and disbarred Lowcountry attorney Alex Murdaugh has filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court asking for a new trial. In the filing, attorneys for Murdaugh argue he was denied his constitutional right to a fair trial, alleging former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill engaged in jury tampering during the six-week trial. No reasonable man would agree, if he were on trial for his life, that having the clerk of court secretly advocate against him in the jury room so she can sell books about his conviction would be a fair trial, the defense states in the appeal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To support the argument, Murdaugh lawyers Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin reference an evidentiary hearing where one juror admitted Hills comments to the jury during the trial did influence her to vote Murdaugh guilty. Justice Jean Toal denied Murdaughs request for a retrial in the January hearing where jurors testified. Queen City News Alex Murdaugh Hill was scheduled for an ethics hearing on Dec. 19 for 76 violation allegations related to using her position for improper gain. This hearing has been postponed due to an investigation by the Attorney Generals Office, The State reported. Sister station News 2 has reached out to the SC Ethics Commission for confirmation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the second part of the argument, Murdaughs defense claims the court allowed improper evidence to be introduced by state prosecutors against him. This prejudicial evidence included evidence of his various financial crimes. The appeal also states that the trial court committed reversible error when they allowed a non-scientific experiment performed by an unqualified Charleston County deputy to be introduced in evidence. Multiple guns from the Murdaugh home that were not linked to the murders and a raincoat with gunshot residue that was not linked to Murdaugh were other pieces of inappropriate evidence introduced, according to the filing. Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife Maggie and youngest son Paul on Mar. 2, 2023, following an hours-long jury deliberation. He was given to life sentences for the murders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mother and son were found dead from gunshot wounds at the familys Colleton County property on the night of June 7, 2021. The full appeal can be found below. Initial-Brief-AppellantDownload Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Alleged group of bank scammers taking thousands from Oklahomans OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Oklahoma City Police are investigating a group of alleged scammers swiping Oklahomans money, leaving bank accounts drained. Its tens of thousands. I dont have an exact dollar figure, but its a significant amount of cash, said Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department. Authorities say the alleged scammers will go into banks and open accounts. From there, they will call people impersonating that bank. Its unclear whats being done to access client information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You should be sad: Kingfisher school board accepts 18 resignations in response to $5 million settlement Its not just one or two local banks, Its a variety of banks throughout the metro, said Knight. Court records identify one of the suspects as Morris James Perry. He was previously convicted of domestic abuse in Oklahoma County. Morris James Perry, image date 6/11/2023. Photo courtesy Oklahoma Department of Corrections. The filings allege Perry scammed over seven thousand dollars by acting like an employee from the fraud unit at True Sky Credit Union. True Sky Credit Union. Photo courtesy KFOR. Police describe the act as a new take on an old game. The victims all for that and then their accounts are quickly drained, Knight said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jessica Hattie Mills is identified as a woman allegedly involved. She also has prior felony charges, but there are no previous mug shots available online. In court documents, shes accused of taking over $5,000 using the same phone game. While police know who some of their suspects are, no arrests have been made. Investigators believe Perry was possibly recruited and involved with a fraud crew out of the state of Washington. Police say both Perry and Mills are going to be facing conspiracy and fraud charges. Authorities say if you get a suspicious call from someone claiming to work at your bank, to hang up and dial your bank to see if theyre actually trying to reach you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court records indicate True Sky Credit Union reimbursed two customers so far, and are out of $5,000 as they seek restitution. News 4 reached out to True Sky today and they declined to comment. Allegiance Federal Credit Union was another firm listed in the documents that was impacted by the scam. News 4 has also not heard back from them. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Amazon confirmed on Thursday that it will give $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, following on the heels of Meta's $1 million contribution this week. Such gifts are rewarded with "top tier benefits" from Trump's inaugural committee, according to the New York Times. Amazon gave more than $57,000 to Trump's inauguration in 2016 while the Biden administration declined to accept donations from tech companies in 2020. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, has had an uneven relationship with Trump because of another entity Bezos owns, The Washington Post. Trump has been critical of the publication's coverage of him and his administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That relationship made national headlines during the campaign when the newspaper did not endorse a presidential candidate this year, leading to internal strife and the resignation of several key members of its editorial board. Two members of the editorial board said the newspaper had prepared to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president before the plug was pulled on endorsements, which Bezos supported in a Washington Post op-ed. Trump in the past had complained about Amazon's generous deal with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver customer deliveries on the weekend. Amazon had, in turn, charged that Trump pressured the Department of Defense to not give Amazon an important could computing contract. The two, however, appeared to smooth things over the summer when the two men spoke after Trump's assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Bezos claimed earlier this month that Trump appeared to "have a lot of energy" around reducing regulation. Meta, the parent of Facebook, and its owner Mark Zuckerberg, had a frosty relationship with Trump as well, banning him from the platform after the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Zuckerberg announced Meta's endorsement this week, shortly after visiting Trump at his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate. Jeff Bezos Amazon is reportedly planning to donate $1 million to President-elect Donald Trumps inaugural fundmirroring a similar donation from Meta, the social media company founded by Mark Zuckerberg, earlier this week. The two billionaires decision to open their pocketbooks comes as tech leaders have begun softening their tone towards the incoming administration. Bezos, the executive chairman of Amazon and currently the second-wealthiest person in the world according to the Forbes billionaires list, is planning a hefty donation and a trip to Mar-a-Lago as part of his recent move from one-time Trump critic to an optimist about the incoming administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The seven-figure donation was first reported by the Wall Street Journal , citing anonymous sources, and later confirmed by CNN. Amazon previously donated a much smaller sum of $57,746 to Trumps first inauguration in 2017. Bezos is also reportedly planning to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago sometime next week. Trump himself confirmed that Bezos was making the pilgrimage in an interview with CNBC on Thursday after ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is also planning a visit to Mar-a-Lago, tech outlet The Information first reported on Thursday. Trump clashed with Bezos during his first administrationwith Amazon, Bezos personal life , and The Washington Post , the newspaper Bezos has owned since 2013, all becoming targets for the presidents wrath. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Bezos has spent the last few months seemingly offering an olive branch to the president-elect, and was one of the first billionaires to congratulate Trump after his victory in November. Trump also reportedly met with executives from the Bezos-owned Blue Origin before the election. The space firm is one of the primary competitors to Elon Musks SpaceX for government contracts. In comments last week at the New York Times DealBook summit , Bezos said he believed Trump was calmer and more confident, more settled than he was during his first time, and expressed optimism about his stated efforts to slash regulationechoing the enthusiasm of some of Trumps favorite tech leaders like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who were selected to lead a government cost-cutting committee. I think its very interesting, Im actually very optimistic this time around, Bezos told Andrew Ross Sorkin. He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation, and my point of viewif I can help him do that, Im going to help him. Because we do have too much regulation in this country. Amazon is set to donate $1 million to President-elect Donald Trumps inaugural fund, matching a similar donation announced by Mark Zuckerbergs Meta this week. The Wall Street Journal first reported the tech giant is the latest to woo the incoming Trump administration after a particularly fractious period with Silicon Valley. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is also set to meet with the president-elect in Florida sometime next week. Mark Zuckerbergs been over to see me. I can tell you Elon [Musk] is another, and Jeff Bezos is coming up next week, Trump told CNBC on Thursday. I want to get ideas from them. Look, we want them to do well, we want everybody, and we want great jobs, fantastic salaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amazon will also match the money with an in-kind donation valued at $1 million by streaming the inauguration on its Prime Video service, the Journal reported. Bezos has made overtures to Trump throughout the year, praising his response to the June 13 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as graceful and courageous. The billionaire also congratulated Trump after his election victory last month, saying the president-elect had waged an extraordinary political comeback. Our former President showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight. So thankful for his safety and so sad for the victims and their families. Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) July 14, 2024 Bezos also owns another company that does big business with the federal government: Blue Origin, his rocket enterprise. Meta broke with longstanding precedent when it said this week it, too, would give $1 million to Trumps inaugural fund. The social media giant did not donate to Trumps first inaugural fund in 2017 or to Joe Bidens in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, had taken steps to limit the fallout from the election regardless of the winner. He directed the paper to end its tradition of endorsing presidential candidates. The Post had an endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris prepared at the time, but editors were forced to pull it just 11 days before the November election. He later said he was proud of the move, saying it would help address Americans concerns with media bias. Bezos also told those gathered at The New York Times DealBook Summit that he was actually very optimistic about the upcoming Trump administration. What Ive seen so far is that he is calmer than he was the first time and more confident, more settled, the billionaire said of the president-elect. Related... New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Donald Trumps incoming border czar have the same desire when it comes to the president-elects plans for mass deportations in the largest city in America, Adams said Thursday. Tom Homan met with the Democratic mayor days after telling Democratic officials to get the hell out of the way of Trumps ambitions for what the president-elect is calling the the largest mass deportation operation in American history. We have the same desire to go after those who have committed repeated violent acts among innocent New Yorkers and among migrants and asylum seekers, Adams told reporters after his meeting with Homan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats what I heard from him, he said. I was pleased to hear that because we share the same desire, he emphasized again. But his 10-minute remarks did not answer how, exactly, his administration plans to collaborate with federal law enforcement and immigration authorities, and he assailed the media for preconceived notions and distorted views about his own approach to immigration enforcement. Ill answer a few questions, but then Im leaving, said Adams, who is facing federal criminal charges stemming from allegations of corruption in his campaign. Its not gonna matter what I respond to anyway. You have your preconceived thoughts already. After meeting with Trumps incoming border czar on December 12, New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that the men have the same desire for immigration enforcement targeting people who have committed repeated violent acts (AP) Trumps pledge to arrest, detain and deport people living in the country without legal permission as part of his day one agenda would deploy federal, state and local law enforcement into immigrant communities across the nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps allies expect to expand his pledge to target potentially millions of people beyond the scope of undocumented immigrants who are accused of committing crimes. Trump and Homan have said that US citizen children of non-citizen parents are expected to be deported along with their families. More than 200,000 people seeking asylum have taken shelter in New York after Republican-led states in 2022 began shipping newly arrived immigrants to Democratic-led cities to protest President Joe Bidens administration. Those arrivals add to a population that includes roughly 400,000 undocumented New Yorkers. A 2,000-bed migrant shelter in New York is among 25 sites that Eric Adamss administration will close in the coming months (Getty Images) After initially welcoming asylum seekers into a network of city-run shelters, Adams warned that the resources have spread the city thin, with spending expected to reach $12 billion into 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The office of New York Comptroller Brad Lander says Trumps mass deportation plans would tear families apart, hollow out communities throughout the city, devastate our economy, and violate New York Citys values as an immigrant city. New York is often considered a so-called sanctuary city, among dozens of cities across the country that have some laws and policies in place intended to protect immigrant populations from unjust arrests, detentions or deportations. Several New York City administrations have supported policies that limit how local police interact with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with exceptions for people suspected of terrorism or convicted of violent crimes. New Yorkers know that under Homan ICE will be used to divide us, cruelly targeting and demonizing immigrants, while making every New Yorker even more unsafe, said New York Immigration Coalition president Murad Awawdeh. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Targeting immigrants for arrests and deportation is destructive and diverts resources away from initiatives that actually promote safety and well-being, she added. Mayor Adams has an obligation to every New York family to maintain our public safety by refusing to participate in ICEs cruel, politicized immigration agenda. A photo provided by City Hall shows Eric Adams, right, meeting with Trumps incoming border czar Tom Homan, left, on Thursday (AP) Trump, meanwhile, has accused Democratic officials of enabling migrant crime and wants to do away with sanctuary policies altogether. No more sanctuary cities, Trump declared at a campaign event in North Carolina in September. As soon as I take office, we will immediately surge federal law enforcement to every city that is failing, which is a lot of them, to turn over criminal aliens. A statement from Adamss office said the administration is exploring lawful processes to remove from New York City individuals who have been convicted of a major felony and lack legal status to remain in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams is also proposing a national resettlement strategy to send people seeking asylum to cities experiencing workforce shortages, and to expand work authorization processes and temporary protected status designations for newly arrived immigrants from certain countries. Were going to protect the rights of immigrants in this city who are hard working, giving back to the city in a real way, he told reporters on Thursday. Were not going to be a safe haven for those who have commited repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants and longstanding New Yorkers, he added. That was my conversation today with the border czar: To figure out how we go after those individuals who are repeatedly committing crimes in our city. He said that law-abiding immigrants will be able to continue to utilize the services that are open to the city, the services they have a right to utilize, including education and healthcare. But we will not be a safe haven for those who commit violent acts, he added. KYODO NEWS - Dec 13, 2024 - 18:41 | World, All The leader of South Korea's main opposition party called on ruling party lawmakers Friday to support a new attempt to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived declaration of martial law last week. Lee Jae Myung's Democratic Party and five other opposition parties submitted a motion to the National Assembly on Thursday after their first attempt at impeachment failed on Dec. 7 with most People Power Party lawmakers boycotting the vote. The new motion is set to be voted on at 4 p.m. Saturday. Impeachment is "the fastest and surest way to end this chaos," Lee said, referring to the political turmoil triggered by the martial law imposed by Yoon on the night of Dec. 3. It was rescinded six hours later through a vote by lawmakers. Yoon maintained in a televised address Thursday that he had declared martial law to defend the constitutional order. "Whether I am impeached or investigated, I will fairly confront it," he said. A successful impeachment motion requires support from two-thirds of the 300 members of the unicameral legislature. The opposition bloc has 192 lawmakers including independents, which means at least eight votes from the PPP are needed. Seven of the PPP's 108 lawmakers had spoken in favor of impeaching the president as of Thursday, Yonhap News Agency reported. The PPP's leader in the assembly, Kweon Seong Dong, said the party's stance as of Friday continued to be to oppose impeachment but that it would hold a general meeting Saturday morning to discuss the issue. Kweon told reporters that party lawmakers should consider "what is best for the nation and the people," adding that they should prioritize stabilizing the government and relieving public anxiety when considering impeachment. Kweon, a key confidant of Yoon, replaced Choo Kyung Ho on Thursday. Choo stepped down after the first impeachment motion failed, with reports alleging he cooperated with Yoon in imposing martial law. The results of a Gallup Korea public opinion survey released Friday showed 75 percent support for Yoon's impeachment. The president's approval rating fell to 11 percent, the lowest since he took office in May 2022, amid a public uproar over his martial law declaration and succeeding mobilization of the military to the parliament building. Related coverage: South Korea's Yoon defends martial law decree, denies insurrection charge South Korea President Yoon could face arrest: investigation body South Korea Justice Ministry orders travel ban for President Yoon Two Americans are dead after being found shot in a pickup truck in Mexico, officials said. Authorities located the couple while responding to a report of a shooting in Angamacutiro in the western state of Michoacan on Wednesday night, according to the state attorney general's office. A woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while a man died a short time later while being treated at a local hospital, the attorney general's office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Tourists flee as man shot dead at luxury Cancun resort The victims were identified by the Michoacan attorney general's office as Gloria Ambriz, 50, and Rafael Cardona, 53. They were relatives of the mayor of Angamacutiro, Hermes Pacheco, the office said. Cardona was the brother of the mayor's wife. The Angamacutiro government expressed its condolences to Pacheco's family in a statement on social media. The couple lived in California but owned a house in Angamacutiro, the Michoacan attorney general's office confirmed to ABC News. The attack occurred close to their home, the office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Missing Hawaiian woman crossed freely into Mexico, Los Angeles police say They were found in a 2016 Ford Platinum pickup truck, officials said. Investigators collected ballistic evidence at the scene. Their bodies have been handed over to the families in Angamacutiro and they will be buried there, the Michoacan attorney general's office said. The double homicide remains under investigation. No motive has been given. American couple killed in Mexico, found shot in pickup truck: Officials originally appeared on abcnews.go.com WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who had disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assads notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, U.S. officials said Friday. Travis Timmerman, 29, was flown to Jordan on a U.S. military helicopter, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Its unclear where Timmerman may go next. He thanked his rescuers for freeing him but has told American officials that he would like to stay in the region, according to another person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timmerman was detained after he crossed into Syria while on a Christian pilgrimage from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June. He told The Associated Press in an interview earlier Friday that he was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. In his prison cell, Timmerman said, he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste. He said the Friday calls to prayers helped keep track of days. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them, after rebels seized control of Damascus and forced Assad from power in a dramatic upheaval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didnt know of any other Americans held in the facility. Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017. His mother, Stacey Gardiner, said she was told that he was being taken to a military base in Jordan. The family still had not spoken to him. Mouaz Moustafa, a U.S.-based Syrian opposition activist who worked with rebels to arrange Timmermans transfer back to safety, tweeted a photo of the freed American standing next to a man in U.S. military uniform in the flat desert of the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Safe and sound and back in American hands, Moustafa wrote. U.S. officials, meanwhile, are continuing their search for Austin Tice, an American journalist who disappeared 12 years ago near Damascus. Nizar Zakka, president of the U.S.-based Hostage Aid Worldwide that was commissioned by Tice's family to search for him, said he called Tices mother and sister after receiving a tip Thursday from a Syrian near where Timmerman was found. The caller thought the foreigner was Tice. We asked them for videos, we ask them for voice (recordings) to make sure, Zakka said. We had the feeling from the minute, especially from the age, that its not correct. But we sent it to the mom. It was 3 a.m. (in the U.S.), and we woke the sister, and she said to me one thing. She said that definitely its not Austin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the search for Tice, Zakka said he had visited detention centers and the houses of prominent figures in Assads circle, but the search had so far not produced results. The three possible scenarios, Zakka said, are that we will find him somewhere in Damascus, in the jail that he was left in or in the house, in the safe house where he is; that a high-ranking member of Assads circle took Tice along while escaping the country as a security for his life; or that Tices captors killed him and other prisoners to erase evidence of their crimes. He criticized the U.S. for announcing a $10 million reward for information leading to Tice, saying that it had led to a flood of false tips and caused confusion. ___ AP writers Abby Sewell in Damascus, Eric Tucker in Washington, Matthew Lee in Aqaba, Jordan, and Nick Ingram in Urbana, Missouri, contributed to this report. Travis Timmerman, the American who said he was freed from a Syrian prison amid the downfall of ousted President Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship, was taken out of the country by the U.S. military, a U.S. defense official confirmed to CBS News on Friday. Timmerman, 29, who disappeared into Syria's notorious prison system about seven months ago, was taken to the Al Tanf U.S. military base and then flown out of Syria via helicopter and handed over to the U.S. State Department. A second defense official told CBS News he was flown to Jordan. Mouaz Moustafa, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Syrian Emergency Task Force who worked with rebels to arrange Timmerman's transfer back to safety, shared a photo of the handoff of Timmerman to U.S. forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Pete Timmerman AKA Travis is safe and sound and back in American hands thank you to the amazing team at (the Syrian Emergency Task Force) for making this happen!" Moustafa wrote in a post on X. Pete Timmerman AKA Travis is safe and sound and back in American hands thank you to the amazing team at @syrianetf for making this happen! Thank you to the new government in Damascus for helping us and escorting us safely to the Tanf Garrison #Syria is free and so are the pic.twitter.com/kB0O6384BZ Mouaz Moustafa (@SoccerMouaz) December 13, 2024 Timmerman, who is from Missouri, told CBS News senior foreign correspondent Elizabeth Palmer on Thursday that he was freed from prison earlier in the week after rebels overthrew Assad's government. He said two men armed with AK-47s broke his prison door down Monday with a hammer. "My door was busted down, it woke me up," Timmerman said. "I thought the guards were still there, so I thought the warfare could have been more active than it ended up being. Once we got out, there was no resistance, there was no real fighting." Timmerman said he had gone to Syria for Christian "spiritual purposes" and that his experience in prison "wasn't too bad." He said he was detained upon entering Syria without permission seven months ago after spending a month in neighboring Lebanon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was never beaten. The only really bad part was that I couldn't go to the bathroom when I wanted to. I was only let out three times a day to go to the bathroom," he said. Timmerman said he left the prison with a large group and started walking away. The 29-year-old's family told CBS News foreign correspondent Ian Lee they are overjoyed that he is alive and well. "It's hard not to think of negative thoughts at that time. We were kind of thinking it was going to be the worst outcome for us," Timmerman's cousin, Mandy Pentridge, said. Timmerman is from Urbana, Missouri, about 50 miles north of Springfield in the southwestern part of the state. He earned a finance degree from Missouri State University in 2017, the Associated Press reported. New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story Trump FBI pick Kash Patel reacts to Wray's resignation announcement By Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee and Angie Teo TAIPEI (Reuters) - Beijing has unveiled a new tactic on Taiwan, the democratic island it claims as its own, officials and experts say: large-scale drills with no fanfare to normalise a heightened military presence and let the U.S. know that China can act whenever it wants. For four days this week, Taiwan went on alert in response to what it said was China's largest massing of naval forces in three decades around Taiwan and in the East and South China Seas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's military said nothing until Friday when it quoted ancient Chinese tactician Sun Tzu's Art of War, a favourite of the communist republic's founder Mao Zedong. "Just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions," the defence ministry said, a cryptic statement that neither confirmed nor denied that Beijing had been holding military exercises. The initial silence was a departure from China's past practice of unleashing a massive propaganda push to coincide with war games around the island. A senior Taiwan security official this week termed China's activities as "drills that dare not speak their name". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's "Joint Sword-2024B" war games in October were accompanied by a flood of military and state media graphics and videos lambasting Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, a person Beijing denounces as a "separatist". One animation caricatured Lai with devil-like pointed ears. Lai rejects Beijing's claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, saying only the island's people can decide their future. Security sources had expected China to launch new drills to coincide with Lai's trip this month to the Pacific, where he stopped over in Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam. Beijing opposes any foreign engagements for Taiwan leaders. "I clearly believe this is the beginning of the 'mid-stage' of normalisation," Chen Kuan-ting, a lawmaker for Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who sits on parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee, told Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Neighbouring countries have to be aware that if they don't respond accordingly, they themselves may become the next target." Neither the United States nor Japan, Taiwan's two most important security partners, have confirmed the scale of China's military movements, although both expressed concern. Taiwan signalled late Thursday the activities had wound down by closing its emergency response centre. One fear Taiwan has is of Chinese drills suddenly turning into an actual attack, and a Taiwan intelligence official said this week China was trying to wrongfoot them by keeping mum. "By not announcing the drills in advance, they want to lower our alertness and catch everyone off guard when they keep appearing around Taiwan," senior defence ministry intelligence officer Hsieh Jih-sheng told reporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "CONTROL THE FIRST ISLAND CHAIN" Analysts say that Beijing's activities, conducted in near silence and followed by an opaque statement are meant to create confusion. "What's changed here is the scale of the exercise and lack of clarity from China about what was involved," said Drew Thompson, a former U.S. Department of Defense official and now a senior fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. "This only underscores the lack of certainty of China's intentions." China has over the last five years sent its warships and warplanes almost daily into the waters and air space around Taiwan, in what Taiwanese officials see as a creeping effort by China to "normalise" its military presence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taiwan's defence ministry said this time the naval deployment extended across the First Island Chain, which runs from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing China's coastal seas. Its control by China could prevent U.S. forces coming to Taiwan's assistance in the event of conflict. "It's a tricky operation, showing on the one hand their dissatisfaction with Taiwan, and on the other showing the U.S. and its allies that it has military muscle, flying the flag, to show their ability to control the First Island Chain," said Su Tzu-yun, a research fellow at Taiwan's top military think tank, the Institute for National Defence and Security Research. A regional security diplomat said the lack of any announcement ahead of time signalled the normalisation of war simulations around Taiwan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "China seems to be more concerned with preventing or delaying an intervention into the First Island Chain, than with controlling the area around Taiwan," the diplomat said. "One day they will have exercised all they need and feel fully confident to deal with anything that might occur during their aggression towards Taiwan." (Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee and Angie Teo; additional reporting by Greg Torode in Hong Kong. Editing by Saad Sayeed) Faisals view Like everyone else in the world, the Gulf is still wrapping its head around Syrias new realities, and the fall of the 54-year-old Assad regime. While its collapse is worth celebrating, Gulf countries share the same sentiment as others: Will what comes next be any better? There is no love lost for former President Bashar al-Assad, now in exile in Moscow, among Gulf leaders, especially from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Both opposed him since the start of the uprising in 2011. Syria was expelled from the Arab League, and even after it was reluctantly reinstated, it continued its violent repression and sponsored a drug trade that destabilized the region. As Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani recently noted, Assad failed to seize opportunities to reconcile with his people, resettle refugees, or rebuild trust. As the horrors of Assads dungeons and torture chambers emerge, its reasonable to expect that whoever comes next cannot possibly be any worse. Recent history, however, doesnt support this theory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1979, the iron-fisted Shah of Iran was replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni, and Iran became the Islamic Republic that actively exported its revolution. In 2003, the removal of the murderous Saddam Hussein regime paved the way for Iranian hegemony in Iraq and subsequently gave birth to ISIS. The 2011 fall of Hosni Mubarak briefly allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to take control of Egypt, before President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi regained control. And in Libya, we are still living the aftermath of the killing of madman Moammar Gadhafi. In Syria, the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) a militant group on several terror lists as the dominant force behind the overthrow of Assad raises similar concerns. HTS leader Ahmed Al Shara (until recently known as Abu Mohammad Al Golani) is certainly sending all the right assurances, so far. Through international media appearances and messages to domestic audiences, he has promised to respect minority rights, peace, and not to impose strict Islamic dress codes on women. This is noteworthy, especially given Syrias diverse religious fabric, which the Assad regime long exploited to maintain power. Is he sincere? Will he, and can he, keep his promises? Only time will tell. For now, Gulf states seem willing to give the benefit of the doubt. This was certainly the tone in the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, which expressed its satisfaction with the positive steps taken to ensure the safety of the brotherly Syrian people, to prevent bloodshed, and to preserve Syrias state institutions and resources a nod to the wise decision HTS has taken not to dismantle government institutions, a mistake the US made after it took control of Iraq in 2003. If HTS is sincere in its intent to rebuild Syria, it will need substantial support: humanitarian, political, and capacity building. Gulf countries are likely to engage because the region cant afford another failed state or perpetual war. My reading is that while the mood in the Gulf is to proceed with caution at this stage, support will grow as long as HTS and the new government in Syria continue signaling an intention to bring unity, stability, and peace to their country. KANSAS CITY, Mo. At the corner of 43rd Street and State Line Road on Thursday, several anti-gun-violence groups gathered to remember victims of gun violence across the country. The event they do every year started as a way to remember the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, Connecticut but now has evolved into bringing attention to gun violence in the city. Gang members sentenced for January shooting at Crown Center Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement School shootings are extremely tragic and traumatic, said Amanda Winch, with Johnson County Mothers Demand Action. We also acknowledge that the issue of gun violence is far more pervasive than school shootings. We are coming together across state lines with Kansas and Missouri groups that are anti-anti-gun violence groups. Were joining together acknowledging that this is a really big problem, she added. Joining members of Winchs chapter were moms from Wyandotte County Kansas, and Kansas City Missouri as well as KC Mothers in Charge and other advocates. Joining them this year were students from Olathe East Students Demand Action, who started the group after a shooting happened there on March 4, 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just remember this feeling of desperation for information. I didnt know what was going on. I was panicked, Grace Springer remembered. She was a freshman at the time and is one of the founders of their organization. I dont think people realize how small these instances of gun violence are, they are so prominent, and they have lasting effects. Her peers remembered a similar experience. That feeling I had that day? No one deserves to feel like that, said Ellena Kalihamwe. No one deserves to feel like theyre unsafe, especially at school, because schools supposed to be a place where we learn our place, where were supposed to feel safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being in high school hasnt stopped them from advocating, however, Alexis Moraah thinks that she shouldnt have to. Its kind of like off-putting to know that Im having to stand out here to tell people its wrong to hold a gun at the wrong time, she said. Miami County teen charged with murder after 15-year-olds death Winch mentioned that while they fight for more responsible gun ownership, there are still guns making their way into schools in the Kansas City area. Just a few days ago at Shawnee Mission South, there was a gun that got onto school grounds, she said. That, to me, as a parent of children in public schools, is completely unacceptable. Those kinds of things happen in all of our school districts and, you know, happen far too frequently. I mean, they really shouldnt happen at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Tech moguls are lining up to give Donald Trump money and, crucially, make sure everyone knows about it. Joe Raedle/Getty Images It's not new for rich people and big companies to donate to presidential inaugurations. Something about watching tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos do it seems different. That's at least in part because it's so public the money is less important than the message. First, Mark Zuckerberg. Then, Jeff Bezos. Now, Sam Altman. They're all donating $1 million to Donald Trump's inauguration fund. Expect more tech titans to follow. Google CEO Sundar Pichai was reportedly flying to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump this week. I wouldn't be shocked to see a $1 million pledge coming shortly after. (Google declined to comment about any of the above.) You can see it playing out in real time. Zuckerberg's initial donation was news; each subsequent one just confirms it as the cost of doing business. At some point, the news will be when you hear that some tech giant is not forking over $1 million to help fund Trump's multiday party next month. Quick context: It is not unusual for big companies and very rich people to donate lots of money to presidential inaugurations, whether via cash, in-kind contributions, or both. While US elections themselves have (some) rules about the amount of money people and companies can spend on candidates, there's no cap on what they can spend on inaugural committees. The only restrictions are that the money can't come from foreign nationals and that the donations eventually have to be disclosed. Which is why we can see it's also not unheard of for Big Tech companies to make inaugural donations. Microsoft kicked in $500,000 for Trump's first inauguration in 2017; Google spent $285,000. Those two companies also contributed to Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration, along with Uber, which spent $1 million. It's also worth noting that the sums we are talking about here don't even qualify as rounding errors for companies this size. Zuckerberg's Meta makes about $174 million in profit every day. Amazon does about $110 million. A million bucks just doesn't register. (The Amazon and Meta donations are coming directly from the companies, not their founders; Altman, who has a reported net worth of $1.1 billion, has said he's making his donation personally.) So what makes this round of donations newsworthy? Yes, in some cases, Trump has tangled with the companies or the leaders in question he famously threatened to jail Zuckerberg earlier this year for theoretical election interference, and he's long railed about Amazon's founder, Bezos, as well as the Bezos-owned Washington Post. Experiencing the violence: "This collective American experience, which is so twisted to have in the wealthiest nation in the world, all of that pain that people are experiencing is being concentrated on this event," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) to reporters, commenting on the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, presumably at the hand of Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old with chronic pain who was apprehended following the shooting. "This is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that ppl interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them. People go homeless over the financial devastation of a diagnosis that doesn't get addressed or the amount they're gonna have to cover with a surprise bill and things like that. And when we kind of talk about how systems are violent in this country in this passive way, our privatized health care system is like that for a huge amount of Americans." Gets pretty freaky when you realize how long the list is for "things lefties experience as violence." https://t.co/6DuOh2BzBX Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) December 12, 2024 I do not know what "experience as violence" means or how the denial of a health care claim could possibly be considered violence. It's not hard to see the direct lineage of this way of thinking, given that some progressive activists and Democratic politicians and elites in academia have spent the better part of the last decade claiming that words can be violence. The idea of what ought to be considered violence has been expandeda bit of linguistic trickery that seems hollow and patently false to people who have actual proximity to true violence; pablum that only gets spouted by those who are quite sheltered. Ocasio-Cortez is not only wrong to justify a murder, but she is also wrong on the merits: Government-run health care (which she supports, citing Canada specifically) does not erase suffering or indignity within the medical system. Sometimes it's the cause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take the case of Adam Burgoyne, a man from Montreal who, on the cusp of turning 40, suffered an aneurysm a week ago today. "Had a bit of a health scare last night, but thankfully it wasn't a heart attack," he wrote on December 5. "Not sure what it was, though, because once they made sure I wasn't dying I was thrown out into the waiting room and 6 hours later I said f*ck it and went home. Canadian health care, folks. Best in the world." He died the next day. Burgoyne's tragic story has been making the rounds on the internet, but it's one of many examples of delayed care that ends up being a denial of care because the person passes away before doctors actually figure out what is wrong with them. "Universal" health care ends up being not so universal after all. Tradeoffs aren't erased in any medical system. Canadian patients waited longer than ever this year for medical treatment. Learn more: https://t.co/o4NCdiP2wv pic.twitter.com/KfnufljsW6 The Fraser Institute (@FraserInstitute) December 12, 2024 Scenes from New York: "N.Y.C. Grocery Prices Are High. Could City-Owned Stores Help?" asks an imbecilic New York Times headline from yesterday. Let me go ahead and save you a click: No, absolutely not. Do not even think about it. This is not the way. Or, go ahead and do it. Open "five municipal grocery storesone in each borough" and let me film it for Reason, I dare you. QUICK HITS "A more woo-woo term for complete audience capturemight be egregoric possession," writes Mary Harrington at her Substack on Lily Phillips, the British OnlyFans performer who recently had sex with 100 men in one day. "I've touched on the concept of 'egregores' before: it's a concept that comes out of occult theory, that describes collective entities arising from (or perhaps perceived by) multiple human consciousnesses. The key point is multiplicity: the intuition that a swarm or composite awareness can have agency of a kind, even if this is difficult to parse from the individualistic, human perspective.I want to consider the possibility that Phillips' stunt is more intelligible understood not in terms of liberal feminism or the sexual revolution or whatever, but as an instance of what we might describe as egregoric capture, and the medievals would have called demonic possession." "In another time and place, none of this would have happened to her," writes Louise Perry of the aforementioned stunt. "Phillips is driven by two very modern forces: the OnlyFans business model, which financially rewards this kind of shocking stunt, and the ideology of liberal feminism, which she has absorbed without a moment's thought." "Trump's economic advisers are considering doubling the state and local tax deduction, a popularbut expensivetax break that could deliver big savings to many residents of New York, New Jersey, and California," reports Bloomberg. SALT deductions primarily benefit people who have high property taxes to pay and who incur high income taxes from their states and localitiesso high-earners, not low-income people. (I've written about the "working rich" before, also sometimes called HENRYs, and find this topic generally fascinating. Why would we ever want to disincentivize high-earners climbing their way up to the top, living in metropolitan centers, and generating enormous amounts of productivity for their industries (medicine, law, finance) and thus society? This is exactly what we ought to want. And why is it that their states and cities treat them as cash cows instead of people we should want to keep around?) New Just Asking Questions on how trans issues have scrambled our politics (and how the left can recover): Wild: Perhaps the funniest day of my life was watching the Facebook lawyers explain to @peterthiel that he counts as diverse under the then-mandatory Nasdaq DEI rules. https://t.co/kpVVwkfkCr Marc Andreessen ???????? (@pmarca) December 12, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congratulations to Elon Musk! Very cool. SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas! https://t.co/zpN4t3mJQT Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 13, 2024 The post AOC's Justifications of Violence appeared first on Reason.com. LONDON (AP) Britains royal family is always in the public eye, their every move documented by reporters and captured for posterity by photographers. But even for a group of people who live their lives under a microscope, 2024 was something unique. In a year marked by illness and recovery that sidelined both King Charles III and the Princess of Wales for extended periods, the eyes of the public and the telephoto lenses of the press corps probed every appearance for clues about what was to come. The year began peacefully enough as Charles seemingly got on with the business of being king after celebrating his coronation in 2023 and mourning the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the previous year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But things became complicated very quickly. In early January, Kensington Palace revealed that the Princess of Wales, usually known as Kate, had undergone planned abdominal surgery, without specifying why the operation was needed. Just 10 days later, Charles was admitted to the same London hospital for treatment of an enlarged prostate. Social media went crazy over Kates condition, filling a vacuum of information on specifics with a tsunami of uninformed speculation. Soon both revealed they were suffering from cancer, putting enormous strain on the royal family. With two of the most visible royals out sick and Prince William taking time off to support his wife it was challenging for the rest of the family to keep up with the never-ending whirl of public appearances that the British public demands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But both slowly returned to duty after receiving treatment. The public studied the pictures to judge for themselves how the royals were responding. Charles, 76, came back first, marking his return with a visit to a cancer center, where he shared his experiences with patients undergoing chemotherapy. Sometimes seen as stuffy and out of touch, Charles left the clinic as a king who could understand and empathize with those facing illness and the uncertain path to recovery. As the monarch walked out the doors, his face broke into a broad grin and he held a bouquet of pink spring flowers aloft in triumph, celebrating with the crowd that had turned out to wish him well. Underscoring his improvement, Charles took a stamina-sapping trip in October, traveling across 12 time zones to visit Australia and Samoa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kates return took longer. The public got their first post-diagnosis glimpse of the 42-year-old princess through a carriage window as she attended the kings birthday parade, known as Trooping the Color, in June. Kate also appeared at the national Remembrance Day ceremony honoring fallen servicemen and women in November as well as her annual Christmas carol service in December as she slowly took on more duties. But theres one picture that captures the princess year. Its from the day in July when Kate attended the Wimbledon mens singles final, stepping in front of the public for the first time without a hat brim or a window between her and the cameras. The crowd is blurred, and shes looking over her shoulder. Her smile is huge. KYODO NEWS - Dec 13, 2024 - 20:28 | All, Japan A U.S. Air Force member stationed in Okinawa Prefecture was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 16 in December last year, with the court rejecting his not guilty plea. In handing down the ruling on Brennon Washington, 25, Naha District Court Presiding Judge Tetsuro Sato said the airman stationed at Kadena Air Base continued performing sexual acts on the victim even after he was aware there was no consent. Sato called Washington's action "malicious" and one that "disregarded the girl's decision-making in exercising sexual freedom." The case not only triggered fresh anti-base sentiment in the prefecture, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan, but also drew attention as local police and the central government did not disclose the incident to the prefectural government. It was only in June this year, three months after his indictment, that the case came to light through a local media report, sparking protests from the prefectural government. The following month, the central government reviewed its information-sharing arrangements with local governments and vowed to notify them of any crimes allegedly committed by U.S. military members. Following the ruling, Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, said he is "deeply troubled" by the incident and vowed to cooperate with local authorities to ensure the individual completes the sentence mandated by the local court. Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said in a statement, "We cannot tolerate incidents that ignore the dignity of women." According to the ruling, Washington asked the girl to speak with him in his car at a park in the village of Yomitan on Dec. 24 last year. He then drove her to his off-base residence before sexually assaulting her despite knowing she was under 16. Under Japanese law, sexual intercourse with a person under 16 is illegal regardless of consent, with an exception made for cases in which an individual aged 13 to 15 has consensual intercourse with a person less than five years older than them. In the trial, the girl stated that she told him her age and that she said "stop" in English when he sexually assaulted her. Sato said there was "nothing unnatural" about the girl's testimony, describing it as "consistent with the facts and credible." Prosecutors sought a seven-year jail term for Washington. Okinawa continues to bear a heavy load as host to many U.S. military facilities more than half a century after its 1972 reversion from U.S. control following Japan's defeat in World War II. Crimes committed by U.S. service members and nonmilitary personnel have been a constant source of grievance for locals. Related coverage: U.S. Marine in Okinawa referred to prosecutors over sexual assault Japan police failed to disclose 5 sex crime cases linked to U.S. troops U.S. airman pleads not guilty to sexual assault of minor in Okinawa A Mandarin High School student and a student from Ed White High School are facing charges of aggravated battery following their violent confrontation with another Mandarin student according to a message to parents from the schools principal. Action News Jax obtained the JSO police report from the fight on Mandarins' campus, saying that it was retaliation from a previous fight and is gang-related according to police. Any gang activity is concerning, says Duval County School Board Member Melody Bolduc, who is also a Mandarin parent. We have had in the past denials by district staff in the previous administration that there was any gang activity in our schools now that its confirmed by a police report its very eye-opening, said Bolduc. On the district level, I have requested a review of our policies and practices for campus entry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mandarin Principal Sara Bravo said weapons were not used, but it was still appalling, and behavior of this nature should never be tolerated at our school or any school in the district. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Read the full message from Bravo below: This is Principal Bravo. Unfortunately, I need to make you aware of the arrest of a Mandarin High School student yesterday, and the arrest of a student from another school today, following an unacceptable act of violence that took place on our campus earlier this week. Both of these students are facing charges of aggravated battery following their violent confrontation with another Mandarin High School student. Along with criminal charges, we are pursuing strong school disciplinary action. Please note that per our student code of conduct, this level of violence involves a recommendation for expulsion. We are still working with police to investigate how this incident unfolded on our campus, but according to the police report, it appears to be related to an ongoing dispute between the individuals involved. While this incident did not involve the use of weapons, it was still appalling, and behavior of this nature should never be tolerated at our school or any school in the district. I am very disappointed to end this week with this news, but I felt it was important you were made aware and heard it directly from me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As always, dont ever hesitate to reach out to me here at the school if you have any questions. Thank you for listening to this message and I wish you a safe and restful weekend. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 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. Idaho high-risk obstetric specialists have airlifted patients to a facility out of state for emergency abortions before a situation becomes life-threatening. (Courtesy of Life Flight) An 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments this week in a case that will determine whether doctors can perform emergency abortion care without criminal prosecution in Idaho, a state with a near-total abortion ban. The U.S. Department of Justice sued Idaho in 2022 to block it from enforcing its criminal abortion ban for emergency room physicians who might need to perform an abortion when a patient is at risk of infection or other potentially serious health problems during pregnancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department said prosecuting physicians under those circumstances would violate the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, which requires Medicare-funded hospitals to treat patients who come to an emergency room regardless of their ability to pay. Idahos ban contains an exception to save the pregnant patients life, but not to prevent detrimental health outcomes, including the loss of future fertility, which is a risk with severe infection or bleeding. Without further clarity written into the law, doctors have said they cant confidently assess when to safely intervene to save someones life and what constitutes a good faith judgment. Rather than take the chance, high-risk obstetric specialists have airlifted patients to a facility out of state that can freely perform the procedure before it becomes a life-threatening situation. In 2023, officials at St. Lukes, the states largest hospital system, said at their facilities such transfers happened once. But between January and April, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided to take up the case and lifted an injunction blocking the bans enforcement in cases of emergency care, six patients were transferred. Its not a statute about emergency care Idahos attorneys have argued that the federal EMTALA law does not supersede state law banning abortions, and says it does call for stabilizing treatment to be given to an unborn child. They also contend that the situations physicians have described where an abortion might be necessary as a stabilizing treatment would qualify under Idahos exception to save the persons life. John Bursch, an attorney with the conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, argued the case on behalf of Idaho, and attorney Taylor Meehan represented the legislature to defend the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr., who was appointed by President Joe Biden, asked Meehan if there had been any changes to Idaho law that would clarify the emergency situations where abortion care would be acceptable, and a physician would not be subject to prosecution. Meehan said no. The more you put in the statute, the more you start to limit the physicians good faith belief, Meehan said. Mendoza asked how doctors are supposed to know their actions wont be subject to prosecution if its not specific in the law, and Meehan said it wasnt meant to address those situations. Its not a statute about emergency care, its a statute that primarily prohibits elective criminal abortions. Its not about medical treatment, Meehan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Lawrence VanDyke, an appointee during President-elect Donald Trumps first term, cast doubt on the necessity of the six air transfers that occurred while the injunction was not in place. VanDyke asked attorney Lindsay Harrison, who represented St. Lukes Health System of Idaho, why those six were sent out of state. Harrison said five of them had premature rupture of membranes and one had preeclampsia, a dangerous condition of high blood pressure. Your argument is, if the mother wants to kill the baby even though its not necessary to prevent (death), then they have to be airlifted, is that right? VanDyke said. Harrison said the issue is that a physician cant immediately determine whether a pregnant patients life is at risk as a result of the condition, so they are sent to a place where abortion is legal, and the full spectrum of care options is available. Circuit panel will likely issue opinion in next few months Tuesdays appellate court hearing came six months after U.S. Supreme Court justices decided over the summer it was too early for them to make a determination and returned the case to the lower court. But it began in 2022, shortly after the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and returned regulation of abortion procedures to the states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The number of appellate judges in the case was higher than usual because it is under consideration as an en banc case. A three-judge panel initially decided to strike down the preliminary injunction from Idahos district court, leaving emergency room physicians open to prosecution under the ban. The 9th Circuit does not have to issue an opinion in a specific time frame, although it will likely rule within the next few months. The panel could decide to leave the injunction in place or vacate it and return the case to district court in either ruling. The case could also be dropped entirely in January after Trump is sworn in and new leadership takes over the Department of Justice. In that instance, a new plaintiff would have to start the entire case over from scratch. The en banc panel included Chief Judge Mary Murguia, who was appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama, as well as one other Obama appointee, two who were appointed by Biden, four appointed by Trump during his first term, two appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush, and one appointed by former Democratic President Bill Clinton. Google-parent Alphabet and Apple must be ready to remove TikTok from their U.S. app stores on January 19, two US lawmakers said in a letter to the companies CEOs Friday. The bipartisan letter came from two leaders of the US House of Representatives committee on China: Republican Representative John Moolenaar, who is the committees chair, and the groups top Democrat Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi. Last week, a U.S. federal appeals court upheld a law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok in the United States or face a ban. The app is used by 170 million Americans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Separately, Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi also urged TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to sell the app: Congress has acted decisively to defend the national security of the United States and protect TikToks American users from the Chinese Communist Party, the lawmakers wrote. We urge TikTok to immediately execute a qualified divestiture. Apple, Alphabet and TikTok did not immediately comment. On Monday, ByteDance and TikTok made an emergency bid to temporarily block the law pending a review by the U.S. Supreme Court. What happens next The Department of Justice said on Wednesday if the ban takes effect on Jan. 19, it would not directly prohibit the continued use of TikTok by Apple or Google users who have already downloaded TikTok. But it conceded the prohibitions on providing support will eventually be to render the application unworkable. In response, TikTok said Thursday thatabsent a court orderthe law means the app will disappear from mobile app stores on Jan. 19 and be unavailable to the half of the country that does not already use the app. It warned ending support services will cripple the platform in the United States and make it totally unusable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ByteDance and TikTok noted President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to prevent a ban on TikTok. Republican Senator Josh Hawley hopes ByteDance will sell TikTok because the law leaves no wiggle room, he said in an interview. The statute is what the statute is, Hawley said. The main issue is its subject to Chinese oversight, Beijing oversight - thats the problem. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Dec. 12LIMA The ARC of Allen County signed off on the sale of a local group living facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to documents from the end of November. The Mary Ann Brown Residential Facility, 2450 Mandolin Drive, is now owned by Champaign Residential Services, Inc. ARC executive director Brad Perrott said the move made sense. "CRSI was leasing the property and was the provider, so it made sense for us to sell the facility to them so the people staying there would be able to stay there," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The land transfer record from the Allen County Recorder's Office was signed Nov. 25. The ARC now has no affiliation with the Mary Ann Brown group home. CRSI bought the property, which consists of 10.4 acres, for $1.3 million. The ARC started the Mary Ann Brown facility in 1984 and named it after the executive director of the association. Along with the facility, Urbana-based CRSI has offices in 14 counties across the state, including Auglaize. Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399. Featured Local Savings An area firefighter died after battling a house fire on Thursday, according to the Randolph County, Indiana Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM). [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Winchester firefighters responded to a house fire in the 200 block of Watson Street Thursday afternoon, according to a Randolph County dispatcher. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Randolph County HSEM posted to social media saying a Winchester firefighter had a medical emergency while battling the fire. Sadly, the firefighter did not recover from his medical emergency, the post said. The firefighter was escorted to IU Ball Memorial by his emergency services brothers and sisters. The firefighters identity was not immediately available. We ask that you lift up the firefighters immediate and work family, the on-scene responders, the 911 dispatchers at the mic, and his friends, the post said. Indiana TV stations WXIN-59 and WTHR-13 report that Randolph County Coroner Darin James will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First responders across Indiana gathered to show their support for the Winchester Fire Department. The Yorktown Fire Department posted on social media that several departments went to Ball Memorial Hospital to honor the firefighter. Additional information was not immediately available. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] An Arizona man was arrested this week for allegedly producing child sex abuse materials, in which he coerced minors to self-mutilate, as part of his efforts with online terror groups, federal prosecutors said. Baron Martin, 20, of Tucson, Arizona, was arrested Wednesday, according to a Friday statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. Martin is also accused of cyberstalking, and if convicted, faces up to 30 years in prison for allegedly producing child sex abuse material and an additional 10 years for cyberstalking. A public defender listed for Martin in court documents wasnt immediately reached for comment on Friday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors allege Martin is a member of the violent terror networks known as 764 and CVLT. The networks, according to prosecutors, targets minors in the United States and around the world and shares violent content with children in an effort to desensitize young people to violence and break down societal norms regarding violence in order to groom and corrupt minors for future violence. Historically, prosecutors said, the networks targets underage females, grooms them, extorts them and coerces them to mutilate themselves. The mutilation acts are then photographed, video recorded or streamed online and shared with other members of the groups, prosecutors said. Since 2021, Martin, who went by the online name Convict, prosecutors said, appeared on online chatrooms associated with 764 and CVLT. Martin, who claimed online he was the owner of the online terror groups, taught other members how to extort victims and proclaiming himself as the king of extortion, prosecutors said. In September 2022, Martin produced child sex abuse material on Discord, an online chat and gaming platform, prosecutors said. He made two minors mutilate themselves for him, including making a 13-year-old child cut his name throughout her body. He threatened to leak pictures of the child if she did not comply, prosecutors said. A second minor victim was 16 years old, prosecutors said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin is also accused of cyberstalking a different 13-year-old victim, related to threats he sent over Discord in September 2022, prosecutors said. No one with Discord was immediately reached for comment Friday. According to prosecutors, Martin told the teen victim he put a hit on her grandmother. Martin agreed to pay someone $3,000 to kidnap and kill the teens grandmother, prosecutors said. Martin posted the phone numbers of both the minor and her grandmother and told the network to contact both numbers to harass them, according to prosecutors. Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen said in the statement his agency is committed to stopping the terror groups Martin belonged to, calling them a dangerous network of violent extremists. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com I knew he wasnt right. He wasnt acting right. -Rose Davidson, grandmother to Jarrett Cousins FLORAL, Ark. The family of a man from Independence County, Arkansas, who was arrested after a shootout with police in Missouri is speaking for the first time. Forty-year-old Jarrett Cousins allegedly drove the body of 45-year-old Clara Blaxton across state lines before authorities said he got in a shootout with police in Crystal City, Missouri, on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas State Police: Womans body found in car after officer-involved shooting in Missouri Authorities shot Cousins, and he is currently in critical condition recovering at a nearby hospital. Cousins was raised in Floral, Arkansas, where KARK 4 News met his grandmother, Rose Davidson. She said hours before his arrest, he stopped by her home, and they had an unusually short conversation. He said I love you. You know I love you. Gave me a hug and a kiss, and then he just left, Davidson said. Cousins family later found his best coat hung over Davidsons mailbox left with a note in the pocket for his younger brother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It said, I want you to have this. You might not want it. Its the only thing Ive got that you probably could use, Davidson recalled. Arkansas State Police, U.S. Marshals make third arrest in 2022 interstate shooting She said it all felt too strange and tried to call Cousins but could not reach him. A family member eventually told her he had recently broken it in a fit of anger. Hours after the goodbye, police in Festus, Missouri responded to Cousins allegedly firing a gun from his vehicle outside a fast food restaurant. Authorities said he led police on a short chase, but after driving over a median, the truck stopped on the highway. Witness video shows Cousins firing guns in the air, officers returning fire, hitting Cousins and arresting him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I kind of got the feeling that he might wanted them to shoot him. He knew better than to do that, Davidson said. Officers said they found Blaxton dead in Cousins passenger seat. Deputies in Jefferson County, Missouri, and Arkansas State Police determined she was killed in northeast Arkansas, but have not released a more specific location. Cousins grandmother said Blaxton and Cousins were dating. Jefferson County, Missouri, Sheriffs Office said Blaxton was dating the suspect in her homicide case. Blaxtons body is at the Missouri Crime Lab to determine the cause and manner of death which are still under investigation at this time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas State Police agents arrest Alma couple on child sexual abuse material charges According to Cousins grandmother, he had a history with drugs and was recently released from prison but was depressed after breaking his leg and having a difficult recovery. I wish I could have told him, asked him what was wrong, if something was wrong with him. He wouldnt have told me anyway, Davidson said. KARK 4 News also tried reaching the family of Clara Blaxton but is waiting to hear back from them. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas State Police and the U.S. Marshalls Task Force arrested a third man on Wednesday in connection with the 2022 shooting on Interstate 630. ASP officials said 24-year-old Senturi Mothershed of Pine Bluff was arrested at a residence in White Hall. Officers took Mothershed to the Pulaski County Regional Detention Center, where he is facing charges of criminal attempted capital murder, terroristic act, possession of a firearm by a certain person and unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle. Arkansas State Police announce arrest of suspects in 2022 shooting on I-630 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ASP Criminal Investigation Division arrested two men on Dec. 3 in connection with the same shooting. Officials said 25-year-old Chidra Micyah Thomas and 24-year-old Deandreian Devonte Meadows are facing charges including attempted capital murder, possession of firearms by certain persons, terroristic act and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. Senturi Mothershed, 24, of Pine Bluff All three arrests stem from a Jan. 9, 2022, shooting on Interstate 630 near the interchange of Mississippi Street and Rodney Parham Road. Police said at the time that a 26-year-old Little Rock man sustained multiple gunshots in the incident from what witnesses said was a rifle fired from another vehicle. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. KYODO NEWS - Dec 13, 2024 - 21:01 | All, World, Japan Akie Abe, the widow of slain former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will meet U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to a CNN report. She is expected to dine with Trump, who is set to begin his second term next month, and his wife, Melania, the report said. The former prime minister enjoyed a close relationship with Trump and was the first world leader to meet him as president-elect in 2016. Following Abe's assassination during an election campaign stump speech in July 2022, Trump called his widow to express his condolences, CNN said. Japan's current prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, has yet to meet Trump, despite trying to so last month while returning from international gatherings in South America. Trump's side cited domestic legal constraints that do not allow him to meet with foreign leaders before becoming president. Related coverage: Trump renews pledge to block Nippon Steel's bid for U.S. Steel PROFILE: Trump, pursuing political revenge, remains loyal to key goals An Arlington woman was one of three Texans granted pardons by President Joe Biden on Thursday, Dec. 12. Biden also granted clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans, the most ever in a single day, according to a White House news release. The president commuted the sentences of people who have shown successful rehabilitation and a strong commitment to making their communities safer, the release states. North Texan Lashundra Tenneal Wilson was among 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes who were pardoned. Wilson, 49, pleaded guilty to a non-violent offense when she was a teenager, the White House said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, Wilson pursued an education and has worked in the healthcare field, according to a list of recipients published by the White House. Ms. Wilson gives back to the community by volunteering at community health fairs and raising funds for non-profit health organizations, the statement said. Ms. Wilson has been praised for her work ethic, trustworthiness, and dependability by community members. Presidential pardons can help people who have completed their sentences restore their right to vote and other civil rights. The individuals who sentences were shortened through clemency had been placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities, the White House said. MINNEAPOLIS Susan Budzyna Klein was exposed to life in the military at an early age. "My father was the commander of the recruiting command that I went in under, so I got used to traveling light," Klein said. She traveled around the country with her dad before she joined the United States Army as a broadcast journalist and public affairs specialist. Top of her class at the prestigious Defense Information School, she worked in Honduras before getting the opportunity of a lifetime. / Credit: Susan Klein "The big dream of course is, like the big show, was getting to go to Europe. It was then West and East Germany. AFN Frankfurt was the headquarters, I made it there," Klein said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She broke barriers and stories that set her apart from others at the Armed Forces Network. She served eight years and then went to Austin Peay State University to get her degree in public relations and marketing. Her first civilian job was in radio. "I moved to Birmingham, Alabama, and was morning co-anchor on WZZK News," Klein said. Life was good. She married her college sweetheart, they had one son, Ben. When he graduated from college and entered the Army, Klein says her life fell apart. Her husband did not want to be married any longer. She packed up what she could in her car and left. "It's kind of sad when everything you own fits in your car and there is room for more," Klein said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She moved from one city to the next and worked job after job supporting herself, until one day she couldn't. "Everything I had been carrying with my past relationship and everything, just, I couldn't do it. I had a huge anxiety panic attack and I said, 'I just can't do this anymore,'" Klein said. Susan Klein / Credit: WCCO Suicidal thoughts clouded her mind. Klein reached out to an Army buddy who lived in Iowa. "I packed up everything I had in my car and I moved to Iowa, got involved with the VA. They helped me recognize my anxiety," Klein said. "I was going really well and then I met a guy and he said, 'Hey, I got this job opportunity in Minneapolis,' and I was working this remote job so I said, 'Yeah, let me do this.'" Once again life was good. Then she lost her job. The financial stress ended her relationship, and her trusty vehicle became her safe haven. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was driving around thinking, 'What am I going to do?' And I entered into my Google Maps 'Veterans activities Saturday.' That's when 'ETS Every Third Saturday' came up," she said. ETS is where she met a MACV outreach specialist. "And there is a lovely lady called Amanda, and it's just so cool to have another female veteran to speak to," she said. Amanda helped Klein get into a hotel and then finally into her own apartment. "The one thing about all of this, too, I'll tell you Reg, is that I was always treated with dignity and respect," Klein said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Klein credits MACV for helping her get her life back on track. "It's not just, 'Here is your room key, figure it out.' You have somebody, a battle buddy to help you and guide you. With MACV, you are not alone," Klein said. Klein is now involved in the Warrior's Return program at Every Third Saturday. She hopes to give back by being a peer counselor to help other female veterans in transition who need a little help. Klein urges veterans, especially women, to reach out when they need support. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything. In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs. New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed New Jersey man on car-sized drone hovering near him Trump FBI pick Kash Patel reacts to Wray's resignation announcement The U.S. Army has finally test-fired its Dark Eagle hypersonic missile from its trailer-based launcher, something it has been attempting to do for some two years now. The service has explicitly blamed problems with the launcher for causing major testing woes that have pushed back plans to field the weapon system by years. The Armys Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), together with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs, conducted the test launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, according to a Pentagon press release this evening. The missile at the core of Dark Eagle, also known as the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), is the same one the Navy plans to arm its Zumwalt class stealth destroyers and future Block V Virginia class submarines with. The two services have been working together to develop their respective systems. You can read more about the Navys progress on its Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) weapon system here. A close-up look at the common missile fired during the first successful test involving the Dark Eagle launcher. A fairing of some kind is visible along the side toward the nose end. DOD This is the second successful end-to-end flight test of the [common] All Up Round (AUR) [missile] this year and was the first live-fire event for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system using a Battery Operations Center and a Transporter Erector Launcher, according to the Pentagon release, which does not explicitly say when the test occurred. A Dark Eagle launcher seen at a previous training exercise. US Army However, spotters were able to use publicly available warning notices, flight tracking data, and NASA camera feeds from Cape Canaveral to catch the launch occurring earlier today. Online flight tracking shows that one of NASAs WB-57F aircraft, a Navy NP-3D range support plane, and two specially modified High Altitude Observatory (HALO) Gulfstream business jets operated by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) were airborne at the time. All of these aircraft regularly make appearances during hypersonic and other missile testing, among other research and development and test and evaluation activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NASA's WB-57 N926NA is active off the coast of Florida ahead of the expected launch of the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for the US Army. Missile Defense Agency aircraft N551HA as HALO51 and NP-3D BLOODHOUND341 are down range to observe. https://t.co/JJigRZOKQB pic.twitter.com/ReK2W2yTmJ TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) December 12, 2024 Here is one of my iPhone videos of the LRHW test launch from Cape Canaveral this morning. pic.twitter.com/ZCKF3lTEuU JohnCn (@JConcilus) December 12, 2024 From the NASA Spaceflight stream pic.twitter.com/bbzwzpaceO @aim174b (@aim174b) December 12, 2024 This test builds on several flight tests in which the Common Hypersonic Glide Body achieved hypersonic speed at target distances and demonstrates that we can put this capability in the hands of the warfighter, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said in a statement about the test. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This test marks an important milestone in the development of one of our most advanced weapons systems. As we approach the first delivery of this capability to our Army partners, we will continue to press forward to integrate Conventional Prompt Strike into our Navy surface and subsurface ships to help ensure we remain the worlds preeminent fighting force, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said in a statement. This test is a demonstration of the successful Navy and Army partnership that has allowed us to develop a transformational hypersonic weapon system that will deliver unmatched capability to meet joint warfighting needs, Navy Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr, director of the Navys Strategic Systems Programs that is leading work on the common AUR, added. The common missile, or All Up Round (AUR), being developed for Dark Eagle and IRCPS consists of two main components, a two-stage rocket booster with an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle on top. As designed, the missile gets the conical vehicle to an optimal speed and altitude before releasing it, after which it glides down to its target at hypersonic speeds, defined as anything above Mach 5, and along a relatively shallow, atmospheric flight path, maneuvering erratically along the way. The Army has previously said the weapons peak speed is at least Mach 17 and its maximum range is in excess of 1,725 miles (2,775 kilometers). A graphic showing, in a very rudimentary way, the difference in trajectories between a traditional ballistic missile and a hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, as well as those of pseudo or aeroballistic missiles and air-breathing hypersonic cruise missiles. GAO A graphic giving a general breakdown of the common missile for the Dark Eagle/LRHW and IRCPS systems, as well as the division of labor between the Army and the Navy. GAO Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hypersonic systems provide a combination of speed, maneuverability, and altitude that enables highly survivable, medium and intermediate-range, rapid defeat of time-critical, heavily-defended targets, a U.S. defense official told The War Zone after another test event earlier this year. The services common hypersonic AUR supports the National Defense Strategy and will provide combatant commanders with diverse capabilities to sustain and strengthen integrated deterrence and to build enduring advantages for the Joint Force. While firing a missile from the Dark Eagle launcher is a major milestone, the fact that it has only come now underscores the problems that have been dogging the systems development for years. The Army scrubbed three planned launches last year. The Pentagon did announce a successful end-to-end common AUR test in June, but that had made use of a different ground-based launch apparatus. A picture from the successful test launch of the common AUR in June. DOD The U.S. Army and Navy recently initiated a test of a conventional hypersonic system at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, a U.S. defense official told The War Zone in a statement in July, but offered no further details at the time. Thanks to todays Pentagon press release, which says the test involving the Dark Eagle launcher was the second successful end-to-end flight test of the All Up Round (AUR) this year, we now at least know whatever happened in July did not involve an end-to-end demonstration of the common Dark Eagle/IRCPS missile. As noted, the Army has blamed past Dark Eagle testing woes on unspecified issues with the launcher rather than the missile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Dark Eagle might actually enter service is still an open question. Based on current test and missile production plans, the Army will not field its first complete LRHW battery until fiscal year 2025, the Government Accountability Office, a Congressional watchdog, said in a report released in June. Fiscal Year 2025 began on Oct. 1, 2024. The Army had previously hoped to have a prototype battery start live-fire testing of Dark Eagle in Fiscal Year 2022 and field, at least on a limited level, in Fiscal Year 2023. The initial Dark Eagle unit Battery B, 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery (Long Range Fires Battalion), part of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) has already been activated at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State. Another view of a Dark Eagle launcher. US Army Capt. Ryan DeBooy After the ostensible cancellation of the U.S. Air Forces AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) program last year, Dark Eagle had looked set to be the U.S. militarys first operational novel hypersonic weapon. There is still some uncertainty surrounding ARRW status and there may be plans for a follow-on effort, if it hasnt already begun in the classified realm. The U.S. military as a whole has and continues to stress the importance of developing and fielding hypersonic boost-glide vehicle weapons, as well as air-breathing hypersonic cruise missiles, to ensure its ability to successfully prosecute various targets set on land and at sea going forward. These capabilities are seen as especially critical for success in a potential future high-end fight in the Pacific against China. There are also now plans for episodic deployments of ground-based hypersonic and other long-range missile systems to Europe. The Navy hopes to begin at least live-fire testing of its IRCPS system from the USS Zumwalt, which is in the final stages of being modified to fire the missiles and just recently returned to the water after months in dry dock (as seen below), in the current fiscal year. It remains to be seen now if Dark Eagles path to an operational capability is more clear cut following its first successful launch using the trailer-based launcher, but it certainly is a good sign that the program can move forward toward fielding. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) has addressed the allocation of UAH 23 billion (approximately US$552.3 million) for the procurement of defence goods for the defence forces, emphasising its extensive experience in contracting ammunition supplies and responding to public concerns and criticisms raised in the media. Source: SBGS press service Details: The SBGS clarified that it consistently conducts procurement to support its units, as it does not receive supplies from other channels. Additionally, it is prepared to assist in providing ammunition for the Ukrainian defence forces if directed by the Ministry of Defence or the government, a role it is already fulfilling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given its reputation as a reliable partner for foreign suppliers, the SBGS regularly receives various proposals for cooperation in supplying weapons and equipment. These proposals are forwarded to the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for detailed review and decision-making. In November 2024, the Ministry of Defence proposed to the government delegating another procurement responsibility to the SBGS, amounting to UAH 23 billion (approximately US$552.3 million). The SBGS asserts that pricing and supply terms are under constant supervision by relevant Ukrainian oversight agencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The service highlighted its previous experience with similar allocations, including executing two government-mandated procurement initiatives this year worth UAH 5.8 billion (approximately US$139.3 million) and UAH 31.1 billion (approximately US$746.8 million.). Quote: "All allocated funds have been used and the ammunition procured is already destroying the enemy." More details: Before any procurement decisions, SBGS representatives inspect suppliers and involve Armed Forces representatives in the process. Every shipment is thoroughly inspected upon arrival in Ukraine. Responding to allegations of fund misuse through foreign intermediaries, the SBGS clarified that the intermediary company providing proposals is NATO-certified, has extensive market experience and has been a reliable supplier to the SBGS for three years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SBGS stated that its units are equipped with mortars of all calibres, barrel artillery, multiple launch rocket systems and other modern weaponry, much of which was acquired through contracts executed by the SBGS. Support UP or become our patron! HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) Evansville Police make an arrest in connection to a shooting last June with one still being at large. According to an affidavit, officers were dispatched to the 600 block of Adams Avenue shortly after 3 a.m. on June 3 for shots fired. Multiple callers claimed to hearing between three and 15 gunshots. Evansville man held without bond after allegedly threatening arresting officers Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael Wright was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. He was taken to an area hospital. Wright claimed he did not see who shots him and does not know why anyone would target him. Officials state at the scene, ten 7.62 caliber shell casings were found along with five .45 caliber shell casings. Nearby surveillance footage showed prior to Wright pulling up, a dark colored SUV can be seen, parked on the south side of the road. Footage also showed as soon as Wright exits, brake lights can be seen from the SUV, beginning to drive east with its headlights off. Gunshots can soon be heard being fired from the drivers side window then an unknown male gets out from the passenger door, walking on foot towards Wright and firing at him with a handgun. EPD says detectives noticed that the passenger with the handgun appeared to have a gun switch, enabling it to be converted to fully automatic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement EPD then says several hours after the shooting, a stolen vehicle was recovered in the Bryce de Moray apartment complex on the east side. A judicially signed search warrant was obtained that revealed 12 shell casings were found near the area of the drivers seat; the same 7.62 caliber rounds that were found at the scene. Police reportedly began getting tips about two social media accounts for the same person. Both Facebook and Instagram accounts had the name of Trustnone Lujay. The owner of the accounts was identified as Javeon Cox. Police say man fired shotgun during argument on Sycamore Street Police say one post included a blank background with text in the middle. Another photograph reportedly showed Cox and four other males, three having firearms, an AK style rifle. Another male, identified as Jakhei Mitchell, was holding a Glock handgun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mitchel was arrested in 2019 in connection to a shooting outside of Sams Food Mart on Washington Avenue in Evansville. He was sentenced to two years for his role in the shooting after taking a plea deal. Police say in the days following the shooting, Mitchell sent multiple Facebook messages to different individuals trying to sell or trade a Glock 21 handgun. One of the males was identified as Valcharles Murry. Another search warrant was reportedly signed in late June 2023 to search Coxs apartment. An AK-47 rifle was found, and a test fire confirmed to be the same rifle that was used to shoot Wright. Several switches were also found. Murry reportedly fled from police on foot in late June 2023 with a handgun on him. The gun was located, tested and confirmed to be the same gun that was used to shoot Wright. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cox was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail. Mitchell has not been booked yet, but police are seeking an arrest warrant to charge him also with Attempted Murder. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). (Bloomberg) -- Romanian authorities broadened an investigation into interference in the countrys annulled presidential elections following a shock victory by pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu in the first round of the vote. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While pro-European parties are negotiating a coalition to fend off the far-right, the political turbulence in the NATO member state is far from over. The top courts last-minute decision to void the presidential contest left the country in a state of chaos, after the countrys security services attributed Georgescus win to Russian meddling. Their scrutiny of the fringe candidate has increased ever since. This week, law enforcement in the Black Sea country raided properties, questioned social media influencers and detained one of Georgescus campaign managers. On Friday, police and prosecutors raided seven more properties across the country whose owners are suspected of inciting violence and hatred, according to a statement from the General Prosecutors office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a separate operation late on Thursday, police detained Eugen Sechila, one of Georgescus campaign managers, local news outlet Agerpres reported. Sechila was allegedly trying to leave the country and head to the African country of Chad. He was placed under judicial custody and is accused of spreading fascist, racist and xenophobic messages, according to G4 Media. The prosecutors also questioned several influencers for their role in promoting Georgescus social media driven campaign, for which the candidate declared zero funding. Earlier in the week, the courts also placed Horatiu Potra under judicial custody. Potra, a former French Foreign Legionnaire and leader of a mercenary group with connections to Georgescu, was allegedly planning to stir violent protests in Bucharest after the canceled ballot. The restrictive measures against him were lifted on Friday after judges accepted his lawyers challenge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nature of Potras links to Georgescu has since been a subject of heated debate, with both men denying close ties. After Georgescu initally denied any connection to Potra, he said late on Thursday that he had met with Potra on Sunday on his teams advice, in order to discuss ways to boost security for him and his family. --With assistance from Irina Vilcu. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Concern, outrage and anger continued to build this week in response to a growing number of mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and now Georgia. Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, suggested shooting down the drones over an unpopulated area on land or over the ocean. Why cant we bag at least one of these drones and get to the bottom of it? Smith said at a news conference on Saturday. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy met with state police and FBI officials from the Newark field office on Sunday for an update on the investigation into the unexplained activity. The public deserves clear answers we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources, Murphy posted on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is happening is outrageous. Thousands of drones and unmanned aerial systems flying above us, and our government is not telling us whos operating them and for what purpose, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from New York, said at a Friday press conference in Staten Island. In a message posted to X on Friday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan blasted the Biden administrations response to the thousands of reported recent sightings as entirely unacceptable. Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland, Hogan wrote, adding that the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government. Last Thursday, White House spokesman John Kirby indicated that the drone sightings may not be all that they seem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities corroborate any of the reported visual sightings, he said. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the state of New Jersey, and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels. And importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace. Last Wednesday, the Pentagon threw cold water on claims made by Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey that the drones are coming from an Iranian mothership off the East Coast. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and theres no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters. Murphy wrote letters this week to President Biden and lawmakers of both parties calling on Congress to pass legislation empowering state and local law enforcement entities to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to deal with UAS [unmanned aircraft systems]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres a rundown of what laws are currently on the books governing the use of drones in U.S. airspace. Laws on drone use For starters, if you own a drone weighing more than 0.55 pounds, you are required to register it with the Federal Aviation Authority. It costs $5 to register a drone, which is good for three years. As of Oct. 1, 791,597 drones had been registered nationwide, according to figures provided by the FAA. Federal law also requires that, in order to operate a drone for commercial purposes, one must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate issued by the FAA. To fly a drone for recreational purposes, you must pass a Recreational UAS Safety test and carry proof of having done so when flying. You must also follow the FAAs rules governing recreational drone use, including restrictions on speed, altitude and air space. You are required to avoid flying your drone near people, property and sensitive areas such as government facilities and infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additional state laws also restrict the operation of drones. In New York, for instance, launching, landing or operating an unmanned aircraft in a state park or a historic site is allowed only with prior written approval from state agencies. Among the statewide restrictions in New Jersey, no one is allowed to operate a drone who is under the influence of drugs or who has a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or higher. Growing popularity of drones Drones have become big business around the world over the past few years. In 2024, sales in the U.S. are expected to top $6.8 billion, according to the market research company Fact.Mr. On Cyber Monday this year, for instance, the internet was full of deals on drones. The demand for drones is rising due to the growing popularity of steady and high-quality aerial photography and videography on various occasions. Technological advancements and manufacturing innovations have further made the product popular among users, Grand View Research, a market research and consulting company, says on its website. Why the recent drone sightings have sparked concern While drones are nothing new in the skies over the U.S. (the FAA issued its first certificate of operation in 2006), the uptick in the number of sightings reported to state and federal officials in places like New Jersey has been notable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, an FBI official told Congress that the bureau had received more than 3,000 tips from the public about mysterious drone encounters, CBS News reported. The bulk of those took place after dark. On Thursday, drones were spotted flying in Bronx, N.Y., just before dawn. But by the time local officials responded, the unmanned aircraft had vanished. Multiple reports have been made of drones entering the airspace of Naval Weapons Station Earle, in Colts Neck, N.J., officials said Friday, ABC News reported. Stranger still, in some cases residents have reported seeing multiple drones flying in apparent coordination, CNN reported. Montvale, N.J., Mayor Mike Ghassali said that the reported drone flights could sometimes last for up to six hours. UPDATE (Jan. 20, 2025, 7:58 a.m. ET): President Joe Biden issued pre-emptive pardons hours ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday for former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, members and staffers of the House Jan. 6 committee, and police officers who testified before the Jan. 6 Committee. One might wonder if pre-emptive pardons are constitutional. Does a person have to have already had a trial and been found guilty in order for a pardon to be legal? Elmer Crosby, Houston Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hi Elmer, Pre-emptive pardons are constitutional. Lets look at the Constitution, court precedent and history to understand why. The pardon power is found in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution. It says (in part): The President ... shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. Whats clear from that language is that the pardon power applies to federal crimes (against the United States) as opposed to state crimes. Beyond that and the impeachment limitation, its a rather broad authority wielded by presidents at their discretion to cover conduct that has already taken place. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in Donald Trumps legal cases. Supreme Court precedent backs up that understanding of the pardon power as a vast one. In 1866, the Supreme Court said it extends to every offence known to the law, and may be exercised at any time after its commission, either before legal proceedings are taken, or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talk of pre-emptive pardons came up recently after President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter, in two cases in which he was awaiting sentencing as well as for any crimes he may have committed stretching back a decade. The subject also arises in connection with discussion about Biden possibly pardoning other potential high-profile targets of the incoming administration. Notably, the pre-emptive aspect of Hunters pardon wasnt unprecedented. Indeed, one of the most well-known pardons of any kind ever in U.S. history was President Gerald Fords 1974 clemency to former President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Nixon hadnt been charged, so he couldnt have had a trial or been found guilty when he was pardoned. Of course, the way to find out if the Supreme Court might view the matter differently today is if a new case raises the issue. That would mean that Hunter or some other pardon recipient would have to be charged for conduct covered by their pardon and then challenge the charges on the grounds that the pardon covers them. But unless and until such a case arises, we can look to the Constitution, court precedent and historical examples to understand what might happen. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com By Samia Nakhoul, Maya Gebeily, Parisa Hafezi and Suleiman Al-Khalidi DUBAI (Reuters) - Bashar al-Assad confided in almost no one about his plans to flee Syria as his reign collapsed. Instead, aides, officials and even relatives were deceived or kept in the dark, more than a dozen people with knowledge of the events told Reuters. Hours before he escaped for Moscow, Assad assured a meeting of about 30 army and security chiefs at the defence ministry on Saturday that Russian military support was on its way and urged ground forces to hold out, according to a commander who was present and requested anonymity to speak about the briefing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Civilian staff were none the wiser, too. Assad told his presidential office manager on Saturday when he finished work he was going home but instead headed to the airport, according to an aide in his inner circle. He also called his media adviser, Buthaina Shaaban, and asked her to come to his home to write him a speech, the aide said. She arrived to find no one was there. "Assad didn't even make a last stand. He didn't even rally his own troops," said Nadim Houri, executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative regional think-tank. "He let his supporters face their own fate." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reuters was unable to contact Assad in Moscow, where he has been granted political asylum. Interviews with 14 people familiar with his final days and hours in power paint a picture of a leader casting around for outside help to extend his 24-year rule before leaning on deception and stealth to plot his exit from Syria in the early hours of Sunday. Most of the sources, who include aides in the former president's inner circle, regional diplomats and security sources and senior Iranian officials, asked for their names to be withheld to freely discuss sensitive matters. Assad didn't even inform his younger brother, Maher, commander of the Army's elite 4th Armoured Division, about his exit plan, according to three aides. Maher flew a helicopter to Iraq and then to Russia, one of the people said. Assad's maternal cousins, Ehab and Eyad Makhlouf, were similarly left behind as Damascus fell to the rebels, according to a Syrian aide and Lebanese security official. The pair tried to flee by car to Lebanon but were ambushed on the way by rebels who shot Ehab dead and wounded Eyad, they said. There was no official confirmation of the death and Reuters was unable to independently verify the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assad himself fled Damascus by plane on Sunday, Dec. 8, flying under the radar with the aircraft's transponder switched off, two regional diplomats said, escaping the clutches of rebels storming the capital. The dramatic exit ended his 24 years of rule and his family's half a century of unbroken power, and brought the 13-year civil war to an abrupt halt. He flew to Russia's Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, and from there on to Moscow. Assad's immediate family, wife Asma and their three children, were already waiting for him in the Russian capital, according to three former close aides and a senior regional official. Videos of Assad's home, taken by rebels and citizens who thronged the presidential complex following his flight and posted on social media, suggest he made a hasty exit, showing cooked food left on the stove and several personal belongings left behind, such as family photo albums. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RUSSIA AND IRAN: NO MILITARY RESCUE There would be no military rescue from Russia, whose intervention in 2015 had helped turn the tide of the civil war in favour of Assad, or from his other staunch ally Iran. This had been made clear to the Syrian leader in the days leading up to his exit, when he sought aid from various quarters in a desperate race to cling to power and secure his safety, according to the people interviewed by Reuters. Assad visited Moscow on Nov. 28, a day after Syrian rebel forces attacked the northern province of Aleppo and lightning drive across the country, but his pleas for military intervention fell on deaf ears in the Kremlin which was unwilling to intervene, three regional diplomats said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hadi al-Bahra, the head of Syria's main opposition abroad, said that Assad didn't convey the reality of the situation to aides back home, citing a source within Assad's close circle and a regional official. "He told his commanders and associates after his Moscow trip that military support was coming," Bahra added. "He was lying to them. The message he received from Moscow was negative." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that Russia had spent a lot of effort in helping stabilise Syria in the past but its priority now was the conflict in Ukraine. Four days after that trip, on Dec. 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Assad in Damascus. By that time, the rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist group had taken control of Syria's second-largest city Aleppo and were sweeping southwards as government forces crumbled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assad was visibly distressed during the meeting, and conceded that his army was too weakened to mount an effective resistance, a senior Iranian diplomat told Reuters. Assad never requested that Tehran deploy forces in Syria though, according to two senior Iranian officials who said he understood that Israel could use any such intervention as a reason to target Iranian forces in Syria or even Iran itself. The Kremlin and Russian foreign ministry declined to comment for this article, while the Iranian foreign ministry was not immediately available to comment. ASSAD CONFRONTS OWN DOWNFALL After exhausting his options, Assad finally accepted the inevitability of his downfall and resolved to leave the country, ending his family's dynastic rule which dates back to 1971. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three members of Assad's inner circle said he initially wanted to seek refuge in the United Arab Emirates, as rebels seized Aleppo and Homs and were advancing towards Damascus. They said he was rebuffed by the Emiratis who feared an international backlash for harbouring a figure subject to U.S. and European sanctions for allegedly using chemical weapons in a crackdown on insurgents, accusations that Assad has rejected as a fabrication. The UAE government didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Yet Moscow, while unwilling to intervene militarily, was not prepared to abandon Assad, according to a Russian diplomatic source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, attending the Doha forum in Qatar on Saturday and Sunday, spearheaded the diplomatic effort to secure the safety of Assad, engaging Turkey and Qatar to leverage their connections to HTS to secure Assad's safe exit to Russia, two regional officials said. One Western security source said that Lavrov did "whatever he could" to secure Assad's safe departure. Qatar and Turkey made arrangements with HTS to facilitate Assad's exit, three of the sources said, despite official claim by both countries that they had no contacts with HTS, which is designated by the U.S. and the U.N. as a terrorist organisation. Moscow also coordinated with neighbouring states to ensure that a Russian plane leaving Syrian airspace with Assad on board would not be intercepted or targeted, three of the sources said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Qatar's foreign ministry didn't immediately respond to queries about Assad's exit, while Reuters was unable to reach HTS for comment. A Turkish government official said there was no Russian request to use Turkish airspace for Assad's flight, though didn't address whether Ankara worked with HTS to facilitate the escape. Assad's last prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, said he spoke to his then-president on the phone on Saturday night at 10.30 pm. "In our last call, I told him how difficult the situation was and that there was huge displacement (of people) from Homs toward Latakia ... that there was panic and horror in the streets," he told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV this week. "He replied: 'Tomorrow, we will see'," Jalali added. "'Tomorrow, tomorrow', was the last thing he told me." Jalali said he tried to call Assad again as dawn broke on Sunday, but there was no response. (Additional reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow, Jonathan Saul in London, Maha El Dahan and Nadine Awadalla in Dubai, Laila Bassam in Beirut, Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara, Andrew Mills in Doha and Timour Azhari in Damascus; Writing by Samia Nakhoul; Editing by Pravin Char) The News in Brief Friday, December 13, 2024 The United Kingdom's Ambassador to Georgia, Gareth Ward, issued a strong criticism of the Georgian Dream party in a video address, denouncing its recent actions as a deviation from Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations."We are shocked by the violence used by law enforcement and informal groups," Ward declared in Georgian, describing such actions as "unacceptable" and calling for their immediate cessation.Ambassador Ward highlighted a significant shift in UK-Georgia relations, driven by concerns over democratic backsliding and escalating violence. Referencing a statement by the UK Foreign Secretary, he announced the suspension of bilateral cooperation, including funding for public administration reforms, the Peace Fund, and military partnerships. "For instance, we will no longer assist Georgia's Ministry of Defense in building its cybersecurity operations center," Ward stated. The suspension also extends to political engagement, including the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue.Citing reports from Georgia's Public Defender, Ward stressed the need for accountability, noting that over 400 detainees showed signs of physical abuse. He called for an independent investigation into the excessive use of force by police.The Ambassador urged Georgian Dream to listen to Western partners who have supported Georgia's sovereignty for decades. While expressing concern over the current trajectory, he reaffirmed confidence in Georgia's potential to become a thriving democracy but issued a stark warning: "The alternative is autocracy."The Council of Europe issued strong statements on December 11, highlighting concerns about escalating violence in Georgia, democratic backsliding, and violations of media freedoms and human rights.In a joint statement from 35 member states, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, the Georgian Dream party faced criticism for rejecting EU financial support and halting EU accession negotiations - actions deemed contrary to the Georgian constitution. The statement condemned the violence against peaceful protesters advocating for Georgia's European aspirations and called on authorities to end intimidation against civil society, opposition figures, and independent media."We reiterate our serious concerns about the continuous democratic backsliding of the Georgian government to the detriment of the Georgian people," the statement read, urging authorities to uphold democratic values and repeal laws that violate international commitments.The Council's Group of Friends for the Safety of Journalists and Media Freedom further criticized the disproportionate use of force, including against journalists. Over 400 individuals have been detained during protests, with reports of torture and violence requiring urgent medical care for many. "Freedom of assembly and expression are being violated," the group stated, condemning police crackdowns on media workers and the divisive "Transparency of Foreign Influence" law.The Council called on Georgian Dream to cease its repressive actions, ensure media safety, and protect the rights of peaceful assembly, warning that these developments undermine the European values Georgia aspires to uphold. BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2024 Imperial Springs International Forum. Xi pointed out that since its establishment 10 years ago, the forum has adhered to advocating multilateralism, conducted in-depth discussions on global governance issues, actively shared China's propositions, and played a positive role in enhancing exchanges and understanding between China and countries worldwide. Xi emphasized that in a world marked by intertwined changes and turmoil, peace and development remain the shared aspirations of all peoples. China stands ready to work with other countries in the spirit of "promoting global solidarity," upholding fairness and justice to safeguard global peace and stability, adhering to win-win cooperation to promote sustainable global development, and committing to inclusiveness and mutual learning to advance human civilization to new heights, Xi said. The "2024 Imperial Springs International Forum" opened Thursday in Madrid, Spain. Themed "Collective Action for One Future," the forum is co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association, the Guangdong provincial government, and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid. In late July, an ATM refill bag full of $140,000 in cash was stolen from the UW Credit Union in Wauwatosa. Nearly five months later, police are still searching for the suspect. On July 31, an employee of Thillens armored car company told Wauwatosa police she had set the bag of cash next to her to refill the drive-thru ATM at UW Credit Union, 6510 W. State St., when the theft occurred just before 3 p.m., according to a probable cause statement included in a warrant request for the ongoing criminal investigation. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm requested the warrant on Aug. 19 to serve to Verizon for records and information related to an identified phone number, including communications and location data, which could serve as evidence in eventually charging a suspect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Wisconsin state statutes, theft of over $100,000 is a Class F felony punishable by a fine of $25,000, a state prison sentence of 12 years or both. That same day, Aug. 19, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jack Davila issued the warrant for the Wauwatosa Police Department to serve to Verizon. According to the probable cause statement: After the armored car company employee set the ATM bag down, a heavily-tinted white Ford Escape with no registration plates drove by without stopping. Soon after, the same vehicle returned. But this time, it stopped. A suspect wearing dark clothing and a ski mask exited from the vehicle's rear passenger side door, and the Thillens employee noticed there were three other people inside the Escape, all wearing ski masks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect grabbed the ATM bag and quickly jumped back inside the vehicle, which fled westbound on West State Street. Another officer conducting a check of the area located the Ford Escape parked in a city-owned lot at 7470 Blanchard St. The officer found the vehicle unoccupied, save for the empty ATM bag laying on the floor, an iPhone, gloves and a ski mask. Wauwatosa Police Department Detective Kirk Will ran the vehicle information through the nationwide FLOCK system, which uses artificial intelligence cameras to read and track vehicle license plates. He found that three days before the theft in Wauwatosa, the vehicle had been in Houston, Texas "a known area where crews are trained in the stealing of ATMs and related thefts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The narrative provided in the statement does not include all known facts related to the case, only the essential information necessary to establishing probable cause for obtaining the phone records, the detective wrote. The Journal Sentinel requested the incident report from the Wauwatosa Police Department on Dec. 10, but has not yet received it. But Wauwatosa Police Sgt. Abby Pavlik did say that it is still an open investigation. "We have persons of interest that we are attempting to locate," Pavlik said. Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13. This story was updated to add a video. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tosa police investigating theft of $140K from armored car employee BUTLER COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) People nationwide are concerned about increased drone activity and have no idea who is behind the controls. The flying frenzy has reached Kansas, as people in Butler and Sedgwick County have reported seeing multiple drones almost every night. Nicolas Marache said that nightly, he and his wife had spotted several drones of different sizes hovering around their Augusta home. They said they are now concerned about what business those flying drones have over their property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not happening just in New York or just in New Jersey; its been going on here, said Augusta resident Nicolas Marache. There were several drone sightings over Mulvane, now Augusta. Nicholas said that it has become a problem over their property. He fears for the intentions of those flying the drones. Invasion of privacy, worries about burglarieswe have seen drones right outside the windows, said Nicholas. His wife, Rebecca Marache, said they are left with more questions than answers. We dont know who they are, or what they want, or what theyre doing, or what business they have here, said Rebecca. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mystery object in Indiana sky concerns one resident. Heres what it was Butler County Sheriff Monty Hughey said they have been to the Maraches property several times and have yet to come into contact with the drones. He said it can be hard to track them down because the operator can be miles away. He added there are several safety concerns his team looks out for. Weve got to make sure, if there is a drone, that theyre not keeping an eye on their house or people that use them to burglarize residences as well, because they check their property and look for things to steal, like in the backyard, cars, and so forth, said Sheriff Hughey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said they will make themselves available if anyone comes across drones and has concerns. If anybody else is seeing drones above their residences or flying around being suspicious, be sure to give us a call here at Butler County; well be more than happy to come check that out, said Sheriff Hughey. Sheriff Hughey said he does not believe any national security threat has reached Kansas, and their biggest concern is drones used to scope out new possible theft victims. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin handed out awards to honor the service of law enforcement officers in the Natural State and their commitment to others on Thursday. During the event, awards were given to officers nominated by counties, regions and distinguished services. It was just a completely random senseless act, Arkansas State Police discuss deadly Fordyce mass shooting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chief Deputy John Cutrell from the Calhoun County Sheriffs Office was awarded Statewide Officer of the Year for helping several victims and aiding paramedics during the mass shooting at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce this summer. Cutrell said his training prepared him and he never thought twice about helping those in need. Theyre a good community they work well together, and they are a strong community, Cutrell said. Do it because you love it and get out in the community and just stay with that. I dont even feel my age Little Rock Police Department officer entering 51st year of service Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffin said that Cutrell demonstrated courage in the face of chaos and is a hero. The victim Chief Deputy Cutrell assisted that day is alive because of the chief deputys actions, Griffin said. In a situation of chaos and violence, Chief Deputy Cutrell demonstrated strength, compassion, and courage. He was among many heroes in Fordyce that day, and his actions are representative of the best of law enforcement in our state. During the award ceremony, a valor tribute was also presented to the families of the officers who have died. To see the complete list of honors, visit ArkansasAG.gov. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) An attorney, who previously lost her ability to practice law after sending herself fake threatening emails while working for the state, has voluntarily surrendered her Bar Association membership again after admitting to spending more than $100,000 in client funds for personal use and other ethics infractions. Former health department attorney pleads guilty to charges for sending herself threatening emails On Monday, the Oklahoma State Supreme Court allowed attorney Julia Ezell to resign from the Oklahoma Bar Association pending disciplinary action, after Ezell admitted to the court she spent tens of thousands of dollars that belonged to her clients, and may have forged a clients signature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ezells attorney said her actions are a result of her struggles with opiate addiction, and she is now sober and working to make things right. OKLAHOMA POLITICS: Oklahoma State Rep. files bill to eliminate personal, corporate state income tax In an affidavit Ezell filed with the state Supreme Court last month, Ezell wrote she was aware of three separate grievances that had been filed against her with the Oklahoma Bar Association. One grievance accused her of forging a clients signature. Another grievance, which Ezell self-reported, accused her of spending more than $120,000 in funds from her attorney-client trust account for personal use. A third grievance accused her of writing thousands of dollars in bad checks from that trust account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the affidavit, Ezell admitted to all three accusations. State pharmacy board director allegedly offered job in exchange for controversial medical marijuana rule She wrote that she likely did sign a clients name on a legal document to ensure it was timely filed. She also wrote the trust account overdrafts were a result of poor record keeping, failure to promptly deposit retainer fees into my trust account, and my unintentional use of an IOLTA check to pay an employees salary. In response to the grievance concerning her use of attorney-client trust account funds for personal use, she wrote, I self-reported that I had converted approximately $123,177.78 in client funds for my personal use from late fall of 2022 through August 15, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legal expert Tim Gilpin says lawyers should know they cannot spend money from their trust accounts unless it has been properly earned. Every lawyer in the state who receives client funds, like for an injury settlement or for escrow, or a real estate deal or a client pays a big retainer, but you take it out as you earn the money, Gilpin said. It has to go into whats called an attorney-client trust account. And thats a special account you set up with the bank thats labeled as such, and that youre under the ethics rules and consideration. News 4 first reported about Ezell back in July 2018, when she worked as General Counsel for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. That month, she reported to police that someone sent her threatening emails a couple of days before she was set to present some controversial emergency rules on medical marijuana sales to the state board of health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LOCAL NEWS: Alleged group of bank scammers taking thousands from Oklahomans But, after investigating, authorities determined Ezell sent those emails to herself through an email account she created. She ended up pleading guilty to several charges, including making a false crime report. Those convictions have since been expunged from her record. After leaving the health department and a brief suspension of her legal license, Ezell spent the past few years practicing as a private attorney. Ezells attorney, Ed Blau, says, while its not an excuse, there is an explanation behind the actions Ezell admitted to this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the past several years, Ms. Ezell struggled with opiate addiction, Blau said. And within the past year, she realized that some things that happened while she was in the midst of her addiction were improper. He says shes been clean for at least a year and a half and is now trying to do the right thing. And the only way that she could move through her addiction and make it right for everybody is to self-report to the bar, which she did, and then ultimately resign or license, he said. He says shes already reimbursed all the money she spent from her client trust account and made the choice to self-report the improper spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She felt that self-reporting to the bar, some of the things that she did were improper was the only way to both make it right for clients, but make it right for herself as an addict in recovery, Blau said. On Monday, the supreme court approved her request to resign from the bar association. Her license to practice law will be suspended for at least five years. It will be up to the Supreme Court to decide if shes fit to practice once that time is up. Im completely confident that after five years, as long as she stays sober as anybody with addiction issues, shell be able to come back and be a fantastic attorney, Blau said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, its a decision Gilpin says the Supreme Court will likely not take lightly given Ezells history. When she worked for the state, making up threatening emails, being disciplined and during that discipline, being on a suspended criminal sentence and then going back to practicing law is unusual, Gilpin said. And then taking a clients money out of a trust account, and forging the names, is egregious behavior that you may not see very often. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Texas State Auditors Office conducted an audit report on the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and is saying that the university is not properly managing purchased orders and payments associated with its contracts, as the university describes its transactions. According to the audit, the university cannot reliably identify its total expenditures for each contract and lacks adequate processes to prevent contracts from exceeding their maximum values. The scope of UTEPs audit included contracts active between Sept. 1, 2022, and March 31, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The review said contracts were reviewed in three steps: internal components related to vendor payment, total payments made on the contracts, and the contract management process. As a result, the University cannot always determine how much it has paid on a contract or if the total payments made have exceeded the maximum contract value. In addition, the University did not always amend or extend contracts as needed. Generally, the University complied with vendor selection, contract formation, and contract monitoring requirements, according to the audit. According to the audit, UTEP creates contracts that are identified by contract numbers. When the vendor is making its payment, the University requires a unique purchase order number that is not associated with the contract numbers. Payments made to the university are referenced to the purchase order number only. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The University relies on individual departments to monitor contract payments and total contract amounts. However, the University does not have any processes to monitor and verify that the departments are effectively performing that duty, according to the audit. The audit reviewed nine sample contracts that totaled $53,705,237 of 236 contacts that totaled $112,175,771. Auditors found that one contract tested exceeded its max contract value by at least $34,000. Many times, the final overall amount may be higher for vendors due to additional payments being made out to the university but were not associated with their specific contract, according to the audit. In addition, the university did appropriately report all 2,104 eligible contracts but did not report contract information to the Legislative Budget Board following their requirements. The contracts were reported through purchase orders, according to the audit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Generally, the University complied with vendor selection, contract formation, and contract monitoring requirements. However, it should strengthen other contracting processes and ensure that users have appropriate rights in its contracting system, according to the audit. UTEP sent the following statement to KTSM regarding the audit. We use audits to find and fix problems. We provided action plans and timelines for process improvements that were also published in the report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. AUSTIN (KXAN) Just shy of 4,000 people celebrated graduating from Austin Community College this week, the schools largest class in its history. ACC held its Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony for over 3,940 graduates Thursday evening. According to the college, number made for a record-breaking year for the number of candidates, up 5% from last falls graduation. This was ACCs first graduating class since it approved the Free Tuition Pilot Program, which was announced in April for the high school class of 2024. The college also saw an increase in enrollment over the summer after the program was approved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED | ACC sees increase in enrollments after offering free tuition ACC said over the last decade, graduation and completion rates have steadily grown, which fuels the growing workforce in Central Texas. According to ACC, college data shows that nearly 80% of ACC graduates live and work in the Austin area. On average, graduates increase their income by 45% within five years of graduation, the college added. Grads who walked the stage Thursday completed an associate degree, bachelors degree, workforce certificate, or high school equivalency program. Among the graduates this semester, the college recognized the following: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 30+ new Manufacturing Technicians 46 new Teachers & Educators 249 new Nurses 80 new Firefighters ACC sees increase in enrollments after offering free tuition Im so proud to see our students achieving their dreamsits the best part of the year for me, said ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. Every ceremony, more students are crossing the stage. Theres a lot of work happening behind the scenes to get every student to their finish line whether thats transferring to a 4-year university or starting a new career. Were reimagining ways to support our students from how we schedule our classes to how we support basic needs like housing, child care, and food. Thats the real joy in our work and purpose. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. A proposal to expand MoPac Boulevard in Southwest Austin has some parents concerned about the potential for more traffic affecting Austin High School. The highway expansion proposal is currently in a study phase, but it has drawn pushback from some residents who also worry about potential environmental impacts. The high school at 1715 W. Cesar Chavez St. is sandwiched between Lady Bird Lake, MoPac and the Cesar Chavez off-ramp from the highway. The campus' location is a point of pride for students, who love being in the center of Austin and close to Lady Bird Lake, said Sommer Maxwell, who has a 17-year-old son at the school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maxwell was among parents, staff and community members who gathered in the high schools library Monday night to discuss the proposed expansion project and any potential effects on the campus. Maxwell wants to make sure that mobility for students, especially their access to the pedestrian bridge across Lady Bird Lake under MoPac, is undisturbed during any potential construction. The kids love that they can walk across that, Maxwell said. Thats what makes Austin High School special. The proposed project is undergoing an environmental study, said Jori Lui, spokesperson for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, the project's sponsor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposal would add two express lanes in each direction to MoPac between Cesar Chavez Street and Slaughter Lane. Funds havent yet been appropriated for the project, and it would need to receive approval from the Texas Department of Transportation to move forward, Lui said. If the project is approved, the mobility authority would do extensive outreach to the Austin school district, Lui said. Closer to Austin High School, the proposal includes a looped entry from Sixth Street onto MoPac, instead of the existing left turn. For the school district, its important to ensure the large parking lot south of Lady Bird Lake off Stratford Drive is maintained, said Jeremy Striffler, the districts director of real estate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our students and visitors use that parking sometimes, Striffler said. District officials also want to know more about how the potential construction could add to traffic on Cesar Chavez Street, which could increase the travel times for buses during drop-off and pick-up periods, said Kris Hafezizadeh, the district's executive director of transportation. My concern is that by doing this, we will create more issues for this school if we do nothing to Cesar Chavez, Hafezizadeh said. The school's attendance zone also stretches south, so families who drive to Austin High from those areas would need to consider potential traffic impacts of any possible construction, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maxwell worries the construction could be difficult to navigate for new drivers, like her son, who frequently travel the roads around Austin High. And she said any additional added lanes will create more traffic on MoPac, which a lot of students, such as her son, use to get to the high school from the southern parts of the campus attendance zone. Hes on it a couple times a day, Maxwell said. Adding volume will never be a good thing. The mobility authority first began the environmental study for the proposal in 2015, but a 2016 lawsuit stalled its progress. During Mondays meeting, Bill Bunch, executive director of the Save Our Springs Alliance, noted he worries the project could harm the water quality in the area. Save Our Springs was involved in the 2016 lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a horrible project for Austin, Bunch said. Its not clear what theyre proposing. The public can provide comment on the environmental study until Dec. 29. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin High parents worry MoPac expansion plan could worsen traffic AUSTIN (KXAN) Austin Independent School District leaders said on Thursday they plan to get a new data system to track more than 13,000 students who receive special education services. The change comes as the districts special education department enters its second year under state intervention. The district said on Thursday it has completed 75% of the requirements to rehabilitate its special education department under the agreement with the Texas Education Agency and in February, the district said it cleared the backlog of students who were waiting longer than state and federal law allows for special education evaluations. READ: At 15, she needs special education and homebound services to learn. For weeks, she got neither Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point, the waitlist for evaluations included thousands of students. TEA investigators outlined in an April 2023 investigative report the district waited as long as nine months, in some cases, to evaluate students who were suspected of needing services. Dr. Dru McGovern-Robinett, who for over a year has overseen the districts effort to come into compliance with state and federal special education laws, told KXAN in November 2023 that there was no centralized system for teachers to request students be evaluated before her tenure. Austin ISD trustees have also publicly commented on being unable to track how behind they were on evaluations before the new board focused the administration on the special education backlog. It was very concerning and then the team had started to identify that as being very concerning as I came on board, but it is connected to more than a single entry point. A system overall then has to have a strong communication plan to any and all members of it, McGovern-Robinett said to KXAN during an interview in November 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TEA says Austin ISDs special education evaluations backlog is clear Segura said on Thursday that last year the district managed to create a system for tracking special education evaluations, but under the new system, the superintendent said teachers and administrators on the campus level will have better access to the individualized education plans and accommodations that result from student evaluations. What it allows us to now [] the accommodations that are in the [individualized education plan] are accessible to every single educator supporting that student. When youre in high school, and you have six different teachers, you might have a different accommodation for when you are in art versus if you are in a geography or science class, Segura said. Segura said he will oversee the 18-week data system transition and expects it to be working by next school year, specifically Sept. 1, 2025. The superintendent did not answer whether the vendor for the new data system will be a company that has previously worked with the district or a new contractor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The change will also happen as the district searches for a new person to lead the special education department. McGovern-Robinett will retire in the new year. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. AUSTIN (KXAN) An Austin man was sentenced Thursday morning to two years in prison for fraudulently underreporting $4 million in bitcoin sales, according to a U.S. DOJ press release. Frank Ahlgren III, who the DOJ calls an early adopter of cryptocurrency, pled guilty to the charges on Sep. 12. An IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) agent said in the release that the conviction is the first criminal tax evasion prosecution centered solely on cryptocurrency. Ahlgren will serve time because he believed his cryptocurrency transactions were untraceable. This case demonstrates that no one is above the law, said IRS-CI acting special agent in charge Lucy Tan in the release. PREVIOUS: Austin man charged with tax fraud after buying home with allegedly unreported crypto profits According to the DOJ, Ahlgren attempted to conceal his sales by transferring bitcoins between accounts and meeting in person to make a cash sale. He also used mixers, tools designed to essentially launder cryptocurrency. Indeed, in May 2014, Ahlgren had blogged about his knowledge of mixers as ways to add anonymity to bitcoin transactions, the release said. Following prison, Ahlgren will have a year of probation and will be made to pay $1,095,031 in restitution, according to the release. As the prices for cryptocurrency are high, so is the temptation to not pay taxes on its sale. Avoid the temptation and avoid federal prison, Tan said. IRS-CI and the Texas Office of Attorney General investigated the case. The case was prosecuted in U.S. District Courts Western District of Texas. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that an Austin man has been sentenced to two years in prison for filing a tax return that falsely underreported the capital gains he earned from selling $3.7 million in bitcoins. According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2017 and 2019, the DOJ said Frank Richard Ahlgren III, filed false tax returns that underreported or did not report the sale of $4 million worth of bitcoins in which he had substantial gains. This move is notable as it does display at least one way that the federal government is regulating cryptocurrency. This is because as all taxpayers are required to report any sale proceeds and gains or losses from the sale of cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, on a tax return. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cryptocurrency is largely seen as a Wild West investing, money storing and memerie space that detaches itself from government trackability and regulation. Following Donald Trump's presidential victory cryptocurrency has had a boom as Trump is seen as an ally for the space. This has led to an influx of meme coins and all time highs for established coins like bitcoin which recently hit $100,000 a coin. What has the DOJ said about the sentencing? According to the DOJ, Ahlgren was an early investor in Bitcoin and purchased bitcoins as early as 2011. In 2015, Ahlgren bought approximately 1,366 bitcoins using his accounts with Coinbase. The highest price Bitcoin sold for that year was approximately $495.56. In October 2017, Ahlgren sold approximately 640 bitcoins trading at approximately $5,807.53 per bitcoin for a total of $3.7 million. Ahlgren used the proceeds to purchase a house in Park City, Utah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to court records, most of the Bitcoin used to purchase the house were bought in 2015 using his Coinbase account. In a 2017 federal income tax return, Ahlgren lied to his accountant by submitting a false summary of his gains and losses from the sale of his bitcoins. According to the DOJ he did so to conceal the full extent of his gain. Ahlgren then filed a false 2017 federal income tax return that substantially inflated the cost basis of the bitcoins. Doing this meant he was underreporting his true capital gain from his sale of bitcoins. Ahlgren committed similar crimes in 2018 and 2019 as he sold bitcoins for more than $650,000, and did not report these sales at all on his 2018 and 2019 tax returns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For these years, Ahlgren took several sophisticated steps to attempt to conceal his transactions on the bitcoin blockchain by moving his bitcoins through multiple wallets, meeting an individual in person to exchange bitcoins for cash, and using mixers, which are designed to conceal the individual who made the particular transaction. Indeed, in May 2014, Ahlgren had blogged about his knowledge of mixers as ways to add anonymity to bitcoin transactions. In total, the tax loss from Ahlgrens criminal conduct was over $1 million. Frank Ahlgren III earned millions buying and selling bitcoins, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Departments Tax Division said in a statement. But instead of paying the taxes he knew were due, he lied to his accountant about the extent of a large portion of his gains and sought to conceal another chunk of his profits through sophisticated techniques designed to obscure his transactions on the bitcoin blockchain. That conduct today earned him a two-year sentence. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pitman for the Western District of Texas ordered Ahlgren to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $1,095,031 in restitution to the United States. Ahlgren will serve time because he believed his cryptocurrency transactions were untraceable. This case demonstrates that no one is above the law. My team at IRS Criminal Investigation has the expertise and tools to track financial activity, whether it involves dollars, pesos, or cryptocurrency, Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)s Houston Field Office said. This case marks the first criminal tax evasion prosecution centered solely on cryptocurrency. As the prices for cryptocurrency are high, so is the temptation to not pay taxes on its sale. Avoid the temptation and avoid federal prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email Bsalgado@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin man gets 2-year sentence for lying about $3.7M in Bitcoin sales NANJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The largest "ro-ro" (roll-on/roll-off) automobile terminal in the Yangtze River basin has gone operational at Taicang Port in east China's Jiangsu Province, providing new export channels for Chinese domestic car brands. The Haitong (Taicang) terminal, which opened Thursday, has already handled three "ro-ro" ships loaded with vehicles from 12 Chinese automakers, including SAIC Motor, Chery and BYD. The vehicles are to be exported to destinations including Mexico, Peru, Guatemala and the Republic of Korea. Spanning 860,000 square meters, the terminal boasts a designed annual throughput of 1.3 million vehicles and can accommodate up to 32,000 vehicles at once. It also features five automobile service centers, offering services such as warehousing, testing, maintenance and charging. According to Dai Chenhao, vice chairman of Haitong (Taicang) Automobile Terminal Co., Ltd., the terminal will enhance vehicle transport within the Yangtze River Delta and across the Yangtze River basin, promoting the coordinated development of automobile production, transportation and sales, and optimizing logistic costs. As Jiangsu's largest automobile export port, Taicang Port has exported 437,300 vehicles in the first 11 months of 2024, an increase of 19.8 percent year on year. These exports have reached 116 countries and regions worldwide. By Francois Murphy VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's conservative-led government said on Friday it is offering Syrian refugees a "return bonus" of 1,000 euros ($1,050) to move back to their home country after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer reacted quickly to Assad's overthrow on Sunday, saying the same day that the security situation in Syria should be reassessed so as to allow deportations of Syrian refugees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deporting people against their will is not possible until it becomes clearer what direction Syria is taking. For now, Austria's government has said it will focus on voluntary deportations. It has also stopped processing Syrians' asylum applications, as have more than a dozen European countries. Like many conservatives in Europe, Nehammer is under pressure from the far right, with the two groups often seeming to try to outbid each other on tough-sounding immigration policies. Syrians are the biggest group of asylum-seekers in Austria, a European Union member state. "Austria will support Syrians who wish to return to their home country with a return bonus of 1,000 euros. The country now needs its citizens in order to be rebuilt," Nehammer said in an English-language post on X. How many Syrians will take up the offer remains to be seen. With national flag-carrier Austrian Airlines having suspended flights to the Middle East because of the security situation, the Austrian bonus may not even fully cover travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An economy class one-way ticket in a month's time to Beirut, a common starting point for those heading overland to Damascus, currently costs at least 1,066.10 euros ($1,120.58) on Turkish Airlines, according to the company's website. Austria's far-right Freedom Party came first in September's parliamentary election with around 29% of the vote but, as no potential coalition partner was forthcoming, Nehammer is leading coalition talks with the Social Democrats and liberal Neos. ($1 = 0.9514 euros) (Reporting by Francois Murphy; editing by Mark Heinrich) MADISON, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) Senator Tammy Baldwin has publicly voiced support for Donald Trumps pick for Secretary of Transportation, former US Representative for Wisconsins 7th District and co-host of the Bottom Line on Fox Business, Sean Duffy. Senator Baldwin posted a photo on Facebook with the caption saying, in part, I am confident that we can work together to keep Wisconsin Families safe and our economy moving forward. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX2548 & WIProud. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) Ballet Spartanburg welcomed around seven hundred students of all ages into the theater, at no cost, to enjoy the Nutcracker. Executive Director Teresa Berline said the performance has been modified for those with special needs. They modify noise levels, keep the house lights on at all times, provide ELS interpreters and open a cool down space in the lobby among other to make everyone feel comfortable in the auditorium. Berline said the sensory sensitive performances began because the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater had a similar performance, solely dedicated to children with autism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We decided that we wanted to elevate that and take it to a whole other level and invite any child with any kind of special need, Berline said. When they come to this performance, we accommodate them. She said she met with professionals at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare, local teachers and therapists to make sure they knew best how to accommodate these children. This includes preparing the dancers for adapted lighting and sounds they may hear throughout the performance. Regardless, they said it is the best performance of the year. Its just really meaningful and it kind of solidifies what we do as dancers, said Carrie Preus. Were here to empower. Were here to inspire. Were here to make magic happen. Were able to do that for these people. Its just so special and rewarding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Teachers said events like this mean so much to them and their students. Rachel Hammett, a fourth and fifth grade teacher at the School for the Deaf and Blind, said the experience is always so exciting for students. Watching them come every year is so exciting, Hammett said. They get so excited that theyre able to access it. Its a cultural event that they dont normally get to go to in an auditorium, so they get really excited to come and just experience something new. While the performance is for the children, Berline said her dancers leave with a little something as well. They leave this morning with understanding how blessed they are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said she hopes these few hours are a gift to everyone. There are tears in your eyes because you walk away knowing that this is such a gift, not only for the students but also for the parents and the caregivers and the teachers to just have that respite for an hour where everything is beautiful and magical on the stage, Berline said. She said none of this would be possible without the sponsors. Ballet Spartanburg has four more productions this weekend: Friday at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Follow this link for tickets: Ballet Spartanburg | The Nutcracker Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Dec. 12Colder temperatures have moved into the Baltimore region and will be around for much of the weekend. Friday will be even colder with a high of 40 degrees, but there is no chance of precipitation. The evening low will fall to 24 degrees with light winds. [Get the latest weathercast from FOX45 News] Saturday will remain cold with mostly sunny skies and a high near 40 degrees. Bundle up in the evening because lows will be in the mid-20s with cloudy conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More rain will move into the area on Sunday, but it will be a bit warmer with a high near 42. The wet weather should continue into the evening but temperatures will stay above freezing, hovering just below 40 degrees. There could be a wet start to the workweek. Temperatures will be in the mid-50s on Monday with a 60% chance of rain. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich. Originally Published:December 12, 2024 at 7:41 AM EST The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (Ukrainian government) has amended a resolution prohibiting the import of goods originating from the Russian Federation into Ukraine's customs territory. The government made the decision on 13 December 2024 (a copy is in the possession of Ekonomichna Pravda). Source: Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) website; Ekonomichna Pravda Details: The document indicates that the ban will remain in effect until 31 December 2025. As of 1 January 2026, the resolution and thus the ban will expire. However, it could theoretically end earlier, as another condition for lifting the ban is the cessation of Russia's "discriminatory and/or unfriendly actions against Ukraine". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "The adoption of the resolution aligns with Ukraine's position on countering Russia's large-scale armed aggression and restoring Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity." The resolution banning the import of goods originating from Russia was first adopted in 2015 and has been extended annually ever since. Background: In late August 2024, Ukraine decided to terminate the Agreement between the Ukrainian and Russian governments on the organisation of a direct classified telephone line between Kyiv and Moscow dated 27 February 1998. Support UP or become our patron! Every year, Time magazine names its Person of the Year. This recipient can be an individual, group or even an object that has profoundly influenced the world over the past year. The distinction is not an honor or endorsement but a recognition of a figure that has most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse, the magazines former managing editor Walter Isaacson explained in 1998. Time magazine has been granting the Person of the Year title since 1927 (though it started out as Man of the Year and became gender-neutral in 1999). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the news of President-elect Donald Trump receiving the title in 2024, marking the second time he has been picked as Person of the Year, were taking a look back at the people and groups who have received this honor over the past dozen years. 2012: Barack Obama Former President Barack Obama on Sept. 20, 2017, in New York. Shortly after being reelected for his second term, President Barack Obama was named Times 2012 Person of the Year. It was the second time around for the former president, who also received the title in 2008. We are in the midst of historic cultural and demographic changes, and Obama is both the symbol and in some ways the architect of this new America, Time editor Rick Stengel wrote in a 2012 Time piece about Obamas selection. 2013: Pope Francis Pope Francis on March 27, 2013, in Vatican City. Less than a year after his papacy began, Pope Francis was named Times Person of the Year in 2013. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The magazines staff noted how the peoples pope was working on transforming the Catholic church, and winning hearts and minds around the world with his humble attitude and outreach to his most vulnerable followers. So much of what he has done in his brief nine months in office has really changed the tone that is coming out of the Vatican, Times managing editor Nancy Gibbs said at the time. He is saying, We are about the healing mission of the church, and not about the theological police work that had maybe been preoccupying us. 2014: Ebola fighters In 2014, multiple countries in West Africa were in the throes of an Ebola epidemic the worst in history, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the deadly virus spread in countries including Mali, Nigeria and Senegal, Time magazine featured the "Ebola fighters," a group of doctors, nurses and first responders, at the forefront of the fight against Ebola. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each Ebola fighter was featured on a different Time cover. Its not simply an historic event that were looking back on, said one of the honorees, Dr. Kent Brantly, who is also an Ebola survivor. Its still happening theyre still in the trenches fighting that war. 2015: German Chancellor Angela Merkel German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Aug. 28, 2014. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who stepped down in 2021 after 16 years in office, was named Times Person of the Year in 2015. The magazine cited Merkels economic leadership as well as her handling of the 2015 migrant crisis. At a time when other nations were closing their doors to refugees fleeing violence in Syria and other countries, Germany accepted more than 1 million first-time applications from asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, according to the Center for Global Development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She has stepped up in a way that was uncharacteristic even for her, Time managing editor Gibbs told TODAY in 2015. This year she really was tested in how she would respond to some of the most difficult challenges that any leader is facing in the world. 2016: Donald Trump Former President Donald Trump on Aug. 6, 2022, in Dallas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When he was still president-elect, Donald Trump was named Times Person of the Year in 2016. For reminding America that demagoguery feeds on despair and that truth is only as powerful as the trust in those who speak it, for empowering a hidden electorate by mainstreaming its furies and live-streaming its fears, and for framing tomorrows political culture by demolishing yesterdays, Donald Trump is TIMEs 2016 Person of the Year, managing editor Gibbs wrote in the magazine. Times cover referred to Trump as President of the Divided States of America, a phrase the former president took issue with in a 2016 TODAY interview. When you say divided states of America, I didnt divide them, he said. Theyre divided now, theres a lot of division. And were going to put it back together. 2017: The Silence Breakers The 2017 Time Person of the Year issue focused on the #MeToo movement, which had first gone viral earlier that year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The movement kicked off as sexual assault allegations surfaced against film executive Harvey Weinstein but soon became a reckoning for dozens of powerful figures across multiple industries, with women and men coming forward with claims of sexual harassment or assault. The Time cover featured four people who have been vocal in the #MeToo movement: Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler and another person whose face wasnt visible. The galvanizing actions of the women on our cover along with those of hundreds of others, and of many men as well, have unleashed one of the highest-velocity shifts in our culture since the 1960s, Times Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal said in a statement. The 2018 Time Person of the Year issue featured four journalists, and one news organization, who paid a terrible price for their reporting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post columnist who was killed after criticizing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was one of the journalists featured. Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were arrested in Myanmar for their reporting on the governments brutal treatment of Rohingya Muslims, were also featured. They were subsequently released from prison in 2019. Also featured was the Capital Gazette, a Maryland newspaper that was targeted in 2018 by a gunman, who killed five employees. The magazine chose this group for taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths, for the imperfect but essential quest for facts that are central to civil discourse, for speaking up and speaking out. 2019: Greta Thunberg Greta Thunberg on Aug. 14, 2019, in Plymouth, England. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg became the youngest person ever, at the age of 16, to be named Times Person of the Year in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thunberg, now in her 20s, galvanized young people around the world with her weekly #FridaysForFuture protests, pushing world leaders to take concrete action against climate change. She embodies youth activism, Time's Felsenthal told TODAY in 2019. Her rise in influence has been really extraordinary. She was a solo protester with a hand-painted sign 14 months ago. Shes now led millions of people around the world, 150 countries, to act on behalf of the planet, and shes really been a key driver this year taking this issue from backstage to center. 2020: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 13, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were co-named Times Person of the Year for 2020. The distinction came soon after Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, and after Harris made history as the U.S.s first female vice president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Donald Trump was a force for disruption and division over the past four years, Biden and Harris show where the nation is heading: a blend of ethnicities, lived experiences and world views that must find a way forward together if the American experiment is to survive, Felsenthal wrote in an essay at the time. 2021: Elon Musk Elon Musk at a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas. Time named billionaire Elon Musk as 2021s Person of the Year. He is reshaping life on Earth and possibly life off Earth as well, Felsenthal told TODAY at the time. Musk is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, the latter of which made history in 2021 by launching the first space flight with an all-civilian crew. We are in this new gilded age where, like it or not, so much of our lives, even in this moment of incredible inequality, are being shaped by these very wealthy tech leaders, Felsenthal said. 2022: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Spirit of Ukraine President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured during his regular address to the nation. In 2022, Time named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy its Person of the Year, as well as the Spirit of Ukraine. Zelenskyy and his country were given the honor after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Zelenskyy refused to leave Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, and instead stayed on the ground and provided support to the people of his country. In response to Zelenskyy's actions and Ukraine not backing down, Time's Felsenthal thought it would be good to give Zelenskyy his flowers. Whether one looks at this story of Ukraine with a sense of hope or a sense of fear, and the story is, of course, not fully written yet ... Zelenskyy has really galvanized the world in a way we havent seen in decades, he said. 2023: Taylor Swift In 2023, Time magazine hailed Taylor Swift as its Person of the Year. The pop superstar had quite an incredible year performing for fans on her sold-out Eras Tour, rereleasing her old albums that have shattered streaming records, becoming the first female artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify and also releasing the biggest concert movie of all time, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour." Needless to say, Swift had a really busy year, and she did it all while dating Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. Swift was the first entertainer to receive the Person of the Year designation solo. In an introduction, Times Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs explained why Swift was given this honor. Taylor Swift found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light, Jacobs piece reads. No one else on the planet today can move so many people so well. Achieving this feat is something we often chalk up to the alignments of planets and fates, but giving too much credit to the stars ignores her skill and her power. Swift is the rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story. 2024: Donald Trump After being elected president a second time, Donald Trump was named the 2024 Time Person of the Year following a stunning political comeback. Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to become the first president since Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s to return to office after losing a previous presidential race. I called it 72 Days of Fury, Trump told Time in its story about him being named Person of the Year. We hit the nerve of the country. The country was angry. This is someone who made a historic comeback, who reshaped the American presidency and whos reordering American politics. Its hard to argue with the fact that the person who is moving into the Oval Office is the most influential person in the news, Time Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs said on TODAY. Trump has vowed to deport millions of migrants, slash parts of the federal government and slap tariffs on foreign goods to boost American businesses. He also told Time one of his first acts will be to pardon rioters from Jan. 6 who were convicted for crimes involving storming the Capitol. This article was originally published on TODAY.com MOHAMMED AL-RIFAI/Getty Images I spent my childhood summers being driven from Lebanon, where my maternal family lives, to Syria, home to my paternal side. The shift as we drove from one border to the next always felt like stepping back two decades in time. As each kilometer passed, the glossy billboards of Lebanon, promoting local wine brands, summer festivals, and tanning oils essentially, the good life gradually gave way to a different form of consumerism. Once on Syrian roads, austere, USSR-style propaganda portraits began to dominate our view, urging a different kind of consumption: the unquestioning embrace of an ideology, embodied by one man, Hafez al-Assad. Why are there photos of Hafez everywhere? I asked nonchalantly from the backseat, my face pressed against the window. My dad would spin around sharply, snapping, Baba [father] Hafez! His eyes darted nervously to the driver beside him, gauging whether my careless slip had been overheard and, God forbid, would be reported later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even at age eight, I could read the stakes on my dads fear-stricken face. His reverence for Hafez al-Assad, our nations father, wasnt born of loyalty; it was a survival tactic, rooted in generational terror that he was passing on to me. As I learned more about my countrys history, the imposed paternal connection between me and Baba Hafez began to fuel my already budding daddy issues. I mean, what kind of father besieges a city for 27 days, massacring tens of thousands of his own children? Of course Im referring to the 1982 Hama massacre a dark stain in our nations history that left a lasting mark on my fathers then 25-year-old psyche. Shaped by that terror, my father learned to never challenge the regime, raising us in an apolitical household by avoiding any discourse that could make our family a target of Assads Baath Party. After Hafezs passing in the summer of 2000, we clung to the hope that the torch he left behind would fall into more compassionate hands. After all, his heir, Bashar al-Assad, was a doctor trained in ophthalmology in London the birthplace of the Spice Girls! How bad could he be? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as the acclaimed poet and patron saint of brats Charli XCX once said, I guess the apple dont fall far from the tree, and Bashar al-Assad wasted no time proving it. Reinforcing his fathers authoritarian rule, he further consolidated power among his inner circle and loyalists through propaganda, violence, and crony capitalism. As the Arab Spring spread across the region and reached Syria in 2011, Bashar al-Assad like any decaying dictator was quick to reveal that the apple was rotten right to the core. In response to mounting calls for freedom, his regime unleashed a brutal campaign of terror that would define the decade, introducing an entire generation including my own to the steep cost of defying the Assads. Chemical attacks, mass executions, systematic torture, and enforced disappearances were inflicted seemingly indiscriminately, targeting everyone from political opponents to children. Dissidents were snatched from their homes, only to vanish without a trace, leaving their families in a state of endless uncertainty, counting the days without closure, unable to grieve or move on. The aim, it seemed, was not only to crush resistance but to obliterate the faintest flicker of hope for autonomy the Syrian people had once dared to dream. The Syrian civil war dragged on for 13 years, becoming a battleground for foreign powers including the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and Israel to pursue their interests without spilling blood on their own soil. Meanwhile, the Syrian people bore the brunt of these proxy wars, with over 600,000 lives estimated to have been lost by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and more than 14 million individuals displaced, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, which has called it the largest refugee crisis in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watching my people traverse oceans in search of safety, only to drown in indifference once they arrived on the shores of nations that viewed them as an inconvenience, radicalized me. The apolitical stance passed down by my father though rooted in understandable caution was no longer a path I could follow. By my mid-20s, with the war showing no signs of abating, I had come to the painful realization that there is no such thing as being apolitical. Politics seep into every aspect of our lives, and only the privileged can afford to stay disengaged. Through my anonymous platform, Saint Hoax, I raised awareness about the refugee crisis, donated to relief funds, and campaigned against anti-immigration laws. Despite the shield of anonymity, though, I still lacked the courage to openly denounce the regime responsible for the suffering. Since becoming politically active, one of the greatest sources of my unease was the possibility of my identity being exposed. I never critiqued the Assads, but I lived in constant fear that one misstep or bad take could cost my father the freedom he had long protected through silence. In the end, the fallen apple analogy rang true for me as well. Like my father and his father before him I found myself trapped in the unyielding grip of the same family that had haunted ours for generations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But on December 8, 2024, that fear was eradicated. Bashar al-Assad fled the country, relinquishing control of the presidency. Waking up to an Assad-free Syria, after 54 years of tyrannical rule, was a reality I never thought Id witness in my lifetime, let alone my fathers. Scenes of Syrians overtaking the presidential palace stirred a profound sense of schadenfreude in me, allowing me to fully grasp the depth of that almost unpronounceable word. As they ransacked private bedrooms, closets, and Louis Vuitton boxes, I couldnt help but imagine the Assads watching, experiencing the same violation they had long imposed on a nation they robbed of its dignity. As with any historic event, the internet has been flooded by conflicting opinions, split between those celebrating and those critically evaluating the aftermath. While the latter, understandably, remain skeptical about Syrias future and the regional ramifications of this seismic regime change, no one should deny Syrians their long-overdue right to rejoice in the fall of their dictator. Seeing thousands of freed prisoners some of whom may have been born in captivity emerging into freedom is unambiguously a good thing. We are more than pawns in a geopolitical game. We are individuals with hopes and dreams who have been brutally stripped of our humanity by both our own leader and the foreign powers with vested interests in our land. Many Syrians are overcome this week with a renewed sense of optimism as they reunite with loved ones they once mourned as lost. Allow them the space to savor this moment, for it is undoubtedly worth savoring. Fueled by this collective hope, we can, for the first time in more than five decades, begin to envision a future where democracy thrives, authoritarianism is nipped in the bud, and, above all, no child is coerced into calling their oppressor baba. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay up-to-date with the politics team. Sign up for the Teen Vogue Take Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue More great activism coverage from Teen Vogue: The bruised and battered bodies inside the morgue of Mujtahid Hospital are hard to look at tangible evidence of the brutal regime of toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. But crowds of desperate people wait to see them, hoping finally for an answer to what happened to a loved one. Where are they? pleads one woman. My mother, shes been missing for 14 years, where is she? Where is my brother, where is my husband, where are they? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 35 or so bodies were found in a military hospital in the Syrian capital of Damascus, days after the regime fell. They are believed to be among the last victims of Assad. A man points to their tattered clothing and suggests they were detainees at the notorious Saydnaya prison. The bodies are identified only by number inside the fluorescent-lit morgue. But there isnt enough room, so a makeshift area has been set up outside where families gather, using their cellphone lights to look at the faces of the dead, hunting for features they recognize. But they also see the horrific wounds that seem to be consistent with torture. A woman searching among the bodies retches as she leaves the morgue. Dr. Ahmed Abdullah, an employee at the morgue, condemns the people who left these marks, accusing the Assad regime. This is the crime of the regime the way they tortured people, he tells CNN. Even in the Middle Ages, they didnt torture people like this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assad fled to Russia on Sunday after a lightning advance by Syrias rebel groups, and the populations anger against him is palpable. A woman, who says her only son was taken by the regime 12 years ago, shouts: I ask Allah to burn him, him and his sons. I hope he burns, like he burned my heart. Battered bodies inside the morgue of Mujtahid Hospital. A blur has been added. - CNN For so long there has been no information available at all to families about missing loved ones. The people gathered at this morgue just want answers, even in the form of a corpse. The Assad government was known for keeping meticulous records. A defector who once worked as a photographer in the Syrian military police smuggled out almost 27,000 images in 2014, taken at a military hospital where he said killed detainees were brought. The bodies in the photos showed signs of starvation, beatings, strangulation, and other forms of torture and killing, according to a report on the images compiled by a team of war crimes prosecutors and forensic experts. Troves and troves of prisoner files remain in the so-called Palestine Branch of military intelligence in southeastern Damascus. CNN found evidence at the facility that officers burned some documents and destroyed hard drives before fleeing but the terror they wrought was on such an industrial scale that much of the evidence has been left behind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview for a UN Commission report issued last year, a former detainee at the Palestine branch described regular beatings, beatings with a hosepipe and cigarette burns. Other detainees described sexual abuse, and beatings that left prisoners unable to walk. The UN report also said tens of thousands of people were buried in mass graves by the Syrian regime, and the US State Department released evidence in 2017 that a crematorium had been built at Saydnaya prison. A US official estimated at the time as many as 50 detainees a day could be being killed at Saydnaya. Investigators now will have the official files to sift through for information on what happened in Assads prisons. The detainees themselves left their own clues, scratched into the walls of underground cells that are perhaps better described as dungeons. Graffiti and names covered the walls of cells in a secret prison within the Syrian Air Force Intelligence headquarters where CNN found a man locked in a cell and abandoned and the other places weve seen where Syrians were held. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stolen people were likely trying to leave marks for someone to find. And now, their relatives are hoping finally to get some answers. This story was reported by Clarissa Ward, Brent Swails and Scott McWhinnie in Damascus, and Lauren Kent in London, and written by Rachel Clarke in Atlanta. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Bay County could be getting two new judges in the near future. Each year the Florida Supreme Court conducts a study to determine if the state needs additional circuit and county judges. The study for the 2025-26 fiscal year found the state needs 84 new judges. But the Supreme Court justices went with a lower number, recommending a total of 50 new judges. Local church holds toy drive for Hurricane Helene victims Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 25 of them would be circuit judges, 23 would be county judges, and 2 would become appellate judges in central Florida. Justices concluded Bay County needs 1 additional circuit judge and 1 additional county judge. The recommendation is based on the number of cases, compared to the number of judges available to hear them. It will be up to the state legislature to approve the funding for the additional judgeships, and the governor to approve the budget. If approved, the positions will be added after July 1st, 2025. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. Liuye Lake in central China is buzzing with life this winter as over 10,000 migratory birds have arrived to rest and recharge. Egrets, wild ducks, and herons are filling the lake with beauty, and the surrounding wetlands are alive with activity. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko sign a security pact, announcing the potential deployment of Russian Oreshnik missiles in Belarus. Lukashenko frees 29 more political prisoners amid an ongoing pre-election civil society clampdown. Exiled Belarusian activists to face a record 17 in absentia charges for aiding opponents of Lukashenko's regime. Subscribe to the Newsletter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Belarus Weekly Join us The chief editor of the dissolved Belarusian news agency BelaPAN was released after serving full term in prison. UNESCO adds Belarusian Vytsinanka paper-cutting art to its Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Putin, Lukashenko sign security treaty, promise Oreshnik deployment in Belarus Russian President Vladimir Putin and longtime Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko signed a new security treaty on Dec. 6, announcing the potential deployment of Russian Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) in Belarus. The signing of the treaty comes shortly after Russia introduced updates to its nuclear doctrine, expanding Moscows nuclear umbrella over Belarus and lowering the threshold for Russian nuclear retaliation against non-nuclear threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin went to Minsk on Dec. 6 for a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, a Moscow-dominated supra-national grouping of Russia and Belarus that Lukashenko has used to obtain economic support for his regime in exchange for political loyalty. While the text of the signed treaty was not released, Putin said it outlined mutual obligations to ensure the defense and territorial integrity of Russia and Belarus with the use of all available forces and means, including nuclear capabilities, Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported. This treaty will reliably protect the security of Russia and Belarus, RIA Novosti quoted Putin as saying. During the signing ceremony for the new agreements, Lukashenko asked Putin to deploy Oreshnik ballistic missiles, a new weapon recently used against Ukraine, in Belarus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do not take this as some kind of audacity, but I want to publicly ask you to deploy new weapons systems, especially the Oreshnik, on Belarusian territory, Lukashenko said. Putin in turn said the deployment of Oreshnik missiles would be possible by the second half of 2025. Oreshnik, Russias new intermediate-range ballistic missile, was first used against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Nov. 21, after Kyivs first successful use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles on a military target in Russia. Lukashenko said that Belarus would build its own launchers for Oreshnik missiles, and also reiterated his claims that Belarus already hosts Russian tactical nuclear weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have brought nuclear warheads here, and not just a single dozen of them, Lukashenko said during the meeting with Belarusian workers on Dec. 10. Since Moscow and Minsk signed an agreement on transferring Russian nuclear warheads to Belarus in May 2023, both sides have repeatedly claimed the transfer was made, but have never substantiated their claims. U.S. think tank the Institute for the Study of War considers the treaty and potential deployment of Oreshnik missiles to be part of Russias strategic effort to de facto annex Belarus. It would further increase Russias military footprint in Belarus, the ISW report reads. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned the new pact: Putins visit to Minsk is not about security its about tightening Russias grip on our country, Tsikhanouskaya wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The opposition group BelPol claimed the treaty might allow Moscow to place new military bases and deploy troops in Belarus. It would also provide the possibility of sending Belarusian citizens to war with Ukraine to protect the territorial integrity of Russia, the groups representative Matsvey Kupreichyk alleged during a U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing on Dec. 5. Among other documents, Putin and Lukashenko signed a decree on uniform rules on consumer rights protection, a resolution on the cancellation of cell phone roaming charges, and an agreement on a common electrical energy market. The Union State agreement, signed 25 years ago, envisaged the integration of Russia and Belarus to the point of a shared currency, parliament, and border agreement. But as Lukashenko lost hope of eventually becoming the leader of the Union State, he managed for decades to wander off the integration roadmaps until he needed the Kremlins backing against a popular uprising in Belarus prompted by his regimes rigging of the 2020 presidential elections. In 2021, a number of Union State integration roadmaps were finally signed, sparking concerns over Belaruss sovereignty. Furthermore, Lukashenko welcomed Russian tactical nuclear weapons and turned Belarusian territory into a jumping off point for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 29 more political prisoners pardoned in Belarus amid continued crackdown Lukashenko has pardoned 29 more prisoners convicted of extremist crimes, his press office reported on Dec. 9. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This seventh wave of pardons brings the total number of political prisoners released since July 2024 to 207 individuals, while another 220 individuals were newly recognized as such, according to the Viasna Human Rights Center. An official statement from Lukashenkos regime says that 11 women and 18 men were among the released, without specifying their names. Reportedly, 15 of them have chronic diseases, two are with disabilities, and three are elderly. All of the pardoned prisoners repented and pleaded for pardons, the press office said, noting that pardoned Belarusians are still monitored by the Internal Affairs Ministry. Human rights groups currently recognize 1,283 individuals in Belarus as political prisoners. Most were jailed after the contested 2020 presidential elections in Belarus sparked nationwide public protests, and the authorities launched an unprecedented crackdown on civil society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the number of political prisoners remaining roughly the same, the Belarusian authorities have not eased their repression of the countrys civil society. At least 1,302 political prisoners have served their term in full and were removed from the count. The total number of former political prisoners, some of whom escaped prosecution, reached 2,392 in November 2024. The Belarusian service of U.S. government-backed broadcaster RFE/RL reported that at least one pardoned prisoner had been arrested again. Other cases of repeated arrests have been observed among those who had served their sentences and been released, the outlet reports. Arbitrary repression of political opponents has intensified in Belarus in the run-up to the 2025 presidential elections, the Viasna says. In late October, the Lukashenko regime unleashed a series of countrywide raids targeting former political prisoners and relatives of those arrested as part of an intimidation campaign. Founders of two major foundations to be tried in absentia on record 17 charges The Belarusian Investigative Committee has launched an in absentia probe into the exiled founders of two biggest Belarusian solidarity initiatives, BySol and By help, which provide aid to victims of Belaruss repressive authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committees press office reported on Dec. 5 that investigations had been opened into Andrey Stryzhak and Aliaksei Lyavonchyk, who co-founded the Belarus Solidarity Foundation BySol and By help in response to the ruling regimes brutal crackdown on civil society in Belarus. The two organizations have raised and distributed millions of dollars to those who have suffered torture, been subjected to politically motivated persecution, or who had to flee the country in fear of persecution. In 2021, the Belarusian Internal Affairs Ministry designated the two initiatives as extremist and prohibited their work within the country. The human rights activists are being probed under 17 charges each, which is the largest number of charges pressed on defendants in absentia so far. The investigation brought up charges of creating and financing extremist formations, insulting Belarusian dictator Lukashenko, inciting racial, national, or religious hatred, and propagandizing terrorism. Citing calculations by Viasna attorney Pavel Sapelka, Stryzhak claimed that the total sentence handed down to him by the Belarusian courts might reach 128 years of imprisonment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its nice when even your enemies acknowledge the importance of what you do, Stryzhak commented ironically. Lukashenko introduced in absentia prosecution in 2022 as a repressive tool to target his exiled opponents. By November 2024, some 112 opposition figures had been given prison sentences after absentia trials, Viasna reports. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison; her advisors Aliaksandr Dabravolski and Franak Viachorka received 11.5 and 20-year prison terms respectively. Aside from virtual prison terms, an absentia sentence typically comes with a fine, providing for the arrest of the convicts property which is later auctioned to pay the penalty. Chief editor of largest independent news agency released after serving term Iryna Leushyna, the director and chief editor of BelaPAN formerly the largest independent news agency in Belarus, which the countrys authorities had declared extremist and dissolved in 2021, was released from prison on Dec. 7 after serving her sentence in full. Leushyna was arrested on Aug. 18, 2021, along with her colleague, former director Dzmitry Navazhylau, amid the crackdown on independent journalism in Belarus that wiped the media field over the past four years. Leushyna was sentenced to four years of imprisonment over the alleged creation of an extremist formation. The charge was applied retroactively, as the agency had been slapped with an extremist label in November, almost three months after the arrest of its leadership. Navazhylau received six years of imprisonment with additional charges of tax evasion. Media management consultant Andrei Aliaksandrau and his wife, entrepreneur Iryna Zlobina, accused in the same case and also with additional charges, received 14 and nine years of imprisonment respectively. In her final statement at her trial, Leushyna described the sentence as utter delirium. (Somebody) clearly confused the cause-and-effect relationship by deciding to make journalists responsible for events in our country in 2020, Leushyna said. Human rights watchdog Viasna has changed Leushynas status to former political prisoner, marking her release. Leushyna confirmed her release in a post on Facebook but refused to comment further. I plan to stay in Belarus, so, naturally, no comments are possible, she wrote. As the majority of the independent Belarusian media are designated extremist by the Lukashenko regime, giving interviews to them can make one liable for criminal prosecution. Earlier, activist Darya Losik was sentenced to two years in prison for giving an interview to the Belarusian service of U.S. broadcaster RFE/RL. Leushyna is now one of 1,302 political prisoners who have been released after serving their arbitrary punishment in full since the 2020 presidential election. The rigged poll prompted massive public unrest in Belarus. With 38 media workers in prison, Belarus remains ranked 167th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. The independent Belarusian Association of Journalists reports that 450-500 media professionals have been forced to flee the country. UNESCO adds Belarusian paper-cutting art to Intangible Cultural Heritage list The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added Belarusian Vytsinanka, the traditional art of cutting out paper decorations, to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the organization announced on Dec. 4. The UNESCOs Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage opened its 19th session in Paraguay on Dec. 2, adding Vytsinanka to the previous three entries accredited to Belarus on the list. The art of Vytsinanka has been recorded in Belarus since the 16th century, with the advent of paper production. Initially used to decorate church interiors and seal noble families correspondence, it gained prominence in the late 19th century as an affordable home decoration for the biggest holidays Christmas and Easter. The works are typically symmetrical or radial compositions featuring mythological motifs, traditional ornaments, and scenes from daily life. The 19th UNESCO Committee session also added Pysanky, the art of Easter egg decoration, an internationally recognized symbol of Ukrainian culture, to its list. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. HINTON, WV (WVNS) For the past ten months, residents of the Bellepoint neighborhood in Hinton have been dealing with a massive construction undertaking. Progress update on Summers County emergency radio towers Though construction on the water pipes in the Bellepoint neighborhood has been going for nearly a year now, the project actually began nearly a decade ago. Mandated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the project aims to eliminate the contaminants that flow into the New and Greenbrier Rivers during high water events. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Funding was slow to come in, but now the project is not only in full swing, but headed towards the finish line. Hinton Mayor Jack Scott said he understands how frustrating this time has been for Bellepoints residents. Since then though, the project has picked up. However, throughout the project we continue running into old utilities, bedrock, and things. Weve had to go a little deeper in places as well, so process has been a little bit slow. I think everyones getting a little bit of construction fatigue now, said Mayor Scott. Mayor Scott said the project has a completion date of spring 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the roads torn up by the project will receive some temporary paving before the permanent asphalt is laid down in the spring. Mayor Scott said they knew this would be a large undertaking, but that underestimated just how large it would be. And I dont think any of us actually understood completely how big it was gonna be. And if you stop and think about it, thats probably one of the slower paced residential areas we have. We dont have a lot of traffic up there and its usually very quiet. Well, there hasnt been this amount of work done up there since Bellepoint was probably built. So, we are going back but this is necessary work, said Mayor Scott. The 2025 Youth Arts in the Parks Contest is open for submissions Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Scott appreciates how patient the residents of the Bellepoint neighborhood have been and asks for them to maintain that patience for just a little longer. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. HAGAR TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) An Indiana man was killed Friday morning in a chain-reaction crash in Berrien County, deputies say. It happened around 5:10 a.m. on northbound I-196 at Hagar Shore Road in Hagar Township, according to the Berrien County Sheriffs Office. A Dodge pickup truck pulling a camper was being passed by another vehicle on the left. Investigators say the vehicle swerved toward the Dodge as it passed, forcing the driver of the Dodge to make an evasive maneuver to avoid striking the vehicle. The driver lost control of the Dodge, hit a guardrail and jackknifed, ultimately blocking both lanes of traffic, according to the sheriffs office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies say a Chevrolet Equinox, which had been driving behind the Dodge and camper, swerved left to avoid the jackknifed vehicle but ended up hitting the front of the Dodge. Then, the Equinox crashed into the guardrail and came to a stop on the left shoulder. After that, a semi-truck pulling two dump trailers full of gravel approached. The dump truck slowed down and tried to avoid the jackknifed Dodge by driving on the left shoulder, according to the sheriffs office. Thats where the dump truck hit the Equinox, deputies say. The dump truck then slid toward the median. The rear trailer slid sideways, flipped over and dumped its load, and the dump box became separated from the trailer frame, according to authorities. A photo released by the Berrien County Sheriffs Office from the scene of a Dec. 13, 2024, crash in Hagar Township. First responders say they found the driver of the Chevrolet Equinox identified as 58-year-old Jimmy Cunningham Jr. of Mishawaka, Indiana unresponsive and pinned in the vehicle. He died on scene, according to the sheriffs office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies did not specify whether the other drivers were injured. Investigators dont believe that road conditions, drugs or alcohol were involved. Theyre still looking for the vehicle that passed the Dodge on the left at the start of the chain-reaction crash, though they dont have any description of the vehicle. If you know anything, youre asked to contact dispatch at 269.983.3060 or the detective bureau at 269.983.7141, ext. 7224. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Kentuckys Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday said he does not support using taxpayer dollars for gender-affirming surgery for transgender inmates as the states corrections department looks for clarity on its legal obligation to trans people in its custody. During a Thursday press conference, Beshear said he does not believe incarcerated transgender people should have access to gender-affirming surgeries, saying if they did, they would be receiving better coverage and health care than a law-abiding citizen. I recognize that LGBTQ inmates may be at a higher risk for violence than other inmates, said Beshear, recently elected to lead the Democratic Governors Association in 2026. However, convicted felons do not have the right to have any and all medical surgeries paid for entirely by tax dollars, especially when it would exceed the type of coverage available to law-abiding citizens in the private sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kentucky Department of Corrections made changes to its regulations in 2021 and 2023, including clarification that transgender people in state custody may have access to surgical procedures after all other avenues to alleviate their gender dysphoria, or the distress that stems from a mismatch between a persons gender identity and sex at birth, have been attempted. State Republicans seized on the changes this week, after the corrections department asked Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman to review them. In a Monday statement, the Republican Party of Kentucky said Beshears administration was trying to force Kentucky taxpayers to pay for transgender surgeries for convicted criminals. Andy Beshears administration is out of control, the partys communications director, Andy Westberry, said. Kentucky has yet to fund a transition-related surgery for a transgender inmate, the states corrections department commissioner told a state legislative committee on Monday. In a Dec. 6 letter to Coleman, the department requested clarity on its legal obligation to provide such procedures when deemed medically necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter, which points to conflicting court decisions in states across the country, voices some concern that, by denying trans inmates access to gender-affirming surgeries, the department will be found liable for violating the Eighth Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court has held for nearly half a century that denying incarcerated people medically necessary care is a violation of their constitutional rights. Outgoing state Sen. Damon Thayer (R) told Kentucky Department of Corrections Commissioner Cookie Crews at Mondays meeting that he doesnt think Kentucky taxpayers are interested in paying for the hormone replacement therapy or transgender surgeries for people who have been found guilty of committing crimes against the commonwealth. Youre wasting your time, our time and, frankly, this administrations pursuit of this out-of-the-mainstream taxpayer-funded procedure is an insult, and you ought to just stop, he said. Because if you dont, its going to blow up into a much bigger issue than just this subcommittee today. Weve just had an election where we saw that these issues regarding transgender surgeries were a factor, Thayer added, likely referring to one of President-elect Trumps campaign ads hitting Vice President Harris over her past support for gender-affirming surgery for incarcerated trans people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beshear on Thursday said the state has an obligation to follow federal law, and his office will wait for an opinion from Coleman before making any decision. The Department of Corrections is just trying to get this right under federal law, and it appears at least a little unclear to me whats required under federal law, he said. So, for Republican lawmakers to get upset that were going to a Republican attorney general to try to get this opinion there on what is required, that seems a little silly. It seems like just wanting to pick a fight and argue instead of to say, Lets work together, lets figure out whats required, lets figure out whats reasonable. Beshear, who won reelection last year, faced an onslaught of Republican-led attacks on the campaign trail over his support for trans-inclusive policies. His then-opponent, Daniel Cameron, Kentuckys former attorney general, claimed Beshear supported transition-related surgeries for minors, citing Beshears veto of a sweeping bill that included a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. My position on this has always been clear, Beshear told The Associated Press last year. I have never supported gender reassignment surgery for minors, and they dont happen in Kentucky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SAN JUAN A plan, Joaquin Garcia told a crowd of immigrants last week, they must have a plan. Whos going to pick up the kids from school? Garcia asked. "Payments on the house, car payments, house bills, the property title all of that has to be in your plan." For the estimated thousands of undocumented immigrants living in Texas Rio Grande Valley, deportation is a risk they live with every day. That risk has exceptionally increased after Donald Trump won a second term in the White House after spending nearly two years campaigning on the promise of mass deportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garcia is the director of community organizing for La Union del Pueblo Entero, or LUPE, a group that has supported immigrants, farm workers and Hispanic Texans for decades. The meeting last week was part of a "Know Your Rights" campaign that the organization is leading and that echoes similar information sessions that immigrant rights groups across Texas are hosting ahead of Trumps inauguration. "We know that President-elect Donald Trump doesn't take office until January 20," Garcia said. "Right now is the best time to prepare." Asking the crowd to think about those scenarios was not meant to cause fear or panic, Garcia said, but encourage them to create a plan for themselves and their loved ones if theyre ever detained. "Who is going to be in charge of carrying out your life, so to speak, when you're facing deportation and you're stuck in detention?" Garcia asked again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texas is home to about 1.6 million undocumented persons the second-highest number in the United States behind California and the states Republican leaders strongly signaled they would readily work with the Trump administration in its deportation efforts. It was a rainy Friday evening when the group held their first training session. Nonetheless, a crowd of about 50 people showed up to attend the meeting. Demonstrating what rights they had in certain situations, Garcia and LUPE staff member Marcela Alejandre performed skits depicting different scenarios that undocumented residents could find themselves in such as a traffic stop and being detained for possible deportation. As those scenarios played out, LUPE staff asked those in the audience to think about what they could do in those situations or how they could avoid them altogether. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Questions lingered among the audience, many of which they raised during the meeting. People raised their hands to ask what information they are required to disclose if they're detained, what legal trouble a citizen could face if they lived with undocumented residents, and whether there were any benefits to self-deportation. The LUPE staff admittedly didn't have all the answers and urged them to consult with an attorney for guidance. They also reminded them they would have more training sessions with the intention of providing more detailed information. One undocumented woman in attendance said she's attended LUPE meetings for years and was well aware of her rights. However, she seemed skeptical that the knowledge would save her from deportation. "The problem is that there are officials that don't care if you're paying insurance or paying taxes, that you have property they don't care," she said in Spanish. "They grab you and they take you, even if you know your rights. It just depends on the official you get when they arrest you." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, she said, it's a waiting game. "We really don't know what's going to happen because some people say one thing, other people say another," she said. Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Nonprofit Alliance for Better Utah has filed a complaint against Senate President Stuart Adams alleging his campaign improperly filed campaign expenditures, failing to show who was receiving the money. The complaint, filed with the Lt. Governor earlier today, alleges that for the last 14 years Adams has improperly filed expenditure reports, listing transactional intermediaries as the recipients as opposed to who received the payments themselves. The complaint further alleges that 232 persons or entities are unknown in Adams financial reports, and over $428,000 had been to institutions like Bank of America, Mountain America Credit Union, and American Express. Along with its description, the complaint shows examples of these filings dating back to 2010 and as recent as 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campaign finance laws exist to deter corruption or even the very appearance of corruption, Better Utah said in a statement to ABC4.com. By not adequately disclosing his finances for over a decade, President Adams has contributed to a lack of transparency and accountability in our election system. Two new Utah laws going into effect on Jan. 1, 2025 you should know Adams, who has been serving in the Utah legislature since 2010, responded to the allegations made in the complaint, saying that his campaigns have followed the requirements and guidance from the elections office, and that the accusations are falsehoods meant to distract away from the work to help the state. I have always been, and remain, fully committed to complying with campaign disclosure requirements. Additionally, I will adhere to the updated guidelines issued by the Lt. Governors Office last week. The claim that I failed to follow campaign disclosure requirements is not just inaccurate but a blatant falsehood. This is nothing more than misleading rhetoric, with Better Utah once again resorting to desperate fundraising efforts built on misinformation. These kinds of deceitful tactics are intended to distract from the real work of improving our state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a response to an inquiry by ABC4.com, the Lt. Governors office said that they had received the complaint, and will begin a review process that is outlined in state statue. This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available. Read President J. Stuart Adams full statement below: Last year, following an inquiry by the Lt. Governors Office into how I reported certain transactions on my disclosure report, I received an email confirming I was compliant with state disclosure law. I have relied on this guidance as I continued to report transactions. This fall, the Lt. Governors Office conducted a further inquiry into my disclosure report. After their review, I received an email stating that no further action is required on your part until we have adequately reviewed the relevant statutes. Last week, the Lt. Governors Office issued clarifying instructions to all candidates and officeholders, providing better instructions and requirements on how to disclose transactions. The letter indicated they will begin implementing these new requirements beginning in January 2025. I have always been, and remain, fully committed to complying with campaign disclosure requirements. Additionally, I will adhere to the updated guidelines issued by the Lt. Governors Office last week. The claim that I failed to follow campaign disclosure requirements is not just inaccurate but a blatant falsehood. This is nothing more than misleading rhetoric, with Better Utah once again resorting to desperate fundraising efforts built on misinformation. These kinds of deceitful tactics are intended to distract from the real work of improving our state. President J. Stuart Adams Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Dec. 12A Biddeford police sergeant died after crashing into the rear of a box truck on the Piscataqua River Bridge early Thursday while driving home after the end of his shift. Jacob Wolterbeek, 41, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was pronounced dead at the scene, Maine State Police said. Wolterbeek, a husband and father of three young children, had served in the Biddeford Police Department for 18 years, Chief JoAnne Fisk said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Sergeant Wolterbeek was a respected member of the Biddeford Police Department and a valued city employee," Fisk said. "In this time of sorrow, our thoughts and prayers are with Sergeant Wolterbeek's family, friends and colleagues." Fisk said details about services to honor Wolterbeek will be shared as soon as they are available. Biddeford Mayor Martin Grohman said in an interview Thursday evening that Wolterbeek was an approachable, well-known officer. Although policing is a tough job, he said Wolterbeek was not only good at his role, he also enjoyed it. Grohman said Wolterbeek approached policing with compassion. He teared up when recalling a time he saw Wolterbeek kneeling beside someone in need, rather than standing above them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biddeford residents could recognize Wolterbeek's smile when he was working local events, like Winter Fest or on Election Day outside of Biddeford High School's Tiger Gym, the mayor said. A "real professional," Grohman said, noting that Wolterbeek preferred working out in the city rather than being behind a desk in the office. "He was very dedicated to the work," Grohman said. "He was passionate about getting it right and being a role model." The mayor said there will be a tribute to recognize Wolterbeek at the Biddeford City Council meeting Tuesday. He also plans to connect with Fisk and Wolterbeek's family for future memorial plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he offers his support to Wolterbeek's family and Biddeford police as well, whom he described as a family of their own. Sanford Police Chief Eric Small described Wolterbeek as a dedicated public servant who loved his family and community. "His service exemplified the values of integrity and compassion that define law enforcement at its finest," Small said in a statement. Law enforcement officers from throughout the state participated in a procession Thursday morning between Ogunquit and Augusta to bring Wolterbeek's body to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, state police confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kennebunk fire and police departments joined agencies from across the state to cover every bridge the procession passed under. In a statement posted to Facebook, the Kennebunk agencies said Wolterbeek was a personal friend to many of their employees. Southbound lanes of the Maine Turnpike were closed for hours after the crash on the border between Maine and New Hampshire. State police said the box truck was stopped in traffic when the Toyota Camry driven by Wolterbeek crashed into it from behind around 1:14 a.m. The crash remains under investigation, state police said. Copy the Story Link BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States on Friday signed a protocol to amend and extend the Agreement Between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology. They have agreed to extend the Agreement for additional five years, effective from August 27, 2024, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology. By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and China renewed a science cooperation agreement on Friday, the U.S. State Department said, this time with "robust national security guardrails," despite objections from Republicans who argue that the decision should have been left to the incoming Trump administration. For 45 years, the landmark U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement (STA) has yielded cooperation across a range of scientific fields, creating a framework for agency exchanges and giving the U.S. access to Chinese data useful in areas such as monitoring earthquakes, weather and influenza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the deal, renewed about every five years since it was first signed in 1979, lapsed this year amid mounting concerns that China too often failed to uphold intellectual property provisions or reciprocity in data exchanges. Even U.S. analysts who had supported renewing the agreement had said it needed to be fundamentally reworked to safeguard U.S. innovation given that China is now a scientific powerhouse in its own right. Signed just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, the State Department said the new deal is significantly narrower than previous iterations and covers only basic research, not critical or emerging technologies core to the rivalry between the countries. "As we negotiated this over the last year, we always kept in mind U.S. national security interests as our top and guiding consideration," a senior State Department official told reporters in a call detailing the STA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We understood that failure to extend the STA could also have chilling effects in areas of scientific cooperation, which do benefit the United States," the official said. In a letter sent on Thursday, John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House of Representatives' select committee on China, asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to "immediately suspend efforts" to renew the deal. "A renewal of the STA in the final days of the administration is a clear attempt to tie the hands of the incoming administration and deny them the opportunity to either leave the agreement or negotiate a better deal for the American people," said the letter seen by Reuters. Republicans on the committee had led a charge to get the State Department to scrap any new arrangement, arguing that China - which eagerly sought its renewal - would exploit it to enhance its military development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's Foreign Ministry called the five-year renewal an "important measure." "It will not only promote the scientific and technological progress and economic and social development of the two countries, but also advance the two sides' ability to cope with global common challenges and enhance the well-being of the people of the world," the ministry said. Under the deal, the State Department is responsible for risk-benefit analysis of any cooperation proposed by other agencies. The agreement includes strengthened provisions on researcher safety and data reciprocity, as well as a dispute resolution mechanism should either side fail to abide by its terms, the State Department official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite that, the official acknowledged that the United States remained concerned about what it sees as China's record of inhibiting data flows and the "complete lack of transparency" often associated with its scientific work. U.S. concerns about the agreement have grown since its previous renewal under the first Trump administration. The State Department said in the briefing that despite the brief lapse in the agreement this year as renewal talks were underway, cooperation under the framework continued. "There wasn't an abrupt cessation of any ongoing activity at that point," a second senior State Department official said, adding that the new deal contained a "termination clause" that could be invoked if dispute resolution failed. (Reporting by Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Don Durfee, Lincoln Feast and Mark Porter) President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 1,499 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during Covid and has issued 39 pardons. One of the people on the list has ties to the QCA. (Alex T. Paschal/Sauk Valley Media via AP, File) Rita Crundwell is one of the people whose sentence was commuted. She was convicted in 2013 of stealing almost $54 million from the City of Dixon when she worked as the city comptroller. She was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison. She was released from the Federal Corrections Institution in Pekin in 2021 and was on home arrest until her sentence was commuted. State Rep. Bradley Fritts (R-Dixon) State Rep. Bradley Fritts (R-Dixon) released a statement criticizing Crundwells release. To say I am outraged by the commutation of the sentence of Rita Crundwell is a great understatement, as Ms. Crundwell stole more than $50 million from the good taxpaying citizens of the city of Dixon, violated the publics trust and used the stolen money to live a lavish lifestyle, Fritts said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After pardoning his own convicted felon son for crimes dating back more than 10 years, President Biden doubled down on the corruption of his Presidency and lifted Crundwells house arrest,, he said. The people of Dixon were victimized by this woman, and she still owes money that she stole. This is an unacceptable commutation. This commutation comes just a short time after Crundwell was released from prison early without any notice being given to the city of Dixon of her release. This is a double slap in the face, he said. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-17) posted a statement on his Facebook page. A true-crime documentary about Crundwell Kelly Richmond Pope is a professor at DePaul University, Chicago, and she understands how numbers can be manipulated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also understands full well what happened in Dixon, Illinois, where Crundwell was convicted of stealing nearly $54 million from the city. Pope made a documentary called All the Queens Horses about the case of Rita Crundwell, who was sentenced in 2013 to nearly 20 years in prison. Pope, who teaches a graduate course in forensic accounting, continues to follow the case and shares the case, along with the film, with her students. All the Queens Horses (IMDb) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier, she was shocked when she learned Crundwell had been released to a halfway house. This is really unheard of, she said. If you think about it, its like, unbelievable that someone who is known as the largest municipal fraud perpetrator in U. S. history was released to a more comfortable situation. The film is available to stream free on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto, and other streaming services. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Dec. 12WATERTOWN President Joseph R. Biden on Thursday commuted the sentence for convicted fraudster and former Jreck Subs principal Christopher M. Swartz. In 2017, Swartz, of Watertown, was convicted of defrauding over 150 people out of about $21 million, and evading over $4 million in taxes. According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice released after his sentencing, Swartz had taken money from people interested in investing in the sandwich shop chain and other hospitality companies he owned, providing fraudulent promissory notes and offers of ownership in his companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When people attempted to get their money back, he made false assurances and partial payments, ultimately concealing his assets in a web of shell companies and secondary accounts to hide the money from those he owed money to. He did this between 2005 and 2015. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to wire fraud and tax evasion counts. He also sold worthless shell company stocks to about 70 people in the U.K., defrauding them of about $1.1 million. "Christopher Swartz stole millions of dollars from investors and lenders and cheated the public treasury out of millions of dollars of taxes," said Acting U.S. Attorney Jaquith at the time of his sentencing. "His elaborate scheme to defraud relied on a mind-boggling web of accounts and enterprises and concealment of his assets and diversions of funds." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison for the fraud and tax evasion, and was serving his time in the Otisville prison in Orange County. But in December of 2022, Swartz was relocated from the prison to a halfway house in Pittsburgh, meant to aid a transition out of the corrections system. He served just over 5 years in prison of his original 12 1/2 -year sentence. According to the federal prisoner lookup database, Swartz was meant to be released from that program on Jan. 12, 2027 his Thursday commutation means his total time served will be 7 years. He was also ordered to pay $25.7 million in restitution to the victims of his crimes and to forfeit any interest he had in the Jreck sandwich chain. The U.S. Marshals Service held an auction for Jreck's assets, and Fresh Start Franchising, headed by Matthew G. Darrah, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, took control of the business. It was unknown Thursday if the commutation of his sentence has any effect on Swartz's restitution obligations. Nearly 1,500 people had their sentences for federal crimes commuted by President Joe Biden on Thursday. Of those, five were convicted in Middle Tennessee and had been serving sentences for nonviolent drug crimes. In his order, Biden said those who received a commutation have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance. The Tennessean could verify through court records that at least one person convicted in Middle Tennessee had been placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, although the White House indicated that all those whose sentences were commuted had been released on home confinement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Tennessees two other federal court districts, more people were affected by Bidens announcement: 13 in West Tennessee and more than 50 in East Tennessee saw their sentences commuted. Heres more information about the Middle Tennessee cases. John Monzell Banks: Banks, 54, of Clarksville, pleaded guilty in 2011 to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Banks and others between 2004 and 2006 trafficked more than 100 kilograms of cocaine from California to Clarksville and then distributed it in the Clarksville area, according to a 2011 news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office. He was sentenced initially to 20 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, the mandatory minimum for the crime, according to a court filing by his attorney from 2022. He was released to home confinement in 2020 under the CARES Act, and he remained there until at least early this year, when his attorney filed a motion seeking a sentence reduction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joseph M. Carter: Carter, 47, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in 2011 to manufacturing MDMA. According to charging documents in federal court, between 2007 and 2010, Carter ran a clandestine laboratory in his Columbia home to synthesize MDMA, which he then planned to sell. Carter was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Court records show he asked for a sentence reduction in 2017, but it was denied. Courtney Daily: Daily, 38, pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. She and a man had sold methamphetamine and weapons to a confidential informant in Pulaski in 2018, according to a criminal complaint in federal court. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robert Porter: Porter, 46, of Clarksville, in 2013 pleaded guilty to participating in a wide-ranging drug ring. Porter was one of 36 people charged in a far-reaching indictment accusing them of distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in and around the Summit Heights public housing development in Clarksville between 2009 and 2013. Porter entered a plea of guilty to possession with intent to distribute of cocaine and crack cocaine and a related conspiracy charge, and he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, 10 years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment. In 2021, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw resentenced Porter, reducing his prison term to 20 years. In his order, Crenshaw noted Porter had a non-violent criminal history, wide-ranging support network, and while his employment history was unremarkable, he had some success as a rap musician. Tiffany Wallace: Wallace, 34, of Nashville, was indicted along with two others in 2019 on drug charges for selling methamphetamine on or around a Nashville public housing project on Whites Creek Pike. Wallace pleaded guilty in 2020 to the six charges against her, which included possession of a firearm by a felon and in furtherance of drug trafficking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison, six years of supervised release and a $600 special assessment. In addition to these five, Ralph ONeal III had been arrested in Middle Tennessee but was convicted in East Tennessee federal court, where prosecutors said he committed the crime. Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Joe Biden commutes sentences of five Tennessee people. What to know During his final six months as president, Donald Trumps administration carried out an unprecedented execution spree, killing 13 people. When President Joe Biden replaced Trump in 2021, he became the first U.S. president to publicly oppose the death penalty. He pledged to work with Congress to abolish the federal death penalty and called for those on death row to instead serve sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. But over the past four years, Biden has made no apparent effort to whip up support for legislation to abolish the death penalty that has languished in Congress. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has pursued new death verdicts and aggressively defended existing death sentences including cases riddled with the same issues the Biden administration has cited as reasons to end the practice. As it stands, there are 40 people on federal death row,many of whom have exhausted their appeals and face possible execution by the incoming Trump administration, which, according to the right-wing Project 2025 policy document, plans to execute every death row prisoner. With the stroke of a pen, Biden could commute every federal death sentence to life in prison and block the incoming Trump administration from carrying out its stated mass killing agenda. Now in his final weeks in office, Biden faces mounting calls from lawmakers, activists, faith leaders and those condemned to die to take action before its too late. Even some victims family members, former corrections officials, prosecutors and retired judges have urged the president to empty the federal death row. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If I was lucky enough to be able to advise [Biden], I would tell him that it is completely consistent with respect for the Department [of Justice] for him to take a second look at those decisions and to make a statement about what it means to have the state kill people, Rachel Barkow, a professor at New York University School of Law and a former member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, said in an interview. I have no doubt in my mind how history will judge the death penalty, Barkow said. Although Biden recently made the politically fraught decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden who faced potential prison time for federal felony gun and tax convictions he has given no indication of his willingness to extend mercy to those facing potential execution. The White House cited the incoming Trump administrations desire for retribution as justification for Bidens decision to intervene in Hunter Bidens case. Aside from his son, the presidents end-of-office clemency acts have so far been limited to nearly 1,500 people who had already been released into home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Biden first entered office, death penalty abolitionists called on the president to quickly use his clemency power to empty death row as a fail-safe for congressional inaction. If you dont commute the whole row, this can happen again, former public defender and Wren Collective founder Jessica Brand told HuffPost in January 2021, referring to the then-recent execution spree under Trump. Someone who was at all outraged by how horrific and barbaric this has been should just commute the row. Instead, the Biden administration took a cautious, incremental approach. The Department of Justice reinstated a moratorium on federal executions a return to the status quo before Trumps first presidency and launched a review into the governments execution protocol and regulations. The results of those reviews have not been released, and the DOJ declined to comment on whether they would be finished before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20. At the same time, Justice Department lawyers continued to fight to uphold existing death sentences, a seemingly contradictory effort to Bidens stated goal of ending the federal death penalty. When defense lawyers have tried to introduce evidence that their client has an intellectual disability, which would make them ineligible for a death sentence, DOJ lawyers have cited procedural issues to block them from raising that evidence in court, Ruth Friedman, the director of the Federal Capital Habeas Project, said in an interview. They have also worked to block individuals on death row from presenting evidence that they had ineffective trial lawyers or that their trials were tainted by racist practices. Theres a point at which, what does it mean to say you care about these things, that you really are concerned with the way federal death row is implemented and leave people to be executed nevertheless, Friedman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, the Justice Department updated its Justice Manual with specifications on when to seek the death penalty. The changes articulated a high bar for seeking death and directed the government to consider the strength of the evidence, whether the defendant was already serving a long sentence and the federal governments interest in the case. In evaluating whether capital punishment should be pursued, particular consideration should be given to cases involving the most harm to the nation, including through widespread impact to the community, the revised manual states. The updated guidelines would have excluded most of the people currently on federal death row from being prosecuted as death penalty cases had the guidelines been in place at the time of their trial, multiple defense lawyers noted in interviews. The Biden administration is saying, We recognize that we dont meet the standards that we think are narrow enough to apply the ultimate sanction but were going to allow them to be executed anyways, Friedman said. That makes no sense. This is yet another reason why clemency is warranted. When Biden entered office in 2021, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) had already reintroduced legislation to abolish the federal death penalty that had stalled in the previous Congress. But even with Democrats narrowly controlling both the House and Senate, the bill failed to gain traction. Less than half of the Democrats in each chamber signed on as co-sponsors to versions of death penalty abolition legislation introducedin2021 and againin2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I wouldnt say that the White House has been actively engaging people to support the bill, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), the sponsor of one of the death penalty bills in the House, told HuffPost earlier this year. I think their response to the death penalty issue was to implement this moratorium. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. As Trumps second term approaches, Democrats have been increasingly outspoken in calling on Biden to commute the sentences of those on federal death row. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Biden Administration paused federal executions because they dont lead to safer communities and its impossible to ignore the number of people exonerated from death row due to racial bias, mental illness, or inadequate defense counsel, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a former public defender, told HuffPost in a statement. The president has the singular power to commute federal death sentences to life in prison, and he can do it before January 20. President Biden should act quickly, Welch said. On Tuesday, Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and death penalty abolitionists held a news conference on Capitol Hill, calling on Biden to commute the sentences on death row. State-sanctioned murder is not justice, and the death penalty is a cruel, racist and fundamentally flawed punishment that has no place in our society, Pressley said. The lawmakers were joined by Rev. Sharon Risher, whose mother and two cousins were killed in the 2015 mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. In an interview, Risher acknowledged her own complex emotions around the effort to save the life of the person who killed her loved ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont believe in the death penalty on a religious philosophical understanding. But as my mothers child, if there was a way for him to get from this earth without being killed by the state, I would be first in line. But thats not reality, Risher told HuffPost. I cant pick and choose who to forgive. Thats not my job. My job is to make sure everybody gets a fair shake. Thats why with Dylann Roof even for him, even for him I would not want the federal government to kill him. Related... There are at least three mobile apps devoted to the Navajo language, including one called Navajo Toddler (pictured) thats targeted at younger tech users, according to Cronkite News. The app features eight categories, including foods, animals, colors and clothes. It also plays five Navajo songs and has a play section, Cronkite News reported. (Courtesy of Cronkite News) To support the revitalization, protection, preservation and reclamation of Indigenous languages across the United States, the Biden-Harris administration released a 10-year National Plan on Native Revitalization during the 2024 White House Tribal Nations Summit. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Courtesy of U.S. Department of the Interior) Indigenous languages are central to our cultures, our lifeways, and who we are as people, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland said in a press release. They connect us to our ancestors, to our homelands, and to our place in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Plan is a joint effort between government agencies that outlines strategies to help address the governments role in the loss of Indigenous languages among Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. This ambitious plan represents the Biden-Harris administrations commitment to address the wrongs of the past and restore what has been taken from us, Haaland said. The departments of the Interior, Education and Health and Human Services produced the plan. U.S. Department of Interior has worked to address past assimilation policies The National Plan on Native Language Revitalization is the result of the Department of Interiors work to address the systematic and deliberate policies set in place by the United States to forcibly assimilate Indigenous peoples and eradicate Indigenous languages and cultures as part of the Federal Indian Boarding School system. Congressional authorization and funding of this Plan will reduce the number of vulnerable and endangered Native languages and increase the number of proficient Native language speakers, as defined by Native Americans, according to the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Interior launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative in 2021. The initiative released two reports that highlighted the devastating impact the boarding school system had and continues to have on Indigenous communities. It also provided a complete list of all federally operated schools. President Joe Biden became the first sitting president to formally acknowledge and apologize to Indigenous communities in October for the federal governments role in developing and enforcing the policies. The legacy of forced assimilation continues to threaten the existence of many Native languages, and the legacy of the boarding school era echoes in todays educational experience for Native students, according to the report. The report states that congressional action is required to preserve Indigenous languages. If action is not taken, fewer than 20 Indigenous languages will still be in use in America by 2050. There are 167 Indigenous languages currently spoken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We use language to write history, share knowledge, map the future, and pass down traditions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said in a written statement. Investing in language revitalization strengthens communities and contributes to their resiliency. Improving educational outcomes for Indigenous youth The plan prioritizes investing in and supporting Indigenous language efforts within academia. The plan calls for strategic investments in core content instruction in Indigenous languages to improve the educational outcomes for all Indigenous youth. I always say: multilingualism is a superpower and that includes Native American languages, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said. Cardona said he traveled through Indian Country as secretary of education and learned words in the Oneida, Dakota, and Nakota languages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One thing was crystal clear: when young people reclaim their Native languages, they reconnect deeply with who they are and where they come from, he said. But Native peoples have suffered from shameful policies that aimed to eradicate these languages and cultures for too long. Cardona added that he is hopeful that this national plan will be the start of the governments remediation for its participation in Federal Indian Boarding School policies that have impacted Indigenous communities for generations. I am hopeful we can all choose to keep fighting for a future where Native communities have the tools and support to keep their languages alive and their cultures thriving, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Department of Interior, the Bureau of Indian Education funds 187 schools for Indigenous students and works to provide them with a culturally relevant, high-quality education. However, the BIE did not receive funding for language revitalization until 2017, and the appropriations have not exceeded $7.5 million for any year. As part of the summit, the Department of Interior also announced a cooperative agreement with the National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education, which will provide $7.5 million in existing grant funding to BIE schools supporting the launch or expansion of immersion programs. This funding will help build a network of BIE schools committed to integrating Native language immersion and cultural education into their curricula, offering students the tools to connect with their language and heritage, the department stated in a press release. Together with the National Plan for Native Language Revitalization, these efforts create a comprehensive strategy to protect, preserve and reclaim Indigenous languages across the United States. Arizona Mirror, like the Idaho Capital Sun, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: info@azmirror.com. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE More than three dozen federal inmates initially processed in Michigan were among the nearly 1,500 who had their sentences commuted Thursday by President Joe Biden, including several charged with involvement in drug rings and health care fraud schemes and, in one case, a Ponzi scheme that prosecutors said cost thousands of investors millions. Early Thursday, the White House announced that Biden had pardoned 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes and was commuting sentences for some 1,500 more, all of whom had been serving the remainder of their sentences at home in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. A pardon involves an official wiping away a conviction and freeing a prisoner; a commutation leaves the conviction in place but reduces or eliminates the the need for further prison time. The Biden administration said Thursday's actions represented "the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history." Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, 2025, as President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden said many of those who had their sentences commuted were "serving long prison sentences many of whom would receive lower sentences if charged under todays laws, policies and practices." He added that as part of their confinement at home, they "have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance." Biden earlier this month also issued a blanket pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing federal gun and tax charges and had been targeted for investigation by Republicans on Capitol Hill. While none of the federally charged criminals who were pardoned Thursday were listed as having residences in Michigan, a Free Press review of the inmate registration numbers of the approximately 1,500 who received clemency indicated that at least 39 had their cases initially processed in federal courts in the state. Among them were: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of the others for whom Justice Department records could be immediately found were involved in drug trafficking. Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler. Staff writer Paul Egan contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Biden commutations include some three dozen Michigan criminals SYDNEY, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Travelers in Australia were warned to expect flight delays on Friday after hundreds of Qantas engineers across the country began strike action over a pay dispute with the airline. Around 500 engineers at Australia's five busiest airports, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, began walking off the job at 3:30 a.m. local time on Friday and would not return until 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. It came after pay negotiations between Qantas and several trade unions representing the engineers broke down. The unions said it was likely the strike would have an immediate impact on flights at the five airports. A spokesperson for Qantas said that the airline had several contingencies in place to prevent delays. The engineers, whose duties include towing and marshalling planes, demanded an immediate 15 percent pay rise followed by a 5 percent annual raise. Qantas offered a 3 percent wage increase per year over three years. Friday marked the first day of Australia's six-week summer travel period, with 13.5 million passengers expected to pass through capital city airports in the period. Over 80,000 domestic passengers were set to depart from, or arrive at, Sydney Airport on Friday, its busiest day for domestic travel since 2019. This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com A Seattle man was among the 39 people granted a pardon by President Joe Biden on Thursday as part of a significant act of clemency that also saw the commutation of sentences for nearly 1,500 individuals. According to the White House, this marks the largest single-day act of clemency in modern U.S. history. Clemency is the term for the power the president has to pardon, in which a person is relieved of guilt and punishment, or to commute a sentence, which reduces or eliminates the punishment but doesnt exonerate the wrongdoing. Its customary for a president to grant mercy at the end of his term, using the power of the office to wipe away records or end prison terms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden pardons 3 Washington residents The White House announced that Terence Anthony Jackson, 36, a Seattle resident, was convicted of a non-violent drug offense when he was 23 years old. Jackson pleaded guilty to the charges and served his sentence. According to a press release, under current laws and sentencing practices, Jackson would have likely received a shorter sentence. Since his release, the White House stated Jackson has been actively involved in the Seattle community, working full-time in the legal industry while pursuing a degree. He has also volunteered as a barber for children in need. Those who know Jackson describe him as dependable and caring, always striving to help others. Russell Thomas Portner of Toutle, which is located in Cowlitz County, previously pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense Portner, now 74, served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. The White House reported in its statement Porter was honorably discharged after earning multiple decorations, including the Bronze Star. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Portner was convicted, he got married, raised four children, operated a successful business, and developed a reputation for charitable generosity and community service, The White House explained. He is currently a member of several veterans organizations, the statement reads. Neighbors, business associates, and friends describe him as trustworthy, loyal, and as a respected businessperson. Rosetta Jean Davis of Colville earlier pleaded guilty to non-violent drug offenses. After successfully serving her sentence, Davis, 60, maintained steady employment, including by working as a peer supporter for those struggling with substance abuse, the White House explained. Colleagues, family, friends, and neighbors all speak highly of her, citing her hard work, dependability, and willingness to serve as an example of rehabilitation, the statement from the Biden administration reads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden has pardoned his son Hunter: What does that mean? More on Bidens recent actions Thursdays actions come amid public scrutiny following President Bidens recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted on gun and tax charges. The decision sparked a bipartisan uproar, with a recent AP-NORC poll revealing that only about 22% of Americans approved of the pardons, while 51% disapproved. The controversy has added to the debate over the use of presidential pardon powers and the importance of maintaining public trust in the justice system. President Biden said his decision to grant clemency to Jackson and others is part of a broader effort to address issues of justice and fairness in the criminal justice system. The president emphasized the importance of second chances and equal justice under the law. He stated that clemency is a tool to promote public safety, support rehabilitation and provide meaningful opportunities for reintegration into society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nearly 1,500 people who had their sentences commuted were primarily those placed in home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The White House said they have since demonstrated successful reintegration into their communities, showing that they can contribute positively to society when given the opportunity. According to the statement, the commutations and pardons are intended to recognize their efforts and provide them with a fresh start. Biden said he would be taking more steps in the weeks ahead and would continue to review clemency petitions. The second largest single-day act of clemency was by Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before leaving office in 2017. More from Charlie Harger: Seattle plagued by spreading graffiti along I-5 corridor America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances, Biden said in a statement. As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden remains under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January. The president previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. Hes also broadly pardoned those convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, and pardoned former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex. As the Biden administration entered its last months, a group of officials quietly sifted through thousands of clemency applications, debating who should be included in what was envisioned as a splashy, record-setting act of mercy. Then Joe Biden went rogue and pardoned his son, Hunter, ahead of everybody else. The presidents surprise decision divided the Democratic Party, upending what had been a methodical clemency process that many hoped would spark a groundswell of appreciation for Biden on his way out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, allies and criminal justice advocates say, Bidens act of mass clemency on Thursday now feels like something of a consolation. And even as Democrats applauded the move to grant nearly 1,500 commutations and 39 pardons, they warned the White House still has plenty more to do to satisfy a criminal justice movement eager for others to receive the same level of sympathy as the presidents son. The White House knows, and he knows, that he needed to do a big list of pardons, said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who was among the Democrats critical of Bidens blanket pardon for Hunter. Were still looking for the next list of people, she added. Im hopeful that there will be a next list. The White Houses commutation announcement was limited to only people who had already been released from prison and served at least a year of home confinement, leaving out sizable populations of convicted people. The vast majority were men, according to a POLITICO analysis of inmate data, with the ages of those receiving commutations ranging from 25 to 89. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the pardons, Biden said in a statement that they had all shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer. Those people include military veterans, teachers, health care workers and community volunteers who had been convicted of nonviolent offenses such as 79-year-old Air Force veteran James Stidd, and 57-year-old Mireya Walmsley, a licensed nurse who worked on natural disaster response teams and aided the Covid vaccination effort. Altogether, the announcement constituted the largest single-day clemency grant in modern history. Yet for Democrats and advocates who have ramped up their own clemency campaigns in the days since Hunter Bidens pardon, its only left them wanting more. Im happy for the home confinement folks, said Weldon Angelos, whose 55-year sentence for a marijuana-related conviction was wiped out by then-President Donald Trump in 2020, and who has since become a leading clemency advocate. But people that are in the prisons that are deadly, theyre dangerous, their healths in jeopardy they should be prioritized, especially if youre in there for marijuana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has similarly sparked debate among some in the White House and across Capitol Hill over whether the administration had accelerated its decision amid the backlash over the Hunter Biden pardon. But for clemency advocates and lawmakers, the attention now turns to other populations they hope Biden can assist before he leaves office in just over a month. Its a continuation of an effort that began privately months before Biden pardoned his son. Clemency advocates met with officials from the White House Counsels office and Domestic Policy Council to make their case for groups they hoped the president would help. Lawmakers also launched campaigns for individuals they felt were unjustly imprisoned, repeatedly raising the issue with White House aides whenever they found an opportunity. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told POLITICO that hed spoken many, many times with the White House about clemency for Native American activist Leonard Peltier. Nearly three-dozen Democrats, meanwhile, have signed onto a renewed push to secure a pardon for environmental lawyer Steven Donziger, who is known for his yearslong legal battle against oil company Chevron. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a little bit like the Wizard of Oz, in that Im not quite sure how it works, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), who has led the pardon campaign for Donziger, said of the Biden-era clemency process that several lawmakers described as opaque. Ive been talking to everybody I can in the administration, whether I think theyre directly related to the decision or note, hoping theyll pay attention. Prior presidents have largely left any significant pardons to the very end of their term, condensing the application and lobbying effort to the final months of an administration. By September of this year, the Office of the Pardon Attorney had churned through a backlog of thousands of cases, according to a person familiar with the process, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. Those recommendations many of which come with endorsements from U.S. attorneys and prison officials were still awaiting final decisions when the president issued the sweeping pardon meant to preempt Hunters sentencing, which had been scheduled for this month. That pardon turned what had been a behind-the-scenes clemency campaign into a public effort to leverage the controversy around Hunters newfound freedom into similar reconsideration for others. Advocates fanned out across the airwaves and released a flurry of statements, urging the president to use his clemency power to grant relief for death row inmates and other nonviolent offenders before he leaves office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of members expressed their desire for a more expansive pardoning, especially in the aftermath of pardoning his son, McGovern said. Maybe it was already in the works, but nonetheless I think we saw some of that [result] today. But theres a lot more to do. The White House declined to comment on its decision-making process. On the top of the remaining priority list for advocates are commutations for people serving long sentences, alongside relief for death row inmates areas that people involved in the discussions with the White House said would be the most natural place for Biden to go next. This would include Americans serving outdated sentences, such as people sentenced prior to 1987 who dont qualify for compassionate release, as well as those serving sentences under the 18-to-1 crack to powder cocaine sentencing disparity. Other groups have pressed for Biden to use his clemency power to take all 40 inmates off federal death row before he passes the reins to Donald Trump, who has pledged to resume the death penalty for federal cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to take as many actions as we can before January, said Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who has been in close touch with White House officials about the clemency push. We cant predict with a hostile administration what obstruction and hurdles theyll put in our way procedurally, or what actions they would seek to undo. The White House has also declined to rule out preemptive pardons for those who Trump and his allies have threatened to target for prosecution. On Thursday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said only that the administration continues to review clemency petitions and that there would be more announcements to come, though she did not offer a timeline. Those decisions will go a long way toward determining Bidens overall legacy on criminal justice, advocates and allies said. During Bidens White House run four years ago, he vowed to transform the criminal justice system to make it equitable and effective. But with his term almost complete, they said, hes ushered in only modest changes. And now, perhaps the only major way remaining for Biden to leave his imprint is to make full use of his pardon power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve been advocating for an extensive list, including the people that are on death row, Jayapal said. I dont think this is that yet. But its a good sign that its a big list, that its more than other presidents have done. Brakkton Booker and Natalie Fertig contributed to this report. Among the 1,500 federal offenders whose home confinement sentences were commuted by President Joe Biden yesterday was a former judge who took millions of dollars in kickbacks to send teenagers to private juvenile detention centers. The Citizens' Voice first reported that Biden had commuted the sentence of Michael Conahan, a former Pennsylvania judge who pleaded guilty to racketeering in 2011 for participating in an infamous "kids for cash" scheme. Conahan and another judge received nearly $3 million in kickbacks to increase the head counts at two juvenile detention centers, often sending teens upriver for minor disciplinary issues. Conahan was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison. However, in 2020, the elderly Conahan became one of roughly 13,000 federal prisoners who were released to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic under the CARES Act, a large pandemic relief bill. To qualify, an inmate had to be medically vulnerable, not be convicted of violent or sexual crimes, and have completed the majority of their sentence, among other requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department under Donald Trump's first term planned on returning those offenders back to prison when the pandemic emergency declaration ended. But criminal justice groups successfully pressured the Biden administration to release a new rule allowing those offenders to remain at home, arguing it was cruel and wasteful to reincarcerate them after they'd been successfully rebuilding their lives for several years. A potent data point for their argument was the extraordinarily low recidivism rate among those released: The Bureau of Prisons reported in 2023 that, among the 13,204 individuals serving their sentence on home confinement since March 2020, only 22 had been rearrested for a new offense, mostly for drugs or other minor crimes. Biden said in a White House press release that those whose terms of home confinement he commuted "have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance." But the news that Conahan was granted clemency has marred the White House announcement and led to negative media coverageunderstandably. Racketeering is a nonviolent crime under federal guidelines, but the White House had the discretionand should have had the common senseto recognize that the outcome of this nasty little scheme was subjecting minors to state-sanctioned violence through excessive incarceration. He deprived young men and women of their liberty to line his pockets. It's judicial misconduct of the highest order, and it deserves opprobrium, not the sort of mercy that Conahan was too corrupt to grant to teenagers when he was on the bench. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sandy Fonzo believes her son's suicide at age 23 was due to his being sent to one of the facilities at 17 as part of the kickback scheme. "I am shocked and I am hurt," Fonzo told The Citizen's Voice. "Conahan's actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son's death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power. This pardon feels like an injustice for all of us who still suffer. Right now I am processing and doing the best I can to cope with the pain that this has brought back." To be clear, Biden didn't pardon Conahan, which would have cleared his record. A commutation modifies a sentence but leaves the judgment intact. But this is the sort of foot-dragging and face-planting routine that has defined the Biden administration's approach to criminal justice reform. It's a shame the White House's carelessness will cloud the grants of clemency for hundreds of other deserving recipients. The post Biden Shouldn't Have Commuted the Sentence of a Judge in the 'Kids for Cash' Kickback Scandal appeared first on Reason.com. Dec. 13OKLAHOMA CITY Political parties will be required to honor the will of their electorate or bear the cost when House Bill 1010, filed this week by Rep. Molly Jenkins, R-Coyle, becomes law. Jenkins filed HB1010 in response to actions by a small group of elite Democrat Party power brokers after they removed the candidate chosen in the March Oklahoma Democrat presidential preferential primary from the ballot. Jenkins' proposal would require political parties to honor the will of their voters or reimburse taxpayers for the cost of the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A political party 's access to the taxpayer-funded presidential preferential primary is a privilege, not a right," Jenkins explained. "A political party does not have the right to use publicly administered presidential preferential primaries as a facade, misleading its voters with the appearance of a democratic process while party elites secretly make the actual decisions behind the scenes." The presidential preferential primary is part of how a political party selects the presidential candidate it wants to represent the party in the general election. Oklahoma's presidential preferential primary was held March 5 this year. Democrat voters selected Joe Biden to represent them by 72.98% of the vote. Kamala Harris appeared on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. Jenkins, a newly elected representative, said she will be advocating for this and numerous other similar cost-cutting measures in the upcoming sessions. "It's far past time for all of us to take on the role of the Oklahoma Department of Government Efficiency," Jenkins said. "Taxpayers do not have the luxury of these types of wasteful spending practices that are just a part of the big, pointless, costly game played by the political class. It's time for us to do right by the taxpayers, to cut wasteful public spending and to do so immediately. It's imperative for the newly elected generation of Oklahoma legislators to show that we are up to the task." Molly Jenkins serves District 33 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Her district includes parts of Logan and Payne counties. A group tours the new in-house clinic at Billings Senior High on Dec. 11, 2024 (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). This isnt your typical exam room or clinic. The magazines havent been there for years and theres no Good Housekeeping. Students can stop by and add pop culture words on a bulletin board of intergenerational slang. And when they go into the exam room, theres a traditional exam table, or a large bouncy ball, not so unlike the kind youd find at a gym take your pick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has a machine that takes vitals, like blood pressure and temperature, but its what youd expect when you merge a medical clinic with a high school. The small, in-house clinic looks and feels like its been there for longer than a few months, and the concept has been around for years, even in Billings Public Schools, which opened its first school-based clinic at Orchard Elementary a decade ago with its partner, RiverStone Health, the countys public health agency. A vocabulary board where members of different generations explain and explore the pop culture words and phrases of their generation. This board is located inside an in-house clinic at Billings Senior High School (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). The concept is spreading throughout the country with more than 3,900 in-school community clinics, but the program is still relatively new in Montana, which struggles to have adequate clinics across its vast expanse of rural areas, let alone in the heart of the largest city of the state. However, research has backed up the power these small, primary-care clinics can have when theyre housed inside a school, which often serves as a common community center. The concept is simple: Putting clinics inside of schools, especially in ones that have students dealing with poverty, lowers the barrier to healthcare access, making it easier for students to see a doctor, get a physical, or see a mental health counselor for depression or even suicidal thoughts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program in Billings Public Schools, the largest public school system in the state, started a decade ago with the clinic inside of Orchard Elementary. It has grown to include Medicine Crow Middle School and now has expanded because of the success into Billings Senior High. The numbers from RiverStone seem to demonstrate the program has been a success by several measures. In 2016 at Orchard Elementary, the clinic saw 584 patient visits. In 2023, visits had nearly doubled to 910. This year has already eclipsed last years mark and currently sits at 954. The second clinic has mirrored that meteoric start. At Medicine Crow Middle School in 2018, the first year it was open, there were 334 visits. In 2023, there were 1,562 visits. In 2024, there has already been 1,548. Billings Senior High was chosen because of the number of students without healthcare access, although any student can use it. Primary care providers as well as mental health providers see students. The clinics specialize in anything from illness, injuries sustained while in school, physicals, and vaccinations, as well as appointments for mental health and information about other health conditions. Some of the providers say that it also lessens the barriers for teachers who may need to see a provider but are stretched for time. Already, medical staff at the Senior High clinic have done bloodwork, blood pressure and staff checkups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Providers say that students, parents and staff members may not want to go through the hurdles of setting up appointments, then taking time off to go to those appointments, so may ignore their own health. By putting the clinic on site, it lessens all of those, and Katie Keith, a nurse practitioner at Billings Senior, said theyre often able to schedule appointments so that students dont even miss class. Nurse practitioner Katie Keith talks about her experiences seeing patients through an in-house clinic at Billings Senior High on Dec. 11, 2024 (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). We want to be expanding services and clinics, said Billings Public Schools Superintendent Erwin Garcia. We know it is so critical that we have these services and the mental health component. Already, Garcia said there are more than a dozen students in the district who have severe mental health issues but are able to stay in school because of the support these clinics can provide. Right now, Garcia said hes continuing to look for ways and funds to expand the concept across the district to more schools. Jon Forte, the CEO of RiverStone Health, said that this model is expanding across the country, as it is in 49 states, and that community-needs assessments throughout Billings show that students need more support as they face mental health issues as well as substance abuse. The clinics do not cost the school district or the taxpayers a dime, thanks to grant funding from the Montana Healthcare Foundation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I promise you this is only the beginning and were looking at other ways that that we can create these school-based health clinics not just for (Billings Public Schools) but for the county and our rural schools, Forte said. Dr. Megan Littlefield speaks about the advantage of having embedded in-house clinics at Billings Senior High School on Dec. 11, 2024 (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). Dr. Megan Littlefield of RiverStone said that the community-based model has been around since the 1970s and grown steadily. School is often a safe space for our youth and the health outcomes are tied to other success, she said. Healthier students mean they can tackle mental health or physical issues better, which leads to higher academic performance and fewer dropouts. Chronic illness and mental illness play a big part in why kids drop out of schools, she said. These clinics have a profound impact on students and their families, and the users are more likely to access mental health and that reduces absenteeism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keith gave a brief rundown of her day, which begins before class starts. She said teachers are more willing to fill out mental health questionnaires for students because they know the providers. She said teachers and students naturally gravitate toward the providers, and she gave an example of a teacher who had a student come to her with a health question. Together, the teacher and Keith were able to answer before class. Were encouraging students to maybe ask these questions of a professional health professional instead of TikTok, Keith said. Senator Chris Murphy talks with Alex Wagner about expectations for the coming Trump administration in light of the attention Trump is receiving from billionaires who sense transactional opportunity, and what that means for non-billionaire Americans. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) Bills defensive end Dawuane Smoot is currently recovering from surgery on an injured wrist. He joined the Bills this season after seven seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he and his wifes dedication to early literacy led to the establishment of a brand-new school. In these last couple of years thats become really relevant to us, said Smoot. We want to really support literacy and especially at a younger age. Knowing that reading is so important. The relevance he mentioned is he and his wife Aumaris two children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre so excited about reading, so thats something we want to make sure we bring into every single family, said Smoot. Not every single family has access to books. That led them to establish The Elsie Academy, a private daycare and preschool in Jacksonville. It started in January, we just opened up, said Smoot. We have now 66 kids, fully enrolled. But we just believed in starting a bilingual school back then. My wife, shes the visionary behind all of this. After signing with the Bills in the offseason, Smoot hopes to bring something similar to Western New York and beyond. If everything goes right, we keep growing, said Smoot. Thats the hope for sure. We gotta bring it to every city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Giving kids an early introduction to the importance of literacy. Its so important, said Smoot. Just seeing my kids, as they grow up we have to make sure that their education is the most important thing so they can go out into this world and do great things. It starts now. Theyre like sponges now. Bills Make Me Wanna Give Scott Patterson is a co-anchor on News 4 Wake Up! He joined the News 4 team in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WIAT) One man is in the hospital after being shot by a Birmingham police officer Thursday. The Birmingham Police Department said the mans injuries are not considered life-threatening. Rick & Bubba Show signing off Friday after 31 years Just before 5 p.m., officers responded to a call of shots fired. By the time officers arrived, the suspect had left the scene, but witnesses described the suspect and his vehicle. The police department claimed a suspect matching that description was later found at Montgomery Grocery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As officers approached the suspects vehicle, shots were fired. The suspect was injured and taken to UAB Hospital. Interim Police Chief Michael Pickett said the suspect was armed, but whether he fired the gun is still under investigation. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will take over the primary investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States on Friday signed a protocol to amend and extend the Agreement Between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology. They have agreed to extend the Agreement for additional five years, effective from August 27, 2024, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology. On January 31, 1979, then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and the 39th U.S. president Jimmy Carter signed the agreement during Deng's visit to the United States. It was one of the first intergovernmental agreements signed between the two countries following their establishment of diplomatic relations. Since then, it has renewed approximately every five years, paving the way for sci-tech exchanges between the two countries. The agreement was extended for 6 months in August last year, and again in February this year. MORGAN COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) Detectives have revealed the grim relationship between a woman facing human trafficking charges and a Morgan County inmate. In November, Elena Sparenberg, 34, was indicted by a Morgan County grand jury. Court records show that Sparenberg was charged with conspiracy to human trafficking, solicitation to murder, first-degree solicitation to sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 12, and distribution of obscene matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the West Liberty Police Department, Sparenberg and a Morgan County inmate from Harlan County were frequently communicating. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Police told FOX 56 that the two shared numerous images, videos, electronic messages, letters, and calls about sexual abuse, rape, kidnapping, murder, mutilation, and torture. Satanic rituals, cannibalism, human trafficking, and the collection of human remains for sexual purposes were also reportedly discussed. These conversations were referenced toward both adults and minors, officials told FOX 56. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement West Liberty police said they searched her Illinois home and confiscated electronic devices. These devices further confirmed what the police learned about their conversations with the help of the Kentucky Department of Corrections. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Sparenberg was extradited from Illinois to Kentucky on a Morgan County warrant and was lodged in the Rowan County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq Friday to meet with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as the international community grapples with the implications of the Syrian governments collapse. Blinken met with Sudani for more than an hour in Baghdad the latest in a string of meetings in Turkey and Jordan amid an urgent effort to coordinate an approach to Syria following the sudden fall of Bashar al-Assads regime to rebel forces last weekend. As the US works with its key regional partners like Iraq, there is particular focus on ensuring that any interim government also makes sure that Syria is not used as a base for terrorism, extremism and pose a threat to its neighbors or ally with groups like ISIS, Blinken said Thursday. He noted that the infamous terrorist group no doubt will seek to regroup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blinkens meeting with the Iraqi prime minister comes days after the top US military commander for the Middle East visited for an assessment of the D-ISIS mission inside Iraq and Syria. Two top State Department officials were also in Baghdad ahead of Blinkens visit. The US is also closely watching the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, who have targeted US personnel and interests in the past. National security adviser Jake Sullivan noted Saturday that they could try to take advantage of the instability in Syria. Blinken, during a visit last November in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack, had urged the Iraqi government to work to stem those attacks. Speaking after the meeting, Blinken said the US and Iraq are determined to make sure that (ISIS) cannot re-emerge. The US and Iraq had tremendous success in taking away the territorial caliphate that Daesh had created years ago, and now, having put Daesh back in its box, we cant let it out, he said. Daesh is another name for ISIS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I reaffirmed for the prime minister our commitment to working with Iraq on security and always working for Iraqs sovereignty to make sure that that is strengthened and preserved, he said in a seeming nod to the influence of Iranian-backed militias in the country. In all of this, whats happening in Syria does have an important impact, and its very significant that Iraq, along with many other countries in the region and beyond, will make best efforts to support the Syrian people as they emerge from the Assad years, Blinken noted in remarks at the US embassy in the Iraqi capital. Blinken asked Sudani to crack down on Iranian supported militias in Iraq and prevent Iran from transiting weapons through Iraq to Shia militias in Syria, a US official said. The official described the asks as broad and noted there will be lower level discussions on specifics in coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blinken noted that Syria is in a fragile state so it is important that nobody, especially Iran, does anything that would add to destabilization, the official said. The top US diplomat also noted that Iran is very weak and theres a lot of resentment in Syria about Tehrans role in backing the Assad regime, so now would be a good time for Iran to exert its sovereignty. Sudani said they do not want to be dragged into a conflict, the official said without providing further characterization of the Iraqi prime ministers response. After his stop in Iraq, Blinken will return to Aqaba, Jordan, for a ministerial on Saturday focused on efforts to reconstruct Syrian state institutions in a way that preserves Syrias unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty, security, stability, and the rights of all its citizens, according to a Jordanian foreign ministry statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were back in the region at a time of both real promise but also peril for Syria and for its neighbors. And the focus of our work here is to coordinate efforts across the region to support the Syrian people as they transition away from Assads brutal dictatorship, Blinken told the press in Aqaba on Thursday. Regional leaders have agreed on the importance on a unified approach to the situation, Blinken said, noting that were having now detailed conversations about what it exactly look like, and I would anticipate that youll see countries coming together in support of a just basic approach. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Simon Lewis and Huseyin Hayatsever ANKARA (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan agreed on Friday on the need for continued efforts to counter any resurgence of Islamic State in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Washington's top diplomat also said that he discussed the imperative of Palestinian militant group Hamas saying "yes" to a Gaza ceasefire agreement in his talks with Turkey's president and foreign minister. A U.S. official said Hamas has softened its position in ceasefire talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blinken is touring the Middle East to establish a united front with Arab and Turkish allies on the set of principles that Washington hopes will guide Syria's political transition, such as inclusivity and respect for minorities. He said on Monday that Islamic State would try to use this period to re-establish capabilities in Syria, but the United States was determined not to let that happen. "Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS, to ensure that threat doesn't rear its head again, and it's imperative that we keep at those efforts," Blinken said alongside Fidan after they met in Ankara. Talks also focused on a critical aspect of establishing stability in Syria - clashes in the north of the country between the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed rebels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SDF is the main ally in a U.S. coalition against the Islamic State militants. It is spearheaded by YPG militia, a group that Ankara sees as an extension of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants that it outlaws and who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years. NATO allies Washington and Ankara supported Syrian rebels during the 13-year civil war, but their interests clashed when it came to the SDF faction. Turkish leaders agreed with Blinken that the SDF should not be distracted from its role of securing camps holding detained Islamic State fighters, and from fighting the remnants of that group, said the U.S. official, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity and has knowledge of Blinken's meetings with Turkish leaders. Earlier this week, Turkish-backed forces seized the northern city of Manbij from the SDF, which then headed east of the Euphrates River. A Syrian opposition source told Reuters the U.S. and Turkey had reached an agreement on the withdrawal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither Blinken nor Fidan made any reference to the agreement, but the U.S. official traveling with Blinken said it was a focus of the talks. The official said the ceasefire had generally held, but settling the broader tensions between Kurds in Syria and Turkey would take more time, adding that Washington was closely watching any moves by Turkey or Turkish-backed forces on the Kurdish-controlled town of Kobani. After meeting with Blinken, Fidan said Turkey's "priority in Syria is to ensure stability...as soon as possible, to prevent terrorism from gaining ground and to prevent Islamic State and the PKK from dominating there". "We discussed in detail what we can do about these, what our common concerns are, and what our common solutions should be," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with Turkish-broadcaster NTV late on Friday, Fidan said the elimination of YPG was Turkey's "strategic target" and urged the group's commanders to leave Syria. He also criticized the West, saying it was using the PKK to secure the detention camps holding Islamic State fighters and that the PKK was "blackmailing" the international community through this role. GAZA CEASEFIRE Blinken also pressed the importance of a ceasefire to end hostilities between Palestinian militants Hamas and Israel in Gaza during his meetings in Turkey, as Washington makes a fresh push to clinch a deal that has eluded President Joe Biden's administration for over a year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In my discussions with President Erdogan and with Minister Fidan we talked about the imperative of Hamas saying yes to the (Gaza) agreement that's possible to finally help bring this to an end," Blinken said following his meeting with Fidan. "We appreciate very much the role that Turkey can play in using its voice with Hamas, to try to bring this to conclusion." Hamas has softened its position in ceasefire talks and Turkey has begun employing its leverage over the group since many Hamas leaders moved to Istanbul from Doha, the U.S. official said. (Reporting by Simon Lewis; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Angus MacSwan and Rosalba O'Brien) Dec. 13ARREST A Falls woman was arrested after a shoplifting incident at a store in the 7400 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday. The 26-year-old was charged with petit larceny. She is accused of taking more than $116 worth of merchandise without paying for the items. ARREST A North Tonawanda man was arrested after police said he refused to leave a convenience store in the 8100 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard at 5:14 p.m. Tuesday. The 30-year-old was charged with trespass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ARREST A Lockport woman was picked up on a warrant on Grand Street Tuesday morning. The 39-year-old woman was wanted on a charge of criminal possession of controlled substance. ARREST A Buffalo man was arrested on Pine Street at 4:43 p.m. Sunday. The 27-year-old man is charged with criminal possession of a weapon and menacing. He is accused of threatening another man with a BB gun. ARREST A Lockport man was charged about noon Saturday with petit larceny. He is accused of stealing $54.55 in merchandise at a store on South Transit Road on Nov. 25. ARREST A Gasport man was charged with harassment after a report of road rage in Royalton at 3:26 p.m. Tuesday. The man, whose age was not disclosed, is accused of punching another man in the face at a stoplight on Rochester Road and Gasport Road. He was given an appearance ticket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ASSIST PUBLIC Police responded to a report of a larceny at a South Transit Road store Sunday night. An asset protection officer told Niagara County Sheriff's deputies that $422 was found inside the store and handed over to an employee who pocketed the money and didn't report it to other staff. Surveillance footage showed the employee being handed the money and then pocketing it. The owners of the lost $422 did not press charges after the employee returned it. ARREST A woman was arrested after driving into a ditch on the 2800 block of Youngstown-Lockport Road in Wilson at 9:25 a.m. Thursday. The woman, whose age and address were not disclosed, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and driving while ability impaired by a combined influence of drugs or alcohol and any other drug. A Niagara County Sheriff's deputy said the woman admitted to using ketamine the night before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FRAUD A Town of Lockport woman called the police Monday after she discovered several fraudulent store charges and a $1,000 charge to Stubhub in her banking account. The woman said her friend also had a $900 charge from Ticketmaster. Both parties went to the same restaurant in the City of Lockport on Nov. 29 and used their respective payment cards. Skokie and Evanston Police Department officials have confirmed that a body found in a wooded area in Evanston matched the general description of a missing 82-year-old woman, but are cautioning that tests must be done before confirming the deceased persons identity. The Cook County medical examiners office will need to perform those tests, both departments said. Evanston police Cmdr. Ryan Glew said a citizen found the body in an area of vegetation behind the Pace Bus North Shore Garage at 2330 Oakton St., Evanston, on Nov. 30, and contacted police. Upon finding similarities with the description of a Skokie woman named Tsering Dolma Wangyal, who had been reported missing in July, Evanston police reached out to Skokie police, Glew said. There was no evidence of foul play in the death investigation, Glew said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were several searches (for Wangyal) involving canine assistance, Skokie police Chief Jesse Barnes said. He said given that Wangyal was found in a wooded area, it was possible that previous searches were unsuccessful because of the areas foliage, which by now has died off. Barnes said it is premature to confirm that the body is Wangyals, given that the medical examiners office still must go through its process. According to the Skokie police, Wangyal had gone missing July 15 and was last seen at the Levy Senior Center at 300 Dodge Ave., Evanston. She was wearing a dark-colored, long-sleeved shirt, light-colored pants and slippers at the time. In September, Wangyals family and the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago held a prayer vigil in honor of Wangyal at James Park, about 500 feet away from where police said the body was found. The vigil was held to renew the searchers energy in their quest to find Wangyal. The Tibetan Alliance held another prayer vigil on Dec. 3 at the organizations headquarters in Evanston. Neither the organization nor Wangyals family responded to a request for comment. HINDS COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) A boil water notice has been issued for 300 customers in Hinds County. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), the notice was issued for the Arlington Water Association Hintonville on Thursday, December 12. Vicksburg celebrates opening of new animal shelter Officials said the notice was issued due to a construction project. Health officials strongly recommend that all water be boiled vigorously for one minute before it is consumed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information, customers may contact 601-784-2055 or at arlingtonwaterassociation@yahoo.com. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) weighed in on the uptick of unidentified drone sightings in his home state, saying he is concerned. Im concerned; I issued a letter to ask for more information. I think there should be a lot more transparency about it, Booker told reporters Thursday on Capitol Hill. Senators from New York and New Jersey, including Booker, sent a letter to the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday, asking for a briefing on the drones seen flying over their states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The potential safety and security risks posed by these drones in civilian areas is especially pertinent considering recent drone incursions at sensitive military sites in and outside of the continental United States over the past year, they wrote in the letter, saying they expect a reply no later than on Dec. 23. Booker added that he has been a little frustrated. There hasnt been enough transparency letting people know whats happening, he said. Its allowing a lot of potentially misinformation to spread, or at least fear. We should know whats going on over our skies. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the current administration is in search of more information about the drone sightings, which have spiked since late November over both New York and northern New Jersey. But he brushed off the likelihood that they are a threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Defense Department has also said theres no evidence the unmanned aircraft are a product of a foreign entity or the work of an adversary, according to the Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh. The FBI is currently investigating the sightings. The Biden Administrations inaction to intercept & identify the drones over New York & New Jersey is shocking, concerning & unacceptable, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) wrote Wednesday on social media. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Lou Wenlong, a former vice president of the Agricultural Bank of China, has been arrested on suspicion of bribery, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said on Friday. The Fujian Provincial People's Procuratorate ordered the arrest of Lou, who was also a former member of the bank's Party committee, according to a statement by the SPP. The case was handed over to the prosecutors for examination and prosecution following the conclusion of an investigation carried out by the National Commission of Supervision, the SPP said. Lou was expelled from the Party, according to an official statement released last month. DENVER (KDVR) The city of Boulder is testing a pilot program that provides guaranteed income to select residents. The programs first eight months were analyzed and Boulder has received feedback from the participants. The city released its Elevate Boulder Interim Evaluation report after gathering data and feedback during August and October. Proposed bill could give these Colorado areas a new zip code Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were thrilled that with just eight months of direct cash assistance through Elevate Boulder, participants are seeing significant improvements in household food security, mental health and their ability to pay for basic needs like rent and utilities, said Elizabeth Crowe, Housing and Human Services deputy director. The program was launched in January and provides 200 low-income households with $500 in direct cash assistance each month. The program will last for two years and the participants do not have to offer anything in exchange for the funding. A release from the city said the program was created to foster equity and help community members meet basic needs and become more financially stable. An analysis of the report provided insight into several areas the extra funding is helping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fewer people were struggling to pay for housing and utilities Fewer people were experiencing food insecurity Fewer people could not afford wellness activities A reduction in psychological stress was noted Participants felt better prepared to reach long-term financial goals Most respondents said they were treated with respect and felt empowered by the pilot program Before I was accepted into this program, I was struggling really hard to make ends meet. The extra $500 per month has changed my life for the better in ways that are impossible to describe, said one participant. Sometimes the payment lands at that point between paychecks where I am struggling for groceries or gas, and itll see me through until the next payday. Or Ive used it when the car desperately needed an oil change and I didnt have it in my weekly budget from my wages. My daughter and I are doing so much better with this little boost in our lives. Biden pardons Denver man during act of clemency Boulder used $3 million in one-time revenue from the American Rescue Plan Act to help fund the pilot program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the interim report, the city will check back in for more results in 20 months to assess how the project has impacted financial stability and long-term goals for participants, according to the press release from the city. To view the full report, visit the city of Boulders website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva left critical care and is now under semi-intensive care in a hospital in Sao Paulo, his doctors said Friday. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the medical report, Lula is lucid, oriented, eating normally and was able to walk through the corridors of the medical center. On Thursday, doctors said the president should be discharged early next week. Later on Friday Lula released on social media a video in which he is seen walking and talking to his wife and one of his doctors. I am firm and strong, Lula said in the posts text. Walking through the corridors with Marcos Stavale, the neurosurgeon responsible for my procedure, talking a lot, eating well and soon ready to go home and continue working and caring for each Brazilian family. The 79-year-old leftist leader had emergency surgery on Tuesday after suffering headaches on Monday and being diagnosed with an intracranial hemorrhage. On Thursday morning, he underwent embolization of the meningeal artery, a process to stem bleeding. It was intended to prevent future intracranial bleeding related to complications from an accident he suffered in October, when he fell in the bathroom and hurt the back of his head. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doctor Roberto Kalil told reporters in Sao Paulo on Thursday that Lula is in full decision-making capabilities and that his cognitive health is good. Although the medical recommendation is that he doesnt work while in the hospital, Lula has digitally signed documents and talked by phone to some advisers such as Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, Institutional Relations Minister Alexandre Padilha said in a press conference Thursday. This weeks developments come at a challenging time for the leftist leader as his government tries to push public spending cuts through Congress (Updated with Lulas video and comments in the 3rd and 4th paragraphs.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. For a decade, the world has seen how Russia has scarred Ukraines landscape with tens of thousands of bombs and missiles. The spiritual wounds and awakenings experienced by millions of Ukrainians are less visible. Almost a third of Ukrainians say their religious faith has grown since the war broke out, according to a survey conducted last year by the Razumkov Center, a public policy think tank based in Kyiv. Others say their belief has never been more tested. To better understand how the Russian invasion has changed Ukrainians relationship with their faith, the Kyiv Independent spoke with dozens of Ukrainians from various regions and creeds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among them are a Greek-Catholic Chaplain who performs confessions at the front lines; an Orthodox woman who was branded a traitor by her pro-Russian priest for renouncing the Moscow church; and a Muslim Mufti who put on a uniform to practice what he preaches. Here are six stories of faith, questioning, and transformation. Editors Note: These first-person narratives have been adapted from transcripts of interviews by the Kyiv Independent. They have been edited for length and clarity and translated into English from Ukrainian, but all of the words are from those we interviewed. Yaroslav Buno, 39, Lviv Oblast, Every chaplain is a psychologist Yaroslav Buno grew up in a Greek Catholic household in western Ukraine, where Christianity has traditionally been stronger than in the east. Inspired by his local priests work with youth, he entered seminary school at age 17. When the full-scale invasion began, his villages church welcomed refugees from the east and started collecting military aid. Though priests have been embedded with units since 2014, Ukraine created the chaplaincy service as an official division of the military in 2023. After volunteer visits to the frontline, Buno joined a military unit as a chaplain in April of this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was the funerals. The funerals of our boys. I still see their mothers. Everything changed for me, my system of values changed. The more I saw the consequences of the war, the more I wanted to do more. I realized I had to be in the east, at the front. I couldnt just sit home and watch. I called my wife and said, I want to become a military chaplain. God was calling. I had to get the commanders consent, take an oath, and then it was official. When I went to the front for the first time, I was afraid. Its war, after all. Yaroslav Buno, 39, in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine on Sep. 27, 2024. (Chris Jones / The Kyiv Independent) But I was also afraid because it was a new ministry for me. They werent my parishioners back in the village. Theyre soldiers who have lived and seen a lot, who have wounds of war, their own ethical codes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Id never been in such an environment. I asked my commanders what I should do. They didnt know either. Another priest told me, Don't be afraid, be yourself. Talk about God's word. Do what you have always done. Im not a robot. Every day I experience disappointment, fear, doubt. This is inherent in every person. And a priest is not immune either. What matters is how you handle it. I remind myself of what Christ lived through. How Christ suffered. How he got up when he couldnt go on. His example gives me solace. I remember the first time I was with the soldiers. Spring of this year. They laughed a little bit when I ducked from the explosions. For them it was so normal, familiar. But, as they say, everyone gets used to it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I celebrated the liturgy. Later some of the guys thanked me. I said I hadn't done anything. They said, For being here. Even my presence could be some kind of support. I became even more convinced that a priest should be with soldiers at the front. The Greek Catholic church has been closely intertwined with liberation in the history of the Ukrainian people. When families gather for holidays, there are songs dedicated to those events. In every village and parish, there are symbolic graves dedicated to the liberation movement. National memory, patriotic education, and religious education go hand in hand. In the chaplaincy ministry, there are priests and monks who were imprisoned, exiled to Siberia (during Soviet times), and so on for their pro-Ukrainian views. I try to hold services for all major Christian holidays. It's not easy, because the unit is often scattered over different territories. And we try not to make a crowd. All is done secretly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chaplains task isnt just religious rites. Every chaplain is a psychologist. He listens, tries to be a friend, shows compassion. Not everyone is ready to talk about God. Guys just want to relieve stress with a simple conversation. To joke, talk about the weather, everyday life, delicious food. Of course, part of what falls to the priest is confessions. The most intimate conversation the guys have. To kill a person, even in war, is not good. But the enemy who comes to our land has made a choice. Yaroslav Buno sits on the bench in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine on Sep. 27, 2024. (Chris Jones / The Kyiv Independent) People participate in the religious walk in Zarvanytsia, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine on Sep. 27, 2024. (Chris Jones / The Kyiv Independent) What our guys are doing is not a sin or immoral. They realize that if they dont stop the enemy in the east, hell be in the west, in the center, in the north, and in the south the day after tomorrow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They know they can die. Each of them has lost comrades. They know they could be next. Everyone has a family, has children. Everyone wants to live. But there is no other way out. The cross that every warrior bears is self-sacrifice. But the chaplain sometimes carries the soldiers cross, his feelings, depression, emotions. It becomes easier for the warrior after a conversation with his chaplain. Even when he hears no answers to his questions. Nadia Kaminska, 48, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: What kind of church do you have here? Is it under Moscow? Orthodox Christians are the largest religious group in Ukraine more than 70% of Ukrainians identified as Orthodox Christian according to one 2022 survey. When the full-scale invasion broke out in 2022, Nadia Kaminska stopped attending the only church in her village in central Ukraine because of its ties to Moscow. Her congregation has since voted to transfer their parish from the Russian-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which was granted self-governance from the Moscow Patriarchate in 2019 by the spiritual leadership that oversees both branches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than a thousand other congregations have made the same transition since 2022, while over 8,000 were still under Moscows influence as of May. At some Moscow-affiliated churches, the Ukrainian government has uncovered ties to the Russian state and security services. But for the past year, Nadia and her fellow parishioners have been praying in a room in a community center. UOC leadership has barred them from holding OCU services in their villages church. The community is waiting for the local government authorities to recognize their vote and let them gather there. I have been a parishioner of this church since 2018. I live next door. When I came to my first Sunday sermon, I was surprised. Father Serhei Frolov was a Ukrainophobe. For him, Russia is Russia, a great power. And Ukraine? No such country. There is only Russia. Nadia Kaminska, 48, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine on Dec. 3, 2024. (Chris Jones / The Kyiv Independent) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I realized I would not have a connection with him. I was born in Russia but have lived here since I was three. To me, Russia was an aggressor that attacked my country and took away Crimea. But I was going through a difficult time. I needed a church, I needed the sacraments. Before 2014, the church was full. People poured their hearts into it. By the time I started coming, it was empty. There were about fifteen of us. People with different views than Father Serhei had left. They built this church. And they had to leave it. It was difficult for people whose loved ones are fighting for us, to hear during a sermon that Russia isnt at war with us. That the enemy is the West. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the full-scale invasion began in February, I went to church in the morning with my husband and my hope. Hope that this priest would see the light, realize none of what he said was true, and say, Forgive me, we are at war, yes, Russia is an enemy. But we didnt hear that. We heard, Dont watch, dont listen to anything, just pray and wait. Wait for the Russians? I couldnt stay. I left and couldnt return. People were scared, disoriented. At such moments, people need the presence of God. And the people in this village, who built that church and wanted to go to that church? They were deprived. I talked to internally displaced people who needed a church. They asked, What kind of church do you have here? Is it under Moscow? I would say, Im sorry, its a Moscow church. Two weeks later, I got a call from our priest, Serhei. He said that, even if they put a machine gun to his temple, he would never renounce Kirill, the Patriarch of the Moscow Church. He hoped Id take his side. I told him Kirill is not my patriarch. Nadia and her fellow parishioners in a community center in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine on Dec. 3, 2024. (Chris Jones / The Kyiv Independent) A person is praying in the church in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine on Dec. 3, 2024. (Chris Jones / The Kyiv Independent) Six months after the invasion, Father Serhei left. I was at the last service. He talked about traitors. He looked me in the eye, saying Id renounced the church. I didnt feel like a traitor. I didnt renounce Christ. Then a new priest came. I came to vespers and when we five people and the priest gathered, I said Lets transfer to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The priest said We will do what the church leadership tells us to. The church is not governed by parishioners, but by pro-Russian leaders. We asked people, How would you feel about a Ukrainian church in our village, a church that has never cooperated with Russia? People said, Were for it. We have a law that allows parishioners to vote on transferring. On May 14 last year, we invited everyone to a meeting in the center of the village. I got a phone call from another priest who, lets say, threatened me. It didnt stop us. Ninety people voted in favor of transferring. Unanimous vote. But the Russian church doesnt accept the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. They say were schismatics and wont let us hold services in the church. The local authorities wont force them to leave. So we organized a little space here in the cultural building. We started services again. We didnt have icons, anything. My husband came to the first service. It was held in Ukrainian. In my village, liturgies in our beautiful language! I cried. My former friends cut us off. For me, they arent enemies. They just got a little confused. They dont study history. But what does God teach? People change. I would like our village church to become Ukrainian. I want to return. But only when it has a different atmosphere. Editors note: After this interview, Nadias church was told the community room was no longer available and they would need to hold services in the corridor. Said Ismagilov, 46, Donetsk Oblast: When you find yourself at war, you understand the scriptures Muslims make up around 1% of Ukraines population. Exact figures are hard to come by as the largest group is in Crimea, where around 13% of residents were estimated to be Muslim prior to its annexation by Russia in 2014. Under Stalins rule in the 1940s, ethnic Crimean Tatars around half of Ukraines Muslims were deported en masse from their home in Crimea to remote areas of Central Asia and Siberia, in what Ukraine and Tatars deem a genocide. Many returned decades later, only to flee religious persecution and Russias rule after the country annexed the peninsula. Said Ismahilov was one of the top Muslim spiritual leaders in Ukraine before the war began. He moved from his home in occupied Donetsk to Bucha after the 2014 invasion. When Russian troops invaded Bucha in 2022, he moved again, this time to Kyiv. He left his position as Mufti to serve as a volunteer on the front, then joined the Ukrainian military and continues to serve today. When the war ends, he dreams of building a memorial engraved with the names of all the Muslim men and women who died defending Ukraine. I came to the mosque (in Kyiv) on the second day of the full-scale war. There was no one there. Only an elderly guard, a non-Muslim. They had all fled. It was such a disappointment. When I was elected Mufti on Jan. 25, 2009, I set the goal of creating a Muslim community in Ukraine. The majority of Muslims here moved from elsewhere. Even Crimean Tatars, about half of Ukraines Muslims, returned from deportation. My goal was to educate the Muslim immigrants, so they feel Ukrainian. To fight together with other Ukrainians. Said Ismagilov, 46, in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on Nov. 27, 2024. (Ivan Samoilov / The Kyiv Independent) But the people I worked with ran to Europe, the United States, Canada, anywhere. This shocked me in the first months of the war damn it, I taught you to love Ukraine! And when it got bad for this country where you lived, got married, had children, ran your business it turns out you dont need the country. Okay, if youre not ready to fight, its on your conscience. But I cannot sit and pray in an empty mosque. I had to put on a uniform and practice what I preach. If I have taught that to people for 20 years, I have to go, even if I am alone. Either I lied when I called people to do something I didnt believe in, or I have to defend my homeland. I volunteered and became a paramedic. We evacuated the wounded under fire. I stopped being a Mufti, Im now just an ordinary Muslim like anyone else. But if there was no one to pray for the dead, I had to do it. Most of the Muslims who went to defend Ukraine were Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian-born. I met them at the front often. Religious and military service are different like earth and sky. Its good to teach people in a warm, safe mosque. But when youre being shot at, carrying the wounded, when its cold, muddy, or too hot then its harder to live up to your ideals. I discovered Im not afraid. They can shoot at me, kill someone nearby. I am not afraid. In Islam, a mans duty is to be a soldier. Its a sin if he doesnt protect his family. We believe we die on the day and time chosen by God. No earlier, no later. Even if a hundred people shoot at me, if Im not destined to die today, I wont. I didnt hear such questions at the front, but I heard it in the rear: How did God allow this? I have a simple answer. Do not blame your sins on God, you allowed the war to begin. God will not take up a Kalashnikov and fight in your place. It isnt his task. God created you, gave you land to live here, freedom of choice, commanded you to be honest, righteous, and to protect yourself from the enemy. When someone shifts responsibility to God, I say we are adults, responsible for ourselves. What does God have to do with it? Said Ismagilov, 46, in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on Nov. 27, 2024. (Ivan Samoilov / The Kyiv Independent) When I was a Mufti, everyone pestered me. Journalists, visitors, students. Why in the world does the Koran always talk about war? Because they didnt know what war was. And when people found themselves in war, they understood why the Koran had verses about taking up weapons. When you find yourself at war, you understand the scriptures. In Islam, there are special prayers against the enemy. For the enemy to weaken, to perish. Prayers that are read when someone is afraid they will die or be taken prisoner. Before, I didnt read them. I had no reason. Now theres a need for those prayers. Now, my prayers are less about civilian life, which I dont remember at all. Natalia Dubchak, 62, Kyiv Oblast: I went to confession for the first time right after my son died Natalia Dubchak returned to her family in Ukraine from Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed. She raised her children as a single mother, serving in the military until 2012. Her son was killed in 2015 fighting to defend against Russias 2014 invasion of Crimea and Donbas. She has organized and led church-backed support groups for other women whose sons have died in the fighting. She continues her work from her home in Bucha, which she fled for three months to escape the massacres under Russian occupation. Around 4,400 Ukrainian fighters died during the eight years of war in eastern Ukraine before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. As of December 2024, at least 43,000 more Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, according to President Volodymyr Zelenksy, though many estimate the true total to be much higher. I went to confession for the first time right after my son died. I was already an adult, about 52, and I realized that we all have sins. We dont always consider them sins. I have a lot of them abortion, adultery in the eyes of the church but I was very surprised by the churchs tolerant attitude. No one shamed me. No one said, Oh, how could you do that? It was shocking, in a good way. When I left the confessional, I cried for a half hour. I felt as if Id been cleansed from the inside. When a son or daughter dies, parents and mothers especially often think, God punished me. We look for the reason for our childs death. Others are back to living their lives, surviving the war, but my child died. Maybe it was something I said, or something I thought... But confession made me understand, in simple, ordinary words, that it wasnt my fault. My son Sasha was an ardent atheist. He didnt want to read about God. He didnt believe that was it. Natalia holds a photo of her deceased son in the church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the UGCC in Irpin, Ukraine, on Nov. 30, 2024. (Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent) But when he came back on his first military leave, I asked him how he felt about God now. He said, Mom, when youre in a trench under fire, you pray with any words you can think of. There are no non-believers in the trenches, he said. He went to serve when the war started in 2014. I was planning to return to the service because I was only 50 and a career soldier. But he said, Its enough for one of us to serve. Sashko died in 2015. In 2014, many families began losing loved ones, and the question of how to care for them became an issue. There weren't many NGOs to help us back then, and the state didn't know what to do with us. No one needed us. The church was the first institution to lend a shoulder. And so, when church leaders said, We would like you to help us take care of the families, to gather them so we could support them, I agreed. Now we have 28 support groups in Ukraine. When we started seven years ago, we were the first. We have monthly meetings, first for liturgy, then for informal communication with a psychologist, with a confessor, one another. Tea, coffee. We celebrate birthdays and the anniversary of the death of loved ones. I can't say that I'm a 100% religious person. I don't follow all the rules in the faith but I try to live as a decent person. The commandments, you know: thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill. I follow them. But I'm not 100% a believer. The word "spirituality" is what keeps me near the church. I feel this support from within. When everything is good, when nothing happens in your life, you don't think about the fact that faith exists. When something happens and we need support, we remember the Lord, ask him for advice, make promises. Support group conversation for people who have lost loved ones in the war with a psychologist in Irpin, Ukraine on Nov. 30, 2024. (Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent) Pictures of the deceased servicemen in the church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the UGCC in Irpin, Ukraine on Nov. 30, 2024. (Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent) The families of the fallen are in this situation. We are their role models. Families now come to our group and wonder, Is this how I will be in 10 years? It turns out that life goes on. Its possible not just to exist, but also to live. We arent eternal. We die. That's why you have to live, be happy about small things, which is what I try to do. I have the opportunity to work a little more, I have enough money for bread and butter. What more can I ask for? When I thought about death, I used to get shivers down my spine and immediately drove the thoughts away. They scared me. Now I understand how long the average life in Ukraine really is. Ill be 62 in a week. I hope I have 10 more years. I can't say whether I believe in an afterlife. No one has been. No one knows. I hope its true that only the body dies, but the soul doesnt. My son died, my father died. For me, death is a meeting with my family. Valentyn Postrelko, 75, Kyiv Oblast: We pray for my boys every time The history of Ukraines Jewish community stretches back more than a thousand years. Ukraine is the birthplace of the Hasidic Jewish movement, played a key role in the development of Yiddish modern literature, and is home to more than a thousand Jewish heritage sites. Ukrainian Jews both flourished and experienced persecution during different periods up until the Holocaust, before which Ukraine was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe. Many researchers estimate the death toll of Ukrainian Jews during the Holocaust to be over a million, with some estimates as high as 1.6 million. Jews continued to emigrate in the decades that followed. Today, Ukraine still only has a fraction of the Jewish population it had at its peak, but since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraines Jewish community has been rebuilding and rejuvenating. Estimates vary, but experts believe the number of Jews who still call Ukraine their home is now in the tens of thousands. Valentyn Postrelko, like many in Ukraines Jewish community, is returning to a faith that has deep familial roots but was diminished in recent times. I was born in Kyiv, I will be 75 years old in December. I was brought up in Soviet times, when religion was disregarded. Now its important. When there is such a big war and your family has two sons at the front, you turn to God. And God is the same for Jews, Muslims, and for Christians. Professor Valentyn Postrelko at the Institute of Surface Chemistry, Kyiv, Ukraine on Dec. 12, 2024. (Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent) Everyone has their own Golgotha, when they come to God. My time has come. How did I get to be religious? Three or four years ago, I set myself a goal of making a memorial sign for the victims of the Holocaust. The Association of Jewish Communities helped me finance it. We reconstructed an old Jewish cemetery. My grandmother and uncle were shot there. And then I slowly began to visit the rabbi. I came to the synagogue. I like it there. People treat me well, and I treat them well. In any religion, a person should treat another humanely. Every Saturday when we gather, we pray for my boys to come back alive and healthy. I talk to them almost every evening. One is 34 and the other 45. They volunteered to defend Ukraine in the first days of the war. Earlier, many Jews left the country because there were negative attitudes towards them. They left for countries with better treatment. Ive seen these attitudes improve in Ukraine. Many Jews are coming back. The Ukrainian people elected a Jewish president, so what issues can there be? To be a Jew in Ukraine today, I believe you are a citizen of this country, so this is your country. There is a Russian translation of the Torah, but there has never been a Ukrainian translation. The Jewish community in Dnipro initiated a translation. This is very important for our country, especially now. There is a group of translators and reviewers. I was tasked to help with editing because I speak exclusively Ukrainian. We are in Ukraine. We should have the Torah in Ukrainian. Now in the synagogue, our rabbi reads the Torah in Hebrew, and I read (draft translations in) Ukrainian. Professor Valentyn Postrelko's office at the Institute of Surface Chemistry, Kyiv, Ukraine on Dec. 12, 2024. (Anna Donets / The Kyiv Independent) I have been working in psychiatry for 40 years. I studied in Russia. And I still ask the question, Why did this happen? How? For people to be turned into such beasts, that they did what they did in Bucha and Irpin. I had a client practice in Bucha before the war, I treated soldiers after 2014. So I went there in the first days after its liberation. I saw it. The hospital was ruined. By April 2022, I was treating soldiers there again. The air raid alarm sounded all night last night. You understand that this is a war. I could go abroad. But my boys are at war, and I will not go anywhere. Vladyslav Makhovskyi, 50, Zaporizhzhia Oblast: I prayed hardest when I was in captivity Baptists are one of the oldest and largest Evangelical Christian groups in Ukraine, and have been in the country since the 1800s. They once formed the largest Baptist community outside of the United States, though their numbers have since declined. Ukraines Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak wrote in an op-ed for the Hill that there are an estimated 800,000 to 1 million evangelical Christians in Ukraine. Vladyslav Makhovskyi grew up non-religious, like many who were born during the Soviet Union when religion was suppressed and discouraged by Soviet authorities. He converted to evangelicalism at age 25. Six years ago, he became a pastor. Since 2014, Ive been volunteering, evacuating, helping people in the war zone. I've been going once or twice a week. Sometimes Im scared, but I have to go. The main goal was to support churches and help people form new churches. We started forming churches near Avdiivka, but the Russians destroyed them. The first time I entered the territory controlled by the occupiers, I evacuated people and got out. The second time, I was detained by one of the Russian militant groups fighting Ukraine. This was 2014. They interrogated me for six days. Took my car, documents, everything. But they let me go. Vladyslav Makhovskyi, 50, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine on Dec. 1, 2024. (Kate Klochko / The Kyiv Independent) I prayed hardest when I was in captivity. Every day, every night, because they were torturing me. Relying on God gave me strength. And when I got out, I thanked God for guiding me through this. At the beginning of the full-scale war, I was in Zaporizhzhia. I chose to stay. Those were difficult days; the Russians were close. So we started to take our church members and families with children to western Ukraine. And also to help people who were even nearer to the approaching Russians. We drove three or four buses to Vasylivka, to bring aid and evacuate children. We were asked to. When we were getting closer, we saw military equipment. When we got even closer, we saw the letter Z.' They stopped us, searched us, held us, but then turned us around and let us go. They had other tasks. I went to occupied territories several times to evacuate children until they closed everything. This February in Avdiivka, I came under fire. A first-person-view drone hit me. It was 800 meters from the Russians. I got shrapnel wounds on my right leg. My car wouldnt start. I walked about a kilometer in a state of shock and was evacuated to the city. Vladyslav Makhovskyi, 50, with his congregation in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine on Dec. 1, 2024. (Kate Klochko / The Kyiv Independent) I dont think Id be doing this if I were not a believer. Faith changed me. Gave me a vocation to help people. Now were helping displaced people. Many of them come to our church. This year, several were baptized. When things get difficult, people turn to God and the church grows. Many of the ministers I know werent believers as children. I was raised a non-believer. I was involved in drugs, have a criminal record. The first time I came to the Baptist church, in 1999, the service was already going on. I stood in the doorway and watched. And then one lady invited me in, offered me a seat, so I listened to the sermons. I felt such love, such acceptance. When I was captured for the first time in 2014, they had such a negative attitude toward the Baptists. There was a soldier who came wearing a cross. I started saying I was a believer, a Christian. He came at me with a knife. He showed me the cross and said, This is the true God. Your faith is an enemy faith, the faith of American spies. Note from the authors: Hi there from Natalia and Andrea, the co-authors of this piece. Thank you for reading our article! As we traveled across Ukrainian communities to talk about religion, we saw that it was more important than ever to highlight a deep, unnoticed impact of almost three years of Russia's war on Ukraine. If you'd like to see more stories like this one, please consider supporting our work with a monthly or one-time donation. By becoming a member or donating, you can help us continue telling the world the truth about this war. Read also: Faith under fire: Russias war on religion in Ukraines occupied territories Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Joe Cash and Ben Blanchard BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) -China's defence ministry on Friday broke its silence about days of military activities around Taiwan, saying it was entitled to stage exercises and the military would "not be absent" if required to fight separatist forces. Taiwan's defence ministry on Monday went on alert and activated an emergency response centre after reporting a surge in Chinese military activity, both nearby and more broadly in the East and South China Seas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's military had not announced any manoeuvres. Beijing views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory - a claim rejected by Taipei, which says that only Taiwan's people can decide their future. In a statement responding to a question on Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's recent visits to Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam, and whether or not China had held drills, China's defence ministry offered neither confirmation nor denial. "Whether or not to hold exercises and when to hold them is a matter for us to decide on our own according to our own needs and the situation of the struggle," it said. "Regardless of whether or not exercises are held, the People's Liberation Army will not be absent and will not be soft in its fight against independence and for reunification." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any reliance on "foreign forces to seek independence" - the usual wording China uses to warn the United States off supporting Taiwan - would be severely punished and was "doomed to failure", the ministry added. China has staged two rounds of war games around Taiwan so far this year, most recently in October, saying they were a warning against "separatist acts" and vowing to take further action if needed. TAIWAN SAYS CHINA'S THREAT IS EXPANDING On Friday, Taiwan's defence ministry said China's threat towards the island had been evolving since 2022, when it began staging the current round of war games, from "deterring Taiwan" to "impacting the First Island Chain", an area that stretches from Japan through to Taiwan, along the Chinese coast and into the South China Sea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "China's long-term goal of deterring regional parties and disrupting the rule-based international order will not be endorsed by the international community," it said in a statement. The United States has repeatedly expressed concern about tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and once or twice a month sends military aircraft or warships on missions there. Late on Friday, Taiwan's defence ministry said a U.S. P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance and patrol plane had flown through the Taiwan Strait in the morning, the first such publicly acknowledged flight since Nov. 26. Security sources had expected China to hold drills to coincide with Lai's U.S. trip, and also to send a warning to the incoming Trump administration about China's red lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan said that Chinese military activity in the region was currently elevated but it did not see that as a response to Lai's U.S. visit. Later that day, Taiwan's defence ministry said it had disbanded its emergency response centre, signalling an end to the current round of Chinese military activities. On Friday morning, the ministry said the number of Chinese military aircraft operating nearby was down sharply. Taiwan's coast guard said that nine Chinese coast guard ships off the coast had headed northwards after carrying out "undue" activities in recent days. (Reporting by Joe Cash and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Michael Perry and Kevin Liffey) Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Ten victims who received blood tainted with Hepatitis C and HIV over 20 years in Britain have received nearly $16.5 million in compensation, London health officials announced Thursday. A press release from the British government called the deal between the government and the blood scandal victims a "historic milestone." "Victims of the infected blood scandal are due to receive their first compensation payments this week," the release said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tens of thousands of people were infected with tainted blood between the 1970s and 1990s, many of which contained infected clotting factor products. The identities of the victims who are receiving compensation have not been released, and the press release said an additional 25 people have been invited to make their claims, and will also receive offers of compensation. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority, established by the British government following the scandal to handle the claims for compensation, said it intends to broaden the program in the new year. "After so many years of injustice, I hope that this brings some reassurance to a community who have suffered immeasurably that action is being taken," Nick Thomas-Symonds, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, said in the release. The first 10 victims are expected to start receiving compensation this week. Thomas-Symonds said the current government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer has set aside nearly $15 billion to compensate victims in the tainted blood scandal. Britains workforce will shrink to a record low as a surge in the number of people who are too sick to work drags on the economy. Projections by the tax and spending watchdog show the share of over-16s in work or looking for a job will never get back to pre-lockdown levels, as an ageing population and rising ill health leaves a permanent scar on the economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) believes the share of the adult population either in employment or looking for a job will fall to just 61.8pc in the 2060s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This would be the lowest share on record and break a decades-long trend of steady participation in Britains jobs market. Since the 1970s, the rate of those aged 16 and over who are willing to work has hovered between 62pc and 63pc as a decline in the number of men in work has been offset by more women joining the workforce, including more mothers. The share of Britons classed as economically active peaked just before lockdown in 2019-20 at 64pc of the population before declining to 62.8pc this financial year. The share of working-age Britons participating in the workforce has also not got back to its pre-pandemic size of 79.3pc, and currently stands at 78.2pc, with almost 2.8m people economically inactive because of long-term illness driven by mental health conditions or back and neck pain. The OBR also warned that even big health improvements will do little to tackle the worklessness crisis, dealing a blow to the Governments hopes of driving growth by cutting NHS waiting lists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fresh figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) also showed 1.6m people have started claiming sickness benefits since just before lockdown with no requirement to look for a job. Official data show that of the 2.9m Universal Credit decisions linked to ill health, 66pc were found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), meaning they receive 5,000 extra in welfare payments and do not even have to prepare for work. The DWP also said that at least 69pc of decisions following an official assessment were linked to people recorded as having mental and behavioural disorders. Analysis by the OBR said good health was much more important than age or education as a factor in determining whether someone worked or not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the budget watchdog warned that there were limited gains to the jobs market from making people healthier in the wake of Sir Keir Starmers vow to ensure 92pc of routine operations and appointments in England are carried out within 18 weeks by 2029. The NHS backlog currently stands at 7.57m, with 6.34m individual patients waiting for treatment. But OBR analysis published on Thursday said it was wrong to assume that even transformative improvements in peoples health have anything like as large effects on economic activity in a stark rebuke to claims that reducing NHS waiting lists will provide a major boost to the economy. The OBR said trends observed over the past decade or so, including an increasingly ageing population living with multiple health conditions, would see the number of Britons participating in the jobs market decline further. Separate data showed a drop in the number of years men and women can expect to live their lives in good health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said male healthy life expectancy in England had fallen by 1.7 years since before the pandemic, and 1.9 years for women. Men in England can now expect to spend 61.5 years of their lives in good health, compared with 61.9 years for women. The OBR said improving health outcomes would not make a significant difference to the economy. Put crudely, if we assume our estimates work in both directions, they imply that there is only a 28pc chance that working-age people in ill health who get better (or who are prevented from becoming ill) will move into (or stay in) the labour force, relative to if they remained in or moved into in ill health, said OBR economists. This is consistent with our previous modelling of the impact of reducing the NHS waiting list on economic activity, and underscores the need for a strong evidence base in order to incorporate the economic effects of health interventions in our economy forecasts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned that the Governments employment goal would remain out of reach without reversing the sickness crisis. It is going to be difficult to reach the 80pc employment target without first halting the trend towards more people being out of work due to ill health, it said in an analysis published on Thursday. The think tank noted that 6.6pc of the UKs working age population were currently inactive due to ill health up from 5pc in 2019. There has also been a related rise in claims to health-related benefits up from 7.5pc of the working age population in 2019 to 10pc in 2023, it added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Inactivity due to ill health is a particular problem amongst people towards the end of their working careers. 11.3pc of 55 to 64-year-olds were inactive due to ill health in 2023, up from 8.9pc in 2019. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. As the rebels swooped down from the north, Bashar al-Assads narcotics smugglers hastily tried to burn the evidence. They failed. For years, the Assad regime denied that it had turned Syria into a narcostate, that the presidents relatives and cronies were pumping out vast quantities of an illegal amphetamine called Captagon which brought misery across the Middle East even as it enriched his family. But the blackened bowels of an old potato crisp factory on the outskirts of war-ravaged Douma, a city to the north of Damascus, told a different story, providing clues about the vast scale of the trade and the masterminds behind it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One part of the warren-like basement beneath the main warehouse permeated with the stench of burnt narcotics and charred concrete, had been given over to production. It was here that the drug was manufactured, with workers extracting, purifying and alkylating the chemicals needed to make the drug, a cheap but deeply addictive substance sometimes known as poor mans cocaine. Pills were hidden inside an apple-shaped container - Mohamed Azakir Nearly all the chemicals originated from, of all places, the UK: chloroform, formaldehyde solution, hydrochloric acid, petroleum ether and ethyl acetate, all contained in brown jars produced by a chemicals firm in Needham Market, Suffolk. In a statement, SureChem told The Telegraph that it had supplied the ingredients in 2010 as part of our last shipment to the country as the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011 and embargoes were subsequently introduced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement added: With regard to the products themselves, they were supplied for general laboratory use and are fairly unremarkable. Only the caustic soda originated from elsewhere, with labels on the sacking indicating it had come from Saudi Arabia, where Captagon has become the drug of choice for young men and women attending desert raves in the dunes outside its cities. A fighter, loyal to Syrias new ruling administration, holds a box containing, according to them, Captagon pills, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria - Mohamed Azakir In a nearby chamber, next to the room where barrels of the solution stood ready to be pressed into pill form, the completed tablets had been readied for the start of the smuggling operation. The rebels who seized the factory and put out the flames were stunned by what they found. Piled high to the ceiling were white voltage stabilisers, each the size of a small safe, waiting to be fitted with false copper-bound motors each of which contained thousands of beige Captagon pills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nor were the motors the only method of secreting the contraband. Other pills had been stuffed into decorative pebbles, items of furniture and even artificial fruits pomegranates, oranges and melons clearly ready for onward passage until the collapse of the regime put paid to the smugglers plans. Another fighter rips open a copper-bound motor stuffed full with Captagon pills - Mohamed Azakir Each packed copper bound motor was ready to be fitted to white voltage stabilisers Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Western narcotics experts said on Friday evening that the factory appeared to be the largest Captagon facility yet identified in the country. As Syria slid into civil war in 2011, its formal economy collapsed under the weight of the fighting, the opportunities for larceny and corruption that the instability unleashed and Western sanctions. Desperate for cash to finance his brutal war, the Assad regime began the mass production of drugs. Fighters from Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia that propped up the former president on the battlefield, lent their skills in narcotics making and smuggling, as did loyalist Shia groups from Afghanistan. Captagon soon became Syrias main export, exceeding the combined total of its legitimate exports threefold, and its prime source of much-needed hard currency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a single pill fetching up to 20 in the rich states of the Gulf, 50 times the manufacturing cost, the trade was soon bringing in billions of pounds a year, according to Western estimates, creating addicts across the Middle East even as it propped up a hated regime. Captagon contributed to Assads war effort in other ways, too. Officers in the Syrian army fed it to their men before they went into battle. They called it Captain Courage, with former soldiers saying a single dose was enough to forget both fear and fatigue. Little wonder that the Captagon factories are seen by the rebels now running Syria as one of the most hated symbols of the Assad regime. Nearly all the chemicals originated from the UK Chemicals were contained in brown jars produced by chemicals firm SurChem based in Needham Market, Suffolk Abu Zihad al-Zahri was in two minds about what to do when he and his platoon came to secure the factory. He would have loved nothing more, he said, than personally to have destroyed the drugs that survived the blaze. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After all, he and his men had fought in Douma against Assads Captagon-addled soldiers, a bloody battle they lost in 2018 when Russian jets levelled much of the city and the government unleashed chemical weapons against rebel positions. As a good soldier, however, he was awaiting orders from Syrias new authorities, led by the Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), to which Mr Zahris local militia is affiliated. HTS has pledged to destroy the Captagon trade. Its unbelievable, Mr Zahri said. Is there another leader anywhere in the world who would have starved and killed his people to make Captagon? The incredulity was shared by the factorys owner, Fares Tout, the man who used to make crisps until, as war spread through his country and business became impossible, he fled for Egypt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He returned on Sunday, the day Assad was toppled after 24 years in power, only to find fires blazing in the basement of his factory and the remnants of a drug-making operation everywhere. Soldier Abu Zihad al-Zahri wanted to destroy the drugs as soon as he and his men discovered them This was once a wholesome business, Mr Tout said. We had farmers growing potatoes on our farms, which were then processed by the 600 employees who worked here. Now look at it. There is enough Captagon in there to kill an entire country. Tellingly in a discovery astonishing for its brazenness one room in the drugs den was littered with hundreds of business cards belonging to a senior government official long suspected by Western intelligence agencies of being a kingpin in the Captagon trade. They belonged to Amer Taysir Khiti, a businessman with links to the former presidents feared brother, Maher al-Assad, who commanded the fourth division of the Syrian army, an elite unit accused in the West of having overseen the production and distribution of Captagon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once a modest livestock trader, Mr Khiti became a black marketeer in the early stages of the war before evolving into a drugs smuggler, according to activists who studied his career. Fares Toots crisp factory was seized and turned into a Captagon production site after he fled Syria in 2012 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He later drew close to the Assad family, becoming a major financial donor before eventually fronting businesses for them, they claim. He was rewarded by becoming an MP in Syrias rubber-stamp parliament in 2020. Britain imposed sanctions on him last year, with the Treasury accusing him of supporting the Syrian regime by facilitating the production and smuggling of amphetamines from Syria. According to Mr Tout, the factory was seized by Mr Khiti in 2018, shortly after Douma fell to the Syrian army. The whereabouts of both Mr Khiti and Maher al-Assad, who was regarded as the regimes second-in-command, remain unknown. With their disappearance, Arab governments will be hoping that the most commonly abused drug in the Middle East, so freely peddled by one of the most hated governments in the Middle East, may just possibly become a thing of the past. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The premier of British Columbia announced a significant hike on Thursday in tax incentives for film and TV, as the province struggles with a sharp decline in production. Premier David Eby said the Production Services Tax Credit which goes to international productions will increase from 28% to 36%. The domestic credit will also increase from 35% to 36%. More from Variety Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In making the announcement, Eby said British Columbia must do more to compete with other jurisdictions. The local industry has faced the same downturn that has sidelined film workers around the globe. This is a sector thats taken some hits, Eby said at a press conference. The decision by major studios to reduce some of their budgets on productions, the impact of labor disruptions, other jurisdictions competing with British Columbia for these productions with significant subsides for the industry, means we need to respond. We need to continue to be competitive, and we need to be world-leading. British Columbia launched its film incentive in 1998 and has since become a major hub for TV production, including Hallmark movies, Netflixs Virgin River, HBOs The Last of Us and Shogun on FX. The latest proposal is especially aimed at enticing large productions, with a 2% bonus going to those with a budget over $140 million (CA$200 million). The province spent $640 million (CA$909 million) on film incentives in the 2023-24 fiscal year, of which about 80% went to foreign productions. The increase if approved in next years budget process would lift it to $843 million (CA$1.2 billion), according to a Ministry of Finance estimate. The increase will be retroactive to Jan. 1, Eby said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move comes weeks after California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to increase the states tax incentive from $330 million a year to $750 million. (Californias population is seven times larger than British Columbias, and its economy is 18 times larger.) As with Eby, Newsom said the hike was needed to compete with other jurisdictions and to stem a decline in production volume. The California Legislature must approve the increase next year, and it would take effect on July 1. New York also hiked its incentive to $700 million last year. Several B.C. leaders took a trade mission to Los Angeles in November, as part of an effort to persuade Hollywood studio executives to bring more productions to the province. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The one thing they said to us was, We want to make sure youre tax competitive,' said Spencer Chandra Herbert, the minister for tourism, arts, culture and sport, at the press conference. We want to be tax competitive too. They said if you can make that happen, we will bring big productions here. The SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes had a significant impact on the British Columbia film sector, as employment declined from 37,000 to 26,000 in 2023, according to Creative BC, which administers the incentives. Crystal Braunwarth, the business representative at IATSE Local 891, said that workers have been forced to draw on their savings, take early retirement and even switch careers amid a 40% drop in production. She called the announcement a significant milestone that will help get people back to work. It is not a race to the bottom, she said. It is job creation that benefits British Columbians and invests in the people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ebys New Democratic Party won a slender majority in the October election, extending his tenure as premier. He had promised to increase the filming incentive during the campaign. At the press conference, Eby was also asked to respond to President-elect Donald Trumps threat to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods. He said Canada would impose retaliatory tariffs if Trump follows through. We will do our part to respond, he said. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A Chinese businessman with close links to Prince Andrew, Duke of York, has lost his appeal against being banned from entering Britain on national security grounds. A three-judge panel of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission on Thursday dismissed the application to overturn the 2023 exclusion order imposed by then Home Secretary Suella Braverman on the 50-year-old man identified only as "H6." The commission heard the businessman, who divided his time between China and Britain since being granted the equivalent of a Green Card in 2013, was believed to be associated with a shadowy arm of the Chinese Communist Party known as the United Front Work Department that MI5 said was involved in "mounting patient, well-funded, deceptive campaigns to buy and exert influence." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The link to Prince Andrew was first discovered when H6 was the subject of a "port stop" in November 2021 under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act, during which his digital devices were searched and copies of the data stored on them were retained. Included, was a March 2020 letter from senior adviser to the prince, Dominic Hampshire, confirming that H6 could act on behalf of the Duke in dealings with potential partners and investors in China. The letter referred to the honor of H6 being invited to Andrew's 60th birthday the previous month adding, "I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family. You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship. outside of his closest internal confidants, you Sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on". The letter also stated since the first meeting of the trio [H6, the prince and Hampshire] "we have wisely navigated our way around former Private Secretaries and we have found a way to carefully remove those people who we don't completely trust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Under your guidance, we found away to get the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor," it said. The Home Office said in a submission to the appeal hearing that this showed H6 was in a position to "generate relationships between senior Chinese officials and prominent U.K. figures which could be leveraged for political interference purposes by the Chinese State." The applicant [H6] had, it claimed, not provided a full and open account of his relationship with the duke, which had a "covert and clandestine" element. On Feb. 16 last year, H6 was "off-boarded" from a flight from Beijing to London and told that Braverman was in the process of deciding whether to exclude him from Britain, a decision she went ahead and made a month later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement H6 appealed on the grounds the decision was unlawful and that the procedure had been unfair. However, the appeal heard that in a June 1, 2023, witness statement, H6 "downplayed relationship with the Duke and with the UFWD which, combined with his relationship with the Duke, represented a threat to national security." Prince Andrew spent two decades acting as an unofficial international ambassador for British business, helping firms win export deals and contracts around the world until he resigned as a working member of the Royal Family in 2020 over his relationship with the disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein. The late Queen Elizabeth stripped the former Royal Navy pilot of his military titles and royal charitable patronages in January 2022, prior to settling a U.S. sexual assault civil suit out of court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judges were told that H6 had, at times, purposely obscured his links with the Chinese State, the CCP and the UFWD but that the evidence proved otherwise. Another document found during the search of his devices contained questions posed by the Chinese Embassy in London regarding strategy, a letter addressed to the Beijing UFWD, and a list of people traveling in a delegation including a UFWD member and members with job titles listed as both UFWD and the Beijing Overseas Friendship Association. Investigators also recovered a text message from H6 introducing himself as an overseas representative of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body that is central to the CCP's United Front system. The home secretary's submission noted that while he denied receiving orders from UFWD to interfere with U.K. interests, it was assessed that those in his position understood UFWD and CCP objectives and proactively advanced them without necessarily being explicitly instructed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was judged that given his failure to fully disclose his UFWD links to his U.K. contacts, there existed a "deceptive element" to his activity. Of particular concern was his honorary admission to an exclusive so-called "48 Group Club" of prominent U.K. figures who the Home Office feared could be exploited for political interference purposes by the Chinese State. Is there a disappointment quite as acute as a child learning that their trip to meet Father Christmas has been cancelled? Earlier this month, Tui was forced to do just this. Kuusamo in Finnish Lapland is listed on Tuis website as a low-key town where tourists can visit a reindeer farm and meet Father Christmas. However, after a run of warm temperatures and heavy rainfall in the area, the tour operator cancelled trips to Kuusamo due to a lack of snow. We understand how devastating this news will be, and we are really sorry to have reached this outcome, Tui said in a statement. Customers were given refund options or the chance to rebook next year, and Tui said that trips to other parts of Lapland, including Rovaniemi, would go ahead as planned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, some took to social media to voice their dismay. One said: I feel so sick I could throw up. I get that no one can rely on the weather, but you kinda expect it when you go to a place that is listed as the most magical snowy destination. Usually at this time of year, Lapland (often associated with Finland, but actually a much larger region spanning parts of Sweden and Norway, too) would be blanketed in around 25 to 30cm of snow. However, right now parts of Finnish Lapland have no snow on the ground at all. This comes after a summer of record temperatures. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the average temperature in northern Finland in June, July and August was between 2C and 3.5C higher than usual. Many observation stations in Lapland logged record temperatures, and the northerly Inari region suffered almost double the average number of wildfires. A warming wonderland None of this will come as a surprise to climate scientists. The Arctic is warming around four times faster than the rest of the world. Models, published in the journal Nature Communications, predict that rain will overtake snow as the primary form of precipitation in the Arctic as early as 2060. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement John Moore, a research professor at the University of Laplands Arctic Centre, says the winter weather shifts in Lapland are already clear to see. I first lived in Rovaniemi in 1993, he says. That winter we had 11 weeks when the temperature was always colder than -25C. Now we have temperatures going above zero for a day or two which melts most snow and makes it icy and slippery. One day a few weeks ago I heard that 62 people broke a bone slipping, out of 60,000 people in the town. Winter weather shifts in Lapland are becoming more apparent - Getty We simulated future snow seasons a while ago, adds Moore, who specialises in glaciology, climate research and geoengineering. By 2070 we expect 30 per cent of Christmases to have no snow in Rovaniemi. But further north in most of Lapland it will be better. It isnt only humans suffering at the hands of rising temperatures in Lapland. The ice on the ground makes it very hard or impossible for animals [such as reindeer] to eat the lichen or dig for roots. So its really tough conditions. Its much better to have 30cm of snow and for it to always be colder than zero, says Moore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other corners of the Arctic Circle, some communities are already having to make big decisions in response to the changing climate. Due to erosion and rising sea levels, officials in Shishmaref, an Alaskan village just north of the Bering Strait, are exploring relocation plans for the future. Many other remote coastal communities in Alaska are being forced to do the same. However, doing so could mean losing a way of life that has existed for centuries, involving marine hunting and foraging, as well as the emotional turmoil of having to leave behind burial sites. The end of Christmas Land? The real Saint Nicholas is believed to have been born on the Mediterranean Coast (usually pinpointed as Patara, Turkey) around the 3rd century AD, but modern mythology has it that the rotund, Coca-Cola version of Father Christmas lives somewhere more northerly. Where, exactly, is up for debate. In Denmark, Julemanden (the Christmas Man) lives in Spragle Bay, Greenland. In Norway, its the Norwegian town of Drobak, while Finland pinpoints the town of Korvatunturi on the Russian border, and Swedish Santa lives in the surprisingly southerly Mora, which is on an equivalent latitude to Shetland. In the USA, the location is broader Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, a belief often credited to Harpers Weekly cartoonist Thomas Nast, who in 1866 drew a Christmas image of Santa Claus with the caption: Santa Claussville, N.P. British mythology long pointed towards the North Pole, too, before festive tours in Finnish Lapland took off in the 1980s. Rovaniemi has been declared home of Santa Claus - Getty Recognising the economic potential of making Lapland the home of Santa Claus, the governor of Lapland, Asko Oinas, declared Rovaniemi as Christmas Land and appointed a taskforce to develop festive tourism in the region. A landmark date was Christmas Day in 1984, when 98 British tourists disembarked a Concorde plane at Rovaniemi Airport as crowds of delighted residents watched on. The tradition took off, and for 16 years Father Christmas and a reindeer met delighted British families on the runway on December 25. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Christmas Land tourism project has been a success. Last year, more than 1.5 million people arrived in Finnish Lapland, with British visitors still the primary audience. Both North Norway and Swedish Lapland, home to the famous Icehotel, also have thriving winter tourism economies based around festive activities and seeing the northern lights. However, with husky sledding and snowmobiling forming a central part of Lapland itineraries, snow has become a non-negotiable. So much so that many tour operators now offer a snow guarantee which means a full refund or option to rebook if theres no powder on the ground in the days running up to departure. Faking it Some resorts are attempting to avoid that eventuality by turning to a solution found on 60 per cent of the worlds ski resorts: snow cannons. At Apukka Resort in Rovaniemi, artificial snow allows them to guarantee the white stuff for guests. In a recent Instagram post, it said: Our snow cannon is working hard and making even more snow to ensure our routes stay in good condition, no matter the weather. Creating artificial snow isnt without its problems. Cannons use large amounts of water between 70 and 120 litres per square metre to produce a depth of 35cm (although some in Lapland, such as Apukka, use water supplies from lakes). They also produce considerable noise pollution, around 60 to 80 decibels, which is enough to disturb wildlife. Once artificial snow melts, the water can affect the chemical and nutrient composition of the soil below, affecting biodiversity, and the energy footprint of producing artificial snow is very high, too. Some resorts now rely on artificial snow - AFP Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One solution is to go further north. On December 10, British Airways launched non-stop flights to the northernmost airport in Finland, Ivalo (returns from 349 per person). Sales for the debut season have been strong, and are expected to be even better for 2025/2026. Sarah Pratt, the travel agent behind Sarahs Instant Holidays, predicts a wider shift north. A trend I can see is people are enquiring for resorts much further north for next winter, she says. I would myself be tempted to suggest this as to avoid any disappointment like this winter, of no snow. Or to travel later in December and not the earlier dates. But as we hear more reports of cancelled holidays and rainy resorts in Lapland in the years to come, will people start looking elsewhere in the world for their winter kicks? Pratt isnt convinced. I dont think anyone will be put off Lapland its about managing the expectations of our guests visiting, she says. Santa is still there snow or no snow. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. MANILA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Friday it has approved a 30-million-U.S. dollar loan to support public-private partnership (PPP) projects in the Philippines and help the country strengthen infrastructure development, advance climate action, and enhance economic competitiveness. The ADB said the loan will replenish the Project Development and Monitoring Facility managed by the government's Public-Private Partnership Center to support the design and implementation of bankable PPP projects. It will also help enhance the capacity of implementing agencies and local government units to develop and manage these projects, added the bank. The loan is expected to support up to 35 national and local PPP projects from 2025 to 2029. All projects will undergo climate risk screening and management to ensure alignment with the Philippines' nationally determined contribution. These projects promise to improve railways, roads, transport networks, and essential community facilities. "The Philippines is considered one of the leaders in Asia and the Pacific region in using PPPs as a modality for addressing infrastructure gaps and pursuing sustainable growth and development," ADB Philippines Country Director Pavit Ramachandran said. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The real estate listing described the property as your dream homes canvas. Thats what Donna Hartl and her husband believed when they paid $17,500 earlier this year so they could relocate from North Dakota. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 8 on Your Side The property is nestled between Islewood Drive and Richbarn Road in Brooksville. We really wanted to have some privacy, not be stranded out in the country, Donna Hartl said. We just felt this was the perfect match. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was getting the green light on everything, my property was being brought up on the GIS map at the county, I got my setback, what I could and couldnt do. I could bring a modular home in, a mobile home, or I could do a single family residence. Man robbed Tampa stores at gunpoint while brother waited in getaway car: DOJ At the time of the listing, there was a slender utility pole on the land. It wasnt until they reached Duke Energy that they learned of a 1955 easement that takes up most of their property and prohibits building anything other than a fence. So, why werent they told this when they bought the land, and how was it marketed as a home site? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken dug into documents they were provided by the sellers broker. A boundary survey makes no mention of even the pole no hint of the utility easement. We found state records show Nexgen Surveying, LLC, of West Palm Beach, and its licensed surveyor, are already in hot water with state regulators. Records show that the same month surveyor Clyde McNeal signed off on this survey, he agreed to state probation to settle five cases involving inaccurate surveys. He agreed to pay a $5,000 fine, complete 12 hours of continuing education and have some of his surveys reviewed by the board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Behnken sat down with Chris McLaughlin, the past board chair. You go over the evidence and complaints that were filed and a lot of them are very similar to this, some kind of harm showed by failing to show something, failing to make the user aware of the information on the ground, McLaughlin said. He said the pole should have been noted and questions raised about a utility easement. McLaughlin said the surveyor is required to visit the property in person. He also pointed out this is an example of why buyers should get their own surveys, so there is another opportunity to catch something like this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Behnken reached out to Nexgen several times, and no one has called back. Hartl said she has filed complaints with the Florida Attorney Generals Office and several state regulators. Hartl said Nexgen representatives tell her that they note information on the survey that is provided to them by the client, which was the seller of the property. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. BROOKVILLE, Ohio (WDTN) Brookville is looking to the community as they plan for the future. The City of Brookville is currently undertaking a Comprehensive Land Use Plan update. This project will help plan future land use and growth in the city. Huber Height residents happy Buc-ees construction is back underway Part of the project is requesting feedback from residents to see how they would like the city to operate and plan for the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brookville residents are asked to complete this survey to share their thoughts. This feedback will provide essential information of where the city should identify and concentrate future land uses within the citys borders, said the city of Brookville in a press release. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. BEREA, Ohio (WKBN) Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman has been ruled out for Sundays home game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite returning to practice on a limited basis this week, Tillman remains in concussion protocol. He will miss his third straight game, after originally suffering a concussion in the week 12 victory over the Steelers. In addition, the following players are listed as questionable for Sundays game: TE David Njoku (hamstring), LG Joel Bitonio (back), DT Mike Hall Jr. (knee) and CB Myles Harden (tibia) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Browns and Chiefs will kick off on Sunday at 1 p.m. on WKBN-27. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. A Christmas party for staff at Buckingham Palace has ended up as front page news after a maid was reportedly arrested. Palace Xmas Party Punch-up, was the headline in The Sun newspaper this morning with claims that a Palace Christmas party had spiralled out of control" after around 50 staff went to a bar near to the Palace. Police were said to have gone to All Bar One in Victoria just after 9 p.m. on Tuesday and arrested a woman for common assault, criminal damage, and being drunk and disorderly. The alleged incident took place outside of Palace walls, however a Buckingham Palace spokesperson issued an on-the-record statement today acknowledging the situation. We are aware of an incident outside the workplace involving a number of Household staff who had previously attended an early evening reception at the Palace, a spokesperson said. While this was an informal social gathering, not an official Palace Christmas party, the facts will be fully investigated, with a robust disciplinary process followed in relation to individual staff and appropriate action taken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Metropolitan Police issued a statement to the BBC which confirmed they had attended a central London bar on Tuesday December 10 Following reports that a customer had smashed glasses and attempted to assault a member of staff. Officers attended and arrested a 24-year-old woman on suspicion of common assault, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly, the statement said. The woman is reported to have been released the following day. Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the British monarch and around 800 people are employed to work there. A list of current vacancies advertises roles including Chef De Partie, Service Desk Analyst and Facilities Manager. You Might Also Like Buckingham Palace might be associated with decorum and propriety, but one staffer's "crazy" behavior at a Christmas party got her arrested this week. According to The Sun, the trouble started when a 24-year-old woman "believed to be a housemaid" at the palace arrived with a group of approximately 50 royal staffers at a pub on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The employees were meeting up for a gathering after a Christmas drinks party at Buckingham Palace. SIGN UP for Parade's Trending News newsletter & we'll keep you in the know on the viral pop culture moments & celebrity news everyone is talking about Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman in question allegedly threw a punch at the manager of All Bar One in London and started breaking glasses. The group walked in and this one girl just got hysterical," said one insider. She started smashing glasses and abusing our staff members, so we had to call the police. Ive never seen one person get that crazy during a night out. She was on another level. It had been a crazy night, we were incredibly busy and we had to deal with so many bookings," added another source. Related: Buckingham Palace Announces Devastating Royal Loss Police reportedly arrived after 9 p.m., and the woman was arrested for common assault, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly. She spent the night in a jail cell and was released almost 24 hours later with a fine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are aware of an incident outside the workplace involving a number of Household staff who had previously attended an early evening reception at the Palace," said a Buckingham Palace spokesperson. While this was an informal social gathering, not an official Palace Christmas party, the facts will be fully investigated, with a robust disciplinary process followed in relation to individual staff and appropriate action taken. Next: King Charles Puts His Touch on "One of the Biggest Upheaval" in Royal History FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) The team at Buffalo Trace Distillery is getting in the holiday spirit with their annual Holidays at the Trace celebration. The celebration is now in its 26th year. This years event features a 60-foot-long light tunnel and new themed light scenes. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Distillery added more than 20,000 LED lights, upgraded to a 35-foot-tall Christmas tree with more than 400 ornaments, and installed more than 70 unique light installations throughout the grounds, reads a news release about the event. The holiday lights at the distillery can be seen every night from 5:30 to 8:30 through Dec. 31. Buffalo Trace Distillery also began a new event called Spirited Nights. The free ticketed event gives guests a more immersive experience that includes a walk-through light display, a bourbon hot chocolate bar, bourbon tasting, and more. This whole experience is designed to help families make memories together during the holidays. Were so bombarded by messages and things during the holiday season that this one is all about making memories and having an experience. So we invite you to break the routine a little bit. Come out to the distillery, try something different, and really bring your closest friends and family to make memories with you, said Andrew Duncan, brand director with Buffalo Trace Distillery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spirited Nights will be at Buffalo Trace Dec. 13-15, and again on Dec. 19-22 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Gov. Doug Burgum presides over a meeting of the North Dakota Industrial Commission on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Bismarck. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Thursday filed an appeal to a proposal by the Bureau of Land Management to make hundreds of thousands of acres of federal oil, gas and coal in the state unavailable for leasing. The 25-page document is the states third attempt to push back against the federal agencys plan. It followed a September protest letter, a consistency review filed by Burgum in October, and a response from the BLM sent to the state last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burgum has since been named President-elect Donald Trumps pick to be the next secretary of the Interior, which includes the Bureau of Land Management. He filed the appeal as one of his last acts after eight years as governor. In the appeal, Burgum warned the proposal would reduce state oil and gas revenues by $34 million per year and eliminate thousands of coal-related jobs. Because of the unique split-estate nature of federal lands in North Dakota, it would not only hamper the resource development of BLM-managed land, but also of a significant amount of land the agency does not own, he argued. Burgum said despite the states attempts at outreach, the BLM has not sincerely addressed North Dakotas concerns about the proposal. Sonya Germann, director of the Bureau of Land Management Montana/Dakotas State Office, in a Nov. 8 letter to Burgum said the agency has reviewed the issues previously raised by the state and did not find it necessary to change the proposed plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bureau of Land Management was not immediately available for comment Friday. The BLM uses resource management plans to guide the use of land under its jurisdiction. The agency in 2020 commenced the lengthy process of revising its plan for North Dakota, which hasnt been updated since 1988. In July, the agency unveiled its proposal for the roughly 60,000 acres of public land and more than 4 million acres of mineral estate it manages within North Dakotas borders. Most of that is already barred from development. The plan would prevent leasing of an additional 514,300 acres of BLM-managed coal in North Dakota, according to the appeal. It would also take more than 213,100 oil and gas acres off the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burgums letter criticized the BLMs plan as flawed, unscientific and an illegal encroachment upon state sovereignty. In North Dakota, federal mineral estate is interspersed with state and private land in a checkerboard-like pattern. For this reason, the state fears that by blocking the development of federal minerals, the BLM will also prevent the development of state and private resources. The proposal would effectively exercise an unlawful federal veto over North Dakotas authority to regulate the development of natural resources in the state, Burgum wrote in his appeal. The BLM has said its proposal will ensure its resources in North Dakota are used in a way that best aligns with federal law. The plan identifies three goals: responsible mineral and energy development, wildlife conservation and recreation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency has disputed that the proposal will hinder access to non-BLM land, according to its November response letter to Burgum. Resource management plan decisions apply only to the BLM-administered lands and minerals in the planning area, the letter states. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The BLM claims its resources will not reduce coal tax revenue for the state, and that it will have a negligible impact on oil and gas tax collections. It wrote that federal law allows the BLM to regulate land in a way that reduces economic development in the interest of the overall health of the public lands and resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his appeal, Burgum also called on Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning to recuse herself from involvement in the resource management plan for ethics reasons. Stone-Manning has ties to nonprofits that have interests directly adverse to North Dakota, said Burgum. According to the appeal, she formerly worked for the National Wildlife Federation and will soon leave the BLM to head the Wilderness Society. The Wilderness Society, a conservation group, intervened in North Dakotas ongoing legal challenge against a new BLM regulation on the federal agencys side, Burgum noted. It would be both inappropriate and unlawful under the STOCK Act for director Stone-Manning to continue to rule on, or be involved in, disputes between North Dakota and BLM, including the one at hand, Burgum wrote in the letter, referring to the 2012 federal legislation adopted to address insider trading. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burgum asked the agency to provide a meaningful response to the criticisms of the plan he submitted in his October consistency review, as well as to adopt an alternative proposal that would keep the 1988 resource management plan in place. There is no set deadline for the agency to respond to the appeal, John Reiten, policy advisor for the governors office, said Thursday during an Industrial Commission meeting. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A Dakota County grand jury has now charged Troy Mitterness, 57, with one count of premeditated 1st-degree murder in the death of his 82-year-old mother. Mitteness, of Burnsville, was previously charged with the intentional 2nd-degree murder of his mother, Sandra Viola Mitteness, in July 2023. According to the criminal complaint, Mitteness had stabbed his mother to death on June 2, 2022, with a large kitchen knife at his home on Riverwood Drive. After initially trying to cover up her killing, criminal charges state he finally admitted to being responsible for her death to Burnsville police. Troy Michael Mitteness via Dakota County Jail. According to the complaint, he told police that he had spent all of her money and that she was becoming suspicious. Mitteness told investigators he "researched online how to kill an elderly person without poison" and decided "to stab her while she was in her bed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also looked up the "best spots" to stab someone to make their death quick and painless, charges state. Days after she was killed, he dismembered her body and placed her remains in large plastic tote bins he had in his garage. He then discarded her remains from his moving vehicle into road ditches as he drove from Burnsville to Appleton, Wisconsin. If convicted, Mitteness could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. The next court hearing has yet to be scheduled. BURNSVILLE, MN A Dakota County grand jury has indicted 57-year-old Troy Michael Mitteness on charges of premeditated first-degree murder and intentional second-degree murder in the death of his mother, 82-year-old Sandra Viola Mitteness, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena announced Thursday. Authorities allege that in June 2022, Mitteness fatally stabbed his mother at his home in Burnsville after depleting her financial resources and fearing she had grown suspicious. Days after her death, investigators say Mitteness dismembered her body and disposed of the remains by throwing them from his moving vehicle into roadside ditches while driving from Burnsville to Appleton, Minnesota. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mitteness had previously been charged with intentional second-degree murder in this case. The newly added first-degree murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Mitteness remains in custody at the Dakota County Jail. A date for his next court hearing has not yet been set. In June 2023, Burnsville police launched a mail theft investigation into Mitteness. Money from several mail thefts had been deposited into an account belonging to the man's mother, Sandra Viola Mitteness, according to police. Officers asked Mitteness about his mother's whereabouts so they could question her about the deposits into her account. Mitteness initially told police she was in Milbank, South Dakota but then said she had died, according to the criminal complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police found an obituary for Sandra at Mitteness' residence that stated she died on June 14, 2022, authorities said. Officers also found information for a funeral home, but the funeral home denied ever providing post-mortem care or funeral-related services for Sandra, the criminal complaint states. Police interviewed several family members who said they believed Sandra died in the past year. Mitteness told relatives that Sandra was injured after falling down stairs, the criminal complaint states. When family members asked about seeing her in the hospital, Mitteness said Sandra had COVID-19 and could not have visitors, according to authorities. Mitteness later told them she died, the criminal complaint states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police tracked down Sandra's car, which had been sold. The new owner allowed officers to examine the car, and an alternative light source gave indications of the presence of blood in the trunk, the criminal complaint states. Officers then found similar indications of blood at Mitteness' home on July 6, 2023, investigators said, including a mattress and box spring that had large dark red stains. During a police interview, Mitteness admitted to killing his mother because he had spent all of her money and she was becoming suspicious, according to the criminal complaint. Mitteness further admitted he killed his mother on June 2, 2022, in his Burnsville home by stabbing her in the neck with a large kitchen knife, authorities said. He dismembered her body and placed her body parts in different large plastic tote bins that he had in his garage, according to the criminal complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He then drove with the bins in his car from Burnsville toward Appleton, Minnesota, and threw body parts into the ditch as he drove, authorities said. Burnsville Man Killed, Dismembered His 82-Year-Old Mother: Police originally appeared on the Burnsville Patch Dec. 13Longtime Insty-Prints owner Tamara Williams was honored with Evergreen Chamber of Commerce's Brent Hall Award at the chamber's annual banquet dinner Wednesday in Kalispell. Williams has been with Insty-Prints of Kalispell for 35 years, transitioning from employee to ownership. The Brent Hall Award is given each year by the Evergreen Chamber to honor a person whose life exemplifies a spirit of giving, community and business leadership, volunteerism, and advocacy for and support of others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A native of Shelby, Williams graduated from Carroll College in 1984 and moved to the Flathead Valley immediately afterward. Williams believes in giving back to her community and volunteering her time to organizations she is passionate about. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Kalispell, serving as club president from 2012-2013, and is past-president of the Flathead Rotary Community Foundation. Other board positions she currently holds include Evergreen School Board chair, Glacier Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Westside CC, Westside Condo Association and the United Way. Williams and her husband Chuck have two adult children and enjoy spending time at the lake with their yellow labs. Tony Brockman was honored by the chamber as Volunteer of the Year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raised in Evergreen, Brockman served in the Montana Legislature during the 2023 session representing Evergreen's House district. As a representative, Brockman worked on the Safe Routes to School sidewalk project along U.S. 2 in Evergreen. Brockman partnered with the Evergreen Chamber on many projects, including serving pizza at "Kids Count for Evergreen" He is employed by Montana Department of Commerce working with local and statewide partners to support economic growth across Montana. The chamber's Energizer Bunny award went to Don Weakly, owner of Don Weakly deSigns and Northwest BLS. Weakly joined the chamber ambassadors in 2012 and is actively involved with Chamber activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When you see the Evergreen Chamber trailer at our events, you will find Don," commented Chamber Executive Director Connie McCubbins. The Positive Impact Award went to The Syndicate Hair and Beauty Parlor. The business joined Evergreen Chamber earlier this year and has since made an impact on the community. Rep. Tony Brockman shows a huckleberry cheesecake made by The Desoto Grill during the live auction at the annual Light Up Evergreen & Pie Auction at Glacier Ace Hardware on Tuesday, Nov. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider This photo taken with a mobile phone shows the shop of Jinqi toy company in Yiwu City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 14, 2024. (Photo by Lyu Xulian/Xinhua) HANGZHOU, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Crack open a palm-sized "dinosaur egg" with its scales reflecting a colorful sheen from every angle, and you'll find a tiny, adorable dinosaur nestled inside. This "dinosaur egg," one of the most iconic 3D-printed toys, has quickly become a market sensation in the United States and Europe. Its creator is a newly established company from Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city famed as the "world's supermarket." Stepping into the shop of Jinqi toy company at the Yiwu International Trade Market, visitors are greeted by shelves overflowing with thousands of 3D-printed toys. The products are mainly sold to European and American countries, and "dinosaur egg" is the most popular one, said Zeng Hao with Jinqi. The daily production of "dinosaur eggs" is about 30,000 sets, of which 70 percent are sold to European and American markets. The product has already been in short supply due to "Black Friday" and the year-end shopping season for Christmas and New Year. "Some customers went straight to the factory and packed the products directly off the production line," Zeng said. Beyond the creative design and exquisite colors and details, the high level of "playability" is a key factor in its popularity, said Zeng, adding that the design resonates with European and American consumers who enjoy assembling and disassembling toys for a hands-on experience. Compared with traditional toys, 3D-printed ones feature brighter colors, finer textures, more realistic appearances and greater joint flexibility. Founded in the second half of 2023, Jinqi has quickly become a leading production base for 3D-printed toys. "The number of 3D printers in the factory has rapidly increased from 500 at the beginning of the year to more than 3,500 at present, and the number of exported products has surpassed 20 million since the start of 2024," Zeng said, noting that orders are scheduled through mid-2025 and the company plans to expand its fleet of 3D printers to 10,000. The rise of 3D-printed toys reflects the technological innovation behind "made in Yiwu." By incorporating 3D printing technology, toy manufacturers in the city are able to produce higher-value toys, thereby boosting their competitiveness in the global market. With 3D design software, toy designers can efficiently create a variety of fancy and complex toys and turn designs into real objects with the help of 3D printers. This intelligent manufacturing method not only shortens the product development cycle but also enhances production efficiency and quality. It also highlights the shift of small commodities toward intelligent manufacturing, according to industry experts. In the first 10 months of the year, the city's import and export volume surged 18.3 percent year on year, reaching 560.16 billion yuan (about 78 billion U.S. dollars), according to customs data. The export value was 494.46 billion yuan during the period, up 18.1 percent. Earlier this week, the State Council approved an overall plan for deepening comprehensive international trade reforms in Yiwu, which outlines a vision to promote reforms through further opening up, along with initiatives such as innovating market procurement trade mechanisms, promoting import trade development, enhancing the functionality of comprehensive bonded zones and strengthening cross-border e-commerce regulations. Zeng said the company is actively developing new materials to overcome the brittle and fragile characteristics of the current materials to improve the durability of their 3D-printed toys. This photo taken with a mobile phone shows 3D-printed toys displayed at the shop of Jinqi toy company in Yiwu City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 14, 2024. (Photo by Lyu Xulian/Xinhua) LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Hospitals in the Las Vegas valley continue to combat infections tied to Candida auris a fungus on the short list of highly drug-resistant superbugs monitored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And an update posted Monday by the CDC indicates about 13% of clinical infections from the fungus last year occurred in Nevada health care facilities. In October, the most recent month with complete reporting from state health officials, Nevada hospitals reported 235 new cases involving the fungus, commonly referred to as C. auris. Thats the highest number of cases since April in the short history of infections that were first detected in the state in August 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cases could be on a downswing, following a pattern of peaks in March and October each year. Data for November and December is still incomplete. Increased testing at health care facilities around the state shows the fungus has been detected at acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals and nursing homes. (Graphic: Nevada Department of Health and Human Services) Dangers associated with the fungus come from its ability to survive conditions that kill most bacteria. It is resistant to drugs and temperature extremes. C. auris can spread on human skin and cause infections in open wounds or invasive procedures, including the use of catheters. Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center has had the highest number of cases since reporting from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) began. Since 2021, Sunrise has detected 1,654 cases. Thats about 34% of all C. auris cases statewide. CLINICAL INFECTION OR COLONIZATION? There are two distinct types of cases serious clinical infections, which can cause death, and colonization cases, when the fungus is present on the skin and presents a threat of spreading. Statewide, 34% of all cases are clinical infections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DHHS stopped reporting the number of deaths associated with C. auris about a year ago because of the difficulty in pinning down the precise role the infection played in each death. Cases usually involve patients with more than one health problem, and victims are usually older 70% are age 60 or above. A University of Pittsburgh infectious disease specialist told 8 News Now in February that about 20-40% of victims with serious infections usually die as a direct result of the fungus. NEVADA HOSPITALS At Sunrise, 610 of all the cases were clinical infections, with the remaining 1,044 classified as colonization. The five health care facilities with the highest number of cases in the state are all in the Las Vegas valley: Three acute care hospitals: Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, Valley Hospital Medical Center, Spring Valley Hospital and Medical Center; and two long-term acute care hospitals: Kindred Hospital Flamingo Las Vegas, and Horizon Specialty Hospital Las Vegas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A complete breakdown of clinical and colonization cases by health care facility appears below: The DHHS report as of Dec. 9, 2024, doesnt align with previous reports. More than 250 cases previously reported on Aug. 28 have been removed, and several facilities have been reclassified as acute care hospitals. Still, the growth in C. auris case counts continues. Since September 2022, more than 100 new cases per month have been reported. That increased to at least 150 cases per month a year later, including four months in a row above 200 cases. The highest number of cases came in March 2024, when 293 were reported 59 clinical infections and 234 colonization cases. CDC UPDATE On Monday, the CDC updated its nationwide data on C. auris. The update focused on clinical cases through the end of 2023. Among the CDC findings: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 4,514 clinical cases nationwide California: 642 clinical cases Nevada: 599 clinical cases Florida: 568 clinical cases A CDC map shows California, Nevada, and Florida leading the nation in clinical cases involving C. auris. Nevada which has a population (2023 estimate: 3,194,176 No. 32 in the U.S.) much smaller than most states, ranks second for the number of clinical cases. With 599 clinical cases, Nevada health care facilities accounted for 13% of C. auris infections nationwide. DHHS data showed the number was even higher 620 clinical cases in 2023 about 14% of the total number of U.S. clinical cases. Thats down slightly from 2022, when Nevada accounted for 16% of cases nationwide, according to CDC data. SUNRISE HOSPITAL CASES 8 News Now interviewed Dr. Steven Merta, chief medical officer at Sunrise, earlier this year. He explained why the hospital has more cases than other health care facilities, and what the hospital is doing to combat the fungus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have the most critically ill patients, we have those that are immunocompromised. We have those that have burns and wounds. So to have higher numbers of both clinical and colonization absolutely does not surprise us, Merta said. Our goal is to identify you, protect you, treat you and make sure that we are at the forefront of preventing the spread of c. auris in our facility and our community. Health officials want patients to know that they are safe and they shouldnt worry about coming to the hospital. Know that we go above and beyond the normal CDC recommendations in terminal cleaning with our advanced purification systems. So our goal is to be here for you, our community. If you need us, do not hesitate to come to the facility, come to Sunrise, Merta said. He said Sunrise tests more people for the fungus than other acute care hospitals. For more information about testing and procedures at Sunrise, see our June 1 report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. JOPLIN, Mo. Getting from point A to point B may not be a problem for many of us but thats not the case for everyone. Providing free rides for those who need them is the purpose behind the C.A.R.S. program through the Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Missouri. Weve reported on it before: It stands for Community Action Ride System. Cavanaugh Studyvin runs it, and says its already reached a milestone she never thought possible when it was launched in May 2024 with just a handful of drivers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My goal for the program was to do a hundred thousand miles in a year, and weve done a hundred and fifty thousand miles in what seven, eight months now, did not expect it to blow up as far just like I didnt, I didnt really expect it to have thirty-five dedicated volunteer drivers, said Studyvin. We not only take people to doctors or to the grocery store, we sometimes we take people to the Senior Centers and sometimes even to work, said C.A.R.S. program driver, Michael White. Michael White, who lives in Neosho, started out as a passenger so he could get to his cancer treatments in Joplin. Once they were over and he got his strength back, he started giving rides to others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drivers are reimbursed at the federal mileage rate of 67-cents per mile. The program operates in Jasper, Newton, Barton, and McDonald Counties. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) On Thursday the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved the City of San Franciscos application to create a coastal park where the Great Highway will be permanently closed to cars. Voters passed Proposition K in November to ban cars from part of the Great Highway near Ocean Beach. After the city worked quickly to initiate the permitting process, the coastal commission granted approval for San Francisco to convert the two-mile-stretch between Lincoln Way to Sloat Boulevard into a beach park. The commissions approval marks a major milestone in reimagining this iconic stretch of coastline as a safe, inclusive space for recreation and connection to nature, said Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. This pivotal moment brings us closer to creating a park that reflects our communitys vision for a sustainable and accessible future. (KRON4) The park is anticipated to open to the public in 2025. It will be designed to give everyone a safe and scenic space to walk, bike, skate and enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean, city leaders said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wherever you stood on Prop K, you have a place on our Citys coast, said Friends of Great Highway Park president Lucas Lux. We want to welcome everyone to design an extraordinary park together as a community. Generations to come wont be able to imagine this space was ever anything but a landmark coastal park. Scientists at the San Francisco Estuary Institute concluded that the proposed park will help with beach dune restoration and revegetation, bringing back a native shoreline ecosystem and enhancing park visitor experiences in nature. This winter, a dune restoration project will kick off in partnership with the city, the National Park Service, and the Surfrider Foundation. Dune restoration and the replacement of invasive species with native plants will revitalize San Franciscos unique coastal habitat, said Jane Lew, chair of Friends of Great Highway Parks environmental stewardship committee. Improving public access and environmental protection go hand-in-hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starting in spring 2025, community discussions will be held to gather feedback on upcoming park designs and address any new concerns about residential traffic. The Upper Great Highway transformation is part of a broader vision for a climate-resilient Ocean Beach, city leaders said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. A California couple with Mexican roots went south for the holidays to visit relatives, an annual tradition among many U.S. residents of Mexican ancestry. But tragedy struck: Both were shot dead in Mexicos violence-plagued Michoacan state, Mexican authorities said Friday. The couple fell victim to the violence that has been pummeling Mexico. Police were investigating but had no immediate word on a motive or possible suspects, said Magdalena Guzman, a spokeswoman for the state prosecutors office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two were shot just before midnight Thursday while inside a pickup truck on a road in rural Angamacutiro, a municipality of about 15,000 in northern Michoacan. In the last few months, Angamacutiro has seen its chief of security murdered and an ex-mayor disappeared crimes indicative of the violence that has convulsed the western state of Michoacan. The victims of Thursday's double homicide were identified as Rafael Cardona Aguilera, 53, and his wife, Gloria Ambriz de Cardona, 50, according to authorities and a mourning notice posted on social media. Cardona was the brother-in-law of the town mayor and the couple were staying at the mayor's residence, the prosecutor's spokeswoman said. Cardona was born in the United States and his wife was a naturalized U.S. citizen, Guzman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple resided in the Sacramento area and arrived in Mexico at the end of November to spend the holidays with relatives, Guzman said. The wife died at the scene and her spouse succumbed shortly afterward at a hospital, the prosecutors office said. On Friday afternoon, a woman answering a relative's cellphone in California declined to comment. "We're in pain," the woman, who declined to give her name, said before hanging up. Angamacutiro Mayor Hermes Arnulfo Pacheco Bribiesca, the brother-in-law of the slain Cardona, declined to comment, but the town expressed condolences on social media and sent thoughts and prayers to the mourning family. Christmas activities scheduled for this weekend were canceled, a town official said, and a memorial Mass is scheduled for Saturday in honor of the slain couple. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For decades, Michoacan, a sprawling region to the west of Mexico City, has been a major source of immigrants settling in California and elsewhere in the United States. Many immigrants traditionally return for the end-of-year holidays to visit loved ones and hometowns throughout Mexico. In recent years, Michoacan has seen a wave of violence linked to gangs competing for various lucrative rackets, including drug-smuggling, extortion and illegal timber-harvesting. The state, authorities say, is also a key transit route for precursor chemicals used in the production of U.S.-bound fentanyl, the synthetic opioid, and shipped from China to the Pacific port of Lazaro Cardenas, on the Michoacan coast. Angamacutiro has seen several recent high-profile crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October, Lizbeth Estela Romero, the head of security in Angamacutiro, was shot dead outside her home. The town's ex-mayor, Maribel Juarez Blanquet, disappeared in August and was presumably kidnapped, authorities say. She remains missing. The ex-mayor's brother, Erik Juarez Blanquet, a state lawmaker and also a former mayor of Angamacutiro, was shot dead in 2020 when a pair of assassins on a motorcycle opened fire on his vehicle in the state capital of Morelia. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said it was aware of the shooting of the U.S. couple and was closely tracking developments. The safety of U.S. citizens abroad is our first priority and we stand ready to assist in any way possible, the embassy said, declining to provide further details. Special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez Vidal and staff writer Andrew J. Campa contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Department of Motor Vehicles has issued an apology over a California license plate that openly mocked the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. On Thursday, the license plate in question, which was on a Tesla Cybertruck, was spotlighted in a post to X by StopAntisemitism, a group dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism. The license plate reads, LOLOCT7. Lol is an acronym that stands for laugh out loud and is typically used to express amusement. California DMV is apologizing for issuing this license plate mocking the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. (@stopantisemites) The organization said the vehicle was spotted at the intersection of Jefferson and Sepulveda Boulevards in Culver City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How did this get processed? the post read. Demand the @CA_DMV recall this license plate that celebrates the October 7th terrorist attacka vile mockery of the 1,200 innocent lives lost and the countless others scarred. Prepare to be ticketed for this common parking violation By Thursday afternoon, DMV responded to the post by issuing an apology and calling the situation unacceptable and disturbing in a statement on X, saying, The DMV is taking swift action to recall these shocking plates, and we will immediately strengthen our internal review probes to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again. We sincerely apologize that these personalized plates were not properly rejected during our review process. The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A department representative who spoke with the Los Angeles Times said the vehicles owner would be notified of the situation and their license plate would be recalled. The owner, however, has the right to appeal the DMVs decision should they choose to do so. DMV officials also told the Times that employees will scour the license plate database to identify additional offensive language involving the Oct. 7 attacks and recall those plates if found. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Dec. 12A California man will face five years in an Idaho prison for using more than $40,000 in counterfeit money across the country. Clinton Curry, a 40-year-old from San Francisco, paid $324 in fake money to a Post Falls business last year, according to a news release from the Idaho U.S. Attorney's Office. The Spokane Office of the Secret Service was notified and began investigating. Law enforcement discovered Curry had used similar counterfeit bills in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Texas and Oklahoma, the release said. Altogether, Curry passed the fake bills 46 times and used or attempted to use more than $40,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This case demonstrates the effectiveness of multi-agency coordination to remove those who would attempt to threaten our financial system by using counterfeit currency," Idaho U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said in the release. Curry is required to pay restitution to the businesses and will spend three years on supervised release following completion of his sentence. For someone who played a tough-talking executive on TV Youre fired! Donald Trump sure goes out of his way to avoid such confrontations. The real-life Donald, as president, typically had a hireling do the deed, sent a letter to the media or simply tweeted the news. But with FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, the president-elect took his passive-aggressive routine to a new level of humiliation. Just after Thanksgiving, Trump posted 159 gushing words to announce that uber-loyalist grifter and fellow revenge seeker Kash Patel was his choice to be FBI director, and zero words acknowledging that Wray, Trumps first-term pick for the job, had more than two years remaining on a 10-year term. For 11 excruciating days Wray twisted, until on Wednesday he accepted Trumps unspoken invitation to go: Wray told FBI staff that hed resign by Trumps inauguration to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He shouldnt have done that. For the good of the bureau and the nation, Wray should have stayed past Jan. 20, forcing Trump to fire him and bear full responsibility for brazenly politicizing an institution that, given its police powers, must be above partisanship. By quitting, Wray is complicit in normalizing what is anything but normal. As Yale history professor Timothy Snyder advised citizens in the opening of his book On Tyranny, when dealing with would-be authoritarians, Do not obey in advance. That, Snyder argued, only teaches the power grabber what they can get away with. The shameless Trump immediately sent out a fundraising email on the news of Wray's surrender. A great day for America, he gloated in the solicitation and on social media. Hardly. Trump isnt president yet and for the second time hes starting by sacking an FBI director expressly because Wray, like James B. Comey before him in 2017, would not profess loyalty and drop well-deserved criminal investigations of Trump and his allies. And in an especially egregious example of the projection for which Trump is so well known, in each case he accused the FBI directors, both Republicans, of being the ones who politically weaponized the bureau against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Calmes: Trump's predatory Cabinet choices are added proof that #MeToo is over Just because Trumps norm shattering no longer surprises doesnt mean it shouldnt shock. Yes, hes entitled to fill his Cabinet with people of his choice with the Senates approval, a constitutional hurdle hes tried to duck or to fire them. But federal law and Justice Department policies since the Watergate era put some unique guardrails between presidents and the FBI, given the proven potential for abuse of its vast law enforcement powers. The directors term just one, of 10 years was meant to be a primary constraint. Congress set the limit in 1976 in response to a confluence of FBI abuses: first by Director J. Edgar Hoover, whose dictatorial 48-year reign and wanton violations of Americans civil liberties ended only with his death in 1972, and then by President Nixon, who resigned in 1974 amid the Watergate scandals, including his use of the FBI to target those on his enemies list . The point of the law was expressly to avoid directors-for-life such as Hoover, but also to keep the term long enough to overlap presidents four- or eight-year tenures and thus help insulate the director from White House political pressures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Calmes: The backlash on the backlash against the Hunter Biden pardon As the Senate report on the law stated, an FBI director is not an ordinary Cabinet appointment which is usually considered a politically oriented member of the Presidents team.'" The combination of the value of the FBIs criminal investigative powers together with their danger if perverted, the report added, makes the office of FBI Director unique. Yet now we have a once and future president who insists that all his appointees be team players. To that end, Trump has now twice ignored the statutory 10-year term, unlike President Biden, who kept the Republican Wray in office without question. Trump seeks to install someone, Patel, who published a Deep State enemies list for Trumps guidance something of a resume sweetener in Trump world, it turns out and has vowed to destroy the bureau and the Justice Department. And who, on the side, sells Trump-branded merch under the logo K$H, including childrens books depicting King Donald and Patel himself as the monarchs avenging wizard. Every FBI director since Hoover has been a Republican, and Democratic Presidents Carter, Clinton, Obama and Biden either chose them or kept them on to symbolize that the job is above politics. Before Trumps two defenestrations, the only dumping of an FBI chief was Clintons firing of William Sessions after taking office in 1993. But Clinton acted on findings of Sessions ethical infractions after a probe begun under President George H.W. Bush. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Calmes: Trump's budget cutters have set themselves up to fail The 1974 Senate report justifying a mandated 10-year term acknowledged that a presidents power to remove a director within that time is formally unlimited. But it suggested that the Senate, given its power to confirm a successor, would act as a check on that removal power and will tolerate its exercise for good reason only and not merely for the reason that a new President desires his own man in the position. Alas, the authors didnt anticipate todays Senate Republicans, whose servility to the wrathful Trump exceeds their respect for the Senates prerogatives and independence. Not one has publicly opposed Patels confirmation. Never mind that when Trump, in his first term, tried to make Patel the FBI deputy director, then-Atty. Gen. William Barr said over my dead body, according to his memoir. Now Barr is on the Patel-Trump enemies list. It was Wrays turn to stand up to Trump and against Patels ascension, and to underscore by his inevitable firing how transgressive Trumps action is. That Wray instead backed down is yet another bad omen for the next four years. @jackiekcalmes Get the latest from Jackie Calmes Commentary on politics and more from award-winning opinion columnist. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. CAMILLUS, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) Camillus police interviewed everyone living at the Camillus Pointe Senior Apartments, uncovering a plot to rip off 13 renters. The woman who managed the apartment complex, 30-year-old Christin Hogan, also known as Christin Waters of Clay, is accused of improperly taking money from tenants under the guise of collecting rent and keeping the money for herself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was very good at what she was doing. She also used our senior community, who is vulnerable, and preyed on them, said Camillus Police Captain James Nightingale. She had been the manager for a few months, taking cash and checks. If youre wondering how you can protect yourself, Captain Nightingale recommends using payments that you can track and stop with a bank. It also serves as a reminder to check on older relatives and their bank accounts. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR. JAKARTA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia was set to implement a rehabilitation and reconstruction program in Sukabumi regency, West Java province, following flash floods and landslides that killed 10 people and destroyed thousands of homes and infrastructure last week, an official said on Friday. The disaster damaged 5,492 homes, destroyed 10 bridges, and affected other infrastructure facilities, according to data from the National Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the agency, said that rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts would commence after the ongoing emergency relief operations were completed. "Emergency relief efforts are currently underway. After that, a reconstruction and rehabilitation program will begin," Muhari told Xinhua. As part of the program, the government will provide compensation funds to residents whose homes were damaged by the disaster. In addition to repairing homes, damaged infrastructure will also be rebuilt, he added. To ensure the program runs smoothly, the agency and local authorities will continue to conduct risk assessments and gather data. According to Muhari, the natural disaster forced 4,653 residents to evacuate, seeking shelter in evacuation centers. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, the Canadian non-governmental organisation SOCODEVI, and the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast NGO Agricultural Advisory Service will cooperate to develop the entrepreneurship of the rural population affected by the hostilities. Source: Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Details: The parties agreed to potential cooperation in agriculture and to implement the Entrepreneurship Development for the Conflict-Affected Rural Population in Ukraine (WeProsper) project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This project aims to increase agricultural producers' involvement in business activities in Poltava, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv oblasts. It is also planned to ensure the economic empowerment of women in the agricultural sector by creating opportunities for the development of individual production activities, the establishment of agricultural cooperatives and more active participation in the socio-economic development of the region. This project will be implemented with the financial support of the Government of Canada through a non-refundable grant. The Entrepreneurship Development for the Conflict-Affected Rural Population in Ukraine (WeProsper) project focuses on three main value chains: dairy, vegetable/berry, and grain. As part of the project, more than 700 people (75% of whom are women) have been trained in climate-smart agriculture, and 492 cooperative members are benefiting from new services. 144 board members and employees of cooperatives have been trained. Background: The Canadian Parliament approved CA$764 million (US$587 million) for military aid to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! By Divya Rajagopal TORONTO (Reuters) - Ottawa and the provinces will respond robustly if the incoming U.S. administration goes ahead with a promise to impose tariffs on imports from Canada, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Freeland and the 10 provincial premiers have held two phone calls recently to discuss how best to react if President-elect Donald Trump slaps a 25% tariff on U.S. imports from Canada. "In the event that the United States were to impose unjustified tariffs on Canada, of course we would respond, and the Canadian response would necessarily be robust. I am confident that it would be effective," Freeland told reporters. Trump has said he will keep the tariffs in place until Canada clamps down on drugs and migrants crossing the border. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Canada was examining the possible use of export taxes on commodities including uranium, oil and potash. A Canadian government source said while all options for retaliation were on the table, ministers and officials were nowhere near taking any kind of decision. Although Freeland said Ottawa and the provinces would need to present a united front, some provincial premiers are unhappy about the proposed response. Scott Moe, premier of the western province of Saskatchewan, said export taxes "would be a complete betrayal" by the Trudeau government. Saskatchewan produces oil, uranium and potash, he noted. "Export taxes on these commodities would be a self-destructive response to U.S. tariffs as they would only increase the harm to our economy and jobs," he said in a post on the X social media network. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her oil-producing province would "not support cutting off our Alberta energy exports to the U.S., nor will we support a tariff war with our largest trading partner and closest ally". (Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Ryan Jones in Toronto; Editing by Rod Nickel) OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Mail could begin moving again in Canada as early as next week after the federal government moved Friday to end a nearly monthlong work stoppage at Canada Post. Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon announced hes referred the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, with the aim of ordering the nearly 55,000 workers back to their posts and extending the current collective agreement until May 22, 2025 if the board determines a deal isnt within immediate reach. Canadians are rightly fed up, MacKinnon said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With Christmas fast approaching, there was no apparent movement at the bargaining table. MacKinnon had previously rebuffed calls for Ottawa to intervene, saying its up to the two sides to work out a deal. But he said Canadians especially small businesses, people in remote communities and Indigenous people have suffered greatly as a result of the strike. The key issues include wages, job security and how to staff a proposed expansion into weekend delivery. MacKinnon said Canada Post is built to deliver letters but letter volumes have dropped dramatically and there is a highly competitive parcel delivery market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are major structural changes in that industry that have to be accounted for. There are workers aspirations that have to be accounted for, MacKinnon said. Those are interests that are tough to reconcile. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal government previously forced the countrys two major railroads into arbitration, ending that work stoppage. The Union denounces in the strongest terms this assault on our constitutionally protected right to collectively bargain and to strike, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said in a statement. This order continues a deeply troubling pattern in which the government uses its arbitrary powers to let employers off the hook. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business welcomed the move. It estimates small businesses have been losing a combined $100 million Canadian (US$70 million) every day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This will be too late to salvage any of the Christmas holiday season for small businesses, CFIB president Dan Kelly said in a statement. With a massive backlog, it will be nearly impossible for any new shipments to make it to Canadians before Christmas through Canada Post, he said. Canadian officials are threatening to cut off energy supplies to the U.S. if the Trump administration follows through on threats to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from its northern neighbor. We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy going down to Michigan, going down to New York State and over to Wisconsin. I dont want this to happen, but my number one job is to protect Ontarians and Canadians as a whole, Premier Doug Ford of Ontario said Wednesday after a meeting of provincial premiers. We need to be ready, he added. We need to be ready to fight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials have also drawn up a list of U.S. exports to tariff in response, he said. A tariff war between Canada and the U.S. would have major impacts on both countries. In 2023, Canada was far and away the top source of petroleum imports into the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The U.S. is the destination for 97 percent of Canadian crude oil exports. Last month, Donald Trump threatened to tariff key U.S. trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico, in a measure he said would crack down on illegal immigration and the drug trade. Canada has said it could cut energy supplies and tariff U.S. goods if Trump imposes a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Since then, the U.S. and Canada have alternated between bluster and diplomacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quickly flew to Mar-a-Lago to dine with Trump after the tariff threat. Trump, for his part, has made a series of provocative jabs about Canada since the tariff threat. After the Mar-a-Lago meeting, Trump referred to the prime minister as Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada, referring to his quip that the northern nation could avoid tariffs by becoming the 51st state in America. The Canadian central bank warned this week Trumps tariff threats are a major source of new uncertainty for the countrys economy. In the hopes of avoiding the proposed tariffs, Canada is also reportedly assembling plans to use drones and police dogs to patrol the U.S.-Canada border and assuage Trumps concerns about immigrants and drugs. The incoming president has insisted the proposed tariffs will not hurt American consumers, even though companies typically pass on tariff prices to customers. Trump, however, admitted last week he cant guarantee the tariffs wont raise prices for American consumers. Dec. 13MOSES LAKE Two candidates for Moses Lake city manager answered questions from city residents and municipal staff in an informal session Wednesday. That was followed by a day of interviews with Moses Lake City Council members and residents Thursday. Council members interviewed Aaron Palmquist, city manager of Irrigon, Oregon, and Blaine Oborn, former city manager in Oak Harbor, in closed session late Thursday afternoon. The council agenda included an option to hire a candidate, but final results of the interview process were not available as of press time. A follow-up story will be published once a decision is made. According to Whidbey News Times reporting, Oborn was terminated from his prior job with Oak Harbor after a vote of no confidence by the city council there, a lawsuit and staff complaints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A third candidate, Darren Coldwell, city manager in Paige, Ariz., withdrew after being named as a finalist. Both Oborn and Palmquist said they had conducted some research into Moses Lake. Both said they thought ensuring a sustainable municipal water supply was one of the biggest challenges Moses Lake is facing. "You need a stable water source, or sources, as Moses Lake continues to grow. What does that look like?" Palmquist said. "You've got to analyze that. How do you bring that balance?" "In the long term, water is an issue here," Oborn said. Another issue he identified, Oborn said, was sustainable financing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Infrastructure (and) deferred maintenance. Cities don't ever have enough money, and some of those projects you need and that really need to be done the infrastructure just gets left behind," he said. Palmquist said he also wanted to address the city's challenges with homelessness. "Between the public, the county, the council and staff, how do we come to a balance so that we can continue to meet the needs of those individuals that have issues?" Palmquist said. Improving communication, both within city government and with Moses Lake citizens, also would be a priority, Palmquist said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "How to bring consistent, long-term balance and communication between the city staff, the council and the public we're here to serve. Improved communication, clear and concise. And timely," Palmquist said. Oborn said the city's financial picture has different components. "Looking for long-term stability in the general fund," he said. Palmquist has been city manager in Irrigon for 11 years. "I've done 25 years in city management," he said. City government must be responsive to city residents, he said. "City government all government we're here to serve, first and foremost. As a city manager, I work on behalf of my council, but we collectively, together as a leadership team, work to serve who? The members of the community," he said. "That's what we all should aspire to." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oborn said he's had experience in other states. "I worked six years in Washington. Before that, I worked nine years in the state of Wisconsin," he said. "I believe in collaboration, and I know that as city manager I've got to collaborate with the council and collaborate with the staff and collaborate with the community, and that's the key," Oborn said. "I take some credit, but really credit goes to all the other people I work with to get things done." ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. 38-year-old Tommy Anderson has been required to wear a monitoring device since being released from prison last year. His case made headlines when he was convicted in 2017. Anderson was characterized as a drug kingpin, trafficking marijuana across the country and living a lavish lifestyle. He acknowledges his operations involved millions of dollars monthly. Anderson didnt believe he was doing anything harmful because recreational marijuana was legal in some states at the time and becoming more acceptable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was just an entrepreneurial spirit in the wrong line of business before its time, he said. The University City resident recalls feeling his operation was becoming too big after purchasing an additional turboprop aircraft to transport money and marijuana. Now, Anderson is the president of two companies, including a commercial roofing business that he said is about to go nationwide. Iconic St. Louis photographer Bill Greenblatt dies at 70 He believes his business success, coupled with being a non-violent offender and wider acceptance of recreational marijuana, are factors contributing to a decision by President Joe Biden to commute his sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anderson credits the Last Prisoner Project for fighting on his behalf. I feel like a thousand-pound block has been lifted off my shoulders, Anderson said. I mean, I just feel like a new lease on life. Hes waiting for details about the full legal extent of his commute but expects he will no longer be required to wear a monitoring device. Anderson said regular visits from his parents while being imprisoned helped keep him focused on finding a new lease on life someday. He was held in the St. Louis County Jail for more than three years while waiting for his trial. Anderson served his sentence at a federal prison in Marion, Illinois. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved hiking a fee intended to pay for social equity programs by $1.26 per ounce starting on Jan. 1. (Kevork Djansezian | Getty Images) New Jersey cannabis regulators on Thursday approved raising a cannabis fee intended to pay for social equity programs and announced a long-awaited application process for consumption lounges. The five-member Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved raising the social equity fee to $2.50 per ounce, up from $1.24, starting on Jan. 1. The panel had been expected to approve the new fee at its Oct. 30 meeting but delayed the vote until Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The revenue collected from the fee, paid for by cannabis cultivators, goes into a fund dedicated to social equity programs and reinvesting in communities harmed by marijuana criminalization. A portion of the fee also goes to programs to divert youth from cannabis use. Progressive advocates have pushed to raise the fee to the legal maximum of $30. Some commissioners expressed reservations over increasing the fee that much, with Commissioner Krista Nash suggesting it could decimate some businesses, and we certainly dont want to undo what those businesses could create. In fiscal year 2024, the fee brought in an estimated $2.6 million, but none of the money has been spent (the funds are allocated by the Legislature and governor). Commissioner Charles Barker said the commission should collaborate with lawmakers to ensure the money is well spent. Barker, who abstained from voting on the measure increasing the fee, noted that New Jersey still has some of the highest cannabis prices in the nation and that major companies that produce the majority of the supply should provide more affordable prices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the commission acted to keep the fee low, Barker said, he hopes the industry responds in kind. We hope prices continue to decrease significantly, he said. Commissioner Maria Del Cid-Kosso, who had proposed a $10 fee at the October meeting, said Thursday that after talking with different stakeholders, she saw issues that could create for applicants and licensees getting their businesses started. Ami Kachalia, campaign strategist at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, supported hiking the fee to the $30 maximum. She called not doing so a failure to live up to the promise of community reinvestment that was embedded in the legalization law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fee approved Thursday is 12 times lower than the $30 cap in the states recreational cannabis legalization law, leaving millions of dollars on the table meant for vulnerable communities harmed by the war on drugs, Kachalia said. Ignoring the laws promise also sets a precedent for future CRC commissioners and elected officials to disregard the reparative goals of legalization, she said. We urge you, we urge New Jersey, to do more in the future to deliver on your promises. Consumption lounges The launch of applications for consumption lounges comes nearly a year after the panel first announced the process would begin. Beginning Jan. 2, the commission will accept applications from social equity businesses, which are owned by people who have lived in one of New Jerseys 55 economically disadvantaged areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second round of applications will begin April 2 for diversely owned businesses certified as minority-, woman-, or disabled veteran-owned. And beginning July 2, anyone can apply. For microbusinesses dispensaries that have fewer than 11 employees and take up no more than 2,500 square feet of space applications will cost $1,000, and for standard dispensaries, $5,000. Despite cannabis legalization in 2022, theres virtually no place to smoke weed other than inside a private residence. Consumption lounges would offer a space for both medical and recreational cannabis users to ingest or smoke weed in areas with strict rules. Lounges, which could be inside or outside of a dispensary, would follow similar rules to bars. Customers would be required to show photo ID and would not be able to take unconsumed cannabis off the premises. Business owners have lamented that the commission has taken too long to open the application process, and some business owners say they found loopholes to host events anyway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission does not have a cap on consumption areas since its up to municipalities to limit the number of cannabis businesses. While about a third of towns allow cannabis sales in their towns, very few have passed ordinances allowing consumption lounges. Chairwoman Dianna Houenou said a standardized form will be uploaded that explains how to obtain municipal approval. Applicants will also need to submit detailed floor plans and standard operating procedures, and show ADA compliance, she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX WASHINGTON (AP) A Dallas man who tried to fly overseas to join the Russian military and fight against Ukraine was sentenced on Friday to six months in prison for violating the terms of his probation for storming the U.S. Capitol four years ago. Kevin Loftus, a 56-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army, was stopped from boarding an Oct. 28 flight from Dallas to Tbilisi, Georgia, by way of Istanbul, Turkey, when Turkish Airlines identified a security flag associated with him, according to federal prosecutors. Loftus didn't have the court's permission to travel internationally or to drive from Texas to Iowa, where the FBI arrested him three days after his flight plans fell apart, prosecutors said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loftus told the FBI that he had hoped to secure a 90-day visa to travel to Russia, where he intended to apply for temporary residency. Loftus said he had used the Telegram messaging platform to communicate with a man who would connect him with the Russian Territorial Defense Unit, a volunteer military corps. Loftus said he had already sent the man approximately $1200 to purchase equipment for Russian soldiers, prosecutors wrote. Loftus said his intent was to fight for Russia and against Ukraine. Loftus declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich sentenced him for the probation violation. The judge said Loftus has repeatedly violated court orders. He doesn't think these rules should apply to him, Friedrich said. He wants to be above the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defense attorney Benjamin Schiffelbein said Loftus wanted to enlist in the Russian military because he felt bad for Russian soldiers and wanted to help them. He had no idea whether they could make use of him," the lawyer said. Loftus, a six-year Army veteran, intended to permanently relocate to another country, according to prosecutors. And his planned travel was for the express purpose of joining a foreign army to take up arms against one of this countrys allies and in opposition to this countrys foreign policy, they wrote. In January 2021, Loftus traveled from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., to attend then-President Donald Trump's Stop the Steal rally near the White House. After joining the mob of Trump supporters at the Capitol, he entered the building and took photographs. He spent approximately five minutes inside the Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loftus was arrested at his Wisconsin home several days after the riot. He pleaded guilty in October 2021 to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. After his arrest, Loftus posted comments about his case on social media, referring to himself as famous and a hero for taking part in the Jan. 6 attack. Loftus also stated that he gained that fame by standing up for all Americans because he broke the law, and he would file lawsuits against unidentified persons after the criminal case was over, prosecutors wrote. Prosecutors recommended 30 days of imprisonment for Loftus, but Friedrich initially sentenced him to three years of probation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For his probation violation, prosecutors requested a six-month prison sentence. They noted that Loftus, while on probation, also was arrested in December 2023 and charged with driving while intoxicated in Richardson, Texas. Loftus was required to attend a substance abuse program, but he avoided jail time for that violation. Over 1,500 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related crimes. More than 1,000 of them have been convicted and sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving a term of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years. Trump has repeatedly vowed to pardon Capitol rioters, but the district court judges in Washington, D.C., typically have refused to postpone sentencings, plea hearings and trials until after the president-elect returns to the White House. Chinese ambassador to U.S. says underestimating China unwise, doomsaying about China baseless Xinhua) 08:40, December 13, 2024 WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng has said that underestimating China would be unwise, doomsaying about China is baseless, and any attempt to contain China is bound to fail. Xie made the remarks in a speech at the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) 2024 Gala Dinner in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night. Xie said that the Chinese economy is on a generally steady, sound and upward trajectory. "We are fully capable of ensuring overall economic stability and forestalling risks. Our high-quality development is moving forward with vigor, and there is great potential for the positive momentum to last," he said. The Chinese ambassador stressed that it is through braving wind and rain that the Chinese economy has come such a long way. "We are confident that we will accomplish this year's growth target. Next year, we will carry out macroeconomic policies that are more proactive and impactful, and prevent and resolve risks in key areas and external shocks," Xie said. "China will continue to be the top engine of global growth in the future. No force can muddy the ocean or stop its surging flow," he said. The Chinese ambassador noted that while protectionism is on the rise, China is as determined as ever to deepen reform comprehensively and expand high-standard opening up, to advance the sound and steady development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, and to welcome international businesses, including American ones, to share in China's development opportunities. Xie stressed that attempts to weaponize tariffs would only cause one to isolate itself from other markets and lose out on opportunities. "Building 'small yard, high fence' could not stifle innovation and would only constrain oneself. Shutting China out in the name of de-risking poses the real risk to global industrial and supply chains. And exploiting 'national security' as a convenient pretext for suppressing others is in itself causing insecurity," Xie said. "Only when China and the United States work together will both our countries and the world be safer and fare better," he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Artificial intelligence-powered devices are being deployed in various regions to remind passengers and non-motor vehicle riders to obey traffic rules. In areas with no or limited traffic police, AI-enabled devices and loudspeakers are used to alert people when they violate rules. For example, in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, an AI traffic monitoring system has been in operation at one road section for over a month, effectively reducing the number of traffic accidents, according to Jiangsu Satellite TV. Liu Xiaowu, deputy dean of the Wuxi Research Institute at Tianjin University, explained that the device integrates AI and the internet of things. It uses surveillance video data and AI algorithms to identify misbehavior by pedestrians and non-motor vehicle riders in real-time, with a response time of just one second. The system collects surveillance video data from four directions to conduct real-time traffic analysis at 32 positions. If dangerous behavior is detected, loudspeakers immediately issue alerts. According to local traffic police, the device has significantly curbed such behaviors and operates continuously around the clock. Plans are underway to install the system at additional locations, covering 20 key road sections in Wuxi. Meanwhile, in Shifang, Sichuan province, 25 AI surveillance cameras have been installed in a local village to remind non-motor vehicle riders to follow traffic rules. When violations such as not wearing helmets, traveling on the wrong side of the road, or overloading are detected, the system delivers reminders in the local dialect. Many riders have corrected their behavior upon hearing the voice alerts. In Luzhou, Sichuan province, AI-powered road safety systems have been deployed across 33,000 kilometers of rural roads in over 1,140 villages, according to cpd.com.cn, a news portal of the Ministry of Public Security. These digital reminders have been in place since 2022 and have formed a safety net for rural areas. Xiang Yang, a traffic police officer in Luzhou, noted that non-motor vehicles have become a primary mode of transportation in rural areas. The system provides continuous reminders, and if a person receives three warnings, traffic police visit them for education and accountability. As of May, the system had issued reminders to 810,000 rural residents, holding over 1,000 repeat violators accountable. Non-motor vehicle violations have significantly decreased as a result. In Mianyang, Sichuan province, robots are being utilized as traffic police. These robots can travel at a speed of 5 kilometers per hour and jump up to 20 centimeters. They have been deployed at road sections to guide traffic and remind pedestrians not to cross during red lights. BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of National Defense issued a stern warning to the Philippines on Friday, pledging stronger countermeasures against escalating provocations in the South China Sea. Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the ministry, accused the Philippines of stirring up troubles on many spots under the support and solicitation of the United States. "From Ren'ai Jiao to Xianbin Jiao and from Houteng Jiao to Huangyan Dao, such repeated provocations have allowed the international community to see clearly who is undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea and who is fabricating and spreading lies," Wu said. Wu made the remarks during a press briefing in response to a query concerning the Philippine Coast Guard's allegations that China had taken "aggressive actions" against Philippine vessels heading toward Houteng Jiao. He noted that wherever they go, whether transiting or re-supplying, the Philippine ships always have a full deck of reporters. "The real issue, however, is never about who has more reporters, but who has more legitimacy," Wu said. Wu said the territories of the Philippines are defined by a series of international treaties, which do not include the Nansha Qundao and Huangyan Dao. "The Philippine side knows this fact very well." Wu reiterated China's firm stance: "More provocations lead to stronger countermeasures. Should the Philippine side stubbornly follow the wrong path, China will never back down." Authorities say a carjacking near the Canadian border in Blaine involving a machete led to a high-speed chase along southbound Interstate 5 past Bellingham before ending in Skagit County just past the Bow Hill rest area. A suspect was taken into custody around 2:07 p.m. by the Washington State Patrol, WSP Trooper Brad Tulloch told The Bellingham Herald. The suspect allegedly used the machete to carjack an early 2000s Toyota Tacoma pickup around 1:30 p.m. and nearly struck a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer, which initiated the chase, according to a social media post from the Washington State Patrol. Troopers attempted to use stop sticks on the vehicle, and when they were unsuccessful, troopers used a PIT maneuver to bring the pickup to a stop. The truck was identified as stolen from British Columbia, according to the social media post. Dec. 12CARTHAGE, S.D. Carthage is facing a critical shortage of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) that threatens the very existence of its ambulance service. In a desperate plea to the community, city officials have issued a letter asking a stark question: "Can you or your family members wait 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive?" In the letter sent to the community earlier this month, the Carthage Ambulance Service, led by director Kris Magerko, emphasized the urgent need for younger volunteers to step up and join the service. With an aging volunteer base and the looming retirement of several current EMTs, Magerko warned that without fresh recruits, the town may soon lose its only emergency medical response team. "We need the younger generations to step up. If you don't have people step up to provide those services, they won't be there." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carthage, population 130, is a Miner County town about 50 miles northeast of Mitchell. The letter also outlines the steps the town is taking to encourage new volunteers. To attract recruits, the Carthage Ambulance Service is offering a substantial incentive a $2,000 sign-on bonus for each person who commits to taking an EMT course. However, Magerko is quick to clarify that this is a volunteer position, not a paid role. The bonus is contingent on completing the EMT class, passing the test, undergoing a background check, joining the service, and serving for a set period. "While the $2,000 is a significant incentive, it's not a salary," Magerko said. "This is a volunteer position, and we want to make that clear. The bonus is just to help with the costs of training and to encourage people to commit to the service." After the letter went out, Magerko reported receiving inquiries from across the state as well as from people outside South Dakota. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I had someone from Texas reach out, but I'm guessing they think this is a paid position," Magerko said. "It's unlikely someone from out of state would be interested in moving here for a one-time payment for a position that is solely volunteer." The Carthage Ambulance Service operates on a volunteer basis. Magerko explained that despite the size of the town, the ambulance service covers a 10-mile radius, responding to an average of about 12 calls a year. The need for volunteers is critical, particularly those who live within that area and can be on call when needed. "It's important that volunteers are from the immediate area. Given our limited size and the fact that most of our residents work outside of town, it's essential to have enough local volunteers to respond quickly when a call comes in," Magerko said. Currently, the ambulance service operates with just three active EMTs, all of whom are at or beyond retirement age. Ideally, Magerko says the service would have six or seven active volunteers to ensure there are always enough personnel available for a call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If they retire, we're going to lose our ambulance service because we don't have anybody active," Magerko said. The consequences of losing the local ambulance service could be severe for Carthage residents. If the ambulance service closes, residents would have to rely on the Miner County Ambulance Service based in Howard, a minimum 20-minute drive away. For some residents in the service's 10-mile radius who live outside of Carthage limits, they would have to likely wait for services from neighboring counties like Kingsbury and Sanborn and wait times could be even longer. Magerko said there has been some interest in the service, with four local individuals expressing interest in becoming EMTs. However, many who initially inquire fail to follow through, and the service is now at a crossroads. If they do not get more recruits in the coming months, Magerko fears the service will have to shut its doors for good. "We're really at a critical point," said Kathy Faber, a volunteer EMT and the city's finance officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The struggle faced by Carthage is not unique. Rural emergency medical services across South Dakota and the nation are grappling with similar challenges. A 2024 report recommends state efforts to sustain rural ambulance services, highlighting the predominantly volunteer-based nature of these essential services. A 2019 NBC News report highlighted that ambulance services are closing in record numbers, putting around 60 million Americans at risk of being stranded in medical emergencies. Unfortunately, Magerko said recent regulatory changes have further complicated matters for small ambulance services like Carthage's. According to Magerko, the state has made changes recently to ambulance services and now requires drivers to be state-licensed. While acknowledging the potential benefits of increased regulation, Magerko admits it creates additional hurdles for volunteer services. "These kinds of rules make it hard for small services to survive," he said. In an effort to overcome some of the hurdles, the ambulance service is planning to offer EMT training in Carthage, eliminating the need for volunteers to travel. The course, estimated to take 1-2 months with 1-2 four-hour classes per week, will be fully funded by the service, including all associated expenses and testing fees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's no reason not to step up," Magerko said. "We make sure everything is taken care of. Volunteers don't need to worry about the financial burden." The Carthage Ambulance Service, funded by donations and service billing rather than city funds, has been a vital part of the community for decades, with local residents consistently showing their generosity in supporting the service over the years, Faber said. "But time is running out," Faber said. "If the recruitment efforts don't pick up, we could be forced to close the doors." For those interested in volunteering or learning more about the opportunity to serve as an EMT in Carthage, inquiries can be sent to carthageamb@gmail.com . The service hopes to gather enough interested parties to begin a training class in March. The Israeli military battered Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza with heavy ground and aerial bombardment overnight Thursday into Friday, according to the director of the facility, who described as a catastrophic barrage. Israeli forces dropped bombs from quadcopters and injured at least three medical staff, including one colleague who had been injured at least twice before, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, told CNN on Friday. Tonight was one of the most difficult nights, Abu Safiya said on a voice message, which was punctuated by the sound of bombardment. The area around the hospital has been targeted with intense strikes this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scale and ferocity of the attacks blew off doors and windows on one side of the hospital, said Abu Safiya, adding water tanks were blown away from the intensity of the explosion. As of now, heavy bombing persists throughout the night, accompanied by ongoing destruction of buildings, he added. It is a catastrophic scene, with airstrikes and artillery shelling occurring with unprecedented intensity and frequency. Israeli forces launched an aerial and ground incursion in several parts of northern Gaza in early October, saying they were targeting Hamas renewed presence there. The two-month onslaught has razed streets into carpets of debris, killed entire families, and severely depleted food, water and medical stocks. The Israeli military has fired on Kamal Adwan Hospital on a daily basis, and raided the facility at least six times since October 5, Abu Safiya told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israeli military says Hamas uses hospitals for its military operations. Hamas denies using hospitals as cover. CNN cannot independently verify either claim. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military about Abu Safiyas accusations. Palestinians flee Israeli attacks in Jabalya, in northern Gaza, on December 4. Human rights agencies say Israel's aid restrictions have depleted food and water stocks in the area. - Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters On Friday, COGAT, Israels aid agency said that intense fighting has been taking place in certain areas of the northern Gaza Strip between IDF forces and terrorist organizations operating in the area. More than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed or reported missing, Gazas Civil Defense spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, said on Tuesday, since October 5. Another 12,000 people have been injured. Emergency crews have previously told CNN that the magnitude of the Israeli assault means they are struggling to access survivors trapped under the rubble of pancaked buildings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COGAT said the Israeli military had allowed and facilitated the evacuation of patients, escorts, and staff from Kamal Adwan Hospital, to other health centers in the northern and southern parts of the strip. COGAT added that efforts had been made to facilitate and coordinate the delivery of supplies to the hospital, including food, water, medical equipment, and fuel. But humanitarian agencies have warned that barely a trickle of aid has entered neighborhoods and hospitals in northern Gaza. Israels sustained aid restrictions have cut off between 65,000 to 75,000 trapped residents from access to food, water, electricity or reliable healthcare, the UNs agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) reported on December 12. On Thursday, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said Israeli authorities had repeatedly denied humanitarian access to Kamal Adwan Hospital, where at least 96 patients, and health staff, urgently need support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The World Health Organization was denied three times in the last four days to access the hospital to deliver medical supplies and fuel; transfer critical patients to Al-Shifa Hospital; and deploy an international emergency medical team, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X. Hostilities continue. Today a nurse was killed in an attack while he was on the way to Kamal Adwan, he added. On Thursday, a leading orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Saeed Jouda, was killed on Thursday while traveling near Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, according to the hospital. CNN asked the Israeli military about Joudas death. CNNs Dana Karni contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Catholic Charities will be helping fill your table for the holidays this year. According to a news release, Bill and Sally Stewart in partnership with Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank will be providing foodstuffs just before Christmas. 300 hams will be provided along with other items such as dairy, produce, and canned goods. The holidays are times for family, but they can be a difficult time for those families that are living with food insecurity, Sally Stewart said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On December 21, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., individuals can come to the Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank to receive their items. To help with traffic in the area, they ask that people form a line for the drive-thru distribution by creating a line going north on 14th Street and an example is provided below. One ham is distributed per household, and if youre picking up for someone else you must fill out a proxy form before December 20th. Proxy forms and other information is available by calling 812-232-1447 and choosing option 2. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com. (Bloomberg) -- The US Supreme Court will take up a new test of religious rights, agreeing to consider a bid by a charitable arm of the Catholic Church for an exemption from Wisconsins unemployment tax. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The justices will review a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that said Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Superior didnt qualify for a carve-out for religious organizations in the states unemployment compensation system. The case could have a wide impact on state unemployment systems, which use taxes on employers to pay benefits to people out of work. Catholic Charities says 47 states have laws similar to Wisconsins. The group, which provides services to the poor and needy, says it wants to instead participate in the churchs own unemployment compensation system. A ruling in favor of Catholic Charities potentially would let religiously affiliated hospitals and universities opt out of unemployment compensation systems as well. Expansion of religious rights has been a theme for the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts, and the Wisconsin case may have special resonance. Seven justices the six conservatives, plus liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor are either practicing Catholics or were educated in Catholic schools. Justice Brett Kavanaugh spoke during his 2018 confirmation hearing about his volunteer work serving meals at Catholic Charities in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wisconsin law makes its exemption available only for organizations that are operated primarily for religious purposes. The Wisconsin Supreme Court said Catholic Charities didnt meet that requirement because it serves and employs non-adherents, doesnt attempt to imbue participants with the Catholic faith and provides services that could be offered by secular organizations. Catholic Charities called the result absurd. The group said the ruling discriminates among religions in violation of the Constitutions First Amendment. The decision wrongly disfavors those religious traditions that ask believers to care for the poor without strings attached, Catholic Charities argued. Wisconsin officials urged the Supreme Court not to hear the case, saying the state court reached the right result. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Catholic Charities failed to show how the payment of unemployment tax prevents them from fulfilling any religious function or engaging in any religious activities, Wisconsin Attorney General Joshua Kaul argued, quoting from the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision. The court will hear arguments next year, probably in March or April, with a ruling likely by July. The case is Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission, 24-154. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Rides on Charlotte Area Transit System services will again come at no cost to ring in the new year. The fare-free rides on CATS light rail, streetcar and bus come courtesy of Molson Coors Beverage Company in an effort to help Americans celebrate the new year responsibly. The company that brews Miller beers also sponsored free rides a year ago. Charlotte New Years Eve celebration combining with Light the Knights Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Queen City is one of 10 across the country with the Free Rides program, which added Washington, D.C., this year. Last year, Molson Coors says the program provided more than 28,000 far-free rides in the Charlotte area. The program runs from 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, until 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1. CATS is proud to team up with Miller Lite again this New Year in making it easier than ever to celebrate safely with friends and family across the region, said Elizabeth Presutti, CATS deputy director and chief administrative officer. In collaboration with Miller Lite, were taking care of the transportation, so you can focus on welcoming in 2025. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. GRANBY, Mass. (WWLP) A retail pharmacy in Granby, who allegedly submitted false claims to MassHealth, reached a settlement agreement, according to the Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office. In a news release from the Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office, Center Pharmacy in Granby is ordered to pay over $230,000 to resolve allegations of false billing to MassHealth, the states Medicaid program. In 2023 MassHealth reimbursed up to $1,600 per claim for the prescription vitamin Profola. During the Attorney Generals investigation, it is alleged that Granbys Center Pharmacy took advantage of this offer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joanns fabric and craft store in Holyoke set to close Seventy-two claims were submitted by Center Pharmacy for the expensive vitamins, which the AGs office says were not requested by members of MassHealth. Within a three-month timeframe, MassHealth reimbursed the pharmacy over $116,000. On December 11th a settlement was reached with the AGs office for the alleged conduct that violated the Massachusetts False Claims Act and the Medicaid False Claims Statute. Center Pharmacy is ordered to pay over $230,000 in restitution to the Commonwealth and implement a three-year independent compliance monitoring program at their own expense. The program is to update and train staff on the companys policies and procedures to ensure compliance with MassHealth requirements, including annual records and on-site audits. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. The Center Township Police Department is sending its condolences to an officer who lost his K-9 partner. K-9 Pungo died on Dec. 11, police said. The department offered its condolences to Officer Robert Applegarth from the City of Beaver Falls Police Department, K-9 Pungos partner. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) Central High School Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) students won a $2,500 cash prize Dec. 3 in Samsungs annual Solve for Tomorrow competition. The team is developing a technology to make their school safer. Team member and student Lillie White says the idea came after noticing people just hold the door open, instead of scanning their identification cards to get into the building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They plan on implementing some AI-assisted cameras to help detect firearms and other weapons that could threaten any other students here, said junior London Mohler. The idea has made them one of six Colorado high schools to be named state finalists. Engineering and Mechatronics specialist at Central Victoria Chavez-Herrera is leading the way, saying the students behind this project come from background that help contribute to this project. Theres a very diverse collection of eyes that are on this project that are going to offer a lot of insight on how to make this not just a useful technology for our campus but for maybe campuses across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Student Ronan Norman says the project is headed in the right direction but that there are still a few stages left in development. If we make it past this next stage, after we submit our proposal, then we would start building and that would probably be around spring. If the project goes to the next stage, being named state winner, the school will receive a $12,000 prize package of Samsung products. Making them one of 50 schools selected to compete for the next prize of $25,000, with the chance of becoming one of 10 schools to be names a national finalist and receive a $50,000 prize. Learn more about Samsungs Solve for Tomorrow competition by clicking here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korean police were reviewing a raid on President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence as part of the investigation into Yoon's alleged insurrection charge over his martial law declaration, Yonhap news agency said Friday. An unidentified official with the National Office of Investigation (NOI) was quoted as saying that the raid on the presidential residence was in the "reviewing stage" while a search warrant against Yoon for phone call details was being reviewed. The police were also reviewing whether to seek an arrest warrant against Yoon, local broadcaster YTN reported. A group of police investigators on Wednesday attempted to raid Yoon's office, but security service agents blocked the entry for security reasons. Yoon was named as a suspect in the alleged insurrection charge over his declaration of an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, which the National Assembly repealed hours later. The opposition parties, including the main liberal Democratic Party, on Thursday submitted the second impeachment motion against Yoon after the first one was scrapped last Saturday. LODA, Ill. (WCIA) A local newspaper is filing a complaint against the Lodas Village Clerk, alleging that she violated Illinois law by ordering all recording devices be turned off ahead of a village board meeting this week. WCIAs partners at the Ford County reported that they filed a complaint against Regina Ptacek, Lodas current Village Clerk and a candidate for Village Trustee in Aprils elections, with the Illinois Attorney Generals Office. They said that when Wednesdays village board meeting began, she instructed both trustees and the public to turn off and put away all electronic devices, including phones and audio recording equipment. Ptacek said during the meeting that this was to limit distractions. But the Chronicle and its publisher Will Brumleve alleged that this violated the Open Meetings Act, which states any person may record the proceedings at meetings by tape, film or other means, with government bodies able to prescribe reasonable rules to govern the right to make such recordings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UPDATE: Two people arrested after police chase through Danville, C-U Sandy Coffey, a Village Trustee and correspondent for the Chronicle, said about 15% of the public in attendance complied with the request. Coffey herself did not, and she continued to record the meeting. When reached for comment Thursday, Ptacek told the Chronicle she was instructed by other village officials to give the directive, which she said was allowed by both village ordinance and Roberts Rules of Order. The Chronicle noted that this is the third request for review it filed in the past three years alleging violations of the Open Meetings Act by Loda village officials. The other two times ended with the Village Board providing the Chronicle an audio recording to settle one request and the Attorney Generals Office issuing a nonbinding opinion that the board violated the Open Meetings Act by using the phrase closed to the public on agendas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to nonbinding opinions that issue recommendations on corrective action, the Attorney Generals Office could issue a binding opinion that requires corrective action. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. DES MOINES, Iowa- Over two dozen families in Central Iowa are now facing prosecution under a new law that standardizes attendance requirements across the state. The new truancy law was signed in May and went into effect in July. Senate File 2435 outlines guidelines for districts to follow to lower the rate of chronic absenteeism. Under the law, a student is considered chronically absent when they miss 10% of the days in a grading period. At that point, a letter is sent to the students parent or guardian and the County Attorney. If a student misses 15% of a grading period, a student engagement meeting is held where a school official must investigate the cause of the excessive absences. The school official will meet with the student and their parent/guardian to develop a plan moving forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If a student misses 20% of a grading period, then the family may be prosecuted in truancy court. Truancy is an offense that occurs when a student has unexcused absences. Parents are responsible for a childs regular attendance at school. Excessive absences can lead to a criminal charge being filed against each parent. In previous years the process was different. According to Lynn Hicks, Chief of Staff for the Polk County Attorneys Office, when a child missed 10 days from school last year, the school made a referral to their office. The parent was invited to meet with school officials and a mediator to create an agreement for attendance. Then, a charge was filed if the mediation agreement is violated or if the parent failed to attend the meeting. However, this year, schools must hold the student engagement meeting (which replace the mediations held by the County Attorneys Office) before referring the case to the County Attorney. Dog tied in trash bag rescued in Des Moines; police investigating Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its too early to tell how thats working, Hicks said when asked about the replacing the mediations held by the County Attorneys Office with student engagement meetings between the school, parent, and student. I know that previously the meeting with our mediation was pretty successful in solving some of the problems before charges were ever needed, he continued. In Polk County, 15 parents making up 13 families are now facing charges, according to the Polk County Attorneys Office. These are the charges by school district: West Des Moines- 7 Ankeny- 6 Des Moines- 1 South East Polk- 1 According to Hicks, Des Moines Public Schools is on a semester system which affects when they reach the threshold for days missed. Schools on a quarter of trimester system would have reached that day earlier in the school year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Des Moines Public Schools announced on Wednesday that fifty-one schools reported a decline in absenteeism. Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts previously told WHO 13 News that he goes door knocking to talk with families in his district. I simply want to ask them what is the barrier that is preventing your child from attending school regularly? And once that information is shared with me, I bring it back to the team and we find a way to help parents. And thats what we intend to do over the next several years, said Roberts. During the last school year, seven families pled guilty in Polk County Truancy Court. Of these families, five paid a $50 fine, one paid a $100 fine, and one was sentenced six hours of community service. According to the Warren County Attorney Doug Eichholz, 12 families in Warren County are facing prosecution, with a majority of the cases inside the Indianola and Carlisle School Districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eichholz said the law is helpful for the five school districts in his county because it creates a standardized policy for all schools. I think the frustrating part in the past has been that there was no uniformity in how the schools proceed. Some schools, in my opinion waited too long to get to the point where they tried to intervene with the kids that were missing, he said. Four families in Marshall County and one family in Hamilton County also facing prosecution, according to their respective County Attorneys Offices. If found guilty in truancy court, parents/guardians can be charged with a simple misdemeanor. Penalties for the first offense include a fine up to $100 or facing up to 10 days in jail. For a second offense, parents/guardians can be charged up to $500 or face up to 20 days in jail, and for a third offense they can be charged up to $1,000 or face up to 30 days in jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The student, however, wont face any penalty from the court. The only consequence that the student can face is related to their license and when they will get their full license. So, if we send a notice to the Department of Transportation that the student is chronically absent, then they can hold out from getting their license, their full license, until they turn 18, said Eichholz. However, Hicks says the goal isnt to punish parents, but rather to encourage students to attend school. The view of our office and the court, I think, jail time has been very rare. And I dont think thats going to get to the core issues and it could cause more problems if the parent is jailed, loses a job, separated from the child. Hard to see how thats going to solve the problem, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hicks said that if parents make progress, charges will be dropped. One criticism for the law Eichholz provided is a desire for more exceptions. He said, When were not giving exceptions for, lets say, problems with health, or when we make a child who has a chronic condition always have to show a note from a doctor. Theres some of that, I think, we can use some common sense with. The Iowa Association of School Boards shared this statement with WHO 13 News: We know attendance is key to student success and support efforts to ensure students are in school. However, the implementation of the new absenteeism and truancy law has had unintended consequences for some students. IASB has provided districts with sample policies as a result of this new law. We continue to work to educate and support our member districts. Additionally, we want to establish and continue collaborative relationships with county attorneys. We appreciate the intent, but implementation has been difficult for school districts. We hope to make improvements to the law in the upcoming legislative session. Iowa Association of School Boards Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hawkeyes land quarterback Hank Brown in transfer portal The new law specifies that the Board of Directors was responsible for outlining penalties associated with a child being chronically absent, and clarifying who is excused for medical or religious reasons, or due to having an individualized educational program. Eichholz said that it was time for change. When he started his career as a prosecutor in Blackhawk County in 1996 and had these offenses, he said, You could say to a child, do you want your mom or do you want your dad to go to jail because you are not going to school? And at that point in time the children would start to cry and say no. However, he said times have changed over the last 28 years. Some children just flat out look at us and say they dont care. So, we have to do something to stay involved and make it better, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Eichholz, the new law helped speed their timeline. In Warren County, the first cases may go to trial in January if it gets to that point, whereas last year, the first cases didnt go to a judge until May. Warren County is also planning an intervention program that the county attorneys office will roll out in early 2025 to further aid in lowering student absenteeism. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) The Housing Authority of Champaign County (HACC) is clarifying its Moving to Work program after a property management company said theyve noticed an increase of people from the Chicagoland area applying to rent homes through a voucher program. Jennifer Ferguson, the Housing Authoritys deputy director, said they have not seen an influx in the Champaign area. On average, she said they receive 5-7 requests a month from people across the entire country. However, many come from the state of Illinois. When someone wants to move, she said the family has to contact their current assistance program first. That organization would then send proper paperwork to the place the family wants to relocate. Then, they determine if that person is eligible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Central Illinois warming centers open this season We encourage families to check with your local PHA, to find out if theyre eligible to port. Research where youre moving, Ferguson said. We are a move to work agency so we have a work requirement and a lot of housing authorities may not have that. Some families are surprised when they come here to learn there is an actual work requirement. The Housing Authority has many programs to help get renters back on their feet as families are required to work at least 15 hours per week. One specific department helps families find jobs, while others host classes for things such as job readiness and resume building. Champaigns Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club receives first national award Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regarding the vouchers, Ferguson said every county functions a little differently. In Champaign, the Housing Authority covers part of the rent based on the familys income. Ferguson said most families pay about 28% of their monthly income toward rent and HACC covers the rest. Families can work with property managers to lease homes, apartments or townhomes. If youre a landlord and have questions, Ferguson recommends contacting Latricia Johnson at latriciaj@hacc.net. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. CHAMPION, Ohio (WKBN) The medical license of a Trumbull County doctor who was disciplined by the Ohio Medical Board following a complaint by a female patient has been reinstated. The Board approved earlier this month to reinstate the license of Dr. Badi Altawil. Altawils license was suspended in April 2024 after a female patient filed a complaint saying he touched her inappropriately during a May 2021 exam. Altawil denied the allegations saying during a hearing that he was conducting an exam on the patient and touched her breast while carrying out the exam. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hearing examiner said that they were not convinced that either Altawil or the patient were completely credible in their account of the facts of that day. Altawils license was suspended for six months and he was ordered to pay $6,000 which includes a fine and educational course fees. His license is now reinstated and he will be on probation for one year. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) All charges have been dropped against a former Abilene Christian University professor accused of child abuse and child sex crimes. The Taylor County District Attorneys Office formally dismissed one count of Sexual Abuse of a Child and one count of Injury to a Child, both filed against Charles Wadlington. Both charges were issued after Wadlingtons adoptive children came forward with allegations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In light of the charges being dismissed, Wadlingtons attorney issued the following statement outlining what led to these allegations being deemed false: ABILENE PSYCHOLOGIST CHARLES WADLINGTON EXONERATED On December 4, 2024, Judge Timothy Yeats dismissed a two-count indictment that alleged serious crimes of child abuse against Dr. Charles Wadlington. The dismissal came after the District Attorneys office filed a Motion to Dismiss the case. This ends a lengthy saga for the Wadlington family which cost Dr. Wadlington his employment at Abilene Christian University and Breckenridge ISD which occurred in the wake of the filing of these unfounded charges. Dr. Wadlington is a lifelong Abilenian who worked to pay his way through college earning a masters degree from Abilene Christian University and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Texas Womans University. He eventually returned to ACU as a professor. Dr. Wadlington devoted his life to education and to his family, only to have this life disrupted by salacious and unsupported claims of child abuse. Dr. Wadlington was represented by a team of attorneys at Keith & Lorfing, PLLC, who developed a robust battery of evidence demonstrating Dr. Wadlingtons innocence. Despite the alleged crime scene the Wadlington home being under constant video surveillance, the recordings showed the Wadlington home to be free of abuse. Countless witnesses were interviewed stating the accusers were troubled youths with a history of making demonstrably false accusations of sexual assault; these statements were supported by 14,000 pages of CPS records demonstrating the accusers history of lying. Dr. Wadlington was administered a polygraph examination on the issue of child abuse by retired FBI Special Agent Eric Johnson who previously ran the FBIs polygraph unit. Dr. Wadlington denied the allegations during the examination and passed the polygraph with flying colors. Keith & Lorfing attorneys also successfully forced the District Attorneys Office to disclose an interview with a child witness that stated on video that the witness and her siblings completely fabricated claims of abuse against Dr. Wadlington. All of this exculpatory evidence was tendered to the prosecutors office prior to their decision to indict Dr. Wadlington on these specious grounds. While the dismissal stands as a just outcome, the reputational harm to Dr. Wadlington will take time to heal. Dr. Wadlington looks forward to serving his local community, his church, and his family in Abilene. No further information is available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The officer who was accused of leaving K9 officer Loki in his patrol vehicle on a hot summer day in July, leading to Lokis death, will not face criminal charges, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office. Loki was found dead inside the patrol car on July 13, 2023, outside the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. National Weather Service records show the daytime high on that day was 97 degrees Fahrenheit. PREVIOUS: K9 officer found dead in vehicle at a correctional facility Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After a thorough investigation, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill declined to press charges, saying the K9 officer did not recklessly endanger Lokis life, had parked in a shaded area, and that the entire K9 Unit was untrained on how to properly use a Heat Alert safety feature equipped in the K9 vehicle. According to Gill, the Heat Alert function on the K9 patrol car was turned off. We learned, at the time, the K9 Unit primarily used the heat alert systems as a heat monitoring system and that the K9 Unit was not trained on or using the systems heat alert function, Gill said in a release. Gill said when turned on, the Heat Alert function will drop passenger and kennel windows and turn on the air conditioning when the internal temperature of the car hits 85 degrees Fahrenheit. If the patrol car is turned off, the Heat Alert function will also start the engine in order to carry out these safety features. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation also found that the K9 officer did not believe Loki was in the car and was safely in his indoor kennel. SLCPD officer put on leave, accused of sexually assaulting date he met online In a legal analysis of possible offenses [the K9 officer] could be charged with, this office evaluated the elements of the offenses of cruelty to an animal both in state and city code, Gill said. For us to conclude that he acted recklessly, he would need to have been consciously aware of the risk of keeping Loki in the vehicle and disregarded it. [The officer] going to get Loki from his kennel instead of the vehicle where he was left, indicates the officer believed Loki to be in his kennel. Gill concluded by saying that based on the investigation, Lokis death was a profoundly unfortunate accident, but it did not rise to the level of criminal negligence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office said the Department of Corrections had been very forthcoming and responsive throughout the investigation. Though this was a preventable tragedy, they have shared with us policy changes to prevent a future tragedy like this from taking place, Gill said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. QUEENS, NYC (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A Charlotte-bound American Airlines flight had to turn back Thursday night after a reported bird strike, the airline confirmed. On Dec. 12, Flight 1722 from New York-LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) made an emergency landing after hitting a bird shortly after takeoff. The flight was diverted to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), where it landed safely. Life cycle of lunch: Gaston County Schools serve produce grown in the districts own farm Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to FlightAware, the flight left LGA at 7:43 p.m. and landed at JFK at 8:04 p.m. The plane, an Airbus A321, is being inspected by Americans maintenance team at JFK. In total, 190 customers and 6 crew members were onboard when the incident happened. No one was injured, airline officials say. The flight is rescheduled to leave for Charlotte around 9:42 a.m. Friday morning, and passengers have been given overnight hotel accommodation. We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused, the airline wrote. American confirmed with QCN that the flight re-departed Friday morning with 190 customers and six crew members. A more serious bird strike from LaGuardia to Charlotte On Jan. 15, 2009, Charlotte-bound U.S. Airways Flight 1549 departed from LaGuardia and hit a flock of geese on climb-out, knocking out both engines. Captain Chesley Sully Sullenberger safely landed the Airbus A-320 on the Hudson River. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incident has been monikered as The Miracle on the Hudson. The Airbus A-320 was later moved to Charlotte, where it is housed at The Sullenberger Aviation Museum, which reopened under the new name over the summer. READ MORE | Inspire, educate, and elevate: The Miracle on the Hudson The Sullenberger Aviation Museum takes flight in Charlotte Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) The Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) is warning residents of a recent phone scam that is costing residents thousands of dollars. According to CCPD, the victim receives an email or phone call from what appears to be a reputable organization such as their banking institution, Venmo, Cashapp, Apple, etc. When the victim makes phone contact with the scammer, the caller says that there is an issue with the victims banking system, and the victim needs to remove cash from their bank account and deposit it into a BitCoin ATM machine for safekeeping. In one instance, the suspect directed the victim to utilize both a BitCoin ATM and acquire gift cards. The gift card numbers were then read off to the suspect to acquire the money. When the victim deposits the money and the suspect confirms the presence of funds, the scammer breaks contact with the victim. The victim loses the funds, and has no way to reach the person who scammed them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Six people have fallen victim to the scam, totaling $145,400 in losses. The holiday season sees an influx of scams and CCPD reminds everyone to always be vigilant when receiving an unexpected phone call or email regarding your finances. Instruction to withdraw cash from a bank account and then deposit it into a BitCoin ATM is a clear sign of fraud. A legitimate business will never ask for payment in gift cards, and will never instruct you to withdraw money. Savannah Police warns of Sgt. Paige phone scam Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. CHATHAM, Ill. (WCIA) A group of Chatham Police officers went out of their way to help out a senior citizen in more ways than one. Recently, two Chatham officers were dispatched to a check the welfare call on a senior citizen shut in, who was not answering the door to a Meals on Wheels worker for seniors. The worker had come to deliver a hot meal to the senior, and he had just left after he couldnt deliver the meal to him. The worker became worried when nobody came to the door because he knew the senior lived alone, and he also knew the senior was handicapped and did not get around very well. Chatham officers got to the home and when they did, they noticed the front door was open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Champaign Co. Community Coalition highlights program success, whats to come The senior was in his wheelchair in the doorway, looking around. So, the officers parked their car and decided to check on him. He was grateful they had come and that someone cared enough to do that. An officer then asked the senior if he was hungry and still wanted his hot meal. The senior said yes, so the officers contacted the Meals on Wheels delivery worker to return with his meal. While waiting for the worker, the officers stayed with the senior and had a conversation with him. In the conversation, they learned he was being financially exploited by his granddaughters boyfriend, so they explained to him the process of filing a police report with the department to start a criminal investigation into this matter. One of the officers also noticed the senior was missing something at his home that could greatly help him out: a Knox Box. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danville Salvation Army temporarily halts services after break-in According to Chatham Police, a Knox Box is a small, wall-mounted safe that holds building keys for fire departments, emergency medical services and sometimes police officers to retrieve in emergency situations. Local fire departments can hold master keys to all of these boxes in their response area so that they can quickly enter a building without having to force entry and damage a home in the process. The senior loved the idea and asked if the officers could get him one. The officers then called the Chatham Fire Department to help through their Knox Box program. They came out that day and installed one for the senior. Any resident who lives in Chatham can learn more about the Knox Box program by calling the Chatham Fire Department at 217-483-2121. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Contrary to the Chinese adage, "distant water cannot quench present thirst," China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project has proven that delivering distant water is not only possible but also effective. The largest of its kind in the world, this mega water diversion project transports water over long distances from the country's water-rich south to its northern regions, where hundreds of millions of people once faced "absolute water scarcity" as defined by United Nations standards. The conceptual development of this project began in the 1950s, with the first phases of its middle and eastern routes becoming operational in late 2014. During the past decade, it has diverted more than 76.7 billion cubic meters of water to the country's northern regions, providing a stable water supply to 45 major cities and more than 185 million people, according to data from the Ministry of Water Resources. The project has improved China's water resource distribution, generating growing economic, social and ecological benefits, Vice Minister of Water Resources Wang Daoxi told a press conference on Thursday. Designed with three routes, the project stretches across four of China's major river basins, namely, the Yangtze, Huaihe, Yellow and Haihe. The middle route, the most prominent of the three as it supplies water to the Chinese capital Beijing, begins at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central Hubei Province. Most of Beijing's drinking water travels over 1,000 kilometers along the middle route from Danjiangkou. The water flows north via canals and pipelines, crossing beneath the Yellow River before reaching the city's water treatment plants. Today, nearly 80 percent of the water consumed in Beijing's urban areas has made this 15-day journey from Danjiangkou. In parts of north China's Hebei Province, the water diversion project has transformed lives. Previously, drinking water was bitter and salty due to high fluoride levels, which caused dental fluorosis and affected local residents for generations. "In the past, most people in the village had yellow-stained teeth, and we always felt embarrassed to speak with our mouths open," said Fu Shuming, a local from Hebei's Kushuiying Village, also known as "the town of bitter water" due to its high-fluoride groundwater. Like Fu, more than five million people in Hebei, who once struggled with high-fluoride groundwater, now have reliable access to clean water. This is not just a water pipeline; it is a lifeline that drives economic growth and fosters ecological improvements along its path. Li Yong, from the project management bureau under the Ministry of Water Resources, said the project has supported GDP growth of over 16 trillion yuan (about 2.23 trillion U.S. dollars) in China's northern regions, based on the premise that every 10,000 yuan of GDP in 2023 required a water input of 46.9 cubic meters. The project bolsters the food supply by supporting agriculture in water-scarce provinces. In east China's Shandong Province, the steady water supply has boosted grain production, while in Baofeng County in central China's Henan Province, it has supported specialty industries like vinegar production. Ecologically, the project has provided over 11.8 billion cubic meters of water for replenishing ecosystems, effectively halting the decline of groundwater levels in northern China, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. Thanks to this replenishment, the Grand Canal, which had been severed in the first half of the 20th century, has seen water flowing through all 1,794 kilometers for the third consecutive year, enhancing connectivity and supporting modern industries. All of its dried-out sections were refilled with water in 2022 for the first time in almost 100 years. The Grand Canal, connecting Beijing and Hangzhou with a history of over 2,500 years, is the world's longest artificial waterway. It served as a significant transportation artery in ancient China. By adhering to the principles of "pollution control before water diversion" and "environmental protection first," local authorities and communities along the route have actively engaged in pollution control and water source protection efforts. According to China South-to-North Water Diversion Co., Ltd., the water quality of the eastern route was rated Grade III on the country's five-tier water quality scale, while the middle route achieved a higher Grade II quality. Leaders of the citys Police Department and its oversight bodies gathered on the Northwest Side Thursday to unveil the agencies respective goals for 2025, with Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling promising a focus on fostering community partnerships, officer wellness and improving compliance with the federal consent decree. We have to make sure that our officers are well well of mind, mentally, physically so that we are putting the best possible product out into the community, Snelling said. If we are not treating our officers well, we can not expect our officers to treat others well. Ive heard it said many times before, Hurt people hurt people. The head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, Andrea Kersten, said the agency will take a broader look at police complaints next year by using aggregate data to identify potential patterns and practices of misconduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyle Cooper, president of the Chicago Police Board, meanwhile, announced plans to revise the rules and regulations governing CPD officers a set of bylaws not updated in years. The meeting, held in the chilly auditorium of the Irish American Heritage Center in the Irving Park neighborhood, was attended by roughly 75 people. Snelling laid out six objectives for 2025, several of which have been top-of-mind for years: Ensure officers have strong foundations in constitutional and impartial policing; Make progress in the long-awaited workforce allocation study; Build and foster community partnerships; Encourage and support officer wellness; Provide resources and support to crime victims; and to make sure CPD officers are clear on the departments policy relating to associations with criminal or biased organizations. Before Snelling made his presentation and fielded questions from the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, several members of the public called for the firing of any officer found to be associated with the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, Three Percenters or similar groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his Q-and-A with CCPSA members, Snelling addressed the oft-criticized internal affairs investigation that CPD conducted regarding officers with associations to the Proud Boys. Snelling said BIA investigators do not have subpoena power, and the department requested help in the investigation from the citys Office of Inspector General. That help was requested, we asked for it, we just didnt get it, Snelling said. In July, the OIG announced that it reviewed the BIA investigation and found it was materially deficient and recommended that the investigation be reopened, though CPD declined to do so. You dont hear me say this that often, but I dont think I need to tell you what my race is, Snelling said Thursday. I grew up in Englewood, in a community. I participated in Black History bowls, Know Your Heritage, because those things were important to me. If anybody thinks that for any reason that I would sweep white supremacy under the rug, (they are) sadly mistaken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A key to CPDs future plans is a long-awaited departmentwide workforce allocation study that, after years of delays, is now moving forward. Once completed, Snelling said, that study will allow the department to more equitably and effectively allocate officers across the city. The boundaries of the 22 patrol districts may change too, Snelling added. Kersten told those in attendance that, as of November, COPA had fully staffed its policy research and analysis division, allowing the agency to supplement the qualitative approaches that we already have to (identify) those patterns and practices with more quantitative approaches. This work, I believe, can be very prospective in nature and be some of the most transformative efforts that our agency will be able to engage in, Kersten said. The average caseload for COPA investigators dropped from 35 in 2023 to 10 in 2024, Kersten added. She also pointed to a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in the number of COPA cases closed within six months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The very rules that govern CPD officers conduct could change too, Cooper told those in attendance. In 2025, the Police Board will hold listening sessions and begin a review of those edicts so that we can bring these rules to the 21st century, he said. The goal for this year is a preliminary first step of what we anticipate will be a lengthy and complex process and project that will involve input from a diverse group of stakeholders, Cooper said. The last thing that (I) as board president or the board is interested in doing is putting forward a set of proposed revisions and rules that are misaligned from the reality of what its like to be an active Chicago police officer on a day-to-day (basis), he said. DARE COUNTY, N.C. (WAVY) A 2-year-old child has died and a man is in critical condition following a fiery crash on the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge Thursday morning, an officer with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said. Scene of crash and car fire on the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge Thursday morning. (WAVY viewer photo) A 1991 Mustang heading eastbound on the U.S. Route 64 Bypass on the bridge was stopped in the far right-hand lane, when a 2023 GMC Acadia struck it from behind. The impact resulted in the Mustang catching on fire, according to highway patrol. The driver of the Acadia, who is from Columbia, North Carolina, pulled the driver of the Mustang out of the car. The driver of the Mustang, from Manns Harbor, North Carolina, said his 2-year-old was still in the car, and they could not get the child out, highway patrol said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2-year-old died, and the driver of the Mustang is at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in critical condition with serious burns, highway patrol said. The driver of the Acadia suffered minor injuries, and highway patrol said neither alcohol nor speeding were factors in the crash. Highway patrol said the driver of the Acadia, despite helping the Mustangs driver out of his car, still faces charges of failure to reduce speed and misdemeanor death. We are were still looking into several resources, said Sgt. Colby Pridgen with the N.C. State Highway Patrol. We have a few more resources as far as vehicles behind that possibly have some dash camera footage that were attempting to retrieve. A driver just behind the crash provided video to WAVY they captured on their dashcam. It shows the moment of impact, then immediately smoke and flames coming from one of the vehicles involved. People immediately emerge from their cars and run to help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Dare County Sheriffs deputy responding to the crash was also rear-ended by another driver. The deputy was not injured. The Sheriffs Office had a deputy arrive on scene pretty quick. He turned his lights on and he left his car in the roadway on the right side of the bridge and he got out and crossed over the barrier and was trying to assist getting the child out, and someone rear-ended his patrol car during all this, said Sgt. Pridgen. Authorities have not released any of the identities of the individuals involved in this crash, at this point. The Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge is a four-lane bridge in Dare County that spans the Croatan Sound between Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Continue to check WAVY.com for updates. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Children in the United States cant take out loans or get credit cards on their own, but they can end up with poor credit ratings and even criminal records over unpaid debts. How does this happen? Identity theft. Minors are appealing targets for identity thieves: Since they cant access credit, their parents understandably dont think to check their credit reports, ensuring ample time before crimes are noticed. The problem is so extensive that research by Experian suggests that 25 percent of children will be victims of identity fraud or theft by the time they are 18. More than half of minors who were victims of identity theft report being denied access to credit at least once because of it, and some deal with the consequences for a decade or more. Some have even acquired a lifelong criminal record for an offense committed by the thief that stole their identity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Children in these cases are victimized not only by thieves, but by the negligence of the federal government, which is duty-bound to protect them from identity theft. Consider the Social Security Administration (SSA). Because more than half of all available Social Security numbers (SSNs) have already been assigned to people, a bad actor who makes up an SSN for fraudulent purposes has better than even odds that the number used already belongs to someone or is in line to be issued to a newborn or immigrant. And because the SSA does not check SSNs for histories of fraud before issuing them, the agency is regularly assigning babies numbers that have histories of fraud and crime, damaging their credit from infancy. Its not just the SSA. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is legally required to alert parents when their childrens identities are being used for tax fraud, but the agency constantly refusesdespite pressure from the Treasury inspector general for tax administrationbecause the minors dont have active tax accounts. The IRS even stopped alerting heirs of deceased individuals whose identities were being used in a fraudulent manner because it upset the heirs. And for those who come to the IRS for help resolving identity theft? The National Taxpayer Advocate reports unconscionable delays. States are also failing children in foster care, who are especially vulnerable to identity theft in part because so many more adults have access to their most sensitive information. Federal law already requires states to conduct credit checks for youth in the foster care system if they are at least 14 years old. However, enforcement here is severely lacking. In 2021, a majority of foster children who were supposed to receive credit checks did not, and 78 percent did not receive a credit check with all three credit agencies as required. Even those who received any or all reports received little help understanding them. And few children facing identity fraud receive any help resolving it. The solutions to these problems are relatively simple. Congress, for example, can and should require the SSA to check SSNs before issuing them, and to make sure the agency does not not issue numbers with a record of fraud. The agency could work with credit agencies or other federal agencies such as the FBI to accomplish this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The IRS also needs to be reminded, with a bit more forcefulness, that its legally obligated to alert parents when their childrens identities have been stolen. The agencys continued abdication of this duty even in the face of valuable reports from its inspector general warrants Congress stepping in to pass a law to make sure the IRS does its duty or conduct oversight to make sure it does. Another option is to lock minors credit files at the time SSNs are issued, or at least offer the option. At a minimum, the federal government should work with credit agencies to streamline how guardians can lock their childrens credit files. The major credit agencies have the capability and offer this service, but the current process is fairly burdensome. Reforms are necessary to protect foster youth, too. Thankfully, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has authored a valuable report explaining the problems with states performing credit checks for foster youth. The IG recommends that the Administration for Children and Families monitor states to make sure theyre giving credit checks to foster youth and help states build the capacity to do so. Legislators should pay attention to the specifics of the reports recommendations. A lot of this work can be done by federal agencies rather than by Congress. Identity theft can ruin lives. Given that our credit histories are tied to an ID number issued by a government agency, the federal government has an important role to play in fixing the problemby enforcing existing policies and building on earlier work by previous administrations. Children should not have to face a future of financial and emotional strain because of government inaction and negligence. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. The News The first doses of a Japanese-made mpox vaccine should arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo next week, allowing the protection of young children. The mpox outbreak in Africa has affected 20 countries, with a notable jump last week: 3,545 new cases were reported, up from 2,708 the week before, with 37 deaths. The new vaccine, LC16, fills an important gap: The existing vaccine is only indicated for people over 12 years old, but LC16 is safe for children as young as one. Nearly half of all mpox cases in the DRC are in under-15s. Japan announced a donation of about 3 million doses of LC16, designed to prevent smallpox but effective against mpox. (Bloomberg) -- Mpox vaccines that young children can use will arrive from Japan next week, a crucial step in reducing the spread of the disease that has killed about 1,200 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Children in the central African country are bearing the brunt of both mpox as well as an outbreak of a mystery flu-like illness dubbed Disease X in a remote southwestern province. Getting the Japanese vaccine means babies through to the age of five can finally also get inoculated, helping control the outbreak not only for adults, but also the children, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya said in a briefing Thursday. Roughly the size of Western Europe, Congo is one of the worlds least-developed countries and has a rudimentary health system, with little diagnostic capacity to serve its population of more than 100 million people. Difficulties in getting mpox vaccines have only made matters worse. More than 65,700 cases of the disease have been reported this year, with 3,545 in the previous seven days and the vast majority in Congo. This is one of the highest weekly jumps this year and shows mpox is still moving, Kaseya said. In some parts of Congo, authorities are moving from twice-weekly vaccination to offering mpox shots daily. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Japan, which agreed to provide Congo with 3 million doses along with specialized inoculation needles, is sending a delegation this weekend. Thats so its members can help train local health-care workers in how to effectively scratch under layers of childrens skin to induce an immune response. Medical professionals used the LC16 vaccine to immunize more than 50,000 children against smallpox in the 1970s, but its administration method hasnt been widely used in inoculation rollouts for decades. Mpox strains are still mutating, further raising the risk of spread both in Africa and globally. Kaseya said in November that analysis shows that clade Ia, which has circulated for decades in central and west Africa and is transmitted mainly through contact with animals, may have changed to enable it to spread more easily between people. Meanwhile, another 147 cases of the unidentified illness were reported in the past week, bringing the total to more than 500 since late October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Challenges in getting good-quality samples to a national laboratory in the capital, Kinshasa, for testing have delayed efforts to work out the underlying cause of this outbreak. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN In a show of patriotism, students as young as kindergartners turned out to greet a Wreaths Across America caravan on its way to Arlington National Cemetery Thursday morning. Lining the sidewalks in front of their schools, students anxiously waved American flags as six tractor-trailers passed on their way to a stopover at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, where Christmas wreaths will be placed on veterans graves. A slogan on one of the trucks Teach The Next Generation went to the heart of why educators took time away from class so students could honor veterans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maureen Green, who teaches kindergarten, said students had watched videos about the Wreaths Across America program. They knew, she said, what they were going to see. The Schuylkill Haven Elementary School chorus played a prominent role in the St. Ambrose church service. The Little Hurricanes, 90 voices strong, sang the National Anthem and Some Gave All, a hymn honoring service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. In what has become a holiday tradition, the Schuylkill Haven American Legion Post 38 Auxiliary has hosted a Wreaths Across America program at the church. Schuylkill Haven Area Elementary School students wave flags in front of the school as the Wreaths Across America convoy passes by Thursday. (John Haeger / Staff Photographer) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several hundred people, including delegations from the Pennsylvania State Police, Schuylkill County Sheriffs office and Fort Indiantown Gap, filled the church sanctuary for a program that began a moment of silence for POW-MIA and all on active duty in the nations armed services. An honor guard from American Legion Post 38 and Vietnam Veterans Post 29 presented the colors. Rev. Shawn D. Van Dyke, pastor of First United Church of Christ in Schuylkill Haven, gave the invocation. May we guard carefully the gifts their loyalty and devotion have passed onto us. she said, May we be as trustworthy as they were in protecting the rights of others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The combined choir of St. Ambrose and All Saints Church, McAdoo, sang the anthems of each of the nations armed services as wreaths were laid in their honor. Veterans, escorted by auxiliary members, placed a wreath beneath their respective services flag in the front of the church. Auxiliary members Maria Wolfe, Cosette Pohronezny, Kristina Miller and Peggy Boyer offered remarks. Pohronezny recalled the sacrifices made by members of the armed services to protect the freedom and liberty enjoyed by the American people. We shall not forget them, she said. The auxiliary presented a check for $1,800 to a representative of Walmart, whose trucks are transporting the wreaths. The group also purchased 250 wreaths for graves in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery and another 100 for veterans graves in the county. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ron LaFlamme, transportation manager at Walmart in Highridge Business Park, said the fresh wreaths are made in Maine. Walmart trucks are transporting them to Arlington National Cemetery, Flight 93 National Memorial in Shankesville and a national cemetery in Long Island. They will be laid on Wreaths Across America Day, Dec. 14, at 4,500 locations across the country by an estimated three million volunteers. Commissioner Gary J. Hess represented the Schuylkill County Commissioners. Msgr. Edward Zemanik, St. Ambroses pastor, delivered the benediction. Schuylkill Haven Mayor Michael Devlin spoke directly to the Little Hurricanes in his brief remarks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When you see a veteran, tell them you appreciate what they did with a simple thank you, he said. Let them know you appreciate the sacrifice they made for you and me. The service ended with the honor guard firing the traditional three-shot volley performed at military funerals, and the bugler playing Taps. Dmitry Medvedev, former President of Russia and Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on 12 December. During the talks, the Russian delegation once again voiced its ultimatum demands to Ukraine, with China providing a platform for their dissemination under the guise of advocating for peace. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Details: Analysts at the ISW noted in a report dated 12 December that Xi Jinping continues to echo the Kremlin's rhetoric, which is justifying aggression against Ukraine and advocating for Ukraine's surrender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the talks, Xi Jinping reiterated China's usual position on the war in Ukraine, calling for "de-escalation" and promoting the Sino-Brazilian "Friends of Peace" initiative, which effectively serves as a means of supporting Russia. Medvedev, in turn, claimed that Russia was ready to negotiate with Ukraine, but only if the Ukrainian government recognised that "Ukraine understands the realities that have developed ... on the ground" effectively demanding Ukraine's de facto surrender to Russia. Quite: "Medvedev explicitly invoked Russian President Vladimir Putin's June 14, 2024 speech at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), wherein Putin stated that Ukrainian forces must 'completely withdraw' from Ukrainian-controlled territory in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts before Russia would agree to enter into negotiations. Russia's version of 'negotiations' that take into account the 'realities on the ground' call for Ukraine to surrender nearly 20 per cent of its territory and millions of its people living under Russian occupation." To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 12 December: Russia has reportedly reached an agreement with select elements of the Syrian opposition about control over Russian military bases in Syria, but it remains unclear if the alleged agreement ensures the security of Russia's bases in Syria in the long term. Russia is reportedly moving four ships from Russian ports to Syria, possibly to facilitate evacuations further demonstrating the Kremlin's current cautious response to the developing situation in Syria. Ukrainian officials denied Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's claim that Ukraine rejected his offer to mediate a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner of war (POW) exchange with Russia. People's Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping continues to provide Kremlin officials with a platform from which to articulate their uncompromising demands on Ukrainian sovereignty. India continues to preserve and enhance its economic relations with Russia despite recent efforts to reduce its reliance on Russia as a security partner. Russian authorities are set to equate the violation of Russian censorship laws with extremism and terrorism, furthering the Kremlin's effort to establish a pseudo-state ideology. Russian President [sic] Vladimir Putin awarded the Russian "Golden Star" Medal to a military correspondent for the first time since World War II as the Kremlin continues to use state awards to co-opt milbloggers and gain control over the Russian information space. Actors affiliated with Ukraines Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) likely assassinated the Deputy General Designer and Functional Software Department Head of the Russian Rosatom-owned "Mars" design bureau Mikhail Shatsky in Russia on 12 December. Russian forces recently advanced in the main Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast and in the Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhove directions. Ukrainian forces recently regained lost positions near Svatove. The Russian military command's efforts to ensure operational security amongst Russian forces continue to draw ire from select milbloggers, who derided these efforts as disruptive overreach. Support UP or become our patron! Local government officials across China are rushing to introduce policies to level up the innovation and deployment of robots, especially humanoid robots, as Beijing's policymakers upped the ante for future industries at the tone-setting central economic work conference. The cities of Hangzhou, Chongqing and Nanjing, plus a part of the southwestern Sichuan province, have released robotics policies to accelerate robotics innovations and the "concentration of business entities" involved, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday. The eastern tech hub of Hangzhou has a development plan that would run from this year until 2029, to promote the development of humanoid robot industry development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. "Hangzhou will focus on the optimal body plus the strongest brain, and accelerating the constriction of an integrated innovation system and the whole industry chain of research and development, design, manufacturing and application of humanoid robots," according to a statement posted on the Hangzhou city government website. While Nanjing - the capital of the neighbouring eastern Jiangsu province - is pursuing a 2024-26 plan to promote the development of a "high quality robotics" sector. In southwest China, Sichuan's Tianfu New Area has proposed support, including subsidies for "core algorithm" and "large-scale industry model" research and development, while the Chongqing municipality has urged a local tech innovation fund to lead venture capital offers for robotics projects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of 2023, the number of companies in China's robotics industry stood at nearly 80,000, of which more than 100 were listed and more than 4,000 hi-tech enterprises, Xinhua reported, citing an official at the CCID Consulting Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. Looking ahead, robotics technology would further integrate and develop with artificial intelligence, new materials, new sensing, biomimicry, brain-machine interface and other cutting-edge technologies, while the performance of several key components would be further improved, according to the report. "Policymakers made a massive bet on developing the robotics industry as part of their wider industrial-policy push to develop the economy," said Christopher Beddor, deputy director of China research with Gavekal Dragonomics in Hong Kong. "China has long been a major user of industrial robotics simply because its manufacturing industry is so large." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China has offered policy support for robotics since 2015, pacing a boom in adoption by factories. Installation of industrial robots rose by 75 per cent between 2021-23 compared to the previous three years, Gavekal said in a report in October, although it added that the 2023 fell short of the level achieved in 2022. China's robotics market is the world's largest due to demand from factories that make exports and power the world's second-largest economy. Last year, Chinese clients installed 276,288 robots, or 51 per cent of the world's total, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The penetration rate of industrial robots is still expected to increase "significantly" to 105.26 billion yuan (US$14.47 billion) by 2030, Xinhua said, citing the official at the CCID Consulting Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. China's robotics industry could grow to 400 billion yuan by 2030, the CCID official added. A statement issued after the two-day central economic work conference said China should "take steps to make scientific and technological innovation ... build a modernised industrial system", according to Xinhua. The tone-setting gathering also reaffirmed the ambition to add support for ailing private firms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities may eventually guide factories back to hiring human labour to create jobs in a shaky economy, said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at French investment bank Natixis in Hong Kong. At that point, producers of robots could tap the international market and may find clients in countries such as Germany, she added. But some foreign markets may resent any sign China is trying to ease a "glut", according to Garcia-Herrero. 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. BEIJING (Reuters) - China and the United States have agreed to extend the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement for five years, China's Ministry of Science and Technology said on Friday, renewing a decades-old commitment to cooperate in scientific research. The pact had expired on Aug. 27. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether this agreement would have any stabilising effect on Sino-U.S. ties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agreement, signed when Beijing and Washington established diplomatic ties in 1979 and renewed about every five years since, has been hailed as a stabilising force for the two countries' relations, with collaboration in areas from atmospheric and agricultural science to basic research in physics and chemistry. It laid the foundation for a boom in academic and commercial exchanges. Those exchanges helped China grow into a technology and military powerhouse, but concerns about Beijing's theft of U.S. scientific and commercial achievements have prompted questions about whether the agreement should continue. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Mark Porter) BUCHAREST, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Moldova's parliament voted on Friday to impose a national state of emergency for 60 days starting Dec. 16 due to an expected cut-off of Russian gas supplies from Jan. 1, 2025. The decision, based on a report from the Commission for Emergency Situations (CSE), addresses critical energy shortages threatening national security and citizens' well-being. According to local media, to mitigate the crisis, Moldova plans to rely on electricity imports from Romania, although import capacity is limited to 315 megawatts. Compounding the issue, key infrastructure like the Isaccea-Vulcanesti power line traverses Ukraine, making it vulnerable to potential attacks. The emergency status grants the CSE authority to implement immediate measures, including special procurement mechanisms for electricity and gas, resource allocation, and operational directives for energy providers. Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly rejected Donald Trumps invitation for a history-making guest appearance at next months presidential inauguration. The snub, reported by CBS News, will come as a blow to the president-elect and his plans for a spectacular swearing-in event on January 20 to mark his return to the White House. A foreign head of state has never attended a U.S. inauguration, according to State Department records, but Trump has also invited Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentinean President Javier Milei, and El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele to turn it into a global event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No explanation has been given for Xis decision not to travel to Washington. The invite was made just after Trumps 2024 presidential election triumph. This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just allies but our adversaries and our competitors, too, his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Thursday. Despite Trumps claims that he has a good relationship with the Chinese leader, his presidency begins with fears of a trade war with Beijing over punitive tariffs proposed during the presidential election campaign. China is reportedly considering imposing its own tariffs in a bid to beat Trump to it and force him to the negotiating table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. intelligence has also revealed a hack linked to China of eight major U.S. telecom companies. Marco Rubio, Trumps secretary of state pick, called it an egregious, outrageous and dangerous breach of our telecommunications systems across multiple companies. Chinas ambassador to the U.S. is expected to attend the inauguration with his wife and CBS said additional officials may join their party. It is normal for the bipartisan Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the State Department to reach out and invite every nations chief of mission. Trump is very eager to have world leaders at the inauguration. He wants a global stage, a Trump adviser told CNN. The incoming president was typically bullish on Thursday, saying: Ive invited a lot of great people, and theyve all accepted. Everybody Ive invited has accepted. An official at the Chinese embassy in Washington on Thursday called Donald Trump's invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to his second inauguration a "welcoming signal", but did not say whether Xi would attend the ceremony on January 20. Trump's incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed earlier media reports that Trump had invited Xi, but said it remained "to be determined" if Xi would attend. Qiu Wenxing, an embassy minister, said at the Institute for China-America Studies' annual conference in Washington that he hoped such an overture might lead to a "good start" to bilateral relations in Trump's second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. "If that report is real, it shows that the president-elect's transitional team attaches great performance to the working relations between the presidents, and between the Chinese government and the transition team," Qiu said, though he did not say whether Xi would attend. "I think that is a welcoming signal. We're looking forward to working ... with the transition team ... that is our goal, to make this relationship to have a smooth transition, and then early next year we can have a good start." Foreign heads of state do not customarily attend US presidential inaugurations, and some analysts said Xi was unlikely to go. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing said on Thursday that it had "no information to provide" about the invitation. Qiu Wenxing of the Chinese embassy to the United States on Thursday. Photo: Kawala Xie alt=Qiu Wenxing of the Chinese embassy to the United States on Thursday. Photo: Kawala Xie> However, Yu Tiejun, an international relations professor at Peking University, contended during the panel discussion that Xi should attend the inauguration. "It's very unusual of Trump, and that will be another icebreaker," he said. Many analysts expect Trump's China policy in his second term to resume the aggressive stance of his first, as he has vowed to impose more tariffs on China from his first day in office - up to 60 per cent on all Chinese imports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has also been filling top-level slots with long-time China hawks including Senator Marco Rubio for US secretary of state and Representative Mike Waltz for national security adviser. Qiu said he hoped that Trump's second administration would recognise the importance of cooperation between the two nations and resolve their differences through negotiations. "If China and the United States start a trade war again, the whole world will pay a price for it, and so will both China and the United States," he said. It is unclear whether Trump will keep the communication channels and working groups that US President Joe Biden and his administration have maintained with Beijing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden and Xi resumed and established working groups on issues ranging from the economy to technology to the Indo-Pacific since their November 2023 meeting on the sidelines of the Apec forum in San Francisco. Qiu said it would be "detrimental" to the interests of both nations if those channels are reduced or scrapped in Trump's second term. "We also hope that the new US government ... can carry out close communication through the existing channels of both sides at the beginning of its term." At the institute event, US and Chinese analysts said it was too early to determine how Trump's second administration would handle China policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even with Trump's threat of new tariffs, he has given few details about his trade policy for China. Michael Swaine, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said that Beijing should not overreact to Trump's threats and promises. "Beijing needs to resist the temptation to engage in rigid tit-for-tat action in response to Trump and instead convey an image of restraint, prudence, pragmatism ... while making it clear where certain red lines lie, especially regarding issues like Taiwan." It is also unclear what Trump's Taiwan policy will look like in his second term. During his campaign, he said he wanted the self-ruled island to pay the US for its defence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taiwan remains one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the US-China relationship, with Beijing ramping up military actions around the island and citing the continued US arms sales to Taipei as a cause. Reuters reported on Thursday that Taipei sent two senior officials to meet with people connected with Trump's transition team, a move expected to infuriate Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a rogue province to be eventually united with the mainland, by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent nation, but Washington opposes any attempt to take the island by force and is committed to supplying it with arms to defend itself. In his remarks at the conference, Qiu said that China was determined to safeguard its sovereignty and that Taiwan's status was not to be challenged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If this red line is being pushed, the relationship will suffer a lot," he said. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. An alleged spy is behind a lobbying firm with links to China and has gained access to influential figures in Britain including George Osborne and Prince Andrew. The firm, which cannot be named for legal reasons, was founded by the suspected spy, known as H6, after he spent seven years working for the Chinese government. Until now, the firm and the businessman H6, which claims to link Chinese companies with international partners, has gone largely unnoticed. But its alleged web of influence spans as far as Beijing, Westminster and Royal palaces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After graduating with a degree in history, H6, described as a close confidant of the Duke of York, worked as a junior civil servant in China before moving to York in 2003. It was here that his English language skills improved rapidly and he graduated with a masters degree in public administration, according to a BBC profile. The Duke of York with the alleged Chinese spy banned from entering the UK on national security grounds In 2005, the Chinese national established a strategy advisory company to help company bosses in Beijing network internationally. H6, who began using an anglicised name, was a central figure in arranging the first UK-China Business Leaders Summit, where he was seen with then-chancellor George Osborne. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement H6s connection to the Duke may have begun as early as 2016. Prince Andrew launched Pitch@Palace China that year, two years after founding the Dragons Den-style initiative in the UK. On a visit to China for Pitch@Palace, the Duke was pictured alongside the alleged spy. On another occasion, the same man was seen with the Duke at another event in the country. He would go on to become so close to the Duke that he had been told he could act on the royals behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, according to court documents. Prince Andrew and George Osborne during a meeting with Xi Jinping in 2015 - WPA Pool He was also invited to the Dukes birthday party in 2020 and was described by the judges overseeing the case as a close confidant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the Home Office decided to exclude H6, aged 50, from the UK in July 2023 after MI5 deemed him to be an agent who had engaged in covert and deceptive activity on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and that he posed a threat to national security. A letter from a senior adviser to the Duke was found on H6s phone, stating that he was authorised to act on behalf of the royal in engagements with potential partners and investors in China. H6 challenged this, but a special immigration commission has now ruled that Suella Braverman, the home secretary at the time, was justified in her decision to ban him from the UK. In their 53-page ruling, the judges said that the Duke could have been made vulnerable to the misuse of H6s influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, a statement from the Duke of Yorks office said that the royal ceased all contact with the alleged spy after receiving advice from the Government. The statement says: The Duke of York followed advice from HMG and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. The duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. This is an adapted excerpt from the Dec. 12 episode of All In with Chris Hayes. We are in something of a weird period these days. On one track, the daily news out of Washington is the normal process of American governance, specifically the transition from one presidency to another. Its the kind of thing you might expect after any election when the White House changes parties. Some elected Democrats are out there acting like everything is normal. You may recall that President Joe Biden hosted President-elect Donald Trump for a friendly fireside chat in the Oval Office last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania now says he supports Elise Stefanik to be Trumps United Nations ambassador because he supports her position on Israel. Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado praised Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trumps choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services. And a whole bunch of Democrats are paying lip service to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamys so-called Department of Government Efficiency to slash spending. Basically, the message from some national Democrats and other public figures is, Well, the people have spoken and now were going to get about the business of governing under Trump. Theres a similar vibe from the titans of industry. Tech billionaires are popping up all over the place trying to curry favor with the once and future president. We learned that Mark Zuckerbergs Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, donated $1 million to Trumps inaugural fund after meeting with him at Mar-a-Lago. Not to be outdone, we learned that Jeff Bezos Amazon is also donating a million dollars to the inauguration. Bezos says he looks forward to working with the president-elect. If were talking about Trump, I think its very interesting, Bezos told Andrew Ross Sorkin at the DealBook Summit last week. Im actually very optimistic this time around. ... Im very hopeful about his he seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation. My point of view, if I can help him do that, Im gonna help him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Again, Ive seen this movie before: rich people currying favor with a powerful president. But this isnt before, and Trump is different. Whats so disturbing, enraging and alienating about the capitulation to Trump is that it ignores the gaping wound in American democracy. Its just sitting there festering while everyone just goes about business as usual. Just four years ago, one of the two major parties in this country largely withdrew from the consensus of democratic governance and rejected the peaceful transfer of power. But right now, it looks like that wound has healed because the party that has withdrawn, the Republicans, happened to win this last election and, because Democrats believe in preserving democracy, they accepted those results. But the wound has not been healed. The problem has not been solved. Trump is just as committed to the big lie and the insurrection as he ever was. In his interview with NBC News Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, Trump refused to concede the 2020 election and once again pledged to pardon the Jan. 6 rioters. Whats more is that Trump is instituting loyalty tests to make sure that the folks working in his administration also support his election lies. A recent New York Times report details the interview process at the Trump transition offices: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The interviewers asked which candidate the applicants had supported in the three most recent elections, what they thought about the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and whether they believed the 2020 election was stolen. The sense they got was that there was only one right answer to each question. For at least one of Trumps would-be employees, you dont even need to ask those questions. Kari Lake, who Trump wants to lead Voice of America the governments state media network is perhaps the politician most closely linked to the big lie outside of Trump himself. Lake not only insists that Trump won the 2020 election, but she also insists she won her own 2022 race to be governor of Arizona which she lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs. It's not exactly clear if Trump can install Lake as the head of VOA, but he is certainly going to try. And Lake would most likely use every facet of her power to push election lies and create a domestic version of Russias infamous state media apparatus. Lake believes, perhaps more than anyone else, in the core tenet of the modern Republican Party: Elections only count when we win them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were actually seeing this play out right now in North Carolina. Last month, Trump won at the top of the ticket there but Democrats did pretty well down-ballot. Democrat Josh Stein won the gubernatorial race by 15 points, defeating Republican Mark Robinson. (The guy who reportedly frequented a porn forum called Nude Africa, where he allegedly referred to himself as a black Nazi. Robinson denies the allegations.) Democrat Jeff Jackson, a congressman who was gerrymandered out of his seat, also won the race to be the states next attorney general. That means Democrats won two of the top jobs in North Carolina politics, fair and square. But North Carolina Republicans arent happy about it. Republicans lost their supermajority in the gerrymandered state legislature last month. They are in a lame-duck session right now, before that supermajority goes away. In these waning days, they just overrode a governors veto to force through a bill that strips power away from those newly elected Democrats and hands it to Republican officials instead. Republicans lost the election in North Carolina and then they gave themselves power anyway. Believe me, if they had lost the presidential race in November, Republicans would likely be trying to overturn the election at the national level, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats the gaping wound. The rejection of democracy is still alive and well. Democrats bending the knee to Trump because they agree with him on Israel or cutting government spending is not going to address the problem. My strong belief is that everyone trying to will us toward normalcy by acting like everything is normal is in for a rude awakening. Allison Detzel contributed. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com URBANA, Mo. To say the past several hours for the family of Travis Timmerman have been emotional, would be an understatement. This morning, news broke overseas of Timmerman being found after escaping a Syrian prison. Timmerman had previously been reported missing since June of this year. We are really thrilled to hear this news today. We havent been in contact with him for that long, so we are literally overjoyed with this piece of knowing that hes okay and hes fine and hes safe, Pixie Rogers, Travis sister said. The Good Lord was protecting him through these past seven months and as well as family and friends, all prayers go out to every single one, and we are all appreciated on that part. My mom, I know she is very, very esthetic, enjoyed, overwhelmed, and just beyond super excited with this information that we got today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timmerman graduated from Skyline High School in 2013 said Rogers, before going to Missouri State, then to the University of Tennessee for law. Rogers says Timmerman said God called him to go overseas. She says they found out he was safe and alive from morning news reports. I told my mom, Travis is safe. Hes fine. Hes doing well. She just busted out crying. She was like, thats my baby, thats my baby and thankful and all that stuff. That really wore on my heart to have relief for my mom because it had been a burden on my mom ever since she lost contact with him and, well, all of us really, Rogers said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rogers added that the stories she had seen on national television were her first look at her brother in months. Once I saw his face, Im like, Holy moly. Im like, is that really my brother? Rogers said. And it was. I know how he talks. I know how he does stuff with his hands and but once I saw his beard and just his facial impressions and everything, its just I was like, oh my gosh, like, this is him. Another part of this for Rogers is the fact that she gave birth to her daughter while Timmerman was missing, meaning when Timmerman returns to the Ozarks, itll be his first chance to meet his niece. Thats a big deal. I mean, I probably will cry and just tear up. I cant wait for that day, Rogers said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longtime family friend Allyson Ott says what Timmerman endured could only be described as a nightmare. It turned into an absolute nightmare like no one should ever have to go through. No one should ever have to deal with this, Ott said. A couple comments had said that he wasnt mistreated in the seven months he was detained. Its just he was only allowed to use the bathroom three times a day. He couldnt use it as he wanted. He was fed and he was never tortured, but he said he heard some of the others, unfortunately, that were too tortured and mistreated. Ott says relief is the best word to describe today. That is a huge, huge relief. Its like a brick has been lifted off my chest, my shoulders. Its been such a long six, seven months trying to figure out, you know, just if he was okay, Ott said. Thats all we wanted to know is if he was at least just okay. We didnt even know if he was okay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rogers says its unclear what day Timmerman is expected home, but says she can hardly wait. Ill probably just hug him for a very long time and tell him that he that Im glad hes safe and that God protected him and, and that he was able to come home safely, Rogers said. This is a whole huge Christmas present that we all get to enjoy. I told my mom this morning I was like, Its a Christmas miracle. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. If you're inclined to make a lengthy drive, this might be the perfect time of year to head out to Christmas, Michigan, for a roadside selfie with a giant-sized Santa Claus. The crossroads of Christmas, located about 4.5 miles west of Munising on the north shore of the Upper Peninsula sits right on M-28 as you drive toward Marquette. The one-time site of a holiday gift-making business is sort of a cross between "you can't miss it" and "don't blink." An oversized cutout of Santa Claus, standing beside a "north pole" is seen outside a one-time Christmas-themed business in the crossroads of Christmas, Michigan, in this undated photo. Christmas isn't the only town or former town with a Christmas-themed tie-in. Here's a look at where in Michigan you might find the holiday spirit, or spirits in the case of a few ghost towns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Send Santa your wishlist: Here's how to reach him in Michigan Christmas offers pure Michigan roadside photo opp A one-time business called Santa's Workshop stands just behind a large cutout of Santa Claus along M-28 between Munising and Au Train, prompting passersby to stop and take a photo. Christmas was founded in 1938 when a local man established a factory in which the workers made Christmas gifts and decorations. A map showing the location of Christmas, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula, seen Dec. 13, 2024. In addition to the "must" photo opp, the Christmas area offers a Kewadin casino just up the road, as well as camping, hotels, beachcombing, swimming and restaurants. How to stay safe: Christmas trees, cooking, candles blamed for Michigan holiday fires. Villages and cities with holiday names The village of Spruce, Michigan, sits west of U.S. 23 and northeast of Hubbard Lake. The Caledonia Township Hall is on Gillard Road, south of Spruce Road, and there is a U.S. Post Office. North Star Township is in Gratiot County, southeast of Ithaca with U.S. 127 running through the area. The village of North Star, within the township, has a U.S. Post Office. Shepherd, Michigan, sits just west of U.S. 127 and south of Mt. Pleasant. Holly, Michigan, is an Oakland County city between Interstate 75 and U.S. 23. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Your guide: What stores are open, closed on Christmas in Michigan? Ghost towns and crossroads Google refers to Antlers, Michigan, near Bear Lake along Big Bay Road north of Marquette. No other information was immediately available. Bell, Michigan, once stood near Alpena, on Michigan's "sunrise side." The fading remnants of buildings still lay among the trees in the Besser Bell Natural Area, the Alpena News reported recently. The website accuracyproject.org lists a one-time town called Snow in Berrien County. A location or other information couldn't immediately be found. Star, Michigan, is a site east of Shingleton on M-28 in the UP, just west of Star Siding Road. There are a few houses in the general vicinity. Saint Nicholas, Michigan, is a one-time community in the vicinity of St. Nicholas/31st Road and Summer Meadow Road in the UP, west of M-35 and northwest of Gladstone. Google maps shows a few homes in the area and the small St. Nicholas Cemetery. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Christmas, Holly, Spruce: Michigan holiday-themed towns to see One of the most famous episodes in the Watergate saga 50 years ago was when CBS News reporter Daniel Schorr got a hold of Richard Nixon's "enemies list" and read it cold on the air, only to find himself listed at number 17. The Nixon White House actually committed dozens of abuses that came to light during the investigations spawned by the Watergate break-in and one of them was the use of the FBI to investigate Nixon's enemies list. After discovering the full extent of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's overwhelming misuse of the bureau for decades, including blackmail, harassment and persecution, Congress erected some strong guardrails designed to prevent such things from happening again. The Senate Judiciary Committee report explained: The purpose of the bill is to achieve two complimentary objectives. The first is to insulate the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from undue pressure being exerted upon him from superiors in the Executive Branch. The second is to protect against an FBI Director becoming too independent and unresponsive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They added, "it is the great value of the FBI as a criminal investigative agency as well as its great potential for infringing individual rights and serving partisan or personal ambition that makes the office of FBI Director unique. Indeed it is, as the decades of abuse by Hoover so amply demonstrated. The main constraint they devised was one ten-year term and a requirement that a president has good cause to fire a director before that term is up. All presidents since the law was enacted have had to deal with an FBI director that was chosen by his predecessor and every single one of them, no matter who appointed him, has been a Republican. The idea that any FBI director or the institution itself is some bastion of woke liberalism is absurd. There have only been two firings over that half-century. The first was when Bill Clinton, following an investigation by the George H.W Bush administration, did so due to the director's ethical lapses. The second was when Donald Trump fired James Comey using the eye-rolling excuse that his public pronouncements regarding the Clinton email investigation were the reason. (As if that wasn't Trump's favorite thing about him.) But it was, as we subsequently found out, done because Comey refused to pledge his personal fealty to Trump and gave the go-ahead for the Russia investigation. It has long been assumed that Trump would probably fire Comey's successor Christopher Wray as well if he won the presidency even though he was the one who appointed him in the first place. He was angry with Wray almost from the beginning when he resisted GOP House efforts to declassify a memo that claimed the Russia investigation was politically motivated. Wray rode that out but it soured Trump on him permanently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump was also, as we know, very worked up over the George Floyd protests in 2020 and he blamed Wray for failing to uncover the "funding" of the alleged ANTIFA movement which he believed was responsible for them: ...And I look at them as a bunch of well funded ANARCHISTS & THUGS who are protected because the Comey/Mueller inspired FBI is simply unable, or unwilling, to find their funding source, and allows them to get away with murder. LAW & ORDER! https://t.co/yHLzB0RQ8e Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2020 He probably would have fired Wray if he'd won in 2020 but it was during his exile in Florida that he came to truly despise him. Trump complained bitterly about the classified documents search and blamed Wray for it, telling NBC News' Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" this week that Wray "invaded my home, he invaded Mar-a-Lago." (The fact that they found hundreds of classified documents being held in a bathroom, a crime that would have had anyone else hauled off in handcuffs, is irrelevant.) And he was livid at Wray for his testimony before Congress about the assassination attempt last summer. Wray said: Theres some question about whether or not its a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear. As I sit here right now, I dont know whether that bullet, in addition to causing the grazing, could have also landed somewhere else. Trump told Welker: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I certainly cannot be happy with him. Take a look at whats happened. And then when I was shot in the ear, he said, maybe it was shrapnel. Wheres the shrapnel coming from? Is it coming from heaven? I dont think so. The FBI did confirm that Trump had been hit by the bullet but I think Wray's comment clinched it for him. Failing to be properly reverent about Trump's wound is akin to treason in MAGA world. We knew it was actually happening when Trump posted on Truth Social a couple of weeks ago that he planned to name Kash Patel as the Director of the FBI. Considering all that history and Wray's reputed veneration of the FBI, it was expected that he would make Trump fire him in order at least to uphold the idea of the independence of the Bureau. He had three years to run on his term and Trump does not have any just cause to fire him as he is required to do under the law. To allow him to dismiss yet another FBI Director because he doesn't feel he is loyal enough to him personally is an affront to the rule of law and the agency Wray reveres. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So naturally, Wray politely announced that he plans to resign this week in order to make it easier for Trump to break both the spirit and the letter of the law again. Trump was his usual gracious self, declaring on Truth Social that his resignation is a great day for America: "The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I just don't know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans." There is no doubt that Wray understands the threat that Trump and his henchmen pose to the country and the world. He's seen him up close and probably knows a lot more than the rest of us do. He should have put up a fight even knowing that he would lose. There is great value in people like him standing up for the law and making Trump break it openly rather than facilitating it for him. As James Fallows wrote in his Breaking the News newsletter this week: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of Donald Trumps main tools, as the GOP has collapsed into subservience, is the perception of un-stoppability. Hes going to get his way in the end. So why waste your time standing up to him? Thus Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley, Little Marco, and countless others have etched their role in history. By making it slower and harder for Trump to get his way with the FBI, Director Wray might have protected the institution itself, and its dignity, and its commitment to continued leadership through changes of administration, for that much longer. Crucially, he might have slowed down Donald Trump on other fronts, by inflicting on him another loss. Right now Trump is busily flooding the zone, threatening people, making it seem as if he is a juggernaut who can't be stopped and any opposition is impotent. That's just not true. Yes, he has the trifecta and he's threatening any of his own party who might stand in his way. But there is no reason for people to make it easy for him. Anyone in a position to do so should delay everything they can, fight on any front, and make him work for every single abuse he's planning to inflict. Christopher Wray let the country down with this namby-pamby exit. He was in a position to expose Trump's disregard for the institution he purports to love and demonstrate his disrespect for the law and the Constitution. And he didn't do it. Let's hope we see more passive resistance coming from the rest of the federal employees. Yes, I know it won't stop him. But it will slow him down and it won't be long until he's officially a lame duck and all those Republicans will have to face the voters again. Then there will be a chance to deprive him of congressional power and reset our system of checks and balances. By Daniel Trotta LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - While more and more cities urge police to crack down on homeless people sleeping in parks and streets, Los Angeles has resisted the rush to lead with law enforcement since the U.S. Supreme Court in June ruled it constitutional. In the state with the most homeless people - some 186,000 across California, including 45,000 in Los Angeles - Mayor Karen Bass said the sheer volume demands a different approach to the most visible aspect of homelessness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You're talking over 40,000 people. Where are you going to put them if you don't house them?" Bass told Reuters this week after inaugurating an apartment building where 58 people, taken off the streets through her signature Inside Safe program, now have permanent affordable housing. The program has moved thousands into hotel rooms or shelters, while providing social services and keeping those former sidewalk encampments clear, even as some critics complain that police can be heavy-handed. The city budgeted nearly $1.3 billion for homeless-related expenditures in the 2023-24 fiscal year, of which $250 million was allocated to Inside Safe, according to a report from the office of City Administrative Officer. Bass said the city is developing more cost-effective shelters, while supporting permanent housing and preventing people from losing their homes in the first place. Syed Shah, 34, said he had rotten teeth and a beard down to his chest when he was homeless in Hollywood. Inside Safe got him into a hotel, and eventually permanent housing. Now he is working as a Hollywood tour guide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I feel better, I look better. My teeth are finally clean," Shah said. "It's definitely helped me out a lot." 'DOING WHAT WORKS' After years in which a seemingly intractable problem had only grown worse, nine sidewalk encampments have disappeared over the past two years and have yet to come back in the marquee neighborhood of Hollywood, according to the city council member for the district, Hugo Soto-Martinez. More than 250 people, or 98% of those approached, accepted housing and services from Inside Safe, his office said. "This isn't just about compassion or doing what's right - it's about doing what works," Soto-Martinez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reuters visited four of those former encampments this week. Three, including one adjacent to an elementary school, remained clear of tents. A few tents were pitched at the fourth site. As Mayor Bass marks her second anniversary in office this week, she highlighted her efforts that have moved 23,000 people inside over the first 11 months of this year and 22,400 last year. It was 17,600 in 2022, before she took office. Los Angeles has said it would not change its approach even though California Governor Gavin Newsom urged local officials to clamp down on encampments following a June 28 Supreme Court ruling that cities could enforce camping bans. Since then, at least 117 cities and counties in 27 states - including 39 localities in California - have passed some version of an anti-camping law, according to the National Homelessness Law Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Inside Safe, while flawed, shows that politicians can find solutions to homelessness that do not start with bulldozers or jail," said Jesse Rabinowitz, the law center's communications director. Human Rights Watch said in an August report that Los Angeles police disproportionately targeted the homeless, who were subject to 38% of all arrests and 99% of infractions from 2016 through 2022. Bass said the report covered the years before her time and that police had reduced ticketing. Others say officials should focus on long-term solutions such as affordable housing. Just 26% of the number of people sheltered in Bass's first year moved into permanent housing, according to her office. That grew to 32% this year. TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pete White's Los Angeles Community Action Network provides services to the poor from Skid Row, the downtown district where thousands of people camp on squalid sidewalks, the acrid smell of plastic-fueled cooking fires mixing with the ammonia-like sting of urine. White praised Bass for taking bold, immediate action, but said, "the problem with temporary solutions, without a permanent plan, is once the money's gone people are back on the streets." Bass describes her approach as holistic. "One of the things that we've tried to demonstrate with Inside Safe is that you can get people off the streets immediately, which obviously helps the individuals, but it also helps the businesses, the schools, the neighborhoods, because it compromises everybody's quality of life," Bass said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Hollywood, the owners of iconic businesses - including Sunset Sound, the studio where rock legends like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin recorded seminal work, and Amoeba Music, a record store on Hollywood Boulevard - have praised Bass's initiative. Another person brought in off the streets was Shameka Foster, 51, who lost her $1,400 a month studio apartment in 2023 after a slowdown in her job as a security guard. She was living on Skid Row for three months until outreach workers placed her in one hotel and then another. While grateful to have a roof, Foster said the experience left her stressed. She said she was hospitalized for two weeks after eating spoiled food served at one hotel. Foster, who is African American, said one nurse temporarily denied her blood pressure medicine for no apparent reason. Then she was startled by staff on a wellness check who barged into her room, she said. The mayor's office quickly referred the matter for investigation upon learning of it, a spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was very, very traumatizing. I cried all night," Foster said. "I was ready to go back outside on the sidewalk." But she stayed with the program and two weeks ago moved into permanent supportive housing. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Donna Bryson and Aurora Ellis) SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's parliament on Friday reported the second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his martial law declaration after the first one was scrapped last Saturday, TV footage showed. The motion to impeach Yoon was reported in the 300-member National Assembly's plenary session after the first one failed to be passed last week as most of the 108 ruling party lawmakers boycotted it. Under the constitution, the impeachment bill must be initiated by a majority of lawmakers and approved by at least two-thirds of the National Assembly legislators. The opposition bloc will need eight votes from the ruling party lawmakers to pass the motion. If it is passed, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's constitutional powers will be suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be an acting president. If the impeachment of Yoon is upheld by the court, a snap presidential election would be held within 60 days. Yoon was named as a suspect on an insurrection charge over his declaration of an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, which was repealed by the National Assembly hours later. Being a firefighter is an important profession, but its not always easy. Now, 16 Members are accepting the challenge and have joined the City of Erie Fire Department. These members have taken classes, studied and tested for a chance to be a member of the department. Many dont look at this as just a job, but an opportunity. History made Kayla Hawley named first female fire chief of Union City Volunteer FD Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joining the fire department would not be a bad choice. Pursue your dreams and this is what Ive been wanting to do since I was a kid, said Charles Bowers, Engine 8, 1st platoon, City of Erie Fire Department. Erie native Charles Bowers has always desired to carry on his familys tradition of public service. He, along with 15 others, has achieved a major milestone and has been welcomed by the City of Erie Fire Department family. Officials and family members honored the new hires during a swearing-in ceremony at city hall Thursday morning. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News They have taken on a great career. Give them a little bit of recognition and their families because their families are a huge part of their career, said Chief Leonard Trott, City of Erie Fire Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each firefighter was introduced one by one. Many of them already have years of experience in the military, including Bowers who served five years in the air force as a firefighter at stations in both Germany and England. Team is everything. We have each others backs and once one goes out, it can be bad for us, Bowers told us. It feels good to serve my community and the people in the area. US Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign begins its local distribution They then all took an official oath led by Mayor Joe Schember. The 16 of them are filling in to replace the recent retirees. While many have already been serving on the force for several months, Chief Trott gave advice as the new hires continue their careers protecting the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talk to people. talk to your family, talk to your friends on the department. A lot of times the guys want to talk to somebody that understands what they are talking about, Trott said. You can see some stuff on this job thats going to affect you. Even though you think it shouldnt or that it wont, it could. This is honestly a dream come true to me, Ive been wanting to do this since I was younger, Bowers said. Just about half of them are Erie natives and are honored to serve in their hometown. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The City of Sioux City has announced that it has hired the citys Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator. Mayor Pro Tempore Dan Moore announced during a city council meeting on Monday that Nancy Li has been selected for the role. She works in the citys Human Resources office. Cone Park announces December 20 opening date It was good to meet Nancy, Moore said. Some of us, the mayor and I and a couple of others met her before the council meeting started, and Im just really pleased that that position has been filled and I expect a lot of good things to come from that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Lis LinkedIn page, she previously worked as a claims adjuster for Great West Casualty Company in South Sioux City for the past 10 years. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. Civilian Defense Department employees can now shop at 16 commissaries in seven states under a pilot program designed to expand benefits and increase revenue for the system. Defense Commissary Agency officials announced the expansion earlier this month, saying that allowing civilians, including appropriated and non-appropriated fund personnel such as those who work in exchanges or other Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities, is expected to increase DeCA's overall sales volume, "generating additional savings for all patrons" through lower wholesale pricing and incentives by suppliers. "We welcome the opportunity to participate in DoD's pilot to expand commissary shopping privileges to DoD civilian employees at 16 of our stores," DeCA director and chief executive officer John Hall said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read Next: New Housing Allowance Rates for Troops Have Been Set for the Coming Year The pilot will test the feasibility of expanding the benefit to DoD civilians at all domestic U.S. commissaries. It began Dec. 5 and should run for 120 days. According to Keith Desbois, public affairs specialist for DeCA West and Pacific areas, the pilot locations were chosen to include various store sizes and varying civilian employee populations. DeCA also considered geography, including vast areas with high concentrations of civilians to test area commissaries' "ability to support large increases" in populations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 16 stores chosen were: DeCA, headquartered at Fort Gregg-Adams, runs 235 commissaries worldwide. In 2024, it generated sales of $4.755 billion across 72.1 million transactions. Among the goals of the system is to provide significant savings to customers; in 2024, patrons saved roughly 25% off their grocery bills compared with civilian stores in their areas, according to the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pilot does not allow family members of civilian employees or former or retired Defense Department employees to shop at the stores. Commissary baggers, who work in the stores only for tips, also are not included in the pilot. Under the test, civilian employees also will be restricted from buying tobacco or alcohol products and will not be able to use DeCA's online ordering and curbside pickup system known as Click2Go. Patrons at commissaries do not pay sales tax; however, the stores are required to charge a 5% surcharge that covers the cost of construction, maintenance and equipment. Related: New Commissary Chief Eyes Store Improvements, Expansion of Delivery Services LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The Clark County School District approved an amended final 2025 budget of nearly $4 billion on Thursday night. This comes a few months after district leaders came under fire and Governor Joe Lombardo asked for the district to be audited because of a shortfall in the budget. In October, the school district reported it had a $20 million shortfall but a week later revised that number to $10.9 million. The budget shortfall raised questions, especially after the school district received a record amount of money from state lawmakers last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CCSD said the shortfall was due to the district failing to account for lawsuit payouts, cyber security expenses, and unaccounted-for pay increases. The largest chunk of the budget, 81%, will go to pay for salaries and benefits. The unassigned ending fund balance is $146 million, which is about 4% of the total budget. Both Governor Joe Lomabardo and state lawmakers are still demanding answers after the budget shortfall. A few weeks ago, the state notified the district that it was non-compliant in submitting its budget in an accurate, complete, and timely matter and that the governor would appoint a Compliance Monitor to the district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The budget can be reviewed at this link. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. CLARKSBURG, Md. (DC News Now) Safety concerns rise after a Montgomery County High School student was sent to the hospital after an off-campus fight between students from two different schools. On Wednesday, the Principals at Damascus High School and Clarksburg High School sent letters to parents and families notifying them of an altercation that happened during lunchtime near Clarksburg High School. A student was injured, and after being evaluated by a nurse, they were sent to the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats really frightening, said Parimanshu Uniyal, a parent of a Clarksburg High School student. Of course something has to be done to fix this issue. Real estate trends highlight potential wealth growth in the DMV The letter also said the incident was videotaped and theyre encouraging parents to talk to their children about spreading the video due to the harm and trauma it could cause. They said in a statement in part: We are deeply saddened that this conflict escalated to physical violence Both schools will continue using restorative practices to address and prevent conflicts. Lily Clingan a freshmen at Clarksburg High said the situation is concerning, and she hopes the school can make some changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I honestly think there should be more security watching around the school to make sure that kids arent leaving campus during lunch, she said. The fact that such a violent thing can happen to students here is upsetting, but Im hoping that it can show a message moving forward that we should stop violence in schools. This incident remains under investigation with Montgomery County Police according to the letter. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The 12th Annual Clays for a Cause, hosted by MasterCraft Builder Group, continues to redefine what a charity sporting clay event can accomplish. Held on December 5th at Saltwaters Shooting Club in St. Augustine, the event raised an astounding $360,000 for 15 Northeast Florida nonprofits, pushing the total funds raised over its 12-year history to more than $1.85 million. The event brought together local construction professionals, community members, and supporters for a day of camaraderie, clay shooting, and philanthropy. Action News Jaxs Marithza Ross, a board member of Villages of Hope, attended the event alongside co-founder Donna Fenchel. Fenchel expressed, We are profoundly grateful for the overwhelming support. This generosity truly creates a lasting impact on the women we serve and helps us continue making a difference in our community. A $50,000 donation was gifted to the St. Augustine Youth Services (SAYS) to help build an Independent Living Village for youth aging out of foster care, a dream project that is finally becoming a reality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This years beneficiaries include: $50,000 Donation: St. Augustine Youth Services Seamark Ranch Alpha-Omega Miracle Home $40,000 Donation: Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida $25,000 Donation: Builders Care $20,000 Donation: Rethreaded HorsePlay Therapy Center Villages of Hope $10,000 Donation: Investing in Kids (INK!) Jimmy Jam Community Outreach Port In The Storm Top Shots Kids Safe Zone Childrens Home Society Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at combating water pollution and enhancing freshwater quality, South Korean startup Ecopeace is leading the charge with its array of cutting-edge, autonomous robots designed specifically for lake cleaning. This innovative company utilizes a fusion of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data to provide smart water quality management solutions for lakes, reservoirs, and water supply sources domestically and internationally. During the CES 2025 Global Media Meetup hosted by AVING News at the MIK Basecamp in Seoul on December 13, CEO Chae in Won revealed Ecopeaces commitment to transforming the state of freshwater bodies worldwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company's AI-driven solar boat is at the forefront of its offerings, aptly named the Healing Boat. AI-driven solar boat The design of the Healing Boat takes inspiration from natural pebbles, creating a harmonious aesthetic that ensures visual comfort. The self-driving vessel, powered by solar energy, achieves an impressive 24-hour filtration period and features the capacity to seat up to eight people, effectively serving as both a water purifier and a unique dining experience on the water. It can filter an astounding 2.5 million liters of water daily, representing a significant leap forward in eco-friendly water management technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the most engaging aspects of the Healing Boat is its multifunctionality. During the day, it operates as a guided tour boat, providing a 30-minute exploration of local freshwater facilities while disseminating valuable information about nearby tourist resources through digital displays and engaging animations. At night, the boat transforms into a vibrant food truck street, showcasing dishes from renowned chefs, and even accommodates special events like water fireworks displays. The Healing Boat has garnered significant recognition, being selected for the prestigious CES Innovation Award for the upcoming CES exhibition in Las Vegas, scheduled for January 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This accolade underscores the boat's unique concept and potential impact on freshwater sustainability. Beyond the Healing Boat, Ecopeace has developed a range of smaller robots that filter between 100,000 to 500,000 liters of water daily. The companys innovative lake station can clean between 5 to 12 million liters of water a day, depending on the installed capacity, further highlighting its commitment to improving water quality at scale. Cleaning lakes The urgency of Ecopeaces mission has been underscored by the rising water temperatures and contamination levels linked to climate change and increased carbon emissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Confronted with these challenges, the company developed innovative technologies that leverage AI-powered water purification robots. Ecopeaces solutions are grounded in extensive needs analysis and the creative input of its young, dynamic team, ensuring relevance and effectiveness. The robots employed by Ecopeace are revolutionizing the management of freshwater resources. Unlike manual methods, these robots can swiftly assess water quality and contamination levels, facilitating monitoring and management with unprecedented ease. The compact Ecobot, measuring five meters in length and width, operates seamlessly in diverse environmental conditions. Powered by solar panels, Ecobot is free from battery constraints, ensuring its sustainable functionality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ecobot employs advanced AI algorithms to analyze real-time data on eight water quality parameters collected from contaminated areas. The insights from this analysis enable the robots to detect and address contamination swiftly, employing automated emergency purification mechanisms that slow down potential water quality degradation. Ecopeace is poised to make waves in the freshwater management sector, enhancing the quality of lakes and reservoirs and inspiring global efforts towards sustainable and efficient water resource management. As they prepare for their exhibition at CES, anticipation builds around how these innovations will shape the future of water purification technology. Using advanced robotics and eco-friendly practices, Ecopeace is charting a new course toward cleaner, healthier water for all. The company is set to showcase its products at CES 2025. 36,706 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? 36,706 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-0 Friday to deny mercy to child killer Kevin Ray Underwood, who is set to die Dec. 19. Pictured from left to right are Robert Reavis II, Acting Chairman Richard A. Miller and newly appointed member Susan H. Stava. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Friday declined to recommend mercy for a child killer facing a Dec. 19 execution. The board voted 3-0 against recommending clemency for Kevin Ray Underwood for the 2006 murder of Jamie Rose Bolin, 10, in Purcell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One member was absent. Another post is vacant due to a resignation. Although I do not want to die, I recognize that I deserve to die for what I did, Underwood said via video conference. If my death could change what I did, I would gladly die. Underwood confessed to suffocating Bolin, his neighbor. Her partially decapitated body was found in a plastic tub in his apartment. He had planned to rape her and cannibalize the body, according to public documents. Underwood apologized to Bolins family, his family and those in the hearing room who had to listen to the details of the crime. Underwood said he has blocked out most of his memory of that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when I do think about it, it causes me great pain, Underwood said. I cannot believe that I did those things. Underwoods attorney, Brendan Van Winkle, said his client suffered from several serious mental health issues and was abused and bullied as a child. Another Underwood attorney, Emma Rolls, read a statement from his mental health expert Kim Spence. Spence said Underwood was obsessed with pornography and sexual gratification. He never got treatment for his disorders, Spence said. With the proper care, Kevin could have made it, Van Winkle said. Senior Assistant Attorney General Aspen Layman said the crime was one of the most notorious and depraved in state history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bolin was chosen because she was small, defenseless and easy prey, Layman said. Bolin was a child who loved spaghetti, her Girl Scout troop and the color green, Layman said. Portions of Underwoods detailed confession were played for the panel in which he described the details of the murder and Bolins last moments alive. Underwood is a skilled manipulator who showed no mercy to Bolin as she apologized and begged to be freed, Layman said. Assistant Attorney General Sheri Johnson said Underwood was far from being severely mentally ill. He came from a two-parent home where his needs were met and there was no abuse, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Had he not been caught, he would have done it again, Layman said. Had the board recommended clemency, Gov. Kevin Stitt would have made the final decision. I am pleased the board voted to deny clemency for this deeply evil monster and ensured that justice will be delivered for Jamie Rose Bolin, said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Jamies family has waited 18 excruciating years for justice that will finally be carried out when this murderer is executed. Underwoods hearing had been twice delayed. His attorneys waged an unsuccessful legal battle seeking to have all five members of the board hear his clemency request. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Editors Note: Police say the missing alert has been canceled. CLEVELAND (WJW) The Cleveland Division of Police is searching for a man who was reported missing on Thursday. Around 3 p.m., 72-year-old Henry Hillen was out shopping with his wife in the 6500 block of Detroit Avenue when he disappeared, investigators said. Courtesy of Cleveland Division of Police I-Team: What the governor is saying about Browns dome According to Cleveland police, Hillen, 56 and 132 pounds, is wheelchair bound and suffers from memory loss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hillen has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a red jacket, orange knit hat, black jogging pants and green shirt. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911 or reach out to the Cleveland Division of Police at (216) 623-5262. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. CHIVI, ZIMBABWE, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's food security situation is worrisome, amid the late onset of the 2024/2025 rainfall season, United Nations World Food Program (WFP) Country Director Barbara Clemens has said. Speaking to journalists at a food aid distribution event Thursday in Chivi District, Masvingo Province, Clemens called for stronger resource mobilization to meet current needs and mitigate the impact of future climate shocks. "We are heading into our lean season, and we are receiving less rainfall than we had anticipated, so the problem could exacerbate crop yields in the coming harvest season," she said. The WFP is looking at raising resources to increase its African Risk Capacity insurance premiums for drought mitigation in Zimbabwe, Clemens said. "We are viewing these climatic insurance policies as a huge tool in our anticipatory action toolbox to be able to leverage so that we can start early," she said. Clemens said WFP Zimbabwe has received only 50 million U.S. dollars, out of the 201 million dollars they require, to respond to Zimbabwe's El Nino-induced drought. "We are extremely worried," she said. The WFP aims to provide emergency food aid to about 1 million people across Zimbabwe during the lean season, from December to March next year. Zimbabwe is still grappling with the effects of the El Nino-induced drought in the 2023/2024 farming season. According to the government, at least 7.6 million Zimbabweans are facing food insecurity and require food aid until March next year. Protesters calling on the Biden Administration to reject a series of gas fracking permits before the president leaves office staged a "sit-in" at the Minneapolis office of Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Wednesday. Ten activists with Climate Defiances new Twin Cities chapter staged the demonstration at the senator's office on Washington Avenue South. They demanded that Klobuchar call for the Biden Administration to cancel six pending permits for fracked gas export terminals before the Trump Administration takes office. Holding up a large sign saying Klobuchar: Stop Burning Us while chanting Off Fossil Fuels Dems!. They refused security requests to leave until Senator Klobuchar engaged with their demand. Ultimately, Minneapolis police officers escorted them out of the building, and arrested one woman on the street. Climate Defiance MPD says the 23-year-old woman was booked into the Hennepin County Jail for probable cause riot. She is in custody without bail, and charges have yet to be filed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We ask that she have the courage to speak the truth on climate science and defend Minnesotans right to a livable planet by calling for the cancellation of these permits," Climate Defiance member Maya Albright said. "As one of the most powerful Democrats in the country, Senator Klobuchar must maximize her influence while we still have power." The Biden administration paused permitting new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects in January 2024, pending an Energy Department review of its economic, climate and national security impacts, which was due this month. However, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said she would allow the Trump administration to decide on the fate of the pending contracts, a move that has enraged many climate activists. Minneapolis PD arresting Climate Defiance ActivistClimate Defiance Senator Klobuchar is a member of the Senates climate change task force and has stated, We need to confront the climate crisis with a sense of urgency. All were asking is that she backs up her words with action at this critical moment, Climate Defiance member Tom Hoy said. The sit-in at Senator Klobuchars office is the first protest by Climate Defiance's new Minnesota chapter. The chapter said in a statement that it's part of a week of action in cities nationwide, culminating in an anticipated blockade of the Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bring Me The News has reached out to Senator Klobuchars office but has not received a response. BMTN Note: Weather events in isolation can't always be pinned on climate change, but the broader trend of increasingly severe weather and record-breaking extremes seen in Minnesota and across the globe can be attributed directly to the rapidly warming climate caused by human activity. The IPCC has warned that Earth is "firmly on track toward an unlivable world," and says greenhouse gas emissions must be halved by 2030 in order to limit warming to 1.5C, which would prevent the most catastrophic effects on humankind. You can read more here. Canton schools and Canton Police have launched a joint investigation after a close call on Wednesday between a school bus and an MBTA commuter rail train. According to a letter sent to parents by the Canton Public Schools superintendent and the Canton police chief, the school bus driver was taking students home from Galvin Middle School when the driver stopped too close to the MBTA tracks on Pine Street. Subsequently, the crossing arm came down and rested on the bus, while the train narrowly passed through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No injuries were reported, but students on board saw what happened. One parent whose child was riding in the school bus told Boston 25 News off camera that the students jumped to the back as it occurred. I really didnt know what to think. Its weird. I mean, to think that a bus and a train would have an interaction is a little strange, explained Gina Martin, a parent of a child who occasionally takes the bus home on that route. Canton Public Schools says it has been in communication with First Student, which is the company that operates their school buses. The person behind the wheel of that bus was a substitute driver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First Student responded to our request for comment and issued the following statement: We understand the concern this incident has caused. We are conducting an internal review of what happened. While we do, the driver has been removed from service. Once the investigation has wrapped up, Canton Schools says it will figure out if they need to take further action. Aside from this incident, people who drive over the tracks say theyve noticed previous issues with the crossing arms. There has been a couple of times where the arms get stuck a little bit. Ive noticed people go around it, according to Rachel Barry who lives nearby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others say theyve been crossing the tracks when a train is coming, but no crossing arm is down. Boston 25 News has reached out to the MBTA about possible crossing arm issues but hasnt heard back as of Thursday night. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Americas largest health insurer, has generated a lot of discourse over the past week and renewed conversation about the state of the U.S. health care system something that was almost entirely missing from the 2024 campaign. Social media users have actively celebrated the shooting and thirsted over the suspect. In the other direction, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens argued the insurance exec was a working-class hero, while blogger Noah Smith asserted that health insurers are simply middlemen and not the main villain of the U.S. health system. The CEO of UnitedHealth Group (UHCs parent company) wrote in the Times that the health conglomerates purpose is to build a health care system that works better for everyone. Sure, man. Yet, CNN offered perhaps the strangest take in one segment this week: Americans are responsible for our health care system staying the way its designed today i.e. based around private health insurance because they like their insurance plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, CNN anchor John Berman and Harry Enten, a senior political data reporter, reviewed poll results from Gallup which showed that Americans broadly have negative views about health care coverage in the U.S., believe health care costs are too high, and say the health care system has major problems. Americans, for the most part, have more favorable views of their own health care coverage which Berman and Enten repeatedly emphasized though those numbers were not resounding. We cant just say Americans hate health care. No, they like their health care, said Berman. They just have this notion they dont like the health care system. I suppose you can hold those two views at once, but it is complicated. The argument that Americans like their own health insurance plans is a favorite industry talking point. Indeed, as the internet was heralding the UnitedHealthcare CEOs murder, the health care industrys primary anti-reform front group was posting on X: A majority of voters nationwide are satisfied with their current health plans. (The corollary to this industry talking point is: And thats why nothing should ever change.) The thing is, people are typically OK with their health insurance plans until they really need to use it and see their claims denied, get told they cant receive a necessary treatment, or find themselves paying major out-of-pocket costs. Considering the rest of Bermans comment, the idea that Americans could like their health care and hate the system is still not necessarily a complicated view, because the U.S. health care system is uniquely expensive and wasteful. America spends far more on health care than other wealthy countries for exceedingly poor outcomes. Being dissatisfied with the total cost of the health care system as 79 percent of Americans are, per the Gallup poll is simply correct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Enten took things a step further: You wonder why the health care system in this country stays the same, he said. Its because people dont like health care, in sort of the abstract but when it comes to their own health care, a lot of Americans actually are pretty gosh darn satisfied with it. The idea that Americans are responsible for the health care system remaining the way its designed is ludicrous. The two have nothing to do with each other. The public doesnt set policy and even when Americans believe they are voting for change or for a specific policy platform they were promised, they rarely get it, thanks to entrenched corporate power and rampant corruption. Donald Trump won in 2016 railing against health insurers that are making a fortune because they have control of the politicians. His first administration did nothing to address this in office, and instead encouraged more seniors to sign up for privatized Medicare Advantage plans. Joe Biden, meanwhile, campaigned in 2020 on a promise to enact a public health insurance option and has not even once mentioned that policy idea as president. Instead, Democrats gave more subsidies, i.e. extra money, to health insurers to help more Americans sign up for individual health insurance plans. Blaming Americans for the current system remaining in place obscures those who are actually responsible: a collection of massively lucrative businesses that profit from the current arrangement and the many politicians on both sides of the aisle who either dutifully represent their interests or are afraid to take on an industry with deep pockets or both. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our health care system works phenomenally well for health insurance companies, of course, and for other powerful industries: for instance, pharmaceutical companies that want to be able to keep drug prices far higher in the U.S. than in the rest of the world, or hospital chains that charge private plans much higher prices than Medicare would pay. Thats why lobbies for health insurers, drug companies, and chain hospitals created a front group to oppose reform ideas like Medicare for All, the public option, and efforts to lower the Medicare eligibility age. (That front group is the one trying to tell people on X that Americans actually really like their health coverage and dont want any meaningful changes.) These lobbying groups each collect tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year, from industries that collectively generate tens or hundreds of billions in annual revenue. (To be clear, there are many other lines of business that profit off our health care systems bloat and administrative waste.) All of the money sloshing around the health care system makes it incredibly difficult to change much, if anything, about it because it limits any political incentive to try. Powerful health care interests shower politicians with donations, fund front groups that support them, and can spend these politicians into the ground any time, at will, if it becomes necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Democrats negotiated the Affordable Care Act between 2009 and 2010, health insurance lobbyists quietly funneled more than $100 million to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to run a sprawling campaign slamming the legislation and its supporters. The ACA became law, but Democrats ultimately nixed the public option before promising that idea again in 2020 and immediately dropping it once they won. This years election featured little conversation about potential health care reforms. When Trump was asked during a debate to describe his plans for health care, the president-elect only said he had concepts of a plan to improve the ACA. It was an embarrassing moment yet, a Fox News Voter Analysis found the majority of respondents who said they were very concerned about their health care costs were supporting Trump. Now, Team Trump is considering making it even harder for low-income households to access Medicaid coverage and using the savings to help pay for more tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. Republicans may also allow the expanded subsidies to expire, which would make it more expensive for many Americans to buy individual coverage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Americans didnt make our health care system the way it is today and they certainly didnt vote for Republicans to make it even worse, if thats what they end up doing. An immensely powerful health care industry and corrupt political class give Americans no choices in these matters at all. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. After a protracted legal battle involving dismissals, appeals and extradition from Romania the co-founder of a California white supremacist group accused of inciting violence across the state will be freed from federal custody, a judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton sentenced Robert Paul Rundo to two years but said he would be released on time served. His federal public defender said he's spent a total of 725 days in custody. Rundo was originally arrested and charged in October 2018 for his role in the Rise Above Movement, or RAM, a group accused of brawling at political rallies throughout the state, according to a federal court filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A federal court judge twice dismissed the case, but it was revived by appeals courts, leading to Rundo's extradition from Romania last year to face charges in California. Rundo pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to riot. During the sentencing hearing Friday, Rundo, 34, stood before the judge, arms crossed behind his back. He told the judge that this did not only ruin his own life, but ruined everyones life that was close to me. He said his mother and sister had to hide photos of him and that old friends lost their careers for being associated with him. "I hope to be able to move on from that time period and that mindset," Rundo told the judge. "This process has taken nearly a decade out of my life. It's a strong reminder to think before I speak and to think before I act." Robert Paul Rundo in an undated photo provided by federal authorities. (Court Records) The judge said of Rundo: Even he seems to acknowledge that the white supremacist views that he had led him to violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court does have to consider whether his present claim that he in some respects rejects those views is genuine, and I do hope hes sincere about that, and I think he should be given the benefit of the doubt, Staton said. Staton gave Rundo two years of supervised release with conditions that include electronic monitoring and an order to stay away from RAM gatherings and known members. In a sentencing memo, Rundo's public defenders called the case "extremely unusual" and said it "has hung over Mr. Rundo like a dark cloud." Prosecutors acknowledged in a sentencing memo that years had passed since the criminal conduct in the case but maintained Rundo "has not renounced the violent extremist ideology that motivated that conduct." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This defendant sought to further his white-supremacist ideology by plotting riots and engaging in violence at political rallies, U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada said in a statement. Hate and violence are antithetical to American values and tear at our community. It is therefore critical that we protect the civil and constitutional rights of our community against those who promote divisiveness. Prosecutors and public defenders laid out Rundo's path from Queens, N.Y., to co-founder of RAM in Southern California. At 19, Rundo pleaded guilty to gang assault and was sentenced to two years in prison, according to sentencing memos. While incarcerated, prosecutors said, he tattooed the numbers "88" a neo-Nazi symbol signifying "HH" or "Heil Hitler," which he later referred to as a "symbols of white pride." Rundo's attorneys said he covered up the tattoo several years ago. After he moved to California in 2016, Rundo's attorneys wrote that he found a new community among members of the "alt right" and went on to co-found RAM. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Rundo's plea agreement, the group represented itself as a fighting group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identity movement." "While their views would be described as militant, white nationalist, racist, and alt right, it should be remembered that Mr. Rundo is not charged with a hate crime," Rundo's attorneys wrote in their memo. Rundo and other members attended rallies with the intent to provoke and engage in violent physical conflicts," according to the plea agreement. Rundo admitted to attending a Huntington Beach rally on March 25, 2016, where he and others pursued and assaulted people, including one protester he tackled and punched multiple times. Multiple fights break out between Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters in Berkeley on April 15, 2017. (Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images) Rundo also admitted to attending two other rallies, one in Berkeley on April 15, 2017, and another in San Bernardino on June 10, 2017, according to the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rundo was originally charged and arrested in October 2018, alongside two other alleged members, Boman and Tyler Laube of Redondo Beach. Judge Cormac J. Carney at least twice dismissed charges against Rundo and Boman, at one point finding that the men were being selectively prosecuted, while far-left extremist groups, such as Antifa were not. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in July rejected that finding. 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. FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A local coalition fighting the states plan to build a prison in Franklin County is calling for an Arkansas official to be fired a day after the state removed him from any work on the prison project. Arkansas Geographic Information System Deputy Director Jonathan Duran sent an email mocking Franklin County residents to Shelby Johnson, director of the Transformation and Shared Services division of the GIS. Arkansas GIS employee removed from Franklin County prison project after controversial email The email included a picture of a scene from the adult animated television show South Park calling Franklin County residents white trash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Franklin County and River Valley Coalition is calling for Duran to be fired. The state says Duran has reached out to the Franklin County judge to apologize personally. The coalition released a statement saying the punishment Duran was given was not enough. The Coalition believes that removal from the prison site selection project barely amounts to a slap on the wrist given that the project is complete. With now three emails demonstrating a clear pattern of derogatory behavior toward the citizens of Franklin County, we feel it is clear that this is the norm rather than the exception and warrants dismissal from a leadership role with GIS, if not outright termination. We also refuse any statement from Mr. Johnson. As Mr. Durans superior and the recipient of these messages, there is a clear implication of his appreciation for and approval of this level of disdain, stemming from a top down cultural problem endemic to Governors entire administration. One thing is clear, the state did not expect the resistance they are facing from rural Franklin Countyand its lack of respect for us only bolsters our resolve to relentlessly oppose this prison at every avenue available to us. Adam Watson, Legal Chariman, Franklin Co. & River Valley Coalition Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. DOUGLAS, Ga. (WSAV) A 17-year-old has been arrested for allegedly killing his father early Tuesday morning in Coffee County, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said. Miguel Gonzalez faces charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. The GBI said around 2 a.m. Tuesday, agents were requested by the Coffee County Sheriffs Office to investigate a shooting incident in the 100 block of Park Place Road in Douglas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators said the incident happened after the suspects father, Israel Rivera Cruz, and mother, Jasmine Gonzalez, had been arguing. Miguel Gonzalez allegedly approached Cruz with a gun and, after the two struggled over it, shot him multiple times, killing him. GBI makes second arrest in Johnson funeral home investigation The suspect inadvertently shot his 31-year-old mother, who was later treated at a hospital and released, the GBI said. Miguel Gonzales was taken into custody by deputies and transported to the Coffee County Jail. The GBI said an autopsy will be conducted for Cruz. He was 45. Anyone with further information on the case is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103, or the Coffee County Sheriffs Office at (912) 384-4227. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), on the GBIs website, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. After a decade-long civil war, Bashar al-Assad was firmly ensconced in Damascus a far cry from the summer of 2012 and again in 2015, when policymakers, analysts, and pundits alike believed his rule was on the brink of collapse. The intervention of the Russian Air Force in the fall of 2015 saved the al-Assad regime. Yet, its sudden collapse on Dec. 7 highlights a key lesson: airpower can achieve tactical victories but not long-term strategic ones. This offers a glimmer of hope for Ukraine. Al-Assad lost because he couldnt survive sanctions, and Russias bombing didnt break the peoples resistance two lessons with direct implications for Russias war in Ukraine. Since the Arab uprisings of 2011, Syria has been the only case of a Soviet/Russian-provided military arsenal originally designed to achieve strategic parity with Israel being turned on its own population. Yet, by 2015, the Syrian government was at its weakest, unable to break a stalemate. The state had secured the north-south axis from the capital along its coastal spine, while the Kurds consolidated control over their territory. However, Aleppo was outside government control, and ISIS was on the offensive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry visited Russia to restart negotiations. The stalemate of 2015 had set in, and this would have been the most opportune moment for the Syrian state to feel pressure to pursue a negotiated political resolution. But instead, Russias decision to intervene in fall 2015 ensured that al-Assad would not negotiate from a position of weakness. The Russian intervention was not about supporting al-Assad out of devotion to Syrias president per se, but about dictating the outcome of a negotiated endgame, including a politically expedient way for al-Assad to step down on Russias terms. The Russian air deployment was relatively small, consisting of just 28 aircraft and 20 helicopters. Yet, as Russia scholar Mark Galeotti noted, Just by starting their Syrian operation, they essentially derailed large parts of U.S. foreign policy with about 30 aircraft. The Russian force mainly included 12 Su-24s, 12 Su-25s, and 4 Su-34s, as well as six Mi-24 Hind helicopters, all designed for air-to-ground combat. Some aircraft, like the Su-34, were newer models not in the Syrian inventory, illustrating another Russian goal: using Syria as a training ground for its revamped military. Russia also tested its first stealth fighter, the Su-57, in combat over Syria in February 2018. Additionally, from fall 2015 to summer 2016, Russia tested long-range Kalibr cruise missiles over Syria, ostensibly against ISIS targets. Deploying the previously mentioned Russian aircraft stationed in Syria would have been more effective and accurate in targeting ISIS, not to mention cheaper than using costly cruise missiles. However, for Russian President Vladimir Putin, an air raid would not deliver the same political message. The range of the cruise missiles demonstrated to the U.S. and NATO Russias advances in military technology, which were more about Moscows tensions with the U.S. and NATOs presence in the Baltics than about Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strategy of the Syrian state up to 2015 and the Russian Air Force post-2015 was to saturate insurgents with firepower from a distance, even if it meant risking air assets to deploy indiscriminate bombing campaigns to terrorize civilian populations in insurgent-held areas (such as with barrel bombs). However, the state lacked enough forces to garrison troops in every insurgent area to hold those regions, hence the need for the creation of the National Defense Forces and the importation of fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. While Russia deployed technical crews to maintain its aircraft, most of its ground forces came from mercenaries employed by Evro Polis, a company often associated with the Wagner Group. Anti-regime armed groups advancing in Syria's strategically important province of Homs, the gateway to the capital Damascus, reach the inner parts of the city center in Homs, Syria, on Dec. 6, 2024. (Izettin Kasim/Anadolu via Getty Images) It was at this juncture when Damascus was mired in a hurting stalemate that the intervention of Russias Air Force and renewed Iranian commitment allowed the state to eventually recapture lost territory, including Aleppo in December 2016 and many, though not all, remaining insurgent enclaves by 2022. This was enough to determine victory for al-Assad. It also explains the Russian hubris in believing its 2022 assault on Kyiv would be swift and decisive. Russias air force intervention was a decisive factor in turning the momentum back to the Syrian state, culminating in al-Assads victory in Aleppo. By 2022, after a decade of civil war, the Syrian state thanks to its allies had essentially achieved a military victory, though its hold on certain territories remains tenuous. As of early 2022, the state controlled 75% of the countrys territory, including most urban centers along the north-south spine, while the eastern oil fields remained under the control of the U.S. and Kurdish allies. This is the first lesson: with no access to oil and sanctions imposed on Syria, al-Assad didnt realize how much the people were hurting economically and how indifferent they were to his regimes survival. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second lesson comes from the Blitz of London during World War II. Malcolm Gladwell, in The Bomber Mafia, writes, It turns out that people were a lot tougher and more resilient than anyone expected. And it also turns out that maybe if you bomb another country day in and day out it doesnt make the people youre bombing give up and lose faith. Gladwell concludes, More than a million buildings were damaged or destroyed. And it didnt work! The Blitz did not break the morale of the British people, nor did it break the morale of the Syrians, and it wont break the morale of Ukrainians. Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Submit an Opinion Read also: As military options dwindle, US support is key to Ukraines peace talks Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) Students at the Springfield Renaissance School took to the streets of downtown in celebration of their academic success. Springfield teachers honor Sandy Hook victims with remembrance ceremony on Memorial Bridge Students gathered on the steps of Springfield Symphony Hall Friday morning and then began a march to the post office on Liberty Street. The tradition comes from a time when most students used to physically mail in their college applications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since students nowadays send their college applications online, the Renaissance students now send thank you notes. And this is important to make sure that we make sure our urban students have the same opportunities and have the chance to go to college and have the opportunity to go to college once they leave Renaissance, said Derek Wright, the Principal of Springfield Renaissance School. It wasnt just college-bound seniors taking part in Fridays march, ninth graders from the Renaissance School are also part of the tradition, in order to inspire them and show them what is possible through hard work. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. The monument dedicated to "apology and the commitment to peace without war" is pictured at the former site of the Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) HARBIN, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. Nearly 2,100 items, including archives, historical materials, relics and publications collected by the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in recent years, were unveiled at the exhibition, according to Zhang Yang, deputy director of the facility. Zhang said that some of the newly displayed evidence serves as crucial supplements to existing historical materials and provides valuable resources for further research on Japanese germ warfare activities during WWII. According to Zhang, this exhibition has also put on display various medical journals published in Japan between the 1920s and the 1940s, totaling 347 volumes. Joint research by the exhibition hall and Heilongjiang International University has identified 42 medical papers authored by core members of Unit 731, including Shiro Ishii and Masaji Kitano. Jin Shicheng, a researcher with the exhibition hall, said that these wartime medical journals document numerous so-called "research achievements" published by Unit 731 members, involving bacterial and viral diseases such as anthrax and plague. "This evidence highlights interactions and personnel exchanges between Japanese wartime medical universities, army hospitals and research institutions with Unit 731, exposing the role of Japan's medical community in supporting the war of aggression against China," Jin said. The exhibition also showcases litigation documents on incidents involving chemical weapons abandoned by the Japanese army in China, along with confessions from Japanese war criminals. In addition, 616 relics collected by the facility in recent years and donated by private owners, including military sabers, uniforms, medical equipment, bacterial bombs and Japanese military medals, are on display. Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin as the nerve center for Japanese biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during WWII. At least 3,000 people were used for human experiments by Unit 731, and more than 300,000 people in China were killed by Japan's biological weapons. Since last winter, the exhibition hall has attracted over 3.5 million visitors. People view the monument dedicated to "apology and the commitment to peace without war" at the former site of the Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) A visitor takes photos at the entrance of the former site of the Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) A woman visits the site used to be a bacterial laboratory at the former site of the Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) People visit the former site of the Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) People view the monument dedicated to "apology and the commitment to peace without war" at the former site of the Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) People walk between walls bearing victims' names at the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) A visitor views a wall bearing victims' names at the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) A visitor views a wall bearing victims' names at the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) People enter the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) People visit the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) A visitor is seen at the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 13, 2024. The former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ-warfare unit during World War II (WWII), reopened to the public here on Friday, featuring a special exhibition showcasing evidence of its germ-warfare activities. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) University of Utah student Rebeca Damico said her professors at first took a hard line against AI when ChatGPT was introduced in 2022, but she and other students say schools have softened their stands as the usefulness and career potential of the technology has become clearer. Photo by Spenser Heaps | States Newsroom For 21-year-old Rebeca Damico, ChatGPTs public release in 2022 during her sophomore year of college at the University of Utah felt like navigating a minefield. The public relations student, now readying to graduate in the spring, said her professors immediately added policies to their syllabuses banning use of the chatbot, calling the generative artificial intelligence tool a form of plagiarism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For me, as someone who follows the rules, I was very scared, Damico said. I was like, oh, I cant, you know, even think about using it, because theyll know. Salt Lake City-based Damico studied journalism before switching her major to public relations, and saw ChatGPT and tools like it as a real threat to the writing industry. She also felt very aware of the temptation she and her classmates now had suddenly a term paper that might take you all night to write could be done in a few minutes with the help of AI. I know people that started using it and would use it to write their entire essays. I know people that got caught. I know people that didnt, Damico said. Especially in these last couple weeks of the semester, its so easy to be like, Oh, put it into ChatGPT, but then were like, if we do it once, its kind of like, this slippery slope. But students say theyre getting mixed messages the stern warning from professors against use of AI and the growing pressure from the job market to learn how to master it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The technological developments of generative AI over the last few years have cracked open a new industry, and a wealth of job opportunities. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced the first statewide partnership with a tech firm to bring AI curriculum, resources and opportunities to the states public colleges. And even for those students not going into an IT role, its likely they will be asked to use AI in some way in their industries. Recent research from the World Economic Forums 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report found that 75% of people in the workforce are using AI at work, and that some hiring managers are equally prioritizing AI skills with real-world job experience. Higher eds view of AI Over the last few years, the University of Utah, like most academic institutions, has had to take a position on AI. As Damico experienced, the university added AI guidelines to its student handbook that take a fairly hard stance against the tools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It urges professors to add additional AI detection tools in addition to education platform Canvas Turnitin feature, which scans assignments for plagiarism. The guidelines also now define the use of AI tools without citation, documentation or authorization as forms of cheating. Though Damico said some professors continue to hold a hard line against AI, some have started to embrace it. The case-by-case basis Damico describes from her professors is in line with how many academic institutions are handling the technology. Some universities spell out college-wide rules, while others leave it up to professors themselves to set AI standards in their classrooms. Others, like Stanford Universitys policy, acknowledge that students are likely to interact with it. Stanford bans AI from being used to substantially complete an assignment or exam, and says students must disclose its use, but says absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative AI shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Virginia Byrne is an associate professor of higher education and student affairs at Morgan State University in Baltimore, and she studies technology in the lives of learners and educators, with a focus on how it impacts college students. She said the university allows professors to figure out what works best for them when it comes to AI. She herself often assigns projects that prompt students to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of popular AI tools. Shes also a researcher with the TRAILS Institute, an multi-institution organization aiming to understand what trust in AI looks like, and how to create ethical, sustainable AI solutions. Along with Morgan State, researchers from University of Maryland, George Washington University and Cornell University conduct a variety of research, such as how ChatGPT can be used in health decision making, how to create watermark technology for AI or how other countries are shaping AI policy. Its cool to be in a space with people doing research thats related, but so different, Byrne said. Because it expands your thinking, and it allows us to bring graduate students and undergraduate students into this community where everyone is focused on trustworthiness and AI, but from so many different lenses. Byrne hopes that her students can see the potential that AI has to make their lives and work more easy, but she worries that it creates an artificial expectation for how young people need to perform online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It might lead some folks, younger folks, who are just starting their careers, to feel like they need to use (social media tool) Canva to look totally perfect on LinkedIn, and use all these tools to optimize their time and their calendars, Byrne said. And I just worry that its creating a false expectation of speed and efficiency that the tools currently cant accomplish. Theresa Fesinstine is the founder of peoplepower.ai, which trains HR professionals on ways AI can be used efficiently within their organization. This semester, she instructed her first college course at the City University of New York on AI and business, and taught students of all years and backgrounds. Fesinstine said she was surprised how many of her students knew little to nothing about AI, but heard that many other instructors warned theyd fail students who were found to have used it in assignments. She thinks this mixed messaging often comes from not understanding the technology, and its abilities to help with an outline, or to find research resources. Its a little scary, and I think thats where, right now, most of the trepidation is centered around, she said. Its that most people, in my opinion, havent been trained or understand how to use AI most effectively, meaning they use it in the same way that you would use Google. Real-world applications Shriya Boppana, a 25-year-old MBA student at Duke University, not only uses AI in her day-to-day life for schoolwork, but shes also pursuing a career in generative AI development and acquisitions. She wasnt initially interested in AI, she said, but she worked on a project with Google and realized how the technology was set to influence everyday life, and how malleable it still is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once you kind of realize how much that the tech actually isnt as fleshed out as you think it is, I was a little more interested in trying to understand what the path is to get it where it needs to go, Boppana said. She said she uses some form of AI tool every day, from planning her own schedule, to having a chatbot help decide how students in a group project should divide and complete work, based on their availability. Because she works with it regularly, she understands the strengths and limitations of AI, saying it helps her get mundane tasks done, process data or outline an assignment. But she said the personalized tone she aims to have in her writing just isnt there yet with the publicly available AI tools, so she doesnt completely rely on it for papers or correspondence. Parris Haynes, a 22-year-old junior studying philosophy at Morgan State, said the structure and high demand of some students coursework almost encourages or incentivizes them to use AI to help get it all done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He sees himself either going into law, or academia and said hes a little nervous about how AI is changing those industries. Though he leans on AI to help organize thoughts or assignments for classes like chemistry, Haynes said he wouldnt go near it when it comes to his work or career-related objectives for his philosophy classes. I dont really see much of a space for AI to relieve me of the burden of any academic assignments or potential career tasks in regards to philosophy, Haynes said. Even if it could write a convincing human-seeming paper, a philosophical paper, its robbing me of the joy of doing it. Gen Zs outlook on their future with AI Like Haynes, Fesinstine knows that some of her students are interested, but a little scared about the power AI may have over their futures. Although theres a lot of research about how older generations jobs are impacted by AI, those just about to break into the workforce may be the most affected, because theyve grown up with these technologies. I would say the attitude is I use this term a lot, cautiously curious, Fesinstine said. You know, theres definitely a vibe around ethics and protection that I dont know that I would see in other generations, perhaps But theres also an acknowledgement that this is something that a lot of companies are going to need and are going to want to use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, two years since ChatGPTs release, Damico has started to realize the ways generative AI is useful in the workplace. She began working with PR firm Kronus Communications earlier this year, and was encouraged to explore some time-saving or brainstorming functions of generative AI. Shes become a fan of having ChatGPT explain new business concepts to her, or to get it to suggest Instagram captions. She also likes to use it for more refined answers than Google might provide, such as if shes searching for publications to pitch a client to. Though shes still cautious, and wont use generative AI to write actual assignments for her, Damico said she realizes she needs the knowledge and experience after graduation it gives you kind of this edge. Boppana, who sees her career growing in the AI space, feels incredibly optimistic about the role AI will play in her future. She knows shes more knowledgeable and prepared to go into an AI-centered workforce than most, but she feels like the opportunities for growth in healthcare, telecommunications, computing and more are worth wading into uncertain waters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its like a beautiful opportunity for people to learn how machines just interact with the human world, and how we can, I dont know, make, like, prosthetic limbs, like test artificial hearts find hearing aids, Boppana said. Theres so much beauty in the way that AI helps human beings. I think you just have to find your space within it. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A handful of Columbus City Council members will be up for reelection in 2025, a year where the panel will have to make difficult decisions as COVID-19 relief funds come to an end. City Council President Shannon Hardin said council members priorities for 2025 include housing, jobs and public safety. In Columbus, we cant build fast enough to keep up with our growth, Hardin said. Thats why we just updated the zoning code and worked so hard to get LinkUs across the finish line. In 2025, were looking forward to working with Mayor [Andrew] Ginthers administration to begin the next phase of zoning reform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medical, recreational cannabis dispensary plans relocation of Delaware store While Hardin said council members intend to tackle these issues, the 2025 operating budget will be the tightest it has been since before the pandemic. This is the first budget without federal COVID relief dollars, Hardin said. Therefore, council will have to make more difficult decisions with fewer resources. Four council seats will be on the ballot next year, with a primary election scheduled for May 6 and a general election for Nov. 4. If no more than two candidates are placed on the ballot for any district, then a primary election will not be held. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All nine current council members were elected in November 2023, with some serving two-year terms and others serving four-year terms. Term lengths were randomly decided at the beginning of the year, after the council underwent a restructuring. All the council members who will be up for reelection in 2025 are reaching the end of their two-year terms. City Council approves plan to build 487-mile Columbus bikeway The purpose of the varying term lengths was so the council will eventually have staggered four-year terms that overlap by two years. Beginning in 2026, all council members will begin to serve four-year terms. Among those who will be on the ballot in 2025 is Christopher Wyche, chair of the public utilities and sustainability committee, who was first elected in 2023. To represent the citys different neighborhoods, each council member represents a district. Wyche represents District 1. Council members must live in the district they represent, but the entire city votes on each candidate. (Photo courtesy/City of Columbus) Wyche will be accompanied by Rob Dorans (District 3) chair of the zoning committee, as well as the workforce, education and labor committee who was first elected in 2019. Also appearing on the ballot will be Emmanual Remy (District 4), chair of the public safety and criminal justice committee, who was appointed to his seat in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shayla Favor (District 7), chair of the housing, homelessness and building committee, was appointed to a vacant council seat in 2019 and elected in 2023. Favor is resigning from her seat after being elected Franklin County prosecutor in November. The resignation will take effect on Dec. 31. Owl freed from Upper Arlington homes chimney Because Favor is resigning from her spot on the council, her seat is being filled by application and appointment instead of an election, per the city charter. A total of 31 candidates applied for the position, with finalists announced Friday. Those finalists are: Otto Beatty III Kate Curry-Da-Souza Shaneece Green Tim Fulton Robert Leis Dorothy Malone Lisa Masci Bailey Phillips Densil R. Porteous Jesse Vogel Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Council members will vote on who will take Favors seat in early 2025. Whoever takes her chair will be a placeholder, according to Hardin, and serve out the remainder of her term, which ends in December 2025. However, they may also choose to run for a four-year term on the 2025 ballot. Anyone who lives in district seven can run for that seat including the person who is appointed if they choose to do so, Hardin said. While none of the current council members ran with their political association on the ballot, all nine have either self-identified as Democrat or have been endorsed by Democratic politicians or organizations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hilltop drug house raided by police twice shut down Those interested in running in the 2025 election should contact the Franklin County Board of Elections to obtain the proper paperwork the filing deadline to run is Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. Required forms include a petition consisting of names and addresses of five registered voters in the persons registered district. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Indy community leaders who called for justice for Herman Whitfield III are wondering how to move forward after two Indianapolis police officers were acquitted of criminal charges in his death. A jurys decision to rule Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers Adam Ahmad and Steven Sanchez not guilty in the death of Whitfield, a 39-year-old Black pianist who died in police custody in April 2022, is evoking familiar feelings among Indys Black residents. Meanwhile, Mayor Joe Hogsett days after the verdict announced the expansion of a pilot program that sends mental health professionals in place of police officers to respond to such mental health-related emergency calls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officers were found not guilty Dec. 6 of involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and battery following a weeklong trial, but some community members believe Whitfields death wouldnt have happened had the officers handled the situation differently. IMPD officers not guilty: Jury returns verdict in death of Herman Whitfield III in police custody They should have been able to handle (Whitfields call) without deadly force, said David Rasheed, a 71-year-old westsider whos lived in Indianapolis nearly all of his life. Rasheed has had many friends and family members join IMPD over the years, but he feels Whitfields death embodies a systemic problem in policing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He remembers the death of Michael Taylor, a 16-year-old who died in police custody in 1987 in Indianapolis. His death was ruled a suicide, but many community members doubted the official police narrative. Those types of cases, Rasheed said, take years for communities to heal from and the hurt that occurs never totally fades away. Things like that are never forgotten, he said. Its always there. And then when something else happens, those past instances come back to your mind. The parents of Herman Whitfield III, Gladys Whitfield and Herman Whitfield Jr., hold a portrait of their son, who was described by many as a genius musician and composer. Whitfield III, 39, died at his parent's home in 2022. Two IMPD officers, Adam Ahmad and Steven Sanchez, are on trial facing charges of reckless homicide, involuntary manslaughter, battery, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and battery resulting in severe bodily injury, in regards to the incident in which Whitfield III died. Jon Howe, a business owner who also serves as president of the West Indianapolis Neighborhood Congress, said he believes officers are treating people of color differently than white people, leading to a mistrust of officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It creates hostility between regular people and police when we dont have faith in the police that theyre going to police themselves, Howe said, and right now, the police are not policing the police. As the Whitfield family pursues a civil lawsuit against Indianapolis, city officials are promising to dedicate more resources to a program that seeks to prevent situations like this from ever happening. Meanwhile, some are hoping that Whitfields music will remain accessible to the community. Renewed focus on mental health On Dec. 9 city officials announced the expansion of the Clinician-Led Community Response program, which is operated by Indianapolis-based Stepping Stones Therapy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program is made up of licensed behavioral health professionals to respond to people in crisis. The teams, which respond to calls in IMPDs downtown and east districts, will now also respond to calls from the 192,000 residents living in the north district beginning in early 2025, city officials said. Whitfield died in the north district in 2022 while officers were handcuffing him at his parents home. More of our neighbors than ever will be able to access the care that they need, and this means great things for our city as a whole, Hogsett said at a news conference. He said the Office of Public Health and Safety would cover the additional cost within its own budget. No employees are being added. Clinician-led teams are designed to respond to 911 calls where someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, psychiatric emergencies or emotional or psychological distress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program, which launched in January with 24 staff members, has responded to more than 900 calls in 2024, city officials said. Clinician-led teams can also receive assistance from IMPDs Mobile Crisis Assistance Team in case there is a threat during their visit. The crisis assistance unit, which started in 2017, pairs police officers with a mental health professional trained in deescalation tactics and crisis intervention. Crisis assistance units responded to more than 2,300 calls through Sept. 30 this year, only 19 of which resulted in arrests, according to IMPD. While 911 or 988 callers can specifically request that IMPD send a crisis assistance unit, they are only available to respond to calls between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Whitfield was experiencing a mental health crisis at 3 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said he sees value in expanding the crisis assistance unit, but only if there are enough clinicians to staff it. If its just cops, then were defeating the purpose, Bailey said in a recent virtual town hall to discuss the program. Theres not a ton of clinicians that want to work overnight, so were staging it the best we can to the hours in which we see the most need. FOP response: Rick Snyder has harsh words for prosecutor after Whitfield verdict The move to expand the clinician-led program is a welcome first step toward investing in more licensed mental health professionals to prevent tragedies from happening in the first place, said LaNette Boone with Faith in Indiana, an Indy-based nonprofit community advocacy organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While a guilty verdict can serve as some sense of accountability, investing in more licensed mental health professionals is a proactive step toward preventing these tragedies from happening in the first place, Boone told Mirror Indy. Addressing mental illness with the right care and expertise is crucial to ensuring that such incidents dont escalate into violence or injustice. 'What a talent' While the expansion of the clinician-led teams may help in future calls, its little comfort for Whitfields family and friends. Mali Bacon was a classmate of Whitfields at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory High School, where she remembers him as a gifted pianist. When Herman played, you couldnt hear anything else he captivated the entire student body, said Bacon, co-founder of Indianapolis-based creative advocacy agency GANGGANG. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Bacon worked at Indy Arts Council, she created the Featured Artist program for Art & Soul, an annual celebration of Black culture. In 2009, Whitfield was one of four emerging artists to be spotlighted, along with Gabrielle Patterson. Herman was a bit shy about opening up, but when he played the piano, he was open and smiling and receptive to the journey we were all about to embark on. I have never forgotten that, Patterson said. What a talent. What a quiet kindness that I truly admired. Patterson, a poet, said that as a person of color living in Indiana, she was not surprised by the not-guilty verdict. Our police officers, the mayor and policy makers have a responsibility to rethink how policing is handled when it comes to those with mental health challenges, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patterson hopes Whitfield will be remembered with the pride, love and joy that his music brought to everyone lucky enough to be a part of it with him. I want this city to be so lucky. Lets create a space where we can listen to his music, where we can watch him play. Is that in an art center or museum or history center? I dont know, but what I do know, after whats happened, is: Is it not worth the conversation? Mirror Indy's Claire Rafford, Enrique Saenz and Amanda Kingsbury contributed to this story. Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Community mourns Herman Whitfield's death again after officers acquitted Dec. 12City Bank on Thursday announced the 29 recipients of this year's $60,000 Community Rewards program. Rewards were given to the top five recipients in six categories. United States Search and Rescue Texas Division received an additional $3,000 as the top vote-getter during the month-long voting period. More than 215,000 online votes were cast for the 87 nonprofit agencies in this year's event. The top five finishers from each of the six categories and their prize amounts are: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Animal Welfare and Environment $4,000: Fix West Texas $2,000: Midland Animal Shelter Adoptables $1,500: A Paw in Need Rescue $1,000: Bully Beds, Inc. $500: Lone Star Sanctuary for Animals Basic Human Needs $4,000: Jesus House Odessa $2,000: Reflection Ministries of Texas $1,500: Sunshine House, Inc. $1,000: Family Promise of Odessa, Inc. $500: West Texas Food Bank Community Contribution and Leadership $4,000: United States Search & Rescue (TEXAS Division) $2,000: Alpine Public Library $1,500: Latina Entrepreneur Academy in the Permian Basin $1,000: West Texas Helping Hands $500: BAM BizHUB Michael Crain Entrepreneur Foundation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Education and Youth Services $4,000: Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest $2,000: Civil Air Patrol Three Rivers Composite Squadron $1,500: Adinvita Private School $1,000: Odessa High School Band Boosters $500: The 1:11 Project Health and Wellness $4,000: The H.O.R.S.E. Center $2,000: Safe Place of the Permian Basin $1,500: West Texas Gifts of Hope $1,000: Permian Basin Rehabilitation Center $500: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention West Texas Youth Development and Advocacy $4,000: Harmony Home Children's Advocacy Center $2,000: CASA of West Texas $1,500: CASA of the Permian Basin Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement $1,000: Basin Dream Center for Orphans $500: Rays of Hope Hospice of Midland Six $500 "Early Rewards" were given at a virtual kickoff event on Oct. 30. Awards were given to Jesus House of Odessa, CASA of the Permian Basin, Crime Stoppers of Midland, Young Women's Leadership Academy, Communities in Schools in the Permian Basin, and Junior League of Midland. This year marks the fifth year of City Bank's Community Rewards program in the Permian Basin. Through Community Rewards, City Bank has contributed $300,000 to more than 65 nonprofit groups in the Permian Basin area. (WHTM) In the 1970s, Governor Milton Shapp commuted 251 life sentences. In the decades since, those numbers have declined dramatically. Critics insist its not because more bad people are serving more time. They blame a bad process. I was incarcerated for 40 years. Six months and 12 days. This woman was 18, part of a robbery gone wrong. A man was killed. She didnt pull the trigger, but she was sentenced to life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I applied for commutation six times. So It was the sixth time when I was granted executive clemency, she said. Under Shapiro, half of clemency recommendations remain unsigned She was one of 53 lifers set free by Governor Tom Wolf, a whopping number considering his predecessors: Tom Corbett (2011-2015) 0 Ed Rendell (2003-2011) 5 Mark Schweiker (2001-2003) 1 Tom Ridge (1995-2001) 0. Numbers, perhaps, more about politics than pardons. Biden scraps rest of sentence for disgraced Pennsylvania Kids-for-Cash judge The individual that was pardoned went out and committed a heinous crime and that blew up in my face weeks before an election, former Lieutenant Governor Mark Singel said. He was running for governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a member of the pardons board, he recommended the commutation of Reginald McFadden. Governor Casey signed off. McFadden got out and killed again. Tom Ridge used it in a campaign ad and became governor. Since then, commutations all-but disappeared. Yes, the pardons process is fraught with political danger for folks who might be seeking higher office, Singel said. After McFadden, the law changed, requiring a unanimous 5-0 vote by the pardons board before its sent to the governor. The Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General are on that board, elected officials often eyeing higher office. Are they willing to risk their political future on convicts with a past? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peoples lives should not be based on election cycles. Its its so its so unfair, Etta Cettera with Commutations Now, said, wanting changes like a simple majority instead of a unanimous vote of the board to send commutations to the governor and require they put in writing why they deny an applicant. Currently, their decisions are arbitrary, theyre cruel. They lack mercy and compassion, Cettera said. Its not keeping us safer. Its a waste of resources, the boards resources, the state taxpayers money. Get the latest Pennsylvania politics and election news with abc27 newsletters! Governor Shapiro supports reforms and has streamlined the process, commuting six of eight clemency recommendations in just two years. But, in future years, he may seek the highest office of the land. I think that there is a a deep moral compass that has to kick in before you make these kinds of decisions, Singel said. And frankly, Im very confident that Josh Shapiro has that moral compass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Conan OBrien sadly lost both his mother and his father, who died just days apart this week. His father, renowned physician Dr. Thomas OBrien, who was a pioneer in the research of antimicrobial resistance, passed away on Monday, Dec. 9., at age 95. And then three days later on Thursday, Dec. 12, his mother, Ruth Reardon OBrien, 92, passed. Both died at their Brookline, MA home. According to a Boston Globe obituary, Dr. O'Brien's health had been failing, whereas his wife of 66 years was said to have "passed away peacefully." Including their son Conan,, the couple had six children together. Dr. OBrien was credited with co-directing and cofounding the World Health Organizations Collaborating Centre for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance. He helped lay the ground work to address the threats of antimicrobial resistance by employing databases that allowed doctors to quickly respond to antibiotic resistance outbreaks. As part of his work, he traveled the world, visiting small hospitals in developing nations; bringing together physicians, researchers, and technicians who became part of a larger effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A lot of what he did was create a family," said his colleague, Dr. John Stelling. "Everybody contributes their little bit, and their little bit in aggregate tells a lot about emerging threats in close to real time." Meanwhile, O'Brien's mother Ruth was accomplished in her own right, becoming the second-ever female partner at the law firm Ropes & Gray. "Science has said theres no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong," OBrien said of his father in an interview with the Globe. "My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everythingabsolutely everything." The late night host seemingly got his sense of humor from his father, who was also a fan of comedy and late night talk shows, which he watched during his years as a medical resident. He also made sure to introduce his kids to classic comedy such as recordings of Jack Bennys radio shows and Charlie Chaplin and Marx Brothers movies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The loudest Ive ever heard anybody laugh was sitting next to him in a theater watching Peter Sellers in a Pink Panther movie," OBrien recalled. He said that while people thought his father was a "fascinating man" due to his work, he was also "often the funniest guy in the room." "When he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself," the 61-year-old remembered, adding that his father "had a voracious appetite for ideas and people and the crazy variety and irony of life. He wanted to go everywhere, meet everybody, see everything, taste everything." "For the rest of my time on earth I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad," OBrien added. "Ive never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father. If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, Id think, Who the hell is this guy? Hes the most interesting person Ive ever met.'" Conan OBrien has suffered a double heartbreak, losing his elderly mother just three days after the death of his father. The TV host is yet to publicly comment on the loss of his mother, Ruth Reardon OBrien, but Bell-ODea Funeral Home in Brookline, Massachusetts, said she passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2024, at age 92. Thomas Francis OBrien, M.D., passed away on December 9 / iRelaunch / YouTube Mrs OBriens husband of 66 years, Thomas Francis OBrien, M.D., died on Dec. 9, aged 95. My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everythingabsolutely everything, Conan told the Boston Globe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OBrien Sr. spearheaded important work on antibiotic resistance and co-founded and co-directed the World Health Organizations Collaborating Center for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance. But Conan said he had a funny side. The loudest Ive ever heard anybody laugh was sitting next to him in a theater watching Peter Sellers in a Pink Panther movie, he said. Anyone who only knew Dr. OBrien through his work would think, What a fascinating man, Conan added. But he was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself. Ruth Reardon OBrien passed away peacefully on December 12 Ruth, a graduate of Yale Law School (1956), was only one of four women in her law school class and was elected vice president of the student government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ruth clerked for Raymond Wilkins, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, before moving into real estate law at Ropes & Gray in Boston over two stints, in the 50s and 70s. In 1978, she became the second woman to be named a partner at the firm. A joint funeral mass will be held for both at 11 a.m. on Dec. 18 at St. Lawrence Church in Brookline. They had lived in the Boston suburb since 1963. Conan OBrien has tragically lost both his mother and father in the same week. The beloved comedians father, Dr. Thomas OBrien, died Monday (December 9) at his home in Boston at the age of 95. His death, according to the Boston Globe, came after his health had been failing. Thomass wife of 66 years, Ruth Reardon OBrien, died Thursday (December 12), aged 92. Speaking to the newspaper about his father, OBrien recalled: My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everything absolutely everything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thomas was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1929. He later attended the College of the Holy Cross, where he earned a bachelors degree in classics. While there, he befriended two classmates who were brothers of Ruth, whom he met one day when he visited the family home. They got married in 1958. After graduating from the College of Holy Cross in 1950, Thomas went to Harvard Medical School before completing his residency at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. He served two years in the Army Medical Corps in San Antonio, Texas. Thomas then returned to Harvard Medical School, where he spent most of his medical career. He also worked at Brigham and Womens Hospital, becoming the institutions first director of the infectious diseases division. Conan OBriens parents died in the same week at the ages of 95 and 92 (Getty) He continued to work at both Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens for more than 60 years, working as an associate professor at the former. He eventually retired in 2019 at the age of 90. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Ruth also born and raised in Worcester had a separate and equally successful career in law. A graduate of Vassar College and Yale Law School, she was one of only four women in her law school class. From 1956 to 1957, she was a law clerk for The Honorable Raymond Wilkins, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. For the rest of her career, she worked as a Boston real estate attorney at Ropes & Gray and, in 1978, became the second woman to become a partner at the firm. Thomas and Ruth raised their six children in Brookline. Thomas had a love of comedy he watched late-night talk shows throughout his medical residency and introduced his children to comedy classics, including Charlie Chaplin and Marx Brothers movies. He was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself, OBrien, who will make his Oscar hosting debut at the 2025 ceremony, told the Boston Globe. Along with OBrien, Ruth and Thomas shared five other children: Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke. They are also survived by nine grandchildren: Neve, Beckett, Paget, Eamonn, Declan, Grace, Irene, Finn, and Caitlin, as well as 15 nieces and nephews. (NEXSTAR) Dr. Thomas OBrien and Ruth R. OBrien, the parents of late-night legend Conan OBrien, both passed away within days of each other at their home in Brookline, Massachusetts. Dr. OBriens death, on Dec. 9, was earlier reported in an article published in The Boston Globe, which celebrated his research on antimicrobial resistance. Dr. OBrien was the first director of infectious diseases at what is now the Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, and he was the cofounder of the Collaborating Centre for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance for the World Health Organization, the Globe reported. Conan OBrien to host 2025 Oscars Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conan OBrien, speaking with the outlet, also remembered his father as the funniest guy in any room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself, he said. Conan OBrien attends the HBO & Max Post-Emmy Reception at San Vicente Bungalows on September 15, 2024 in West Hollywood, California. (Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage) On Dec. 12, just days after Dr. OBriens passing at the age of 95, Ruth OBrien, his wife of over 60 years, passed away in their Brookline home at the age of 92. Ruth OBrien was an accomplished lawyer, according to an obituary posted by the Bell ODea Funeral Home in Brookline. A graduate of Yale Law School, Ruth OBrien worked to become the second-ever female partner at Ropes & Gray, an international law firm based in Boston. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conan OBrien, on his current podcast and previous interviews, has often talked about his parents and the loving yet somewhat hectic household he and his large family grew up in. There were six kids, two dogs, a cat, my grandmother, a parakeet Im not kidding, OBrien once said in a 2017 video celebrating an award his mother had received. That house was kind of madness sometimes. Lovely madness, but madness still the same. I dont know how [my parents] worked it out, but they worked it out pretty well, he added. The Amazing Kreskin, entertainer and renowned mentalist, dies at 89 Dr. Thomas OBrien and Ruth OBrien were parents to Neal, Luke, Conan, Kate, Jane and Justin OBrien, according to the online obituary. They also had nine grandchildren. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. The post Conan OBriens Parents Pass Away Days Apart appeared first on Consequence. Conan OBriens parents, Thomas OBrien and Ruth Reardon OBrien, have passed away within days of each other. On Monday, December 9th, Thomas OBrien died at the age of 95, after his health had been failing, according to The Boston Globe. Ruth Reardon OBrien then passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 12th, at the age of 92. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to the Globe, Conan OBrien described his father an epidemiologist who pioneered antibiotic resistance research as having a voracious appetite for ideas and people and the crazy variety and irony of life. He wanted to go everywhere, meet everybody, see everything, taste everything. Thomas OBrien and Ruth Reardon met through college classmates of the former, and were married in 1958. Throughout his career, Thomas raised awareness about the dangers posed by the overuse of antibiotics, and even co-founded the World Health Organizations Collaborating Centre for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance. For the rest of my time on earth I will be hearing from people who want to talk with me about my dad, Conan OBrien said. Ive never met anyone like him, and he happens to be my father. If I met him randomly in a hotel lobby, Id think, Who the hell is this guy? Hes the most interesting person Ive ever met. Ruth Reardon OBrien also lived an impressive life, graduating as one of four women in the Yale Law School class of 1956 and becoming a partner at the law firm Ropes & Gray. Meanwhile, she also raised six children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recalling when his mother made partner at Ropes & Gray in a 2017 video, Conan OBrien said it was huge. Describing his mother relaying the news to his maternal grandmother, he said, You can imagine what that was like for a woman who had grown up in an era when Irish were discriminated against in Boston. My grandmother was watching her daughter, who went to Vassar and Yale on full scholarships, become a law partner. It was pretty emotional, pretty amazing. Reflecting on his parents and his upbringing in general, he said, [Our] house was kinda madness sometimes lovely madness, but madness still the same. I dont know how they worked it out, but they worked it out pretty well. Both Thomas OBrien and Ruth Reardon OBrien will be honored with a ceremony on Wednesday, December 18th in Brookline, Massachusetts. Earlier this year, Conan OBriens show Conan OBrien Must Go was picked up for a second season by Max, and earlier this month he was seen singing with an Austrian extreme metal band for the program. In March, he will host the 2025 Academy Awards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conan OBriens Parents Pass Away Days Apart Jo Vito Popular Posts Subscribe to Consequences email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox. KHARTOUM, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 45 civilians were killed and 28 others injured in an artillery shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on residential neighborhoods and displacement camps in western Sudan, the Sudanese army said Friday. "Neighborhoods and camps in El Fasher city witnessed a significant massacre yesterday, as a result of deliberate shelling by the rebel militia, killing 45 citizens, including children and women, and injuring 28 others who were transferred to health centers," the command of the 6th Infantry Division of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said in a statement. According to the statement, the shelling targeted residential neighborhoods in the southern sector of El Fasher, the Zamzam displacement camp south of the city, and the Abu Shouk camp to the north. The RSF has not yet issued any comment on the attacks. Since May 10, fierce clashes have raged in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan, between the SAF and the RSF. Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023. The deadly conflict has resulted in more than 27,000 deaths and displaced over 14 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to estimates by international organizations. BROOKLINE - The parents of comedian and longtime late-night TV host Conan O'Brien have died within days of each other. Dr. Thomas O'Brien died Monday at age 95, and his wife Ruth Reardon O'Brien died at 92 years old on Thursday, according to their obituaries. They were married for 66 years and raised six children. Both were said to have "passed away peacefully." Conan O'Brien's parents lived in Brookline, Massachusetts, where he was born and raised. The 61-year-old is set to host the 2025 Academy Awards in March. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Thomas O'Brien Dr. Thomas O'Brien was the director of the division of infectious diseases at what is now Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. A Boston Globe obituary says he "sounded the alarm" decades ago on the dangers of drug-resistant bacteria and viruses. "He was one of the very first people to call attention to the risks of antimicrobial resistance developing," Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's, told the newspaper. Dr. Thomas OBrien, who had served as the first director of the infectious diseases division at what is now Brigham and Womens Hospital, has died. https://t.co/fvRr6ECfiQ The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) December 13, 2024 In an interview with The Globe, Conan O'Brien said his father "was interested in everything - absolutely everything." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But he was often the funniest guy in the room. And when he would laugh, his whole body would convulse and he would almost hug himself," O'Brien said. Ruth Reardon O'Brien Ruth Reardon O'Brien, a Worcester native, was one of just four women in her Yale Law School class, her obituary stated. She clerked for a former chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, became a real estate attorney, and was the second woman to become a partner at the renowned Ropes & Gray law firm in Boston. Last year, Conan O'Brien talked about growing up in a big, Irish Catholic family on the podcast Your Mama's Kitchen and said he's been trying to make his parents laugh ever since he was a toddler. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My mom was very much a 'straight man,' you know, she was very much a, 'oh don't say that, sit up straight, now why would you say that,'" O'Brien recalled. "And what happens is that made me want to be really funny." New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story American Airlines flight forced to make emergency landing after likely bird strike In an interview accompanying his TIME Person of the Year cover, President-elect Trump said he would pardon Jan. 6th defendants on his first day in office and use the military to carry out his deportation plan to the "maximum level of what the law allows." Meanwhile, his allies are turning up the pressure on Senate Republicans to back some of his more controversial cabinet picks. Eric Cortellessa, Peter Baker, and Ali Vitali talk to Ayman Mohyeldin. WASHINGTON Here's a look at how Georgia's members of Congress voted over the previous week. Along with roll call votes this week, the House also passed these bills: the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act (H.R. 9151) to strengthen the Justice Department's enforcement against trade-related crimes; the Protecting Americans from Russian Litigation Act (H.R. 9563) to limit the availability of civil actions affected by United States sanctions; the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act (S. 4243); and the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act (H.R. 7480) to require the exclusion of service-connected disability compensation when determining whether a person has low and moderate income, low income, or moderate income. The Senate also passed the DHS Better Ballistic Body Armor Act (S. 4305) to improve the effectiveness of body armor issued to female agents and officers of the Homeland Security Department; a resolution (S. Res. 74) condemning Iran's state-sponsored persecution of the country's Baha'i minority; and the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act (H.R. 5863) to provide tax relief for losses due to wildfires and the February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HOUSE VOTES: LAHAINA HERITAGE DESIGNATION: The House has passed the Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act (H.R. 8219) sponsored by Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, to require the Interior Department to study the possible creation of a Lahaina National Heritage Area on the island of Maui. Tokuda said the bill sought to "honor Lahaina's past, while laying the foundation for a resilient and enduring future" following the August 2023 wildfires that killed more than 100 area residents. The vote, on Dec. 4, was 378 yeas to 25 nays. YEAS: Loudermilk R-GA (11th), Bishop D-GA (2nd), Allen R-GA (12th), Scott, Austin R-GA (8th), Scott, David D-GA (13th), McBath D-GA (7th), Carter R-GA (1st), Ferguson R-GA (3rd), Johnson D-GA (4th), Williams D-GA (5th), McCormick R-GA (6th), Collins R-GA (10th) NAYS: Clyde R-GA (9th), Greene R-GA (14th) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WILDLIFE CONSERVATION: The House has passed the America's Conservation Enhance Reauthorization Act (S. 3791) sponsored by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., to reauthorize and modify, through 2030, a variety of wildlife conservation measures. A supporter, Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-Va., said the bill "signifies our commitment to preserving the natural beauty of our great nation while promoting sustainable practices for future generations." The vote, on Dec. 3, was 366 yeas to 21 nays. YEAS: Entire Georgia delegation AGENCY STRATEGIC REVIEWS: The House has passed the Federal Agency Performance Act (S. 709) sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters, D-Mich., to require federal government agencies to do regular strategic reviews of their performance goals that try to find ways of improving goal attainment. A supporter, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said: "The bill makes commonsense updates to ensure agencies are providing services to the people as efficiently and as effectively as possible." The vote, on Dec. 5, was 389 yeas to 6 nays. YEAS: Entire Georgia delegation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JIMMY CARTER POST OFFICE: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 9600) sponsored by Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, D-Ga., to designate a post office in Plains as the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Post Office. Bishop called the naming "a small but meaningful gesture we can make to honor two dedicated servant leaders who spent their lives working on behalf of others." The vote, on Dec. 5, was 381 yeas to 15 nays, with 2 voting present. YEAS: Entire Georgia delegation REGULATORY PROCEDURES: The House has passed the Prove It Act (H.R. 7198) sponsored by Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minn., to require federal regulatory agencies proposing new rules to account for the indirect costs of the rules, and impose various procedural requirements for developing the rules. Finstad said the bill "gives small businesses a seat at the table during the regulatory process and shields them from the most heavy-handed, one-size-fits-all regulations." The vote, on Dec. 5, was 208 yeas to 196 nays. YEAS: Loudermilk R-GA (11th), Allen R-GA (12th), Scott, Austin R-GA (8th), Clyde R-GA (9th), Greene R-GA (14th), Carter R-GA (1st), Ferguson R-GA (3rd), McCormick R-GA (6th), Collins R-GA (10th) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NAYS: Bishop D-GA (2nd), Scott, David D-GA (13th), McBath D-GA (7th), Johnson D-GA (4th), Williams D-GA (5th) MATT GAETZ REPORT: The House has agreed to a motion to refer a resolution (H. Res. 1608) sponsored by Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., to the House Ethics Committee. Under the resolution, the committee would be ordered to release its report on its investigation of misconduct allegations brought against former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who recently withdrew from consideration to be Attorney General in the upcoming Trump administration. The vote to refer, on Dec. 5, was 206 yeas to 198 nays. YEAS: Loudermilk R-GA (11th), Allen R-GA (12th), Scott, Austin R-GA (8th), Clyde R-GA (9th), Greene R-GA (14th), Carter R-GA (1st), Ferguson R-GA (3rd), McCormick R-GA (6th), Collins R-GA (10th) NAYS: Bishop D-GA (2nd), Scott, David D-GA (13th), McBath D-GA (7th), Johnson D-GA (4th), Williams D-GA (5th) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SENATE VOTES: CALIFORNIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Anne Hwang to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Central California. Hwang has been a judge on California's Los Angeles County Superior Court for six years; previously, she was a public defender in the Central District, and a private practice lawyer. The vote, on Dec. 2, was 48 yeas to 43 nays. YEAS: Ossoff D-GA, Warnock D-GA MASSACHUSETTS JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Brian Murphy to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts. A private practice lawyer at two different Boston and Worcester law firms for the past 15 years, Murphy had previously been a public defender for three years. A supporter, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said Murphy's "educational background, life experience, and temperament qualify him to be an outstanding federal district judge." The vote, on Dec. 2, was 47 yeas to 45 nays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement YEAS: Ossoff D-GA, Warnock D-GA WASHINGTON, D.C., JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Sparkle L. Sooknanan to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. Sooknanan was a lawyer at the Jones Day law firm until 2021, when she joined the civil rights division of the Justice Department. The vote, on Dec. 3, was 50 yeas to 48 nays. YEAS: Ossoff D-GA, Warnock D-GA PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Catherine Henry to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Henry has been a public defender in the Philadelphia area for more than 2 1/2 decades, most of that time as a lawyer for the Eastern District. The vote, on Dec. 3, was 50 yeas to 48 nays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement YEAS: Ossoff D-GA, Warnock D-GA SECOND PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Gail Weilheimer to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A county court judge in Pennsylvania for a decade, Weilheimer previously was a private practice lawyer and assistant district attorney in Philadelphia. The vote, on Dec. 3, was 50 yeas to 48 nays. YEAS: Ossoff D-GA, Warnock D-GA NEW YORK JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Anthony Brindisi to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Brindisi was a lawyer in Utica before and after spending 2019 and 2020 as a member of the House; he has also been a legislator in the New York state assembly and, for the last two years, has been a judge on a New York court. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Brindisi "an exceptionally qualified attorney whose legal acumen and deep care for the Mohawk Valley and all of Central New York will make him an excellent addition to the Northern District." The vote, on Dec. 4, was 50 yeas to 49 nays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement YEAS: Ossoff D-GA, Warnock D-GA SECOND NEW YORK JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Elizabeth C. Coombe to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Coombe has been a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the district since 2003. The vote, on Dec. 4, was 52 yeas to 45 nays. YEAS: Ossoff D-GA, Warnock D-GA NEW MEXICO JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Sarah Davenport to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for New Mexico. Davenport has been in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the state for close to two decades, currently as a supervisor of criminal prosecutors. The vote, on Dec. 5, was 52 yeas to 45 nays. YEAS: Ossoff D-GA, Warnock D-GA NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) Have you seen a drone hovering over your neighborhood? Connecticut State Police troopers are looking into reports that theyve been spotted across the state as sightings continue to roll in throughout New England. The states emergency services unit has deployed a drone detection system in response, according to CSP. The unit is currently in New London County. State Sen. Tony Hwang (R-District 28) said Friday that reports of drone sightings in Fairfield County is very unsettling to public safety and security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday morning, Hwang will held a press conference on the topic. Watch part of the conference in the video player below. What we have is a lack of information at all levels of government, Hwang said in a written statement. Its really a breakdown of communication. Without that vital communication, you lose the publics confidence, you get speculation and you get fear. The Pentagon says any action taken against drones is a decision for local law enforcement. As state legislators, we must support that. He said he agrees with statements U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) made about potentially shooting down the drones. We must be proactive, not reactive, Hwang said. That requires full transparency, accountability, and honest public conversations to arrive at a resolution and a plan to deal with this immediately. To ensure public safety and confidence, we need a threat assessment as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The video below is from Good Morning Connecticut at 5 a.m. on Dec. 16. The White House said Thursday that reviews have shown most of the drones are manned and being flown lawfully. The Pentagon has said that they are not military drones. Blumenthal wrote the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday to demand a briefing on the drone sightings. The proliferation of reported drone activities in this region raises significant safety and security concerns for both commercial and private aviation as well as national security concerns, he wrote. Incidents involving drones interfering with aircraft operations have increased, posing a real and substantial risk to passengers, crews, and others in the vicinity. And, I am particularly concerned about the potential for these unmanned aerial vehicles many of which are as large as a car to disrupt air traffic and, more alarmingly, to be used maliciously to threaten national security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blumenthal said in a separate interview with News 8 that nobody knows who owns them, whos operating them. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) also voiced his concerns. Lets acknowledge that this problem exists because we have no regulatory framework, he said. We have no way of really controlling whos putting these machines in the sky. The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection said on Friday that it is closely monitoring reports. We understand that people are anxious and they want to know whats going on, CDESPP Commissioner Ronnell Higgins said in a written statement. After the reports out of New Jersey and other states, we want to assure Connecticut residents that we are fully engaged, and we take reports of suspicious sightings seriously. As is our practice in Connecticut, we are working with our local, state and federal partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Transportation Safety Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Construction of Ukraines frontline fortifications is currently proceeding according to plan. Source: Interfax, citing Volodymyr Husar, Deputy Head of the Engineering Troops of the Command of the Ukrainian Support Forces Quote: "At the moment, we have no problems with fortifications on any part of the front," Husar said at a press conference on Friday in Kyiv. He said that as of today, all of the materials required by the military forces on the front lines are being provided. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Armed Forces of Ukraine highlighted that all defence structures are built as specified in the overall plan. According to Husar, specific plans are developed for the construction of each strong point, which are then approved and implemented. Husar said Ukraines leadership, the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence and other institutions have gone to great lengths to give the Ukrainian defence forces the equipment and resources they require for fortification. Background: Avtomahistral-Pivden, a company that builds fortifications in Donetsk Oblast, has reported on the construction of a defence line in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Ukraine's law enforcement agencies have initiated 30 criminal charges of theft from the fortifications budget totalling US$483 million. Support UP or become our patron! By Nate Raymond and Mike Spector BOSTON (Reuters) - McKinsey & Co has agreed to pay $650 million to resolve charges over advice it provided Purdue Pharma on how to "turbocharge" sales of its addictive painkiller OxyContin, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Friday. The consulting firm entered into a five-year deferred prosecution agreement filed in federal court in Abingdon, Virginia, to resolve criminal charges brought as part of the latest corporate prosecution concerning the marketing of addictive painkillers that helped fuel the deadly U.S. opioid epidemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A former senior McKinsey partner, Martin Elling, has also agreed to plead guilty to obstructing justice by destroying records concerning McKinsey's work for Purdue. He is set to plead guilty on Jan. 10 and faces up to a year in prison under his plea agreement. His lawyer declined to comment. Prosecutors said the case marked the first time a management consulting firm had been held criminally responsible for advice that it had given that resulted in a client committing a crime and should be a warning to the rest of the consulting sector. "We will cut through the slick PowerPoints and the consultant speak and hold you accountable for your conduct if you engage in criminal violations," U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy of Massachusetts said at a press conference in Boston. The case was the latest to emerge from years of litigation and investigations into the extent that major drugmakers, drug distributors, pharmacies and corporations contributed to the epidemic. Nearly 727,000 people in the U.S. have died from opioid overdoses from 1999 to 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The case against McKinsey followed Purdue's own guilty plea in 2020 to charges covering widespread misconduct regarding its handling of prescription painkillers, including conspiring to defraud U.S. officials and pay illegal kickbacks to both doctors and an electronic healthcare records vendor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Purdue is currently involved in court-ordered mediation to rework a multibillion-dollar civil settlement with states, local governments and others in bankruptcy proceedings after the U.S. Supreme Court turned aside its initial deal. The company on Friday said it aims to use settlement proceeds for opioid abatement and to compensate victims. Prosecutors said Purdue in the wake of an earlier criminal case against the drugmaker over its marketing of OxyContin had obtained approval in 2010 with McKinsey's advice for a new, reformulated version of the drug with abuse-deterrent properties. When sales of OxyContin plummeted following its release, Purdue turned to McKinsey, which in 2013 crafted a strategy to "turbocharge" sales that involved targeting "high-value" prescribers in the medical field including one who prescribed opioids for illegitimate uses, prosecutors said. "McKinsey's strategy resulted in prescriptions for OxyContin that were unsafe, medically unnecessary, and lacked a legitimate purpose and were often diverted," U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McKinsey was charged with conspiring to misbrand a drug and obstruction of justice. Those charges would be dismissed if it abides by the terms of the agreement for five years. It also agreed to resolve civil claims under the False Claims Act. McKinsey in a statement said it was "deeply sorry." It ceased advising clients on opioid-related businesses in 2019, and said its work for opioid manufacturers "will always be a source of profound regret for our firm." McKinsey previously reached agreements totaling nearly $1 billion to settle widespread lawsuits and other legal actions alleging the company helped fuel the opioid epidemic through its work advising OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and other drugmakers. "We should have appreciated the harm opioids were causing in our society and we should not have undertaken sales and marketing work for Purdue Pharma," McKinsey said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another McKinsey ex-partner accused of communicating about the deletion of documents and fired by McKinsey said on Friday that he plans to continue pursuing a lawsuit against his former employer. McKinsey has said the termination was proper and for serious violations of its professional standards. "I feel vindicated," the other ex-partner, Arnab Ghatak, said in a statement. "As I have always said, I never engaged in improper deletion and McKinsey behaved unconscionably in scapegoating me and defaming me repeatedly." Levy, the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts, said that while prosecutors were open to receiving more information about the McKinsey case, "we think this brings this matter to a conclusion." (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston and Mike Spector in New York; Editing by Frances Kerry, Alexia Garamfalvi and Diane Craft) ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has awarded a contract for the expedited repair of the Broad Street bridge in Elizabethton that was damaged by Hurricane Helene. According to TDOT, Michels Construction was awarded the contract on Nov. 20 and it was signed on Wednesday. TDOT: Repairs to Elizabethtons Broad Street Bridge to be done in May TDOT said the Progressive Design-Build contract will help accelerate the bridges reopening. Made possible by the Transportation Modernization Act, this type of contract involves a design-build team involving the contractor and designer early in the project. The collaboration will lead to a shortened project timeline along with improved risk management and cost control, according to TDOT. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Environmental permitting and design are underway and survey activities were scheduled to begin Thursday. The department hopes to reopen the bridge by May 23. This marks TDOTs second Progressive Design-Building contract. The first was awarded in October for the rebuilding of the SR-107 bridge in Greene County and the SR-81 bridge in Washington County. The goal is to reopen those bridges on or before June 23. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. A large number of Character.AI users are reporting that they were unexpectedly signed into a stranger's account, allowing them to see their entire chat history, personas, and even identifying information. "This is one hell of a mess the devs need to fix ASAP," one alarmed Reddit user wrote. The Google-backed startup "did an oopsie, and got a bunch of accounts jumbled up," another user explained. "Now some people can't log into their account, and other people are logging into different people's accounts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Oh and by the way, even if you still have access to your account you might not be safe," the user added. "Someone else might still be in it. Have fun with that info." "What the fuck is going on with character AI," one X-formerly-Twitter user complained. "It just randomly logged me into a different account." One particularly poor soul, who goes by Adrian on the platform, became the subject of countless posts and memes in the platform's subreddit, with a number of users finding themselves logged into their specific account. Some users who were unexpectedly logged into Adrian's account reportedly attempted to delete it, but wound up deleting their own instead, according to one post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to Futurism, Character.AI confirmed the major fumble. "We take matters such as these very seriously," a spokesperson said. "We became aware of an issue on the platform and were able to quickly correct it. We're investigating further and will let you know when we have more information to share." The news couldn't have come at a worse time. Character.AI was sued earlier this week by two Texas families, who claimed their school-aged children were sexually and emotionally abused by the platform's chatbots. The plaintiffs alleged that the bots encouraged a teenage boy to cut himself and sexually abused an 11-year-old girl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company has already garnered a reputation for hosting a number of highly questionable chatbots themed around disturbing themes ranging from pedophilia to suicide. In other words, the latest major stumble is the very last thing Character.AI needs as it deals with a barrage of lawsuits and an investigation by the Texas attorney general. It's also a sign that operations behind the scenes may be a lot more chaotic than they appear from the outside. Google poured a whopping $2.7 billion into [not an investment!] Character.AI earlier this year, in large part to convince its founders, who previously developed large language models at the search giant, to return to Google, along with dozens of former Character.AI employees. Could the latest hack indicate that the startup is struggling to keep its operations from falling into chaos? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's a major security lapse that could greatly erode users' trust in the platform. After all, their interactions with the chatbots are often of a highly sensitive nature which makes being exposed on the internet like this the stuff of nightmares. More on Character.AI: Google-Backed AI Startup Tested Dangerous Chatbots on Children, Lawsuit Alleges William Boyland Jr., a former Brooklyn Assemblyman whose influential family has been dubbed the Kennedys of Brownsville, was one of 1,583 people granted clemency by the outgoing Biden Administration Thursday. Boyland Jr., was convicted on 21 bribery and corruption charges in 2014 and sentenced to a 14-year prison term. But in February 2021, he was granted a compassionate release to home confinement on account of the COVID-19 pandemic after serving less than half his time. Prosecutors, who opposed his early return home, said the Bureau of Prisons hadnt said whether Boyland would be required to return to a cell once the pandemic ended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boyland conceded after his conviction that returning to elected office wasnt realistic. A street, a public school and a park in Brooklyn are named after his uncle, former State Assemblyman Thomas S. Boyland. Boyland Jr., was elected to the state Assembly in 2003. More than a decade later, the disgraced politician was found guilty of soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from undercover feds and stealing money meant to help senior citizens. In one scheme, he shook down an undercover agent posing as a carnival promoter, getting more than $14,000 in bribes to grease the wheels for permits, licenses and letters of support from his office. In another, he scammed the state out of more than $71,000 in travel voucher money. Boyland Jr., said he intended to spend his time behind bars helping other inmates who are struggling with mental health issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September, he asked a judge to shave 563 days of Good Time credit from his sentence because of the work he did in prison. While incarcerated, I worked as a GED instructor and provided English as a second language instruction, he wrote. While under home confinement, Boyland said he had actively sought to reintegrate into society and build a build a stable productive life. That included going to church, enrolling in an online college program and working with senior citizens. Boyland Jr. declined to comment to the Daily News when reached by phone Thursday. VIENTIANE, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The successful completion of the first kidney transplant surgery marked a medical milestone in collaboration between hospitals in Laos and Thailand. Laos' Mittaphab Hospital and Thailand's Ramathibodi Hospital have agreed to enhance medical care in Laos, particularly in kidney transplants, through joint workshops, training sessions, and the adoption of advanced techniques, Lao national TV reported on Friday. The collaboration divided into two phases. The first phase began in mid-2023 with training to build specific skills for Mittaphab Hospital's kidney transplant team, covering donor and recipient evaluation, immunology, use of anti-inflammatory drugs, post-operative care, management of complications, infection, and care of patients before and after transplantation. The second phase, carried out in 2024, involved Mittaphab Hospital and Ramathibodi Hospital jointly conducting a kidney transplant selection process for a 49-year-old male patient with kidney failure caused by diabetes and high blood pressure. He received a kidney from his 18-year-old daughter. The successful completion of their first kidney transplant surgery marked a significant step forward in medical cooperation between Laos and Thailand, paving the way for improved healthcare services in the region. Additionally, specialist teams from the two hospitals will establish a joint laboratory and organize workshops, seminars and conferences to support future kidney transplants at the Lao hospital. The hospitals also agreed to hold discussions and draft memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for each area of cooperation. William Boyland Jr., a former Brooklyn Assemblyman whose influential family has been dubbed the Kennedys of Brownsville, was one of 1,583 people granted clemency by the outgoing Biden administration Thursday. Boyland Jr., was convicted on 21 bribery and corruption charges in 2014 and sentenced to a 14-year prison term. But in February 2021, he was granted a compassionate release to home confinement on account of the COVID-19 pandemic after serving less than half his time. Prosecutors, who opposed his early return home, said the Bureau of Prisons hadnt said whether Boyland would be required to return to a cell once the pandemic ended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boyland conceded after his conviction that returning to elected office wasnt realistic. A street, a public school and a park in Brooklyn are named after his uncle, former State Assemblyman Thomas S. Boyland. Boyland Jr., was elected to the state Assembly in 2003. More than a decade later, the disgraced politician was found guilty of soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from undercover feds and stealing money meant to help senior citizens. In one scheme, he shook down an undercover agent posing as a carnival promoter, getting more than $14,000 in bribes to grease the wheels for permits, licenses and letters of support from his office. In another, he scammed the state out of more than $71,000 in travel voucher money. Boyland Jr., said he intended to spend his time behind bars helping other inmates who are struggling with mental health issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September, he asked a judge to shave 563 days of Good Time credit from his sentence because of the work he did in prison. While incarcerated, I worked as a GED instructor and provided English as a second language instruction, he wrote. While under home confinement, Boyland said he had actively sought to reintegrate into society and build a build a stable productive life. That included going to church, enrolling in an online college program and working with senior citizens. Boyland Jr. declined to comment to The New York Daily News when reached by phone Thursday. A Florida woman was charged with a felony this week and accused of making a threat toward her health insurance company, inspired by the shooting of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, after her claims were denied. Lakeland Police Department Briana Boston, 42, was arrested on Thursday and charged with one count of making threats to conduct a mass shooting in connection to a recorded phone call she made Tuesday to her insurance provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield, according to an affidavit obtained by HuffPost. Lakeland, Florida police said they were contacted by the FBI on Tuesday in response to the alleged threat. Boston said, Delay, deny, depose. You people are next, near the end of her call with the insurer, which had recently denied her claims, according to the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The words delay, deny, depose were written on bullets found near where Thompson was fatally shot. In recent days, the phrase, possibly a reference to the tactics insurers use to avoid paying out claims, has spread in online conversations about insurance companies denying coverage to boost their profits. Tattywelshie / Getty Images Frustrations with the countrys health insurance industry are widespread; According to a consumer survey by KFF, more than half of insured adults have experienced problems with their insurance provider, and some reported serious consequences. Local police made contact with Boston at her home shortly after receiving the FBI report. She acknowledged making the delay, deny, depose comment and apologized, according to the affidavit. Boston allegedly told the officer that she learned the phrase after Thompson was killed. Boston maintained she was not a danger to anyone and did not own a firearm, according to the affidavit. She went on to criticize health care companies, calling them evil and saying they deserve bad karma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But police said there was sufficient probable cause to arrest Boston on suspicion of making a threat to conduct a mass shooting based on her statements, according to the affidavit. I believe these statements were meant to threaten the insurance company by using the UnitedHealthcare CEOs homicide to her advantage, a Lakeland police officer wrote in the affidavit. Its unclear if Boston has a legal representative. Court records show she has not entered a plea and is expected to appear in court on Jan. 14 for an arraignment. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. This article was originally posted on HuffPost. CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) Downtown Conway, also known as the city of Halloween, has now transformed into a Christmas village. The Conway Chamber of Commerce said their contribution to the citys festivities is putting on the annual Christmas parade. The Conway Christmas Parade has been put on for more than 75 years now, drawing in big crowds and helping out local businesses. Morgan McDonell, special events coordinator with the citys chamber, said each group in the parade is in charge of their own decorative floats and candy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year were at 142 numbered entries, McDonnell said. So, thats just one entry but that could be multiple vehicles. We have a few car clubs and some trailers and things like that. McDonnell said because of the high volume of interest, they are fully booked for this year. We try to keep it around 2 hours, McDonnell explained. Theres a lot of kids in the crowd who can get impatient but theres lots of good stuff to see. Of course, Santa wraps it up at the end, so everybody likes to hangout and wait for him no matter what. She said there will not be vendors at this event but instead local businesses, selling hot chocolate and other goodies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parade starts at 16th and Main and is going to go all the way down Main Street to the intersection at 4th Avenue, McDonnell said. From there, it will take a right onto 4th and just a straight shot down to Powell Street. So, its a very simile route that we made easier this past year to accommodate the larger entries. McDonnell also said theyre expecting a variety of entries and not everyone participates every year, so theres always something new and exciting. Were going to have CCU, their dance team, and Chauncy they always like to kick us off. We also have Grant Holmes from the Atlanta Braves coming. Hes a pitcher for them, and he graduated from Conway High School, McDonnell said. So, hes going to be the Grand Marshall, really getting the parade kicked off for us and getting some excitement going. McDonnell encourages everyone to come out to the parade and visit the downtown area this holiday season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city really went all out this year. They have the Santas Village going on each weekend, theres a celebration of lights, and theres even a holiday carnival happening down at the marina area so theres so much to see. She said the Christmas parade is one of their biggest fundraisers of the year. She also encourages those who are interested in a float for next year, to apply early. * * * Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. CHICAGO A man who is currently being held at the Cook County Jail on murder and attempted murder charges is facing a new charge after authorities allegedly uncovered strips of drug-soaked papers in his pants during a search. According to officials from the Cook County Sheriffs Office, 23-year-old Anthony Aguirre has been indicted on a possession of contraband in a penal institution charge. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charge was handed down after officers said they allegedly discovered contraband hidden inside his pants during a search on Sept. 5. Photo provided by the Cook County Sheriffs Office shows contraband allegedly discovered in an inmates pants during a search in September. Authorities said the strips were later sent to the Illinois State Police forensic lab for testing and came back positive for synthetic cannabinoids. Aguirre, who has been in custody since 2020 on murder and attempted murder charges, was indicted by a Cook County Grand Jury on Nov. 21. Aguirres charges are just the latest in an ongoing fight against drug-soaked papers at the jail. 23-year-old Anthony Aguirre has been indicted on a possession of contraband in a penal institution charge. Deputies said this year alone, they have secured 62 charges in connection with the possession or smuggling of drug-soaked paper into the jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland In June 2023, WGN Investigates offered a look at the efforts by criminals to smuggle drug-soaked papers into the jail. Back in August, WGN-TV spoke with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart who said recent efforts to crack down on the contraband have pushed smugglers to up the lethality of what they are trying to get inside the jail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein are suing the leaders of the states legislature. House overrides Coopers veto of Helene relief bill making it law This comes after the Senate overrode the governors veto of Senate Bill 382. That bill set aside $227 million for Helene relief but also included a provision to strip power from incoming Democratic state leaders. And part of that was the governors ability to pick the commander of the North Carolina Highway Patrol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new law makes the highway patrol an independent agency and allows the legislature to reject Steins choice for the position. The lawsuit said it is the governors responsibility to help keep people safe and that the constitution gives the governor control over public safety. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (left) and Attorney General Josh Stein at a campaign event for Stein at the UNC-Chapel Hill campus on Oct. 28, 2024. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) North Carolina Governor-elect Josh Stein and Gov. Roy Cooper filed a lawsuit Thursday to block a new Republican-led law shifting executive power in government. Stein, who currently serves as attorney general, and Cooper argue that the portion of the law making the Highway Patrol its own department, with a commander appointed by the GOP-controlled legislature, is unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate Bill 382 threatens the safety of North Carolinians by eliminating the Governors powers of supervision and removal over the commander, attorneys for Stein and Cooper write in the lawsuit. Currently, the Highway Patrol falls under the purview of the Department of Public Safety. The head of DPS is appointed by the governor, who also oversees the patrol. Under the new law, the governor would be unable to remove the commander, Stein and Cooper argue even if he were to commit serious criminal misconduct. The legislatively-appointed commander may feel empowered to delay, modify or flatly reject the direction that he receives from the governor, since he is legislatively mandated to serve until at least July 1, 2030, the lawsuit continues. Republicans in the General Assembly overrode Coopers veto earlier this week, cementing into law a litany of changes to executive power. Many of them redirect existing authority from offices soon to be held by Democrats, including Stein, to those that will be held by Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new laws changes undermine the results of the election and violate the separation of powers, Cooper and Stein argue in a news release. Their lawsuit requests that the Highway Patrol language specifically be blocked from going into effect. Additional challenges to other provisions in the wide-ranging law could also be filed. Its fundamental to our constitution that the legislature can not both make the laws and then choose the leaders who enforce them, Cooper said. Breaking the executive branch chain of command in law enforcement or any other executive branch agency is unconstitutional and it weakens our ability to respond to emergencies and keep the public safe. Stein said Wednesday the law served as a cloak for (Republicans) political pettiness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) told reporters Wednesday he had expected the law to be challenged. Oh, of course its going to go to court, Moore said shortly after the House confirmed the veto override. The lawsuits probably already been filed while weve been sitting here or something. I mean, it always goes to court. Thats just the way it is. Moore, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and Freddy Johnson, commander of the Highway Patrol, are named as defendants in the lawsuit. Two days after a pair of arrests were made in the ambush-style murder of a Los Angeles doctor, authorities appear to be raiding the home of his ex-wife. In August, Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, 61, was killed by a gunman at the Warner Plaza Medical Center, located at Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Oxnard Street, as he walked to his car. Arrests made in ambush-style murder of beloved Southern California doctor On Tuesday, 41-year-old Tomball, Texas, resident Evan Hardman and 40-year-old Reseda resident Rose Sweeting were arrested in connection with the killing, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Law enforcement officials searched a Calabasas home on Dec. 12, 2024. (KTLA) Law enforcement officials searched a Calabasas home on Dec. 12, 2024. (KTLA) The investigation may be ongoing, however, as on Thursday, law enforcement could be seen raiding a Calabasas home that property records show belongs to Ahang Zarrinkelk, Mirshojaes ex-wife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) Twelve days ago, Carole Enzor got a shocking call from the Animal Emergency Hospital of the Grand Strand her dog, Bambi, had escaped the hospital. Got a call Sunday morning, Dec. 1, that she had gotten away from the vet tech, she said. After realizing her beloved 10-year-old Beagle-Chihuahua mixed dog wasnt acting herself, she immediately took her to the hospital. Later, she found out Bambi was diagnosed with Pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of the severity of her condition, Enzor and her husband left Bambi at the Animal Hospital for a two-night overstay on Nov. 29. But just two days later, vet techs informed her that an employee had broken the hospitals policies and took Bambi outside to use the bathroom without a leash on where she later escaped. Enzor said surveillance footage showed Bambi outside having no leash on, in addition to two open gates where the dog later ran through. When Bambi escaped, she still had IVs in her from her medical treatments. The Animal Emergency Hospital of the Grand Strand told News13 in a statement on Thursday that the employee responsible for Bambis escape has been fired. They said the employees actions do not reflect the ownership, veterinarians, or other staff at the hospital and that they did indeed break hospital policies. You take her to the veterinarian, you dont expect to lose her, Enzor said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said her family has put hundreds of posterboards and flyers throughout the Grand Strand. A $1,000 reward is on the flyer with the hopes of someone returning her for a cashout. But Enzor said her beloved dogs life is priceless. Courtesy: Carole Enzor Courtesy: Carole Enzor Courtesy: Carole Enzor Courtesy: Carole Enzor Courtesy: Carole Enzor Growing up in the countryside of Gallivants Ferry, Enzor said she and her family used to bread beagles, where 10 years ago, Bambi came to be. Our neighbor, Chihuahua, the neighbor boy, met our little beagle girl. And Bambi was born from that, she said. And so Ive had her since birth. Shes really special. Yes, shes a lovely little girl, but shes missing. We miss [her] terribly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both of her kids are now grown and have since left the nest, so Bambi is the only little one left at home. This is my baby. I mean, literally, this is my baby, Enzor said. I just want her back. And Im hoping to God somebody will call me. Its not fair. A couple days after Bambi went missing, Enzor said they had bloodhounds sent out to help search for her. However, she said the dogs unfortunately lost Bambis scent on Doe Drive in Deerfield in the middle of the street. Enzor said although shes hopeful to find her, she dreads not finding her alive, having a box with water and food if shes found alive. She also has a trash bag in case she discovers her beloved dog has already crossed the rainbow and needs to be taken home properly for burial or to be cremated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As much as me and my husband are heartbroken, I know my dog is heartbroken that she must think that we left her, she said. She doesnt deserve to be out there. Adding that although shes just a mutt, shes her mutt. Bambi is just this little brown and white half beagle half chihuahua the sweetest little thing, Enzor said. She does not have the black in her. Shes tan and white and she has a brown nose with a white at the end of her tail like she stuck it in paint. Without Bambi by her side anymore, Enzor said the house isnt the same withour her dogs love. She pretty much sticks right to me. Shell follow me around the yard. Shell follow me, will sit outside the shower. So shes always with me, she said. Were heartbroken. Please, I just want Bambi home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * * * Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. While aerial drone attacks on maritime vessels have thus far focused on commercial and naval ships, there is growing concern that quarter-billion dollar-plus superyachts, and the VIPs who own and cruise in them, may be vulnerable. Similar small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) used by ambitious paparazzi to photograph the vessels and people of the superyacht scene for more than a decade have proven deadly when weaponized in Ukraine and elsewhere, as The War Zone has frequently chronicled. This reality has created a small, but growing market for counter-UAS (CUAS) systems for superyachts. Over the last five years, a number of firms have begun to offer CUAS capabilities for ultra-luxury vessels, including London/Monaco-based MARSS, which recently completed the installation of its NiDAR CUAS system on an undisclosed 400-foot (120m) superyacht and its 230-foot (70m) support vessel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The installation cost approximately $4M and builds upon four previous NiDAR systems integrated by the company on new-build and existing superyachts in 2023. As costly as such systems are, a small but increasing number of owners figure theyre worth it. (MARSS) Their calculus is set against the broader superyacht business, which is down slightly this year, but that has boomed over the last several years as global wealth has continued to concentrate, and the global pandemic attached new value to both seclusion and seizing pleasure while one can. According to a feature in The New Yorker, the number of private yachts over 250 feet (76m) in length climbed from less than 10 in 1990 to well over 120 in 2022. The largest of them (sometimes called megayachts or gigayachts) rival or exceed naval destroyers in length, with hulls longer than 500 feet (152m). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To go with their size, superyachts are owned by people with pull business moguls, royals, top celebrities, and oligarchs. These people host equally high-profile and some very powerful but lower-profile individuals aboard their lavish vessels. Some of these figures can be major targets. In addition, these yachts have to travel through tough global neighborhoods to reach their destinations, and they are clearly prime targets, even symbolic ones, themselves. A general view of the yachts in the marina prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 24, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Peter Fox Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) JK SPORTSPHOTOGRAPHY So needless to say, security is already top of mind. This has long been the case in the Middle East where superyachts owned and operated by royal families or governments blur the line between private and state capabilities. The VIP/force protection for some yacht owners in the region has seen military capabilities deployed as part of standard protection. Lower-profile owners commonly employ highly experienced security teams for their superyachts. Such teams offer direct protection, risk mitigation planning, and the kind of threat assessment expertise that may convince an owner to acquire a counter-drone system. Privacy Or Protection MARSS end-to-end, detect to defeat CUAS solution is offered for fixed-site land and mobile applications, pairing the firms proprietary AI-enabled NiDAR command/control software and user interface with vendor-supplied sensors (radar, electro-optical/thermal), countermeasures, and effectors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has been available for several years and gained major market share in the Middle East, according to MARSS Vice President of Business Development Josh Harman. In fact, the companys NiDAR platform was integrated into the recent joint U.S./Saudi Arabia Red Sands 24.2 CUAS exercise as the central C2 and sensor fusion software in a layered defense. MARSS offers its scalable NiDAR solution for CUAS needs, which can incorporate various sensors and effectors based on the threat requirements. (MARSS) MARSS maritime CUAS features the same NiDAR C2 and sensor fusion but with an important difference. While it employs radar, optical, and passive radio frequency (RF) sensors along with software infused with AI to detect and classify UASs, it does not include any soft-kill or kinetic drone-defeat countermeasures. Thats because such mitigation features arent explicitly legal for private vessels, Frederik Giepmans, managing director for MARSS Maritime told TWZ in an interview. While international maritime conventions like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) or the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) currently say little about the permissibility of drone-defeat systems on commercial vessels or yachts, the laws of the respective flag-countries under which they operate generally prohibit passive or active drone defenses on these platforms. Laws within different territorial waters come into play as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the prohibitions on drone mitigation have not prevented the emergence of a superyacht CUAS market. Giepmans acknowledges that owners are reluctant to discuss the threat of airborne drones to the privacy or safety of their vessels, but they have been quietly buying systems from MARSS, United Kingdom-based Drone Defence, and CACI among others. NiDAR C2 interface in action. (MARSS) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MARSS maritime counter-drone system can utilize Echodyne radars, Aaronia passive RF sensors, and Current Science Corporation EO/IR cameras to detect small to midsize UAS at ranges out to about 12 miles (20km). MARSS points out that its NiDAR system is sensor agnostic so detection ranges will vary depending on what sensors are installed with the chosen suite. Its worth noting that MARSS seeks to offer comprehensive threat awareness for superyachts with its NiDAR 4D suite which, in addition to airborne drones, detects surface and underwater threats (UUVs/divers) using a variety of radar, optical, thermal, and sonar sensors. (MARSS) NiDARs proprietary AI handles UAS classification using video/radar/passive RF behavior pattern recognition, object data points, event history analysis, and other inputs. Once an airborne target is detected and identified, alerts are relayed to the yachts crew via the NiDAR user interface. Responses may include getting owners and guests below deck and into safe interior spaces and notifying local authorities of drone activity. Despite the questionable legality of using drone-defeat systems, jamming or kinetic actions by a yacht with the right equipment are possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When pressed, MARSS Maritimes managing director acknowledged that some owners have acquired active drone-defeat capabilities to go with CUAS detection, though not from MARSS he says. Simon Rowland, CEO of Veritas International, a United Kingdom-based private security firm that provides ex-military security personnel, cybersecurity, and other technical security services to the luxury yacht market, agrees. There are routes to installing the other half of the system, but youve got to find the right sort of place. There are export control issues for one, but I imagine there are creative routes to market, he says. However, going to such lengths is rare and generally superfluous with respect to current threats, Rowland asserts. For the time being, drone threats to superyachts appear to be limited to threats to privacy, not physical harm. Rowland adds that he doesnt know of any superyacht that has experienced an aggressive physical threat from airborne drones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats not to say it hasnt happened. Im just not aware of anything. Theres no trend I would say. The U.S. Coast Guard apparently hasnt identified a trend either. In response to a query regarding reports of unwanted drone activity around large yachts, a USCG spokesman offered The War Zone a somewhat cryptic reply. The Coast Guard does not have any readily available data on specific unauthorized small UAS near large recreational vessels. In the often secretive world of superyachts, it can be difficult to glean hidden concerns but both Rowland and Giepmans told The War Zone that in their view there is as yet no collective industry acceptance that airborne drone threats will become a widely standard conversation. The super-yacht Savannah in Portland Port.(Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images) Finnbarr Webster Joshua Hutchinson, managing director at Ambrey, another United Kingdom-based maritime security firm with a focus on commercial shipping, says that when the Houthi threat to shipping in the Red Sea emerged in late 2023, there was an initial burst of [CUAS system] inquiries, both from commercial shipping and the private yacht market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Interest has cooled, he says, adding that Ambrey has tested several CUAS detection systems like MARRS in the Red Sea but has not evaluated drone defeat systems. The reason is that given the general line-of-sight ranges at which small UAS operate, Hutchinson sees them as less of a threat to privacy or security in open water and more of an issue while commercial vessels or superyachts are in or near port. Hutchinson also points out that for less common, larger fixed-wing drones that fly at higher speeds, say those that fly at 90 to 185 mph (150-300 kph), most CUAS systems detection ranges (3-6 miles, 5-10km) afford only 15 to 20 seconds notice of a target and its direction, narrowing effective mitigation responses considerably. Your response time is extremely small and human error is vast, he says. A Shahed-136 recorded by a perusing Ukrainian Mi-8. Fixed-wing extended-range drones can fly faster over long distances, making them harder to defeat and predict. (Ukrainian Air Force screencap) Surface threats, whether piracy or terror, with manned or unmanned vessels, have longer detection timelines, offer better visual cues, and are easier to track thanks to approach speeds generally less than 15 mph (25 kph). Vessels can identify potential surface threats more easily and take evasive action. This could include deploying armed security teams and firing warning shots, if a vessel is hosting them, or otherwise denying a surface vessel a chance to close. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve seen that with the unmanned surface vessels launched by the Houthis and with pirates, Hutchinson attests. The implication is that counter-manned/unmanned surface systems are likely more effective for both commercial vessels and superyachts than CUAS systems. Moment a Houthi USV struck the British oil tanker, Cordelia Moon. The security team on board missed every shot. RN pic.twitter.com/O7ToDgUh0r Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) October 2, 2024 Thus far, Ambrey has yet to see a maritime CUAS system come to market that can guarantee effective drone defeat in all circumstances for superyachts or commercial vessels, Hutchinson adds, suggesting the most effective mitigation still lies in early assessment of risk and changing operational procedures (altering course, turning off AIS, limiting signal emissions) to avoid it. However, CUAS systems are being sold to private owners in part because of the operational predictability of the superyacht world. In the summer, yachts flock to Monaco, the French Riviera, the Greek and Aegean islands, and other southern European locales stretching East to the Levant. In winter, they migrate to a handful of popular Caribbean anchorages, to Miami, and a few locations to the north of South America. Yachts are moored at the Hercules Port in Monaco on Sept. 22, 2021, during the 30th edition of the International Monaco Yacht Show. The Monaco Yacht Show is considered the most prestigious pleasure boat show in the world with the exhibition of 500 major companies in luxury yachting and featuring more than 100 super and megayachts. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP) (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) VALERY HACHE At each of these, they are generally within sight of land and the line-of-sight range of small drones. Theyre static, at the pier or riding at anchor in a harbor, magnifying opportunities for snooping or malfeasance. They can also be located with ease. What people always forget about the shipping industry, Hutchinson observes, is that weve created this culture of readily available public information. You can download an [automatic identification system (AIS)] app on your phone in 30 seconds and track 90,000 ships for free. Or you can go online to sites like ShipLocation.com, which has a superyachts tracker. The perceived vulnerabilities may be enough to convince a yacht owner to install a CUAS system. Nevertheless, Rowland says he doesnt think security firms like Veritas or yacht builders want to go down the route of selling fear. I think theres a reluctance to highlight a potential significant threat before that threat materializes. But he acknowledges that the threat of drones, whether to privacy or yacht security, is rising. We are on a sliding scale and it isnt [diminishing], its sliding up, getting greater. The Vanity Market Even if owners are concerned about the possibility of prowling UAVs, theres another obstacle to selling CUAS systems to the superyacht crowd, Rowland affirms. Its how they look. The last thing an owner would like to do is to strap on to their beautifully-designed yacht an ugly piece of equipment to deal with a threat which may or may not materialize. Theres an element of vanity in the [yacht] market. Aesthetic concerns are well known to MARSS and other providers who have worked in recent years to both decrease the size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements of CUAS systems and to blend them into superyacht profiles. This is of high importance, Giepmans agrees. When it comes to placing sensors, it is imperative that they fit in with the overall appearance and design of the yacht. This is done through custom mounting solutions, color schemes and placing sensors within radomes where possible. The ball-style radomes seen on any number of superyachts built in the last decade, usually located high atop their superstructures, can sometimes accommodate additional sensors or subtly cloak sensors placed near them. Others (cameras, passive radio antennas) can be discreetly placed on the wings that often adorn masts atop the vessels. A rendering showing a CUAS sensor system on a yacht mast that incorporates EO/IR cameras with microwave radar arrays. (MARSS) There is another aspect of appearances that may carry weight. Superyacht owners exist within a culture of one-upmanship. If the yacht next to yours at Cap dAntibes is rumored to have a sophisticated counter-UAS system, you may feel the need to acquire your own to keep pace. And when money is not an object, why wouldnt you have that feature just like all the others on your massive yacht and, more increasingly often, the toy-packed support vessels that shadow them? The pressure to provide UAS detection and countermeasures for superyachts may eventually extend beyond the vessels themselves, Hutchinson says. Where do you put the pressure? Is the onus on the owner/operators or do you put it on the ports, forcing them to change their ISPS codes [International Ship and Port Facility Security Code] to say that we are a secure UAV environment? A file photo dated Sept. 10, 2018 shows mega yacht named Dilbar as it refuels by a tanker in Mugla, Turkiye. Germany seizes Russian billionaire Usmanovs yacht at Port of Hamburg. (Photo by Sabri Kesen/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Anadolu The odds that superyacht owners and their guests are considered important enough that they might one day enjoy drone-free zones in various ports could change the calculus for acquiring CUAS systems but it remains only a future possibility, not a given. Similarly, owners face a conundrum when considering adding drone detection to their yachts to ensure privacy or protection should they buy today or buy tomorrow? Do you buy the latest tech or do you wait? Hutchinson asks. Where are you operating? Whats your threat and security risk assessment? If youre concerned, youre going to be making a high investment into relatively new tech. But in two to three years time I think [CUAS acquisition] will be business as usual. Rowland takes a slightly different view, averring that decision-making based on privacy and security risks is often made by others with the general approval of superyacht owners. Its a nuanced and complicated part of yacht ownership. For the most part, owners farm these discussions away to other people within the build process or within the organization thats overseeing the build. Giepmans says that yacht builders are slowly integrating CUAS systems into the construction process of their vessels, consulting with firms like MARSS when owners specify inclusion. This photo shows moored yachts at the Hercules Port during the 32nd edition of the International Monaco Yacht Show in Monaco, on Sept. 27, 2023. The Monaco Yacht Show is considered the most prestigious pleasure boat show in the world with the exhibition of 500 major companies in luxury yachting and featuring more than 100 super and megayachts. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP) (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) VALERY HACHE Theres one thing that MARRS Giepmans, Veritas Rowland, and Ambreys Hutchinson all agree on: One publicly acknowledged UAS attack on a yacht would change everything, rapidly propelling the market. I think the market for counter-UAV is just starting, Hutchinson concludes. Especially in the private market, these kinds of systems will be built-in. Therell be an expectation that you can have jamming, that you can protect privacy as well as security. The transformation that UAS have wrought on the battlefields of Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, the Red Sea, and elsewhere is spilling over to many other areas of modern security, creating both risks and fortunes. The direct technology and enabling technologies that have made it a reality have been shepherded by some of the very people who have acquired superyachts in the last few years. A slowly growing group of them are buying CUAS systems for their vessels. The irony is inescapable, Rowland observes. Contact the editor: Tyler@twz.com A visitor views a work of Chinese painter Qi Baishi (1864-1957) during an exhibition titled "Qi Baishi: Inspiration In Ink" in San Francisco, California, the United States, Dec. 12, 2024. The exhibition, opened on Thursday, marks the 160th anniversary of the artist's birth, and will stay open until April 7, 2025. (Photo by Liu Yilin/Xinhua) Works of Chinese painter Qi Baishi (1864-1957) are on display during an exhibition titled "Qi Baishi: Inspiration In Ink" in San Francisco, California, the United States, Dec. 12, 2024. The exhibition, opened on Thursday, marks the 160th anniversary of the artist's birth, and will stay open until April 7, 2025. (Photo by Liu Yilin/Xinhua) A visitor views a work of Chinese painter Qi Baishi (1864-1957) during an exhibition titled "Qi Baishi: Inspiration In Ink" in San Francisco, California, the United States, Dec. 12, 2024. The exhibition, opened on Thursday, marks the 160th anniversary of the artist's birth, and will stay open until April 7, 2025. (Photo by Liu Yilin/Xinhua) A visitor takes photos of a work of Chinese painter Qi Baishi (1864-1957) during an exhibition titled "Qi Baishi: Inspiration In Ink" in San Francisco, California, the United States, Dec. 12, 2024. The exhibition, opened on Thursday, marks the 160th anniversary of the artist's birth, and will stay open until April 7, 2025. (Photo by Liu Yilin/Xinhua) Syrians living in Austria will be offered 1,000 (833) to return to their homeland after the collapse of Bashar al-Assads regime, the countrys chancellor has said. Karl Nehammer, whose country froze asylum applications this week after Assads fall, said Syria needed its citizens in order to be rebuilt. Austria will support Syrians who wish to return to their home country with a return bonus of 1,000, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Social media campaigns will also call on Syrians to voluntarily to return to their homeland, while other refugees primarily criminals face deportation. Several EU member states, including Germany and France, paused 108,000 Syrian asylum applications on Dec 9, the day after Assads regime collapse. The UK also took similar measures. It followed a similar approach taken for Afghan refugees after the Taliban returned to power following US withdrawal in 2021. Austria was one of the first countries to freeze asylum applications after rebels stormed Damascus on Dec 8. Austria will support Syrians, who wish to return to their home country, with a return bonus of 1,000 Euro. The country now needs its citizens in order to be rebuilt. Ongoing asylum procedures for Syrian citizens in Austria will continue to be suspended. Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) December 13, 2024 Austrias Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum has already stopped making asylum decisions for Syrians, and has also begun withdrawing asylum from some individuals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forced deportations will prioritise criminal individuals and those unwilling to integrate or work. However, even with a change in circumstances in Syria, revoking asylum does not guarantee deportation. The European Commission and NGOs have urged caution over revoking asylum as it remained unclear exactly what form the new Syrian government would take. Some countries, including Spain, continued to process applications, citing uncertainty in Syria. There are estimated to be around six million Syrian refugees dotted across the world, fleeing their home country after the outbreak of civil war. Syrias new interim prime minister on Wednesday called on the countrys millions of refugees around the world to return home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mohamed al-Bashir urged all Syrians scattered around the world to help rebuild as he welcomed a new dawn for the country following years of civil war, promising religious freedom for all. In his first interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, he said: My appeal goes out to all Syrians abroad: Syria is now a free country that has regained its pride and dignity. Come back. The former engineer told the estimated six million Syrian refugees abroad: We need to rebuild, to get our country on its feet again, and we need everyones help. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Dec. 13Just when you thought the 2024 General Election would pass into history without a challenge to the results, the Maricopa County Republican Committee is saying not so fast. In a suit filed Nov. 30 against multiple Maricopa County officials and Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, the committee is challenging the validation of the vote that approved the 20-year extension of the county's half-cent sales tax that funds billions of dollars of local and state road projects. Proposition 479 passed with 1,085,228 "yes" votes and 728,651 against, easing concerns of officials at every Arizona government level over the lifeline of a measure that has been approved twice in similar votes over the last 40 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in the suit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, the Republican Committee said that margin of victory wasn't enough. It alleges that voters two years ago approved an amendment to the Arizona Constitution that requires any tax measure to get 60% of the vote in a referendum in order for it to take effect and that "Proposition 479 did not receive 60% of the votes cast." The final tally put the "yes" votes at 59.8%. The Republican Committee is asking the court to decertify the election results and declare that Prop 479 failed at the ballot box. Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill was assigned the case after Judge Adam Driggs recused himself for undisclosed reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though neither Fontes nor the county officials named in the suit, including all five supervisors, had yet to respond, the president of the Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, Inc. last week issued a stinging release, calling the committee "an extremely small group of disgruntled partisans upset about the overwhelming passage of Proposition 479." David Martin said the committee "wants to pre-empt the will of these voters by tying the investment plan up in the courts. "It's clear this frivolous lawsuit has no merit and will eventually be thrown out by the courts" he said. "It's hypocritical that these 'conservatives' insist on having tax dollars wasted defending a lawsuit that clearly will not stand up in the courts." Noting the tax's importance to numerous road projects in the coming years, he said, "Members of the MCRC use these roads to get to and from work, take their kids to school and go to the grocery store. Instead of paying their fair share for public streets, members of the MCRC would rather have drivers stuck in traffic away from their families and pay exorbitant maintenance costs for damage caused by potholes." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit is the latest bump in the tax measure's road to implementation that dates back to 2022. The Legislature whose approval is necessary to put the measure on the ballot okayed it in 2022 for an election the following year. But then-Gov. Doug Ducey stunned supporters by vetoing the bill, noting it would have required a special election in spring 2023 that would "require unnecessary costs to administer" and "come at a time when voter turnout will likely be low." By the time the tax measure came before the Legislature again, Republicans opposed to light rail, particularly Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, were not inclined to approve it. Eventually, they reached a compromise with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs to allow the measure to go to voters as long as none of the tax revenue goes to any project or cost associated with light rail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Revenue from the tax can be used for mass transit, such as extending bus routes. While numerous city officials from Queen Creek to Scottsdale, Phoenix to Mesa and everywhere in between supported the measure in the official voters pamphlet, two conservative organizations and two East Valley residents wrote in opposition to it. Both the Goldwater Foundation and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed arguments against it. Ironically, the Free Enterprise Club letter was co-signed by Aimee Yentes, a former Gilbert councilwoman, who strongly opposed light rail funding when she was in office. She and club President Scot Mussi, a Gilbert resident, called the proposition "a transit slush fund masquerading as a transportation plan." Although the Legislature specifically banned the measure from being used to fund light rail, their letter said it "would divert nearly as much money to build light rail and other projects as it does to build freeways." Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, left, moderates a panel Thursday on the Blueprint for Marylands Future, an education reform plan. On the panel, from left, are Harford County Superintendent Sean Bulson; Nicole Miller, a Blueprint coordinator in Garrett County; Christina Miller, a Blueprint coordinator in Charles County; and Caroline County Superintendent Derek Simmons. Photo by William J. Ford. The states education reform plan needs some reforms itself if its to survive a looming multibillion-dollar budget deficit and deliver on its promises, school leaders and local elected officials said Thursday. The comments at a Maryland Association of Counties conference panel came one day after the Public School Superintendents Association of Maryland released a 30-p0int plan for policy and legislative changes to the Blueprint for Marylands Future, the sweeping school reform plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The main message from the panel titled What Weve Learned from Learning: The Blueprint in Year Three: One size does not fit all. Im in my seventh year as superintendent. Over those seven years, I can count on less than one hand the number of times 24 superintendents have come together to agree on something, said Sean Bulson, superintendent of Harford County Public Schools, one of four panelists at Thursdays conference. All the speakers praised the Blueprint, now in its third year. Mostly, the local officials at MACo winter conference in Cambridge said what they want is local flexibility. Bulson was joined by three other school leaders who highlighted how the plan has helped their school districts. Some of those gains include increased enrollment of 3- and 4-year-olds in prekindergarten, additional resources for students in low-performing schools and expanded opportunities for high school students to take college courses locally for free, a plan known as dual enrollment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But school leaders said more work is needed. Among the 30 recommendations in the 12-page document released Wednesday by the superintendents association is a call for the Maryland State Board of Education to revise the definition of college and career readiness to include career credentials for students who may not attend college after graduation. It also says the General Assembly should allow a limited amount of funding for fiscal management and other administrative duties toward community schools. Sen. Karen Lewis Young (D-Frederick), who was at the conference on other business, said the associations list of recommendations makes sense. Lewis Young, who serves on the Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee, said she plans to file a bill that will probably reflect a lot of their requests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicole Miller, a Blueprint coordinator in Garrett County, said the reform plan needs to include the flexibility to let local school officials assess each school. Miller, who also is her school systems chief academic officer, noted that schools in the county range from one with 54 students to another with about 900. With that in mind, the association asks for schools of fewer than 350 students to be waived out of the current 75/25 budget allocation, which requires 75% of state and local funds go to students and the remaining 25% go toward administrative functions. That change would require legislative approval, but resources could be freed up for small schools, or to address other unique discrepancies in individual school funding, with the change, according to the associations proposal. Although dual enrollment for apprenticeship programs has increased in Caroline County, Superintendent Derek Simmons said the Blueprint pillar, or priority, labeled college and career readiness (CCR) emphasizes opportunities and funding specifically for students who pursue career and technical education. The way the Blueprint is written, money goes to those kids who are qualified as CCR, said Simmons, who was on the MACo panel. CCR does not provide a focus on students who are [on] free and reduced meals. Looking at the economic challenges that our families face could be a great driver to change the outcome for so many of our students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another panelist, Christina Miller, a Blueprint coordinator in Charles County, said at an elementary school with 800 students in her county has about three or four teachers with at least five years of experience. Miller said the county has the highest number of non-certified teachers in the state. Another association proposal asks the Accountability and Implementation Board, which oversees the 10-year Blueprint plan, to study the effectiveness of providing National Board Certification when it comes to teacher recruitment and student achievement. The state Department of Education said in a teacher workforce report in May that slightly more than 1,200, or 74%, of Maryland teachers with certification are concentrated in Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery and Prince Georges counties. Currently, those who receive certification are eligible to receive a salary increase of $10,000. Those who teach at an identified low-performing school would receive an additional $7,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miller of Charles County said her system continues to work on those incentives, but its a challenge given the competition for teachers in the region. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE We are a suburb of Washington, D.C., so we have teachers that will live in Charles, she said. The majority of our residents leave the county to go to work, and so they go to Northern Virginia, they go to D.C., and D.C. public schools pay considerably more. So, what are things that are at a lower cost that can get us bigger results to help with the retaining of our teachers? Thats a question Howard County Council Chair Deb Jung (D) wants state lawmakers to answer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want state lawmakers to put more money into these incentives for teachers who are board certified to come to these higher poverty schools and relax the guidelines for what is a higher poverty school so we can attract those well-trained teachers back or keep them in the schools that are high poverty, she said. One state lawmaker who is pushing for Blueprint changes is Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore), who moderated the panel. It is not uncommon when we have major transformational legislation and policies to go back and to revisit and to readjust so that those policies can be successful, she said. We heard loud and clear that the best way we can make those adjustments are to get the recommendations from the local level. A couple in Australia have been accused of faking their young son's cancer diagnosis "It will be alleged that the accused shaved their 6-year-old childs head, eyebrows, placed him in a wheelchair with bandages on his head in order to imitate stereotactic radiotherapy treatment," South Australia Police's Acting Assistant Commissions, John DeCandia, said in a news conference on Friday, Dec. 13 "I couldnt think of a more devious and cruel scheme that the parents have done to their own child, the officer added of the alleged crimes A couple in Australia have been accused of faking their 6-year-old son's cancer diagnosis. On Friday, Dec. 13, the woman and man, both 44, appeared at Port Adelaide Magistrates Court, where they were "each charged with one aggravated count of committing an act likely to cause harm, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Separate attorneys for the accused, who haven't been named by police, said both would be denying the charges, per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The news came after South Australia Police's Acting Assistant Commissions, John DeCandia, held a news conference earlier on Friday, confirming two people had been arrested by the Western District Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) on Thursday, Dec. 12 for criminal neglect and deception and that bail had been refused. Per DeCandia, it's been alleged that "the couple caused psychological harm to their child by falsely purporting a cancer diagnosis." Google Maps A photo of Port Adelaide Magistrates Court A photo of Port Adelaide Magistrates Court The officer alleged that the couple had been requesting monetary donations through a GoFundMe page and word of mouth, to fund their 6-year-old son's medical treatment. DeCandia told reporters it's believed they managed to raise around $60,000 AUD ($38,200 USD) in a "short period of time." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will be alleged that the accused shaved their 6-year-old childs head, eyebrows, placed him in a wheelchair with bandages on his head in order to imitate stereotactic radiotherapy treatment," he explained. The investigation has confirmed that the child is not seeking any medical treatment. We believe this farce illness is causing serious and significant psychological harm to the child and their sibling, the officer added. DeCandia added that he believed the boy's sibling is a girl in the 6-12 age group bracket, and said that the children have been removed from the custody of the parents, with a nominated relative caring for them at the moment. He also stated that the incident had been reported to police on Nov. 26 and that the Western District Child and Family Investigation Section had been working with the Department of Child Protection, the childs school and Child Protection Services amid the ongoing case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I couldnt think of a more devious and cruel scheme that the parents have done to their own child, he said of the alleged crimes. Its abhorrent that people would seek to profit for their own personal greed and selfishness from such an insidious condition such as cancer that impacts so many families in our community, DeCandia told reporters. He said that there will be "ongoing support that will be needed for the child because initially thinking youve got cancer, and youre not well, would be quite devastating." It takes away from those in genuine need its disgusting that these types of cases may have an impact on people that genuinely need that assistance, the officer insisted during the conference. SA Police News South Australia Police's Acting Assistant Commissions John DeCandia South Australia Police's Acting Assistant Commissions John DeCandia Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. During the couple's court appearance on Friday, Magistrate Alison Adair said she's "open to considering another bail application" in early 2025 and "ordered a home detention report for the mother" who is expected to return to court on Jan. 6, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The father also remains in custody, and Adair adjourned his case until Dec. 20, the outlet reported. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) "has decided not to proceed with the offense of criminal neglect," which police had previously mentioned, according to the ABC. The South Australia Police and the DPP didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE. Read the original article on People ATLANTA Watson Spence attorney Chris Cohilas offered a three-judge panel of the Georgia Court of Appeals a vivid scene to consider. "Right now, in Lee County, a citizen is watching TV in his home," Cohilas said. "He's drinking water and cooking on his stove; using gas, electricity and water supplied by Albany Utilities. Every month he sends a check to the city to pay for these utilities." Cohilas' point to the panel of judges Stephen Dillard, Benjamin Land and Amanda Mercier was clear: The city of Albany continues to make money off the land it purchased as part of an agreement with South Georgia Rails to Trails in 2015, but it has steadfastly refused to hold up its end of a contract in which city officials agreed to build a 13-mile trail from downtown Albany to the city of Sasser in Terrell County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cohilas was arguing the case on behalf of SGRT after the city appealed a Superior Court ruling not to dismiss a $7 million lawsuit filed by the trail group after the city refused to continue work on the trail that it had agreed in April of 2015 to finish within five years. It was obvious from the judges' responses that they had difficulty following the logic of opposing attorney Jacob Daly with the large Atlanta-based Freeman, Mathis, Gary firm, who served as the city of Albany's representative. Daly essentially told the judges the city is not bound by the contract it signed, citing, among other reasons, "one government panel cannot bind another" to such a contract. "Tell me, how can a city ever finish a significant project if it's not bound to honor a contract from year to year?" Mercier asked. Land followed up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Who is even going to enter into a contract that says a five-year project can be terminated every year?" he asked. Dillard asked Daly point-blank: "If the contract is voided, is the city going to go onto that land it bought and take out the utilities lines it put in for people in Lee County?" When Daly replied "if it comes to that," Dillard asked, "So, has the city estimated the cost to remove those lines? What this sounds like to me is buyer's remorse. The city took control of the property, put in the utility lines, and now they're saying the contract is void." Cohilas said the city is not only reneging on the deal it made with South Georgia Rails to Trails, it is breaking the promise it made to Albany citizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The citizens of Albany voted to tax themselves an extra penny to get the trail and other projects; it was something they were promised," he said. "So the city is not just breaking its promise to SGRT, they're breaking a promise to the voters in the city and county. I was the (Dougherty) County Commission chairman at the time. I know what the citizens were promised and what was approved. "And what really makes me angry is that the city is paying a considerable amount of money to try and break the promises it made. They've admitted this is just a case of buyer's remorse, but the mayor simply has said, 'We are not building this trail.' The city has not properly managed the money that's been collected for this project. I'd like to know how much of the taxpayers' money they've spent to try and break these promises." New City Manager Terrell Jacobs, who has been in that position only a short time, said he would like for cooler heads to prevail in the matter. "I'm kind of waiting for the oral arguments to wrap up and see where we are," Jacobs said. "I was hoping that we'd be able to sit down and mediate an agreement, work this out before it got this far in the courts. My ambition is to do that before this ruling comes down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't think a ruling will be made before the first of the year, so I hope we can sit down and come to an agreement that will please everyone." Cohilas said he expects the Court of Appeals panel to make a decision on the case within the next three months. "I've been humbled enough times to know you never use the term 'slam dunk' when you're talking about a case," he said. "But I feel good about the interactions with the court. I think we've got a great case. I really, really, really, really, really would not want to be the city's attorney." OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) A man was arrested on Friday after an armed robbery call where a suspect forced a metro store owner to help steal his stores ATM. I feel for the store owner, he didnt need a gun in his face, said Patrick Engle, who said he helped Oklahoma City Police find the suspect. Engle said he owns the house where the getaway car used in the crime was allegedly found. Eventually, the ATM would be found in a shed nearby. Records show it was damaged as if someone had tried to break into it but failed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement | READ PAST REPORT > Three suspects arrested after ATM theft in SW OKC > According to an affidavit, Guadalupe Rosales allegedly went to S & S Grocery near Agnew and SW 22nd on December 6th. Documents detailed that he entered the store and zip-tied the owner near the ATM. Rosales allegedly tried stealing the machine but couldnt because it was heavy so he pointed a firearm at the owner and forced him to help out. Surveillance footage captured by the stores cameras allegedly caught the vehicle involved and its license plate. The footage showed that the plate belonged to a registered owner who lived near SW 27th and Shartel Ave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yeah, I was putting up the Christmas Tree in the rectory (at Mount St. Marys Catholic High School nearby) when the maintenance man told me that police were staked outside my house, said Engle. | READ LOCAL > You should be sad: Kingfisher school board accepts 18 resignations in response to $5 million settlement > Engle eventually contacted police and told them he knew where the alleged getaway car was. Throughout the day, Engle told police that Rosales had borrowed a dolly and even borrowed his car. I think he used that dolly to help load up the ATM or load it out, said Engle. Guadalupe Rosales. Photo courtesy Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Police would eventually find the borrowed vehicle and arrest Rosales along with two other women in the vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police are also seen on video taking a baby in a carrier out of the vehicle. Who wants somebody that might be a danger to themselves or others on the loose, said Engle. Engle also told News 4 that he felt bad for the family along with Rosales and said that he hopes he gets the rehabilitation he needs. Rosales was booked into Oklahoma County jail on a $75,000 bond and faces a charge of robbery or attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, as well as a charge of kidnapping. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A change of venue hearing in the case against the former Franklin County Sheriffs deputy who fatally shot Casey Goodson Jr. was held Wednesday. Ex-deputy Jason Meades lawyers filed a charge last month requesting a change of venue for his February 2025 re-trial. After a Franklin County judge declared a mistrial in the murder case against Meade last February, his lawyers argued that due to all of the publicity before, during and after the trial, a change of venue is necessary for the retrial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitehall police officer fired after investigation into falsifying confession Meade is accused of fatally shooting Goodson at the door of his grandmothers house in 2020, shooting him six times in the back. Meade claims Goodson pointed a gun at him twice, making him fear for his life. Meades attorney Mark Collins pointed to banners on I-70 and I-71, signs, and flyers all calling for justice for Goodson. Collins said that taints the jury pool. Collins also pointed to the role of elected officials in Franklin County after the first trial, calling out people like Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, City Attorney Zach Klein, and newly elected Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor, who have all taken to social media voicing support for Goodsons family and the case against Meade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When they post on social media, when they give statements like that, theyre reaching out to people that voted for them, people that gave them money to run their campaign, people who trust them, Collins said. Local union branches urge mail carriers to vote against proposed agreement with USPS Meantime, prosecutors opposed the change of venue motion. Prosecutor Tim Merkle said until a jury is seated, its impossible to know what kind of prejudice is out there. Hes assuming that every voter is paying attention to the elected official, Merkle said. But that isnt necessarily true. Weve got 800,000 registered voters. We have a jury pool of 800,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins said a case like this is anything but typical When you have those types of things happening along with the social media, along with the podcasts, along with the Tik Toks, along with the Snapchats where hes labeled murderer Meade, those are all the things that input explicit bias, Collins said. The request for the change of venue was taken into consideration by the judge; however,no decision was made. Another motion was brought forth by Meades defense to manage the conduct of those inside the courtroom. Meades attorney Steve Nolder said those in the courtroom should not be allowed to wear Airpods or clothing that may influence the jurys decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ex-Franklin County deputy pleads not guilty in connection to assault of inmate People coming into court shouldnt come to the courthouse dressed trying to influence the jurors by wearing clothing that might signal what they believe and how just they should be, Nolder said. The Goodson familys attorney Sean Walton said the defenses strategy is to distract, and what people wear is irrelevant to the outcome. Issues with the Airpods, I think we all know that people commonly forget to take your Airpods out, Walton said. In fact, it wasnt even on the side facing the jurors and so its disingenuous, its a distraction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defendants motion for courtroom decorum, meant to enforce proper in-court behavior, was also taken into consideration by the judge. Goodsons mother, Tamala Payne, along with other members of the family, sat in on the hearing. Its hard, Payne said. Weve got to come, and weve got to do it a second time but were walking in expecting a victory. Were expecting a guilty verdict. How Columbus Humane protects animals in winter weather One thing both sides agreed on was the jury view, which is a procedure where a jury is taken to a location or property thats relevant to the case but cant be brought into a courtroom. They agreed its important for the jury to be able to see everything before making a decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meade is set to go back on trial in February. There is no word on when the judge will rule on the motions heard Thursday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. CHICAGO Rapper Lil Durk, who is already accused in a murder-for-hire plot in Los Angeles, is now linked to a deadly shooting outside of a youth center on the citys Far South Side in 2022, according to a report. The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that recently unsealed court records link the 32-year-old rapper, whose birth name is Durk Devontay Banks, to the murder of 24-year-old Stephon Mack on Jan. 7, 2022, outside of the Youth Peace Center in Roseland. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Tribune said the court records alleged that Banks was the mastermind behind the murder-for-hire plot targetting Mack in retaliation for the murder of his brother Dontay Banks, who was fatally shot in 2021 outside of a nightclub in Harvey. According to the Tribune, the warrant application was initially filed in April of 2023 but was unsealed ahead of Banks detention hearing in his murder-for-hire case out of Los Angeles. Charges have not been filed against Banks in connection with Macks murder. In late 2023, charges were brought against Preston Powell and Anthony Montgomery-Wilson, in what authorities called a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in Macks death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland The Tribune said federal investigators were able to link the duo to Banks using text messages, phone calls and social media posts. Banks has already been charged in connection with a separate murder-for-hire plot targeting Georgia-based rapper Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Terrel Bowman, over his suspected involvement in the killing of emerging Chicago rapper King Von in 2020 in Atlanta. Banks is among five accused in the 2020 plot, which ended in a deadly shooting that claimed the life of Bowmans cousin, 24-year-old Saviaya Robinson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. KAANAPALI, Hawaii (KHON2) Boat operators in Kaanapali, Maui, might not be allowed to launch or operate from the world-famous beach starting next year. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Its all due to a court ruling and a lawsuit dating back to 2017. Nearly 30 boat operators at Kaanapali Beach told KHON2 that theyre worried they wont be in business within a few months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The timing of this is really, really difficult, explained Denver Coon of Trilogy Excursions. Its already been a tough year, and now were going to start the new year kind of in the unknown. Unknown because the state has not informed boaters of a ruling that happened last week when Maui judge Peter Cahill ordered the Department of Land and Natural Resources to halt issuing and renewing commercial permits off Kaanapali until the DLNR could complete an environmental assessment, or determine the permits are exempt from review. Ideas for the 12 days before Christmas Disheartening and shocking are two words that are obviously very important right now, said Mike Kelley, owner of Teralani Sailing Adventures. This being two weeks from Christmas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of us have heard anything from anyone in administration or harbors or rules regarding this, he continued. He said he has about 40 employees that would be impacted and are uncertain about their future in 2025. Do they need to move to the mainland? Can they put their kids in school? Should they buy groceries? We just have no idea whats going on, Kelley added. Judge Cahills decision dates back to 2017 when a group initially filed a lawsuit against DLNR asking it to consider the environmental impacts of the increased commercial activity in Kaanapali. Rescue crews search for missing visitor off Kauais North Shore Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has taken this long to work its way through the court system, said Kai Nishiki, a community activist and also part of the group Na Papai Wawae Ulaula which filled the lawsuit. We asked them to rule that DLNR must be required to do an environmental assessment prior to issuing a commercial use permits at Kaanapali, because of our concerns about the increased impacts their businesses were having on public access, public access parking, discharge of wastewater into our near shore environment and the cumulative impacts of these activities on our communities, including public health and safety issues on Kaanapali Beach. Hawaiis unique whale watching cat-bird seat She said theres a constant loading and offloading of passengers, sometimes in dangerous ocean conditions. Its our understanding that DLNR is required to do an environmental assessment before they can continue issuing these permits, and so we are waiting to see what DLNRs response will be, Nishiki said. Were very happy and relieved that we have finally received some vindication that there are impacts and that they should be looked at. She said the beach is very crowded with little enforcement and little safety protocols. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City Council defers vote on Vacant Homes Tax It definitely feels like it has been mismanaged, it does not have appropriate management of commercial activities, and so there are a lot of user conflicts, and public health and safety has been definitely impacted at Kaanapali due to this mismanagement, Nishiki said. Nishiki said this was filed in 2017, well before the Lahaina fire displaced residents and others who lost their jobs too. She said she wants DLNR, the community, and the boat operators to come together and discuss solutions that would make everyone happy. Boat operators said they have customers park at hotels, pump discharge on land, follow all the rules that were put in place 40 years ago with public input. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They alleged that a boat had discharged its waste near the shoreline, which is illegal under federal law, explained Coon. All of our boats are outfitted so that they can only pump out their waste on land, and they actually physically cannot pump into the water and its been like that for decades. He said the permits allow for the catamarans to load and unload passengers from the beach. The DLNR wouldnt comment or answer questions regarding Judge Cahills decision saying litigation is still active. Families have put their hearts and souls and money into this, the families are going to be the most tragically impacted by this, said Kelley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were hoping DLNR can reach out to the judge and cause a temporary amendment of this or revision or an understanding where an environmental assessment could be called for and procured while operations continue, he explained. To have everything shut down and then seek an EA, which could take a year or more, just seems crazy. Theres over 900 jobs that were lost from Lahaina harbor that still have not come back, Coon added. And now youre going to add another 230 plus jobs on top of that. The boat companies said if nothing is done soon it would have a ripple effect across West Maui, including the businesses at Whalers Village. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KHON2 reached out to the Attorney Generals office who said this court decision only impacts Kaanapali, and not other areas in the state. The office would not comment further on the litigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) Covelli Enterprises is once again making the holidays a little brighter for some families this holiday season. Read next: Wintry mix possible this weekend The company presented a $15,000 check to the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program Friday at the Panera Bread location on Elm Road in Warren. In addition to the monetary donation, Covelli Enterprises presented a display of $1,000 in toys to Marine Corps representatives in attendance. They say the Toys for Tots Campaign went very well this year, but they are still in need of toys to hit their goal before Christmas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are in most need of newborn to two-year-olds as well as ten and plus. More of a demand of toys with less of an expectation that we received at the warehouse is causing the shortfall, said Sgt. Ayala Valentin of the United States Marine Core. Were out clearing Walmart, Target, Olliesall of the stores you can imagine. We are clearing them out because were trying to fulfill the mission of Toys for Tots. The drop-off boxes around the Mahoning Valley have all been picked up, but you can still donate a new, unused, unwrapped toy to the local Toys for Tots warehouse in the Austintown Plaza between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. You can also donate monetarily through the Toys For Tots website. This holiday season marks the 40th year Covelli Enterprises has contributed to the cause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) holds a meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ankara, Turkiye, Dec. 12, 2024. Blinken arrived in the Turkish capital on Thursday. Upon his arrival, Erdogan held a meeting with him on the situation in Syria. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) ANKARA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting Friday on combating terrorism and achieving stability in Syria, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. "Our priorities include ensuring stability in Syria and preventing the dominance of terrorist organizations such as IS (Islamic State) and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party)," Fidan said at a joint press conference with Blinken in the capital Ankara. Fidan emphasized the alignment between the two nations in addressing key challenges in the region and said their talks focused on exploring solutions to Syria's ongoing crisis and broader regional issues. "We agreed that a ceasefire in Gaza should be reached as soon as possible," Fidan said. Blinken, for his part, acknowledged Turkiye's role in influencing Hamas to reach a hostage ceasefire agreement, adding that there's broad agreement on expectations for the interim government in Syria -- one that is inclusive, protects minority rights, rejects extremism, and poses no threats to its neighbors. The two officials also reiterated their commitment to ongoing counter-IS efforts. Blinken arrived in the Turkish capital on Thursday following a visit to Jordan. Upon his arrival, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting with him on the situation in Syria. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold a meeting in Ankara, Turkiye on Dec. 13, 2024. Fidan and Blinken held a meeting Friday on combating terrorism and achieving stability in Syria, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting in Ankara, Turkiye on Dec. 13, 2024. Fidan and Blinken held a meeting Friday on combating terrorism and achieving stability in Syria, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) It was a night to honor the work of creative leaders in the city of Springfield. Massachusetts State Police conducting sobriety checkpoint in Hampden County The Springfield Creative City Collective (SCCC) held its annual meeting Thursday night at the 650 penthouse in Tower Square. Those attending celebrated their achievements this past year including advocating for the Downtown Vitality Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a Massachusetts bill that aims to support the strength of downtowns and main streets. Their goal is to continue to help the city thrive through sustainable and cultural initiatives. Im originally a grassroots organizer and a lot of people here started from nothing, to successfully bring so many impactful people together on a normal basis is newer for our city and so Im so proud of the social infrastructure weve been able to build, said Tiffany Allecia, the Executive Director of the Springfield Creative City Collective. The SCCC also gave out $50,000 in grants this year to artists, entrepreneurs, and businesses in the city. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Originally appeared on E! Online Crystal Mangum is ready to apologize. Nearly 20 years after the former exotic dancer accused Duke University lacrosse players Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans of rape in 2006, she publicly admitted, for the first time, that she lied about the allegations. During an interview held from the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Womenwhere she is currently serving an unrelated sentence for second-degree murder of her then-boyfriend in 2013, per NBC NewsMangum set the record straight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That night, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and Dave Evans, they took me into their home and they trusted, she told Katerena DePasquale, host of the Lets Talk With Kat podcast in the Dec. 11 episode. The Bible says that you shouldnt do harm to your neighbor that lives trustingly beside you, and they were my brothers and they trusted me that I wouldnt betray their trust and I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn't. She added, And that was wrong, and I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me, and made up a story that wasn't true because I wanted validation from people and not from God. More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The now-46-year-old, who was 28 when she made the allegations, expressed her hopes that Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans can forgive her. I want them to know that I love them, Mangum added, and they didnt deserve that. And I hope they can forgive me. I hope they can heal and trust God and know that God loves them. E! News has reached out to Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans for comment but has not yet heard back. Let's Talk With Kat Podcast In 2006, while a student at North Carolina Central University, Mangum told police she was attacked by three menthen aged between 19 and 23in the bathroom during a Duke lacrosse party where shed been hired to perform, according to Peoples reporting at the time, citing court records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangum told police, per local outlet WRAL, citing court records, that the three men had raped, sodomized, and beaten her over a thirty-minute period. While Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans were each charged with multiple crimes at the time, including rape, Mangums claim was eventually debunked and the players declared innocent in part due to the nonexistence of DNA evidence on Mangums body. Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Then-North Carolina Attorney General Roy Coopernow the states governordid not prosecute Mangum for perjury, telling reporters at the time it was due to the belief of investigators that she may have actually believed the many different stories that she has been telling. Now, almost two decades later, Mangum says she doesnt have regrets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everything happens to get everybody to the point where they are, she said. And it's all to show God's love and His forgiveness, His grace and His mercy. (NBC News and E! News are both part of NBCUniversal.) For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Colorado Springs Police Department arrested a woman after she escaped from officers, stole a vehicle, and then fought them. On Friday, Dec. 13, officers responded to a family disturbance at the 5100 Airport Road near Sagebrush Park. According to CSPD, the victims daughter, Ariana Fresquez, was staying in her home and had snuck in with her boyfriend, who was not allowed in. When the victim discovered this, a disturbance occurred and eventually, the two suspects left. The boyfriend had an outstanding warrant, and as officers looked through the area for them, they located Fresquez, who then escaped from the officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CSPD said Fresquez stole a vehicle, crashed it, and got it high-centered. She then fought with officers who responded to the crash and was arrested. The other suspect is still outstanding. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. CHICAGO Dozens of members of the Chicago Teachers Union rallied ahead of Thursday evenings meeting of the Chicago Board of Education that will include discussion on the teachers contract and address the closure of charter schools and the future of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. The meeting at the districts Colman Office, at 4655 S. Dearborn St., is the last for the current Board of Education before the new partially elected board is seated in January. Those gathered expressed concern over the planned closure of seven schools in the Acero Charter Schools network and discussed how to protect schools and students from mass deportations under the incoming Trump administration. The district is scheduled to present options to the roughly 2,000 Latino students who would be impacted by the closures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the fate of Martinez remains uncertain. Sources have told WGN that he denied an offer from the board to buy out his contract. More than 700 principals and assistant principals have signed a letter supporting him. Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez hires law firm amid ousting dispute: Report The turmoil comes as CPS tries to hammer out a four-year contract with the CTU. The union is asking for 6% salary increases in each of the first two years followed by 5% increases in the later years. The union had initially asked for a 9% increase. It is a Springfield issue, and so sorry to tell the Senate president, and sorry to tell the Speaker of the House, that they are going to have to think about Chicago during this legislative session, CTU president Stacy Davis Gates said ahead of the meeting. Theyre going to have to think a lot about Chicago, because our school district, like every school district in the state of Illinois, deserves priority because we teach young people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district faces a deficit of about $500 million in each of the next five years. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. HAVANA (Reuters) - Cubans still reeling from months of hours-long blackouts now have a new problem on their hands: fuel shortages. Many gas stations across the island have been shuttered for days as an unusually severe shortfall has left the nation nearly devoid of gasoline and diesel, stranding motorists and sprouting seemingly interminable lines at the pump in Havana. "We have been waiting for a fuel truck to arrive for three days," said Armando Corrales from the driver's seat of his gray Kia SUV at a gas station in the capital. "People have slept here in line so they don't lose their spot." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest crisis comes on the heels of three nationwide blackouts in two months that left millions in the dark for days, prompting the communist-run government to temporarily close schools and non-essential industry. Cuba has yet to provide an explanation for the most recent shortfall. Only a comparative trickle of fuel has been served in Havana since Wednesday, according to a government application that records deliveries to individual gas stations. Officials have previously blamed fuel shortages on the decades-old U.S. trade embargo, which complicates Cuba's financial transactions, making it more difficult for the government to purchase fuel on the spot market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuba's long-time allies have reduced fuel shipments this year. Venezuela has sent 44% less crude and fuel to the Caribbean island during the January to November period, according to tanker monitoring data and documents from Venezuela's state company PDVSA. Mexico, which has become a regular supplier to the island, has made up for some of the difference. But both Venezuela and Mexico send mostly crude to Cuba, whose obsolete refineries must use it to make gasoline and diesel for cars, trucks and generators. Cuba this year began selling fuel in dollars at non-subsidized prices on par with regional neighbors. The government said this was necessary, in part, to raise enough foreign currency to ensure a steady supply at the pump. Even those far pricier "dollar gas stations" faltered this week, said Jorge Figueredo as he waited to pump fuel in the Havana suburb of Miramar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The lines are now miles long even when you go to buy fuel in dollars," Figueredo said. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Nelson Acosta, additional reporting by Carlos Carrillo and Mario Fuentes in Havana and Marianna Parraga in Houston; Editing by David Gregorio) Billionaire investor Mark Cuban said he ignored notes that Vice Presidential Harriss campaign was giving him while he was their acting surrogate on the trail. I would go into immigration and, you know, I was honest, I would not let the Harris campaign tell me what to say. They would try to give me notes and I would say, I dont care, Cuban said during his Thursday appearance on comedian Jon Stewarts podcast The Weekly Show. One of the few areas where Cuban publicly broke with Harris during the campaign was over a proposed 25 percent minimum tax on total income exceeding $100 million, including unrealized gains on assets that havent been sold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuban on Stewarts podcast suggested the Harris campaign privately agreed with his criticism about the idea, which was part of President Bidens 2025 budget proposal. I talked a lot about unrealized gains and, you know, when I went out there for the first time and said that was ridiculous and I went back and spoke to them and said, you know, Im not hearing you guys challenge me at all, and they were like, well, youre saying things that we would like to say, but we cant say, so I kept on going with it, Cuban said. So I took that as asset approval and went with it, so that was one area, he added. Cuban was one of the most visible campaign surrogates, especially from the business world, traversing the country and promoting Harriss economic proposals. While he offered scathing criticism of her rival, President-elect Trump, Cuban congratulated the Republican candidate on his general election win, as well as fellow billionaire Elon Musk, a major Trump backer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuban also told Stewart during the episode that he warned the Harris campaign that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) head Gary Gensler, who will step down next month, could be detrimental to gaining support among younger men and ultimately play a part in losing the 2024 presidential election. The billionaire pointed to Genslers skeptical stance on cryptocurrency, and fraught relationship with that industry. And I said it to Gary Gensler directly, I said it to Kamala, I said it to her team, that Gary Gensler could cost her the election and theres an argument to be made when you look at the numbers, you know, a whole lot of young men voted against Kamala Harris and I think crypto had a lot to do with it, Cuban said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Czechia has organised a campaign to raise money for a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk combat helicopter to be supplied to Ukrainian military intelligence. Source: European Pravda with reference to Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) Details: Intelligence officers reported that Czechia wants to buy a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter for their Ukrainian counterparts. It was stated that the purchase of the helicopter requires almost US$3 million, two-thirds of which have already been raised. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As noted, Ukrainian intelligence already has several of these aircraft in service. They are successfully used in operations against Russian occupation forces. Quote: "We are grateful to all those in Czechia and across Europe who joined the initiative and continue to support Ukraine's resistance! Our friends have given a new boost to the fundraising campaign to strengthen Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and found a cheaper and better quality Black Hawk in the US." Background: As reported earlier, the Czech initiative to raise funds for the purchase of drones for use in combat in Ukraine had raised more than CZK 203 million (over 8 million) by 5 December. It is worth noting that the Czech fundraiser for Black Hawk was launched in 2023. As of November 2023, the Czech initiative A Gift for Putin had raised almost 500,000 to purchase a Black Hawk helicopter for Ukrainian military intelligence. In January 2024, it was reported that the Prague police were investigating threats against Czech actor Ondrej Vetchy for supporting the Skupina D campaign, which raises funds for drones for Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) Danville Area Community College is welcoming Randy Fletcher, the colleges interim president, during a reception next Thursday. Fletcher steps into the role following Former DACC president Stephen Naccos removal as president. Former DACC presidents candidacy for Board of Education seat challenged Fletcher is a native of Oakwood, and a graduate of Oakwood High School. According to a release sent from the college, Fletcher is returning to the community and the institution that first sparked his passion for community colleges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DACC will host a Welcome Reception on Dec. 19 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Vermilion Hall room 306. The college said this will be an opportunity for community members, students, faculty and staff to hear more about Fletchers vision for DACC. Fletcher has a Doctorate in Education from the University of Illinois. DACC said his leadership experiences stems from his time in higher education. DACC is my home community college, and I take the responsibility of serving as president very seriously, Fletcher said. Im looking forward to reconnecting with the DACC family and working together to build on its proud history of service and success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. KIEV/MOSCOW, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Explosions were heard all over Ukraine on Friday morning as Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on its energy infrastructure, Ukrainian media reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that preliminary reports showed 93 missiles and almost 200 drones were launched against Ukraine in "one of the largest strikes on our energy sector." Explosions sounded in the northern Kiev region, the southern Odesa region, the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, reported the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. Ukraine's state-run energy company Ukrenergo announced plans to toughen power supply restrictions in the wake of the attack. Russia's defense ministry said the massive strike, which involved high-precision long-range air- and sea-based weapons and drones, was in response to Ukraine's attack on its territory with U.S.-made missiles. Earlier on Wednesday, the ministry said Ukrainian forces used six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles to attack the Taganrog military airfield in Russia's Rostov region. Moscow had vowed to respond with "appropriate measures." In a major shift of policy on the Ukraine crisis, the United States in November authorized Ukraine to use U.S. long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia, triggering an escalation of tension around the conflict. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Friday on the Daily 8, were looking at Ferris State Universitys new project, a scary crash in Comstock Township, how to give back at Woodland Mall and more. You can watch the full Daily 8 for Dec. 13, 2024, in the video player above or check out any of the stories mentioned below: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each weekday, the Daily 8 brings you the top eight stories we are keeping an eye on in and around West Michigan. Join us again Monday for the Daily 8. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Dane County's DAIS held an Oct. 1 rally for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner) The Wisconsin Examiners Criminal Justice Reporting Project shines a light on incarceration, law enforcement and criminal justice issues with support from the Public Welfare Foundation A report released Thursday from Dane Countys Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) found that Dane County judges grant restraining orders against perpetrators of intimate partner violence in 34% of cases. The report found that even when a judge grants a restraining order, it is often not for the amount of time requested by the victim despite state law requiring that the order be for the length of time requested by the petitioner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State law allows judges to impose restraining orders on domestic abusers for up to four years in most cases, and up to 10 years when it can be proven the abuser is especially dangerous. But in a handful of cases, the report found, a judge granted restraining orders for only two years to allow a cooling off period for the people involved despite serious lethality concerns testified to in the hearing. Kianna Hanson, the legal advocacy program manager at DAIS, said at an event announcing the reports findings Thursday morning that the cooling off period is a myth and that judges should follow the law. The fallacy of the cooling off period, which some judges have cited as a reason for choosing to grant an injunction from less time than the petitioner has requested, which in domestic abuse injunction goes against [state law], Hanson said. This mythology around domestic abuse cases is harmful because it suggests that domestic abuse could be the result of anger or not being able to control ones emotion, when in reality, domestic violence is most often a conscious choice that is rooted in gaining power and control over ones partner. The report was completed by a team from DAIS and other community organizations to observe more than 800 hearings in Dane County Circuit Court from April 2023 to April 2024. At the Thursday morning event, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Jill Karofsky said the report was a step toward trying to make Wisconsins legal system a better place for everyone involved in it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What if the legal system were different? What if the legal system were the vehicle for healing and for change? she said. What if people left the legal system in a better place than where they entered, and I mean all of us. I mean judges and attorneys and witnesses and court reporters and victims and defendants and plaintiffs and bailiffs and advocates. What if we left work every day feeling energized and satiated and nourished instead of stressed out, depressed and exhausted, and what if the legal system itself helped us get to a better place? The report found that in the vast majority of injunction hearings, 87%, the victim seeking the restraining order was there pro se, meaning they were representing themself. Just 15% of petitioners had support in court from organizations such as DAIS, who have employees who serve as court advocates to help victims navigate the legal process (but arent attorneys and cant provide legal advice). Representation from an attorney or support from a legal advocate vastly increased the chances of a restraining order being granted, the court found. When acting on their own, petitioners had injunctions granted in 29% of cases but when assisted by an attorney or advocate, injunctions were granted 62% of the time meaning representation increased the chances of successfully obtaining a restraining order by 114%. Hanson told the Wisconsin Examiner after Thursdays event that DAIS would be able to handle more restraining order cases under its legal advocacy program, saying that because the issuance of a restraining order can be a life-or-death decision for an abuse victim, the organization would prioritize those cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Domestic abuse organizations across the state face critical funding pressures after a steep decline in federal money they receive hit this fall. Advocates have warned those funding cuts could strain resources for organizations like DAIS across the state. The report also notes a number of comments court observers saw judges make during hearings in these cases that were interpreted as minimizing abuse, treating people of color differently and misstating the law. One judge, according to the report, denied an injunction over harassment, stating that he was doing so because unwanted touching, kissing, or harassing text messages demanding explicit photos is not sexual assault, despite state law saying it is. The judges are quoted anonymously in the report but DAIS staff said at Thursdays event that in the organizations next version of the report, it will attribute the quotes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dane County Judge Julie Genovese, in attendance at the event, said during a question and answer period that she doesnt think naming the judges will be helpful even though the comments were made on the record in open court. Id like to say on behalf of the judges, that it would be a very helpful thing for somebody to come and present to the judges at a judges meeting, rather than were going to just identify you on our next report, to come to the judges discuss with them what are the issues, offer the training or the resources, rather than just do it in this form, Genovese said. DANVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) Police in Danville are investigating a shooting that happened Thursday. Police were called to a home on South 3rd Street for a domestic dispute between Helen Dahms and Gary Clayton. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During an argument between the two, Dahms shot Clayton in the abdomen. He was taken to a local hospital and later flown to UK Hospital. The shooting remains under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Dec. 13With wind chills dipping below zero and snow blanketing the ground, those without safe, warm homes to sleep in are more vulnerable than ever. That's why two groups of students at Danville High School joined forces this year to collect enough supplies for 200 WeCare Holiday Packs. "We all really feel like the homeless crisis is as rough as it's been for awhile, especially with the shelters closed," said Lori Woods, who is a teacher at DHS, as well as the head of Future Problem Solvers. Woods is also involved in the school's Student Council the two groups involved in collecting donations and assembling the packs. Each pack contains new socks, mittens, wet wipes, water, snacks, and paper and a pen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Having those supplies just helps to make their day a little easier," Woods said. The project, which first started back in 2014-15, was inspired by Sen. Scott Bennett and later Sen. Paul Faraci's annual winter sock drive for homeless residents of Vermilion County, according to Woods. Though the students aimed to collect enough donations to assemble 100 packs, the donations they've received have exceeded their expectations, Woods said. Throughout the year, both groups raise funds to be used for projects, but they often have leftovers they use to help them give back to the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We always do something over the holidays to help out the community," Woods said. "This year, we decided we needed to help the homeless." And there's more good news for those in need as Danville Rescue is nearly ready to open the emergency overnight shelter they have been working to restore in the old Dayspring Women's Shelter building, according to Michael Ewing, President of the Board for Danville Rescue. "We are all ready on our end," Ewing said, adding that all that remains to be done before the shelter can open is a final inspection by the City to ensure the electrical work recently completed is up to code. "I'd say we should be open within the next two weeks." Those who wish to contribute to the school's WeCare Holiday Pack drive can drop their donations off at the Clocktower at Danville High School, care of either Woods or Erin Leverenz. The high school is located at 202 East Fairchild St. CHICAGO A suburban man will spend nearly 20 years in prison for producing child pornography. 48-year-old Glenn Clifford Messmer, a Darien resident who pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge earlier this year, was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in federal prison on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District of Illinois said Thursday. The charge against Messmer was handed down following his arrest in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Prosecutors said, using the screen names coreyjohnsonnn and jayyyjansen, Messmer communicated with children using the social media platforms Telegram and Snapchat and paid them to produce sexually explicit material at his instruction. Messmer was found to have been keeping detailed notes about his victims, identifying their names, ages, friends, years in school, physical features, and willingness to engage with him. According to prosecutors, after Messmers arrest in connection with the case, authorities uncovered more than 350,000 images and nearly 18,000 videos depicting child sexual abuse, including some with victims as young as four years old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Messmers sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland The U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District of Illinois was not able to provide a booking photo of Messmer. The U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District of Illinois urges anyone who may be a victim of sexual exploitation or worries that others may be victims, to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Two weeks ago, I wrote about the underappreciated and outsize significance of local environmental battles: small-town fights over development plans whose outcomes affect both the health of the community in question and the broader tallies of the energy transition. What do those look like in practice? This week, Bloombergs lengthy feature on a fight over a new data center in Fayetteville, Georgia, offers a reminder that new iterations, new industries, and new face-offs are always right around the corner. Pipelines are some of the more famous and recognizable examples of how local fights come with national ramifications: The protests and legal challenges to the Dakota Access Pipeline have become an iconic symbol of Indigenous resistance to the fossil fuel projects that are damaging culturally and religiously significant sites and endangering water supplies. The cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020 due to rising costs, after numerous marginalized communities along its planned route challenged the project in court and through protests, likewise became a case study in how local battles over the health and safety of a given community can affect emissions at the national level, as well: Some estimates suggested the ACP would have been responsible for emissions roughly equivalent to 20 new coal plants, while Clean Water for North Carolina calculated that the unintentional, leaked methane from the pipeline alone might increase the atmosphere-warming effect of national methane emissions by over 13 percent. Pipelines are far from the only example. For a different type of local environmental fightand one that confounded expectations of ordinary red-blue dividesread Colin Jerolmacks piece a few years ago about predominantly conservative Grant Townships efforts to restrict fracking-related pollution, which escalated to the point that it put residents in conflict with state authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have long been similar efforts underway against petrochemical plants. Larger philanthropic organizations and national nonprofits have only recently begun supporting the tireless efforts of local groups in Louisianas Cancer Alley, where numerous refineries, as well as chemical and plastic plants, are situated perilously close to the low-income, majority-Black communities where cancer rates are estimated to be 95 percent higher than in the rest of the country. New measurements taken this summer in southeastern Louisiana found levels of carcinogenic ethylene oxide in the air that were as much as 10 times higher than EPA-recommended limits. Then there are fights over concentrated animal feeding operations that, again, disproportionately pollute low-income, nonwhite communities while also contributing to land use problems, biodiversity crises, emissions, and more. Here too, the contours of environmental justice battles are ever evolving: The current hype around biogasa way for industrial meat producers to make money selling animal waste by-products for fueland the tax incentives supporting it, have spawned new twists on old environmental fights over industrial agriculture. In May, NC Newsline reported a former mayors dismay that, despite his town of Turkey, North Carolina, banning hog farms within city limits, a biogas plant using the very same hog waste the town had wanted to keep out was setting up shop just east of him: I never imagined theyd bring the manure to us. On first glance, community opposition to a new data center might seem much different from these battles: The primary reason for opposition is not the near certainty of pollution that you get with these other installations. (As Nick Martin wrote at TNR in 2019, reviewing pipeline spill data, The simple fact is that it is a matter of when, not if, a series micro-fractures or a loose bolt or a lightning strike will send the pipes contents into the ground.) Yet look a bit closer, and familiar dynamics emerge. Data-center developer QTS and its new asset managerowner Blackstone, Inc., came in promising rural Fayetteville something simple: money. Its the same way that pipeline or biogas pitches to towns tend to start: with promises of economic benefit, including via jobsalthough the promised number of jobs often turns out to be exaggerated or only refer to temporary positions. In the case of Fayettevilles data center, the portion of QTSs taxes going to the county board of education this year will cover the equivalent of some half a dozen teachers salaries, Bloombergs Dawn Lim and Josh Saul report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in a manner similar to how these negotiations have played out with pipeline or fracking plans, the residents of Fayetteville quickly began to feel they had been misled. They say they were told the data center wouldnt need more electricity than what was already available from the local grid and could use existing transmission lines. (QTS disputes this.) The actual power needed turned out to be about twice what one report suggested, with new power lines needing to be built. Thats where the problems started. The power company serving the area, Georgia Power, then tried to secure new land for power lines, but residents werent wild about being paid a couple grand in exchange for trees being cut down and giant new transmission lines being installed on their property. Georgia Power accordingly started offering much larger, six-figure sums of money. Now residents fear their neighbors are being bought off and that their lands could be seized by eminent domain if they themselves refuse. This small fight is part of a larger nationaland even globalbattle over the giant environmental costs of big tech and, specifically, new forms of artificial intelligence. The data center, Lim and Saul report, is part of Blackstones quest to become the largest financial investor in AI infrastructure. Microsoft, which like many tech companies is betting big on AI, will reportedly be one client for the new data center. Liza Featherstone wrote earlier this year about the enormous energy and water demands from AI data centers endangering the energy transition that is desperately needed to avert climate catastrophe. Theres already evidence that AI energy demands are keeping high-polluting coal plants running past their planned retirement dates. While tech companies and their advocates have been quick to argue that AI tools could help meet environmental goals rather than derail them, an estimate this fall from Bain & Company suggested data centers for AI could make up 44 percent of U.S. electrical growth in coming years, requiring utilities to boost annual generation by up to 26% by 2028. Tech companies have been keen to insist that this demand can be met with new nuclear energy. But there isnt much evidence to suggest that this can be done in the short termand when it comes to the climate crisis, every additional day burning fossil fuels comes with steep costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Bloombergs feature indicates, data centers are worth watching as a major emerging field for environmental battles, much like power plants and pipelines have been for decades. And while the industries may differ, these fights are likely to follow familiar patterns. Good News/Bad News Five young Hawaiian crowsextinct in the wildwere recently released in Maui, after careful raising and anti-predator training using cats and owls. The once-frozen Arctic tundra is now releasing more carbon than it stores, due to thawing. Stat of the Week 3,400 Thats how many fewer premature deaths per year we might have in this country if all households were to switch from fossil fuels to heat pumps and electric appliances, according to a new study. (This would also save $60 billion in energy bills each year and cut 400 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to The New York Times write-up, but its the 300,000-ton drop in fine particulate matter that would make the big difference in saving lives.) What Im Reading CNNs Leah Dolan profiles Barbie-loving photographer Anastasia Samoylova, whose subtle, anxiety-inducing images of Floridas collapsing pastel-pink landscapes are suffused with an acute awareness of climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Samoylova moved to Florida in 2016, where she was struck by the states severe weather events and aging infrastructure. The insidious, blink-and-youll-miss-it approach to her observational photography is intentional. Several years of capturing political extremism, gentrification and environmental disintegration has given Samoylova time to think about how to package disastrous messaging. How do you communicate these very complex subjects and make them relatable? she asks. The trickiest part is to not make them off-putting. Come for the pink sidewalks that characterize the streets of Miamias many tourists doand stay for the subsequent feelings of existential dread. Its a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down, she says. (Climate change) is stigmatized, and its become divisive, at least where I live in the US, especially in Florida. And who knows, its likely going to be erased from the conversation again. Read Leah Dolans full profile at CNN. This article first appeared in Life in a Warming World, a weekly TNR newsletter authored by deputy editor Heather Souvaine Horn. Sign up here. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Columbus saw 25,320 eviction filings this year as of Dec. 1, far more than the other major Ohio city, according to data from the Eviction Lab. The Eviction Lab has tracked weekly eviction filings in 10 states and 36 cities, including Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland, since March 2020 in hopes to monitor the effects of COVID-19. According to their findings, evictions have been up 38% compared to pre-COVID averages in Columbus. What Columbus City Councils priorities are for 2025, and who will be up for reelection Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other Ohio cities are not seeing evictions at the same levels. Columbus 25,322 eviction filings dwarf Cincinnatis 13,605 and Clevelands 6,048. Both Columbus and Cincinnati have a 10% filing rate, but Cincinnati is only up 6% compared to its pre-COVID averages. Cleveland boasts an impressive 27% decrease from its averages before COVID. The Eviction Lab also found eviction filings are not distributed evenly across the city, with 25.4% of eviction filings coming from the same top 100 buildings. Ten apartment complexes evicted 100 or more people between August 2023 and August 2024, three of which were owned by the same company, 5812 Investment Group LLC. The top three eviction hotspot companies were Columbus Park Apartments with 147 evictions, College Park Apartments with 133 filings and The Villages at Eden Crossing with 116 filings, according to Eviction Lab data. Hilltop drug house raided by police twice shut down Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Eviction Lab also found evictions disproportionately affect Black, Latino and women renters. According to the Eviction Labs data, 53% of renters in Columbus are white but white tenants made up just 36% of eviction filings. Columbus leaders previously told NBC4 that more tenants were evicted in 2023 than fit into Nationwide Arena. Columbus City Council is working to fix that, especially as 2024 is anticipated to break 2023s record number of evictions, by considering investing in legal aid for those facing evictions. According to a report for City Council, every $1 invested into an eviction help program would have an estimated return of at least $4 in money that would otherwise go toward assistance programs. The program had its second committee reading on Dec. 5, and continues to move through legislative channels. The city already has some resources in place to help tenants facing eviction, including the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and Housing for All Columbus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) D.C. police arrested a man for kidnapping and 11 other people for unlawful entry on Thursday. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were assisting U.S. Marshals who were looking for a wanted suspect in the 4000 block of Kansas Avenue at around 6:30 a.m. During the investigation, officers found 13 people inside a home. A man was found with broken zip ties on his arms and legs and had wounds on his back and leg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man said he was being held against his will. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. DC police investigate stabbing that left boy hurt in Northeast Detectives found out that on on Wednesday, suspects had kept the man against his will at the home and assaulted him throughout the evening. They had tried to extort the man of money but were unsuccessful. As a result of the investigation, 33-year-old Davon Patterson was arrested and charged with kidnapping. Eleven other people were also arrested and charged: 31-year-old Dominique Turner, of no fixed address, for Unlawful Entry 41-year-old Annette Hawkins, of Northwest, DC, for Unlawful Entry 31-year-old Jermonte Crutchfield, of Southeast, DC, for Unlawful Entry 36-year-old Megan Grimberg, of Northwest, DC, for Unlawful Entry and two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance 41-year-old Davina Johnson, of Arlington, VA, for Unlawful Entry 56-year-old Deshawn Bowman, of Northwest, DC, for Unlawful Entry and Possession With Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance 39-year-old Michael Davis, of Northwest, DC, for Unlawful Entry 49-year-old Kahlil Guy, of Southeast, DC, for Unlawful Entry 37-year-old Moses Williams, of Northwest, DC, for Unlawful Entry 41-year-old Danielle Gardner, of Northwest, DC, for Unlawful Entry 38-year-old Christopher Dixon, of Northeast, DC, for Unlawful Entry Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case is still being investigated. Anyone with information is asked to call (202) 727-9099 or text 50411. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered to anyone with information that leads to an arrest and indictment of those involved. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. ISLAMABAD, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani military said on Friday evening that 43 terrorists have been killed in separate military operations in different parts of the country. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military, said that the terrorists were killed by security forces in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and southwest Balochistan province. Since Dec. 9, a total of 18 terrorists have been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 25 terrorists eliminated in Balochistan, it said. Arakan Army Myanmars rebels have won control of the border with Bangladesh for the first time, in a huge step forward for opposition groups fighting to rid the western Rakhine state of the military. Video footage this week showed the juntas soldiers waving makeshift white cloths in the air and holding their hands above their heads, as a stream of besieged troops finally stumbled towards surrender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After a brutal, months-long stand in Myanmars Rakhine state, this was the moment that the military conceded defeat at the barracks of border guard police unit five and in doing so, lost complete control of an international border for the first time under Gen Min Aung Hlaing. The insurgent Arakan Army (AA) now controls the 170-mile long frontier with neighbouring Bangladesh, in the latest of a string of embarrassing defeats for a junta facing mounting pressure on all sides. Phil Robertson, the director of Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocate, wrote on X: [This is a] huge step forward for the Arakan Army. This marks the entering of the endgame for the junta in Rakhine, a state in northwestern Myanmar largely cut off from the rest of the country, he added. The AA is a patchwork of resistance groups battling to overthrow the military in the country, which was plunged into civil war after the junta ruthlessly repressed peaceful protesters following a coup in February 2021. The UN estimates that at least 5,350 civilians have since been killed, and 3.5 million people displaced. Fighting ramped up in Rakhine in November last year. Town after town fell to the AA, and by September 2024, the military had been backed into a border guard base near Maungdaw, a town on the Naf river, which marks the international border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, the AA announced it finally secured complete control of the region around the border town, which is home to roughly 110,000 people. Videos released by the armed group show the bloody two month siege ending on Sunday with a barrage of artillery, rockets and rifle fire. Thats a big victory, to control that border, and its a major blow to the Burma army, David Eubank, head of the Free Burma Rangers, told the Telegraph. In terms of momentum to other areas, definitely it helps the other areas because the Burma military will be very engaged with airplanes and troops to try to take back some of that territory... so it takes the pressure off, and keeps the pressure off, other ethnic groups that are really fighting for their lives. So I think its very important, not only for the Arakan movement, but also for the other [ethnic groups]. The victory comes as the country slides further into chaos. Julie Bishop, the UNs special envoy for Myanmar, recently warned criminal networks are out of control and human suffering has hit unprecedented levels, exacerbated by flooding that left two million homeless in September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rakhine state is facing humanitarian challenges, with the UN development programme last month warning the state was hurtling towards famine by mid-2025, as clashes and a military blockade strike commerce and undermine agriculture. What is next for Rakhine? Though the AA is reportedly trying to establish its own administration, it is not clear what comes next for Rakhine. The biggest questions are around the treatment of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in a Buddhist majority country, who were victims of genocide at the hands of the military. Roughly 600,000 are thought to still live in Rakhine, yet relations with the AA are strained, and tensions only escalated in August, when dozens of Rohingya trying to flee to Bangladesh were bombed by drones thought to be dropped by the AA. The armed group has labelled the accusations as propaganda, but has criticised the Rohingya, including those who were forcibly conscripted, for reportedly siding with the military against them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More broadly, it is not clear how the victory in Rakhine will affect battles raging elsewhere in the vast country. Bangkok-based analysts, speaking to The Telegraph anonymously, said victory could give the AA a confidence boost in neighbouring Chin state and may embolden other armed groups. But it is unlikely to turn the ride in the war Chinas influence is far more important. The vast superpower craves stability in its smaller neighbour Myanmar. The AA is part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance that launched a surprise offensive in October last year with two other armed organisations both of those groups have already accepted Chinas requests for a ceasefire. Richard Horsey, a Myanmar analyst at Crisis Group, told The Telegraph: Chinas shifting political position vis a vis Myanmar over the last few months is perhaps more important than anything else, and will shape how the trajectory evolves from here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not that China is wholeheartedly backing the regime but if the regime falls, theyre worried about what could happen next. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. All Hoosiers lose with lack of transparency around upcoming execution. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) Public access and transparency have taken a beating during the process to resume executions in the state of Indiana. And that hurts public confidence in the system. The Indiana Department of Correction wont hold any press briefings or information sessions for the states first execution in 15 years. It will send two updates via email to reporters on the day of the death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only Wyoming and Indiana dont allow media witnesses out of the 27 states and the federal government that have the death penalty. In several states, its a discretionary choice for correction officials but the vast majority authorize a set number of media witnesses from three to 12. Indiana is a clear outlier. In some executions, reporters have provided factual information on mistakes or botched results. The agency has also denied virtually every information request related to the execution, including any information about the drug that will be used to kill Joseph Corcoran before sunrise on Wednesday. Agency staffers wont say how many vials were bought, what it cost, the expiration date. Nothing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are hiding behind a law that protects the identity of the company that the state bought the pentobarbital from. That law exists because manufacturers and distributors were getting bad press when they supplied states with drugs to perform executions. And thats fine. But as taxpayers, we should be able to know what the state is spending on executions and the cost of the drug is a key part. Without knowing how many vials were bought, its impossible to know how many executions the state intends to carry out. And the expiration date of the drugs is also important for the integrity of the process. Seeking clarification Thats why I filed a complaint with the Public Access Counselor to get the cost. The law shields information reasonably calculated to lead to the identity of the supplier. IDOC considers the cost alone enough to give a foothold to reverse engineer online financial records to identify the identity of the supplier, according to their response. How, I have no idea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And all this leads to my other major transparency issue my fear that public records and access would be decidedly chilled by last-minute legislative changes last April. You see, lawmakers neutered the public access counselor position because they didnt like some of the officeholders rulings. They first changed the post from a term of years to serving at the pleasure of the governor. The point of that is so he or she can be fired at any time if a ruling ticks the right people off. But another key change said the public access counselor shall consider only: (1) the public access laws, as plainly written; and (2) valid opinions of Indiana courts. Counselor backs off I was concerned immediately that this would mean the counselor would avoid making rulings and instead force everyone to go to court. I was right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current counselor, Luke Britt, sent a letter Friday to me and a public defender who had also sought various records related to the execution. I have always respected Britts decisions, even ones that didnt go my way. But its clear from the letter that his powers have been muted. The General Assembly has issued new marching orders to the public access counselor to limit my interpretation of statutes of the access laws to their plain reading when crafting advisory opinions. The statute in question does not contain an exhaustive list of the public records that may lead to the reasonable calculation of an identity or a vendor. Toward that end, the legislature has not defined the term reasonably calculated. The public access counselor must pass on any inference regarding ambiguous statutes either way. Likewise, case law does not exist either addressing these matters. So, basically, the legislature tied the access counselors hands behind his back and Hoosiers have to instead file a lawsuit to get an answer. We are evaluating our next options as litigation can be lengthy and expensive. But its clear Hoosiers wont know what the state of Indiana spent when Corcoran takes his last breath next week. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Dec. 12A Decatur man found dead Wednesday inside a burning home in the 1600-block of Olive Street Southeast has been identified. Billy Howard White, 69, was located at around 3:45 p.m. in the room where Decatur firefighters believe the blaze started, and he was identified Thursday morning by Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn. Decatur police and the Alabama Fire Marshal's Office also responded to the scene and began an investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Decatur Fire & Rescue, crews found the home under heavy smoke and fire when they arrived. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Chunn said White was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville for an autopsy. david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438. The Board of Education overseeing Chicago Public Schools December meeting is underway. An hour before the meeting the Chicago Teachers Union gathered at the districts administrative offices in Bronzeville demanding their four-year contract be settled before the Trump administration is sworn in. They are tying their contract demands to fears of changes on the federal level due to Project 2025. Among the most salient topics during the meeting is a discussion on the districts response to the planned closure of seven schools operated by the Acero charter network at the end of the school year, impacting approximately 2,000 predominantly Latino students, according to the meeting agenda. Whether ongoing political tension over the Chicago Teachers Union contract negotiations will come to a head remains to be seen. The Board members recently appointed by union ally Mayor Brandon Johnson plan to discuss the negotiations in a closed session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The outcome is being closely watched as the CTU continues to demand an immediate resolution and the district faces a deficit of around $500 million in each of the next five years. District chief Pedro Martinez has maintained a firm grip on his job despite the mayor and the teachers unions efforts to oust him, in part for his refusal to take on a hefty, high-interest loan to help fund their new CTU contract and a pension payment to the city. Since the November board meeting, support for Martinez has expanded, as a letter of support from school principals and local officials has swelled to roughly 700 signatures. However, sources tell the Tribune that Martinezs employment status is not expected to be discussed during the board meetings closed session. The CTU rally began at 4 p.m. CST, followed by the board meeting at 5 p.m. CST. Thursdays board meeting is the last time the body will convene before a new hybrid, partially-elected 21-member Board is seated in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Check back here for live updates from Tribune education reporters Sarah Macaraeg and Nell Salzman. Chicago Teachers Union rallies minutes before Board meeting begins 4:49 p.m. A CTU Rally is underway just minutes before the Board of Educations December meeting begins. In a Tuesday blog post, the union said it would rally to press Chicago Public Schools to settle a new four-year contract that would protect schools and students from the incoming Trump Administration. The fact that Trump is projecting threats to schools, hospitals and religious institutions shows that he has no respect for education, safety or faith. Our school communities will keep each other safe and CEO Martinez and elected leaders need to join the effort, according to the blog. Tribune Staff 5:00 p.m. CTU members address contract talks before meeting Before Thursdays board meeting, CTU members dressed in red packed in a small room at the Bronzeville district building to highlight the critical role of their contract in safeguarding public education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Teachers spoke about ongoing contract negotiations and said the district has taken too long to respond to their demands. Pedro, you need to put it in writing. Thats right, put it in writing. Or admit that youre not willing to give our kids what they deserve, said Rogelio Aguila, a second-grade bilingual teacher at Marquette Elementary School. Jackson Potter, CTU vice president, hinted that there has been some recent progress made at the collective bargaining table but said theres still room to go. He called the process one of feast and famine. Finally, six, seven months later, after our initial proposals, we finally saw some light at the end of the tunnel around some of the staffing demands. So that was progress. But its been delayed and denied, Potter said. Nell Salzman A seventh board member is sworn in at the top of the meeting 5:15 p.m. In a surprise development, a seventh board member, Sean Harden, was sworn in moments after the board convened. Harden is filling the seat vacated by former board president Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson, who resigned in late October after coming under fire for social media posts deemed anti-semitic, misogynistic, and conspiratorial. Check back for more information on Sean Harden. Tribune Staff 5:28 p.m. CTU remarks to the board Union president Stacy Davis Gates addressed the Board after members packed the auditorium, chanting CTU. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The alignment between the unions contract proposals, the mayors transition plan and the districts five-year plan should guarantee a Yes, Gates said of CPS response to CTUs demands. Asking the district to finalize the agreement by Christmas, Gates said that the January inauguration of President Donald Trump necessitates profound urgency, given his stated plans to dismantle the US Department of Education, including its Title IX office, which protects students civil rights. Our queer kids, our transgender kids, our queer staff and faculty, transgender staff and faculty are going to need a document that will be backed up by all of these people who love Chicago, she said. In a bulletin to members Wednesday, the CTU said that along with the unions economic demands, its proposals include increased protections for vulnerable groups. The union contract isnt the only means to protect civil rights in the district, a CPS spokesperson said Thursday, listing 16 policies devoted to student and staff protections, ranging from religious freedom to human rights. We remain committed to protecting our staff and students rights and already have policies in place to protect our most vulnerable students and will continue to do all we can to ensure our schools are safe, welcoming and inclusive learning environments, the CPS spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an update sent to families Dec. 6 CPS quantified the current impasse, estimating the four-year cost of meeting the unions recent list of narrowed demands at $3.5 billion. Fact-finding hearings were scheduled to occur this month, as the next stage of formal mediation to resolve the contract. But the hearings, and a subsequent report of recommendations by the fact-finder, have been postponed at CTUs request, according to the district. The current Board of six Johnson appointees have also pressured Martinez to resolve the contract a demand thats prompted pushback among an assortment of stakeholders. This is important work and its critical that we continue to bargain in good faith to reach a fair contract that will support teaching and learning across our system, the CPS spokesperson said Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sarah Macaraeg 5:34 pm Concerns from Acero families Caroline Rutherford, CTUs charter division vice stood with a pack of students and addressed one of the most contentious issues in recent weeks: the closures of seven out of 15 charter schools in the Acero network. Board members have publicly criticized Martinezs handling of the closures since the news was announced in early October, though the district does not have any legal obligation to keep the schools open. Acero executives did not respond to student, teacher and parent concerns at a board meeting Wednesday night. They did not show up at a board meeting on Dec. 4, and made no signs of appearing Thursday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has been over two months since the announcement and these schools that these schools may potentially close, and weve been fighting every single day for our students, said Rutherford. Nell Salzman 5:40 p.m. Union disputes Who are we, 73! chanted audience members as Dian Palmer, president of Service Employees International Union 73 stepped up to the podium to address the board. There has been an ongoing dispute about whether special education classroom assistants should be incorporated into CTUs contract as teachers assistants. SEIU 73 is threatening to sue the district over a Chicago Teachers Union proposal that it says would effectively take those jobs from SEIU and give them to CTU. Palmer said President-elect Donald Trumps proposals to dismantle the Department of Education make protections for special education assistants even more important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SECAs provide valuable behavioral, emotional and physical support to special education children, she said. Now is not the time to add flexibility to special education services. Troy LaRaviere, president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, stepped forward as a another voice in the fray of unions that have spoken up against CTUs proposals. CPAA has clashed with the teachers union over some proposals such as teacher planning time and curriculum changes. We cant put students first if we put the people who serve them last, LaRaviere said. Please know that my critiques are never personal. Nell Salzman 6:30 p.m. Urgency Students, parents and teachers touched on a variety of issues, from busing to safety. Many referenced the change in presidency as a reason to get a contract across the finish line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The day after Trump was implemented, I had an immigrant student cry for 15 minutes in fear that he was going to be transported Im not a counselor, said Jeannine Woods, a kindergarten teacher at Haines Elementary School in Chinatown. One of the most important things our contract does is stand against dangerous national policy policies like Trumps project 2025 which threaten our students rights. Nell Salzman 6:34 p.m. Critiques of the Board CTU voices largely dominated on the floor at Thursdays evening meeting, and when others spoke, they were often met with boos heckles from the crowd. Boom Pedro, get out the way! those seated in the crowd would shout. Charters have long been inequitably funded, said Laurie Turner, chief of political affairs for the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. When charters lose enrollment they lose funding, just like other public schools, said Turner. Charter schools are nonprofit organizations governed by volunteer board members. Anti-charter folks have used privatization language for years, even though charters have been started by teachers families, community groups, and local nonprofits, Turner said. There are no billionaires to save us. Former Board Vice President and parent of two CPS students Sendhil Revuluri, who resigned in December 2022, urged current members to work constructively with Martinez. Our students, their families and our whole community deserve a Board that prioritizes students above all else. An effective Board cant let adult concerns overshadow what matters most our kids, he said, urging the Board to focus on improving outcomes for students, as its primary responsibility. Revuluri alluded to the political gridlock thats marked recent proceedings, in which current Board Vice President Mary Russell Gardner last week grilled Martinez on his efforts to resolve the CTU contract. The focus on students must be reflected in the Boards meeting agendas, the questions you all ask and your evaluation of the CEO, Revuluri said. Important decisions should not be rushed and they require training, he said, criticizing the recent postponement of training meant to prepare incoming members elected in November before theyre seated next month. Sarah Macaraeg & Nell Salzman 7:00 p.m. Elected Officials Several aldermen addressed the board: Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th; Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th; Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd. Lee touched the status of Martinezs job, which has been an elephant in the room for months. To be clear, Im in full support of CEO Martinez continuing to lead CPS, and I know that Im not alone, she said. Waguespack echoed her point, asking the current board to wait until the ten elected members join the board in January to make any high-level personnel decisions. I feel strongly that a change in leadership shouldnt be rooted in political interests, but in interest of doing what is best for our students, he said. Three incoming School Board members, who were elected in November, addressed the current Board, critiquing the delay of their onboarding and reiterating multiple winning candidates prior request that no significant action be taken before they are seated in January. Carlos Rivas who won in District 3 objected to the cancellation of next weeks onboarding training. Looks like were playing positive politics again with our children, said Rivas, whose district includes Acero Schools Carlos Fuentes Elementary School, one of seven schools that the charter operator has decided to close at the end of the school year. Another location slated for closure, Sandra Cisneros Elementary School, falls in District 8, which will be represented by Board member-elect Angel Gutierrez come January. Refrain from making decisions until the new hybrid Board comes together, he said, encouraging members to honor the wishes of the voters who elected him. We want to create the best school system, collectively together. Che Rhymesfest Smith said hed like to go forward with the training to ensure the new board members are prepared when they are seated. Lets embrace this historic election, and lets embrace one another and lets move forward in a new era of education for Chicago public schools, Smith said. 7:50 p.m. No resolution for Acero charter schools; closed session begins Before the board voted to close out the meeting with a private, closed session, CPS Chief Portfolio Officer Alfonso Carmona explained four routes the Board could take to address the impending closure of seven schools operated by the Acero charter school network. Among them are integrating the roughly 2000 mostly Latino displaced students into other CPS schools and a plan that includes spending $1.6 million in CPS capital expenditures to keep some of the Acero schools open. With no formal resolution to be voted on, the fate of the Acero students remains unresolved. The meeting adjourned at 10:01 p.m. Tribune staff The Board of Education overseeing Chicago Public Schools December meeting is underway. An hour before the meeting the Chicago Teachers Union gathered at the districts administrative offices in Bronzeville demanding their four-year contract be settled before the Trump administration is sworn in. They are tying their contract demands to fears of changes on the federal level due to Project 2025. Among the most salient topics during the meeting is a discussion on the districts response to the planned closure of seven schools operated by the Acero charter network at the end of the school year, impacting approximately 2,000 predominantly Latino students, according to the meeting agenda. Whether ongoing political tension over the Chicago Teachers Union contract negotiations will come to a head remains to be seen. The Board members recently appointed by union ally Mayor Brandon Johnson plan to discuss the negotiations in a closed session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The outcome is being closely watched as the CTU continues to demand an immediate resolution and the district faces a deficit of around $500 million in each of the next five years. District chief Pedro Martinez has maintained a firm grip on his job despite the mayor and the teachers unions efforts to oust him, in part for his refusal to take on a hefty, high-interest loan to help fund their new CTU contract and a pension payment to the city. Since the November board meeting, support for Martinez has expanded, as a letter of support from school principals and local officials has swelled to roughly 700 signatures. However, sources tell the Tribune that Martinezs employment status is not expected to be discussed during the board meetings closed session. The CTU rally began at 4 p.m. CST, followed by the board meeting at 5 p.m. CST. Thursdays board meeting is the last time the body will convene before a new hybrid, partially-elected 21-member Board is seated in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Check back here for live updates from Tribune education reporters Sarah Macaraeg and Nell Salzman. Chicago Teachers Union rallies minutes before Board meeting begins 4:49 p.m. A CTU Rally is underway just minutes before the Board of Educations December meeting begins. In a Tuesday blog post, the union said it would rally to press Chicago Public Schools to settle a new four-year contract that would protect schools and students from the incoming Trump Administration. The fact that Trump is projecting threats to schools, hospitals and religious institutions shows that he has no respect for education, safety or faith. Our school communities will keep each other safe and CEO Martinez and elected leaders need to join the effort, according to the blog. Tribune Staff 5:00 p.m. CTU members address contract talks before meeting Before Thursdays board meeting, CTU members dressed in red packed in a small room at the Bronzeville district building to highlight the critical role of their contract in safeguarding public education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Teachers spoke about ongoing contract negotiations and said the district has taken too long to respond to their demands. Pedro, you need to put it in writing. Thats right, put it in writing. Or admit that youre not willing to give our kids what they deserve, said Rogelio Aguila, a second-grade bilingual teacher at Marquette Elementary School. Jackson Potter, CTU vice president, hinted that there has been some recent progress made at the collective bargaining table but said theres still room to go. He called the process one of feast and famine. Finally, six, seven months later, after our initial proposals, we finally saw some light at the end of the tunnel around some of the staffing demands. So that was progress. But its been delayed and denied, Potter said. Nell Salzman A seventh board member is sworn in at the top of the meeting 5:15 p.m. In a surprise development, a seventh board member, Sean Harden, was sworn in moments after the board convened. Harden is filling the seat vacated by former board president Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson, who resigned in late October after coming under fire for social media posts deemed anti-semitic, misogynistic, and conspiratorial. Check back for more information on Sean Harden. Tribune Staff 5:28 p.m. CTU remarks to the board Union president Stacy Davis Gates addressed the Board after members packed the auditorium, chanting CTU. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The alignment between the unions contract proposals, the mayors transition plan and the districts five-year plan should guarantee a Yes, Gates said of CPS response to CTUs demands. Asking the district to finalize the agreement by Christmas, Gates said that the January inauguration of President Donald Trump necessitates profound urgency, given his stated plans to dismantle the US Department of Education, including its Title IX office, which protects students civil rights. Our queer kids, our transgender kids, our queer staff and faculty, transgender staff and faculty are going to need a document that will be backed up by all of these people who love Chicago, she said. In a bulletin to members Wednesday, the CTU said that along with the unions economic demands, its proposals include increased protections for vulnerable groups. The union contract isnt the only means to protect civil rights in the district, a CPS spokesperson said Thursday, listing 16 policies devoted to student and staff protections, ranging from religious freedom to human rights. We remain committed to protecting our staff and students rights and already have policies in place to protect our most vulnerable students and will continue to do all we can to ensure our schools are safe, welcoming and inclusive learning environments, the CPS spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an update sent to families Dec. 6 CPS quantified the current impasse, estimating the four-year cost of meeting the unions recent list of narrowed demands at $3.5 billion. Fact-finding hearings were scheduled to occur this month, as the next stage of formal mediation to resolve the contract. But the hearings, and a subsequent report of recommendations by the fact-finder, have been postponed at CTUs request, according to the district. The current Board of six Johnson appointees have also pressured Martinez to resolve the contract a demand thats prompted pushback among an assortment of stakeholders. This is important work and its critical that we continue to bargain in good faith to reach a fair contract that will support teaching and learning across our system, the CPS spokesperson said Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sarah Macaraeg 5:34 pm Concerns from Acero families Caroline Rutherford, CTUs charter division vice stood with a pack of students and addressed one of the most contentious issues in recent weeks: the closures of seven out of 15 charter schools in the Acero network. Board members have publicly criticized Martinezs handling of the closures since the news was announced in early October, though the district does not have any legal obligation to keep the schools open. Acero executives did not respond to student, teacher and parent concerns at a board meeting Wednesday night. They did not show up at a board meeting on Dec. 4, and made no signs of appearing Thursday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has been over two months since the announcement and these schools that these schools may potentially close, and weve been fighting every single day for our students, said Rutherford. Nell Salzman 5:40 p.m. Union disputes Who are we, 73! chanted audience members as Dian Palmer, president of Service Employees International Union 73 stepped up to the podium to address the board. There has been an ongoing dispute about whether special education classroom assistants should be incorporated into CTUs contract as teachers assistants. SEIU 73 is threatening to sue the district over a Chicago Teachers Union proposal that it says would effectively take those jobs from SEIU and give them to CTU. Palmer said President-elect Donald Trumps proposals to dismantle the Department of Education make protections for special education assistants even more important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SECAs provide valuable behavioral, emotional and physical support to special education children, she said. Now is not the time to add flexibility to special education services. Troy LaRaviere, president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, stepped forward as a another voice in the fray of unions that have spoken up against CTUs proposals. CPAA has clashed with the teachers union over some proposals such as teacher planning time and curriculum changes. We cant put students first if we put the people who serve them last, LaRaviere said. Please know that my critiques are never personal. Nell Salzman 6:30 p.m. Urgency Students, parents and teachers touched on a variety of issues, from busing to safety. Many referenced the change in presidency as a reason to get a contract across the finish line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The day after Trump was implemented, I had an immigrant student cry for 15 minutes in fear that he was going to be transported Im not a counselor, said Jeannine Woods, a kindergarten teacher at Haines Elementary School in Chinatown. One of the most important things our contract does is stand against dangerous national policy policies like Trumps project 2025 which threaten our students rights. Nell Salzman 6:34 p.m. Critiques of the Board CTU voices largely dominated on the floor at Thursdays evening meeting, and when others spoke, they were often met with boos heckles from the crowd. Boom Pedro, get out the way! those seated in the crowd would shout. Charters have long been inequitably funded, said Laurie Turner, chief of political affairs for the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. When charters lose enrollment they lose funding, just like other public schools, said Turner. Charter schools are nonprofit organizations governed by volunteer board members. Anti-charter folks have used privatization language for years, even though charters have been started by teachers families, community groups, and local nonprofits, Turner said. There are no billionaires to save us. Former Board Vice President and parent of two CPS students Sendhil Revuluri, who resigned in December 2022, urged current members to work constructively with Martinez. Our students, their families and our whole community deserve a Board that prioritizes students above all else. An effective Board cant let adult concerns overshadow what matters most our kids, he said, urging the Board to focus on improving outcomes for students, as its primary responsibility. Revuluri alluded to the political gridlock thats marked recent proceedings, in which current Board Vice President Mary Russell Gardner last week grilled Martinez on his efforts to resolve the CTU contract. The focus on students must be reflected in the Boards meeting agendas, the questions you all ask and your evaluation of the CEO, Revuluri said. Important decisions should not be rushed and they require training, he said, criticizing the recent postponement of training meant to prepare incoming members elected in November before theyre seated next month. Sarah Macaraeg & Nell Salzman 7:00 p.m. Elected Officials Several aldermen addressed the board: Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th; Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th; Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd. Lee touched the status of Martinezs job, which has been an elephant in the room for months. To be clear, Im in full support of CEO Martinez continuing to lead CPS, and I know that Im not alone, she said. Waguespack echoed her point, asking the current board to wait until the ten elected members join the board in January to make any high-level personnel decisions. I feel strongly that a change in leadership shouldnt be rooted in political interests, but in interest of doing what is best for our students, he said. Three incoming School Board members, who were elected in November, addressed the current Board, critiquing the delay of their onboarding and reiterating multiple winning candidates prior request that no significant action be taken before they are seated in January. Carlos Rivas who won in District 3 objected to the cancellation of next weeks onboarding training. Looks like were playing positive politics again with our children, said Rivas, whose district includes Acero Schools Carlos Fuentes Elementary School, one of seven schools that the charter operator has decided to close at the end of the school year. Another location slated for closure, Sandra Cisneros Elementary School, falls in District 8, which will be represented by Board member-elect Angel Gutierrez come January. Refrain from making decisions until the new hybrid Board comes together, he said, encouraging members to honor the wishes of the voters who elected him. We want to create the best school system, collectively together. Che Rhymesfest Smith said hed like to go forward with the training to ensure the new board members are prepared when they are seated. Lets embrace this historic election, and lets embrace one another and lets move forward in a new era of education for Chicago public schools, Smith said. 7:50 p.m. No resolution for Acero charter schools; closed session begins Before the board voted to go into closed session, CPS Chief of Portfolios Alfonso Carmona explained four routes the Board could take to address the impending closure of seven schools operated by the Acero charter school network. In a presentation originally slated to occur in November, district officials outlined three potential approaches to address the closures, but the schools chief was blocked from presenting. The three plans were: to work with Acero to keep the schools open; help transition the students to other CPS schools; or follow a contingency plan to absorb the campuses and reopen them as district-run schools, something the union had asked CPS to do following the closures in October. That presentation was given by district officials Thursday, along with two additional hybrid options to phase out either one or two of the seven schools and keep the rest open the former costing about $1.6 million, and the latter breaking even. We want to take care of every single one of those babies, said Carmona to unreceptive board members. We will not sit here and do nothing, said board member Frank Niles Thomas as the presentation concluded, addressing the incoming members pleas to postpone making any major determinations until January. There was a leader of Rome who enjoyed music while the town was burning. Were not fiddling around here. We will make a decision. Gardner, the board Vice President, asked Carmona what his preferred plan would be. After he said it was the second hybrid option. to submit a detailed plan on how CPS could integrate the closing charter schools into the district by Monday. The board meeting adjourned at 10:01 p.m. Tribune staff The Board of Education overseeing Chicago Public Schools December meeting is underway. An hour before the meeting the Chicago Teachers Union gathered at the districts administrative offices in Bronzeville demanding their four-year contract be settled before the Trump administration is sworn in. They are tying their contract demands to fears of changes on the federal level due to Project 2025. Among the most salient topics during the meeting is a discussion on the districts response to the planned closure of seven schools operated by the Acero charter network at the end of the school year, impacting approximately 2,000 predominantly Latino students, according to the meeting agenda. Whether ongoing political tension over the Chicago Teachers Union contract negotiations will come to a head remains to be seen. The Board members recently appointed by union ally Mayor Brandon Johnson plan to discuss the negotiations in a closed session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The outcome is being closely watched as the CTU continues to demand an immediate resolution and the district faces a deficit of around $500 million in each of the next five years. District chief Pedro Martinez has maintained a firm grip on his job despite the mayor and the teachers unions efforts to oust him, in part for his refusal to take on a hefty, high-interest loan to help fund their new CTU contract and a pension payment to the city. Since the November board meeting, support for Martinez has expanded, as a letter of support from school principals and local officials has swelled to roughly 700 signatures. However, sources tell the Tribune that Martinezs employment status is not expected to be discussed during the board meetings closed session. The CTU rally began at 4 p.m. CST, followed by the board meeting at 5 p.m. CST. Thursdays board meeting is the last time the body will convene before a new hybrid, partially-elected 21-member Board is seated in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Check back here for live updates from Tribune education reporters Sarah Macaraeg and Nell Salzman. Chicago Teachers Union rallies minutes before Board meeting begins 4:49 p.m. A CTU Rally is underway just minutes before the Board of Educations December meeting begins. In a blog post Tuesday, the union said it would rally to press Chicago Public Schools to settle a new four-year contract that would protect schools and students from the incoming Trump Administration. The fact that Trump is projecting threats to schools, hospitals and religious institutions shows that he has no respect for education, safety or faith. Our school communities will keep each other safe and CEO Martinez and elected leaders need to join the effort, according to the blog. Tribune Staff Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 4:55 p.m. In an online post before the rally, CTU said it put clauses in their contract proposal to reinforce Chicagos protections as a sanctuary city. Included in the demands in their contract are requirements that CPS; Prevent school staff from collaborating with deportation agents; Provide resources to newly arrived families; Ensure flexibility and policies to support impacted employees seeking remedies and legal support; and Put our values of teaching the truth and honoring our communities at the center of our education system through protecting academic freedoms that help tell the multidimensional, rich, and complicated history of our country. This includes teaching Black history and ethnic studies, and establishing broader protections for students and staff from targeted populationsincluding special education and LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff. Tribune Staff 5:00 p.m. CTU members address contract talks before meeting Before Thursdays board meeting, CTU members dressed in red packed in a small room at the Bronzeville district building to highlight the critical role of their contract in safeguarding public education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Teachers spoke about ongoing contract negotiations and said the district has taken too long to respond to their demands. Pedro, you need to put it in writing. Thats right, put it in writing. Or admit that youre not willing to give our kids what they deserve, said Rogelio Aguila, a second-grade bilingual teacher at Marquette Elementary School. Jackson Potter, CTU vice president, hinted that there has been some recent progress made at the collective bargaining table but said theres still room to go. He called the process one of feast and famine. Finally, six, seven months later, after our initial proposals, we finally saw some light at the end of the tunnel around some of the staffing demands. So that was progress. But its been delayed and denied, Potter said. Nell Salzman A seventh board member is sworn in at the top of the meeting 5:15 p.m. In a surprise development, a seventh board member, Sean Harden, was sworn in moments after the board convened. Harden is filling the seat vacated by former board president Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson, who resigned in late October after coming under fire for social media posts deemed anti-semitic, misogynistic, and conspiratorial. Check back for more information on Sean Harden. Tribune Staff 5:28 pm CTU remarks to the board Union president Stacy Davis Gates addressed the Board after members packed the auditorium, chanting CTU. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The alignment between the unions contract proposals, the mayors transition plan and the districts five-year plan should guarantee a Yes, Gates said of CPS response to CTUs demands. Asking the district to finalize the agreement by Christmas, Gates said that the January inauguration of President Donald Trump necessitates profound urgency, given his stated plans to dismantle the US Department of Education whose Title IX office protects students civil rights. Our queer kids, our transgender kids, our queer staff and faculty, transgender staff and faculty are going to need a document that will be backed up by all of these people who love Chicago, she said of the unions demands, which include xsocial protectionsxx and 5-6% raises. In an update sent to families Dec. 6, CPS most recently estimated the cost of meeting all of the unions demands over four years at $3.5 billion. In negotiations on salary increases alone, a gulf of approximately $7.2 million between CPS and CTU remains, according to a district cost comparison of the 4-5% raises proposed by CPS and the unions recent counter-proposal of 5-6% increases, down from a starting demand of 9%. In recent weeks, both CTU and the current Board of six Johnson appointees have pressured Martinez to resolve the contract a demand thats prompted pushback among an assortment of stakeholders. Fact-finding hearings were scheduled to occur this month, as the next stage of formal mediation to resolve the contract. But the hearings, and a subsequent report of recommendations by the fact-finder, have been pushed back upon CTUs request, according to the district. Nell Salzman As has been made readily evident by the General Assemblys actions and inactions in recent years, the post-Leandro education world in North Carolina will be a two-tiered system. (Photo: Getty Images) Today is likely the final day for North Carolina Supreme Court rulings in 2024, and that makes it an ominous day for our states public schools. Thats because its been ten months since the court now controlled by an archconservative majority heard the latest arguments in the 30-year-old Leandro school funding case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2022 a differently composed court ordered the General Assembly to fund a comprehensive plan that would assure every student in the state has access to a sound basic education. Unfortunately, the legislature refused to obey and instead asked the newly GOP-dominated court to revisit the issue yet again. The bottom line: all this means three things can happen today. The court could do the right thing and reassert its authority to order the legislature to act, but few expect that. Meanwhile the other more likely options: surrendering to the legislature or simply kicking the can down the road by not issuing a ruling both mean that our schools will continue, for the foreseeable future, to be chronically and unconstitutionally underfunded. For NC Newsline, Im Rob Schofield. NEW YORK (PIX11) A grand jury in New York is reportedly hearing evidence in the case against suspected gunman Luigi Mangione in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione isnt due back in Pennsylvania court until Dec. 30. His defense attorney can fight the extradition, even though the NYPD said it has evidence connecting Mangione to the slaying. More Local News Criminal defense attorney Bernarda Villalona talks about the next stages of the legal process on PIX11 Morning News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the video player for the full interview. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. The Virginia-class submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783) heads up the Thames River toward Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. (Photo by U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten) This story originally appeared in Connecticut Mirror, a content partner of States Newsroom. Read the original version here. Congress defense policy bill will give its annual boost to Connecticuts defense contractors, suppliers and workforce, including the authorization of full funding for a Virginia-class submarine and partial funding for a second after disputes this year over procurement amid production delays and federal budget caps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday to enable $895 billion in investments for various defense programs as well as support for service members and their families. It is poised to become law, though the bipartisan bill faced blowback from a number of Democrats over a provision to bar coverage of gender-affirming care for minors under the militarys active duty health care program. Like in past bills, Connecticuts biggest defense contractors Sikorsky, Electric Boat and Pratt & Whitney could stand to see major investments once Congress passes its longer term spending bills, though negotiations over those will continue into next year and appropriators will get a final say on the numbers. Authorized funding for the Virginia-class submarine program will look different than previous years after a nearly year-long saga over the two-a-year production cadence. Lawmakers were unable to secure full funding for a second sub, but the bill will allow the U.S. Navy to make investments before its construction through incremental funding. The final NDAA legislation negotiated between the House and Senate ultimately authorized $357 million in incremental funding for the second Virginia-class submarine. That will go toward additional materials needed for a ship in a year of procurement. That funding will allow the Navy to invest in a contract for a second sub before it enters construction and without the full funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deal is at odds with the administrations original proposal. Earlier this year, the Navy requested funding for only one of the nuclear-powered submarines in fiscal year 2025. Officials had cited production delays as well as federal budget caps enacted under the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Electric Boat locations in Groton and Quonset Point in Rhode Island handle much of the Virginia-class shipbuilding, along with Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. U.S. Rep. Two-Sub Joe Courtney kept pushing But members on the House Armed Services Committee and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, were pushing to restore production back to two subs and raised concerns about what it would mean for the supplier industrial base. Electric Boats Groton location is based in Courtneys eastern Connecticut district. Courtney earned the nickname Two-Sub Joe when he first came to Congress in 2007 by increasing the Virginia-class production cadence from one to two subs per year. As the ranking member of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, he had been advocating to keep production at the same pace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With requests for cuts to the program, the original House version of the NDAA sought $1 billion in incremental funding for a second submarine, while the Senate also drafted a bill with money for a second vessel. At the time, both versions of the policy bill deviated from the House GOP-led defense spending bill, which only allocated money for one. Prior to the NDAAs passage, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote a September letter opposing the path forward on the defense policy bill, saying the industry would not be able to catch up and produce a second attack sub on a reasonable schedule, according to Breaking Defense. He also argued that funding could delay a new aircraft. Virginia-class, to be clear, was trying to get to a better, more healthy dynamic where we can get to the two-submarine-a-year production rate, and we thought that going a different direction was our best move in that case, Mike McCord, the comptroller of the U.S. Department of Defense, said at a March briefing with lawmakers, noting that the boats that are supposed to be delivered this year were months behind. While Congress did not authorize the larger funding of $1 billion sought by Courtney and others, the congressman pointed to the White House Office of Management and Budgets recent supplemental request for nearly $6 billion to help Electric Boat and the submarine industry with workforce gaps. That request could get added into a short-term funding bill to keep the government running into the new year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of OMBs request could go toward an NDAA provision giving the Navy the authority to help shipyards deal with cost overruns and increase pay for workers in the metal trades as a way to bolster the hiring and retention of workforces like at Electric Boat. The company hired more than 5,300 people in 2023, with plans to grow its workforce by at least another 5,000 hires again for this year. Despite the slowdown caused by COVID, there are promising signs of industrys recovery, Courtney said on the House floor ahead of the vote. This bill recognizes this progress and rejects the Navys woefully inadequate budget request, which would undermine procurement stability that is essential to growing the program supply chain. This is not pie in the sky, he continued. Indeed just last month, OMB and the Navy belatedly acknowledged our committees stance and sent over a supplemental request to Congress of nearly $6 billion for the Virginia-class submarine program. It is our hope with this bill and the supplemental request, Navy and industry can achieve even higher production cadence and execute the long overdue next block contract for the program. The debacle over the Virginia-class program comes as the industry seeks to address disruptions that have put a strain on production due to the pandemic, supply chain issues and an aging workforce that is retiring. Companies like Electric Boat have been setting higher hiring goals to address those gaps and boost production rates, especially with the Australia-United Kingdom-United States security partnership. As part of AUKUS, Australia has agreed to initially buy three Virginia-class submarines from the U.S., but the first transfer is not expected to happen until the early 2030s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to authorizations for the Virginia class, the legislation will also provide a boost to the Columbia-class with about $3.3 billion for the second increment of funding to go toward construction of the second vessel in that program as well as about $6 billion in advance procurement for long-lead-time materials. Congress also approved investments in research and development for future submarines as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to help the engineering and design teams at Electric Boat with capability upgrades for future submarines. Aside from investments in shipbuilding, the NDAA will authorize about $2 billion in funding for Sikorsky to build 20 CH-53K heavy lift helicopters and $709 million for 24 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. Another $25 million will go toward modernizing the Armys current Black Hawk fleet. The bill also enables $527 million for the F135 Engine Core Upgrade. The Defense Department had approved new contracts for Pratt & Whitney to remain the sole provider of the military jet engine following a decades-long push by Connecticuts congressional delegation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall, the sweeping defense legislation authorizes pay raises: 14.5% for junior enlisted members and 4.5% for all other service members. That comes a year after Congress enacted the largest basic pay increase 5.2% in two decades. Other measures include funding for the child care fee assistance programs and ways to help ensure pay for staff at military child care centers will be competitive with those within the private sector to deal with recruitment and retention. The must-pass defense bill typically becomes a venue for potential policy riders that are either irrelevant to the military or ideological measures that can complicate negotiations and passage of the NDAA. A controversial provision pushed in recent days by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to ban coverage for gender-affirming care for minors under TRICARE, the militarys health care system, earned the ire of Democrats and led to the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., voting against the legislation he helped negotiate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More House Democrats voted against the NDAA than in the previous year. Eighty-one Democrats ultimately supported the bill. Every House member in Connecticuts congressional delegation voted for the bill with the exception of U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st District. Some of the Connecticut members who voted for the bill cited concerns with the provision that would block certain care for transgender kids but said the overall bill would be beneficial to the military and Connecticuts workforce. I am frustrated that Speaker Mike Johnson tucked in a provision to target the LGBTQI+ community that limits TRICARE health care coverage for children of servicemembers one that was initially removed in a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on this legislation, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, said in a statement. Our troops put their lives on the line, and our servicemembers and their families do not need the federal government dictating medical decisions. We must work together on a bipartisan basis to support our troops and protect our national security. Partisan provisions jeopardize that work. Courtney echoed a similar sentiment. It is unfortunate that one item that came out of the Senate that limits some TRICARE health care coverage for specific procedures for some minor dependents of service members stayed in the bill at the insistence of Speaker Johnson, Courtney said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That said, Speaker Johnsons intrusion cannot jeopardize delivering major quality life improvements to the sailors in eastern Connecticut and the investments needed to grow our submarine fleet, which the FY25 NDAA achieves, he added. But the NDAA only authorizes defense funding, and Congress will need to approve that money through fiscal year 2025 spending bills. Lawmakers are unlikely to tackle longer term funding until next year when Republicans take back control of both chambers. Instead, Congress is likely to keep government funded at current spending levels through March. The deadline to pass a funding bill is Dec. 20. The U.S. Senate will take up the bill next before Congress leaves for the holiday recess at the end of next week. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Del Monte Foods, a giant in the retail world of branded processed foods, is planning to sell its tomato processing plant in Hanford where it employs 400 to 500 workers. Company spokesperson Bibie Wu described the decision as an extremely difficult one, but one the company needed to make to align the business with consumer demand. Analysts have noted the company, which generated $1.73 billion in annual sales last year, is dealing with high inventory and low demand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hanford plant is the only tomato processing plant in Del Monte Foods roster of food factories that produce the Del Monte, S&W, Contadina and Take Root Organics brands, among others. City and county officials said Thursday they hadnt been officially made aware of the proposed sale of the massive 670,000-square-foot plant. Supervisor Doug Verboon said he learned of the news in his local newspaper, The Hanford Sentinel. If they are going to sell that plant, they are selling a valuable commodity, he said. We need that plant in our community to take care of our tomato growers and the people that work there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, Wu said the company notified the local union and is in discussions with the union that represents bargaining unit employees and other manufacturing parties regarding the effects of these plans. We will also be notifying relevant government officials at the appropriate time, said Wu, chief communications & technical development officer. The company declined to answer questions about its plans, other than issuing the statement. The Hanford plant is one of 10 food facilities Del Monte operates in the U.S. and in Mexico, processing and canning everything from green beans to canned peaches. It has a large fruit plant in Modesto. MACAO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Giorgio Sinedino, a Brazilian sinologist, has developed an interest in China since childhood when he read "The Adventures of Tintin" and was impressed by the Chinese cultural elements such as the traditional Chinese attire and delicate ceramics introduced in the famous comic series. "I like Tintin because of his interest in different cultures across the globe," said Sinedino, an assistant professor at the University of Macao. "I find his introduction of cultures positive and appealing and want to visit these countries." Following Tintin's footsteps, the Brazilian sinologist crossed oceans to pursue studies in China and has been living in the country for about 20 years, committing himself to introducing Chinese classics to Portuguese-speaking countries. Starting in 2012, the scholar published Portuguese versions of several millennia-old Chinese classics, including "The Analects of Confucius," "Dao De Jing," and "Zhuangzi." His passion for the Chinese language and ancient wisdom was sparked in 2004 when he began learning the language in Brazil with a visiting scholar from Peking University. After years of studying and working in Beijing, Sinedino decided to settle in Macao, which returned to its motherland China in 1999 after a long history of Portuguese rule, to further his cause in promoting Chinese culture to audiences of Portuguese-speaking countries. During the 17th century, Macao once played an important role in introducing Chinese learning to the West, according to Sinedino. "Early Western sinologists received basic training in Macao, working on dictionary compilations and translations of Chinese classics," he told Xinhua. As a bridge linking China and Portuguese-speaking countries, the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has another appeal for the Brazilian sinologist who has traveled to numerous places worldwide and has always been fascinated by the encounter of various cultures. In his opinion, the SAR is an ideal place to live due to its embrace of cultural diversity. He said that Brazilians not only focus on China's economic growth but also show an interest in the country's classical culture. The ever-growing demand for Chinese culture inspired him to introduce more classics to Portuguese-speaking countries, including "The Art of War," a world-renowned book by the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu. Sinedino believes that it is crucial to understand the historical background behind Sun Tzu's strategic thinking. "I hope to present the uniqueness of this work through supplementary materials, allowing readers to understand this classic from the perspective of Chinese culture and ancient thoughts," he said. In addition to classics, the Brazilian also pays attention to the studies of modern Chinese literature. He plans to publish in Brazil next year the Portuguese version of "Na Han," or "Call to Arms," a representative work of Lu Xun, one of the most important Chinese writers of the 20th century. Speaking of future cross-cultural exchanges, the sinologist looks forward to cooperating with experts from the Chinese mainland and Macao SAR to study and translate more Chinese works to better promote Chinese culture. "As a new wave of introducing Chinese learning to the West unfolds, Macao will continue to contribute to the global promotion of Chinese culture," he said. TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) Del Valle ISD faces a lawsuit by employees who allege the district failed to protect them and others from a former employee, who they claim installed a hidden camera in a restroom. The case is brought by 35 current and former DVISD employees. Their names were withheld from the lawsuit to avoid retaliation by the district. On or about December 12, 2022, Plaintiffs were notified by District that they were victims of a recording device that was discovered in a restroom located near the principals office of the Del Valle Opportunity Center, the lawsuit reads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Del Valle ISD said it had received the lawsuit, but cannot comment on any pending litigation. The former employee worked as the Del Valle Opportunity Centers head custodian. Travis County court records contain four active arrest warrants for the former custodian on invasive recording charges. KXAN reached out to the custodian for a response to the lawsuit. Years of invasive recordings The case began Dec. 7, 2022, when a contractor installing vape detectors in restrooms found a pouch containing USB drives and micro SD cards. They turned the storage media over to the district, who in turn notified Del Valle ISD Police. Upon review, those devices contained nearly three years of sensitive images and/or video footage of several District employeesobserved using the restroom, with private areas discernible, according to the lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further, the recording device documented images and/or video footage where other District employees and visitors, including minors, could be seen changing in the restroom with their private areas discernible, the lawsuit reads. On Dec. 8, 2022, DVISD Police went to remove the camera, but it allegedly had already been removed. DVISD police officers swept the building on Dec. 9, 2022, and found five additional restrooms contained evidence that cameras had been present. Evidence, including mounting materials and camera mounts, was also allegedly found at the former custodians workspace, according to the lawsuit. Troubling transfers According to the plaintiffs, DVISD failed to protect them from the former employee, who they said had been the subject of multiple sexual harassment and sexual assault claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Incident was the result of the actions of [custodian] and the lack of action taken by [Del Valle ISD] allowing such appalling behavior to continue, despite districts notice of [custodians] appalling behavior, the lawsuit reads. The lawsuit states that the claims against the former employee began as early as 2018. Defendant was continuously moved to different district locations in an attempt to remedy the situation, despite his unacceptable behavior, the lawsuit states. It alleges that Del Valle ISD formed a custom of moving the former employee after an allegation was raised, enabling his repulsive behavior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [They] would transfer Defendant when there were signs of trouble, rather than terminate him, the lawsuit reads. Plaintiffs seek a jury trial to recover damages in excess of $1 million for invasion of privacy, violations of labor rights and negligence by Del Valle ISD and the former custodian. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin on Thursday said moving the 2025 primary to avoid conflicting with a Jewish holiday would ensure everyone can participate in the electoral process. (Danielle Richards for New Jersey Monitor) Democratic leaders in Trenton on Thursday committed to moving New Jerseys 2025 primary election to avoid a conflict with Shavuot, a Jewish holiday during which observant Jews cannot use electronics, write, or drive. In a joint statement, Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) said they have an obligation to ensure everyone can participate in our electoral system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cannot allow deeply held and legitimate religious beliefs to become a barrier to voting. We support moving the 2025 primary to June 10 and will work together to accomplish that goal, they said. The 2025 primary will be a major one. So far, six Democrats and six Republicans have announced their intention to seek their partys nomination for governor (Murphy is barred from seeking a third term next year). By law, New Jerseys primaries are held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in June. In 2025, that places the primary on June 3, the final day of Shavuot. A coalition of New Jersey Jewish leaders last week sent a letter, first reported by Jewish Insider, urging the three Democrats to shift the date of the primary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scutari and Sen. Jim Beach (D-Camden) on Thursday introduced legislation that would move the date of the 2025 primary to June 10. Religious observance should never be an obstacle to voter participation, Beach said. If the current primary date disenfranchises a portion of the electorate, we should do everything in our power to remedy it. Pushing the date back a week is a simple solution. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A handful of Democrats on Capitol Hill criticized FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday for announcing he would resign from his position before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, caving to pressure after Trump announced his nomination of extremist Kash Patel to lead the FBI. I think his resignation is a result of raw political pressure repugnant to our criminal justice system, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told TPM on Thursday on his way to the Senate floor. I personally would have preferred that he stayed and fought. I would have refused to resign. Its a threat to the independence and integrity of our justice system. Wrays resignation announcement came just days after it became clear Trump intended to fire Wray after he announced Kash Patel as his nominee for FBI director when he takes office in the new year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think for the rank and file FBI, his decision to resign prematurely, under pressure, is tantamount to abandonment, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) told CNN on Thursday. Abandonment of the FBI and abandonment of them and their protections, exposing them to a political purge. And Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) told TPM he is disappointed but not surprised by Wrays decision. FBI Directors are appointed to 10-year-terms largely as a way to insulate them from political pressures. Therefore, Trumps plan to appoint Patel as director would have only come to fruition if Wray voluntarily stepped down before his term ended in 2027 or if Trump forced him out by firing him. Trump previously fired then-FBI Director James Comey when he took office in 2017. But not all Democrats who spoke to TPM Thursday came out with a forceful condemnation of Wrays decision to resign instead of forcing Trumps hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Padilla dismissed the question of whether Wray should have waited for Trump to fire him, calling it a personal decision. Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) both suggested theres not much to say on Wrays announcement as he already made his decision. Hes made the announcement. I think hes decided that he doesnt want to be a distraction. Thats a decision that he has made, Warnock told TPM in the Senate basement on Thursday. He added that the issue at this point is the Presidents nominee. Hirono expressed the same sentiment. I think what we should focus on is not only the next FBI nominee, but all the other Trump nominees, and whether they have the experience and qualifications, besides 100% loyalty to Trump, Hirono told TPM on her way to a vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Connolly also expressed concern over the possibility of Patel replacing Wray. Maybe Director Wray is right that by removing himself, he removes a target but hes gonna be replaced with a partisan hack who has no real experience with the FBI or for that matter with our law enforcement at large, Connolly said, during his CNN interview. Warnock told TPM there are many questions around Patels nomination but that he will wait for the opportunity to hear from him and to see how he responds. I take seriously my role and responsibility to engage and advise and consent. The FBI is obviously so very important to our domestic tranquility and our national security. As the Presidents various nominees are put in front of us, I look forward to having a hearty conversation about whether they are fit, whether theyre competent, and if this is somebody we can trust with such an important part of our national security, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) did not comment on questions about Wrays decision to retire before Trump could fire him. When asked about the announcement, Sanders let out a displeased, no comment, before walking away. Im dealing with five or six major issues right now. His timing is not one of them for me, Wyden told TPM softly, before moving onto other questions from other reporters circled around him. Democrats are expressing disappointment at FBI Director Christopher Wrays decision to step down, arguing the move allows President-elect Trump to speed the law enforcement agencys transformation and skirt accountability for forcing the director out. I think he should have forced Trump to fire him because by stepping down he sort of took the onus off Trump for breaking with the tradition and the policy of having FBI directors serve 10 year terms, Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), a former prosecutor and House Judiciary member, told The Hill. Theres this precedent now for FBI directors stepping down when a new president comes in. And thats not how this should work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump turned to Wray, a lifelong Republican, to lead the FBI after firing predecessor James Comey. But he has since soured on the director since nominating him for a role that would otherwise end in 2027. Trump signaled his plans to boot him in announcing a new pick to lead the agency, Kash Patel, a loyalist who has echoed the president-elects calls for retribution. Democrats with oversight of the Justice Department are expressing their unhappiness with Wrays decision. Im disappointed, because I would much prefer to have continuity and viability in that office, before someone like Kash Patel gets his hands on it, said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), expressing alarm at Trumps nominee by referencing a childrens book written by Patel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its about King Donald. The hero is a guy named Kash who valiantly rises to the defense of King Donald, whos being besieged by Hillary Queenton. This is the guy whos going to be the director of the FBI if Donald Trump has his way, added Raskin, who is set to take over as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Patel has also written another book called Government gangsters, in which he includes an appendix that lists 60 people he calls Members of the Executive Branch Deep State. Its a group that includes Wray and other current and former Justice Department officials as well as whistleblower Alexander Vindman, whose disclosures sparked Trumps first impeachment. In fundraising emails from his foundation, Patel has said the group must be held accountable and exposed in 2024. While Trump has said he will not direct Patel to initiate any investigations, he said during an appearance on NBCs Meet The Press that if somebody was dishonest or crooked or a corrupt politician, I think he probably has an obligation to do it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said Thursday morning that Wray should have forced Trump to fire him. I understand why a nonpartisan FBI director who believes in the rule of law, who believes in the institution would not want to be a distraction for the agency and the work that they do. But were in different times now, and I wish he had stuck it out to make it difficult for Donald Trump to fire his second FBI director when they have a 10-year term for a reason, he told The Hill. And because of what Donald Trump is threatening to do with the FBI, what his nominee, Kash Patel, would do, its really important that everybody who has a position of significance or a position in the federal government continues to do their job to uphold the rule of law, because thats under attack right now, and so yes, I wish he had stayed as long as he possibly could, he added. He left an opportunity to save the bureau, rather than protect it, by resigning now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) praised Wray for withstanding immense pressure from the president-elect and his acolytes to politicize and weaponize the agency and cautioned against Patels nomination without naming him directly. While I am disappointed to see Director Wray step down before the conclusion of his termwhich risks normalizing any Presidents desire to fire FBI directors at willit is becoming clear that there is little room for principled leaders of his ilk in Trumps new regime, Himes said in a statement Wednesday. I hope that, in confirming his successor, my colleagues in the Senate will demand a candidate who is fiercely committed to apolitical law enforcement that follows the facts and the law, not the whims of political leaders. Wray didnt name Trump directly in announcing his decision to leave his post as President Biden exits office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, he told agents during a town hall that the move was the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work. It was a decision celebrated by Republicans, who have been critical of Wray and even called for his ouster. Just days ahead of Wrays announcement, incoming Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) had said the director should step down for the good of the country. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), a former federal prosecutor, said Wray made the right decision. Its very foreseeable that Trumps going to want his own FBI director. Traditionally, its a 10-year appointment, but I think given the political climate, it was very foreseeable, and I think he did the honorable thing rather than, you know, a big battle that he was gonna lose, McCaul said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think he just wanted to go out gracefully, McCaul said, noting his own recent move to step down as chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Its OK to give up power every now and then. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a Judiciary member, also said it was the right choice. I mean, he should resign, and the president should be able to pick the FBI director, and so rock and roll, Roy said. The new presidents coming in, its time for a change, and its up to the president to pick the FBI director. And I think Director Wray recognized that, and the president was already moving forward, and I think it was the right decision for the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But for Raskin, Wrays move violated a principle forwarded by a historian who has studied authoritarian regimes. The first thing that occurred to me was Tim Snyders No. 1 rule in On Tyranny, which was, do not obey in advance, Raskin said, referencing Snyders book. So he acted in a way that undoubtedly pleased Trump and his people. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Two Democratic senators are pressing for correspondent between President-elect Trumps Cabinet picks and Boris Epshteyn following allegations that the longtime Trump adviser was seeking payment to promote individuals interested in roles in the next Trump administration. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) called for any communications between nominees and Epshteyn to be preserved and given to lawmakers, according to a letter obtained by The Hill. All nominees appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee should immediately act to retain all communications with Mr. Epshteyn, provide those materials to the Committee well in advance of their hearing date, and be prepared to testify regarding any discussions with Mr. Epshteyn about receiving a potential appointment in the incoming administration, read the letter addressed to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the current ranking member of the Judiciary panel, and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the incoming chair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter was also copied to Trumps transition team leader Susie Wiles, Trumps pick for White House chief of staff, CBS News reported. The letter calls for senior Republicans to require any Trump appointees presented to the Judiciary Committee for confirmation to preserve and produce to the Committee any communications with Mr. Epshteyn. Last month, Trumps transition team conducted an internal review of consulting agreements involving allegations that Epshteyn was seeking payment to promote those interested in potential administration jobs. Multiple outlets, including The Associated Press and The New York Times, reported the review concluded Epshteyn asked for payment to advocate for two individuals, including Scott Bessent, whom Trump nominated last week to serve as Treasury secretary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York Times reported that the internal review found Epshteyn in February proposed to Bessent a monthly fee of between $30,000 and $40,000 to promote the investor around Mar-a-Lago, which Bessent declined. Epshteyn called the claims false and defamatory in a previous statement. Updated at 1:45 p.m. EST Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Oklahoma State Department of Health resumed unannounced inspections at the Oklahoma County jail following an order from a district judge dismissing a lawsuit challenging their authority. The jail had denied inspectors access twice which led to a legal dispute between the Health Department and the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority, or OCCJA, the trust that manages the correctional facility. Following the district judges Nov. 5 verbal order, the jail granted a state Health Department inspector access for an unannounced inspection on Dec. 6, prior to it being filed officially with the court Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erica Rankin, a spokesperson for the Health Department, confirmed that the inspection occurred on Dec. 6 but said the report was not finished yet. District Judge Brent Dishman dismissed the case based on one word found in state statute. Based upon the use of the word shall the Court finds that the plain language of the statute indicates health inspectors shall have access to the jail, whether announced or unannounced, any time they show up to conduct inspections, his order said. Similar case pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court The OCCJA had sued the state Health Department, claiming that Oklahoma law does not give state health officials the right to conduct surprise inspections at county jails. The jail trust asked the court to declare that the Health Department has no lawful authority to conduct the inspections without prior notice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state Health Department sought to have the case dismissed, pointing to unhealthy and dangerous conditions in the jail as reason for the need for surprise inspections. The agency cited previous failed inspections and inmate deaths. A similar case is pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, but the Health Department moved for its dismissal. More: OK County jail trust says state Health Department rushed to Supreme Court without cause In the filing, the Health Departments counsel wrote that the order from the district court resolved the issue. They also wrote that the OCCJA plans to appeal this order, meaning the case could end up before the Supreme Court which would create duplicate cases before the court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for OCCJA did not respond to a request for comment or confirm that an appeal is planned. 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: Oklahoma County jail allows state health inspectors access DENVER (KDVR) Denver International Airport is already experiencing an increase in travelers ahead of the official national holiday travel period, which begins on Dec. 19 and continues through Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. AAA of Colorado reported that while airfare is 3% higher, travel is up compared to last year. TSA told FOX31 that agents will screen more than a million people at DIA this season. Clear Creek County eliminate four positions and cut back hours amid budget constraints Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX31 spoke to travelers excited to spend time with loved ones over the holidays and said being prepared for every step of your trip is the key to avoiding problems. It is dealing with the crowds, the hustle and bustle of getting a rental car, said one airline customer. Those walking through the main security areas will notice continuing construction on the new east security wing, which is scheduled to open during the third quarter of 2025. Plan to enter the security checkpoint that you are eligible for to avoid delays. The west security checkpoint features TSA PreCheck screening, TSA PreCheck screening with CLEAR, DEN Reserve, premium access, active duty military access and functional needs access. The hours of operation are 4 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The south security checkpoint features general screening and CLEAR and is open between 3 a.m. and 1 a.m. The south security TSA PreCheck checkpoint located near baggage carousel seven is open from 4 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. TSA is using new high-tech screening, which includes credential authentication technology units with digital I.D. scanners and cameras. What would happen if trains at the Denver airport stopped working? DIAs parking lots and garages are expected to be full during the travel season. DIA spokesperson Michael Konopasek told the Problem Solvers that travelers should check lot availability on the DIA website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We stand ready to make sure that we maximize the available spots for people so were going to be opening up additional spots out in the shuttle lot areas, he said. TSA warned that wrapped gifts may need to be opened during security checks. When it comes to food, the rule is if you can spread it, spill it, pump it or pour it and its larger than 3.4 ounces then it should be checked. The busiest travel days at DIA are expected to be Thursday, Dec. 19, Friday, Dec. 20 and Monday, Dec. 30. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. On Dec. 13, 2003, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces while hiding in a hole under a farmhouse in Adwar, Iraq, near his hometown of Tikrit. Per Associated Press reports, Saddam was seized by U.S. troops and displayed on television screens worldwide, a humiliating fate for one of historys most brutal dictators. The man who waged and lost two wars against the United States and its allies was armed with a pistol when captured in a Styrofoam-covered underground hideout but did not resist, the U.S. military said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three years later, the shotgun-waving dictator who ruled Iraq with a remorseless brutality for a quarter-century, was taken to the gallows and executed in Baghdad, according to Iraqi state-run TV. Also hanged were Saddams half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court. Saddam was known as the Butcher of Baghdad. After he seized power on July 16, 1979, he had hundreds of members of his own party and army officers slain. In 1996, he ordered the slaying of two sons-in-law who had defected to Jordan but returned to Baghdad after receiving guarantees of safety. Saddam built Iraq into one of the Arab worlds most modern societies but then plunged the country into an eight-year war with neighboring Iran that killed hundreds of thousands of people on both sides and wrecked Iraqs economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During that war, as part of the wider campaign against Kurds, the Iraqi military used chemical weapons against the Kurdish town of Halabja in northern Iraq, killing an estimated 5,000 civilians. The economic troubles from the Iran war led Saddam to invade Kuwait in the summer of 1990, seeking to grab its oil wealth, but a U.S.-led coalition inflicted a stinging defeat on the Iraq army and freed the Kuwaitis. The final blow came when U.S.-led troops invaded in March 2003. Saddams regime fell quickly, but political, sectarian and criminal violence have created chaos that has undermined efforts to rebuild Iraqs ruined economy. The Deseret News and other media outlets followed Saddams rise to power, his defiance in the world court and his eventual demise. Now, 21 years later, here are some stories from Deseret News archives on the topic: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family ties led to capture Captured Saddam caught like a rat in a hole From palaces to a hole in dirt Soldiers and families in Utah thrilled with news About Utah: 2 Utahns helped boot Saddam out 2 Utah soldiers get look at Saddams rat hole Swift trial for Saddam a victim of insurgency Cheers around world spark hopes of unity and peace Iraqi troubles overshadow significance of execution Saddam Hussein calls for reconciliation at genocide trial Saddam stayed strong, defiant to the end Saddam executed Following Luigi Mangione's arrest in an Altoona, Pa., McDonald's this week, rumors have swirled across the internet that the employee who called 911 wouldn't receive the potential $60,000 reward for information leading to his capture. But police say the employee is indeed eligible for the reward but it could take some time. To claim the FBI's $50,000 reward, a federal agency must nominate a tipster to an interagency board, which can present a recommendation for the U.S. Secretary of State to then sign off on, according to The Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the $10,000 reward from the NYPD's Crime Stoppers will require a conviction before it can be disbursed, as the bounty was upped from the usual $3,500 to $10,000 by the New York City Police Foundation, the Associated Press reports. Related: Luigi Mangione Was 'Cagey' When He Tried to Get Room at Altoona, Pa., Hotel: Clerk Both rewards will also be taxed, so the full amounts won't manifest in the tipster's bank account. And the Crime Stoppers reward could be divided among dozens of tips that the police say were helpful in the investigation Speculation had abounded earlier this week that the McDonald's employee who called the police on Mangione would not get the reward, because the person phoned 911 instead of the Crime Stoppers tip line. The Police Foundation, however, confirmed to The Washington Post that the McDonald's tipster is still eligible for the reward. Luigi Mangione/X.com Mangione is the prime suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan last week. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. He was apprehended at the McDonald's on Monday, Dec. 9, after a five-day manhunt when an eagle-eyed customer believed they spotted the suspect inside the restaurant. The customer alerted a McDonald's staff member who then called 911. (Still photos from surveillance footage has since been released showing Mangione in the restaurant.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related: Luigi Mangione's Lawyer Told Him in Court: 'Don't Say a Word' After Outburst Outside Building Police said that Mangione started to shake when they questioned him, particularly on whether he'd been in New York City recently. Police allege they would ultimately discover on him a ghost gun, suppressor, fake IDs and a manifesto describing people in the health insurance industry as "parasites." Mangione is charged with second-degree murder in New York. He is currently being held without bail in Pennsylvania, where he faces weapons and forgery charges; he is fighting attempts by Manhattan prosecutors to extradite him to New York. Read the original article on People In the memorial hall stands a wall of survivors -- now only 32 remain, with an average age of over 94. Alongside them, 32 memory inheritors, including descendants of survivors and volunteers like Ali Fathy from Egypt, are stepping forward to ensure this dark chapter in history is never forgotten. Their stories are vivid reminders: the Nanjing Massacre is not just a part of China's history but a collective memory for the world. As survivors pass on, these inheritors will continue to speak for peace and remembrance. This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's National Memorial Day for the Nanjing Massacre Victims. Let us remember, honor, and protect the future. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have earned the nickname of forever chemicals from their extraordinary ability to stick around in the environment long after theyve been used. These synthetic compounds, commonly used in consumer products and industrial applications for their water- and grease-resistant properties, are now found practically everywhere in the environment. While many chemicals will degrade relatively quickly after theyre disposed of, PFAS can stick around for up to 1,000 years. This durability is great for their use in firefighting foams, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and even food packaging. These are a few examples of products that can contain PFAS. City of Riverside, California However, their resilience means that they persist in soil, water and even living organisms. They can accumulate over time and affect the health of both ecosystems and humans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some initial research has shown potential links between PFAS exposure and various health issues including cancers, immune system suppression and hormone disruption. These concerns have led scientists to search for effective ways to break down these stubborn chemicals. Were a team of researchers who developed a chemical system that uses light to break down bonds between carbon and fluorine atoms. These strong chemical bonds help PFAS resist degradation. We published this work in Nature in November 2024, and we hope this technique could help address the widespread contamination these substances cause. Why PFAS compounds are so hard to break down PFAS compounds have carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest in chemistry. These bonds make PFAS incredibly stable. They resist the degradation processes that usually break down industrial chemicals including hydrolysis, oxidation and microbial breakdown. The carbon-fluorine bonds in PFAS, like this one, perfluoroundecanoic acid, make the molecules very stable. Bert.Kilanowski/Wikimedia Commons Conventional water treatment methods can remove PFAS from water, but these processes merely concentrate the contaminants instead of destroying them. The resulting PFAS-laden materials are typically sent to landfills. Once disposed of, they can still leach back into the environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current methods for breaking carbon-fluorine bonds depend on use of metals and very high temperatures. For example, platinum metal can be used for this purpose. This dependence makes these methods expensive, energy-intensive and challenging to use on a large scale. How our new photocatalytic system works The new method our team has developed uses a purely organic photocatalyst. A photocatalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction using light, without being consumed in the process. Our system harnesses energy from cheap blue LEDs to drive a set of chemical reactions. After absorbing light, the photocatalyst transfers electrons to the molecules containing fluorine, which breaks down the sturdy carbon-fluorine bonds. By directly targeting and dismantling the molecular structure of PFAS, photocatalytic systems like ours hold the potential for complete mineralization. Complete mineralization is a process that transforms these harmful chemicals into harmless end products, like hydrocarbons and fluoride ions, which degrade easily in the environment. The degraded products can then be safely reabsorbed by plants. Photocatalysis refers to accelerating a reaction by using light particles, called photons. Miyake Group Potential applications and benefits One of the most promising aspects of this new photocatalytic system is its simplicity. The setup is essentially a small vial illuminated by two LEDs, with two small fans added to keep it cool during the process. It operates under mild conditions and does not use any metals, which are often hazardous to handle and can sometimes be explosive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The systems reliance on light a readily available and renewable energy source could make it economically viable and sustainable. As we refine it, we hope that it could one day operate with minimal energy input, outside of the energy powering the light. This platform can also transform other organic molecules that contain carbon-fluorine bonds into valuable chemicals. For instance, thousands of fluoroarenes are commonly available as industrial chemicals and laboratory reagents. These can be transformed into building blocks for making a variety of other materials, including medicines and everyday products. Challenges and future directions While this new system shows potential, challenges remain. Currently, we can degrade PFAS only on a small scale. While our experimental setup is effective, it will require substantial scaling up to tackle the PFAS problem on a larger level. Additionally, large molecules with hundreds of carbon-fluorine bonds, like Teflon, do not dissolve into the solvent we use for these reactions, even at high temperatures. As a result, the system currently cant break down these materials, and we need to conduct more research. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We also want to improve the long-term stability of these catalysts. Right now, these organic photocatalysts degrade over time, especially when theyre under constant LED illumination. So, designing catalysts that retain their efficiency over the long term will be essential for practical, large-scale use. Developing methods to regenerate or recycle these catalysts without losing performance will also be key for scaling up this technology. With our colleagues at the Center for Sustainable Photoredox Catalysis, we plan to keep working on light-driven catalysis, aiming to discover more light-driven reactions that solve practical problems. SuPRCat is a National Science Foundation-funded nonprofit Center for Chemical Innovation. The teams there are working to develop reactions for more sustainable chemical manufacturing. The end goal is to create a system that can remove PFAS contaminants from drinking water at purification plants, but thats still a long way off. Wed also like to one day use this technology to clean up PFAS-contaminated soils, making them safe for farming and restoring their role in the environment. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Arindam Sau, University of Colorado Boulder; Mihai Popescu, Colorado State University, and Xin Liu, Colorado State University Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Gov. Mike DeWine spent about one hour answering questions during breakfast with the Ohio Legislative Press Corps on Thursday morning. Property and income taxes Ohio lawmakers have been stalled several property tax relief bills, despite saying it is the number one issue they hear about from their constituents. Not only have several bills been introduced, but a property tax study committee at the statehouse was supposed to come out with a report months ago, but thats hasnt happened yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need some help, DeWine said. DeWine said he has heard several stories about people on fixed income who are getting taxed out of their homes that they have lived in for years, for example. He said he is not putting a tight timeline on taking action. We have to have relief for them, DeWine said. This is a very important thing. Some legislation has been introduced. If the legislature does not do this in a lame duck, we will be back and ask them to do that in the new session. DeWine said he is not really sure what specific policy he thinks lawmakers should pursue. I dont want to prescribe one way of doing it, he said. I think we all know what the problem is, and we need to find an answer to it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers have also floated the idea of eliminating the state income tax. DeWine said he is still weighing further income tax cuts than were made in the last budget. Weve already put, in every budget, every cycle, billions of dollars back in taxpayers hands, and thats been going on for a number of legislative sessions, DeWine said. We are in a different period; we are now post COVID and what was different about the COVID period is there was a massive amount of money that came in from the federal government and into the state. That no longer is coming in. While income taxes were cut in the last budget, DeWine said it is not feasible to eliminate the tax entirely. I think the important thing is that for many years we were not competitive with other states, he said. Today we were very competitive in other states. As we get businesses who come here, the tax issue is not in discussion, usually, hardly ever. You have other discussions: can we find the right people to work? Location, water, etc. U.S. Senate appointment DeWine is tasked with appointing someone to take Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vances seat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before DeWine announces the appointment, Vance has to resign from his position in the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate convenes at the start of January, but Vance does not get sworn in as vice president until Jan. 20. Vance nor DeWine have indicated when the VP-elect will resign, but Senator-elect Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said he expects to serve his first few weeks alongside Vance. I get sworn in Jan. 3, I become the junior Senator, Moreno said. JD becomes a senior Senator. JD will serve for a period of time. Our plan is that, during that period of time, between the 3rd and 20th, while Joe Biden is still president, is to get as many of these nominees through the committee process as possible. DeWine is staying tight-lipped about who he wants to see take Vances post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who I appoint has to be able to, in less than two years, win a primary and then win a general election and then come back two years later and win a primary and general election, DeWine said. So, it has to be someone who I believe can win a primary, will win a primary, and then will win a general election. DeWine said he has talked to both President-elect Donald Trump and Vance about the decision. DeWine did decline to comment about whether Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is being considered for the position. Death penalty There are competing bills at the Ohio Statehouse that have to do with capital punishment. One effort abolishes the death penalty while the other makes using nitrogen hypoxia a legal means of execution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeWine has made his stance on this issue clear, as there has not been a single execution during his time as governor, and he said that will remain the same for the next two years. DeWine said he will have more to come in the next few months on that topic. Flag planting at Ohio Stadium A state representative wants to make it a felony to plant a flag at Ohio Stadium. House leadership said that effort will not move before the end of the year. As for DeWine, he had a very brief but definitive opinion on the proposed bill. Who the hell is going to enforce that, DeWine said. Husted added his two cents about the proposed bill too, also a short but clear opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a good way to stop [flag planting], Husted said. Just win. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. A new lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs has revealed that he attempted to convince an alleged victim not to resist being raped after the person regained consciousness during the assault. The suit is one of three recently filed against the embattled rapper, accusing him of drugging and raping three men between 2019 and 2022. In response to the suit, Sean "Diddy" Combs' representatives have denounced the allegations as "full of lies" and vowed to pursue "sanctions" against the lawyers for filing what they call "fictional claims" against the Bad Boy founder. The Rapper Allegedly Told His Accuser 'I'm Almost Done' When He Awoke MEGA Three new lawsuits have been filed against Diddy, accusing the rapper of drugging and raping three men between 2019 and 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Daily Mail, the lawsuits, filed by attorney Thomas Giuffra, seek an unspecified amount in damages as compensation for the trauma the alleged victims claim to have endured. In one filing, a victim alleged that Diddy sexually assaulted him during a meeting at a Manhattan hotel. The victim, who had been working for the music mogul at the time, went to the location to discuss a missed payment. According to the claim, Diddy offered him a drugged drink, after which he fell asleep on the couch. When he regained consciousness, the victim was horrified to find himself lying face down on the couch with Diddy on top of him, assaulting him. When the alleged victim tried to resist, Diddy reportedly continued and lewdly told him he was "almost done." Diddy Reportedly Gave A Victim Cash After Assaulting Him MEGA In another lawsuit, a second alleged male victim claimed Diddy raped him during a party at the Park Hyatt New York, an event he attended after being "recruited." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim alleged that Diddy "personally offered" him a cocktail at the party, which he later discovered had been prepared in the "other room." He added that despite only taking half the drink, he suddenly began to feel like the room was "spinning" while his mouth became "very dry." Shortly after drinking the cocktail, he passed out but briefly regained consciousness to find himself being raped by Diddy while a man and a woman allegedly recorded the assault. The victim further claimed that the next day, Diddy gave him $2,500, seemingly as hush money. He stated he never told anyone about the incident due to "fear and humiliation." The Lawyer Representing The Alleged Victims Claims The Rapper Silenced His Accusers With 'His Power' MEGA Meanwhile, the lawyer of the alleged victims has also called out Diddy, saying the rapper is a "rich, powerful public figure who was able to take advantage by drugging these men." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawyer also claimed that the Bad Boy founder "ensured" the alleged victims' "silence by threatening them and relying on their fear of his power." He added, "This is a long overdue opportunity for the victims to take the power back after carrying the burden of the assaults in silence for several years." Diddy's Representatives Slammed The New Filings MEGA Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diddy's representatives have already slammed the new filings and vowed to go after lawyers who have filed unverified claims against the rapper. "These complaints are full of lies. We will prove them false and seek sanctions against every unethical lawyer who filed fictional claims against him," the representatives told the outlet. The rapper has other legal troubles plaguing him as he is in a Brooklyn jail, awaiting a trial set for May 2025. Diddy was arrested on September 16 and is facing federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy Was Previously Sued By A Woman Who Claimed He Dangled Her Over A Balcony MEGA The new filings come weeks after Diddy was sued by fashion designer Bryana "Bana" Bongolan of sexual battery, infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The allegations seem to originate from an altercation with the rapper that allegedly ended with him dangling her over a 17th-floor balcony while shouting threats. In the lawsuit, Bongolan's attorney, James R. Nikraftar, issued a scathing criticism of Diddy, urging him to take accountability for his actions. "The only purpose of dangling someone over a balcony is to actually kill them or to intentionally terrorize them and rob them of any concept of dominion over their own bodily autonomy and safety," read a part of the filing, per Rolling Stone. "Ms. Bongolan refuses to allow this fear to control the rest of her life and brings this action to demand that Mr. Combs takes responsibility for the trauma he intentionally and maliciously" inflicted. Under section 14(c) of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, some people with disabilities can legally be paid pennies an hour. A new rule proposed by the Department of Labor would end the practice. In a proposal released last week, the federal government would stop issuing new certificates that allow companies to pay subminimum wage to disabled workers while phasing out old certificates over a three-year period. The proposal is a first step toward fulfilling one of President Joe Bidens longstanding campaign promises. But before it can take effect, the rule will have to go through a public comment period, expected to conclude on January 17, just days before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. While many executive actions taken by the Biden administration will likely be overturned or ignored under Trump, opinions in conservative circles about subminimum wage for people with disabilities are mixed and the disability community may very well see progress on the issue under a Republican president and Republican-controlled Congress. The regulations advancement may depend on Trumps pick for Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer. During her time in Congress, no legislation on disabled subminimum wage made it to a vote, so her position is unclear. Multiple sources who work on disability policy on the Hill noted that Chavez-DeRemer wasnt opposed to ending the practice, nor did she hold especially strong beliefs on the issue, and they see real possibility for progress under her leadership. Chavez-DeRemer could not be reached for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Congress, Republicans like Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington and Sen. Steve Daines of Montana have been the biggest opponents of subminimum wage. For McMorris Rodgers, the issue is personal: Her son, Cole, has Down syndrome and she has spoken in interviews about the importance of including people with disabilities in society. Others, like Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, are vocal supporters of disabled subminimum wage because they see it as a way to ensure more people can still work, even if they cant get jobs at market rates. There isnt much on the record indicating what the Trump administration might do, said Rachel Barkley, director of Able Americans, one of the only conservative think tank projects dedicated entirely to disability policy. It is housed within the National Center for Public Policy Research, one of many conservative organizations that contributed to the development of Project 2025. Barkley sees opposition to subminimum wage for people with disabilities as a conservative issue, albeit a minor one. I think, first and foremost, you look at the dignity of the individual, which is a core conservative principle. When people talk about the right to life, for example, you look at the dignity of the whole person and equal rights under the law. Weve got to have equality under the law for everyone, no exceptions for people with disabilities, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August, Able Americans released a report on conservative approaches to disability policy that did not take a position for or against subminimum wage. When asked why, Barkley responded that fewer people are entering disabled subminimum wage workplaces and the workforce is aging. The impacted population is small and if it keeps shrinking, the issue may simply become moot. In 2010, around 300,000 disabled workers were legally receiving subminimum wage, according to a report from the federal Government Accountability Office. According to the same report, in 2019, there were 122,000 disabled subminimum wage workers. In 2024, an estimated 37,000 disabled subminimum wage workers remain. Thats 0.006 percent of the entire disabled population in the U.S. I think there are larger employment issues such as flexibility in the workplace and wraparound services like transportation and health care that need to be addressed when we think about how to help people with disabilities enter, stay and advance in the workplace, she said. Barkley previously worked as senior staff for McMorris Rodgers and was involved in the congresswomans efforts to ban the practice. She feels that the end of disabled subminimum wage is inevitable. Today, if you have a child with a disability, they are integrated in their education when theyre a young child all the way through and seen as part of the community. Cultural views have really changed expectations for work in the labor market for people with disabilities, Barkley said. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) is one of Congress biggest opponents of the subminimum wage for people with disabilities. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images) Ordinary conservatives are also split on the issue, if they are aware of it at all. It is not possible to know how many support or oppose disabled subminimum wage due to lack of polling. However, conservatives who have disabilities themselves may be more likely to oppose it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maryann Denning, 67, has been part of a push to end the practice in Ohio. Over a dozen states have passed legislation phasing out the program. Ohio is not yet one of them. Denning has been blind since birth and while she never worked in a subminimum wage environment, she has friends from school who did. She considers the issue as not only about human dignity, but about equality of opportunity and desire for less government spending. I think that my goal is for any disabled person who wants to be employed to have that opportunity. If those of us with disabilities are fully employed, then we become tax-paying citizens. We become more able to participate in the American Dream, Denning said. She also pointed out that if people with disabilities make more money themselves, they will have less need for government support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I believe we should work to get as many people off of government benefits as much as we can, she said. Shelbi Hindel, 61, another blind advocate in Ohio opposed to disabled subminimum wage, acknowledges that many of the people she works with on the issue are more liberal or progressive, but she doesnt see that as a barrier or contradiction to her beliefs. I feel like my religious beliefs inform my worldview more, Hindel said. Denning and Hindel were split on whether they believe a second Trump administration will advance regulations and legislation to end disabled subminimum wage. Some of the things that Trump has said in the past about people with disabilities have been very negative. I dont know what hes ultimately going to do, Denning said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hindel thought Trump just needed to be more informed on the issue. I think hes got a compassionate heart, but I think that it has to be brought to his attention. I dont think this is going to be intuitive to him. He may not even realize people are being paid subminimum wage, Hindel said. Julie Christensen is executive director of the nonpartisan Association of People Supporting Employment First, which advocates for more mainstream employment options for people with disabilities. Her organization is one of the many leading the charge against disabled subminimum wage. It also promotes legislation to fund alternatives, to ensure disabled people remain in the workforce. Due to the shrinking number of disabled subminimum wage workers, Christensen notes that there arent many new certificates being given out to companies. Barring the issuance of new certificates may not even be an especially drastic change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is not a huge waiting list for people to get into [disabled subminimum wage]. We have a lot of other strategies and programs now that get to competitive, integrated employment,Christensen said. The real point of contention will be the phasing out of older certificates. This likely would have been an issue regardless of who won the presidential election. I fully anticipate that there will be pushback in the next administration that eliminating the existing certificates might be outside its scope, Christensen said. In terms of progress on the issue under a Republican government, Christensen is optimistic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think theres room for legislation to move forward in the Republican Congress and for the rule to move forward under President Trump. Theoretically, we had all the stars aligned in the last few years [with a president who promised to end the practice and his party having a majority in Congress], she said We should have been able to get it over the finish line, and we couldnt. And I do think that that speaks to the fact that it is a nonpartisan issue. The post Some disabled workers are making pennies per hour. Will that change under Trump? appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) The Covelli Centre in Youngstown is once again playing host to the popular holiday Disney On Ice show. Read next: Wintry mix possible this weekend This years show centers around the Disney movies Frozen and Encanto. Guests will be treated to Annas adventure to find Elsa, and Kristoff and Sven encountering wintry conditions in a race to bring back summer. Attendees will then be treated to the Madrigal familys Casita amid the beautiful mountains of Colombia where Mirabel goes on a journey to save her enchanted family home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In our first half of the show, it is all Frozen so we have so many fun stories from the show. Youll see Elsas coronation and our in-summer number where Olaf is dreaming about summer and sun and all things hot, said Rebecca Kerscher who is an ensemble performer with Disney on Ice. And then in the second half, we have Encanto and it is just an explosion of color and family and fun. Theres just so much to see. Mickey and Minnie are your hosts for the adventures and the show will feature several other Disney characters. Disney on Ice at the Covelli Centre runs at 7 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information and for tickets, visit the Covelli Centre website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Frozen food could be a key piece of evidence in a lawsuit against Disney and a Disney Springs restaurant. Last February, the husband of New York Doctor Amy Tangsuan filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Tangsuan died of anaphylactic shock in October 2023 after eating at Raglan Road Irish Pub in Disney Springs. The lawsuit says she ordered broccoli and corn fritter, scallops, a vegan shepherds pie, and onion rings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read: It started smoking: Driver called 911 after she felt trapped in Rivian SUV This was after her husband said their server guaranteed multiple times the food was allergen-free for Amy. She was severely allergic to dairy and nuts, the suit stated. Minutes after leaving the restaurant, she collapsed at Disney Springs and later died of anaphylactic shock. In a new motion filed in Orange County Court, attorneys said the widower had a sample of the food eaten by his wife that night. Read: Grand Jury clears Ocoee police officer in February shooting The couple had taken the leftover food with them before they knew the food Tangsuan ate allegedly contained allergens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit said the food has been kept frozen in the same condition as it was when it was taken from Raglan Road. The question now from both sides, is how the food should be tested, and what rules should be set before testing it? Theyve asked the judge for guidance. Read: Police in Winter Garden are searching for a missing mother and her two kids The widowers attorney wrote, Although it is unknown how much food is in the sample or whether it is enough to be tested, it is in the best interest of the parties to attempt to have the food sample tested for allergens. This is new information that could be indisputable evidence in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No word yet on when the judge may provide guidance to the attorneys. Eyewitness News has reached out to the attorneys for Disney, Raglan Road, and the widower but has not heard back. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The husband of El Paso city Rep. Cassandra Hernandez is facing a charge of aggravated assault after he allegedly beat up another man at the couples home back in October when Hernandez was running for mayor, according to court documents obtained by KTSM. Jeremy Jordan, 36, is facing a charge of aggravated assault after he allegedly assaulted a man who was phone banking with his wife on Oct. 22 about two weeks before the Nov. 5 general election. However, court documents said that Hernandez and the other man were sitting in their underwear in the backyard when her husband arrived home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to court documents, Hernandez told police in a recorded statement that the male victim, age 33, was wearing a robe with only boxer briefs underneath and she was in her underwear when her husband arrived home. Hernandez told police that she believes that this is why (her husband) was so angry upon arriving at the home, court documents said. Hernandez, however, sent KTSM a statement after this story was published, saying that court documents were not accurate in depicting what happened. I contacted the police detective about my testimony. I said I was in my lounging wear, not underwear. Im seeking a change (in the arrest documents) from EPPD as well and will see what changes they can do, if any. My testimony was recorded so Im asking them to revise it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She went on to say her family is distressed about the oversight. According to court documents, Hernandez and the victim were phone banking for her campaign in the backyard of the couples home. When Jordan arrived home, Hernandez told the victim to go to the back of the yard where they have a casita or secondary residence. According to court documents, the male victim went inside the secondary residence, tried to hide in the bathroom and locked the door, according to court documents. Jordan allegedly broke the door open, pushed the victim against the floor of the shower and began hitting the victim, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim attempted to block the punches with his hands and forearms and felt pain and discomfort in his face, head, neck, and hands, according to court documents. Hernandez then entered the secondary residence and its bathroom and attempted to separate her husband and the victim. Jordan then left the casita momentarily and then returned. The victim then tried to hide behind a washing machine in an adjacent room. The victim told police that Jordan then grabbed a rotating fan and a piece of broken glass from a table that had fallen over, court documents said. The victim told police that Jordan was holding the piece of glass, yelling threats and calling him obscene names, court documents said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hernandez then drove the victim to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. The victim told police he feared for his life during the alleged assault, court documents said. According to court documents, Jordan told police that there was much more to the story and said he was acting in self-defense, according to court documents. Hernandez was one of eight mayoral candidates in the Nov. 5 election but did not finish in the top two and didnt make the cut for the runoff, which will happen Saturday, Dec. 14. Hernandez and Jordan issued a statement regarding a personal matter impacting their family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It read: They express deep regret for how this situation has affected their loved ones and are committed to working through it. During this challenging time, they respectfully request that the public honor their privacy as they navigate and heal from this matter. No further comments will be made, and no questions will be answered by any party involved, the statement continued. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Doctors Without Borders said on Friday it is ceasing the operations of its migrant rescue ship Geo Barents after three and a half years in the Mediterranean Sea. The aid group blamed the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying: "Italian laws and policies have made it impossible to continue with the current operational model." The ship has been stuck in ports for a total of 160 days since the beginning of 2023 due to decrees from Italian authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Geo Barents was one of the largest vessels deployed by private aid organizations. Doctors Without Borders said it had taken on board 12,675 people rescued in the central Mediterranean since June 2021. "MSF will be back as soon as possible to conduct search and rescue operations on one of the deadliest migration routes in the world," said Juan Matias Gil, the aid group's search and rescue representative. "We will come back to bear witness and speak out against the violations committed against people on the move by EU members states, particularly by Italy, and the other actors in the area," he added. According to estimates, more than 30,000 people have lost their lives while making the dangerous crossing to Europe in the past 10 years, usually in unseaworthy boats operated by human smugglers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 40 people are thought to have drowned when a boat sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this week. The only survivor was an 11-year-old girl. Overall, however, significantly fewer migrants have been coming to Europe across the Mediterranean in recent months. According to the Italian Interior Ministry, around 63,000 new arrivals were registered by the end of November. Last year, at the same time, the figure was more than 152,000. WASHINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) Three animals were rescued from a house fire on Thursday in Washington, according to the Washington Volunteer Fire Department. The outside deck on a home on Gunn Hill Road was fully ablaze when crews arrived at the scene. Firefighters were able to rescue a dog, rabbit and hamster from the home. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China has announced decisions to amend and repeal 25 administrative regulations to promote standardized and impartial law enforcement, enhance a law-based business environment, and foster high-level opening up to the world. Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree formalizing these decisions, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 20 next year. The 21 revised regulations include those concerning the supervision of medical devices, the administration of publishing, and adjustments to certain penalty mechanisms. Seven of these regulations, including one on governing business premises for internet access services, build on successful pilot practices from free trade zones and will now be implemented nationwide. Key amendments include eliminating certain approval requirements and transitioning others to record-based management, aimed at further stimulating business vitality. The four revoked administrative regulations include provisions related to institutions overseeing public health promotion programs. Elon Musk has made a long string of promises about DOGE, from deleting agencies to slashing the budget DOGE's leadership, organization, and mission have changed in recent months Trump has said DOGE will disband by July 4, 2026, leaving fewer than 2 years to enact the changes Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is now a reality. President Donald Trump formally created DOGE via executive order on January 20, one of the first he signed after returning to the Oval Office. By the next day, Musk's project had its own site, doge.gov. The Tesla CEO now has a government email address, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's order looks nothing like the initial plans the then-former president and Musk laid out. Instead of being outside the federal government, DOGE is situated inside the White House, at least for the moment. Under the executive order, DOGE replaced the US Digital Service, an Obama-era agency that helped get Healthcare.gov working after its glitchy rollout. DOGE is now a "temporary organization," making it easier to hire employees. It also clarifies how some aspects of staffing will work: there will be an "Agency Head" that leads the group and every federal department must create a four-person DOGE team. The executive order puts the agency squarely under White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, the veteran Republican operative who co-led Trump's successful 2024 run. Some key details still remain uncertain, including whether Musk will serve as the agency head and potentially formally enter the administration. Musk was originally set to lead DOGE alongside former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has since left the group ahead of reported plans to run for governor of Ohio. In November, Musk and Ramaswamy co-wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal that outlined DOGE's structure and plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two originally promised to significantly reduce the federal budget, with Musk saying in October he wanted to cut $2 trillion. He scaled back his estimate during a broadcast on X in January, saying that $2 trillion was a "best-case outcome" and that he thinks DOGE has a "good shot" of saving $1 trillion. Trump's executive order establishing DOGE further limited its scope to "modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." Federal spending reached $6.75 trillion in fiscal year 2024, with nine-tenths going to federal programs. President-elect Donald Trump has long sworn not to touch Social Security or Medicare benefits, which comprise a significant chunk of the budget. As DOGE's mission and structure continue to evolve, here's a running list of things Musk has said DOGE will do. Representatives for Musk and Trump didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Reduce the federal workforce Musk and Ramaswamy have said they want to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce, though haven't specified precisely how many employees should be cut. There were more than 2 million federal employees as of 2023, according to the nonpartisan group the Partnership for Public Service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Civil-service workers benefit from job protections that make it difficult to fire them, but the DOGE co-leaders said in their Journal article that Trump could implement "reductions in force" that aren't directed at individual employees. In their op-ed, the pair said that after eliminating federal regulations, "mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy" would follow. They plan to determine the minimum number of employees needed at each department and said they might enact policies that lead some staffers to voluntarily resign, such as return-to-office mandates, early retirement offers, and severance packages. Some of their initial visions are already becoming reality: during his first hours in office, Trump signed a return-to-office order for federal workers. He also issued a federal hiring freeze. Federal employee salaries don't comprise a big chunk of the budget not including military personnel, their annual salaries and benefits total about $305 billion, or 4% of spending, The Washington Post reported. If Musk got rid of 25% of the federal workforce, government spending would fall by about 1%. Slash regulations Musk and Ramaswamy previously said they would suggest regulations for Trump to cut, and a source told BI that Ramaswamy would lead the charge on that effort when he was still a part of the group. The president would then use executive actions to pause the regulations and begin the removal process, the former co-heads said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their joint op-ed, the duo said they planned to lean on two recent US Supreme Court rulings, West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. The cases, they said, "suggest that a plethora of current federal regulations exceed the authority Congress has granted under the law." Some legal experts previously told BI that the DOGE leaders were misinterpreting the lawsuits, which they said didn't add to the executive branch's ability to curb regulations. Under the rulings, agencies still need to comply with a lengthy administrative process to change or overturn rules, the experts said. Hire employees In addition to Musk, DOGE has announced two official hires: William Joseph McGinley as the commission's counsel and Katie Miller in an unspecified role. The commission is actively recruiting employees, according to its X account, though their identities have not yet been shared and the hiring process remains unclear. In a post on X from November, the commission said it was seeking "super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week" and that thousands have indicated interest. Applicants should message the account their CV and the former co-leaders would review top contenders, the post said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk said in his own post from that month that the jobs will be unpaid. Yet in late December and early January, DOGE's account said in two separate posts that the commission was looking for people to fill a "very small" amount of "full-time salaried HR, IT, and Finance positions" and "full-time salaried Software Engineers and InfoSec Engineers." Again, interested applicants were instructed to send their qualifications and reasons for interest in a direct message, with the instructions varying slightly per role. Trump's executive order mentioned that the four-person DOGE agency teams would include a lead, an engineer, a human resources specialist, and an attorney. It also said that the teams may include special government employees, a category of federal workers who work for a limited time and can be paid for their services. 'Delete' entire agencies, or at least vastly change them A key part of DOGE's cost-cutting agenda has to do with scaling back government agencies, and Musk has written about deleting entire agencies he doesn't like. Political scientists and fellows at Washington think tanks previously told BI that deleting departments outright almost always requires congressional approval, making DOGE's goal seem unrealistic to some. Musk has said he wants to trim the number of federal agencies down to no more than 99. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are some of the agencies DOGE plans to target: Department of Education: Trump has said he wants to abolish the Department of Education for years. The department has the smallest staff of any Cabinet agency, employing fewer than 4,500 full-time-equivalent employees. For the fiscal year 2024, it had a $90 billion budget, which is less than 11% of the defense budget of $842 billion. Department of Defense: Musk previously targeted the Department of Defense, with the Tesla CEO criticizing the Pentagon's F-35 jets in a string of X posts. In their lengthy op-ed, the two called out the Pentagon's $842 billion budget, writing that "the agency's leadership has little idea how its annual budget" is spent. In sum, 13% of the federal budget goes toward defense initiatives, operations and maintenance, the military workforce, and procuring weapons. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is another target Musk said in a post on X: "Delete CFPB. There are too many duplicative regulatory agencies." Republicans have bashed the CFPB for years, which was created after the Great Recession to protect consumers. In 2024, the CFPB had almost 1,800 full-time-equivalent positions and an annual budget of $762.9 million, according to the agency's annual performance report. Previous attempts to dismantle the independent financial agency have failed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Internal Revenue Service: Musk has mentioned simplifying the tax code and has asked his followers in posts on X whether the IRS should be deleted. In 2024, the IRS had a $14.1 billion budget; in 2023, the IRS employed just shy of 83,000 full-time-equivalent positions. Planned Parenthood and public media may be impacted In their op-ed, Musk and Ramaswamy criticized the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and "progressive groups like Planned Parenthood." They said DOGE would try to curb federal spending "by taking aim" at the funds appropriated for those services, among others. The CPB is the largest funding source for public radio, television, and online services, primarily for local public media in the fiscal year 2024, it had a budget of $535 million. Congress created the CPB and authorizes the budget. Between 2019 and 2021, American affiliates of Planned Parenthood received about $148 million in federal grants, according to the Government Accounting Office. PBS exacerbated these tensions when it wrote on X on January 20 that Musk had given what appeared to be a "fascist salute" at a Trump inaugural event. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who leads a House DOGE subcommittee, responded by saying that she would force PBS representatives to testify to her House panel on DOGE. As the Chairwoman of the Oversight Subcommittee on DOGE, I look forward to PBS @NewsHour coming before my committee and explaining why lying and spreading propaganda to serve the Democrat party and attack Republicans is a good use of taxpayer funds. We will be in touch soon. https://t.co/v5LIu9voVK Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) January 20, 2025 Target expired federal spending commitments On X, Ramaswamy has floated a range of places that could see cuts. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Musk and Ramaswamy said in their op-ed that they planned to go after expired federal expenditures. According to the Congressional Budget Office, $516 billion worth of federal appropriations in 2024 have expired, with the largest programs in terms of spending relating to veterans' healthcare, drug development, and NASA. Musk hasn't specified which expired authorizations they'd target. Relocate some federal agencies and reform building use Musk has vowed to get rid of entire agencies. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Musk and Ramaswamy raised the possibility of relocating federal agencies outside Washington in their op-ed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 2023 report from the Government Accountability Office found that 17 of the agencies reviewed used about 25% or less of their buildings' space. The federal government spends about $2 billion each year to maintain federal office buildings and $5 billion to lease space to agencies, the report found. Conduct audits of agencies In their opinion piece, Musk and Ramaswamy said audits conducted during temporary payment suspensions could bring big savings. They called out the Pentagon and wrote that the agency failed its seventh consecutive audit. Support for the proposal came from an unlikely place: progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders. In a post on X, Sanders said that "Elon Musk is right," adding that the Pentagon had "lost track of billions." Musk has stayed by Trump's side since the election. ANGELA WEISS / AFP Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Publicize all the changes the commission makes Musk said in a post on X that he'd publish all of DOGE's actions online for "maximum transparency." "Anytime the public thinks we are cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, just let us know!" he wrote. In the same post, he said DOGE would create a "leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending." Information access remains a point of contention before the executive order restructuring DOGE, the group was hit with at least three lawsuits alleging that the group violated transparency rules as outlined in a 1972 law. It's unclear what will happen to the suits now that DOGE is part of the White House. They've hinted at abolishing daylight-saving time and getting rid of the penny Though posts on X don't equate to an official DOGE plan, Musk and previously Ramaswamy have both posted about other things they may tackle in their roles, some of which would require congressional approval. Musk has posted about abolishing daylight-saving time, spending in Afghanistan, and "fake jobs" in the government. DOGE's X account took aim at the penny and has posted repeatedly about publicly funded infrastructure projects, including the California High Speed Rail project, which aims to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco. First approved in 2008, the project's timeline and budget have grown in the years since. Though DOGE's posts on X don't specify precise plans for existing infrastructure projects, they criticize the permitting and regulation process. Disband DOGE no later than July 4, 2026 When Trump announced the creation of DOGE, he said the committee would disband by July 4, 2026. The committee's leaders, though, have said they think their work could be done earlier. Trump's executive order also lays out that DOGE will end by the 250th anniversary of the nation's independence. Have you applied or considered applying to work at DOGE? Share your experience and thoughts with this reporter at atecotzky@insider.com. Correction: December 13, 2024 An earlier version of this story misstated the end date for DOGE; it is set to end July 4, 2026, not June 4, 2026. The story also overstated the number of existing federal agencies. Read the original article on Business Insider Two corrections officers are facing federal charges for allegedly collecting upwards of $40,000 in unearned pandemic unemployment benefits and small business loans. Christnel Orisca, 25, of Boston, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. Jasmine Murphy, 38, of Boston, was indicted on seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both were arrested on Friday morning and will appear in federal court in Boston. According to the Department of Justice, Orisca fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment and small business loan benefits while working full-time, initially for a security company and later for a delivery company since late 2021. He reportedly collected $54,700 in benefits. Murphy allegedly applied for similar loans in January 2022 while working for trucking and workforce services companies, collecting $44,346 in benefits she was not entitled to. Although both are currently employed by the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office, officials say the alleged illegal loans were obtained before both Orisca and Murphy worked as corrections officers. Orisca has been a corrections officer with the Suffolk County Sherriffs Department since late 2021 and Murphy was hired as a corrections officer since January 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This case highlights the critical importance of protecting taxpayer-funded programs like the CARES Act from fraud and abuse, said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. These defendants, who hold positions of public trust as corrections officers, are alleged to have knowingly exploited pandemic relief programs intended to support small businesses and unemployed workers during a time of unprecedented crisis. Such conduct not only undermines the integrity of these programs but also betrays the publics trust. Boston 25 News has reached out to the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office for comment. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of making false statements to a financial institution provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. 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 pair of dolphins that may have been stranded in a Florida lagoon since Hurricane Milton struck the state in October were released to safety after a massive rescue effort. The animals had been stuck in a shallow water lagoon deep in the mangroves near Matlacha, an area near the southwestern Cape Coral and Fort Myers. Navigating through the mangrove canals and mud flats on Tuesday, the Lee County Sheriffs Office Marine Unit and biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found the marine mammals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witnesses had reported seeing the dolphins on Monday, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post. The lagoon was only between two and three feet deep at high tide and there was also only two feet of water or less in the trails leading to opening water, preventing the dolphins from escaping. Rescuers work to drag the dolphins over 300 yards of mud and muck. (Lee County Sheriffs Office/Facebook) Biologists believe the dolphins could have been stranded since at least a very high tide in mid-November, or even as far back when water levels rose during Hurricane Milton in October, the sheriffs office said. Moving the two nine-foot-long adult dolphins was no easy feat. They needed help. With assistance from the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, the Brookfield Zoo Chicago-Sarasota, Dolphin Research Program, and Clearwater Aquarium, they placed the dolphins on float mats and pulled them over 300 yards of mud and muck. The dolphins are believed to have been stranded in the Florida lagoon since Hurricane Milton hit in October. (Lee County Sheriffs Office/Facebook) Then, they were towed to deeper waters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After outfitting the dolphins with satellite tags and evaluating their health, they were released back into deeper water in the Matlacha Pass. The Lee County Sheriffs Office is always willing to help out our great residents ... on land and sea, the sheriffs office said. The dolphins were released in deeper waters after they were examined and outfitted with satellite tags. (Lee County Sheriffs Office/Facebook) For months after the Category 3 hurricane struck near Siesta Key last October, flooding has plagued the state, bringing wild animals closer to the human communities they live around. Other animals have been displaced by the storm, as well. Manatees were also stranded after Hurricane Helene hit in September. One manatee was found in a small pond nearly a mile and a half away from open water. TOPEKA (KSNT) Tenants at an east Topeka apartment complex will lose federal housing vouchers in 2025. Residents at Timberlee Apartments received a letter from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that states the department will stop the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contract on March 1, 2025. I dont know whats going to happen, Timberlee Apartments tenant Ramona Counts said. All I know is, were going to have to wait and see. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the letter, HUD said this is happening because of the owners failure to remedy physical deficiencies identified by HUDs inspection of the property, to remedy major threats to health and safety at the property, and to maintain the property in decent, safe and sanitary condition. City expects Hotel Topeka will see nearly $900,000 net loss in 2025 Ramonas son, Morgan, read the letter and became worried about the future of his moms apartment. It made me feel like they was going to kick my mom out and put her on the street, and thats not cool, Morgan said. Shes on time with her rent every time, pays her bills on time and its been like 5 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This comes after the City of Topeka found residents living in unsanitary conditions and facing carbon monoxide leaks in August. Ramona told 27 News this message for everyone moving forward. They need to stop making everyone stressed out and do their damn jobs, Ramona said. I dont want them to replace me way out in timbuktu so, yeah I want to stay on this side of town, not somewhere else Topeka, Shawnee County leaders vote for downtown innovation center The City of Topeka shared a statement with 27 News Thursday regarding the recent letter: The City of Topeka was recently informed that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is stopping the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contract to Timberlee Apartments effective March 1, 2025. This action is being taken because of the owners failure to remedy physical deficiencies identified by HUDs inspection of the property that create major health and safety threats. The City of Topeka Housing Services Division stands ready to help connect residents to the appropriate contact at HUD that can provide more direction and answer questions related to the property. Housing Services will continue to assist individuals in need with our current programs and connect households to resources. Situations like this is why the City of Topeka is advocating at the state legislature for the authority to require mandatory inspections when a property receives public funds. Statement from City of Topeka Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KSNT 27 News made calls to Arnold Groups, a Texas-based company HUD appointed to be in charge of the Timberlee Apartments, but nobody called back. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) The Columbus Finance Director brought an amendment proposal to Columbus City Council allowing statewide exemptions in the local code and for the department to move to automation for business renewals. However, council members were left with concerns. Columbus Finance Director Angelica Alexander proposed moving forward with online renewals as a means of efficiency for citizens beginning Jan. 1, 2025. In doing so, businesses would no longer be able to make payments quarterly, but annually as the system the city currently uses and the system wanting to be implemented is not conducive for quarterly payment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the council were concerned how this change would impact small business owners. District Four Councilor Toyia Tucker weighed in. She says, I dont want to hurt the small business owner and possibly put them on a path where theyre no longer business owners. Councilor Glenn Davis of District two agreed by saying, It may be difficult for a small business to pull out of that 12-month operation budget to boom do it upfront. Its going to somewhat of an impact to come up with that revenue. The Finance Director says there are things that can be done to help individuals in terms of what theyre paying. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alexander explained when paying occupation taxes, payments are made on what was earned the year prior as well as an estimate of what is to be earned during the year. Alexander says, For those individuals that may be impacted by this particular change could estimate something that is a bit less than what theyve done in the past knowing that the following year they will have to true it up. Councilwoman Tucker disagreed with this suggestion. Tucker says it raised a concern of deflating profits. Instead of us getting in so much occupational taxes from certain individual taxes, you might start cutting corners or doing all kinds of stuff to make sure you make that payment on April 1, Tucker says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the council asked about a hybrid model. The citys finance director explained that this would cause the tax return to be completely different. The department would have two sets of tax returns that would be operated with. Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson reminds members of council what happened the last time they voted to operate two different systems. Remember what happened last time we thought we were providing a benefit to the public and we delayed some of the fees they had to pay, but what we did, we compressed the time period that they were going to be able to work the process, Henderson says. Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley weighed in on the amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hugley says, I would ask that council pass the ordinance and but effective 2026 very few would not have an option, we strongly encourage those 260 to come in line April 1 with the ordinance. Hugley continues, If they cant, we work with them, but December 2025, they would not have a choice and that would be the hybrid system. But we need to move forward. Motions were posed that would allow for business owners who paid quarterly in 2024 to continue payments until the end of 2025 and annual payments would begin that following year. However, council members felt that future business owners should also have the option to pay quarterly and that the proposed automation system needed to be more integrated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Council passed a motion to strike down the changes to the Chapter 19 code that would make automation possible in 2025. However, it will be revisited throughout the new year. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. For those of us who followed the 2024 election, we know that Donald Trump partially ran his 2024 campaign on the promise of lowering grocery prices for everyday Americans. Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images / SOPA IMAGES / Getty Images Here are just a few instances on the campaign trail for reference: On August 15, Trump held a press conference in New Jersey, where he had a table full of groceries beside him. "Grocery prices have skyrocketed; how can a family afford that? So, when I win, I will immediately bring prices down," Trump said. On September 23, Trump visited a grocery store in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, and paid for multiple customers' groceries. "We'll do that for you from the White House, alright?" Trump said while waving to the crowd. Forbes Breaking News / Via youtube.com Also, here's Trump on Truth Social in October: @realDonaldTrump via TruthSocial / Via reddit.com Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And here's Trump saying it loud and clear at a rally on November 4th, 2024, just days before the election: Even after winning the 2024 election, Trump claimed groceries were the main reason he won. "I won on groceries. A very simple word, groceries," he said in a Meet The Press interview. "I started using the word. The groceries. When you buy apples, when you buy bacon, when you buy eggs, they would double and triple the price over a short period of time." Meet The Press / Via x.com Now, Trump is going viral for seemingly backtracking on the grocery campaign promise. In a recent Times Magazine interview, Trump claimed that failing to bring down prices should not mean his presidency was a failure. Spencer Platt / Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the interview, Trump was directly asked: "If the prices of groceries don't come down, will your presidency be a failure?" To which he responds, "I don't think so. Look, they got them up. I'd like to bring them down," Trump responded. "It's hard to bring things down once they're up. You know, it's very hard." "But I think that they will. I think that energy is going to bring them down. I think a better supply chain is going to bring them down. You know, the supply chain is still broken. It's broken. You see it. You go out to the docks, and you see all these containers..." Trump continued, veering off into discussing car prices and electric vehicles. Spencer Platt / Getty Images Here's Trump's full response: Time Magazine / Via x.com The internet is reacting to Trump's statement and it's exactly how you might expect: Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger said this in response to Trump's Time Magazine answer: Twitter: @AdamKinzinger "Hes not even in office yet and is ALREADY going back on campaign promises," this person wrote. Hes not even in office yet and is ALREADY going back on campaign promises. https://t.co/5QFZfw7jra Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@DWStweets) December 12, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Twitter: @DWStweets Donald Trump to the American people after swearing he knew how to lower costs pic.twitter.com/9aa8QNSSx8 Maddie McComb (@mccombmadeleine) December 12, 2024 Twitter: @mccombmadeleine "Trump on Sept. 23: 'Vote Trump, and your incomes will soar. Your net worth will skyrocket. Your energy costs and grocery prices will come tumbling down," another person wrote. Trump on Sept. 23: "Vote Trump, and your incomes will soar. Your net worth will skyrocket. Your energy costs and grocery prices will come tumbling down." https://t.co/zprGs2tevV Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) December 12, 2024 Twitter: @AaronBlake Twitter: @ChrisCJackson "The whole rationale behind trump was 'yea hes a criminal, yea hes corrupt, yea hes racist, yea hes a fascist, yea he incited an insurrection, yea he cozies up to dictators BUT AT LEAST!! BUT AT LEAST we had cheap groceries.' Now he admits that he cant even do that," this user wrote. The whole rationale behind trump was yea hes a criminal, yea hes corrupt, yea hes racist, yea hes a fascist, yea he incited an insurrection, yea he cozies up to dictatorsBUT AT LEAST!! BUT AT LEAST we had cheap groceries. Now he admits that he cant even do that. pic.twitter.com/WEHoXXkdFt Tim (@trouble_man90) December 12, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Twitter: @trouble_man90 What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) addresses the media with GOP colleagues after they walked out of the House chamber. Dec. 13, 2024 | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols After a string of what they see as unproductive session days and facing an agenda full of progressive bills, Michigan House Republicans have left the floor and refused to vote on any bills until Democrats come to the table on changes to the states minimum wage laws, earned sick leave and road funding. The Republican caucus is here for three things. Ive made that perfectly clear to Speaker Tate and the Governor and Leader Brinks and everybody in the state, Speaker-elect Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) said, pointing to road funding alongside action on the tipped wage and earned sick time policies set to take effect on Feb. 21, 2025 as the result of a decision from the Michigan Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That hasnt stopped Democrats from continuing to pass bills, but nearly half the states representation isnt present. One sticking point for Republicans is imminent changes to the states minimum wage law that will eventually get rid of a tipped minimum-wage. On July 31, the Michigan Supreme Court found in 2018 the Legislature then controlled by Republicans had subverted the will of the people in adopting and amending two ballot initiatives addressing the state minimum wage and paid sick leave, later gutting the policies with amendments during lame duck session. Republicans, alongside hundreds of business owners and tipped workers, warn that when the changes are allowed to take effect, they will have a cataclysmic impact on their livelihood. Seismic efforts have been made to beseech Democrats to take up a plan to save tipped wages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My advice to Speaker Tate is: Put those bills up today, keep those conversations alive. Commit to real conversations thatll help Michigan workers, thatll fix our roads and protect our small businesses and restaurants, or adjourn. Just adjourn, Hall said. House Republican Spokesperson Jeremiah Ward told reporters in order to bring Republicans back to the table Democrats need to bring legislation that addresses the issues Republicans have raised for tipped wage and earned sick time. In response to inquiry, Ward added that the bills dont necessarily need to be the bipartisan package of bills (House Bills 6056 and 6057) introduced by Reps. Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Hts.) and Graham Filler (R-Duplain Twp.), but comprable legislation has to be presented for a vote. If the House adjourns Friday without acting on Republicans demands, the bills are in jeopardy, as the Senate must have possession of any policy passed by the House for at least five days before it can become a law. The Houses next session day is scheduled for Dec. 18 while the Senates final session day is scheduled for Dec. 23, five days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the Republicans press conference, House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) called their decision to walk out unfortunate. Michigan state House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) speaks to media after House republicans leave the House floor in protest to inaction on labor and road funding bills on Dec. 13, 2024. | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols When asked if he would act on the minimum wage and paid sick leave bills, Tate put the burden back on Republicans. We have an agenda we said everythings on the table, having the conversation. But we cant do anything, I think, in a bipartisan fashion, if Republicans dont come to work, Tate said. House Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash slammed the maneuver, saying that if Hall was serious about a deal on road funding, he would not have walked out with all of the members of his caucus. Republicans left the floor shortly after noon as Democrats put legislation to criminalize extortion using sexually-sensitive materials on the voting board. Hall said there are policies Democrats can put forward that Republicans can support, but other issues need to be addressed before work can continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first thing they put up is some bill that all 110 of us would vote for, Hall said. Other bills on the agenda concern sweeping criminal justice reforms, allowing undocumented Michigan residents to have drivers licenses, removing guardrails for name changes and changing gender markers on government documents. These guys are crazy. They dont understand why they just lost the election, Hall said. They lost the election because they focus on this stuff, these crazy, divisive social issues that only a small amount of people care about, most of which are in their far left radical wing of their caucus. However, the walkout prompted Progress Michigan Executive Director Sam Inglot to issue a statement urging Democrats to use the situation to their advantage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican state representatives have walked off the house floor. They did this to appease their corporate overlords who want them to gut higher wages and sick leave for workers. If Republican lawmakers dont want to do their jobs, then House Democratic leadership should start to put bills up for a vote and move on without them. There are plenty of progressive, pro-worker, pro-environment, pro-freedom policies they can act on right now. Republicans have sent a message about who they work for and Democrats should use the opportunity to do the same, said Inglot. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Financial Times has written that the commander of the Donetsk Joint Task Force, Oleksandr Lutsenko, was dismissed after the rapid advance of the Russians towards Pokrovsk. Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi was appointed to his position. Source: Ukrainska Pravda sources in the Ukrainian defence forces; Financial Times citing sources Details: An unnamed Ukrainian official told the newspaper that Lutsenko was offered another position in the Army after his dismissal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The source said that Ukrainian troops under Lutsenko's command failed to stop a large-scale Russian offensive. Ukrainska Pravda obtained information that Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, came personally to replace the commander. For reference: General Tarnavskyi headed the newly formed Kherson Operational and Strategic Group of Forces in October 2022 and led the liberation of the city and oblast. The name Tavriia was given to the group in December. The Tavriia group launched a counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in 2023. Background: On 11 December, Oleksandr Syrskyi visited the Pokrovsk front and examined the combat situation before issuing suitable instructions to improve the stability of the defence and destroy the Russian forces more effectively. He noted that fierce fighting was going on there, with the Russians outnumbering the Ukrainians. On 12 December, Syrskyi said that the military command is considering all possible options for the Russian occupiers' further actions on the Pokrovsk front, which remains one of the hottest areas. Mykola Koval, head of the press service for the 14th Chervona Kalyna Brigade of the National Guard, said that the Russians had attacked Pokrovsk "head-on" and began to flank the city. Support UP or become our patron! DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) A federal circuit judge has ruled in favor of two Dothan Police officers facing a lawsuit, claiming they violated the rights of an independent journalist when they handcuffed him and his partner while filming inside of a state building. According to a court ruling filed Friday, in June 2020, Dothan Police officers D. Bridges and J. Dobson responded to the Alabama Department of Human Resources in Dothan after employees and a security guard reported two men were filming in the lobby and refused to leave, saying they had a first amendment right to film and worked for The ruling says the men, including George Metz, an independent journalist/activist, and an unidentified man, refused to leave after being asked six times, so the officers handcuffed them and searched their persons after the two men also refused to identify themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Metz and the other man were released after nearly an hour and not arrested. After the incident, Metz filed a lawsuit against the City of Dothan, as well as Dobson and Bridges, claiming his Fourth Amendment right was violated when the officers handcuffed, asked for their ID, and searched him. Dothan Police moved to dismiss the lawsuit, which a Houston County Judge denied. However, on Friday, a federal judge ruled in favor of the city and officers, saying the officers did not violate Metzs rights by asking for the mens identification. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama denied the officers qualified but todays ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Court reversed that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In short, Metz has not established a violation of his constitutional rightslet alone a clearly established right, the judge wrote. You can read the full ruling below: 23-11275_DocumentsDownload Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of mpox cases reported so far this year in Africa has surpassed 65,000, as the death toll surged to over 1,200, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The African continent had reported 65,711 mpox cases since the start of this year, of which 14,241 were confirmed, and over 1,237 deaths, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya told an online media briefing Thursday evening. During last week alone, the continent reported 3,545 new cases, including 467 confirmed ones, and 37 new deaths, according to data from the African Union's specialized healthcare agency. The Africa CDC said six African countries, namely Gabon, Guinea, South Africa, Morocco, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, have moved from active transmission to a controlled stage. The African continent is "still losing people" due to the ongoing mpox outbreak, which has so far affected 20 countries, Kaseya said, calling for concerted efforts against the outbreak. In mid-August, the Africa CDC declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. Soon after, the World Health Organization also declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, activating its highest level of global alert for mpox for the second time in two years. Mpox, known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically spread through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials. The infection usually causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. WASHINGTON Dozens of U.S. senators and members of Congress wrote to President Joe Biden on Thursday with renewed urgency in their calls on him to release Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier, who has been in prison for nearly 50 years and is in poor health. The power to exercise mercy in this case lies solely within your discretion, and we urge you to grant Mr. Peltier clemency, allowing him to return home and live out his remaining days among his own people, reads the letter, signed by 34 Democratic lawmakers. We commend the steps that your Administration has taken to right past wrongs of our federal governments treatment of Native Americans, and the steps you have taken to uphold the American values of liberty and justice, including rectifying inequities in our nations criminal justice system, they wrote. In keeping with these principles, we strongly urge you to commute Mr. Peltiers sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter is signed by seven senators, 26 House members and, curiously, one former longtime Democratic senator who served with Biden for decades, Patrick Leahy of Vermont. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment as to whether Biden is considering commuting Peltiers sentence. Heres a copy of the letter: Democrats delivered their letter to Biden on the same day he commuted the sentences of 1,500 people who had been released from prison but placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also pardoned 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes. Between that and Bidens recent pardon of his son Hunter, Democrats are hopeful its a sign that the president will show mercy in Peltiers case in his final weeks in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Biden has long recognized that our criminal justice system is not without its flaws, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), one of the signatories on the letter, told HuffPost in a statement. His action to grant clemency to 1,500 Americans the most ever in a single day is a promising sign that hes ready to undo the wrongs of the past and give so many the second chance they deserve, said Grijalva, who has long advocated for Peltiers freedom. Mr. Peltier should never have been imprisoned, much less for nearly half a century, so I hope President Biden will continue to do the right thing and pardon Leonard Peltier now. Peltier has been in prison ever since the U.S. government accused him of murdering two FBI agents in a 1975 shoot-out on a South Dakota reservation. There was never evidence that Peltier committed a crime, and the U.S. government never did figure out who shot those agents, but federal officials needed someone to take the fall, and Peltier was their pick. His trial was riddled with misconduct: The FBI threatened and coerced witnesses into lying. Federal prosecutors hid evidence that exonerated Peltier. A juror admitted on the second day of the trial that she had prejudice against Indians, but she was kept on anyway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. governments case fell apart after these revelations, so it just revised its charges against Peltier to aiding and abetting whoever did kill the agents based entirely on the premise that he was one of dozens of people present when the shoot-out took place. Peltier, who is nearly 80 now, has maintained his innocence, which has almost certainly led to him being denied parole. Hes mostly blind and uses a walker to get around when hes not confined to the inches of space in his cell. Hes facing serious health issues related to an aortic aneurysm and diabetes, which sent him to the hospital in July with open wounds and tissue death on his toes and feet. He was hospitalized again in October. Virtually every international human rights leader in modern history, including Pope Francis and Nelson Mandela, has called for Peltiers release. Remarkably, so have some of the same people who put Peltier in prison in the first place. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers are pleading with President Joe Biden to grant clemency to Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier, who has been in prison for nearly 50 years. Associated Press photos The only reason the Native American rights activist is still in prison is because of unwavering opposition to his release from the FBI, even though its arguments against clemency are full of holes, are outdated and are remarkably easy to disprove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bureau still hasnt publicly addressed the key context of that 1975 shoot-out, either: The FBI itself was intentionally fueling tensions on that reservation as part of a covert campaign to suppress the activities of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a grassroots movement for Indigenous rights. Peltier was an active AIM member and an FBI target. Biden, who arguably has nothing left to lose at this point, could unilaterally grant compassionate release to Peltier. If he wanted to avoid some controversy, he could simply commute Peltiers sentence versus granting a pardon. Doing so would just mean his prison time is over versus suggesting the government is acknowledging it did something wrong. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, is one of the signatories on Thursdays letter. He separately appealed to Biden last week to show mercy and commute Peltiers sentence. If there was ever a case that merited compassionate release, Leonard Peltiers is it, Schatz said in remarks on the Senate floor. This is exactly what that awesome presidential power is for: to right a historic wrong and if not that, then just to show mercy and let an old man die with his family. Related... WACO, Texas (FOX 44) What better way to celebrate the Christmas season than with Dr Pepper? The Dr Pepper Museum is hosting A Dr Pepper Christmas! This event will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. The Museum says whether youre a longtime Dr Pepper fan or simply looking for a unique holiday experience, all are welcome to this community celebration. A Dr Pepper Christmas will feature a Meet & Greet with Santa, including the opportunity for photos. There will be Holiday Make-A-Soda and Taste-A-Soda experiences! Holiday Storytelling with the McLennan County Library Outreach will also be taking place. Museum admission will be free for this event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christmas Lights in the Village returns this weekend For more information, you can go here, or contact Alyssa at (915) 238-8683 and alyssa@drpeppermuseum.com. A Dr Pepper Christmas is sponsored by H-E-B and Premier ER & Urgent Care. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44. Demonstrators in front of the U.S. Supreme Court during a rally in support of DACA program participants in 2019 (Photo: Robin Bravender/States Newsroom) After an injunction by a federal court in North Dakota, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals participants were blocked from accessing the Affordable Care Acts health insurance marketplace in 19 states. But North Carolina is not one of them. Thats because North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein did not join the lawsuit brought by 19 attorneys general against the Biden administration earlier this year after it issued a new rule expanding access to the ACA marketplace popularly known as Obamacare to DACA recipients and other lawfully present undocumented immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A preliminary injunction granted Monday halted this expansion of access only in the states that brought the suit all of which are represented by Republican attorneys general. States that did join the suit include the neighboring states of Virginia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. No state with a Democratic attorney general joined the lawsuit, nor did eight states with Republican attorneys general. In his role as attorney general, Stein has battled efforts to curtail DACA protections, including joining efforts to petition the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen and preserve the program as well as an amicus brief in 2023 opposing legal efforts by Texas and a group of other Republican-controlled states to end the program. Dreamers should be able to study, work, and contribute to our communities without fear of deportation a right that the U.S. Supreme Court has reaffirmed, Stein said in 2023. Ill continue to fight to protect Dreamers and their right to stay in the United States. The DACA program was launched by President Barack Obama in 2012 as a means to grant temporary legal status to undocumented immigrants raised in the United States seeking a pathway to permanent residency. Since then, it has been a constant target for the Republican Party, and President Donald Trump in particular, who sought throughout most of his first term to end the program but was prevented from doing so by federal courts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While North Carolinian DACA recipients retain access to the ACAs health insurance marketplace for now, that will likely change under the second Trump administration. His campaign blasted the expansion in May as unfair and unsustainable. Joe Biden continues to force hardworking, tax-paying, struggling Americans to pay for the housing, welfare, and now the healthcare of illegal immigrants, said campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. President Trump will put America and the American worker first. He will seal the border, stop the invasion, and expand economic opportunity for American citizens, not illegal aliens. If his first term is any indication, both ACA and DACA will be constant targets of his as he seeks to undo Obamas presidential legacy; the president-elect tried and failed to abolish both during his first term in office. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees the ACA, is set to be run by celebrity television host Mehmet Oz in Trumps second term, while his nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services is the controversial environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump, though, has made some overtures to Democratic lawmakers for a different path he said he hopes to work with the Democrats on a plan to allow DACA recipients to remain in the country in a recent appearance on NBC News Meet the Press. In that same appearance, though, he said he planned to end birthright citizenship, an unconstitutional proposal aimed at second-generation immigrants. North Carolinians can enroll in plans provided through the ACAs health insurance marketplace at HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment ends on Jan. 15, though those wishing to begin a plan on Jan. 1 must enroll before this coming Sunday, Dec. 15. WEATHERSFIELD Twp., Ohio (WKBN)- A driver crashed into a local cemetery early Friday morning. Police were called to Ohltown Cemetery on Ohltown- Mineral Ridge Road shortly before 4 a.m. where an SUV crashed through a fence causing damage to headstones at the cemetery. Family members arrived early in the morning to assess the damage. Its very heartbreaking. Very heartbreaking, said Sue Hood Harklerode. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harklerode grandparents, Simon and Fannie Hood, are buried there along with their daughter. They were big members of the church here, Harklerode said. An uncle and two cousins are also buried nearby, their headstones toppled over and some of them in pieces. Its very heartbreaking, especially that we try to take care of the stones and everything. But to have something reckless like this happen. I understand things happen but its just devastating, Harklerode said. She says the family had recently decorated the graves for the holidays. They plan on resetting the flowers before they try to figure out how to repair the damaged headstones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youre talking less than two weeks away from Christmas and everything was looking very very pretty and reminded that we still think of them and love them, she said. Weathersfield officials say there have been two accidents at the same location within the last week, both causing damage to headstones in the cemetery. They have a company coming out to repair the fence and reset the headstones. Family members can obtain a police report and file a claim with the drivers insurance company to repair damaged grave markers. The important thing is the memory is still there and we help keep them alive and decorate them every holiday season, said Harklerode. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said that no indications of drug or alcohol involvement are suspected. They said that they were uncertain whether or not the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel or was distracted. Officers said the driver walked away unharmed, and no one was hospitalized. Andrew Peterson contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. DENVER (KDVR) Early Friday morning, the Denver Police Department said a driver crashed into a building and subsequently broke a gas line after being shot. At 12:04 a.m., the Denver Fire Department posted on X that crews were called to a building collapse near West Virginia Avenue and Federal Boulevard in the Athmar Park neighborhood. FOX31s Jim Hooley was live at the scene and learned from Denver police that a driver had been shot before crashing into a Mexican restaurant in a strip mall. The driver was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Denver police provided additional information on X a few hours later and said the gunshot wound appeared to be self-inflicted. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Xcel Energy was immediately called to respond to the broken gas line. Once Xcel arrived on scene, Denver Fire said the gas was shut off. Crews then worked on shoring the building. The northbound lanes of South Federal Blvd were shut down for several hours but have since reopened. The investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. DENVER (KDVR) Denver police are searching for a driver who reportedly hit and injured a scooter rider before fleeing the scene. On Nov. 1 at about 8:42 p.m., the Denver Police Department said a driver was near the intersection of Speer Boulevard and Auraria Parkway when they allegedly crashed into a person riding an electric scooter. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The intersection is near Larimer Square and the Metropolitan State University of Denver. After the crash, Denver police said the driver fled on Speer Boulevard toward Interstate 25. The scooter rider suffered serious injuries. Now, officers are asking for assistance in identifying and locating the suspect. According to Denver police, the driver was in a smaller, dark-colored SUV. The department has provided a photo of the actual suspected vehicle. Photo of an SUV suspected in a hit-and-run crash with a scooter rider in Denver. (Metro Denver Crime Stoppers) Anyone with information is asked to call the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. A mystery that started in New Jersey last month has begun to spread, with residents in Maryland, New York and Connecticut and apparently even an officer aboard a U.S. Coast Guard vessel now reporting nighttime drone sightings. On Friday, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan shared a video taken from his residence in Davidsonville of what he said appeared to be dozens of large drones the night before. Hogan said he watched them for about 45 minutes. The unsteady, two-minute video flits between several bright blips in the distance, but its difficult to get a good look as the camera goes in and out of focus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement accompanying the video, Hogan called the federal response entirely unacceptable. The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has mounted a negligent response, he said. People are rightfully clamoring for answers, but arent getting any. Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland (25 miles from our nations capital). I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes. Like pic.twitter.com/Ipx8ctLmhs Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) December 13, 2024 Connecticut State Police troopers said Friday theyd also received reports of drones in Fairfield County and sent a drone detection system to investigate. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), meanwhile, called for the drones to be shot down, if necessary. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) acknowledged reports of drones there this week as well. In a statement, Hochul echoed the refrain that theres no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one of the more intriguing encounters, according to Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), an unnamed commanding officer in the U.S. Coast Guard told him that a 47-foot vessel was trailed very closely by more than a dozen drones earlier this week off the New Jersey coast. The Coast Guard did not respond to a request from HuffPost for more information about the incident, including verification it occurred. Michael Melham, the mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, said Friday that the state has instructed firefighters to wear hazmat suits if they respond to reports of a downed drone. First of all, if there is a downed drone in our vicinity, we are immediately to call the bomb squad of our county, Melham told Fox News. And second, our fire department has been instructed to make sure they wear hazmat suits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reasoning for the guidance, Melham said, is that nobody knows if the drones are carrying a payload or not. Reports of one such downed drone in New Jersey sent first responders scrambling Friday morning but no drone was found. John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, listens to a question at a news conference Thursday. Kirby told reporters at the White House gathering that the drone reports are "uncorroborated." Andrew Harnik/Getty Images In sharp contrast to the local reports, the federal officials investigating them arent sure theres actually anything amiss. At a White House briefing Thursday, national security communications adviser John Kirby dismissed the reports of drones as uncorroborated. What people believe to be drones, he said, are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He did acknowledge that the reports have exposed a gap in authorities and urged Congress to clarify responsibility for counter-drone responses. The Pentagon also threw cold water on a claim Wednesday by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) that the drones are being launched from an Iranian mothership in the Atlantic. There is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels, Kirby said. Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities. We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection, a joint statement Thursday from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. Related... NEW JERSEY (PIX11) The drones seen flying over the tri-state area should be shot down, if necessary, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said on Thursday. The suggestion comes as the public and politicians are pleading with the federal government to take more action. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) also called for drones to be shot down by the military during an interview with NewsNation on Thursday. Invaded by drones: Feds might use enhanced radar to track NJ drones Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) is expected to make an announcement on Friday about the drone investigation. White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said on Thursday that many of the thousands of reported drone sightings were manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. FBI updates public on mysterious drones flying over New Jersey Many more sightings, though, remained unexplained. Dozens of drones were spotted following a Coast Guard vessel, according to Smith. PIX11 news anchor Dan Mannarino also saw what appeared to be at least seven drones Thursday night in Essex County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seen drones in your neighborhood? Heres how theyre being tracked They have also been seen in the no-fly military zone of the Naval Weapons Station Earle, officials said. New drones, under the law, must be equipped with a signal so that law enforcement can identify the operator. New Jersey State Police have reported being unable to acquire a signal on those they have encountered. Drones spotted in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn The FBI, Pentagon and Homeland Security all say theyre aware, concerned and continue to work to find the source of the drones. They, along with Gov. Phil Murphy, dont believe the drones pose an imminent threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus, Kirby said. Mysterious drones reported over Staten Island in NYC Other politicians would beg to differ. Until you tell me where these are coming from and whos responsible for them, theyre imminent, Middletown Mayor Tony Perry said in an interview on PIX11 Morning News. This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) A Michigan man who was previously convicted of several other drugs crimes was sentenced this week for trafficking drugs in Harrison County, West Virginia. Drake Dodson-Williams Drake D. Dodson-Williams, 33, of Southgate, Michigan, who is also known by the alias KO, was sentenced to 70 months (5 years and 10 months) in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of West Virginia. The release said that Dodson-Williams was the leader of a drug trafficking organization, operating from Michigan to Harrison County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple people sentenced for trafficking drugs to Mon County Dodson-Williams was arrested in 2021 after law enforcement seized multiple kinds of drugs during a traffic stop in Harrison County, including a pound of meth, according to court documents from that time. He pleaded guilty in 2022. The U.S. Attorneys Office said Dodson-Williams will serve three years of supervised release after his sentence. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. BERLIN, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met with counterparts from major European countries on Thursday to reiterate their support for Ukraine on its "irreversible path" to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. These countries will step up military, economic, and financial aid to Ukraine, including by mobilizing additional European funding, according to a joint statement issued by foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom as well as the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy. The statement also stressed that they will continue to support Ukraine on its path towards accession to the European Union. The goals of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine and durable security for Europe are inseparable, it said. It also stressed that a rapid and collective implementation of the G7 50-billion-U.S.-dollar loan will help Ukraine cover urgent needs, including military ones. "We are committed to providing Ukraine with ironclad security guarantees, including reliable long-term provision of military and financial support," it noted. CARLSBAD, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) The Carlsbad Police Department is joining forces with other law enforcement agencies throughout the county, including the San Diego Police Department and Chula Vista Police Department, to stop drunk driving this holiday season. Its part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign going from Dec. 11 through New Years Day. The goal is to prevent tragedies that can in an instant change someones life forever. In December 2022 alone, 1,062 people were killed in the U.S. in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I entered the intersection and three seconds later I got t-boned. I got broadsided by a drunk driver. He was going 50 miles an hour passed out while he was going through that intersection, DUI crash survivor Bruce Mezan said. Mezan remembers the day his life was turned upside down nearly five years ago, never making it to teach his first motorcycle safety class one early Sunday morning. Sent me flying and the motorcycle about 25 feet and I landed on the sidewalk on my back and the motorcycle tumbled into the brush, he said. Miraculously, the crash happened in front of a fire station in Olivenhain, which helped save his life. But his injuries were severe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I spent two weeks in a coma. I had an airway in my trachea for seven weeks and a feeding tube for seven weeks. I broke my entire rib cage and then of course the greatest loss is the loss of my right leg, Mezan said. Police throughout San Diego want to prevent others from experiencing that same trauma. Additional resources are in play as part of those efforts, including more patrols and dui checkpoints. Lt. Alonso DeVelasco says its making a difference. The police department has seen an increase in self-initiated arrests this year from the previous years which is an indicator that our police officers are more active, DeVelasco said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Paola Conrique with Mothers Against Drunk Driving says DUIs increase during the holidays. Every 79 seconds someone is either injured or killed in the United States. Thirty-seven people a day lose their lives because of a drunk driver, Conrique said. Conrique says people need to celebrate the holidays responsibly and have a plan if you plan to be out drinking. Working with community partners to spread awareness is crucial. We work with our local businesses, our bars in regards to them ensuring to not over serve, DeVelasco said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been a long road to recovery for Mezan. The medical bills just from the hospital the time of my injury was well over $2 million, Mezan said. Getting used to his new normal has taken time and patience, but hes living an active life and working again. Hes moving forward with a new outlook after meeting the man who changed his life. We need to start taking care of the people around us because a lot of the drinking and driving stems from social situations, Mezan said. Police want to remind everyone that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, cannabis products and other drugs may also cause impairment. If you plan on drinking or taking medications with a driving warning label, let someone who is sober drive. If you see someone who appears to be driving while impaired, call 9-1-1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also encourage anyone who plans to attend any sort of holiday celebration where drinking alcohol is involved, to have a plan encouraging have a plan. That can include designating a sober driver or scheduling a ride ahead of time or even staying overnight at the location where the event is taking place. You can find additional information and resources on substance-use prevention and recovery here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Crystal Mangum confessed publicly for the first time that she falsely accused three Duke lacrosse players of raping her in 2006. In an interview posted Wednesday from a North Carolina prison where she is serving time for an unrelated second-degree murder conviction, Mangum admitted to lying about players sexually assaulting her at a team party where she was working as a stripper. She continued to push the allegations in a 2008 book after the case was thrown out in 2007. I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didnt, and that was wrong, and I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me, Mangum told Katerena DePasquale of Lets Talk with Kat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangum said she made up a story that wasnt true because I wanted validation from people and not from God. I hope that they can forgive me, she said of the three men. More than 18 years after the Duke lacrosse allegations, Crystal Mangum admits that she made it all up. "I testified falsely against [the lacrosse players] by saying that they raped me when they didn't...I made up a story that wasn't true...I hope that they can forgive me." pic.twitter.com/3yMjbQTQXH KC Johnson (@kcjohnson9) December 12, 2024 Mangum revealed her intent to come clean after an interview request from DePasquale, the Duke Chronicle reported. Its been on my heart to do a public apology concerning the Duke lacrosse case, Mangum wrote to her in a letter viewed by the Chronicle. I actually lied about the incident to the public, my family, my friends and to God about it, and Im not proud about it. She repeatedly referred to the men as her brothers in the interview and said she loved them. Mangum at a news conference to promote her book in 2008. Raleigh News & Observer via Getty Images Her original accusations ignited the nations attention in part because of the racial dynamic. Mangum is Black while the falsely named assailants are white and were attending an elite university. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the case unraveled, the charges were dismissed in April 2007. Mangum was not charged with perjury and can no longer be prosecuted due to the statute of limitations, the New York Post noted. The players sued the university for its response to the accusations and reached a settlement for reportedly $20 million apiece. Reported sexual assault claims are found to be false between 2% and 10% of the time, according to a report by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, while more than 60% of sexual assault cases are never reported to authorities. Need help? Visit RAINNs National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers website. Related... It has been a tumultuous week for the Texas Legislature since House Speaker Dade Phelan abandoned his bid for another term. As soon as the embattled Beaumont Republican announced his withdrawal from the race late last week, one of his top allies, Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock, launched his own bid for the gavel. Burrows eleventh-hour candidacy led to a dramatic showdown last weekend against Rep. David Cook of Mansfield, who won a closed-door vote to become the House Republican Caucus endorsed candidate after a contingent of Burrows supporters exited the meeting. Soon after, Burrows released a list of 76 current and incoming members 38 Democrats and 38 Republicans backing him for speaker, seeming to reach a majority of the 150-member chamber. But a few Republicans on the list immediately asked for their names to be removed, dropping Burrows public support below the 76-vote threshold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A handful of other GOP members on Burrows list have also come out for Cook this week, amid an intense pressure campaign that has seen Cooks hardline conservative supporters threaten to censure and wage aggressive primary challenges against any House Republicans who do not get behind the caucus speaker nominee. Some have also noted that Burrows once supported the caucus rule requiring all GOP members to support the groups nominee when the House officially picks the speaker in January. Burrows spoke with The Texas Tribune Friday morning about his bid for speaker and the delicate dance he is attempting as he looks to win the gavel with a mix of Democratic and Republican support. This interview has been minimally edited for length and clarity. Q: This all came together very quickly last week, with Speaker Phelan withdrawing from the race and you stepping forward essentially in his stead. What can you tell me about the backstory of how you suddenly emerged as a speaker candidate? What were those hours like last Thursday around when Phelan told members he was withdrawing and you filed paperwork to run yourself? A: Ill give you the big picture. Many of the members, basically, we huddled, got together, knew that we had to have somebody run for speaker. And as we [discussed], a speaker really doesn't choose to be speaker. The members choose who they want to be their speaker. And many of the people came to me and said, we'd like you to run. And the support was overwhelming, and I filed after that. Q: Since you announced your list of 76 votes, a handful of members have asked for their names to be removed and said they're either backing Rep. Cook or they want to stay uncommitted. In light of that, do you still feel that you can get to 76 on the House floor? A: I still feel confident well have over 76 votes on the opening day of session to be speaker of the House. I have a great team, and I'm still working to get even more members comfortable on the opening day to vote [for me]. I still believe we can have a majority of Republicans support us on the opening day [Jan. 14, when the House will vote to elect the speaker for the next two years]. Q: It sounds like youre trying to win over Republican members who are currently backing Rep. Cook. Do you think that is a possibility, even in the current environment? A: The Texas Constitution says that all members get to vote on the opening day [of the Legislature]. And I believe that there's many Republicans who are either uncommitted, or committed to Cook, that know that I would do a better job by my experience, my steady-handedness, and how I've treated members in the chamber. And I expect them to do I hope that they will do what they know in their heart is best for the state. Q: In the universe where you aren't able to get 38-plus Republicans on board, would you still feel comfortable becoming speaker if it means relying on a majority Democratic coalition? A: I am going to go to the House floor and be speaker of the Texas House. The people supporting me are from different ideological makeups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not about anything other than having a chamber that is independent, that has a voice and that knows [the speaker] is going to apply the rules fairly rules that allow the majority to rule but the minority to have their voice heard and respected. And I don't mean that just on partisan lines. Some of the issues that we fight over aren't necessarily on partisan lines. But you have to allow the majority to prevail, but the minority to have their voice heard. And the Texas House has always worked better when everybody is at the table and we find common ground. Q: There's a lot of speculation about what sort of concessions, if any, you might be offering to Democrats. What case are you making when youre talking to Democratic members? Are you offering them anything specific regarding continuing to appoint them as committee chairs or on school choice or ESAs [education savings accounts, the voucher-like policy that would allow parents to use public money to help pay for their childrens private school tuition]? A: No concessions have been made. That would be illegal, and it'd be unethical, and I would never vote for a speaker who made concessions. That being said, part of what, perhaps, is not visible is the relationships that I have built and forged, given the different positions that I have been in. There have been many times that I have collaborated with my Democrat colleagues, and they know that I am a steady hand. They know I have the experience, and they know that I have honored my word and commitment to being in a place to allow the right outcomes and have a sense of fairness and that has been my appeal to them. And it doesn't hurt that the other side [Cooks camp] has wanted significant rule changes to shut them out of the process completely, and that goes far beyond committee chairmanships. Q: Just to be clear, would you continue to appoint Democrats to chair a limited number of committees? A: This is what I've told every member, regardless of their party affiliation, and this is the traditionalist view of the Texas House, which is in respectfulness of the institution, which is what I am trying to take it back to: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rules are for the members. They are designed to protect the members from the speaker. They are designed to figure out what powers the speaker's office has or doesn't have. You can have a speaker's office with strong powers or limited powers, or hardly any powers at all, but it is very important that a speaker not put their thumb on the scale on those. The members have to work that out amongst themselves to be a deliberative body and feel good about the rules that we're going to have to guide the debate and dissent and discussion during session. So I will not put my thumb on the scale, regardless of how I may feel internally about that, until that vote happens. Q: Thats also the approach that Speaker Phelan has taken on school choice, or ESAs, which you have supported. Would you commit to giving [school vouchers] a floor vote? A: It is going to be the will of the House as it should be. But I've also, I've learned when talking to my colleagues who don't always support the positions that I do, that they want me to be open and honest about what I think is going to happen. They don't like to be surprised. I believe the political winds have shifted, and the votes are there for ESAs. But I want to be very clear, I believe next session will be focused on education. I believe that school finance will be a huge priority for members of all parties. School discipline is something that I hear about from teachers, administrators and colleagues that is very important and has to be done right. School safety, I've been in the middle of that conversation. I believe education education for all students, public education funding, which needs to be improved, teacher pay raises, which we need to help our teachers will be front and center of what the House is working towards on a unified front, along with ESAs, next session. Q: Last year, even some of Speaker Phelan's supporters seem to feel that he kind of walked [GOP] members into a primary bloodbath with the [Attorney General Ken] Paxton impeachment, et cetera. Given the rhetoric [threats of primary challenges and censures] being directed at Republicans who are supporting you for speaker, are you concerned about the possibility of your supporters essentially putting their careers on the line in 2026 by supporting you for speaker? A: So, I want to be clear: they're not necessarily supporting me for speaker. They're a team supporting the greater good of the House, and they feel committed to doing that. It's bigger than one person. I just happen to be the figurehead of it. They're fighting to make sure we still have a deliberative body, the people's House, where all members are going to have their voice heard, be able to represent their districts, and have somebody that is going to more respectfully, in my opinion, work with the Senate and the governor to accomplish the things that we need to accomplish next session. Q: You also, of course, were once House GOP Caucus chair, and some Cook supporters have been giving you grief about continuing to pursue your speakership bid even after the caucus nominated Cook. Whats your response to that line of argument, that you should be abiding by the caucus rules that you once supported and were vocally in favor of? A: I still believe on the opening day of session, I will be getting a significant number of House Republicans to vote for me. [Note: Burrows declined to expand further and said he expected one of his supporters, Rep. Terry Wilson of Marble Falls, to release an op-ed spelling out how the pro-Burrows contingent is approaching the caucus rule issue.] Q: Gov. Greg Abbott who had stayed silent about all the speaker drama came out recently saying, without mentioning any candidate names, that the speaker should be chosen by a majority of Republicans in accordance with caucus rules. At the moment, thats a tacit signal of support for Rep. Cook. Whats your reaction to Gov. Abbott weighing in, especially given that you and the governor have been so aligned on property taxes and other issues? A: I still think that we will be having a significant number of Republicans support us, and I have not stopped working to help unite Republicans. But that last part of your question is right. I have worked closely with the governor over many sessions on a variety of issues. For the casual observer, I think that they have noticed that, and I will continue to work with both the governor and lieutenant governor where the interests of the House and them are aligned which I think there'll be many things that we will be aligned on. Q: Lastly, going back five years ago, you were on the outs with some of your colleagues after the incident with then-Speaker [Dennis] Bonnen and [conservative activist] Michael Quinn Sullivan. [Note: Burrows and Bonnen were revealed to have provided names of House Republicans for Sullivans political group to primary. The matter prompted Bonnen to retire and Burrows to resign as House GOP Caucus chair.] When you think back to how you went from stepping down as caucus chair five years ago, to now being in this current moment where you could become speaker what are your thoughts on the craziness of the last five years and your journey over that time? A: Let me point out, as an aside, some of my strong support comes from some of the members that were very oppositional to [me in] that period of time. That's worth noting. But I do believe that being the Texas House speaker, going into this session, members are looking for a known quantity. They're looking for somebody they know has experience I don't mean all good experience to actually lead. Somebody who they can rely upon that has that steady hand. I have gone from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in that chamber. And I'm not talking about just that cycle [around the Bonnen scandal]. I'm talking about from 2015 to 2017 to 2019. I didn't really pass a bill for a long period of time. But I have walked in many different shoes in that body. It has been very good to me. I very much respect it, and I know the members know I care very deeply about it. And because I've had all those different experiences some fantastic, some bad they know the type of person and leader that I will be. And I will tell you, the part that will be the most sacred, difficult and challenging work I ever did, was leading the investigative committee in Uvalde [Note: Burrows chaired a House panel that looked into the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School] and passing a bipartisan school safety bill. And it was better because it was bipartisan. The internal deliberations and going through that experience was very impactful to me. THE HAGUE - A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid by 10 pro-Palestinian NGOs to stop the Netherlands exporting weapons to Israel and trading with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. The Hague district court stressed that the state has some leeway in its policies and courts should not rush to step in. "The interim relief court finds that there is no reason to impose a total ban on the export of military and dual-use goods on the state," it said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plaintiffs, citing high civilian casualties in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, had argued that the Dutch state, as a signatory to the 1948 Genocide Convention, has a duty to take all reasonable measures at its disposal to prevent genocide. The NGOs cited a January order to Israel by the International Court of Justice to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. Israel says accusations of genocide in its Gaza campaign are baseless and that it is solely hunting down Hamas and other armed groups who threaten its existence and hide among civilians, something the groups deny. The judges at the Hague district court sided with the Dutch state, which had said it continually assesses the risk of arms and dual-use goods exported to Israel being used in a way that could lead to violations of international law, and that it occasionally refuses certain exports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a ruling in a separate case in February, a Dutch court ordered the government to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used to violate international law during the war in Gaza. The government has appealed that ruling. (Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Frances Kerry) THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict. The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. Ive lost 18 members of my own family, Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Israeli airstrike on Thursday killed at least 25 Palestinians and wounded dozens more, Palestinian medics said. The strike on a multistory residential building in the Nuseirat refugee camp was just the latest in a series of Israeli attacks throughout Gaza. The court ruling said that it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility. Lawyers for the government argued it wasnt up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The coalition said it will review the courts ruling and is considering an appeal. In November, the International Criminal Court, issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the 13-month war in Gaza. The warrants said there was a reason to believe that Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had used starvation as a method of warfare by restricting humanitarian aid and had intentionally targeted civilians in Israels campaign against Hamas in Gaza charges Israeli officials deny. Earlier this week, the United Nations said humanitarian aid to north Gaza has largely been blocked for the past 66 days, leaving between 65,000 and 75,000 Palestinians without access to food, water, electricity or health care, according to the world body. The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has rejected Russia's appeal against the Hague Arbitration Court's ruling requiring Moscow to pay $5 billion in damages to Naftogaz, the Ukrainian state-owned energy company said on Dec. 13. Russia was ordered to pay the sum as compensation for misappropriated assets in occupied Crimea. The tribunal ruled in February 2019 that Russia had expropriated Naftogaz's assets in Crimea in violation of the bilateral investment agreement between Ukraine and Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This marks the second definitive ruling by Dutch courts confirming the validity of the Hague arbitration tribunal's partial award. Following the 2019 ruling, the tribunal determined the damages in April 2023, ordering Russia to pay $5 billion. Despite the ruling, Russia continued to dispute the decision. The assets in question were seized following Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea in March 2014, which was carried out after a sham referendum held under military occupation and without international oversight. Read also: Putin orders emergency support for struggling Russian coal industry Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management, also known as the Graves School at Morgan State University, was ranked 60th in the country on Bloomberg Businessweeks 2024-2025 Best B-Schools list. The ranking makes it the schools first appearance and the only HBCU on the prestigious list. Named after esteemed alumnus and founder of BLACK ENTERPRISE Magazine, Earl G. Graves, Sr., the school is profoundly recognized for its academic excellence and historical context, named as the first AACSB-accredited business school at a public institution in the state of Maryland. Being named on the list adds to the school continuously being named as one of the top five business schools in Maryland, positioning it in the top 15% of the countrys business schools nationwide. Morgans President, David K. Wilson, says the recognition only heightens the schools legacy of delivering exceptional academic settings. Earning recognition from a trusted organization like Bloomberg Businessweek amplifies Morgans legacy of delivering exceptional academic settings designed to maximize the vast potential of our students while preparing them for professional success, Wilson said. This recognition not only highlights our leadership in business education but also underscores the transformative impact of our graduates on the global business community. It affirms what weve always knownthat Morgans academic programs are of the highest caliber, celebrated nationally and internationally. Morgans growth is hard not to recognize. In 2024, enrollment reached record levels, with research funding and patents coming in at all-time highs. According to The Baltimore Sun, student advancement in graduate programs has excelled, on top of Maryland, reaching over $1.5 billion. Morgan is a leading force in cultivating a diverse pipeline of innovators and professionals, especially in STEM fields where nearly 17% of its alumni work significantly surpassing Marylands statewide average of 11%, Wilson proudly wrote in an op-ed. This robust output underscores Morgans vital role in addressing critical workforce needs, contributing to industries that drive innovation, strengthen the economy, and elevate communities across the state and the nation. Under the leadership of Royce D. Burnett, who was appointed dean of Graves School in early 2024, the business school is Morgans largest academic unit, accounting for 21% of the HBCUs total student enrollment. Burnett labeled Bloombergs ranking a significant milestone and credited the faculty for diligently working to continue producing a leading number of Black graduates in business disciplines, including hospitality management, entrepreneurship, project management, marketing, and business administration. Being ranked among the nations top business schools by Bloomberg Businessweek is a significant milestone for our program, a real testament to our truly amazing faculty, and it certainly affirms the growing national recognition of our dynamic B-School and MBA Program, the dean said. Dec. 12EAST GRAND FORKS An East Grand Forks family was displaced after a fire in their home Thursday morning, Dec. 12. Fire crews responded to a report of smoke at a house on the 500 block of Third Avenue Northeast just after 10 a.m. Upon arrival, crews saw light smoke showing from the eaves of the one-story home, a press release said. Crews identified a small fire in the attic of the back bedroom and were able to quickly put it out. Fire damage was contained to that room, and the rest of the home sustained light smoke damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the fire was likely due to faulty wiring in the home. The family is being assisted by the American Red Cross until it's deemed safe for them to return. The East Grand Forks Fire Department was assisted by the East Grand Forks Police Department, Altru Ambulance and East Grand Forks Water and Light. Fire crews would also like to remind the public about the importance of having working smoke detectors in their homes and businesses and to stay safe during the holiday season, the release said. The former pastor of a Pasco church is accused of collecting $5.9 million from church members and others with guarantees of monthly returns as high as 40% from cryptocurrency investments. But a new federal lawsuit says Francier Obando Pinillo never made the promised investments and trades in cryptocurrency on behalf of his customers, instead keeping the money for himself and his associates. He was arrested in Miami on Dec. 5 after being indicted in U.S. District Court in Eastern Washington on 25 counts of wire fraud and one count of unlicensed money transmitting business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the Commodity Future Trading Commission is suing Francier Obando Pinillo in U.S. District Court in Eastern Washington. The commission is an independent federal regulatory agency charged by Congress with the enforcement of commodity exchanges. Francier Obando Pinillo formerly operated The Tiempos De Poder Church at the Captain Gray Plaza in the 1100 block of West Court Street in Pasco. Pinillo was the owner and pastor of Tiempo de Poder Church in Pasco, with members who mostly spoke Spanish, from at least late 2021 to late 2023, according to a court document. He continues to post videos to the churchs Facebook page, most recently from Florida. The church previously operated out of strip malls on Sylvester and Court streets in Pasco. Pastor seeks investments in church The lawsuit claims Pinillo targeted unsophisticated customers who had little or no experience in cryptocurrency transactions or the specific type of investment he said he would make, which involved commodity interest trading. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court documents claim the alleged scheme involved parking or staking digital assets such as Bitcoin to collect rewards, which are typically more cryptocurrency, and then using liquidity to borrow for additional cryptocurrency to stake. His solicitations for investments were almost entirely made in Spanish. A screenshot of the Tiempos De Poder Church Facebook page that formerly operated in Pasco. As the pastor at his church in Pasco, Wash., and as a guest speaker at other churches, defendant (Pinillo) was able to reach a vast number of potential customers, who believed he was honest and trust-worthy, according to the civil lawsuit. At one mega-church in Florida he lectured the congregants on the importance of lifting themselves out of poverty and then pitched them on his investment scheme, saying they could earn as much as 34.9% a month on their investment, said the suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also held seminars for potential investors, including at the Pasco Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center. He said he was the chief executive of SolanoFi Entities, which operated an automated computer trading program, according the lawsuit. The trading program did not exist, but investors he recruited were given access to fabricated, online account statements that showed balances increasing monthly, according to the suit. One customer invested about $36,000 in March 2022 and her balance sheet showed that had grown to more than $1 million by February 2023, said the lawsuit. She was able to log onto a website until as late as summer 2023 to see her purported balance. No risk cryptocurrency investment Pinillo falsely told customers there was no risk to their investments and that they could withdraw their money in as short a time as three months, said the civil lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His top guaranteed profit of 34.9% compounded monthly, if true, would have yielded profits on a 24-month basis exceeding 400,000%, an impossibly high return on any investment, according to a court document. To attract additional assets from customers, he solicited investments in a purportedly Christian-values oriented token called the ShekkelCoin. He told investors he would pay a 15% referral fee to those who referred additional customers. He also asked for a $1,500 maintenance fee to access the SolanoFi website with account dashboards and another $1,500 fee to support purported legal efforts to recoup assets from a bankrupt crypto-exchange that Pinillo falsely claimed had held a large amount of customer assets, according to the civil lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SolanoFi or Solano Fi, Solano Capital Investments and Solano Partners LTD, all sole proprietorships operated by Pinillo, were not registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Pinillo also did not hold money transmitter license from the state of Washington, nor was Solano Fi registered federally as a money transmitting business, according to a court document. A graphic used to explain purported crypotocurrency investments through Solarno Fi is shown translated to English by the Eastern District of Washington U.S. Attorneys Office. Pinillo told customers to transfer cash to bank accounts he controlled or transfer cash or digital assets to digital wallets he also controlled to allow them to earn interest from staked digital assets, according to court documents. ... there was no trading platform, no trading took place, no profits were generated and defendant (Pinillo) misappropriated all assets that customers transferred to defendant, according to the lawsuit. Cryptocurrency profit excuses He transferred at least $4 million in digital assets to 23 private digital wallets in Colombia with no known connection to trading commodity interests, according to a court document. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some money from Pinillos 1,516 investors from November 2021 through December 2023 may have been used for payments to earlier investors in the nature of a Ponzi scheme, according to the suit. But Pinillo also is accused of coming up with reasons why he could not immediately pay out profits to investors. In March 2022, he posted online that there were technical issues with the SolanoFi dashboard used to account balances, according to a court document. However, customers would continue to receive profits and interests on their investments, the notice said. When the digital asset exchange FTX became insolvent in late 2022 and declared bankruptcy, Pinillo told customers that their assets were sent to FTX and were now frozen. That prevented him from returning money immediately, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pinillo had not used FTX for any of his customers investments and neither he nor his companies are listed as creditors in the FTX bankruptcy. One customer met with Pinillo at the Pasco church in October 2022, and begged for the return of her money, said the suit. Pinillo told her he didnt have any money and that he was busy, according to a court document. The woman has yet to receive any of her money back, according to the lawsuit. When another customer confronted him, Pinillo told him that he would never be arrested because investors did not physically hand him money but instead transferred it to accounts he designated, according to a court document. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One Tri-Cities area woman who asked to withdraw money from her accounts, received only $18 when Pinillo recorded her making a withdrawal so he could market his investment platform on social media, according to a court document. Another woman who sometimes attended Pinillos Pasco church invested $10,762 in Solano Fi. He refused to pay back the initial investment and profits she believed she had accrued, but told her if she found someone to buy out her account, he would give her the money, according to a court document. She took him to small claims court and won a judgment of $10,000, which remains unpaid, according to the criminal complaint against Pinillo. WA jury trial sought Pinillo continues to post short Spanish-language videos on his church and his personal Facebook pages with his prophesies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In some of the recent videos, he said that God will create grand miracles for his followers, including future financial wealth. He also posts graphics with his own quotes about faith and God. The 25 counts of wire fraud each carry punishments of up to 20 years imprisonment and fines of up to twice as much money as Pinillo is found to have diverted. The unlicensed money transmitting business charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. Commodity Futures Trading Commission seal The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is asking U.S. Judge Stanley Bastian for a jury trial in the civil case. It is seeking money back for Pinillos customers, return of ill-gotten gains, fines, trading bans and a permanent prohibition against further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act. The federal court files for the civil and criminal cases do not yet list an attorney for Pinillo. He could not be reached about the charges. Tri-City Herald reporter Larissa Babiak contributed to this report. EAU CLAIRE A desperate need for more foster families is forcing local children to either wait for a home to become available or to even be sent outside the state. Eau Claire County Human Service Manager Nicholas Stabenow-Schneider said that there are about 35 general licensed homes in the county which is not nearly enough to meet the need. If we dont have county foster homes, then we have to look either to private agencies which are statewide, he said. Kids then end up getting placed further away from their community, or sometimes group homes or residential facilities which can be throughout the state and sometimes out of state as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Child and Family Service Manager for the Eau Claire office of Childrens Wisconsin Vera Matter said that the need is even greater for children in need of treatment foster care. The need for the children who need treatment level foster care is far outstripping the number of families that are able and willing to provide that level of care, she said. Its been increasing over the last couple of years and now its very difficult to find placement for kids that need that higher level of care. According to information from Childrens Wisconsin, in some parts of Wisconsin, families licensed in treatment foster care have declined nearly 50 percent in the last three years. We get referrals from all across the state because the need is so great, said Matter. Sometimes kids are having to wait for the appropriate level of care and that can be very difficult. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stabenow-Schneider said that it is important to try to keep kids within the local community in order to avoid the trauma of further disrupting their life. He said that keeping kids in the region gives the kids the best opportunity to stay in their schools and to stay connected to their friends and family in the area. With the shortage of available homes, though, more and more kids are being forced into less than ideal situations. We have one young man whos now placed in one of our foster homes, said Matter. He had to wait in a residential (behavior treatment center) for longer than they felt he needed to be there until an appropriate placement could be found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Foster homes are most notably for kids that have been removed from their parents or caregivers, said Stabenow-Schneider. The goal and hope is for the family to address the issues that cause the removal so that reunification can occur, (but) there are times that adoption can occur through foster care. He added, though, that the foster family is typically the last option for adoption. First preference is to return them to their home, while second preference is to look for extended family. This minimizes additional trauma and disruption to the child, he said. Unfortunately, there are times and situations where there is not a relative or someone the child is connected to. If reunification cant occur, the child can end up being adopted if the foster home and the child agree thats what is in the childs best interest. Stabenow-Schneider stressed that being a foster parent can be incredibly rewarding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To know that youve played a role and a positive impact on these childrens lives is some of the most rewarding work, he said. Some of our foster parents that have been doing it for many years still have foster kids that they worked with 10 or 20 years ago. They keep in contact with them and follow up. Matter said the requirements for offering treatment level foster care are stricter than standards for regular foster care. However, she said people are often surprised to find they meet the qualifications. It doesnt matter who you are, as long as you are somebody who cares and is willing to learn about and work with kids, she said. At treatment level, it cant hurt to call and ask. Sometimes the people that think they would be least likely to be a good foster parent turn out to be the very best foster parents. Anybody inclined to think about this I would encourage you to look into it further because they could really make a difference in a childs life. Information on becoming a foster parent can be found on Eau Claire Countys website as well as Childrens Wisconsins website. MADRID, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Hu Chunhua, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 Imperial Springs International Forum on Thursday, calling for joint efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Hu read a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. In his congratulatory letter, Xi gives full recognition to the forum's positive role in enhancing exchanges and understanding between China and other countries, and provides clear guidance on using the forum as a platform to further build international consensus and advance a community with a shared future for mankind, said Hu. Amid accelerating global changes unseen in a century, China will remain a champion of peace, stability and progress, while promoting high-level opening-up, Hu said. He called on visionary people across the world to actively engage with the forum, strengthen friendships, promote cooperation, and contribute their wisdom and efforts to building a community with a shared future for mankind. During his stay in Spain, Hu also attended a group meeting with Spanish King Felipe VI, and met with First Vice President of the Senate of Spain Javier Maroto and others. It would cost $472 million per year to cover medication-assisted addiction treatment under a plan Baltimore is hoping a court will approve so that it can tackle the raging opioid epidemic, an economist testified Thursday. During his testimony, William V. Padula, a professor of pharmaceutical and health economics at the University of Southern Californias Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, explained his calculations for the cost of the sprawling plan, which a public health professor laid out in court Wednesday and Thursday. In addition to treatment, the 15-year plan calls for harm reduction measures like distributing sterile syringes to people who inject opioids and providing places for people to consume drugs under the supervision of medical professionals with life-saving resources on hand. Padula put the cost of those measures at $102 million annually. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Padulas testimony comes during the second phase of Baltimores civil case against drug distributors McKesson and AmerisourceBergen, now known as Cenora. A jury in November ordered the companies to pay $266 million for flooding Baltimore with hundreds of millions of addictive opioid painkillers from 2006 to 2019. Now its up to Circuit Judge Lawrence P. Fletcher-Hill to determine how much else, if anything, the drug distributors have to pay more to resolve the crisis jurors found them liable for. Baltimore originally asked Fletcher-Hill to make the companies pay $11 billion, but dropped its monetary demands to approximately $5.2 billion after the first trial. It reduced the cost by constraining the plan only to people who already misused opioids, no longer including projections of people who would develop an addiction in the future. The judge will have to ascertain whether the citys evidence is sufficient to prove what abatement will cost, how it will be done, and who will do it, Carl W. Tobias, Williams Chair in Law at the University of Richmond School of Law, said in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baltimores lawyers argue McKesson and AmerisourceBergen have to pay billions to offset the damage they caused by flooding the area with addictive painkillers with little regard for the havoc the companies knew they would wreak. The companies reckless distribution of opioids, the city said, hooked a new generation of people in Baltimore on painkillers, a population that went on to overdose and die at staggering rates when they moved on to heroin and much more potent fentanyl after their prescriptions ran out. Lawyers for McKesson and AmerisourceBergen disagree. They argue that the city is abusing the civil justice system to force two companies to pay for societal issues they had no role in. In court papers, they called the citys abatement plan a sweeping, 15-year social policy plan related to opioid addiction and many other social issues e.g., homelessness, re-entry after incarceration, foster care, job training, food support, and bolstering the healthcare workforce. They said such measures are for a legislature to address, not a court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fletcher-Hill previously expressed reservations about the city using its public nuisance lawsuit to address social problems of this breadth and complexity, saying he believed such problems would be better addressed by other branches of government. Attorneys for the companies elicited from Padula that he did not take into account insurance coverage of opioid treatment or analyze what services are already available in Baltimore. That wasnt part of my assignment, Padula said several times during cross examination. My assignment was simply to cost out the abatement plan. Padulas testimony followed that of Susan G. Sherman, a social and behavioral scientist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health whose decades of research focuses on people who use opioids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sherman testified about the detailed plan she created to curb Baltimores opioid crisis through medication-assisted treatment, harm reduction and education. She estimated her recommendations, if adopted, would in 15 years bring down the fatality of overdoses by 23%, reduce initiation of nonmedical prescription opioid use by 7.5% and increase the percentage of opioid users in the city who were in treatment from approximately 13% today to 41%. Sherman proposes the expansion of a range of measures Baltimore already has, like distribution of the opioid overdose reversing drug naloxone and syringe services programs where people who use opioids can receive clean needles, reducing the risk of associated infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis B. Her plan also calls for a dramatic increase in the distribution of naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses, and test strips for users to check if their drugs are contaminated by potent synthetic opioid fentanyl or Xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that both amplifies the effects of opioids and causes people who take it to develop awful abscesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A standard 4 milligram dose of the drug costs $26.05, according to Padula. Fentanyl and Xylazine test strips cost $.75 and $1.25 each, respectively, the economist said. During cross-examination, attorneys for McKesson and AmerisourceBergen attempted to sow doubt about the data supporting Shermans recommendations, each of which came with costly price tags calculated by Padula. The drug distributors lawyers also at times seemed as though they were relitigating the previous trial, where they argued that gangs and cartels were to blame for the scourge of heroin and fentanyl killing Baltimoreans. They also argued to the jury that the companies supplied opioids to meet the demand of doctors prescriptions. Through their questions, they highlighted a study that showed most participants started with heroin or another illicit drug rather than a prescription opioid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They elicited from Sherman that her plan made no recommendations for changes to the distribution of opioids by McKesson and AmerisourceBergen. I was not asked to opine on this, Sherman responded to a question about recommendations for the companies. _____ Dec. 12Dec. 31 is the deadline for Effingham Daily News "Citizen of the Year" nominations. The newspaper is again looking for individuals of extraordinary ethics who strive to improve the welfare of our community and its citizens. For its Citizen of the Year, the newspaper looks for somebody who has made a significant impact on the overall quality of life in our community. Tell us about those deserving individuals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recipient will be honored at the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce annual gala on Jan. 18. Any resident of Effingham County who is 18 years or older is eligible. Nominees will be considered based on three criteria: overall lifetime contribution to and impact on the Effingham area to improve the quality of life; impact on the community through volunteerism, participation or membership in community, religious or civic organizations; and demonstrations of dedication to improving our community by providing leadership and resources over and above one's normal employment. One thing that distinguishes many past honorees is the multiple levels of contributions they have made to the Effingham area over a long period of time. The 2024 Effingham Daily New Citizen of the Year was Mary Ellen Eversman, who spent 30 years with the Department of Human Services and helped bring the Red Cross' water safety program to Effingham County. She was instrumental when Effingham County adopted a no-kill resolution in 2022, which committed to not euthanizing animals unless they had become extremely sick or injured. She was also involved in the formation of the Effingham Animal Rescue Sanctuary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I am humbled," Eversman said after being presented with the award. "I am also thrilled. I wouldn't live in any other place." It's as true now as it was last year and in previous years that this community never seems to have a shortage of people worthy of recognition. Here are the past recipients of the Effingham Daily News Citizen of the Year Award: 1987 Michael Fortner 1988 Ginnie Swanson 1989 Norbert "Bud" Althoff 1990 Ron Meek 1991 Lowell Samuel 1992 Maxine Williams 1993 Katie Kroeger 1994 Consuello Luttrell 1995 Thelma Keller 1996 Sister Beth Marie Ruder Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1997 The Rev. Lawrence Beebe 1998 John Schimmelpfenning 1999 Frank Kabbes 2000 Newlin Martin 2001 Carl Koerner Jr. 2002 Joseph McNaughton 2003 Delbert Mundt 2004 Jerry Moon 2005 Dr. David Bristow 2006 Jack Thies 2007 Fran Schultz 2008 Jim McDaniel 2009 Greg Sapp 2010 Richard "Rick" Siemer 2011 Monsignor Leo Enlow 2012 Don Niehart 2013 Loretta Koester 2014 Dr. Ruben Boyajian and Carol Toney 2015 Craig Lindvahl 2016 Hank Stephens 2017 Tod Lancaster 2018 Dr. Nash Naam 2019 Delaine Donaldson 2020 Ann Deters 2021 Norma Lansing 2022 Mark Steppe 2023 Molly Bushue Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2024 Mary Ellen Eversman Nomination letters should be emailed to EDN Editor Jeff Long at jeff.long@effinghamdailynews.com. Put "Citizen of the Year" in the subject line. Include your name and phone number. Although email is preferred, nomination letters may also be sent to the Effingham Daily News at 201 N. Banker, Effingham, IL 62401. MARLBORO COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) Voters in the town of McColl will go to the polls in March in a special election to elect a new mayor to replace the late George Garner. The election is scheduled for March 4, according to the Marlboro County Board of Voter Registration & Elections. Officials said the date was chosen by town leaders. The deadline for candidates to file and other important dates connected to the election have yet to be determined. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garner was killed in a two-vehicle crash on Cashua Ferry Road in Darlington County in late November. He crashed head-on into another vehicle while being followed by a Marlboro County deputy out of concern for his well-being. News13 learned later that at the time of Garners death, he was connected to an active investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. The details of that investigation have not been made public. His death came several days after the resignation of the towns police chief and the rest of its officers in the wake of now-former Police Chief Bob Hales complaints about problems with town leaders. The March election is not the only one coming up in McColl. Voters will go to the polls in January in a special election to fill a town council seat left open when Judy Stubbs, who resigned in September in the midst of issues between town officials and the police department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Candidate filing for the council election has already begun, and early voting will start on Dec. 30. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Elon Musk and Barron Trump might just be on the path to becoming fast friends. The billionaires mother, Maye Musk, said on a Thursday Fox Business appearance that he and the youngest Trump bonded at the Mar-a-Lago Thanksgiving dinner table as they discussed a topic near and dear to Musks heartinterplanetary colonization. At the Thanksgiving dinner, Barron and Elon were talking planets, she said. [Barrons] 18-years-old. They were discussing all the different planets and why Mars is the best place to start a new civilization. And I was very impressed with him, too. Musk has made a number of official public appearances alongside the president-elect. / Brandon Bell / Getty Images The elder Musk also detailed her sons increasingly chummy relationship with Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Musk emerged as a key backer of Trumps campaign in the run-up to his election victory, the two have made many public appearances together: At a SpaceX rocket launch, meetings with world leaders, and even a UFC match. Trump has also made Musk an ostensibly unofficial administration figure, naming him to head the thus-nonexistent Department of Government Efficiency. They do get along well, Maye Musk remarked, adding: I think Trump just likes someone he can completely trust who doesnt have any alternative motives. Musk also expressed her approval of the politics of her sons newfound friend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think Trump just wants everything to be honest and open so that you know where your tax dollars are going. Hes not going to be mean to people, she said. I think were all going to be happier. Musk joined her son in spending Thanksgiving at Trumps resort and residence in Palm Beach, Florida. She said brushing shoulders with the Trump family was a positive experience. Everyone is delightful, kind, sweet, generous, interesting and soft-spoken, which is interesting because, as politicians, you can talk loud, she said. And Ive met Melania. Im looking forward to spending more time with her, too. Ready, set, launch. Elon Musks SpaceX is trying to make its South Texas launch site into a new, fully incorporated city. In a letter sent Thursday to local officials, the company called for a local election to turn Starbase, the companys main location for testing, building, and deploying rockets, into an incorporated city. The site is situated at Boca Chica Beach near the Mexican border. SpaceX is proud to play a major role in the South Texas and Cameron County communities, which are home to thousands of our employees, with several hundred living at Starbase, Kathryn Lueders, the general manager of Starbase, wrote in the letter to Cameron County. To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community. SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas! https://t.co/zpN4t3mJQT Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 13, 2024 Lueders proceeded to lay out the companys reasoning for the drastic move, citing SpaceXs involvement in running a number of civic functions for the 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors that were found to be working at the Starbase site, according to a local impact study issued by local officials earlier this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Incorporating Starbase will streamline processes required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live for the hundreds already calling it home, as well as for prospective workers eager to help build humanitys future in space, she continued. As you know, through agreements with the County, SpaceX currently performs several civil functionsincluding management of the roads, utilities, and the provision of schooling and medical care for the residents. Incorporation would move the management of some of these functions to a more appropriate public body, Leuders added. Musk also announced that he would be moving SpaceX and social platform Xs headquarters from California to Texas earlier this year. In a post on X Thursday, Musk celebrated the petitions release writing: SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not the first time the company has talked about taking the leap toward incorporation, howeverMusk fired off a tweet in 2021 that said: Creating the city of Starbase, Texas. But despite the provocative statement, Cameron Countys top elected official, Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., confirmed to the Associated Press that Thursdays letter was the first the county had heard from the company about incorporating a new community. Our legal and elections administration will review the petition, see whether or not it complied with all of the statutory requirements and then well go from there, Trevino told the AP. McALLEN, Texas (AP) SpaceX is launching a new mission: making its Starbase site a new Texas city. Billionaire Elon Musk 's company on Thursday sent a letter to local officials requesting an election to turn what it calls Starbase the South Texas site where SpaceX builds and launches its massive Starship rockets into an incorporated city. Residents of the area known as Starbase submitted the petition, according to the company. The area is on the southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, near the Mexican border. Earlier this year, Musk announced he was moving the headquarters of SpaceX and his social media company X from California to Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community. That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley, Kathryn Lueders, the general manager of Starbase, wrote in a letter to the county. It's not the first time turning Starbase into its own city has been floated. Musk proposed the idea in 2021 when he wrote a social media post that simply said, Creating the city of Starbase, Texas. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., the countys top elected official, said despite the talks of incorporation in 2021, this was the first time a petition was officially filed. Our legal and elections administration will review the petition, see whether or not it complied with all of the statutory requirements and then well go from there," Trevino said on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors work at the Starbase site, according to a local impact study issued by Trevino earlier this year. SpaceX's rapid expansion in the region has drawn pushback from some locals. Earlier this year, a group called Save RGV sued the company in July over allegations of environmental violations and dumping polluted water into the nearby bay. SpaceX said in response that a state review found no environmental risks and called the lawsuit frivolous. French President Emmanuel Macron is planning to visit China in the new year, as speculation swirls about Beijing's potential role in ending the Ukraine war. According to several sources familiar with the matter, Macron's trusted diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne travelled this week to Beijing with a team of aides to lay the groundwork for a trip by the French leader. Bonne's visit was timed to coincide with Macron's return this week from Poland. There, Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk discussed plans to put troops from European Union member states in Ukraine to monitor a future ceasefire, according to media reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that during talks in Paris earlier this month, Macron, US president-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed leveraging China's influence over Russia as part of a ceasefire deal. "Trump also pushed the Europeans to do more to get the Chinese to press the Kremlin to end the conflict, according to a person briefed on the meeting. They discussed using tariffs on China as a bargaining chip, if Beijing doesn't agree to do so," it also reported. A woman visits the site of a missile strike on a medical centre in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, on Wednesday. At least eight people were killed and 22 others injured by the strike on December 10, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=A woman visits the site of a missile strike on a medical centre in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, on Wednesday. At least eight people were killed and 22 others injured by the strike on December 10, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE> Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement European leaders have long sought China's help to end the war, which began with a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, they have been largely disappointed by its response. While Beijing proclaims itself neutral in the conflict, concerns in the West have spiked about the economic lifeline its free-flowing trade with Moscow has provided the Russian military. In addition, EU officials have been disturbed by what they describe as an "echoing of Kremlin talking points" during meetings with Chinese interlocutors. During a recent event in Brussels organised by the Chinese mission to the EU, European guests were enraged when several mainland academics blamed "Nato's eastward expansion" for causing the war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anxieties have intensified in recent weeks after European intelligence services shared evidence of a drone factory in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region producing military-grade craft for Russian forces. The issue is expected to be raised at several gatherings of ministers and leaders next week. Meanwhile, having vowed to quickly end the war, Trump has voiced his own view that Beijing should be involved in any discussions. In a post on his Truth Social network on Sunday, he said Kyiv "would like to make a deal" to end its war with Russia. "There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed," wrote Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I know Vladimir [Putin] well," he added, referring to the Russian leader. "This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!" For its part, China has long called for an immediate ceasefire, even if Western countries have been disappointed by its failure to rein in Putin, who enjoys close ties with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. While the EU has urged parties to follow Zelensky's own peace plan, Beijing has coordinated with Brazil and other developing countries to launch a "friends-for-peace" group aimed at ending the conflict. The group's first meeting, held at the United Nations General Assembly in September, was attended by ministers from countries including Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Zambia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subsequently, EU members Hungary and Slovakia have stated an interest in taking part in the forum. Their leaders, Viktor Orban and Robert Fico, have also been in contact with Putin, bucking the trend among EU chiefs. Macron's manoeuvring on the global stage, meanwhile, comes amid severe pressure domestically. The French government collapsed this month after far-left and far-right parties secured a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Michel Barnier. These parties have called for Macron to resign, but the centrist has vowed to fight on and is expected to name a new prime minister imminently. And amid China's strained ties with the EU, Macron has regularly engaged with Xi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the height of a spat over EU tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, Xi in May visited France and was afforded red-carpet treatment by his French counterpart. This was despite Macron's government being the most prominent backer of the European Commission's anti-subsidy investigation into mainland EVs. A year earlier, Macron enjoyed a lavish state visit to China. During a flight between Beijing and Guangzhou, he stoked controversy when he told journalists that Europe should avoid getting "caught up in crises that are not ours", referring to Taiwan. 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. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) Alabama Possible is hosting the 2025 EmpowerED Conference in downtown Mobile next year. Theodore-based company delivers ship to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit According to a news release, the event is scheduled for Feb. 11-12, 2025, at the Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa. LOCATION: The release said the event will foster a space to develop a platform for collaboration, inspiration and knowledge sharing among leaders, educators and students with the Historically Black Community College and Predominantly Black Community College network. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gulf Shores to host NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship after 2-year hiatus Over 150 college professionals attended the event in 2024. Those looking to attend can register online. Its $50 for students and $500 for general registration. According to the event website, the conference will include small group discussions, an inspirational lunch speaker, a student panel and networking opportunities. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. For as long as automation has been replacing human labor, writers and thinkers have wondered how society might change if human labor became unnecessary. How would we make a living? Today, artificial intelligence is making these questions real, as robots and algorithms replace workers on all levels, from truck drivers to software coders and even white-collar professionals. Some, including politicians and tech entrepreneurs, say the answer is universal basic income (UBI), a regular cash payment to every adult citizen. Others argue that UBI would cost too much, in both treasure and morality. Whos right? Change with the times Working Americans need a financial safety net, and soon. The McKinsey Global Institute projects that 30 percent of the hours that employees currently spend working nationwide could become automated in the next six years, leaving tens of millions in need of new training and employment. There is a significant mismatch between the skills that workers bring to the market and the skills that new jobs require, economist Evelyn Forget told Forbes in July. UBI can allow some workers the time to go back to school and to acquire new skills, and it can allow older workers to transition to retirement with a bit of dignity. UBI could reduce poverty, making Americans healthier and happier. Pilot studies show that recipients are hospitalized for necessary medical treatment 26 percent more often than those without a UBI. In one Canadian study, hospitalization rates for injuries, accidents and mental health issues actually fell. Other trials abroad have found that UBI allows recipients to buy medicine, eat better and reduce anxiety and depression. Experts also say poverty is linked to stress, domestic violence, substance abuse and legal troubles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putting more cash into circulation can also stimulate consumer spending, the economys biggest contributor. A three-year study funded by OpenResearch, an arm of OpenAI, found that low-income families given $1,000 each month increased their spending by $310. We also know that families help loved ones in need 25 percent more often when they receive a UBI than they do without one. Unlike welfare and other social programs, UBI would not require an expensive bureaucracy to prevent fraud. It would function more like a Covid-19 stimulus check. Speaking of which, its important to remember that the government has a duty to protect the well-being of its citizens. As technological and economic upheaval leave workers in the lurch, we need solutions. Even the founder Thomas Paine made an argument that could apply. In his pamphlet, Agrarian Justice, he writes that every adult should be compensated for the shared use and split ownership of the land, which he saw as our common inheritance, in order to fend off poverty, which he insists is unnatural and human-made. Nothing is free Simply put, Americans dont want a UBI. In 2020, presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Bernie Sanders incorporated UBI proposals into their platforms, which brought the question back into national view; both lost in the Democratic primaries. That same year, a Pew Research Center survey found that 54 percent of respondents opposed Yangs relatively modest proposal of a $1,000 monthly federal UBI for each adult citizen. One reason: the price tag. Yangs UBI proposal would have cost about $3 trillion each year, or 75 percent of the federal budget. Expanding the pool of recipients to include children would likely raise that to upwards of $4 trillion. More than simply cutting checks, this would require reinventing the American economy, increasing taxes on individuals and business operations and slashing other social programs. Even the reorganization of federal bureaucracies to accommodate such massive change would involve as-yet-untold expenses for a government that is already running a $1.8 trillion annual deficit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, a UBI would disincentivize work. The same OpenResearch study cited previously found that participants didnt leverage the added financial support to seek out higher paid employment. Rather, they took time off, working an average of 1.3 fewer hours per week, or about eight days less a year. Subjects were 2 percent less likely to be employed at all and experienced an overall decrease in household income. That much lost productivity could pose existential consequences to families and the economy writ large. Not to mention the moral implications of untethering financial rewards from community, effort and sacrifice. Free money doesnt just pose practical problems; it devalues the efforts of others and worsens a growing detachment issue among Americans. Public attitudes aside, for the amount of investment that UBI programs require one might assume they would solve many of societys ills, writes Erin Norman, senior messaging strategist at State Policy Network, a hub for state-based conservative think tanks, in Governing Magazine. But there are a wide variety of problems facing society including loneliness, a lack of a sense of belonging and a lack of purpose among youth that are specifically solved by contributing to society in a recognized way. Namely, with work. This story appears in the December 2024 issue of Deseret Magazine. Learn more about how to subscribe. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary-General Zhang Ming and Nurlan Yermekbayev, who has been appointed as the next SCO secretary-general, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary-General Zhang Ming and Nurlan Yermekbayev, who has been appointed as the next SCO secretary-general, in Beijing on Friday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, commended Zhang for his outstanding achievements in the development and growth of the SCO, congratulated Yermekbayev on his upcoming office, and said that China will continue providing support and convenience for the secretary-general in performing the duties and the work of the Secretariat. Wang said that over the past three years, under the leadership of the heads of member states and the joint efforts of member states, the SCO has forged ahead with determination to upgrade cooperation and grow from strength to strength. Noting that China now holds the rotating presidency of the SCO and is making every effort to advance its work, Wang said that the country has full confidence in the bright future of the SCO and is ready to work with other member states to build it into a force stabilizing international order, a reliable source of prosperity and rejuvenation for member states, and a happy home for people in the region. The Secretariat has accomplished much over the last three years, with the trust and care of member states and the support and assistance of China, and guided by the Shanghai spirit. It has promoted practical cooperation in various fields, endeavored to enhance the international influence of the organization and the sense of gain felt by people in all countries, and become a clear promoter of the construction of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for all, Zhang said. Yermekbayev spoke highly of China's leading role in the development of the SCO, saying that after taking office as Secretary-General, he will continue to fully support the work of the Chinese presidency and work collaboratively to prepare for the SCO summit next year. An aerial view of Los Alamos and canyons draining into the Rio Grande, captured June 28, 2024. The federal government determined that high levels of pollutants in stormwater from Los Alamos county and Los Alamos National Laboratory will require a permit. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) Federal regulators determined this week that Los Alamos National Laboratory and the countys municipal system will require stricter regulation due to high levels of pollution running off during storms tainted waters downstream, including the Rio Grande. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys decision means the county, state and nuclear lab facilities will need a permit that puts limits on the pollution and requires monitoring and reporting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While environmental advocates praised the EPAs action, they called the permit an initial step which doesnt fully address years of contamination of chemicals scientists say cause cancer and other pollution. The fight to address the pollution has stretched into a decade, and has stakes for surrounding communities, as the Rio Grande below Los Alamos provides nearly half of Santa Fes drinking water. Inset of map from storm water quality monitoring of Rio Grande at Buckman Direct Diversion, where Santa Fe gets diverts water for nearly half of the citys drinking water needs. (Courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) We are pleased that EPA has responded to our petition and determined that toxic storm water discharges to tributaries to the Rio Grande on the Pajarito Plateau must be more strictly regulated, Rachel Conn, deputy director for water conservation nonprofit Amigos Bravos, said in a statement. But while the Rio Grande still has federal protections, the smaller streams receiving pollution are not, Conn said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EPAs decision is not protecting many of the streams on the Pajarito Plateau, theyre treating them as pipes, Conn said. The arroyos where stormwater is flowing into recorded higher levels of pollution, but they have less options for protection by the federal government. The U.S. Supreme Court Sackett v. EPA ruling in 2023 gutted federal protections for an estimated 93% of New Mexicos rivers and wetlands, when the opinion narrowed the definition of protected waters to exclude many intermittent rivers. How was the decision made? Amigos Bravos first filed a petition for the EPA to review stormwater pollution in surrounding water in 2014. After 10 years of legal back-and-forth, the federal agency determined that pollution captured by county municipal stormwater systems, a Los Alamos storm drain and a New Mexico Department of Transportation drain will now require a federal permit. The stormwater pollution was degrading water quality in the Rio Grande, which has federal protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the newly required permit, dischargers will have requirements to reduce pollutants in stormwater discharges to the maximum extent practicable, the decision stated. The pollution documented by the EPA included high levels of toxic industrial chemicals, alpha radiation and high levels of aluminum, silver, cyanide, mercury and copper documented in surrounding canyon streams and measured in rivers downstream. The EPA documented contamination from the toxic, probably cancer-causing chemical Polychlorinated biphenyl nicknamed PCBs at levels of more than 150 times the limit to protect human health. Those high levels were found in 98% of the urban stormwater samples flowing off of the Pajarito Plateau to canyon waters. Past pollution doesnt incur fines or administrative penalties, Conn said, only future violations of the permit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for Los Alamos National Laboratory did not issue a statement by deadline. Los Alamos County spokesperson Julie Willliams-Hill said the county is reviewing the decision and would not be prepared to comment Wednesday. Looking forward Amigos Bravos said further work will be needed on two fronts. First, the nonprofit will watch the federal permitting process. Second, Amigos Bravos will join the New Mexico Environment Departments push for New Mexico control over the states surface water quality to better protect the smaller streams. The Sackett ruling spurred the state to create a program that would govern pollution levels in surface water, which is still years out from being operational. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New Mexico Environment Department concurred with EPAs determination, said Drew Goretzka, a spokesperson for the agency, and will focus on state law changes to keep moving forward on a state permitting program. NMED is looking forward to passing our Water Quality Act amendments in the upcoming session to support a state-led permitting program for surface waters, giving New Mexicans control of New Mexican waters, Goretzka said. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) said that he and President-elect Trumps border czar Tom Homan have the same immigration goal following their Thursday meeting in the Big Apple. His goal is the same goal I have, Adams said during a press conference after his meeting with Homan. We cannot allow dangerous individuals to commit repeated violent acts of violence in our cities across America. This cant be a safe haven for violent individuals, he added later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams emphasized that the city will protect the rights of immigrants who are hard-working, giving back to the city in a real way. The Thursday meeting, which Adams requested, comes as the New York City mayor has previously raised concerns regarding undocumented migrants with criminal records being in the city. The number of migrants coming into the city has jumped in 2022 and 2023, forcing Adams to ask for additional support from the federal government. From what I heard from the incoming head of ICE is that we have the same desire to go after those who are committing violent acts, Adams said. Thats what I heard from him and I was pleased to hear that because we share the same desire, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just over a month ago, Trump tapped Homan, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, to serve as his border czar during his second term in the White House. Trump heavily focused on cracking down on illegal immigration during his 2024 presidential run and has said he would launch the largest deportation operation in the countrys history. After his meeting with Adams, Homan told Dr. Phil McGraw during an interview that the next administration will perform targeted enforcement operations. This isnt going to be neighborhood sweeps and military vehicles going through the city, Homan said on Thursday. I told him, you know, President Trump and myself have committed that this is going to be a targeted enforcement operation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We agree on the most important things, the criminals need to be taken off the street, to protect our communities and children need to be founded safe from sex trafficking and forced labor, Homan added. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Erie City Council is considering drafting a home rule charter that could potentially change the citys form of government. At last Wednesdays meeting, council requested that the city solicitor look into drafting a resolution to create a nine-person home rule charter commission, and if approved, the decision will be up to the voters in 2025. Erie City Council to potentially draft home rule charter The City of Eries current charter was written back in 1972, but now council is exploring a new way to govern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One council member said a home rule charter would allow the city to break away from a state charter, instead allowing Erie to self-govern. City council is going to consider leaving it up to our citizens to elect a commission that would rewrite the charter that would unbind us from the third class city code, and more than anything, it takes a burden off property taxes, said Chuck Nelson, an Erie City Council member. Nelson said the state puts a cap on what cities like Erie can tax, and the city is currently meeting that cap in all categories but property tax. Erie City Council digging into first part of mayors proposed 2025 budget Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But under a new home rule charter, Nelson said they can change some of those caps around so the city doesnt have to keep increasing property taxes. And as other Pennsylvania cities are switching to a home rule charter, Nelson said theres no better time for erie to make this adjustment. When you look at the population charts of Erie, Reading and Allentown when we all ended up third class cities together in 1972, you see a decline in the next 25 years until you get into the mid to late 90s when Allentown adopts home rule charter. A couple years later, Reading adopts home rule charter, and what you see is a turn in population, a turn in resources, a turn in investment, he explained. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News But before Erie can grow like other cities, council has to approve of a resolution to put a question on the 2025 ballot asking voters whether they want a home rule charter study or not. Now if voters choose to approve the home rule charter on the ballot in 2025, it could bring some big changes to the government here in the city of Erie. What it does is bring back more local control. Who knows a community better than the community itself? And so, it really puts the power back within the local electeds, the people that the community have elected to represent them. This is one of the things that would allow city council to be able to do the job that we were elected to do, said Tyler Titus, a fellow Erie City Council member. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local pharmacy helps dog mom after porch pirate snatch critical heart meds Titus said the home rule charter will help keep money local rather than having the state legislate outside of the erie community. But for now, all city council can decide is whether or not to let the citizens decide. City council will have a study session on January 7 to further discuss the home rule charter. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. Three people have been arrested after a Forsyth County SWAT team raided a thrift store. Deputies say they began investigating the Possum Grizzards Antique and Thrift on Canton Hwy. in July when they learned someone might be selling meth and hiding an escaped suspect out of the closed business. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Wednesday, a SWAT team searched the store and found meth, fentanyl and 13 guns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brianna McCarthy, who was wanted for escape from Gwinnett County Comprehensive Correctional Complex in June 2022, was found and arrested. She was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, possession of drug-related objects and identity fraud. Carl Willford, who deputies were initially investigating, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm, violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, possession of drug-related objects and hindering apprehension of escaped. Joshua Massie was also arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of schedule IV controlled substance, possession of drug-related objects and hindering apprehension of escaped. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The Estonian Defence Forces Intelligence Centre has noted in its weekly report the advance of Russian forces on the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove fronts in Donetsk Oblast and the successful actions of Ukrainian troops on the Kupiansk front in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: Estonian public broadcaster ERR, citing an Estonian intelligence update, as reported by European Pravda Details: According to data from open geolocation sources, Russian troops control the village of Shevchenko, which is located 4 km northwest of the city of Pokrovsk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This affects the Ukrainian supply routes connecting Pokrovsk with Zaporizhzhia, the Estonian Defence Forces Intelligence Centre states. Ukrainian Armed Forces units demonstrated courage in defending small settlements along the Sukhi Yaly River south of Kurakhove. Throughout the week, they withstood Russian attacks as the Russians attempted to encircle the area from the north and south. At the same time, Estonian intelligence reports significant Russian losses, with approximately 3,000 troops killed on the Pokrovsk front alone over the past two weeks. These numbers are estimated to continue to grow as Russian forces approach Pokrovsk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, as noted in the report, unfavourable weather conditions are, to some extent, playing into the hands of Ukrainian forces. Russia's use of aircraft and heavy equipment is hindered, making it challenging to deploy its full combat potential simultaneously. The Russians are struggling to advance on the Pokrovsk front and have failed to achieve the desired operational breakthrough. In this regard, Russia is intensifying pressure on Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces are conducting operations. Estonian analysts predict that this region could become the centre of hostilities by the end of the year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On other fronts, Ukrainian defences are under much less pressure. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also achieved success on the Kupiansk front, where two bridgeheads established during Russia's crossing of the Oskil River were destroyed, according to Estonian intelligence. Background: In early December, UK intelligence noted that most recent Russian advances have been concentrated on three fronts in Donetsk Oblast. Meanwhile, NATO data confirms that the rapid advance of Russian troops has significantly accelerated in recent weeks. However, Alliance analysts expect this momentum to slow down after Pokrovsk if the Russians succeed in capturing it. Support UP or become our patron! Andrius Kubilius, the new EU Defence Commissioner, who is on a visit to Kyiv, had to spend the morning of Friday, 13 December, in a shelter due to a large-scale combined attack by Russia. Source: EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Mathernova shared photos captioned, "Welcoming new EU Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius in a shelter". On the morning of 13 December, Russia targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure in a large-scale attack. On the morning of 13 December, Russia attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Notably, Poland scrambled its aircraft in response to Russias combined strikes on Ukrainian oblasts. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, addressing the latest wave of Russian attacks, reminded Ukraines partners of the countrys request for at least 20 additional medium-range air defence systems. Support UP or become our patron! Andrius Kubilius, the newly appointed European defense commissioner, spent the morning of Dec. 13 in a shelter in Kyiv during a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said on X. Russia targeted Ukraines critical infrastructure, launching at least 93 ballistic and cruise missiles and over 200 drones, Mathernova said. Friday 13th - another Russian massive attack on critical infrastructure as of early morning. 93 ballistic & cruise missiles and over 200 attack drones were launched targeting energy grid & transport networks. Welcoming new Commissioner for Defense @KubiliusA in a shelter. pic.twitter.com/32vsT319J0 Katarina Mathernova (@kmathernova) December 13, 2024 Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 out of 94 missiles and 80 out of the 193 drones launched by Russia, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as "one of the largest strikes on our energy grid." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eighty-one missiles were intercepted, including 11 shot down by Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets. Zelensky noted that some of the missiles used in the attack were reportedly supplied by North Korea. The strikes, which focused on energy and transportation networks, mark another escalation in Russias ongoing war against Ukraine's infrastructure. Read also: Ukraine downs 161 of 287 Russian missiles, drones in mass aerial attack Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The EU spent more than 45 million shuttling MEPs and their staff between the European Parliaments two seats in Brussels and Strasbourg last year. Every month, 720 MEPs, their assistants, as well as interpreters and other staff, move 217 miles from the Belgian capital to hold a plenary session in the French city on the border with Germany. Documents obtained by The Telegraph revealed some of the huge cost of travel, accommodation and food expenses, of what has been dubbed the blocs travelling circus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They include 4.3 million (about 3.6 million) for a specially chartered Eurostar train for the monthly commute. You can wake me up at 3am and I can name 1,001 things this money is better spent on than shipping 720 MEPs and thousands of staffers across Europe, said Daniel Freund, a German Green MEP. Despite periodic calls to reform the European Parliament so it has a cheaper single seat in Brussels, France has always rebuffed any suggestion Strasbourg could lose the lucrative perk. Daniel Freund, a German MEP, says the funds would be better spent elsewhere - IMAGO Mr Freund, who is a lead MEP on European Commission finances, said Strasbourg could host an EU agency instead of the parliament. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If only the French would name a price we could start negotiating. A prestigious university? A research centre? Headquarters of a future European FBI to combat organised crime? All of it makes more sense than this commute, he told The Telegraph. MEPs travel costs to Strasbourg were 20.7 million for 2023 but the parliament pointed out similar costs would have been incurred if MEPs were just travelling to Brussels from their constituencies. But Brussels-based staff working for the European Parliament spent 3.3 million on travel to and from Strasbourg, more than 6.1 million on accommodation and claimed daily subsistence allowances worth 6 million. The roughly 1,500 MEPs assistants claimed a total of just under 2.5 million in travel expenses, plus other expenses, such as meals and lodging, worth just under 7.1 million over the year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The travel costs include the 4.3 million on the chartered train for MEPs, their assistants and other staff. The European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium - OLRAT 96,000 alone was spent on transporting MEPs cantines, the thousands of trunks of paperwork and office supplies, to and from Strasbourg. Interpreters to translate the sessions into the EUs official 24 languages claimed 7.6 million in travel, accommodation and per diem expenses in 2023, according to the internal parliament document. The parliament also spent 864,000 on transporting people once they were in Strasbourg, including a contractor complement the parliaments existing fleet of cars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another 252,000 was spent on external catering and maintenance contractors in Strasbourg, including 7,400 on water fountains maintenance and hygiene and 8,100 on the provision, collection and washing of glasses near the fountains. This comes to a grand total of about 54.5 million a year. The total cost of the travelling circus is much higher. The Parliament paper does not include how much other EU institutions, such as the European Commission and Council, spend on getting to Strasbourg. In 2014, the European Court of Auditors said the monthly upheaval cost the EU 114 million a year. MEPs have in the past voted in favour of a single seat in Brussels but France has the power to block the move. In 2020, Emmanuel Macron said Europe would be screwed if MEPs only sat in Brussels - LEON NEAL/GETTY In 2020, Emmanuel Macron said Europe would be screwed if euro MPs only sat in Belgium. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Strasbourg, which was historically contested by France and Germany, was chosen to symbolise the reconciliation between Paris and Berlin after the Second World War. The European Parliaments press service said that the EUs national governments had unanimously decided to lay down where the blocs institutions would be seated in 1992 and that changing that would require the unanimous support of all member states. The crucial December 1992 summit that set down the obligation to meet 12 times a year was chaired by John Major, the British prime minister at the time, when the UK held the rotating EU presidency. The figures were revealed as the EU Observer website reported that the blocs financial watchdog had spent 35,000 on a farewell party for the outgoing European Ombudsman, Emily OReilly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her replacement will be elected in a European Parliament vote held in Strasbourg next week, in the final plenary session of 2024. A spokesperson for the EU Ombudsman told EU Observer: The expenditure on stakeholder and outreach activities for 2024 is similar to previous years. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The European Commission on Friday announced that it will start delivering almost 100 tons of health supplies and other essential items to Turkey for onward distribution to Syria. "The collapse of the Assad regime offers new hope for the Syrian people. But this moment of change also carries risks and brings hardship," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. The supplies include food, medicines and shelter items, she stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Von der Leyen will travel to Turkey on Tuesday to discuss the delivery of humanitarian aid with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The items will be delivered to the southern Turkish city of Adana where they will be handed over to UNICEF and the World Health Organization for distribution within Syria, the commission said. The EU has no representation in Syria and no formal relations with the country. The commission also announced an additional 4 million ($4.2 million) in funding for aid organizations active in Syria, increasing the bloc's humanitarian assistance to 163 million in 2024. According to EU figures, the bloc has mobilized more than 33 billion in humanitarian and economic aid to support Syrians in the country and across the region since 2011. SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said Friday the fastest way to restore order in the country is to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol amid the ongoing political unrest. "It proved that impeachment is the fastest and the most effective way to end the confusion," said Lee, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly. He urged members of the ruling People Power Party to vote in favor of another impeachment motion against Yoon scheduled for Saturday. Yoon on Thursday defended his Dec. 3 martial law declaration and accused the opposition of framing insurrection charges against him and paralyzing state affairs with the abuse of impeachment, vowing to "fight to the end." (Bloomberg) -- The European Union is proposing to sanction more than a dozen individuals and three entities as part of the blocs first set of measures hitting Russia for its disinformation operations and other hybrid activities. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed measures would hit several Russian intelligence officers and groups, as well as government officials and media entrepreneurs, according to a draft seen by Bloomberg. The restrictions are part of a new sanctions regime approved earlier this year that focuses on disinformation operations and other Russian-sponsored destabilizing activities globally. The bloc is also proposing further sanctions on Belarus, including on about two dozen individuals accused of human-rights violations or benefiting materially from their relationship with the government of President Alexander Lukashenko. EU foreign ministers aim to approve the packages when they meet Monday in Brussels, ahead of elections scheduled to take place next month in Belarus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposals come as the EU agreed on the 15th package of sanctions on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Those measures include restrictions on more than 45 oil tankers involved in covertly shipping Russias crude and several Chinese entities accused of helping Moscow develop attack drones. EU sanctions require the backing of all member states and could change before then. --With assistance from Andrea Palasciano. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Seven Members of the European Parliament visited Tbilisi on 12 December for a series of meetings and joined a pro-European protest later in the evening. Source: European Pravda with reference to multiple outlets, including News-Georgia Details: The delegation included seven MEPs from various political groups who held meetings with President Salome Zourabichvili, opposition parties, civil society and media representatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MEPs expressed their concern over human rights violations, the Georgian authorities' suppression of protests in their comments to the media and emphasised the need for a stronger EU response. "We urge the authorities to hold one more election that is free, fair and meets European standards", Lithuanian MEP Rasa Jukneviciene stated. She emphasised that the delegation's visit was to support the Georgian people and their aspirations for European integration, rather than any specific political force. In the evening, the MEPs briefly joined protesters on Rustaveli Avenue near the parliament building, where they were greeted with applause and chants calling for sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the de facto leader of the ruling party. Tbilisi is set to witness numerous small-scale protests throughout the day of Friday, 13 December, organised by representatives from various sectors and professions. The main gathering will take place on Rustaveli Avenue in the evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: The situation in Georgia is expected to be a key topic during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 16 December. The Council will specifically address the issue of restrictive measures against Georgian officials. However, media reports suggest that any sanctions imposed may be of primarily symbolic significance. Support UP or become our patron! ROME (AP) The Council of Europe's anti-torture committee on Friday released a report criticizing Italys treatment of migrants in local detention centers, citing cases of physical ill-treatment, excessive force and the use of psychotropic drugs on detainees. The report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) follows an April visit to four migrant detention and repatriation centers in Milan, Gradisca, Potenza and Rome. Under Italian law, these centers are aimed at hosting migrants who try to enter the country without a visa, are not entitled to apply for asylum and are deemed socially dangerous by law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report details instances of interventions" in the detention facilities, known as CPRs, and identifies shortcomings including the absence of any rigorous and independent monitoring of such interventions and the lack of an accurate recording of injuries" sustained by detainees. Italy has in the past defended the role of these centers as a deterrent to surging illegal migration, noting that some prison elements are necessary to prevent escapes from these facilities. The far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni has also tried to export the Italian model abroad, sealing a contentious agreement with Albania to build and run two migrant holding centers in the eastern country. The deal, however, has faced legal hurdles and has been suspended by Italian magistrates in its early stages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its report Friday, the CPT was also critical of the widespread practice" of administering unprescribed psychotropic drugs to detainees in Potenza, one of the four centers visited. The report also highlights the prolonged handcuffing of persons apprehended on the territory during their transfer to a (holding facility). In its report, the anti-torture watchdog recommended Italy to remove the carceral elements from the centers and to ensure their proper maintenance, notably the sanitary facilities. It also showed the critical lack of activities offered to migrants held in the centers, with minimal efforts to offer them a few activities of a recreational nature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report concludes that the committee's findings, notably in relation to the very poor material conditions, the absence of a regime of activities, the disproportionate security approach, the variable quality of health care provision and the lack of transparency of the management of CPRs by private contractors, call into question the application of such a model by Italy in an extra-territorial setting, such as in Albania. The February death of a young detainee at Romes Ponte Galeria center brought renewed attention to the harsh conditions inside these de facto jails for migrants, which have been condemned by lawyers and activists as black holes of human rights violations. From 2019 to 2024, at least 13 people had died five by suicide inside Italys detention centers, according to activists and aid groups. Hundreds of suicide attempts and self-harm incidents have also been reported. The Italian government believes the detention centers, which were established in 1999, are essential to reduce the number of migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, the government extended the maximum detention period from 90 days to 18 months. In response to Friday's report, Italian authorities indicated that the described cases of physical ill-treatment have not been the subject of criminal investigations and that several inspections have been carried out by the health authorities at the Potenza CPR in relation to the practice of allegedly widespread over-medication of detained persons. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday published an article with a familiar byline: that of Evan Gershkovich, who was freed from a Russian prison as part of a massive international prisoner exchange deal after spending 16 months behind bars. The subject: a deep dive into the Kremlin operatives responsible for his own imprisonment. When I was arrested by Russias security forces in 2023 the first foreign correspondent charged with espionage since the Cold War I never stopped reporting, Gershkovich wrote in the piece, which also includes the bylines of three other WSJ reporters. On my release I set out to identify the man who had taken me, and to learn more about the spy unit that had carried out his orders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The story focuses in particular on a little-known yet deeply powerful group called the Department for Counterintelligence Operations, or DKRO. Its run by a man the reporters identify as Lt. Gen. Dmitry Minaev, a shadowy figure with close personal ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin who likely coordinated both Gershkovichs arrest and his release. The reporters paint a compelling argument for the DKRO as the Kremlins most elite security force, with Minaev perched at the top orchestrating violence both at home and abroad. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a defendant's booth during a hearing in Moscow on April 18, 2023. Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP File Photo That includes surveilling, intimidating, or arresting foreigners and the Russians it suspects of working with them within Russian borders, and engaging in harassment and outright terrorism in the rest of the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Journal, Minaev ordered officers to detonate carb bombs in Kyiv in 2017, killing top Ukrainian military and intelligence officials. The agencys also believed to be responsible for killing a U.S. diplomats dog, stalking an ambassadors children, and kidnapping foreigners in Eastern European countries. Gershkovich was released in August after being falsely accused by the DKRO of acting as a CIA spy. In all, the U.S. and its allies returned eight Russian nationals as part of the deal, including individuals with suspected ties to Russian intelligence. Before the Russians would release him, the reporter had to request a presidential pardon from Putin. Gershkovich used the paperwork to also ask for an interview with Putin himself; the interview request was denied. Read Gershkovichs full story at The Wall Street Journal. Related... BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) Local retailer Plenty of Vino and event planning company Surreal Moments and Events will host a New Years Eve party later this month. New Years Eve in the Magic City: Havana Nights will be hosted at the Marriott Birmingham on Highway 280 on Dec. 31. The event will start at 9 p.m. Tower of Prayer Church to host Christmas City Market The event will feature the band Souled Out Groove, as well as DJ Gorgeous and DJ Rodcore. Event organizers said that they will end the night with a toast and a special surprise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parking will be free, and security will be present. Tickets can be found here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. Censorship. Funding cuts. Layoffs. Those concerns loom over the world's largest conference of climate scientists as they brace for whiplash at the White House when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in six weeks. Trump has recently said climate change isn't happening, called it a hoax and joked that rising seas would create more coastal real estate all in contradiction to the work of the 25,000 researchers attending the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting in downtown Washington this week. Everybody at AGU is nervous, Jill Brandenberger, climate security program manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, said in an interview. The unknown is what makes people nervous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dozens of scientists who spoke with POLITICO and at the conference expressed worry that the second Trump administration could be more antagonistic toward research underpinning federal rules on climate and environmental health. Scientists across the government from NOAA and NASA to the Energy Departments network of national laboratories may soon face political risks that undermine their work, hide their research or leave them unemployed, said people attending the conference. Some scientists like Brandenberger say they're confident that government research would survive in some form much as it did during Trumps first term, when many federal websites erased references to climate change, even as agency work largely plodded on. Yet they're girding for changes. They expect priorities to shift from the Biden administration, which placed an emphasis on climate change and improving public health through rules to curb pollution from fossil fuels. Then there's the irony of the conference's location. It just happened to land in Washington weeks ahead of Trumps return to the White House, punctuating the anxiety that permeated the cavernous salons and clogged hallways of the Washington Convention Center. As scientists and officials projected public optimism, they also anticipated a decidedly different four years under Trumps watch. He won the popular vote, he won every swing state, and almost every county in the United States swung right in this election, said Caitlin Bergstrom, AGUs program manager for science policy and government relations. So it is something to keep in mind as were thinking about this kind of work that this wasnt a fluke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Much of the concern here stems from Project 2025, the conservative policy blueprint spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation that calls for deep budget cuts and dramatic reorganizations of certain agencies. The plan calls on Trump to dismantle NOAA, downsize EPA by terminating staff and reshape the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which coordinates federal environmental research. The Trump transition has said Project 2025 does not represent its views. Many of its authors are former Trump officials, and Trump has tapped some to join his new administration. The announcement of Trumps so-called Department of Government Efficiency has also fueled angst. Led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the commission is tasked with shrinking the government through funding cuts, sparking fears that federal climate science initiatives may be among the first to face the chopping block. During Trump's first term, his administration scrubbed federal websites of climate information and proposed zeroing out NASA Earth observation research spending. Trump also elevated people who rejected climate science to key positions in the White House and leading agencies like EPA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans did not always go along. They rejected some of Trump's most severe budget cuts. Will Happer, a Princeton physicist who briefly served as Trumps science adviser, said Trumps team nixed his idea to let researchers challenge established climate science. My most serious problems and resistance to having the review were from the Republicans, Happer said in an interview. Trump thought it was a good idea, but many of his advisers did not. The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. 'Bad things happening' But this time, Trump has tapped loyalists for Cabinet posts and as advisers who might be less willing to resist his impulses, including former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, who was picked to lead EPA, and energy executive Chris Wright, who was named to head DOE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew Dessler, a Texas A&M University climate scientist and president of AGUs global environmental change section, said Trump officials could once again shutter websites, concealing years of research from the public at a time when the impacts of climate change are accelerating. People are really kind of exhausted, he said. It's not so much that we people have evidence that it's going to be bad. It's just that if you look at what they say, that's clearly what they want to do. Scientists and policy experts addressed these concerns at crowded panels and packed town hall meetings across the conference this week, where researchers swarmed to ask questions about their futures under the next administration. Some presenters have turned to dark humor to lighten the mood. Before diving into a town hall with dozens of attendees, Colm Sweeney, associate science director for NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory, joked that his remarks would include how to make the atmosphere great again, a reference to Trumps "Make America Great Again" slogan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Monday town hall was an update on the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The cross-government effort results in the National Climate Assessment every four years. (Trump famously released the 2018 version on Black Friday in an effort to downplay it.) When asked what awaits the effort this time, Sweeney said he can't comment on political atmosphere. Others spoke more bluntly about the perceived risks under Trump. At an overflowing panel that focused on how the incoming administration might approach science policy, people were crowded against the walls and sat on the floor in the aisles. Bergstrom of AGU warned that Trump political appointees could relocate agency offices, dramatically reorganize departments, and reduce staff. There are definitely going to be some bad things happening for science policy, science workers, the scientific enterprise at large, she said. We will have tools at our disposal to help stop or delay some of these bad actions, but not everything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, federal scientists attending the conference some of whom expressed concerns about speaking candidly with reporters noted that rumors are already flying within agencies. A scientist at NASA, who spoke on the condition of anonymity after citing fears of professional retaliation, said that concerns there ranged from fears of censorship and funding cuts to worries about work-from-home provisions being revoked. He's heard whispers that NASA employees may be advised not to refer directly to climate change in reports and presentations, directed instead to use euphemisms like extreme weather. That wouldnt be new. Under the first Trump administration, federal agencies like DOE and the Department of Agriculture told employees to avoid phrases like climate change and global warming. 'Incredibly worried' NASA employees are already concerned about job security following two rounds of mass layoffs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in February and November of this year. The announcement of Trumps so-called Department of Government Efficiency has raised new concerns among federal scientists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everyones demoralized, the NASA scientist said, adding that Musks potential influence at the agency particularly his dream of sending a crewed exploration team to Mars might affect NASAs Earth science programs or compete with climate programs for funding. Legal experts attending the conference dished advice to anxious scientists on subjects ranging from lobbying laws to the possibility of mass layoffs. The latter has been a concern for years Trump issued an executive order at the end of his first term, known as Schedule F, that would have reclassified federal workers to make it easier for them to be fired or replaced. That plan, which experts expect Trump to revive, is a centerpiece of Project 2025. I had people come in last AGU worried about this, said Chris Marchesano, a staff attorney with the nonprofit Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. Weve been hearing a lot from scientists who are incredibly worried. Yet even as federal scientists brace for the worst, many are already considering strategies to protect their research and safeguard scientific integrity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad urged scientists to go on the offensive rather than retreat, saying they must make the case that taxpayer spending on federal research yields public benefits. Rather than thinking about, Gee, how might we make cuts here, the argument thats incumbent on all of us scientific community, the federal agencies is theres a need for these investments to increase right now, he said at a press conference Tuesday. Brandenberger of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said her message to staff was to stay calm and carry on. But she noted that changes are likely. Certain words might be less jeopardized than others. The fate of more than 100 climate translators staffed by her office to help Defense Department engineers make sense of future-looking climate data is uncertain. Were gonna weather any changes, she said. Alexander Smirnov, the California man charged with lying to the FBI about fabricated criminal allegations against President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, has agreed to plead guilty, according to a Thursday filing with the court. Smirnov was a longtime confidential informant who had been feeding his FBI handler information about an array of criminal activities. In 2020, he apparently decided to use the accumulated trust to tell the handler that the Bidens had each accepted $5 million in bribes from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma several years earlier. Hunter Biden sat on Burisma's board of directors from 2014 to 2018, which President-elect Donald Trump and right-wing outlets frequently used as evidence of impropriety throughout the 2020 election in an attempt to smear the president. Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill launched investigations into the Bidens over this association, using Smirnov's fake allegations as a central piece of evidence. The misplaced zeal backfired: not only did the GOP-controlled committees fail to find any evidence of wrongdoing by Joe Biden, but Trump's efforts to pressure the Ukrainian government into launching their own investigation resulted in his impeachment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Trump was ultimately acquitted thanks to the support of Senate Republicans, Smirnov has not been as lucky. He was indicted in February 2024 by special counsel David Weiss, who was originally appointed by Trump's Justice Department to lead the now-defunct investigations into the Bidens. According to the charging documents, Smirnov "knew" the claims he provided were false. Prosecutors from Weiss' office say that Smirnov will plead guilty to one count of creating a false federal record and three tax-related counts that he was charged with last months. WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) Two former Warwick employees who have filed federal lawsuits against the city are speaking out publicly, accusing their former boss and coworkers of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Bree Boulais and Peter Broomfield, who both worked in the Warwick Water Division until last year, alleged the inappropriate behavior began in early 2022 when Boulais said several of her colleagues and her boss Director Terry DiPetrillo started sexually harassing her. One of DiPetrillos comments, she said, will haunt her forever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He thought it would be funny to ask my coworker if he would be willing to run a train on me, and that is a form of gang rape, Boulais said in an exclusive interview with 12 News. Peter had heard it, she added. Multiple coworkers had heard it, and they laughed. Peter Broomfield and Bree Boulais, former Warwick employees, have filed federal lawsuits against the city are speaking out publicly, accusing their former boss and coworkers of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Broomfield, who joined the division in 2015, said he became the target of discrimination after deciding to stick up for Boulais and encouraging her to report the sexual harassment. Broomfield, who is Jewish, said it came to a head in August 2023 when DiPetrillo called him, Boulais and business manager Michael St. Pierre into his office to hear his Nazi joke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had me stand up in front of them, Broomfield recalled. He said, Knock, knock. Before I could even say, There, he slapped me across the face and said, We will be the ones asking the questions.' Broomfield said he still feels the sting of DiPetrillos slap, and it has affected him unexpectedly. It opened up wounds that I didnt know I had, ancestral wounds that I didnt know were there, he said. Boulaiss and Broomfields stories were two of many examples of harassment and discrimination outlined in separate civil-rights lawsuits they have filed against Warwick in U.S. District Court in Providence. Boulaiss lawsuit was filed in June; Broomfields was filed in October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When contacted by phone, DiPetrillo declined to comment and deferred all questions to the Warwick solicitors office. A city spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations, citing the ongoing litigation. City-hired attorneys denied several of Boulaiss allegations in court documents; they hadnt yet responded to Broomfields complaint as of Wednesday. You would look a lot prettier if you smiled Boulais, who started working in the division in 2021, said agency leaders fostered a hostile work environment. They were condoning it, she said. And DiPetrillo, she said, wasnt the only person harassing her. She alleged that from March 2022 until she left in 2023, she was also sexually harassed by the divisions business manager, St. Pierre, along with two other employees, Norman Metz and Jason Parmelee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The harassment happened in different ways, she said. It was in-person comments, it was text messages, it was emails, it was banter, Boulais said. Any type of communication where their wants and needs could be conveyed. According to her complaint, Metz approached Boulais at work and told her, You would look a lot prettier if you smiled. Metz then told coworkers he dreamed that she made out with him and took her clothes off, the lawsuit said. In an email Parmelee sent Boulais, he wrote, I dont think I ever realized how attractive you are. Super cute, according to court documents. In an email from her boss shared with 12 News and outlined in court documents, DiPetrillo told Boulais, You look stunning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a text message from St. Pierre, he told Boulais she should wear her blue dress on a date with her fiance, according to the lawsuit. You look killer in that dress, he wrote. St. Pierre then told Boulais he had developed feelings for her, according to the messages outlined in the lawsuit. I dont want to make you feel uncomfortable, but I simply cant hold it in any longer, he wrote. Contacted by phone this week, Parmalee acknowledged that he made a mistake by giving an unwanted compliment and said he apologized to Boulais. Paramalee, who no longer works for the city, said his incident was isolated and that it would never happen again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everyone has something dirty on their hands, he said. Metz and St. Pierre did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Attorneys for Boulais gave 12 News an image of an email she allegedly received from Warwick Water Division Chief Terry DiPetrillo. Attorneys for Boulais gave 12 News an image of a message she allegedly received from Warwick Business Manager Michael St. Pierre. Attorneys for Boulais gave 12 News an image of a message she allegedly received from Warwick Business Manager Michael St. Pierre. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Broomfield said hearing St. Pierres last comment spurred him to stand up for Boulais, and he expressed remorse for not doing it sooner. I was so disappointed in my own complacency, that I had allowed a work environment like that to continue, he told 12 News. According to Boulais and Broomfield, the situation started getting worse after an incident involving DiPetrillos brother, Michael DiPetrillo, a Water Division program manager. In April 2022, after the alleged harassment had already been bubbling up, Boulais said she was walking to her car when a power tool fell and landed just a few feet from her. A photo of the power tool Boulais said Michael DiPetrillo allegedly threw on April 1, 2022. Alarmed and quickly worried for her safety, [Boulais] looked up in the direction the tool came from and standing there was Mr. Michael DiPetrillo, according to her complaint. Mr. Michael DiPetrillo glared at [her] without a word and left the tool where it fell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boulais said she locked herself in her car, took a photo of the tool and called her boss, Terry DiPetrillo, to report the incident. Boulais said Terry DiPetrillo told her to keep quiet about his brother and advised her not to tell human resources. But Boulais and Broomfield said they decided to ignore his advice and reported the incident to their other supervisor, St. Pierre, along with human resources. As a result, they said the decision made them a target of retaliation. On the same day they reported the incident, the duo said Terry DiPetrillo came back to the office and berated them. [He] told us that, We made a huge mistake,' Boulais said. That we were, Getting a good man fired.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael DiPetrillo, who didnt respond to multiple requests for comment, wasnt fired. He received a 10-day suspension without pay and a verbal warning for the incident, according to the lawsuit. After the suspension, Broomfield said Terry DiPetrillo would tell road crews to avoid them, and he would repeatedly yell at them at work. The work environment became more and more hostile, attorneys wrote in Broomfields lawsuit. RELATED: Warwick employee charged with simple assault after coworker complaint I have become a recluse On the day of the Nazi joke, Broomfield alleged that he talked to St. Pierre in the parking lot afterward, according to the lawsuit. Broomfield said St. Pierre shared his thoughts on why nothing had been done about Terry DiPetrillos behavior, despite reports being made to people higher up in city government. [At] this point, I have to believe that the mayor is turning a blind eye, St. Pierre said, according to the complaint, referring to Mayor Frank Picozzi. City officials have pushed back. Mayor Picozzi will not comment directly on pending litigation, but the insinuation that he was turning a blind eye is absurd and patently false, Piccozi spokesperson Elizabeth Tufts said in a statement. Terry DiPetrillo (Courtesy: Warwick Police Department) Broomfield ultimately reported the incident to police. Terry DiPetrillo was arrested and charged with simple assault. According to court documents provided to 12 News by Broomfields attorneys, DiPetrillo pleaded no contest and was ordered to have no contact with Broomfield. He received a one-year filing, meaning he wouldnt be punished and could get the charge removed from his records if he stayed out of trouble for one year. The case is no longer visible in court records. After the assault, Broomfield said he went to human resources and asked to be transferred to another department. He said he was told a transfer wasnt possible, which made him feel unable to do his job. I have an assault charge and a no-contact order with the director of the Water Division, whose desk is 30 feet away from mine, Broomfield said. So, at that point, I felt as though I had been effectively terminated. That same month, Boulais said she started talking to a therapist. Fearing further retaliation, she said she called out sick from work and received a leave of absence note from her therapist that she provided to human resources. Boulais said she was never offered leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, or a state equivalent, and instead was forced to use her sick time for her absences. She later started using leave without pay while receiving medical treatment, according to court documents. Depression, it has a way of eating you up inside, Boulais said. I was diagnosed with PTSD and depression as a result of what occurred at the Water Division. A month later, Boulais emailed the citys personnel department with a detailed resignation letter, outlining the harassment and hostility she faced while employed by the Water Division. Similarly, Broomfield said he was forced to use 700 hours of his sick time and the city didnt resolve issues tied to a workers compensation claim. Boulais and Broomfield said their experiences at the Warwick Water Division still affect them. I have become a recluse, a bit of a hermit, Boulais said. Dont really leave the house. Both Broomfield and Boulais are seeking back pay and compensation for lost benefits and earnings, along with damages for their mental anguish and emotional pain and suffering. But they said the civil-rights lawsuits represent more than money to them. We need to make sure that this never happens again, Broomfield said. They need to right the wrongs that theyve done. Terry DiPetrillo has been out on paid sick leave since June, and his employment status is currently under review, according to Tufts. Daniel ORourke is serving as the Water Division acting director. Mr. DiPetrillo was suspended without pay for two weeks for the joke incident, Tufts added. According to Tufts, Metz was transferred to sanitation and St. Pierre continues to work as a business manager and financial analyst for the city. Weve lost our jobs, Broomfield said. We lost our pensions. We lost our benefits. We lost friends. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. Three additional suspects have been arrested in the targeted slaying of a Woodland Hills doctor, including his ex-wife, police announced Thursday. On Aug. 23, while walking to his car, Hamid Mirshojae, 61, was shot and killed in the parking lot outside of his clinic at the Warner Plaza Medical Center located at Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Oxnard Street at around 5:30 p.m. He was killed in an ambush-style attack before the gunman fled the scene, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witnesses heard gunshots and saw a body on the ground in the parking lot. Mirshojae was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. On Thursday, a total of five suspects have been arrested in connection to the murder, including Mirshojaes ex-wife: Ahang Mirshojae, 53, from Calabasas Arrested on Dec. 12 for murder Sarallah Jawed, 26, from Canoga Park Arrested on Dec. 11 and charged with murder with special circumstances Shawn Randolph, 46, from Valley Village Arrested on Dec. 12 for murder Evan Hardman, 41, from Tomball, Texas Arrested on Dec. 10 for murder Rose Sweeting, 40, from Reseda Arrested on Dec. 10 for murder On Thursday, police appeared to be searching the Calabasas home of Mirshojaes ex-wife, Ahang Mirshojae, hours before her arrest was announced. Hamid Mirshojae, 61, is seen with his wife and their 6-month-old baby in a personal photo. Ahang Mirshojae, 53, is seen in a personal Facebook photo. Ashley Sweeting, 40, of Reseda and Evan Hardman, 41, of Tomball, Texas. (LAPD) A 61-year-old doctor was shot and killed outside of an urgent care clinic in Woodland Hills on August 23, 2024. (TNLA) A 61-year-old doctor was shot and killed outside of an urgent care clinic in Woodland Hills on August 23, 2024. (TNLA) A growing memorial seen outside a Woodland Hills clinic honoring Hamid Mirshojae on August 24, 2024. (KTLA) A 61-year-old doctor was shot and killed outside of an urgent care clinic in Woodland Hills on August 23, 2024. (TNLA) A 61-year-old doctor was shot and killed outside of an urgent care clinic in Woodland Hills on August 23, 2024. (TNLA) Loved ones gathered near a growing memorial outside a Woodland Hills clinic honoring Hamid Mirshojae on August 24, 2024. (KTLA) Law enforcement officials searched a Calabasas home on Dec. 12, 2024. (KTLA) Law enforcement officials searched a Calabasas home on Dec. 12, 2024. (KTLA) Hamid Mirshojae, 61, is seen with his wife and their baby in a personal photo. Hamid Mirshojae, 61, is seen undated personal photo. A 61-year-old doctor was shot and killed outside of an urgent care clinic in Woodland Hills on August 23, 2024. (KTLA) A picture of Dr. Hamid Mirshojae placed at a memorial outside his Woodland Hills clinic where he was shot to death. (KTLA) Hamid Mirshojae, 61, is seen undated personal photo. In August, Ahang reportedly denied any involvement in the crimes, saying, Its all lies, the L.A. Times reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hardman and Sweeting were the first two suspects to be arrested earlier this week on Tuesday. Police did not release details on what the suspects alleged roles in Mirshojaes death may be or a possible motive for the killing. A report from the L.A. Times indicated that Mirshojae may have been attacked and beaten by several assailants with baseball bats several months before his death. The attack reportedly left the doctor fearing for his life. Its unclear whether those assailants are connected to his murder. Originally from Iran, Mirshojae had more than two decades of experience providing urgent and emergency care and more than 10 years in addiction medicine. According to his biography, his patients included celebrities, movie stars, athletes and many people from different walks of life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His patients described him as a caring person who loved helping others out. Everyone in the Woodland Hills area, even in L.A., they know him because he was a really good doctor, said Maryem Alaei, the victims family friend. Always laughing, always joking, always helping people. Alaei said she and others are stunned and devastated over the beloved doctors death. Every day hes at work, around 4 to 5 a.m. he goes to this ER center and hes just helping people and he comes back at night and last night, somebody was waiting for him here, Alaei said in August. His wife was reportedly visiting family overseas in Turkey with the couples 6-month-old baby at the time of the shooting. It was reported that she quickly flew back to the U.S. when she learned of her husbands murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mirshojae is survived by his wife and four children. Both Randolph and Ahang Mirshojae are being held without bail. The case against both suspects will be presented for filing consideration to the L.A. County District Attorneys Office on Dec. 16. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Operations-Valley Homicide at 818-374-9550. The public can also call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. President Xi Jinping meets with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who is on a duty visit to Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Friday said the central authorities fully support Hong Kong in aligning with national strategies and fostering new momentum and advantages for economic development. Xi made the remarks when meeting with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who is on a duty visit to Beijing. During the meeting, Xi heard a report from Lee on Hong Kong's current situation and the HKSAR government's work. Noting that Hong Kong faces new development opportunities, Xi said the central authorities would fully, firmly and accurately implement the "one country, two systems" policy, and fully support the chief executive and the HKSAR government in uniting and leading all sectors of society in actively pursuing reform and progress, and in pursuing prosperity through innovation and creativity. Commending Lee's work over the past year, Xi said Lee had led the HKSAR government in shouldering responsibilities and delivering concrete results. In the past year, the HKSAR government has completed the historic legislation under Article 23 of the HKSAR Basic Law, pooled resources in boosting economic development, addressed livelihood problems such as housing and healthcare, strengthened external exchanges and cooperation, and continuously enhanced Hong Kong's international prestige, thus further consolidating Hong Kong's positive momentum of stability and development, Xi said. The central authorities fully acknowledge the work of Lee and the HKSAR government, he said. Senior officials including Li Qiang, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang attended the meeting. President Xi Jinping meets with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee, who is on a duty visit to Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) After a political rebirth that Time labeled "unparalleled in American history," President-elect Donald Trump has been named the 2024 Time Person of the Year. Trump was revealed in a TODAY exclusive on Dec. 12 to be the publication's pick after being chosen from an initial short list of 10 prominent figures that had been whittled to five on Dec. 11. This is the second time Trump has been chosen by Time as Person of the Year after also earning the distinction in 2016 following his victory in the presidential election. His first appearance on the cover of Time was in 1989. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is someone who made a historic comeback, who reshaped the American presidency and who's reordering American politics. It's hard to argue with the fact that the person who is moving into the Oval Office is the most influential person in the news," Time Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs said on TODAY. The publication has named a Person of the Year every year since 1927, from historic world leaders to cultural figures. In 2023, Taylor Swift became the first Person of the Year to be recognized for her success in the arts. All but three U.S. presidents have earned the distinction at least once since its inception. President Barack Obama was most recently named Person of the Year twice, in 2008 and 2012. The only figure to be named Time Person of the Year three times is President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1932, 1934 and 1941. Trump is Time's 2024 Person of the Year. In November, Trump, 78, defeated another member of the Time Person of the Year short list, Vice President Kamala Harris, to become the first president since Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s to return to office after losing a previous presidential race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It completed a stunning political comeback following the end of his first term, when he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election and a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. He announced his candidacy in 2022 in the midst of multiple criminal investigations involving him and roared to the Republican nomination earlier this year. He became the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years by defeating Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Republicans also took control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives following the election. I called it 72 Days of Fury, Trump told Time in its story about him being named Person of the Year. We hit the nerve of the country. The country was angry. During the campaign, Trump vowed to deport millions of migrants, slash parts of the federal government and slap tariffs on foreign goods to boost American businesses. He also told Time one of his first acts will be to pardon rioters from Jan. 6 who were convicted for crimes involving storming the Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its going to start in the first hour, he said. Maybe the first nine minutes. Trump also reflected on nearly being assassinated in July by a gunman at a rally in Pennsylvania, where he held his fist up to the air and yelled "Fight!" as Secret Service agents tried to get him to safety. A lot of people changed with that moment, he told Time. He also discussed the plans for his incoming administration involving the Justice Department, the availability of abortion pills, deportation of migrants, and foreign affairs related to Israel, Iran, Ukraine and more. Time's Person of the Year issue is now live on Time.com and is available on newsstands beginning Dec. 20. This article was originally published on TODAY.com CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) She is 79 years old and goes by The Spirit of Freedom. At nearly 28 feet tall with a wingspan of over 117 feet, she weighs 66,670 pounds at her heaviest. But the tonnage includes more than just cargo. If airplanes have a soul, this one embodies a heart of gold. Shes an amazing piece of history, declared 14th District North Carolina Sen. Ted Alexander, admiring the plane at the Lincoln County Regional Airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A workhorse powered by compassion and four radial engines, the Spirit of Freedom has blessed countless lives around the world. This vintage cargo transport plane, the Douglas C-54 Skymaster, is one of only two left flying in the United States, now retrofitted as a traveling flying museum on a special mission. I fell in love with the C-54 when I was 6 years old, Tim Chopp said, the pilot commander of the old bird. Image of The Spirit of Freedom in flight courtesy of Jay Selman Chopp founded the Berlin Airlift Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the memory and legacy of the greatest humanitarian and aviation event in history. As I got older and realized what the Berlin airlift was all about, I thought it would be a good idea to create maybe an onboard museum exhibit inside of a C-54. This is the result. A lifelong love for me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If airplanes could talk, the Spirit of Freedom would have quite a story to tell. Shes dropped survival supplies and candy during the 1948 and 1949 Berlin Airlift and now all these years later, is carrying toys to the children of western North Carolina that were afflicted by Helene. Her goodwill missions go on and on. A LOOK BACK It was 1948 when the Soviet Union blocked all land and water access to West Berlin, cutting off over two million Berliners from survival supplies. The only way in was by air. Rather than allow the people to starve, President Harry Truman sent American planes alongside the British Royal Air Force to deliver two and a half million tons of food over 15 months. 200,000 planes were involved, landing every 35 seconds, 700 flights a day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And this particular C-54, yes, this very plane, was one of them. And today she continues her relief efforts under different circumstances. IV supply improving following Helene, but slowly This C-54 is flying donated gifts from North Carolinas Lincolnton School District to Toys For Tots organizers in Asheville. Alexander helped organize the operation known as Air Gift. Just to see and know this plane has helped so many people back in the Berlin airlift is really gratifying, and to see the parallel between what was done there and now here for Hurricane Helene victims, really makes my day. An airplane lover who dropped by the airport bearing gifts noted, I think this is really neat, to show off to the public a historic piece of engineering that is still flying today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gift-giver and spectator Ellen Citarelsa said, I grew up in Berlin. I was familiar with the candy bomber since I was a little girl. We saw that they were taking toys to the kids in Asheville who have lost everything, and we absolutely had to be here today. THE MISSION The plane was loaded up to depart Lincoln County, with final preflight checks completed. As we take off for Asheville Regional Airport, Toys for Tots organizer Chet Allen is waiting there with other volunteers to receive the gifts, knowing they are sorely needed. This plane load of toys has really meant a whole lot to us. I drove through one of Hurricane Helenes hardest-hit parts in Asheville, trailer parks completely gone, people living in tents. These kids living in tents deserve toys. I struggle with the feelings of the kids of the families that dont have anything, that have been wiped out, but I feel joy because we are able to bring some joy to the kids and hopefully the kids can bring joy to the parents. The toys would be sorted for distribution to devasted counties in Western North Carolina, leading up to the last leg of Operation Air Gift, the handing out of the gifts to the parents and caregivers of children in need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longtime Western North Carolina Toys For Tots volunteer coordinator Ruth Holbert said, We are doing something different this year. We are giving out the toys in a drive-thru setting, so parents just drive up to have their gifts loaded in their cars. We are here to help any and every family affected by the storm. At the pick-up site, one father expressed deep gratitude, admitting these are tough times. Bad things happened with the storm. These gifts mean the world to me and my family. My kids can have a Christmas. I appreciate it. Other parents expressed relief, citing the donated gifts as a Godsend. Holbert explained, We normally serve about 4,500 children. This year, due to the devastation of the storm, were looking at 20,000 kids needing toys. Its a feat; I wasnt sure Id be able to pull it off. We had to make sure no child goes without something. Every child deserves a gift under the Christmas tree. Many of them dont even have a tree this year. We are grateful for all the folks that donated and especially the historic plane that flew in with gifts; our volunteers loved it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From the Berlin Airlift in the 1940s to Operation Air Gift in 2024, the Spirit of Freedoms mission remains the same. Chopp says, Its a message of kindness and hope that people do care and that was probably a highlight of this, showing people that we still care. MOVING FORWARD Want to help? The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation is a non-profit that exists to educate the public. It is made possible by the kindness of contributors, including the Berlin Airlift Veterans Association, the Berlin Airlift Remembrance Alliance, the Candy Bomber Foundation of Utah, the Airlift Tanker Association of Airlift Veterans, and the Berlin Airlift Veterans themselves. To help support, see www.SpiritofFreedom.org and to donate to Toys for Tots, see wnctft-nc.toysfortots.org. Want to see the Spirit of Freedom up close and personal? She will be flying as the Candy Bomber, dropping treats over the Outer Banks town of Manteo on Dec. 15, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. By Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) -In its latest jab at Beijing, the U.S. will empower companies like Google and Microsoft to act as gatekeepers worldwide for highly sought-after access to AI chips, two people familiar with the draft plan said. Under the scheme, to be released as soon as this month, these companies would have to comply with strict requirements, including reporting key information to the U.S. government and blocking Chinese access to AI chips. That would permit them to offer artificial intelligence capabilities within the cloud overseas without a license, the sources said. The new rules, some of whose details are being reported for the first time, show officials are scrambling in the waning days of the Biden administration to streamline the process for approving AI chip exports while also preventing bad actors from accessing them. The U.S. fears China could harness the power of AI to supercharge its military, unleash powerful cyber attacks or even train a bioweapon. The Commerce Department declined to comment on the content and timing of the new regulations. Sources cautioned the administration's plans may change. Alphabet's Google and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The measure takes a page from a national security agreement Microsoft inked with the U.S. government in April allowing it to provide AI technology to Emirati firm G42, the people said. Under the new draft rules, other companies beyond those with gatekeeper status will compete for licenses to import a smaller number of high-end Nvidia and AMD AI chips in each country, one of the sources said. Nvidia, which makes the world's most powerful AI chips, said it is ready to work with the administration on the rules. AMD did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Exempted from the caps would be 19 allied countries like the Netherlands and Japan plus Taiwan, which would have unlimited access to the AI chips or the capability they provide, two of the sources said. Also outside the framework would be a list of nuclear embargoed countries, including Russia, China, Iran and Venezuela, which are already blocked from acquiring U.S. AI semiconductors and would remain so. The caps could upset some countries, however. Geoffrey Gertz, a former White House official now at the Center for a New American Security, said a global program of country caps "would likely raise significant concerns from U.S. partners and allies around the world, who are wary of the United States acting as a unilateral arbiter on who gets to access advanced chips critical for AI." (This Dec. 13 story has been corrected to say that Tice was taken captive in Daraya, not Aleppo, in paragraph 17) By Erin Banco and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the early days of 2013, an American man, dressed in ragged clothing, dodged between houses in the streets of Damascus upscale Mazzeh neighborhood looking for a civilian to take him to safety after more than five months of captivity in the concrete cells of a local prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man, journalist Austin Tice, was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012. A former Marine, he had managed to slip out of his cell, one current and three former U.S. officials and a person with knowledge of the event told Reuters. All were granted anonymity to speak freely about sensitive U.S. intelligence. Tices 2013 escape, reported here for the first time, was the first public sighting of the American after he disappeared, the officials said. Tice is now the focus of a massive manhunt following the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad this week after 13 years of civil war. Rebels, led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have since released thousands of people from prisons in Damascus where Assad held political opponents, ordinary civilians and foreigners. The American has not yet been found. There are no credible hints of his whereabouts but also no clear evidence that he is dead, a U.S. official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. officials say that Tice's 2013 escape from prison, where he was believed to have been held by a pro-government militia, is the strongest evidence the U.S. government has to suggest that forces loyal to Assad held Tice. This has over the years allowed American officials to pressure the Assad government directly about the matter. The White House declined to comment for this story. The CIA, Office of the Director for National Intelligence and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When Tice escaped, he was spotted by people living in the Mazzeh neighborhood, wandering the street. He entered the house of a well-known Syrian family, the name of which is being withheld for security reasons, a person familiar with the escape said. Tice was recaptured soon after his escape, one current and one former U.S. official said. U.S. officials believe it is likely that Tice was taken after his escape by forces who answered directly to Assad. One person with knowledge of the escape said Tice was potentially passed back and forth between several different government intelligence agencies in the following years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration of former President Barack Obama received another tip in 2016 that Tice had been taken to a hospital in Damascus to receive care for an unknown illness, in what would be his second known sighting, a U.S. official and a person familiar with the tip said. But current U.S. officials are not as confident in that report as they are in his 2013 escape. Over the years, Tice's family - which has led the charge in trying to find him - has spoken publicly of their frustration with the U.S. government, saying it has not prioritized Tice's release. They are now gathered in Washington in the hope they can soon celebrate his freedom. The family declined a request for comment. We believe hes alive. We think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence of that yet, U.S. president Joe Biden said last Sunday, fueling optimism about Tices fate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the last 12 years, U.S. agencies, including the FBI, the State Department and the CIA, have gathered thousands of tips about Tice. Most are nearly impossible to verify. HARROWING VIDEO Tice, who worked as a freelance reporter for the Washington Post and McClatchy, was one of the first U.S. journalists to make it into Syria after the outbreak of the civil war. In August 2012, while traveling through the Damascus suburb of Daraya, he was taken captive. Weeks later, a YouTube video was published showing Tice blindfolded, hands tied behind his back. He was led up a hill by armed men in what appeared to be Afghan garb and shouting "God is great" in an apparent bid to blame Islamist rebels for his capture although the video only gained attention when it was posted on a Facebook page associated with Assad supporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tice can be heard reciting a prayer, in Arabic, before saying in English: "Oh Jesus, oh Jesus." There are varying accounts of what happened to Tice in 2012, including who initially took him and where he was moved. Other journalists were taken captive around the same time. But as time passed and other reporters were freed, details about Tice remained scarce. The Obama administration had obtained intelligence that he was either in the hands of an extremist rebel faction or the Syrian government, two of the former officials said. But it had no way of verifying the information. Over the past decade, some U.S. officials and press advocates have lost faith in the assessment that Tice is alive in part because there has been no new, credible evidence to confirm his status. Others have maintained a sense of optimism, including some in the incoming Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, Trump administration officials, including Kash Patel, then a U.S. presidential aide and counterterrorism adviser, and Roger Carstens, special envoy for hostage affairs, traveled to Damascus to meet with Syrian officials about Tice. Current and former U.S. officials said the Syrian government refused to offer proof of life and demanded the U.S. reverse its Syria policy and withdraw U.S. troops from the country in return for opening negotiations about Tice. The Biden administration has maintained contact with the Syrian government since then, but Assad's officials were unwilling to negotiate until the U.S. agreed to their demands. On Dec. 6, Austin Tice's mother Deborah and her family told a press conference that a U.S. government-vetted source had recently confirmed that Tice was alive and was being treated well. "He is being cared for, and he is well," Deborah Tice said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in the hours after the conference, U.S. officials working on Tice's case said they did not have any new information and that they were caught off guard by his mother's statements. This week, Carstens traveled to Beirut to coordinate the search for Tice. Other officials are also in the region, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Barbara Leaf, the head of the State Departments Near East bureau. Were determined to find him and bring him home to his family and loved ones, Blinken told reporters Thursday. Almost a week after Assads ouster, some U.S. officials fear that Tice could have been killed during a recent round of Israeli airstrikes. Officials are also concerned that if Tice was being held underground in a cell, he may have run out of breathable air as Assad's forces shut off the electricity in many of the prisons in Damascus before the president fled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, reports emerged that an American man had been seen in Damascus, raising hopes that Tice had been freed. But it wasnt Tice. On Thursday, news broke that Missouri resident Travis Timmerman had been found after having been freed from prison by the rebels. Timmerman said he had traveled into Syria for a spiritual mission earlier this year and was arrested for entering the country illegally. (Reporting by Erin Banco in New York and Jonathan Landay in Washington; Editing by Don Durfee Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell) E.T., drone home. When it comes to the mysterious drones said to be the size of SUVs buzzing New Jersey and panicking residents, experts say there are only a few possible explanations: 1. A foreign adversary possibly Iran, Russia or China is launching them, from either the Atlantic ocean or bodies of water in New Jersey. 2. A private company like Amazon is testing out delivery drones and is under no obligation to report the experiments to local authorities. A map of notable drone sightings over New Jersey since Nov. 13. 3. Eccentric hobbyists and/or copycats are trolling the state and the media with repeated fly-bys of the vehicles one of which had the wingspan of a 747, a truck driver from Oxford, NJ told The Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 4. The US government is behind the bizarre drone sightings, and is lying to everyone about not knowing what they are. This drone, one of thousands reported to be in the area recently, was spotted flying over Morris and Somerset counties recently. @MendhamMike via Storyful 5. Or were all imagining it at least according to what White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Thursday. Upon review of available imagery, it appears many of the reports of sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully, Kirby said. Do you have footage of drones over the skies of New Jersey or New York? Send it to The Post at drones@nypost.com. Military? Then someone should be fired RJ Nussbaum of Oxford, NJ, has seen the mysterious drones five times, including one that had the wingspan of a 747. Matthew McDermott Whats especially unusual, however, is that the drones are apparently able to avoid traditional methods of detection, leading both authorities on drones from the military as well as UAP experts to say they could pose a danger to the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not good enough, says Brett Velicovich, a former US Army special operations intelligence analyst and former Delta Force soldier who has specialized in drones, drone warfare and counter-terrorism. Velicovich said that when he was in the Army, they tested drones across the US but always coordinated with local law enforcement so there would not be any confusion. Many locals have seen the mysterious drones in the vicinity of the Picatinny Arsenal military base in Rockaway Township, NJ. Matthew McDermott Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the US government is behind this, then someone should be fired, Velicovich told The Post Thursday. The whole point is, you dont want to cause public hysteria. Youve got to wonder if someone is taking advantage of the security gap right now between the Biden and Trump administrations. Velicovich added that its illogical for anyone in our government to test drones above northern New Jersey. There is a reason why [the classified Nevada air base] Area 51 tests missile and spy planes because its in the middle of nowhere in a controlled environment, Velicovich added. Its a lot like a past mystery A congressional hearing on the mystery ended Tuesday with FBI officials throwing their hands up in the air and claiming they know nothing in echoes of an eerily similar case of bizarre drone formations that plagued Northeastern Colorado and Western Nebraska between December 2019 and January 2020. Mysterious swarms of giant drones flew over areas of Colorado and Nebraska for a month from late 2019 to early 2020. No one ever found out what they were or where they came from. US Air Force Witnesses at the time said the drones flew in grid formations in groups of up to 19 and were visible at night between 6 and 10 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI and local law enforcement investigated the sightings but, to this day, cannot say what they were. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nobody ever fessed up, Vic Moss, the Lakewood, Colorado-based CEO of Drone Service Providers Alliance and an FAA consultant, told The Post. Something is very definitely going on but they didnt solve the mystery out here, thats for sure. The large drones here have been spotted hovering across the night skies across Jersey for weeks, baffling residents with mysterious arrays of flashing lights and seemingly aimless movements. This drone flying above Colorado in January 2020 was one of swarms of drones that baffled residents in Colorado and parts of Nebraska for a month. Denver Post via Getty Images Sometimes numerous objects have been spotted flying in formation, and theyve begun appearing across parts of New York, including Staten Island and South Brooklyn, too. The first reported sightings started on November 18, and have continued every night since often above facilities like the Picatinny Arsenal military base in Northwest New Jersey, as well as reservoirs and train stations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ron Nussbaum, 35, of Oxford, NJ, in Warren County, told The Post he saw a drone-like craft with the wingspan of a 747 jet Saturday night just one of literally hundreds of sightings reported by New Jersey residents in the last few weeks. Former US Army intelligence analyst Brett Velicovich, an expert in drone warfare, told The Post that if the US government is in any way behind the New Jersey drone swarms, someone should be fired. There were two white flashing lights on either wing and it made a hairpin turn at a 90-degree angle and basically stopped when it made the turn, Nussbaum said. The other drones weve seen were about the size of a SUV, some made a sound, some had no sound at all. There have been at least 100 sightings at the Merrill Creek reservoir near me alone and most of the drones seem to be out between 6 to 10 at night. Nussbaum said he is more curious than scared and admitted he and his friends are now going drone-hunting whenever they can. Everyone you run into has seen something, and a lot of people are concerned. We want answers. Having the government tell us they dont know what it is is not reassuring us. Well keep seeking the truth. The new drone army Long-range Peklo (Hell) missile drones are displayed during the handover of the first batch to Ukrainian Defense Forces im Kyiv during the Ukraine-Russia war. ZUMAPRESS.com Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what worries Velicovich is that these apparent drones are appearing over New Jersey at a time when sophisticated drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine is overtaking regular types of weapons and combat. So-called kamikaze drones used by Russia against Ukraine are equipped with explosives in a warhead on its nose and designed to loiter over a target until instructed to attack. The Shahed-136 has a wingspan of about 8.2 feet and can be hard to detect on radar. The Russian Orlan-10 drones stealth craft that fly in packs of three to five sound similar to some of the drones being observed above New Jersey. A state senator in New Jersey is calling for a limited State of Emergency order banning all drone usage until authorities can provide answers about the devices seen buzzing over New Jersey in recent weeks. X / @JerzyBets Ukraine, for its part, spent $550 million on its own drone army in 2023 that include so-called suicide drones that can easily attack enemy soldiers or civilians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I go to Ukraine all the time and their battlefield tech is years ahead of ours, Velicovich said. If this is indeed a foreign adversary doing this they are also showing the entire world how vulnerable the US is. Ive thought for years there could be a catastrophic event involving drones, but yet our entire counter-drone technology budget is $500,000. Are they out of their mind? Several unidentified drones were spotted over three US Air Force bases in Britain just last month, according to CNN. US officials are still investigating the origins of the drones but tell CNN that they do not appear to be crafts operated by hobbyists. Last year, dozens of drones were seen flying over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Could it be Iran or China? US Rep. Jeff Van Drew insists that his sources say the drones are coming from an Iranian mothership offshore. Bloomberg via Getty Images US Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) has doubled down on his belief that the drones are being launched at sea by an Iranian mothership even though the Pentagon hotly denied this Wednesday. Theyve been incredibly stupid and incredibly weak with this, Van Drew said Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know theyre not backyard drones that some hobbyist is using because theyre much more sophisticated than that. We know that theyre not a commercial company within the United States because we dont even have this level of sophistication yet. We are a full decade behind where China is with drones. The government claims its not them. They say its not them, so who is it? The Pentagon has shot down claims that the New Jersey drones are coming from an Iranian mothership offshore. Jeremy stock.adobe.com Iranians shot down US drones in 2011 and 2019 and have openly stated they reverse engineered them to make their own. China is a possible culprit as well. In addition to the Chinese spy balloon that floated across the US for three weeks in 2023, Yinpiao Zhou, a Chinese national, was arrested this week by the feds for flying a drone and taking photos of the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Zhou was nabbed just before boarding a China-bound flight. A suspected Chinese spy balloon drifted to the ocean after being shot down off the South Carolina coast in February 2023. REUTERS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US Navy sailors recovered the mysterious high-altitude Chinese balloon from the Atlantic Ocean for transport to federal agents U.S. Navy/Cover Images/INSTARimages.com Or is it a UFO? John Greenewald, a respected UFO and UAP expert who has run the Black Vault archive for years, says the New Jersey drone mystery is being incorporated online into the UFO world but shouldnt be. This is something that resembles advanced earth-based technology which represents an alarming security threat for the US mainland, Greenewald told The Post. Were not talking about anything otherworldly here, like aliens in the pop-culture sense. The bottom line is, the FBI doesnt have answers based on this weeks hearing and youd think in the US if something was happening in our land we would know about it. Yesterday showed that we dont. Imagine how we look to the rest of the world. Additional reporting by Matt McDermott FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) The pardon powers of the Kentucky governor are spelled out clearly in the state constitution and give broad authority to both issue them and commute sentences filed with a statement of his reasons for their decision. The Kentucky Secretary of States office keeps a record of them all, and for the past two administrations, they are accessible through an online database. According to it, Gov. Andy Beshear most recently issued a round of 11 pardons the day before Thanksgiving. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Secretary of State spokesperson said Beshear has issued a total of 73 pardons and commuted 1731 commutations, the latter primarily driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. His predecessor, Matt Bevin drew criticism for pardoning some violent offenders in his final days in office, including Patrick Baker, who was charged with murder in a 2014 drug robbery and had alleged family political connections to Bevin. Baker later returned to prison under federal charges for the original crime. That power should not rest on one person who will never again stand accountable in front of the voters, Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights) said earlier this year to lawmakers. McDaniel attempted to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot this year to limit those powers during the transition window between administrations, but it never got a final vote. Bevin issued 285 pardons, the most of any recent administration, and commuted 419 sentences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An analysis of the overall process by the Collateral Consequences Resource Center placed Kentucky among 19 other states where the governor may consult with a board but is not required to when issuing a pardon. 3 states, DC, and the federal government are considered to have no statutory process. 22 states share the power with a board in some form. In 6 states, the power is exercised by an independent board. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. The administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration announced he would step down after President Joe Biden leaves office, opening up another leading position in a federal agency for President-elect Donald Trump to fill. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker announced he would resign from his position on Jan. 20, the same day Trump is inaugurated. His short term, which only began in October 2023, saw the agency take action against Boeing due to several safety concerns over their 737 MAX aircraft and draw the ire of Elon Musk after proposing fines for SpaceX. The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public, Whitaker wrote in an email sent to staff at the FAA on Thursday, according to Bloomberg Government. He called his time at the federal agency the best and most challenging job of my career, but offered no insight into why he decided to leave the post before the end of his five-year term in 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FAA administrators typically serve a five-year term, but an administrator stepping down before the end of that term is not unheard of. Stephen Dickson, Whitakers Trump-appointed predecessor, resigned in 2022just under three years after taking office in 2019. Whitaker led regulatory efforts against Boeing after a door panel on a 737 MAX fell off mid-flight in January. / Handout / Getty Images Whitakers nomination received rare bipartisan support, and was confirmed by the Senate in a 98-0 vote in October 2023. During his relatively short tenure leading the agency, Whitaker spearheaded the regulatory efforts against Boeing, including capping the production of 737 MAX aircraft after an Alaska Airlines flight lost a door panel mid-flight earlier this year. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Il), the chair of the Senates aviation subcommittee, said she was saddened by the announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Whitakers] oversight of Boeings safety issues has been so importantand whoever replaces him must continue these efforts to keep the flying public safe, Duckworth said in a statement posted on X . The FAA proposed over $600,000 in fines against SpaceX earlier this year. / GREGG NEWTON / AFP via Getty Images Whitaker even received some praise from his Republican colleagues. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told Politico that the FAA administrator ably led the agency during a challenging period, and echoed Duckworths sentiments about public safety efforts. However, the FAA has frequently clashed with SpaceX, the aerospace firm founded by billionaire Trump confidante Elon Musk, including under Whitakers leadership. In September, the agency proposed $633,009 in fines for the company over safety issues with two launches the year before. Whitaker defended the fines, telling a Congressional hearing theyve been around 20 years, and I think they need to operate at the highest level of safety and that includes adopting (a safety management system) program, that includes having a whistleblower program. Claim: The Biden administration granted Iran $10 billion in sanctions relief days after Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Rating: Rating: Mixture What's True: The Biden administration renewed a 2018 sanctions waiver for Iraq on Nov. 7, 2024, allowing Iraq to continue to purchase energy from Iran. What's False: The Biden administration did not grant Iran $10 billion in sanctions relief out of the blue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 10 and 11, 2024, conservative news outlets reported that U.S. President Joe Biden's administration had "granted Iran $10 billion in sanctions relief." Early reports appeared in The Washington Free Beacon and Breitbart, with the claim making its way onto X on media personality Laura Loomer's profile (archived). Did you know that within the first 72 hours after Trump's massive election victory on November 5th, the Biden-Harris administration granted Iran $10 Billion in Sanctions Relief? (X user @LauraLoomer) However, while it is true that the Biden administration renewed a sanctions waiver on Nov. 7 that allowed Iran to continue to access escrow accounts holding profits from energy sales to Iraq, it is misleading to say that the administration "granted" the Iranian government any money with this act. Therefore, we have rated the truth of this claim as mixture. Iraq Energy Waiver Has Been Renewed 23 Times, Beginning With Trump Administration During a Dec. 3 press briefing, Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, told reporters: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On November 7th, the department did renew Iraq's electricity waiver for the 23rd time since 2018. It was done so for an additional 120 days. We remain committed to reducing Iran's malign influence in the region. Our viewpoint is that a stable, sovereign, and secure Iraq is critical to these efforts. Since 2018 as you know, this started in the previous administration the State Department has permitted Iraq to purchase Iranian electricity while Iraq continues to develop its own domestic generation capacity. This waiver stemmed from U.S. sanctions reimposed on Iran in 2018 following then-President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran. In connection with these sanctions, Iraq was issued a 45-day waiver to allow it to continue to purchase natural gas and electricity from neighboring Iran. The waiver was explained in a video on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's Facebook page. It has previously been renewed under both the Trump and Biden administrations. The November 2024 renewal will mean the waiver lasts until March 2025, continuing into the early months of the incoming Trump administration. $10B Figure Stems from Iraq Energy Purchases, Not US Grant The source of the $10 billion figure, which reports claimed were "granted" to Iran, remains unclear. However, the use of "granted" in relation to the money is misleading the Biden administration did not pay any money to the Iranian government in its Nov. 7 waiver renewal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snopes first found the figure in reporting in Persian and English from July 2023. Iran International, based in London, and Fars News Agency, which is managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both reported that $10 billion debts owed to Iran for energy sales to Iraq was made available to Iran in an Iraqi bank, under the above mentioned waiver for the purchase of non-sanctioned goods. The figure was also reported by The Associated Press in November 2023. A similar transfer of around $2.76 billion occurred in June 2023, according to Reuters. Speaking at the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Dec. 13, 2023, Abram Paley, deputy special envoy to Iran, said of the money owed to Iran under the ongoing Iraq energy waiver: No money has been or will be permitted to enter Iran and any notion of the contrary is false. These funds can only be used for the purchase of food, agricultural commodities, medicine, medical devices and other non-sanctioned transactions. Sources: "Department Press Briefing - December 3, 2024." United States Department of State, https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-december-3-2024/. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Farsnews | : ." Fars, https://farsnews.ir/Economy/1688370796000152937. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024. Hearing on Iran Sanctions and Terrorism Financing | Video | C-SPAN.Org. https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/hearing-on-iran-sanctions-and-terrorism-financing/636145#. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024. Iran Official Claims Iraq Has Released All Of Its $10 Billion Debt. 3 July 2023, https://iranintl.com/en//en/202307037277. "Iraq to Pay $2.76 Billion in Gas and Electricity Debt to Iran." Reuters, 10 June 2023. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-pay-276-bln-gas-electricity-debt-iran-2023-06-10/. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. https://2009-2017.state.gov/e/eb/tfs/spi/iran/jcpoa/. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024. Kredo, Adam. Days After Trump's Victory, Biden-Harris Admin Granted Iran $10 Billion in Sanctions Relief, Congressional Notice Shows. 10 Dec. 2024, https://freebeacon.com/national-security/days-after-trumps-victory-biden-harris-admin-granted-iran-10-billion-in-sanctions-relief-congressional-notice-shows/. Lee, Matthew. "US Extends Sanctions Waiver Allowing Iraq to Buy Electricity from Iran." AP News, 14 Nov. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/iran-iraq-sanctions-waiver-816c2ba3f8eae10553ed07304c02db0f. Loomer, Laura. "Did You Know That within the First 72 Hours after Trump's Massive Election Victory on November 5th, the Biden-Harris Administration Granted Iran $10 Billion in Sanctions Relief?" X, X, 11 Dec. 2024, https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1866945698060702182. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pollak, Joel B. "Biden Gave Iran $10 Billion in Sanctions Relief Days After Trump Won Election." Breitbart, 10 Dec. 2024, https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/12/10/biden-gave-iran-10-billion-in-sanctions-relief-days-after-trump-won-election/. Turak, Natasha. "Trump Grants Iraq a New 90-Day Sanctions Waiver to Buy Iranian Energy: Source." CNBC, 19 Mar. 2019, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/19/trump-administration-grants-iraq-a-new-90-day-iran-sanctions-waiver.html. U.S. Embassy Baghdad. "The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Clarifies Sanctions on Iran." Facebook, Meta, 8 Nov. 2018, https://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyBaghdad/videos/758469504506812. Social media users are misrepresenting a report released Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general's office, falsely claiming that it's proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The watchdog report examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report's finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That's false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau's informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureaus payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day's events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney's office in Washington said that it generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach. The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office's counterterrorism division told the inspector general's office that he denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6. He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D'Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report's findings. JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!" reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mention of Wray's resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray's announcement Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. Wray called such theories ludicrous at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector generals office, pointed The Associated Press to a press release about the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to its findings about the the FBI's involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a basic step that was missed, failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6. However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known domestic terrorism subjects who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection generals recommendation regarding potential process improvements for future events. Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck. CANBERRA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The leader of Australia's federal opposition party, Peter Dutton, has revealed his nuclear energy plan would cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Dutton, the leader of the Coalition, on Friday released the long-awaited costing of his plan to build seven nuclear reactors on the sites of retiring coal plants if he is elected Prime Minister (PM) at the 2025 general election. According to the independent costing, the plan would cost 331 billion Australian dollars (210.7 billion U.S. dollars). Under Dutton's proposal, the first two publicly-owned reactors would begin operation by the mid-2030s, with coal-fired power plants to fill the generation gap in the meantime. In 2050 -- by which the remaining five reactors would be operational -- Dutton said that nuclear power would account for 38 percent of Australia's electricity generation, with renewables covering 54 percent and the remaining eight percent coming from a combination of storage and gas. The governing Labor Party has committed to pursuing a renewables-only future, which the Coalition has claimed would cost over 600 billion AUD (381.9 billion USD). "This is a plan which will underpin the economic success of our country for the next century," Dutton told reporters on Friday. "This will make electricity reliable. It will make it more consistent. It will make it cheaper for Australians and it will help us decarbonize as a trading economy -- as we must." Australia has had a ban in place on nuclear power since 1998 but Dutton has said he would repeal the ban and start work on building the reactors within two years of taking office as PM. A report published by the national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) on Monday found that nuclear reactors would cost twice as much over a 60-year timeframe as wind and solar generation. The annual report concluded that the development time for a nuclear reactor in Australia would be at least 15 years. The Australian Energy Council -- the industry group for electricity retailers and generators -- on Thursday told an ongoing government inquiry that it is highly unlikely that nuclear power would be a viable replacement for coal-fired power over the next 10-15 years. What does the future hold for the journalists still on strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after more than two years? As a former journalist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it feels personal to watch my former colleagues not only have to go on strike in October of 2022, but engage in the longest strike ever in the history of the nation. And, unfortunately, theres no end in sight. While an administrative law judge has ruled that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette failed to bargain in good faith and the National Labor Relations Board issued an injunction request to resume bargaining that could end the strike, the owners of the Post Gazette have appealed that move. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To make things even messier, with the incoming Trump administration more than hostile to unions in generalwhat will happen to the NLRB? And how could this impact the ongoing strike? President Joe Biden prided himself on being the most pro union president, but the GOP has been working to weaken unions, and the NLRB, for years. Theres no reason to think Trump wouldnt continue that strategy to favor employers and corporations over workers and unions. And we have to remember that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world who has been one of Trumps largest campaign donors during the election, could add fuel to the fire and encourage Trump to turn his back on the NLRB all together. If this happens, and the agency is neglected and employers arent prosecuted, we not only would see the union members on strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suffer further, but unions seeking to organize and hold employers accountable across the country could be dealt fatal blows, as well. So what can be done? Support union organizations in your community. Read the strike publication, the Pittsburgh Union Progress, instead of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette while the strike is ongoing to show support for the striking workers. Vote for representatives that support unions and want to strengthen them. When we stand together in our collective power and demand fair wages and working conditions, we win. And that my friends, is a fact. OAK PARK, Ill. Mourners paid their final respects to a fallen suburban police detective who many described as a humble soul. Oak Park police detective Allan Reddins was laid to rest Thursday morning in a private burial following a funeral service at the Apostolic Church of God, which welcomed hundreds of attendees. Killed in the line of duty the day after Thanksgiving, those closest to Reddins say he was committed to training and work but, above all else, was dedicated to his family. As heavy hearts filled the Apostolic Church of God, Oak Park police chief Shatonya Johnson said Reddins was a natural-born leader and a rising star within the department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He didnt wear the badge as a symbol of authority. He wore it as a badge of honor with integrity, courage, and bravery, Johnson said. Described as kind and resilient, those who knew him say Reddins untimely death leaves an irreplaceable void. Though we mourn the immense loss of his presence, we celebrate his legacy. A legacy of kindness, resilience and an unshakeable faith is those he cherished, said friend and Evanston Police Chief Schenita Stewart. Reddins loved ones say that while his commitment to serving and protecting was top-notch, he was, more than anything, a dedicated and loving father who looked forward to attending his sons graduation in 2027. To Allan, Jayden wasnt just his son; he was his best friend and the greatest joy. Being a father wasnt just important to Allan. It was the most cherished role he held, Stewart said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detective Reddins started his career as a police officer with the Metra Police Department before landing with Oak Park PD in 2019. He was promoted to detective in 2022. Tragically, the day after Thanksgiving, while on duty, Reddins gave the ultimate sacrifice when he was fatally shot by a suspect near Oak Parks Main Library branch. As a detective, your achievements were many, but the greatest of all was the way you cared for your fellow officers, your detective partner Andrew Vaughn and Brian Kaniecki, your family, and this community, said friend and Oak Park Police Commander Schonella Stewart. While his brothers and sisters in blue came out in force to pay their respects Thursday, community members like JoAnn Tucker also felt compelled to honor Reddins life and legacy. Detective Reddins, God bless his family, but may the Lord continue to bless them and comfort them during this time, Tucker said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Evanston Police Chief Schenita Stewart offered a final salute to her fallen comrade. Thank you, Allan, for your love, your example, and your friendship, she said. You will never be forgotten by those who truly love you. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Dec. 12The Niagara Falls City Council has canceled a planned special meeting, set for later today, that would have considered overriding Mayor Robert Restaino's vetoes of a series of six amendments to his proposed $101 million-plus 2025 city budget. The cancellation follows what was described as a series of meetings with individual council members, including Council Chair Jim Perry (D) and Members Brian Archie (D), Traci Bax (R) and David Zajac (R) and the mayor. Perry said the meetings were productive and "ironed out the real issues" with the mayor's budget proposal. "On Friday, the mayor and I had a very fruitful meeting," Perry said. "I believe we will see a few changes we will both be able to live with." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perry said he also had individual discussions with Archie, Bax and Zajac before deciding to scrap the veto override meeting. "I have had additional discussions with the mayor and I've spoken with other members of the council. I've decided that there would be no sense in having a meeting to override the vetoes," the council chair said. "The mayor has offered us assurances our concerns would be met, and I have no reason to mistrust him on the issues we spoke about." Overriding the mayor's vetoes would have required the votes of at least 4 council members. The council would have had to act on the overrides and "return the budget" to the mayor by Sunday. The budget amendments were originally approved unanimously by the council members. One called for slashing a six-figure increase in funding for the Falls library. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bulk of that savings would have been re-directed to the "continued planning and development of Beech Avenue Park." Restaino said the reallocation of the new library funding to an "undesignated services" account in the city council's portion of the budget amounted to setting up a "slush fund" for the council. The mayor also argued that "this proposed (budget) amendment is unnecessary." "The action, as stated, has been completed," Restaino wrote to the council members in his veto messages. "All planning and development have been completed, construction drawings would be completed by a selected entity once funding, as outlined for the project, is identified." Restaino also said that reallocating the new library funding could lead to a corresponding cut, of around $133,000, in state aid to the city libraries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor said the council budget amendments would also create a "structural imbalance" in his spending plan that violates New York state law and the city charter, along with failing to properly identify "budgetary account codes or funds." Council members said their budget amendments also moved $4,160 into their budget account to increase the proposed salary for a City Council secretary. That fund transfer would have raised the pay for the secretary's position to roughly $20 per hour. City lawmakers have had difficulty finding a candidate for the secretary's position. Another budget amendment directed that $10,500 of the proposed new library funding be used instead to pay for what was described as an "unfunded" insurance buyout for three council members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The council's budget amendments did not change the bottom line of the mayor's proposed $101,644,324 spending plan. The plan reflects roughly half a million dollars in increased spending, offset by a similar projected increase in revenue. What the mayor has described as a "sharp decrease" in the value of Non-Homestead (business) properties combined with a modest increase in the value of Homestead (residential) properties would lead to a hike in residential property taxes. Taxes for residential properties will increase by 54 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation. Taxes for business properties will drop by $1.50 per $1,000 assessed valuation. The roughly 2.8% hike in 2025 residential property taxes follows a 3.1% reduction in those taxes in 2024. An average home, assessed at $100,000, would see a property tax increase of $54. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A business property, assessed at $100,000, would see its property tax bill decrease by $150 under the proposed budget. There is no change in the tax levy. Thursday night, the mayor said he was pleased that there would not be an attempt to override his vetoes. "Structurally, a lot of the (budget) amendments had flaws," Restaino said. "They could not be carried out. So I asked, 'What are you looking to accomplish?' " The mayor said he had viewed "preserving (the increased) funding for the library" as the most important issue in budget talks. He also expressed a hope for ongoing conversations with council members over the budget in 2025. "We create budgets that are very direct and straightforward. There are no trap doors," Restaino said. "Just come and talk with us." CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) Hundreds of San Diego families received free groceries Friday as part of a food distribution drive in the South Bay. The event took place at St. Marks Lutheran Church in Chula Vista and was put on by Lutheran Social Services Project Hands. Forever chemicals detected in Sweetwater Reservoir Doing something a little special today because were commemorating the 80th anniversary of Lutheran Social Services in Southern California, explained Mark Wimberley, coordinator of Lutheran Social Services. We were founded in San Diego on Dec. 10, 1944. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local resident Rolando Rodriguez was first in line for the distribution drive after having waited in his car since midnight. He said hes very grateful because having a little extra food is huge this time of year. The need is big in this community, which was made clear with the amount of vehicles that formed a line throughout several neighborhood blocks. Another local, Angelica Canto, says this helps people because theres not a lot of money to go around to buy food with it being so expensive right now. Chula Vista Mayor John McCann even stopped by to recognize the nonprofits efforts. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A family is displaced and crews are searching for a dog that was in the home after a fire in south Bakersfield Thursday morning. Bakersfield fire and Kern County fire crews were dispatched to the 300 block of Madison Street for the report of a fire around 11:21 a.m. At the scene, fire crews found a single story residence. Fire officials told 17 News the residence was occupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported among firefighters and civilians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 108 people were allowed to vote in the wrong race: Greenfield Union School District lawsuit Fire officials say there is moderate smoke and fire damage to the residence and city code enforcement deemed the building as not occupiable. The Red Cross is assisting the family. There was a report of a small dog inside the residence but fire officials have not found the dog, according to fire officials. The arson unit is investigating. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. Dec. 12Police in Durham have conducted more than a dozen searches for missing University of New Hampshire student Alexis Garcia but have no leads at this point as to his whereabouts. On Thursday, they released more photographs provided by Garcia's family. Garcia has been missing since Nov. 21. Police said they do not believe foul play was involved in his disappearance. On Dec. 3, the New Hampshire State Police assisted in the search for Garcia, using a helicopter to check shorelines near the Piscataqua and Bellamy rivers, as well as the Great Bay. But nothing turned up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garcia, 24, is 5 feet 9 inches tall and has brown hair and brown eyes. Investigators said Garcia may have been wearing white sneakers, dark-colored pants and a plaid, button-up-style shirt over a gray or light-colored hooded sweatshirt before he disappeared. His car, a black 2021 Mercedes, was abandoned at the Scammell Bridge rest area off Route 4. The car was parked at the rest stop Nov. 23-26, when investigators secured it. Anyone with information about the case can email detective@ci.durham.nh.us or by calling Seacoast Crime Stoppers at 603-431-1199 or submitting a tip online at seacoastcrimestoppers.com. dpierce@unioinleader.com SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) An apartment fire on Dec. 5 just after midnight in Ocean Beach left 24-year-old Noah Rawson with injuries so severe he died in the hospital the next day. His family flew back to San Diego to honor his memory, saying a visit to the beach in December is a trip they never got to take. He was my favorite person, Keele Burgin, Noahs mom, said. I think he was a lot of peoples favorite person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As she watched the waves with Noahs father, Matt Rawson, they remember everything they loved about him. He just lived. He was like, Mom, Im going to Hawaii. Mom, Im gonna learn how to surf. Theyre big on kite surfing, Burgin recalled. Rawson says the memories of his son give him peace as he mourns. We have such great photos of him that really capture his spirit, and its so helpful, Rawson said. Burgin remembered getting the shocking call from the ICU Burn Unit at UCSD Medical Center Hillcrest, asking for next of kin. I thought it was a wrong number, so I wanted to call right back, Burgin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She says Noah was asleep when a fire started in his apartment. The Ocean Beach Fire Department responded to the blaze, rescuing him and another person in the home. Given the severity of the situation, she said I need to tell you to get on an airplane, Burgin remembered the doctor telling her while she was in New Jersey. Burgins two other sons joined them from Colorado, praying for a miracle. He wasnt supposed to make it two hours, and he made for all of us, Burgin said. Noah died in the hospital the day after the fire, spending his final moments with his family. I got to hold his hand for like eight hours, and that was such a kindness to me, Rawson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Noahs death, his family returned to San Diego to honor his life, saying these places and memories comfort them through the grief. Im never gonna say goodbye to him, but I did have to let him go, Burgin said. Noahs family plans to start a foundation in his name to help people in need and inspire people to live boldly just like he did. They set up a GoFundMe page to start the foundation. Spend time with the people you love, Rawson said. As for the cause of the fire, that remains under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. PHENIX CITY, Ala. (WRBL) The family of 22-year-old soldier Kenneth Lackey Jr. has waited more than four years for justice in his death on an Alabama highway at the hands of a drunk driver. Father speaks out on justice being served in 2020 Phenix City DUI crash that killed his son, severely injured daughter-in-law That justice came inside an emotional Russell County courtroom on Thursday. 34-year-old Karlissa Henderson of Columbus was sentenced to 30 years in an Alabama prison for killing Lackey and severely injuring his wife, Jessica, on Nov. 11, 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was not an ordinary DUI. Henderson had a history of driving while impaired. She lost control of her vehicle on Alabama Highway 165, went across five lanes of traffic and smashed head-on into the Lackeys car. Jessica Lackey and several members of her family were in the courtroom today. Jessica who was hospitalized for eight months after the crash made an emotional statement in front of Circuit Court Judge David Johnson. Johnson sentenced Henderson to 30 years in prison for the extreme indifference murder of Kenneth Lackey Jr. and 20 years concurrently for the assault of Jessica Lackey. Jessica did not put her statement in writing. She spoke from the heart. Sobbing, she said, I didnt attend my own husbands funeral. I was in a coma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Henderson read a statement and expressed remorse and regret. Kenneth Lackey Sr. put it this way One DUI is a mistake. Two DUIs is a pattern. The third DUI, you took my son. When we asked Jessica what she was thinking in the court room, this is what she said. Honestly, I was thinking about how much I hate you for what shes done, said Lackey Sr. So shes taking away a lot. And I wanted her to know what shes done. I couldnt even begin to tell her half of whats happened. What weve all been through. Three years ago, Henderson sent Jessica a letter. Jessica did not read that letter until this morning. She could not bring herself to do until today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It talked about this being her third DUI and how she thinks she needs to go to rehab, said Henderson. Shes been accepted into a program, but she needs more than rehab, needs to be away. She is dangerous. This is her third time doing this. And had she not been picked up when she did, this would have happened again. District Attorney Rick Chancey expects Henderson to serve at least 15 years of the 30-year sentence. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Family, students, teachers and the greater community gathered Thursday evening, Dec. 12 at the Horizon High School gym to honor Mario Ruben Tafoya, the beloved teacher who was struck and killed by a vehicle in Juarez last month. My dad loved his life. He was taken away too soon. But I know that if he could say something, he would say thank you to everyone who has helped us, Isabella Rosales, Tafoyas stepdaughter, said. Tafoya was a husband and a father. He was also a graphics design and animation teacher who had previously won Teacher of the Year in 2019 for Clint ISD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although the people gathered at the vigil were mourning and tears were shed, the memorial made for a lively scene that was reflective of the fun and joyous person many described Tafoya to be. There were people dressed as characters from the Star Wars films which Tafoyas family said he so passionately loved, and people in attendance wore Star Wars-themed shirts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the end of the ceremony, the crowd gathered outside of the school and released white balloons in a final goodbye to Tafoya. His wife and stepdaughter allowed KTSM to take a look at Tafoyas special room at their home, which was heavily adorned with Star Wars memorabilia. This was the room that he was allowed to decorate with all of his will. Its a bunch of Star Wars and dorky things, Rosales said. Tafoyas wife, Rosa Chavez, said he spoiled them rotten, and that he always demonstrated selfless love. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was very passionate about art, and graphic design. He loved creating. He loved teaching. He loved music. He loved his students, and he loved his family. He also loved to travel. He had a lot, a lot of interests. His creativity, he showed it every day, and he wanted to instill that sense of imagination into his students. He was like a very big kid at heart, Chavez said. Rosales said there were many things she learned from Tafoya, but most importantly, to live life a little looser. He taught me patience. He taught me to love and to not be so serious with myself. Ive always taken life very seriously, but he always accepted things and learned how to go through them. He taught me to be a kid at heart, just like he was, to enjoy the little things in life, Rosales said. In addition, Tafoyas family encouraged attendees to wear Star Wars-themed shirts to honor his favorite movie series. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can access the familys GoFundMe here to donate and assist with funeral expenses. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic U.S. senators say it is too soon to consider lifting sanctions on Syria following the removal of President Bashar al-Assad, an indication that Washington is unlikely to change its policy any time soon. "We're all really happy that Assad is gone," Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Reuters. "We worked at it for a long, long time, and the job is done. The problem is, what comes next?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate that stormed across Syria and ousted Assad last week, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and most other countries, and also sanctioned by the United Nations. "So, given that, it certainly calls for considerable pause, to watch and see what happens," he said, noting that while rebel leaders were making encouraging statements about unity and human rights, it remains to be seen how they act. Risch will chair the foreign relations panel, which oversees U.S. diplomacy, starting in January when President-elect Donald Trump's fellow Republicans take control of the Senate. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, said the United States should not be involved in the Syrian conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates say issuing waivers and licenses would encourage economic development and foreign investment, providing the rebels' new government with funding desperately needed to rebuild and establish government institutions. FOCUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS But opponents say the risk is too high until they are sure the rebels allow human rights, such as freedom of expression and religion, and do not attack members of minority groups. Senior Democrats also called for caution. "It's too early to tell whether the incoming regime's record will reflect a different way of doing business," Senator Ben Cardin, the current committee chairman, told a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And Senator Chris Murphy, who chairs the Senate's Middle East subcommittee, also said it was too soon to lift sanctions, given the rebels' history of terrorist ties, but stressed the importance of communicating with the new authorities in Syria at a time when world powers are jockeying for influence there. "I do not think the United States should lock ourselves out of a room that everyone else is in," he told Reuters in a telephone interview, especially given the billions of dollars in assets and U.S. troop deployment in and around Syria. "I don't think we should be shy about opening lines of communications," Murphy said. Sanctions affect material support for Syria, but do not bar communications with its government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been a few calls in Congress to ease sanctions, but the overwhelming sentiment is against doing so. The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which included an extension until 2029 of the "Caesar sanctions," which apply to business in Syria and any national dealing with Syria or Russian and Iranian entities in Syria. The NDAA is expected to pass the Senate next week, sending it to the White House, where President Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Editing by William Maclean) BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Beijing on Friday. The two sides exchanged views on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, stepping up inter-party exchanges, strengthening political dialogue, strengthening people-to-people exchanges, and promoting the building of a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A new Farm Bill held up in Congress is said to have major impacts here in Arkansas. The bill is an omnibus, multi-year law that oversees various agricultural and food programs. House Democrats oppose Republican farm bill Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward said it is important to get proper funding because leaders estimate at least $35 billion in losses for the agriculture industry across the country. In Arkansas, they estimate losses of up to $170 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With agriculture being our states largest industry, you take a hit like that, it affects a lot of rural communities, a lot of people throughout the state are impacted by that, Ward said. It just kind of ripples throughout the economy. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is also urging Congress to act on the Farm Bill in a letter she sent with other governors. In October, she, Sen. John Boozman and Ward went on a farm tour throughout Arkansas to meet with producers and leaders in the industry about the most critical needs. Arkansas farmer talks impact of new Farm Bill in the works in Washington If Congress does not pass a new bill, they will need to extend the 2018 law for another year. Boozman is the incoming chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which Ward believes will work to Arkansass advantage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. A father and son are in custody right now in connection to the murder of a mother in Blackshear, Georgia almost two months ago. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Officers said Tracy Bryant Sr. And Tracy Bryant Jr. were both charged with malice and felony murder. They are behind bars at the Ware County Jail. 34-year-old Kimberly Guess was shot and killed in front of her home in Blackshear back in the early morning of October 17th. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chief of Police in Blackshear Chris Wright, said the department has worked tirelessly to find the people responsible for Kimberly Guesss murder. Her family said they are happy these men are locked away; however, it does not make spending the holidays without Kimberly any easier. I thought wed get a break from the pain, but it didnt help. We are happy to have them off the street and to not hurt anyone else, said Ricky Thornton, Kimberlys older brother. This is the first murder in this town in more than 5 years. Officers said both were taken into custody originally after a search warrant during the murder investigation led to the discovery of illegal drugs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kimberlys mother said the family always suspected it was Tracy Bryant Sr. who killed Kimberly, but they were stunned to learn police said his son was also involved. This is just terrible. I hope they get what is coming to them. I want the death penalty, he shot my daughter cold-blooded, and he planned it, said Shirley Lee, Kimberlys mother. Tracy Bryant Sr. was Kimberlys former supervisor at Clayton Homes in Waycross. Shirley Lee said Kimberly told her that Tracy had been stalking her for weeks before police say he shot her on October 17th. She told him that Tuesday before she died that she wanted him to leave her alone and to stop stalking her. He didnt understand that, and then, that Thursday morning happened, said Shirley Lee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Blackshear Police Department confirms the two started dating and then broke up during their time working together at Clayton Homes. Action News Jax obtained police documents that describe how Tracy Bryant Sr. Shot Kimberly several times and it was his son who drove him to her home to carry out the crimes. Our family didnt back down. I wasnt going to back down, me and my sons were going to get justice one way or another, said Lee. Action News Jax also reached out to Clayton Homes for comment. We have not heard back. [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. A contentious custody hearing led to the brutal Staten Island stabbing death last month of a father who was just trying to spend more time with his daughter, the victims family said on Thursday. The bitter visitation battle over the 4-year-old girl spilled from the tense courtroom and into the street, where Desuan Baker Dunning, 32, found himself clashing with his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend, Moments later, Baker Dunning was mortally wounded, bleeding out on a Stapleton street from a stab wound to his chest before he was even able to see his little girl one last time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suspect Sean Alston, 29, was arrested Monday and charged with murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the Nov. 29 slaying, authorities said. He died for his daughter, said Baker Dunnings horrified wife, Marcella Morton, 35, who was at the hearing and on the sidewalk where her husband died. He loved his daughter so much, and was fighting to see her more. Now she does not have a father. Its just upsetting. You know, the person that I feel most for is [her]. She will never know a fathers love her real father. Morton said she and Baker Dunning were in their car near the courthouse after the hearing when Alston and the 4-year-olds mother, Erika Rosario, pulled up beside them on Wave St. near Bay St. and a shouting match ensued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The men got out of the car, and the argument got physical. A short time later, Baker Dunning was on the ground. My husband gets up. Hes like, I was stabbed. I was stabbed. He falls in the middle of my car. And our car right now is part of the murder investigation, so I havent had that back yet, and my husband falls in front of the car. I call 911. Im putting pressure on his wounds. Theres a lot of blood. And then 911, they eventually came, the firefighters and the police. First responders rushed Baker Dunning to Richmond University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Also arrested was Rosario, who was charged with assault, harassment and hindering prosecution. Cops said she helped Alston escape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dropped him off at Howard Ave., she told cops, according to a source. Rosario was released on bail. Morton said Rosario is about eight months pregnant. Even so, Morton said she has since obtained a restraining order against Rosario she said Rosario took a swing at her while the two men fought. But Im trying not to hurt her, because shes pregnant, Morton said. Morton said Alston came after her after allegedly stabbing her husband. Sean chases me, so Im running, Morton said. And then, you know, I almost got hit by a car because its still traffic going on. She said Alston gave up the chase and he and Rosario got in their car and drove away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alstons criminal history includes a plea deal in 2017 on an attempted murder charge. He served six years in prison and hadnt been out of jail a year before he was arrested again and charged with Baker Dunnings death. A lawyer for Alston declined to comment. Baker Dunning lived in Brooklyn and worked for the MTA, according to Morton. She said Baker Dunning and Rosario split up in 2022. Morton and Baker Dunning got married this year in January. He wanted 50-50 [custody]. Thats what he wanted, Morton said. He loved his daughter. He wanted to spend as much time with his daughter as possible, and [Rosario] was making it very, very difficult for him. And it led to his death. It led to his murder. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Proposed tariffs by President-elect Donald Trump have sparked concern among local leaders, including Fayetteville City Council member Sarah Moore, who represents Ward 2. Moore discussed the potential impact of the tariffs on building materials and supplies, warning they could exacerbate the citys housing crisis. Adding additional taxation to materials and supplies or any equipment thats a part of the building process at a time where we need to really be creating much more inventory is incredibly concerning, Moore said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meet members of Fayettevilles housing crisis task force Earlier this year, Fayetteville declared a housing crisis, citing rising rent costs and stagnant wages as key issues. Moore noted that residents have struggled to keep up with escalating housing costs. They were concerned because their wages have not kept pace with the escalatory prices for housing, Moore said. It wasnt uncommon to hear that rents were rising by 30% and sometimes 50%. National news outlets have reported that President-elect Trump plans to impose up to a 20% tariff on all goods imported into the United States, with an additional 60% tariff on goods from China. The administration argues that the tariffs are intended to bring more industry back to the U.S. and reduce reliance on overseas manufacturing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, economic experts are skeptical of the tariffs impact on the housing market. Mervin Jebarj, Director of Business and Economic Development at the University of Arkansas, said materials like steel and lumber essential for multifamily and single-family housing developments are already subject to significant price fluctuations. Steel is used for structural elements, especially in multifamily housing development. And then lumber is used across with multifamily and very often single-family housing developments, Jebarj said. Jebarj added that higher tariffs will likely make housing less affordable. However, he pointed out that the regions primary issue is not the cost of materials but the lack of housing inventory. Were not building nearly enough housing as a region, Jebarj said. If youre in Northwest Arkansas, your best hope is that after all these recent elections, the city councils and mayors will look to produce a lot more housing in the next few years than weve seen in the previous decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to the housing crisis, Fayetteville has taken steps to address affordability. A newly formed task force is working on both short- and long-term solutions. The city council recently passed an ordinance capping application and hidden renter fees at $40, a measure set to go into effect on Jan. 13, 2025. As Fayetteville continues to grapple with housing challenges, Moore remains focused on protecting residents and encouraging policies that will increase inventory. Our community deserves solutions that address these issues head-on, without making housing even more unattainable, she said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. UPDATE: The missing teen has been found, according to the Fayetteville Police Department. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Fayetteville police say they are searching for a teenager last seen on December 10. A social media post from the department said the teen left Fayetteville High School at 11 a.m. that day. He was diagnosed with high-functioning autism and left his phone and backpack at FHS. He was last seen wearing the red hoodie and khaki pants featured in the photograph below on the right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. Dec. 13 (UPI) -- There is no evidence to show that recent drone sightings over New Jersey pose a national security or public safety risk, federal security officials and the White House said. The statements from officials in the White House, FBI and Department of Homeland Security were issued Thursday amid growing fears over the unexplained flying objects that have been seen in at least eight of New Jersey's 21 counties as far back as a week before Thanksgiving. New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia is among politicians demanding answers about the origins of the drones. In a statement Wednesday following a meeting on the issue at New Jersey State Police headquarters involving local politicians, she said drones have been spotted every night since Nov. 18 from dusk until 11 p.m. local time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The drones are 6 feet in diameter and operate in a coordinated manner, she said. "We know nothing. PERIOD," she said. The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have been investigating the sightings, and said in a joint statement Thursday that there is no evidence that the drones pose a national security or public safety threat. They also do not "have a foreign nexus," the law enforcement agencies said. "Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully," the statement said. "There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby reiterated this stance during a White House press conference on Thursday. "Now, that said, we certainly take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems, which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports, even though they have uncovered no malicious activity or intent at this particular stage," he said. Kirby added that while there is "no known malicious activity," the issue underscores the need for Congress to pass legislation to extend and expand counter-drone authorities "so that we are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or other critical infrastructure." On Wednesday, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh shot down a conspiracy theory that the drones were launched by an Iranian "mothership" off the East Coast, stating: "There is not any truth to that." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there's no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States," Singh said during a press briefing, adding that "we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary." "We're going to continue to monitor what is happening. But you know, at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring," she said. When President Donald Trump was searching for a new FBI Director after firing James Comey in 2017, he wanted among other things someone who looked the part of Americas top law enforcement official. Christopher Wray, a 50-year-old Yale-trained lawyer, was at the top of the list thanks to his conservative credentials as a leading partner at one of the nations biggest law firms and experience running the criminal division in George W. Bushs Justice Department. For Trump, who has always placed emphasis on people looking the part for their jobs, Wrays square-jawed serious demeanor helped seal the deal, people close to the process told CNN at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soon after he became director, however, Trump began grousing that Wray wasnt doing enough TV, people briefed on the matter said. Trumps view was that the FBI director should be seen publicly supporting the president, who was in the middle of the Russia investigation into his campaign. Years later, in the spring of 2022, Trump sent Wray a handwritten letter, according to one person familiar with the note, congratulating him on his recent appearance on 60 Minutes in which Wray discussed Chinese espionage efforts directed at the US. What Trump didnt know at the time was that the FBI was beginning a criminal investigation, based on a referral from the National Archives, into his decision to hoard classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The FBI court-authorized search of Mar-a-Lago that August led to a grand jury indictment against Trump and ended any chance of Wray keeping his job in Trumps second term. He invaded my home, Trump said on NBCs Meet the Press this week, lambasting the director he chose. He invaded Mar-a-Lago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Trump prepares to replace Wray with Kash Patel, a MAGA acolyte who has joined the president-elect in vowing to use the Justice Department to target political adversaries, Wrays departure marks a clear end to a decadeslong era of independence for the FBI. When he first hired Wray, Trumps expectations of unbridled fealty, a loyalty standard that Comey has said Trump also asked him to meet, were a sharp departure from the culture of the modern FBI, which has assiduously cultivated its independence since the Watergate scandal and the abuses of the 48-year reign of J. Edgar Hoover. Its an independence that has irritated almost every president through the years. A tenure filled with tension Compared to Comey, whose frequent media appearances caused some of the bureaus problems, Wray preferred to keep a lower profile and avoided the press. That was not the type of director Trump was anticipating, according to senior administration officials. That mismatch in expectations helped create a tightrope Wray tried to walk during Trumps first term, as he limited his direct interactions with Trump while focusing on priorities that were important to the administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wray is an ideal person to run the FBI because he recognizes its a non-partisan job and he has the respect of the troops, said a former Justice Department official who helped push for Wrays hiring. In this 2017 photo, then-President Donald Trump sits with FBI Director Christopher Wray in Quantico, Virginia. - Evan Vucci/AP/File While Trump and Republicans rail against the so-called weaponization of the bureau, the former official said, Kash Patel is exactly what Trump says he doesnt want in an FBI director: someone who is going to weaponize the FBI. Wrays tenure under Trump was punctuated by periods of significant tension. Unhappy about the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and eventually their failure to support his claims of fraud in the 2020 election, Trump would often lash out at Justice officials, including at times at Wray. At least twice, Wray told aides that he was prepared to resign over Trumps demands, according to a former US official briefed on the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A couple times, it got to where he said Im not going to do that, and he was persuaded to stay, the former US official said. A current senior FBI official said that employees are frustrated that some of the attacks against the bureau and Wray were for decisions by their bosses at the Justice Department, which the FBI sometimes disagreed with. Early in the Biden administration, for example, the Justice Department issued a memo suggesting parents protesting at school boards over Covid measures could be investigated if they made threats. The FBI distanced itself from the memo, which never produced any actual investigations. But the damage was done, and Republican lawmakers continue to cite the issue as an example of overreach. FBI command center in 2020 The pressures on Wray came into clear view in June 2020, days after riots erupted across the country following the police killing of George Floyd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wray, along with Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Bill Barr, stood in the FBIs command center in downtown Washington, DC. After riots swelled around the city, a few blocks away a fire was set in the basement of historic St. Johns Church as protesters gathered in Lafayette Square outside the White House. Barr took charge of the law enforcement response and ordered 150 FBI agents into the square to clear protestors that night, according to a person present, despite some agents raising concerns that FBI agents arent trained to do crowd control, noting the risk that an agent or a protester could be killed. The decision was made and agents were deployed to patrol the streets of Washington. U.S. Park Police keep protesters back after they attempted to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 22 in Washington. - Drew Angerer/Getty Images Wray later apologized to agents, noting that orders werent coming from him or even Barr, but from Trump, according to the person present at the command post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Days later Wray spoke at a press conference alongside Barr and for the first time appeared to endorse the idea that Antifa was behind the violence, something Trump had been insistent on despite a lack of evidence to support his claims. Were seeing people who are exploiting this situation to pursue violent extremist agendas, Wray said. Anarchists like Antifa and other agitators. These individuals have set out to sow discord and upheaval rather than join in the righteous pursuit of equality and justice. Inside the bureau, some officials were surprised that Wray had come to echo Trump and Barrs claims about Antifa. But Wrays words, temporarily at least, served to help bolster Trumps confidence that Wray and the FBI were doing what he wanted. Months later at a congressional hearing, Wray told lawmakers that Antifa was an ideology, not a group, prompting criticism from Republicans. A more understated director At the bureau, where Comey was well-liked as director, Wrays arrival in 2017 was a sharp turn. But it was a welcome one for employees who hoped that a more understated director would lower the political heat on the bureau and refocus attention on its national security and criminal enforcement missions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Visibly uncomfortable in large crowds, Wray has a political gift in smaller gatherings, particularly rank-and-file employees who rarely get face time with the director, current and former FBI officials said. Former FBI Director James Comey, with his attorney, David Kelley, right, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 7, 2018. - J. Scott Applewhite/AP/File When he spoke to graduating classes of new agents at the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia, Wray often compared the teamwork aspect of being an FBI agent to being on a rowing team, invoking his own time as a Yale crew team member. For each graduating class, Wray would eat lunch at the cafeteria with six to eight students who were viewed as leaders of their class, a former FBI agent who admires Wray told CNN. Like he did for all his meetings or when he was a trial attorney, Wray was known to prepare before even small gatherings at the academy. Hes not a guy who works on emotion, he is very tactical, very prepared, the former agent said. Former senior FBI officials said that while Wray didnt like to speak publicly in the media, he was good at building relationships with local law enforcement agencies and with private sector companies that the FBI needs for its national security and counter-terrorism efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He often insisted to speak directly to current and former employees struggling with bereavement or health issues, notably former FBI employees suffering from post-9-11 illnesses. Every time a police officer was killed on duty anywhere in the US, Wray made calls to their family or police chiefs. I cannot tell you how many deathbed calls he has made, the former US official said. Decision to step down After Trump announced his intention last month to replace Wray with Patel, Wray wrestled with how to leave the bureau he had helmed for nearly eight years. He struggled with whether it was better for the FBI and its tradition of independence to stay and be fired, or to leave before Trumps arrival to save the bureau from further attacks, people close to his thinking said. Christopher Wray and Kash Patel. - AP/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately Wray decided to announce his plans to resign to hundreds of FBI employees at the Washington, DC, headquarters, saying he would leave before Trump took office. His speech tacitly acknowledged the political headwinds the FBI will face under the new presidency. Wray also took the time during the speech to highlight the accomplishments by his agents throughout his years there, from thwarting terror plots to stopping cyber-attacks on US infrastructure and hospitals, fentanyl seizures and rescuing children from predators. An awful lot of people are alive today because of your tireless efforts , Way told the audience. As daunting as all that may sound, Ive got enormous confidence in you and your ability to continue to meet the threats coming over the horizon. Under Wray, the FBI stopped numerous foreign hacking operations from countries like China and Russia, alleged Iranian plots to kill current and former government officials, and opened up the largest investigation in FBI history, charging more than 1500 people in connection to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. Still, none of it was enough to save Wray, whose tenure ends the same way as Comeys with Trump angry about being investigated by what he sees as his own FBI. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FBI agents were seen on Thursday executing search warrants at two autism therapy centers amid an ongoing investigation into possible fraudulent Medicaid claims. Smart Therapy Center LLC in Minneapolis and Star Autism in St. Cloud were raided on Thursday. A search warrant reveals that the investigation into Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) providers was sparked when possible evidence indicating Medicaid fraud was uncovered during the investigation into Feeding Our Future, the nonprofit at the center of a $250 million federal pandemic child nutrition fraud. Smart Therapy Center, a Minneapolis autism therapy provider founded in 2019, has been in the news since September, when the Minnesota Reformer published an article alleging the center was hiring relatives or young people without education or experience to pay them less and conceal its activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, FBI officials were seen entering the center. While Smart Therapy did not comment on the allegations, public affairs specialist Diana Freedman confirmed that the "FBI was conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity today." Pixabay Another center, Star Autism, had its offices searched in St. Cloud on Thursday. Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead confirmed in a statement to Bring Me The News that the DHS has had open investigations into Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism "for a significant amount of time." "DHS has open investigations into these providers. We work closely with our state and federal law enforcement partners in oversight of these and other Medicaid programs," Harpstead wrote. The Minnesota Reformer noted that Smart Therapy had received money from Feeding Our Future, claiming in 2020 and 2021 it served over 199,400 meals and snacks under Feeding Our Future's sponsorship. BREAKING: FBI searching autism center in downtown Minneapolis: pic.twitter.com/2rSaYG91C2 Deena Winter (@deenafaywinter) December 12, 2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that federal investigators say Star Autism was "similarly involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Medicaid payments." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of concerns about the integrity of autism services, we have stepped up our oversight and are conducting a thorough audit of the program," Harpstead wrote. "DHS is in the process of visiting every site that participates in this program. We are digging further into cases where we note concerns and will conduct formal investigations if and where needed. It was reported in September that 15 autism centers in Minnesota were being investigated regarding fraud allegations by the Department of Human Services. The DHS confirmed on Thursday that as of Dec. 12, its investigations unit has 563 open investigations of fraud, 32 of which involve an individual or agency providing EIDBI (autism) services. DHS has closed 13 investigations into autism providers, which has resulted in a monetary recovery of over $475,000 and fines of nearly $6,000. Five payments have been withheld, with one Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (AGs Office) referral and four providers terminated. NEW JERSEY (PIX11) New Jersey residents have been feeling uneasy after a large number of what appear to be mysterious drones have been spotted flying through the sky over the past few weeks. Residents have described the sightings to PIX11 News as unnerving and creepy and want an explanation. More Local News New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones dont appear to be a threat to public safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, many state and municipal lawmakers have called for stricter rules about who can fly unmanned aircraft. On Thursday, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a joint statement regarding the reported drone sightings. It reads as follows: We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus. The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings. Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities. We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space. We take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports. To be clear, they have uncovered no such malicious activity or intent at this stage. While there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight the insufficiency of current authorities. Joint statement from FBI and DHS On Wednesday, in a meeting with New Jersey officials, the Pentagon said the drones are not from the U.S. military and right now are not thought to be from a foreign country or adversary. What has been seen in New Jersey? Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing drones in New Jersey starting in November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At first, the drones were spotted flying along the scenic Raritan River. Soon, sightings were reported statewide. Are these drones dangerous? Gov. Murphy has said the aircraft do not pose a threat but has not provided any details to support this. New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, who the Department of Homeland Security briefed, said the reported drones have been up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes travel with their lights switched off. Officials and experts say some witnesses may be seeing planes or helicopters rather than drones or may be confused about the size of their devices. Are drones allowed in New Jersey? Flying drones for recreational and commercial use is legal in New Jersey but subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Operators must be FAA certified. This story comprises reporting from PIX11 News reporters Katie Corrado and Jim Vasil. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) An annual religious tradition continued Thursday evening in Luzerne County. 28/22 News Photojournalist Brian Orbin was there at the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Wilkes-Barre. Thats our story, we bring this tradition from Mexico obviously. Its our tradition. Ive been doing this for over 10 years, its a religious thing, said Wilkes-Barre resident Nicalas Martinez. Starting at Marias Market on Carey Avenue, the procession continued through Wilkes-Barre as they were escorted by the Wilkes-Barre Police Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So today, we gather here at Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary parish to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We celebrate this throughout the world, but it has very special significance for Hispanic communities here in, in the United States, Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph Bambera stated. Travel delays expected for Our Lady of Guadalupe Procession This is the best one because everybody pitches in, without expecting nothing, Wilkes-Barre resident Jose Tapia explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thursdays mass at St Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre saw around 800 participants. We also want the community to know, to learn more about culture, everybody is welcome. I really like that. The youth here is able to learn about this culture and also able to participate and identify with it and celebrate it, Wilkes-Barre resident and volunteer Judity Tlaseca said. Food served afterward was all donated to the celebration. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. VIENTIANE, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A feasibility study on pomelo cultivation will be conducted in northern Laos' Oudomxay province, aiming to grow and process pomelo in Laos for domestic supply and exports, while improving rural livelihood. The project is expected to utilize approximately 10,000 hectares of land, with an annual production target of 200,000 tons of pomelos, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Besides selling the fruit in the domestic market, it plans to export pomelos to China and Europe. The project will introduce advanced agricultural techniques to Laos, ranging from producing saplings to providing technical aid for growing the fruit, selecting products, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, and online sales. Oudomxay province, some 400 km north of the capital Vientiane, will be central to production, processing, selection, packaging and storage of the fruit, and the project will be expanded to other provinces. A federal judge denied an appeals request from convicted murderer Jospeh Corcoran's lawyers to delay his execution and open the door for post-conviction relief. (Courthouse photo from Allen County, mugshot from public record. Photo illustration by Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) A federal judge on Friday denied a request from Indiana death row inmate Joseph Corcorans legal team to step in and pause his upcoming execution. Defense attorneys said the delay would allow for a hearing and review of their claims that putting the inmate to death is unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in his order, Judge Jon DeGuilio, of the U.S. District Court in Indianas Northern District, said claims that Corcoran is incompetent to be executed are procedurally defaulted and without merit. The matter is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals; Corcorans lawyers filed with that court shortly after DeGuilio issued his order. Corcoran killed four men in 1997 because he overheard them talking about him. His execution is currently scheduled to take place in less than a week, before sunrise on Dec. 18. Story continues below. d16ef8f2-3568-4dbb-acb7-bcc1e86a78c3 The original federal appeal was filed Wednesday, days after the Indiana Supreme Court sided with the state in a 3-2 decision, denying earlier requests by Corcorans lawyers to delay his impending execution date and allow for his case to be reviewed or his sentence overturned. A different order issued by the court on Thursday again denied a stay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corcorans lawyers have pointed to delusions that he has about ultrasound machines controlling him and his thoughts. They argued that the inmates mental illness has long distorted his reality and made him unable to understand the severity of his punishment. Larry Komp, Corcorans federal attorney, said in the appeal that his client lacks any rational understanding of his impending execution he simply wants to expedite the ending of the torture that is not real. DeGuilio disagreed, writing in his order that defense lawyers have not shown substantial evidence that Corcoran is insane. Corcoran has never been adjudicated incompetent; to the contrary, he was found competent in 2004 based on evidence that is substantially similar to the evidence presented to the Indiana Supreme Court this year, DeGuilio wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge further said Komp has not provided evidence that Corcorans mental condition has deteriorated over the last two decades, nor has he presented a recent expert assessment as to whether Corcoran understands his execution or the reasons for it. Instead, Corcoran, on his own accord, submitted an affidavit attesting that he did have such an understanding, DeGuilio continued. The judges reference was to a November letter Corcoran sent to the high court, in which he said he has no desire nor wish[es] to engage in further appeals or litigation whatsoever. With his own free will and without coercion or promise of anything, he asked the justices to withdraw his counsels motions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Counsel essentially argues that Corcoran knows precisely what to say in order to persuade courts that he is rational but that he does not truly believe it due to his delusional beliefs, DeGuilio said. However, assuming that Corcoran is merely imitating rationality, counsel concedes that it is an especially good imitation, so it is difficult to characterize the Indiana Supreme Court as unreasonable for relying on it. This is particularly true when no statement made by Corcoran this decade and no expert finding directly undermines Corcorans rationality toward his execution. DeGuilio further observed that as far as conspiracy theories go, Corcorans writing is remarkably cogent and a reasonable effort at presenting an irrational theory in a rational way. Barring a stay or other interference of the appeals court, a decision to delay or overturn Corcorans death warrant is up to Gov. Eric Holcomb. The outgoing Republican has repeatedly said he wont decide whether to intervene until its his turn, and that hes waiting for judicial proceedings to conclude before he takes any action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, Corcoran has been unwilling to sign the necessary paperwork to initiate a clemency review or other avenues that could result in his removal from death row. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The federal district court in Northern Indiana declined to intervene to stop Wednesday's scheduled execution of death-row inmate Joseph Corcoran. Corcoran's attorneys turned to the federal court after the Indiana Supreme Court rejected their request to stop the execution. Attorneys have argued that executing Corcoran is unconstitutional because he is seriously mentally ill and does not understand the severity of his actions and the consequences of his crimes. They've pointed to his paranoid schizophrenia and Corcoran's delusions that prison guards were torturing him with an ultrasound machine and that he's suffering from a nonexistent sleeping problem. Looming execution: The solitary life and crimes of Joseph Corcoran Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the federal court on Friday rejected these arguments. Federal Judge Jon E. DeGuilio wrote in his opinion that Corcoran was already found competent in 2004, and his attorneys did not provide new evidence that his mental health has deteriorated since then. His attorneys also did not present a recent expert assessment on whether Corcoran understands why he will be executed, DeGuilio said. "Instead, Corcoran, on his own accord, submitted an affidavit attesting that he did have such an understanding," DeGuilio wrote. Corcoran has long insisted that he believes he deserves to be executed and has claimed he lied to psychiatrists about having delusions. In the affidavit he wrote last month, Corcoran said he does not want to further litigate his case. His attorneys, though, argued this is further evidence of his mental illness and his efforts to mask it. The 49-year-old was convicted and sentenced to death in 1999 for killing four people, including his older brother. Court records say he became enraged when he heard the four talking about him. After putting his then-7-year-old niece in an upstairs bedroom, Corcoran loaded his semiautomatic rifle and shot the victims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Indiana 'Death Row' holds 8 killers His attorneys will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Barring interference from Gov. Eric Holcomb or a federal court ruling, Corcoran will be the first inmate to be executed by the state since officials paused executions in 2009. Seven other men are on Indiana's death row. Contact IndyStar reporter Kristine Phillips at (317) 444-3026 or at kphillips@indystar.com. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Federal judge rejects request to stop Joseph Corcoran's execution YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Federal prosecutors today told a judge in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio that they oppose a request for one of two men charged in the March 2 shooting death of a postal worker in Warren. The government said in a motion filed before U.S. Judge Donald C. Nugent that Thomas Sledge, 44, should be denied bond because of the circumstances of the crime, the evidence prosecutors have and Sledges extensive criminal history. Sledge and his son, Kaprise Sledge, 24, were indicted on Oct. 2 by a grand jury on charges of murder of an officer and employee of the United States and one count of discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence for the March 2 shooting death of Jonte Davis, 33. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis was a letter carrier for the Warren branch of the U.S. Post Office and was shot and killed while delivering mail at Olive and Washington Streets NE. Davis had been shot while inside his U.S. Postal van by a suspect in another vehicle, reports state. Officers and EMTs performed life-saving measures on scene and he was transported to Trumbull Regional Medical Center, where he later died as a result of his wounds. Both men have pleaded not guilty and both are being held without bail. Prosecutors have not revealed a motive. In Thomas Sledges motion for bail last month, his attorneys said he should be granted bail because he is not a flight risk because of strong family ties to the community and that the government has alleged he was not the shooter in the case, but he was driving a vehicle that was used. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thomas Sledges attorneys also wrote that there is only one eye witness who has reported seeing Thomas Sledge driving and that eyewitness testimony is often unreliable. In their response, the government said evidence that will be introduced at trial will show that Thomas and Kaprise Sledge planned and executed the murder of a United States postal worker. The government also said the circumstances of the crime that Davis was shot in broad daylight on a residential street while delivering mail also do not merit Thomas Sledge being granted bail. There is also evidence from Thomas Sledges phone that he was at or near the location where the SUV used in the shooting was abandoned and that he was in that area at the same time Karprise Sledge was there and there is video evidence and eyewitness testimony showing that Thomas Sledge was inside the SUV used in the shooting. Thomas Sledge was also on federal probation at the time Davis was killed for a drug crime, the government wrote. He has past convictions for drug offences as well as attempted murder, felonious assault, being a felon in possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A jury in October 2001 in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court convicted Sledge of a Jan. 22, 2001, shooting at a Warren gas station at Tod Avenue SW and West Market Street. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The government also wrote that Sledge has a history of committing crimes while on probation, which shows that he is a danger to the community because he keeps getting in trouble even while he is under the supervision of a court. Prosecutors are still mulling whether they will seek the death penalty. Judge Nugent has given them until the end of December to make that decision. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. WASHINGTON (WJHL) The U.S. Department of Labor has finalized a new rule designed to protect black lung benefits. The department says the new rule will ease the burden coal company bankruptcies have had on the Black Lung Trust Fund by requiring them to post adequate security for covering black lung benefits. Eastman among companies sued for alleged decades-long fraud and deception over plastic recycling Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal law makes coal mine operators primarily responsible for paying black lung benefits. However, if an operator is unable to pay, the responsibility falls on the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which is funded by the treasury and through coal tax revenue. To secure the payment of benefits, coal operators can either purchase commercial insurance or self-insure. However, coal company bankruptcies over the past decade revealed weaknesses in the regulations for self-insurers, allowing them to cover only a portion of their black lung liabilities. According to the department, when three large self-insured coal companies filed for bankruptcy in 2014, none had sufficient securities to cover their black lung liabilities, resulting in an estimated $865 million in liabilities being transferred to the trust fund. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The departments new rule requires self-insured coal operators to post securities valued at 100% of their expected black lung liabilities. Previously, the department did not require self-insured operators to have securities that would cover all of the companys expected black lung liability. Instead, the amount companies were required to post was based on factors such as a companys size. This allowed large operators, like the three that went bankrupt in 2014, to have insufficient securities. Deluge of 911 calls paint vivid Helene flooding picture The department says the new rule also streamlines the process for authorizing self-insurers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This final rule will give greater transparency and clarity for mine operators about the procedures and standards for obtaining self-insurance authorization, said Christopher Godfrey, director of the departments Office of Workers Compensation Programs. This will ensure that mine operators, not taxpayers, bear responsibility for benefit payments under the Black Lung Benefits Act, as Congress intended. The rule will go into effect on Jan. 13. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A former FedEx employee is accused of stealing more than $12,000 in jewelry from a package she was handling at the Memphis hub and then selling it to a local jewelry store. Hannah Davis, 26, was booked in the Shelby County jail Thursday for theft of $10,000 to $60,000 in property after a warrant was issued for her arrest. According to police, on April 26, Davis sold several gold Figaro necklaces and a unique Quantum Jewelers diamond pendant to Irwin Jewelers in Memphis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the sale, an Irwin employee contacted Quantum and was told the trademark pendant and the other jewelry belonged to Quantum and were supposed to be delivered to them via FedEx. Black market weight-loss drug operation busted in TN Police said FedEx conducted an internal investigation and observed Davis on camera with a package for Quantum Jewelers at the time the package was scanned into the FedEx World Hub on Sprankle Avenue. Quantum said the jewelrys value was $12,317.28. Police have not said how much Davis allegedly made from selling it. Friday, FedEx said Davis was no longer employed by the company and released the following statement: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The safety and security of our customers shipments is a top priority, and we have fully cooperated with law enforcement in its investigation. Any further questions on this matter should be directed to them. Suspect in shooting outside FedEx hub back in jail with $200k bond Davis bond was set at $5,000. She is scheduled to be back in court on December 16. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. (NewsNation) Traces of fentanyl were found inside bottlenose dolphins that were found dead in the Gulf of Mexico, raising concerns that the deadly drug may be affecting other sea life. Researchers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi studied 89 dolphins from three areas of the Gulf of Mexico 83 were living and six were found dead. Of the 89 dolphins that were studied, 30 contained trace amounts of drugs in their system, including 24 that had traces of fentanyl. All six dead dolphins had traces of fentanyl. The research found that the trace of fentanyl detected in the mammals was not necessarily the cause of death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who gets $60K reward money in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting? The university said that the findings indicate that pharmaceuticals have become emerging micropollutants and are a growing global concern. Dara Orbach, the studys lead author, said that the fatty blubber of dolphins is a good indicator of levels of ocean pollutants because it can store contaminants and be sampled relatively minimally invasively in live animals. Researchers at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi said they dont think the dolphins with drugs found inside them are alone. A previous study discovered that sharks were also found to have cocaine in their system. What I call it is raising the red flag basically, Hussain Abdulla, a chemistry professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, told NewsNation. There is a concern here and we need to look. We need to investigate it further and (see) how big that problem is. Is it only local in the Gulf of Mexico or is it actually worldwide? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More research is needed, the group said, to determine the source of the contamination. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Crews broke ground Thursday on the future site of Ferris State Universitys Jim Crow Museum. The $22 million, 26,000-square-foot facility will be located on the schools campus near the State Street entrance. It is expected to open in the fall of 2026 and will include a 7,500-square-foot permanent exhibit. At Ferris State, our institution has often been a national leader in laying pathways for innovation no matter the level of difficulty or the popularity. Our founders bravely opened their doors to all people at a time when that was not the expected or even accepted way to do things, Ferris State President Bill Pink said in a release. Now, 140 years later, we are still embracing that mission of equity. The new Jim Crow Museum will help us continue to educate those who come through its doors through a historic lens, and consequently, will attract students, visitors, scholars and policymakers from across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ferris State trustees approve $5 million to expand Jim Crow Museum The groundbreaking ceremony of the future Ferris State University Jim Crow Museum. (Courtesy Ferris State University) The schools museum, a collection of 30,000 racist materials, was started nearly two decades ago. It moved into its current 3,500 square-foot space inside the Ferris Library for Information Technology and Education in 2012. The museum was born out of the personal collection of David Pilgrim, Ferris States vice president for diversity, inclusion and strategic initiatives. He said the goal is to recognize past struggles while also developing future advocates. While we once focused on the hateful objects themselves, using them as teaching tools, we now also emphasize the stories of people who resisted that hatethrough achievements, activism and lives of quiet dignity, he said in the release. This shift brings a hopeful perspective, centering on resilience and resistance. By highlighting humanitys enduring strength in overcoming hatred and injustice, the museum will continue to educate and inspire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jim Crow Museums traveling exhibit gets $500,000 grant A rendering of the future Ferris State University Jim Crow Museum. (Courtesy Ferris State University) In an article on the collection, Pilgrim recalled that he bought his first piece of racist memorabilia as a child in the 1970s in Mobile, Alabama. He remembers buying it and smashing it on the ground. He discovered his passion for collecting as an undergrad student in Texas. And while it was first fueled by anger, Pilgrim says he found a way to put his passion to a better use. (In the early 1990s) I gave public addresses, mainly to high school students. I discovered that many young people, blacks and whites, were not only ignorant about historical expressions of racism, but they believed that I was exaggerating when I described the awfulness of Jim Crow, Pilgrim said on the museums website. Their ignorance disappointed me. I showed them segregation signs, Ku Klux Klan robes, and everyday objects that portrayed Blacks with ragged clothes, unkempt hair, bulging eyes and clown-like lips running toward fried chicken and watermelons and running away from alligators. I was learning to use the objects as teaching tools while simultaneously dealing with my anger. A rendering of the future Ferris State University Jim Crow Museum. (Courtesy Ferris State University) A rendering of the future Ferris State University Jim Crow Museum. (Courtesy Ferris State University) A rendering of the future Ferris State University Jim Crow Museum. (Courtesy Ferris State University) A rendering of the future Ferris State University Jim Crow Museum. (Courtesy Ferris State University) Pilgrim admits that some of the items on display are shocking and hard to take in. He said thats not the goal, but it can be one of the lasting impacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A thick naivete about Americas past permeates this country, Pilgrim said. A confrontation with the visual evidence of racism especially thousands of items in a small room is frequently shocking, even painful. Last year, a traveling exhibit from the the Ferris State University Jim Crow Museum was on display at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Educators in one Northland neighborhood have a new elementary school to fill. The Park Hill School District has weighed redistricting proposals for almost five months and a final decision is expected Thursday night. All told, about 1,100 students at the elementary and middle school levels would be affected by this proposal. The new Angeline Washington Elementary School will open in August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thursday nights meeting probably wont be as crowded as previous meetings on this topic as Park Hill School District leaders seek a final recommendation. Miami County teen charged with murder after 15-year-olds death Weve been really sensitive to the feedback and engaged in the feedback process with our community, said Park Hill School District Spokesperson Kelly Wachel. Wachel says more than 6,000 pieces of input have come from community members since this proposal first took shape in August. Families who live on the south side of the district would be affected. Wachel says more than 20 sets of redistricting maps have been considered and grandfathering remains a possibility. That provision would permit some fifth graders and eighth graders to remain in their current schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we have students who are changing schools for the following school year, we want to welcome them. We want to have open houses. We want to have events that are letting kids come see their new schools, meet their new teachers, meet their new principals and staff, Wachel said. But some Park Hill families dont want to skip to a new school, saying it would be a disruption. The current proposal is unacceptable, one parent said. We moved here specifically for this school district and these schools. Wachel said some families have requested changes to this plan and theyre included in the version district leaders will consider at Thursday evenings public meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android If Thursday nights final outcome is to approve this redistricting plan, students would be assigned to the new Angeline Washington Elementary School in the fall. If the recommendation is against redistricting, district leaders will go back to the drawing board at a future meeting, which would likely happen in January. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. OTTAWA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A senior official in the government of Ontario, Canada, recently warned that the province might ban U.S.-made alcohol and restrict electricity exports to several U.S. states if President-elect Donald Trump imposes tariffs on all Canadian products, according to media reports. This warning, along with others issued by Canadian officials, has heightened concerns about a potential trade war between the United States and one of its most important trading partners. Additionally, Canada's most populous province is considering imposing export bans on critical minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries and barring U.S.-based companies from participating in Ontario's government procurement processes, the senior official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed on Thursday that the province is considering cutting energy supplies to the U.S. states of Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin. "We power 1.5 million (U.S.) homes, and if they impose tariffs, it will become unaffordable for Americans to buy electricity," Ford told reporters. "If you come and attack Ontario, you attack the livelihoods of people in Ontario and Canadians, we are going to use every tool in our toolbox to defend Ontarians and Canadians," said Ford. Commenting on Ford's warnings, Trump said on the same day, "That's OK if he does that. That's fine." "I have so many friends in Canada, but we shouldn't have to subsidize a country," said the U.S. president-elect, who announced in late November his intention to impose a sweeping 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico. Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with provincial premiers to coordinate a response to the potential tariffs. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland revealed that several premiers supported "a robust Canadian response," including restricting exports of critical minerals and metals to the United States. Freeland also noted that Canadian business and labor leaders are engaging with their U.S. counterparts to address the issue. The proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico would significantly impact U.S. consumers, driving up prices for automobiles, vegetables, fuel, prepared foods, and animal products, according to a Peterson Institute report cited by CNN on Thursday. "American consumers and firms will bear the effect of higher tariffs, with substantial cost for the average American household, and a burden that falls more heavily on lower income households," said Peterson Institute researchers. Meanwhile, a Nanos Research survey commissioned by CTV News earlier this month revealed that approximately 65 percent of Canadians would be "less likely" or "somewhat less likely" to purchase U.S. products if the proposed tariffs were implemented. A model by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce estimates that a 10 percent tariff alone would shrink Canada's GDP by 0.9 to 1 percent, costing approximately 30 billion Canadian dollars (21.3 billion U.S. dollars) annually, while the United States could lose 125 billion (88.8 billion U.S. dollars) a year. A 25 percent tariff would likely amplify these losses, according to a Canadian Press report in November. URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) The final recommendations are in for a busy stretch of road on the University of Illinois campus, and now officials want to hear from the public. The project team investigated ways of improving traffic flow and safety of the Lincoln Ave. corridor between Green St. and Florida Ave. in Urbana. Champaign County planner J.D. McClanahan said they took on the challenge after learning of a dangerous intersection from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Reducing disproportionate drownings: U of I student develops water safety program Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were definitely frequent complaints about conflicts between different users, McClanahan said. Pedestrians not feeling comfortable stepping into traffic and drivers not knowing if pedestrians were coming or going, or how to respond to them. Not having a whole lot of facilities for cyclists along the corridor. Some recommended changes include new bike lanes, flashing pedestrian signs and getting rid of merging lanes. Residents have until Jan. 3 to submit their suggestions. For more information visit this link. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. (Bloomberg) -- Finland is considering whether it can confiscate real estate holdings on the grounds that they may pose a threat to its national security after years of Russians buying assets, including near critical infrastructure. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a 12-month project kicked off by the Ministry of Defense, officials will examine amending current legislation on the expropriation of immovable property and special rights, the government said in a statement on Friday. Its important that we have more effective ways to address real estate ownership that poses a potential threat to security, even afterward, Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said. Besides posing a military threat, real estate can be exploited to impact critical infrastructure and vital functions of society. National security concerns among Finnish security planners, politicians and the public have intensified over property acquisitions and holdings by people from, or with links to, Russia. Over the years there have been numerous reports in Finland highlighting suspicious properties, some of which have contained fortifications with helipad fields, loss-making hotels kept afloat with owners linked to Russia as well as purchases in locations near critical infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Nordic member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is also working on a full ban of real estate purchases by Russians. A draft law was unveiled in September and may be presented to parliament before year-end. The government is already able to review transactions by buyers from outside the European Union and European Economic Area, and on Thursday denied permits for two real estate purchases by Russian buyers on national security grounds, the latest in a string of such decisions. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. GRAVESEND, Brooklyn (PIX 11) A three-alarm fire in Gravesend tore through a two-family home under construction at 1834 East 4th Street Thursday, according to the FDNY. Fire officials say the inferno erupted just after 2:15 in the afternoon. More Local News Upon arrival, this building was fully involved, said Kevin Woods, Chief of Fire Operations at the FDNY. The building was under construction. We had workers in the building that did self-evacuate. There are no injuries to those workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FDNY said the fire started while contractors were welding as part of ongoing renovations. Fire officials believe a small fire extended to nearby beams before quickly growing bigger. They did call 911 to alert us, Chief Fire Marshall Dan Flynn said. There are permits in place for work to be conducted at that building. We will examine those permits and make sure that they were operating responsibly. The flames spread to homes on both sides of the building. PIX11 News watched as one family removed their belongings from one of those homes, declining to comment. One neighbor who chose to remain anonymous said he witnessed a life-saving moment. There was big flames, he said. Smoke. I thought it was dangerous the smoke. It smelled like electric. There was a woman that ran and saved a baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters were forced to battle the blaze from the outside due to concerns about the structures stability, according to the FDNY, which said the roof of the building collapsed early into the operation. Fire officials escalated the response to a second and third-alarm fire with 140 firefighters and EMS personnel responding. The American Red Cross has offered assistance to families impacted by the fire, but they said all residents could self-relocate with friends and family. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) First lady Jill Biden hosted a Toys for Tots event at the White House on Friday with local Marine Corps families. The annual event is part of the first ladys Joining Forces initiative, which is focused on supporting military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors. If you only remember one thing from the holidays, after all the wrapping paper is cleaned up, let it be this: you are loved, Jill Biden said. The best thing that we can do with that love is to let it overflow, to share it with others who might really need it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first lady invited children from military families to join her in sorting toys that will be distributed to families in need ahead of the holidays. Its the fourth year Jill Biden has participated in the event. The U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program has been helping families since 1947 and to date has distributed more than 652 million toys. Last year, the program delivered 25.5 million toys to over 10 million children, according to U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Leonard Anderson IV. This year we think were going to set another record, he said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Around 21 months ago, Fort Smith was selected to host a new training center for Foreign Military Sales for F-35 jets. Next week, the first of those state-of-the-art planes will be delivered to Ebbing Air National Guard Base. Ebbing Air National Guard Base exercise brings F-35s to Fort Smith A news release from Ebbing ANGB confirmed that the first Polish Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft will arrive in Fort Smith on Friday, December 20. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This marks a significant milestone in the Foreign Military Sales training program and highlights the strong partnership between the United States and Poland, according to the release. The Polish pilot training program in Fort Smith officially begins in January 2025. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) Youre probably very lucky if you ever get paid to work your dream job. In the case of Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office Deputy William Ricketts, hes worked both of his dream jobs. The native of Lilburn, Georgia said he knew what he wanted to do as soon as he saw Top Gun. We left the movie, my parents asked me what I thought about it, and I told him, thats what I wanted to do when I grew up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ricketts followed that dream to the United States Navy. He became a Naval Flight Officer and flew aboard F/A-18F jets. Ill never forget my first flight in the Super Hornet. It was amazing, something that, you know, you dream of, and it happens, Ricketts recalled. Then my first carrier landed, absolutely scared, excited and nervous at the same time. But it was, it was amazing. Ricketts called himself a back-seater in those aircraft. Think Goose from Top Gun. However, the life of a Navy aviator isnt filled with bar serenades and beach volleyball. Youre always, constantly studying, whether its tactics, whether its just being a better aviator, Ricketts told 7NEWS. A lot of learning to think fast and just adapt to the continuing environment that changes constantly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consider that dream job one completed after 11 years of service. I always wanted to be a fighter pilot, but I ended up being a weapon system officer in the back seat, you know, according to Ricketts. But always, then, always wanted to be a police officer. Ricketts worked for agencies in the Midlands and the Lowcountry before joining the Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office in 2021. He is now a full-time rated helicopter pilot and is responsible for training Tactical Flight Officers for the SCSO Aviation Unit. Well respond to calls for service if were not up already doing a patrol flight. And any of the guys, the patrol officers, or any of our divisions that are on the ground working things, well go over and assist them with suspects who might run flee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If their vehicle pursuits, we can follow and look for those people, the deputy said Ricketts still loves the ride after going from U.S. Navy jets to the Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office helicopter. Its lower, its a lot slower, but its, its amazing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Five out of nine nuclear power units have reduced power output due to Russia's missile attack on the energy sector. Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Quote from IAEA: "Today, 5 of Ukraines 9 operating nuclear reactor units have reduced power output due to renewed attacks on energy infrastructure." Background: Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that Russia launched a large-scale attack on the Ukrainian energy sector on the morning of 13 December. The attack severely damaged equipment at DTEK's thermal power plant, the largest private energy company in Ukraine. Ukrenergo, Ukraines state-owned electricity transmission operator, issued consumption restriction measures to half of Ukraine's population, using blackout schedules as a result of the Russian missile attack. Support UP or become our patron! A Florida woman was taken into custody after she allegedly threatened her health insurance provider in a phone call after being denied medical claims. Briana Boston, 42, is facing a charge of threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. The case came to light on Tuesday, Dec. 10, when the FBI reached out to the Lakeland Police Department about an alleged threat over the phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boston allegedly contacted Blue Cross Blue Shield that same day about recent medical insurance claims she'd been denied. Near the end of the call, Boston stated in sum and substance, Delay, deny, depose. You people are next,' according to the affidavit. Related: Weeks Before 'Brazen' Shooting in New York City, Suspect Luigi Mangione's Mom Reported Him Missing The phone call was allegedly recorded. The words are similar to the engravings with the words "deny," "defend," and "depose found at the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Those words echoed "Deny, delay, defend," a phrase about the insurance industry to describe a strategy of rejecting claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement University of Pennsylvania graduate Luigi Mangione is the prime suspect in the slaying of Thompson. Boston spoke to police after the incident and apologized, stating she "used those words because its what is in the news right now, per the affidavit. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Boston advised she learned of the phrase because of the current events regarding the UnitedHealthcare homicide," according to the affidavit. "Boston further stated the healthcare companies played games and deserve karma from the world because they are evil. Blue Cross Blue Shield couldnt be reached for comment. It is unclear if Boston has entered a plea or retained an attorney. Read the original article on People Photo illustration by Getty Images. The Flathead County Commissioners appear ready to pass on a $9 million investment in affordable housing, despite Flathead Countys status as one of the most expensive places to live in Montana. The 2023 legislature enacted the Montana Community Reinvestment Plan through House Bill 819 to allocate $56 million in state funding to provide homebuyer assistance to low- and middle-income residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 40 counties, including 11 of the 12 most populous, have already opted into the program, or scheduled a vote to do so. Butte-Silver Bow commissioner Hattie Thatcher said at a committee meeting earlier this month that the program was a great use of the states surplus funds. I think denying it would be absolutely absurd, she said. Flathead County is an outlier. The Flathead County Commissioners have yet to schedule an agenda item to consider approving the funding before the state-imposed deadline, and earlier this week, business and nonprofit leaders in the community said the county is virtually giving away money that could support some of the countys low- and middle-income residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im hopeful they will not cheat the community of the Flathead Valley out of $9 million of potential investment in housing. It seems like the fair thing to do is to have an honest conversation about it, Kim Morisaki, executive director of the Northwest Montana Community Land Trust, told the Daily Montanan. But at least two members of the commission remain doubtful. HB 819 proposes a socialized program because it is taxpayer funded and government regulated, Commissioner Randy Brodehl wrote in an email to the Daily Montanan. I support slowing down or stopping the socialization of county government. Community Reinvestment Housing affordability in Montana has been a growing problem in recent years as the state has experienced a population boom while housing inventory has stagnated, trends that worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Zillows Home Values Index, the median home price in Montana has increased from $271,726 in January 2020 to a record high $452,050 last month. The growing housing crisis prompted Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte to create a Housing Task Force in 2022, aimed at providing future legislatures a roadmap to begin tackling the problem. House Bill 819, passed by the 2023 legislature with bipartisan support, created several programs designed to address housing issues across the state. One of those, the Montana Community Reinvestment Act, created a deed-restricted housing program funded with $50 million of state money that will be allocated proportionally to counties based on their GDP. An additional $6 million is set aside for counties near state-owned facilities that house at least 100 inmates Deer Lodge, Custer and Powell counties as a state workforce housing incentive. A screenshot from the HB 819 fiscal note showing the funding amounts for the community reinvestment act and additional workforce housing incentive The bill requires counties to affirmatively opt in to the program and designate a Community Reinvestment Organization a federally recognized charitable organization or certified economic or housing development organization as a partner to oversee the program and its funding. Partner CROs are also responsible for matching the state funds with private investment, doubling the total pot of money to $112 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three organizations applied to become CROs through the state Housing Authority Billings, now known as Homefront, NeighborWorks Montana, and its partner organization NeighborWorks Great Falls. Both Homefront and NeighborWorks have decades-long histories working in the realm of housing education and counseling, homebuyer assistance and affordable housing solutions, including administering federal programs. Under the homebuyer assistance program, residents who make from 60% to 140% of the area median income qualify for interest-free loans up to 30% of the total purchase price for a home. The program also caps monthly payments for the home at 30% of gross income, providing a limit to what homebuyers can purchase. Homes purchased under the program become deed-restricted, and homeowners can only realize a 1% per year increase in value if they choose to sell their home the difference between the 1% cap and the homes total appreciation goes into the CROs revolving fund to perpetuate the program. Its a really limited equity cap. Home buyers are going to get out essentially what they put in, and maybe have a little bit of extra. What this really does is allows for stability, and its not that theyre coming away from this program with nothing, said NeighborWorks Montana Homeownership Director Hanna Tester. This is sort of an interim mechanism between renting and home ownership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Montana Department of Labor and Industry lists Bozeman, the Flathead Valley and Missoula regions as the states most expensive areas with median home prices out-matching median incomes by nearly a factor of 10. County commissioners in Gallatin and Missoula counties were swift in opting into the homebuyer program, and local political leaders said it will make a difference. This will create homeownership opportunities for Missoulians where those opportunities do not exist today because of the high-priced market, Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis, a former affordable housing nonprofit executive director, said in a statement to the Daily Montanan. These are people working, learning and retiring in our community. A pathway to homeownership allows families to build equity and pass on generational wealth. This is a solid step in the right direction. However, the program isnt the right fit for every county. On the states far east side Fallon County, with around 3,000 residents, had a state allocation of $145,000 before the CRO match. The county commissioners at their Dec. 9 meeting unanimously voted against opting into the community reinvestment program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We could really see the design of that program was for urban counties, it wasnt for rural counties, Commission chairperson Steve Baldwin told the Daily Montanan. I get it if we could allow $2 million for our county, but ultimately the final number didnt make sense. It could maybe help one or two people and that would be great for those two people but its not going to solve our housing problem, and weve had housing issues forever. Sweet Grass County also voted against the program and its $225,000 share. Across the rest of the state, at least 45 counties have signed resolutions to opt in to the program, or have made verbal intentions to sign with a CRO, as of Dec. 12. Some, like Butte-Silver Bow, intend to opt in, but have yet to choose which CRO to partner with. The Daily Montanan was unable to confirm the status of 6 counties, while at least two county commissions Valley and Sanders were unaware of the program and its impending deadline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Disbelief in the Flathead Morisaki, with the Northwest Montana Community Land Trust, was one of several community members who spoke at a Flathead County Commission meeting on Tuesday, requesting they add a discussion and potential vote on the community reinvestment funding to the agenda before the holidays. The world has changed drastically in the last 10 years, and we need to be creative in how to solve housing, Morisaki told the Daily Montanan. The Legislature was elected and passed this bill. Its not for us to second guess at this point. Its another tool in the toolbox, and we deserve to be able to access the whole toolbox. Daniel Sidder, executive director of Housing Whitefish, also spoke to the county commission and in a phone call to the Daily Montanan called the lack of affirmative action a disservice to local taxpayers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre paying for a program through their taxes, but they arent going to be eligible to participate in the community benefits, Sidder said. This feels like a place where personal beliefs on taxation, on the role of government and how funds are used could lead to a decision that will have a negative impact on constituents. Personal philosophies are getting in the way of solutions that are bipartisan in nature, at least at the state Capitol level. It feels disconnected from our communities on the ground. The three Republican Flathead County Commission often talk about their pride in running a fiscally conservative county, and feel strongly about their responsibility to limit the use of taxpayer money. Thats one reason commissioner Randy Brodehl is struggling with HB 819, which he has not completely closed the door on. I am hung up on whether it is the right thing to do for our tax-paying citizens, he wrote in an email. Because the legislature and governor approved spending taxpayer money in this way, doesnt mean that I should agree that it is the right thing to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also believes that private investment is the best option for addressing the housing crisis because it isnt based on taking from one person to benefit another person. Government funding, like HB 819, is a shifting of risk off a small number of new, lower income (less than $140,000) first-time buyers, onto the backs of a larger group of taxpayers who are often stressed to their tax limits already. HB 819 funding has already been allocated by the legislature, although half of Flathead County legislators opposed the bill. It would not lead to an increase in taxes, and the funding allocated to a county that decides not to participate will be redistributed to the rest of the state. Brodehl says those arguments are likely true. But, if it is the wrong thing to do, [it] doesnt make it any more OK for me to support it. Lorraine Clarno, CEO and executive director of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, pushed back against the claims of socialism to the Daily Montanan. We are fiscally conservative, we favor small government, but we dont view this as an entitlement or socialism. This money came about legitimately under Montana tax rates and the state surplus existed because of growth in our communities, Clarno said. Its our elected officials responsibility to use that extra funding to improve our quality of life and help with that growth. She added that the commissioners reluctance to push the funding through is just remarkable to me. I dont understand it. Clarno said that factoring in the 30% homebuyer assistance, and a home priced at $400,000 to $500,000, the funding allocated to Flathead County could make a difference for 60-70 families. We have so many folks, whether in manufacturing, teachers, firefighters, sheriffs its those folks who will qualify for this, she said. Of course, housing prices in the Flathead Valley, and in much of Montana, remain at or near all-time highs, which could limit the reach of even a large investment. The Bureau of Business and Economic Research presented the Median Sale Price of Single Family Homes in 2024 in Montana. (Slide by Patrick Barkey | BBER). The median home price in Flathead County this year was around $650,000, with the average home price $896,000. That's unattainable for me, maybe for you, certainly for most of the people in this room. An $896,000 house as your first house, it's not doable. Even 600,000 isnt, Morisaki told the commissioners at their meeting. This program would make a $400,000 house basically a $280,000 mortgage for somebody. That's doable. That's good for people who work in your courthouse, people who work at the city water department, the mechanic down at Toyota, your young sheriff with a wife and two kids this program is for them. A commission out of lockstep Flathead County Commissioner Brad Abell, who was elected to his first term in 2020, supports the funding but has been unable to convince his colleagues of his position. I share some of their concerns about governments role in all of this, but the moneys already spent. That decision was made before it got to us, Abell told the Daily Montanan. At this point theres nothing to be gained by turning it down. Abell said he has concerns about the deed restrictions built into the program, as it will limit the benefits that the homeowners can reap, but he understands theres a tradeoff to getting help on the front end. When you have the choice between no homeownership and a reduced ability to reap the rewards well if theyre renting, they wont reap any rewards either, Abell said. I think everybody just needs to go in with their eyes wide open. Abell said that he routinely hears from constituents who are facing the difficult decision whether to move out of the Flathead due to rising unaffordability, and housing is one component of that. I really think this would be a benefit to citizens here, even though I see the pitfalls of it, Abell said. We need pathways to homeownership. The third Flathead County Commissioner, Pam Holmquist, told the Daily Montanan shes still in the information gathering stage. She said she feels the bill was poorly written and is vague on procedure and she has a lot of questions she needs answers to. I dont know if its the right thing to do, Holmquist said. If I put my name to it and I bless it, Id better believe in it. I was put here to look at these things and do my due diligence. It will reflect back on the commissioners no matter what we do. Counties have until Dec. 31 to opt in to the housing program and select a CRO to partner with. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Several of Utahs heavy-duty vehicles will be replaced with zero-emission vehicles over the next several years thanks to a $60 million awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Utah was one of 26 states to receive a part of the federal grant from the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program. The program will distribute $1 billion nationwide to replace fossil fuel heavy-duty vehicles such as school buses, garbage trucks, and transit buses, among others. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality said its $60 million portion of the grant will be used to fund 171 zero-emission vehicles within the Beehive State. Of those vehicles, 120 will be school buses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sierra Club Utah, a nonprofit environmental organization, said Utah students have been advocating for cleaner school technologies since 2019. This includes electric buses and commitments from schools to achieve clean electricity by 2030. Davis County opens five Warming Center bus stops during Code Blue events These young leaders have organized outreach and called on their districts and state to prioritize schools for these transformative benefits, said Rebekah Ashley, the lead organizer at Sierra Club Utah. This weeks Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program announcement is a reflection of their unwavering commitment and the growing momentum for cleaner, healthier schools in our state. The grant comes just a week after Utah saw some of the worst air quality nationwide due to the build-up of pollution as inversion gripped the Wasatch Front. The visible and irritating haze is built from pollutants from vehicles, wood burning, and industry, according to the DEQ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Utah has already begun replacing fossil-fuel school buses throughout the state. In 2021, the Salt Lake City School District added four electric buses to its fleet. In 2023, the Uintah School District purchased 10 electric buses and earlier this year, the Morgan School District received two electric buses. Every student deserves access to clean air, and investing in electric school buses is a crucial step our state can take to reduce pollution, said Sophia Chang, a senior in the Granite School District. This award is a significant milestone, and I hope local school districts, including mine, take full advantage of the opportunities it brings to retire diesel buses and improve our quality. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. PARIS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has nominated Francois Bayrou as France's new prime minister, the Elysee announced in a press release on Friday. "The President of the Republic has nominated Mr. Francois Bayrou as Prime Minister and tasked him with forming a government," Macron's office said. Francois Bayrou, a centrist ally of Macron, succeeds Michel Barnier who was outed in a no-confidence vote. Bayrou now needs to form a government and make a 2025 budget adopted by the French National Assembly. Born in 1952, Bayrou founded the centrist party Democratic Movement (MoDem) in 2007. He ran as a presidential candidate three times, in 2002, 2007, and 2012. After the announcement of the Elysee, Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right wing party National Rally (RN) told French news channel BFMTV that his party would not immediately censor Bayrou. However, Bardella called on Bayrou to "take into consideration the new political situation" and to "understand that he has no democratic legitimacy nor the majority in the National Assembly, which requires a dialogue with all the forces represented in the parliament." The hard-left party La France Insoumise (LFI) has announced a plan to launch a no-confidence vote to bring down the newly nominated Bayrou. The LFI has repeatedly said that the position of prime minister should be given to someone from the left-wing parties alliance who won the most seats in the snap legislative elections this year. The French National Assembly voted Dec. 4 in favor of the no-confidence motion, compelling Michel Barnier to resign and causing the government to collapse. Barnier's government became the first to fall to a no-confidence vote since 1962. NEW YORK (WPIX) A flight from LaGuardia Airport to North Carolina was diverted to John F. Kennedy International Airport on Thursday evening due to a reported bird strike, according to American Airlines. American Airlines flight 1722 took off around 7:20 p.m. and landed around 8 p.m. at JFK, according to FlightAware. The pilot of the Airbus A321 declared an emergency at 7:52 p.m. and diverted to Kennedy, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates both the New York areas major airports, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flight was headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, and officials said there were 190 passengers and six crew members on board at the time. Drone operators worry that anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictions No injuries were reported, and the plane was being inspected by American Airlines maintenance team. The aircraft landed safely at JFK where it will be inspected by our maintenance team, the airline said. We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused. The flight was rescheduled for Friday morning, and the Federal Aviation Administration said its investigating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FAA says bird strikes are increasing, with 19,400 strikes at 713 airports across the U.S. last year alone. Rarely do they cause so much damage that commercial jetliners are forced to make emergency landings. This bird strike disabling a commercial jet recalled the so-called Miracle on the Hudson, which like Thursdays American Airlines flight involved a plane leaving LaGuardia for Charlotte. That US Airways jet hit a flock of birds on Jan. 15, 2009, and lost power in both engines shortly after takeoff. Pilot Chesley Sully Sullenberger was hailed as a hero after he landed the powerless plane in the Hudson River and all 155 people on board were rescued. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A Florida woman is facing several charges after police said she organized a string of retail thefts around the state. Attorney General Ashley Moody said Lourdes Rodriguez and others stole from Walgreens, CVS, Ulta Beauty and liquor stores. Some of the locations were reportedly in Seminole County. Watch: Orange County deputies search for people involved in violent street takeover Investigators said the thefts resulted in the loss of at least $15,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her arrest is the third, connected to a larger organized retail theft group that caused more than $100,000 in losses across the state. Watch: It started smoking: Driver called 911 after she felt trapped in Rivian SUV Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A Florida woman was charged by police on Tuesday after ending a call with an insurance company by saying, Delay, Deny, Depose, the three words that are reminiscent of writings found in the shell casings retrieved at UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thomposons murder scene in New York last week. Lakeland resident Briana Boston was seen in tears in court after the FBI tipped off the Lakeland Police Department who subsequently arrested the 42-year-old. According to her arrest affidavit, Boston was on call with insurance company BlueCross BlueShield regarding recent medical claims she was denied when she made the alleged threat. Toward the end of the call, law enforcement said Boston could be heard saying: Delay, deny, depose. You people are next. Police discovered those same words on bullet casings at the scene of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompsons murder and allegedly reflect the wording of a 2010 book, Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Dont Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her affidavit noted that the phone call was recorded in its entirety and that the words Boston used have become nationally recognized as a slogan directed against insurance companies. Shes been in this world long enough that she certainly should know better that you cant make threats like that in the current environment that we live in and think that were not going to follow up and put you in jail, said Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor, per WFLA . After police made contact with Boston, she reportedly admitted to saying the words on the call and told detectives healthcare companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil. She also apparently added that she used that specific phrase because its what is in the news right now and learned it off Thompsons assassination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police also said that Boston told officers she did not own any firearms and was not a danger to anyone. She readily admitted that, Yeah thats exactly what I said but I didnt mean anything by it, Chief Taylor said. Well, you dont get to pull that back after you say it. She was charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, according to the affidavit. A judge set her bond at $100,000, describing it as appropriate considering the status of our country at this point. In footage from her court appearance, Boston appeared to cry after learning that she was going to be placed in jail on a triple-figure bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her attorney Jim Headley told the court, My client is 42, married mother of three. Never had any criminal charges or convictions. May you release her on her own recognizance. Since 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was named the top suspect in Thompsons killing, alarming trends inspired by evidence allegedly gathered around him have emerged. On Tuesday, a series of Wanted posters of corporate executives appeared around New York with some similarly quoting the Deny. Defend. Depose. slogan found in the crime scenes shell casings. LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) A Florida woman has been charged with threatening her health insurance provider during a phone conversation after police say she uttered the same words found on the bullet casings used in the killing of an insurance executive in New York. Briana Boston, 42, told a representative of Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delay, deny, depose. You people are next as they ended a phone call Tuesday in which she unsuccessfully challenged the company's denial of her insurance claim, Lakeland police say a recording shows. The words delay, deny and depose were written on the casings left at the scene of the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street on Dec. 4. The words reflect the delay, deny, defend strategy some insurance companies use in dealing with expensive claims: Delay the decision, deny the claim and aggressively defend themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luigi Mangione, 26, is charged with murder in Thompson's killing. According to police, when Boston was questioned by officers Wednesday, she told them she used the words because it is what is in the news right now. She told officers she owns no guns and is accused of adding that insurance companies are evil and deserve karma. Boston was arrested and charged with threatening to conduct an act of terrorism. She was being held without bail Friday at the Polk County jail. Court records do not show whether she has an attorney, and a phone listing at her home address was disconnected. The charge is a second-degree felony, which could be punished by up to 15 years in prison if she is convicted. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Roughly 200,000 San Diego County households get their tap water from the Sweetwater Authority. In a recent safety test, however, that water flagged a toxic chemical called PFAS, also known as a forever chemical. The level is not enough for action, but enough to trigger a mandatory state warning. We have one data point. There is a lot of things that we are waiting for, a lot of information, said Paulina Martinez Perez, the chairwoman of the Sweetwater Authority. The water is safe to drink, and we are ready and prepared to do whatever we need to do in order to continue delivering safe and reliable water to our customers. Chula Vista Entertainment Complex to bring film production to South Bay Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Karen Henry, a retired water engineer and rate payer of the Sweetwater Authority, explained that shes trying to understand more about what this means for her own tap water in Chula Vista. These contaminants are coming through my pipes to my house today, said Henry. With new stricter California regulations set to take effect in 2029, Sweetwater Authority will be looking to potentially spend millions of dollars trying to mitigate PFAS in the future. Water Resources Manager Felix Felix says the sooner the better. Yes, they are finding PFAS in the reservoir and there is a reason they have to move forward withwell if we are finding PFAS and it continues to climb, if it does than they are going to have to find someway to treat that, said Felix. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As or Henry, she says she cant wait for 2029. I am literally terrified; I do not have a treatment system, she explained. Ive work 30 years in this industry and I always drank the water. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and President-elect Donald Trump's nomination for Israel ambassador, gives a speech in Little Rock on Dec. 12, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said he didnt ask President-elect Donald Trump to nominate him as ambassador to Israel, but it is the only role that would have prompted that Isaiah moment and say, Here am I, Lord. Send Me. In a wide-ranging speech at the annual Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce meeting Thursday, Huckabee discussed the spiritual connection he feels to Israel, his surprise at Trumps nomination, his stance on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, recognition for fellow Arkansan Warren Stephens United Kingdom Ambassador nomination, and the pride he feels for his daughter, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders attends the annual Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce meeting on Dec. 12, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) Sanders, who introduced her dad at the well-attended event, said that aside from her parents moving to a dangerous war zone, the only downside to Huckabees nomination is that Sanders children will miss their favorite, and cheapest, babysitter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huckabee alluded that the role of ambassador to Israel is the only one he would have accepted. I had no interest in babysitting a bureaucracy or oiling the machinery of somebodys bloated government agency, Huckabee said. I did enough of that as a governor. But the one that [Trump] could have asked, and he did ask, I believe in all my heart is an extraordinary and incredible privilege and honor. Trump nominated Huckabee on Nov. 12, a selection that will go before the U.S. Senate for confirmation in 2025. Following the announcement, at least two Little Rock-based organizations Taste of Olam Haba and Little Rock Peace for Palestine issued statements opposing Huckabees nomination. Huckabees support for Israel is deeply rooted in Christian Zionism, a theology that sees Israel and the Jewish people as a vehicle for the fulfillment of Christian prophecy, Taste of Olam Haba said at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huckabee has no foreign policy experience, but has traveled to Israel dozens of times after his first trip in 1973, when he was 17 years old. Among those visits was one with his daughter, which Sanders said Thursday was one of the most transformational experiences of my childhood. Huckabee also leads tours through Israel, and said he has likely taken tens of thousands of people through the country. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in Little Rock on Dec. 12, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) Though he said he expects to be in a challenging environment, Huckabee also said he will go with an extraordinary joy of being able to be witness of a level of history in a part of the world where history is made every single day. Huckabee made several references to his faith during Thursdays speech and said the nomination was not a political issue as much as it is a spiritual issue. He maintained his staunch support for Israel as he referenced the conflict in the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The level of antisemitism that we have seen, even here in our own county, is absolutely disgusting, he said. On some of our most prestigious college campuses, college students are chanting from the river to the sea, without even a clue of what theyre even asking for. College students who protested the war in Gaza this year and called for a ceasefire in the Middle East faced pushback from many people, including U.S. House leaders. Referencing Stephens ambassador nomination on Thursday, Huckabee said he hoped that maybe youll let another ambassador from a smaller place come and visit you sometime when were just wanting to get away from the rockets and the bombs and the missiles. Arkansas businessman Warren Stephens, who is also President-elect Donald Trumps nomination for UK ambassador, attends an event in Little Rock on Dec. 12, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) Huckabee cracked several jokes throughout his speech, and while the former received seemingly worrisome laughter from the audience, the following was a hit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have one request for those of you who are planning to come see me in Israel: please bring Petit Jean bacon. Its hard to get there. It really, really is, Huckabee said. And as the first-ever evangelical Christian to be named ambassador to Israel, there will be some things that I wont be able to completely let go of with my Arkansas roots. Huckabee served as governor from 1996 through 2006 and ran for president in the 2008 and 2016 Republican primaries. Also an ordained Southern Baptist pastor, Huckabee hosts a talk show on Trinity Broadcasting Network. He previously hosted shows on Fox News and was syndicated on Cumulus Media Networks. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A former top Department of Defense communications official was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for his role in a D.C.-area dogfighting ring. Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr., 64, was first linked to the dogfighting ring dubbed "[D.C. Maryland and Virginia] Board" in 2018, when officers from the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, animal control responded to a report of two dead dogs in plastic bags at his home. The officers found the dogs with markings consistent with dogfighting. The two dogs were just the tip of the iceberg, according to investigators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moorefield, who served as the deputy chief information officer for command, control and operations for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, operated under the kennel name "Geehad Kennels" and used his home to keep and train dogs to fight in the DMV Board's violent matches. The Justice Department says numerous other members of the DMV Board have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the dogfighting ring. Moorefield pleaded guilty in September to federal charges of conspiracy to engage in animal fighting and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. He was still serving in his role at the Defense Department when he was charged. Investigators found messages on Moorefield's phone and other devices that show the former military official placing wagers on dogs with other members of the board, the means to carry out the dogfighting ring and attempting to figure out who the "snitch" was in the ring, because other members of the "DMV Board" had been prosecuted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Man who ran dogfighting ring with more than 50 dogs training at his property sentenced He also communicated about his dogs fighting others dogs. Between January 2019 and October 2023, Moorefield sent and received CashApp transactions with misleading names, according to the Justice Department. In 2022, Moorefield received a $1,000 transaction labeled as a "housewarming gift" from a known dogfighter. When federal agents searched Moorefield's residence in September of 2023, they found five pit-bull type dogs in large metal cages in a windowless room in his basement, according to DOJ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Agents also found several containers of animal medication, dog food, and protein powder in the same room, in addition to a jumper-cable device Moorefield used to kill a dog. Law enforcement also seized a large folded-up, blood-stained piece of carpet from a shed which the Justice Department says was used the as the floor of an arena to stage tests on the dog's ability to fight. Former Defense Department deputy chief sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for role in dogfighting ring originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Dec. 12A former high school ROTC coordinator has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison after he was accused of sexual battery and child sexual abuse material charges connected to two minors, including one of his students. Eriks Gunars Fricsons, 54, of Fairborn was sentenced Thursday by Greene County Common Pleas Judge Adolfo A. Tornichio to 12 to 16 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 24 counts of sexual battery and 26 counts of pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, all felony charges. He also will have five years of parole and was designated a Tier III sex offender. The highest level, it will require him to register his address with his local sheriff's office every 90 days for the rest of his life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Greene County Prosecutor's Office, Fricsons was "involved" with a high school student having family issues who Fricsons allowed to stay in his home. At the time, Fricsons was a Fairborn High School teacher and Junior ROTC instructor. Ohio Department of Education records show that Fricsons had one-year temporary military science licenses in effect from July 2016 through July 2022. For almost a year, the prosecutor's office said that Fricsons provided the student with alcohol and marijuana, leading to "an intimate relationship." A search warrant executed at the home found child sexual abuse material, which led Fairborn police to identify a second juvenile who was not his student. Court records show the original 40 charges each of sexual battery and pandering sexually-oriented material came in pairs tied to 40 dates between April 2021 and April 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first charge had a listed offense date of April 27, 2021, followed by a nearly eight-week gap before the next date of June 18. During that interval, Fairborn City Schools held two pre-disciplinary hearings. The first, on May 12, 2021, was "to discuss allegations made against Maj. Fricsons by a parent" that he drove students in his personal car, fraternized with students at his home, communicated with students on social media on non-school matters, was seen with his arm around students and counseled students who approached him about personal issues, according to a letter in Fricsons' personnel file. Superintendent Gene Lolli wrote a letter a week later on May 19 that Fricsons violated four school policies, including policies on staff ethics and student supervision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the letter, Lolli advised Fricsons "not to associate or fraternize with students at any time in a manner that may give the appearance of impropriety" and said to "maintain professional staff/student boundaries." He said further violations could result in disciplinary action. Two weeks later, the district put Fricsons on paid administrative leave following allegations that included Fricsons posting photos of female students and recent graduates to his personal Facebook account, some with his arm around the students, according to a letter in his personnel file. The second pre-disciplinary hearing was held June 10, and on June 23 administrators issued a written warning to Fricsons for violating the same four policies, along with two technology policies. In the letter, Lolli wrote, "It is a concern that after (the May 2021 hearing process), you chose to post pictures of students with your arm around them in a public format when this could be alleged to show fraternizing and impropriety." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was another warning of stricter discipline, but the same day Fricsons was cleared to return to work. According to court records, Fricsons' second sexual battery and pandering sexually-oriented material charge happened on June 18, between the second hearing and when he was cleared to return to work. Offense dates listed in the charges then become much more frequent in July and August 2021. Police arrested Fricsons on May 6, 2022, after an investigation, and he was held without bail as the case progressed, the prosecutor's office said. At the time, Fricsons resigned from the school district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greene County Prosecutor David Hayes praised the judge's sentencing of Fricsons to 12 to 16 years. "His methodical, monthslong abuse of the Fairborn High School student in this case represents a betrayal of every trust that was placed in him," Hayes wrote. "He failed in his responsibility as an educator, and he brought shame to the uniform that he wore." BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China has dismantled over 100 underground banks and traced illicit financial transactions totaling over 80 billion yuan (about 11.1 billion U.S. dollars) amid a sweeping crackdown initiated in May. Police nationwide have taken down 263 criminal groups engaged in illegal business operations, human trafficking, fraud, illegal detention and other related crimes, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said at a press conference on Friday. Under the MPS's directive, mainland police, in collaboration with Macao law enforcement, carried out five coordinated raids, resulting in the arrest of 846 criminal suspects. Police in Chongqing Municipality have cracked a gang that has provided money laundering and currency exchange services to gamblers in Macao since 2015. Investigations revealed that the group was involved in illegal detention, extortion and fraud, with illicit funds totaling over 84 million yuan. In another case, police in the city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, smashed a criminal group led by Zhang, suspected of illegal foreign exchange trading. Seventy-five suspects were arrested, and illicit funds totaling 4.1 billion yuan were seized. Through the concerted efforts of mainland and Macao police, coupled with the criminalization of illegal money-exchange activities in Macao, such crimes have been effectively curbed, said the MPS, vowing to persist in the efforts. (NewsNation) Former convicts previously represented by Luigi Mangiones lawyer told NewsNation on Thursday that high-profile inmates upset the natural order in a prison. An anonymous guest, who had previously been in the same prison as the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect, told NewsNations Banfield that disruptions to normalcy include ordering commissary items and having yard privileges. It would disrupt the working processes of the whole campus, he said, if people couldnt go and do their job because everybody was on lockdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luigi Mangiones fellow inmates: Free him, conditions suck During the phone interview, current inmates shouted through the fence at the State Correctional Institution Huntingdon in Pennsylvania, some saying UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect should be transferred to New York Citys Rikers Island. Luigi Mangione and the UnitedHealthcare shooting Fingerprints taken from Mangione match those found on a water bottle near the place in New York City where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot last week. The water bottle was in an alleyway Mangione allegedly ran to after the shooting, sources told NewsNation local affiliate WPIX. Thompson, 50, was killed just before 7 a.m. Dec. 4 near a Midtown Hilton Hotel while he was walking to UnitedHealth Groups annual investor meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NYPD officers searched for the gunman in New York and Georgia. On Monday, police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, responded to reports of a man matching authorities description of the suspect at a local McDonalds. It was there that Mangione was arrested. The NYPD said Mangione matched the description authorities were searching for and that he had with him a mask, firearm, suppressor and fake New Jersey ID that connected him to the shooting. New reporting shows Mangione also had a manifesto and spiral notebook with a to-do list. Mangione allegedly wrote in the manifesto he acted alone and that he apologizes for any strife or traumas, but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites had it coming, the manifesto says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) One of the more engaging justices of the modern South Dakota Supreme Court has passed away. Robert A. Bob Amundson, died on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at Avas House Hospice in Sioux Falls. He was 86 years old. His death was noted by the Supreme Courts current chief justice. The South Dakota judiciary mourns the loss of retired Supreme Court Justice Robert Amundson, whose profound contributions to our states legal system will not be forgotten, Chief Justice Steven R. Jensen said in an official statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noem recommends $10 million cut to SD universities Justice Amundson was a steadfast advocate for fairness and justice, embodying the highest principles of the judiciary during his years of service, Chief Justice Jensen continued. His wisdom, humility, and unwavering dedication leave an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire us all. On behalf of the judiciary, we extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Then-Governor George S. Mickelson in 1987 appointed Amundson, a Sioux Falls native, as a South Dakota circuit judge. In 1991, Governor Mickelson chose Amundson for a seat on the South Dakota Supreme Court. Robert A. Miller was the Supreme Courts chief justice at that time. Miller praised Amundson in on Thursday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He and I were friends since high school. I was surprised and saddened in learning of his passing. He was an excellent justice and a brilliant and trusted colleague on the Supreme Court, Miller told KELOLAND News. As chief justice I could always rely on his opinion and support when dealing with administrative matters. After we moved back to Sioux Falls in 2021, we would periodically get together and talk about the old times, Miller continued. I will miss him. Amundson served 11 years on the Supreme Court, stepping down in 2002. He announced that summer that he would retire the following October 15. He was 64. Having been a member of the South Dakota judiciary for 15-plus years has truly been challenging and rewarding, Amundson said at the time. I was fortunate to have been given the privilege to serve the citizens of South Dakota as a trial judge and as a justice of the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then-Governor Bill Janklow chose Circuit Judge Judith Meierhenry to succeed Amundson. She was the high courts first female justice. Greg Sattizahn, the current state courts administrator, remembered working for the court system while Amundson was one of the five justices, describing Amundson as a really great guy. Retired Circuit Judge William Bill Srtska of Sioux Falls respected Amundson. He was a scholar and rarely issued an opinion as a circuit judge without personal research. He had a great sense of humor. I liked him and will miss him, Srtska told KELOLAND News. He was careful in his actions as a Supreme Court justice and you could rely on his pronouncements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robert A. Bob Amundson was born in Sioux Falls on July 12, 1938. He graduated from Sioux Falls Washington High School in 1956, received his undergraduate degree from Augustana College in Sioux Falls in 1961, and was a 1964 graduate of the University of South Dakota Law School. He then served as a state assistant attorney general from 1965 to 1969, was South Dakota securities commissioner from 1971 to 1974, and had private law practices in Lead and Belle Fourche. He married Katherine Ann Larson on August 7, 1965, and they had three children. Augustana University honored Amundson with an alumni achievement award in 2011. Dave Munson, a long-time state legislator who was later elected as mayor of Sioux Falls, wrote a letter of nomination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As an institution, Augustana has succeeded in graduating students with not just a high level of education, but a deep understanding of Christian values and the need to serve others. Augustana is a place that rewards honesty, loyalty and integrity. I can think of few people who embody the vision and mission of Augustana as completely and thoroughly as Robert Amundson, Munson stated. He is most deserving of your prestigious honor. Another letter of nomination came from Frank Brost, who was chief of staff in the administrations of Mickelson and, after the 1993 plane crash that killed Mickelson and seven others, Governor Walter Dale Miller. Brost wrote, Bob Amundson has had a very distinguished career in the legal profession in the state of South Dakota as evidenced by the body of work he has performed for the people of South Dakota. He has made major sacrifices by pursuing public service employment while many have enriched themselves in the private sector. I cant imagine anyone more worthy of this award than Bob Amundson. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A former Parks & Recreation Commissioner is sharing his side of the story two months after criticizing a new stadium idea for the Kansas City Royals. Tom Gorenc spoke out against the team building at Washington Square Park in October. In an interview with Mayor Quinton Lucas on Friday, December 6, FOX4 asked about Gorencs situation after looking at part of the citys charter. Part of Article X says, A member may be removed by the council upon recommendation of the Mayor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were covering a lot, but Mr. Gorenc resigned, Mayor Lucas said when asked why there wasnt a city council vote when he removed Mr. Gorenc. He resigned from the Parks Board. He has expressed that to a number of folks at City Hall, and thats my understanding of why hes no longer on the Parks Board. Gorenc, on the other hand, claims thats not the case. I was called by his office on a Tuesday, and they told me that they were thinking about letting me go, Gorenc said. Then on a Friday, they called and Morgan Said called me and said that the decision was made that I am removed from the Kansas City Parks Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gorenc said he did not mean to upset anyone when he criticized the idea of the Royals building a ballpark at Washington Square Park. I honestly wasnt going after the Royals. I was going after the park, Gorenc said. The teams never named that site publicly though. Thursday, Royals Vice President of Communications Sam Mellinger said the team was exploring all options. Both Gorenc and Former Parks Commissioner David Mecklenburg said if the Parks & Recreation Department sells their land, that requires a vote of the people. FOX4 asked Mayor Lucas if he thought the city could get around having a vote of the people if the Royals were interested in that site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its vastly premature to think about how we build a stadium at Washington Square Park, he responded. What Ill say is this, I appreciate the collaboration that weve had both at the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs in discussions as to how we make sure they can have a home in Kansas City long term. Mayor Lucas also said he had no interest in trying to circumvent anyone, and theyll have robust public conversations in whatever decisions are made long term. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) Hurricane recovery for Tampa Bays coastal communities will continue into 2025. However, some families will wave the white flag and leave before the year is up if hurricane recovery carries too big of a price tag. Lakeland woman threatens insurance company, says Delay, Deny, Depose: police Isabel Romero plans to repair her flood-damaged home but then rent it out to someone after losing so much. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My daughter lost all her clothes, all her books, everything, Romero said. I lost almost everything. The Romero family already had plans to leave for a new job, but hurricane recovery is making the move more stressful. However, some of her neighbors are not staying or renting. Instead, they have decided to sell. Jeff Brandes, former state senator and Florida Policy Project president, said some homeowners cant afford the high repair costs. Oftentimes, the home they are tearing down or the homes built in the 50s that were semi-affordable and theyre going to be replacing them with million-dollar plus homes, Brandes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brandes said FEMAs 50% rule is threatening coastal communities like Shore Acres. Its a complex rule that states the cost of repairs cant exceed half of the homes market value. That could lead many to decide whether to build a new one at a higher elevation or sell. Derrick Silvers with Future Homes Realty said that rule may force many to pack up sooner than later. If you go over that, youve got to build up, or youve got to rebuild, Silvers said. So, thats going to accelerate a lot of people as well, if theyre not able to do that. Brandes wants zoning changes now, especially if families are impacted by the FEMA regulation so they can, at least, stay in coastal areas on smaller properties or smaller units on the same properties at the primary residence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need to be doing things like allowing for smaller lot sizes, allowing for increased density, allowing for accessory dwelling units, Brandes said. The former lawmaker knows fixing the affordability crisis will take time, but he said there are changes that can be made now at the local and state level. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. MANCHESTER, Ky. (FOX 56) A former Manchester police officer was sentenced to 18 months in prison for deprivation of rights under color of law. The Department of Justice said on Sept. 3, Curry was on duty and acting as a police officer with the Manchester Police Department. According to his plea agreement, he and other officers were told about a 911 call at a pool hall outside of Manchester where someone was allegedly fighting the owner and wouldnt leave. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department said Curry and two other officers arrived and encountered the owner, who was holding a pool stick, and the victim, who was fighting with the owner. The owner ran away from Curry, who then tased him in the back and used force on him, per the plea agreement. A news release said Curry went into an adjoining room and attempted to arrest the victim, but instead of attempting to place them in handcuffs, Curry grabbed the victims hair and delivered five blows to his head and face. The Department of Justice said Curry lied to officials in an earlier interview, claiming he hit the victim in the shoulder and only made incidental contact with the victims face once, by accident. He left out his use of force on the owner of the pool hall and the victim in his incident report and use of force memorandum, even though he knew he was required to report them. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Curry admitted in his plea deal to knowing the use of force was unreasonable, unlawful, and went against his training and experience, but he used the unlawful force anyway, according to the Department of Justice. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Former Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin has been appointed as Ukraine's ambassador to the Netherlands, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on his Telegram on Dec. 13. Several Ukrainian media outlets, including Suspilne, also reported that Kostin had been appointed as ambassador to the Netherlands. Meanwhile, it is still unknown who will replace Kostin as prosecutor general. "As for the post of prosecutor general, the decision on Kostin's successor has not yet been made, but is being prepared," a source in the president's team told Suspilne. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kostin submitted his resignation on Oct. 22 following a National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) meeting headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The session addressed the "immoral situation" surrounding the fake disabilities of prosecutors, and "many shameful facts of abuse" were revealed, according to Kostin. Following the meeting, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) head Vasyl Maliuk said that his agency had exposed corruption schemes at medical examination commissions, resulting in the cancellation of 4,106 fake disability status certificates. Maliuk added that 64 officials at medical examination commissions had been charged with crimes, while another nine suspects had been convicted. Medical examination commissions (MSEK) are bodies tasked with determining the severity of a disability. Corruption schemes at medical examination commissions linked to draft evasion have been reported in Rivne, Mykolaiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Kharkiv oblasts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kostin had served as prosecutor general since July 28, 2022, replacing Iryna Venediktova. Prior to that, he was a member of parliament from 2019 to 2022 and headed the legal policy committee. From 2012 to 2019, Kostin was a deputy chairman of the Odesa Oblast Bar Association. He has been a member of the International Bar Association since 2000. Read also: Why did Ukraines prosecutor general resign, and who will replace him? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Sen. Kay Patterson, who died Friday, Dec. 13, talks to Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine, D-Columbia, and Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins during an NAACP dinner in 2022. (Provided/Jamie Devine) COLUMBIA Former South Carolina Sen. Kay Patterson, a stalwart fighter for civil rights during more than three decades at the Statehouse, died Friday at age 93. Patterson, first elected to the House of Representatives in 1974, had been in hospice care for several months before dying in the early morning hours Friday, said Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine, a Columbia Democrat who holds his former seat. South Carolina Sen. Kay Patterson, D-Columbia, eulogizes former U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond during Thurmonds funeral service at First Baptist Church July 1, 2003 in Columbia. (File/Tim Dominick/The State-Pool/Getty Images) Patterson, a former chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, was among three Black legislators in the House who were elected in 1984 to the Senate. He remained in the upper chamber until his retirement in 2008, when then-Rep. John Scott, who died last year, won the seat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes been such a strong force in this community for so long, Isaac Devine, who won a special election in January, said of Patterson. To be in the seat he served in for so long is such a great honor for me. Over his 34-year Statehouse career, Patterson was known for bringing humor into debates, even as he scolded his fellow lawmakers. He didnt go to the podium often. But when he did, even senators outside the chamber scrambled back in to listen, said Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins, who called Patterson his mentor. When he got to the well, everybody got to their seat. Not only would we be informed and chastised, wed be entertained, said Jackson, who was first elected in 1992. You wanted to hear what he had to say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jackson said Patterson taught him how not to lose your sanity while youre here advice hes tried to pass on to new senators since Patterson left the chamber. He was absolutely brilliant. He could read something and have it forever, said Jackson, who shared an office suite with Patterson. When he spoke, he knew exactly what he was talking about. Born in Darlington County, Patterson attended Claflin College until 1951, when he joined the Marine Corps. He finished his undergraduate degree in social sciences at Allen University in 1956. Former Gov. Jim Hodges, South Carolinas last Democrat in the office, remembered Patterson as funny, smart, shrewd and brave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This former Marine drill sergeant was bigger than life, Hodges, who worked with Patterson as a legislator before becoming governor, said in a statement. Patterson first worked on Statehouse grounds while a student at Allen University, when he was a janitor in the Wade Hampton Building, he said during a 2004 interview with the University of South Carolina. At that time, in 1956, Black people werent allowed in the Statehouse, Patterson recalled. He was making $100 a month cleaning the offices of the state attorney general and agriculture commissioner. And then one day I came back down here as a member of the House, and then one day in 84 I came back sitting in the Senate as a senator, Patterson said. Now thats a helluva long ways to come. Thats a long ways to come. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was Congressman Jim Clyburn who told Patterson he should run for Senate. At first, Patterson was reluctant, having just won a coveted spot on the House budget-writing committee. But after an hour-long conversation with Clyburn, Patterson changed his mind, he told the USC interviewer. So, Jim Clyburn is the reason Im sitting up in here because I damn sure didnt want to come on my own, Patterson said in the interview. In a statement Friday, Clyburn called Patterson a trusted leader, a tireless champion for civil rights, and a treasured friend. During his years in the Senate, Patterson was always willing to make a stand, said friends and former colleagues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When other senators shied away from talking about racism, Patterson stood up, said former Sen. John Land, D-Manning. He probably was one of the boldest and most unafraid senators that I ever served with, said Land, who led Senate Democrats for eight years as majority leader, then for 12 years as minority leader until he retired in 2012. He did not hold back in any way what he felt about the state of South Carolina and the treatment of Black people. But he remained friendly as he did so, Land said. He was a kind soul to be around. He always had a smile on his face and a kind word to say, even to his adversaries. South Carolina Sen. Kay Patterson, D-Columbia, eulogizes former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond during Thurmonds funeral service at First Baptist Church July 1, 2003 in Columbia. Then-U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (seated behind Patterson on the right) also gave a eulogy for Thurmond. (File/Tim Dominick/The State-Pool/Getty Images) Pattersons outspokenness was on full display when he pushed year after year for legislators to remove the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse, said former Sen. John Matthews, who like Patterson was a former educator elected in 1974 to the House and 1984 to the Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 2000 law passed as a compromise took the flag off the Statehouse dome and put a square version on a 30-foot pole beside the Confederate Soldiers Monument on the Statehouses front lawn. There it remained until 2015, when the massacre of nine Black worshipers at a historic Charleston church prompted the Legislature to remove the flag from Statehouse grounds entirely. The legacy he will be leaving for all of us to follow is that you have to stand up for what you believe in, said Matthews, D-Bowman, who retired from the Senate in 2020. You have to fight for justice. Matthews and Patterson sat beside each other for 25 years in the Senate. They were so like-minded, they used a code to communicate how each was voting on a bill: A point to the nose for no and to the eye for aye, Matthews said. He was a dearly beloved friend, said Matthews, who Patterson at one point credited with keeping him in the Senate for his final term. He was very outspoken. He was committed to equal justice and equal rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For 14 years, Patterson taught at W.A. Perry Middle School before being reassigned as school classrooms integrated. When the new school didnt want to give him as much work, he took a job with the South Carolina Education Association, where he worked until retiring in 1985, he said during the USC interview. Former Rep. I.S. Leevy Johnson first met Patterson when the late senator was attending Allen University and student teaching in Johnsons eighth-grade class. Even then, he was very smart and very knowledgeable, Johnson said. He related well with people, and that was one of his attributes his whole life, that he had an appealing personality that impressed people. With his long experience as a teacher, improving public education was a major issue for Patterson, said former Sen. Nikki Setzler, a West Columbia Democrat who retired this year after 48 years in the chamber. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was passionate to improve the lives of not only the people in his district but the people of South Carolina, Setzler said. Even after he left the Senate, Patterson continued to mentor new Columbia-area legislators. Isaac Devine said she often called him for advice during her first couple months in the Senate this year, she said. Former Sen. Dick Harpootlian, a Columbia Democrat, did the same when he first won a seat in the Senate six years ago. He and Patterson had crossed paths when Harpootlian was the local solicitor and a council member, but Harpootlian wanted Pattersons advice for serving in the Senate, he said. He said, very clearly, Keep your sense of humor. Dont take yourself too seriously, but at the same time, remember youre an advocate for people who cant advocate for themselves, said Harpootlian, who is also the former state Democratic Party chairman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patterson was a lifetime member of the NAACP. He credited his favorite uncle, who was statewide president of the civil rights group, for his outspokenness. He was the one that inspired me to speak up and to speak out. Thats the way he was, and I wanted to be like my Uncle Sharver, and so Ive always been outspoken, Patterson said in 2004. You should give respect to your elders and respect to your supervisors. I always respected them, but if something was on my mind, I was going to speak it, and if they did something wrong, I was going to tell them about it. I would always speak up and speak out. And thats just my hallmark ever since I was a little child, he said. Patterson leaves behind a daughter and three grandchildren. SC Daily Gazette Editor Seanna Adcox contributed to this report. A former Syrian official under the rule of former President Bashar Assad was federally indicted in the U.S. for torturing prisoners held at Damascus Central Prison from 2005-08, according to a Thursday release from the Justice Department. U.S. officials said Samir Ousman Alsheikh ordered and occasionally engaged in heinous acts against captives brought to the Punishment Wing, an area of the prison where they were hung from the ceiling, subjected to a device known as the Flying Carpet, which folded their bodies in half at the waist and sometimes resulting in fractured spines, and other torture strategies. Alsheikh, a 72-year-old who resides in Lexington, S.C., held positions in the Syrian police force and state security and immigrated to the United States in 2020 and applied for U.S. citizenship in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alsheikh later allegedly lied about his crimes to obtain a U.S. green card. The victims of such violent treatment continue to suffer long after the physical acts of torture have ceased, Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, said in a statement. The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting perpetrators of such crimes and will not allow them, through lies and concealment, to hide in the United States. Alsheikh was charged with conspiracy to commit torture, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years, in addition to a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the three torture charges, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for two immigration fraud charges. Almost 20 years ago, the defendant was accused of torturing prisoners in Syria and, today, we are one step closer to holding him accountable for those heinous crimes. The United States will never be a safe haven for those who commit human rights abuses abroad, Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A former teacher was sentenced to prison for a sexual relationship with a student. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Caroline Johnson, 36, a former teacher with the Bloom-Vernon Local School District, was sentenced to serve one year in prison, according to the Ohio Attorney Generals Office. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After her sentence is over, she will have to register as a tier three sex offender every three months for the rest of her life. Johnson pleaded guilty in Oct. to two counts of sexual battery after an investigation found that she had a relationship with a minor while she was employed at Bloom-Vernon Schools. Theres one last lesson to be learned from this former teacher students are not targets for sexual relationships, Yost said. She destroyed her career, family and reputation for the thrill of an affair, without bothering to think about the consequences. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Andrii Kostin, Ukraine's former prosecutor general, will most likely be appointed ambassador to the Netherlands. Source: Ukrainian news agency Suspilne with reference to a source in Zelenskyys team; Ukrainska Pravda source in law enforcement Details: Suspilne provided no further details. Ukrainska Pravdas source has confirmed that a document appointing Kostin as ambassador is being prepared. "Regarding the position of prosecutor general, the decision on Kostin's successor has not yet been made, but it is being prepared," Suspilnes source added. Background: On 29 October, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) supported the resignation of Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin. Kostin announced his resignation after a National Security and Defence Council meeting on 22 October, following a series of exposes of prosecutors who had obtained benefits and disability status to which they were not entitled. Sources have told Ukrainska Pravda that the Office of the President has not yet decided on Kostin's successor (they are looking for a "clean" candidate), so his first deputy, Oleksii Khomenko, will be the acting prosecutor general in the meantime. Looking back over his tenure, Kostin concluded that as prosecutor general, he had dedicated himself to the comprehensive transformation of the criminal justice system in the context of a full-scale war. Andrii Kostin was appointed as prosecutor general by presidential decree on 28 July 2022. Support UP or become our patron! This file photo taken on Nov. 21, 2024 shows Asoka Sapumal Ranwala in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Asoka Sapumal Ranwala resigned on Friday in the wake of controversy over his educational qualification. Earlier, the opposition parties have accused the speaker of lying about holding a PhD from a Japanese university. In a statement, Ranwala clarified that he had never lied about his educational qualification, but admitted that he currently lacks documentary proof of his academic achievements. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua) COLOMBO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Asoka Sapumal Ranwala resigned on Friday in the wake of controversy over his educational qualification. Earlier, the opposition parties have accused the speaker of lying about holding a PhD from a Japanese university. In a statement, Ranwala clarified that he had never lied about his educational qualification, but admitted that he currently lacks documentary proof of his academic achievements. He said that he had been awarded a doctorate by a research institute affiliated with Waseda University in Japan and hoped to present the degree certificate in the future. "However, given the confusion surrounding the issue and to prevent embarrassment for those who trusted and voted for this government, I have decided to resign from the post of speaker for the time being," Ranwala said. The resignation was prompted by an attempt by the opposition to bring a no-confidence motion against the speaker for misleading the public about his educational qualification. This file photo taken on Nov. 21, 2024 shows Asoka Sapumal Ranwala in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Asoka Sapumal Ranwala resigned on Friday in the wake of controversy over his educational qualification. Earlier, the opposition parties have accused the speaker of lying about holding a PhD from a Japanese university. In a statement, Ranwala clarified that he had never lied about his educational qualification, but admitted that he currently lacks documentary proof of his academic achievements. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua) Dec. 12Four candidates have submitted their names for the upcoming 3rd District vacancy on the Cumberland County Commission. The candidate will be chosen by the county commission and sworn in at the meeting Monday, Dec. 16. Candidates who submitted their names for consideration include: Curtis Boston Craig Clark Michael Dibiccaro Karen Shanks In order to be considered, the candidate must be a resident of the 3rd Civil District and meet all legal requirements that come with holding an elected county office position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Third District Cumberland County Commissioner Rebecca Stone turned in a resignation letter to Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster last month, stating she was planning to resign but wished to stay in office until the county commission named a replacement. "I am asking the commission to accept my resignation effective upon the Chair of the County Commission, Mayor Allen Foster, declaring the vote count appointing my replacement, and the replacement being duly sworn into office," Stone's letter sates. Stone said this ensures the 3rd District is fully represented. Potential candidates were given until Dec. 9 to submit their names for consideration. However, if there are any additional people who are residents of the 3rd District and would like to be considered, they can submit their name at the Cumberland County Commission's December meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Naming the replacement will be the first item of action during the meeting. The new candidate will then be assigned to various county commission committees. The county commission will also consider and review the following subjects for approval: The appointment of committee members to the county building codes board of appeals; Cumberland Plateau Water Authority; adult-oriented establishment board; and agricultural extension committee. A right of entry request from the city of Crossville for the Justice Complex; Cumberland County idle funds policy; Adopting a memorandum of understanding pertaining to state and local fiscal recovery funds for the health department; Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adopting a memorandum of understanding pertaining to the American Rescue Plan funds for Cumberland County; Several budget amendments for the county general fund; Appointing a county fleet maintenance supervisor; Urging the Tennessee General Assembly to enact laws upholding the nullification of unconstitutional federal action and restoration of state of sovereignty. There will also be county reports regarding financial standings, committee reports, statutory committee reports and any announcements. The election of notaries will also be held. The Cumberland County Commission meets at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, in the Art Circle Public Library Cumberland Room. The library is at 3 East St., Crossville. Gary Nelson may be reached at gnelson@crossville-chronicle.com No one was injured Thursday night in a Davenport house fire, according to a news release. (davenportiowa.com) About 6 p.m., Davenport Firefighters responded to the 4600 block of Ricker Hill Road for the report of a structure fire. Five apparatus and one Incident Command vehicle responded with a total of 16 personnel on the scene. The homeowner said there was a fire on their rear deck that had spread up the exterior of the house. The split-level ranch home had moderate smoke coming from the rear, while additional smoke conditions made it apparent that the fire had extended into the attic, the release says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first-arriving crew pulled a hose line to the rear of the structure and began to extinguish the fire, while additional crews were assigned to the interior of the home to search for occupants and control the fire in the attic. All occupants left the house safely. The fire was under control within 10 minutes. Crews remained on the scene for about an hour to check for fire extension and to investigate the cause of the fire. Mid-American Energy assisted with controlling the utilities to the home and Scott County Medic stood by in case of injuries. The Red Cross was notified to assist four adult occupants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Donald Trump has been victorious. As this is the case, its important to look to the future. Part of his plans are to eliminate and change leadership of many of the departments that protect things important to our well-being such as the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. What will be most impactful, however, are proposed changes to our climate policy. All other changes Trump has talked about can be reversed with a vote, with hope, in four years. Four years of increased pollution and drilling, may, however, cause irreparable damage. Climate scientists warn that there is a point at which we cannot completely recover from the effects of global warming. This problem is one which affects the entire world, and it is hard to imagine we wont be participating by championing clean water, air and less pollution. It doesnt matter now who we voted for as we are all Americans. Let us all work to strengthen our country and world, not to weaken it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Karin Frederick, Lake Geneva Letters: Citizens need to stay engaged to preserve American democracy in days ahead Letters: I'm disillusioned after Joe Biden betrayed our trust with Hunter Biden pardon Letters: U.S. Senate must do its job and scrutinize Trump nominees impartially Tips for getting your letter to the editor published Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state: Please include your name, street address and daytime phone. Generally, we limit letters to 200 words. Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter. Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing. Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person. We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions. We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters. Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months. All letters are subject to editing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@jrn.com or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Global warming may permanently worsen if we pollute planet | Letters Fox News hosts ridiculed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for calling himself a proud feminist as he criticized the U.S. for electing Donald Trump over a woman for the second time. Speaking on Tuesday at a gala in Ottawa for Equal Voice, a charity that works to improve gender representation in Canadian politics, Trudeau suggested that the U.S. election had been a step backwards in the march towards progress. Womens rights and womens progress is under attack, overtly and subtly, but I want you to know that I am and always will be a proud feminist, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Canadian prime ministers remarks came after Trump mocked him recently, referring to him as the governor of the Great State of Canada. Could a counterpunch get any lamer? Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday on Outnumbered after showing Trudeaus remarks. Fellow panelist Lisa Kennedy Montgomery seemed to have trouble with the concept of a male feminist. No, I watched that and I went, Wow, Justine Trudeau, she commented. What brand of tampons do you use? she added. Such a proud feminist. My goodness. Im trembling with fear. Please dont invade us with your soy boyness. Canadian prime minister insults all Americans It just seems so unnecessary. The panel on FOX News' Outnumbered criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's remarks, claiming Kamala Harris' loss in the U.S election is an attack on women's progress. pic.twitter.com/KlXhTCqLyn True North (@TrueNorthCentre) December 13, 2024 Trump has been trolling Canada after threatening to impose massive tariffs on Canadian goods when he takes office. Trudeau met with Trump in Florida last month to discuss the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During that meal, after Trudeau expressed concern about the effect the proposals would have on his countrys economy, Trump reportedly joked that if Canada cant handle the tariffs, it should become the 51st U.S. state and Trudeau could be its governor. Related... Dec. 12The Johnson County Commissioners Court declined the offer of a free medical care station during their Monday meeting. Court members stressed support for the station but expressed concerns over the proposed location. Commissioners also expressed hopes for a solution to the matter. "I'm not voting against the concept," Commissioner Mike White said. "It's just the location that I have an issue with. But I think between us we can come up with a solution for a location." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement County Judge Chris Boedeker agreed. "I really hope we can find a way to get this to Johnson County because I think it will be a huge benefit to both our employees and our residents," Boedeker said. Onmed proposed placing one of the stations in the Johnson County Annex Building at no cost to the county. A partnership between United Health and Medicaid would fund the self-contained center, Onmed Director of Customer Success Lisa McFarland said. Funding for the center flows in part from the desire to avoid costs and time associated with unnecessary ER visits, McFarland said. "Health equity is our only agenda," McFarland said of Onmed. "We want to help bring fair and equal opportunity for everyone to achieve their highest state of health. But without access there can be no health equity." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McFarland described the healthcare access situation as dire, especially in rural areas. "Roughly 1/3 of Americans lack a primary care physician and 80% of rural America does not have adequate healthcare," McFarland said. "Those areas are considered healthcare deserts." The reasons are many including a shortage of doctors and healthcare workers. "Also, one in four rural hospitals are at risk of closing," McFarland said. "Clinics are affected too. When these clinics close folks begin to go to the ER for non-emergency visits, which puts stress on our ERs. Right now about 75% of ER visits are for non-emergency issues." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McFarland touched upon the rise of telemedicine access opportunities in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, a phenomenon bringing benefits and challenges. "There are serious issues with lack of broadband in many rural areas as well as digital literacy issues," McFarland said. "Also, folks just prefer to see and interact with a real human being." The Onmed system, which McFarland described as a clinic in a box, is a secure, soundproof unit providing free consultation with a nurse practitioner. "The average visit is about 20 minutes, which is almost unheard of," McFarland said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unit provides for urgent care, chronic conditions, post acute care after hospital stays and followup care, she said. "They can also refer to specialists if needed as they have access to all available healthcare in the county," McFarland said. "They have the ability to diagnose up to 140 conditions right there and can write prescriptions, which folks can go pick up at the drugstore." The unit is big enough to comfortable house up to three adults at a time or parents with kids. Described as a tech-enabled human led ecosystem, visitors simply have to push a button to start and connect with a healthcare provider. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unit checks weight, temperature, skin conditions and other health-related measures. The unit, after each patient visit, remains closed for three minutes of cleaning rendering it 99.9% germ free before the next patient enters, McFarland said. Such systems have been installed locations throughout Texas and other states. A unit installed six months ago in a rural Alabama town attracted about half the town to the station with 35% having since revisited for followups, McFarland added. Commissioners voiced concerns over the proposed county annex placement, a building that also houses the county tax office and other county offices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is a great concept and I think we need it," Commissioner Kenny Howell said. "But we need to find a better place to house it." Commissioner Rick Bailey raised similar concerns of incoming patients mingling with tax office employees and visitors as well as bathroom access and cleaning issues. County Tax Assessor/Collector Scott Porter echoed such concerns. "There would be a lot of shared common areas including the bathrooms," Porter said. "My concern is our officer staff and our visitors being exposed and my staff have expressed such concerns as well. We had about 63,000 people visit our office last year." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McFarland countered that lack of health insurance and access result in sick people among us already. "Because of lack of healthcare access for many those individuals are already in public and sitting in those waiting rooms already," McFarland said. "That's a big reason why infections spread. Why not offer better healthcare and access instead than just having people walking around routinely ill?" McFarland reiterated that the unit addresses numerous medical issues in addition to just diseases of infectious variety. "We have a community of walking ill anyway," McFarland said. "Why not give them a no-cost resource to be able to become well and not have to worry about if you have a waiting room of sick people all winter long? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They're already here in the community and they're already sitting in those waiting rooms." Commissioners discussed other possible sites including the county's Brown Gym building but found all unworkable. Boedeker said he checked with Cleburne city officials but was told they too have no workable available space for the unit. Boedeker suggested the possibility of constructing a county structure to house the unit at some point in the future. McFarland added that funding may be available for such an endeavor. Boedeker and the commissioners vowed to continue searching for a suitable location. By Mahmoud Hasano DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Basim Faiz Mawat stood in the Damascus cell that his fellow prisoners used to call the "death dormitory", struggling to believe that the system that abused him for so long had been overthrown and his suffering had ended. "I came here today only to see that truly nothing lasts forever," the 48-year-old said as he and another freed prisoner, Mohammed Hanania, visited the detention centre where their guards never showed mercy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They were among thousands who spilled out of Syria's prison system on Sunday after a lightning rebel advance overthrew President Bashar al-Assad and ended five decades of his family's rule. Many detainees were met by tearful relatives who thought they had been executed years earlier. "Every day in this room, which used to be called 'Steel 1 - the death dormitory,' one to three people would die inside every day," Hanania, 35, told Reuters. The sergeant was when he didn't lose someone, when someone didn't die from weakness, he would kill him. He took them to the toilets and hit them with the heel of his shoe on their heads." Hanania walked on past long rows of empty cells. Names of prisoners - Mohammed al-Masry, Ahmed and others - were scratched on walls with dates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The floors were littered with rubble and discarded clothes. A row of blankets was still set out in one cell where prisoners had slept. Both men looked up at an image on a wall of Assad, who is accused of torturing and killing thousands, abuses that were also rampant during his father Hafez's reign of terror. "No one could have believed this would happen," said Mawat. MASS EXECUTIONS In another room, he stood beside a rusty blue ladder and described how he was blindfolded and forced to climb up the steps. Then his torturer would kick away the ladder and he would be suspended by his arms from the ceiling in agony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My shoulders were torn, and I couldn't say a single word. No one could bear more than five or 10 minutes," he said. Rights groups have reported mass executions in Syria's prisons. In 2017, the United States said it had identified a new crematorium at the Sednaya military prison on the outskirts of Damascus to dispose of hanged prisoners. Syrians have flocked to the prisons looking for their loved ones. Some have been released alive, others have been identified among the dead and thousands more have not yet been found. Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani - the main commander of the rebels who toppled Assad, has said he will close the prisons and hunt down anyone involved in the torture or killing of detainees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assad fled to his ally Russia where he was granted asylum. "At this stage, if everyone thinks about taking revenge, we have no solution other than to forgive," Hanania said. "But the criminal who has blood (on their hands) should be held accountable. I will leave my rights to be granted by God." (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Andrew Heavens) EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Its Friday and were looking at a better day than yesterday. No gloomy weather, just mostly sunny skies. By noon, we may see some partly cloudy skies come around but not to linger throughout the day. Were expecting to reach a high of 65-degrees by 3 p.m. with a warm breeze beginning right at 12 p.m. Above-normal temperatures are expected with dry conditions and light winds. However, low-end breezy conditions are expected in the Sacramento Mountains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although we are looking at temperatures back in the 60s, cold temperatures are expected to return Friday night in the mid-30s. Make sure to grab a jacket and bundle up your kiddos. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. The eastern half of the United States is enduring the latest arctic blast from Minnesota down to northern Florida and up to New England. Lake-effect snow brought 3.5 feet of snow to western NY and up to 20 inches to northern Lower Michigan. Winds gusted to near 40 mph, creating whiteout conditions in heaviest lake-effect snow bands. A Lake-Effect Snow Warning continued Friday morning for Ohio, Pennsylvania and western New York, where some areas could get additional 6 inches to 12 inches of snow. PHOTO: An ABC News graphic shows weather in the United States on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (ABC News) The wind chills early Friday are below zero in Minneapolis, near zero in Chicago and in the teens and single digits above zero in the Northeast. PHOTO: An ABC News graphic shows weather in the United States on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (ABC News) The temperature is near freezing in northern Florida and southern Georgia, where a Frost Advisory is posted. Ice storm warning for Midwest A new storm system is moving into the Plains and the Midwest on Friday evening into Saturday morning, with an Ice Storm Warning issued for Iowa and Icy Alerts issued from Kansas to Minnesota. PHOTO: An ABC News graphic shows weather in the United States on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (ABC News) Freezing rain could glaze roads to more than a half an inch creating treacherous driving conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Des Moines, Iowa, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Omaha, Nebraska, are all under alerts later today and into Saturday morning. It will be raining with temperatures below freezing, and travel is strongly discouraged in the region through early Saturday. West Coast flooding and heavy snow threat A serious of storms will move into the West Coast through this weekend into next week, producing feet of snow in the mountains and several inches of rain along the coast. Already, first storm brought up to half a foot of snow to I-80 in Californias Sierra Nevada mountains, creating a mess, with lots of accidents and major backups. A new storm, even stronger, will move into the West Coast later today into Saturday from Washington to California, with heavy rain and mountain snow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Locally 4 feet of snow is possible for California mountains, where Winter Storm Warning has been issued. Heavy rain with up to 5 inches possible for northern California, where Flood Watch has been issued. Areas north of the San Francisco Bay Area could see 2 inches to 3 inches of rain. Friday weather: Ice storm warnings cover Midwest, as arctic blast slams East Coast originally appeared on abcnews.go.com URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) A Champaign man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a crime he committed while his friend was shot and killed by a Rantoul police officer 18 months ago. Jheremia McKown, 21, was facing multiple counts that included armed violence, manufacturing and delivering marijuana, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest. This week, he pleaded guilty to one of the armed violence counts, a Class X felony, while the remaining counts against him were dismissed. Sangamon Co. prepares to hand over info to DOJ; makes changes to hiring processes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McKown was sentenced immediately after, getting credit for the 551 days hes already served in custody. McKown was arrested on June 7, 2023, but the story goes back two months earlier. Julia Rietz, the Champaign County States Attorney, said that on April 4, 2023, a car fled from Officer Rene Wissel during an attempted traffic stop. Because of the danger to other drivers, Wissel had to let the car go but he recorded the license plate. On June 7, Wissel found the car on Campbell Avenue. Rietz said that when he approached it, McKown got out and the two started talking. As the conversation continued, Wissel saw not only a large amount of packaged marijuana inside the car, but a person sitting in the passenger seat. Rietz said McKown urged the passenger 18-year-old Jordan Richardson to leave, and Wissel immediately tried to take McKown into custody. The two fought and as they did, Richardson got out and ran away with a gun stolen from Colorado the previous month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wissel, who sustained facial injuries during his struggle with McKown, called for backup to chase Richardson while he continued to fight McKown. Rietz said that after Richardson was properly restrained and in custody, a search of the car found six pounds of marijuana and two loaded guns. Mattoon teenager accused of attempted murder, victim in critical condition Richardson, meanwhile, fled to nearby Belle Avenue pursued by officers responding to Wissels radio call. Rietz said he ultimately tripped and fell and as he was on the ground, he spun around with his gun to face Sergeant Jerry King. King, fearing for his life, fired two shots, one of which hit Richardson in the chest. He was later pronounced dead at Carle Hospital in Urbana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rietz, after reviewing officers reports, body camera footage and home surveillance footage, found no wrongdoing on Kings part and found him legally justified in shooting Richardson dead. Records detailing the shooting and the subsequent investigation, including footage from body, dashboard home surveillance footage cameras, officers reports, METCADs recording of police radio traffic and a document detailing Rietzs decision, can be found by clicking here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs and climate envoy, speaks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Chen) RIYADH, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- "The bilateral relationship between Saudi Arabia and China is exceptional," as they see each other "eye to eye" for expanding cooperation and upholding multilateralism, said a senior Saudi diplomat. "China is our largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia is the largest for China in the Middle East. We have huge investments in China, in petrochemicals and other areas, and Chinese companies have huge investments in Saudi Arabia, too," said Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, minister of state for foreign affairs and climate envoy, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Highlighting the remarkable momentum in cooperation between the two countries over the past three decades, Al-Jubeir said their comprehensive strategic partnership encompasses political, economic and cultural dimensions, emphasizing the strong ties between the leaderships of both countries and the growing connections between their people. "When people know each other, when they trade with each other, they develop common interests. These common interests bring countries closer together ... Chinese tourists come, see Saudi Arabia, and meet with Saudis. Maybe the next time, they'll invest. And it's true to Saudis," he said. He stressed the transformative power of such exchanges that go beyond commerce. "It's no longer just about buying and selling. It's about people-to-people contact." Saudi Vision 2030 has further deepened this partnership, opening avenues for collaboration in technology and climate initiatives, he said. "Our scientific and educational institutions, our companies, and public sectors are working together," said Al-Jubeir. "So there is a very strong partnership that hopefully will continue to benefit both countries and both peoples." Al-Jubeir also highlighted the two countries' shared commitment and pragmatic approaches to true multilateralism, particularly in addressing common and global challenges. "Saudi Arabia and China are both classified as developing countries and important players in the global system," he said. "The international system needs to be fair and just when it comes to accommodating the needs and requirements of developing countries," he said, adding that the two countries share a responsibility toward other developing countries to help them access technology, funds and markets. "It is important in the multilateral arenas to deal with logic, wisdom and science based on problem-solving, rather than scoring political points or pointing fingers," said the minister. "Like Saudi Arabia, China also has an interest in stability and security in the international system, so our two countries need to see eye to eye," he said. BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) At the Raleigh County Emergency Housing Center, a 27-year-old woman who identified herself as Cassie was on the phone with a United Way of Southern West Virginia representative on Thursday, making arrangements to get a car seat for her 10-month-old son. She said she and her baby had been at the center since early November, and homelessness is not a new experience for her. My mom and my dad, they separated at a young age, so I basically have just been couch surfing, she explained. Ive been in foster homes, group homes all that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said her goal is to take care of her son, who is already enrolled in a quality day care program and will be eligible for Early Head Start soon, and to get permanent housing. Its a waiting game, and I keep my prayers towards God about it, said Cassie. Michael Horn, the director of the Raleigh County Emergency Housing Center, said on Thursday, December 12, 2024, that there were 30 people at the center, which provides transportation and social services and aims to find permanent housing for residents. Mercer County declared disaster area One resident, Jerry Schultze, said he had been at the center for three days on Thursday but that he had been a resident a few years earlier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he believed there is a great need for the center, which seemed to be serving fewer people on Thursday than in the past. Theres a lot less people here than what there was before, said Schultze. Theres more food and stuff like that because theres so less people, but how many people are out there living on the street? I mean I dont like to be on the street, and I know other people dont like living out there in the cold. 59News obtained documents from the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness, the group in Bridgeport which distributes funds from the state to housing centers throughout West Virginia. Proposed funding for fiscal year 2025 shows that the Beckley center will receive about $125,000, which is about $365,000 less than in previous years, which 59News had reported in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Documents show that a board member for the WVCEH is also affiliated with KVC Equinox, a center in Kanawha County that is set to receive $247,263, one of the highest disbursements planned for FY25. Beckleys homeless shelter sees budget slashed by 75 percent A case manager for the WV Coalition to End Homelessness is on the board of Project Rainbow, a shelter in Morgantown which is set to receive $250,000, according to documents obtained by 59News. 59News asked Horn to comment on the documents, but he declined. Crystal Alonso, executive director of the Raleigh County Community Action Association which oversees the Raleigh County Emergency Housing Center, declined to be interviewed about the funding on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 59News left a voicemail with the WVCEH on Thursday afternoon but had not received comment by Thursday evening. Horn admitted the Housing Center is serving fewer people than in the past and said that he has reduced staff and only two caseworkers. He said the Beckley shelter accepts monetary donations at the Raleigh County Community Action Association and that other donations may be dropped off at the center on the grounds of the Jackie Withrow Hospital on Eisenhower Drive. West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine faculty member named to 2024 Young Guns list Were always in need of hygiene products, cleaning supplies, clothing, new preferably, he said. Weve gotten a lot of community support so our holiday is pretty much taken care of, but we need support for the rest of the year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cassie and Schultze said they are looking forward to finding permanent housing and that they are grateful for the support offered at the Raleigh County Emergency Housing Center. I thank God every day, and I thank people for the help in the community, in Beckley, to help people see a bigger picture in life and you know, just strive for yourself. Not keep yourself down, all the time, said Cassie. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. Hundreds turned out to the Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Hartford on Friday morning to say farewell to Thirman Milner, the citys first Black mayor and a widely respected pioneer in the civil rights movement. Milner, 91, died Nov. 29. Milner was praised as a successful politician, city leader, lay pastor and state lawmaker, but several speakers said his greatest achievements came as mentor, role model and civil rights trailblazer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Milner was a difference maker, said Tynisha Tyson, social worker at the North End middle school that is named after him. Its not hard to believe that the gentle man with such a humble presence, genuine heart, sharp vision and determined mindset could have such a great impact on the city of Hartford, said Tyson, one of a long line of speakers who rose to offer memories and praise for Milner. Milner died Nov. 29 at 91, more than 35 years after he left the mayors office. His prominence in politics didnt recede, and dignitaries at the wake Friday included U.S. Rep. John Larson, former Rep. Barbara Kennelly along with a series of state lawmakers and municipal leaders, both current and retired. The Honorable Thirman Milner was a trailblazer and advocate for justice, said Corrie Betts, president of the Greater Hartford NAACP. As a former president of the Greater Hartford branch of the NAACP and a lifetime member of the NAACP, he dedicated his life to championing civil rights and fostering justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Milner, an Air Force veteran who was born in Hartford, demonstrated with civil rights leaders in the South in the 1950s and 60s, and later was elected to Connecticuts General Assembly. In 1981 voters made him the mayor of Hartford, giving him the distinction of being the first popularly elected Black mayor in New England. He was re-elected in 1983 and 1985, and served in the early 1990s as a state senator representing Hartford. Virginia Monteiro, the first vice chairwoman of the Connecticut and Greater Hartford branches of the NAACP, told mourners Friday that her stepfather was a true champion of civil rights. Civil rights was his life. Before he became a state senator or state representative, civil rights was his passion. It started as a young man going down to protest with Dr. King and Jesse Jackson, Monteiro said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have a quote. Ive been doing a lot of thinking and praying regarding the passing of my stepfather, my friend, my mentor, and I have a quote from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy, during times of racial, social and economic inequalities. Monteiro concluded The Honorable Thirman L. Milner fought tirelessly and courageously. He was a true freedom fighter and civil rights leader. Tyson said her schools name is evidence of Milners achievements. In 1989, Mr. Milner was honored by the Hartford Board of Education renaming Vine School the Thirman Milner School, she said. He was a great man and let the truth be told: A school would not be renamed after an ordinary man but an extraordinary man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Betts called on listeners to take up Milners cause. Betts noted the poverty in the neighborhood surrounding the North End church, saying the We are sitting in one of the poorest Census tracts in our state. He urged mourners to carry on Milners fight for better educational and economic opportunities in the city. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) Funeral services were held for former Hartford mayor Thirman L. Milner, who died at 91, on Friday. Milner was the first Black mayor in Hartford and New England. The day began with calling hours and dignitary tributes from 10 a.m. to noon. The funeral started at noon until 2 p.m. Thirman L. Milner was described as someone who constantly pursued racial equality, educational equity and justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Hartford Mayor Thirman Milner lies in state at Hartford City Hall Family and community members will say goodbyes to him at the Metropolitan AME Zion Church on Main Street. Several people will be in attendance including Milners family members, the NAACP as well as current and former politicians. Milners stepdaughter spoke about her fathers love of people, the city and doing all he could to help people of color. Your time in service of the NAACP will never be forgotten presented by the Connecticut NAACP on Dec. 13, 2024. Virginia Monteiro said. At the time of Milners election, then-college student Kyle Anderson was inspired by the Mayor. He said that his mom made sure his vote for mayor went to Milner when he was back in college. He was volunteering during the services to park cars today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She sent me an absentee ballot to Virginia and told me I better fill this out and get it back in time, so it could be counted, Anderson said. Because of Milner, Anderson said that he went into local politics serving on the city council, trying to make things better. Anderson says hes grateful for how Milner would give him such good advice. Milners family was presented today with a flag that flew over the state capitol on the day that he died. Following the funeral, there was a One Final Ride procession, which left the church, then go to Hartford City Hall, then to the State Capitols North Side, then to Thirman Milner School, and finally to Spring Grove Cemetery, where Milner was laid to rest. The hearse will pause at each location for 91 seconds, representing Milners 91 years of life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The late mayor lied in state at city hall Thursday. The NAACP and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz paid their respects. In the work that hes done over the years I think its our civic duty to pay it forward, Corey Betts, Greater Hartford NAACP President, said. State leaders send their thoughts and prayers to the family on this somber day. He was the first mayor of color to serve in the city of Hartford, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz (D-Conn.) and thats why theres a school named in his honor. The family is asking community members to donate to Milners legacy fund in lieu of flowers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Four years after the death of 13-month-old Hannah Nicole Driver, her mother, Chloe Alexis Driver, has been sentenced for her murder. Footage from Court TV of the Thursday, Dec. 12 sentencing shows Cherokee County Chief Superior Court Judge Ellen McElyea sentencing Chloe, now 24 years old, to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Due to Hanna's age, she was also sentenced to 20 years to be served concurrently. Georgia law states that Chloe would have to serve 30 years of her life sentence before being eligible for parole. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Chloe Driver mugshot Chloe Driver mugshot Before announcing the sentencing, McElyea said that the crime was "a heinous offense with evidence that was so graphic and so traumatic that I began to do research on what kind of support and help we could give the jurors who were having to consider it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A parent killing a child is something that just offends us on the deepest level," she said. "It is a wrong that just is unfathomable. It just cannot be understood and it scares us because it is so contrary to just fundamental moral behavior and what we expect of the bonds between human beings." The sentencing comes one month after Chloe was convicted of multiple counts, including malice murder, felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children, and aggravated assault, but found "mentally ill," per Law&Crime and KFOX-TV. Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Hannah Nicole Driver Hannah Nicole Driver Related: Man Gets Hopelessly Stuck in Chimney While Fleeing from Police: 'He Went Down Like Santa Claus' Chloe addressed her mental health while speaking to the judge on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Though I may not legally meet the definition of insanity as of today, I know in the bottom of my heart that I was because I never would have done what I did had it not been for my decompensation. In the end, we can't go back and undo the bad no matter how much we want to, but we can learn from it and prevent it from happening again," she said. "I will continue to seek help for my mental illness because of this." On Dec. 8, 2020, the Canton Police Department responded to a Cherokee County, Ga., home where they found Hannah, who later died in the hospital with stab wounds. Chloe, who was described as having "life-threatening injuries" from the incident, was also taken to the hospital. Related: Man Gets Hopelessly Stuck in Chimney While Fleeing from Police: 'He Went Down Like Santa Claus' According to Patch.com, WBSTV, and Fox 5 Atlanta, prosecutors alleged that Chloe grabbed a knife from the kitchen at the property where she was with a group of two men and three women believed to be part of a polygamist lifestyle cult and stabbed her daughter in the neck before stabbing herself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The baby's father, allegedly one of the people present at the property when the incident took place, attempted lifesaving measures until first responders arrived at the scene, per the outlets, who state that Hannah was stabbed four times. During Thursday's sentencing, Chloe expressed remorse for her actions: "I am terribly sorry for many things in my life but most of all for who was lost, and I always will be. Every single day I live with my guilt," she said. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People Tulsi Gabbard is struggling through her meetings with senators this week, sources told The Hill, highlighting the difficult path she faces in winning confirmation to be director of national intelligence. Nearly a half dozen sources, including senators and individuals close to the situation, indicated that Gabbard is having trouble during meetings with lawmakers, with one source familiar describing the sit-downs as not going well. She was proving to be a little shallow, like a House member talking at a hearing and not someone who needs to provide the presidents daily intelligence briefing, the source familiar said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two Senate Republicans also echoed the concerns, with one noting that multiple members who have sat down with the former Democratic Hawaii congresswoman have come away unimpressed thus far. Ive heard that shes not very well prepared. Ive heard not great things, the Senate GOP member said, describing them as BS sessions. The second Senate Republican added there have been a lot of eyerolls from members who have sat down Gabbard early on. The objections lawmakers have stem from Gabbards lack of experience and her relationships with U.S. adversaries. She met in 2017 with Syrias Bashar Assad, whose government was overthrown this week, following allegations of chemical weapons use against his own people. She has also been a high-profile defender of leaker Edward Snowden and has echoed Russian President Vladimir Putins talking points on the Ukraine war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her defense of Putin would make it difficult for her to gain support from the likes of outgoing Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is staunch in his support for Ukraine. Another source familiar with her meetings on the Hill said senators were likely inclined not to like her from the beginning. A Senate GOP aide whose member has met with Gabbard said the poor meetings shes had dont make it easy for her to win votes, adding, shes got some work to do if she wants the job. The more she meets with serious people, the more theyll see theres a competency deficit. But, the aide was optimistic, calling her a capable person who could learn quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyve got to get her up to speed really quickly. Shes just not educated on the job. But I feel she can get it done, ultimately, the source said. Another Senate Republican who has met with Gabbard said some of her troubles stem from positions beyond Syria and Russia. Specifically, they pointed to her past votes against reauthorizing FISA Section 702, which gives the U.S. the authority to conduct warrantless surveillance of non-U.S. citizens located abroad. The hard part is explaining things like, she voted against [FISA Section 702] four times and now shes going to have to be the defender of 702, the member said. Others expressed less concern about Gabbard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyll find shes a straight shooter, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said earlier in the week. She is someone that, when she gets focused, shes extremely driven and will get the job done, and shes also going to be someone thats going to be able to change the way that DNI has been run under [Director Avril Haines] and the direction that were going to be going there. People have just got to get to know her and be comfortable with her, he added. Haines, who was appointed by President Biden, was the first of the presidents Cabinet officials confirmed in the Senate; the upper chamber supported her with a bipartisan 84-10 vote on Bidens Inauguration Day. At the time, Haines was backed by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is now Trumps pick to run the State Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Haines has the typical experience for the role she served in several national security positions during the Obama administration, including deputy CIA director and White House deputy national security adviser. She replaced Trumps director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, who previously was a congressman from Texas. He drew backlash over some of his decisions to declassify intelligence in what was viewed as attempts to spread at times unverified information that could hurt Trumps political enemies. The Trump transition pushed back on reporting that Gabbard is struggling in her meetings with senators. These cowardly anonymous sources are desperately trying to hold on to power, so they hide behind the media to spread these falsities that directly subvert the will of the American people. President Trump won with a mandate for change from the American people, and thats one of the reasons he nominated Lt. Col. Gabbard for DNI, transition spokesperson Alexa Henning said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Gabbard tumult comes as most of Trumps other nominees have found themselves in relatively stronger positions. Pete Hegseth, the president-elects choice to lead the Pentagon, appeared to be in deep peril last week before going on a blitz of meetings with lawmakers and the media to turn things around. Shes probably more vulnerable than Hegseth right now, the source familiar with Gabbards meetings in recent days said, adding that people who have been on Capitol Hill with the Defense secretary pick feel like he has turned the corner. Lawmakers are now confident he can win confirmation after overcoming the wave of issues. I will say, the middle of last week, it felt like there was growing momentum against him. I think that has changed markedly, Sen. Ted Cruz. (R-Texas) said. The momentum has shifted considerably in Petes direction. I think Petes going to get confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mullin was more blunt. It didnt look too good last week, he said. But I thought he could get there if he could make it through the week, and he did. Now, youre seeing the tide turn for him because hes taking the fight to the Senate. Hes making his case, and its been effective. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Two East Side gang members charged and convicted for the January 17 shooting inside Crown Center have been sentenced. A Jackson County judge on Thursday sentenced Brian Favela, 23, and Joel Olivas, 24, to 18 years in prison. The two men were found guilty last month of numerous charges in the shooting, including two felonies for unlawful use of a weapon, two felonies for armed criminal action, and three misdemeanor harassment counts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said a dispute and argument preceded the gunfire. Six people were hit in the January 17 shooting, according to court documents, including three victims not involved in a disturbance between two groups. Miami County teen charged with murder after 15-year-olds death Investigators found 54 spent shell casings, live rounds on the ground, and recovered eight spent bullets and 22 bullet fragments. The victims all had non-life threatening injuries, but FOX4 is asking about the extent of those injuries, and to what degree those people have recovered. An agreement among parties capped a prison sentence for the two suspects at 25 years, according to the Jackson County Prosecutors Office. Prosecutors, in a sentencing memorandum, asked the judge to impose that maximum amount due to the devastating nature of the shootings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. With U.S. Steel employees surrounding him, Mayor Eddie Melton on Thursday announced his support for the companys acquisition by the Japanese company, Nippon Steel. As the 22nd mayor of Gary, I wanted to show my support for this effort because we have done our due diligence to make sure that its the right thing for our citizens, our economy and the right thing for the United States, Melton said. He said that he supports the deal because he and many employees believe it is necessary to preserve the 4,000 or so U.S. Steel jobs that remain of what was once more than 30,000. The sale has faced opposition from the highest levels of American government, including from President Joe Biden, who said the deal raised national security concerns, and from President-elect Donald Trump, who said he opposed the companys sale to a foreign company. Meltons support for it pits him against those powerful adversaries, other U.S. government officials and leaders of the United Steelworkers union. But there are Black leaders in Washington who also support the deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Melton read from a Nov. 21 statement sent to Biden and signed by Reps. Bennie Thompson of Louisiana and Maxine Waters of California, members of the Congressional Black Caucus. In it, they expressed their support for the deal while recognizing Garys plight. The city of Gary has shouldered the economic and environmental consequences of U.S. Steels operations, enduring divestment, job losses and diminished community investment. The steel industrys decline has left a lasting mark on Gary, where citizens deserve security and assurance that their quality of life will not be further jeopardized. Caucus members point to Nippons commitment to making investments in the Gary Works plant and preserving union jobs. By contrast, U.S. Steels leadership has said that a failed merger could lead to further plant closures and job loss. What really concerned me about this deal not going through is that the current CEO of U.S. Steel mentioned that there would be closures if this deal did not go through, because U.S. Steel does not have the capital to make the investments, Melton said in a recent BBC interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to be very clear, although Gary would benefit as a city, my main concern is I want to make sure that the plants are not closed, to make sure that jobs are secure for the years to come. Part of the reason that Black leaders in Gary support the sale is that they view U.S. Steel as a bad corporate citizen that has shortchanged the city by failing to pay its fair share of taxes. The state allows the company to assess its own property value, which has remained at $109 million for years, an amount that Black leaders say is too low. Lake County Councilman Charlie Brown, who represents Gary on the board, is one of those leaders. It was most unusual that when I was in the General Assembly, the state allowed U.S. Steel to do its own assessment, not to have outside assessment of its property, which still doesnt seem very fair, Brown told Capital B Gary. Included in Nippon Steels proposed purchase of U.S. Steel is an initial promise of a $300 million investment to repair one of Gary Works three blast furnaces. (Joe Raymond/Associated Press) Nippon Steel made an initial promise of a $300 million investment to repair one of Gary Works three blast furnaces. Melton said hes hopeful Nippon is open to fixing the other furnaces, which are expected to expire within 20 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, an interagency committee that falls under the U.S. Department of Treasury, is tasked with advising Biden by Dec. 22 or 23 whether the sale poses a security risk, according to the steelworkers union. As the two companies continue negotiating the terms of a deal, Nippon recently pledged a $5,000 bonus to all United Steelworkers employees, a move the union viewed as bribery. A Dec. 10 statement released by the union reads: Nippon Steel today employed a classic union-busting tactic in a final, desperate attempt to win over support for its doomed acquisition of U.S. Steel: simple bribery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have seen this sort of corporate behavior before, and we know what it really means. Nippon is begging for union members to trade our long-term stability and bargaining power in exchange for a single payment. But we wont be fooled. In a video released earlier this month, union President David McCall said he was still opposed to the deal, citing Nippons expressed plans to move work from current facilities to Big River Steel in Osceola, Arkansas. We recognize the offer is a good deal for [U.S. Steel] CEO David Burritt and some of his top executive management team and the institutional stockholders; however, the union does not think its a good deal for workers, McCall said. It was originally announced by U.S. Steel in December 2023 that Nippon was set to acquire the company in an all-cash transaction at $55 per share, for a total enterprise value of $14.9 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attention surrounding the deal has intensified since the presidential campaign, when both candidates along with President Biden announced plans to block the deal. Trump reiterated his plans in a post on Truth Social earlier this month: The post Gary Mayor Expresses His Support for Nippon Steels Acquisition of U.S. Steel appeared first on Capital B Gary. It was in a stuffy room in the House of Lords in 2019 when the power of the trans lobby hit me for the first time. Campaigners Kellie-Jay and Venice Allan had pulled together lawyers, journalists, politicians, and NHS whistle-blowers to talk about what was yesterday finally acknowledged by Health Secretary Wes Streeting as a medical scandal: the prescription of off-label puberty-blocking drugs to some of Britains most vulnerable children. The feeling in that seminal meeting was one of possibilities, but also of fear. Invitations were sent to all MPs and peers, yet only Lord Moonie, Tanni Grey-Thompson, and David TC Davies attended. Labours general secretary Jennie Formby warned Moonie his membership was at risk if he chaired the meeting. Back then, gender-critical beliefs werent legally protected, and campaigners raising safeguarding concerns were routinely dismissed as fascists or as in the pay of evangelical Christians. But the evidence, which was later compiled by Dr Hilary Cass in her landmark report, was always there. Puberty blockers, such as Lupron, were developed for end-stage prostate cancer and are used to chemically castrate sex offenders. Side effects include bone density loss, impacted fertility and lowered IQ. Despite this, they were widely prescribed to children off-label and without proper scrutiny. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet Streeting, once a Stonewall stalwart and member of a Facebook group targeting suspected Terfs in Labour, was previously reluctant to address such evidence. Thankfully, he has now broken away from the partisan briefings of lobby groups. Following in the work of his Tory predecessor Sajid Javid who commissioned the Cass Review, Streeting has done what any responsible politician should; he put the best interests of children ahead of his own career. Trans activists can no longer pretend that caring about childrens health is a part of some Tory culture war plot. No good deed goes unpunished. For the crime of looking at the evidence, and following the recommendations of the Cass Review, Streeting can expect to be vilified. Indeed, an open letter from Labour for Trans Rights accusing the health secretary of upholding the Conservative approach of politicising the lives of trans people has already garnered thousands of signatures. But times have changed, and the trans activists are on the outside of the establishment. Stonewall is a shrinking shadow of its former self, and child transition charity Mermaids has been grilled by the Charity Commission. The few Labour MPs who have criticised the puberty blocker ban are largely hangovers from the partys Corbynista past. Nearly a decade ago, I learned about the harm inflicted on children by transgender ideology. Campaigners whether motivated by concern for womens rights, safeguarding, or faith connected through underground networks to expose the scandal within NHS Gender Identity Services. Groups like Transgender Trend, founded in 2015 by Stephanie Davies-Arai, spearheaded efforts from living rooms, not boardrooms. Undeterred by what seemed to be consensus amongst the establishment, and threats from trans activists, grassroots organisers forced the government to pay attention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How clinicians were duped into believing that childrens mental suffering could be eased by halting puberty deserves to be investigated as a warning for the future. But how ordinary people fought back must also be recognised and remembered. The close of this grotesque experiment on children should give us all hope. The grassroots campaigners who refused to look away have proven Margaret Mead right: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, its the only thing that ever has. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Rhode Islands first-ever safe injection site is almost ready to open. Boston Globe Rhode Island reporter Steph Machado joined Kayla Fish on 12 News at 4 to break down the law that established a pilot program for so-called harm-reduction sites, how long it will last, and whether Rhode Islanders can expect to see more safe injection sites in the coming years. She also shared what she learned from Providence City Councilor Mary Kay Harris, who represents the area of South Providence where the site is located. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the full interview in the player above. Read Machados full story in The Boston Globe Rhode Island: Opening of safe injection site in R.I. is personal for councilwoman who once opposed it MORE: Globe RI & 12 News Stories Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. GEORGETOWN, Ky. (FOX 56) One week after a woman was last seen in Georgetown, authorities continue asking the community for help finding her. On Friday, the Georgetown Police Department (GPD) wrote on Facebook that officers had reason to believe Emma Smith, 21, worked on a plan to leave and said she could still be close to Georgetown. Jessamine County jail deputy under investigation after alleged shoplifting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have viewed video footage, but we are hopeful there will be more for us to review and use as a lead to find her, the department wrote. We are asking residents and business owners that have video footage to please go back and check your camera for any signs of Emma. The Georgetown Police Department wrote on Facebook that officers are continuing to search for Emma Smith, 21, who was reported missing on Dec. 8. (Georgetown Police Department) Authorities previously shared that Emma was last seen on Dec. 6 near Military Street and needs medication that is vital to her health. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Police described her as 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing 105 pounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GPD said officers are thankful to community members who have given information about potential sightings of Emma and said that the search to find her is ongoing at local, state, and federal levels. The department shared that there is currently a $5,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. Anyone with information that could help find Emma is asked to call Georgetown 911 dispatch at (502) 863-7820. Information can be provided anonymously. This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 56 News for updates. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. DAMASCUS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia hopes to keep its military bases in Syria as they are important in the fight against terrorism, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Thursday. "I think there is general agreement that the fight against terrorism and the IS is not over, it requires collective efforts. In this regard, our presence played an important role in the fight against international terrorism," state-run RIA news agency reported, citing Bogdanov. The Russian diplomat added that Moscow has established contacts with the political committee of Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and discussed issues of ensuring the security of the Russian diplomatic mission and citizens in the country. - - - - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply concerned" by the recent and extensive violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging parties to de-escalate violence throughout the country, his spokesperson said Thursday. "The Secretary-General is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Syria, and stresses the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts, throughout the country," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, said at a daily press briefing. - - - - Turkiye on Thursday appointed an acting charge d'affaires at its embassy in Damascus, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. Turkiye's Ambassador to Mauritania, Burhan Koroglu, was appointed as the acting charge d'affaires at the Turkish embassy in Damascus. Turkiye closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012, citing escalating violence and its call for then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down amid the country's civil war that began in 2011. - - - - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday discussed regional conflicts, bilateral ties, and mutual cooperation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Ankara, according to the Turkish presidency. In their meeting, Erdogan emphasized the importance of strengthening relations between the two nations, which have surpassed a century, said a statement from his office. He expressed his commitment to increasing mutual trade volume and deepening cooperation across various sectors, said his office. - - - - Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday highlighted the necessity to protect Syria's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a phone call, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed the latest developments in Syria and the broader West Asia region, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The two sides stressed the need to ensure Syria's security and stability, calling for an immediate end to Israeli airstrikes and ground operations against the Arab state. The Georgia judge overseeing the states election interference case against President-elect Trump and several allies on Friday rejected ex-Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebros attempt to invalidate his guilty plea in an election interference case. Chesebro was initially charged alongside Trump and 17 other co-conspirators for his efforts to keep Trump in power after he lost the White House in 2020. The attorney reached a plea deal with prosecutors last year on the eve of his trial, set to be the first defendant to face a jury. As part of the deal, Chesebro agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents. Prosecutors then dropped the other six charges he faced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But last week, the former Trump lawyer argued that his guilty plea should be invalidated since, in September, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee struck several charges from the indictment including the count to which Chesebro pleaded guilty. On Friday, McAfee denied the request, calling it procedurally defective in more ways than one. The Defendant has already submitted a plea in response to this indictment one of guilt, the judge wrote. McAfee listed off a slew of procedural issues, including that Chesebro did not make the pretrial argument that ultimately led to the charges dismissal for other defendants and that his request came too late. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chesebros attorney suggested the request could be considered a motion in arrest of judgment, or a challenge to the legality of the courts judgment. However, McAfee noted that because Chesebro was sentenced under Georgias First Offender Act which defers further proceedings while the charge remains pending for the duration of the sentence there technically was no judgment issued against the ex-Trump lawyer. No final judgment occurs, McAfee wrote. Therefore there can be no motion in arrest of judgment here. Manny Arora, Chesebros attorney, told The Hill that he doesnt fault the judge for determining he doesnt have jurisdiction to invalidate the guilty plea using their suggested methods. He acknowledged the procedural roadblocks but noted that McAfee did not dismiss the motion on its merits. The next step is to file a habeas corpus petition to challenge the legality of Chesebros conviction, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Always remember, Count 15 has been invalidated, Arora said. So its just what is the right legal vehicle to get there. After the 2020 election, Chesebro drafted multiple memos detailing strategies for how slates of pro-Trump individuals could falsely claim to be their states valid electors. He also faces charges in Wisconsin. Trump pleaded not guilty in the Georgia case, one of four criminal cases he faced ahead of the election. After Trump was named president-elect, special counsel Jack Smith dismissed both federal cases and his attorneys are seeking to toss his New York conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The Georgia case is frozen while an appeals court weighs a defense challenge seeking to boot Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) from the case over her relationship with a prosecutor she appointed to oversee it. The court was set to hear arguments in December but cancelled the proceeding after Trumps election win; it has not been rescheduled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Updated at 2:44 p.m. EST Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Georgian parliament on Dec. 13 passed the final reading of a bill to ban the wearing of masks, as well as the use of fireworks and lasers during protests, News Georgia reported. The move is part of the authorities' reaction to the Georgian opposition's protests against vote rigging in the Oct. 26 parliamentary election and the Georgian government's decision to halt the country's EU accession process until 2028. According to the bill, the fine for wearing a mask or using lasers or fireworks is 2,000 Georgian lari ($712). Meanwhile, the Georgian Interior Ministry will determine the list of individuals allowed to cover their faces at protests due to their occupation, according to the media outlet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Masks are often worn not only by protesters but also by police officers and pro-government thugs who attack demonstrators. Under the new legislation, the rules for exporting, importing, and selling fireworks in Georgia are getting stricter a license will now be required. Similar laws, nicknamed "dictatorial", were passed under pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine in 2014 during the EuroMaidan Revolution. They triggered an escalation of clashes between protesters and the police and were repealed even before Yanukovych's overthrow. The laws included a ban on wearing protective masks or helmets during protests and moving in convoys of more than five cars. Similarly to another recent Georgian law, Ukraine's dictatorial laws introduced the concept of a "foreign agent" for Western-funded NGOs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Ukraine sanctions Georgian oligarch Ivanishvili, PM, other officials amid pro-EU protests Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Food banks across Germany are increasingly forced to ration supplies due to a sharp rise in demand, according to the head of the national food bank association, known as Tafel Deutschland. A third of food banks had been compelled to introduce temporary admission stops or waiting lists, while 60% have reduced the quantity of food distributed, Andreas Steppuhn told the Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung in a story published on Friday. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, food banks in Germany have experienced a nationwide surge of 50% in the number of people seeking help, according to Steppuhn. Currently, around 1.6 million people facing poverty rely on these services, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Food banks were struggling because pensions and wages were not keeping up with the rising cost of living, he explained. "Food banks cannot make up for what the state has failed to address for decades," Steppuhn said. He urged politicians to take stronger measures to address growing poverty, noting that a proposed reduction in value-added tax (VAT) on food by Chancellor Olaf Scholz could be a first conceivable step, "but not much more than that." Germanys economy will barely grow for another year in the face of Donald Trumps threatened trade war, delivering a fresh blow to Olaf Scholzs prospects in the upcoming snap election. GDP will edge up by 0.2pc in 2025, according to Germanys central bank the Bundesbank, which previously anticipated a sturdy recovery of 1.1pc. The largest economy in the eurozone shrank by 0.1pc in 2023 and it is estimated to have contracted by another 0.2pc this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Next years underwhelming forecasts means Germanys long stagnation will continue until at least 2026, when the Bundesbank predicts GDP will at last expand by a more meaningful 0.8pc. Officials said the economy is under strain from high energy prices following Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, as well as competition from China and weak global demand. The Bundesbank said: Domestically producing industrial firms must adjust, in particular, to the longer-term effects of the energy price shock triggered by Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, the requirements of the green transition to a carbon-neutral economy, and the consequences of demographic change. In addition, German firms are being confronted with increasing protectionist tendencies and growing competition from emerging markets. China, in particular, has gained considerable ground in the automotive and chemical industries and mechanical engineering sectors which are particularly integral to German industry as well as distinct market shares. On top of that comes the threat of a new trade war with the US, as president-elect Donald Trump has pledged to apply tariffs of 10pc to all imports taxes to which Germanys export-dependent industries are particularly vulnerable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The re-election of Donald Trump as US president could well initiate a drastic pivot of the nations trade and economic policy, the Bundesbank said. It has not included a trade war in its forecasts, as Mr Trumps policies have not been finalised, meaning his expected tariffs could leave the German economy performing even more weakly than this downgraded forecast. The potential trade war comes at a particularly difficult moment for the EU politically. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, is battling to establish a more stable government in the wake of the collapse of Michel Barniers short-lived administration. Meanwhile, the failure of Mr Scholzs coalition has triggered elections in Germany. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friedrich Merz, Germanys opposition leader, is expected to win the most seats and so to seek to form a coalition which would make him Chancellor. But for the time being the EU is largely without strong leadership to formulate a response to US trade policy. Meanwhile industrial production across the eurozone did not grow at all in October, according to figures from Eurostat. Germany was among the worst performers, with output falling 1.1pc in the month. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. (Bloomberg) -- German Economy Minister Robert Habeck raised further doubts over the countrys plans for an early phase-out of coal-fired power generation. Most Read from Bloomberg Asked at an industry conference in Berlin hosted by the Handelsblatt newspaper whether the 2030 target eight years earlier than the original schedule was in question, he answered, Yes. For me, energy security always has absolute priority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Habecks ministry earlier this week dropped a plan for new gas-fired power plants, which are key to replacing the countrys coal-fired sites, as the measure couldnt be voted on after the countrys three-party coalition collapsed last month. Europes largest economy which phased out nuclear power last year wanted to build the hydrogen-ready plants to lower the energy sectors greenhouse gas emissions and provide backup for rapidly expanding renewables. Habeck on Friday stressed that coal plants could only be taken offline if theres sufficient back-up capacity. We cant risk creating a situation like the one that threatens to arise after the loss of Russian gas through our own political decisions, Habeck said. Its bad overall for climate protection reasons, but also for security of supply reasons, that we cant bring the capacities to the market. Chancellor Olaf Scholzs coalition had agreed to stop burning the fossil fuel by the decades end ideally. However, earlier this month, the economy ministry said in a report that coal should be phased out at the beginning of the 2030s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to rising power demand and scarce back-up capacity, Germanys energy regulator last year ordered several coal units to remain in backup until 2031. The ministry today said that the government is still working toward reaching a coal exit in 2030, but stressed that there is no way around flexible new capacities. Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified a photograph as Robert Habeck. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The Federal Archives of Germany handed over to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha a hard drive with nine films from its collection related to Ukraine. The films will be provided to the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre for preservation and analysis. Source: press service for Ukraines Dovzhenko Centre Details: Employees of the German Federal Archive, along with Ukrainian cinema critics and archivists, identified and digitised the recordings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "These unique works of art and documentary footage provide insight into Ukraines century-long struggle for independence, as well as the Soviet totalitarian rule of the 1930s and 1940s," according to Sybiha. Photo: Ukraine's Dovzhenko Centre "Collaboration with the Federal Archive in repatriating Ukrainian film heritage began long before the war, as early as 2014. The passionate work of Ukrainian and German film researchers and archivists has helped us fill gaps in the Ukrainian cultural process of the 1920s and 1930s," said Olena Honcharuk, director of the Dovzhenko Centre. Andrea Hanger, Vice President of the Federal Archives, called the handover of the discovered videos "a signal of solidarity and support." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Films are special testimonies of a countrys cultural identity, which archives must preserve. Ukraines rich cultural heritage must also be made accessible to the wider public in this country," Hanger added. Photo: Ukraine's Dovzhenko Centre The Dovzhenko Centre has received three feature films, one short film, two animated films and three documentaries. Some of these films exist only in the Federal Archive as unique modern reproductions on cellulose nitrate media. The oldest film dates back to 1919. This is the film The Bolshevik Atrocities of 21 August 1919 or Kyivs Days of Terror, which exposes the brutality of the civil war. Another movie titled Congratulations on Your Promotion (1932) by Ivha Hryhorovy, one of Ukraine's few female filmmakers of the 1930s, previously assumed to be lost, was also transferred. Photo: Ukraine's Dovzhenko Centre A list of all films (some of which are available online at the link provided on the German Federal Archives' website) can be found here. Support UP or become our patron! Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU), widely expected to lead the country's next government after elections due in February, are to propose an immediate halt on the admission of illegal migrants in their election programme. A draft manifesto seen by dpa on Friday for the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), states that those entering from another EU member state or the Schengen Area and wishing to apply for asylum in Germany will be turned back at the borders. EU law states that migrants must be processed where they enter the bloc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The executive boards of the CDU and CSU are set to approve the election programme on Tuesday in Berlin. CDU leader Friedrich Merz, the favourite to be Germany's next chancellor, and CSU chief Markus Soder - the premier of Bavaria - are then expected to present the manifesto. The migration policy plans are outlined under the title "Stopping Illegal Migration" and include eight points, consolidating well-known CDU demands. The draft says Germany primarily requires skilled workers through immigration and that illegal migration overwhelms the country's capacity for integration. The current centre-left coalition, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, have largely ignored pleas from municipalities and public forums for a fundamental change in migration policy, the draft argues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The influx, the CDU/CSU assert, is "too much and no longer manageable," necessitating strict limitations. Given that coalitions are the norm in Germany, it is unclear how much the CDU/CSU would have to compromise on their plans even as the biggest bloc in the Bundestag, the country's lower house, after the vote expected on February 23. Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) - widely expected to lead the country's next government after elections due in February - are to propose an immediate halt on the admission of illegal migrants in their election programme, dpa has learnt. Media reports on Friday also said the manifesto would include military conscription, a European missile defence shield, continued support for Ukraine, income tax cuts, pensioners no longer having to file tax returns, a commitment to the constitutional debt brake and a 10% reduction in ministerial and Bundestag administration staff. The executive boards of the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), are set to approve the election programme on Tuesday in Berlin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CDU leader Friedrich Merz, the favourite to be Germany's next chancellor, and CSU chief Markus Soder - the premier of Bavaria - are then expected to present the manifesto. The draft manifesto section on migration seen by dpa states that those entering from another EU member state or the Schengen Area and wishing to apply for asylum in Germany will be turned back at the borders. "A strict limitation on migration is urgently needed," it reads. EU law states that migrants must be processed where they enter the bloc. The migration policy plans are outlined under the title "Stopping Illegal Migration" and include eight points, consolidating well-known CDU demands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The draft says Germany primarily requires skilled workers through immigration and that illegal migration overwhelms the country's capacity for integration. The current centre-left coalition, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, have largely ignored pleas from municipalities and public forums for a fundamental change in migration policy, the draft argues. The influx, the CDU/CSU assert, is "too much and no longer manageable." The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, currently polling in second behind the CDU, will also make migration a major theme of the election campaign. Mainstream parties has refused to include the AfD in any coalition talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given that coalitions are the norm in Germany, it is unclear how much the CDU/CSU would have to compromise on their plans even as the biggest bloc in the Bundestag, the country's lower house, after the vote expected on February 23. Details on possible military conscription are lacking but the magazine Politico quoted the draft as saying: "It is necessary for the peace and security of our country." Stern magazine said the Christian Democrats also want to introduce a government-subsidized securities account for each child, akin to a "pension provision from a young age." NANJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's reservoirs have witnessed a total increase in storage capacity of approximately 470 billion cubic meters, or 90.8 percent, since the year 2000. The results were published in a research article in Science Bulletin, noting that the reservoirs have significantly enhanced the available freshwater resources for drinking water. The study found that there were 2,670 lakes and 5,156 reservoirs each with an area of more than one square kilometer nationwide. Since 2000, the major water conservancy infrastructure projects have significantly promoted the available freshwater resources in lakes and reservoirs, enhancing the safety of drinking-water sources. The levels of nitrogen-phosphorus nutrients and biochemical oxygen demand have notably decreased, according to the study, while the apparent rise of dissolved oxygen indicates a continuous improvement in the water quality of lakes and reservoirs. From 2016 to 2023, the percentage of lakes and reservoirs categorized as centralized drinking water sources has increased consistently, the research article noted. This progress has enabled 561.4 million urban residents to access improved drinking-water sources in 2022, compared to 303.4 million in 2004. In addition, algal blooms have been markedly alleviated across the country over the past four years. The study was jointly conducted by the researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, and Bangor University in Britain. Following the fall of leader Bashar al-Assad in Syria, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised to help rebuild the country. "Europe will also help with the reconstruction," Scholz said in a video on X. After years of suffering through civil war, Syrians deserve a life of freedom and security, the chancellor argued. The country's new rulers must ensure this, Scholz said. "We will work with them on this basis." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some Syrian refugees in Germany hope to soon return to their home country, Scholz added. "We will also support this as soon as the situation allows," he said. However, Syrians who are well integrated in Germany will remain welcome in the country, Scholz said. A 14-year-old girl was knifed in the leg inside a Bronx high school Thursday morning, according to cops the latest in a series of violent incidents involving Big Apple teens this week. The girl was slashed across her left leg after fighting with her assailant inside the East Bronx Academy for the Future around 11:36 a.m. in Crotona, police said. The wounded teen was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in stable condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her alleged assailant was taken into custody, police said. A 14-year-old girl was slashed in the leg in a Bronx high school. Google Maps The slashing came a day after a series of unrelated violent incidents targeted teens in Brooklyn and the Bronx. In the first altercation, a 14-year-old boy was walking in East New York Wednesday morning when three teens stormed over and demanded he take off his facemask, sources said. One of the brutes allegedly slashed him across the mouth and hand as the others held him down around 8:50 a.m. near Van Siclen Avenue and Wortman Avenue in East New York, sources said. The victim recognized one of his attackers from school and police arrested two of the perps at P.S. 166, according to sources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The third assailant has yet to be caught. An hour later in the Bronx, a 15-year-old boy was slashed in the face by a stranger in the mezzanine of the 182nd-183rd Street B/D station in Fordham Heights, police said. Several teens were attacked in the Big Apple Wednesday. New Africa stock.adobe.com Moments before the attack, the brute seethed, Where are you from? according to sources. That sparked a fight with the teen, sources told The Post. His attacker who is thought to be a teen fled and has yet to be caught. Several hours later, a 16-year-old boy was robbed of his jacket at knifepoint by a pair of scooter-riding perps while he waited for a bus in Sheepshead Bay at 3:35 p.m., sources said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of them allegedly threatened, You better give me your jacket! while they both whipped out blades on Avenue U and Nostrand Avenue as they cornered him. The duo then snatched his $800 jacket and rode off southbound on Nostrand Avenue, according to sources. Neither of his assailants were caught as of Thursday afternoon. Rudy Giuliani says he cant find a lawyer to represent him in the civil case involving two Fulton County election workers. In a letter to a federal judge hearing the case, Giuliani said several attorneys refused to take on the case because they think the judge is biased and unreasonable. One attorney, Giuliani wrote, called his case a foregone conclusion and a no-win proposition. Giuliani has asked for a 30-day extension to respond to a motion for civil contempt filed by Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who won a $148 million defamation lawsuit against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just last month, two of the former New York City mayors attorneys asked to be removed from the case, citing disagreements with Giuliani. The judge granted his request for a one-month extension to respond to a contempt motion. RELATED STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, Moss and Freeman asked a judge to penalize Giuliani even further for continuing to falsely accuse them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election. The women said Giuliani has brazenly violated an agreement he signed to stop repeating the falsehoods, The alleged violations came in statements he made during two recent broadcasts of his nightly show on the social media platform X. These statements repeat the exact same lies for which Mr. Giuliani has already been held liable, and which he agreed to be bound by court order to stop repeating, read the filing, which asked the judge to hold Giuliani in contempt and impose sanctions against him. A lawyer for Giuliani, Joseph M. Cammarata, said he had not seen the court filing and could not respond to its specific claims, but accused the womens attorneys of trying to intimidate the former New York City mayor. In a statement, Giulianis spokesperson, Ted Goodman, called the new legal filing an attempt to deprive Mayor Rudy Giuliani of his First Amendment right to freedom of speech. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) The Grand Junction Police Department announced Friday an update on the charges of the suspect who is accused of carrying a firearm at Colorado Mesa University Thursday night. Alexander Simpson, 20, is charged with: Unlawful carrying of a weapon on school, college or university grounds False report of explosives, weapons or harmful substances Unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon Reckless endangerment Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incident occurred around 7:55 p.m. after GJPD officers received a report of a man with a firearm in CMUs dining hall. Authorities put the hall on lockdown. A man matching the suspects description tried to leave the dining hall but was intercepted by police who found him possessing a firearm. He was taken into custody without incident. Simpson is believed not to be a CMU student. Simpson is due in court at 1:30 p.m., Friday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) For three decades the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival. is held every July at Look Park in Northampton to promote Scottish culture, raise funds for other local non-profit organizations, and award Scottish cultural scholarships for Highland dancing and piping. What makes the Glasgow Lands so special is the music. Over 700 talented pipe and drum musicians serenaded all in attendance throughout the day. This is the only Scottish Festival in all of Massachusetts, and the second largest one in New England, all creating an immersive experience. Amherst College Mens Soccer win Division III NCAA Championship Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the thousands of families who strolled throughout the festival, it was an opportunity to taste Scottish whiskey, see historical reenactments, experience Irish dance, and benefit two nonprofit organizations, River Valley Counseling Center in Holyoke and the Forum House Viability, Inc. in Westfield. After their most successful events in 29 years, the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival will be donating $43,000 to the two local organizations. Members from both organizations have helped with the festival by volunteering to work at the Gate and Celtic Pub. On Friday, the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival will present each organization with a check for $21,500. The next Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival will be held at Look Park on Saturday, July 19th, 2025. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) U.S. Marshals are asking the community for help to locate a parolee, who is also wanted by the Santa Maria Police Department. Xavier Cruz, 29, is on parole for vehicle theft and is wanted for domestic violence, according to U.S. Marshals. Cruz has ties to Kern and San Luis Obispo counties. Hearing moved to March for 2 charged in crash that killed sisters Marshals describe him to be 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing about 230 pounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youve seen Cruz or have any information on his whereabouts, call or text the tip line at 979-1187. All information about Cruz is confidential. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) A Gonzales woman was killed in a fatal crash in Ascension Parish on Wednesday. According to the Louisiana State Police, troopers were called to a multi-vehicle crash on US 61 at the intersection of LA 621 in Ascension Parish. During an investigation, troopers learned a 2013 Buick Enclave was traveling north on US 61 and was trying to turn left onto LA 621. A 2017 Toyota Camry was heading south on US 61, approaching LA 621. The Camry reportedly failed to yield to oncoming traffic and continued through the intersection. The Toyota crashed into the passenger side of the Buick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LSP said the passenger of the Camry, 67-year-old Juanita Holland, was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and sustained severe injuries. Holland was taken to a local hospital where she later died of her injuries. Both drivers of each vehicle were wearing seatbelts and sustained moderate injuries. Police believe impairment is not a factor in the crash but a routine toxicology sample was taken and submitted for analysis. This is an ongoing investigation. Louisiana hunters urged to act after chronic wasting disease detected in deer Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a recent interview that he is eyeing a research project on artificial intelligence (AI), similar to the Manhattan Project during World War II, after President-elect Trump returns to the White House next month. I think there is a chance for us to work as a country together, Pichai said in an interview with Semafor published Thursday night. These big, physical infrastructure projects to accelerate progress is something we would be very excited by. His remarks come nearly a month after the bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) proposed a similar initiative for funding AI development. The program would be part of a larger push to stay ahead of Chinas technological developments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China has focused on developing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, biotechnology, and battery energy storage systems, the congressional commission wrote in the report. The United States has similarly realized the importance of technology competition with China and has significantly altered the policy environment. Google released its new AI model last year in an attempt to rival OpenAIs ChatGPT and others. A new version, Gemini 2.0, was released Wednesday. With new advances in multimodality like native image and audio output and native tool use, it will enable us to build new AI agents that bring us closer to our vision of a universal assistant, Pichai said in a note upon the models release. He told Semafor that we already have capable enough models. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can build many, many use cases on top of it, the top Google executive continued. That progress is going to be very real. With Gemini 2.0, we are laying the foundation for it to be more agentic. Earlier this month, Trump announced he selected venture capitalist and key ally David Sacks to be the White Houses AI and cryptocurrency czar, a newly formed role. Like other tech and business leaders, Pichai is looking to create closer ties to Trump following his victory in the election last month. The head of Google was also expected to meet with the president-elect Thursday, The Information reported. In 2015, I set the company in this AI-first direction. As part of that, we said we would do a deep, full-stack approach to AI, all the way from world-class research, building the infrastructure all the way from silicon on, Pichai said in the interview. Thats the foundation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Gov. Roy Cooper and the Democrat who will succeed him next month, Josh Stein, have filed a lawsuit against Republicans in the North Carolina legislature a day after they overrode a veto that will strip power of many of the states top leaders. The lawsuit targeting Senate Bill 382 argues that the legislative selection of the commander of the N.C. State Highway Patrol violates the separation of powers established in the states Constitution. PREVIOUS: NC lawmakers vote to override veto of controversial bill which weakens powers of governor, others Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Speaker Tim Moore, Senate President Phil Berger and State Highway Patrol Commander Freddy Johnson were named as the defendants. The language in that bill was introduced just days after the 2024 election, when Democrats were elected to many of the Council of state positions, including current attorney general Stein as governor. Coopers office argues that the bill undermines the results of the election by stripping powers from the newly elected governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and state superintendent of Public Instruction. Among the other reallocated powers is the governors role of overseeing appointments to the Board of Elections being transferred to the state auditor, a Republican. Its fundamental to our constitution that the legislature can not both make the laws and then choose the leaders who enforce them, said Cooper in a statement. Breaking the executive branch chain of command in law enforcement or any other executive branch agency is unconstitutional, and it weakens our ability to respond to emergencies and keep the public safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stein and Cooper believe Senate Bill 382 allegedly violates the constitution by identifying a single person who must serve as the Commander of the State Highway Patrol until July 1, 2025 and then serve for the five-year term that begins on July 1, 2025. According to the statute, that person cannot be removed by the governor or anyone else for any reason. Protestors gather at NC State Capitol to oppose controversial bill The suit states, in part: The General Assembly identified a specific person, serving in a specific position, and purported to mandate that specific person to serve as Commander of the State Highway Patrol until at least July of 2030 unless that person dies, resigns, or is rendered incapable of serving. 12. Incredibly, Senate Bill 382 prohibits the Governor or anyone else from removing the legislatively appointed Commander for any reasoneven if he were to commit serious criminal misconduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint explains, Governor Cooper and Governor-Elect Stein seek to safeguard the people of the North Carolina from threats to their public safety and to the peoples assignment of core executive responsibilities to their chief executive. And it alleges that Senate Bill 382 is a direct infringement on the Governors law enforcement powers in plain violation of our Constitution. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. NAIROBI, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Hefty medical expenses are pushing over 150 million people in Africa into poverty, denying them quality and productive lives, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Out-of-pocket payments continue to place a heavy financial burden on over 200 million people in the continent, the WHO said in a report, titled "Towards Universal Health Coverage in the WHO Africa Region: Tracking Financial Protection." The report was launched Thursday on the occasion of Universal Health Coverage Day. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said that paying for essential drugs and other healthcare costs out of their own pockets is worsening financial hardship and poor health outcomes for the continent's vulnerable citizens. "Such payments force many people to spend less on other basic needs such as food, housing and utilities, which in turn may worsen their conditions," Moeti said. The report, which analyzed the period between 2000 and 2019, said the number of people on the continent spending over 10 percent of their household budget on medicines and other healthcare costs rose annually by 2.5 million people, from 52 million in 2000 to 95 million in 2019. According to the report, half of all people impoverished by astronomical health expenses globally live in Africa, with rural households and those headed by older persons bearing the brunt, but in countries where government expenditure on health was relatively high as a share of gross domestic product (GDP), impoverishment linked to out-of-pocket healthcare costs was averted. The report warned that out-of-pocket spending may force African citizens to reduce their expenditure on basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter, further eroding their health outcomes. "The need for out-of-pocket health spending might lead to forgoing care because it is a direct barrier to access for some people. These barriers affect people's ability to access diagnosis and treatment and to complete treatment successfully," the report said. It noted that several African countries have adopted robust policy and legislative frameworks to tackle the burden of out-of-pocket health spending, like abolishing patients' fees at the point of care, mass rollout of health insurance schemes, and increasing reliance on state-funded health services. Dec. 12SANTA FE Big spending infusions for New Mexico road construction, homelessness, child care and the state's long-term water supply would be authorized under a $10.9 billion spending plan Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham rolled out Thursday. The budget proposal would boost overall state spending by about $720 million or 7% over current levels and would also provide pay raises for state employees and public school workers. While teachers and other education employees would get 3% raises, the increases for state workers could be targeted at specific employee classifications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Democratic governor and top administration officials described the budget plan as prudent, even though recurring state spending has increased by 45% since Lujan Grisham took office in 2019. "This fiscally sound budget proposal prioritizes early childhood education, clean energy, infrastructure, affordable housing, and expanded healthcare access to build a stronger foundation for New Mexicans," Lujan Grisham said in a statement. "My administration looks forward to discussing these proposals with state lawmakers and reaching consensus on the priorities that matter most to our state," she added. While the governor's budget plan typically is not unveiled until January, just before the start of the legislative session, he said the decision was made to release it earlier this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We feel that in the interest of transparency and to give time for public input ... there's no reason to wait until a week before the session," state Finance and Administration Secretary Wayne Propst said Thursday. Homelessness would be a spending target under the governor's budget plan, which contains $50 million that could be used on rental assistance and expanding shelters for homeless individuals amid a statewide housing shortage. The budget plan does not call specifically for tax cuts or rebates, though top Governor's Office aides said those proposals could be considered during the upcoming 60-day legislative session. The state has issued several rounds of tax rebates in recent years amid an ongoing revenue boom, including $500 per taxpayer rebates that were sent out in the summer of 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, the chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee, said during budget hearings this week the past rebates were "pretty much a waste of money." He said the state could have better put the money to use by funneling into trust funds to be invested for future use. Surging revenue allows for spending growth The state's increased spending has come as revenue collections have exploded to record-high levels. Revised estimates released this week predicted legislators will have $892.3 million in "new" money available next year a figure that represents the difference between projected revenue and current total spending levels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The budget surplus is part of a multi-year revenue bonanza, fueled primarily by record-high oil and natural gas production in southeast New Mexico's Permian Basin. The state is the second-largest oil producer in the nation behind only Texas and oil and gas revenue make up about 35% of the state's total revenue collections, according to legislative data. While state spending has increased, lawmakers have also set aside millions of dollars from the revenue windfall in trust funds. The money in those funds is then invested for future use. An early childhood trust fund established with a $300 million appropriation in 2020, for instance, has ballooned to a projected $9.6 billion balance in the current fiscal year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor's spending plan would allocate more money to several existing funds, including $50 million for a rural hospital fund and $110 million for a matching fund that provides money for state agencies, cities, counties and tribal governments to leverage against federal dollars. It also calls for $100 million to be spent on expanded behavior health care programs, which could include new mental health and substance abuse facilities. That money could be set aside in a new trust fund, or spent directly. Rep. Nathan Small, D-Las Cruces, the chairman of a House budget-writing committee, said lawmakers are also eying "very significant" investments in behavioral health programs. "We're focused on making sure our strong revenues support New Mexicans today and into the future," he said in a Thursday interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Legislative Finance Committee is expected to release its own spending plan in early January, and Small said he's hopeful the governor and lawmakers will find areas of agreement. "We have to make progress and we have to find common ground for the sake of New Mexico," he said. Child-related programs could get big boost Public school spending currently makes up about 44% of the state's budget, and the governor's plan would increase education spending despite a statewide enrollment drop. That would include more money for a state-subsidized universal school meals program and funding to expand a summer reading initiative. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the budget plan would earmark $98 million to expand a child care program for an additional 5,100 children. A separate hefty appropriation would increase minimum pay levels for early childhood workers from $15 to $18 per hour. Similar pay stipends had previously been funded using federal pandemic funds. As the state struggles to comply with a landmark 2018 court ruling, the governor's spending plan also calls for $150 million to be funneled into a Native American education fund over the next three years. The 60-day legislative session begins Jan. 21. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A woman accused of running over another woman during a fight at a South Side gas station was indicted Thursday by a Mahoning County grand jury. Curteesha Bevly, 25, was indicted on two counts of felonious assault, a second-degree felony. Bevly turned herself in to police after a warrant was issued on Nov. 6. The warrant was issued following an Oct. 27 fight at a 1907 South Ave. gas station where she was accused of running over another woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim in the case sustained several broken bones. Bevly was arraigned Nov .13 in municipal court and was able to post $15,000 bond which was set at her arraignment. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. JOPLIN, Mo. The U.S. Department of Labor awards more than $99 million in workforce development grants. The Workforce Investment Board of Southwest Missouri in Joplin will receive $1.2 million dollars from the Youth Build Program. The grant is designed to prepare young people from 16 to 24 for in-demand careers, with a special focus on construction apprenticeship. Students will split their time between earning a high school diploma in the classroom, and hands-on training building and rehabilitating affordable housing in their communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program will support students throughout their training and for 12 months after graduation providing help securing transportation, childcare, and health care along with work attire and protective equipment. Training will be available for other in-demand industries like manufacturing, information technology, hospitality, and health care. The Employment and Training Administration first announced funding availability back on July 18. 71 organizations across 31 states are set to receive grants. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Students can now begin filling out their FAFSA if they are planning to attend college next year. It is the second year in a row the application process has been delayed. Grand Rapids Community College said the delay in accepting applications this year has helped FAFSA work out bugs in the system. David DeBoer, the executive director of financial aid at GRCC, said the changes made last year did not work as expected and that led to delays. Those problems started when the federal government made changes meant to make the process easier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FAFSA delays high school seniors college decisions People had difficulties logging in to the FAFSA. They had difficulties actually even getting a login in and then getting information between the IRS and the FAFSA, DeBoer said. When the FAFSA first launched on Dec. 31 of 2023, it was only a couple of hours and then a couple hours on Jan. 1 and then a couple of hours after that. It took awhile for the federal government to ramp up and it was really difficult. The slow start also gave colleges and universities less time to review the information. A lot of schools had a significant delay in how they could give financial awards and information about scholarships, grants and even student loans. Some schools might normally do that in February. They werent able to do that until April, May, DeBoer said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crazy year: Schools, students grapple with FAFSA delays That gave less time for students to decide where they would enroll. Because of the struggles they had with completing the FAFSA, some families would just give up and say No, not gonna do it, and thats really unfortunate, DeBoer said. The FAFSA was delayed again for a second year in a row. A pilot program began in October to give time to address bugs in the system. DeBoer said this time around, the process is going more smoothly. They were planning on Dec. 1. They opened it up widely across the country to everybody about a week earlier and the new FAFSA, or the FAFSA now, is actually working very well for our families. Were not hearing students talk about any regular problems. Every once in a while a student might have a struggle, but it might be student-specific. Its not a problem with the FAFSA per se, DeBoer said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Financial aid experts say even if you dont think you will qualify you should still apply and they recommend applying as soon as possible to get the maximum benefit because some programs have earlier deadlines. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Donald Trump waited just three weeks after his election victory last month to restart one of his favourite hobbies during his first administration: trolling Justin Trudeau. On Nov 26, he pledged to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on Canada, alongside Mexico the USs largest trading partner, unless the country agreed to crack down on border security. Cue panic in Ottawa. Mr Trudeau was at Mar-a-Lago three days later to discuss the issue with the president-elect and put on a brave face to tell the media the two men had an excellent conversation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The magnanimity was not shared on the American side, and Mr Trumps team said he had told the Canadian leader that if he did not want tariffs, he could simply join the US and turn his country into the 51st state. Earlier this week, Mr Trump was at it again. Writing on Truth Social, he referred to his counterpart as the governor of the great state of Canada. Among the mocking social media posts made by Mr Trump was an illustration of himself captioned Oh Canada! The two leaders fractious relationship harks back to Mr Trumps first term, when Mr Trudeau presented himself as a liberal anti-populist in North America the antidote to MAGA. Eight years on, it is clear which of them has had more success. Mr Trump has ridden a landslide victory to a historic second term, while Mr Trudeau is on the ropes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As next Octobers Canadian election approaches, it would be foolish to bet on any result other than the victory of Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party leader who has spent the last two years dreaming up ways to skewer his liberal rival. In the meantime, Mr Trudeaus government has been hit by a series of scandals and controversies, which culminated in the collapse of his confidence-and-supply deal with the New Democrats in September. Some polls put Mr Poilievre 22 points ahead. However, Christopher Sands, the director of the Canada Centre at the DC-based Wilson Centre think tank, said Mr Trudeau could benefit from Mr Trumps joshing, even if it embarrasses him on the world stage. Trudeau going down to Mar-a-Lago and showing that even if Donald Trump doesnt like him, he can be businesslike and professional, was one of his big cards to play to convince Canadians that he should be kept around, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He needs polite confrontation with Donald Trump and the occasional threat of 25 per cent tariffs to try to bolster the argument he should be re-elected. I think its a long shot, but its what he has to play with. Mr Trudeau met Mr Trump in Mar-A-Lago last month to talk over the president-elects threatened tariffs Already, the Canadian government is discussing whether it should accede to Mr Trumps demand and spend up to C$1billion ($700 million) more on border security, to prevent the flow of drugs and illegal migrants to and from the US. And there is rising public support for an increase in defence spending another of the president-elects major demands. Last year, Canada spent just 1.38 per cent of GDP on its military, well short of the Nato 2 per cent target. Andrew Hale, a trade policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, said Mr Trump was unlikely to impose his threatened 25 per cent tariff, but was instead deploying his favourite strategy of using trade as a tool of diplomacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump isnt doing anything revolutionary by bringing in non-trade issues into trade policy discussions, but he is definitely using the threat of tariffs as a baseline negotiating tactic, he said. Trudeau is in a very weak position and Trump got what he wanted, so the threat of a 25 per cent tariff was a success. Although Mr Trump has long used the threat of tariffs as a negotiating tool, he does appear to reserve special mockery for Mr Trudeau, whom he once called weak and dishonest. While the insults were partly to amuse his political base, they also had a signalling effect to other world leaders including Sir Keir Starmer, the British PM who are gearing up for trade talks with the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump has pledged to impose blanket tariffs of between 10 and 20 per cent on all foreign imports, and at least 60 per cent on goods and services from China. Talking tough with Mr Trudeau who is perceived as something of an easy target is one way to set a precedent. I think he sees Trudeau as somebody who takes himself very seriously and his ideas very seriously, who the rest of the world doesnt see as a heavyweight, Mr Sands said. So he mocks him knowing that it will get under his skin and try to make him look small. And I think its going to wear on Trudeau quite a bit. The effect of his goading will become clear early next year, when Mr Trump will take office and try to bend Canada and Mexico to his will on migration and drug trafficking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North of the border, Mr Trudeau is likely to try to form a strong relationship with his old enemy in the hope of retaining some political relevance. In the meantime, he will have to roll with the punches. Trolling him is becoming one of Mr Trumps favourite sports. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. GREEN BANK, W.Va. (WBOY) New research made possible by the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope (GBT) broke a record at the observatory by spotting a highly active repeating radio signal, known as a Fast Radio Burst (FRB). A fast radio burst is an extremely short-lived burst of energy that can be observed using radio telescopes. These bursts are only milliseconds long but are tremendously powerful, emitting millions of times more energy than the sun in just fractions of a second. 12 News spoke with Ryan Lynch, a scientist at the Green Bank Observatory, who put the sheer power of these bursts into perspective. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the course of a few milliseconds, one of these bursts emits [] about a thousand times as much energy as the sun emits every second. So in a thousandth of the time, they emit a thousand times more energy, Lynch said. The FRB in question is called FRB 20220912A. The name might not roll off the tongue, but the numbers indicate the year (2022), month (September) and day (12th) it was discovered. The A means it was the first object of its type found on that date. There are two types of FRBs: repeating and non-repeating. According to Green Bank, non-repeating bursts make up more than 90% of known FRBs. But, FRB 20220912A doesnt just repeat, it emits bursts more frequently than any other FRB previously observed by the Green Bank Telescope128 times in under two hours. Lynch said there are two characteristics in particular that make FRB 20220912A noteworthy: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The frequency and consistency that FRB 20220912A emits an FRB The signals arriving from FRB 20220912A are very clean. A clean signal means the radio waves coming from the FRB are almost completely unobstructed by the time the GBT detects them. In fact, FRB 20220912A could be among the cleanest repeating FRBs ever discovered, making it a prime candidate for future observation. With enough research, FRB 20220912A could be a valuable source of data that will help scientists determine the true origins of fast radio bursts. However, there are several factors that make FRBs difficult to observe despite their strength. A repeating source might not always be active when a telescope is observing them, and the random nature of one-off bursts makes them hard to catch unless you have a telescope that can look at a large area of the night sky. Despite being the largest steerable radio telescope in the world, the Green Bank Telescope looks at a relatively small area of the sky compared to a normal person simply looking up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Repeating FRBs are often in completely different galaxies billions of miles away, which can make them hard to observeunless you have a powerful (and steerable) radio telescope like Green Bank. I think Green Bank is one of the best telescopes in the world for doing this type of work, Lynch said. Its just a really special resource, which is doing world-class science right here in the state. And I think people should be really proud of that. The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. (Courtesy Green Bank Observatory/Jill Malusky) Interestingly enough, the actual cause of FRBs is not entirely understood and remains a scientific mystery, even though hundreds of FRBs have been detected and observed since their discovery in 2006. We dont know what they are and we have some good ideas now, but especially when they were first discovered there [were] a lot of different ideas, Lynch said. In fact, for a while there were more ideas about what a fast radio burst might be than there were actual fast radio bursts that had been discovered up to that point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Lynch, one theory about the origin of FRBs is that they are related to a type of neutron star called a magnetar. Magnetars are the remains of stars that were not large enough to form a black hole. In particular, magnetars have extremely powerful magnetic fields which is where their name comes from. When a star goes supernova it isnt completely destroyed. Instead, it leaves behind a super-dense core known as a neutron star. 3D illustration of a magnetar (Courtesy Getty Images Pitris) [Neutron stars] are basically the densest objects that we know about in the universe, and they can weigh, or have a mass, about as much as half a million Earths, but thats squeezed into an area about the size of a large city, Lynch explained. When density gets that extreme, the physics start to get pretty weird. The gravity of a neutron star is so intense that protons and electrons combine to form neutrons which make up most of a neutron stars mass, hence the name. Its not every day you discover something completely new. And even though fast radio bursts are not brand newI mean weve known about them for a while nowtheyre still relatively new. And so thats just exciting for astronomers, Lynch said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While scientists believe certain objects like magnetars and neutron stars exist, the idea that they are the cause of FRBs is still only a theory. However, its a mystery scientists like Lynch are eager to unravel. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) The Green Bay Metro Fire Department is mourning the line-of-duty death of Engineer and Paramedic Tyler Kreiter, 43, who has passed away. According to a Facebook post from the Green Bay Metro Fire Department, Tyler was a dedicated member of the department for 17 years and was stationed at Fire Station 6 on West Mason Street. They say he was known for his bravery, determination, and commitment to service and exemplified the core values of a Green Bay Metro Firefighter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tis the season to drive sober: Local law enforcement cracks down on drunk driving Tylers courage in the line of duty was matched only by the strength he showed in his fight against cancer, the department shared in the Facebook post. The Green Bay Metro Fire Department extends its deepest condolences to Tylers family, friends, and colleagues. They also request privacy for the Kreiter family during this difficult time. No additional information has been provided at this time. Local 5 will continue to update this story as more details are released. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Florida school boards removed more than 700 books from school libraries during the 2023-2024 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education. (Getty Images) Several organizations critical of Floridas restrictions on education materials are warning school officials against removing books that contain health information even if that information has been removed from the health curriculum for middle school students. Four groups the Florida Freedom to Read Project (FFTRP), PEN America, EveryLibrary, and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCA) sent a letter to school superintendents and attorneys representing Floridas school boards urging restraint when it comes to books that include topics such as anatomy, teen pregnancy, and sexual assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter noted that the Florida Department of Education has imposed restrictions on such topics being taught in schools. But the groups argue this does not mean students should not be able to research the topics in the school library. No preemptive expansion Our concern is that these new limitations imposed on classroom curriculum may be preemptively expanded to school and classroom libraries, thus limiting the valuable and important support they offer students, the letter argues, noting that books have been removed from libraries to over-comply with state law. Stephana Ferrell, director for research and insight for the Florida Freedom to Read Project, said she has children who attend school in Orange County but lacks the option to decide whether or not they receive timely and necessary information about consent, contraceptives, and prenatal development from a trusted educator the state has made that decision for me. Having this information available in our public schools is essential to protecting the overall health and wellbeing of our communities. Its imperative that our school libraries fulfill the need that our classrooms no longer can. The groups in their letter cite arguments made by the office of Attorney General Ashley Moody in a lawsuit that the authors of And Tango makes Three filed against the Lake County School District. The district restricted access for some elementary students to the book about two male penguins who raise a chick together. Moodys office stated that the Legislatures decision that some materials are inappropriate for classroom use does not mean they are categorically inappropriate in the very different setting of a school library. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX School districts have been grappling with what books should be allowed in Florida school libraries for the last several years due to laws put in place by state legislators and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The laws allow parents and others to challenge books, although lawmakers this year placed limits on the number of challenges. The Department of Education this fall released a list of more than 700 books that had been removed or discontinued in schools across the state. Critics have ripped into the state about the book removals, but DeSantis and other state officials insist they are making sure that only age-appropriate material is being made available. They contend it is a hoax to classify the book removals as a ban. Those who sent the letter worry that more book removals are coming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida has been winning the race to ban books for far too long, and the cuts to sex education are not only dangerous, but ripe for over-application and likely to lead to more books being ripped from the shelves, said Katie Blankenship, PEN Americas Florida senior director and counsel. Floridas leadership should be focused on shoring up public education and restoring books to libraries not targeting critical curriculum. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province set on fire 10 tons of expired medicines and foodstuff, urging drug shopkeepers to avoid selling expired items, the provincial director said on Friday. According to the official, the burnt items had been collected from drug stores over the past six months, and such a move would continue. That was part of efforts by Afghan authorities to ensure the safety of medicines and food items. Similar moves have been conducted in some cities, including the capital Kabul, in recent months. In 2015, Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, orchestrated the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. On the night of June 10, Gypsy let Godejohn into their home after Dee Dee had gone to bed. While Gypsy has previously spoken about that fateful night, her new memoir reveals additional details. In the book, Gypsy shares that she took three Vicodin and locked herself in the bathroom after letting Godejohn in, fully aware that he was about to kill her mother as part of their plan to escape together. Gypsy Rose Blanchard Details Her Mother's Murder In Her New Memoir Instagram | Gypsy Rose Blanchard On June 14, 2015, Godejohn carried out the murder, stabbing Dee Dee to death in her sleep while Gypsy hid in the bathroom. "I went to the bathroom, sat on the floor and covered my ears. Except I heard. I heard everything," she wrote in her book. "Nick entered the room soundlessly because there was no bedroom door, so when she finally woke up it must have been because he was standing over her, not because of any noise. She was startled." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though she was in the bathroom, Gypsy claimed to remember "hearing her as if her voice was muffled." She believes she heard her mother ask, "Who are you?" Gypsy added that Godejohn has "claimed he said something like, I am death. You will die now,'" but she doesn't recall hearing that. "I just heard the screaming," she shared. "And then I lay in the fetal position with my hands pressed hard over my ears. But I could still hear things." Gypsy Recalls Hearing Her Mother Yell Her Name MEGA She went on to describe hearing what she believes was a "pause" during the stabbing of her mother. "And then it sounded like she may have had a pool of blood in her mouth because I heard her say with a gargle, 'Gypsy. Gypsy.'" Despite hearing her name, she didn't respond. "I just stayed very, very still. I was trying to focus on my breathing," she wrote. "There werent thoughts going through my head at all. It was like I was locked inside a cloud, with the out-of-reach Earth spinning below me." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Nothing was real. I was a simulation, as I focused on taking my next breath, and the next. And then I heard one sharp, Help me!" she added. Dee Dee Blanchard Was Stabbed 17 Times Instagram | Gypsy Rose Blanchard She wrote that after her mother was killed, Godejohn instructed her to clean him off before he sexually assaulted her. The two then fled the scene of the murder. According to arrest records, Dee Dee was stabbed 17 times in the back while she slept. The records also revealed that after the assault in Gypsys room, the couple stole over $4,400 from the house. They then checked into a motel outside Springfield, Missouri, where the murder took place, to plan their next steps. While the murder remains controversial, many view Gypsy as both a victim and a perpetrator, whose actions were shaped by years of manipulation and trauma. Her story has since raised awareness about Munchausen syndrome by proxy and the devastating impact of long-term abuse. Why Did Gypsy Rose Murder Her Mom? Instagram | Gypsy Rose Blanchard Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gypsy Roses childhood was dominated by manipulation, abuse, and deception orchestrated by her mother, Dee Dee. Born in 1991, Gypsy appeared to be a normal, healthy child, but her mother quickly began fabricating illnesses, subjecting Gypsy to unnecessary medical treatments, and keeping her isolated from the world. This abuse is now recognized as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder where a caregiver fakes or induces illness in someone under their care for attention and sympathy. From a young age, Dee Dee claimed Gypsy suffered from a range of severe conditions, including leukemia, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, asthma, and developmental delays. She confined Gypsy to a wheelchair, shaved her head to mimic the appearance of a cancer patient, and subjected her to surgeries, medications, and feeding tubesall of which were unnecessary. Dee Dee also controlled every aspect of Gypsy's life, ensuring she couldn't speak up or escape the abusive cycle. Dee Dees deception extended to the public, garnering sympathy and financial support from charities like Habitat for Humanity and Make-A-Wish, as well as free trips, including visits to Disney World. Behind closed doors, Gypsy endured years of psychological, emotional, and physical abuse, which escalated as she grew older. Dee Dee even chained Gypsy to her bed at times and used physical punishment when Gypsy attempted to assert her independence. Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Testimony MEGA Gypsy testified that she believed murder was her only escape, as previous attempts to flee or seek help had failed. She explained how she and Godejohn planned the murder over text messages, which investigators later recovered as evidence. Despite her involvement, Gypsys testimony painted a picture of a young woman desperate to break free from years of abuse and manipulation. In July 2016, Gypsy Rose Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for her role in her mothers death. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a relatively lenient sentence compared to her boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn, who was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A court in the Netherlands has rejected Russia's cassation appeal against the Hague Arbitration Court's decision, which ordered compensation for Naftogaz Group, Ukraine's largest national oil and gas company, for the misappropriated assets in Russian-occupied Crimea. Source: press service for Naftogaz, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Supreme Court of the Kingdom of the Netherlands dismissed Russia's cassation appeal to overturn a partial decision of the Hague Arbitration Court regarding compensation for damages caused by the illegal expropriation of Naftogaz's assets in occupied Crimea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Thus, the Dutch courts have confirmed for the second and final time the legality and validity of the Partial Award issued by the arbitral tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague," Naftogaz said. According to the partial award of 22 February 2019, the tribunal confirmed its jurisdiction in the arbitration proceedings and concluded that Russia had expropriated Naftogaz Group's assets in Crimea in violation of the intergovernmental agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the promotion and mutual protection of investments. In July 2022, the Hague Court of Appeal rejected Russia's application to set aside the partial award. The Dutch Supreme Court has now aligned with the position of the arbitral tribunal and the Hague Court of Appeal, confirming that the tribunal's jurisdiction applies exclusively to investments made after 1 January 1992. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: Following the first partial award in 2019, the tribunal determined the amount of damages and, in April 2023, ordered Russia to pay Naftogaz compensation of US$5 billion. Russia continues to appeal the decision. Recently, a court in Finland, at the request of Naftogaz Group companies, ordered the seizure of certain Russian assets in Finland to enforce the arbitral award. This marked the first such precedent in Europe. Support UP or become our patron! As Haiti endures a devastating crisis marked by escalating violence and lawlessness, urgent international intervention is required to address the growing chaos. With President Joe Biden preparing to leave office and Donald Trump poised to take power, the need for decisive action is clear. Haitians are enduring unprecedented levels of brutality. This year alone, criminal gangs have killed at least 5,000 people and carried out horrifying massacres. Women and girls are being raped, children are forced into armed gangs, and elderly citizens are being targeted, shot, decapitated and burned. In addition to widespread terror, bullets are being fired at commercial airlines, prompting American carriers like American Airlines, Spirit and JetBlue to suspend operations. Aid workers are abandoning the country and violence has become rampant, with warlords terrorizing communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current authorized United Nations mission, led by Kenya and largely financed by the U.S., has failed to contain the gangs responsible for the carnage. Since the Kenyan force arrived in June, the situation has worsened. The missions 416 personnel have struggled to hold territory or make any meaningful progress against the violence. Gang control continues to expand, leaving hospitals and schools closed, food scarcity increasing and over 700,000 people displaced. A recent report from Human Rights Watch underscores the urgent need for a new, stronger and official U.N. mission, one that is better equipped to restore security while respecting human rights. The current force, underfunded and understaffed, cannot meet Haitis immense challenges. A larger, better-resourced force, with dedicated funding, is essential to help stabilize the country. The report stresses that restoring security must take priority over other concerns like elections, which can come later. Previous failed U.N. interventions should be carefully considered to avoid repeating past mistakes. A new mission must include military-grade assets, such as helicopters, drones, and tanks, along with personnel trained in military operations. The message to the gangs should be clear: Enough is enough. The international community, especially the U.S. and the incoming Trump administration, has a critical role to play in advocating for a more robust mission without resorting to American boots on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It remains uncertain whether a Trump administration would support such a mission or turn a blind eye. However, Haitis crisis is too close to home for the U.S. to ignore. Located less than two hours from Florida, the countrys instability directly impacts South Florida, home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the U.S. Trumps nominee for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio, a Miami native, understands Haitis history. Rubio has previously argued that the U.S. should not intervene in Haiti, but lets hope such a strict isolationist stance changes. Undoubtedly, addressing migration and security at the U.S. border will require helping stabilize Haiti and the broader region. Despite its support for the Kenya-led mission, the Biden administration has fallen short in effectively addressing the crisis. The U.S. failed to prevent arms trafficking and did not take the lead in Haitis security efforts. Instead, the administration delegated responsibility to the Caribbean community and Kenya, with little success. By the time Washington intervened with sanctions and the ousting of a prime minister, the situation had already spiraled. The international community must once again unite to provide tangible assistance to Haiti. Any new mission must collaborate with local communities, civil society organizations and government authorities to prioritize the needs and rights of the Haitian people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A new wrinkle has emerged: both China and Russia oppose a new U.N. peacekeeping mission for Haiti, claiming to represent the interests of those harmed by past interventions. While this stance is rooted in concern for Haitians, neither country has contributed to the struggling Kenya-led mission. Haitis suffering should not be a pawn in geopolitical games. Countries in the region with diplomatic ties to China and Russia must use their influence to support Haitis people. A transformation of the current Kenya-led multinational security support mission into an official U.N. peacekeeping mission is essential. Before leaving office, the Biden administration is supporting this initiative. We can only hope they succeed in this necessary intervention. Failing to act swiftly will only worsen the crisis in Haiti and have dire consequences for the country and the U.S., especially South Florida. Click here to send the letter. Pressure from President-elect Donald Trump was a major factor in Hamas relenting on two key issues during cease-fire and hostage-release talks with Israel, a senior administration official told NBC News on Friday. New hope for an agreement had senior Biden administration officials fanning out across the Middle East this week with the goal of closing on a critical pact by the end of 2024. According to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media, Hamas has now agreed to Israeli forces staying in the Gaza Strip temporarily after fighting ends and to provide a complete list of hostages, including Americans, who will be released. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the concessions Hamas was prepared to make. A congratulatory billboard in Tel Aviv shows Trump. There is a confidence we have not seen since May when the president [Joe Biden] presented his proposal, the Biden administration official told NBC News, acknowledging that Trump's warning that he wants to see a deal before he takes office was a big factor in recent concessions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not everybody shared this optimism. We are not there yet, another U.S. official warned. Negotiators were closer but weve been close before so Im very cautious. The Oval Office has only one occupant at a time and Trump won't take over until Jan. 20, but Biden has appeared deferential to letting his successor get involved in negotiations and has not pushed back on his efforts to be engaged in talks. Basem Naim, a member of Hamas' political wing, told NBC News that he was not aware that the group had recently made concessions during negotiations. This month, Trump wrote on Truth Social: Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire world, in the Middle East but its all talk, and no action! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against humanity, he added. A devastated street in Gaza City. Recent developments in the region, including the weakening of Iran, the longtime backer of the terrorist group, the degradation of Hezbollah and the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad also contributed to the compromise by Hamas, the senior administration official said. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday that the Biden administration has had very good consultation and coordination, with the incoming Trump team. We talk to them about how we can send a common message that the United States, no matter whos sitting in the Oval Office, no matter whose party is in charge, wants to see this ceasefire and hostage deal and see it now, that is all part of the American contribution to an effort to ultimately produce an outcome here, Sullivan said, speaking from Tel Aviv. And were going to keep working until we get it done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest cease-fire proposal stems from U.S. proposals earlier this year, an Israeli official told NBC News. Both leaders of the Shin Bet internal security agency and Mossad traveled to Cairo in recent weeks to discuss the potential agreement. The U.S. hopes to secure the agreement before the end of the month, Sullivan said Thursday at a news conference in Tel Aviv. Sullivan met with the Qatari prime minister in Doha on Friday and will then travel to Cairo for further discussions on the deal. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has traveled to the Middle East more than 10 times since Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack, did not give a timeline. What weve seen in the last couple of weeks are more encouraging signs that it [a ceasefire] is possible, Blinken said Friday after meeting with his Turkish counterpart. Blinken will discuss the next steps for a future Gaza with his Arab counterparts in Aqaba, Jordan, on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Negotiations to secure the release of the remaining hostages captured by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack have languished for months. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the attack. Nearly 45,000 people, more than half of them women and children, have died in Gaza in the war that followed the attack, according to health officials and aid organizations. Much of the Palestinian enclave has been destroyed and a majority of the population driven from their homes. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A federal jury convicted a Hammond man Thursday of sending child porn to an undercover agent, records show. Michael Swiger, 41, was convicted of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Clifford Johnson said in a release. U.S. District Judge Gretchen Lund oversaw the three-day trial. A sentencing hearing is not set, but there is an in-person status conference scheduled for Jan. 21 in regarding the unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine counts that remain pending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the criminal complaint, an undercover Homeland Security agent in St. Paul, Minnesota, was posing as a 26-year-old female named April on the social media messaging application KIK, using the screen name Justagirl14f. The agent had been chatting with Swiger, who mostly used the name Michael Johns with a screen name of Armyman121983, since January 2022. They discussed meeting in Roger, Minnesota, and Swiger offered to teach April to inject methamphetamine and how to buy methamphetamine on the Dark Web, court records state. He told the agent he had sex with a 15-year-old and liked 13-year-old blonde children, documents state. I found an old video of my ex-gf on Omegle from when she was 12. Want that too, he messaged the woman on the Kik app Up to u. She was 12? Fr, she replied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Documents alleged Swiger then sent a two-minute video of a 12-year-old girl in a sexual situation on April 4, 202. He sent another one-minute clip the last minute of the previous video on the same day. Hammond Police were familiar with Swiger, having previously responded to his house for an overdose. A warrant was granted by a judge to search Swigers home, where law enforcement seized 7.3 grams of methamphetamine, various handguns and rifles, and several computer devices. mcolias@post-trib.com The family of Hannah Kobayashi is offering refunds to people who supported a GoFundMe following the Hawaii womans mysterious disappearance in Southern California. After a massive search effort involving police and volunteers, Kobayashi was found safe on Wednesday. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, her case had by then been reclassified as a voluntary missing person case, after investigators spoke to a man whod been seen with her in downtown Los Angeles, and after authorities obtained surveillance footage of her walking by herself across the border into Mexico. The familys fundraiser, which raised more than $45,000 on GoFundMe, stopped taking donations after Kobayashi was found. In a update on Facebook that day, her sister Sydni Kobayashi said the family has been completely transparent and have not misled or taken advantage of anyone. The family has kept receipts to ensure all funds went to the search efforts and to their fathers funeral arrangements, after he died by suicide last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As you can imagine, we are all extremely relieved and glad that my sister is alive and seemingly okay, but we also have mixed and overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, devastation, and betrayal, Sydni Kobayashi wrote on Facebook. We are kindly asking the public to respect our privacy and offer us grace for a moment as we are still grieving. There is still so much unknown, and so much that still needs to be navigated. Flyers of missing Maui woman Hannah Kobayashi hang near the metro station where she was last seen in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 21, 2024. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images On Nov. 8, Hannah Kobayashi landed at Los Angeles International Airport and was expected to catch a flight to New York City. She was reported missing on Nov. 11, and her aunt Larie Pidgeon said the family received strange and cryptic texts from her. In her Facebook post on Wednesday, Sydni Kobayashi condemned Pidgeon for taking on the role of media contact for the family against her and her mothers wishes. At times, her aunt gave her information that turned out to be inaccurate or half-truths, she wrote. There were many occasions when my mother and I requested that Larie respect our feelings and tone down her posts and interviews. Our priority was finding Hannah, not creating a media circus, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators ultimately determined that Kobayashi walked into Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing on Nov. 12, the day after her family reported her missing. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said on Dec. 2 that police believe she crossed voluntarily. Sydni Kobayashi said in her Facebook post that she and her mother still havent seen Hannah and only know that shes somewhere in Mexico. We have only spoken to her over the phone, and she was allegedly found safe with Larie, but at this time, she does not wish to return to us, she wrote. She thanked everyone who had supported the family after her sisters disappearance and her fathers death, adding her family continues to face a difficult road with many unknowns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In due time, the truth will surface, and we will all get the answers we truly deserve, she said. I stand by the choices Ive made for my family, and we know where our hearts lie in this. I would never wish this type of experience upon anyone, especially not back-to-back. Related... Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman whose reported disappearance last month garnered national news attention, said in a statement on Monday that she "was unaware of everything that was happening in the media while I was away." Kobayashi's family announced last week that she had been safely located in Mexico. The 30-year-old aspiring photographer reportedly returned to the U.S. on Dec. 15 after being declared missing by the Los Angeles Police Department exactly a month earlier, according to her attorney. In a letter shared by her aunt Larie Pidgeon with NBC News, Kobayashi said, now that she's returned to the U.S., her "focus now is on my healing, my peace and my creativity." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time," Kobayashi said in the letter. As you can imagine, we are all extremely relieved and glad that my sister is alive and seemingly okay, but we also have mixed and overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, devastation, and betrayal, Sydni Kobayashi wrote on Facebook on Dec. 12. We are kindly asking the public to respect our privacy and offer us grace for a moment as we are still grieving. There is still so much unknown, and so much that still needs to be navigated. We are happy to learn that Hannah has been found safe," the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. "Now that we have this new information, this has become a private matter and we will wrap up our investigation. On Dec. 12, Sydni Kobayashi posted on the family's GoFundMe page that they would no longer accept donations to help find Kobayashi or fund her father Ryan's funeral, who died by suicide on Nov. 24. The GoFundMe was initially created on Nov. 15 to help cover the expenses the family claimed were growing with "the scope and intensity of the search." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe. This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family. We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time," Sydni wrote. "We are turning donations off, and any donor who would like a refund can submit a claim by December 18th, and it will be honored." How we got here In early November, Kobayashi was traveling from her home on Maui to New York to visit an aunt and pursue a photography opportunity, according to various media interviews with her family. She allegedly missed two connecting flights out of Los Angeles on Nov. 8 and Nov. 11. At a news conference on Dec. 2, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reviewed video surveillance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which clearly shows Kobayashi crossing the United States border on foot into Mexico. She was alone with her luggage and appeared unharmed. The LAPD also said Kobayashi walked alone to Mexico through the tunnel at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, according to the reviewed footage. McDonnell added that Kobayashis missing-persons case would remain active until her safety is confirmed, but the LAPD would not be investigating in Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 3, Hannah Kobayashi's sister Sydni Kobayashi gave an interview to NBC News in which she said the family was "shocked" and "frustrated" by the LAPD's conclusion that Hannah had voluntarily traveled to Mexico by herself. Shes gone to different places, but shes always checked in, Sydni Kobayashi said. She always lets us know whats going on. Ryan Kobayashi, center, holds a picture of his missing daughter, Hannah Kobayashi, in Los Angeles on Nov. 21. (Damian Dovarganes/AP) The next day, the family's attorney, Sara Azari, shared a statement on X, saying, "The search is far from over" and "learning just two days ago that Hannah may be in Mexico has only heightened our fears." "It has been 22 agonizing days since we last heard from her, and not knowing where she is or if shes okay is heartbreaking," the statement continued. "Like everyone else, we are learning updates through the media, as LAPD has not been fully forthcoming in sharing critical developments directly with us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Los Angeles magazine article published on Dec. 4, citing sources, reported that Hannah Kobayashi's mother may have discovered evidence that Kobayashi may have been involved in a green card marriage for money and the "secret new husband" may have also been on the flight to Los Angeles. Azari shared another statement on X from the family in response to the article, saying, "We want to stress that the family has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this information." McDonnell said at a police commission meeting on Nov. 26 that Kobayashi missed her connecting flight from LAX to New York, which the investigation determined was intentional. The LAPD did not immediately respond to Yahoo News request for comment. Hannahs sister Sydni Kobayashi denied the theory that Hannah intentionally missed her flight. Why did Hannah Kobayashi's family report her as missing? It is not clear why Kobayashi first missed her connecting flight from Maui to New York City at LAX on Nov. 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family said they had seen security footage of Kobayashi leaving the airport on Nov. 8 and then again at the Grove shopping center on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10, which is about 12 miles north of the airport. On Nov. 11, Kobayashi posted on her public Instagram account about attending a Nike event at the Grove and was even spotted on a strangers YouTube video about the event that was filmed on Nov. 10. Kobayashi then returned to LAX on Nov. 11 but did not board a flight. That was the last time anyone received messages from Kobayashis cellphone number. On Nov. 15, the LAPD missing-persons unit made a poster describing Kobayashi and stating that she was last seen at LAX on Nov. 11. The family also filed a report with the FBI. Read more from Yahoo News: Hannah Kobayashi's family says she has been found. Here's a timeline of everything that's happened since she was reported missing last month. Why was Kobayashi going to New York? In an interview with NewsNation on Nov. 23, Kobayashi's aunt Larie Pidgeon said that her niece had sent her mom a detailed itinerary for her stay in New York, including places where she wanted to eat, museums she wanted to visit and a photography assignment that had been on her bucket list forever as a career opportunity. Pidgeon added that Kobayashi allegedly paid a couple thousand dollars for a hotel reservation in New York as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hannahs sister Sydni told CNN that Kobayashi and her then boyfriend had booked the flights to New York together and also made plans to visit an aunt in upstate New York. They broke up after booking the flights and agreed to go ahead with the trip separately. The ex-boyfriend, who has not been publicly named, successfully boarded the Nov. 8 connecting flight to New York and has been extremely responsive and cooperative with the investigation, according to the Kobayashi family. Kobayashi's family tried to piece together what happened in L.A. Pidgeon told USA Today that on Nov. 11, the family started getting texts from Kobayashis number that said she didnt feel safe, that someone was trying to steal her funds, that someone was trying to take her identity. Pidgeon added that the messages sent to family and friends included weird things, calling us babe, things that werent quite the normal way that she speaks. "She texted [a friend] that she was scared and that she couldnt come back home or something," Sydni Kobayashi told HawaiiNewsNow. "It was just really weird texts. It doesnt sound like her like theres just something off about it. So I wasnt too sure. I dont know if its her or if someone else was texting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of her last texts allegedly said, I just finished a very intense spiritual awakening. I'm heading back to the airport to get to NYC. I might need some help getting there." In addition to texts, the family also didnt recognize the names of two people Kobayashi sent money to over Venmo on Nov. 10 transactions that Yahoo News was able to verify since Kobayashis Venmo account is public. The family also said there was security camera footage showing Kobayashi and an unknown person at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, allegedly on Nov. 11. "It has been confirmed that she did leave the airport on 11/11 in the evening and that she boarded the Metro," Pidgeon told CBS News. "She was not alone. She was with an unidentified person. That causes us extreme alarm because that correlates with the timeline of her going missing. So, our focus now is on the Pico Metro station." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yahoo News had reached out to several of the family members. If you see Hannah, please call 911 immediately, read a statement from the family shared on Facebook. Please obtain a photograph if possible. Your prompt action is crucial. If youre able to safely keep eyes on her until law enforcement arrives, please do so. What happened to her dad, Ryan? After spending two weeks helping search for his daughter, Ryan Kobayashi was found dead on Nov. 24, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The county coroner's office confirmed on Nov. 25 that he died by suicide. The Kobayashi family said in a statement that Ryan Kobayashi tragically took his own life after tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days. "He just died of a broken heart," Pidgeon told USA Today on Nov. 26. "Being on the streets and seeing what the possibilities of where his daughter could be. No sleep. The speculating rumors that are going around. It just took a toll on him." Rapper OG Maco, one of the early artists to embrace the trap subgenre of hip-hop, has been hospitalized and undergone surgery because of a gunshot injury to the head. The 32-year-old musician, known for tracks such as his debut single U Guessed It, was reportedly in his Los Angeles home when the incident took place. Rapper OG Maco hospitalized with gunshot wound Sources in the LAPD told TMZ that authorities reached the area where OG Macos home is located at 10 AM, responding to one of his neighbors making a 911 call about a gunshot. They discovered OG Maco in an unresponsive state and sent him to a hospital nearby. Per the aforementioned report, the rapper underwent surgery. At the time of writing, its unknown what transpired before the gun went off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As mentioned above, OG Maco is one of the pioneers of trap music. He is originally from College Park, Georgia, and later became active in the thriving hip-hop scene of Atlanta. He released his studio album The God Of Rage in 2021. Before that, he put out several extended plays, including Public Speaking (under the name Maco Mattox) in 2012, a self-titled release in 2014, Breathe in 2014, and many more. In July 2016, OG Maco, whose legal name is Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr., was involved in a serious vehicular accident. He almost lost the use of one eye and sustained multiple fractures to his skull, cracked vertebrae, and an assortment of other injuries. In a 2016 interview with HipHopDX, OG Maco explained what happened: You know, it dont happen like that. My face [points to right side of face] this whole part of my face is fake, the rapper said. This part just dont exist no more. This is plastic surgery at its best. Even my eye; my eye will be back. On why he was wearing an eyepatch at the time, OG Maco elaborated, I can see out this eye! But it just aint healthy for me to keep it out and s***. If I keep doing that, I wont be able to see out this eye. Itll get infected so I gotta take my time with it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, the rapper was treated for a condition called necrotizing fasciitis, caused by a flesh-eating bacteria. It led to significant facial scarring. The post What Happened to Rapper OG Maco? Gunshot Incident & Health Update appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. This file photo taken on May 7, 2022 shows Francois Bayrou arriving for the inauguration ceremony of French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France. French President Emmanuel Macron has nominated Francois Bayrou as France's new prime minister, the Elysee announced in a press release on Friday. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) PARIS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has nominated Francois Bayrou as France's new prime minister, the Elysee announced in a press release on Friday. "The President of the Republic has nominated Mr. Francois Bayrou as Prime Minister and tasked him with forming a government," Macron's office said. Francois Bayrou, a centrist ally of Macron, succeeds Michel Barnier who was outed in a no-confidence vote. The French National Assembly voted Dec. 4 in favor of the no-confidence motion, compelling Barnier to resign and causing the government to collapse. Barnier's government became the first to fall to a no-confidence vote since 1962. If you want to see how a second Trump administration may erode Americas democracy, either wait another month or look at how Republicans have been behaving not just in their deep-red strongholds but competitive states like North Carolina, where the state GOP is openly seeking to overturn the will of the people. Take the governors office. Democrat Josh Stein, running to succeed term-limited Gov. Roy Cooper, won last month in a landslide, defeating a Republican candidate, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, an avowed Black Nazi whose porn habits were exposed in the weeks before the November election. Typically, when voters choose to elect a person to public office, they do so with the expectation that the person will carry out the duties of that office. But this week, North Carolina Republicans representing the party that lost the gubernatorial race voted to strip power from the incoming Democratic governor. Under the guise of hurricane relief, the states GOP-led legislature voted to eliminate Gov.-elect Steins ability to appoint members of the state election board, where Democrats presently hold a 3-2 majority, shifting the authority to the state auditor, a Republican. To further limit the possibility of Democrats gaining and exercising power, GOP legislators also voted to slash the time voters are permitted to request absentee ballots and cure any problems with ballots theyve cast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lt. Gov. Robinson, presiding over a Senate session earlier this month, called the police on protesters who had entered the gallery to express opposition to the power grab, according to Carolina Public Press, a nonprofit news organization. Had Robinson won, he would be inheriting the power to make appointments to the state utilities commission, which sets electricity rates, and pick the head of the states highway patrol all powers that have now been stripped from Novembers victor. Republicans also voted to block the states Democratic attorney general from arguing any legal positions that are opposed by the GOP legislature, per Axios, and curbed the power of the state superintendent, another Democrat, to exercise oversight over charter schools. And they did all this in a lame-duck session after losing their veto-proof majority in the state house. Whats happening in North Carolina is sinister, and it will have a chilling effect on our democracy and our country if theyre able to get away with what theyre trying to achieve, Anderson Clayton, head of the North Carolina Democratic Party, told Mother Jones this week. Clayton was not even referring, specifically, to the power grab in the state legislature, but a parallel attempt to subvert the will of voters. Also in November, Allison Riggs, a Democrat and associate justice on the state Supreme Court, narrowly defeated her Republican opponent, Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin. After two recounts, Riggs was determined to have won by just over 700 votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No matter: Griffin and the state GOP are trying to throw out 60,000 other ballots, relying in part on a legal argument already rejected by courts prior to the election that votes cast from people overseas, including members of the military, should be tossed if they were not accompanied by a photocopy of their photo identification; the party also maintains that ballots should be tossed from voters if there is no copy of such identification in their registration file, its challenge disproportionately targeting younger voters and people of color. Prior to 2020, you never saw these types of claims, Democratic election attorney Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket, commented this week. Donald Trump popularized it. So far, at least, the claims have been just as successful which is to say, unsuccessful. On Wednesday, the state Board of Elections, still led by Democrats, rejected the GOP arguments on Wednesday, moving Riggs one step closer to having her victory certified. But, as NBC News reported, their decision could be appealed and the case ultimately decided by the GOP-led state Supreme Court. Riggs, for her part, is framing the challenge to her victory as part of a broad assault on the right to vote. I want to make sure that everyone understands whats happening that the ability of military voters and their families is under attack in this post-election dispute, she said of the efforts to overturn her victory. It should be troubling to everyone. Vice President Harris will travel to Maryland next week to deliver a speech focused on young leaders and the role they must play in the coming years during the Trump administration, a White House official said Friday. Harris, who lost Novembers election to President-elect Trump, will give remarks in nearby Prince Georges County to an audience of high school and college students, recent graduates and apprentices who have been active in their communities, the White House official said. Harris is expected to focus on the importance of remaining engaged in the fight for basic freedoms, and will zero in on the idea that the leadership of every day Americans is even more urgent and necessary in the months and years ahead, the White House official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vice president is expected to highlight the role young people must play in the years to come to drive change on issues like climate, gun violence, reproductive rights and voting rights. Harriss speech will mark one of her first major public addresses since Novembers election. The vice president replaced President Biden as the Democratic candidate in late July after Biden announced he would not seek reelection. While Harris ignited significant enthusiasm among Democratic donors and supporters, Trump swept all seven battleground states en route to a convincing victory over Harris in November. Harris has not spoken at length about her political future, and some operatives have speculated whether she might run for governor of California in 2026, when Gavin Newsom (D) is term limited, or if she will lay the groundwork for another White House bid in 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dec. 12Sen. Maggie Hassan is leading a bipartisan effort to close a loophole that is denying no-cost contraception to at least one million young and middle-aged women in America. Currently, private insurance and Medicaid for low-income residents must cover all types of contraception at no cost to the patient that include oral contraception and IUD insertion. There are one million women, 20 to 49 years old, who get health coverage from Medicare, traditionally reserved for older Americans, because they become eligible due to a long-term disability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hassan, D-N.H., along with another Democratic senator and two Republican senators, have authored the Closing the Contraception Coverage Act that would mandate the Government Accountability Office to analyze if there are any other contraception coverage gaps so that those could also be closed. "Every woman should be able to get the health care that's right for her, and this bipartisan bill will help ensure that all women can access no-cost contraception under all insurance plans," Hassan said. "This bill will close a gap that has stopped many women from getting coverage for contraception and help ensure that there are no other gaps in coverage." Joining Hassan in this effort are Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, along with Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Unlike Medicaid and private insurance, which generally cover most FDA-approved contraceptive methods and services without cost to patients, Medicare coverage leaves thousands of women without the same access to reproductive health care," Collins said in a statement. "This bipartisan bill would require Medicare to cover contraception methods and services at no cost to patients, removing a significant barrier to health care for women who qualify for Medicare because of a long-term disability." Hassan's political career began in advocacy for the disabled The head of the American Association of People with Disabilities said this legislation would correct a long-known injustice. "Though the disability community is often left out of discussions about sex education, safer sex, and reproductive rights, many disabled people have active sex lives and are capable of getting pregnant. In addition, many people take contraceptives for reasons other than preventing pregnancy or managing their reproductive health," aid Maria Town, president and CEO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'AAPD strongly supports bodily autonomy and access to reproductive choice, including multiple contraceptive options, for all disabled people, and recognizes bodily autonomy as a core value of the disability rights movement. All people with disabilities deserve access to numerous options for contraception so that they may elect the option that works best for their lives, their bodies, and their wallets." Hassan's career in public service became as an advocate for disabilities, as she and husband, Tom, care for their son, Ben, now 36, who has cerebral palsy and requires round-the-clock medical care. Then-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen said she witnessed Hassan's passion on the issue. Shaheen, among others, encouraged Hassan to seek public office and the Newfields Democrat went on to become become a state senator and then just the second woman in American history after Shaheen to become both a state's governor and U.S. senator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This legislation has also been endorsed by Upstream, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, National Women's Law Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, New Disabled South, National Council of Jewish Women, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In a related matter this week, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. got into the defense spending bill to require that women who receive health care through the military to get Food and Drug Administration-approved contraception with no co-pays. The amendment also requires the Department of Defense to develop a comprehensive family planning education program for servicemembers to ensure families can make informed decisions about their future and guarantees that survivors of sexual assault in the military have access to emergency contraception. This development ended a decade-long, stiff Senate resistance to this proposal, Shaheen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Service members who are sacrificing so much to protect our freedoms deserve the same access to contraception as their civilian counterparts," Shaheen said. "I look forward to seeing this long-overdue win for our military become law." klandrigan@unionleader.com HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) A former Hattiesburg business owner pled guilty to one count of fraud in connection with a state-funded benefit program. State Auditor Shad White said Sharccara McNair submitted fraudulent certifications to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) so she could receive unemployment benefits while employed as a tax preparer. Mississippi teen accused of shooting another during sale of CBD vape juice Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thank you to the staff of the Department of Employment Security for alerting us to this scheme and to the investigators and prosecutors for helping bring this case to a close, said White. McNair was prosecuted in the 12th District Circuit Court. She was sentenced to three years in the custody of MDOC, suspended, with one year of unsupervised probation. McNair has been ordered to pay $15,604 in restitution, $1,000 in fines, and $200 to the victims compensation fund. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. According to the Alzheimers Society, people with certain eye conditions are 50 percent more likely to develop dementia. Doctors say this is an important step in finding people who are at high risk. The eye is the window to the brain, said Dr. Cecilia Lee, MD, ophthalmologist at the University of Washington Medicine. Numerous studies over the past several years show changes in the eye could be an early warning sign of dementia and Alzheimers disease. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, when we look into the eye, hopefully, its giving us a glimpse of whats happening in the brain, Dr. Lee said. Research shows eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (ret-nah-pathy), and age-related macular degeneration are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. There is an important link between these eye conditions and Alzheimers Disease, she explained. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) says there is growing evidence these vision problems add to the cognitive load of the brain. They can also shift brain function and structure. Maybe they will benefit from further evaluations, especially if the doctors are suspicious of cognitive decline or dementia, Dr. Lee said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the NIA says if vision problems are caught and corrected, the risk of developing dementia could be reduced. And a study in JAMA Internal Medicine found people who had cataract removal surgery reduced their risk by 30 percent. The goal would be screening for dementia at your annual eye exam. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. Idaho law bans abortion with limited medical exceptions and places significant constraints on routine obstetric care, writes guest columnist Dr. Crystal Pyrak. (Getty Images) As the president of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, Im compelled to address a pressing issue that impacts the health and safety of mothers in our state: the urgent need for a health exception to Idahos abortion bans. Idaho law bans abortion with limited medical exceptions and places significant constraints on routine obstetric care. The law doesnt consider the risks associated with pregnancy. While many pregnancies are uncomplicated, not all are routine. Conditions such as premature rupture of membranes, severe preeclampsia and placental abruption can unexpectedly endanger the life of the mother and baby. In these cases, timely medical intervention is critical. Left untreated these conditions lead to lifelong health problems for the mother, including the inability to have children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Idahos maternal mortality rate has been rising for years, more than doubling rates seen in other states and developed countries. According to the latest data, Idahos rate stands at 40.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, a statistic that highlights the urgent need for better maternal healthcare policies. The landscape of obstetric services in Idaho has shifted dramatically, particularly in rural communities. Many Idaho counties have lost access to OB/GYN services, leaving vast areas without surgical care for emergencies. The consequences are severe: families face long journeys to receive care that may come too late. We need policies that prioritize the health and safety of mothers, rather than restricting options. As a family physician that practices obstetrics, Ive trained for years and delivered babies to families across the state. In a medical emergency, I rely on my medical training, experience and patient autonomy. Politicians have no place in a room where a health care team is working to keep pregnancy safe for the mother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To address this issue, the organization I lead, the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, joined patients and other doctors as plaintiffs in a legal challenge to Idahos abortion bans, Adkins v. State of Idaho, represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights. A two-week trial concluded last month, and a ruling is expected sometime next year. Through the case, we are asking for clear and workable medical exceptions that would allow physicians to use their best medical judgment and intervene to treat our patients as we were trained. We want medical exceptions that ensure the health and safety of pregnant patients always comes first. The need for a health exception in Idaho is a matter of urgency that impacts maternal health and safety. Enacting changes that prioritize the well-being of mothers fosters a health care environment that respects individual rights and prioritizes the health of Idaho families. Let us work together to create a future where every pregnant mother has access to the safe care she deserves. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) In todays health headlines, the food that should be on your plate for good health in 2025. Plus, navigating the increasing number of food recalls and tips for Gallery sufferers during the holiday rush. Dr. Nate Wood, Yale Medicine internist, obesity medicine physician and director of culinary medicine at Yale School of Medicine, discussed these topics on Good Morning Connecticut. Watch the video above to learn more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A lawyer for a small South Pacific island nation told the worlds highest court to heed her warning. Tuvalu will not go quietly into the rising sea, Phillipa Webb said, hoping her ominous words this week would make a mark as two weeks of historic and closely-watched hearings on the threat of climate change wrapped up Friday. The International Court of Justice took up the largest case in its history after the United Nations General Assembly asked the institution to clarify what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuvalu was one of several small island nations which, fearing they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, lobbied the U.N. to ask the court for an advisory opinion. In all 96 countries and 11 international organizations spoke in the Peace Palace, including many who had never before participated in proceedings before The Hague-based court. Even if the proceedings dont lead to a defining opinion, Nikki Reisch, the director of climate policy at the Center for International Environmental Law, says they were a giant step forward. The hearings have really been a watershed moment for human rights, climate justice and accountability, even before a decision is out, she said. The court has been asked to answer two questions: What are countries obliged to do under international law to protect the climate and environment from human-caused greenhouse gas emissions? And what are the legal consequences for governments where their acts, or lack of action, have significantly harmed the climate and environment? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Countries including Tuvalu, Chile and the Philippines want countries such as the United States, China and Russia to reduce their emissions and provide financial help to alleviate the devastating impact of climate change that they feel endangers their very existence. We want a clear and unambiguous decision that the conduct that has caused climate change over time is unlawful under international law, Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, who is leading the legal team for the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, told The Associated Press. Any decision by the court would be non-binding advice and unable to directly force wealthy nations into action to help struggling countries. Yet it would be more than just a powerful symbol since it could serve as the basis for other legal actions, including domestic lawsuits. It is too often repeated that the decision will be non-binding," Reisch said. Instead, she insisted, "it will be an authoritative interpretation of international law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Activists could bring lawsuits against their own countries for failing to comply with the decision and states could return to the ICJ to hold each other to account. And whatever the judges say will be used as the basis for other legal instruments, like investment agreements, which could be rendered null and void by an aggressive opinion, according to Wewerinke-Singh. However, major greenhouse gas emitters like the United States want the court to defer to the landmark Paris Agreement, in which countries agreed to limit human-caused warming to a 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). States designed this international legal framework to address the uniquely complex collective action problem posed by anthropogenic global warming, and it embodies the clearest, most specific and the most current expression of states consent to be bound by international law in respect of climate change, Margaret Taylor said on behalf of the U.S., referring to the Paris Agreement. The world has already warmed 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times because of the burning of fossil fuels. Between 1990 and 2020, sea levels rose by a global average of 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) and parts of the South Pacific have seen significantly more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vast majority of participating countries said Paris does not go far enough to protect them. Fifteen judges from around the world will now consider the oral and written submissions. At the end of the hearing on Friday, the court posed a series of questions to the participants who have until the end of the year to reply. On average, the court takes six months to issue an opinion but given the extent of the proceedings, a decision isnt expected until late in 2025. ____ Follow APs climate coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) The search for James Wesley Key, a suspect in a Tuesday Evening officer involved shooting continues. Abilene Police and SWAT surrounding a home in South Abilene on Tuesday night. Witnesses on scene report hearing officers ordering James to surrender. On Thursday evening, police established a presence in the 700 block of Locust Street while searching for James Wesley Key, the suspect in an officer-involved shooting. Numerous officials and resources are on the scene, including the APD SWAT Bearcat unit, Mobile Command Center and drones. Officials with the Abilene Police Department confirmed to KTAB/KRBC on scene that multiple rounds of gas were deployed into the house, and just after 9:00 p.m. multiple gunshots were fired from inside the home. It is not known who fired those shots. No one was hit by the gunfire and no officers fired their weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just after 11:00 PM the Lubbock Police Department SWAT team arrived to assist APD. The multiple armed and outfitted LPD officers arrived in the Lubbock SWAT bearcat unit. In addition, a flatbed carrying an armored bulldozer type vehicle arrived from Lubbock as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lubbock SWAT team Bearcat and bulldozer vehicles Police have cordoned off the area while searching for the suspect. Please avoid the area for now. BigCountryHomepage will provide updates as new information becomes available. Previous coverage: STILL AT LARGE: Suspect identified in North Abilene officer shooting UPDATE: $5,000 reward offered for info leading to arrest of suspect accused of shooting Abilene officer Documents: Suspect accused of shooting Abilene officer previously in prison for threatening neighbor with chainsaw Witness of Abilene officer-involved shooting speaks out UPDATE: Surveillance still of suspect accused of shooting Abilene officer released Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Donald Trump's allies have taken credit for getting Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) to bend on the president-elects pick for Pentagon chief. But the past 24 hours have shown the former Fox News host is bending too. Pete Hegseth softened his stance against women in combat and gays in the military after he previously suggested they shouldnt fill those roles. His evolving rhetoric which came after meetings with more moderate senators signals an effort to soothe lingering concerns his leadership might cause upheaval to a diverse, modern military. It could also serve as a guide for Trumps other would-be nominees who face headwinds in their confirmations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth has called policies allowing gays and transgender troops to serve in the military part of a Marxist agenda. But on Thursday, when he met with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), reporters asked him whether he thought gays should serve in the military, and he replied, Yes. And once an unapologetic critic of women serving in combat roles, Hegseth called women some of our greatest warriors during a recent Fox News appearance. The apparent pivot comes as Hegseth faces allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement all of which have led to more probing questions about his suitability for the role. And it follows meetings with potential confirmation swing vote Republican senators such as Ernst, Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Even so, the president-elect could quickly adopt Hegseths hardline views when he takes office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth has been working to explain himself behind closed doors. Collins, after meeting with him for nearly 90 minutes, told reporters that he had backpedaled on women in combat. Asked if he indicated more openness, she replied, Yes. Im not going to get into specifics but I did bring that up, and I pressed him on it since thats an issue that matters to me. Last month, Hegseth went on The Shawn Ryan Show and said Im straight up just saying, we should not have women in combat roles. Those comments have since dogged his bid for the Pentagon job. On Mondays Fox News interview, Hegseth argued his previous remarks had been misconstrued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who is opposed to a compulsory military draft for women, said he checked in with Hegseth on the issue during their Wednesday meeting and Hegseth agreed with him. But Hegseth also volunteered that he was for women serving in combat, Hawley said. He was asked in our post-meeting gaggle [with reporters] whether he was supportive of women in combat and his answer was he was supportive of that, Hawley said. Brian Hughes, a Trump spokesperson said only that Hegseth wanted the military to focus on prioritizing strength rather than diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Like President Trump, Pete wants to see the U.S. military focus on being the worlds strongest fighting force not on cultural and social issues, Hughes said. If you can meet the standards, you can serve. But given the threats we face, our priorities shouldnt be lowering standards and wasting taxpayer money to meet arbitrary social quotas. Our priorities should be readiness and lethality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senators have advised Hegseth to think about how he will publicly explain his views on women in combat before his confirmation hearing in a few weeks, which is expected to garner lots of attention. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Hegseths public and private explanations have improved his chances of being confirmed. I dont think we can go to war without women as part of our team, and so that needed to be explained a bit better, he said. Some Republican senators shrugged off Hegseths moderating stances as a routine part of the confirmation process and a sign the Senate was doing its job. That's just a natural part of the advise and consent process, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a senior Senate Armed Services member, said in an interview. Youve got senators on Armed Services. We've been doing this for a long time. They not only have views, but they have experience, and that's what happens when you go through the process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth is meeting with more than 20 senators this week, with Ernst one of the most closely watched. After Ernsts second meeting with Hegseth on Monday, the combat veteran and advocate for survivors of military sexual assault shifted her rhetoric from skepticism to encouragement. Ernst called Hegseth "very supportive of women in the military." She also said in a statement that Hegseth agreed to appoint a senior official to "uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women based on quality and standards, not quotas" as well as to combat sexual assault in the ranks. The Iowa Republican faced a strong pressure campaign by Trump allies before she warmed her tone, leaving the president-elects team optimistic about his chances. I heard he was changing his tune a little bit on women in combat, said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a Trump ally. Sometimes you make comments that you don't really want to stand by, sometimes, you know, when you're not up for confirmation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The backtrack is unlikely to mollify Hegseths harshest critics on Capitol Hill, who argue his true positions are those he aired before being tapped for the Pentagon job. "Trump nominees lie all the time in order to get confirmed, don't they?" said Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Army combat veteran who lost both her legs in Iraq. "So, I don't trust him. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea (at the podium) makes a statement during a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 13, 2024. Yemen's Houthi group said in a statement on Friday that they had launched multiple drone attacks targeting "Israeli targets." (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SANAA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said in a statement on Friday that they had launched multiple drone attacks targeting "Israeli targets." "We carried out two military operations, the first of which targeted a military target in the occupied Ashkelon city, while the second targeted a target in the occupied Jaffa city," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in the statement, referring to Israeli cities. "The two operations were carried out with two drones that were able to bypass Israeli air defenses," he said. "We also carried out a joint military operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, targeting vital targets in the south of occupied Palestine with a number of drones," he said. The Houthi spokesperson didn't specify the date of those attacks nor identify the targets. There were no comments yet from the Israeli side on the Houthi claim. The Houthi militant group, which controls much of northern Yemen, has been launching rockets and bomb-laden drones toward Israeli cities and disrupted "Israeli-linked" shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023 to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea (Front) makes a statement during a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 13, 2024. Yemen's Houthi group said in a statement on Friday that they had launched multiple drone attacks targeting "Israeli targets." (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea (at the podium) makes a statement during a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 13, 2024. Yemen's Houthi group said in a statement on Friday that they had launched multiple drone attacks targeting "Israeli targets." (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) The Geminids, considered one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year, is underway and is set to peak Friday night into early Saturday. The shower will peak under a nearly full moon, which could make spotting the cosmic show a challenge. The light from the moon will wash out the fainter meteors during the peak, according to NASA. "Still, the Geminids are known for bright meteors, and it's common to spot their shooting stars up to a week before the peak," according to NASA. "If you're up before dawn that week, it's worth looking up, just in case you spot a speck of dust from space streaking through the morning sky." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When and where you can see the Geminids Light from the nearly full moon will cut the visible rates for the Geminids by 50-75% during the peak this year, said Bill Cooke, lead of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. The brightest meteors will still be visible, according to NASA. With the bright moon on peak night, an observer in the U.S. may see around 15 Geminids an hour, Cooke said. "In short, 2024 is a bad year for Geminid watching December 2025 will be much better," Cooke said. The Geminid meteor shower is visible around the world and throughout the night sky. For optimal viewing conditions, head somewhere far away from city and street lights, then lie down flat on your back with your feet pointed south. Give your eyes half an hour to adjust to the dark. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NASA advises bringing a sleeping bag or blanket to help with the cold while waiting for the Geminids. The shower usually starts around 9 or 10 p.m., with the meteors best viewed at night or in the pre-dawn hours. What is a meteor shower? Meteors are space rocks that enter Earth's atmosphere and heat up as they fall toward Earth, according to NASA. As they streak through the sky, glowing, hot air around the meteors gives the meteors the appearance of shooting stars. During meteor showers, many meteors travel through Earth's atmosphere over a short period. Most meteors burn up in space. The few that survive the trip and reach the ground and considered meteorites. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What makes the Geminids different from other meteor showers? The Geminids are one of the strongest meteor showers of the year, with a rate of 120 meteors an hour under perfect conditions, according to NASA. While most meteor showers originate from comets, the Geminids actually come from an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. NASA researchers say the asteroid acts like a "weird" comet. And while NASA says most meteors appear to be colorless or white, the Geminids are usually yellow in color. The annual Geminids meteor shower first appeared in the mid-1800s. New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story American Airlines flight forced to make emergency landing after likely bird strike PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for the central and southern half of the Oregon coast Friday as 40 to 50-mph winds and 70-mph gusts will be possible. The advisory will remain in effect from Friday morning to Friday evening. The advisory extends from the Reedsport area in Douglas County to the California border in Curry County. Alleged UFO over Oregon caused pilots to divert Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drivers are advised to use caution on Highway 101 in southern Oregon on Friday. Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines, the National Weather Service warns. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. There is a strong case to be made that Ed Miliband may have been the most consequential leader Britain never had. With each passing day, the verdict of the electorate on his bid to become prime minister appears more and more justified; Mr Miliband has done quite enough damage without the tools available to him in this highest office. As Health Secretary Wes Streeting argued on Thursday night, it is the view of many that if the West acted faster, Assad would have been gone in 2013. That the West did not act is to a great extent the fault of one man. When Bashar al-Assad deployed chemical weapons against his own people, then prime minister David Cameron asked the Commons to approve the use of airstrikes to deter their further use. Then leader of the Labour party, Mr Miliband became the first opposition leader since 1956 to refuse to back plans for military intervention. The ripple effects of this short-sighted political game-playing have been nothing short of catastrophic. Shorn of British support, US president Barack Obama felt unable to follow through with the use of force to punish Assad for breaching the Wests red lines. This was met with understandable disappointment by the the United States and France and warmly welcomed by Vladimir Putins Russia, where it was seen as a sign of weakness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just a year later, Russian tanks rolled over the border into Ukraines Crimean peninsula, while Mr Miliband furiously denied as complete nonsense any link between his catastrophic undermining of Western foreign policy and this outcome, and mused on whether the UK could hit back by boycotting an upcoming G8 summit. As Mr Streeting rightly notes, the subsequent Russian intervention in Syria to prop up Assad also followed in the vacuum left by Mr Milibands rash decisions. Mr Miliband stated on Friday that he has no regrets over acting to block military action, arguing there was no clear exit strategy and that he had not wished to put British troops in harms way. What his statement neglected to address is that there was no question of British troops being deployed on the ground, only the conduct of limited air strikes. Having left his mark on the Middle East through his ruinous intervention in 2013, Mr Miliband is now leaving his mark on the British economy with a rushed, ideologically driven decarbonisation of power generation. The Energy Secretary who spent the election campaign promising his plans would lower bills is now instead promising that his reckless pursuit of his target wont mean blackouts. History suggests that households may wish to stock up on candles rather than trust in the competence and guarantees of Mr Miliband. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) If you drive a Honda in Portland, youre going to want to read this. Since mid-November, Portland police has seen at least 18 reports of an electronic part being stolen from the front of Honda vehicles throughout town. Could Portland see a white Christmas this year? At Ron Tonkin Honda along Southeast 122nd, 16 vehicles were targeted early Wednesday morning. It sounds like whoever did this knew what they were doing and did it very quickly, said David Moreno, a sales manager at Ron Tonkin Honda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $2,000 radar sensors that were stolen are crucial devices that help with safety features. Were doing so good, recovering from COVID. This is a normal year and just to finish off the year right when were trying to meet quotas and get the end of the year deals and then here we go, Moreno said. Outside the dealership, police said they have received similar reports from all over the Portland area. The most common area has been Southeast Portland from Stark Street to Woodstock Boulevard and Cesar Chavez Boulevard to 82nd Avenue. One incident that took place in the Montavilla neighborhood was caught on camera, prompting police to ask the public for any information about the suspect spotted in the video. This video can be watched in the player above. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VIDEO: Portlands Arctic fox has zoomies after recovering from salmon poisoning It is incredibly upsetting and troubling to have a piece of your car stolen. Its not a cheap fix and thats tough at any time of the year, but especially during the holidays, said Mike Benner, a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson. Meanwhile, investigators are encouraging anyone with information about these thefts, or anyone who may have been a victim of these crimes, to contact PPB. PPB urges Honda owners to park their vehicles in a garage if that is an option, officials said. If not, Honda owners are encouraged to park in well-lit areas where accessibility to the front of the vehicle is difficult. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. The Boone County sheriff announced Thursday that he will be retiring next spring after 27 years at the helm. Michael Helmig said in a statement that "an unexpected decline in my health" has prompted him to step down as sheriff of Kentucky's largest full-service office. "My office has earned the reputation of being one of the most well-respected law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and this has always brought me an immense amount of pride," Helmig said in the statement. "It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve as your sheriff, and I am forever grateful in your trust." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriff announced two years ago that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which primarily affected his speech, the statement said. Once cleared by his doctor, Helmig continued to serve as sheriff and said he gained an "immense amount of strength" going to work each day. "I have never stopped fighting and worked tirelessly to find solutions, but I now realize that my decline is irreversible, debilitating and is preventing me from effectively performing my duties as sheriff," Helmig added. "I have too much respect for my staff, the citizens of Boone County and the Office of Sheriff to allow my decline to hinder our continued success." Helmig started at the Boone County Sheriff's Office as a deputy sheriff in 1982. He took on numerous roles throughout his career, including being a detective, sergeant, lieutenant and the chief deputy to then-Sheriff Ron Kenner. On May 15, 1997, Kenner unexpectedly died and Helmig received the appointment to be his successor, assuming office as the sheriff just five days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As sheriff, Helmig spearheaded the development of a robust school resource officer program, which began in 1999 with only one officer. The program has rapidly grown since then, now staffing 36 school resource officers across all Boone County public schools, the statement said. Helmig's last day as sheriff is set for April 15, 2025. In 2015, Helmig and the Boone County Sheriff's Office were under investigation for possible violations of rehiring regulations after three former deputies and officers attempted to sue the Kentucky Retirement System for not allowing them to return to their old jobs once they had already retired. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Boone County Sheriff Michael Helmig to retire in April 2025 GALESBURG, Ill. (WMBD) A fire late Thursday night completely destroyed a house and sent three people to the hospital, according to the Galesburg Fire Department. Nearly a dozen firefighters were called to the 700 block of Mulberry Street just after 11 p.m. on a report of a structure fire. When they arrived, the department said they saw heavy smoke coming from the two-story building. Witnesses outside told firefighters that one person was trapped on the homes second floor. A quick search of that floor which had heavy smoke and flames, found a dog but no person as they had all managed to get out, the department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None injured in Galesburg house fire At first, crews went inside the structure to battle the blaze but the fire was too hot and big causing them to retreat and fight defensively to protect surrounding homes. They put the fire out from the exterior, not the interior, the department said. Fire crews were on scene until late morning extinguishing small areas of remaining fire, the department said. The three residents that self-evacuated were taken to OSF HealthCare St. Marys Hospital for medical evaluation due to smoke inhalation. Preliminary damages are estimated at approximately $40,000. The structure is a total loss. The cause of the fire is determined to be unintentional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. (Bloomberg) -- The House Judiciary Committee said its found substantial evidence of collusion and anticompetitive behavior by the financial industry to impose radical ESG-goals on US companies. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An interim report published by the Republican-led committee said a cartel of financial firms and climate activists sought to replace Exxon Mobil Corp. board members in 2021 after the company declined to make a series of climate pledges. Unfortunately, the pressure campaign against Exxon Mobil isnt an isolated incident, the committee wrote. Through coordinated shareholder pressure campaigns at US companies, the climate cartel seeks to use the trillions of dollars it manages to impose its agenda on the US economy and drain it of affordable energy. Far from igniting strategic turmoil, the actions against Exxon led by a firm called Engine No. 1 coincided with a massive upturn in the companys fortunes. The oil giant made record profits in 2022 and its stock outperformed rivals as crude prices bounced back from the pandemic. Exxon now has plans to produce more oil and gas by 2030 than at any time since the 1970s, and also spend $30 billion on low-carbon ventures like carbon capture, hydrogen and lithium. The judiciary committee, chaired by Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, singled out groups including Climate Action 100+ and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero for leading what they described as a climate crusade. The committee said its investigation is ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The claims by the House Judiciary Committee are completely false,said a spokesperson for CA100+, adding that the group doesnt control how shareholders vote, nor has it ever done so. Last month, BlackRock Inc., Vanguard Group Inc. and State Street Corp. were sued by a group of states led by Texas for allegedly breaking antitrust laws by boosting electricity prices through their investments. BlackRock and State Street both pushed back against the allegations. State Street, for example, said the suit is baseless and we look forward to presenting the facts through the legal process. Vanguard declined to comment when contacted after the suit was filed on Nov. 27. The committees report is the latest salvo against environmental, social and governance investing. And the expectation is that President-elect Donald Trump will add his support to the GOPs attacks against ESG. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (GFANZ is co-chaired by Mark Carney, who is the chair of Bloomberg Inc.s board and a former Bank of England governor, and Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.) --With assistance from Kevin Crowley. (Adds comment from CA100+ in sixth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Participants mourn the victims of the Nanjing Massacre during a commemoration ceremony in south China's Hong Kong, Dec. 13, 2024. China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) held a ceremony on Friday to mourn the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre. (Information Services Department of the Government of the HKSAR/Handout via Xinhua) HONG KONG, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) held a ceremony on Friday to mourn the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Leung Chun-ying and Acting Chief Executive of the HKSAR Chan Kwok-ki attended the ceremony together with representatives of various central government agencies in Hong Kong, representatives of the HKSAR's judiciary, principal officials of the HKSAR government, members of the HKSAR Executive Council and the HKSAR Legislative Council, representatives of HKSAR deputies to the National People's Congress, representatives of HKSAR members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, former members of the Hong Kong-Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column, as well as representatives of veteran groups and students. The participants sang China's national anthem and observed a moment of silence. Chan, who laid a wreath and led the attendees to bow to mourn the victims, signed the commemorative album, followed by other attendees. The Nanjing Massacre took place after the Japanese Imperial Army captured the city in eastern China on Dec. 13, 1937. The Japanese invaders brutally killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in over six weeks in one of the most barbaric atrocities during World War II. In 2014, China's top legislature designated Dec. 13 as the national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. The HKSAR government and civil groups organize memorial ceremonies every year, hoping to demonstrate the Chinese people's firm stance in resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty, territorial integrity and world peace. Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chan Kwok-ki lays a wreath to mourn the victims of the Nanjing Massacre during a commemoration ceremony in south China's Hong Kong, Dec. 13, 2024. China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) held a ceremony on Friday to mourn the 300,000 victims of the Nanjing Massacre. (Information Services Department of the Government of the HKSAR/Handout via Xinhua) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world were caught and released recently in Cambodia, reviving hopes for the survival of the species. The underwater giants can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh up to 300 kilograms (661 pounds), or as heavy as a grand piano. They now are only found in Southeast Asia's Mekong River but in the past inhabited the length of the 4,900-kilometer (3,044 mile)-long river, all the way from its outlet in Vietnam to its northern reaches in China's Yunnan province. The species' population has plummeted by 80% in recent decades due to rising pressures from overfishing, dams that block the migratory path the fish follow to spawn and other disruptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Few of the millions of people who depend on the Mekong for their livelihoods have ever seen a giant catfish. To find six of the giants, which were caught and released within 5 days, is unprecedented. The first two were on the Tonle Sap river, a tributary of the Mekong not far from Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. They were given identification tags and released. On Tuesday, fishermen caught four more giant catfish including two longer than 2 meters (6.5 feet) that weighed 120 kilograms and 131 kilograms (264 pounds and 288 pounds), respectively. The captured fish were apparently migrating from their floodplain habitats near Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake northward along the Mekong River, likely to spawning grounds in northern Cambodia, Laos or Thailand. "Its a hopeful sign that the species is not in imminent, like in the next few years, risk of extinction, which gives conservation activities time to be implemented and to continue to bend the curve away from decline and toward recovery, said Dr. Zeb Hogan, a University of Nevada Reno research biologist who leads the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Wonders of the Mekong project. Much is still unknown about the giant fish, but over the past two decades a joint conservation program by the Wonders of the Mekong and the Cambodian Fisheries Administration has caught, tagged and released around 100 of them, gaining insights into how the catfish migrate, where they live and the health of the species. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This information is used to establish migration corridors and protect habitats to try to help these fish survive in the future, said Hogan. The Mekong giant catfish is woven into the regions cultural fabric, depicted in 3,000-year-old cave paintings, revered in folklore and considered a symbol of the river, whose fisheries feed millions and are valued at $10 billion annually. Local communities play a crucial role in conservation. Fishermen now know about the importance of reporting accidental catches of rare and endangered species to officials, enabling researchers to reach places where fish have been captured and measure and tag them before releasing them. "Their cooperation is essential for our research and conservation efforts, Heng Kong, director of Cambodias Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Apart from the Mekong giant catfish, the river is also home to other large fish including the salmon carp, which was thought to be extinct until it was spotted earlier this year, and the giant sting ray. That four of these fish were caught and tagged in a single day is likely the big fish story of the century for the Mekong, said Brian Eyler, director of the Washington-based Stimson Centers Southeast Asia Program. He said that seeing them confirms that the annual fish migration was still robust despite all the pressures facing the environment along the Mekong. Hopefully what happened this week will show the Mekong countries and the world that the Mekongs mighty fish population is uniquely special and needs to be conserved, he said. ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental 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. A human rights worker has been awarded 36,000 after she was harassed at her offices Christmas party. Fernanda Hermosilla, who works for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, experienced unwanted and inappropriate physical contact from a colleague during a staff Christmas dinner two years ago. When she returned to work the following week, she was told an investigation had started after another employee saw what happened and made a formal complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the investigation, Ms Hermosilla told her employer there was an earlier incident of inappropriate touching from the same colleague at a non-work event in a Belfast nightclub a few weeks earlier, according to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. She said she had been very upset following that incident but had been reluctant to make a complaint because she was new to her role. Speaking to the BBC, she said: I didnt know this person. I thought he might make my life hard at work, that he might give me the silent treatment. Ms Hermosilla also reported inappropriate comments made to her by the same colleague of a racial and political nature, which her employer investigated, and complained that she was left in the dark about the outcome of the investigation and the disciplinary action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She believed the colleague would not be returning to work but later found out that they were. As part of the settlement terms, the pair have agreed to put the matters behind them and to work together going forward, including in face-to-face settings. She settled her case against the colleague for 21,000 and against her employer, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, for 15,000. The case has led Geraldine McGahey, the chief commissioner for the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, to sound a warning about staff Christmas parties. She said: We are currently in the middle of the Christmas party season. We know that staff parties and outings are important for team building and for recognition and reward, but employers must ensure that everyone attending is safe and that their dignity is respected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Employers must ensure that all staff are fully aware of the standard of behaviour that is expected of them. Employees should also be aware of the consequences of their actions. Ms Hermosilla said: It has been a very difficult time. I did not want or ask for any of this. I was excited to move to Belfast to start a new job and advance my career. This has been a very stressful experience. But Im glad that I took a stand. Everyone must know what unacceptable behaviour is and what I experienced was wrong. I want other women to know that they dont have to accept this type of behaviour in the office or at work parties. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. An Israeli-American real estate mogul known as the Hummus Hunk is facing felony charges for allegedly participating in at least one gruesome sexual assault amid a years-long rape spree prosecutors say three South Florida brothers began carrying out while they were still in high school. Ohad Fisherman is set to be arraigned on Wednesday, the day after he and his new wife return from his honeymoon in Japan, his lawyer said in court Friday morning. Fisherman, 38, is a close friend of Oren and Tal Alexander , who are known for their ultra-luxury real estate empire, and a third Alexander sibling, Alon, who runs the familys private security company, according to authorities. Twins Oren and Alon, 37, along with Tal, 38, were arrested earlier this week and are facing federal sex trafficking charges that could put them away for 15 years to life if convicted; Oren and Alon were also charged in state court for first-degree sexual battery, as was Fisherman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A civil lawsuit filed Thursday in New York State Supreme Court by one accuser, identified only as Jane Doe, includes stomach-turning allegations about one alleged incident involving the twins and Fisherman on December 31, 2016. (Does allegations mirror portions of the criminal charges brought in Florida , where court records identify her as M.W.) Ohad Fisherman, seen here at the Versace Pool Party during Art Week Miami 2015 (Ger Ger/Getty Images) Doe met Alon Alexander that fall, via Bumble , an online dating app, according to the lawsuit, which The Independent reviewed in its entirety. It says the two developed a brief and casual relationship, and saw each other a handful of times. Doe went to Florida to visit family and friends for the holidays, and got a text from Alon while there, the suit explains. When he invited Doe to a barbeque at an oceanfront condo in Miami Beach , and sent a photo of several others seemingly enjoying themselves poolside, Does suit says she gladly accepted. However, once she arrived, Doe discovered she was the only guest, the lawsuit goes on. Alon brought her up to a plush apartment, where he introduced her to Oren and Fisherman, who he described as a cousin, according to the suit. Within a few minutes, Alon led [Doe] into a bedroom, Oren and Fisherman followed quickly behind, the door was shut and locked behind them, the suit continues. Alon and Oren then engaged in a demonic discussion about which brother would be the first to rape [Doe]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oren, according to the lawsuit , apparently prevailed in that conversation and put on a condom while Alon went and sat on a chair in the corner to watch. It says Fisherman then grabbed [Doe] from behind and pinned her shoulders down while Oren forcibly raped [Doe], ignoring [her] tears and pleas for him to stop. Ohad Fisherman made a name for himself through pricey real estate and luxury hummus (Ger Ger/Getty Images) Unable to fight back, Doe says in her suit that she instinctively started pretending to enjoy the rape, as she had previously heard a rapist may stop if the victim acts like they are enjoying the rape. It worked, shortly thereafter Oren stopped and angrily exclaimed f**k this, as he threw his condom on the ground and stormed out of the bedroom, the lawsuit contends. Alon then assaulted Doe, and when he was done, attempted to force [Doe] to perform sexual acts on Fisherman, threatening that she needed to do so in order to leave. But Doe, who was now crying uncontrollably, successfully appealed to Alon, who instead forced [Doe] to shower, according to the suit. It says Doe then left and called an Uber, forever changed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Alexander brothers have attained a degree of semi-celebrity through their business dealings, and Fisherman has made something of a name for himself, as well. According to the Miami New Times, Fisherman brokered the sale of a $17 million apartment occupied at the time by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, President-elect Donald Trumps daughter and son-in-law, and is regularly written up in the real estate press after major transactions. But it was the 2013 launch of his own line of gourmet hummus that cemented his personal brand as the so-called Hummus Hunk . Hummus Joonams founder and Chickpea-puree-er-in-Chief is Ohad Fisherman, a handsome 30-year-old Israeli real estate broker (and hes single, I think, for any interested parties out there!), who comes from a long line of hummus royalty: his father is the owner of the landmark Tel Aviv restaurant Mifgash HaSteak, purveyor of some of the citys best since 1965, read a 2016 profile in the online magazine Tablet, titled New Yorks Hummus Hunk. Ohad Fishermans family owns a Tel Aviv restaurant famed for its hummus (Getty Images) Hashem [God] wants me to do the hummus, Fisherman told The Times of Israel . ... American hummus doesnt even taste like hummus. It has too many spices and its texture is all wrong. Its too heavy. You cant even eat it without bread. Fishermans hummus, which is no longer available, cost $10 for an 8-ounce tub. In a comment to the New York Post in 2016 about Fishermans product, Oren Alexander said, Ive heard from women that Joonam is an aphrodisiac, says NYC real estate broker Oren Alexander. Im not sure if they are referring to the hummus or Ohad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Oren and Alon Alexander were denied bail by a Miami-Dade County judge, but were granted pre-trial release on Friday morning after their father put up his $40 million home as collateral, their attorney Joel Denaro told The Independent. Still, since a federal hold on the pair remains in place, Denaro said they will remain behind bars until further notice. Tal Alexander, who is also represented by Denaro, is expected to appear at his own bail hearing in federal court on Friday afternoon. Hundreds of people gathered at the Clairton plant Thursday to show their support for the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel in Japan. Steelworkers, community members and local elected leaders filled the crowd, chanting and holding signs saying best deal for U.S. Steel. I think Nippon Steel is going to bring a lot of money to Mon Valley. It desperately needs a lot technology they promise to bring to Mon Valley, U.S. Steelworker Charles Clark said. The sale might come down to whether or not the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. deems it a national security concern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have expressed the desire to block the sale. So has the United Steelworkers union. Wednesday, union leadership sent a letter to its members saying Nippon was resorting to bribery to get the deal across the finish line. The president and CEO of Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association David Taylor said under the new partnership with Nippon Steel, U.S. Steel will gain new investments, new technology and modernization that will keep production in the Mon Valley for generations to come. Thursday, Lt. Governor Austin Davis shared this message to leaders in Washington D.C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What i will say is that leaders in Washington, if theyre not for this deal, they need to save what theyre for and what they think the future of steel making in western Pennsylvania and in this country looks like. I think they owe that to the people of western Pennsylvania. This region has often felt forgotten or left behind, it should not feel forgotten because the election is over. Folks have a commitment in Washington to the future of the Mon Valley in the future of steel making, Davis said. Some steelworkers tell us what they fear most if the sale doesnt happen. Layoffs, closure, finding another job, you know, steelworker Keith Skidmore said. Right now, the Committee on Foreign Investment is reviewing the bid for the potential sale. Their recommendation is expected in the next 10 days. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW (Bloomberg) -- Hungary and Bulgaria discussed ways to ensure the continued transit of Russian natural gas after the US imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, which until now received payments and transferred transit fees after the commodity. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Friday that a legal-financial solution had been found, Bulgarias energy ministry only said an option was discussed that included Hungary and which would allow Bulgaria to continue to receive transit fee payments after Russian gas flows. The outgoing Joe Biden administration leveled sanctions against Gazprombank last month as it seeks to ratchet up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year. While much of Europe has sought to wean itself off of Russian energy since 2022, Hungary has doubled down, even as it made efforts at diversification. Bulgaria has warned earlier that it may halt to the transit of Russian natural gas to central Europe if Gazprom PJCS doesnt find a payment solution. The sanctions also affect Hungarys ability to pay for its purchases of Russian gas, with Szijjarto saying earlier this week that Hungary and Russia are studying various options on the payments. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held talks with Putin on Wednesday that touched on energy cooperation, including how to ensure continued gas flows to Hungary in light of the new US sanctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. HURRICANE, Utah (ABC4) A Hurricane man was taken into custody earlier this week after his ex-wife allegedly found sexually explicit images and videos on his laptop. Mitchell Wendt Gillette, 27, was booked by the Washington County Sheriffs Office on charges of first-degree felony aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor. The Hurricane Police Department reportedly received a tip from Gillettes ex-wife after he did not pick up his laptop and other items from the house. The woman told investigators she was going to use the laptop for Medicaid purposes and when she turned it on she found the background was of her and Gillette together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to court documents, the woman went to change the background, which is when she came across the suspicious images. Upon opening the folder, she reportedly found 38 sexually explicit files of underage children and immediately turned the laptop over to the police. SLCPD officer put on leave, accused of sexually assaulting date he met online Detectives investigated that laptop, saying they confirmed it was Gillettes through photos, letters, and job applications. Police questioned Gillette about the photos on the laptop. He allegedly confessed to looking at the images, saying it had been a problem for years. According to court documents, Gillette explained how he found the images, adding that no one else but him looked up the sexually explicit content. Police said Gillette thought he would have been able to walk away from the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court records show Gillette was booked on a $20,000 bail, pending a pretrial hearing. Should Gilltte post bail, he will be released on the condition that he appears to all required court hearings, not commit any further crimes, and complete monthly check-ins once in-person and twice by phone, among other conditions. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. The 35-nation IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution condemning attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure but did not explicitly name Russia as responsible, Reuters reported on Dec. 12. The emergency meeting, called by Ukraine, addressed the large-scale drone and missile attack on Nov. 28 that caused severe power outages and disrupted off-site power to three nuclear plants, posing a significant nuclear safety risk. The attack targeted energy infrastructure across the country, including the far-western regions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that Russia struck a "massive blow" at the nation's power grid, with attacks on energy infrastructure occurring throughout the country. Ukrenergo, the state grid operator, announced emergency blackouts in multiple regions in an effort to safeguard the energy system from Russia's assault. Of the 35-member IAEA board, 22 countries supported the resolution, 10 abstained, and Russia and China voted against it. The Board of Governors emphasizes that attacks targeting Ukraines energy infrastructure critical for the off-site power supply of nuclear power plants represent a direct threat to nuclear safety and security, the resolution stated. No mention of Russia was included, which is unlike previous resolutions where Russia was named as the perpetrator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Russian-occupied Abkhazia left without electricity due to hydroelectric station shutdown Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) A man who shot at police after a high-speed chase and threatened a court official in Vermilion Parish in 2020 has been sentenced for his crime, prosecutors said. Ryan Hargrave will spend the next 35 years in prison at hard labor after pleading no contest in June to two counts of attempted first degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer. Prosecutors said Hargrave followed the Delcambre Mayors Court Magistrate from his office, apparently upset over a traffic matter, on June 16, 2020 and forced the magistrate to stop his vehicle. Hargrave, who was wearing body armor, got out of his vehicle and pointed a gun at the magistrate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Abbeville City Marshal happened to witness the incident and intervened, authorities said. Hargrave pointed his gun at the City Marshal and fled. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest A multi-parish vehicle pursuit ensued, during which Hargrave called 911 and told communications officers he would not go to jail alive. Eventually, the pursuit ended at Hargraves home in New Iberia. Hargrave again pointed a gun at a New Iberia Police officer, who fired at Hargrave. Hargrave got out of his vehicle and shot at several New Iberia Police officers and Iberia Parish Sheriffs deputies, who returned fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hargrave sustained several non-life threatening injuries during the confrontation and received medical treatment after he was taken into custody. District attorney says new truth in sentencing bill is very good law 16th Judicial District Court Judge Vincent Borne sentenced Hargrave Monday to thirty-five years at hard labor for each count of attempted first degree murder and ten years at hard labor for each count of aggravated assault on a peace officer, all to run concurrently. Mr. Hargraves reckless behavior endangered not only the public but also the law enforcement officers who apprehended him, District Attorney Bo Duhe said. Law enforcement encounters such dangerous and life-threatening situations such as this one far more often than they should. As always, I appreciate the courage and professionalism shown by our law enforcement partners in responding to this dangerous incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assistant District Attorney Ashley Hammons prosecuted the case. Latest news Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The Northwest Iowa Building and Construction Trades Council and Western Iowa Labor Federation held an open house Thursday. The event was held at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 231 Hall in Sioux City. School and city officials were in attendance, along with members of the trade unions in the area. Members of the public were able to enjoy some food and drinks while socializing with one another. 2 left without a home following South Sioux City apartment fire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Northwest Iowa Building Trades President Craig Levine told KCAU 9 that the event is a good way for the unions to show who they are and what the trades do for the community. We like to try to let you know the union way of life, what we do. We invite a lot of electrical officials here, Levine said. We also try to spread it with.. We have MC3 which is a building trades curriculum. We added that to the school this year to help know the trades and the union way of life. Its a nice way to live. The open house is held every year to showcase the trades businesses. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. MANILA, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos said Friday that the government has evacuated over 45,000 residents from villages around the active Kanlaon Volcano, which erupted on Monday. Marcos said the government targets evacuating around 84,000 villagers within the six-km danger zone from the volcano. Marcos said the government is ready to assist residents impacted by the eruption, which blanketed several villages with ashes and contaminated drinking water sources in the community. "We will step up. Any escalation in damages and destruction will be met with a stronger government response," Marcos said. Kanlaon, which straddles the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental on the island of Negros in the central Philippines, spewed a "voluminous plume" that rose more than 4,000 meters into the sky on Monday afternoon. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that more explosive eruptions might occur, urging residents within the danger zone and beyond to move to safety. Marcos appealed to the residents, especially those reluctant to leave their houses and farms, to immediately move to safety by staying in makeshift evacuation centers such as schools that were temporarily converted into shelters. Kanlaon, one of the country's 24 most active volcanoes, last erupted in June. The Rev. Sara LaWall drops hearts down the rotunda of the Idaho State Capitol Building. Protestors on April 2, 2024, dropped 48,000 handmade hearts meant to represent LGBTQ Idahoans in protest of anti-LGBTQ legislation. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a lawsuit challenging the states law banning public funds from covering gender-affirming health care. The new law took effect in July, banning Idaho Medicaid and public funds from covering gender-affirming medication and surgeries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Transgender and nonbinary Idahoans on Medicaid who sued in 2022 alleging Idaho Medicaid has an unwritten policy of denying or delaying gender-affirming care coverage this year amended their lawsuit to seek to block the new law. Labrador asked the Supreme Court to review if refusing coverage for sex-reassignment surgeries violates the U.S. Constitutions Equal Protection Clause. The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) Labrador filed his request for U.S. Supreme Court review, formally called a petition for writ of certiorari, on Dec. 5. That was a day after the nations highest court heard oral arguments in a case challenging Tennessees ban on gender-affirming care for minors, called United States v. Skrmetti. Petitions for writ of certiorari are a process to appeal lower court decisions directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court hardly approves such requests; each term, the court hears oral arguments in about 80 among the 7,000-8,000 petitions filed, SCOTUSblog reports. Approval requires votes by four of the nine justices. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX What Labradors cert petition requests Labradors request asked the court to hold his petition until the Tennessee case is decided since this question will likely be answered by Skrmetti. The request then asks the court to remand Idahos case to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision in September denying Idaho officials qualified immunity. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador is sworn in on the steps of the State Capitol building on January 6, 2023. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) The suit from Tennessee already before the Supreme Court deals with substantively identical issues to Idahos, Idaho Office of the Attorney General spokesperson Dan Estes told the Idaho Capital Sun in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple circuit courts have ruled over the last two years that states can regulate sex reassignment treatments without violating the Constitution, Estes said in a statement. We hope the Supreme Court will agree and issue a ruling confirming the constitutionality of Idahos alleged policy of not covering sex reassignment surgeries under Medicaid. In July, federal judge Raymond E. Patricco, chief magistrate judge in the District of Idaho, issued a temporary restraining order that had blocked Idahos new law only for the seven suing patients in the lawsuit, but the order expired. On Nov. 22, Patricco heard oral arguments on whether to grant a preliminary injunction, a broader, longer-lasting legal block against the law. He has not yet issued his ruling. What Idahos law does The bill creating the new law House Bill 668 was approved by all but one Idaho Republican state legislator this spring before Gov. Brad Little signed it into law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bill sponsors argued the bill ensures that taxpayer dollars are not inappropriately used. Opponents said major medical groups say gender-affirming care is medically necessary and safe, and warned that the law could lead to a lawsuit. According to the law, public funds cannot cover hormone therapy, puberty blockers or surgical procedures for the purpose to affirm the individuals perception of their sex. But the law outlines other coverage of the procedures still legally allowed. In response to the new law, Health West, the go-to gender-affirming care clinic in eastern Idaho, stopped providing gender-affirming care. The move appeared to be driven by fears of losing funding, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. How much does gender-affirming care cost Idaho taxpayers? Health agency hasnt said. It isnt clear how many Idaho Medicaid patients receive gender-affirming care. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has declined to answer questions about gender care coverage and costs, citing the litigation but has said the agency hasnt covered any surgeries for gender dysphoria for adults or youth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 350,000 Idahoans are on Medicaid, which largely covers low-income and disabled people. Gender nonconforming people are at higher risk for being in a lower socio-economic status, a study in February found. Less than 1% of Idahos population is transgender or about 7,000 Idaho adults and 1,000 Idahoans age 13 and up, according to estimates from the University of California-Los Angeles. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Cert petition Labrador MH v. Adams 12-5-24 Prosecutors leading the case against Bryan Kohberger are pushing back against his attorneys' claims that investigators improperly obtained potentially key evidence -- and are asking the judge to deny requests to exclude that evidence from trial. In a series of highly-technical filings posted late Thursday, prosecutors said that the searches of Kohberger's person and belongings, including his car, phone records, Apple accounts and homes, were appropriate. They noted the "burden of proof is on the defendant to show that the search was invalid." PHOTO: Bryan Kohberger, accused of murder, arrives for a hearing on cameras in the courtroom in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (Ted S. Warren/Pool/Getty Images) MORE: Parents of Idaho college murder victims speak out on 2-year mark of gruesome crime Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kohberger, a former criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, in connection with the fatal stabbing of four University of Idaho students -- Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20 -- in an off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. The trial is scheduled for August 2025. Lawyers for Kohberger have accused investigators of an overbroad attempt to build their case, arguing their search warrants cast too wide a net. But prosecutors, responding on Thursday to the defense's lengthy series of motions posted Nov. 15, contend that taken together with other elements of the case, their probe for evidence was "sufficiently particular and valid" and "considering the information available" at the time, the Moscow detective seeking the information "could not reasonably narrow the scope further." The "warrant must allow the searcher to reasonably ascertain and identify the things which are authorized to be seized," wrote Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ashley Jennings, citing legal precedent. She added, "broad language may be permissible where the warrant constrains the search to evidence of a specific crime." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The rationale is that 'criminals don't advertise where they keep evidence,'" prosecutors wrote. And since the potential evidence they sought "could be located in multiple formats and areas," particularly electronic data, prosecutors here said, a wide enough investigative aperture is necessary. "Applied to electronic devices 'criminals can -- and often do -- hide, mislabel, or manipulate files to conceal criminal activity [such that] a broad, expansive search of the [device] may be required,'" prosecutors wrote, again citing legal precedent. Jennings said the "seizure of items was limited to" the crime Kohberger is accused of committing -- the killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in their off-campus home. And though Kohberger has a right to privacy, that right does not shield criminal conduct, prosecutors said. In fact, it is because he had that right that they sought, and obtained, search warrants, they said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though the man accused of stabbing to death four college students in Nov. 2022 indeed "had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his vehicle located at his parents' residence," there was "substantial probable cause" to search it, prosecutors said. And Kohberger also had a "privacy interest" in his AT&T account and phone records -- and "as such, the State sought and was granted a search warrant to review those records." The Thursday filings were accompanied by a series of requests to seal corresponding exhibits meant to bolster prosecutors' argument. PHOTO: A photo posted by Kaylee Goncalves only a few days ago shows University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Goncalves. The four were found dead at an off-campus house on Nov. 13, 2022. (Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram) MORE: Judge delays University of Idaho murder trial, sets August start date Prosecutors didn't include in Thursday's filings an extensive address of Kohberger's challenge to DNA evidence, or the search of his Amazon account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Steven Hippler, who is now overseeing the case in Boise, has not yet scheduled a public hearing on the matter. Idaho college killings: Prosecutors push back against Kohberger requests to exclude key evidence originally appeared on abcnews.go.com CHICAGO Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on lawmakers to crack down on hemp products like delta-8 THC, saying they let minors get high on untested, mislabeled cannabis but its a move which hemp shop owners say would also close legitimate businesses. The governor came out Friday in support of legislation that would set a minimum age of 21 to buy such products. It would require hemp companies to obtain licenses and test and label their products, similar to the requirements for legal marijuana. And it would ban copycat packaging that looks like common candy or snack brands. This regulatory gray area has created a loophole that put Illinois consumers of all ages, but particularly children, in danger while an underground market flourished the exact opposite of what Illinois has done by regulating our cannabis industry, Pritzker said. Were closing that loophole and protecting Illinoisans of all ages by incorporating these products into the regulated and equitable system of dispensaries already in place in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But hemp business owners say the restrictions limiting sales to licensed dispensaries and limiting the percentage of intoxicating THC below .3% will put many of these small smoke and vape shops out of business. Brandy Garner, a nurse and owner of Brandys CBD on the city's South Side, said patients use her products for relief of pain and other symptoms, and say they cant find CBD products without THC at many dispensaries. She worried that the proposed regulations might put her out of business. Where does that leave us for our products? she asked. Do we just pack up and leave? A lot of us have put a lot of money into this. The controversy reflects a fight between cannabis business owners, who are licensed by the state, and hemp business owners. Paradoxically, though they are the same plant, cannabis remains illegal under federal law, while hemp was legalized nationally in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hemp is defined legally as cannabis having less than .3% delta-9 THC, the component of pot that gets users high. The intent was to legalize CBD, a non-intoxicating part of cannabis. But chemists have found ways to derive from CBD other compounds like delta-8 THC and THCO which do get users high, though users say to a lesser degree than delta-9. The result has been a nationwide proliferation of smoke and vape shops and gas stations that sell intoxicating products, often without being explicitly licensed to do so. Since there is no legal age limit in Illinois, the most serious problem has been adolescents being hospitalized from ingesting the drug, as happened this month with three children in Rogers Park who ate cannabis gummies. State Rep. LaShawn Ford is sponsoring alternative legislation that would also require age limits, testing and labeling, but would license hemp businesses separately, in addition to existing cannabis dispensaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He suggested a two-tier sales system where cannabis, which is more potent, would be sold at dispensaries, while lower-potency hemp would be sold at separate locations. To prohibit hemp businesses altogether, he said, would just push sales underground and online, where people already can order home delivery. Ford said that the bill Pritzker supports would favor cannabis retailers by making them the exclusive sellers of it. Ford also said that putting hemp sales under the exclusive control of cannabis dispensaries puts those dispensaries in control of the market. The Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association, representing many of the hemp businesses, called on the lawmakers to instead implement sensible regulations, including age and safety measures. The legislation favored by the governor, they say, would eliminate the sale of most hemp products, including CBD. It contains myriad technical mistakes and is a full ban whether they call it that or not, Chitiva hemp business owner Charles Wu said. It bans Illinois hemp industry but does nothing to curb online sales to minors from out of state companies. _______ An Illinois man is accused of shooting at a man at a Griffith apartment complex in September then fleeing on foot. Devonte Watson, of Evergreen Park, is charged with attempted murder, a Level 1 felony; unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony; and intimidation, a Level 6 felony. On Sept. 14, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of N. Wood Street in Griffith for a report of shots fired, according to the probable cause affidavit. Officers were searching for a person who reportedly had been seen running from the area along the railroad tracks after the shots were fired. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A witness told police that she called 911 after Watson pulled out a gun and started shooting at one of her neighbors, court records state. The witness said Watson, who does not have a car and lives in Illinois, then ran north on the railroad tracks. Watson was observed wearing a blue coat with the words DRIP on it and 5 blond dreadlocks on the left side of his head, records state. Another witness told police that he was sitting outside when Watson, who hed only met once, started shooting at him. The witness said he ran toward the building and through the back door as Watson fired 4 to 6 shots from a tree about 88 feet away, the affidavit states. Police found 3 9mm Luger casings on the ground. One of the witnesses was sitting on a balcony facing the courtyard when she saw Watson next to a tree, reach into a small black pouch, pull out a gun, and shoot toward the victim as he was sitting at a picnic table, court records state. Watson then fled in a northwest direction. The victim said he had a previous interaction with Watson, who was arguing with a woman near his apartment, records state. He asked them to stop arguing because a child was sleeping and then words were exchanged. According to court records, Watson was convicted of aggravated unlawful restraint in Cook County in 2021. QUINCY, Ill. (WCIA) A suspect traveled over the Illinois/Missouri border on Thursday morning in a police pursuit while driving an unusual vehicle. The suspect stole a FedEx box truck in Quincy around 10:30 a.m. around the area of 10th and Jersey, the Adams County Sheriffs Office told WCIA. The stolen truck was driven over a bridge into Missouri. Law enforcement had prepared stop sticks to get the truck to stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Police respond to 17 accidents in Central IL amid snowy weather The Sheriffs Office said Devin Wagner of Pittsfield, Ill. was arrested just south of Palmyra, MO. He is in custody at the Marion County Jail and is awaiting charges from the Marion County Prosecuting Attorney. Wagner will also face charges in Illinois, the Adams County Sheriffs Office said. In addition to the Sheriffs Offices, the Palmyra Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol assisted in his arrest. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Gov. Jim Pillen on a visit earlier this year to the Texas-Mexico border. He visits with members of the Nebraska National Guard, whom he deployed to help Texas patrol its border. (Courtesy of the Nebraska Governor's Office) LINCOLN Gov. Jim Pillen has announced that he will follow President-elect Donald Trumps lead in deporting dangerous criminals, gang members and terrorists who are in the country illegally. In a mid-week statement, Pillen said he stands with 25 other Republican governors who have said they are prepared to use every tool within their reach to follow Trumps lead on immigration enforcement. Gov. Jim Pillen. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) We stand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal whether through state law enforcement or the National Guard to support President Trump in this vital mission, Pillen and the other governors said in a joint statement. Pillens multiple visits to border The GOP governors said they took action to secure borders during the Biden administration: We mobilized state resources, including law enforcement and National Guard units, to protect Americans from disastrous open border policies and prevent illegal immigration from overwhelming our country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pillen, within the past two years, has deployed Nebraska National Guard troops and state troopers to the southern border at a cost of nearly $2.27 million. As governor, hes visited the border three times and said Nebraskas efforts there contribute to reducing the number of people and illegal drugs trafficked across. In response to the governors letter, the Center for Immigration and Refugee Advancement said it remains committed to educating Nebraskas leaders on the harm caused by dangerous and inaccurate rhetoric about those seeking refuge in our state. CIRA officials said that supporting Trumps immigration policies would result in the loss of millions of dollars in state tax revenue from Nebraskas immigrant community making Pillens current challenge of addressing Nebraskas revenue shortfall significantly more challenging. Dylan Severino of ACLU Nebraska said the governors pledge to assist Trumps mass deportation efforts makes us all less safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When local authorities take on immigration enforcement, fewer victims and witnesses of crimes report those crimes, because they fear what it could mean for themselves, neighbors or loved ones who are without current immigration status, he said. Unreported crimes hurt public safety for entire communities. Severino said it was concerning to see governors trying to associate immigration and crime. Gov. Pillen should be pushing for solutions like more lawful pathways, universal representation in immigration court and better processing, he said. Immigrant advocates gather in September on the steps of the State Capitol. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) Las Voces of Nebraska officials said they agreed that dangerous criminals and terrorists should be deported, but noted that Trump promised something else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration has said citizen children and those with possible status should be deported if they want to keep their families together. Las Voces condemns this inhumane process and the use of the military against children, citizens and civilians, the group said in a statement. Bishops speak out Meanwhile on Thursday, during the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Catholic bishops of Nebraska shared a letter in both English and Spanish with migrants across the state. They expressed compassion, solidarity and support for immigrants in Nebraska, including those concerned about the possibility of mass deportations. As pastors we know that Jesus wants to draw close to you during this challenging and perhaps fearful time, the bishops said. We are with you, too, to support and accompany you in the name of Jesus. The bishops pledged continued support as advocates in both Nebraska and Washington D.C., and called all Nebraskans to meet the needs of our migrant brothers and sisters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [W]e want you to know that we will advocate in Nebraska and in Washington for the respect for human dignity and for family relationships, as well for the special care owed to children that should characterize a just and lawful community, said the bishops. We invite our neighbors to join in advocating for respectful treatment of all within the law. Pillen and the other governors said the time for action is now. We understand the direct threat these criminal illegal immigrants pose to public safety and our national security, and we will do everything in our power to assist in removing them from our communities, the joint statement said. Besides Pillen, the governors who signed onto a joint letter were: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, North Dakota Gov. Doug Bergum, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX CHICAGO On a crisp October day two guys sped away from Illinois State Police and later, officers from two county sheriffs departments. The men were arrested only after they tried to flee through a corn field where their car caught fire. Inside, police say they found three kilos of drugs laced with fentanyl. Police reports say the men denied knowing the drugs were hidden in the floorboard of the car they claimed to have borrowed from someone in California. One said they fled in fear of being deported, according to a police report. Within days a judge released one of the men after an initial check found no criminal record. Guarantee youll never see him again, Kankakee County sheriff Mike Downey said. I cant call ICE and say This individual is getting released tomorrow, or in three hours. I cant. So he walks out the door. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Illinois law that prohibits local police from cooperating with immigration agents and detaining a person because of their immigration status was actually signed by a republican governor, Bruce Rauner, during the first Trump administration. Supporters say it allows people in this country illegally to feel safe reporting when theyve been a victim of crime and cooperate with police investigating crime. Gov. JB Pritzker (D-Illinois) strengthened the law in 2021 banning local police from allowing their jail space to be used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detention and deportation purposes. Kankakee County earned $17M from the federal government renting jail space to ICE from 2016-2022. The sheriff says cooperating with immigration and deportation is about much more than money. I just dont believe that Illinois will ever be a safe state until our governor decides to effect policy change and I dont see him doing that, Downey said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pritzker has vowed to stand between the incoming Trump administrations plans for mass deportation and Illinois immigrants, including the more than 50,000 people who have been sent to Chicago in recent years while their asylum claims are processed. The governors office declined to comment on whether Pritzker might soften his stance when it comes to people in this country illegally who are charged with committing crimes. Asked later, Pritzker drew the distinction between people who have already faced trial in a criminal case: Violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime should be deported, Pritzker said. Recent coverage: Pritzker vows to follow law, protect asylum seekers and immigrants in state legally Mass deportations on the scale President-elect Trump is threatening would be unprecedented. Trumps border czar, Tom Homan said during an appearance in Chicago that the city would be ground zero for the effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chicago is in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks, Homan told the gathering. Threats like that send a chill through immigrants of all types. WGN Investigates: Investigating public corruption, crime & fraud The folks that maybe commit a crime is very, very small in the immigrant community and mass deportation is talking about millions of people, said Erendira Rendon of The Resurrection Project. In order to get millions of people you are going to be removing folks who may be homeowners who have been here 20-30 years, like in the case of my family. Rendon came to the United States at the age of four to be reunited with her father. She has protected status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program knowns as DACA; but fears Trump could revoke the status for so-called Dreamers even though he has said they could be allowed to stay as part of a larger compromise with Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You cant keep saying it is only the immigrants fault when, at the end of the day, Congress hasnt passed a bill since 1986 to fix it, Rendon said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Scotland Correctional Institution, one of the largest prisons in North Carolina, was a recipient of some individuals transferred from western NC facilities. (Photo: Google Earth_ More than 1,000 incarcerated people have been relocated back to western North Carolina prisons after being transferred due to Hurricane Helene, according to the Department of Adult Correction. The storm had forced the transfer of nearly 2,200 prisoners from five facilities in the western part of the state. As of today, Craggy Correctional Center in Asheville is housing 406 men in medium custody, a shift from its pre-storm population, which consisted of minimum-custody population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Western Correctional Center for Women in Swannanoa is now home to 333 women in minimum custody, and about 100 men in medium custody are housed at a recently reopened unit at Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville. Additionally, 166 men in minimum custody have been relocated to the Burke Minimum Facility in Morganton. The Black Mountain Substance Abuse Treatment Center for Women in Swannanoa has also resumed treatment for women on probation. Two facilities in Spruce Pine Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution and Mountain View Correctional Institution remain vacant due to ongoing water and sewer issues. These facilities are expected to open in early 2025 when services are restored. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The relocations follow DACs rejection of a demand by a coalition of eight North Carolina human and civil rights groups to release nearly 2,000 incarcerated people to ease what they called dangerous, inhumane overcrowding, in state prisons following the transfers of prisoners to facilities in the central and eastern parts of the state. In their October letter to the department, advocates say the influx of prisoners from western North Carolina exacerbated an already dire situation marked by severe staff shortages. In April, NC Newsline reported that about 39% of correctional officer jobs in North Carolina prisons were vacant. For the incarcerated, a shortage of correctional officers means long lockdowns, limited access to health care, counseling, or programming, and reduced opportunities for recreation and showering, the advocates wrote in their letter to prison officials. These conditions only increase tensions between the prison population and the staff and result in more incidents of violence. Since the emergency prison transfers due to Hurricane Helene, these conditions have become all the more dire. The state is incapable of properly providing humane conditions and constitutional care for the people who are inside of prisons, and as a result, it has a constitutional duty to rectify that situation, said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, in a press conference last month at the N.C. Correctional Institution for Women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposal echoes measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, when prison officials sent nearly 4,500 people home. Jodi Harrison, general counsel for the N.C. Department of Adult Correction, responded on Nov. 19 to the coalition of advocates who called for the release. In her letter, Harrison refuted many of the conditions described by advocates and dismissed the idea of using early-release strategies similar to those employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The circumstances that existed to justify releases during a pandemic simply do not exist to justify releases after a regional natural disaster, she wrote. An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 12, 2024 shows people lining up to enter the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) Archives are pictured at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 12, 2024. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Yang Siqi) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2024 shows the wall with victims' names at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2024 shows exhibits on display at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) A researcher of the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army arranges archives at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 12, 2024. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2024 shows an exhibit at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) A researcher of the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army arranges archives at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 12, 2024. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Yang Siqi) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2024 shows some of the exhibits at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) A researcher of the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army arranges archives at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 12, 2024. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 12, 2024 shows the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2024 shows some of the exhibits at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) A researcher of the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army arranges archives at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 12, 2024. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Yang Siqi) This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2024 shows an interior view of the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) A researcher of the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army arranges archives at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 12, 2024. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) A researcher of the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army arranges the original Japanese medical journals at the former site of Unit 731 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 12, 2024. The former site of the notorious Japanese germ warfare army, known as Unit 731, reopened to public on Friday with a special exhibition on cultural relics and historical materials of Japan's germ-warfare crimes in China. Since last year's winter, more than 3.5 million people have visited the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army. (Xinhua/Wang Song) New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) and incoming border czar Tom Homan swapped words of praise Thursday, after the two former law enforcement officers met to discuss the scope of collaboration on deportations between the city and the incoming Trump administration. Homan, who has become a conservative media darling making multiple appearances per week, compared Adams to other Democratic state and local leaders during an appearance on Sean Hannitys Fox News show Thursday night. Look, I sat down with the mayor for well over an hour. He gets it. And today he proved that as the mayor in New York City, hes more concerned with public safety than politics. I wish the mayor of Chicago and the San Diego City council mayor and Gov. [JB] Pritzker, I wish theyd all take a page out of Mayor Eric Adamss playbook, Homan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homan, a multi-year veteran of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who hung up his tactical gear and jumped into the political fray during the Trump administration, is expected to take on the role of border czar, a semi-official, non-Senate confirmed role. Though the name implies a focus on the border, Homans role during the transition has been to amplify the projected size and reach of Trumps interior mass deportation plans, straddling the line between threatening an all-out approach against all immigrants without permanent legal status and promising a criminals-first strategy. Adams, speaking at a press conference after the meeting, said Homan focused on the latter. From what I heard from the incoming head of ICE is that we have the same desire, to go after those who are committing violent acts, repeated violent acts, among innocent New Yorkers and among migrants and asylum seekers. Thats what I heard from him, and I was pleased to hear that because we share the same desire, said Adams, incorrectly identifying Homan, who led ICE between 2017 and 2018, as the incoming head of the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Homan has repeatedly said the new Trump administration will target all immigrants who lack permanent legal status, even those with immediate U.S. citizen family members, a group Homan has suggested should leave the country if they want to avoid separation from their deported relatives. In an interview segment on the Dr. Phil Podcast published Thursday, Homan laid out his vision of how undocumented parents of U.S. citizen children should be treated. If you choose to have an American child while youre in this country illegally, shame on you. You put yourself in that position, and I removed them despite some yelling even from Republican senators. The law is the law and were not going to bend it, said Homan. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Thursday announced a collaboration aimed at enhancing protections for patients in the IHS-approved Purchased/Referred Care program. The initiative seeks to safeguard patients from receiving and being subjected to collection on improper bills, in alignment with the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The CFPB is the government agency that holds banks, lenders, and other financial companies accountable for fair and equitable treatment. The IHS worked with the CFPB to create a joint letter regarding PRC patient protections. Through this action, IHS reiterates that the IHCIA prohibits medical providers, suppliers, or billers from holding approved PRC program patients liable for any costs or charges associated with the provision of the approved health care services. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thursdays announcement complements the IHS action of strengthening existing referral language to include the IHCIA provisions, and ongoing efforts to improve the payment process through our fiscal intermediary. It further coincides with the release of CFPBs report, which is the first to comprehensively document how Native consumers accrue medical debt and the factors that lead to medical debt collections on credit reports of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, based on both quantitative analysis of the CFPBs Consumer Credit Information Panel and qualitative feedback from tribal leaders, tribal health organizations, and subject matter experts from across the country. In addition to examining the scope and causes, the report outlines the negative impact of medical debt on Native people and, by extension, their broader communities. The Indian Health Service is and has been committed to improving the Purchased/Referred Care Program and these actions affirm our commitment to protecting IHS patients and their families, said IHS Director Roselyn Tso. This collaboration with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will assist the IHS in disseminating these protections to our vendors, credit agencies, and debt collectors, while also providing an avenue for IHS beneficiaries to begin submitting complaints. As part of its ongoing effort to advocate and educate patients on their rights, the IHS strongly recommends that patients monitor their credit by requesting a free copy of their credit report each year. Patients who have been negatively impacted from misdirected PRC bills can submit a compliant to the CFPB complaint portal. Patients may need assistance from the PRC program to provide the documentation to justify their protection. The IHS, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 574 federally recognized tribes in 37 states. Follow the agency via social media on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Create your own user feedback survey 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 MORONI, Comoros (AP) The islands of Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean were bracing for Cyclone Chido on Friday as the intense tropical storm whirred its way toward Africa's east coast. Comoros, a small archipelago, ordered schools to close as authorities expected Chido to hit the islands early Saturday. Before then, the cyclone was due to pass the northern tip of Madagascar. The French territory of Mayotte, south of Comoros, is also in its path and the French national weather service put Mayotte on red alert starting Friday night, its highest alert level. Mozambique on the African mainland also issued a red alert for the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula and said that more than 2 million people could be affected when Chido makes landfall on the continent, which is expected early Sunday. The Mozambique National Meteorological Institute said that it was forecasting winds of 200 kph (124 mph). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We believe that we can initially start working with an estimate of around 2.5 million people in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula who may be affected and will need to be rescued, Ana Cristina, the director of the National Emergency Operations Center, was quoted as saying by local media. Even landlocked Zimbabwe was expecting to be impacted by Chido, officials said. In Madagascar, alerts were sent to cellphones and broadcast on radio from Thursday warning people to take precautions, while some evacuations were taking place in the northern region of Diana, where the cyclone's impact is expected to be worst. Authorities issued an imminent danger warning for people in that area and said that nearly 20,000 people could be affected. Madagascar authorities have been delivering food and emergency equipment like water pumps, generators and chainsaws to the region since Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The French government is sending about 110 people to Mayotte to help with eventual damage, including emergency workers from the mainland and firefighters from nearby Reunion, and three tons of emergency equipment, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry in Paris. The help includes search dogs and specialists in rescuing people from rubble, the head of Mayottes fire and rescue service Col. Frederic Leguillier told the local public broadcaster. December through to March is considered the region's cyclone season and it has been battered by a series of strong ones from the Indian Ocean in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries last year. Studies say the cyclones are getting worse because of climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crisis24, a risk management company, said that Cyclone Chido could cause damaging flooding and landslides, while stagnant pools of water may later spark deadly outbreaks of the waterborne cholera disease as happened in the aftermath of Idai as well as dengue fever and malaria. ___ AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa Gov. Eric Holcomb and First Lady Janet Holcomb view the newest gubernatorial portrait, painted by artist Russell Recchion, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, following an unveiling ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Cowboy boots, an Ohio River scene, former First Dog Henry: all were key components of outgoing Indiana Gov. Eric Holcombs gubernatorial portrait, unveiled during a Statehouse ceremony on Friday. The 51st governor whose tenure will end in less than a month said he intentionally chose those and other details enshrined in the painting. Even the tiniest of details carry significant meaning, representing pivotal moments and experiences from his life before and since he took office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hoosier portrait artist Russell Recchion was selected from a group of more than two dozen applicants to illustrate Holcombs likeness on canvas. He very early on said that hes an artist, but he has to know what hes painting. And in this case, that was the person me, Holcomb told the Indiana Capital Chronicle in a Friday interview. He traveled with me he watched me interact with people. He wanted to be able to paint my personality, which was something he said very early on. First Lady Janet Holcomb, an avid artist herself, was also directly engaged in the portrait process from start to finish and helped select Recchion as the artist. I knew he and Eric would easily connect on a personal level, the first lady said at Fridays unveiling. I also felt that connection would come through in the portrait and I believe it has. Holcombs story in a painting Among the symbolism and imagery in Holcombs portrait is a special view of the Ohio River, as seen from Hanover College. Holcomb attended the private college from 1986 to 1990. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thereve been a few places in my life that have had a big impact on my life, and thats why we went to Madison, Holcomb said. Artist Russell Recchion, Gov. Eric Holcomb, and First Lady Janet Holcomb, pose with the newest gubernatorial portrait on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Indiana Statehouse. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Originally, the governor said he wanted to be featured standing up, on Hanovers campus, with the Ohio River in the background. But, basically, (Recchion) came back and said, Youre too tall. If I stood there to get the portrait the frame would need to be bigger it would have looked more than funny so we decided, Hey, that cant work, Holcomb recalled. But he took pictures of me standing there, and he agreed to paint that separately, because thats such an iconic kind of view of the state. The river scene ultimately ended up in the background, hanging behind Holcomb. He emphasized that its a really important and memorable view for him, personally, given that Recchion painted the scene from the same spot where Holcomb stood at his graduation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The purple tie donned by the governor is also an homage to his alma mater, honoring his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, of which he served as chapter president. Part of his outfit, too, features cowboy boots nod to the governors distinctive style and grounded approach, his office said. Holcomb who said he did not want to be depicted behind a desk instead chose a comfortable sitting pose, which he called a listening posture, to represent his commitment to listen first. A globe sits on the desk next to him, symbolizing the governors efforts to connect the state globally. Indianas flag additionally hangs in the background. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve done a lot of traveling, Holcomb noted, but having Indiana at the globes forefront is to bring the world back to us. And ever so discreetly, a family portrait featuring a photo of the the first lady and former First Dog Henry reflect family ties, the governor said. Henrys cameo made him the inaugural pet to be featured in a governors painting. I couldnt have done the job without those two. I mean, Henry, you talk about my buddy during the pandemic. That was like get a dog if you want a friend. And he sat there on my lap and that rocking chair out there every night, Holcomb said, pointing towards a seat inside the governors residence. In question, however, was whether to paint Holcomb with a beard or glasses. In the end, the beard stayed, but the glasses no longer worn by the governor didnt make the cut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We agreed to just paint what you see, Holcomb said. I was kind of quizzing him, like, beard no beard. I wanted to see if he said, You need to shave. I wouldnt have, but I just wanted to see what he said. And we agreed if you paint something, youve got to paint what you see. Holcomb is the first governor to have facial hair in his portrait since Samuel Ralston, who served between 1913 and 1917. About the artist Recchion, whose work has additionally been commissioned by Indiana University and Eli Lilly, was selected from the competitive field of artists all with ties to the Hoosier state to create the official portrait at the beginning of this year. Hes worked as a portrait painter for more than 30 years and serves on the board of the Oil Painters of America. In 1990, he moved to Indianapolis and built a studio in Avon, and was an active member in the Hoosier Art Salon and Brown County Art Guild, according to the governors office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While he now resides in Tuscon, Arizona, he still remains very involved with Hoosier Art Salon, Holcombs team said. Holcomb said the artist joined him at his eighth and last State of State to the General Assembly in January. Recchion also joined Holcomb on a trip to Madison and spent time at the governors residence. They have been so generous with their time it has been such a joy for me to work with them, Recchion said of the Holcombs during Fridays ceremony. All of this time together was so valuable for me, as a portrait painter, because I really got to know the governor. I got to see him up close at work, and from home, and I got to know his personality and his spirit before I even touched a brush to the canvas. More than a century of portrait history How Indianas executive leaders are depicted in their gubernatorial portraits is largely up to them. Its a tradition that dates back to 1869, when then-Gov. Conrad Baker began collecting pictures of the 17 Hoosier governors who preceded him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The collection of paintings has since come to capture every governor in Indiana history including those from when the state was just a territory except acting Gov. John Gibson, who served for four months in 1800 while awaiting the arrival of territorial Gov. William Henry Harrison. Mark Ruschman, chief curator of fine arts at the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, previously told the Capital Chronicle the portraits immortalize Indianas top leaders and honor them for the work theyve done. Theyre also excellent windows into the past providing a glimpse at the personalities, expressions and even the fashion preferences of former Hoosier governors. Many of the works are now on display at the Indiana Statehouse. The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is charged with overseeing the portrait process and caring for existing portraits. Private funding is used to pay for the artists commission and framing of the portrait. Any remaining funds are maintained by the state museum for the preservation and exhibition of the collection. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto will pardon tens of thousands of prisoners ranging from activists convicted of defamation to those jailed in the easternmost province of Papua for criticising the government, a minister said on Friday. Law minister Supratman Andi Agtas said some 44,000 prisoners nationwide might get an amnesty on humanitarian grounds and to help relieve the country's overcrowded jails. The number is equivalent to around 30% of all prisoners in the Southeast Asian country, Andi said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prisoners to be pardoned include people convicted in defamation and hate speech cases, including those who defamed the president under Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transaction Law, Andi added. Around 18 activists jailed for exercising their freedom of expression to criticise the authorities or staging protests in Papua will be among those freed, said Andi. "This is part of the effort to reconcile with our friends in Papua. The government has the good intention to make Papua more peaceful," he said. Papua came under Indonesian rule in 1969 after a controversial United Nations-backed referendum that many Papuans say did not reflect the will of local people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Discussions of Papuan independence is a sensitive issue for Indonesia's government, which has long insisted that the plebiscite was legitimate. Others set to be freed include those convicted of drug offences who are not dealers as well as prisoners with chronic diseases such as HIV. The government is now finalising the plan, including drawing up lists of prisoner names. It will also discuss the plan with the parliament. Prabowo also suggested that those who are pardoned and are still of a productive age should get involved in his programme to achieve food self sufficiency or becomes part of the military reserve force, said Andi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prisons in Indonesia are notoriously overcrowded, with experts saying this is partly due to an emphasis on incarceration rather than rehabilitation of people convicted of drug-related offences under the country's strict narcotics laws. (Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman; Writing by Ananda Teresia, Editing by Gareth Jones) ATMORE, Ala. (WKRG) A Fountain Correctional Facility inmates mother was arrested after bringing contraband to the Atmore prison, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections. Angel Baby: 1995 Mobile County cold case closed after infants mother found A news release said agents from ADOCs Law Enforcement Services Division K-9 personnel saw a visitor pass an object to an inmate on Saturday, Dec. 7. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to ADOC, the inmate was then searched, and officials confiscated a small package wrapped in clear tape. The package reportedly contained 30 OxyContin pills (10 milligrams each), 20 Xanax pills (2 milligrams each), five Percocet pills (10 milligrams each), a cell phone and a cell phone charger. ADOC identified the visitor as Valerie Douglas, the mother of the inmate. She was detained and arrested. Douglas is accused of promoting prison contraband, prohibited activities, and attempting to commit a controlled substance crime, ADOC officials said. WKRG unveils new weather camera at Hancock Whitney Stadium Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ADOC said the investigation remains ongoing and further charges may be pending. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. At the RNC in July, JD Vance had a message: America is not an idea, he said in his speech introducing himself as Donald Trumps vice presidential pick. Rather, Vance argued that the country is a people with a common history. His vision of American citizenship immediately stood out as at odds with whats made the U.S. distinct from other nations: Most countries issue citizenship based on various markers of national heritage, but not America, where a passport is granted by virtue of being born here and citizenship has largely been seen as having a civic, and not ancestral, character. But a segment of right-wing, GOP-aligned activists and researchers have long sought to put Vances idea into practice by finding a way to bulldoze the main obstacle in their way: the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years, this group faced a lonely fight to overturn or overlook that portion of the Constitution. Most conservative lawyers and scholars rejected it. Republican presidential administrations didnt want to have anything to do with it. And, in Congress, it was an objective relegated to only a handful of Republicans. Theyd hold hearings on it here and there when in power and occasionally introduce messaging bills, but the idea was going nowhere. Then came Donald Trump. Now, after years in the wilderness, the fight to thwart a bedrock Constitutional provision that grants citizenship to nearly everyone born on American soil has been thrust onto center stage. Trump has said he is likely to issue an executive order curtailing birthright citizenship on his first day in office, potentially directing government agencies to stop issuing passports and social security numbers to the children of undocumented immigrants. The full scope of any potential order is still unclear, but it would be almost guaranteed to prompt a legal battle as the federal government seeks to flout more than a century of legal precedent holding that the 14th Amendment passed in part to ensure that freed slaves would receive citizenship after the Dred Scott decision and the Civil War applies to nearly everyone born on American soil. Several of those who, before Trump took office, pushed fringe interpretations of that history in an effort to end birthright citizenship also worked on the legal elements of his 2020 coup attempt. John Eastman, the attorney who pushed to have Mike Pence reject electoral votes in January 2021, has been a proponent of the move for decades. Ken Chesebro, seen as the architect of the fake electors scheme, co-wrote a Supreme Court brief with Eastman in May 2016 that dismissed birthright citizenship as a vestige of feudalism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is one for the true believers in the MAGA coalition, Jed Shugerman, a law professor at Boston University, told TPM, describing it as coming from a paranoid conspiracy-theory narrative that regards birthright citizenship as a decades-long insurrection to displace a heritage of white voters with immigrants. 19th Century Minds Wherever you look in the movement to end birthright citizenship, youll find the Claremont Institute, a Southern California nonprofit that has been described as a nerve center for pro-Trump conservatives. Many of the most vocal advocates for restricting citizenship to only those born to the children of lawful permanent residents hail from, or have some tie, there. They make versions of the same argument: The historical record from the 1860s, when the 14th Amendment was enacted, suggests that birthright citizenship should only have been extended to the children of legal, permanent residents. The phrase subject to the jurisdiction thereof in the amendment limits it to only those with allegiance to the United States, they argue a reading that they say would exclude undocumented immigrants. Though a 1898 Supreme Court ruling, United States v. Wong Kim Ark, is widely understood to find that nearly all U.S.-born children of immigrants are citizens under the 14th Amendment, it in fact only dealt with the children of permanent residents, the argument goes, and has been misinterpreted for more than a century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Proponents make this argument with various degrees of force. Edward Erler, a longtime California State University political science professor and Claremont fellow, laid a version of the argument out in the National Review in 2015. Michael Anton, a longtime Claremont fellow who served on the National Security Council in Trumps first administration and is headed to the State Department in Trumps second, argued in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed for a Trump executive order curtailing birthright citizenship; in August 2024, he dismissed those who disagree as betray[ing] a fundamental misunderstanding of the nineteenth century American mind. John Eastman has been a presence throughout. He appeared before a House panel in 2005, and framed his argument in terms very familiar to anyone who lived through 9/11 and its aftermath: The prospect of potential terrorists coming across our border and giving birth to children once theyre here in order to specifically open up a Fifth Column on our shores is a very real possibility, he told members of Congress. Eastman has continued to make the case both in legal arguments and in public. He appeared at an April 2015 House hearing on the same topic alongside Lino Graglia, a University of Texas legal scholar known for agreeing that the 14th Amendment does not cover birthright citizenship. Graglia was also known for arguing in a 1999 article that Blacks were overrepresented in universities once IQ scores are taken into account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2016, Eastman co-wrote an amicus brief on the issue in a case about whether people born in territories like American Samoa are entitled to birthright citizenship. Eastman submitted it on behalf of Erler, the Claremont scholar, and collaborated with then-obscure appellate attorney Ken Chesebro on the filing. The amicus brief asked the Supreme Court not to grant the case, after the D.C. Circuit ruled that territorial residents are not entitled to birthright citizenship. The Court did not hear the case. Serious About What? Opponents of birthright citizenship tend to front the arguments for action ahead of legal reasoning. The current policy is ridiculous, they say: How can it be that people who violate the border can have U.S. citizen children? How can it be that wealthy foreigners can come here on tourist visas, give birth, and depart with a lifelong tie to the United States? Shugerman, the BU law professor, attributed the push to interpret birthright citizenship out of existence more to that right-wing outrage over immigration, and less to genuine disagreement around the legal and historical record: Its not really about the 14th Amendment. Theres a political agenda thats anti-immigrant, and the irony here is whos really an originalist. I think some of the people who are contesting it are not serious about original public meaning, but they are quite serious about nativism, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those in favor of ending birthright citizenship push back furiously against the charge that theyre not really motivated by law and, in fact, are motivated by nativism. As they tell it, maybe some of those pushing to rewrite this section of the Constitution were motivated to search in the legal archives because of an outcome they didnt like undocumented immigrants and their U.S. citizen children but once they got really deep into the history, they happened to reach a conclusion that aligned with what they wanted. It probably was on our radar earlier than others, given the fact that weve been in California for 45 years and have seen the illegal immigration problem up close, Ryan P. Williams, president of the Claremont Institute, told TPM in a Wednesday phone conversation. And so, some of our scholars wanted to get down to the roots of this argument and of this problem and try to make the case both in a scholarly fashion and in public that weve turned down a wrong path on the question of birthright citizenship in terms of the proper interpretation of the 14th Amendment. The broader agenda here aligns with what Vance whose pick for vice president was celebrated by Claremont articulated in his RNC speech: transforming American citizenship such that it relies more on ancestry. Where that might go is unclear. Williams told TPM that he wouldnt push an end to birthright citizenship that applies retroactively. Eastman has said the same thing, though he made a possible exception in 2020 for Kamala Harris in an essay that argued she was not a natural born citizen due to her parents potentially lacking permanent residency at the time of her birth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When TPM asked how this would align with America as an idea, as a country where nearly everyone apart from Native Americans can trace their ancestry to immigrants over the past several hundred years, Williams asserted that it was a misunderstanding of the countrys true nature. Were a nation of settlers more than immigrants, although weve certainly admitted many, many, many tens of millions of immigrants over the years, he said. When Isatu Isha Kamaras teenage daughter developed a limp and began complaining of agonising pain in her hip, a race to find help began that took her all over Sierra Leone. Mabinty Paulina Bangura was battling Chronic Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE), a rare, debilitating condition stemming from damage to the growth plate in the hip which causes the ball-like end of the femur to slip out of place. Unable to walk properly or attend school, Mabinty urgently needed surgery. But there was a problem she needed a relatively simple surgical procedure to put the bone back together and no one in the country could do it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I took her to so many hospitals, Ms Kamara said of her 14-year-old daughter. But everyone said her surgery could only be done in India. The lack of specialised paediatric surgeons in Sierra Leone, which has one of the worlds least developed healthcare systems, means children requiring many procedures are frequently referred to foreign hospitals. Isatu Isha Kamara with her teenage daughter - Jody Ray In a country where about half of the population has to survive on less than $1.90 a day, the travel costs and medical bills associated with travelling as far away as India are often insurmountable. Its part of the reason why Sierra Leone has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world around ten per cent of children born there wont live to see their fifth birthday, according to data from the World Health Organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many parents like Ms Kamara have had to rely on charities to cover the cost of foreign hospital treatment. Among them is the Sick Pikin Project (Sick Child in the Krio Language), a small non-profit that began work in 2018 and has raised funds to send over 120 children abroad for conditions that cannot yet be treated in Sierra Leone. The organisation raised over $10,000 to cover the cost of Mabintys travel and procedure. She was one of three children the charity sent to New Delhi last year. I thank God for Sick Pikin. If not for them she would have had this hip problem forever, Ms Kamara said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even then, her mother still had to endure being separated from her sick child. I was so afraid there would be complications while she was away. A new childrens hospital in Freetown boasts a paediatric intensive care unit - Jody Ray But while Mabintys case ended with her making a recovery, the government is coming under increasing pressure from international development organisations and Sierra Leoneans to improve access to healthcare. As well as grappling with high levels of infant mortality, the country is suffering a maternal mortality epidemic women have a 1 in 20 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth. To address this problem, a new childrens hospital in Freetown has begun treating some of the countrys first patients seeking specialised care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hospital was handed over to the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health in June and was built with help from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Japanese government agency which oversees its foreign aid. Inaugurated as the President Dr Julius Maada Bio Pediatric Centre of Excellence, the modern structure stands out, rising above the contemporary architecture in Freetowns Lumley community near the shores of the Atlantic. Sierra Leone has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world - Jody Ray Inside the 166-bed capacity facility, described in local media as state-of-the-art, there is a surgical ward, paediatric intensive care unit, high dependency unit, paediatric oncology, and special maternal care rooms. With its sparkling tiled floors, well-lit rooms and spacious, well-ventilated hallways, it is in a different league from most other clinics and medical centres in West Africa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The staff some of whom were trained in Japan offer services including general outpatient, paediatric neurology, haemato-oncology, and numerous surgical procedures. The hospital is also able to host specialists from around the world who could help treat conditions like the one Mabinty was suffering from. No longer will families go through the financial burden of having to fly their children overseas for specialised treatment, as the new Lumley Childrens Hospital is here to stand in the gap, Austin Demby, Sierra Leones Minister of Health, said during the hospitals inauguration. Freetowns new 166-bed capacity state-of-the-art facility - Jody Ray Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hospital also has teaching provisions for both undergraduate and postgraduate medical personnel every operation that takes place is another chance to train and maintain surgical knowledge within Sierra Leone. But the country has a mountain to climb. There is still just one paediatric surgeon and fewer than 10 anesthesiologists to meet the medical needs of a population of 8.6 million. The development of this hospital is trying to change these numbers for the better. Sitting inside an air-conditioned training room within the hospital, Dr Ayeshatu Mustapha, the hospitals Medical Superintendent, explained what her staff hope to achieve once departments begin running at full speed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will be able to do ultrasound scans, EEGs (brain scans), and cardiograms to monitor the electrical activity of the heart, x-rays, and different surgeries. We will be able to treat congenital abnormalities and try to treat spina bifida patients with blood problems and other defects. We will also have a limited amount of chemotherapy, she told The Telegraph. This is important for Sierra Leone. The aim is that we can move forward with what we have now, so that we do not need to [send] our children out of the country. The hospital is also intended to improve access to specialised treatment for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, strokes, and cancer. The new hospital is in a different league from most other clinics and medical centres in West Africa - Jody Ray Across much of sub-Saharan Africa the incidence of NCDs has increased rapidly alongside that of infectious diseases, creating a double disease burden that weighs heavily on the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The problem is particularly acute in Sierra Leone, where support for people suffering from NCDs is provided by an overstretched patchwork of international NGOs. These organisations, while providing various levels of care to the nation through partnerships with the Ministry of Health, typically also have some kind of medical capacity building component within them. For example, some healthcare NGOs in the country provide direct support to educate medical students or train already-practicing healthcare workers in many of its government-operated clinics and hospitals. But for the time being, organisations like Sick Pikin will continue battling to fill the gap by raising money to send patients abroad for specialist treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve sent children to Kenya, one to Senegal, one to Uganda, others go to India for surgeries and other medical services because our healthcare system in Sierra Leone is not robust enough to handle the complex realities of these children, said Ishmael Alfred Charles, Sick Pikins founder. My hope is that the childrens hospital will start to have comprehensive units to deal with congenital heart diseases, he said. Many children are dying these days because we have very limited access to resources. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City denied coverage of a medicine that a Missouri woman says could save her life, leaving her with a monthly bill of over $8,000. I was at risk for spontaneous internal bleeding that could kill me, Kaitlyn Sy said. Sy, a University of Kansas medical student, said shes fighting back just weeks after a near-death experience. Shes been forced to pause her medical studies while waiting for this medicine to be approved, compromising her already weak immune system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sy conducted her interview with Nexstars WDAF over Zoom, unable to do it in person because of her condition. Sy has dreamed of becoming a doctor since middle school, whether that be bringing hope and healing to fellow humans, intellectual stimulating work of diagnosing and treating diseases, being involved in medical research. Luigi Mangione was reported missing 2 weeks before CEO slain: police But three years ago, doctors diagnosed her with an autoimmune disease that mistakenly attacks the platelets in her blood cells. When she bleeds, theres nothing to clot those cells. Sy says that could cause life-threatening bleeding. For years, no treatment worked well for her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just weeks ago, that scenario happened: Sy was forced to go to the ER to treat internal bleeding. Her hematologist had one more option, a pill called Promacta that could stabilize this issue. Things changed when Sy got to the pharmacy. The pharmacy tech her eyebrows go up and I said, This cant be good. And she says, This medication is going to cost you over $8,000.' Sy said she cant afford to pay the bill every month. She called her insurance company, and they stood by the denial. WDAF asked her provider, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, about the denial, but was told that the company could not comment on the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), we are committed to the health and wellness of our members, reads the companys statement, in part. Two of our primary responsibilities are to safeguard our members health information and protect their privacy. Because of this, we cannot talk about the specifics of this, or any other, case. As of today, Sy is still without the meds her doctor prescribed. But she knows shes not alone in her situation, so for the sake of the people who have no one to fight for them, she says she will refuse to be silent. There are thousands if not millions of other people who are suffering due to being denied and delayed this medically necessary treatment and I feel I owe it to these patients to use my voice to make their voices heard, she said. In the meantime, friends of Sys have started a GoFundMe to raise money for her medical costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. MOSCOW, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday extending Moscow's retaliatory measures in response to a Western price cap on Russia's oil until June 30, 2025, according to a document published Friday. The original decree, issued on Dec. 27, 2022, banned the export of Russian oil and petroleum products under contracts that included the price ceiling set by the Group of Seven (G7) countries, the EU, and Australia. It has been extended multiple times and the latest extension was to remain in force until Dec. 31, 2024. In December 2022, the EU placed a price cap of 60 U.S. dollars per barrel on Russian seaborne crude oil, a move adopted by the G7. From Feb. 5, 2023, similar price restrictions were applied to petroleum products from Russia. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City denied coverage of a medicine that a Missouri woman says could save her life, leaving her with a monthly bill of over $8,000. I was at risk for spontaneous internal bleeding that could kill me, Kaitlyn Sy said. Sy, a University of Kansas medical student, said shes fighting back just weeks after a near-death experience. Shes been forced to pause her medical studies while waiting for this medicine to be approved, compromising her already weak immune system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sy conducted her interview with Nexstars WDAF over Zoom, unable to do it in person because of her condition. Sy has dreamed of becoming a doctor since middle school, whether that be bringing hope and healing to fellow humans, intellectual stimulating work of diagnosing and treating diseases, being involved in medical research. Luigi Mangione was reported missing 2 weeks before CEO slain: police But three years ago, doctors diagnosed her with an autoimmune disease that mistakenly attacks the platelets in her blood cells. When she bleeds, theres nothing to clot those cells. Sy says that could cause life-threatening bleeding. For years, no treatment worked well for her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just weeks ago, that scenario happened: Sy was forced to go to the ER to treat internal bleeding. Her hematologist had one more option, a pill called Promacta that could stabilize this issue. Things changed when Sy got to the pharmacy. The pharmacy tech her eyebrows go up and I said, This cant be good. And she says, This medication is going to cost you over $8,000.' Sy said she cant afford to pay the bill every month. She called her insurance company, and they stood by the denial. WDAF asked her provider, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, about the denial, but was told that the company could not comment on the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), we are committed to the health and wellness of our members, reads the companys statement, in part. Two of our primary responsibilities are to safeguard our members health information and protect their privacy. Because of this, we cannot talk about the specifics of this, or any other, case. As of today, Sy is still without the meds her doctor prescribed. But she knows shes not alone in her situation, so for the sake of the people who have no one to fight for them, she says she will refuse to be silent. There are thousands if not millions of other people who are suffering due to being denied and delayed this medically necessary treatment and I feel I owe it to these patients to use my voice to make their voices heard, she said. In the meantime, friends of Sys have started a GoFundMe to raise money for her medical costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Dec. 12U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced Thursday she is temporarily withdrawing a 165,000-acre portion of the upper Pecos watershed from further mining development, a decision applauded by watershed advocates who also worry it could be undone by the next president's administration. The affected areas around the Pecos River's headwaters include land in Santa Fe and San Miguel counties and numerous tributaries north of the village of Pecos, including Wild Horse, Macho and Doctor creeks. The scope is limited. The land would be withdrawn from new mining claims and new federal mining leases for just two years. But during that period, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service will kick off a process to examine whether to extend that withdrawal period by 20 years. The Forest Service manages most of the affected lands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Existing "valid" mining claims would not be affected, according to the announcement. Concerns about new mining in the Pecos exploded in 2019, when an Australian mining company proposed new mining development near Terrero. The company has since filed more than 200 mining claims. The BLM and Forest Service proposal will be subject to a 90-day public comment period after an announcement is published in the Federal Register, which is expected in the coming days. But by the end of public comment, there will be a new secretary of the interior President-elect Donald Trump has tapped North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for the role. Lawmakers want more Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A permanent withdrawal would take an act of Congress. In 2023, Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez sponsored legislation in their respective chambers to do just that. The full New Mexico delegation was quick to applaud Haaland's announcement and urge the passage of the Pecos Watershed Protection Act, which would permanently withdraw the 165,000 acres from mining development and create an 11,600-acre new wilderness area. "This two-year protection will safeguard the lands, waters and way of life in the Pecos," Lujan said in a statement. "I commend Secretary Haaland for her leadership on this issue, and I remain committed to passing the Pecos Watershed Protection Act to protect the parts Pecos Watershed from all mineral development and ensure future generations can continue to benefit from this critical watershed." Dan Roper, New Mexico program lead for Trout Unlimited, said the "window is closing" on passing the bill in this Congress. "We're confident we'll see a lot of New Mexicans engage in the public comment period in support of the mineral withdrawal and this administrative effort will move forward, while people continue to push for permanent protections in Congress," Roper said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The area is one of the most popular trout fisheries in the state, Roper said, and has a significant population of Rio Grande cutthroat trout, an iconic New Mexico species that has seen its distribution diminish due to habitat loss and invasive species. Roper said no hard rock mining is under way in the area affected by the hiatus, although mining companies have staked claims in the watershed. 'It's everything for us' The legacy of mining in the Pecos is fraught. In the 1990s, a spill from a closed mine spewed contamination into the Pecos River, killing fish several miles downstream and affecting local water supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our hope is that the effort to protect this watershed is something that can transcend administrations," Roper said. "Since the beginning, this effort has been one of the most widely supported mineral withdrawals in our experience," he said, adding that support comes from local landowners, individuals who hold acequia water rights, the village of Pecos, two county commissioners and New Mexico's entire delegation. "There's very robust support for protecting the headwaters of the Pecos River," Roper said. Earlier this week, the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission unanimously voted to protect more than 250 miles of waterways around the state, including parts of the Pecos watershed, as Outstanding National Resource Waters under the federal Clean Water Act. Ralph Vigil learned to swim in the Pecos River and grew up fishing in the area. He later became involved with acequias, leading the New Mexico Acequia Commission for about 14 years. He was heartened by Thursday's news but wants to see a permanent protection put in place. And he has some concerns about what will happen to the effort once Trump takes office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's everything for us," Vigil said. "It's basically the lifeblood of our community." The 2019 Terrero mining proposal pulled together a diverse group of stakeholders to oppose the project, Vigil said; groups that once were "battling" now work together. "As a farmer, I realized that I couldn't farm and provide healthy food for my community and use water from my acequia if it was contaminated by mining again," Vigil said. "In the past, I fought against some of these conservation groups that wanted to put wilderness in the Pecos. But I knew that we had to find a way to work together." Luigi Mangione is escorted by police to his arraignment at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pa., Dec. 9, 2024. Credit - Center photo: Rachel WisniewskiThe New York Times/Redux From the moment Luigi Mangione was revealed as the person arrested in connection with last weeks murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, stories started spinning out about him on social media. Alibis posted by users who have manipulated photos of Mangione to suggest he was in different places at the time of the crime are breaking the Internet. Hes also become somewhat of an online sex symbol, with users claiming hes too hot to convict and a mug shot hottie. And after his arrest, he gained about 1,000 followers a minute on X, as people poured through his past posts. Because shell casings at the scene of the shooting contained the words delay, deny and depose, it was deduced, long before Mangiones arrest, that Thompsons murder was an act of revenge for a denied insurance claim. (The phrase is interpreted to refer to tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying claims. It is also similar to the title of a book by legal professor Jay Feinman, which was critical of the health insurance industry.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the aftermath of the killing, some thought that this act, while extreme, would awaken a new wave of class consciousness, as people flooded social apps with their own grievances against insurance companies. Prior authorization is required for thoughts and prayers, read one viral post. But the truth is far from it. Most notably because social media doesnt have time to wait for answers on how a seemingly privileged, apparently not-quite-conservative-not-quite-liberal tech bro could have allegedly come to murder a top executive. In a world where were constantly vying for likes, clicks, and reposts, public opinion often comes swiftly and ruthlesslyeven when the reality is far more complex than our preconceived stereotypes will have us believe. Read More: What We Know About Luigi Mangione, Arrested in Connection with UHC CEO Killing Mangione doesnt exactly fit the bill of a cold-blooded killer. He comes from a prominent, wealthy family. He was valedictorian at his elite prep school. He earned undergrad and grad degrees from an Ivy league university. He has no criminal record. Two of his fraternity brothers at the University of Pennsylvania said he never said anything concerning or extreme. A former classmate told CNN he is a totally normal guy. A former roommate described him as clearly a thoughtful guy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among years of Mangiones Reddit posts, the only mention of an insurance company said an insurer other than ThompsonsBlue Cross Blue Shieldhad actually covered his tests for irritable bowel syndrome, according to the New York Times. He also apparently wrote a 4-star Goodreads review of Industrial Society and Its Future, a manifesto by Ted Kaczynski, otherwise known as the Unabomber, while also loving The Lorax by Dr. Suess. All of these disjoined facts make Mangione hard to characterize. Is he a nice guy or an extremist? Are his political views on the right or left? We just cant tell. Perhaps it doesnt even matter. On many parts of the internet, people have already hand-picked these facts to render a verdictand Mangione is either a superhero or a villain. The problem is that none of this mythmaking will get us any closer to the truth of what happened or, in fact, what Mangione himself seems to be after: changing our countrys appalling health system. The Internet has always had a voracious appetite for spin. Social media apps are forums where people post hot takes on whats trending, rather than waiting for all the facts to emerge and considering all sides before arriving at careful conclusions. Everyones in competition to come up with the most clever, witty, and even extreme post to stand out among everyone else creating content about the same personabout whom, despite his digital imprint, we understand so very little. This is how the narratives we create on social media often become far from the reality of the situation, especially complex and confounding ones like this. Yet the more people see something repeated, the more they believe it, whether or not its true. In psychology, this is known as the illusory truth effect. As a result, our societys popular understanding of events can become significantly detached from and even at odds with the facts that eventually emerge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These posts are also unlikely to solve any of the problems with our health care system. As we continue to watch this case unfold, the public has yet to have serious discussions about exactly what we can do to make sure everyone in America who needs healthcare can access it affordably and that their claims arent unreasonably denied. Or how to solve the crippling medical debt held by 14 million Americans that forces many of them to cut spending on food, according to KFF polling. True, social media is a place where Americans can lodge our complaints, shout our compliments loudly, and even create communitybut in the case of Luigi Mangione, its also highly predictable. The Internet has made snap assumptions about whats happening, oftentimes before we have real answers. We usually also fall short on solutions. Instead of reckoning with why so many Americans dont have access to the healthcare they need, we make content. But instead of making a meme out of Mangione, it would be a better idea to simply wait and learn. Contact us at letters@time.com. A luxury apartment complex is at the center of a police investigation in the South End. Boston Police say this is currently a death investigation of a woman but sources tell 25 Investigates this will likely be considered a homicide investigation. Police are still awaiting the autopsy report of that woman. She was found dead in the Harris Apartment Complex in the South End after a well-being check was called in around 7 p.m. Thursday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boston Police Commissioner Friday morning couldnt offer many details about the investigation but called it a tragedy. I dont believe this is anything for the public to be alarmed about, Cox said. Particularly this time of year sometimes brings out a lot of sorrow despair and families so take advantage of the help thats offered. Police havent announced any arrests made at this point but the investigation is still active on Harrison Avenue. Neighbors were stunned by the situation. #NOW: A @bostonpolice cruiser remains on watch outside 390 Harrison Ave. after a @boston25 source says a homicide investigation began Thursday. Police responded around 7 pm for a wellbeing check, and found a woman dead in an apartment. Working to gather more on scene. pic.twitter.com/5hQhC9sUYu Daniel Coates (@danielcoates_25) December 13, 2024 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 Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, flanked by advocates and law enforcement personnel, announced on Dec. 12, 2024, her support for a constitutional amendment that would allow children to testify against their alleged abusers via closed-circuit video. (Photo by Clark Kauffman/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is calling for a constitutional amendment to ensure that child victims of crime do not have to testify inside a courtroom alongside their alleged abusers. In June, the Iowa Supreme Court overturned the conviction of a man who argued it was unconstitutional for two children to testify against him though a live, closed-circuit video link that allowed the children to sit in a remote location just outside the courtroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the wake of that ruling, Bird announced her intent to draft a constitutional amendment that would restore the ability of child victims to testify from remote locations outside the presence of the defendant. On Thursday, Bird announced that such an amendment had been drafted but was not yet ready to be made public. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX No child should be forced to be stared down by the person who hurt them in court, Bird said at Thursdays press conference, where she appeared alongside Iowa sheriffs, prosecutors and advocates. When a child is testifying in court, theyre between six and 10 feet away from their abuser just an arms length away. Imagine testifying in that scenario. Prior to the courts ruling, child victims were allowed to testify remotely against their alleged abusers, but only in cases where the prosecution showed that in-person courtroom testimony would cause additional trauma to the child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For decades in Iowa, kids and people with intellectual disabilities were protected from having to testify in court against the person who hurt them, Bird said. And then, with one ruling, all of those protections vanished Iowa is the only state in the country that fails to offer closed-circuit testimony for these kids. To appear on a ballot for voter approval in the general election of November 2028, a constitutional amendment would have to be approved by the Iowa Legislature this year or next year, and again in 2027 or 2028. Bird predicted that unless a constitutional amendment is passed, children will be too scared to testify and those cases will be dropped. Criminals will walk free. However, she said, she and Iowas county attorneys are prepared to do everything we can to make sure that doesnt happen during the years-long process of winning final approval for a constitutional amendment. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE DES MOINES, Iowa The Revenue Estimating Conference met on Thursday morning at the Iowa Statehouse to look at projected revenue goals in the state for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. Lawmakers had $9.75 billion in state revenue in FY24, with projections at $9.15 billion in FY25 and $8.73 billion in FY26. The reduction in state revenue comes from the income tax cuts passed over the last several sessions. A 3.8% flat income tax takes effect on January 1, 2025, which will drop state tax revenue more. Iowas conservative budgeting practices and commitment to shrinking the size and scope of government have once again put our state in a strong financial position just as our low, flat income tax rate of 3.8% takes effect next year for every Iowa taxpayer. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, (R) Our tax cuts, which return funds to hard-working Iowans, are driving the reduction of state revenue but for the tax cuts, Iowa would see revenue growth. And yet, unlike so many states, Iowa is in a great financial position in no small part because of our spending discipline. Kraig Paulsen, Iowa Department of Management Director Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pressure on Sen. Joni Ernst shows whats next for those who oppose Trump Reynolds in her statement also added that these projections were expected, listing the balance of $2.05 billion in the general fund, $961.2 in reserve funds and $3.75 billion in the taxpayer relief funds. Democrats in both chambers are frustrated with the projections due to the amount of dollars allocated to educational savings accounts. The Reynolds economy is not working for most Iowans and todays revenue projections prove it. Every week Iowans are experiencing more layoffs and rising costs while corporations make more money and get endless tax breaks. State Representative Timi Brown-Powers, (D) from Waterloo $300 million and counting toward vouchers, and yet the Reynolds Administration has failed to provide even the most basic information about where our tax dollars are going or how our children are being served. We have far too many unanswered questions. Gov. Reynolds must be transparent with Iowas taxpayers. Senator Janet Petersen, (D) from Des Moines Latest Iowa News: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. Five former Grenoble players, including Ireland centre Chris Farrell, have been handed varying sentences after being found guilty following a gang rape trial in Bordeaux. Denis Coulson, the ex-Connacht prop who previously represented Ireland Under-20, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for gang rape. Loick Jammes received 14 years for the same crime, with New Zealander Rory Grice also sentenced to 12 years for gang rape. Farrell and Dylan Hayes, another New Zealander, were convicted of failing to assist a person in danger. The former was handed a four-year sentence, two of which have been suspended and two of which can be served under house arrest with an electronic tag. Hayes received a two-year suspended sentence. The defendants will also pay the victim 50,000 (42,000). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grice and Farrell are currently contracted to Oyonnax, where they are coached by Joe El-Abd, the England defence coach. Oyonnax issued a statement on Saturday morning in response to the verdicts, declaring that the club would come to a decision on the future of those two players and communicate it in the coming days. Almost immediately after the trial, reports in France suggested that lawyers of Coulson, Jammes and Grice had announced their intention to appeal against the sentences. Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt, the representative of Coulson, stressed that her client was now ill and unable to walk well. The allegations, which were denied, dated back to March 2017 when the five players visited a nightclub after a Top 14 match between Grenoble and Union Bordeaux-Begles, which the latter won 46-14. They were made by a 21-year-old female student who had been attending a birthday celebration. She filed a complaint with police, alleging that she had been subjected to gang rape and that a crutch had been used during the assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to reports, the student, named as V during court proceedings this week, alleged that she had been with two friends when she met the players and accompanied them from a bar to a nightclub where all of them drank heavily. She said she had no recollection of how she got from the club to a hotel where she woke up, naked on a bed with several men in the room. Coulson, Jammes and Grice stated they had sexual relations with the victim but claimed the encounter was consensual. Farrell, the owner of the crutch, was present, as was Hayes. The verdicts in this weeks trial, part of which was held behind closed doors at the request of the lawyers for the complainant, were delivered at around 8.30pm local time on Friday evening in Courtroom G in Bordeauxs Cour dAssises. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A report in LEquipe explained that there had been more than eight hours of deliberation. Coulsons father and sister were present, as well as the wife of Grice. The victim was surrounded by her mother, her brother and several friends. Coulson and Farrell both joined Grenoble in 2014 and played for the club until 2017, the latter subsequently joining Munster and winning 15 caps for Ireland. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. HONOLULU (KHON2) A local stained glass artist took a breath of relief on Thursday, Dec. 12 after she learned her precious artwork survived a storage fire. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Honolulu Fire Department officials said the blaze started from a candle that ignited items in Ohana Self Storage in October, 2024. Aloha McNeil first put her stained glass in Ohana Self Storage 11 years ago and never expected to get the call that she recieved on the evening of Monday, Oct. 23. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And they said, Oh, the place was on fire, McNeil said. I was not allowed to get in for almost two months. So this is the day that its over. I was expecting a lot of water damage because they said there were five fire trucks, I think boxes got wet. You can see the dirt at the bottom of the windows. Ideas for the 12 days before Christmas McNeils son Alastar said it is an absolute blessing that the pieces were not destroyed and barely damaged considering how each of the 2,050 units in Ohana Self Storage suffered smoke damage and need to be completely cleaned out. This is real glass. Tiffany Glass. Its very textured and, you know, its something you wont even be able to find this glass anymore. Now, you wont even be able to find the raw materials anymore. So its, its, its irreplaceable and its very precious stuff, Alastar McNeil said. Were just, were very thankful that everything was good, you know, in good shape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yesterday was a sad day for us: Football club equipment destroyed by fire in Wahiawa The McNeils with help from some friends moved 27 pieces into a different storage facility on Thursday and there is still a bit of a smoky scent on them. Its okay. The smell doesnt bother me at all. Theyre in one piece. Thats the main thing, she said. McNeils pieces have sold in the tens of thousands of dollars, some are five decades old but their sentimental worth holds even more value. Hawaiis unique whale watching cat-bird seat Oh, its 50 years of my life, Aloha said, emotionally priceless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Company officials at Ohana Self Storage said they hope to clean, refurbish and reopen their facility by March, 2025 though that date is tentative. The McNeil pieces will soon be on the market. Contact Galacticsoundwave@gmail.com for more information. Check out more news from around Hawaii Were going to call it the Phoenix, Alastar said, Phoenix Fire Sale! Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. In the months before Iranian ballistic missiles struck the Nevatim Airbase in October, Iran dispatched spies to film and photograph the site in southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities. The alleged operatives were neither highly trained nor seemed especially suspicious to the people who knew them in their day-to-day lives. Many of them appeared to struggle financially. And yet, Israeli authorities allege that the images they captured of the base provided Iran with valuable targeting intelligence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israel Police arrested the suspects in October, a group of seven Israelis living in Haifa, northern Israel, representing one alleged cell. They are among more than 30 Israelis arrested by Israeli authorities over the past year for allegedly carrying out missions for Iran with the accusations ranging from photographing military bases to plotting to kill senior Israeli officials. It is an unprecedented number, according to Israel Police Superintendent Maor Goren, who oversees counterintelligence investigations. If we go check the last years the last decades we can count on two hands how many people got arrested for this, Goren said. Two hangars, used to store large planes at Nevatim Air Base in Israel, were heavily damaged by missiles from an Iranian attack on October 1, 2024. - Planet Labs It is a sign both that Iran has ramped up its intelligence-gathering efforts in Israel in recent years, and that after operating for months or, in some cases, years without being detected Israeli authorities are finally catching on to these under-the-radar activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli authorities are still uncovering more alleged Iranian intelligence-gathering efforts. Earlier this week, Israeli police arrested a 33-year-old Israeli citizen from the north who allegedly carried out tasks on behalf of Iran in exchange for thousands of dollars. The arrests have made waves in Israel in recent months. Beyond the sheer numbers, the majority of those arrested have been Jewish Israelis a shock in a country where Jewish citizens are imbued with a deep sense of patriotism and national pride. I wasnt surprised I was shocked. It was like thunder amid clear skies, said Leonid Gorbachovsky, the next-door neighbor of the accused ringleader of the Haifa cell, Azis Nisanov. He didnt have anything prominent in him, nothing that would make me or anyone from our house suspect that he would be connected to something illegal. He was an ordinary man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gorbachovsky was home when police pried open Nisanovs door with a metal bar and watched as police turned the apartment inside-out, finding piles of cash, he said. Like most of the other Israelis arrested on charges of spying for Iran, Nisanov had immigrated to Israel. Combined with financial struggles, intelligence experts say that an immigrant background could make the accused easier targets for Irans recruitment efforts. To Gorbachovsky, who moved to Israel 25 years ago from Belarus, it is unfathomable. How can a person come to a foreign country to Israel from a different state and hate it? Gorbachovsky said. Well, if it was because of money, then this is a rotten person. How can you sell your motherland for money, even if this is big money? This is your state. How can it be? The Haifa Seven Israeli police allege that Nisanov, an Azerbaijani immigrant, began carrying out tasks for Iran more than two years before his arrest, after being contacted by an Azerbaijani national who was working as a foreign agent for Iran. According to the indictment, the foreign agent tasked Nisanov with photographing military bases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For two years, Nisanov and six others he recruited photographed dozens of military bases, Iron Dome batteries and other strategic sites across Israel, receiving between $500 and $1,200 per task, according to the indictment. The indictment notes that several of the bases they photographed were later struck in missile attacks by Iran and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. While the GPS coordinates of the bases are known to Iran, Israeli authorities say the zoomed-in images Iran received from these Israelis provided additional targeting intelligence. We cant tell for sure if they are directly responsible for the hit, but we can say for sure that they were there before the attack so you can say it at least helped, if not more, Goren said. Israeli police claim Nisanov and the six others knew they were working for Iran. All seven are still awaiting trial on spying charges. They have not yet entered a plea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nisanovs attorney Maher Talhami did not deny that Nisanov photographed Israeli military bases, but told CNN that Nisanov didnt know that he was dealing with the Iranians. He needed a lot of money. He owed money to a loan shark, and he had really bad financial problems, Talhami said. He never thought that he was doing something that is harming the security of the state of Israel. Others arrested by the Israeli police included a couple in the city of Lod in November for allegedly conducting intelligence gathering missions on behalf of an Iranian spying network. A police statement, quoting a senior official in the Shin Bet, Israels domestic intelligence agency, said that these cases add to a series of thwarted attempts exposed in recent weeks, during which Israeli citizens operated by Iranian intelligence elements were arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CNN has reached out to the Iranian government for comment on Israels allegations but has yet to receive a response. Alleged assassination plots While many of the alleged Iranian spies were only tasked with photographing and filming strategic sites, others are accused of plotting to kill senior Israeli officials and other prominent Israelis. In August, Israeli police arrested 73-year-old Moti Maman, an Israeli from the southern city of Ashkelon, for allegedly plotting to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. Maman was smuggled into Iran twice and met with Iranian intelligence agents who asked him to carry out attacks against Israel, according to his indictment. Authorities allege he received payments to carry out missions on behalf of Iran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment detailed Mamans travel history as a businessman who lived for extended periods in Turkey, where he allegedly developed relations with Iranian nationals. It alleged that Maman agreed, through Turkish middlemen, to meet with a wealthy Iranian businessman known as Eddy to discuss business in the Turkish city of Samandag. On two separate occasions in April and May, the businessman was unable to leave Iran due to legal difficulties, so Maman was then smuggled into the country through a land crossing in eastern Turkey. In Iran, Maman allegedly requested an advance payment of $1 million, the indictment said. According to the indictment, Eddy allegedly said the plots would be revenge against the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil in July, which would prevent the outbreak of all-out war with Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His attorney, Eyal Beserglick, told CNN that Maman traveled to Iran for business purposes only and nothing nefarious. In another case, Goren, the police superintendent, said police arrested a man who was suspected of plotting to carry out an assassination on Irans behalf with a gun and 15 bullets. Iranian tactics Iran and Israel have been waging a shadow espionage war for decades, using spies and informants to gather intelligence to carry out attacks against each other. Israels intelligence capabilities inside Iran are understood to be vast and Israeli intelligence has carried out multiple successful assassinations inside Iran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, that silent war was thrust out in the open, resulting in the first open military attacks carried out between the two countries. Iran has also arrested several of its citizens over the last year, whom the regime and the Revolutionary Guard Corps accuse of spying for Israel or collaborating with its foreign intelligence agency Mossad, according to Iranian state media. Israeli officials and intelligence experts say the uptick in Iranian spying activity that has been exposed in Israel reflects broad-based recruitment tactics employed by Iran. An exterior view of the building where Azis Nisanov, alleged ringleader of the Haifa cell, was living at the time of his arrest. - CNN Oded Ailam, the former head of counterterrorism for the Mossad, calls it the theory of the big numbers. They are not really discouraged by failure, Ailam said. And most important, they dont really care what happens afterwards to their assets they say to themselves, OK, if we fail, here we go to the next one. And they dont really care about the outcome. According to Goren, the police official, Israels Shin Bet was primarily responsible for uncovering and infiltrating the alleged Iranian spy rings, through a combination of digital surveillance and undercover operations. Israeli authorities say while some of the accused spies were recruited through intermediaries, others were approached on social media platforms, including Telegram. In a series of Telegram messages provided to CNN by Shin Bet, an alleged Iranian operative sends spam-style offers for interesting and exciting jobs that pay a very high salary. One message read: I have various missions in the cities of Israel that not everyone has the ability to do. My missions have rewards from $100 to $100,000. Another said: We just need brave men. Are you brave? For a lot of money? CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the messages. Goren said the Iranian recruiters often began by asking their targets to carry out small test missions for easy money, steadily increasing the seriousness of the missions and further compromising their targets. Goren said such a test mission could involve taking a picture of a building or spraying graffiti on a wall. In one series of messages provided by the Shin Bet, the target was tasked with buying gasoline to set off forest fires. They want fast money, Goren said of the accused spies. They dont care about the country, they dont care about their own people, they just want money. The arrest of one of the alleged spies, Vyacheslav "Slava" Gushchin, shocked his neighbors, Moshe and Riki Yazdi, who said if he returned to the neighborhood, people would try to kill him. - CNN Easy prey Ailam, the former Mossad official, said those who fall into the wide net cast by Iran are often desperate people from the part of society that is usually neglected and overlooked. Many of those arrested are also immigrants, who Ailam said may not have the same affiliation and the same attitude towards Israel as others. They are much more easy prey, Ailam said. Vyacheslav Slava Gushchin, alleged to be part of the Haifa Seven, appeared to fit this profile to a T. His neighbors said he had immigrated to Israel from Belarus in recent years, had severe financial problems and was frequently drunk. The dentist who worked next door said he was missing most of his teeth and had sought his help for infections. CNN found dozens of discarded cans and bottles of beer in the small patio in front of the apartment he rented. When he was arrested, neighbors at first thought it stemmed from a fight he had gotten into with an attendant at the nearby convenience store. None of them suspected he was allegedly spying for Iran. Gushchins attorney declined to comment. He looked like a miserable low-life, his neighbor, Riki Yazdi, told CNN, sitting alongside her husband Moshe. His arrest sent shockwaves through a neighborhood that had sought to help him, giving him food, clothes and even lending him money. No one could believe it, Moshe Yazdi said. People here that know him that also brought him food and everything want to kill him. If he came here again, the neighbors would kill him. Dana Karni and Eugenia Yosef contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korean police Friday raided the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency in a probe over President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law declaration, Yonhap news agency reported. The National Police Agency's special investigation team dispatched investigators to the local police agency to secure computer information and other documents, the report said. The report said that at the time of martial law, Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency deployed police officers to the National Election Commission building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and the Suwon Election Training Institute, another election commission facility in southern Gyeonggi Province. Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, but it was repealed by the National Assembly hours later. Israel ordered troops Friday to prepare to remain throughout winter on Mount Hermon a strategic peak inside a buffer zone that has existed for decades with Syria but which Israeli forces have seized in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse. It was the latest sign that Israel may maintain a presence in Syria for a prolonged period, defying international pressure to halt its advances and airstrikes as the world hopes to secure a peaceful transition in the country. On Friday crowds massed in central squares across Syria to celebrate the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, urged on by the head of the Islamist group who led the stunning rebel advance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. has defended Israel's actions in Syria. Washington's latest bid to prevent wider conflict in the Middle East has raised hopes of a cease-fire deal with Hamas, despite local officials in Gaza reporting that dozens were killed in the latest Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in the Palestinian enclave. Israel to keep troops on Mt Hermon Israel has said that its actions in Syria are temporary and defensive, but backlash has grown over what United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Thursday called extensive violations of Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity" as he urged Israeli forces to withdraw from the buffer zone. He also expressed concern over hundreds of Israeli strikes on locations across Syria following the toppling of the Assad regime, which Israel has said are aimed at preventing the regimes arsenal falling into the hands of militants. Due to what is happening in Syria, there is a huge security importance to our holding of the Hermon peak and everything must be done to ensure the IDFs preparations in the area, to allow the troops to stay there in the difficult weather conditions, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He shared a photo on X that he said showed him with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overlooking Mount Hermon with binoculars, saying the site had "returned to Israeli control after 51 years." "An exciting historical moment," he wrote. Netanyahu's office has said that the collapse of the Assad regime "created a vacuum on Israels border and in the buffer zone," which was established as part of a ceasefire between the countries following the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. "Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights," his office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel occupied and later annexed the Golan Heights after the 1967 Mideast war, a move not recognized by most of the international community. At over 9,000 feet, Mount Hermon stands as the highest peak in the eastern Mediterranean coast. Israel has drawn swift backlash over its seizure of the area in the past week, with critics accusing the country of exploiting the situation with a land grab. In Syria, tens of thousands gathered across the country for mass rallies celebrating Assad's ouster after worshippers gathered for the first Friday prayers since his family's 50 years of brutal rule was brought to an end. Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the main rebel group that ousted Assad, called on Syrians in a video message to "take to the squares to celebrate the victory." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he urged revelers to celebrate without firing bullets or causing a commotion "so that we can then move on to building this country." People attend the first Friday prayers since the fall of the Assad regim, inside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus old city. A rebel fighter stands on a carpet bearing the portrait of ousted president Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Friday. Deadly strikes continue in Gaza Concerns over Israel's actions in Syria come as Israeli forces also continued their campaign in Gaza, where Palestinian health officials said dozens of people were killed in an assault on the Nuseirat refugee camp on Thursday. Dr. Marwan Al-Hamas, Director of the Field Hospitals in Gaza, told NBC News that at least 36 people were killed and 43 injured after Israeli forces struck a post office building and several homes in the area in central Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces said it was targeting a "senior terrorist in the Islamic Jihad" whom it said was "responsible for leading terror attacks against Israeli civilians an IDF troops." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The IDF said an initial inquiry suggested that "secondary explosions" occurred due to numerous weapons in the area. The IDF did not provide evidence for the claim and said it was reviewing reports of casualties related to the strike. Video captured by NBC News' crew in Gaza showed harrowing scenes of people being rescued from a mass of rubble. At one point, a young child could be seen being carried into a hospital, with their face heavily bloodied and their body motionless. The child was laid down in a room where the bodies of those killed were being wrapped in shrouds. Another small child could also be seen lying on the floor. It comes as the Biden administration has continued to push for a truce between Israel and Hamas in its final months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in Tel Aviv on Thursday that he was optimistic about the prospect of reaching a deal. He also defended Israel's actions in Syria, saying the U.S. ally had perceived an "immediate threat" in the collapse of a longstanding regime and that Israel has "a right to self-defense." Sullivan met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Friday to discuss efforts to secure the release of hostages and the changing landscape in the region. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered Israeli forces that moved into the Syrian side of Mount Herman on the Golan Heights to remain in these positions through the winter, Katz's office announced on Friday. This was important on account of events in Syria, Katz said. Large parts of Syria and Lebanon can be observed from this strategic position. Mount Hermon was "under Israeli control again after 51 years," Katz posted on X, terming it an "exciting historic moment." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli forces moved into the buffer zone along the Golan Heights following the victory of Islamist rebels in Syria, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the move as temporary "until a suitable arrangement is found." The move has met with international criticism. Meanwhile, since al-Assad's regime collapsed on December 8, Israeli warplanes have been carrying out strikes in locations across Syria, mainly targeting sites of former Syrian government troops. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israeli jets overnight hit weapons and scientific research warehouses in the Masyaf area, in the Hama countryside in west-central Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The war monitor also said they Israel struck the Qusayr countryside, which is close to Syrian-Lebanese border. Powerful explosions were heard but there has been no word yet about possible casualties. Israel has hit more 300 Syrian military posts in nearly a week. Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered Israeli forces that moved into the Syrian side of Mount Herman on the Golan Heights to remain in these positions through the winter, Katz's office announced on Friday. This was important on account of events in Syria, Katz said. Large parts of Syria and Lebanon can be observed from this strategic position. Mount Hermon was "under Israeli control again after 51 years," Katz posted on X, terming it an "exciting historic moment." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli forces moved into the buffer zone along the Golan Heights following the victory of Islamist rebels in Syria, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the move as temporary "until a suitable arrangement is found." The move has met with international criticism. Since the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad to the rebels, Israel's Air Force has taken advantage of the power vacuum by massively bombing military facilities in the country's interior. There were renewed air strikes early Friday, with weapons depots and research centres in the rural areas of Homs and Hama hit, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Defence Minister Israel Katz on Friday ordered Israeli forces that moved into the Syrian side of Mount Herman on the Golan Heights to remain in these positions through winter. The deployment is important on account of events in Syria, Katz said, as large parts of Syria and Lebanon can be observed from the strategic position. Mount Hermon was "under Israeli control again after 51 years," Katz posted on X, terming it an "exciting historic moment." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli forces moved into the buffer zone along the Golan Heights following the victory of Islamist rebels in Syria over Bashar al-Assad's regime last week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the move as temporary "until a suitable arrangement is found." The deployment has met with international criticism, but the Israeli military has defended the move, saying that various weapons have been found in the area. In the latest statement on Friday, the military said Israeli paratroopers have secured anti-tank missiles and ammunition. Meanwhile, since al-Assad's regime collapsed on December 8, Israeli warplanes have been carrying out strikes in locations across Syria, mainly targeting sites of former Syrian government troops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel has hit more 300 Syrian military posts in nearly a week, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recording strikes on weapons and scientific research warehouses in west-central Syria. The war monitor also said that Israel struck the Qusayr countryside, which is close to the Lebanese border. Israelis take to the streets in Jerusalem to protest the war with Hamas and the conflict in Gaza on Friday. Those present brought signs and banners calling for an end to the conflict. Italy is willing to participate in a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on Dec. 12, according to the Ansa news agency. The comments come amid growing expectations of possible ceasefire talks in Ukraine as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he aims to push Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table. "I hope to talk about peace, about peacekeeping, as soon as possible in Ukraine, but also in Gaza and Lebanon," Crosetto told journalists in Madrid when asked about the possibility of Rome deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement French President Emmanuel Macron has floated the idea of sending an international contingent to Ukraine to monitor a future truce. Though the French president has reportedly discussed the idea with the U.K. and Poland, Italy is the first country to signal openness to the proposal publicly. "We are willing to play this role, a role in which we have always distinguished ourselves as a nation," Crosetto said. The position within Italy does not appear to be uniform. Italy's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani called such discussions premature, as Russia's war is ongoing. The U.K. and Poland have publicly said they are not currently considering deploying their soldiers in Ukraine. Only German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said such a possibility should not be ruled out, though Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not echo this position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement European nations are nevertheless expected to take up a greater role in helping Ukraine defend itself and deter any future Russian aggression, as Trump is likely to decrease Washington's involvement. Talking to Macron and President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Dec. 7, Trump reportedly told the two leaders he wants European peacekeepers monitoring a ceasefire deal on the ground in Ukraine. Zelensky noted that Ukraine "may consider" such a step, but only after receiving a clear timeline for NATO membership, which Trump and several member states oppose. Russia's position remains the main obstacle, as Moscow has shown no willingness to open peace talks that would not entail Ukraine's effective surrender and vocally opposed the presence of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Zelensky may consider deployment of foreign peacekeepers in Ukraine to ensure ceasefire Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Dec. 12LIMA Following nearly a year of conversations and exploration into the financing nuances of adding a mental health/substance abuse resource coordinator to the staff at the Allen County jail, a proposal to that effect was given the verbal green light on Thursday. The Allen County commissioners, meeting Thursday with mental health professionals and members of the Allen County Sheriff's Office, gave Sheriff Matt Treglia the go-ahead to hire an individual to fill a newly-approved position of jail navigator. Funding for the position will be provided on an annual basis by the Mental Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties. A formal vote was not taken by commissioners, pending a last-minute review of some documents, but approval is anticipated before the end of the year. Treglia said the new employee will likely be hired early in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tammie Colon, executive director of the tri-county mental health board, said she had been pushing for the addition of a navigator at the local jail "ever since the opiate epidemic of 2017. That's when we started the conversations about the need to better consolidate services for inmates upon their release from jail" to help those persons obtain the resources necessary to lead productive lives and escape the cycle of crime and addiction that landed them in jail in the first place. Colon said she initially approached Treglia and talked about the need for a navigator, and the commissioners joined the discussion early this year. The sheriff said he sees the need for a navigator position as one of cost-avoidance. "This is obviously something that needs to happen," he said. "It's another tool that will help reduce recidivism rates and save taxpayer money." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colon added, "And save lives." Treglia on Thursday urged the commissioners to make a decision surrounding the navigator position and said he would like to have the job filled "as soon as possible." Treglia made it abundantly clear, however, that if funding by the mental health board should disappear at some point, the position would be eliminated. Colon said funding for the position will come from a tax levy approved by voters and will be available for the foreseeable future. Similar positions funded by the mental health board are already in place in Hardin and Auglaize counties and have been for several years, she said. Jails across the United States in recent years have been adding navigators to their staffs to coordinate the screening of inmates to address post-detention mental health issues, substance abuse services and housing needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Treglia said the new hire will not be a deputy or corrections officer and therefore will not require peace officer training. Instead the jail navigator will need "a knowledge of mental health services" and formal training on how to assist inmates when their term of incarceration in the local jail ends, he said. Commissioner Beth Siebert said the board has "danced around with this issue for a good part of the year" as potential funding pitfalls were debated. "It always came back to the board's belief that the sheriff should be the one driving the bus on this. He said he wanted it, so let's get it across the finish line." Featured Local Savings MOGADISHU, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has welcomed an agreement signed between Ethiopia and Somalia Wednesday to end their bitter dispute over Addis Ababa's plans to build a port in Somaliland, a region of Somalia. Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and Head of ATMIS Mohamed El-Amine Souef described the deal, inked in Ankara, capital of Turkiye, as an exemplary act of leadership that is crucial in advancing regional peace, security and stability. "ATMIS remains fully committed to supporting Somalia's state-building and security transition, in line with the aspirations of the Somali people and the African Union's vision for a stable and prosperous Africa," Souef said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, Thursday evening. He urged the two parties to implement the agreed measures and further consolidate mutual trust and cooperation. Tensions had been escalating between Ethiopia and Somalia after Ethiopia and Somaliland reportedly signed an agreement earlier this year allowing Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in exchange for its recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, an agreement condemned by Somalia. In a joint statement issued in Ankara, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reaffirmed their respect for and commitment to one another's sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity and agreed to work together to finalize arrangements that will allow Ethiopia to enjoy access to and from the sea. Jamaica has tabled a bill in parliament to remove King Charles as its head of state and transition the country to a republic. The Caribbean country is one of many former colonies that retained a British head of state after independence in 1962, following more than 350 years of colonial rule. Currently the British monarch is represented by a largely ceremonial governor general, but the position is a divisive one and seen by opponents as a symbol of colonial injustice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prime minister Andrew Holness announced intentions for Jamaica to become a republic by 2025, during a royal tour of the country by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The transition would mean a Jamaican president would also be the ceremonial head of state. There were highly-publicised protests during William and Kates visit two years ago, with some calling for an apology and slavery reparations marking a wider regional shift in perceptions of the British monarchy and a growing reparations movement. Of the 12 former colonies in the Caribbean, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Barbados have already transitioned to a republic. The Caribbean country is one of many former colonies that retained a British head of state after independence in 1962, following more than 350 years of colonial rule (Getty Images) Every year when we celebrate independence on August 6, the nation is invited to reflect on its achievements since independence and what remains to be done, and every year the question is asked when are we going to abolish the monarchy and have a Jamaican head of state, Jamaicas minister of legal and constitutional affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte told the Guardian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that the bill has been tabled, it must be reviewed by joint committees, a parliament vote and a national referendum. Opposition parties have raised concerns over its proximity to national elections and lack of plans to make the Caribbean court of justice Jamaicans top court instead of the UK privy council. We do not believe you can say that youre fully decolonised if you still retain the privy council as your apex court, said senator Donna Scott-Mottley of the main opposition party. You cannot leave the king but still have to petition him when you want justice, Ms Scott-Mottley said, adding that the opposition is keen to colloborate with the government on the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the end of the day, this is not about political parties, its about our nation. Its about our people and its about closing the full circle of independence for the people of our country, she said. Discussions on transitioning to a republic have been raised by successive Jamaican governments since the 1970s. But it continues to be the only country with the British monarch as head of state that requires visas to enter the UK. All Jamaican citizens are subject to the restrictions if they wish to enter the UK. The [British are] really not doing anything substantial for our country, so it makes no sense to have them as head of state. Plus, we have it hard to go to England more than any country so, by all means, do away with the monarchy, said Maureen Brammer in Kingston. In Courtroom 17 of D.C.s U.S. District Court on Monday morning, the sentencing session for Jan. 6 rioter Dova Winegeart featured arguments between a prosecutor, a defense attorney and a federal judge. But there might as well have been another person in the hearing: Donald J. Trump. Not even inaugurated yet, the man who called Jan. 6 convicts hostages is already a dominant figure in courtrooms, a reality that feels like a gut-punch for the career prosecutors who have spent years trying the nearly 1,600 people arrested over a day of grotesque violence and threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, as defendants and their attorneys take turns referencing Trumps oft-repeated avowals to free any convicted offenders, its easy to believe that Trump has won that the effort to bring to justice those who stormed the Capitol is doomed. Yet the funereal vibe in the courthouse misses the reality of these proceedings that have happened since the election: Its going to be very hard to simply memory-hole the biggest investigation in Justice Department history, one that created an indelible historic record of the assault. Why else would so many Jan. 6 perps still be furiously fighting against verdicts that are going to be undone in six weeks? Thats certainly what was going on Monday in Courtroom 17, which was supposed to be a humdrum sentencing for Winegeart, an Oklahoma bakery owner who was found guilty of a misdemeanor in July for charging the Capitol and swinging a metal-tipped pole at a door. Kicking off the hearing, Winegearts attorney, William Shipley, cited Trumps appearance a day earlier on Meet the Press. President Trump has said hed pardon on day one, Shipley said, rising to ask Judge Carl Nichols to delay the sentencing until after Jan. 20. I think yesterdays comment by the president-elect changes everything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prosecution balked, and after some back and forth, the judge rejected the stay. He proceeded to sentence Winegeart to four months of incarceration a term that will almost certainly be canceled before she has to turn herself in. But that momentous promise wasnt enough for the lawyer, who quickly rose with another request: Could the judge see his way to delaying his formal entry of the guilty judgment? If Winegeart were pardoned before that happened, the lawyer explained, then the judgment never exists. This time, the judge who a few weeks ago spoke out against blanket pardons hesitated. Prosecutors were given a few days to brief the court on the question of what happens when an incoming president promises to pardon someone duly convicted during the interregnum. The upshot: For the moment, an unrepentant rioter who later texted a friend that They asked for it would remain not quite a convict. All thanks to Trump. It seems like a win for the rioters until you consider this question: Given Trumps promises, why did Winegeart even bother to fight over this wonky detail? The reason is that a conviction still matters, even if a politician erases it. Its a reality that says a lot about the meaning of a pardoned Jan. 6 conviction, not so much in the law books as in Washingtons public memory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And it also explains why the ongoing Jan. 6 prosecutions arent the fools errand that some may think. With the Biden administration still in place, jury trials continue, sentences get handed down, plea hearings trundle along. In the first week of December, there were 11 different Jan. 6 proceedings on the U.S. District Court calendar. This week, there were 12. Next week, ahead of the holidays, there are 22. Meanwhile, D.C.s U.S. Attorneys Office still blasts out press releases trumpeting the latest Capitol Breach arrests. The most recent came on Monday, around the same time as Winegeart was being sentenced: George Gonzalez of Brandon, Florida, was charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors after allegedly assaulting law enforcement during the insurrection. He is approximately the 1,573rd person arrested over Jan. 6 allegations. In court, as my colleagues Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney have reported, prosecutors and judges are still pushing back against requests to kick the can down the road, even as Trumps imminent return has led to unremorseful hearing room outbursts by Jan. 6 convicts. Trumps going to pardon me anyway, sneered one misdemeanor convict after being ordered to jail immediately following a guilty verdict last week. Elsewhere in the building, a fellow member of the Jan. 6 mob lambasted a judges bullshit before declaring that Trump is now going to be the president of the United States Im out of my feelings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For career prosecutors, that sort of taunting is deeply depressing, even if it hasnt led anyone to ease up. Indeed, the fact that theyre still zealously representing their side is perhaps unintentional evidence establishing facts is more important than putting a few more people behind bars for a few more months. The work is even more impressive given the ambient fears of professional retribution against career staffers. Trumps promise of blanket pardons, in fact, adds to the anxiety: Theyre another opportunity to go soft on the rioters. Which means they could also be another opportunity to get on the new boss blacklist by not going along with the requests for delay. The prospects of the pardon, and the renewed efforts to delay that has been tough for morale, Alexis Loeb, who handled some of the highest-profile Jan. 6 cases before leaving for the private sector this fall, said of her former colleagues. I think anytime you work on a case for the amount of time it takes to bring a federal prosecution, and then that person is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and then thats wiped out, its a blow to your work. The bigger blow, though, is the way the work is now being talked about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its especially demoralizing here because the prosecutors who brought these cases were career prosecutors, and this was not ever something people got involved with as a political prosecution, Loeb told me. In the aftermath of Jan. 6th, there was a moment of consensus where the country was shocked by what happened and it didnt seem like it would be a political issue when youre talking about hundreds of people assaulting police and breaking into the Capitol. So the pardons represent the politicization of prosecutions that, for the folks who worked on them, were really just about upholding the rule of law. Matthew Graves, the current U.S. Attorney for D.C., declined comment about the mood in the office hes scheduled to vacate at the end of the Biden administration, or about whether theres been any change post-election. And the line prosecutors are only talking through their court statements and legal filings which still depict Jan. 6, 2021, as a horrific affront to democracy. That includes the Winegeart cases: Winegeart has failed to display any remorse for her actions, she has not accepted responsibility for her role in the attack, and she has not displayed any sense of appreciation for the harm or gravity that the January 6 attack had on our nation, prosecutors wrote in a Nov. 22 sentencing memo about Winegeart. Instead, she publicly blames the riot on public officials and government agencies, all while refusing to acknowledge her role and her actions on that day. Its a bit awkward to note, but that passage could also be describing their incoming boss, the president-elect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This irony horrifies a lot of permanent Washington, where remembering Jan. 6 has been a cottage industry that now also feels endangered. The day inspired shelves full of books and memoirs, making Beltway celebs out of wounded cops and political stars out of congressional inquisitors. The Jan. 6 committee report, which anyone could read for free online, became a New York Times bestseller in print anyway. The endless video of the day was also turned into several high-profile movies, although one of the biggest-budget documentaries suddenly ran into distribution problems as Trump surged in polls. But even if the industry cowers, the books and movies cant be unpublished. Likewise, the historical record established by the vast, nationwide legal effort cant just be erased by a pardon that frees the convicts. Nearly 1,000 Jan. 6 perps pleaded guilty; more than 250 were convicted in court. Thanks to exhaustively logged footage and voluminous sentencing memos, we know exactly who did what, and at what time, and with what intent. The prosecutions turned it into the best-documented riot in history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The implications of that public documentation were apparent even in Mondays sentencing hearing for Winegeart, a comparative small-fry in the Jan. 6 universe. When she came to court that morning, there was little chance the judge was going to immediately lock her up at the hearing. She could have placidly listened to the sentence, let the prosecutors huff and puff, and then gone home knowing that Trump would make it all go poof before she ever had to report to jail. Instead, she fought to delay sentencing and even to push back a formal conviction. Why bother? The reason, as her lawyer noted, is that nothing ever truly goes away. Theres a consequence of having a judgment in the case, in the age of electronic databases, Shipley told me. When it is entered as a conviction and sentence in a particular case, its dragged out into all kinds of publicly available databases, the kind youre going to use for doing background checks of employment And if that convictions not there, it doesnt appear on someones background check. So theres a real-world consequence. In other words, they may be pardoned, but the world will still be able to know what they did. The folks about to run the executive branch may not care. Yet even Shipley, a stalwart who has represented 86 Jan. 6 clients, was acknowledging that plenty of others always will. CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand The Japanese government has selected a new U.S.-built basic trainer aircraft and associated ground equipment for its air forces pilot training program. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force, or J.A.S.D.F., will adopt the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II, officials said in late November. Textron Aviation Defense and Japanese partner Kanematsu Corporation had teamed up to bid in the competition. Japan invited bids in August, and the T-6 was selected ahead of Subarus proffer of the Pilatus PC-7 MKX and Daihyaku Shoji, which had teamed up with Turkish Aerospace to offer the Hurkus trainer. Another entry lodged by the Oct. 15 deadline had been Shintoa Trading, but it was rejected as it did not propose any aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Japans Ministry of Defense (MoD) explained that in the second-stage evaluation the T-6 and related ground training equipment had the highest evaluation score and was therefore selected as the J.A.S.D.F.s next-generation basic trainer. The aircraft will be built in the United States rather than license-produced in Japan. The T-6 Integrated Training System (ITS) is a proven, highly capable, best-value system which enables the JASDF to fulfill not only their current training requirements, but can also grow and adapt to keep pace with evolving future requirements, Tom Webster, vice president of sales at Textron Aviation Defense, said. Japans MoD did not state how many aircraft would be acquired, since a contract has not yet been finalized. The T-6, presumably the T-6C version aimed at export markets, is due to replace 49 examples of the T-7 in the basic trainer role. However, the quantity of T-6s will likely be less than that given that simulators play an important role in the ITS program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The T-7, manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries from 2002 onwards, derived from the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor. The T-7 is due to begin retiring in fiscal 2030. In its fiscal 2025 budget proposal, released in August, the MoD listed a project to acquire new primary trainer and ground training equipment with the aim of operating them integrallyto efficiently and effectively train pilots of advanced fighter aircraft. Beechcrafts Texan II has enjoyed recent success in Asia-Pacific. The company is on tap to deliver 12 T-6Cs to Vietnam, with the first trio handed over last month. The sale followed Washingtons lifting of a ban on weapon sales to the Southeast Asian country in 2016. Additionally, Thailand has received 12 T-6TH trainers, and eight AT-6TH Wolverines are in the midst of delivery. An earlier T-6C adopter in the region was New Zealand, which operates 11 examples in the training role. Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Japanese law prohibiting same-sex marriage from being officially recognized is unconstitutional, the country's Fukuoka High Court ruled on Friday. The decree marks the third time a Japanese high court has ruled in a similar manner. Japan's legal system includes eight high courts including Fukuoka, which fall below the Supreme Court of Japan. A total of 35 plaintiffs filed a lawsuit contesting the legality and constitutionality of Japanese laws enshrined in the county's Civil Code. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This past March, the Sapporo High Court upheld a 2021 lower court decision that found that a lack of protection for same-sex marriages violated the Constitution of Japan. The Tokyo High Court in October ruled the same way, becoming the second body to do so. Friday's ruling by the Fukuoka High Court found Japanese civil laws currently in place that prohibit marriage and recognition of same-sex couples, violate parts of the constitution that guarantee equality of both sexes. "There is no longer any reason to not legally recognize marriage between same-sex couples," Presiding Judge Takeshi Okada said Friday following the ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Japan currently does not permit same-sex marriage or offer any legal protection or recognition for LGBTQ couples, making it the only member of the Group of Seven nations in that regard. It's not yet clear if legislators will seek to appeal the decision to Japan's supreme court. Japan's federal government will monitor the situation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Friday following the court ruling. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was elected last month and has publicly expressed support for LGBTQ marriage. TOKYO (AP) Japan's refusal to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a high court ruled Friday, the latest victory for the LGBTQ+ community to add pressure on the reluctant government. Fridays decision by the Fukuoka High Court in southern Japan marks the eighth victory out of nine rulings since the first group of plaintiffs filed lawsuits in 2019. Here is what to know about the lawsuits, whats next and what it means to the LGBTQ+ community. Q. What did the court say in the latest ruling? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A. In Fridays ruling, presiding Judge Takeshi Okada noted that the current civil law provisions barring the marriage of same-sex couples violates their fundamental right to the pursuit of happiness guaranteed under Article 13 of the Japanese Constitution. The court also said the ongoing ban violates sections in the Constitution that guarantee equality, individual dignity and the essential equality of both sexes. The judge said there is no longer any reason to not legally recognize same-sex marriage. The government has argued that marriage under civil law does not cover same-sex couples and places importance on natural reproduction. After the ruling, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that the government will monitor pending lawsuits and public opinion. Q. Why is the ruling significant? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A. Fridays ruling is the eighth overall that found the ongoing ban to be unconstitutional or nearly so, against only one district court decision that found it constitutional. It was the third straight high court decision, following rulings this year in Sapporo and Tokyo, that clearly called the current ban unconstitutional. The rulings can still be appealed to the Supreme Court, but lawyers and plaintiffs say the overwhelming 8-1 wins are already enough and the government should quickly take action. Fridays verdict comes at a time the main obstacle to recognition, Japans conservative Liberal Democratic Party, was forced into leading a minority government after its major election loss in October. The LDP is likely to have to compromise more on liberal policies pushed by the opposition parties such as marriage equality, which is largely supported by the general public. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, considered a centrist who has indicated support for same-sex marriage, told a parliamentary session last week he is aware of the sufferings of the same-sex couples and that he will not just sit back and do nothing. His comment raised hope among the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters. It is unclear whether he will act, or how much he could do against resistance within the party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Q. Why are plaintiffs suing? A. More than 30 plaintiffs have joined the lawsuits on marriage equality filed in five regions across Japan since 2019. They argue that civil law provisions barring same-sex marriage violate the Constitutional right to equality and freedom of marriage. Three same-sex couples from Fukuoka and Kumamoto in southwestern Japan are the plaintiffs in Fridays case. Under Japans civil and family laws that recognize marriage only between a man and woman, the privileges and protection that result from matrimony such as inheritance rights, tax and other benefits are limited to heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples seek the same rights to pursue happiness and social recognition as a family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Q. Whats next? Two more high court rulings are pending in Osaka and Nagoya, and are expected in March. Takako Uesugi, a lawyer representing plaintiffs in Tokyo, said Friday that with all three high court rulings in favor of their campaign she has high expectations for the two upcoming decisions. Well continue fighting until we achieve legalization of same-sex marriage, she said and urged the government to legalize marriage equality as soon as possible. Q. What is the situation of the LGBTQ+ community in Japan? Though discrimination still exists at school, work and elsewhere, public backing for legalizing same-sex marriage and support among the business community have rapidly increased in recent years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven industrialized countries that does not recognize same-sex marriage or provide any other form of legally binding protection for LGBTQ+ couples. The governing LDP, known for its conservative family values and reluctance to promote gender equality and sexual diversity, has stonewalled the campaign. The government enacted a non-binding LGBTQ+ awareness promotion law last year that critics said was watered down. Hundreds of municipalities have introduced non-binding recognition system such as partnership certificates in recent years, which are considered an improvement, but activists say thats not enough. Jeff Bezos is planning to donate $1 million to Donald Trumps inauguration committee, in the latest installment of tech billionaires sucking up to the president-elect. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Bezos, who just last month chose to spike The Washington Posts endorsement of Kamala Harris in the name of so-called neutrality, is plotting to pour cash into the group planning Trumps victory parties. Bezos and his company decided to make the contribution earlier this week and notified Trumps team that the money was coming, according to one person familiar with the matter. Bezos is donating through Amazon, one person close to Bezos told the Journal. Earlier this week, Mark Zuckerberg, another tech billionaire who has taken to fawning over Trump (only after the president-elect publicly threatened him with imprisonment) also donated $1 million to the inauguration committee. For that reason alone, its difficult to imagine these donations as anything other than obeying in advance. Amazon is also slated to stream the inauguration on Prime Video, which will be a separate in-kind donation valued at $1 million, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. Since mid-November, what are believed by many to be large aerial drones have been spotted at night throughout central and northern New Jersey, causing concern for residents who have been posting videos of the aircraft on their social media accounts and prompting increasing demands from local and state officials for answers. Lawmakers from New York and New Jersey this week sent a letter to the heads of the FBI, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), requesting that the agencies brief them on the issue. "We write with urgent concern regarding the unmanned aerial system (UAS) activity that has affected communities across New York and New Jersey in recent days," the letter from New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim stated. They asked to be briefed "as soon as possible on how your agencies are working with federal and local law enforcement to identify and address the source of these incursions." PHOTO: This image taken from video provided by MartyA45_, shows what appears to be several drones flying over Randolph, N.J., on Dec. 4, 2024. (MartyA45_ /TMX via AP, File) MORE: New Jersey, New York senators express 'urgent concern' over mystery drone activity Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While lawmakers and citizens alike await answers, here's what to know about the purported drone sightings. Who's operating the purported drones, and why? According to a DHS handout, "it is unclear who is operating the drones," but "the State of New Jersey and its agencies are not involved in the operation of these reported drones." The statement noted that determining the operators is "an aspect of the ongoing federal investigation." Similarly, the DHS said there is as yet no "specific details about the drones," such as their manufacturer or model, and that while "drones are generally required to have tracking capabilities not all drones comply, and investigations are ongoing to identify the operators." Can't drones be tracked? Any drone in the U.S. weighing more than 0.55 pounds must be registered with the FAA and can be easily tracked with GPS technology. Nearly 800,000 drones are registered in the U.S., according to the FAA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, drones weighing more than 0.55 pounds are required by the FAA to adhere to Remote Identification (Remote ID) rules essentially the equivalent of a digital license plate, broadcasting the drones location and altitude from takeoff to shutdown. This allows authorized personnel to monitor the device and ensure its complying with regulations and not violating any flight restrictions. That said, it's possible to alter commercially available drones to be untraceable. The purported drones seen over New Jersey have been reported to be significantly larger than the average commercially available drone and should be easily trackable. It remains unclear why federal officials haven't yet been able to give the public a clear understanding of the origin of the recent sightings across the Northeastern U.S. Are the purported drones dangerous? "At this time, according to the FBI, there are no known specific or credible threats related to these sightings," the DHS handout states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a press briefing Thursday, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby echoed the DHS statement, and said there was "no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat." He added that "upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully." Could the drone sightings actually be something else? It is possible that some people may be mistaking general aviation, commercial or military aircraft for drones. "Drone activity can sometimes be mistaken for general aviation aircraft, such as planes or smaller helicopters, due to several overlapping characteristics," according to the DHS, including "advanced capabilities that allow them to mimic the flight patterns of helicopters or small planes, such as hovering or making rapid directional changes." MORE: Video: No evidence that drones 'pose a national security' threat: White House During his briefing Thursday, Kirby also said that federal authorities and state and local law enforcement "have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully." PHOTO: White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby speaks during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on December 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Mine Hill, New Jersey Mayor Sam Morris called Kirby's claim "ridiculous," telling ABC News it was "really insulting to all the people here who are living through this." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Come on out, Mr. Kirby. And let's go out one night about 9:30, 10:00," Morris said. "I'll go out behind my town hall. And you can count them with me all night." Can someone shoot down, capture or disable a drone? Drones generally can't be shot down or captured, for both legal and safety reasons, according to the DHS: "Shooting down a drone can pose safety risks to people and property on the ground. Debris from a downed drone can cause injury or damage, especially in populated areas. Additionally, the small size and maneuverability of drones make them difficult targets, even if there should be a reason to shoot them down. And while "non-kinetic methods such as jamming or hacking can be used" to disable drones, "they require sophisticated technology and expertise," the DHS says. It's also not a good idea to shoot them down yourself. Doing so in New Jersey, for example, is illegal and violates federal law, since drones are regulated by the FAA. According to the DHS, any person who shoots down a drone could be fined up to $250,000 and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Pentagon shoots down Iran 'mothership' claim amid New Jersey drone mystery State and local authorities also have little to no say legally regarding drone activity, since drones are FAA regulated. Can anyone legally operate a drone? Yes and no. As already noted, any drone that weighs more that 0.55 pounds must be registered with the FAA to be operated legally in the U.S. If a drone weighs more than 0.55 pounds, it's no longer classified as a small unmanned aircraft and the operator must obtain a special petition exemption approval from the FAA to fly it. Further, commercial drone operators must become FAA certified by passing a knowledge test. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both commercial and recreational operators must keep their drone within their line of sight at all times, or have an observer who can see the drone and is in direct communication with the operator. Operators also cannot operate drones at night unless they have anti-collision lighting and are FAA-certified to do so. Can drones fly anywhere the operator wishes? No, they can't not legally, at least. Recreational drones must fly at or below 400 feet, and all drones must avoid prohibited or restricted airspace such as airports, critical national infrastructure, and even major sporting events unless the operator secures special permission to fly in restricted airspace. Even if a drone operator wanted to fly in certain restricted airspaces, most commercially available drones include technology that recognizes geofencing, which is a virtual boundary around designated restricted areas that will not allow a drone to fly in that airspace, even if the operator attempts to do so. What should you do if you see a drone? The DHS recommends that anyone who sees what they consider to be suspicious drone activity should report it to their local police. If you live in New Jersey, you can also report it to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Counter-Threat Watch Unit at 866-4-SAFE-NJ (1-866-472-3365) or tips@njohsp.gov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ABC News' Ayesha Ali, Clara McMichael, Sam Sweeney and Christopher Watson contributed to this report. New Jersey drone mystery: What to know and what can be done originally appeared on abcnews.go.com (NewsNation) Shaun Golden, the sheriff of Monmouth County, New Jersey, wants feds to get to the bottom of recent mysterious drone activity in his state. Local officials, including Golden, are urging Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency. We continue to urge our governor to press the federal government to put more resources out here, Golden said Thursday on Dan Abrams Live. The only way were going to solve this is by the federal government coming in here and doing full investigations as to what these things are, how their movements are made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pentagon insists the drones do not represent a threat from abroad. Federal investigation into New Jersey drones The Pentagon says it currently does not appear that a foreign enemy is behind the mysterious drones in the New Jersey sky. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., claimed the drones are being launched by an Iranian mothership, but Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said during a briefing there is not any truth to that. Lots to see in NJ skies: State senator on mystery drones With the investigation ongoing, the sheriff in Monmouth County, New Jersey, has called for the governor to declare a state of emergency and to issue an executive order banning nighttime use of recreational drones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NewsNations Tom Palmer contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps were the last to leave the "resistance line" in Syria, state news agency IRNA reported, citing the forces' commander. Chief Commander of the IRGC Hossein Salami made the remarks on Thursday at a meeting with several of the forces' commanders while elaborating on the reasons for and consequences of the recent security and military developments in Syria. "We should live with Syria's realities. We look at the realities and act based on the facts," said the commander, adding, "Strategies should change in accordance with circumstances." A militant alliance led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham waged a major offensive from northern Syria on Nov. 27, sweeping southwards through government-held areas and capturing the capital Damascus within 12 days. A US military installation in New Jersey one of the sites where mystery drone sightings have been reported has been helping develop robotic drones that can counter weapons of mass destruction, The Post has learned. The US Armys Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, located at the Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, awarded a Maryland company a $50 million contract in 2018 to develop robotic drones. Numerous drones have been reported in the skies near the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. @MendhamMike via Storyful The drones can produce three-dimensional maps of urban areas and engage in surveillance to counter WMDs, according to a press release from the US Army. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a spokesman for the Picatinny Arsenal said the military installation has nothing to do with the recent drone activity over the state which has resulted in over 3,000 reports made to the FBI since the beginning of the month and has many local residents on edge. The US Army displayed a fighting robot the Talon Sword at the Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, NJ, a center of research and development for the military. ZUMAPRESS.com A map of notable drone sightings over New Jersey since Nov. 13. Mystery drones have been creeping out New Jersey residents since November, and so far there has been no explanation as to who is behind them, although pranksters and hobbyists have been ruled out. @MendhamMike via Storyful Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities, said Lt. Col. Craig Bonham II in a news release earlier this week. As a highly secure facility that develops and tests new bombs, guns, ammunition and warfare devices for all branches of the military, it is a target for espionage by foreign adversaries. The executive offices of the Picatinny Arsenal in northern New Jersey, where the US Army is developing drones to counter WMDs. US Army Corps of Engineers The Picatinny Arsenal was established in 1880 as a gunpowder manufacturing plant. During the Second World War, it developed and stored shells. Getty Images The facility itself has recorded 17 confirmed and uncomfirmed sightings of drones over its territory since November 13, which was one of the earliest sightings over the state, according to Bonham. A confirmed sighting is one verified by security personal at the military installation while an unconfirmed sighting relates to those reported by others, including local residents. Do you have footage of drones over the skies of New Jersey or New York? Send it to The Post at drones@nypost.com. The military installation, a bucolic 6,400-acre (10-square-mile) campus in the northern part of New Jersey, was established in 1880 and produced gunpowder until just after World War I. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The facility later focused on research and development of munitions and ammunition. The Picatinny Arsenals engineers have developed warheads, cannons, mortars, howitzers, precision-guided munitions and different calibers of ammunition such as high-explosive anti-tank rounds, armor-piercing rounds, and anti-personnel rounds, according to the Picatinny Enhancement Coalition. Weapons testing at Picatinny Arsenal in February this year. The research and development campus covers 6,400 acres. Picatinny Arsenal/Facebook Over 3,000 reports have been made to the FBI since it opened an investigation into drones over New Jersey in December. @Kate_inNJ via Storyful Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall the aresnal supplies 90 percent of the Armys lethality and all conventional ammunition and employs 4,500 people, according to the site. Nighttime drone activity has unnerved some New Jersey residents over the last month, with lawmakers demanding answers from the Pentagon, which has denied that the drones have been coming from enemy countries. They dont know what it is, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) said Thursday. They dont know what its about. They havent taken one down to analyze it. They have no idea where it came from. Oak Ridge, New Jersey, resident Phil Doyle claimed he sees more than 30 drones per night over his house, which he said come from the direction of the Picatinny military installation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not two or three a night, its 30 or 50 a night. They have lights on them so you can see them, he told NBC. A spokesperson for the tech company behind the robotic drones told The Post Thursday that its contract with the military ended in 2023. In a 2018 press release, the US Army said it was working with Robotic Research, of Gaithersburg, Md., on the drones. It is a great honor to expand our work for the US Army, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and the Special Forces community on the family-of-systems for autonomous collaborative robotic teaming in support of challenging subterranean missions, said Robotic Research president Alberto Lacaze when the contract was awarded. The Robotic Research team shares the Army leaderships commitment to rapidly fielding effective autonomous counter-WMD solutions for our nations warfighters. Dec. 12Joseph Soley, a well-known and at times controversial landlord and developer in Portland, died Thursday surrounded by his family. He was 93. Soley, who moved to Portland in the late 1970s and built a real estate empire in the city's now-famous Old Port, had continued working full-time until about eight weeks ago when he became ill, his son David Soley said. "There's a point where your body just gives out," said David Soley, a Portland attorney. "He was surrounded by family. We were all there, holding his hand." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soley was born in New York City in 1931. He left in 1948 to study biology and medical science at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In Baltimore, Soley fell in love with his future wife, Barbara Berman, and with real estate development. Soley developed apartments and retail centers throughout the Baltimore metropolitan region. The couple had four children before Barbara Soley died of cancer in 1967 after 14 years of marriage. Joseph Soley moved to Maine full-time in 1976 and left only briefly to get a masters degree in city planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he co-founded the MIT Center for Real Estate, according to his obituary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soley, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War, was a big fan of the arts and was fascinated with the history and architecture of Portland and other cities in which he lived, David Soley said. The Old Port was more of a gritty, rough-and-tumble place in the 1970s and 1980s. But a concerted effort by city officials and private developers such as Soley transformed the Old Port from a place to be avoided to a world-class destination, filled with award-winning restaurants, art galleries, shops, hotels and condominiums. The last decade has ushered in the most development activity since the rebuilding efforts after the Great Fire of 1866, which destroyed about two-thirds of the Portland peninsula. Soley was involved in some of the recent developments, even when his name was not attached. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He loved the way it was going," David Soley said. "Obviously his sons and grandsons have also done a lot of development, so he was involved in a lot of that." Despite his wealth and real estate holdings, which included commercial properties in South Portland, Soley would often be humbly dressed and walking the streets, talking to his tenants or holding court in a convenience store at the corner of Fore and Exchange streets that functioned as his office. "He loved Portland. He loved architecture. He loved art," David Soley said. "He tended to be controversial and always had opinions and thoughts. He worked very closely with people who were very successful, and he worked very closely with people who sort of roamed the streets of Portland." In 2023, Soley bought the People's United Bank Building at 465 Congress St., a 10-story building that is credited as being the city's first skyscraper. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Soley told the Press Herald that he became enamored with the building when he first rode from Baltimore to Portland on his motorcycle. "When I first saw that building, I went totally bonkers," he said. "It's the most attractive building, I think, in Maine." Soley, who at the time owned seven properties on Exchange Street as well as other nearby properties, had a contentious relationship with city officials. In 2009, the city evicted residents in 24 of Soley's apartments on Exchange Street because of fire code violations. A decade earlier, Soley was fined for seizing the belongings of residents in an Exchange Street apartment building after they refused to pay rent while demanding that the landlord fix problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He wasn't always a friend of the governments," David Soley said. "He believed government should be there to support better cities. He didn't really have one political party. He just believed that government was there to serve the people and to grow the town." Soley was also an art buff and collector. In 2013, thieves stole six N.C. Wyeth paintings owned by Soley. The last two were recovered in 2015. Soley would often discuss the city's growth and evolution with other developers in his corner store, his son said. "Most of the developers who have any local connection I've always seen them over at the Corner Store talking to him," David Soley said. "They might go along; they might not, but they always argued about their different thoughts." Copy the Story Link Former CNN host Don Lemon joined countless critics in slamming Time magazine for making President-elect Donald Trump 2024s Person of the Year, arguing Thursday on The Don Lemon Show that they shouldve picked someone who stands for democracy. Just because you are elected president of the United States does not mean that you should be Person of the Year, he said. Time magazine, what are you doing? Let me ask you what would you say to those women who I guess still read Time magazine? You have someone on the cover of your magazine who is an adjudicated assaulter, Lemon continued. Trump was found liable in 2023 by a New York City jury for sexually abusing author E. Jean Carroll and for defaming her in his statements after Carroll went public in 2019 with claims that Trump raped her in the 1990s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You have someone who inspired an insurrection, Lemon said in reference to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters. We have someone who, without a doubt, the evidence is there, tried to overturn a free and fair election. And you name them Person of the Year, he added. Trump rang the opening bell Thursday at the New York Stock Exchange. Spencer Platt via Getty Images Times Person of the Year title is notably not an endorsement, as previous recipients include dictators Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, but an acknowledgment of how influential the person is. Time editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs explained as much on television Thursday amid outcries on social media. Is this a joke? Lemon nonetheless asked on his show. Did we get something wrong? Did someone scam us? Are we sure about this, producers? There is a convicted felon on the cover of Time magazine as the Person of the Year. Maybe were being scammed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump was convicted earlier this year on 34 charges of falsifying business documents ahead of the 2016 presidential election to cover up his alleged sexual relations with a porn star. Trump had pleaded not guilty to all charges. His Nov. 26 sentencing hearing was canceled after the election last month. Jacobs said Thursday on Morning Joe that the choice to name Trump Person of the Year was obvious, precisely because of these historic moments including the assassination attempt against Trump in July and posited that we are living in the Age of Trump. For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering Americas role in the world, Donald Trump is Times 2024 Person of the Year, he wrote in an article Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump slammed Time as passe in 2013 but lauded it after he first received the title in 2016. Related... Advancements in DNA technology and a surge of public interest are rekindling hope for breakthroughs in the long-unsolved murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, a case that has remained a haunting mystery for nearly 28 years. As new techniques emerge and fresh attention is drawn to the evidence, many are eager for answers that could finally bring closure to this tragic story. JonBenet, who was found dead in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado, home in 1996, remains frozen in time. Her father, John Ramsey, has endured nearly three decades without justice, answers or his daughter. PHOTO: JonBenet Ramsey is shown in this undated portrait. (ABL Studio/ZUMA Press Wire via Shutterstock) "JonBenet's still my 6-year-old blond-headed daughter who I love dearly," Ramsey told ABC News. "I did run into one of her little friends on the street who is now, you know, 30 and an adult. And it was, it was a little bit of a shock. This little girl played with JonBenet at our house all the time. And that was a little bit of a jolt to think, wow, that could have been JonBenet." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the full story on the "20/20" episode, "Forever Young: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?" featuring a new interview with John Ramsey and never-before-seen footage from the iconic Barbara Walters interview with parents John and Patsy Ramsey. Ramsey, now 81 years old, has renewed hope that his daughter's killer can finally be found. He is confident that advances in DNA technology, including genetic genealogy that has helped to solve several high-profile cold case, are the key to solving this mystery. "Let's do a reverse family tree and see if he had a relative living in Boulder in 1996. The interesting thing about these cold cases," Ramsey said. "The ultimate first arrest came out of nowhere. They were on no one's radar. They've done this horrible crime and nobody said that that guy's a suspect. That's what we're asking the police to do." PHOTO: John and Patsy Ramsey, the parents of JonBenet Ramsey, meet with a small selected group of the local Colorado media after four months of silence in Boulder, Colo. on May 1, 1997. (Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images, FILE) Over the years, Ramsey expressed frustration with the police for not solving his daughter's case. He was unhappy with being a prime suspect for 12 years and that the department rejected offers of help to find viable evidence.He recently took part in a new Netflix docuseries, "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?" The series dives into lingering mysteries surrounding the tragic case, exploring evidence, interviews and theories that have emerged over the years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ramsey collaborated with director Joe Berlinger, who aimed to illuminate what he described as one of the most victimized families in American history. "Obviously, he wasn't legally wrongfully convicted, but he was wrongfully convicted," Berlinger said. "And his wife Patsy the family were wrongfully convicted in the court of public opinion." The popular docuseries ignited a new wave of interest among viewers. Ramsey is hopeful that recent changes in the Boulder Police Department's leadership and better communication with his family may lead to a resolution in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Boulder police department has addressed the recent scrutiny. Last month, the current police chief released a video statement. "So much of how law enforcement works has changed in the last 30 years," Stephen Redfearn said. "There are a number of things that people have pointed to throughout the years that could have been done better and we acknowledge that as true. However, it is important to emphasize that while we cannot go back to that horrible day in 1996, our goal is to find JonBenet Ramsey's killer." That tragic day in 1996 began in the picturesque Boulder neighborhood where the Ramsey family lived. On Dec. 26, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up to find that JonBenet, a child beauty queen, was missing. A handwritten ransom note demanding $118,000 the exact sum of John's bonus that year was discovered on the kitchen stairs. Seven hours later, John found his daughter's lifeless body in a small basement room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An autopsy determined JonBenet was sexually assaulted and strangled, and her skull was fractured. Unknown DNA was found under her fingernails and in her underwear. The Ramseys quickly became suspects, even though no evidence connected them to the crime. PHOTO: John and Patsy Ramsey, the parents of JonBenet Ramsey, meet with a small selected group of the local Colorado media after four months of silence in Boulder, Colo. on May 1, 1997. (Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images, FILE) The family has always denied any involvement in JonBenet's murder. However, the Boulder District Attorney's Office took 12 years to fully exonerate the Ramseys and their son Burke, who was 9 years old when his sister died. As weeks went by without any arrests in the case, a media frenzy began to build, fueled by relentless tabloid images of JonBenet participating in beauty pageants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of leads emerged, including a man named John Mark Karr, who confessed to the killing in 2006. However, his DNA did not match the evidence and he was not in Boulder at the time of the murder, so he was eliminated as a suspect. The case remained unsolved. John Ramsey believes that a cloud still hangs over his family, as he thinks there are people in the country who think he and his late wife, Patsy, who died in 2006, are responsible for JonBenet's murder. Investigator Lou Smit, who was initially brought into the case by Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter, came to believe early in his investigation that the Ramseys were innocent. He thought that the police should be looking at the possibility of an intruder. Im not saying parents dont kill their kids parents do kill their children, Smit said in his tapes. But [the police] are trying to say Patsy did it. Their actions before, during and after [JonBenets death] are all consistent with innocent people. They didnt do it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the investigation progressed Smit became increasingly concerned that authorities had completely ruled out the chance of an intruder being responsible for JonBenet's death. As a result, they weren't searching for evidence that might support this possibility. Smit continued to maintain that an unidentified intruder was responsible for JonBenet's murder. However, he was running out of time due to his colon cancer diagnosis in 2010. Before Smit died on Aug. 11 of that year, he diligently compiled a detailed list of persons of interest, hoping that his years of investigative work would eventually pay off. Smit passed his files to his surviving children, including a spreadsheet with 887 names of potential suspects to be investigated. That list is extensive, but Smit's family is determined to continue their search. Since his death, the team has cleared several individuals from that list, according to Smit's granddaughter Jessa Van Der Woerd. However, the process is slow due to the time and costs involved in locating each person, obtaining their DNA and testing it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We've let the killer walk for more than 28 years," John Ramsey said. "I think it's imperative that we investigate every credible suspect that's been provided." JonBenet Ramsey case gets renewed attention 28 years after her murder originally appeared on abcnews.go.com MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) Storm Team 2s Josh Marthers announced Friday his retirement from delivering the Lowcountrys forecast every morning. After a lot of thought Ive made the biggest decision of my life, and thats to turn off my 2:45 a.m. alarm and put down that clicker that Ive been carrying for years, said Marthers on News 2 Today. Marthers joined the News 2 team in May 2007 and has been there morning after morning to help you plan your day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been nothing but an absolute honor to be allowed into your homes, not just while youre getting ready to head out the door every morning, but a lot of times in the middle of the night with that young man [Rob Fowler] right there beside me when youre trying to figure out if you need to get your family to safety during bad weather, Marthers added. Hes covered many hurricanes that threatened the Lowcountry, and significant events like the 2008 tornado outbreak, back-to-back ice storms in 2014, and the devastating thousand-year flood in October 2015. Its been an honor my friend, and we have been family. I always tell people, that we spend more time with our family here at Channel 2 sometimes than our real families, said Chief Meteorologist Rob Fowler on News 2 Today. Born in Spartanburg, Marthers, attended Mississippi State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Josh, youre my brother, weve been through a lot together, said Octavia Mitchell on News 2 Today. You have been there for me, weve been there for each other, youve been there for the Lowcountry and to say that Im going to miss you is truly an understatement. Hes a member of the American Meteorological Association, and his forecasts carry their prestigious Seal of Approval. He won the 2017 Southeast Regional Emmy for Outstanding On-Camera Talent, and Storm Team 2s coverage of Hurricane Matthew was nominated for an Emmy as well. When hes off the air, Marthers spends his time giving back to the community. He serves as a special events adviser to the Carolina Childrens Charity and is a past board member of the organization. In addition to his work with the Carolina Childrens Charity, Josh works closely with Camp Happy Days among others. Youre not rid of me just yet! Oh, dont think youre getting away that easy! We still get to hang out together each morning until Christmas Eve when Ill hang up the mic for the last time, said Marthers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats next for Josh? He says youll have to stay tuned. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2. Gov.-elect Josh Stein addresses supporters in Raleigh on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) Governor-elect Josh Steins inauguration will be themed North Carolina Strong. The Jan. 11 ceremony will focus on the states unity and resilience as western North Carolina continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, Stein announced Friday. Stein, a Democrat and the current attorney general, will be sworn in and deliver his inaugural address at 10 a.m. at the State Capitol, followed by a block party on Fayetteville Street in Raleigh. Both events are free and open to the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor-elect has pledged to make Helene recovery in the mountains his foremost priority when he takes office. He will succeed Gov. Roy Cooper, who leaves office after two terms. Stein also announced his 2025 inaugural committee Friday. It will be chaired by Pamela Cashwell, secretary of the NC Department of Administration, and includes lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and North Carolina business leaders. The inauguration will be broadcast live on UNC-TV. You can visit the inauguration site for more details. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office has made arrests in a gang-related shooting in Arlington on Wednesday, December 11. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Action News Jax previously brought this to you yesterday as breaking news. The shooting, which happened at The Okay Hammock Apartments, happened near a local elementary school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a post on X, JSO touches on the shooting as well as addresses the individuals arrested. - On Wednesday afternoon, officers found the victim, a 19-year-old Black man, with multiple gunshot wounds outside an apartment complex in Arlington. He was rushed to the hospital pic.twitter.com/WWEESU9MMR Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) December 12, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [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. A judge in late October denied a new trial for Greg Lance, who earlier this year presented the first DNA analysis of the pistol a jury convicted him of using to kill a Ukrainian couple in Cookeville in 1998. Despite evidence showing Lances DNA was not on the gun and new testimony supporting an alternative suspect, Judge Don R. Ash wrote that other evidence left him with no serious or substantial doubt about Lances involvement in the crimes. Lances attorneys, including the Tennessee Innocence Project and David Esquivel from Bass, Berry & Sims, have appealed Ashs decision, Esquivel said Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lance, 53, was convicted and sentenced to life in 1999 after Victor and Alla Kolesnikow were found dead in their burned home in Cookeville the early morning of Aug. 5, 1998. The Ukrainian couple had suffered multiple bullet wounds before someone set fire to the house. Greg Lance sits in the courtroom during a hearing to overturn his conviction at Putnam County Courthouse in Cookeville, Tenn., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Prosecutors at the time argued Lance was motivated to commit the crime because of an alleged business dispute between him and the Kolesnikows, and three witnesses testified that Lance solicited their help in hiring someone to kill the victims. After conviction, Lance tried multiple times to get a new trial or some other form of legal relief, all of which were unsuccessful. But in 2022, a judge granted his request for DNA analysis on the Tec-9 pistol prosecutors said was used to kill the Kolesnikows. The DNA analysis was finished and submitted to the court in early 2024. It showed he was not a contributor to either of two mixed DNA profiles found on the murder weapon, both of which contained DNA from an unidentified third-party male, his attorney wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In affidavits and at a July court hearing, new witnesses testified suggesting that Sam and Peggy Horn, another Cookeville couple, killed the Kolesnikows. The witnesses Sam Horns son, a close friend of Sam Horn and a former cellmate of Sam Horns nephews testified that Sam Horn had admitted to the crimes. Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Greg Lance, convicted of 1998 Cookeville murders, denied new trial TOKYO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) survey released Friday revealed mixed business sentiment among Japan's large companies, with manufacturers showing signs of recovery and non-manufacturers facing notable challenges. The business index for large manufacturers improved for the first time in two quarters, rising by 1 point to plus 14 for the Oct.-Dec. period, according to the quarterly Tankan survey by the Bank of Japan. A positive number indicates that more companies are optimistic about business conditions than those pessimistic. The growth was attributed to a recovery in automotive production, previously impacted by certification issues, and increased demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment driven by artificial intelligence advancements. Despite the positive developments, large non-manufacturers experienced a slight decline in sentiment, with the business index slipping to plus 33 from plus 34 in the previous quarter, marking the first drop in two quarters. Retail sentiment dropped significantly, reflecting weaker demand for fall and winter clothing following extended late-summer weather conditions. Accommodation and food services also reported a decline in sentiment, despite strong inbound tourism, due to rising labor costs and material prices. Looking ahead, the index for large manufacturers is expected to fall by 1 point to plus 13 in the next three months, reflecting cautious sentiment amid concerns about slowing overseas demand and potential policy changes under U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. A Hall County man has been convicted of cruelty to animals related to a pair of chickens. According to court records obtained by Channel 2 Action News, Hector Daniel Pascual was indicted on charges accusing him of killing and torturing two chickens in July 2023. The indictment did not list exactly what Pascual did. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] He was also charged with criminal trespass property damage for breaking a womans television. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pascual waived his right to a jury trial, opting instead for a bench trial, meaning only a judge would make a ruling. He has not yet been sentenced. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) A man accused of child abuse changed his plea on Thursday. Phillip Valencia pled guilty to beating his girlfriends child. A medical examiner said the 5-year-old boy had severe bruising all over his body and said he was battered head to toe. Jury convicts woman of making false report, causing double fatal crash on I-25 near Santa Fe A judge sentenced Valencia to ten years behind bars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. A pro-gun rights demonstrator carrying an AR-15 and a handgun stands outside of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville in August 2023. Assault weapons bans have faced more challenges in federal courts after the U.S. Supreme Court expanded Second Amendment rights in 2022. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images) More than two years after the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally expanded its interpretation of the Second Amendment, federal courts throughout the country continue to strike down state restrictions on gun ownership. Since the high courts 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen that firearm regulations must have some historical comparison going back to the countrys founding, some state restrictions have been ruled unconstitutional. But lower courts are still figuring out the limits of that historical test and have not yet come to a broad agreement on key gun-related laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, wins for gun rights supporters have mounted. Over the past two years, federal courts have struck down bans on assault weapons in trend-setting blue states such as California and Illinois. In October, a federal district court judge ruled that New Yorks ban on carrying a concealed firearm on private property open to the public is unconstitutional. In September, a federal district court judge in northern Illinois ruled the states ban on carrying a concealed firearm on public transit violated the Second Amendment. And in July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld a lower courts ruling that found Minnesotas age restriction on residents carrying a handgun in public also was unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has been a busy time for gun rights attorneys, such as Bill Sack, director of legal operations for the Second Amendment Foundation, a Bellevue, Washington-based legal advocacy organization that has flooded the courts with challenges to gun regulations nationwide. The second Bruen came down, there was the starting gun for a sprint, for which we have not stopped yet, he told Stateline. Stuff is ripe for a fresh challenge. Sack and other gun rights advocates are now asking the courts to define the Supreme Courts new Bruen standard: a series of who, what and where questions about which gun rights limitations are allowed under the latest interpretation of the Second Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who can own a firearm? Cases going through the courts are challenging laws that ban firearm ownership by anyone younger than 21, or anyone who has been convicted of nonviolent offenses or people who live in public housing. What sort of firearm equipment can someone possess? There are state laws that may put restrictions on owning handguns, assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and untraceable ghost guns that people can assemble from online-bought or 3D-printed parts, such as the one allegedly used by the suspect in the recent assassination of a UnitedHealthcare executive in New York City. Where can people possess a firearm? The U.S. Supreme Court has established that states can ban firearms in sensitive places, but states and courts are still determining what that means. Some states ban firearms on mass transit and in public parks or government buildings. This month, Michigan banned firearms in and around polling places. Still, Sack expressed optimism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are making major inroads, Sack said. The arc of history will show that this time period was very good for us and very bad for them. But Sacks confidence may be misplaced, said Esther Sanchez-Gomez, litigation director at the Giffords Law Center, a nonpartisan gun safety organization. Last month, a federal judge in southern Illinois struck down the states ban on assault weapons. While that case is being appealed, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled earlier this month that the ban can remain in place for now. Sanchez-Gomez also pointed out that in August, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld Marylands ban on similar weapons. The issue might need to be resolved by the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres movement on assault weapons, she said in an interview. I wouldnt say that its a lost issue universally. Rather, Id say that theres a lot of different results coming out and that courts have yet to coalesce. A shifting standard In June 2022, the 6-3 conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of New Yorks law that established a strict permitting system to carry a concealed weapon. In the case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, the nations high court established the standard by which firearm-related cases should be judged. Not only did the court rule that Americans have a constitutional right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense, but it also noted that gun laws must have some sort of historical grounding dating back to the countrys founding. What youre seeing is courts across the country trying to figure out how to do that historical, constitutional test in real, practical terms. Esther Sanchez-Gomez, litigation director at the Giffords Law Center Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas outlined that test in the majority opinion, writing that to justify a firearm regulation the government must demonstrate that the regulation is consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation. That has forced litigants and lawmakers to find comparable laws from 200 years ago to justify a new gun restriction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was a departure from the previous standard, established 14 years earlier in District of Columbia v. Heller. In that 2008 case, the Supreme Court ruled a person has a right to possess firearms but made clear that gun restrictions are constitutional. The decision held that a gun law could be judged on whether it served the public interest, such as by preventing firearm deaths. That standard no longer applies, and courts are still determining whether there are limits to the Second Amendment and how a historical test from the Revolutionary era can be applied to modern firearm restrictions. Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has criticized the Bruen standard, saying it forces judges into service as amateur historians. But the Supreme Court has shown that it views some gun restrictions as constitutional. In an 8-1 decision in United States v. Rahimi this June with Thomas the lone dissenter the court upheld a 1994 federal law that bans people with domestic restraining orders from owning firearms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court gave us some additional clues, but it is still creating some confusion, Sanchez-Gomez said. What youre seeing is courts across the country trying to figure out how to do that historical, constitutional test in real, practical terms. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh even noted in a concurring opinion in Rahimi that Second Amendment jurisprudence is in its early innings and that he expects the court will see many more cases. Indeed, The Trace, a nonprofit news service that investigates gun violence, found that as of September, there had been more than 1,600 federal court decisions on Second Amendment challenges that cited Bruen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A paper by law professors at the University of Southern California and the University of Virginia, published in July, found the Bruen decision had a substantial effect on firearm-related gun cases. Bruen seems to have generated more pro-gun decisions, researchers wrote, but they said the next few years may bring yet more changes. The future of gun restrictions While Minnesotas minimum age requirement for possessing a firearm was struck down this year, similar restrictions in states such as Colorado, Florida and Pennsylvania are still going through federal appeals courts and could have a different outcome. Courts also are trying to determine appropriate state firearm restrictions for sensitive places, where the presence of guns could be a significant danger. There are challenges across the country to firearm possession in post offices, parks and playgrounds. In September, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld parts of Californias and Hawaiis sensitive places laws, allowing residents to carry firearms in some previously banned locations, such as financial institutions, hospitals and public transit, but continuing the bans in alcohol-serving bars and restaurants, beaches and parks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In many of these cases, the makeup of the courts has been a deciding factor. For example, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, based out of northern Illinois, has tended to be more favorable toward gun safety laws. Its unclear how gun regulations are going to fare in the courts in the coming years, said Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun safety organization that has advocated for tighter restrictions at the commonwealth and local level. While the U.S. Supreme Court signaled a willingness to allow some restrictions in its latest decision this year, he said, the Bruen opinions effects linger. The reality is that there is a real risk to gun safety laws across the nation because of a radical interpretation, Garber said. But we also saw courts say, Wait, wait, wait, were not saying no gun safety laws are allowed. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Guns are shown at Casos Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor) More than two years after the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally expanded its interpretation of the Second Amendment, federal courts throughout the country continue to strike down state restrictions on gun ownership. Since the high courts 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen that firearm regulations must have some historical comparison going back to the countrys founding, some state restrictions have been ruled unconstitutional. But lower courts are still figuring out the limits of that historical test and have not yet come to a broad agreement on key gun-related laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, wins for gun rights supporters have mounted. Over the past two years, federal courts have struck down bans on assault weapons in trend-setting blue states such as California and Illinois. In October, a federal district court judge ruled that New Yorks ban on carrying a concealed firearm on private property open to the public is unconstitutional. In September, a federal district court judge in northern Illinois ruled the states ban on carrying a concealed firearm on public transit violated the Second Amendment. And in July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld a lower courts ruling that found Minnesotas age restriction on residents carrying a handgun in public also was unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has been a busy time for gun rights attorneys, such as Bill Sack, director of legal operations for the Second Amendment Foundation, a Bellevue, Washington-based legal advocacy organization that has flooded the courts with challenges to gun regulations nationwide. The second Bruen came down, there was the starting gun for a sprint, for which we have not stopped yet, he told Stateline. Stuff is ripe for a fresh challenge. Sack and other gun rights advocates are now asking the courts to define the Supreme Courts new Bruen standard: A series of who, what and where questions about which gun rights limitations are allowed under the latest interpretation of the Second Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who can own a firearm? Cases going through the courts are challenging laws that ban firearm ownership by anyone younger than 21, or anyone who has been convicted of nonviolent offenses or people who live in public housing. What sort of firearm equipment can someone possess? There are state laws that may put restrictions on owning handguns, assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and untraceable ghost guns that people can assemble from online-bought or 3D-printed parts, such as the one allegedly used by the suspect in the recent assassination of a UnitedHealthcare executive in New York City. Where can people possess a firearm? The U.S. Supreme Court has established that states can ban firearms in sensitive places, but states and courts are still determining what that means. Some states ban firearms on mass transit and in public parks or government buildings. This month, Michigan banned firearms in and around polling places. Still, Sack expressed optimism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are making major inroads, Sack said. The arc of history will show that this time period was very good for us and very bad for them. But Sacks confidence may be misplaced, said Esther Sanchez-Gomez, litigation director at the Giffords Law Center, a nonpartisan gun safety organization. Last month, a federal judge in southern Illinois struck down the states ban on assault weapons. While that case is being appealed, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled earlier this month that the ban can remain in place for now. Sanchez-Gomez also pointed out that in August, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld Marylands ban on similar weapons. The issue might need to be resolved by the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres movement on assault weapons, she said in an interview. I wouldnt say that its a lost issue universally. Rather, Id say that theres a lot of different results coming out and that courts have yet to coalesce. A shifting standard In June 2022, the 6-3 conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of New Yorks law that established a strict permitting system to carry a concealed weapon. In the case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, the nations high court established the standard by which firearm-related cases should be judged. Not only did the court rule that Americans have a constitutional right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense, but it also noted that gun laws must have some sort of historical grounding dating back to the countrys founding. What youre seeing is courts across the country trying to figure out how to do that historical, constitutional test in real, practical terms. Esther Sanchez-Gomez, litigation director at the Giffords Law Center Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas outlined that test in the majority opinion, writing that to justify a firearm regulation the government must demonstrate that the regulation is consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That has forced litigants and lawmakers to find comparable laws from 200 years ago to justify a new gun restriction. This was a departure from the previous standard, established 14 years earlier in District of Columbia v. Heller. In that 2008 case, the Supreme Court ruled a person has a right to possess firearms but made clear that gun restrictions are constitutional. The decision held that a gun law could be judged on whether it served the public interest, such as by preventing firearm deaths. That standard no longer applies, and courts are still determining whether there are limits to the Second Amendment and how a historical test from the Revolutionary era can be applied to modern firearm restrictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has criticized the Bruen standard, saying it forces judges into service as amateur historians. But the Supreme Court has shown that it views some gun restrictions as constitutional. In an 8-1 decision in United States v. Rahimi this June with Thomas the lone dissenter the court upheld a 1994 federal law that bans people with domestic restraining orders from owning firearms. The Supreme Court gave us some additional clues, but it is still creating some confusion, Sanchez-Gomez said. What youre seeing is courts across the country trying to figure out how to do that historical, constitutional test in real, practical terms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh even noted in a concurring opinion in Rahimi that Second Amendment jurisprudence is in its early innings and that he expects the court will see many more cases. Indeed, The Trace, a nonprofit news service that investigates gun violence, found that as of September, there had been more than 1,600 federal court decisions on Second Amendment challenges that cited Bruen. A paper by law professors at the University of Southern California and the University of Virginia, published in July, found the Bruen decision had a substantial effect on firearm-related gun cases. Bruen seems to have generated more pro-gun decisions, researchers wrote, but they said the next few years may bring yet more changes. The future of gun control cases While Minnesotas minimum age requirement for possessing a firearm was struck down this year, similar restrictions in states such as Colorado, Florida and Pennsylvania are still going through federal appeals courts and could have a different outcome. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Courts also are trying to determine appropriate state firearm restrictions for sensitive places, where the presence of guns could be a significant danger. There are challenges across the country to firearm possession in post offices, parks and playgrounds. In September, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld parts of Californias and Hawaiis sensitive places laws, allowing residents to carry firearms in some previously banned locations, such as financial institutions, hospitals and public transit, but continuing the bans in alcohol-serving bars and restaurants, beaches and parks. In many of these cases, the makeup of the courts has been a deciding factor. For example, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, based out of northern Illinois, has tended to be more favorable toward gun safety laws. Its unclear how gun regulations are going to fare in the courts in the coming years, said Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun safety organization that has advocated for tighter restrictions at the commonwealth and local level. While the U.S. Supreme Court signaled a willingness to allow some restrictions in its latest decision this year, he said, the Bruen opinions effects linger. The reality is that there is a real risk to gun safety laws across the nation because of a radical interpretation, Garber said. But we also saw courts say, Wait, wait, wait, were not saying no gun safety laws are allowed. Like the SC Daily Gazette, Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. A pro-gun rights demonstrator carrying an AR-15 and a handgun stands outside of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville in August 2023. Assault weapons bans have faced more challenges in federal courts after the U.S. Supreme Court expanded Second Amendment rights in 2022. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images) More than two years after the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally expanded its interpretation of the Second Amendment, federal courts throughout the country continue to strike down state restrictions on gun ownership. Since the high courts 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen that firearm regulations must have some historical comparison going back to the countrys founding, some state restrictions have been ruled unconstitutional. But lower courts are still figuring out the limits of that historical test and have not yet come to a broad agreement on key gun-related laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, wins for gun rights supporters have mounted. Over the past two years, federal courts have struck down bans on assault weapons in trend-setting blue states such as California and Illinois. In October, a federal district court judge ruled that New Yorks ban on carrying a concealed firearm on private property open to the public is unconstitutional. In September, a federal district court judge in northern Illinois ruled the states ban on carrying a concealed firearm on public transit violated the Second Amendment. And in July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld a lower courts ruling that found Minnesotas age restriction on residents carrying a handgun in public also was unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has been a busy time for gun rights attorneys, such as Bill Sack, director of legal operations for the Second Amendment Foundation, a Bellevue, Washington-based legal advocacy organization that has flooded the courts with challenges to gun regulations nationwide. The second Bruen came down, there was the starting gun for a sprint, for which we have not stopped yet, he told Stateline. Stuff is ripe for a fresh challenge. Sack and other gun rights advocates are now asking the courts to define the Supreme Courts new Bruen standard: a series of who, what and where questions about which gun rights limitations are allowed under the latest interpretation of the Second Amendment. Who can own a firearm? Cases going through the courts are challenging laws that ban firearm ownership by anyone younger than 21, or anyone who has been convicted of nonviolent offenses or people who live in public housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What sort of firearm equipment can someone possess? There are state laws that may put restrictions on owning handguns, assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and untraceable ghost guns that people can assemble from online-bought or 3D-printed parts, such as the one allegedly used by the suspect in the recent assassination of a UnitedHealthcare executive in New York City. Where can people possess a firearm? The U.S. Supreme Court has established that states can ban firearms in sensitive places, but states and courts are still determining what that means. Some states ban firearms on mass transit and in public parks or government buildings. This month, Michigan banned firearms in and around polling places. Still, Sack expressed optimism. We are making major inroads, Sack said. The arc of history will show that this time period was very good for us and very bad for them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Sacks confidence may be misplaced, said Esther Sanchez-Gomez, litigation director at the Giffords Law Center, a nonpartisan gun safety organization. Last month, a federal judge in southern Illinois struck down the states ban on assault weapons. While that case is being appealed, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled earlier this month that the ban can remain in place for now. Sanchez-Gomez also pointed out that in August, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld Marylands ban on similar weapons. The issue might need to be resolved by the Supreme Court. Theres movement on assault weapons, she said in an interview. I wouldnt say that its a lost issue universally. Rather, Id say that theres a lot of different results coming out and that courts have yet to coalesce. A shifting standard In June 2022, the 6-3 conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of New Yorks law that established a strict permitting system to carry a concealed weapon. In the case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, the nations high court established the standard by which firearm-related cases should be judged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not only did the court rule that Americans have a constitutional right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense, but it also noted that gun laws must have some sort of historical grounding dating back to the countrys founding. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas outlined that test in the majority opinion, writing that to justify a firearm regulation the government must demonstrate that the regulation is consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation. That has forced litigants and lawmakers to find comparable laws from 200 years ago to justify a new gun restriction. This was a departure from the previous standard, established 14 years earlier in District of Columbia v. Heller. In that 2008 case, the Supreme Court ruled a person has a right to possess firearms but made clear that gun restrictions are constitutional. The decision held that a gun law could be judged on whether it served the public interest, such as by preventing firearm deaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That standard no longer applies, and courts are still determining whether there are limits to the Second Amendment and how a historical test from the Revolutionary era can be applied to modern firearm restrictions. Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has criticized the Bruen standard, saying it forces judges into service as amateur historians. But the Supreme Court has shown that it views some gun restrictions as constitutional. In an 8-1 decision in United States v. Rahimi this June with Thomas the lone dissenter the court upheld a 1994 federal law that bans people with domestic restraining orders from owning firearms. The Supreme Court gave us some additional clues, but it is still creating some confusion, Sanchez-Gomez said. What youre seeing is courts across the country trying to figure out how to do that historical, constitutional test in real, practical terms. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh even noted in a concurring opinion in Rahimi that Second Amendment jurisprudence is in its early innings and that he expects the court will see many more cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, The Trace, a nonprofit news service that investigates gun violence, found that as of September, there had been more than 1,600 federal court decisions on Second Amendment challenges that cited Bruen. A paper by law professors at the University of Southern California and the University of Virginia, published in July, found the Bruen decision had a substantial effect on firearm-related gun cases. Bruen seems to have generated more pro-gun decisions, researchers wrote, but they said the next few years may bring yet more changes. The future of gun control cases While Minnesotas minimum age requirement for possessing a firearm was struck down this year, similar restrictions in states such as Colorado, Florida and Pennsylvania are still going through federal appeals courts and could have a different outcome. Courts also are trying to determine appropriate state firearm restrictions for sensitive places, where the presence of guns could be a significant danger. There are challenges across the country to firearm possession in post offices, parks and playgrounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld parts of Californias and Hawaiis sensitive places laws, allowing residents to carry firearms in some previously banned locations, such as financial institutions, hospitals and public transit, but continuing the bans in alcohol-serving bars and restaurants, beaches and parks. In many of these cases, the makeup of the courts has been a deciding factor. For example, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, based out of northern Illinois, has tended to be more favorable toward gun safety laws. Its unclear how gun regulations are going to fare in the courts in the coming years, said Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun safety organization that has advocated for tighter restrictions at the commonwealth and local level. While the U.S. Supreme Court signaled a willingness to allow some restrictions in its latest decision this year, he said, the Bruen opinions effects linger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reality is that there is a real risk to gun safety laws across the nation because of a radical interpretation, Garber said. But we also saw courts say, Wait, wait, wait, were not saying no gun safety laws are allowed. This article was first published by Stateline, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A Campbell man Thursday was found guilty of rape by a jury in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. The jury found Samuel Aponte Rodriguez, 26, guilty of rape, a first-degree felony and gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony. Jurors found Aponte Rodriguez not guilty of a second charge of rape. Sentencing will be at a later date. Aponte Rodriguez was convicted after a trial began Wednesday before Judge John Durkin. The trial began after a jury was picked on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aponte Rodriguez was accused of inappropriate conduct with a child twice in November and December 2022. A grand jury secretly indicted him on May 5, 2023. He has been in the Mahoning County jail since he was arrested on that indictment. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. A jury found a New Hampshire man guilty of first-degree murder for killing his wife in Bolton, Vermont. MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (WHNT) Its now been 4 months since Beverly Bryan last spoke with her husband, 70-year-old Bill Bryan. He was just the rock of our family, Beverly Bryan said. Man charged with killing HPD officer says he wants to plead guilty Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky is accused of taking out Bill Bryans liver instead of his spleen during what was meant to be a splenectomy. Bill Bryan and his wife Beverly were visiting their rental property in Destin, Florida, on Aug. 19 when Bill felt pain on his left side. Beverly, a retired nurse, said a doctor at the medical facility diagnosed a spleen issue and insisted on performing surgery on it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Joe Zarzaur of the Zarzaur law office, instead of removing Bills spleen, the doctor removed his liver on Aug. 21. Bill died on the operating table. A pathologist reportedly told Beverly a bag labeled spleen contained Bills liver. Beverly said a medical examiner then performed an autopsy and confirmed Bill still had his spleen. Whats next for the Bryan family? Lawsuits are whats next, as family attorney Joe Zarzaur says they will be filing a lawsuit against Shaknovsky and his practice for Mr. Bryans care. Get breaking news, traffic and weather alerts directly to your smartphone. Download the News 19 App But the family is also filing another lawsuit against the hospital, Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Destin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are going to be filing a lawsuit against Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, as a hospital for allowing this doctor to be credentialed and continue to let him be credentialed despite the various problems he had even before Mr. Bryan, Zarzaur said. Zarzaur tells News 19 that currently the investigation of the criminal side of this case has been completed, and now they are waiting for the Florida state attorney to review the investigation material. From there, the attorney will make the decision on whether or not to charge Shaknovsky with a crime. I would like for him to face maximum penalty for taking someone elses life because thats what he did, my husband could not have survived what he did to him, Beverly Bryan said. Athens woman charged with nearly $1M dollar charity fraud Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After reviewing the medical examiners report, Beverly Bryan told us that the way Shaknovsky removed her husbands liver, is a medical practice that is considered one of the hardest things to do. Zarzaur and Mrs. Bryan said that they will be filing both lawsuits against the hospital and Shaknovsky within the next month. Zarzaur tells News 19 that he knows that Shaknovsky is not practicing medicine in Alabama or in Florida, but he is unsure if Shaknovsky is somewhere else practicing. In November, the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission accepted the full surrender of Dr. Shaknovskys license to practice medicine in Alabama. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Sept. 24, the State of Florida Department of Health ordered the emergency suspension of the doctors license in the state of Florida. Shaknovsky is also accused of a second botched surgery on May 12, 2023, according to documents from the State of Florida Department of Health. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Dec. 13DIXON Local and state officials reacted with outrage Thursday after learning President Joe Biden is commuting the remainder of Rita Crundwell's nearly 20-year federal prison sentence. The former Dixon city comptroller convicted of embezzling $53.7 million from the city over her 20-year tenure is among one of roughly 1,500 people granted clemency by Biden just weeks before he leaves office. "It just shocks the conscience," Dixon City Manager Danny Langloss said in an interview with Shaw Local. "I just completely feel betrayed by the justice system, the federal government and the president." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Dixon City Council member Dennis Considine, "it's still, to me, somewhat of a slap in the face. According to the people in power, she's served all of her time but it's hard to swallow." Langloss, who was police chief at the time of Crundwell's arrest, and Considine are questioning how the decision was made because the city received no communication or notification that her sentence is being commuted. Langloss said he found out about 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Considine found out from Langloss a short time later. "It's very saddened for our community that she's been given this opportunity without any input," Considine said. In a news release, state Rep. Bradley Fritts, R-Dixon, wrote "to say I am outraged by the commutation of the sentence of Rita Crundwell is a great understatement, as Ms. Crundwell stole more than 50 million dollars from the good taxpaying citizens of the city of Dixon, violated the public's trust, and used the stolen money to live a lavish lifestyle." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The people of Dixon were victimized by this woman, and she still owes money that she stole," Fritts said. "This is an unacceptable commutation. This commutation comes just a short time after Crundwell was released from prison early without any notice being given to the city of Dixon of her release. This is a double slap in the face." Crundwell was released in August 2021 from a medium-security facility in Pekin to a federal halfway house in Downers Grove. "It doesn't appear that the damage of somebody's crime was considered in this clemency determination," Langloss said. "She created the largest municipal embezzlement in the history of the country. She's a criminal. She pled guilty. She should have served her sentence." Crundwell used the stolen funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle while Dixon struggled to pay for infrastructure and other projects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's a lot of things that wouldn't have deteriorated like they had," Langloss said. One project that's only now being completed includes repairs to the city's wastewater treatment plant, for which the council accepted a $439,905 bid at its Nov. 4 meeting. Considine, who was first elected to the council about six months before Crundwell's crimes were discovered, said that the plant has been in need of repairs for a long time and when the issue was first brought to Crundwell it was predicted to cost about $35,000 to fix. The aftershock of Crundwell's crimes led the city to convert from a commissioner form of government to a council-manager form and to make many changes to policies and the way it does business. "I think it's good for us to be outraged. To be shocked, to feel betrayed, but not to hold on to that too long, because we've moved beyond it and what's happening in Dixon is absolutely phenomenal," Langloss said. "The city is so much better for the change that has come since Rita was arrested." BRAGA, Portugal Collected from a family gravesite shortly before she left Kabul, the rocks and dirt in a tiny plastic container are among 15-year-old Farida Ahmadis most cherished possessions, a reminder of home. Three years on and 4,000 miles away, in her new home in northern Portugal, it remains unclear if she will ever return to that sacred place in Afghanistan or see her family in the flesh again. As a student at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), Farida told NBC News, she feared at the time that Taliban fighters who had regained control of the country were going to come and knock the door and say, You are arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I didnt think that one day Id be studying in a country where the Taliban are going to come back, she said in one of several interviews she gave this year. I was thinking its not going to happen, the history that happened before. But history, it seemed, was repeating itself. Cousins Farida and Zohra Ahmadi hug and kiss their grandmother goodbye, before fleeing Afghanistan in November 2021. After almost two decades of fighting, trillions of dollars spent and countless lives lost, as Western nations raced to depart Afghanistan in a largely chaotic and embarrassing exit, the Taliban, whose previous government was toppled in the aftermath of 9/11 after refusing to hand over the mastermind of the attack, Osama bin Laden, began to quickly reinstitute its strict version of Sharia, or Islamic, law. Despite initially promising a more moderate rule, the group barred women from higher education, public spaces like parks and most jobs, and shut down hair and beauty salons across the country after deeming them un-Islamic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Girls were also banned from attending classes beyond the sixth grade, making Afghanistan the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is strictly forbidden to women and girls over age 12, according to an August report by the United Nations. The Taliban also banned virtually all forms of creative expression, including music. Even before the group could really lay down these laws, Farida and her cousin Zohra Ahmadi, both 12 at the time, believed they were in danger because of their membership with the institute. People sit as they wait to leave Kabul airport after the stunningly swift end to Afghanistan's 20-year war. Established in 2010 under a fragile U.S.-backed Afghan government in Kabul, ANIM was Afghanistans first and only school of its kind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unlike schools during the first Taliban regime, where students were strictly segregated, ANIM allowed boys and girls to share classrooms and welcomed children from all walks of life. The institute embraced Afghan culture and Western music alike. It was a whole world for us, said Zohra, speaking alongside Farida in Portugal, adding that it made them dream bigger and higher. The girls discovered their instruments the trumpet for Zohra and the violin for Farida and their passion. And the school thrived for a decade, sending orchestras and ensembles on tours around the world and playing to packed venues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But their success drew the ire of the Taliban, which plotted multiple attacks on the institute and those associated with it and carried out a deadly suicide bombing at a Kabul performance in 2014. The blast killed two people and severely injured the schools founder and director, Ahmad Sarmast, who suffered shrapnel injuries to the head and temporary damage to his hearing. He said it took him months to recover. We all, one day, will be gone. I strongly believe its better to die while youre standing rather [than] to be on your knees, Sarmast told NBC News in a May 2021 interview, before the Taliban takeover. Theres a fight between dark forces and progressive forces of this nation. Zohra Ahmadi rehearses with the Afghan Youth Orchestra in Braga, Portugal. In less than four months, his worst fears would be realized. Believing the school and its students would be targeted, Sarmast said he fired off appeals to government officials in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Portugal asking them for sanctuary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fearing a gradual evacuation would endanger any students and staff left behind, he insisted they leave Afghanistan together, united as a school. It was everyone who could face the consequences, Sarmast said in an interview earlier this year. So, for me, it was important to save everyone or no one. While many of the appeals proved unsuccessful, Sarmast remained undeterred. His persistence paid off. Portugal was the only government around the world that positively and promptly responded, he said, and offered a group-asylum for 284 people the entire school community. For Farida and Zohra, the chance to leave would prove bittersweet. On the one hand, they were relieved to escape the Talibans wrath, but on the other, they were leaving their families behind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before she left, Zohra said her 63-year-old grandmother, Sabera Yawari, told her to stay positive. Dont worry, you can get out of this hell and go study and achieve your dreams, she said her elder told her. Escorted by a relative to Kabuls main airport under the watchful eye of the Taliban, the pair smiled and laughed in nervous anticipation of the journey ahead while also experiencing the heartbreak of leaving their loved ones behind. We were happy and sad at the same time because we had to leave our family for a long time, said Zohra. We didnt know if we were going to see them ever again. It took five flights to get all of the weary staff and students out of Afghanistan to Qatar, where they would remain for two months before finally traveling to Portugal. Members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many were then placed in makeshift housing at a former military hospital in the city of Lisbon, before they found more permanent homes in Braga, a historic city in northeastern Portugal. We all went through a big culture shock, said Sarmast. Everything was different. Though in exile, the orchestra has nonetheless picked up where it left off at Bragas Conservatory of Music, a modest building that has become an unlikely refuge for Afghanistans rich musical traditions. Weve been very fortunate to be out of Afghanistan and to get an opportunity for our students to dream once again, to hope once again, Sarmast added. But again, its always painful, its always hard when youre away from your roots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, he said, the orchestra has set high expectations for itself. Less than three years after it left Afghanistan, the group is playing prestigious concert venues again, including two packed U.S. performances in August: one at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and another at one of musics most hallowed grounds, New York Citys Carnegie Hall. The orchestra cheered after they finished their performance. Each note that we play today, its a note of protest and its the voices of millions of the Afghan who have been forced into silence, Sarmast said. More than three years after their move, Farida and Zohra stay in contact with their families using patchy video calls. Much goes unsaid, but Farida said she knew her family was facing mounting struggles. They rarely leave the house for fear of the Taliban, she explained, and a crumbling economy means they can only afford to eat meat once a month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her 11-year-old sister, Shanaz, will likely lose out the most. Now in the fifth grade, Shanaz hopes to be a doctor one day, but under Taliban rule she will only be allowed one more year of education. But she and Zohra nonetheless hope to be able to return home one day. In the meantime, they are both seeking solace in music. When Im practicing or playing the trumpet, I feel like its going to be OK, Zohra said. My family will come, Taliban will be gone, and it just feels good. Its also making me more strong, Farida added. It gives me something like positive energy. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com BRUSSELS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began discussing a plan to gradually increase defense spending to 3 percent of GDP by 2030, Financial Times reported on Thursday. Preliminary talks took place at last week's foreign ministers' meeting, during which members envisaged "a short-term pledge to hit 2.5 percent and, by 2030, a target of 3 percent." The report said the decision could be made at the next NATO summit, which will take place in June 2025 in The Hague. The current target, agreed on in 2014, is 2 percent of GDP. The report added that increasing it to 3 percent would "put intense pressure on already strained national budgets. " Seven European NATO members, including Italy and Spain, have not reached the 2 percent target in 2024. Germany reached the target for the first time this year. The increase in defense spending comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has been demanding Europe pay more for its own security, is to take office in January. The Kansas State Board of Education accepted policy recommendations for local districts that include school cell phone bans. (Getty Images) TOPEKA School districts across Kansas will receive a 20-page report containing guidance on cell phones that recommends daytime cell phone bans, mental health awareness and bolstered parental oversight. The Kansas State Board of Education hasnt mandated digital device policies, instead deferring to local districts and schools to create their own. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to accept the reports recommendations and directed Kansas Department of Education staff to send it to local districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to the vote, Board Chair Melanie Haas of Overland Park emphasized the State Board accepting the report was an acknowledgement of the task forces work, not an endorsement of the recommendations, said Denise Kahler, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Education, in a Tuesday news release. The 36-member task force consisted of state board members, district officials, school employees, students, parents and legislators who crafted 22 recommendations for locales. They met weekly between late August and early November and divided their recommendations into three categories: personal devices in school, screen time and mental health and parental oversight of district-owned devices. State education officials proposed the task force in July, envisioning it as a way to examine how students use cell phones and other digital devices and the toll social media takes on their mental health. It was a way to help districts distill research into clear guidelines that they can use if they choose to create local policies, said Randy Watson, state education commissioner, at Tuesdays meeting. This is not the state board telling any local district what you shall do, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initial recommendations suggest districts should mandate K-12 students personal cell phones be powered off from the beginning of the school day to the end, including during lunch and passing periods, and stored in an off-limits location. Such restrictions are called bell-to-bell policies. A 2024 study reveals 72% of high school teachers, 33% of middle school teachers, and 6% of elementary school teachers say students distracted by cell phones in class is a major problem, the report said. Some studies also link screen time and school performance, the report said. The task force also recommended districts create personal device policies for school staff, develop safety and emergency procedures that dont rely on students personal devices and identify a districts technology gaps so students arent forced to use their own devices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parental oversight had the lengthiest list of recommendations, with 13 items. The task force suggested policies should allow families to have stronger oversight over their students district-owned devices Some included broader parental controls, full access to student devices, the ability to block certain websites and the use of systems that let families see a mirrored view of a students screen. About 47% of voting task force members opposed the screen mirroring recommendation, and 45% opposed the recommendation suggesting districts allow families to manage and request additional blocked websites on district-owned devices, according to the report. The task force also endorsed stronger educational efforts to help parents understand how they can manage and monitor student devices. Under mental health and screentime, the task force recommended districts implement independent, research-based guidance on online use and its effects on mental health, regular breaks from screens throughout the school day and means of communication with students and families outside of social media platforms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 40% of voting members opposed the recommendation for communication outside of social media. Task force members sifted through national research illustrating the detrimental impact of social media and excessive screen time on adolescents. The report cited a 2023 study that found 46% of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their body image and a 2018 study in which 59% of teens said they have experienced cyberbullying. The state boards direction comes about a week after the U.S. Department of Education urged states and local school districts to create their own well-thought-out cell phone policies. This article was originally published in Kansas Reflector. TOPEKA It doesnt take a lightning-quick internet connection to theorize income, education and geographic disparities underly Kansas digital divide. But the nonprofit and nonpartisan Kansas Health Institutes latest research demonstrated with online county-by-county maps that broadband deficits and computer ownership gaps plaguing Kansas were intertwined with social and demographic influences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thirty-one percent of low-income Kansas households making less than $20,000 annually didnt have high-speed connections, KHI said. However, 4.5% of Kansas households earning more than $75,000 were in the same predicament in terms of broadband access. Education is at a Crossroads: Help Us Illuminate the Path Forward. Donate to The 74 Kaci Cink, an analyst with KHI, said Kansas families able to tie into reliable broadband were able to more efficiently download, browse and stream contents of the internet. KHI said the rise of a global digital economy and the lack of high-speed communication options continued to undermine Kansans relative to employment, education and health care. Kansans use broadband to engage with health care providers and access health-related information, so not having connectivity can create barriers to health, Cink said. And we are seeing this among populations that may need health care services the most. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KHI said one in 20 or 5.8% of Kansas households didnt have a computer, smartphone or tablet. But Kansans with a bachelors degree in college where eight times more likely to have a computer than Kansans who didnt earn a high school diploma. Of Kansans age 65 or older, one in 10 or 11.8% didnt have a computer to access the web. KHI said one in 10 Kansas households, or 12%, lacked broadband service. KHI developed an interactive digital divide dashboard to provide an overview of computer ownership and broadband availability in each of the states 105 counties. The dashboard, based on 2022 information from the U.S. Census Bureau, provided breakdowns by age, race, ethnicity, employment, education and income. For example, it revealed gaps among counties in terms of the percentage of households without a computer. A sample: Riley, 2.4%; Johnson, 2.8%; Sedgwick, 4.9%; Shawnee, 7.6%; as well as Jewell, 15.7%; Lincoln, 14.3%; Marshall and Neosho, 12%; Gove, 10.2%; and Wallace, 10%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dashboard chronicled county-by-county differences in broadband availability. The percentage without high-speed internet: Johnson, 5%; Riley, 9.5%; Sedgwick, 10.7%; Shawnee, 17.2%; as well as Lincoln, 26.2%; Gove, 24.2%; Jewell, 22.8%; Neosho, 19.6%; Marshall, 16.9%; and Wallace, 11.8%. The challenge of responding to the states technological divide has been more difficult in rural communities due to insufficient infrastructure that elevated the cost of adding high-speed internet service. Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, said delivering broadband to rural communities was critically important for those communities to thrive. To work toward closing the gap, the federal Affordable Connectivity Program operated from Dec. 31, 2021, to June 1. That program reduced the nations internet connectivity deficit by providing 23 million households with discounts on broadband services and computer purchases. An attempt to extend the federal initiative has been introduced in Congress, but not passed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, Gov. Laura Kelly said Kansas received $452 million that would be dedicated to the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program to expand broadband infrastructure in Kansas. It followed the states 2020 commitment to provide $85 million over 10 years to the Broadband Acceleration Grant for benefit of Kansas communities, especially in economically distressed regions. In July, Kelly said acceleration grants of $10 million were awarded to a dozen internet providers, and that investment would be paired with $12.7 million in matching funds, for benefit of 14 rural Kansas counties. Broadband drives innovation, unlocks potential and ensures everyone can participate in services essential for economic, educational and industrial growth, Kelly said. Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A brand-new online collection called KC-1940 was launched by the Kansas City Public Library. It brings together images of neighborhood homes, businesses, banks, schools, parks, shops, and buildings from the 1940 Jackson County tax assessment. The website hosts more than 50,000 images organized in 4,284 folders, each representing a city block. KC-1940 will help the public more easily locate specific photographs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The physical collection was first acquired by the library in 2011. With grant support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Missouri State Library, staff worked to digitize each block folder that contained small black and white photographs. Missouri news: Headlines from St. Louis, Jefferson City and across the Show-Me State Since 2012, the collection has been accessible online through Missouri Digital Heritage. In recent years, the Library has offered a series of popular House History Boot Camp events to help patrons access the collection and learn the history of their homes. The tax assessment came out of the corrupt Tom Pendergast political machine, the end of the Pendergast era, where there needed to be a kind of honest accounting of property tax values, Jeremy Drouin, the special collections manager, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But its a snapshot of 1940 Kansas City and how the neighborhoods were mapped out. Many photographs do not list an addressvery few addresses were connected with the individual properties in the original collection material. If you know the address of a specific property that appears in a folder, you can submit the address on the website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. HONOLULU (KHON2) A family on Kauai is in need of laulima after medical bills and unexpected damage to their home have costs piling up. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Dad works full-time while mom stays home to care for their 6-month-old and 4-year-old sons, and their 6-year-old daughter, who goes to school. Mom has a degenerative eye condition called keratoconus. She had surgery last year on her left eye which helped some, but still needs surgery on the right eye. However, the cost is an issue as recent damage to the property where they live, cut electricity and running water, and those repairs will be very expensive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This family could use clothing for their baby boy. Their four-year-old son would love excavator construction toys. Their daughter could use clothes for school. Mom and Dad could use grocery and gas gift cards, plus a grill and gas canister hot plate for cooking meals. Check out more news from around Hawaii In the spirit of laulima, our many hands working together, we can help this family have a brighter holiday as they face these unexpected costs. If you would like to help, visit the Laulima Giving Programs website HERE. Select Adopt A Family and fill out the submission form with the family code K240066-5. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A south Kansas City neighborhood is on edge after gunfire ripped through several homes Monday night, nearly killing a mother of two. Its definitely Gods blessing because she could have just died, one second if she didnt lift her head Valentina Marino whose mom was almost hit said. Now, the harrowing story of the split second this mom lifted her head that saved her life, as police still search for suspects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miami County teen charged with murder after 15-year-olds death One second Yasmin Marino was lying down on her bed, the next she was scrambling as bullets flew through her home. All of this was just three months after moving here from Chicago. Now, Marino is on the move again, this time for her safety. Thats a shot, we had two shots, one on the couch and one on the window, Valentina said as she showed the damage. Five bullets ripped through the Marino house, two in Yasmin Marinos room, two through the living room and one that went through the furnace that has now left them without heat during sub-freezing weather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They didnt care about lives. This room was light on, everything was light off, they didnt really care who they were going to kill, Valentina said. The Marinos may have had the closest call but they were far from the only ones affected. Jonathan Henry was home when gunfire hit the siding and his concrete stairs. Everybody is, straight up, go to work, do your thing, raise your kids, live your life, he explained. I guess someones pleasure drive down the street and blast out of two sides of a vehicle and hit houses at random. Its hard to tell just how many bullets in total were fired, but from our count more than 40 at just four homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. EMPORIA (KSNT) The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) is sharing new information following the closure announcement of the Holiday Resort retirement home in Emporia last week. KDADS Director of Communications Cara Sloan-Ramos said all of the residents of the 120-bed facility have found new homes. The Holiday Resort retirement home sent a notice to the KDADS on Monday, Dec. 2 regarding its imminent closure on Friday, Dec. 6. The homes closure comes after its administration received word from the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency that it no longer qualifies for financial support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TPD investigating suspicious death in north Topeka The Holiday Resorts closure follows the announcement that Emporias local Tyson Fresh Meat plant will also be closing early in 2025. The City of Emporia issued a statement on Dec. 4 reassuring residents that work is being done to help those impacted by the closures. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. HONOLULU (KHON2) The Oahu Council of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs strongly denounced a comment made during the Honolulu City Council meeting on Dec.11 that called Olelo Hawaii, the Hawaiian language, a dead language. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Jacob Aki, President of Ke One O Kakuhihewa, expressed his frustration, saying, Calling Olelo Hawaii a dead language disrespects decades of tireless efforts by the Hawaiian community to revive and sustain it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He emphasized that the comment ignored the languages vital role in Hawaiian culture and its status as one of the official languages of Hawaii. Despite historical suppression, including a ban on its use in schools, Olelo Hawaii has seen a resurgence due to the dedication of the Hawaiian community. Council approves acquisition of Queen Theater for renovation Programs like Aha Punana Leo, Hawaiian-medium K-12 education, and university courses have made the language accessible to thousands who now speak it daily. Aki added, This is about more than just wordsits about the survival of our identity and culture. The idea that the language is dead is both false and dismissive of the vibrant efforts happening in homes, schools, and communities across Hawaii. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ke One O Kakuhihewa praised Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters, Vice Chair Esther Kiaaina, and Councilmember Andria Tupola for defending Olelo Hawaii during the meeting. Their support highlights the importance of respecting Hawaiian language and culture in public life. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Aki also stressed the need for greater education and awareness, stating, Recognizing Hawaiian as an official language is just the beginning. We must expand its use and visibility in public spaces and support policies that help it thrive. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. Kennedy Center honoree Arturo Sandoval is being recognized for his contribution to American culture through the performing arts. The Cuban-born trumpeter said the road to this moment wasn't easy, but it was jazz music that helped save his life. Sandoval grew up in poverty, in a house with a dirt floor. He left school at 10 years old to work. He said a music academy was opened and that's when he fell in love with the trumpet, but after Cuba's communist revolution, he could only play what the government allowed. Jazz music even landed him in an unexpected place during his mandatory military service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They put me in jail for 3.5 months because I was listening to the voice of an enemy," he said. "They call it Yankee imperialism." As depicted in "For Love, or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story," an HBO movie about his life starring Andy Garcia, Sandoval found a work around. "At the end, what we want to play was jazz," he said. How Sandoval's career unfolded A prominent figure in Sandoval's life was John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie. On the American trumpeter's first day visiting Havana, Sandoval offered to be his chauffeur, never mentioning that he also played trumpet until Gillespie saw for himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He opened his eye like this and then he said, 'What the heck is my driver doing with a trumpet?' Somebody said, 'No, Mr. Gillespie, he's a trumpeter,'" Sandoval said of the interaction. The movie also reenacts his first encounter with his future wife, Marianela, who is still by his side 49 years later. For 10 years, the Cuban government allowed Sandoval to tour overseas with Gillespie. In 1990, they made a one time exception for his wife and son to meet him in London. "The next day, I went with Mr. Gillespie to the American embassy, asking for political asylum." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the Cuban government found out. Sandoval said Gillespie called the White House, and just months later, he was on stage in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center Honors, paying tribute to Gillespie, the man who was not only a mentor, but helped to save his life. "It's an incredible blessing to become a close friend to your hero," he said. What the Kennedy Center honor and jazz means to Sandoval When asked what the Kennedy Center means to him through music, Sandoval played "God Bless America." "I strongly believe the most important word is the word freedom." He said only in the United States came the freedom to write 48 albums, win nearly a dozen Grammys and Latin Grammys, earn the Presidential Medal of Freedom and start a foundation for young musicians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The salt and pepper and salsa and everything, of jazz, the main ingredient is improvisation. For me, jazz is synonymous of freedom," he said. It's a freedom he said he didn't have in Cuba before defecting in 1990. "This kind of oppression, to really understand, you have to suffer in your blood." New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story American Airlines flight forced to make emergency landing after likely bird strike HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) The Kentucky Distillers Association is warning that returning tariffs could have a major impact on the bourbon industry. A release obtained by Eyewitness News says the return of retaliatory tariffs on American Whiskey is threatening the eminence growth of the bourbon industry. The Kentucky Distillers Association went on to say that in addition to disrupting growth, tariffs will cost American jobs, jeopardize investment and hurt local economies across the Commonwealth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bourbon continues to drive Kentuckys economy as our homegrown industry is generating more jobs, more payroll, more tax revenue, more tourists and more distilleries in more counties than ever before. But we are up against a triple threat of back-breaking tariffs, snowballing taxes and shifts in consumer trends that have slowed sales. If tariffs targeting American Whiskey are levied, distillery workers, farmers, truckers, coopers, hospitality staff and entire industries that depend on Bourbon will suffer, said Eric Gregory, President of the Kentucky Distillers Association. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). KENTUCKY (FOX 56) Four voice service providers could face legal action if robocalls to Kentucky residents arent terminated, according to Attorney General Russell Coleman. Its estimated that Kentuckians received 55.7 million of the nearly 5 billion robocalls placed nationwide in November alone. On Thursday, Coleman said four providers under investigation received a warning from the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kentuckians are fed up with this garbage that interrupts their daily lives and tries to take advantage of them. Attorneys general across the country are sending a clear message that we will hold those behind these illegal robocalls accountable, Attorney General Coleman said. We will continue working with our partners in other states and at the FCC to stop these bad actors. The letters warned that if these providers continue to transmit robocalls and violate the laws against them, the task force may pursue further legal action. Coleman said that earlier this year the task force called on the FCC to improve the Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) and close what he called an unmonitored loophole that bad actors exploit to access the U.S. telephone network. Heres a look at the four providers under fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more of the latest Kentucky news According to the attorney generals office, KWK Communications, Inc. received just shy of 130 traceback notices between 2020 and 2022 due to a high volume of calls associated with the following: IRS and Social Security Administration scams Auto warranty scams Utility scams KWK Communications allegedly routed more than 20,000 calls with illegally spoofed telephone numbers and more than 8.7 million calls made using invalid Caller ID numbers, the attorney generals office noted. Inbound Communications, Inc. is estimated to have allegedly routed more than 28.4 million DirecTV and cable discount scam calls in a single month in 2022. The attorney generals office said that the FTC had previously issued a cease-and-desist order to Inbound over the calls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AKA Management, Inc. is estimated to have routed around 12.1 million Amazon and Apple scam calls to consumers in a single month in 2022. The majority of robocalls issued traceback notices involved government impostor and tech support scams, per the attorney generals office. Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news CallVox is known to have allegedly helped illegal or suspicious robocalls into and through the U.S. telephone network, including to thousands of individuals on the Do Not Call list using spoofed telephone numbers, officials said. If the above companies continue to transmit robocalls, they could face legal action. The letters inform the providers that its findings have been turned over to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to consider appropriate next steps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty co-chair the China-Egypt foreign ministers' strategic dialogue in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chaired the China-Egypt foreign ministers' strategic dialogue with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Beijing on Friday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Egypt had carried forward the traditional friendship and deepened mutually beneficial cooperation. China supports Egypt in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, and opposes interference in Egypt's internal affairs by any force under any pretext, Wang said. China is ready to work with Egypt to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and push bilateral relations toward the higher goal of building a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era, Wang said. Abdelatty said Egypt firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports China's reunification, values the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, and opposes interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. He expressed appreciation for China's support to and assistance in Egypt's economic and social development and welcomed more Chinese enterprises to invest in Egypt. The two sides agreed to give full play to the role of the intergovernmental cooperation committee mechanism, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and create new growth poles of cooperation in new energy, aerospace, electric vehicles, 5G construction, agricultural technology, artificial intelligence, digital economy and other emerging fields. The two sides stressed that they would deepen strategic communication, push the greater BRICS cooperation to a new level, and strengthen communication and coordination under multilateral frameworks. PADUCAH, Ky. (FOX 56) On Thursday, President Biden announced the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. According to a White House press release, 39 people were pardoned and nearly 1,500 sentences were commuted. How extensive are Kentuckys pardon powers? Todays actions build on the presidents record of criminal justice reform to help reunite families, said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among those pardoned was one McCracken County man. Edwin Allen Jones, 60, served in the U.S. Army and received the rank of captain before being honorably discharged, per a White House press release. He pleaded guilty to nonviolent drug offenses in 2002 and was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison, according to a Supreme Court order. Jones was admitted as a member of the Kentucky Bar Association in 1990, per the order. However, his status was suspended until 2005, after the arrest. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Character and Fitness Committee held a hearing in 2006 to discuss Jones reinstatement, which found Jones to be a bright, competent lawyer, trustworthy, and intelligent, among other things. A supreme court order affirms his commitment to his sobriety, his family, and his duty to the community, therefore unanimously voting for his reinstatement to the Kentucky Bar Association. The White House team wrote that Jones has upheld a notable legal career since completing his sentence, participates in local government, and volunteers for addiction recovery groups. Mr. Jones is described by community members as thoughtful, forward-thinking, and trustworthy, a White House press release said. For more information on Thursdays pardons and clemencies, click here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Dec. 12A man who ran an illegal gambling operation at a Kettering internet cafe raided in May by local law enforcement was sentenced to time served. Sanjay Natwarbhai Patel, 44, of Naperville, Illinois, in the Chicago suburbs, pleaded guilty Wednesday before Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Timothy O'Connell to two misdemeanor counts of operating a gambling house via a bill of information, according to court records released Thursday. Patel had been charged with felony counts of gambling and operating a gambling house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kettering Police Department raided an internet cafe May 30 at 2850 S. Dixie Drive, just north of Dorothy Lane. That followed an undercover investigation lasting six months that also involved the Dayton Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations Chicago. The South Dixie address was home to Computer Internet Cafe Inc., according to business records filed with the Ohio Secretary of State's Office. "Kettering was investigating ... an illegal gambling establishment," Bob Green said at the time of the raid. Green is director of a combined tactical crime suppression unit of Centerville, Germantown, Kettering, Miamisburg, Moraine, Oakwood, Springboro and West Carrollton police forces that assisted Kettering police. "They did some control operations there where they went in and gambled. And they got enough for a search warrant." Kettering police opened its investigation Nov. 1, 2023, after a Kettering road patrol officer reported suspicious activity and that the windows were obstructed and Google reviews mentioned potential slot machines inside, according to an affidavit filed in Kettering Municipal Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A plainclothes detective on Nov. 1 found the door locked with a camera at eye level. Someone allowed him inside, where the detective saw several slot machines at the business that only took cash. Kettering vice detectives conducted further undercover operations, and on Nov. 29, 2023, April 17 and May 23 made controlled buys using marked bills by playing the digital slot machines and receiving cash payouts, the affidavit stated. The state regulates gaming machines, and requires that they be skill-based. They also cannot give out cash or the equivalent, and no prize can have a monetary value exceeding $10. The investigation into the Kettering internet cafe also included a GPS search warrant of Patel's car, which police obtained March 8 and monitored for several weeks. Patel made numerous stops at the internet cafe in Kettering, a West Carrollton apartment used by a relative and his home in Naperville. Patel also made stops at other suspected illegal gambling operations in Dayton and Van Wert, Ohio, the affidavit stated. Dayton police detectives were investigating illegal gambling sites, including one Patel frequented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A March raid by Dayton police and the Ohio Casino Control Commission at Lucky Day Internet Cafe 1880 Needmore Road, where Patel's relative is the manager, led officials to seize about 100 machines and a large amount of cash. The raid also led to the discovery of a Kroger receipt with a Kroger Plus card number for "Sam Patel," which was determined to be Sanjay Patel. Kettering police filed a subpoena for records that showed numerous money wiring transactions using the Kroger Plus card made in conjunction with area visits to suspected illegal gambling operations recorded by GPS data, according to the affidavit. Kettering police on May 30 raided the internet cafe and West Carrollton apartment on the same morning that Dayton police raided four suspected illegal gambling locations at 3604 N. Main St., 2178 N. Gettysburg Ave., 2162 N. Gettysburg Ave. and 3491 Siebenthaler Ave., the affidavit stated. Kettering police seized more than $200,000 and numerous gaming machines during the two searches, said officer Cynthia James, Kettering police spokeswoman. Cash seized included two $100 bills that were marked by Kettering police for the controlled buys, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patel was taken into custody May 30 by Homeland Security Investigations Chicago. Agents reported finding $315,000 and a large amount of gold jewelry worth more than $200,000. He previously was convicted in April 2016 in Sidney Municipal Court for misdemeanor counts of operating a gambling house and for a gambling device. Sixteen other counts were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. He was fined $300 and sentenced to 60 days in jail, online court records show. Staff Writer Nick Blizzard contributed to this report. Russian forces targeted the city of Kharkiv on the morning of 13 December, with explosions reported in the city and its suburbs. Strikes were carried out on the city's outskirts. Ukraine's Air Force has confirmed that ballistic missiles were used in the bombardment. Source: Ukraine's Air Force; Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov; Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Details: The mayor reported that the strikes had hit the suburbs of Kharkiv. Later, explosions were also reported near the town of Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from Syniehubov: "The enemy has struck the Kharkiv district. Information is being gathered. Emergency services have been sent to the scene." Update: At 06:48, the Air Force warned of repeat ballistic missile strikes on Kharkiv. Background: Around 02:00, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that a Russian attack drone had hit a five-storey apartment block in the city's Industrialnyi district. Support UP or become our patron! SCRANTON, Pa. (WBRE/WYOU) President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of disgraced Kids for Cash Judge Michael Conahan, and one victim is expressing anger over it. Conahan and fellow Judge Mark Ciavarella, both of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, were convicted in connection with a scheme that sent thousands of juveniles to two private detention centers in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks. Nexstars WBRE spoke with Amanda Lorah, a victim of the Kids for Cash scheme. She called the clemency for Conahan simply wrong and an injustice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a big slap in the face for us once again, Lorah said after hearing that Biden had commuted the Conahans sentence. We had no time to get any time taken away from us. We had no one to talk to, but now were talking about the President of the United States to do this. What about all of us? she asked. Lorah was one of the thousands of juveniles wrongly imprisoned as part of the Kids for Cash scheme that involved Conahan and Ciavarella. Biden scraps rest of sentence for disgraced Kids-for-Cash judge The judges received $2 million in kickbacks in exchange for sending juveniles to two private detention centers in which they had a business interest. The scandal gained national attention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ciaveralla was convicted in 2011 on 12 of 39 counts and sentenced to 28 years in prison. In 2010, Conahan pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison. He was released to home confinement in 2020 because of COVID-19 health concerns. Lorah was sent to detention for five years for being involved in a fight at a high school volleyball game. So he wants to talk about Conahan and everybody else, but what is Joe Biden doing for all of these kids who absolutely got nothing and almost no justice in this whole thing that happened? So its nothing for us, but it seems that Conaan is just getting a slap on the wrist every which way he possibly could still today, Lorah explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House released a statement on the commutation for non-violent offenders that read in part: These commutation recipients, who were placed on home confinement during the COVID pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance. The White House But Lorah says she and other juveniles were never given a second chance. Theres never going to be any closure for us . Theres never going to be, somehow, some way, these two men are always going to pop up, but now, when you think about the president of the United States letting him get away with this, who even wants to live in this country at this point? Im totally shocked, I cant believe this, Lorah said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This means the two years or so that remains on Conahans home confinement now goes away. WBREs attempts to contact Conahan for comment have so far been unsuccessful. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of disgraced Luzerne County Kids for Cash Judge Michael Conahan. Conahan and fellow Judge Mark Ciavarella were convicted in connection with a scheme that sent thousands of juveniles to two private detention centers in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks. 28/22 News I-Team Reporter Andy Mehalshick has been covering the Kids for Cash scandal since day one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mehalshick spoke with a victim of the Kids for Cash scheme. She is very angry and says this clemency for Conahan is simply wrong and an injustice. Its a big slap in the face for us once again, said Amanda Lorah. Those were the words of Lorah after hearing that President Biden commuted the sentence of disgraced Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan. We had no time to get any time taken away from us. We had no one to talk to, but now were talking about the President of the United States to do this. What about all of us? Lorah asked. Lorah was one of the thousands of juveniles who were wrongly imprisoned as part of the Kids for Cash scheme that involved Conahan and Judge Mark Ciavarella. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden scraps rest of sentence for disgraced Kids-for-Cash judge They received $2,000,000 in kickbacks in exchange for sending juveniles to two private detention centers in which they had a business interest. The scandal gained national attention. Ciaveralla was convicted in 2011 on 12 of 39 counts and sentenced to 28 years in prison. In 2010, Conahan pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison. He was released to home confinement in 2020 because of COVID-19 health concerns. Lorah was sent to detention for five years simply for being involved in a fight at a high school volleyball game. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So he wants to talk about Conahan and everybody else, but what is Joe Biden doing for all of these kids who absolutely got nothing, and almost no justice in this whole thing that happened? So its nothing for us, but it seems that Conaan is just getting a slap on the wrist every which way he possibly could still today, Lorah explained. The White House released a statement on the commutation for non-violent offenders which read in part: These commutation recipients, who were placed on home confinement during the COVID pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance. The White House But Lorah says she and other juveniles were never given a second chance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres never going to be any closure for us, Andy. Theres never going to be, somehow, some way, these two men are always going to pop up, but now, when you think about the President of the United States letting him get away with this, who even wants to live in this country at this point? Im totally shocked, I cant believe this, Lorah added. This means the two years or so that remains on Conahans home confinement now goes away. Our attempts to contact Conahan for comment have so far been unsuccessful. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Kimberly Guilfoyle is preparing for a new chapter following news of her new political appointment in President-elect Donald Trump's administration and a split with his son and her former fiance, Donald Trump Jr. A source with knowledge of the Trump family dynamics tells PEOPLE that Guilfoyle, 55, is "very much" happy with her nomination to be Trump's U.S. ambassador to Greece an appointment that was announced on Dec. 10, one day after Don Jr., 46, was seen holding hands with Florida socialite Bettina Anderson. Since then, a political insider told PEOPLE on Dec. 11 that "Don Jr. has been dating Bettina for about six months," while another source said that "Bettina wants Kim out of the area," and that the 38-year-old and Don Jr. "are trying to send Kim abroad." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, on Dec. 12, PEOPLE learned that Guilfoyle and Don Jr. have broken up, with a family insider saying, "It's not a contentious thing. It's an amicable split." The source clarifies that Guilfoyle "is not being shunted off" to Greece. Instead, "she's being given a very plum reward." SHANNON STAPLETON/POOL/AFP via Getty; John Parra/Getty; Donald Kravitz/WireImage From Left: Donald Trump Jr.; Bettina Anderson; and Kimberly Guilfoyle From Left: Donald Trump Jr.; Bettina Anderson; and Kimberly Guilfoyle Related: Don Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson 'Waited for Election to Pass' to Nudge Kim Guilfoyle 'Out of the Area' (Exclusive) While addressing reports that Anderson and Don Jr. want Guilfoyle out of the country, the family insider says, "Do not feel sorry for her, or think she's being pushed off to the side. I'd be far from feeling sorry for her. I think she's about to catapult into her next chapter, you know, into the diplomatic world. I think that would be very rewarding for her." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It might be seen as getting her out of the way, but this one's a substantive assignment," they explain, adding later that they "have no clue" if the breakup was behind the president-elect's decision and that Guilfoyle and Don Jr. "just kind of grew apart." According to Path to Foreign Service, "Ambassadors are the highest-ranking diplomats appointed by their government to represent their country in a specific foreign country or international organization. They serve as the official spokesperson for their government and act as a direct link between their countrys leadership and the receiving country or organization." 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. When nominating Guilfoyle for the position, Trump said in a release posted to social media that he named her for the role as she's been "a close friend and ally" for "many years." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president-elect also said that Guilfoyle was "perfectly suited" to foster "strong bilateral relations with Greece, advancing our interests on issues ranging from defense cooperation to trade and economic innovation." He added, "Her extensive experience and leadership in law, media, and politics along with her sharp intellect make her supremely qualified to represent the United States, and safeguard its interests abroad." Andrew Harnik/Getty From Left: Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle on July 15, 2024 From Left: Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle on July 15, 2024 Related: Don Trump Jr. Feels Bettina Anderson 'Would Impress' Dad After Allegedly Griping About Kim Guilfoyle's Style (Exclusive) "Greece is seen as a good spot for her," the source tells PEOPLE of her appointment, adding that while it could be considered "non-strategic," "it's still something notable." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further explaining that the position "could lead to something bigger," the insider says, "I mean, if she does well, and some other ambassador departs, she could be someone to step in if she wants to pick it up. She's got that choice." "Greece won't be so crazy busy that she can't do other things," the insider continues. "It's a beautiful setting. She will be treated well." As for her connection to the White House, Guilfoyle will still be in touch with Trump, whom she has a "strong" connection with, the source says: "She's also going to be in a position to be able to communicate with the president about her perspective on what's going on in Europe." PEOPLE has attempted to reach Don Jr., Anderson and Guilfoyle for comment about where their relationships stand, and requested comment from President-elect Trump about the timing of the nomination. Read the original article on People PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A month after the first round of seasonal king tides walloped the Oregon Coast, a second round of exceptionally high tides is forecasted for the Pacific Northwest. The Oregon King Tides Project forecasts the next round of king tides to last from Dec. 13 to Dec. 15. A final round of seasonal king tides will happen in January 2025. King tides occur when the sun and moon align, adding extra gravitational pull on the Earth. That extra gravitational pull causes the Earths oceans to swell and increase the height of our tides. The science behind king tides. (NOAA) High wind warning: 70-mph gusts possible on Oregon Coast Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a king tide, ocean tides can surpass their highest daily averages by six inches or more. These tides can cause coastal flooding and hazardous beach conditions. When combined with storms or sneaker waves, king tides can be especially deadly. In this Jan. 11, 2020 photo an extreme high tide rolls in and floods parts of the harbor in Depoe Bay, Ore. during a so-called king tide that coincided with a big winter storm. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus) In the Northwest, water temperatures are frigid, and victims caught in sneakers can lose control of their limbs in a matter of seconds, the National Weather Service warns. The volume of sand, water, and gravel they carry and will deposit in an individuals clothes. Survivors have described the water-sand mix in their clothes as feeling as heavy as concrete, rendering them incapable of escaping the receding waves pulling them into the ocean. KOIN 6 has compiled a list of safe places to view the king tides in Oregon and Washington. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. James Everett Duchtske tried to assassinate Barack Obama with ricin letters in 2013. He carried out the plot to frame his associate, Paul Kevin Curtis. The wild story is the focus of the Netflix docuseries, "The Kings of Tupelo." James Everett Dutschke, a former Taekwondo instructor, sent poisoned-laced letters in an attempt to kill President Barack Obama in 2013. The failed attempt was meant to frame his associate, Paul Kevin Curtis, an Elvis impersonator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netflix explains how the bizarre set of events unfolded in its latest true crime docuseries, "The Kings of Tupelo." The three-part series is mainly told from Curtis' perspective, as he explains his belief that an illegal organ harvesting operation was being run out of a Mississippi medical center. The feud began when Dutschke refused to publish Curtis' claims in a newspaper he owned. It culminated in an April 2013 attempt kill Obama as well as Roger Wicker, a US Senator from Mississippi, and a local judge. Dutschke sent letters to the trio that were dusted with the poison ricin. James Everett Dutschke is serving a 25-year prison sentence for sending the ricin letters James Everett Dutschke and two US Marshals in 2014. Reuters GQ profiled Curtis 2013, a few months after the attempts. He told the magazine that authorities arrested him before realizing that Dutschke was actually the prepatrator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Secret Service managed to intercept the letters to Obama and Wicker. Although the letter to Holland was opened, no one was hurt. Dutschke was arrested 10 days after Curtis and charged with the attempted assassination. He struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors, agreeing to a 25-year prison sentence, with no right to appeal. He was sentenced in May 2014. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Dutschke remains incarcerated in the Tucson penitentiary and is not due for release until 2034. Read the original article on Business Insider This undated photo shows people waiting in line in front of a Mixue store in Sydney, Australia. (Xinhua) ZHENGZHOU, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Living close to Bangkok University in Thailand, Anusara Kaewusng's daily routine involves visiting one of the stores of Chinese tea beverage brand "BING CHUN" and buying two freshly made drinks. "This tastes amazing! It combines the fruity flavors of lemon and strawberry with a light tea aroma," Kaewusng said after taking a refreshing sip of a strawberry lemon tea. She considers the tasty beverage to be an integral part of her lifestyle. BING CHUN is a sub-brand owned by Henan Liangdi Catering Management Co., Ltd., headquartered in Xinxiang City, central China's Henan Province. The company has opened more than 3,000 stores globally, with about 500 located in Southeast Asia. According to Cheng Dong, chairman of BING CHUN, the brand's delicious flavors and affordable prices have caused its popularity to surge in Southeast Asia. Chinese freshly brewed tea beverage brands like Gongcha and Mixue are becoming increasingly popular in Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore. These brands have become a familiar sight on the bustling streets of major cities. Cheng stated that Southeast Asia is a key starting point for Chinese tea beverage brands expanding overseas, thanks to favorable market preferences and the strong cultural and economic ties established by the Belt and Road Initiative. "We plan to keep expanding in countries along the Belt and Road, bringing new Chinese tea drinks to more consumers," he said. The Belt and Road Initiative, introduced in 2013, includes the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It has become a key platform for international cooperation. Chen Zhenjie, vice president of the China National Food Industry Association, said that the initiative promotes the values of interconnectedness and mutual benefit. "Tea was a vital commodity on the ancient Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road. Today, Chinese freshly made tea drinks bring a new 'sweet' experience to the world, continuing the legacy of cultural exchange and goodwill," he said. According to BING CHUN's product development team, their drinks retain the essence of traditional tea while adding modern twists to meet diverse consumer preferences. By blending tea or its extracts with ingredients like juice, honey and milk, their products have become especially popular among young people. Cultural innovation also plays a significant role in the success of these brands. For example, Mixue's super IP and mascot "Snow King" has become cultural icons, transcending beverages to build loyal followings across diverse regions. By the end of 2023, global social media topics related to "Snow King" and Mixue's theme songs had garnered cumulative exposures exceeding 8.7 billion and 8.4 billion views, respectively. To support their global operations, companies have established comprehensive supply chains. According to Han Xiaoli, head of BING CHUN's supply chain division, their lemons are sourced from southwest China's Sichuan Province, known as the "Hometown of Lemons." Other ingredients like coffee, tea, mangoes and grapes also come from top production regions. Mixue leverages its global procurement network and production capabilities to adapt ingredient supply plans to local markets. With localized logistics systems, including self-operated warehouses and delivery services, it ensures a stable and reliable supply chain for its stores. At present, Chinese freshly brewed tea beverage brands are rapidly expanding their overseas presence, with the number of stores growing at an impressive rate. As of January 2024, Mixue had opened over 36,000 stores worldwide, nearly 4,000 of which are located in 11 overseas countries, including Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Australia. This makes Mixue the leading freshly brewed tea beverage brand in Southeast Asia. Similarly, HEYTEA, another popular Chinese tea beverage brand, has established locations in countries such as Britain, the United States, France and Canada. According to statistics released during this year's China-ASEAN Expo, the market size of new-style tea drinks in China reached 193.3 billion yuan (about 26.89 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 15.7 percent. The figure is expected to reach 250 billion yuan by 2025. "Tea drinks play an important role in social gatherings. Like traditional Chinese tea, they continue the legacy of cultural exchange. As global connections grow, these modern flavors will strengthen cultural bonds and share China's unique tastes with the world, "said Chen. Wealthy Miami Beach brothers Oren, Alon and Tal Alexander have been accused of raping and sex trafficking dozens of women in Miami, New York City, the Hamptons and Tulum over the last two decades. Twin brothers Oren and Alon, 37, were arrested Wednesday in Miami on sexual battery charges after two women accused Oren of rape and battery and a third woman accused them of both raping her in 2016. Alongside Tal, 38, they are also facing a federal sex-trafficking case in New York City. An attorney for two women said that 40 additional victims including a dozen from the Miami area have come forward with allegations against the brothers, some going back to their time as students at Dr. Michael M. Krop High School in the early 2000s. Have you worked in real estate with them? Gone to high school with them? Been at parties with them? Done business with them? We want to hear from you. Please fill out the form below, and one of our reporters will reach out to you. What you choose to share will be kept confidential and not published unless a reporter has gotten in touch with you. Cant see the form below? Click here to fill it out. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) More than a week after convicted killer Cesar Hernandez escaped from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation custody in Delano, officials are providing some more but not much information about the ongoing search. Hernandez escaped from corrections officers on Dec. 2. That morning, he was housed at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano and taken to the courthouse on Jefferson Street for a court hearing related to an in-prison offense. At around 10:45 a.m., CDCR officials said Hernandez evaded staff, jumped from a van and ran off. A bystander captured video of Hernandez making his run from an unidentified officer. Hernandez was out of restraints and in full sprint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WATCH: Convicted killer Cesar Hernandezs getaway captured on video The escape prompted several days of search in the surrounding area with help from surrounding law enforcement agencies including the California Highway Patrol, Delano Police Department and the Merced County Sheriffs Office. Schools in Delano were closed for two days to accommodate the law enforcement search. On Dec. 5, CDCR said Hernandez has likely fled the Delano area and the security risk had subsided. A be on the lookout alert has been issued to California law enforcement agencies. On Wednesday, CDCR provided a statement and said Hernandez was in leg and waist restraints prior to departing [Kern Valley State Prison] for a scheduled court appearance. Officials did not elaborate further in their statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CDCRs protocol includes inmates be positively identified, searched and appropriately dressed. The statement also said transport vehicles are to be searched daily. On his radio show, Ralph Bailey, said a source said Hernandez used a makeshift key to break free from those restraints. Hernandez then, reportedly, punched a guard before running through an open gate of the parking lot of the courthouse. Inmate Cesar Hernandez used self-made key to escape CDCR custody: report CDCR officials have not provided any other details of the escape and havent commented whether or not it was a planned escape. The incident remains under investigation, CDCR said in a statement Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is unlikely CDCR will provide further comment on the investigation. In the instance of escape, CDCR must strike a careful balance between providing important safety information to the public with maintaining confidentiality of sensitive investigative details, CDCR said in a statement. CDCR is fully committed to locating and apprehending Hernandez. Prison officials also said two unidentified corrections officers who transported Hernandez on Dec. 2 are still on the job, but in different roles. Inmate on the run in Delano killed a man in 2018 after leaving LA County bar Both are still correctional officers assigned to other institution positions and are working in non-transportation assignments at this time, CDCRs statement read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hernandez was serving a first-degree murder sentence of 80 years to life with the possibility of parole. Hernandez shot and killed a man near a Lynwood bar in June 2018 and had been serving the sentence since 2019 at North Kern State Prison followed by Kern Valley State Prison. The U.S. Marshals are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Cesar Hernandez. Anyone with information is asked to call 661-979-1187. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. The Kremlin said on Friday that the heavy Russian airstrikes on Ukraine overnight were its response to Kiev's use of weapons obtained from Western powers. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted a Ukrainian strike on a Russian military airport in Taganrog on Wednesday as justification, the Russian state news agency TASS reported. The Defence Ministry in Moscow wrote on Telegram that the Russian response had been to launch a massive attack on Ukraine's fuel and energy infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the overnight bombardment "one of the largest attacks on our power grid" since the start of the war in February 2022. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Moscow's military used 94 missiles and cruise missiles as well as 193 combat drones. Fridays Top Stories Fridays Five Facts [1] Albuquerque man sentenced for raping multiple women in the 90s Edward Duran, 66, was sentenced to a maximum of 270 years in prison. In the middle of his trial in May, he stopped the proceedings to plead no contest to numerous counts of criminal sexual penetration. Durans DNA was matched to six rape kits from 1990 to 1997. [2] New Mexico governor releases proposed budget for next year Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham released her spending plan for the upcoming year. It includes spending on infrastructure, early childhood services, housing assistance, and more. The budget also sets aside $172 million to give state workers a pay increase including educators. The proposed budget includes nearly $11 billion in recurring spending Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [3] Weak cold front & still dry weather With the decks of high-level clouds moving mostly to the east of the region this afternoon with the stronger upper-level west-southwesterly winds, as well as gustier westerly winds. Despite a briefly cooler air-mass through early Saturday afternoon from the Four Corners into the East Highlands, generally warmer weather will continue through the weekend as some passing upper-level clouds will continue to be a signal of stronger winds returning each other day for more areas. [4] Secretary of the Interior temporarily withdraws Pecos watershed from mining claims Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland initiated a two-year segregation period for the upper Pecos Watershed in Santa Fe. This protects about 165,000 acres of public lands from new mining claims and new federal mineral leases. The Bureau of Land Management says it is now working with the U.S. Forest Service to propose that the secretary implement a 20-year withdrawal to help secure the areas water and air quality, cultural resources, wildlife habitats and more. [5] National Hispanic Cultural Center lights up luminito The National Hispanic Cultural Center lit its luminito Thursday night. The 20-foot structure draws inspiration from luminarias/farolitos and was made as a way to honor the tradition. The cultural center hopes to make the lighting of the luminito a yearly event. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Kurdish-led forces in Syria, allied with the United States, shot down an Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone on Monday after mistakenly identifying it as a threat. Troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces, a key ally for the United States in its fight against the Islamic State, were conducting operations in the region when they downed the MQ-9, a U.S. official familiar with the situation confirmed to Defense News. How the US is countering ISIS during Syrias upheaval Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MQ-9 was operating over Syria to support the campaign against the remnants of the Islamic State, known as Operation Inherent Resolve. U.S. forces recovered the parts of the drone that needed to be salvaged and destroyed the rest, the official said. U.S. Air Forces Central [Command] is actively assessing the actions that led to the incident and will adjust tactics, techniques and procedures to safeguard U.S., coalition, and partner forces and their associated assets, the official said. The SDFs position in Syria has grown precarious in the days since the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Turkey, which borders Syria to the north, has accused the SDF of having ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which Turkey views as a terrorist group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Telegraph reported the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army began advancing toward the Syrian Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij earlier this week, before the U.S. helped broker a ceasefire between the SNA and SDF. U.S. forces, including B-52 Stratofortress bombers, A-10 Warthog attack planes and F-15 fighters, pounded 75 ISIS targets in dozens of strikes shortly after the rapid fall of the Assad regime. By Pavel Polityuk KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine, a global producer and exporter of grain and oilseeds, is ready to supply food to Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Vitaliy Koval told Reuters on Friday. Russian and Syrian sources said earlier that Russian wheat supplies to Syria had been suspended over uncertainty about the new government and payment delays. Syria imported food from Russia during the Assad era and it is unclear how relations between Damascus and Moscow will take shape under the new government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Where it is difficult, we have to be there with our food. We are open to supplying our food and if Syria needs food - then we are there," Koval told Reuters. Ukraine's exports were buffeted by Russia's February 2022 invasion, which severely reduced shipments via the Black Sea. Ukraine has since broken a de facto sea blockade and revived exports from its southern ports of Odesa. Kyiv traditionally exports wheat and corn to Middle Eastern countries, but not to Syria. Traders say that only about 6,000 metric tons of Ukrainian corn reached the Syrian market in the 2023/24 season, out of a total corn export volume of 29.4 million tons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, small parcels of Ukrainian-origin grain may have reached Syria from neighbouring countries, but not been captured by those statistics, analysts said. Since the fall of Assad, a close Russian ally, Kyiv has voiced a desire to restore relations with Syria. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Kyiv was ready "to pave the way for the restoration of relations in the future and reaffirm our support for the Syrian people." (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, editing by Tom Balmforth, Jane Merriman and Christina Fincher) Taking the train through western Tokyo, the capital undergoes a gradual, but stark transformation. The high-rise city center and its busy streets give way to increasingly peaceful suburbs, before the train windows begin to frame rural, mountainous views. Its here, in places like Lake Okutama, where Tokyoites come for natural respite, for the cherry blossom in spring and fiery foliage in autumn, or to unwind all year round with lakeside hikes, bike rides, and hot spring bathsmaybe even a spot of stand-up paddle boarding or canyoning in the rivers fed by the lake. From top down: Fukuoka - Mt. Kubote, Saga - Arita porcelain, Oita - Mt. Kirikabu, Nagasaki - Mt. Unzen peak, Kumamoto - Kurokawa town, Miyazaki - Takachiho/Hinokage Walking Course, Kagoshima - Sogi Falls. Connected via local train lines. Illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi The Okutama area and western Tokyo are easily accessible by train from central Tokyo, but thanks to Japans wider rail and air network so too is the great outdoors across Japan. That includes Kyushu, the westernmost of Japans four main islands, a place that is home to stunning natural landscapes, and also the perfect destination for bringing body, mind, and spirit together while quite literally bathing in nature. The gateway to Kyushu For many travelers, the first taste of Kyushu comes in Fukuoka Prefecture in the islands far north, where Fukuoka City is easily reached by air from Tokyo with ANA or JAL airlines in under two hours. A cosmopolitan city of around 1.65 million people, Fukuoka also serves as a jumping off point for exploring the neighboring Mt. Kubote (around 2,566 feet / 782 meters) and Mt. Inugatake (around 3,711 feet / 1,131 meters), roughly 50 kilometers to the east. This pair of peaks are especially stunning when repainted deep-red by maples and golden-yellow by gingko in autumn. In autumn, the trails around Mt. Kubote in Fukuoka Prefecture are transformed by seasonal colors. Photograph courtesy of Fukuoka Prefecture Hiking the trails here, youll be following in the footsteps of the Shugen-do ascetics, who trained and worshipped on the wooded Mt. Kubote from the 700s to the 1800s, using a complex mix of Shinto Mountain worship, Buddhism, and folk religion. Today, the peak is still topped by a small shrine, while the quiet pathways offer the chance to connect with nature like many ascetics who came before Hikes and views From Fukuoka, JR Kyushu trains and Nishi-Nippon Railroad buses make much of Kyushu accessible without having to rent a car, including Nagasaki Prefecture on the northwestern tip of the island. Like Fukuoka, Nagasaki has an eponymous main city with a charming mix of old and new, and is also surrounded by easy-to-access natural escapes, like the magnificent Mt. Unzen, which 90 years ago became Japans first national park (now called Unzen-Amakusa National Park). Arguably the best way to experience Unzen is to take the Unzen Ropeway cable car up Myoken peak (around 4,373 feet / 1,333 meters), then hike across to the Fugendake peak (around 4,459 feet / 1,359 meters), where trails deliver expansive views of the Shimabara peninsula and offer a close-up look at one of Japans newest mountains, the smoldering Heisei Shinzan (around 4,866 feet / 1,483 meters), which was created by a series of eruptions in the 1990s. Volcanically active Mt. Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture is comprised of eight rugged peaks that together offer some of the best hiking in Kyushu. Photograph courtesy of Nagasaki Prefecture Tourism Association On the east side of Kyushu, another easy-to-reach viewpoint is Mt. Kirikabu (around 2,264 feet / 690 meters) in Oita Prefecture, a flat-topped mountain that resembles a tree stump. In fact, unlike Mt. Heisei Shinzan, one legend says that Mt. Kirikabu was created not from volcanic activity, but by a giant who chopped down a mighty camphor leaving behind just this stump (kirikabu in Japanese literally means tree stump). At the top, youll find remnants of a medieval castle along with a 4.5-meter-high swing from which you can take in panoramic views over a swathe of rice paddies and the mountains beyond. Mount Kirikabu in Oita Prefecture takes its name from its appearance: It sticks up like a tree stump. Photograph courtesy of Oita Prefecture Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not all the top views in Kyushu, however, are from mountains. In Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushus south, you could stop by the Sogi Falls, aka the Niagara of the East. With a width of 690 feet (210 meters) and a height of 40 feet (12 meters), Sogi is both stunning to look at and hear, as the water thunders over the falls and leaves behind a massive spray that can cool the hottest of summer days. Its particularly attractive when cherry blossom and azalea bloom in spring, and when the surrounding forest turns red, yellow, and orange in autumn. The sight and sound of water cascading over the Sogi Falls is one of many natural wonders in Kagoshima Prefecture. Photograph courtesy of Isa City Regional Development Division Bathing in nature Alongside stunning views, Kyushu also offers travelers a variety of wellness experiences that can soothe body and mind. In Kumamoto Prefecture in the heart of Kyushu, you could spend a night in the rustic riverside hot spring town of Kurokawa Onsen, a photogenic spot home to 30 traditional ryokan inns, where guests can stay in tatami mat rooms, enjoy fine kaiseki (multi-course) dining, and bathe in indoor and outdoor hot springs. After a dip, you could slip into a yukata (cotton kimono) gown and geta sandals and leave your ryokan for a leisurely stroll, soaking up the peaceful atmosphere of the towns tree-lined streets. Among the highlights of Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture are the mineral-rich hot spring baths that come with natural views and a host of reputed health benefits. Photograph courtesy of Kumamoto Prefectural Tourism Federation Similarly, theres the town of Ureshino Onsen in Saga Prefecturebetween Fukuoka and Nagasakiwhere the hot spring baths are said to deliver skin-beautifying effects thanks to their sodium-rich water, which leaves skin feeling smooth and refreshed. To add an extra dose of healthiness, Ureshino Onsen is also known for its antioxidant-rich green tea and its yudofu (simmered tofu) meals. If you stay overnight at one of Ureshino Onsens ryokan inns, within a short drive you could tag on a visit to nearby Arita and Imari, a pair of small ceramic-making towns, known for their high-quality, handcrafted ceramics and quaint streets dotted with kilns. One of the soothing, natural hot spring baths at Ureshino Onsen in Saga Prefecture, which like much of Kyushu offers the opportunity to experience Japan off the tourist trail. Photograph courtesy of Saga Prefecture Tourism Federation Finally, Kyushu offers ample opportunities to try shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, an activity that proponents say can reduce stress and promote feelings of happiness. In Miyazaki Prefecture, you could try shinrin-yoku in the town of Hinokage, with slow walks along a network of woodland trails where you can listen to the flow of cool mountain streams and the sound of wind rustling the leaves on the trees. Other than the stretch of trail that traces the disused tracks of the Takachiho Railway, its not much different to absorbing the natural surroundings, just like generations of Kyushus Shugen-do. In Miyazaki Prefecture, a trip to Hinokage can easily be combined with the Takachiho Gorge, a river canyon where you can rent rowing boats to explore sheer, towering cliffs accented by waterfalls and lush foliage. Photograph courtesy of Miyazaki Prefecture Tourism Association Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Discover more sights and delights just a short trip from Tokyo here. The Menendez brothers lawyers narrative is absolutely wrong, according to the new Los Angeles District Attorney. Newly sworn-in Nathan Hochman told Deadline he has begun the process of diving into previously confidential files around the 1989 shotgun killings of the brothers parents, Jose and Kittyand claimed their defense counsel, top lawyer Mark Geragos, has been wrong to say their allegations of sexual abuse by their parents were not taken into account. The brothers are awaiting a decision by a judge on whether they will be resentenced, which would end their life without parole terms and replace them with sentences which offer them some possibility of freedom. They will have a hearing on it at the end of January. Erik Menendez (R) and brother Lyle listen to court proceedings in May, 1991 / Lee Celano / Reuters Hochmans predecessor as district attorney had indicated that he would seek a lesser sentence for the brothers. But Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56, had to wait to see if the new district attorney viewed their case as favorably as his predecessor. Hochman, a political moderate who had pledged to give the case an in-depth review, has now said while he does have sympathy for the pair, he views the narrative from their lawyer Mark Geragos, that the brothers were victims of sexual abuse who were not given a fair trial, as overly simplistic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with Deadline, he said:Knowing the Geragos narrative is absolutely wrong, the issues that well be looking at for the trial will be whether or not the these two young men faced an immediate threat to their life? He added, I mean, Ive been doing this for 34 years, Ive seen it. The media is in search of simple narratives, conflicting narratives, and so it adopted the Geragos narrative. Which was very smart, very creative. Its basically that the trial was all about sexual abuse, that their response was because of sexual abuse. He was referencing claims from the brothers that their crimes came about after suffering sexual abuse at the hands of their father. Hochman added: Its that a conviction was only attained because the evidence of sexual abuse didnt occur in the second trial, but occurred in the first trial, and therefore that the underlying conviction is wrong and should be fixed. Very simple narrative. What makes it a little bit more complicated? And thats why the media would have to do additional work. No offense to your profession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he will invite Geragos to his office when he gets up to speed with the files. Geragos did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment from the Daily Beast on Friday. Ive gotten access now to more and more of the files that were confidential, the transcripts from the actual trials, he said. Were looking through the testimony, as opposed to the highlights of testimony that people have been happy to share. Were looking at the law dealing with resentencing as well as the law dealing with the habeas situation. Both brothers have long claimed their father, Jose, abused them and that their mother was complicit. / A&E He said Geragos can come in and make any level presentation he wants. Ill make the same offer to any victim family member if they want a personal audience with me, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hochman did offer himself some room for maneuver, saying that the judge in the case will have huge discretion, and that rehabilitation is one of the factors he will be able to consider. And he suggested that he would present options rather than a single recommendation to the judge, saying, So, were going to go through all that evidence and weigh all the factors and ultimately come to the judge and say, to the judge, heres all the records. Here are your options. And make sure that whatever decision is ultimately made is the best-informed decision possible. His predecessor, George Gascon, pointed out in October that the brothers age at the time of the double slayingaged 21 and 18would make them eligible for immediate parole if they were to be resentenced. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has so far declined to grant a clemency petition for the brothers, despite their attorneys petitioning him to. The Democrat said hell allow Hochman to review the case before he weighs in. By Riham Alkousaa and Maria Martinez BERLIN (Reuters) - It took only a few hours after the fall of Bashar al-Assad for some German politicians to begin suggesting it was time for Germany's million Syrians many of them refugees from the 2015 war to consider returning home. But many of those same Syrians have built lives in Germany and have no intention of returning. Employers, trade unions and business associations are now speaking up to stress how much they are needed in a German economy facing deep labour shortages. "Telling people who are employed that they should go back to Syria is absolutely incomprehensible to me," said Ulrich Temps, managing director of a painting and varnishing company. "We have taken on the task of training and turning them into skilled workers," Temps told Reuters of the 12 Syrians he has hired within his nationwide workforce of 530. One of those is Mohammed Redatotonji, who came to Germany in November of 2015 as a Syrian refugee. He now lives in the northern city of Hanover with his wife, who joined him later via a family reunification program, and their three children. "I am integrated here in Germany and I have completed my training here," said Redatotonji, who was just out of high school when he left Syria. "I see my future here." Former chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to welcome over one million asylum seekers predominantly from Syria was immediately controversial in Germany and has been blamed by some for contributing to the rise of the far-right AfD party. Since then, Germany has also accepted more than 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine, while its economy is expected to contract in 2024 for the second consecutive year, being the worst performer among G7 countries. Migration now ranks as Germans' second most pressing concern ahead of federal elections in February 2025, behind the economy. With an eye to stunting the appeal of the far-right, some mainstream German politicians have even proposed paying for Syrians' flights back home. In the meantime, asylum applications from Syrians are on hold. Germany's likely next chancellor, conservative Friedrich Merz, has said the fall of Assad could be an opportunity for Syrians to return, but it is too early to make any decision. While around 500,000 remain unemployed - among them mothers with children - Syrians have helped ease labour pressures which, according to the DIHK Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have left half of companies struggling to fill vacancies. Around 43,000 Syrians are employed in a manufacturing sector which, until a recent slowdown, was long a key driver of growth. One is Salah Sadek, a firmware developer at automotive and industrial supplier Continental. DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) The Central Illinois Land Bank Authority (CILBA) has created two new affordable homeownership opportunities with the help of grants in Macon County. The grant support comes from an Illinois Housing Development Authoritys (IHDA) Strong Communities grant and the City of Decaturs American Rescue Plan funding. The opportunities came after CILBA completed another two Abandonment to Rehab projects. The projects at 475 S Crea and 1920 N Edward St. were gut renovations and will provide two new affordable homeownership opportunities in Decatur. With three homes sold so far in 2024, these are the fourth and fifth projects the Land Bank has completed to help revitalize Decaturs neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chabad Center for Jewish Life gives U of I students head start on Hanukkah celebration This partnership with the Land Bank is a great example of them leveraging more resources to scale up revitalization work in our city, said Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe. CILBA took the American Rescue Plan funds from Decatur and got an additional $337,000 grant investment from IHDA so more projects could be done. On Thursday, Decatur and Land Bank authorities showed off the rehabbed homes. They put more than 2,000 square feet of residences on display. One of the houses took 12 months to finish, and the other took about six. Were really excited and its shocking to me, said CILBA Executive Director Mike Davis. I remember walking in this house a year ago, and it looked a heck of a lot different a year ago than it does today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Champaign Co. Community Coalition highlights program success, whats to come Additional open houses for 475 S Crea and 1920 N Edward St. will take place on Sunday from 1-3 p.m. with Main Place Real Estate. Both homes are listed on MLS for sale: 475 S Crea is being listed at $125,000 and 1920 N Edward St. at $55,000. This work shows what is possible when we leverage local partnerships and funding to rebuild our neighborhoods, said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. Not only are we creating new opportunities for affordable homeownership, but we are supporting local businesses, generating tax revenue for government services and school districts, and improving the quality of life for our neighbors. For more information on Decaturs Down Payment Assistance program, contact Aaron Eubanks at 217-424-2797 or visit the City of Decaturs website. To be eligible for the citys down payment program, people must take a homeownership class and be income qualified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Community Investment Corporation of Decatur is offering these classes to support residents that want to access Decaturs down payment program. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the 35th meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the 14th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) will convene its 13th session from Dec. 21 to 25 in Beijing. The decision was made on Friday at a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, which was presided over by Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. According to the proposed session agenda, lawmakers will review draft revisions to the law on people's congress deputies, a draft value-added tax law, draft revisions to the supervision law as well as proposals submitted by NPC departments and the State Council, among others. Per the proposed agenda, lawmakers will hear a report on financial audit work, a report regarding disaster and emergency response funds, and a report on farmland protection submitted by the State Council, as well as reports submitted by the National Commission of Supervision and NPC departments, among other documents. The Friday meeting also reviewed and adopted in principle the key tasks of the NPC Standing Committee and its work plan on legislation, oversight, deputies, and external affairs for year 2025, and deliberated a report on the NPC Standing Committee's work in maintaining contacts with NPC deputies in year 2024, among others. The News The US and China have renewed a landmark science and technology cooperation agreement that lapsed earlier this year, after reworking the pact for an age of great power competition. The renegotiated agreement sets out terms for basic research cooperation between the two countries, while adding new guardrails to reduce the chance of national security risks. It does not cover research on critical or emerging technologies, the US State Department said in a statement. The agreement has symbolic weight as the first major bilateral deal inked by Beijing and Washington after the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1979. Its supporters credit it with allowing research that has reduced birth defects, created better vaccines, and limited air pollution. SIGNALS Renewal weeks before Trumps inauguration sparks Republican ire Sources: Reuters, ABC News, The Wire China Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Biden administrations decision to renew the deal has sparked outrage from Republicans, who have said the decision should have been left for the incoming Trump administration. Rep. John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House select committee on China, called the announcement a clear attempt to tie the hands of the incoming administration, Reuters reported. Republican congressman Andy Barr said the agreement had allowed for the greatest outpouring of American scientific and technology expertise in history. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. While many expect the president-elect to take a more confrontational approach to Beijing, a Crisis Group researcher argued that Donald Trump was more conciliatory toward Xi Jinping in his first term than tends to be remembered. Chinese scientists welcome the pacts renewal Sources: Nature, China-US Focus, China.com Chinese researchers welcomed the renewal of the deal, with one telling Nature that they were relieved to see the pact extended for another five years. Li Zheng of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations argued that as China has caught up to the USs level of scientific development, Washington has become increasingly suspicious about cooperation. Even so, Li called for the two countries to deepen their collaboration in non-sensitive areas such as fighting climate change and developing vaccines. One Chinese commentator expressed his frustration with US wariness about collaborating with Chinese researchers, saying: If you insist on building a small yard with a high fence, the result can only be sitting in a well and looking at the sky. US researchers defend tie-up with China despite Washingtons suspicions Sources: Center for Strategic and International Studies, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Despite the prevailing anti-China sentiment in Washington, many American scientists support the agreements renewal, arguing that it has allowed US researchers to benefit from collaborations with Chinese counterparts. It is in the United States clear self-interest to preserve the agreement, one expert argued, noting that many important science and technology breakthroughs can be linked directly to the deal. The US and China remain each others main scientific collaborators, and Chinese researchers are especially important to the US in fields such as nanoscience and telecommunications. But with several Chinese researchers having faced accusations of espionage, an increasing number of scientists fear that collaboration is no longer worth it. VIRGINIA BEACH Military aircraft flying over the Dam Neck and Croatan areas is not uncommon, but the aircraft John Knight and his son, Benjamin, saw Thursday after dark was unlike any other theyve seen. It was definitely different, said Knight, who took videos of what he thinks was a drone the size of a small truck. The Virginia Beach video adds to a litany of recent reports of strange drone sightings on the East Coast, including in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Croatan sits between two military installations: Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex and State Military Reservation (formerly Camp Pendleton), a Virginia Army National Guard facility. Knight spotted the flying object over the ocean in front of the Dam Neck Annex and watched as it slowly moved over the military reservation and behind the trees towards Owls Creek, he said. It flew like a helicopter but made no noise, Knight said. NAS Oceana, the East Coast master jet base in Virginia Beach, is aware of recent reports of drone sightings in the area and is coordinating with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of its personnel and operations, Katie Hewett, public affairs officer, wrote in an email Friday. Nothing unusual or unscheduled was detected in NAS Oceanas air space, Hewett said. The installation remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The base is encouraging members of the community to report any suspicious activity near the base to local law enforcement, Hewett said. Virginia National Guard did not have any aircraft operating in the State Military Reservation area Thursday night, according to spokesperson A.A. Cotton Puryear. Its leadership is aware of the incident, and its under investigation, Puryear said. Knight submitted the videos Thursday night to the FBI tip line. A large number of unidentified drones have been spotted at locations across New Jersey in recent weeks, stoking speculation of what they could be and whos behind them. On Thursday, there were more reports of the objects flying over Pennsylvania and New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Homeland Security and FBI said Thursday they have no evidence that the reported drone sightings in New Jersey pose a national security or a public safety threat. However, state and local officials are pushing for more transparency. The FBI has asked residents to share videos, photos and other information they may have about the drones. Knight, who lives three blocks from the ocean in the Croatan neighborhood, was on his deck when he saw the red flashing lights in the sky. The Knights can be heard discussing the aircraft in the video. That looks like a saucer, Knights son says. Why is it slanted like that? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In another video, Knight says, Its moving super slow, and You can barely hear it. This week, several people in Yorktown and at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront reported seeing erratic patterns in the sky at night, sharing videos in Facebook groups. This isnt the first time unidentified aircraft have been seen in Virginias skies. In October, the Pentagon confirmed news reports of unidentified drones swarming the airspace at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton in December 2023. According to reports, a fleet of up to a dozen drones swarmed the airspace above Langley and other Hampton locations such as Gosnolds Hope Park, Buckroe Beach and Grandview Nature Preserve. The drones also flew south across the Chesapeake Bay toward Norfolk. Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Clark County District Court judge found a man accused of severely abusing his children competent to proceed in his criminal case Friday. Travis Doss, who attempted to be a rapper under the name Trap Montana, before his arrest, appeared virtually for the court hearing while in custody. Judge Christy Craig said she based her decision on evaluations from three medical professionals. She previously found Doss not competent, as in not capable of understanding the charges against him and unable to assist his lawyer in his defense on July 31. She sent Doss to a behavioral health facility identified in court documents as Lakes Crossing Center in Washoe County. A grand jury indicted Doss on 38 counts of child abuse, two counts related to first-degree kidnapping, one count of sex trafficking, and one count of living off the earnings of a prostitute last year. A photo of a dog cage as shown to a grand jury where police said they found two children, one with severe injuries. (KLAS) Las Vegas Metro police found six children home alone while two of them were locked in a dog cage in June 2023, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. The oldest child was 11. Body camera video showed officers rescuing the children who all showed signs of abuse. Allegations dated back to 2019, according to the Clark County District Attorneys office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family of nine lived in a one-bedroom extended-stay unit. Doss previously pleaded not guilty. His wife, Amanda Stamper, 33, had called 911, which led to the childrens rescue. Stamper was also arrested. Stamper, the stepmother to the six victims, was sentenced to 7-18 years in prison for failing to intervene to protect the children last February. Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Dena Rinetti said Doss kept one of the children locked in a dog cage for five days while also starving him. The child was severely malnourished. Stamper pleaded guilty to three felony counts of child abuse, neglect/endangerment in December. A grand jury in Clark County previously indicted Stamper on seven counts of felony child abuse and neglect. Travis Doss, 31; and Amanda Stamper, 33, shared a residence near Flamingo Road and Valley View Boulevard, records showed. (LVMPD/KLAS) Stamper and Doss had one child together at the time of their arrests. Stamper gave birth to another child last December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stamper said Doss also abused her. She was identified as a victim in his separate sex trafficking case. Rinetti pointed out that Doss had access to a vehicle and the opportunity to leave the home and call police or Child Protective Services. Doss had even texted Stamper a photo of one of the children who appeared to be dead saying that he killed him, according to Rinetti. The child survived. However, Stamper only called 911 after Doss had been cheating on her and she had sent Doss nearly 100 unanswered text messages, Rinetti said. Stamper and Doss both had criminal histories when they were arrested. There was an active warrant for Doss out of South Carolina. He was wanted for aggravated assault, according to North Myrtle Beach Police. Two days before the warrant for Doss was issued in January, Stamper was arrested, according to police. This was in connection to a warrant for violating federal probation related to drug charges in Tennessee, police said. During one court hearing, Doss shook his head at 8 News Nows camera and tried to hide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doss is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 19. He is currently being held in jail, according to records. To report child abuse, visit the DCFS website. To reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline, call: 800-799-7233. For a list of local and state resources for domestic violence and abuse victims, visit this link. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Las Vegas man was sentenced to a minimum of six years in prison for a conviction on sexual assault and coercion charges, the Nevada Attorney Generals Office announced on Thursday. Justin King, 37, was prosecuted by the state because of a conflict of interest with the Clark County District Attorneys Office. King is the son-in-law of an employee in the DAs office, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal report. King was found guilty of the charges both category B felonies. The sentence calls for six to 20 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was arrested on May 30, 2023, after he offered a ride to the victim near Fremont Street, according to a news release from Nevada Attorney General Aaron Fords office. When she accepted, he used the pretext to kidnap her and attempt to sexually assault her, according to the AGs office. Justice has been served with this sentence, Ford said. Our thoughts are with the victim as she navigates the aftermath of this traumatic event and I sincerely hope that this decision is helpful in her journey to heal. Crimes like these, which mortify those of us with a heart, cannot go unpunished. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Metro police revealed Thursday what happened at a south valley resort moments before the fatal shooting of an armed man who was barricaded in a room. It happened on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. when officers received a call of a suicide attempt at the South Point resort in the 9700 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard. The officer involved in the shooting was identified as LVMPD SWAT Officer Zachary Adam, 45, who has been with the department since 2006. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police investigation revealed that Adam fired one round with a rifle. Asst. Sheriff Dori Koren identified the victim as Cesar Reyes II, 26. Reyes was armed with a shotgun and a semi-automatic handgun. Police investigate officer shooting after barricade at south Las Vegas hotel Reyess family initially contacted hotel staff and requested a welfare check after they found a suicide note left at his home in California, Koren said. Hotel security knocked on Reyes door but did not get a response. Upon entering, they found the safety latch on the door was in use and that is when staff reported hearing the sound of a firearm being racked inside the room. The hotel staff then called the police for assistance, according to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When officers arrived, they attempted to contact Reyes, but he did not respond for several hours. Police then deemed the situation a barricade and a SWAT team moved in to assist. An explosive device was used by SWAT officers to open the door. When the door finally opened Reyes was seen armed and attempting to run out of the room and into the hallway, police said. As he was seen running out of the room he then tripped over a police robot which caused him to drop his shotgun. Reyes then picked up his shotgun and ran toward Adam and his partner, according to police. A photo of the guns found in Cesar Reyess possession. (KLAS) Officers gave Reyes multiple commands for Reyes to drop his weapon but he continued to approach them. Adam fired one round that struck Reyes and brought him to the ground. He was then taken into custody and given medical aid but he was pronounced dead moments later, police stated. Las Vegas police officer identified in deadly hotel shooting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Had Reyes survived, he would have been charged with two counts of assault on a protective person with a deadly weapon and one count of resisting an officer with a firearm. The shooting is the 16th officer-involved shooting and the 9th fatal shooting of the year for LVMPD. At this same time in 2023, eight officer-involved shootings had taken place, three of which were fatal and five were non-fatal. If someone is experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm or knows someone who is, contact the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 9-8-8. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Dec. 12A last-ditch effort to pass legislation that would block local and state police from both enforcing and helping to enforce federal gun restrictions failed in the Ohio House Wednesday following hours of behind-closed-door deliberations among its Republican supermajority. The Ohio House voted 56-to-35 to table a proposed amendment that would have folded in the Second Amendment Preservation Act, or SAPA a piece of legislation that had stalled in the House for nearly a year due to a lack of support into a separate gun-related measure that had majority support. SAPA aims to prohibit "a public office, public officer, or employee of the state or a political subdivision from enforcing federal law regarding firearms," according to the House's nonpartisan analysis of the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Infractions of SAPA's rules would open individual officers, and the local governments that employ them, to $50,000 in civil penalties for being found to enforce federal gun regulations. The idea was first introduced to the Ohio House through H.B. 51, which cleared its committee but was never brought to the floor for an outright vote following firm opposition from Ohio's prosecutors and police. Throughout its legislative journey, local law enforcement argued that SAPA's proposed rules and strict penalties would create a chilling effect that would, in effect, entirely dissuade Ohio's state and local law enforcement agencies from partaking in both local-federal task forces and joint investigations that deal with federal gun laws. Bill backers contended that SAPA would allow local law enforcement to partake in those activities as long as the federal gun regulation was in some way related to an underlying crime. But, pushes from prosecutors and various lawmakers to get an official clarification in writing were fruitless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The issue for us is that because it's not clear, we've got to risk this lawsuit," Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association Executive Director Lou Tobin told this outlet in December 2023. "(In order) to tell local law enforcement that they can cooperate, we've got to risk this lawsuit, and we just don't know. And so the prosecutors' advice is going to have to be just to err on the side of caution." The amendment ultimately failed on the back of arguments made by Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, who at one time was a proponent of SAPA but urged his colleagues Wednesday to vote against the amendment based on the fact that the Senate would not have any time to actually vet it. "I contacted the Senate repeatedly today ... and got a clear and unequivocal statement from their policy director, from the member of their current leadership and from the president himself, that (they) are not going to consider this bill at all if this amendment goes into it," said Seitz. Seitz, the outgoing majority floor leader, also questioned why SAPA was never given the simple clarifying amendment it needed to attract majority support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outgoing House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, supported SAPA and made the ultimate decision to allow the vote to happen, which resulted in a rejection that is rarely seen in the Statehouse. Stephens told reporters after the vote that he felt it was worth a shot. "At the end of the day, we wanted to make sure everybody understood what the vote was and what the discussion was. Sometimes, in a legislature you just have to go our and have a vote, so that's what we did," Stephens. Before the vote, Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told reporters that he holds similar views on the bill to that of Rep. Cindy Abrams, R-Harrison, a former Cincinnati cop who vehemently opposes H.B. 51. "Her explanation, which I think is a legitimate concern, is that it would remove federal law enforcement from being able to cooperate with local law enforcement. Especially in smaller counties, there are places where local law enforcement they don't have, for example, the investigative ability, the forensic ability to analyze a lot of crimes," Huffman told reporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't know about the details of it, but anything, I think, when we have serious crimes, when we have murders and gang activity, especially with our immigration issues right now, that removes the ability to have folks come in and take care of that, I think we have to have a lot of concern," Huffman said. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below. Loading... A Northern California child who consumed raw milk and became severely ill did not have the bird flu virus, according to tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said Thursday that it found no evidence in the child of the H5N1 virus or any flu virus. The sample was negative for all flu targets, Kevin Griffis, director of the CDCs office of communications, told STAT, a subscription-based news publication that focuses on biopharma and the life sciences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Times has been unable to confirm the finding, despite requests for information. Last month, the child a toddler had been visiting relatives in Marin County with family, according to Lisa Santora, the director of Marin Health and Human Services. The child's mother purchased Raw Farm raw milk, mistaking it for unhomogenized or cream top pasteurized milk. Last week, raw milk sales from Fresno-based Raw Farm were suspended after samples taken from products on retail store shelves and from the farm tested positive for H5N1. It is unclear how many people have consumed the recalled and suspended milk products, but the owner of the farm, Mark McAfee, estimates the products may have reached 90,000 customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The child developed a high fever and after three days of vomiting was taken to the emergency room, where the child was swabbed nasally for influenza. The rapid test was negative. The following day, health officials upon learning of the raw milk consumption contacted the child's family, and an oral swab was performed. This one tested positive for Influenza A. Officials tested the child's family too; all tested negative for Influenza A. Influenza A viruses include many human seasonal flu viruses, as well as H5N1. That sample was preserved in a medium and sent to a local lab for testing, as well as to a state lab. Neither lab could find virus in the sample there was too little virus present, said Santora, resulting in what's called a "flat negative." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A sample was also sent to the CDC, where investigators could not identify the H5N1 virus, or any influenza virus, according to STAT. There have been 58 cases of human-acquired H5N1 bird flu in the United States since March 2024, when the virus was first reported in dairy cows. Most of these cases involve dairy or poultry workers who worked with infected animals. In November, another California child, from Alameda County, was found to have the virus. That child had mild symptoms, and it was unclear how the virus was acquired. CDC testing of a sample from that child showed similarities in genetic sequencing to the H5N1 flu virus circulating in dairy cows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one has yet reported H5N1 infection from drinking raw milk. However, on Thursday, Los Angeles County health officials announced that two cats had died after consuming recalled raw milk from Raw Farm. Since the beginning of the dairy outbreak in March, several cats have died from drinking raw milk. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) The Rio Arriba and Taos Sheriffs Offices and New Mexico State Police raided the Rio Arriba County Jail on Monday to crack down on drug smuggling into the facility. The raid was the result of a year-long investigation after there were a large amount of reported overdose deaths at the jail. Proposed solar project in Sandoval County faces backlash Law enforcement found a slew of drugs including fentanyl, suboxone strips as well as suspected meth and other unidentified pills. Police found those drugs in both inmate cells and areas that only employees have access to. No one has been charged yet but three jail guards were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. RONAOKE, Va. (WFXR) The Roanoke Police Department has announced a two-day joint operation with the US Marshals Service in NW Roanoke has resulted in over 70 arrests and eight protective orders being served. On December 3 and 4, RPD and USMS conducted a warrant search operation that targeted fugitives in the City of Roanoke. While serving the warrants, 79 arrests were made, including 46 on pick-up warrants, and 33 for permitted warrants. Man convicted in Roanoke court for 2023 double murder case Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, eight emergency protective orders were served. The joint operation also included the Virginia State Police, the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, Botetourt County Sheriffs Office, Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, Bedford Police Department, and the Roanoke City Sheriffs Office. The Roanoke Police Department would like to thank the United States Marshalls Service for their sponsorship of this operation and their continued partnership. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. multinational technology company Amazon.com is planning a donation of 1 million U.S. dollars to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, as founder Jeff Bezos and other tech leaders shore up ties with the incoming administration, said The Wall Street Journal on Friday. The donation is being prepared as Bezos, Amazon's executive chairman, is slated to visit Trump next week at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, noted the report. "Tech companies have been the target of intense criticism by Trump and his allies, and other tech leaders have hastened to smooth ties with him," said the report. Bezos and the company decided on the contribution earlier this week, and communicated it to Trump's team. "Bezos is donating through Amazon," according to a person close to Bezos. Mark Zuckerberg has also directed Meta Platforms to make a 1-million-dollar contribution to Trump's inaugural fund. A U.S. senator has joined the shoot first, ask questions later camp in response to mysterious drones haunting Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy and his New Jersey neighbors. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (R-CT) said the UFOs should be shot down, if necessary, even though its not clear where the drones come from or if theyre even unmanned aircraft. We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if theyre flying over airports or military bases, he said Thursday, according to the AP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby did little to clear up questions about the drones, which have been baffling residents of the mid-Atlantic region since November. We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus, Kirby told reporters at the White House. But the government still doesnt seem to know where the drones are coming from. Law enforcement officials have not been able to corroborate a single drone sighting despite using sophisticated electronic detection technology, Kirby said. Based on photo and video evidence, many of the reports of UFOs are really just manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But witnesses like Doocy insist the drones have been hovering over their homes at low altitudes. The drones were also reported near the U.S. military research and manufacturing facility Picatinny Arsenal. The Pentagon has said theyre not U.S. military drones, according to the AP. Thats opened the door for conspiracy theories to flourish among pundits, internet sleuths, and lawmakers alike. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) has already called for the drones to be shot down, and Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade has gallantly offered to be the one to do it. Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy has been tormented by the mysterious drones. / Theo Wargo/Getty Images Shooting them down seems a bit harsh, though. With Americans divided over politics, media and even assassination suspects, the one thing we can all agree on is the need for a good Christmas mystery. In 2021, New Hampshire lawmakers lengthened the statute of limitations for civil action for those harmed by PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, from three years to six. (Getty Images) How much time should those harmed by a persistent class of man-made chemicals have to sue polluters? Thats the question lawmakers will consider in the legislative session that kicks off in January. In 2021, they lengthened the statute of limitations for civil action for those harmed by PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, from three years to six. But some say that is still far too short for the chemicals that break down incredibly slowly and are linked to serious health problems, including some cancers, high cholesterol, and reproductive and fetal development issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some in the state have suffered from acute exposure, like those affected by emissions from Pease Air Force Base on the Seacoast or the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics plant in Merrimack. But almost all Americans have PFAS in their blood, with the chemicals found in a wide range of consumer and industrial products, including food packaging, waterproof mascara, clothing, and more. (Lawmakers successfully moved this year to ban a number of those products from sale in the state starting in 2027.) It takes a long time to recognize that health problems are related to this, said Rep. Suzanne Vail, a Nashua Democrat who brought the legislation in 2021 and is raising the issue again in the upcoming session. It takes a long time once you realize youre exposed to learn and explore and find out what the consequences to you, your family, and your property have been. Vail and Reps. Wendy Thomas and Nancy Murphy, Merrimack Democrats who will co-sponsor the bill, said they favor doing away with the statute of limitations entirely. However, Vail said she plans to work with lawmakers to find an agreeable time frame that will pass the Legislature. That number should be absolutely more than a decade, she said. In the legislative makeup that we have this term, Thomas said in reference to expanded Republican control of both chambers, it might make sense to push it out to maybe 10 or 12 years or whatever, which would buy us time to get more science, and we can then extend it even further, if we if we want to, or if we can. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chemicals can accumulate in the body slowly over time, and not all are aware of the role the chemicals can play in certain health issues. Scientific understanding of how PFAS chemicals affect health is also still evolving. Five years ago there was no causal relationship established between kidney cancer and PFOA, Murphy said of one type of PFAS. There is now. I think this great effort has been made by polluters and their lobbyists to distance exposure from outcomes, and thats intentional and purely meant to protect them from liability, so they dont want those links to be made, Murphy said. The challenge that we have is that the science takes a while to catch up. Vail sponsored a bill last session that would have eliminated the statute of limitations for PFAS exposure. It was sent to interim study, where the House Judiciary Committee recommended this fall on a 16-1 vote, and without in any way endorsing or not endorsing the elimination of the statute of limitations for these claims that the Legislature should again consider the issue of handling claims arising from PFAS contamination. PFAS have been a particular problem in southern New Hampshire and, because of the chemicals persistence in the environment and human bodies, are poised to remain so. Saint-Gobain, as part of an agreement with the state, has offered bottled water and more permanent drinking water solutions, such as water line connections and treatment systems, to more than 1,800 properties near its plant that tested above PFAS standards, according to the Department of Environmental Services. Meanwhile, Merrimack residents have paid millions to get PFAS out of their public drinking water, and some residents have health issues that they attribute to the exposure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At what exact point the timer begins for civil action is also a point lawmakers hope is eased by lengthening, if not outright eliminating, the statute of limitations. Current law says the six-year clock for civil action begins on the date when the plaintiff discovers, or in the exercise of reasonable diligence should have discovered, such harm, injury, or damages and the causal relationship of an act or omission to such harm, injury or damages. If someone came to your door in 2017 and told you that you have PFAS in your water and that you shouldnt be drinking it, and there will be additional water delivered to your home, or the town is working on it, whatever happened, is that when the clock started ticking? Vail said. If the person left your door, and you said, I have kidney cancer. The day you discover your kidney cancer, is that the day the clock starts ticking? Or does it start ticking when all of the mess is cleaned up? She wants to make sure those who have been harmed by PFAS are not prevented from taking action. We dont preclude anyone not a state, a village water supply we just dont want to exclude anyone from being able to do this, Vail said, because we just believe that is far more widespread than we can determine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murphy said corporations will seek to limit the amount of time they can be held liable under the law, but pointed to the steep price in health and dollars her community and others have paid. The costs of this exposure is borne, as it always has been, by those living in contaminated communities, Murphy said. Were paying to filter our water in our homes. Were paying to to filter our public water through our water bills. Were paying health premiums to deal with the health issues that are known to be associated with that exposure. So ultimately, its the citizens that are bearing the costs of this exposure. And, you know, I fear that it will be some time before the polluters and their lobbyists are held responsible for what theyve done. Sample ballots for the 2024 primary in Hudson County show an office-block layout for the Democratic race (top) and New Jersey's unique county-line ballot for the GOP primary. A special legislative committee focused on ballot design held what may be its last hearing Thursday before the panel votes to advance a bill codifying new ballot rules Monday, with much focus left to bracketing and a controversial provision that lawmakers said would not make it into the final version of the legislation. As written, the bill would bar candidates from using the names of major political parties in their slogans without the consent of county party organizations in their county. Advocates chaffed at that proposed restriction, calling it an effort to revive the controversial county-line system in all but name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kate Delaney, president of South Jersey Progressive Democrats, noted the provision would bar candidates backed by her group from using its name as their slogan. This would, in essence, do what the line has done all these years: Set up one side of Democrats as the real Democrats and the others, in some way, as a cheap knockoff version, Delaney said. Assemblyman Al Barlas (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor) Assemblyman Al Barlas (R-Essex), the panels Republican co-chair, said that language was meant to preserve the slogans of existing groups political parties and others and would see changes before the bill came up for a vote on Monday. The intent here is to preserve those who maintain certain names and also to ensure that folks that may be nefarious in intent dont try to portray themselves as something that they are not, Barlas said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committee is tasked with exploring options for updated ballot designs after a federal judge ruled New Jerseys system of county lines, which group candidates backed by party organizations on primary ballots, is likely unconstitutional and ordered the use of office-block ballots, which group candidates by the office they are seeking instead. Most witnesses who spoke Thursday urged the committee to rewrite provisions in the bill that would allow candidates in races with multiple seats for Assembly, county commission, and certain local offices, among others to be placed on the ballot as a group rather than individually. Henal Patel, law and policy director for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, noted that experts in cases challenging county-line ballots presented significant evidence about the negative impact that grouping candidates has on voter choice. Any new ballot design should not allow for any grouping or association on the ballot, Patel said. New Jerseys new primary ballot design should aim to be neutral. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patel and others said ballot draws should be conducted randomly for each candidate and election clerks should shift candidates ballot position in each voting precinct to ensure none enjoy a benefit from being placed at the top of their office block. The state should move to modernize its ballot draw process and replace hand draws used to determine ballot positions under current law, said Peter Chen, a senior policy analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective. Whether or not that randomization, rotation goes to a precinct level, I think we can say holding the box over your head and shaking it is not the most efficient way to do this, Chen said. Jill LaZare, a former State Senate and Assembly candidate who is now president of New Jerseys branch of the National Organization of Women, argued against rotating ballot positions, charging it would make it more difficult for candidates to inform voters how they can find them when voting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though lawmakers did not indicate whether they would move away from allowing bracketing, Barlas said because of procurement rules, computerized ballot draws and rotating ballot positions would not be feasible for the states 2025 primaries. Next year, the governors race and all 80 Assembly seats will be on the ballot. Advocates praised other provisions in the bill, lauding lawmakers for provisions barring incongruous ballot positions for candidates seeking the same office a practice called ballot Siberia under the county-line system and barring markers denoting a candidates incumbency. I appreciate the effort here to do the work to get this right. There are some things that are right, and there are still some things we think should be improved on. And we appreciate the opportunity that this is for discussion so that those things can happen., said Maura Collinsgru, director of policy and advocacy for New Jersey Citizen Action. The Senate has not held hearings on ballot design, and party leaders in that chamber have largely remained silent on the work being done in the lower chamber. Wimberly signaled the Senate has not stayed uninvolved in the process. I think the Senate has listened in carefully. I think they will address it, he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is furious, after health insurance company Anthem planned a policy change that would cut the length of time anesthesia can be covered during medical procedures. Can you imagine what that would mean? Nobody can afford anesthesia on their own. Its thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars, Hawley said. The change would have hit patients in Missouri, Connecticut and New York. Anthem walked back the change after a wave of outrage, but Hawley and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) want more from the health insurance giant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anthem has scared a lot of people with these draconian restrictions on how long anesthesia service will be covered for surgeries, Blumenthal said. They sent a letter to the CEO of Anthems parent company, wanting to make sure it never moves forward with the policy. They may have said theyre walking back, but were demanding a commitment from them in writing. In fact, they are disowning this policy, and they will not impose these draconian, arbitrary restrictions, Blumenthal said. Theyre not alone. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) says some of these health insurance companies are trying to take advantage of patients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are not supporting communities and families, and I have very serious concerns about them, Gillibrand said. In a statement, Anthems parent company, Elevance, said it never planned nor will we ever put a policy in place to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. We will work directly with the senators to set the record straight. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. PEA RIDGE Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Three years later and the legacy of late officer Kevin Apple continues to live on across Northwest Arkansas. December 12 was declared Kevin Apple Day by Pea Ridge Mayor Mary J. Crabtree in 2021 and surrounding communities honor the officer whose badge number was 1212. We have a special day of the year to honor Kevins sacrifice. And its very important to the police department and to the police officers and to our community that we keep Kevins memory alive, said Chief Lynn Hahn who served as chief of Pea Ridge over the late officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June of 2021, Apple attempted to stop a driver being pursued by the Rogers Police Department, ending in the officer being hit and killed by the driver. Kevin Apple, Pea Ridge patrol officer for three years, was seen as a jokester among his peers and became a well-known figure in the community for his lighthearted nature. Hahn described Kevin as the guy with jokes but also as one of the most compassionate officers the department had. Known in the community as someone to be relied upon, Apple didnt look to receive recognition for all the work he did, he simply understood the importance of giving back and serving his community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of stories we didnt even know he was doing behind the scenes until after the fact, when people would come forward and say, you know, Apple took care of me,' officer Cassey McCain said. McCain remarked on the stories they heard of those who came forward from helping mow lawns to checking in on an elderly lady he knew was alone. Officer Kevin Apple memorial celebrates his life In response to his passing, the Pea Ridge Police Department placed his patrol car in front of its building, where people paid their respects with flowers and other items. In the same year, Highway 72 was renamed in his honor to Officer Kevin Apple Memorial Highway. Since Apples passing, Hahn removed the badge number 1212 from the system, reserving the badge number for the late officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pea Ridge community honors Apple through a yearly candlelight vigil on the day of the officers death at his memorial outside the White Oak Gas Station where the incident happened. But the recognition of Apple doesnt end there. On December 12, the residents of Pea Ridge light their homes blue to remember Apple. If you drive around at night, youll see a lot of blue lights on even though its Christmas time. Therere extra blue lights all throughout the year, Chief Hahn said. This year, Ace Hardware gave out a free blue bulb to each household that came in for one in preparation for the city-wide holiday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pea Ridge city council hosts an annual blood drive, to remember Apples giving heart and believes that the late officer would be proud of the communitys action. Kevin Apples legacy doesnt stop in Pea Ridge; his passing rocked Northwest Arkansas. Now, police academies in the NWA region honor Apple through a 1212 workout where those training and invited officers have the chance to participate in a fitness challenge for Apple. As of February 2024, the person behind the wheel was sentenced to life in prison without parole. I think its really put a closure on things for everyone and I know that everyone is really happy with the outcome of that. Now everyone knows we can move forward and just honor him, said McCain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the first year that Pea Ridge and the Northwest Arkansas community will honor Kevin Apple knowing justice was served. The name Kevin Apple lives on across the region. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. Joe Raedle/Getty Images A five-bill package prohibiting landlords from using a renters source of income as a reason to deny them occupancy is on its way to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after the final two bills passed the Michigan Senate this week. Senate Bills 205, 206 and 207, along with House Bills 4062 and 4063 prohibit landlords with five or more rental units from denying prospective renters because of their use of housing vouchers or other subsidies to pay rent, with options to file for damages as well as a discrimination complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate bills had previously been approved by both chambers, but were tie-barred to the two House bills, which passed the upper chamber late Wednesday afternoon during a lengthy day of deliberations, conferences and floor debate during the final days of the lame duck session. HB 4062, sponsored by state Rep. Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor Twp.), allows landlords who use source of income as a determinant to be subject to civil litigation, while HB 4063, sponsored by state Rep. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor), added source of income to the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) so that a complaint could then be filed with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Prior to passage, state Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake Twp.) spoke in opposition, saying the bills would place landlords in the position of being forced to rent to people that he asserted would not necessarily be as responsible as those who used earned wages to pay their rent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adding source of income means that you cannot discriminate if you have a government check that is going to pay for this, for somebody who may never have paid a rent in their life, who may never have paid a utility in their life. And you think, That cant happen. Oh, yes it does. Theres a lot of these vouchers, a person has never paid a dime, Runestad said. State Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) speaks against legislation barring income-based housing discrimination. Dec. 11, 2024. Screenshot And if youve ever handed your keys to a brand new car to your 16-year-old, they just have their drivers license and they dont pay for the maintenance and the insurance and the wrecks and all of that stuff, and think theyre going to maintain that car the way the kid does who goes out and earns the money and takes care of that car, youd understand what these landlords are going through, said Runestad. State Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) rose and vociferously condemned those remarks as being out of touch with the plight of many Michiganders. Listen to how he [Runestad] talks about people who are struggling to pay their bills in a tough economic environment. Were talking about kids. Were talking about single moms who might need to reach out and get a little bit of support from the state to help pay their rent. But what do we hear on the floor of the Senate from Republicans? What we hear is people talking down to folks who are struggling, people trying to push them down further. people trying to contribute to this false and destructive narrative, said Irwin. The people who arent winning in this winner take all economy are somehow unworthy or somehow not good enough to enjoy shelter, food on their table and a decent life. State Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) speaks in favor of legislation barring income-based housing discrimination. Dec. 11, 2024. Screenshot We should be fighting for the dignity of every Michiganander and its these kind of comments that caused me to rise and say, think about how were looking at the others around us. Think about how were taking care of the least among us and then check your heart and see if what youre doing aligns with the values that you tell people when youre out running for election, Irwin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also speaking in support was the Michigan League for Public Policy, whose president and CEO, Monique Stanton, issued a statement following passage. People think of housing discrimination as being only a part of our history, but its very much alive and well when landlords can turn potential tenants away from safe and affordable housing based solely on the way they plan to pay their rent, said Stanton. Stanton added that rejection rates for Housing Choice Vouchers and other non-wage sources of income have been shown to be highest in more affluent neighborhoods. its clear that a lack of statewide regulations on source-of-income discrimination has made it difficult for families with low incomes to secure housing in areas with higher-performing schools and fewer environmental threats. With these new, much-needed statewide regulations in place, we can ensure that more Michigan families are able to raise their kids in environments where they can grow up strong and be successful later on in life, she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) A request that more than 6.7 billion gallons a year of Missouri River be reserved for future use by people in western South Dakota is heading to the Legislature for state lawmakers to consider in 2025. Western Dakota Regional Water System wants to reserve 20,765 acre-feet of water annually. The amount is based on preliminary water demand projections through the year 2080. Western Dakota, based in Rapid City, applied to the state Water Management Board for the future-use permit. The state board last week voted to present Western Dakotas request to the Legislature for approval. The process is required by South Dakota law for any appropriation exceeding 10,000 acre feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state board on Wednesday morning held a special meeting to approve the minutes from the December 4 meeting. Those minutes will be part of the packet forwarded to the Legislature for consideration. Noem recommends $10 million cut to SD universities Should the Legislature adopt a resolution of approval, the state board then would schedule a formal evidentiary hearing on the Western Dakota future-use application. Earlier this year, the Legislature adopted a resolution approving a future-use permit for 19,121 acre feet of water from the Missouri: Elk Point Aquifer in southeastern South Dakota sought by Lewis & Clark Regional Water System. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the state board does grant the future-use permit sought by Western Dakota, the state board under South Dakota law must then review it every seven years. But what also must happen is that Western Dakota receive the funding to pipe the water. When Western Dakota does decide its ready to begin putting water from the Missouri River to beneficial use, Western Dakota would then need to file a second application, and the state board would formally consider the matter a second time. According to Western Dakota executive director Cheryl Chapman, obtaining a future-use permit is essential for meeting the regions long-term water needs. The support of the Legislature and Water Management Board will be crucial to making this vision a reality, she said in a message on Western Dakotas website. Transporting the water will be expensive. In 2022, Republican Sen. Helene Duhamel introduced legislation seeking $100 million to pay for for the engineering, design, and preconstruction activities. The money was to come from South Dakotas share of federal COVID-19 aid. The Senate eventually voted for $50 million but the House fell two supporters short. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. To the editor: Don't kill insurance CEOs. Kill the medical insurance "industry" that has weaseled its way between doctors and patients. This fake industry is unnecessary, parasitical and massively harmful. ("Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcares CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse," Dec. 10) Many civilized nations don't even have private medical insurance, except at the margins and mainly for the rich. Socialized medicine and single-payer systems provide far better care at far less cost. My family can personally attest to the superiority of universal systems. In 2013, while on vacation in Paris, our teenage daughter complained of pain in her abdomen, so we took her to the nearest hospital. They examined her and told us she needed an emergency appendectomy, which they scheduled for that evening. They kept her for three days (in a private room, no less). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When they were ready to release her, they said apologetically, "Since you are not French citizens, when you come back in three days to have the stitches removed, you will need to meet with our financial officer to arrange payment." That was the first time anyone mentioned money or insurance. The hospital billed us 6,000 Euros for the surgery and hospitalization. Our New York doctor told us the bill here would have been at least $35,000. The French have healthcare, not profit care. What America needs do is abolish the entire parasitical medical insurance "industry" and replace it with Medicare for all. Richard Smith, New York Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement .. To the editor: The recent killing of the UnitedHealthcare chief executive is drawing comparisons between our "private" system and countries that have "universal" healthcare. For anyone who thinks their systems are superior, I suggest a five-year stay for the citizen's experience. First and foremost, healthcare is not free anywhere. In countries that have universal healthcare, the cost is paid by everyone through taxes. If you think our taxes are high, theirs are higher to pay for all of those "free" services. Lower-income people benefit the most, the wealthy don't care, and the middle gets shafted that's socialism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, it may come as a shock to many that hospitals typically operate with a profit margin of 5%. Most successful businesses operate with much higher profit margins, so they're not in it to make fortunes. Finally, Luigi Mangione allegedly tossed his future away by killing a man who had nothing to do with his particular grievance (treatment of a back injury). That's idiotic. Could it be that simple? Arthur Saginian, Santa Clarita .. To the editor: If anyone questions the veracity of Mangione's written statements about Americas expensive healthcare system and lower life expectancy, please review data presented in graphs and written summaries in the Commonwealth Funds report, "Mirror, Mirror 2024: A Portrait of the Failing U.S. Health System." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the United States in 2023, healthcare spending as a percentage of our gross domestic product was 16.5%, with the nine other wealthy countries to which we were compared showing percentages ranging from 11.9% in France to 9.8% in Australia. Life expectancy was more than four years below the 10-country average, with the U.S. ranking last. Americans pay insurance premiums, deductibles, co-insurance and copays. When coverage is denied, many of us have medical debt and bankruptcy. Insurance companies are ripping us off as shown by our health outcomes not reflecting the costs we pay. Carol Fodera, La Crescenta This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. In the semipermanent aftermath of another electoral defeat at the hands of Donald Trump, Democratic pundits and elected officials have appropriated Harriss loss as a justification for rejecting positions opposed by the electoral majority essential to win, whether thats big corporations, rich donors, nonprofits, whoever. Or so they occasionally say! That specific wording came from Pod Save Americas Jon Favreau, who has since somewhat walked back the statement after lots of pushback from leftists. (His call for nuance is a reasonable one!) Still, his formulation is a concise version of the common refrain: Democrats need to be more like Republicansat least in terms of policy: Its about whats required to win. The idea of two vaguely Trumpy political parties racing one another to the bottom of a gutter forever doesnt appeal to me. As someone who wants the party to stick with some of the policies opposed by the electoral majority (whatever that means; we live in a world where people are voting for minimum wage increases and Donald Trump), Im probably one of the lumpen whoever that Democrats should be ignoring. Still, I think the move to the center folks have a point! Democrats and those on the left should start acting more like Republicans, the MAGA movement especially. The operative word here is acting. Theres no real point to Democrats retreating to their consultant salons to figure out how to do their own versions of the reactionary policies whose real-world contradictions can be glossed over on the campaign trail with a sufficient amount of lies and vibes. Besides, any effort expended trying to craft policies that might attract conservative (or moderate) voters will be met by their preference for those policies full-fat variety. No, what the Democrats need to do is ape the tactics and the artifice that bring the extremist right to power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, fuck it: Lets indeed go more extreme. Heres a dirty little secret: Very few MAGA policy prescriptions are genuinely popular. Some of thembanning in vitro fertilization and contraceptionare quite unpopular! They are now on the table because a bunch of once-obscure right-wing activists worked around the margins of our politics to build institutional consent for their ideas and, most significantly, build a federal judiciary willing to countenance some of the wilder notions being kicked around the conservative think tank industrial complex. All the while, as these pieces on the chessboard were being aligned, more mainstream Republicans lied about their willingness to stand up to the extremists in their midst. (Looking at you, Susan Collins!) Trumpism owes its success less to populist goals than to fringe conservatives willingness to put in the time and effort necessary to push through the setbacks to pull off their grand designs in the end. Overturning Roe was the uphill work of decades! Over the course of many years, the right built out a well-funded media machine to carry and massage their message into the cracks of mainstream channels. They invented a whole parallel economy based on working the refs of traditional journalism, weaponizing bothsidesism into the deadly form it takes today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the ground, they used what means were at their disposal to engineer favorable districts, gerrymandering themselves into electoral cocoons that preserved their power even against majorities of voters who wanted to go another way. These are some durable changes to our political superstructure that will take time to unwind. But the unwinding has to start somewhere; perhaps it should begin here: Lets stop pretending that the polite norms that appeal to the permanent residents of cable news greenrooms but dont lead toward a sustainable politics are important. Lets not fret about changing positions if doing so has broader appeal: The public is not going to punish you for changing directions in their directionlook at the rights flip-flop on foreign wars. Admittedly, these doves of the right might morph again; all the more reason to be less concerned with consistency on the left! To begin with, lets reappropriate some of MAGA Nations popular aesthetics: not their words and ideas themselves, but specifically their tone of outrage. These guys are so angry about what they see in the world, and theyre not only not afraid to say so, they present righting these fancied wrongs as justice! In a world where the status quo seems to be rigged against ordinary people, voters seem drawn to those willing to spar and shake things upthey may not always literally agree with whats being said, but they admire what looks to them like the courage necessary to smash a rigged system. Democrats should ape this fighting spirit, and flip the script on the reactionaries. What do you mean I cant say BIPOC anymore, bro? Are you policing my language? Hey, pal, youre coming after MY RIGHT to take care of my children as I see best? Whats next? You gonna try to stop me from sending my kids to the same public schools my parents sent me to? WTF, my dude, ARE YOU SAYING YOU WANT MY CHILDREN TO DROWN IN A RISING OCEAN? As you might surmise, I think emphasizing the tried and true What about the children? really helps. But Id also emphasize the need to attack the GOP at the precise points they present as their strongest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another key to the GOPs success over the years is their willingness to fight in the trenches and put real effort into winning the unsexy, down-ticket races that rarely make national news but are more front and center in the lives of ordinary people. Democrats need to learn to be maximal in their approach to local politicsit is here, and not on Twitter, where the public square can be found. So when you think about it, a Joe Rogan of the left isnt nearly as important as a Moms for Liberty of the left or, perhaps, a Nutjobs of TikTok. Democrats need fierce, loud, righteous occupiers of the public square, asserting and celebrating our values. People who will go to school board and city council meetingsand run for seats on them, elections where with such low turnout just a small expenditure could make a huge difference. Without any institutional support, some on the left are already making inroads. Members and endorsees of the Democratic Socialists of America have been running for these small offices and winning in increasing numbers since 2017. These folks often lose when the Democratic apparatus turns against them. Why crush them, though? Young leftists can learn a lot about political temperance working on nuts and bolts issuesfilling potholes, funding schools, resolving development and zoning disputes. By developing a reputation for delivering the goods, theyll earn public trust and find an electorate more receptive to their ideas. And an electorate that trusts the left helps everyone with responsible politics. Honestly, Democrats should take the leashes off the economic populists in their ranks, and give them the same latitude that the right gives Marjorie Taylor Greenewith the key distinction that socialist policies can be way more appealing than raging against Jewish space lasers. Our Marjorie Taylor Greenes can push more popular envelopes: Expand Medicare! Housing is a human right! Subsidize childcare! Forgive medical debt! Eat the rich! There is one key structural issue that would keep this approach from working the way it did on the right. The left doesnt have large corporations or uberwealthy individuals willing to foot the bill for their elections if it means that winning puts them on the hook for higher taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deep-pocketed players will always bail if the left asks for anything thats not mostly performative. Until we have publicly funded elections and a level electoral fieldwhich seems to be popular with voters, by the way!avoiding positions opposed by the electoral majority essential to win is an unfair fight. There is no universe in which Democrats make all the weird policy changes the punditocracy have pulled from their mayfly brains and then go and do whatever real work (on climate change, or trans rights, or housing, or anything) theyre supposed to do once they are in charge. We know that because centrist policy compromises are what the Democrats have been doing for decades; this is a party thats been suckered into means-testing their own existence. Safe, legal, and rarea phrase that screams developed in committeegave away so much ground on abortion rights that it was hard for many people to access them long before the Dobbs decision drove a stake through the heart of reproductive care. The major progressive policy victory of the last 30 yearsthe Affordable Care Actwas a halfway measure that was partially designed to stem the rising tide of Americans demanding even better solutions. I genuinely believe that some of these ideas about swerving to the left, loud and proud, could work. (Bernie, she whispers.) Whats more, ground-level organizing and candidate training at the local level trickles up almost every time. Look at the right, sure. But also look at Minnesota, where the activist bootcamp of Camp Wellstone turned out Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan. Which reminds me of a remaining strategy the left can lift from those MAGA assholes: Never stop accusing them of being out of step from the mainstream. Never stop calling them weird. Never stop reminding the public of the out-of-touch billionaires Trump is bringing to Washington to rule over us. And never stop pointing out the harms done by this gangs policiesand by the rulings of their pet Supreme Court. This means that Democrats will have to develop the stomach for surfacing derogatory information about Republicans; they will have to get used to getting Big Mad on a more regular basisand discharging this emotion in the direction of every microphone, every television camera, and every reporter standing by with a pen and pad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is going to feel extreme to Washington Democrats, whod clearly rather remain above the fray instead of getting down in the mud. Well, its time to get low and dirtyand you dont have to sacrifice the principles of democracy, humanity, and social justice along the way. The Democrats who talk about winning at the cost of sacrificing interest groups should examine the fruits of that strategy. Here at the end of an election, Democrats need to look further back than the Harris race. Concerns about moving policy more to the center are foolishanyone pointing to Bill Clintons election should be hit in the face with Hillary Clintons loss. Democrats must stop worrying about erasing race or class or gender. They would be better off creating divides. There is a red and a blue America; blue America is a better place to live. There is an us and a them. Democrats need to get in the conflict and be an opposition party again. DAMASCUS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Israeli fighter jets carried out fresh airstrikes late on Friday, targeting at least six military positions in the countryside of Damascus and Sweida provinces in southern Syria, according to a war monitor. Loud explosions rocked southern Sweida as Israeli jets hovered overhead. The strikes hit areas around Tel al-Qalib and near the village of Al-Kafr, where Syrian military barracks are positioned along the Sweida road, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Columns of smoke were seen rising from the barracks following the bombings, the Britain-based watchdog group added. Meanwhile, in rural Damascus, Israeli missiles reportedly struck locations associated with Syria's electronic warfare operations, including Branch 295 and the 1st Regiment under the Electronic Warfare Directorate, as well as fuel depots near the town of Najha, said the observatory. In addition, residents in the southern Daraa province reported Israeli warplanes flying over the Yarmouk Basin in the western countryside, heading east. These attacks mark the latest in a series of Israeli air raids that have targeted military sites belonging to the dissolved Syrian army following a political upheaval in Syria, during which militant groups overthrew former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government on Dec. 8. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) The Rhode Island Life Science Hub has named Dr. Mark Turco to be its first president and CEO. With a top-tier board, the launch of an incubator lab and other programs, and now a dynamic, experienced candidate to lead the Life Science Hub, I am confident that we will deliver on the bold vision of transforming Rhode Island into a nationally recognized center for life sciences innovation, Neil Steinberg, who chairs the hubs board, said. Dr. Turco has the experience and skills to bring government, the private sector and academia together to generate the energy and culture we need to encourage innovation and create jobs right here in Rhode Island. This selection also comes after the beginning of construction for a startup incubator in Providence. The incubator is expected to open up by December 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: New life science startup incubator comes to downtown Providence Turco previously served as chief innovation officer at the University of Pennsylvania and led two cardiovascular start-up companies. This is such an exciting opportunity, as Rhode Island is uniquely positioned to be a global leader in life sciences, he said. The combination of our academic institutions and health care systems, as well as state governments commitment to fostering a more diverse medical and scientific ecosystem bring together the ingredients for success. Dr. Patrice Milos served in the role temporarily while the search was underway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nomination now heads to the R.I. Senate for approval. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. (KRON) More than two dozen bottles of liquor robbed from a Vacaville store were found in a stolen vehicle, according to the Vacaville Police Department. Vacaville PD was alerted to a stolen sedan near Davis and Bella Vista streets. Officers responded to the scene and spoke to the occupants Sacramento residents Montaje Lewis, 30, and Desiree Turner, 46. Police said the duo complied and were detained. A local grocery store contacted the department to report a brazen theft, where a suspect, later identified as Lewis, stole a large amount of alcohol in garbage bags and walked out of the establishment. The silver sedan matched the suspects vehicle in the robbery and more than 30 bottles of liquor were found in the car. Photo: Vacaville PD Photo: Vacaville PD Car careens into Novato home, narrowly misses scrambling pedestrian Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis and Turner were arrested and booked into the Solano County Jail on various charges related to the possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and violation of probation. The suspects did not have a preference for alcohol. Different brands of whiskeys, tequilas and vodkas were found in the sedan (pictured above). The bottles were returned back to the grocery store, according to police. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. The new Lithuanian government, which officially took office yesterday, intends to visit Ukraine next week. Source: Gintautas Paluckas, Lithuanian Prime Minister, writes LRT, as reported by European Pravda Details: According to the Lithuanian PM, the idea of such a visit was addressed during a conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal. Quote: "Yesterday, during my conversation with the Ukrainian prime minister, not only myself but also the cabinet received an invitation to visit Ukraine on 20 [December], and such a visit is planned," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Palutskas, logistical details and security issues are currently being agreed upon. "But the visit will definitely take place," he assured. Paluckas stated earlier Thursday that his government would follow a constructive and predictable foreign policy, protect its citizens from external dangers, and completely support Ukraine. "We will support Ukraine until victory and beyond. We will provide full support to Ukraine in its bid to accelerate EU and NATO membership," the government said in its programme, which was approved by parliament on Thursday. Background: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported on his first conversation with the new Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys. Support UP or become our patron! In a significant step toward finally giving the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) fleet greater offensive capabilities, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced Wednesday that many LCS ships will receive the modular Mk 70 Payload Delivery System, allowing the beleaguered LCS to field the type of substantial firepower that has long eluded them. The Mk 70 is a containerized launch system based on the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) in use on many American and foreign warships. It can accommodate a variety of missiles, including the versatile Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) and the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM). USS Savannah (LCS 28) conducts a test-fire of a SM-6 missile from a Mk 70 modular missile launcher in 2023. (U.S. Navy) Mk 70 will give the LCS fleet tremendous firepower and even more tactical advantage over our adversaries, Del Toro said during the U.S. Naval Institutes 2024 Defense Forum in Washington, D.C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once billed as a critical multi-role component of the Navys future fleet, the pricey LCS program has involved mission modules that were never fielded, as well as hull crack issues and class-wide propulsion problems that impacted the Independence and Freedom classes, respectively. Such ships have also had limited operational employment. Del Toros comments this week suggest the sea service is bullish on what the Mk 70 can do to reverse the LCSs fortunes and finally get the ships ready for a higher-end fight, even as questions remain about the LCSs survivability if they are indeed dispatched aggressively, as Del Toro noted. LCS is back, Freedom class and Independence class, and we have every intent to deploy them aggressively everywhere around the globe, and the Persian Gulf, obviously, with the mine-sweeping capability and everywhere else its needed, particularly in the Pacific with these added capabilities, Del Toro said. USNI News Sam Lagrone was the first to report Del Toros remarks. TWZ has reached out to the Navy to get more information on the timeline for the upgrades, and which LCSs will be involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mk 70 is already being rolled out on some LCS, with images from the USS Nantuckets (LCS-27) commissioning in November 2024 revealing that launcher in place. Photos from the commissioning of the USS Nantucket (LCS-27) in November 2024 show a Mk 70 missile launcher already in place. (U.S. Navy) Such a capability would allow LCS to fire smaller volumes of several types of missiles, and would be particularly important in a Pacific war with China, where larger surface warships outfitted with the Mk 41 would be in high demand. These vessels would defend against air and missile threats, and to help prosecute stand-off strikes against a large number of sea and shore targets. Del Toros announcement follows the Navys successful test-firing of a SM-6 missile from a Mk 70 launcher placed aboard the Independence class LCS USS Savannah (LCS-28) in October 2023 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The SM-6s striking of a designated target demonstrated the modularity and lethality of Littoral Combat Ships and the ability to successfully integrate a containerized weapons system to engage a surface target, the Navy said at the time. A rendering of the Mk 70 Mod 1 Expeditionary Launcher. (Public Domain) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Savannah employed a form of the Mk 70 Mod 1 Expeditionary Launcher for the test, TWZ previously reported. In addition to the SM-6, the system can fire land-attack, anti-ship optimized and other Tomahawk variants. Mk 70 launchers are related to the U.S. Armys ground-based Typhon system, which fires SM-6s and Tomahawks as well. The Navy has also test-fired a SM-6 from a Mk 70-series launcher aboard the experimental large uncrewed surface vessel Ranger, and has previously demonstrated such launchers in a trailer-mounted configuration during an exercise in Denmark. Lockheed Martin announced in May 2024 that it had successfully test-fired a Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor from such a containerized launcher and used it to down a mock cruise missile. A US Navy Mk 70-series launch system mounted on a trailer deployed during an exercise in Denmark in September 2023. (U.S. Navy) TWZ previously laid out what the Mk 70 would offer after the Navy announced Savannahs successful test-fire: The Mk 70 family does offer a relatively simple way to increase the firepower on a wide variety of ships with suitable deck space. This includes smaller surface combatants with helipads like Independence class LCSs, various amphibious warfare, and certain auxiliary support ships, including commercial designs. The containerized launcher provides immense flexibility just with its ability to fire SM-6s and Tomahawks, and its Mk 41 VLS heritage means more munition options could definitely be integrated in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The multi-purpose SM-6 can be used against a variety of air and surface targets, with some existing variants even able to engage more novel hypersonic threats , as well as traditional ballistic missiles in their terminal stages of flight, TWZ previously reported. An enlarged version of the SM-6 is being developed that is expected to offer greater range and hypersonic peak speed. The destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) launches a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6). (U.S. Navy) Loading a Mk 70 launcher with Tomahawk missiles would drastically increase the LCSs capabilities, allowing the class to strike land and sea targets within an area extending roughly 1,000 miles in all directions, which would help hold targets in areas with substantial Chinese defenses. The Tomahawks can also loiter over a target and have their target changed mid-flight. The Savannah test-fire wasnt the first time weve glimpsed such a setup aboard a LCS. TWZ previously reported on a photo taken during the 2022 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in Hawaii that showed the USS Tulsa (LCS-16) similarly equipped, although the Navy did not disclose anything about the loadout or whether Tulsa fired any missiles using the system during the exercise. The littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS-16) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in 2022. (U.S. Navy) Del Toro did not mention what sort of sensors would accompany Mk 70 launchers on a LCS. But for SM-6 and Tomahawk, remote sensor and targeting data from external platforms including those in the air, at sea, on land, and in space that is datalinked to the ship would likely be the most feasible option considering the LCSs limited sensor suite. This concept of distributing missiles across more vessels and locales and decentralizing their fire control and targeting has long been of major interest to the Navy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But strapping on other sensors is a possibility too. For instance, ship spotters picked up what appeared to be a trailer-mounted AN/TPQ-53 radar on Savannahs flight deck when it left San Diego for the test-fire last year. That radar is primarily designed to spot and track incoming rockets and artillery rounds, and then determine their points of launch so friendly forces can launch so-called counter-battery strikes, TWZ reported, and it also has demonstrated an ability to detect and track drones. TWZ previously laid out what else such a radar, also known as the Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar, would contribute, including the improved ability of Mk 70-equipped ships to spot and engage targets independently, regardless of a ships built-in capabilities. It offers an example of how systems could be lashed to the ships deck to help expand its sensor capabilities for tailored mission sets. Del Toro also noted Wednesday that numerous LCS are now equipped with the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), an anti-ship cruise missile that is very capable, but nowhere near as flexible as the SM-6 or as long-reaching as a Tomahawk. The Navy continues to push ahead with plans to place the NSM aboard its entire LCS fleet by Fiscal Year 2032, Inside Defense previously reported. Go here to read more about NSM aboard the LCS. The Naval Strike Missile (NSM). (U.S. Navy) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But while the Mk 70 launcher and NSM give the LCS fleet some added firepower, there are tradeoffs, as TWZ has reported: With regard to the Navys LCSs, it is worth noting that using the rear flight deck as a place to mount a Mk 70-series launcher and other associated equipment eliminates their ability to launch and recover helicopters. The service has long touted the ability of the ships to carry MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters, as well as MQ-8C Fire Scout drone helicopters, as key to helping the ships find and engage targets at extended ranges, defend against close-in threats like small boat swarms, and just provide increased situational awareness. An airborne MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter. (U.S. Navy) Such a tradeoff would be a massive one for the LCS as its flight deck and embarked aviation capabilities are highly prized and greatly expand the ships flexibility and independence of operations. Giving up that capability for just four missiles per Mk70, presumably at least three systems can be carried, is a big concession. It is possible that Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (RIM-162s) could be quad-packed into each cell like they are on Navy Mark 41 systems. This would offer the LCS 16 missiles per launcher, but those would be used for self defense and up to medium-range area air defense, that is if the LCSs sensors can support their employment. The data-link equipped RIM-162 Block II could be key to making that a reality. It would give the LCS a massive upgrade in air defense capabilities and survivability in higher-end threat environments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Navy currently operates 25 LCS, and it has decommissioned seven ships since 2021, including some with less than five years of service, a move that the Navy framed as a way to save money for investing in more promising systems. Will Mk 70 help redeem the acquisition boondoggle colloquially referred to by some as the Little Crappy Ship, even as questions remain about how quickly the system can be fielded and the LCSs survivability in a full-blown war? Only time will tell. Contact the author: geoff@twz.com Lawmakers in New Jersey and beyond grew worried Friday about the now-regular spotting of drones over the state, with officials calling for answers and more transparency from federal agencies. Its been 10 days since the FBI office in Newark put out a public plea for information about sightings of possible drones. On Thursday, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden asked for federal help. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is calling for transparency over the situation. In Europe, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized while in Luxembourg after a reported fall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Washington, D.C., Senate Democrats are seething over nays from outgoing Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) in a critical vote. Congress is barreling toward a government shutdown deadline in just a week. Republicans on Friday in the House also picked more chairs for their committees next year. And President-elect Trumps nominees are meeting mixed reactions on Capitol Hill, with Defense pick Pete Hegseth getting a warmer reception, thanks to a shift in Trumps tactics, and director of national intelligence pick Tulsi Gabbard finding resistance among senators. Read a recap of Fridays news below. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) A Panama City woman who needs a kidney transplant has suffered a setback. Doctors say 22-year-old Savannah Craders original donor is no longer eligible to give her kidney. Crader has suffered with kidney disease from a very young age. Panama City Beach utility workers resolve water main break crisis When Savannah was one month shy of her 4th birthday, we discovered that she had kidney issues. Weve had several different biopsies and weve had genetic testing that confirmed that she does have autosomal recessive and dominant Alport Syndrome, Savannahs mother Amanda Purnell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Purnell said Savannah has significant hearing loss and diminishing kidney function. Shes now at about 7% kidney function, and shes doing dialysis three days a week, Purnell said. When her kidneys declined to 20% function, the Mayo Clinic put Savannah on their kidney transplant list. Shortly after, Purnell met Erica Pitts during a dental appointment. I had a sticker put on the back of my car that says were looking for a kidney donor. Erica walked up to me and said, is that your car out there in the parking lot? I said, yes, it is. She said she was very interested in my story and potentially donating to Savannah, Purnell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pitts began the donor process in August, but this week doctors told her shes no longer an acceptable donor for Savannah. They werent happy with some of my creatinine clearances, and my kidneys are a little off. I got an 8-inch kidney and an 11-inch kidney, so they werent thrilled about that, rejected donor Erica Pitts said. Savannah is now back to square one with little time left to find a new donor. Panama City Beach Fire Department recieves new equipment She is fighting for her life. Its heartbreaking, but I hope to find her a kidney, Purnell said. We will. We will find her a kidney, Pitts added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre interested in donating a kidney to Savannah Crader, you can contact her mother, Amanda Purnell, at 850-866-0281, or you can contact the Mayo Clinic. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Twenty-five law enforcement agencies and local governments in Georgia will receive federal grants, including some in the Coastal Empire. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) said on Thursday that he will be delivering federal resources through the Department of Justices (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP). His office said that these funds are to strengthen public safety, prevent violent crime and ensure the safety of Georgia families. I am pleased to help deliver these public safety upgrades and resources for our Georgia law enforcement agencies. I remain committed to public safety for every community in Georgia, Ossoff said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three agencies in the Coastal Empire will receive funding: the city of Savannah, the city of Hinesville Police Department (HPD) and Glynn County. The city of Savannah is set to receive $96,444 for gear and equipment for their Special Operations Units. The HPD will receive $16,607. Glynn County will receive $21,778 for Crimes Against Children Unit enhancement. You can read the entire list here: Project Title Recipient City Award Amount Paulding County Sheriffs Office Body-Worn Cameras PAULDING COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DALLAS $297,041.00 Purchase of digital video/audio recording system for interviews. CHEROKEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CANTON $14,528.00 Drug Testing Supplies for Domestic Violence Court COUNTY OF WHITFIELD DALTON $25,527.00 Crimes Against Children Unit Enhancement GLYNN, COUNTY OF BRUNSWICK $21,778.00 Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) Support UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY ATHENS $60,165.00 Spalding County Correctional Institute: Implementing Advanced Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Detection Equipment COUNTY OF SPALDING GRIFFIN $36,690.00 Drug Identification AMERICUS, CITY OF AMERICUS $14,994.00 To provide the necessary body armor to law enforcement as necessary for the commission of sworn duties CITY OF VALDOSTA VALDOSTA $17,100.00 2024 Douglasville Police Motorcycle Replacement For Safe Roadways CITY OF DOUGLASVILLE DOUGLASVILLE $18,167.00 Douglas County LINK Program Support services for at-risk youth to reduce recidivism and prevent further involvement with Juvenile Court. DOUGLAS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DOUGLASVILLE $18,085.00 HCPD Public Safety Initiative HENRY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ROADS & REVENUES MCDONOUGH $28,974.00 This project will allow youth involved with Juvenile Court to have psychological evaluations to help the court provided the best outcomes for the youth. COUNTY OF CARROLL CARROLLTON $13,051.00 Gear and Equipment for our Special Operations Units. CITY OF SAVANNAH SAVANNAH $96,444.00 Purchase A Fully Trained Drug, Tracking, And Apprehension Canine For The Department CITY OF ROME ROME $21,368.00 Enhance Forensic Evidence Procedures COWETA COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING NEWNAN $56,198.00 CPD Scene Assessment Equipment & Training Equipment Implementation Project CITY OF CARROLLTON CARROLLTON $11,081.00 2024 Forsyth County Sheriffs Law Enforcement Enhancement Project COUNTY OF FORSYTH CUMMING $11,518.00 2024 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program- Local Solicitation City of Hinesville Police Department CITY OF HINESVILLE HINESVILLE $16,607.00 FY24 JAG Grant Waycross PD and Ware County SO CITY OF WAYCROSS WAYCROSS $10,315.00 Funding for operational assistance of Muscogee County Adult Felony Drug Court COLUMBUS GEORGIA CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT COLUMBUS $53,407.00 FY2024 JAG Funding to support the Tifton Police Departments law enforcement programs. CITY OF TIFTON TIFTON $13,570.00 Hall County JAG Security Program Through License Plate Recognition Cameras HALL COUNTY GEORGIA GAINESVILLE $24,050.00 Marietta PD Equipment Procurement Program 2024. CITY OF MARIETTA MARIETTA $24,569.00 Physical security and traffic safety protections for the Brookhaven Police Department CITY OF BROOKHAVEN BROOKHAVEN $20,001.00 Walker County Sheriffs Office Equipment and Technology COUNTY OF WALKER LA FAYETTE $15,595.00 Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. Porch pirates are notorious for stealing gifts during the holiday season but this week a puppys heart medication was snatched from a porch in Erie. Sheer panic. That was Erie Resident Danielle Bartones reaction when she realized her puppys medication was stolen off her porch Tuesday. City of Erie Fire Department adds 16 new members to its ranks It is extremely integral to her staying alive. I didnt know what we were going to do, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hippo underwent heart surgery and has the most severe type of heart murmur. When Bartone realized another shipment of the heart medication would never arrive on time, she took to social media. Erie Animal Network posted a request for the return of the medication, no questions asked. That didnt happen. What it did yield was a whole lot of amazing community support, options, ideas, offers, Bartone said. Sisters of St. Joseph begin due diligence on potential sale on local properties This year, for Hippo, Santa came in the form of a pharmacy tech. I was on Facebook and I saw the post for little Hippo who needed some medicine urgently and I knew that we would be able to help her out and so I did what I could, said Melanie Baldwin, a pharmacy tech. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baldwin had Hippos medication compounded at Bayside Pharmacy in Erie, just in time for her needed next dose. People are calling you Santa, we said. Nope, I dont feel that way at all. All I did is see a need and I tried to meet that need and I did what I could and we were able to, she answered. Road crews ready for Thursday storms after Snowmageddon conditions last week When Bartone arrived to pick up the medication Thursday, another gift awaited her. Someone had covered the cost. I was like this is the best christmas gift I could have ever gotten, she went on to say. Danielle Bartone wants to extend her thanks to the countless strangers who reached out to offer help. She said that was far more impactful than one porch pirate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. Is there a more entertaining way to spend a cold, dull, and wet day at the fag end of the year than in taking yourself off to Birmingham... BAGHDAD, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani emphasized on Friday the importance of preventing any aggression on Syrian territories by any party, stressing that such actions pose a direct threat to the region's security and stability, according to a statement by al-Sudani's media office. Al-Sudani made the remarks during a meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during which they discussed the situation in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing developments in Syria, the statement said. The Iraqi prime minister reiterated Iraq's stance on supporting Syria during this critical phase and emphasized the importance of assisting the Syrians in rebuilding their state and addressing challenges that could impact their civil peace, it said. For his part, Blinken affirmed the United States' agreement with Iraq on the need to work toward forming an inclusive government that reflects the will of the Syrian people and their diverse components, it said. The meeting also addressed the situation in Gaza, stressing the need to continue efforts to end the war and ensure all necessary steps to solidify the ceasefire in Lebanon. (Reuters) -Some United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local unions on Friday urged Kroger's board to replace CEO Rodney McMullen following the company's announcement of a $7.5 billion stock buyback plan after terminating a deal to buy Albertsons. The UFCW local unions that led the "Stop the Merger coalition" argued that the "abrupt" and "massive" share repurchase program comes at a time when Kroger needs investments in staffing, repairs and store remodels. Kroger and Albertsons terminated their $25-billion merger plan on Wednesday after a U.S. judge blocked the deal. Albertsons then filed a lawsuit against Kroger, alleging a breach of contract that led to the deal's demise. Kroger announced a new repurchase program later on Wednesday and said it intends to enter an accelerated share buyback program of about $5 billion of common stock. "It is outrageous that Rodney McMullen would try to distract attention from his multiple failures as CEO by announcing a massive one-time giveaway to shareholders," said Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7 in Colorado and Wyoming. "Statements from UFCW locals leaders, who are in the midst of CBA (collective bargaining agreement) negotiations, mischaracterize Kroger's actions and intent," Kroger spokesperson said. Since Kroger has terminated the merger agreement, the company is in a position to resume share repurchases which was paused since the merger agreement in 2022, the company spokesperson added. (Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai and Shailesh Kuber) Dec. 12Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved more than $428 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure improvement projects across New York state. The board's approval authorizes municipal access to low-cost financing and previously announced grants "to get shovels in the ground for critical water and sewer infrastructure projects, including treatment processes to remove emerging contaminants from drinking water and improvements that will modernize aging systems," a news release from Hochul's office stated. "Properly functioning water systems are crucial to New Yorkers' quality of life from the water flowing from taps to the numerous lakes and streams that provide amazing recreational opportunities," Hochul said. "These grants and low-interest loans help protect public health and the environment, reduce pressure on communities to raise funds quickly for essential upgrades, and minimize the financial impact of these crucial projects on local ratepayers." While no local municipalities will receive grants, four were approved for long-term financing of water projects the village of Oxford in Chenango County, the village of Walton in Delaware County and the villages of Schoharie and Sharon Springs in Schoharie County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The financing "helps ensure continued, long-term affordability of existing projects across the state," according to the release. Short-term financing provides capital for design and construction of projects. Once project construction is completed, the short-term financing is typically refinanced to long-term financing of up to 30 years, saving municipalities significant interest expenses they would have incurred if they had financed the projects on their own, the release stated. According to the release, EFC's board approved grants and financing to local governments from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, a mix of federal and state dollars dedicated to financing community water infrastructure projects. The State Revolving Funds provide financing at below-market rates, "empowering communities to undertake critical sewer and wastewater projects at a much lower cost than traditional financing," the release stated. Funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for water and sewer infrastructure is administered by EFC through the State Revolving Funds. Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, "The $428 million announced today is a significant investment in New York's communities and environment. The State Revolving Funds and state water grants are proven programs that help communities meet their present water infrastructure needs and plan for long-term success." U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, "Everyone deserves access to clean water and modern water systems. Now, thanks to my Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, a whopping $28 million is flowing to communities from Western NY to Long Island to upgrade water infrastructure. These dollars will help give municipalities statewide the support they need to modernize critical water systems." U.S. Sen.ator Kirsten Gillibrand said, "Access to clean water is vital for public health and economic development in communities across our state. I applaud the governor for these strategic investments in high-quality water infrastructure across the state, made possible in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I fought to pass. I will continue to fight for federal resources to support New York's infrastructure." ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Pal-Mac High School went on lockdown Thursday after a student called 911 and reported loud noises resembling gunshots at the school. According to the Pal-Mac Central School District, a call was made by a student to 911 at 2:25 p.m. after students were dismissed for the day. Wayne County 911 then immediately placed the building on lockdown. New York State Police, Town of Macedon Police, Village of Palmyra Police, and the Wayne County Sheriffs Office all responded to the school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pal-Mac CSD said after a search by law enforcement it was found that the noise heard by the student was not gunshots, and the school was cleared and re-opened around 3:35 p.m. Pal-Mac CSD noted that the districts counseling team will be available to meet with any student or staff in need of extra support on Friday following the incident. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. Macomb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Don Brown, who has served the board for 34 years and was elected to a four-year term in November, is resigning, with plans to become deputy commissioner for the county's public works office. The announcement came Thursday night at the end of the last full board meeting of the year, where the agenda included acknowledging two departing county commissioners who were not reelected, appointments and budget amendments and other financial matters from committee meetings. Under correspondence, there was simply listed: "Letter from Board Chair Don Brown." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brown, a Republican from Washington Township who represents northern Macomb County, will resign effective Monday his first day on the job for Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller. He will take over the position vacated by Dan Acciavatti, who, in September, left to enter the private sector, according to a release from Miller's office. Vice President of Rockford Construction Detroit office Matt Evans, left, shakes hands with Chairman of Macomb County Board of Commissioners Don Brown after the ribbon cutting at the new Macomb County Sheriff Marine Division Headquarters in Harrison Twp. on Dec. 4, 2023. Brown has been chairman of the county board for four years, chosen by his peers after the GOP flipped the 13-member board in the November 2020 election, giving it a majority for the first time ever. He served as chairman of various committees before he became the leader of the board. According to his accomplishments and honors with his biography on the county board's website, Brown is the "longest continually serving elected official in Macomb County." More: Write-in candidates in elections 'always have a chance' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a release, Brown stated the move to Miller's office "is a natural fit for me given I've shared her passion for the environment and water quality through my long tenure as Commissioner. We've worked together since the mid 90's addressing water quality issues in the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair, starting with the Blue Ribbon Committee to Study Lake St. Clair. "Though we've made significant progress since then, there remains more work to do. I believe the relationships I have built, along with the knowledge of issues confronting the Public Works will add value to the office. I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to pursue my passion with a single focus." In her release, Miller stated Brown will be deputy public works commissioner/government relations. Brown worked for Miller, also a Republican, as deputy district director when she served in the U.S. Congress, before she was elected public works commissioner in 2016. Miller stated Brown, who is married with four children, has shared her vision about improving the county's watershed and the water quality of the lake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He has a full appreciation and shown consistent, strong support as county board chairman for our department's priorities and projects. His knowledge and wide range of contacts at the local, state and national levels will enable him to easily make the transition from the board office in downtown Mount Clemens to our Public Works Office and devote all his energies to help us carry on our mantra that water quality equals quality of life," she stated. Don Brown, chairman of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners who has been a county commissioner for 34 years. He is resigning Dec. 16, 2024 to work for the county's public works as deputy commissioner for Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller. Brown was 25 when he was first elected as a Washington Township trustee in 1988. Two years later, he won a seat on the county board. He's been elected 17 consecutive times, as the commission seats were two-year terms. The length of the term changes to four years starting Jan 1. In the county board's release, Brown stated his service to his constituents "hasn't ended, it just has changed." More: Coin flip, slips of paper determine last seat on Mount Clemens school board after tie Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the majority of work he's done for his constituents has dealt with drains and flooding issues and he is grateful for the cooperation he received for the board's approval of $300,000 for a new road ditching program that is to start next year. That program will help clean out ditches that take water to county drains to prevent localized flooding. Brown stated he believed the cooperative relationship the board and the county executive's office have established will continue. County Executive Mark Hackel is a Democrat. "Yes we disagree but it doesn't become personal or hateful, we work through it, finding common ground to move forward," he said. "You can see the results through the state of your county government, strong financially, safe and improving in all areas. That doesn't happen without teamwork of the entire county's political, business and nonprofits community." The new county board will select a new chairman. It also can solicit interest from residents in District 1, which Brown represents, to serve the remainder of his unexpired term, according to Miller's release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district represents the townships of Armada, Bruce, Ray, Richmond and Washington; the villages of Armada and Romeo, the city of Richmond, and parts of the village of Memphis and Shelby Township. The board chairperson's salary this year is $95,518, and the public works' deputy government relations salary range is $100,069 to $129,431, according to the 2024 budget and recommended 2025 budget. Miller's release did not state how much Brown would be paid in his new role. Brown recently served as chairman of the Michigan Association of Counties' Environmental Committee and as a member of the National Association of Counties' Environment, Energy and Land Use Policy Steering Committee, according to Miller's release. Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Macomb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Don Brown resigning Texas has taken a significant step to protect its elusive mountain lions with new hunting restrictions, but another danger looms large: vehicles. This danger became grimly apparent this week when a Longview police officer struck and killed a mountain lion with his patrol carthen posed for a photo with the animal's lifeless body. The incident occurred early Tuesday morning around 3 a.m., when the officers vehicle collided with the mountain lion near a highway while on patrol. According to a Facebook post from the Longview Police Department, the animal sustained severe injuries, and "due to the extent of its injuries, the animal was put down at the scene." The post did not specify how officers determined the need to euthanize the animal or the method to euthanize. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biologists identified the deceased cat as a female between 3 and 4 years old, weighing 83.5 pounds, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Longview, TX: Mountain Lion Media Release On December 10, 2024 at around 3 A.M. a Longview Police officer, who was... Posted by Longview Police Department on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 While the collision itself may have been unavoidable, the aftermath has drawn significant public scrutiny. Photos circulating on social media show the officer holding the dead mountain lion, smiling for the camera. Many criticized the officers actions, calling the photo "tasteless" and "in poor taste." Critics argue that posing with a deceased animal undermines efforts to respect and protect wildlife, and some felt the officers smile displayed a lack of empathy, particularly given the growing concern over mountain lion conservation in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, some defended the officer, hoping this was the only mountain lion in the area and that its death wasn't part of a larger trend. Mountain lion sightings have been increasingly reported over the past few months in residential neighborhoods across Texas, including three recent sightings in Dallas-Fort Worth. Mountain lion hit by car earlier this month Earlier this month, a similar incident occurred involving another mountain lion. This time, a male mountain lion, between 5 and 6 years old and weighing 150 pounds, was found near a highway after a vehicle collision. The driver initially thought he had hit a deer, but when he returned the next day to retrieve his license plate, he realized it was a mountain lion. This year, there have been 65 mountain lion sightings. The highest number reported in a single year was 122 in 2016, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. More: Officers killed an 'aggressive' mountain lion in Laredo. Now, the community is in an uproar TPWD implements new hunting regulations for first time in 50 years Following overwhelming support from the public, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department updated its mountain lion hunting standards for the first time in over 50 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People from diverse backgrounds across the state united at the commission meeting on May 23 to support the move toward more modern wildlife management practices for mountain lions, whose population and presence remain mostly a mystery to wildlife officials, as the shy creatures ensure they are primarily unseen. In the May 23 meeting, the commission unanimously voted to ban canned hunting of mountain lions and implemented new rules for trapping the large wild cat species, adopting a 36-hour trapping standard to ensure live animals are not held in traps or snares for longer than that duration. "If theres one thing that Texans can agree on, its that the symbol of wildness in our state, the mountain lion, shouldnt be left in traps for days or weeks on end until they die from dehydration and exposure," said Ben Masters, a coalition member of Texans for Mountain Lions and wildlife filmmaker, in a news release at the time. It was inspiring to see ranchers, trappers, hunters, hippies, outfitters, biologists and wildlife advocates from across the state all converge to support more respectful management of our cats. We are grateful for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissions leadership on this issue and for the thousands of people who chimed in supporting these changes," Masters added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an attempt to better understand the species population data and trends, commissioners also requested that the wildlife department eventually implement mandatory lion harvest reporting. In late November, Texas Parks and Wildlife announced voluntary reporting. Hunters and trappers can now voluntarily report their mountain lion harvests in the Texas Hunt and Fish mobile app, according to the department. The requested data includes: The date when the hunter caught the lion The county where the lion was caught The lion's sex The estimated age or stage of life of the lion How the lion was captured or hunted How long it took to capture or kill the lion Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The app also allows users to submit photos to verify the lion's age and sex. Where are mountain lions in Texas? Mountain lions are not commonly seen in the state. They're primarily found in the Trans-Pecos region, the brushlands of South Texas and the western Hill Country. An exact estimate of mountain lions is not available, but it stretches from a few hundred to up to roughly 7,000. Has anyone been attacked or killed by a mountain lion in Texas? According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, there has never been a recorded death caused by a mountain lion in the state. However, an archived New York Times article reports that in 1911, before the wildlife department began tracking the species, a 3-year-old child was mauled by a mountain lion inside his home.Mountain lions are described by the parks department as "relatively uncommon, secretive animals." Over the past 70 years, only eight mountain lion attacks have been documented in Big Bend National Park. Six occurred on hiking trails, one at a visitor campsite, and one near the Chisos Mountains Lodge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Updated: This story is updated with a clarification on fatal mountain lion attacks. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas officer hits mountain lion with car then poses with body Dec. 13I beg your pardon. It is a phrase you might hear as someone slips by you in an aisle at the store unless you are in Minnesota, where it would be "Ope! Just gonna scoot past ya!" An "uff da" or "you betcha" might be thrown in for good measure. It's another version of excuse me. You aren't really begging. You are barely asking. It's a simple nod at politeness words we barely think about as we move through the social contract of interacting with each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, in the law, a pardon is a very particular thing, and asking for one often is a little like begging. Pardons may be granted by a president or a governor. They are complete forgiveness legally, at least that takes an eraser to legal repercussions. It is a step up from commutation, an action that changes the penalty but allows the conviction to stand. Commutation generally shortens the sentence or modifies it, including staying a death penalty and turning it to life in prison. Both fall under the umbrella of clemency, the ability of the government to grant mercy. It is one of the best-known powers of the presidency that does not require action by Congress and is not subject to an intervention by the Supreme Court. The president can forgive anyone of any federal crime with one caveat. "...He shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And presidents have done just that. Of modern leaders, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our longest serving executive, unsurprisingly pardoned the most with 3,687 and another 1,385 commuted. George H.W. Bush, with his one term, handed out just 74 pardons and only three commutations. Barack Obama awarded 212 pardons, which was just over half as many as Bill Clinton, but commuted the sentences of 1,715 people. But let's be honest. Right now, the only pardons anyone cares about are the ones by President Joe Biden and those by once and future president Donald Trump. Both have carried baggage. Trump pardoned a number of people close to his administration, his family or his campaign, including daughter Ivanka's father-in-law, his pick for ambassador to France. His overall number was low just 144 pardons and 94 commutations. He has suggested he will grant clemency in some fashion to those arrested after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Biden pardoned 39 people and commuted about 1,500 sentences Thursday alone. He will be more known for the single pardon he announced Dec. 2 that of his son Hunter. Biden previously pledged not to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are no limits on a president when it comes to who will receive that mercy. There are no checks. There is, however, a weight on the legacy that will follow. No one will ever forget Gerald Ford granted a pardon to Richard Nixon, something he couldn't have done if that case became an impeachment. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, has suggested Trump's hush money case should likewise be pardonable. There's nothing in the rules that says it can't be. But presidents need to remember that just because you have a power doesn't mean you have to use a power. It's fine to keep that gun in the holster. Biden should remember that as he weighs proactive clemency before leaving office. When it becomes so common, the pardon seems to lose its gravitas. It isn't a formal, measured action taken after deliberation and petition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It becomes someone just pushing a shopping cart down the aisle at the grocery store. Just gonna scoot right past ya and get to this pardon right here. You betcha! Lori Falce is the Tribune-Review community engagement editor and an opinion columnist. For more than 30 years, she has covered Pennsylvania politics, Penn State, crime and communities. She joined the Trib in 2018. She can be reached at lfalce@triblive.com. With the ink dry on Los Angeles County's $200-million purchase of the Gas Co. Tower office building downtown, a fight is brewing over what to do with the 1960s-vintage headquarters it plans to leave behind. Supervisor Janice Hahn and preservationists are pushing back against a plan to move workers into the newly purchased skyscraper on Bunker Hill and raze the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, which was renamed after Hahn's father and is a centerpiece of the government-oriented Civic Center neighborhood. "It came as a big shock to me when I realized what was happening," she said, blaming county administrators for quietly pushing through what she called a closely held plan to move the seat of county power and thousands of workers, then knock down a prominent public building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I thought it was a little bit of a secretive process, a little bit of they knew what they were doing but didn't exactly reveal it," she said. County officials, however, plan to start moving staff from the Hall of Administration and other county buildings into the downtown skyscraper next summer, the start of a process that could take three or four years. Los Angeles County's $200-million purchase of the Gas Co. Tower in downtown L.A. is complete and county workers are slated to start moving in next summer. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Preliminary county plans call for razing the Hall of Administration but keeping the building where the Board of Supervisors convenes in public sessions. That building is connected to the Hall of Administration but is a separate structure that could stand on its own. The plan to raze the Hall of Administration is not set in stone, county officials said. Formal planning for the future of the site will begin in early 2025, and a master plan should be complete in about a year, followed by an environmental review of the plan that may last into 2027. But keeping the building would raise budget challenges because a large portion of the funds used to buy the Gas Co. Tower came from money that had been earmarked for seismic retrofits and other necessary fixes to the Hall of Administration and other county buildings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hahn cast the sole "no" vote on the county's purchase of the Gas Co. Tower last month. When she first learned of the proposal to buy the 52-story building, which faced foreclosure, she thought it was an opportunity for the county to make a favorable investment in a down market. The county could potentially consolidate some of its many offices there and then sell it later at a profit when the office real estate market recovered. Read more: L.A. County to buy downtown skyscraper for new HQ despite a 'hell no' from Hahn Then, she said, "it was revealed" that the plan was to move the Board of Supervisors offices and county services to the Gas Co. Tower, and ultimately demolish the Hall of Administration. "It's really still unnerving to me, and a bit of a shock, that this was their plan all along," Hahn said. "I think the public is still a little in the dark about what the plan is." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hall of Administration was a source of civic pride when it and other key buildings in the Civic Center, including the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, were being built starting in the 1950s. "What the Acropolis was to Ancient Greece during her Golden Age, the new Civic Center now being hewn from the shabby slopes of Bunker Hill will be to Los Angeles," The Times wrote in 1957. The Hall of Administration was being built to last a century, it was reported. The capital projects analyst in the office of the county's chief administrative officer was "ready to wager the Hall of Administration will still be in service by 2059," The Times said. The building was renamed the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in 1992 in honor of Hahn's father, who was the county's longest-serving supervisor and a former Los Angeles City Council member. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hahn said she is not driven by his legacy to save the building. "Hey, if you want to take the name off, if that makes you feel better about preserving it," she said, "I'm OK with that." The head of the Los Angeles Conservancy, which advocates for the preservation of meaningful local structures, said the Hall of Administration is "definitely historic" and significant. It was designed by a prominent team of midcentury architects including Paul R. Williams, the first licensed Black architect west of the Mississippi, who designed movie stars' homes and prominent public buildings. Knocking the Hall of Administration down would be "a misstep for a lot of reasons," conservancy President Adrian Scott Fine said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the reasons to keep it, he said, is its position across Gloria Molina Grand Park from the Mosk Courthouse. The two are a pair that frame the park connecting City Hall with the Music Center. "These two buildings are integral" to the Civic Center, Fine said. "You can't lose one without losing the function that they were intended to do." The Hall of Administration public spaces are filled with light brown marble and terrazzo that can make the halls feel institutional. There are spots in the building that appear to need painting, patching and other maintenance. "It's kind of a bleak place," acknowledged frequent visitor Will Wright, director of government and public affairs for the L.A. chapter of the American Institute of Architects. "Which tells me you really need to invest in its upkeep." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With investment the county could "restore and uplift" the interior to make it more appealing to employees and visitors, he said. Ideally, the county would own both the Gas Co. Tower and a restored Hall of Administration, Wright said, a position Hahn supports. "I believe the amount of money that it would take to retrofit this is still an amount of money that we could easily find in a $50-billion budget," Hahn said in an interview in her office. "I don't think it's too big of an ask for what this has meant for decades to the people of Los Angeles County." Los Angeles County oversaw the renovation of the Hall of Justice a decade ago. The historic building was seriously damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) The Hall of Administration is less flashy than other downtown landmarks such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, City Hall and the LADWP headquarters, but it doesn't need to be eye-catching to be important, real estate developer and preservationist Dan Rosenfeld said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Not every public building needs to scream for attention," he said. "It would be a very discordant city if they did." Rosenfeld worked on preserving other significant historic downtown buildings that were seismically unsafe and threatened by the wrecking ball, including City Hall and the Hall of Justice, both of which date from the 1920s and remain in use after renovations. "It would be relatively simple to reinforce the building for lateral seismic strength and to modernize the interior," Rosenfeld said of the Hall of Administration. "The building can and should be saved." The Hall of Administration is part of a Civic Center with public spaces and state, local and federal buildings "that defines Los Angeles," he said, and should not be abandoned by the county. The Civic Center "is a symbol of our democracy," he said, a place where citizens gather to celebrate, protest and mourn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A civic center is more than a collection of buildings," Rosenfeld said. "It is a symbol of what a community believes in." The county will not neglect the Civic Center, county Chief Executive Fesia Davenport said. Read more: Renovating the Los Angeles County Hall of Justice We understand the importance of a vibrant and well-functioning Civic Center and are committed to maintaining the Countys presence in this vital public space," Davenport said in a statement. "As we embark on our Civic Center master planning process over the next year, we will be inviting extensive public input to help shape our recommendations to the Board of Supervisors to help guide their decisions on how best to reimagine our Civic Center buildings for optimal public use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Gas Co. Tower at 555 W. 5th St. was widely considered one of the city's most prestigious office buildings when it was completed in 1991. It has nearly 1.5 million square feet of space on a 1.4-acre site at the base of Bunker Hill. Slightly more than half of the building is leased to a diverse mix of tenants including law firm Latham & Watkins and accounting firm Deloitte, real estate brokerage JLL said. Its namesake tenant, Southern California Gas Co., said in September that it will move from the tower where it has been a primary tenant since the building was completed to another skyscraper a block north at 350 S. Grand Ave. Times staff writer Rebecca Ellis contributed to this report. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Mayor London Breed may have lost reelection, but after more than six years at the helm of one of America's most iconic cities, she says she will leave office next month as a champion. "No matter what the results said, I'm still a winner," Breed said in an interview this week. "The fact that I have come out of the most problematic circumstances of San Francisco to be mayor, and I'm here, and I have been able to serve, it is an absolute privilege." Indeed, it has been a meteoric rise to the top for Breed, 50. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raised in poverty by her grandmother in the Western Addition, at the time one of San Francisco's toughest neighborhoods, Breed was elected to the powerful Board of Supervisors in 2012 after serving as executive director of the African American Art and Culture Complex. She made history in June 2018 when she won a special election as the first Black female mayor of San Francisco after the unexpected death of Mayor Ed Lee. The years that followed would be defined by crises: a deadly pandemic; the explosive availability of fentanyl and corresponding surge in overdose deaths; the twin plagues of rampant homelessness and untreated mental illness; the racial justice protests of 2020; and in the wake of COVID-era closures, a crushing rise in retail theft and collapse of the downtown economy. "I had to deal with crisis after crisis after crisis," Breed said. Her track record in the face of these challenges became a decisive factor in the mayor's race, a hard-fought competition among Breed and four other top Democrats. Breed lost to Daniel Lurie, 47, a nonprofit executive and heir to the Levi Strauss family fortune who has never held elected office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lurie seized on voter disillusionment with brazen retail thefts, homeless encampments and open-air drug use that made San Francisco a favorite punching bag of right-wing pundits and President-elect Donald Trump. Lurie pitched himself as a political outsider whom voters could rely on to usher in a new era of accountability and good governance. Though Breed has never been a bleeding-heart progressive, she tacked right in recent years, championing policies to more aggressively move homeless people off the streets and give police more authority and resources to tackle crime. She said she feels she is leaving office just as "everything is starting to come together." Violent crime rates have fallen over the last year, with homicides down 34%, robberies down 22%, burglaries down 12% and motor vehicle theft down 21%, according to the San Francisco Police Department. In summer, Breed launched a campaign to clear homeless encampments, an effort she said is paying off with 60% fewer tents across the city. Fatal overdoses have fallen for six consecutive months after hitting a high of 810 deaths last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Susie Tompkins Buell, a prominent Democratic donor and staunch supporter of Breed's, said the mayor deserves credit for effectively leading San Francisco through an unusually difficult period. I think she handled some serious problems very well, and I think there were new problems, problems we had never experienced before, Buell said. Buell applauded Breed's decisiveness during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was one of the first big-city mayors to declare a state of emergency a decision credited with saving thousands of lives. Nobody knew what to do, and everyone was scared and trying to do the right thing, and be bold and careful at the same time, Buell said. I know she gave it her all. But those early pandemic decisions were a distant memory for many voters when it came time to cast ballots this year. There was a grim sense that San Francisco had lost control of its street life and some of its charm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Bay Area voters move right in election, sending clear message on crime and homelessness Lurie's reputation as a "non-politician" almost certainly helped him win election. Though considered a political outsider, Lurie comes from one of San Francisco's most influential families. He was born the son of a rabbi. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother went on to marry Peter Haas, an heir to the founder of the Levi's brand. Haas has since died, and Lurie and his mother are among the primary heirs. Lurie spent nearly $9 million on his campaign, and his mother, Miriam Haas, contributed an additional $1 million to an independent expenditure committee backing his mayoral bid. The committee received millions more from tech titans and wealthy investors who saw in Lurie an opportunity to set the city on a new course after what they perceived as years of misdirection. Breed said that heavy spending disadvantaged her campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It just was definitely very challenging to run the city, which is the priority, and then try to run a campaign against the kind of financial resources that were coming at me from a lot of different places," she said. The rise in tech sector influence has become a defining theme the last two years in an array of San Francisco elections. Breed is still weighing whether that shift will ultimately improve local politics. "There's a lot of money that I wish could be poured into the things that are important in San Francisco," she said. "It can't just be about investing in a particular person. ... It has to be about investing in a city regardless of who's in charge." Breed's critics say her loss was about more than campaign money. Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who ran against her for mayor as an old-school progressive, said she could be uncompromising and brusque in policy deliberations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was kind of her way or the highway. And politics is the business of negotiating a compromise, which she did splendidly during COVID," Peskin said. "But that was not everybodys experience before COVID or after COVID, and that came back and bit her." In addition, he said, Breed's shift away from the more liberal policies she championed when she served on the Board of Supervisors and in her early days as mayor cost her support from the progressive voters who helped elect her. "She had alienated herself from liberal San Francisco along the way," Peskin said. "And they abandoned her." James Taylor, a political science professor at the University of San Francisco and author of Black Nationalism in the United States: From Malcolm X to Barack Obama," agreed that Breed leaves office with a "mixed legacy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Breed governed the city during a challenging tenure, Taylor said, but some problems were of her own making. Her time in office was marred by a string of scandals that rocked city departments and nonprofits, undermining trust in government oversight. Most recently, an investigation by the San Francisco Standard found that the head of the city's Human Rights Commission funneled contracts worth more than $1 million to a nonprofit led by a man with whom she shared a home address and car a close personal relationship she had not disclosed. The episode raised larger questions about how city funds have been managed for one of Breed's signature programs, the Dream Keeper Initiative, which she established with the stated aim of directing more money into economic and cultural development in Black communities. In the wake of the scandal, Taylor said, many Black San Franciscans felt the city lost the momentum for change they thought would come with her leadership. "In other words, London Breeds demise was self-inflicted," he said. "The way this plane crashed, everything around it was destroyed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat and one of Breed's allies, disputed that conclusion, contending Breed has been remarkably successful despite historic challenges. "The city has been through a lot in the last five years," he said. "The voters ultimately decided they wanted to go in another direction. But she's done a lot of good things." Among her accomplishments, Wiener said: Breed was a forceful advocate for legislation to make it easier to build homes, and a reliable ally for the LGBTQ+ community. "She really deeply understands our community," Wiener said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Breed acknowledged Lurie will inherit a list of tribulations. Among the more pressing issues is a projected $876-million city budget deficit. The office vacancy rate remains stubbornly high nearly five years after the pandemic. The city schools system is on the brink of state takeover. Read more: Can Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie be San Francisco's change agent? Her advice to Lurie? "It's important not to be afraid of what constituency you're going to piss off when you have to make life-and-death situation decisions here in the city that may be unpopular." That grit is critical as California prepares for Trump to resume office, Breed said. "San Francisco has been a consistent target and will be used as an example," she said. "San Francisco is going to be impacted whether we want it to be or not." Her election loss coincided with Trump's victory over her friend and mentor, Vice President Kamala Harris. Breed said their defeats should prompt reflection inside the Democratic Party. "I hope the Democratic Party tries to figure out a way to help more people, especially even people like me, be more successful," she said. Breed said she has been focused on a smooth mayoral transition and hasn't had much time to think about life after the mayor's office. She has spent nearly her whole life working, she said, starting with babysitting gigs and grocery runs for neighbors as a preteen. She's eager and a bit anxious to figure out her next job. "I don't have no rich mama with money," she said, laughing. "I gotta go make my own money." 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. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) The rollout of the South Dakota Lotterys new mobile-cashing feature that would let players electronically redeem prizes larger than $100 is delayed. Back in September, deputy director Clark Hepper had told state Lottery Commission members that the system would start about November 15. 2 teachers lose licenses, 2 others reprimanded But on Thursday, he said the target has been pushed back to January 30. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were working through some of those hiccups we found in the testing process, Hepper told them. Currently players have to travel to one of the South Dakota Lotterys redemption centers in Sioux Falls, Pierre or Rapid City to claim prizes of more than $100. Mobile-cashing would allow the prize money to be electronically transferred to their bank accounts. This is going to be a matter of convenience for our players, Hepper said. The system ran into difficulties communicating with financial institutions, according to Hepper. Members of the lotterys staff have been working with IGT, which has the South Dakota contract for online services, and the South Dakota Lotterys mobile app provider, Fjorge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He called it a big project we want to market. Those plans already are in place. They include steps such as rack cards available from lottery retailers explaining the process, posters in redemption centers, and adding information to claim forms and to the backs of instant tickets. There also will be a social media campaign, emails to Players Club members, a news release, and a step by step tutorial. Those will be followed in the spring by a paid digital-media campaign, billboards and social media posts. Great step forward. Im excited to see it happen, commission vice chair Tona Rozum of Mitchell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are too, Hepper replied. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. ROCHELLE, Ill. (WTVO) A Rockford man was pulled over in Rochelle for driving with a loud muffler and police arrested him when they learned he was driving without a license. According to the Ogle County Sheriffs Office, deputies stopped Earl Tipton, 65, Thursday night around 6:44 p.m. on Illinois Route 251, near Mowers Road. During the stop, police learned that Tiptons license had been revoked. He was charged and taken to the Ogle County Jail for processing and was then released with a notice to appear at a future court date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Looting and lack of staff and medicine are forcing some healthcare facilities to close in Syria amid the fluid security situation, UN humanitarians said on Friday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the United Nations and its partners continue to support the relief response, resuming activities as security permits. In northeast Syria, health partners activated more than 20 mobile medical units to handle critical cases and provide primary consultations, OCHA said. In the northwest, 30 mobile medical teams provided basic healthcare, vaccinations and maternal care, supported displaced people, and delivered aid including food, tents, winter clothes, hygiene kits and cash. However, the humanitarians said more support is needed to reach more people and support host communities. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that thousands of Syrian refugees have started returning to the country from Lebanon through the Masnaa border point and other border crossings, going back to Idlib, rural Damascus, Damascus, Daraa, Aleppo, and other locations. At the same time, some Syrians have fled into Lebanon. Refugees were also reported returning from Turkiye through the Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salam border crossings to northwest Syria. During 14 years of Syrian conflict and crisis, more than 13 million Syrians have been forced from their homes, according to UNHCR. It has not yet provided official numbers on returnees or the new refugees. "One of the main challenges is that there are no immigration authorities on the Syrian side (of the border)," the UNHCR representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, told reporters in a telebriefing. "The immigration officials, who were operating there during the previous regime, all left their positions and the new transitional authorities have not been able yet to establish immigration procedures, which creates, of course, some challenges and difficulties," he said. The refugee agency also reported that in the past 72 hours, some of their activities in more secure areas were resumed through local partners. The agency said it supported 114 community centers in Syria, providing services to those internally displaced or returning. Love Is Blind became a swift breakout hit for Netflix in 2020 by testing whether true love can form between two people without seeing each other. But just as quickly, the show has become a striking test case for the growing movement to establish labor protections in reality TV. The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against the reality show on Wednesday, which stated that the show's participants have been misclassified and are actually employees that merit certain workers rights. Under that classification, the labor board said producers of the show committed several labor violations, including unlawful contractual terms related to confidentiality and noncompete provisions. The complaint represents a significant step forward in the efforts by some unscripted talent to unionize. For the uninitiated, here are some key questions and answers about "Love Is Blind," the labor complaint, what it entails and how it may (or may not) affect other participants on reality television. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Reality TV stars say they're subject to grueling conditions and low pay. A union could change that What is 'Love Is Blind'? The Netflix dating series, which is produced by Kinetic Content, premiered just in time to love-bomb viewers for Valentine's Day in 2020. And it quickly became an addictive watch with its kooky premise of hopeful singles finding love by talking to a wall. No, really. The series begins with 15 single men and 15 single women splitting off into pairs and getting to know each other, one on one, sight unseen, in a pod separated by a shimmery blue wall. After much gabbing, those who share a strong connection get engaged and meet for the first time face to face before jetting off for a vacation in Mexico. Eventually, the couples venture back into the real world, live together and meet each other's family and friends. If, after all that, they aren't sick of each other, the couples exchange vows. Of the couples who have decided to wed on the domestic version of the show, most have remained married, and some have started families. It's also not uncommon for some participants to leverage their popularity or notoriety into other reality TV opportunities or outside ventures. What does the complaint say? In the complaint, which lists former "Love Is Blind" contestants Renee Poche and Nick Thompson as charging parties, producers of "Love Is Blind" are accused of engaging in multiple unfair labor practices, including misclassifying cast members as nonemployee participants. This classification, according to the complaint, means that contestants are inhibited from engaging in certain activities, such as collective bargaining, and deprives them of workplace protections guaranteed to employees under the National Labor Relations Act. Don't reality TV contestants get paid? Yes, reality TV cast members typically receive some compensation for appearing on camera. But unlike scripted television, there are few industry-wide standards when it comes to pay in part because there is, as of now, no union to negotiate pay standards or advocate for improved workplace conditions. Compensation varies wildly across the format. Popular recurring stars on franchises like The Real Housewives can earn six figures for a single season and negotiate for bigger paychecks to reflect their status as prominent reality TV personalities. But it also depends on the type of reality show; for example, contestants in competition shows usually make more money the further they go, while other reality stars receive modest weekly or daily stipends while they are being filmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the participation agreements cited in the NLRB complaint, "Love Is Blind" contestants received a stipend of $1,000 a week, for up to eight weeks, or a maximum payment of $8,000. Participants also gave producers the rights to film them "24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week." Read more: Franchises took over reality TV. Now they threaten its success Hasn't 'Love Is Blind' been sued a bunch already? Four years since its debut, the series has been subject to a growing number of lawsuits and misconduct allegations from former contestants. A class-action lawsuit filed by Season 2 contestant Jeremy Hartwell accused the show's producers of various alleged labor violations, including failure to provide rest periods and underpayment of wages. In his complaint, Hartwell claimed that while filming the pods portion of the series, producers "plied the cast with alcohol and deprived them of food and water while paying rates that were below Los Angeles Countys minimum wage." A $1.4-million settlement was eventually reached and reportedly divided among 144 former cast and crew members, after attorneys' fees. More mistreatment allegations were detailed in an April 2023 Insider report, in which multiple contestants spoke out about the conditions inside the Netflix series, alleging that they had experienced emotional warfare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kinetic Content has denied the allegations in both the lawsuit and the Insider report, but in an interview with Variety, Chris Coelen, CEO of Kinetic and showrunner of Love Is Blind, defended the shows working conditions. He said that cast members were provided access to psychological care throughout filming, contending that two psychologists were present in the control room during filming in the pods; post-pods, there is a hotline for a specialist who is available 24/7. Coelen also responded to the reports claim that cast members would be subject to a $50,000 fine if they left the show early, saying that production never enforced the clause, and that the penalty was removed from contracts in recent seasons. In another suit, Season 5 contestant Tran Dang sued Kinetic Content and Delirium TV, another production company behind the show, over claims of sexual assault, false imprisonment and negligence. This year, Poche, who appeared in Season 5, filed a lawsuit against Netflix after allegedly being penalized $4 million for breaching her contract by publicly discussing her time on the show. (She earned $8,000 for her participation on the show, as stated in her filing.) Read more: 'Love Is Blind' alumni allege inhumane conditions; producers tout 'rigorous protocols' What has Netflix or the production companies that make 'Love Is Blind' said about the complaint? Nothing. At least not yet. Netflix declined to comment Thursday. Kinetic Content and Delirium TV have not responded to a request for comment as of publication of this story. So what happens next, legally speaking? Unless a settlement is reached first, an administrative law judge with the NLRB will hear the case and decide whether producers of "Love Is Blind" violated the National Labor Relations Act. The hearing is scheduled for April 22, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wis. If the judge decides that producers violated the law, he or she can order make-whole remedies to undo the harm created by unfair labor practices, including retroactive payment for employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After that decision is issued, it can be appealed to the national board. Further appeals in federal court, and even the Supreme Court, are possible. What happens if 'Love Is Blind' contestants are classified as employees? If "Love Is Blind" contestants are classified as employees, they will be entitled to certain protections under the National Labor Relations Act, including the right to take collective action to improve their wages and working conditions. They would also be entitled to engage in activities like walkouts and protests, and to discuss their pay with each other rights they are not guaranteed to as mere "participants." While the decision will only pertain to "Love Is Blind," it would set a precedent for other producers and potentially galvanize the movement to unionize reality TV talent. Sign up for Screen Gab, a free newsletter about the TV and movies everyones talking about from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. NEW YORK Luigi Mangione, accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Hilton, was not insured through his victims company, police sources told the Daily News. Investigators have not uncovered any evidence that Mangione was insured through UnitedHealthcare, with sources saying the fatal hit was not personal and that the alleged assassin was primarily driven by a desire to spur health care reform. When police arrested Mangione inside a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday, he was found in possession of a 260-word handwritten manifesto outlining his issues with the U.S. health care system and UnitedHealthcare specifically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangiones manifesto notes that Americans pay more in health care expenses than in any other country but that their life expectancy is ranked at No. 42 worldwide. He also wrote that UnitedHealthcares value is ranked behind only a few of the countrys most profitable companies, including Apple, said sources. The note criticized companies that continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it, and singled out UnitedHealthcare to note that while the insurers profits have grown, American life expectancy has not increased, according to The New York Times. Mangiones outlook on the industry may have been shaped by his own experience with chronic back pain. R.J. Martin, who founded a co-living space called Surfbreak in Honolulu where Mangione lived for six months, told the Times he was suffering from a spinal misalignment. Mangione goes on to rail in his manifesto about the disparity between Americas wealth and the quality of its health care, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I had an opportunity to read the manifesto, Kenny said on Good Morning America. He does make some indication that hes frustrated with the health care system in the United States, said Kenny. So he was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate American and in particular the health care industry. Mangione, 26, was charged with possession of a ghost gun after a five-day manhunt. He was later charged with the murder of Thompson, who was shot Dec. 4 in Midtown Manhattan shortly before an investors conference. _____ UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompsons accused killer Luigi Mangione was recognized by an officer in San Francisco days before his arrest thanks to a wanted poster. The San Francisco Chronicle, citing two unidentified sources, claims the officer, part of SFPDs Special Victims Unit, recognized Mangione on Dec. 5, four days before his arrest in Pennsylvania, when authorities were still looking to identity their suspect on the run. The officer recognized the 26-year-old due to their involvement in a missing persons case filed for Mangione in San Francisco in mid-November, the Chronicle reported. SFPDs Special Victims Unit was investigating the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police subsequently contacted the FBI on Dec. 5 to report the possibility of Mangione being the killer, according to the report. Though its unclear how the communication took place and what happened afterwards with the FBI, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told NBC on Tuesday: This was not a name that was called into us. The FBI and San Francisco police would not comment when quizzed by the Chronicle. Mangione was nabbed at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a tip-off from a worker at the fast-food chain, on Dec. 9. The worker recognized the suspect after police released photos of the accused killer at a hostel in New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione was reported missing by his mother, Kathleen, on Nov. 18., two weeks before the shooting, the San Francisco Police Department told CNN. She told officers that she had not spoken to her son since July. Since his arrest, Mangione is being held without bond on gun and forgery charges in Pennsylvania. He contested his extradition to New York at a preliminary court hearing, where he faces charges of second-degree murder. Luigi Mangione was arrested in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Rewards from NYPD Crime Stoppers and the FBI depend on Mangione's conviction, which may take time. The 911 caller and the restaurant patron who recognized Mangione may both be eligible. After a densely eyebrowed man was caught on camera shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, authorities put a bounty on his head. The New York Police Department's Crime Stoppers program offered a $10,000 reward for information that could lead to the killer's arrest or conviction. The Federal Bureau of Investigation followed suit, touting a $50,000 reward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the tipster who called 911 on Luigi Mangione needs Mangione, who was arrested Monday and accused of the killing, to be convicted before they get the money. An ordinary Crime Stoppers reward is under $3,500. In those cases, tipsters can be paid upon arrest and indictment. But when a reward is raised to exceed that amount, the money isn't disbursed until a conviction, either at trial or through a guilty plea, according to a spokesperson for the New York City Police Foundation, which administers the funds. Officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, arrested Mangione at a McDonald's restaurant, on charges that he lied about his identity and illegally carried a ghost gun police said was assembled from 3D-printed parts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione will likely be extradited to New York, where a warrant indicates he will be charged with murder, among other crimes. Mangione has not made any public statements since his arrest and has not yet entered a plea for the charges against him. Thomas Dickey, an Altoona-based defense attorney representing Mangione on his Pennsylvania charges, didn't immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider. According to New York Police Department officials, the 911 caller was a fast-food worker who was tipped off about Mangione by a restaurant patron. Even though that person didn't call Crime Stoppers directly, they can still potentially receive the reward, according to the foundation spokesperson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The individual in Pennsylvania, who called in a tip, is eligible to receive the reward," the spokesperson told Business Insider. More than one person could collect rewards Crime Stoppers doesn't always pay out the maximum amount of their rewards. The total is determined by a board overseen by the foundation, which acts upon the recommendation of the commanding officer of the NYPD's Crime Stoppers unit. Given the high profile of Thompson's killing, it's likely the tipster will be eligible for the full amount, Joe Giacalone, a former New York police officer who oversaw the unit, said. "Since this was a national manhunt, I would assume they would ask for the highest amount of award," said Giacalone, now an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The board would also decide whether the reward would go to either the restaurant patron, who first apparently recognized Mangione, or the employee who called 911, or both. Those details "would be ironed out between Crime Stoppers and the police foundation," the foundation spokesperson said. "In the past, on other cases, sometimes they both get their reward," the spokesperson said. "Sometimes the reward is split half-and-half." It's less clear whether the caller can get a piece of the FBI's $50,000 award anytime soon. The language on the FBI poster offered money for "information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for this crime," also indicating it wouldn't pay out unless a conviction is reached. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An FBI representative said tips from the public are among the agency's "best tools in preventing, detecting, and deterring crime." It did not answer questions about the Mangione tipster or its reward process. "The FBI maintains longstanding policy not to confirm the identity of individuals who assist the FBI by providing tips or information," the representative said in an email. "Additionally, the FBI will not comment on whether reward money has been paid and to whom. The FBI takes this position for privacy protection, and to ensure the public's continued cooperation and incentivization with any future assistance." Reward funds can help ease the financial burden of potential informants, whose lives may be transformed if they become cooperating witnesses or ultimately testify at trial. Former prosecutor Opher Shweiki said they were helpful in capturing and building the case against Ahmed Abu Khatallah, who was involved in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack. The case was featured as one of the "Success Stories" from Rewards for Justice, a law enforcement program that works with the FBI to offer rewards. "They're sometimes upending their lives," said Shweiki, now a national security partner at Akin Gump. "And so there's a lot that goes into that equation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A conviction in the Thompson killing could take a long time if it happens at all. As Business Insider's Laura Italiano reported, a savvy lawyer could delay the Pennsylvania-to-New York extradition for years and that would be before Mangione would be arraigned on murder charges, kicking off the formal process for the criminal case. Mangione's folk hero status has led to a cascade of online threats against the employee who called 911, whose name has not been publicly disclosed. The fast food restaurant location where Mangione was arrested has beefed up security, Newsweek reported. The ordinary NYPD Crime Stoppers procedure is designed to be completely anonymous to protect tipsters. Callers are given ID numbers, and their identities are not even known to police officers even when they collect the reward. Given the threats and heightened emotions surrounding the case, Giacalone said NYPD officials were wrong to disclose identifying information about the tipsters, including the restaurant where the call was made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the NYPD didn't immediately return a request for comment on the disclosure. "It was a mistake," Giacalone said. "Because, if you're watching what people are saying online about this person, they're in danger. And so is their family." Read the original article on Business Insider Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione, pictured here after his extradition hearing at Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. - Credit: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man arrested and charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on Dec. 4, had a significant online footprint before most web platforms suspended his accounts. These profiles seemed to reveal a healthy, accomplished, well-adjusted young man though there were red flags, such as his admiring review of the manifesto written by Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. Other indications of Mangiones mindset were his since-removed posts on a subreddit for people who have been diagnosed with spondylolisthesis, a potentially debilitating spinal condition that arises when a vertebra slips out of alignment. He was at one point active in the forum, which has since gone private, trading advice and words of support with others who were navigating symptoms and treatment options. He revealed that he had undergone a spinal fusion surgery in July 2023, with positive results a procedure that some who know him have corroborated. (His account on X, formerly Twitter, shows an X-ray of just such a fusion, which joins vertebrae to keep them from moving apart.) Mangione wrote that his back pain from spondylolisthesis had worsened after he went surfing in Hawaii, where he lived, saying it hurt to sit down and that he experienced twitching leg muscles. A friend told People that Mangione had confided in him that the back pain made the prospect of dating and physical intimacy unlikely, and constantly weighed on him, leading to depression. His Goodreads account, now removed, showed that he had read several books about managing chronic back pain. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soon after the fusion, Mangione posted on Reddit that it had been the right decision. But it was also after this surgical intervention that Mangione gradually cut off communications with friends and family, becoming isolated in the months leading up to Thompsons killing. His activities throughout this period are a mystery that prosecutors will no doubt seek to unravel. Neither is it clear if Mangione continued to suffer back problems as many as 40 percent of people who receive spinal surgery report continued pain or other health issues. Many other Americans with spondylolisthesis were interested to learn that they shared a disorder with the man accused of gunning down a health insurance executive, though few were shocked that he might have developed a grudge against the industry. Rolling Stone spoke with more than half a dozen individuals who have sought treatment for the condition or have a relative who did, often tangling with corporate red tape and skeptical doctors as they try to lead normal lives in spite of wracking pain. Some requested to remain anonymous, while others preferred to use only their first names. Ive got grade 2 spondylolisthesis, with a bilateral pars break, disc bulge, and stenosis, leading to nerve compression and pain, says Lisa Marie Basile, a writer in New York now considering spinal surgery herself she had to jump through a lot of hoops just to secure a consultation. The pain is worse than you can imagine for me, she says. Whats worse than the pain is how it limits you, though, and I would even say I am one of the luckier patients living with it. Basile, 38, used to be an avid swimmer and dancer but has had to let those passions go. I cant move like I used to, she says. There is a deep sense of grief in this that just becomes pure rage when you think of how insurance companies make it worse. Rax, who works a communications job in California, has already had surgery to treat spondylolisthesis and likewise reports difficulty in securing such necessary care. It was a huge hurdle getting the surgery approved, including a super-tight window [when] it could occur, he says. I was constantly on the phone with insurance, they miscalculated my out-of-pocket maximum, and it took hours upon hours just to get them to approve the claim that was justified. I was lucky that I had union-negotiated insurance from my graduate teaching fellowship, some of the best in the country at the time, otherwise Im sure I would be in a different place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The logistics of treatment often involve stress and inconvenience that compound agonizing symptoms. Kathy Quellen, a 65-year-old registered nurse in Arizona, says that thanks to her profession, she knows a little more than the average person when it comes to dealing with health insurance, but adds that it does not matter in what she calls the roller-coaster experience in American health care. On her plan, she says, she regularly visits pain clinics for spinal epidurals and ablations (which deaden the nerves) to alleviate the pain from spondylolisthesis. But theres a ridiculous catch: Insurance wont pay to do both the left and right sides of the back at one time, she explains. You have to make two appointments, because they feel you might have less pain after one side is done, and they dont want to pay for two if they dont have to. Even though both sides of Quellens back are affected, and she has documentation to prove that they each need treatment, I have to make two appointments and pay two co-pays, two weeks apart. A therapist in California, who requested anonymity because of her work, relates an alarming story about the medication she relies on to curtail her back pain from spondylolisthesis, which has transformed her life over the past decade. Once, when she switched insurance providers, the new company didnt want to cover her prescription. So I tried to explain, as did my doctor, that cutting me off of opioid pain meds abruptly would cause withdrawal. She ended up paying for them out-of-pocket for two months some $250 in all while the problem got sorted. Im glad I had the money to pay for them, she adds. She hadnt been on opioids originally because her doctors worried about addiction and told her to take ibuprofen which she then used so much that she developed kidney disease, a condition that has mildly improved since she switched to opioids. Like Basile, this therapist misses many leisure pursuits she used to enjoy: running, going to concerts, and touring museums. The number-one thing that hurts to do is standing, she notes, making even activities most would not find strenuous too difficult for her. So as a music lover, and an art lover, thats been probably the thing that has impacted me on a regular basis the most. Though she has not had surgery, she says she has tried nerve ablation, physical therapy, exercise, rest, yoga, meds you name it to little effect. Extreme symptoms may not move an insurance provider to cover claims. My mom had a lumbar spondylolisthesis occur due to degenerative disc disease, spondyloarthritis, says Beth, a costume designer and seamstress. At one point, she could not control her bladder or bowels. She was in so much pain that she had to crawl on the floor. Her mother, in her early fifties, was able to get timely surgery, Beth says, but even though she had already met her deductible for the year, Cigna still hounded her and tried to get her to pay for things she did not have to pay for. Shes doing better a year on, but my god the process was excruciating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And its not just the insurance headaches patients with terrible back pain sometimes grow frustrated with medical professionals they regard as dismissive. Jeremy, a musician and engineering technician experiencing chronic pain along with limb numbness and restricted circulation, reports that physicians do not take it seriously. He says that he quit going to the doctor 10 years ago as they dont listen and just want the fee. J.S., a software developer, concurs with that assessment. As a person with advanced degenerative disk disease and herniated disk with nerve impingement who has suffered from chronic pain for almost three decades now, I can confidently say that [doctors] absolutely do not give a fuck, and Ive never met a doctor that takes it seriously. He adds that besides a spinal fusion, the only care options hes been offered are physical therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, neither of which help enough to allow me to perform the basic activities of daily living without significant pain. Surgery is out of the question, J.S. says, in part because the description of the procedure had already made me uneasy, but also because he had discussed it with a co-worker whod had a fusion and was extremely emphatic that he wished he had never had it done. He has since spoken to two other people he said regretted the procedure. One anonymous spondylolisthesis patient bluntly tells Rolling Stone, It sucks, sharing an MRI image that shows how their spine appears pinched due to misaligned vertebrae. They, too, have declined surgery, as it would have to be a fusion of four separate discs, and each additional fusion increases the risk of complications. As for Mangione, this fellow back-pain sufferer expresses surprise that someone so young would get a fusion surgery on average, patients receiving such treatments are middle-aged. In one of his Reddit posts on r/spondylolisthesis, Mangione wrote that age should not be an obstacle to surgery. Keep trying different surgeons, he advised. Nobody will operate on my back until Im at least 40 is nonsense coming from a medical professional who lacks perspective. Whether Mangione who was in possession of a short manifesto condemning health insurance companies as parasites when he was detained by law enforcement in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday might have been moved to violence by his experience with spondylolisthesis and health insurance, some can certainly picture this path of radicalization. My insurer is also UnitedHealthcare, so lets just say the prosecution will be happy Im not on the jury, says the anonymous patient who has opted not to gamble on a four-disc fusion. Others dont want their spinal disorder connected to the shooting in any way. I am not interested, a moderator of r/spondylolisthesis tells Rolling Stone. This is a support group of people from all over the globe that do not wish to get swept up in the recent events in the U.S.A. Please respect their privacy. But, like it or not, a narrative has taken shape, with many across the internet hailing Mangione yet to be extradited to New York on the murder change, let alone tried and convicted for it as a justified vigilante. The slaying, his manifesto, and his medical history have unleashed a wave of contempt for the U.S. health care system as well as horror stories about its failures. Its a conversation that Basile, who recounts the gauntlet of bargaining with an insurer that has denied her everything from a critical MRI to steroid injections for pain management, is glad the country is finally having. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think this story is about Mangione at all, really, Basile says, noting that she would never support gun violence. And I dont think this is about the CEO either. I think its about a revolution of the people who are constantly suffering at the hands of greedy insurance companies. I also think that chronic illness and disability communities have been saying this for years and years and years. But if this high-profile case is what it takes for everyone to get to the reckoning point, Im fully here for it. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Washington State Patrol troopers were told about a carjacking using a knife that happened at the Blaine border crossing. According to WSP, an officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was almost hit by a pickup at the crossing. CBP started to chase the pickup southbound on I-5 toward Bellingham. As the car reached Bellingham, WSP joined the chase after the driver did not stop for CBP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CBP was in the air and was also following the pickup from the sky. WSP then took the lead in the chase and tried to stop the pickup with stop sticks but was not successful. WSP said the PIT maneuver was used and with the help of Whatcom County Sheriffs Office and CBP officers the driver was arrested. Troopers found a machete in the pickup that was stolen from British Columbia. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of felony eluding. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday appointed centrist politician Francois Bayrou as prime minister, the Elysee Palace said, just over a week after the fall of the previous government. Last Wednesday, the opposition brought down conservative former premier Michel Barnier in a dispute over an austerity budget, after he had only been in office for three months. France has been politically deadlocked since elections held in June and July failed to produce a clear result. At the same time, the country is facing a critical economic situation amid soaring national debt and a large budgetary deficit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opposition parties have demanded Macron resign amid the political and economic crisis, with a 2025 budget still not approved just weeks before the new year. Macron has refused to step down. Complicated balance of power There are three main camps of roughly equal size that do not have a majority in the National Assembly: the left-wing camp of Socialists, communists, greens and populists; Macron's centrist forces; and the right-wing nationalists led by Marine Le Pen. The unlikely bedfellows of the left-wing camp and the right-wing nationalists combined to bring down Barnier's government. Bayrou will be tasked with forming a government that brings in as many parties as possible. While they are not likely to establish a formal coalition, they will be expected to cooperate to the extent of not immediately throwing out the new government over passing a budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A new parliamentary election cannot be held until a year after the last vote in July, according to France's constitution. Macron has rejected calls for his resignation and has vowed to serve out his five-year term, due to end in 2027. He has said that it is his responsibility to ensure the proper functioning of state institutions, the independence of the country and the protection of the population. He has accused the far left and the far right of damaging the republic. Following a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron praised Poland's role in supporting Ukraine since the Kremlin unleashed its full-scale war against Kyiv. Source: Macron on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Macron visited Warsaw on Thursday, 12 December, where he met with Tusk. He praised Poland's role in supporting Ukraine from the outset of Russia's aggression and emphasised the importance of continued cooperation to achieve peace and security in the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I salute Poland's role since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. Because there will be no peace in Ukraine without the Ukrainians, and no security in Europe without the Europeans, let us continue to work together to achieve this," Macron said. Background: Notably, before Macron's visit to Poland, media reports indicated that the visit aimed to discuss crucial issues, as Macron travelled to Warsaw in the midst of a political crisis in France and ongoing efforts to find a suitable candidate for a new prime minister. Unofficially, it is reported that Macron shortened his original visit schedule to return to Paris promptly, as he is expected to name the new prime minister later in the evening. Media outlets cited sources indicating that Macron was beginning discussions with Poland about the possibility of deploying a European peacekeeping mission to Ukraine. This could be part of a hypothetical future agreement to end the current phase of the war, serving as a deterrent against further Russian aggression. After his meeting with the French leader, Tusk said that they were "on the same page" on all issues. Support UP or become our patron! CAIRO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) has adopted a resolution condemning Israel's military incursions into the Syrian buffer zone and adjacent positions after an Egypt-initiated emergency meeting, announced Egypt's Foreign Ministry on Friday. The emergency meeting was held Thursday to formulate a unified Arab position on expanded Israeli occupation in the annexed Golan Heights, which the AL described as a flagrant violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement, the ministry said in a statement. The AL resolution emphasized that the disengagement agreement remains effective as per UN Security Council Resolution 350, unaffected by Syria's political upheaval, the statement added. It urged international pressure on Israel to comply with UN Resolution 497 in 1981, which states that the Israeli exercise of sovereign rights in the Golan Heights is "null and void." The Cairo-based pan-Arab organization also demanded Israeli withdrawal from occupied Syrian territory. Since the downfall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government on Sunday, Israel has significantly increased airstrikes across Syria, along with ground operations targeting Syrian critical military infrastructure. In addition, Israel declared the 1974 UN-monitored disengagement agreement with Syria defunct following the end of al-Assad's rule, and its military then crossed into the demilitarized buffer zone established under the agreement, seizing border areas. French President Emmanuel Macron at the EU leaders' summit on 18-19 December will raise the issue of deploying a UN peacekeeping mission to Ukraine in case of a ceasefire and peace between Ukraine and Russia. Source: a European official said this on condition of anonymity, as reported by a Radio Liberty correspondent in Brussels; European Pravda Details: Many senior EU officials say that it is too early to have these discussions. In particular, the new top EU diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, as Radio Libertys source said, this discussion is inevitable, given the French president's visit to Poland and the media debate on sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, Donald Trumps upcoming accession to power in the US, and the need to hold a discussion regarding the war in Ukraine with him. Two other diplomats also noted that this topic is being raised precisely to prepare for a conversation with the US president-elect and to ensure the EU's participation in peace talks. At the same time, they said, the topic of European troops is not being developed and remains at the level of an idea. Background: France is trying to assemble a coalition of 5-8 European countries "determined to act", Reuters reported, citing diplomats. The agency also reported that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will convene a separate meeting on the situation in Ukraine with the leaders of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland on the sidelines of a summit in Brussels on 18 December. Macron has not yet officially proposed sending a mission to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Have you spoken to Vladimir Putin since your election? Time magazine asked Donald Trump during its latest interview. It seemed like a simple, straightforward question about an issue thats come up repeatedly in recent weeks. All the president-elect had to do was say yes or no. The Republican did neither. I cant tell you, Trump replied. I cant tell you. Its just inappropriate. At that point, the interview moved on, but given the larger context, its probably best not to brush past this too quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Trumps refusal to talk about this sounds at all familiar, its because hes adopted this posture before. In fact, as regular readers might recall, it was in early May 2016, as political observers just started to consider questions about Trump and his relationship with the Russian leader, when the then-candidate was asked whether hed spoken to Putin. I dont want to say, the Republican replied. A day later, Trump sat down with Fox News Bret Baier, who followed up on the question. Yeah, I have no comment on that, the future president replied. No comment. The Fox host, apparently surprised, said one of the things people liked about Trump was his willingness to answer any question. The candidate didnt seem to care. Yeah, but I dont want to comment, he added. It was an early indication that Trumps relationship with his benefactor in Moscow was, to understate matters, problematic. After all, the Republican hardly ever said, No comment in response to any question on any subject. He loved, and continues to love, commenting even when he has no idea what hes talking about. But asked about whether hed had direct interactions with Putin, the then-candidate suddenly had nothing to say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Matters did not improve in the years that followed. In fact, The Washington Post reported in 2019 that Trump and the Russian leader had a series of undisclosed chats during the Republicans first term in the White House. (The reporting was not independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News.) More recently, Bob Woodwards latest book, citing a senior Trump aide, alleged that Trump and Putin had direct conversations as many as seven times after he left office following his 2020 defeat. (The account is credited to a single anonymous aide and provides no further details. Neither NBC News nor MSNBC independently confirmed the reporting.) The Kremlin denied the accuracy of the claim, as did Trump initially, though in October just a few weeks before Election Day 2024 the Republican boasted that itd be a smart thing if he had secret communications with the Russian autocrat. Two months later, Trump said he cant say whether he had private chats with Putin, adding that itd be inappropriate to discuss it. Whether the incoming American president understands this or not, thats a bizarre answer. Since he won a second term, Trump hasnt been shy about touting his interactions with foreign leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, among others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president-elect has bragged about the conversations, touted them on his social media platform, and referenced the interactions publicly. Trump hasnt expressed the slightest reservations about promoting his discussions with foreign leaders and by all appearances, hes proud of them, using the chats as proof of his importance. And yet, while hes perfectly eager to talk about these chats with foreign leaders, Trump apparently believes he has to remain silent when it comes to Putin. For those concerned about Trumps relationship with his friend in Moscow, this isnt going to help. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Throughout his political career, Donald Trump has tested boundaries and gauged public reactions. When Republican voters expressed their approval of one of his ideas, Trump took their support as evidence of its merit. When the GOP base balked, hed back off. The problem, of course, is that Republican voters throughout the Trump era have demonstrated a remarkable tolerance for radicalism. A year ago this week, for example, ahead of Iowas GOP presidential caucuses, a Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Poll found that many likely Republican caucusgoers in the state actually approved of Trump saying that immigrants are poisoning the blood of the country and targeting Americans he disagrees with as vermin. (Click this link for more information on the polls margin of error and methodology.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A national CBS News poll released a month later similarly found that 82% of Republicans supported Trumps anti-immigrant language, even as the then-candidate echoing similar phrasing used by Adolf Hitler. (Click this link for more information on the polls margin of error and methodology.) Why did Trump lean in so heavily on scurrilous anti-immigration rhetoric? Because the voters he cared about most effectively gave him a green light to keep going. The broader phenomenon, however, isnt limited to poisoning the blood screeds. The president-elect has also talked about terminating parts of the Constitution that stand in the way of his ambitions and creating a temporary American dictatorship. Theres fresh evidence that his supporters arent especially concerned about this, either. Monmouth University released the results of its latest national survey this week: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Democrats and independents would be upset if President-elect Donald Trump suspended laws and constitutional provisions to go after his political enemies. However, few Republicans say this would bother them a lot.... As is often the case, the exact wording of the questions was of interest. In this instance, Monmouth initially asked respondents, Donald Trump made statements suggesting that he could suspend some laws and constitutional provisions to go after political enemies if he is elected president again. Do you see these statements as something he will seriously do if elected, or more of an exaggeration? Overall, the public was narrowly divided, though the partisan gap was enormous: 77% of Democrats said they perceived the president-elects rhetoric as serious, while 71% of Republicans said he was exaggerating. But it was the follow-up question that mattered more: If Donald Trump did suspend some laws and constitutional provisions, would that bother you a lot, bother you a little, or not bother you at all? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A plurality of Republicans in the survey (36%) said it wouldnt bother them at all if Trump suspended some laws and constitutional provisions to go after political enemies, while an additional 34% said it would only bother them a little if the incoming president took such a step. Fewer than 1 in 4 Republicans just 23% said they would be bothered a lot if Trump suspended some laws and constitutional provisions to go after political opponents. If it were just one national poll, itd be tempting to see it as an outlier, but The Washington Post published an analysis noting the frequency with which weve seen related data just this year. One poll, for example, found 57% of Republicans saying itd be a good thing if Trump were able to act without waiting for Congress and the courts. (Click this link for more information on the polls margin of error and methodology.) Another survey found 52% of Republicans agreeing that Americans need a strong president who should be allowed to rule without too much interference from courts and Congress. (Click this link for more information on the polls margin of error and methodology.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im also reminded of a Fox News poll, released exactly a year ago, which found that 30% of self-identified Trump voters nearly a third were on board with a president break[ing] some laws to set things right. (Click this link for more information on the polls margin of error and methodology.) That was followed by an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll that asked respondents whether they agreed that conditions in the United States have deteriorated to the point that we need a leader who is willing to break some rules to set things right. Among Republicans, a 56% majority endorsed the idea. (Click this link for more information on the polls margin of error and methodology.) Theres been a lot of discussion of late about Trumps hostility toward democracy and embrace of an authoritarian-style vision. Whats less appreciated is the degree to which rank-and-file Republican voters have embraced related attitudes. Im reminded anew of something Rachel told viewers in an A block that aired a year ago this week about aspiring leaders who tell voters that some threats justify terminating the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is designed to make you believe that a democratic system with checks and balances, and the constraint of the rule of law, and elections where people are voted out sometimes, and divided power within government, those things are not up to stopping these terrible evils that threaten us the terrible threat that some people among us pose to the rest of us, Rachel explained. This stuff is tactically efficient. Its designed to make us think that we need a strong man. We need a tough man. We dont need a legal system in all its constraints. We dont need a court system. We dont really need a political process. We dont need politicians. We dont need Congress. We need strength, will, action, revenge, broken rules, maybe even violence. These statements are not just supposed to shock you, theyre supposed to work on you, to make you believe we need something new and extreme to deal with our terrible problems, if only for a little while maybe just a temporary dictatorship. And these tactics have a terrible history of working really well. The Monmouth poll suggests the tactics are still working well at least among members of one of the nations major political parties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (According to the polling institutes news release, the Monmouth University Poll was sponsored and conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute from Dec. 5 to Dec. 10 with a probability-based national random sample of 1,006 adults ages 18 and older. Interviews were conducted in English and included 208 live landline telephone interviews, 540 live cellphone interviews and 258 online surveys via a cellphone text invitation. The question results had a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points for the full sample.) This article was originally published on MSNBC.com In October 2020, NBC News Kristen Welker moderated a presidential debate and asked the candidates whether theyd support raising the minimum wage. President Joe Biden didnt hesitate, endorsing a significant increase over the status quo. The Republican incumbent was far more circumspect. Donald Trump initially responded by saying that raising the minimum wage should be a state option a curious stance, given that its always been a state option before adding that hed consider an increase to an extent. What did that mean? No one was altogether sure, and when the then-president lost his re-election bid a few weeks later, it became a moot point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Four years later, however, the Republican is returning to the White House and facing the issue anew. In fact, Welker reminded Trump of their debate exchange during his latest Meet the Press appearance, noted that the federal minimum wage has been $7.25 for more than 15 years and asked once again whether hes prepared to raise it. Its a very low number, the incoming president conceded, referring to the status quo. I will agree, its a very low number. After some back and forth on the issue he claimed restaurants in California are going out of business all over the place as a result of a wage hike the host asked, Is this something youre going to look at? Trump replied: I would consider it. Id want to speak to the governors. And the other thing that is very complicated about minimum wage is, places are so different. Mississippi and Alabama and great places are very different than New York or California, I mean in terms of the cost of living and other things. So it would be nice to have just a minimum wage for the whole country, but it wouldnt work because you have places where its very inexpensive to live, where a minimum wage which is at $8 or $9 might be, you know, might have very little effect because the cost of living in certain places is really low. For the most part, this is a familiar line from GOP officials who are opposed to minimum wage increases, but what stood out for me was a point the president-elect made in passing: [I]t would be nice to have just a minimum wage for the whole country, but it wouldnt work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats not an argument against raising the minimum wage; thats an argument against having a minimum wage. In other words, Trump, based on his on-air comments, believes that the federal minimum wage law, created by FDR and congressional Democrats nearly nine decades ago, shouldnt exist at all. That mightve generated more public interest were it not for the fact that Trumps position on the minimum wage has been so erratic for so long that theres no reason to believe his views wont change again soon. Lets not forget, for example, that during the GOP presidential primaries in 2016, candidate Trump opposed a wage increase, complaining that American wages were already too high. After winning his partys nomination, he changed his mind, denounced the status quo and boasted that his willingness to entertain a wage increase showed he was very different from most Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one Fox News interview in July 2016, Trump declared, Im the one Republican that said in some cases we have to go more than minimum wage. Pressed for specific number, he replied, I would say $10, up from $7.25. The rhetoric, however, has always come with fine print: Trump wanted to be seen as taking the popular position, but he also made clear that he expected states to do the work. As president, Trump continued to play rhetorical games along these lines. In fact, in July 2020, during a Fox Business Network interview, the president said, Im going to have a statement on minimum wage. I feel differently than a lot of people on minimum wage, some people in my own party. But I will have a statement over the next two weeks on minimum wage. That was 232 weeks ago. Were still waiting for that statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where does that leave us? I suppose its possible that the incoming president the one who acknowledged the obvious fact that $7.25 an hour is a very low number will take action on the issue he ignored during his first term. But given his apparent hostility toward the existence of a federal minimum wage, Id recommend keeping expectations low. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com A mailman went postal on his colleague, brutally knifing her in a Staten Island apartment on Wednesday, according to police sources. The postal worker attacked the 26-year-old woman with a pocket knife after arguing with her inside the Dongan Hills apartment shortly before 3 p.m., the sources said. The mailman reportedly ran off after the attack, fleeing in a black BMW sedan while wearing a USPS jacket. A postal worker (not pictured) was stabbed by her co-worker inside a Staten Island apartment. carterdayne The duo were off-duty when the violence unfolded inside the womans fifth floor apartment near Dongan Hills Avenue and Richmond Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were called to the scene when the woman told a neighbor to call 911, sources said. The female postal worker was stabbed inside her Dongan Hills apartment. Google Maps Cops discovered her in the lobby with multiple stab wounds across her chest, stomach, arm and thigh, along with a gruesome blood trail leading to her apartment. Medics rushed her to Staten Island University Hospital North, where she was listed in stable condition. She told cops her attacker works with her at a post office in lower Manhattan, sources said. The mailman has yet to be nabbed by police. USPIS takes matters involving the safety, protection, and well-being of postal service employees as a top priority, a spokesperson for the United States Postal Inspection Service said in a statement. We are working diligently with our local law enforcement partners and United Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) on this investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spokesperson was unable to provide additional details but encouraged anyone with information on the case to call 877-876-2455 (say Law Enforcement) or reach out on X, @PostalInspector. Additional reporting by Tina Moore Dec. 12For most of his childhood and into his adult years, Steve Smith was the spiritual successor at the Faith Baptist Church in North Yarmouth. The chosen one. Pastor Wesley Harris identified him among congregants early on and began to mold the boy in his image. "He even sent me to his barber to get the same haircut," Smith said. "It was that level of shaping and control ... and I was very pliable." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris, by contrast, was rigid, both in posture and in his lessons from the pulpit. As far as Smith was concerned, the pastor spoke for God. And who was he to question God? "Everybody is searching for love, and security, and meaning," he said. "And a cult, big or small, provides all of those things if you follow the rules." It took a long time for Smith, now 44, to find the right language for what he endured. He believes the church was a cult and Harris was its leader. But his experience fits into a broader category of what psychologists call religious, or spiritual, abuse. It's harder to explain than physical or sexual abuse, but no less insidious. "Everything I thought was true was either twisted or an outright lie," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris' questionable leadership of the small, suburban Maine church made news more than two decades ago when a feud between the pastor and a Sunday school teacher led to false allegations of sexual abuse. But that story receded quickly into the background. Smith and his identical twin brother, Nate, are shedding new light on what happened in the church, how it tore their family apart, and how it has shaped their lives. It's a story about the bond between brothers and their faith. And about how both were tested. THE NEW PASTOR The Faith Baptist Church was a small but handsome brick sanctuary set back from Route 9 in North Yarmouth not far from the town border with Cumberland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris arrived there in the mid-1980s from Texas. He had been a Sunday school teacher before, never a pastor, but his knowledge of the Bible was deep and his conviction unquestioned. The congregation narrowly voted to approve his hiring. It didn't take long for Harris to adopt an authoritarian style. He took over the finances, started enforcing a dress code and told church members to stop celebrating holidays, including Christmas. The church, he said, needed to be the focal point in their lives. Steve Smith was among the congregants, along with his parents, older sister and Nate. Even as a young child, Steve remembers fissures in the church. People who spoke out against Harris' ways were quickly exiled. He vaguely remembers a big split in the late 1980s when he was 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "By the end of the summer, half the church was gone," he said. A few years later, a tense encounter between Harris and a member led to an investigation of his leadership by the regional branch of the Conservative Baptist Association, which led to the church's expulsion. The congregation shrank again. Steve and Nate Smith were in high school by then and had developed disparate feelings about their pastor. Steve still saw a mentor and believed Harris when he said that it was good that people were leaving the church. It meant only the most pious remained. Nate, however, started to see holes in the puritanical beliefs Harris espoused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In my mind, it had crossed the line into a very inappropriate domineering abusive environment," he said in a phone interview from his home in suburban Atlanta. "I knew it wasn't going to get better, and I knew I couldn't stay." Leaving the church meant leaving his family, too. In December 1997, Nate moved in with a friend across town. The only time he saw his twin brother was at school. His family at Harris' insistence shunned him. Shortly after Nate graduated from Greely High School, he enrolled at Virginia Military Institute. After that, he enlisted in the Marines. He's the first to acknowledge the parallels between the strict church he fled and the controlled military environment he ran toward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "For a long time, I did choose environments that were black and white," he said. Steve didn't understand his brother's decision. How could he turn his back on the church? On God? But he was also envious. Steve had wanted a military career, too. Both brothers remember with great reverence the stories of their grandfather, who served in World War II. Pastor Harris had different plans for him. RECOVERED MEMORIES The same year Nate and Steve graduated from high school, Harris attended training in Kentucky on theophostic counseling, which involves recovered memory therapy and deliverance from demons. It's not a widely accepted form of counseling within the broader Baptist church. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Armed with this new technique, he began counseling church members, mostly women, and in almost every instance they were found to have repressed a memory of sexual abuse. Harris would then talk about this abuse from the pulpit, Steve Smith said, often in lurid detail, even with children among the parishioners. "It was a paradigm shift, I can still remember it," Steve said. "Just the darkness of what he was sharing." Not everyone embraced Harris' new methods. Thomas Wright, once a Sunday school teacher at Faith Baptist, left the church in 2000 after challenging Harris. Two years later, Wright was arrested. He was accused of molesting a boy who attended the church. Later, six other church members claimed Wright had abused them, too. All had been counseled by Harris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The criminal charges against Wright brought the inner workings of the church into the public. The Press Herald and other media organizations started digging. Wright denied the allegations and said it was Harris retaliating against him. Other former church members spoke out about the pastor's methods. Prosecutors later dropped the charges against Wright, saying there was no credible evidence and citing the internal feuding in the church and the questionable use of repressed memory therapy. At the time, Steve Smith was attending Taylor University, a small Christian liberal arts college, but he said he remembers the stories as another point of friction among congregants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steve remained fully under Harris' power. Even from thousands of miles away, the pastor controlled much of his life. He warned him against socializing too much. Dating was out of the question. And he used guilt and fear to keep Smith in line. Laura Anderson, a psychotherapist and religious trauma expert in Tennessee, said religious abuse is more common than people think. She speaks from experience. She, too, grew up in what she calls a "high control" church and didn't break away until she was a young adult. Three years ago, she founded the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, a network of 18 practitioners that counsel hundreds across the country. Religion, or Christianity even, is not a monolith. Not every church is led by pastors like Harris, but "at its core, trauma is trauma regardless of the preemptive event or experience," she said. 'UNSPEAKABLY TRAGIC' It was easy enough for Nate Smith to forget about Faith Baptist Church and Pastor Harris. Letting go of his family was more complicated, especially when he was deployed in a war zone. "It was unspeakably tragic in many ways," he said. Nate's first deployment was in 2005 after Saddam Hussein had been captured and the Bush administration abandoned its search for weapons of mass destruction. It was an uncertain time, and Nate was in an infantry unit, which often meant there was little daylight between him and danger. Snipers. Improvised explosive devices. He both saw death and escaped it. During his second deployment, in 2006, the moral toll started to weigh heavy. As a platoon leader, he couldn't express weakness to his soldiers, so he started writing instead. Even though he left his childhood church as a teenager, Nate still considered himself a man of faith. But he admits that during his second deployment, he stopped talking to God, and even blamed God for putting him there. In time, he's let most of that go. Being a civilian, a husband and a father has smoothed his edges. His departure from the military also prompted him to consider reaching out to his estranged family. "If I wasn't going to reconnect then, I never would," he said. Nate was transitioning to civilian life when he wrote his parents a letter, opening the door to reconciliation. He was surprised when they gave him a call. That's how he learned that the church had disbanded. His parents and siblings were reckoning with the same things he faced as a teenager. BREAKING AWAY Steve Smith never felt particularly called to ministry. "It was just ordained," he said. Harris went to Dallas Theological Seminary, so that's where Steve would go. The church was paying part of the cost, so he felt indebted. Still, he could feel himself breaking away, especially as he learned more about his pastor's descent into repressed memory therapy. After counseling most of his congregants, Harris decided he would counsel himself, Smith said, using his wife as a "kind of medium to talk directly to God." "It became an extreme downward spiral that led to a complete breakdown," Steve said. Harris was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Shortly thereafter, two deacons at the church met and decided the congregation should vote on whether to remove their pastor. The vote was unanimous. By the time Harris was ousted, Steve already had begun writing down all the things he thought needed to change at Faith Baptist Church. "I was planning on being an internal reformer like Martin Luther. I would nail my grievances to the door," he said, referring to the 16th-century theologian who defied the Catholic Church and gave birth to Protestantism. Steve never saw Harris again, although he did write him a letter outlining the ways in which he felt Harris had poisoned his mind. Harris later called Steve and left a message. "He said, 'I'm sorry you feel I've hurt you,' sort of a classic non-apology," Steve said. "And then he said, 'If it's God's will, maybe we can get together.' " They never did. Harris died in 2014 at a nursing home in Yarmouth. 'YEARS TRYING TO HEAL' Faith Baptist Church operated with part-time pastors for a few months after Harris' departure but then closed. A new congregation later moved in, called White Pine Community Church, that still operates today. The Smiths' parents are among the congregants. "When the church did finally fall apart, my mom was happy," Steve said. "I think my dad was a little more bewildered but then also came around pretty quickly to recognize that it had been a toxic and abusive place." The Smiths weren't the only family upended by the church's collapse. David Harris, the oldest of Wesley Harris' three children, said his father's reign over the church and eventual breakdown was devastating for them, too. "There was so much pain and hurt to go around," he said. Harris lives in South Carolina where he moved less than a year after the church closed. The last time Harris set foot in Faith Baptist Church was when he got married in the summer of 2010. The small towns of Cumberland and North Yarmouth became unfriendly places for his family. Harris said he now sees that his father was a narcissist and a destructive force on the church community. "The hardest thing was that dad could or would not see how he had hurt people," he said. "I think anytime we overextend and control what isn't ours to control, that's only going to cause pain." Harris, 50, has never really told his part of the story publicly. "I've spent the last 12 years trying to heal," he said. "And I think I have." If anything, his faith is stronger now than when his identity was tied to his father's profession. "I came to a point where I would try to reason something without God, I can't do it. I can't understand this world without God," he said. 'HELLO BROTHER' Nate and Steve's reconciliation was gradual. Each had taken to writing to process what they had gone through Steve's focused more on religious trauma and processing his break with Pastor Harris; Nate's on the cruelty and banality of war. They sometimes shared parts of journal entries each had written via email. "We both found those writings fascinating and helpful because neither of us had experienced exactly what the other had," Nate said. "And we weren't at a place where we would sit down and talk about it over a beer." After a while, though, they knew they were headed for an in-person meet. Steve was living in his seminary apartment in Texas and Nate said he'd come to see him. It was May 2010. They hadn't seen each other in 13 years, but they were identical twins. It was still like looking in a mirror. "Hello brother. It's been a while," Nate said. They hugged for a long time. Shortly after, Nate started putting his writings on a blog he titled "The Soldier's Load." Steve launched his own blog, "Liberty for Captives." Neither website had a massive following, but both brothers said they found catharsis in writing and connecting with others who had similar experiences. It was from those entries they developed the idea to collaborate on a book titled "Men of God, Men of War," that published this summer. "I think crystallizing the story in the book and sharing that with my brother and having my family read it, it was a real point of healing," Steve said. "We tell stories to make sense of the world." COMING TO TERMS WITH FAITH How do you find faith again when all you know of religion is steeped in control and abuse? "The idea that you should just renounce faith and make fun of people who have it, that doesn't really get at the complexity," said Anderson, the religious trauma expert. "Atheism might be where someone lands, but how we deal with trauma is different than how we end on our own spiritual path." Nate said his faith never went away, it was just recalibrated. "I never doubted the existence of God," he said. "There was a period of time in Iraq when I stopped talking to God, but I never lost faith." These days, he's still surrounded by people of what he calls healthy faith. And he doesn't mind talking about his own spiritual journey. "Knowledge is always the antidote," Nate said. He has a wife and three young children. After his military service, he worked for years at a veterans' nonprofit and now is the chief operating officer of a financial planning firm in Atlanta. His life is in Georgia now, but he still thinks of Maine. "It's my dream at some point to spend part of the year there," he said. Steve didn't become a pastor. Today, he works for himself, hand-hewing timber, which means turning round tree logs into square beams using only an axe. They are used as mantels, ceiling beams or other interior accents. His company, Renaissance Timber, operates out of the old barn on his homestead and is the only commercial hand-hewing business in Maine. He and his wife, Teresa, have two children. They met at Dallas Seminary and started dating soon after the church crumbled. After seminary, they moved to Ohio, where she attended college. But Maine always felt like home, Steve said. "My folks were thinking of maybe selling the place and we were like, 'you know what, let's just move next to them,' " he said. So, they did. Steve knows he'll never reembrace the beliefs of conservative, fundamentalist Christian groups or come under the control of a pastor like Harris. But like his brother, his faith wasn't destroyed. It's just simpler now. "There is a reason I work in the woods, a reason I'm working with my hands and in nature," he said. "That's my happy place ... that's where I commune with God, in my own way." As children, the Smith brothers spent a lot of time at their grandparents' property in Eddington, on the banks of the Penobscot River. Steve still thinks a lot about the river, about how it's always moving, down to the sea on its ordained path. That's how he sees his life now. Copy the Story Link Dec. 12Abortion providers Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Maine Family Planning will ask the Maine Legislature for $6 million in state funding, partly because the groups are anticipating federal funding cuts by the Trump administration. "With the incoming Trump administration this funding is now absolutely critical," said Lisa Margulies, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. The $6 million would not pay for abortions, but would help pay for other services the health care agencies provide, such as primary care, screenings and care for sexually-transmitted infections, birth control and other care. Planned Parenthood operates four clinics in Maine, including in Portland, Sanford, Biddeford and Topsham, while Maine Family Planning operates 18 clinics across the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislation to provide the funding is expected to be proposed by state Sen. Teresa Pierce, D-Falmouth, similar to a $3.4 million measure that failed in the Legislature in 2024. That bill was introduced in 2023, passed the Senate in 2024, but failed to get a House vote in the final days of the 2024 session. During Trump's first term, from 2017-20, the administration imposed a so-called gag rule on abortion providers as a prerequisite to receiving federal Title X dollars. The rule banned federally funded providers from making abortion referrals. Rather than comply with the rule, Planned Parenthood and Maine Family Planning gave up Title X funding. The Biden administration eliminated the gag rule, restoring millions in funding for the nonprofit agencies. Trump has vowed not to sign a national abortion ban, but Margulies said the gag rule and other potential measures could harm health care access for Mainers who use their services. For instance, the Trump administration could make abortion medication harder to obtain, although Trump also said in campaign interviews that he would not constrict supply of the medication. With Republicans in control of Congress and the executive branch starting next month, abortion rights advocates have said they are preparing for a hostile federal government. In the weeks after Trump won, abortion providers saw a surge in patients seeking long-acting contraception. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement George Hill, president and CEO of Maine Family Planning, said federal funding is "unstable" and the state money is needed to ensure health care access, especially in rural areas, is maintained. "Access is fairly limited now," Hill said. "We'd be looking at some of our smaller, more rural sites being closed, consolidating services. We are not just providing sexual and reproductive heath care, in many cases we are providing our patients with the only medical advice and care that they receive." Margulies said money is needed to maintain services because "we've had generations of undervaluing this care, while there's been increasing costs to deliver the care." Maine Family Planning had about $11 million in expenditures in 2023, while Planned Parenthood of Northern New England spent about $31 million that same year, according to public financial filings for the nonprofits. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England includes services in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nick Adolphsen, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, criticized the abortion providers and their allies for spending money nationwide to influence elections and now, after losing, seeking public funding to cover the costs. "They see the writing on the wall: public opinion is turning against them, and with new leadership heading to the White House, they're scrambling to protect their turf." It's not clear if the funding has a better chance of being approved in the coming year. Democrats still have majorities in both chambers of the Maine Legislature, but their margins have shrunk. Gov. Janet Mills did not weigh in on the funding bill that failed to get across the finish line in the 2024 session, but Mills has supported abortion rights, and pushed for and signed into law bills that expanded abortion access in Maine even as other states have restricted access or banned abortion. Her office did not respond to messages Wednesday asking whether she would support the upcoming bill. Thirteen states have banned abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had protected abortion rights nationally, in 2022. Copy the Story Link Tennesseans remain at odds with Republican lawmakers on policies around firearms and cannabis access, a new Vanderbilt University poll found, even though approval for state lawmakers has increased this year. A majority of both Republicans and Democrats polled post-election support recreational marijuana legalization and some gun safety reform, such as requiring gun owners to report a stolen gun or temporarily restricting gun access for some individuals deemed a risk. The Vanderbilt Poll found 63% of polled voters support legalizing recreational marijuana 53% of Republicans and 78% of Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On guns, 86% of respondents either strongly or somewhat support a law to require gun owners to report a lost or stolen gun, including 74% of Republicans who self-identify as "MAGA" Republicans, or conservatives more closely aligned with President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, 78% of respondents would either strongly or somewhat support a "red flag" law to restrict guns from people deemed a high risk to themselves or others. Vanderbilt found women across political parties support gun safety reform at higher rates than men. The polling indicates how the priorities in the legislature, where the GOP supermajority has resisted changes to gun and marijuana policy in recent years, and those of a broad segment of Tennesseans don't always line up. Rep. Justin Jones is denied entry into the Republicans press conference following the end of session at the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, April 25, 2024. While much ink has been spilled about what the election results mean about the electorate, these results suggest little change in the opinions of Tennesseans, which means the misalignment between voters and elected officials continues, John Geer, co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll and a Vanderbilt University political science expert, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the legislature's approval rating jumped seven points from May to December, with 53% approving of the work of the General Assembly. The timing of the poll is notable, though, considering the May 2024 survey fell immediately following the legislative session. Tennesseans expressed increased satisfaction with their state officials as well as the U.S. Congress, Vanderbilt Poll co-director Josh Clinton said. This is likely an afterglow of the election and possibly reflective of a fading memory of the contentious last session." Overall, Tennesseans ranked the economy and education as the top issues for government to address. Support for Gov. Bill Lee's school voucher plan slightly outweighed opposition, with 47% either somewhat or strongly supporting the plan to give public tax dollars to pay for private schools and 44% either somewhat or strongly opposing it. The majority of Republicans and independents support the plan, while the majority of Democrats opposed it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Vanderbilt Poll surveyed 955 Tennessee registered voters between Nov. 18 and Dec. 4. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. Conservatives align more with 'MAGA' identity The December poll noted a large shift in Tennesseans who self-identify as "MAGA" Republicans. The Vanderbilt Poll began highlighting in 2022 two conservative subgroups of Republican registered voters who identify more with President-elect Donald Trump's Make America Great Again movement or the Republican Party more generally. MAGA supporters increased from 46% in May to 60% in December. However, this shift did not mean the partisan makeup of Tennessee changed significantly. In 2015, 47% of poll respondents identified as conservative or very conservative, compared to 48% this December. On the face of it, this would seem to indicate Tennessee is becoming more conservative, but the basic way people describe themselves such as conservative or very liberal hasnt shifted in a decade, Clinton said. "The shift we see is almost certainly a statement about how the MAGA brand has overtaken the Republican brand in the state especially coming off of a successful election. The policies Tennesseans support and the opinions they express have not dramatically changed since we have been tracking the views of registered Tennessee voters. Former President Donald Trump addresses the Bitcoin 2024 conference at Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, July 27, 2024. Support deepens for abortion access More than 80% of Tennesseans, regardless of political party, support increased exceptions to the state's near-total abortion ban in instances of rape, incest or fatal fetal medical diagnoses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tennessee's current abortion law bans nearly all abortions, except when the life of the mother is threatened. The legal statute has been criticized by some Tennessee doctors as too vague for clear medical practice. A slight majority, 54%, of respondents polled supported a clarification to the ban to include "all conditions that pose a threat to the health of the mother," while 39% polled said the law should remain as is. Overall, Tennesseans who identify as "pro-choice" have steadily increased in recent years, per historical polling from Vanderbilt that first found pro-choice respondents at 37% in 2012. This December, 53% identified as either "definitely" or "somewhat" pro-choice, up slightly from a May 2024 poll. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt poll: Majority of Tennesseans support marijuana, gun reform LONDON (Reuters) - Two dozen migrant workers who allege they were subjected to forced labour at a Malaysian factory while making parts for British vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson can sue the company in London, the Court of Appeal ruled on Friday. The 24 workers from Nepal and Bangladesh, one of whom has died and whose estate brought the case, sued Dyson Technology Ltd, Dyson Ltd and a Malaysian subsidiary in 2022. The claimants were workers for Malaysian firm ATA Industrial or its sister company and made components for Dyson products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their lawyers say the workers had money unlawfully deducted from their wages and were sometimes beaten for not meeting onerous targets, alleging in a lawsuit at London's High Court that the Dyson companies were ultimately responsible. Dyson, whose Malaysian subsidiary cancelled its contract with ATA in 2021, denies the claimants' allegations and argued that any lawsuit should be brought in Malaysia rather than Britain. Last year, the High Court threw the case out and ruled that the workers could sue in Malaysia. But the Court of Appeal overturned that decision, saying in a written ruling that London was "clearly and distinctly the appropriate forum" for the cases to be heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This was a procedural hearing to determine where the main case should ultimately be heard," a Dyson spokesperson said. "The High Court was right last year in its carefully considered ruling that it should be heard in Malaysia and we disagree with today's appeal decision," the spokesperson added, explaining that Dyson was reviewing its legal options. The company founded by James Dyson, the inventor of the bagless cleaner employs around 2,500 people in Britain, including at its R&D centre in Malmesbury, west England, having announced in July that it was cutting about 1,000 jobs. (Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Catarina Demony) Francois Bayrou (R, Front) shakes hands with outgoing French Prime Minister Michel Barnier (L, Front) at the transfer of power ceremony in Paris, France, on Dec. 13, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday nominated Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, succeeding Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 4. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua) PARIS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday nominated Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, succeeding Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 4. Bayrou, the fourth French prime minister nominated in 2024, has now been tasked with forming a government, the Elysee said. The centrist ally of Macron is expected to make a 2025 budget, to be adopted by the National Assembly. Born in 1952, Bayrou founded the centrist party Democratic Movement (MoDem) in 2007. He ran as a presidential candidate three times, in 2002, 2007, and 2012. Following the Elysee's announcement, the president of the far-right wing party National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, told French news channel BFMTV that his party would not immediately censor Bayrou, but added that Bayrou should "understand that he has no democratic legitimacy nor the majority in the National Assembly, which requires a dialogue with all the forces represented in the parliament." Meanwhile, the hard-left party La France Insoumise (LFI) has announced it will launch a no-confidence vote to bring down Bayrou. LFI has repeatedly said that the position of prime minister should be given to someone from the alliance of left-wing parties, which won the most seats in the snap legislative elections held this year. Speaking to the press Friday afternoon, Bayrou stressed the need for a reconciliation. "Everyone understands the difficulty of the task...There is a path to be found that unites people instead of dividing them," he said. During the transfer of power ceremony held Friday evening at Matignon, the French prime minister's office, Bayrou said that he recognized the seriousness of the political situation in France. Bayrou noted that he wanted to break down the "glass wall which is built between the citizens and the authorities." He also promised to make it his duty to "give opportunities to those who do not have any." As one of his first tasks, Bayrou acknowledged the problems regarding the deficit and budget. Bayrou's nomination came at a crucial time for Europe as Germany is preparing for elections and Trump is going to be sworn in as U.S. president. According to BFMTV, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Bayrou for his nomination. "France and Germany are very close neighbors and friends at the heart of Europe. I am delighted by the close collaboration between our two governments in the spirit of Franco-German friendship," Scholz said in a press release, cited by BFMTV. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also congratulated Bayrou. "Let's all work together for a stronger, more competitive Europe that has the means to defend itself," she said on her X account. On Dec. 4, the French National Assembly voted in favor of a no-confidence motion against Barnier, compelling him to resign and causing the government to collapse. Barnier's government became the first to fall to a no-confidence vote since 1962. Francois Bayrou speaks at the transfer of power ceremony in Paris, France, on Dec. 13, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday nominated Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, succeeding Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 4. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua) Francois Bayrou (R, Front) and outgoing French Prime Minister Michel Barnier (L, Front) attend the transfer of power ceremony in Paris, France, on Dec. 13, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday nominated Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, succeeding Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 4. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua) Francois Bayrou (R, Front) and outgoing French Prime Minister Michel Barnier (L, Front) attend the transfer of power ceremony in Paris, France, on Dec. 13, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday nominated Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, succeeding Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 4. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua) Francois Bayrou (R, Front) and outgoing French Prime Minister Michel Barnier (L, Front) attend the transfer of power ceremony in Paris, France, on Dec. 13, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday nominated Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, succeeding Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 4. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua) Francois Bayrou (R, Front) and outgoing French Prime Minister Michel Barnier (L, Front) attend the transfer of power ceremony in Paris, France, on Dec. 13, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday nominated Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, succeeding Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 4. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Xinhua) JOPLIN, Mo. Mammography services at Freeman Health Systems Joplin Womens Pavilion have been temporarily suspended. Those temporary suspension began last month. The American College of Radiology says it was concerned about the quality of the mammography services done at the health systems Joplin location between the dates of September 2022 through November 2024. The ACR says, during that time some of the images failed to meet its quality standards as required by the Food and Drug Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Freeman says, in the interim patients can still get mammography services at its Neosho Womens Pavilion. In a statement to us, Freeman says, We have already started revitalizing our protocols, enhancing staff training, and working closely with the manufacturers of our 3D mammography units to calibrate our equipment. A devoted call line and email has been set up to address patient and provider questions. You can call 417-347-8989, or you can send your questions by email to: mammo@freemanhealth.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) A man has been arrested and accused of taking money from Melo Coffee & Kitchen on University Avenue Thursday. RPD said officers responded to the shop for the report of a stabbing around 6:13 p.m. and later learned there was no one was stabbed. According to police, a 33-year-old Rochester man allegedly smashed the front window of the business, cutting his hand, before he gained entry and took money from a counter. Police said the man then went inside the bathroom of the building before he was quickly arrested. Police said the business was closed for the day, but there were still employees inside finishing work for the day, and the money was recovered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mans injury to his hand is listed as non-life-threatening, and there were no additional injuries as a result of the incident. He was charged with Burglary (3rd), Petit Larceny, and Criminal Mischief (4th). Melo Coffee & Kitchen will be closed Friday so the business can fix the damage. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. Dec. 12A 22-year-old man accused of shooting two men in the head this summer after a fight outside a downtown Spokane bar made his first appearance Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court on assault and attempted murder charges. Moses Adedeji was arrested three weeks after the July 7 shooting at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina upon his return from vacation in the United Kingdom, according to a U.S. Marshals Service news release at the time. Adedeji was booked into the Wake County Detention Center in Raleigh and then transferred to the Spokane County Jail, where the jail roster indicated he was booked on Nov. 13. He made his first appearance in Spokane County District Court shortly after and then the case was bound over to Superior Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He faces two counts of first-degree attempted murder and two counts of first-degree assault. Superior Court Commissioner Eugene Cruz maintained Adedeji's bond Thursday at $1 million. Deputy Prosecutor Patrick Schaff said Adedeji, who appeared virtually in yellow jail clothing, is an "extreme risk" to the public given the shooting allegations and asked Cruz to maintain the $1 million bond. Adedeji's attorney, Kyle Madsen, argued for a $40,000 bond, which Madsen said his client would be able to post with the help of community members. He said Adedeji, who has a limited criminal history, was working at Amazon and owned and operated Top Box Express LLC, a trucking company, at the time of the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cruz said Adedeji, if convicted, is facing a significant prison sentence, which could be an incentive to flee the area if released. "Fortunately, no one's life was ended on that particular occasion," Cruz said. According to court documents, several fights broke out about 1:45 a.m. on July 7 outside the Globe Bar & Kitchen on Division Street and Main Avenue. The fights broke up, and Spokane police officers, who were in the area working bar patrol, stayed to deter further fighting. At about 2 a.m., officers heard gunshots nearby. Officers contacted an SUV on Washington Street and Cataldo Avenue, not far from the Podium, and found two victims, 29-year-old Jesse Douglas and 20-year-old Sirsineca Legardy, with gunshot wounds. They were taken to a hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A man in the SUV told police he was downtown with his girlfriend and friend, Legardy. After the bars closed, they got into a car and drove away. A car pulled up next to them, and he said he saw a flash and heard multiple gunshots coming from the car. The man's girlfriend told police she, her boyfriend and three other men got into the car and left. As they were driving off, she heard someone yell, "They're shooting at us!" Before ducking down, she saw what she believed to be a newer model sedan with a Black person with long hair in the driver's seat shooting out the car. The two victims, Douglas and Legardy, told police they didn't know who shot them or what prompted the shooting. Douglas said some people he was with prior to the shooting were involved in the altercation outside the bars in that area. Another witness described the shooter to police as a Black man with dreadlocks, which fit Adedeji's description in court Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video footage from a Spokane Transit Authority bus shelter showed Adedeji driving a tan-colored sedan the wrong way to catch up to the victims' vehicle. At one point, the two cars were side by side at Riverside Avenue and Division Street. The light turned green, and the driver pulled into the path of the SUV when firearm muzzle flashes and smoke can be seen coming from the car Adedeji is driving, the footage showed. Glass can be seen falling to the ground from Adedeji's car. Police body camera footage minutes before the shooting showed Douglas and Adedeji at the scene of the scuffle. A woman with Adedeji pulled him away from the area and can be heard calling Adedeji, "Moses." The orange shirt Adedeji wore in the body cam footage appeared to match the one Adedeji wore when he drove the car up to the SUV and fired shots, according to the footage. Adedeji's roommate told police he loaned his Chevy Cobalt to Adedeji to go out with friends the night of the shooting. When Adedeji returned the car, the window that shattered in the shooting was damaged, the roommate reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adedeji told the roommate he had been "jumped" downtown before being involved in a shooting, the roommate told police. Adedeji then left the country on a planned trip. Adedeji's friend told police he and the defendant got in a fight outside the Globe Bar, and the fight was broken up by police. Adedeji then left the area, and he didn't see him for a few days. Adedeji texted his friend a few days later asking him if he was able to install a window in a car, the man said. Another person with Adedeji and his friend reported that it appeared Adedeji was trying to pick a fight with a group when they went outside the bar. She told police she and Adedeji's friend held Adedeji back from fighting the group. When they let go, Adedeji went back to the group and a fight ensued, according to documents. Police searched the car Adedeji was driving and found broken car glass from the window and bullet defects from bullets coming from the car, court records say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A search of Adedeji's apartment found two 9 mm pistols and a torn orange shirt that appeared to match the one Adedeji was wearing the morning of the shooting, documents say. Officers found a 9 mm casing at the shooting scene. Adedeji is set for an arraignment Dec. 24. He remained in jail Thursday night. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The man accused of killing two Wyandotte County Sheriffs deputies in 2018 has changed his plea. Court records show Antoine Fielder has pled guilty to two counts of capital murder and one count of aggravated robbery. Fielder is scheduled to begin trail in February. The plea change comes six years after Fielder shot and killed Wyandotte County Deputy Patrick Rohrer and Deputy Theresa King. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said a shackled Fielder allegedly took one of the deputies guns and fired at them while he was being transported on June 15, 2018. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android A sentence hearing has not yet been scheduled. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Sharonville police are seeking information about a man accused of raping a Subway restaurant employee at gunpoint Thursday morning. Leyard Eckis, 20, is charged with rape and aggravated robbery in Hamilton County Municipal Court. Judge Heather Russell set his bond at $100,000 during an arraignment Friday morning, court records show. Police said in an affidavit that Eckis followed the victim into the restaurant before holding her at gunpoint, forcing her to undress and raping her. He then stole money from the cash register and fled the scene on a bicycle, the document states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers were dispatched to the Mosteller Road restaurant just after 7 a.m. and then responded to a nearby gas station, where they found Eckis with a handgun and cash, police said. Leyard Eckis, 20, is accused of raping a Subway restaurant employee after following her into work Thursday. When Eckis spoke to the police, he admitted to taking money from the business and "having sexual intercourse with the victim," the document states. Police said Eckis' arrest was based on video evidence and the victim's statements to investigators. Robert Jones, Eckis' public defender, declined to comment on the case Friday. Eckis was booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center on Thursday morning. A grand jury is expected to hear his case by Dec. 23. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information about Eckis is urged to contact the Sharonville Police Department at 513-563-1147. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police: Man raped Subway employee at gunpoint in Sharonville DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The man accused of severing his girlfriends foot with a vehicle has pled not guilty. In court on Thursday, 31-year-old Darius Thomas pled not guilty to charges of felonious assault and vehicular assault. Man accused of murder pleads not guilty by reason of insanity Thomas is accused of hitting and pinning his girlfriend with a vehicle outside of a Harrison Township liquor store earlier in January of this year. The incident allegedly began as an argument that led to Thomas driving into her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers responded to the store on Salem Avenue for a pedestrian strike. They found the woman severely injured and the suspect no where to be seen. Thomas was eventually located and arrested. He now faces several felonious charges. Thomas bond is set at $250,000. He is expected back in court on Dec. 27. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) A man accused of scamming money from a person in Ohio has been arrested. Huntsville Police said that the departments Anti-Crime Team stopped Curtis Dee Carter. Officers found evidence in his vehicle that gave them suspicion that he may be scamming people out of money. HPD told News 19 that investigators were able to find a victim in Ohio who was being scammed by Carter. Carter was located and arrested on Friday on a warrant obtained after an investigation by the Huntsville Police Departments Financial Crimes Unit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was charged with theft by deception 1st -swindle (Greater that $2,500). Carter was booked into the Madison County Jail and was issued a $25,000 bond. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. CHICAGO A Chicago man accused of stabbing another man on the citys Southwest Side in late August has been charged with attempted murder. Chicago police said 44-year-old Antuan Hill has been charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland The charge stems from an incident that allegedly unfolded on Tuesday, Aug. 27, when police say Hill allegedly stabbed and injured a 29-year-old man near his home in the 3200 block of South Paulina Street, in McKinley Park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities did not provide details on what led up to the alleged stabbing. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Police caught up with Hill on Wednesday in the 3100 block of South Archer Avenue, where he was taken into custody by the USMS Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force. Hill appeared in court on Friday for a detention hearing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) A man who was arrested in Randolph County on Wednesday is facing additional charges after he allegedly escaped from custody and then tried to hide in two occupied homes nearby. Steven Clemens Steven Clemens, 39, was arrested on felony warrants on Wednesday and transported to the Randolph County Magistrates Office in Elkins where he was secured in handcuffs and placed in an interview room, according to a release from the Randolph County Sheriffs Office. While handcuffed, Clemens escaped from the building and entered two homes on Davis Street while trying to evade law enforcement, deputies said. The occupants of the first house called 911 around 4:30 p.m. and said that a man had unlawfully entered their home and then fled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drug trafficking leader sentenced for federal drug crimes in Harrison County About 15 minutes later, K-9 Twix indicated that Clemens had entered the house next door, and a person at that home told law enforcement that a man who said he had been accused of a crime he did not commit was on the second floor of the home. After a search involving the sheriffs office, Elkins Police Department and West Virginia State Police, Clemens was found hiding in the attic of the residence at around 5 p.m. and was taken into custody, deputies said. Clemens has been charged with one count of escape and two counts of burglary and is being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on $100,000 cash-only bail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A Sioux Falls man is in the Minnehaha County jail, accused of attempting to steal a car while armed with a stolen gun. Police say around noon on Thursday, a man was in a parking lot near 2nd street and Minnesota Avenue. A woman noticed he had a gun and tried to drive away. SFPD: Dont leave cars unlocked and running Thats when police say the man opened the door and told her he needed her car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police arrived and arrested 20-year-old Jasir Holder. Officers allegedly found a gun in his coat pocket, which they say was stolen from Tea. This is the third time hes been accused of robbery. In a 2021 case, robbery charges were dismissed. In a 2022 case, he was acquitted for mental illness. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. ANKARA/KHARTOUM, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye is ready to mediate between Sudan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to resolve their disputes, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday. During a phone call with Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, head of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Erdogan emphasized Turkiye's commitment to fostering peace and stability in Sudan, underscoring the importance of preserving Sudan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, according to a statement from Erdogan's office. The Turkish president told Al-Burhan that preventing external interventions in Sudan is a fundamental principle for Turkiye. During the call, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues, said the statement. Erdogan reiterated Ankara's willingness to play a constructive role in addressing the Sudan-UAE tensions, stressing that Turkiye stands ready to support Sudan's path toward peace and stability. "President Erdogan expressed his country's readiness to mediate between Sudan and the UAE to achieve security and peace in Sudan," Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council said in a statement. According to the statement, Al-Burhan commended Turkiye's supportive stance towards Sudan and its efforts to help achieve peace and stability in the region. Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since mid-April 2023. The relations between Sudan and the UAE have been tense as the SAF accused the UAE of arming the RSF, which the UAE denies as "baseless allegations lacking reliable evidence." PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A man is facing charges after he was discovered to be in possession of at least 27 Dungeness crabs on the Washington Coast, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. An officer reported contacting the man after seeing him crabbing from a local pier in the North Sound. While searching his car, authorities say they found 22 female Dungeness crabs which are illegal to possess and five male crabs. North Portland stabbing suspect dies in police custody, investigation ongoing Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least four of the crabs were undersized, and at least one had been in soft shell condition, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The man was charged with first-degree over limit, possession of female crab, possession of undersized Dungeness crab, soft shell, and failure to record. After the crab were documented, WDFW said they were then returned to the water. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. A man has been arrested in Delhi Township after allegedly attempting to kidnap a 16-year-old boy, originally reported by our news partner WCPO. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Christian Austin used a gun to force the teenager into his truck near the 1000 block of Betty Lane on Thursday around 7:30 p.m., police say. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Austin placed the gun at the teens side saying something like, I dont want to do it, but I got to do it, the affidavit stated. Delhi Township police say there have been a few car break-ins in the neighborhood recently and it appears Austin got into a fight with the teenager because he assumed the 16-year-old was possibly trying to break into cars. That is when police say Austin ended up holding the teen at gunpoint and forcing him into the truck. Austin drove the truck to the nearby United Dairy Farmers on Cleves Warsaw Road in Cincinnati, police say. The teenager was able to escape from the truck there. Officers say Austin threatened the teenager with the gun again to get back in the truck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Documents state Austin racked the gun in front of the juvenile. Austin was arrested around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. He is charged with having an illegal firearm by a convicted felon. A judge set his bond at $76,000. Austin is expected to go before a grand jury on Dec. 23. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) Colorado Mesa Universitys dining hall went on lockdown Thursday night following reports of a man with a weapon. At approximately 7:55 p.m., GJPD officers responded to CMUs dining hall, 1455 N 12th Street, following a report of a man with a firearm. Officers placed the hall on lockdown and learned the man brandished a firearm before hiding in the mens bathroom. A man matching the suspects description attempted to leave the dining hall and, upon contact with officers, was found to be in possession of a firearm and taken into custody without incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alexander Simpson, age 20, was arrested and taken to the Mesa County Detention Facility on pending charges. No shots were fired and no one was injured. The suspect is not believed to be a CMU student. The GJPD is still in the early stages of investigating this and does not believe there is any further threat to CMUs campus. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. Tamaqua police have charged a 41-year-old Montgomery County man after they said he attacked a borough officer while being taken into custody. Muhammad Husain Abdul-Wakil, of Elkins Park, was jailed in Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail after officers were called to the scene of a crash Dec. 7. According to court documents, Tamaqua officers Phoenix J. Ritchie and Devin Dellock were dispatched to an iPhone-detected car crash in the borough shortly before 2 a.m. At the scene, officers saw that a gray Ford Explorer had crashed through a chain link fence on the property and struck a tree, according to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defendant was seen outside the vehicle, and when officers approached him to request identification, Abdul-Wakil appeared visually impaired and had slurred speech, police said. Dellock, who saw a knife holstered in the defendants waistband, asked if Abdul-Wakil had any weapons on his person, which the defendant denied. When asked to put his right hand on top of his head so the officer could remove the knife, the man pulled away and attempted to reach for his right side waistband. Dellock then attempted to place the defendant in handcuffs, and the officers checked his vehicle, police said. Abdul-Wakil underwent a chemical blood test at St. Lukes Miners Hospital in Coaldale and asked if he could have his cellphone back from his vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defendant, at the officers request, then took them to an apartment on Schuylkill Avenue where he claimed to be staying. Because no one was present, the defendant was taken to the Tamaqua police station to sober up so that he could leave safely afterward, police said. At the station, Abdul-Wakil refused to comply with officers commands and got into a physical altercation with Dellock, resulting in damage to borough and police property. The defendant at one point hit Dellock in the back of the head while attempting to flee, according to police. Officers from neighboring police departments were then called to the station and helped place the defendant into custody, police said. Abdul-Wakil faces six felony charges of aggravated assault, two felony counts of assault of a police officer, one felony count of escape, four misdemeanor counts of simple assault, two misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, and one misdemeanor count each of institutional vandalism, criminal mischief and defiant trespass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abdul-Wakil was arraigned Dec. 7 by Magisterial District Judge Andrew J. Serina and jailed in Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday before District Judge Stephen J. Bayer in Tamaqua. Dec. 12A man was arrested after allegedly gunning down another man over a stolen shirt at an International District motel last month. Jonathan Morales, 35, is charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence in the Nov. 15 killing of Adan Valenzuela-Morales, 27. One court record states Morales is from Albuquerque, while another indicates he is homeless. The two men are not related, Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morales is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. His attorney could not be reached for comment. "Adan was shot during this incident, but it was determined that he was the primary aggressor," according to a criminal complaint filed at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. Police said they identified Morales through their databases. Around 9:35 a.m. the day of the incident, APD responded to a ShotSpotter activation at the Loma Verde Motel in the 7500 block of East Central. When officers arrived, they saw a "soapy puddle of water" that "appeared to contain blood" and a projectile, but no body. A hospital employee told police a man later identified as Valenzuela-Morales came to the hospital, where he died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A witness told police that they saw a man standing over another man before shooting him and running west on Central, police said. The Office of the Medical Investigator told police Valenzuela-Morales was shot twice in the lower back, according to the complaint. Valenzuela-Morales' parents and sister who drove up from Mexico after learning about the homicide told police they received a video from an "unknown person" saying Morales shot Valenzuela-Morales, police said. Valenzuela-Morales' friend told police there were rumors of Valenzuela-Morales and Morales fighting over a stolen shirt. The friend said Valenzuela-Morales punched Morales and as Valenzuela-Morales walked away, Morales shot him in the back, the complaint states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A witness told police he was at the motel when he heard "Pop! Pop! Pop!" and a woman scream. He then told police he saw a "young boy" fall to the ground "holding his gut," police said. The witness added that the shooter "definitely wanted to kill him ... no question about that. ... (H)e kept pulling the trigger ... click, click, click, click, click. ... (H)e jammed, or he just ain't got no more bullets in there," the complaint states. The witness then told police he saw the man later identified as Morales change T-shirts. Meanwhile, Valenzuela-Morales crawled across the parking lot and got inside a dark-colored car, which left, police said. The witness later identified Morales through a police photo, according to the complaint. Through video surveillance, a detective said the victim wore a shirt similar to the one Morales wore the day before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, Morales was arrested in a separate case and charged with six counts of aggravated battery, aggravated battery upon a peace officer, assault upon a health care worker, escaping from custody and resisting, and evading and obstructing an officer, according to court records. In that case, Morales reportedly stabbed a security guard, a police officer and a nurse with a pen before trying to escape from police, police said. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) A Princeville man was ordered held pending the outcome of allegations that he sexually assaulted two teens. According to the Peoria County States Attorneys office, Jordan Gibson, 20, was charged Thursday in Peoria County Circuit Court with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He was ordered held by Judge Mark Gilles who also set a Dec. 18 arraignment date. If convicted, Gibson faces up to 15 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gibson allegedly sexually assaulted two victims under the age of 18 at different times. Peoria man to remain in jail until trial for alleged crimes against a minor The Peoria County Sheriffs Office received a report of a sexual assault involving a teenager last weekend. The victim told deputies that Gibson allegedly pushed down the victim and forcefully performed sexual acts. The investigation led to a second victim, who told deputies that Gibson allegedly took off the victims clothing while the victim was lying in bed and had sex with the victim. More charges could be filed when the case heads to the grand jury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Peoria County Sheriffs Office at (309) 697-8515. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. AUSTIN (KXAN) The Austin Police Department said a man died nearly two weeks after being hit by a car. APD said officers responded Nov. 23 to the intersection of West Koenig Lane and Allandale Road for a crash involving a pedestrian and a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, cooperated and was not impaired, according to APD. Police said the pedestrian was taken to the hospital where he later died Dec. 6. APD has not identified the pedestrian or the driver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MAP: Where have Austins fatal crashes occurred in 2024? APD said the incident was being investigated as Austins 84th fatal crash of 2024. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. ST. LOUIS A St. Louis man serving 40 years in federal prison for two carjackings, one of which was fatal, has been charged for a separate fatal carjacking 17 hours earlier. Loyse Dozier III, 22, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to four felony counts: carjacking resulting in death, attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced in March 2024. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Dozier with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of armed criminal action for a fatal carjacking on July 9, 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That carjacking took place around 11:40 p.m. in the 4200 block of North Grand Boulevard in the Fairground neighborhood, according to court documents obtained by FOX 2 News. Police said Dozier was riding in Montez Haines vehicle. Surveillance video shows the vehicle pulling up at the curb on North Grand and Dozier shooting Haines while they were both still in the car. Haines can be seen stumbling out of the car as Dozier exits the passenger side, walks around the vehicle, and shoots Haines again. Dozier took Haines keys and drove off in the vehicle. Haines died at the scene. He was 38. No court date has been announced by the St. Louis Circuit Court as Dozier is already imprisoned. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News The following afternoon, Dozier shot and killed Laruth Jones at the Raqqa Food Mart, located in the 300 block of Chambers Road in Riverview. Jones was standing near the store entrance when she saw Dozier, who was wearing a full face mask, enter her Mercedes CLA 250. Jones, who was armed, went out to confront Dozier. Dozier and Jones exchanged gunfire, and Jones was killed. She was 34. Dozier took Jones firearm and fled in the stolen Mercedes. The vehicle was later found torched in a St. Louis alley. On Aug. 1, 2022, Dozier shot a woman three times during a carjacking outside a Walgreens in the 1400 block of North Grand Boulevard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In that incident, the victim was sitting in her car, a Kia Optima, when Dozier, who was masked and armed, walked up to the vehicle and demanded the womans keys. The victim complied and handed over her keys. Dozier shot her twice before getting into the car. An off-duty Florissant police officer was working security inside the store when he heard the gunshots and ran outside. Dozier got out of the car and ran off but left his phone in the Kia. Nine days later, officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department saw Dozier at a gas station at West Florissant and Adelaide avenues. He ran off and attempted to discard a handgun and a bag containing 5.76 grams of fentanyl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That firearm hed attempted to discard was a .45-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun, which hed stolen from Jones after killing her. That same weapon was used in the third carjacking and shooting. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. TYLER, Texas (KETK) One of three people charged with killing a Tyler U.S. Army Veteran in February of 2023 has been sentenced to life in prison on Thursday. State trooper arrested after forcing himself into East Texas house demanding to see girl, officials say Herbert Simpson, 56, Stephanie Brasher and Anthony Taylor were charged with capitol murder in August of 2023 after Warren Edward Rogers, 61 of Tyler, was found dead in his home with a gunshot wound. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Dec. 12, a jury found Simpson guilty of capital murder by terror threat or other felony and he was sentenced to life in prison, according to Smith County judicial records. Brasher and Taylor currently have no cases listed by Smith County judicial records. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the media before a European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, June 27, 2024. The European Union (EU) and Ukraine signed security agreements during a European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) Major European countries will step up military, economic, and financial aid to Ukraine, including by mobilizing additional European funding. BERLIN, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock met with counterparts from major European countries on Thursday to reiterate their support for Ukraine on its "irreversible path" to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. These countries will step up military, economic, and financial aid to Ukraine, including by mobilizing additional European funding, according to a joint statement issued by foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom as well as the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy. A pedestrian walks past an electric generator in Kiev, Ukraine, Dec. 4, 2024. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua) The statement also stressed that they will continue to support Ukraine on its path towards accession to the European Union. The goals of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine and durable security for Europe are inseparable, it said. It also stressed that a rapid and collective implementation of the G7 50-billion-U.S.-dollar loan will help Ukraine cover urgent needs, including military ones. "We are committed to providing Ukraine with ironclad security guarantees, including reliable long-term provision of military and financial support," it noted. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A man who pleaded guilty to a double murder in a shooting outside of a northeast Columbus bar will serve at least more than 50 years in prison. Jonathan Pigram, 39, was sentenced to life in prison with parole possible after 52 to 57 1/2 years by a Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge Thursday. Pigram, of Columbus, admitted to fatally shooting Cornet Powell and Dawn Dunn outside of Cheers Too on Cleveland Avenue, March 1, 2023. Video evidence contradicts suspects claim of self defense in north Columbus homicide Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pigram, who police said did not know the victims, also shot two other people outside the bar that night. One person was struck in the face by a bullet, the other was not injured. In October, Pigram, who also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and one count of having weapons under disability in an unrelated case, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder. Additional charges of aggravated murder, attempted murder, aggravated burglary and four weapons charges were dropped in the plea agreement. The judge agreed with the request of Franklin County prosecuting attorneys, who asked for a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 52 years the additional 5 1/2 years in prison is at the discretion of the Department of Correction. Pilgrim will be eligible for parole at the age of 91. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) A man wielding a knife was shot by deputies Friday morning after trying to break into a gun store, according to Sheriff Chris Nocco during a press conference. He said that around 8:14 a.m. the suspect, Scott Yomans, was spotted trying to bash in the window of the gun store on Little Road with a metal sign. When officers arrived, they said they attempted to approach Yomans, but he pulled out a knife and began to charge towards them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies then simultaneously fired lethal and nonlethal rounds at the subject, Sheriff Nocco stated. The Sheriff recounted how the suspect was shot and tased before hitting the ground, causing him to obtain a gash. As the deputies were putting handcuffs on him and started rendering aid, the subject looked up at the deputies and said thank you,' Nocco said. The suspect was then taken into surgery. The three deputies involved have been placed on leave as standard procedure, according to Nocco. Clearly, this person had a motive today that was going to harm somebody else or God forbid, he got into that store. He took the guns. What innocent person, what innocent child could have been harmed, Nocco said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. NEWTON FALLS, Ohio (WKBN) Investigators have arrested a man who they believe was involved in a fire at the Budget Lodge in Newton Falls. Justin Chill is being held in the Trumbull County Jail on an aggravated arson charge. The fire happened in Room 122 around 1:30 a.m. at the motel on State Route 5. Fire Chief James Williamson says the fire was put out by motel management before firefighters got there. Williamson says the room, which was rented but unoccupied at the time of the fire, was moderately damaged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Investigator with the State Fire Marshals office was called in to look into the fire, which led to the identity and location of Chill at a nearby hotel. Deputies with the Trumbull County Sheriffs Office detained Chill until investigators were able to speak with him. Everything fell into place. The right people at the right time were there. Kudos to the management for suppressing the fire prior to our arrival and just good investigative work by both agencies, Williamson said. Williamson says the investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be filed. Chill is expected to be arraigned in Newton Falls Municipal Court Monday Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The ringleader of a scheme to take control of Las Vegas homeowners associations from 2003 to 2009 is among the 1,499 people who had their sentences commuted by President Joe Biden on Thursday. Leon Benzer, 57, was serving a 188-month prison sentence for one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion. He is listed as assigned to RRM Phoenix a residential reentry office in Maricopa County. When he was sentenced in Nevada in August 2015, Benzer was ordered to pay about $13.3 million in restitution for his role in the $58.1 million scheme to fraudulently gain control of condominium HOAs in the Las Vegas area to secure construction and other contracts for himself and others. The Justice Department said 42 individuals were convicted of crimes in connection with the scheme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No Nevada residents were listed among the 39 people who received pardons from Biden on Thursday. America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances. As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses, according to a Biden statement provided by the White House. That is why, today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer. I am also commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who are serving long prison sentences many of whom would receive lower sentences if charged under todays laws, policies, and practices. These commutation recipients, who were placed on home confinement during the COVID pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance, Biden said. He indicated he would take more steps in the week ahead as clemency petitions are reviewed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benzer was the last to be sentenced in Operation Mastermind, the name give to a multi-agency investigation that started in 2007. Four targets of the investigation committed suicide before trials began. According to an Aug. 17, 2018, report by 8 News Now Investigator George Knapp and Matt Adams, Friday, federal Judge James Mahan heard a sobbing Benzer apologize for his misdeeds and heard an emotional plea on video from Benzers struggling wife and children, but prosecutors reminded the court of the thousands of homeowners who were victimized, many of them frail, elderly, and now destitute. The crimes were first reported by the 8 News Now I-Team. The report described the HOA takeover scheme as the largest political corruption case in Southern Nevada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. CHICAGO Authorities in Chicago are offering details on the search for a man who officers say has been missing for two months. Chicago police said 22-year-old Seth Moses, disappeared on Oct. 12, and has not been contacted since. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Officers said the missing man was last spotted near the 5200 block of South Lake Park Avenue, in Hyde Park, and is known to frequent a McDonalds in that area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to police, Moses, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs around 140 pounds, has brown eyes and brown hair. He also has tattoos on both forearms, but it is unclear what they depict. Chicago police said 22-year-old Seth Moses, disappeared on Oct. 12, and has not been contacted since. In a photo provided by Chicago police, Moses can be seen with facial hair, however, it is unclear if he had any at the time of his disappearance. Authorities provided updates on the ongoing search in a news release that was sent out on Thursday. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 22-year-old Seth Moses is asked to contact CPD Area One SVU Detectives at 312-747-8380 or dial 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (WPRI) The Portsmouth man accused of shooting a pellet gun at dozens of hawks flying near his home has been sentenced to six months probation, according to U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha. Robert Ferreira, 65, pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to four counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Cunha said Ferreira admitted to shooting and injuring three Red-tailed hawks and a Coopers hawk with a pump-action pellet air gun between October 2018 and April 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SEE ALSO: Man charged with shooting federally protected hawks changes plea Ferreira explained to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent last year that he saw the birds as a threat to the squirrels that regularly visited the feeders hed placed outside his home, according to prosecutors. He also estimated that hed shot at between 50 and 80 hawks over a roughly three-year span. His neighbors reported hearing popping sounds coming from Ferreiras yard, and also found at least eight injured or dead hawks near his home during that timeframe. Both Red-tailed and Coopers hawks are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which bans the hunting or capturing of specified birds without a permit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione is led from the Blair County Courthouse after an extradition hearing December 10, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) In a note he was carrying when he was arrested, Luigi Mangione paints himself as a man radicalized by statistics. The US has the #1 most expensive health care system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy, wrote the alleged killer of Brian Thompson, the late CEO of Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare. United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has grown and grown, but [h]as our life expectancy? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione is a scion of a rich, connected Maryland real estate family who recently withdrew from friends and family following severe medical problems. The numbers he cites are, in broad strokes, accurate. On life expectancy, the U.S. ranks somewhere in the 60s among the worlds countries, according to data from the United Nations, falling in between Panama and Estonia. Among the wealthy subset of countries that are part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, we rate 32nd out of 38. The U.S. also spends far more on health care than any other country in the world: around $12,000 per person each year, thousands of dollars more than the next-highest spenders. The discrepancy between the staggering amount of health care spending and our relatively short lives has been perennial fodder for commentary and political debate: Where is all that money going? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The answer, to a significant degree, is that its being skimmed off by the private health insurance industry. The largest component of higher U.S. medical spending is the cost of health care administration, according to an analysis by Harvard health economist David Cutler. About one-third of health care dollars spent in the United States pays for administration. Peer countries, even those that have similar systems with multiple private insurers, pay just a fraction as much. Whole occupations exist in U.S. medical care that are found nowhere else in the world, from medical-record coding to claim-submission specialists, Cutler writes. Paperwork That excess spending adds up to something like half a trillion dollars each year, according to a recent analysis of Congressional Budget Office data by Matt Bruenig of the Peoples Policy Project. For every $100 spent on health care, $16 goes directly to private insurance companies and another $16 goes to hospitals to cover the cost of administering care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only about $68 goes toward actually paying for medical services. Under a single-payer system, on the other hand, the CBO estimates that the public insurer would need just $1.60 of that 100 bucks to cover its costs, while the hospitals would only need $11.80 to cover administration, because they no longer have to deal with the hassle of multiple private health insurers. Under that system, $86.60 would go toward paying for care. As the nations top health insurer and the fourth-largest company by revenue, UnitedHealth Group the parent company of UnitedHealthcare is also the chief beneficiary of all those billions in essentially wasted spending. In 2023 the company socked away $22 billion in profits on $371 billion in total revenue, adding up to $25 per share. The company paid investors dividends of $7.29 per share. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Think of it this way: A person who owned a single $500 share of UnitedHealth Group stock at the start of the year would get rewarded, at the years end, with $7.29 of Americas health care spending, despite contributing precisely nothing to American health care. In his manifesto, Mangione refers to the private health insurers as parasites. Those profits, it should be noted, dont simply generate themselves. UnitedHealthcare has developed a reputation for being especially ruthless in its pursuit of shareholder value. The company relentlessly fought to reduce spending on care, even as its profits rose to record levels, ProPublica reported last year. A U.S. Senate committee concluded UnitedHealthcare, along with other insurers, intentionally denied critical nursing care to stroke patients in order to increase profits. The company has been accused of using rigid algorithms to determine when to cut off payments, regardless of whether or not patients still needed care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thompson had been accused of dumping stock before the company alerted shareholders that UnitedHealth Group was being targeted by a federal antitrust investigation. Horror stories Virtually every American has their own horror story to tell of the Kafka-esque indignities of fighting with insurers over billing codes, prior authorizations, pre-approvals, in-network providers, and the like. This likely explains the organic outpouring of condemnation launched at the health insurance industry following Thompsons killing, which spanned the political spectrum, even as elites of both parties scolded the vigilante apologists. Doctors say the delays caused by those barriers between patients and their care, which are set up largely to protect insurance company profits, can make patients sicker and in some cases kill them. In his manifesto, Mangione lamented that so little has been done to solve the profit-driven dysfunction of the health insurance system. Many have illuminated the corruption and greed (e.g.: [Elisabeth] Rosenthal, [Michael] Moore), decades ago and the problems simply remain, he wrote. It is not an issue of awareness at this point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The note makes no mention of any personal struggles with the insurance system, despite evidence that Mangione suffered from chronic back pain and underwent major surgery for it. But at some point whether driven primarily by personal experience, systemic frustration, or the sheer force of a mental breakdown Mangione decided to take things into his own hands. What do you do? he wrote in a separate, longer document that hasnt yet been made public. You wack the C.E.O. at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention. This story first appeared in the Minnesota Reformer, a member with the Phoenix in the nonprofit States Newsroom. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A Clayton County landlord says a technical error with the courts filing system is costing him thousands of dollars. He told Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln that it is preventing him from evicting renters who havent paid rent since July. Jabaris Jordan owns a single-family home in Morrow. It is his first rental property and his first eviction that hes had to personally file. I know if its happening to me, it has to be happening to others, Jordan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told Lincoln after the renters signed a lease, and paid the first months rent and a $5,000 security deposit, he hasnt received a dime in rent since July. That was very shocking for me, he said. TRENDING STORIES: Jordan said he took the renters to court and a magistrate judge granted an eviction in September. But when it came time to execute the eviction, Jordan admits the renter had a solid defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was enough evidence to show that she did try to respond to the summons, he said. Georgia law allows renters to dispute eviction claims. This allows a renter to remain in the property before a judges ruling. But in this case, a technical error resulted in the judge not getting that critical filing before granting the eviction. I did what I was supposed to do. Once the court realized this error was made, they should have immediately jumped on this and rectified the matter. But it took three months to get a court date, Jordan said. Jordan eventually got a Dec. 10 court date, but the judge told him he wasnt on the calendar for a hearing. His case was reset for a January date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lincoln tried speaking with the renters, but they did not want to comment. Lincoln also reached out to the magistrate court and the office coordinator said right now they cant provide a statement but are currently looking into these allegations. I know its happening to others, especially if the magistrate court is telling me that its an error with their system, Jordan said. Jordan believes his eviction would have still been granted even with the renters filing because he said he showed the court proof they have not paid rent since moving in. He said this delay has cost him close to $20,000 because of this error. Dec. 12A Springfield man was sentenced Wednesday to 12 months in prison for threatening a family member and bringing an AK-47 to her workplace, threatening violence against Pratt Industries. Michael A. Robinson, 41, pleaded guilty last month in Clark County Common Pleas Court to one charge of inducing panic for threatening a family member who works at Pratt Industries, telling her he would bring an AK-47 there, shoot up the place and attack her. Robinson reportedly called his relative on Aug. 26 in front of her managers, stating he would "come to the business and shoot her." A manager told police that Robinson parked in the parking lot of the business in a black Cadillac, causing Pratt to lock down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About an hour later, police arrived on scene and found Robinson, according to court records. Robinson's relative told the manager that the gun was still in Robinson's trunk, and that he told her he would "bond out of jail and return to the business." Another Pratt Industries employee told police he removed the firearm from Robinson's car, placing it in his own, according to court records. Police collected an "AK-47 style pistol," two loaded AK-style magazines and two loaded AR-15 style magazines. Robinson received 106 days of jail-time credit for time served. He may reduce his sentence depending on the completion of certain programs in prison or by filing for judicial release, according to a sentencing document. He was ordered conveyed to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction's reception center in Orient. Robinson may be placed on parole for up to two years after his release from prison. Zimbabwe's Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services Tatenda Mavetera speaks at an event marking the Zimbabwe Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Week in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Dec. 12, 2024. Zimbabwe has made significant strides in developing its digital infrastructure by prioritizing investment in information and communications technologies (ICT), Mavetera has said. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara) HARARE, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe has made significant strides in developing its digital infrastructure by prioritizing investment in information and communications technologies (ICT), Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services Tatenda Mavetera has said. The prioritization of digital infrastructure has pushed the country's mobile penetration rate to more than 96 percent, the minister told an event Thursday marking the Zimbabwe Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Innovation Week. "The digital economy is no longer a buzzword. It is a reality that has transformed the way we live, work, and also interact. Artificial intelligence, in particular, has emerged as a game changer with the potential to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and unlock new opportunities," Mavetera said at the event, held at the University of Zimbabwe in the capital of Harare. Digital infrastructure is essential to any nation aspiring to compete on the global stage, she said, calling for a robust digital infrastructure that can support the demand for emerging technologies. "By building a resilient digital infrastructure, we provide a fertile ground for creativity and entrepreneurship," Mavetera said. "This is where our youth can realize their potential, where startups can flourish, and where established businesses can also harness technology to improve their operations." She said that as a result of improved digital infrastructure, Zimbabwe introduced e-learning platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing schools to continue operating remotely. Other initiatives that are gaining traction due to improved digital infrastructure include ride-hailing services, mobile money services, and telehealth, Mavetera said. "Now in Zimbabwe, we have already started instituting telehealth, which is also a step in the right direction, showing that we need to leverage technology for us to enhance our government services," she said. In addition, Zimbabwe is making strides in the adoption of smart agriculture to provide real-time weather updates for farmers to enhance their productivity and profitability, Mavetera said. The government has also introduced e-government portals, e-procurement programs, and an electronic case management system under the Ministry of Justice to make government operations more efficient, she said. Mavetera said the digital divide, however, remains a concern, with many rural communities lacking access to reliable internet and digital services. "Our data storage and computing capabilities also require upgrading to support the demand for efficient internet and other emerging technologies," she said. The minister called for partnerships between government, industry, and academia to drive AI, innovation, and digital transformation in the country. DENVER (KDVR) A man convicted of second-degree murder for shooting and killing another man in a Weld County home in 2023 was sentenced to over two decades in prison. Benjamin Mitich, 20, was sentenced last week by a Weld County judge to 24 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for killing 21-year-old Johnathan Hayes. Polis repeals 208 outdated executive orders On Feb. 4, 2023, deputies responded to a home in unincorporated Weld County on Weld County Road 94. There, they found Hayes with a gunshot wound to the head, according to a press release from the Weld County District Attorneys Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hayes was flown to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Mitich was initially charged with manslaughter, according to the release. That was until Weld County Detective Mathew Rosten found a video on Mitichs phone that was recorded three minutes before the 911 call. This shooting was not just a tragedy; it was a senseless act of violence that took the life of Johnathan Hayes and shattered many peoples lives, Deputy District Attorney Lacy Wells said in the release. This type of deadly behavior wont be tolerated in our community. According to the release, the video showed Mitich loading a gun and racking the slide before shooting Hayes. The District Attorneys Office amended the charge to second-degree murder last December, and Mitich was convicted by a jury this September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the sentencing hearing last Friday, Autumn Petty, Hayes mother, described Hayes as a beautiful human being who truly loved everybody. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Keshawn Dawson was sentenced to 36 years in prison for a fatal shooting in Old Town that happened back in 2021. On Sept. 7, 2021, Dawson fired into Enigma Club & Lounge in the 300 block of N. Mosley. The shooting killed 34-year-old Preston Spencer and injured several others. Police say Dawson was kicked out of the club after a fight and then returned and shot through the windows. Dawson was originally charged with first-degree murder, but in May 2024, he entered a plea of guilty to one count of murder in the second degree and six counts of aggravated battery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dawsons sentencing was supposed to happen in July, but he filed a request to withdraw his plea. The court denied that motion. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. DENVER (KDVR) A man convicted of first-degree murder for killing his girlfriend in Commerce City was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Thursday. The killing happened on July 21, 2022. According to a press release from Colorados 17th Judicial District Attorneys Office, the Adams County Sheriffs Office responded to a hotel room at 7330 Brighton Road and found a 30-year-old woman suffering from severe injuries. Video: Man says he is a professional drinker in DUI arrest in Wheat Ridge Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman was taken to a hospital. According to the release, she had multiple facial fractures, severe intracranial bleeding, traumatic stroke, brain herniation and a collapsed lung. Despite life-saving efforts, the woman died from her injuries. The victims boyfriend, identified as Angel Santana, 28, told deputies that he was unaware of what happened to her. Investigators went inside the hotel room and found scattered pieces of the victims hair and blood on multiple surfaces, according to the release. Santana had injuries to his hands consistent with the beating of another person. Santanas story changed throughout the evening, and he said he blacked out and wasnt sure what happened, the press release states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Santana was convicted of first-degree by an Adams County jury on Nov. 25 this year. On Thursday, Adams County District Court Judge Brett Martin sentenced Santana to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. BOSTON (WWLP) A man from Rhode Island will spend 10 years in prison for his role in trafficking fentanyl across the country including in Massachusetts. In a news release from the Department of Justice in Boston, an investigation began in September 2019 into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) based in Providence, Rhode Island led by Jasdrual Perez. It was alleged that Perez manufactured large quantities of fentanyl pills designed to appear like pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone/Percocet pills and distribute them and other controlled substances throughout the United States. Two men arrested in Holyoke face drug charges after search warrant on Newton Street Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A member of the organization, 36-year-old Erik Ventura maintained one of the drug stash locations. He would transport cash and drugs to and from New York and distribute thousands of fentanyl pills to customers of the organization in Massachusetts. It was also discovered that Ventura distributed fentanyl and cocaine to his customers, including one who survived an overdose at a stash house where Ventura lived. Ventura and Perez were arrested and charged in February 2022 for their involvement in the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl pills that spanned across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Texas, and North and South Carolina. In February 2022, investigators seized two industrial-grade pill presses, approximately 20 kilograms of powdered fentanyl, pressed fentanyl pills, and other items, including kilograms of pill binder used in the large-scale manufacturing of clandestinely pressed fentanyl pills, were seized. Ventura pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perez pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) A man was shot after a fight with his domestic partner, the St. Petersburg Police Department announced Friday. According to SPPD, officers were called at 8:11 a.m. to an apartment at 1701 Central Avenue regarding a report of a person shot. Officers arrived at the apartment and learned the two men got into a fight prior to the shooting. The alleged shooter cooperated with officers and was detained, SPPD said. Police identified him as Devon Spierling-Linton, 37, and charged him with first-degree attempted murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. An electrician who sustained severe burns when he came in contact with a power line last month has woken up from his coma, his family said. On Sunday, Dec. 8, the family of 33-year-old New Hampshire man Mike Papagno shared that the electrician had woken up from a medically-induced coma, which doctors placed him in after he sustained burns from an electric shock during a job late at night on Nov. 12, according to Fox affiliate WFXT, local station WMUR and NBC affiliate WJAR. New Hampshire state police told PEOPLE in a statement that Papagno a member of the electricians union IBEW 103 was part of the team transporting an 18-foot-tall and 136-foot-long cold storage box from Portsmouth, N.H. to Brookline, Mass. in what is called a "supermove," with state troopers accompanying the team. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Papagno, 33, was moving wires in preparation for the move in Greenland, N.H., he touched the power line and suffered an electric shock, police said. "... Troopers assisted medical response teams with scene safety after a lineman (electrical worker) was electrocuted by a live main power line that the worker inadvertently contacted while moving wires for the oversized load that was driving underneath," police told PEOPLE. In a GoFundMe update shared after the incident, Papagno's family wrote he had third-degree burns covering 50% of his body and was taken by helicopter to Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. He underwent three skin surgeries and grafts and is set to undergo more, his brother Matt Papagno told WJAR. "He's basically got burns on most of the top of his body, so basically on his nose to the belt, and everywhere around. His hands are okay," Matt told the outlet. 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. "This is an unspeakable tragedy that is incomprehensible, but his family is left to move forward while he recovers, and becomes his big happy self again," the original GoFundMe post reads. "Michael has lived his life out of love, he grew into a man that is always described as someone who would give you the shirt off his back if you were in need. His wife Andrea with his 8 month old daughter is navigating an incredibly difficult situation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bay Crane Northeast, LLC had an approved permit from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to move the equipment, per WMUR and The New Hampshire Union Leader. The company declined to comment to WMUR. PEOPLE reached out to Bay Crane Northeast LLC and has not received a response. A spokesperson for the local Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) office also told WMUR and WJAR that it would conduct an inspection to see if any "violations of workplace safety standards" occurred. Related: Mass. Man, 22, Hospitalized from Electric Shock While Hanging Christmas Lights on Tree: He Took a Big Hit According to Papagno's family, the father-of-one has been in good spirits since waking up from his nearly three-week-long coma, and is expected to stay in the ICU until January 2025, the GoFundMe states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He's a really funny person, just a really big spirit, big personality. And despite all these challenges, after being with him today, that has for sure not changed," Matt told WMUR. "Mostly today [he] was joking about how he wants to do more and eat and drink, and he can't do that just yet. So he's trying to bribe nurses to get Coca-Cola or Corona." Papagno's GoFundMe is still raising funds to help with his medical expenses and to help care for his family. As of Thursday, Dec. 12, the page had raised over $187,000 in donations. "He just didn't think that many people in the world would think of him in that situation. And so, I think it's all been really positive for him the last couple days," Matt told WMUR. IBEW 103 immediately responded to PEOPLE's request for comment. Read the original article on People Brookhaven police played a game of hide and seek with a suspect inside a restaurant last week. When they found him, he was hiding in the ceiling. Officers were called to the restaurant, which they did not disclose, after getting reports of a man threatening employees. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] While investigating, they learned a man had an active arrest warrant for assault. While trying to arrest him, the man, whose identity has not been released, broke free and hid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man can be heard in a released body camera video saying he never assaulted anyone before breaking away from the officer. Police sent a drone into the ceiling to see if he was hiding there. It found him in a corner of the ceiling that appeared to be above the mens restroom. TRENDING STORIES: Eventually, the man knew he had nowhere else to go and climbed out of the ceiling and was arrested. There is no word on the mans official charges. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] CHICAGO A man was wounded in a shootout after an attempted car break-in on the citys Far South Side. The shooting happened around 10:20 p.m. Thursday on the 8700 block of South Dauphin in the Burnside neighborhood. Police said a man was attempting to break into a vehicle when a 40-year-old man, who is a carry conceal license holder, went outside to confront the person and they fled the scene on foot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to police, another male offender exited a vehicle, which was nearby, and shot at the 40-year-old man who then returned fire. The second offender returned to the vehicle and also fled the scene, police said. Man fatally shot inside bar on Chicagos Northwest Side A further investigation of the shooting revealed that a 23-year-old man, who was in close proximity to the scene, was shot in the thigh and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he is listed in serious condition. No one in custody and Area Two Detectives are investigating. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. The manager of a New York-based freight forwarding company is facing criminal charges alleging she violated federal export controls by illegally shipping oil and gas products to Russia. Natalya Ivanovna Mazulina, of Federal Way, Washington, also known as Natasha Mazulina, was indicted on 12 counts of conspiracy to export controlled goods to Russia without a license, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to commit money laundering, exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license, filing false export documents with the U.S. government and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law. She was arrested Tuesday in Seattle, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. The 28-page indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York states that Mazulina worked as the Western regional manager of an international freight forwarding company based out of Jamaica, New York, which provided airfreight, ocean freight, warehouse and storage, and ground transportation services. The company, which was not named in the indictment, operated out of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court documents claim the freight forwarder marketed itself as part of a global network of logistics companies that provided logistics and supply chain solutions to customers around the world. As alleged, Mazulina used her position as a manager of a freight forwarding company to facilitate unlawful exports to Russia through JFK airport, said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in a statement. Evading U.S export regulations presents a danger to our national security, and we will continue to use all of our law enforcement and national security tools [to] make sure these enablers, both individuals and corporations, cannot operate in our district. Mazulina is accused of violating the Export Control Reform Act, a law that was passed by Congress in 2018, which authorized the president to set export policies to protect national security and advance foreign policy. It is administered by the Department of Commerce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 2022, in response to the countrys unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration has used the act as a primary means of enforcing a variety of sanctions against Russia, which includes bans on exports to Russia of technology for oil and gas exploration. What happened? Federal prosecutors claim that from December 2022 to December 2024, Mazulina conspired with Russian freight forwarding companies and others to unlawfully ship controlled items, including industrial oil and gas equipment from the United States to Russia, through intermediary countries, according to the indictment. Court documents claim that Mazulina and her co-conspirators, who were not named in the indictment, Unlawfully procured, transported and shipped, from the Eastern District of New York and elsewhere, goods from the United States, such as oil and gas compression and flow measurement equipment, to Russian end users, including a company that promoted its work for oil and gas projects in Russia and customers in the Russian military-industrial base. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment alleges that in June 2023, Mazulina told colleagues that Her clients were paying through bank accounts in third party countries because [m]ost of [her] clients [were] currently sanctioned with USA. As part of the scheme, Mazulina allegedly told her co-conspirators to remove any reference to Russia from business records and export documents. According to the indictment, Mazulina allegedly conspired to illegally export goods from the United States to Russia by shipping oil and gas equipment through a Russian freight forwarder based in St. Petersburg, Russia, which was related to a larger Emirati global air cargo transportation company that marketed itself as primarily servicing Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China and Hong Kong. If convicted, Mazulina faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiring to export or exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license; a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering; up to 10 years in prison for each count of smuggling; and a maximum of five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and filing false export documents with the U.S. government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more articles by Clarissa Hawes. Read other articles here: Ex-NFL player, business partners indicted on PPP fraud charges Fresno trucking company manager sentenced in $1.6M fraud scheme Florida trucking company owner convicted in $112M Ponzi scheme The post Manager of New York freight forwarder accused of illegal oil, gas product exports appeared first on FreightWaves. This photo taken with a mobile phone on Dec. 13, 2024 shows a view of the Saudi hospital after a missile attack in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan. Nine people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Friday in a missile attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a hospital in El Fasher, according to a local government official. (Sudan's North Darfur State Ministry of Health/Handout via Xinhua) KHARTOUM, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Friday in a missile attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a hospital in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan, according to a local government official. "The militia launched four guided missiles from a drone early today, targeting areas of patients' companions in the Saudi Hospital, which killed nine of the patients' companions, injured more than 20 others," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's health ministry, told Xinhua. The Saudi hospital is the only health facility still operating in El Fasher with surgical and therapeutic capacities. The RSF has not commented on the incident yet. Fierce clashes have been raging in El Fasher between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF since May 10. This photo taken with a mobile phone on Dec. 13, 2024 shows a view of the Saudi hospital after a missile attack in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan. Nine people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Friday in a missile attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a hospital in El Fasher, according to a local government official. (Sudan's North Darfur State Ministry of Health/Handout via Xinhua) This photo taken with a mobile phone on Dec. 13, 2024 shows a view of the Saudi hospital after a missile attack in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan. Nine people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Friday in a missile attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a hospital in El Fasher, according to a local government official. (Sudan's North Darfur State Ministry of Health/Handout via Xinhua) This photo taken with a mobile phone on Dec. 13, 2024 shows a view of the Saudi hospital after a missile attack in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan. Nine people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Friday in a missile attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a hospital in El Fasher, according to a local government official. (Sudan's North Darfur State Ministry of Health/Handout via Xinhua) This photo taken with a mobile phone on Dec. 13, 2024 shows a view of the Saudi hospital after a missile attack in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan. Nine people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Friday in a missile attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a hospital in El Fasher, according to a local government official. (Sudan's North Darfur State Ministry of Health/Handout via Xinhua) Mobile Command Vehicles will be delivered to Marine littoral regiments beginning next year. (Morgan Blackstock/U.S. Marine Corps) Marines in the services newest fighting formation will field a more rugged and capable mobile command vehicle on one of its newest ground vehicles in January. Under a contract with U.S defense firm Science Applications International Corporation, an initial purchase of 18 mobile command vehicles, or MCVs, will be delivered to Marine littoral regiments medium-range missile firing units between January and July of next year, according to a Marine Corps release. The Corps current program budget has another 18 MCVs headed to the service in August through early 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MCV is platform-mounted to the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV, which replaces the Humvee in some Army and Marine units. Marines strap missile to truck and strike target at sea As fixed positions on the battlefield become increasingly vulnerable, the release states, mobile systems like the MCV and JLTV are essential to maintaining an edge in the current threat environment. The MCV combines a shelter integrated on the JLTV platform with upgraded communication capabilities and expanded access to fires command and control networks, according to the release. Lt. Col. Joshua Faucett, product manager for fire support systems, noted the MCVs strategic, operational advantage in equipping Marines with capabilities critical for a future fight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MCV is a prime example of how we are adapting to meet the needs of the modern battlefield and were receiving deliveries less than six months after award thats a testament to the hard work of our acquisition team and industry partners, Faucett said. The Marines also use the MCV-equipped JLTV for the Marine Air Defense Integrated System and on its new ship-killing missile system, Navy-Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System. The service requested $340 million in its most recent budget to buy 674 JLTVs, according to a July Congressional Research Services report. Marines received their first JLTVs in early 2019. Elsewhere in the Corps, personnel at the Marine Depot Maintenance Command production plant at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Georgia, conducted the services first organic rebuild of a JLTV engine at a Defense Department depot, according to a release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The modified Duramax 6.6-liter diesel engine has specialized components and a proprietary engine control module specifically designed for combat conditions. However, those features also make testing and repairing vehicles more challenging. Experts noticed earlier this year that the vehicle was burning through engines faster than theyd planned. But the Army, as the main buyer of JLTVs, controls the new engine inventory. And the Marines must pay about $61,000 for each. The hardest part wasnt rebuilding the engine itself it was communicating with the computer, said Jim Dupree, a heavy mobile equipment mechanic at the depot. Once we cracked that, everything else fell into place. By rebuilding worn engines in-house, the depot could save as much as $40,000 per unit. The new ability also lets the Corps remain Semper Gumby, or Always Flexible, by having another supply line. President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday his intention to nominate Mark Meador as a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If confirmed, Meador would take over the commissioner slot currently held by FTC Chair Lina Khan, whose term expired on September 26. Meador is an accomplished antitrust litigator, but his antagonism toward Big Tech, and bigness per se, will compromise Trump's stated goals of maintaining America's economic and technological dominance. He has long opposed big business, from Google to Ticketmaster, and regards the free market as merely a means to the end of human flourishing, not as an end in and of itself. Meador's stance on economic freedom reflects his explicitly anti-libertarian conception of freedom as "requir[ing] order and restraints upon our passions." Achieving Meador's vision of freedom apparently also requires restraints upon trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meador helped write the Advertising Middlemen Endangering Rigorous Internet Competition Accountability (AMERICA) Act to break up Google's ad tech stack while serving as deputy chief counsel for antitrust and competition policy to Sen. Mike Lee (RUtah). Meador's animus toward Big Tech was confirmed by The Heritage Foundation heralding his visiting fellowship at its Tech Policy Center as "a significant milestone in our mission to hold Big Tech accountable for its anticompetitive practices." If confirmed, Meador would be the de facto anti-Big Tech commissioner at the FTC. Andrew Ferguson, a current FTC Commissioner and Trump's nominee for agency chairman, has also vocalized opposition to Big Tech. Ferguson has pledged to "end Big Tech's vendetta against competition and free speech" while also promising to "make sure that America is the world's technological leader," per The New York Times. Ferguson, like Meador, fails to realize that prosecuting Big Tech for acquisitions disincentivizes innovation by removing profitable exit opportunities for startups. Meador's antitrust stance starkly departs from Ferguson, and fellow Republican Commissioner Melissa Holyoak, in his support of the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) of 1936, which makes it illegal "to discriminate in price between different purchasers of commodities of like grade and quality." Meador has accused the FTC and Department of Justice (DOJ) of neglecting their duty to execute the RPA "through a deliberate policy of non-enforcement" and encourages antitrust enforcers to bring RPA cases where "consumers are harmed by price discrimination." On Thursday, the FTC did just this by filing a complaint against Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits. Democratic Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya's statement, joined by Chair Lina Khan and Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, alleges the beverage distributor violated the RPA by charging smaller liquor retailers higher per-unit prices for the same beverages. However, as Holyoak's and Ferguson's dissents emphasize, Section 2(a) of the RPA exempts those "differentials which make only due allowance for differences in the cost of manufacture, sale, or delivery." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The benefit of such pricing strategies, which exploit economies of scale to offer retailers and consumers bulk goods at lower per-unit prices, is evidenced by the popularity of wholesale clubs like Costco and BJ's. Nonetheless, given Meador's endorsement of the RPA, it's likely that he will side with Bedoya and Slaughter to bring forth more complaints in the next administration. If confirmed, this would not be Meador's first stint at the FTC. After graduating from the University of Houston Law Center in 2011, he served as an attorney with the FTC's Bureau of Competition for five years. He was also an antitrust enforcer with the DOJ for two years before working for Sen. Mike Lee (RUtah) from 2020 to 2023. Meador's antipathy toward Big Tech, his endorsement of zombie antitrust laws, and his rejection of freedom as an end in itself bodes poorly for economic dynamism and consumer choice. The post Mark Meador's Nomination to the Federal Trade Commission Is Bad News for Consumers appeared first on Reason.com. MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) In a 3-2 vote Thursday, the Marysville School Board passed a resolution for an emergency levy ballot measure after voters turned down the second attempt to pass a levy in November. Marysville Superintendent Diane Allen is nervous but still hoping that the third time is the charm. Im worried about it every time it goes on the ballot, Allen said. I mean, its certainly a heavy lift to make sure your message gets out. I think one of the most important things that everyone needs to recognize is in the district, we definitely have a revenue issue. Ninety-eight percent of school districts in Ohio operate with more revenue per pupil than Marysville schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If certified by the Ohio Secretary of States office, the levy will appear on the May 2025 ballot. Twice in as many years May 2023 and November of this year voters have rejected the districts attempt at raising funds. Some community members voiced their concern about the board continuing to put up this ballot measure despite it not getting enough votes. I myself do not understand why you would not make some kind of a change that would show the public that you have listened to them and that you hear what they are saying, one Marysville resident, who did not identify themself, said. If passed, the levy will cost homeowners about $190 annually per $100,000 of property value. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to the levy failing in November, the district increased pay-to-play fees for extracurricular activities, and 30 staff members could lose their jobs next school year. Though the levy resolution passed, it was not a unanimous vote; board member Dick Smith voted yes. As board members speaking for me, I know that I need to feel that whatever issue we put before the voters is going to be the right thing for the school district, board member Dick Smith said. Board member Matt Keller said it wasnt easy for him to go against the ballot measure. About the resolution for tax funding in May, although I voted no, I support our school system in schools, Keller said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Allen is hopeful the community will approve the levy because of what is at stake and hopes that message will be made clear. Communication can be challenging and making sure that youre providing ample opportunities to engage with all stakeholders, she said. So its always a challenge and always a worry, but I think, definitely, our community learned a lot the last time about our ask. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WPRI) One of the most prominent Democrats in Massachusetts is moving to Bristol County, but her advisers insist she isnt doing so with an eye on running for Congress. In an email to supporters on Thursday, Attorney General Andrea Campbell revealed she and her family are moving to Dartmouth next year far from her current home in Boston, where she previously served on the City Council and made an unsuccessful bid for mayor. As your attorney general, I have crisscrossed the Commonwealth getting to know our urban, suburban, rural, and Gateway communities, she wrote. I have fallen in love over and over again with the beauty of our Commonwealth and its people. While this is bittersweet, Matt and I, along with the boys, are excited to begin a new chapter in the South Coast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campbell, who was first elected in 2022, noted that she will now be living closer to the New Bedford regional office of the attorney generals office. She described the relocation as both really exciting and a bit bittersweet. The Boston Globe first reported the move. The announcement by Campbell fueled instant speculation that she might also have a political motivation for moving to Dartmouth: an eventual run for the 9th Congressional District seat currently occupied by Democrat Bill Keating, who just won reelection to an eighth term. Will Stockton, a spokesperson for Campbell, dismissed that idea. AG Campbell loves her job and is not running for Congress, he told 12 News. A person close to Campbell also downplayed the suggestion that she has political reasons for buying the Dartmouth house. Keating, 72, has given no indication he plans to retire anytime soon. He has already filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to raise money for his 2026 reelection bid, and had nearly $700,000 in his campaign account as of Nov. 25. In the House, he is now a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, including as the top Democrat on its Europe subpanel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for Keating did not immediately respond to a request for comment about his plans. In the past, he has waited to announce whether he was running again. Joe Caiazzo, a Democratic strategist in Massachusetts who worked on Keatings first congressional race, shrugged off the chatter. Its very early for any incumbent to indicate their intentions for the next election, but make no mistake about it: Bill Keating is an incredibly effective member of Congress and a fierce advocate for his district, Caiazzo told 12 News. Even if Campbell were to run for the 9th District seat at some point, she would face other Democrats with high name recognition and far deeper ties to the region. The 9th District covers Greater New Bedford as well as Cape Cod and the Islands, though it no longer includes any portion of Fall River after Keating lost a hotly contested redistricting fight in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longtime New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell who was a prosecutor, like Campbell, before running for City Hall has made little secret of his interest in the 9th District seat. His current term ends in 2027. State Sen. Julian Cyr, who represents the Cape and Islands on Beacon Hill, is almost universally expected to try and succeed Keating whenever the seat opens up. Other names that have been floated for the seat include state Rep. Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth who was just elected to the state Senate and former state Rep. Sarah Peake of Provincetown, who recently resigned to take a job in Gov. Maura Healeys office. An open congressional race in the 9th District could draw Republican heavy-hitters, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One is another statewide elected official who moved to Dartmouth during her term former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who bought a coastal house there in 2021. Another candidate could be former Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, who also lives in Dartmouth and was honorary chairman of President-elect Trumps campaign in Massachusetts this year. Keating himself is partially a transplant to the 9th District. During his first term, he moved to his summer home in Bourne after Massachusetts lost a congressional seat and the district he had just won in 2010 was redrawn to leave out his former hometown of Quincy. (Keating had represented parts of the current 9th District under the old map.) Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesis Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Bluesky and Facebook. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. Ten of thousands of Syrians have been celebrating after the first Friday prayers since the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. The lightning victory by an opposition rebel alliance, which took control of Damascus last weekend, ended more than 53 years of rule by the al-Assad family. Clapping, raising victory signs and waving Syrian flags, people in major squares across the country on Friday chanted "God bless Free Syria." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Raise your head up high you are a free Syrian now," said the crowds who gathered after the traditional weekly prayers. According to eyewitnesses, tens of thousands of people gathered at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus alone. "All the doors were open for the first time to allow everyone to do Friday prayers inside the mosque," a resident of the capital told dpa. The leader of the Islamist rebel alliance, Ahmed al-Sharaa - previously known by his nom-de-guerre Abu Mohammed al-Joulani - earlier called on Syrians to celebrate peacefully. "Celebrate without firing celebratory gunfire and do not terrify people," al-Sharaa said in a video message where he was dressed with a white shirt, rather than his previous military fatigues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eyewitnesses in various cities told dpa that strict security measures were being taken to monitor the celebrations. "Public security will deal firmly with anyone proven to be involved in shooting during the celebration, a statement from the Syrian opposition groups said. We call for adherence to peaceful behaviour during demonstrations to preserve everyones safety, the statement added. Khaled al-Imam, a resident of the Daraya suburb of Damascus, told dpa he was going out "to celebrate the victory over the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who killed two of my brothers and more than 15 of my family members." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until his ouster, al-Assad had been in power in Syria for 24 years and had fought a brutal civil war against rebel groups for more than 13 years. The war seemed to have been at a stalemate, with the rebels beaten back in most areas, until a lightning offensive by Islamist groups at the end of November revealed that the government's hold on power was far weaker than many thought. BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)The Massachusetts GOP is joining in the chorus of calls for the attorney general to step in and force the state legislature to comply with an audit, as a result of the passage of Ballot Question 1. New lawsuit challenges House vote on audit 22News spoke to the Massachusetts GOP and they say they are demanding action. This is not a particularly controversial thing, because passed with over 70% of the vote statewide and 70% of the vote in Springfield. Why is the legislature trying to delay this? said Chair Amy Carnevale. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The auditor held a press conference last week, vowing to involve the attorney general once the law takes effect if legislators continue to pursue delays, which her office interpreted to be on December 5. If they do not respond, if they do not comply with that request, we will then be engaging with the attorney generals office for her assistance, said State Auditor Diana DiZoglio. There is disagreement about the date of effect, as the constitution reads that ballot question initiatives kick in 30 days after the state election, but does not specify if the election is considered complete on election day or when the results are certified, which just happened last week. Attorney General Andrea Campbell discussed her potential involvement two weeks ago, saying theres no role for my office to play right nownothing can happen until the law that just passed goes into effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campbell has not shared her legal opinion on whether the law takes effect in December or January. A former state representative filed a lawsuit on Friday, but Campbells office is declining to comment at this time. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. A massive fire engulfed a warehouse in the Russian city of Novosibirsk in Siberia overnight on Dec. 13, covering 5,000 square meters, Russian media reported. Footage showed flames consuming the multi-story building, with every window alight and parts of the roof collapsing. The warehouse reportedly stored various goods, including plastic products. Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's counter-disinformation center, alleged that the warehouse was a military-linked facility supporting key industries such as energy infrastructure and explosion-proof equipment production. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Not just an ordinary warehouse, but a military facility burned down in Novosibirsk," Kovalenko said. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims. 0:00 / 1 The cause of the fire is currently unclear. Novosibirsk lies around 2,800 kilometers (1,700 miles) east of Moscow and roughly 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) from the Ukrainian border. In a separate incident, drones reportedly attacked barracks housing a police regiment in Grozny, Chechnya, overnight on Dec. 12. Ukraine has intensified drone strikes deep into Russian territory, targeting military bases and industrial facilities to disrupt Moscows war effort in Ukraine. These attacks highlight Kyivs strategy of undermining Russian infrastructure as the war continues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Media: Russian conscript killed after refusing to fight in Kursk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. NAIROBI, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government will provide a safe corridor for the migration of skilled labor force to travel and settle abroad, generating revenue for the exchequer through remittances, senior officials said Friday ahead of International Migrants Day that is observed annually on Dec. 18. Julius Bitok, the principal secretary for immigration and citizen services, acknowledged the pivotal role of migrant workers in socioeconomic development, skills transfer and cultural vitality whose legal protection is critical. Bitok said the government is committed to a migration agenda that promotes the welfare of local citizens and those of neighboring countries to achieve growth and stability. "Migration is critical to our nation's development agenda because it promotes talent, cultural diversity, skills and technology exchange. We will ensure there is safe and orderly migration," Bitok said. Ahead of this year's International Migrants Day, Kenya and the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) held a two-km walk in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, to raise awareness of migrants' rights and the benefits of regular migration pathways. Bitok said Kenya has domesticated global instruments to provide a safe haven for migrants from the region escaping from climate emergencies, conflicts or economic uncertainties. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu said the day serves as a wakeup call to harness the talent, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of migrants to fuel economic growth and social renewal in Kenya. According to Njogu, Kenya is committed to providing legal status to migrants from neighboring countries and overseas, besides ensuring they have access to basic services like education, health, shelter and gainful employment. IOM Kenya Chief of Mission Sharon Dimanche noted that multilateral institutions have partnered with national governments to facilitate legal migration to bridge skills gap and foster innovation, peace and cohesion. The 2024 International Migrants Day will be observed under the theme of "Honoring the contributions of migrants and respecting their rights," which underscores their positive contribution to host countries' welfare. Russian forces launched massive air attacks on Ukraine overnight, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday describing it as "one of the largest attacks on our power grid." Zelensky said on Telegram that Russian forces fired more than 90 missiles at the country's energy sector, with 81 of the missiles shot down. Eleven cruise missiles were intercepted by Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets, Zelensky said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the missiles were fired, Russia had apparently deployed almost 200 combat drones to Ukraine. Zelensky renewed his calls for Western allies to supply more air defence systems to put a stop to the strikes. The Ukrainian Air Force said that the wave of attacks was carried out with drones and missiles, as well as with MiG-31 combat jets equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. The Kinzhal missiles were fired at western Ukrainian targets near the Burshtyn heating plant and the Starokostiantyniv military airbase, military observers said. A number of cruise missiles had struck in the Odessa region in southern Ukraine as well, they said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was initially no confirmation of the scale of the attacks. Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko posted on Facebook that the energy sector had again come under massive attack. Precautionary power cuts were introduced in a number of regions to prevent grid overload. Four people were injured in the Kharkiv region in the north-east, the regional military governor, Oleh Syniehubov, posted on Telegram. Kharkiv City Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that a drone had struck a residential building. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the cold winter months since launching their full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian forces under pressure At the front line in eastern Ukraine, the situation for the Ukrainian forces continues to deteriorate, according to military observers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An unspecified number of soldiers were threatened with being surrounded south of Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, they said. The Ukrainian General Staff did not provide any details, but only reported heavy fighting around Kurachove. Pokrovsk, about an hour's drive to the north, is also said to be fiercely contested. According to reports, Russian troops have made several advances there in recent days. More civilians who had remained in the city despite the danger were evacuated to safety. Russian forces again launched massive air attacks with drones and missiles on Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Friday. A number of MiG-31 combat jets equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles had taken off, it said. Military observes said the Kinzhal missiles were fired at western Ukrainian targets near the Burshtyn heating plant and the Starokostiantyniv military airbase. A number of cruise missiles had struck in the Odessa region in southern Ukraine as well, they said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was initially no official confirmation. Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko posted on Facebook that the energy sector had again come under massive attack. Information on the damage caused would be provided once the security situation allowed, he said. Precautionary power cuts were introduced in a number of regions to prevent grid overload. Four people were injured in the Kharkiv region in the north-east, the regional military governor, Oleh Syniehubov, posted on Telegram. Kharkiv City Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that a drone had struck a residential building. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the cold winter months since launching their full-scale invasion in February 2022. Fomer Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, who recently quit his positionto pursue a failed attorney general nomination and then pivoted to hosting a primetime network show, is reportedly considering taking on a second gig working at a large law firm. The controverisal, high-profile Republican has been talking with John Morgan, the founder of law firm Morgan & Morgan about a potential new job, Politico first reported. "Matt has some big ideas that he believes he could work in collaboration with our firm," Morgan told the Daily Business Review Thursday. Former representative Matt Gaetz has reportedly been in talks with law firm giant Morgan & Morgan (Getty Images) Gaetzs role at the law firm would be in addition to his new role hosting a show for the conservative One America News Network (OANN) which he landed after withdrawing from consideration as the nations upcoming attorney general, nominated by Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morgan said Gaetzs connections in Washington D.C. could be helpful for cases involving the insurance industry, pharmaceutical companies and the processed food and sugar crowd. The firm boasts on its website that its dedicated to protecting the people, not the powerful, and claims to be the largest personal injury law firm in the nation. A Gaetz addition to the law firm would be somewhat ironic given that Morgan has donated millions of dollars to Democratic political campaigns and committees though he is registered as a non-affiliated voter. But Morgan told Daily Business Review that he and Gaetz share a lot of the same politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among their common interests is the effort to legalize medical marijuana. Morgan heavily lobbied to get medical marijuana legalized in Florida, the state where Gaetz served as a representative for approximately seven years. John Morgan, the founder of the law firm Morgan & Morgan (Morgan & Morgan / YouTube) Ive known John Morgan for more than a decade, Gaetz told a Politico reporter. Ive taken a lot of advice from him on matters of law, policy and politics. I have great respect for how he stands to the powerful for his clientsand he wins. Gaetz acknowledged to the news outlet that he and Morgan spoke about collaborating professionally, but did not elaborate further. Gaetz was an initially startling choice to serve as attorney general. Trump tapped his longtime ally for the top law enforcement official position in November, but it quickly dissolved after sexual misconduct allegations haunted Gaetz. A potentially damning House Ethics Committee report on allegations that Gaetz engaged in a sexual encounter with a minor combined with a previous Justice Department investigation which resulted in no formal charges undermined the nomination. It has been one month since our family was thrust into the spotlight, and the pain inflicted upon us was laid bare for the entire world to see. From the beginning, my immediate family was unaware of Hannahs whereabouts. Until yesterday, we were still in the dark about where she was. There was simply speculation. When Hannah first went missing, our father and his best friend flew out to LA immediately after receiving the news. Shortly thereafter, my aunt and uncle from New York joined my dad and his best friend in the search. Meanwhile, my mother and I stayed home in case Hannah returned to the Maui or Oahu. We remained in constant contact with my dad and the rest of our family throughout this time. Later, Larie and Jason joined the search, followed by me. Larie, a self-proclaimed social media influencer, immediately began participating in multiple interviews and became the self-appointed point of contact for the media. Despite my mother and I not being in support of this, it still happened. There were many occasions when my mother and I requested that Larie respect our feelings and tone down her posts and interviews. Our priority was finding Hannah, not creating a media circus. When a loved one goes missing, you instinctively enter panic mode. Your body switches to fight or flight, and unless youve experienced it, you cant fully comprehend the physical, mental, and emotional toll it takes. You dont know what is right or wrong because no one could ever prepare you for this. Couple that immeasurable pain with the court of public opinion and the relentless scrutiny that followed, and its a challenge no one is prepared to face. The past 31 days have been absolute hell for us, and I feel they will continue to be for a while, even as we try to transition back to some semblance of normalcy. Each day brought the unbearable uncertainty of whether my sister was alive or dead. Losing my father to suicide during this ordeal was more than my soul and heart could bear. I am human. Despite the differences any family has and we all do my son, family, and I loved him immensely. Throughout this experience, we have not once lied. We have been honest and forthcoming from the start. There were times when we received information from the public or from Larie to whom I no longer consider family that turned out to be inaccurate or half-truths. I did my best to manage the information I received, but with hundreds of messages flooding in every hour, it quickly became overwhelming, prompting us to seek assistance. My mother and I have remained completely transparent and have not misled or taken advantage of anyone. While the GoFundMe lists my mother as the beneficiary, we have kept all the receipts to show where the funds have been used: for the search for my sister. When my father suddenly passed away, I added his funeral expenses and arrangements to the campaign as next of kin. At this time, my mother and I have not physically seen Hannah. We do not have actual proof of where she is, other than that she is somewhere in Mexico. We have only spoken to her over the phone, and she was allegedly found safe with Larie, but at this time, she does not wish to return to us. As you can imagine, we are all extremely relieved and glad that my sister is alive and seemingly okay, but we also have mixed and overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, devastation, and betrayal. We are kindly asking the public to respect our privacy and offer us grace for a moment as we are still grieving. There is still so much unknown, and so much that still needs to be navigated. In due time, the truth will surface, and we will all get the answers we truly deserve. I stand by the choices Ive made for my family, and we know where our hearts lie in this. I would never wish this type of experience upon anyone, especially not back-to-back. Thank you, wholeheartedly, to those who have consistently supported and helped us unconditionally, shown no judgment since day one, and stood behind us. We are truly grateful for your support, love, and light. Sydni Kobayashi MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) Police in Mayfield Heights are searching for a suspect who stole 130 packs of Pokemon cards from a Staples store. According to a press release from the Mayfield Heights Police Department, officers were dispatched to the Staples store located at 5950 Mayfield Rd. on Dec. 3 about a theft that happened just after midnight on Dec. 2. Silver Lake warns residents of fake calls about water testing Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to police, the regional manager of the store said he was working the cash register when a man entered the store, grabbed a basket and walked directly to the Pokemon card stand. The regional manager said he was tending to another customer at the time and could not watch what the suspect was doing before he quickly left the store a few minutes later. According to the release, it was reported that the Pokemon card stand was found to be completely empty and the regional manager noticed that all 130 packs of cards were now missing. The suspect was described as being a younger man with blonde dreadlocks who was wearing a black beanie, dark pants and a hooded sweatshirt underneath a camouflage jacket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A man has pleaded guilty to the death of a 5-year-old girl living in their Kansas homeless camp According to the manager, the suspect has been seen inside the store before, but they havent noticed him steal anything. The manager said he is confident that the suspect will return in the near future, the release said. According to footage on the security cameras, the suspect left the store at 12:04 a.m., re-entered and went to the Pokemon card stand at 12:06 a.m., left the store again at 12:08 a.m. and then fled the scene in a Uhaul box truck at 12:09 a.m. It is unclear which direction the suspect went, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The total cost of the stolen merchandise is estimated at $407.04. This investigation is still ongoing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. NEW YORK Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday he agrees with Tom Homan, the incoming Trump administrations border czar, on the fact that New York City shouldnt be a safe haven for undocumented immigrants who commit serious crimes. To that end, Adams said he is exploring whether he can use his executive powers to roll back some of New Yorks sanctuary city protections, given that Democratic leaders in the City Council say they wont help him do so. The city, Adams said, has made terrible mistakes in the past in limiting cooperation with federal authorities carrying out deportation proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His goal is the same goal I have, Adams told reporters at City Hall after meeting privately with Homan at Gracie Mansion. This cant be a safe haven for violent individuals. You have a privilege to live in this country and those who want to commit acts of violence, they are violating that privilege, Adams said. (Homans) desire is clearly, again, what my target area is. The mayor faced backlash from some fellow local elected Democrats for agreeing to meet with Homan. Amid the criticism, Adams said hes committed to protecting hardworking immigrants in the city. Homan, who was acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during President-elect Donald Trumps first White House term, has stirred up fears in immigrant communities across the U.S. by vowing to launch mass deportation proceedings targeting not just those who commit violent crimes, but also those whose only offense is being in the country without legal status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homan recently threatened in a TV news appearance to double the number of ICE agents in New York if city officials dont participate in the Trump administrations enforcement efforts, and has also pledged to use the U.S. military to assist in mass deportation efforts, a plan thats likely to draw legal challenges. Adams declined to answer questions from the press after the meeting on his stance on using the military in deportation efforts. There was a representative from the Biden administration in his confab with Homan, Adams said, though his office didnt immediately identify that person or disclose who else, if anyone, was in attendance. Photos from the meeting released by City Hall show Adams and Homan were joined by Ken Genalo, ICEs New York City director, who has been openly critical of the citys sanctuary laws. New York City has long been home to some 500,000 undocumented immigrants, in addition to the tens of thousands of mostly Latin American migrants who have arrived since spring 2022 as part of a wave that continues to put intense strain on city resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under sanctuary city laws strengthened under former Mayor Bill de Blasios administration, city resources cannot be used and city officials generally cant assist in helping federal authorities carrying out deportation proceedings, unless the individuals being targeted have been convicted of serious or violent crimes. Adams has said he is in favor of peeling back some of those protections to empower the city to be able to cooperate with federal deportation authorities in cases involving immigrants charged not just convicted of serious crimes. In his post-Homan meeting press conference, which he started off by saying some reporters were seeking to distort his views, Adams said he wants to see if he can make those changes without needing council approval. New York remaining a sanctuary city is determined by the City Council, they told you what their position is. Im going to try to attempt to use my executive orders to go after dangerous people who are committing violent acts against migrants and asylum seekers and long-term New Yorkers and undocumented immigrants, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homan, who was the architect of the first Trump administrations highly controversial immigrant family separation policy, couldnt be reached for comment after his meeting with Adams. Trumps transition team didnt respond to emailed questions. Speaking outside City Hall while the mayors Homan meeting was taking place uptown, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams condemned Adams rhetoric around migrants and urged President Biden to take action to protect New Yorks undocumented population before leaving office next month. Im asking President Biden to step up and the mayor to stand up to Tom Homan today, and declare that New York is a city of immigrants, but instead, I expect them to sit idly by, or worse, to assist, Williams said. Adams has upset fellow Democrats on numerous occasions in recent months, sparking criticism in some quarters over his praising some of Trumps appointees and raising questions about immigrants rights under the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While he has frequently expressed a desire to roll back some sanctuary city protections, Adams critics which include those running against him for mayor have noted that Adams is facing a five-count federal corruption indictment and accused him of cozying up to Trump in the hopes of securing a pardon, a claim the mayor denies. It is clear that something is motivating him, and whats motivating him is not whats best for the city of New York, Williams said. Speaking at the same press conference, City Comptroller Brad Lander, whos running against Adams in this Junes Democratic mayoral primary, echoed concerns that Adams is attempting to curry favor with Trump. Is the mayor going to stand up for constitutional due process, or is he so hungry for a pardon for his own due process that he is going to throw New Yorkers under the bus? Lander said. _____ CHICAGO The Chicago City Council on Friday handed Mayor Brandon Johnson a defeat in his quest to pass a $17.3 billion budget package that includes a $68.5 million increase to the property tax levy. A vote on the package had been planned for Friday morning, but Johnson called it off because he didnt have at least 26 votes in support to pass it, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Even members of his progressive caucus were reportedly refusing to go along with it. Once the City Council meeting began about 30 minutes late, a motion passed 32-16 to recess and push the budget vote until 1 p.m. Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were going to work hard this weekend, and Im giving the people of Chicago my word that Im going to do everything in my power to ensure that this budget reflects the values of this city, Johnson said at a press conference after the meeting. Tensions boil over at city hall ahead of Friday budget vote Finance, budget committees OK package with $68M property tax hike WGN Full Coverage: Chicago Budget 2025 The package was at least the third put forth by the Johnson administration. The first, which included a $300 million property tax increase, was unanimously rejected. The mayors office followed it with a second pitch that included a $150 million property tax increase before later backing off on it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is unprecedented on multiple levels, even not seen during council wars, Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) said after the meeting. All of this that weve seen, where a mayor has unanimously had his property tax levy rejected, where hes had to pull back his revised budget to avoid a second defeat, to be 18 days from the deadline with no end in sight, this is something that I think that hasnt happened in well over a century, at best, if it ever happened at all. The package that was to be put to a vote passed the City Councils finance and budget committees earlier this week and aims to close a nearly $350 million budget gap through the property tax increase and an assortment of fee and fine increases. We cannot continue to spend money that we dont have, and thats why a bunch of us had said, Lets take a look at efficiencies first, Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th Ward) told reporters after the meeting. Whats going to happen with this budget if it passes is that the mayor and his allies are going to get the North Pole, and the voters are going to get coal in their stockings for Christmas. The package includes a $128 million tax increase on whats called personal property leases, which is mainly on computer software and cloud computing services. It also calls for increasing the fees on plastic bags at stores, streaming services, rideshares and parking garages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, the budget adds new speed cameras to some wards in order to raise $11 million needed to pay for Chicago Police Department jobs tied to the federal consent decree. Earlier proposals to raise the garbage collection fee and increase the tax on liquor sales were jettisoned. Johnson has refused to consider a budget package that would require furloughs or layoffs to city employees. Chicago homeowners who spoke with WGN on Friday expressed anxiety as the clock ticks down to the end-of-the-year deadline. I know there are some shortfalls in the budget and it seems as if the administration always come to the homeowner to try to fill that void, said Tondalaya Lloyd, who owns a property on the citys far south side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) said he, along with 14 other aldermen on the council, is hoping to see $68 million in new property taxes go away. Instead, Hopkins wants that replaced with a combination of spending cuts and other revenue enhancements. Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward) is less optimistic, thinking its going to take longer to settle on the budget. I dont think the votes are going to be there Monday, Conway said. We dont want to balance this budget on the backs of working families. WGN News reached out to Mayor Brandon Johnsons office for comment on Saturday, but did not hear back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) Buffalo mayoral candidate James McLeod pushed his work with youth in his two decades of public service before running for public office. McLeod, a former Buffalo City Court judge, brings two decades of experience on the bench. He retired in 2019. He also spent time as an acting Erie County Court judge and and an acting Erie County Family Court judge. During his time in the judicial system, he created the citys first young adult court, dedicating to handling criminal cases for 16-18 year olds in an effort to reduce their re-engagement in the criminal justice system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with WIVB News 4 on Thursday, McLeod pushed his work with the youth of Buffalo. Realizing that there was too much crime being engaged in by young people and at the same time too many people were not in school, dropping out of school, or being taken out of school, giving them the opportunity to engage, unfortunately, in nefarious activity, McLeod said. McLeod said that he has gone into schools to try to find the root of the issue, and that is something that the city needs to do in order to work with children and teens in order to reduce crime. He said that a big part of that is keeping them in school and making sure they graduate. If were going to be a great city again, we have to work with our young people because they are indeed our future, McLeod said. We have to find the root cause of the problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McLeod has never held political office before, which he added is a benefit for him. I bring a broad range of experience and the ability to work with people, he said. I dont bring the politics thats there, and I think thats what people are looking for. Theyre looking for someone who isnt bringing politics, but someone who is bringing solutions. McLeod is one of four confirmed major candidates in the running. The other three are New York State Senator Sean Ryan, former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield and Buffalo Common Council member Rasheed Wyatt. Acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon is seeking the Democratic partys endorsement, but has not yet made the official announcement that he is running. The candidates are vying to be the permanent replacement for former Mayor Byron Brown, who stepped down in October after more than 18 years in office to take the position as president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Considering all of the candidates so far are Democrats, the election is likely to be essentially decided by the June 2025 primary, before the general election on Nov. 4, 2025. Your Local Election Headquarters Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Interpreters are also: cultural brokers, health care providers, clarifiers, translators, patient advoces, read one sign at the Mainehealth medical interpreter picket outside Maine Medical Center in Portland on Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo via MSEA-SEIU) Fifteen months after forming a union, medical interpreters with MaineHealth still have no contract, prompting a number of workers to picket Friday outside of Maine Medical Center in Portland to send a message to the health care system that they arent backing down. The interpreters, who voted to form a union in 2023, are demanding that MaineHealth management address recruitment and retention concerns such as low pay that makes it hard to attract skilled, experienced interpreters, according to a release from the Maine Service Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989, which includes the United Maine Health Interpreters. Unionized MaineHealth medical interpreters and their supporters picket outside Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine on Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo by MSEA-SEIU) We, the MaineHealth Interpreters, want to be heard, understood and respected, just like our patients and providers, said Eva Chen, a medical interpreter II for MaineHealth. Medical interpreters translate and interpret information for non-English speaking patients and serve as cultural brokers for patients as they navigate the healthcare system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The interpreters said in the release that their bargaining team has made progress negotiating, but MaineHealth hasnt put forth a satisfactory wage proposal yet. Wages arent the only issue still on the table. The interpreters want to see incentives and additional pay for education and certification. They would also like longevity pay to retain experienced staff, the release said. The interpreters union called the picket a necessary step toward reaching an agreement. A spokesperson for MaineHealth said the organization was aware of the picket Friday. While there is work to do at the bargaining table, MaineHealth is confident the parties can reach a fair and responsible agreement, and the health system and union have made significant progress toward that goal since they began negotiations shortly after the union became the bargaining representative for MaineHealth Spoken Language Interpreters, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The workers decided to organize after MaineHealth cut wages, the union said, noting that its challenging for interpreters to have fair, consistent schedules. Maine Medical Center nurses wrote a letter in support of the interpreters, saying they deserve the dignity and security of a generous union contract. Nurses across the state have been part of their own labor fight. After organizing in 2021 after a lengthy anti-union campaign, the nurses backed an unsuccessful legislative effort to mandate nurse-to-patient ratios in certain health care settings. They are highly skilled professionals who support our patients that do not speak English as a first language. As such, in-person interpreters are the literal voices of these patients, and simultaneously the voices of the patients doctors, therapists, and of course, their nurses, the letter read. In December 2023, MaineHealth management announced interpreters would not receive the merit pay increase given to other employees. The interpreters then filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board in March, arguing that employees hired before the end of the year were eligible for the merit pay program if they successfully completed their six-month review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MaineHealth agreed to settle and retroactively reinstated interpreters merit pay. The settlement also included a requirement that interpreters would receive merit increases in 2025, if wage increases werent yet negotiated. The interpreters filed another NLRB complaint in September for alleged retaliation against an employee who had helped form the bargaining unit and negotiate the initial agreement, the release said. That charge is still pending. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The 2024 Cambodia-China Media Intelligent Communication Forum is convened in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, Dec. 13, 2024. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 Cambodia-China Media Intelligent Communication Forum was convened here in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Friday, to discuss opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) in the media industry. Addressing some 150 participants at the half-day event, Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said the forum was an important platform for press members from both countries to exchange ideas and views on the rapid development of information and communication technology and AI in the media industry. "As technology advances, artificial intelligence has enormous potential for the media," he said. "Our goal is not only to adopt these new technologies, but also to find ways to make good use of these means in order to improve the quality of reporting and the efficiency of media coverage." The minister said the forum not only highlighted close cultural and information ties, but also demonstrated a joint commitment to boosting bilateral relations between the two countries. "We will work together to create a new chapter in the Cambodia-China media relationship in order to inject fresh impetus into the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era," Pheaktra said. Chen Cong, minister-counsellor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, said the media has played a crucial role in promoting China-Cambodia relations and people-to-people exchange. "The media outlets of our two countries have always acted as active participants and strong supporters of the friendly cooperation between our two countries," he said. Chen said AI has a profound and far-reaching impact on society, people, politics, economics, social development and other spheres, and has also brought a profound impact on the transformation of the media industry. He said cooperation in AI has great potential for the media industry of the two countries. The forum was co-organized by Cambodia's Ministry of Information and the Asian and African Languages Programming Center of China Media Group. DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) A cannabis dispensarys plan to relocate to Delaware complies with the citys rule prohibiting marijuana businesses from being near a school or church, officials say. Bear River Dispensaries proposal to move from 26 Moore St. to vacant retail space at 222 E. William St. was approved on Dec. 4 by the Delaware Planning Commission. In the proposal, Bear River said the move is needed given the Moore Street location contends with neighborhood congestion, limited parking, poor access and a constricted floorplan. City Council approves plan to build 487-mile Columbus bikeway Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [The William Street building] solves those issues by relocating the business away from adjacent residential parcels, offers five times the parking spaces, improves access to the commercial property via turning lane, and can accommodate local customers and employees with a roomier, more comfortable floorplan, Bear River said. The dispensarys proposal argues the space is suitable for dual-use, meaning it will offer medical and recreational marijuana. The company said business hours will remain the same after the relocation, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Delawares commission noted that the William Street building, previously home to Delaware County Community Market and Triple Crown Wine and Spirits, is 566 feet away from Conger Elementary school. This means the relocation abides by a city ordinance that bans establishments whose business is the sale of tobacco or related products, vapor or vapor products, or cannabis from being located within 500 feet of a school, church, library, playground or park. Passed earlier this year, the measure bans two or more of these businesses from being located within a mile of each other if they are of the same use, meaning a vape shop can not be within a mile of another a vape shop, but a cannabis dispensary can be near a vape shop. The resolution originally limited businesses from being located within two miles of each other, but the commission amended the proposal out of concern it would be too restrictive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local union branches urge mail carriers to vote against proposed agreement with USPS The ordinance also set restrictions for signage, like banning temporary signage of any kind, like a banner, yard sign or pennant, from being displayed on the business property. Animated or flashing signs are prohibited as well, while illuminated window signs are limited to no more than two per business. Bear Rivers proposal comes a month after city council repealed a moratorium on Nov. 11 that prohibited adult-use cannabis operators from operating within city limits for six months. The ban was enacted in September to provide Delaware officials time to evaluate how they want to regulate marijuana businesses given voters in Ohio approved Issue 2 last November to legalize recreational cannabis. A family-operated dispensary, Bear Rivers goal is to be not just a retail outlet for product, but rather a staple of the community, the companys site states. The dispensarys offerings include cannabis flower, vaporizers, edibles, concentrates, topicals, accessories and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. The nomination of the Donald Trump hyper loyalist Kash Patel to serve as FBI director is unusual. First, the job is currently occupied, by one Christopher Wray himself a Trump appointee who technically has three years left on his 10-year term of service. On Wednesday, however, Wray preemptively capitulated to Trump by committing to resign at the end of Joe Bidens presidency, saying he wished to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, politically. Stranger still and likely unprecedented is that Patel has sued the man he hopes to replace, in federal court. And he lost. Big time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patel sued the FBIs Wray, former deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, and other top deputies in the Department of Justice in 2023, alleging they violated his Fourth Amendment rights by issuing a subpoena for his private email data in 2017. Patel claimed this was a retaliatory act to dig up dirt on him during a time he was working for the House Intelligence committee, conducting work critical of the FBI and DOJ. The case, which received little scrutiny at the time, was dismissed this past September. The background is important here, and a bit complex. Patel surged to prominence in MAGA Land during Trumps first term as a senior counsel to the House Intelligence committee, then chaired by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). Patel was a sharp-elbowed operative who sought to undercut any notion that Trump and his team merited investigation for their troubling connections to Russia many of which were ostentatious. (This included Trumps infamous Russia, if youre listening invitation to find Hillary Clinton emails; Russia began efforts to hack Clintons email servers the same day.) Patel was the lead author of the so-called Nunes memo. This four-page brief purported to expose a partisan plot behind the surveillance of Carter Page, an aide to the first Trump campaign who had curious Kremlin contacts. The memo claimed that the issuance of a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court subpoena relied too heavily on the salacious, now-notorious Steele dossier, which had been funded, indirectly, by the Democratic National Committee and Clintons 2016 campaign. The Nunes memo was criticized on its release by Democrats and intelligence professionals who said it relied on selective declassification resulting in significant distortions and misrepresentations. And you didnt need a security clearance to note key omissions in the memo like the fact that the firm behind the Steele dossier, Fusion GPS, had begun its Trump oppo research with funding from the right-leaning Washington Free Beacon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patel nonetheless casts this memo as a world-shaking unmasking of the deep state which he describes in his 2023 book Government Gangsters as a cabal of incestuous, power-hungry, unelected oligarchs in Washington who hate us. Patels book claims that the Nunes memo exposed the biggest bombshell political scandal in American history. He argues that the Russian collusion narrative was a Democrat-funded, government-perpetrated crime of historic proportions, and that his labors revealed the full-scale politicization of the national security apparatus. By his own account, Patel clashed with the DOJ personnel he had to interact with he privately referred to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as Hot Rod (for a supposed quick temper) and believed Rosenstein deserved to be taken down a peg. Patel also describes installing a Mickey Mouse Club carpet in his teams Capitol Hill office, to troll Democratic staffers who believed he was running a Mickey Mouse operation. During the period he worked for Nunes, Patel himself came under covert federal scrutiny. Patels complaint reveals that, in November 2017, the government obtained a subpoena requiring Google to turn over data associated with Patels private email account. The legal proceedings do not make clear what prompted the issuance of the subpoena or what federal investigators may have been looking for. Patel alleged this search was a violation of his Fourth Amendment rights an unconstitutional effort seeking dirt on him. Because the warrant was issued in the midst of the intel work Patel was conducting with Nunes, the lawsuit alleges that it was a retaliatory act. The complaint asserts that the FBI and DOJ did not want Mr. Patel to expose their malfeasance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuits list of named defendants includes some of the biggest honchos in the Department of Justice. That included the FBIs Wray whom the suit describes as involved in the approval of the application for the grand jury subpoena. Other defendants were Rosenstein; a pair of his top deputies at DOJ; and Jessie Liu, then the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, whom the suit says applied for the subpoena. Patel sued for financial damages under a Supreme Court precedent known as Bivens a case from the 1970s where federal drug agents, lacking probable cause, broke into a mans apartment, searched without a warrant, and arrested him on narcotics charges. Patel also sought attorneys fees as well as injunctive relief preventing those agents who improperly investigated Mr. Patel from being involved in future proceedings against him and destruction of the records obtained with the subpoena. President-elect Trump recently praised Patel on Truth Social as the most qualified nominee to lead the FBI in the agencys history. In reality Patel is such an extreme loyalist that hes written a childrens book dramatizing his defense of the president. Patel is a see-no-evil when it comes to Trump. He writes about Jan 6, 2021, for example, in a book chapter called The Insurrection That Never Was. Patel insists it was NOT a coup and it was NOT an assault by domestic terrorists on our democracy. Those who claim otherwise, he writes, are liars committed to a disinformation narrative thats been jackhammered into our faces for only one purpose: to destroy dissent. It was with some irony, then, that Patels lawsuit ended up in the court of Judge Amit Mehta who oversaw the convictions of top Oath Keepers for seditious conspiracy for their violent roles surrounding the events of Jan. 6. In the case of Oath Keeper leader Stuart Rhodes, Mehta imposed a terrorism enhancement to his sentence, and told Rhodes in court: You are not a political prisoner. He added that Rhodes was in fact prepared to take up arms in order to foment a revolution. Thats what you did. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mehta dismissed Patels case long before it got to trial shredding his teams legal theories. The damages Patel sought, the judge ruled, required a novel interpretation of Bivens, of a type that other courts had previously ruled out of bounds. Mehta insisted the sharp contrast with precedent meant Patel would instead need to rely on the DOJ Office of the Inspector General for redress, and look to Congress to provide a cause of action. (Mehta called a claim by Patels lawyer that Congress would be met with backlash for such a move speculative at best.) Mehta also upended the core of Patels case. The lawsuit had alleged that the subpoena obtained to look into Patels email data was issued without probable cause. But Mehta insisted that Patels legal team had made a legal misstep because the probable cause standard does not govern grand jury subpoenas and, therefore, Patels allegation does not make out a Fourth Amendment violation. (Mehta noted that Patels team acknowledged this flaw in a filing to contest the governments motion to dismiss the case and had then moved to challenging the subpoenas breadth, instead. But Mehta had no patience for the pivot, writing: Plaintiff cannot amend his pleading through his opposition brief.) Ultimately, Mehta ruled that the government defendants were entitled to qualified immunity the same legal principle that prevents people from suing police for mistakes made on the job and dismissed the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump transition team did not respond to an interview request for Patel. A message to Patels lawyer in the case was also not returned. The fact that Patel has sued Wray in court builds on a litigious pattern. Patel has also sued media outlets like Politico and The New York Times, claiming defamation in their reporting on his work in the first Trump administration. He briefly also sued the Department of Defense, where he worked late in Trumps first term, seeking to speed up the departments legal review of Government Gangsters. Even in recent days, during the public debate over his qualifications to lead the FBI, Patel has threatened a former colleague, onetime Vice President Mike Pences adviser Olivia Troye, with legal action after she criticized him on MSNBC. Patel is also infamous for making threats of retribution against Trumps enemies in a second term. We will go out and find the conspirators not just in government, but in the media, he told Steve Bannon in 2023, adding, We are coming after you. In the end, the qualification Patel seems to have in spades is his unwavering loyalty to Trump. In welcoming Wrays decision to resign, Trump posted on Truth Social that he harbored personal grievance about the federal incursion at Mar-a-Lago to recover classified documents that Trump was storing in a bathroom, leading to federal charges. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, Trump wrote, without cause. As it happens, Patel sees those events through the same, MAGAfied lens. In Government Gangsters, he writes that the FBI had crossed the Rubicon by searching Trumps compound, adding that the Mar-a-Lago raid makes Watergate look like the teacup ride at Disney World. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Asheley Tuck stands outside her home in Richmond on Dec. 10, 2024. When her son experienced a trauma this past summer, a local mobile crisis unit was able to provide immediate counseling and connect the family to follow-up mental health resources. (Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Editors note: The Mercury is not identifying the name of Asheley Tucks son to protect the childs identity. Tucks statements were substantiated through interviews with mental health professionals with knowledge of her familys situation. With books, toys and artwork strewn about, Asheley Tucks sons room is the typical sort one might expect from an 11-year-old boy. What is less typical: a piece of notebook paper taped to his door labeled safety plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The paper outlines how sudden mood shifts, loss of interests, isolation or a racing heart could be warning signs of anxiety, so that he can better recognize when an attack might be coming on. Tucks son also has notes that outline techniques like listing types of Pokemon in alphabetical order which can help him cope with swelling negative emotions. The notes are relics from crisis response and follow-up counseling he received this past summer after he and some friends encountered an online predator during a sleepover. Tuck said that she and her wife didnt know how to best comfort their son when he called to be picked up from the sleepover and confided in them what had happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (The person) scared them and asked them to do some things that were not appropriate for anyone, much less, you know, an 11-year-old, Tuck said. Her son expressed feeling like his life was ruined and he was worried he would be plastered on the internet and what the repercussions would be, Tuck recalled. He was devastated. Having known people who were social workers, Tuck realized she could call Richmonds Crisis Response and Stabilization Team (CReST). Within less than an hour, a clinician arrived at their house to provide immediate counseling to the family. After the initial visit, CReST arranged follow-up visits for a few weeks and referred the family to additional counseling services if needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fact that he got services that quickly was a game changer for how hell be able to navigate his life going forward, Tuck said. While the clinician who responded to Tucks son was part of CReST through the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, there are similar programs around Virginia, colloquially referred to as mobile crisis units. These professionals and teams are part of Virginias ever-expanding landscape of mental health resources and have played a role in keeping patients in their homes rather than hospitals or, in escalated cases, jails. Clinicians on the scene Asheley Tuck holds notes that her son kept following some emergency counseling services he utilized after experiencing a trauma. (Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Erin DeLizzio, a program manager at CReST, explained that while some staff are located in the downtown Richmond office, others have take-home cars to be dispatched from around the region, from Hanover to Farmville to Emporia. She said that her area, Region 4, was able to provide services to over 1,500 people in the 2024 fiscal year. Most of those people were diverted from hospitals and jails and were able to get help at their homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youve got to be able to meet people where they are, said Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, a longtime champion for bolstering mental health resources in Virginia who supported the 2021 legislation that paved the way for mobile crisis units and other services. CReSTs responses to calls for help can range from de-escalating situations over the phone to dispatching clinicians to meet with people directly. Sometimes patients need immediate counseling and connections to follow-up resources like therapists or psychiatrists. Sometimes they might need to be admitted to crisis receiving centers which operate like emergency rooms in hospitals, but focus on mental health. Clinicians can be dispatched when people call the regional mobile crisis line directly or when routed through emergency calls to 911 or 988, a national mental health crisis hotline. When the national mental health emergency hotline transitioned to the easier-to-remember 988 system, Virginia legislation in 2021 funded expanded call centers and listed the deployment of mobile crisis units as part of 988s responsibilities. The service has been on the rise in Virginia, which Gov. Glenn Youngkin has said he sees as a success because it means people are connected to resources before a crisis can escalate further. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youngkins three-year Right Help, Right Now plan entails budget proposals from the governor and legislative actions by state lawmakers focused on mental health care. Youngkin recently celebrated the two year anniversary of the initiative. Right Help, Right Now is working, he declared excitedly at a press conference on the two year anniversary of the initiative, Dec. 11. The initiatives bipartisan efforts build on a decades worth of work spearheaded by Deeds and the Behavioral Health Commission he helped establish. Outside of legislative sessions, the commission undertakes studies and hears from experts around the state to craft or endorse legislation. Recent years have seen new solutions born from local tragedies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A bill dubbed Irvos Law allows families access to their loved one if they are taken into custody by law enforcement during a crisis. Its inspiration stemmed from the death of Henrico resident Irvo Otineo, who died in a mental health hospital while constrained by law enforcement officers and staff, and whose mother was denied access to him there. A 2020 law called the Marcus Alert stems from the death of Richmond resident Marcus-David Peters, who was killed by police in 2018 during a mental health crisis. As a growing number of Virginia localities implement the law, it enables coordination between 911 and regional call centers to triage the best response from law enforcement and trained clinicians when handling mental health situations. A main goal is to not hospitalize someone if we can, said Abigayle Hodges, a mobile crisis unit team leader at CReST. Trying to keep the peace Gov. Glenn Youngkin listens to featured speakers during the two year anniversary of the Right Help, Right Now mental health support initiative on Dec. 11, 2024. (Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Often, law enforcement officers are the first responders to crises and escort people to hospitals where they sit waiting with them. Other times, people may be subject to emergency custody orders, which is when a magistrate orders that someone needs to be evaluated by health professionals because they could be a harm to themselves or others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consensus has been building between some lawmakers and members of law enforcement that officers and deputies arent always the best people to take point or remain with people in crises for longer periods of time. Not only should there be less police interactions with someone whos going through a crisis, but when youre looking at rural areas such as the county where Im from and small police departments throughout the region, then taking just one person off patrol can hurt a community, said Tazewell County Sheriff Brian Hieatt. A recent presentation to Virginias Behavioral Health Commission also noted how arrests of people in mental health crises have a devastating impact on those in crisis and that it can stress local and state resources. People in crisis can also be more prone to lashing out and assaulting an officer, regardless of their coherence or intent, and end up facing jail time as a result. In his forthcoming budget presentation for 2025, Youngkin hopes that $35 million can be invested into Special Conservators of the Peace, he said this week. These are both armed and unarmed positions authorized by courts to carry out limited law enforcement duties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While resources like 988 and mobile crisis units can help prevent people from going to the hospital, Youngkin believes the conservators can help improve the outcomes of those who are taken to hospitals by law enforcement. (Officers) are brought into many of these circumstances that not only distract them from so many other responsibilities, but then have an individual whos in crisis enter the criminal justice system unnecessarily we need to address both of those, Youngkin said. While state lawmakers will still need to collaborate with Youngkin throughout the first few months of 2025 to decide how the states budget will be allocated, Youngkin sees the conservator program as a temporary solution. We should see a reduction in hospital admittance, and therefore a reduction in the law enforcement needs around the hospital, Youngkin said. But for the time being, having our cops in place that allow this transfer of custody is really important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anna Czaplicki Ryan, a program supervisor at CReST, described how some transfer of care is already happening between law enforcement and clinicians. A warm handoff is the terminology we use, she said. CReST staff and law enforcement already have some experience working together in instances where police are at the scene of an emergency first and ask for assistance or for clinicians to take over care, Czaplicki Ryan explained. When officers and clinicians demonstrate the transfer of care to patients, it can help them feel supported and know they are not abandoned. Deeds, who serves on the Senates finance committee, said that hes fine with Youngkins conservator proposal. I just think that our focus should not necessarily be on the moment of crisis, Deeds said. Our focus also needs to be on prevention, on keeping people out of crisis. For Asheley Tuck, whose son experienced a trauma, she said that shes glad she knew that 988 and CReST existed in their moment of need. If a friend had not mentioned that this program exists, I may not have known about it at all, she said. I think it should be regular public knowledge. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Haiti has been racked by political instability and intensifying, deadly gang violence. Amid a Federal Aviation Administration ban on flights from the U.S. to Haiti, some volunteers remain unwavering in their determination to travel to the Caribbean country to help the innocent people caught in the middle of the destabilization. Nearly 3 million children are in need of humanitarian aid in Haiti, according to UNICEF. A missionary group in south Florida says they feel compelled to continue their tradition of bringing not just aid, but Christmas gifts to children in what the World Bank says is the poorest nation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Many people on the brink of starvation ... children that need some joy at this time of the year," said Joe Karabensh, a pilot who has been flying to help people in Haiti for more than 20 years. "I definitely think it's worth the risk. We pray for safety, but we know the task is huge, and we're meeting a need." His company, Missionary Flights International, helps around 600 charities fly life-saving supplies to Haiti. He's flown medical equipment, tires, and even goats to the country in refurbished World War II-era planes. But it's an annual flight at Christmas time, packed full of toys for children, that feels especially important to him. This year, one of his Douglas DC-3 will ship more than 260 shoe-box-sized boxes of toys purchased and packed by church members from the Family Church of Jensen Beach in Florida. Years ago, the church built a school in a rural community in the northern region of Haiti, which now serves about 260 students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A small group of missionaries from the church volunteer every year to board the old metal planes in Karabensh's hangar in Fort Pierce, Florida, and fly to Haiti to personally deliver the cargo of Christmas cheer to the school. The boxes are filled with simple treasures, like crayons, toy cars and Play-Doh. It's a tradition that has grown over the last decade, just as the need, too, has grown markedly. Contractor Alan Morris, a member of the group, helped build the school years ago, and returns there on mission trips up to three times a year. He keeps going back, he said, because he feels called to do it. "There's a sense of peace, if you will," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, three passenger planes were shot flying near Haiti's capital, but Morris said he remains confident that his life is not in danger when he travels to the country under siege, because they fly into areas further away from Port-au-Prince, where the violence is most concentrated. This is where the WWII-era planes play a critical role. Because they have two wheels in the front unlike modern passenger planes, which have one wheel in the front the older planes can safely land on a remote grass landing strip. The perilous journey doesn't end there after landing, Morris and his fellow church members must drive another two hours with the boxes of gifts. "I guarantee, the worst roads you've been on," Morris said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's a treacherous journey Morris lives for, year after year, to see the children's faces light up as they open their gifts. Asked why it's important to him to help give these children a proper Christmas, Morris replied with tears in his eyes, "They have nothing, they have nothing, you know, but they're wonderful, wonderful people ... and if we can give them just a little taste of what we think is Christmas, then we've done something." New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story Trump FBI pick Kash Patel reacts to Wray's resignation announcement Chicago Public Schools officials presented a new plan to potentially absorb seven Acero schools slated for closure at a late school board meeting Thursday evening that began with a surprise development and then dragged on for hours. A new member, Sean Harden, joined the board at the top of the meeting, replacing the Rev. Mitchell L. Ikenna Johnson, a fleeting October appointment of Mayor Brandon Johnson who was forced to resign within days due to controversy. A business consultant, Harden previously worked as CPS deputy CEO of community affairs around 15 years ago, according to his profile on the social media site LinkedIn. With Chicago Teachers Union members packing the meeting at CPS Bronzeville administrative offices, debate over whether the union contract should be resolved before new board members are seated in January dominated the proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Make a directive to the senior leadership team and to the CEO of this district: Settle this contract before Donald Trump is inaugurated, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said to board members, tying the unions contract demands to fears of changes on the federal level due to Project 2025. But the boards last scheduled meeting of the year adjourned without clarity as to how the union and CPS can bridge their current impasse, with the district most recently estimating the cost of the unions demands at $3.5 billion over four years during which CPS faces projected annual deficits of around $500 million. While several policies were voted on, including accommodations for student religious practices and payments for special education services to several nonpublic facilities, pressing issues went unresolved. Several aldermen addressed the board: Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th; Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th; Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee touched on district CEO Pedro Martinezs job status, which has been an elephant in the room for months. To be clear, Im in full support of CEO Martinez continuing to lead CPS, and I know that Im not alone, she said. Waguespack echoed her point, asking the current board to wait until 10 elected members are scheduled to join the board in January to make any high-level personnel decisions. I feel strongly that a change in leadership shouldnt be rooted in political interests, but in (the) interest of doing what is best for our students, he said. Three incoming school board members who were elected in November reiterated multiple winning candidates prior request that no significant action be taken before they are seated in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carlos Rivas who won in District 3 objected to the cancellation of next weeks onboarding training. Looks like were playing politics again with our children, said Rivas, whose district includes Acero Schools Carlos Fuentes Elementary School, one of seven schools that the charter operator has decided to close at the end of the school year. Another location slated for closure, Sandra Cisneros Elementary School, falls in District 8, which will be represented by Chicago Board of Education member-elect Angel Gutierrez come January. Gutierrez encouraged members to honor the wishes of the voters who elected him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Refrain from making decisions until the new hybrid board comes together, he said, encouraging members to honor the wishes of the voters who elected him. We want to create the best school system, collectively together. Che Rhymefest Smith said hed like to go forward with the training to ensure the new board members are prepared when they are seated. Lets embrace this historic election, and lets embrace one another and lets move forward in a new era of education for Chicago Public Schools, Smith said. No resolution for Acero charter schools soon-to-be-displaced students In a presentation originally slated to occur in November, district officials tried to outline three potential approaches to address the impending closures of seven schools operated by the Acero charter school network. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Board members have publicly criticized Martinezs handling of the closures since the news was announced in early October. However, the district does not have any legal obligation to keep the schools open. The three plans district officials wanted to outline in November were: to work with Acero to keep the schools open; to help transition the students to other CPS schools; or to follow a contingency plan to absorb the campuses and reopen them as district-run schools, something the union had asked CPS to do following the closures in October. Those plans were presented by district officials Thursday, along with two additional hybrid options to phase out either one or two of the seven schools and keep the rest open the former costing about $1.6 million, and the latter breaking even. CPS Chief Portfolio Officer Alfonso Carmona told reporters afterward that absorbing the schools would be more expensive than giving Acero money to keep them running. The two schools he proposed to phase out are Paz Elementary in the Little Village neighborhood and Cruz K-12 in the West Ridge neighborhood, some of the largest contributors to the charter networks debt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to take care of every single one of those babies, Carmona said to unreceptive board members. We will not sit here and do nothing, said board member Frank Niles Thomas as the presentation concluded, addressing the incoming members pleas to postpone making any major determinations until January. There was a leader of Rome who enjoyed music while the town was burning. Were not fiddling around here. We will make a decision. Mary Gardner, the board vice president, asked Carmona what his preferred plan would be. After he said it was closing both Cruz and Paz, she instead put forward the third proposed option of integrating the closing charter schools into the district. She asked for a plan by Monday. I appreciate all of the meetings and everything, so just looking for a very detailed plan, she said. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A court in Fiji has convicted a Memphis man for the murder of his wife during their honeymoon in the island country more than two years ago, the victims family confirmed Thursday. Christe Chen Dawson, a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, was found dead on July 9, 2022, in her hotel room at the Turtle Island Resort in Yasawa. Christe Chen Dawson (Credits: UTHSC) The Fiji Times reported Bradley Robert Dawson was arrested at Matacawalevu Village a day later with several items in his possession, including his passport and some personal belongings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Delivering the judgment, Justice Riyaz Hamza said the fact that Dawson had his passport and personal belongings with him upon his arrest indicated he intended to flee after committing the offense, the paper wrote. According to the Fiji Times, Justice Hamza was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Bradley Dawson and no one else had committed the offense. For the aforesaid reasons, I am of the opinion that the defenses version cannot be believed, and the same version is rejected, he said. Having analyzed all the evidence in its totality, I am of the opinion that the prosecution witnesses were all truthful, credible, and reliable in their testimony. From the totality of the evidence, I am satisfied that the prosecution has disapproved of the defense of provocation. Having considered all the evidence in its totality, I am of the opinion that the prosecution has proved the charge of murder against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. Chen Dawson was working as a pharmacist at Kroger at the time of her death. Family members decided to have her cremated in the South Pacific nation because her body was badly damaged, a lawyer representing the family said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dawson is scheduled to be sentenced in Fiji on January 27. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. The Apple Valley Menards store has been evacuated amid an ongoing police response Thursday evening. Details are limited at this stage, but there are multiple reports of police on the scene at the store at 6055 150th St. W. Southern metro media organization Limitless Media has shared video showing police outside the store, and is also reporting the parking lot has been evacuated. Minnesota crime news outlet MN Crime reports that, based on scanner traffic, a possible bomb threat was made towards the store by a shoplifting suspect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This has not been officially confirmed by police, however, and details could change. Bring Me The News has reached out to Apple Valley PD for more information. This story will be updated as more details are released. MERKEL, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) The Merkel Police Department is investigating multiple home and vehicle break-ins. According to Merkel police, 80% of car burglaries occurred during the 2023 holiday season due to unlocked vehicles. Police ask the community to stay aware of their surroundings and take extra precautions to secure belongings, especially during the holiday season. Sweetwater police seek information on $100,000 theft at Brooks Diesel Service Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Merkel Police Department provided steps for securing your valuables in your car: Do not leave valuable items in your vehicle overnight. If shopping at multiple locations, put items in the trunk and ensure they cant be seen. If you are gone for a long time, do not leave your keys, garage door open, or alarm devices in your vehicles overnight. Lock all doors and windows. The Merkel Police Department also provided steps to secure your house during the holidays: Make sure all of your doors and windows are secure. If you have garage doors, make sure they are locked. If you have storage buildings around your property, keep them locked and secure. Light as many things as possible around your house, porch, backyard, driveway, etc. Motion-activated lights are highly recommended. Most hardware stores carry an affordable option that usually comes with easy installation instructions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you find one of these outside your home, call police According to the Merkel Police Department, burglaries often occur after the holidays because someone may watch once the presents are unwrapped. The police have provided the following steps to help protect your gifts from theft. Keep an eye on your neighborhood, and be cautious of strangers not from the area. Break down boxes and place trash in opaque trash bags that you can tie completely shut. Do not place large boxes outside next to the trash or in the publics view. If you plan to leave your home for the holidays, notify your local law enforcement to see if they can conduct courtesy patrols to keep an eye on your house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you notice any suspicious activity, please report it. Police ask that if you have camera footage of suspicious activity in the past seven days, please call police at 325-928-4766 and ask to speak to Lieutenant Cody Branson. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. A Merrillville man is charged with killing a family friend at a July 4 party. Ronald Watson, 29, is charged with the July 4 murder of Joseph Bonds, 24, of Glenwood, Illinois. The U.S. Marshals arrested Watson on Nov. 21 in Ripley, Tennessee. His next court date is Dec. 17. Bonds was later taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he died July 9. Merrillville Police responded July 4 to the 7300 block of Whitcomb Street. Bonds was found lying out front and he was transported to the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witnesses said the men argued about old stuff before Watson shot him. Bonds was pushed out of the apartment to a car after trying to start a fight, witnesses said. He went back to the apartment and banged on the door. Watson came out with a gun. What are you gonna shoot me? You gonna shoot me, Bonds said. At that point, one of Watsons sister got in Bonds face to fight him, the affidavit states. Watson threw a bottle at Bonds and missed. Bonds charged Watson, but slipped and fell on the sidewalk. Watson took out a gun and shot him in the right side of the head, documents allege. His sister told police it was self-defense. Earlier, a witness said Bonds made inappropriate sexual comments to Watsons 13-year-old niece. Watson ran around the building, got into a womans car and took off. mcolias@post-trib.com Dec. 12Once facing potential closure, Mesalands Community College seemingly has "turned the corner" from a doomsday scenario after improving management of its finances, the Office of the State Auditor said Tuesday. But according to Allen Moss, the institution's president, Mesalands' future is still uncertain. "I think we can safely say we're not looking at closure," he said. "I'd like to think we did everything we could to show that we're stabilizing and that we can continue as an independent community college, but that final decision is still out there." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moss's comments come following an effort from Auditor Joseph Maestas, the New Mexico Higher Education Department and the Legislature to save the two-year school in Tucumcari following years of shifting leadership, staff turnover, budgeting woes and poor training. Both Moss and Maestas said the fiscal year 2024 audit and a special audit into what led MCC into "financial demise," as it was termed in a statement from Maestas' office, have yet to be completed. They gave no deadline for completion. Moss was in administration at Mesalands, became interim president in 2023 and then assumed the top role on July 16. He said the community college has gone through several presidents since 2020. That, coupled with turnover of staffers who knew how to use student information systems only compounded MCC's lack of ability to handle its finances, according to Moss. Amid these challenges, the community college fell behind on completing its audits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "From there, it just kept piling up," Moss said. Moss said that as MCC lagged, it nonetheless made new hires that were not in the budget and gave raises to employees that were not approved. MCC, as a result, burned through its reserves, according to Moss. He said he was not part of administration at the time these decisions were made. But "I sometimes questioned, how are we doing this at such a small college?" In early 2023, the school asked the Legislature for assistance with auditing because administrators didn't think they had enough cash on hand to make payroll, according to Moss. The request prompted an on-site visit from the Higher Education Department, which then referred to the state auditor for review, Moss said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maestas, who assumed office in January 2023, immediately began working on the intervention, using special appropriations from the Legislature (through the Higher Education Department) to directly assist in conducting the audits for FY22 and 2023, according to Dave Pena, a spokesperson for Maestas. Maestas' audits found that MCC improved in correlating pay with positions and offering training programs to improve its faculty and staff. With a "significantly improved audit opinion," MCC will retain its federal funding, allowing it to pursue funding for capital projects in the next legislative session, according to both Moss and the auditor. State Sen. Pat Woods of Broadview, whose district includes MCC, said in a prepared statement that the recent changes in the community college "mark a new chapter of growth and stability." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woods told the Journal on Wednesday that he is optimistic about the future of MCC because of the leadership of not only Moss as president, but Richard Primrose as chairman of the Board of Trustees. The chairman previously served as Tucumcari city manager and Quay County's manager before his retirement in 2021. "With Mr. Primrose on that board, I think (MCC is) scrutinized a lot," Woods said. "He's watching the money close." Higher Education Department spokesperson Tripp Stelnicki said the agency is reviewing the latest audit. HED has outsourced a feasibility study to examine whether MCC can continue to function as an independent higher education institution or should merge with another one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Community analysis and study are underway, including a community survey regarding the community college, Stelnicki said. "When complete, HED will make recommendations to the Legislative Finance Committee based on the findings of the feasibility study," he said. Woods said he looks forward to the study's results. He believes MCC is not in the same position it was a few years ago, when lawmakers suggested a merger might be feasible. "I am confident that the study will recognize the fact that they're under new management, they've got their finances in order, they're becoming more successful in the community they serve," Woods said. "I truly believe they can operate independently." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moss said "it's hard to even put a value" on how important the audits are to public trust in his institution. "No one is going to have trust when you can't give answers," he said. "The community needs to know that the college is going to be here, that we're going to keep working to provide the training and courses that are needed." Moss said people in Tucumcari have approached him to say they are happy MCC was able to improve its audits. "I think that is a sigh of relief from the community," Moss said. by Ulvi Narimanli Since the US Democrats took power in 2021, relations between Azerbaijan and Washington have fluctuated between tense and hostile. Despite the Biden administration's promises of peace and stability in the region, there has been little to no tangible progress. Any steps forward have been quickly undermined by biased and pro-Armenian statements, demonstrating a lack of commitment to genuine diplomatic efforts. Now this time Bidens final gambit against Azerbaijan includes accusing her of internal affairs. The recent statement by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, accusing Azerbaijan of a "crackdown on media and civil society," underscores the United States' familiar pattern of selective morality in international affairs. This biased and confrontational tone, calling for the release of individuals like Rufat Safarov and Sevinj Vagifgizi, diverts attention from Americas own glaring domestic human rights issues while serving to undermine Azerbaijans sovereignty. Americas domestic record is replete with examples that challenge its credibility as a global human rights advocate. Systemic racism, police brutality, mass incarceration, and economic inequality persist as unresolved issues within the U.S. Additionally, President Joe Bidens recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, raises concerns about judicial impartiality and abuse of power. When the U.S. cannot address its own systemic failures, what moral authority does it have to lecture other nations, especially on politically charged matters? Furthermore, the recognition by President-elect Donald Trump of January 6 Capitol rioters as "political prisoners" exposes the deeply partisan and flawed nature of America's judicial system. This bipartisan acknowledgment of political arrests in the U.S. makes Blinken's accusations against Azerbaijan not only hypocritical but also strategically dubious. Azerbaijan remains hopeful that the new Trump administration will adopt a more balanced and pragmatic approach, fostering stronger ties between Washington and Baku. Trumps foreign policy in his previous term emphasized transactional diplomacy, which allowed for a more direct focus on shared interests. Azerbaijan views this as an opportunity to counteract the Biden administration's biased stance and instead build partnerships based on mutual respect and constructive dialogue. This optimism stems from Azerbaijan's strategic importance in energy security, its role as a regional stabilizer, and its efforts toward economic diversification. A Trump administration prioritizing these shared goals could help balance relations and avoid the pitfalls of favoritism toward Armenia that have characterized Bidens approach. The current administrations increased focus on Armenia, coupled with its unfounded criticisms of Azerbaijan, highlights a broader strategy of appeasement. This pro-Armenian bias ignores Armenias destabilizing actions in the South Caucasus and fails to acknowledge its historical provocations, including the illegal occupation of Garabagh. Blinken's remarks, therefore, appear as part of a calculated campaign to pressure Azerbaijan while bolstering Armenias position. This not only undermines regional peace efforts but also contradicts Americas stated goals of fostering stability and cooperation in the region. If the U.S. intends to play a meaningful role in the South Caucasus, it must first demonstrate consistency in its policies. Respecting Azerbaijan's sovereignty and addressing shared strategic goals, rather than issuing one-sided accusations, would pave the way for a more effective and credible American role in the region. The Biden administrations time is running out, and its approach risks alienating important regional players like Azerbaijan. The administration faces a moral dilemma while judging Azerbaijan and ignoring home. A new Trump presidency offers a chance to reset relations, focusing on constructive engagement and mutual interests, rather than continuing a policy of bias and division. PHNOM PENH, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's trade with Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) countries hit 31.36 billion U.S. dollars during the January-November period of 2024, Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul said on Friday. The RCEP market is a significant market for Cambodia, accounting for approximately 62.1 percent of Cambodia's total trade volume, she said in an opening speech at Cambodia Trade Expo 2024. Nimul said Cambodia, as a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is a signatory to the ASEAN Free Trade Area, the ASEAN+1 Free Trade Agreements with dialogue partners, the RCEP, bilateral free trade agreements with China, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. She said the kingdom will soon launch a portal, allowing exporters, producers and traders to search and select the most suitable preferential trade system or free trade agreement that is beneficial to their businesses. The minister added that the portal will also provide key information on the free trade agreements, including tariff schedules and rules of origin. The RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries, including 10 ASEAN member states and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's Secretary of State and spokesperson Penn Sovicheat said the RCEP is a catalyst for Cambodia's trade growth and a magnet for foreign direct investments to the country. "Despite rising protectionism and weakening global demand, the RCEP has given a boost to regional trade cooperation, bringing great benefits to all member countries," he told Xinhua. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham rolled out her spending plan for the upcoming year. The proposed budget, released on Thursday, includes nearly $11 billion in recurring spending which is a 5% increase over the current budget. CYFD asking for roughly $413 million from state in new budget It includes spending on infrastructure, early childhood services, housing assistance, and more. The budget also sets aside $172 million to give state workers a pay increase including educators. The lawmakers will consider the budget at their upcoming 60-day session next month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) A member of the New Mexico National Guard was honored at the White House on Dec. 2. Sgt. Alfonso Deocampo was recognized for his service as part of the Community Emergency Response Team. New Mexico governor releases proposed budget for next year Deocampo directly contributed to 193 water rescues during the floods in Chaves County and Roswell earlier this year. Deocampo and his family were flown to Washington, D.C., where they met First Lady Jill Biden as part of the Joining Forces holiday reception for National Guard members from across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deocampo and family attended Bidens speech on soldier and military family issues, toured the White House, and sat through a performance by the White House band. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Dec. 12New Mexico National Guard Sgt. Alfonso Deocampo was recently honored at the White House for helping rescue people during the recent floods in Roswell. Deocampo, who is from Bosque Farms, attended first lady Jill Biden's Dec. 2 presentation of holiday decorations, which is part of the White House's Joining Forces initiative to support military families. National Guard families were the first to experience the decor and children joined the first lady on stage as she thanked their parents for serving their country, The Associated Press reported. "It was a very extravagant experience," Deocampo said in a phone interview. "I've never been to anything like that before." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the objectives of Joining Forces, according to the Obama White House archives, is to "bring attention to the unique experiences and strengths of America's service members, veterans, and their families." Facilitated by the National Guard Bureau, Deocampo and his family were flown to Washington, where they met the first lady, listened to her speech addressing soldier and military family issues, toured the White House and listened to a performance by the United States Marine Band, a New Mexico National Guard Facebook post states. "It was more than what I expected it to be," he said. "It was an honor to even be there to meet the first lady." Recognized for his "exceptional service" with the Community Emergency Response Team, Deocampo was a part of 193 water rescues during the Roswell floods, the post states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deocampo is a swift rescue technician whose job, he said, is "to be able to go into the water and pull people out." "Anytime we go through a flood, it's kind of nerve-wracking," he said. "You never know what you're going to encounter." KANSAS CITY, Mo. A 16-year-old boy has now been charged with murder following the death of a teenager last week in Miami County, Kansas. The District Court of Miami County on Wednesday charged the 16-year-old with first-degree murder. The Miami County Sheriffs Office shared news of the updated charge on Thursday. Man accused of killing Wyandotte County deputies changes plea Last week the teen was charged with one count of interfering with law enforcement officers and concealing/destroying evidence after a 15-year-old boy was found dead at a Spring Hill home, near West 231st Street and Lewis Drive, according to court records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Original reports of the case said that at about 2:58 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4, deputies with the Miami County Sheriffs Office were called to the Spring Hill home in response to an unresponsive person. After deputies arrived, they found the 15-year-old boy dead inside the home. At the same time, the 16-year-old boy was taken to a hospital and then later taken into custody at a juvenile detention facility. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Both teens were students at the Spring Hill School District but were not related and lived in different cities. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. MIAMI, Okla. Special Judge Nick Lelecas ordered a Miami man to stand trial in the fatal shooting of an Ottawa County man. Ottawa County shooting victim intoxicated during fatal altercation Travis Christian Wilbur, 35, appeared in Ottawa County District Court, dressed in orange jail clothes with his feet shackled. He is charged in the Jan. 5 death of Matthew Vincent Locastro, 27, of Miami. Wilbur claims the shooting was in self-defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilburs preliminary hearing was initially held in September, but due to time constraints, it was continued until Thursday. During Thursdays hearing, prosecutor Chris Garner announced the state had rested its case in September. Jesse Muth, Wilburns attorney, verbally made a general demurrer and a demurrer with intent. Simply put, a demurrer is a motion to dismiss for insufficient evidence, after the state has rested its case. Lelecas ordered Wilburn to stand trial and return to court on Jan. 14 for his district court arraignment. An autopsy report showed Locastro died from a gunshot wound to his head. His toxicology report showed he tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, and his blood alcohol level registered at .18, which is over twice the legal limit in Oklahoma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Testimony at the preliminary hearing in September suggested the two men were arguing, and in a struggle over a gun, the gun discharged, striking Locastro. In the arrest affidavit, authorities say there were a total of five gunshots heard on the neighbors doorbell camera recording. When the last gunshot is heard, Locastro falls to the ground, according to the affidavit. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Social critic and documentary filmmaker Michael Moore said in a Substack post that he wants to "pour gasoline" on the anger Americans have expressed against the nation's health insurance industry. Moore wrote Friday that fury directed at the US health insurance industry was "1000 percent justified." Following the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan last week, some Americans have taken to social media and other outlets to express their frustration with the state of private health insurance in the nation. Moore whose documentaries include criticisms of the US war on terror, gun violence, and health care, among other topics was mentioned by name in the manifesto of Luigi Mangione, the man police believe killed Thompson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione allegedly described Moore as someone who "illuminated the corruption and greed" in the health care industry in his 2007 film Sicko. Its not often that my work gets a killer five-star review from an actual killer, Moore wrote in his Substack piece. Writer/director/producer Michael Moore arrives at a special screening of The Weinstein Company's "SiCKO" at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre on June 26, 2007 in Beverly Hills, California (Getty Images) He noted that he had been receiving media requests, including some that were essentially asking him to "condemn murder." Do I condemn murder? Thats an odd question. In Fahrenheit 9/11, I condemned the murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi people and the senseless murder of our own American soldiers at the hands of our American government, Moore wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He went on to argue that his body of work made it very clear that he expressly does not and has never condoned murder. But believing murder is wrong is not saying that the wave of anger toward the health insurance industry is unwarranted, he added. After the killing of the CEO of United HealthCare, the largest of these billion-dollar insurance companies, there was an immediate OUTPOURING of anger toward the health insurance industry. He added: Some people have stepped forward to condemn this anger. I am not one of them. The anger is 1000 percent justified. It is long overdue for the media to cover it. It is not new. It has been boiling. And Im not going to tamp it down or ask people to shut up. I want to pour gasoline on that anger. Moore said that Thompson's killing opened the door for Americans to express their long-simmering fury toward private, profit-driven health insurance companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yes, I condemn murder, and thats why I condemn Americas broken, vile, rapacious, bloodthirsty, unethical, immoral health care industry and I condemn every one of the CEOs who are in charge of it and I condemn every politician who takes their money and keeps this system going instead of tearing it up, ripping it apart, and throwing it all away. We need to replace this system with something sane, something caring and loving something that keeps people alive, he wrote. Even Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group the parent company of UnitedHealthcare called the US insurance system "flawed" in a recent New York Times op-ed. We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand peoples frustrations with it, Witty said. No one would design a system like the one we have. He also mourned the loss of Thompson, calling the CEO a "brilliant, kind man." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore has a suggestion for what changing that "flawed" system might look like state-run health care akin to the system used in Canada and other nations. The solution is simple, he wrote. Throw this entire system in the trash, he wrote. Dismantle this immoral business that profits off the lives of human beings and monetizes our deaths, that murders us or leaves us to die, destroy it all, and instead, in its place, give us all the same health care that every other civilized country on Earth has: Universal, free, compassionate, and full of life. Donald Trump has promised to put an end to DEI the race-based preferences-system more formally known as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Given the alleged comments of DEI bureaucrats like University of Michigan diversity administrator Rachel Dawson, that end can not come fast enough. Dawson was fired this week after allegations that she made anti-Semitic comments. Her alleged remarks were as stark as they were revealing. More than a year after the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent eruption of Jew-hatred across American college campuses Dawson reportedly said that Jewish students do not need her offices diversity services because they are wealthy and privileged. Dawson was also accused of saying that her university is controlled by wealthy Jews and that Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel. The comments were revealed by The New York Times via a Freedom of Information request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her lawyer denied that she said anything anti-Semitic and said that Dawson will sue the university for violating her First Amendment Rights. A university investigation, meanwhile, failed to conclude precisely what Dawson said because her comments had not been recorded. But the story is still likely to electrify the debate about the costs of DEI at major universities, and add grist to the mill of once and future president Trump, who has vowed to crack down on the virulent woke ideologies that have infiltrated Americas academic and corporate establishments. Rachel Dawson has been fired over her alleged comments The University of Michigan serves as a fitting front line for the battle over DEI. Known as the wokest university in America, the school has reportedly spent at least $250 million on DEI-related programming since 2016. Its also been the site of some of the nations highest-profile anti-Semitic and anti-Israel outrages since the war in Gaza began including a recent graffiti incident against the home of a Jewish Board of Regents member. And therein lies the problem at a moment of unprecedented anti-Semitism across college campuses, an ideological commitment to diversity and inclusion is not acting to help Jewish students. Its being used as a justification to ignore them. Never mind the pro-Gaza college encampments, or the Jewish students trapped in libraries and classrooms, or the Jewish students assaulted on campus for supporting Israel. According to woke activists, Jewish students dont need their support because of their supposed privilege. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This links back to the hierarchy of oppression at the heart of critical race theory, one that places Jews at the top of the opportunity food chain and African-Americans at the bottom. Jews regardless of our actual skin colour are considered to be white. Some of us are white, but many of us including this writer are not. But really, why should it matter? The Jews are white trope only exists to deny us the rights and protections afforded to every other minority. Taken to its furthest extreme, branding Jews white ultimately serves to legitimise attacks on us. And those attacks are increasing in number. American Jews, who comprise a mere 2 per cent of the nations population, experienced 15 per cent of all hate crimes and 68 per cent of all reported religion-based hate crimes last year, according to the FBI. While African-Americans still endure the highest overall percentage of hate crimes in the US, attacks against Jews surged 63 per cent last year to their highest numbers since 1979, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other words, Jewish students have never been more in need of the benefits and protections apparently offered by DEI. Jews should not be told that they are blessed with privilege at the exact moment theyre besieged by hate. David Christopher Kaufman is a New York Post columnist Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. LANSING GOP lawmakers stormed out of the Michigan House of Representatives Friday in a protest they hoped would force Democrats to put up for a vote bills preempting changes to the state's minimum wage and paid sick leave law. In Republicans' absence, Democrats passed a slew of legislation, and leaders from both sides of the aisle capped the dramatic day accusing one another of political gamesmanship. Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, announced Republicans' decision to walk off the House floor early Friday afternoon during a press conference surrounded by his GOP colleagues wearing "SAVE MI TIPS" buttons in response to the looming changes to the minimum wage that will eventually eliminate the state's lower tipped minimum wage for restaurant servers and bartenders expected to make the bulk of their pay in tips unless lawmakers take action. The new law would not prohibit customers from continuing to tip restaurant workers. The changes to the minimum wage and sick leave laws slated to take effect next year were made by the Michigan Supreme Court. "This is a court-forced crisis," Hall said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One House Republican state Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, who was dressed up as Santa Claus attached his "SAVE MI TIPS" pin to his red hat. But the atmosphere in Lansing during the rare Friday House session lacked any kind of holiday cheer. House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, called Republicans' actions "shameful" and said they were failing to do the job voters in the state elected them to do as their representatives. State Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, in the Michigan Capitol Friday, December 13, 2024 wearing a Santa Claus suit with a "SAVE MI TIPS" button. Republicans made good on their promise not to show up for a vote Friday unless Tate put up bills to keep negotiations on the minimum wage and paid sick leave laws alive. While Republicans were gone, Democrats passed dozens of bills on issues ranging from online sexual harassment to child labor. A few bills would make major changes to public employees' benefits. One would open up a more generous retirement benefit to newly hired school teachers while another would enable corrections officers to opt into the Michigan State Police's retirement plan. But they didn't muster enough votes to pass a homeless bill of rights when it was put up for a vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point they stopped to sing "Happy Birthday" in celebration of Tate turning 44 years old. When the Free Press asked Tate after lawmakers finished singing what he wants for his birthday, Tate laughed and responded, "good government." Democrats adjourned after 10 p.m. Friday evening with both Tate and Hall expressing disappointment with how Friday's session transpired and indicating negotiations over the labor issues appeared dead. The House is currently scheduled to convene for the last time this year next Thursday and the Senate is scheduled to hold its final session day Dec. 23. Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, in the Michigan Capitol Friday, December 13, 2024 during a press conference announcing House Republicans' decision to walk off the floor. During the lame duck legislative session currently underway, Democrats have a short window of opportunity to send bills opposed by Republicans to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk. After winning a majority of House seats in the November election, Republicans chose Hall to take the speaker's gavel starting next year, ushering in a new era of divided government. The Senate will still be controlled by Democrats at the start of the next session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hall also called for movement on funding road repairs in Michigan, noting that conversations on roads, the minimum wage and paid sick leave have seemed to stall out. "I think we've come to that point," Hall told reporters early Friday afternoon. By late Friday night, he said legislation was "killed" and Democrats missed an opportunity to keep discussions open. When Tate first blasted Republicans' move, he said conversations about funding roads are still ongoing, without specifying how the minimum wage and sick leave policies may factor into them. "So we'll see. I'm willing to have conversations," he said. "Republicans aren't here. So how can we have a conversation if they're not here and decided to, you know, go make snow angels in front of the Capitol I guess?" By Friday night, Tate seemed to acknowledge the chance for future negotiations had closed. "I think we have to reassess. But obviously with the days that we have remaining, I think that window closes for this legislative session," he told reporters. He said earlier in the day that he didn't reach out to Republicans after they left the chamber and was waiting for them to make the first outreach. "I don't know where they went to, but they know where we're at," Tate told reporters. House speaker Rep. Joe Tate looks on during Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's State of the State address on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. It wasn't clear Friday what if any legislation on road funding Democrats could pass without Republican votes. And the House Democratic caucus has been divided over whether to touch the minimum wage and paid sick leave laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Nate Shannon, D-Sterling Heights, introduced legislation to preserve Michigan's tipped minimum wage, a move supported by business groups and opposed by labor unions. Restaurant workers have regularly showed up at the state Capitol during lame duck to call for lawmakers to preserve the tipped wage. Michigan Legislature: Michigan House votes to require destruction of guns surrendered in police buyback programs The changes stem from Republicans' actions to water down voter-initiated legislation in 2018. There was never a ballot measure on the paid sick leave and minimum wage but the GOP-controlled state Legislature adopted and amended the voter-initiated legislation in the same session, a tactic that the Michigan Supreme Court ruled illegal. In July, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled the Legislature acted unconstitutionally when it adopted petition language seeking to boost minimum wage and expand paid sick leave requirements for employers but amended the language to delay the minimum wage increase and exempt most businesses from having to comply with the paid sick leave requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The courts ruling, however, wiped out the 2018 changes and established a date of Feb. 21, 2025, for a new minimum wage scale and paid sick time policy to take effect. On that date, the regular minimum wage will rise to $12.48 an hour. The changes will also see the tipped minimum wage gradually increase until it is completely eliminated in 2030. The current tipped minimum wage is $3.93 an hour, 38% of the regular minimum wage. Starting Feb. 21, 2025, it will rise to 48% of the standard minimum wage. "I know the intentions were good to get people to a living wage," Shannon told the Free Press Wednesday. But he cited opposition from some servers. "We're trying to force something upon a group of people that don't want it, and so that's a huge problem for me. I'm trying to look out for the workers. They're the ones that don't want it," Shannon said. At least one Democratic state lawmaker says he doesn't want to entertain any conversations about stopping the changes made by the Michigan Supreme Court from taking effect. State Rep. Dylan Wegela, D-Garden City, said it would be hypocritical for Democrats who railed against adopt and amend to stand in the way of the pending court-ordered changes. "I think this is good for workers," he said, referring to the elimination of a tipped minimum wage in Michigan. "I don't think that it's going to stop tipping altogether." Seven states require employers to pay tipped workers the same minimum wage as non-tipped workers, according to U.S. Department of Labor. State Rep. Graham Filler, R-Duplain Township, has worked with Shannon on the minimum wage legislation and introduced a separate bill to modify the Michigan Supreme Court's changes to the paid sick leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I've been excited to hear the governor weigh in with some positive words behind the scenes about this, that she's pressing on getting this done in some manner," Filler said. "I mean the first time that a business closes, because this goes into effect, they're holding up a sign that says, 'Gretchen Whitmer closed my business.'" Whitmer press secretary Stacey LaRouche did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Whitmer supports preempting the pending changes to the state's minimum wage and paid sick leave. Hall attributed Tate's inaction Friday on the issues to the House Speaker's allegiance to labor interests. "I don't think Speaker Tate has the political courage to stand up to the labor unions," Hall told reporters. "I'm not going to have Leader Hall lecture me on courage when he didnt show up to work," Tate said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House is scheduled to reconvene next Wednesday. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. This story was updated to add a video and change a photo caption. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan House GOP storms off floor in protest during lame duck KABUL, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The murder of Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the Afghan caretaker government's acting minister for refugees and repatriation, in his office on Wednesday has drawn widespread condemnations both domestically and internationally. A key figure in the administration, Haqqani was the first cabinet member killed in a terror attack since the Afghan caretaker government assumed power in 2021, following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in mid-August 2021. The terror group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack. In the deadly attack, four people, including Haqqani, were killed and four others, including his guards, critically injured. In a sharp reaction, the Afghan caretaker government attributed the attack to "Khawarij," a term often used to refer to IS, and stated, "The Islamic Emirate considers the martyrdom of late Haqqani a great loss for the Islamic Emirate, Mujahideen and all Afghans." Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a message posted on social media, strongly condemned the attack on Haqqani and offered sympathies to his family. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also denounced the attack, saying that "there can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability" and offering condolences to the victims' families. Some countries and international organizations have described the incident as a terrorist attack and expressed their condemnations. This article was originally published in Michigan Advance. There are things bigger than politics, state legislators declared on the floor of Michigans state House, as legislation to implement school safety requirements and mental health assessment standards passed Tuesday evening with bipartisan support. Its been just over three years since four students at Oxford High School were murdered by another student who brought a gun to school and opened fire on the school community. Just as the loved ones of Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Justin Shilling, 17; and Madisyn Baldwin, 17, will never forget the pain of the Nov. 30, 2021 killings, neither will lawmakers, Rep. Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville) told members of the state House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We must show the people of Michigan, we as lawmakers can come together and produce solutions that address real need in the state, Meerman, who is a sponsor of the bill package, said. From where I stand, these bills are long overdue. Im grateful to vote yes on these bills today. Education is at a Crossroads: Help Us Illuminate the Path Forward. Donate to The 74 Michigan state Rep. Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville) speaks in support of a school safety package on the House floor on Dec. 10, 2024. | Photo: Anna Liz NicholsMeerman, along with Rep. Nancy DeBoer (R-Holland) took the lead on House Bills 5659 and 5660 which would replace the School Safety Commission with a School Safety and Mental Health Commission housed in the Department of State Police. The would-be-replaced School Safety Commission was created under Gov. Rick Snyder, after the deadly Parkland High School shooting in Florida in 2018 where a 19-year-old opened fire, killing 17 people at the school. The commission has been charged with evaluating safety measures in Michigan schools and making recommendations for improvements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Codifying a School Safety and Mental Health Commission is being pursued by lawmakers in recognition of alarm bells school mental health professionals have sounded for the mental health crisis within Michigan schools. The commission would specifically examine and make recommendations to improve school safety measures and mental health support, with members consisting of experts in law enforcement, education, mental health, school threat assessments and community programming with youth, as well as having a current student or recent high school graduate on the commission. House Bill 5659 and House Bill 5660 received 89-19 votes, passing with widespread bipartisan support and with two members not voting. Amongst the no votes was Republican Rep. Josh Schriver who represents Oxford and voted against every bill in the package Tuesday Under House Bills 4095 and 4096, all schools in Michigan would be required to adopt uniform terminology for emergency response starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michigan State Police would be mandated under the legislation to create language all schools use, so terms like lockdown and shelter in place mean the same thing across the board and law enforcement can respond accordingly should there be an emergency. House Bill 4095 received a 94-15 and House Bill 4096 received a 93-16 with one lawmaker not voting. In the face of the threat of school shootings, its important to note that schools are still amongst the safest places for kids to be, Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi) told lawmakers Tuesday. But students dont always feel safe while theyre trying to learn. A few years ago, my daughter asked me one of the worst questions a child could bring a parent, Mama, what do I do if my teacher tells me to run and I cant find my little brother?, Breen told members of the state House. No parent ever wants to answer that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michigan was once again rattled by another school shooting in 2023, when three students on Michigan State Universitys campus were killed by a gunman the evening before Valentines Day, Breen lamented. After the tragedy at MSU, lawmakers passed several gun violence reforms including safe storage laws, background checks on all gun sales and implementing extreme risk protection orders. And as survivors of school shootings in Michigan and the families of the students the state has lost demand justice and change, Breen said lawmakers have the opportunity to stand alongside them. Breens bill in the package, House Bill 5549, requires all schools to create a behavior threat assessment and management team by October 1, 2026. The team would have to define prohibited or concerning behaviors that are indicative that a member of the school community might hurt themselves or others. The team would also be expected to perform monitoring for such behaviors, creating reporting mechanisms for members of the school community to identify concerning behavior and facilitate the schools responses to intervene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The team is required to have a school administrator, a mental health professional and a school resource officer or another member of law enforcement. While the other bills in the package cleared the politically divided state House with the vast majority of votes, House Bill 5549 cleared with a 57-51 vote, with one lawmaker not voting. Rep. Gina Johnsen (R-Odessa) unsuccessfully proposed an amendment that would have allowed non public schools to opt out of creating behavior threat assessment and management teams and would have specified that members of the clergy could be eligible to fulfill the role of the mental health professional on such teams if non public schools wanted to participate. The bills will now head over to the state Senate in the final days of the legislative session. Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan J. Demas for questions: info@michiganadvance.com. LANSING Lawmakers in the state House passed legislation Thursday to update Michigan's gun buyback program to require the complete destruction of the firearm and prohibit any public auction of the weapon. Gun buyback programs allow those possessing firearms to voluntarily relinquish them. House Bills 6144, 6145 and 6146 would make the changes to the Michigan State Police's gun buyback program, requiring the department to complete the destruction of firearms purchased by a municipality through a buyback program, prohibiting the resale of the firearm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bills passed on party-line votes of 56-53. They now move to the Senate in the waning days of the Michigan Legislature's lame-duck session. The votes on the bills come after an investigation by The New York Times published last year found that Michigan State Police was one of the biggest clients of a firearms disposal company that destroyed one part of a firearm and resold other components. The Michigan State Police subsequently halted its contract with the company. "I was appalled to find out that across the nation, buyback programs were turning around and giving firearms a second chance," said state Rep. Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield Township, and chair of the Michigan Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus in a statement Wednesday. "This is simply unacceptable. I've been working hard to get this legislation ready we must continue enacting policies to protect our communities, our kids and their futures." But state Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, said during the Thursday House debate that the bills were a mistake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This bill package mandates the complete destruction of firearms that citizens voluntarily surrender," Schriver said. "In the past, police agencies had the discretion to auction them off or to re-use them," he said. Lawmakers should "leave it to the discretion of local law enforcement." Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: House votes for destruction of guns surrendered in police buybacks Michigan Capitol | Susan J. Demas A slew of firearm restrictions moved forward in the Michigan state legislature as Democrats pushed through final priorities in the last days of a bicameral majority. Police destruction of relinquished firearms In the House, many items placed on daily agendas have stalled as parties caucus, but of the few efforts that cleared the chamber Thursday, legislation to mandate the destruction of firearms received in buyback programs made it through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont need any more guns out in our communities, Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield) said after House bills 61446146 cleared the House along party lines. There is a gun violence epidemic in our country. Brabec said her legislation, which now heads over to the state Senate for its approval after passing along party lines in the House, will codify a policy Michigan State Police, or MSP, already implements. Since March, MSP has taken firearms that have been received through gun buyback programs or guns that have been received in the commission of a crime and sent them to a Jackson processing facility for destruction. At the end of 2023 it was revealed by a New York Times investigation that the out-of-state company Michigan police was previously sending firearms to for disposal had been repurposing components for the secondary firearms market, specifically build-at-home gun kits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont need any more guns out in our communities anymore, Brabec said, adding that it would be wonderful if the legislation led to the reduction of firearms that are built at home from spare parts or kits. Gun safety advocates and gun violence survivors rallied with lawmakers last week to push for several reforms including Brabecs legislation, impressing the need to end gun-related tragedies in Michigan. Michigan has endured several mass shootings in recent years including the deadly school shootings at Oxford High School in 2021 and Michigan State University in 2023. Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) spoke on the floor ahead of the chamber vote, calling the package a Trojen Horse disguised as a bill to support public safety, but in reality working to reduce the total number of guns in Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you actually want to do something in the name of public safety, enact constitutional carry, conduct a state-level investigation into the Oxford shooting, get to the root of the issue, Schriver said. Ban on ghost guns Over in the Senate, Democrats cleared legislation banning the purchase, possession and distribution of firearms without valid serial numbers, also known as ghost guns. Such firearms can present difficulties in connecting weapons to crimes. WASHINGTON, DC APRIL 11: A ghost gun is displayed before the start of an event about gun violence in the Rose Garden of the White House April 11, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) At the gun safety gathering last week, gun reform advocate Denise Wieck told attendees about her 17-year-old sons story of being shot with a ghost gun. Her son, Guy Boyd, had been spending time with his best friend who accidentally shot Boyd in the head with a gun he had made from a kit the 17-year-old was able to purchase and then build in 30 minutes. No other family should go through what our family went through, Wieck said. Do not sit back idly and think this did not happen to me. This could not happen to me because thats what I thought. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the Democratic-led state Senate voted on the ghost gun ban, Senate Bills 1149 and 1150, Sen. Joe Bellino (R-Monroe) offered his no vote explanation saying that the legislation is another attempt to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens who responsibly exercise their Second Amendment rights. The ban passed along party lines and will need state House approval. Sen. Joe Bellino (R-Monroe) calls for a no vote on a package of bills banning the purchase, possession or distribution of any firearm without a valid serial number. | Kyle Davidson In the last year the Democratic-led legislature has passed several gun safety reforms including universal background checks on all gun sales in Michigan, safe store requirements for any firearms and ammunition when a minor could have access and implementing extreme risk protection orders allowing courts to order the confiscation of firearms from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others. It takes a robust approach to address gun violence and prevent another mass shooting from happening in Michigan, Kazia Kelly of Moms Demand Action, a gun safety advocacy group said in a statement Friday. We are pleased today to see Michigan Senators using these last days of the 2024 session to take action on gun safety, and it is encouraging to see our relentless advocacy pay off,Kelly said. Ban on bump stocks After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on bump stocks this summer, Michigan Democrats introduced legislation to ban such devices that enhance semi-automatic firearms to fire faster, effectively making them fully automatic. A 7.62X39mm round sits next a a 30-round magazine and an AK-47 with a bump stock. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images) The 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas where a gunman killed 60 people and injured hundreds of others at a concert prompted the federal ban as the gunman used bump stocks to inflict the most damage in 11 minutes, firing more than 1,000 bullets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate Bill 942 which would ban bump stocks in Michigan made it through the Senate with a few Republicans supporting the bill, 23-12 and now will have to clear the state House. The need for a ban on bump stocks is life-or-death for Michigan Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) said in a news release this summer introducing the bill, adding that more and more states are taking up similar bans. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX LANSING A man diagnosed with a form of autism jumped to his death Wednesday at Parnall Correctional Facility, a spokeswoman said, in what was the fifth similar incident at two Jackson-area prisons since 2020, four of which resulted in prisoner deaths. Wesley Snyder Wesley Thomas Snyder, 37, jumped from a gallery on the fourth level "and sustained fatal injuries as a result of the fall," Michigan Department of Corrections spokeswoman Jenni Riehle said. Snyder's death, which Riehle said the Michigan State Police has already investigated and ruled a suicide, follows a nonfatal prisoner fall from the third-level gallery at Parnall in August of this year and fatal jumps from the fourth-level gallery in 2023, 2022, and 2020 at the nearby Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center, which is the first stop for male state prisoners after they are sentenced, and which has a building with a similar layout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On each of the four levels, there is a walkway around the inner circumference of the cell block, with only railings separating the walkway from the open area in the center, making it possible to jump or fall from the fourth level all the way to the bottom floor. Snyder's father, Michael Snyder, who lives near Phoenix, Arizona, said Thursday night he spoke to his son Tuesday, the day before he died, and he is not convinced his son committed suicide. If he did jump, then given the history of repeat incidents at the two prisons, it shows negligence by the Michigan Department of Corrections, he said. "If they have one death let alone four or five, it just doesn't make sense they wouldn't have done something," Snyder said. "That to me is negligence on the state of Michigan's part." Parnall Correctional Facility. Back in January, the Free Press asked Corrections Department officials whether they had considered installing fencing or barriers to prevent such incidents when the newspaper wrote about a similar incident, at Egeler. At the time, department spokesman Kyle Kaminski gave no direct response, saying the agency focuses on mental health screening and staff are trained to identify signs of potential self-harm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Riehle did not immediately respond Friday morning when asked why the department hasn't taken steps to stop such incidents from happening. Michael Snyder said he learned about his son's apparent jumping death from the Free Press and that an assistant deputy warden at Parnall told him his son had committed suicide alone, inside his cell. To later learn otherwise "pisses me off," he said. "That part makes me think that somebody is trying to cover something up." Riehle did not immediately respond to questions Friday about what Michael Snyder was told. If his son "supposedly jumped, what's the probability that somebody pushed him?" asked Snyder, who said that when he spoke to his son Tuesday he sounded "a little melancholy," possibly due to the Christmas season, but not troubled or depressed. Instead, he was looking forward to receiving a gift of Christmas money, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wesley Snyder was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and was unable to read or write, his father said. His death, and how he ended up being held in state prisons in Michigan since 2016, demonstrate failings in how society treats mental health issues, he said. Originally from Indiana, he was a Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast with a remarkable memory for various cards and point values associated with the fantasy role-playing game, his father said. In 2016, Wesley Snyder pleaded "guilty but mentally ill" in Mecosta County to two counts of assault with intent to murder, the Big Rapids Pioneer reported at the time. Snyder had fired a bow and arrow at Big Rapids police officers who entered his apartment after responding to a report of an altercation, the newspaper reported. The arrow didn't strike either officer but Snyder fought with police as they attempted to remove him from the apartment, resulting in an officer being injured when he and Snyder tumbled down the stairs. He was sentenced to 12 to 50 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snyder's father said the bow and arrow was a toy and his son was in a Dungeons and Dragons fantasy mindset, believing he was protecting his territory from invaders. The family couldn't afford to hire a defense attorney and Wesley Snyder was represented by a public defender, he said. Wesley Snyder's earliest release date was in just over two years, in January 2027, and "we were already talking about what we were going to do when he got out," his father said. He hoped his son could work at his son-in-law's shop doing tasks such as changing tires and washing vehicles, he said. "He was a joy to talk to," and loved coming up with possible inventions, such as a drone that would function like an automated carpet cleaner to remove cobwebs from ceilings, his father said. "He had a real spirit of love and was great around kids." Michael Snyder said he and Wesley's mother divorced when Wesley was about 8. He is also survived by two younger sisters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Editor's note: If you or somebody you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached by dialing 988. Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mich. prisoner plunges to his death in 4th similar fatality since 2020 Health officials say Michigan is experiencing its highest number of pertussis, or whooping cough, cases in over a decade. Pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory infection, poses a serious risk to vulnerable groups like infants and unvaccinated individuals. Ahead of holiday gatherings, Michigan public health officials are urging families to stay up to date on immunizations to prevent the spread of serious diseases such as pertussis, RSV, COVID-19 and the flu. As of Dec. 8, 1,530 pertussis cases across the state had been reported to the Michigan Disease Surveillance System this year, more than 2.5 times the yearly average of 596 cases from 2017 to 2019, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. More than half of the cases were school-aged children between 5 and 17 years old. Additionally, 66% of pertussis cases involved people who were either unvaccinated or had not received a vaccine in more than five years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This trend mirrors things that we're seeing nationally," MDHHS Director of the Division of Immunization Ryan Malosh said during a Zoom roundtable on Thursday. "Pertussis cases in general are up across the country." Pertussis often begins with cold-like symptoms and can take five to 10 days, or longer, to appear after exposure. In babies and young children, symptoms may include pauses in breathing instead of coughing, which is called apnea and can cause a bluish skin tone or shortness of breath, according to MDHHS. As the illness progresses, it leads to severe coughing fits. Pertussis is especially dangerous for infants under 1, who face higher risks of complications like pneumonia, brain damage and death. Infants with pertussis often require hospitalization, according to the CDC. The Thursday roundtable included several health care providers and Veronica McNally, founder of the I Vaccinate campaign and president of the Franny Strong Foundation. The foundation was established in honor of McNally's daughter, Francesca Marie, who died of whooping cough in 2012 at 12 weeks old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "(Francesca's) symptoms began with a mild, almost unnoticeable cough. She died just nine days after first showing symptoms," according to the foundation's website. Franny Strong helps health care professionals educate the public about vaccinations to reduce pertussis deaths. McNally was previously the consumer representative on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. "At the time (my daughter) died, Michigan and other states across the country were experiencing an increase in cases, and I want to make sure that that is something that people understand," she said. "Similar to the rates that we're seeing today, we were seeing an increase in cases back in 2012 when she passed away. Her death was awful, but we honor her legacy every day by advocating for the prevention of diseases, like this, through vaccination. Pertussis, like the flu and COVID, is a vaccine-preventable disease." McNally also had pertussis herself and said "it was something where you would wake up in the middle of the night, thinking that you could not breathe. And it lasted for months." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do I have a cold, the flu or COVID-19? Here's how to tell the difference DTaP and Tdap are vaccines that protect against pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus. DTaP is for children under age 7, while Tdap is for adolescents and adults. The CDC recommends the pertussis vaccine for infants, children, adolescents, pregnant people and adults who havent received a dose as adolescents or adults. More details can be found here. "Vaccination remains the most effective defense," said Dr. Delicia Pruitt, the medical director of the Saginaw County Health Department, during the Zoom meeting. Vaccination rates for pertussis have dropped 3% since January 2020, with only 73.3% of children ages 19 to 35 months receiving the recommended four doses of the DTaP vaccine as of October 2024, according to MDHHS. Meanwhile, school vaccine waivers for DTaP/Tdap have nearly doubled, increasing from 3.2% of Michigan kindergarten students in 2020 to 6.2% in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whooping cough is a serious, preventable disease that can have devastating effects, especially on babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated," Malosh said in a release following the roundtable. "By staying up to date on immunizations, including booster shots for teens and adults, we can protect our loved ones and prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease. Immunization is not just an individual responsibility its a critical step in safeguarding public health." More: Michigan Senate passes bills aimed at improving maternal care, narrowing racial gaps Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MDHHS: Michigan sees highest whooping cough cases in over a decade A diversity administrator at the University of Michigan has been fired after she allegedly said Jewish students were wealthy and privileged and did not need support. Rachel Dawson, who is in charge of the universitys multicultural initiatives, also purportedly said that the college was controlled by wealthy Jews and that Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel. She has been accused of anti-Semitism, a claim she denies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her comments, allegedly made to another academic at a conference in March, were unearthed in a Freedom of Information request by The New York Times. They sparked a complaint by the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan, an organisation that works on anti-Semitism, and an investigation by the university. The investigation, by an outside law firm, concluded that it was not possible to determine with certainty whether Ms Dawson had made the remarks because there was no recording of the conversation. Deeply troubling Ms Dawson has denied the allegations. Her lawyer, Amanda Ghannam, told The New York Times that it was deeply troubling that her client could be sacked based on one conversation in somebodys private capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the incident comes as US universities are under increased pressure to take a hard line against anti-Semitism, after widespread Gaza protests on campuses across the country earlier this year. The home of one member of the universitys board of regents has been daubed in pro-Palestinian graffiti. Michigan was once given the label Americas wokest university for its extensive DEI policies The University of Michigan was previously labelled the wokest university in America for its expansive DEI policies, and spent more than $250 million on inclusivity initiatives since 2016. But last week, the universitys board scrapped rules that required staff to discuss how they would advance diversity when applying for jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mark Bernstein, one of the regents, wrote to the universitys president about Ms Dawson, arguing that she had not been held accountable in any meaningful way and that anything less than firing her would make a mockery of efforts to tackle anti-Semitism and promote diversity. University diversity, equality and inclusion schemes have often been criticised for excluding Jewish students, instead focussing on black and other ethnic minority applicants. Ms Dawsons role involves overseeing mentoring and retention schemes for racially, culturally and economically diverse students. A university spokesman declined to comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The U.S. is trying to prevent the rise of terrorism in the Middle East after the collapse of Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with leaders in the region all week to voice support for a peaceful political transition. Blinken outlined the situation in Syria in stark terms, ..a time of both real promise, but also peril. The promise, he says, of a new government free from dictatorship, after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One that the Syrian people decide for themselves, Blinken said. The peril: terrorists taking over. That includes of course ISIS, which no doubt will seek to regroup, Blinken said. Blinken met with leaders in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq this week to unify the region in preventing the reemergence of the terrorist group ISIS. One way the U.S. is doing that is through airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria in recent days. The U.S. is also keeping about 900 troops stationed in the country. Blinken encouraged regional leaders to support the Syrian people in forming a new government. The Pentagon says thats in the U.S.s national security interests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement that Syria emerges from this dynamic period as a stable, secure and sovereign state, Pentagon Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said. During a surprise stop in Iraq Friday, Blinken said hes hopeful a new government in Syria can be democratic. In a way that, of course, protects all of the minorities in Syria, produces an inclusive nonsectarian government, Blinken said. Blinken also talked about the Israel-Hamas war while meeting with Turkeys foreign minister. He says hes hopeful a ceasefire and hostage release deal is on the horizon. What weve seen in the last couple of weeks are more encouraging signs that that is possible, Blinken said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blinken will be in Jordan Saturday as he continues to press for stability in Syria. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown, a major symbolic moment for the countrys dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. Its part of Blinkens 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israels war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The October 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. ___ Here's the latest: Syrias interim government asks UN Security Council to compel Israel to withdraw Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UNITED NATIONS Syrias interim government is calling on the U.N. Security Council to take action to compel Israel to immediately stop its attacks on Syrian territory and withdraw from areas it has penetrated in the north in violation of a 1974 Disengagement Agreement. In identical letters to the council and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres obtained Friday by The Associated Press, Syrias U.N. Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak said he was acting on instructions from my government in making the demands. It appeared to be the first letter to the U.N. from Syrias new interim government. The letters are dated Dec. 9, days after rebels ousted president Bashar Assad and ended his familys more than 50-year authoritarian rule of Syria. At a time when the Syrian Arab Republic is witnessing a new phase in its history in which its people aspire to establish a state of freedom, equality and the rule of law and to achieve their hopes for prosperity and stability, the Israeli occupation army has penetrated additional areas of Syrian territory in Mount Hermon and Quneitra Governorate, ambassador Aldahhak wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel still controls the Golan Heights that it captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war. The Disengagement Agreement ending the 1973 war between Israel and Syria established a demilitarized buffer zone between the two countries, monitored by a U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNDOF. In a letter to the Security Council circulated Friday which was also written on Dec. 9, Israels U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said his country had taken limited and temporary measures, deploying troops temporarily in the separation area to prevent armed groups from threatening Israeli territory. Turkey says its strategic goal in Syria is to eliminate a US-backed Kurdish militia ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that eliminating a U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia is his countrys strategic goal, and called on members of the group to leave Syria or lay down arms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with Turkeys NTV television, Fidan also suggested that Syrias new rulers the rebels who swept into Damascus and who are backed by Ankara would not recognize the militia, known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG. The group is allied with the United States in the fight against the Islamic State group but Turkey views it as a terrorist organization and a security threat. The non-Syrian YPG members must leave the country as soon as possible. The entire command level of the YPG must also leave the country, Fidan said. After that, those who remain must put down their weapons and continue with their lives. Fidan said that as the Syrian insurgents advanced toward Damascus and Syria's Bashar Assad was toppled, Turkey in talks that were underway in Qatar at the time asked Iran and Russia not to intervene militarily. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At some point they (Russians and Iranians) made phone calls. That evening, Assad left, Fidan said. UN says Israel preventing deliveries from reaching Gaza UNITED NATIONS The situation in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating with scores of reported fatalities from multiple Israeli airstrikes in recent days and insecurity hampering aid deliveries, the United Nations said Friday. U.N. humanitarian coordinator Muhannad Hadi urged respect for the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions and called on the parties to ensure the protection of civilians and safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hadi cited the looting of a 70-truck convoy that was traveling at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday and the looting of four out of five trucks leaving the Kissufim crossing that same day. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs known as OCHA reported that Israel denied more than 90% of the 137 missions the U.N. and its partners wanted to send to besieged northern Gaza since Oct. 6. Israeli warplanes bomb several sites in Syria BEIRUT Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Friday against sites in several cities in Syria, an opposition war monitor reported. Associated Press journalists heard loud explosions throughout the Syrian capital Damascus. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strikes hit the summit of Mount Qasioun in Damascus, Khalkhala Airport in the countryside of Sweida and the Defense and Research Laboratories in Masyaf, located in the western countryside of Hama, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Earlier on Friday, Israeli strikes targeted six military sites in the countryside of Damascus and Sweida, the observatory said. Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes since the toppling of the Syrian regime, saying it seeks to neutralize potential threats following the ouster of Bashar Assad. The strikes have targeted weapons production sites, anti-aircraft batteries and airfields. Israel has also moved troops to occupy a buffer zone in the Golan Heights on its border with Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian military seen pulling out of southern Syria DAMASCUS, Syria Russian forces and military vehicles were seen withdrawing from southern Syria on Friday toward their primary base in in the coastal city of Latakia. The Russian troop movement comes amid questions about whether Moscow will still be able to project power in the Middle East after the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad. His rule was supported by Russia and he received asylum in Russia after being toppled Sunday. There are also questions about what a Russian pullback in Syria could mean for the war in Ukraine. Significant Russian military convoys were seen on the Damascus-Homs highway near Shinshar village heading north. The military vehicles, bearing Russian flags, included tanks and armored personnel carriers. The military equipment had been previously stationed in southern regions such as Daraa and Damascus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Russian forces were leaving bases in Ain Issa and Tel Al-Samn in the Al-Raqqah countryside. Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies on Friday show what appear to be cargo planes at a Russian military airfield in Syria with their nose cones opened to receive heavy equipment, along with helicopters being dismantled and prepared for transport. Earlier this week, all Russian naval ships departed the Syrian port of Tartus, according to a U.S. official. Turkey to reopen its embassy in Syria for the first time since 2012 in wake of Assads fall ANKARA, Turkey Turkey's embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus will reopen on Saturday for the first time since 2012, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday. In an interview with Turkeys NTV television Fidan said a newly appointed interim charge daffaires had left for Damascus on Friday together with his delegation. It will be operational as of tomorrow, he said. The embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security conditions during the Syrian civil war. All embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Syrian insurgents who overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday did so with vital help from Turkey. An American who was released from a Syrian prison is flown out of the country, a US official says WASHINGTON The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assads notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Timmerman, 29, told The Associated Press he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didnt know of any other Americans held in the facility. By Lolita C. Baldor Dutch court rejects lawsuit from rights groups seeking to halt arms sales to Israel THE HAGUE, Netherlands A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. Ive lost 18 members of my own family, Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November. The court ruling said that it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility. Lawyers for the government argued it wasnt up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the courts ruling and is considering an appeal. Israel attacks a hospital in northern Gaza, wounding 3 medical staff amid a night of relentless bombardment CAIRO Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said relentless drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded alarmingly close to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospitals roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff, Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating. Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine. Blinken makes unannounced stop in Iraq amid push to stabilize post-Assad Syria BAGHDAD U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to the Jordanian city of Aqaba for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers, Turkeys foreign minister and the United Nations special envoy for Syria, the U.N. said. Blinken will try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken underscored U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraqs security, stability, and sovereignty, the State Department said. He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition, it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Bidens approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq next year, although Assads ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. Bahrain says it is willing to provide support for Syria in international organizations DAMASCUS The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people. It added, We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League. Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. Israels defense minister asks troops to prepare to remain through the winter on Syria's Mount Hermon JERUSALEM - Israels defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syrias highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israels security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israels control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone - set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. Blinken says there's broad agreement between US and Turkey on Syria's future ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was broad agreement between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Theres broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women and does not pose any kind of threat to any of Syrias neighbors, Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesnt rear its head again, Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK arent dominant, Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: Were very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves. Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. Weve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible, Blinken said. MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (WDTN) A fire caused damage to a local shopping plaza in Middletown Wednesday. Middletown Division of Fire was called to Kittyhawk Plaza on Marie Drive just before 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 11. When crews arrived, they say they discovered a significant fire, with flames visible from a block away. Police searching for suspect of multiple armed robberies Middletown police on scene say they also observed fire activity from the roof of the building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mutual aid was called with Monroe, Liberty Township, Turtlecreek Township, Trenton and Franklin Township arriving to provide support. Together, firefighters entered the involved unit and extinguished the fire before it could spread to more of the building The fire damaged three units within the shopping plaza, with the primary fire located in a dentist office. No civilians were injured, but one firefighter sustained a minor injury that was treated on scene. Middletown Fire Marshals were called to the scene to investigate the origin and cause of the fire. Investigation is ongoing at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. Social media is killing children, but House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, is refusing to meet with their grieving parents to pass legislative safeguards to protect other kids. Each day the speaker refuses to act is another day that more kids could meet the same fate as Nylah Anderson, a 10-year-old from Pennsylvania, who died after she decided to try a choke challenge that a TikTok algorithm recommended to her on its For You feed, or Carson Bride, a 16-year-old from Oregon, who died by suicide after classmates incessantly bullied him anonymously over Snapchat and other instant messaging apps. While their stories are some of the most notorious, they are far from alone, with a 2023 survey showing that one in three teenage girls had recently considered suicide. Yet, Speaker Johnson recently called the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) the most promising path to curbing the harms of social media on young people very problematic just a few short weeks before a new Meta artificial intelligence center was announced in his district. The connection between these two events is potentially notable given that the Senate passed the bill in a nearly unprecedented 91-3 vote in July and given public opinion on this issue is nearly unanimous. A recent poll by Issue One, ParentsSOS, and Fairplay found that nearly nine in 10 Americans across party lines said that Congress should pass laws to protect kids online safety, a level of support well above that for regulating or prohibiting similarly dangerous tobacco products. Donald Trump Jr. on Sunday called on the House to take up the stalled Senate bill and Trumps incoming vice president, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is a co-sponsor of the bipartisan legislation. While Speaker Johnson issued a statement on Monday saying he looks forward to working with the Trump Administration to get the right bill into law, he hesitated to echo an endorsement of the legislation from Trump ally Elon Musk. "There's still some concern about the free speech components of that, and whether it might lead to further censorship by the government of valid, you know, conservative voices, for example. So we're working through all that," Johnson told reporters Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnsons resistance looks like cooperation with Big Tech to actively conceal information about how much their addictive products hurt young people like Big Tobacco has done with nicotine products for decades. Just like with tobacco, we believe that the industrys lobbyists are whispering into the ears of House leadership to block the popular and meaningful safeguards included in KOSA. We implore that House leadership instead prioritize kids over tech companies money. The House should work with the Senate to include this bill in a must-pass package before the end of the year and do what is right for our children and our democracy. Issue Ones latest Big Tech lobbying report reveals that the industry is desperately trying to preserve a status quo where they cant be held accountable. As of October, they had spent more than $51 million on lobbying, with Meta deploying one lobbyist for every eight members of Congress and ByteDance (TikToks parent company) deploying one lobbyist for every 10. Following public scrutiny over their continued deception and lack of transparency, these two companies spent more on lobbying in the first nine months of 2024 than any other year since they began employing lobbyists. These lobbying efforts have been tailored to target both Democrats and Republicans. The platforms have told the left that KOSA will harm vulnerable LGBTQ+ communities, while simultaneously advancing censorship concerns that resonate with the right. These are many of the same talking points that they deployed to thwart the American Privacy Rights Act (H.R. 8818) earlier this year, in some cases copy-pasted word for word, and they highlight the power and influence these multibillion-dollar companies have in Washington. Make no mistake: The social media platforms will spare no expense to block reasonable safeguards that will protect users, even those supported by a broad bipartisan coalition of policymakers and the public. The fact that Big Tech can thwart legislation with near universal support gives the impression that Congress works on behalf of wealthy special interests, not voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond their immense lobbying power in Washington, tech companies continue to use other tools to stifle commonsense guardrails. They have sued to try to block basic protections for children in state after state across the country. They offer false promises and gimmicky new product designs in a cynical attempt to show lawmakers they have the best interest of children at heart. Notably, these attempts often come just before congressional scrutiny. It is because these companies think that if one reform passes, more will follow. This will eventually result in a new paradigm that favors consumers and protects children over tech companies profits. Big Techs products are addictive and dangerous. They are taking the lives of children like Anderson and Bride, leaving irreplaceable holes in our families and communities. No matter what they say publicly, these companies will always prioritize their profits above Americans health and safety. We hope Speaker Johnson will reconsider his position on KOSA and allow it to be included in a must-pass package to start establishing a national baseline for regulating tech companies and holding them accountable for the harms that they have caused. Our children deserve better. PARIS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has nominated Francois Bayrou as the country's new prime minister, the Elysee announced on Friday. Bayrou has now been tasked with forming a government, Macron's office said. He will also make a 2025 budget, to be adopted by the National Assembly. Bayrou is a centrist ally of Macron, and succeeds Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 4. Born in 1952, Bayrou founded the centrist party Democratic Movement (MoDem) in 2007. He ran as a presidential candidate three times, in 2002, 2007, and 2012. Following the Elysee's announcement, president of the far-right wing party National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, told French news channel BFMTV that his party would not immediately censor Bayrou, but added that Bayrou should "understand that he has no democratic legitimacy nor the majority in the National Assembly, which requires a dialogue with all the forces represented in the parliament." Meanwhile, the hard-left party La France Insoumise (LFI) has announced it will launch a no-confidence vote to bring down Bayrou. LFI has repeatedly said that the position of prime minister should be given to someone from the alliance of left-wing parties, which won the most seats in the snap legislative elections held this year. Speaking to the press Friday afternoon, Bayrou stressed the need for a reconciliation. "Everyone understands the difficulty of the task...There is a path to be found that unites people instead of dividing them," he said. Michel Barnier congratulated his successor in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: "In this serious time for France and for Europe, all my personal and friendly wishes for his action as the head of the government." The transfer of power ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time (16h00 GMT). On Dec. 4, the French National Assembly voted in favor of a no-confidence motion against Barnier, compelling him to resign and causing the government to collapse. Barnier's government became the first to fall to a no-confidence vote since 1962. Ed Miliband is to overrule local residents in a planning shake-up that will pave the way for thousands more wind turbines across Britain. As part of his renewables blitz, the Energy Secretary is seeking to classify wind turbines and solar farms as nationally significant infrastructure projects, meaning they will be treated with the same level of importance as airports and power plants. The shake-up will effectively strip residents, communities and councils of their powers to block, amend or delay green energy projects, which Mr Miliband wants to build across swathes of countryside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Government predicts that the change will unlock 40bn of investment each year until 2030. The plans, announced on Friday, are part of Mr Milibands Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which signals how Labour will attempt to meet its target of decarbonising Britains electricity grid by 2030. While claiming it will reduce Britains reliance on gas and save households money in the future, the proposal makes no mention of Mr Milibands controversial pre-election pledge to cut domestic energy bills by 300 a year. As part of his planning reforms, any projects that exceed 100 megawatts (MW) in capacity roughly equivalent to 15-20 wind turbines will be deemed a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This means that approval for wind projects will soon rest with unelected planning officers, who will have powers to overrule any local opposition. The same rules will apply to solar farm developments. The changes are set to form part of Labours Planning and Infrastructure Bill to be debated next year. However, the measures are deemed so controversial that party leaders want to hold it back until after the county council elections in May. If approved, the bill would effectively mean an end to local control over large wind and solar farms. Mr Milibands action plan argues that change is essential because the current planning system, which allows time for residents to object, simply takes too long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unveiling the proposals, he said: A new era of clean electricity for our country offers a positive vision of Britains future with energy security, lower bills, good jobs and climate action. This can only happen with big, bold change and that is why the Government is embarking on the most ambitious reforms to our energy system in generations. The plan points out that tighter deadlines on planning are essential if the UK is to achieve clean power by 2030. However, the decision to restrict the publics opportunity to oppose schemes in the High Court is likely to prove particularly controversial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campaigners are also likely to criticise looming targets that will require each UK region to build a certain amount of green energy developments by 2030. Should Mr Miliband succeed in passing the Bill, he will press ahead with transforming swathes of British countryside by doubling onshore wind capacity from 15 gigawatts (GW) to nearly 30GW, accounting for an estimated 3,000 turbines. At the moment there are 9,200 onshore wind turbines in the UK, mostly in Scotland and Wales. The bulk are under 200ft tall, although developers are currently building new versions up to 800ft high with England the prime target since Labour came to power. Meanwhile, Mr Miliband also wants to more than triple solar capacity from 15GW to nearly 50GW by 2030, potentially covering an estimated 500 sq miles of farmland with panels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Solar farms work best in sunny areas, meaning applications are already focused on Englands southern and eastern counties. However, many applications are already generating furious opposition. Last month saw Cornish farmers blockade the local councils offices in protest against a vast solar development. Additionally, the plan will also see offshore winds capacity jump from 15GW to nearly 50GW over the next six years. The UK already has about 2,800 offshore wind turbines so reaching this target will mean installing an extra 3,500 by by 2030. Renewables companies are largely expected to bankroll the clean energy plan, investing an expected 40bn a year by 2030. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, it is likely that much of this cost will eventually be recouped from customers through their bills. It came amid reports that Mr Miliband is preparing to visit China early in the new year, where he is likely to discuss net zero trade opportunities given the country dominates global supply chains for solar power. Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said the Government had broken its key election promise to cut consumer bills by 300 and would instead push up prices. She said: Ed Miliband spent the election promising to cut energy bills by 300 by 2030, then took the same amount away from pensioners in poverty. Now his promise to cut bills by 300 is nowhere to be seen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead his rush to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 will push up electricity prices and cause more hardship for Britons, but hes pushing on regardless. We need cheap, reliable energy and he must put living standards first. Meanwhile, concerns have also been raised over the reliability of renewables, particularly during periods of low wind and sun. It emerged on Thursday that Britains electricity grid was burning record amounts of gas after a dunkelflaute weather event knocked out many of the countrys wind and solar farms. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Ed Miliband will decide whether Britains biggest solar farm can be built on Winston Churchills ancestral estate after the renewables project cleared a key hurdle. The Planning Inspectorate confirmed on Friday that the Botley West Solar Farm on Blenheim Estate had been accepted for examination. Months of scrutiny will now follow to determine the projects feasibility before the Energy Secretary will decide next year whether it can proceed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If approved, the site will cover at least 2,471 acres of the 12,000-acre estate and provide renewable energy to more than 300,000 homes in Oxfordshire. However, concerns have been raised over the projects impact on the local countryside, particularly given the prospect of thousands of panels being installed across farmland. The estates links to the former prime minister also make the project particularly high profile. Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace, at the heart of the estate, in 1874 and his ties remained strong throughout his life. He proposed to his wife, Clementine Hozier, there in 1908, and he was also buried within sight of the estate in 1965. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The row over Botley West Solar Farm comes as the Government prepares to rip up planning rules to unleash green energy projects across Britain, including wind turbines and electricity pylons. The Energy Secretarys renewables blitz has already sparked opposition from swathes of activists, including those opposed to the proposed Botley West Solar Farm in Oxfordshire. However, the solar farm has already been classed as Nationally Significant Infrastructure, meaning local residents and community groups do not have any powers to intervene. Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, said: While I support the transition to renewable energy, I cannot back the current Botley West proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The developers have failed to engage meaningfully with local communities, ignoring concerns about its scale, impact on Blenheim Palace, and minimal community benefits. I am urging them to listen to residents and address these issues. Winston Churchills links to the Blenheim Palace estate make the project particularly high profile - David Savill/Hulton archive Concerns have also been raised about the projects backers, Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP), with local campaigners alleging that the project is Russian-owned. This relates to claims that Photovolt shareholder, Yulia Lezhen, was married to a Russian citizen. Speculation led to Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran using parliamentary privilege last year to question Photovolts alleged Russian links. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photovolt, which is registered in Germany, has consistently denied any inappropriate links to Russia. However, Professor Alex Rogers, chairman of the Stop Botley West local campaign group, is urging regulators to scrutinise the project and its backers as part of the forthcoming examination process. He said: If it goes ahead, the Botley West solar power station proposal will transform a large area of rural Oxfordshire, including extensive areas of the city of Oxfords green belt, into a semi-industrial landscape with damaging consequences for the physical and mental health of residents and visitors. The proposed 3,200-acre development is in the wrong location as it will have damaging impacts on valuable heritage, including the Unesco World Heritage site of Blenheim itself, on productive agricultural land and on the local ecology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photovolt has claimed that visitors will not be able to see any solar panels from Blenheim Palace. It has also vowed to build new hedgerows to help hide large parts of the solar farm. Mark Owen-Lloyd, a director of PhotoVolt, said: We are pleased that the Planning Inspectorate has accepted Botley West Solar Farm for examination, which will now progress to the pre-examination phase. This project, once built, will make a huge contribution towards achieving net zero in the UK whilst providing the reliable, clean power Oxfordshire needs. These plans, which are now available for anyone to view on the Planning Inspectorates Botley West website, are the result of years of extensive and rigorous work to build a detailed proposal for how the Botley West Solar Farm project will be constructed and delivered. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. There was a significant drop in reported sexual harassment and assaults at the U.S. military service academies over the past two years after a spike in 2022, but rates remain high, according to new Pentagon data released Thursday. In the 2023-24 academic year, 783 cadets and midshipmen 457 women and 327 men experienced sexual assault or harassment, which the Defense Department called unwanted sexual contact, or USC, at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.; the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. The numbers are higher than among active-duty troops of similar ages, but the findings are still a big drop from 2022, when students experienced 1,136 incidents of unwanted sexual contact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2022 report, which revealed sexual harassment and assaults had reached the highest level on record since the Pentagon began tracking the issue in 2006, alarmed officials and set off a series of reviews and a leadership shake-up. But while reported USC is down overall at the three schools, which enroll more than 12,000 students collectively, Defense officials warned that the numbers are still comparatively high, with much work to do. They are also concerned that while students revealed the 783 incidents, only 103 were officially reported. The prevalence of sexual assault and harassment is still far too high. What this data tells us is that this is a difficult problem for all, but it is not an impossible problem to solve, Beth Foster, executive director of the Pentagons Office of Force Resiliency, told reporters on a call ahead of the surveys release. Compared to the active force, our rates of reporting are much lower at the academies, so we think that theres more work to be done there, said Nate Galbreath, director for the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And Lisa Davis, the deputy director of Health and Resilience Research with the Office of People Analytics, said the 2024 figure is the second-highest estimated number of students experiencing unwanted sexual contact on record. The biennial survey found that about 13 percent of female students said they experienced unwanted sexual contact in the 2024 school year, compared to roughly 21 percent in 2022. And 4.4 percent of men reported USC, down from 3.6 percent. The full report including the survey is typically released in February or March, but top-line data was given to reporters Thursday, as officials wanted to get this data in the hands of academy stakeholders as quickly as possible in order to help implement change, Foster said. Most students at the three academies 88 percent responded to the survey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While a number of factors come into play, the survey identified alcohol as a driver behind most of the incidents, which typically happen after duty hours or on weekends and holidays, both on and off campus grounds. The survey also found most of the alleged offenders are also academy students and are often known to the victim. The U.S. Naval Academy reported the most incidents at 47, down from 49 the year before, according to the Pentagon. The academy is located near downtown Annapolis and a number of bars. Students at the Air Force Academy, meanwhile, reported 34, a drop from 45 last year, and cadets at the U.S. Military Academy reported 25, down from 43. The military services and the academies for years have struggled to counter sexual assault and harassment in the ranks, with a range of prevention, education and treatment programs offering only marginal help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the alarming numbers in 2022, the Pentagon created a Military Service Academy On-site Installation Evaluation Report, released in August 2023, which found that the the schools climate and training environment was hindering leaders ability to prevent harmful behaviors like sexual assault. We went out, the climate was really characterized by a sense of lack of trust, lack of transparency and a lot of mixed messages,said Andra Tharp, the senior prevention adviser for the Office of Force Resiliency and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. The message that the cadets and midshipmen were getting about how to treat each other, how to hold each other accountable, was not aligned with the message the senior leaders were trying to set. Recommendations from that report are required to be complete by August 2025, with Defense officials seeking improvements in leadership training and staffing to foster trust and encourage more victims to come forward and report sexual assault or harassment. Officials highlighted several of these efforts, including new sexual assault prevention and character development in the curriculum of the U.S. Military Academy. And the Air Force Academy will now have leadership development during all four years at the school, a change from only offering it in students final year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it remains to be seen how the incoming Trump administration will handle such programs and changes. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trumps pick for Defense secretary, has already vowed to cut woke policies within the U.S. military. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MILTON, Fla. (WKRG) For five years, Milton has been participating with Wreaths Across America, a national organization whose mission is to remember, honor and teach the sacrifices made by veterans. Were very honored to be able to do this here at our location, Milton Economic Development Director Stephen Presteaster said. Milton Historic Cemetery has over 368 veterans, all the way from the American Revolution to now that are actually buried at this cemetery. MAN ON A MISSION: Tallahassee dad urges Florida officials to target distracted driving with tougher laws Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prestesater said this ceremony is a great opportunity for the community to reflect on the sacrifices made by each veteran. This is a huge event for our community and for our region, to be able to come out to lay the wreath, show your respect for those who have served, Prestesater added. In previous years, its taken volunteers about an hour to hang the 368 wreaths on the headstones of fallen veterans. For Milton grants manager Jacob Hullett, Wreaths Across America Day is special for multiple reasons. USPS worker dumps several packages on Semmes roadside, witnesses say what we know We have veterans who work for the city of Milton, so not only are we honoring who currently serve or served in the past, Hullett said. Were also honoring the people who work in the city, who live in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having served in Floridas National Guard, Hullett understands the honor that comes with representing ones country. People who serve have a connection with those who serve in the past, Hullett said. Its a brotherhood; its a sisterhood. The city expects 60 to 80 volunteers on Saturday. The ceremony will start at 12 p.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. CANFIELD, Ohio (WJW) The Mahoning County Sheriffs Office is asking the public for help in finding a missing teenager. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Kea Bowers is 17 years old and from the Canfield area. She was last seen on December 6. Train derailment causes closure in Solon The sheriffs office asked that anyone with information call the following phone numbers: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detective Mondora: 330-480-5051 Dispatch: 330-259-1731 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-843-5678 Missing Kea Bowers According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Kea Bowers has her nose, tongue and ears pierced. She also has a tattoo on her forearm and was last seen with red streaks dyed in her hair. VOTE: Padua athlete nominated for Sports Illustrateds Play of the Year Bowers might have traveled to Georgetown, East Liverpool, Youngstown or New Waterford. Click here for more details about Bowers. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Travis Timmerman, the missing Missouri man who was unexpectedly found in Syria after he said he crossed into the country to make a "pilgrimage," was flown out by the U.S. military to Jordan, two U.S. defense officials and his family said Friday. Family said they had gone several months without any contact from Timmerman, 29, and then saw him in media coverage Thursday after video emerged from Syria leading some to misidentify him as missing American journalist Austin Tice, 43. "Feels pretty great! Praise the Lord!" Timmerman's sister, Pixie Rogers, said after learning that he was a step closer to coming home. "I would like for him to know that my whole family and I love him so much and that we are happy to know that we are going to see him soon." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syria's Department of Political Affairs confirmed the transfer in a Telegram post. Timmerman was flown out of Syria via a U.S. military helicopter. Timmerman, of Urbana, Missouri, a small community north of Springfield, told news outlets he had been imprisoned after he had "been reading the scripture a lot" before deciding to cross the mountains from Lebanon into Syria. His discovery came as a shock to locals and journalists as thousands of detainees emerged from jails after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend. Travis Timmerman with his sister, Pixie Rogers. Timmerman's family knew he had traveled to Eastern Europe, including the Czech Republic and Hungary, to write and learn more about God and religion, but when contact dried up after May, they worried his laptop and cellphone may have been stolen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only in recent weeks, Rogers said, after Missouri law enforcement was able to get in contact with U.S. Embassy officials in Hungary did the family learn Timmerman was in Lebanon. But the family had no clue he ended up in Syria. Im not sure what his thinking was in that, Rogers said Thursday of her brother entering a country in conflict. I wouldnt think hed do something like that. Authorities in Missouri and Budapest, the Hungarian capital, put out a missing persons report for a man named Pete Timmerman, with Hungarian police identifying him as Travis Pete Timmerman. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a public awareness bulletin that Timmerman had gone missing from Budapest on May 28. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timmerman told reporters that he was stopped by Syrian officials earlier this year after crossing into the country on foot without a visa. "I was in prison for seven months," Timmerman told NBC News in a building on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus. "But it's been OK. I am on a pilgrimage and that's when I was arrested." He added that after Syrian authorities picked him up, he was interviewed to determine if he was a "political actor," but was later cleared. "Then I was just held in prison," Timmerman said. "I wasn't beaten or anything like that." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timmerman was freed from captivity on Monday, when rebel forces took control of Damascus and sent Assad fleeing out of the country to ally Russia. Syria had been plunged into a civil war in the wake of the Arab Spring protests of 2011. After his release, Timmerman said, he was barefoot and alone, sleeping outside and finding temporary refuge with "a friend" and in an abandoned apartment. Timmerman's pastor in Missouri, Don Kelderhouse, said he had become baptized in the church about a year and half ago and had been eager to share his faith. His recovery in Syria came as a surprise. "It's a miracle," Kelderhouse said Thursday. "The fact that we think that he hasn't been abused, that's another miracle." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timmerman's mother, Stacey Collins Gardiner, told NBC affiliate KSHB of Kansas City that the trip overseas in March was his first time out of the country and that she initially didnt know any details about his itinerary. He had been calling about three times a week until he went off the grid in May. Gardiner said she was heartbroken these past months without any word from her son, one of her four children. I had happy tears, she said upon learning he was alive Thursday. It was a relief to find out he was still alive," she added, "because hes my baby." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com CLINTON, S.C. (WSPA) Two people have been charged after a missing Laurens County woman was found dead. 18-year-old MyAngel Walker was reported missing to the Laurens Police Department on Thursday. Police said they determined Walker was last seen in Clinton. Clinton Police said the missing persons case turned into a homicide. Police arrested 19-year-old Malachi Pressley and charged him with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in connection with Walkers death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators also charged 19-year-old Taylor Kinard with accessory after the fact. Both are being held in the Laurens County jail awaiting a bond hearing. The officers, the investigators, the agents and agencies, they worked hand in hand, worked diligently together to solve it and bring justice for MyAngel and thats just due to the partnership that the relationships are already established between the different agents and agencies, said Michael Addison, Clinton Police Chief. Multiple departments assisted in the investigation, including the Laurens County Sheriffs Office, Greenwood County Sheriffs Office, Newberry County Sheriffs Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Clinton Police Department at 864-833-7512 or Crime Stoppers at 864-68-CRIME. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced Thursday that it will send Ukraine another tranche of weapons worth 500 million U.S. dollars. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, the latest military assistance to Ukraine is the 72nd time Biden has used his executive authority to approve the fund since August 2021. Weapons in the latest tranche included air defense capabilities, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, and anti-tank weapons, among others. Earlier in the day, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the U.S. National Security Council, told a daily press briefing at the White House that the Biden administration, with just weeks remaining in office, will "continue to provide additional packages right up until the end of this administration." President-elect Donald Trump, who will take over the White House on Jan. 20, said in an interview aired on NBC News on Sunday that Ukraine "probably" should prepare for reduced American aid when his administration is sworn into office. Trump said he considered it unfair that the United States spent more than triple the amount of money that European nations spent on supporting Ukraine. "Why isn't Europe in for the same as us?" Trump said. "The one thing that should happen is that Europe should come in for -- they should equalize." Authorities in South Carolina have arrested a man after finding the remains of a missing woman buried by a well last week. Shamra Felkel, 49, was found dead in Hartsville, S.C., on Dec. 4, Darlington County Coroner J. Todd Hardee confirms to PEOPLE. Authorities arrested Daniel Peel on Monday, Dec. 9, in connection with her death and charged him with murder, the Darlington County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to an October statement from the sheriffs office, Felkel was last seen on Sept. 25 in the Hartsville area. She was reported missing by her family and friends on Oct. 7. Hardee tells PEOPLE Felkels remains were found buried beside an old, inoperable dry well. Her body had been placed in a hollowed out area beside the well, he says. She had been buried there for quite some time, Hardee says, adding that her remains had been decomposed when they were found. WBTW reports, citing arrest warrants, that Peel allegedly strangled Felkel following an argument. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. In an online obituary, Felkel is being remembered for being independent and sassy, and for her love for the outdoors, animals and jewelry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Facebook post, her daughter Karli Felkel wrote she is "living in a nightmare." This has got to be the most traumatic thing me and my siblings have experienced and there are just some things people can not come back from, she wrote, alongside a link to the obituary page for Shamra. I will miss you for the rest of my life mom. I hope it is so beautiful up there. Peel has been charged with murder, kidnapping and obstruction of justice, per the Darlington County Sheriff's Office. He is being held without bond, per WBTW. It wasn't immediately clear if he has entered pleas or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. Read the original article on People (KRON) The San Francisco Police Department is seeking the publics help in finding a missing person. Zongyao Li, 67, has been missing since last week, the department announced Thursday in a news release. Li was last seen on Dec. 6 around 7:30 a.m. on the 1400 block of 47th Avenue. He is described as an Asian man who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 130 pounds, according to SFPD. He has black hair and brown eyes. Li is considered at-risk due to unexplainable circumstances, SFPD wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SFPD officers abused overtime policies, according to audit Zongyao Li was last seen on Dec. 6 on the 1400 block of 47th Avenue. (San Francisco Police Department) SFPD says anyone who locates Li is asked to call 911 and report his current location and physical description. Those with information about Lis location are asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) When the elected prosecutor in Missouri's largest county leaves his job for a seat in Congress next month, an appointed replacement will take his spot. The question is: Which one? Democratic St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and Republican Gov. Mike Parson have each named an appointee for the same job. Page announced the appointment of former federal prosecutor Cort VanOstran on Dec. 3. Parson, on Thursday, named Melissa Price Smith, a longtime assistant prosecutor in St. Louis County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The courts will determine which appointment stands, and time is of the essence. The outgoing prosecuting attorney, Wesley Bell, who defeated Rep. Cori Bush in the Democratic primary and won easily in November, will be sworn into Congress on Jan. 3. His appointed replacement as prosecutor will fill out the last two years of his term, which ends on Jan. 1, 2027. Parson and Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued Page and the county in November, arguing that the Missouri Constitution provides that the governor shall fill all vacancies in public offices, unless otherwise provided by law." Parson's spokesman, Johnathan Shiflett, also cited a statute which reads that the governor shall appoint some competent person in the event of a prosecuting attorney vacancy. But Page counters that the relevant law here is the St. Louis County Charter, which clearly states that the county executive is authorized to appoint the prosecuting attorney when a vacancy occurs, his spokesman, Doug Moore, said in a statement on Friday. We are confident the courts will agree. We will continue our focus on public safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another county with its own charter, neighboring St. Charles County, had a vacancy last year after Tim Lohmar resigned as prosecutor. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, a Republican, appointed a replacement, Joseph McCulloch, without opposition from the governor. For now, both Parson and Page are touting their picks. Smith, 56, has worked in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office since 2008 and currently supervises the team that prosecutes sexual assault and child abuse. For the success of our state and the safety of our people, we need an experienced St. Louis County Prosecutor who demands and upholds law and order," Parson said in a statement. "Melissa is committed to the rule of law, and we are confident that she will deliver, as demonstrated by her distinguished career putting criminals behind bars, including child abusers, perpetrators of sexual assault, and violent offenders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith, in a statement, promised to use her experience and institutional knowledge to fight for justice for crime victims, hold offenders accountable, and work with law enforcement towards a safer St. Louis County. VanOstran, 36, resigned as a federal prosecutor for Missouri's Eastern District after his appointment. He handled fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, conspiracy, drug distribution and firearms offenses, a news release from Page's office said. He ran as Democrat for Congress in 2018, narrowly losing to incumbent Republican Ann Wagner in Missouri's 2nd District. Cort VanOstran is a proven public servant," Page said in a statement. "As a federal prosecutor, hes worked to protect victims of crime. As an attorney, hes represented everyday Missourians and stood up to powerful corporate interests. As the next St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, he will work every day to keep our community safe. URBANA, Mo. (KOLR) A Missouri man found in Syria said early Friday he was freed following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad after seven months in prison. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), Pete Travis Timmerman (also identified as Travis Timmerman) was reported missing from Budapest, Hungary in June. Hungarian authorities issued a missing person report for Timmerman, 29, in August. Pete Travis Timmerman, courtesy of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Timmerman lived near Urbana, Missouri, where his mother and stepfather still reside, after graduating from Missouri State University (MSU). He had been on a Christian pilgrimage when he was detained in Syria, according to the Associated Press (AP). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He appears to have been among thousands of people released from prison after rebels reached Damascus, overthrowing Assad, the AP reports. The AP says when video showed up online Thursday, Timmerman was initially mistaken by some as American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing from Syria for 12 years. The video showed Timmerman lying on a mattress under a blanket in what appeared to be a private house, the AP said. Timmerman later gave an interview with the Al-Arabiya TV network, saying he had been treated well in detention. He said he was freed by the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The political affairs office of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that led the lightning offensive to topple Assads government, said the group had secured his release. We affirm our readiness to cooperate directly with the U.S. administration to complete the search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime, the group said, adding that a search was underway for Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. An official with the group later said it was arranging for Timmerman to leave Syria, but gave no details. He was detained after he crossed into Syria from a mountain along the eastern Lebanese town of Zahle in June. He was questioned for three and half hours by interrogators who thought he must be a spy. In a brief second interview, they searched his mobile phone, and in the last interview, he started discussing his dreams with his captors. He said later in his detention, he could hear explosions at a time when Israel was intensifying its strikes in Syria. Israels war with the Hezbollah militant group had intensified in September, before a ceasefire was reached last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I heard some explosives that shook the building, he said. In his prison cell, Timmerman said he had a mattress, a plastic drinking container and two others for waste. He had three bathroom breaks and had exercise breaks in the first half of his stay. Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. OXFORD, Miss. At the University of Mississippi on Thursday, news of a mistrial in the highly anticipated Jimmie Jay Lee murder case is making its way around campus. Wednesday night before 9, Circuit Judge John Kelly Luther made the announcement that he was declaring a mistrial in Timothy Herringtons murder trial. People were kind of shocked at the outcome a mistrial, a hung jury and how seemingly theres a person whos going to get away with something that a lot of people feel like he seemingly shouldnt get away with, Junior Marlon Kirven said. A lot of people are disappointed I would say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luther had already sent jurors back twice to deliberate after they advised they were deadlocked 11 to 1. The Judge did not inquire if the majority was leaning toward guilt or innocence. Judge declares mistrial in Jimmie Jay Lee murder trial after jury deadlocks Herrington, who decided not to testify during the trial, was charged with capital murder in connection with the disappearance of Lee in July 2022, though Lees body has yet to be found. After the judge declared a mistrial Wednesday, Herrington shook hands with members of his defense team before leaving court with family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of the attornies or family members wanted to speak about the mistrial. Thursday, however, Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen, who testified, issued a statement saying, Our commitment, remains unshaken and our job is far from over. We have not stopped looking for Jay Lee since July 8, 2022, and we will not stop until we bring him home to his family. If you have any information that can help us locate Jay, please contact us. A decision will be made on Herringtons bond status in the next week or so. Judge Luther said he will entertain motions for a new trial and requests for a change of venue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither the prosecution nor defense returned our call Thursday. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) issued a stark warning to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other skeptics of vaccines on Friday after a new report detailed the Donald Trump nominees ties to a lawyer who sought to revoke approval of the lifesaving polio vaccine for children. The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives and held out the promise of eradicating a terrible disease, McConnell, who had polio as a child, said in a statement. Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed theyre dangerous. Anyone seeking the Senates consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts, McConnell added, in a not-so-veiled reference to Kenndy being tapped by Trump to lead the U.S. Health and Human Services Department next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York Times revealed on Friday that Aaron Siri, a lawyer Kennedy has been consulting on whom to select as top health officials for the next Trump administration, has filed multiple legal petitions to block vaccines in recent years. That includes a 2022 petition for the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of a standard polio vaccine for babies and children, claiming the agency needs to do further studies to prove its safety. If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee the FDA and multiple other federal public health agencies. The environmental lawyer and son of former U.S. Attorney General and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy is a prominent vaccine skeptic who has spread wild conspiracy theories over the years. Trumps choice of Kennedy to lead the top health agency has alarmed public health experts and 77 Nobel laureates who urged the Senate to reject his expected nomination last week. Some Republican senators have expressed concerns about Kennedys views, but none have publicly declared their opposition to his path to confirmation. I believe vaccines are appropriate. They have to be safe. I want to know what his real concerns are and what he would want to do different, but I do not want to lose our vaccine programs, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told reporters on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McConnell, meanwhile, reflected on his boyhood experience of struggling with polio and his parents pain and fear of watching their child struggle with the life-altering diagnosis of polio. From the age of two, normal life without paralysis was only possible for me because of the miraculous combination of modern medicine and a mothers love. But for millions who came after me, the real miracle was the saving power of the polio vaccine, he said Friday. For decades, I have been proud to work with devoted advocates from Rotary International to the Gates Foundation and use my platform in public life to champion the pursuit of cures for further generations, the senator added. I have never flinched from confronting specious disinformation that threatens the advance of lifesaving medical progress, and I will not today. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) With Mitt Romney set to exit the U.S. Senate, Washington will be without one of its strongest conservative critics of Donald Trump when the president retakes the White House in the new year. At a final news conference Friday in Salt Lake City, the retiring senator reflected on his two-decade political career, which included the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, a term as Massachusetts governor and several skirmishes with Trump loyalists in Congress. In what could be his final jab at Trump, Romney reiterated his concerns about the incoming president's character and relaxed relationship with the truth. He said he hopes his own legacy will be that he stayed true to his values. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Romney, 77, chose not to run for reelection this year after representing Utah in the Senate since 2019. He said he has reached the end of his career as an elected official and wants to focus on getting more young people involved in politics after he leaves office in January. Once the standard-bearer of the Republican Party, Romney watched his brand of moderate conservatism shift from establishment to outlier as Trump took hold of the party. Im a narrow slice, if you will, of what we used to call the mainstream Republicans, Romney told reporters Friday. The stream has got a little smaller. Its more like the main creek Republicans. At some point, its going to be under the sand, and well have to dig it up. He became the voice of Congress' centrist core, leading negotiations for the $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure law one of the Biden administration's crowning achievements and a major COVID-19 relief package. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Political observers worry his departure may create a vacuum of strong centrist voices who can keep bipartisanship alive at a time of increased polarization in Washington. Bipartisanship could very well go dormant under Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress, Romney said. But he does not think moderates should lose hope that the GOP could reverse its rightward shift. Theres kind of a fissure that exists between Republican voters and Republican policy, and that may present an opportunity for some kind of realignment, he said, noting that the party is now composed of many working-class voters but tends to oppose minimum wage increases and pro-union policies. Romney will be succeeded in the Senate by Republican U.S. Rep. John Curtis, who has developed a reputation for pushing back against party leaders such as Trump who falsely claim climate change is a hoax. Eyes will be on Curtis and other moderate Republicans who might break with the party in votes to confirm Trumps cabinet picks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2020, Romney became the first senator in U.S. history to vote to convict a president from their own party in an impeachment trial. He was the sole Republican in Congress to vote to convict Trump at both of his impeachment trials. Trump was acquitted by the Senate both times. Earlier this year, Romney pledged not to vote for Trump but declined to join some other high-profile Republicans in endorsing Democrat Kamala Harris, saying he wanted to preserve his future ability to help reshape the Republican Party. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) An exhibition honoring a speech that Martin Luther King Jr. gave in Dayton is on display. The Visual Voices Exhibition can be seen at the Black Palette Art Gallery and features 29 original works from 13 artists inspired by the speech. Each artist listened to the speech and then created a work that reflected their thoughts regarding it. This is just right up our alley and even though it was unexpected, it was welcomed because, again, this is why were here, said James Pate, co-owner of the Black Palette Art Gallery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What its done is open up kind of a whole new world of possibility, said Shola Odumade, co-owner of the Black Palette Art Gallery. So, we envision future projects, future partnership, joint exhibitions, because were literally a few steps down. The exhibit is on display until Feb. 2, 2025. An artists reception will be held tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. at the gallery on 1139 W. Third Street. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. Nvidia's promotional store on China's biggest e-commerce site has become the centre of speculation over whether the US tech giant will pull back from China after being targeted by Beijing in an antitrust investigation. Nvidia's GeForce store on Alibaba Group Holding's Tmall e-commerce platform opened in 2016, and now has over 123,000 followers. The homepage provides links to sellers offering video game laptops equipped with GeForce graphics cards, but the Nvidia store does not sell products directly. According to Nvidia's website, GeForce graphics processing units (GPUs), first introduced in 1999, target video gaming and general-purpose users. After Nvidia became the target of a Beijing antitrust investigation this week, some Chinese netizens posted comments on social media, wondering if the US company had deliberately removed items from the shop. 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. However, Nvidia said in a statement that the Tmall store never stocked inventory. A third-party e-commerce analyst, after reviewing the shop's sales record, said that it has no transaction records. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Nvidia products on display at an exhibition in Taiwan. Photo: Digitimes alt=Nvidia products on display at an exhibition in Taiwan. Photo: Digitimes> The attention on Nvidia's Tmall presence comes at a time when there are fresh questions being raised about the company's future prospects in China. China's State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement on Monday that it has initiated an antitrust investigation into Nvidia related to its 2019 acquisition of Israeli interconnect products and solutions provider Mellanox Technologies. Experts said the probe could result in a US$1 billion fine if the company is found to be in violation of antitrust laws. Nvidia said in a statement on Weibo that China remains as an important market and it will continue to provide the best quality products and services to China-based clients. Nvidia has restricted exports of its advanced GPUs to China to comply with US regulations, an act that displeased Beijing. The investigation into a previously-approved transaction marks the first time that China's market regulator has opened the books on a closed deal. Separately, Nvidia has added hundreds of staff in China to boost autonomous driving technologies, Bloomberg News reported. Nvidia will add about 200 people in Beijing to strengthen a team of researchers working on self-driving, the report said. Moldova's parliament on Dec. 13 voted to introduce a 60-day-long state of emergency starting Dec. 16 over the expected halt of Russian gas transit via Ukraine. The country's Russian-occupied region of Transnistria is dependent on Russia's Gazprom supplies it receives through Ukraine. The gas flow is expected to cease after Dec. 31, as Kyiv said it does not aim to extend the transit deal past 2024. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean's government proposed a state of emergency to respond more quickly and curb energy exports to avert shortages and a "humanitarian crisis" in Transnistria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recean said the problem is "artificial" as Russian gas could instead flow through the TurkStream pipeline to Turkey and then through Bulgaria and Romania to Moldova. The state-run Gazprom has thus far rejected this option, citing an alleged debt Chisinau owes to Russia for past gas purchases. Since 2022, the roughly 2 billion cubic meters of Gazprom gas flowing to Moldova per year have been used only by the Transnistria region, while the rest of the country has switched to European supplies. Gas shortages in Transnistria threaten the whole of Moldova, as the Cuciurgan power plant, located in the Russian-occupied region, supplies electricity to consumers in the rest of the country, the News.ro news outlet reported. Transnistria, a narrow territory at Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine, has been occupied by Russia since the early 1990s. Local authorities declared a state of emergency over the expected gas transit halt this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state of emergency, supported by 56 of the 101 Moldovan lawmakers, will give Chisinau a chance to make this "the last winter when the country can be subject to energy blackmail," Recean said. Before 2022, Moldova bought all of its gas from Russia, making it vulnerable to Russian extortion. Under recently re-elected President Maia Sandu, the country took a pro-Western turn, launching EU accession talks in June and expelling dozens of suspected Russian spies. Chisinau has repeatedly accused Russia of hybrid campaigns against the country, including election interference, espionage, and a coup plot. Sandu's administration has also fostered close ties with Ukraine amid the full-scale invasion, providing diplomatic and humanitarian support. Read also: Transnistria declares economic emergency over Russian gas supply threat Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A mother in Horry County, South Carolina, claims her 4-year-old son was left on a school bus and given to a stranger last week. Myeisha Marks said the stranger safely brought him back to Aynor Elementary School, where he attends pre-kindergarten. However, she said the incident left her concerned about Horry County Schools safety protocols. Marks said she was celebrating her birthday two hours away from home on Dec. 5 when she got a call from son Shamiar Smith Jr.s aunt, saying he had not gotten off the bus. His aunt told the bus driver his name and that he was wearing a tag with his personal information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Marks, bus drivers are supposed to check tagged students information, have them sit near the front of the bus and give them to an adult. The bus driver checked the entire bus, but told her Smith wasnt there. I was two hours away, and the first thing she said was Junior didnt get off the bus,' Marks said. I panicked, like, Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I just hung up the phone [and] called the school. Cracker Barrel refused service to students with disabilities, Maryland school says Aynor Elementary School staff called the bus driver, who said he found the boy asleep under his coat in the middle of the bus and dropped him off with one of his neighbors. Smiths aunt went to the neighbors, but they said they had not seen him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marks said she called Aynor Elementary again and the staff told her that her son was back at school. Smiths aunt went to the school, and the staff explained that the bus driver had let Smith off with a stranger, and the stranger brought him back to school. If he wouldve checked the tag when he got on the bus, he wouldve known, Marks said. So thats what Im thinking, like, he didnt do his job from the beginning. He didnt see him, which, he was visible, and he gave him to a complete stranger. Thats like, three or four different things that went wrong. (WBTW) Marks said she and the stranger spoke the next day and that the woman told her that Smith was scared but she kept him safe. Marks said shes grateful. A few days later, Marks said she asked Aynor Elementary staff members if she could see the school bus surveillance video from that day. Marks said her son was in the middle of the bus but not covered by his coat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marks also said she filed a complaint and will continue to call the school to see whether the bus driver will go through re-training or be suspended pending an investigation. I just dont even want to think about if something wouldve happened, she said. The first thing I was thinking, like, Oh my God. My child got kidnapped. Where is he? Like, it was horrible. I just feel like they need to do better. They really need to do better with the young kids. 7-year-old crashes one school bus into another during apparent training in Missouri An Horry County Schools spokesperson told Nexstars WBTW the school and bus office have been in touch with Marks and that she reviewed the bus video. Procedures from the incident are being reviewed, including the Tagged Child Program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A Montana woman who was reported missing weeks ago was found stuffed into a suitcase inside of a dumpster and a man has been charged in connection with her death. According to court documents obtained by local Montana outlets KRTV, KPAX and ABC Fox Montana, 46-year-old Alicia Wood was first reported missing on Nov. 30 after she had not been heard from for several days. Police soon began a search of her home in Conrad, Mont., and the surrounding towns. Police eventually located her car abandoned on a nearby highway, ABC reported, and investigators found "various bloodstains described as being blood spatter on the passenger and driver's sides ... including handprints that appeared as if someone had dragged their hand across the car locking mechanism," along with a bullet casing on the floor, according to the court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By Dec. 10, KPAX reported, investigators began searching through a landfill in the nearby town of High Plains, and 29-year-old William Glenn Olson was taken into custody one day later, court records show. Pondera County Sheriff's Office/Facebook The courthouse in Pondera County, Mont. The courthouse in Pondera County, Mont. Olson had first spoken to police on Dec. 2, KRTV reported, but he said that he had last seen the victim on Nov. 10 and did not know where she was. Police have not clarified the nature of Olson and Wood's relationship, but according to the court documents, Olson had allegedly damaged Wood's car while he was driving it before her death. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. After Olson's initial conversation with investigators, police discovered that he had several active arrest warrants, including one related to a domestic assault case, the outlets reported, citing police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Olson was arrested and charged in connection with Wood's death on Dec. 11, and he admitted in a second interview with detectives that he and Wood were fighting at her home when he put her in a headlock and killed her, the court documents allege, per ABC. According to the court documents, after Wood died, Olson allegedly took a suitcase from her closet and placed her inside. Then, according to the documents, he drove to the nearby town of Great Falls and dumped the suitcase in a dumpster near an elementary school and also threw out Olson's phone. KPAX reported that as of Dec. 12, Wood's body has still not been recovered, and Conrad Police Chief Cory Smith told ABC that her remains may still be in the landfill. Search crews are using drones, excavators and bulldozers to search the landfill for her body, he told the outlet. Olson has been charged with deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence for placing her body inside the dumpster. Court records state that his bond has been set at $1,000,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 29-year-old could face anywhere from 10 years to life in prison for the homicide, and as much as 10 years or a $50,000 fine for the evidence tampering. PEOPLE has not been able to reach a lawyer for him or determine if he has entered a plea. Read the original article on People Editors note: The bond amount was updated based on new information from a Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable. AUSTIN (KXAN) Montgomery County Constables arrested a former Austin-area educator Thursday morning for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material, according to a press release issued Thursday evening. Curtis John Locklear, 73, is charged with one count of child pornography, a third-degree felony. KXAN reached out to Locklear for comment on his arrest. Photo of Curtis John Locklear, published by the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constables Office on Dec. 12, 2024. The release describes the Internet Crimes Against Children detectives investigation as proactive. Constables made the arrest at Locklears home in The Woodlands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further investigation revealed that Locklear is a retired school principal from the Austin area who has had frequent and prolonged contact with children over the course of his career. He is also a known author and often travels for his work, the release said. A lieutenant with the Constables Office said that while investigators learned Locklear worked as a principal in the Austin area, they are still working to learn which schools. The investigation is also looking to discern if there are any other victims. Leander ISD confirmed to KXAN that Locklear was employed by the district from June 1995 until July 2008. During that time, he was the principal of Block House Creek Elementary School. The Texas Education Agency told KXAN that he was also employed at Georgetown ISDs McCoy Elementary in 2009. Locklear was booked into the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Jail on a $10,000 bond. As of Saturday afternoon, jail records show that he is no longer in the facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The constables office asks for anyone with information about the case to call 281-364-4711. Those who call should reference case number 24e041427 and ask to speak with the assigned detective. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. CLARKSBURG, Md. (DC News Now) Two high school principals in Montgomery County are alerting families about a fight that sent a student to the hospital. A joint letter sent to parents from principals Bradley Rohner of Damascus High School and Anita ONeill of Clarksburg High School detailed an altercation that resulted in an injury. The injured student was evaluated by the school nurse as well as Fire and Rescue who ultimately transported the student to the hospital for further evaluation, the letter reads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PHOTO: Driver injured after crashing into fitness center in Rockville The principals went on to detail the incident, which they said happened at lunchtime just off-campus near Clarksburg High School. It involved students from both aforementioned high schools. It has also come to our attention that the incident was videotaped and is being shared among students and possibly others, the principals wrote. We strongly urge families to talk with their children about the harm that sharing such videos can cause. Disseminating footage of an incident like this adds to the trauma and hinders the efforts to resolve conflicts and restore a sense of safety in our schools. DC News Now has not received confirmation or details from the Montgomery County Department of Police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lily Clingan, a freshman at Clarksburg High, told DC News Now an incident like the one that occurred on Wednesday could raise safety concerns in the school community, and she hopes some changes could be made to lunchtime protocols. I honestly think there should be more security watching around the school to make sure that kids arent leaving campus during lunch, she said. The fact that such a violent thing can happen to students here is upsetting, but Im hoping that it can show a message moving forward that we should stop violence in schools. The letter encouraged communication between parents and children about the importance of reporting incidents of violence to school officials. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. MOORE, Okla. (KFOR) The Moore Police Department just became an accredited police training city. Instead of hiring once or twice annually, this means they can now hold several academies a year. Absolutely more efficient and a higher level of training and more consistent training, said Police Chief Todd Gibson. LOCAL NEWS: Non-profit helps renovate cancer fighters home The Moore Police Department is in week two of their first academy program. Before the department was accredited, they had to send new recruits away for training. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sent officers down to CLEET, to Ada, and then weve also partnered with other programs for training our police officers, said Chief Gibson. Now, five cadets are spending the 24-26 week program at the Moore poice Advancement Center, near Northwest 12th and Janeway. Theyre learning the law and legal system, social and community skills, along with combat focused on Ju Jujutsu. The chief said thats because fights on the job often end up on the ground. Well, Jujutsu is about fighting on the ground, said Chief Gibson. Cadet Carlo Prater is a former professional martial arts fighter. He was inspired on the mat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I began training a lot of officers. I just liked the way that they carried themselves, said Prater. I had it on my heart to become a law enforcement officer here in Oklahoma, specifically. In the mat room, they have everything needed for training, even a virtual reality set. We can have you deploy your taser, virtual reality wise, said Gibson. Another room has scenario-based training. We can set this up however we want, these walls are module and moveable, said Gibson. Inside, they use airsoft guns, which are similar to their handguns, but safer. If I shoot you with this, your reaction is going to let me know if Im hitting shots on target, said Gibson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LOCAL NEWS: Families feel holiday spirit during Midwest City Shop with a Cop While recruits at all departments learn the basics, what differs are the principles. What this allows us to do is take cadets and socialize them from day one into our culture, said Gibson. Gibson said thats important, because in this career, theres no easing into it. As soon as they hit the street. Theyre doing profound things and a lot is expected of them, said Gibson. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, led 33 members of Congress on Friday in a letter calling on President Biden to pardon Leonard Peltier a Native American activist controversially convicted of murdering two FBI agents. The letter cites Peltiers age and health concerns, as well as the U.S. Parole Commissions denial of his application in July, which likely marked his last chance at parole. In addition to 33 current senators and representatives, it is signed by former Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). These recent denials mean only you have the unique ability to grant him clemency and rectify this grave injustice that has long troubled human rights advocates and Native Peoples across the globe, the group wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peltier was involved in the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1970s, which led him to travel to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota amid tensions between the tribal chairman and a traditionalist faction of the Lakota nation. Agents Ronald Arthur Williams and Jack Ross Coler were killed in a shootout on the reservation, and Peltier was convicted and given two life sentences in 1977. The trial has long been criticized as unfair by Peltiers advocates, citing the fact that a key witness for the prosecution later recanted, as well as two other men who were charged in the murders but later acquitted based on evidence that was not allowed in Peltiers trial. Pope Francis, the late Nelson Mandela and James Reynolds, a prosecutor in the case, have all lobbied for clemency or a pardon. The FBI has consistently and adamantly opposed clemency or release for Peltier, with outgoing Director Christopher Wray calling him a remorseless killer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schatz previously called for Biden to grant Peltier clemency on the Senate floor earlier this month. Fridays letter comes in the wake of the president pardoning or commuting the sentences of more than 1,500 people amid pressure following a controversial pardon of his son Hunter on federal tax and gun crimes. All of the 39 pardon recipients were previously convicted of nonviolent offenses. The group of lawmakers also appealed to Bidens record on Native American issues, which includes the appointment of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who hailed him as the best president on native issues of her lifetime at an event Monday. At the same event, Biden designated a national monument at the former site of the Carlisle Industrial School, the first of several boarding schools where Native American children were taken in an attempt to forcibly assimilate them into American culture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In addition to its online presence, Chewy is also branching out into the real world. The company has opened a network of brick-and-mortar veterinary clinics, with two locations in South Florida, three around Atlanta, Georgia, and two more in Denver, Colorado. These clinics focus on wellness, urgent, and surgical care for cats and dogs, the most popular pets. The company started the clinic chain in December 2023 and has plans to continue expanding it. That spending is spread across a wide range of products and services, which together make up Chewys product offering. The company deals in the usual items, such as pet foods and toys, along with a variety of treats, but also offers customers prescription veterinary medications and pet insurance policies. The company has products available for pets of all types, from the usual cats and dogs to fish, birds, small mammals, and reptiles and even has products for farm livestock and other non-pet animals. Well start in the online retail sector, with Chewy, a leader in the online pet supply business. Chewy was founded in 2011 and today boasts a market cap of $13.3 billion. The company has built itself into a leader in a niche market, but one that is substantial: approximately two-thirds of US households have pets, according to Forbes, and in 2022, those households spent $136.8 billion on their animals. The stock analysts at Citi are following this line and are noting two stocks poised to climb along with the S&P 500. Weve opened up the TipRanks database to find out the broader view on both of them. Lets take a closer look. We maintain a positive view on US equities headed into 2025, Chronert said. A base case 6500 S&P 500 target allows for mid-single digit gains on the heels of back-to-back 20%+ years. Ongoing soft landing and Artificial Intelligence tailwinds now interact with Trump policy promises and risks. Continued broadening beyond Mega Cap Growth impacts is critical but an extended valuation starting point will be an ongoing hurdle. Citigroup head of US equity strategy Scott Chronert is keeping a close eye on the evolving economic landscape and leans toward an optimistic outlook while acknowledging the inherent risks. With the 2024 election behind us, conventional wisdom suggests a second Trump administration may aim to replicate the economic playbook of the first. This approach is expected to feature a blend of pro-business deregulation and elements of protectionism. Story Continues The companys most recent quarterly report, from 3Q24, showed some mixed results. Revenues were strong up almost 5% year-over-year to $2.88 billion, beating the forecast by $20 million. Earnings, however, missed the estimates; the non-GAAP EPS figure of 20 cents per share was 3 cents less than had been anticipated although it was up 5 cents per share from the prior-year period. The company did report a modest half-percent drop in active customers as of the end of the quarter, but that was balanced by a 4.2% increase in net sales per active customer. Citi analyst Steven Zaccone covers this stock, and he sees reasons for optimism. In Zaccones view, Chewys growing market share and its ability to control its own fate are key points, as he writes: CHWY is reaching a positive inflection in active customer count growth in the 2H24 after 2 years of declines, CHWY is gaining market share relative to the pet retail backdrop which should build as industry growth improves in 2025, and CHWY controls its own EBITDA destiny with idiosyncratic drivers like sponsored ads, increasing volume through automated fulfillment centers, and higher health & wellness sales. Looking ahead, the analyst sums up an upbeat outlook: Stock specific, we believe the risk/reward is favorable based on upside to Street EBITDA estimates for the next 1-2 years and the potential for EV/EBITDA multiple expansion as CHWYs profit margin rate increases. The Citi analyst uses these comments to support his Buy rating, and his $40 price target implies a potential one-year gain of 23%. (To watch Zaccones track record, click here) Overall, Chewys stock gets a Moderate Buy consensus rating from the Street, based on 21 recent reviews that split 15 to 6 in favor of Buy over Hold. The shares are priced at $32.54, and their $37.58 average price target suggests an upside potential of 15.5% in the next 12 months. (See CHWY stock forecast) AT&T (T) The second stock well look at is one of the stock markets legends. AT&T is a legacy telecom company in the US market, but more than that, it is also one of the worlds iconic brand names. The company is consistently numbered among the largest wireless providers in the US market, and its market cap, of $168.5 billion, ranks it as the third-largest of the US telecom firms. AT&Ts stock has been outperforming the markets this year, with a 48.5% gain for 2024, and the company is well-known as one of the most consistent dividend stocks on Wall Street. The companys recent successes have been built on its ability to increase subscriber numbers, particularly in its 5G and fiber network services. In its 3Q24 report, AT&T made specific note of its growing momentum in 5G and highlighted 226,000 net fiber adds for the quarter. In addition, the company had a net add of 403,000 postpaid phone customers, and its postpaid phone churn, of just 0.78%, was described as industry-leading. The company had 28.3 million consumer and business locations passed with fiber and generated $2.8 billion in consumer broadband revenues, for a 6.4% year-over-year gain. At the top-line, revenues in the quarter reached $30.2 billion, relatively flat year-over-year (a half-percent drop) and $250 million below the forecast. Earnings, with a non-GAAP EPS of 60 cents, came in 3 cents per share better than had been expected. The companys free cash flow, of $5.1 billion, was considered sound. On the dividend, AT&T last sent out the common share payment on November 1. That dividend, set at 27.75 cents per share, gives an annualized payment of $1.11 per share and yields 4.72%. AT&Ts dividend history stretches back to the 1980s, and while the company will adjust the payment as needed, it has paid those dividends out reliably through that time never missing a quarter. All of this is to say that AT&T is practically the poster child for a venerable blue-chip stock. The companys overall position impressed 5-star analyst Michael Rollins, who in his coverage for Citi wrote of T, We view the combination of annual service revenue growth and faster EBITDA/FCF (ex-DTV) growth as a potential catalyst for a better valuation. We view the multi-year fiber update to pass more homes with potentially deeper penetration (partly from convergence) as accretive to our prior outlook and consensus. AT&T remains upbeat on sustaining Mobility growth with 2025 prospects indicated to be at the higher end of its annual financial ranges. Cost cutting, including copper decommissioning, should contribute to margin expansion. Buybacks are also larger than we and consensus expected and with a potentially stronger start in 2H25. We remain a Buyer of T as our top-ranked pick. Along with his Buy rating here, Rollins gave AT&Ts stock a $28 price target, indicating his confidence in a one-year upside potential of 19%. (To watch Rollins track record, click here) This stock has earned a Moderate Buy consensus rating with the 13 recent reviews of T including 9 to Buy and 4 to Hold. T is currently selling for $23.48 and its $24.15 average target price implies a modest one-year upside of 3%. (See AT&Ts stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Rep. Candace Newell, pictured at the May 26, 2022, meeting of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) A Democratic legislator is criticizing the Louisiana House of Representatives leadership for their lack of transparency about the chambers selection of a future state ethics board member. The full House must approve its appointees to the Louisiana Board of Ethics. Yet only one person, former state lawmaker Mike Huval, a Republican from Breaux Bridge, was nominated for the Houses board seat that opens up in 2025. With no competition, Huval, a longtime friend of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, will win the post by default. State Rep. Candace Newell, D-New Orleans, claims more ethics board candidates werent proposed because House members were in the dark about the nomination process. State representatives didnt realize they could submit their own picks for the board until it was too late to do so, she said. I dont like the fact that other members of this body didnt have the opportunity to put forth nominations for this seat, Newell said Thursday during a House and Governmental Affairs Committee meeting on Huvals nomination. I hope its a more transparent process in the future, she said. The ethics board selection process changed dramatically this year after the governor and GOP legislators rewrote the state laws concerning its makeup. For years, Landry has had a strained relationship with the ethics board, which has cited him multiple times for campaign finance and ethics law violations. In previous years, leaders from Louisianas private colleges and universities vetted ethics board candidates and put forward a short list of nominees to the governor and legislators for the 11 ethics board seats. The House and Senate then held elections to choose from those candidates to fill their board posts. Previous governors picked their appointees from the lists the college leaders compiled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the law change, the governor and lawmakers now pick their board appointees directly without the involvement of the college administrators. The board has also been expanded to 15 seats. The House and Senate will still hold elections for their six board members, but its unclear how candidates such as Huval get on the ballot. Landry and legislators didnt include a new process for picking the ethics board nominees when they rewrote the law earlier this year. Newell said House members were never solicited for nominations or given information about how the new board selection process would work. If this is the only stop, we need to make sure that we have multiple candidates that are in front of us, she said. Previous ethics board candidates also came with more thorough background checks, Newell said. In the past, she was given reports from Louisiana State Police and the state Department of Revenue on nominees before a committee interview took place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, said he personally put forward Huvals name to House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, for the ethics board seat. Beaullieu, chairman of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, chastised Newell for not doing the same. You have had since April or May to talk to the speaker about a nomination, he told Newell, referencing when the ethics board overhaul legislation initially passed. You had all the opportunity after the bill passed. Beaullieu also said he went out of his way to ensure transparency in the ethics board nominating process by holding a committee hearing on Huvals selection. The law doesnt require the House and Governmental Affairs Committee to interview candidates ahead of time, he said. In addition to being a former legislator, Huval has ties to the governor that go back three decades. Landry and Huval are both from St. Martin Parish. Landrys first political job was working for the St. Martin Parish Economic Development Authority in the mid-1990s at the same time Huval was serving on the St. Martin Parish council. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite Newells objections, she and the other House and Governmental Affairs Committee members endorsed Huval for the ethics board seat without any objections. Newell said she personally likes Huval, who served in the House from 2010 to 2024, and thinks he will do a good job in the position. This is not about you, she told Huval. This is about how this process has happened and taken place. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) East Providence police say a person riding a motorized scooter hit one of their cruisers in the capital city Thursday night. Capt. Michael Rapoza told 12 News the cruiser was struck around 9:30 p.m. while an officer was working a paid traffic detail on Portugal Parkway in Providence. The car has some minor damage, while the person on the scooter was treated for minor injuries on scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Providence police also responded to the scene and are investigating the crash. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) Kraven the Hunter is the latest in the Sonys Spider-Verse, where spidey fans have gotten Venom, Morbius, and Madame Web. It marks Aaron Taylor Johnsons return to Marvel; he previously played Quicksilver. The Associated Press names its Breakthrough Entertainers of 2024 Russell Crowe is his father, a crime lord who spurns his resentful son into becoming the greatest hunter, and one of Spideys greatest villains- even a founding member of the Sinister Six. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ariana DeBose plays Calypso, and Kraven will even fight the Rhino in the end. Will there be a web-slinging cameo? Well have to see. Next up for Johnson, too: Nosferatu. Nyberg: Child actor from Connecticut stars alongside Academy Award winners in new project William S. Burroughs classic novel Queer gets the big screen treatment, with James Bond himself as the star. Daniel Craig plays Lee, who flees a drug bust in New Orleans for Mexico City, where hes taken in by the culture and more. With Call Me by Your Name and Challengers director Luca Guadagnino at the helm, plus Trent Reznor handling the music, its got Nine Inch nominations written all over it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department is looking for a suspect connected to an armed robbery that took place in Northwest D.C. on Wednesday evening. Police said that at about 7:20 p.m., a suspect entered a business in the 2700 block of 14th Street, pulled out a gun and demanded money. Man arrested in connection to Southeast DC stabbing, police say The victim gave the suspect money and the suspect then left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He can be seen in images captured by surveillance cameras here: Credit: MPD Anyone with information can call the police at (202) 727-9099 or text 50411. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Residents and officials in 5 communities review, develop and update local trails and pathways for increased access to natural areas. Students in the Michigan State University Community Sustainability Department in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources participating in the spring 2025 class about Michigan trails and trail building will assist the Michigan Department of Natural Resources working with 5 communities across the state in all aspects of their trail and pathway systems. The 5 communities are the city of Sault Ste. Marie in Chippewa County, the village of Cassopolis in Cass County, Calhoun County, Clearwater Township in Kalkaska County and the city and township of Charlevoix in Charlevoix County. Courtesy: Michigan Department of Natural Resources The DNR is excited to be partnering with MSU in this collaborative effort that focuses on trails and helping communities bring to life their visions for connected paths in their communities, Tim Novak, state trails coordinator for the DNRs Parks and Recreation Division, was quoted as saying in an MSU news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials from both the DNR and MSU say this project is the first of what they believe will be an ongoing partnership between the two entities. I look forward to our continued work with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and their trails team in helping teach students the value of trail-building and working directly with community leaders, MSU instructor Bob Wilson, who teaches the class involved, was quoted in a news release. What a wonderful opportunity to learn and to provide trail plans for these communities. Novak of the DNR says the agency and school are looking for future projects in other municipalities. This is an amazing opportunity for all involved, Novak said. Were grateful for the assistance students will provide to these communities and their plans for local trails. If this sounds like a great match for your communitys connectivity and recreation goals, wed love to hear from you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Municipalities interested in a possible partnership are asked to email Novak at novakt8@michigan.gov. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Mt. Hope Avenue will be temporarily closed Friday morning following a crash into a light pole. According to the Rochester Police Department, the driver of a silver van damaged a light pole after crashing into it. The driver, a 17-year-old male, was not at the scene. He was at Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers said the crash led to displaced wires. Drivers are asked to avoid Mt. Hope Avenue between Elmerston Road and Westfall Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the crash is under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. A new report outlines trends in jail bookings and argues that the data shows that a punitive response to social and economic needs isn't working. | Getty Images A recently released Prison Policy Initiative report, using data from the Jail Data Initiative, reveals that in 2023 there were 7.6 million admissions to jail, but that 1 in 4 admissions were for people previously booked in the last year, with Indigenous people/Native Americans the most likely to be booked again. The Wisconsin Examiners Criminal Justice Reporting Project shines a light on incarceration, law enforcement and criminal justice issues with support from the Public Welfare Foundation Based on the Jail Data Initiative data, we estimate that over 5.6 million unique individuals are booked into jail annually and about 1.2 million are jailed multiple times in a given year, the report found. Further analysis reveals patterns of bookings and repeat bookings in particular across the country: The jail experience disproportionately impacts Black and Indigenous people, and law enforcement continues to use jailing as a response to poverty and low-level public order offenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report, prepared by Emily Widra and Wendy Sawyer, is titled Who is jailed, how often and why: Our Jail Data Initiative collaboration offers a fresh look at the misuse of local jails. The Jail Data Initiative gathered information from 1,000 jails in the U.S. daily that included online jail rosters. The 1,000 jails represent approximately a third of 2,850 jails in America. Of the 1,000 jails, 648 offered jail rosters available for a two-year window (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2023) and an additional year (out to June 30, 2024) to document those who had been booked again. Previously, back in 2019, the Prison Policy Initiative released a report titled Arrest, Release, Repeat: How police and jails are misused to respond to social problems. That 2019 report reflects a survey from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health while the 2024 report reflects data collected directly from jails. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2024 report notes that more than 1 in 5, or 22%, in the study were booked more than once within 12 months. Black people, who represent 14% of the population, were booked on unique charges at 32% of the total cases. Indigenous people, who represent 1% of the U.S. population, but are 3% of the incarcerated population, were rebooked back in jail within one year at 33%, contrasted with 23% for whites booked a second time within one year, 20% for Blacks, 19% for other people of color, and 18% for Asian American or Pacific Islanders. The 2024 report notes that while the rates of booking and rebooking for women are similar to men in their demographic there is a growing trend of more women being incarcerated in jail. A chart from the new Prison Policy Initiative report. From 2021 to 2022, the number of women in jail increased 9% while the number of men in jail increased only 3%. The jailing of women has a devastating ripple effect on families: At least 80% of women booked into jail are mothers, including over 55,000 women who are pregnant when they are admitted. Beyond having to leave their children in someone elses care, these women are impacted by the brutal side effects of going to jail: aggravation of mental health problems, a greater risk of suicide, and a much higher likelihood of ending up homeless or deprived of essential support and benefits. So while women may account for a relatively small share of people booked into jails, those jail admissions have serious and long lasting consequences for the women, their families, and their communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report notes that 1 in 10 booked were older adults and roughly 7% of those older adults were rebooked within a year. The report also notes, from 1999 to 2021, there was a growing trend of those 55 years old and older being arrested. Considering most older adults are arrested for low-level, non-violent offenses like trespassing, driving offenses, and disorderly conduct, it is likely that the older adults admitted to jail are in need of other systems of support outside of the criminal legal system, like substance use treatment, accessible medical care, and behavioral health services, the report states. In the Jail Data Initiative, there were 140 jails that shared the housing status of inmates, whether residents were homeless/unhoused or not: 4% reported they were unhoused and 42% of those unhoused were booked again within a year compared to 20% of those who had housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This finding adds to the existing evidence of law enforcements ineffective but disproportionate and deliberate targeting of people experiencing homelessness, the report states. The 2024 report also compared recent charges reflected to data collected in a 2002 Bureau of Justice Statistics survey of inmates in local jails, based on self-reporting by inmates, and concluded there had been a noticeable decrease in drug charges since 2002 (from 25% to 14%), a smaller decrease for property charges, very little variation for violent offense charges, but a 6% increase in public order charges, such as disorderly conduct, loitering or public intoxication. The report notes its findings support a widely accepted conclusion: People who are arrested and booked more than once per year often have other vulnerabilities, including homelessness, in addition to the serious medical and mental health needs This report has been updated to clarify how the jail admission and readmission data was reported and calculated. Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on Facebook and X. There have been "multiple" instances of drones entering the airspace at a Navy weapons station in New Jersey, officials there said Friday, as the concern continues to grow over widespread drone sightings in the region. Naval Weapons Station Earle, which is located in Colts Neck, New Jersey, said it was "aware" of the sightings in the region and "continues to closely coordinate with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and operations." "While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle," Bill Addison, public affairs officer for the naval station, said in a statement to ABC News. "The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities." PHOTO: A view of the Naval Weapons Station Earle sign located at the main side gate. (U.S. Navy) The base did not say when the incidents happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety has advised that downed or landed drones "should not be approached," in an intelligence bulletin obtained by ABC News on Friday. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy expressed his "growing concern" about the drone reports around New Jersey in a letter to President Joe Biden shared on Friday while asking for more resources to "to fully understand what is behind this activity." New Jersey State Police have received reports of the drone sightings since Nov. 18, Murphy said. "New Jersey residents deserve more concrete information about these UAS sightings and what is causing them," he wrote in the letter, dated Thursday, referring to unmanned aircraft systems. "The continued reported of UAS activity has raised more questions than answers and prompted an outcropping of conspiracy theories across social media and other platforms." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murphy also wrote to congressional leaders on Thursday regarding the imminent lapse of the Department of Homeland Security and FBI's counter-unmanned aircraft systems authority and called on them to pass legislation empowering the state and local law enforcement agencies to use "advanced detection and mitigation technologies" to deal with UAS. Residents in northern New Jersey -- especially in Morris and Somerset counties -- have shared many videos and stories about drones larger than those used by hobbyists flying overheard at night since mid-November. Colts Neck is located in Monmouth County, in the eastern part of the state. Sen. Andy Kim, who was sworn into office just this week, spent Thursday night in Hunterdon County, which neighbors Somerset, where he said he saw dozens of drones in a two-hour period. "People deserve answers," Kim told reporters after his visit to the county. "We don't need conspiracy theories or conjecture, we need assurances that the people charged with keeping us safe are on top of this issue, and a line of communication so that people feel like their government is taking this seriously." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: White House unable to verify some drone sightings amid 'urgent concern' over mystery activity He again reiterated his calls for a federal investigation by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. Kim was one of the four senators in New York and New Jersey -- along with fellow Democrats Sens. Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker -- who wrote a letter to federal officials Wednesday calling for action. "We write with urgent concern regarding the unmanned aerial system (UAS) activity that has affected communities across New York and New Jersey in recent days," the letter said. While the letter did not specifically mention Naval Weapons Station Earle, it included a note that the drones have been observed near "critical infrastructure and sensitive locations, including reservoirs and military installations." PHOTO: This photo provided by Brian Glenn shows what appears to be multiple drones flying over Bernardsville, N.J., on Dec. 5, 2024. (Brian Glenn/TMX via AP, FILE) The White House downplayed some of the concerns of residents in a press briefing Thursday with national security communications adviser John Kirby saying "many" of the reported drone sightings appear to be lawfully operated manned aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said they have been unable to "corroborate some of the reported sightings" using their detection techniques, but are still investigating. "We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus," Kirby added. "The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are investigating these sightings, and they're working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin." Kim, after seeing the drones with his own eyes late Thursday, said the comments were not necessarily reassuring for residents. "It's hard for people to feel secure when there are unexplained drones flying overhead and they're not getting answers they need from the federal investigation," Kim said. "This has been going on for weeks and I'm just as frustrated as everyone else in not getting more information and details. That's why I came out to see for myself, and I'm grateful for local police for taking me around." PHOTO: Map Illustration of Picatinny Arsenal military base and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, New Jersey (Google Earth / FAA, as of Dec. 13, 2024) The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed temporary drone flight restrictions in New Jersey over the Picatinny Arsenal military base in Morris County and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County in response to the reported drone activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Safely integrating drones into the National Airspace System is a key priority for the FAA," the agency said in a statement earlier this month. "We look into all reports of unauthorized drone operations and investigate when appropriate." MORE: New Jersey drone mystery: What to know and what can be done Elected officials In New York City have called on the NYPD to investigate reported drone sightings over the borough of Staten Island and urged federal officials to provide more answers. "Millions of people around here -- New Jersey, of course here in Staten Island, and beyond, are getting nothing but, 'Don't believe what you see,'" Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said during a press briefing on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The briefing was held near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, where Fossella said there was a recent report of what is believed to be a drone flying over the bridge. "The people of Staten Island deserve answers. The people of this city and state and region deserve answers of what the heck is going on," he added. New York State Police said Friday they are investigating "numerous reports of drone sightings" received over the past 24 hours. "We have no evidence at this point that any of the reported sightings pose a public safety threat," state police said. Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland (25 miles from our nations capital). I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes. Like pic.twitter.com/Ipx8ctLmhs Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) December 13, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Friday he witnessed "what appeared to be dozens of large drones" for about 45 minutes above his residence in Davidsonville, Maryland, on Thursday night while criticizing what he called the "negligent response" from the federal government. "Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security," he said on X, while sharing a two-minute video of the activity. "But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government." "People are rightfully clamoring for answers, but arent getting any," he added. 'Multiple' drones entered airspace at New Jersey naval station: Official originally appeared on abcnews.go.com TORRINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) Multiple people were seriously injured late Friday morning when a car crashed into a Torrington bakery, according to the fire department. Four in total were taken to a hospital. The car crashed into De Puerto Rico Bakery, located on Main Street, at about 11:45 a.m. Two people inside the building got out before firefighters arrived. Two others one inside the vehicle, and another who was in the bakery at the time were rescued. The driver, who is 58-years-old, was transported to Waterbury Hospital where he is being treated for minor injuries. A 48-year-old man was inside the bakery and is being treated for minor injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 65-year-old woman was inside the bakery and was transported via Lifestar to Bridgeport Hospital with serious injuries. A 19-year-old man from Torrington was inside the bakery and was transported by Lifestar to Hartford Hospital where he is in critical condition. The crash caused extensive debris and a natural gas leak. The vehicle was driving on Pearl Street before it crashed. The area remained closed, as of about 3:30 p.m. It expected to reopen by 5 p.m. Further information was not immediately available. Check back for updates Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Originally appeared on E! Online New details are coming to light about the suspect in the investigation of Brian Thompson's death. Luigi Mangionewho was charged with murder in connection to the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEOwas not insured by Thompson's organization, a UnitedHealth spokesman confirmed to CNBC Dec. 12. And the New York Police Department echoed the company, with NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny telling NBC New York Dec. 12, "We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America," Kenny continued. "So, thats possibly why he targeted that company. As for what else authorities alleged Luigi knew about UnitedHealthcare prior to Thompson's killing? Kenny said they believe he had uncovered details about the investor conference Thompson was headed to speak at on Dec. 4, when he was shot in the chest by a gunman outside the New York Hilton hotel in Manhattan. More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He had prior knowledge that the conference was taking place on that date," Kenny alleged of Mangione, "at that location." Mangione was taken into custody on Dec. 9 in Altoona, Pa., after police received a tip from a McDonald's employee about a "suspicious male who resembled the male from a recent shooting in New York," according a criminal complaint viewed by E! News. At the time of his arrest, the University of Pennsylvania graduate allegedly had a ghost gun and suppressor in his possession that was "consistent with the weapon used" in Thompson's murder, as well as multiple fraudulent IDs and a three-page document allegedly written by Mangione that spoke to his "motivation and mindset," New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a Dec. 9 press conference. Pennsylvania State Police/UPI/Shutterstock The following day, the 26-year-old was charged in New York with one count of murder in connection to Thompson's death, three counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of possession of a forged instrument, according to documents viewed by NBC News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangionewho is currently in jail in Pennsylvania on separate felony charges of forgery and carrying a firearm without a licensecould face possible extradition to New York, per the outlet. However, he elected not to waive extradition, meaning there will now be a legal fight in court to provide evidence as to why he should be taken to New York state to face his charges there. And while Mangionewho was denied bail in Pennsylvaniahasn't entered a plea on any of his charges, his attorney Thomas Dickey said that his client is expected to plead not guilty in both states. "I haven't seen any evidence that he's the shooter," Dickey told reporters Dec. 10. "Remember, and this is not just a small thing: A fundamental concert of American justice is a presumption of innocence until you're proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. And I've seen zero evidence at this point." For more on the ongoing investigation, read on... Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who is Brian Thompson? Brian Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. He first joined the company in 2004 and held several positions before taking on the role of CEO in 2021. Prior to working at UnitedHealthcare, Thompson was employed at PwC, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also graduated with honors from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's degree in business administration as an accounting major in May 1997, the school's public relations manager Steve Schmadeke told NBC News. Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was married to Paulette Thompsonthough according to public records viewed by E! News, they had been living in separate homesand was the father of two sons. He was shot and killed in New York on Dec. 4, 2024. Thompson was 50 years old. How did Brian Thompson die? Patrol officers from the New York City Police Departments Midtown North Precinct responded to a 911 call at 6:46 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2024 regarding a person who was shot in front of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said in a media briefing later that morning. Kenny noted officers arrived at the scene at 6:48 a.m. and found gunshot wounds on Thompsons back and leg. The chief detective said Emergency Medical Services transported Thompson several blocks to Mount Sinai West, where the CEO was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m. The victim was in New York City to speak at an investor conference," NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said during the media briefing. "It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes. And as the victim was walking to the conference hotel, the suspect approached from behind and fired several rounds, striking the victim at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf. Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target. Tisch said the shooting appeared to be a pre-meditated, pre-planned, targeted attack and not a random act of violence. The full investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department are well underway, she noted, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case. What do investigators know about the shooting of Brian Thompson so far? According to Kenny, the shooter headed to the New York Hilton Midtown on foot and arrived outside the hotel five minutes before Thompsons arrival. In a video, Kenny continued, Thompson was seen walking alone towards the Hilton at 6:44 a.m. after exiting his separate, nearby hotel apparently for a UnitedHealth Group investors conference that was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. that day. The chief detective added the shooterwho ignored "numerous other pedestrians"approached Thompson from behind, shot him, walked towards him and continued shooting. Kenny said the gunman then fled on foot before getting on an ebike, and the shooter was seen riding into Central Park at Center Drive at 6:48 a.m. Kenny said three live nine-millimeter rounds and three discharged shell casings were recovered during the investigation. During a Dec. 6 press briefing, Kenny said the words depose, delay and deny were written on the shell casing in marker. However, hes noted the motive for the killing has yet to be confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What have investigators revealed about the gunmans timeline? During the Dec. 6 press briefing, Kenny said investigators have footage of the shooter arriving at Port Authority in New York the night of Nov. 24. We believe that that bus originated in Atlanta, Kenny continued. It has several stops along the way, so were not sure where he got on the bus. After the shooter arrived at Port Authority, Kenny continued, the gunman took a cab to the vicinity of the Hilton hotel, where he was for about half an hour before traveling by cab to an Upper West Side hostel. On the morning of the shooting, Kenny added, the gunman left the hostel at 5:30 a.m. and arrived at the Hilton hotel at 5:41 a.m. Kenny said the gunman continued to walk in the vicinity of the hotel before then going to a nearby Starbucks, where he purchased a bottled water and a snack. He then returned to the hotel, and the shooting occurred at 6:44 a.m. Immediately after, the gunman fled the scene. Kenny said the shooter was seen entering Central Park at 60th St. and Center Drive at 6:48 a.m. and exiting the park through W. 77th St. and Central Park West at 6:56 a.m. At 7:00 a.m., Kenny added, the gunman was spotted on W. 86th St without the bike. And four minutes later, the chief detective continued, the shooter got in a cab at 86th St. and Amsterdam Avenue. Kenny said the gunman was then seen in the vicinity of the George Washington Bridge at 7:30 a.m. Kenny told CNN on Dec. 6 investigators thought the shooter left NYC after he was seen at Port Authority. Who were investigators looking for? During the Dec. 4 briefing, Kenny said the shooter appeared to be a "light-skin male" who wore "a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a very distinctive gray backpack." Over the next few days, the NYPD released a series of photos of the individual they were looking for with the person's face was covered with a mask in many of the pictures. A senior law enforcement official told NBC News Dec. 5 the photos with the lowered face mask came from surveillance video at an Upper West Side hostel, and two separate law enforcement officials noted to the outlet investigators were trying to determine if the individual used a fake ID and cash for a hostel room. As for what led the individual to lower the face mask? "Apparently, there was an interaction while he was checking in, making casual conversation," Kenny said at the Dec. 6 briefing. "At some point, he pulled his mask down and smiled at the clerk." Kenny has also said a cellphone was found in an alley where the shooter fled before heading to the ebike, but it's unclear if it belonged to the gunman. Two law enforcement sources told NBC News a backpack was also found in Central Park. Kenny said investigators are "looking at everything"including Thompson's social media and interviews with employees and familythat could help the case. They're also working with Minnesota and Atlanta law enforcement. Why was Luigi Mangione arrested? Pennsylvanias Altoona Police Department arrested Luigi Mangione on firearm charges Dec. 9. According to a criminal docket obtained by NBC News, these include two felony chargesone of forgery and one of firearms not to be carried without a licenseas well as three misdemeanors: tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of a crime and providing false identification to law enforcement. NYPD commissioner Tisch said a McDonalds employee recognized Mangione and that the Altoona police were then called. When asked if he had been to New York recently, Mangione "became quiet and started to shake," police said per NBC News. Tisch also called Mangione a "person of interest" in Thompson's murder and spoke about the efforts to find him, with her thanking law enforcement partners and the public. "For just over five days, our NYPD investigators combed through thousands of hours of video, followed up on hundreds of tips, and processed every bit of forensic evidence: DNA, finger prints, IP addresses and so much more to tighten the net," she said. "We deployed drones, canine units, and scuba divers. We leveraged the domain awareness system, Argus cameras and conducted aviation canvases, and our detectives also went door to door interviewing potential witnesses and doing the good old fashioned police work that our investigators are famous for. This combination of old school detective work and new age technology is what led to this result today." What did police find on Luigi Mangione? In addition to "acting suspiciously," Tisch added, Mangione was "carrying multiple fraudulent IDs as well as a U.S. passport." Upon further investigation, officers recovered a firearm on his person as well as a suppressor, both consistent with the weapon used in the murder," she continued in the Dec. 9 briefing, per a video shared by NBC News. "They also recovered clothing, including a mask consistent with those worn by our wanted individual." Tisch added officers also recovered a fraudulent New Jersey ID that matched the one the individual used to check into the New York hostel prior to the shooting. "Additionally, she continued, officers recovered a hand-written document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What other charges is Luigi Mangione facing? On Dec. 9, Manhattan prosecutors filed a murder charge against Mangione, according to court documents obtained by NBC News. The 26-year-old is also facing three counts of criminal possession of a weapon (two in the second-degree for loaded firearm and one in the third degree such as for a silencer) and one count of possessing a forged instrument. He has yet to enter a plea for any charges. What did Luigi Mangione state in his writings? According to NBC News, citing the NYPD, Mangione had three pages of writings on him that totaled less than 300 words when he was taken into custody. Three senior law enforcement officials told the outlet these writings read, in part, "Frankly these parasites had it coming." In the writings, the officials continued, Mangione said he acted alone. However, the officials told NBC News they haven't ruled out other actors at this time. To the Feds, Ill keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country," Mangione's writings read, officials told NBC News. "To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasnt working with anyone. Officials said Mangione also added, "I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. However, Tisch noted Mangione's motive has yet to be confirmed. "I think when we look at the manifesto, or that three-page written document that was recovered, you see anti-corporatist sentiment, a lot of issues with the healthcare industry," she said in a Dec. 10 Today interview. "But as to particular specific motive, that will come out as this investigation continues to unfold over the next weeks and months." Has Luigi Mangione appeared in court? Mangione attended a hearing at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania on Dec. 10. As he arrived, NBC News reported, he yelled out to families, "Its completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people." Per the outlet, Mangione did not waive extradition to New York and was denied bail. As a result, he will remain in Pennsylvania's SCI Huntingdon prison. His lawyer Thomas Dickey told reporters that Mangione will plead not guilty in Pennsylvania and will likely do the same in New York. "I havent seen any evidence that says hes the shooter, he said, per NBC News. Remember, and this is not just a small thing: A fundamental concept of American justice is the presumption of innocence, and until youre proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." Who is Luigi Mangione? Mangione is a suspect in the murder of Brian Thompson and is facing several other charges in both Pennsylvania and New York, including forgery and criminal possession of a weapon. He's an Ivy League graduate, having received a Bachelor of Science in engineering in 2020 and a Masters of Science in engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, the school confirmed to NBC News. NYPD Chief of Detectives Kenny shared additional details on Mangione's upbringing, saying he was born and raised in Maryland. His most recent address is listed as Honolulu but he also has connections to San Francisco, Kenny told NBC News. After Mangione's arrest, his family released a statement on X. "Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione," they said in the Dec. 9 post. "We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What has Brian Thompsons family said about his death? After learning of the shooting, Thompsons family mourned his passing. We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian, a family statement obtained by NBC affiliate KARE in Minneapolis on Dec. 5 read. Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives. Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed. We appreciate your condolences and request complete privacy as our family moves through this difficult time. Thompsons wife Paulette also recalled how her husband had received threats prior to his death. "Yes, there had been some threats," she told NBC News Dec. 5. "Basically, I dont know, a lack of coverage? I dont know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him." What has UnitedHealth Group said about Brian Thompsons death? UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, also expressed how it was "deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend" Thompson, flying its flags at half-mast at corporate headquarters in Minnesota. "Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," a Dec. 4 statement from the organization read. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brians family and all who were close to him. And while the company noted "our hearts are broken," it shared in a Dec. 5 statement that it has also "been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place." "So many patients, consumers, health care professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people have taken time out of their day to reach out," the message read. "We are thankful, even as we grieve. Our priorities are, first and foremost, supporting Brians family; ensuring the safety of our employees; and working with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice. We, at UnitedHealth Group, will continue to be there for those who depend upon us for their health care. We ask that everyone respect the familys privacy as they mourn the loss of their husband, father, brother and friend." However, there's also been public criticism about UnitedHealthcare, Thompson and America's healthcare system overall. This has included online conversations about insurance companies' claim denial rates as well as a look at accusations against Thompson. For instance, in a class-action lawsuit filed by the City of Hollywood Firefighters' Pension Fund in May 2024 and obtained by NBC News, Thompson was accused of selling more than $15 million of his personal UnitedHealth shares after allegedly learning of an investigation of the company by the U.S. Department of Justice before the public did. When asked about the trades allegedly made by Thompson and other executives, a UnitedHealth spokesperson told Bloomberg in April 2024 "these directors and officers followed our protocols and received approval from the company." The lawsuit, per the BBC, remains active. And while a motive for the shooting hasn't been revealed, many outlets have noted the words depose, delay and deny on the shell casings are similar to the title of the 2010 book Delay Deny Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro slammed "deeply disturbing" online reactions to the killing: "In America," he said at a Dec. 9 press conference, per NBC News' video, "we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint." (E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family). (E!, CNBC and NBC News are all part of the NBCUniversal family.) For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Thursday described herself as more of a Ronald Reagan Republican than a Trump Republican. I dont think Ive made any secret of the fact that Im more of a Ronald Reagan Republican than I am a Trump Republican. And someone said, Well, you arent really a Republican at all. And I said, You can call me whatever you want to call me,' Murkowski said at an event hosted by the centrist group No Labels in Washington, as reported by Politico. She had also said that she is not attached to a label and would rather be known for trying to do right by the state and the people that I serve, regardless of party, Politico reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murkowski added that she has never shed my party label, arguing she is still a Republican, Politico wrote. Murkowski, who has said she didnt vote for President-elect Trump in 2016, 2020 or 2024, has previously floated the idea of leaving the GOP as it shifts toward Trump. She was also one of seven GOP senators who voted to convict the president-elect for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. During an interview earlier this year, the senator flirted with an independent bid, saying, Oh, I think Im very independent-minded. I just regret that our party is seemingly becoming a party of Trump. When pressed further, she said, I am navigating my way through some very interesting political times, so lets just leave it at that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murkowski made headlines recently as she is seen as one of the tougher votes for Pete Hegseth, Trumps pick for the top post at the Pentagon, to secure as he seeks Senate confirmation for the role. She was reportedly one of the four members of Congress in the upper chamber who could not back former Rep. Matt Gaetzs (R-Fla.) bid for attorney general. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. DETROIT (AP) Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed or failed to disclose about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter posted by Musk on the platform now called X, his lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission's demand for a monetary payment is a misguided scheme that won't intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk's computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. It is the policy of the SEC to conduct investigations on a confidential basis to preserve the integrity of its investigative process, an agency spokesperson said in an email Friday. Messages also were left Friday by The Associated Press seeking comment from Spiro. In the letter, Spiro says he is responding to demands from SEC staff members about a multi-year investigation of certain purchases, sales and disclosures of Twitter shares. In addition, Spiro is demanding to know who directed the actions. Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 for $44 billion. But a lawsuit filed by a Twitter investor in April 2022 accused Musk of violating a regulatory deadline to reveal that he had accumulated a stake of at least 5%. Instead, according to the complaint, Musk failed to disclose his position in Twitter until he had nearly doubled his stake to more than 9%. That strategy, the lawsuit alleges, hurt ordinary investors who sold shares in the San Francisco company in the nearly two weeks before Musk acknowledged that he held a major stake in Twitter. Eventually, the disclosure of Musk's stake in Twitter caused the value of its shares to soar 27% from its April 1 close to nearly $50 by the end of trading on April 4. That improper delay, according to the lawsuit, deprived investors who had sold shares before Musk's stake in the company was publicly known of the opportunity to realize significant gains. Musk has been engaged in a running battle with the SEC since 2018. That was when he and Tesla, his electric car company, each agreed to pay $20 million in fines over tweets Musk had made about having amassed the necessary funding to take Tesla private. Such a transition never happened; Tesla remains a public company. Musk sought to overturn part of the settlement that required him to have his postings about Tesla reviewed by a Tesla attorney. That provision, he had contended, violated his free speech rights. The dispute made its way to the Supreme Court, which rejected Musk's appeal without comment. Elon Musks SpaceX is reviving its mission to turn its Starbase site into a new Texas city. In a letter sent Thursday to a local judge, SpaceX requested an election to determine if its Starbase site, which is home to SpaceXs rocket production and launches, should be turned into an incorporated city, The Associated Press reported. A screenshot of the apparent letter was reposted by Musk, who wrote on his social platform, X, that SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas. The Hill reached out to SpaceX for more details on the letter, which was sent by residents of the Starbase area, according to the screenshot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Starbase site is located on the southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, close to the Mexican border. We are investing billions in infrastructure and generating hundreds of millions in income and taxes for local businesses and government, all with the goal of making South Texas the Gateway to Mars, the letter to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. stated. The aerospace company touted it has a major role in the South Texas community, which hosts thousands of its employees. To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community, the letter stated, adding, Incorporating Starbase will streamline the processes required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move builds upon Musks announcement last July that he planned to move the headquarters of SpaceX and X out of California after a state law regarding transgender students was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Newsom in July signed a bill into law that prevents school staff from outing a student to their parent or anyone else without their permission. SpaceXs headquarters, originally in Hawthorne, Calif., were moved to the Starbase area, while Xs headquarters were in San Francisco and are expected to be moved near Austin. Musk has floated turning Starbase into its own city in recent years, suggesting the idea in a 2021 social media post in which he wrote, Creating the city of Starbase, Texas, the AP reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hill reached out to Trevino, who told the AP that Thursday marked the first time a petition to turn Starbase into an incorporated city was officially filed, despite previous talks. According to a local economic impact report released by Trevino earlier this year, more than 3,400 SpaceX employees and contractors work at the Starbase site, while more than 21,000 indirect jobs in the community are generated by Starbase. Trevino in the report thanked SpaceX for helping put South Texas on the map, adding the companys presence has a positive effect on all the cities within Cameron County. The Associated Press contributed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Big drones have become a big topic of conversation in New Jersey: Residents have reported seeing drones the size of small cars flying around at night; officials are unsure if theyre seeing anything unusual, or if these are drones at all. But even if the New Jersey sightings turn out to be something else, large drones do exist. And they can have a wide range of potential applications for hobbyists, commercial users or the military, according to unmanned aircraft experts. Theres so many uses for these devices. Its almost limitless, Ryan Wallace, associate professor of aeronautical engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told CNN. Drone sightings? Law enforcement officials, including the FBI, are still trying to confirm what exactly New Jersey residents are seeing and where theyre coming from or if theyre drones at all, versus regular airplanes, flying normal routes, that people are misidentifying. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have reports from the public and law enforcement dating back several weeks, the FBI field office in Newark said December 3. New Jersey residents have described seeing drones flying overhead, sometimes in clusters. Drone sightings have been reported around Morris and Somerset counties, according to local officials. Both counties are in the New York metropolitan area. But the sightings havent only occurred among concerned residents. The US Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, said one of its assets encountered the drones. The Department of Homeland Security and White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft operating lawfully, and experts told CNN that the objects in sighting videos theyd reviewed appeared to be airplanes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House has also said there is no evidence at this time that the mysterious sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus. Still, New Jersey residents are frustrated by the lack of clear answers about what theyre seeing. You see red and green, like, flashing lights on the corners. Itll just change direction, like, go from 90 to, like, 270 degrees, just fly in different directions, one New Jersey resident told CNN. And planes obviously cant do that. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he is also pressing the federal government for more information. In a post on X, Murphy said he spoke with US Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall to discuss my concerns over the federal governments response. Drone uses Most people are familiar with the smaller drones that hobbyists use for photography. In theory, a hobbyist could also buy or build a larger drone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The wings are not something that add a lot of bulk in terms of the mass of the drone, theyre actually the lightest parts of the drone, said Pramod Abichandani, director of the Advanced Air Mobility Laboratory at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Even when youre looking at multi-rotor drones, like a quadcopter the extensions of that quadcopter, are basically carbon fiber rods, super lightweight. Weight matters because you need special and more unusual approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly drones that weigh more than 55 pounds, according to William Austin, president of Warren Community College in New Jersey, who has studied unmanned aircraft and started the schools drone program. Hobbyists would also have to be willing to shell out big bucks for such large drones, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, experts said. More often, big drones are used for commercial or military purposes. They can be used, for example, for agriculture, to survey or spray fields. Or for infrastructure, to evaluate the state of roads and buildings or for mapping. (However, for those applications, the drones would almost certainly need to be flying during the daytime rather than at night, when the New Jersey sightings are said to have occurred.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some law enforcement agencies have begun using drones for search and rescue, although they dont necessarily need extra-large drones for that. Some larger, heavier drones have also been used for commercial transportation (think deliveries). Its not super common, but its not unheard of, either, Wallace said. The military can use large drones, outfitted with all manner of sensors from powerful traditional cameras to infrared sensors for surveillance. And in the coming years, Americans could start seeing even larger, more powerful drones flying around, Austin said, like those made by Chinese company EHang to transport people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But for now, he said, youre not likely to see them here, because you have to go through so many steps of FAA permission. There are so few people who would have those kinds of credentials that the FAA would pretty quickly know who was flying a drone of that type around the national airspace. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The reports of unidentified drones over sensitive locations in New Jersey and other parts of the United States have raised suspicions some farfetched about what they might be. It also raises legitimate questions about how authorities can stop drone activity that might be potentially hostile. And some Oklahomans might even have this question: Can you shoot down a drone? Can you shoot drones in Oklahoma? The simple answer is no. Here's why. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For over a decade, both Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration have classified drones as aircraft. "They brought a century of regulations and laws along with it that dealt with big airplanes," said James Grimsley, executive director of Advanced Technology Initiatives for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. "And so if you damage or disrupt or cause an aircraft to crash or something, it's a very steep federal penalty of federal prison, very steep fines." It's also terribly unsafe to fire a gun into the air, and you may be liable for disrupting a legitimate operation. Drones are sometimes used in surveying critical infrastructure like power lines, flown by police and firefighters or used for mapping and data collecting. They also can be flown legally as a hobby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When people are doing something illegal, if they're doing something dangerous and they get caught, the FAA will come down hard on them. And if they violate local state laws, then they will face multiple consequences," Grimsley said. What is clear is that even though authorities are actively discussing the problem, local, state and even federal authorities are lagging behind when it comes to identifying and countering legitimate drone threats. Jamming technology isn't available to police, and military activity is limited within the United States. The Oklahoma National Guard recently brought together representatives from defense organizations, several regional universities, tribal leaders and technology firms specializing in drone technology to improve interoperability and standardization in the drone and counter-drone domain. Are drones legal in Oklahoma? Commercial drone pilots or government employees (such as first responders) must get a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA and follow the requirements of the FAAs Part 107 Small UAS Rule (Part 107). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recreational drone pilots must take the FAA's Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), follow FAA recreational model aircraft rules, and register them if the drones weigh more than 0.55 pounds, along with line-of-sight restrictions and other rules. Oklahoma has its own rules, too. "We have pretty robust voyeurism laws in the country, especially in the state of Oklahoma. If you're using something to spy on someone, and they have an expectation of privacy, then voyeurism laws are very steep in terms of penalties," said Grimsley. For example, using a drone that way is a misdemeanor crime subject to a fine and one year in jail. Drone pilots also are barred from flying near critical infrastructure sites, which include power lines, cell towers and dams. Some 'drones' might be planes or helicopters With the near hysteria about unidentified objects in New Jersey and Florida, some outlandish claims have surfaced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Jersey's U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew claimed on Fox News that he was told the drones came from an Iranian drone "mothership" parked off the East Coast. Several military commentators have said this is unlikely due to the U.S. Coast Guard's surveillance of territorial waters and the fact that Iran's drone ships are still in the Persian Gulf. "It seems like most of the flights that I've seen or heard about are flying with strobes and navigational lights, which are requirements for flying at night for any type of aircraft," said Grimsley. "So that would make makes me scratch my head. If it's nefarious, then why are they advertising themselves?" On Thursday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security jointly issued a statement saying they have no evidence that the drones sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety. Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities," the statement read. "We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. " This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Drones over New Jersey: Is it legal to shoot them down in Oklahoma? A naval station in New Jersey has confirmed "multiple" drones have breached its airspace as law enforcement officials continue to maintain that there is no evidence that they pose a threat to national security. "While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle," Bill Addison, a public affairs officer for the Colts Neck, N.J., naval station, said in a statement obtained by ABC News. "The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities." PEOPLE has reached out to Naval Weapons Station Earle for comment on Friday, Dec. 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The disclosure comes amid weeks of reports about mysterious nighttime drones some larger than those used by hobbyists seen flying over parts of northern New Jersey. Related: Mysterious Sightings of 'Massive' Drones Over New Jersey Spark Call for 'Limited State of Emergency' Meanwhile, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security called into question whether the drones were in fact drones in a joint statement on Thursday, Dec. 12. We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security of public safety threat or have a foreign nexus, officials said. The FBI, DHS and our fedearal partners in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Dec. 12, asking for the latters assistance in dealing with the issue. 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. Since existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter UAS, more federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity, Murphy wrote on X. Related: Green Day Abruptly Exits Stage at Detroit Tour Stop Due to Unauthorized Flying Drone Overhead, Operator Detained Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents in the area, including Phil Doyle, told NBC affiliate WNBC that he allegedly saw dozens of drones fly over his home in Oak Ridge. One goes over and then another, Doyle told the station. Its not two or three a night, its 30 or 50 a night. They have lights on them so you can see them. The FBI said that those with information related to the possible drone activity to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit it online at tips.fbi.gov. Read the original article on People LEESBURG, Va. (DC News Now) Theres controversy in Northern Virginia after a teacher at a Loudoun County high school had students pass around a cotton stem during a Black history lesson. The principal is apologizing and the NAACP is now involved. 47 new Fairfax County Police Department officers graduate Loudoun County NAACP President Pastor Michelle Thomas said the lesson one week ago was insensitive and parents have reached out to her saying their kids were humiliated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was very, embarrassing for those students and not easy to talk about at all, Thomas said. On Dec. 5, students in a dual enrollment U.S. history class were told to pass around a stalk of cotton. The college-level course was full of juniors and seniors at Riverside High School. Thomas calls it curriculum violence, where you have the curriculum thats teaching about the cotton gin, thats teaching about enslavement. But theres something so disconnected and something, that causes harm, he said. Thomas said it happened across multiple sections of the class, having kids relive a traumatic experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some students in different classes made jokes. You know, at the African-American students, it was absolutely humiliating for those students, Thomas said. Owl be fine: Injured owl rescued in Stafford County In a letter to parents of kids in that class Thursday, Principal Doug Anderson apologized to parents for the late notification after he said he accidentally only sent an apology to students Wednesday. I wanted to make you aware of an incident that occurred in your students class last week. I first must apologize for the late notification. I sent a message yesterday but accidentally only sent it to students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My Administrators and I were made aware of a lesson that included students handling a piece of cotton. The lesson invoked uncomfortable feelings in some students. We recognize that lessons of this nature may cause students to feel any number of emotions. In addition, some students in the class may have used the situation as a way to act in an insensitive manner. We will discuss the incident with the students and members of our DEIA Team in the near future. We are also addressing this issue in accordance with School Board policies as we endeavor to be better prepared in the future. I share this with you because we take matters that involve our students safety, both physically and emotionally, seriously. I am sorry to have to share this with you, but I thought it was important that you hear from me. This is not what we are trying to accomplish in our classrooms, and we will endeavor to do better. Every individual is valued in Loudoun County Public Schools. Our Administrative Team will work closely with our classroom teachers, school counselors, and our Unified Mental Health Team to best support students who were involved as needed during this time. Loudoun County Public Schools is dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students Principal Doug Anderson Thomas said the whole school should have been notified. You dont just take one group in the corner when youve done something to affect so many people, Thomas said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Aberdeen police are asking for your help investigating a burglary that turned violent earlier this week. Noem recommends $10 million cut to SD universities Three people face charges in connection with the crime: 20-year-old Jose Aguirre Rivero is charged with attempted murder, assault and burglary. Hes being held on a $50,000 cash bond. 46-year-old Yormelis Rivero Terrero is charged as an accessory to attempted murder. 64-year-old Alfredo Aguirre Matos is charged with burglary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say two people were shot during the burglary on North Congress street, not far from O-M Tiffany Elementary school. At this point, some of the documents in the case are sealed and authorities have not said whether the suspects are among the people who were injured. If you have any information that could help with the investigation, contact Aberdeen Police. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. Former U.S. House of Speaker Nancy Pelosi was rushed to a hospital in Luxembourg on Friday after she took a hard fall down a marble staircase. Pelosi, 84, tripped as she walked down the staircase at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City, a source told The New York Times. The paper reported later Friday that the veteran lawmaker had fractured her hip in the tumble. Pelosi was in the country as part of a bipartisan Congressional delegation that traveled to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The injury came during an official engagement, her office said. She plans to continue working from her hospital bed. President Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this year. / Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Ian Krager, a spokesperson for the lawmaker, said in a press release that she is receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals. She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the [delegations] engagements, he said. He added that Pelosi looks forward to returning home to the U.S. soon, but didnt venture an opinion as to when she might be headed back stateside. The U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg posted a photo of Pelosi prior to her hospitalization. In it, shes seen standing awkwardly while gripping the hand of Republican Rep. Michael T. McCaul. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear exactly when Pelosi was taken to the hospital, but a source told The Wall Street Journal that the lawmaker fell shortly after a group photo was taken. A second source told the paper that Pelosi could walk and was alert. We welcome @nasa Bill Nelson and Members of Congress to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg and Belgium. The sacrifices of brave #WWII soldiers echo from the past, reminding us that each generation must continue the fight for freedom and pic.twitter.com/ae50RVceWL U.S. Embassy Luxembourg (@USEmbLuxembourg) December 13, 2024 The photo shared by the embassy appeared to show Pelosi wearing the signature stiletto-heeled pumps that shes used to tread the marble floors of the U.S. Capitol for decades. Pelosi has a special tie to the key World War II battle she traveled to commemorate, in which outnumbered Allied forces fended off a German advance in the Ardennes. Her uncle, John Johnny DAlesandro, was killed during the battle. There wasnt a day that went by that my father didnt mourn the loss of his brother, she recalled in a statement in 2010. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pelosis hospitalization has revived calls for term limits in Congress from some conservative influencers, including Riley Gaines. Pelosi has been in Congress since 1987 and was Speaker of the House twice, between 2007 and 2011 and again between 2019 and 2023. There were already widespread calls for term limits this week after Sen. Mitch McConnell, 82, fell at the Capitol on Tuesday and received medical attention for a sprained wrist. Hed previously suffered a couple of incidents where he appeared to freeze suddenly in front of reporters last year. Nancy Pelosi has been taken to hospital in Luxembourg after suffering an injury during an official engagement. Ms Pelosi, the 84-year-old former House of Representatives Speaker, is said to be continuing to work but was forced to cancel the rest of the engagements on the trip. She had travelled to Luxembourg to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, where Allied forces repelled the last major German offensive of the Second World War, leading to its surrender a few months later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Pelosis office said she was receiving excellent treatment from doctors but did not clarify the nature of her injury or whether she had been discharged. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation, it said in a statement. She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the engagements to honour the courage of our service members during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nations history. Speaker Emerita Pelosi conveys her thanks and praise to our veterans and gratitude to people of Luxembourg and Bastogne for their service in World War II and their role in bringing peace to Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement added that she looks forward to returning home to the US soon. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi was hospitalized on Friday after injuring herself in Luxembourg. The 84-year-old Democratic politician was visiting the country with a bipartisan group from Congress to honor the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Pelosi, according to The New York Times, tripped going down marble stairs at the Grand ducal Palace and took a hard fall. Her spokesperson, Ian Krager, didnt specify Pelosis injury, but said in a statement she was admitted to the hospital for evaluation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaker Emerita Pelosi is currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals. She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the CODEL engagements to honor the courage of our servicemembers during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nations history, Krager said. He added: Speaker Emerita Pelosi conveys her thanks and praise to our veterans and gratitude to the people of Luxembourg and Bastogne for their service in World War II and their role in bringing peace to Europe. Pelosi most recently served as the Speaker of the House from 2019 to 2023. She previously served in the same role from 2007 to 2011, which marked the first time a woman had ever been Speaker in the nations history. Pelosi was first elected to Congress in California in 1987 and recently won her 20th term in office. She represents Californias 11th district, which covers most of San Francisco. Her injury comes just a few days after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell fell and sprained his wrist at the Capitol. The 82-year-old Republican from Kentucky was back to working from home on Thursday, after he was medically cleared to return to the job. The post Nancy Pelosi Hospitalized in Luxembourg After Injury From Fall appeared first on TheWrap. After helping to push President Joe Biden out of the 2024 presidential race, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is now reportedly trying to tank Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs bid to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Top Democrats say that while the 35-year-old is seen as the favorite in the race to take on the role, Rep. Gerry Connolly, 74, still has a chance. A number of ranking members on various panels who are in their seventies are facing challenges from younger colleagues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many members are concerned about [the] precedent these races are setting, a House Democrat told Axios. Two House Democrats told the outlet that Pelosi has been reaching out to members, pushing them to support Connolly instead of Ocasio-Cortez. They both want to replace the current ranking member on Oversight, Rep. Jamie Raskin. Punchbowl News initially reported on Pelosis outreach. A House Democrat told Axios that Ocasio-Cortez has pretty much the entire [Oversight] Committee with her. The House Democrats Steering Committee, set to meet Tuesday to make recommendations on postings, will take such support seriously, they added. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is taking on Rep. Gerry Connolly for the ranking member post on the Oversight Committee (Getty Images) Another Democratic member told the outlet that their gut tells me she gets it. Connolly was diagnosed with cancer last month, which is working against him, they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, lawmakers noted that Ocasio-Cortezs ascension is not a sure thing. The entire Democratic caucus has to vote on whether to support the recommendations made by the Steering Committee. A number of younger Democrats are pushing out older ranking members ahead of the incoming Trump administration. The 61-year-old Raskin managed to become the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee after Rep. Jerry Nadler, 74, agreed to step down. Similarly, Natural Resources Committee ranking member Raul Grijalva, 76, stepped down to make room for Rep. Jared Huffman, 60. But Huffman is now being challenged by Rep. Melanie Stansbury, 45. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, 79-year-old David Scott, is believed to have to give way to one of either Rep. Jim Costa, 72, or Rep. Angie Craig, 52. Last week, Pelosi told Axios that she was backing some challenges against current ranking members and two Democratic members told the outlet that she has been making calls for Costa. Pelosi was reportedly instrumental in getting Biden to step aside this summer, and she has said that Democrats might have done better in the election if he had done so at an earlier stage. Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race, she told The New York Times last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary, she added. Pelosi said that Vice President Kamala Harris would have performed well in such a primary and that it would have made her stronger going forward. But we dont know that. That didnt happen. We live with what happened, she said. And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time. If it had been much earlier, it would have been different. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is facing a powerful source of opposition in her bid to lead Democrats on the House's Oversight Committee: House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, with whom she has had a complicated relationship and who is now urging colleagues to back Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., for the top spot instead. While Pelosi, like Connolly, is a senior member of the Democratic caucus who has served in the House for decades, that has not stopped her from backing other insurgent bids from younger members, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who conceded his post atop the Oversight Committee to challenge Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., for leadership of the Judiciary Committee. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, and Connolly, 74, announced their respective campaigns to replace Raskin earlier this month. The contest underscores a stark generational contrast, with the younger members like Ocasio-Cortez arguing that they have more energy and ability to take on the incoming Republican trifecta. Connolly was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last month and is seeking chemotherapy treatment, a development that one House Democrat told Axios would work against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spot on the Oversight Committee is a coveted position as the panel has broad investigative powers and jurisdiction over most of the executive branch of federal government. Pelosi, in conversations with lawmakers, has made clear her opinion that Ocasio-Cortez should not be entrusted with leading Democratic efforts there, two House Democrats told Punchbowl News. Pelosi's office has not commented on the matter. It's not the first time Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez have been at odds. The former speaker and the progressive New Yorker have clashed before over the direction of the party. Despite Pelosi's reported efforts, however, Ocasio-Cortez might already hold a clear advantage, with a House Democrat telling Axios that she "has pretty much the entire [Oversight] Committee with her." While committee ranking members (the top position a member from the minority party can hold) are recommended by the caucus' Steering Committee and then voted on by whole caucus, Axios' source noted that Ocasio-Cortez's support among committee members will hold much weight as the Steering Committee meets next Tuesday. The Democrat who spoke of Connolly's cancer diagnosis said that their "gut tells me she gets it." Still, the lawmakers noted, leadership of the Oversight Committee is not a firm lock until the full caucus casts its votes. The current House Democratic leadership, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, has remained publicly neutral. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The Davidson County District Attorney is removing himself from a murder trial after accusations that he secretly recorded the defenses privileged conversations. Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk will no longer be pursuing the case against Calvin Atchinson, who is accused of murdering Velma Tharpe more than 20 years ago. Funk was prosecuting the case, but back in October, Atchinsons attorneys filed a motion to disqualify him from the case, claiming the DA recorded their private conversations when they visited his office to review evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED: Davidson County DAs office reportedly recorded attorneys, visitors, employees In that filing, Atchinsons attorneys cited a Tennessee Comptrollers Office report that detailed surreptitious audio recordings of privileged information, including their pending case. Atchinsons attorneys said in their filing the appearance of impropriety was enough to disqualify Funks office from handling the prosecution of the case against their client. Funk has now filed a new motion naming nearby District Attorney General Robert Nash, who serves Clarksville, as the new special prosecutor on the case. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com In his filing, Funk said Atchinsons motion was devoid of merit but requested a special prosecutor to take over the case because the needless and possible protracted litigation would only further delay obtaining justice for the victim, Velma Tharpe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recording accusations against Funks office are still under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) For the first time in its history, the National Aviation Hall of Fame induction ceremony is coming to Wichita. The 2025 induction ceremony will take place on Sept. 19. The hall of fame honors those who have made groundbreaking contributions to aviation and aerospace, from breaking barriers and advancing safety standards to pioneering innovative technologies and inspiring future generations. Founded in 1962, the National Aviation Hall of Fame is co-located with the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Two hundred seventy aviation and aerospace pioneers have been inducted, including Kansas aviation pioneers Amelia Earhart, Walter and Olive Beech, Clyde Cessna, and William Power Lear, who founded Learjet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attack of the drones? Residents concerned after drones spotted in Butler, Sedgwick Counties Hosting the National Aviation Hall of Fames 2025 induction ceremony in Wichita, the Air Capital of the World, is truly amazing, said Susie Santo, president and CEO of Visit Wichita, in a news release. Wichita has a rich aviation history, making it a great honor to set the stage to recognize the next class of trailblazers in aviation and space. We are thrilled by the extraordinary caliber of this years inductees and look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements next fall, said Aimee Maruyama, NAHF president and CEO. The Class of 2025 epitomizes the spirit of innovation and progress that defines aviation history. From revolutionizing helicopter design to advancing aviation safety and breaking barriers in military and space flight, these individuals have reshaped the industry. Their stories remind us of the power of passion, skill, and determination. We extend our sincere thanks to the Board of Nominations for their diligent and thoughtful work in this selection process. For more information about the National Aviation Hall of Fame, click here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) Middle schoolers in Alabama have a chance to flex their civics knowledge and win prizes in the National Civics Bee competition. The National Civics Bee is a nonpartisan civics competition that encourages young Americans to engage and contribute to their communities. Any sixth, seventh, or eighth grade student is eligible to enter. Students are asked to respond to an essay prompt on how to use civics to improve their community and submit their essay by February 4, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From the essays, 20 finalists will be selected to go to the local competition in Fultondale on March 15. Winners from the local competition will advance to the state level and those winners will proceed to the national level. For information on how to enter and prize visit this link. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, has warned against public discussion of the details of a possible peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia to end the war. Source: Mark Rutte in a comment to the Voice of America; European Pravda reports Details: Rutte noted that he prefers not to disclose the details regarding a possible "strong agreement" for Ukraine in order not to reveal all the cards to the Kremlin head. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rutte was reluctant to answer the question, stating that such conversations should occur behind closed doors rather than on television. He argued that openly discussing their plans could allow Vladimir Putin to anticipate their actions when negotiating. Meanwhile, the sSecretary general emphasised that the support for Ukraine from many European countries is "unwavering". Rutte made the comment after delivering his first major policy speech in office on 12 December in Brussels. He warned against negotiating a peace deal without involving the Russian leader in the process. He also doubts the appropriateness of publicly discussing the details of security and peace guarantees for Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rutte responded to a question about peace guarantees for Ukraine by stressing the significant risk involved in reaching an agreement on a peace deal without Vladimir Putin being part of the discussions. He also warned that NATO is not prepared for the threats that it will face from Russia in the coming years and called for a shift to a wartime mindset with much more defence spending. Support UP or become our patron! The News NATO needs to shift to a wartime mindset amid the rising threat posed by Russia, the head of the alliance said. Members should allocate much more than 2% of their GDP to defense spending, Secretary General Mark Rutte argued in a speech in Brussels on Thursday, warning of a coordinated campaign to destabilize our societies, including through cyberattacks and assassination attempts. We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years, he said. SIGNALS Forget Trump-proofing NATO the real threat is Putin Sources: Center for Strategic and International Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US President-elect Donald Trumps criticism of member countries who havent met the defense spending target has created new urgency in Europe to take defense more seriously. But the biggest threat to the alliance is Putin, not Trump, a Europe expert argued for the Center for Strategic and International Studies: Its important to focus instead on two major geopolitical shifts, namely the return of Russian revanchism and the military rise of China. For Putin, it is all about the US president, until the Europeans prove him wrong and show that they are sovereign in terms of their own security, another expert argued for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. European progress on defense spend likely stalled by Germanys political uncertainty Sources: Atlantic Council, Financial Times, Internationale Politik Quarterly, Chatham House A record number of NATO allies 23 have stepped up to meet defense spending targets since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, up from just six countries in 2021, the Atlantic Council noted. Members are now weighing hiking their defense spending benchmark to 3% of GDP in 2025, the Financial Times recently reported. German defense expenditure, meanwhile, remains low, owing to political and legal rather than financial constraints, a geopolitics expert argued in Internationale Politik Quarterly. With the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz coalition, any European progress on defense spending is now well and truly stalled until elections in February, two Europe experts wrote for Chatham House. I cycled past a tractor in Londons Victoria this week. The poor soul driving this monster of a vehicle, which towered above the surrounding cars, was clearly lost. He looked vexed and I felt for him. He had clearly become detached from his flock of fellow country types, who had gathered in Whitehall on Wednesday to protest against the Governments plans for changes in inheritance tax. What these farmers would have given to be trundling around the country lanes near home, cutting hedges or taking hay into the fields for sheep. Instead, theyd made the reluctant journey to the capital, investing considerable sums in red diesel and enduring the agonisingly slow haul up those A-roads. Yet they clearly felt they must waste a days work and considerable sums of money to draw the Governments and the nations attention to their plight. And its a plight that is failing to raise an eyebrow from our legislators, for surveys consistently show that more than half of Brits dont think the Government should increase funding for farmers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farmers engage in an uneconomic activity, highlighted so brilliantly by Jeremy Clarkson in Clarksons Farm. They battle the weather and, having invested eye-watering sums in machinery, are told they can only sow and harvest poxy pockets of land. All hell will break out if they so much as touch a hedge, even up a field of ridge and furrow, or plough a field that was once a Mesolithic settlement. This week a farmer in Devon, Andrew Cooper, a tenant of the National Trust-owned Croyde Hoe Farm, was at the Court of Appeal in London, battling Natural England, the Governments adviser for the natural environment, which is seeking a permanent injunction to prevent him from ploughing fields near the Baggy Point headland on the north Devon coast. Natural England says Cooper is harming an area of historical significance. Coopers lawyers have appealed, citing a Bristol High Court judge who said that Natural England does not have jurisdiction over archaeological remains which lie under the surface of the soil. Cooper was in court representing himself and offering a heart-aching plea to the appeal judges: All I want to do is be left alone to do my farming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Natural Englands barrister told the court: The injunction is (needed) to preserve the irreplaceable archaeological remains, particularly when we are dealing with somebody as determined as Mr Cooper to prevent irreversible and irremediable environmental damage. The watchdog is a non-departmental public body, its a quango to set standards and regulate behaviour. Its chairman is Tony Juniper, an environmentalist, a campaigner and former executive director of Friends of the Earth. This week he re-posted on X the words of Antonio Guterres, UN secretary-general, that the human race must ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate. Phase out. He puts himself at odds with the prevailing view that economic activity is vital for a nations success, supporting Buy Nothing Day and saying, I will get up early and not go shopping, either online or in person. Hes a proponent of rewilding and supports the view of biologist George Tsakraklides that it is the annihilation of climate and biosphere which will be our ultimate legacy as a species. And while it is Natural England not Juniper that is pursuing Cooper, the chairmans grandstanding on environmental issues does sit in stark relief to the plight of the tenant farmer, who is left wondering how the hell he is supposed to make a living. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is Cooper to do if he cannot plough the fields and scatter? As he says: The agreement I took was to be able to farm arable. I am the legal tenant and until the National Trust tries to evict me I am the landholder. Yet he faces a monstering from Junipers quango and has already been landed with a fine and costs of 31,500 in April 2021 for cultivating without a Natural England environmental impact screening assessment. Data last month from Defra showed that bad weather and subsidy cuts have seen farm incomes fall in England. And now farmers are being clobbered by a change to inheritance tax. Mr Cooper is pleading for him to be able to carry out body-aching, mentally exhausting activity that will see him barely break even. His wail of just leave me alone to farm is the clarion call of all those farmers in Whitehall this week. Government (and its quangos) should either increase subsidies to maintain this fabric of Britain and those who grow our food, or be honest and say that they think the industry is defunct, not worth a sausage and pay them all off to retire, lock up their combines and throw away the keys. And then tell the nation to get ready for imported chlorinated chicken and vegan shawarma kebabs harvested in labs in California. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The 1989 movie Glory, which earned Denzel Washington his first Oscar, tells the Civil War-era story of one of Americas first all-Black military regiments and the racism they had to overcome on their path to victory. At one point, recognizing the importance of soldiers ready to step up if the units flag bearer should fall, the colonel asks, If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on? Now, as we face the newest battle in the fight for racial equality this time in military academy admissions Black women veterans are leading efforts to protect opportunities for the next generation of military leaders. In last years U.S. Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, the court struck down affirmative action policies used at the two schools, but confirmed that they may lawfully consider an applicants discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise. The court also explicitly carved out military academies from the decision in light of the potentially distinct interests that military academies may present. Soon after, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) filed new lawsuits attacking racial diversity in the military academy admissions at the U.S. Naval Academy and West Point. Last Friday, a federal judge ruled in favor of maintaining the U.S. Naval Academys affirmative action policies, allowing the continued consideration of race in its admissions process. This decision reinforces the importance of diversity in shaping a leadership corps equipped to tackle the complex global challenges of our time. It also unequivocally rejects the SFFAs effort to extend the Supreme Courts 2023 ruling banning affirmative action at colleges to military academies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Applying to a military academy is more like applying for entry to a job than a traditional college. If the students admitted to military academies are not racially diverse, it can impact the pool of potential officers. Decades of evidence show that Black people are overrepresented in the enlisted ranks of the military, but they still face incredible obstacles to reach the officer ranks, especially at the highest levels of military command. For example, in the Navy, Black sailors make up almost 20% of enlisted service members but less than half of that just 9% of the officer ranks. In fact, only 10 admirals of the 268 in the Navy were Black as of 2020. Military academies have an oversized impact in filling the most senior officer positions. For instance, 90% of the Navys chiefs of operations are graduates of the Naval Academy. The impact of the lack of diversity in the Navys officer corps was hotly contested during the trial. The government argued that a racially diverse officer corps was a national security imperative, presenting evidence and testimony about its practical and strategic benefits. For example, racial diversity in the officer corps improves retention and recruitment. In an ACLU amicus brief on behalf of the National Association of Black Military Women (NABMW) and others, the NABMW described disparities in the promotion of service members of color, noting that they had fewer role models for professional development, lacked social capital and were underexposed to career-broadening opportunities. Officers of color provided mentorship and were more attuned to addressing discrimination within the military. Additionally, the government identified strategic benefits of a racially diverse officer corps, including unit cohesion, which makes missions more effective and strengthens legitimacy in our country and abroad. Captain Jason Burch, a former Navy SEAL, testified that his presence as a Black officer made Black service members more comfortable reporting harassment and enhanced the Navys legitimacy in China and Bangladesh. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SFFA attempted to rewrite the past and present realities of discrimination in the military. In support of their misrepresentations, SFFA relied on testimony from retired Brig. Gen. Christopher Walker that he never experienced racism in the military in his over 40 years of service and that racism in the military ended after the Vietnam War. However, Walkers opinions were contradicted at every turn. For decades, defense secretaries and military leaders across presidential administrations from both parties have sought to increase racial diversity, describing it as a unique strength of the military and a strategic imperative critical to mission readiness, accomplishment, and a leadership requirement. Further, an independent racial disparity review conducted by the Air Force confirmed that racism in the military is not dead. Fifty percent of Black airmen reported that they experienced racial discrimination from other airmen. Walkers conclusions simply werent credible in light of the evidence. Last weeks ruling reaffirmed that the militarys strength lies in its diversity and that a diverse leadership corps is essential to fostering an environment where all service members can thrive. Black armed forces veterans and their allies have carried the flag in this fight for opportunity and access to military academies. Now, with this victory, we must remain vigilant in protecting diversity in military institutions. However, just days later, a new lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Air Force Academy, challenging its race-conscious admission policies. While last weeks ruling was a crucial victory, it is clear we must remain vigilant in protecting diversity in both military and civilian institutions. Together, we can ensure that Americas strength continues to rest in the diversity that drives innovation, resilience and justice. Leah Watson is a senior staff attorney with the ACLUs Racial Justice Program. FLETCHER, N.C. (WSPA) Police are asking for information regarding a father and daughter who have not been seen in more than a week. Fletcher police said Michael Anthony Shope, 41, and Altani Ani Dotsikas, 9, were last seen on December 3, at a motel on Underwood Road. Shope is a white man, around 59 in height and weighs around 170 pounds. Officials said he is bald with blue eyes, and has a tattoo on the right side of his neck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said Ani is a white female, standing at 42 and weighs around 90 pounds. She has brown hair, brown eyes and wears glasses. On Friday, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety shared more information about Ani and her father. Officials said that Ani has special needs, and that she was last known to be in her Shopes custody. Police said that Shope may be experiencing a mental health crisis and that his cell phone has been disconnected. The two, police said, could possibly be using a four-door, silver Toyota Corolla Matrix with the NC plate (VDN-2957). The car was last seen in Greenville, South Carolina on December 4. Investigators added that Shope and his daughter may be traveling through the Greenville area as well as Atlanta, Georgia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If seen, police ask that you call (828) 687-7922, or local law enforcement. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Nedda Irene Pray, an attorney who successfully represented wrongfully terminated Rite Aid employees and was a Baltimore County land preservation activist, died of cardiac arrest Dec. 7 while vacationing in Switzerland. She was 73 and lived in Mays Chapel. Born in Walnut Creek, California, and raised in Fremont, she was the daughter of Robert Landone Pray, who owned a diner, and Marilyn Madden Pray, an urban planner. She later moved to Hyattsville. She was a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In law school, she met fellow student Joseph L. Evans. They graduated in 1978 and married in 1980. After serving as a Harford County assistant states attorney, she opened a solo practice law office on Pennsylvania Avenue in Towson. In 1984, she won a $5 million jury verdict in Baltimore City Circuit Court on behalf of four East Baltimore women who had been retaliated against and ultimately fired from store positions at Rite Aid for refusing to take polygraph tests, which were being required as a condition of their employment in violation of Maryland law. Ms. Pray argued the four women did nothing wrong and didnt have to prove their integrity, according to The Sun. She and attorney Stephen Langhoff argued the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The jury said the women had been abusively discharged and were the victims of intentional affliction of emotional distress. That verdict was upheld on appeal. Nedda was able to keep her caseload very low, and as a result, she could devote significantly more time to her clients and their cases than did most lawyers. Her clients adored her, said her husband, Joseph L. Evans. Nearly 25 years ago, she withdrew from her law practice because of debilitating migraines and other medical conditions. She became active in the Greater Sparks-Glencoe Community Planning Council, a land preservation organization in northern Baltimore County. She fought a bill to allow agritourism petting zoos, corn mazes and pumpkin patches in areas designated for agriculture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One overriding concern is that these celebratory events that [could be] allowed have nothing to do with agriculture itself, she said in a 2014 Sun story. In 2017, Councilman Wade Kach appointed her to the Baltimore County Charter Commission, which was rewriting the county charter. She represented a strong voice for residents and citizen community organizations and was responsible for defeating a number of proposed charter amendments that would have benefited powerful commercial interests over the welfare of neighborhoods and community groups, her husband said. Related Articles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout her life, she and her husband traveled widely, but her medical condition made long vacations increasingly difficult. While we were able to squeeze in several trips, she was essentially housebound for the past four years, said her husband. We thought the trip to the Rhine Valley would most likely be the last time she could ever travel. Survivors include her husband, Joseph L. Evans, an attorney; a son, Zachary Evans, of Baltimore; a brother, Dr. Howard Pray, of El Paso, Texas; and a nephew, Gregory Spencer, of Lake Tahoe, California. A celebration of life is being planned. Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jacques.kelly@baltsun.com and 410-332-6570. GREEN LAKE, Wis. (WFRV) Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll is letting us in on the crucial conversations between Ryan Borgwardt and his staff in the weeks leading up to the 45-year-old father and husband returning to Wisconsin. My chief deputy continued conversations with him, Podoll said. I think he needed someone to talk to. Borgwardt allegedly faked his death on Green Lake by staging a scene involving an overturned kayak, life jacket, tacklebox, and other pieces of physical evidence. The district attorney believes that amounts to one count of obstructing an officer, which Borgwardt was charged with on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Borgwardt could face up to nine months in jail and $10,000 in fines if convicted, and the sheriffs office continues to seek tens of thousands of dollars in restitution. Borgwardt indicated in court Wednesday that he plans to represent himself, stating that he only has $20, although he reportedly cashed in on a $375,000 life insurance policy before his getaway. Podoll says that Borgwardt has shown remorse. Hes felt sorry, I just dont know whats going through his mind, Podoll said. Thatll be through the court system. But when you brought up volunteers, our community was really supportive of the efforts that we put in. Community members were also generous in donating to Bruces Legacy, the nonprofit operated by Keith Cormican that aided in the underwater search for Borgwardt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was the expert, and he was the very first one I called when we found out that we had a drowning victim, Podoll said. And he gave me everything that he could. Cormican declined to be interviewed Thursday but said that he is not asking Borgwardt or the family to pay any money. Cormican stated that much of the nonprofit is run off of donations from volunteers and that he does not want to add more to the familys plate. According to online records, Borgwardts wife filed for divorce from him on Thursday. Podoll says the family is doing well. Theyre doing good, theyre a strong family, and as you said, the holidays are here, I think that brings something special, Podoll said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Podoll says that his number one priority has always been Borgwardts safety, and being in communication with him and receiving the video confirming that it was him provided great relief. We felt at first about his safety, wanted to make sure that it was him and that he was safe, and he sent us that video, Podoll said. Podoll credits his staffs diligence and kindness for locating Borgwardt and leading to his change of heart. They were truly, truly dedicated to this case and to bring closure to a family that was in need, Podoll said. Every day we reviewed and went over what we were doing and you try to make it better. But the biggest thing is youve got to have compassion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The four-month-long and ongoing saga has brought more attention to Green Lake than ever before, according to locals. Well it seems like the first halfway interesting thing thats happened here in Green Lake in my lifetime, Markesan resident Allen Rowley said. And really, everyones just happy its all over with I think. Quin Niemann was amazed at how his phone blew up once it was revealed that Borgwardt was alive and fled the country, but cannot imagine what it is like for families going through these types of issues. [Everyone was] texting me saying, Is this you, Green Lake, is this where you live? And I said, Yeah, that was us. Its just kind of funny to see that blow up everywhere and know that that happened right here, Niemann said. Seems like men, who desert their families for whatever reason, today its a lot harder to get away with. But its really too bad for that family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rowley knew early on that there was something more to the case than a drowning, and wants to see the community benefit from restitution after the wasted funds. It takes one day and they usually find them out there. After the first few days of not finding anything people had the inkling that something wasnt the same, he said. The money that they used to look for him should be put to something else better served, so yeah I think he should pay it back. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Police said 44 shell casings were found reports of loud gunfire in a south Glendale neighborhood. At around 11 p.m. on Dec. 7, officers with the Glendale Police Department responded to a residential area near Oregon and 63rd avenues. According to Glendale police, various houses in the area were struck by gunfire. No injuries were reported as a result of the shooting, only property damage. The shell casings were found in the road and in the front yard of the house where the incident began, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There were several different gun calibers used during the shooting," said Sgt. Bryan Hoskin with Glendale police. In video footage captured by a home surveillance system, a white sedan pulled up to a home, and at least one person was seen exiting the car, police confirmed. Multiple people were heard arguing followed by gunfire. The vehicle backed out of the driveway and into the road. The person emerged from the driveway, followed the vehicle on foot and fired multiple rounds, said police. The car eventually sped out of the area. Glendale police said the investigation was ongoing, and the suspects are still at-large. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Multiple homes struck, no injuries after intense shootout in Glendale Does Sylvester Stallone want to keep out seaweed or boaters from the water next to his multimillion-dollar Palm Beach estate? The action star's plans to install a barrier in the Intracoastal Waterway next to his North End home are drawing ire from some of his neighbors, according to records obtained by the Daily News. While the barrier is billed in applications to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as needed to keep out seaweed and debris, a public notice from the Army Corps said "the overall project purpose is to exclude boaters" from coming near the property with seaweed a secondary concern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The request has raised the hackles of neighbors who say they were blindsided by the notice they recently received from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection letting them know they have until 5 p.m. Christmas Day to comment on Stallone's proposal. Stallone's application also includes a request for a submerged lease of state land, because the barrier would in part be on underwater property owned by the state of Florida, records show. "He bought a beautiful property," neighbor Bradford Gary said of Stallone's estate, calling it "one of the nicest West Indies houses" on the North End. "I can see why you'd want to protect it. But you can't just kind of stake your claim and think you own the water." Requests for comment to multiple representatives for Stallone including Isiminger & Stubbs Engineering Inc. of North Palm Beach, the project's engineer were not returned. What is Sylvester Stallone asking for in Palm Beach? Sylvester Stallone's lakeside estate at 1480 N. Lake Way on the North End of Palm Beach. The application was submitted to the state and Army Corps for review by celebrity wealth manager Lester Knispel on behalf of Southpaw Trust, the entity through which Stallone in December of 2020 paid a recorded $35.375 million for the property at 1480 N. Lake Way in Palm Beach, records show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The estate where the famed "Rocky" and "Rambo" actor lives with his wife, entrepreneur and model Jennifer Flavin, includes a 262-foot private beach on the lake, along with a two-story mansion, a guesthouse and a pool pavilion. The property is just a stone's throw from the very northern edge of Palm Beach, which sits against the Palm Beach Inlet. It looks west toward the Port of Palm Beach and Florida Power & Light's Manatee Lagoon education center. Peanut Island, a popular boating a recreation site, is about a mile north. According to state records, the floating barrier would rise about 8 inches above the water and extend down about 10 inches below the water's surface. It would be anchored into the bottom of the waterway using a system of nylon ropes and eyelets that would be secured into the substrate by six piles, records show. The barrier would allow marine life to swim underneath, and creatures could also swim around the barrier at each end, an engineer for the project said in an email to the state Department of Environmental Protection that was reviewed by the Daily News. The barrier would extend 191 feet south from the dock that is at the north end of Stallone's beach, and then make a 90-degree right turn to run 50 feet back toward the shore, forming an "L" shape, according to federal and state public notices describing the project. Sylvester's notice of public comment surprises Palm Beach neighbors Sylvester Stallone and wife Jennifer Flavin shop during the 2022 Palm Beach Show. The project dates back to at least 2022, when the state Department of Environmental Protection completed a site survey, public records show. Representatives for Stallone officially submitted the application to the state on Jan. 23, 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plans were received by the Army Corps on Aug. 16 of this year, an Army Corps spokesperson said. That agency published a notice for public comment on Oct. 24, and there was a 30-day comment period that ended Nov. 24. The notice was posted on the Army Corps' website, sent via email to the agency's public notice notification mailing list for Florida projects and sent via letter to the two residences on either side of Stallone's property, the Army Corps spokesperson said. The Army Corps received one public comment that questioned the proposed project's effects on seagrasses and the risk of manatees becoming entangled in the barrier, the spokesperson said, adding that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also submitted comments. The FWC also reviewed and commented on the application to the state Department of Environmental Protection, records show. "The Corps is reviewing the project purpose to determine if the use of barrier for the purpose of deterring boaters within the public waterway is permittable," the Army Corps spokesperson said. The agency asked for more information from Stallone's team, they said. The notice of the state's public-comment period surprised Susan Gary and her husband, Bradford, when they received it in the mail on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Usually when your neighbors are gonna do something, we've found in Palm Beach, usually they call," Bradford Gary said, adding, "A lot of neighbors are concerned." The Garys sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel objecting to the project, and they also submitted a letter objecting to the project to the state. Those who would like to review the entire application for the project can do so by going to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 3301 Gun Club Road, SC 7210-1, West Palm Beach. Written comments must be submitted before 5 p.m. Dec. 25 to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 3301 Gun Club Road, SC 7210-1, West Palm Beach, FL 33406. Trash washing up on Sylvester Stallone's beach View of rear exterior of actor Sylvester Stallones Palm Beach, FL residence December 12, 2024. While the 2022 state survey of the area did not find any seaweed, that is because the survey was done in November, and most of the seaweed accumulates during the summer, a project engineer said in an email to a Department of Environmental Protection employee last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The engineer went on to describe some of the items that washed up on the beach in June of 2022, including plastic bottles, trash, sticks, leaves, palm fronds, coconuts and a watermelon, in addition to seaweed. "All these items would be reduced with the floating seaweed barrier," the engineer wrote. The beach is routinely cleaned to remove seaweed, trash and other debris that wash up on Stallone's property, he said. Concerns about wildlife and safety The area where Stallone proposed to install the barrier is a quiet cove that serves as a refuge for kayakers, paddle boarders and others who may get stuck in the strong current that rushes in and out of the inlet, Susan Gary said. Among those boaters are the small vessels used by the Sailfish Club to teach young people how to sail, she said. This starlet coral was spotted during a November 2022 survey by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in an area where actor Sylvester Stallone is proposing a seaweed barrier in the water next to his Palm Beach home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We would not want a whole section of the beach completely blocked by this net, which is pretty big," Bradford Gary said. Susan Gary recalled that when they first moved to Palm Beach, she was in a kayak and her husband was in a small Boston Whaler when she got stuck in the inlet's strong current. Bradford Gary had to throw her a tow line to pull her to safety, she said. "From that experience, I would say it was a safety issue, particularly for people who are new to the area and don't realize how strong the current can be," Susan Gary said. "You could pull in there to get out of the current." Both said they have never seen an issue with large amounts of seaweed accumulating along the lake shore. Another frequent boater in that area, who asked not to be named because of privacy concerns, concurred, saying that while there may be an occasional bunch of seaweed that enters the inlet, it rarely gathers along the shore in bunches that could be considered a nuisance to Palm Beach's North End. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are some federally listed species in the area, including manatees and smalltooth sawfish, the Army Corps said in its public notice. The state's survey in 2022 found several seagrasses, along with coral. The Garys also said that starfish are frequently seen in the cove's clear, shallow water. The Army Corps notice states that the plans would include conditions that are standard for protecting manatees, sea turtles and smalltooth sawfish. The project team would use floating curtains to protect the surrounding area during work, until sediment stabilizes, the Army Corps notice said. The application to the Army Corps said that the amount of seagrass and hard bottom of the waterway that would be affected is "negligible," the Army Corps notice said. This story was updated to add new information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Sylvester Stallone wants seaweed barrier near Palm Beach house EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (KTVI) A convicted killer who had escaped his crime for more than a decade learned Thursday that he will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. It began as a missing persons case in 2013 when Patrenia Butler-Turner disappeared. Nine years later, the nephew of Roger Dale Sutton, 57, walked into the Pontoon Beach Police Department in Illinois to report that he had witnessed his uncle kill the woman, according to a press release from the office of the Madison County States Attorney. Nathan Beyer, who reported the killing in December 2022, said it had been eating at his conscience until he was finally motivated by a touching Christmas commercial to tell police he watched his uncle strangle a woman. According to the release, he also helped to dispose of her body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nephew testified at trial about how he began feeling guilt after seeing television commercials featuring family gatherings during the holidays, according to the release. He said he drove to the Police Department, parked nearby, prayed for 20 minutes, then went inside. Remains of Pennsylvania teen at center of 1973 cold case identified Afterward, he led police to Butler-Turners skeletal remains in a wooded area behind a storage center in Madison County, according to the release. In October, Sutton was found guilty of first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death. He had denied killing Butler-Turner and argued that she died from a drug overdose and that he had hidden her body out of fear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A jury didnt buy it. The nephews testimony was key. I really appreciate him for speaking up, but I also feel on the other hand that I wish I would have seen her, you know, in the casket, said Carmillya Butler, Butler-Turners daughter. He should have said something a little earlier. At sentencing Thursday, Madison County Assistant Prosecutor Lauren Maricle said Butler-Turner was killed over something trivial. He killed her for her jewelry, with his bare hands, for the profit from the jewelry and just for the sport of it, she said. Sutton quietly apologized for hiding the victims body but maintained his innocence of murder. The judge looked at the defendant and told him, You had 10 years to tell police about the body. You had 10 years to put the family to rest. The victims body would still be buried in the woods if your nephew hadnt come to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sutton was then remanded to prison after the judge sentenced him to 35 years. He had been charged in February 2023 as he was completing a prison term for an unrelated drug crime. After witnessing all that, I really feel he should have gotten more time, the death penalty instead of just 35 cause Im still without a mother and I still feel like this wasnt right, Butler said. Snake thief caught after coming back to negotiate price on another reptile, owner says James Gibson, the victims former boyfriend, agreed. The circumstances was aggravating, and he shouldve gotten significantly more time than he did, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Either way hes still going to rot in there, Butler said. Butler, who carries a bag bearing a picture of her mom, said her mother is with her every day. Within my spirit; everywhere I walk, she said. You never can get over something like that. Thats something Ill never get over. Concealment charges are pending against Beyer. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. The Nevada attorney general has charged six Republicans with submitting falsified documents to Congress declaring President-elect Donald Trump the winner of the key swing state in 2020. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford argues the defendants signed off on false Electoral College votes for Trump in 2020 even though he lost Nevada by more than 30,000 votes. There was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Nevada during the 2020 election, Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske said at the time. Ford filed the charges of uttering a forged instrument for a second time in Carson City this week after a judge dismissed an initial indictment in Clark County earlier this year, ruling the prosecutor filed it in the wrong venue, the Associated Press reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ford has since appealed the ruling to the Nevada Supreme Court. He said in a statement he filed the new indictment to ensure the statute of limitations does not expire while he awaits the appeal, according to the Associated Press. While we disagree with the finding of improper venue and will continue to seek to overturn it, we are preserving our legal rights to ensure that these fake electors do not escape justice, Ford said. Ballot drop boxes pictured in Clark, County, Nevada. Attorney General Aaron Ford has charged the six defendants for a second time after a judge said the first indictment was filed in the wrong venue (AFP via Getty Images) The actions the fake electors undertook in 2020 violated Nevada criminal law and were direct attempts to both sow doubt in our democracy and undermine the results of a free and fair election, he added. Justice requires that these actions not go unpunished. The six people named are Michael McDonald, chair of the Nevada Republican party; Jesse Law, chair of the Clark County Republican Party Jim DeGraffenreid, national party committee member; Shawn Meehan, national and Douglas County committee member; Storey County Clerk Jim Hindle; and party member Eileen Rice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Independent has contacted the defendants for comment. The charges join several state-level criminal cases against Trump allies who were part of a nationwide scheme to overturn 2020 results by certifying alternate electors in states that Trump lost. Similar charges related to efforts to overthrow the 2020 election are pending in Arizona, Michigan and Georgia. In Wisconsin, prosecutors also filed 10 additional felony charges this week against two lawyers and an aide who allegedly advised Trump in 2020 to baselessly claim he won the state. Meanwhile, at least 14 people who were reportedly tied to this nationwide fake electors scheme in 2020 served as official electors in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan during the 2024 election, The Independent previously reported. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The Nevada Attorney Generals office refiled charges Tuesday against the six so-called fake electors who submitted documentation saying former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election when he lost. In December 2020, the group signed paperwork signaling their support for Trump in a symbolic ceremony devoid of any legal merit. The group then mailed the certificates to Washington. In 2023, a Clark County grand jury indicted the six Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald, Clark County party chairman Jesse Law, Jim DeGraffenreid, Durward James Hindle III, Shawn Meehan and Eileen Rice on charges of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument, felonies that carry penalties of up to four or five years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus later dismissed the case, citing an improper venue. The state appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court afterward. The new case would be closed should the court rule in the offices favor, officials said. A screen for a teleconference is shown in court in Las Vegas, on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, where six Republicans pleaded not guilty to two felony charges each, stemming from their roles as fake electors in 2020 where they signed certificates falsely claiming former President Donald Trump won Nevada over Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil) Nevada law requires the secretary of state oversee the certification of the states electoral certificates. Then-Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, oversaw the official certification process on the same day as the Republican signing for Trump. The six Republican electors said they filed the certificates due to the then-ongoing legal battles from the Trump campaign. However, in mid-December 2020, no legal case remained open in Nevada. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled against the Trump campaign on Dec. 8, 2020, six days before the Dec. 14 ceremony. However, lawyers claim the U.S. Supreme Court had yet to weigh in, though the panel ultimately did not. In June, Holthus dismissed the case, saying she had no jurisdiction over the matter. Attorneys for the six Republicans had said Democratic Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford improperly indicted their clients in Clark County instead of northern Nevada, adding there was no intent to commit a crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have filed these charges in Carson City as a preemptive measure to ensure that the statute of limitations on this charge does not lapse, Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford said in a statement Thursday. My office still believes that Clark County is an appropriate venue for this case and will continue to seek a ruling from the Nevada Supreme Court to return to the Eighth Judicial District Court. While we disagree with the finding of improper venue and will continue to seek to overturn it, we are preserving our legal rights in order to ensure that these fake electors do not escape justice. The actions the fake electors undertook in 2020 violated Nevada criminal law and were direct attempts to both sow doubt in our democracy and undermine the results of a free and fair election. Justice requires that these actions not go unpunished. This is not going away. The charge, uttering a forged instrument, is a category D felony. There was no hearing scheduled in the supreme court case as of Thursday. President Joe Biden won the 2020 election in Nevada by about 33,000 votes. Trump won re-election against Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 46,000 votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. NOTE: This story contains content that some may find disturbing. Please read with care. ACADIANA, La. (KLFY) Former patients of an Acadiana surgeon are coming forward with claims that they had been touched inappropriately while being examined. The surgeons attorney, however, said those allegations are false. A Facebook post accusing Dr. Bahmen Ben Sabbaghian of sexual assault has gone viral with multiple alleged victims sharing their experiences. The allegations have resulted in complaints and reports filed with the Louisiana State Medical Board, the District Attorneys Office and local law enforcement agencies. The allegations Bethany Palmer said she filed a police report against the surgeon regarding an incident that allegedly occurred in 2022. But when nothing was done about her claims, Palmer turned to Facebook last Friday, Dec. 6. Thats when she made a post explaining how she was sexually assaulted and to warn others about her experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I heard from a detective saying another girl filed a police report. And then a few months ago, there was a third. We all kind of got together and got a lawyer and that didnt work out. So thats when I made the Facebook post, she said. Palmer told KLFY News 10 that she was referred to Sabbaghian to get a facial piercing surgically removed. She alleges that her incident occurred in May 2022. He pulled open my pants and my panties and looked down. Then he felt my breasts and then he turned me around and he looked at my backside, Palmer said. Palmer said he continued to ask if she was comfortable, but she said she was unsure whether the examination was appropriate. She said she wasnt comfortable but did not want to question a doctor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Another alleged victim, who wished to remain anonymous, said her experience with Sabbaghian happened in front of her minor child. She said she was referred to him to have her gallbladder removed, but during the examination, she claims he began touching her inappropriately As soon as we walked out of the room, my child said to me, Mama, that made me very uncomfortable. I wanted to tell him to not touch you like that. Despite being discouraged from filing a report, she filed one with the police five days later. She also filed one with the Louisiana State Medical Board which she said is investigating the allegations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 10 Investigates: Murder suspect in missing Ville Platte woman case has criminal history going back decades I had to show my daughter, this is not okay. You speak up when someone does something wrong, you speak up, you report it, she said. Before Palmers Facebook post, the alleged victims said they did not know each other. But now they are leaning on one another for support through this process. Were going to stand together and were going to fight, and we are going to get justice. The surgeons attorney Kevin Stockstill, who represents Sabbaghian, said the allegations brought by the women are false. He further noted that Sabbaghian examined each patient properly and with a witness present during the examinations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Staff members and nurses were brought in specifically to refute these types of accusations, Stockhill said. Stockstill said the Louisiana State Medical Board is investigating the womens claims. He said he and his client are doing everything they can do to provide proof that the surgeon did nothing wrong. I am aware of the fact that complaints were made and that the medical board is looking into the matter. Were fully cooperating with the boards investigation, he said. Stockstill said the accusations against the surgeon were dismissed by the District Attorneys Office because they were false. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To come forward and accuse him of a sexual battery or sexual assault is just outright false, the attorney said. As this story develops, KLFY News 10 will have updates. Latest News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. VILLE PLATTE, La. (KLFY) The family of Keabreonna Keke Doucet is questioning why the man who was charged with her murder was released from jail when he faced charges including kidnapping and aggravated battery. Elrick Gallow, 52, of Baton Rouge, was arrested this week and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Doucets disappearance. The 27-year-old mother has been missing since mid-June. Doucet was scheduled to meet her daughter on June 15 but never arrived at the meeting place. Her family said her phone was located at Chief Romeo Hargrove City Park later that day. Its less than a mile from her home. After that, they said the phone was turned off, and it hasnt come back on since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ville Platte Detective Sgt. Darrian Guillory said that based on information she had obtained from different people, it is her understanding that Gallow is the significant other of Doucet. Court records Court records from the Evangeline Parish Courthouse show that Gallow has a criminal history reaching back to the 90s. In the 90s, he faced charges including second-degree kidnapping, second-degree aggravated battery, and an armed robbery charge. The robbery charge was later dismissed but he was sentenced to 30 years of hard labor for kidnapping and 15 years of hard labor for the battery offense. Francis M. Abbott, executive director of the Louisiana Board of Pardons & Committee on Parole, said Gallow was parole-eligible after serving 20 years and reaching the age of 45. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Records also show that Gallow had faced drug and gun-related charges in 1991 and 1999. Gallow, now 52, reappeared on law enforcements radar after Doucets disappearance. Sgt. Guillory said Gallow had been a person of interest in the case until new evidence emerged and had enough information to apply for an arrest warrant against him. Gallow is currently in the parish jail awaiting bond. Family reaction Lekethia Griffith, Doucets cousin, said the family wants to know why Gallow was released from jail. Thats the major question. Like, why? Griffith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regarding Doucets relationship with Gallow, her family members said, All the words that we got is that they were dating. We cant confirm or say yes or no because its not something that we really know or see ourselves. Doucets family said they hope to get their loved one back, especially for her daughter. Well wait to see if we get any answers as to if he says if we can go where her body is. Well definitely set up a search group to go and search for her or hopefully, he will lead us to her, Griffith said. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Ville Platte Police Department at 337-363-1316 and ask for Sgt. Guillory. Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. BOSTON (WTNH) WTNH News 8s co-chief meteorologist Joe Furey received the Silver Circle Award Thursday from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Boston/New England Chapter. News 8 wins station of the year and more at Connecticut Broadcasters Association Awards The award recognizes significant contributions made by professionals in the TV industry for 25 years or longer. This year marks Fureys 40th as a broadcast meteorologist, bringing you the weather on TV and radio in Connecticut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) This week on Newsmakers: Rhode Island Foundation President and CEO David Cicilline discusses the organizations newly released five-year plan, his priorities for 2025, politics and more; plus, Attorney General Peter Neronha talks to Kim Kalunian about the Washington Bridge, his political future and more. Prefer your Newsmakers on the go? Subscribe to our podcast! Apple | Spotify Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. A version of this story first appeared on The Ankler . Happy Thursday and congratulations on making it through the most breathless part of awards season yet that is, until the second week of January brings five different awards ceremonies on two separate coasts. Nobody said awards season was gonna be easy! Todays batch of Critics Choice nominations isnt even the last gasp before the holidays. Tuesday will bring the announcement of the Oscars shortlists, determining which titles can move forward for nominations in 10 different categories, including international feature and original song. Ill have more on that next week, but I expect further good news for Emilia Perez, which netted 10 Critics Choice nominations following its strong Globes showing, and ought to compete in several of the shortlist categories as well. Im a voter in Critics Choice and was gratified to see yet another big day for The Substance, which earned a whopping seven nominations, including for best picture, best director for Coralie Fargeat, and acting nods for stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. The supporting actress race, as Ive written before, is one of the least predictable, and Qualley showing up here as well as at the Globes suggests she might be a dark horse surging just in time for Oscar ballots to arrive. I was also thrilled to see Critics Choice give five nominations to Nickel Boys, including one for Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in that ever-shifting best supporting actress race. Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whiteheads 2019 novel set at a brutal Jim Crow-era reform school, is one of the years most critically acclaimed films, but its innovative, expressionistic style has been polarizing as well. Some of us had worried it might not perform as well among larger voting groups, where consensus picks tend to have the edge. (See the full list of Critics Choice nominees here.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps Im tipping my hand a bit, but Im giving over most of todays newsletter to my conversation with Nickel Boys director, RaMell Ross, as well as Ellis-Taylor, held a few weeks ago over coffee in Los Angeles. None of us live in L.A. Ross, who grew up in Virginia, is a professor at Brown, and Ellis-Taylor lives in Atlanta. We all talked for a while about how the film tries to break away from traditional ways of depicting our shared home region of the South. Thats just one of many things Nickel Boys does differently than any film in the race this year or maybe any film, ever. It has dazzled critics, winning the best director and best cinematography prizes from the New York Film Critics Circle as well as editing and cinematography prizes from the Los Angeles critics. But as Ross knows well, his movie is operating in a form and presenting big ideas that are rarely seen in Hollywood productions, and have made the film divisive as well. When we spoke, Ross seemed to be reveling in his opportunity to surprise and open peoples minds, even if it also makes some of the big awards season events by no definition fun. Everyone Was Up For the Challenge OPENING NIGHT RaMell Ross backstage at the New York Film Festival premiere of his first feature film Nickel Boys on Sept. 27.Amazon MGM Studios When Ellis-Taylor first saw the 2018 documentary Hale County This Morning This Evening, she rushed to get in touch with its director, RaMell Ross. It could have been a typical Hollywood process of sending praise through agents and managers, but as you learn very quickly talking to Ellis-Taylor and Ross together, they dont do many things that are typical. Honestly, Ive never gotten a stronger smoke signal in my life, Ross said, sitting beside Ellis-Taylor and recalling that initial outreach. I walked outside and I was like, it smells different. At the time, Ellis-Taylor wasnt yet an Oscar nominee for her performance in King Richard, and despite Hale Countys own Oscar nomination for best documentary feature, Ross was primarily a visual artist and a professor of art at Brown. It took a few years for Ellis-Taylor and Ross professional paths to converge, and when the opportunity arose for them to work together on Nickel Boys, Ellis-Taylor didnt hesitate: They said that there was a possibility of this, and I was like, I dont care. I just want to do it. Related: Los Angeles Magazine Wins Best Entertainment Print Publication at 2024 NAEJ Awards Their resulting collaboration in Nickel Boys, Ross first narrative feature, is one of the films many miracles. In the film Ellis-Taylor plays Hattie, the grandmother of a teenage boy named Elwood (Ethan Herisse) who is sent to a brutal reform school in Florida in the 1960s. The school is inspired by real horror stories from the Dozier School for Boys, and while Ross doesnt shy away from the brutality, he emphasizes the life within those walls. As he did in Hale County, Ross working with cinematographer Jomo Fray finds exquisite beauty in tiny, intimate moments, tracing the building friendship between Elwood and his school compatriot Turner (Brandon Wilson) as well as the impact of all of this on an adult Elwood (Daveed Diggs). Much of that intimacy is accomplished by Rosss decision to film almost entirely in first-person perspective, from Elwood and later Turner, bringing the audience quite literally into the eyes of Black boys who have been otherwise written out of history. As Hattie, Ellis-Taylor swoops in and out of the cameras perspective exactly the way a real beloved grandmother might for a child. Shes captured as both a general presence warm and maternal even when far away and in the exacting details of memory; more than one person has told me the close-up shot of her scraping icing off a cake knife was the moment the movie stopped them in their tracks. Related: Inside Los Angeles Magazine's Leading Man Party The first-person camera required Ellis-Taylor and the rest of the cast to do all kinds of things actors would never otherwise do, from looking into the lens to hugging the camera itself. For Ross, working with actors for the first time, it was the only process he knew. I dont have anything to measure it against, he says. It seemed to me like everyone was up for the challenge, and I mean, I think its obvious that they showed up. With Ross, Ellis-Taylor found the flexibility she craves on a set to feel as free to try as much stuff as I can. This was the environment to do that. But the scenes that required her to interact so directly with the camera found her leaning on Ross as well. I would ask him quite often, What do you think? What do you think? she says. Probably more so than I wouldve asked another director. I had to. Ross knows he asked a lot of his actors; hes also getting the sense that he ran his set differently in other ways as well. I think maybe making an ask like that, which is for them to fundamentally do things that they have never thought of doing or didnt expect to do, is easier when no ones stressing them out and no ones being demanding and people are being appreciated for being themselves, he says. Ellis-Taylor sums it up in one word: Nice. The Fun Part BLUE STREAK Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor at the Governors Awards on Nov. 17.Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images I had coffee with Ross and Ellis-Taylor the morning after the Academys Governors Awards, an occasion for a whole lot of fake nice people rushing across the room to congratulate someone on a movie they may not have even seen, that kind of thing. At the Governors Awards, Ellis-Taylor was resplendent in a royal blue gown, but she makes it clear she has little patience for the kind of nice on display at the event. I kind of have to refuse that voluntary insincerity, she says. I try to do everything I can just to be who I am, whether its there or whether Im walking down the street. But with a film she believes in like Nickel Boys or Ava DuVernays Origin earlier this year Ellis-Taylor can accept the double-faceted part of her job. Im an actor, but in this sort of world, I am asked to be a politician. And I dont like politicians. Related: 'Gladiator II' and 'Wicked' Battle for Perfect Timing Ross describes conversations at these kinds of events more like being an emotional contortionist, trying to reflect someones experience of his film without tainting it. People are like, Oh my God, enjoy yourself, have so much fun, he says. From the outside, I see how it would seem like its just a big kind of party, but it is a lot. Its by no definition fun. That said, he swears that there is a fun part to all of this. Nickel Boys is an Amazon MGM production, made with $23 million and the imprint of one of Hollywoods oldest studios. Its also one of the most formally daring movies in years, not only because of its first-person camera perspective, but who that first-person comes from. When you start talking about ideas from the perspective of Black subjectivity, most white people have never considered it, have never read anything, he says. He credits Nickel Boys producers, Plan Bs Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, for being forward-thinking and getting behind his bold idea. But also talks a bit like someone who has pulled off a kind of intellectual reverse heist, sneaking ideas into an industry that didnt quite expect them. Theres something joyous about the idea that I get to be in places with really powerful people and share this story, and control a dialogue to some degree about Black representation, Ross says. I figure out ways to shock people with the language of having thought for many decades about Black representation. It is really fun to get to see in their eyes being like, Whoa, Ive never thought of that before. Thats the fun part. Get the latest news delivered to your inbox daily! Sign up for Los Angeles Magazines Happy Thursday and congratulations on making it through the most breathless part of awards season yet that is, until the second week of January brings five different awards ceremonies on two separate coasts. Nobody said awards season was gonna be easy! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todays batch of Critics Choice nominations isnt even the last gasp before the holidays. Tuesday will bring the announcement of the Oscars shortlists, determining which titles can move forward for nominations in 10 different categories, including international feature and original song. Ill have more on that next week, but I expect further good news for Emilia Perez, which netted 10 Critics Choice nominations following its strong Globes showing, and ought to compete in several of the shortlist categories as well. Im a voter in Critics Choice and was gratified to see yet another big day for The Substance, which earned a whopping seven nominations, including for best picture, best director for Coralie Fargeat, and acting nods for stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. The supporting actress race, as Ive written before, is one of the least predictable, and Qualley showing up here as well as at the Globes suggests she might be a dark horse surging just in time for Oscar ballots to arrive. I was also thrilled to see Critics Choice give five nominations to Nickel Boys, including one for Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in that ever-shifting best supporting actress race. Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whiteheads 2019 novel set at a brutal Jim Crow-era reform school, is one of the years most critically acclaimed films, but its innovative, expressionistic style has been polarizing as well. Some of us had worried it might not perform as well among larger voting groups, where consensus picks tend to have the edge. (See the full list of Critics Choice nominees here.) Perhaps Im tipping my hand a bit, but Im giving over most of todays newsletter to my conversation with Nickel Boys director, RaMell Ross, as well as Ellis-Taylor, held a few weeks ago over coffee in Los Angeles. None of us live in L.A. Ross, who grew up in Virginia, is a professor at Brown, and Ellis-Taylor lives in Atlanta. We all talked for a while about how the film tries to break away from traditional ways of depicting our shared home region of the South. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats just one of many things Nickel Boys does differently than any film in the race this year or maybe any film, ever. It has dazzled critics, winning the best director and best cinematography prizes from the New York Film Critics Circle as well as editing and cinematography prizes from the Los Angeles critics. But as Ross knows well, his movie is operating in a form and presenting big ideas that are rarely seen in Hollywood productions, and have made the film divisive as well. When we spoke, Ross seemed to be reveling in his opportunity to surprise and open peoples minds, even if it also makes some of the big awards season events by no definition fun. below or by clicking here. The parents of late-night star and Massachusetts native Conan OBrien died just three days apart earlier this week. Ruth Reardon OBrien died peacefully on Thursday, December 12, just three days after Dr. Thomas OBrien died on Monday, December 9. They both died in their Brookline home. The couple were married for 66 years and had six children, including Conan. Dr. Thomas OBrien served as the first director of the infectious diseases division at what is now Brigham and Womens Hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ruth OBrien was one of only four women in her class at Yale Law School. She served as a clerk for a former chief justice at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and was only the second woman to become a partner at the esteemed Ropes and Gray law firm in Boston. Science has said theres no such thing as perpetual motion, but my father was proof that that was wrong, Conan OBrien, told the Boston Globe. My father was in constant motion. And he was interested in everything absolutely everything. Thomas OBrien graduated from Mary E. Wells High School in Southbridge in 1946 before attending the College of the Holy Cross and received a bachelors degree in classics in 1950. 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 GARY, Ind. On Thursday, top executives with Japanese-owned Nippon Steel met with local steelworkers in Gary, Indiana, to win over skeptics. As Nippon works to buy out US Steel in a proposed $14.9 billion transaction, the visiting Nippon Steel executive is fighting what appears to be an uphill battle. Looming over Thursdays pitch in Gary are reports that President Joe Biden plans to block the sale on national security grounds. At City Hall, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton cited Nippon Steels history in the state and its plan to boost the historic Gary Works Steel plant with a nearly $1 billion investment. Nippon has been in Indiana for 50 years. Thats a story that hasnt been told, he said. Nippon Steel Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori, hoping to close the proposed buyout with eight different steel mill operations nationwide, said the deal would not result in job loss or plant closure. If anything, we will need more steelworkers, Mori said. Still, reports show that Biden and President-Elect Donald Trump would block the deal for national security reasons. Trump says he would block US Steel acquisition by Nippon Steel Mayor Melton countered with Congressional support, however, making a case for Nippon Steel and new jobs for steelworkers. For the city, the partnership would mean so much, Melton said. Nippon Steel executives are offering US steelworkers a $5,000 signing bonus to entice them to close the transaction before the end of the year. Union leaders deride the offer as a bribe. We have seen this sort of corporate behavior before, and we know what it really means. Nippon is bribing union members to trade our long-term stability and bargaining power in exchange for a single payment. However, Daryl Redmond, a former union member who spoke with WGN News, appeared to support Nippons positioning. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines They will bring an investment, Reymond says, that is badly needed in Gary. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. While Armenia's Western patrons lavish compliments on "Armenian democracy," neo-Nazi trends are slowly but surely gaining strength in the country. This is happening openly, not underground, and the authorities are fully aware of what is happening. Nevertheless, no action is taken, as if the neo-Nazi organization is merely a children's group whose members will eventually grow out of it. Next week, on the eve of the anniversary of the death of the founding father of Armenian neo-Nazism, Garegin Nzhdeh, the Hosank organization plans to hold a gathering and a press conference in the center of Yerevan. At the press conference, the group members intend to share their plans, which are grandiose to build an Armenian Reich. In a normal country, a Nazi organization could not act so openly, even gathering journalists. But in Armenia, everything is possible. The Hosank organization was created by U.S. citizen Hayk Nazaryan three years ago and continues to operate without interference. They have no problem using Nazi symbols and gestures. The organization has an office, websites, and they openly publish their program, promoting the superiority of Armenians over other nations and anti-Semitism. And yet, nothing happens. Recall that in January of this year, neo-Nazis held a rally at the monument to Nzhdeh in honor of his birthday. They marched through the center of Yerevan, shouting "Misha Hai," which translates as "always an Armenian." The chant was clearly designed to echo "Sieg Heil." A group of young, tough-looking men dressed in black, with "chupa chups" symbols on their armbands, gathered at the monument. These men behaved confidently and casually, openly performing Nazi-style salutes and posing for journalists. While their numbers were small, it remains unclear how many people in Armenia support such Nazi activities. Nzhdehism is the Armenian equivalent of German Nazism. The "chupa chups" symbol on their flags and armbands, which is a sun symbol taken from ancient Armenian culture, has been vulgarized. This ancient solar symbol, which represents light, can also be found throughout the Turkic world. However, Armenian Nazis have appropriated it, turning it into a symbol of hatred and revenge. In the twisted interpretation of the newly minted Nzhdehists, it now resembles a lollipop only missing the stick. At that time, many observers noticed how confidently and relaxed the neo-Nazis acted. Previously, there was an effort to distance Nzhdehism from accusations of Nazism, but now Nzhdeh's followers openly perform Nazi salutes in front of their idol's monument, unapologetically promoting the idea of an Armenian Reich. Most Armenian media outlets that report on neo-Nazi activities simply note the event without condemning it (or perhaps they don't want to?). By doing so, they show implicit solidarity. The authorities have not reacted to what is happening, leading to the conclusion that neo-Nazism is part of the new trends being imposed on Armenia, much like LGBT rights. All of this is presented as part of democracy and freedom. It's telling that after the January 1 rally, some in the Armenian media speculated that the "hand of Moscow" was behind the rise of neo-Nazism, suggesting that Armenian society is actually innocent. However, this version did not gain traction. Thanks to the education system and propaganda, both the young and old in Armenia are familiar with the ideas of Garegin Nzhdeh. Nzhdehism forms the basis of the national ideology, state policy, and societal bonds. Our neighbors don't need to memorize Hitler's precepts, as filling their own ideological cushions is just as criminal. The idea of "Armenia for Armenians" and its implementation through ethnic cleansing is what Nzhdeh advocated. Megalomania, hatred, and a sense of superiority over other nations, ingrained from childhood, have driven Armenians to commit atrocities that even the ideologists of the Third Reich might envy. Nazism is not just about a swastika on the sleeve; it manifests in many other ways. All these manifestations are present in Armenia. While our neighbors panic at the mention of Western Azerbaijan, in Armenia, both in school textbooks and in media, hatred is taught, history and geography are distorted. A few years ago, an animated film called The Road Home was produced, depicting Armenia's expansion by 2050 at the expense of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkiye, and even Iran. A group of schoolchildren travels through these territories, which are described in the film as "liberated from the enemy." It is a highly "informative" cartoon, to say the least. In 2008, Armenian children watched this film with the belief that this would one day come to pass. Today, most have realized that they will have to abandon those fantasies and focus on how to preserve what they have by 2050. However, the desire for a "great Armenian Reich" still persists in society. Otherwise, neo-Nazi actions would not continue with the tacit approval of the authorities and the unspoken solidarity of the public. For too long, Armenians have been taught that they are "true Aryans," that their blood is pure, and that they are genetically superior to "lower" peoples. Many generations have been raised in this toxic ideology, prepared to shed "impure" blood. Remember that in his speech at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry on January 16, 2003, the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharian, stated that "Armenians and Azerbaijanis are genetically incompatible." He wasn't ashamed to repeat this during his speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Ironically, it is the same PACE that today praises "Armenian democracy." Kocharian's wife also echoed this sentiment when, at the opening of a Blood Transfusion Center, she stated, "Armenians should only be given Armenian blood. Armenian blood has a specific genetic structure." In reality, this is a great tragedy for the Armenian people. The fabricated "genocide" and other myths are indeed tragic, but the real tragedy is the perverted mindset that prevents them from seeing reality as it is. We thought that millennials might kind of bridge the mold and just want to rent forever, never have kids," said CSI housing Fellow Peter LiFari. "That was obviously a poor decision. A New Jersey police officer who crashed a cruiser into multiple businesses early Thursday morning suffered a medical episode while driving, authorities said. The officer, who hasnt been identified, was rushed to a nearby hospital following the crash that left a trail of destruction in Little Falls, some 20 miles west of Midtown Manhattan. One of our members, a Little Falls Police officer, was injured in a crash overnight, Peter Andreyev, president of the New Jersey State Policemens Benevolent Association, said in a statement Thursday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officer was driving a black-and-white SUV when the cruiser left the roadway, crashed into a Chevrolet dealership, passed through the parking lot of a tire shop, and came to a stop in the parking lot of a pizzeria, according to NorthJersey.com. The vehicle also clipped the roof of a Knights of Columbus building, while debris from the crash damaged a residential building, WABC reported. While the officer was on duty at the time, officials say he was not involved in a police chase or responding to any calls for service at the time of the crash. Our preliminary investigation indicates that the officer suffered from a medical episode while driving, Little Falls Police Chief Bryan M. Prall said in a statement, according to NJ.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officer was being treated at St. Josephs University Hospital in Paterson, where he was said to be in stable condition Thursday night. The incident is still being investigated by the Little Falls Police Departments Investigation and Services Division. A New Jersey mayor directed local officials to wear hazmat suits and call the bomb squad on Friday if one of the mysterious drones circling the area falls out of the sky. First of all, if there is a downed drone in our vicinity, we are immediately to call the bomb squad of our county, Mayor Michael Melham of Belleville said during an appearance on Fox Newss The Faulkner Focus. And second, our fire department has been instructed to make sure they wear hazmat suits, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Melham said the city would treat a drone drop like an attack on homeland security. Because they are not sure if theres a payload or not. And, thats what we were told during our briefing on Wednesday, he told host Harris Faulkner. While citizens have raised concerns about the cause and intent of circulating drones, Melham has instructed residents not to shoot at or tamper with the device. Were being advised to tell residents not to shoot them down, he said. However, some lawmakers, including New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim (D), are frustrated with the lack of information surrounding the situation. Hes urged the federal government to launch a more formal investigation into the incident, seeking to find answers as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. NEW JERSEY (PIX11) Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County has 11 confirmed sightings to date. The drones have been flying over New Jersey for weeks now, prompting speculation and fear. More Local News The Pentagon said Wednesday that the drones are not from a foreign adversary or from our own military. There have now been several sightings along the Jersey Shore. Scott Ingenito reported seeing an unidentified aerial phenomenon for four hours Saturday night while fishing at Island Beach State Park. He described them as being brighter than a star. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When they came toward the shore, it changed from a bright white light to a winged craft with flashing lights, said Ingenito. It came directly over my head, which scared me. I dont know what it is. Its not a plane. If youve seen one, you know its not a plane. With few answers from the federal government, speculation runs wild. Theories range from otherworldly UAPs to test programs from Amazon or Google. Both tech giants confirmed to PIX11 News that they are not responsible for the drones. They have to land somewhere, right said Vito Albano of Middletown. So why isnt somebody tracking it and seeing where it lands? Middletown Mayor Tony Perry addressed that point on the PIX11 Morning News on Thursday. Perry was one of several New Jersey neighbors briefed by the state police on the drones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Police have been unable to acquire a signal coming off of these drones to lower them to the ground, said Perry. Perry said their estimated battery life is six to eight hours, suggesting they may be military-grade. The state keeps saying and the federal government keeps saying that there is no imminent threat, said Perry. Until you tell me where these are coming from and whos responsible for them, theyre an imminent threat. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Squalid conditions and substandard care went hand-in-hand with massive fraud at a New Jersey nursing home that bilked Medicaid of millions, state officials said in a scathing, 52-page report released Thursday. South Jersey Extended Care (SJEC) in Bridgeton, N.J., bore the brunt of the excoriation, with officials alleging nursing homes owners pocketed tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid funding between April 2018 and March 2023 while forcing residents to live with neglect, abuse, unsanitary conditions, and inadequate medical care, the Medicaid Fraud Division of the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) said in its report. The state has suspended the nursing home, its owners and related entities from Medicaid, effective in 60 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On paper, Extended Cares owner was Mordechay Mark Weisz, but he was nothing but a straw owner who yielded all control to his cousin, Michael Konig, and Konigs brother-in-law, Steven Krausman, the OSC said. Konig and Krausman were in charge of SJEC finances, operations, and administration, signing the checks, making the decisions, and enriching themselves with public funds to the detriment of SJEC residents. During the years in question, SJEC took in $35.6 million in Medicaid funds but paid $38.9 million to businesses owned and controlled by the brothers-in-law, the OSC found. Ignoring state and federal laws requiring nursing homes to disclose transactions with vendors that have common ownership or control, Krausman and Konig were able to avoid scrutiny and maximize their profits, the report said. In so doing, they drained the operation of nearly all its cash. This was a massive scam, perpetrated for years, Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh said in a statement. These individuals were able to amass a fortune by pretending to be independent parties. In reality, they operated as one unit, providing terrible care to the sick, the elderly, and the poor, so they could make big profits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All the while, residents suffered. There was a bedroom that reeked of urine and had a catheter bag lying on the floor, a toilet containing brown debris and paper products with no running water, and medical needs that went undocumented or unmet. One resident with dementia was confined to the bedroom via a trash bag tied to the door handle. In another incident, a staff member manhandled a resident who fell out of a wheelchair and was hospitalized with an abdominal injury, inspectors found. While the three men involved could not be reached, their attorneys had told the OSC that the facilitys previous, persistent one-star rating some of what sparked the states investigation in the first place had edged up to two stars. The brothers-in-law had already been barred in the 1990s from owning nursing homes in Connecticut and Massachusetts after severe deficiencies were found, the OSC said. In New York, Konig had been dubbed a landlord from hell by the Daily News back in 2002. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) called for federal law enforcement agencies, led by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, to authorize state and local authorities to safety take down drones after sightings in the state. The fact that the federal agencies responsible for briefing the public have not come forward in a clear way is unacceptable, he said during a news conference Friday morning. Its totally and completely unacceptable that you have all this drone activity going on that people are seeing with their own eyes. He cited 11 confirmed sightings of unauthorized in Morris County alone in the last month, and also mentioned Sen. Andy Kims (D-N.J.) personal experience seeing a drone Thursday night in Hunterdon County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I understand why so many in our community and our state are concerned, Gottheimer said. He attempted to ease suspicions, saying there was no concern for an imminent threat to public safety or national security. Amid the sightings and circulating news, Gottheimer posted on X Thursday night to announce a new legislation to invest in radar technology that allows local law enforcement to monitor and ensure the safety of drone activity. The drones in New Jersey were first reportedly spotted last month, with the majority of sightings in Hunterdon and Morris counties in the northern and central regions of the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a Tuesday report by local newspaper the Staten Island Advance, there have also been reported drone sightings in Staten Island in New York City. And on Friday, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said hed seen drones in the sky on Thursday night. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. CLIVE, IOWA A four-vehicle crash that slowed traffic to a crawl on Interstate 35/80 on Friday morning is under investigation but thankfully, police say, there were no serious injuries. The crash happened just before 6:00 am in the northbound lanes of the interstate at the University Avenue exit. Clive police say a semi hit the center barrier on the interstate and then spun across the traffic lanes before coming to a rest and blocking traffic from entering the interstate at University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A total of four vehicles, described as two commercial vehicles and two passenger cars by authorities, were involved. None of the four drivers suffered serious injuries. In a news release, Clive Police Chief Mark Rehberg said: It is important to remember that this is, and will remain, an active construction zone through the winter. We ask that drivers travel in the area at safe speeds, remain aware of their surroundings and take weather conditions into consideration, as we move further into the winter months. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. A bipartisan cadre of centrist lawmakers promised not to be steamrolled by Donald Trump's plans even if it means they draw primary challenges in the cycle ahead. Hundreds gathered in Washington Thursday for the annual gathering of the centrist group No Labels to chart a path forward with the "power of the middle" in the wake of an election that saw partisan polarization become even more extreme and ahead of President-elect Donald Trumps second stint in the White House. The group, founded in 2009, vowed to spend tens of millions to stop Trump and worked for ballot access to run a Unity candidate in the 2024 election. And although it ultimately ended that attempt in April after failing to identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House, its conference on Thursday attracted about two dozen lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am honestly energized and be here with you after this election, said Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat representing a Maine district that Trump won by nearly 10 points. This feels like an opportunity to hit the reset button on what we know has gone wrong with our politics in recent years. Members of Congress need to come to Washington loyal to their districts, their constituents and their states and loyal to our country, Golden added. It cannot be about loyalty to their party. But though the cheers over common-sense ideas, the threat of primary challenges loomed. Trump's MAGA allies have already subtly threatened some more independent-minded senators who are weighing whether to block his controversial Cabinet picks with primary challenges. The approach is going to be: Everybody tow the line. Everybody line up. We got you here, and if you want to survive, you better be good. Don't get on Santa's naughty list here, because we will primary you, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who said she felt more comfortable with no party label. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican Utah Sen.-elect John Curtis, who took over Republican Sen. Mitt Romney's seat, said he had talked to a sitting senator today who has what feels like the entire world coming after her, because she may or may not support one of the Trump nominees. Although he didnt use any senators name, Curtis appeared to be referring to Republican Iowa Sen. Jodi Ernst, who has signaled she may vote against confirming former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon. The resulting MAGA pressure campaign against Ernst has been fierce also including primary threats. During the campaign, Democrats painted Trump as an unhinged fascist and Republicans called Vice President Kamala Harris a radical Marxist, But centrists at the conference held at the storied Mayflower hotel in downtown Washington highlighted what they saw as the importance of and reaching across the aisle. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) floated the establishment of a bipartisan commission aimed at how to reduce the national debt, and Curtis said two Democrats, two Republicans and a secret ballot could solve immigration in an afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, they acknowledged, those types of bipartisan moves can be hard and open up lawmakers to harassment from the party faithful or primary challengers. Curtis said when he decided to run for Senate, he faced pressure from political consultants to move further right which some said was his only chance to get through the primary. Though Utah was initially one of the most Never-Trump red states, it has largely shifted over to the president-elect's camp. And though Democrats don't face the same threats from Trump, it allowed an opportunity for some Democrats who have already been critical of their party to re-assert their misgivings and burnish their centrist credentials. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), whose comments last month about trans athletes garnered intense backlash from other Democrats, reasserted his stance on Thursday, saying his party has worked so hard to become so tolerant of every little narrow group that as a whole, we've become intolerant if we don't check the box. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I already have a couple people planning to run against me in the primary, Moulton added. I'm being primaried over a sentence. The election loss has emboldened Democrats to unleash their criticisms as the Party seeks a path forward. I think Democrats have had this idea, like, Well, were the empathetic people. Are you empathetic to that family who has lost multiple members this week to fentanyl? Are you listening to people? said Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat representing a red Washington district who last month criticized her party for leaving behind working-class voters. And multiple Democrats, including Gluesenkamp Perez and Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, said their party had missed the mark on immigration or as Torres called it, the gargantuan gaslighting around the migrant crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democratic and Republican centrists alike also signaled an openness to the Department of Government Efficiency, a Trump initiative to cut down on regulation and government waste led by billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said she had an excellent 70-minute meeting with Elon Musk, and I was very impressed. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the former running mate to Hillary Clinton, agreed and said he was generally supportive of any effort to look at what the federal government does in terms of serving citizens, and trying to say, can we produce a bigger bang for your buck though he cautioned that he was concerned DOGE would try to implement across-the-board cuts and attempt to move large swaths of the federal workforce out of the Washington, D.C. area. DENVER (KDVR) No serious injuries were reported after a Cherry Creek School District bus was involved in a hit-and-run crash Thursday afternoon on eastbound Interstate 70 west of Interstate 25, according to the Denver Police Department. Proposed bill could give these Colorado areas a new zip code The crash happened around 2:46 p.m. Three people in total were on the bus including one student, a driver and a bus assistant. Another bus was sent to take the student home, according to the school district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One person was transported for observation, according to the Denver Police Department. Eastbound I-70 traffic was backed up from the area of the crash past North Federal Boulevard following the crash, but all lanes of traffic had been reopened as of 3:02 p.m. The crash was under investigation. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. AUSTIN (KXAN) Digging through court records to learn more about the 10 homicides that occurred in November, KXAN found extensive criminal histories for several suspects. Of the seven suspects police arrested in last months cases, four had prior convictions that contained various levels of bond and parole conditions stating the individuals could not be in possession of firearms. MAP: Where have Austins homicides occurred in 2024? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several defense attorneys KXAN spoke with said theres no true system in place to make sure people in such cases follow the rules regarding guns. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) said it does not supervise people out on bond, and that parole officers only conduct plain view searches during home visits. Additionally, guns arent allowed inside parole facilities, TDCJ said. The District Attorneys Office said it requests that individuals surrender their firearms when appropriate, but did not address any means of holding that system accountable. During a press conference last month about a deadly police shooting where the subject a convicted felon pointed two guns at police officers, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis addressed this topic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We live in a society that we are hopeful that when the courts get involved that were gonna remain safe as a public, right? she said. So to have a violation like that, it is concerning, and I think thats just us working better with probation and parole tracking people who are violent. According to the Texas Law Library, if more than 5 years have passed since completing their prison sentence (including parole or probation), the law allows possessing a firearm at home. The group seemingly doing the most work at the moment to try and create a stronger tracking system is Austin Public Health, specifically the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP). KXAN Public Safety Reporter Brianna Hollis, right, discusses firearms surrender protocols with Michelle Myles, the manager of the Office of Violence Prevention, left. Michelle Myles, OVPs manager, said There are several gaps in the system across the board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement $500K federal grant given to Austin-Travis County to help prevent domestic violence killings, firearm injuries The office is in the early planning stages of a grant-funded program meant to make sure suspects and felons specifically related to domestic violence charges dont have guns. Mapping out the system from when an individual is seeking a protective order to when someone is ordered to surrender [a firearm], she said. It increases the lethality for a female victim by 500%. And domestic violence calls are one of the most dangerous for law enforcement. The project not only aims to track felons and suspects firearm activity, but also provide holistic solutions to stop cycles of violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To help people recuperate or learn better behaviors, Myles said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. No women will lead a House committee for the first time in two decades after House Republicans revealed their list of committee leaders for the 119th Congress on Thursday. The 17 standing committees, whose leaders were selected by the House Republican Steering Committee, will be dominated by white men when the new Congress is seated on Jan. 3. No people of color were selected, either. The last time there was not at least one woman leading a standing committee in the House was the 109th Congress, from 2005 until 2006. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "From securing our southern border, to unleashing American energy, to fighting to lower Bidenflation, and making our communities safe again, our Committee Chairs are ready to get to work fulfilling the American people's mandate and enacting President Trump's America-First agenda," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said in announcing the list of chairs. "House Republicans are heading into the 119th Congress prepared to address the issues most important to hardworking Americans and fight for meaningful legislative wins. "I look forward to working with these strong leaders and their Committees to advance President Trump's priorities and deliver the American people the government they voted for in November," he added. PHOTO: In this July 11, 2023, file photo, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, FILE) Three Republican women led House committees in the 118th Congress: Texas Rep. Kay Granger chaired the Appropriations Committee, Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers chaired the Energy and Commerce Committee and North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx chaired the Education and the Workforce Committee. Neither Granger nor McMorris Rodgers ran for reelection in 2024, though Foxx did earn an 11th term in office. However, Foxx, 81, had already been granted a waiver to lead her committee in the 118th Congress beyond the six-year term limits the House GOP imposes, and she did not request an additional waiver. She had served as chairwoman in the 115th Congress, as well as ranking member in the 116th and the 117th. Michigan Rep. Tim Walberg will take over the chairmanship of the Education and the Workforce Committee instead. PHOTO: In this May 23, 2024, file photo, Rep. Virginia Foxx speaks at a hearing of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images, FILE) MORE: Virginia Foxx leaves Education Committee leadership Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Chairmen of committees are very important positions but we really do engage all the membership," House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week ahead of the selections. "We have extraordinary women serving in Congress and in the Republican Conference. In fact, we elected some really strong women in the upcoming freshmen class. "We value those voices. And everybody has an equal say at the table," he noted. "These are thoughtful elections. We have an embarrassment of riches, frankly." PHOTO: House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks at a press conference for House Republicans, following their leadership meeting, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 13, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Reuters) Florida Rep. Brian Mast, a close Trump ally, will lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan will continue to lead the Judiciary Committee, Kentucky Rep. James Comer will continue to lead the Oversight Committee and Missouri Rep. Jason Smith will continue to lead the powerful Ways and Means Committee. "Very fitting in the MAGA Era - No Women Need Apply," former Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Republican, posted ahead of the final selections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican Party will have a trifecta in the new year with control of the House, Senate, and White House, but the razor-thin majority of 220 Republicans to 215 Democrats in the House will leave little room for dissent, especially with two members of the House GOP set to be nominated for posts in the Trump administration and the resignation of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. "After four years of suffering under the radical policies of the Biden-Harris Administration and a Democrat-controlled Senate, the American people made clear they are ready for a change," Scalise added. "With Republicans taking control of the White House, Senate, and House, it is imperative we are in position to move President Trump's agenda efficiently and thoughtfully so we can quickly restore our nation to greatness." ABC News' John Parkinson contributed to this report. No women will lead House committees for first time in 2 decades originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Members of the Colorado Supreme Court seemed hesitant on Wednesday to endorse the idea that child welfare workers must provide a Miranda warning before interrogating a parent in custody, even if the conversation will later be used in a criminal prosecution. The Black Hills State University campus in Spearfish. (Courtesy of BHSU) South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noems proposal to cut the states maintenance and repair budget by $17 million is shortsighted, a former Cabinet member said at a state board meeting Thursday. Noem is proposing to fund the maintenance and repair of state buildings at 1.25% of replacement value instead of 1.75%. Pam Roberts was appointed to her second term on the South Dakota Board of Regents by Noem in 2022. Roberts is also a former South Dakota Republican Party chairwoman and former secretary of the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. During Thursdays Board of Regents meeting, Roberts said she was disappointed in Noems repair and maintenance recommendation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have such a huge investment in buildings and facilities across the state, and to reduce that at this point is, I think, a little shortsighted, Roberts said. And Im very concerned about it, frankly. South Dakota Board of Regents member Pam Roberts participates in a December 2023 board meeting in Brookings. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) The state normally sets a maintenance and repair goal of 2% of replacement value, said Heather Forney, vice president of finance and administration for the regents, during Thursdays meeting. She said the system has talked with the six state campuses about how the cut would impact their ongoing plans. The Board of Regents will take the biggest hit if lawmakers accept Noems proposal, losing just over $9 million. The Department of Executive Management, which maintains executive facilities, faces a $6.4 million cut. Technical colleges face $824,007 and the state Department of the Military faces $593,302 in cuts. The regents requested an increase of $7.4 million for maintenance and repair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Executive Director Nathan Lukkes said during his report Thursday that state universities will be at the table to see what we can do to come out the best we can by the end of the 2025 legislative session, which starts next month. He added that he has the utmost confidence in lawmakers ability to do the right thing for the state and the system. This is really just the start of the conversation, he said. The maintenance and repair reduction is one of numerous cuts Noem proposed earlier this month during her budget address, in response to the depletion of federal pandemic relief funds and declining sales tax revenue. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) Parents of public high school students in Norfolk got the chance to hear about the 44 semester-based schedule change that could be coming soon. On Thursday, Norfolk Public Schools hosted an informational session to discuss consideration of a semester-based scheduling model for high school students for the 2025- 2026 school year. The 44 block scheduling model organizes high school academic schedules by allowing students to take four courses per semester, with each class typically lasting about 90 minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Norfolk Public Schools currently use a year long AB schedule for their high schoolers. While most courses in the new format would follow a semester-long format, select classes, such as fine arts or advanced placement classes, may adopt a year-long, alternating-day schedule to accommodate specific programmatic needs. I just want to set my kids up for success, said parent Ebony McClaine. Student success, something educators, parents and students all agree, is critical. Thats why Norfolk Public Schools staff said the 44 approach is necessary, as it would give students more time to explore different class options and motivate them to continue and finish school. The change, though, would have to come with plenty of analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When considering any new process procedure or model, its important to identify potential threats that must be addressed prior to implementation, said Norfolk Public Schools Chief Schools Officer Amber Brown. Those threats are something that many spoke out about. Taking certain classes that they need to be consecutive and having long gaps will lead to learning loss, Norfolk resident Jennifer Gruber said. Said McClaine: Kids with disabilities it could be harder for them. Concerns over teacher burnout and staffing arose, too. One former educator told 10 On Your Side by phone she hopes teachers will be given enough time to adjust if this moves forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are going to have to change what the curriculum is and what were learning and how were learning it, said former NPS educator Nicole Harp. Itll be a shorter time but youll get to have a different group of kids. While most courses would follow a semester-long format, select classes may still adopt a year-long, alternating-day schedule. No official decision has been made on any change. If you missed Thursdays meeting, Brown said parents can expect to learn much more in the coming days and months. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) A woman from Athens is suspected of swindling nearly a million dollars from TikTok users all over the world. The Limestone County Sheriffs Office said the woman did so by claiming to run a fake charity. The Limestone County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) announced the arrest of Amy Dianne Elmore Downs on Wednesday. Man charged with killing HPD officer says he wants to plead guilty Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Downs, who LCSO says goes by Slot_7.0 or SlotMachineQueen on TikTok is accused of asking her followers to donate money that she claimed was to aid domestic violence victims and homeless individuals. Instead, LCSO said Downs pocked the money. (Courtesy: Limestone County Sheriffs Office) Investigators say Downs had her followers deposit the money to her personal Venmo, PayPal, and CashApp accounts. LCSO said they believe Downs did this between 2021 and 2024. Under Alabama law, all charities in the state must be registered with the Alabama Attorney Generals office. The Limestone County Sheriffs Office said they found no record of a charity registered to Downs. Downs is charged with seven counts of Charitable Fraud in the 1st Degree and 3 counts of Tax Evasion. Her bond was set at $1,125,000. A spokesperson for The Limestone County Sheriffs Office confirmed to News 19 Thursday that Downs has bonded out of jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Alabama woman among 39 pardoned by Biden In light of this case, News 19 reached out to the Better Business Bureau to find some information on how you can spot a fake charity scam. President & CEO of the North Alabama BBB, Karen Reeves, said there should be several red flags to watch out for. We need to educate ourselves, do our homework, Reeves said about donating to charity. She said to be careful about how you donate your money and who you give it to. Dont give to an individual, Reeves said. A legitimate charity is never going to ask you to donate to a person, you want to give directly to them [the charity]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reeves said to be weary of heart-wrenching stories you may hear while scrolling on social media. She said a good rule of thumb, is to ask exactly where the money youll be donating to will be going. The BBB also recommends using a credit card when you make an online donation, to help protect transactions. The Better Business Bureau also runs the website give.org, which helps people find legitimate charities. The BBB verifies the legitimacy of a charity by a 20-step screening process. You can check out charities that have been evaluated and have been very transparent in what they are doing and how their funds are spent at give.org, Reeves told News 19. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Limestone County Sheriffs Office is still investigating Downs case. LCSO is urging anyone who has information relevant to the case or fraudulent activity involving Downs to come forward. LCSO asks if you have information to share to email the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) at CIDinvestigation@limestonesheriff.com. They ask that you include your full name, phone number, and a brief summary of your concern in your email. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. North Korean troops have captured a village from Ukrainian forces in Russias Kursk region, Russian military bloggers have reported. They said North Korean special forces had endured a baptism of fire in the battle for Plekhovo, which had been fought over for several weeks. They walked 2km through a minefield, broke into the village with lightning speed and then destroyed the occupying contingent of Ukrainian Wehrmacht, Yuri Kotenok told his 400,000 subscribers on social media app Telegram, deploying a Russian propaganda reference to Ukrainians as Nazis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Western intelligence said Russia has deployed up to 12,000 North Korean conscripts to help recapture the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces carved out a foothold in August. Mr Kotenok, who is regarded as well-connected to the Russian army, said the North Koreans took about two-and-a-half hours to capture Plekhovo last Friday. Late on Thursday, he reported: They didnt take any prisoners and they wont take them in the future, either. Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the front line in Zaporizhzhia this month - Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters The North Korean attack on Ukrainian positions cannot be independently verified but several other Russian military bloggers also reported it. The Two Majors military blog said that North Korean forces acted collectively under the call sign Kim for the mission that the Russian Ministry of Defence has declined to formally recognise. Comrade Kim Jong-un can be proud Another Russian military blogger, Colonel Cassad, was less discreet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told his 900,000 Telegram subscribers: Our North Korean comrades have undergone a baptism of fire effectively. Comrade Kim Jong-un can be proud. The US-based Institute for the Study of War confirmed that the Kremlins forces had captured Plekhovo but did not report the involvement of North Korean forces. Ukrainian troops from the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade build a trench to fortify their position in Kharkiv - REUTERS Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, is pushing on his forces ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump as the US president on Jan 20. Mr Trump is expected to try to impose a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine and Putin wants to capture as much territory as possible beforehand. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, has indicated that he would enter talks with Putin but he wants Ukraine to join Nato, which the Russian leader has ruled out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Ukraine, Russia launched one of its heaviest bombardments for weeks. Russian missiles hit energy production and transmission sites in the western regions of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kirovohrad. Officials said nobody was killed in the attacks but that energy infrastructure had been badly damaged. Dawn attack Svitlana Onyshchuk, the governor of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, said: At dawn, the enemy used attack drones and cruise missiles. They targeted critical infrastructure facilities. The Kremlin said it had launched the attack in retaliation for a Ukrainian strike using US-made Atacms missiles on the port of Taganrog on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Zelensky said Ukraines defence shot down 81 of 93 Russian missiles, some using F-16 fighter jets that Nato states have given Kyiv. He said: This is Putins peace plan, to destroy everything. This is how he wants negotiations, by terrorising millions of people. Ukrenergo, the Ukrainian state energy company, reported widespread blackouts immediately after the attack. The US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said the Kremlin has waged a systematic campaign to destroy Ukraines energy infrastructure ahead of winter. It said: By punishing the population, the Kremlin seeks to compel Ukrainian leaders to end the war quickly and on terms favourable to Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the front lines in Ukraines eastern region of Donbas, Russian forces continued to move forward. Ukrainian generals have warned that Russian forces are massing towards the city of Pokrovsk and are close to capturing Kurakhove in the southern sector of the front line. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A North Myrtle Beach man has been arrested on a child sexual abuse material charge, the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office said Thursday. George Conner Edd, 19, was charged with third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on Wednesday morning and remains in jail on a $7,500 bond as of this writing. The Horry County Sheriffs Office made the arrest with assistance from the attorney generals office. Investigators allege Edd possessed files of child sexual abuse material. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Edd could face up to 10 years in prison. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) The students at Northmoor Primary School honored the memory of a former student and also raised money for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Theyre celebrating the 21st annual Aaron Hunter Cuddle and Compassion Day. Aaron Hunter was a kindergartener at Northmoor in 2004 when he died from a rare form of cancer. Aaron loved superheroes, wearing pajamas, and reading. Students at Northmoor Primary School raise money for St. Jude Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Northmoor Primary, the students wore their pajamas all day and heard from Aarons mother at an assembly. She spoke to the students about what it means to show compassion. She said its humbling knowing the students and staff will keep his memory alive. It brings tears to my eyes. I am beyond grateful. Im very humbled by this, and Im so glad that they continued to do this for him and the memory of him, said Aarons mom, Marilyn Mowder. The students raised $910 which will go to the St. Jude facility in Memphis and local St. Jude affiliates where Aaron was treated. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. (Photo by Scott Olson | Getty Images) NorthWestern Energy announced Thursday it is joining a new high voltage transmission project that will help expand Montanas grid and meet the states increasing energy demand. In a news release, the utility said it plans to own 10% of a 3,000 megawatt transmission line to be built from Bismarck, North Dakota, to Colstrip, and it signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with North Plains Connector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grid United and ALLETE are jointly developing North Plains Connector, and Avista, Portland General Electric and Puget Sound Energy also have ownership agreements with North Plains Connector. In the news release, energy executives lauded the announcement as a boon for Montana communities, and in a phone call, a legislator from Colstrip said the deal will help customers in Montana get reliable energy, although more needs to be done. NorthWestern Energys Colstrip, Montana, substation is strategically located and will serve as a critical endpoint for North Plains Connector, reinforcing Colstrips position as an essential energy hub, said NorthWestern Energy President and CEO Brian Bird in a statement. The North Plains Connector developers collaborative approach with Montana communities to address concerns and ensure the footprint reflects local priorities aligns with NorthWestern Energys commitment to our customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colstrip is home to a coal-fired power plant, and NorthWestern notes it will own 55% of it as of January 2026. North Plains Connector. (Provided by NorthWestern Energy) Rep. Gary Parry, R-Colstrip, said he wishes NorthWestern was getting more than 300 megawatts, but the deal will help Montana during times like the cold snap in January earlier this year. Montana doesnt have sufficient incoming transmission, so it gets the short end of the stick when bidding is high, Parry said. He said even wind projects in Montana are tying into the lines here but sending power straight to the coasts. Right now, since Montanans dont really have any ownership on those lines going to the coast, it helps none of our Montanans, Parry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parry, slated to serve as chairperson of the Montana House committee that handles energy, said North Plains Connector isnt too far from breaking ground. Still, he said its possible the 2025 Montana Legislature could help streamline the process. I think legislators have a responsibility to make sure we figure out how to make reliable, dependable power available to the citizens of the state, he said. The news release described North Plains Connector as the first interregional transmission line to create a major grid-to-grid connection across the three energy markets. It said the transmission line will create connections between NorthWesterns Montana and South Dakota service areas. NorthWestern Energy is the only partner serving customers in both regions, which have diverse energy load demands and diverse energy generation resources, said Bird in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NorthWestern said the bidirectional transmission line will efficiently transport large amounts of power from areas with supply to areas in need and take advantage of diverse load and weather patterns. The project is entering the permitting phase, construction is expected to start in 2028, and the goal is for North Plains Connector to be running by 2032, the news release said. The announcement said Grid United will fund the development, and NorthWestern will invest when regulatory approvals and permits are in place. We are pleased to welcome NorthWestern Energy to North Plains Connector, said Michael Skelly, CEO and co-founder of Grid United, in a statement. As Montanas largest energy provider, NorthWestern Energy brings a breadth of experience and deep understanding of the regions energy needs. Their support reinforces the importance of North Plains Connector as a meaningful solution for a strong and reliable electric grid. The news release said NorthWestern Energy and Grid United also plan to continue transmission development to further enhance the grid through the southwest corridor of Montana. Development to expand the southwest corridor of Montana through grid buildout would represent a significant step in enhancing connectivity between Montana and the broader Western energy market bolstering grid reliability, allowing for critical import capability and enabling customers to access and benefit from emerging energy markets in the West, the news release said. A heartbroken mother has blasted President Joe Biden for commuting the lengthy prison sentence of a corrupt former judge jailed in the notorious kids-for-cash scandal. Critics have claimed the president tainted his legacy by pardoning his son Hunter Biden after insisting he wouldnt intervene when he was convicted on gun and tax charges. Now Sandy Fonzo has spoken out about her pain on hearing that a man she blamed for her sons death is being freed by Biden, who announced on Thursday that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 inmates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Luzerne County, Pennsylvania judge Michael Conahan was jailed for 17 years in 2011 after he was convicted of being paid $2.1 million in bribes for giving juveniles disproportionately long sentences and funneling them to private, for-profit detention centers. Fonzos son killed himself after he was imprisoned as part of the kickback scheme. Sandy famously confronted Conahans co-conspirator Judge Mark Ciavarella outside court in Scranton after Conahan pleaded guilty to racketeering charges. Ciavarella placed Fonzos son in juvenile detention at age 17 for a minor drug paraphernalia charge. The mother released a statement after hearing his sentence was being shelved, saying it was deeply painful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am shocked and I am hurt, she continued. Conahans actions destroyed families, including mine, and my sons death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power. This pardon feels like an injustice for all of us who still suffer. Right now I am processing and doing the best I can to cope with the pain that this has brought back. Conahan, 72, was released to home confinement in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic after complaining he was in grave danger of dying from the virus behind bars. Announcing the commutations, Biden said they were granted because the defendants would receive lower sentences if charged under todays laws, policies, and practices. These commutation recipients, who were placed on home confinement during the COVID pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance, he added. A former nursing home employee has been convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor. In March 2023, while working at Friendship Home in Audubon, workers there reported the man sent cell-phone photos of himself masturbating and was taking videos of his co-workers. (Photo illustration by Iowa Capital Dispatch, with Friendship Home photo via Google Earth. Text-message photo is deliberately blurred.) A state-certified caregiver has been convicted of sexually exploiting a minor while employed by an Iowa nursing home. The defendant in the case, Martell Guider, is a 37-year-old male certified nursing assistant who has been accused of sexual impropriety at three Iowa nursing homes located in Audubon, Correctionville and Kalona. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most recent case, and the only one in which criminal charges were filed, involves Guiders employment at the Pleasantview Home in Kalona. Martell Guider, a state-certified nursing assistant. (Photo courtesy of the Washington County Jail) According to police and prosecutors, officials at Pleasantview confronted Guider sometime in January 2024 after multiple employees raised concerns that he was being inappropriate with a 17-year-old minor who was present at the home but not a resident. Police allege that after his supervisors talked to him about the complaints, Guider shared an explicit photo of the minor with his employer. According to the police, Guider had threatened the minor to induce her to send him the photos via the social-messaging platform Snapchat. Police allege that when asked about the photos, Guider acknowledged he had saved them for his sexual gratification, saying, I screenshot it because, its like, OK, yeah, its a woman, she sent you a naked picture, wanna look at it maybe later when we have time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the police reports, Guiders colleagues at Pleasantview also complained that he had been making unwanted advances toward female coworkers in the nursing home. He was then barred from the care facility, according to police. Guider was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor by causing the minor to engage in a sex act, sexual exploitation through the use of photographs, possession of material depicting a minor engaged in sex, and first-degree harassment. In October, a jury convicted Guider of sexual exploitation by causing the minor to engage in a sex act. He was acquitted of the remaining charges, and was sentenced to five years of probation. A 25-year prison sentence was suspended by the court. District Court Judge Michael Carpenter recently denied Guiders motion for a new trial, stating, A sexual photograph of a minor shared by text message or social media can find its way to the internet and live forever. A defendant who solicits a minor to create a pornographic image of herself is victimizing a vulnerable victim in a way that causes a special sort of harm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guider has since appealed his conviction to the Iowa Supreme Court. April 2023: The Audubon case Prior to his arrest in the Pleasantview case, Guider was fired from two other Iowa nursing homes amid allegations of sexual impropriety. The first of those cases dates back to April 2023, when a female caregiver at Audubons Friendship Home filed a complaint with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing about Guiders behavior. The woman who filed similar complaints with management at the home and with city police alleged Guider had been making suggestive remarks to female coworkers, had sent them photos of himself masturbating, had recorded video of one worker as she provided care for a resident, and had invited some of his female colleagues out to his car where he kept a bottle of Seagrams Crown Royal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Audubon police have acknowledged they fielded at least two complaints about Guiders conduct at Friendship Home but didnt pursue the matter. Audubon Police Chief Coby Gust said the complainants provided text messages and photos and expressed concern that the mans behavior could spill over into his interactions with vulnerable residents. It kind of just fell off the radar as far as anything being pursued, Gust told the Iowa Capital Dispatch. According to the complainant in the Friendship Home case, officials at the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing rejected her complaint about Guider in April 2023, allegedly telling her the issues she raised were best addressed by management at the home since they involved worker-to-worker conduct that had no actual or potential impact on residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complainant provided the Iowa Capital Dispatch with screenshots of Guiders alleged text messages, which include two photos of a mans genitals and two photos of a man holding a bottle of Crown Royal inside a vehicle. October 2023: The Correctionville case Six months after the incident in Audubon, Guider was working at Correctionville Specialty Care when he was the target of a complaint that he had raped a resident of the home. State records show the alleged victim in that case told management an employee took her to his car in the facilitys parking lot, told her he was a musician, played some of his music to her, offered her a drink of Seagrams Crown Royal from a bottle he kept in his car, and then forced her to have oral sex with him. According to state inspectors, the alleged rape victim, who is not cognitively impaired, also alleged the worker sent her a video of himself masturbating and provided a copy of the video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the woman reported the alleged rape, officials at Correctionville Specialty Care evicted the woman from the facility and dropped her off at a homeless shelter, according to state inspectors. Guider was terminated from employment at the Correctionville home, but state inspectors say the facilitys parent company, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines, continued to provide work for him in other Iowa nursing homes that it operates. Court records show the alleged victim in the Correctionville case reported the alleged rape to Woodbury County deputies in November 2023 and provided them with a copy of the video Guider had allegedly sent her. The records show a search warrant for the contents of Guiders phone wasnt sought by deputies until June 2024 seven months after the woman reported the alleged rape. The warrant application suggests Woodbury County deputies didnt know where to locate Guider although, in March 2024, he had been arrested and jailed in Washington and Poweshiek counties in the sexual exploitation case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not known what information Woodbury County authorities were able to extract from Guiders phone once they obtained it. No charges have been filed in either the Correctionville case or the Audubon case. State records show Guider was working for Pete Howe Sanitation in 2017, when he was fired for keeping a bottle of Crown Royal in his work vehicle. Several months later, in May 2018, he was certified as a nursing assistant and was cleared by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to work in Iowa nursing homes. The US Senators from New York and New Jersey are demanding federal authorities hold a briefing to reveal all they know about legions of mysterious drones seen flying through the night skies of New Jersey by hundreds of people. We write out of urgent concern regarding the unmanned aerial system activity that has affected communities across New York and New Jersey in recent days, said four senators from New York and New Jersey in a Wednesday letter to the Department of Homeland security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Wednesday, and the Federal Aviation Administration. The senators majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senator-elect Andy Kim (D-NJ) said the ongoing nature of these drone incidents has left them and their constituents concerned, and demanded the federal agencies explain what they are doing to identify and address the source of these incursions. House majority leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer (D. NY) and Sen. Andy Kim (D. NY) demanded a federal briefing Getty Images Since late November, communities in the New York City area and northern New Jersey have reported several incidents of unattributable drone sightings at night, alarming both residents and local law enforcement, the letter said, explaining they had been seen near critical infrastructure and sensitive locations, including military bases and reservoirs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to potential privacy concerns raised by these aerial systems, we are also especially concerned about how these drones may harm public safety, they wrote in their letter. Especially given recent reports that a medevac helicopter was prevented from transporting a seriously injured patient for care because of the presence of these drones. They requested a reply from the federal agencies by Dec. 23. The letter comes as frustrations over the bizarre drones which have been dogging the skies of Jersey and nearby parts of New York nightly for nearly a month boiled over Wednesday when US Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R, NJ) claimed highly reliable sources told him they were Iranian, which the pentagon then categorically denied but failed to offer any further insight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the FBI and other authorities have said they have no idea what the drones are but continue to insist without explanation they pose no danger to Americans. Van Drew sent a letter of his own to President Biden Wednesday demanding answers, and now enough appears to be enough for the states Democratic leadership, too. The drones have appeared in the nighttime skies of New Jersey and parts of New York for nearly a month AP The drones have been seen travelling in formations @Kate_inNJ via Storyful The DHS and the New Jersey State Police held a briefing for Jersey legislators on Wednesday and again claimed to have no idea what the drones are, but described the remarkable scope of the phenomenon. Sightings began on November 18 and have persisted nightly since with sometimes as many as 180 reports coming in on a single night, state Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia reported after the briefing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The drones are typically up to six feet in length, range up to 15 miles while staying in the air for seven hours at a time, and somehow avoid detection whenever something tries to intercept them. We know nothing. PERIOD. To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, Fantasia wrote in a post on X. You are the owner of this article. The head of New York Citys child welfare agency resisted calls Thursday to divulge personal details about child fatalities following the horrific death of malnourished 4-year-old JahMeik Modlin. During a City Council committee oversight hearing, Administration for Childrens Services Commissioner Jess Dannhauser suggested that while he understood the need for transparency, he was also mindful of surviving siblings in the agencys care. We want to make sure were protecting children who dont need to read more in the [news]paper about what the ACS commissioner said about their particular family, Dannhauser told the Committee on Children and Youth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do want to make sure that we maintain a culture at ACS about learning rather than blame, because blame has led us down a path in the past where we make decisions based on fear. That is not good for children; that is not good for families. In the wake of the recent deaths of Modlin in October and Joseph Heben Jr., a 1-month-old child who died of malnutrition over the summer on Staten Island, experts warned against fueling a foster-care panic where the agency overcorrects and separates families who could have been supported with food and resources. Modlins family in Harlem was known to the system, having previously been under ACS investigation. ACS will continue releasing annual reports on child fatality trends, as well as working with the Office of Children and Family Services, a state oversight agency, Dannhauser said. The commissioner is also in the process of reconvening a group of experts community advocates, parents and child-abuse pediatricians who will have deeper access to information. Lawmakers acknowledged the challenge of striking the right balance, yet also insisted there was more ACS could do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the reports that ACS refused to put out after a child did die might be helpful in moving us in the right direction, said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and I hope ACS reconsiders not releasing those reports for the public to take a look at. I know that privacy is one of the issues, but I feel like [materials] can be redacted in a way that can help us all try to find the balance that were trying to find. Councilwoman Althea Stevens (D-Bronx), the committee chair, said she is a person who truly believes that we have to protect children. Some of that is keeping certain things confidential, and also not having all of their grueling details being exposed for everyone to read, Stevens said. But we do have to have a balance of what does transparency look like and how do we make sure that were able to hold not only ACS accountable, but all parties accountable. NEW YORK (PIX11) New York City will provide funding for a guaranteed income program to support soon-to-be mothers experiencing housing insecurity. The New York City Council is allocating $1.5 million in funding to support the work of The Bridge Project, a nonprofit that operates a guaranteed income program for expecting mothers. More Local News The funding will allow The Bridge Project to provide regular income assistance to 161 pregnant women experiencing housing insecurity. The program aims to improve the health of mothers and reduce child poverty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an important step towards reducing the economic stressors that threaten maternal health and empowering low-income mothers to secure pathways to stability and security, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said in a statement. The 161 women participating in the program will receive financial assistance during the first three years of their childrens lives. NY inflation refund check: Do you need to apply to get paid? The women will receive a $2,500 payment up front, followed by monthly payments of $1,000 for the first 15 months and $500 for the final 21 months of the program. It is the first time municipal funding has been used for a guaranteed income program, according to the New York City Council. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two years ago, I introduced legislation to authorize the city to create a pilot program to provide direct cash assistance for low-income families struggling with housing instability, homelessness, and other challenges tied to financial insecurity. I am deeply grateful to Speaker Adams for her leadership and commitment in making the Guaranteed Income Pilot Program a reality, New York City Council member Crystal Hudson said in a statement. Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. As a New York City grand jury hears evidence against UnitedHealthcare CEO suspected murderer Luigi Mangione, UHC said he was not insured by them. Mangione, is seen here in his booking photo taken on Tuesday and released by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Photo courtesy Pennsylvania Department of Corrections/UPI Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A New York City grand jury has begun hearing evidence against UnitedHealthcare CEO suspected murderer Luigi Mangione, as the company said he was not insured by it. Manhattan District Attorney's Office prosecutors started presenting evidence in the case Thursday, seeking an indictment against Mangione in the murder of Brian Thompson, CBS News and ABC News reported. Mangione is fighting extradition from Pennsylvania to New York even as the grand jury hears evidence against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during an interview with CBS News that she had spoken to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as she worked to secure Mangione's extradition. "I want to get him back here in the State of New York and run him through our criminal justice system," she said. "Because that horrific attack occurred on our streets, and the people of our city deserve to have that sense of calm that this perpetrator has been caught and he will never see the light of day again, if there is justice." Luigi Mangione is fighting extradition from Pennsylvania to New York even as the grand jury hears evidence against him in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. UHC said he was not insured by them. Photo courtesy Pennsylvania Department of Corrections/UPI Mangione is in a maximum security prison cell in Pennsylvania. Gov. Hochul said an extradition hearing is set for Dec. 23. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to CBS News, citing NYPD sources, Mangione's charge in New York will be changed from second-degree to premeditated first-degree murder once he is extradited from Pennsylvania. As authorities seek to determine a motive for the shooting, UnitedHealthcare denied that Mangione was a client. "Brian Thompson's killer was not a member of UnitedHealthcare," a company spokesperson told ABC News. UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty mourned Thompson in a New York Times guest essay Friday, publicly addressing the killing for the first time. He said it's a grief and sadness the company will "carry for the rest of our lives." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We greatly appreciate the enormous outpouring of support for Brian, who ran our health insurance business, UnitedHealthcare, as well as for our wider company, which I lead. Yet we also are struggling to make sense of this unconscionable act and the vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats," Witty wrote. He acknowledged that the U.S. health system doesn't work as well as it should. He said health care is intensely personal and complicated and UHC shares some of the responsibility for that. "Together with employers, governments and others who pay for care, we need to improve how we explain what insurance covers and how decisions are made," Witty said. "Behind each decision lies a comprehensive and continually updated body of clinical evidence focused on achieving the best health outcomes and ensuring patient safety." MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) Hundreds of people looking for jobs attended a city-run hiring hall in Manhattan on Thursday. Kevin Keegan, 23, was one of them. He calls the citys job market challenging. The NYU grad has been looking for work for more than a year. More Local News Its been tough. I have friends with masters degrees and PhDs and they cant find work, Keegan said. I started back in November applying for jobs online trying to find something. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hiring hall was held at the Polo Grounds Cornerstone Community Center in Hamilton Heights. The hiring hall, which was hosted by the New York City Department of Small Business Services, connected employers with potential workers and resulted in on-site interviews and job offers. Remote jobs in NYC paying at least $60K for entry-level positions The city said the goal of the halls is the address the citys 5.4% unemployment rate. Sometimes you need to take it to the people. So we are delivering these events in the highest unemployment zip codes one in each zip code and were bringing a whole of government approach, said Dynishal Gross, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was the 31st hiring hall the city has hosted this year alone. Around 10,000 people have attended and 1,200 job offers have been made. Naomi Delos Santos was at Thursdays event. She is with Destinys Services that staffs for CFTSS, a program that helps underserved communities. She calls attending the hall a no-brainer for anyone seeking work. A lot of the job is done for you. The agencies are here you have a plethora of organizations that are looking for people they want to hire on the spot or later on, so its a great opportunity to see whats in the community, she said. In the end, Delos Santos ended up filling the two positions she had available, not only by hiring Keegan but also 29-year-old Ivani McPhee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keegan said he was ecstatic. McPhee added, I feel amazing Im really proud of myself that I kept doing the legwork and I got something within the New York City government. Both Keegan and McPhee were thrilled to walk away from the event with a new job. They encourage anyone who is looking to also attend. The citys next hiring hall is in January. For more information, click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (AP) A suburban New York police department routinely violated residents' civil rights, including making illegal arrests and using unnecessary strip and cavity searches, according to a new U.S. Department of Justice report. The report on a pattern and practice of police misconduct at the department in Mount Vernon, just north of New York City, is one of 12 investigations opened by the DOJ into local policing agencies since 2021, including those sparked by the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. No single incident prompted the investigation into Mount Vernon's approximately 160-officer force. But the illegal strip search in 2020 of two women, one age 65 and the other 75, were emblematic of the department's shortcomings, said the report, which was released Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arrested on suspicion of buying drugs, officers searched the women's car, found nothing, and hauled them into a police station in handcuffs, the report said. Supervisors there approved a fully nude strip search by detectives who told them to bend over and cough. After an internal investigation found that the officers had lied about the pair buying drugs, those involved were docked a few vacation days, the report said. The police union representing officers in the department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Until at least the fall of 2022, it was the Mount Vernon forces practice to strip search every person it arrested, according to the report. Officers also strip-searched people they did not arrest, detained and interrogated people without formally arresting them, and arrested people for verbally criticizing police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illegal strip and cavity searches continued until at least 2023, the report found. The investigators said that while the practice was curtailed during its probe, we are not confident that these practices have ended. Among a catalog of unconstitutional arrests, the DOJ identified a case where officers took the mother of a shooting victim to a police station and interrogated her, even as her dying daughter was rushed to the hospital. The daughter, struck by a stray bullet, died while her mother was in custody. Officers didn't articulate probable cause for her detention. The department also suffered from financial mismanagement, which exacerbated pervasive human rights violations rooted in illegal policies and lack of training, the report said. It noted that low salaries make it hard to attract and retain quality officers, train staff and pay its bills, starving its supply budget. The report noted that the city is already taking steps to improve its policing. It offered a series of recommendations, including implementing measures to ensure that unconstitutional strip and body cavity searches do not take place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said the city would work with the DOJ to address its findings. We wholeheartedly support our good officers and at the same time will not tolerate and will punish unconstitutional policing, said Patterson-Howard, a Democrat. The statement noted that three police officers and two civilian employees had been fired following an investigation in 2021. A spokesperson for the mayor did not immediately respond to questions about when and why those people were fired. NYPDs Chief of Detectives has revealed that cops have no indication that Luigi Mangione was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare. The top suspect in the murder of the insurance companys CEO, Brian Thompson, Mangione was arrested earlier this week in Pennsylvania. As police continue to sift through evidence, Joseph Kenny told NBC New York that their findings so far dont indicate that Mangione had a personal vendetta against UnitedHealthcare or Thompson, but rather allegedly targeted the company for its size and because he knew a conference was taking place in New York in December. We have no indication that he ever was a client of UnitedHealthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth-largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America, Kenny told the outlet. So thats possibly why he targeted that company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had prior knowledge that the conference was taking place on that date, at that location, Kenny added. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections In a notebook retrieved by police that is believed to belong to Mangione, the 26-year-old pondered the best way to target a CEO of a big corporation, arriving at using a gun to not risk innocents. What do you do? You wack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention, Mangione wrote in the notebook, according to NBC New York. Its targeted, precise, and doesnt risk innocents. Kenny also added that it appears that Mangione had an accident in the summer of 2023 that left him with a life-changing, life-altering injury that may have put him on this path. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione is currently in custody at SCI Huntingdon in Pennsylvania. His next court appearance is slated for Dec. 30, where the matter of his gun charges will be tackled. Mangiones attorney has previously said his client intends to plead not guilty to charges in both Pennsylvania and New York. MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) An off-duty NYPD school safety agent was accused of shoplifting in Manhattan on Thursday, sources told PIX11 News. Ameesha Jones, 39, was taken into custody around 6 p.m., police said. More Local News She was charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. HENDERSON, N.Y (WWTI) New York State Police are investigating a house fire that claimed the life of one person. Emergency personnel responded just before 12:45 p.m. Thursday to 13432 Cedarvale Road in the town of Henderson for report of a structure fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reported stated that a person was trapped inside the structure. One person was located deceased inside of the residence. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending autopsy and notification of family. Troopers were assisted on scene by Jefferson County Emergency Management as well as the Henderson Fire Department. The investigation is currently ongoing and updates will follow once information is received. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWTI - InformNNY.com. Dec. 12The Oak Hill High/Collins High School Alumni Association will have a general membership meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 at 7 p.m. According to Donna Legg-Hendrickson, the group's president, the purpose of the meeting will be to elect members of the board of directors. Persons interested in serving should contact the alumni association via email at OHHSalumni@yahoo.com. The Rev. Stephen Steve Adrian, the longtime priest of the Church of St. Matthew on St. Pauls West Side, touched many lives as a spiritual leader and as an active community member who sought to help others. [Adrian] had his natural family, us, but I think the people of the parish and the people of the community he also considered like family, and they were very important to him. He loved them intensely, said Ann Koves, one of his sisters. Months after announcing his cancer diagnosis in March of this year, Adrian died Dec. 1 at age 82. Beginnings and time as a priest Born in St. Paul on April 15, 1942, Adrian went to Catholic grade school, where he had the opportunity to get to know the priests of the parish, Koves said. Around eighth grade, one of the priests proposed the idea of Adrian going to Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary now the site of the University of Northwestern, St. Paul which sparked the idea of him becoming a priest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his time at Nazareth Hall, Koves said he continued going to school during his time off and spent a few summers taking advanced classes in liturgy at the University of Notre Dame. Adrian was ordained as a priest on Dec. 8, 1968 and served at the Church of the Incarnation and at St. Leonard of Port Maurice, both in Minneapolis, before coming to the Church of St. Matthew in 1978. He served at St. Matthews for 34 years until his retirement in 2012. Adrians close friend, Rev. Martin Warren, said he had a gift for connecting with parishioners and had a powerful impact of drawing people into the community. He was also very good in terms of making that personal connection in times of need, in times of sadness and in times of joy, too, Warren said. One thing he was well known for was being a great storyteller. In fact, if you listen to his preaching, he would often use stories which connected at a personal level with people in the congregation and that made, for them the Gospel come alive. Holistic community development Warren added that he was key to developing programs and initiatives to meet the various needs, something Adrian called holistic community development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ministry, the parish, his ministry, and the peoples ministry was trying to create holistic community development. Its that sense of the community or the church, plus the community in all these other areas are inextricably linked, Warren said. Therefore, thats what he saw as important and what he helped do in terms of setting up different programs. Adrian was involved with the Neighborhood Development Alliance, which worked to acquire federal urban renewal funds to create new housing and rehabilitate current housing. He also was instrumental in starting a child care center and implementing services from St. Marys Health Clinics, an organization that provides free medical care to low-income individuals without insurance. Adrian was passionate about Catholic education and advocated for ensuring it remained accessible regardless of financial circumstances, according to Bridget Kramer, the principal of the Community of Saints Regional Catholic School. Adrian served as the canonical administrator of the school for nine years before stepping down last spring. Along with a few other community members, Adrian started a group whose primary goal was to fundraise solely for tuition assistance, Kramer said. The program started before the regional school formed in 2012, and, as of last summer, raised more than $4 million for tuition support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kramer said Adrian left a legacy that has touched many lives on St. Pauls West Side. He was not someone to talk about himself and hes someone that everyone on the West Side knows to some capacity, Kramer said. Yet, hes never the person who is the loudest in the room. His leadership and his ability to touch others was his actions and his ability just to be. There will be a visitation from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, followed by a vespers service and an overnight vigil until 7 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21. After, a visitation will take place at 9:30 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. All services will take place at the Church of St. Matthew, 510 Hall Ave., St. Paul. More information can be found at st-matts.org. Related Articles the gazette Gov. Jared Polis delivers the 2024 State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the Colorado Capitol in January. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Thursday shared a message to those surprised by the hostile response to the health insurance industry following the recent fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. This is not to say that an act of violence is justified but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them, the New York congresswoman told CBS News Jaala Brown. Ocasio-Cortez, who noted that Americans collective pain is being concentrated on the shooting, said people go homeless as a result of the financial devastation of a diagnosis that doesnt get addressed or the amount theyre going to have to cover with a surprise bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And when we kind of talk about how systems are violent in this country in this passive way, our privatized health care system is like that for a huge amount of Americans, explained Ocasio-Cortez, who noted that she didnt have health insurance until she was elected to Congress. She later continued, Health care in this country has gotten to such a depraved state that people are living with things they should never have to live with. And this is not to say and this is not to participate in that glorification but we need to understand that extreme levels of inequality in the United States yield high degrees of social instability. Regarding the public reaction to the shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said on Thursday, "I think people need to really understand how much everyday people are living with." "This is not to say that an act of violence is pic.twitter.com/nYiNASNElW CBS News (@CBSNews) December 12, 2024 Her comments come as Americans have expressed hate and vitriol toward the health insurance industry and heroized Luigi Mangione the 26-year-old charged with killing Thompson via video edits, thirst posts and other forms of fanfare on social media. An alleged digital footprint left by Mangione points to years of debilitating back pain that led to a surgery last year while his reported manifesto questioned why the U.S. has the most expensive health care in the world while the country doesnt have the top life expectancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ocasio-Cortez told Business Insider on Wednesday that the reaction to the shooting reflects a mass bubbling of resentment around the precarity that people have been living with. Of course, we dont want to see the chaos that vigilantism presents, she said. We also dont want to see the extreme suffering that millions of Americans confront when your life changes overnight from a horrific diagnosis, and people are led to just some of the worst, not just health events, but the worst financial events of their and their familys lives. She continued, I think for people who are surprised, its a wake-up call for how much of this exists in our society. Related... Bernie Hendricks, the band director at Ocoee High School, has developed deep connections with his students throughout his almost 30-year career, and theres proof: Hes officiated weddings for more than 10 former students. Thats really cool and really rewarding that Im able to, through the music program, build those types of relationships, he said. The 51-year-old music teacher has been honored locally for helping music students and high school bands find success. Now, the veteran of Orange County Public Schools is in line for an award that could put him on the national stage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thursday, the Grammys announced that Hendricks is one of 10 finalists for its national 2025 Music Educator Award, which comes with a $10,000 prize and a trip to Los Angeles for the 2025 Grammy Awards in February. Since the news broke, Hendricks said hes been inundated with congratulatory messages from friends, family, colleagues and former students. But he still pulled into his spot at Ocoee High on Friday morning to plan for his first period freshman band class. We dont sign up to be recognized as, Oh, youre a great teacher. We just do it because we really love what we do, Hendricks said on his drive to school Friday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hendricks and Freedom High Schools band director, Michael Antmann, learned in September that they were both among the 25 semifinalists for the Grammy Award. The two, who are friends, celebrated with a drink together. As semifinalists, each won $500 and a matching grant for their schools. As a finalist, Hendricks will now receive $1,000, with another matching grant for his school, and could win the bigger prize early next year. Hendricks, a graduate of Florida A&M Universitys music education program, said being a band teacher is a unique responsibility, as music students often have the same teacher for all four years of high school. Hendricks said this allows him time to build deeper relationships with his students and to help them overcome challenges. Other classroom teachers will sometimes come to him for help with struggling students who are in band, he said, as he often knows them better and can offer insight into whats troubling them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Ocoee High, 80% of the students come from economically disadvantaged homes, and some struggle to find ways to practice their instruments at home. To help, Hendricks keeps the band room open after school so students can practice and work more with their peers. The job of band director, he said, is to develop better human beings, not just better musicians. Were not just using the kids to play music. Were training these kids on being productive citizens, learning how to work as a team, learning leadership skills, just learning how to work together and be cohesive, Hendricks said. Bernie not only develops students musical skills, but also builds their confidence to see their potential in academics and life, said Superintendent Maria Vazquez, in a statement after Hendricks was named a finalist. Hes built an award-winning program at Ocoee High School, engaged parents and created strong partnerships with the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hendricks was voted Teacher of the Year at Robinswood Middle School in 2000, and in 2007 and 2017 he received the same award at Ocoee High. In 2017, he was also a finalist for the Orange County Teacher of the Year. About 20 miles south of Hendricks at Freedom High, Antmann, 45, displays a Hustle makes it happen sign in his band-room office and fittingly conducts class at a breakneck pace. A lot to do today, Antmann said as the band worked to nail its holiday pieces ahead of its winter concert. Hustle. Antmann cranked the tempo of his metronome to 175 beats per minute and raised his hand. The band students tried to keep up with their instructor but couldnt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raise your hand if you werent quite ready for that, he said. Ok. Lets do it again. Antmanns students responded, improving in each attempt. Like Hendricks, Antmann works to connect with his band students, cracking jokes about missed notes even as he pushes them to excel. If you want them to listen, you have to talk to them, he said. If they can interact with me, theyll engage. He said awards can be validating, but the most rewarding part of being a band teacher is the day-to-day of teaching. Antmann was previously a semi-finalist for the Grammys Music Education Award in 2019 and 2020 and won Teacher of the Year honors at Freedom High in 2005. He compares teaching music to teaching a foreign language, expecting his students to not only play music, but also speak it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You have to immerse yourself in it, Antmann said. You have to live in it. Hendricks said he tries to motivate his students by bringing energy to his band room because his students feed off that. The energy is always there, Hendricks said. Even on the days when Im dog tired, I still come in here, and I give these kids everything I got, because I think they dont get that everywhere. Hendricks passion for music and his students is evident in the bands superior assessments at state music competitions and in the connections he maintains after graduation. That may be why Hendricks, who is a notary, has been tapped to officiate at former students weddings. Once they found out that I was doing that, kids were like, Oh, Hendricks is doing my wedding,' he said. ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- In order to help those who experience financial strains during the holidays, members of the community and volunteers with the Odessa Black Chamber of Commerce got together to give out 225 hot meals to needy families. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Friday, December 13 at the St. James Missionary Baptist Church on 2212 East 11th Street in Odessa, cars lined up for the monthly food distribution, which occurs on the second Friday of every month. Unfortunately, we have a lot of families that are still in need, Chris E Walker, President and CEO of the Black Chamber of Commerce said. So we just do something to try to take the edge off so we can help them get through the month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After purchasing the food from the West Texas Food Bank, volunteers from the Black Chamber of Commerce, St. James, neighboring churches, and friends of the community worked together to serve the hot meals to families. We pretty much started cooking yesterday morning about 8 oclock. We finished last night about 9 oclock, Walker said. Walker added that the Black Chamber of Commerce was also celebrating its 40th anniversary and that this event was a way to celebrate. We wanted to tag that on to the end of the year, Walker said. Senior Pastor at St. James, James Bolton, who provided the building site for the food box giveaway shared that by providing the building site, they could help share blessings to the community. I know its time for sadness for many people, madness for others, but lets focus on the gladness not just our stressings, but our blessings, Dr. Bolton said. Were so happy that theyre here and that we can provide a facility and an area where they can be a blessing to the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information about the Black Chamber of Commerce and future food box distributions, visit its Facebook page, found here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) A month ago, the former Odessa City Council members voted to approve an ordinance that would allow police officers to charge anyone who knowingly enters any public or private bathroom, or locker room, of the opposite biological sex, (defined in the ordinance as the sex, or gender, listed on a persons birth certificate.) Odessa City Council approves divisive restroom ordinance during final vote The ordinance itself was originally proposed in October by Councilman Chris Haynie. This ordinance would apply only to restrooms and changing rooms on City-owned property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Current Mayor Cal Hendrick and Councilman Craig Stoker both agree that they are looking at safety measures when it comes to this ordinance with women. Its important to the city because we want to protect our women and our young ladies that are going to the restroom, says Mayor Hendrick. We dont want them to be subject to inappropriate people being in there for any reason thats inappropriate. The concern is a man going into a womens locker room or restroom for obviously I guess the best word criminal reasons perverted reasons we dont accept that. We certainly want to keep a focus on safety, says Councilman Stoker. This is not has nothing to do with allowing men in the womens bathrooms. You read that over and over again and I think the mayor made that very clear when we took that up Tuesday. Both council members have heard from both sides on this ordinance. Mayor Hendrick saying he understands the need and is going to make sure it happens and that the goal is make sure people feel safe going to the restroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to the statistics of transgender men in the restroom are zero with the only instances of this happening are those who have mental health issues, alcohol, or drug-related times. However there is a cause for concern that Mayor Hendrick sees with this ordinance and that comes with legal issues of citizens suing each other or the city. What were trying to prevent is the city being sued and fighting a battle it cant win because its unconstitutional, says Mayor Hendrick. Brother suing brother sister suing sister, we dont think thats biblically based we think thats a bad idea. We think from a perspective of the court system. We dont want hundreds and hundreds of law suits of people suing one another for an accidental slight violation or something that was completely accidental. Hendrick and Stoker also agree that they will look at other cities who are or have faced this situation to see how they can bring those ideas to Odessa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. Ohio Department of Transportation workers have been out with plows and deicer Thursday in anticipation of wintry conditions and slippery roads. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] News Center 7s Amber Jenkins spoke with ODOT about their winter weather preparations on News Center 7 at 11. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mix of snow, ice and dropping temperatures prompted the ODOT crews to revamp their salt solution. When we have temperatures like these, where theres an extra chill in the air, we get that wind chill. We go ahead and change that solution and we add an algaculture deicer to that mixture that even lowers the freezing temperature more, helping us keep those roads passable, Loryn Bryson with ODOT said. ODOT crews shared the road with other drivers, including a delivery driver out working in the cold, Rob Davis. Just trying to make it through these roads, Davis said. I just do this on the side for fun. Just doing it tonight while the family is gone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis was an hour into his shift when he saw some other drivers lose control and slide. Make sure you give plenty of distance and stop for stop signs way before. Ive already seen a lot of people sliding out there, Davis said. Some of the roads in the Miami Valley are clear, due to deicer and plowing from ODOT, but it is important to remain cautious especially on bridges and overpasses. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) After rumblings of a possible move earlier this year, plans to transfer ownership of the Clarksburg YMCA have been put in motion. On Thursday morning, the Clarksburg Land Reuse Agency (CLRA) discussed the future of the YMCA building the city has owned for the past few years. Although no official decision was made on Thursday, paperwork will begin to be drafted for conditions on giving the YMCA ownership of the building again. YMCA officials said it has been working to get back ownership of the building for a few years now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Central West Virginia YMCA officials said although the city was hopeful when it stepped in years ago to help the building, its limited on the federal grants and funding it can receive, including funding to be an emergency shelter in case of natural disasters. What were overcoming is the fact that were growing as a YMCA and we needtheres a lot of updates I mean that needs to be done, so without the ownership of the building it just makes it really difficult for us to be able to do those things, NCWV YMCA Director Rick Johnson. WVU Choirs to celebrate holidays with A Winter Gala One of the main upgrades the YMCA hopes to make is having a water tank up in its area, as the building is located at the highest point in Clarksburg. YMCA officials said that the current water pump system stops working at times, which has cost it thousands of dollars worth of repairs. Other additions the YMCA hopes to make are investing in a backup generator and solar power in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The YMCA also said its plans for the future are to grow and have multiple different locations throughout the area. When the city stepped in to help the building, it was under two five-year terms with no extensions. The current lease is set to expire in the middle of 2026 which is why the YMCA said it wants to get ownership back sooner rather than later. The CLRA is set to cast its vote on the future of the building on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 9 a.m. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. Oregon's Bonneville Dam is the last of 14 dams on the Columbia River before it empties into the Pacific Ocean. (Courtesy of the Bonneville Power Administration) Officials are still not close to reaching their goal of returning at least 5 million salmon and steelhead to the Columbia River Basin. However, new data shows a positive trend in total abundance of fish in the basin. Thats according to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, which on Tuesday met over Zoom to discuss the latest data of salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River Basin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before 1850, salmon and steelhead runs to the Columbia River Basin were estimated to have been between 10 to 16 million annually. Dams significantly fractured those runs, and in the 1990s, runs declined to about 1 million a year. However, the most recent 10-year rolling average from 2014-2023 stands at 2.3 million salmon and steelhead returning to the basin, similar to the average of 2.4 million fish between 2004-2013, and an improvement from the average in the 1990s which fell to 1.3 million fish, according to data from the council. Increased salmon and steelhead abundance in the Columbia River Basin especially above Bonneville Dam over the past 40 years marks important progress, Council Member Louie Pitt, who represents Oregon and is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, said in a press release. The Columbia River Basin spans 259,000 square miles, an area the size of France. It includes parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and British Columbia. (Courtesy of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council) 37 years later, council remains far from goal of 5 million fish returns The Northwest Power and Conservation Council was established in 1980 by the Northwest Power Act, which authorized Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington to develop a program to protect, mitigate and enhance fish and wildlife impacted by hydropower systems in the Columbia River Basin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The councils fish and wildlife program is funded by the Bonneville Power Administration, and it directs more than $280 million annually to cover 300 projects throughout the basin. In 1987, the council set a goal to have 5 million salmon and steelhead return to the basin past Bonneville Dam by 2025. And through the 1990s, 12 salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River Basin were listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act as run sizes continued to decline. Since then, the closest the council has been to reaching its 5 million goal was in 2014, when 4.6 million salmon and steelhead returned to the basin. While dams are a primary hindrance to salmon and steelhead population recovery, these fish also face severe stresses from climate change, pressures from human population growth in the basin, and other environmental impacts, Pitt said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cannot ease up in our collective efforts to help these fish populations grow stronger and larger everywhere we can including in blocked areas of our basin such as above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams, Pitt said. In the 1990s, the number of salmon and steelhead fish returning to the Columbia River dipped as far as less than 1 million fish. State, federal and tribal agencies are working toward bringing up those numbers. (Courtesy of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council) Ed Schriever, a council member who represents Idaho and is a former director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said the progress is a result of the coordination between state, federal and tribal agencies and other partners across the Columbia River Basin. Over the past four decades the regions fish and wildlife managers have significantly increased their capacity to perform mitigation, stewardship, and enhancement, Schriever said in the press release. The managers have also refined their methods and processes as our scientific understanding has evolved and grown more sophisticated. The work being done today is more directed and purposeful than it has ever been. Data shows improvement in fish production above Bonneville Dam Another key finding from Tuesdays presentation is an improvement in salmon and steelhead production above Bonneville Dam since the establishment of the council Endangered Species Act listings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Early initiatives of the 20th century to recover salmon and steelhead populations, such as hatcheries, focused mostly in the lower sections of the Columbia River to benefit commercial fisheries and ocean harvest, said Peter Jensen, council spokesperson. This ignored fisheries upstream, particularly those for tribes, which experienced the heaviest losses of salmon and steelhead abundance. Since then, new hatcheries upstream of Bonneville Dam, many managed or co-managed by tribes, have helped offset some of those losses. Hatcheries upstream of Bonneville Dam have brought salmon and steelhead returns up since the Northwest Power Conservation Council was first established. (Courtesy of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council) The data presented on Tuesday gives a more complete picture of salmon and steelhead returns in the basin, showing current and historical estimates of proportions of ocean harvest, returns to the mouth of the river, and adult fish tracked passing Bonneville Dam as they migrate upriver to spawn. Previous efforts only focused on fish migrating past Bonneville Dam. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 22: Sonia Rojas, a pharmacy technician, works in the P & P Pharmacy on December 22, 2020 in Miami, Florida. Reports indicate that drugstores around the country are rushing to hire thousands of pharmacists and technicians to administer COVID-19 vaccines and handle the additional work in the drugstores. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The Ohio Board of Pharmacy on Monday launched a tool to help people with low vision, hearing loss, or who face language barriers find pharmacies that can serve them. For many, the pharmacy is the most frequent point of contact with the healthcare system. Pharmacists can consult about their medications and help them manage chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new website will help people with accessibility challenges find pharmacies that can serve their specific needs. For example, for patients with low vision can find pharmacies that provide oversize-font labels, prescription readers and braille labels. It can point those with hearing loss to pharmacies that have video-relay services and teletypewriters. And it can tell non-English speakers where to find pharmacies with translation services for Spanish, Chinese, Nepali, Somali, and other languages. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In a statement, Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Steven W. Schierholt said the new webpage is an attempt to make pharmacy services more widely accessible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The launch of this convenient online search tool highlights the Boards ongoing commitment to ensure pharmacy services are accessible to all Ohioans, he said. The Board is hopeful that this new webpage will help patients and their loved ones quickly identify pharmacies offering services they need to keep them healthy and safe. However, working against accessibility is a wave of pharmacy closures. For the better part of a decade, independent and small-chain pharmacies have said that huge prescription middlemen CVS Caremark, OptumRx and and Express Scripts have been driving them from the field with low reimbursements, fees and clawbacks. More recently, large chain pharmacies have been closing in droves. CVS is at the end of a three-year process in which it closed 900 pharmacies across the country. Walmart last year asked 16,000 of its pharmacists to cut their hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bankrupt Rite Aid this year announced the closures of hundreds of stores in Ohio and Michigan. And Walgreens this year said it would close a significant portion of 2,000 underperforming stores. That prompted Dave Burke, executive director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association, to say he was worried that pharmacy is becoming an untenable business. If Walgreens cant make a go of this in 25% of their locations, my fear is that this becomes a much larger problem where other people who provide pharmacy services exit the market in whole or in part, he said in September. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether the giant health conglomerates that own the three big pharmacy middlemen are engaged in anticompetitive practices. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE There could be a new way for law enforcement to stop impaired drivers here in Ohio. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Voters have now made medical and recreational marijuana legal in Ohio. But it is still against the law to drive under the influence of drugs including marijuana. Its putting their lives at risk and putting the lives of other motorists at risk, Chief Kurt Althouse with Vandalia Division of Police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Althouse is also the president of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. TRENDING STORIES: He said there are concerns in law enforcement that legal recreational marijuana in Ohio will mean more drug-related OVIs. Alcohol-impaired driving has been something weve addressed for many, many years and there are testing methods in place. But now with the recreational marijuana, were looking at what kind of tests could be used for obtaining a sample to see if someone is impaired by drugs, Althouse said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News Center 7 previously covered a crash where troopers said a driver was under the influence of marijuana and other drugs when he crashed into a Trotwood officers cruiser sending her to the hospital. Twenty-three other states are using it, State Rep. Phil `Plummer, (R) - Butler Twp. Plummer is one of the co-sponsors of a plan now on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine. It would allow law enforcement to collect saliva swab samples from drivers suspected of drug impairment. Itll detect any drug in your system, Plummer said. Itd be similar to a breathalyzer for alcohol-related OVIs with results right there during the traffic stop. I think I think it would be very essential for our officers jobs, Althouse said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Two Veterans Health Administration clinics in southern Colorado are changing their hours, according to a news release. Gov. Mike DeWine (Photo by Graham Stokes for the Ohio Capital Journal / Republish photo only with original story) Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine still thinks the states redistricting process would benefit from changes, and he plans to push the legislature to move forward with a plan similar to the one used by Iowa, where nonpartisan staff draw lines but maps are approved by lawmakers. In comments made to reporters on Thursday, DeWine maintained an opinion he brought up first in July when he publicly opposed the redistricting reform in the general elections Issue 1: the current system isnt working, and the system being used in Iowa would bring necessary changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It seems to me that its very appropriate for the legislature to start looking at this again, DeWine said at a breakfast for the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association. The current method DeWine was a part of the Ohio Redistricting Commission as it currently stands, one of five Republican elected officials on the commission, along with two Democratic elected officials. During his time on the Commission, the group adopted six versions of Statehouse district maps and two congressional district maps. Five of the Statehouse maps were deemed unconstitutionally partisan by the Ohio Supreme Court, and both congressional district maps were rejected by the court for the same reason. The sixth version of Statehouse maps was the only to be approved with bipartisan support, a move that Democrats on the commission said was made to get the mapmaking process out of the hands of the commission and to avoid Republicans drawing even more gerrymandered maps and passing them on a party-line vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bipartisan support was the reason cited by the Ohio Supreme Court when they upheld the map in a court challenge. The commissions makeup and methods were criticized for most of the more than two years it spent drawing up maps, with voting rights advocacy groups and hundreds of other Ohioans speaking out in public hearings about a lack of transparency in the mapmaking process and a lack of accountability from the commissioners, even after state supreme court justices pondered holding them in contempt for missing deadlines and not listening to court orders. Commission leaders and members pushed back against court orders and deadlines, publicly questioning the authority of the court in redistricting and dismissing the concept of deadlines. ORC member and incoming House Speaker Matt Huffman even took Ohios redistricting troubles to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking them to rule on a century-old legal theory that argued any authority related to elections, including redistricting, falls to the legislature. The effort was rebuffed by the nations highest court. Issue 1 After watching the redistricting commission stumble toward resolution, voting rights advocates and the former chief justice whod served as the swing vote that led to the rejection of so many of the commissions maps had seen enough. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Citizens Not Politicians was created in an effort to rewrite the Ohio Constitutions provisions on redistricting (established in two other ballot initiatives in 2015 and 2018), taking the commission out of play, and aiming to institute an independent, citizen-led commission selected by judges and made up of an equal number of Republicans, Democrats and independent Ohioans. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The campaign garnered well over the number of signatures needed to put an amendment proposal on the ballot last November, but also stirred up opposition from some of Ohios highest leaders, including DeWine, Huffman and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, also a member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission. After a fraught and expensive campaign, a majority of Ohioans voted to keep the current system in place, rejecting the proposal with nearly 55% of the vote. Citizens Not Politicians leaders theorized that some of the Ohioans who voted no were confused enough about the issue that they believed they were voting in favor of the citizen-led commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was after Republicans on the Ohio Ballot Board placed a summary of the amendment on the ballot for voters that claimed the amendment would require gerrymandering. The future of redistricting in Ohio Having watched yet another ballot initiative pass by, DeWine would rather see the next changes done in a legislative fashion. I think the advantage of doing it by the legislature instead of putting something on the ballot is that you have an opportunity to come in and testify in front of the legislature, DeWine said. That legislative change, in his mind, should be modeled after the redistricting process being used in Iowa, a process that has been in effect for four decades, but not without revision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When DeWine first brought up the Iowa plan, he pledged to push the Ohio General Assembly on it whether or not Issue 1 passed in November. His argument for the plan is based mostly on the fact that mapmakers are prohibited from looking at past voting patterns, theyre prohibited from looking at voter registration, he told reporters on Thursday. It seems to me (the Iowa plan) takes politics out of it, DeWine said. It also puts a premium on putting political subdivisions together. The Iowa process uses a nonpartisan agency of their General Assembly, similar to Ohios Legislative Service Commission, as the drawers of the maps, which would then move on for legislative and gubernatorial approval, according to a legislative guide on the Iowa plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After a map is given to the General Assembly, a minimum of three hearings in different areas of the state would be required, and a report on the hearings would also be required. A map that doesnt receive approval needs to come with specific reasons for the rejection, and the nonpartisan agency is given 35 days to revise or replace the plan. A second plan isnt required to receive public hearings, and if a third plan is needed, changes can be directly made by lawmakers, under the Iowa rules. Judicial intervention would be invoked if a third plan isnt agreed to, or if legal challenges arise, with the state supreme court named as the authority on map validity. While DeWine touts the longevity of the Iowa plan, he said hes not locked in to every word and he recognizes that other than the number of letters in their name, Iowa and Ohio are very different states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would hope that (the Ohio legislature) would start there and have the public discussion, and people would come in and say they like it, they dont like it, heres what they want them to change, DeWine said. But the legislature needs to start on this. Hes not worried about motivation being a factor for the GOP supermajority who are largely protected under the current maps, and stand as the majority on the Ohio Redistricting Commission, should it stay in place. Somebodys always going to have the majority I guess, DeWine said. But eventually these things do change. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE (Photo by John Moore for WEWS.) Ohio House lawmakers failed to sneak in a controversial provision that would prevent local police officers from working with federal law enforcement, including accessing their databases, when combatting gun crime, to a bill about liability insurance. Ohio police have been trying to crack down on gun violence. Were able to really root out a lot of these crimes and arrest these people that are bringing death and destruction to the state, Fraternal Order of Polices Mike Weinman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Weinman is worried those efforts would have suffered under legislation the House has been attempting to pass. While addressing another gun bill, Senate Bill 58, lawmakers offered an amendment. Originally, S.B. 58 would prohibit the requirement of liability insurance for guns. But in the proposed amendment, one that state Rep. Josh Williams supports it put in a policy that the lawmaker calls the Second Amendment Protection Act, nationally known as SAPA. I dont trust the federal government when it comes to my Second Amendment, William said. Not only do I have a Second Amendment right under the federal government, but I have a Second Amendment right here within the state of Ohio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This proposal would prohibit local police, including prosecutors, from enforcing federal firearms laws, Weinman said. It would also prevent any local or state officer from working on joint task forces with federal officers. The bill also stops local police from using government databases. It just really paralyzes law enforcement across the state if something like this would go into effect, Weinman said. For Williams, this legislation is about protecting the Second Amendment. We want to decouple our state law from the federal law so we dont get any additional oversight from the feds, Williams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill makes sure that the federal government cant use Ohios resources to enforce laws infringing on our Second Amendment rights, Williams added. But Weinman argues this fear is unfounded. President Trump is not going to sign an executive order abolishing assault weapons or anything like that, the retired officer said. What this bill does do is we wont be able to work with his administration. Williams reminded that then-President Donald Trump banned bump stocks after the mass shooting in Las Vegas, although the U.S. Supreme Court did strike it down. The policy was shot down by a group of Republicans and the Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) helped organize the Republican effort to table the amendment. By first explaining that she is 100% pro-Second Amendment while also being a gun owner, she said she cant have this pass. This bill is a direct assault on our law enforcement and it will sever the relationship between our federal agencies and our local police, Abrams, a former police officer, said. It will not allow locals to work with ICE, Abrams added, something the Trump administration has continued to push as they work for mass deportations. However, the Houses efforts may have been in vain. Before the chamber returned from recess, Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) had some strong doubts about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive talked a number of times with Chair Abrams her explanation, which I think is a legitimate concern, is that it would remove federal law enforcement from being able to cooperate with local law enforcement, Huffman said. This has major negative implications for the rest of Ohio, he said. I think that means when we have serious crimes and we have murders and gang activity, especially with, with our immigration issues right now, that removes the ability to have folks come in and take care of that, Huffman added. I think we have to have a lot of concern. The House may still try to pass the bill on its own, but Weinman urged against that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were really, really going to be handcuffed, Weinman said. This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The Gavel outside the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, September 20, 2023, at 65 S. Front Street, Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.) An Ohio Supreme Court decision could bring about challenges to those hoping to keep pharmaceutical companies accountable for the opioid crisis, and others who hope to file claims of a public nuisance. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that lawsuits in Ohio cant claim pharmaceutical chains caused a public nuisance by selling opioids, in a recently released decision which could have impacts on a $650 million judgment for two Ohio counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It really only impacts litigation in Ohio, but it does reach a broad conclusion about the ability of plaintiffs to assert public nuisance claims, said Sharona Hoffman, professor of law and bioethics at Case Western Reserve University. The Ohio Supreme Court was asked to determine whether common-law public nuisance claims arising from the sale of a product are precluded by the Ohio Product Liability Act, a part of Ohio law used for claims such as manufacturing defects, design defects, and failures to give warnings about risks or hazards in products. Plaintiffs in the case argued that the dispensing of opioids lies outside the purview of the OPLA, which has more to do with the design, manufacture, marketing, promotion, and sale of a product. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Joe Deters was joined by Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, Justice Patrick DeWine, and Justice Jennifer Brunner in ruling that those types of public nuisance claims are indeed eliminated by the OPLA. This is straightforward: product-liability claims brought at common law such as the counties claims have been abrogated, Deters wrote. The counties Deters references in the majority opinion are Lake and Trumbull counties, where the state supreme courts ruling may cause the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court to deny a judgment in favor of the counties. In 2022, $650.9 million was awarded to them for a public nuisance perpetrated by national companies including CVS Health, Walmart, and retail pharmacy Walgreens Boot Alliance in exacerbating the opioid crisis in those counties. After a federal jury made their decision finding the chains responsible, U.S. District Judge Dan Polster ordered the $650 million judgment, saying the companies actions brought on addiction, overdose and a strain on community resources related to the opioid crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sixth Circuit asked the Ohio Supreme Court to interpret state law regarding public nuisance claims and the Ohio Product Liability Act, and with the states highest courts interpretation of state law leaning in favor of the pharmaceutical chains, those millions may be up in smoke. Now that the Ohio Supreme Court has done that, the Sixth Circuit will apply the answer to the case before it and probably deny the counties recovery, Hoffman told the Ohio Capital Journal. Justices Melody Stewart and Michael Donnelly agreed with the majority decision in part, but Stewart argued that the counties were not asking for compensatory damages as part of their product liability claim, rather equitable relief, which the justice said meant the claim was not barred by the OPLA. The equitable relief awarded by the federal court was designed, and has been used, to abate the nuisance caused by the flood of opioids into the market, not to compensate the counties for the loss of life or economic consequences of opioid addiction, Stewart wrote in her opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deters used the majority opinion to recognize that the opioid crisis has touched the lives of people in every corner of Ohio, and the damage from the crisis undoubtedly has far-reaching consequences for their communities and for the state as a whole. Creating a solution to this crisis out of whole cloth is, however, beyond this courts authority, Deters wrote. We must yield to the branch of government with the constitutional authority to weigh policy considerations and craft an appropriate remedy. The General Assembly has spoken plainly and unambiguously that public nuisance claims are not that remedy, he added. Co-counsel for the plaintiff in the case said the ruling will have a devastating impact on communities and their ability to police corporate misconduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have used public nuisance claims across the country to obtain nearly $60 billion in opioid settlements, including nearly $1 billion in Ohio alone, and the Ohio Supreme Courts ruling undermines the very legal basis that drove this result, said Peter H. Weinberger, co-liaison counsel in the case and trial counsel to Lake and Trumbull counties, in a statement. Weinberger said the fight will continue, and the parties in the case remain steadfast in our commitment to holding all responsible parties to account as this litigation continues nationwide. This ruling is not the end of these cases and our team will continue to fight for these counties through other legal avenues, Weinberger said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE An Ohio teacher has been arrested for allegedly stalking her ex-boyfriend. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Hannah Freeman, a 27-year-old North Ridgeville City School District teacher, was arrested last month and indicted on theft, burglary, and menacing by stalking charges. She appeared in court on Friday morning and pleaded not guilty to the charges, WOIO in Cleveland reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Freeman was arrested following two incidents with her ex-boyfriend. Westlake police wrote in a report obtained by WKYC and WOIO that they responded to an apartment on reports of theft on Nov. 6. The victim told police that Freeman went into his car and stole two backpacks, which held two computers and his wallet. The victim also told police that Freeman had been showing up unexpectedly at his home, his parents home, and his job over the last six months. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He called the police again on Nov. 7 and reported that Freeman had followed him to his job in Westlake. He told officers that when he went into the building, she reportedly entered his vehicle. When police got to the scene, they found Freeman in her vehicle with items stolen from her ex-boyfriend. She reportedly told officers that her ex invited her there. She was arrested at that point for menacing by stalking. WKYC reported that Flock cameras were used to track Freemans vehicle and revealed she had been at the ex-boyfriends workplace at least 33 times on 19 different days over the past 30 days. North Ridgeville City Schools confirmed Freeman was placed on administrative leave after the district learned of her arrest. They also released the following statement to Cleveland-area media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This matter does not pertain directly to school activities, and as such, the district will not be issuing additional statements at this time. However, North Ridgeville City Schools is committed to cooperating fully with law enforcement as needed to support a thorough and fair resolution. Our primary focus remains on maintaining a positive and safe environment for all students and staff. Freeman is scheduled to appear back in court on Dec. 23. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) An Oklahoma panel on Friday rejected a plea for clemency for a man convicted of torturing and killing a 10-year-old girl as part of a cannibalistic fantasy, paving the way for him to become the 25th and final person executed in the U.S. this year. Three members of Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board voted unanimously against clemency for Kevin Ray Underwood, who is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Thursday, his 45th birthday. An Indiana man, Joseph Corcoran, is set to die Wednesday for killing four men in 1997 in what would be the Hoosier State's first execution in 15 years. Underwood was convicted of killing 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin in 2006. The girl was a neighbor at his Purcell apartment complex who Underwood admitted to luring into his apartment and beating her over the head with a cutting board before suffocating her to death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Underwood admitted to investigators in a videotaped confession played to the board on Friday that the killing was part of a cannibalistic fantasy and that he nearly beheaded the girl in his bathtub before abandoning his plans to eat her. I would like to apologize to the victim's family, to my own family and to everyone in that room today that had to hear the horrible details of what I did, Underwood said to the board via a video feed from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. I can't believe I did those things. The person I was in the weeks leading up to that event is not who I am now. Underwood's attorneys argued that he deserved to be spared from death because of his long history of abuse and serious mental health issues that included autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar and panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizotypal personality disorder and various deviant sexual paraphilias. His mother, Connie Underwood, tearfully asked the board to grant her son mercy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can't imagine the heartache the family of that precious girl is living with every single day, Connie Underwood said. I wish we understood his pain before it led to this tragedy. Assistant Attorney General Aspen Layman urged the board to reject clemency, calling Underwood's crime one of the most notorious and depraved murders in Oklahoma history. Mr. Underwood chose Jamie because he thought that she was small and defenseless and easy prey, Layman said. And while we, as an enlightened society, can give grace to those struggling with mental illness, we can still expect them to refrain from planning the murder, rape, torture and cannibalism of 10-year-old little girls. Several members of Bolin's family asked the board to reject Underwood's clemency bid. The girl's father, Curtis Bolin, was scheduled to testify to the board, but became choked up as he held his head in his hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I'm sorry, I can't, he said. Underwood is scheduled to receive a three-drug lethal injection Thursday inside the death chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. It would be Oklahoma's fourth execution of the year and the 25th nationally if both his and Corcoran's are carried out next week. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Spreading holiday cheer is tougher this year as many families face difficult choices between buying Christmas presents or affording a big holiday meal. One Savannah organization is stepping up to ease that burden by offering financial help, food assistance and more. We provide for anyone that needs help, said Program Director at Old Savannah City Mission Jermaine Ray. A true neighborhood gem, the mission offers a wide range of support to make life a little easier during the holiday season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moneys tight for everybody nowadays with the economy, Ray said. Its gotten tougher for people to afford expensive toys for their kids during this time of year. Local holiday toy drives, giveaways For families in need, Old Savannah City Mission provides Christmas toys, hot meals on Christmas Day, and assistance with utility bills, employment, childcare and more. We have an onsite chaplain to connect people with resources they need, Ray said. We also serve meals twice a day during lunch and dinner that anyone in the community is welcome to join. The missions efforts are fueled by community support and a commitment to making a difference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve been really blessed to have individuals come out, see what we do here, and know that were making a difference for the community, Ray said. If money is tight this year, remember you can always donate your time. For more information on how to volunteer, visit WSAV.com/HolidayCentral. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. Alaska Native elders, James Charles, the late David Bill, Sr. and Wilson Justin. (Photo/Courtesy of Chief Mike Williams) U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) applauded the Senate passage of the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2024, which included provisions of her bill, the Enhancing Native Elders Longevity, Dignity, Empowerment, and Respect (Native ELDER) Act. Co-sponsored by Senator Tina Smith (D-MN, the Native ELDER Act will improve federal programs and services for Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian Elders. The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. The bill reauthorizes the Older Americans Act (OAA), originally passed in 1965. OAA programs allow seniors to age in place by encouraging healthy living, independence, and community engagement among seniors served by these programs. These include supportive services, nutrition services, family caregiver support, community service employment, and services to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older individuals. The Older Americans Act was created to provide support for Americans as they age, said Senator Murkowski. This legislation works to ensure that aging Americans, individuals with disabilities, and their caregivers have access to resources that encourage healthy living, independence, and community engagement, bolstering long-term quality of life by providing increased resources and funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive heard directly from stakeholders who made clear what modifications were needed to help bridge significant lapses when it comes to meeting the physical, social, and emotional healthcare needs of Native Elders, in Alaska and across the nation. We must ensure that Elders have the support they need to age in the communities they call home, surrounded by the people they know and love, Senator Murkowski continued. Im proud that the provisions from our Native ELDER Act have been included in the Senate passage of the OAA reauthorization of 2024. This takes us one step closer to increasing culturally relevant services, improving at-home care options, and ensuring Elders no matter their geographical location have the care and support they deserve. The OAA is the key legislative framework for developing, coordinating, and delivering home and community-based services to allow American Indian and Alaska Native elders to maintain their independence and dignity, Billie Tohee, Executive Director of the National Indian Council on Aging. NICOA appreciates Senator Murkowski's leadership in introducing legislation that emphasizes Tribal priorities and increases coordination across agencies that serve our elders. The Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA) is an important contribution to our Native elder and aging population, said Chairman William Smith, National Indian Health Board. The Native ELDER Act will make changes to Title VI programs which reflect Tribal priorities including the establishment of an Older Americans Tribal Advisory Committee and expanded technical assistance authority to help tribes keep their elders at home and age in place. The National Indian Health Board is proud to support the Native ELDER Act. Create your own user feedback survey Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) Students who attend the University of Mississippi in Oxford said rent prices are too high in the city. I think in Oxford has gotten absolutely insane in the past several years. Its just gotten so high, said one student. Rent in Oxford is 51% higher than in other towns in Mississippi, making it difficult for students to afford. AI transforms how Ole Miss students are learning Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you have a part time job, and even with that working several hours a week, I dont think I would be able to pay for the increased rent on my own, said one student. Renters are paying over $100 more this year than in 2023. Realtor Jenna Hunt said demand is to blame. I think it does make people who are maybe in the younger demographic, who are just coming in looking for their first job out of college, it makes it a little bit harder for them to afford buying their first homes, Hunt said. As long as theres a big interest in people moving to Oxford, Hunt said the prices will not go down. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. HARRISON. N.Y. -- One person was killed when a small plane crashed along Interstate-684 in Westchester County, New York, on Thursday night. New York State Police said two people were aboard the plane when it went down at around 7 p.m. local time in the town of Harrison. The plane landed in a patchy area that separates the north and south lanes of the highway. The man who died was identified as Yankele Friedman, a 32-year-old flight instructor, according to his family. The condition of the second person aboard the plane was not immediately provided. There was no word of any injuries to anyone on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Transportation Safety Board says investigators will arrive on the scene to recover the aircraft. A small plane crash on Interstate-684 in Westchester County, New York. Dec. 12, 2024. / Credit: CBS News New York According to FlightAware, the pilot took off from Linden Airport in New Jersey and was headed to Westchester County Airport, which is located about 1.5 miles from where it crashed. FlightAware lists the owner of the plane as Altisky Leasing One LLC, of Smyrna, Tennessee. New York State Police said the highway was closed on the northbound side at Exit 2, and on the southbound side at Exit 3, adding that local detours were in place. Both lanes of the highway reopened early Friday morning. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement the crash also caused an aviation gas spill, which the state Department of Environmental Conservation was working to contain and clean up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added, "My heart goes out to the loved ones of those on board during this tragic incident, and I am praying for a safe recovery for the injured individual." New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story Trump FBI pick Kash Patel reacts to Wray's resignation announcement Six stargazing tips Use lighting only when necessary, such as for watching your step, and aim it downward instead of flashing around. Pack red light-equipped flashlights and headlamps; they dont impact your night vision or distract other stargazers. Pay attention to the moon; the darkest skies occur during or near the new moon phase. Allow your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Bring a star chart or download an app to help identify what youre viewing. Bundle up! The warmer you are, the longer you can stay outside. Syrians in exile are not yet flooding back into their country, according to figures released on Friday by the UN refugee agency. Around 3,000 returnees had crossed the Turkish border since last weekend, when the Bashar al-Assad regime fell, UNHCR representative Gonzalo Vargas Llosa reported by video link to Geneva from Damascus. The previous day, 2,000 returnees had crossed the border from Lebanon, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many Syrian exiles were delaying their return, Vargas said, pointing to the fact that law and order had not yet been restored in the country. He added that returnees wanted not only a peaceful political transition and reconciliation after the years of civil war, but also international aid for their country to get back on its feet. According to the UNHCR, around 4.8 million live in exile in neighbouring countries and in North African states. "They should be allowed to decide when they want to go back in their own time without any pressure," UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said in Geneva. OnlyFans, a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, is now blocked in China after a period of being accessible. Social media users posting on X had noticed the site was working in late November, which checks by CNN were able to confirm. Beijing generally blocks access to thousands of websites at any given time, including those that host pornography, which is illegal in the country. The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward sexually explicit content. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News that OnlyFans was accessible in China had been welcomed online earlier this month. Users posting on social media platform Weibo were joking that the government was offering job opportunities for fresh graduates struggling in a grim employment market, suggesting they could start selling content on the site. Isnt this another measure to provide employment, said one post. This is a good company that gives creators 90% of the income! Isnt it better than actual work?? said another. The unemployment rate for people in the 16-24 age group, excluding students, measured 17.1% in October, slightly less than the high released in August, according to official figures. Chinas youth jobless rate hit record highs last year before the data was suspended and reintroduced using a different methodology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And even though OnlyFans is best known for sexual content, some creators post music or fitness videos. Last year, it launched a porn-free online streaming service featuring comedy- and sports-oriented shows. Correction: An earlier version of this article misquoted the organization GreatFire.Org in saying OnlyFans became unblocked on November 29. GreatFire says the site had been accessible since it was first tested in July, 2020. GreatFires latest data shows the website has been blocked since December 11. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Bloomberg) -- OpenAIs top executive and AI search startup Perplexity are each donating $1 million to President-elect Donald Trumps inaugural fund, a sign that artificial intelligence companies are trying to firm up relationships with the incoming administration. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sam Altman, OpenAIs chief executive officer, is now planning to give $1 million to Trump from his personal funds after having previously donated to President Bidens 2024 reelection campaign. President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead, Altman said in a statement to Bloomberg News. Fox News was first to report on the donation. In addition to providing financial support, Perplexity wants to be a good partner to the administration, according to Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko, and is offering a free version of its premium software to the Trump team. Shevelenko expressed enthusiasm for Trumps tech policies, including creating a level playing field in AI without regulatory capture. The prospect of a second Trump term has raised a new set of uncertainties for the rapidly evolving AI market and the wider tech industry. Trumps party previously pledged in its platform to undo the Biden administrations executive order on AI, saying that it imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the field. With Trumps win, his supporter Elon Musk has also gained newfound influence in Washington. Thats sparked concerns Musk could pursue policies that favor his own companies, including startup xAI. Altman, who has clashed with Musk, recently said he does not think the billionaire will use his political power against rivals like OpenAI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Altman isnt the only tech leader trying to make inroads with the president elect. Trump said Thursday that Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos will meet with him next week. Meta Platforms Inc. founder Mark Zuckerberg also recently had dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Both executives have at times been targets of Trumps ire. Amazon and Meta have also pledged to donate $1 million to Trumps inauguration fund. Shevelenko said that because Perplexity is a newer business that didnt exist during the first Trump administration, the company is just interested in creating the relationship rather than repairing a damaged relationship. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2024 Bloomberg L.P. AUSTIN (KXAN) A group of city departments is looking at options related to a pilot program that would open historic Sixth Street up to vehicle traffic. Currently, police and barricades block the road from Red River to Congress on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and during special events. According to an email sent from city staff to Sixth Street stakeholders, the pilot is set to take place during the winter months and wrap up before SXSW, but no official dates have been announced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Business owners met with city staff to discuss the project last month. The goals of the pilot, as outlined in the email, are listed below: Create expanded and dedicated pedestrian areas for more organized line ques and walking pathways Open travel lanes Reduce the need for street closures Enhance safety Use officer staff time more efficiently The Austin Police Department sent KXAN the following information about to project, which appears to still be in the preliminary planning stages. APD and several departments have been discussing and looking at options related to the opening of 6th Street. While many of the details are still being worked out, we will keep you updated. As soon as we are ready to address questions and share specific updates, we will do so. This project will rely on partnerships, collaboration with various groups and engaging our community to create awareness and education. Austin Police Department Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other popular nightlife spots like West Sixth Street, far East Sixth Street, Rainey Street and The Domain are always open to cars. And the only different district in the whole city is the historic Sixth, said Shawn Cirkiel, owner of Parkside. And its the one that continues to be plagued with issues of violence and uses an incredible about of police resources. Not all business owners, however, think this is a good idea, including Bob Woody, who owns several businesses all across the city. Its counterintuitive to safety, he said. Theres not enough positive in reopening the street to make a few or some businesses feel like it might make a difference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. More great events are happening throughout metro Detroit this holiday season weekend. Here are seven to get you through to Monday! Andre Holland and Andra Day star in Titus Kaphar's "Exhibiting Forgiveness." An acclaimed film Titus Kaphar, one of the most significant contemporary painters whose work is featured at both the DIA and the Museum of Modern Art, creates images that are both multidisciplinary and rich in historical meaning. Kaphar brings this profound dynamism to his superb directorial debut, Exhibiting Forgiveness, starring Andre Holland ("Moonlight," "Selma") as painter Tarrell Rodin. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and will be screened four times this weekend at the Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit Film Theatre: 7 p.m. on Friday, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. For Fridays screening only, Kaphar will be present for a special Q&A following the film. Detroit Film Theatre (at Detroit Institute of Arts), 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit. dia.org. Tickets $10.50 for adults, $8.50 for seniors and students. A new opera company Detroits newest opera company, Opera de Metro, debuts this weekend with two performances of David Contes Gift of the Magi (with libretto by Nicholas Giardini). Based on O. Henrys beloved short story, the opera explores themes of devotion, generosity and the true spirit of giving that resonate with audiences young and old. Saturdays 7 p.m. performance will be held at Royal Oaks First Presbyterian Church (529 Hendrie Blvd.) and Sundays 3 p.m. show at Orion Townships St. Marys In-The-Hills Episcopal Church (2512 Joslyn Ct.). An afterglow reception will follow both performances. The production is directed by Lauren Lenz, with Madeleine Krick conducting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement operademetro.org. Tickets $30 for adults, $20 for students. How deep is your love? Friday at 6:30 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre will present Stayin Alive: One Night of The Bee Gees, a tribute to the iconic band featuring spot-on vocal harmonies, dazzling visuals and big-screen video clips that will take audiences back to the golden era of the 1970s. The musical journey spans the Bee Gees entire career, showcasing classic hits like Stayin Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Jive Talkin and many more. Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. 4th St., Royal Oak. royaloakmusictheatre.com. Tickets start at $34.50. More: St. Clair entrepreneur to compete for $20,000 on Prime Video's 'Buy It Now' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: 'A Christmas Story' actors coming to Rochester Hills for screening, Q&A, meet and greet An a cappella Christmas Saturday at Ann Arbors Hill Auditorium, University Musical Society will present Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and Grammy-nominated a cappella group Kings Return at 7:30 p.m. Unbound by a single genre, Kings Returns sound is rooted in gospel, jazz, R&B and Western classical music. One of their signature staircase performances (where they often rehearse and post their videos online) caught the eye of about 10 million people, including frequent UMS guest artist DiDonato, who reached out to explore a collaboration. The result of that exchange is this special holiday program that will inspire vocal music lovers. Hill Auditorium (on University of Michigan campus), 825 North University Ave., Ann Arbor. ums.org. Tickets start at $12. Treasured possessions Running through Dec. 22, Ferndales Ringwald Theatre presents wild holiday comedy The E(X-Mas)ist, written by Vince Kelley and directed by Brandy Joe Plambeck. Little Regan MacNeil is ready to celebrate Christmas with her movie star mom Chris. But playing with a Ouija board just before the big holiday may not have been the smartest move. She unknowingly conjures the evil Christmas spirit Krampus, who takes possession of little Regan. Chris tries everything to get her little girl back but it turns out that the only one who can help is the E(X-Mas)ist the big man in red. With help from his number one elf, the two will have to go head-to-head with Krampus himself, using every Christmas trick in the book. Who will win? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ringwald Theatre (inside Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center, 290 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale. theringwald.com. Tickets start at $16.88. Merry TubaChristmas If thoughts of the tuba make you think of just the classic oom-pah-pah background sound, think again tubas will fill Detroits Central United Methodist Church sanctuary and play a full concert of Christmas Carols and other holiday tunes, arranged entirely for tubas. Merry TubaChristmas is a free concert that will take place at noon on Saturday. Parking is also free (tell the attendant youre there for the tubas!). Central United Methodist Church, 23 E. Adams Ave., Detroit. Free to attend. More holiday brass Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings invites audiences to embark on Sonic Journeys through the holiday season at their annual Holiday Brass Concert Saturday at St. Matthews & St. Josephs Episcopal Church. The holiday season evokes feelings of nostalgia and community celebrate it with DCWS through music and fellowship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement St. Matthew's & St. Joseph's Episcopal Church, 8850 Woodward Ave., Detroit. detroitchamberwinds.org. Tickets start at $15. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New opera, Bee Gees, tubas, demon possession: Your weekend in Detroit STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Families in need in northeastern Pennsylvania and families in North Carolina who were victims of this years hurricane will still have a magical holiday thanks to a local organization. Operation Christmas Wish had the biggest gift-giving event in its 12-year history, giving gifts to local children at Stroudsmoor Terraview Inn, along with dinner for the families. The organization gave gifts to 110 children and will be shipping gifts to another 30 children in North Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scranton school board to bring back a pre-school program We get the families through the school system, through being a police officer, finding the families through Children and Youth. We get them sometimes through Facebook recommendations So basically they come to us, all walks of life you know just having a really bad year and were gonna give an amazing Christmas, said Stroud Area Regional Police Officer Organizer Chris Shelly. I mean, having my brother remembered this way, it takes the heartache away a little bit, but it really is the true meaning of Christmas, said Jeff Olsens sister Patty Muller. Operation Christmas Wish was formed in 2012 in honor of Officer Jeff Olsen who passed away in 2007. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It grew to become a gift-giving organization for families in need. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Progressives, and ordinary people who buy groceries, scored a victory this week when a judge quashed a mega-merger between two mammoth grocery chains, Kroger and Albertsons. The merger could have cost grocery shoppers in Washington state alone an extra $800 million per year. Things got even better when the two big grocery chains turned on each other and Albertsons sued its erstwhile merger partner after the ruling. Judicial action toppled the corporate giants and elevated the interests of financially strapped working families. The merger of these two corporate behemoths would have been an alliance between Godzilla and King Kong that would have terrorized hard-pressed consumers. They tried to sell the merger on the ridiculous notion that the massive conglomerate would produce lower food prices for customers. If you believe that, you must still believe in trickle-down economics and in Santa Claus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The moral of this twisted tale of these two corporate giants is that there is still hope for the progressive fight for working families after they supported for the Great Pretender, Donald Trump, in November. The message that Americans sent when they voted came straight from the great movie Network and the angry anchor Howard Beale, the mad prophet of the airways, when he shouted, Im mad as hell and Im not going to take this any take this anymore. Middle Americans are in a dreadful mood and angry at the political and corporate establishment. The national Election Day exit poll indicated that three out of every four Americans were dissatisfied with the direction of the nation and two in three were displeased with the state of the national economy. As a Democrat, you have two choices. One, you can complain about the ugly mood and use it as an excuse for defeat or you can work to take advantage of it and use it as leverage for victory. The Trump campaign gave voters the chance to vent their spleen and strike a blow against the status quo by villainizing the federal government. Democrats failed to respond in kind by taking on corporate America, and my party paid the political price. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Winston Churchill once said, Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at with no result. Thats the way Trump feels these days. He was thrown out of office in the 2020 election, found liable for sexual assault in the E. Jean Carroll case and found guilty of 34 felony counts of business fraud in New York. But he lived to talk about it and returned to power. That was then and now he plans to take his revenge with the help of a compliant Congress and Supreme Court and make hay while an ominous dark moon envelops our great nation. He will indulge his wildest fantasies with cuts in earned Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax cuts for bankers and billionaires and free rein for high-powered corporate executives like Elon Musk to dismantle the social safety net that sustains millions of Americans. Trump revels in excess like the gaudy trappings of the gold and silver tower in Manhattan that bears his name. The trouble will start when he overreaches and throws the baby out with the bathwater. When he inevitably goes too far, Democrats must be aggressive enough to stop him in his tracks and advance the cause of ordinary Americans. My party needs to take on the tough fights for working families even when they lose those battles to create an anti-establishment brand for the party. There are all sorts of ways for Democrats to take on Trumps passion for the corporate status quo. Steely opposition to Trumps tax giveaways to the super rich and corporate executives is an obvious target and may be a winnable fight. Another hill to die on is opposition to GOP hopes to tear the guts out of the Social Security and Medicare programs that have served so many Americans for so long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But its not enough for Democrats to protect the status quo, we must fight for a brighter future and for systematic change. Those fights will be harder and take longer for us to win. The best place to start is to call for a universal health care insurance. Misery for millions and senseless violence are the price our nation pays when the political system fails to address chronic social problems. Sadly, it took the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, to focus public attention on the millions of Americans who die or go bankrupt every year because they cant afford adequate health care. The U.S. spends so much more money on health care than any other nation in the world and Americans get so little in return. The health care system needs urgent reform and Democrats must summon up its courage and tackle this tough job. No one said it would be easy. The fight to create Medicare started with President Truman in 1945 and didnt end until President Johnson signed it into law in 1965. The campaign for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Medicare For All proposal will similarly be drawn out and difficult. But its not enough to protect Medicare for seniors we must serve Americans of all ages to make the country a more perfect and a healthier union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The failure of the Albertsons and Kroger grocery chain merger was a big win for ordinary grocery shoppers at the expense of big business. Political insiders view politics as an ideological battle on a horizontal plane from left to right. But the more useful perspective for Democrats and for progressives is that it revolves around a populist battle on a vertical plane from bottom to top. Americans love underdogs and my party should serve the interests of the many trapped at the bottom or in the middle over the few high and mighty at the top. Brad Bannon is a Democratic pollster and CEO of Bannon Communications Research which polls for Democrats, labor unions and progressive issue groups. He hosts the popular progressive podcast on power, politics and policy, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. After more than a decade of violent, vicious repression, Bashar al-Assads reign collapsed when his chief benefactors, Iran and Russia, focused their resources and attention at home rather than on Damascus. There are more questions coming out of Syria than answers, but the experience has made one thing very clear for nations everywhere: Countries in conflict cannot survive without their friends. It can be argued that the U.S. handed Afghanistans Ashraf Ghani the same fate in 2021, when President Biden followed President Trumps lead, losing patience with this in his own administration supporting a more responsible path. The rapid and total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan paved the way for a quick Taliban takeover, a rollback of rights for Afghan women and renewed safe haven for terrorism. It also resulted in the tragic death of 13 U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghan civilians in a bombing at Abbey Gate in Kabul. In the absence of U.S. action, non-profits and private citizens continue to evacuate and secure visas for those we had promised to help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For people of my generation, it was a sorry reminder of the fall of Saigon and a symbol of American impotence after 20 years of monumental human and financial investment in Afghanistan. We dont know whether the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels who toppled Assad will take better care of Syria than the Taliban has in Afghanistan. They may rule with terror, as fellow Islamist group ISIS did following its lightning expansion, and with access to better military stockpiles and chemical weapons. Or they may finally bring some peace to the Syrian people and end Iranian resupply through Syria to Hezbollah. Either way, though, you can bet that Volodymyr Zelensky is paying attention. For 1,000 days, Ukrainians have been fighting to defend their sovereign territory, democracy and the lives of 40 million people from an ongoing illegal invasion from Russia characterized by brutal attacks on critical infrastructure and civilian hospitals and the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children. Support from the U.S. and partner nations, albeit with unfortunate strings attached, has kept Ukraine in the fight but unable to push beyond its initial 2022 counteroffensive. Without that support on the battlefield, Ukraine would fall. The leverage that comes from continued backing also strengthens Ukraines hand at an eventual negotiating table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As he prepares to enter office, President-elect Donald Trump must decide if he will shy away from American commitments to Ukraine like we did in Afghanistan, or whether he will stand by our pledges. Putting aside the legal, humanitarian and ethical reasons to continue supporting Ukraine, there are two vital national U.S. interests at stake. The first is preventing further Russian aggression. The second is to maintain U.S. deterrence and bolster our alliances worldwide. If Russia is allowed to win in Ukraine which means anything from military victory to negotiating for significant Ukrainian territory and expanded influence over the Ukrainian government it will surely not stop there. Russia is already expanding its influence across Eastern Europe, as demonstrated in recent elections in Romania. Vladimir Putins goal is to restore Russia to its prior global leadership position at any cost, including partnerships with China, North Korea and Iran to combat U.S. influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After its humiliating failure to take Kyiv in its initial invasion, Russia has re-tooled its military, ramped up mobilization, and built a wartime economy that now produces more weapons and military equipment than the rest of Europe combined, by some measures. Taking a few nibbles out of Ukraine may be Putins appetizer, but he is preparing to bite off a much larger chunk of former Soviet territory. Meanwhile, the U.S. commitment to Ukraine supported on a bipartisan basis and backed by NATO and non-NATO allies alike cant be separated from American commitments elsewhere. Other European nations, Taiwan, the Philippines and other countries that rely on U.S. security guarantees are less likely to trust U.S. pledges of support if, after Afghanistan, we break our promise to Ukraine too. The word of any American president will lose its value if other countries read it with an expiration date or if our commitment in one theater can be sacrificed for emerging needs in another. At the recent Halifax International Security Forum, the former president of Taiwan urged continued U.S. military support to Ukraine despite concerns that such support would lead to fewer arms being available to her country. It isnt just the U.S. arsenal that our friends need it is our commitment to sovereign rights and protection of fellow democracies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the U.S. wont stand against bald aggression in Ukraine, why would China think we will intervene in its ongoing gray zone tactics in the Pacific? If we turn our back on Kyiv as we did with Kabul, it will be hard to shake the reputation of a paper tiger. The rushed withdrawal from Afghanistan was the bloody and shameful end result of four presidents wanting to reduce the U.S. footprint in the post-9/11 forever wars. If we make a similar mistake by selling out Ukraine to Putin, the result will be a lot worse. Jane Harman is a former nine-term congresswoman from California who served as ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee for four years after 9/11. She is chair of the bipartisan, congressionally mandated National Defense Strategy Commission, president emerita of the Wilson Center, and author of Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Solve National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A student in my History of the Present class asked me, Do Californians really believe slavery is okay? She referred to the defeat of Californias Proposition 6, which aimed to remove the so-called slavery loophole the clause that allows forced labor as punishment for a crime from the states constitution. The clause is so often associated with racism in the criminal justice system that its been held responsible for creating a new Jim Crow. California is not the only state that has considered eliminating its punishment clause. Other states, including Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont have successfully abolished free prison labor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what should we make of this outcome in supposedly liberal California? For one thing, it is a reminder that California has a history of slavery, too, despite being imagined as a free state. As a legal historian of slavery, I know that theres more to understanding the failure of Prop 6 than we might think, and certainly more than racism alone can explain. If efforts at prison abolition are to succeed in California, we must contend with a broader history that evolved alongside but not out of slavery. The punishment clauses in the 13th Amendment and in state constitutions were not particularly controversial when they were enshrined. On the contrary, slavery as punishment for a crime dates to antiquity. In the U.S., almost identical wording appears in the Northwest Ordinance of 1784 and the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Following emancipation, however, former slave states exploited the clause in new ways, turning to convict-leasing as a means of re-subjugating Black Americans and shoring up white supremacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Incarcerated people were put to work in mines, on plantations, and in other private industries where labor was scarce. The practice was also lucrative; in 1898, 73 percent of Alabamas revenue came from convict-leasing. Unsurprisingly, prison populations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries swelled with disproportionate numbers of non-white people. Although this history is certainly relevant, the U.S. model for carceral slavery actually predates the Jim Crow era by decades. In the first half of the 19th century, prison reform in northern free states Pennsylvania and New York in particular promoted the idea that rehabilitation and penitence should be the goals of imprisonment. By the early 1800s, some believed that criminality and even poverty and insanity could be cured under the right carceral conditions. Imprisonment further provided the opportunity for penitence (hence penitentiary). By performing hard labor, the theory went, prisoners would, as one historian describes, submit to the hard, Christian labor of repenting their sins and repairing their souls. Incarceration held out the possibility of societal improvement and thus became the preferred mode of punishment for crimes over physically violent sanguinary or corporal punishments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beginning in the mid-1820s, the link between carceral servitude and profit sharpened, as it became clear that the costs of incarceration could be paid by the labor of the prisoners themselves. Private contractors began paying the state for the labor of prisoners, putting them to work in shops within prisons. This form of contracted penal servitude, and the assumption that prisoners should do compulsory labor, were precursors to both the convict-leasing regimes of the late 19th century and the carceral labor that persists today. At present, incarcerated workers contribute to prison maintenance, public works projects, state-owned prison industries that produce goods sold to other state agencies, agricultural production and private industry. In California, some prisoners even fight wildfires an increasingly dangerous job. Seven states do not pay any wages for prison labor; many pay less than $1 an hour. Crucially, carceral servitude is, like slavery, compulsory. Today, failure or refusal to work could lead to solitary confinement or the denial of parole. Profit is also still a factor. A 2022 American Civil Liberties Union report notes that carceral servitude generates approximately $11 billion annually. Much of this goes to private corporations, including Kroger, McDonalds, Whole Foods and Walmart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The failure of Proposition 6, especially when interpreted alongside the success of the penalty-enhancing, tough-on-crime Proposition 36, shows just how persistent historical ideas about incarceration are. Californians clearly believe that incarceration serves important functions perhaps to deter crime, but also to properly punish people for their actions, force them to repent for their sins and promote penitence and rehabilitation. The notion that incarcerated people should perform labor, even what is tantamount to slave labor, then, isnt just about race, even though the effects are racially disproportionate. It is also tied to notions of justice. Hard labor, the reasoning goes, is not only reasonable, but good for the incarcerated, who owe it to the societies they have harmed. Until we fully address this set of deeply rooted assumptions, abolishing carceral slavery through ballot initiatives will remain elusive. Giuliana Perrone is an associate professor of History at the University of California Santa Barbara and a fellow of the Op-Ed Project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Immediately after Donald Trump incited a mob to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the venture capitalist David Sacks said on his popular All-In podcast that Trump had disqualified himself from being a candidate at a national level again. He insisted the possibility of Trumps running in 2024 was clearly off the table. He described Jan. 6 as a disaster and said: Is Trump responsible? Yes. ... Clearly. One hundred percent yes. Because he is the one who put forth this theory that the election was stolen. What a difference a few years can make. Sacks is now a MAGA true believer who reverently says watching Trump return to Washington was like witnessing Caesar entering Rome. Hes fluent in MAGA-speak, condemning what he describes as vicious Democrat lawfare, arguing that the deep state is really in charge of Washington and accusing President Joe Biden of attempting to imprison Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sacks has that special zeal of the convert, which prizes loyalty above all else. And his loyalty hasnt gone unnoticed. On Dec. 5, Trump announced that he would appoint Sacks as his AI and crypto czar. According to Trump, Sacks will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship. The idea that Democrats used big tech bias and censorship as a weapon against Trump is an article of faith in MAGA world, and Sacks recites the scriptures. The day after Trumps announcement, Sacks cited the billionaire investor Marc Andreessen, who claimed that the Biden administration was planning to use AI to push the country toward authoritarianism. Sacks said the election of Trump was an escape from this dystopian path. And its not just in policy where Sacks demonstrates his steadfast fealty to the boss. According to Sacks, Trump ran a substantive campaign based on issues, while Vice President Kamala Harris ran on name-calling and platitudes like democracy. Unmentioned is Trumps insistence that his political opponents are vermin, fascists and communists an enemy within that may have to be dealt with by the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Was Trumps claim that immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country part of his substantive, issues-based campaign? When one of Sacks co-hosts recently asked whether he would be OK with Trump deporting 15 million people, he reached for an old MAGA evasion tactic: Trump should be taken seriously, but not literally. Sacks views American support for Ukraine as a product of corrupt deep state war profiteering, saying in a November post on X, The most under-reported story in Washington is how much corrupt Ukrainian cash is trying to buy influence. It wasnt just Hunter Biden. Most of the warmongers are PAID. He argues that Ukraine is the Deep States laundry machine and claims a woke-neocon alliance is responsible for a one-way ratchet toward Woke War III. He has been warning of a descent into World War III for years, and he thinks the Biden administration authorized the use of long-range American missiles inside Russia to tie Trumps hands on Ukraine. Sacks has also echoed Russian government propaganda, such as the claim that Ukraine was behind the Moscow terrorist attack in March. As far as Trumpism goes, Sacks isnt just all in he also supports some of the most unhinged people in Trumps orbit. He recently said its so important for Bobby Kennedy to be confirmed in whatever cabinet position that hes going to get. Trump has since tapped Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, an agency he previously implicated in a grand plot to destroy American democracy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a recent conversation with MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk, Sacks said Trumps intention to nominate former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence is extremely important for the country and extremely important for our movement. In 2017, Gabbard met with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and questioned the U.S. intelligence communitys assessment that he had used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. Nearly 100 former diplomats, as well as national security and intelligence officials, recently wrote to Senate leaders warning that Gabbard may be incapable of presenting unbiased intelligence. Sacks, in the interview with Kirk, says he cant think of a better person to be in charge of American intelligence agencies than Gabbard. Like Sacks, Gabbard blames the Biden administration and NATO for the war in Ukraine arguing that the alliance failed to respect Russias legitimate security concerns. In a November X post, Sacks wrote, Tulsi was 100% right and only looks better in hindsight for having the courage to say it. And when the GOP was deciding who would be the next Senate majority leader, Sacks demanded a loyalist who would represent the MAGA agenda. He said the MAGA movement would be watching Trumps Cabinet appointments very closely for signs of infiltration to ensure Trump wont be betrayed again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sacks supported Trump, and he was rewarded. Its the same story with Elon Musk, Kennedy, Gabbard and many others who bet big on Trump. Musk, for his part, didnt have to wait long to reap benefits, as Tesla stock has surged since Trump won. Sacks said Teslas pre-election stock price was a lawfare discount the stock market pricing in the viciousness of Democrats casually advancing the theory that the U.S. government has it out for Musks companies, even though those companies have long been the beneficiaries of massive federal and state investment. (Sacks put his fears of deep state interference aside when he begged the government to bail out Silicon Valley Bank in early 2023.) Its possible Sacks sincerely believed Trump was unfit for office after Jan. 6. Its also possible that hes a genuine convert who thinks Trumps triumph over the deep state and the vicious Democrats will be good for the country. (Sacks didnt respond to my requests for comment.) Either way, his Trump worship earned him the leaders blessing. Now that he has passed his audition, he will join the MAGA faithful united by one guiding principle: Trump is the leader, and disloyalty wont be tolerated. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Weve all been there. You open your inbox to find it overflowing with political fundraising emails bizarre subject lines, dire warnings and urgent pleas for your money. Then your phone dings. Its another fundraising text. In 2024 alone, my inbox was bombarded with over 3,200 emails from Democratic campaigns, peaking at 48 in a single day. That doesnt include what lands in spam or the stream of fundraising texts. This relentless pursuit of cash isnt just irritating it also reveals a deeper issue within the Democratic Party. Fundraising has overshadowed genuine voter engagement, treating supporters as wallets rather than allies. As someone who studies money in politics, I know that fundraising is a reality of U.S. elections. But its clear we need a frank discussion about Democratic fundraising practices and their long-term consequences. Too often, Democrats current approach sacrifices loyalty for quick cash. Its madness, and it needs to change. Democratic fundraising tactics are often manipulative and disrespectful. Donors face emotionally charged appeals, from guilt-tripping to outright shaming. One email told me, You have blood on your hands. Others use misleading subject lines like coffee today? or Update from Dad. One email tried to lure me in by claiming Our records show youre voting for Trump and asking me to correct the record by giving a donation. Worse still, some dangle legally dubious matching-fund promises, falsely suggesting celebrities like Taylor Swift will 5X your donation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Badgering your supporters in this fashion is disrespectful, annoying and, frankly, counterproductive. Imagine any reputable charity using these tactics supporters would walk away. Yet in Democratic politics, this has become the norm. The commodification of donor information only makes things worse. Once you donate, your contact details become currency bought, sold and shared by campaigns eager to flood your inbox and phone. First-time donors often face an avalanche of fundraising requests, leaving them feeling unappreciated. This is not the work of a few bad actors its deeply embedded within the Democratic establishment, with some of the worst offenders tied directly to party leaders and national party committees. Yes, Republican fundraising tactics are even more aggressive. But this is about how the Democratic Party treats its own. Years ago, fundraising consultants discovered that late Saturday-night texts generated more donations. Why? They were catching people who had been out drinking, less inhibited and more willing to impulsively click donate. They coined a term drunk donating and streamlined a one-click process to capitalize on this moment of vulnerability. When I asked a Democratic fundraising consultant about the long-term damage of such tactics, he dismissed it. Every election cycle starts fresh, he told me. People forget. This cynical view underscores a deeper problem: a willingness to exploit fleeting impulses rather than build lasting relationships with supporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats have enjoyed a clear fundraising advantage in recent election cycles. This edge isnt the result of superior tactics or operations but stems from larger structural changes: generational trends, an educational and income realignment and the consolidation of the professional class, an especially critical donor base. This advantage gives Democrats the breathing room to rethink their approach, prioritizing engagement over constant cash grabs. The first step for Democrats looking to fix this is simple: Have some self-respect. Blasting out desperate emails might squeeze out a few bucks, but they make the party look pathetic. Democrats need to project confidence in their values and build engagement beyond donations, not resort to tactics that alienate their base and cheapen their message. Grassroots organizations like the Sunrise Movement offer a better model: inspiring storytelling and clear calls to action, fostering a sense of community rather than desperation. Democrats should adopt these values to align their appeals with their principles. Second, reject predatory tactics: The party should shun scam PACs and shady operatives who push deceptive appeals. There is mounting evidence that these tactics are largely effective because they prey on vulnerable populations, such as elderly Americans suffering from dementia, raising serious ethical concerns. And finally, stop equating fundraising ability with leadership potential. For decades, party leaders have favored candidates who are strong fundraisers, often overlooking those with grassroots appeal or compelling leadership. Elevating candidates who inspire and connect with voters will better reflect the partys diversity and vision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As democracy faces an unprecedented assault, the Democratic Party should remember that pro-democracy movements succeed through grassroots organization and authentic engagement not relentless fundraising. By empowering supporters to act and building a culture of trust and shared purpose, Democrats can inspire the kind of commitment and energy that wins elections and protects democratic institutions. This is more than a strategy; its an opportunity to promote and affirm the partys values and to let supporters feel like partners in progress, not just sources of cash. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Georgia stands at a crossroads. The ruling Georgian Dream party, led by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, has violated the countrys constitutional obligation for integration with the European Union and is pulling the nation closer to Moscow. Georgia is ablaze with protests nationwide, as a new generation rises to demand a pro-European future. On Thanksgiving night, the government announced the suspension of its EU integration until 2028, sparking an unprecedented two-week crackdown. Hundreds have been beaten, hospitalized or detained in the streets. On Saturday, the government will attempt to remove Georgias pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili. She refuses to recognize the new government, which intends to install a pro-Russian president by Dec. 29. Opposition leaders warn that after the new presidents inauguration, the government intends to declare a state of emergency, imposing martial law and curfews to crush resistance. Though unconfirmed, the claims have gained traction. Still, the Georgian people remain undeterred. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The October parliamentary elections were the flashpoint. Independent polling predicted a loss for Georgian Dream, but the results defied all logic. Reports of voter intimidation, bribery and mass fraud poured in. These elections were not just flawed they were stolen. When the European Parliament called for new elections, Georgias prime minister suspended the countrys EU integration, violating Article 78 of the constitution. This blatant betrayal of Georgias European aspirations galvanized a new generation, igniting a grassroots uprising across the nation. This is not another Maidan. Whereas Ukraines 2013 protests created entrenched spaces in Kyiv, Georgias movement is dynamic and decentralized. Every night in Tbilisi, thousands of young protesters navigate the citys labyrinthine streets, evading riot police armed with drones and chemical weapons. They rely on GPS apps like OverWatch that map police positions, encrypted communication and safehouses to outmaneuver authorities. Riot police deploy absurd amounts of CS gas, often mixed with water cannons a dangerous practice against unarmed civilians. Protesters, wearing masks to avoid facial recognition, project messages onto Parliament buildings with green lasers while enduring what amounts to urban chemical warfare. Noise and light weapons purchased by the Ministry of Interior before the rigged elections now blare across the capital, but the crowds resolve only grows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With proactive strategies, they anticipate police positions before authorities act. Opposition figures have largely stepped aside from the leadership of this grassroots movement. A civil defense force has emerged to counter the titushky plainclothes government thugs who abduct and assault protesters in the shadows. The resilience and ingenuity of Georgias youth are redefining civil disobedience. The Georgian Dream party came to power in 2012 on a wave of outrage over abuses by the previous administration. Ivanishvili, then hailed as a reformer, pledged to align Georgia with the EU and NATO. A decade later, his government mirrors the very tyranny it once opposed. Riot police use tear gas and batons to terrorize protesters, who respond with symbolic acts of defiance, wielding fireworks and lasers. Unarmed demonstrators are dragged from taxis, beaten in metro stations, searched and imprisoned. Hundreds of young people have been arrested, receiving absurd sentences. The courts offer no recourse they have been bought, their independence erased. Springs protests against a Russian-inspired foreign agents law prepared an entire generation for this moment. The passage of an anti-gay and anti-transgender law in October only fueled their anger. These young activists have transformed hard-learned lessons into a movement that adapts to government repression, growing stronger with each passing day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Zourabichvili, initially aligned with Georgian Dream, has become an unlikely revolutionary. The courageous defiance of Georgias first female president has resonated with European leaders and led to a sideline meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. During this encounter, she discussed the alleged stolen elections and alarming repressions against the Georgian people, emphasizing the need for a strong United States. On the first day of this two-week movement, in a moment symbolizing the battle for Georgias future, the president confronted her own riot police, demanding, Do you serve Georgia or Russia? If the government moves to forcibly remove her on Saturday, as they have done with other opposition leaders, it could ignite a catastrophic tipping point, with protesters poised to surround her residence. Roughly 30,000 Georgian soldiers served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Georgia deployed three times more troops to Afghanistan per capita than any other nation. Overall, it was the fourth-largest contributor to the mission. Georgia, a country of 3.75 million people, suffered more casualties per capita than any coalition member except Denmark. These sacrifices, made for shared democratic ideals, are a testament to Georgias value as an ally. Yet today, the Georgian people stand alone, breathing tear gas on cold Byzantine streets, in their fight for democracy. What America does next is a measure of its honor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ivanishvili will eventually step down (its a matter of money) but only if someone brokers a deal to protect him not from Georgians, but from Russia. The Biden and incoming Trump administrations must act quickly to negotiate such a deal. Delay will only bring more bloodshed. The Georgian Dream government has lost its mandate, and the people will not relent until it is removed. High-level resignations have escalated, including ambassadors and officials from the Ministry of the Interior. Fed up with government-induced violence and relentless disinformation, even top hosts from pro-government television channels are defecting. Swaths of Georgian companies are also openly condemning the governments actions. Georgias president must be protected from her own government. The U.S. has suspended its Strategic Partnership with Georgia, but its not enough. Western inaction emboldens Ivanishvilis regime and strengthens Moscows influence. Bidzina Ivanishvili must step down not just for Georgia, but for the very values he once claimed to champion, the same values that brought him to power. The choice is his: resign or fall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Will Cathcart is an American journalist, producer and war correspondent based in Tbilisi for 16 years. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. When a New York jury acquitted Daniel Penny in the killing of Jordan Neely, it didnt give us an answer. The jury confronted and confronted us with a question: What accommodation does society owe its neuro-diverse members? Jordan Neely, an agitated, homeless, schizophrenic Black man in crisis, boarded a New York subway F Train, yelling that he had Had enough. Some passengers were frightened. Some said Neely threatened them; others denied that. Daniel Penny, a former Marine from Long Island who was studying architecture, stepped up, put Neely in a chokehold, and maintained that chokehold for approximately six minutes. At the end of this encounter, Neely was dead killed, according to the Medical Examiner, by Pennys continued pressure on his throat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Penny was indicted and tried. Manslaughter charges were dismissed at a mid-point in deadlocked jury deliberations, and the case against Penny was sent back to the jury on the lesser charge of negligent homicide. The jury delivered a verdict of Not guilty. Media responses when the not guilty verdict was announced conveyed a sense that they had been long-rehearsed. The case had been covered intensively ever since Neelys death. Everyone had known that some verdict was coming, and the trial had been reported as a zero-sum contest with one winner and one loser. Reactions fell into two categories: Either the acquittal amounted to a green light for white vigilantism, or it was the resounding vindication of a hero who had protected his neighbors against the forces of disorder. These takes are both mistaken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An acquittal in a criminal case states only that the jurors felt a reasonable doubt that they were unable, in the language of the classic instruction, to arrive at a sense of moral certainty. The factual question the Penny jury could not answer affirmatively was whether Penny had taken a risk of such nature and degree that the failure to perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation. This was not a verdict on the send the cops or send the social workers dialectic that dominates the contemporary media debate. In fact, the Penny verdict acknowledged the debates inadequacy. The jury apparently took account of the fact that you can send either the cops or the social workers, or both, and still be confronted by harrowing boundary work on the scene. You will face in everyday life innumerable interactions when neither the cops nor the social workers are around. It is hard to think of the Penny case without thinking of Walker Evans haunting collection of subway photographs, Many Are Called covert portraits from the subways unique zone of solitude-in-public. New Yorkers have always accommodated mental illness in that zone. For years, they accommodated Neeley, whose chronic wanderings had earned him a place on the citys Top 50 list of the disruptive mentally ill. New Yorkers share a tacit understanding, a specialized code that informs what conduct will be ignored, when glances will be averted and verbal objection withheld when space will be ceded and you will move to another car. The grasp of these rules is one of the things that makes you a New Yorker. But is failure to grasp or apply them a crime? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many are called to face men and women in crisis. Whether and when you are chosen is not up to you. Circumstances chose Penny. His jury did not focus solely on Pennys conduct at the decisive moments; it widened the lens. It saw that Penny and Neely were brought together in an encounter that neither man should have been required to manage that in a safety sense Penny, like an exhausted, undertrained nurse who delivers a fatal overdose of a badly labeled drug in a NICU, was a second victim. And it asked what we could expect of each other as reasonable people when these moments arrive. When we react by angrily attacking the Penny verdict or by self-righteously applauding it, we are taking shelter behind Penny. We are using him to duck the basic question Neelys death poses: whether, as policing scholar David Thacher puts it, We should view disability not as a property of individuals with certain impairments but as a property of the society that has failed to accommodate them. We should talk about that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement James Doyle is a lawyer and author in Boston. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. If original intent means anything when understanding the Constitution, it pays to listen to what the folks in the Senate said when debating the 14th Amendment and its clause establishing birthright citizenship, nearly 160 years ago. No one beat around the bush. To the senators of that day, fresh from the violence and divisions of the Civil War, the main point of the amendment was to provide full citizenship and voting rights to former slaves. But the full consequences of the wording all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside was the subject of some debate. Sen. Edgar Cowan of Pennsylvania wasnt as concerned about the newly freed slaves as he was about the Chinese people who had come to this country, perhaps temporarily, to perform physical labor. Those folks, at the time, were a big worry in California. The China issue I am really desirous to have a legal definition of citizenship of the United States, Cowan said in a floor debate on May 30, 1866. Is the child of the Chinese immigrant in California a citizen? Is the child of a Gypsy born in Pennsylvania a citizen? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As I have written before, these ideas, in the context of 1866 America, were considered outrageous and preposterous to many people. Sen. John Conness of California, himself an immigrant from Ireland, answered that the amendment would indeed relate to the children begotten of Chinese parents in California, and it is proposed to declare that they shall be citizens. I read all of this years ago in The Congressional Globe, which provides a transcript of all Senate debates back then. Conness said he felt as he did despite his belief, typical of the day, that Californias Chinese residents intended to return to their native land at some point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The senator who drafted the citizenship part of the 14th Amendment, Sen. Jacob Merritt Howard of Michigan, said: This amendment which I have offered is simply declaratory of what I regard as the law of the land already, that every person born within the limits of the United States, and subject to their jurisdiction, is by virtue of natural law and national law a citizen of the United States. Trumps desire This has become an issue once again because President-elect Donald Trump, in an interview last weekend, said he would end birthright citizenship on the first day of his second term. He spoke about doing this during his first term, as well. As the Deseret News Samuel Benson reported in a thorough piece on Tuesday, many scholars say neither the president nor Congress has the authority to interpret a constitutional amendment. Utah Sen. Mike Lee believes Congress can indeed play a role, posting on social media that it could pass a law defining what it means to be born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, excluding prospectively from birthright citizenship individuals born in the U.S. to illegal aliens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One thing is certain. An executive order changing the Constitution would ignite a legal battle, likely involving the Supreme Court. The last time the 14th Amendment was in the news, Josh Blackman, an associate professor of law at the South Texas College of Law Houston, who specializes in constitutional law, wrote an essay for the Cato Institute that cited much of the history Ive reviewed here. The legal arguments against birthright citizenship are inconsistent not only with the history of the 14th Amendment, but with over a century of practice, in which all governmental branches have recognized the children of foreign nationals as citizens, he said, adding, Birthright citizenship is correct as an original matter The role of Congress Whenever I write about this, I get accused of advocating for open borders. I am not. Congress and the president have the power, and the duty, to enact immigration reforms that would help solve any crisis at the border. They have refused to do so for many years, choosing instead to criticize the opposite political party for mishandling things. I have no doubt Sen. Conness, were he around today, would tell them they can solve this, and do so without touching the 14th Amendment or its original intent. From the pasta aisles of Rome to the ketchup bottles and beauty products in American supermarkets, the bitter fruits of Uyghur forced labor are making their way into kitchens and makeup cabinets worldwide. The odds are that Xinjiangs tainted harvest has wound up in your home, too. Chinas northwestern Xinjiang region is notorious for mass human rights abuses, from internment camps to the sterilization of Uyghur women. New research into its role in global food production reveals a new form of control: using agricultural industrialization to dismantle traditional communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our new findings reveal that Beijing engages not only in mass Uyghur forced labor but also enforces large-scale land grabs in ethnic communities. Chinese producers of food and cosmetics products rake in the profits. Xinjiang accounts for 15 percent of the globes tomato paste, 10 percent of all chili peppers, 65 percent of pepper pigment used in cosmetics and food coloring, and an expanding share of the popular zero-calorie sweetener stevia. Our new research, published by an international network of China scholars, exposes how Xinjiangs growing agricultural sector was built by systematically separating farmers from their land and forcing them into industrial work. The resulting system of forced agricultural industrialization has infiltrated global supply chains. Beijing controls and exploits Uyghur farmers through four main mechanisms: forced agricultural production, land grabbing by Chinese corporations, the forced labor of farmers and of camp detainees, and the active complicity of major Chinese agribusinesses in entering Uyghur homes to enforce intrusive state policies. Guannong, a major producer of tomato paste, operates its own armed militia for this purpose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scale of this operation is staggering. From 2001 to 2021, the region saw a 50-fold surge in land transfers the displacement of ethnic farmers by state-backed agribusinesses. In some localities, authorities openly acknowledge transferring as much as 90 percent of farmland away from ethnic farmers in a single season. Chinas official 2019 yearbook on Rural Poverty and Regional Economic Development states that land transfer reform must combine coercion and inducement. Government documents reveal that after liberating farmers from their land rights, authorities direct them to work at industrial sites operated by state-affiliated companies. This means that dispossessed Uyghur farmers now rely on work in the very companies that claimed their lands, or else they toil on land they once owned. Global corporate entanglement runs deeper than many realize. Our research identified 72 international and 18 Chinese companies linked to Xinjiangs agricultural products, including major brands like Kraft Heinz, Nestle, Del Monte, PepsiCo, McCormick, Unilever, and LOreal maintaining direct or indirect connections. Three major Xinjiang-based companies COFCO, Chalkis, and Chenguang Biotech operate subsidiaries in the U.S. and Europe. When confronted with our findings, western corporate responses reveal a concerning pattern. Del Monte defended its continued supplier relationship with COFCO by citing supplier-provided social audits a practice experts say cannot effectively assess state-imposed labor in China, where auditors face intimidation and workers are not allowed to speak freely under national security laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kraft Heinz acknowledged using COFCO-supplied tomato products in China and Central Asia. However, our research found that in 2023 and 2024, its subsidiaries in Egypt, India, Indonesia and New Zealand also purchased COFCO tomato paste. Worse, Kraft Heinz maintains a strategic partnership with COFCO by which many Xinjiang tomatoes are grown from its seeds. This is a classic example of how western know-how is enabling an ongoing atrocity. LOreal denied direct ties to tainted suppliers but did not comment on indirect supply chain relationships via intermediary entities in Asia that our research uncovered. China provides nearly half of Italys tomato paste imports via Belt and Road shipping routes. Italy, the worlds largest exporter of processed tomato products, has therefore become a key conduit for Xinjiangs state-imposed forced labor products to flow into global markets. One Xinjiang-based producer established a shell company with zero employees to protect its foreign trade, shipping thousands of tons of tomato products to Italy. Tests of 17 tomato products sold in European supermarkets revealed Chinese origin despite labels claiming Italian provenance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Behind these commercial arrangements lies Beijings broader strategy of using agricultural industrialization policies to end the dominance of the Uyghur population in its traditional homeland. By evicting Uyghur farmers from their land and dismantling their traditional communities, the Chinese Communist Party aims to forcibly assimilate minorities into Chinese industrial agribusinesses as part of a process they term population optimization. Major Chinese producers of industrial inputs for food and cosmetics products are directly complicit in these policies. To address this challenge, authorities must strengthen the enforcement of legislation banning imports from the Uyghur region to match Beijings evolving tactics. American and other global corporations should no longer be able to hide behind inadequate audits. They should be required to fully disclose their supply chains for high-risk commodities. Regulators must increase scrutiny of intermediary countries that facilitate supply chain obfuscation. The evidence shows that Beijing has adapted its system of repression in Xinjiang by doubling down on state-imposed forced labor and expanding the dispossession of ethnic farmers. The question now is whether the international community will adapt its response to counter it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adrian Zenz is director of China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. With President-elect Donald Trump about to assume office next month, one thing is clear: He is not wasting time implementing the agenda he campaigned on. Trump knows that he has a two-year window to act in which Republicans will control both houses of Congress. A key development since the election is Trumps threat to raise tariffs for Canada and Mexico by 25 percent and those for China by 10 percent. Such action, if implemented, would be significant considering the three countries are the largest trading partners of the U.S. and they account for about 45 percent of U.S. Imports. Financial markets have taken the news in stride because many investors view the threats as a bargaining ploy to extract concessions. They are also aware that the next review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is slated for 2026, and Trump may be positioning to modify it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To understand what is at stake, one must consider why Trump scrapped the North America Free Trade Agreement during his first term. NAFTA established a free-trade zone in North America that took effect at the beginning of 1994 when Europe was making preparations for the launch of the eurozone at the end of the decade. It immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the three member countries and called for the elimination of most remaining barriers over a period of 15 years. President Clinton anticipated that NAFTA would create 1 million U.S. jobs in the first five years in his remarks at the signing. When this did not happen, manufacturing workers blamed NAFTA for sending jobs to Mexico, where wages were considerably lower than in the U.S. Trump seized on this issue during the 2016 presidential campaign, calling NAFTA the worst trade deal ever made. When the USMCA agreement was signed in mid-2020, he touted it as the best and most important trade deal ever made by the USA. The Trump administration anticipated that it would create 75,000 manufacturing jobs, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic stood in the way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the main provisions was that the USMCA created a new incentive to build cars and trucks in North America. Namely, it requires 75 percent of a vehicles parts to be made in one of the three countries and also stipulates that more vehicle parts be made by workers earning at least $16 an hour, which was viewed as advantageous to the U.S. Why then is Trump now willing to jeopardize the agreement by threatening duties on Mexico and Canada? Trumps stated reason is that he wants to ensure that both countries take adequate measures to prevent illegal crossings of migrants and drugs into the U.S. But why should the same penalty apply to Canada as to Mexico? Illegal immigration and the flow of drugs, after all, are substantially greater through the southern border of the U.S. Christopher Sands, Director of the Wilson Centers Canada Institute, points out that it would not be unprecedented for border and migration cooperation to be part of the 2026 USMCA review and commitments in these areas to be included in a revised agreement. He notes that USMCA also brought environmental commitments into the main body of the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His advice is to Take the threats as a prelude to negotiations, as there will be ample time to develop bargaining positions. My take is that Trump is also trying to close a loophole that has enabled China to circumvent tariffs by setting up facilities in countries that are not subject to high tariffs. During the initial round of the trade conflict, for example, China was able to reroute exports through Mexico and Vietnam. Thus, while U.S. imports of Chinese goods fell by about $110 billion from 2018 to 2023, imports from Mexico and Vietnam increased by about $130 billion and $70 billion, respectively. Trump plans to make it more difficult for countries to evade tariffs this time. During the presidential campaign, Trump threatened to increase tariffs on electric vehicles produced by Chinese companies in Mexico by 100-200 percent, even though no Chinese firm has produced a single car there thus far. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, how are businesses coping with the uncertainty about tariffs? The most common way is by placing orders for goods from abroad well before tariffs go into effect. CNBC reports that uncertainty among U.S. shippers is also escalating heading into 2025. Logistics firm C.H. Robinson said it is fielding inquiries about front-loading of freight ahead of potential tariff hikes, and Everstream Analytics reports that inventories are already increasing. Some companies nonetheless face a challenge in deciding where to locate their production facilities. The Economist notes that several American firms have paused investments in Mexico, including Tesla, run by Elon Musk. Adding to the uncertainty is the prospect that countries could retaliate. Mexicos President Claudia Sheinbaum has stated that Mexico could impose its own tariffs to retaliate if Trump hikes tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also vowed that Canada would retaliate if Trump followed through on his threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is too early to tell how these developments will play out, but one thing is clear: If Mexico and Canada were to retaliate, the most visible impact on the U.S. would be higher oil and gas prices. The cost for Mexico and Canada, however, would be considerably greater because of their high dependence on the U.S. market. My bottom line is that investors and business leaders may not take Trumps threats at face value, but it would be a mistake to dismiss them altogether. If Trump proceeds down the path he is advocating, his actions could have unforeseen consequences for the global economy. Nicholas Sargen, Ph.D., is an economic consultant to Fort Washington Investment Advisors and is affiliated with the University of Virginias Darden School of Business. He has authored three books including Investing in the Trump Era; How Economic Policies Impact Financial Markets . Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. When Americans overwhelmingly re-elected President Trump last month, they sent a clear message: its time for real change. This mandate for change demands we fix our broken institutions, and theres no better place to start than the intelligence community. Thankfully, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trumps pick for director of national intelligence, embodies the kind of leadership needed to uphold the Constitution, restore accountability and transparency, dismantle the corruption of intelligence agencies, and refocus their mission on protecting the American people not targeting them. Gabbards life has been one of service and sacrifice. As a lieutenant colonel with more than 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, she has seen firsthand the cost of war and the critical role of intelligence in national security. She has handled highly classified information and led troops on deployments. She understands the gravity of safeguarding American lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her public service didnt stop on the battlefield. In 2012, Gabbard became a U.S. congresswoman promising to honor her fellow service members sacrifices. As a member of the House Armed Services, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees, she developed an intimate understanding of the intelligence communitys role in defending our homeland. Her credentials are strong. What sets Gabbard apart is her willingness to challenge the status quo. She has been an outspoken critic of abuses within the intelligence community, especially under the Biden-Harris administration. Consider the shocking revelations in April 2023, when the Justice Departments Inspector General testified on the staggering number of improper and mistaken searches conducted by intelligence agencies. These abuses are not mere technical errors they represent a blatant disregard for the privacy and constitutional rights of Americans. We cannot allow the intelligence community to operate without accountability or transparency. Gabbard understands this better than anyone. Like Trump, she has firsthand experience with the gross overreach and politicization of our national security apparatus, which has become more concerned with silencing dissenting voices than with protecting Americans and Americas national security interests. As director of national intelligence, she will ensure that these agencies serve the people not political agendas. A director of national intelligence must rise above partisanship, and Gabbard has proven shes up to the task. Earlier this year, she made the bold decision to become a registered Republican, stating that the Democratic Party she once belonged to had become unrecognizable after becoming driven by lies, endless wars and woke ideologies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This decision wasnt made lightly, but it underscores Gabbards commitment to putting her country above politics. She has shown time and again that she will do whats right for America, regardless of any political consequences. Under Gabbards leadership, the intelligence community will return to its rightful purpose: defending the American people and upholding their constitutional freedoms. Together, Trump and Gabbard will implement reforms that ensure these agencies operate transparently and without any foreign influence from our adversaries. The challenges we face both at home and abroad require leaders of unparalleled strength, integrity and vision. Gabbard is that leader. With her at the helm of our intelligence community, we can begin to restore the trust of the American people and secure a safer, freer future for our nation. The time for change is now, and there is no doubt in my mind that Gabbard is the woman to deliver it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marsha Blackburn is the senior senator from Tennessee. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The rapid overthrow of Syrias dictatorial president Bashar al-Assad has sent the region into a struggle to fill power vacuums. President Joe Biden unleashed dozens of airstrikes against strategic targets in an effort to keep ISIS from taking advantage of the absence of a balance of power. This is an appropriate concern and response. Just as important, however, is ensuring that whatever force assumes power is committed to granting religious liberty and to ending discrimination and violence against religious minorities. This is a fundamental ingredient for lasting peace in any region, and especially in a place as volatile as Syria. It needs to be a top priority for the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The best way to implement this is through a democratically elected, republican form of government, with a constitution that guarantees basic human rights. In its 2024 report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom described religious freedom conditions in Syria, before the recent regime change, as poor. It blamed the rebel group that toppled Assad, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, as well as other Syrian Islamist opposition groups supported by Turkey, as the primary drivers of severe religious freedom violations in Syria. HTS leaders have recently made statements to the effect of wanting to recognize the rights of minorities and to refrain from revenge killings. No one has the right to erase another group, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the militant leader of HTS, told CNN last Friday. These sects have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them. Such statements are being treated with a healthy skepticism, especially in light of reports that HTS recently tortured and abused dissidents in Idlib. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syrias constitution requires the president to be Muslim. The constitution also allows for the respect and protection of differing religious traditions, while allowing the government a wide latitude to limit religious rituals if they appear to prejudice public order, the commission report said. Using this power, the government has previously banned Jehovahs Witnesses and outlawed conversions from Islam to any other religion. Members of the Yazidi religion have been particularly persecuted. ISIS members kidnapped thousands of Yazidi women and girls from Iraq in 2014, and many of them are presumed to be held in parts of Syria, either in detention camps or in ISIS enclaves. ABC News quoted Thomas S. Warrick a former deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy in the Department of Homeland Security saying the type of change necessary will not happen spontaneously, without outside help and support. Postwar planning for Syria needs to go into high gear. This is true, and that planning ought to involve both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration. As Biden himself said in the hours following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime: Its a moment of historic opportunity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Certainly the United States should avoid entanglement in a prolonged civil war, but the establishment of a free and democratic republic in Syria would be a major strategic victory for U.S. national security. More than that, however, the guarantee of religious liberty would enable a fundamental human right for millions of people. If properly recognized and enforced by law, it would make it possible for people of divergent faith traditions to coexist peacefully without having to compromise their core values. This is a fundamental reason why the United States, with its multitude of diverse religious adherents, has been able to prosper and thrive under relatively peaceful conditions for centuries. The constitutional guarantee of religious liberty, including the free exercise of religion, has fostered a tradition of tolerance that has made the United States a beacon to the world. The United States and its allies should do what they can to promote such conditions in Syria. The region has wallowed in warfare and persecution far too long. After a half century of Assad family dictatorial rule, Bashar Assad has fled and Syrians can finally celebrate the end of a horrific regime that gassed, starved and murdered its own people. Syrians have suffered terribly for many years, especially those tortured or disappeared by Assads henchmen, and the nations people need and deserve American support now. But the new rebel-led government in Damascus has a sordid history of its own, and U.S. officials must carefully assess how to interact with the new regime, starting with a series of U.S. priority interests. Long before the lightning events that suddenly led to the end of the Assad regime this week, the United Nations General Assembly mandated an investigation into the use of systemic torture and abuse in its prisons. Released just as the regime was collapsing, the report is hard to read, but the images that have come out of the notorious Sednaya prison since its doors were opened are infinitely worse. Read more: Analysis: Assad was a brutal dictator. Will Syria's new leaders be any better? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There can be no doubt that the region is already better off without Assad. Bumper-to-bumper traffic has clogged the roads leading to Damascus as refugees in neighboring countries stream home after years of forced displacement. Arab states should see almost immediate relief from a recent drug epidemic that was fueled by the Assad regimes production and regional distribution of a notorious amphetamine-like substance called Captagon . The fall of the Assad regime is also strategically beneficial to the U.S. and its allies in the region by virtue of removing a linchpin of Irans axis of resistance. This axis was a three-legged stool based on Iran, Syria and the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah and it can no longer stand. Syria served as a land bridge across which Iran shipped weapons to Hezbollah for many years. Without Syria, Iran will find it far more difficult to rearm those fighters. And without Iranian weapons and funds, the Lebanese terrorist group faces a tremendous challenge reconstituting itself after being devastated by a series of Israeli strikes have devastated the group. Read more: In post-Assad Damascus, a mix of joy and trepidation Israel has capitalized on this vulnerable moment in Syria to destroy a huge number of weapons before they can fall into new hands and be used against Israel or others. Since Saturday, the Israeli air force and navy have hit more than 350 strategic targets across the country , destroying an estimated 70% of Syrias military capabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rebel alliance taking power in Syria now is led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham, a designated terrorist group that grew out of Al Qaeda and was first dispatched by Al Qaeda in Iraq, which later became Islamic State. While Hayat Tahrir al Sham has fought both Islamic State and an Al Qaeda splinter element in Syria, it remains a jihadist organization called out by the State Department. In 2020, the U.S. added the group to its list of entities of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for having engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom in areas of Syria under its control. According to another State Department report , the group now leading rebels committed a wide range of abuses, including killings, kidnappings, physical abuse, and recruitment or use of child soldiers. Just in the past year, courts in the United States have convicted people of funding terrorism for raising funds for Hayat Tahrir al Sham. And two Al Qaeda branches, one in North Africa and another in the Sahel, already issued a joint statement urging fellow jihadists to rebuild Syria as a Sunni entity ruled by sharia. Al Qaeda branches in Yemen and South Asia also issued statements supporting the offensive that deposed Assad. Meanwhile, social media is replete with images of jihadist rebels in Syria describing their victory there as a first, not last, step. In one, a group of rebels appear and proclaim: We entered the Umayyad mosque in Damascus chanting Allah Akbar and with the help of Allah we will also enter the Al-Aqsa mosque and we will also enter the Prophet Muhammads mosque and the Kaaba in Mecca, referring to sites in Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. should be cautious about removing sanctions against the Syrian state, the Hayat Tahrir al Sham group and its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Such softening should occur only in return for clear deliverables. However, Washington should immediately issue licenses permitting a wide range of humanitarian support to Syria. Removal from the list of known terrorist groups should be earned, not gifted, especially when dealing with a jihadist group in power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken laid out what the political transition process in Syria needs to look like for the U.S. to recognize a future Syrian government: respect for the rights of minorities, facilitation of humanitarian assistance to all in need, preventing Syria from being used as a base for terrorism, preventing Syria from posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensuring that any stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons are secured and safely destroyed. Other key U.S. interests implied but not expressly included in this statement include protecting U.S. Kurdish allies in northeast Syria and enabling them to continue maintaining detention camps holding Islamic State fighters and ensuring that Syria truly break with Iran and Hezbollah so that Syria will no longer serve as a land bridge to rearm Lebanese fighters. To secure these interests, it will be critical for the incoming U.S. administration to maintain its small but influential U.S. military presence in Syria, which then-President Trump twice tried to remove during his first term. U.S. officials have reason to tread carefully. On the one hand, Hayat Tahrir al Sham has a demonstrated seven-year record of governance in the parts of Syria that have been under its control, running what it called the Syrian Salvation Government with multiple ministries to govern the territory it controlled. And while in the past the group dispatched suicide bombers in its attacks, it has not employed such tactics in recent years. U.S. officials need to watch not only how the new ruling rebel alliance governs in the moment, but how it governs going forward. For many, Syria today has very strong echoes of Iran after the 1979 revolution. Back then, many groups of Iranians opposed to the shah communists, secularists, Islamists got behind Ayatollah Khomeinis revolution. The new government in Tehran talked the talk about respecting minority rights and even included secularists in government for a time. Then the theocracy took hold and Iran became a sponsor of terrorism for decades, continuing to this day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the U.S., officials in both the outgoing and incoming presidential administrations should celebrate the demise of the Assad dictatorship, but Americas Syria policy going forward should be based not on trusting new Syrian officials words but on verifying their actions. Matthew Levitt is a senior fellow and director of the program on counter-terrorism and intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 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. As President-elect Donald Trump and his team prepare to take office, a major debate is taking place regarding the degree to which the U.S. should maintain its nearly 80-year military presence in Europe. Many experts contend that the U.S. should focus primarily on deterring and, if necessary, defeating China in an East Asian conflict. The Europeans, they argue, should look after their own defenses, having sheltered for far too long under Americas defense umbrella. Others point out that Russian President Vladimir Putin will remain a serious threat to Americas NATO allies for the foreseeable future, and that any Russian effort to swallow one or more of the smaller allies could drag the U.S. back into yet another major European war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But even those who wish to focus solely on a possible conflict with China should recognize that Beijing has allies who almost certainly would come to its aid. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that the four-way axis of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran is very real. The latter three have all come to Russias aid, especially after its initial incursion faltered. China has provided Moscow with both economic assistance and critical parts for its weapons systems. North Korea has sent Russia millions of rounds of artillery shells (artillery is the backbone of Russian operations) and, more recently, perhaps as many as 100,000 troops to help compensate for Russias more than a half million casualties. Iran for its part, has provided Russia with thousands of drones that have inflicted tremendous damage on Ukrainian civilian and military targets. Should China and America go to war, there is every reason to expect that, just as Beijing and its two partners came to Russias aid, the three other members of the axis would do the same for China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Korea owes China. In November 1950, five months after the onset of the Korean War, China dispatched an initial 300,000 troops that helped Pyongyang drive American-led forces practically off the peninsula. By the time hostilities came to a close in 1953, China had sent 3 million men into the fight and lost 1 million of them. At a minimum, Pyongyang can be expected to send troops, artillery and other systems to bolster Chinas capabilities. It could also divert American forces by firing ballistic missiles at the U.S., attacking the South, or doing both. Russia could support China in a variety of ways. It could bolster Chinas chemical and biological weapons arsenals. It could supplement Chinas space and anti-satellite capabilities. Or it could mobilize more forces opposite NATO, or even attack a NATO ally, to distract American military planners and force them to hold in or deploy to Europe troops and systems otherwise meant for Asia. As for Iran, it could ship its drones to China through Russia via either a Georgia that is friendly toward Moscow or across the Caspian Sea. In doing so it would avoid chokepoints that America and its allies might have seized at the onset of hostilities. Iran could also ramp up its support for the Houthis; it already provides the Yemeni group with weapons, training and intelligence support. The Houthis could then wreak even more havoc on Red Sea shipping than they have already done, forcing the Navy to increase its own defensive and offensive operations, thereby drawing down its limited supply of missiles and other ordnance that might be needed in East Asia. A war with China would therefore not be a war with China alone. American planners must therefore ensure that each of Beijings allies will fear American reprisals if any one of them comes to Chinas assistance. That in turn means that Washington should not pull its forces out of Europe and South Korea, to deter both a Russian attack on a NATO ally and/or a North Korean attack on the South and to tie down the forces of both to limit their assistance to China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similarly, whatever the new administrations desire to reduce its presence in the Middle East, it will have to remain in the region to project sufficient power both to pressure Iran and to eliminate the Houthi threat to shipping. There is much merit to the argument that the U.S. is unprepared for a two-front war with China and any one of its three partners. Yet even a war with China alone could bring its friends into play. The new administration would do well to plan against such a scenario and retain forces in both Europe and the Middle East to prevent the four-way axis from working as one, as they are now doing against a beleaguered Ukraine. Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was undersecretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy undersecretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. I was an early supporter of Donald J. Trumps 2016 campaign for president, writing in the local newspaper where I was editor that Trump, whatever his faults, is most definitely a leader and later in the Washington Post arguing that Trump was a game-changer, a disrupter, a practitioner of what I see as crafted chaos. Sadly, thanks to a united opposition comprised of Democrats, Never-Trump Republicans, the entrenched bureaucracy and much of the media compounded by his own lack of discipline Trump fell short of fulfilling the promise that many of us held for him, eventually costing him the 2020 election. But his most ardent supporters refused to let him go, and as the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration dragged on, a certain Trump nostalgia set in among enough additional Americans to grant him a rare non-consecutive second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But will anything be different this time? Early signs offer reason for guarded optimism. Trumps comparative lack of post-election media visibility and relatively restrained social media posts lend credence to the suggestion that Trump may be taking a different approach. His first major post-election interview with Kristen Welker on Meet the Press over the weekend was encouraging. Trump promised that he is not looking to go back into the past to seek retribution, indicated support for allowing Dreamer immigrants to remain in the U.S., and even said, I love you, in response to what message he would send to non-Trump voters. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said recently that Trump has likely grown, an opinion that might bring scoffs, but which reflects a widely held philosophy that personal growth can happen at any age. It would be heartening to witness such maturation from Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, Trump seems to face less vociferous opposition, even from the left, than he encountered following his first win. One reason is that he won the popular vote and increased his support from non-whites. But another is that one of the biggest fears of Trumps enemies has come true: Trump has been fully normalized. Roughly half of all voters simply did not buy the attacks leveled against Trump that he is a fascist, a dictator or a threat to democracy. Not that Trumps growth if it is that nor his toned-down rhetoric is deterring him from his long-held objectives. While the economy was the top election issue for most voters, anyone casting a ballot for Trump was well aware of his other goals: mass deportations of illegal immigrants; a drill, baby, drill energy philosophy; overhauling the Justice Department and the FBI; and an overall disruption of the deep state in general. Trump voters outside his base may not enthusiastically embrace each Trumpian ambition, but they were also not necessarily opposed to them, either. They generally like Trumps penchant to upset the apple cart and believe that his strong leadership style is effective when properly focused. But they dont want chaos for chaos sake alone. Unlike his first election, Trump has tackled the transition with a concentrated sense of purpose. Some of his early picks for Cabinet posts and other leadership positions have been startling to some. To be generous to Trump, one wants to believe that the choice of Matt Gaetz for attorney general was a ploy that played out just as intended. But those who share Trumps belief that a thorough governmental housecleaning is in order also agree that selecting insiders who will merely trim around the edges is not the path to follow. Real change can only be delivered by interlopers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To have a successful presidency, Trump must maintain the support of the millions of voters outside his base who cast their ballots for him last month. While theyll grant Trump his MAGA-style initiatives as side dishes, they will revolt if the main course appears to be anything but lowering the cost of living and fixing illegal immigration. To his credit, Trump seemed to understand as much in his interview with Welker. In his first term, hopes for Trump being a generational leader capable of transcending petty politics to chart a much-needed new course were consistently dashed, often due to Trumps own hubris, narcissism and petulance. Trump has a devoted base comprised of millions of Americans who have proven they will stick with him no matter what. But others whose support has been more conditional still see in him a promise he too often seems unable or unwilling to see in himself. Trump has been given a second chance to fulfill the destiny that millions of Americans have stubbornly maintained is within his grasp. The question is, will he finally be the president his defenders have always insisted he could be? Gary Abernathy was an editor and columnist at three Ohio newspapers, and also worked in Republican Party politics in Ohio and West Virginia. He was a contributing columnist for the Washington Post from 2017-2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Hungary "did everything it could" when it initiated a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said. Source: European Pravda with reference to Telex, a Hungarian independent news outlet Quote from Orban: "Christmas is approaching now, so it was worth making an attempt, and that's what Hungary did. I think Hungary has acted the way one would expect a thousand-year-old European state to act." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Hungarian PM says, "One side rejected it [his initiative - ed.], the other side accepted it." Orban also believes that the world is on the verge of much greater change than many people think. Quote from Orban: "As soon as the next American president takes office, this turnaround that I'm talking about is going to happen across the Western world, it's going to unfold right before our eyes." Background: On 11 December, Orban said that Hungary had proposed a ceasefire and a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war for Christmas but that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had allegedly rejected the idea. Orban said this in a comment to the Ukrainian president's post, in which Zelenskyy reacted sharply to the Hungarian PM's conversation with Kremlin leader Putin on Wednesday. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to complain about Ukraine's disapproval of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's initiative to hold a Christmas ceasefire and exchange prisoners of war. Support UP or become our patron! (NewsNation) Oscar Health CEO Mark Bertolini believes anger at the health care system is justified. The killing of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4 has led to an outpouring of backlash against the quality of health insurance and subsequent denials across the country. I would eliminate employer-sponsored insurance, Bertolini told CNBC as a potential solution to the current frustrations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ability of your employer to negotiate against a large insurance company that has a much larger relationship with the provider community is very stinted now, he added. Alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter was never a UHC client: NYPD You cant do it now. The (employing) companies have no leverage now. When you look at the basic foundation of our economy, which is small business and middle market, they have none. Bertolini rejected the notion that claim rates are not less for the individual market. Employers buy for the average of their employee population. They buy large networks because their employees use a lot of providers. As a result, the ability to negotiate a better rate with that provider group is a lot less because youve got everybody in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when you get narrow networks, which is whats happening in the individual market, an individual can find their network. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. Teamsters Canada union leaders are urging federal officials in Ottawa to stay out of the collective bargaining process and back railway workers right to strike. The transportation industrys most powerful chief executives have developed a way to sidestep union negotiations, Francois Laporte, national president of Teamsters Canada, and Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, wrote in an op-ed in Torontos Globe and Mail newspaper this week. Heres their playbook, as we see it: Make unreasonable demands, accuse unions of being unreasonable for refusing to accept them, instigate job action, lock workers out to disrupt supply chains, and use the resulting outcry to press Ottawa to impose binding arbitration. We believe this to be bad faith bargaining. In other words, large corporations have weaponized lockouts not to press workers, but to strong-arm politicians, they wrote. Its a tactic weve seen unfold five times this year alone, at WestJet, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian National Railway, and the ports of Montreal and Vancouver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The labor disputes at the Canadian railways and ports have kinked supply chains and put a dent in CPKC and CN international intermodal volume as importers shift their Chicago-bound freight to U.S. ports. Contract negotiations between the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and CN and CPKC have failed to produce agreements, and the two sides remain far apart. After CPKC and CN locked out unionized workers in August, the Canadian government issued a back-to-work order in less than 18 hours. Ottawa also sent the railway contract talks to binding arbitration. Now the union and railways are arguing their case in the court of public opinion. CPKC CEO Keith Creel, in an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail last month, urged the federal government to intervene when negotiations fail and lead to labor disruptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A work stoppage of any duration or even the threat of a work stoppage at a port, major freight railway or other cargo handler causes serious disruption to Canadas supply chains and harms the countrys reputation as a stable, dependable trading partner, Creel wrote. Canada needs a reliable method to resolve economically damaging labor disputes; one that respects the collective bargaining process, while avoiding disruptions when negotiations fail, Creel wrote. The union leaders said CPKC left them no choice but to issue a strike notice. By making unreasonable demands at the bargaining table, threatening to dismantle our collective agreement, and ultimately locking out his own employees, what did Mr. Creel expect, if not a supply chain disruption, they wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its time for the government to stop caving to corporate pressure, Laporte and Boucher wrote. Instead, it must stand with workers, enforce good-faith bargaining and uphold fairness and democracy. The railways are advocating for changes in Canadian labor law that would make it mirror the U.S. Railway Labor Act, which seeks to avoid strikes by sending unions and railroads to binding arbitration or mediation when contract talks are deadlocked. We are trying to get the federal government to align perhaps more closely with the U.S. Railway Labor Act because you do have levers here that your president can pull that our prime minister cant, Marc Brazeau, CEO of the Railway Association of Canada, told the RailTrends conference last month. Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here. Related coverage: CPKC, Americold plan to expand Mexico cold logistics Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Container imports to surge ahead of strike, tariffs, NRF predicts Record rail intermodal, consumer spending signal positive outlook, says AAR The post Ottawa should stay out of rail bargaining, says Teamsters Canada appeared first on FreightWaves. BEIRUT (AP) After insurgents toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad this month, many senior officials and members of his dreaded intelligence and security services appear to have melted away. Activists say some of them have managed to flee the country while others went to hide in their hometowns. For more than five decades, the Assad family has ruled Syria with an iron grip, locking up those who dared question their power in the country's notorious prisons, where rights groups say inmates were regularly tortured or killed. The leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham insurgent group which led anti-government fighters who forced Assad from power has vowed to bring those who carried out such abuses to justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will go after them in our country, said HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani. He added that the group will also ask foreign countries to hand over any suspects. But finding those responsible for abuses could prove difficult. Some 8,000 Syrian citizens have entered Lebanon through the Masnaa border crossing in recent days, according to two Lebanese security officials and a judicial official, and about 5,000 have left the neighboring country through Beiruts international airport. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information. Most of those are presumed to be regular people, and Lebanons Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said earlier this week that no Syrian official entered Lebanon through a legal border crossing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an apparent effort to prevent members of Assad's government from escaping, the security officials said a Lebanese officer who was in charge of Masnaa was ordered to go on vacation because of his links to Assad's brother. But Rami Abdurrhaman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says several senior officers have nonetheless made it to neighboring Lebanon using travel documents with fake names. Here's a look at Assad and some of the officials in his inner circle. Bashar Assad The Western-educated ophthalmologist initially raised hopes that he would be unlike his strongman father, Hafez, when he took power in 2000, including freeing political prisoners and allowing for a more open discourse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when protests of his rule erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to brutal tactics to crush dissent. As the uprising became an outright civil war, he unleashed his military to blast opposition-held cities, with support from allies Iran and Russia. He has fled to Moscow, according to Russian state media. Maher Assad The younger brother of the ousted president was the commander of the 4th Armored Division, which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers. He is under U.S. and European sanctions. He disappeared over the weekend, and Abdurrhaman said he made it to Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, French authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Maher Assad, along with his brother and two army generals, for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, including in a 2013 chemical attack on rebel-held Damascus suburbs. Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk Mamlouk was a security adviser to Assad and former head of the intelligence services. He is wanted in Lebanon for two explosions in the northern city of Tripoli in 2012 that killed and wounded dozens. Mamlouk is also wanted in France after a court convicted him and others in absentia of complicity in war crimes and sentenced them to life in prison. The trial focused on the officials role in the 2013 arrest in Damascus of a Franco-Syrian man and his son and their subsequent torture and killing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abdurrahman said Mamlouk fled to Lebanon, and it is not clear if he is still in the country under the protection of Hezbollah. Brig. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan Al-Hassan was the commander of the 25th Special Missions Forces Division and later became the head of the Syrian Special Forces, which were key to many of the government's battlefield victories in the long-running civil war, including in Aleppo and the eastern suburbs of Damascus that long held off Assad's troops. Al-Hassan is known to have close ties to Russia and was praised by Russian President Vladimir Putin during one of his visits to Syria. Al-Hassan's whereabouts are not known. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maj. Gen. Hussam Luka Luka, head of the General Security Directorate intelligence service, is not well known among the wider public but has played a major role in the crackdown against the opposition, mainly in the central city of Homs that was dubbed the capital of the Syrian revolt. Luka has been sanctioned by the U.S. and Britain for his role in the crackdown. It's not clear where he is. Maj. Gen. Qahtan Khalil Khalil, whose whereabouts are also unknown, was head of the Air Force Intelligence service and is widely known as the Butcher of Daraya for allegedly leading a 2012 attack on a Damascus suburb of the same name that killed hundreds of people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other officials Retired Maj. Gen. Jamil Hassan, former head of the Air Force Intelligence service, is also suspected of bearing responsibility for the attack in Daraya. Hassan was among those convicted in France this year along with Mamlouk. Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Ali Abbas and Maj. Gen. Bassam Merhej al-Hassan, head of Bashar Assads office and the man in charge of his security, are accused of human rights violations. DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) Outgoing Danville Area Community College President Stephen Nacco is not allowed to stay on next years Board of Trustees ballot. He told WCIA of his plans to run for the position last month. Nacco sat in the front row of Thursdays meeting when DACCs Electoral Board voted 2-1 to accept claims to remove his name from the ballot. DACC invites community to meet interim president Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Community member Lynn McLinden filed an objection against Naccos candidacy. The boards decision was based on Nacco not having the needed 50 registered voter signatures on his candidate paperwork. They disqualified 33 of his signatures because of incorrect addresses among other reasons. Thursdays vote comes one day before Nacco retires from his presidency at DACC. Back in October, he reached an agreement with the college to resign and retire at the end of the semester. Danville announces Christmas tree collection dates That agreement came after a prolonged dispute with Danville Mayor Rickey Williams. Nacco has been acting in his role in a limited capacity ever since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WCIA asked Nacco for comment after the vote. No more interviews, Im retired, he said. Nacco has five days to appeal the boards decision. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Editors note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travels weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. Shuffling across icy ground on a cold December afternoon, lots of tourist groups poured into Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. They frolic in the snow, take a reindeer sleigh ride, sip a cocktail in an ice bar or even meet Saint Nick himself in the capital of Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi, which happily calls itself the official hometown of Santa Claus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Santa Claus Village theme park, which attracts more than 600,000 people annually, is especially popular during the holiday season. This is like my dream came true, beamed Polish visitor Elzbieta Nazaruk. Im really excited to be here. Tourism is booming in Rovaniemi which has hotel and restaurant owners, as well as city officials, excited as it brings lots of money to the town. However, not everyone is happy about the onslaught of visitors, 10 times the towns population, each year at Christmas time. We are worried about the overgrowth of tourism. Tourism has grown so rapidly, its not anymore in control, said 43-year-old Antti Pakkanen, a photographer and member of a housing network that in September organized a rally through the citys streets. Antti Pakkanen, right, and Taina Torvela, members of a Rovaniemi housing network, stand by the Kemijoki River. - James Brooks/AP Its a feeling that has been echoed in other popular European travel destinations, including Barcelona, Amsterdam, Malaga and Florence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Across the continent, locals have protested against overtourism which generally describes the tipping point at which visitors and their cash stop benefiting residents and instead cause harm by degrading historic sites, overwhelming infrastructure and making life markedly more difficult for those who live there. Now, it seems to have spread north, all the way to the edges of the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi counted a record 1.2 million overnight visitors in 2023, almost 30% growth on 2022, after rebounding from pandemic travel disruptions. Nordic is a trend, Visit Rovaniemi CEO Sanna Karkkainen, said as she stood in an ice restaurant, where snow carvers were working nearby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People want to travel to cool countries to see the snow, to see the Northern Lights, and, of course, to see Santa Claus, she added. Thirteen new flight routes to Rovaniemi Airport opened this year, bringing passengers from Geneva, Berlin, Bordeaux and more. Most tourists come from European countries like France, Germany and the UK, but Rovaniemis appeal has also spread further. Hotel availability is scarce this winter, and Tiina Maatta, general manager of the 159-room Original Sokos Hotel, expects 2024 to break more records. Santa Claus Village is a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. - James Brooks/AP Local critics of mass tourism say many apartment buildings in Rovaniemis city center are also used for accommodation services during peak season and are thus no longer available for residential use. They say the proliferation of short-term rentals has driven up prices, squeezed out long-term residents, and turned its city center into a transient space for tourists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finnish law prohibits professional accommodation services in buildings intended for residential use, so campaigners are calling on authorities to act. The rules must be enforced better, said Pakkanen. Not everyone agrees. Mayor Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio notes some make good money on short-term rentals. Either way, stricter regulations likely wont be in place to impact this winter season, and despite the unease expressed by locals, mass tourism to Rovaniemi is probably only going to grow in 2025 as visitors want to experience the unique atmosphere up north, especially during the holiday season. Its Christmas time and we would love to see the Northern Lights, says Joy, a visitor from Bangkok. Rovaniemi seems to be a good place. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) Stafford County deputies rescued an injured owl on Sunday morning. The Stafford County Sheriffs Office said the injured owl was found in the Falmouth area and a deputy was able to rescue it. PHOTOS: Stafford County deputies bust illegal cockfighting ring, rescues 80 chickens We are hopeful it is just a mild case of Irritable Owl Syndrome, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post. (Photo courtesy of the Stafford County Sheriffs Office) (Photo courtesy of the Stafford County Sheriffs Office) The owl was taken to the Stafford County Animal Shelter as it awaits a trip to rehabilitation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Ethan G. Conrad, the head of a prominent Northern California real estate company based in Sacramento, faces allegations of sexual assault and abusive behavior in separate lawsuits filed by two women. Conrads company, Ethan Conrad Properties, has properties across the region and recently purchased the Renaissance Tower, one of Sacramentos tallest buildings, after submitting a winning $21 million auction bid. The law firms Meister Law and Garner and Associates together filed both lawsuits on behalf of the women in Sacramento Superior Court. Both lawsuits list sexual battery and assault as alleged complaints against Conrad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One woman he met online alleges he sexually assaulted her at his home, and a woman he was in a relationship with alleges Conrad was abusive and attacked her when she questioned him about sexual encounters he had with other women. On Wednesday, Conrads attorney Glenn Peterson filed a countersuit that argues the sexual assault allegations are false and made in an attempt to extort hush money from Conrad after having consensual sexual relations with a woman at his home. Conrad told The Sacramento Bee the allegations in the second lawsuit also are untrue and were made by an ex-girlfriend upset over the end of their relationship. Theres no truth to any of these allegations, Conrad told The Bee on Thursday evening. I would hope that anyone who reads about this sees that Im completely innocent of these charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conrad has not been charged with any crimes stemming from the allegations in the lawsuits. A Sacramento County Sheriffs Office investigation concluded with a detective telling Conrad he didnt find any evidence the real estate investor committed a crime, according to Conrads countersuit. Ethan Conrad Properties, Inc. is a prominent company with its blue-and-yellow real estate signs marking property throughout the region. Earlier this week, the company closed escrow on the purchase of the 28-story Renaissance Tower office building in downtown Sacramento. With the addition of the high rise, Ethan Conrad Properties now controls roughly 600,000 square feet of office and retail space within a single block including buildings at 630 K Street and 770 L Street. Sexual assault allegation Conrad through his attorney on Wednesday filed in court a cross complaint to one of the lawsuits. His attorney denied the allegations of sexual assault, arguing it was an attempt to extort money from Conrad. The first lawsuit was filed Nov. 20 on behalf of a woman identified in court documents as Jane Roe. Her attorneys allege in the lawsuit that she was a victim of nonconsensual sodomy, rape and other sexual and harmful contact at the hands of Conrad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over several weeks starting in July 2022, Conrad developed an online relationship with Jane Roe through Facebook using its Messenger platform, along with text messaging. About 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2022, Conrad invited her to his luxurious home along the Sacramento River, according to her lawsuit. Conrad served her beverages that caused her to be suddenly and unexpectedly incapacitated, her lawsuit alleges. Her attorneys argued in the lawsuit that what happened at Conrads home was beyond what Jane Roe had reasonably anticipated, and apparently a manifestation of some sort of sodomy fetish, he wanted to act out with her. It is clear from the events of the evening that Conrad did not intend for the interaction to be a romantic dinner for two, movie night, or friendly encounter, but purely an erotic and rough sexual encounter, her attorneys alleged in the lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her attorneys included in her lawsuit screenshots of text messages they say were exchanged between Conrad and Jane Roe: Conrad: Ha! Arent you on birth control anyway? Jane Roe: No Im not on birth control why would you just assumed that... She wrote that she was feeling pain from the sexual encounter. She continued: Jane Roe: (...) I couldnt make out what happens Conrad: Hilarious! Sacramento sheriffs investigation The lawsuit says Jane Roe reported the alleged sexual assault to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office. The Sheriffs Office on Wednesday provided The Bee a copy of the initial written report of the incident at Conrads home. The document says the incident was reported Dec. 28, 2022, about a month after Jane Roe went to his home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conrad invited Jane Roe to his home to meet for the first time in person, she blacked out after consuming alcohol, woke up with pain and discomfort and did not have any recollection of having or consenting to any intercourse, according to the sheriffs report. She later confronted him, and he acknowledged sexual intercourse and offered her financial compensation for any medical treatment needed as a result of the incident, according to the sheriffs report. Sheriffs officials wrote in the report that crime scene investigators were not requested to collect evidence due to the late reporting of this incident. Conrads attorney in the filed cross complaint argued that at the conclusion of the investigation, his client appeared to be the victim, not Jane Roe. Peterson argued that none of her false claims were substantiated, and the attorney included an email sent to Conrad from sheriffs Detective Tom Purser who investigated the alleged sexual assault. As I explained to you when my investigation was completed, during the course of my investigation, I was unable to find or locate any evidence that supported a crime was committed by you. In fact, some of the evidence I uncovered during my investigation, eliminated you as being a suspect in any crime, Purser wrote in the email to Conrad. The investigation has been closed for well over a year and no further action is being taken at this time. I can say that evidence I uncovered during my investigation showed the victim was not being truthful with me about things related to the investigation. Second civil lawsuit Peterson has not yet filed any documents on behalf of Conrad in response to the lawsuit filed Dec. 4. on behalf of Jane Roe #2, a woman who was in a relationship with Conrad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her lawsuit alleges Conrad falsely portrayed to others in the business community that she was his exclusive female partner and companion with whom he had an intimate, long-term relationship while blatantly lying to her about ongoing and frequent sexual encounters with a range of other women, as well as the substance of criminal investigations relating to investigations of sexual misconduct. Jane Roe #2 alleges Conrad was physically and mentally abusive with her during their relationship and attacked her in early December 2022. Her attorneys argued in the lawsuit that she had asked him about recent illicit contact with another female and knowledge of other sexual relations with other females, which had created turmoil in their relationship. Her lawsuit says she became suspicious, in particular, regarding a sexual encounter he had with a woman before Thanksgiving 2022. Jane Roe #2 alleges that Conrads behavior became erratic, unusual and abusive, and their multi-year relationship deteriorated in a couple of months. On the late evening of December 4, 2022, Ethan Conrad physically attacked (Jane Roe #2) by striking her deliberately in the stomach a method of attack he believed was easier to conceal bruising, her attorneys alleged in the lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her attorneys included in the lawsuit a photo her of red marks on her stomach. Her attorneys said the photo was taken in the early hours of Dec. 5, 2022, at Conrads home after he allegedly attacked her. On Thursday, Conrad said there was no truth to Jane Roe #2s allegations. He said he will be filing, through his attorney, a motion asking the court to dismiss her lawsuit. This complaint is from an ex-girlfriend whom I had an intermittent relationship with over several years, Conrad said. This complaint is in essence driven by the plaintiff being vindictive based on our relationship not proceeding in an attempt to generate a settlement. Both lawsuits are scheduled for a case management conference next year; Oct. 17 in Jane Roe #2s lawsuit and Dec. 12 in Jane Roes lawsuit. The Bees Annika Merrilees contributed to this story. Ocean Inlet Park in Boynton Beach, often under water during excessive high tides, will become unusable unless the entire site is elevated to protect it from flooding. The warning was contained in a county grant application to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The county is seeking $7.5 million from the state to raise the entire site west of A1A by 3 feet. It would be a matching grant, requiring the county to pay $7.5 million as well. The last major work at the park was in 1987. The heavily visited 11.4-acre facility contains a parking area, shade structures, fishing areas with cleaning stations, a picnic pavilion, restroom facilities and a caretaker's residence, all west of A1A. They will all have to be demolished and then rebuilt. The guarded beach is to the east of A1A. Without a usable parking area, it would be difficult for beachgoers to use the beach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The park is located within the Town of Ocean Ridge and touches the boundary of the Town of Manalapan, both of which are in the Hurricane Evacuation Zone. The towns are on a barrier island, and A1A is the only road in and out during an evacuation. Stabilization and protection of this area of the road and bridge are vital to residents in multiple jurisdictions, the county noted in its grant. At least five named storm events had an impact on the area during the past five years. These storms caused extensive regional flooding and damage to the marina section of the park. The risk of flooding to the county asset is not a future condition; it is happening today, causing loss of use of the popular facility, according to the county. Speed is vital to preserving Boynton Beach's Ocean Inlet Park Flooding in October makes much of the parking lot at Ocean Inlet marina unusable. The marina and parking lot are susceptible to tidal flooding events because of its low elevation and inadequate drainage. County commissioners in November applied for the state grant to raise the elevation. They hope to learn whether the project will be approved early next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county called the park a regionally significant asset that offers an important recreational access point for county residents in a location with limited access to this type of recreational opportunity. Ocean Inlet offers swimming, kayaking, fishing, picnicking facilities and a playground for youngsters. Water covers the parking spaces next to the sea wall at Ocean Inlet Park in Boynton Beach, Florida on November 15, 2023. More: Two drown Sunday, bringing number of drowning deaths in county to 5 this month More: Part of a $2.5 million Singer Island beach restoration washed away, but refills are coming The funds would be used to build new underground utilities, drainage, landscaping, asphalt parking, a restroom and picnic facilities. Tons of fill will be imported to raise the current elevation. The work is expected to keep the facility open for at least 40 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If nothing is done, sunny-day flooding of the parking lot and associated park facilities will increase over time, requiring constant renovation and eventually rendering the park unusable, according to the county. The cost, at that point, to replace the park could be as much as $36 million. The county is expected to soon replace a dilapidated 30-year-old seawall at the inlet to account for current and future sea level rise. The existing fixed-dock system will be replaced with a floating system along with boat lifts for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Scores of boats dock at the marina. The seawall replacement is expected to cost about $4 million. The county is drafting a request for proposals for design services associated with the redevelopment of the inlet bulkhead and adjacent park properties. Ocean Inlet Park on December 10, 2024, in Ocean Ridge, Florida. County officials have applied for a $7.5 million grant to help raise the marina and parking lot section that often floods during high tides. The Department of Environmental Resources Management, Parks and Recreation Department and Facilities, Development and Operations Department are all involved in the county project to improve Ocean Inlet. Once a design consultant is selected, the bulkhead work is expected to begin by early summer and be completed by mid-2026. When the bulkhead is hardened and raised, the county hopes to then begin raising the elevation of the park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The project also calls for individual mangrove pods to be installed in the Intracoastal Waterway adjacent to the southwest portion of the park. Each pod will consist of rip rap, sand base, and planted mangroves. They will help prolong the life of the newly installed bulkhead and will also provide needed habitat by expanding the mangrove-restoration sites within Lake Worth Lagoon. Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and issues impacting homeowner associations. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County wants to save Boynton ocean park from tidal flooding BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) 2024 will be the year Panama City commissioners finally made some decisions regarding the downtown Marina. They hired someone to demolish the Marina Civic Center in October. Then Tuesday night commissioners decided on a conceptual design for boat slips in the marinas southeast basin. The design includes 88 boat slips to accommodate 40, 50, and 60-foot vessels. They also approved the design for a new boat ramp. Theres been lots of feedback over the years that the launches are too short. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WMBBs Terry Cole is stepping down as General Manager Wed like to have a double launch, dedicated parking, all those things. Thats what were going to start designing now so that people can be confident that were building something really, really great for the boating community, Panama City Commissioner Josh Street said. Many boaters have complained about the steepness of the current ramp, preventing them from easily loading and unloading their boats. But considering Panama Citys current financial status, the price tag has some officials concerned. We dont know what were going to do with the rest of the marina. We could take that $150,000, just sit it in the bank for a year if we needed to, and then we could do something on the marina. We dont have to do it right now. The boat ramp is perfectly functional. If you cant back down our boat ramp, you can go over to Snug Harbor. Its our brand-new boat ramp over there. Very nice boat ramp. So, this is just crazy, Panama City Mayor Michael Rohan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioner Brian Grainger also voted against the boat ramp, but it passed by a 3-to-2 vote. The city plans to pay for the ramp with money they received for a piece of property they originally bought for the Snug Harbor project. It turned out they didnt need it. Since it was bought with marina funds, the money has to be spent on a marina project, like the boat ramp. Bay County could be seeing new judges in 2025 Commissioners also voted to spend $47,500 from marina reserves, to hire PFM Financial to consultant on the marina lease negotiations with City Marina Partners. Theyre the company that has proposed a public-private partnership to operate the marina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioners still dont have plans for what will replace the civic center. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) On Monday the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Dunns FEMA Loan Interest Payment Relief Act. The legislation eases hurricane hardships in northern Florida. If it passes in the Senate and President Biden signs it, FEMA would be required to pay interest on hurricane recovery loans. Panama City officials say they want to work with their counterparts across the Panhandle to build support for Dunns relief act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WMBBs Terry Cole is stepping down as General Manager They also believe their presence in DC may speed up other rebuild work. Our FEMA roads appeal process, where we were successful in an appeals process with a court panel were working, you know, not quite really agreeing with necessarily with FEMA right now on how much it will take to redo about 350 segments of road. So, we thought there could be some help with that. Again, just working those relationships. Congress provides a very necessary oversight for all the federal agencies, and we feel that this is needed, Panama City City Manager Jonathan Hayes said. Hayes says the first step is working with neighboring city managers. He plans to send letters to the entire member of the U.S. Senate, asking for their support on the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. We all had to make adjustments as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded even zoo animals who were suddenly not seeing crowds of visitors pass by every single day. In a study published in 2022, researchers discovered how primates reacted to that shift, looking at the behavior of bonobos, chimpanzees, western lowland gorillas, and olive baboons, and finding that the animals changed their habits in a variety of ways, including the amount of time they spent resting and eating. Visitor interactions are thought to be crucial to the welfare of zoo animals. Yet these interactions have the potential to be either positive or negative. So the researchers were keen to see the difference when the crowds weren't there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Primates are some of the most cognitively advanced species in zoos and their interactions with visitors are complex," zoo animal welfare scientist Samantha Ward from Nottingham Trent University in the UK explained at the time. "A limitation to understanding how visitors can affect behavior of animals in zoos and parks is that they rarely close to the public for prolonged periods, so this provided us with a unique opportunity." Animals changed their habits in a variety of ways. ( Philippe Clement/Canva Observations were recorded at Twycross Zoo and Knowsley Safari in the UK, both before and after visitors returned. Over several months and multiple open and closure periods, there were noticeable changes in primate behavior, which varied depending on the animal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As visitors began to return to the zoo, the bonobos and gorillas spent less time alone, while the gorillas also spent less time resting. Chimpanzees, meanwhile, were eating more and engaging with their enclosures more when zoos reopened. The olive baboons in the safari park were seen to engage in less sexual and dominance behavior when the visitors came back. They also tended to approach visitor cars more often, compared with the ranger vehicles they saw when the park was closed. There were noticeable changes in primate behavior. ( Berend de Kort/Pexels Whether or not these changes were positive is more difficult to say. The researchers suggest that the returning visitors seemed to stimulate the chimpanzees and baboons, while gorillas and bonobos spending less time alone could also be viewed as positive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, it could be argued that gorillas naturally more sedentary animals were disrupted by the crowds in that they spent less time resting. That the gorillas changed the parts of their enclosures they spent the most time in when visitors came back suggests that the animals can to some extent manage this disruption. "Behavioral changes and changes in enclosure use in the presence of visitors highlights the adaptability of zoo species to their environments," said zoo animal welfare researcher Ellen Williams from Harper Adams University in the UK. "Provision of environments which enable animals to actively adapt in this manner is really important for their welfare." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The team also observed that there was a visitor number threshold when it came to olive baboons, beyond which the animals stopped becoming increasingly active and stimulated by the passing cars in the safari park. This is all valuable data for animal welfare researchers, who know that visitors can have all kinds of effects on wildlife from adding feelings of companionship and safety, to being sources of annoyance or even threats. This needs to be factored into how zoos and parks are run and designed. While there might not be any more lockdowns in the foreseeable future (hopefully), the research team wants to continue the work of studying how visitor numbers affect animal behavior, including collecting data involving more animals and across a longer time scale. "Future work could involve looking at the impact on a wider range of species in both zoos and safari parks as well as differences among individual animals," said Williams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The research was published in Animals. An earlier version of this article was published in September 2022. Related News Sergio Rodriguez, 15, died after being hit by a train while on his way to school on Monday, Dec. 9, in Houston A complaint filed by his family accused railroad company Union Pacific of operating the train at an unreasonable speed and failing to sound the horn We want to remind students and others to only cross train tracks at designated crossings and never ignore train horns or the lights and safety gates, a spokesperson tells PEOPLE The family of a Texas student who died earlier this week after he was hit by a slow-moving train as he walked to school has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Union Pacific Railroad. Sergio Rodriguez, 15, a sophomore at Milby High School in Houstons East End neighborhood, was killed on Monday, Dec. 9, according to Fox affiliate KRIV-TV, NBC affiliate KPRC-TV and CBS affiliate KHOU-TV. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The train was in motion as he tried to cross in front of the train, Houston Police Sgt. Bill Elsbury told KRIV-TV. That's the information that we're getting from a couple of eyewitnesses here. Related: 3 People Dead, Including a 6-Year-Old Boy, After Amtrak Train Hits Pickup Truck in New York The incident took place around 7:30 a.m. local time at or near 2000 Broadway Street in southeast Houston, according to a complaint filed on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and later obtained by PEOPLE. It added that the train was operated by a locomotive engineer on behalf of Union Pacific. According to the complaint, the area where the incident occurred is a well-known pedestrian crossing. Rodriguez's family alleged that at no point was there any fencing or other barriers preventing Sergio and others from crossing at the location where the incident occurred. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint said that Rodriguez attempted to cross the tracks when he was suddenly and without warning hit by the train. Related: TV Producer, 22, Killed by Train in Chicago: Worst Nightmare Ever Upon information and belief, Defendants failed to sound their horn prior to the train striking and ultimately killing Sergio, in direct violation of both state and federal regulations, according to the complaint. Rodriguezs family said in the complaint that the boy was allegedly killed as a result of Union Pacifics negligence, citing such causes as operating the train at an excessive and unreasonable speed, failing to timely engage the trains horn, failing to take necessary precautions to prevent the collision, failing to maintain a proper lookout for pedestrians and failing to timely apply the trains emergency brakes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint said the family is seeking damages for emotional distress and anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, loss and services and support, loss of earning capacity and inheritance and more. 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. Defendants knowingly and recklessly disregarded the substantial risks their actions posed, demonstrating a flagrant indifference to Sergios health and safety. Despite being aware of the hazardous conditions and the extreme risk to Sergio, Defendants failed to take any corrective actions, the complaint stated. In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 13, a spokesperson for Union Pacific says that the railroad company shares Houston's grief following Monday's heartbreaking event when a teenager made a tragic decision to try and outrun a moving train. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to remind students and others to only cross train tracks at designated crossings and never ignore train horns or the lights and safety gates, the spokesperson continues. Our hearts go out to the family, students and the train crew who witnessed this terrible incident. Related: Man Sleeping on Railroad Tracks Survives Being Run Over But Freeing His 'Entangled' Hand Took Nearly 2 Hours Citing witness accounts, Elsbury said on Dec. 9 that the railroad crossings were functioning properly, [the] lights were on, the arms were down and the train was going at a slow rate of speed," Houston Public Media reported. The Houston Police Department said in a news release on Dec. 9 that "the incident appears to be accidental in nature and there are no indications of foul play. An investigation is being conducted by the HPDs homicide division and Union Pacifics Police Department. A GoFundMe created for Rodriguezs family has raised over $25,000 as of Friday, Dec. 13. Read the original article on People An Australian couple stands accused of faking their six-year-old childs cancer diagnosis to pilfer over $60,000 from fundraising campaigns, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. The couple, whose names have not been made public but are both age 44, were arraigned in Port Adelaide Magistrate Court on the morning of Dec. 13. They were each charged with a single aggravated count of committing an act likely to cause harm, for which they could each receive a maximum of seven years in prison. Each was also slapped with a charge of deception stemming from the allegedly fraudulent fundraisers, which they set up through their childs school and through an online fundraising campaign. The allegations against the couple are astonishing. After announcing their sons fake cancer diagnosis, they shaved the childs head and and eyebrows in order to deepen the deception. It will be alleged that the accused shaved their six-year-old childs head [and] eyebrows and placed them in a wheelchair with bandages to imitate stereotactic radiotherapy treatment, Acting Assistant Commissioner John Candia said in court on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia added that he couldnt think of a more devious and cruel scheme that parents have done to their own childIts abhorrent that people would [allegedly] seek to profit for their own personal greed and selfishness from such an insidious condition as cancer which impacts so many families in our community. DeCandia continued: Its disgusting that these types of cases mayhave an impact on people who genuinely need that assistance. It would be terrible for people not to contribute to genuine causes because of a rare case such as this. Both parents were ordered held without bail for the moment, in part because of the prosecutions valid concern that the mother might try to meddle in the investigation. However, Magistrate Alison Adair said she would consider a home detainment option for her in the New Year. As far as the father is concerned, Adair implied that he was less involved in the scheme than his wife. His bail option will be revisited when he returns to court on Dec. 20, with a home detainment option also on the table. Having read the allegations, it appears this defendant is less involved than the other offender, and in the circumstances, Im prepared to consider home detention bail, she said of the father. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities were finally alerted to the matter on Nov. 26 after a joint investigation between the childs school, Child Protective Services, Australias Western District Child and Family Investigation Section, and the Department of Child Protection. The child at the center of the case, as well as his sister who is between six and 12, have been removed from the family home and are under the care of a relative. There will be ongoing support needed for the child because initially thinking youve got cancer, and youre not well, would be quite devastating, DeCandia said. HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) On Saturday, several ceremonies will be held at local cemeteries as part of the National Wreaths Across America commemoration, which honors American service members. You can be a part of the ceremony by sponsoring a wreath, volunteering to place wreaths on the graves, or partnering with the organization. Nationally, more than 2 million volunteers and supporters gather on Wreaths Across America Day at more than 4,600 participating locations across all states, at sea and even abroad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The theme for 2024 is Live With Purpose. Hampton There are approximately 33,000 grave markers at the Hampton National Cemetery, where one of the ceremonies will be held. The Hampton ceremony, presented by the Navy Wives Clubs of America Peninsula-Norfolk #91, will begin at noon at 1 Cemetery Road, off Marshall Ave. on the Hampton University campus. If you plan to volunteer, arrive by 11:45 a.m. Saturday and park in Lot 11. Norfolk Forest Lawn Cemetery At 10 a.m. Saturday, local community members will place 2,280 wreaths on Veterans graves at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk. Forest Lawn is one of many cemeteries participating in Wreaths Across America. This event is sponsored by the Adam Thoroughgood Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The cemetery is located at 8100 Granby St. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HRS: Wreaths Across America in Norfolk preview West Point Cemetery West Point Cemetery joined Wreaths Across America in 2022. Its 3rd annual ceremony will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. According to information provided by Mu Beta Phi Military Fraternity, West Point Cemetery was dedicated as a special place of burial for African American Union Civil War and Spanish American War veterans. It is one of only a few African American Civil War Memorials located in the South. The cornerstone of the monument was set on Decoration Day, May 30, 1909, and was completed in 1920. The Civil War soldier depicted on the monument is Norfolk native Sergeant William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. Carney was the first black soldier to receive the Medal of Honor for his bravery. Nearly 100 African American veterans are laid to rest in the West Point Cemetery. West Point Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 and is now commemorated with a historical highway marker along Princess Anne Road. Portsmouth On December 14, VA0877 Hampton Roads Moving & Storage will be helping All Saints Catholic Cemetery and Cedar Grove Cemetery to Remember and Honor our veterans by laying Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our countrys fallen heroes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ceremony will be held at All Saints Catholic Cemetery in Portsmouth at 12 p.m. on Dec. 14. The cemetery is located at 2701 Elm Avenue. Suffolk At 9 a.m. Saturday, an annual ceremony will be held to place holiday wreaths on all graves at the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery, one of three state veterans cemeteries operated by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend and participate, but are asked to arrive no later than 8:30 a.m. The cemetery is located at 5310 Milners Road in Suffolk. Public parking is available at Kings Fork High School at 351 Kings Fork Road. Free shuttle bus service from the high school to the cemetery will be available beginning at 7 a.m. Virginia Beach At 9 a.m. Saturday, Wreaths Across America will be at Princess Anne Memorial Park (Cemetery) to remember and honor veterans through the laying of remembrance wreaths on the graves of our countrys fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud. This will be the first year that Virginia Beach has a cemetery registered with Wreaths across America. York County Providence United Methodist Church in Yorktown will be participating in Wreaths Across America for the first time this year. At 12 p.m. on Dec. 14, family members, friends and a group of Girl Scouts, will place 80 wreaths on military gravesites. The event will also include a bugler, colors presentation and a tribute to Veterans and their families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Click here for more information about the National Wreaths Across America Day. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Paula Abdul has settled a lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe accusing the former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer of sexual assault. Abdul on Thursday notified the court of a deal to resolve the case. Terms of the agreement werent disclosed. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, Abdul said shes grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can now put behind me. Lythgoe said in a statement that we live in a troubling time where a person is now automatically assumed to be guilty until proven innocent, a process that can take years. He added, That is why, like Paula, I am glad to be able to put this behind me. I know the truth and that gives me great comfort. The producer stepped back from his on-camera and behind-the-scenes roles on SYTYCD in the wake of allegations from numerous women accusing him of sexual assault. Last year, Abdul filed a lawsuit against Lythgoe detailing two separate incidents of assault. One of the alleged incidents occurred in an elevator of a hotel they were staying while they traveling during one of the early seasons for American Idol. The lawsuit claimed Lythgoe shoved Abdul against a wall and grabbed her genitals and breasts before shoving his tongue down her throat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also claimed that Lythgoe assaulted her again in 2015 when he invited her to dinner at his home to discuss bringing her on as a judge on SYTYCD. Lythgoe forced himself on top of Abdul while she was seated on his couch and attempted to kiss her, the lawsuit said. On both occasions, Abdul didnt report the alleged assaults because of possible retaliation. For years, Abdul has remained silent about the sexual assaults and harassment she experienced on account of Lythgoe due to fear of speaking out against one of the most well-known producers of television competition shows who could easily break her career as a television personality and of being ostracized and blackballed by an industry that had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual assault and harassment, stated the complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. Lythgoe was also sued earlier this year by a pair of unnamed contestants on AAG, which is believed to be a reference to reality series All American Girl. They accused him of making unwanted sexual advances and groping them inside his Los Angeles home in 2003 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope my experience can serve to inspire other women, facing similar struggles, to overcome their own challenges with dignity and respect, so that they too can turn the page and begin a new chapter of their lives, Abdul said in a statement. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A man died Thursday following an early morning collision on a busy Point Loma road where a jogger had been killed in a hit-and-run just over a week prior. The crash was first reported around 6:18 a.m. in the area of Nimitz Boulevard and Chatsworth Boulevard. According to San Diego officials, a pedestrian crossing the street near the intersection was hit by a red Kia. The pedestrian suffered a serious head injury and was unconscious at the scene. A spokesperson for San Diego Fire-Rescue said he was transported to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. He was later pronounced dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New bike lanes, reduced lanes stir debate in Mission Valley over safety risks No additional information was immediately available about the crash, although the driver of the Kia did stay at the scene. The crash is the second involving a pedestrian on Nimitz Boulevard since last Thursday, when a jogger was fatally hit by a BMW while it was apparently racing another vehicle. Witnesses told SDPD both vehicles were driving around 60 miles per hour through the 45-mile-per-hour zone. The driver of the BMW fled the scene, but the vehicle was recovered about two hours later by U.S. Navy police in the 3500 block of Canon Street a short distance from the crash site. The vehicle had significant front-end damage and a shattered windshield. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the crash, residents expressed alarm, anger and frustration over the reckless driving in the area, including some who reported hearing the events leading up to the crash. Its terrible, no moral compass, one resident living near the intersection said. What can you say, its really sad. FOX 5/KUSIs Tony Shin contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. (Bloomberg) -- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was hospitalized after being injured during a congressional trip to Luxembourg, her office announced Friday in a statement. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pelosi, 84, fractured her hip and will require a routine operation, the New York Times reported. Representative Derrick Van Orden, a Wisconsin Republican, said he was near the former speaker when she fell during an official event. Its not appropriate for me to comment on her medical condition, and I wish her the very best, he said on the social media platform X. Pelosi spokesman Ian Krager didnt provide any details on her condition, the injury or how it occurred in the statement, except that she sustained the injury during an official engagement of the congressional delegation, which marked the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Pelosi was admitted to a hospital and is currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals, Krager said. She continues to work but is unable to attend the remaining events on the trip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of the congressional delegation members had relatives who fought in World War II, including Pelosis uncle, Johnny, Krager said. Pelosi, the first and only woman to be US House Speaker, stepped down from the post in 2022, saying she wanted to make way for a new generation of Democratic legislative leaders. Pelosi worked behind to the scenes to encourage and guide Democratic lawmakers as they pressed President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid earlier this year, highlighting her enduring influence in the party. --With assistance from Steven T. Dennis. (Updates with New York Times reporting, lawmaker tweet in second and third paragraphs) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. DILLSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) When William and Christine Stough signed up for Verizons locked-in-for-life plan back in 2007, the $27.99 monthly fee actually seemed expensive at the time. But they decided to lock it in because of the promise that their rate would never change they still have the vintage 2007 marketing materials with the promise, touting the benefits of the service over the dial-up service they had. Since then, the bills remained at $27.99 never a penny more even though many current rate plans cost $50 and up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But that changed in August, when the rate on the Stoughs bill increased $5 to $32.99. We called Verizon, and the representative told us, We dont have a lifetime plan, William Stough said. I told them I signed up for one, but that didnt seem to matter. A series of calls and letters didnt help, so they called abc27 News, which contacted Verizon with the couples meticulously-documented case in hand. A lady calls me from Verizon and says, I just received communication from abc27 News regarding this, and we want to fix it. And she really was apologetic, Christine Stough said. There was an error found on Verizon[s] end that caused customers on the Price for Life plan to accidentally receive a $5 price increase, an agent wrote to Christine Stough in a follow-up email message. Our billing department is aware and working to have this corrected and credits applied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A subsequent email confirmed the change was made, and Verizon was crediting the Stoughs $25 for the months in which they were overbilled. The Stoughs credited abc27 News, which is doing a tremendous service for all the viewers in our area, Christine Stough said. Youre keeping these companies accountable. I think its excellent. Its uncertain how many other customers might have been impacted by the issue many who signed up in 2007 like switched to other plans or providers since then but abc27 News asked Verizon whether it would automatically make the correction for any other customers who might be impacted. A spokesman replied that any customer with questions or issues whether about this or something else should always call 1-800-VERIZON. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) A Pensacola man was sentenced to prison and designated a sex offender on Thursday, according to First Judicial Circuit of Florida State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden. UWF Center for Cybersecurity awarded $1.3M contract to expand training According to a news release from Maddens office, Christopher Curtis Luckie was sentenced to 30 years in state prison, which will be followed by 30 years of sex offender probation. Christopher Curtis Luckie. (Escambia County Jail View) The release said Circuit Court Judge Coleman Robinson designated Luckie a sex offender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state attorneys office said Luckie pled straight up to the court on 20 counts of possession of certain images of child pornography and was then sentenced. Angel Baby: 1995 Mobile County cold case closed after infants mother found According to Maddens office, the sentencing stems from a search warrant executed at a residence on July 12, 2023, when law enforcement was tipped off by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that child pornography images were being downloaded at the location. The state attorneys office said the search of Luckies residence led to law enforcement finding him to be in possession of multiple images of child pornography. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The release said Luckie admitted to downloading the child pornography following an interview with law enforcement. The Pensacola Police Department conducted the investigation and arrest. Assistant State Attorney Carrie Gilmer prosecuted the case on behalf of Madden. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Many Americans remain frustrated by the lack of action taken by United States defense organizations after reports and sightings of drones flying over skies on the East Coast for nearly a month. Since mid-November, residents of New Jersey have been notifying law enforcement of drones described as the size of small cars hovering over their properties. The drones have been heavily spotted in New Jersey, but residents in some parts of New York and Pennsylvania also reported sightings in the last month. The public still does not know their origin or reason for flying over the eastern side of the U.S. In response to the lack of information from government officials, some residents have implied taking matters into their own hands. According to Fox News, one person wrote in the comments section of a video regarding the drones, A good shotgun will fix that problem. Another said, Why hasnt anyone shot one down to look for a serial number to trace it back to the operator? Adding, I would think that could provide a clue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The general public isnt the only one frustrated with drones still being allowed in the air. On Wednesday, New Jersey GOP Rep. Jeff Van Drew, shared his criticism of the Federal Aviation Administration during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committees hearing. We have a serious problem with our aerospace. The recent sightings of unidentified drones in the state of New Jersey, my home state, is justifiably causing tremendous public concern, he said, per ABC News. Van Drew believes the drones are from an apparent Iranian mothership. Ive learned, for real, that there is circumstantial evidence that theres an Iranian mothership off the East Coast of the United States, and thats launching these drone incursions, he added. However, the Pentagon was quick to squash those claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is not any truth to that there is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and theres no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States, Sabrina Sing, deputy Pentagon press secretary, told reporters in a news briefing Wednesday. Were going to continue to monitor what is happening. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also called for decisive action, emphasizing the frustration among state representatives over the lack of clear information to share with their constituents as drones continue to operate above their homes. We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if theyre flying over airports or military bases, Blumenthal said Thursday, asking the White House to be more transparent, per The Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House press secretary John Kirby said upon reviewing the drone sightings, they are manned aircraft(s) being flown lawfully and have not been over restricted areas. We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus, Kirby said, according to the AP. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also issued a joint statement on Thursday: We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus. ... We take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports. To be clear, they have uncovered no such malicious activity or intent at this stage. While there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight the insufficiency of current authorities. (NewsNation) Several high-profile figures in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots could be in line for pardons if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his promise to TIME magazine. Trump, who was named TIMEs Person of the Year, told the outlet that he would pardon most of the rioters convicted of storming the Capitol. Its going to start in the first hour, he said. Maybe the first nine minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doctor calls out claim denials amid UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting Scores of rioters have said they expect immediate relief once Trump returns to the White House, and their lawyers have asked judges to delay sentencing trials and other proceedings in light of this, NewsNation partner The Hill reports. The Hill notes that judges have largely denied these requests. Philip Sean Grillo, who was sentenced Friday to 12 months in prison for his role in the riot, said Trumps gonna pardon me anyways as U.S. Marshals took him into custody. Grillo, The Hill wrote, was found guilty of the felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding, as well as some misdemeanors. Henry Enrique Tarrio, a former leader of the neo-fascist group Proud Boys, is another person who could be pardoned. Hes serving a 22-year sentence for orchestrating the events of Jan.6. Jacob Chansley, who became known as the QAnon Shaman because of a 6-foot spear and horned fur headdress he wore during the attack, may be pardoned as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over 1,500 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol Riot. Of those, 1,200 pleaded guilty or have been convicted, with sentences ranging from probation to Tarrios 22 years. The Justice Department warned Jan.6 defendants that accepting a pardon from Trump is quote a confession of guilt. DOJ Inspector General report on Capitol Riot The Department of Justices Inspector general found that the FBI failed to gather crucial intelligence in an 88-page report released Thursday. In the report, the inspector general says the FBI missed a basic step by not reaching out to all of its field offices and undercover informants ahead of time. No federal agents were involved in supporting the attack, and no undercover agents were present, the report said. There were, however, 26 confidential FBI informants at the riot, including three specifically tasked with keeping an eye on domestic terrorism suspects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NewsNation digital producer Steph Whiteside and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) A 20-year-old Peoria man was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Lamarion Tolliver was arrested in late June after police responded to a report of a man attempting to burglarize a vehicle at 11:41 a.m., June 25. Officers were told the man allegedly had a gun. When officers arrived, Tolliver had fled into a nearby home. Officers surrounded the home and took him into custody without incident. A search warrant was executed and officers located a gun with a defaced serial number, according to court records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October, he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will get credit for just over five months of time already served and is eligible for day for day good-time credit, according to court records. Chief Peoria County Judge Katherine Gorman also imposed a six-month term of supervised release after hes out of prison. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. Dec. 12PERRY TOWNSHIP Juniors and seniors at Perry High School got a crash course in the basics of remote piloting Thursday. The high school is partnering with Rhodes State College to provide interested students the chance to earn their commercial drone operator license, which would instantly qualify students for jobs in agriculture, real estate, construction, insurance and other industries now relying on remote-controlled drones. "This is a credential (students) can take with them," said Sara Feldner, who teaches chemistry and physics at Perry High School. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rhodes State instructors are traveling to high schools like Perry to provide remote pilot certification courses through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The 20-hour course, taught by Rhodes State drone instructor Adam Wehrman, covers subjects like airport regulations and operations, aeronautical charts and special airspace rules students will need to master to pass the licensing exam. Wehrman led the class out to the high school commons Thursday for a brief demonstration. One by one, the students took turns piloting a recreational remote-controlled drone steering the drone up and down, right and left, without hitting their classmates or the walls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minutes earlier, Wehrman asked the class to list jobs available to drone operators. They answered with photography, package delivery and search and rescue for the military. Drone operators are in high demand for a prominent nearby industry too. Farms increasingly rely on drones to spray pesticides, survey crops and capture images of their fields for mapping, Wehrman said. "There's lots of money in this industry," he said. "There's lots of opportunity in this industry, and just about every job you can think of, this is an added bonus for your resume." Featured Local Savings By Qabil Ashirov A group of Ballica village residents left Baku for the Ball?ca village of Khojaly. Azernews reports that 27 families (152 people) are being relocated to the Ball?ca village of the Khojaly region today. Currently, 192 private houses are planned to be renovated in the village. In particular, the number of private houses planned to be renovated in the 1st stage is 82, and the number of private houses to be renovated in the 2nd stage is 110. At the same time, the village is supplied with water, gas, and electricity, and an internet line has been laid. The buildings of the medical and police stations, a secondary school for 200 students, and a kindergarten for 35 beds are ready. It worth noting that the Ball?ca village of the Khojaly region is located 10.6 km from the city of Khojaly. Until the 19th century, the settlement was a summer residence for the population of the Ahmadbeyli village in the Ganja district. It was occupied by Armenia in 1992 and used as a weapons depot by the Armenian army. On October 5, 2020, the weapons depot was destroyed by the Azerbaijani Army during the Patriotic War. The village was liberated as a result of local anti-terrorist measures carried out on September 19-20, 2023. It should be noted that currently more than 30 thousand people live in the territories liberated from occupation. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. After a steep monthslong trek, the Perseverance rover has reached the top of Jezero Crater on Mars. The site is a region unlike anything Perseverance has encountered during its 3 -year journey on the red planet. Now, the robotic explorer is preparing to observe some of the oldest rocks on Mars, which could reveal the planets mysterious history, and potentially, whether its ancient environments were capable of supporting life. The rover is on a quest to determine if life ever existed on Mars by collecting samples that could contain ancient microfossils. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During its 3 -month climb, Perseverance ascended 1,640 vertical feet (500 vertical meters), acing tricky slopes angled at 20 degrees. The ascent took place over some of the toughest terrain the rover has encountered since it landed on the crater floor in February 2021. But engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who send commands that help the rover drive, came up with creative solutions, and the rover remains unscathed from the journey. The rover's right-front navigation camera captured this first view over the rim of Jezero Crater on December 10 from a site dubbed Lookout Hill. - NASA/JPL-Caltech They developed innovative approaches to overcome these challenges even tried driving backward to see if it would help and the rover has come through it all like a champ, said Steven Lee, deputy project manager for Perseverance at JPL, in a statement. Perseverance is go for everything the science team wants to throw at it during this next science campaign. Perseverance has already conducted four broad investigations of Jezero Craters floor, as well as the river delta that once fed into it, including exploring, observing, and sampling rocks and dust. The crater floor was once the site of an ancient lake 3.7 billion years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that Percy has reached the top of the crater, it will begin its Northern Rim campaign, visiting multiple sites over the next year to take samples while traversing 4 miles (6.4 kilometers). The Northern Rim campaign brings us completely new scientific riches as Perseverance roves into fundamentally new geology, said Ken Farley, project scientist for Perseverance at the California Institute of Technology, in a statement. It marks our transition from rocks that partially filled Jezero Crater when it was formed by a massive impact about 3.9 billion years ago to rocks from deep down inside Mars that were thrown upward to form the crater rim after impact, Farley said. These rocks represent pieces of early Martian crust and are among the oldest rocks found anywhere in the solar system. Investigating them could help us understand what Mars and our own planet may have looked like in the beginning. Turning back time Perseverances first task is to head for Witch Hazel Hill, a large outcrop of rock about 1,500 feet (457 meters) down the other side of the rim. The rover will be moving up and down hills over the next six months in this region, the mission team shared Thursday at the American Geophysical Unions annual meeting in Washington, DC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The campaign starts off with a bang because Witch Hazel Hill represents over 330 feet (101 meters) of layered outcrop, where each layer is like a page in the book of Martian history. As we drive down the hill, we will be going back in time, investigating the ancient environments of Mars recorded in the crater rim, said Candice Bedford, a Perseverance scientist from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, in a statement. Then, after a steep descent, we take our first turns of the wheel away from the crater rim toward Lac de Charmes, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) south. The mission team is interested in Lac de Charmes because it lies in the plains beyond the rim, so the terrain is less likely to have been altered by the violent impact that formed Jezero Crater. Then, Perseverance will undertake a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) loop back to the rim to study an outcrop of large blocks that may be ancient broken bedrock. The team suspects the bedrock was broken by an impact that occurred when a celestial body slammed into Mars 3.9 billion years ago, creating a 745-mile-wide (1,200-kilometer) basin that scattered material from deep beneath the Martian crust. Martian sightseeing While the mission team is eagerly preparing for Perseverances next steps, it also took time to share highlights from the rovers ascent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During its climb, the rover captured images of intriguing rocks that suggest different facets of the red planets history. At one point, Perseverance came across a zebra-striped rock that has scientists perplexed about its exact composition. Perseverance spotted this black-and-white striped rock on September 13. - NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU The rock, nicknamed Freya Castle, likely rolled downhill to arrive at its current home since its different from the bedrock it sits atop. In October, the rover came across a field of brilliant white cantaloupe-size rocks, which the vehicles instruments confirmed as pure quartz, Farley said. Perseverance had never spotted anything like these rocks. Its potentially important, because quartz forms from the circulation of hot water through rocks in a setting like a hot spring, Farley said. This is a potentially habitable environment thats totally different from the habitable environments that Perseverance investigated on the crater floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the quartz rocks are too small for Perseverance to drill into and collect a sample, the quartz field remains a place of interest as the rover investigates the crater rim further, especially because hot springs are known to be habitable environments on Earth, he said. The rover came across a field of bright white rocks, determined to be quartz, during its ascent of the crater rim. - NASA/JPL-Caltech Now, Perseverance will study rocks that existed before the impact that created Jezero Crater, likely older than 4 billion years. The age of the solar system is about 4.5 billion years, Farley said at the conference. From my personal perspective, this is really one of the most exciting things that this mission is going to do, is to be looking at rocks that were formed so early in the history of the solar system, almost the dawn of the solar system. The solar systems early days are poorly understood because Earth doesnt have any rocks from this period due to its volcanic and other erosion-causing processes. But Mars can provide a very good place to try and understand how rocky planets formed in our solar system, Farley said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com GREENWOOD COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) One person was found dead in a vehicle in Greenwood County early Friday morning. The Greenwood County Sheriffs Office said they were requested by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to assist in an investigation just before 5:30 a.m. A short time later, deputies found a vehicle related to SLEDs investigation in the area of Mckenzie Road near Ninety Six. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies said a person was found dead inside the vehicle. SLED is handling the investigation. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Someone at South Gwinnett High School has tested positive for tuberculosis. The school principal notified students and teachers on Wednesday that about 150 people came in close contact with that person but did not say if the person was a teacher, student or part of the staff. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Health officials told Channel 2s Michael Seiden that theres no reason to panic and they plan on testing students and teachers on Monday as a precautionary measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The risk of TB transmitting in the school is going to be really low, said Dorian Freeman, director of clinical infectious diseases for the Gwinnett Newton Rockdale Public Health Department. TRENDING STORIES: Freeman said she and her staff have identified about 150 people who were in close and continuous contact with the person who became infected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The testing will take place at the school on next week, Freeman said. In the meantime, the health department said they are staying in touch with school officials, but at this point, life on campus appears to be business as usual. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] We understand that anytime were talking about exposures to infectious diseases that it definitely causes a lot of anxiety in the community but know that were working diligently to answer any questions, Freeman said. Health officials told Seiden as a general rule only one in 10 people who come into contact with TB will develop the disease. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuberculosis is a disease that normally affects the lungs and is typically spread through close contact. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TB cannot be given to another person unless they are themselves ill, and symptoms do not always appear right away. If a Donald Trump fan is on your Christmas shopping list and you are not constrained by the budgets of ordinary people, you might be considering a wristwatch from a certain online dealer that advertises liberally on conservative media outlets. But I have some advice: Be careful. Because you might not get it by Easter. The website gettrumpwatches.com makes clear there is no guarantee on when your order will be shipped, or even when it will be made. The website says only that the watches, which cost up to $100,000, will start shipping in October/November/December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shipping and delivery dates are estimates only and cannot be guaranteed, it goes on to say. And if you didnt get the message, its repeated. Multiple times. We are not liable for any delays in shipments. Each watch is made to order. We cannot guarantee when an order will arrive. Consider any shipping or transit time offered to you, by us, only as an estimate. We are not liable for any delays in shipments. While the products advertised on the website appear exquisite particularly the Trump Victory Tourbillon, made of 18 carat gold with 122 diamonds your typical vendor on the cable shopping channel seems to have better customer service. The operation has the vibe of a guy hawking Gucci products on a side street in Manhattan so much so that people on Reddit and TikTok, without evidence, are accusing Trump of running a scam. In fact, what Trump is doing licensing his name is perfectly legal. But the ubiquitous ads feature the president-elect talking about his watches, making it seem that he either owns or is personally involved in the business. As with the sale of Trump sneakers and Trump cologne, he has granted permission for others to make money off his name. As The New York Times put it, Mr. Trump creates companies that function like bank accounts, allowing the people or companies making the products to pay him royalties for the cost of licensing his name. The Washington Post has reported that Trump has had more than 50 of these licensing deals, including one with the company that produced a Trump Bible. Many of these businesses are limited liability companies, in which partners can be anonymous in certain states, like Wyoming where the Get Trump Watches business was established. According to reporting by the Times, the company was set up in July by the same law firm that set up the company behind Trump sneakers and fragrances. The addresses listed on legal filings lead to strip malls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This has fueled speculation online that the ventures are vehicles for wealthy people to court favor with Trump by buying these products. But in fact, there are ordinary people who just want to buy a piece of Trump glamour and to proudly show off their support of the man that Time magazine just named Person of the Year. I was contacted by a North Carolina woman who purchased two watches in early November on behalf of a Purple Heart veteran she assists. One of the reasons, I ordered these (was) because I thought, Trumps likeness and name, I could trust this site! Boy, was I wrong, Florence Hausler wrote. When they realized the watches would not come anytime soon, Hausler tried to cancel the order and realized too late that the website says all sales final. Of course, its not exactly a sale if you didnt receive the product you paid for. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a consumer is entitled to a refund if they didnt receive a product within the timeframe it was promised. In this case, of course, the website repeatedly states that it makes no promise of when the watches might be delivered. The buyers best recourse, if she used a credit card, is to dispute the charge with the card issuer within 60 days; that might not work on a debit card, however. And this customer had paid $2,244.86 on a debit card. She has used the customer support form on the website and has not gotten a reply. Neither did I when I tried. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the Federal Trade Commission said that she could not comment on the matter, referring me to the FTC website. One of the suggestions there is for unhappy consumers to post about their experience on social media. But its not clear if anyone has received a Trump watch yet. While there are posts on X of people celebrating the arrival of their Trump sneakers, I could not find anyone posting excitedly about their new Trump watch. Bloombergs Andy Hoffman spoke to someone in Switzerland said to be overseeing the venture there. David Gouten, described as an industry veteran hired by watchmaker Montrichard, talked about orders received, but did not say anything indicating that any orders had yet been shipped. Significantly, Hoffman wrote, Representatives of BestWatchesonEarth LLC did not respond to multiple email requests for comment. But beyond the trouble for consumers, there are other issues at play in the selling of Donald Trumps name. From Mike Huckabee selling The Kids Guide to Donald Trump free except for shipping and handling, and youre also being signed up for future kids guides and access to a digital library for $21.90 a month to the $499 gold Trump sneakers sold by 45footwear LLC its easy to dismiss these as the tawdry excesses of capitalism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But wait, thats not all. Trump further muddies that picture by hawking fragrances online using a photo of First Lady Jill Biden, a move that was described as a master class in trolling by Trump supporters and which prompted USA Today to seriously ask Can Trump use Jill Bidens image to sell perfume? Legal experts disagreed, with one telling USA Today that a persons image cant be used in ads without their consent, and another saying that a clearly humorous post on a social media site would have free-speech protection. Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer in the administration of George W. Bush, told USA Today that although he thinks Trump is using public office for private gain, theres no way to stop the president from selling guitars and Bibles and perfume. But actually there is: If the websites fail to deliver the products, or produce merchandise that is poor quality, there could be a groundswell of rage that threatens the Trump name, and he could revoke the licensing. Trump is only the president-elect, after all. The consumer is king. Meanwhile, let the Christmas buyer beware. Order Trump watches if you must, but for Christmas 2026. President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, previously argued that out gay people serving in the military is part of a larger Marxist agenda. Hegseth made the argument that the policy is putting social justice over combat readiness in his book The War on Warriors which was published this year. He also slammed the previous policy Dont Ask, Dont Tell which allowed gay people in the armed services as long as they didnt reveal their sexual orientation. The nominee also criticized the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The policy was a compromise put forward in 1993 during the presidency of Bill Clinton to allow gay people to serve in the armed forces over the objections of some top commanders. Before that, there had been a ban on gay people in the military put in place during the Second World War, The Guardian noted. The policy was repealed during Barack Obamas presidency in 2011 after several complaints of discrimination following dishonorable discharges of members of the armed forces after their sexual orientation had been revealed. Hegseths nomination is in trouble amid allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking, and financial mismanagement. He has rejected Dont Ask, Dont Tell as being the beginning of ideological tinkering with the military for social justice aims, according to CNN. Hegseth has claimed that out gay people serving in the armed forces is part of a Marxist agenda (Getty Images) However, he has also shared his dismay at its repeal, stating that it was a breach in the wire that cleared the way for cultural change in the military. In the book, Hegseth writes that he was about to head to Afghanistan when the policy was repealed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our commander briefed the unit, peppered with a few jokes. You know, infantry stuff, he wrote. We mostly laughed it off and moved on. America was at war. Gays and lesbians were already serving in the military. I had seen the enemy with my own eyes. We needed everybody. But he has now argued that the more inclusive policy was a misstep, claiming that it allowed transgender people to enter the military and women to serve in combat roles. Women had previously been stopped from serving in combat until a change in 2013. In an interview with rightwing broadcaster Ben Shapiro earlier this year, Hegseth said, It started with Clinton under Dont Ask, Dont Tell. He pointed to a military recruitment ad that showed a soldier with two lesbian mothers revealing the change in the culture surrounding the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least when it was an Army of One, they were, you know, [a] tough-looking, go get em army, Hegseth told Shapiro. Now you just have the absurdity of I have two mommies and Im so proud to show them that I can wear the uniform too. So they, its just like everything else the Marxists and the leftists have done. At first, it was camouflaged nicely and now theyre just open about it. Hegseth made the statements outlining his dislike of gay people serving in the military before he was nominated by Trump to serve as his secretary of defense. Hegseth appeared to mix up the issues of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, and women in the armed forces during a 2015 appearance on Fox News, as noted by Meidas News. Through Dont Ask, Dont Tell and women in the military and these standards, theyre going to inevitably start to erode standards because they want that one female special operator, that one female Green Beret, that one female Army Ranger, that one female Navy Seal, so they can put them on a recruiting poster and feel good about themselves and [that] has nothing to do with national security, he said at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, the former Army National Guard member and Fox News host didnt say if he still thought it was an error to repeal Dont Ask, Dont Tell when asked by CNN. He added that he supported women serving in the military even after claiming that it was an erosion of the standards. One of the chapters in his book is entitled The (deadly) obsession with women warriors. Im going to say something politically incorrect that is perfectly commonsensical observation, he wrote. Dads push us to take risks. Moms put the training wheels on our bike. We need moms, but not in the military, especially in combat units. If you train a group of men to treat women equally on the battlefield then you will be hard-pressed to ask them to treat women differently at home, he added. Dec. 12WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) led a coalition of 32 military veterans serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in endorsing Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. The group sent a letter to Senate leadership expressing their strong support for Hegseth's nomination. In the letter, the members note: "In an era of unprecedented global challenges, America demands defense leadership that breaks from conventional approaches. President-elect Trump has selected Mr. Hegseth to go beyond traditional bureaucratic management to fundamentally transform our national defense strategy and rebuild military capabilities." The lawmakers emphasize Hegseth's unique qualifications, writing: "As a decorated combat veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, he offers an authentic understanding of modern warfare. His Harvard and Princeton credentials, combined with battlefield experience, forged a rare intellect aligned with President-elect Trump's strategic vision, to bridge the gap between the beltway and frontline realities." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On military recruitment and readiness, the letter states: "Mr. Hegseth stands as a critical connector to the force of tomorrow. In an era of declining recruitment, he offers a compelling vision that speaks directly to potential service members a return to a military focused on excellence and unwavering national defense." Addressing the confirmation process, the members write: "Despite relentless media attempts to undermine Mr. Hegseth's nomination, we call on the Senate to honor its constitutional duty of advice and consent by conducting a fair, thorough confirmation process that evaluates his nomination solely on its substantive merits." The letter was co-led by Representative Michael Waltz (FL-06) and signed by Barry Moore (AL-02), Elijah Crane (AZ-02), Cory Mills (FL-07), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), W. Gregory Steube (FL-17), C. Scott Franklin (FL-18), Brian J. Mast (FL-21), Rich McCormick (GA-06), Andrew S. Clyde (GA-09), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Zach Nunn (IA-03), Mike Bost (IL-12), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Trent Kelly (MS-01), Ryan K. Zinke (MT-01), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Brandon Williams (NY-22), Max L. Miller (OH-07), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), William R. Timmons, IV (SC-04), Mark E. Green (TN-07), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Keith Self (TX-03), Jake Ellzey (TX-06), Morgan Luttrell (TX-08), Ronny L. Jackson (TX-13), Troy E. Nehls (TX-22), Wesley Hunt (TX-38), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), and Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05). Read the full letter here. A student at a Phoenix middle school was taken into custody after police allegedly found them in possession of a gun on campus. According to Phoenix police, a school resource officer at Kyrene Altadena Middle School near South Desert Foothills Parkway and Chandler Boulevard was notified by staff that a student had a firearm in their backpack on Thursday morning. In a letter sent to the community, the Kyrene School District said a different student was first made aware of the weapon and reported it immediately. The resource officer located the firearm and moved it to a safe location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school district also confirmed to The Arizona Republic that the gun was not loaded. The student was arrested, charged with misconduct involving weapons, and booked into a juvenile corrections center, Phoenix police said. The investigation is ongoing, but Phoenix police said there were no threats to the school or other students. Kyrene School District officials plan to cooperate with police and conduct their own investigation. The student's age or reason for bringing a gun to school has not been released. The school teaches students in the sixth to eighth grades. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix middle schooler arrested after gun found on campus NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are still navigating their unexpectedly lengthy residency aboard the International Space Station. The pair has remained on the ISS since technical difficulties during Boeing Starliners inaugural transport mission after arriving in June. After weeks of troubleshooting, the spacecraft finally completed an uncrewed, remotely piloted landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico on September 7th. Before that, however, an astronomical photographer snapped a few shots of Starliner while docked with ISS high above Earth, providing a unique look at both the ISS and Boeings vehicle. Felix Schofbanker uploaded his images on December 12th to astronomy photography hosting site, Astrobin. He explained that he took the images on September 5th roughly 48.5 hours before Starliner undocked with the ISS for its return voyage to Earth. Both spacecraft were 270-287 miles above Earth at the time of the snapshots, which Schofbanker captured using a Lacerta PlanetPro178GM imaging camera, and other equipment. This isnt the first time Schofbanker managed to get shots of high-altitude orbital vehicles. Although both ISS and Starliner are public projects, glimpsing more secretive endeavors requires a bit more analysis and planning. In August, for example, Schofbanker managed to photograph Shenlong, Chinas highly classified, reusable space plane that is still orbiting Earth. Although grainy to the amateur observer, the new looks hinted at a few more details for the experimental vehicle, including what appear to be a pair of underside solar panels that may help power the plane during its yearslong missions. [Related: Chinas super-secret space plane spotted above Europe.] Unique images of the ISS such as Schofbankers recent photos also serve as a reminder that the structure is orbiting on borrowed time. The 356-feet-long, 450-ton habitat and research facility has remained in continuous operation for over 25 years, and is showing signs of deterioration such as software glitches and microscopic leaks in its hull. Although still a few years down the line (and later than first anticipated), SpaceX will reportedly construct an uncrewed US Deorbit Vehicle designed with the sole purpose of colliding with ISS, knocking it out of its orbital path and into Earths gravitational pull. From there, NASA will make sure the timing and calculations ensure the station burns up during atmospheric reentry, at which point any surviving debris will land in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo. Regardless, the current schedule leaves space enthusiasts like Schofbanker plenty of time to try to capture at least a few more shots of the ISS as it wraps up its historic tenure. Who is Bettina Anderson? When it comes to Palm Beach society, the model and socialite's a well-known figure. But since she was spotted kissing Donald Trump Jr. recently in Palm Beach, it seems everyone wants to know more about the model. Photos of the rumored pair holding hands and kissing were posted on British tabloid sites. This week, US Weekly reported Trump and his longtime live-in girlfriend, former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, split and called off their wedding before last months presidential election. Since then, Trump has been spotted in public with the socialite. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Below are photos of Bettina Anderson attending Palm Beach society events over the years. Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Bettina Anderson and Donald Trump Jr.? Images of the Florida model EAU CLAIRE A man accused of sexually abusing a child avoided trial this week with a plea agreement. Marcel Wiseman, 35, faced two counts of first degree child sexual assault involving a child under 13 years of age, two counts of incest and one count of child enticement. The first charges are Class B felonies under Wisconsin law and can result in sentences of up to 60 years in prison. The agreement allowed Wiseman to enter a guilty plea to only the first count, with the rest of the charges dismissed. In exchange, prosecutors will cap their recommendation for the prison time, though court records do not specify what the cap will be. Prosecutors made no such commitments about other aspects of the sentence, like how long Wiseman should be under extended supervision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wisemans sentencing date does not appear on the state courts database. Judge John Manydeeds ordered a presentencing investigation, and the defense plans to offer an alternate PSI, filed a week after the states. According to the criminal complaint, the victim told other children at a camp about the abuse. Those children told adults, who contacted authorities. Wiseman initially denied having any sexual contact with the girl, but later admitted to one instance. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) A Wilmington man has been sentenced for unlawfully shooting a trophy buck in Clinton County last year. Christopher J. Alexander, 28 of Wilmington, has been sentenced to pay the maximum restitution for an 18-point trophy white-tailed deer buck. This is the largest restitution value for a single white-tailed deer in Ohios history, at $35,071.73. Photo/ODNR Restitution was increased to $39.696.73 with over $4,000 added for a second unlawfully taken buck during the same 2023 hunting season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alexander will also have to complete five years of community control and serve six months at a justice center. He cannot obtain a hunting license for the next 10 years and was ordered to forfeit all property seized as evidence, including the trophy bucks antlers. Finally, he was ordered to pay $1,000 in fines, $1,000 to the Turn In a Poacher (TIP) program, $2,000 in restitution to media outlets, and all court costs. The Division of Wildlife investigated Alexanders taking of the trophy buck on Nov. 9, 2023 after receiving a tip that the deer was taken unlawfully. In October, Alexander pleaded guilty to 14 counts related to this incident, including hunting without a license or deer permit, illegal taking of deer, selling illegally taken deer antlers and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three others were sentenced alongside Alexander: Corey P. Haunert, 29, of Hillsboro; Kristina M. Alexander, 37, of Blanchester; and Zachary R. Haunert, 31, of Lebanon. Each will have to pay fines and serve jail time for aiding a wildlife offender and a variety of other charges. Ohios Division of Wildlife takes poaching very seriously. Anyone who witnesses a wildlife violation in Ohio can call the Turn in a Poacher hotline at 1-800-POACHER (1-800-762-2437). Reports are kept anonymous. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. During their 2024 election campaigning and in the weeks afterward, Republicans focused heavily on anti-transgender messaging. President-elect Donald Trumps campaign ran an ad criticizing Kamala Harris for allowing undocumented immigrants access to transgender healthcare in prison, with the tagline Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you. Shortly after the election, Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced legislation to ban transgender women from using womens restrooms on Capitol Hill. Its hard to not see that legislation as targeted, considering Sarah McBride had only just become the first openly transgender woman elected to Congress. But for the most part, such actions have been insulated to the world of Washington. And there likely is not much of a political appetite to focus on trans people after an election that focused so heavily on rising prices and the economy. Even in his Time Magazine interview, Trump said, I dont want to get into the bathroom issue because it's a very small number of people we're talking about, and it's ripped apart our country. Representative Nancy Mace has emerged as the main voice against transgender people among House Republicans (Getty Images) That changed this week as House Republicans nestled in a piece of anti-trans policy into a must-pass bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every year, the Senate has to pass whats called the National Defense Authorization Act, which, as its name might indicate, authorizes defense spending before Congress writes its official budget. In recent years, Republicans have added provisions to that bill which they know would not pass on their own but the must-pass nature of the NDAA allows them to do so. One amendment in the bill would prohibit TRICARE, the healthcare program for active duty service members, from covering certain medical procedures for children that could result in sterilization. The Independent reported in July that a similar amendment passed in the Senate Armed Services Committee after Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent, joined Republicans on it. Another amendment would have prohibited the performance by the Department of Defense of sex change surgeries. That second amendment did not appear in the House version that passed, but could likely appear in next years NDAA. Unsurprisingly, most Democrats in the House opposed the amendment, with 124 Democrats voting against it and only 80 Democrats voting for it. Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, denounced it on the floor. Representative Adam Smith said Republicans included an anti-transgender policy into a must-pass defense bill for ignorant, bigoted reasons. (AFP via Getty Images) We are doing it because of ignorant, bigoted reasons against the trans community, Smith said in his floor remarks right before the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee also expressed their dismay. Senator Jack Reed, who is chairman of the committee, told The Independent that the Democrats were able to strip out many of the other anti-trans positions that Republicans wanted, but that Speaker Mike Johnson demanded this provision specifically. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona told The Independent that the US military faces challenges with recruitment, and this amendment wouldnt help. Nevertheless, he said, the bill needed to go through for practical reasons. This presents an obstacle that's put in front of military families trying to get their kids the care they need, he said. So, it's unfortunate, but ultimately this is about compromise. We got to get a defense bill passed. It's so important to our national security. A retired Naval pilot from a battleground state who was once considered a potential vice presidential nominee, Kelly has credibility to speak on how right-wing provisions hurt the military. At the same time, he also revealed that Republicans essentially ran out the clock and stuck in this final poison pill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who last month pulled off a miracle win and won re-election despite Kamala Harris losing the Silver State, offered a similar response. I'm concerned, but I do believe, at the end of the day, those are really decisions for parents to make about their children, she said. She then stressed the need to pass the NDAA. I can tell you that for over the past 60 years, every year weve passed the National Defense Authorization Act. We need to pass it again this year. It's important to our troops. It's important to our safety and security around the world. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told The Independent: Republicans are hoping to create a wedge issue by trying to target some of the most vulnerable families in military service. That is an ugly thing to do. When asked whether she would opppose it, she said, Yes. This all serves as a preview for the first two years of the Trump presidency: Republicans will likely load up these bills with as many anti-trans provisions as they can and all but dare Democrats to oppose them, knowing that they will be able to beat them up for prioritizing transgender rights instead of must-pass legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats, for their part, are keen to point out that Republicans seem to know their anti-transgender policies come off as bigoted and mean-spirited and that the only way they can get any of them through are by posion pills. All the while, trans Americans will be the ones having to deal with the fallout on the ground. WARSAW, Poland Polish Defense Minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has signed a deal to purchase an undisclosed number of MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones for the Polish Armed Forces. The new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be part of the militarys new component to be launched next month, the Drone Force. A few months ago, I declared the creation of the Drone Force which is now becoming a fact. Starting on Jan. 1, the Drone Force will no longer be a plan, but a real part of the Polish military, Kosiniak-Kamysz said at the signing ceremony on Dec. 12, as quoted in a ministry statement. For several such machines, we will pay around $310 million. It is a significant purchase, but we are investing in the highest-quality gear. We are currently leasing an older version, MQ-9A, but we are upgrading to the latest MQ-9B model, Kosiniak-Kamysz said. Its an investment in Polands security and in the cooperation with our strategic partner, the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October 2022, the Ministry of National Defence signed a contract to lease a set of MQ-9A Reaper drones from their producer, General Atomics. The deal had a net value of $70.6 million, and it enabled the Polish Armed Forces to become the first military on NATOs eastern flank to secure the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone. Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine has pushed numerous allies across the region to accelerate their acquisition plans for UAVs. Last March, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence told Defense News that Warsaw aims to intensify the dronization process of the Polish military in specific areas of their use: reconnaissance, combat, and support. Experience with the use of drones across our eastern border [with Ukraine] indicates the validity of their use at the lowest levels of command, so that, for instance, a platoon commander could have reconnaissance UAVs at their disposal, and be able to hit close targets with UAVs or use so-called kamikaze drones, the official said. The ministry has said the Drone Force will comprise aerial, land, naval surface and underwater unmanned systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the plan, the new batch of MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones are to be delivered to the Polish military by the first quarter of 2027. General Atomics says the Sky Guardian drone is outfitted with the Lynx multi-mode radar, automatic takeoff and landing, an advanced electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, as well as a 79 ft (24-meter) wingspan that is longer than that of its predecessors. Poland scrambled its aircraft because of a Russian large-scale combined strike on Ukrainian regions on the morning of 13 December. Source: Polish Armed Forces Operational Command on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: The Polish military said that as a result of Russia's large-scale attack on Ukraine on the morning of 13 December, Poland scrambled its military jets. The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command deployed "all available" assets and personnel, including fighter jets, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance assets were put on high alert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, as Poland stated, the country has taken measures to secure the territories bordering the "threatened areas" [Ukraines western oblasts ed.]. "The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command is monitoring the current situation, and the subordinate assets and personnel are in full readiness for immediate response," the Polish military added. Background: It should be noted that Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that Russia launched a large-scale attack on the Ukrainian energy system on the morning of 13 December. Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski said that Poland should shoot down Russian missiles that could enter Polish airspace over Ukraine, in part because the risks to Polish citizens would increase if they were shot down over Polish territory. In the autumn, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers called on President Joe Biden to allow Poland to use its air defence systems over Ukraine to shoot down Russian missiles. And Sikorski reiterated his hope that NATO would allow Poland to use its air defence assets to shoot down Russian missiles flying over Ukraine that could threaten it. Support UP or become our patron! MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis Police say a 19-year-old man was connected to two cold-case homicides after he was picked up for a third deadly shooting earlier this year. Demario Wilson is in jail on more than $4.5 million bond. He is currently charged with three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, especially aggravated robbery and several other crimes. Wilson was arrested by U.S. marshals on May 21 in connection with a deadly double shooting in Raleigh a month earlier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man wanted for deadly shooting and robbery captured by U.S. Marshals, MPD Demario Wilson (SCSO) Memphis Police say they were called to the Summit Apartments on Summit Arbors Circle and Hidden Woods Cove on April 18. Thats where they found one man shot to death and another who survived the attack. While investigating that case, police say Wilson was developed as a suspect in two other cases from 2023. On Jan. 14, 2023, police say two people were shot and killed on Titus Road in East Memphis. The suspect was seen in a stolen vehicle before and after the homicides, and the vehicle was recovered nearby. Deadly double shooting in East Memphis Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video showed a male suspect leaving that vehicle. Police also listed a third incident nearby in the 4000 block of Mallory Avenue on the same day. In November 2023, Wilson was also arrested and charged after police say he led them on a chase in a stolen car and crashed into a patrol car while armed with a stolen handgun. Records show the charges were later dismissed by Judge Bill Anderson due to an improper warrant. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said a man was arrested in connection to the murder of a woman in Southeast D.C. that happened 19 years ago. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 2005, around 9 p.m., MPD and DC Fire and EMS responded to an apartment in the 1200 block of Valley Avenue for a structure fire. First responders found 23-year-old Makia Mosby of Southeast, D.C., inside the apartment, who had been shot and burned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WATCH: Firefighters battle two garage fires in Northwest DC, investigation underway Mosby died at the scene. After the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner completed an autopsy, the staff determined that her death was a homicide. For nearly two decades, MPDs Major Case Squad worked and followed up on multiple leads. Police said the investigation led detectives to a DC Superior Court indictment and on Dec. 12, 2024, 53-year-old Michael Wells of Southeast, D.C. was arrested. He was taken to the Homicide Branch where he was charged with First Degree Murder. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Two years ago, a University of Mississippi student mysteriously disappeared from campus. Police identified the suspect behind his vanishing as a former student. However, the trial jury had an issue deciding if the suspect wasnt just a kidnapper, but a killer. The body of 20-year-old Jay Lee, a prominent figure in the Ole Miss LGBTQ+ community, was never recovered since he vanished from campus in 2022. A judge declared him dead, assuming someone killed him, per The Associated Press. Before he vanished, police say he had a sexual encounter with former student Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. He was arrested two weeks after Lee disappeared. During the investigation, police testified they found explicit messages between the two via social media, per The Clarion Ledger. Prosecutors said the conversation showed Herrington, who was not openly gay, lured Lee to his apartment promising sex. However, prosecutors also found a concerning online search on how long it takes to strangle a person on Herringtons phone, per the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That day, Herrington was also seen buying duct tape at a nearby store before heading to Grenada, prosecutors said during trial. Considering the suspicious circumstances, prosecutors claimed Lee was killed by Herrington after meeting him to protect the secret of his sexuality from his friends and family. Herrington was charged with capital murder. Though, jurors were also told they could consider other charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter, giving Herrington between 20 years to life in prison if convicted, per The AP. Herringtons trial came to a close this week, sending the jury into deliberation for nine hours. When they came back deadlocked, the judge encouraged them twice more to continue deliberating. However, on the third deadlock Wednesday, the judge declared a mistrial. Ive asked a lot of you, he said via The AP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Herringtons defense argued there could be no conviction without a body, the report says. Given the fact Lees body is still missing, they may have a point. Its unclear if prosecutors will attempt to try Herrington again. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Police and family members are asking for the publics help in searching for a man who went missing after he was last seen in Lakewood on Wednesday night. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department describes Collin Anthony Thorpe II as a 28-year-old Black male who stands 5 feet and 11 inches tall and weighs about 175 pounds. LASD says Thorpe was last seen around 11 p.m. on Dec. 11 on the 2000 block of Loomis Street, in Lakewood. He was purportedly wearing cream-colored shorts and a black/grey shirt. Collin Anthony Thorpe II, pictured here in 2023, has been reported missing since he was last seen around 11 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2024, in Lakewood. (LASD) In addition, LASD says Thorpe has short black hair, brown eyes, a tattoo of flowers on his left arm, a Chinese lettering tattoo on his right arm, braces and a goatee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Thorpes loved ones are concerned for his well-being and asking for your help, stated the LASD press release issued on Dec. 12. Police did not immediately say whether Thorpe had a known destination or if he had communicated with anyone prior to his disappearance. Officials ask anyone with information about this incident to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), or use the website lacrimestoppers.org. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A man is in critical condition after being shot in Hartford on Thursday night. Officers responded to the area of 776 New Britain Ave. at 9:10 p.m. after receiving a ShotSpotter notification and found an unresponsive man in his 30s suffering from a gunshot wound, according to Lt. Aaron Boisvert of the Hartford Police Department. Police performed lifesaving measures on the man until medics arrived, Boisvert said. He was then taken to an area hospital where he was listed in critical condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hartford Police Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded and assisted with the investigation, which remains ongoing. Anyone with any information has been asked to call the Hartford Police Department Tip Line at 860-722-TIPS (8477). WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) Warren Police are investigating after a house was shot up Tuesday while two people were inside. Police were called to the 2000 block of Stewart Drive for reports of shots being fired around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, and when they arrived, officers reported finding rifle casings in front of a home. Officers on scene examined the residence and discovered a bullet hole in the front of the house that went clear through and out a rear window. Reports state there were also impacts from two or three other bullets near the basement level of the home near the front door. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police made contact with a listed resident of the home via phone, who advised she was at work in Hubbard at the time and would not confirm if anyone was inside, though police noted lights were on, reports state. Warren Fire Department arrived on scene and forced entry to the home through the front door, which reports state had a couch in front of it. Once inside, authorities made contact with two people who said they didnt answer the door when police previously knocked because they were scared. Three rifle casings were taken as evidence and no injuries were reported. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) Detectives are investigating after three men allegedly stole from Ivey Industries in Springfield on Friday. Springfield Police Spokesperson Ryan Walsh told 22News at around noon the business on Rocus Street reported that three men went into the store and when they left, one of them allegedly stole a piece of equipment. AK-style rifle with 31 rounds of ammo among guns found inside stolen car in Springfield Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ivey Industries is a locally-owned welding supply store open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. They have been in business for over 30 years with industrial gas and welding equipment. A person from Ivey Industries told 22News that a Miller welding machine was taken from the shelf and they are looking to identify the suspects. 22News is working to obtain surveillance video from the store and will update as soon as additional information is released. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. The Melbourne Police Department responded to multiple bomb threats toward schools Friday, Dec. 13. MPD received information claiming there were explosive devices placed throughout several area campuses, according to a release. The schools affected by the threats were: Eau Gallie High School Melbourne Central Catholic Read: WFTV hosts Toys for Tots Drive-Up, Drop-Off toy drive Friday Melbourne High School Parkhurst Academy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MPD worked alongside Brevard Public Schools and their District Security to address the threats according to the release. All campuses were searched and there were no devices located on any of the campuses. Read: Thieves steal more than $400K in Legos from stores across the US, including Florida, police say Each school took measures to ensure the safety of the students and staff during the incidents. Once each campus was cleared by law enforcement personnel, the campuses resumed normal activities. The investigation as to who made the threats is ongoing. Read: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi injured during European trip Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Have you seen this man? The Dayton Police Department is asking for help to identify a suspect wanted in connection to multiple recent armed robberies. The suspect is described as a male with a beard and armed with a handgun. Most recently, the man was reportedly involved in a robbery in the 1700 block of East Fifth Street on Dec. 11. Officers were called to the area just before 9:15 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one was hurt physically in the incident, but the suspect is also believed to be involved in a number of other recent aggravated robberies. Detectives with the Violent Offender Unit are actively investigating. Anyone with any information is asked to call (937) 333-1232 to speak to detectives. If you wish to remain anonymous they can do so through Crime Stoppers at (937) 222-STOP (7867) or miamivalleycrimestoppers.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. Dec. 12A police sergeant in Maine was killed in a crash early Thursday morning on the Piscataqua River Bridge while heading to his home in Portsmouth following a shift. Biddeford Police Sgt. Jacob Wolterbeek, 41, was killed when he crashed into the rear of a box truck stopped in traffic on the Maine side of the bridge just after 1 a.m., Maine State Police said. Traffic on the bridge was snarled due to a separate crash that happened in New Hampshire, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wolterbeek, who was driving a Toyota Camry, was pronounced dead at the scene, state police said. The southbound lanes were closed for several hours early Thursday morning and the crash remains under investigation, officials said. In a statement, Biddeford Police Chief JoAnne Fisk called Wolterbeek's death a "tragic accident." "In this time of sorrow, our thoughts and prayers are with Sgt. Wolterbeek's family, friends, and colleagues. We extend our deepest condolences and offer our full support to them during this difficult time," Fisk said. "We ask the community to join us in honoring Sgt. Wolterbeek's memory and service. City employees join the Biddeford Police Department as they mourn the end of watch for Sgt. Wolterbeek." New Hampshire State Police Col. Mark Hall also issued a statement, saying "on behalf of the men and women of the New Hampshire State Police, I extend our deepest condolences to the Biddeford Police Department following the tragic loss of Sgt. Jacob Wolterbeek early this morning. During this difficult time, we stand in solidarity with Sgt. Wolterbeek's family, law enforcement colleagues, and his neighbors in Portsmouth." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wolterbeek, an 18-year-veteran of the Biddeford Police Department, is survived by his wife and three young children. Maine first responders watched from overpasses along the Maine Turnpike Thursday as Wolterbeek's body was transported to the Maine Medical Examiner's Office in Augusta. DENVER (KDVR) Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order that repealed 208 old executive orders, some of which had been on the books for over a century despite not being used or adhered to. During a press conference Thursday, Polis stacked paperwork for the 208 executive orders and cut through them with a miter saw. After that, he signed another executive order that repealed the 208 old orders, resulting in a net loss of 207 executive orders. New laws going into effect in Colorado in January 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polis explained that while some executive orders have expiration dates, many stay in effect like a law does until they are repealed. Because of this, there were many still in place that Polis described as outdated. Polis said he and his team have been going through hundreds of executive orders for about six months. He said they sorted out the orders that were outdated or unnecessary, some dating back to 1920. He added that the orders add paperwork and extra unneeded work on some agencies, and getting rid of that will improve government efficiency. Some of them may or may not even be followed today but they should be, they have the force of law until they are repealed so were going to get rid of any uncertainty around that, Polis said. For many of the orders, repealing means getting rid of unnecessary committees and councils that are no longer active. One example is a 1957 order that created the Governors Committee to Improve Television Reception in Colorado, which Polis said is no longer needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others have outdated language, are no longer used, or are simply no longer applicable. Apparently, there is an executive order from 1978 that says all contracts should be signed Richard D. Lamm, Governor, so I havent been signing all my contracts correctly because Ive not been signing his name and committing perjury, and we will no longer have to do that after I repeal this executive order, Polis said. Biden pardons Denver man during act of clemency All the orders will be available through History Colorado for researchers, they will just no longer be active, Polis said. Without repealing them, he said the orders would simply remain in effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The orders will still live on in a way. The paper that they are printed on will be recycled and turned into a beautiful collage made by our talented Colorado artist Joe Molina, Polis said. Molina specializes in raku pottery and large-scale paintings, according to a press release. He will use them to make an art piece to be displayed in the Governors Office, symbolizing an ongoing drive to improve efficiency and eliminate waste. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) Vanderbilt has released its statewide, fall 2024 poll, and the findings this year shed light on how Tennesseans feel about elected officials, directions of the state, and several hot topics including immigration, health care, and the economy. Poll: Tennesseans say insurers, pharmaceutical companies responsible for health care problems Among other findings, the 995 Tennesseans who participated in the survey shared an overwhelming support for Medicaid expansion, including more than half of MAGA Republicans. Along with that stance, the Poll also revealed a belief among Tennesseans that insurers and pharmaceutical companies are largely responsible for high health care costs, not hospitals. 87% of voters agreed that health care costs are too high, that the federal government should do more to negotiate cheaper prices, and that the cost for prescriptions should be capped for adults with health insurance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 88% of voters also agreed that mental health care access should be a top priority for the state. More than half of the Tennesseans surveyed identified as pro-choice and a large percentage of those surveyed shared that they had a robust support for some specific allowances for abortion in cases of rape and incest. 87% of voters also said they believed in vitro fertilization should be legal, with many saying it is morally acceptable or not a moral issue. The survey also asked Tennesseans their thoughts on the government. Overall, the poll found that the 2024 presidential election had little impact on how Tennesseans felt about key issues. One of the notable exceptions to that, however, is that there was an increased approval rate for state lawmakers since May, although those lawmakers often held positions on some issues that were different from Tennesseans. Tennesseans expressed increased satisfaction with their state officials as well as the U.S. Congress, said Vanderbilt Poll Co-Director Josh Clinton, who holds the Abby and Jon Winkelried Chair at Vanderbilt and is a professor of political science. This is likely an afterglow of the election and possibly reflective of a fading memory of the contentious last session. Approvals have increased six to seven points since the May 2024 poll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tennesseans did seem to be split on whether the state is on the right or wrong track. By gender, 60% of men said they believed the state was on the right track, compared to 41% of women. Politically, independents were roughly split on the question, three-quarters of non-MAGA Republicans viewed the state as on track, which is 5 points higher than MAGA Republicans, but 80% of democrats viewed the state as on the wrong track. University of Tennessee swimmer breaks world record twice in one day Vanderbilts poll also asked Tennesseans about their opinions on gun laws and cannabis. It found an apparent misalignment between state government and citizens. In regards to medicinal and recreational legalization of marijuana, of the voters surveyed, 63 percent supported recreational legalization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With gun laws, 86% of survey takers said they strongly or somewhat supported passing laws that would require gun owners to report if their gun was lost or stolen. Along with that, the poll also revealed that Tennesseans oppose, three to one, expanding the right to carry long guns such as hunting rifles, assault rifles and shotguns. Vanderbilt shared that the survey took place between November 18 and December 4. In total, 995 registered voters from Tennessee were surveyed. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. Bubbas Shrimp Shack in Virginia Beach is permanently closed, according to staff at its Gloucester location. No official statement was made on the companys website or social media pages. A post in a Facebook restaurant group Thursday commented about the popular restaurant being closed. Kendall Alice, who identified herself as the owner, replied that she closed the business because it wasnt conducive to her plans to marry soon and start a family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The restaurant opened in 2021 by Joey Turbeville. Daughter Kendall Turbeville was the general manager. It offered dine-in and takeout with a full-service bar on Virginia Beach Boulevard, near Newtown Road. Alice encouraged social media commenters who will miss the beloved spot to visit the other five locations, three of which are near Richmond and in Northern Virginia. The remaining local locations are in Gloucester and Grafton. NEW JERSEY The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has given a green light to a $9.4 billion budget for 2025. The Port Authority commissioner board voted to approve the agencys latest budget on Thursday, which includes $4.1 billion in operating expenses, $3.6 billion in capital expenses and $1.7 billion for debt service and deferred expenses. The total is up slightly from last years $9.3 billion spending plan. See Related: Port Authority Approves $1 Billion Budget Hike In NJ, NY Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bi-state agency operates many of the regions busiest transportation hubs, including the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Port Authority Bus Terminal, the Port of New York and New Jersey, the PATH rail system and the areas three major airports: LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK. The Port Authoritys annual budget includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York, relying mostly on tolls, fares, user fees, retail stores, consumer services and facility rentals. The spending blueprint comes with some toll and fare hikes. These would help to pay for the "largest Port Authority capital investment in history," in addition to offsetting massive losses seen during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. Watch a video of Thursdays budget hearing and vote below. TOLL AND FARE HIKES Cars, motorcycles and trucks crossing the Port Authoritys bridges and tunnels will see a 25-cent toll hike on Jan. 5, in addition to a separate 43-cent increase that kicks in automatically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other toll increases have been approved for drivers without E-ZPass, and E-ZPass users whose transponders arent properly mounted. Meanwhile, PATH train riders will see an automatic hike of 25-cents for single-ride fares starting on Jan. 12. The single ride fare was last adjusted in October 2014, more than a decade ago. On the flip side of the coin, the agency approved a new discount program for PATH riders with qualifying disabilities. Passengers who qualify under this program will pay the same reduced fare rate as a senior citizen, or $1.50 per ride. It will become effective once the new TAPP fare system is fully operational, which is estimated for summer 2025, officials said. UPCOMING PROJECTS The proposed budget includes $3.6 billion of capital infrastructure investment, according to the Port Authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are some of the projects on the list: At John F. Kennedy International Airport, major construction progress on the supporting infrastructure for new terminals 1 and 6, as well as the rebuilding of the entire airport roadway network as part of the airports transformation into a world-class gateway. The planning and design work needed to move forward on the EWR Vision Plan to transform Newark Liberty into a 21st century international gateway with a new on-airport mass transit system serving all terminals that will replace the existing AirTrain Newark that opened in the 1990s. The project to add pedestrian access from underserved Newark and Elizabeth communities to the Newark Airport Rail Link station, expanding mass transit and airport access for people in those communities seeking faster options to employment at the airport or in New York City via NJ TRANSIT rail services or Amtrak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The remaining projects in the multi-year $2 billion Restoring the George program to replace or rehabilitate every major component of the 93-year-old George Washington Bridge, the worlds busiest bridge, including all 592 of its suspension wires. Of the programs 11 projects, four are complete and six are underway, with a final project undergoing preliminary planning. The start of early works construction for a new world-class Midtown Bus Terminal, such as the platforms over the Lincoln Tunnels Dyer Avenue ramps and the start of work of a new bus staging and storage facility that will serve as the interim main terminal while existing bus terminal is demolished. The bus terminal replacement project will be constructed in phases to allow for the continued operation of the main terminal building and minimal disruptions to service for bus customers. Track infrastructure replacement, station rehabilitations, signal and equipment upgrades, and new rail cars through the 2-year $430 million PATH Forward program to improve speeds, service and reliability of the PATH commuter rail. The full implementation of PATHs new tap-and-go fare payment system by the end of 2025, including replacements of existing SmartLink/MetroCard readers with new TAPP readers at all PATH stations and the introduction of a new TAPP card that will enable carryovers of existing SmartLink PATH fare discounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Planning on a new express bus service for LaGuardia Airport, as well as the Port Authoritys share of service and reliability improvements to MTA New York City Transits free-to-ride Q70 LaGuardia Link Select Bus Service. Support of campus-wide state-of-good-repair needs at the World Trade Center, and upgrades of existing river water pump station. Rebuilding the entire Port Street complex of access roads to Port Newark and the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal, which are among the busiest marine facilities within the East Coasts busiest seaport complex. The current roadway and ramps were built more than 60 years and are being replaced with new roadways designed to modern highway standards and built to accommodate the longer and wider trucks that currently serve the port. Rehabilitation of two berths at the seaport for the maintenance of critical port infrastructure needed to ensure the continued operation and competitiveness of the East Coasts busiest seaport and the nations second-busiest port for loaded containers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Port Authority chair Kevin OToole said the upgrades will give the agency and the people who depend on it a big boost. Were investing significant money to keep the pedal to the metal on what has become the most ambitious capital program in our 103-year history, overhauling, modernizing and refreshing this regions critical infrastructure as we chart a course to keep our region moving into an even stronger future, OToole said. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Port Authority OKs Budget; Auto Tolls Will Increase Between NJ, NY originally appeared on the Montclair Patch OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) The Port of Oakland filed an appeal on Thursday in an attempt to keep the name San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport as the Oakland airports official name. Last month, a court ruled that the airport must stop using the name. It is the latest twist in a months-long saga after the Port of Oakland first announced the name change in March. The City of San Francisco sued the Port and City of Oakland over the new moniker, and a court ruled in its favor. Now, the Port of Oakland is pushing back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Port is appealing because Bay Area travelers deserve adequate choices among airports in the same metro region that are allowed to compete on a level playing field, a press release from the port said. Farmers Insurance to expand home insurance coverage in California The port is claiming that San Francisco did not provide enough evidence for the court to prohibit the airport from using the name. This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to stifle competition and travel choices for the Bay Area, said Port of Oakland Attorney Mary Richardson. San Francisco is trying to relegate OAK and Oakland to second-class citizens. The Port has no interest in passing off OAK as SFO. OAK is distinctly and proudly Oakland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement San Francisco won its case after saying at least 15 travelers went to SFO when they meant to go to OAK. The court ruled that the airports new name made travelers think the two airports are associated with each other when they are not. San Francisco will suffer irreparable harm if a preliminary injunction is not issued, court documents said. The San Francisco City Attorneys Office provided KRON4 with a statement Friday: Throughout this entire situation, we have tried to reason with the Port of Oakland and avoid litigation. Regrettably, for both San Francisco and Oakland, the Port of Oakland seems intent on spending even more public resources defending a name that confuses travelers and infringes on San Franciscos trademark. The District Courts order was sound and measured. We will, of course, continue to protect San Franciscos trademark from infringement SF City Attorneys Office Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The port wants to change the airports name to increase awareness of its location, claiming many travelers do not know Oakland is in the Bay Area. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. The University of Florida has selected a search committee to replace former President Ben Sasse and adopted more spending oversight for the office of the president. (Photo by Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images) Following calls for accountability in light of former President Ben Sasses spending, the University of Florida Board of Trustees chair now exercises more oversight of the universitys administration and hiring. Sasse spent $17.3 million during his first year as president, as reported by the student-run Independent Florida Alligator. The increase tripled what former President Kent Fuchs spent during his last year in office, $5.6 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Building his office, Sasse spent on salaries well in excess of his predecessor, hiring his former U.S. Senate staffers, who worked remotely, and sent consultants millions of dollars to inform his decisions, the Alligator reported. Governance standards passed by UF trustees Friday now require the chair of the Board of Trustees to approve university consulting agreements of $1 million or more. The same standard applies to UF Health consulting agreements of $4 million or more. This is part of tightening up our governance. We saw some of the shortcomings, you know, and were looking at the governance, tightening up, make sure the taxpayers of Florida are protected, the legislators are protected, the Board of Governors is protected, Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini said during a meeting Thursday. Mori Hosseini via UF According to the Alligator, while Sasse was in office, the university paid more than $10 million in contracts, including $6.3 million to McKinsey & Co. consulting, where he previously worked as an external adviser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The board approved another measure Friday requiring board chair approval for administrators in the office of the president hired outside of human resources requirements and any administrator who makes more than $200,000. Were tightening up our governance standards to make sure that the board of trustees are involved in any changes that is happening, Hosseini said. Overall, Sasse hired six former Senate employees, created new positions, and added to the size of the presidents office. For example, Sasse hired his Senate chief of staff as vice president for innovation and partnerships, a new position paying a salary of $396,000. The university said Sasses budget expansion went through the appropriate approval process but did not answer questions about how Sasse bankrolled his splurges, where the funds originated or who authorized the spending, the Alligator reported in August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Also Friday, the board approved a noncommercial aircraft-use policy that includes a requirement for the university president to notify the board chair when using the universitys aircraft. Hosseini said the changes are tightening up the policy. The Alligator reported that Sasses travel expenditures during his 17-month tenure, $633,000, were higher than what Fuchs spent during his eight years in the position and included paying for remote employees to fly to and from campus. The former senator from Nebraska resigned as president in July citing his wifes health concerns, but said he would stay at the university as a professor. The Alligator reported that donors and officials said Sasse was forced out. He defended his spending in a social media post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following news of Sasses spending, lawmakers, the governors office, and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis demanded accountability at Floridas flagship university. Search firm UF has yet to replace Sasse, with Fuchs serving in the interim. In 2022, the university named Sasse as its sole presidential finalist, which drew criticism from students, lawmakers, and the United Faculty of Florida, who called into question the legality of selecting one finalist. Trustees agreed Friday that they would hire the same search firm to find its next president as it used to find Sasse, SP&A Executive Search. Rahul Patel, chair of the active search committee, said four search firms went through vetting and interviewing, and trustees ultimately agreed to go with SP&A again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The firm has conducted searches at University of Central Florida and Florida State University, as well as UCLA, the University of Arizona, and University of Washington. Everyone who worked with SP&A last time was impressed and that view was unanimous, Patel told trustees. The school did not solicit bids, but Patel said it did sort of an [request for proposal] process, and it can avoid requesting bids by offering a previously agreed to contract between the firm and a higher education institution. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Dec. 12POTSDAM A proposed amendment to the Potsdam village tax code could provide a 10 percent tax reduction for firefighter and ambulance workers, as well as the surviving spouses of emergency workers who have passed away. The village board of trustees conducted a public hearing on the proposed amendment during their meeting on Dec. 3. The amendment, proposed as Local Law No. 6 of 2024, aims to revise Chapter 153, Taxation, by adding Article XII, Volunteer Firefighter and Ambulance Workers Exemption, to the Village of Potsdam Municipal Code. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To qualify, the person must be an enrolled and certified member of a volunteer fire company, fire department, or ambulance service that operates within the Village of Potsdam, with a minimum of two years of service in an organization serving the village. They must also reside in the village. The property receiving the exemption must be their primary residence, used exclusively for residential purposes. Any part of the property not used for residential purposes will still be subject to taxation. The amendment would provide a lifetime real property tax exemption of 10 percent to firefighters and ambulance volunteers who have accumulated 20 years of active service and whose primary residence is in the Village of Potsdam. Similar to a town law passed in October, the village's exemption would also extend to the unremarried spouses of volunteer firefighters or ambulance workers who were killed in the line of duty. To qualify, the deceased volunteer must have served at least five years in the village and have been receiving the exemption prior to their death. The village board is expected to approve the law following the Dec. 3 public hearing. Russia is once again launching a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine on Friday, 13 December, targeting energy facilities in particular. Source: Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko Quote: "The enemy continues its terror. Once again, the energy sector across Ukraine is under large-scale attack. Power engineers are taking all the necessary measures to minimise the negative consequences for the power system. As soon as the security situation allows, the damage will be ascertained." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Ukrenergo, Ukraines state-owned power regulator, added that consumption restriction measures have been increased today due to the large-scale missile attack on power facilities. Background: Ternopil Oblast Military Administration reported that 50% of consumers in Ternopil Oblast have been cut off from the power grid at the moment. Support UP or become our patron! COLUMBIA S.C. (WSPA) A bill pre-filed at the state house would, if passed, make medical marijuana legal across South Carolina. Some form of medical cannabis is legal in 38 states. The bill, also known as the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act, is no stranger to the state Legislature. State Senator Tom Davis said he hopes the state will be the next state to legalize THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol the psychoactive compound in cannabis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Margaret Richardson suffers with trigeminal neuralgia, or chronic facial pain. Five years ago, Richardson spoke in front of state lawmakers in favor of THC legalization. When the pain wins, you land on the floor and scream out like an animal, she said. Medical cannabis is anti-inflammatory, so my condition is neurological, instead of the grim side effects associated with opioids, Im able to take something that actually stops the pain. Sen. Tom Davis (R) District 46 backed a bill that passed, leading to the legalization of CBD, or cannabidiol a non-psychoactive component in cannabis. Marijuana can be a therapeutic benefit in many respects, and a lot less intrusive way than opioids or the pharmaceuticals, Sen. Davis said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the past two years, the bill passed through the senate, but did not make it through the house. Chairman of House Invitations and Memorial Resolutions Committee, Rep. Dennis Moss (R) District 29, voted against the bill in 2022. They were saying, We need CBD oil that it would help with these epileptic emphasis and stuff,' recounted Rep. Moss. So we passed CBD oil, its just like a little more, a little more, a little more. Richardson said she understands the concerns, but argued the benefit of THC would help her and many others who live with chronic pain. The stereotypical Woodstock hippie is what a lot of us think of, Richardson said. Thats been replaced by tiny children with 100 epileptic seizures per hour, or people like me who are suffering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Davis said for this session, he plans to emphasize key factors to sway House leaders. It requires doctors in patient authorization, doctor supervision, Davis said. It requires pharmacists to dispense it. It is a very conservative bill because thats what South Carolinians want. Sen. Davis said he believes doctors and patients would be empowered by the bills passage. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) During a pre-trial hearing for Natalie Cochran, a former Daniels pharmacist who is accused of first-degree murder in the 2019 death of her husband in Raleigh County, defense attorneys agreed that Cochrans bank records would be deemed authentic. Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman told the court that Cochrans family had kept the personal cell phone of Michael Cochran until early November. This is not the defendants cell phone. This is the decedents cell phone, Michael Cochran, which was in the defendants familys possession until roughly November first of this year, Truman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Truman made the comment after defense attorneys asked the court to order prosecutors to turn over the defendants personal cell phone data, which the state had recently accessed through a forensic search. Natalie Cochran jury selection and trial continued again The court had previously continued Cochrans trial from October until January 13th after attorneys on both sides agreed that prosecutors had not turned over all of the states evidence to the defense due to a computer error. Truman clarified during the Thursday hearing that the state was not delaying in handing over data from Michael Cochrans cell phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also emphasized that the data was from Michael Cochrans cell phone and not from Natalie Cochrans cell phone. We didnt have tons of time, but the defense had it in their possession that whole time, said Truman. So, any kind of indication that they dont have this necessary discovery is strictly a defense problem, because we didnt have it. Former Raleigh County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman to try Cochran case Cochran, who appeared via a live feed, is currently serving an 11-year sentence in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud charges in relation to a Ponzi scheme which fleeced investors, including her parents, siblings, in-laws, and co-workers, of over $2 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She is scheduled to go to trial for her husbands death on January 13, 2025, after multiple delays. Prosecutors allege she killed Michael Cochran when he became suspicious of a fictitious business the couple owned but which prosecutors allege the defendant had solely operated. Michael Cochrans mother and stepfather had invested their life savings, according to statements from his mother made during Cochrans federal sentencing hearing. Natalie Cochran, convicted of fraud, pleads not guilty to murdering her husband During the hearing on Thursday, Raleigh County Circuit Court Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick announced that the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals had agreed to appoint him as a senior judge to preside over the Cochran trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ashley Acord and Cochrans defense attorneys, Matthew Victor and Stanley Selden, agreed that expert witnesses may appear via live video during the trial, that bank records may be deemed authentic, that the chain of custody of physical evidence was complete, and that the defense would provide prosecutors with a list of fact witnesses by December 31, 2024. Four people indicted in Alex Carter, Michael Cochran, David Baker, and Belinda Flynn cold cases Prosecutors agreed to provide a defense expert with autopsy slides. Kirkpatrick must hear arguments from attorneys on January 10, 2024 on whether statements Cochran made to police were voluntary or involuntary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister in an effort to address the country's deep political crisis, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macrons centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability as no single party holds a majority at the National Assembly. Macrons office said in a statement that Bayrou has been charged with forming a new government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government. Macron in an address to the nation vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027. Bayrou vows to seek needed reconciliation During the handover ceremony, Bayrou said that no one knows the difficulty of the situation better than he does. Ive taken reckless risks all along my political life to raise the issue of debt and deficits in the most important elections, he said. France is under pressure from the European Unions executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I know that the risks of difficulties are much greater than the chances of success," Bayrou said, adding that he hopes to lead the country towards a needed reconciliation. I think this is the only possible path to success, he said. Bayrou is expected to hold talks with political leaders from various parties in the coming days in order to choose new ministers. A difficult political challenge The task before him is challenging as Macrons centrist alliance does not have a majority in parliament and Bayrous Cabinet will need to rely on moderate lawmakers from both the left and right to be able to stay in power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some conservatives are expected to be part of the new government. Macrons strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding make or break power over the government. Le Pen helped oust Barnier by joining her National Rally partys forces to the left to pass the no-confidence motion last week. Le Pen said on Friday that her party will adopt a wait-and-see approach for now and called on Bayrou to hear her voters' demands, including preserving their purchasing power. Bayrous appointment comes also in line with Macrons efforts to build a non-aggression pact with the Socialists so that they wouldn't support any future move to topple the new government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Socialists said Friday they would not take part in the new Cabinet but did not rule out possible compromises" regarding policies. They asked Bayrou for a commitment not to use a special constitutional power to pass a law without a vote at parliament. "We expect you to provide the guarantees needed to avoid another no-confidence vote," the party wrote in a letter to Bayrou. A weighty partner in Macron's centrist alliance Bayrou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, known as MoDem, which he founded in 2007. In 2017, he supported Macrons first presidential bid and became a weighty partner in the French presidents centrist alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, he was appointed justice minister, but he quickly resigned from the government amid an investigation into the MoDems alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds. He this year was cleared in the case by a Paris court, which found eight other party officials guilty and sentenced the party to pay a fine. Bayrou became well known to the French public when he was education minister from 1993 to 1997 in a conservative government. Three times a presidential candidate Bayrou was three times a candidate for president, in 2002, 2007 and 2012, which made him a familiar face in French politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His name had repeatedly surfaced as a potential prime minister in the past, but he was repeatedly passed over. He is widely considered having helped lay the groundwork for Macrons rise to power in 2017. Long before the French president upended the country's politics by crushing the traditional right and left, Bayrou tapped into voter frustration with entrenched conservative and Socialist camps. A father of six and a practicing Catholic, Bayrou has played up his rural farming roots in the Pyrenees mountains, showing off his knowledge of tractors and cattle-raising even while spending most of his time in the corridors of political power in Paris. ___ Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report. The press watchdog has been accused of double standards over how feminist complaints about transgender issues are handled. The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) upheld a complaint of discrimination against The Spectator earlier this week, ruling that referring to a trans author as a man who claims to be a woman was pejorative and prejudicial. However, it has emerged that the watchdog dismissed a separate complaint earlier this year over an article calling a trans woman convicted of making violent threats a woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ipso said investigating the inaccuracy complaint would intrude on the criminals privacy. Journalist Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at human rights charity Sex Matters, claimed an article in The Argus misreported the gender of Layla Le Fey, a trans woman with a criminal record who had threatened to kill, blind and mutilate her. In a social media post, Le Fey told Ms Joyce: God how I would love to just rip your eyes out, chop your hands off and carve your face up really badly. The trans offender also threatened to kick the s--- out of Kellie-Jay Keen, another womans rights activist, and break her spine, and wrote they wanted to prove a point that some trans people are extremely violent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February, Le Fey, who already had a previous conviction for common assault for attacking a shop clerk with a claw hammer, pleaded guilty to four offences under the Communications Act, including threats of arson, in relation to posts targeting the two women. Trans woman Layla Le Fey threatened Ms Joyce and Kellie-Jay Keen, another womans rights activist Following the conviction, The Argus published an article which opened with the paragraph: A woman could be jailed for making online threats to kill campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen. Although the headline referred to Le Fey as a trans woman, the body of the article did not identify the offender as someone born male who now identifies as a woman. The articles inaccuracy, Ms Joyce told Ipso, significantly impacts her and Ms Keen, the victims in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her complaint, she wrote: It is always misleading for a media outlet to use any of the words woman, female, she and her for a man/male person since many readers will understand the person to be biologically female, which in the case of men including those who identify as women is false. This is a breach of the Editors Code. She added: I am not a third party in this complaint. It closely relates to me to my life and to my knowledge of what happened to me; I dared to speak about womens rights and a man who doesnt care for women speaking about their rights threatened me in an attempt to intimidate me into silence. This misreporting of a crime has had a significant impact on my life. It is revictimisation. But despite acknowledging she was a victim in the case, Ipso dismissed Ms Joyces complaint as a third-party issue. The regulator said that determining Le Feys gender critical to assessing the complaint of inaccuracy would require an investigation that could represent a significant intrusion into their privacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the ruling is in sharp contrast to the regulators decision on Tuesday to uphold a complaint of discrimination by trans author Juno Dawson against The Spectator. The regulator found that an article in the magazine by journalist Gareth Roberts, which described Dawson as a man who claims to be a woman, was pejorative and prejudicial. Ms Joyce said that the way Ipso interprets the Editors Code is biased in favour of people who hold the fringe, counterfactual belief that men can have a gender identity that makes them women, and against people who accept the fact that humans cannot change sex. Ms Joyce accused the watchdog of double standards and having bias against gender-critical women, claiming that Ipso handled Dawsons complaint differently to her own. Ipso found a Spectator article which described Juno Dawson as a man who claims to be a woman, was pejorative and prejudicial - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph She told The Telegraph: When a man with a prior conviction for violence, and who identifies as a woman, threatened on Twitter/X to carve up my face and cut out my eyes, press reporting of his conviction referred to him as a woman. Ipso refused to act when I complained, even though its Editors Code says reporting must be accurate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ipso placed the feelings of a violent criminal who threatened extreme violence against a woman who refuses to pretend he is a woman ahead of the feelings of his victim, and ahead of the plain truth. The press regulator is simply not fit for purpose. Ms Joyce said that Le Feys pattern of offending is absolutely classic male violence against women. It is a sex-based crime and its done to intimidate. She explained: When it comes to crime reporting, misrepresenting a perpetrator or alleged perpetrators sex will always be material, because it will always be relevant to the publics understanding of the story. Criminality is highly sex-linked most violent crime, and nearly all sexual crime, is committed by men male people. It is not only grossly misleading for a media outlet to present a man committing a male-pattern crime as a woman; it is even more especially so when that crime is against a woman, and motivated by woman-hatred. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ipso has been criticised this week by Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, who called the Spectator ruling farcical, and Claire Coutinho, a shadow equalities minister, who said it was totally bizarre. The Spectator is understood to be considering severing ties with the press watchdog, with Michael Gove, its new editor, calling the ruling outrageous. The magazine is expected to start gauging interest in such a move from other outlets, while The Guardian and The Financial Times already manage complaints in-house. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY) Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital has been awarded $1.5 million through the West Virginia Rural Hospital Grant Program, which will go toward expanding facilities, creating patient care areas and enhancing quality of care given to the community. According to a press release from Vandalia Health, the planned use of the funds is a 6,000 square foot expansion, which will create a dedicated entrance for oncology and infusion patients to better prevent potential infections, in addition to more rooms for patient care and services. The space will include eight infusion bays, three exam rooms, and additional clinical areas tailored to the needs of oncology patients, the release states. The expansion will also provide additional square footage for providers and support staff as well as shell space for future growth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislators and community members come together for public health forum in Morgantown Chief Administrative Officer of Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital Melissa Lockwood said in the release that the grant will significantly enhance our ability to serve our patients and meet the growing health care needs of our community. The goal of the grant program, which will distribute a total of $40 million, is to invest in rural communities and to ensure those living in them have access to high-quality care. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Prince Andrew stepped back as a working royal in 2019 after becoming embroiled in scandal over his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. However, he remains part of the family and is back in the headlines again today over his links to an alleged Chinese spy. Reports have today revealed that a man who was banned from entering the UK on security grounds was a confidant of Prince Andrews. The man, who cannot be publicly identified and is known as H6, was said to have been invited to Prince Andrews birthday party in 2020 and told he could act on the Princes behalf when dealing with investors in China. The Daily Telegraph today published a picture of the man standing near to the Prince, blurring out his image. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This information has emerged now because a judgement was published on December 12 after H6 applied for a review of the 2023 decision to ban him from the UK. His application was dismissed, however the information in the published judgement has exposed interactions between H6 and Prince Andrews staff as well as information about his links to the Prince. One document dated 24 August 2021 and called Main talking points for [the Duke] read, he is in a desperate situation and will grab onto anything. This latest information has raised more questions about the Princes judgement and those that he has surrounded himself with, both when he was a working royal and after stepping back. There is currently a spotlight on him over where he now gets money from and whether he will be able to continue to live in the palatial Royal Lodge on the Windsor Castle Estate. Per the BBC, Buckingham Palace declined to comment. You Might Also Like Prince Andrew says he ceased all contact with a business partner and friend once the British government raised concerns that the man was, in fact, a Chinese spy. The Duke of York had reportedly invited the businessman to his birthday party and tried to tap him for money as he sought partners for a financial fund, The Times of London reported. Now, Andrew has released a statement on the situation, aiming to exculpate himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Duke of York followed advice from HMG [His Majestys Government] and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised, it reads, according to Sky News. The duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security. The alleged spy was appointed as a business adviser to Andrew and authorized to seek investors on his behalf in China, according to The Times. MI6 uncovered, though, that the businessman was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and was working for Chinas intelligence-gathering United Front Work Department. Andrew reportedly invited the spy to his birthday party. / Samir Hussein / WireImage/Getty Images A hearing this week that upheld a ban on the man from entering the United Kingdom also unveiled details of his ties to the Duke of York. The evidence presented included data gathered from the alleged spys phone when he was stopped at the border in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It included a letter from Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to the prince. I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family, the letter read, according to the Times. You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on. Another document found on the phone, written by the businessman, reportedly said that Andrew was in a desperate situation and will grab onto anything. Its not the first time Andrew has found himself in hot water over a controversial friendship. In 2019, he was made to step away from his duties in the royal family due to his close personal relationship with convicted child sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew is at the center of more controversy. The Duke of York, 64, who is King Charles' brother, reportedly had close business links with a Chinese national, who is alleged to be a spy, according to multiple reports. The man, who has not been named, has been banned from the U.K. following a special immigration investigation. On Friday, Dec. 13, the BBC reported that he had lost an appeal against a March 2023 decision to ban him from the U.K. on national security grounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.K. newspaper The Times reported that the 50-year-old businessman had been appointed as a "business adviser" by Andrew and promised access to the highest levels of the royal family "in an apparently serious breach of national security." The British security services are said to have found the man was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and was working for its United Front Work Department, which gathers intelligence, according to the outlet. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Prince Andrew and King Charles in 2012 Prince Andrew and King Charles in 2012 Related: Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Their Kids Are 'Spending More Time' with Prince Andrew The BBC reported that the man even received an invite to Andrew's 60th birthday party in 2020 and was told he could act on his behalf to seek investors in China. According to The Times, he was also invited into the royal estate at Windsor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Per the BBC, in a letter found on one of the man's electronic devices, one of Andrew's advisers told the alleged spy, "Outside of [the prince's] closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on." In a briefing document that was also reportedly found, the "main talking points" for a call the man was set to have with Andrew were listed. According to the BBC, the document read, "IMPORTANT: Manage expectations. Really important to not set 'too high' expectations he is in a desperate situation and will grab onto anything." Buckingham Palace has not commented on the development. Dave Benett/Getty; Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Prince Andrew and his daughters Princesses Beatrice (left) and Eugenie Prince Andrew and his daughters Princesses Beatrice (left) and Eugenie Related: Prince Andrew Is Almost Thrown from His Horse in Dramatic Photos of His Morning Ride in Windsor Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew stepped back from public duties in 2019 after his bombshell interview with the BBC about his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. During the interview, Andrew also said he had no recollection of ever meeting Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the royal three times between 1999 and 2002, including on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein, when she was 17 years old. Epstein died in prison while awaiting federal sex trafficking charges in August 2019. Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and announced his step back from royal duties a few days after the explosive interview aired. The royal said he continued to "unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein" in the official statement announcing his decision. The transition was made official when the late Queen Elizabeth stripped Andrew of his military titles and patronages in January 2022 amid Giuffre's civil sexual assault lawsuit. An out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum was reached the following month. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew at Royal Ascot in June 2019 Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew at Royal Ascot in June 2019 Andrew has since been involved in a tug-of-war over whether or not he and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, would be able to stay at Royal Lodge, a vast home on the Windsor estate. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Despite his brother Charles, 76, reportedly cutting off Andrew's allowance this summer, Andrew is reported to have found the funds to enable him to stay at Royal Lodge. There had been a suggestion that he would move to Frogmore Cottage, which has been vacated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In an updated version of his book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, author Robert Hardman wrote that Andrew did not accept a proposal to relocate from the Royal Lodge to the "considerably smaller property" of Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew and Fergie, 65, along with their two daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie and their families, are expected at the annual royal family Christmas gathering at Sandringham, Norfolk, later this month. Read the original article on People PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) is investigating a shooting that happened Thursday evening. PGPD said the shooting happened in the 4600 block of Dallas Pl. Young girl holds 6th annual toy drive in Montgomery County One man was found shot. PGPD said it did not have a description of those involved. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Prince William is offering a rare glimpse into the royal familys Christmas plans. During his visit with soldiers and their families in Bulford, Wiltshire, on Dec. 10, the Prince of Wales, 42, revealed details about the familys upcoming Christmas gathering, including the massive guest list. Well be in Norfolk, at Sandringham. We'll be 45 for Christmas. It won't be quiet, it will be noisy, he said during the outing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement William and Kate Middleton, 42, along with their three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 are preparing to celebrate the holiday with King Charles and the majority of the royal family at Sandringham, the Norfolk estate that has long been the traditional Christmas gathering place for the royals. Related: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Make First Public Appearance in Six Months: 'It's Been a Difficult Year' The prince also admitted that with just days to go until the big day, hes not prepared. "Am I ready for Christmas? No, no way am I ready, he said during a lively chat with soldiers from the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sgt. Sam Murray, who has served with the regiment for 20 years, spoke to William as his son Carson Heighway, drew his portrait. "He asked what my children wanted for Christmas," Sgt Murray said. "He said he is not organized himself." Leah St Clair-Lewis added her own observations, sharing that William spoke about what he was up to for Christmas and enjoying walks with his dogs at Sandringham. "He said there will be 45 of them under one roof for Christmas, she added. "He didn't say whether that was just for one day or over the Christmas period. They must need a very long table." Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Catherine, Princess of Wales during the 'Together At Christmas' Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 6, 2024 in London, England. Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Catherine, Princess of Wales during the 'Together At Christmas' Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 6, 2024 in London, England. This years holiday season is expected to be especially poignant, as both Princess Kate and King Charles, 76, have faced significant health challenges. Kate revealed in September that her chemotherapy treatment for cancer, which began in February, had come to an end. Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer around the same time as Kate, is still undergoing treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the estate will be filled with extended royal family members, there will be some notable absences. A source tells PEOPLE that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not received an invitation to this years celebration. The couple, who are expected to spend the holidays in the U.S., have not joined the royal family for Christmas since 2018, the year of their wedding. The annual gathering at Sandringham House on Christmas Eve marks a long-standing royal tradition. King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the family for Christmas Eve. This includes continuing the custom of exchanging inexpensive gag gifts a lighthearted tradition cherished by the royal family. Samir Hussein/WireImage Catherine, Princess of Wales, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales and Mia Tindall attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2023 in Sandringham, Norfolk Catherine, Princess of Wales, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales and Mia Tindall attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2023 in Sandringham, Norfolk The morning after Christmas, following the traditional gift for the children. King Charles will then lead his family in the procession from Sandringham House to St. Mary Magdalene Church on the estate. Theyll greet members of the public as they walk to the service before returning to Sandringham for a festive Christmas lunch. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Carolyn Robb, a former royal chef and author of Christmas at the Palace: A Cookbook, reflected on the familys Christmas meals, telling PEOPLE in 2023: When I was cooking for them, it was always a very large gathering at Christmastime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After enjoying a traditional Christmas feast of turkey, glazed ham, roasted potatoes, parsnips, Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding, the royal family will watch Charles Christmas address on television. His mother, Queen Elizabeth, was famous for her annual speeches, delivering the first televised Christmas message in 1957. Read the original article on People (NewsNation) The inmates at the State Correctional Institution Huntingdon in Pennsylvania have access to cable TV, so their unconventional interview with a NewsNation anchor and correspondent was not a surprise to one prison consultant. Theyre in tune as far as whats going on in the world, Larry Levine, director and founder of Wall Street Prison Consultants, said on Morning in America Friday. Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is staying at the State Correctional Institution Huntingdon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Health insurance delay tactic is too common: Former Cigna executive Inmates yelled answers to questions from NewsNations Alex Caprariello and Ashleigh Banfield from their cells during a live broadcast of Banfield. Luigis conditions suck, inmates shouted. Free Luigi. Because the institution is a state prison, inmates have a commissary list where they can buy items like snacks, clothes and small televisions, Levine said. Maybe theyve only got 20 channels, Levine said. Theres nothing unusual about a news van being outside the prison, Levine notes, especially right now. However, I imagine that the prison will probably be pulling the plug, though, on NewsNation should Ashleigh do this again, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. MIAMI (AP) A prominent human rights attorney has quietly parted ways with the International Criminal Court to protest what he sees as an unjustified failure of its chief prosecutor to indict members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro s government for crimes against humanity, The Associated Press has learned. The Chilean-born Claudio Grossman, a former law school dean at American University in Washington and past president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, was appointed special adviser to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan in November 2021. In that unpaid position, he advised Khan on the deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela. In a harshly worded email last month to Khan, Grossman said his ethical standards no longer allow him to stand by silently as Maduros government continues to commit abuses, expel foreign diplomats and obstruct the work of human rights monitors from the United Nations without any action from the ICC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can no longer justify the choice not to take correspondingly serious action against the perpetrators of the grave violations, Grossman wrote in an email rejecting an offer by Khan's office in September to renew his contract. A copy of the email, which has not been made public, was provided to the AP by someone familiar with the ICC investigation into Venezuela. A phone call by Khan asking Grossman to reconsider also failed, according to the person on the condition of anonymity to discuss the politically sensitive investigation. Following AP's inquiries with Khan's office, Grossman's name was removed from the court's website listing him as a special adviser. The Prosecutor is extremely grateful to Professor Grossman for the expertise and work he has rendered, the prosecutor's office said in a statement without addressing Grossman's stated reasons for cutting ties with the court based in The Hague, Netherlands. Grossman declined to comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pressure on Khan to indict Venezuelan officials, including Maduro himself, comes as he battles allegations of misconduct with a female aide and the threat of U.S. sanctions over his decision to seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The Rome Statute that established the court took effect in 2002, with a mandate to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide but only when domestic courts fail to initiate their own investigations. Calls for faster progress in the court's only ever investigation in Latin America have grown louder as Maduro tightens his grip on power, preparing to be sworn in for a third term Jan. 10 following an election marred by serious allegations of ballot box fraud and a post-election crackdown. More than 2,000 people were arrested and 20 killed following the vote. The U.S. and even some fellow leftist leaders in Latin America have demanded authorities present voting records, as they have in the past, to refute tally sheets presented by Maduros opponents showing their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, prevailed by a two-to-one margin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many in Venezuela's opposition have complained that the ICC is applying a double standard, moving aggressively to seek the arrest of Netanyahu and Russias Vladimir Putin for atrocities in Gaza and Ukraine while showing undue leniency with Venezuelan officials Khan has been investigating for more than three years. There is no justification whatsoever for the inaction, Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado wrote in a recent letter to Grossman and 18 other special advisers to the court appealing for their help. What is at stake is the life and well-being of Venezuelans, they added in the letter, which was also provided to the AP by the person familiar with the ICC investigation. This unjustifiable delay will cast legitimate doubts about the integrity of a system of accountability that has been an aspiration for the whole world. At the request of several Latin American governments, Khan three years ago opened an investigation into Venezuelan security forces jailing, torture and killing of anti-government demonstrators. At the same time, he promised technical assistance to give local authorities an opportunity to take action before the ICC, a tribunal of last resort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, Khan delivered some of his harshest comments to date about the human rights situation in Venezuela, warning that officials repeated promises to investigate alleged abuses cannot be a never-ending story. I have not seen the concrete implementation of laws and practices in Venezuela that I hoped for, he said in a speech at ICC headquarters. The ball is in Venezuelas court. The track of complementarity is running out of road. Maduro's government, in response, said in a statement that it deeply regrets that the prosecutor is being led astray by campaigns that have emerged on social networks promoted by the extreme right, Zionism and Western powers seeking to apply legal colonialism against Venezuela." Some Venezuelan critics have linked what they view as foot-dragging to a potential conflict of interest involving Khan's sister-in-law, international criminal lawyer Venkateswari Alagendra, who has appeared on behalf of the Venezuelan government in two hearings before the court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An ICC code of conduct directs prosecutors to abstain from any conflicts that may arise from personal interest in the case, including a spousal, parental or other close family, personal or professional relationship with any of the parties. Alagendra has previously worked with Khan and his wife defending Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan dictator, at the ICC. Khan's office declined to comment about the relationship. But in a filing this month seeking dismissal of a request for recusal filed by the Washington-based Arcadia Foundation, he said a sister-in-law is not a close enough personal relationship requiring automatic disqualification and that he doesn't recall ever discussing the Venezuela probe with Alagendra, who is just one of several attorneys defending the South American government. No fair minded and informed observer would conclude that there is a real possibility of bias, Khan wrote, adding that he continues to actively and independently investigate the situation in Venezuela. Those claiming to be victims of the Maduro government have pushed for the court to wrap up its investigation without taking a position on whether Khan should be recused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After millions of Venezuelans have fled Maduro's rule, many for neighboring countries, regional governments are also anxiously awaiting progress. Many in Latin America expect the ICC prosecutor to have a more muscular response," said Juan Papier, deputy director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch. The prosecutors office has spent too much time, so far fruitlessly, trying to work with Venezuela authorities to push for domestic investigations. Widespread impunity and lack of judicial independence in Venezuela make the ICC the most viable path for justice. ____ AP Writer Molly Quell in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this report. ____ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. A new proposal calls for Missouri school districts and charter schools to prominently display the biblical Ten Commandments in classrooms and buildings. Missouri State Rep. Hardy Billington (R-Poplar Bluff) has introduced House Bill 34, which would require schools to display the Ten Commandments but leaves some decisions about the presentation up to local school boards and governing boards. The bill indicates that the Ten Commandments should be displayed as a poster or framed document of at least 11 inches by 14 inches with text printed in a large, easily readable font. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drone drama in the bi-state region If approved in Missouris upcoming legislative session, school boards would be required to ensure displays are in place by Jan. 1, 2026. School boards would also be allowed to use public funds or private donations to purchase the displays. The proposal appears to be part of a broader national push from Republican lawmakers to integrate religious teachings and Christian values into education. The state of Louisiana recently became the first U.S. state to require all state-funded schools to display the Ten Commandments earlier this year, while legislation has surfaced in at least a dozen states, according to USA Today. As of this year, Oklahoma also requires public schools to teach the Bible in their educational curriculums. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Supreme Court has held that academic lessons about the Bible, when presented in an academic or historical context, are permissible in public schools because they are viewed as secular education rather than religious instruction. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News However, the Supreme Court has also ruled that devotional activities, like reading the Bible or engaging in activities that promote religious beliefs, are unconstitutional because they violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. If a state law emerges in contradiction of such Supreme Court rulings, it could be challenged in court and struck down if found to infringe upon constitutional principles, like the separation of church and state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That said, some advocates of Biblical teachings of the Ten Commandments in schools may argue that they reflect foundational American values as opposed to promoting a specific religious practice. According to a 2021 report from the Survey Center on American Life, around 83% of Americans are comfortable with high school students learning about world religions, while 76% are comfortable with the idea of students taking an optional class on the Bible in public high schools. Only 56% of Americans were comfortable with daily prayer being spoken in public school classrooms, per the report. House Bill 34 has been preemptively filed for the states 103rd General Assembly for the 2025 legislative session, which is set to begin January 8. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. SCOTLAND, Conn. (WTNH) A tiny town in Windham County has a population of just under 1,600 but it has six ZIP codes. You can imagine the confusion that causes. I lived here for twenty years and its been a mess since day one, said Aubra Bartholomew, who owns the Pins to Needles Alteration shop. The business has the Scotland ZIP code of 06264, but her house, which is also in Scotland about a mile away, has a different ZIP code. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes, they cant even find my house, because its a Baltic address in Scotland, Bartholomew said. Other residents said that theyve been told their addresses dont exist. If I have it delivered to my home, I have to put Hampton in the address, Scotland resident Cindy Morrissette said. Another woman told News 8 that she doesnt bother putting up a mailbox, and has had packages shipped overseas. To try to avoid confusion, some residents get post office boxes. That way, their mail and their packages get delivered there. The confusion goes beyond mail and package deliveries. It also affects paying taxes, renewing licenses and voting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced companion bills in the U.S. House and Senate to make 06264 the single ZIP code for all 600 residences in Scotland. That bill was unanimously passed by the House on Wednesday. Its exciting, its really exciting, Bartholomew said. Oh, finally we can get all this mess straightened out. It still needs Senate and presidential approval. I am hoping that this clears it up, and Im hoping it doesnt take too long, Morrissette said. Courtney said the Senate could vote on the bill in the next few days. If it gets that approval, then it will head to the presidents desk for his signature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It gives a 270-day window for the post office to actually implement what the legislation calls for, Courtney said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Georgia Senate leaders are otlining plans to cut costs for child care in Georgia. Getty Images This story was updated at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, to include additional comment. Georgia Senate leaders have started to outline specifics of their plans to reduce child care costs when they meet back at the Capitol next month. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones backed three tax credit tweaks in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution op-ed Thursday morning, and at the Capitol Thursday afternoon, a Senate study committee on affordable child care unanimously approved a list of recommendations that could soon be crafted into legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Committee chair Brian Strickland, a McDonough Republican, said hes optimistic that lawmakers in both chambers will have the appetite to take some serious action this year. Even though weve seen other issues come up in the past other people have worked on this particular issue this is the first time Ive seen this much conversation about it, he said. Its something that impacts, of course, anybody with children in our state. If you dont have kids, you have grandkids or you know someone with kids and its something that everybodys dealing with. So Im just glad to see this conversation happening at such a high level. And so I do think youre going to see some real reforms. Some of the committees list of over a dozen recommendations mirror those put forward by Jones. The lieutenant governor says hell back an increase in the tax credit for child and dependent care expenses from 30% to 40%, a new Georgia Child Tax Credit of $250 per child under 7 and an expansion of Georgias tax credit for employer-sponsored child care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These measures will help families who are struggling to afford the cost of child care and will encourage more businesses to offer child care as an employee benefit, Jones wrote in Thursdays column. Crucially, these efforts will also make day care more affordable and accessible for day care workers themselves, helping to address a critical shortage in that field. The committees recommendations also aim to bolster recruitment and retention of child care workers by evaluating pay rates for infant and toddler teachers compared with pre-K and K-12 teachers. Parents could see more slots in the Child and Parent Services Program, or CAPS, which helps low-income families with child care costs or an expansion of lottery-funded pre-K services to 3-year-olds. Parents who are also students in public universities or technical schools and studying for high-demand careers could benefit from new child care grant money. Atlanta Democratic Sen. Elena Parent, who also served on the committee, said there is bipartisan agreement about the issue, but there will likely be debate during the session about how much the state should chip in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a really important issue that has a ripple effect throughout our entire system, communities and economy, so thats fantastic, Parent said. I think that theres no doubt that in order to try to make child care more affordable for families, it will take some state investment, and so then the question is how much are the Republican leaders willing to make a meaningful investment in these critical needs that Georgia parents have? Strickland suggested lawmakers will be cautious about funding and may prefer to focus on expanding existing programs like CAPS rather than creating new programs that could call for high initial investments, such as a proposed early child care trust fund that could cost billions up front but yield more in returns over years and decades. The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute testified that investing $1.5 billion into such a trust fund could yield $1 billion in returns in the first ten years, while a $4 billion initial investment would yield nearly $2.8 billion in the same time frame. Theres the idea of increasing the current programs we have, such as more slots for CAPS, and thats one thing, but you do have to be careful about creating a new program, he said. So we did mention in our report evaluating what some sort of trust fund program would look like, but I dont think youre going to see someone saying, heres $2 billion, create a new program right now, because we have to be careful to stay within our finances and and look at what were spending. Parent argued that a trust fund, which could be a heavy political lift requiring a constitutional referendum and voter approval, would be a good use of the states $11 billion-plus surplus because it would continue to yield yearly payouts from the initial investment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. (Brian) Kemp has made it clear, as have some of the other leaders, I think Speaker (Jon) Burns said this recently, too, that he does not see the very large surplus we have as being an appropriate use of year-over-year spending, Parent said. Thats kind of what I like about the trust fund idea, because it would be self-sustaining, and it would be the type of meaningful generational impact investment that you could make now that we have saved up this huge amount of money. The recommendations also call on lawmakers to consider legislation on pregnancy discrimination after hearing testimony that women who become pregnant have been discriminated against and forced out of their jobs. Strickland, who is the father of two young children, said specific bills based on these recommendations will begin to be filed in January, and he expects more discussions on measures to help the families of the youngest Georgians. Looking beyond this, our current law on paternity leave, and we saw a paternal leave law for state employees doubled this last year, and should we go further with that? Strickland said. I think youre looking at a big conversation around doing more to help people with children find ways to work, because its obviously good for these families, but its also good for businesses and employees as well. Final Report Childcare Study Committee SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SANDOVAL COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) What could be a major solar project in the East Mountains is also facing a lot of backlash. Some neighbors are worried its too much in a mostly rural area bordering Sandoval and Santa Fe counties. This is an inappropriate location for this industrial facility, said a concerned resident at Tuesdays Sandoval County Planning and Zoning meeting. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a fight between a company that wants to build a more than 1,800-acre solar farm and battery storage facility, and people in rural communities who believe the project would infringe on their way of life. We feel PCR has severely underestimated water usage both during construction and maintenance, said another resident. It was a contentious meeting at Sandoval County headquarters this week over a more than 1,800-acre solar and battery storage project called Diamond Tail east of Placitas. Some voiced their concerns and said the project could negatively impact a scenic area while others liked the plan. The meeting in front of Sandoval County Planning and Zoning brought out a long list of neighbors near the project lead by Argentina-based PCR. Neighbors said theyre worried about traffic, fire risks from lithium-ion batteries,s and how the project would source its water. The company said water will be sourced from Albuquerque or Santa Fe and theyre planning to install a 30,000-gallon emergency water tank if the project takes shape. Some supporters think the project will help New Mexico meet its renewable energy goals. From our kids, thats what Im asking you to do. Think about their future. Realize that this is a project that will benefit them, said Ward, a Socorro resident at the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The project needs a zoning change before it can happen. PCR said the solar facility will produce enough energy to power 60,000 homes. The company also said it would bring new jobs and tax revenue. Some of the benefits the project is going to bring towards the community is $450 million of investment and its going to bring $40 million in wages, said Mariano Brandi with PCR. At the end of Tuesdays meeting, Sandoval Countys Planning and Zoning commission recommended approval of the zoning change for the project. The main board of commissioners still needs to vote on it which could happen in January. If PCR gets the zoning change, it would still have to make an agreement with an electric provider to sell the power to. PNM told KRQE News 13 so far, they do not have a contract with the company. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Federal prosecutors said Thursday that rapper Lil Durk, who is accused of commissioning a murder two years ago in Los Angeles, may be linked to another killing in Chicago allegations that helped convince a judge to order the Grammy Award winner to remain jailed as his case proceeds. During a detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue said the 32-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, has significant resources and the ability to flee. Lawyers for Banks had pressed for his release, offering a bond secured by $2.3 million in equity in two homes in Georgia and $1 million in cash. They also said they would hire around-the-clock security to ensure compliance with conditions imposed by the court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Spirit Air, cramped hotels, In-N-Out: Police say Chicago hit men killed in L.A. on a budget More than 30 people, including family, friends and Sony Music representatives, packed into the courtroom, which Assistant U.S. Atty. Ian Yanniello said demonstrated the fact that Banks "is a powerful and influential man who has significant resources." "This case is about how he used that power and used that influence and how he used those resources to promote and perpetuate violence with deadly consequence," Yanniello said. Banks is accused of ordering the murder of Tyquian Bowman, a Georgia rapper called Quando Rondo, whose cousin was killed in a botched ambush near the Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles in 2022. Banks has pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to an indictment, Banks sought to commercialize the shooting death by rapping about his revenge "with music that explicitly references audio from a news clip" of Bowman screaming "no, no!" after seeing his cousin's body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In court Thursday, Drew Findling, Banks' attorney, challenged that assertion, stating that the song prosecutors referenced was recorded eight months before the shooting. The prosecutor countered that the indictment "lists significant evidence of Mr. Banks' involvement." In a brief filed Thursday, prosecutors also cited a separate federal case in Chicago, involving the killing of Stephon Mack outside a youth center. A search warrant originally filed under seal in Illinois in April 2023 and filed publicly with redactions Wednesday alleges that Banks offer[ed] money for people to kill those responsible for his brothers murder, and more specifically, offering to pay money for any Gangster Disciple that is killed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Banks' brother, Dontay Banks, Jr., was shot and killed outside a nightclub in Harvey, Ill., in June 2021, according to the search warrant. "Evidence collected in this case also shows defendant has allegedly placed monetary bounties to solicit other murders, including a family member of a witness," California prosecutors stated in their brief. "Defendants modus operandi is clear: he will use his power, his money, his influence, and any pretrial release to endanger anyone who he perceives as a threat, including witnesses in this case." Read more: Cartel leader's son-in-law faked death to enable 'life of luxury' in Riverside, feds say A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in Illinois said two people have been charged in Mack's slaying: Anthony Montgomery-Wilson and Preston Powell. Asked whether Banks has been or will be charged, the spokesperson declined to comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jonathan Brayman, one of Banks' attorneys, said after the detention hearing that his client has not been charged in connection with the Chicago shooting and "we do not anticipate that he will be charged." "The news that's coming out of there has nothing to do with us," Findling added. "Our client has nothing to do with that; that's not part of our case." During his detention hearing, Banks smiled at his wife and mother, who cried during the proceeding. Banks blew a kiss to his wife as U.S. marshals led him away. "We love you," his family and friends shouted at him in the hallway outside the courtroom. 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. EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) A new addition to state law will protect victims of domestic violence and their pets. House Bill 1210 allows animals to be included in protection from abuse orders. One advocate I spoke with says this is a crucial step forward. Pets are now protected from abuse in Pennsylvania. Says the center has resources for people with pets in abusive relationships, says Anna Faramelli the Director of Advocacy and Services with WRC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If someone is moving into a new apartment and the landlord is requiring certain shots, we can assist with appointments for getting those shots, stated Faramelli. Wrc can also assist with food and kenneling. Data shows about 48% of victims delay leaving their abuser because they have concerns about keeping their animals safe. Steps on collecting FBIs $50K reward after Luigi Mangiones arrest So there are lots of reasons why people choose not to leave, including the fact that their pets might be harmed if that was something the abuser was threatening to do, says Faramelli. Some abusers may threaten to harm or kill their victims pet to maintain control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So the fact that this law has been passed and that pets can be included in protective orders is allowing for victims to be able to leave the abusive situation sooner, continued Faramell. WRC has several resources available, and you can find all of that info on their website. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Day McCarthy - Screenshot: X Brazil has the largest Black population outside of Africa, so when one biracial woman thought she could get away with continuous racism, the federal government made an example out of her. Day McCarthy has a history of making hateful comments. And she told the Washington Post, thats how she grew up. This is what people told me when I was a kid, she said in the interview. I was bullied because I was overweight, because I was the daughter of a Black man, because I didnt have any money, because I came from a poor neighborhood. Despite being biracial, McCarthy continued spewing racist language mostly targeted at children, but the consequences of her actions caught up to her when she called the Black daughter of two white celebrities a monkey, according to the Post. Seven years after her comments, a Brazilian judge found her guilty of racism an offense the diverse country takes very seriously in August 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brazil has a more narrow definition of freedom of speech than the U.S. Threats against the Brazilian government are considered illegal and so are personal attacks that offend someones honor, including racist speech, according to the Library of Congress. The gravity of the crime of racism in Brazil is so great that people can be arrested on the spot, said Livia Vaz, the director of a racism prosecutorial team in the country, told the Post. When I started, it wasnt that way. The police would go to the scene, and no one was arrested. Now they are. Unlike in the United States, racism in Brazil can cost an offender, like McCarthy, years behind bars, according to the UN Refugee Agency. The 35-year-old Brazilian was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison. Her sentence is the longest ever given out for racism in the country, reports the Post. McCarthys sentence serves as an example of the countrys efforts to right the wrongs of its racist past. The heat of the 2020 George Floyd protests prompted Brazil to take responsibility for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. Even public prosecutors have began formal investigations into slavery, which many Black Brazilians hope will result in reparations, according to AP News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though the country has taken a stand against her, McCarthy, who lives in Paris currently, told the Post she has no plans to turn herself in to Brazilian authorities. Instead, she hopes to continue living in Europe. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Providence Police Sgt. Andres Perez was a knowing or unwitting participant in his nephews massive drug trafficking operation, which pumped deadly fentanyl onto the streets in multiple states, prosecutors alleged in court documents Thursday. The Massachusetts U.S. Attorneys Office outlined the uncles involvement in new documents filed in federal court, where prosecutors called on a judge to sentence Jasdrual Josh Perez to 25 years in prison for his admitted role as kingpin of the multistate drug ring. The prosecutors highlighted that Perez is the nephew of both Andres Perez as well as Providence Police Col. Oscar Perez, and they alleged the nephew benefited from Andres Perezs high-ranking position in the Providence Police Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the scale of his drug dealing operation, Josh Perez was never listed in any Providence police records as a target, witness or source, prosecutors said. And city police never investigated him or charged him with any crime, they added. That strongly suggests one of two things, either of which is extremely troubling, wrote Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Lindsey Weinstein. Either Josh Perez is such a criminal mastermind that he completely duped those closest to him, including those whose job it was to identify and investigate drug dealers like him; or Perez somehow benefited from one or more connections with the Providence Police. Andres Perez has long denied any involvement in his nephews operation, but prosecutors said they uncovered evidence of the involvement of Perezs uncle, Andres Perez, as either a knowing or unwitting participant in Perezs drug trafficking activities. No criminal charges are expected to be filed against Andres Perez as of now, according to the filing. The revelation marks the first time federal law enforcement has publicly disclosed that they were investigating the uncles and the Providence Police Department related to the Josh Perez case. Target 12 first reported in April 2023 that the FBI had launched a probe into the uncles and the department after arresting their nephew a year earlier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BACKGROUND: FBI investigating drug ring leaders ties to Providence police Before his arrest, Josh Perez was running one of the largest drug dealing operations in the region, according to federal agents. Oscar Perez who is not implicated in the new filing served as a major before becoming police chief; Andres Perez headed the Intelligence Unit that investigated drug crimes in the capital city. The most damning piece of evidence included in the new court documents is a recorded phone call between Andres Perez and Josh Perez in January 2022, one month before federal agents raided Josh Perezs properties and shut down his pill-making operations. Josh Perez fled Rhode Island to New York, before later turning himself in to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said Drug Enforcement Administration agents hid a listening device inside Josh Perezs Dodge Ram, which recorded him first communicating with a co-conspirator. He told the person to check around the house for gray boxes, which agents said meant pole cameras being used in an active investigation. Josh Perez then used WhatsApp, an encrypted phone and messaging app, to call Andres Perez, according to prosecutors. Only Josh Perezs side of the conversation was recorded, but prosecutors said the conversation revealed the family members talking about surveillance of another drug dealer who was then under investigation. That drug dealer was a known rival of Perez, according to prosecutors. The city is putting out mad cameras, but that one is mad obvious, Josh Perez told Andres Perez on the recording, according to court documents. Its pointing down straight to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This discussion and other evidence raised significant concerns in law enforcement that Perez may have benefited from his uncles position as a high-ranking member of the Providence Police Department who was responsible for investigating drug crimes, prosecutors wrote. Josh Estrella, a spokesperson for Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, said Thursday the department takes any allegations involving our officers very seriously. But he stood by the Perez brothers. There was no factual evidence to support claims that any officer knowingly or willfully engaged in criminal activity and obviously, no charges were filed, Estrella said. Based on these conclusions, no disciplinary action was deemed necessary. Neither Oscar Perez nor an attorney representing Andres Perez immediately responded to a request for comment on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview last year with Target 12, Oscar Perez firmly denied his nephews drug operation ever benefited from family connections in the Providence Police Department. At the end of the day he chose the wrong path, Oscar Perez said at the time. Its not a reflection on us, it doesnt define who I am. Separate from the prosecutors new court filing, Josh Perez filed his own sentencing memo on Thursday through his attorney Jack Cicilline. The memo included several letters from people who expressed support for Josh Perez, along with records of his good behavior while behind bars at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls. Josh Perez earlier this year decided not to strike a deal with investigators and instead pleaded guilty to manufacturing and selling large volumes of fentanyl. His cousin Natasha Lubo, who said she works summers in Cicillines law offices, suggested Josh Perez didnt work with law enforcement because his family had been threatened, according to one of the letters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: Providence police chiefs nephew pleads guilty to running multistate drug ring I became aware of the fact that Josh had been told or somehow learned that if he cooperated with the government his mother would get a bullet to the head, Lubo wrote, explaining she learned about the threat in July. He would not reveal any name or how the threat was communicated. The documents also show Josh Perez wrote an undated letter addressed to Oscar and Andres Perez, asking his uncles for their forgiveness. I clearly never thought of the two people in my life who have dedicated their lives to the law and to doing good for others, he wrote. I beg you, beg you to forgive me. When I get out, I am going to need your good examples as a model for me to follow, and I promise you I am committed to making up for all I have done wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Josh Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday in federal court in Boston. Eli Sherman (esherman@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Tim White (twhite@wpri.com) is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. Oregon's psilocybin program has served about 8,000 people. (James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Advocates of psilocybin treatment say 2024 was the year when Oregons psychedelic program started to stand on its own. This was the first full year of the program. Hundreds of specialists are now trained to guide patients in supervised psychedelic trips in Oregon. And thousands of people have gone through treatment with few ill effects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2025, the industry will focus on fine-tuning the program and closely studying the impacts and outcomes of the states first-in-the-nation psychedelics program, according to a briefing this week by Oregons Healing Advocacy Fund, a nonprofit organization that works to expand state-regulated access to psychedelics. Research suggests that psilocybin, which is found in over 200 species of mushrooms, may help address depression, anxiety, trauma and addiction. Oregon voters in 2020 approved a ballot measure allowing the use of psilocybin in licensed facilities. The Oregon Health Authority, the state agency in charge of the program, spent years working out the details, and the first psilocybin service centers in Oregon opened in the summer of 2023. This year marks the first full year that the service centers have been open.Heidi Pendergast, the Oregon director of the Healing Advocacy Fund, said 31 licensed psilocybin service centers have set up operations throughout the state, most of them near Interstate 5. As of Dec. 11, 356 psilocybin facilitators had been licensed by the state. By the end of the year, about 8,000 clients will have gone through a psilocybin session. We know a lot of people are utilizing psilocybin for mental health issues from depression to PTSD, sometimes just for grief, Pendergast said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Military veterans are able to access psilocybin for the first time in the U.S., she said, and the Healing Advocacy Fund has partnered with the Heroic Hearts Project, which connects veterans with psychedelic therapy programs. Eight cohorts from the project have received psilocybin therapy in Oregon. Of those 8,000 clients who have received the therapy, she said, five required some sort of emergency call after taking psilocybin. I think it does speak to the training, the regulation, the screening and, really, the process that OHA has developed that that number is so small, Pendergast said. Problem of cost and availability Statewide access and affordability remain issues, she said. A quick check of licensed service centers on the health authoritys website didnt find any located east of Bend eastern Oregon counties all voted in 2020 against Measure 109, which allowed the health authority to establish a licensing program and regulate the drug, which can only be used in approved facilities . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And psilocybin therapy can be costly an individual session might run $1,000 or more, Pendergast said, although group sessions might cost less. Insurance doesnt cover the therapy in part because the compound still is illegal federally but also, she said, because insurers are awaiting more evidence on its efficacy. Additional evidence beyond studies done by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and elsewhere might also help persuade other counties and communities in the state to think about allowing psilocybin services, participants at the briefing said. In the November election, voters in more than a dozen Oregon cities, including in the Portland area, voted to ban the regulated sales and use of psilocybin mushrooms. One of the reasons that some of these jurisdictions cited as not wanting these services in their regions was a lack of evidence, said Adie Rae, co-director of the Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus, a research and evaluation effort that seeks to measure the impact of legal psychedelic services in Oregon. The effort is housed at Oregon Health & Science University. Rae said the effort is recruiting volunteers for a study that will follow clients for up to a year after their psilocybin therapy. She said the research will benefit not just people considering the therapy, but also help legislators in crafting further policy and insurers considering coverage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Preliminary results of the research should be available as early as the first quarter of 2025, she said. The 8,000 people who have received psilocybin therapy in Oregon provide a rich field of potential study subjects, said Pendergast, adding that the number is three times the number of clients served in all (previous) psilocybin clinical trials combined. This is absolutely monumental. Advocates said they will be approaching the state Legislature next year with a Psilocybin Program Improvement Bill. The bill likely would include legal protections for licensed health-care providers who discuss psilocybin service with their clients. The bill also is likely to include a dual licensure provision, which would allow health care providers who also are licensed psilocybin facilitators to participate in both the preparation session that comes before a client ingests psilocybin and the integration session, which comes after the experience. In the integration session, the client works with the facilitator to integrate insights from the psilocybin experience into daily life. Under dual licensing, for example, clients could have their own licensed therapists sit in on both the preparation and the integration sessions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dual licensure provision would allow for continuity of care with a clients longtime health-care providers, said Tal Sharabi, a licensed psilocybin facilitator at Portlands InnerTrek, and a licensed professional counselor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX As talk of an end to Russias war in Ukraine grows among Western diplomats, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy comes round to the idea of what he calls a just peace, the true human cost of Vladimir Putins neo-imperialist land grab remains a source of great debate. In recent days, the Ukrainian president has stated that 43,000 of the countrys soldiers have been killed and 370,000 wounded. It was Kyivs first disclosure of total casualty figures since Russias full-scale invasion began nearly three years ago, ending a policy of not wanting to reveal any information that could embolden the Kremlin on the battlefield. Zelenskyy pointed out that Ukraines losses were dwarfed by its far bigger enemy: 198,000 Russians killed and more than 550,000 wounded, he claimed. White House analysts think the number is much higher on both sides. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What cannot be disputed is that one of the casualties of Putins war is Gazprom, the state-backed energy behemoth that was for decades Russias biggest money-spinner and the most striking symbol of the Kremlins influence abroad. In choosing to bring war to the EUs doorstep, Putin gambled that Russias grip on the Continents energy supplies would endure maintained by weak European leaders unwilling and, in some instances, unable to turn their backs. It was a high-stakes bet that has failed. The decision this week of the Austrian government-backed OMV to terminate a long-term gas supply contract with Gazprom could deliver the final crippling blow to Putins dwindling energy empire. Gazprom was already a pale shadow of its former self. Before the war, Russia was Europes single biggest supplier of natural gas by a huge distance. But within six short months of declaring war on Ukraine, its share of the European market had all but evaporated from 40pc to single figures as, one by one, Ukraines allies dramatically scaled back their reliance on Moscow. Russia suffered a further setback when saboteurs sent Russias two Nord Stream pipelines built at a cost of 18bn (15bn) to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With demand for Gazproms products sinking, flaring at its plants has become more commonplace. One plant close to the Finnish border was spotted burning more than 4m cubic metres of gas a day equivalent to $10m (7.9m) at market prices. Analysts believe the flaring at a new liquefied natural gas plant in Portovaya, north-west of St Petersburg, lasted several months as large quantities of Russian gas went unsold. They couldnt sell it elsewhere, Miguel Berger, the German ambassador to the UK, gleefully declared. It is not a coincidence that as Gazproms influence has waned, so too has its appeal to investors. The company has lost more than two thirds of its value on the Moscow stock exchange. A reprieve for its share price is hard to envisage, as its customer base shrinks even further still. The loss of Viennese patronage following a dispute over outstanding supplies will be felt keenly. While most of Europe has quickly turned its back on Putins pariah police state, Austria has walked a tightrope of military neutrality. The country has stopped short of openly supporting Moscow, but has been careful not to damage a lucrative relationship stretching back decades by providing tangible support for Kyiv. Karl Nehammer, Austrias chancellor, was the first Western leader to visit Putin after Russias invasion of Ukraine, and Alexander Schallenberg, Austrias foreign minister, has branded calls for a complete decoupling from Russia delusional. Karl Nehammer, Austrias chancellor, was the first Western leader to visit Vladimir Putin after Russias invasion of Ukraine - Javad Parsa/AFP As other EU countries have turned to Norway, the US and Qatar for energy imports, Austria remained almost completely reliant on Russian supplies. The government-backed energy supplier OMV is one of few large, long-term buyers of Russian pipeline gas on the Continent left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So OMVs decision to end that deal is more than just the conclusion of a mutually beneficial financial arrangement it marks the end of an era, too, that began more than half a century ago in 1968 when Austria became the first Western European country to import Soviet gas, via its Baumgarten facility near the border with Slovakia. Despite trashing its reputation as a reliable energy supplier, Russia hawks insist Gazprom has the might and the reach to quickly rebuild exports by forging partnerships in other parts of the world chiefly Asia, where the regions power players have refused to abide by Western sanctions and cease trading with Moscow. A pact signed between Russias state-backed oil firm Rosneft and Indian refining giant Reliance for the delivery of nearly 500,000 barrels of Russian crude per day, just as OMV was pulling the escape hatch, will embolden the optimists. Worth $13bn, it is the biggest ever energy deal forged between the Kremlin and New Delhi. Yet analysts doubt that a pivot to Asia can ever replace the business that Russia once did in Europe. The logistics are far more complicated, for a start. Funnelling gas to Europe was made possible by a sprawling network of high-pressure pipelines. These pipes enabled it to pump gas thousands of miles underground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Europe was next door, however, and most of what Russia sends to Asia is in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Some of it can be delivered underground but much of it has to be transported by sea, making the shipments far more vulnerable to sanctions. The Kremlin is late to the party, too, in trying to become a major energy exporter to the region competing with long-established Middle East producers including Saudi Arabia who will defend their market share aggressively. In the meantime, there is no going back for Russia in Europe. Its energy prowess was viewed as a powerful weapon but in Putins reckless hands it quickly became one of the countrys biggest vulnerabilities. In an act of spectacular self-sabotage, the Kremlin has killed its biggest market. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for urgent measures to support the countrys coal companies, which face multibillion-dollar losses and risk mass bankruptcies, The Moscow Times reported on Dec. 12. Russias coal industry has been severely impacted by the loss of Western markets and declining demand in "friendly" nations. Coal companies reported a combined loss of 91 billion rubles ($873 million) in the first nine months of 2024. Russia's Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev announced that a package of assistance for coal miners would be developed "as soon as possible." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tsivilev also highlighted the need for a socio-economic development program for Kuzbass, Russia's key coal-producing region, which accounts for 60% of the country's hard coal and 80% of its coking coal output. Russias coal exports fell by 11.4% to 112.6 million metric tons from January to July, while shipments to China its main coal customer after Western sanctions dropped by 8% in the first half of 2024. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is considering new, harsher oil sanctions against Russia ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration. Oil revenues remain a critical funding source for Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Russias economic challenges extend beyond coal and oil. Sanctions have also disrupted operations at the Ozernoye zinc mine, leaving the company unable to replace key equipment. This is expected to impact global zinc supply forecasts for 2025. Read also: Massive fire engulfs warehouse in Russias Novosibirsk Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has demanded that emergency measures be taken to support Russian coal companies that are suffering multibillion-dollar losses and are on the verge of large-scale bankruptcies. Source: Russian online newspaper The Moscow Times Details: Russia's Energy Minister, Sergei Tsivilyov, stated that Putin has ordered the development of an aid package for coal miners "as soon as possible." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A separate issue, according to Tsivilyov, is the programme for the socio-economic development of Kuzbass, Russia's main coal region, which accounts for 60% of hard coal production and 80% of coking coal. From January to July, total coal exports from Russia dropped by 11.4%, to 112.6 million tonnes. Even supplies to China, now the primary customer for Russian coal miners after sanctions, fell by 8% in the first half of the year. Background: China, the largest buyer of Russian coal on the global market, has cut coal imports from Russia. The share of unprofitable coal companies in Russia exceeded 52%, and coal exports fell by 12%. In July 2024, coal production in Russia declined by 6.7% year-on-year, with a total output of 31.5 million tonnes the lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic. Russian coal exporters started shipping supplies to China via North Korea. Support UP or become our patron! By Andrew Mills DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar will send its first official delegation to Damascus on Sunday to meet Syria's interim government and discuss reopening the Qatari embassy and enhancing humanitarian aid deliveries, a Qatari official told Reuters on Friday. "They will take the necessary steps to reopen the embassy and discuss enhancing aid delivery," the official said. Previous reports by Syria's information ministry about a visit by Qatar's intelligence chief on Thursday were untrue, the Qatari official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The visit will come less than a week after Qatari diplomats spoke with Syria's leading rebel faction, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as regional countries race to open contact with the group and the interim government it established after its rapid offensive toppled President Bashar al-Assad. Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in Damascus on Thursday for talks involving Syria's new leadership. In the report that the Qatari official said was untrue, Syria's information ministry had said Qatar's head of state security, Khalfan al-Kaabi, joined Kalin in the capital on Thursday. Qatar's embassy in Damascus has been shut since July 2011 when it withdrew its ambassador from Damascus after a series of deadly crackdowns by Assad's regime on street protesters - violence that led to the 13-year-long civil war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doha in recent years rejected efforts by several Arab countries to mend relations with Assad's government and reestablish diplomatic relations with Damascus. (Reporting by Andrew Mills; editing by Louise Heavens; editing by Mark Heinrich) The White House said drones flying over New Jersey and New York dont pose a public threat, but lawmakers still want more answers. The suspect in CEO Brian Thompsons death was never insured by UnitedHealthcare, the company said. And a couples $92,000 medical debt is wiped away after a NBC News report. Heres what to know today. Lawmakers demand more information about mysterious drones The White House is downplaying recent mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey and New York, with a White House National Security official insisting that there is no evidence at this time that these reported sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus. Still, key House and Senate lawmakers are demanding answers. What appear to be large drones hovering in the area at high altitudes in the bayside section of Toms River, N.J. on Dec. 8, 2024. For weeks, residents have been spotting and taking videos of drones, which officials have described as commercial-grade devices, not typical hobbyist drones. Eyewitness reports and officials confirm the drones are up to 6 feet in diameter. The public grew more alarmed this week when Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey suggested on Fox News that the drones were coming from an Iranian mothership off the East Coast. The Defense Department has rejected the claims. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects to receive a classified briefing about the drones soon. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim of New Jersey, and Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand of New York, all Democrats, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Federal Aviation Administration head Michael Whitaker demanding a briefing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, a member of the Intelligence Committee, said he received briefings about the drones last week and this week, saying I dont think there are any immediate threats to public safety. But the public deserves to know more. Local officials have also asked for answers. Read the full story here. More politics news: Mangione wasnt insured by UnitedHealthcare, company says The man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not insured by the company, the overarching business that owns it said. In fact, there is no record that Luigi Mangione was ever insured by the company, UnitedHealth Group said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities are still investigating the killing. However, Mangiones social media and writings offer some possible hints. New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione indicated he suffered a painful, life-altering back injury, and Mangione may have targeted Thompson because of the size of UnitedHealthcare. We have no indication that he was ever a client of UnitedHealthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth-largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest health care organization in America, Kenny said. Mangione is being held in Pennsylvania, where the next hearing for charges he faces there is scheduled for Dec. 23. New York police said Mangione will be brought back to New York to face a murder charge. A simple device could help prevent accidental shootings. Why dont more guns have it? A warning label explains how unloading a magazine does not unload the pistol in the Ruger LCP Max handgun manual. This gun model does not contain a magazine disconnect. A 13-year-old in Chicago. A former Marine in Florida. A grandfather in Texas. Each thinks the gun in their hand is unloaded because the magazine has been removed. None of them realize there is a round in the chamber when they raise the gun and pull the trigger. Its a danger that gunmakers have long been aware of and one with a seemingly simple fix: A small metal device known as a magazine disconnect that keeps a pistol from firing if the magazine is removed. But gunmakers dont have to include it, so, for the most part, they dont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An NBC News investigation found at least 277 people had died from such accidents since 2000 almost certainly an undercount. In 2021, the most recent year of federal data available, at least 42 people died. It would be a design defect in any other conceivable product, said one gun safety advocate. We wouldnt tolerate this in a toaster. Read the full story here. Research clarifies timeline of human evolution Zlaty kun skull. Hidden in many peoples genetic codes is a mystery that has long intrigued scientists a tiny slice of Neanderthal DNA that has persisted tens of thousands of years after the species vanished. Most non-African people can attribute around 1% to 2% of their DNA to Neanderthal ancestors, linked to traits like skin pigmentation, immune response and metabolism. Now, two new studies suggest that ancient humans and Neanderthals interbred during a limited period of time as humans left Africa. According to the new findings, this wave of interbreeding happened roughly 43,500 to 50,500 years ago, more recently than some previous estimates suggested. Pinpointing this evolutionary event shifts and narrows the possible range of time when humans spread to places like present-day China and Australia. It also clarifies the significance of fossilized human remains in Europe, and the time frame in which humans interbred another extinct species. Despite the new information from these studies, key questions remain. Read All About It More than 3,000 Malibu residents were allowed to return home as firefighters made progress containing the Franklin Fire in California. Family and friends of Travis Timmerman, the Missouri man who was imprisoned in Syria for months, hailed his unexpected recovery as a Christmas miracle. A UCLA student alleges she was wrongly diagnosed with gender dysphoria and then fast-tracked for treatments, according to a lawsuit filed against multiple California health care providers and hospitals. Country music star Morgan Wallen was sentenced to seven days incarceration and two years probation for throwing a chair from a rooftop bar in Nashville, Tennessee. Staff Pick: $92,000 debt forgiven after NBC News report Donna and Gary Lindabury had a lien on their N.C. home due to medical debt. After an NBC News story a few months ago, the hospital forgave the debt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its like being in prison and now youre out. Thats how Donna Lindabury said she felt when she and her husband Gary learned that a $92,000 medical debt owed to Atrium Hospital in North Carolina, had been wiped away. The debt arose from an emergency heart surgery Gary had in 2009. Things got so dire that the hospital system placed a lien on their home. But in September, Advocate Health, a nonprofit system with 69 hospitals in six states, announced it was forgiving more than 11,500 debts of former patients a decision that followed an NBC News report on medical debt in America. As a financial reporter, I dont often see this kind of impact arise from my work, so the Lindaburys story was a delight to tell. Gretchen Morgenson, senior financial reporter, NBC News Investigations NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Its the final two days of Ulta Beautys Big Holiday Sale, so check out our editors picks for the best deals before the sale ends. Plus, dont sleep on the best gifts for tech enthusiasts, the tech averse and everyone in between. Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for reading todays Morning Rundown. Todays newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If youre a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com SPRINGVALE, Wis. (WFRV) Firefighters in Fond du Lac County managed to save most of the items inside a detached garage after a fire broke out Wednesday evening. According to authorities, Fond du Lac County deputies received a call from a property owner reporting a fire in a detached garage located in the W11000 block of Davis Road in Springvale. Wisconsin man arrested for possession of child pornography, sexual exploitation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple fire departments responded to the scene, finding heavy smoke coming from the garage upon arrival. Thanks to their swift action, the fire was extinguished before it caused significant damage to the structure or its contents. The garage sustained damage to its wood-frame roof, but damage to the items inside was minimal. The property owner informed deputies that he had stoked a wood stove in the garage earlier in the evening and left the property. Upon his return, he found that a wood pile near the stove had caught fire. Wisconsin man arrested for child pornography and firearm violations No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported. Authorities stated that the fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No further details are available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), commended Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) for shredding 208 executive orders after repealing them Thursday. Nice work, @GovofCO. Send that shredder over to DOGE next month, Ramaswamy wrote in a Thursday post on the social platform X, responding to pictures of Polis destroying documents. Ramaswamys new role will aim to reduce wasteful spending and slash ineffective measures for the federal government. He, alongside Elon Musk, will likely identify old laws that need to be repealed and outdated regulations that impact the American people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, in Poliss case, the papers used for orders dating back to 1920 will be recycled and used for a state art project. This isnt the end of the road for the 208 executive orders I am rescinding today, Polis said in a statement on X. The paper they were printed on will be recycled and turned into a beautiful collage reflecting Colorados iconic landscape, made by the talented Colorado artist Joe Molina, which I will display in the Governors office to remind visitors of the ongoing need to cut waste and make government more efficient. Recently, DOGE has intrigued the some on the progressive left who favor an economics-first approach to politics. This piqued interest on reducing excessive government spending has shown an overlap between parts of the left and right, which could lead to unlikely alliances in the new Trump era. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. RANDOLPH COUNTY, Ill. A new video shared with FOX 2 captures a rare sight: A group spotted an animal believed to be an albino deer Thursday evening in southern Illinois. Cassey Dowdy shared a video from Randolph County that appears to show an albino crossing a road into the wilderness. In the video, the deer was spotted without antlers and observed to be casually roaming around the street. Drone drama in the bi-state region Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dowdy tells FOX 2 she saw it while driving a few friends home from her birthday celebration Thursday evening. She says she was in disbelief at the rare sighting. Albinisim is a recessive genetic trait, meaning both the doe and buck must carry it for it to appear in their offspring. The rare condition can be associated with a lack of pigment in the skin, tissue, and hair, along with a pink nose and eyes, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Spotting an albino deer is exceptionally rare. A true albino deer occurs only once in 100,000 births, according to Deer Management at Buck Manager. Muted video from Dowdys encounter is attached to the top of this web story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Friday made a series of demands of the Trump transition team, asking for assurances President-elect Trumps Cabinet nominees will undergo FBI vetting while also requesting details about aide Boris Epshteyns alleged profiting from promoting those seeking new posts. The letter from Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, comes as the Trump team floated using outside firms to do background checks on its nominees, rather than the traditional practice of having the FBI do so. Raskin said hes seeking clear assurance of using the FBI to perform background checks, noting reports that some nominees are refusing to undergo what he called a standard practice across administrations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While I understand the Trump-Vance Transition has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice that makes it possible for the FBI to conduct background checks, it remains unclear whether the Transition will require nominees to submit to them, Raskin wrote. Given this muddled record, I urge you to clearly and unequivocally commit to requiring that all nominees undergo FBI background checks and submit to vetting before receiving access to classified information. Raskins letter points to reporting from Semafor that some Trump picks are refusing to go through FBI background checks until the agency is in the hands of the Trump administration a move that would cause serious delay. He argued that private firms would fall short of the vetting the FBI is able to provide, and noted that those going through outside background checks would not be under the same legal compulsion to thoroughly disclose potential conflicts and negative information that would apply to disclosures made to the FBI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter asks the transition team to turn over all information on any private firms already contracted by the Trump transition. The letter lists a suite of possible entanglements faced by various Trump nominees, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbards meeting with now-disposed Syrian leader Bashar Assad and her parroting of Russian talking points. It also notes concerns around Sebastian Gorka, who Trump has tapped to work in the National Security Counsel but who previously had trouble getting a security clearance. And it points to multiple controversy swirling around Pete Hegseth, Trumps nominee to lead the Department of Defense, as factors that make him a potential target for compromise or blackmail from foreign governments. The letter also points to the reports surrounding Epshteyn to back the need for thorough FBI vetting. Reporting from CNN and The Washington Post indicated Trump asked for an internal review that found Epshteyn had been asking potential nominees for money to promote them to the president-elect, in some cases asking for as much as $100,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott Bessent, Trumps nominee for Treasury secretary, is among those Epshteyn reportedly approached. He turned down the offer, the Post reported. This is precisely the type of permissive environment in which individuals with undisclosed and unvetted security vulnerabilities can engage in nefarious conduct that could risk American security, Raskin wrote. His letter asks for all documents related to the review into Epshteyn and any associated figures. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. But it has acknowledged its internal review into Epshteyn, who has denied wrongdoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As is standard practice, a broad review of the campaigns consulting agreements has been conducted and completed, including as to Boris, among others, spokesman Steven Cheung said when reports emerged in November. We are now moving ahead together as a team to help President Trump Make America Great Again. Updated at 1:25 p.m. EST Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. As the Trump family publicly bullies Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis into naming Donald Trumps daughter-in-law Lara Trump as Sen. Marco Rubios (R-FL) replacement should he be confirmed to the Cabinet next year, Trump is publicly doubling down on Lara Trumps political prospects. In his Person of the Year interview with TIME Magazine, Trump pointed to Lara Trump as a member of his family who could potentially, eventually become the face of the Trump political dynasty (while in the same breath insulting his daughter Ivanka Trump, who, he said, would be a superstar in politics but shes so family-oriented.) Look, she was the head of the Republican Party, he said of Lara. Shes a young, a young woman, and she was the head of the Republican Party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He went on to express his hopes that he will be able to also leave people that are extremely competent and who get MAGA to carry the torch when his term is up. I have some very competent members of my family. My kids are very competent, he continued, before describing both Eric Trump and Don Jr. as very capable. While it may be true that Lara Trump is the member of the Trump family who has most adequately and publicly demonstrated her political prowess in leading the RNC into a Trump victory, she is also not of Trumps own blood, which may matter in dynastic politics. She is also a woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And its been speculated for some time that Trumps youngest son, Barron Trump, will eventually make a foray into politics. While he ultimately declined to serve as a Florida delegate at the Republican National Convention, he was apparently highly involved in his fathers reelection campaign. His mother, Melania Trump, and others in the Trump family have been vocal about crediting Barron for getting his father to engage with the manosphere and members of the right-wing bro podcast community ahead of the election. Im very proud of him about his knowledge, even about politics, and giving an advice to his father, Melania Trump told the Denver Gazette earlier this month. He brought in so many young people. He knows his generation because nowadays the young generation, they dont sit in front of TV anymore. They are all on the tablets. Their phones and all of these podcasts and streamers. He was very vocal, and he gave advice to his father and was incredible how he brought in a success because he knew exactly who he, his father, needs to contact and to talk to, she said. The Best Of TPM Today We asked you for nominations for each of our Golden Duke categories last week, and, dear readers, you delivered. Now its time to vote. Select which deceptive demon you believe is most deserving of the honor here. May the biggest buffoon win. May The Most Radiant Rodent Win: Its Time To Vote For The 2024 Golden Duke Awards Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dem Senator Denounces Wrays Resignation: He Shouldve Stayed And Fought Wrays Resignation Clears The Way For Trump To Corrupt The FBI Yesterdays Most Read Story Beware Of Trumps Coming Purge Of The U.S. Military What We Are Reading Democrats Lost the Propaganda War Trump Is Starting to Walk Back His Vow to Bring Down Grocery Prices FBI didnt deploy undercover agents on Jan. 6, watchdog report finds, undercutting conspiracy theories GENEVA (Reuters) - The Red Cross said on Friday it had opened two new telephone hotlines to try to reunite Syrians who have been missing for years with their families, but warned that many cases will take months or years to resolve. Since the start of Syria's civil war over 13 years ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has received over 35,000 cases of missing people and is stepping up its efforts to help trace them. Stephan Sakalian, head of delegation for ICRC in Syria, told reporters that it had opened two hotlines this week: one for prisoners and one for families to try to connect them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We can provide them with mental health and psychosocial support ... we can even help them financially if they need to be reunited," he told a Geneva press briefing via video link from Damascus. Legal aid and healthcare are also available, an ICRC statement said. The opening of president Bashar al-Assad's detention system has raised hopes for reunions, with some prisoners re-emerging who were thought by their families to have been executed years ago. But Sakalian sought to temper expectations. "Let's make no mistake: giving answers to people will take weeks, months and maybe years, given the amount of information to process," he said. "The work is tremendous," he added. The ICRC is also looking for three of its colleagues who were abducted in 2013. "Like everyone we want to have hope and seek any signal or any news that may bring some closure to their families, but for the moment, we do not have any news," he added. (Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by William Maclean) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Refinery burns have been popping up at a facility off of Rosedale Highway for weeks now. You can see giant flames burning in the Bakersfield sky from the Westside Parkway to Coffee Road and off of Rosedale Highway. Theyre called refinery burns, also known as flaring, a safety measure used by California refineries to prevent dangerous gases from causing harm to the environment. The flares signal a period of new activity at Kern Countys biggest refinery, owned by Global Clean Energy. In May 2020, Global Clean Energy acquired the refinery off Rosedale Highway. The goal is to convert the refinery to produce renewable biodiesel fuel. The refinery has been quiet for years, and was way behind schedule. Globals Vice President, Antonio DAmico, says these refinery burns are part of the startup process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to 17 News, DAmico said, We remain on track to commence commercial operations and to safely provide highly sustainable and ultra-low carbon finished fuels to the market; in doing so, we comply with all applicable safety and environmental regulations and maintain regular contact with all applicable agencies. The goal is to produce zero-carbon fuels. The company makes renewable diesel fuel by refining biofuels from the camelina plant and from used cooking oils. DAmico says the start-up phase of the project began in mid-November. DAmico says, Our mission is to provide sustainable fuel alternatives that support the nations energy transition to a cleaner, more resilient future. According to the companys website, Global Clean Energy has a five-year contract with ExxonMobil to produce 210 million gallons a year of renewable diesel fuel from the Bakersfield Bio refinery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the security situation in Syria and the wider Middle East during an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani told Blinken that his nation intended to support the reconstruction of Syria following the overthrow of leader Bashar al-Assad by rebel forces, according to a government statement. Al-Sudani also called for an end to any aggression against Syria, hinting at recent Israeli airstrikes. Such attacks, regardless of their origin, endanger the security and stability of the region, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US State Department said in a statement that Blinken's trip was to "underscore US commitment to the US-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraqs security, stability, and sovereignty." Talks in Baghdad also sought to underline the "enduring US support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition." Blinken's trip to Iraq followed visits to Jordan and Turkey. According to the Defence Department, the US has around 900 soldiers stationed in Syria to combat the terrorist group Islamic State in the region. President Joe Biden has said the troops will remain in Syria for the time being, even after the fall of al-Assad. In Iraq, the US also maintains bases as part of an international military coalition but plans to gradually reduce its presence there. A grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. (Photo by Frank van Manen / USGS / Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 / Unedited) If you gave two toddlers a set of crayons and a map of Yellowstone National Park, their resulting artwork would likely look similar to the GPS tracks showing the wanderings of two grizzly bears relocated from Montana to Wyoming earlier this year. The two subadult grizzlies, one male and one female, were fitted with tracking collars upon their capture and a new map by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on Friday shows their roaming range since their release into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From a release site just south of Yellowstone Lake, the male grizzly seems to have marked out tightly knit boundaries on his new territory. His tracking lines show a flurry of activity concentrated within about 20 miles of where he was dropped off. The female grizzly, by contrast, has thoroughly explored northwest Wyoming from her initial release location north of Dubois. She has ranged west to the shore of Jackson Lake near Teton National Park, looped up around the entirety of Yellowstone Lake nearly two times, and roamed all the way into eastern Idaho, hopping the border into Montana before returning to the east side of Yellowstone Park. We are very pleased to see that both bears have remained in the GYE, even staying mostly within remote areas of the Recovery Zone, said Cecily Costello, FWP grizzly bear researcher. Its not always easy for a bear to adjust after being moved like this, but they seem to be settling in. We believe both have recently found a den site for the winter. A map showing the movements of two subadult grizzly bears relocated from Montana to Wyoming this summer. (Courtesy FWP) The two bears had been successfully trapped in July near the Middle Fork Flathead River, part of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem , and released in Wyomings Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both bears were subadults between three and five years old, not yet at sexual maturity, and had no history of conflicts with humans. At this age, according to Montana FWP wildlife division head Ken McDonald, the bears are often in search of a permanent home range, making them likely to stay close to their relocation spots. Grizzlies in the Lower 48 states are protected as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act with six defined recovery areas across the northwestern United States. In both the NCDE and GYE recovery areas, the grizzly population is estimated around 1,100, the Selkirk recovery area spanning the Washington-Idaho-British Columbia border has roughly 80 bears, and Montanas Cabinet-Yaak recovery area has around 40 bears. A few grizzlies have been documented in Montanas Bitterroot Valley, but there are currently no bears in Washingtons Northern Cascades. Recovery zones and current estimated distributions for the six ecosystems identified in the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Graphic by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service While the populations of the NCDE and GYE are robust and have expanded their ranges beyond the recovery zones, there remains no documentation of grizzlies crossing between the distinct populations. This physical separation prevents genetic mixing between the populations a key to long-term conservation of the species. The efforts by Montana and Wyoming wildlife officials, in consultation with federal officials, to relocate two bears from one population to the other will supplement the gene pool and increase the species sustainability. Its an effort that may be repeated in the future, according to FWP, depending on how close in proximity the two populations of grizzlies eventually grow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This just jump starts what very likely will also happen naturally, McDonald, said in a statement. According to McDonald, Montana and Wyoming have and will continue to act on their commitment to connectivity between the two grizzly populations, and the agencies will continue to monitor the bears and their genetics to check for population diversity. That these bears are exploring their new ecosystem and seem to be doing well is an indication that theyll thrive in their new environment, McDonald said. It also reflects the commitment Montana has to grizzly bear conservation. The successful translocation also provides a new benchmark for state officials to use in their push for delisting grizzlies and returning management to the states. Montana, Wyoming and Idaho officials have all petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove grizzlies from the Endangered Species List, a controversial move some conservation groups oppose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to FWP, the states have met delisting requirements for both ecosystems and addressed concerns identified by the public or outlined by federal courts that ruled against previous delisting efforts. The Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to release decisions on grizzly protections in the two biggest ecosystems by the end of January. However, just last week a group of 15 environmental and animal conservation groups sent a petition to FWS asking it to update its Grizzly Bear Recovery Plans just weeks before the expected decision. The latest intervention is based on a new report written by FWSs former longtime grizzly bear recovery manager, Chris Servheen, which recommends against delisting. It says grizzlies remain vulnerable despite population increases, and, among other arguments, the current recovery plan fails to account for population increases in the northern Rocky Rockies or efforts in recent years by western states to enact programs focused on reducing predator populations, including grizzlies. An exam room at Whole Womans Health in South Bend, Indiana, on June 19, 2019. The clinic closed last year, a few months before a near-total abortion ban took effect. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) LaDonna Princes new reproductive care clinic in Illinois was supposed to be open more than a year ago. Prince and her staff were prepared for Indiana to ban abortion, and started trying to move operations to Danville, Illinois, in 2023. Its about 90 minutes across the border from her old clinic in Indianapolis, which provided abortion care for more than 40 years before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and allowed states to regulate abortion access. Today, 12 states including Indiana have a near-total ban on abortion, and four states have a six-week ban, before many people know they are pregnant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that abortion access nationwide may be threatened by the second administration of President-elect Donald Trump and Republican-controlled chambers of Congress, Prince is determined to open the clinic at the beginning of 2025. Its scary, to be honest with you, Prince said during a press conference in early December. Its just really frightening. Princes clinic, Affirmative Care Solutions, is one of a few independent clinics in the country that will open while many others have closed their doors for various reasons. According to a new report released by the Abortion Care Network, 76 brick-and-mortar independent abortion clinics closed between 2022 and 2024, 11 of those in 2024 alone. The report also showed that 70% of the closures in that two-year period were in the South or Midwest. Besides those forced out because of a statewide ban, the report said staffing issues and lack of funding have been the driving factors for others to close their doors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That lack of funding is widespread for abortion care. Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country have reported a downturn in donations and cuts in state funding that have put them in precarious positions. The Abortion Care Network reported in August that their donations decreased by one-third. The Network provides grants for infrastructure projects that help keep clinics afloat, such as building repairs, supplies, equipment and security. Approximately 58% of all abortions in the United States take place at independent clinics rather than a Planned Parenthood affiliate or a hospital, the report said, and more than 60% of clinics that provide abortions after the first trimester are independent. The only clinics in the country that provide terminations after 26 weeks are independent as well. The vast majority of abortions take place in the first trimester, but third trimester care is sometimes necessary. Kentucky clinic co-owner tries to keep pieces together to quickly open again While Illinois has some of the most liberal abortion laws in the country, Prince quickly met resistance from the local government, including the mayor, who cast a tie-breaking vote to pass a city ordinance meant to block the clinic from providing abortion services in Danville. Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. told local news outlet WCIA at the time that the ordinance was in response to the clinic moving in, saying, This is not any kind of comprehensive health for women. This is literally just an abortion clinic. The ordinance is unenforceable because of state law, Prince said, but that hasnt changed the attitude among local government officials. All of that preceded an attack on the clinic by a 73-year-old man who crashed his truck into the building and tried to set it on fire as it was under renovation in May 2023, causing more than $500,000 in damages and further delaying the clinics opening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, Prince tried to hire a plumber, only to have him tell her he wouldnt do any work for her because he didnt believe in abortion. Its not easy to find people who are even willing to do the work, and its a business thats not even open yet, she said. The Abortion Care Network provides grant funding for infrastructure needs at independent abortion clinics, and in the report, the organization laments all of the recent clinic closures because once a clinic closes, it is often exceedingly difficult to reopen, even in a state with laws that allow broad access. For that reason, at least one independent clinic in a state with a near-total abortion ban is trying to retain its existing infrastructure so that opening would be easier if abortion becomes legal again. Ona Marshall, co-owner of EMW Womens Surgical Center in Louisville, Kentucky, said the center provided medication and procedural abortion care for 43 years before it was forced to close, and it provided the vast majority of abortions in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marshall cited a new lawsuit filed in Kentucky in November seeking to overturn the states ban, saying that was good news that could ultimately allow the clinic to reopen someday, but those court proceedings can take years. In the meantime, she is trying to keep the pieces of the clinic together to be able to quickly open again if that day comes. Once you give up a license in a hostile state, depending on whether theres an anti-abortion governor, they may deny you a license for no valid reason, which requires months of additional court challenges with no guarantee of winning, Marshall said during the press conference. You are taking a large personal and financial risk in a highly unstable and politically charged environment, so its just critical to try to keep as many clinics open as possible. A sold-out event for the unveiling of the new renderings for the Evans and Rosedale urban village in the Historic Southside community brought excitement and hope for the Fort Worth communitys future. The developers, Royal Capital, presented Thursday night at the Bethlehem Center, 951 Evans Ave., what the future of the six-acre area next to the center could be. The renderings showed mixed-income housing of 184 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom options. The renderings included a walkable community with green space, retail opportunities such as food trucks or restaurants, vendors, social activities for children and adults and other health and wellness options. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The objective here is to have as many flexible opportunities as we can and to bring the community together as often as we can, Kevin Newell, founder & CEO of Royal Capital, told residents and stakeholders. The development will include 247 parking spaces, such as garages and surface lots. The team is still working on the affordability and rent range for the housing. Royal Capital and city council member Chris Nettles reassured residents and stakeholders of the Historic Southside that their mission is to have community input and be transparent on additional work they are doing on the project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will tell you that we are very intentional in whats going to happen on this land, Nettles said. And so thats why, each and every time we go to the second phase, the next phase, we want to come to the community and share with you. The city set aside $13.2 million in grants in 2021 to help with construction of the Evans and Rosedale urban village. Roughly $4.2 million of those incentives came from the American Rescue Plan Act, and must be spent by the end of 2024. Milwaukee-based Royal Capital was chosen to develop the urban village in August after the city fired Dallas-based Hoque Global last December. Hoque Global was unable to secure adequate funding. The company had been hired to build a mixed-use development with 292 apartments and 15,000 square feet of commercial space, originally slated to be completed by 2023. One mile southeast of downtown Fort Worth, the Historic Southside is one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the city. The neighborhood is situated between Interstate 35W and Riverside Drive, bordered by Vickery Boulevard at its north and East Rosedale Street at its south. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 2019 study by UT Southwestern found residents of the 76104 ZIP code have the lowest life expectancy in Texas 66.7 years. The urban village is planned to be a catalyst for revitalization. It will also coincide with the National Juneteenth Museum, slated to open in 2026, with efforts to be built at the same location as the Southside Community Center at 959 E. Rosedale St. Johnny Lewis, a longtime Historic Southside resident and former vice president of the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association, said he was impressed by the presentation and previous work done by Royal Capital. He knew he was not going to get all of the answers he wanted Thursday, but was focused on the security of the area, community investment for young Black entrepreneurs, and mixed-income development. Theyve already assured me that one thing that theyve done in their other projects is theyve worked with people from the Black community and the Brown community, so that they have a good piece of the pie when money goes in and out of the community, Lewis said. MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) Firefighters quickly responded and put out a fire at a Manitowoc home on Thursday night where all residents were able to safely evacuate. According to the Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department, crews were called to a home in the 3700 block of Straight Street around 7:35 p.m. on December 12. Green Bay firefighter remembered for 17 Years of service after line-of-duty death The initial call reported smoke and flames with the house fully engulfed. Crews arrived within four minutes of the call and found an active fire on the front side of the home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities say that all residents had safely evacuated and the fire was put out within seven minutes from the time of dispatch. Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department No injuries were reported and the fire is currently under investigation but the release noted that it appeared to have begun on the exterior of the structure. There was no damage estimate provided. The Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department would like to stress the importance of the proper disposal of smoking materials, the release concluded. He needed someone to talk to: Green Lake Sheriff opens up about Ryan Borgwardts return to Wisconsin The Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department was assisted by the following agencies: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Branch Fire Department Manitowoc County Joint Dispatch Center Manitowoc Police Department Manitowoc Public Utilities Silver Creek Fire Department Two Rivers Fire Department No additional information was provided. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Last weekend, leaders from France, Ukraine and the United States met in Paris. While the gatherings primary purpose was to celebrate the reopening of Notre Damenewly restored after the 2019 fire that destroyed large parts of the cathedralit also offered the opportunity for diplomacy. In particular, the three leaders talked over the next phase of the ongoing war in Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed to come away from the meeting buoyed. Zelenskyy noted that they had discussed important issues on the battlefield and in the global situation, from our frontlines to North Korea, before adding, We count on America and the entire world to help stop Putin. The only things he fears are America and global unity. Zelenskyys remarks are not surprising, as he has long made clear that U.S. support to Ukraine is critical to its war effort. What was surprising about the meeting was that the U.S. leader in attendance was not current President Joe Biden, who is rushing the last deliveries of authorized U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. Nor was it one of his top foreign policy officials, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, it was President-elect Donald Trump, despite the fact that he will not officially take office until Jan. 20, 2025. But that did not seem to matter to Zelenskyy, who already referred to Trump as President Trump. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. Zelenskyy is far from alone in treating Trump as if he were already the sitting U.S. president. Following Trumps election victory in November, a host of foreign leaders quickly shifted to engaging with him, while side-stepping Biden. Consider how Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted when Trump threatened to impose harsh tariffs on both nations in response to flows of undocumented migrants and illicit drugs into the United States. Sheinbaum, after strongly rebutting Trumps claims and pointing out that tariffs would be harmful to both countries, announced her plans to call Trump to discuss the issue over the phone. Trudeau went a step further, meeting directly with Trump at the latters Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. In addition to initiating negotiations over the measures Trudeau might take to avoid tariffs, their meeting resulted in a bizarre offer by Trump to make Canada the 51st U.S. state. He made comments to the same effect about Mexico, though not in his call with Sheinbaum. Reinforcing the incentive for foreign leaders to reach out to Trump on substantive issues beyond an initial congratulatory phone call is the fact that Trump personalizes U.S. foreign policy around himself. Even China, whose President Xi Jinping officially closed the book on his relationship with Biden after the most recent APEC summit in Peru, has already shifted gears: Trump confirmed that he and Xi have resumed communication. Though Trump didnt provide details, his statements suggest that their conversations are going further than simply exchanging platitudes about the importance of the U.S.-China relationship. They are instead opening discussions over issues ranging from trade to the status of Taiwan, ahead of what could prove to be a tense relationship over the next four years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The above episodes all illustrate that, from the perspective of foreign leaders, Trump is already the de facto U.S. president. While this makes the current presidential transition highly unusual, it also makes sense for a few reasons. For starters, Trump is only the second president in U.S. history to be elected to nonconsecutive terms. But things are much different today than the first time it happened, when Grover Cleveland was elected president in 1885 and then again in 1893. Back then, the U.S. was only emerging as a major power, and the U.S. president was not even seen as a major international figure, let alone the leader of the free world. Thats not the case now. For better and for worse, the U.S. remains the key power in the international system. Of course, that means world leaders will want to have a good relationship with the incoming president, which is why many line up to quickly congratulate the election winner every four years, maybe even taking the opportunity to meet with the president-elect prior to the inauguration. Indeed, when Trump was first elected in 2016, then-Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo paid him a visit at Trump Tower in New York City ahead of his inauguration, becoming the first foreign leader to meet with him. That has been even more pronounced the second time around, especially since many of Trumps interlocutors among world leaders still have communication channels with him from his first term in office. What makes this time different is that Trump appears to be not just accepting courtesy calls, but actively engaging in diplomacy before the inauguration. Indeed, he apparently had regular conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and even Russian President Vladimir Putin well before the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reinforcing the incentive for foreign leaders to reach out to Trump on substantive issues beyond an initial congratulatory phone call is the fact that Trump personalizes U.S. foreign policy around himself. Usually these substantive conversations dont take place until the incoming presidents foreign policy team is in place, and for some until the relevant ambassador has been appointed. Trumps foreign policy picks are no doubt important. But consistent with his aim to shrink the role of the federal government in all aspects of policymakingto the point that it can be funded solely on tariff revenuehe is keen on centralizing policymaking in his own hands. For Trump, the U.S. is the indispensable nation, but only if it is personified by him. Trump has further raised the stakes for the transition period by his bold campaign pronouncements that he would actually solve some of the worlds crises even before he entered office. And it seems that he has at least tried to make good on that assertion. But the key word is tried. For instance, he claimed that it would only take him a few phone calls to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine. But Putin does not appear interested in accepting what Trump has on offer. The obvious downside to world leaders immediately focusing on Trump as the de facto U.S. president is that the man who currently holds the job and has the actual ability to steer U.S. policy during a crisis is seemingly being cut out of the foreign policy dealmaking process. But one key positive is that this presidential transition will likely avoid what international relations scholars call the turnover trap: the idea that foreign officials will test a new leader in order to gauge their resolve, with the new leader in turn taking tougher actions than they would otherwise prefer in order to establish an early reputation for being tough. Its hard to call Trump a known quantity, given that he is predictably unpredictable. But as the unusual nature of this transition shows, he is familiar enough that foreign leaders have essentially picked up their engagement with him where they left off in early 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Presidential transitions are always an interesting time. The sitting president attempts to wrap up their agenda, ease the way for their predecessor and maybe even throw in a last-second pardon or twoor more. But the current transition is more interesting than most. Or, we might say, it was more interesting, as from the standpoint of many world leaders it has already taken place. Paul Poast is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago and a nonresident fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The post For the Rest of the World, Trump Is Already the U.S. President appeared first on World Politics Review. A London restaurant is facing criticism for charging diners 1.50 per head for tablecloths and napkins. The London Steakhouse Company, co-founded by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, asks customers to pay a cover charge of 1.50 per head, which the restaurant states is to cover the cost of table linen and napkins. While the contribution for the tablecloth is described as a fixed fee, there is also a discretionary service charge of 9.5pc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hospitality expert Steven Hesketh said it represents a worrying trend of restaurants looking at more innovative ways to charge customers to capture revenue, in anticipation of minimum wage increases in April. He said: To continue adding additional charges for customers is another nail in the coffin of the hospitality industry, which we really dont need. The additional charges are displayed on the a la carte menu, although set menus have differing charges listed as a 1 per head cover charge, and a 12.5pc service charge. Located near Liverpool Street train station, London Steakhouse Company was opened by Marco Pierre White in 2008 and markets itself as linen-topped table dining, but consumer expert Jane Hawkes said it is bonkers to ask customers to foot the bill for a certain ambience. London Steakhouse Company markets itself as linen-topped table dining - Rii Schroer She added: If you go to a restaurant you expect to get a bill for the food and drink you have had, nothing more. Its not at all fair to introduce an extra charge for something that should be included as standard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The addition of cover charges to a dining bill is a standard practice in Italy where the coperto charge covers table linen and bread, but it is becoming increasingly prevalent in the UK. Harrods recently implemented a 1 levy at their London restaurants. The London Steakhouse Company also adds a 10 fee for booking certain set menus more than 48 hours in advance. Their website clarifies this is not a deposit and wont be credited to your bill in the restaurant, it is just a fee to allow you to make the reservation. Ms Hawkes said the introduction of yet more fees is unfair as businesses should be doing more to make people feel their custom is valued. She added: Yes, the hospitality industry is struggling, but dont bamboozle your customers, a fee just for the privilege of booking is unfair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New legislation was introduced at the beginning of October to ensure that staff receive an equal distribution of money from tips and service charges, but by upping fees for diners, Ms Hawkes said wait staff could bear the brunt of customers tight purse strings. People will be less inclined to pay the service charge or tip if theyre faced with a cover charge and booking fee, which means people are working really hard in a difficult industry and are not being rewarded. The London Steakhouse Company was contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A retired Sharonville police lieutenant was arrested in Blue Ash during an undercover operation, according to our news partner WCPO. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Keith Schoonover, 58, was arrested for soliciting prostitution, according to a press release from Blue Ash police. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officer said they were conducting an undercover operation on Dec. 4 at the Holiday Inn Express on Creek Road. Schoonover was arrested as a result, police said. Officers saw Schoonover at the hotel and found text messages of an exchange of $200 for half an hour with a woman. When police interviewed Schoonover over the phone, he told officers he did make a date with the woman at the hotel, but never actually engaged in any transaction because she was in the bathroom arguing on the phone the whole time, the police report says. Schoonover told police he was concerned about being robbed after she didnt emerge for 10 to 15 minutes, the report says. The Sharonville Police Department said Schoonover was a former employee of the City of Sharonville, who retired in good standing in October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an official statement from the police department, he is currently a private citizen and afforded the rights as such. According to a social media post announcing Schoonovers retirement, he worked at the department for 31 years. The Blue Ash Police Department proactively created the Community Impact Unit to increase the police presence throughout the city, said Blue Ash Police Chief Scott Noel in a press release. Its important that we conduct sweeps and sting operations like this to crack down on crime and keep residents and visitors safe. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort on Feb. 27, 2024. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) Kentucky lawmakers are poised to repeat a policy misstep that history and economic theory warn against: cutting taxes during a period of expected revenue decline. As the saying goes, when youre in a hole, stop digging. The proposed reduction of the states individual income tax rate from 4% to 3.5% comes despite forecasts showing a $213 million drop in revenue for fiscal year 2025. This decision reflects not fiscal prudence but a misplaced reliance on the Laffer Curves oversimplified promise that cutting taxes can spur sufficient economic growth to offset lost revenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Laffer Curve, popularized during the Reagan era, proposes that there exists a tax rate sweet spot where revenue is maximized. However, the curves real-world application is complex and context-dependent. Kentuckys current tax rate is far from the punitive levels where cuts might theoretically boost revenue. Instead, we are beginning to see the consequences of an overly aggressive tax-cutting agenda: declining revenue, strained public services and increased financial instability. The Reagan administration offers a cautionary tale. When President Ronald Reagan implemented significant tax cuts in 1981, they were meant to stimulate economic growth and, by extension, government revenue. However, the promised surge in revenue did not materialize, and deficits ballooned. Facing fiscal reality, Reagan signed subsequent tax increases including the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 to stabilize the budget. These adjustments demonstrated that unchecked tax cuts can lead to severe financial strain, necessitating policy reversals to avoid long-term harm. This reality undermines the argument that reducing income tax will let Kentuckians retain more of their hard-earned income without significant trade-offs. The trade-offs are clear enough. Revenue from Kentuckys individual income tax the states most stable and productive source of funds has already declined. Meanwhile, lawmakers are relying on volatile corporate taxes and modest increases in sales tax revenue to offset these losses. This is unsustainable. Also, proponents of these cuts often ignore the broader impacts of reduced revenue on essential public services. As Jason Bailey of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy aptly noted recently in the Kentucky Lantern, slashing income taxes disproportionately benefits affluent individuals while underfunding education, health care, infrastructure and public worker benefits all critical investments for long-term economic growth and equity. Unlike neighboring states such as Tennessee, which boast more diverse economies capable of generating substantial revenue from alternative sources, Kentuckys economy lacks the breadth to offset the loss of income tax revenue. This makes our reliance on stable and productive tax streams even more crucial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of further cuts point to budgetary buffers and guardrails designed to absorb revenue fluctuations. However, the 2022 legislation establishing these benchmarks has been manipulated, excluding billions of dollars in one-time spending from fiscal calculations. This sleight of hand creates the illusion of fiscal readiness while kicking the can down the road on inevitable budget shortfalls. Rather than pursuing ideological tax cuts, Kentucky should prioritize long-term fiscal health and economic competitiveness. Investments in education, health care and infrastructure are proven drivers of economic growth, yielding benefits far greater than those promised by marginal reductions in tax rates. Instead of eroding the tax base, lawmakers should focus on reforms that equitably distribute tax burdens and ensure stable revenue streams. The push to reduce Kentuckys income tax rate further exemplifies a fundamental fallacy: the belief that revenue declines can be reversed simply by shrinking the governments share of economic output. History, including the Reagan administrations experience, and economic evidence show that tax cuts without corresponding and significant economic expansion or often seemingly draconian expenditure cuts lead to budgetary constraints, diminished public services and widening inequality. Kentuckians deserve a government that prioritizes fiscal responsibility over ideological taxes but in strengthening the foundational services that support our communities and future growth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cutting the income tax to 3.5% amid declining revenue is not just shortsighted; it could prove reckless. This session, the General Assembly should pivot from pursuing ill-advised tax cuts to addressing the pressing needs of the commonwealths constituents. Kentuckys fiscal future and the well-being of its citizens depends on it. An adviser and lawyer helping Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vet potential agency officials has filed over a dozen lawsuits challenging the availability of common vaccines including the polio vaccine. According to a Friday report from The New York Times, Aaron Siri, an attorney who represented Kennedy during his campaign, has spent much of his career filing legal challenges against vaccines on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network, an anti-vaccine group founded by Del Bigtree, a notorious vaccine conspiracy theorist and close Kennedy ally. Siris work includes a 2022 challenge asking officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an agency Kennedy would gain oversight of if confirmed as HHS secretary to revoke their authorization of the polio vaccine. Siri has also challenged the availability of the hepatitis B, tetanus, Covid-19, and diphtheria vaccines, and has also subjected vaccine researchers and doctors to lengthy depositions on their work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Siris representatives note: Even if the requested relief in the polio petition at issue is granted by the FDA, adults and children in the United States can still receive polio vaccines because the petition concerned only the license of one of six polio-containing vaccines and only as to its licensure for children. There are and still would be five other licensed polio vaccines for children that are available for those who choose to get it. Siris petition to the FDA makes clear that the polio vaccine he wants the agency to revoke its approval of is the only standalone vaccine for poliomyelitis used in the United States. Sources told the Times that Kennedy has not only considered Siri for a role within his prospective agency, but has involved him in efforts to vet prospective underlings. Those who observed Kennedy and Siris interviews say the pair have questioned candidates about their views on vaccines. Last year RFK Jr. claimed that he would not take away access to vaccines from Americans who want them, but Siris close involvement in the candidate selection process and past work attempting to strip vaccines of government approval are a sign Kennedy may not have been totally honest while campaigning. Shocking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President-elect Donald Trump is also suggesting his administration may revoke vaccine authorizations on Kennedys advice. In a Thursday interview with Time magazine, Trump said he would discuss ending childhood vaccination programs with Kenendy citing high rates of autism in a reference to the conspiracy theory linking vaccinations to the neurodevelopmental disorder. When asked directly if he would get rid of some vaccines, Trump replied that he could if I think its dangerous, if I think they are not beneficial, but I dont think its going to be very controversial in the end. However, during this weeks appearance on Meet the Press, Trump carved out a negotiable caveat for the polio vaccine. The polio vaccine is the greatest thing, he said. If someone told me get rid of the polio vaccine, theyre going to have to work really hard to convince me. Its not only Kennedy who is raising alarm bells among medical experts. The president-elects selection of high-level health officials features a cadre of conspiracy theorists, including NIH nominee Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford health economist who drew controversy over his pandemic-era proposal to simply allow herd immunity to develop through widespread infection. Trump has also nominated Janette Nesheiwat, best known for her work as a Fox News talking head, to serve as surgeon general, and TV snake oil salesman Dr. Mehmet Oz for a position as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this environment, Siri and Kennedys plans to challenge the approval and availability of vaccines could meet few roadblocks. Dr. Stanley Plotkin, the inventor of the rubella vaccine who was once subjected to a nine-hour deposition in a lawsuit brought by Siri, told the Times that putting the anti-vaccine lawyer in a position of power would be a disaster. I find him laughable in many ways except, of course, that hes a danger to public health, he said. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SALISBURY, Pa. As she looked over a large map Wednesday, Jennifer Miller had her family farm on her mind and her familys future at her side. The Greenville Township woman held her grandson, Maverick, at a PennDOT hearing in Salisbury while an engineer outlined plans to widen U.S. Route 219 through the edge of her 352-acre farmstead. Soon, there was a look of relief in her eyes. Id rather lose some of my woods than our croplands, and now it looks like we might not lose anything, Miller said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearby, the highway projects strongest Somerset County advocates also had reason for relief. Wednesdays hearing was a chance to gather public feedback on the environmental impact that could be posed by PennDOTs six-mile-long preferred route for a four-lane Route 219 from Meyersdale to Maryland. During an hour-long session that drew 30 attendees, just two residents voiced comments. Neither gave testimony opposing the route, or even concerns. Weve waited for six decades for safety, for business, Meyersdale-area resident Martha Albright testified. We need this road. Like Miller, Albright said the current proposal raised the possibility that she could lose a piece of her land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Im willing to do that, she told PennDOT and Army Corps of Engineers officials. The hearing was part of a mandated process toward getting federal approval to select a final route, PennDOT District 9 Project Manager Mike Stone said. Before state transportation officials can submit their final route proposal, a 45-day window is mandated with the hearing as a centerpiece to enable the public to see the plan and weigh in, he added. Tonight is about hearing from you, PennDOT District 9 Executive Vince Greenland told the crowd. Project engineering consultant Steve Moore, of Stantec Inc., said PennDOTs approximately $353 million proposed route called E Shift Modified on preliminary designs would impact half as much farmland acreage, 38 acres, as another finalist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With just two bridges planned, the preferred route is also estimated at $100 million cheaper, state officials said. It would impact no more than 10 acres of wetlands and displace up to eight residences and two commercial businesses, Stone said. Earlier proposals projected that 13 or more homes would be impacted. Those property owners would be compensated for their losses, PennDOT has said. Right now, were sort of drawing with a big crayon, Stone said, calling the proposed impact a worst-case scenario. Some impacted properties, as Miller was told, may only need to grant a temporary easement during construction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Somerset County President Commissioner Brian Fochtman said county officials recognize that theres a price to pay for progress. No perfect route could be carved out without impacting someone. Your sacrifices will not be taken for granted, Fochtman said, speaking on behalf of the entire board of commissioners. The completion of a four-lane U.S. Route 219 through Somerset County, from Greater Johnstown to Maryland, will bolster job opportunities and wages, and it will improve safety and travel times, Fochtman added. The board threw its full support behind the E Shift Modified proposal. Fochtman said the road will bring long-sought north-south connectivity to the entire Southern Alleghenies region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cambria County Commissioner Thomas Chernisky also attended the meeting. He said he wanted to make it clear that Cambria County supported the project and the efforts in Somerset County to see the work across the finish line. This is going to be a regional asset. Well all benefit, Chernisky said. In Cambria County, were connected to State College through I-99, Pittsburgh through (U.S.) Route 22 ... and now well be linked with Morgantown and Maryland, too. Miller said shes hopeful, too. This farm is where my grandchildren live, so I do hope this project will make a positive impact on our area, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wednesdays hearing wasnt the publics last chance to review or share comments on the environmental impact study for the proposed route, also called a DEIS. It is on display at the following locations: Meyersdale Public Library, 210 Center St., Meyersdale. Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County in Grantsville, Maryland. Somerset County Library, 6022 Glades Pike, Suite 120, Somerset. Mary S. Biesecker Public Library, 230 S. Rosina Ave., Somerset. The public will have until Jan. 13 to add comments or concerns for officials to review, a PennDOT release shows. Stone said the hope is that federal officials will grant an environmental permit in the summer of 2025, enabling the proposed project to move toward right-of-way acquisition. The project remains on track for construction in 2029, he added. According to Superintendent Greg Hudon, Lowell police responded to a crash involving a child Thursday night. The incident occurred at approximately 4 P.M. when officers were dispatched to the intersection of West Third and Coburn Street. Once on the scene, police discovered a 2-year-old girl was lying on the street with serious injuries. The child was immediately transported to a nearby by Boston hospital for treatment to what is believed to be life-threatening injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The operator of the vehicle remained on the scene and cooperated with police. Neighbors in the area say the girl was reportedly with her mother, who allegedly had an epileptic attack, and her brother. #UPDATE: Lowell Police say a 2-year old girl is fighting for her life in a Boston hospital after being hit by a car. The driver of the car remained on scene and is cooperating, police say. @boston25 https://t.co/wJvUAX0mKO Daniel Coates (@danielcoates_25) December 13, 2024 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 ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) Edward Dudley grew up in the Gainsboro neighborhood in Roanoke and later became the first African American United States Ambassador. He served in Liberia from 1949 to 1953, then returned to the US to serve as a court justice and a Civil Rights activist. People feared his legacy was forgotten with time, so the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the city of Roanoke stepped in and built and unveiled a plaque dedicated to him at the corner of Gilmore Avenue and Gainsboro Road. These markers are public and theyre on the street corners as we are here at the corner of Gainsboro (Road) and Gilmore Avenue, and so theyre permanent, Nelson Harris, a local historian and former mayor of Roanoke, said. It really does allow history to be contextualized and to be told publicly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris was joined by current Mayor Sherman Lea, Vice Mayor Joe Cobb, Dudleys son Edward Dudley junior and many others. They noted how special it was to have someone from the area make such an impact globally. Roanoke native Edward Dudleys legacy to be recognized with historical marker All of these landmark pieces of work that he did throughout his life, Cobb said. Not only breaking down barriers, but creating pathways for people to come into leadership, and that all started in Roanoke is very special. After the unveiling of the plaque, the Gainsboro library hosted a reception and Q-&-A with Dudley junior, who finally had the opportunity to tell his fathers stories. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A moment he believes was long overdue. History is so important like the stories I told people, and I think they enjoyed them, Dudley junior said. He was such a special person, I believe he was a special person that not many (people) know about. Dudley plans to donate a bunch of his fathers documents to the library so anyone can learn about him. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Irans capital and outlying provinces have faced rolling power blackouts for weeks in October and November, with electricity cuts disrupting peoples lives and businesses. And while several factors are likely involved, some suspect cryptocurrency mining has played a role in the outages. Iran economy has been hobbled for years by international sanctions over its advancing nuclear program. The country's fuel reserves have plummeted, with the government selling off more to cover budget shortfalls as wars rage in the Middle East and Tehran grapples with mismanagement. The demand on the grid has not let up, however even as Iranians stopped using air conditioners as the weather cooled in the fall and before winter months set in, when people fire up their gas heaters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, bitcoin's value has rocketed to all-time highs after the U.S. election was clinched by Donald Trump. It hit the $100,000 mark for the first time last week, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The surge has led some to suspect that organized cryptocurrency mining sucking away huge amounts of power has played a part in the outages in Iran. Unfortunately, some opportunistic and exploitative individuals use subsidized electricity, public networks and other resources for cryptocurrency mining without authorization," Mostafa Rajabi, the CEO of Iran's government-owned power company, said back in August. Irans state energy company did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Power outages have come and gone in the past in Iran, which struggles with aging equipment at many of its plants. Over the summer, sustained blackouts struck industrial parks near Tehran and other cities. Then in October and November, rolling power cuts across Tehran's neighborhoods became the norm in daylight hours. Climate change has been blamed in part, with persisting droughts and less water running through Iranian hydroelectric dams. Iran's reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered several power plants to stop burning mazut, a high-polluting heavy fuel common in the former Soviet Union countries. Tehran has used it in the past to make up the difference in electricity generation. Fuel reserves, both in diesel and natural gas, also remain low even though Iran is an OPEC member and home to one of the world's second-largest reserves of natural gas, behind only Russia. There's been no explanation for the decision to keep those reserves low, though critics have suggested Iran likely sold the fuel to cover budget shortfalls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For his part, Pezeshkian has said that he must "honestly tell the public about the energy situation. We have no choice but to consume energy economically, especially gas, in the current conditions and the cold weather, he said in mid-November. I myself use warm clothes at home; others can do the same." Still, winter heating isn't in full swing quite yet on Tehran raising questions where the power is going. In many poor and densely populated neighborhoods across the country, people have access to free, unmetered electricity. Mosques, schools, hospitals and other sites also receive free power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And with electricity in general sold at subsidized rates, bitcoin processing centers have boomed. They require immense amounts of electricity to power specialized computers and to keep them cool. Determining how much power is used up by mining is difficult, particularly as miners now use virtual private networks that mask their location, said Masih Alavi, the CEO of an Iranian-government-licensed mining company called Viraminer. Also, miners have been renting apartments to hide their rigs inside of empty homes. They distribute their machines across several apartments to avoid being detected," Alavi said. In 2021, one estimate suggested Iran processed as much as $1 billion in bitcoin transactions. That value likely has spiked, given bitcoin's rise. Meanwhile, Iran's blackouts began in earnest as bitcoin spiked from around $67,000 to over $100,000 in its historic rally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rajabi, the state electricity company CEO, said his firm would offer rewards of $725 for people to report unlicensed bitcoin farms. The farms have caused an abnormal increase in consumption, disruptions, and problems in power networks, Rajabi said. The amount of power used by some 230,000 unlicensed devices is equivalent, he said, to the entire power needs of Iran's Markazi province one of the country's chief manufacturing sites. Iranian officials and media have not linked bitcoin's surge and the ongoing blackouts but the public has, with social media users resharing a video showing a massive bitcoin farm earlier this year uncovered in Iran. A voice off camera asks how it was possible the electrical company did not discover the farm sooner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Treasury and Israel have targeted bitcoin wallets that theyve alleged are affiliated with operations run by Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard to finance allied militant groups in Mideast war zones. That suggests the Guard itself one of the most-powerful forces within Iran may be involved in the mining. In contrast, Iranian media nearly every day report on individual mining operations being raided by police. Iran may see bitcoin as a hedge against increased pressure from the incoming Trump administration and as regional allies are engulfed in turmoil, said Richard Nephew, an adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The question for the economists inside Iran is do we trust this enough to fund the government," said Nephew, who has long worked on Iran issues and sanction strategies in the U.S. government. However, he cautioned against thinking of bitcoin as a magic bullet for Iran, particularly as bitcoin wallets can be targeted in sanctions. A pattern of behavior screams out to intelligence services," Nephew said. "It screams out to bank compliance departments. ___ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Mehdi Fattahi and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. By Angelo Amante ROME (Reuters) - Rome's Jewish community expressed dismay on Friday after two unions called a nationwide strike to protest against Italy's "support for the genocidal Israeli government" amongst other complaints. Friday's strike by the USB and Cobas unions has primarily hit public transport and is due to last 24 hours. "Ours is a strike against the war economy and thus also against our government's support for the Israeli state," a spokesperson for the USB union told Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along with a demand for higher wages and a shorter working week, a lengthy strike manifesto published online singled out Israel in the unions' opposition to Italy's "growing involvement in war theatres". Victor Fadlun, president of the Jewish Community of Rome, accused the unions of stirring anti-Semitism. "Dismay and bewilderment. There are no other words to describe what we feel," Fadlun said in a statement. "We are faced with the emergence of hatred towards Israel that disregards any reasonable context, and that can have no other explanation than the urgency of expressing, even if it is misplaced, an anti-Semitism that has been simmering all along," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 44,800 people since it began 14 months ago, according to Palestinian health authorities. The war began after Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to Hamas-run Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Italy has remained firm in saying Israel had a right to defend itself, but has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and has urged Israel to limit civilian casualties. Friday's strike had a limited impact on transport, with some, but not all metro lines shut in Rome and Milan, while bus and tram services were operating in most cities albeit with delays. (Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Christina Fincher) A woman involved in a family disturbance was arrested after crashing a vehicle that she'd allegedly stolen Friday, according to Colorado Springs police. Ariana Fresquez, 23, is being held at the El Paso County jail and is facing motor vehicle theft-related charges, police said in an online blotter entry. At about 5 a.m., police responded to the family disturbance in the 5100 block of Airport Road, near Powers Boulevard. Fresquez and her boyfriend left the residence after the disturbance. Officers located Fresquez, who then stole and crashed a vehicle in the same area, police said. She was arrested and taken to an area hospital for medical clearance after fighting with responding officers, they said. She was then taken into custody. Fresquez's boyfriend, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant, was not found. HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) The Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office announced the arrest of Rooftop Construction owner Hanzel Hoag on felony charges of fraud on Friday. It was also announced there is an outstanding felony warrant for co-owner John Michael Shamo. According to a release from the sheriffs office, the victim in the case reported significant damage to their home during the April 2 tornado after a large tree fell on the property. An engineer hired by the victims insurance company assessed the damage and estimated the cost of necessary repairs and replacements to exceed $75,000, including the removal and replacement of the entire roof. Authorities say the victim initially paid over $26,000 for repairs from Rooftop Construction, and was later asked for additional payments to continue the work. However, the reporter said only portions of the roof were replaced, old insulation was used in areas where new insulation was required and new siding was improperly installed. The victim refused further payments until the issues were resolved, but authorities say the contractors ceased construction and stopped communicating with the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the victim reported the incident to the sheriffs office, an investigation was conducted in consultation with the Vanderburgh County Building Commission and its inspectors. Authorities say the investigation revealed that much of the work was not up to code, lacked proper permits and failed required inspections. Officials also said the contract did not comply with Indiana state codes. During an interview, Shamo and Hoag reportedly claimed they were unaware of the compliance issues, and believed their work was satisfactory. The sheriffs office says additional repairs to the home following the work performed by Rooftop Construction are expected to exceed the original estimate, as much of the completed work would need to be redone. Mr. Shamo and Mr. Hoag took advantage of homeowners during a time of great need, exploiting their urgency for repairs and assistance, said Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson. The Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office is committed to ensuring that those who unlawfully profit from the misfortunes of others are brought to justice and held fully accountable for their actions. (Courtesy: Vanderburgh County Jail) Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Royal Mail has been hit with a 10.5m fine after delivering more than one in four first-class letters late. Ofcom has handed down the fine its second in more than a year after ruling that the postal service breached its regulatory obligations through poor service levels. Royal Mail is required to deliver 93pc of first-class mail within one working day of collection and 98.5pc of second-class mail within three working days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the company delivered 74.7pc of first-class letters and 92.7pc of second-class post within these deadlines in the year to March. Royal Mail blamed the poor performance partially on its ailing finances, as the company posted 348m of losses in the last financial year. However, Ofcom ruled that the company took insufficient and ineffective steps to prevent delivery delays, which are thought to have affected millions of customers. It comes after Britons were plagued by letter delays over the festive season last year, with some receiving their Christmas cards as late as February. Martin Seidenberg, the chief executive of Royal Mails parent company International Distribution Services, has insisted the post service is well-prepared this year after investing in more staff and vehicles, while also improving in areas such as sick leave. The 10.5m fine is a record financial penalty for late letter deliveries and comes a year after Royal Mail was fined 5.6m for the same failings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ofcom previously found the company in breach of delivery targets but spared it from a fine due to the impact of the pandemic. The regulator said the penalty marked a 30pc reduction from the 15m it would have imposed after Royal Mail admitted liability and agreed to settle the case. Ian Strawhorne, Ofcoms director of enforcement, said: With millions of letters arriving late, far too many people arent getting what they pay for when they buy a stamp. Royal Mails poor service is now eroding public trust in one of the UKs oldest institutions. This is the second time weve fined the company since the pandemic. Royal Mail has provided an improvement plan and were seeing some signs of progress but it must go further and faster to deliver the service that people expect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ofcom said it was pushing Royal Mail to turn its service around but claimed its performance was only marginally better than the previous year. The regulator said it would hold the company to account on an improvement plan published earlier this year. It comes as Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech tycoon, closes in on a 3.6bn takeover of Royal Mail. Ministers are expected to approve the deal in the coming weeks. As part of its overhaul, Royal Mail is also pushing for reform to its universal service obligations, including scrapping second-class post on Saturdays and relaxing delivery targets, arguing that they are no longer sustainable as letter volumes continue to decline. A Royal Mail spokesman said: We acknowledge the decision made today by Ofcom. Throughout this year we have continued to implement substantial changes to drive improvements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is shown in our latest quality of service results with both first and second-class mail improving year-on-year. Ofcom also notes that we are on a recovery path to significantly improve performance. Delivering great quality of service is extremely important to us and we are making the necessary changes to deliver for our customers. However, it is essential that these efforts are backed by urgent reform of the Universal Service, restoring it to a level that meets the needs of todays postal users, not the needs of customers 20 years ago. Combined this will help create a modern, sustainable and reliable service for future generations. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Russian troops continue to advance toward Pokrovsk and Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, while Ukrainian forces have made gains near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Dec. 13, citing the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center. Russian troops control the village of Shevchenko, four kilometers (two miles) west of Pokrovsk, Estonian intelligence reported, citing open-source intelligence. Ukrainian troops have been repelling Russian attacks along the Sukhi Yaly River to the south of Kurakhove for a week, the report read. In the meantime, Russia sought to encircle the area from the north and south. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Estonian intelligence, Russia is incurring significant losses in this area. Over the past two weeks, about 3,000 Russian soldiers have been killed. These numbers are likely to continue to rise as Russian forces approach Pokrovsk. The unfavorable weather conditions are playing into the hands of the Ukrainian forces. At the same time, Russian aviation and heavy equipment are hampered, which is why Russia cannot use its full combat potential, according to the report. Russia has failed to achieve an operational breakthrough and is therefore increasing pressure on the Ukrainian army in Russia's Kursk Oblast, according to Estonian intelligence. The Ukrainian defense is under much less pressure in other areas of the front. Ukrainian forces are enjoying success in the Kupiansk sector, where two Russian bridgeheads that emerged during the crossing of the Oskil River were destroyed, Estonian intelligence said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced on Nov. 29 that Ukrainian forces stationed near the embattled towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove would be supplied with additional reserves, ammunition, weapons, and military equipment. Ukraine also faces the prospect of decreased U.S. military aid under incoming President Donald Trump. Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to speed up materiel deliveries before Trump takes office. The Pentagon on Dec. 7 announced a new weapons package for Ukraine worth nearly $1 billion. Read also: How will Russias war in Ukraine end? The good, the bad, and the ugly scenarios Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack against Ukraine's energy infrastructure early on Dec. 13, firing around 290 missiles and drones across multiple regions. "The enemy continues its terror. Once again, the energy sector across Ukraine is under massive attack," Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said. Air defense is active in Kyiv Oblast, the regional administration said. Explosions were also reported in the Odesa, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Cherkasy oblasts. Russian forces deployed cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, the Air Force reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia launched at least 93 missiles, including those supplied by North Korea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Eighty-one were shot down, including 11 intercepted by Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets. Moscow's forces also deployed close to 200 drones, making it "one of the largest strikes on our energy grid," Zelensky said. "As a result of the mass missile-drone attack, energy facilities in multiple regions were damaged," the state energy operator Ukrenergo said. Repair works are underway, but the scope of emergency shutdowns will increase, according to the statement. Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast suffered the "most massive attack during the full-scale war," Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk announced. Cruise missiles and drones struck critical infrastructure facilities in the region, but no casualties were reported at the moment. Six energy facilities were targeted in Lviv Oblast, according to regional authorities. Neighboring Ternopil Oblast was also impacted, the regional military administration said without revealing details. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are no casualties. Critical infrastructure facilities are operating normally," the Ternopil Oblast authorities said on Telegram. Earlier in the morning, officials said that half of the region's residents were without power due to emergency shutdowns. Two people employees of a civilian enterprise were injured in the village of Myrne in Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported initially. The number of injuries later rose to four. Five of Ukraine's nine operational nuclear reactor units have reduced power output due to the attack, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. The Polish Air Force scrambled its fighter jets as Russian drones and missiles entered western Ukraine, a usual precaution Warsaw takes during Russian mass strikes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is (Russian President Vladimir) Putins 'peace' plan destroying everything. This is how he wants to negotiate, by terrorizing millions of people," Zelensky said. "Oil gives Putin enough money to believe in impunity. A strong reaction from the world is needed: a massive strike a massive reaction." Read also: Russian guided bomb attacks fall sharply after ATACMS, Storm Shadow strikes, analysts say Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia targeted DTEK's thermal power plants during a mass aerial attack on Dec. 13, damaging their equipment, the company said in a statement. Moscow's forces launched around 90 missiles and 200 drones in one of its largest mass attacks on Ukraine's power grid as the winter is setting in. "DTEK thermal power plants were attacked. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties," the company said. The plants' equipment was "seriously damaged," with energy sector employees already working on repairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company does not usually reveal the location of the targeted plants or the full extent of damage due to security reasons. Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast suffered its "most massive attack during the full-scale war," Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk announced. Cruise missiles and drones struck critical infrastructure facilities in the region, but no casualties were reported at the moment. Energy facilities were targeted in Lviv Oblast, according to regional authorities. Neighboring Ternopil Oblast was also impacted, the regional military administration said without revealing details. "There are no casualties. Critical infrastructure facilities are operating normally," the Ternopil Oblast authorities said on Telegram. Earlier in the morning, officials said that half of the region's residents were without power due to emergency shutdowns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the 12th mass attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this year and the ninth that targeted DTEK's facilities. Russia previously launched a large-scale strike on critical infrastructure on Nov. 28, following a prolonged bombing campaign over the summer and the spring. Read also: Russia launches one of largest attacks on Ukraines energy grid Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces hit the village of Myrne in Berestyn district of Kharkiv Oblast on the morning of 13 December, injuring two workers of a civilian infrastructure facility. Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "Early reports indicate that two people have sustained injuries, both being employees at the civilian infrastructure facility. Some infrastructure facilities were damaged." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Syniehubov noted that all the details were currently being confirmed. Background: Russian forces carried out a missile strike on the town of Zlatopil in Kharkiv Oblast on the morning of 10 December. 17 people are known to have sustained injuries in the attack. Support UP or become our patron! A military court in Moscow sentenced captured Ukrainian soldiers who fought in Kursk Oblast, Vitalii Panchenko and Ivan Dmytrakov, to 14 and 15 years in prison, respectively, Russias state-owned TASS news agency reported on Dec. 12. The court convicted the soldiers of "terrorism," accusing them of "opening fire to kill both Russian servicemen and civilians." Russia often uses trumped-up charges to jail captured Ukrainian soldiers, activists, journalists, and regular civilians for lengthy terms. According to the court, Panchenko and Dmytrakov, who served in Ukraines 61st Separate Mechanized Brigade, crossed the Russian border into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 7. Ukrainian forces continue to hold on to a part of the embattled Russian region as Moscow's forces are attempting to push Kyiv's troops out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia's Investigative Committee also accused the two servicemen of "illegally crossing the state border," even though Russian forces wage an all-out war on Ukrainian territory. The committee further claimed that they abducted three Russian citizens to Ukraine and that Panchenko and other Ukrainian soldiers looted a grocery store in the Ukraine-held town of Sudzha. Both Panchenko and Dmytrakov will serve the first three years of their sentences in prison, followed by strict regime penal colonies. The statement does not specify whether the two soldiers pleaded guilty. Ukrainian officials said that the vast majority of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia are subjected to physical and psychological torture. The Russian media report that this is the first sentence issued by a Russian court against Ukrainian service members over alleged acts in Kursk Oblast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a separate case, Russian occupation authorities in Donetsk jailed nine Ukrainian soldiers captured after defending Mariupol to between 24 years and a life sentence, the city's exiled authorities reported on Dec. 11. While Ukraine has successfully facilitated the release of some captives through prisoner exchanges, many Ukrainians remain in Russian captivity, often under severe conditions. Read also: Russian occupation court sentences Ukrainian to 11 years for alleged espionage Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russia has launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that during another large-scale attack, Russia fired 93 missiles at Ukraine, 81 of which were shot down. Moreover, 11 of those missiles were shot down by F-16 fighters. In addition, the Russians used about 200 attack drones. Source: Zelenskyy Quote: "Another Russian missile strike on Ukraine. Cruise missiles, ballistic missiles. Early reports say that there were 93 missiles." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Zelenskyy said that this is one of the largest strikes on the Ukrainian energy sector so far. Among the missiles launched, at least one was North Korean. Ukrainian air defence managed to shoot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by F-16 fighter jets. Zelenskyy once again called on world leaders to respond to the large-scale attack by providing Ukraine with modern air defence systems, including Patriot systems, to effectively intercept missiles. He also stressed the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia to limit its ability to produce weapons. Quote: "This is Putin's peace plan to destroy everything. This is how he wants negotiations by terrorising millions of people. And he is not limited in either range or in purchasing the necessary components to produce missiles. Oil gives Putin enough money to believe in impunity. We need a strong reaction from the world: a large-scale attack needs a large-scale response. This is the only way to stop terror." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: On the morning of 13 December, Russian troops launched a large number of missiles at Ukraine, and air-raid warning was issued in all regions. The Air Force reported that the missiles were heading to Ukraines west Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Cherkasy and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts. The Ministry of Energy noted that the Russians were attacking the energy sector. Emergency power outages have been introduced in Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Mikhail Shatsky, Deputy General Designer and Head of the Software Department at the Mars Design Bureau, was reportedly found dead in Moscow. Shatsky was involved in upgrading the X-59 missiles to the advanced X-69 level, missiles frequently used by Russian forces in their attacks on Ukraine, according to RBC-Ukraine. The incident was first reported by Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov, who attributed the operation to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraines Ministry of Defense. Nevzorov stated: "Today, the GUR forces in Moscow eliminated a particularly harmful criminal Deputy General Designer, Head of the Software Department of the Mars Design Bureau Mikhail Shatsky." The operation was later confirmed by sources within Ukraine's Defense Forces. The Mars Design Bureau, where Shatsky worked, focuses on control systems for missiles and spacecraft, including onboard systems for Raduga cruise missiles. These systems are integral to Russia's defense production, particularly for missiles developed by Raduga, which specializes in advanced cruise missile technologies. Additionally, Shatsky was involved in applying neural network theories to enhance the reliability of onboard control systems for spacecraft. This development adds to the series of high-profile operations reportedly conducted by Ukrainian intelligence amid the ongoing conflict. Russia launched a widespread attack on Ukraines energy infrastructure overnight, forcing the country to implement emergency power outages, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday. The enemy continues its terror. Once again, the energy sector across Ukraine is under massive attack, Ukrainian energy minister German Halushchenko said on his official Facebook page. The extent of the damage had yet to be clarified, he said, while urging people to remain in shelters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Streets in the capital Kyiv remained largely empty Friday morning as Ukraines air force warned of the threat of ballistic and cruise missiles potentially targeting parts of the country. Ukrenergo, Ukraines energy grid operator, said power facilities in several regions were damaged and it was introducing emergency power outages across the country. Russia has launched 12 massive attacks on Ukraines power system so far this year, Ukrenergo said. Moscows forces have intensified bombardments of Ukraine in recent months, leaving the country in a precarious position as the war grinds into its third winter. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to strike Ukraine again with a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile following a widespread attack on critical energy infrastructure that left more than a million households in Ukraine without power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russias latest assault comes after Moscow vowed on Thursday to respond to a Ukrainian attack on a city in southwest Russia, which Russia claimed involved six US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles. Ukraine acknowledged making tangible hits on Russian targets Wednesday, including military and energy facilities, but has not said what type of missiles were used. Meanwhile, Russia continues its ground assault on the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, advancing in the areas surrounding Kurakhove and Pokrovsk, according to reports from the ground and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank. The Russian defense ministry claimed on Friday that it had captured Zarya village, to the south of the key eastern city of Pokrovsk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian forces are just three kilometers (1.9 miles) from the outskirts of Pokrovsk after making advances Wednesday, the Ukrainian mapping service DeepState said earlier this week. The losses of the Russian occupiers in the Pokrovsk direction are consistently high, especially in manpower, Ukraines commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Friday. He also acknowledged that for several months now, the Pokrovsk direction has been one of the most difficult in the context of the confrontation with the Russian occupiers. NATO calls for shift to wartime mindset NATO head Mark Rutte on Thursday called for a shift to a wartime mindset - with much higher defense spending - warning the US-led transatlantic alliance that it was not ready for the threats it would face from Russia in the coming years, Reuters reported. Rutte said future spending would have to be much higher than the current alliance target of 2% of national wealth as measured by gross domestic product (GDP). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the Cold War, Europeans spent far more than 3% of their GDP on defense, Rutte said in a speech in Brussels. We are going to need a lot more than 2%. Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us, Rutte said. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset, and turbocharge our defense production and defence spending. His comments come as US President-elect Donald Trump has called for allies to spend 3% of GDP on defense. The US on Thursday announced a $500 million aid package for Ukraine in the coming days that will pull equipment out of US military stocks. The Biden administration is working to surge deliveries of weapons to Ukraine in its final days in office in a concerted effort to put Kyiv on a strong footing going into 2025, according to a senior administration official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In November, Biden authorized Ukraine to use powerful long-range American weapons inside Russia. Kyiv has used the newly granted powers to fire US-made ATACMS missiles at Russian targets across the border on multiple occasions. Trump has said he vehemently disagrees with allowing Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to strike inside Russia, and that by doing so the US is escalating this war and making it worse. On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov lauded his comments, saying Moscow has the same view of the causes leading to the escalation of the conflict. When asked about Russias hopes for the war to end after Trump takes office, Peskov said in a press briefing that the Kremlin will wait and see after the inauguration. CNNs Sophie Tanno and Anna Chernova contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Satellite images show that Russia has begun to withdraw its troops from Syria. Source: CNN; Russian news outlet Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories) Details: Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs satellite imagery of military bases in Syria show that An-124 cargo planes (the world's largest cargo planes, capable of carrying up to 150 tonnes of cargo), three Il-76 transport planes, as well as smaller cargo planes three An-32 and one An-72 have arrived at the Khmeimim airbase. The aircraft prepare to load cargo, as indicated by their lifted nose cones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the images show the Russian military disassembling a Ka-52 attack helicopter. Maxar analysts assume that it is being prepared for loading. Experts also identified parts of an S-400 air defence system, which is apparently also being prepared for shipment to Russia. Maxar Technologies also published photographs of Russian ships sailing in the Mediterranean Sea from the coast of Syria. A photo of a possibly Russian ship sailing in the Mediterranean Sea from the coast of Syria Photo: MAXAR Photo: MAXAR Russian propaganda agency TASS reported that Russia was still negotiating with the new Syrian government to maintain its military bases in the country. At the same time, Russian propagandists published videos of Russian military convoys moving towards the Khmeimim airbase. Support UP or become our patron! In new satellite imagery, Russia's military appears to be packing up equipment at a key airbase in Syria. The images show transport aircraft ready to load cargo at the Hmeimim Air Base on Friday. Russia's military footprint in Syria fell into uncertainty after rebel forces ousted Bashar Assad. Russia appears to be packing up military equipment at one of its bases in Syria, new satellite images show. They are the latest indication that Moscow is scaling down, if not withdrawing, its footprint from the country following the stunning collapse of the Assad regime. Images captured Friday by Maxar Technologies and obtained by Business Insider show two An-124 heavy transport aircraft at Russia's Hmeimim Air Base. The front of the planes are lifted, indicating that they are ready to load equipment or cargo. A Russian An-124 heavy transport aircraft, right, preparing to load equipment at Hmeimim on December 13. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies A second An-124 heavy transport aircraft preparing to load equipment at Hmeimim on December 13. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies In another image of the Hmeimim base, a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter is seen being taken apart and likely prepared for transport, according to Maxar. The company said elements of an S-400 air-defense unit are also being prepared for departure from the weapon's previous deployment site near the coastal city of Latakia. A Ka-52 helicopter, spotted in the center of the image, is seen being disassembled and prepared for transport at Hmeimim on December 13. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies Elements of an S-400 unit preparing to depart Hmeimim on December 13. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additional imagery collected Friday shows Russia's warships are still missing from its base in Tartus, a port city south of Hmeimim on the Mediterranean Sea. Several frigates, replenishment oilers, and a submarine could be seen at the facility earlier in the month, but they were all gone by Monday. Some of the vessels have been spotted several miles off the coast. It's unclear whether the warships will return to Tartus; their presence at sea could be for safety reasons rather than a full evacuation. An overview of the naval facility at Tartus on December 13. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies The US has not confirmed any major Russian military withdrawal from Syria but has pointed out that some forces are, in fact, departing. "What we're seeing is a consolidation of assets, including some Russian forces leaving Syria," Sabrina Singh, the deputy Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters Wednesday. "What they're doing with their facilities and bases, that's for them to speak to." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Analysts, likewise, have called attention to the latest activity. "A larger number of Russian transport aircraft can now be seen at Khmeimim," Michael Kofman, a Russia expert and senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said in a social media post. "The S-400 battery is packing up for transport. While tactical aviation is still there, RF appears to be consolidating at Khmeimim and Tartus," he said. "In short, a withdrawal is under way." Even if Russia is moving forces out of its bases in Syria, it may only be a partial military withdrawal and not a complete evacuation. A Russian frigate in the Mediterranean near Tartus on December 13. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies The new satellite imagery comes a day after Ukraine's military intelligence agency, known as the HUR, said Moscow was evacuating its bases in Syria and has been flying multiple military transport aircraft between Hmeimim and Russia every day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BI was unable to independently verify Kyiv's assessment. Russia's military presence in Syria became tenuous last weekend as rebel forces captured Damascus and ousted Bashar Assad, the country's longtime dictator. Assad has since fled to Moscow with his family. Russia supported Assad in Syria's civil war for years, in return securing a foothold in the country, but the rebels now have the upper hand. They control the province where Tartus and Hmeimim are located. The Kremlin is engaging in efforts to ensure the security of its facilities with the new Syrian leadership, but it's unclear if any arrangements are official. Losing both Tartus and Hmeimim would be a setback for the Kremlin, which relies heavily on the bases to project its power across the region and beyond. Tartus is Russia's main naval base overseas, providing the country with critical access to a warm-water port. Moscow uses Hmeimim to move military forces in and out of Africa. That makes these bases strategically valuable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement War analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, wrote on Thursday that Russia "is very likely hesitant to completely evacuate all military assets from Syria in the event that it can establish a relationship with Syrian opposition forces and the transitional government and continue to ensure the security of its basing and personnel in Syria." Read the original article on Business Insider The Financial Times has reported, citing an unnamed US National Security Council official, that Russia is considering launching its new intermediate-range ballistic missile Oreshnik at Ukraine for the second time this weekend. Source: Financial Times Quote: "On Wednesday, a US National Security Council official told the Financial Times that Moscow was considering a second attack with the new missile as soon as this weekend." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: The unnamed official said that Russia wanted to use the weapon to intimidate Ukraine and its supporters but that Oreshnik "is not a game changer on the battlefield". "As Putin has said publicly, Russia intends to launch another experimental Oreshnik missile at Ukraine, and it is possible that Russia could do so in the coming days," the source said. Previously: On 11 December, The Associated Press reported that US intelligence has determined that Russia may use its new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine "in the coming days". This has also been mentioned by Bloomberg. Background: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia fired an experimental Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile on Dnipro during a large-scale attack on Ukraine on 21 November. Russian propaganda called it a response to permission for Kyiv to launch long-range strikes on Russian territory. The Pentagon said that the Oreshnik was based on the Russian RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Western capitals believe that Russia launched the Oreshnik to send a strategic message to the West. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is sabre-rattling with the Oreshnik missile to prevent US President-elect Donald Trump from ending the Russo-Ukrainian war. Support UP or become our patron! MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia appears to be packing up military equipment at a military air base in Syria, according to satellite images released by Maxar following rebels' overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad last weekend. The images taken on Friday show what appear to be at least two Antonov AN-124s, one of the world's largest cargo planes, with their nose cones open at the Hmeimim air base in Syria's coastal Latakia province. "Two An-124 heavy transport aircraft are at the airfieldboth with their nose cones lifted and prepared to load equipment/cargo," Maxar said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Nearby, a Ka-52 attack helicopter is being dismantled and likely prepared for transport while elements of an S-400 air defence unit are similarly preparing to depart from its previous deployment site at the air base." Russia's naval base at Tartous, Russia's only Mediterranean repair and replenishment hub, "remains largely unchanged since our Dec. 10 imagery coverage with two frigates continuing to be observed offshore of Tartous," Maxar said. Britain's Channel 4 news reported that it had seen a convoy of more than 150 Russian military vehicles moving along a road. Channel 4 said the Russian military was moving in good order and that it appeared there had been a deal struck to allow the Russians to exit Syria in an orderly fashion. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow has backed Syria since the early days of the Cold War, recognising its independence in 1944 as Damascus sought to throw off French colonial rule. The West long regarded Syria as a Soviet satellite. The Kremlin has said its focus since Assad's fall was to ensure the security of its military bases in Syria and of its diplomatic missions. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Gleb Stolaryov; editing by Mark Heinrich) Russia is dispatching four ships to its bases in Syria, per Ukraine's main intelligence directorate. They will evacuate weapons and military equipment from its key base in Tartus, they said. Russia is trying to secure a deal with Syria's new leadership to keep the bases, per reports. Russia is sending four ships to its bases in Syria to evacuate weapons and military equipment, according to Ukraine's main intelligence directorate (GUR). In a Telegram post on Thursday, the GUR said that Russia was moving its Ivan Gren-class large landing ship and the Ropucha-class tank landing ship Olenegorskiy Gornyak from the Norwegian Sea to Tartus on Syria's Mediterranean coast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their mission, it said, is to evacuate weapons and equipment. It also said the Russian Sparta and Sparta II cargo ships left Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast, and St Petersburg, respectively, and are heading to Tartus to transport military equipment from the Russian base. The trips are long voyages, requiring the ships to sail long stretches of European coastline to access the Mediterranean. Russia was a close ally of Syria's recently-toppled ruler Bashar Assad. It struck a 49-year lease with his government for two bases in Syria the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base which it has used since 2017 to project power in the Mediterranean and into Africa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, these bases have come under threat after Syrian rebels, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, overthrew Assad on Sunday and formed a transitional government. On Sunday, Russia's foreign ministry said it was maintaining contact with "all" Syrian opposition groups, adding that while Russia's Syrian bases are on high alert, there's no serious threat to their security at the moment. The TASS state news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying that Russia established direct contact with HTS in Damascus. Sources familiar with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg on Thursday that talks were taking place for Russian forces to stay at the bases and that Russia was nearing a deal with Syria's new leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Images taken this week by Maxar Technologies and obtained by Business Insider on Tuesday showed Russian aircraft still present at the Hmeimim Air Base, but warships no longer stationed at its nearby naval facility in Tartus. Videos captured by The Times of London's Middle East correspondent on Friday showed Russian trucks entering the Hmeimim Air Base. On Thursday, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War said Russia's ships may be on the move as a precaution in case it needs more comprehensive evacuations. They also said that it would probably take weeks for the Russian ships to get to Tartus. Read the original article on Business Insider The Russian Ministry of Defence has stated that Russia's large-scale attack on Ukraine on 13 December was a response to the attack on the Russian city of Taganrog in Rostov Oblast. Source: RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet; Russian Ministry of Defence Quote from the Russian Defence Ministry: "A missile strike was launched from the territory of Ukraine with six US-made ATACMS operational and tactical missiles at a military airfield near the city of Taganrog on 11 December 2024." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: The Russian Federation reportedly retaliated with a large-scale attack on Ukraine's critical fuel and energy infrastructure. The Russians claimed that the attack was carried out with long-range air- and sea-based precision weapons, as well as attack drones. The targets were facilities that support the work of Ukraine's military industry. Quote from the Russian Defence Ministry: "The purpose of the strike has been achieved. All targets have been hit." Previously: On the morning of 13 December, Russian troops launched a large number of missiles at Ukraine, and an air-raid warning was issued in all regions. The Air Force reported that the missiles were heading to Ukraines west Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Cherkasy and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts. The Ministry of Energy noted that the Russians were attacking the energy sector. Emergency power outages have been introduced in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia had fired 93 missiles at Ukraine, including one of North Korean production. Ukraine managed to shoot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by F-16 fighters. In addition, the Russians used about 200 drones. Background: On 11 December, Pentagon Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said that there was a possibility that Russia could strike Ukraine again with its Oreshnik experimental medium-range ballistic missile. Russian authorities said that on the night of 10-11 December, the city of Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, was supposedly hit by missiles that damaged an industrial plant and set 14 cars on fire. The Russian Ministry of Defence said that on 11 December, Ukraine supposedly launched six ATACMS missiles at a military airfield in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast. On 12 December, Russian ruler's spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that the response to the Ukrainian strikes on Taganrog with Western missiles would follow when and how Russia deems appropriate. Support UP or become our patron! There are clear signs that Russian forces, including an S-400 surface-to-air missile system, are withdrawing from Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. At the same time, authorities in Russia continue to insist that no final decisions have been made about the future of their presence at Khmeimim or their naval base in Tartus since the fall of their long-time ally Bashar Al Assad last weekend. These are highly strategic and irreplaceable locations the Kremlin uses to project military power well beyond Syria. Satellite imagery taken today of Khmeimim (also written Hmeimim) that The War Zone obtained from Maxar provides the latest evidence that a withdrawal of at least some Russian forces from the base is underway now. As seen at the top of this story and below, two very large An-124 airlifters are prominently visible at the base with their noses open, appearing to be ready to load cargo. There are also three Il-76 Candid cargo planes parked on a large open apron at the northeast end of the facility. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies At least one of the Il-76s presently at Khmeimim is a Syrian Airlines aircraft and a Yakovlev Yak-40 airliner, which the Syrian flag carrier also has in its inventory, looks to be parked next to it. Smaller An-72 Coaler and An-26 Curl transports, as well as a Su-35 Flanker-E fighter, are also seen in the imagery. There may be more tactical jets under the row of shelters at the northeastern end of the base. A broader look at the northern end of Khmeimim Air Base as seen on Dec. 13, 2024. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies The Maxar images also show Russian forces are packing up the S-400 surface-to-air missile site at Khmeimim, as well as other air defense assets. What looks to be a Ka-52 attack helicopter is also seen with its rotor blades removed, likely for transport. A side-by-side look at the S-400 site at Khmeimim on Dec. 13 (at left) and Nov. 25 (at right), showing signs of being broken down and moved from their erect position in their revetments to the tarmac for withdrawal. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies What looks to be a Ka-52 with its rotor blades removed seen in a Dec. 13 satellite image. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A video of Khmeimin shot using a drone, which Turkey-based Syria TV put out previously and is now widely circulating online, had already shown a flurry of activity at the base. Russian Il-76s, as well as the Syrian Airlines one, and the An-72 are also visible in that footage, along with four Su-34 Fullback, seven Su-24 Fencer, and four Flanker-series combat jets. A contingent of MiG-31 Foxhound combat jets that been at the base reportedly left days ago. Syrian rebels meanwhile fly drones over the Russian air base in Hmeimim pretty amazing upclose look. https://t.co/VnKByxSz68 pic.twitter.com/Vuuw8NsmCi Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) December 12, 2024 The footage from Syria TV also notably showed a trailer-mounted 91N6 Big Bird S-band surveillance and tracking radar, a component of the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, in its travel configuration parked on the side of the open apron. This pointed to plans to load it onto the aircraft for movement elsewhere. Other elements of the S-400 system at Khmeimim were still visible in their emplacements, but did not appear to be in a deployed mode. For instance, transport erector launchers were seen in travel configurations with their missile tubes down, as well. All of this is in line with what is seen in the new Maxar imagery. The Russian S400 is definitely leaving Khmeimim Air Base. The drone video from yesterday shows that they have packed up their 91N6E radar and it was parked on the apron ready to be loaded onto an AN-124. https://t.co/HGCs2211pz pic.twitter.com/XbSNjVvh60 Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) December 13, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other video footage circulation online indicates that Russian forces from elsewhere in Syria are converging on Khmeimim, possibly for further withdrawal from the country. Russian troops pouring into Hmeimeim airbase in Syria as cargo jets take off. HTS guarding the main entrance say they've been told they're all leaving. pic.twitter.com/UCXnVmRYyF Samer Al-Atrush (@SameralAtrush) December 13, 2024 Russian military redeployment in Syria towards Hmeimim base in the Latakia countryside:pic.twitter.com/Mqj63w3Mb4 Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) December 13, 2024 What may be happening at Tartus is less clear. Russian naval vessels left the port days ago, but had been holding offshore rather than moving to leave the region entirely. Newer satellite imagery shows that the ships remain in the area, but have dispersed even further. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Med Sea Flotilla The plot thickens Sentinel 1 from 15:33, 12 December shows the naval piers in Tartus still empty Only 1x vessel near where the flotilla had been dispersed outside the anchorage Did they disperse further? Have some of them left? open questions https://t.co/Up2B3hhIIUpic.twitter.com/yqF47SQoDQ MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) December 12, 2024 An additional image The War Zone obtained from Maxar of Tartus that was taken today shows the continued absence of Russian warships, but also at least some air defense assets still in place. In this satellite image of Tartus taken on Dec. 13, air defense assets can be seen in positions at left along the seawall. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies Additional satellite images taken on Dec. 13 showing an Admiral Gorshkov class frigate (at left) and an Admiral Grigorovich class frigate (at right), both belonging to the Russian Navy, off the coast of Syria. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies Other video footage that has appeared online has also shown that at least some Russian forces remain ashore at Tartus and are actively holding the facility. Additional Russian units also look to be headed there, again possibly for withdrawal out of the country. At the entrance of the Russian naval base in Tartus, soldiers yell at us to leave. Some Syrian sailors told me they killed someone who got too close on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/WcmnwxsZWe Samer Al-Atrush (@SameralAtrush) December 13, 2024 Came across a Russian convoy on the road between #Damascus and #Homs #Syria. Retreating in good order. They turned off to #Tartus presumably to ship out. pic.twitter.com/WlR3tbWm32 Lindsey Hilsum (@lindseyhilsum) December 13, 2024 Russian column of 130+ vehicles reportedly passing from the east of the Euphrates river-territory belonging to the SDF-to the port of Tartus, Syria. pic.twitter.com/BpBOb7j4Go WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) December 13, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether or not the Russian military is moving to vacate Khmeimim and Tartus completely remains unclear. As The War Zone has previously noted, moving ships out of Tartus is a prudent force protection measure given the current fluidity of the situation in Syria. Even if major rebel groups have given the Kremlin certain security guarantees, the ships would still be huge and relatively defenseless targets sitting pierside. The Syria TV footage of Khmeimim only underscores the current unprecedented freedom of access in Syria after decades of the country being a brutal totalitarian police state, as well as the potential risks this brings to Russian bases in the country. The War Zone reports often about the ever-growing threat of drone attacks, including ones launched by actors relatively close by, especially on air bases and other critical facilities, in general. A mass drone attack on Khmeimim in 2018 was a major herald of things to come and the base has a long history of being subjected to indirect fire of various kinds by rebel forces. The departure of air defense assets from Khmeimim, especially point-defense systems, will only increase the vulnerability of that base to aerial threats. That, in turn, could point to more serious withdrawal plans. Even if Russia ultimately retains its bases in Syria, it is still very possible that its overall force posture in the country could change, as well. This SHORAD position filmed yesterday by a drone was empty this morning. Removing SHORAD from Khmeimin Air Base is only something the Russian forces would do if they are leaving the base. pic.twitter.com/VA7mg4QpcI Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) December 13, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As The War Zone has stressed before, Russia losing Khmeimim and Tartus would be a huge blow to Russia with ramifications well beyond Syria. Assad has essentially gifted the facilities to the Russian government through a 49-year lease deal in 2017 and the Kremlin has invested considerable resources in expanding them since then. The bases offer highly strategic nodes for projecting air and naval power into the Mediterranean, including along NATOs southern flank, and into Africa, as well as elsewhere in the Middle East. Tartus is especially significant because it is the Russian Navys only current warm-water port facility with direct access to the Mediterranean, but Khmeimim is also a uniquely positioned operating location for the countrys air force. The Russians are starting to get very nervous They write that the loss of Syria as a refueling and logistics point undermines all of Russia's efforts on the African continent. pic.twitter.com/s4h5hWVgBk MAKS 24 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) December 9, 2024 Bloomberg reported earlier today that Russias Foreign Ministry believes it has an informal understanding with the new transitional government emerging in Damascus, which rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is leading, about keeping Khmeimim and Tartus. There have been previous reports that Russian authorities secured guarantees of access to both facilities, at least for some amount of time, during talks with various regional actors about the political transition ongoing in Syria. The bases are still there, where they were on Syrian territory, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters earlier this week, according to the countrys Interfax news agency. No other decisions have been made for the moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They [the bases] were there at the Syrians request with the aim of fighting terrorists from the Islamic State [IS]. I am proceeding on the basis of the notion that everyone agrees that the fight against terrorism, and what remains of IS, is not over, Bogdanov added. [That] requires collective efforts and in this connection, our presence and the Khmeimim base played an important role in the context of the overall fight against international terrorism. Though Bogdanovs remarks here about the purpose of Russias presence in Syria, which was central to keeping Assad safe from rebel groups not aligned with ISIS, are farcical, it does raise the possibility of the Kremlin trying to rebrand its role as part of a pitch to keep the bases. There have already been reports that Russian authorities are softening their tone toward HTS. Russia, as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, and others, have formally designated HTS as a terrorist group. The U.S. government still has a $10 million bounty out on HTS leader Ahmed Hussein Al Shara, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad Al Jolani (or simply as Jolani), as well. HTS leader Ahmed Hussein Al Shara (aka Abu Mohammad Al Jolani) addresses a crowd at the capitals landmark Umayyad Mosque on Dec. 8, 2024. Aref TAMMAWI / AFP via Getty Images As The War Zone has noted in its previous reporting, Russias position is complicated by its very active support for Assad. The Russian militarys invention starting in 2015 was critical to saving the regime from rebels, including those that evolved into HTS, and keeping it in power. Russias forces were still launching strikes on the same HTS-led forces, that it is now negotiating with, just days before the regimes final collapse. Assad is also said to be in Russia, but he has not been publicly seen anywhere in more than a week now. Overall the situation across Syria is extremely complex, with multiple rebel factions jostling for control of different regions amid a lack of present centralized authority. U.S.-backed Kurdish forces are now openly fighting with Turkish-supported groups, with American authorities reportedly trying to mediate the situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are separate growing fears about ISIS and other terrorist groups exploiting the chaotic situation. At least for now though, there are clear indications that at least some Russian forces are leaving the country and that others are getting in position to withdraw. Contact the author: joe@twz.com Russian forces attacked the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with artillery and a kamikaze drone late on 12 December, damaging houses, a power line and a gas pipeline. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "The aggressor attacked the Nikopol district until almost midnight. They used artillery and a kamikaze drone. They hit the district centre [the city of Nikopol] and Pokrovske hromada. Seven houses, a power line and a gas pipeline were damaged." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Lysak reported no casualties. Photo: Telegram of Lysak An air-raid warning has been issued throughout Ukraine on the morning of 13 December as Russia has launched a large-scale drone attack. Authorities are urging people to stay in shelters until the all-clear is given. Support UP or become our patron! Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy sector on 13 December, severely damaging equipment at thermal power plants belonging to DTEK, the largest private energy company in Ukraine. Source: DTEKs press service Quote: "The thermal power plants belonging to DTEK were attacked. Early reports indicate that there are no casualties." Details: After the attack ended, the energy company promptly started to deal with the consequences and restore the equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year alone, it is the twelfth large-scale attack on the Ukrainian energy sector and the ninth large-scale attack on DTEK's energy facilities. Background: Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that Russia launched a large-scale attack on the Ukrainian energy sector on the morning of 13 December. Support UP or become our patron! Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter. A Russian drone and missile designer was assassinated near Moscow, reports say. Multiple Ukrainian media outlets reported that Ukraine was involved, citing security sources. One source said anyone who develops Russia's military power "is a legitimate target" for Ukraine. A senior Russian official who worked at a company that designs drones and missiles was killed in a Ukrainian operation near Moscow, according to reports. A source in Ukraine's security services told Ukrainian outlet Pravda that Mikhail Shatsky was assassinated in a special operation by Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the country's military intelligence service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A source told the Kyiv Independent that Shatsky was shot dead near Moscow in an attack that was likely orchestrated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency. Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the attack. Shatsky's body was reportedly found in the southeastern Moscow suburb of Kotelniki earlier this week. According to Ukrainian outlet Hromadske, Shatsky was the deputy general director of Mars, a company that's part of Russia's state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom. The outlet said he worked on the modernization of Russia's Kh-59 and Kh-69 guided aircraft missiles and helped develop new drones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also worked on introducing AI into Russian drones and spacecraft, Hromadske reported. The Moscow Times and the Kyiv Independent both reported that Shatsky was a designer at Mars and head of software there. A source told Kyiv Independent that Shatsky was seen as the main proponent of incorporating AI into Russian drones, aircraft, and spacecraft. A security forces source told Hromadske that "anyone in any way involved in developing Russia's military-industrial complex and thus supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine is a legitimate target," according to a translation by The Moscow Times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, infrastructure, and military assets have been devastating throughout the war, and Russia has also used Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets. Ukraine has in the past been linked to the deaths of multiple pro-war figures but has commented on few of them, though a Ukrainian official said the country was behind the death of a Russia-backed lawmaker in a car bomb explosion in eastern Ukraine last year, in a rare response to such an event. Ukrainian military intelligence didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI. Read the original article on Business Insider Because of a new Russian large-scale attack on energy infrastructure, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reminded partners about Ukraine's request for at least 20 additional medium-range air defence systems. Source: European Pravda with reference to Sybiha on X (Twitter) Details: Sybiha reported that Russian missiles are again flying at Ukraine and that most of them are targeting power system facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "Russia aims to deprive us of energy. Instead, we must deprive it of the means of terror. I reiterate my call for the urgent delivery of 20 NASAMS, HAWK, or IRIS-T air defence systems." Massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine this morning, primarily targeting the energy system. Russia aims to deprive us of energy. Instead, we must deprive it of the means of terror. I reiterate my call for the urgent delivery of 20 NASAMS, HAWK, or IRIS-T air defense systems. Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) December 13, 2024 Background: Before the NATO ministerial meeting in early December, Sybiha said that Ukraine was asking the allies to find at least 20 air defence systems to continue to effectively repel Russian air attacks. Shortly before that, Canada confirmed that the NASAMS system it had ordered from the United States for Ukraine was already in Ukraine. During his visit to Kyiv, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that the sixth IRIS-T system, Patriot launchers and Gepard anti-aircraft systems would be among the weapons Germany would send in December. Support UP or become our patron! Since the start of the full-scale invasion, over 2,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been hospitalised with chemical poisoning and three soldiers have died because of the Russians use of chemical weapons. Source: Ukrinform, citing Artem Vlasiuk, Head of the Department of Environmental Safety and Civil Protection of the Department of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection of the Command of the Armed Forces Support Forces, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine Quote: "Since the start of the full-scale invasion, over 2,000 personnel with varying degrees of poisoning from unknown or known substances have been referred to Ukrainian military and general medical institutions. [The Russians utilise] hazardous irritants, such as CS and CN gas, which are used in bullets for riot control." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vlasiuk said that "as for soldiers killed [by these chemical weapons], we now have, unfortunately, three such deaths". For security reasons, he did not name the victims or the units in which they served. Vlasiuk went on to say that the Russians utilise hazardous chemicals only in the regions where they are concentrating most of their efforts and conceal their usage with dense shelling, making it impossible to detect and sample the chemicals for future study. "In total, radiation, chemical and biological intelligence units, in particular the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Support Forces, have recorded more than 4,800 cases of the use of hazardous chemicals since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine," the official told journalists. Support UP or become our patron! A Russian missile attack on the morning of 13 December has targeted the Ukrainian energy sector, attacking facilities in the countrys western oblasts, particularly in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts. Strikes have been reported. Source: heads of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kirovohrad oblasts military administrations on Telegram Details: Svitlana Onyshchuk, Head of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Military Administration, said that Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast had suffered "the largest attack during the full-scale war". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from Onyshchuk: "At dawn, the enemy used attack drones and cruise missiles. They targeted critical infrastructure facilities. There are strikes! As of now, fortunately, there are no casualties." Details: Onyshchuk said that air defence forces were responding in the oblast. The appropriate services are currently working at the scenes of the strikes to deal with the aftermath of the attack. Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine Maksym Kozytskyi, Head of Lviv Oblast Military Administration, also said that the Russians had attacked energy facilities in the region. "Fortunately, as of this moment, there is no information about casualties. However, due to the attack, there will be changes to the schedules of power outages. More details to follow," Kozytskyi wrote. Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrii Raykovych, Head of Kirovohrad Oblast Military Administration, said that the night and morning had been challenging in Kirovohrad Oblast as well. "It was a tough night and morning. Another large-scale enemy attack. In Kirovohrad Oblast, the defenders of the sky destroyed an enemy drone. Minor damage was recorded at a house in Novoarkhanhelsk. Relevant services are at the scene, he wrote. Ternopil Oblast Military Administration reported that "there are negative consequences", but there were no casualties. "Critical infrastructure is operating as usual. Further details will follow," the administration noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later, the State Emergency Service (SES) reported that a missile strike in Ternopil Oblast damaged an industrial facility, causing a large-scale fire. Fifty-seven firefighters and 16 pieces of fire appliances were involved in mitigating the consequences. Russian forces targeted critical infrastructure facilities in the Prykarpattia region of Ukraine. Fires were promptly extinguished and mobile operational groups of the State Emergency Service are currently working in various districts of the oblasts to assess the aftermath of falling debris. "Early information indicates that there are no fatalities or casualties," the SES concluded. Support UP or become our patron! Editor's note: This article is a compliment to an upcoming analytical report on scenarios for the end of Russias war against Ukraine by KI Insights, the Kyiv Independents research unit. After nearly three years of heavy battles and mass strikes, Russias full-scale war against Ukraine is showing signs of accelerating toward what could be its final act, for now at least. Over the summer and autumn of 2024, the battlefield situation markedly turned for the worse for Kyiv, as Russia has begun capturing territory at a greater pace since the first months of the full-scale invasion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resounding victory in the U.S. presidential elections of former President Donald Trump, who has been openly scathing of U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine and the inner circle of whom have spread anti-Ukrainian narratives on the war, has put the future of Ukraines ability to hold Russia back in grave doubt. Meanwhile though, the incoming U.S. president has nonetheless claimed repeatedly to be able to end the war quickly upon his inauguration in January. Given the slow-burn failure of the Wests current policy to support Ukraine enough to simply survive rather than win in the face of Russias war of attrition, many Ukrainians, from officials to soldiers and civilians, have expressed quiet hope that Trump could get tough with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to stop Russias advance. But Washington is not a direct belligerent in the full-scale war, which began with Russia's attempt to decapitate independent Ukraine through an attack on Kyiv, and which has since continued with all evidence that Putins maximalist goals remain in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stirred already by the full-scale invasion, European nations have meanwhile realized the urgent need to scale up defense production in light of an incoming president Trump, who has openly questioned if he would honor Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. But behind loud public statements from European leaders on taking more responsibility for the continents own security, the question of whether these plans also include brave steps to secure Ukraines future is usually left unanswered. With just over a month until Trumps inauguration, both Kyiv and Moscow are jostling to best improve their negotiating positions ahead of what is likely to be a dynamic winter, both on the battlefield and in the geopolitical arena. Realistic scenarios for Ukraine: from hopeful to hellish Excluding developments that are grounded more in wishful thinking than in reality, such as Ukraines overstretched military conducting major counteroffensives, or Russias economy suffering a sudden collapse, realistic endpoints to Russia's war against Ukraine can begin to take shape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through this prism, possible war termination scenarios quickly split into four broad options. SCENARIO 1: Peace with frozen lines and a secure Ukraine The most positive scenario for ending the war for Kyiv: achieving a peace built upon rock-solid safeguards against a repeat invasion, even if without all of its territory, for now. In his Victory Plan presented to world leaders in October, Zelensky spoke of an invitation to NATO and the stationing of long-range missiles in Ukraine as a deterrence. Almost certainly, European nations will have to lead the way, likely by bringing non-combat boots on the ground on their own initiative and generally integrating free Ukraine into Europe's security architecture. The main question is why Russia would agree to stop on the battlefield on such terms. People who have fled from different areas of Kharkiv Oblast wait in a queue to be registered at an evacuation point in Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 14, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images) SCENARIO 2: Ceasefire with frozen lines, no secure Ukraine Scenario 2 encompasses an end to active hostilities with no serious provisions that provide a hard deterrent for a repeat Russian invasion of Ukraine. The result of a distracted, divided West simply wanting the fighting to stop without losing too much face, and a Kremlin leadership that could be ready to oblige. Variants of this peace plan could bear similarities to the Minsk Agreements, with non-armed international observers and rules on heavy weapons, and could also include the abandoning of Ukraine's NATO aspirations to save face for the Kremlin short-term. Conversely, with positions hardened and both Zelensky and Putin worried that signing any peace deal would project weakness, Scenario 2 could also go no further than a shaky ceasefire. Ultimately, a repeat invasion will be expected; Kyiv and Europe will have to race to prepare. The commander of a mobile firing team of the 118th Motorized Brigade shows newly built trenches near the southeastern front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Dec. 2, 2024. (Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty Images) SCENARIO 3: Desperate, compromised peace Ukraine finds itself in a quickly deteriorating position on the battlefield, with not enough hard support from the U.S. or Europe to even secure a freezing of the front lines. In a desperate effort to stave off total defeat, Kyiv sues for peace. Holding all the power, Moscow can set almost any and all terms that it sees fit as the price for stopping its advance on the battlefield. These could include limits on military size and weaponry, giving the Russian language co-official status, or other constitutional changes designed to permanently undermine Ukrainian sovereignty and democracy. If Moscow decides to go further, it could demand a harder capitulation in the form of recognizing and handing over the remaining Ukrainian-controlled territory in the four regions newly-annexed by Russia, including Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Such territorial concessions are completely unthinkable for Ukraine but may loom if there is literally no other hard barrier or leverage to stop Russia from taking as much of Ukraine as it pleases. Ukrainian soldiers from the Chervona Kalyna Brigade fire Soviet-era 2S1 artillery in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, on Nov. 15, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images) SCENARIO 4: No peace, Russia doesn't stop Both the U.S. and Europe fail to come up with a convincing answer to "Why should Russia stop?" Aid is insufficient to stop Moscow on the battlefield, and the manpower crisis opens wider holes in Ukraine's defense that continue to be exploited by Russian forces. The Trump administration puts forward different peace plans to Putin, using both carrot and stick, but Moscow simply decides to keep going, feeling no hard resistance. Europe fails to muster a brave response outside the limits of a Trump-Putin-Zelensky deal. Kyiv either refuses to sue for a peace that could lead to Scenario 3 or tries to do so but is rejected by Moscow. Potential for new fronts to open along the northern border. A new wave of millions of refugees heads toward Europe. Kyiv becomes weak and unstable on the brink of military defeat. The end result of the war depends on Russia's maximal territorial goals in Ukraine. An aerial view of a small settlement of Tsukurine destroyed by Russian artillery and guided aerial bombs in Donetsk Oblast on Sept. 30, 2024. (Libkos/Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russia problem Both in the lead-up to and after the election, most media reporting has struggled to get to the core of what the task of ending the war really entails. Often, discussions of various hypothetical peace plans use vague language along the lines of "freezing the conflict" in the context of whether or not President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to take the difficult step of "ceding territory." These ideas are often on display among the actors themselves, with Trumps running mate JD Vance, speaking on a podcast in September, suggesting a freeze followed by the creation of a fortified, demilitarized zone and a declaration of Ukraines neutrality. A similar proposal was reportedly presented by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as recently as Nov. 18. Kyiv has objected to a simple freeze of the conflict; on top of the injustice of leaving millions of Ukrainians under occupation, peace without hard security guarantees means, in the words of Zelensky, that our children, or our grandchildren, will have to fight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rarely is thought given to how difficult even "freezing" a front line is likely to be when it is currently at a rolling boil. Masks of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump are seen on sale at a souvenir kiosk in central Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Nov. 6, 2024. (Olga Maltseva / AFP via Getty Images) The most important question under what circumstances Moscow would feel either convinced or compelled to stop advancing and taking more territory it considers its own is often overlooked. When asked about peace negotiations, Putin has repeatedly said that any deal must be based on the realities on the battlefield, while on Nov. 20, a Kremlin spokesperson ruled out freezing the conflict entirely, adding that it was important for Moscow to achieve its goals. For now, Kyiv and Moscows positions look irreconcilable, and the task facing Trump to change that is a daunting one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Visions of a realistic end to the war must navigate these high-stakes clashes not only of national interests but of each actors highly personal calculus. Zelenskys dilemma As leader of an independent Ukraine, President Zelensky always reserves the right to keep fighting. For Kyiv, the answer to Why should Russia stop? has always been a simple one. Moscow should be stopped by force and then shown that any new attempt to subjugate Ukraine will only end in bloody disaster for the Kremlin. With the failure of the 2023 counteroffensive and a worsening battlefield outlook over 2024, Zelensky has though slowly letting go of the rhetoric of a return to Ukraines 1991 borders through military means nonetheless stuck to the idea that Ukraine cannot accept a peace without hard security guarantees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An invitation to join NATO was at the top of the presidents Victory Plan presented to Western partners in October, and in a Nov. 29 interview, Zelensky said that he would be ready to end the hot phase of the war along current lines in exchange for Ukraine entering the alliance. The problem, as Zelensky pointed out in the same interview, is that Kyiv has not received any offer resembling such a deal from its partners. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Some stronger supporters have backed NATO membership for Ukraine, but others, including Ukraines largest military aid suppliers Washington and Berlin, have rejected the idea of an invitation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Ukraine and Zelensky, even if it doesnt come with Article 5 protection itself, achieving some form of Scenario 1 peace remains the only acceptable option. Soon after hostilities end, Ukraine is set to face a slew of internal pressure tests, including what could shape up to be a fiercely-contested round of presidential and parliamentary elections. But to hold elections in the first place, Kyiv will first have to end martial law, which, unless special provisions are brought in, means disbanding the majority of the countrys mobilized fighters and finally allowing men to leave the country. The immediate shortfall in manpower would bring a heightened risk of a repeat invasion, not a risk Kyiv will want to shoulder in a Scenario 2 peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To avoid this, Zelensky will not only have to convince Trump that a secure post-war Ukraine is important but do so strongly enough to make the president-elect fight for it. French President Emmanuel Macron and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France on Dec. 7, 2024. (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images) My big worry is that Trump would want to rush toward a cessation of hostilities before this kind of peace enforcement framework is sketched out, said Eric Ciaramella, senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to the Kyiv Independent. Then you have a very unstable peace, something in the middle of war and peace, not like in Donbas before 2022, but probably hotter and more unstable. Putins war psyche As the aggressor in the war and the leader holding the undisputed initiative on the battlefield, the question of Why does Russia stop? starts and finishes with Putin himself. After failing to take Kyiv in early 2022, Russia changed its approach to one of attrition: grinding down both the Ukrainian militarys ability to hold hundreds of kilometers of front line and the Wests resolve to keep Kyiv in the fight. Despite countless moments of humiliation, Moscow has stuck to its plan, and after years of fighting and soaring losses, the strategy is starting to pay off. In June, as Russian forces expanded on its breakthrough near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, Putin named his demands: not only abandoning NATO membership aspirations, but the full Ukrainian withdrawal from the four illegally annexed oblasts, i.e. a Scenario 3-style capitulation. For Putin, a ceasefire now would amount to giving up not only his hard-earned momentum but also stopping well short of these publicly aired goals. Ultimately, given Russias highly personalized leadership, the most important factor remains the mindset of the president, said U.K.-based Russia expert Mark Galeotti to the Kyiv Independent. The very fact of Putin's invasion in February 2022 was not a common sense decision, who knows quite what Putin thinks now, he said, but beyond that, I think everyones playing it by ear. The Russians are clearly feeling a certain degree of a strange mix of anticipation and unease, in that they absolutely would be delighted if Trump started to scale down support for Ukraine, but on the other hand, they know full well that they can't really trust him. According to Galeotti, though the final say remains with Putin, there are some reasons to believe that Russia could be tempted by the idea of a ceasefire. I think the Russians are clearly working on the assumption that there may be a ceasefire, he said, which is why they're putting so much effort and blood into their campaign in the Donbas, and they're preparing for a stepped-up operation against the Kursk salient. They want to make sure that by the time Trump is inaugurated, they're in the most favorable position. They want to make sure that by the time Trump is inaugurated, they're in the most favorable position. Unsustainable battlefield losses and a gradually overheating economy mean that Russia could look for an easy way out, more like Scenario 2, with the added bonuses of placating Trump while still being able to invade again later. The Standard of the President of the Russian Federation flutters on top of the dome of the Senate Palace, one of the main buildings within the Kremlin compound, as seen through a barbed wire in Moscow, Russia on Oct. 22, 2024. (Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP via Getty Images) Russian President Vladimir Putin as seen in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Jan. 18, 2023.(Contributor/Getty Images) The generals will be thinking that actually it would be very valuable to have some time to reconstitute, to rebuild their forces, to replenish their equipment, ammunition, Galeotti said, because they will still be in a position, essentially, to determine if and when a ceasefire is broken. The Russians can play a constant game of will we, won't we? with the Ukrainians; keep them at a high pitch, and decide as and when if they're going to attack again. Trumps daunting task With Kyiv and Moscows positions looking near irreconcilable, the task facing Trump to bring the war to a close from the outside is a daunting one. The incoming president has given little detail on how he plans to achieve his promised quick ceasefire, usually choosing to instead reiterate the accusations that his predecessor Joe Biden was primarily at fault for allowing the full-scale invasion to happen in the first place. In the absence of a publicly stated approach, observers have instead looked for signs from those closest to Trump, which show a mixed bag of hostile positions and hopeful proposals. Among Trumps inner circle, multi-billionaire Elon Musk and the president-elects own son Donald Trump Jr. have been a consistent source of anti-Ukraine diatribes, with both frequently mocking Zelensky on social media. Others, like VP-elect Vance, have at least paid lip service to the need for peace that came with a deterrence against a future Russian invasion, with Trump himself allegedly pushing Warsaw and Paris for European boots on the ground in post-war Ukraine, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on Dec. 12. On Nov. 27, Trump appointed retired U.S. Army General Keith Kellogg as his Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia. In an April paper for the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute think tank, Kellogg and co-author Fred Fleitz proposed taking NATO membership off the table and offering limited sanctions relief to Russia in exchange for coming to a peace deal that would be acceptable to Ukraine. Tesla CEO Elon Musk (R) joins U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the site of his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S. on Oct. 5, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Donald Trump Jr., son of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump attends the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. on July 15, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) A central working group on solving the problem has yet to be convened inside the Trump team, with advisors still formulating different versions of a possible plan, Reuters reported on Dec. 4. None of those people really speaks for him, said Ciaramella, they're all trying to kind of court influence and try to get him on board with their ideas. It's not entirely clear to me, as you read between the lines, where exactly their position is landing. Beyond the question of whether or not Trump sees the importance of a secure post-war Ukraine rather than simply a shaky ceasefire, the ultimate test is likely to come in his direct contact with Putin. The greatest unknown remains how willing and then how able the president-elect is to compel or convince Moscow to stop on the battlefield, and what he will do when faced with stiff resistance from his Russian counterpart. I don't see things moving until Trump is willing to actually take some concrete steps, said Ciaramella, the question is whether he's going to go in the direction of turning the screws on Ukraine or Russia or both. I understand the Ukrainian desire to have a little bit of optimism just because Trump is new. He is unpredictable, but judging from the way he acted in his first term, he is also really averse to military conflict and confrontation. In terms of real leverage that could be brought down on Putin, Trumps options include both the ramping up of military aid to Ukraine and perhaps more promisingly, an expanded economic war against Russia centered around the lowering of oil prices and tightening of secondary sanctions. But with Ukraines main battlefield woe being its own manpower, even these levers are unlikely to be able to quickly turn the tide on the ground. If no quick solution materializes, the threat for Ukraine is that Trump sees putting pressure on Kyiv as much easier than on Moscow, or that he could, if frustrated, disengage from the process entirely. Trumps ability to deflect and shift blame to other people is pretty well established, said Ciaramella. I do worry, especially with the growing narrative in Ukraine that the setbacks on the battlefield are because of Biden's weakness. You can really overplay that and get the response from Trump that, yes, it was Biden's fault. Europes need for bravery Though lagging far behind the U.S. in hard military power, there is a fourth party for whom the final result of the Russia-Ukraine war matters far more: Europe. With fresh memory of Russian occupation, Poland and the Baltic States have been some of Ukraines biggest per capita supporters, while further north, Finland and Sweden responded to the full-scale invasion by breaking with official neutrality policy and joining NATO. Across the continent, the full-scale war has jolted Europe into upping defense spending, a topic brought into focus in February when Trump said he would urge Russia to take whatever the hell they want if Moscow attacked a European nation that wasnt meeting NATO defense spending targets. But while taking responsibility for Europes own security is one thing, being able to bring Ukraine under that umbrella in conditions of war or shaky ceasefire is another entirely. Europes heavyweights have been slow to budge: French President Emmanuel Macron, who first made headlines in May by signaling readiness to deploy French troops to Ukraine in case of a Russian breakthrough, didnt elaborate on the idea for a long time after. In the aftermath of Trumps visit to Paris, Macron allegedly discussed the deployment of troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, with Warsaw signalling that such a move could only happen under a NATO framework. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made his first phone call to Putin since the early days of the full-scale in late November in a move slammed by Ukraine supporters. Scholzs call to Putin showed that he has learned nothing from his past failed engagements with the Kremlin, said political analyst and Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis Jessica Berlin to the Kyiv Independent. "Scholzs call to Putin showed that he has learned nothing from his past failed engagements with the Kremlin." Thankfully, the response from European allies was clear: This isnt helping. Scholzs outreach also wasnt coordinated or agreed to in advance with our allies. In this handout image provided by the German Government Press Office (BPA), Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) is seen in his office at the Federal Chancellery during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin with Jens Plotner, foreign and security policy advisor to the Federal Chancellor (L) and Steffen Hebestreit, government spokesperson (C) in Berlin, Germany on Nov. 15, 2024. (Steffen Kugler/Bundesregierung via Getty Images) As the big players hesitate, a strong European move to prevent disaster in Ukraine might have to be led by a bloc of braver states operating together, said Berlin. Biden and Scholzs hesitancy, lack of strategy, and lack of deterrent action to counter and contain Russia are pushing our Central Eastern European, Baltic, and Nordic allies to self-organize and explore ways to do more, she said. How doing more might look in practice remains to be seen, and a lot will depend on whether or not action is endorsed by a U.S.-brokered peace deal, or whether a disengaged Trump could force them to go out on a limb. Either way, the expectation is that it would require active military involvement inside Ukrainian territory, whether in the form of troops protecting a demilitarized zone, long-range assets placed inside Ukraine, or other incremental options. If the war does continue, one way of supporting Ukraine while projecting strength to Russia could be an air defense coalition, according to Berlin. Once the precedent of NATO member states actively supporting Ukrainian air defense has been set, that buffer zone can be incrementally expanded, she said. This would be a clear way for Ukrainian allies to defend Ukraine and deter Russia without firing a single shot at a single Russian soldier or pilot. Crunch time for Moscow and Kyiv With the clock ticking down to Trumps return to the White House, no big breakthrough has come yet, with all parties doing their best to improve their positions. Looking forward to January and beyond, whether Ukraine can avoid spiraling toward suing for a desperate Scenario 3 peace or worse looks to depend on four key inflection points. The first is on the battlefield: whether or not Ukraine can stabilize its defense of the front line in the next months and bring Russia's offensive surge to culmination. If so, Putin's calculus could lean toward ending Russias war, at least for now. But if the rate of Russian territorial gains continues its upward trend, and more parts of the front line begin to experience the kind of slow operational collapse currently on display in southern Donetsk Oblast, Moscow could choose to resist external pressure and double down on its maximalist goals. The second lies with Trump. Both Scenarios 1 and 2 require compelling Russia to stop quickly, but with a team full of Russia-sympathizing officials and advisors and Kyiv a lot easier to strongarm directly, the idea that Trump will be as tough as required on Putin for the sake of a quick peace is a dangerous assumption. The third concerns whether Putin is at all interested in stopping on the battlefield, and how he responds to Trumps demands. This will be a calculation of overall, big-picture interests, and depends not only on the leverage brought by Trump but on Putin's vision for the next stage of his broader confrontation with the West. Polish and Romanian military personnel stand next to military vehicles and a NATO flag on the sidelines of a press conference near the Suwalki Gap in Poland on July 7, 2022. (Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images) Finally, much depends on Europe. Seeing the Russian threat to their own security, a brave Europe will step up to do whatever is required not only to avoid Scenario 3 but also to make a decisive long-term commitment to turn a Scenario 2 ceasefire into a robust peace that deters a repeat invasion. To end the war with a strong, independent Ukraine intact, these inflection points will have to lean in Kyivs favor. NATO membership should still be the final goal, argues Ciaramella, and in the meantime, the West must do everything to project peace through strength. The real way to fundamentally change Putin's calculus is to essentially take Ukraine off the table, he said, and say there's really no outcome of this war where Ukraine doesn't end up under the protection of Article 5. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. BAKERFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A probation check turned foot pursuit lead to the arrest of a man who was involved in a vehicle pursuit in Sacramento earlier that day, according to the Kern County Sheriffs Office. On Dec. 11, KCSOs gang unit conducted a probation search at a home located at 2120 Scott Place in Bakersfield. Before the gang unit approached the house, deputies noticed a Kia Stringer near the residence. A deputy recognized that the Kia was was involved in a pursuit with the Sacramento Police Department earlier that same day. SPD confirmed Timothy Ruiz, 23, was the driver involved in the pursuit, KCSO said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies, along with a K-9 unit and Air 1, tried to contact Ruiz in the front yard of the east Bakersfield home, but Ruiz fled through the backyard once he saw the police presence outside the home. Air 1 directed officers on his whereabouts and observed Ruiz discarded a bag over the northwest fence of the property. He was arrested a short time later without incident. Officials say they found a loaded .45 caliber firearm inside the bag. Ruiz was arrested for multiple gang and weapons charges and was booked into the Lerdo Jail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. A Japanese sake maker is going where no sake maker has gone before: space. Asahi Shuzo, the company behind popular Japanese sake brand Dassai, plans to blast sake ingredients to the International Space Station (ISS) to ferment a very special brew. If it works, just one 100ml bottle will be offered for sale on Earth at 100 million yen, or about $653,000. A standard serve is 80ml, making it one very expensive drink. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no guarantee of 100% success for the fermentation tests, said Souya Uetsuki, the brewer in charge of the project at Asahi Shuzo. He said the difference in gravity could affect how heat transfers in fluid, causing a different fermentation process in space than on Earth. The company has paid Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for access to the Kibo experiment module, part of the ISS developed by Japan, where tests can be conducted in a special microgravity environment. The national space agency said they would not comment on the privately paid project. Sake on the moon? Sake is made of Japanese rice, water, yeast and koji (a type of mold). It traditionally takes about two months to make through a series of precise steps that involve steaming, stirring and fermenting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The drink is sipped from a glass at many Japanese cultural occasions from weddings to meals at pub-like izakaya restaurants and last week landed a spot on UNESCOs list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Dassai meaning otter festival in Japanese is one of the most popular sake brands on the market. But its maker is also behind premium products popular with collectors willing to spend up to thousands of dollars for a bottle. Asahi Shuzos foray into space is more than just another attempt to make another rare sake, according to the brewer. Uetsuki said the company hoped the project would offer insights into how fermentation works in space, so perhaps one day they can make sake on the moon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a future where humans can freely travel between the moon and Earth, some will visit the moon as tourists. This project aims to create sake that can be enjoyed on the moon, allowing visitors to have delightful moments there, he said. He hopes the technology will also benefit future space tourists who have a penchant for other types of fermented food. Many Japanese foods, such as natto and miso, are fermented, and this technology could expand into these areas, Uetsuki said. The companys developing space brewing equipment, with a planned launch date later in 2025. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) The San Diego County District Attorney has finished reviewing five separate shooting incidents involving law enforcement officers, according to a news release Thursday. After conducting a thorough review of the facts and evidence in each case, the DAs office has concluded that the officers involved in all five incidents bear no criminal liability for their actions, the release stated. Four of the five incidents reviewed by the DA involved someone pointing a gun at an officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement El Cajon police fatally shoot woman who hit officer with vehicle outside station The first of the five incidents listed in the release was in regards to a fatal shooting on Nov. 3, 2023 in Escondido. According to authorities, Escondido Police received a call regarding a male sleeping on the front porch of a mobile home at 2550 East Valley Pkwy. around 6:36 a.m. According to the release, the man, identified as Douglas Quinn, had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest. Authorities said when confronted by police, he pulled a 9 mm gun from his rear waistband and shot at officers Anthony Lay and Michael Statti. The officers returned fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although Quinn was wounded, he shot again at the officers, which led to Statti firing additional rounds. Quinn was pronounced dead at the hospital at 7:39 a.m. Above: Previous report on the deadly police shooting investigation in Escondido on Nov. 3, 2023. The second incident reviewed by the DA occurred on Feb. 4, 2023 in Chula Vista. According to authorities, the Chula Vista Police Department received calls about a disturbance at an apartment complex in the 600 block of Moss Street. Nearly five pounds of fentanyl seized after pursuit ends in Alpine Two officers responded to the location where they found Perri Sammarco and another man under a stairwell at the complex. Sammarco threatened to cut the other mans throat with a knife, prompting other officers to be called to the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chula Vista Police officer Alfonso Perdomo climbed over a wall to the side porch of the apartment which Sammarco and his hostage were standing in front of and entered through the sliding glass door, authorities said. Once inside, he opened the front door of the apartment and fired one round at Sammarcos head. Sammarco was pronounced dead at the hospital, with traces of fentanyl, methamphetamine and amphetamines detected in his blood through a toxicology test. The third incident reviewed by the DA occurred on June 4, 2023. Authorities said San Diego Police officers responded to reports from the Iris Avenue trolley station of a passenger, Mauricio Sanchez Ramos, foaming at the mouth and rocking back and forth. Metropolitan Transit System security officers told SDPD that the trolley had come to a stop at the San Ysidro Boulevard station and that the man was sitting inside the trolley car, waving a handgun and displaying hand signs. One person was killed after being shot by police at a San Ysidro trolley station. (KSWB) According to the DA, SDPD officer Ruben Perez Berton Jr. and his partner located the trolley car where he was seated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After being ordered repeatedly to show his hands, Sanchez Ramos then reached into his waistband, pulled out what appeared to be a Glock-style handgun and pointed it at Berton, prompting the officer to fire multiple rounds. Sanchez Ramos died and his manner of death was ruled a homicide. Multiple drugs were detected in his blood through a toxicology test, according to the DA. The fourth incident involving an officer happened on Aug. 6, 2023. Officer Brian Heller with the La Mesa Police Department arrived in the parking lot of an apartment complex near 8000 University Ave. to find Jason Hampton, who had a felony no-bail warrant, according to authorities. He requested another officer to help him contact Hampton. As Heller and the other officer approached Hampton with a warrant for his arrest, Hampton pointed a gun at one of the officers and pulled the trigger, the DA stated. However, the gun jammed and Heller fired multiple rounds toward Hampton but missed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A chase ensued until Hampton turned toward Heller, still holding the firearm. Heller fired additional rounds, one of which struck Hamptons neck, the DA said. Hamptons cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound and the manner of death was a homicide. In the fifth incident reviewed by the DA, San Diego County Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to a 911 call at a home in Fallbrook on April 21, 2023 around 1 a.m. The caller said her husband, Jorge Sandoval, was suicidal, possibly intoxicated and laying on the ground in front of the house. As the woman was speaking to the dispatcher, the DA said Sandoval confronted her and unsuccessfully tried to take the phone away from her before locking himself in a room in the house. Deputy Corporal Evan McCormick and his partner arrived and as they were speaking with the reporting party, Sandoval appeared and began walking toward them with a long rifle, the DA said. Both deputies ordered him to show his hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sandoval then raised the rifle and pointed it toward them as he walked forward, the DA stated. McCormick then fired six rounds, causing Sandoval to fall to the ground. He was taken into custody and found to be in possession of three knives as well as multiple rounds of ammunition. Based on a toxicology test, drugs were found in Sandovals system, although it is unknown whether the substances were administered by hospital staff during treatment. An alcohol level of 0.08% was found in his blood, authorities said. He was subsequently charged with two counts of resisting an executive officer, two counts of making a criminal threat and one count of carrying a concealed dirk or dagger. Officer-involved shootings are reviewed by the DAs offices Special Operations Division for violations of state law, including murder and manslaughter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Dec. 12SANTA FE A jury found Jeannine Jaramillo guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and other crimes Thursday for her actions in a 2022 wrong-way crash that killed a Santa Fe police officer and a retired firefighter. The Santa Fe jury deliberated about four hours before finding Jaramillo, 49, responsible for leading police in a wrong-way chase on Interstate 25 near Santa Fe, leading to the fatal head-on collision. Killed in the crash were 43-year-old Santa Fe police officer Robert Duran and 62-year-old Frank Lovato, a retired firefighter from Las Vegas, N.M. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 1st Judicial District Court jury also found Jaramillo guilty of great bodily injury by vehicle, aggravated fleeing from police, reckless driving and making a false police report. Each first-degree murder conviction requires her to serve at least 30 years in prison before she is eligible for parole. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer has not scheduled a sentencing hearing. After the verdict was announced, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said justice had been served. "We're so relieved we were able to get justice for the victims," Carmack-Altwies told reporters outside the courthouse. "The case was tight against (Jaramillo) and it could not have gone better for our prosecution team." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district attorney also said the verdict brought some relief to family members of the victims, more than two years after the incident occurred. "I think they're glad they got the outcome their family members deserved," Carmack-Altwies said. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Padgett Macias told jurors during the five-day trial that Jaramillo initiated the pursuit by falsely telling a bystander to call 911 because a man in her car had taken her hostage. When police arrived at Vizcaya Apartments, 2500 Sawmill Road in Santa Fe, in response to the 911 call. Jaramillo led officers on a reckless high-speed chase, first on Santa Fe streets, then onto I-25, prosecutors said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jurors viewed dramatic police dash-camera video showing Jaramillo driving 90 mph the wrong way on I-25 in a stolen Chevrolet Malibu with officers in pursuit. Drivers on the busy stretch of I-25 southeast of Santa Fe swerved and pulled over to avoid head-on collisions. Jurors also viewed video of the fatal collision. Lovato avoided the oncoming Malibu but crashed head-on with Duran's marked police car. Both men died at the scene. The pursuit ended when the Malibu collided with a heavy GMC truck that disabled the Malibu. Two officers testified that they saw Jaramillo crawl out of the driver's side window, then claim that a boyfriend named Mark Lopez had held her captive and forced her to flee police. During the trial, Jaramillo's attorney, David Silva, questioned whether officers had followed police protocols by pursuing the Malibu at high speed. Officers responded that the pursuit was justified because they believed that a man had taken a woman hostage and that her life was in danger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carmack-Altwies said in closing arguments Thursday that the actions of police officers in no way justifies Jaramillo's actions. "If a firefighter goes into a burning building and dies, do we blame the firefighter or the arsonist?" Carmack-Altwies told jurors. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The Santa Pub Crawl returns to downtown Dayton this weekend. On Saturday, the 19th annual Santa Pub Crawl is back at the Oregon District. A holiday event to spread some cheer, but also a charity effort to raise money for the Marines Toys for Tots Program. Hallmark Christmas murder mystery coming to Dayton The evening will see hundreds of santas navigating numerous bars and pubs throughout the district while collecting new toys for local children in need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This years goal is to surpass last years total amount of toy donations, ensuring that every kid who needs one will have one to open on Christmas Day. The Santa Pub Crawl is happening Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. View the events Facebook page for more information. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. The Government was so concerned about the level of care Surrey county council was providing to vulnerable children that it intervened five years before Sara Sharifs death, it has emerged. In 2018, Nadhim Zahawi, the childrens minister at the time, was forced to appoint a childrens commissioner after an Ofsted report found young people in the county were being exposed to harm for too long. Trevor Doughty, then the director of childrens services in Cornwall, was given the role and concluded Surrey council managers had an unwillingness to acknowledge their failings and the resulting risks to children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sara was found dead at her home in Woking, Surrey, on Aug 10 last year. She was on a child protection plan from birth and had been in foster care on two occasions. At the Old Bailey on Wednesday, her father, Urfan Sharif, 43, and her stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, were convicted of her murder. From the left: Urfan Sharif, father, Beinash Batool, stepmother, and Faisal Malik, uncle - AFP Her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was found guilty of causing or allowing her death. Sharif was awarded joint custody of his daughter in 2019 despite social services being aware of numerous allegations of abuse made against him by Sara and her siblings. In 2018, a critical Ofsted report had concluded that services at the council required immediate improvement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report found that too many of the most vulnerable children are being left exposed to continuing harm for long periods of time before decisive protective actions are taken. Mr Doughty was instructed by Mr Zahawi to review the councils performance in June 2018, and concluded that the serious underperformance in childrens social care services in Surrey was widespread and long-standing. Two councils, Hampshire and Essex, were also drafted in to help support the councils struggling childrens services. Surrey Police officers guard the family home in Woking, Surrey, where the body of Sara Sharif was found - Jonathan Brady/PA Mr Doughty found that issues in social services had been going on for at least 10 years and quite possibly many years prior to that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the multi-agency safeguarding was not fit for purpose and that assessments were being closed too quickly, which was resulting in high rates of re-referrals. It was also a concern, Mr Doughty noted, that there were a large number of incidents with families that do not go on to interventions for children. Six months later, despite progress being made, Mr Doughty found that there was still an atmosphere of constant and overwhelming pressure on social workers. He said that had led to a culture of finding expedient solutions rather than the priority being, How can I best help the child and family? In his final report, made in December 2019, he concluded that there had been significant improvement. He said that as a result, childrens social care services should not be removed from the councils control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A full Ofsted inspection in 2022 upgraded the childrens services from inadequate to requires improvement to be good. It noted, however, that some children continue to live in neglectful situations for too long. On Friday, Saras maternal grandmother, Sylwia Kurz, said Batool and Sharif were beasts. Ms Kurz, the mother of Olga Domin, Saras mother, told TVN24, a Polish news channel: I cant understand it how much Sara had to go through. After what they did to her, she must have suffered a lot. How can one be such a degenerate? The Sharif family home in Woking, Surrey - Surrey Police/PA Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She previously told the same channel that Saras death could have been prevented had Surrey county council given Ms Domin custody. Ms Domin and Ms Kurz did not attend the trial. Ms Kurz said none of the family could bear to hear about the abuse Sara suffered. Sitting there and looking into their faces I probably wouldnt be able to stand it. These are wounds that will never heal, she said. Following Saras death, the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership announced a local independent review would be undertaken but it was paused owing to the criminal case. The review gave a deadline of six months after the case finishes to report its findings, though that is understood to have been extended to a year. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BINGHAMTON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) If you need a last-minute Christmas gift, theres a new coffee business that was created for the owners love of horse racing. Saratoga Cool Beans, owned by Mike Kelly, officially launched in July, and is an online-only store that delivers coffee orders across the country. Kelly says as a kid, he frequently visited Saratoga Race Course and fell in love with the sport of horse racing, and the festivities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saratoga Cool Beans currently offers ten different flavors, each named after racing references, including the Jim Dandy, Old Kentucky Home, and Top of the Stretch. Kelly says 10% of the business sales goes to support the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, for former jockeys who suffered serious injuries while racing. And then there was a marriage between horse racing and coffee because horse racing people are morning people as a rule. Theyre up at the crack of dawn, this, that , and the other thing. And it was a nice niche I thought. Because you have to find a niche, and I thought horse racing people, but you dont necessarily have to be a horse person to like it, they just like good coffee, says Kelly. Kelly says of the ten types of coffee, five are flavored and five are traditional roasts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He hopes to open up a retail space in the Saratoga area within the next year. You can order at SaratogaCoolBeanscom. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34. Project Summary: This story is part of KXANs Preventing Disaster investigation, which initially published on May 15, 2024. The project follows a fatal car crash into an Austin hospitals emergency room earlier that year. Our team took a broader look at safety concerns with that crash and hundreds of others across the nation including whether medical sites had security barriers known as bollards at their entrances. Experts say those could stop crashes from happening. AUSTIN (KXAN) The Austin City Council gave final approval Thursday to a new ordinance already being praised for its potential to save lives requiring security barriers at all new hospital entrances in direct response to a series of KXAN investigations and nearly 10 months to the day after a deadly crash at St. Davids North Austin Medical Center. This will save lives Absolutely this will save lives, Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, who introduced the resolution in July, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That resolution was sparked by KXANs diligent investigative coverage, Kelly said publicly at the time after watching the Bernard familys story. In an exclusive interview, Nadia and Levi described how they, and their two toddlers, were run over inside the ER lobby. The driver had a blood-alcohol level between three and four times the legal limit to drive, an autopsy showed. Nadia wanted to share their story with KXAN so no one else will have to go through what were going through. On Thursday, Kelly again praised the family for speaking out. Photos of the February 2024 crash at St. Davids North Austin Medical Center, killing the driver and injuring five others, including the Bernard family (Courtesy Diane Warmoth; Howry, Breen & Herman; KXAN Photo) I want to thank the Bernard family for their courage to speak up and to talk about their experience, she said. Which is why, in part, I brought this forward to prevent future tragedy. After months of policymaking, there was a tense moment when Council Member Zo Qadri introduced a motion to postpone discussion until the end of January. Qadri cited the Planning Commissions concerns that requiring crash-rated barriers, called bollards, at new hospitals, urgent care clinics and standalone emergency rooms doesnt go far enough. The motion to delay a vote was also supported by Vanessa Fuentes, who sponsored Kellys resolution. Council Member Mackenzie Kelly holds a copy of her resolution after it passed, unanimously, on Dec. 12. (KXAN Photo/Matt Grant) I think it would be an absolute travesty for us not to vote today in favor of this item, Kelly said. And to postpone and kick it down the road further. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the last council meeting before her term ends, Kelly urged the council to pass the measure and expand it later. I would encourage that while Im watching from home on my couch eating popcorn, she said. But, right now, we have the ability to affect a very serious change. That final plea helped pass the measure unanimously. Im going to say it without objection: Item number 74 is adopted, Mayor Kirk Watson said. EXPLORE: KXANs Preventing Disaster investigation that led to a new law change Levi and Nadia Bernard with their toddlers, Sunny and Rio, left, before being run over by a car in the lobby of St. David's North Austin Medical Center. (Source: Austin Police Department) New data shows 400+ crashes The change in city law comes in response to 10 months of KXAN investigations. Our team collected and analyzed data from the Storefront Safety Council a nonprofit that tracks vehicle crashes along with TxDOT crash data, police and media reports and built our own database. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since our initial investigation, we have now found more than 400 crashes at, or into, medical centers nationwide in the last decade. When we combined data from the SSC with crash data from TxDOT, we found more than 100 crashes in Texas since 2014. Map of crashes that have occurred in Texas involving medical facilities or hospitals in the last 10 years. Source: Texas Department of Transportation (KXAN Interactive/Dalton Huey) Map of crashes involving medical facilities and hospitals nationwide in the last 10 years. Source: Storefront Safety Council, police, media reports (KXAN Interactive/Dalton Huey) That number, 400, does not surprise me, attorney Sean Breen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Breen represents the Bernard family in their $1 million lawsuit against St. Davids NAMC accusing the hospital of gross negligence for not having bollards. After the crash, and following our questions, it installed a dozen. Now, new facilities and existing ones wishing to expand are required to take those safety steps. St. Davids North Austin Medical Center added a dozen bollards outside its ER after the fatal crash on Feb. 13. (Courtesy Howry, Breen & Herman) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement St. Davids did not respond to KXANs request for comment following Thursdays vote. The hospital group previously told us it does not comment on pending or active litigation. St. Davids HealthCare will work with policymakers to ensure compliance with any new legal or regulatory requirement, if they are passed, the hospital group said in a statement after Kellys resolution to initiate a bollard ordinance passed unanimously in July. Very grateful Breen spoke with the Bernard family after the vote and said they are absolutely enthused. And very grateful that the city council acted appropriately and quickly here, Breen said. This is a great day for Austin. It doesnt help the Bernards but it will help other families not have to go through what theyve gone through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reflecting on her time on the council, Kelly said she felt an incredible sense of honor and gratitude. Austin is now one of at least six cities or counties that passed bollard rules, most sparked by deadly incidents. (KXAN Interactive/Dalton Huey) This is something really special that I can hang my hat on, she said. It is now an ordinance, which is city law. And that is my legacy. It is a wonderful legacy to have. This comes following yet even more crashes involving medical centers in recent days and weeks in Fort Worth, Maryland, Ohio, Rhode Island and South Carolina. On Dec. 7, a car crashed into a Fort Worth dialysis center. (Courtesy Glen E. Ellman/FWFD) Austin became at least the sixth city or county nationwide to require security barriers. The investigation by KXAN and the team there really ensured that this was brought to resolution in an expedient manner, she said. The research was impeccable and data-driven. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My hope, she added, is that other communities can use this as a framework to get it passed in their jurisdictions. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. The Nevada State Republican Party posted this picture on social media after party chairman Michael McDonald, center, and five other Republicans signed a fake certificate in December 2020 falsely claiming that Donald Trump had won the 2020 presidential election in Nevada. Although not one of the fake electors, standing at the left is Jim Marchant, a 2020 election denier and conspiracy theorist who would be the Republican Party's nominee for secretary of state in 2022. When two of Nevadas presidential electors sign the certificate declaring to Congress that Donald Trump is the winner of Nevadas six electoral college votes next week, they will still be facing charges for sending a fake electoral college certificate to Congress in 2020. A year ago three years after the fake electors had signed and sent the phony certificate Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford filed charges against them in a Clark County court for offering a false instrument and uttering a forged instrument. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge in Clark County dismissed that case in June, saying she lacked jurisdiction over events that took place in Northern Nevada. But Ford Thursday announced that his office had filed charges against Nevadas six 2020 fake electors in Carson City. Ford filed the forgery charges in Carson City Thursday as a preemptive measure to ensure that the statute of limitations on this charge does not lapse. My office still believes that Clark County is an appropriate venue for this case, and will continue to seek a ruling from the Nevada Supreme Court to that effect, Ford said in a statement. But in the meantime we are preserving our legal rights in order to ensure these fake electors do not escape justice, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fake electors actions constituted direct attempts to both sow doubt in our democracy and undermine the results of a free and fair election, Ford said. Justice requires that these actions not go unpunished, he said, adding this is not going away. Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in Nevada by 33,596 votes in 2020. Two of the Republican presidential fake electors from 2020 Nevada Republican Party Chair Michael McDonald and Clark County Republican Party Chair Jesse Law are also listed as presidential electors this year, according to the Nevada Secretary of States office. The other four 2020 fake electors are Jim DeGraffenried, Duward James Hindle III, Shawn Meehan, and Eileen Rice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to McDonald and Law, the other four presidential electors in 2024 are Bruce Parks, Kathyrun Njus, Robert Tyree, and Brian Hardy. Their meeting to cast Nevadas electoral college votes unlike those falsely filed by fake electors in 2020 will be legitimate. Trump defeated Kamala Harris in Nevada by 46,008 votes in 2024. Electors in Nevada and all the other states meet as the Electoral College on Dec. 17. FORT MILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Drivers fed up with the backups near the North and South Carolina state line could soon be in luck. Palmetto State leaders are exploring ways to improve the Carowinds Boulevard Corridor on Interstate 77. Drivers describe navigating I-77 and Exit 90 near Carowinds as a nightmare. With all the growth the area is experiencing, those problems could get worse before they get better. But state leaders are working on a way to ease those frustrations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For those who travel along I-77 and the Carowinds Boulevard Corridor often, heavy traffic is a given. I do five days a week, so Monday through Friday, said one driver. Life cycle of lunch: Gaston County Schools serve produce grown in the districts own farm About 170,000 cars pass through the North and South Carolina border on a daily basis, leaving drivers spending chunks of their days stuck. When you get to Exit 85, the traffic stops, so from 85 all the way up to north Charlotte, its just a parking lot, said the driver. If theres an accident, forget about it because my daughter spent three hours one day trying to get just to here because of an accident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The news that changes could eventually be on the way is exciting. That would be great if there were some relief, said the driver. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is looking to include $2 million in his upcoming budget for a feasibility study to explore ways to mitigate the near Exit 90 off I-77, often referred to as the entrance to South Carolina. Making travel convenient and predictable is critical to the success of our business, our corridor, and our community, said Pat Jones, senior vice president of operations for Six Flags, the company that owns Carowinds. The study could lead to additional lanes, a new interchange or other solutions to alleviate the backups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you travel around here and look on your iPhone for the red dots and the red lines, theyre always around here, said McMaster. In a place thats quickly changing and expanding, the relief cant come soon enough. Its only going to get worse, said the driver. Its too much. Way too much. They dont build enough roads to keep up with the growth. If the study gets funded, it would then be up to South Carolina lawmakers to decide whether or not to move forward with any proposed changes that come out of it. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) A school in Knoxville was placed on lockdown Friday due to a possible threat nearby, according to authorities. As of 1 p.m., the lockdown had not been lifted. READ: More top stories on WATE.com A Knox County Schools spokesperson and Knoxville Police Department spokesperson Scott Erland confirmed the lockdown at L&N STEM Academy with 6 News. According to the spokespeople, L&N STEM Academy was placed on lockdown due to an investigation into a possible threat that was happening near the campus. The nature of the possible threat was unclear. This is a developing story. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates. EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes for one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy seafood and some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trumps pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive to consumers. Conservationists also fear Trump's emphasis on government deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks that are already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they are excited for Trumps second presidency. They said they expect hell allow fishing in protected areas as he did in his first presidency, crack down on offshore wind expansion and cut back regulations they describe as burdensome. And they expect a marked shift from the administration of President Joe Biden, who prioritized ocean conservation and championed wind power from the start. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The seafood industry isn't hungry for another tariff war, which hurt fishermen during Trump's first term, said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association. But she said the new Trump administration has a unique chance to throw its support behind U.S. fishermen. I think we should be focused on feeding Americans, Casoni said. The America First administration I think will make that point loud and clear. Know where your food is coming from. But the seafood industry, which is international in nature, could be seriously disrupted if Trump goes through with a plan to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada, said John Sackton, a longtime industry analyst and founder of Seafood News. Canada is the largest seafood market for the U.S. for both imports and exports, and nearly a sixth of the seafood imported by the U.S. is from its northern neighbor, according to federal statistics published in November. In total about 80% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. Losing Canada an especially important buyer of American lobster as a market for U.S. seafood could cause prices to fishermen to collapse, Sackton said. And some products could become unavailable while others become more expensive and still others oversupplied, he said. He described the seafood industry as interdependent on both sides of the border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Canada, members of the country's seafood industry are watching closely to see what changes Trump ushers in, said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A potential trade war will cost everyone more (in Canada and the U.S.) and cause damage to the seafood section in Canada and the United States, Irvine said via email. We are working with allies in Canada and the U.S. to send this message to all governments. One of the major changes for fishermen under a new Trump administration is that they can expect to have a seat at the table when high-level decisions get made, said representatives for several commercial fishing groups. Last time around, Trump sat down with fishermen and listened to their concerns about loss of fishing rights in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a nearly 5,000-square mile (13,000 square kilometers) protected area off New England, said Robert Vanasse, executive director of industry advocate Saving Seafood. That goodwill is likely to carry over into Trump's new presidency. And the industry feels it has already scored a win with election of a president who is an outspoken critic of offshore wind power, said Drew Minkiewicz, an attorney who represents the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Sustainable Scalloping Fund. Fishermen of valuable seafoods such as scallops and lobsters have long opposed offshore wind development because of concerns wind power will disrupt prime fishing grounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is excitement in the industry that offshore wind will basically be contained to its existing footprint and nothing beyond that, Minkiewicz said. Others in the industry said they're concerned about how Trump will handle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that regulates fisheries. The undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, who is currently the Biden-appointed Rick Spinrad, will be one of Trump's key appointees. Trump went through three different administrators at the post during his first term of office. The industry has recently suffered major recent crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and trade hostilities with another major trading partner in Russia, and isn't in a position to withstand unstable leadership, said Noah Oppenheim, coordinator for Fishing Communities Coalition, which represents small-scale commercial fishing groups. "The Fishing Communities Coalition is always deeply concerned that any administrations shifts away from a fishery management focus on conservation and accountability will do serious lasting damage to the industry," Oppenheim said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conservation groups who have pushed for stricter vessel speed rules and new fishing standards, such as new gear that is less likely to harm whales, said they're also waiting to see the direction Trump takes fisheries and ocean policy. They said they're hopeful progress made under Biden can withstand a second Trump presidency. It would be extraordinarily short-sighted for the incoming administration to ignore the science and set off a fishing free-for-all that will only hurt fisheries and healthy oceans in the long run, said Jane Davenport, a senior attorney with Defenders of Wildlife. ___ This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Sean Hannity on Thursday tried to make a political statement by bashing an ordinary family video of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and wife Gwen Walz decorating a Christmas tree. (Watch the video below.) The Fox News host repeatedly joked that Tim Walz should have trimmed the tree with menstrual products, while colleague Rachel Campos-Duffy suggested that the footage made the couple seem like communists. Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a contributor to the network, said the clips vibe contrasted with people talking about patriotism with Donald Trump, the GOP president-elect. In the Wednesday video, Walz, who served as the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year, addressed daughter Hope Walz as he waxed nostalgic over handmade ornaments on the tree, including one made of a toilet paper roll. He joked that she probably missed her Griswold family, referring to the fictional clan in 1989s National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Hannity saw it as an opportunity to recycle the GOPs overblown response to Tim Walzs support of a bill mandating that Minnesota schools provide free menstrual products to students in grades four through 12. I wonder if they put any feminine hygiene products on the tree? Hannity asked. Moments later he was back at it again. But I do wonder, I mean, what did they decorate that tree with? I mean, if they believe so much in feminine hygiene products in boys bathrooms in school, why wouldnt they put it on their Christmas tree? Heres Walzs video in full. WTF was all the Fox News fuss about? Remember to share holiday traditions like decorating the tree with your kids even if theyre out of town. pic.twitter.com/SXn9Wh4b8l Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) December 12, 2024 H/T Media Matters for America Related... A 68-year-old man is missing following a ski day at Sun Peaks Resort. The skier, Tomasz Jaholkowski, was last seen checking into the resort at 11:35am on December 10, 2024. After Jaholkowski did not return to his hotel room and had not been heard from, local police and Kamloops Search and Rescue have sent search parties out for him. A Sun Peaks spokesperson confirmed that he was last seen boarding West Bowl Express Chairlift, which opened earlier this season. West Bowl Express provides skiers access to more terrain closer to the edge of the resort's boundaries. "We are very concerned for his well-being and are asking anyone who may have seen him or has information on his potential whereabouts, to please contact police as soon as possible," said Corporal Crystal Evelyn, Kamloops RCMP spokesperson. Jaholkowski was last seen wearing a red and black ski jacket, black ski pants, and a black beanie while getting on the ski lift. Mr. Jaholkowski is described as: Caucasian, 510, approximately 180 lbs., grey hair, brown eyes. Kamloops RCMP released a photo of him getting on the lift as well of a photo of him without ski gear in hopes of helping folks recognize him if seen. Tomasz Jaholkowski. Photo: BC RCMP Sun Peaks officials also said that Jaholkowski is the third person to go missing from the resort this year, but that the other two were found quickly just outside the resort's boundaries. Searches for Jaholkowski are being conducted both in and out of bounds and with helicopter and drone assistance. Sun Peaks recommends on its website that guests stay within the double-roped resort boundaries. Skiers who do venture out of bounds are urged to do so with a beacon, probe, and shovel, food, water, communication devices, and not to do so alone. Anyone who has information that may be related to the potential whereabouts of Tomasz Jaholkowski is asked to please contact the Tkemlups Rural RCMP Detachment at 250-314-1800. UPDATE, December 13, 2024: Tomasz Jaholkowski was found deceased at Sun Peaks Resort according to a press release from RCMP. Related: Federal Grant Reopens Shuttered Colorado Ski Area Be the first to read breaking ski news with POWDER. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing. From ski resort news to profiles of the worlds best skiers, we are committed to keeping you informed. ELLENTON, Fla. (WFLA) The Manatee County Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics help finding an elderly man who went missing earlier this week. Authorities said no one has spoken to 87-year-old Paul Sargent since he drove away from his home on 31st Court East in Ellenton on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Tiny home village opens in East Tampa to house U.S. veterans At the time, he was driving a 2001 silver Lincoln LS with the customized Florida tag LT COL S. Paul Sargent (Credit: Manatee County Sheriffs Office) Paul Sargent (Credit: Manatee County Sheriffs Office) Paul Sargents vehicle (Credit: Manatee County Sheriffs Office) His vehicle was last sighted around 1:32 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, near the intersection of State Road 62 and Corbett John Road in Parrish about 11 miles from Sargents home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, detectives said Friday they still have not been able to find Sargent. Family members told investigators Sargent often likes to drive around with his white Bichon dog named Sassy. Sargent has a medical condition and could be disoriented, officials said. Sargent is about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs around 150 pounds and has grey hair and hazel eyes. At the time of his disappearance, authorities said the 87-year-old was wearing blue jeans, a navy shirt and dark grey shoes. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriffs Office at 941-747-3011. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. CHICAGO A search is underway for a woman who Chicago police say has been missing for more than two weeks. Officers said 39-year-old Jessica Morales went missing on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and has not been contacted since. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines According to police, the missing woman was last seen in the vicinity of the 1400 block of North Humboldt Drive in West Town. The missing woman, who stands 5-foot-2 and weighs around 140 pounds, has brown eyes and black hair. Authorities provided details on the search for Morales on Thursday but did not say what she was last seen wearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 39-year-old Jessica Morales is asked to contact the CPD Area Five SVU at 312-746-6654 or dial 911. Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. The City of Johnstown is continuing to search for a new police chief and a new community and economic development director after both positions became open within the past few weeks. Police Chief Richard Pritchard abruptly left Oct. 23, effective immediately, providing just a two-sentence resignation letter. Then, on Nov. 26, Community and Economic Development Director Nina Ndichu sent out a mass email with a Farewell and Thank You subject line. She wrote: It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and talented people, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunities Ive had to contribute to our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither has spoken publicly about the reasons for their departures. City Manager Art Martynuska has declined to discuss why Pritchard and Ndichu are gone, simply referring to the situations as personnel matters. But after Johnstown City Councils regular monthly meeting Wednesday, Martynuska spoke about the status of the searches. Regarding the process of finding a full-time police chief, he said, We havent started it yet. Were still talking internally how were going to handle that. In the interim, Capt. Dan Price will continue to serve as the officer in charge. The recruiting of a new community and economic development director is further along. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We actually have the job description put out, but no replies yet, Martynuska said. During the meeting itself, council unanimously approved the citys balanced 2025 budget of $15,460,774, with a plan to put $434,000 into the capital fund. Finance Director Melissa Millard also provided an update about the citys current budget as the year comes to an end. As of today I ran this report right before I came over in the 2024 budget, we currently are closing, so far, with a surplus of $677,730, Millard said. So the city management team and the directors, we worked really diligently and hard. We do have the citys best interest at heart. Millard added: That money will make money for the city, so moving forward, it will be a revenue source. Its not just going to get randomly spent. It will be invested, and at some point it will be budgeted and moved into the capital fund for infrastructure, so we can start moving forward over the next five to 10 years doing what needs to be done in the city. A 31-year-old Seattle man, Westcott Francis-Curley, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The charges stem from three separate fraudulent schemes carried out between 2019 and 2022. Francis-Curley has been in federal custody since March 2024, following his indictment in August 2023. Francis-Curleys fraudulent activities began in 2019 when he embezzled more than $550,000 from his then-employer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Using his access to company resources, he misused cloud computing accounts and purchased cloud services at inflated prices. He then sold these services back to the company, paying himself with company funds at significantly higher rates than their market value. He was caught while attempting to secure an additional $500,000. Francis-Curley spent large portions of the embezzled funds on lavish personal expenses, including private jet travel. In 2020, Francis-Curley defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a government initiative designed to assist small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He submitted false applications claiming two companies he controlled had large payrolls, even though the businesses had no operations or payroll. As a result, he obtained nearly $100,000 in relief funds, which he spent on personal goods and services. The final scheme occurred in October 2022, when Francis-Curley applied for a credit card in the name of his former significant other. He used the card for over $1,000 in personal expenses. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 21, 2025. Both the prosecution and defense attorneys will recommend a three-year prison sentence. Francis-Curley has agreed to pay restitution to his former employer, the Small Business Administration, and to the individual whose identity he used to open the credit card. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wire fraud carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, while wire fraud in connection with a national disaster can carry up to 30 years. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory two-year sentence, which would run consecutively to any other sentence. By Mrinmay Dey (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this week has reopened an investigation into Elon Musk's brain-chip startup Neuralink, according to a letter shared by Musk on Thursday on social media platform X. The Dec. 12 letter from Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro and addressed to outgoing SEC Chair Gary Gensler also said that the agency had issued Musk a 48-hour settlement deadline to either accept a monetary payment or face charges over the probe into his $44 billion takeover of Twitter. Musk has since renamed Twitter as 'X.' The settlement amount was not disclosed in the letter. Musk has long sparred with the SEC and last year four lawmakers asked the commission to investigate whether Musk committed securities fraud by allegedly misleading investors about the safety of a brain implant developed by Neuralink. How much traction the SEC would gain in any action against Musk is unclear. The billionaire entrepreneur who also heads Tesla and SpaceX is set to gain extraordinary influence after spending more than a quarter of a billion dollars to help Donald Trump win November's presidential election. His companies are expected to be well insulated from regulation and enforcement measures. Trump has also appointed Musk to a task force that plans a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. government. Spiro wrote in the letter that he and Musk would not be "intimidated" by the SEC and that they reserved their legal rights. The SEC and Neuralink did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours. A federal judge in November rejected the SEC's request to sanction Musk after he failed to appear for court-ordered testimony in relation to the Twitter takeover probe on whether Musk violated securities laws in 2022. The commission had also sued Musk in 2018 over his Twitter posts about taking Tesla private. He settled that lawsuit by paying a $20 million fine, agreeing to let Tesla lawyers review some posts in advance and stepping down as chairman. (This story has been corrected to say that the settlement demand was issued in connection with the SEC probe into Musk's Twitter takeover, not Neuralink, in paragraph 2) (Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) By Alvise Armellini ROME (Reuters) - A section of Ancient Roman Emperor Nero's vast underground Domus Aurea (Golden House) was reopened to the public on Friday after extensive restoration and repair work to protect the nearly 2,000-year-old site from water damage. The inauguration came as Rome is preparing for an influx of tourists during the 2025 Roman Catholic Holy Year, or Jubilee, during which the Eternal City expects as many as 32 million arrivals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Visitors to Nero's palace will be welcomed through a new entrance on the western side, leading to a wide hall known as the "Neronian portico" and then to rooms still bearing traces of their original colourful frescoes, mosaics and marbles. The spectacular residence was built in 64 A.D. after a great fire destroyed most of what was then central Rome, the one through which Nero infamously, and probably apocryphally, is said to have fiddled. It was rediscovered in the 15th century, and Renaissance painters including Raphael and Michelangelo would study its frescoes by lowering themselves on ropes through holes made in the ceiling, still visible today. One room that reopened on Friday includes a graffiti by one of these artists, Pinturicchio, who scribbled his name as "Pintorichio". Back in his time, someone added the word "Sodomito", a homophobic insult that survives to this day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another area, the Nymphaeum, features a vault decorated with seashells and a central mosaic showing Ulysses offering wine to Polyphemus, the one-eyed monster from Greek mythology cited in The Odyssey. Nero's palace was named after the gold leaf covering some of its walls, and was part of a complex that once included an artificial lake where the Colosseum now stands. It is said to have contained a 120-foot (36.6 metre) statue of the emperor. The ruins now lie below a park next to the Colosseum. They survived because they were covered up and filled with rubble to serve as the foundation of baths built by the later Emperor Trajan. Conservation authorities, however, face a constant battle with water infiltration from the ground above the palace, a problem that has led to repeated and prolonged closures of the monument over the past decades. (Additional reporting by Cristiano Corvino and Roberto Mignucci, Editing by Angus MacSwan) By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON (Reuters) - The New Zealand government said on Friday it will pass legislation next year to prevent entities that "do not share the countrys values" from using it as a base to monitor satellites. The South Pacific nation's location and clear skies make it a good place to launch and monitor satellites from, with the European Space Agency among those keeping an eye on space from New Zealand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, New Zealands intelligence service raised concerns in September about some foreign entities wanting to develop space infrastructure, which would have assisted foreign military activity that could have harmed New Zealand interests. The report did not say which country or countries' military would have benefited if the plans went ahead. However, the report did also say China remains a complex intelligence concern but there are other states that undertake malicious activity in New Zealand as well. "The new regulations are intended to prevent the establishment or use of ground-based space infrastructure in New Zealand by entities that do not share our values or interests, including the country's national security interests, Space Minister Judith Collins said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Zealand, a member of the Five Eyes security grouping with the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, has a small commercial space industry that is growing fast with government support. According to a report released by New Zealands National Intelligence Service, New Zealand organisations have been approached by a small number of entities seeking to develop space infrastructure in New Zealands territory. These entities often claim the infrastructure will be used for civilian research purposes, but it was subsequently found in each case that what was proposed could have assisted foreign military activity that could have harmed New Zealands interests, the report titled New Zealand Security Threat Environment said. "The full capabilities, and some of the affiliations of these entities, were deliberately hidden." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (This story has been corrected to say that the New Zealand intelligence service raised concerns in a report in September, not last week, in paragraph 3) (Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A semi-truck erupted in flames Friday morning at U.S. 95 and Las Vegas Blvd. Billowing black smoke could be seen coming from the front of the truck shortly after 11 a.m. causing the northbound lanes to be blocked to traffic. City of Las Vegas fire crews responded quickly to the blaze and extinguished the fire. There is no word on what caused the blaze. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is proposing to add a bill on radiation exposure compensation that he has championed to a tax package. In this photo, Hawley talks to reporters after an amendment vote on the infrastructure bill at the U.S. Capitol on Aug. 4, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) If the U.S. House of Representatives tries to include a slimmed-down version of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, in Congress end of year funding bill, it faces a roadblock in the form of Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley. Hawley on Tuesday criticized rumors that House leadership was working to include a Utah-only expansion of RECA as part of the continuing resolution, or CR, that Congress must pass to fund the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years, RECA provided payments to people diagnosed with certain cancers if they lived in a handful of counties in Utah, Arizona and Nevada near above-ground nuclear testing sites in the 1950s and early 1960s. Cold-war era uranium workers in 11 Western states were also covered. But the program expired in June, and in the last six months lawmakers have floated several proposals to renew or expand the program. Now, Hawley says the House is attempting to include a slimmed-down version of RECA in the spending bill that would extend coverage to just a few counties in Utah. Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, Hawley vowed to reject the proposal, calling it a backroom deal, rigged for only a few insiders, excluding most of the country. Sources familiar with the matter said none of Utahs four Republican House representatives Blake Moore, Celeste Maloy, John Curtis and Burgess Owens knew what Hawley was referencing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Utah delegation and House leadership have spoken with Hawleys office several times and there is a genuine desire to reach some kind of agreement with RECA, multiple sources said. But Utahs four lawmakers in the House are unaware of whether a Utah-only deal is being worked on as part of the end-of-year spending bill. In response to a request for comment, Hawleys office directed Utah News Dispatch to his remarks on the Senate floor. Staff with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, did not provide comment on Thursday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advocates have long decried RECA as inadequate, citing research that showed nuclear radiation from the tests went far beyond the counties covered by RECA. Called downwinders, people across Utah and the Western U.S. suffered from cancers likely caused by nuclear fallout, but were not eligible for compensation because they didnt fit within RECAs narrow requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2022, Congress passed a bill extending RECA by two years, with the intent of using that window to expand the program. Hawley proposed a bill that did just that and in March it passed the Senate, for the second time, after a bipartisan 69-30 vote. The bill would increase how much compensation downwinders could receive, expand eligibility for certain uranium workers, and widen the current definition of an affected area to include all of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Guam. It would also cover some of Hawleys constituents near St. Louis, where creek water was contaminated by radiation during nuclear weapons development. But the House failed to act, and in June the program expired. The price tag of Hawleys bill gave some members of the House pause, including Maloy, who previously told reporters it likely wont get a vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That adds a lot of new costs. So that bill wont come up for a vote in the House. The House will not take up a bill that has that much unpaid liability, she said, following a debate in October. Now, with Congress lame-duck session nearing an end, Hawley has taken to the Senate floor, X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) and sent out a press release vowing to reject any proposal from the House that would only cover Utah. I cannot emphasize to you enough, Mr. President, what an offense this would be, Hawley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In November, dozens of advocacy groups from 17 states and territories, including Utah, penned a letter to House leadership, urging them to pass Hawleys bill during the lame-duck session. While we wait for Congress to fix this flawed program, people are getting sicker, and people are dying. We cannot afford to wait again. We cannot be asked to accept more cancers, more deaths, more bankruptcies in our communities while Congress goes back on its promises, the letter reads. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein on floor of Senate. (Courtesy Hesselbein's office) Wisconsin Senate Democrats knew going into this years elections that their opportunity to flip the Senate wouldnt come until 2026, but they had a goal of flipping four seats and keeping every seat already held by a Democrat. They succeeded, and now the caucus is preparing for a legislative session with high hopes for bipartisan work. Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) told the Wisconsin Examiner in a year-end interview that her 15-member caucus is bringing a lot of energy, enthusiasm and honesty to the Senate and is looking forward to working next session. She said the bolstered caucus is returning for the next two-year session with a lot of good ideas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hesselbein said lawmakers have already started to talk about what happened on the campaign trail, and the caucus will begin having more robust conversations next week about their priorities for the session. She said the importance of public schools including K-12, universities and technical colleges has been a recurring theme already. Hesselbein sees new influence for Democrats in a few ways. For one, Senate Democrats now have the numbers to stop Senate Republicans from overturning Gov. Tony Evers vetoes. Hesselbein said this is huge. Senate Republicans held a 22-seat supermajority in the 2023-24 session, which allowed them to vote to overturn some of Evers vetoes, though these efforts werent successful since Assembly Republicans didnt hold a supermajority. Senate Republicans majority was trimmed back to 18 out of 33 seats in the recent election. With a more evenly split Legislature, Hesselbein said there will be the potential to get more things done in a bipartisan way. She noted that last session several big pieces of legislation, including funding renovations at the stadium where the Milwaukee Brewers play, investing in the states local government funding and overhauling the states alcohol licensing, had bipartisan support. They have a lot of Republicans on their side that dont vote for much of anything, so we will see going forward, Hesselbein said. She said that she has spoken with Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) and newly-elected Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) about the upcoming session, and the conversation was good. She said Senate Republicans plan to caucus on Monday and Senate Democrats will caucus on Tuesday, and the leaders will hopefully meet again in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im going to have conversations with Sen. LeMahieu and Sen. Felzkowski, and figure out if theres a way we can move forward in a bipartisan manner, Hesselbein said. One area ripe for work next year is the states two-year budget. With a $4 billion budget surplus, lawmakers will return in January with the task of deciding how to spend the money. Hesselbein said she believes that Democratic votes could be necessary to successfully pass a budget. The Senate Democratic leader hasnt voted in favor of a state budget in her 12 years in the Legislature, and hopes that can change. I dont know how they would pass a budget without Democratic votes. They have a lot of Republicans on their side that dont vote for much of anything, Hesselbein. She pointed to Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), who voted against the last state budget, as an example. Nass Chief of Staff Mike Mikalsen noted in an email to the Examiner that Nass has voted against many fiscally flawed and big spending state budgets, but that since his first election in 1990, he has voted in favor of a few fiscally-sane state budgets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Agencies recently submitted their budget requests, and when it comes to education funding, DPI Superintendent Jill Underly submitted a request for an additional $4 billion and the UW System has asked for an additional $855 million. Hesselbein said she was surprised that the requests were so high. Theyre big numbers but you know what? They have been underfunded for decades, Hesselbein said. Underlys job, Hesselbein said, is to run the Department of Public Instruction and let us know what she thinks she needs for that budget, and she did that. She said that UW System President Jay Rothman had the same responsibility. I know we couldnt meet both their expectations, right, without blowing a huge hole in the budget, Hesselbein said. Shoring up education Hesselbein said that investing in the states special education reimbursement for public schools could be particularly important as there is uncertainty about what could happen under the new Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Donald Trump gets rid of the Department of Education on a federal level, what does that do for special education in the state of Wisconsin? We have students that have IEPs, and they have federal protection so that they can get help but they might be learning different ways, Hesselbein said. Theres a lot of unsure things going on right now. Hesselbein said investing in mental health resources in K-12 schools and higher education will be important as well. Republicans have said tax cuts will be one of their highest priorities next year. Hesselbein said that any tax cuts would need to be micro-targeted to gain Democratic support, and she doesnt know if Republicans will get there based on what they did last session. Republican lawmakers had proposed several tax cuts that Evers vetoed, including an income tax cut. Hesselbein added that property tax relief could be an interesting proposition, given that many communities have decided to raise their property taxes to help with education costs. A recent Wisconsin Policy Forum report found that gross K-12 property taxes in the state are expected to rise by the largest amount since 2009 due in part to referendum requests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Really the reason why we have billions of dollars in our surplus is because we havent been funding K-12 education the way we should for years, Hesselbein said. People over and over again will raise their property tax if they want to support their neighborhood schools, so those people are agreeing to tax themselves higher because they care so much about K-12 education, but theyre making those decisions because the state of Wisconsin isnt keeping up their promise to pay for those services and that school. Other Democratic prioirites When it comes to health care issues, Hesselbein said that she hopes lawmakers will be able to expand Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers to 12 months. She noted that Wisconsin is one of two states in the U.S. that havent accepted the expansion. The Senate passed a bill to do so in the most recent legislative session, but it never received a vote in the Assembly. We have it on the books where you get 60 days and if youre postpartum 61 days, too bad, you dont get any services, Hesselbein said. Thats not how your body works after you have a baby. She said women who have just given birth need support and resources. As Democrats are still in the minority, Hesselbein admitted there will likely be limits to what Democrats can accomplish on certain issues next session as much will depend on Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hesselbein said Democrats will continue working to eliminate the 1849 statute that went into effect when Roe v. Wade was overturned, causing the cessation of abortion services in Wisconsin. That law is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court. She said that she also wants to pass a bill for a fairer process for drawing voting maps. Wisconsin implemented new maps this year after the state Supreme Court ruled that the last set of maps, drawn to heavily favor Republicans, were unconstitutional. However, the laws guiding how Wisconsin draws voting maps havent changed. I dont know if thats going to happen until were in the majority, but were going to continue to push for that, Hesselbein said. Hesselbein said it would be a missed opportunity if Republicans choose not to work with Democrats to get things done, and said voters will remember if we dont get the budget done on timeif were not meeting as much and what bills get completed. I cant force Republicans to work with me if they wont do that, Hesselbein said. I can offer an olive branch. I can say, My door is open. Lets have these conversations. But at the end of the day if they refuse to work with me, thats on them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hesselbein recalled that on the last day of session Senate Republicans ended debate even as Democrats wanted to speak, which led to Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) throwing papers up in the air in frustration. We answer to the voters in our district and its awful when the Republican Party silences Democrats, just because they dont want to hear what we need to say to represent the communities that we represent. Thats unfair, Hesselbein said. And we wont do that, by the way, when were in the majority. Were going to let people be able to talk and be able to say what they want and have robust conversations. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A voting sign in East Lansing, Feb. 24, 2024 | Susan J. Demas Late in the evening on Thursday, members of the Michigan Senate voted along party lines to advance a bill creating fines for intentionally making a false statement about Michigan elections. Senate Bill 707 specifies individuals who knowingly misrepresent the time, place or manner of an election; the qualifications or restrictions on voter eligibility; criminal penalties associated with voting in an election; an individuals voter registration status or eligibility would be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill clarifies that an individual has intentionally and knowingly made a false statement or representation if they know it is false and make the statement with the intent to hinder or prevent another individual from voting in an election. Additionally an entity who employs an individual for election related purposes, and if that individual violated this law, the employer would be subject to a civil fine of up to $10,000 unless they demonstrate that they did not have any prior knowledge that the employee planned to make a false statement which violates the law. If this entity is a local government, there is a rebuttable presumption that they did not have prior knowledge that an employee planned to violate the law. Bill sponsor, state Sen. Mary Cavanaugh (D-Redford Twp.) testified previously that she worked with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and legal experts to guarantee that the bill covers intentionally made false election claims rather than accidentally. The bill moves to the House for further consideration following a 20-16 vote, with two Republicans excused from session. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, who introduced legislation last month to eliminate the Department of Education, told ABC News closing the agency could take "a couple of years." "We want to do it right," Rounds said, making it unlikely the department will see major changes on Day 1 of the next administration. "This is not just a 'make noise' bill. This is a serious [bill]. It's taken us a year and a half to write this bill." PHOTO: Sen. Mike Rounds is seen in the U.S. Capitol, December 4, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Rounds' "Returning Education to Our States" bill builds on one of President-elect Donald Trump's key campaign promises. It has a road map to elimination, sending block grants to states and redistributing major federal funding to other agencies, but it needs 60 votes in the Senate to pass and then be signed into law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We've tried to set this up so that some of it could be done within reconciliation. Some of it we'll have to gain consensus on by executive order, some of which may very well take 60 votes. So we might not get everything we want," Rounds acknowledged. Rounds said he has not met with or discussed the bill with Linda McMahon, Trump's education secretary pick. Meanwhile, Rounds insisted that federal programs affecting vulnerable students and those with special needs will not be gutted. PHOTO: Linda McMahon meets with Sen. Tommy Tuberville in his office in the Russell Senate Office Building on December 09, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) MORE: Congressional Republicans continue to introduce bills eliminating the Department of Education "We don't want to lose the specific offices that deliver particular congressionally directed funds, such as special education, IDEA and so forth," said Rounds, referencing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. "All of that is included in a redirection to other locations, but all those offices still remain with the focus of sending that money back [to the states]." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a member of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, told ABC News that reaching a 60-vote threshold to pass legislation that dismantles the agency would be "very difficult." "We need to downsize it," Tuberville said. "More money needs to go back to the states, every state, and you know, we can have a group up here that can -- they can supposedly be the Department of Education, but to have [4,000] or 5,000 people up here makes no sense. I mean, we need to take as much money as we can, put it back in the states, put it back in the schools and give these students a chance." PHOTO: Sen. Tommy Tuberville in his office in the Russell Senate Office Building on December 09, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Augustus Mays, vice president for partnerships and engagement at the advocacy group The Education Trust, said block grants could disproportionately affect marginalized students. "If you were to take away, or block grant, the funding that goes towards IDEA, then you will have a situation where students with disabilities may not be getting the support they need towards a free and appropriate public education, which is required by law," Mays told ABC News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That could be $34 billion from the federal government that would be going out to all these states to support those needs, and states would be picking up that bill. [Lawmakers] need to understand what that would actually mean if they were to eliminate Department of Ed," he warned. However, if the president-elect and his Cabinet picks start firing federal employees, education experts suggest it would be too tall a task for a diminished department to administer Education Department funds to states and have states distribute them to school districts. Clare McCann at American University said that is something skilled employees at the Department of Education would be equipped to do. "There's a reason the Department of Education was created, and it was to have this kind of in-house expertise and policy background on these [education] issues," McCann told ABC News. "The civil servants who work at the Department of Education are true experts in the field." North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican, said he disagreed with McCann's stance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The goal is more education, right?" he said. "And do you need a massive government bureaucracy to do that? Probably not." Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie told ABC News he will also be bringing forward legislation to abolish the Department of Education within the "first few weeks" of the 119th Congress. "There'll be one sentence -- only thing that will change is the date: The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026," Massie told ABC News. However, experts have told ABC News that Massie's one-sentence bill may not be realistic as all the funding that currently goes to the department will have to be redirected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Department of Education administers a whole lot of laws," said Neal McCluskey, an education analyst at the libertarian think tank The Cato Institute. "Those laws have to be changed about who runs student aid and who is tasked with making decisions about cancelling student debt and who decides or who administers Title I and lots of these other federal programs." Senator says eliminating the Department of Education could take 'years' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Dec. 12Additional spending for worker protections and improvements to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and speeding up the cleanup of PFAS or forever chemicals were projects Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., secured in the National Defense Authorization Act likely to go to President Joe Biden during his final weeks in office. As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Shaheen helped convince House and Senate negotiators to approve a five-year exemption for employees of public shipyards from a lodging mandate and another $5 million to expand the PFAS public health study that Shaheen had established five years ago. The former Pease Air Force Base site served as a model for this national study. This final bill also included a ban on PFAS chemicals in cleaning products bought by the Department of Defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "From the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to our innovative defense manufacturing industry, New Hampshire plays an integral role in boosting our national defense," Shaheen said. "That's why I was proud to secure provisions in this year's national defense bill to support our state's contributions while also addressing some of the challenges, including tackling PFAS contamination, ensuring access to benefits for service members and supporting our defense industry and installations." Another Shaheen amendment blocks the National Guard Bureau from carrying out a "re-leveling" initiative and got New Hampshire a one-year exemption from it for fear it could lead to job losses. But the state's congressional delegation split over the matter with retiring U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., opposing it due to a rider that House Speaker Mike Johnson attached to strip away gender-affirming health care for the transgender children of service members. "The brave men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much for our country and our freedoms deserve a defense spending bill that puts their well-being and our national security above all else," Kuster said in a statement after the House vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, voters elected Nashua Democrat and former Justice Department legal administrator Maggie Goodlander to replace Kuster who's retiring after six terms. Junior soldiers get a raise U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., joined with the majority in the 281-140 vote to pass a measure Wednesday that gives junior service members a raise. "This legislation will provide our dedicated service members with the pay raise they deserve and help save lives by taking on the trafficking of deadly drugs like fentanyl," Pappas said in his statement. "The hundreds of bipartisan provisions in this bill will strengthen our defense, boost New Hampshire's economy, and improve our service members quality of life." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill does include the largest pay raise in 25 years for junior service members, 14.5% for the junior enlisted and 4.5% for all other soldiers. The legislation also includes $33.5 billion in shipbuilding including seven battle force ships and a Virginia-class submarine that are maintained at the Portsmouth shipyard. Shaheen got a first-time amendment included to require that all women who receive health care through the military have access to Food and Drug Administration-approved contraception without insurance co-pays to bring military in line with civilian health care. Pappas admitted "frustration" at Johnson's rider, citing some Republicans who had objected to it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's regrettable that Speaker Johnson forced the inclusion of unnecessary riders in this bill that would put LGBTQ+ youth at risk by taking away their ability to seek health care and make decisions with their families and doctors," Pappas said. "I urge the speaker to shift his attention to the issues the American people have asked us to focus on: strengthening our economy, lowering costs, and keeping our nation safe." The National Defense Authorization Act heads to the Senate next week. klandrigan@unionleader.com Governors and presidents have unique power to grant pardons and clemency and commute sentences. It is an absolute power, and it is a power that should be used incredibly carefully. I study every single case that comes across my desk where theres a request for a pardon, or clemency, or a reduction of sentence and I take it very seriously. I weigh the merits of the case, I weigh what occurred in the court proceedings, I think about public safety and victims and all of those issues factor into my decision. I recognize that those on the outside can question those decisions, as you are here today, and posing a question to me as to the clemency granted by President Biden. So Ill offer these thoughts as an outsider, not privy to all the information he looked at, but I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This was not only a black eye on the community, the kids for cash scandal, but it also affected families in really deep and profound and sad ways. Some children took their lives because of this. Families were torn apart. There was all kind of mental health issues and anguish that came as a result of these corrupt judges deciding they wanted to make a buck off a kids back. Frankly, I thought the sentence that the judge got was too light, and the fact that hes been allowed out over the last years because of COVID, was on house arrest and now has been granted clemency, I think, is absolutely wrong. He should have been in prison for at least the 17 years that he was sentenced to by a jury of his peers. He deserves to be behind bars, not walking as a free man. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro Gov. Josh Shapiro at the PA Farm Show Jan. 10 2024. (Photo by Commonwealth Media Services) Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday said President Joe Biden got it absolutely wrong when he commuted the sentence of a former Luzerne County judge convicted in the Kids for Cash scandal. Speaking at an unrelated press conference in Bidens childhood hometown of Scranton in a building on Biden Street, no less Shapiro said that he disagreed with the decision the president made on Thursday in commuting the sentence of Michael Conahan, who was convicted in 2011 of sending children to prison in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks from a private jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Governors and presidents have unique power to grant pardons and clemency and commute sentences. It is an absolute power, and it is a power that should be used incredibly carefully, Shapiro said. I study every single case that comes across my desk where theres a request for a pardon or clemency or a reduction of sentence, and I take it very seriously. I weigh the merits of the case. I weigh what occurred in the court proceedings. I think about public safety and victims and all of those issues factor into my decision. I recognize that those on the outside can question those decisions, as you are here today and posing a question to me as to the clemency granted by President Biden, Shapiro added. So Ill offer these thoughts as an outsider, not privy to all the information he looked at, but I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania. On Thursday, Biden announced he was commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were placed in home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic, and granted pardons to 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes. As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses, Biden said Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shapiro called the Kids for Cash scandal not only a black eye on the community, but said it affected families in really deep and profound and sad ways. Some children took their lives because of this. Families were torn apart, Shapiro said of the scandal. There was all kinds of mental health issues and anguish that came as a result of these corrupt judges deciding they wanted to make a buck off a kids back. Sandy Fonzo, whose son died by suicide after he was put in juvenile detention, said in statement Thursday that the commutation was deeply painful, adding this pardon feels like an injustice for all of us who still suffer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) called the commutation incomprehensible and indefensible in a statement late Thursday. Where does ruining the lives of vulnerable kids in order to enrich oneself warrant a presidential commutation? Shapiro added Friday that he thought the 17-year sentence for Conahan was too light. The fact that hes been allowed out over the last years because of COVID, was on house arrest and now has been granted clemency, I think, is absolutely wrong, Shapiro said. He should have been in prison for at least the 17 years that he was sentenced to by a jury of his peers. He deserves to be behind bars, not walking as a free man. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Shaun Golden, the sheriff of Monmouth County, N.J., wants feds to get to the bottom of recent mysterious drone activity in his state. Local officials, including Golden, are urging Gov. Phil Murphy (D) to declare a state of emergency. We continue to urge our governor to press the federal government to put more resources out here, Golden said Thursday on NewsNations Dan Abrams Live. The only way were going to solve this is by the federal government coming in here and doing full investigations as to what these things are, how their movements are made, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House insist that the drones do not represent a threat. The Pentagon also said it currently does not appear that a foreign enemy is behind the mysterious drones in the New Jersey sky. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) claimed the drones are being launched by an Iranian mothership, but Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said during a briefing there is not any truth to that. With the investigation ongoing, Golden has called for the governor to declare a state of emergency and to issue an executive order banning nighttime use of recreational drones. Tom Palmer contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. CANTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) The Stark County Sheriffs Office is investigating a deadly shooting that happened Thursday in Canton Township. According to a press release, deputies responded to a 911 call at a home in the 1500 block of Deville Ave. NW just after 3 p.m. Ohio hunter to pay record-setting restitution The sheriffs office reports a 35-year-old man had been shot several times. He died at the hospital, according to officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes been identified as Weston Wade. Stanley recalls 2.6 million mugs. Heres whats affected The other individual involved in the incident has been identified and is cooperating with the investigation, the sheriffs office said in a press release. The sheriffs office is requesting that anyone with information on this incident to contact them at (330) 430-3800. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. A shoplifter stabbed a worker at a Bronx bodega after trying to swipe some Pokemon cards, cops told the Daily News on Thursday. The crook stabbed 32-year-old Aurelio Mendez in the chest at Fordham Fruit and Vegetables on Creston Ave. near E. 188th St. just after midnight on Tuesday, police said. Mendez told The News the thief threatened him after he noticed the man acting shiftily and approached him inside the deli. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was suspicious, Mendez recounted. I asked him if I could help him. He said, Get out of my face, or Im going to punch you.' Later the man grabbed two packs of Pokemon cards from the counter by the register and fled the store before tossing the trading cards onto the sidewalk. Mendez said it was while he reaching down to retrieve the stolen cards that the man viciously attacked him. He left and threw the cards onto the ground outside, the worker said. I went to pick up the cards, and the guy came back and stabbed me in the chest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was bent over, so I never saw the knife. I felt hot in my chest. When I opened my sweater I was bleeding. The guy just ran away, but Im worried hell come back. Paramedics treated the victim at the scene, but he later went to a hospital after experiencing extreme chest pain. I went to the hospital yesterday because I have strong pain in my chest, Mendez said. He stabbed me right by the heart. A manager for the bodega said shoplifting at the store and assaults against employees have become so common they only call police for incidents that result in serious injury. This is a regular occurrence, said Kevin Lee. We dont even call the cops unless its extreme. We only called because Aurelio was stabbed. If its just a fist fight, we just eat it. ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) The holidays can be stressful and Dr. Khaver Dar, a pulmonologist with Odessa Medical Enterprises, recommends not judging loved ones who are attempting to quit smoking during this time. Sometimes they require a little bit of empathy and understanding, Khaver said. While many people who smoke are aware it can be harmful for them, Dr. Dar said it isnt always easy for them to quit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I also understand if they are having a lot of turmoil at home, its not the best time to make the effort, and when they are ready I can help them, he said. Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in Texas, according to Texas Oncology. Even with treatment it can be difficult to recover, said Dr. Dar. May prolong life a little bit but I dont know that it provides a very comfortable life and a good quality of life, he said. Over 14,000 new cases and over 8,000 deaths are expected from lung cancer in 2024. About 80% to 90% of all lung cancer deaths are connected to smoking. When cancer spreads to the brain, the bones it has terrible consequences in terms of pain, seizures, other complications, Dr. Dar said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you or a loved one is trying to quit smoking, help and resources include: Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Yourbasin. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Get your forks out; Shreveport Public Assembly & Recreation (SPAR) is hosting a Holiday Turkey Giveaway on Friday. SPAR invites the community to enjoy a free holiday turkey on December 20th. Up to $1000 paid program for Caddo, Bossier junior teachers The giveaway will begin at 11 a.m. SPAR emphasizes arriving early to the Biberry Community Center (1902 Alabama Avenue, Shreveport) as the turkeys will be available while supplies last. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. *Attached video: Local woman scammed out of $23K in complex heist SILVER LAKE, Ohio (WJW) The Village of Silver Lake is warning its residents about fake calls about water testing that claim to be from the City of Silver Lake. According to a press release from Silver Lake Village Hall, multiple people have reported being called about water testing. The village said these calls are fake. Missing 17-year-old last seen in Canfield Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the reports, the caller claimed to be from the City of Silver Lake and, attempts to schedule an appointment at residents homes. These calls do NOT come from Village Hall, the release said. According to the release, water testing results can be found on the village website under the Consumer Confidence Report tab. Duke lacrosse players rape accuser admits she lied Residents are asked to contact the Village of Silver Lake at (330) 923-5233 before allowing a stranger in their home. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. (Courthouse photo from Allen County, mugshot from public record. Photo illustration by Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) The man who prosecuted Joseph Corcoran for gunning down four men in 1997 probably wouldnt do it again. Times have changed, my own thinking has changed, Robert Gevers told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. The death penalty is retribution. Thats all it is. Saving someones life is grace. So, are we a society about retribution or grace? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corcorans sister, Kelly Ernst, has a unique perspective shes his family, but also a victim. Corcoran killed her brother and fiance. I dont think his execution is going to help anything, she told the Capital Chronicle. Its not going to provide closure for anyone involved. The impending execution is set for before sunrise on Wednesday and will be the first for the state of Indiana since 2009. Gevers was the elected Allen County prosecutor for the 1999 case and handled the case personally. Since then, he has defended a death penalty case, coming to an agreement for that man to serve 300 years in prison instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked if he is comfortable with the state executing Corcoran, he said thats not the right word. That was the decision back then. That was the job we did, and we chose it, Gevers said. And then ultimately that goes to the jury and judge, and they have the final say if it were on my plate today, I would probably act differently. ... if it were on my plate today, I would probably act differently. Robert Gevers, former Allen County prosecutor He mentioned that the sentence of life in prison without parole was new back then but was likely a better option. Corcorans mental health not his guilt has been at the heart of the case since the start. Gevers said he remembers psychologists testifying about mental health issues, but it didnt rise to an excuse for his behavior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At that time, he was a pretty smart young man who was not using mental health to deflect or excuse or even explain. He wasnt so mentally ill that it made me think, Are we really doing the right thing? He was antisocial, Gevers said. He has had no interaction with Corcoran or his case in the last 20 years but has been reading articles and court briefs about his current mental state. Boy, Im glad Im not sitting on the bench, Gevers said. A long history of mental illness Corcoran then 22 killed his brother, James Corcoran, 30; Robert Scott Turner, 32; Douglas A. Stillwell, 30; and Timothy G. Bricker, 30, on July 26, 1997. He committed the murders at the home he shared with his brother and a sister. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joseph Corcoran told police at the time that the four men had been talking about him. He first placed his 7-year-old niece in an upstairs bedroom to protect her from the gunfire before killing the four men. He then laid down the rifle, went to a neighbors house, and asked them to call the police. A search of his room and attic, to which only he had access, uncovered over 30 firearms, several munitions, explosives, guerrilla tactic military issue books, and a copy of The Turner Diaries. Earlier, in 1992, Jack and Kathryn Corcoran were found shot to death in their Ball Lake home. Joseph, their son, who was 16 at that time, was charged for their deaths. A jury later acquitted him of the murders, though. Corcorans defense lawyers maintain that severe mental illness has caused their client to make decisions that arent in his best interest and have instead ensured his spot on death row. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corcorans mental illness was documented in court filings as early as age 17, when he underwent a psychological evaluation following the deaths of his parents. Doctors who evaluated Corcoran over the last three decades have reached multiple diagnoses, including depression, paranoid schizophrenia and schizoid personality disorder. State attorneys originally offered Corcoran a life sentence if he would accept a plea or waive jury. He refused, however, saying he would only agree to the terms if the state would sever his vocal cords first because his involuntary speech allowed others to know his innermost thoughts, according to court documents. Later, at his sentencing, Corcoran stated that he wanted to waive all his appeals. And in the early 2000s, when the time was still ripe for Corcoran to initiate post-conviction review, he refused to sign the post-conviction petition. So far, Corcoran has been unwilling to sign the necessary paperwork to initiate a clemency review or other avenues that could result in his removal from death row. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The inmates attorneys point to delusions that he has about ultrasound machines controlling him and his thoughts. But attorneys for the state say he is competent to be put to death. They assert that Corcoran wants to be executed and has a rational understanding of the reason for his execution. The attorney general has additionally pointed to a 2006 letter and statements in years past in which Corcoran admitted he fabricated this delusion. Last week, the Indiana Supreme Court sided with the state in a 3-2 decision, denying requests by Corcorans lawyers to delay his impending execution date and allow for his case to be reviewed or his sentence overturned. A different order issued by the court on Thursday again denied a stay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corcorans legal team is asking a federal judge to step in and pause the execution to allow for a hearing and review of their claims that putting the inmate to death is unconstitutional. They argued that Corcorans mental illness has long distorted his reality and made him unable to understand the severity of his punishment. Larry Komp, Corcorans federal attorney, said his client lacks any rational understanding of his impending execution he simply wants to expedite the ending of the torture that is not real. Thats despite a November letter Corcoran sent to the high court, in which he said he has no desire nor wish[es] to engage in further appeals or litigation whatsoever. With his own free will and without coercion or promise of anything, he asked the justices to withdraw his counsels motions. Ernst said shes only resumed contact with her brother in recent months. Correspondence between the two was brief, at best, in the 25 years prior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was Corcorans legal guardian when the quadruple murder took place. She said it wasnt until 10 years ago that she forgave Corcoran for the crime. I never expected what happened to happen in a million years, Ernst said in a Thursday interview. But what did happen pretty much changed my whole life. It was horrible. It sent me into a downward spiral. I was pretty self-destructive for a very long time. I had no contact with him after just what I saw on the news. But execution, she said, is not what I want to see. And its bull*** to make it so close to Christmas, Ernst said. Hes mentally ill, she continued. Hes been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and when I was younger, I didnt know what that was. I had no idea what mental illness was. But looking back, there were a few signs that I missed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attempts to reach family members of other victims were unsuccessful. Mark Thoma was one of Corcorans attorneys at his 1999 trial and he, too, is appalled that the state is going to put him to death when he clearly cant make rational decisions. Thats just dandy. So, were going to let incompetent people make decisions? Thoma said. Were now going to put to death a person who is seriously mentally ill. Thats what we are going to do as a society. How low can we go? But Thoma doubts Gov. Eric Holcomb will step in and stop the execution. I think its a stain on our government And I cant believe there arent more people up in arms about this, he said. Indiana governor weighs in Holcomb who has repeatedly maintained that he supports capital punishment, when appropriate along with Indianas attorney general, announced in June that the states Department of Correction has obtained pentobarbital to carry out the death penalty. Since then, the Republican governor has remained adamant that he wont decide whether to intervene until its his turn. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) When asked by the Capital Chronicle whether he considers Corcoran to be mentally ill, Holcomb said he is, but that the courts have spoken to his ability to stand, to carry out the sentence and conviction. I have read everything that (Corcoran) has written, what he said 20 years ago, what he says today, the governor said, calling Corcorans November letter to the state supreme court a hurdle to clear for his defense team which he may be in disagreement with which is interesting, to say the least. I will reserve my final judgment until every step, every legal recourse and step, has been exhausted when it becomes that the only option for change would be mine, not the courts intervention, Holcomb added. Correspondence obtained by the Capital Chronicle detail requests by Corcorans lawyers to arrange a meeting with Holcomb. The legal team also offered to arrange a sit-down with Dr. Angeline Stanislaus, a forensic psychiatrist and chief medical director for the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Komp said the governors office has so far denied requests to meet, however. Holcomb made clear on Thursday that hes waiting for judicial proceedings to conclude before he takes any action. Im still waiting for the court process to play out, and well see what we learn. Theres still, I think, one more piece of the process that needs to occur, he said, referring to Corcorans federal appeal. This has gone before state and federal courts over the last 25 years, and theyre still, yet, part of that process to play out. And then well make decisions based on the most current and hopefully final information that we are in receipt of. Story continues below. Corcoran Gov Clemency letter 12-11-24 Ernst, who has not been involved in Corcorans legal saga, said she had earlier hoped that Holcomb would stay the execution. Her message to the governor now, is that his family wants a pardon. Thats what we want for him. I respect her very much for her opinion. And thats understandable, Holcomb said in response. I respect people on both sides of this issue, and I understand there are different degrees. I met with a lot of people on both sides of this issue. They know where I stand on the issue. I know where they stand. My job, as I see it, is to as part of the process to play my role. And the courts are what I look to where he was sentenced and convicted, and time and time and time and time again, found to be competent to stand trial, and carried out the sentence. And that is the law of this land. And I took an oath to uphold the law of this land, and thats what I will do, given all the facts in its finality. Thoma noted an online defense attorney chat board is full of outrage over Delphi killer Richard Allens case, but there is nothing about Corcoran. Hes not a very appealing defendant. Hes just not very likable. He has no personality. Hes a flatliner, shows no emotion. Thats the way God made him, Thoma said. He added that no one is disputing Corcoran is mentally ill and putting him to death is barbaric. Pleas for a pardon A delegation of faith leaders opposed to the death penalty descended upon the Indiana capitol Thursday to deliver a letter to Holcomb, imploring him to stop Corcorans execution. The joint letter, with 70 signatures, emphasized that their call to refrain from restarting executions in Indiana is an expression of our desire to honor the sacred dignity of all people, including both victims and those who have caused immeasurable harm. Like many of Indianas civil leaders who share our values, we long to see the mercy, compassion, equity, and justice of God reflected in public policies that promote safety, human dignity, and healing for all Hoosiers, the letter read. A small group, led by coalition president David Frank, hand-delivered the letter to Holcombs office staff Thursday afternoon. A short prayer said aloud following the hand-off called for changed hearts and changed minds. A delegation of faith leaders opposed to the death penalty delivered a letter to Gov. Eric Holcomb and said a prayer in his office on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, inside the Indiana Statehouse. (Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle) They prayed, too, for Holcomb to have mercy and peace during the Christmas season, and to really reconsider Corcorans death sentence. Holcomb was not present for the groups visit. Their letter arrived at the Statehouse one week after Fort Wayne Republican Rep. Bob Morris called on Holcomb to block Corcorans execution and death sentences for Indianas other death row inmates. The lawmaker additionally said he plans to introduce a bill in the 2025 legislative session to end capital punishment in Indiana, citing his belief that only one position honors our Lord and Savior, our Creator: to protect all human life. Separately, a previous denial by the states correctional department to allow Corcoran to be accompanied by a spiritual advisor in the execution chamber was reversed on Thursday. Komp, on Corcorans behalf, requested a religious accommodation for Corcorans execution in November. Specifically, the death row inmates lawyer asked to have Corcorans Wesleyan minister be present in the execution chamber with a Bible, be permitted to pray with Mr. Corcoran, and be permitted to have limited physical contact with Mr. Corcoran by placing a hand on his shoulder or holding his hand until the execution is complete. IDOC counsel originally refused, saying the agency will not permit an outside person in the death chamber, as the safety, security and secrecy of those staff could be compromised. As of Thursday, an out-of-court agreement will permit Rev. David Leitzel to be present in the chamber with limited physical contact. Ernst said neither she nor her twin sister will attend the execution. We just wont, she said. We just think thats another thing thats going to stick with us the rest of our life. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX By Tala Ramadan DUBAI (Reuters) -A fire broke out early on Friday at a private elderly care centre in the Jordanian capital Amman, killing six residents and critically injuring five more, Social Development Minister Wafa Bani Mustafa said. The blaze occurred on the first floor of the White Family Association's centre, which has 111 residents. The health ministry said it had received 66 injured patients suffering from inhalation injuries and burns. Eleven people were admitted to intensive care units in government hospitals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bani Mustafa said authorities had evacuated all remaining residents to other care facilities, according to the state news agency Petra. (Reporting by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Tom Hogue and Kevin Liffey) DES MOINES, Iowa The Skywalk Futsal Classic returns to Des Moines for its fifth year this weekend. This years tournament is set to be the largest in its history. Teams from all over the Midwest will descend on Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines starting Friday. Winter Window Wonderland on display in downtown Des Moines But, what is futsal? WHO 13s Jason Parkin met up with tournament organizers to find out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To learn more about the 2024 Skywalk Futsal Classic click here. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A Salt Lake City Police officer is facing charges related to sexual assault after reportedly inviting a woman to his home to watch a religious Christmas devotional. According to court documents, Zander Nunley, 26, was arrested in Utah County on Wednesday, Dec. 12, after a report was made that he had sexually assaulted a woman who hed met on an online dating app. Nunley and the woman had allegedly been speaking for two to three weeks before meeting in person the night of Dec. 8, where it was planned for them to watch the Christmas devotional according to the probable cause statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement goes on that Nunley had told the woman that he was a police officer in their text conversation, and upon arrival at his home in American Fork, he said he had put all of his firearms away. Canyons School District bus driver arrested on child porn allegations The woman in the report said that Nunley quickly began kissing her and that he was doing so rather aggressively, as if he didnt know his own strength. According to the statement, Nunley and the woman had communicated they wouldnt touch each other in certain places and he allegedly pushed these boundaries. Court documents then detail the allegedly aggressive behavior that reportedly impacted the womans ability to breathe and left several visible bruises. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the alleged assault, the woman was picked up by a friend and later examined by a forensic nurse at a hospital in Utah County. The nurse reported finding bruising around her neck and other areas consistent with the events described. This was later reported to police. A Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson later confirmed that Nunley is an officer with the department, and had been placed on paid administrative leave. On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) received information about a criminal investigation and the arrest of one of our officers, Brent Weisberg, communications director for SLCPD, said in a statement shared with ABC4.com. Upon learning of this information, the SLCPD promptly placed the officer on paid administrative leave. The allegations in this case are serious and conflict with our core values. Nunley was booked into the Utah County Jail on third-degree felony aggravated assault, second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse, first-degree felony forcible sodomy, and first-degree felony object rape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. (Reuters) - Slovakia will conduct a series of negotiations from next week to ensure Russian gas supplies after its current transit contract that involves Ukraine expires at the end of this year, government officials said on Friday. Slovakia has a long-term contract with Russia's Gazprom and wanted to maintain Russian gas imports through Ukraine. But they will cease at the end of 2024 as Ukraine does not plan to renew the transit contract it has with Gazprom. "You may witness in the nearest days, including during the Christmas holidays, extraordinarily intensive negotiations on various levels and in various countries that start already next week," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told a news conference broadcast on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News website quoted Economy Minister Denisa Sakova as saying the talks would include the European Commission, Ukraine, and EU member states. Fico said he aimed to secure the continuation of eastern supplies to avoid paying more in transit fees for gas from other directions. "We do not see any reason to pay more for gas than is necessary for geopolitical reasons," Fico said. "I believe that, even if there is a short-term outage of supplies from the east, we are sufficiently pre-stocked, that we will find a common solution for multiple countries of the European Union and we maintain transit of gas through Slovak territory and also the transit of gas through Ukrainian territory." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Slovak officials have sought alternative schemes for transit of gas through Ukraine which would not require direct agreement between Ukraine and Russia, but have not reached any deal. (Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Gareth Jones) LISBON, Ohio (WKBN) In Lisbon, more than a dozen organizations teamed up to gather clothing, toys and holiday gifts, making sure over 100 families are set to have a Merry Christmas. The village-wide event theyre calling the Small Village, Big Hearts Holiday Giving Event helped complete a Christmas wish list for 110 families in need this year. One thing is clear, plenty of people made the nice list in Lisbon this year. Fourteen organizations participated in the event: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CAA of Columbiana County Children of the Village Clip Joint Wrappers Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce Lisbon Assembly of God Lisbon First United Methodist Church Lisbon Lions Club Lisbon Salvation Army Unit Lisbon Schools New Lisbon Presbyterian Church Serenitys Way Under Wraps Smith Oil VFW Post 4111 West Point Lions In addition to those organizations, many people in the community made private donations. The Lisbon Police Department also contributed through its Fill A Cruiser donation drive. It is just amazing to see the Lisbon community come together and make a difference in our own community. Im very proud of that, said Martina Grimm with the Community Action Agency. Hopefully it will be a happier holiday for the families and households and bring a smile to the kids in the house. We see so many children that are in need of clothes, coats and I can only imagine the need for Christmas gifts, said Missy Kemats with McKinley Elementary School. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Small Village, Big Hearts Holiday Giving Event aims to streamline holiday assistance to local families in the village. It will help families ease the burden of Christmas. They have a lot of things to prepare for. A lot of things to spend money on, said Lisa Baker, David Anderson High School Student Services Coordinator. Eligible families submitted their list back in November. Registration was on a first-come, first-served basis to allow each organization to ensure every request came true. I think they will be very happy with the fact that every item they requested were going to be able to provide for them and their family, Grimm said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event itself took months of planning. It showcases whats best about being from a small town during the holidays. I grew up in this community and raised my children in the community. Its my love. I love this community and the children and the families in it, said Kemats. They hope to expand the event each year and continue to spread the holiday cheer. To know that weve made a difference in their life is so important, Kemats said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. A House-passed bill that would expand Social Security benefits to millions of Americans just got a lifeline in the Senate. Senate Majority Chuck Schumer last week started the process for a final vote on the Social Security Fairness Act, which would eliminate two federal policies that keep a portion of Americans from getting their full Social Security benefits, including cops, fire fighters and teachers. Using his power to invoke cloture a process limiting debate and setting a 30-hour window before a final vote must be held the proposed legislation as of Monday's Senate schedule was headed for a vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One living-and-breathing example is Terry Hoover, a firefighter in Louisville, Kentucky, for more than 20 years. Now retired, he says these two provisions cost his family more than $1,000 a month. "My Social Security is reduced due to my pension," Hoover, told fellow first responders at a rally earlier in the week, as reported by a local CBS affiliate. "And then my wife, she was a nurse for 41 years and paid into the Social Security system, you know, and I cannot draw one penny off of her because of my pension." Schumer, a Democrat and co-sponsor of the legislation, tweeted the bill would "ensure Americans are not erroneously denied their well-earned Social Security benefits simply because they chose at some point to work in their careers in public service." As majority leader, he can invoke a Senate rule that would skip a committee hearing and send the bill directly to a floor vote by the full Senate. That's important, as the clock is ticking as to its fate, with only days left in the current session of Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Decades in the making, the bill would repeal two federal policies the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) that broadly reduce payments to nearly 3 million retirees. That includes those who also collect pensions from state and federal jobs that aren't covered by Social Security, including teachers, police officers and U.S. postal workers. The bill would also end a second provision that reduces Social Security benefits for those workers' surviving spouses and family members. The WEP impacts about 2 million Social Security beneficiaries and the GPO nearly 800,000 retirees. Various forms of the measure have been introduced over the years, but like many legislative proposals, they had failed to get enacted. "I've been working at the league 25 years, and I don't remember ever not having a version," Shannon Benton executive director of The Senior Citizens League, or TSCL, an advocacy group devoted to protecting retirement benefits, said of the proposal, which the league supports. "We're guardedly optimistic," she told CBS MoneyWatch earlier in the month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill had 62 cosponsors when the Senate version was introduced last year, and would now need at least 60 votes to pass Congress and then head to President Biden. In a speech earlier this month, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy took to the Senate floor to call for a vote in the chamber. "If Schumer brings it up, it'll pass," said Cassidy, among its Republican sponsors. Will the Senate pass the Social Security Fairness Act? At least one GOP senator who signed onto similar legislation last year, Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, said he was still "weighing" whether to vote for the bill next week. "Nothing ever gets paid for, so it's further indebtedness, I don't know," Braun said, according to the Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opposition includes the Committee for a Responsible Budget, a nonpartisan organization committed to educating the public on issues with significant fiscal policy impact. In a statement responding to Schumer's announcement, the group's president, Maya MacGuineas, said it was "truly astonishing" that lawmakers would consider speeding up the trust fund's demise. The measure would increase the burden on Social Security's trust funds, which are already estimated to not be able to pay the full amount of scheduled benefits starting in 2035. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the proposed legislation would add a projected $195 billion to federal deficits over a decade. "The Senate should reject WEP and GPO repeal. Instead, they should come together to try to fix the issues with WEP and GPO as part of a comprehensive package to strengthen Social Security, prevent insolvency and make the program's finances sustainable over the long term," MacGuineas urged. Introduced by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garret Graves, R-La., the bill was passed by the House in a vote of 327-75 last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the Senate does not act, the measure "dies December 31, at the end of the second session of Congress," Benton said. "Not only would this bill have to start from scratch, but a new person would have to introduce it." Hermes and the success of the coveted Birkin bag | 60 Minutes School shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, police say Fake nudes created by AI "nudify" sites are causing real harm, victims say | 60 Minutes LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A man who police said killed his mother offered a tearful apology for his actions in court Thursday before a judge sentenced him. Clifton Hall, 32, was arrested earlier this year in Longandale. He requested leniency from Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones. She sentenced him to 10 to 25 years in prison. PREVIOUS STORY: Las Vegas police arrest man on murder, arson charges after woman killed in suspicious fire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have a hard time forgiving myself. I lost the most important thing to me in the world, and it was all because I was an idiot, Hall said. There hasnt been a day since this happened that I havent regretted it. Hall was remorseful in front of Judge Jones. He took an Alford plea back in October pleading guilty but mentally ill to second-degree murder, according to court records. That means he does not admit guilt, but agrees prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him. She was always super forgiving whenever I did something stupid, or just not being as grateful as I shouldve been. She always forgave me, she always brought me in and I feel like screwed both of those up a lot, Hall said. According to police, Hall set his home ablaze with his mother inside on Jan. 8 at 1:45 a.m. Video the 8 News Now Investigators obtained captured the trailer home engulfed and Hall is heard telling someone not to rat him out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just dont tell them I did it on purpose. Dont tell them I did it on purpose, Hall said. In cell phone video from a neighbor collected as part of evidence, Hall is heard banging on that persons door and admitting to igniting the fire. Hey, you may want to let your mom know the house is on fire, Hall said. Hall also texted them a photo of him lighting a mattress. Hes going to carry this weight that he caused this tremendous loss to himself to the rest of his family, his attorney David Lopez-Negrete said. Hall will also have to pay more than $4,000 in restitution and fines. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. It's the most wonderful time of the year for a South Bay woman who has played Mrs. Claus for more than 40 years for the children of North San Jose's Alviso District. Judy Santiago's "sleigh" is a shopping cart at Target. Her elves are energetic volunteers. "I call them my village. So many people have stepped in to help volunteer," she smiled. Santiago has made her list and checked it twice to make sure all 300 children from Alviso's George Mayne Elementary School will get a gift at the party she's hosting the next day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's been going on so long, it's just part of me, I think," she chuckles. The toy giveaway started in 1983 after a major flood in Alviso left some families out of their homes for months. That holiday season at the library, Santiago and her husband, Joe Santiago, brought candy canes. He donned the Santa suit that he often wore to entertain their grandkids, and they took pictures with the children. "A lot of the families were devastated. They lost pretty much everything," Santiago remembered. "We didn't have money to buy toys, but just having Santa come really cheered up the kids." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That was how the Santa Visits Alviso Foundation was born. Each year, Joe (a roofing contractor by trade) and Judy (who worked in the tech world) dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus. And they raised money to give holiday toys to Alviso's underserved children. Judy has kept the foundation rolling after Joe passed away in 2002 from complications from a brain abscess. "We need a lot of happiness in the world. Hopefully we can do our part," she explained. Over the years, other family members and volunteers have stepped in to play Santa alongside Santiago as Mrs. Claus. Today, at age 87, she and her volunteers organized the annual party at the youth center with pictures, presents, and celebrities like Sourdough Sam, the San Francisco 49ers mascot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event include games, bicycle donations from Community Cycles of California, and a resource fair highlighting community support like Second Harvest Food Bank. In addition to the holiday party, Santiago also invests in the children. Her nonprofit has awarded more than a $1.1 million in scholarships to more than a hundred students since 2006. First generation college student Jose Ruiz has received scholarships over several years to pursue his degree in environmental studies. The best part is that Santiago mentors each student. Ruiz said she was just the encouragement he needed. She urged him to keep going when he'd dropped out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She sees a light in people that they don't see themselves. And she encourages your personal growth," Ruiz said. Scholarship recipient Danielle Kendall says Santiago's support will help her achieve her dream to become a Supreme Court law clerk. "She's a great role model. She's always telling me to do my best, inspire me, someone to lean on if I need anything. She's awesome," Kendall said. Santa Visits Alviso serves the district's children year round, with an Easter egg hunt, funding for swimming lessons and a summer program. Santiago's family joins her in serving the community. Between them, she and Joe had seven kids, plus 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, with another on the way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With four generations volunteering together, Santiago hopes Santa Visits Alviso is a gift that keeps giving. "I'm sure the family will continue on, for hopefully many generations," she beamed. So for bringing joy for more than 40 years through Santa Visits Alviso, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Judy Santiago. New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed New Jersey man on car-sized drone hovering near him Trump FBI pick Kash Patel reacts to Wray's resignation announcement (Bloomberg) -- South Korea is urging tourists to continue visiting the East Asian country, as also actively engaging with foreign governments regarding the safety of tour groups following political tensions triggered by a failed martial law attempt. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a slight concern that tourist arrivals may decline next year, Culture Minister Yu In-Chon said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Seoul. But we are trying to stabilize this situation by continuing to provide relevant information, sending letters to diplomats and communicating with foreign tour organizations. Seouls push to attract foreign tourists comes after President Yoon Suk Yeols shock decision to declare martial law last week. Although the decree was revoked within hours, the resultant political turmoil is weighing on tourism at a time when South Korea was striving to woo foreign visitors to match levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic. While its too early to gauge any immediate impact from the crisis on the number of arrivals, signs are mounting that Chinese tourists are shunning the country until the situation calms down. The number of visitors from China, who make up the largest proportion of arrivals from overseas, may decline around 19% in the first quarter, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, amid concerns about protests and strikes. About 20% of appointments by foreigners at Koreas hospitals have been cancelled, mainly by Chinese patients seeking plastic surgery or beauty treatments, said Kim Jin Kuk, an ophthalmologist who leads the Korea Medical Tour Promotion Association. There is a growing concern among South Koreas much-vaunted medical industry that travelers may hesitate to visit the country for treatment, which would have a major impact their sales. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, there are about 3,000 foreign influencers living in Korea and they are uploading SNS posts to say Seoul is safe to travel, Kim said. Everyone is struggling, said Park In Chul, head of the Seoul Tourism Association. There is little sign tourists are canceling hotel reservations yet but there are no new bookings at all, he said. In a bid to turn the city into a hot international destination for the peak holiday season, Seoul city government is set to hold its biggest-ever annual Winter Festa event in Gwanghwamun Square starting this Friday. Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon has pledged to push forward with the festival as scheduled, but plans to use some of the citys emergency funds to compensate local businesses and produce promotional videos underscoring how safe Seoul is. Some of the local festivals have scaled back the size of events in the wake of the aborted-martial law decree thats soured the festive mood of people. The culture minister said hes requesting organizers to proceed with festivals as planned so that the economy keeps ticking, and people draw comfort from such activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yu, a well-known actor before becoming the culture minister, has pitched a grand vision to develop a new district dedicated to Korean-themed movies, television programs and music by 2035. He is also pushing for more government funds for movie and television production houses that have been struggling financially as an increasing portion of the money in the industry flows to global streaming platforms and actors. We are not seeing a big impact on our plans and budget for next year, he said. And no matter which government will be in power, content is a big trend that cant be missed. --With assistance from Sangmi Cha, Emily Yamamoto, Katria Alampay and Andy Hung. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The largest opposition party in South Korea submitted on Friday a second motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, with the parliament set to vote on Yoon's ouster on Saturday at 5 pm (0800 GMT), the Yonhap news agency reported. Their first motion a week ago failed after members of Yoon's ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the proceedings, leaving it without a needed quorum. But the chances that the National Assembly will get rid of the unpopular Yoon are greater now. There are 300 members of parliament. The opposition has 192 seats but needs eight other votes, as two-thirds or 200 legislators must vote to impeach Yoon in order to kick him out of office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seven parliamentarians from the PPP ruling party have already publicly announced their intention to support the motion. PPP's chairman, Han Dong Hoon, also openly declared his support for the proposal on Thursday - but he has changed his mind before. The turmoil stems from Yoon's unexpected declaration of martial law on December 3, which he lifted some six hours later following massive protests. On Thursday, Yoon defended his decision during an impromptu televised address, saying he made the move to protect the nation from "anti-state forces" - meaning his political opponents. These people, Yoon maintained, would paralyse the government and disrupt the country's constitutional order. Lee Jae-myung, South Koreas main opposition leader, has said the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, the countrys president, is the best way to restore order in the country ahead of a second vote on Saturday. He said Mr Yoons defiant speech on Thursday, during which he defended the short-lived martial law declaration he initiated last Tuesday, was a declaration of war against the people of South Korea. It proved that impeachment is the fastest and the most effective way to end the confusion, Mr Lee said on Friday, urging all opposition lawmakers to join and vote to impeach Mr Yoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Lees condemnation comes as South Koreas National Assembly schedules another vote to impeach the president at 4pm on Saturday. Mr Yoon narrowly escaped the first impeachment attempt last Saturday after most lawmakers from his ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote. However, at least seven PPP lawmakers have publicly said they would support the impeachment of Mr Yoon during Saturdays vote, and at least 20 PPP lawmakers are set to take part in the vote a stark contrast to last Saturdays group walkout. Yoon Suk Yeol defended his decision to impose martial law in a defiant speech on Thursday - Reuters The National Assembly needs support from at least 200 lawmakers to pass the impeachment motion. This means that opposition parties, which hold a collective 192 seats, need at least eight PPP lawmakers to defect in order to impeach Mr Yoon. Despite the growing likelihood of his impeachment, Mr Yoon defended his decision to impose martial law and rejected the insurrection charges. Instead, he accused opposition parties of being on North Koreas side in a defiant speech Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the martial law declaration was an attempt to protect the nation and normalise state affairs because opposition parties had tried to paralyse state affairs by abusing impeachment and introducing controversial bills. Mr Yoon said he would fairly confront impeachment and the martial law probe but vowed to fight until the end, erasing any hope for an orderly and early departure from the presidency, as the ruling party originally suggested last week. While Mr Yoon tries to cling to the presidency, prosecution and law enforcement in South Korea continue their investigation into the short-lived martial law declaration. On Friday, police said they were considering filing an arrest warrant for Mr Yoon and beginning another raid of his residence. The police tried to enter Mr Yoons office to search for materials related to the martial law declaration on Wednesday, but their attempt was obstructed after the security service refused to cooperate. The police said they are looking into possibly conducting another raid. Protesters tear banners depicting faces of ruling People Power Party lawmakers during in a rally calling for the impeachment Mr Yoon - Reuters/Kim Soo-hyeon In addition to Mr Yoon, several top military commanders, including Kim Yong-hyun, the former defence minister, are being investigated and facing insurrection charges for participating in the martial law declaration. If found guilty, Mr Yoon and all those involved could face life imprisonment or the death penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Civic organisations in South Korea plan to organise more large-scale protests ahead of Saturdays vote and millions of South Korean citizens are expected to take part in protests across the country. Apart from plunging South Korea into chaos, Mr Yoons martial law declaration has also raised concerns among some close allies, including the US and Japan. Lee Jae-gang, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party, called on the international community to have faith in South Koreas ability to restore order and stability. He told The Telegraph: President Yoons actions do not represent South Koreas official stance, [and] I want to assure the international community that South Korea remains a nation committed to democratic values. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A Southern California father was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of beating his daughter into a paralyzed, vegetative state in 2021, according to prosecutors. The Ventura County District Attorneys Office confirmed the sentencing in a news release Friday morning. Tekquan Alexander, 28 of Thousand Oaks, was convicted last month on charges that include torture, assault and corporal injury to a child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors say Alexander assaulted his then-4-year-old daughter multiple times during Thanksgiving week in 2021. The beatings culminated on Nov. 29, when he attacked the young girl after she wet the bed, first beating her with a belt and then a stereo amplifier cable. Tekquan Alexander, 28, of Thousand Oaks, is shown in this undated mugshot provided by the Ventura County District Attorneys Office. Alexander continued to beat his daughter, Alani, until she became unresponsive in the bathroom of their home. She was transported to a local hospital, then airlifted to Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles. Alani was diagnosed with critical injuries including a brain injury, subdural hematoma, spinal compression, bone fractures, and countless contusions and abrasions, according to prosecutors. [Friday] is Alanis birthday and, while no punishment can undo the lifetime of challenges she will face, her family knowing her perpetrator could spend his life behind bars is a small gift of justice, said Deputy District Attorney Rikole Kelly, who prosecuted the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors say that, three years after the brutal attack, Alani remains paralyzed and in a vegetative state. She still needs round-the-clock medical care and help with basic functions. Tekquan Alexander was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday with the possibility of parole. Prosecutors didnt say when hed be eligible for parole. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A Southern California piano teacher was arrested for the alleged sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl. Santa Monica police identified the suspect as Hovanes John Jihanyan, 41, a Van Nuys resident. The alleged sexual abuse had been occurring since July 2024, when the victim was 13 years old. Jihanyan teaches piano at the French Conservatory of Music in Beverly Hills. Sexual activity involving the suspect and the young girl had reportedly occurred in several locations including the girls home, the suspects vehicle and in his studio, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Santa Monica police arrested Jihanyan in Encino. Hovanes John Jihanyan, 41, is seen in a booking photo from the Santa Monica Police Department. He was booked on multiple charges including: Lewd acts on a minor 13 years or younger Continuous sex abuse of a minor 13 years or younger Possession of child pornography Sexual exploitation of a minor Sexual assault on a minor 13 years or younger with the perpetrator being 10 years older This is the culmination of an intense and thorough investigation by detectives in the SMPD Youth Services Division, a Santa Monica police spokesperson said. Investigators believe there may be additional victims who have not come forward. Jihanyan remains in the custody of Santa Monica police. Authorities noted that he had no prior criminal history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone who may have been a victim or has information on the case is asked to call Det. Lizette Hardgrave at 310-458-2256, Sgt. David Haro at 310-458- 8952, or the Watch Commanders desk at 310-458-8427. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. McALLEN SpaceXs goal is to colonize Mars. But first, it wants to create an official city in Texas. Employees living on the site of SpaceX's operations in South Texas are requesting a special election to determine whether the site can be incorporated into a city. Current residents of Starbase, the companys South Texas headquarters and launch site, submitted a petition to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Thursday, according to a SpaceX spokesperson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are investing billions in infrastructure and generating hundreds of millions in income and taxes for local businesses and government, all with the goal of making South Texas the Gateway to Mars," said Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders in a letter to Trevino. Lueders wrote the area is home to several hundred employees and that incorporating the site would streamline the processes of building amenities needed to make Starbase a world-class place to live. Elon Musk, who owns SpaceX, announced earlier this year his intentions to move the companys headquarters to Texas. The spaceport and maybe future city sits on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico and is about 25 miles east of Brownsville, the states southernmost city. A single stretch of highway connects the city to the launch site. [Trumps first Texas visit after historic Rio Grande Valley win spurs mix of excitement, trepidation] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spread across acres of previously undeveloped land, Starbase includes launch pads, office space and dozens of portable homes for employees. "As you know, through agreements with the County, SpaceX currently performs several civil functions around Starbase due to its remote location, including management of the roads, utilities, and the provision of schooling and medical care for the residents," Lueders added. "Incorporation would move the management of some of these functions to a more appropriate public body." She assured that incorporating would not impact their efforts to minimize effects on the environment that were developed with state and federal agencies. This comes after regulators cited the company for not having the proper authorization for its water deluge system. The company remains a target for local environmental groups who are skeptical the company can operate without damaging the surrounding ecosystem. Trevino did not respond to a request for an interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, the Cameron County commissioners denied a variance request from SpaceX that would allow them to subdivide their limited residential area into more lots. "SpaceX is not the typical developer whose purpose is to build and to sell infrastructure," read an October 10 letter to the county commissioners from an engineering firm representing SpaceX. "SpaceX's ability to offer adequate housing to its employees onsite is critical to the development of the space launch complex, and there are currently hundreds of employees on the waitlist to move to the campus," the engineer added. "To do this, SpaceX must maximize its space." If Starbase were to become its own city, it would harken back to an era when cities were typically built around a single company or industry, such as Sugar Land. The town, about 20 miles southwest of Houston, was centered around the Imperial Sugar Company which was created in 1908 followed by the city which was incorporated in 1959. Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. Department of Health and Human Services Part 1. Overview Information Participating Organization(s) National Institutes of Health (NIH) Components of Participating Organizations National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Funding Opportunity Title Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers Program (P30 Clinical Trials Optional) Activity Code P30 Center Core Grants Related Notices April 4, 2024 - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025. See Notice NOT-OD-24-084. - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025. See Notice NOT-OD-24-084. August 31, 2022 - Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198. - Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198. August 5, 2022- Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See Notice NOT-OD-22-189. Funding Opportunity Number (FON) RFA-ES-25-002 Companion Notice of Funding Opportunity None Assistance Listing Number(s) 93.113 Notice of Funding Opportunity Purpose This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites grant applications for Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHSCC). As intellectual hubs for environmental health science research, the EHSCC are expected to be the thought leaders for the field and advance the goals of the 2025-2029 NIEHS Strategic Plan ( http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/strategicplan/ ). The Core Centers provide critical research infrastructure, shared facilities, services and/or resources, to groups of investigators conducting environmental health sciences research. An EHSCC enables researchers to conduct their independently-funded individual and/or collaborative research projects more efficiently and/or more effectively. The overall goal of an EHSCC is to identify and capitalize on emerging issues that advance improving the understanding of the relationships among environmental exposures, human biology, and disease. The EHSCC supports community engagement and translational research as key approaches to improving public health. Funding Opportunity Goal(s) To foster understanding of human health effects of exposure to environmental agents in the hope that these studies will lead to: the identification of agents that pose a hazard and threat of disease, disorders and defects in humans; the development of effective public health or disease prevention strategies; the overall improvement of human health effects due to environmental agents; the development of products and technologies designed to better study or ameliorate the effects of environmental agents; and the successful training of research scientists in all areas of environmental health research. Supported grant programs focus on the following areas: (8) Providing support for broadly based multi-disciplinary research and training programs in environmental health.These programs include the Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers, which serve as national focal points and resources for research and manpower development. Through these programs, NIEHS expects to achieve the long-range goal of developing new clinical and public health applications to improve disease prevention, diagnosis, and therapy Key Dates Posted Date November 14, 2024 Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) February 18, 2025 Letter of Intent Due Date(s) February 17, 2025 All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date. No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Expiration Date January 30, 2027 Due Dates for E.O. 12372 Not Applicable Required Application Instructions Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description The NIEHS Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHSCC) Program uses a P30 grant mechanism to bring together investigators currently funded by NIH or other Federal or non-Federal sources to enhance the effectiveness of existing research and extend the focus of research for environmental health sciences. An EHSCC is expected to support innovation and be on the cutting edge of science. As such, research activities should cross a variety of disciplines to bring multiple perspectives and approaches to bear on significant environmental health research questions and health impacts. The interdisciplinary nature of an EHSCC should have a synergistic effect that results in greater depth, breadth, quality, innovation and productivity beyond what individual scientists would be likely to attain by working independently and as such lead to translational research opportunities. As intellectual hubs for environmental health research, the membership of EHSCC's is expected to include thought leaders from the field who are well-positioned to advance the goals of the 2025-2029 NIEHS Strategic Plan ( http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/strategicplan/ .) The overall goals for the EHSCC Program are to enhance the capabilities of existing programs in environmental health sciences, assist with building programmatic and scientific capacity, lead in the development of novel research directions, recruit and prepare future leaders in the field, and pioneer efforts in community engagement. Ultimately the EHSCC should create a flexible structure that allows center members with different expertise to come together to answer complex and/or emerging questions, capitalize on the latest scientific trends, and accelerate the translation of research. NIEHS considers community engagement and multi-directional communication as essential activities to advance the goals and relevance of an EHSCC. Therefore, the structure of the Center should facilitate multi-directional interaction with communities (broadly defined) and EHSCC members through the required Community Engagement Core (CEC). In addition, with the continued advancement of the NIEHS translational research (TR) framework for the environmental health sciences ( https://www.niehs.nih.gov/translation ), it is expected that an EHSCC facilitates translational research through the Translational Research Support Core by encompassing the resources within the EHSCC. Finally, EHSCC are expected to attract established and promising investigators into environmental health research and provide opportunities for career enhancement. In alignment with the 2025-2029 NIEHS Strategic Plan ( http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/strategicplan/ .) Investigators proposing NIH-defined clinical trials may refer to the Research Methods Resources website for information about developing statistical methods and study designs. Section II. Award Information Funding Instrument Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity. Application Types Allowed New Renewal Resubmission Revision The OER Glossary and the How to Apply - Application Guide provides details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO. Clinical Trial? Optional: Accepting applications that either propose or do not propose clinical trial(s). Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards NIEHS intends to commit $6.0M in FY 2026 to fund up to 4 awards. Award Budget New or first-time applicants are limited to $850,000 Direct Costs per year. Renewal applications are limited to $1.0M Direct Costs per year. See Eligibility requirement Award Project Period New or first-time applicants may apply for up to 4 years of support. Renewal application may request up to 5 years of support. NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO. Section III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants Eligible Organizations Higher Education Institutions Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education Private Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education) For-Profit Organizations Small Businesses For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses) Local Governments State Governments County Governments City or Township Governments Special District Governments Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Federal Governments Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government U.S. Territory or Possession Other Independent School Districts Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Faith-based or Community-based Organizations Regional Organizations To be eligible for an EHSCC award, the applicant institution must demonstrate that four or more Center members have combined grant funding of at least $3 million per year in direct costs. At the time of submission of an application, the qualifying awards must have at least 1 full active year remaining. These projects must be Environmental Health Sciences focused, related to the NIEHS Mission and 2025-2029 NIEHS Strategic Plan, and address environmental exposures and health. These may be a mix of NIH, Federal and privately funded awards or career development awards. However, at least 50% of the research base must be from the NIH. Examples of NIH peer-reviewed mechanisms that may be included for determining eligibility: DP1, DP2, R00, R01, R03, R15, R21, R24, R25, R33, R35, R37, R41, R42, R43, R44, P01, P20, P30s other than the EHSCC, P42, P50, SC1, SC2, U01, U10, U19, U24, U54, U56, UH2, UH3, UG3, K and F series awards. T-awards, U45, and Conference awards (R13, U13) do not count towards this requirement. Furthermore, grants and cooperative agreements in extension periods, either with or without additional funds, as well as supplements of any kind, do not count toward this requirement. Foreign Organizations Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organization) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Required Registrations Applicant organizations Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply- Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information. System for Award Management (SAM) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually . The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code. NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application. . The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code. eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registration; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application. Grants.gov Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration. Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s)) All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks. Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator) Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply - Application Guide. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility Number of Applications Only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique identifier (UEI) number or NIH IPF number) is allowed. The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept: A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application. A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application. An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications). Section IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Requesting an Application Package The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST or an institutional system-to-system solution. A button to apply using ASSIST is available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See the administrative office for instructions if planning to use an institutional system-to-system solution. 2. Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise and where instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide are directly related to the Grants.gov downloadable forms currently used with most NIH opportunities. Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. Letter of Intent Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information: Descriptive title of proposed activity Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s) Names of other key personnel Participating institution(s) Number and title of this funding opportunity The letter of intent should be sent to: Varsha Shukla, PhD Telephone: 984-287-3288 Fax: 301-480-5217 Email:[email protected] Component Component Type for Submission Page Limit Required/Optional Minimum Maximum Overall Overall 12 Required 1 1 Admin Core Admin Core 12 Required 1 1 Translational Research Support Core Core 12 Required 1 1 Facility Cores Core 12 Required 1 3 Community Engagement Core Core 12 Required 1 1 Pilot Project Project 6 Required 1 1 Instructions for the Submission of Multi-Component Applications The following section supplements the instructions found in How to Apply- Application Guide and should be used for preparing a multi-component application. Revision applications must include an Overall component and the components that are affected by the revision. Therefore, the component requirements listed below may not apply to the revision application. The application should consist of the following components: Overall: required Administrative Core: Required, 1 maximum Translational Research Support Core (TRSC); Required, 1 maximum Facility Cores: Required, 1 minimum; maximum of 3 Community Engagement Core (CEC): Required, 1 maximum Pilot Projects: Required, 1 maximum Overall Component When preparing the application, use Component Type Overall. All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted. SF424(R&R) Cover (Overall) Complete entire form. PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Overall) Note: Human Embryonic Stem Cell lines from other components should be repeated in cell line table in Overall component. Research & Related Other Project Information (Overall) Follow standard instructions. Project Summary/Abstract. Provide a Project Summary/Abstract of a Strategic Vision for the EHSCC. Also describe the Translational Research Vision, Environmental Health Identity, and the Impact of the Research Base on the goals of the EHSCC and how it advances the NIEHS Strategic Plan (2025-2029) . Project Narrative. In the project narrative (i.e., the "public health relevance" statement), briefly state the relevance of the EHSCCs research to public health. Facilities and Other Resources: Describe the Institutional Commitment for the proposed EHSCC at the applicant institution. Document previous and planned institutional support: e.g., financial, personnel, positions, and/or priority access to resources. Also describe the organizational position of the EHSCC in the institutional hierarchy. Address the commitment of the parent organization or any of its partners to the EHSCC and its goals. The parent institution is expected to recognize the EHSCC as a formal organizational unit and provide documented evidence of space dedicated to the needs of the Center, protected time to devote to Center activities, staff recruitment, dedicated equipment, or other financial support for the proposed Center. The parent institution should provide assurance of its commitment to continuing support of the EHSCC in the event of a change in directorship and a well-defined plan for this eventuality should be in place. In addition, it is expected that the Institution will support the goal of providing to Center members' priority access to Institution's and Center's facilities and services at minimal or reduced cost. Other Attachments: The filenames provided for the attachments will be the name used for the bookmark in the application image. Table listing grant support of Center Members to determine eligibility (use file name: Grant Support) Organize table listing NIEHS grant support first, followed by other NIH grant support, then other non-NIH support. Only grants that meet the eligibility criteria listed in Section III, above, should be cited. Include the following information: Grant title PI(s) Last Name Annual Direct Cost Funding Period Grant Number Table Listing Non-key/senior personnel associated with the Center (use file name: Center Members) Organize table alphabetically by Last Name and include the following information: Name Institution Title at Institution Affiliation/Department Role(s) within the Center Project/Performance Site Locations (Overall) Enter primary site only. A summary of Project/Performance Sites in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons compiled from data collected in the other components will be generated upon submission. Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Overall) Include only the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) and any multi-PDs/PIs (if applicable to this NOFO) for the entire application. A summary of Senior/Key Persons followed by their Biographical Sketches in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons will be generated upon submission. Budget (Overall) The only budget information included in the Overall component is the Estimated Project Funding section of the SF424 (R&R) Cover. A budget summary in the Overall section of the assembled application image in eRA Commons compiled from detailed budget data collected in the other components will be generated upon submission. PHS 398 Research Plan (Overall) Introduction to Application: For Resubmission and Revision applications, an Introduction to Application is required in the Overall component. Specific Aims: The specific aims for the Center should describe the strategic vision including translational research vision, theme, and goals to be accomplished Research Strategy: Provide a written strategy for how the EHSCC will implement its vision and which future directions will likely be followed during the project period. The plan should outline the existing skills, technologies and scientific research base, and communication and community engagement expertise at the institution. This plan should describe how the EHSCC is advancing the NIEHS Strategic Plan. It should describe how the EHSCC will enhance ongoing projects, identify and bring in outstanding new projects, respond to future challenges and opportunities, and promote collaborations, translational research, advances in technology, and progress in environmental health sciences. Detail expected scientific outcomes including a description of anticipated impact on human disease and public health. An organizational chart should be included to illustrate the structure, interactions, and leadership of the EHSCC. The Strategic Vision must address the following critical elements: Theme Provide the central theme(s) of the EHSCC and the likely supported research, resources, and relevance to environmental health. The theme may be broad or focused, depending upon the goals of the EHSCC but should indicate translational research opportunities along the spectrum from fundamental, mechanistic and toxicological science to population and public health, disease prevention, and community engagement. Within this section, describe the research capacity and clearly identifiable major scientific focus in environmental health and related biomedical research. Goals and directions Describe current and future directions for the EHSCC in the forthcoming project period. The impact of Center-based science should be discussed in detail as well as how the facility/service cores contribute to advancing Center goals. Provide an overview of the research supported by the EHSCC and its likely impact on understanding environmental health and, ultimately, public health. Describe how the central themes and goals integrate with the needs and concerns of the target audience(s). Describe short and long-term goals and measures of success. Describe examples of research conducted by Center members or teams that have successfully been translated to the identified audience(s) or identify plans to translate research findings during the project period. Describe new or innovative tools or methods to support the Centers emphasis. Document how the Center forms, organizes, and leads its teams towards answering complex questions and the role of target audience(s) or key partner advisors in these decisions. Identify levels of risk for these goals, potential roadblocks to achieving them, and how the Center might respond to these challenges. Translational Research Vision - Describe your translational research vision and how it will support the overall goals of your Center. Provide examples of how the EHSCC structure facilitates translational research. Provide details on staff and resources that will be drawn upon to implement the Center's translational research vision. Integration of investigators of multiple skills and talents Outline steps the EHSCC will take to promote interdisciplinary studies and collaborations, especially among basic scientists and clinical researchers, and, where appropriate, community engagement experts. Explain the types of initiatives planned to stimulate teams and attract high-caliber professionals. Describe the expected level of high-risk/high-payoff research that may require long-term support. Building research capacity Provide details on the special talents and resources that will be drawn to and built upon at the EHSCC. Offer how these talents will be used to promote new collaborations and produce multidimensional teams to address complex questions. Include a plan for bringing investigators into the EHSCC from within and outside the area of environmental health sciences and needed expertise. Describe academic and research partnerships and/or initiatives that will be pursued by the EHSCC to advance its goals and missions. Provide a plan to determine the need for services, instrumentation, or other infrastructure of the EHSCC. Address the steps that will ensure that the EHSCC proceeds at the cutting edge of technology and concepts. As it is expected that facility core needs will change over time, include the process to evaluate needs and implement changes. The application must define, in this section, the eligibility criteria for EHSCC membership and note which individuals play key leadership roles in the EHSCC. Indicate the steps to engage full and/or junior members in EHSCC activities and to enhance collaborations and translational research among Center members. Describe how established investigators/community engagement experts are expected to interact with early career investigators in the Center. For renewals, summarize activities carried out during the preceding performance period that demonstrate the level of success in reaching previously stated goals. Environmental Health Identity and Impact of Research Base - The existence of a strong research capability in environmental health sciences is fundamental to establishment or continuation of an EHSCC. To qualify for support, an institution must demonstrate this research capability to have a clearly identifiable, major scientific focus in environmental health research. Describe the Environmental Health Identity and Impact of the Research Base on the plans for promoting translational research and outreach efforts. Please note that if an applicant chooses to include a listing of research grant support, it must be uploaded under "Other Attachments" in the Overall section and titled "Grant Support" Progress Report Publication List: For renewal applications, include a list of publications related to or derived from EHSCC support or assistance. Indicate whether the EHSCC was cited in the acknowledgments and provide the PMCID. Letters of Support: Letters of support should be provided where appropriate to demonstrate collaboration, access to resources, institutional commitment, etc. Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide. Other Plan(s): All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions: All applicants planning research (funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH) that results in the generation of scientific data are required to comply with the instructions for the Data Management and Sharing Plan. All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, must address a Data Management and Sharing Plan. Appendix: Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in How to Apply- Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the How to Apply - Application Guide instructions. PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Overall) When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply - Application Guide, with the following additional instructions: If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, there must be at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record within the application. The study record(s) must be included in the component(s) where the work is being done, unless the same study spans multiple components. To avoid the creation of duplicate study records, a single study record with sufficient information for all involved components must be included in the Overall component when the same study spans multiple components. Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. Delayed Onset Study Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. PHS Assignment Request Form (Overall) All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. Administrative Core When preparing your application, use Component Type Insert Name. All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted. SF424 (R&R) Cover (Administrative Core) Complete only the following fields: Applicant Information Type of Applicant (optional) Descriptive Title of Applicants Project Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Administrative Core) Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component. Research & Related Other Project Information (Administrative Core) Human Subjects: Answer only the Are Human Subjects Involved? and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations? questions. Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the Are Vertebrate Animals Used? question. Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components. Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Administrative Core) List all performance sites that apply to the specific component. Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries. Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Administrative Core) In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of Other with Category of Core Lead and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field. In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component. Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component. If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used. Budget (Administrative Core) Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package. Other Budget Information Budget to cultivate junior and mid-level and recruited investigators to enhance their careers and research programs in environmental health sciences should be included in the administrative core budget. Allowable expenses include: New Investigator: Temporary salary support (up to 9 months effort) for 1 - 2 years and equipment may be provided in the application for a named New Investigator in a specified area of research. The investigator can work in the basic sciences, clinical research, or public health disciplines relevant to environmental health. Former post-doctoral fellows are eligible for this position only in exceptional cases where if can be demonstrated that they have established independent research careers (for example have transitioned to an R00 award) and will provide critical expertise. The New Investigator indicated in the application is eligible to compete for support for up to 2 years through the pilot project program. Subsequently, recruited individuals are to be named by the Center Director and submitted for approval to the EHSCC's Internal or External Advisory Board, as appropriate. Recruited Center Investigators: Partial salary support (up to 9 months effort) for not more than 2 years, technical support, and equipment for independent investigators newly recruited from outside the Center. The recruit would be expected to bring new technologies or novel scientific areas of expertise into the environmental health sciences arena that enhance the Center's research capabilities. Former graduate students and postdoctoral fellows of Center members should not be considered for support unless, in exceptional cases, it can be demonstrated that they have established independent research careers (for example have transitioned to an R00 award) and will provide critical expertise. Specific individuals to be awarded Recruited Center Investigator support need not be identified in the application, but the amount budgeted for this purpose should be declared, and, to the extent possible, the types of individuals sought and their expected roles in the Center described. All travel associated with the annual EHSCC Meeting or External Advisory Board members should be budgeted within the Administrative Core. CEC is to budget travel for its field or community workwithin the CEC section. Annual EHSCC Meetings: Each Center must budget at least $6,000 per year to support the annual EHSCC Meetings in venues to be determined in collaboration with the Center Investigators and NIEHS. These funds can be used for travel costs of EHSCC members to travel to the annual 2 - 3-day meeting. At a minimum the Director, CEC Director, and the Business Administrator should plan to attend. Other center members, especially junior investigators are also encouraged to attend. An EHSCC should expect to host the EHSCC meeting once within the project period and may want to set funds aside for the event. Please consult with program staff for details. Travel budget should also include travel for 1-2 CEC staff to attend annual Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) meeting. Items Not Allowed Under a P30 EHSCC Grant Include: Salary for Co-Directors, Collaborators, or individuals unless clearly defined roles are documented in the operation of the EHSCC. Travel to workshops or scientific meetings, except for junior, mid-level and recruited investigators for cultivating career enhancements. Page and publication charges. Director's Funds or Discretionary Fund. Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply. PHS 398 Research Plan (Administrative Core) Introduction to Application: For Resubmission and Revision applications, an Introduction to Application is allowed for each component. Specific Aims: The administrative core provides oversight and coordination of EHSCC activities. State the aims of the Administrative Core. Research Strategy: Applicants should describe the administrative structure of the Center and the roles and responsibilities of all key personnel. The administrative core is responsible for overseeing organizational structure, budgeting and reporting functions and provides the leadership for scientific and programmatic activities of the EHSCC. Through the required Administrative Core, the Center Director provides leadership and guidance in fulfilling the stated objective of his or her Center. It is expected that the organization of the Administrative Core will provide a supportive structure sufficient to promote the scientific vision of the center and to accomplish the following: Coordinate and integrate EHSCC components and activities. Cultivate junior and mid-level and recruited investigators to enhance careers and research programs in environmental health sciences Assess productivity, effectiveness, and appropriateness of EHSCC activities and determine EHSCC membership, assessment of scientific opportunities and areas for collaboration among EHSCC members. Organize EHSCC activities, such as retreats, invitation of consultants, meetings, and focus groups. Maintain records of meeting minutes and measures of success including: use of EHSCC facility cores, publications, pilot project awards, and new grant applications resulting from preliminary data enabled by the EHSCC, and other relevant outcomes and impacts. The NIEHS Evaluation Metrics Manual (https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/translational/peph/metrics) may assist applicants in developing measures of success. Organize Internal and External Advisory Groups. Interact with other EHSCCs, the NIEHS, and other appropriate individuals, groups, organizations. Coordination and integration: Describe how the Administrative Core will take a leadership role in ensuring the synthesis of findings and activities from research projects and cores towards solving the central problem proposed by the Center; strategies for stimulating interaction among center members (i.e., retreats, invitation of consultants, meetings, and focus groups). In addition, describe direct lines of communication between the Administrative Core and Community Engagement Cores (as well as with the other cores, as appropriate). Cultivating careers: Describe a plan bringing in junior investigators and cultivating their careers for assistance towards independent status. Include examples of planned scientific enrichment activities for selected investigators such as assistance and guidance, mini-sabbaticals, special lectures, visiting scientist symposia, seminars, workshops, and short courses both at the parent institution or off-site. This plan can reference but should not repeat information about resources described in the Facilities & Other Resources. Center Assessment: Describe how the center will monitor productivity, effectiveness, and appropriateness of EHSCC activities (record keeping of core usage, meeting minutes, etc.). In addition, the administrative structure must include an Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) and an External Advisory Committee (EAC). Renewal applications must document the functions and effectiveness of the External and Internal Advisory Committees. For new applications, do not list potential EAC members in the application. Additionally, potential EAC members should not be contacted prior to review. Leadership Qualifications: Describe the responsibilities of the Director and Deputy Director of the Center. The Center Director is expected to have appropriate experience with authority to oversee the organization and operation of the EHSCC and to provide scientific and administrative leadership for the total program. A Deputy Center Director is expected to play an active role in the organization and operation of the EHSCC and to serve in the absence of the Director. Letters of Support: Letters of support should be provided where appropriate to demonstrate collaboration, access to resources, institutional commitment, etc. Appendix: Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the How to Apply- Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to those in the How to Apply- Application Guide instructions. PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Administrative Core) When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply- Application Guide, with the following additional instructions: If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record. Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. Delayed Onset Study Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. Translational Research Support Core (TRSC) When preparing your application, use Component Type Insert Name. All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted. SF424 (R&R) Cover (Translational Research Support Core) Complete only the following fields: Applicant Information Type of Applicant (optional) Descriptive Title of Applicants Project Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Translational Research Support Core) Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component. Research & Related Other Project Information (Translational Research Support Core) Human Subjects: Answer only the Are Human Subjects Involved? and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations? questions. Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the Are Vertebrate Animals Used? question. Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components. Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Translational Research Support Core) List all performance sites that apply to the specific component. Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries. Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Translational Research Support Core) In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of Other with Category of Core Lead#146; and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field. In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component. Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component. If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used. Budget (Translational Research Support Core) Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package. Other Budget Information Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply. PHS 398 Research Plan (Translational Research Support Core) Introduction to Application: For Resubmission and Revision applications, an Introduction to Application is allowed for each component. Specific Aims: The Translational Research Support Core (TRSC) is intended to facilitate translational research findings along the spectrum from fundamental and/or population-based research to the applied or public health/clinical practice arenas. State the aims for the TRSC. Research Strategy: The TRSC provides resources to facilitate the progression of environmental health sciences from fundamental questions through testing and practice and public health impact to inform affected communities for improved public health, and/or clinical practice. The TRSC can also include facilitating the translation of an accumulated evidence base into intervention and implementation science research. The TRSC should be designed to support collaborative efforts among basic scientists, population-based and/or clinical researchers, community engagement experts, and/or public health practitioners by: Providing services and access to instrumentation and technologies that foster integration of basic science, public health research including epidemiology and intervention studies, and patient-oriented clinical research. Providing expertise and/or research support to facilitate intervention/implementation science research. Supporting research to improve early detection, prevention, and/or therapeutic strategies for environmentallyrelated disorders. Enhancing partnerships between researchers and community-based organizations that impact the conduct of public health and/or clinical research. Among its functions, the TRSC may provide services that facilitate access to well-characterized patient groups and control subjects for research projects. These can include study subject recruitment and retention activities, and follow-up to gather needed data for research projects. Clinical services may include clinical laboratory or other assessments, pathology services, collection, processing and long-term storage of human tissue samples, blood, urine or other biospecimens, and preparation of questionnaires or other assessment tools. Among its roles, the TRSC can facilitate and support partnerships between study investigators and human populations, communities, or health care providers. Description of services, equipment, and other activities of this core need to be well documented. When applicable, procedures for collecting, storing, and distributing biological samples should be included in the application. Partnerships with other units at the institution that support these types of activities should be described. The application should include a summary of the types of research projects that use or plan to use the core. Include specific examples and the likely benefits to other research activities. If applicable, highlight key activities carried out during an earlier performance period for the teams or a center entity that have advanced the Center vision and/or scientific focus. For renewals, summarize activities carried out during the preceding performance period that demonstrate the level of success in reaching previously stated goals. Letters of Support: Letters of support should be provided where appropriate to demonstrate collaboration, access to resources, institutional commitment, etc. Appendix: Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the How to Apply- Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to those in the How to Apply- Application Guide instructions. PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Translational Research Support Core) When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply- Application Guide, with the following additional instructions: If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record. Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. Delayed Onset Study Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. Facility Cores When preparing your application, use Component Type Insert Name. All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted. SF424 (R&R) Cover (Facility Core) Complete only the following fields: Applicant Information Type of Applicant (optional) Descriptive Title of Applicants Project Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Facility Core) Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component. Research & Related Other Project Information (Facility Core) Human Subjects: Answer only the Are Human Subjects Involved? and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations? questions. Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the Are Vertebrate Animals Used? question. Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components. Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Facility Core) List all performance sites that apply to the specific component. Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries. Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Facility Core) In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of Other with Category of Core Lead and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field. In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component. Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component. If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used. Budget (Facility Core) Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package. Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply. PHS 398 Research Plan (Facility Core) Introduction to Application: For Resubmission and Revision applications, an Introduction to Application is allowed for each component. Specific Aims: The intent of Facility Cores is to furnish groups of EHSCC investigators with technologies, services, or instrumentation that will enhance the research in progress, consolidate manpower effort, and contribute to cost effectiveness. State the specific aims of the Facility Core. Research Strategy: : A central function of the EHSCC grant through its support of Facility Cores is to furnish groups of EHSCC investigators with technologies, services, or instrumentation that will enhance their research progress. At least three investigators with independently funded projects and demonstrated need for such a core or service form the minimum required research base to establish a core facility. Facility cores should draw on EHSCC research needs, including, but not limited to: animal use and transgenic, imaging, tissue culture, pathology support, biostatistics and statistical support, oligonucleotide synthesis, analytical chemistry, proteomics, bioinformatics, exposure assessment, and handling of human tissue specimens. Establishment and continued support for Facility Cores by an EHSCC application must be justified on the basis of use by independently funded EHSCC investigators. The utilization of Facility Cores by pilot projects is encouraged. Facility Cores for the EHSCC should be unique and not duplicate services or facilities that already exist at the parent or collaborating institutions or can be purchased commercially. University-wide facility cores providing services in areas relevant to environmental health research have become more widely available at many research centers. EHSCCs should utilize existing facility cores where appropriate and describe in the application how members of the EHSCC would receive priority access, favorable cost arrangements, and/or training on unique technologies. Proposed Center Facility Cores that appear to replicate services already available at the applicant institution will not be allowed without extensive justification. Facility Cores should not duplicate services that can be purchased in the private sector at prices below university-derived costs. The application should explain the organization and proposed mode of operation of the proposed core. It should include a plan for prioritizing investigator use of the core as well as a definition of qualified proposed and potential users. This definition need not be too narrow, since limited use of a core might be an enticement to established investigators in other fields to lend their expertise to the field of environmental health. The use of the Facility Core for user training purposes is encouraged and, if so planned, a description of the extent of and approach to this training should be included. Although Facility Cores are meant to provide services for Center members, they also play an important role in developing new methodologies, adapting instrumentation for Center needs, and educating Center members of the value and utility of services and methods. Funds can be designated to support these aspects of the Facility Core and discussion of how these activities will be performed should be included in the application. For renewals, summarize activities carried out during the preceding performance period that demonstrate the level of success in reaching previously stated goals. Use of summary tables to demonstrate core usage and accomplishments to advance the Centers Strategic Vision is encouraged. Detailed Facility Core Usage tables are no longer required to be submitted under Other Attachments. Letters of Support: Letters of support should be provided where appropriate to demonstrate collaboration, access to resources, institutional commitment, etc. Appendix: Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the How to Apply- Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to those in the How to Apply- Application Guide instructions. PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Facility Core) When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply- Application Guide, with the following additional instructions: If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record. Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. Delayed Onset Study Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed Community Engagement Core (CEC) When preparing your application, use Component Type Insert Name. All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted. SF424 (R&R) Cover (Community Engagement Core) Complete only the following fields: Applicant Information Type of Applicant (optional) Descriptive Title of Applicants Project Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Community Engagement Core) Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component. Research & Related Other Project Information (Community Engagement Core) Human Subjects: Answer only the Are Human Subjects Involved? and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations? questions. Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the Are Vertebrate Animals Used? question. Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components. Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Community Engagement Core) List all performance sites that apply to the specific component. Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries. Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Community Engagement Core) In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of Other with Category of Core Lead and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field. In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component. Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component. If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used. Budget (Community Engagement Core) Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package. New applications should devote a minimum of $100,000 direct costs annually to the CEC. Renewals should devote a minimum of $150,000 direct costs annually to the CEC. For a list of allowed or restricted budget items, please see the Budget section under Administrative Core above. Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply. PHS 398 Research Plan (Community Engagement Core) Introduction to Application: For Resubmission and Revision applications, an Introduction to Application is allowed for each component. Specific Aims: The Community Engagement Core (CEC) promotes multi-directional communication among the EHSCC and its identified audience(s) on issues of environmental health literacy, environmental public health, and prevention. CEC ensures responsiveness and relevance to community needs through collaborative efforts that foster dialogue and interactions among the identified audience and Center members. While CECs may choose to align their vision and goals to the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), the CECs are not expected to conduct CBPR. State the specific aims of the CEC and include anticipated impacts for these aims. Research Strategy: Describe the CECs vision, objective, and plans to accomplish each of the following three critical functions. NOTE: If the research strategy includes plans to test increased knowledge and/or behavior change at the individual level, this may constitute clinical trial research and should be discussed with NIEHS Program staff. Translate and disseminate EHSCC research results into environmental public health knowledge for identified audience(s). Goal: to promote awareness and understanding of environmental health research being conducted at the EHSCC. Communicate audience issues, needs, and concerns to EHSCC members. Goal: to inform and guide EHSCC members in developing appropriate research activities that address the expressed needs of the identified audience(s). Advance the field of community engagement and environmental health communication. Goal: to promote different engagement models for national implementation. In this context, CECs may use social science/communication research concepts to examine the impacts and outcomes of their work. Describe how the stated objectives, activities, and products are aligned with the research strengths and focus of the EHSCC. In addition, explain how objectives, activities, and products are appropriate to the needs of the identified audience. It is important to describe CEC plans for measuring the impact of these activities. CECs must: Identify one or more audience(s) most appropriate to the mission of the EHSCC. For the purposes of the EHSCC Program, there are four audiences of interest: Community, Policy-makers, Public Health and/or Health Care Professionals, and Educators. Establish a Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) to facilitate and strengthen multi-directional interaction between the EHSCC and partners. For renewal applications, current SAB members should be listed. Possess the appropriate expertise for the identified audience and outlined activities. CECs should be directed by staff trained in public health, behavioral and social science research, outreach and education, and/or other relevant disciplines. For guidance on measuring the impacts of CEC activities, applicants are encouraged to review the PEPH Evaluation Metrics Manual at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/pephmetrics Additional program notes for the CEC: Collaborations among CECs in EHSCCs are desirable. All CEC-produced materials should be submitted to NIEHS' Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) Resource Center. https://connect.niehs.nih.gov/peph/index.cfm?directTo=peph.landing. CECs are eligible for pilot project funding to advance CEC aims and pursue new opportunities. For renewals, summarize activities carried out during the preceding performance period that demonstrate the level of success in reaching previously stated goals. Clearly delineate and report the specific activities, products, integration with other Center activities, etc. that document the accomplishments of the CEC. Letters of Support: Letters of support should be provided where appropriate to demonstrate collaboration, access to resources, institutional commitment, etc. Appendix: Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the How to Apply- Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to those in the How to Apply- Application Guide instructions. PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Community Engagement Core) When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply- Application Guide, with the following additional instructions: If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record. Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. Delayed Onset Study Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.. Pilot Project Program When preparing your application, use Component Type Insert Name. All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions, as noted. SF424 (R&R) Cover (Pilot Project Program) Complete only the following fields: Applicant Information Type of Applicant (optional) Descriptive Title of Applicants Project Proposed Project Start/Ending Dates PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement (Pilot Project Program) Enter Human Embryonic Stem Cells in each relevant component. Research & Related Other Project Information (Pilot Project Program) Human Subjects: Answer only the Are Human Subjects Involved? and 'Is the Project Exempt from Federal regulations? questions. Vertebrate Animals: Answer only the Are Vertebrate Animals Used? question. Project Narrative: Do not complete. Note: ASSIST screens will show an asterisk for this attachment indicating it is required. However, eRA systems only enforce this requirement in the Overall component and applications will not receive an error if omitted in other components. Project /Performance Site Location(s) (Pilot Project Program) List all performance sites that apply to the specific component. Note: The Project Performance Site form allows up to 300 sites, prior to using additional attachment for additional entries. Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Pilot Project Program) In the Project Director/Principal Investigator section of the form, use Project Role of Other with Category of Project Lead and provide a valid eRA Commons ID in the Credential field. In the additional Senior/Key Profiles section, list Senior/Key persons that are working in the component. Include a single Biographical Sketch for each Senior/Key person listed in the application regardless of the number of components in which they participate. When a Senior/Key person is listed in multiple components, the Biographical Sketch can be included in any one component. If more than 100 Senior/Key persons are included in a component, the Additional Senior Key Person attachments should be used. Budget (Pilot Project Program) Budget forms appropriate for the specific component will be included in the application package. It is suggested that up to 25% of the annual direct costs be allocated to Pilot Project support. For a list of allowed or restricted budget items, please see the Budget section under Administrative Core above. However, considerable discretion is allowed for funding of pilot projects and reasonable costs associated with research projects are permitted. Conference Travel to present findings is not allowed. In addition, the Pilot Projects Program may include a reasonable level of salary support for the Project Leader and other participating staff. Note: The R&R Budget form included in many of the component types allows for up to 100 Senior/Key Persons in section A and 100 Equipment Items in section C prior to using attachments for additional entries. All other SF424 (R&R) instructions apply. PHS 398 Research Plan (Pilot Project Program) Introduction to Application: For Resubmission and Revision applications, an Introduction to Application is allowed for each component. Specific Aims: The intent of the Pilot Project Program is support for short-term projects to explore the feasibility of new areas of study which lead to collection of sufficient data to pursue support through other funding mechanisms. State the aims for the Pilot Project Program. Research Strategy: A Pilot Project Program is an integral part of the EHSCCs. The Pilot Project Program should support short-term projects to explore the feasibility of new areas of study which lead to collection of sufficient data to pursue support through other funding mechanisms. Pilot Projects are intended to: Provide initial support for new investigators to establish new lines of research; Allow exploration of possible innovative new directions representing a significant departure from ongoing funded research for established investigators in environmental health sciences; Stimulate investigators from other areas of endeavor to apply their expertise to environmental health research and public health/ and/or clinical practice ; andFoster opportunities that meet goals set out in the EHSCC Plan. Pilot projects should strive to fill in gaps in research areas relevant to the scientific focus of the EHSCC. The Research Strategy should include a plan to support pilot studies to advance the goals of the Core Center. Pilot project studies can include basic mechanistic and toxicological, clinical biomedical, epidemiological, educational, behavioral and social science, and communication research or community engaged activities. A description of a plan to solicit, review, and administer pilot grants must be included. Criteria for review of pilot studies must be developed and included in the application. Include a clear description of the process designed to award and assess progress in pilot projects. Reminder: If you expect that pilot awards will conduct human subject, clinical trial or vertebrate animal research, the whole application should be submitted as delayed onset human subjects, clinical trial and/or vertebrate animal. For renewals, summarize pilot accomplishments during the preceding performance period that demonstrate the level of success in reaching previously stated goals (for example grant support, publications, etc). Use of summary tables to demonstrate accomplishments to advance the Centers Strategic Vision is encouraged. Detailed Pilot Project tables are no longer required to be submitted under Other Attachments. Letters of Support: Letters of support should be provided where appropriate to demonstrate collaboration, access to resources, institutional commitment, etc. Appendix: Only limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the How to Apply- Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to those in the How to Apply- Application Guide instructions. PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (Pilot Project Program) When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply- Application Guide, with the following additional instructions: If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record. Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. Delayed Onset Study Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.. 3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) See Part 2. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov 4. Submission Dates and Times Part I. contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day. Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies) using ASSIST or other electronic submission systems. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIHs electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications. Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission. Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in How to Apply- Application Guide. 5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372) This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review. 7. Other Submission Requirements and Information Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply - Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted. Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration. For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply Application Guide . If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII. Important reminders: All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements. The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organizations profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply - Application Guide. See more tips for avoiding common errors. Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed. In order to expedite review, applicants are requested to notify the NIEHS Scientific Review Officer by email at [email protected] when the application has been submitted. Please include the FON, title, PD/PI name, and title of the application. Mandatory Disclosure Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200.113 and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.1.35. Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at [email protected]. Post Submission Materials Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy. Section V. Application Review Information 1. Criteria Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system. A proposed Clinical Trial application may include study design, methods, and intervention that are not by themselves innovative but address important questions or unmet needs. Additionally, the results of the clinical trial may indicate that further clinical development of the intervention is unwarranted or lead to new avenues of scientific investigation. Overall Impact - Overall Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the EHSCC proposed). Scored Review Criteria - Overall Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, an EHSCC that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field. Significance Does the EHSCC address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? Is the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed EHSCC rigorous? If the aims of the EHSCC are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field? Are the EHSCCs plans targeted toward building research capacity? Will the plans, as proposed, attract investigators to the EHSCC from within and outside environmental health sciences? Will the research supported by the EHSCC likely contribute to understanding of environmental health sciences and, ultimately, public health? Strategic Vision: Does the applicant articulate a clear and practical set of goals? Are the goals reasonable and attainable in consideration of the expertise, facilities, and funds available? Are the EHSCC plans sufficient to promote multi-disciplinary studies and collaborations, especially among basic scientists and clinical researchers? Do the goals and approaches outlined for the individual components support the strategic vision and goals for the EHSCC? Does the Vision suggest and present plans to encourage collaboration, sharing of resources within the EHSCC, and steps towards translational research and dissemination as appropriate and consistent for achieving the goals of the program? Are the goals outlined in the Vision likely to lead to advances in environmental health sciences or related fields, career opportunities for early stage investigators to obtain independent status, improved community engagement, and/or public health? Will the research supported by the EHSCC likely contribute to understanding of environmental health sciences and, ultimately, public health? In addition, for applications involving clinical trials Are the scientific rationale and need for a clinical trial to test the proposed hypothesis or intervention well supported by preliminary data, clinical and/or preclinical studies, or information in the literature or knowledge of biological mechanisms? For trials focusing on clinical or public health endpoints, is this clinical trial necessary for testing the safety, efficacy or effectiveness of an intervention that could lead to a change in clinical practice, community behaviors or health care policy? For trials focusing on mechanistic, behavioral, physiological, biochemical, or other biomedical endpoints, is this trial needed to advance scientific understanding? Investigator(s) Are the PD(s)/PI(s), collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the EHSCC? If Early Stage Investigators or those in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the EHSCC? Do the Center Director and Core leaders demonstrate the ability to provide scientific and administrative leadership and direction? Does the application indicate that the Director has the authority to appoint new members to the EHSCC and discontinue membership status, when appropriate? Is the Deputy Director qualified to serve in the absence of the Director? Do the named investigators have the qualifications/background to assist in the Center efforts towards implementing the translational research vision of the Center? Has the application demonstrated a clear plan to ensure expertise across all levels of the investigative team? In addition, for applications involving clinical trials With regard to the proposed leadership for the project, do the PD/PI(s) and key personnel have the expertise, experience, and ability to organize, manage and implement the proposed clinical trial and meet milestones and timelines? Do they have appropriate expertise in study coordination, data management and statistics? For a multicenter trial, is the organizational structure appropriate and does the application identify a core of potential center investigators and staffing for a coordinating center? Innovation Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed? In addition, for applications involving clinical trials Does the design/research plan include innovative elements, as appropriate, that enhance its sensitivity, potential for information or potential to advance scientific knowledge or clinical practice? Approach Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the ESHCC? Have the investigators included plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project? Have the investigators presented strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed? Have the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies in vertebrate animals or human subjects? If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address: 1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex or gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults), justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed? Will the structure of the EHSCC likely facilitate translational research? Will the translational efforts proposed in environmental health research lead towards concrete strategies that protect and improve human health? Are the EHSCCs plans targeted toward building research capacity? Will the plans, as proposed, attract investigators to the EHSCC from within and outside environmental health sciences? If the project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, are the plans to address 1) the protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion or exclusion of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults), justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed? In addition, for applications involving clinical trials Does the application adequately address the following, if applicable Study Design Is the study design justified and appropriate to address primary and secondary outcome variable(s)/endpoints that will be clear, informative and relevant to the hypothesis being tested? Is the scientific rationale/premise of the study based on previously well-designed preclinical and/or clinical research? Given the methods used to assign participants and deliver interventions, is the study design adequately powered to answer the research question(s), test the proposed hypothesis/hypotheses, and provide interpretable results? Is the trial appropriately designed to conduct the research efficiently? Are the study populations (size, gender, age, demographic group), proposed intervention arms/dose, and duration of the trial, appropriate and well justified? Are potential ethical issues adequately addressed? Is the process for obtaining informed consent or assent appropriate? Is the eligible population available? Are the plans for recruitment outreach, enrollment, retention, handling dropouts, missed visits, and losses to follow-up appropriate to ensure robust data collection? Are the planned recruitment timelines feasible and is the plan to monitor accrual adequate? Has the need for randomization (or not), masking (if appropriate), controls, and inclusion/exclusion criteria been addressed? Are differences addressed, if applicable, in the intervention effect due to sex/gender and race/ethnicity? Are the plans to standardize, assure quality of, and monitor adherence to, the trial protocol and data collection or distribution guidelines appropriate? Is there a plan to obtain required study agent(s)? Does the application propose to use existing available resources, as applicable? Data Management and Statistical Analysis Are planned analyses and statistical approach appropriate for the proposed study design and methods used to assign participants and deliver interventions? Are the procedures for data management and quality control of data adequate at clinical site(s) or at center laboratories, as applicable? Have the methods for standardization of procedures for data management to assess the effect of the intervention and quality control been addressed? Is there a plan to complete data analysis within the proposed period of the award? Environment Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Does the EHSCC demonstrate that it includes the skills, technologies, and capacity to foster interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art, and innovative research that would lead to important discoveries or major scientific advances in the chosen areas of focus? Are the size and breadth of the research grant base in the EHSCC directly relevant to environmental health sciences and to the theme of the EHSCC placing special emphasis on NIEHS-supported grants? Does the EHSCC take advantage of the capability of its research base to maximize scientific productivity, particularly through interdisciplinary coordination and collaboration? Do the presence, stature, and effectiveness of the NIEHS EHSCC represent an established organizational component within the institution? Is the level of institutional commitment appropriate and demonstrative of significant support to the EHSCC? Is the scientific environment appropriate and conducive towards the translational efforts proposed in the Center? In addition, for applications involving clinical trials If proposed, are the administrative, data coordinating, enrollment and laboratory/testing centers, appropriate for the trial proposed? Does the application adequately address the capability and ability to conduct the trial at the proposed site(s) or centers? Are the plans to add or drop enrollment centers, as needed, appropriate? If international site(s) is/are proposed, does the application adequately address the complexity of executing the clinical trial? If multi-sites/centers, is there evidence of the ability of the individual site or center to: (1) enroll the proposed numbers; (2) adhere to the protocol; (3) collect and transmit data in an accurate and timely fashion; and, (4) operate within the proposed organizational structure? Additional Review Criteria For components types: Admin Core, Core [use for: Translational Research Support Core, Facility Core(s), Community Engagement Core] and Project (use for Pilot Project Program) reviewers will consider the following review criteria in assessing and providing a score to each core/project: `Administrative Core Is the administrative structure designed for effective management of the EHSCC? Are the strategies employed by the EHSCC for future research leaders in environmental health sciences, environmental medicine, and public health appropriate? How well does the EHSCC plan and carry out recruiting and supporting new investigators? Is the EHSCCs plan for providing cross-discipline experiences for junior and established investigators sufficient to learn current and necessary techniques that are absent from their research programs? Has the EHSCC established itself as a recognizable entity in the fields of environmental health sciences and environmental medicine and public health? How well does the EHSCC plan for initiating, continuing, and discontinuing individual membership? Is the percent effort of the administrative staff of the EHSCC appropriate, in terms of their qualifications and contributions to the specialized needs and conduct of the EHSCC's research activities? What are the EHSCCs plans for using the Internal Advisory Committee and External Advisory Committee? Is the expertise of the advisory committees adequate to address the goals/vision of the EHSCC? Translational Research Support Core Will the services offered foster the integration of fundamental science, public health research, including epidemiology and intervention studies, and patient-oriented clinical research? Will the services offered facilitate the implementation of the TR vision? Is the research support adequate to improve early detection, prevention, and/or therapy for environmentallyrelated disorders? How well do the EHSCC and community-based organizations support partnerships between researchers and community members that will impact on the conduct of clinical and public health research? Facility Core(s) What is the Cores utility to the overall EHSCC and its membership? How well does the proposed Facility Core respond to the needs of the EHSCC membership and the chosen scientific or outreach focus of the application? Do the plans suggest outstanding quality? Are plans presented for quality control and to provide the services or materials within reasonable timeframes? Are the Facility Cores and their services and materials timely and at the frontier of technology appropriate for the research the EHSCC plans to support? Is the Facility Core cost-effective? What are the overall qualifications of the personnel involved? Community Engagement Core (a) Vision and Objective Is the CEC a logical outgrowth of the EHSCC theme? Will the CEC lead to a mutually-beneficial, multi-directional relationship between the academic institution and the identified audience(s)? Are the environmental problems they plan to address aligned to EHSCC? Are objectives for CEC clear and measurable? Do they prioritize short, mid and long-term activities? Are plans defined and appropriate to measure impact of CEC activities? (b) Translating research information into environmental public health knowledge: Are outreach and educational engagement programs proposed to promote awareness and understanding of environmental health research being conducted at the EHSCC? For the products being proposed, are they relevant to the theme of the EHSCC and to the needs of the identified audience? With respect to the CEC's defined audience, are the plans, activities, and coordination for the proposed CEC, appropriate? Is there adequate integration of the CEC into the EHSCC and its proposed activities? (c) Ensuring EHSCC understanding of community and other key partner needs Is the composition of the Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) appropriate for the goals of the CEC and what is the contribution of this group to administrative decisions? Other than the SAB, are the plans appropriate to increasing EHSCC awareness of community concerns? Do the plans adequately describe a process for maintaining transparent communications between the identified audience and the academic partners throughout the entire process of the activity? Does the plan address methods of building and sustaining community partnerships and community participation? (d) Leadership and staff expertise Is the CEC Director qualified for the position? Does he or she demonstrate appropriate education and expertise in public health, behavioral and social science research, outreach, health communication, or other relevant disciplines? Are his or her education and expertise aligned to the vision and objectives of the CEC? Does the investigator provide previous experience/evidence for conducting community engagement activities/projects? Pilot Project Program How feasible and practical are the EHSCC plans to review and distribute funds for pilots? Does the EHSCC plan to use pilot project funds in a manner that encourages innovative ideas of importance to environmental health sciences, including community identified concerns? Will the EHSCC use the Pilot Project Program to fill gaps in research areas relevant to the scientific focus of the EHSCC? Will the EHSCC use the Pilot Project Program to address community identified concerns? Are there adequate plans to use pilot projects to support the career enhancement of early stage investigators? Additional Review Criteria - Overall As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items. Study Timeline Specific to applications involving clinical trials Is the study timeline described in detail, taking into account start-up activities, the anticipated rate of enrollment, and planned follow-up assessment? Is the projected timeline feasible and well justified? Does the project incorporate efficiencies and utilize existing resources (e.g., CTSAs, practice-based research networks, electronic medical records, administrative database, or patient registries) to increase the efficiency of participant enrollment and data collection, as appropriate? Are potential challenges and corresponding solutions discussed (e.g., strategies that can be implemented in the event of enrollment shortfalls)? Protections for Human Subjects For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials. For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects. Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Individuals Across the Lifespan When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex or gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals of all ages (including children and older adults) to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research. Vertebrate Animals The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following three points: (1) a complete description of all proposed procedures including the species, strains, ages, sex, and total numbers of animals to be used; (2) justifications that the species is appropriate for the proposed research and why the research goals cannot be accomplished using an alternative non-animal model; and (3) interventions including analgesia, anesthesia, sedation, palliative care, and humane endpoints that will be used to limit any unavoidable discomfort, distress, pain and injury in the conduct of scientifically valuable research. Methods of euthanasia and justification for selected methods, if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, is also required but is found in a separate section of the application. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals Section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animals Section. Biohazards Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed. Resubmissions For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project. Renewals For Renewals, the committee will consider the progress made in the last funding period. The following questions will be addressed: Are the overall quality and productivity of the Center members appropriate, especially as related to collaborative research opportunities between basic, applied, and clinical research targeted by the Center? Is there evidence that the Center stimulated and increased the productivity of Center members and supported novel approaches to environmental health science research? Has the Center made major progress and achievements since its last renewal? Have there been any changes in the environmen A travel agency association in Mallorca says they will consider resorting to legal action against the Spanish government if changes are not made to the controversial traveller registration system, which they argue could be very damaging to the tourism industry. At a Tuesday meeting in Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca, the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation and the Business Group of Balearic Travel Agencies (Aviba) backed a call to take Spains Ministry of the Interior to court if changes are not made to the new traveller registration system, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported. On 26 November, the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (CEHAT) also announced they would also be considering possible legal action against the traveller registration system due to the lack of response theyve had on the government and the negative impact they say it will have on the hotel sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new Spanish law, aimed at improving security, requires the collection of extensive information from holidaymakers. The new accommodation rules that took effect on Monday 2 December include a list of personal data required for everyone aged 14 or above, including names, passport numbers, home addresses and contact details to name a few. Pedro Fiol, the president of Aviba, is hoping that a ministerial order will soon follow which will correct what they believe are errors in the registration system. "If it does not, we will have no choice but to resort to legal action," he said according to the local publication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fiol added that this order should comply with the requests of the tourism industry, stressing that Aviba will take action if even one of its members is sanctioned. The Secretaria de Estado de Seguridad (State Secretariat for Security) is concerned about the safety of Spanish citizens, so they want to keep tabs on who is staying in the country and cross-check personal details against databases of persons of interest. It says: The greatest attacks on public safety are carried out by both terrorist activity and organised crime, in both cases with a marked transnational character. The government says foreigners are involved in terrorist threats and other very serious crimes committed by criminal organisations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite this, CEHAT has argued that real criminals will always find a way of staying without leaving a trace. Jorge Marichal, president of CEHAT said in a recent statement that instead the measure, therefore, unloads its weight on ordinary travellers and generates a monumental administrative burden that falls on the employees of the accommodations, who are neither police officers nor security experts. Hotels are not police stations. Receptions are not border posts. And receptionists should not be interrogators trained in the secret services." He also voiced his concerns with the data once it is collected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What could go wrong with three years of stored data? he said. Surely no hacker, anywhere on the planet, will think: Wow, this is an all-you-can-eat buffet . Is this the security they promise us? He added that instead of remembering Spain as the country of sun, joy, gastronomy and culture, [tourists] will remember it as the kingdom of the form. The Ministry of the Interior told The Independent that the new regulation respects Spanish and European legislation on data protection and has been endorsed by the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) and by the Council of State. They also said that Spain is one of the safest destinations in the world, but the implementation of the registry further reinforces citizen security. For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) Saturday marks 12 years since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Massachusetts State Police conducting sobriety checkpoint in Hampden County On December 14th, 2012, a gunman killed 20 children, ages six and seven, as well as six adults, before taking his own life. It remains one of the deadliest school shootings in American history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, teachers from the Rebecca Johnson School continued their annual tradition of walking from Springfield City Hall to the Memorial Bridge, where they held a ceremony remembering the victims. We feel like being teachers, we know that could have been our classroom. It could have been any classroom. That tragedy really hit home and we feel like that by honoring our past is a way to cherish the future and hope that we never let this happen again, said Roni Gold, a teacher at Rebecca Johnson School. Thursday night, the annual vigil for all victims of gun violence was held at a church in Washington D.C. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. A Brentwood man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint for allegedly flying a drone over and taking photographs of Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara, the Justice Department announced today. Yinpiao Zhou, 39, a Chinese national who became a naturalized U.S. citizen, photographed the base with a drone he operated from a public space near the base and was discovered when a drone detection system was triggered to its overhead presence which lasted "for nearly one hour," according to a criminal complaint. The drone "traveled to an altitude of almost one mile above ground level and originated from Ocean Park," the complaint read. Base personnel spoke with Zhou on the day, the department said, noting that he was accompanied by another person. During questioning, they learned he had "concealed the drone in his jacket at the time," prosecutors said. Related: Hannah Kobayashi, Who Has Been the Subject of International Search, 'Found Safe,' Family Says Agents later searched Zhous drone pursuant to a federal search warrant and saw several photographs of Vandenberg Space Force Base taken from an aerial viewpoint. A search of Zhous cellphone showed Zhou conducted a Google search approximately one month earlier for the phrase Vandenberg Space Force Base Drone Rules and messaged with another person about hacking his drone to allow it to fly higher than it could otherwise. Zhao is now charged with failure to register an aircraft not providing transportation and violation of national defense airspace after his arrest this week at San Francisco International Airport.Zhou remains in federal custody pending prosecutors appeal of a federal magistrate judges decision to release him. No plea was taken and his arraignment is expected to be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks. This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the bases layout, which is against the law, said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. The security of our nation is of paramount importance and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nations military personnel and facilities. Zhou is a Chinese citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States, most recently returning to the United States from China in February 2024. The person accompanying Zhou, who was not identified, most recently entered the United States from China on November 26. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A beloved Memphis teacher and runner whose life was cut short two years ago will have a library named in her honor. St. Marys Episcopal School broke ground Friday on a new library dedicated in Eliza Fletchers name. The school says they hope it will inspire other young girls to be a light in the community just like Liza. St. Marys to expand, add Lizas Library in honor of former teacher Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Saint Marys Episcopal School, a look of excitement and a sparkle in the eyes of young girls as they watched construction teams pour the concrete foundation for a project paying tribute to the legacy of teacher and runner Eliza Fletcher. I am very excited about the project. My art is going to be hung up in the library, said fifth-grader Grace Zoghbi. This groundbreaking marks a major $10 million expansion on campus, including what will be the new library in Fletchers name dedicated to early childhood education. The project is completely donor funded, said Catherine Denman, director of libraries at St. Marys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 9,000-square-foot renovation to Moss Hall will feature Lizas Library and other additions. It will also have space makers space, science classroom and a nursery for faculty and staff with children, Denman said. Architectural drawing of Lizas Library (courtesy St. Marys ) Liza is the name friends and family called the beloved and respected teacher at Saint Marys. She taught here for seven years. But in September of 2022, the 34-year-old mother and wifes life came to an end after she was kidnapped and killed during her morning run. Eliza Fletcher: Complete coverage of the case Albert Throckmorton, the head of St. Marys Episcopal, says Liza had a passion for young learners on their journey in reading. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She had her own struggles with reading, and she came to us as a teacher passionate about teaching every child to read, he said. Its a bittersweet project honoring the life and a communitys love for Eliza Fletcher and the inspiration she will have for generations to come. In working with her family, we thought this was the most fitting tribute to her was to have a library with 10,000 books and stories for girls to read, so that every girl leaves here like Liza and be able to be a light in the community, Throckmorton said. The school says they began the groundwork on the project this past summer and the project should be completed and ready to open it for the beginning of school in August of 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Dec. 12Brandon Libby stood with tears in his eyes Thursday afternoon as he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his girlfriend, Amanda Brown. The 37-year-old Standish man agreed to serve the maximum 30 years for killing Brown on the night of June 14, 2021, at their home on Dow Road while their two children were downstairs. He had faced a charge of intentional or knowing murder but insisted her death was an accident and turned down earlier plea deals from prosecutors. He waited three years in jail for a trial. A 12-member Cumberland County jury heard about 4 1/2 days of arguments and deliberated for nearly as long, but was ultimately unable to reach a verdict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The jury had to wrestle with conflicting theories about what happened that night. Prosecutors said it was unlikely the death was an accident, citing testimony from a detective who reconstructed the shooting. But the defense's expert witness challenged that analysis. It's possible the debate struck a nerve with the jury. The jurors sent back several questions during their deliberations, asking for better definitions of reasonable doubt and walking back through the reenactment. After the stoic group filed into courtroom just before 3 p.m. on Thursday, they individually told the judge they were deadlocked. It was unlikely that more time would yield a unanimous conclusion, they said. Superior Court Justice Thomas McKeon then declared a mistrial and thanked the jurors for their diligent work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You've done your service well and true, you've worked very hard at this," McKeon said before excusing them. Afterward, Libby agreed to enter a guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter also a Class A crime to avoid being retried on the murder charge. His sentencing will occur sometime next year, at which time the murder charge will be dropped. After court adjourned Thursday, one of Libby's attorneys, Matthew Crockett, said that although the jury was unable to resolve the case, the guilty plea was the "best result for (Libby) to take accountability." He said Libby is remorseful and the case has been difficult for him and both his and Brown's families. He declined to testify during the trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the attorney general's office did not return a request for comment Thursday afternoon. 'IT DEFIES COMMON SENSE' Brown was 30 years old and had two young children with Libby. She worked as a case manager, helping families in need navigate social services for children. The state's case had focused on Libby's "tumultuous" relationship with Brown and his actions after her death, including his decision not to call 911. His attorneys have said he was in shock after the shooting, and that his failure to call 911 wasn't evidence of his guilt. Police found Brown's body in her bedroom two days after she was killed. She had a gunshot wound to her stomach. Libby was taken into custody that afternoon after creating a standoff with police at his ex-fiancee's home in Waterboro, but he wasn't charged until about four months later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Libby has said Brown pointed the gun at him during an argument that night and that it went off after he tried swatting it from her grasp. After the gun went off, Libby told police, he tucked Brown into their bed. He told one detective that her dying words were "I love you" and "tell the kids I love them." When Brown's mother texted him the day after the shooting, worried because she hadn't heard from her daughter, he lied and said the household was sick. He called the kids out of day care and brought them to Waterboro, where his other two sons and their mother lived. Brown's body remained in the house. "It defies common sense. He keeps her there for one reason, one reason only, and that is to buy time," Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese said. "To come up with a story, to try and make it look like an accident." Crockett said his client was in shock from the shooting and suicidal. Natasha Carruthers, with whom Libby shared his other two sons, testified Thursday that she thought Libby was suicidal. Police have said Libby's brother and mother were also concerned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He hoped that he'd wake up from this nightmare at some point. ... And so yes, he wanted time not to cover up with a cover story," Crockett said. "He wanted time to spend with his children before he planned to kill himself." ALLEGED 'TUNNEL VISION' Crockett said in closing arguments Tuesday that he felt the state's case was not only entirely circumstantial, but that it was the result of a one-sided, tunnel-vision investigation by state police. Throughout trial, Libby's attorneys have questioned why the state didn't look for gunshot residue on Brown's hands, or swab the entirety of the gun to look for her DNA. They said the state refused to look for any evidence that would defy its quickly established narrative that Libby was guilty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defense also argued that Maine State Police Detective Larry Rose's reconstruction of the shooting was "overly simplistic" and failed to take into account how Libby and Brown were positioned, and Brown's physical abilities (including how flexible her wrists might have been). On Monday, they called on forensic researcher Brooke Weinger Kammrath, who testified that Rose's analysis was not scientific. "In their rush to judgment, the state completely disregarded the truth," said Crockett. "The truth is that what happened on June 14, 2021, was a terrible, terrible accident." But the defense's most damning piece of evidence was an accidental recording of former Detective Abbe Chabot making jokes about an interview she conducted with Lilo Libby, Brandon Libby's mother, the day they found Brown's body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chabot, who retired from the state police in March 2022, met with Lilo Libby on the morning of June 16, 2021. Lilo Libby said she had spoken with her son that morning, and she told Chabot that he said the shooting was an accident. In that recorded interview, Chabot promised police would consider all of the evidence. But she forgot to turn off her recorder afterward and the device captured a conversation she had less than an hour later with other officers, laughing about how little she believed Libby's story. On the stand Tuesday, Chabot chalked the conversation up to "gallows humor," a "standard coping mechanism" for dealing with trauma every day. Marchese, the prosecutor, pointed out that Chabot's role in the entire case was limited to the interview with Libby's mother. She argued Libby's team was "cherry picking" issues to cast doubt on what was a thorough investigation, one in which they waited four months before arresting Libby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Crockett had hoped the jury would see something more in Chabot's tapes. "They don't want you to know how the sausage is made," Crockett said. "They don't want you to know that at the beginning of this case they concluded Brandon Libby was guilty." Copy the Story Link Dec. 13The Greene County Board of Elections had to recertify their official election results last month due to an error. The Board of Elections amended the official results after discovering there were "not enough provisional voters" showing in the final count, citing an equipment error. The issue was corrected before the deadline to certify, which was Nov. 20. The inclusion of the missing provisional ballots did not flip the result of any candidate races or tax issues, Board of Elections Director Alisha Lampert said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The ballots were all scanned, however the secondary path on our scanner was not set up correctly, so it did not scan into results, just the project," Lampert said. "We were able to get them where they needed to go and (now) the provisional voters have been assigned correctly to the results files." The board also delayed its previously scheduled audit certification earlier this month, citing the number of voters. Greene County had 2% more voters than in 2020, records show. Again, the board did meet its audit deadline. "Overall, Ohio conducted a successful election with historic numbers of voters making their voices heard in secure and transparent contests. Our office is grateful for the hard work of the thousands of local officials who made that possible including in Greene County," said Ohio Secretary of State spokesman Dan Lusheck. "When mistakes happen, we take them seriously," Lusheck said. "Due to past problems, the Greene County Board of Elections was placed under oversight, and we continue to work with them to improve processes and training. We recently completed an after-action review of their 2024 performance, and this issue will be addressed and remedied." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greene County was placed on administrative oversight in 2023. Last year, election results for both the Yellow Springs Village Council race and an uncontested Cedar Cliff School Board race were delayed due to a series of errors by the Greene County Board of Elections going back to the start of early voting. In 2022, some absentee voters received a ballot for a party other than the party they requested, and in 2021 and 2022, some elections materials were printed with the wrong dates. In a recent public work session by the Greene County Commissioners, who provide the funds for the Greene County Board of Elections, commissioners were told that the Board of Elections is more than $100,000 over their budget for 2024. This resulted in the election vendor being "asked not to come" for the official counting, Lampert said. "We usually have our EMS Vendor out for the official (count), but I was keeping an eye on the budget and asked them not to come," Lampert said. Gov. Wes Moore (D) addresses the Maryland Association of Counties winter conference in Cambridge Thursday night. Photo by Patrick Siebert/Office of the Governor. Gov. Wes Moore (D) has used his semiannual speeches to the Maryland Association of Counties to deliver sobering fiscal news before and Thursday nights address, at the MACo winter conference in Cambridge, was no exception. Using nautical language inspired by the State Houses proximity to the Naval Academy, Moore described the two storms state and local governments are confronting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know we are facing steep challenges, Moore said, according to prepared remarks provided by his office. Maryland is in the path of two storms: First, we face an historic budget crisis, the likes of which we havent seen in decades. And second, we are about to swear in a new administration in Washington, D.C., that casts uncertainty on our future. Moore blamed the states looming $2.7 billion budget shortfall on the sugar high of federal largesse doled out to help states deal with the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, along with sluggish financial growth. The states ongoing, complex education reform plan, the Blueprint for Marylands Future, also continues to strain government resources. We need to grow, Moore said. Its the key to securing Marylands future. Anyone who thinks we can just cut our way to greater prosperity isnt being honest. Anyone who thinks we can just tax our way to greater prosperity is not being honest. Now is the time for us to make the hard choices that will help us build a durable economy one that is business-friendly and invests in growth. Moore proposed jump-starting the state economy in different ways. He said he would issue an executive order the most sweeping economic executive action I have taken since being sworn in to make Maryland more business-friendly by cutting red tape on permitting; prioritizing three sectors of the economy, life sciences, I.T., and aerospace and defense, taking advantage of the resources that already exist in the state; and better coordinating with local jurisdictions on economic development strategies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore also said he would introduce a bill in the upcoming General Assembly session to increase the states housing supply and said he would seek some alterations to the way the Blueprint for Marylands Future is being implemented. While calling the education reform plan a central piece of our education strategy, he proposed pausing a provision of the Blueprint providing teachers with more collaborative time out of the classroom. But he vowed to help school districts build out their pipelines for recruiting teachers and said that pausing the collaborative time contained in the Blueprint would give school districts more time to recruit and retain teachers. Growth is the most powerful tool we have in our toolbox, Moore said. But it is not and cannot be the only one. We are in a moment of profound consequence, and we are willing to use every tool in our toolbox if it means getting Marylands fiscal health on track. There will be choices in our new budget that some of you will not like. Quite frankly, there will be choices in our new budget that I dont particularly like, he said. But we need to make hard choices now if we want to unleash our full potential as a state and lay the foundation for a brighter future. Supporters of the RENEW Act, a bill that would have made fossil fuel companies pay for environmental degradation, rally outside the State House on Jan. 10, 2024. The bill ended up failing. File photo by Josh Kurtz. One year after a state environmental agency calculated that it would cost Maryland at least $10 billion to meet the governments ambitious climate mandates, the Maryland Commission on Climate Change took baby steps Thursday toward considering how to pay for them but the panel didnt go nearly as far as some members originally intended. Following intense negotiations Wednesday between officials from Gov. Wes Moores administration and environmental leaders, the climate commission adopted amendments to original recommendations for generating revenues that instead call for studies on how those proposals could be implemented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move is a nod to the states worsening fiscal condition, and reflects the reluctance of Moore (D) and some state legislative leaders to adopt measures that could wind up raising taxes or boosting energy costs for Maryland consumers. Before we decide on the path forward, its really important that we take a step back and really determine what the impact [of proposals to raise revenues for climate programs] is on Marylands economy, Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said at Thursdays virtual meeting. McIlwain chairs the climate commission. She added that taking extra time would let state officials gauge the impact of the incoming Trump administration on federal funding opportunities for climate and clean energy programs and on the states ability to impose aggressive environmental regulations. The work of the climate commission is strictly advisory, but the panel includes several members of the governors Cabinet, and it carries weight with the governor and state lawmakers especially when the state is wrestling with how to pay for the numerous mandates laid out in the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain testifying on Capitol Hill earlier this year. Maryland Department of the Environment photo. As the commission prepared its annual year-end report, members were weighing three recommendations from an internal workgroup to generate revenues for the states climate plan: One would have created a cap-and-invest program to make the transportation and building sectors pay for carbon emissions; another would have established a fossil fuel transportation fee and mitigation fund, aimed mostly at freight railroads that move coal through the state; and the third would have assessed huge fines on 40 large fossil fuel companies to compensate the state for historic climate emissions and associated environmental damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All three measures had been introduced as bills in the last legislative session but stalled. At the climate commissions November meeting, following pointed behind-the-scenes conversations among Moore administration officials, McIlwain proposed tabling the discussion for a month. So Thursdays meeting was the final opportunity for the commission members to consider whether to include the proposals in their annual report. Three other states California, Washington and New York have installed cap-and-invest plans that essentially make carbon emitters pay for greenhouse gas emissions by auctioning off pollution credits. Its similar to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative a multistate program that includes Maryland, which collects revenues from fossil fuel-driven power plants. But instead of recommending a cap-and-invest program Thursday, the climate commissioners unanimously accepted an amendment proposed by McIlwain that would instead urge the legislature to authorize a study of how a cap-and-invest program would be implemented in Maryland, how it would impact consumers, and how much revenue it might be expected to generate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recommendation also suggests the legislature direct the Maryland Department of the Environment to establish a rule that would require fossil fuel companies doing business in the state to annually report their greenhouse gas emissions, beginning in 2027. These amendments do reflect a compromise, said Kim Coble, executive director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and a co-chair of the climate commission, saying they would direct policymakers to design and move to implement an equitable strategy for the state to sell carbon credits in all sectors of the economy. The steps we need to develop a cap-and-invest program are moving forward, she said. I think its important to note that this represents progress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the debate, there was some pushback from commission members that the panel had been studying how to set up a cap-and-invest system all along, but McIlwain asserted that more detail is necessary before policymakers can fashion a proposal. We never did a full-blown study that could look at the economics of this, she said. Theres more important information that we all need, that the General Assembly needs, before we can go further down this road. The commission also voted 21-2 to amend the proposal to make the biggest fossil fuel companies pay for environmental degradation. Instead of recommending imposing fines on big carbon emitters in the short term, the commission embraced a plan from climate advocate Jamie DeMarco to identify how much climate change is costing the state of Maryland for the purpose of making the major polluters pay for those damages, and assessing precise amounts for how much each of the biggest fossil fuel companies should compensate the state. DeMarco, one of the most vocal proponents of the Responding to Emergency Needs From Extreme Weather (RENEW) Act the legislation in the 2024 session that would have unilaterally imposed the fines said the study proposal would be introduced as a bill in the 2025 session. The prior version of the bill anticipated a $9 billion windfall for the state almost enough to pay for the Department of the Environments recommendations for implementing the Climate Solutions Now Act. Those figures will be sharpened with the additional study, DeMarco said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Somebody has to pay for the rising floods and storms and droughts that are harming Marylanders almost every day, Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund, said in a statement after the vote. Either taxpayers will foot the bill for washed-out roads and destroyed farm infrastructure or the fossil fuel companies that caused the problems will pay their share. Vermont is the only state to have adopted a similar proposal, though officials there are only in the early stages of determining how much they want to fine fossil fuel companies and how to collect the damages. The New York legislature has adopted a similar bill but it has yet to be signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and the legislative term is about to end. It is widely expected that the fossil fuel companies will sue to prevent the fines from taking place. Michael Powell, a climate commission member and attorney for energy and manufacturing companies, said studies have shown it could cost the state about $1 million a year to defend itself against industry lawsuits. Other skeptics of the plan have suggested that the fossil fuel companies would attempt to pass along any fines they have to pay to consumers. Meanwhile, the proposal to recommend taxing the transportation of fossil fuels through Maryland was pulled by the climate commission Thursday at the request of state Del. Dana Stein (D-Baltimore County), who had introduced legislation for the policy during the 2024 legislative session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Over the past few days its become clear that there wasnt a consensus on whether the coal transport fee should be implemented or studied, Stein said. He added that he would still introduce the legislation in some form during the upcoming session, which begins Jan. 8. Earlier this year, the Moore administration freed up $90 million from a state clean energy fund and redirected it for climate programs. The governor and his allies in the environmental movement at the time called it a downpayment on the deeper funding needed to attain the climate mandates. Moore this week announced that $17 million of the downpayment would be made available for a program that will enable school districts to apply for grants from the Maryland Energy Administration to buy electric school buses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Electrifying our school bus fleet isnt just the responsible choice for our environment its also the smart thing for our states economic competitiveness and our childrens health, the governor said in a statement. Downpayments eventually require further payments principal and interest. How and when policymakers can make those vast sums of money available, as the state is staring down the barrel of a fiscal crisis, still seems like an unanswerable question. OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) Last month Louisiana State Police arrested a suspect in the 2016 murder of Erica Hunt. This week Opelousas Police Chief Graig LeBlanc is recognizing the detectives that played an important role in the case. The Opelousas Police Department extends its deepest gratitude for the relentless efforts in the solving of the Erica Nicole Hunt cold case homicide, LeBlanc said. The State Polices commitment to justice and the family exemplifies the highest standards of law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigator first class Anthony Pardo, Trooper first Matthew Landry and supervisors Brad Guidroz and Paul Dubios are the members of State Police that made the arrest of Jordan J. Barnes possible for murder of Erica Hunt. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Hunt went missing on July 4, 2016, after telling family members she was going pick up food. The case would remain cold until December 2018 when when her remains were discovered in Ville Platte. The remains were sent to a DNA lab where they were confirmed to be Hunts in 2021. Investigations by State Police would lead them to interview Barnes, Hunts brother-in-law, in November when he would confess to killing Hunt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The four men from State Police were thanked for their hard work in front of the city council this week. On behalf of myself, the city council, the mayor, we would like to say that we appreciate the time that you guys put in on this case, LeBlanc said. With the 8-year-old case finally closed and closure finally given to the Hunt family, LeBlanc said the dedication from law enforcement displayed shows that any case can be solved. That lets us know that is never too late, is never too long with these guys, he said. There was allowed the avenues, Police Department, administration and the investigative division be able to focus on cases that were current while the Hunt family still got the justice that they deserved through the Louisiana State Police. And I just want you to know that I have our deepest gratitude. Latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. State Rep.-elect Sean Dougherty (D-Philadelphia) (Contributed photo) Growing up in Northeast Philadelphia, Sean Dougherty always wanted to be a trial lawyer. His first job after graduating from Temple University Law School in 2019 was law clerk for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. He later worked as a public defender in Philadelphia. State Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Philadelphia) was slated to be the only Democratic candidate on the ballot for the 172nd House District, but after a video emerged of him threatening a bartender in February, Dougherty gathered enough petitions to make the ballot to challenge him. Dougherty, son of state Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty and nephew of John Dougherty, who previously led IBEW Local 98 in Philadelphia, defeated Boyle, brother of U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-2nd District), for the Democratic Party nomination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The priorities page of Doughertys campaign website focuses on keeping communities safe, funding schools and teachers, increasing good-paying jobs, and protecting reproductive freedom. Dougherty, who describes himself as a neighborhood guy, said he treated the campaign for the seat against Republican Aizaz Gill like it was a jury trial, adding you have to be the most prepared and outwork your opponent and put it in the hands of the people. He defeated Gill by just under 500 votes, or slightly less than 2% to help Democrats maintain their one seat majority in the state House. It was the closest state House race this year in Pennsylvania. Dougherty said his goal is to not only maintain, but improve the quality of life, in Northeast Philadelphia and address the public safety concerns that many in the district shared with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Northeast Philadelphia is also home to a section of the city where President-elect Donald Trump made gains from the previous election and has shifted to the right in recent years. Dougherty said he thinks people were just tired of the same old, same old, and that people in the district are willing to split their ticket to vote for the candidate they believe is best for them. It just shows you the diversity in the district, but also the education in the district, Dougherty said. People know who theyre voting for, and they have their particular reasons why. Dougherty also emphasized that he will have no problem crossing the aisle in order to work on behalf of the district. This interview was lightly edited for length and clarity. Capital-Star: Tell us about the district and what makes it unique. Dougherty: Northeast Philadelphia is different than other parts of the city. Were a hard working class of individuals. A majority of the district are cops, firefighters, nurses, union workers. We do have a big immigrant population and southeastern population, but its a very diverse district, and its a district that voters are educated. They dont necessarily vote party, they vote person, but they do their due diligence in their research and who they vote for. Capital-Star: Whats the most pressing issue facing the district? Dougherty: Crime and public safety, by far. Capital-Star: Can you expand upon that? Dougherty: Just because theres been an increase in, a noticeable increase in crime, specifically in the area, with regards to car thefts, car break-in, car jackings. Last year, there was a very unfortunate event of a shooting that occurred with students from Northeast High School, which was terrible. During this campaign, I was fortunate and honored to be endorsed by our Philadelphia Police Lodge 5, and in my conversations with police officers and some of their leaders, you know the fact of the matter is Philadelphia police, theyre hurting for bodies. People are leaving the Philadelphia Police Department, to go work in suburban counties, or leaving altogether. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I talk to neighbors, people say all the time that their biggest issue is the crime and their fear of safety. They dont see a police presence. Its not necessarily to make more arrests, but its just that, that sense of comfort when you walk out of your house and you see a patrol car riding down, thats just trying to deter, but also make sure, it makes the neighborhood feel safer. Capital-Star: Whats your top legislative priority after youre sworn in in January? Can you talk about specific bills you may introduce or support? Dougherty: So, top legislative priority will be whatever the district needs, but definitely whatever I can do to help crime and public safety. Health care is actually one of my top priorities. And also theres a bill that Im really interested in, its a COLA bill in regards to police and fire, police officers and firefighters. So I really want to get up there, listen more, talk less, learn, because I am going to be a first time candidate, but roll up my sleeves and get to work for the district. The comptroller is one of three members of the Board of Revenue Estimates, along with the state treasurer and budget secretary. Photo by Steve Crane. Maryland revenues will be slightly better than expected in the coming year, but not nearly high enough to blunt a multibillion-dollar budget deficit that will force difficult trade-offs as the state works through the budget, fiscal officers said Thursday. And looming over the states fiscal picture is the uncertain impact the incoming Trump administration will have on the federal workforce, which plays a significant role in the states revenues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am optimistic about Marylands economy, and the resilience of our economy, Comptroller Brooke Lierman said at the Board of Revenue Estimates meeting where the numbers were presented. But we are navigating in a sea of uncertainty as we approach the start of a new Trump administration. The board, which also includes the state treasurer and budget secretary, meets three times a year to review estimates of incoming taxes and other revenues for the states operating budget. The December meeting is typically a key to the budget wrangling that legislators will have to do in the General Assembly session that starts in January. The board meeting came exactly one month after a meeting where state budget analysts told legislative fiscal leaders of an enormous gap in the budget, worse the those deficits in the Great Recession. Lawmakers were told then that the state faces a $2.7 billion budget gap in fiscal 2026, which will grow steadily until it reaches $5.9 billion in fiscal 2030. The revenue report presented Thursday predicts the state will bring in $25.3 billion in fiscal 2025, the current fiscal year, and $25.4 billion in fiscal 2026, which will be the focus of budget negotiations in the legislative session that begins on Jan. 8. Those estimates were marginally better than the last estimates in September up by 0.8% and 0.3%, respectively, or a little more than $262 million over the two years when total revenues will be more than $50 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todays modest positive upward adjustment to the revenue forecast is helpful, of course, said Budget Secretary Helene Grady, another board member. But it does not change the extraordinary challenge before us as we navigate fiscal year 2025 and prepare the fiscal 2026 budget. With regard to the state budget outlook for fiscal 26, I cant emphasize enough how significant the challenge is, Grady said, adding that Thursdays revenue presentation doesnt change it in any significant way. The revenues gains were largely driven by stronger-than-expected growth in wages and personal income, which is pushing up estimates for personal income taxes. They make up the largest part of operating budget revenues, followed by corporate income taxes and sales and use tax. Robert Rehrmann, the director of the Bureau of Revenue Estimates, said that the growth in the state economy is slowing, but that most importantly, we do not see an imminent sign of a recession that would cause us to significantly decrease our revenue expectations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said that while the states labor market continues to grow, it is below pre-pandemic levels and growth rates of other states, with private-sector jobs growing the slowest. But while job growth is slowing, wages are increasing at a faster pace, Rehrmann said, driven in part by government salaries. But officials at the meeting kept returning to the uncertainty President-elect Donald Trump brings to their forecasts. Trump campaigned on promises to cut the federal workforce and move federal agencies away from the Washington region to other parts of the country. Such moves would present a challenge to Maryland. There are 161,000 federal civilian jobs in Maryland, and 240,000 households in the state reported $23.9 billion in federal government wages in tax year 2021, Rehrmann said. Those numbers to not include federal contractors, which are equal to about 10% of the states private-sector jobs. Lierman acknowledged that Maryland needs to do a better job of growing private-sector employment and weaning itself off of its dependence on the federal government, but for now thats the situation Maryland has to deal with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes people ask me, Oh, this industry of the federal government, are we too dependent on it?' Lierman said. You know, states across the country have different industries that they rely on. Texas has oil and gas, we have the federal government. Grady said that state officials have been aware of a coming budget crunch for years, and that the administration has been working diligently to prioritize spending to key investments. When budgets are tough, our top priorities come more into focus, Grady said. There are difficult trade-offs we will have to make in the weeks and months ahead, but we remain focused on those key investments that protect the most core priorities. Dr. Sejal Hathi meets with officials at Colonia Paz in Lebanon in March, 2024 as part of her statewide "listening tour." (Courtesy of Oregon Health Authority) Editors note: The Capital Chronicle has launched a $10,000 end-of-year fundraising campaign to help us continue our first-class coverage next year. A lot is at stake, and theres a long legislative session in 2025. Were completely dependent on donor dollars, which are tax deductible. Please contribute to us if you can. Oregon Health Authority Director Sejal Hathi wants to improve Oregons health care system, including keeping rural hospitals open and supporting homeless people and testing children for lead poisoning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week she released a report outlining 16 wide-ranging goals that stem from her meetings with health care leaders in more than a dozen cities across the state during a tour of Oregon during her first six months on the job. Among her goals, Hathi wants to cut back bureaucracy for mental health and addiction treatment providers and ensure local public health agencies have adequate staff to test and treat Oregonians for sexually transmitted infections. Community leaders pressed those issues and others in their meetings with Hathi in Astoria, Bend, the Dalles, Eugene, Hood River, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, Lebanon, Medford, Pendleton, Portland, Redmond and Salem. Hathis report cites more than 60 issues community leaders would like addressed and 16 areas where state officials have started to tackle the needs. They include ways to make health more accessible and help providers as they serve Oregons most vulnerable people, including residents who face homelessness or mental health challenges. Many of these challenges are longstanding and complex, but that doesnt mean we cant make meaningful, if incremental, progress, Dr. Hathi said in a statement. The feedback we received from these communities is driving tangible steps forward at OHA to remove barriers and improve outcomes and Im grateful to both staff and our partners for helping us better serve all Oregonians. Hathi started her role as the authoritys director in January and is near the end of her first year on the job. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres a look at some the goals: In rural eastern Oregon, officials raised concerns about the closures of hospital and clinic services. In Baker City, Saint Alphonsus Medical Center closed its maternity ward, forcing parents to drive some 44 miles away for a delivery. The agency is researching state and federal policies and searching for ways to support health care facilities in rural areas more and reduce the risk of closures. In southern Oregon, communities told Hathi they need more action so children are tested for lead exposure. In response, the Oregon Health Authority has started to work on a new rule to ensure that providers are reimbursed when they conduct lead testing for people on Medicaid, which provides health care to about 1.4 million low-income Oregonians. The agency also wants to increase the rates of childhood blood lead screenings among youngsters enrolled in Medicaid and set that goal in its strategic plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Willamette Valley, local public health agencies said they need more funding to test for sexually transmitted infections and HIV. The health authority is working on strategies to make more funding available, including from federal dollars. The health authority also wants to make it easier for doulas to be paid through Medicaid. Doulas provide non-medical support to pregnant women during and after a pregnancy. The health authority plans to seek funding to expand doula hubs in communities. Individual doulas would be able to join the hubs so they receive more administrative support as they navigate the Medicaid billing system. The health authority has two more plans for Medicaid. The agency will provide health care providers with more guidance on how to bill Medicaid when they provide care for people who are homeless and living on the street. In 2023, federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made a new billing code available so providers could bill for outpatient services to houseless people. The Oregon Health Authority has plans to support organizations and community health workers so they can be reimbursed by Medicaid. Community health care workers are on the front lines of health care, working to help patients access programs and services they need. They often use their backgrounds and experiences to relate to the people they serve and build trust. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Over two dozen delays and closures have been announced due to slick roads this morning. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Benjamin Logan Schools in Logan County is closed this morning. Riverside Local Schools in Logan County is delayed by 2 hours and there will be no morning preschool. Ohio Hi-Point Career Center in Logan County is also delayed by 2 hours. In Champaign County, four districts are delayed by 2 hours. Mercy Health Urbana Cardiac Rehab in Champaign County is also on a 2-hour delay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nine districts in Miami County are delayed by 2 hours, including Troy City Schools and Piqua City Schools. Nicholas School in Miami County is also delayed by 2 hours. Nine districts in Shelby County are delayed by 2 hours. Sidney Holy Angels in Shelby County is delayed 2 hours and there will be no morning preschool. Minster Local Schools in Auglaize County and Greenville City Schools in Darke County are delayed by 2 hours. News Center 7 will continue to track any closings or delays and update this story. >> CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST CLOSINGS AND DELAYS LIST << Access closings, delays, anytime, anywhere, on any device, 5 different ways: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For information on how to enroll your school, church, or business in the free School Watch Program, click here. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his support on Friday for strengthening relations with South Africa, stressing that contentious issues should not be avoided. After a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria, Steinmeier told reporters: "We both stand for multilateralism and for cooperation at the United Nations." He added that he had told Ramaphosa that "even on issues where we may not agree [...] we must remain in dialogue." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Africa has remained neutral on the war in Ukraine, whereas Germany and its European allies have accused Russia of launching an unjustified invasion. In an unusual diplomatic move, the South African president kept his German guest waiting for a lengthy period. Their meeting at Ramaphosa's official residence in the South African capital started nearly an hour late and disrupted Steinmeier's subsequent programme. When Steinmeier arrived in a large Toyota SUV, Ramaphosa asked his staff why the German president was being transported in a Japanese car. German firms BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen all manufacture vehicles in South Africa, which is the largest economic power - and Germany's most significant export market - on the African continent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the German Foreign Office, more than 600 German companies have invested over $6.5 billion in South Africa and employ nearly 100,000 people. South Africa is the only African member of the G20 group and has just assumed its presidency. Steinmeier noted that South Africa will be succeeded in the G20 chair by the United States next year. "An important phase lies ahead, and I am confident that South Africa will remain the voice of the Global South," he said. Steinmeier is currently on a four-day trip to Africa, having visited Nigeria earlier this week. The Enquirer and United Way of Greater Cincinnati have joined forces for the 38th year to help families in need with the Wish List program. After wishes are granted, remaining funds assist people with similar needs throughout the year. This is the sixth of eight stories. After several years of housing insecurity, Shelia Gamel and her granddaughter, Annalee, recently moved into an apartment. Their wish is for items that will improve and brighten their lives. Almost five years ago, when deciding whether to take permanent custody of her only grandchild, Shelia Gamel followed her heart. It was either I step in, or she would have gone to foster care, Shelia, now 64, said. I would have lost her completely. My heart wouldnt do that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her granddaughter, Annalee, is now 11. The girls mother relinquished custody because of legal troubles, and her father has not been part of her life. Shelia, who is divorced, expected to make sacrifices when her granddaughter came to live with her in a mobile home park. But she did not foresee a future marked by homelessness and serious health issues. Starting in early 2020, a perfect storm of events none within Shelias control created significant challenges in their lives. First, COVID-19 shut down schools. Shelia, who was working as an in-home caregiver, could not find child care for Annalee. I didnt know what to do. There was no help. Staying home meant lost wages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Next, after injuring her back in an accidental fall, Shelia could no longer work. She fell further behind on bills and lost her home. I owned a home for 27 years, she said. I sure didnt expect I was going to be on the streets. Shelia Gamel in the apartment she shares with her granddaughter, Annalee. Shelia became her caregiver so Annalee would not have to enter the foster care system. She packed her car with belongings, drove away with her two dogs and Annalee, then stopped at a gas station. I was bawling my eyes out, she said. I didnt know what to do. Over the past few years, they have bounced from one place to another. At various times, they stayed with friends, with a relative, in a motel and in a womens shelter. Its been rough for her, Shelia said, motioning to Annalee. I know shes suffered. She turned to her granddaughter: Youve been in how many different schools? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eight, Annalee said. Making friends has been difficult. People make fun of me at school, she said. She returns each day to the grandmother she calls Nana, whom she described as kind, loving, helpful. Shelias injured back has deteriorated. She experiences chronic pain and struggles to get around. Despite the pain and years of hardship, Shelia has reason to stay positive. Just the fact that shes still here, she said, motioning to Annalee. Still got her. At the end of August, their housing situation stabilized when they moved into an apartment in Hebron. They receive support from Brighton Center, the United Way partner that nominated Shelia for the Wish List. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shelias Social Security checks and Supplemental Security Income fall short of covering the costs of items that would improve and brighten their lives. Shelia's wish: A television and tablet for Annalee; a bed and bed set, walker and shower chair for Shelia. Estimated cost: $2,850. How to help Donations can be made online at www.uwgc.org/wishlist. You can also mail donations to: United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Attn: Wish List Pledge Processing, P.O. Box 632840, Cincinnati, OH 45263-2840. Please include Wish List in the memo line on checks. John Johnston is the content writer at United Way and a former Enquirer reporter. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY grandmother gets back on her feet after series of setbacks Jurors in the murder trial of a downtown Raleigh convenience store owner saw security footage Thursday of the fatal encounter between the shop owner and the man he believed was stealing a bottle of Gatorade. Taiseer Zarka, 61, is charged with second-degree murder in the April 6, 2023, stabbing death of Mark Thomas Garrity Jr., 27, of Calabash. Garrity bled out from three stab wounds, including one to the heart, as a teenager recorded the encounter on her cellphone and a bartender from The Raleigh Times tried to save his life, jurors previously heard Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zarka has claimed self-defense. The prosecution says he overreacted. Surveillance footage and testimony Thursday focused on the moments during and after the altercation. Eileen Einhorn, a former crime scene investigator with the Wake City-County Bureau of Investigation (now the Wake County Bureau of Forensic Services), testified it appeared Zarka tried to mop up the blood throughout his store. Zarka would later tell detectives he mopped the floor because new customers were arriving and stepping in the blood. Evidence Thursday also showed Zarkas injuries from the encounter. Though he said Garrity had punched him multiple times, including in the head, photographs by an investigator show Zarka only sustained two small cuts, one to his right thumb and one to his left ring finger, both of which he had bandaged in the minutes after the encounter. Shock in initial interview Zarka spent eight-and-a-half hours in a Raleigh Police Department interview room after the stabbing. . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everything was like a dream, he told lead investigator Detective Eric Heflin. The whole thing is like the blink of an eye. Zarka said he and an employee saw Garrity steal drinks. When Zarka went to confront Garrity, he told him he could have the drink for free if hed admit stealing it, he recalled. Zarka said Garrity screamed obscenities at him and threatened to kill him and the other employee with a pistol. Thats when Zarka became determined to get him out of the store, but he wanted Garrity to leave his bag behind in case there was a weapon inside, he told the detective. Then he starts punching, he starts hitting me, Zarka said in the video. I can punch back. But then he reaches into his back pocket Im not taking no chances with anybody. Thats it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Believing Garrity was reaching for a weapon, Zarka stabbed him, he said. Toward the end of his story, Zarka told Heflin hed grown tired of the crime in downtown Raleigh. Raleigh downtown is changing, becoming crazy. For the past four years, I dont know whats going on, he said. Its now becoming the Mecca of every drug addict or homeless [person] coming to our streets. In fact, Zarka said, he had recently been arrested for defending himself with his knife when six men attacked him in his store, but a judge dismissed the case. Hours later, as Heflin prepared to let Zarka go, he informed him of Garritys death. Zarka appeared shocked, saying, What do you mean passed away? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their conversation proceeded as follows: Heflin: The guy that you got into the altercation with, he died. Zarka: He died? Because of what? Heflin: Well, you saw how much he was bleeding, right? Zarka: Youre serious. [exhales] Heflin: Thats why were looking into it so seriously and everythings being followed up on as thoroughly as possible, but yeah, unfortunately, he didnt make it. Zarka: Is it because of whatever because of the cut? Heflin: Yeah. Zarka: OK. Heflin: Yeah, so. But we heard your side of things. We werent able to hear his side of things because he wasnt really able to talk by the time officers got out there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zarka: I am sorry to hear that. Hes a human being. Doesnt matter, good or bad, hes still a human being. Zarka later asked if Garrity was on drugs; Heflin told him he didnt know. A toxicology report later found that Garrity had cocaine and fentanyl in his system at the time of his death. Throughout the interview, Zarka only referenced stabbing Garrity once, but surveillance footage from shows him making multiple stabbing or swinging motions with the knife during the scuffle. Heflin testified he didnt believe the surveillance footage aligned with Zarkas account of the events, noting that Garrity is never seen reaching for his back pocket on camera and Zarka never puts his knife back in his pocket during the encounter, contrary to his interview statements. Testimony will resume at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Wake County Justice Center. ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) The owner of One Stop Store in Grand Coteau and a cashier are facing drug-related charges after allegedly selling marijuana to narcotics officers at the business, according to the St. Landry Parish Sheriffs Office. In a news release, Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz announced the arrest of Nasir Sohail, 46, and Shoaib Munir, 42, both of Opelousas. The two men are brothers, authorities said. Sohail, who authorities said is the business owner, faces one count each of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Munir, the cashier, was charged with the following: Distribution of marijuana Two counts of illegal Possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance Possession with the intent to distribute hydrocodone Two counts of possession of a legend drug Two counts of monies derived from drug proceeds According to the news release, SLPSO narcotics detectives conducted a narcotics operation at the One Stop Store on Wednesday. The store is located at 536 East Martin Luther King Drive in Grand Coteau. During the operation, agents utilized a confidential informant to purchase marijuana from the stores cashier. After the transaction was completed, agents obtained a search warrant for the business, the news release read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guidroz said the business owner was found inside a vehicle in the stores parking lot. Upon contact with him, agents detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the interior of the vehicle Sohail occupied, he said in the news release. Detectives then searched the vehicle and allegedly found a bag of marijuana on the front passenger seat and another bag of marijuana on Sohails person. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Detectives reported finding the following when searching the business: two firearms one Viagra tablet two Cialis tablets in individual packaging Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guidroz said detectives also seized $932 from the stores cash register due to the money being comingled with drug proceeds. Authorities said the following items were allegedly found on Munirs person and in his vehicle: a bag of marijuana $475 cash an unlabled medicine bottle containing seven hydrocodone tablets, nine Baclofen tablets and four Viagra tablets Anyone with additional information about this crime is encouraged to call the St. Landry Parish Sheriffs Office at 337-948-6516. You may also call Crime Stoppers at 337-948-TIPS, download the P3 app on your mobile device or simply dial **TIPS on your mobile phone to tip. All calls are anonymous and you can earn a cash reward for information leading to an arrest. Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. When Anna Mae Robertson joined the Army at 19, she didnt know she would be part of history. She and her brother both orphaned young decided to enlist together in 1943. Her brother, Zeredee Griffin, joined the U.S. Navy. Robertson joined the Womens Army Corps. She enlisted in the military to become self-sufficient so she can take care of herself and to do a job so the men can fight on the frontlines, said the Milwaukee woman's daughter, Sheree Robertson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robertson became part of a select group of women known as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black WAC unit stationed overseas during World War II. A nearly three-year logjam of mail destined for soldiers fighting in Europe, desperate to hear from home, sat piled ceiling-high in sacks in a dark and damp warehouse. The 855 women in the battalion were charged with clearing it in six months. A herculean task, but under the command of Army Maj. Charity Adams, Robertson and the women cleared the backlog in 90 days. With the slogan No Mail, Low Morale, the unit worked 24 hours a day, processing an average of 195,000 pieces of mail in three eight-hour shifts. Sorting more than 17 million pieces of mail in three months while stationed in England broke all Army records. The women repeated the feat in France, where they were sent to clear a similar backlog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, that little-known feat of history is getting the Hollywood treatment. The movie "The Six Triple Eight" is coming to Netflix Dec. 20. A new movie about the unit, "The Six Triple Eight," is in limited release in theaters but will stream on Netflix starting Dec. 20. Tyler Perry wrote and directed the movie, which stars Kerry Washington of Scandal fame as Maj. Charity Adams. At 100 years old, Robertson, who moved to Milwaukee after the war and has lived here since, is thrilled the story of these women is finally being told on a broader scale, her daughter said. Lessons, Sheree Robertson added, are to be learned from the courage and tenacity these women showed in service to their country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not only did her mother and the other women work under tough conditions, but they also battled racism and sexism from White military personnel, who tried to set them up for failure, Sheree said. While the women were expected to clear the backlog in six months, they were given no guidance on how to do it. They devised their own, Sheree said. They even had to develop a system to identify some of the mail's recipients because some letters were just addressed to John Smith, she added. People need to realize the contributions those women made to their country and the sacrifices they made to their country when their country did not treat them with respect and dignity, Sheree said. They still felt a duty to go in there and do an outstanding job. Sheree Robertson spoke with the Journal Sentinel about her moms experience with the Six Triple Eight and the upcoming Netflix movie. She hopes to get a showing of the movie in Milwaukee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. More: Groundbreaking World War II all-female African American postal battalion featured in new documentary How important is it to have the movie and the story of the 6888th told? From "The Six Triple Eight," (left to right) Kylie Jefferson as Bernice Baker, Shanice Shantay as Johnnie Mae, Sarah Jeffrey as Dolores Washington and Pepi Sonuga as Elaine White. "Its important because the women who served in that battalion served their country ... despite being discriminated and treated unfairly by their own country. "Regardless how poorly they were treated, they felt it was important enough that they represent their race and show, as Black women, we can get the job done. "There was a movement to get these Black women overseas. Initially, (military leaders) werent allowing Black women to go overseas. Finally, they decided to give these women the opportunity to go. Mary McLeod Bethune, (a civil rights activist and educator) and (first lady) Eleanor Roosevelt started discussions to get Black women to serve overseas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I am so proud of my mom because she was one of the women selected to go. That tells me she had qualities and attributes the Army felt were favorable to send her overseas." How does she feel about all the attention? "She never expected anything in return for the good she did in life. But she is enjoying the love and attention she's receiving. "I describe Mom as a quiet warrior. She just went about life, working hard like most Black Americans did back then, raising her children, just living a good life. Now it seems like it is coming full-circle. "No one ever expected anyone would be discussing the Six Triple Eight their accomplishments, their services to their country and some 80 years later, a movie is out. Thats just God. Unfortunately, a lot of the women are no longer here, except for my mom and Fannie Mae McClendon (Air Force Retired Major Fannie Mae McClendon, of Tempe, Arizona.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When the first stories started to be told, there were 12 women of the 6888th back in 2018. Hopefully, their families who have been fighting for their mothers legacy to be recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal (awarded in 2022) can be proud of what their moms left behind, even though the women are not here to experience it." Meeting the movies star, Kerry Washington Kerry Washington, who stars in the Tyler Perry-written and produced movie "The Six Triple Eight" meets with Milwaukee resident Anna Mae Robertson, one of the last known survivors of the only all-Black female battalion to serve overseas during World War II. Washington was in Milwaukee in late October, campaigning for presidential candidate Kamala Harris. A family associate, Darrell Williams, along with WNOV Radio host Michelle Bryant, Martha Collins and Stephanie Butler, facilitated the meeting between the two. "They had their quiet personal moment together. It was a personal meeting. I could see from my mothers expression she was receiving Mrs. Washingtons love. She knelt down beside my mother, gently held her hand and, in a soft voice, spoke with my mother about the movie. Ms. Washington expressed words of gratitude for the sacrifices she made while serving her country in World War II. "After meeting my mother, Mrs. Washington was so emotional about the meeting." What do you hope people learn about Black Americans who served in the military from this movie? "These stories need to be uncovered because we need to know our history. If Black people knew our history, and where we came from, then maybe we would be inspired to do positive things. They are not teaching our history to children in the classroom. They dont believe in teaching other people's histories, whether its Black history, Indigenous people's history or Hispanic history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I hope people go see the movie and have discussions with others, especially our children and young people, about the important role the women who served in the 6888th played in World War II. I hope people are inspired (and) commit themselves to fight for our democracy and freedoms." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'The Six Triple Eight' tells story of Milwaukee woman's WWII unit Due to high rents and related housing costs, more people in Germany are living in poverty than previously assumed, a study published on Friday showed. Many households spend more than a third of their income on housing costs, with some spending more than half, according to an analysis of Federal Statistical Office data from a leading German charity organization, the Paritatische Gesamtverband. After deducting rent, related housing costs, loan interest and other expenses, more than 17.5 million people reportedly have a disposable income in the poverty range, the analysis showed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People in Germany are considered to be in poverty if they have less than 60% of the median income available to them monthly. The median income is the income at which exactly half the population earns more and the other half earns less. Criticism: Amount of poverty overlooked The organization noted that millions of people remain invisible within the usual poverty statistics because their housing costs are not considered. "Anyone who only looks at income, but not at the fact that people have less and less money available because they have to cover high housing costs, overlooks the extent of poverty in Germany," it stated in the analysis. In fact, according to the report, 5.4 million more people are living below the poverty line in Germany than previously assumed. When adjusted for housing costs, more than 20% of the population is considered poor. According to these calculations, the threshold for a single-person household is a disposable income of 1,016 ($1,063) per month. Equal income does not mean equal financial situation The research group cites an example of a pensioner with a standard pension of 1,770. With a long-term rental contract and 450 rent, this person is not considered poor. However, if the pensioner has to move, say to a barrier-free flat, and suddenly pays 900 in rent, then that person drops below the poverty line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The standard of living is no longer determined solely by the level of income; increasingly crucial are the questions of how much money a person has to spend on housing and how much is left over," the study said. Equal incomes may suggest a similar standard of living, but the financial situations of those affected may in fact be very different. Hamburg, Bremen and Saxony-Anhalt particularly affected The analysis indicates that young adults under 25 - including many students - as well as older people over 65, are particularly affected by so-called housing poverty. Those living alone are more affected than couples, as they usually have higher housing costs per person. The situation is reportedly worst for single people of retirement age. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are also regional differences: In Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt and Hamburg, housing poverty is most prevalent, while it is least severe in Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria. The difference between the conventional and the housing cost-adjusted poverty rate is particularly high in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The Paritatische Gesamtverband calls on the future federal government to create new and permanently socially supported housing. "A targeted policy to prevent poverty in Germany requires good wages, better social security, and a housing policy that keeps rents affordable," declared the chief executive, Joachim Rock. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Superior HealthPlan celebrated its 25th anniversary by awarding a $25,000 grant to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) El Paso to support the mental health needs of children in the area. Superior HealthPlan is a leading managed care organization in Texas and a company of Centene Corporation, Superior said in a news release. Since 1999, Superior has provided health care to Texans in need, Mark Sanders, president and CEO of Superior HealthPlan said. And to celebrate 25 years of serving local communities, we are proud to present NAMI El Paso with this special anniversary grant award that will help them support the El Paso community and continue to make a tangible difference in the lives of Texans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Superior has provided over $600,000 in grant funding to hundreds of community organizations and providers since 2020, helping support some of the most vulnerable populations in the state, Superior said. The Superior HealthPlan Anniversary Grant Award, the first of its kind, offered community organizations and schools across Texas an opportunity to apply for funding. An internal committee then identified ten finalists, and the winning organization was selected by employees. We are grateful to be the recipient of this grant as Superior HealthPlan celebrates their 25th anniversary in Texas, Isidro Torres, executive director of NAMI El Paso said. We are excited to be able to expand our work in education for youth mental health as well as support individuals and families through their mental health journey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Superior said NAMI El Paso has widened its influence since opening its doors in 1986, evolving from a small grassroots group into a vital part of the communitys mental health support system. NAMI El Paso offers programs designed to meet the diverse needs of the community, including peer-led support groups, educational programs, and advocacy initiatives. With the funding, NAMI El Paso will expand its reach among El Paso-area youth with free, evidence-based, 50-minute learning sessions designed for middle and high school students, read the news release. These sessions will serve as a targeted opportunity to teach youth about mental health conditions through a brief presentation, short videos, and personal testimony from a young adult who describes their mental health journey and empowers others to do the same. Superior said the anniversary grant initiative was in addition to other grant awards the company provides each year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizations and providers are invited to apply for $10,000 grants, which will be awarded in April 2025. The application deadline is March 31, 2025. Visit SuperiorHealthPlan.com/grants to learn more. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. SEOUL, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Embattled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol saw his approval rating sink to a record low of 11% on Friday ahead of a second impeachment motion over his short-lived declaration of martial law. Yoon, already deeply unpopular before his martial law attempt, received an 85% negative rating in the weekly tracking poll released by Gallup Korea. Some 75% of respondents supported his impeachment, while 21% opposed it. The Democratic Party-led opposition reported a new impeachment motion to the National Assembly on Thursday and plans to hold a vote Saturday at 4 p.m. Yoon survived the first impeachment attempt last weekend as all but three members of his ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yoon's support appears to be waning, however, in the wake of a defiant address Thursday in which he defended his decision to declare martial law on Dec. 3 and vowed to "fight to the end." PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, who led the walkout on the previous vote, said he was now in favor of impeachment after Yoon's remarks. Spirited rallies have called for Yoon's ouster since his martial law declaration on Dec. 3. A second impeachment vote is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI "I thought that an early resignation before the impeachment period would be a more predictable and quicker measure," Han said in a statement. "Since it has been confirmed that the president has no intention of resigning early, an immediate suspension of duties is necessary," he said. " Our party members should attend the [impeachment] meeting and vote according to their convictions and consciences." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung urged lawmakers to vote in favor of impeachment Friday, saying it would be the "quickest and surest way to end the chaos." "Whether ruling or opposition party, progressive or conservative, [lawmakers] have the responsibility to abide by the Constitution," Lee said in a statement at the National Assembly. "What you must protect is not Yoon Seok Yeol or the People Power Party. It is the lives of the people who are crying out on the cold streets right now." Massive protests have called for Yoon's ouster since his shocking martial law decree, which was overturned by the National Assembly just hours later. Loud K-pop music and humorous flags and banners have brought a spirited atmosphere to the rallies, despite frigid weather around the country. A crowd of hundreds of thousands is expected to gather near the National Assembly again on Saturday for the impeachment vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Impeachment requires the support of two-thirds of the 300-member parliament. The opposition controls 192 seats and needs eight votes from the ruling party to pass the motion. As of Friday, seven PPP members have publicly said they would vote for impeachment this time. If the impeachment passes, Yoon will be relieved of his duties and the Constitutional Court will decide whether to reinstate or remove him from office. Yoon is also facing criminal investigations for treason and abuse of power. He has been barred from leaving the country. WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Friday said it would take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California's nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden's presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won't be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to boost production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal and repeal key parts of a landmark 2022 climate law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The high court will not be reviewing the waiver itself, but instead will look at a preliminary issue, whether fuel producers have legal standing to challenge the EPA waiver. The federal appeals court in Washington ruled that the companies lacked the right to sue because they produced no evidence that they would be affected by the waiver, which directly affects vehicle manufacturers. Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and other major automakers already are meeting the California emission standards, the administration noted in court papers. But the fuel producers told the high court that the appellate decision, if left in place, would imperil future challenges to administrative action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They said they met the legal test for getting into court. As a matter of common sense, lawyers for the companies wrote, automakers would produce fewer electric vehicles and more gas-powered cars if the waiver were set aside, directly affecting how much fuel would be sold. The EPA waiver was part of the Biden administration's efforts to reverse environmental rollbacks from Trump's first White House term and restore California's authority to set tighter emissions rules. California has unique authority under the federal Clean Air Act to set tougher standards for cars sold in the nation's largest state, which has prompted automakers to produce more fuel-efficient passenger vehicles that emit less climate-damaging tailpipe exhaust. In April, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected the fuel producers' case as well as a related challenge from Ohio and other Republican-led states and fuel producers. The appeals court hears many challenges to federal regulations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court did not act on the states' appeal. The current fight has its roots in a 2019 decision by the Trump administration to rescind the states authority. Three years later, with Biden in office, the EPA restored the states authority. The EPA could decide as soon as next week on a separate request by California for a waiver allowing it to enforce a rule aimed at banning sales of new gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035. The rule is stricter than a federal rule adopted this year that tightens emissions standards but does not require sales of electric vehicles. If the new waiver is granted as expected, it could be short-lived. The incoming Trump administration is likely to move to revoke all California waivers, although that effort could face legal challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An EPA spokesman said Friday that the agency continues to review Californias waiver requests closely to make sure its decisions are durable and grounded in the law. We have no updates to share on timing. Other environmental regulations have not fared well before the conservative-majority court in recent years. In 2022, the justices limited the EPAs authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants with a landmark decision. In June, the court halted the agencys air-pollution-fighting good neighbor rule. Another ruling in June, overturning a decades-old decision known colloquially as Chevron, is also expected to make environmental regulations more difficult to set and keep, along with other federal agency actions. But the justices also have recently kept in effect environmental regulations to limit planet-warming pollution from coal-fired power plants, while legal challenges play out. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this story. WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Friday said it would take up a new religious rights case over whether a Catholic charitable organization must pay Wisconsin's employment tax. The justices will review a divided state Supreme Court ruling that refused to grant an exemption to the Catholic Charities Bureau, based in Superior, Wisconsin. The state court ruled that the work of Catholic Charities and four related organizations is primarily not religious, although it found that the motivation to help older, disabled and low-income people stems from Catholic teachings. The case probably will be argued in the spring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court in recent years has issued an unbroken string of decisions siding with churches and religious plaintiffs in disputes with states. Lawyers for the Wisconsin groups argued to the court that the decision violates religious freedoms protected by the First Amendment. They also said the court should step in to resolve conflicting rulings by several top state courts on the same issue. Wisconsin is trying to make sure no good deed goes unpunished. Penalizing Catholic Charities for serving Catholics and non-Catholics alike is ridiculous and wrong," Eric Rassbach, the lead lawyer for Catholic Charities at the Supreme Court, said in a statement. Wisconsin Attorney General Joshua Kaul had urged the high court to stay out of the case, arguing that much of the groups' funding comes from state and local governments, and the joint federal and state Medicaid program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Employees don't have to be Catholic and people receiving services from these organizations receive no religious training or orientation, Kaul wrote. Catholic Charities has paid the unemployment tax since 1972, he wrote. Wisconsin exempts church-controlled organizations from the tax if they are "operated primarily for religious purposes. The state high court ruled that both the motivations and the activities have to be religious for organizations to avoid paying the tax. A group of religious scholars, backing Catholic Charities, told the court that the case involves governmental interference with religious liberty that warrants the justices' intervention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Catholic, Islamic, Lutheran, Jewish and Mormon organizations also filed briefs in support of Catholic Charities. At the state Supreme Court, the Freedom from Religion Foundation argued that a ruling for Catholic Charities would extend to religiously affiliated hospitals and some colleges across Wisconsin, potentially taking their employees out of the state unemployment insurance system. Catholic Charities in Superior manages nonprofit organizations that run more than 60 programs designed to help older or disabled people, children with special needs, low-income families, and people suffering from disasters, regardless of their religion, according to court documents. The Supreme Court voted Friday to hear a potentially far-reaching claim of religious freedom and decide whether church-sponsored charities, programs and businesses may refuse to pay state unemployment taxes for their employees. All states exempt churches and church programs from the taxes if they "operate primarily for religious purposes." But they usually require affiliated schools, colleges, hospitals and other businesses to pay unemployment taxes if they are open to all and do not offer worship services or religious training. In a case from Wisconsin, the justices will reconsider that approach and decide whether instead to require the states to defer to religious authorities. The appeal that will be heard argues the government may not "second-guess the religious decisions" of church authorities who seek an exemption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dispute began with Black River Industries, Barron County Developmental Services and two other small nonprofit corporations that are funded by state or federal grants to provide services for people with developmental disabilities. Read more: Supreme Court may sharply limit the scope of environmental impact statements They are now controlled by Catholic charities that sued to seek an exemption from the unemployment taxes. Their lawyers argued those charitable programs are motivated by "sincerely held religious beliefs and to carry out the religious mission" of the church. Therefore, they said, it violates the Constitution to require Catholic charities to pay unemployment taxes, noting the church has its own program of unemployment coverage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Wisconsin Supreme Court disagreed in a 4-3 ruling and upheld the state taxes. It said the four programs were "charitable" and "educational," but not primarily religious. Lawyers for Becket Fund for Religious Liberty appealed and urged the court to overturn the Wisconsin ruling. The case comes before a high court that has repeatedly ruled in favor of religious claims over the last decade. In one line of cases, the justices said churches and religious claimants are entitled to equal state benefits, including grants to pay for playgrounds at a church school or tuition grants for parents to send children to religious schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In another line of cases, they ruled religious organizations are freed from government regulation of their employees. Four years ago, for example, they ruled that two Catholic school teachers in Los Angeles who were fired could not sue alleging they were victims of discrimination. A year later, the court ruled that as a matter of religious freedom, Catholic Social Services had a right to participate in a city-sponsored foster care program in Philadelphia and receive payments for doing so, even though it refused to work with same-sex couples as required by the city. Read more: Supreme Court sounds ready to OK laws that ban hormone treatments for trans teens Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court also ruled that private businesses such as the Hobby Lobby stores and church-sponsored entities had a religious liberty right to refuse to provide contraceptive coverage for their employees as required by federal law. In the Wisconsin case, a group of religious liberty scholars urged the court to rule the government must "defer" to church authorities in matters involving their organizations. "This case involves severe governmental interference with religious liberty that strikes at the heart of the 1st Amendments most basic guarantees," they wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief. They said "courts must defer to how the religious group defines its message." The Catholic Conference of Illinois was among the church groups that urged the court to hear the case. Its brief noted that its bishops speak for 949 parishes, 46 Catholic hospitals, 21 healthcare centers, 11 colleges and universities, 424 schools and 527 Catholic cemeteries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court is likely to schedule arguments in the Wisconsin case in March or April and issue a ruling by the end of June. Wisconsin is trying to make sure no good deed goes unpunished, said Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. Penalizing Catholic Charities for serving Catholics and non-Catholics alike is ridiculous and wrong. We are confident the Supreme Court will reject the Wisconsin Supreme Courts absurd ruling. 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. The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether religious affiliated entities like Catholic Charities should be exempt from state unemployment taxes, taking up its first major religion case in more than a year. The Catholic Charities Bureau in Wisconsin told the high court that the states labor department violated the First Amendment when it declined its request for an exemption from the unemployment taxes. A decision from the conservative Supreme Court could have widespread implications if it sweeps in other types of taxes and religiously affiliated entities, such as hospitals and universities. Forty-seven states and the federal government include exemptions from unemployment taxes for organizations operated for religious purposes, according to Catholic Charities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the petitioners get their way, theres going to potentially be a fallout in these other areas, said Patrick Elliott, legal director of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which filed a brief opposing Catholic Charities in state court. Wisconsins highest court sided with the state in March, ruling that because Catholic Charities didnt proselytize or participate in traditional religious activities, it didnt qualify for the religious exemption from the taxes. Wisconsins rule is both absurd and harmful, the organization, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, told the Supreme Court in its appeal. The rule takes away resources that would otherwise be used to help the poor and the needy. Catholic Charities is the social ministry arm of the Diocese of Superior, a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. The case also involves four sub-entities that mainly provide services to the disabled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wisconsin officials countered that Catholic Charities has participated in the states unemployment insurance program since 1972. People who benefit from the programs, the state said, receive no religious training or orientation. Employees need not ascribe to any faith. In one sense, the question presented in the Wisconsin case is a very narrow one implicating only the relationship between the Constitution and a single states statutory exemption for religious organizations from unemployment taxes, said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown University Law Center. That said, the fact that the court is agreeing to hear this case at all is perhaps a sign that the court wants to weigh in more generally on the scope of such state-law exemptions and how theyre applied across the country, Vladeck added. Either way, this quickly becomes the most significant religious liberty case to receive full review from the court in the last two years. The Supreme Court confronted similar questions in the early 1980s, but it resolved a pair of cases without reaching the underlying First Amendment questions. Since then, the courts conservatives have expanded protections for religious groups in a series of cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2022, the court struck down a Maine prohibition against using public money for some students to attend schools that offer religious instruction. Two years earlier, a 5-4 majority ruled that a Montana scholarship program could not exclude religious schools. Court will determine if oil industry can challenge car emissions rules The Supreme Court also agreed Friday to hear part of an appeal from the oil and gas industry challenging Californias ability to establish strict vehicle emission rules that effectively set the standard for the rest of the nation. While the justices declined to take up the underlying question challenging the Environmental Protection Agencys power to give California a waiver of nationwide emission rules, they did agree to look at the question of whether the oil and gas industry has standing to sue. A federal appeals court ruled they did not because the industry could not establish that the waiver for California has any real world effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given Californias size, automakers have for decades hewed to that states tighter emissions controls, which are permitted under a waiver from federal law by the EPA. The states and fuel groups argued in their Supreme Court appeal this summer that the arrangement is unlawful. California has moved faster than the EPA toward an all-electric vehicle future. The states air regulators voted in 2022 to set stringent rules banning the sale of new gasoline cars by 2035 and put interim targets in place to phase the cars out. What California decides has implications for the US car market, given how large the states economy is and the fact that over a dozen other states have followed its lead. In contrast to California, the Biden EPA has put in more forgiving vehicle emissions standards, allowing plug-in hybrids vehicles that combine gas engines and EV-like batteries to play a big role in the electric transition, along with EVs. But the Biden administration pointed to a decision from an appeals court in Washington, DC, earlier this year that dismissed most of the case, finding that the plaintiffs lacked the ability to sue. Thats partly because, the court reasoned, car manufacturers are increasingly moving toward electric vehicles on their own based on market demand, not government regulations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Biden administration told the Supreme Court that the waivers practical effects are greatly diminished by intervening changes in the market. President-elect Donald Trump could unwind the waiver entirely when he takes office in the new year. In 2019, the Trump administration rolled back Californias decades-old waiver. The Biden administration the reinstated it in 2022. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The South Dakota House of Representatives convenes on Feb. 5, 2024. Public appeals for property tax relief are coalescing into legislation ahead of the 2025 legislative session. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) Property taxes are too high. This is a nearly universal sentiment, and not just in South Dakota. Around the country there have been a range of proposals designed to lower property taxes. Unfortunately, many of these proposed solutions are worse than the problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eliminating property taxes altogether sounds attractive until we consider the alternatives, which would likely include an income tax. Freezing valuations initially seems appealing, but doing so would result in identical homes on the same street being taxed at different levels depending on when they were purchased, not what they are worth. Artificially freezing valuations also leads to greater inefficiencies in collections (more bureaucracy), additional county and state staff, and buying and selling decisions based on tax rates and not the free market. Its a solution thats worse than the problem. Property taxes are a product of local funding needs. All of our property tax dollars stay local; they pay to heat school buildings, fund county services, and fix infrastructure in cities and towns. Our property tax dollars arent used to pay the governors salary, cover increased Medicaid costs, or fuel Highway Patrol vehicles. State government does not collect or spend any property taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The amount we pay in property taxes is the result of a simple formula: NEED = VALUATION x LEVY. NEED is the funding level set by our local governing boards county commissions, school boards, townships, etc. VALUATION is the fair market value of property, determined by our county assessors. And the LEVY is set by our county auditors; its the rate calculated when dividing need by valuation. Its more complicated in practice, but thats the principle. So why is it so hard to lower property taxes? Because there are only three ways to do it: Reduce the need. One way to lower property taxes is to reduce funding for local schools, counties, cities, etc., the entities supported by our property tax dollars. However, few taxpayers have specific proposals for reducing funding for these entities, or do not engage at the proper venues, such as school board or county commission meetings when the years budget is set. And some proposals that would significantly lower property taxes (consolidation) often prove unpopular. Shift the burden. Another option is to shift the burden to another class of property. All three classes owner-occupied homes, agricultural, and commercial help fill the bucket to pay for local needs. So to reduce owner-occupied property taxes, agricultural and commercial taxpayers must make up the difference to fill the bucket. But small business owners already pay the highest tax rate of all three classes, and commercial and ag property taxes have also increased substantially in the last 15 years, so many dont support this option. Find another funding source. If we dont want to cut funding to local entities, or have farmers and small business owners pay more, the only other way to reduce owner-occupied property taxes is to find another way to pay for it. Historically, lawmakers have done this by substituting state funds (sales tax dollars) for local property taxes in the school funding formula (because property taxes only make up about half of school budgets the state kicks in the rest). Governor Bill Janklow used this tactic in the 1990s and Gov. Dennis Daugaard took a similar approach in 2016. Legislators will debate a related idea in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recent increases in owner-occupied property taxes, most noticeably in the greater Sioux Falls area and the Black Hills, have been driven in large part by historic increases in the value of homes. Its not uncommon to see a home purchased for $200,000 in 2010 and worth $400,000 in 2020, to be valued at $600,000 or more today. Families in these circumstances have seen their net worth grow exponentially. And individuals with homes that are more valuable today are seeing that increased value reflected in their property taxes. When my home is worth more, I pay more. In some places, the rate of increase has begun to slow down. Yet even as property tax rates stabilize, calls for property tax relief seem unlikely to cease. There may be ways to adjust the current process or create new programs to assist those unable to afford their property taxes. Certainly, the Legislature will have no shortage of conversations. As lawmakers weigh the options, we all need to make sure that the property tax solution is not worse than the problem. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Chinas new quality productive forces speed up industrial upgrading, transformation 08:41, December 13, 2024 By Chi Jingyi ( Global Times The Central Economic Work Conference, which was held in Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday, set priorities for the economic work in 2025, including the use of scientific and technological innovation to lead the development of new quality productive forces and build a modern industrial system. First introduced in 2023, new quality productive forces refer to advanced productivity freed from the traditional economic growth mode and productivity development paths. They feature high-tech, high efficiency and high quality, and are advanced productivity required by the new development philosophy. The new quality productive forces are currently showing a trend of accelerated development. In the first 10 months of 2024, investment in high-tech industries rose by 9.3 percent year-on-year. In October, high-tech manufacturing output rose by 9.4 percent year-on-year, which grew faster than that of all industries since the beginning of the year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Positive cycle The role of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation is becoming prominent. As of October, the number of valid invention patents in China reached 4.66 million, of which 73.3 percent are held by enterprises. In 2023, more than 50 percent - for the first time - of enterprise invention patents have realized application in industrial production, official data showed. China has been successful in commercializing innovation. As a result, scientific and technological innovations can be more quickly transformed into products and promoted to the market thanks to the country's complete industrial chain system. Commercial application is crucial to innovation-driven economic growth, Qi Xiangdong, a vice chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, also chairman of Qi An Xin Technology Group, told the Global Times. Commercialization accelerates innovation cycles, ensuring the international competitiveness of Chinese enterprises maintain international competitiveness, Niu Liqun, chairman of Shanxi Jia Shi Da Robot Technology Co (JSD Robot), told the Global Times. Scientific and technological achievements, which were transferred into productive forces, have driven the evolution from traditional to emerging and future industries, while fostering new industries and new models. "To survive in the global competition, we must carry out scientific and technological innovations. Innovation is the core of high-quality development of enterprises," Niu said. JSD Robot has made efforts in research and development (R&D) to complete the creation, innovation and upgrading of products, and the annual R&D investment reaches more than 15 percent of the net profit, Niu noted. According to the 2024 China CEO Outlook Research Report published by KPMG China in November, entrepreneurs maintain a more positive attitude toward developing scientific research and innovation. A total of 49 percent of the CEOs surveyed listed the "development of new quality productivity through R&D and innovation" as their top concern for future business development. Additionally, 50 percent planned to increase digital transformation investments this year, and 71 percent expressed confidence in China's economic growth over the next three years, the report stated. Thanks to the support of government policies, enterprises can focus on innovative development and R&D investment, Niu said. "Policy support from the government has created a sound business environment and provided more opportunities for enterprises to innovate themselves," Zhu Qiucheng, CEO of Ningbo New Oriental Electric Industrial Development, told the Global Times. Successful transition Government planning, policy support, market regulation, and enterprise-driven innovation have fueled China's industrial transformation and upgrading, with innovation acting as a catalyst. The country's innovation strengths have developed at a fast pace in the past few years. China ranks 11th among the 133 economies featured in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024. Meanwhile, China, with 26 such clusters, for a second consecutive year leads in the number of top 100 science and technology clusters of GII, according to a report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization in October. China also leads in eight innovation indicators globally, ranking third, per the GII report. The improvement in innovation strengths came from an all-round input. A recent NBS report revealed that in 2023, China's total spending on research, experimentation and development reached 3.33 trillion yuan ($458.2 billion), a 233 times increase over 1991. Known as the global manufacturing hub of the 20th century, China has successfully transitioned to become a hub of future-looking innovation, Michelle Mormont and Saemoon Yoon, lead of Innovator Communities at the World Economic Forum (WEF), wrote in an article published in September on WEF's website. As the second-largest economy in the world, China plays an important role in guiding global economic prosperity, the two WEF experts said. Despite efforts made in the domestic sector, China adheres to the concept of being open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial in international scientific and technological cooperation. As of September, China had already established scientific and technological cooperation relations with more than 160 countries and regions and signed 118 bilateral and multilateral intergovernmental sci-tech cooperation agreements, official data showed. In November, China lifted foreign investment access restrictions across the manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, the 2024 version of the negative list for foreign investment access reduced the number of restriction measures from 31 to 29. China's mature innovation environment and large pool of talent have attracted many multinational companies to invest more in R&D centers in China and accelerate the layout of innovation tracks. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) By Alimat Aliyeva Ottawa is considering imposing tariffs on exports of oil, uranium, and potassium carbonate to the United States if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods, Azernews reports. Doug Ford, the Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, has already warned that if Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian goods, Ontario could halt its electricity supply to the United States. In 2023, Ontario is set to provide electricity to 1.5 million homes in the U.S., with the province being a major electricity exporter to New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. Not long ago, Donald Trump, the newly elected President of the United States, announced that he plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on all products imported from Canada and Mexico once he takes office, which has raised concerns among Canadian officials about the economic impact of such measures. The situation highlights the growing tension between the U.S. and Canada as trade relations become a focal point of political discourse. Both countries share a long-standing economic partnership, but the potential tariffs could disrupt trade, energy exchanges, and other sectors that rely heavily on cross-border collaboration. Private school children in Surrey forced out by Labours VAT raid may be left without a school place after the council admitted it had run out of space. Forecasts show there are expected to be no vacancies for pupils in Year 9, 10 or 11 next September despite the Governments own data suggesting 2,400 children in Surrey need spaces in state school as a result of its 20pc levy. Surrey County Council made the admission after a concerned parent sent a Freedom of Information request asking which state schools had any capacity to accommodate his children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The data revealed there are forecasted to be 215 additional spaces available in Year 7 for the 2025-2026 academic year and 502 in Year 8, but no spaces for children older than 13 years of age. The father, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Telegraph: No council is equipped for mass mid-year school entrance with no capacity planning. Almost 20pc of Surrey pupils go to independent schools and the state system is full. It comes as a petition calling on the Government to reverse its decision to tax private schools reached more than 100,000 signatures on Thursday, despite being set up last week. By law, local councils must offer a child a school place. If no nearby school has any capacity, they will often resort to the next closest school with availability. There is no limit on how far away this could be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the nearest available school is more than three miles away, the council must provide free transport to those who apply. If there is no public transport in place, they may have to pay for taxis to take children to school. There are concerns that Labours VAT raid could result in councils racking up big bills for private school pupils to be taxied to school because of a lack of spaces in nearby state schools. The Government estimates there will be an exodus of 35,000 pupils into state schools as a result of its tax raid being introduced next month. This equates to 6pc of all pupils in private schools. The Government has long maintained there is more than enough state school capacity to accommodate the children who will be forced to switch, using national data to illustrate the capacity available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, this assumes the effects of its VAT levy will be felt evenly across the country. In reality the proportion of privately educated children varies considerably in different parts of Britain. In Surrey, almost one in five children attend a private school. According to Department for Education data from 2021 to 2022, some 40,054 pupils attend private schools out of a total of 201,993 pupils in the county. Using the Governments assumption that 6pc of those children will join state schools, it means the local authority needs to find additional places for 2,403 children. Clare Curran, a cabinet member at Surrey County Council said: To date, there has been no need to commission additional school places in Surrey to specifically accommodate children withdrawing from the independent sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, we are monitoring the situation closely and are ready to manage any tangible increases in school applications as and when they occur to ensure that a school place is offered to any Surrey child who requires one. Ms Curran added the data included schools who had capped their intake despite the school building being able to accommodate more children and said the council would explore increasing the size of these state schools if needed. In July, The Telegraph reported schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in a two-week period from private school parents enquiring about availability for their children. Last month, The Telegraph revealed the council received 161 applications from private school pupils applying to join state schools between June and the beginning of September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr Ben Spencer, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, previously said: I feel deeply sorry for the many children forced to move school as part of this attack on independent schools. Families who chose not to use taxpayer resources to educate their children should be thanked rather than targeted by this Government. A government spokesman said: Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise 1.8bn a year by 2029-30 to help fund public services, including supporting the 94pc of children in state schools to achieve and thrive. Local authorities are responsible for planning and securing sufficient school places for their area, however, we are confident that the state sector will be able to accommodate any additional pupils. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A suspect accused of shooting an Abilene police officer was found dead after a 9-hour-long standoff Thursday night. James Wesley Key, 49, was found dead around 2:00 a.m. Friday after law enforcement finally entered a home on the 600 block of Locust Street. Police say he suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Shots fired in south Abilene Standoff, APD continues search for suspect in officer-involved shooting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SWAT Team members initially surrounded the home around 5:00 p.m. after receiving information Key may be inside. From there, a standoff ensued where police tried to use non-lethal force to subdue Key, who did fire a weapon several times during ongoing negotiations. Police attempted using chemical munitions and less lethal impact munitions to come to a peaceful resolution, a press release from the Abilene Police Department explains. Due to the known danger, an armored vehicle was used to gain better access to the structure without putting officers in harms way. UPDATE: $5,000 reward offered for info leading to arrest of suspect accused of shooting Abilene officer Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Taylor County Sheriffs Office, the Texas Rangers, and the Lubbock County SWAT team all assisted in the standoff with Key. Key is accused of shooting an officer after a traffic stop in the Impact area of Abilene Tuesday night. He fled the scene, instigating a multi-day manhunt involving several agencies with the assistance of helicopters and drones. No further information is available at this time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) The Hampden District Attorneys office has announced an arrest in a homicide case from July 2024. A suspect was arrested on Wednesday for their alleged role in the death of 38-year-old Dexter Ortiz of Holyoke. Due to the suspects age, their identity cannot be released. Suspect arrested in deadly Holyoke shooting on West Street According to investigators, on Wednesday, July 9th, at 11:22 p.m., the Holyoke Police Department was called to the 50 block of the West Street area for a reported shot spotter activation. Officers found an adult male gunshot victim, Ortiz, who was taken to Baystate Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. Two other people with non-life-threatening injuries were taken to the hospital as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an ongoing investigation conducted by members of the Holyoke Police Department, Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorneys Office, and the Hampden District Attorneys Offices Murder Unit. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. One of two suspects has been arrested in connection with a home invasion in Pennsylvania earlier this month that left a 25-year-old man dead and his mother paralyzed after being shot multiple times. Charles Fulforth, 41, of Jenkintown, was charged with second-degree murder, robbery, burglary and related charges in connection with the deadly home invasion on Dec. 8 in Lower Merion Township, the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office announced Thursday. But another man, Kelvin Roberts, 42, of Philadelphia, is still sought by police with a $5,000 reward offered for information leading to his capture. Prosecutors say Kelvin Roberts was captured in dashcam footage leaving the homicide scene in a white Hyundai Azera. Lower Merion Police first received a call about a home invasion shooting around 2:20 a.m. on Dec. 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responding officers found Andrew Gaudio, 25, deceased with multiple gunshot wounds and his mother, Bernadette Gaudio, 61, also suffering from several gunshot wounds but conscious. In a statement to detectives, she said she was asleep when a man entered her bedroom and simply shot her, the DA said in a news release. Her son came in to help her and was fatally shot before her eyes. Unable to move, Bernadette used Siri, the iPhone's voice controlled virtual assistant, to call authorities, District Attorney Kevin R. Steele told reporters Thursday. She was able to call 911 using Siri and it was a very brave move on her part because I think indications are that the individuals were still in the house at the time, Steele said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bernadette was transported to a hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. Steele said Thursday that she's paralyzed in the aftermath of the shooting, and is recovering and seems to be "getting a little bit of movement." It's not clear why the men targeted the Gaudio home, but Steele said a jewelry box was taken and found in one of the suspect's homes. This was a horrible crime and I find it very difficult not to think about what Bernadette is going through with her recovery and what happened in that bedroom and what she saw happened to her son, Steele said. Kelvin Roberts. How police honed in on the suspects In the investigation, police reviewed dashcam footage from a responding Lower Merion Township police vehicle. In it, an officer pulled up in front of a white Hyundai Azera that was leaving the scene of the homicide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It turned out that vehicle had a Pennsylvania Registration tag that did not match the car. Detectives searched through Department of Transportation records and matched the vehicle to a resident on Sansom Street in Philadelphia. The dashcam footage also captured a green Jeep Cherokee, that belonged to the victim, leaving the scene. That car was later found also on Sansom Street. A resident at the Sansom residence identified the driver of the white vehicle as Kelvin Roberts. On Dec. 9 Roberts was charged with second-degree murder, robbery and related offenses, and authorities are still searching for him. On Dec. 10, detectives met with a source who stated that Roberts was criminally involved with his boss at Junkluggers in Willow Grove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives went to Junkluggers where they met with Fulforth who stated he was Roberts immediate boss. A review surveillance footage from Samson Street showed a man fitting Fulforths description exiting the victims Jeep Cherokee and entering the Sansom residence with Roberts. Search warrants were obtained for Roberts and Fulforths cellphones which showed them both at Samson Street around 12 a.m. on Dec. 8. Around 12:40 a.m., their phones moved towards Lower Merion, the area of the home invasion and homicide, where they stayed until 2:45 a.m., then both phones started traveling back to Sansom Street, the news release said. Both phones were contacting each other in the minutes following the home invasion and homicide, and Fulforths phone was only in contact with Roberts during this time, the prosecutor said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A second degree murder arrest warrant was obtained for Fulforth on Dec. 11 and he was arrested apprehended Thursday morning. It's not immediately clear if he has retained a lawyer. Investigators have not yet determined of the two suspects who shot and killed Gaudio, but Steele said theres a possibility that both men committed the murder, NBC Philadelphia reported. Officials warn that Roberts is possibly armed and dangerous, and locals are warned not approach him but call 911. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcares CEO, was not insured by the company, the overarching business that owns it said. There is no record that Mangione, 26, was ever insured by the company, UnitedHealth Group said. Mangione has been charged with murder in New York in the fatal shooting of CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City street on the morning of Dec. 4, as Thompson was walking to a hotel where an investor conference was being held. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The killing remains under investigation. New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangiones social media and writings indicate he suffered a painful life-altering injury" to his back. Kenny said Mangione may have targeted Thompson because of the size of UnitedHealthcare. We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth-largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest health care organization in America, Kenny said in an interview that aired Thursday. So thats possibly why he targeted that company, Kenny said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione was arrested Monday at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonalds after he was recognized from photos distributed by police, authorities said. When he was arrested, police found a gun, a silencer, a handwritten document that refers to the health care industry and a notebook, officials have said. The three-page handwritten document includes the phrase these parasites simply had it coming, law enforcement sources have told NBC News. In the notebook, Mangione is alleged to have written about targeting a CEO, two sources familiar with the investigation said. Archived social media posts appear to show him discussing debilitating back pain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thompson was walking on a sidewalk in midtown Manhattan around 6:44 a.m. when a gunman wearing a mask and a hooded jacket shot him from behind and then continued to fire, security video shows. The killing was targeted, police said. Police have said they believe Mangione arrived in the city by bus on Nov. 24 and stayed at a hostel. The gun that was recovered when Mangione was arrested has been matched to shell casings found at the scene of the killing, police said Thursday. The gun was a so-called ghost gun, which was made with a receiver from a company and then built using a 3-D printer, Kenny said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione is being held in Pennsylvania, where he has been charged with a weapons violation, forgery and other counts, and is fighting extradition to New York. The next hearing in the Pennsylvania case is scheduled for Dec. 30. Mangiones attorney has said he intends to plead not guilty to all charges. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The suspect in a shooting that left one woman severely injured on a Green Line train in St. Paul was arrested in Pennsylvania on Wednesday by U.S. Marshals. Prosecutors charged Theodore Jaymes, 35, with 2nd-degree attempted murder after a Nov. 21 shooting on the train near Western and University Avenues in St. Paul, where a woman was shot multiple times in the leg. The incident was reported to police at 9:30 p.m., with the woman taken to Regions Hospital with non-life-threatening wounds. Police suspect that a verbal altercation happened before the victim was shot. The METRO Green Line. Courtesy of Metro Transit. Jaymes was identified as the suspect, charged and a warrant issued for his arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force says it received a request from the U.S. Marshals Office in St. Paul and the Ramsey County Sheriffs Office for help in arresting Jaymes. After investigating, the Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force found that Jaymes may be staying in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh. They arrested him on Wednesday "without incident" at the 5400 block of Baywood Street. Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last week, was not a customer of the private health insurer, but police say he had identified the company as one of the largest corporations in America in his manifesto writings. Neither Mangione nor his mother were insured by UnitedHealthcare, the nations largest private health insurer, a UnitedHealth Group spokesperson told CNN. We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So thats possibly why he targeted that company, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said in an interview with NBC New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UnitedHealthcare, which employs more than 100,000 people across the United States and globally, is part of UnitedHealth Group, actually ranked fourth by sales in the annual Fortune 500 list of the largest companies in the US. Investigators have been probing what may have motivated the suspect in the brazen early morning killing on December 4 one that has garnered sympathy and online fandom partly because of peoples frustrations with the health insurance industry. The public sentiment has led companies to close headquarters, scrub their websites of top executives photographs and increase armed security details for key leaders as a safety precaution. An NYPD intelligence report, obtained by CNN earlier this week, said the suspect appeared to be driven by anger against the health insurance industry and against corporate greed as a whole. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the companys highest-ranking representative as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and power games, asserting in his note he is the first to face it with such brutal honesty, the assessment, which was based on Mangiones manifesto and social media, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know the health system does not work as well as it should, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty wrote in an opinion piece published by the New York Times on Friday. We understand peoples frustrations with it. No one would design a system like the one we have. And no one did. Its a patchwork built over decades. Health care is both intensely personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood. We share some of the responsibility for that, the essay continued. Witty said the companys mission is to help make the health system work better and find ways to deliver high-quality care and lower costs. Clearly, we are not there yet, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UnitedHealthcare approves and pays about 90% of medical claims upon submission, UnitedHealth Group said in a release Friday, citing a need to correct highly inaccurate and grossly misleading information. Importantly, of those that require further review, around one half of 1% are due to medical or clinical reasons, the release reads. As investigators work to understand the motive in the case surrounding Thompsons killing, authorities have executed as many as three search warrants in New York as part of their investigation, sources tell CNN. A law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation confirms at least two of the warrants include the backpack found in Central Park and the burner phone found along the getaway route Mangione is believed to have taken from the shooting scene. Investigators also searched the hostel where suspected killer Mangione stayed the night before the shooting and the hotel room where Thompson was staying while in New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione is being held at the Pennsylvania state correctional institution at Huntingdon, the oldest operating state prison in the state. The Department of Corrections says Mangione has taken his meals in his cell and is not interacting with other inmates, adding all inmates are afforded time outside their cells even if they are a higher custody level. CNNs Tami Luhby contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com THE HAGUE - A Sudanese man accused of ordering thousands of pro-government Janjaweed militia to carry out atrocities including murder and rape in Sudan's Darfur region told judges at the International Criminal Court on Friday that they had the wrong man. In the first trial at the ICC looking at alleged atrocities in Darfur, prosecutors earlier this week said that Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman was the Janjaweed militia leader known by the nom de guerre Ali Kushayb who led pro-government fighters at the peak of the fighting in 2003-2004. "I am not Ali Kushayb. I don't know this person," Abd-Al-Rahman told judges at the end of his trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defendant said he voluntarily surrendered himself to the court in 2020 to clear his name, adding he had nothing to do with the accusations against him. Lawyers for Abd-Al-Rahman have called for his acquittal. In his closing statement ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told judges that during the trial, prosecution witnesses had given "detailed accounts of mass murder, torture, rape, targeting of civilians, burning and pillaging of entire villages" and had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. The closing arguments mark the end of the ICC's first and only trial looking at crimes in Sudan since the case was referred to it by the United Nations' Security Council in 2005. There are still outstanding arrest warrants against Sudanese officials, including one accusing former President Omar al-Bashir of genocide. (Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Gareth Jones) By Emma Farge and Cecile Mantovani GOLLION, Switzerland (Reuters) -Switzerland wants to update its network of ageing nuclear shelters, which are increasingly seen as an asset at a time of greater global uncertainty, notably since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Thanks to a 1963 law, Switzerland is already ahead of neighbours like Germany. Each of its 9 million residents, including foreigners and refugees, is guaranteed a spot in a bunker to protect them from bombs and nuclear radiation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In the coming years, the (Swiss) Confederation wants to remove some of the exceptions to the current rules and update some of the older shelters," Louis-Henri Delarageaz, civil protection commander for the Vaud canton, told Reuters. The government launched consultations in October to ensure Swiss "resilience in the event of armed conflict" and plans a 220 million Swiss franc ($250 million) upgrade of old structures. "It doesn't mean we're preparing for a conflict that's not the message but we have a network of shelters and we need to maintain them and make sure they're functional." In the village of Bercher in Vaud canton, civil protection officers in orange overalls inspected a bunker beneath an apartment block as part of a mandatory 10-year check-up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One tried to shove the bunker's door to seal it shut but it would not budge. An air vent wedged between plant pots and a stone ornament was deemed fit, but an escape tunnel full of cobwebs led to a deep manhole with no ladder. "This shelter is not usable in the current state," concluded team head Gregory Fuhrer. The owner will be given a year to fix the faults or else must pay 800 francs ($900) for each resident's spot in a public shelter, he added. Switzerland has stayed out of foreign wars since it became neutral in 1815. It was occupied by France in the 18th century and suffered some aerial bombing in World War Two. Delarageaz said his office had received a surge in calls from worried residents about shelters after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "All of a sudden... we were indeed extremely sought-after with people wanting to know: where the shelters were, where is my place, is my shelter ready?," he said, adding that requests for a spot from French citizens had to be turned down. While most Swiss have private shelters, some rely on community bunkers. Next to his office is one of the canton's 350 such shelters, well-maintained with bunk beds and toilets. Nearby is an underground command centre, an underground hospital with an operating theatre and decontamination showers and a bunker to protect works of art. "In Switzerland we have foresight," said Delarageaz. "There's a Latin adage that says: 'If you want peace, prepare for war'." ($1 = 0.8925 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Ros Russell) The sun of freedom has risen over Syria today, declared Bishop Hanna Jallouf, head of Syrias Latin Church, when recently asked about the countrys new ruler, the Islamist terror group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS. He said guarantees were received that our churches and properties would remain untouched. The bishop, along with other Syrian church leaders, are whistling past the graveyard. All of Syrias churches, whether of the larger Orthodox community or Catholic, are facing an imminent existential threat both from the new authorities and general political chaos following the Assad regimes collapse. In a December 9 email, Archimandrite Emanuel Youkhana, a priest of the ancient Assyrian Church of the East, who administers aid in Kurdistan with the help of the New York-based pontifical CNEWA, frankly stated: Syrian Christians fears are pronounced and serious. Over the last 13 years, this Christian community saw jihadis systematically burn and desecrate their ancient churches, kill two beloved bishops and other clerics, subjugate and enslave women, take hostage entire Khabour Valley villages, and slaughter those who didnt conform. Such brutality stemmed from the fanatical religious hatred nurtured by these same jihadi militants, whether called al Qaeda, ISIS or HTS. Christians are acutely aware that the militia now running their country is a terrorist group (designated as such by the US, UK and UN). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That commander Al-Jolani has now changed into a Western suit and talks of moderation, they undoubtedly see, is purely tactical. When before has a holy warrior, at the very moment of triumph, pulled down his keffiyeh to reveal underneath a champion of religious pluralism and freedom? These militants are no more credible than the Taliban, who promised to respect womens rights but who, three years after taking control of Afghanistan, have erased women from public life, as the UN reports. Church leaders are ideologically committed to keeping their flocks in the land where the New Testament first applied the term Christian and, yet, without militias of their own, they are utterly vulnerable. Ive learnt that church leaders silence or even public praise concerning a specific tyrannical regime often occurs in inverse proportion to their fears of persecution. A short while ago, Syrian Church leaders had insisted that Bashar Assad was not the reputed monster of vast dungeons and chemical weapon attacks, but was the protector of religious minorities. Assad proved not very helpful to them during the violent Arab Spring, civil war, or the period of ISIS caliphate and its infamous female slave markets in Raqqa. Since 2010, Syrias Christian community has plunged by 90 per cent, from two million, to 250,000 today, with most fleeing to the West. Furthermore, Father Jihad Youssef, superior of Syrias 6th century Mar Musa monastery, recently told Catholic media that Christians all along have, as a matter of Syrian law, been denied equal rights. He explained: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The traditional attitude of Muslims towards Eastern Christians has oscillated between cruel and humiliating closure and persecution and moderate or even welcoming openness, sometimes for a short time, but always within the framework of the concept of Ahl al-Dhimmah. According to Syrian laws currently in force (before freedom), Christians are second class citizens in crucial areas. This is the reality. We should remember that Syrias Christians are now hostages of a new repressive regime and should not take at face value their leaderships optimistic statements. Father Benedict Kiely, founder of Nasarean.org, which aids Christian micro businesses in the region, told me that he sees this as a dangerous moment for the Syrian Church. John Pontifex with the pontifical Aid to the Church in Need warns that religious freedom violations often worsen after the fall of a long-standing regime. Archimandrite Youkhana elaborated: The militias now in control are predominantly radical Islamic jihadist groups who are diverse in ideologies and organisations. There is no guarantee they will remain unified On the contrary, they are likely to engage in conflicts and fights over influence and control. Noting that Turkish management of recent events are evident and well-known, he raises another concern: [I]n which direction will Turkey push the situation? Turkeys Christian genocide survivors had found refuge in Syria and the community generally fears Istanbuls intentions. Another reason for scepticism about HTS hopeful promises comes from MEMRI, the American non-profit research and translation group. While HTS publicly claims to be focused on Syrias pressing national issues, it privately reasserts jihadi goals of greater conquest. On December 8, MEMRI taped HTS militants in Damascus proclaiming: We will enter the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the Prophets Mosque in Medina, and the Kaaba in Mecca. Just like we entered the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israel Defense Forces and US Central Command arent taking any chances. They directed airstrikes against Syrian ISIS encampments, chemical and other weapon sites, and military infrastructure. After two millennia, Syrias ancient but dwindling Christian community is facing dire peril. Desperate to continue the churchs presence in this Cradle of Christianity, Syrias Christians plead for our prayers and help. Nina Shea is director of Hudson Institutes Center for Religious Freedom Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The emerging transitional government in Syria faces a daunting road ahead as it looks to unite a vast coalition of rebel groups and appeal to Western nations concerned about whether the country will suppress minority communities or become a haven for violent extremists. The opposition force that toppled Bashar Assads regime this month was led by an al Qaeda offshoot, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has tried to rebrand itself as a more moderate Islamist movement, but will have to prove itself in power. HTS has already set up a transitional government that will lead Syria through March 2025. Its acting prime minister is a former administrator of the northwestern provinces governed by HTS, Mohammed al-Bashir. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether HTS can manage to unite the country peacefully will also be a key determining factor for how the U.S., which has substantial interests in Syria, engages with the new government in Damascus. A further complication is that President-elect Trump has called for the U.S. to stay out of Syrian affairs and may pull the roughly 900 American troops out of the country when he comes into office on Jan. 20. For now, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani is portraying himself as a moderate to Western leaders and promising a new era. People are exhausted from war, he told Sky News. So the country isnt ready for another one, and its not going to get into another one. There are also lingering questions about how much influence Turkey has over HTS, given its support for the rebellion, and the next few months will begin to show whether the U.S.-designated terrorist group is functionally independent of Ankara. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Osamah Khalil, professor at Syracuse University and a historian of the modern Middle East, said steps taken by HTS must be matched by the reality on the ground, especially for elections. Is this a free, fair election in which you have multiparties? Is there equal access to polls? Does it cut across all Syrian society? he said. Because you could also see this taken the other way, where Syria becomes this arena for proxy conflicts. The Sunni Islamist HTS, which swept toward Damascus to oust the 50-year Assad family rule in just some two weeks, had help from multiple factions to achieve victory in a civil war that had consumed Syria since 2011. Many of these factions are at odds with each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the biggest supporters was the Syrian National Army, which is also backed by Turkey but has sometimes been an enemy to HTS. The Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls territory in the northeast with the support of the U.S., also contributed to the downfall of Assad. Turkish-backed groups have often clashed with the SDF, including this week after Damascus fell, heightening concerns of an increase in the intensity of conflict. Minority groups, including Druze, Christians and Alawite populations, also composed a southern rebel alliance that helped defeat Assad, and a big question remains as to how the new opposition forces in power will treat the remnants of Assads Baath party. Jon Hoffman, research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, said the ability of HTS or any group to unite all of these factions in Syria is a very, very tall task. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the classic story of revolutions, he said. Uprisings, or any revolution, you can bring people together to overthrow a dictator, which is a shared interest, but as soon as he falls, then theres that post-revolution infighting, which we could see. We also could see remnants of the Assad regime try to fight back. Its so difficult to chart out these early days. There are some clues as to how HTS and its government may rule Syria. HTS governed parts of northwest Syria, primarily in the Idlib province, for years under what it called the Syrian Salvation Government. Al-Bashir, the new Syrian acting prime minister, had helmed that governmental group. But if the Idlib governance is any sign of whats to come, many Western observers are worried, as it was beset by corruption and suppression of opposition voices. Hoffman said the HTS rule in Idlib was very autocratic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of Syrians are also worried about this, those that were under HTS rule in Idlib, but also minority groups throughout Syria, he said. Thats not to say many tears should be shed for Bashar al-Assad, but its just being realistic. Khalil said the governance in Idlib raises the question of whether al-Golani has simply been smiling for the cameras for the time being. What you dont want to do is trade Bashar al-Assads brutal secular regime, he said, for a brutal religious theocracy. HTS has its roots in 2011 from its predecessor, the Jabhat al-Nusra, which had the goal to create an Islamic state in Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although HTS morphed into its own entity and shook its ties to al Qaeda in 2016, a report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank shows that HTS works with several al Qaeda affiliated groups, including the Turkistan Islamic Party, a Uyghur jihadist group, several Uzbek jihadist groups and others comprised of Chechens, North Caucasians and fighters from the Balkan states. HTS is just one of the potentially problematic factions within the rebel alliance. Geir Pedersen, U.N. special envoy for Syria, explained that HTS is not the only armed group in Damascus. Syria is now at a crossroads with great opportunities for us, but also with grave risks. And we need really to look at both, he said this week. The U.S., for now, is playing a cautious hand as it watches how Syrias new government grapples with the complexity of the situation. After decades of brutal Assad family rule, Washington is wary of the potential for the suppression of minorities, particularly Christians, in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Turkey and met Thursday with its president, and he will later head to Jordan. He said in a statement this week the U.S. supports a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition. This transition process should lead to credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance that meets international standards of transparency and accountability, he said, calling for humanitarian assistance to flow uninterrupted, the protection of minorities and the elimination of chemical and biological weapons the Assad regime had procured. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said there is uncertainty as to how the situation in Syria is going to play out politically, but that the rebels have been saying the right things so far. But were going to have to watch and see what they actually do, Kirby told reporters this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Turkey remains a point of contention for Washington in Syria, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aims to eliminate the possibility of a Kurdish state in Syria, and may oppose involvement of Kurdish factions in a ruling coalition. Kirby recognized that Turkey has a counterterrorism threat to address but also said the U.S. counter-ISIS mission, which has relied on cooperation with Kurdish fighters, would continue. And where those two goals overlap, or potentially conflict, he said, we will have the appropriate conversations with the Turks about how both those outcomes can be achieved. Gonul Tol, founding director of the Turkey program at the Middle East Institute (MEI), said in a Thursday webinar that Turkey will be more involved in Syria going forward and will likely try to address the Kurdish problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ankara will ask the new government to address the Kurdish autonomous region. I dont know what will happen there, but thats significant, she said, adding that it was possible Erdogan and Trump could be off to a good start if U.S. troops withdraw from Syria. Wael Alzayat, a senior fellow at MEI, said at the event that Syrians are excited about the potential for a new government. The hope from the Syrians on the ground is that theres a balanced approach from the U.S., Alzayat said, pointing to the need for help with humanitarian assistance and exhuming mass graves. He said a framework for this initial cooperation would begin to legitimize HTS, but also give the U.S. a chance to keep them honest. The U.S. has sanctions on Syria that it imposed during the Assad years. It has also designated HTS a terrorist organization with a $10 million bounty on al-Golanis head. Bruce Hoffman, senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the U.S. should engage in a wait and see approach to HTS before lifting sanctions or designations. There has to be more evidence than a handful of days to demonstrate that, and that evidence we may not have even in a year, he said. Its up to [al-Golani] and HTS to prove themselves by deeds as well as words over time. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Bulent Usta and Tuvan Gumrukcu LATAKIA, Syria (Reuters) - Thousands gathered in northwestern Syria on Friday for weekly prayers and a rally where clerics in the port city of Latakia, a former stronghold of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, urged national unity under the country's new government. "Freedom forever despite Assad," some in the crowd at the square outside Al-Ajjan mosque chanted, along with "God is greatest" and "One, one, one, Syrian people are one". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syrian rebels toppled Assad and his family's brutal five-decade rule on Sunday and formed a new administration led by former al Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham(HTS). The group has promised a tolerant and inclusive new order. After the first Friday prayers since Assad's overthrow, religious leaders addressed a crowd of thousands outside the mosque, calling for people to give up their weapons. Some spectators waved Syria's new flag while the country's new anthem, a rebel song adopted for the purpose, played over speakers. Khaled Kamal, a Sunni imam who spoke at the gathering, told Reuters after the rally that it was a "joy like no other" to return to Syria after fleeing abroad during the war. He called on all Syrians abroad to return. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To be honest, this moment is indescribable," Kamal said. "We welcome any president for Syria, whether it's a Sunni, an Alawite or Christian, as long as the people choose him," he added, referring to Assad's Alawite ethnic and religious group. The future in Syria, where the Sunni Islamist HTS has emerged as the dominant force, holds uncertainty for many, especially its minorities. Shi'ite Muslims, whose Alawite offshoot is centred in Latakia, are thought to be about a tenth of the population, which stood at 23 million before the country's civil war began in 2013. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Muhammed Reda Hatem Abdullah, an influential Alawite preacher who took part in the rally, said he did not discriminate against any group and wanted to see all faiths stand united. "The unity of Syria is an ambition that we will pass on to our children and the future generations. They will know that the sanctity of the homeland is part of the sanctity of humanity," he said in an interview. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Bulent Usta and Umit Bektas; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) By Laila Bassam, John Davison, Maggie Michael and Tuvan Gumrukcu BEIRUT, Lebanon/NUBL, Syria (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Syrians, mostly Shi'ite Muslims, have fled to Lebanon since Sunni Muslim Islamists toppled Bashar al-Assad, fearing persecution despite assurances from the new rulers in Damascus that they will be safe, a Lebanese official said. At the border with Lebanon, where thousands of people were trying to leave Syria on Thursday, a dozen Shi'ite Muslims interviewed by Reuters described threats made against them, sometimes in person but mostly on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their accounts reflect fears of persecution despite promises of protection by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - the Sunni Islamist group which has emerged as the dominant force in the new Syria but is far from being the only armed faction on the ground. Shi'ite communities have often been on the frontline of Syria's 13-year civil war, which took on sectarian dimensions as Assad, from the minority Alawite faith, mobilised regional Shi'ite allies, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, to help fight Sunni rebels. The senior Lebanese security official said more than 100,000 people, largely members of minority faiths, had crossed into Lebanon since Sunday, but could not give an exact number because most of them had used illegal crossings along the porous border. At the main border crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Samira Baba said she had been waiting for three days to enter Lebanon with her children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We don't know who sent these threats, on WhatsApp and Facebook," she said. "The rebels in charge haven't openly threatened us, so it could be other factions, or individuals. We just don't know. But we know it's time to leave," she said. The new Syria holds uncertainty for many, especially minorities. Shi'ites are thought to number around a tenth of the population, which stood at 23 million before the war began. While HTS, which has cut its ties with the global jihadist network al Qaeda, is the most powerful of the constellation of factions that fought Assad, there are numerous other armed groups, many of which are Islamist. Ayham Hamada, a 39-year-old Shi'ite who was serving in the army when Assad fell, said the regime's collapse was so sudden that it left him and his brother, also a soldier, scrambling to decide whether to stay or go. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They fled to Damascus where they received threats, he said, without elaborating. "We are afraid of sectarian killings... this will be liquidation." Despite assurances voiced by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, Hamada said minorities have been left without protection after Assad's sudden flight. "Bashar took his money and fled and didn't pay attention to us," he said. Many of the Shi'ites at the border were from Sayyeda Zeinab, a Damascus district home to a Shi'ite shrine where fighters from Hezbollah and other Shi'ite militias were based. Supported by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the Shi'ite militias also came from Iraq and Afghanistan, and recruited some Syrian Shi'ites. Elham, a 30-year-old nurse, said she had been waiting at the crossing for days without food or water with her 10-day-old niece and two-year-old son. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Shi'ite from Damascus, she said she fled to rural areas when the regime fell. When she returned, she found her house looted and torched. She and others said that armed, masked men raided their homes and ordered them at gunpoint to leave, or be killed. "They took our car because they said it's theirs. You daren't say a word. We left everything and fled." Reuters could not immediately reach HTS officials for comment on threats received by minorities. 'WE ARE ALL ONE PEOPLE' In parts of Syria's north, however, some residents who fled when HTS went on the offensive in late November said they now felt confident to return. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My wife is Sunni. We are all one people and one nation," Hussein Al-Saman, 48, a Shi'ite father of three told Reuters, next to the main mosque in the Shi'ite town of Nubl, where Hezbollah once stationed fighters. He praised HTS leader Sharaa for his efforts to protect the community, saying he "enabled us to come to our houses". "We were a minority and didn't have a choice but to stand with (Assad). But now that the war is over we are free... I hope for my children to just live comfortably under the new government." Bassam Abdulwahab, an official overseeing the returns, said essential services had been restored. "Security was provided to protect the minorities," he said, adding that this "is the approach of the commanding leadership". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We carry the responsibility of protecting the minorities in Syria. What happens to us happens to them," he said. At the entrance to Nubl, a statue of Assad lay toppled. Further into the town, residents cleaned stores and repaired damaged buildings, while officials in military fatigues coordinated the return of those who had fled. "The (Assad) regime forced the minorities here to live in a situation where they had to be enemies of their neighbours," said Muhyie Al-Dien, who works in mining. "The regime played its game so it could divide us and our Sunni brothers." While some in Nubl spoke hopefully of the future, one 41-year-old man, who gave his name as Hami and declined to speak on camera, was more cautious. "We are Shi'ite and the new leadership is Sunni. We don't know what will happen," he said. (Additional reporting by Bulent Usta; Writing by Daren Butler and Tom Perry; Editing by Ros Russell) The flag of ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime remains the standard emoji design across most, if not all platforms. But a new flag flies over Damascus and the rest of a now-free Syria. Scores of people posting about the fall of Syria's oppressive government to rebels this month can only use the ousted regime's flag design as shorthand on social media. While the rebels managed to win control of Syria in a matter of days, it could take far longer for their flag to show up on your smartphone or computer. Syria's new flag After Assad fled to Moscow on Dec. 8, rebel leaders hastily organized a caretaker government in Damascus. Within hours, a flag often used by opposition fighters replaced Assad's flag at Syrian government buildings across the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This new flag is similar to the old one. Based on a tricolor design, the rebels' flag is green on top and black along the bottom. Three red stars fill the white stripe in the center. The flag of Assad's regime had a red top, black bottom strip and two green stars in the white field. More: What is HTS? Here's what to know as Syrian rebels say Bashar al-Assad has fled Despite its popularity, it might not even be the permanent flag used by the newly liberated country. There are certainly bigger problems to deal with in the short term, so that decision could come later when the situation becomes more stable. How to change a flag emoji In a bid to spur an update to the flag emoji design, some commenters online tagged the Unicode Consotrium, a nonprofit that publishes a common encoding standard for characters, scripts and even emoji. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unicode ensures that these characters are displayed properly across devices. While the Unicode Consortium regularly meets on the inclusion of new emoji, they would not be responsible for changing how the Syrian flag emoji appears online. Two years ago, the Consortium announced it would stop adding flags to Unicode because they are infrequently used, can change often and is difficult to implement. So who do you turn to? Ultimately, the design of the Syrian flag emoji will be up to operating system and application developers. Unicode tells your phone to display a Syrian flag, but the phone or program you're using will decide what it looks like. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Therefore, that decision will be up to companies like Apple and Google. Notoriously, Microsoft does not support flag emoji, so its devices and programs only display a country's two-letter code instead of a flag. For example, Microsoft displays the Syrian flag as "SY." "Whenever there is a change that results in a flag redesign, the update to the emoji design of the flag is determined by vendors, not by the Unicode Consortium," the organization wrote in a 2022 blog post. "That being said, those vendors try to have their designs mirror the legal national flag for each country. Thus it is likely that if any new government changes the design of the flag, the vendors would follow that new design. The implementation of the new design takes some time and doesnt happen immediately, because it depends on having the new design, and then deploying across various platforms." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How are emojis updated? Syria's new flag means a new emoji Video: Initial coverage. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) After an outage Wednesday left T-Mobile customers unable to call 911, the issue has been resolved for residents in Montgomery County. According to the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center, the technical issue impacting customers has been fixed, meaning that those serviced by the Regional Dispatch Center can call 911 without any complications. Before the issue was addressed, customers would call 911 and hear dispatchers, but dispatchers would not hear them. Several dispatch centers across the county and region were impacted by the outage, which was specific to the T-Mobile network. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corrective measures have been taken by T-Mobile to address the issue. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. (Bloomberg) -- Taiwans legislators are set to review a proposed legal change that would make it more difficult for the president to declare martial law, with lawmakers from the opposition Kuomintang advocating the amendment after the shock emergency declaration in South Korea earlier this month. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu announced Friday that lawmakers would discuss the change, which would require Taiwans president to get the legislature to ratify martial law within 24 hours of declaring it. The law currently gives the president a month to do so, and has not been amended for 75 years. The proposal, put forward by the KMT, will be reviewed by the legislatures foreign affairs and defense committee. While the Democratic Progressive Partys Lai Ching-te won Taiwans presidency in elections in January, his party lost its majority in the legislature. Thats allowed the KMT and Taiwan Peoples Party to work together to push through legislation aimed at curbing presidential powers, moves that have fueled political tensions and even led to widespread demonstrations. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The News International talks over supporting Syria accelerated following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, with increasing calls to lift sanctions and grant economic aid. The G7 bloc is due to hold a meeting today, while Jordan prepares to host foreign ministers from Western and Arab nations over the weekend. A line chart showing the steep decline in Syrias GDP per capita after the Arab Spring protests SIGNALS The dilemma of removing HTS terrorist designation Sources: Chatham House, UnHerd Its risky but essential to give rebel groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) proscribed as a terrorist organization by many countries the benefit of the doubt due to their role in the overthrow of Assad and popularity among many Syrians, a Middle East expert argued for Chatham House. Crucially, theres no room for meddling or spoiling now that the chief spoilers Russia and Iran are in retreat, he wrote. Still, a swift delisting of HTS could be dangerous, and it would be better for countries like the US and UK to engage the group covertly through their intelligence services until there is a clearer picture of its aims, a terrorism analyst argued for UnHerd. A blueprint for transition already exists Sources: Brookings Institution, Beyond the Horizon A blueprint for transition already exists in the form of the UN Action Group for Syrias final communique, outlined in Geneva some 12 years ago, a diplomacy expert wrote for the Brookings Institution. Its adoption is admittedly a long shot, he said, but the document offers principles and guidelines that could serve as the first line of defense against Syrias current acute fractionalization, and prevent the country from falling into chaos. The most likely scenario is one of gradual stabilization, where Western countries support reconstruction on condition of adherence to democratic norms, think-tank Beyond the Horizon wrote. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A firefighter with Tampa Fire Rescue was arrested Thursday morning on charges related to the alleged solicitation of a child. The charges come following an investigation led by the Stuart Police Department in Martin County. Lakeland woman threatens insurance company, says Delay, Deny, Depose: police Officers began their investigation after receiving a tip regarding Austin Lanyons alleged activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A warrant was obtained, and authorities said Lanyon was arrested in Tampa on Thursday morning. He was charged with the following: Transmission of harmful material to a minor by electronic equipment Lewd solicitation of a child Unlawful use of a two-way communications device Lanyon has been employed with Tampa Fire Rescue since 2022. He was suspended pending the investigation, according to officials. This conduct is a violation of the values we uphold as firefighters, Fire Chief Barbara Tripp said. Firefighters are sworn to help our community, yet in this case, this individual allegedly acted in direct contradiction to that oath. We hold our firefighters to the highest standards of integrity, and when one falls short of those expectations, it is our duty to ensure they are held accountable for their actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fire department did not provide any further information regarding the circumstances surrounding Layons charges. This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Tampa man has been convicted on federal charges after leaving a voicemail threatening to plant a bomb in a U.S. Congress members office. Court documents show that 57-year-old Rigoberto Albizar Martinez called the Tampa district office of Rep. Kathy Castor on May 1. Lakeland woman threatens insurance company, says Delay, Deny, Depose: police He then left what investigators called a vulgar, racist, obscenity-laden voicemail, at one point threatening to blow up the representatives office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im going to plant a bomb in your office. Its a threat, Martinez said, according to a transcription of the voicemail, translated from Spanish. Its a threat, so take it however you want you son of a f b-. In the voicemail, Martinez also decried, You Democrat sons of b, pro-Palestinians and those f black sons of b all those Black Lives Matter, all those black people, according to a criminal complaint from the Department of Justice. When being questioned by federal agents, Martinez reportedly admitted to leaving the voicemail and making the threats. Investigators said Martinez did not express any remorse and indicated that he would like to go to court with the victim. Following further investigation by the United States Capitol Police, the U.S. Attorneys Office said Friday a federal jury found Martinez guilty of threatening to destroy a building using an explosive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Las Vegas man who spent $360,000 on new cars out of money from false income tax returns was sentenced Thursday to 27 months in prison. Richard Jason Mountford, formerly of California, conspired with another person to submit false returns in their own names, as well as in the names of two other unwitting individuals, from 2016 to 2020, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. The tax returns reported wages and tax withholdings, filing for tax refunds that the conspirators werent entitled to receive. In all, Mountford and his co-conspirator took $873,723.53 from the IRS, prosecutors said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mountford deposited $757,075.53 into his own bank accounts, using the money to buy new cars. He also distributed $170,000 in cash and gold bars to his co-conspirator, prosecutors said. U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley for the Eastern District of California also ordered Mountford to serve one year of supervised release and to repay the $757,075.53. The IRS Criminal Investigation division investigated the case. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. New Jersey paid out $121 million in lawsuit judgments and settlements in 2023, but took in $459 million from lawsuits and investigations. (Illustration by Alex Cochran for New Jersey Monitor) Two Camden men spent 25 years in prison for a double murder they didnt commit. A young Plainfield mother who went to a New Brunswick hospital to give birth was left partially paralyzed after doctors botched the epidural. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police wrongly dispatched to a Bridgeton home startled the elderly couple sleeping inside and then shot the man, arrested the woman, and failed to realize their errors for hours. The three incidents prompted lawsuits that cost New Jersey taxpayers almost $17 million to settle in 2023. But that was just a fraction of the $121.5 million the state paid out last year to resolve 364 complaints against the state, state agencies, and state workers, according to records the New Jersey Monitor got Thursday through a records request filed in early January. Advocates say the payouts hold lessons for state policymakers who must ensure taxpayer money is spent responsibly. Lawsuits are going to happen. There are going to be accidents, there is going to be negligence, these are just part of human behavior, said Peter Chen, senior policy analyst with New Jersey Policy Perspective. But there are certainly things that states can do to reduce the extent to which these kinds of errors occur. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That includes spending enough to properly train state workers and arm them with the resources they need to do their jobs, which can help reduce the risk of law enforcement officers trampling citizens constitutional rights or NJ Transit failing to maintain its vehicles and property, he said. The very basic kinds of boring maintenance of government that people are grumpy about funding and often make a lot of hay about having to fund are actually really important and can help mitigate risk, Chen said. Most of last years lawsuit judgments and settlements arose out of public transit accidents, workplace safety issues, and police misconduct that left people dead or seriously, permanently hurt, the records show. More than 110 payouts involved NJ Transit, while at least 25 involved police or prisons. Twenty-three lawsuits resulted in payouts of over $1 million, while the largest for $19.3 million went to Medicaid for disallowance matters, which means the state paid claims through Medicaid that werent allowed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Altogether, lawsuits cost the state less last year than in 2022 or 2021, when payouts totaled $177 million and $196 million, respectively. In 2023, the state paid: $700,000 to Gerald and Margot Sykes of Bridgeton. The elderly couple panicked when they awoke to find men peering in their bedroom windows in 2016, thinking they were burglars, according to a lawsuit they later filed. Gerald Sykes, then 76, got his guns and confronted the men who turned out to be state troopers, sent to the home in error, the suit says. The troopers shot him three times, handcuffed him as he bled on the ground with broken ribs and a collapsed lung, and arrested and interrogated his 80-year-old wife, before realizing their mistake several hours later, the couple said in their complaint. $1.25 million each to Kevin Baker and Sean Washington of Camden, who were wrongly convicted and imprisoned for 25 years for a 1995 double murder. $175,000 to a 16-year-old boy who suffered a broken wrist in 2020 when a correctional officer beat him while he was handcuffed at a Bordentown juvenile lockup. A total of $1.5 million to two drivers after state troopers hit their cars in separate crashes. Almost $1.8 million to the family of Siham Hajbi, a pedestrian who died in June 2021 after a NJ Transit bus turned a corner and hit her in a Haledon crosswalk. Several bus passengers injured in NJ Transit crashes and a limo driver hit by a NJ Transit bus in the Lincoln Tunnel also got six-figure payouts, and a Brooklyn woman got about $500,000 after she sued NJ Transit for failing to eject the unruly bus passenger who threw a glass object at her face in 2014. $2.5 million to Kevin Powers, a NJ Transit brakeman who fell on garbage in a Bergen County rail yard in 2015 and needed surgeries for a wrist injury, his lawsuit said. Gabriel Santanna, a NJ Transit trackman, got almost $1.5 million after he sued because he got hurt in 2017 by malfunctioning equipment. Another worker, Omash Raghunandan, took a $660,000 payout after he was hurt in 2018 tripping over a barbell left on the floor of a NJ Transit material shop in Hoboken. Several rail workers also collected six-figure payouts for toxic exposure to carcinogens at their workplaces. Some of the biggest payouts resulted from deficient medical care at the states public and teaching hospitals, University Hospital in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center in New Brunswick, and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state paid $13.5 million to Alexandra Mejia of Plainfield, who went to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to give birth in 2019 but was left partially paralyzed after complications arose from an epidural. She was 18 at the time. A Newark mother and her son, whose leg was amputated after a surgery went wrong at Newark Beth Israel in 2019, settled their lawsuit for $4.5 million. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor) Akintola Hanif Martin received $2.5 million after he suffered a stroke in 2017 but went without proper treatment for hours because emergency responders and University Hospital doctors thought hed overdosed on drugs, according to his lawsuit. That was a wrong assumption Martin, whos Black, blamed on racism. The delayed diagnosis and treatment left him with brain damage, partial paralysis, and more injuries, according to the suit. And the family of Ryan Andrews Newton got $2 million after he died at 25 in 2015 because doctors affiliated with Rutgers and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital failed to diagnose and properly treat his malaria and sepsis, their lawsuit charged. Tax disputes also led to large payouts, records show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A woman who had interests in several French vineyards and wineries accepted $1.1 million to end her lawsuit over taxes on foreign income. Jersey Central Power & Light took $7.7 million to resolve its complaint over tax overpayments. And a Delaware-based investment banking firm that claimed it overpaid corporate business tax in New Jersey got $2.9 million. A whistleblower who won a $7.5 million jury award in 2015 against the state Department of Corrections collected a $1.5 million payout last year, after the state in 2019 successfully appealed the award. Lisa Easley claimed in her lawsuit she was fired from her job at a youth correctional facility in Chesterfield in 2012 after helping to expose a bribery scheme in the department. Some people involved in wrecks on state highways also successfully sued and pocketed big payouts over faulty road conditions they blamed for their crashes. And the mother of a Kean University student who died at school in 2019 was paid $250,000 to end her wrongful death lawsuit. Senior Kevin Gomez curled up under his desk during class, but no one checked on him, noticed that hed vomited and was bleeding from the nose and mouth, or called paramedics for over an hour, and he died at the hospital soon after arrival, according to that lawsuit. Recoveries The state recovered money through lawsuits last year, too, adding $596 million back to state coffers, records show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawsuits and investigations brought in almost 37% more money than they did in 2022, with almost $460 million of that coming from pharmacy chains, drug makers, and drug distributors as required under nationwide opioid settlements. Other big recoveries stemmed from taxation disputes, debt recovery, and consumer protection actions. The e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs paid $33.6 million over its marketing and sales practices, while Dollar General surrendered $1.2 million to resolve pricing complaints. Morgan Stanley paid the state $1.2 million after a multistate investigation into data security problems, and software company Blackbaud forked over $1 million for its inadequate response to a 2020 ransomware incident. Newark-based MJ & Sons paid New Jersey $8 million over a statewide illegal dumping scheme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am proud that, thanks to the work of our dedicated attorneys, we have delivered hundreds of millions of dollars back in to our residents pockets and made them safer in the process, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) Hurricane Helene damaged 49 state routes across Northeast Tennessee, but by the end of the year, 42 of those routes should be reopened. Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Regional Communications Officer Mark Nagi told News Channel 11 that 421 in Johnson County should be open by the end of the year, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. State Route 81 in Washington County and State Route 107 in Greene County, those are two bridges that were washed away during Helene, said Nagi. Work is underway to build those bridges back up. That contract is actually our first progressive design-build project, which was a contract which allowed us to get moving on these projects really quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TDOT awards contract for bridge repairs along Nolichucky, targets August 2025 completion Nagi said those bridges are expected to be complete by the summer of 2025, weather permitting. Road work is still ongoing on I-26 in Erwin, but one lane of traffic is open in both directions as a temporary fix. Theyre currently working to fill that gap and to rebuild that section of that bridge, said Nagi. Once thats rebuilt, then well move the traffic over to that side for one lane in each direction, then go back over to the westbound side where its a temporary fix, and then itll be a permanent fix after that. Nagi told News Channel 11 the biggest challenge TDOT crews have been experiencing when trying to fix these roads is the amount of debris left over from the floods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats something that our crews and our contract crews have been working a lot on, in terms of local roadways, said Nagi. In Washington County alone, we had over 38,000 cubic yards of debris that have had to be removed from these roadways. Unicoi County Road Superintendent Terry Haynes said his crews have also been working hard to reopen roads, but four still remain closed, including Unaka Springs Road, Jones Branch Road and River Road. We have got six roads completely open; theyre not paved, but theyre open and theyre doable, said Haynes. Were working on them. We have one bridge completely down. That bridge, located off River Road, was washed away in the floods. Haynes said it will need to be contracted out for replacement, which is estimated to cost over $12 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were doing everything in our power to get the roads back and make it as comfortable as you can, said Haynes. Weve got winter on us now and its not drying up, and thats an issue, but I promise well get them. Haynes said most of the damage done to the county roads was on the south side of Unicoi County. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Dec. 13The Maine Labor Relations Board says the Cumberland and North Yarmouth school district discriminated against a school therapist when it threatened to fire her after she involved a union rep in a dispute. The MSAD 51 Education Association, the district's teachers union, filed a complaint in November 2023, alleging the district discriminated against the therapist because she was on the bargaining team for the union. The dispute stems from the therapist's concerns about her work schedule. MSAD 51 Superintendent Jeff Porter said in an email that this decision comes as the school board has successfully reached a tentative labor agreement with the union. Teachers have been working without a contract since Aug. 31, when the previous contract expired. In early September, the school board finalized a contract with bus drivers, but things remained unresolved with teachers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This agreement is the result of nearly 11 months of hard work by the parties, and we believe that it will serve both teachers and the district well in the coming years," Porter said. But he also said it's been a complicated year for labor relations, citing the state labor board's decision against the district, and an arbitration matter that he said was resolved in the district's favor. "The district hopes that with a contract settlement on the horizon, we can resume a more collaborative working relationship with the teachers' association," he wrote. "As always, we value the trust and support of our school community and remain committed to advancing the mission that guides our work with students each day." According to the labor board's Dec. 2 decision, the part-time occupational therapist had been employed by MSAD 51 for about 20 years and had consistently received positive performance reviews. She was also a member of the union's bargaining unit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, she was working an almost full-time schedule and earned 80% of the salary of a full-time employee. But the employee, who is not named in the board's decision, said she felt like her caseload was too large. The district hired an additional therapist at the start of the 2022-23 school year and reduced some of her workload, but when that therapist resigned, an administrator set up a meeting to ask her to take on more cases. The woman brought a union representative with her to the January 2023 meeting. The administrator reacted to that in an email after the meeting, writing, "You did not give me the courtesy of letting me know that you were asking union representation to attend that meeting which changed the dynamic of the meeting," according to the decision. The therapist filed a grievance in April 2023 about her ability to complete her work within scheduled hours, which worked its way up district leadership until it was rejected by the school board. The next school year, she met several times with an administrator to discuss schedule options, but the therapist expressed issues with each of the proposals and eventually complained that she was missing meetings with students as a result of their limitations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October, the district sent her a letter warning her that missing any more sessions could, "result in discipline, up to and including termination." The union filed its official complaint on her behalf with the state labor board the following month. A majority of the labor board concluded that the school district discriminated against the therapist in its Dec. 2 decision. It ordered the district to cease and desist any retaliation against employees for union involvement, and to remove the letter threatening termination from the therapist's employee file. "As is often the case, there is no direct evidence that the school's action was motivated by the occupational therapist's protected activity. However, a majority of the board finds sufficient circumstantial evidence that anti-union animus was a motivating factor in the school's issuance of the Letter of Instruction," the decision reads. Representatives of the education association declined to answer questions on Thursday. Copy the Story Link The Trump transition team has stepped up its support for Tulsi Gabbard, amid fears for her Senate confirmation for the role of director of national intelligence. Ms Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, is one of Donald Trumps most controversial nominees with senior Republicans uneasy about her repetition of Russian propaganda around its war in Ukraine and her past sympathies for the ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. According to reports in Washington, her meetings with politicians have not gone well, raising the risk that a handful of Republicans could bolt and vote with Democrats to block her appointment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Circling the wagons around Ms Gabbard, the Trump-Vance team issued a statement quoting Bernard Hudson, the CIAs former director of counter-terrorism, extolling her virtues. Writing in the conservative National Review, Mr Hudson said Ms Gabbard had the experience, temperament, and professional integrity necessary for the American intelligence community to win and keep the trust of the American people. Echoing Mr Trumps disdain for the elite national security establishment, Mr Hudson accused it of demanding reflexive obedience to an outdated consensus that may no longer be fit for purpose. He described Ms Gabbard as a career public servant who had also been a combat veteran who served in Iraq. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump and his allies are already stepping up pressure on Senate waverers, The Washington Post reported. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican senator, told a conference that the message was: We got you here. And if you want to survive, you better be good. Effectively they were being told: Dont get on Santas naughty list here, because we will primary you, she said. Ms Murkowski, who in 2021 voted with Democrats in favour of impeaching Mr Trump, beat off a primary challenge from an ally of the former president. Others were not so lucky. Liz Cheney, who was once the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, was ousted by a Trump-backed challenger in a 2022 primary because of her role as vice-chairman of the committee investigating the Jan 6 insurrection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether the latest efforts will convince sceptical senators about Ms Tulsi is a matter of conjecture, according to The Hill, an influential political website in Washington. She was proving to be a little shallow, like a House member talking at a hearing and not someone who needs to provide the presidents daily intelligence briefing, it quoted one congressional source as saying. One Republican senator said Ms Gabbard was not well prepared describing meetings with her as BS sessions and another added there had been a lot of eyerolls from members of Congress who had sat down with her. John Thune, the incoming Senate Republican leader, said many of his colleagues had questions about her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shes going to get an opportunity, like all the nominees, to discuss her qualifications and reviews on Syria and a whole range of other issues through the confirmation process, he told The Washington Examiner. Having lost one nominee when Matt Gaetz bowed to the groundswell of opposition and withdrew his name for consideration as attorney general, the Trump team is fighting hard to protect Ms Gabbard and another controversial choice, Pete Hegseth, who the president-elect wants as defence secretary. Her chances should be zero, shes a terrible choice, Christopher Galdieri, professor of politics at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, told The Telegraph. [What] its really going to come down to is whether there are four Republicans willing to vote against her or if there are senators who will work behind the scenes to convince Trump to withdraw her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think in both cases, the chances of that happening are pretty low. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) Bittersweet moments unfolded at a Bay area hospital. Orlando Health held a special flag-raising ceremony to honor Sophia Marie Herrick, a patient who passed away on Tuesday. She climbed a set of stairs and took a plunge, said her mother, Stella Herrick. When I discovered her. She was beyond being rescued. I was in a floorless elevator falling. I didnt want to continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before she passed away, Herrick made the decision to provide the gift of life that will impact families for generations to come. We always think of Christmas being the time of miracles, said Stella Herrick. For us, her death is a miracle in the form that its taken. Herrick was a dedicated paramedic who was passionate about traveling, but she would always light up when helping others. However, her light was dimmed after a recent stroke. Herrick suffered eight strokes throughout her life. Her first stroke happened six weeks before graduating from medical school, which ultimately stunted her career. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due to her series of health challenges, her family didnt think her organs would be viable to donate to others until they received a special update from physicians. We had tears, but they were tears of joy, said her mother, Stella Herrick. We suddenly saw generations to come that would be carrying on our genes, her genes. Herrick will be able to save up to five lives by donating her lungs, kidneys, and liver. I would want to tell her is thank you, said her brother, Jahn Herrick. Thank you for letting me have the peace of knowing that your purpose is much greater than what I could have imagined. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre grateful to the non-profit, LifeLink, for facilitating the process to make the donation possible. A miracle for Christmas was answered, said Stella Herrick. We could give the greatest gift, life. Click here (( https://www.donatelifeflorida.org/register )) to register as an organ, tissue, and eye donor. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. The Indianapolis high school student saw himself as a popular party promoter. He hosted events at short-term rentals around the city and charged admission, promoting the events on social media to other young people. On some occasions, he would allegedly supply alcohol and drugs; other times he would invite party-goers to bring their own. Then Jalen Helm threw a 2023 Halloween party on the northeast side that got out of hand. Ten people were shot, including Kalin Washington, a 16-year-old, who died inside the building where the party was held. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wasn't the first time someone died at a party with which Helm was associated. A few months earlier, police responded to a party he promoted on the eastside and found a man fatally shot. Helm is now facing 30 different charges, including multiple felonies for organizing, promoting and hosting at least eight illegal parties last year. His other serious charges include reckless homicide, money laundering, stealing credit card information to pay for the parties. Indy police want to know who's behind it Girl dies at Halloween party promoted on Snapchat Jalen Helm, 19, party promoter Now 19, Helm started throwing parties as a 17-year-old North Central High School student, according to court documents. He used Instagram and other social media platforms to advertise events, often with the handle @Naptownjay or similar accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Feb. 12, 2023, he hosted a party at a short-term rental on the city's northside where a fight broke out involving about 20 people after midnight outside of the home. Later that week, Helm held a party at a home on the city's southwest side. Shortly before 11 p.m., Indianapolis Metropolitan Police received a call about loud music and several people loitering outside. Officers responded and asked that the music be turned down. About an hour later, another caller reported that a young man urinating on his home had pointed a gun, when the homeowner asked him to stop. The caller believed the suspect came from the party down the street. On April 1, 2023, Helm hosted another event at a VRBO rental on the northside. An online flyer advertised BYOB/BYOW, signifying bring your own booze/weed. The event had a $5 entry fee for girls and $6 for boys. Just before midnight, police responded to a report of shots fired at the party with about 60 people. They recovered six shell casings, including rifle rounds and found three homes damaged by gunfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On April 28, 2023, partygoers would tell police they knew nothing about a shooting that left a person dead in the front entrance of a home during a party Helm promoted on the eastside. After he and another person promoted a party with advertised security in early May, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police spoke with his father, who said the party would be cancelled. Crime scene tape remains up in the 5100 block of East 65th Street Sunday morning as police continue to investigate a shooting at a party that left a woman dead and nine other people injured. But that did not stop Helm. Over the next five months, he promoted six more parties. At one September party, police were called to an Airbnb on the near southside and found 300 people. A flyer promoting another Helm party on the east side later that month said no guns.During this time, Helm also worked at Taco Bell. Police said that his Instagram messages included pictures of customers' credit and debit card numbers, which Helm is accused of selling to others and using for party expenses. The Halloween party that resulted in teen girl's death The Instagram account @Naptownjay promoted this Halloween party that resulted in a 10 people shot, including 16-year-old Kalin Washington who was killed Oct. 28, 2023. In October, Helm's promotional material for a Halloween party at 5168 E 65th Street on the city's northeast side said security would be enforced, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 100 people attended and at 1 a.m. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to the area for shots fired. Once there, officers encountered several gunshot victims screaming and running from the building and found Washington, a Warren Central High School student, lying dead inside. The following morning, Helm posted on Instagram that he had two armed security for the party but they could not control the numbers that showed up, including some partygoers who tried to sneak into the building. Court documents showed Helm received 212 CashApp payments for a total of $3,050.00. He also posted a photo from the crime scene, stating, Im officially done with partys (sic) until I own my own club." Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formally Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Teen charged with multiple felonies for illegal party promotion FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) Fairfax County police said a teenage driver is facing charges in connection to a crash that left a 77-year-old woman dead in November. According to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD), on Nov. 9, police officers responded to the intersection of Hunter Mill Road and Lynnhaven Place in Oakton for a crash involving two cars. During the investigation, officers determined that an Acura coupe was traveling south on Hunter Mill Road and tried to turn left into the shopping center at Lynnhaven Place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WATCH: Mysterious SUV-sized drones spotted in Bowie Police said thats when a 17-year-old boy, who was speeding in a Toyota Camry, collided with the car at the intersection. First responders took the driver and passenger of the Acura to the hospital, where the passenger, Brenda Cratty, 77, of Vienna, died. The teen was not hurt during the collision. According to police, on Dec. 12, the teenager turned himself in and was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless Driving. He was held at the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. DENVER (KDVR) Remi Cordova, now 18, was sentenced to life in prison for the 2021 murder of 32-year-old Pamela Cabriales and the attempted murder of another woman when he was 14. The sentence includes the possibility of parole after 40 years. This was the maximum sentence that he faced for killing Cabriales. He was also sentenced to eight years for the attempted murder, which will be served consecutively. Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Feb. 20, 2021, Cordova was involved in a minor fender-bender with Cabriales near Colfax Avenue and Interstate 25 when he shot and killed her with an AR-15. The attempted murder charge was because another woman was in the car directly behind Cabriales. She was not injured in the shooting. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in November. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. A family in Jurupa Valley is mourning the loss of their 14-year-old who died from severe burn injuries and smoke inhalation after their home was engulfed in flames last week. On Dec. 5 at 1:59 p.m., firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Riverside County Fire Department responded to a single-story house that was inundated with flames on Pacific Avenue in Jurupa Valley. One victim was trapped and pulled from the burning structure by firefighters and transported to a local hospital in critical condition, according to county fire officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Family members have identified the victim on social media as 14-year-old Zakaria Diaz. Zakaria was an eighth-grade student of Central Middle School of Arts and Innovation, KTLA5 reported. The school released a statement that said Zakaria died of his injuries in the hospital two days after the fire. The school described Zakaria as a "profoundly kind student who enjoyed all aspects of school life." Read more: Cooler weather, gentler winds help crews get a handle on Franklin fire "As a 7th grader, he played in the Intermediate Band and his band mates from last year are still his close friends," the statement said. "As one of the tallest students at Central, you should see him above all the other kids, but he was truly a gentle giant with a quick smile and an easy laugh." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His mother, Nicky Rodriquez, is raising money through a GoFundMe page for funeral expenses. She said Zakaria "had a happy fulfilled life and he will continue to give us the loving memories on the time we got to spend with him." A small memorial of flowers, candles and a plush Pikachu were left on the curb in front of the charred remnants of the family's home. The fire displaced seven people and also killed the family's five chihuahuas, KTLA5 reported. The family is holding a memorial for Zakaria at 1 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the Rubidoux Mortuary-Kimberly Family Chapel on 6091 Mission Blvd. in Riverside. 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. The Pew Research Center surveyed American teenagers about social media and technology. Seventeen percent said they used Elon Musk's social media app, X a steep decline compared to a decade ago. More teens use Meta's Instagram, Facebook, and, increasingly, WhatsApp. American teenagers just don't love X. It's one of the least used major social media sites among US teenagers, followed only by Reddit and Threads, according to a new study published by the Pew Research Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Washington DC-based think tank surveyed nearly 1,400 teenagers between September and October to collect the data, which showed that 17% of teen respondents said they use X, a six-point decrease from 2022 when 23% of surveyed teenagers said they used the site. Elon Musk purchased X, formerly Twitter, in 2022. Representatives for X did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Other popular social media sites also saw a decline in use among teens. YouTube, owned by Google, attracted the highest percentage of teenage users despite falling from 95% to 90% from 2022 to 2024. ByteDance's TikTok came in second place with 63% of respondents saying they used the app, compared to 67% two years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snap Inc.'s Snapchat recorded 55%, another slight decline from 59% in 2022. Instagram, owned by Meta, was used by 61%, about the same as two years ago, while Meta's Facebook also held steady at 32%. Reddit also remained consistent, with 14% of teens saying they used the app, the same as 2022. Threads, which Meta launched in 2023, was used by 6% of teens. There was only one social media site that grew in popularity with teens over the past two years: WhatsApp. The Meta-owned messaging app went from 17% of teens saying they used it in 2022 to 23% this year overtaking X in teenage users, according to the Pew surveys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meta, then Facebook Inc., bought WhatsApp for $22 billion in 2014, an investment that the company says is finally paying off. On Meta's quarter-three earnings call in November, the company reported a 48% year-over-year increase in non-advertising revenue that was largely attributed to WhatsApp. The revenue boost was mostly due to the app's product that allows businesses to pay to chat directly with customers. But WhatsApp is also known to be great for large group chats, which have become increasingly popular with teens. Read the original article on Business Insider NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Gun reform still shows strong bipartisan support from Tennessee voters, according to the latest poll from Vanderbilt University. The Vanderbilt Poll, conducted twice a year on a variety of issues of importance to registered voters, showed respondents overwhelmingly support passing laws that would require gun owners to report if their gun is lost of stolen, at 86%. Support differed from Republicans to Democrats, with even 74% of MAGA Republicans supporting such a measure. Only 8% of respondents said they oppose such a law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SEE ALSO | Poll: Majority of Tennesseans support expanding Medicaid Respondents also overwhelmingly said they would support a red-flag law if it was passed in Tennessee. That margin was more than five to one, or 78% in favor and only 14% opposed, according to poll officials. According to the poll, Tennesseans also opposeby a margin of three to oneexpanding the right to carry long guns such as hunting rifles, assault rifles, and shotguns. Opposition to such a measure increased slightly from Mayfrom 71% to 74% today. Additionally, laws that would require gun owners to store firearms securely in their vehicle or home see similar levels of support at 69% and 67%, respectively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Women consistently supported gun reforms at higher rates than men, the poll showedfrom 16 to 29 percentage points higher, according to poll officials. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com All four gun reform options tested in this poll gained strong support from Tennesseans, Poll Co-Director Josh Clinton said. They by and large support legislative action to increase the regulation of gunsincluding requiring owners to report lost and stolen guns and limiting gun access for individuals at high risk of harming themselves or others. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. John Holler checks the fences at his Bee Creek Farm in Crossville. (Photo: Anne Braly) Agriculture, long a dominant industry in Tennessee, remains one in the 21st century, contributing about $89 billion to the states economy annually. Soybeans, cotton and tobacco rank among top products and farmers continue to seek innovative methods of protecting farmlands and increasing productivity Regenerative farming, a centuries-old concept, aims to restore the health of soil and the environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Southern states, it was a practice brought over from Africa by enslaved people who knew the importance of farming techniques, such as crop rotation. Native Americans have used it for hundreds of years, diversifying crops and using natural farming methods, including using corn as a support for beans and other climbing crops. But it wasnt until the organic farming organization Rodale Institute coined the term, regenerative farming in the 1980s that a name was given to the age-old practice. The idea soon took root in farms across America and was further boosted by Kiss the Ground, a nonprofit raising awareness of soil healths importance. Soil specialist Dr. Forbes Walker, a professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, said Tennessee is a leader in regenerative farming, a move from conventional farming that has created more understanding of natures systems. It actually makes the systems more profitable and, of course, has great environmental benefits. Five principles of regenerative farming: No-till farming involves planting directly into the soil without tilling first. It benefits the soil by not disturbing its nutrients and prevents water runoff. Crop rotation offers natural pest control and helps reduce soil erosion. Cover crops, such as certain clovers, buckwheat and rye, help with weed control and improve soil health increasing crop yields. Growing a diverse range of crops also helps with pest control and provides varied foods for humans and animals. Bringing livestock into the fields, such as cattle and sheep, provides natural fertilizer, enriches the soil and helps to aerate the soil by grazing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cody Franklin, a district conservationist with Natural Resources Conservation Service for the East Tennessee counties of Cumberland and Morgan, said the area he covers is witnessing an increase in the number of farms converting to methods used in regenerative farming. We work with traditional agriculture producers who are slowly adopting a more regenerative mindset, but most of our customers are landowners who are beginning farmers and are very interested in regenerative and conservation-minded farming, Franklin said. John and Kathryn Holler raise beef cattle, hogs and chickens on their 240-acre Bee Creek Farm in Crossville, Tennessee. The couple admittedly have no background in farming but have chosen to incorporate regenerative methods into their farming enterprise. Its something they learned while visiting a bison ranch in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here we were, at a bison ranch in Central Texas in the middle of what was basically a desert, but the grass was lush, about chest high, John Holler said. The neighboring farm used conventional farming methods and its soil was cracked, eroded and bare. It blew our minds. So they studied and learned how regenerative farming uses animal impact to harness natural cycles water, mineral and carbon cycles among them. The couple, who owned a Texas brewpub, are veterans of the craft beer revolution of the early 21st century, a movement that focused on artisan, natural ingredients for its brews and the foods served alongside. It helped solve one of the worlds biggest problems: how to produce nutrient-dense, delicious foods sustainably, Holler adds. So we thought, Hey, regenerative farming might even be a bigger deal than beer. And we were immediately hooked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So they partnered with Johns brother, Adlai Holler, and friends Scott and Cynthia Porter, bought the property on the Cumberland Plateau, and in March 2021, bought a conventional farm and immediately converted it into a farm using regenerative methods. Five years later, they see a significant change in the land thicker forage for their livestock, cleaner air and water, less erosion, better water retention, and a noted increase in minerals in the topsoil. The most noticeable effect is our land absorbs and retains water better each year, Holler said. The last official soil tests we ran were in 2022, and well be testing again soon and Im excited to see the results. We expect to see a significant increase in the percentage of organic matter. Cattle are moved once, sometimes twice a day at Bee Creek Farm. Holler said this mimics the natural predator-prey movement that characterized the relationship between ruminant herbivores and perennial grasses long before humans entered the equation. In keeping with regenerative farming practives, cattle are moved daily at Bee Creek Farm. (Photo: Anne Braly) This, in turn, provides natural stimulation for the grass and the vast ecosystem living beneath it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Franklin said reducing resource concerns offers long-term protection for regenerative farms, improving productivity on farmland in Tennessee. A lot of those resources, once they have been depleted or negatively affected, can take a long time to become productive or functional again, Franklin said. So protecting them in their current state is priority. Matt Griggs is a fifth-generation farmer on his family farm in Humboldt, Tennessee: Griggs Farms, one of the states Century Farms with 2,000 acres planted with cotton, soybeans, corn and wheat. The certification means the farm has been in continuous operation in the Griggs family for at least 100 years, and thats how long traditional farming methods took to totally deplete nutrients in the soil, Griggs said. Griggs Farms began experimenting with no-till farming in the 1990s. When Matt Griggs took over the farm after his father died, he experimented with more regenerative farming techniques, such as finding which cover crops worked and which didnt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2014, we went at it on a large scale, and by 2015, we used regenerative farming 100% for all of our crops, Griggs said, adding that noticeable improvement was seen in water retention almost immediately. Our crops have become more resilient to extreme weather, too, he adds. But after 100 years of conventional farming, our soil was so degraded and there was so much erosion, it will take at least another hundred years and longer to make it fertile again. Were doing all we can, though. Franklin said a lot of farmers practice some form of regenerative agriculture, picking techniques or practices that fit with their operation. But I think the number of fully adopted regenerative farmers would still be relatively low for Tennessee, possibly around 5%, he said. It would be a very hard figure to quantify but that would be my guess. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Converting to regenerative farming techniques can be a financial risk for farmers who need a learning curve to absorb new techniques and invest in new technology, roadblocks to the expansion of the practice. Nonetheless, whats good for the farmer is good for the consumer, Franklin said. Regenerative agriculture can help producers by lowering input costs during production which could lead to more potential for profit, he said. And it can benefit consumers by offering products that require lower input cost at a lower market price. Consumers may also benefit from regenerative agriculture leading to producers having more sustainable and long-term supply of products. Its a win-win for the environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following a more regenerative approach to farming and implementing conservation practices will have a good chance of improving the overall quality of farms and hopefully improve their sustainability and self-sufficiency, Franklin said. Also, it can greatly improve not only soil health but also water quality, livestock and wildlife health. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Two Tennessee lawmakers have proposed new measures to tackle illegal immigration by requiring local law enforcement to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities and targeting the color of noncitizens drivers licenses. House Bill 10, sponsored by Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), would require local police to request an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer for every illegal immigrant they encounter in the state. If ICE denies the detainer, the local agency would be required to transport the illegal immigrant to a sanctuary city located outside of Tennessee and within 700 miles of the department. The federal government would be required to provide reimbursements for travel costs. If they failed to do so, Tennessee would withhold its federal motor fuel taxes collected within the state. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts It shouldnt be the state, or the county, or the citys responsibility to take care of these illegals when our federal government has let us down and not enforced the federal immigration laws we have on the books, Rep. Warner said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Warner told News 2 the main goal of the bill is to make Tennessee safer from the drugs and crime illegal immigration has brought to the state. Illegal immigration and crime across the country has been on the rise, especially since the Biden Administration hasnt enforced our border policies, Rep. Warner said. You had the director of the TBI on talking about the Venezuelan gangs that have moved into Tennessee. We see fentanyl overdose deaths at an all-time high, so I think those are two things that have been pointed out over the last two weeks by your news organization that are very serious problems for the constituents of the state of Tennessee. House Bill 11, sponsored by Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka), would give noncitizens different colored drivers licenses. While supporters of the bill said it would make it easier for employers and other agencies to verify whether someone has already proven their citizenship, everyone is already required to prove their citizenship to obtain a Tennessee license. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opponents argued the bill would waste state resources and unfairly target noncitizens who are legally in the U.S., like those with travel visas or Green Cards. Read the latest from the TN State Capitol Newsroom For people who dont understand the complexities of the immigration system and the different kinds of statuses someone could have, it might suggest to them, incorrectly, information about peoples status that could result in unlawful detention, discrimination in employment and really any other time you need to show your ID, said Hannah Smalley, the Advocacy and Education Manager for Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors (TNJFON). Smalley was also critical of Rep. Warners sanctuary cities bill, arguing it duplicates some of what ICE already does when local law enforcement arrests an illegal immigrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And then if ICE is deciding not to take custody of someone, to then transport them out of state away from their family, away from their workplace, away from potentially their school, because I also want to highlight this law has no exception for minors, thats not only damaging to the community, but its a waste of our local resources, Smalley said. Rep. Warner told News 2 he isnt certain if other statutes determine what happens to minors in those situations or how law enforcement deals with those scenarios, but families could stay together. I know theres been concerns about families, but wed be glad to keep the family together and if they all want to go, well take them all, Rep. Warner said. In addition, Rep. Warner said multiple law enforcement agencies could work together to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities to reduce the time burden it could place on departments. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com If Cepickys drivers license bill passes, it would go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. If Warners sanctuary cities bill passes, it would go into effect Jul. 1, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both bills are sponsored by Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) on the Senate side. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Books pulled from Tennessee school library shelves include titles by Stephen King, Maya Angelou and Paula Hawkins. (Photo: J. Holly McCall) This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters Sign up for Chalkbeat Tennessees free daily newsletter to keep up with statewide education policy and Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Two years after Tennessee lawmakers made it possible to ban books from school libraries statewide, not a single book challenge has been heard, let alone approved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And no complaints are waiting to be considered, either. Since early 2023, parents, students, and school employees have been able to challenge library content by submitting an online form to the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission. But only three appeals have been filed with a commission that this year hired its first full-time staff at an annual cost of $500,000, in part to manage anticipated book appeals. All three appeals were withdrawn within a month. Its been surprising, said Commission Chair Linda Cash, about the lack of appeals before the state panel. Tennessees Republican-controlled legislature passed Gov. Bill Lees school library law in 2022 to establish a local review process to make sure books and materials are appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who can access them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few months later, lawmakers approved a second measure creating an appeals system so that book complaints can go before the states existing textbook commission if the complainant isnt satisfied with a decision by a local board or charter school. That law gave the commission unprecedented authority to ban certain books statewide, or to restrict them to certain grade levels in all Tennessee schools. The school library legislation came after Tennessee emerged as one of the first states to restrict classroom discussions about race, gender, and bias. That the commission, two years in, has not considered any book ban complaints is evidence that conservative parents are mostly getting what they want during library debates at the local level. Rep. Jerry Sexton, a Republican from Bean Station who co-sponsored the bill to create a book appeals process, said at the time that school libraries needed to be purged of content that he deemed as pornographic and obscene. His proposal also would have required schools to provide the commission with a list of books in their library collections. When pressed on the House floor by Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons of Nashville about what the state should do with any banned books, Sexton said: I would burn them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Senate sponsors, who originally wanted the textbook commission simply to develop library guidance for schools, were more measured about approving any legislation that could ignite a wave of book removals. The Senate and House ultimately approved a compromise bill to establish the appeals process, without requiring schools to submit lists of their library books to the state. I think these appeals to the state will be rare, Sen. Mike Bell, a Riceville Republican, said at the time. I cant imagine it being more than a handful five a year, 10 a year. To help with the appeals process, the commission hired its first full-time staff an executive director, staff attorney, and administrative assistant. Cash, the chairperson who lobbied for state funding to staff up, said the administrative help was needed and overdue, regardless of whether the commission received book appeals. Linda Cash, who chairs the Tennessee Textbook Commission, is also director of Bradley County Schools and the states 2025 Superintendent of the Year. (Courtesy of Tennessee Department of Education) The unpaid, all-volunteer, 13-member textbook panel still has its core responsibilities of approving state textbooks and instructional materials and establishing contracts with publishers to guarantee availability to schools at the lowest price. (The body just completed the latest textbook adoption cycle to align classroom materials with Tennessees science standards. The panel will look next at textbooks for career and technical education, then social studies.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As also required under the 2022 law, the commission last year issued library guidance, not only for itself as the states appellate body, but for school districts and charter schools to follow to make the local review process more consistent. Cash, who is also the chief of Bradley County Schools, never expected the commission to receive a flood of library book appeals. But she anticipated the state panel would have acted on at least some after two years. Instead, book banning action escalated at the local level after lawmakers voted this spring to expand the governors age-appropriate library law to prohibit materials that offend conservative sensibilities, especially related to sexual content and LGBTQ issues. The law now includes a broad checklist of the kinds of content deemed unsuitable, including nudity, descriptions or depictions of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, and excess violence. As a result, at least 1,100 books were removed locally during the first few months of the academic year, according to a statewide survey of members of the Tennessee Association of School Librarians. Hundreds more have been pulled since the survey was conducted. Leaders with the librarians group believe those numbers are conservative. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vast majority of the removals were handled preemptively by school officials and librarians without going through local complaint processes that had been in place for years. Those processes generally allowed students, parents, or educators to flag their concern with a school librarian and eventually take unresolved matters to the local school board that took into consideration a recommendation by an ad hoc review committee of educators and parents. I think thats unfortunate, Cash said of some unilateral book removals under the stricter library law. The commissions library guidance, issued in 2023, called for local schools to adopt and follow a thoughtful process for receiving feedback about library materials. We have professional librarians who do an excellent job of looking at books and bringing concerns before committees of educators and parents to screen them, Cash said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, Cash believes the library laws have made school officials and librarians more attentive to the concerns of parents and increased scrutiny of book collections for age-appropriateness. Parents want to be heard and listened to, she said. When we dont do that, I think thats when we begin to have issues. Former Sen. Jon Lundberg, who co-sponsored the bill that ultimately opened the door to statewide book bans, said hes not surprised that the textbook commission has yet to hear its first challenge of a local library decision. It wasnt that bad decisions were being made about library books, said the Bristol Republican. We just decided to establish a process, in case there ever was a need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. A view from the Thorpe property in southwest Spokane. (Courtesy of Phil Larkin) A pending land swap by the state Department of Natural Resources is sparking controversy in Spokane. The department wants to transfer nearly 200 acres southwest of the citys downtown to a private real estate developer, which has plans to build as many as 1,000 homes, a park and a civic center. In exchange for the land, the city would get a different commercial plot in Bellingham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state says this fits with its goals to generate revenue for schools and increase housing on state lands. The Spokane property was once used for logging but hasnt generated timber revenue in more than a decade, so it is time to find another use for it, according to the department. But nearby residents and many city leaders say the surrounding infrastructure is not ready for such heavy development and that the plans could eliminate some of the last undeveloped land in and around Spokane. Phil Larkin, a local conservation advocate, applauded the departments efforts to expand housing. But in this case, he said the site is poorly suited for whats been proposed. I feel like theyre ignoring the nuance blatantly, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plot, known as the Thorpe property, is located in the citys Latah Valley. The departments plan is to transfer the 192-acre plot to Redmond-based Blue Fern Development, which has plans to develop 160 acres of it. Blue Fern would give the state a 4-acre parcel in Bellingham which is the site of a Haggen Grocery Store and parking lot. The Haggen property is currently for sale, and Blue Fern would need to acquire it first, according to state documents. The exchange has been years in the making and has led to tense community meetings, a failed conservation effort and a push from the Spokane City Council to pause the proposal. The department could present its plan to the Board of Natural Resources for final approval as soon as next month. Community conflict The Latah Valley lacks enough roads, fire departments, schools, water and other resources to handle so much new housing, said Adam Marshall, co-founder of Citizen Action for Latah Valley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another worry is that the plot is in an area susceptible to wildfire. Building more homes there raises the risk of property damage if there is a blaze. And with few roads, and some passing through narrow tunnels leading in and out of the valley, evacuating residents and getting fire crews in could prove difficult and dangerous, Marshall said. Theres all levels of either lacking or deficient or nonexistent infrastructure along the valley for any further development of any size, certainly not a project where hundreds of more people are coming in, Marshall said. City leaders also have concerns. The Spokane City Council has imposed bans on development in the area since 2022, citing the lack of infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, the council passed a resolution urging the state to pause the transfer process for 180 days to give community members another chance to weigh in. The resolution passed 5-7 but in itself does not force the state to change course. We value the City Councils input, and we will incorporate and respond to it along with the comments we received at last weeks public hearing as we consider the best path forward, said Department of Natural Resources spokesman Michael Kelly. A need for more housing The Department of Natural Resources has a constitutional duty to make money for the state from the lands it manages, and when the agency cant do that, it often looks for ways to swap land for property that will generate revenue. In this case, the state would earn lease payments from tenants at the property in Bellingham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This DNR-managed property is not fulfilling its potential to do a lot of good for the city of Spokane or the state of Washington, Kelly said. That is why we believe it is imperative to look at other options. The Thorpe property is designated for residential development under the countys comprehensive plan, which Kelly said makes it an opportune place to build. Figuring out how to get more housing on state lands is still new to the agency, said Krosbie Carter, housing policy advisor at the department. The agency is trying to be sensitive about where its opening land to construction. Its only looking at plots that are allowed to be developed under the states Growth Management Act, which requires local governments to plan for growth in their communities. We arent looking out in very rural areas for parcels that have no infrastructure because thats not where the county and city plans have said they want housing, Carter said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spokane City Council member Jonathan Bingle, who voted against the resolution to encourage a pause in the exchange, said not moving forward on the development would mean missing out on more housing, which the city desperately needs. For us to achieve these goals, development really is the solution if its done properly, Bingle said during last weeks meeting. Other options At a community meeting last week, the department presented other options they are considering for the Thorpe parcel. One would allow the department to exchange properties with the housing developer but then allow the developer to transfer rights to the city or the Spokane Tribe in exchange for another plot of land not in the Latah Valley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another option would be for the department to transfer the land directly to the Spokane Tribe. Or the department could auction the property to the highest bidder. Kelly said the agency is currently talking with the Spokane Tribe as well as the city and Blue Fern about whether any of these options are viable. The city also asked the state to transfer the land to them directly through a process known as a Trust Land Transfer. The citys parks department applied for the transfer in an attempt to preserve the land as green space. As part of the Trust Land Transfer process, the Department of Natural Resources ranks applications to determine which ones should advance. The Legislature has the final say over these transactions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Thorpe property ranked 18th out of 30, likely not high enough for the department to move forward with the citys request. Kelly, the department spokesperson, said at least two-thirds of the Trust Land Transfer Advisory Committee gave low marks for the lands ecological values, economic values and tribal support. Thats three of the five categories on which applications are evaluated. Erin Hut, the citys communications director, said the city is currently working with community members and the state to determine the best path forward for the land. The mayors office has secured some funding for planning and fire safety in the Latah Valley, Hut wrote in a post on the citys website, adding that Mayor Lisa Brown is committed to working with the City Council, neighborhoods, and other governments to ensure that the past practice of allowing development without appropriate infrastructure and public facilities does not continue. Community members have until Dec. 18 to submit public testimony on the state proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From there, its up to the department to determine when it will present the plan to the Board of Natural Resources. Kelly said the agency hopes to present it at the boards Jan. 7 meeting, but Kelly acknowledged the department needs time to review community input and talk through alternatives. Those discussions could push the presentation to the board later in 2025. The Jan. 7 meeting is before the next commissioner of public lands, Dave Upthegrove, will be sworn into office. The commissioner is a voting member of the board. In a text to the Standard, Upthegrove said he would not comment on decisions in the current department and is focused on building his team before he takes office Jan. 15. Passengers on a flight from LaGuardia to Charlotte, NC on Thursday night feared for their lives after a bird flew into the engine of the plane and caused it to explode into flames just moments after takeoff. And the terrifying ordeal was all caught on video. New York's NBC 4 News reports that the American Airlines flight 1722 was abruptly diverted to John F. Kennedy International Airport, where it landed safely and would be inspected by the carrier's maintenance team. The airline said that 190 passengers and six crew members were aboard the flight at the time of the incident. In video recorded by a passenger, the plane can be seen taking off normally, before the bird strikes the engine mere seconds into the flight, causing it to burst into flames. The New York Post spoke with several passengers aboard the flight who recalled the scary incident as they waited for their luggage at JFK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I thought I was gonna die," said one woman named Amy Stamper from Tennessee. "I was scared. I thought I was gonna die. There were a couple of small explosions. And there was a fire." Another passenger who wanted to remain anonymous echoed her sentiments. "I was right by the wing and I saw it. I saw two flames in the sky," the man recalled. "I thought I was gonna die. I prayed. I thought I was gonna die for about 30 seconds." A third passenger, Eric Halili, 43, who was visiting New York for work, told the Post that he absolutely feared for his life. "I think that was a very traumatic experience and what made it worse was that we had to wait over an hour to get our bags," he recalled. "You just wanted the day to end and it just didnt end." Passengers were provided with hotel accommodations overnight on Thursday and rescheduled for a Friday morning departure. In a statement, American Airlines said, "We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused." (Bloomberg) -- Mozambiques economy is buckling as weeks of intensifying election protests evolve into a revolt thats increasingly being felt beyond the borders of the southern African nation. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unrest prompted Tesla Inc. supplier Syrah Resources Ltd. to declare force majeure, while hitting output at sub-Saharan Africas biggest aluminum smelter and disrupting South Africas chrome exports. Its causing domestic economic wreckage, with Standard Bank Group Ltd. predicting the first quarterly economic contraction since 2020. There is no sign of tensions cooling, with fears of further delays to a $20 billion natural gas export plan led by TotalEnergies SE. Venancio Mondlane, the charismatic opposition leader commanding the demonstrations from self-exile via livestream, plans to announce a fresh round of protests on Dec. 16. Scores of people have been killed by security forces. What started out as a protest against claims of rigging in the Oct. 9 ballot has exploded into an outcry among marginalized youth. The revolt is the latest instance of a resurgence of unrest in sub-Saharan Africa, where gaping inequality and perceptions of exclusion have provided fertile ground this year in Kenya, Nigeria and elsewhere. Mondlane has called for all mines in Mozambique to be closed until Jan. 15, when he said hed be inaugurated as president. His message that the nations natural resources dont benefit locals resonates among Mozambicans, three in four of whom live on less than $2.15 per day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deeper socio-economic factors and the election rigging are intertwined as causes of the current unrest, Roberto Tibana, who helped Mondlane write his election manifesto, said by phone. People voted for a manifesto and someone they believe will change their circumstances, and now they believe their vote is being ignored. Opposition parties have challenged the election in court, with the Constitutional Council yet to verify the results. Observers have pointed to ballot-box stuffing and tally manipulation. Ruling party Frelimo did not rig the vote, said spokesman Edmundo Galiza Matos Jr, noting the councils judges are considering the complaints. We have social problems, problems that we need to solve, he said by phone, adding Mondlane should return to Mozambique to join talks and end the unrest. We cannot destroy our country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Force Majeure Syrah, which mines graphite in Mozambique to process in the US, on Thursday declared force majeure at its Balama operation, blaming intensifying unrest. Syrah has been sending battery ingredients to Tesla for testing ahead of commercial sales starting next year. Other mines have also faced invasions and blockages. Mozambiques biggest brewery paused production on Dec. 11 after people raided the facility, according to a statement from Anheuser-Busch InBev SAs local unit, among the countrys top corporate taxpayers. Fiscal receipts have fallen and outgoing President Filipe Nyusi has warned civil service salaries may be delayed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bonds Drop The nations dollar bonds have dropped to a 12-month low. The governments reliance on local debt markets to finance the deficit is becoming more challenging. A Dec. 10 bond auction raised less than one-third of what was offered. Standard Banks local unit slashed its 2024 economic growth forecast to 2.5%, less than half of 2023s growth rate. The main business lobby sees economic losses approaching $400 million. Logistical constraints are adding to price pressures, said Eduardo Sengo, director at the Confederation of Economic Associations. Cries of this country is ours! Save Mozambique! have echoed across the nation since protests started Oct. 21. Police have met them with bullets and teargas, with at least 110 deaths, monitoring group Platform Decide said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for the twice-weekly Next Africa newsletter for the latest business and economic news from the continent. Many Mozambicans, where the median age is less than 18, have little to lose. About 500,000 school leavers each year compete for scarce jobs. One in three remain out of work in one of the worlds most unequal societies. Climate change adds layers of difficulty, with frequent droughts and severe storms hurting growth. Tropical cyclone Chido is set to strike the nations north coast at the weekend, threatening a trail of destruction in a region already suffering from an Islamic State-linked insurgency. Anger over official corruption and vote rigging adds to the mix that Mondlane has called a perfect combination for a revolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The presidential candidate, who placed second and fled the country to an unknown location, likened the unrest to war. Torched police stations and ruling party offices paint a picture of conflict. With urban warfare, normally you dont need a long time, he said in a phone interview last month. You can resolve everything in one year, or one month or two months its enough. (Updates with ruling party comment from the fourth paragraph below the Read More box.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced that he's launched an investigation into the Google-backed AI chatbot startup Character.AI over its privacy and safety practices for minors. The news comes just days after two Texas families sued the startup and its financial backer Google, alleging that the platform's AI characters sexually and emotionally abused their school-aged children. According to the lawsuit, the chatbots encouraged the children to engage in self-harm and violence. "Technology companies are on notice that my office is vigorously enforcing Texass strong data privacy laws," said Paxton in a statement. "These investigations are a critical step toward ensuring that social media and AI companies comply with our laws designed to protect children from exploitation and harm." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Paxton's office, the companies could be in violation of the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which requires companies to provide extensive parental controls to protect the privacy of their children, and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA), which "imposes strict notice and consent requirements on companies that collect and use minors personal data." "We are currently reviewing the Attorney General's announcement," a Character.AI spokesperson told us. "As a company, we take the safety of our users very seriously. We welcome working with regulators and have recently announced we are launching some of the features referenced in the release, including parental controls." Indeed, on Thursday Character.AI promised to prioritize "teen safety" by launching a separate AI model "specifically for our teen users." The company also promised to roll out "parental controls" that will give "parents insight into their child's experience on Character.AI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether its actions will be enough to stem a tide of highly problematic chatbots being hosted on its platform remains to be seen. Futurism has previously identified chatbots on the platform devoted to themes of pedophilia, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicide. Alongside Character.AI, Paxton is also launching separate investigations into fourteen other companies ranging from Reddit to Instagram to Discord. How far Paxton's newly-launched investigation will go is unclear. Paxton has repeatedly launched investigations into digital platforms, accusing them of violating safety and privacy laws. In October, he sued TikTok for sharing minors' personal data. At the time, TikTok denied the allegations, arguing that it offers "robust safeguards for teens and parents, including Family Pairing, all of which are publicly available." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parts of the SCOPE Act were also recently blocked by a Texas judge, siding with tech groups that argued it was unlawfully restricting free expression. Paxton also subpoenaed 404 Media in October, demanding the publication to hand over confidential information into its wholly unrelated reporting of a lawsuit against Google. The attorney general has a colorful past himself. Last year, Texas House investigators impeached Paxton after finding he took bribes from a real estate investor, exploited the powers of his office, and fired staff members who reported his misconduct, according to the Texas Tribune. After being suspended for roughly four months, the Texas Senate acquitted Paxton for all articles of impeachment, allowing him to return to office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paxton was also indicted in 2015 on state securities fraud charges. Charges were dropped in March after he agreed to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution. Besides suing digital platforms, Paxton also sued manufacturers 3M and DuPont for misleading consumers about the safety of their products, and Austin's largest homeless service provider for allegedly being a "common nuisance" in the surrounding neighborhood. More on Character.AI: Google-Backed AI Startup Announces Plans to Stop Grooming Teenagers This story has been updated with new information. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday filed his first lawsuit against an out-of-state abortion pill provider, ushering in a new stage of the legal battle over terminations of pregnancy that stretches across state lines. The complaint, which alleges a New York doctor prescribed abortion-inducing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine, will test the strength of Texas' near-total abortion ban against a 2022 New York shield law. The law bars public entities from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into reproductive health care services, protects against subpoenas and witness summonses and prohibits the extradition of lawsuit defendants to other states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paxton's complaint alleges that Dr. Margaret Daley Carpenter, who is licensed in New York and co-founded the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine Access in 2022, prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol to a 20-year-old woman from Collin County, Paxton's home turf in North Texas. Both drugs are used to induce abortions and help clear miscarriages. On July 16, the woman asked the biological father whom she had not previously informed about the pregnancy, according to the complaint to take her to the hospital after she began to hemorrhage. After he learned she had terminated the pregnancy, he discovered the empty pill boxes at the woman's residence. It is unclear whether the two lived together and who reported the alleged violation. Abortions are outlawed in Texas except when a pregnant person faces a "life-threatening condition," with no exceptions for rape, incest or fatal fetal anomalies. Paxton is seeking $250,000 in damages for the alleged violations of the state's abortion ban and other laws, including one that requires doctors to be licensed in Texas to administer telehealth services in the state. The case was filed Friday in state district court in Collin County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this case, an out-of-state doctor violated the law and caused serious harm to this patient, Paxton said in a news release Friday. "In Texas, we treasure the health and lives of mothers and babies, and this is why out-of-state doctors may not illegally and dangerously prescribe abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents." In response to the filing, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul affirmed her support for abortion access and said the state's shield law "protects doctors and patients from draconian rules that put womens lives at risk." "Abortion is health care, and New York will always be a safe harbor for those who need it no matter what politicians in Texas try to do," Hochul said in a statement posted to social media Friday evening. Anti-abortion groups in Texas, on the other hand, praised Paxton for enforcing the state's laws. According to the complaint, Dr. Margaret Daley Carpenter, who is licensed in New York and co-founded the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine Access, prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol to a 20-year-old woman from Collin County. The lawsuit sets up a new stage in the battle over interstate abortion provision, according to Mary Ziegler, a reproductive health law expert and professor at the University of California at Davis School of Law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The truce over interstate abortion fights is over," Ziegler wrote in a social media post Friday. "What will it mean ... for the GOP to say abortion should be left to the states now?" Ziegler told the American-Statesman that targeting doctors who mail abortion pills into red states may represent the best chance anyone has to shoot a hole through shield laws." At the same time, she said, the case isn't a silver bullet, and it is unlikely to affect abortion pill access in Texas in the short term. Abortion pill providers "already knew this risk was coming and they're confident that the shield laws will hold up," Ziegler said in a phone interview. She said she expects the lawsuit will eventually be moved to federal court and noted that New York's shield law allows doctors to sue anyone who sues them for providing abortion-related telemedicine services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit also further escalates Paxton's crusade against pregnancy terminations both inside and outside of Texas' bounds, coming nearly two months after he sued the city of Austin for funding travel expenses for residents seeking out-of-state abortions. Paxton in September asked a federal court to strike down a Biden administration rule that shields the medical records of women who seek out-of-state abortions. A decision is still pending in the state's lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Westchester Medical Center Health Network, which lists Carpenter as a provider, and the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine Access did not respond to the Statesman's requests for comment by our deadline. The American-Statesman also reached out to a cellphone number listed as Carpenter's. More: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Austin over allocation of funds to assist out-of-state abortions This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas attorney general files first interstate abortion pill lawsuit (NewsNation) A bill that has been introduced in the Texas legislature would allow residents to use Bitcoin to pay their taxes and make other political contributions and charitable donations. The Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act already has bipartisan support, according to one of the bills sponsors. If passed, the bill could set a precedent for the remainder of the country and for the U.S. Treasury. The proposed law would allow Texas to begin building a bitcoin reserve by allowing fees, contributions and taxes to be paid using cryptocurrency. The reserve would be held for a minimum of five years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emergency funds: What are they? How much should you have? Texas Republican Rep. Giovanni Capriglione told NewsNation that cryptocurrency is creating new jobs in the state and that Bitcoin has created an ecosystem around the state. Several other states are also considering similar bills that would increase the use of cryptocurrency among residents. Pennsylvania introduced a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve bill last month and discussions are ongoing in 10 states about cryptocurrency legislation. The proposed legislation as President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office with a crypto-friendly administration. Prices of Bitcoin have more than doubled and are up by more than 45% since Nov. 5. Trump has called for lighter regulations regarding cryptocurrency and plans to have a crypto czar as part of his administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Texas legislature will begin its new session on Jan. 14, less than a week before Trumps inauguration. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. Citing widespread public backlash, a development company owned by two billionaire Texas brothers will not present plans for the 1,130-unit development at a public meeting as previously planned. DF Development has reviewed comments submitted to the Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission and on social media and would like to take time to meet with the community through town halls and outreach meetings to learn more about concerns and identify strategies to address them, said Christine Richman, a spokesperson for the proposal, in an email to Valley County P&Z staff on Tuesday. We will be conducting this outreach in early 2025 and therefore would like to postpone the hearing on our application until early- to mid-2025, said Richman, who is the principal of Salt Lake City, Utah, firm GSBS Consulting. GSBS was hired by DF Development to present the proposal to Valley County. An artists conceptual rendering of a gathering space in the RedRidge Village center, part of a proposed 1,100-home development southwest of McCall. A report on the development prepared by Valley County staff lists 114 letters in opposition to the proposal, six offering suggestions for improvement and one in favor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A public hearing on the development was set to take place at Thursdays P&Z meeting in Cascade. The 1,130-unit RedRidge Village in Valley County would be developed about 100 miles north of Boise. The planned unit development is proposed for a 2,258-acre area on the western edge of Valley County to the south of McCall. It is only a sliver of a larger 30,000-acre project stretching across a wide swath of land south of New Meadows in Adams County. DF Development, owned by Texas billionaire brothers Dan and Farris Wilks, proposes more than 1,100 homes in this area on the edge of Valley County south of McCall. This is part of a larger planned development that includes a swath of Adams County just to the west. DF Development is owned by brothers Dan and Farris Wilks, of Cisco, Texas. DF Development purchased about 172,000 acres of land in Central Idaho in 2016. Since then, the company has sold and developed smaller parcels, but no project has compared to the size of the RedRidge Village proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company still owns 57,908 acres of land in Valley County and 60,930 acres in Adams County, including the land on which the project is proposed. The Wilks brothers sold a 70% share in their fracking company Frac Tech for $3.5 billion in 2011. Farris Wilks, 72, is estimated to have a net worth of $1.9 billion, with Dan Wilks, 68, estimated to have a net worth of about $2 billion, according to Forbes. In the RedRidge proposal, homes would be built in neighborhoods around a village center and include a variety of designs with multifamily housing, single-family residences and large estate lots. The development would be accessed by several roads off West Mountain Road, which extends south from McCall and along the west side of Lake Cascade, passing the West Mountains and Tamarack Resort. Ski mountaineering racers make their way up the 45th Parallel run during 2016s Northwest Passage Ski Mountaineering Vertical Race at Brundage Ski resort. The ski resort and McCalls scenic Payette Lake are north of a residential development proposed by two billionaire Texas brothers. The vision for the full 30,000 acres includes areas of limited development surrounded by acres of wildlife habitat, according to application materials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plans include a vineyard, retail and restaurant spaces, a community hall and an outdoor amphitheater with lawn seating for about 2,000 people. A local trail network is planned within the development that would connect to regional trails. Adams County has not yet received a formal proposal, but application materials list a clustered development in Adams County about 4,900 acres in size, as well as a 9,100-acre wilderness preserve, 12,900 acres of undeveloped steep terrain and about 3,500 acres of open space and buffered areas. The Idaho Statesman contributed. This story has been edited and abridged from the original. Read the original story at www.mccallstarnews.com. Texas billionaire brothers plan big development south of McCall. Up first: 1,100 homes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Airbnb for outdoors comes to Idaho, backed and used by billionaire Wilks brothers Undeveloped land is selling in rural Idaho. Why Valley County wants more oversight Will scenic lands around Payette Lake become private? Idaho leaders face public outcry Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken the Lone Star States abortion battle to the national stage, suing a New York doctor for prescribing the abortion pill to an in-state resident. New Yorks state law protects doctors and providers providing abortion care from out-of-state investigations and prosecutions, making the Empire State a home base for companies shipping out the abortion pill to consumers around the country. Paxton has accused Dr. Margaret Carpenter of mailing the pills to a Collin County resident who allegedly consumed the medication when she was nine weeks pregnant, reported The Texas Tribune. The lawsuit does not mention if the woman was successful in terminating her pregnancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now Paxton is asking the county court to order Carpenter to pay $100,000 for every violation of the states near-total abortion ban. (Violators of the draconian abortion law could also serve up to life in prison and have their Texas medical license revoked.) The lawsuit is the first attempt to enforce a state abortion ban beyond its borders. Abortion is, and will continue to be, legal and protected in New York. As other states move to attack those who provide or obtain abortion care, New York is proud to be a safe haven for abortion access, wrote New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement responding to Paxtons lawsuit. We will always protect our providers from unjust attempts to punish them for doing their job and we will never cower in the face of intimidation or threats. I will continue to defend reproductive freedom and justice for New Yorkers, including from out-of-state anti-choice attacks. The two-drug prescription commonly referred to as the abortion pill is a mixture of mifepristone and misoprostol. The procedure accounts for more than half of all the abortions in the United States, according to a 2022 report by the Guttmacher Institute, and has become a crucial tool as abortion restrictions limit access to in-person medical visits. It is more than 95 percent effective at ending pregnancies when used before 10 weeks of pregnancy, according to statistics by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Access to mifepristone has become an increasingly fraught political issue in the years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In October, the attorneys general of Kansas, Missouri, and Idahoa cohort of states with some of the most draconian abortion restrictions in the nationsued the federal government to limit access to the drug, arguing that the medication should be illegal for minors (misoprostol is fully legal as it is used for other treatments). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit also accused the Food and Drug Administration of having unlawfully removed its prohibition against mailing abortion drugs, allowing what the attorneys general described as a a 50-state abortion drug mailing economy to undermine their states abortion laws. But their moral ground for pushing the ban was seemingly less focused on protecting childrens health than it was on actually creating more children, with the lawsuit detailing the (apparently) unfortunate ramifications that abortion access has on an (apparently) desirable conundrum: teenage pregnancy. This study thus suggests that remote dispensing of abortion drugs by mail, common carrier, and interactive computer service is depressing expected birth rates for teenaged mothers in Plaintiff States, even if other overall birth rates may have been lower than otherwise was projected, the suit read on page 190. The Supreme Court unexpectedly saved mifepristone access in June, when it unanimously ruled that a group of different plaintiffs, represented by the right-wing Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, did not have legal standing to sue the FDA and that the legal organization had failed to demonstrate how its clients were personally harmed by the drugs existence on the market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By and large, most Americans support abortion access. In a 2023 Gallup poll, just 12 percent of surveyed Americans said that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Meanwhile, 69 percent believe that it should be legal in the first trimester of pregnancy. This article has been updated. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit accusing a New York doctor of prescribing abortion drugs to a Texas resident in violation of state law. This lawsuit is the first attempt to test what happens when state abortion laws are at odds with each other. New York has a shield law that protects providers from out-of-state investigations and prosecutions, which has served as implicit permission for a network of doctors to mail abortion pills into states that have banned the procedure. Texas has vowed to pursue these cases regardless of those laws, and legal experts are divided on where the courts may land on this issue, which involves extraterritoriality, interstate commerce and other thorny legal questions last meaningfully addressed before the Civil War. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regardless of what the courts in Texas do, the real question is whether the courts in New York recognize it," said Greer Donley, University of Pittsburgh professor who studies these kinds of laws. [Texas conservatives test how far they can extend abortion and gender-transition restrictions beyond state lines] In this case, Paxton accuses Dr. Margaret Carpenter of mailing pills from New York to a 20-year-old woman in Collin County. The woman allegedly took the medication when she was nine weeks pregnant. When she began experiencing severe bleeding, the lawsuit says, she asked the man who impregnated her to take her to the hospital. He had not been aware she was pregnant or seeking an abortion, according to the filing. The lawsuit does not say whether the woman successfully terminated her pregnancy or experienced any long-term medical complications. Mifepristone and misoprostol, the medications Carpenter is accused of sending, are more than 95% effective if taken before 10 weeks of pregnancy. Texas abortion laws prohibit criminalizing or otherwise going after the person who undergoes the abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paxton is asking a Collin County court to block Carpenter from violating Texas law, and order her to pay $100,000 for every violation of the states near-total abortion ban. Violating Texas near-total abortion ban comes with up to life in prison, fines of at least $100,000 and the loss of a providers Texas medical license. Donley stressed that, based on the complaint, Carpenter did nothing illegal based on her home states laws. Carpenter is not licensed to practice in Texas, according to the complaint. She is the founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, a national group that helps doctors in states with shield laws provide telemedicine consultations and abortion pills to patients in states that have banned abortions. The group was founded after the overturn of Roe v. Wade by Carpenter, Dr. Linda Prine, and Julie Kay, a former ACLU lawyer who successfully argued the case that overturned Irelands abortion ban. They support doctors who want to become shield providers by advising them on licensure, data security, pharmacy contacts and legality. Carpenter also works with AidAccess, an international medication abortion provider, and helped found Hey Jane, a telehealth abortion provider. Neither Carpenter nor Kay immediately responded to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This battle has been looming since red states banned abortion and blue states passed shield laws, with many providers knowingly taking on the risk of becoming the test case. In February, John Seago, the president of Texas Right to Life, told the New York Times that they were waiting for the right case. We can definitely promise that in a pro-life state like Texas with committed elected officials and an attorney general and district attorneys who want to uphold our prolife laws, this is not something thats going to be ignored for long, he told the newspaper. Now that this case is here, lawyers who closely study these laws say this is exactly the type of situation New Yorks shield law is designed to combat. The New York shield law exists to prevent Texas from having any ability to get someone in New York who is following New York law into Texas court in any way, said David Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cohen said New Yorks law requires the state to refuse to order Carpenter to comply with Texas court orders, which effectively will leave Texas no defendant to bring this suit against. He might go forward to try and get a default judgment, and then they'll have to try to enforce it, Cohen said. But really, we don't know what hell do then. In an already heated race for Texas House Speaker, state GOP officials are hoping to wield new powers that would ensure their preferred candidate wins and give them unprecedented control over who can run in Republican primaries. Last week, the Republican Party of Texas implied it would censure any GOP Texas House member who does not vote for Rep. David Cook as speaker. Under new party rules, that would bar those lawmakers from running in Republican primaries for two years. The partys statement came amid an ongoing and intense race between Cook, who was endorsed last week by a majority of the House Republican Caucus, and Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican who says he has enough bipartisan support in the 150-member House to reach the 76 votes needed to become speaker. The acrimony has further inflamed an ongoing Republican war for control of the state party and Legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those fights could soon spill into the courtroom and with profound consequences for Texas political system. Political experts expect lawsuits if the Texas GOP follows through with its censures, resulting in a high-stakes legal drama that could upend the relationship between political parties, candidates and voters. It's very unusual for a group of unelected party members to essentially say that they are going to deny duly elected officials the ability to run under the party's name, said Joshua Blank, research director at University of Texas-Austins Texas Politics Project. I think the one thing that's guaranteed here is that this will lead to a lawsuit if it's applied. At issue is Rule 44 of the Republican Party of Texas rulebook, which deals with censures a way of punishing party members for defying or undermining the GOPs agenda. After long and contentious debate during the Texas GOPs 2024 convention, delegates expanded Rule 44 to require that county or party chairs reject primary applications from any candidate that does not swear or affirm, under penalty of perjury that they have not been censured in the two years prior. The new rules also apply to judges, who are elected in partisan races but are required by the states judicial ethics code to be politically neutral on the bench. Now, Rule 44 faces its first major test as part of a heated Republican fight for speaker of the Texas House. On Saturday, after the House GOP Caucus announced its support for Cook, the Texas GOP passed a resolution that called on House Republicans to rally behind him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the resolution does not explicitly call for censures, it repudiates numerous subversive tactics including voting for a Speaker who was not selected by the caucus that would violate the partys platform and legislative priorities, and thus be addressed by voters and by the Republican Party of Texas. Since then, at least one local party, the Fort Bend County GOP, has passed a resolution vowing to censure its representatives on similar grounds. The Texas GOP reaffirmed that stance in a Thursday statement to The Tribune that cited Rule 44. The Republican caucus has selected a speaker nominee, and the party stands firmly behind this choice, the statement read. Any member who opposes the caucus nominee will be viewed as acting contrary to our platform and principles. Intraparty tensions Tensions simmered for years between the Texas GOPs far-right and more moderate, but still deeply conservative, then exploded into all-out war in the wake of Attorney General Ken Paxtons 2023 impeachment by the House and acquittal by the Senate. The infighting only escalated during the 2024 GOP primaries, when the far right ousted dozens of incumbent Republican House members and further consolidated its grip on the party apparatus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Backed by West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, the states right wing has used its new influence to purge more moderate members, close its primaries and end what little powers Democrats have in the Texas House. Censures were rare before the infighting, but have become central to the right wings ongoing efforts to rid the party of those they deem Republicans in Name Only. In the last two years, the party has censured numerous, more establishment GOP lawmakers: U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales and Dade Phelan, a Beaumont Republican who was reelected to the Texas House this year but recently ended his reelection bid for House Speaker following a yearslong campaign against him by the Texas GOPs right wing. Supporters of the Rule 44 changes say they are necessary to deter lawmakers from defying the partys base and platform. Critics, however, argue that they increase purity tests and give a small group of party members the power to dictate who can run for office. Rule 44 allows party members to be censured for working against the Texas GOP's top legislative priorities, or for not acting in accordance with broader principles outlined in the party platform and its preamble. Among those stipulations: "affirming a belief in God'; recognizing that "human nature is immutable" or that "economic success depends on free market principles"; upholding "personal accountability and responsibility" and the "sanctity of innocent human life"; and "honoring all of those that serve and protect our freedom." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gonzales was censured for voting with Congressional Democrats in support of gay marriage and for a gun control bill in the wake of the shooting at Uvalde Elementary School, which is in his district. In their censure of Phelan, party leaders said he had violated numerous legislative priorities, including bills regarding border security and school finance the latter of which was at the center of contentious debate over school voucher programs that failed during the 2023 legislative session because of rural, Republican opposition. Also cited was Phelan's central role in Paxton's impeachment, an "expensive and time-consuming" process that party leaders argued was illegal and should never have moved forward because Paxton's alleged misconduct predated his most recent election. On those charges, Phelan was accused of violating principles of limited government and "personal accountability and responsibility." Both Gonzales and Phelan were reelected this year, despite the censures and well-funded primary challengers who were backed by party leaders. Had the new Rule 44 changes been in effect at the time, neither would have been able to run in the GOPs March primary. Political experts say Rule 44 is evidence of increased polarization that is no longer confined to Democrats vs. Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A remarkable feature of Texas politics is that, as the state has gotten more conservative, the result has been for Republicans to really ramp up their efforts against each other in order to maintain control over the levers of power, said Blank, the UT-Austin political expert. But the Texas GOP isnt alone. Earlier this year, the Idaho GOP passed language similar to Rule 44, prompting one Republican lawmaker to decry the change as akin to communism. Nor are the efforts totally novel; for decades, state or federal courts have slapped down state parties attempts to exert more control over their primaries. Earlier this year, a Missouri judge ruled that the state GOP must allow a self-avowed, former honorary member of the Ku Klux Klan to run in the Republican primary for governor, in part because the party had already accepted the candidates filing fee. In 2018, the Utah Republican Party similarly lost a legal challenge that sought to remove a candidate from its primary. In that ruling which was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court a federal court wrote that election law would be toothless if party bosses could dictate how candidates can qualify for the primary ballot. In Texas, courts have weighed in on related issues. In the 1920s, for instance, Texas Democrats lost multiple court cases that aimed to expand the partys influence over its primaries by banning women from voting, prohibiting non-white primary candidates and barring primary candidates whod endorsed the Republican nominee in the previous general election. In 1932s Nixon v. Condon, the U.S. Supreme Court similarly ruled against Texas Democrats arguments that their party was a voluntary association and thus entitled to choose its own membership by barring non-white candidates. In 1935 and 1944, the high court again struck down Texas Democrats attempts to maintain so-called white primaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blank, the UT-Austin political expert, said he anticipates new court challenges related to Rule 44, noting that the Texas GOP has vowed to cover legal fees for party leaders who are sued for enforcing the new rules. Immediately after putting this rule in place, they acknowledge, in effect, that it's likely to lead to a lawsuit, he said. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) An indictment was unsealed Friday in the Middle District of Tennessee charging a 34-year-old Texas man for child sexual exploitation offenses. According to court documents, Philip Taylor Sobash of Austin, Texas, who was a practicing physician at the time, engaged in an online sexually explicit relationship between October 2018 and May 2019 with Minor Victim 1, who lived in the Middle District of Tennessee. The online relationship allegedly began after they connected on a dating site that facilitates sugar daddy relationships. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Minor Victim 1 claimed she was 18 when she signed up for the site, which did not verify the age of its users. However, after their communications moved to text messaging, Minor Victim 1 reportedly informed Sobash of her true age and sent him a photo of her drivers license, confirming she was a minor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man arrested for multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor following cyber tip Officials said Sobash is accused of asking Minor Victim 1 to produce and send him sexually explicit images of herself and providing her thousands of dollars in cash and gifts to entice her to do so. Over the course of more than seven months, Minor Victim 1 allegedly sent hundreds of sexually explicit photos and videos most of which constituted child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to Sobash. Although Sobash reportedly assured Minor Victim 1 the images she sent would stay private, he distributed them online. As a result, the DOJ said unknown people contacted Minor Victim 1 and tried to blackmail her to produce more CSAM. Court filings indicate the FBI discovered in 2024 that not only was Minor Victim 1s CSAM available for sale on a publicly accessible website, but it was labeled with her first and last name. According to officials, the CSAM was part of a larger collection of sexually explicit images and videos of about 70 young women and girls called the DiscreetGent collection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Based on court documents, evidence from various sources indicates Sobash is DiscreetGent and is responsible for the sexually explicit imagery found in the online collection. In addition, court filings indicate at least four other victims featured in the DiscreetGent collection were minors when they created CSAM for Sobash. Man charged with raping 2 teens behind Nashville business Sobash allegedly sent electronic payments to Minor Victim 1 and the other underage victims, sometimes with sexual comments attached. The DOJ said Sobashs Apple iCloud account also contained copies of Minor Victim 1s CSAM. Officials said Sobash, 34, was arrested on Friday, Dec. 13 in the Western District of Texas. He was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of coercing a minor to engage in prostitution or unlawful sexual activity and one count of receipt of child pornography. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A federal district court judge will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors to determine the sentence. According to the DOJ, if convicted, he faces: Between 15 and 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor Anywhere from 10 years to life in prison for coercing a minor to engage in prostitution or unlawful sexual activity Between five to 20 years in prison for receipt of child pornography. If you believe you or your minor dependent was victimized by Sobash, youre asked to visit the FBI website and complete a short online questionnaire. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Criminal Division; acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee; and Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement about the indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case which is under investigation by the FBIs Child Exploitation Operational Unit was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the DOJ in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, officials said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. (The Texas Tribune) University professors across the political spectrum in Texas are preemptively self-censoring themselves for fear of damaging their reputations or losing their jobs, according to a new survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a First Amendment advocacy group. More than 6,200 professors from across the country responded to the survey on the climate of free speech and academic freedom on their campuses, one of the largest surveys of its kind, according to FIRE. Respondents included more than 200 professors at the University of Texas at Austin, nearly 50 at the University of Texas at Dallas and more than 165 at Texas A&M University in College Station. According to survey results, 35% of all respondents said they recently toned down their writing for fear of controversy and 27% felt unable to speak freely for fear of how students or administrators might respond. Nearly a quarter of faculty worry about losing their jobs over a misunderstanding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The worries were higher among faculty at Texas universities. At UT-Austin, more than half of the faculty respondents said they occasionally or often do not share their opinions because they worry how others might respond. Nearly half of faculty respondents at UT-Dallas said they had toned down their writing to avoid pushback. Faculty are not conflating self-censorship with being polite or professional that would be categorically different, the report stated. Rather, consistent proportions of faculty report that they are likely to refrain from sharing their views in various professional and conversational contexts for fear of social, professional, legal, or violent consequences. FIRE said this climate is unsustainable for higher education. The academy needs courageous faculty who are not afraid to research, write about, or teach topics that some may shy away from because they are labeled as controversial to ask and investigate unasked and unanswered questions, the report concludes. And the academy needs more faculty who are not afraid to support colleagues who themselves are afraid, or who have been targeted and have come under fire for their speech or academic endeavors. Consistent support from institutional administrations would not hurt either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the report, one faculty member at Texas A&M said they are actively avoiding aspects of the job due to the climate on campus. I am starting (for the first time in my career) to censor myself out of a desire for self-preservation, the faculty member told FIRE. I say nothing at all in faculty meetings now, if I attend at all. A UT-Austin professor said they feel pressure to conceal certain opinions. The atmosphere in certain academic units can be cult-like and fascistic and I really feel I have to pick my battles, the professor said. The report highlighted an incident at Texas A&M last year in which the school watered down a job offer to Kathleen McElroy, a Black journalism professor, after the Board of Regents and alumni groups criticized her previous employers, her diversity, equity and inclusion work and her research on race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McElroy decided to decline the offer and stay at her current job at UT-Austin after an A&M administrator told her he could not protect her if the regents wanted to terminate her. The Texas A&M System paid her a $1 million settlement after acknowledging mistakes were made during the hiring process. FIREs survey found self-censorship was more prevalent among conservative faculty. Around 55% of faculty who identified themselves as conservative reported they self-censor, compared to 17% of faculty who said they were liberal. The survey also found that faculty are more likely to be skeptical of conservative peers, indicating in the survey that a conservative faculty member would be a poor fit in their department. Two-thirds of respondents said universities should not take positions on political and social issues. That number was higher in Texas. Around 70% of the faculty respondents at Texas A&M, UT-Austin and UT-Dallas supported institutional neutrality. Earlier this year, the University of Texas System Board of Regents adopted an institutional neutrality policy after UT-Austin became ground zero in Texas for clashes over the Israel-Hamas war. Around 70% of survey respondents said the conflict was the most difficult issue to discuss on the flagship campus, along with racial inequality and transgender rights. At Texas A&M, the three more difficult issues for faculty to discuss on campus were racial inequality, trans rights and abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall, half of the faculty who responded to the survey said it is rarely or never justified to require job candidates to submit diversity statements, written statements in which job seekers explain how they might support diversity, equity and inclusion efforts if hired. Last legislative session, Texas lawmakers banned diversity statements at public colleges and universities as part of Senate Bill 17, the law that eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion offices on campuses. Many survey respondents said they dont believe administrators at their universities will push back against governing boards or politicians to protect free speech on campus. At Texas A&M, 45% of respondents felt academic freedom the longstanding principle that protects facultys ability to pursue teaching and research activities without political interference was somewhat secure on campus. More than a third of respondents said theyre not sure A&M administrators would protect free speech on campus. Last year, Texas A&M University System leaders directed the school to put a professor on paid administrative leave after a well-connected student complained that the professor allegedly criticized Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during a lecture. Text messages showed Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp directed the systems flagship university to put the professor on paid administrative leave while school officials investigated the complaint. He also updated the lieutenant governor on the status of the investigation, which eventually found that the complaint was unsubstantiated. Faculty said the incident created a chilling effect on campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FIREs survey comes as Texas faculty are gearing up for another legislative session in which they expect Republican lawmakers to try and curtail their power on campus. Patrick has asked lawmakers to limit the influence on campuses of faculty senates, which provide input on their universities curriculum and hiring decisions. The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Disclosure: Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University System, University of Texas Dallas, University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. AUSTIN (KXAN) A group of Texas lawmakers filed a bill on Thursday to expand access to state misconduct records. The move is in response to a KXAN investigation uncovering a former juvenile corrections officer who was able to work inside a Central Texas high school after a state agency investigated him for sexual misconduct. Senate Bill 571 filed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston will give contractors whose employees work on school campuses access to a state search engine with misconduct data from the Texas Education Agency, Juvenile Justice Department, Health and Human Services, and the Department of Family Protective Services. The search engine, which was greenlit by lawmakers in 2023, is still not complete. KXAN uncovered records showing by the time Isaiah Xavier Smith began tutoring on an Austin ISD campus in Sept. 2023, the Texas Juvenile Justice Departments Office of Inspector General had already confirmed he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a youth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texas mans job history before sex abuse conviction highlights background check gaps Smith is now facing indecency with a minor charge out of Travis County, related to his time tutoring at an Austin Independent School District campus, and charges out of Lee County related to his time at Giddings State School. AISD did not hire Smith. According to the district, he worked for the nonprofit Austin Partners in Education (APIE). APIEs director told KXAN Smith did not disclose his job history at TJJD or the on-going investigation. KXAN found the database where TJJD flags misconduct, including employees who are not eligible for rehire, is only accessible to other juvenile justice facilities. The Texas Education Agency, public and private schools, and educational nonprofits do not have access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Juvenile officers do-not-hire status initially reversed amid sexual misconduct investigation Theres been issues where contractors that have a really negative background, maybe even pedophilia, or whatever else, have been able to get access to school. We are trying to put an absolute halt to that, Bettencourt said. The reporting that you had [makes] it even more clear that we have to plug that gap. Its not entirely clear what would have been in TJJDs database following the agency opening an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Smith. Records show in 2022, weeks after being terminated Smith appealed the decision, and following a mediation, settlement agreement records show the Texas Juvenile Justice Department agreed to change Smiths termination, which made him ineligible for re-hire, to a resignation for personal reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency also agreed to reclassify Smith as eligible for hire in its Integrated Certification Information System, or ICIS a database accessible to other county juvenile facilities that use it to check certification eligibility and other misconduct records. TJJD officials told KXAN the settlement did not stop the investigation into Smiths alleged sexual misconduct by its Office of Inspector General and that Smith was still flagged in the agencys database. TJJD officials said the agency would have been able to tell prospective employers Smiths dates of employment and other information, depending on what they asked. Records show TJJD made Smith ineligible for rehire again in December 2023 after Smith was arrested and charged with indecency with a minor related to his time tutoring on an Austin ISD campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is suing companies that have historically made toxic forever chemicals, commonly referred to as PFAS, or products that contain them, alleging false advertising over their safety. Paxton, in his lawsuit, alleged that DuPonts Teflon and 3Ms Scotchgard were among products that the companies sold to Texans while concealing substantial risks from consumers and the State. Defendants marketed products containing harmful PFAS chemicals for over 70 years and were aware of the harmful effects of PFAS chemicals for over 50 years, the lawsuit said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite this knowledge, Defendants continued to market PFAS products and chemicals in Texas and elsewhere as safe for consumer use, misrepresent their environmental and biological risks, and conceal risks of harm from the public, it continued. PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is the name of a family of chemicals that have been widely used in a range of consumer products including nonstick pans and waterproof clothing and cosmetics. The substances have also been linked to a range of health issues including cancers, and issues with the thyroid, immune system and fertility. They are sometimes called forever chemicals because they persist for a very long time in the environment instead of breaking down. They have become pervasive in land and water, and are estimated to be in the blood of virtually every American. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In filing the suit, Texas joins a chorus of other states red and blue alike in filing suits over the chemicals. Some of these suits have alleged false advertising, while others have sought compensation for alleged contamination. But, as a broad center of Republican politics, Texass suit is significant. DuPont spun off its division that makes PFAS-containing products in 2015. In 2017, the company merged with Dow, though they later split and created another company called Corteva that contained some assets from both firms in 2019. As a result, the company that today goes by DuPont claims it is not the same company as the one that historically manufactured Teflon and other PFAS-containing products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to the lawsuit, DuPont spokesperson Dan Turner said DuPont de Nemours has never manufactured PFOA or PFOS, referring to two particularly toxic and relatively well-studied types of PFAS. While we dont comment on litigation matters, we believe this complaint is without merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending our record of safety, health and environmental stewardship, Turner said in an email. The Hill has reached out to spokespeople for 3M and Corteva, which were also sued by Texas. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. THEODORE, Ala. (WKRG) Silver Ships, a Theodore-based company, delivered a ship to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, according to a news release from the company. UPDATE: Mobile police identify two killed in murder-suicide on Cottrell Street Silver Ships built the ship and said the 35-foot hydrographic survey catamaran is specifically designed for USACEs mission to maintain navigable waterways and ensure infrastructure integrity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gulf Shores to host NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship after 2-year hiatus (Silver Ships) (Silver Ships) Silver Ships said in the release that the catamaran or watercraft with two parallel hulls connected by a bridge deck features a state-of-the-art hull optimized for stability and precision in survey missions, and will help the USACE. The advanced vessel is specifically designed to support hydrographic surveying operations critical to USACEs mission of maintaining navigable waterways and ensuring infrastructure integrity, the release said. Company officials said the boat reflects Silver Ships ability to make quality vessels for demanding environments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gulf Shores to host NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship after 2-year hiatus Were proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Silver Ships Business Development Director David Hunt said. This hydrographic survey vessel represents the culmination of cutting-edge technology and collaborative design tailored to meet the unique needs of the Detroit District. The Corps has consistently demonstrated a commitment to operational excellence, and were honored to contribute to their mission. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel said he wont have a full-time role in the second President-elect Trump administration, adding that he would become depressed and crazy if he spent his whole life thinking about politics. Im not going to do anything on a full-time basis, Thiel said during his Thursday appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored. You know, one can do things like what Elon is doing. You cant go full-time into government if youve been in a type of position like I have, he told Morgan, referring to fellow billionaire Elon Musk, who was named by Trump to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Its just the sort of things you have to be realistic about, what you can and cant do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But is there an Elon-style role? Morgan then asked Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and a friend of Vice President-elect JD Vance. Its just not my area of comparative advantage. I think politics is very important. Its also I would find it deeply frustrating. I would go out of my mind if I spent all my time doing about it, Thiel said Thursday. So I think its super important. I enjoy going on your show, thinking about it every now and then. If I spent my whole life thinking about this, man, Id be depressed and crazy. The Silicon Valley billionaire has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump. Thiel was one of the first tech and business leaders to support the Republican during his 2016 presidential run, giving $1.25 million in support of his successful White House bid. Thiel spent $15 million in backing Vances 2022 Senate bid in Ohio. The two met at Yale Law School in 2011. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Thiel critiqued some aspects of Trumps first term, saying his administration was crazier and more dangerous than what he expected. Voting for Trump was like a not very articulate scream for help, Thiel told The Atlantic at the time. There are a lot of things I got wrong. Thiel said in November 2023 that he did not plan to donate to Republican candidates during the 2024 election cycle. In June this year, he said he would not be financially backing super PACs aligned with Trump, but that he would vote for him. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dec. 13The joy an older Troy man experienced after bagging a 5x5 white-tailed buck Nov. 20 in the Lower Yaak was quickly dashed after it was stolen, along with some of his hunting gear. Bob Swiden, 74, was hunting about three miles up the Yaak River Road when he bagged the big buck. One of the antlers had a broken point. He began to drag the deer toward his truck, but he started having chest pains. "I went to get help and when we got back, the deer and my backpack were gone," Swiden said. "It was only about 40 minutes from when I left to when we returned, so whoever it was didn't waste any time getting out of there." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Swiden's daughter, Hali VanGorder, works at Alta Vista Meat Co., west of Troy. "It's really disappointing someone would do this," she said. Swiden said he knows it's too late to get the deer back, but is hopeful he can get his pack back due to some of the gear it held. "It's an orange mesh pack and it has a little folding saw, an old knife my uncle gave to me, a deer bleat call and a couple of pads I sit on," Swiden said. "The saw has a pretty unique handle, too. It's made of black walnut that I brought here from home in Pa." Swiden said he was a few hundred yards from his truck when he started feeling ill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We always tell him, if you need help, just come to the shop and someone will help you," VanGorder said. "Pat went to help him, but everything was gone." Swiden had a heart attack a few days later, but is recovering at home. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Warden Sawyer Johnson is investigating the incident, which he called, "completely unacceptable." "It occurred in what the locals call Teepee Flats area, about three miles up the Yaak River Road," Johnson said. "He had tagged and gutted the deer and got back around noon, but it was gone. If anyone was hunting in the area and saw something, they can call me at 406-291-6539." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson said callers can remain anonymous and a reward up to $1,000 may be available if information leads us to who did this." They can also visit tipmont.mt.gov to provide information. Interestingly, it's not the only incident of theft of a buck in the region. According to a Oct. 30 Facebook post by FWP, wardens are investigating the theft of a white-tailed buck's head from a legally harvested deer west of Kalispell on opening weekend. The hunter, who had successfully harvested the deer, left the site briefly to retrieve a game cart. When he returned, he discovered the the deer's head was removed and taken. Cuts marks were found on the carcass where the head was removed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deer head can be identified by 5-by-5 antlers with a unique drop tine. Anyone with possible information is asked to visit tipmont.mt.gov or call the local game warden at 406-871-3104. Callers may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. With the value of antlers on the rise, thefts are becoming more common. Dec. 12In 2007, it was Gary DeVercelly Jr. at Rider University in New Jersey. In 2014, it was Tucker Hipps at Clemson University. In 2017, Timothy Piazza died days after a hazing ritual at his Penn State fraternity. Then in 2019, Washington State University freshman Sam Martinez, 19, died during a hazing event at his fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega. He died of alcohol poisoning after pressure from his fraternity brothers to drink excessively. Sam's parents, Jolayne Houtz and Hector Martinez, joined the ranks of families who lost their children to hazing, defined as degrading, forceful and dangerous initiation often associated with Greek systems at universities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Solemn yet productive, this coalition of families has been rallying for legislation addressing hazing for over 10 years, each hoping hazing deaths stop with their children. "I really can't stand to see another young person lost to this, and so I keep going, and I know many other parents are doing the same," Houtz said. "It's not always easy to live inside of the cause of death of your child, and to be thinking about it all day long and wondering how you can bring more of it to light to help other families, but you feel a drive to keep other families from experiencing the hurt that we've been through." Sam's family successfully lobbied for laws in Washington and joined forces with other parents to push for national change. On Wednesday, they marched one step closer to their decadelong goal: the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Stop Campus Hazing Act already approved by the House of Representatives. "There's a lot of brave families behind this who have really taken their profound grief and channeled it into lifesaving legislation to help others," Houtz said. "It won't bring back our children, but it is comforting to know that we may prevent another hazing death for another family." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pending the president's signature to become law, every college and university in the U.S. will be federally required to publicly disclose incidents of hazing at their institutions on their websites. Schools are to include hazing incidents in their annual security reports that detail other crime statistics on their campuses. The bill also requires institutions to create campuswide hazing education and prevention programs. "My heart aches for Sam every day," Houtz said. "He's the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing at night. I so wish that his life would have been spared and that this law would have been in place, because I think it would have saved him." A result of Sam's family's advocacy, the Washington Legislature passed a law that increased the penalty for hazing in 2023 and in 2022 another that requires hazing education at universities and for them to disclose investigations of hazing on their campus, similar to the federal version passed Wednesday. The couple's advocacy didn't stop at state law and won't stop with a national one. Houtz and Martinez founded and operate the organization HazingInfo.org, which includes a database of hazing incidents around the nation, a "one-stop source" for parents and students. It's shining a light on the secretive, often swept-under-the-rug culture of hazing so others have more information than Houtz did. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Hazing is always something that has happened in darkness. I think about Sam's experience, literally in a basement with the lights off and being forced to drink alcohol until he died," Houtz said. "I think there's no better way that I can think of to bring that behavior into the light than to share this incident data with families that can use it to make decisions for themselves and their children." Elena Perry's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor. DAMASCUS (AP) Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of freedom, dignity and justice was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an inclusive and non-sectarian interim government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blinken arrived in Iraq on a previously unannounced stop after talks in Jordan and Turkey, which backs some of the Syrian insurgent factions. So far, U.S. officials have not talked of direct meetings with Syria's new rulers. The main insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus early Sunday. The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, though HTS is still labeled a terrorist group by the United States and European countries. HTS's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I invite them to head to the squares to show their happiness without shooting bullets and scaring people, he said. And then after, we will work to build this country, and as I said in the beginning, we will be victorious by the help of God. Syrians celebrate in the historic heart of Damascus Huge crowds, including some insurgents, packed the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital's old city, many waving the rebel opposition flag with its three red stars which has swiftly replaced the Assad-era flag with with its two green stars. Syrian state television reported that the sermon was delivered by Mohammed al-Bashir, the interim prime minister installed by HTS this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scene resonated on multiple levels. The mosque, one of the world's oldest dating back some 1,200 years, is a beloved symbol of Syria, and sermons there like all mosque sermons across Syria were tightly controlled under Assad's rule. Also, in the early days of the anti-government uprising in 2011, protesters would leave Friday prayers to march in rallies against Assad before he launched a brutal crackdown that turned the uprising into a long and bloody civil war. I didnt step foot in Umayyad Mosque since 2011," because of the tight security controls around it, said one worshipper, Ibrahim al-Araby. Since 11 or 12 years, I havent been this happy. Another worshipper, Khair Taha, said there was fear and trepidation for whats to come. But there is also a lot of hope that now we have a say and we can try to build. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blocks away in Damascus' biggest roundabout, named Umayyad Square, thousands gathered, including many families with small children a sign of how, so far at least, the country's transformation has not caused violent instability. Unified Syria to build Syria, the crowd chanted. Some shouted slurs against Assad and his late father, calling them pigs, an insult that would have previously led to offenders being hauled off to one of the feared detention centers of Assads security forces. One man in the crowd, 51-year-old Khaled Abu Chahine originally from the southern province of Daraa, where the 2011 uprising first erupted said he hoped for freedom and coexistence between all Syrians, Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze. The interim prime minister, al-Bashir, had been the head of a de facto administration created by HTS in Idlib, the opposition's enclave in northwest Syria. The rebels were bottled up in Idlib for years before fighters broke out in a shock offensive and marched across Syria in 10 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similar scenes of joy unfolded in other major cities, including in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Latakia and Raqqa. US and its allies try to shape a rapidly changing Syria Al-Sharaa, HTS' leader, has promised to bring a pluralistic government to Syria, seeking to dispel fears among many Syrians especially its many minority communities that the insurgents will impose a hard-line, extremist rule. Another key factor will be winning international recognition for a new government in a country where multiple foreign powers have their hands in the mix. The Sunni Arab insurgents who overthrew Assad did so with vital help from Turkey, a longtime foe of the U.S.-backed Kurds. Turkey controls a strip of Syrian territory along the shared border and backs an insurgent faction uneasily allied to HTS and is deeply opposed to any gains by Syria's Kurds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other developments, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkeys Embassy in Damascus would reopen Saturday for the first time since 2012, when it closed due to the Syrian civil war. The U.S. has troops in eastern Syria to combat remnants of the Islamic State group and supports Kurdish-led fighters who rule most of the east. Since Assad's fall, Israel has bombed sites all over Syria, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. It has also seized a swath of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a buffer zone. After talks with Fidan, Blinken said there was broad agreement between Turkey and the U.S. on what they would like to see in Syria. That starts with an "interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women and does not pose any kind of threat to any of Syrias neighbors, Blinken said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fidan said the priority was establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK arent dominant referring to the Islamic State group and the Kurdistan Workers Party. Ankara considers the PKK within Turkey's borders a terrorist group, as it does the Kurdish-backed forces in Syria backed by the U.S. A U.S. official said that in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fidan both told Blinken that Kurdish attacks on Turkish positions would require a response. The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic talks. The U.S. has been trying to limit such incidents in recent days and had helped organize an agreement to prevent confrontations around the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which was taken by Turkey-backed opposition fighters from the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces earlier this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, saying both countries wanted to ensure the Islamic State group also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh doesn't exploit Syria's transition to re-emerge. Having put Daesh back in its box, we cant let it out, and were determined to make sure that that doesnt happen," Blinken said. The U.S. official who briefed reporters said that Blinken had impressed upon al-Sudani the importance of Iraq exercising its full sovereignty over its territory and airspace to stop Iran from transporting weapons and equipment to Syria, either for Assad supporters or onward to the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. ___ Lee reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report. Three Minnesotans were among Joe Bidens 39 pardon recipients. Kelsie Lynn Becklin, 38, of Falcon Heights, pleaded guilty to a nonviolent offense at age 21. Becklin served her sentence, recently completed a Ph.D. program and mentors previously incarcerated individuals who also want to pursue higher education. Sarah Jean Carlson, 49, of Coon Rapids, pleaded guilty to a nonviolent offense. She was granted a shortened probationary sentence and has furthered her education while working in addiction counseling at a faith-based rehabilitation center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lashawn Marrvinia Walker, 51, of Minneapolis, pleaded guilty to nonviolent drug offenses in her 20s. She was granted a shortened probationary sentence and has worked in the health care field, is an engaged parent and regularly assists others in her community, including during the holidays when she helps serve dinner at a retirement home. Related Articles A Grand Island residential neighborhood led by Hoppe Development is among projects boosted by tax-increment financing. (Courtesy of Hoppe Development) OMAHA In rural Nebraska towns of Scribner and Lexington, workforce housing is rising with help from a sometimes controversial economic development incentive called tax-increment financing. The assistance TIF offers developers can cut a familys cost of buying one of the roughly $300,000 houses by as much as $50,000, a developer of the projects said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Used in urban cities of Omaha and Lincoln as well, TIF will be sought to help revamp and add mixed-income housing to a blighted North Omaha site named after longtime state legislator Ernie Chambers. Hoppe Development plans to seek TIF to help renovate Ernie Chambers Court in North Omaha, shown here, and surrounding property. (Courtesy of Nebraska Investment Finance Authority) Trendier areas, including Omahas downtown and midtown, also have spiffed up with TIF-enabled projects such as Mutual of Omahas under-construction $600 million skyscraper and spots along the Blackstone commercial district. During a half-day workshop Wednesday hosted by Urban Land Institute Nebraska, supporters touted the public benefits of those and other Nebraska projects made possible with TIF, a public financing mechanism used for decades to spur investment in blighted areas across the state. Organizers of the event, aimed at shedding more light on the incentive, called TIF one of the few redevelopment tools available to reverse blight. But they said it is often misunderstood and sometimes maligned. Its been scrutinized by some state officials and, most recently, has become a wedge issue in Omahas mayoral race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its always a little spicy, Jay Lund, an Omaha developer who helped organize the TIF discussion this week, said of public reactions to large TIF projects. Today is about sharing the success of tax-increment financing and how it has helped produce great projects in great places. The but for test Wednesdays seminar, which packed a 120-person capacity hall at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, was titled, But for TIF: Tool to Build Stronger Communities. The title nods to a key hurdle applicants must clear to access the financial incentive. Workshop organizers, seeking to reinforce that TIF is not handed out without vetting, said developers must convince city leaders that the project would not happen but for the assistance that it wouldnt happen without. A full room of about 120 people, including developers and city officials, attended a workshop on tax-increment financing, which organizers called one of the few redevelopment tools to spur investment in blighted areas. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) Mayor Jean Stothert, whose talk wrapped up the event, praised TIF-spurred development and said it contributed to why Forbes ranked Omaha as the No. 1 city to move to in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor acknowledged, however, skepticism that swirls around the urban core streetcar project, whose $389 million cost to the city is to be covered by TIF proceeds. She announced that the city has hired an independent auditor to review Omahas TIF practices, partly to quell naysayer concerns. Stothert also addressed streetcar criticism from mayoral opponent State Sen. Mike McDonnell, and pooh-poohed his call for the city to pause new TIF projects in light of concerns State Auditor Mike Foley raised in September. Why in the world would we stop using TIF? said Stothert, who is running for a fourth term as mayor of Nebraskas largest city. We dont want to stop this momentum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state auditors report took particular aim at Omahas TIF program but issued a broader warning about how the financing mechanism is being used in communities across the state. Foley said more than a half-billion dollars in property tax collections were redirected over the past five years to fund urban redevelopment throughout Nebraska marking a remarkable increase in TIF use that risks further upward pressure on local property taxes. The way TIF works typically: For up to 20 years, the extra property taxes generated by new improvements on TIF sites are diverted over a set length of time to help private developers pay eligible costs of transforming the area. Critics have objected in part because local taxing jurisdictions forgo that increased property tax while the developers loan is being paid off. Some also question whether city councils have grown too lenient in bestowing the required designation of an area as blighted. A developer panel featured at an Omaha TIF workshop, from left: Jake Hoppe of Hoppe Development; Jay Lund of GreenSlate Development; Cydney Franklin of PJ Morgan Real Estate and former CEO of Seventy Five North; Todd Heistand of NuStyle Development, and moderator Scott Dobbe of Omaha by Design. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speakers on Wednesday said the projects and blighted designations undergo a thorough eligibility process. Stothert said, for example, that city approval of $68 million in TIF was key to Mutuals decision to build its new headquarters in the citys core rather than in an area where construction costs are lower. With the streetcar project, TIF will work somewhat differently. The city is to sell bonds and repay the debt with TIF revenue. Stothert has said anticipated development and higher property values sparked by the streetcar will produce enough TIF revenue to pay off the bonds without requiring a tax increase. Foleys take on the streetcar was that it would result in the largest diversion of property tax dollars for an economic development project in Nebraska history. Of TIF overall, he said: Count me a skeptic if anyone tries to claim that the rapid escalation in TIF-funded projects has nothing to do with the ever-higher property tax obligations in our state. When done right At least two Nebraska legislators and a senator-elect attended the TIF workshop, along with a few Omaha City Council members and representatives from other Nebraska cities. How TIF works Tax-increment financing provides a way for developers to basically borrow against the future property value of a project to offset some eligible costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here is how it generally has worked in Omaha: The developer or property owner secures a loan to help cover eligible costs on a project site that a city has blighted and approved for redevelopment. The debt is paid back, generally over a 15- or 20-year period, using the increased property taxes generated by the improvements on the new development. Property taxes continue to be paid by the owner, too, but on the valuation of the original site prior to any improvements. That portion of the payments go to the usual destination for property taxes: schools and local governments. When the TIF loan is paid off, the tax on the original property as well as on the improvements flows to the typical taxing jurisdictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hope is that by that time, the site will be worth more, generate more tax revenue and spur additional development nearby. State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha said in an interview afterward that he remained middle-of-the-road on TIF, but that the presentation showed me that, done right, TIF can be a valuable tool. McDonnell was not at the event, but he previously told city officials that he feared the aggressive approach taken by Omaha in implementing TIF could result in legislation that severely restricts or possibly eliminates what can be an effective development tool. Cavanaugh and Omaha State Sen. Brad von Gillern, who also attended, said that if any lawmaker planned to introduce a TIF-related bill, they were unaware of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Von Gillern said that rural communities have learned to embrace the tool, particularly to develop workforce housing. Rural likes it and urban likes it, he said, adding that hes doubtful the Legislature would seek to restrict the incentive. Kicking off the workshop, Omaha attorney David Levy noted that TIF, which dates back to a 1980 voter-approved constitutional amendment in Nebraska, is used in all states but Arizona. He said each state has its own variation. He said TIF was a topic of great interest across the state and in the Legislature, and that Wednesdays gathering served as an explainer and an effort to dispel misconceptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among other presenters was Bridget Hadley, who oversees Omahas TIF program and Heather Worthington, a principal at Urban3, which helps cities nationwide understand the economic impact of development. Stories of success A panel of developers talked about their own tax-increment financing projects. Lund, a co-founder of GreenSlate Development, said the transformation of a deteriorating midtown Omaha corridor would not exist without the incentive to help fill a financing gap. Widely viewed as one of the hippest areas of the city, the Blackstone District has seen more than $300 million in investment since around 2011, he said. Were taking empty parking lots and were turning them into buildings, said Lund. Todd Heistand, co-founder of NuStyle Development, said TIF has been a key to his company creating some 2,700 Omaha housing units since 2010. Todd and Mary Heistand of NuStyle Development, show an artists rendering of The Duo project in downtown Omaha. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) Among its most recent efforts, NuStyle purchased the mixed-use Central Park Plaza in downtown Omaha to convert into 707 dwellings with street-level retailers and a parking garage. The city approved $26.5 million in TIF for The Duo project. Heistand said earlier project sites such as South Omahas Livestock Exchange Building and downtowns The Bank and The Breakers commercial buildings would have sat vacant without financial incentives to lessen a developers risk. You get them back on the tax rolls. That in my mind is what TIF is about, he said. Cydney Franklin of PJ Morgan Real Estate is former CEO of the nonprofit Seventy Five North who also served on the Omaha Planning Board. She described herself as a TIF advocate, though she said she would like to see more diversity represented among beneficiaries. Jake Hoppe of Lincoln-based Hoppe Development said his company has tapped the TIF incentive in more rural Nebraska communities where growth is challenged by a housing shortage. In both Scribner and Pender, he said, his company has constructed a handful of for-sale homes. It is working on another 35 in Lexington. In Grand Island, $6 million in tax-increment financing helped build about 130 for-sale homes. More typically, said Hoppe, the public incentive is used for rental unit projects. But using TIF to defray lot and infrastructure expenses for for-sale housing is more emblematic of what happens outside of Lincoln and Omaha. In effect, he said, the rural family is able to buy a home minus the lot cost. Ernie Chambers Court Chambers Court and surrounding area of North Omaha. The brown areas show how housing would grow. (Courtesy of the City of Omaha) Hoppe is currently planning to request TIF for his companys first Omaha project, a mix of affordable and market-rate rental dwellings on about eight acres near 18th Street and Willis Avenue in North Omaha. As proposed, the 211 units include 70 Chambers Court apartments to be bought from the Omaha Housing Authority and renovated. Another 141 are to be newly constructed on surrounding land. Guided by input from area residents, Hoppe said the idea is to not focus exclusively on low-income housing, but to create a neighborhood of mixed-income residents. Additional funding sources such as low-income housing tax credits from the Nebraska Investment Financing Authority are to help the effort. It would not happen without TIF, Hoppe said. A look at styles of some for-sale housing in subdivisions that Hoppe Development has built or is building in Nebraska cities such as of Grand Island and Lexington, with the help of tax-increment financing. (Courtesy of Hoppe Development) SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX It was election night in February 2021, and results showed Tiffany Henyard on the verge of becoming Doltons first Black female mayor. Encouraged by the numbers, Henyard told a Daily Southtown reporter that Dolton residents were ready for change. Right now, people are just sad, she said. They are looking for something to uplift them. Thats what I bring, a passion, transparency, accountability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A little more than a year later, in March 2022, Henyard would take on the additional role of Thornton Township supervisor following the death of Frank Zuccarelli, who had been in that position since 1993. But not long after her election as mayor and even before her installation as supervisor of the states biggest township, Henyard began clashing with village trustees over spending and transparency. Her building and breaking down of intergovernmental relationships would continue in Dolton and at the township. Now she faces headwinds as she seeks reelection as mayor in the February Democratic primary and tries to challenge being kept off the ballot in her run for a full term as township supervisor. Federal authorities continue to investigate her actions in both roles, issuing subpoenas for records and interviewing associates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dolton trustees launched an effort to recall her as mayor, resulting in 56% of voters favoring her ouster, though the process was ruled illegal by the courts. Dan Lee, a longtime Dolton resident, has been a regular attendee at Dolton Village Board and Thornton Township meetings. Instead of the promised transparency and accountability, she turned into a Frankensteins monster, Lee said. Its been this my way or the highway attitude. At a Dec. 2. Village Board meeting, Lee described Henyard and her administration as a cancer that has been eating away at our community for nearly four years. Henyards dream team Henyard was initially seen as a reformer. A trustee for eight years, she defeated Riley Rogers, who led the village since 2013 and followed the Shaw brothers political influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rogers had been accused of misdeeds by trustees, including Henyard, who was elected to the board in 2013. In May 2019, trustees voted 5-1 on a resolution calling for an outside investigation into Rogers, with trustees saying they learned of numerous improprieties concerning the mayors use of village funds, employees and resources. Speaking to residents at a Village Board meeting, Rogers denied any wrongdoing, telling residents that, as mayor, Im not here to intentionally defraud this community or be untruthful to residents. In February 2021, Rogers, who had suffered a stroke in January, competed in a four-person Democratic primary, garnering 30.2% of the vote to 34.5% for Henyard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee, a Dolton resident since 1989, said as a trustee, Henyard was one of Rileys chief critics. She was calling for the same transparency that she is not providing now, Lee said. Lee said Rogers was extremely ill and recovering from a stroke, so he reluctantly voted for Henyard, though he really had no clue about her background. We had to have a mayor, and she was the only choice I could see at the time, Lee said. Seen as a breath of fresh air at a celebratory inauguration as first female Dolton mayor, clout-heavy attendees included Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, with former Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown as transition leader and interim village administrator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Henyard even called on leaders to help her reach out to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot regarding Doltons water debt. She had assembled what she called her dream team, and elected with her were Trustees Kiana Belcher, Jason House and Brittney Norwood along with Village Clerk Alison Key. Theyre now on a ticket called Clean House, headed by House, that also includes former Trustee Edward Steave. Ironically, they also hired Lightfoot to investigate Henyard. Sought supervisor position As fights with trustees and opposition built in Dolton, Thornton Township Trustee Chris Gonzalez nominated Henyard to be township supervisor following the death of Frank Zuccarelli in January 2022. The move came after five failed votes by trustees to find a replacement as a midnight deadline neared to avoid a town hall meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I really didnt know her all that well. Obviously I knew she was the mayor of Dolton and stuff like that, Gonzelez said. He said Henyard expressed interest in the supervisor position if you guys cant pick someone, Gonzalez recalls At the March 3, 2022, meeting, Gonzalez twice nominated township Assessor Cassandra Elston, who he said Zuccarelli wanted to succeed him. However, a split in the board meant neither Elston nor other candidates received enough votes for appointment. He said he felt if Elston couldnt be supervisor, the township would benefit from a young, female leader. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I honestly thought that she wanted to carry on Franks legacy, and obviously thats not the case, Gonzalez said. Zuccarelli was known as a Democratic Party powerhouse in the region, holding positions on the South Suburban College Board and within the Cook County Democratic Party before his death in January 2022 at age 70. Gov. JB Pritzker spoke at his wake, calling the late supervisor a genuine champion and someone who had lived a brilliant life of service and friendship. Gonzalez, who has since become Henyards most vocal critic on the Township Board, regrets the nomination. He said what he believes are her true colors were shown soon after she entered office, as she began improperly firing employees and telling mistruths that I knew were mistruths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gonzalez said he questioned these behaviors from the start, leading administrator Keith Freeman, who has since been fired, to approach Gonzalez and ask what he could do to improve the relationship between the trustee and Henyards administration. I said, One of two things is going to happen here: you guys are going to be more transparent, or Im going to be seen as the enemy. It doesnt matter to me which one it is,' Gonzalez said. A lot of things come back around. Lack of transparency Trustees in Dolton were also raising concerns about spending by Henyard, as she did not provide documentation for them, and she signed contracts and spent money without approval. A Las Vegas trip and building of an ice rink were among catalysts. Village Clerk Keys sought a restraining order in April 2022, claiming Henyard directed department heads and employees not to respond to requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act, something the clerks office typically handled. Keys complaint said department heads and employees abided by Henyards order for fear of losing their jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cook County Judge Anna Loftus denied the restraining order in August 2022, and the case has since languished in the Circuit Court. Dolton trustees, hearing of federal investigators collecting documents through subpoenas and even Village Hall visits, hired former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to examine Henyards administration and village finances. A preliminary report this summer by Lightfoot showed, since Henyards election, Dolton went from having a budget surplus to a significant deficit. Lightfoot is expected to release a more complete report on her findings in January. From the perspective of Thornton Trustee Gonzalez and many of the people since drawn to the drama surrounding ongoing investigations and politricks, as Henyard often says at meetings, lack of transparency has been a tenet of Henyards leadership. Gonzalez and Trustee Carmen Carlisle, who was appointed to the board after serving as Henyards assistant but soon became another self-proclaimed enemy of the administration, complained they have been cut off from almost all township communications and said they receive little to no information about motions the supervisor brings forward at meetings. Seeking answers The Daily Southtown sought records from Dolton in May 2023, and followed up again in August of that year. While the Freedom of Information Act requests were acknowledged as received, there was no response. In May 2024, lawyers for the Daily Southtown sent a letter to Dolton officials, including Henyard, outlining the lack of response and requesting the village adhere to the law and turn over records. It too was ignored. WGN also sought records in this time period without response, and requested the public access counselor in the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raouls office review the request. In February 2024, the attorney generals office issued a binding opinion ordering Dolton to produce the requested records. The village did not. WGN eventually won a court ruling demanding the documents be turned over, leading to stories on that station and in the Daily Southtown on some of Henyards spending in Dolton. Residents and other outside groups also sought answers. Documents obtained by the Daily Southtown show the attorney generals office received more than 50 complaints of FOIA requests denied or ignored by Dolton between January 2021 and April of this year. The office did not provide all relevant documents in time for this articles publication. The attorney generals office also received 30 complaints of denied or ignored FOIA requests by Thornton Township between January 2022 and August of this year. The state comptroller also ordered a forced audit because Dolton has not filed annual financial reports. An auditing firm is now in place, but it could be six months before the financial reports might be ready, House said at a recent Village Board meeting. Until that happens, the comptroller is holding back from Dolton money it collects from things such as past-due traffic fines, amounting to more than $100,000. Uncertain future As Dolton and Thornton Township head into another election season, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over Henyard. Her term both as mayor and supervisor end following the April election, and she has sought to keep both posts. She is a candidate in the February Democratic primary for Dolton mayor, facing the challenge by the Clean House slate. A chaotic Democratic caucus last week appeared to keep Henyards name from the April ballot, as state Sen. Napoleon Harris clinched the Democratic Partys nomination for supervisor along with a slate including Gonzalez for reelection as trustee. Henyard, who attempted to nominate herself for supervisor, was disqualified by party rules requiring candidates to run as a team of people filling every open position. Henyard has since filed a court challenge to the caucus proceedings, calling them rigged against her. Henyards silence Henyard rarely returns phone calls or messages for response about her actions, including requests to be interviewed for this article. She does provide videos on social media channels, complaining about coverage in the media and treatment by trustees in both the village and the township. She also uses the platform to rail against her critics. Henyard has repeatedly described Dolton trustees opposed to her as corrupt, and has long promised a town hall meeting where she said she will explain the villages financial situation and how taxpayers money is spent, although that has yet to happen. On her Facebook page, Henyard describes herself as The most powerful woman in the Southland of Chicago, and calls herself Supermayor, a mash-up of her roles as township supervisor and Dolton mayor. Even as a federal investigation into her continues and has included Henyards ties to Thornton Township High School District 205 and a purported charity headed by Henyard, she has remained defiant. Lee said he is supporting the ticket led by House, and told Henyard at a Dec. 2 Village Board meeting, you are on your way out. During Henyards mayors report at that meeting, which tends to be a recitation of her accomplishments, she said she is coming for everyone that defamed my name, and, despite her Democratic credentials, again cited Republican President-elect Donald Trump. I am going to come through on a landslide just like Trump did, she said. Dolton is going to see their mayor rise like a Phoenix. SAN DIEGO (Border Report) The use of fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices is prohibited in the city of Tijuana, but according to its police department, many dont adhere to this law and thats why it is launching a city-wide crackdown. Tijuanas mayor, Ismael Burgueno Ruiz, said there will be a zero-tolerance policy for any citizen selling or using fireworks. We will act and use all our resources to remain vigilant, said Burgueno Ruiz. It is clear that this type of activity is illegal, no one can use or sell fireworks without a permit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayor admitted there have been businesses pursuing legal means to be able to sell fireworks, something he said the city would fight against. If they want to chase legal avenues to get amnesty to fight this law and be able to sell pyrotechnics, we will find our own legal paths to prevent it from happening. 2 dead in explosion at fireworks warehouse The city is also encouraging residents to report anyone selling or setting off fireworks. This has a negative impact on our environment, this also affects people with anxiety, those who cant stand loud noises, not to mention pets who become frighten by the bangs, said Aldo Gallardo, director of Tijuanas environmental agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gallardo also said clandestine firework sales goes up during the holidays, especially Christmas and New Years Eve. Were asking distributors not to sell fireworks, were also asking the public to report anyone selling these materials, they can do so via our social media platforms. Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border The city says it has started undercover operations in marketplaces, street corners, convenience stores and other areas of the city to try and catch people selling fireworks illegally. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) TikTok is scrambling in federal court to halt a law forcing the company to sell to a U.S. owner or be banned in the U.S. January 19th. TikTok refuses to sell. Monday they filed a motion to a federal appeals court after three judges on the court ruled to uphold the law last week. In the filing TikTok argues the law is unconstitutional and a violation of First Amendment rights. The company requests the case be delayed until the Supreme Court can review it and after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in January 20th. In the filing TikTok cites Trumps campaign promise to save TikTok. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement George Washington University Law Professor Alan Morrison argues Trump has no authority to override the law. If the courts uphold the ban, Morrison says Trump will have to convince Congress which passed the mandate with sweeping bipartisan support back in April to change the law. He has to get the Congress, which passed this law by something like almost unanimously to say, never mind, I was wrong, says Morrison. That may be a hard sale for a lot of people. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) argue TikTok needs to sell to ensure its not banned. They argue TikToks Chinese parent company, ByteDance, is a national security threat because their data is accessible to the Chinese government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The problem with TikTok is its a tool of the CCP to spy on Americans, says Schmitt. There are a lot of people who would love to buy TikTok, a lot of companies, a lot of individualswho are not controlled by the Communist Party in Beijing, says Hawley. TikTok denies Americans data is compromised. Roughly 170 million Americans are on the app. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, the owner of Time magazine, commended President-elect Trump for being selected as the publications Person of the Year. Congratulations to President @realDonaldTrump on being named TIME Person of the Year 2024, Benioff wrote Thursday on the social platform X. This marks a time of great promise for our nation. We look forward to working together to advance American success and prosperity for everyone, he continued. May G-d bless the United States of America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, in a feature interview with Time, gave a prelude to his incoming administration, addressing topics including health care, spending cuts and pardons for those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Ill be looking at J-6 early on, maybe the first nine minutes, he told the outlet. The president-elect has long vowed to grant clemency to Jan. 6 rioters, describing them on the campaign trail as political prisoners. Trumps successful reelection bid sparked a wave of interest from tech leaders, who have seemingly reached out to the president-elect. Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and owner of The Washington Post, is expected to meet with Trump next week, and Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg has already been in talks with the incoming president at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Amazon and Meta have donated $1 million to Trumps inauguration next month. Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, also the owner of X, has taken on a prominent role in the president-elects inner circle. He was tapped last month to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Pixley residents this week halted the development of a hydrogen plant approved by Tulare County leaders without an environmental review despite its plans to produce and store large quantities of hazardous and explosive materials. Residents of the rural unincorporated community located in southwest Tulare County along Highway 99 said the postponement of the project was a significant victory. This win for our community is a testament to the power of people. We have shown that community voices can make a difference, said said Pixley resident Beverley Whitfield. Whitfield, 73, has lived in Pixley for more than 50 years and represents the Pixley Residents for Environment Justice group that sued to halt the project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously withdrew its approval of a 28-acre industrial hydrogen plant. The county faced opposition from Pixley residents who filed a lawsuit to halt the project because it lacked environmental clearance It is critical the project undergoes proper environmental review to ensure there are safeguards in place to protect the community, said Michael Claiborne, an attorney for the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability representing Pixley residents. In March, Pixley Residents for Environmental Justice filed a lawsuit in Tulare County Superior Court challenging the countys approval of the Golden State Hydrogen Plant project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tulare County officials unanimously approved a notice of exemption for the project in January, according to the lawsuit. According to Leadership Counsel, the county violated Californias environmental laws by failing to complete any environmental review while attempting to fast-track and streamline the project. The county failed to adequately analyze and mitigate the impacts of the hydrogen project on residents and their community, according to Leadership Counsel. Pixley is a census-designated place in Tulare County with a population of about 3,800 residents who face significant exposure to pollution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maria Arevalo, a Pixley Residents for Environmental Justice representative who has lived in town since 1967, told the Board of Supervisors that members of her family, including herself, suffer from poor health because of the pollution. Future of the project The project in Pixley, by Phoenix-based Proteum Energy, would have included the construction and operation of an ethanol-to-hydrogen plant to produce, store, and transfer large quantities of hazardous, volatile, and explosive materials and poisons. The projects future plans also called for carbon storage and sequestration, which would require underground transport and storage of carbon dioxide via an interconnected pipeline system. We are pleased to have reached an agreement that requires the county to rescind its approval of the project and requires notice to our clients if the applicant submits a new project application, said Josh Chatten-Brown, managing partner at the Chatten-Brown Law Group firm that represented Pixley residents. Aaron Bock, assistant director of economic development and planning at the Tulare County Resource Management Agency, said Proteum Energy would have to include a more robust environmental document in its reapplication in order to advance the hydrogen project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whenever they decide to move forward, well process the application to the best of our ability, Bock said. John Rosenfeld, vice president commercial and strategic for Proteum Energy, said the company is encouraged by the development of the California market when it comes to hydrogen and other clean fuels. He said the company is examining the plants configuration and design, and appreciates the cooperation from the countys planners and support from the Board of Supervisors. Rosenfeld said the company would engage with the community going forward. We want to make sure that we understand what their concerns are, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The project sits adjacent to Highway 99 and would have been located within 300 feet of the nearest residences. Earlier this year, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) said it wants to test hydrogen fuel in Orange Cove, a small farmworker community in the eastern Fresno County foothills. SoCalGas says that using hydrogen blended fuel in homes can help meet Californias demands for green energy or zero emissions and that Orange Cove is an ideal location due to its existing natural gas infrastructure, including underground pipes. Both Orange Cove and Pixley are mostly Latino towns in the San Joaquin Valley. In October 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California was selected as a National Hydrogen Hub by the U.S. Department of Energy to receive up to $1.2 billion in federal funds to build or expand hydrogen projects powering public transportation, heavy-duty trucks and port operations. Orange County Public Schools is set to officially open Innovation High School on Friday. OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez and other school board members will lead the dedication ceremony on campus at 9 a.m. The brand new school is located along Dowden Road in Orlando. Students and staff will help the district will celebrate the opening of this state-of-the-art facility. READ: WFTV hosts Toys for Tots Drive-Up, Drop-Off toy drive Friday Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, OCPS officially opened Luminary Middle School, another new campus in the Lake Nona area. Monitor WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates on this story. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The News US Undersecretary of Commerce Laurie Locascio has some advice for the incoming Trump administration on her way out: Dont stop funding semiconductor research and development. I really do hope that they see the value that this will bring to the country, Locascio told Semafor. The R&D is so essential to our future, I would say, as a global economic superpower because we have to feed that next American invention. She also warned congressional Republicans against cuts to science agencies as they debate trimming the size of government, especially in light of Chinas own investments in the sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Locascio, a key official implementing 2022s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, leaves her position at the helm of the National Institute of Standards and Technology on Friday. She has spearheaded Commerces push to spend $11 billion under that law on chip research and development, and shes feeling confident about the work shes done despite complaints about the slow pace. Locascio, who will leave the CHIPS R&D program with Briana Frisone continuing to lead the work, also said she was optimistic about Donald Trumps administration continuing the work on chips research because science and technology is not politics. The interview excerpt below is edited for length and clarity. Morgan: What is your advice to the incoming Trump administration as they pick up this work? I dont know if theyll want my advice, because everybody has their own way of doing things and I respect that. But I really do hope that they see the value that this will bring to the country. The R&D is so essential to our future, I would say, as a global economic superpower, because we have to feed that next American invention and feed American ingenuity so that we have something that can support our future economy. And I know thats not a Democrat or Republican or independent thing. Are you concerned at all about the incoming administration doing anything different or rolling anything back just broadly with respect to the chips program? I know Congress has always supported it in a bipartisan way, and so I am hopeful that it will continue and that the people who are here who have participated in building out this program who are federal employees will be able to continue to do that. What do you think is next for Congress to do. Does there need to be a CHIPS and Science Act 2.0? Does there need to be more funding put into R&D specifically? NIST got a budget cut and so did a lot of the science agencies back in March, and almost simultaneously China increased their research budget by 10%. That juxtaposition of those two things is really a harsh reality to look at. So, Im hopeful that people will look at that and say, OK, we cannot fall behind our funding for science and technology in the future because if we do, we lose the big game. So, CHIPS 2.0? I think that would be fantastic. How would you rate the US right now in comparison to China in semiconductor development? We have been clearly the innovators for a long time. We were the ones that made the original inventions that led to this whole sector and in so many areas, were still ahead. In design, were way ahead of many others and way ahead of China. I think, though, that it takes investment, right? So if youre any country in the entire world that wants to be successful in any technology and you invest in it, youll be successful eventually. Do you have any concerns about the financial challenges that a company like Intel is facing, and the effect of those struggles on the success of the overall chips program? I dont think that it will have an overall impact on the success of the program. I think this is a sector that does have big ups and downs, and we know that. Over the years, weve watched it over and over again, the cycles. We were very prepared for that when we put together the program on the manufacturing incentives side, so we are also prepared on the other side of the awards to work with companies as they have ebbs and flows and make sure that we can think about ways that they might need to restructure, how theyre thinking about the agreements, what were doing with them. The way that were tranching out the money allows us to have that kind of flexibility. When they are able to meet the milestones, then thats when they get the money. If they decide they really need to change because of something that happens in the global marketplace, then we have that flexibility to continue to work with them. WASHINGTON Two of the countrys most prominent political pollsters a Republican and a Democrat came to virtually the same conclusion for Democrats after last months election handed Republicans control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. My advice other than find a moderate voice, which is where America is is define where you can work in a bipartisan manner in the next two years to get things done, because America is looking for that, said John Anzalone, a founding partner of Impact Research and a top pollster for Vice President Kamala Harris campaign. You cant just be the resistance, he said. Be the voice against crazy and injustice and unfairness. But go in there and find places that you can work with Republicans to get things done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked what advice he would give Democrats, Tony Fabrizio of Fabrizio Ward, President-elect Donald Trumps chief pollster, said: Stop being prisoners to your own special interests. Theyre more worried about their base and honestly they went too far, Fabrizio told a reporter roundtable organized by the AARP. (Fabrizio emphasized that he was speaking as a pollster for the interest group for older Americans and not for the Trump campaign.) One of the reasons why the ad we did about the trans thing worked was the tagline: Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you. Fabrizio was referencing what was widely considered one of the most effective yet polarizing ads of the 2024 election, which seized on a clip in which Harris expressed support for taxpayer-funded transgender surgery for prison inmates. Anzalone and Fabrizio agreed the footage, from Harris 2019 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, was a gift to Republicans and Trump. Democrats are still divided on why Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump. Getty Images Weve gotten to a point in society where if you disagree with something like that, youre the extremist, youre out of the mainstream, Fabrizio said. And in my opinion Democrats, particularly Democrats in D.C., are very much captive of that political correctness that the rest of the country just doesnt get. And actually its off-putting to the rest of the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both pollsters agreed the economy was the driving factor in this years election and that Trump crafted a more compelling economic message to woo undecided voters. Watching every TV ad in every battleground state, I think [the Trump campaign] did a brilliant job of the economic narrative on the cost of living, Anzalone said. The party is divided on where Harris ultimately fell short on Election Day, resulting in the loss of every swing state and the national popular vote a first for the party since 2004. Democrats including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont believe the party further abandoned a jilted working class, while others downplayed the overall degree of its losses. Anzalone and Fabrizio also agreed that, despite an early surge following Harris replacement of President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, the Trump campaign did a better job defining Harris using mostly her own words. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think the sugar high never put into the equation the pushback that ... when she ran in 2019, she was the most liberal candidate of what, 17 candidates? Thats not a criticism, thats just where she was. And those interviews came back, Anzalone said. And yet, Anzalone Bidens longtime pollster said Democratic losses would have been far more devastating had Biden remained the nominee. Im a Biden guy. Ive been working for him since I was 22. I love the man, he said. But if Joe Biden was the nominee, I think we lose [Michigan Sen.-elect] Elissa Slotkin. I think we lose [Wisconsin Sen. Tammy] Baldwin. I think we lose [Nevada Sen. Jacky] Rosen. I actually think we probably would have lost Arizona [in the U.S.] Senate. The political climate, however, can shift dramatically over the next two years, giving Democrats an opening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement America is kind of pissed off right now, Anzalone said. Dont think theyre joyous about Republicans. They were just a little less joyous about Democrats this was still a lesser of two evils election. WARNING: The video in this story contains material of animal neglect that may be upsetting to viewers. Discretion is advised. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Oklahoma County Sheriffs Deputies rescued a dog authorities say was on the verge of starving to death after her owner abandoned her and his apartment. The incident happened Tuesday, and the sheriffs office shared video of one of the responding deputies body cameras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LOCAL NEWS: Moore Police Department holds first Police Academy In the video, you see deputies enter the apartment and stumble across the clearly emaciated dog. The dog appears to be nervous as one deputy pets and talks with her to calm her down. The deputy then offers the dog a treat. There was no food left for her, said Aaron Brilbeck, with the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office. There was a bowl with filthy water that she had been drinking out of. Brilbeck said the dogs owner was being evicted for not paying his rent and was nowhere to be found. Her owner also abandoned most of what he owned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 4 asked Brilbeck how long deputies and animal welfare investigators believe the dog had been by herself. Probably a week or better, that shed been there by herself with no food, said Brilbeck. The body camera video shows reaction from spectators as deputies bring the dog outside to be fed and walked. In the video, you can hear gasps from bystanders. LOCAL NEWS: New plans arise for historic Gold Dome in Oklahoma City Oh my God, that is horrible, says one bystander. Brilbeck said the call was especially tough and emotional for one of the deputies. He said that deputy was a former animal control officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It just, it tore him apart, said Brilbeck. Brilbeck said the incident doesnt showcase a sense of love or appreciation for the animal or her well-being. He says Oklahoma City Animal Welfare is in the early stages of determining if the amount of starvation and dehydration shes experienced is survivable. Its animal abuse, said Brilbeck. I would assume that charges will be filed, that would be up to Oklahoma City because it took place in Oklahoma City. Brilbeck said, with Christmas just a few weeks away, its important to note that having an animal is a big responsibility. He says Oklahomans should not adopt one of them without understanding the amount of care they require to take care of. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you dont have the money for rent, you probably dont have the money for a dog, and if you dont have the time to commit towards raising a dog properly, taking the dog out for walks, please dont get a dog. Brilbeck says deputies are aware of where the dogs owner is and that they often deal with a little over a dozen animal abandonment calls every month. No arrests have been made. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. WYSOX, Pa. (WETM) A Bradford County man was sentenced to probation recently after an investigation from April showed that child sex abuse material was found on his work computer, according to information from the Bradford County District Attorneys Office. Victor Murray Franklin, 64, was sentenced to two years of probation on the charge of criminal use of a communication facility, a felony. Pennsylvania State Police charged Franklin after an investigation back in April by the computer crime unit found that child sex abuse material was downloaded on Franklins work computer at Franklins Appliance Repair and Sales in Wysox, Pa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sayre man sentenced for possession of meth and avoiding arrest Franklin was initially charged with numerous counts of downloading the images, but the DAs office said the felony conviction covers all counts. Franklin pled no contest to the charge, meaning he accepts the sentencing, but does not deny or accept guilt for the crimes. The DAs office said it offered a factual basis that he had illegally used the computer and internet to download the material. Franklin received his charge based on his age and lack of criminal history, the DAs office said. If he violates his probation or receives any new criminal charges then his probation will be revoked and he can be sentenced to harsher punishment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DAs office said Franklin underwent a sex offender evaluation before his sentencing. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Union leaders, local elected officials and others will participate Monday in a public meeting on the future of Commonwealth Healths hospitals following the recent collapse of a sale many considered a potential lifeline for the financially challenged facilities. Concerned citizens and community members are invited to attend the town hall event, which begins at 4 p.m. in the Electric City Ballroom of the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center at 100 Adams Ave., Scranton. Its being organized by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals union to discuss the state of the hospitals with an emphasis on how we can protect quality care and good jobs in our community, a union press release notes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The town hall follows the late-November collapse of a transaction that would have seen the nonprofit WoodBridge Healthcare acquire Commonwealths Regional Hospital of Scranton, nearby Moses Taylor Hospital and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital from subsidiaries of Tennessee-based Community Health Systems Inc., Commonwealths for-profit parent company. The sale fell through when WoodBridge was unable to secure bond financing necessary to complete its acquisition of the aforementioned hospitals and other health care assets. Its collapse disappointed local officials who had been encouraged by WoodBridges planned investments in the hospitals, the potential restoration of health care services Commonwealth had reduced or discontinued and the prospect of nonprofit ownership more broadly. Many of those same officials are holding out hope that another buyer emerges. State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, a longtime former nurse and local leader on the issue of health care access, said in the wake of the sales collapse that her top priority is ensuring health care services the community relies on remain accessible and high quality. Her focus is on working with all stakeholders to protect the critical services the Commonwealth hospitals provide, she said last month. WoodBridges announcement this past summer that it planned to purchase Commonwealth came after Regional, Moses Taylor and Wilkes-Barre General all lost money in Fiscal Year 2023. The three hospitals reported negative total margins for the fiscal year, meaning the money each facility spent exceeded revenues from patient care and other sources, an annual financial analysis report released in June by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council showed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also followed a number of service reductions and facility closures. Commonwealth, for example, shuttered the ER at the former Tyler Memorial Hospital near Tunkhannock, closed First Hospital in Kingston, closed Moses Taylors ER and ended inpatient childbirth services at Wilkes-Barre General in recent years. In a letter sent to Community Health Systems CEO Tim Hingtgen days before WoodBridge announced its acquisition attempt, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey expressed concern over CHS business practices and revealed that CHS executives had shared plans to close one or both Scranton hospitals if unable to find a buyer. All of the above contributes to the concern officials now have about the ultimate fate of the Commonwealth facilities. CHS has said it will evaluate future options for the local health system after the WoodBridge deal fell through. Union hospital workers represented by SEIU Healthcare PA and PASNAP are calling on elected leaders to work with other collaborators to find a solution that will invest in Commonwealth Health long-term, union officials said in the press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elected officials expected to attend Mondays town hall include Kosierowski and fellow state Reps. Kyle Donahue, Kyle Mullins and Eddie Day Pashinski, state Sen. Marty Flynn and Congressman-elect Rob Bresnahan, organizers said Friday. Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, who also will attend, said last week that her administration will continue pushing for a sale of the Commonwealth hospitals to another buyer. The priority is always the access to health care and that has to be what we continue to push for, she said. Ultimately I believe that nonprofit health care is a better public service to us. Weve seen for-profit health care not work out well here or in most places in America. Members of the public are invited to attend Mondays town hall. BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) A popular holiday tradition has once again teamed up with Dunkin to spread the magic of the holiday season to children in need. The Capital Region Toys for Tots Train is returning on Saturday. Guests can head to the East Binghamton Yard Entrance, located at 5 Homles Place in Binghamton, to participate in a variety of activities as they support the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The train, hosted by Norfolk Southern and Amtrak while being powered by Dunkin, will make several scheduled stops throughout the day as it travels along a route from Delanson to Binghamton. It will arrive for the event in Binghamton at 3:20 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those in attendance can drop off new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots while enjoying treats. Since 2009, Dunkin has donated a total of $450,000 to Capital Region Toys for Tots. Capital Region Toys for Tots and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve will work with more than 250 community agencies in 14 counties across the state to serve more than 400,000 children this holiday season. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Residents throughout Serbia stopped in silence for 15 minutes on Friday as part of persistent anti-government protests following the collapse last month of a concrete canopy in the country's north that killed 15 people. Traffic blockades have taken place each Friday since Nov. 1 at 11:52 a.m., the exact time when the canopy at the railway station building in Novi Sad crashed down on people who were sitting or strolling below on a sunny day. Initially, 14 people were killed and three were injured, but one more person later died while hospitalized. The two injured remain hospitalized weeks later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The station building was renovated twice in recent years. Many in Serbia believe rampant corruption led to sloppy work on the building reconstruction, which was part of a wider railroad project with Chinese state companies. The collapse also has become a flashpoint for broader dissatisfaction with the growingly autocratic rule of populist President Aleksandar Vucic, reflecting public demands for democratic changes. Thousands of people, led by university students, on Wednesday evening held a noisy rally outside the state RTS television building over the station's pro-government editorial policies. RTS has broadcast Vucic's accusations that students were paid from the West and elsewhere to hold protests to overthrow his government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friday's traffic blockades took place at dozens of locations throughout the country. Some participants held up their hands in red-painted rubber gloves, a symbol of the protests telling the authorities they have blood on their hands. Serbian media reported that a car rammed through protesters at a blockade spot in Novi Sad. A similar incident was reported a week ago when four musicians were injured while participating in a silent traffic blockade in central Belgrade. Street protests in recent weeks also occasionally turned violent when pro-government thugs showed up to disrupt opposition-led gatherings and student demonstrations. Classes at more than 50 university faculties and a number of secondary schools throughout Serbia have been suspended for days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Serbia's farmers also on Friday blocked a road in central Serbia with their tractors, holding a banner featuring a bloody hand. An actors' guild announced daily protests outside theaters. Vucic's government has sought to cushion mounting dissatisfaction by publishing around 130 documents related to the railway station building renovation, which has been one of the protest demands. Prosecutors have arrested 13 people, but a government minister has been released. This has fueled skepticism over the proceedings as the governing populists hold firm control over both police and the judiciary. Vucic has imposed a tight grip over all state institutions and mainstream media since coming to power more than a decade ago and despite pledging to lead Serbia into the European Union. Three people are facing drug trafficking charges after north Georgia deputies found a large amount of drugs after a traffic stop. White County deputies say they pulled over a white Ford F150 last week. A K9 found marijuana, five baggies of meth and more loose meth in the car. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The driver, 58-year-old Charles Laster, was arrested on charges of trafficking methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and possession of marijuana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week, deputies searched Lasters home where they found 14 more bags of meth, some heroin, black tar heroin, other drug items and a gun without the serial number. TRENDING STORIES: Two more people, 43-year-old Drew Kangiser and 42-year-old Michelle Scott, were arrested. Both were charged with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, trafficking heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. All three are being held in the White County Detention Center. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] It is hard to comprehend the cruelty meted out to little Sara Sharif in the final, horrific days of her young life. In August last year, the 10-year-old was found dead on a bunk bed at her home in Woking, Surrey, having suffered months of torture at the hands of her abusive father Urfan Sharif and his partner Beinash Batool. So horrific was the abuse that her buttocks had been burned with an iron before she died. Yet if it wasnt bad enough that this innocent schoolgirl was beaten to death with such unimaginable brutality, we now know that the powers that were supposed to protect Sara catastrophically failed her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Social workers closed an investigation into the family just six days after teachers spotted bruises on Sara and referred her to the council. It was one of 15 missed opportunities to save her. We have since discovered that the family court gave Saras killer father shared custody in 2019 despite knowing he had been accused of abusing her siblings for years. Four years after that ruling, Sara was dead. But now a new twist in this appalling tragedy: a ban on the press naming the judge who handed Sara over to her murderous father. The Telegraph is among newspapers to have challenged the anonymity order, put in place by a High Court judge to spare those involved in this dreadful case from a social media pile-on. Those covered by the ruling also include social workers, experts and guardians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As someone who has been subjected to several such social media pile-ons, I can certainly sympathise. However, I see no justification for keeping the key protagonists names out of the media. After similarly disastrous social services failings in the cases Baby P, Victoria Climbie, Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson, we repeatedly heard the phrase: Lessons must be learnt. How on earth can we learn any lessons from Saras murder if there is not complete transparency when it comes to those who took the decisions that may have ultimately cost her her life? Im not for a minute suggesting that anyone other than Sharif, 42, and Batool, 30, killed Sara. But there are serious questions to be answered about the conduct of social services and indeed, the justice system in all this. In order to investigate why the judge granted Saras killer father custody we need to know who the judge is, and what motivating factors may have been at play. The public has a right to know. Similarly, in order for social services to be held accountable for what turned out to be a series of catastrophic mistakes, we have to know who failed Sara, how and why. This anonymity order effectively prevents full public scrutiny of those responsible for the key decisions that culminated in Saras death on August 8, 2023. As Dame Vera Baird KC, the former victims commissioner, has pointed out: This has placed a veil of secrecy over this case. This is the judiciary protecting the judiciary. How can the public be confident that the family courts can protect future children if the public are denied the knowledge of who is making such decisions? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also sets a dangerous precedent for prioritising the needs of adults over child victims in abuse cases and that cannot possibly be right. But there is a bigger story here. Part of the reason why the British courts system is in such crisis is because the needs of victims are not being put first in other areas. This week, we learnt that jury trials could be scrapped for thousands of offenders to prevent courts from hitting an unprecedented backlog of 100,000 cases. Writing for The Telegraph, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said once-in-a-generation reform of the courts was the only way to tackle justice delays for victims. She has commissioned Sir Brian Leveson, one of Britains top judges, to review ways in which magistrates might be able to hear more serious cases, and strip defendants of the right to ask for their case to be tried before a jury. Labour alone cannot be blamed for this idea it is a reheated policy previously touted by Tory justice secretary Alex Chalk. Jury trials are at the core of British justice. We should not just dispense with them because they are deemed inefficient. The courts must crank up their work rate instead. A much more just solution would be to require courts to sit for longer and over weekends, rather than so swiftly dispense with a legal precedent that dates back to the 13th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even before the pandemic, there was a backlog of 38,000 cases. Former justice secretary Robert Buckland called for courts to sit for longer during Covid but was blocked by lawyers every step of the way. Anyone who has ever dealt with a solicitor knows how sclerotic the legal system can be at the best of times. An email seems to take a week to be sent, and another week to be replied to. One can only assume they wont work any quicker because they are charging by the hour. Similarly, most courts in the UK typically sit from around 10.30am to 4.30pm, with a lunch break from 1 to 2pm. Im sorry, but this smacks of the worst aspects of the public sector ethos. Why on earth arent they extending these hours and having a Kemi Badenoch style working lunch (no sandwiches, mind) to catch up? Is it really beyond the realms of possibility to have magistrates and crown court judges preside over evening and weekend sittings for a limited period to clear the backlog? The High Court and the Court of Appeal only sits for 185-190 days a year. Again, why not longer? I appreciate judges have box work to complete outside of standard court hours, and there have been legitimate complaints about cuts to court funding which have resulted in a reduction in staff. But surely these sorts of logistical obstacles need to be addressed before we even contemplate scrapping the centuries old tradition of trial by jury? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Mahmood is also proposing a review of sentencing which is equally concerning. Prison sentences should not be dictated by political fashion. Thats how we end up with grandmothers who post incendiary remarks on Facebook being put behind bars for 18 months, while prolific career criminals are left to roam the streets despite racking up, in some cases, more than 50 offences. Symptomatic of all this are the recent calls by some on the Left for juries to be axed in some sex crimes, in order for justice to be done. But when we speak of the victims of crime, we must also include those falsely accused of it, who would not be fairly served by such a lack of scrutiny. We cannot change the principles of our justice system, simply because we dont like the outcomes. Justice must not only be seen to be done, but done quickly. Victims like Sara Sharif deserve nothing less. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. An American man found wandering the streets outside the Syrian capital of Damascus barefoot identified himself as Pete Travis Timmerman on Thursday. Timmerman was last seen in Budapest, Hungary, in June and had not been heard from in months. He said he was detained while on a Christian pilgrimage that led him from Hungary to Lebanon, where he eventually crossed into Syria on foot illegally. He was taken captive while the nation was under the rule of President Bashar Assad but freed when rebels overtook the city of Damascus. Early Thursday morning, a video circulated with Timmerman laying under a blanket on a mattress. In this photo provided by the Syrian Emergency Task Force, American Travis Timmerman, right, sits with Mosaed al-Rifai, center, who found him in the Syrian desert, and the owner of the house where he took refuge, left, name not available, in Damascus, Syria on Thursday Dec. 12, 2024. (Syrian Emergency Task Force via AP) A group of men said hed been treated well and would soon be freed according to reports from The Associated Press. Some mistakenly thought it was journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria in 2012. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Timmerman confirmed his identity in an interview with Al Arabiya, an Arabic news channel, where he admitted he was not beaten but could hear others being tortured in neighboring cells. His family called his release a Christmas miracle in a statement to NPR. At first, I was hoping it was him, but we didnt know if it was a scam or what. And then my daughter saw him on the news, Timmermans mother, Stacey Collins Gardiner, told the outlet. Not him, but they were talking about Travis and I was so surprised. I was so happy, I cried too happy tears. She is awaiting his return home to Urbana, Miss., where he lived before his international travels, as reported by NPR. Timmerman is a graduate of Missouri State University and also has a law degree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After working in Chicago for a few years, he went back to Missouri with a desire to serve abroad. He embarked on a journey across the world that he said would provide little resources for communication with his family back home. Upon the discovery of her son, Gardiner said she is excited to reconnect with her son who she hasnt heard from in months. I will hug him. And then I probably wont let him go, she said in a statement to NPR. Ill say, well, thank God youre still alive. And Im so happy. Our prayers came true. U.S. officials said they are now working to confirm Timmermans identity and are working to bring him back to America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Katie Klingsporn Wyofile RIVERTONAbout 50 people gathered in front of U.S. Sen. John Barrassos office Thursday to protest what one tribal representative called downright theft from the federal government. The bill they oppose the Pilot Butte Power Plant Conveyance Act would result in a defunct power plant on the Wind River Indian Reservation being conveyed to a nearby irrigation district. Nicole Wagon, a Northern Arapaho woman who helped organize the protest, told the protesters the act is the latest in a long line of violations against the tribes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Wyoming congressional delegation never had the common decency to consult with Eastern Shoshone or Northern Arapaho of their intent to continue the theft of Indian land through the Pilot Butte Conveyance Act, she said. Barrasso and Wyomings lone U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman pushed companion bills that would require the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to transfer control of the plant to the Midvale Irrigation District, which manages irrigation water across central Fremont County. The legislation would also shift ownership of the land beneath the mothballed infrastructure. Hagemans version has passed the U.S. House; Barrassos has been introduced into the Senate. Senator Barrasso appreciates members of the community sharing their thoughts and keeping Thursdays demonstration respectful and peaceful, Barrassos Communications Director Laura M. Mengelkamp told WyoFile. Hes been in contact with members of both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes as the Pilot Butte Power Plant Conveyance Act has advanced in the Senate. The defunct federal facility on a small piece of land was slated to be demolished, Mengelkamp noted, and the Midvale irrigators are willing to put the money in to get the plant back up and running to use the power locally. A diversion from the Wyoming Canal fills this penstock, which feeds Pilot Butte Reservoir. Until 2008, water from the penstock spun a hydroelectric turbine, but the Bureau of Reclamation unit has since fallen into disrepair. The Midvale Irrigation District wants to acquire and rehabilitate the power plant, and Congress is considering legislation that would facilitate a transfer. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile) When asked about the act during an October candidate debate, Barrasso cited those reasons when he called it a win-win for the people, but said the Bureau of Reclamation should have consulted the tribes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that was a mistake, he said. They should have been informed early on. The Wind River Inter-Tribal Council on Wednesday approved a resolution denouncing the act. Wagon said Thursdays peaceful protest is just the beginning for us to come together and take a stand Were not going to stay quiet. Treaties and water canals The 1863 Fort Bridger Treaty between the U.S. government and Eastern Shoshone tribe outlined a vast area of more than 43 million acres for Shoshone territory. Five years later, the government reduced the land to less than 3 million acres when it established the Wind River Indian Reservation. The government later placed the Northern Arapaho Tribe on the reservation as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 1905 agreement that opened further reservation lands up to white settlement still does not sit well with many tribal members. The power plant proposal, opponents say, has echoes of what they see as land grabs under the guise of legislation. A penstock, filled with water from the Wyoming Canal, feeds Pilot Butte Reservoir in August 2024. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile) The property in question is owned by the federal government and managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. It consists of a tin-sided building housing a hydroelectric facility unused for more than 15 years as well as a penstock filled with water diverted from the Wyoming Canal. The water, which used to spin a turbine to generate electricity, now bypasses the building, directly feeding Pilot Butte Reservoir. The Midvale Irrigation District approached Wyomings congressional delegation about transferring the title of the old Pilot Butte Power Plant so it could be rehabilitated. Producing power for customers would minimize costs, Midvale Irrigation District Manager Steve Lynn told the House Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee in September 2023. Still, the principle of the conveyance and their exclusion from the process rankles the tribes. Protesters on Thursday held signs demanding treaty rights be honored, filled out template letters to send to congressional representatives, burned sweetgrass and listened to speakers. A protester draped in a flag attends a Dec. 5, 2024 protest outside U.S. Sen. John Barrassos Riverton office. Barrasso and Wyomings U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman have pushed companion bills that would require the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to convey a derelict hydroelectric power plant located within the borders of the reservation to the Midvale Irrigation District. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile) Reading the newly approved inter-tribal resolution, Wayland Large, chairman of the Eastern Shoshone Business Council, said the inter-tribal council has informed the bureau, Hageman and Barrasso of their consultation requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Wind River Inter-Tribal Council is staunchly opposed to the legislation, he said. Northern Arapaho Business Council member Keenan Groesbeck didnt plan to talk, but shared a few words when Wagon handed him the megaphone. Whats been going on here is just downright theft from the federal government, he said. Its been going on for far too long. Its time for the tribes to stand up and assert our sovereignty against the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) Employees at a local hospital in North Charleston gathered Thursday to support one of their patients undergoing treatment. Edgar and Cori Harris were married at Trident Cancer Center with the message, Its never too late to love. Edgar has been undergoing treatment at Trident for stage 1 lung cancer since 2021. The couple, who reside in Berkeley County, met at the grocery store where Cori works this August. They fell in love quickly, and a marriage proposal came soon afterward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Edgar and Cori believe the meeting was an answered prayer and that they are right where God wants them. When Edgar was 18 years old, he was enlisted in the Army and was tasked with providing security at the Berlin Wall. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2. ROME The British, Japanese and Italian firms partnered on the sixth-generation Global Combat Air Programme fighter announced on Friday the launch of a joint venture dedicated to the program which will be headquartered in London, have an Italian CEO and be up and running by mid-2025. BAE Systems, Italys Leonardo and Japans JAIEC will each have a third share of the design and construction of the new fighter, which is expected to operate with drones and be in service by 2035. JAIEC is a firm jointly funded by Japans Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Basing the firm in the UK will ensure maximum alignment and collaboration with the UK-based GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) which teams the three government customers on the program. UK-led fighter program is still open-ish to paying partners The new joint venture will be accountable for the design, development and delivery of the next generation combat aircraft and will remain the design authority for GCAP for the life of the product, which is expected to go out beyond 2070, the joint ventures founders said in a statement. At a signing in London, Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani said, Peace must be defended and defending peace has a cost, thats why synergies among governments and companies are fundamental, nobody can make it on its own ... and (the GCAP) is a terrific example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BAE Systems Chief Executive Charles Woodburn said the deal was a culmination of many months working together with our industry partners, while Kimito Nakae, President of JAIEC said, As we now embark upon the exciting and important journey towards the success of GCAP, I acknowledge that the way might not always be simple and straightforward. But he added, I believe that through continuing the strong spirit of trilateral cooperation and collaboration that we have fostered up to this point, we will not only deliver the GCAP on time but also at a level that exceeds all of our expectations. BAE managing director Herman Claesen said the new joint venture would be open to new entrants like Saudi Arabia, which has shown interest in the program. The door is open to other partners to join, and that includes Saudi Arabia, but ultimately it is the call of the three governments, he said. TOMAH, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) One of the troopers injured in the I-94 crash in Monroe County has been released from the hospital. The State Patrol released a photo of the trooper on Facebook, Thursday morning thanking everyone who helped to welcome him home. On Monday evening (12/9/24), Trooper Smith had responded to an accident between two other semis and an SUV on I-94. He was in his squad car when a third semi-truck failed to follow the cones and flares directing drivers away from the crash and rear-ended Trooper Smiths squad car. The Sheriffs Office is still investigating both accidents. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX2548 & WIProud. Three Donald Trump associates appeared in a Wisconsin courthouse on Thursday to make their initial appearance on charges related to an alleged 2020 fake electors scheme. On Tuesday, Wisconsins attorney general filed 10 additional felony charges against James Troupis, Kenneth Chesebro, and Michael Roman. Troupis is Trumps former Wisconsin campaign attorney and legal advisor. Chesebro is the alleged lead architect of the scheme and Roman is a former aide to Trump who allegedly delivered the slate of fake electors to congressional staffers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new charges cite a conspiracy to commit forgery and fraudulently obtain signatures to certify that Trump falsely won Wisconsin in 2020. TRENDING STORIES: The three were initially charged in June with one count of conspiracy to forge a certificate of electoral votes. Chesebro and Roman were among those indicted along with Trump in Georgia. Roman has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges there. He has also pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges in Arizona related to the fake electors scheme in that state, including conspiracy, fraud and forgery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Chesebro pleaded guilty to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents after reaching a deal with Georgia prosecutors. He is now trying to invalidate the plea after the judge in September tossed out the charge to which he had pleaded guilty. Chesebro was one of four people to plead guilty in the Georgia case in the months following the indictment. The Associated Press contributed to this article. President-elect Donald Trump this week voiced support for tens of thousands of unionized dockworkers in a dispute with major shipping companies. Negotiations between workers and management are deadlocked over the companies plan for further automation of ports, which the union said would eliminate jobs. Ive studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it, Trump said Thursday in a post on Truth Social. The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vow of support for dockworkers aligns with Trumps campaign promise to safeguard blue-collar workers threatened by global capitalism, depicting automation as an unwelcome change foisted on workers by foreign-owned shipping firms, some experts said. MORE: Amazon workers authorize strike at company's first-ever unionized warehouse Trumps rejection of automation highlights a tension found in his economic policy, however, some experts added. Like tariffs, the policy aims to protect a narrow set of workers at the possible expense of importers and consumers, who could suffer higher costs as a result of a missed opportunity to improve the supply chain, some experts said. While others defended Trumps attempt to protect dockworkers from technological change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump transition team did not respond to ABC News' request for comment. Heres what to know about the labor dispute over automation at East and Gulf Coast docks, and what it says about how Trump may approach the economy in his second term. Dockworkers and freight companies feud over automation A strike in October at docks across the East and Gulf coasts threatened to upend the economy and drive up prices, but workers and management ended the stoppage with a tentative agreement after three days. The deal includes a 62% wage increase over the life of the six-year contract, but the two sides have yet to finalize it due to a disagreement over plans for further automation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The standoff centers on the potential installation of cranes that would facilitate the retrieval and storage of freight containers, said John McCown, a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy who closely tracks the shipping industry. Cranes already help remove containers from a ship and place it in a nearby port terminal, but shipping companies have sought the use of additional automated cranes once goods have reached land, McCown said. The cranes work like an old-fashioned juke box, he added. You hit a number and it goes to pick a record and play a record, McCown said, noting the cranes would similarly mechanize sorting and transport of containers. The U.S. Maritime Alliance, or USMX, the organization representing shipping firms in negotiations, said on Thursday that such automation would improve efficiency and increase capacity. Those enhancements would benefit U.S. companies and consumers that depend on goods from abroad, the group added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains, USMX said in a statement. The USMX did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. The plans have drawn rebuke from the International Longshoremens Association, or ILA, the union representing dockworkers. The union has pointed to massive profits enjoyed by the shipping firms during the pandemic, saying further automation would invest those gains in job-cutting machinery rather than increased compensation. Workers have also disputed the supposed productivity benefits of the technology. This isnt about safety or productivity -- its about job elimination, ILA President Dennis Daggett, said in a statement earlier this month. The union has proven that the automated cranes at issue are not more productive than traditional equipment operated by human workers, Daggett added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to ABC News' request for comment, the ILA shared a statement from Daggett praising Trump. "Throughout my career, Ive never seen a politician -- let alone the President of the United States -- truly understand the importance of the work our members do every single day," Daggett said. PHOTO: Striking workers at the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn gather after members of the International Longshoremen's Association began walking off the job yesterday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Brooklyn, New York. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) What could Trumps approach to the standoff mean for his 2nd term? In his social media post backing the workers and opposing port automation, Trump criticized foreign-owned shipping firms for what he described as penny pinching. For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries, Trump said. It is time to put AMERICA FIRST! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The framework presents U.S. workers as victims of foreign companies, which he says aim to make use of Americas economic resources at the expense of its citizens. As such, Trumps intervention in this case favors the ILA in its longstanding fight against automation, Peter Cole, a professor at Western Illinois University who studies the history of dockworkers, told ABC News. The ILA will really benefit if in fact Trump pushes employers to back off automation, Cole said, noting that the explanation offered up by Trump reflects a larger political shift in the U.S. against unrestricted global trade. Presidents in both main parties have supported more manufacturing domestically, Cole said. MORE: Trump's proposed tariffs would raise prices for these products, experts say Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Trumps opposition to automation risks imposing higher costs on consumers and even some domestic manufacturers, since advances in productivity would help lower supply costs otherwise passed along to buyers at the end of the chain, some experts said. Trump mistakenly claims that foreign shipping companies would bear the cost of forgone automation, just as he inaccurately says that foreign countries would pay the cost of tariffs, David Autor, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who specializes in technological change and the labor force, told ABC News. The assertion that raising tariffs at our ports will force foreigners to cover these costs is beyond naive, Autor said. Its simply false. Autor said the hardship that dockworkers would face if automation were to advance and put many of them out of work. It will not be good for the livelihoods of longshoremen and we should not pretend otherwise, Autor said, adding that the workers should receive compensation or other protections under such circumstances. Trump backs dockworkers in fight against automation. The move risks higher prices, experts say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday sided with union longshore workers in their standoff with employers over the deployment of port automation technology. Following a meeting with International Longshoremens Association (ILA) President Harold Daggett, Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, said foreign-based terminal operators and ocean carriers at East and Gulf Coast ports ought to eschew automation in favor of hiring more dockworkers. Ive studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it, Trump wrote. The amount of money saved [instead of employing workers] is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The post went on to echo the ILAs oft-stated position that port employers headquartered outside the U.S. have racked up record profits, in exchange for the privilege of accessing U.S. markets. Id rather see these foreign companies spend [profits] on the great men and women on our docks, than machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced. In the end, theres no gain for them, and I hope that they will understand how important an issue this is for me, Trump wrote. Employers should hire incredible AMERICAN WORKERS, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, much like President Joe Biden earlier this year, seemed to signal that he would not intervene in a strike by the ILA. The union walked off the job for three days in early October, bringing container handling worth billions of dollars a day to a halt. Biden administration officials helped broker an end to the work stoppage, and the sides agreed to resume bargaining under an extension of the current contract through Jan. 15. But talks between the ILA and employers represented by the United States Maritime Alliance covering 45,000 workers at 36 ports broke down in early November over the unions refusal to allow semi-automated container cranes onto the docks, which it claimed would eliminate jobs. Another strike seems likely in early January, and shippers have been frontloading imports ahead of a walkout. The Taft-Hartley Act gives the president powers to temporarily pause a port strike if it endangers national health or safety. The President can request a court order for an 80-day cooling-off period while negotiations continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President George W. Bush invoked Taft-Hartley in 2002 to end a strike by West Coast longshore workers. Employers say automation is desperately needed to boost container volumes moving through ports, which in turn will create more jobs for union workers. In a statement late Monday, the USMX said, We appreciate and value President-elect Trumps statement on the importance of American ports. Its clear President-elect Trump, USMX, and the ILA all share the goal of protecting and adding good-paying American jobs at our ports. But this contract goes beyond our ports it is about supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative startups looking for new markets to sell their products. To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains. ILA members compensation increases with the more goods they move the greater capacity our ports have and goods that are moved means more money in their pockets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We look forward to working with the President-elect and the incoming administration on how our members are working to support the strength and resilience of the U.S. supply chain and making crucial investments that support ILA members and millions of workers and businesses across the entire domestic supply chain, improving efficiency and creating even more high-paying jobs for ILA members. Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here. Related coverage: Freightos sees trans-Pacific container rates ease Jaxport adding more global container services in 2025 US again defeats Houthi attacks on American cargo, military ships The post Trump backs ILA in port labor standoff appeared first on FreightWaves. Incoming border czar Tom Homan lauded New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday, predicting that the Big Apple is about to get a lot safer after a Gracie Mansion meeting where they discussed the migrant crisis. It went great, Homan told Fox News host Sean Hannity about the meeting, noting that he spoke with Adams for well over an hour. He gets it. And today he proved that as the mayor of New York City, hes more concerned with public safety than politics, the former acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. Homans face-to-face meeting with Adams was great, according to the incoming border czar. AP Homan, who has been tasked by President-elect Donald Trump to carry out the largest deportation in US history, revealed that Adams was eager to assist ICE in removing dangers from his city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He wants to help ICE take criminal threats off the street. He wants to help ICE look for national security threats. He wants to help ICE find over 340,000 missing children, which many of them are going to be in the city, Homan said. He would like to see [ICE] back in Rikers Island to arrest the bad guys in the safety and security of a jail, rather than release them into the community and put the community at risk, he added. He wants his law enforcement officers, the precincts, to release criminal aliens to us and not on the street. The future border czar indicated that Adams was also interested in learning about the finer points of how ICE does its job and the roadblocks that exist for the agency in New York City. Adams, 64, vowed after the meeting that he would use his executive powers to go after dangerous people who are committing violent acts as migrants and asylum seekers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will not be a safe haven for those who commit violent acts. We dont do it for those who are citizens, and we are not going to do it for those who are undocumented, the mayor said during a press conference. Homan noted that he and Adams also discussed the brutal murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, and how her killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal migrant from Venezuela, had a run-in with the law in New York City prior to his heinous act. We talked about that Laken Rileys killer was arrested here in New York City for endangering a child, he said. If things were different, ICE couldve taken custody of him rather than releasing him. Homan has been tasked by Trump to carry out his mass deportation plan. FOX News Homan predicted that his productive meeting with Adams would lead to a domino effect and that other mayors reeling from the surge in illegal border-crossings under President Biden will soon be wanting to meet with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I left that meeting feeling really good, and we will continue our conversations, Homan said, noting that their staff will also be getting together to work out the details. But I think New York City is about to get a lot safer, Homan said. I think New York City is about to send a strong message. Homan told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he did not discuss the criminal indictment against Adams with the mayor. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Earlier this week, the soon-to-be border boss expressed disdain for sanctuary-city Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker both Democrats for their pledges to shield migrants from deportation. Chicagos in trouble because your mayor sucks and your governor sucks, Homan reportedly remarked at a holiday party hosted by the Law and Order PAC and the Northwest Side GOP Club Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homan told Hannity that he hopes Johnson, Pritzker and other sanctuary-city supporters follow Adams lead. I wish the mayor of Chicago and the San Diego City Council and Governor Pritzker I wish theyd all take a page out of Mayor Eric Adams playbook, because he the ex-cop, came out of him today he really cares about public safety, and hes put politics aside, Homan said. Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics teams latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In todays edition, we examine how some of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks are softening their previous stances as they seek to win over skeptical senators. Plus, lawmakers in Washington are demanding answers about recent unexplained drone sightings. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. Trump Cabinet picks soften past statements amid Senate scrutiny By Matt Dixon, Julie Tsirkin and Henry J. Gomez Some of President-elect Donald Trumps most vulnerable Cabinet picks are racing to smooth out or overwrite past statements before contentious Senate confirmation fights next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a political concern that isnt shared by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the duo of influential Trump allies who have been given wide-ranging power to recommend major federal spending cuts. The contrast illustrates a key split defining Trump world as it prepares to take over the federal government. The incoming president is preparing to stock key administration posts with high-profile conservative media stars who have ably used that ecosystem to bolster their right-wing policy proposals. But facing the political pressure of getting confirmed by the Senate, some of those Cabinet picks are now having to moderate. Meanwhile, others in non-Senate confirmable positions can continue mostly unbothered by any prospect that their seats at the table could get yanked away. A lot of these guys have been loud mouthpieces and have been on record on news, and serving as talking heads, one Republican strategist said. They are going to say a lot of things. Sometimes hyperbole, and sometimes saying things to push their own agenda or advocate for someone else. When confirmation time comes, you have to answer for that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some examples: Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trumps pick to serve as the nations top intelligence official, struck a drastically different tone on Syria in the wake of the fall of the countrys president, Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard, a Democrat-turned-Republican and military veteran, has faced criticism over her past support for Assad, including making an unsanctioned trip to meet with him in 2017 that has come under renewed scrutiny. With Trump saying the U.S should avoid involvement in Syria, Gabbard told reporters Tuesday as she met with senators: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statement President Trump has made over the last few days with regards to the developments in Syria. Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth, Trumps pick for defense secretary, seems to be softening on his previous stance that women should not serve in combat roles, a position that came under scrutiny after Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, expressed skepticism about his selection. Ernst became the first female combat veteran to serve in the Senate when she took office in 2015. On Monday, after her second meeting with him Ernst issued a statement that Hegseth committed to selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and values of our servicemen and women. Later that night on Fox News, Hegseth signaled that he was backtracking on his initial position, praising female troops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more Lawmakers want answers about mysterious drone sightings By Scott Wong, Kate Santaliz, Frank Thorp V and Ali Vitali House and Senate lawmakers are demanding that top federal law enforcement officials immediately brief them about mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey and New York, as the White House downplayed any potential threats to national security or the public. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Thursday he expects to receive a classified briefing about the drones soon, saying its a quandary and hes anxious to find out more. On Thursday afternoon, John Kirby, the White House spokesman on national security matters, told reporters that Homeland Security, the FBI and state and local law enforcement have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings of the drones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upon reviewing images of the sightings, law enforcement officials have concluded that these are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully and that there have been no confirmed drone sightings in restricted airspace, Kirby said, adding that they have uncovered no malicious activity. We have no evidence at this time that these reported sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus, a White House National Security Council official told NBC News when asked about the drones. But lawmakers say that they and the public need more information after weeks of sightings in New Jersey and other states. New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim and New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, all Democrats, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Federal Aviation Administration head Michael Whitaker on Thursday demanding a briefing on the drones or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The potential safety and security risks posed by these drones in civilian areas is especially pertinent considering recent drone incursions at sensitive military sites in and outside of the continental United States over the past year. Protecting civilian infrastructure, safety, and privacy as well as military assets and personnel will require a comprehensive response from Congress and the executive branch, the four senators wrote. For this reason, we request that the briefing you provide also include any authorities, tools, or staff your agencies may require to address these ongoing incidents and the broader security challenge posed by UAS, they continued. Read more Todays top stories End-of-term checklist: President Joe Biden will commute the sentences of almost 1,500 offenders and pardon 39 others, in what the White House said was the largest number of commutations and clemencies granted in a single day. Read more Collision course: The House passed a bipartisan bill backed by the federal judiciary that would create dozens of new judgeships despite Biden's pledge to veto it. Read more Awards season: Trump said in an interview with Time magazine, which named him person of the year for 2024, that it would be very hard to bring down grocery prices after campaigning on doing so. He also didnt rule out the possibility of a war against Iran during his second term, saying "anything can happen." Save the date : Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration in January, though it's unclear if he plans to attend. And a Republican former House member and three current members of Congress from Utah invited a Jan. 6 defendant. Speaking of Jan. 6: The FBI failed to take the "basic step" of canvassing its field offices for intelligence ahead of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a long-awaited Justice Department's inspector general report. Read more Transition watch: Trump announced he wants Kari Lake, the former Arizona gubernatorial and Senate candidate who was also a local news anchor, to be the next director of the Voice of America, a federal network that's part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Read more Getting SALT-y: Dividing lines are already emerging among congressional Republicans over extending Trumps tax law next year, with those representing high-tax states demanding an increase to the federal deduction for state and local taxes, also known as SALT. Read more Post-election blues: The four candidates running to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee said the party should do a postmortem to learn lessons from the 2024 election. Read more In the states: The Montana Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that temporarily blocked a state law prohibiting transition-related health care for minors. Read more Thats all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback likes or dislikes email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com And if youre a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The incoming Trump administration could get rid of the policy that prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting undocumented people at schools, churches, hospitals and other protected areas. The policy has been in place since 2011, and it has allowed undocumented people to move freely in certain public spaces without the fear of getting arrested. Dylan Corbett, the executive director of the Hope Border Institute, a social justice organization in the Borderland, said the potential of getting rid of this policy is troubling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would affect our community in a real way. It would be a real threat to the people in our community. El Paso is an immigrant community. Its part of who we are. Its part of what it means to be a border community, Corbett said. Immigration advocates add that now is a time for people who are vulnerable to immigration enforcement to know their rights and their options. KTSM reached out to school districts in the community. Canutillo ISD is the only one that responded to our inquiry. The full statement reads: Canutillo ISD strongly believes that effective teaching and learning occurs when families feel safe from harm and persecution while on campus. The district opposes the president-elects proposal to potentially disrupt the instructional process by allowing ICE to have unchecked access to our schools to perform law-enforcement work that traditionally has not happened on school grounds. Educators work best when they focus on children instead of the work of adults. The federal government should let local districts do what they do best: educate the children of our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. WASHINGTON In a stunning change of tune, President-elect Donald Trump told Time in an interview published Thursday that the transgender bathroom debate isnt that important and doesnt affect many people anyway despite his campaign and other GOP groups pouring tens of millions of dollars into political ads attacking transgender people. I dont want to get into the bathroom issue, Trump said in the interview, which took place in late November. Because its a very small number of people were talking about. He suggested the Supreme Court should ultimately decide whether transgender people can use bathrooms that align with their gender identity, but reiterated that this debate which was created entirely by Republicans is not a priority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were talking about a very small number of people, and were talking about it, and it gets massive coverage, and its not a lot of people, Trump said. Roughly 1.6 million people ages 13 and older identify as transgender in the United States, according to The Williams Institute, an LGBTQ+ research center. Trumps latest comments are in sharp contrast to the way that he and his party relentlessly attacked transgender people on the campaign trail, stoking fears about trans people in sports, in bathrooms and in pursuit of gender-affirming care. As of mid-October, Trump and Republicans had spent more than $65 million on anti-trans television ads in states with competitive races, per an analysis of AdImpact data from The New York Times. By the end of the campaign season, the GOP had spent nearly $215 million on television ads fanning fear and hatred of trans people, according to AdImpact data cited by a Washington Post reporter. That figure doesnt include cable or streaming ads, either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of Trumps most memorable campaign ads attacked Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris for supporting trans rights. Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you, said the 30-second ad. The ad was specifically attacking Harris for saying in 2019 that she supported gender-affirming care for people in federal prisons and immigrant detention. This was not an issue that Harris was campaigning on in 2024, but it was a law that Trump followed as president in his first term. Only two federal prisoners have ever undergone these procedures, and PolitiFact could find no record of any immigration detainees receiving gender-affirming surgeries. Trump reportedly aired this ad more than 30,000 times in every swing state and spent more money on it than on all the other ads in his campaigncombined. President-elect Donald Trump said he doesn't think the transgender bathroom debate is very important after he spent tens of millions of dollars attacking trans people on the campaign trail. AP In his Time interview, Trump was also asked about Republican attacks on transgender Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.). McBride isnt even in Congress yet and has already become the target of transphobic attacks by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who introduced a bill aimed at barring McBride from using womens bathrooms in the House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McBride has responded to Maces attacks by saying there are more important issues to focus on in Congress than bathrooms. When Trump was asked if he agrees with incoming House Democrat McBride, he emphatically said yes. I do agree with that. On thatabsolutely, said the president-elect. As I was saying, its a small number of people. As for his Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you ad attacking Harris support for trans rights, Trump again downplayed his months of attacks on transgender people and said he is for everyone. I mean, Trump is definitely for us, okay? And us is the vast, vast majority of people in this country, said the president-elect. And also, I want to have all people treated fairly. You know, forget about majority or not majority. I want people to be treated well and fairly. President Joe Bidens decision earlier this month to issue a presidential pardon to his son Hunter for any potential offenses committed in the last decade stirred social media controversy, with many internet users relating the news to the first impeachment of President-elect Donald Trump. They argue that Trump was impeached for inquiring about Hunters potential crimes. Hunter Biden was just pardoned for what included a massive bribery scandal in Ukraine, tweeted John Cardillo, a former police officer turned right-wing social media influencer. Trump was impeached for a phone call to Zelenskyyy to uncover Hunters bribery scandal by the people who now expect him to give Ukraine billions. DC needs an exorcism. Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, also made the claim. They impeached Trump for merely asking about Hunters corrupt influence-peddling, then turned around and pardoned Hunter for the tiny fraction of crimes he committed that he was only charged with by accident, he tweeted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reality: Trump was impeached for attempting to investigate all of the crimes that Joe just pardoned Hunter for, tweeted Cliff Maloney, a right-wing activist who falsely accused Pennsylvania nuns of voter fraud a couple of months ago. Joel Pollak, the senior editor-at-large at Breitbart, similarly tweeted, Lawfare Democrats impeached Trump for trying to investigate what Biden basically just pardoned Hunter for doing. These claims are missing context. Trump wasnt impeached for merely inquiring into the Biden family. The articles of impeachment cited Trumps use of the power of his office to pressure the Government of Ukraine to publicly announce investigations that would benefit his reelection, harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and influence the 2020 United States Presidential election to his advantage. Trump made those personal requests conditional on military aid, pertaining to the presidents official role, and later also obstructed Congress investigation into it by ignoring subpoenas. The articles also alleged that in a July 2019 phone call, Trump had corruptly solicited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce public investigations into Joe and Hunter Biden, in addition to the cybersecurity company, CrowdStrike, regarding a purported serverthat quite possibly never existedand supposedly showed evidence of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 presidential election. In December 2019, FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed doubt about the CrowdStrike theory, saying, We have no information that indicates that Ukraine interfered with the 2016 presidential election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Acting with the same corrupt motives, per the impeachment articles, Trump then allegedly made nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine and a White House meeting conditional upon Zelensky making those public inquiries. In addition to abuse of power, the articles also charged Trump with obstruction of Congress for ignoring subpoenas issued in the House of Representatives impeachment inquiry. How does Hunter Biden fit into the equation? He joined the board of directors of Burisma, a Ukraine-based natural gas company co-founded and owned by Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky, in 2014. Two years earlier, then-Ukrainian prosecutor general Viktor Pshonka had opened investigations into potential criminal activity from Zlochevsky involving tax evasion and money laundering. Pshonka was ultimately removed as prosecutor general in 2014, months before Biden joined Burisma, though legal scrutiny into Zlochevskys possibly illegal behavior continued. While Joe Biden was serving as vice president in the Obama administration, he pushed Ukrainian leaders for a series of reforms, including the removal of the countrys prosecutor general Viktor Shokin over concerns he was insufficiently investigating corruption allegations. In 2015, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt criticized Shokin for impeding an investigation into Burisma and Zlochevsky. As Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty detailed in 2019, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, and Ukrainian anti-corruption activists also wanted Shokin to be removed. Biden later said that while on a diplomatic visit to Ukraine in 2015, he made a $1 billion loan guarantee conditional on Shokins ousting. Months later, the Ukrainian leaders acquiesced, and Shokin was relieved as prosecutor general. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Biden detailed the behind-the-scenes diplomacy in January 2018 while speaking on a panel for the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent, U.S.-based think tank. Im desperately concerned about the backsliding on the part of Kyiv in terms of corruption, Biden said. He then explained that although Ukrainian leaders promised action against Shokin, they never went through with itso he made the $1 billion loan guarantee conditional. Biden recalled, I looked at them and said: Im leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, youre not getting the money. Well, son of a b, he got fired. Its unclear whether Shokin was investigating Zlochevsky and Burisma during his tenure as prosecutor general. Then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt said in September 2015 that the United Kingdom had notified Shokins office that it seized $23 million from Zlochevsky that belonged to the Ukrainian people. However, Pyatt said, Shokins office did not support the seizure, so the money was released. Instead, they sent letters to Zlochevskys attorneys attesting that there was no case against him, Pyatt added. Nonetheless, in the eyes of Trump, this was evidence of Bidens corruption. Responding online to Bidens comments made at the CFR panel, Trump tweeted, A disgrace. Total corruption! According to a memo of Trumps July 2019 phone call with Zelenskywhich is not a verbatim transcript of their conversion, but a summary informed by the notes and recollections of staffers present at the callTrump mentioned Hunter Biden directly. Theres a lot of talk about Bidens son, that [Hunter] Biden stopped the prosecution, Trump was summarized as saying, and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it It sounds horrible to me. Hunter Bidens presidential pardon did not pertain to any single criminal accusation. Rather, it was a blanket pardon that applies to all federal offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in in the last 10 years. The only specific criminal accusations mentioned in the pardon are his fraudulent gun forms case, for which he was convicted in June, and his tax evasion charges, to which he pleaded guilty in September. Prior to receiving a pardon, the sentencing dates for both cases were scheduled for mid-December. While there is no mention of Bidens business in Ukraine, the pardon applies to any potential offenses occurring since January 1, 2014the same year he joined Burismas board of directors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. (Bloomberg) -- US President Joe Bidens $400 billion green bank has just weeks to close billions of dollars in deals to finance green technology before handing the keys to the Trump administration. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Energy Departments Loan Programs Office (LPO) has provided crucial support for companies deploying first-of-its-kind technology and large projects that banks typically shy away from. Among other loans under Biden, LPO has made a record $9.2 billion offer to Ford Motor Co. to finance building three battery factories and provided $1.5 billion to Holtec International Corp. to restart a shuttered nuclear power plant. Yet more than $40 billion in conditional commitments could be in jeopardy once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Since the election, LPO has announced a $4.9 billion loan guarantee to renewables developer Invenergy LLC for a high-voltage transmission line project; a $6.6 billion conditional loan to Rivian Automotive Inc.; and a $7.5 billion loan for a joint venture between Samsung SDI Co. and Stellantis NV to create battery manufacturing plants in Indiana. Its still possible the Energy Department has time to close on those commitments, but it won't be easy, said Kennedy Nickerson, who formerly worked as a policy adviser in the Loan Programs Office. It would be very quick and relies on a heavily bureaucratic process running perfectly, but its possible, said Nickerson, who now serves as a vice president at Capstone, a Washington-based research group. The Biden administration recognizes the risk, and they are working hard to make the loan guarantees and loan agreements as airtight as possible before Trump takes over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked if the Energy Department had enough time to close on pending loans, Jigar Shah, the offices director, said it was up to borrowers to complete the Energy Departments rigorous vetting process. Right now, borrowers are sufficiently motivated to move more quickly then they have, probably a year ago, he said. Its up to the borrowers. Our process hasnt changed. During his first administration, Trump attempted to kill the program. This time, some in his inner circle want to eliminate or retool LPO to finance fossil fuels and other energy sources favored by Republicans. Already one of the two leaders tapped by Trump to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, Vivek Ramaswamy, has vowed the incoming administration will scrutinize and rescind billions of dollars in 11th-hour Energy Department loans. (The other is Elon Musk, whose company Tesla Inc. benefited from an LPO loan during the Obama administration.) Chris Wright, Trump's nominee for Energy Secretary, has slammed subsidies for wind and solar power and called greenhouse gas reduction targets perverse. He has, however, talked up the benefits of nuclear power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jonathan Silver, who oversaw the Loan Programs Office during President Barack Obamas first term, said Republicans can choose to dismantle it at their peril. The greatest irony, he wrote in an email, is that by attempting to slow down this inevitable and necessary transformation, the drill baby, drill crowd is actually increasing the chances that the next administration will be forced to introduce government mandates to get us back on track. LPO got an infusion of cash from Bidens signature climate law. It has nearly $400 billion in remaining loan authority, the Energy Department said in November. The administration has yet to close 18 loans, including a $2 billion commitment made in February 2023 to Redwood Materials Inc., a battery recycler led by a Tesla alum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The time needed to finalize loans makes it unlikely they all will be done before Biden leaves office. The average LPO decision takes more than 200 days to wrap up, though the Biden administration closed its first deal a roughly $500 million loan guarantee for a hydrogen project in Utah in roughly 40 days. Pat Gruber, the chief executive officer of biofuel maker GEVO Inc., said there is no chance the Biden administration will close on his companys $1.46 billion loan. offered in October. The company still needs to raise equity and complete other details, though he was optimistic the new administration would see it across the finish line. Clawing funding back wouldnt be easy for the Trump administration, especially if the money has been sent, said Peter Davidson, the founder and chief executive officer of Aligned Climate Capital who served as the offices executive director from 2013 to 2015. Once a loan has been obligated, its a binding contract with the government so it has to be paid, Davidson said. Once the money is obligated, if it isnt sent to the borrower, you are in a legal dispute, and it has to be settled in the courts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The office has had a reputation for caution ever since its first loan went badly awry. In 2009, the office gave a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra to make tube-shaped solar panels at a new factory in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company tumbled into bankruptcy two years later, igniting a political firestorm. Joe Mastrangelo, chief executive officer of advanced battery company Eos Energy Enterprises Inc., said LPO remains determined to avoid another flameout, even if it slows the application process. His company first approached the Energy Department about four years ago, received a conditional commitment in 2023, and recently closed a $303.5 million loan to cover the costs of the production line at its plant outside Pittsburgh and add a second line as well as possibly installing two lines at another facility nearby. Mastrangelo said that any financing mechanism for startups developing new technologies will end up funding some failures: If were doing our job right, as a country, theres going to be failures in the program there have to be. Youve got to have a process that moves at market speed. LPO also relies on other agencies expertise when deciding to fund projects. That adds another speed bump to getting money out the door as other parts of the administration try to insulate Bidens legacy from Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plug Power Inc. has had to work not just with DOE but with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers as it tries to finalize a $1.66 billion loan to build a series of clean hydrogen production plants, CEO Andy Marsh said. While critics often complain that the government makes a poor venture capitalist, Marsh said the loan office understands clean tech startups and large company projects better than many firms in the private sector. The governments actually smarter about what the perceived risks are, just because theyve been involved in these projects, he said. If its something that hasnt been done before, its tough for the private sector to put the right risk on it. --With assistance from Dave Merrill. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2024 Bloomberg L.P. President-elect Donald Trumps allies on Capitol Hill are pushing end-of-year legislation that would restrict U.S investments in China with one thing in mind: giving the future occupant of the White House maximum flexibility when implementing the law. The dynamic provides a road map for how lawmakers may navigate China policies under a second Trump administration next year. Members and aides are favoring a light-touch approach that will tie the president-elects hands as little as possible as he is expected to aggressively try to extract new concessions from Beijing. Lawmakers have spent years going back and forth on how to restrict U.S. investments into China in an effort to hobble Beijings access to U.S. technology and capital. But as negotiations intensified in recent weeks among senior GOP lawmakers to try to get something done this year, recent versions have shown deference to the incoming administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its certainly a step in the direction that President Trump has been advocating for, for a long time, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said of the China measure in an interview. The interventions show how Trump, even on an implicit level, already has a long reach into Congress business more than a month from taking office. The president-elects deep network of allies and proxies in Congress are already ensuring the final pieces of legislative work this year wont hinder his agenda next year. An overly restrictive bill could make it more difficult to strike a deal with China, which might view the law as one less reason to offer Trump concessions. It could also punish tech and business figures close to Trump who have money at stake in China, despite the president-elects tough rhetoric toward Beijing. In the China bill, one notable change would give the president complete discretion to sanction U.S. companies that violate the potential new investment rules, so he can use them as leverage in conversations once in office. Another would give agencies more time to implement the law, so Trumps nominees can get confirmed first. Yet another advocated by Rep. Mike Waltz, Trumps pick for national security adviser, would preserve a provision that restores a Trump-era executive order on the divestment of Chinese military securities. Waltz has lobbied recently to keep the securities language from being watered down, according to a person close to the negotiations, who was granted anonymity to discuss private talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waltz is "going to be a key driver," said one House Republican aide who was involved in the drafting of the bill. His input "really gives you a good sense of where Trump admin policy is going to go in the new administration." The China bills fate is still uncertain, though. Legislative leaders on both sides are trying to include it in a stop-gap spending bill Congress must pass by Dec. 20 in order to avert a government shutdown. And if there are any gaps in the legislation Congress might pass this year, Trumps economic and national security officials are already thinking they can simply fix them next year by executive order, said a former Trump official with knowledge of the policy discussions. Regardless of what Congress may approve, Trumps team is already considering ways to crack down on U.S. investments in China, and vice versa, said the former official, granted anonymity to detail confidential policy planning. The flexibilities Trump will have in the recent draft of the investment bill are also mutually beneficial to financial institutions, tech firms and venture capitalists that have a stake in the Chinese market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Things that take heavy hits to how business is being done now, and dont take that kind of nuanced approach to understand the complexity of a global supply chain those were things that we were always really reflexively concerned about, and we always shared those opinions pretty freely with folks on the Hill, said one industry representative, who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. We found folks that were really responsive to those concerns so we're ripe to have a better conversation on all these things next Congress. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), House Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and other House Republicans have been working for a year to bridge the gap between House Financial Services, which favors the existing sanctions process, and House Foreign Affairs, which has advocated for a new and more restrictive regime. Unable to win over House Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), GOP lawmakers moved forward with draft legislation that acted as the starting point for negotiations with the Senate in hopes the policy could hitch a ride on the National Defense Authorization Act. A revised bill circulated last week reflected industry-sought edits, like the discretionary sanctions, and lawmakers struck a deal by the weekend to include a largely similar version in the NDAA. But by Saturday evening, the agreement had fallen apart amid House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposition to an unrelated provision related to medical care for transgender children. Now, lawmakers are in talks on how to include it in a stop-gap spending package. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on House Appropriations, told reporters Tuesday she is confident they can pull it off. Ari Hawkins contributed to this report. What does the Middle East look like under Trump 2.0? The president-elect is due to take office in just a few weeks, having frequently attacked Joe Biden and later Kamala Harris for supposedly having failed to stop the two bloody conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza from breaking out under their watch. On top of that, he also made two lofty promises while campaigning: that he would end the conflict in Ukraine quickly upon taking office; and that he would bring a lasting peace to the Middle East. The latter promise was made during an interview with a Saudi news channel, Al-Arabiya, in October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to see the Middle East get back to peace. A real peace, one thats going to be a lasting peace. And thats going to happen. I have I feel really, truly confident its going to happen, said then-candidate Trump. He added that his election would be the key factor that made the difference. During his first term in office, Trumps foreign policy team notched a key victory towards that ideal, though obviously not one that prevented the region from descending into bloodshed last year. In 2020, the Trump administration engineered the signing of the Abraham Accords a pair of agreements signaling the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and two of its Arab neighbors, the UAE and Bahrain. Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu cultivated a close relationship during the formers first term, though it soured after the US president left office over his Israeli counterparts decision to congratulate Joe Biden, Trumps 2020 opponent, upon the Democrats election victory. (AP) But the war in Gaza put a halt to much of that progress. As long as Saudi Arabia is concerned... there will be no relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel without an independent Palestinian state, with its capital as East Jerusalem, says Muhammad Al-Isa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of Trumps inauguration in January, leaders of many countries are preparing for significant shifts to the USs global diplomatic stance. One of those countries is Saudi Arabia, which Biden famously vowed to make a pariah for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi before reversing course and pursuing a partnership. Muhammad Al-Isa, secretary general of the Muslim World League, spoke to US policymakers and journalists at a gala at the National Postal Museum. (The Independent) Saudi Arabia, like a number of countries, was pursuing its own strengthening of ties with Israel before the October 7 attack. Indeed, in 2022, the country allowed Israeli civilian aircraft to utilize its airspace for the first time. Al-Isa is the countrys most senior religious diplomat. He leads the Muslim World League, the largest Islamic humanitarian organization on the planet. Reportedly a close ally of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Al-Isa sat down with The Independent in Washington a day after hosting a Q&A at a gala with journalists and US policy leaders. During the event, he called for a ceasefire to be reached in Gaza along with the release of all hostages by Hamas and the Israeli government. He made the argument that religious reconciliation and the guidance of faith leaders must be part of diplomatic normalization with Israel, as well as a two-state solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is our stance, and its a constant stance, always, that we can never give up on, he says. We can never discuss peace in the region, and normalization in the region, at all without believing in the two-state solution Anyone who talks about normalization without the two-state solution, having a Palestinian state with its capital as East Jerusalem they are wasting time. Al-Isa argues that a two-state solution for the Palestinian territories, with a capital for a sovereign Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, is an unmovable position that must be part of any Saudi-Israeli normalization deal. (The Independent) For the next few weeks, at least, the US government will remain publicly supportive of the establishment of a Palestinian state. That will almost certainly end in January. Trumps foreign policy selections indicate he is going in the opposite direction, possibly at the expense of future diplomatic gains in the Arab world. Marco Rubio, his pick for secretary of state, is a vocal opponent of a two-state solution. The Florida senators hawkish views caused his nomination to be a major disappointment for some America First hardliners who have accused him and others of seeking war with Iran. Another Iran hawk who served in government during Trumps first term was Sam Brownback, the former senator from Kansas who was the president-elects ambassador-at-large for religious freedom. He is rumored to be among those in the GOP foreign policy sphere under consideration for a similar role this cycle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked about such issues, Brownback asked The Independent: Why would the Israelis agree to an independent state... and why would that guarantee peace in the region [when] they [the Palestinian territories] dont have the capacity to not become a terrorist state? Brownback was attending a briefing for Democratic and Republican senators held by an Iranian dissident resistance group, the NCRI, on Capitol Hill this week. The gathering featured senators on both sides of the aisle who favor a maximum pressure stance against Iran, which is likely to be re-adopted by the Trump White House in January. The former ambassador warned that Israel was never going to allow an independent state that can be so populated with terrorists right on their doorstep, especially in the immediate wake of October 7. You could say your two-state solution already exists, and its Jordan, said Brownback. [But] the West Bank and Gaza have shown no ability to control terrorism in their own territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ted Cruz, who attended the briefing, said as he left for votes that achieving the total destruction of Hamas was the most important immediate step towards regional stability, one that took precedence over the Gaza peace process. The signals are clear: the incoming Trump administration is poised to be wholly devoted to political and strategic military support for Israel, with the prospect of diplomacy around the Arab world being relegated to an afterthought. It could be seen as a rather grim outlook for the prospect of Palestinian statehood, and Saudi-Israeli relations by extension. Al-Isa doesnt think so, however. The incoming administration has opportunities more than others, given its relationship [with the Israeli government], he said. He argued that Netanyahus closeness to Trump would open the door for a President Trump to push the Israeli leader to lengths the current president never could. Donald Trumps close relationship with the Israeli prime minister is seen by the formers Saudi allies as a boon, not a hurdle, towards reaching peace in Gaza. (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the whole world is with the two-state solution, [and] then the current Israeli government comes and rejects it, in front of the whole world, even the White House which is its strongest ally, then how can they justify this? Will this result in a good reputation [for Israel]? he says. Israels relationships with its allies not just in the Middle East but on every continent are now intrinsically tied to the question of how the war in Gaza ends. Government officials have said that Netanyahu plans the war to continue at least through 2024, and no plan for a drawing-down of operations has even been hinted at so far. Part of the answer to that question lies in how long the US continues to fund Israels military offensive. Trump has shown no signs of opposing that support, but could face grumbling from his base if the price tag begins to climb too high especially if economic conditions dont improve at home. Over drinks Thursday at holiday mixers and inside drab hotel conference rooms, repositioning the Democratic Party against Donald Trump was the topic of conversation among Democrats. But Trump is, yet again, proving tricky to predict. As they reckon with the ramifications of Trumps resounding win, his mixed messaging on key issues is fueling uncertainty among Democratic leaders about how to adjust their approach to the president-elect as they prepare for him to return to power under markedly different political circumstances than in 2017 when the energy and mandate, for Democrats, appeared clearer. Instead, in 2024, Trumps unpredictability and the depth of their own losses is clouding their conversations about how to revamp their partys broader messaging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, were still sorting out what hes actually serious about, Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman told POLITICO at the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee headquarters on Thursday. How much will he engage in actions that are just for show, but where the results are not as impactful? In recent days, Trump has expressed interest in cutting a deal with Democrats to keep Dreamers in the U.S. while also vowing to end birthright citizenship. He pledged to work with Democratic mayors and governors to cut down on crime in their cities and states in the same interview in which he also suggested congressional Democrats (and Republicans) who investigated him over the Capitol riot should go to jail. And he has worked to diminish one of Democrats most potent arguments against him by repeatedly saying he is unlikely to restrict access to medication abortion. That whiplash has created disparate responses from Democrats to Trumps pending return to power. At a DLCC event, several state legislators said Democrats back home were cautiously eyeing Trump, waiting to see how he would handle a second term before passing judgment on his intentions. Other Democrats said they felt less emotional about his ascension because we already know what to do and weve experienced this before, said Wisconsin state Sen. Jeff Smith. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With his rhetoric so far, Smith said of Trump, believe him. And across town, at a meeting of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee in which the main topic on the agenda was rule-setting for the upcoming chair race, outgoing DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said the partys future successes are, in part, linked to holding the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans accountable for the harms they will inflict on the American people. How to respond to Trump is a huge topic of conversation in Democratic circles right now, said Ian Russell, a Democratic consultant. The political reality is just different than 2017. He won the popular vote and the Electoral College, and a bunch of House [Democratic] members woke up after the election in Trump districts, Russell said. It's not that Democrats are going to roll over, but you're seeing Trump handled as a more conventional political opponent as opposed to the Donald Trump who we've been doing battle with for the last decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unlike the first time Trump won the presidency, Democrats are not expecting major protests like the Womens March ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration. Instead, Democrats across all levels of government are plotting more cautiously open approaches to Trump. In Washington, some Democratic lawmakers are opening lines of communication with billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk, who will soon be co-chief of gutting government spending. Others have praised some of Trumps more mainstream Cabinet picks, with Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who won reelection in a swing state the Republican carried, on Thursday expressing support for his nominee for transportation secretary, former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.). And they have attempted to find areas of commonality with one of Trumps most controversial Cabinet selections, secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who was a Democrat for almost all of his life. Meanwhile, in the states, governors threatening to fight to the death if Trump attempts to infringe upon their constituents rights are also pledging publicly and in private conversations with the president-elect to find ways to work with him on infrastructure and immigration. Attorneys general preparing to fight mass deportations in court are simultaneously vowing not to stand in the way of lawful immigration enforcement. And while Denvers Democratic mayor, Mike Johnston, said he would be willing to go to jail to stop Trump from carrying out actions he believes are illegal, Eric Adams, his counterpart in New York City, sat down on Thursday with the incoming administrations so-called border czar. Were not going to be the party of no, said state Rep. Robert Reives, who leads Democrats in North Carolinas General Assembly. Question is: Does he really want to work on the issues, and is he willing to accept the help from Democrats? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As they wait for an answer, Democrats are attempting to recalibrate in a way that acknowledges the political winds on key issues immigration, the economy have shifted even further out of their favor, even as the president-elect has admitted in recent days that it will be hard to bring down the price of groceries and that he cant guarantee Americans wont pay more for consumer goods if his tariff hikes are enacted. And they are acknowledging that their party can no longer position itself explicitly against an increasingly popular Trump. We are not going to win the battle of telling people that the reason that you got to vote for us in 2026 is because were not Trump, Reives said. But Democrats elected officials appear to be ahead of their partys brass, who largely ignored Trumps victory and its ramifications during Thursdays Rules and Bylaws meeting instead, spending several minutes praising their own convention in Chicago as magical and masterful, while largely overlooking their own electoral losses. Committee members appeared on track to leave their partys reboot to the next chair, who will be elected Feb. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donna Brazile, a committee member and former acting DNC chair, pressed Harrison on whether the DNC planned to conduct a very thorough, forensics examination of the 2024 election. What did we do wrong? Why did we fall behind? she urged her party to ask. But while Harrison said the DNC was laying the foundation for such a review, he did not expect it to be completed before the incoming DNC chair gets selected. Meanwhile, asked whether the Democrats had a clear, unified response to Trump, one DNC member responded via text message: Nope. President-elect Donald Trumps pick to lead NASA spoke in Central Florida this week. Jared Isaacman spoke at the commencement ceremony for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach on Thursday. Isaacman focused some of his remarks on calling for college graduates to help build up Americas space economy. Read: Tech billionaire and philanthropist nominated to be next NASA administrator He said Americas place in the aerospace industry is different than it was a decade ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is Isaacmans alma mater. Read: NASA pushes back astronaut flights to the moon again He was also awarded an honorary doctorate for his work in aerospace at Thursdays event. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Donald Trump was laying the groundwork to expand his real estate business into Mexico at the same time he was vowing to tax American companies that do business there, according to a trademark application unearthed by a watchdog group. Trump International filed the application for a Trump Tower trademark in Mexico on Sept. 9, right in the middle of his re-election bid, according to the World Intellectual Property Organizations Global Brand Database. Throughout his campaign, Trump vowed to impose massive tariffs on Mexican products in an attempt to force American factories to return to the U.S. After his victory in November, he announced a 25-percent tax on all products coming from Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, Trump was outsourcing jobs at his social media company Truth Social to Mexico. He was also apparently making plans to build a hotel there as evidenced by the trademark application, which covers the phrase Trump Tower in connection with real estate and financial matters The application, which is pending, was first discovered by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. As the watchdog group pointed out, the trademark request could give the Mexican government leverage when it comes to tariffs and trade negotiations. The Daily Beast has reached out to Trumps transition team for comment. More than 20 years ago, Trump announced plans to build an oceanfront resort in Baja, only to abandon the project and end up in litigation with angry investors before eventually reaching a confidential settlement. Over the past few years, Trump International has reached agreements to expand into Oman, the UAE andjust this past weekSaudi Arabia. All of which raises the question of whether international policy negotiations are being undertaken in the interests of the American people or of Trump International. (The Hill) President-elect Trump said it will be very hard to lower grocery prices now that they have risen, but he predicted they will come down. In a wide-ranging interview with Time magazine, Trump struck a more measured tone than he did on the campaign trail. But asked if his presidency will be a failure if food prices dont come down, Trump replied, I dont think so. Look, they got them up. Id like to bring them down. Its hard to bring things down once theyre up. You know, its very hard. But I think that they will. I think that energy is going to bring them down. I think a better supply chain is going to bring them down, Trump said, noting the supply chain is still broken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump frequently blamed the Biden administration for high grocery prices during the 2024 campaign, often railing on the campaign trail against hefty price increases for bacon, cereal, crackers and other items. Well get them down, Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. In a speech in August in North Carolina, Trump told voters, From the day I take the oath of office, we will rapidly drive prices down and make America affordable again. Prices will come down. You just watch, he continued. Theyll come down, and theyll come down fast. Not only with insurance, with everything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. President-elect Trumps attorneys condemned Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs (D) suggested alternatives to dismissing Trumps hush money criminal conviction, going as far to call one of them unhinged and absurd Friday. It remains unclear if New York Judge Juan Merchan will consider the new filing, as he previously wrote he would only accept one written brief from each side. It is currently up to the judge to determine how to proceed in the case. With his return to the White House imminent, Trump has argued the court is compelled to wipe the jurys verdict finding him guilty of 34 felonies and dismiss the case in its entirety. Bragg pushed back in a filing earlier this week, instead suggesting the judge could freeze the case or make other accommodations that would keep the jurys guilty verdict intact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DA Braggs interest in maintaining the jurys verdicts as a notch in whatever belt he plans to wear to campaign events in 2025 is not a basis for interfering with the Executive Branch, Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove replied Friday, referencing that Bragg is up for reelection next year. The attorneys, whom Trump has nominated to senior Justice Department roles in his next administration, in particular condemned Braggs alternative suggestion that the judge could treat the case as if Trump had died. In that scenario, the court would terminate the proceedings after updating the case file to note the verdict removed the presumption of innocence, Trump was never sentenced and that his conviction was neither affirmed nor reversed on appeal. Blanche and Bove called the district attorneys offices (DANY) proposal unhinged, absurd and a Dark Dream Scenario. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a further illustration of DA Braggs desperation to avoid legally mandated dismissal, DANY proposes that the Court pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful, they wrote. Trumps lawyers also invoked Sen. John Fettermans (D-Pa.) suggestion this week that Trump deserves a pardon and that the case was weaponizing the judiciary, saying the Democratic senators summary is apt. The New York jury convicted Trump this spring on 34 counts of falsifying business records stemming from a 2016 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump who denies the affair and any wrongdoing related to the payment during his campaign. Prosecutors accused Trump of illegally concealing the payment with the intent to unlawfully influence that years election. Following last months election, Trumps legal team has looked to toss the case and his three other criminal indictments that hadnt reached trial, insisting his status as president-elect provides him the same protections as a sitting president against criminal prosecution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Special counsel Jack Smith agreed to dismiss his two federal indictments of Trump on election interference and documents charges, and Trump has meanwhile asked courts in Georgia to do the same in his state election interference case. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Elon Musks efforts ingratiating himself into Trumpworld are about to pay off. Donald Trumps presidential transition team has recommended that the president-elect quash a crash reporting requirement for self-driving vehicles. In an internal document obtained by Reuters, the team described the safety reporting condition as a mandate for excessive data collection, advising that the president-elect abolish the requirement entirely. Doing so would radically alter the playing field for the burgeoning automated vehicle industry, decreasing transparency and making it more difficult for federal regulators to spark inquiries into dangerous practices. And Tesla would be the new policys biggest benefactor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The electric vehicle company, which Musk heads, has reported the majority of automated vehicle crashes, more than 1,500, to federal safety regulators. And a Reuters analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, found that Teslas crash data accounted for 40 out of 45 of the fatal crashes reported through October 15. Critics and law enforcement groups, including the Justice Department, have torched the companys autopilot and full self-driving claims, arguing that the branding has misled investors and consumers into believing that the cars are fully autonomous when they still require an active driver behind the wheel. In a statement to Reuters, the NHTSA noted that the crash reporting data is crucial to evaluating the safety of these emerging technologies. Former agency employees noted to the outlet that such data was essential to investigations that led to a 2023 recall of some 125,000 Tesla vehicles over a seat belt defect. NHTSA said it has received and analyzed data on more than 2,700 crashes since the agency established the rule in 2021. The data has influenced 10 investigations into six companies, NHTSA said, as well as nine safety recalls involving four different companies, according to Reuters. Musks involvement in crafting the transition teams policy could not be determined, and its still unclear if Trump actually intends to strip the requirement. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump wants European troops to monitor a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 12, citing undisclosed official sources. Trump reportedly made the comments during his Dec. 7 meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, making it clear he wants to see Europe take up the leadership in deterring Russian aggression. Trump, who has pledged to end the war within "24 hours" and reduce U.S. involvement in Ukraine, is reportedly drafting proposals with his transition team, though key decisions will be finalized after his national security team is in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The idea of deploying European peacekeepers was reportedly discussed by British and French officials, and Macron was said to have presented the idea to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw on Dec. 12. Tusk later dismissed the notion during a press conference, saying that no such proposal is on the table for Poland. During the Paris meeting, Trump reportedly reiterated his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO but emphasized his desire for Ukraine to remain strong and well-armed after the war. Kyiv continues to insist on an invitation to the alliance. Trump also urged European leaders to pressure China into influencing Russia to end the conflict, suggesting tariffs on Chinese goods as a potential lever. Earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal on Nov. 6 indicated that Trumps team is considering a plan to delay Ukraines NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for continued Western arms supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to Time magazine, Trump indicated he does not plan to "abandon" Ukraine but instead use U.S. support as leverage to pressure Moscow to the negotiating table. At the same time, he criticized the Biden administration for allowing long-range strikes inside Russia. Read also: Ukrainian military instructors to undergo NATO-standard training in Lithuania Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Momodou Taal applied to come to the United States from Great Britain to study at Cornell University in upstate New York. His chosen course was a Ph.D. in Africana studies the study of Black people in Africa, the African diaspora and around the globe and he was awarded a visa. I came to study in the US, as oftentimes there is an understanding that what happens in the US becomes a global conversation, he told CNN. As someone interested in topics surrounding race, I wanted to get the US perspective firsthand whilst being able to contribute to that conversation. Momodou Taal speaks with CNN in November 2023. - CNN But after taking part in protests of Israels war against Hamas in Gaza, he was suspended, threatening his visa and his right to stay in the US to study a scenario that some believe could become more common during President-elect Donald Trumps second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump railed against the student protests on the 2024 campaign trail, and the Republican National Conventions platform pledged to Deport Pro-Hamas radicals and make our college campuses safe and patriotic again, inciting uncertainty about the future among international students. While Trump has also suggested that international students who graduate from US institutions be given green cards, his plans have focused far more on removing undocumented immigrants than welcoming new Americans. Taal, who was born in The Gambia, was one of thousands of students who demonstrated in support of Palestinian civilians after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel sent its troops into Gaza to eradicate Hamas. As protests took over dozens of campuses across the nation last fall, he told CNN that the movement he belongs to was anti-racist and that he abhorred the killings of civilians on all sides. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators walk from Columbia University down to Hunter College as protests at area universities and colleges continue on May 6, in New York City. - Spencer Platt/Getty Images But to Cornell, he and other students went too far. In April, then Cornell President Martha E. Pollack wrote a letter to her community bemoaning the protests for breaking college rules, being loud enough to be heard in classrooms and diverting substantial public safety and student life staff and resources from other important matters. Taal was suspended first for his role in a pro-Palestinian encampment and later for disrupting a careers fair attended by defense contractors, according to the independent campus newspaper The Cornell Daily Sun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the second suspension, Taals visa became invalid, and he was advised in a letter by Cornell administration to leave the US as soon as possible. International students across the country may face this same dilemma they want to speak up for their beliefs, but if they cross their college, they may lose not only their place but their right to study in the US. And the pressure may be ramped up with the incoming Trump administration. It is a legitimate concern, said Jill Allen Murray, deputy executive director for public policy at NAFSA: Association of International Educators, especially given Trumps nationalist rhetoric from the campaign trail. She said it was too early to know what could happen to international students participating in protests, but her organization was ready. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will continue to equip our members at US colleges and universities with information to help advise international students of the visa and immigration implications of their First Amendment activity on- and off-campus, Murray said. The Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration a group of American university and college leaders issued a statement the day after Trumps election stressing their commitment to all students who are non-citizens, saying their involvement in US education brought fresh perspectives and was essential to the future workforce and leadership of the US. If measures were introduced to penalize international students for engaging in lawful expression, the alliance would work with our partners to support these students and campuses, Miriam Feldblum, the groups executive director, told CNN. Taals suspension came months after anonymous threats were made to kill Jewish students at Cornell, terrorizing people on its upstate New York campus. Those threats were traced to a then-student who suffers from mental health issues, his defense lawyer said. The student was sentenced to 21 months in prison but tensions remained high on campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The university becomes a battleground amongst many, and its a battleground of ideas and right now, I think theres a trend to rethink the types of students that these places want to create, Taal told CNN. It doesnt seem like the university, particularly Cornell, is thinking about, or wanting to build the types of students that are morally conscious and care about the issues of the world. For its part, Cornell says on its website its mission is to discover, preserve and disseminate knowledge, to educate the next generation of global citizens, and to promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community. A man walks through the Cornell University campus on November 3, 2023 in Ithaca, New York. - Matt Burkhartt/Getty Images Taal had support on campus from his faculty advisers and off campus from people like Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Cornell has now reinstated his student status preserving his visa but he says he is not allowed on campus or to teach as other graduate students do. Taal said he has no faith in Cornells administration. Theres a way in which the university presents whats happening under the guise of law and order, because when you talk about law and order, youre appealing to a particular crowd of people, normally, right-wing forces in this country. But fundamentally, what its about is that law and order is being weaponized and operationalized to clamp down on pro-Palestinian speech, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CNN reached out to Cornell for comment regarding Taals case. The college declined to answer questions but pointed to a statement from Interim President Michael I. Kotlikoff on September 30 and a statement from Joel M. Malina, Vice President for University Relations on October 10. The statement by Kotlikoff said the disruption of the career fair where Taal was present was not a peaceful or harmless rally, as some have described it, and the communications said there were various levels of appeal available to students. Taal said he expected an impact from Trumps re-election. I know that this is always going to with the kind of America First agenda, disproportionately affect those in precarious positions, such as international students. And Taal, who specifically chose the US for his doctorate study, says hes becoming more disillusioned with the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was under the impression that the US values free speech, that since has changed, he said. Speech that is hateful is promoted but speech that is critical of US foreign policy isnt tolerated. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Boeing has delayed its Air Force One delivery to 2029. That means the new planes likely won't be delivered until after the end of Trump's second term in office. The $3.9 billion deal with Boeing has faced multiple setbacks since 2018. Boeing's delivery delays are hurting President-elect Donald Trump's dreams of flying on a new Air Force One jet. The project to build two new jets is so behind schedule that Boeing has told the US Air Force it expects to deliver the planes in 2029 or later, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. This means the planes may be ready only after the conclusion of Trump's second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2015, the Air Force chose Boeing to build two new planes to replace its aging 747 presidential fleet. In 2018, the planemaker and the Trump Administration agreed to pay $3.9 billion for the planes. Boeing initially expected to deliver the first new 747 in late 2024. But problems including a bankrupt supplier forced the company to reschedule its first plane delivery to 2026, and the second for early 2027. Both deliveries have now been pushed to 2029. Trump is frustrated with the delays and has been asking his team about the status of the planes, the Journal reported. The current Air Force Ones are white and light blue, as has been tradition since the John F. Kennedy administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, Trump said the "baby blue doesn't fit with us" and said he wanted a dark blue, white, and red plane. The design was rejected after a thermal study found the dark blue color could emit additional heat and would need more tests. A difficult time for Boeing The agreement Trump and Boeing signed in 2018 is a fixed-price agreement, which makes the planemaker responsible for any cost overruns. Trump negotiated the deal and threatened to cancel the contract if it went above $3.9 billion. The delays have cost Boeing over $2 billion and have raised total project costs to around $5.3 billion. In 2022, then-CEO David Calhoun called the Air Force One project a "very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn't have taken." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boeing has faced a series of challenges in recent months. In September, 33,000 Boeing workers went on strike. The walkout lasted nearly two months and left Boeing with a backlog of around 5,400 commercial aircraft worth roughly $428 billion. The strike ended in early November after the planemaker agreed to raise wages by 38% over four years. The manufacturer is also hurting from Federal Aviation Administration shutdowns after a series of accidents and complaints. To recover from those losses, Boeing on Thursday said that it plans to spend $1 billion over the next five years to increase production of its 787 Dreamliner and meet an earlier output target of 10 planes a month by 2026. Representatives for Boeing, the US Air Force, and Trump's transition team did not respond to a request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider NEW YORK (AP) President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldnt! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act, had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary, Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that its time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun and human biology. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don't change their clocks at all. The new Air Force One planes reportedly will now not be ready until at least 2029, five years after the initial deadline. Donald Trump, since his first presidential term, has wanted a new, next-generation Air Force One. He didnt get it then and Boeing, which makes the presidential aircraft, says it doesnt expect to have it ready before the end of his second term either. The project, which has already been subject to several delays, has hit more turbulence, reports The Wall Street Journal, and now will not be ready until 2029 at the earliest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump awarded Boeing a $3.9 billion contract in his first term to build a new pair of Air Force Ones, insisting the new jets have a red, white, and blue paint job. (Those paint colors, ironically, could have contributed to the delay, as they reportedly generate enough additional heat that it affects the planes electronics. The Biden administration changed the color schemes in 2022.) The current Air Force One planes have been in service since George H.W. Bush occupied the White House. The project is over budget, though, and Boeing has had its own share of troubles since then, including supply-chain issues and labor problems. The company has also had to juggle the problems with the 737 Max line of jets and its Starliner spacecraft, which has stranded two astronauts at the International Space Station. Boeing was originally expected to deliver the new Air Force One planes in 2024. Last year, that timeline was reset to 2027. Boeing did not immediately respond to Fortunes request for comment about the report. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com President-elect Donald Trump is high on Indianas school system, saying it could be a model for the rest of the country. During an interview with Time magazine, which named him Person of the Year for 2024, Trump addressed plans to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. We want to move the schools back to the states. We want to, you know, we're at the bottom of every list in terms of education, and we're at the top of the list in terms of the cost per pupil, and we want to move them back to the states, and we'll spend half the money on a much better product, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think Iowa, and I think Indiana, and a lot of these states that are well-run states. We have a lot of them that are very well run. When they run their own educational program, I think it's going to, I think they'll be able to compete with anybody, he said. Then you're going to have the badly run states, like a guy like Gavin Newscum [sic] in California, where he does a poor job, and he'll, but even in California, you'll give it to Riverside. You'll give it, you know, you'll give it to areas of California where I think they'll run a great school program. How do Indiana schools compare to others? According to a 2022 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, the average reading score for fourth-grade students in Indiana was 217, not significantly different from the average score of 216 for the nation. Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Could Indiana be a model for education in the U.S.? Trump thinks so US President-elect Donald Trump's national security team held discussions with the White House and representatives of Ukraine to find ways to "end the war" with Russia. Source: Several sources told NBC News; European Pravda reports Details: NBC News reports that Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has had several conversations with his likely successor, Republican Mike Waltz. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One source said that Sullivan and Waltz focused on exchanging relevant information but did not explore ways to end the war in Ukraine or secure a ceasefire. The most recent talks with Ukraine took place during the last visit of the head of the President's Office, Andrii Yermak, to the United States, where he met with Trumps Vice President J.D. Vance, NBC News said. There were also talks between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and US President-elect Trump. The NBC News source says that the latest meetings and conversations between Zelenskyy, Trump and their advisers have been constructive: "The atmosphere thus far in terms of the engagement between the Ukrainians and the incoming Trump team, including Zelenskyy and Trump himself, has been positive." Another source claims that Trump "understands that the Ukrainians are not the obstacle to peace". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the article says Donald Trump's team has not yet informed Ukraine of any potential peace plans. Background: The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andrii Yermak, said earlier that there is no specific "Trump peace plan" yet and that the team of the US president-elect has only certain ideas on this issue. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he did not take Donald Trump's election promise to end the war in Ukraine "in 24 hours" literally. Support UP or become our patron! President-elect Donald Trump continues to celebrate his election victory and fill out his next administration. On Thursday, he was named TIME magazines Person of the Year as he rang the New York Stock Exchanges opening bill, just a day after he made a massive $1 billion promise to wealthy investors and corporations. Hes also named the next head of the Federal Trade Commission, adding another anti-Big Tech antitrust official to his roster. That may be part of why Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made some inroads with Trump, with the corporation donating some cash to his inauguration fund. Googles (GOOGL) CEO also reportedly made the trip to Mar-a-Lago Thursday to meet with the next president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Catch up on that news and more including Elon Musks potential conflicts of interest, the impact of Trumps big tariff threats, and the crypto capital in this weeks roundup. President-elect Donald Trump is threatening new tariffs on multiple countries as his second term approaches after making tariffs a signature of his 2024 Presidential campaign. - Photo: Mario Tama (Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trumps tariffs threats are just that for now. But businesses could face new costs as soon as next month if he sticks to his guns. Read More Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trumps latest pitch to major corporations and wealthy business leaders: Invest $1 billion in the U.S. and hell drastically slash any red tape slowing them down. Read More Federal Trade Commissioner Lina Khan has advocated for aggressive antitrust actions against major tech companies. Her successor may follow in her footsteps. President-elect Donald Trump has picked Commissioner Andrew Ferguson to take over for Lina Khan as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission, in a blow to major technology firms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meta Platforms (META) chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is willing to pay seven figures to win the favor of the incoming Trump administration. Rocio Fabbro Read More President-elect Donald Trump rings the New York Stock Exchange bell on Dec. 12. - Photo: New York Stock Exchange President-elect Donald Trump rang the New York Stock Exchanges (ICE) opening bell on Thursday, a first for the longtime businessman and two-time presidential election winner. Read More US Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. departs the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 12, 2024 in New York City. US President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday morning. - Image: David Dee Delgado / Contributor (Getty Images) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trumps choice to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has shed more light on his views on popular weight-loss treatments. Bruce Gil Read More President-elect Donald Trump with his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. - Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images) The Trump Organization is bringing a new Trump Tower into the world. But not in the U.S. this one will be in Saudi Arabia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at the U.S. Capitol Building for a meeting with Congressional Republicans interested in his Department of Government Efficiency. - Photo: Anna Moneymaker (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President-elect Donald Trump says there arent any potential conflicts of interest that come with Elon Musk leading a group scrutinizing the same federal agencies that regulate his companies. Read More Photo: Peter Summers (Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump plans to make America a leader in the cryptocurrency space, through investments and sensible regulations. Rocio Fabbro Read More President-elect Donald Trump - Photo: Allison Robbert-Pool (Getty Images) Small businesses are more optimistic now than they have been at any point over the last almost four years as President-elect Donald Trump heads into office, according to a new survey. Read More President-elect Donald Trump - Photo: Oleg Nikishin (Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump isnt planning on firing Jerome Powell, despite his past criticism of the Federal Reserve Chairman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More President-elect Donald Trump in Greenvale, New York, accepting a FOX Nation Patriot Award. - Photo: Michael M. Santiago (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President-elect Donald Trump has again made the case that he made Obamacare workable, as his team continues to work toward a new healthcare plan. Read More For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. President-elect Donald Trump probably wont even get to fly on his improved Air Force One planes, and might have to reluctantly leave them to his successor, according to reports. In his first term Trump ordered two 747-8 jumbo jets to be heavily updated and they were slated for delivery in 2026 and 2027. However, the $3.9 billion deal with Boeing is reportedly so delayed that the models will be ready only after the 78-year-old leaves the White House. Trump walks to board Air Force One, April 18, 2019 / Alexander Drago/Reuters The MAGA chief reportedly made the deal his pet project. He even declared that the famed planes colors would be scrapped and changed to reflect the red, white and dark blue of his own private Boeing 757. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Air Force even admitted that Trumps paint job, specifically a darker blue on the underside of the aircraft, could contribute to excessive temperatures on the plane. Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek confirmed the heat problem in 2022, saying: Further analysis concluded darker colors, among other factors, on the underside of the VC-25B aircraft might contribute to temperatures exceeding the current qualification limits of a small number of components. Light blue and white has been a constant since President John F Kennedys administration. According to the Wall Street Journal it now looks like the jets might not even be ready until 2029, maybe even later. Air Force One carrying U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in 2019 / REUTERS We take pride in this work. Our focus is on delivering two exceptional Air Force One airplanes for the country, Boeing said in a statement, but Trump is reportedly so annoyed that he demanded answers from company CEO Kelly Ortberg last month over the phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has also reportedly badgered his own staff for updates, but the company are tight-lipped on deadlines. The jets are in the throes of being fitted out with meeting rooms and bedrooms, as well as military avionics and self-defence systemseffectively making them an extension of the Oval Office, according to The Telegraph. An Air Force representative said the schedule for the project is expected to be updated this spring. It comes after the Seattle-based aviation manufacturer announced in October that it would lay off 17,000 employees10 percent of its workforceamid a strike, production delays, and safety concerns with its aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In January the Federal Aviation Administration immediately grounded 171 Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft operated by U.S. airlines or in U.S. territory and halted production expansion of the Boeing 737 MAX. The FAA found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. Boeing has reportedly lost $25 billion since 2019. Keith Kellogg, the US President-elect's Special Envoy for Russia and Ukraine, says he is planning visits to listen to the positions of both sides in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Source: Fox News, as reported by European Pravda Details: Asked about possible visits to Europe, to either Russia or Ukraine, Kellogg said that Trump's team is "putting together plans to go and just listen" to the parties in the war, since they are not yet authorised to negotiate on behalf of the United States government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "But it doesnt hurt to listen to people [] more aggressively looking at the calendars, looking into doing this in the near term, and to make sure weve got the right elements to present to President[-elect] Trump," he added. Kellogg emphasised that the president-elect of the United States will make the final decision on this matter. "Our job is to help facilitate him [Trump] getting that to be successful for the American people. And were going to do that. We are going to bring this war in Europe to a close, a successful close for the American people as well," he concluded. Background: In late November, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that he had chosen retired General Keith Kellogg as his "special envoy for Ukraine and Russia". Kellogg joined Trump's team as a national security adviser while Vice President Mike Pence was in office in 2017-2021. Kellogg currently works at the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute, where he contributed to the drafting of yet another "peace plan" for Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! The only path forward in Donald Trump's criminal hush money case in New York is vacating his conviction and dismissing the case prior to Trump taking office, lawyers for the president-elect argued in a court filing unsealed Friday. Trump's lawyers, responding to a filing by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg unsealed Tuesday, rejected each of Bragg's proposals to preserve the president-elect's conviction while respecting the office of the presidency, accusing Bragg of "thuggish tactics" by proposing the judge in the case delay Trump's sentencing until 2029. "[A] stay would require President Trump to lead the Country while facing the ongoing threat that this Court and DANY are prepared to impose imprisonment, fines, and other punishment as soon as he leaves Office," the filing said. "To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Manhattan DA suggests non-prison sentence for Trump in hush money case Trump's lawyers also described a plan proposed by Bragg to abate Trump's conviction -- a mechanism generally used when a defendant has died while a case is pending -- as "unhinged" and "extremely troubling." "As a further illustration of DA Bragg's desperation to avoid legally mandated dismissal, DANY proposes that the Court pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful," wrote Trump's lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who Trump has nominated to top jobs in the Department of Justice. Trump was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election -- but his sentencing in the case has been indefinitely postponed following his reelection. Trump's lawyers have argued that the entire case should be dismissed because a sitting president is immune from prosecution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their filing earlier this week, prosecutors proposed three alternative options to preserve Trump's sentencing while respecting the prohibition on prosecuting presidents, including delaying the sentencing until 2029, abating the sentencing -- which would terminate the case but preserve the record of his conviction -- or sentencing Trump to a punishment that does not include incarceration. PHOTO: Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, Sept. 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, N.C. (Evan Vucci/AP) Trump's lawyers rejected each option as unconstitutional and called the case politically motivated, taking the unusual step of citing in the filing's introduction a Truth Social post by Sen. John Fetterman in which the Pennsylvania Democrat called the case an example of "weaponizing the judiciary." "DA Bragg's interest in maintaining the jury's verdicts as a notch in whatever belt he plans to wear to campaign events in 2025 is not a basis for interfering with the Executive Branch," the filing said. Trump's lawyers argued that delaying the sentencing until Trump leaves office in 2029 would unfairly require Trump to serve as president while the threat of potential imprisonment hangs over him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Staying the proceedings during President Trump's second term would impede the Presidency and give New York County intolerable leverage over the Executive Branch, which exists for the protection of the entire Nation," the filing said. The filing argued that prosecutors' proposal to abate the case would violate Trump's right to appeal, and sentencing Trump to something other than prison or jail would still be a "grave and impermissible" danger to the functions of the presidency. "One would expect more from a first-year law student, and this is yet another indication that DANY's opposition to this motion has not been undertaken in good faith," Trump's lawyers said about the abatement idea. MORE: Timeline: Manhattan DA's Stormy Daniels hush money case against Donald Trump Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The filing took an overtly political tone, repeatedly referencing Bragg's 2025 campaign for reelection and accusing the district attorney of politicizing the case "to defend his poor record." "It is abundantly clear at this point that DANY will say and do anything -- including urging the Court to disregard the Constitution, the New York Court of Appeals, and the Second Circuit -- to try to make this abomination stick," the filing said. Trump's lawyers, seeking to dismiss hush money case, slam DA for 'thuggish tactics' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Space Soldiers President-elect Donald Trump's pick for NASA administrator billionaire SpaceX tourist Jared Isaacman wants to send soldiers into space. During the Space Force Associations Spacepower 2024 conference in Orlando, Florida, Isaacman argued that troops in space are "absolutely inevitable." "If Americans are in low Earth orbit, theres going to need to be people watching out for them," he said, as quoted by the Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is the trajectory that humankind is going to follow," he added. "America is going to lead it and were going to need guardians there on the high ground looking out for us." Star Wars Kid Isaacman's comments are eyebrow-raising for a number of reasons. Do US astronauts really need armed bodyguards in space? What exactly will these space troops do once they reach space? Will these troops be Space Force "Guardians" who aren't trained to be astronauts or will the Pentagon send troops from a different military branch? Besides, where will they stay? With the retirement of the International Space Station in 2030, the Pentagon will also have a hard time coming by accommodations for armed forces in orbit. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Isaacman had few details to share regarding his plans to send troops into space, let alone how much such an initiative would cost. He did hint at the possibility of sending soldiers into space around the time NASA hopes to settle on the surface of the Moon, according to the Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Isaacman also said he's hoping to turn outer space into an economic opportunity. "Space holds unparalleled potential for breakthroughs in manufacturing, biotechnology, mining, and perhaps even pathways to new sources of energy," he told audiences during the conference. "There will inevitably be a thriving space economy one that will create opportunities for countless people to live and work in space." The tech entrepreneur has been to space twice over the last three years, both times on board SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. But given his new desk job in Washington, DC, Isaacman may have to give up on future opportunities to visit space as part of the Polaris program he organized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The future of the Polaris program is a little bit of a question mark at the moment," Isaacman admitted at the event, as quoted by Reuters. "It may wind up on hold for a little bit." More on Isaacman: The New Head of NASA Had an Interesting Disagreement with the Space Agency President-elect Donald Trumps legal team is pointing to a Truth Social post from Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) to bolster its argument that the New York City hush money case should be thrown out entirely. The Democratic senator drew criticism from members of his own party for the post, dated Wednesday, that declared the hush money case, which drew a felony conviction in May, was bullshit and called a pardon for Trump appropriate. Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division, Fetterman wrote. (He also said Hunter Biden should receive a pardon on gun and income tax charges, which his father, President Joe Biden, granted him last month.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, attorneys for Trump, called Fettermans summary an apt one in a document made public Friday. Trumps team had filed a lengthy brief outlining its argument for dismissal earlier this month, as the judge instructed. New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan had said he would not accept reply briefs on the issue. Blanche and Bove appear to have replied anyway, addressing arguments made by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg earlier this week. Trumps attorneys wrote that Bragg has no credibility left in these proceedings. Though the jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, his sentencing has been delayed multiple times while attorneys figure out how a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity may factor in. The high court ruled that presidents enjoy broad immunity from prosecution for official acts they take in office; Braggs office has stated that no part of the case related to official presidential acts. The sentencing was then delayed indefinitely following Trumps election victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trial centered on a $130,000 hush money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels in 2016, days before the election, to keep quiet about an alleged affair. Trump maintains that the affair did not occur and that he did nothing wrong. Attorneys for the president-elect blasted Braggs suggestions on how to handle the case now that Trump is set to become president again, on Jan. 20, and resume the mantle of presidential immunity. Braggs team floated multiple suggestions: Merchan could freeze the case until Trump leaves office, he could take the possibility of jail time off the table or he could close the case with a notice explaining why a sentencing hearing was never held. The last suggestion is sometimes used by courts when a defendant dies between their conviction and sentencing hearings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mere invocation of death appeared to shock Trumps lawyers, who said it amounted to a dark dream. As a further illustration of DA Braggs desperation to avoid legally mandated dismissal, [the district attorney] proposes that the Court pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful, they wrote. One would expect more from a first-year law student, and this is yet another indication that [Braggs] opposition to this motion has not been undertaken in good faith, they added. Related... ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey can step in to resolve disputes between Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, President Tayyip Erdogan told the head of Sudan's sovereign council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in a phone call on Friday, the Turkish presidency said. The Sudanese army has repeatedly accused the UAE of providing weapons and support to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's war. The Gulf state denies this. U.N. sanctions monitors have described as credible accusations that the UAE had given military aid to the RSF. Erdogan discussed Turkish-Sudanese relations as well as regional and global matters with Burhan in the phone call, the Turkish presidency said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erdogan suggested that Turkey step in to resolve disputes between Sudan and UAE, just as it has mediated a dispute between Horn of Africa neighbours Somalia and Ethiopia, it said, without elaborating. Erdogan also emphasised to Burhan Turkey's main principles protecting Sudan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and preventing the country from becoming an arena of foreign intervention, the presidency said. In a separate statement by Sudan's governing sovereign council, Burhan said he welcomed any role Turkey could play in ending the war and called for greater Turkish investment in Sudan. "He expressed his confidence in the position of the Turkish president and government in support of the Sudanese people and their choices," the statement said. (Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; additional reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; editing by Mark Heinrich) Two arrested after armed robbery, vehicle chase in Rocky Mount, said RMPD ROCKY MOUNT, Va. (WFXR) The Rocky Mount Police Department has arrested two suspects after allegedly robbing a person at gunpoint and then fleeing from officers in a vehicle on December 12. RMPD said that sometime on Thursday, officers responded after reports of an armed robbery at the old Eagle Cinema movie theater located at 460 Tanyard Road. On the scene, the victim said that two suspects allegedly appeared and robbed them at gunpoint. With a detailed description, officers quickly identified and located the suspects. A vehicle stop was then attempted; however, the driver allegedly refused to stop, starting a pursuit with the officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suspect accused of robbing Bistro Brothers Restaurant at gunpoint charged The vehicle chase ended when the suspects vehicle crashed on Diamond Avenue Ext. A short foot pursuit then occurred. One suspect was immediately apprehended by RMPD, and the second suspect was taken into custody minutes later by a Franklin County Sheriffs Deputy on Windy Lane. 20-year-oldAlexander Carcamo of Galax has been arrested and charged with the following: Purchase/ Transport Gun/ Protective Order- Misdemeanor Petit Larceny Misdemeanor Intentionally Damage Property >$1000 Felony Use of Firearm in Commission of Felony Felony Use Firearm in Robbery Conspiracy Felony Robbery Using a Firearm Felony Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carcamo is currently being held at the Western Virginia Regional Jail without bond. 18-year-old Mason F. Munsey of Galax has been arrested and charged with the following: Use of Firearm in Commission of Felony Felony Robbery Using a Firearm Felony Purchase/ Transport Gun/ Protective Order- Misdemeanor Petit Larceny Misdemeanor Use Firearm in Robbery Conspiracy Felony Intentionally Damage Property >$1000 Felony Disregard Law Enforcement Command Drive (Eluding) Felony Reckless Driving out of Control Misdemeanor Munsey is being held at the Franklin County Jail without bond. Police said the investigation is still ongoing and believe the victim and suspects may have been acquainted with each other. The crime was allegedly not a random act. Additional charges may be pending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Check back with WFXR News for more information soon. The Rocky Mount Police Department extends its gratitude to the Franklin County Sheriffs Office and the Virginia State Police for their swift assistance in capturing these dangerous individuals. This successful apprehension was a result of great teamwork by all agencies involved, said Chief Young. We are thankful for the partnerships that help us keep our community safe. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) The trial for twin brothers accused of stealing over $800,000 from the state in a money-laundering scheme ended on Thursday, Dec. 12. Robert McCormick, former State of Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal employee, and Thomas McCormick, of McCormick Law Firm, LLC were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 35 counts of money laundering, six counts of conspiracy to commit malfeasance in office, 39 counts of conspiracy to commit filing of false public documents, 39 counts of filing false public documents, 17 counts of conspiracy to commit theft, 17 counts of felony theft, six counts of conspiracy to commit prohibited splitting of profits and six counts of prohibited splitting of profits. In addition, Robert McCormick was also found guilty of six counts of malfeasance in office. According to court documents, the McCormick brothers reportedly created fake companies to funnel $824,760 in state dollars to themselves for personal use. Thirty-two invoices were paid over the course of eight months from Aug. 30, 2020, to April 28, 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one is above the law, said District Attorney Tony Clayton. This was a case of using a position in state government to scam the state out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and pocketing the money. I have said we will prosecute violent crime aggressively. We will do the same with cases such as this, where our tax money was illegally obtained. Five other individuals were also connected to the money-laundering scheme. The scheme took place while the state was dealing with the aftermath of several hurricanes. Oklahoma man sentenced in Louisiana child porn case, faces 7 years in federal prison An audit of the Office of the State Fire Marshal revealed that the payments were for supplies, equipment rentals, catering services, and other emergency services provided during natural disasters, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditors office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, state auditors found some items were reportedly purchased using Thomas McCormicks and Lt. McCormicks personal funds and billed to OSFM at excessive rates, according to investigative auditors. Auditors said that the companies diverted funds totaling $397,546 to Thomas McCormicks law firm, McCormick Law Firm, LLC, as Legal Fees, Legal Services, or Attorney Fees and the funds then were allegedly distributed to personally benefit and/or reimburse Lt. McCormick, Thomas McCormick, and others. In July 2021, the McCormick brothers were indicted by a West Baton Rouge Parish grand jury on charges of fraud, money laundering, racketeering and felony theft, according to court documents. They will be sentenced on Jan. 8. Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A man and woman were sentenced to prison for their roles in a crime spree last year that lasted two days in multiple parts of San Diego County. Calvin Brown, 27, was sentenced to 59 years and eight months, while Rolaena Blunt, 20, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison, Summer Stephan with the San Diego County District Attorneys Office said in a news release Thursday. Brown was convicted of four separate carjackings at gunpoint, assault with a semi-automatic firearm on eight victims at three separate locations, animal abuse, robbery, hit-and-run causing permanent serious injury, and other felony crimes. Blunt pleaded guilty to assault with a semi-automatic firearm on two victims, and a separate robbery and carjacking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the early hours of July 3, 2023, Brown carjacked a BMW at gunpoint in downtown San Diego. He then led police on a chase at over 90 miles per hour. Two days later in Imperial Beach, Brown and Blunt drove the carjacked BMW to a home where Brown shot a woman and dog, according to prosecutors. Following that incident, the two suspects drove to a business on El Cajon Boulevard. Blunt stole items while Brown shot at employees who tried to stop the theft. Both left the scene of the robbery. While they were on Interstate 805 traveling over 140 miles per hour, Brown crashed into two vehicles, causing one of the cars to flip over multiple times and seriously hurting a 12-year-old girl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brown and Blunt then abandoned the stolen BMW, ran off the freeway, carjacked a second car at gunpoint and drove to Encinitas, where they abandoned the second car, carjacked a third car at gunpoint and shot at the last carjacking victim during the pursuit. Citizens contacted police about Brown and Blunts location at a fitness center in Encinitas where they apprehended them. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. WASHINGTON (AP) Democratic Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton roared into Washington six years ago as part of a record wave of women vying for House seats, many on a mission to push back against the politics of Donald Trump. We were part of that 2018 class, and we sort of ran in there like: Theres a fire. Were here, Spanberger said. The outgoing congresswoman, who along with Wexton recently reflected on their time in Congress in interviews with The Associated Press, drew a quick breath. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its slightly different than the tone of where things are right now, she said. That is an understatement. Trump, a president the two Virginia Democrats campaigned against as they unseated established incumbent Republicans, is about to embark on a second term after mounting an improbable political comeback. Of the 35 Democratic women first elected in 2018, Spanberger and Wexton are among 14 who have since left or will be leaving Congress by next year. Thats not to say their journey is over or that they are retreating from public discourse. Kelly Dittmar, research director at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, described Virginia as a canary in a coal mine when voters elected more women to the statehouse in 2017, followed by the election of Spanberger, Wexton and former Rep. Elaine Luria there in 2018. But Dittmar said progress toward better gender representation hasnt always been linear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, 21 of the original 35 female Democrats first elected in 2018 ran for reelection to their House seats, not including Rep. Elissa Slotkin, elected to the Senate by Michigan voters this year. And in those races, 20 won. Theyll be among the 150 women 110 Democrats and 40 Republicans serving in the 119th Congress next year, one woman shy of a record of 151 set in 2023. Spanberger, meanwhile, is running for governor in a race comprised solely of two female candidates, making it likely that Virginias next governor will be a woman for the first time. But when women leave elected office, Dittmar said, their absence is felt more acutely because there is less female representation to begin with. She said its unclear whether the U.S. will see another surge of women filing to run anytime soon. She looked into why women said they ran in 2018 and "yes, there is evidence that they talked about Donald Trump, Dittmar said. I think the difference between 16 and 24 and that we just cant know yet is the degree of exhaustion and the degree of toxicity that may go into a calculation about deciding whether or not to run for office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For both Spanberger and Wexton, that path has taken unexpected turns. After twice winning reelection, Wexton was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a life-threatening neurological disorder similar to Parkinsons disease, and made the difficult decision to retire. Spanberger is exchanging her congressional pin for a loftier goal in state politics. They will be succeeded in Congress by Democrats Eugene Vindman and Suhas Subramanyam, cutting Virginias female congressional representation from four to two. A bond forged in public service and friendship In the stately formality of a congressional conference room, Spanberger and Wexton reminisced on their time on Capitol Hill. They have become uncommonly close, bound by time spent together, some shared views on public policy and a friendship that has managed to transcend the ups and downs of Washington politics. A stream of text messages that began after their victory speeches in 2018 has continued ever since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their bids for Congress were backed by many women who marched, phone-banked and organized in a grass-roots movement that decried Trump and worked to elect female Democrats. They won the votes. They took an oath. And then, the women got to work. Wexton, previously a state senator and prosecutor, developed a reputation for taking care of her district, said Rosalyn Cooperman, a professor at the University of Mary Washington. Cooperman said she vied for funding opportunities and committee assignments that helped bring tens of millions of dollars in federal investments to northern Virginia. She also tackled opioid addiction, transgender rights and childhood cancer research. After announcing her diagnosis, Wexton co-sponsored the National Plan to End Parkinsons Act, which President Joe Biden signed in July. Lawmakers named the legislation in her honor. Spanberger, an ex-CIA operative who stopped working at an education company to run for Congress, cultivated a knack for tackling lower-profile issues: bringing broadband to rural areas, fighting drug trafficking and veterans' issues. The Lugar Center and Georgetown Universitys McCourt School ranked the Virginia Democrat as the 17th most bipartisan member of the House last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both women really understood the districts that they represented and what the districts needed, and went about the work very effectively and without too much fanfare, Cooperman said. Spanberger and Wexton became fast friends while first campaigning for their House seats in 2018. The two formed a trio with Luria, who left Congress after losing to Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in 2022. Spanberger described Wexton as her quick-witted big sister someone who gave her advice on everything from raising teenagers to navigating a legislature. At one point, Wexton wrote Spanberger a script for speaking on the House floor. Wexton, with the help of an artificial intelligence program, spoke of Spanberger supporting her in a more vulnerable way: styling Wextons hair as she showed up to Congress with her health struggles. That is no small feat I had experienced first-hand how hard it was becoming to do my hair, Wexton said. For the next almost 90 minutes, Abigail would put various potions in my hair and dry it with a round brush. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was wonderful. I felt so pampered. Spanberger, with tears welling in her eyes, laughed, You have so much hair! Wexton learned she had progressive supranuclear palsy in 2023. Within the last two years, she lost her ability to speak clearly and walk without assistance. In her interview, the congresswoman used her pointer finger to type thoughts on her tablet, which she then played aloud. In her final months in Congress, she said, well-meaning colleagues would talk to her like a child or reintroduce themselves to her. My PSP has robbed me of my voice, and others may take that to mean it has robbed me of my cognitive ability as well, she said. But thats not true. Im just as much me as Ive always been. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the current term ends, many women are coming to terms with Trumps ascent back to power. Many Democrats say the fight isnt over but has changed in unexpected ways. To be very clear, Im super excited that Eugene Vindman and Suhas Subramanyam are replacing us, Spanberger said. But it is a little bit bittersweet that we came in with this group of three women, and within three terms, were both that all three of us are no longer there. Wexton said she hoped people, and women specifically, would persevere. Were not going to win every battle or every election, she said, but it is true that our democracy works best when more people participate in it. ___ Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Two men were injured in an explosion and fire at a house in north Tarrant County, near Saginaw, on Thursday afternoon. Firefighters responded to the home in the 9100 block of South Water Tower Road about noon on Dec. 12. The Tarrant County Fire Marshals Office told KDFW-TV that the explosion occurred while two men working at the house were spraying lacquer. The workers sustained burns to the head, face and arms and were flown to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Neighbors told WFAA-TV that the garage door blew off of the house and landed next to the driveway. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Germany is the latest country to report mysterious drone activity over an air base on its territory, specifically the sprawling U.S. facility at Ramstein, alongside similar incidents over critical industrial sites. The developments follow previous suspicious drone flights reported over infrastructure in Germany and a spate of security incidents at other air bases in the country earlier this year. Since then, U.S. Air Force facilities in England have also reported multiple drone incursions, which so far remain unexplained, while the United States is now deep into a wave of drone hysteria after similar reports out of bases on the East Coast. Possible spy drones have been noted several times flying over Ramstein Air Base, the main U.S. Air Force hub in Western Europe, according to a story published today by the Spiegel news magazine, citing a confidential report by German security authorities. Other similar incidents have been reported in the vicinity of the chemical company BASF, headquartered in Ludwigshafen, and the defense firm Rheinmetall. These companies are based in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany the same state in which Ramstein is located. Soldiers of the U.S. Army Europes 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, who operate Patriot anti-missile systems, load cargo on board a C-5 Galaxy for Turkey at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images Thomas Lohnes In the case of Ramstein, numerous drone sightings were reported in the evening hours of Dec. 3 and 4. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ramstein incidents have been confirmed by the U.S. military, with a spokeswoman for the base telling the Spiegel: In early December, there were several sightings of small unmanned aerial systems in the area and over Ramstein Air Base, they had no impact on the residents of the base and on the facilities and military equipment there. The spokeswoman confirmed that the base is now in close coordination with the German authorities regarding the incident. Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Google Earth As for Rheinmetall, this company has been at the forefront of German defense support for Ukraine since the full-scale invasion by Russia in 2022. The firm describes itself as Ukraines most important defense industry partner in the fight against Russian aggression. Among Ukraine-related projects the company is involved in are the manufacturing of artillery ammunition and Lynx infantry fighting vehicles, the training of Ukrainian specialists in the maintenance and repair of combat vehicles, as well as helping establish manufacturing and maintenance hubs in Ukraine. A Ukrainian-operated Rheinmetall MAN military truck on the road in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, Nov. 20, 2024. Photo by Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Global Images Ukraine Recent weeks have seen a string of reported drone incidents over U.S. Air Force bases in England as well as multiple sightings in the United States, notably over New Jersey. However, there have been reports of unexplained drone activity in Germany dating back to this summer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In particular, there were reports from the north of Germany, including over an industrial park in Brunsbuttel, northwest of Hamburg, which is home to a major floating liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal. At the time, prosecutors in Germany said they considered it likely the drone flights were related to espionage activity for sabotage purposes and also cited repeated drone flights over critical infrastructure. Reports of drone flights over Brunsbuttel began on Aug. 8 and its been claimed that the craft have proven difficult to track due to their high speeds reportedly around 60 miles per hour and their approach from the sea. Two ships carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) docked in the Elbe port of Brunsbuttel, Germany, in April 2024. Photo by Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images picture alliance Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The local public prosecutors office launched an investigation into the Brunsbuttel incidents, on suspicion of agent activity for sabotage purposes. The same topic was discussed by the German Interior Ministry, but they were unable to agree on a joint approach to countering the spy flights, according to the Spiegel. Other unusual activity in Germany in recent months includes a security alert at Geilenkirchen Air Base in August, which you can read more about here. This was due to fears of a possible Russian drone attack, according to a German media report. An unnamed source within German intelligence confirmed that the security scare at Geilenkirchen was caused by signs of preparatory actions for a likely Russian act of sabotage using a drone, the Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported today. The tip-off reportedly came from an undisclosed foreign intelligence service. The entrance to Geilenkirchen Air Base, on Aug. 23, 2024, a day after the base announced that it was raising its threat level and ordered all non-mission-essential staff to work remotely. Photo by Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images Sascha Schuermann On the other hand, an unnamed security source told Reuters that no drones had been seen in the vicinity of Geilenkirchen and that they could not confirm any evidence of a Russian role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The word Russia was never mentioned. We talked about a threat caused by drones, a NATO spokesperson at Geilenkirchen told Reuters. The drone scare at Geilenkirchen followed a security alert the previous week, in response to reports of an attempted trespassing incident at the base. This came at the same time as fears of possible sabotage of the water supply at nearby Wahn Barracks. A full sweep was made of the premises at Geilenkirchen without finding any trespassers, while the Wahn Barracks incident proved to be a false alarm. While there has been no evidence of Russia being behind these incidents in Germany, they have all led to speculation about possible Kremlin involvement. This comes amid growing concerns of Russian-inspired aggression against Germany, including drones, but also involving various other hybrid warfare tactics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, however, theres no doubt that Germany and its military bases have been directly targeted. In April of this year, two German-Russian nationals were arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting sabotage attacks, including on U.S. military facilities in the country. One of those individuals was accused of making plans to carry out bomb and arson attacks on military facilities and had allegedly taken photos and videos of military transports and equipment. The sabotage attacks appear to have been a direct response to the war in Ukraine, in which Germany has been a key backer of Kyiv, alongside the U.S. military in Germany, which uses bases there for transshipment as well as training Ukrainian soldiers there. One of the targets of the sabotage attacks was the U.S. Armys Grafenwoehr base in the southern state of Bavaria, where Ukrainian soldiers are trained to use U.S.-supplied M1 Abrams tanks. A mine roller on a U.S. Army M1A1 Abrams tank at Grafenwoehr, in Germany, where the U.S. Army trains members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for use on the Abrams. Photo by Matthias Merz/picture alliance via Getty Images picture alliance In the wake of these arrests, U.S. military bases across Europe including in Germany were placed on a heightened state of alert, for the first time in a decade, according to CNN. This move was said to be in response to intelligence concerns about possible sabotage attacks by Russian-backed actors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For its part, NATO has issued explicit warnings about the risk of an expanding Kremlin-backed campaign of sabotage, including cyberattacks. Speaking in June, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined what he said was evidence of a surge of sabotage, cyberattacks, instrumentalized migration, and other hostile actions by Russia. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to members of media after meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on June 17, 2024. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Kevin Dietsch TWZ has previously examined exactly why a hybrid warfare campaign might be especially attractive for Russia. Above all, this kind of warfare can be waged at a relatively low cost and with reduced risk at least to the Kremlin. Undertaken in Europe, it would very likely be intended to undermine support for Ukraine by creating disruption and sowing fear. Especially important is the fact that, as long as proxies are being used, such activities are very difficult to be directly traced back to the Kremlin. Using relatively low-cost drones to cause disruption or even outright destruction of assets at air bases is by now a well-established tactic in conflict zones including the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. We have now seen how even short-range drones, launched from fairly close to an air base, can have a significant impact. NATO air bases in Germany (and the United Kingdom) are also very poorly defended against these kinds of threats and regulatory/legal issues stand in the way of using available active defenses in many circumstances. A graphic showing elements of the United Kingdoms Orcus counter-drone suite, as offered to the U.S. Air Force to help defend air bases and other facilities in England. Crown Copyright Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the situation in the United States, recent reports of drone sightings highlight what is very much a credible national security issue, although the situation there has been clouded by patchy government messaging and frenzied responses both from social media accounts and much of the mainstream media. With relations between Russia and the West still in a very precarious state and hybrid warfare very much in the ascendancy, air bases and other critical infrastructure in Europe could become the front lines of a new kind of war being fought in parallel to the conflict in Ukraine. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com TOKYO A U.S. airman stationed in Japan was sentenced to five years in prison Friday after being convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor. Senior Airman Brennon Washington, 25, was stationed at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa when he approached the girl, who was under 16, at a local park on Dec. 24, 2023, and took her to his off-base residence. He was indicted in March for allegedly abducting and having sexual intercourse with her without her consent but the case was not publicly revealed until June, angering the local government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors had asked the Naha District Court for a sentence of seven years for Washington, who according to local media pleaded not guilty. In explaining his ruling, Judge Tetsuro Sato said that Washington continued to engage in sexual acts with the girl even after he was aware that she was under 16 and had not given her consent, the Kyodo news agency reported, saying Washington demonstrated his disregard for the girls decision-making process of her sexual freedom and it was heinous. Sexual intercourse with people under 16 is generally illegal in Japan regardless of consent. U.S. service members in Japan, which hosts more than 50,000 American troops, have been involved in a series of sexual assault and other criminal cases dating back decades. The issue has long been a source of tension with the local community in Okinawa, fueling an ongoing movement to reduce the U.S. military presence there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 18th Wing, the host unit at Kadena Air Base, said it worked closely with local authorities throughout the case. Sexual assault is reprehensible, and we share the local communitys outrage over this case, it said in a statement Friday. All U.S. service members are expected to always uphold the highest standards of conduct. Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, said he was deeply troubled by Washingtons actions and the damage he inflicted on the victim and her family. Sexual assault is a grave offense that does not, in any way, reflect the values of the thousands of U.S. service members who serve honorably in Okinawa in support of the Japan-U.S. Alliance, he said in a statement. Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo and Brian Cheng from Hong Kong. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Eastern Syria CBS News was among the first news outlets to speak on Thursday with Travis Timmerman, an American who was feared dead by family and friends, days after he was freed from a notorious prison in Syria. He said he had spent seven months jailed by the regime of now-ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad before rebels broke down his cell door. But he was just one of the many thousands of people locked up over half a century of iron-fisted rule by Assad, and his father before him. Many remain missing, and the rebel forces, along with the families of those who've disappeared without a trace, have mounted a herculean effort since Assad fled to Russia on Sunday to find those who vanished. But there's one group of prisoners that Syria's still-evolving, rebel-led leadership wants to keep behind bars. Five years ago, as U.S.-backed forces wrested control of land held for years by ISIS, CBS News visited a prison where the members of the terrorist group were being held. This week, CBS News returned to the prison in eastern Syria. Guards said it was still holding thousands of ISIS militants, but they wouldn't say exactly how many. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The inmates came to join the so-called Islamic State from all over the world, but for years they've been locked up apparently indefinitely with 20 or more inmates to a cell. Prisoner Hadi told us through a small hatch in his cell door that he was a doctor in Windsor, Canada, before he came to live in ISIS' self-declared Islamic "caliphate." He said he was captured six years ago, and believed he should be allowed to go back home to Canada. Hadi / Credit: CBS News "We all make mistakes, right?" he told CBS News. "I regret the mistake that I made. Of course." Hadi said he never fought for ISIS and that he only came as a doctor, "for the people who were in the place. But I am considered as part of the terrorist group." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said that, like most of his cellmates, he regretted coming to live under the group, which he accepted was a terrorist organization, and voiced optimism that he could one day make it back home. He said his message for the Canadian government would be: "Why haven't they come? Why haven't they asked about me?" The prison is located in part of eastern Syria that's been held by U.S.-backed forces for years. Those largely Kurdish forces currently control around a quarter of Syria, and the warden told CBS News the inmates haven't been told about the collapse of the Assad regime, which was based further south in the capital Damascus, because it could be dangerous. "There would be disobedience," he said. "ISIS has been on the move recently, and this prison is important for them." It was only about five years ago that ISIS was defeated in Syria, with U.S. help, and CBS News was there to witness the capture of Raqqa, the de-facto capital of the Islamic State, several years before that in 2017. But ISIS is still lurking in the Syrian desert. It's still a threat. In 2022, ISIS fighters attacked the prison, sparking a jailbreak and a bloody 10-day battle to regain control. U.S.-backed Syrian forces guard a perimeter fence around the al-Hol camp in eastern Syria, where they're holding thousands of family members of slain or detained ISIS fighters, in early December 2024. / Credit: CBS News At a camp not far from the prison, American-backed forces are holding family members around 6,000 women and children of ISIS fighters who were killed or captured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guards took CBS News inside the al-Hol camp in an armored vehicle. They said the security situation was deteriorating, because unlike in the prison holding the male militants, word did spread in the camp for families about the fall of the Syrian regime. The guards said that had given the women hope they could be rescued. One woman there told us her husband was dead and that she'd been held at the camp for six years. Like so many at the facility, she was unrepentant about ISIS' reign of brutality, and said she still loved the group. The U.S. military has pummeled ISIS hideouts in Syria with airstrikes since Assad's fall, determined to stop the terrorists from using the collapse of the regime to stage a comeback. New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story Trump FBI pick Kash Patel reacts to Wray's resignation announcement A couple from the United States was shot and killed while visiting the western Mexican state of Michoacan, which has been overrun by a wave of violent crime. State prosecutors said in a statement Thursday that the couple identified as Gloria A., 50, and Rafael C., 53 was traveling in a pickup truck in the municipality of Angamacutiro on Wednesday when they were shot and killed. The woman died at the scene and the man died from his injuries shortly after at a local hospital, the statement added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was not immediately clear why the couple, who were married, were targeted. A spokeswoman for state prosecutors told Reuters that the woman, who had obtained U.S. citizenship, and the man, who was born in the U.S. to Mexican parents, had family and a home in Angamacutiro. The U.S. State Department told CBS News on Thursday that it was aware of the reports of the death of two U.S. citizens in Mexico. "We have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas," the department said in a statement. "We are working to gather more information and stand ready to provide consular assistance if needed. We have no further details to share, at this time. Police officers patrol in Michoacan state, a part of the western part of Mexico hit hard by organized crime. / Credit: ENRIQUE CASTRO/AFP via Getty Images Spiraling violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking, has seen more than 450,000 people murdered in Mexico since 2006, when the government launched an offensive against organized crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October, has ruled out launching a new "war on drugs," as the controversial program was known. She has pledged to follow her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's "hugs, not bullets" strategy of using social policy to address the causes of crime. Gangs and drug cartels have long infiltrated, intimidated or bribed local officials into working for them, often going so far as to take a cut of the municipal budget or use local police forces to warn them or protect them from federal raids. Sometimes, police officers themselves profit from the drug trade. Speaking out about cartel corruption can have deadly consequences. Earlier this year, a business leader in Tamaulipas state was shot to death after he complained in TV interviews about cartel extortion. Just weeks before that, a prominent businesswoman who had made similar complaints was murdered in the northern border state of Baja California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story American Airlines flight forced to make emergency landing after likely bird strike Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Increasingly hostile rhetoric involving the potential use of nuclear weapons has U.S. and Japanese delegations pledging continued deterrence in East Asia. U.S. and Japanese delegations met in Japan Tuesday through Thursday to share their respective assessments of challenges to regional security and to sustain and extend the two nations' alliance and efforts to deter military actions by other nations. The challenges discussed include Russia's invasion of Ukraine and threatening to use nuclear weapons if Ukraine targets Russian cities with intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying conventional warheads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian President Vladimir Putin in September declared any use of U.S.-supplied ballistic missiles carrying conventional warheads by Ukraine against targets inside Russia would be considered a joint attack. In such an event, Putin said Russia's newly revised nuclear doctrine supports the use of nuclear weapons. Russian officials revised that nation's nuclear doctrine after President Joe Biden lifted prior restrictions on Ukraine using ICBMs against targets deep inside Russia. North Korea's continued development of long-range missiles and pursuit of nuclear weapons also raises concerns. North Korea in January launched a solid-fuel ballistic missile that contained a maneuverable hypersonic warhead and traveled some 310 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Korean officials declared the test a success and said the purpose was to verify the reliability of a multi-stage, high-thrust and solid-fuel rocket engines in missiles and the capability to maneuver hypersonic warheads. China also continues raising regional concerns with its disputed claims on the South China Sea and Taiwan while working to expand its nuclear arsenal and hypersonic missile technology. Chinese ships have repeatedly been accused of harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, including earlier this month. In August, Beijing ships rammed two vessels owned and operated by the Philippines in that region. Chinese officials also have laid claims to Taiwan as part of China's sovereign state and warned against other nations, including the United States, defending Taiwan if China militarily enforced its claim on the the self-governing democratic island nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. and Japanese delegates agreed to continue enhancing their mutual extended deterrence efforts to preserve regional peace and defend against potential attacks while deterring the use of nuclear arms. The discussions included potential courses of actions during crisis situations and tabletop exercises to increase their mutual understanding during various scenarios. Representing the United States during the three-day diplomatic event in Japan were Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability Alexandra Bell of the State Department and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy Richard Johnson of the Defense Department. Japan's delegation included Deputy Director-General,North American Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kumagai Naoki and Deputy Director-General, Defense Policy Bureau, Ministry of Defense Ueda Koji. Other participants included experts in arms control and security policy for both nations. London - A Chinese businessman with ties to disgraced British royal Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has lost an appeal against a 2023 decision to bar him from the United Kingdom over national security concerns. The man, who is not named in published judicial documents, had links to the Chinese government and was close enough to Andrew to be invited to his birthday party in 2020, according to a U.K. Special Immigration Appeals Commission judgement. "I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family," a letter sent to the man by Andrew's top aid, Dominic Hampshire, said, according to the court's judgement, which was published online. "You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship. Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter from the duke's aid also said: "We have wisely navigated our way around former Private Secretaries and we have found a way to carefully remove those people who we don't completely trust. Under your guidance, we found a way to get the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor." Hampshire wrote in another letter to the man that he had been empowered to act on behalf of Andrew concerning potential partners and investors in China for an international financial initiative. "It was assessed that this demonstrated that the Applicant was in a position to generate relationships between senior Chinese officials and prominent UK figures which could be leveraged for political interference purposes by the Chinese State," the U.K. judgement said Thursday, adding that the man had not given a full accounting of his relationship with Andrew to authorities, which it said had a "covert and clandestine" element to it. The judgement also said the unnamed businessman had concealed ties to bodies connected with the Chinese Communist Party's United Front system, which seeks to gain influence and information to benefit the Chinese government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man had texts and other documents on his phone showing connections to the United Front system, including one text in which he identified himself as an overseas representative of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body central to the system. The judgement found the man had "won a significant degree, one could say an unusual, degree of trust from a senior member of the Royal Family who was prepared to enter into business activities with him." The judgement said Andrew had been under a lot of pressure at the time of his close relationship with the man, and it was "obvious that the pressures on the Duke could make him vulnerable to the misuse of that sort of influence." Prince Andrew was stripped of all his military affiliations and royal patronages in 2022 after a lawsuit alleged that he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre when she was 17. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judgement comes amid growing concerns over China's influence abroad. In remarks in 2021, the head of Britain's MI6 intelligence agency, which is akin to the CIA in the United States, called China the "single greatest priority" for U.K. intelligence services. When approached by CBS News partner network BBC News about the story, Buckingham Palace declined to comment. New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed New Jersey man on car-sized drone hovering near him Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story The U.S. military successfully launched a hypersonic missile Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Department of Defense officials confirmed. The unannounced midday missile flight marked the first live-fire event for the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon also known as Dark Eagle which debuted at Cape Canaveral in February 2023 for testing. "This test marks an important milestone in the development of one of our most advanced weapons systems. As we approach the first delivery of this capability to our Army partners, we will continue to press forward to integrate Conventional Prompt Strike into our Navy surface and subsurface ships to help ensure we remain the world's preeminent fighting force," Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The midday liftoff from Launch Complex 46 at the eastern tip of the Cape sparked social media discussion across the Space Coast, ranging from close-up missile images posted by seasoned photographers to expressions of surprise posted by unsuspecting witnesses. What the heck kind of launch was that??? It looked like a missile. Super fast and thin, a Facebook user posted. The U.S. Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs, launches a hypersonic missile Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Rocket photography: FLORIDA TODAY's 2025 Space Launch Calendar is here Thursday's test flight occurred less than a month after Russia launched its new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile into the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Russia could launch another Oreshnik in the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a Congressional Research Service summary, Dark Eagle is a truck-launched system that fires hypersonic missiles that can exceed 3,800 mph more than five times the speed of sound. Reportedly developed by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, these missiles have a range of 1,725 miles. "They can reach the top of the Earths atmosphere and remain just beyond the range of air and missile defense systems until they are ready to strike, and by then its too late to react," the CRS summary said. Extensive flight testing is needed to shield sensitive electronics and predict aerodynamics at sustainedtemperatures as high as 3,000 degrees. Issued in September, that CRS summary also noted that Army officials were planning to conduct one more major test by the end of 2024 "to decide whether or not to field it to the first unit in 2025." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Army officials reportedly noted, 'What weve got to do is make sure we have a full end-to-end test as close to an operational test that is successful. The Army needs to have confidence its safe and effective to actually put in a unit that might have to go to war. We havent had that test event yet where its fully succeeded, but were going to have, hopefully have, it this year,' " the summary said. U.S. military: Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon A hypersonic missile takes flight in June 2024 from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. In February 2023, the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force deployed the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon system more than 3,100 miles cross-country from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington to Cape Canaveral. The weapon was transported for Operation Thunderbolt Strike, "a full rehearsal of expeditionary hypersonic launch capabilities," a press release said. Soldiers with the 53rd Field Artillery Regiment conducted training and practice drills with the LRHW system at Cape Canaveral. Flight tests were scheduled throughout 2023 in March, September and October, but DoD officials said those launches did not occur. Our Soldiers processed real missions, with real data, in real time, to produce real effects to learn lessons and generate readiness. Were training the way we will fight, and our Soldiers are ready to deploy and employ this critical capability forward, Brig. Gen. Bernard Harrington said in a March 2023 press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then in June 2024, the Navy and Army conducted a flight test of a two-stage hypersonic missile from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. A press release noted the test marked a step forward for the LRHW and Conventional Prompt Strike programs. "This flight test of the common hypersonic missile marks a milestone for our nation in the development of this capability," Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe Jr, director of the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, said in a June 2024 press release. Mysterious navigational warnings precede launch U.S. Army soldiers assigned to a multi-domain artillery battery practice operate the new Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) in March 2023 during Operation Thunderbolt Strike at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Ahead of Thursday's hypersonic missile test, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a mysterious temporary flight restriction for unspecified "space operations," barring pilots from a narrow zone extending offshore southeast from the Cape. This flight restriction took effect from 11:20 a.m. to 3:02 p.m. However, no known orbital rocket launches such as SpaceX's Falcon 9 liftoffs had been announced for Thursday from the Space Coast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Coast Guard and Space Launch Delta 45 also issued a Thursday rocket-launch navigational advisory for boaters during roughly the same time frame. The title: "Hazardous Operations." No further details were released. Next on the Eastern Range schedule, SpaceX will launch a GPS III satellite Friday evening. The four-hour launch window extends from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., according to a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational advisory. The Falcon 9 rocket will rise from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage starts about 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: U.S. military launches Dark Eagle hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, who represents part of Palm Beach County and all of St. Lucie and Martin counties, was elected by his fellow House Republicans this week to lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee, one of the most powerful and influential committees in Congress. Mast, who lives in Fort Pierce, will take over the committee's gavel from Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, on Jan. 3, when the 119th Congress is sworn in. Im grateful and humbled by the trust my peers within the Republican Conference have placed in me by electing me the next chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee," Mast, who represents Florida's 21st Congressional District, said in a statement Tuesday. "Under my leadership, our committee will have a clear mission statement: Every dollar and every diplomat will put America First." U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, staff and supporters spend election night at a watch party Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018 at Flagler Place in Stuart. Mast beat Lauren Baer in the race for the U.S. House District 18 seat. With Republicans slated to soon control of both houses of Congress and the White House, Mast, a longtime ardent supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, indicated that U.S. foreign policy may soon move in a very different direction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I look forward to working with President Donald Trump, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, future Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart and Speaker Mike Johnson to repair our broken foreign policy through a comprehensive State Department reauthorization," Mast said in the statement. More: Trump's private club is ground zero for a disruption-themed second term: Inside Mar-a-Lago Mast, who was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was first elected to Congress in 2016. He is a U.S. Army veteran, having worked as an explosive ordnance disposal technician in Afghanistan, where he lost both legs after stepping on an improvised explosive device. He later worked as an explosives expert for multiple federal agencies. Mast also volunteered with the Israeli military, known as the Israeli Defense Force or IDF, in 2015. He has been a vocal supporter of Israel in Congress, particularly as the country and United States support for it has faced criticism from some during the war in Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mast currently serves on the Foreign Affairs committee, chairing its Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability. He also serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brian Mast chosen to lead powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee For the record: 6:05 p.m. Dec. 15, 2024: An earlier version of this article said that the Supreme Court took action on the appeal by Ohio and other Republican-led states. The court took no action on the appeal. The Supreme Court opened the door Friday for a potential challenge to California's long-standing authority to set stricter emissions limits for new vehicles, including its "zero emissions" goal for 2035. The justices voted to hear an appeal from oil and bio-fuel producers who sued the Environmental Protection Agency, arguing it had given California too much authority to regulate motor vehicles in the name of combating climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit was tossed out on the grounds that the oil producers had no standing. Their only claim of an injury was that they may sell less oil and gas in the future. But the justices voted to reconsider the standing issue and to decide whether the suit may proceed. At issue ultimately is California's long-standing authority to set stricter emissions limits for new cars, trucks and buses. Read more: Supreme Court may free Catholic charities from paying state unemployment taxes for their employees The court will consider the case Diamond Alternative Energy vs. EPA early next year after Donald Trump has been sworn in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His administration will decide whether California may enforce strict regulations over the next decade. The state would need Trump's EPA to issue a new waiver in 2025 that would allow California to go beyond the federal standards for tailpipe emissions. The California waiver has a long history in environmental law. Since the late 1960s, Congress has said states must follow the federal standards for auto emissions, but it also said California may be granted a waiver to go further. Under this provision of the Clean Air Act, the EPA may allow California to impose its own stricter emissions standards because of the state's worst-in-the-nation air pollution. The law says that because California has a compelling and unique problem with air pollution, it can set stricter standards. But the attorneys for the oil industry argued that greenhouse gases are a global problem, not a California problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "EPA granted preemption waivers for California to tackle local problems like smog in the Los Angeles basin, where the pollution was both generated by and felt by Californians," the fuel producers said in their appeal. "But all sensibility stopped in 2009, when California began claiming that [the waivers] authorized it to set standards to curb greenhouse gases in an effort to tackle global climate change." The law says a waiver could be granted to "meet compelling and extraordinary conditions," but the oil producers argued the "global climate is not the kind of California-specific condition" that justifies a special rule for the state. "Under EPAs view, California alone among the states can regulate the nations automobile market in the service of addressing climate change and forcing a transition to electric vehicles," the fuel producers said. The appeal was written by Jeffrey Wall, the acting solicitor general in the final year of the first Trump administration, and Morgan Ratner, a former law clerk for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their arguments fell flat in the lower courts. In April, the D.C. Circuit Court dismissed their claim in a 3-0 decision and said the fuel producers had no standing to sue the EPA simply because they might sell less fuel in California in the future. Read more: Supreme Court may sharply limit the scope of environmental impact statements The auto makers did not sue to challenge California's standards. Instead, Honda, Ford, Volvo, BMW and other major car makers "entered into independent agreements with California" to meet the emissions standards, EPA told the court. In a separate appeal, Ohio and 16 other Republican-led states had claimed the special waiver for California is unconstitutional. They cited a 2013 opinion written by Roberts that struck down part of the Voting Rights Act on the grounds that its stricter scrutiny for Alabama and other states with a history of discrimination violated the state's right to "equal sovereignty." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the court took no action on that appeal. In defense of its emissions rule, California officials said the tailpipe standards are needed both to combat unhealthy air pollution and to restrict greenhouses gases that are changing the climate. The California Air Resources Board said the "transportation sector is responsible for more than half of all of Californias carbon pollution, 80 percent of smog-forming pollution and 95 percent of toxic diesel emissions." The EPA agreed. It said California has unhealthy air pollution, and it "is particularly impacted by climate change, including increasing risks from record-setting fires, heat waves, storm surges, sea-level rise, water supply shortages and extreme heat." 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. Earlier this year, a real estate development group announced plans to build what will be the countrys tallest skyscraper in an unlikely location. But the project is now facing delays and warnings about its potential risks to air travel. Matteson Capital partnered with architecture firm AO on a project that would place a more than 1,900-foot tower in Oklahoma City, far away from the towering peaks associated with the skylines of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Work on the development was tentatively scheduled to begin in October but now its pushed back to 2025. However, according to the Oklahoman, the project is currently facing pushback from the FAA. Julie Morgan, manager of the FAAs Obstruction Evaluation Group in Fort Worth, told the developers that the tower, at its current planned height, would be a hazard to air navigation. The agency added that its determination will become final early next year unless a petition is filed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read on IEN: The FAAs decision comes after Oklahoma City Airport Trust Airports Director Jeff Mulder last month wrote a letter to the agency, describing how the Boardwalk at Bricktown development poses risks to OKC Will Rogers International Airport, Wiley Post Airport and Tinker Air Force Base. He said the tower could end up forcing pilots to spend more time circling before landing. In a separate letter obtained by the publication, another opponent to the project pointed out that tight circling approaches are inherently more dangerous than a straight shot to the runway. Mulder also said the tower could create adverse changes to standard departure procedures and flight safety issues that could impact air travel for everyone in the Oklahoma City area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Developer Scot Matteson, in response to the FAAs decision, said his company is still figuring out any adjustments it might need to make to its plans. But he added, We're still going to have a build there no matter what. The development is highlighted by the Legends Tower that will top out at 1,907 feet, a height picked to coincide with the year that Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th state of the United States. If the project is completed as planned, it would make the Legends Tower the tallest skyscraper in the U.S. That title currently belongs to the One World Trade Center in New York City, which tops out at 1,776 feet. Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news. After decades of being left behind, working-class people have developed good BS detectors. Our politicians in Lansing should remember that. As the first Democratic trifecta in 40 years approaches its final days, our elected leaders must pick a side. They can fight to make life better for working-class Michiganders and our communities, or they can do the bidding of corporations, wealthy donors and their lobbyists. But they cant do both. UAW President Shawn Fain speaks during a rally outside of the UAW Local 51 office in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. As the states largest union, the United Auto Workers has called on Michigan legislators to pass policies in the six following areas: living wages, health care, retirement with dignity, time with our families, fighting corporate influence over our politics and standing united against divide-and-conquer politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 4, our union sent a letter to all legislators with specific legislation in each of those six categories. Everyone deserves a living wage. This week, the House and Senate took a big step in the right direction, passing legislation that would increase Michigans unemployment benefit from lowest-in-the-region $362/week to $614/week and extending the benefit to 26 weeks. But there is still work to do to restore local control over labor standards and update the states workers compensation system (SB 1079-80). The Senate took steps to begin restoring local control over labor standards by passing SB 1173 and SB 170 Thursday night, dealing a blow to the Snyder-era "Death Star" preemption law. Now the House must act. Bills that roll back gains for workers (HB 6056-7), which the labor movement as a whole opposes, have no place on the agenda. Everyone deserves quality health care. Bills that address a Snyder-era law that forced public sector employees to carry a bigger burden of healthcare costs and advance workers ability to bargain over health care that passed the Senate (SB 1129, SB 1130) Thursday night, after the issue stalled in the House all week. Now the House must do their part. There are also bills that provide better patient safety (HB 4550-2, SB 335-6) and provide coverage for necessary treatment (HB 4707, SB 530-1, SB 575). These bills must be put to a vote. Everyone deserves to retire with dignity. Retirees deserve secure pensions and relief from exploitative housing costs. There are bills (SB 165-7, HB 4665-7) that would advance retirement security, including beginning to reinstate some pensions that were taken away nearly three decades ago for state workers, an important start to winning back benefits that all workers deserve. These bills have passed the Senate and are waiting for action in the House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We heard from UAW retirees who live in mobile home parks about massive rate hikes after corporations bought the parks. Legislators heeded the call by crafting legislation (HB 5157-63, SB 486-93) to fight back on this, but it must be put to a vote. Everyone deserves time with their families. No one should have to work two or three jobs just to survive.One job should be enough. We support legislation that allows workers to take back their time. That means access to family leave (SB 332, HB 5474). That means reining in out-of-control costs for basic necessities, like housing and water, that put working-class people on an endless cycle of working every waking hour just to survive. We need stronger renters rights that include the right to organize, timely repairs, protection against getting nickel-and-dimed by corporate landlords (SB 661, 801, 900-3, HB 5755-6, 5761-2). In the Great Lakes State, people cant afford their water bills and face water shutoffs. We can stop that with action on legislation now (SB 549-53, HB 5088-93). Both housing and water legislation appear to be stuck in the House. Put it to a vote. We must fight back against corporate greed. Corporations shouldnt exploit workers, tax loopholes, or our politics. There are bills combatting corporate greeds reach into our workplaces, government and politics. Michigan can and should ban captive audience meetings that allow the boss to bash unions to their workers (HB 4236). We can make big box stores pay what they owe to local communities by closing Dark Store loopholes with bipartisan legislation (HB 5865-8). Communities came out in force this week to talk about the impact of these loopholes for schools, libraries and local services, but corporate lobbyists seem to have swooped in to kill those bills. Will the state House let them? We must fight back against divide-and-conquer politics. Divide and conquer politics that pit our communities against one another only serve rich corporations, billionaires, and the politicians who do their bidding. We must reject these strategies and stand up for all of us. There are bills that protect voting rights (SB 401-4), the privacy of reproductive health data (SB 1082), and immigrant workers and families by ensuring they can obtain a drivers license to get to work and take their kids to school without fear. (HB 4410-2). Passing the legislation outlined in our letter to the Legislature would improve life for working families and our communities. Putting the legislation up for a vote lets voters see where our elected officials stand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Politicians like to come to our union halls during election years and talk about the ways they are going to fight for a better future for the working class. Now, its time for them to show us whose side theyre on. The easiest way for legislators to show where they stand is to cast votes for or against those issues. Speaker Tate must show us where he stands by putting it on the board for a vote. Working people want the receipts. Words without action are the quickest way to set off working-class Michiganders BS detectors. Shawn Fain is president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), Michigans largest union with over 300,000 active and retired members. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: UAW's Shawn Fain to Michigan lawmakers: Pick a side | Opinion By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The police chief for the University of California at Los Angeles, who was criticized for the handling of a violent mob attack in May on pro-Palestinian activists encamped at UCLA, has left the campus police department. "December 10, 2024, was former UCLA Police Chief John Thomas' last day with UCLA and the UCLA Police Department," the department said on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UCLA Police Captain Scott Scheffler will serve as interim police chief until a permanent chief is selected, the department added. The statement did not give details on the reason for his departure. Thomas could not immediately be reached for comment. He told the Los Angeles Times in May he did "everything I could" to provide security and keep students safe. Thomas was "reassigned temporarily" three weeks after the assault in May, pending an examination of security processes, according to UCLA. In one of the most violent incidents from U.S. protests related to Israel's war in Gaza, masked assailants, described by officials as "instigators," stormed the tent camp of pro-Palestinian protesters with clubs and poles. The encampment occupants said fireworks were also hurled at them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The situation continued for at least three hours into the early morning of May 1 before police moved in and restored order. California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the "limited and delayed campus law enforcement response" as unacceptable. The following night, hundreds of state and local police officers raided the protest encampment, arresting over 200 people. The disturbances had thrust UCLA to the center of mounting weeks of tensions at dozens of U.S. college campuses, which saw protests against Israel's war that has killed almost 45,000 in the last 14 months in Gaza, according to the local health ministry, and led to genocide and war crimes accusations that Israel denies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel's assault followed a deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian Hamas militants which killed 1,200, according to Israeli tallies, and sparked the latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Anti-war protesters have opposed Washington's support for Israel and the humanitarian situation in Gaza where nearly the entire population has been displaced and a hunger crisis exists. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) The University of Florida plans to instruct students at its Jacksonville campus by the fall 2026 semester. (Rendering via City of Jacksonville) Promising to highlight accessibility and visibility, University of Florida Board of Trustees has agreed its new campus in Jacksonville will be located downtown, in the area surrounding the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. The location, which received approval from committee members Thursday before going before the full board on Friday, includes 22 buildable acres in the LaVilla neighborhood on the west side of downtown Jacksonville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The site would bookend downtown, with the Jaguars stadium on the citys east side. The location is two miles from UF Health, the universitys academic health center. The location will allow the campus to build on health professional and graduate degree programs offered in Jacksonville, enabling it to add to its class size capacity, said Jennifer Hunt, dean of the UF College of Medicine. Answer to a crisis Hunt said the expansion in Jacksonville, approved by the Florida Board of Governors in April, is the answer to a crisis. The university needs a bigger footprint to grow its medical school and physician-assistant program class sizes, she said. As all of you know who have tried to get a primary care appointment in the state of Florida, there is a health care crisis, Hunt told trustees. We dont have enough providers to take care of the citizens of our state. So, for us, expanding into Jacksonville is actually a mandate. Its more than just an opportunity to take our greatness to another city, its also an answer to a health care crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The campus will host more than health-related fields at the new location. UF plans to offer graduate programs in business administration, engineering management, business management, and computer science with artificial intelligence concentrations, non-lawyer legal studies, and artificial intelligence in biomedical health sciences by fall of 2026. The schools masters in architecture will be featured in the new campus, too. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Florida Semiconductor Institute, a national effort to research and develop semiconductor chips to decrease reliance on other countries manufacturing, will be at the new campus. In addition to the campuss academic offerings, UF will establish a world class research presence in the city. One focus area will be semiconductor technology through the Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI). Fueled by a vision for global leadership in specialty electronics, FSI is building partnerships, accelerating [research and development] and expanding the workforce pipeline to support the semiconductor industry in the state of Florida and beyond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement University leaders praised Jacksonville as the location for the semiconductor site, given its proximity to military installations and an airport with direct flights to cities with parties interested in the campus, such as Washington, D.C. Near the interstate and industry Kurt Dudas, UF vice president for strategic initiatives, praised visibility and proximity to the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center and major employers that pair well with our graduate offerings. The campus will be located near Interstate 95. The site is near the location of dozens of corporate headquarters and offices, UF said in a news release. The future campus will amplify investments being made in the citys historic LaVilla community, be within walking distance to the growing Brooklyn neighborhood, and benefit from proximity to McCoys Creek and the Emerald Trail more broadly. Dudas said the final decision came down to three locations: the one selected; Florida State College at Jacksonville on the north side of downtown; and the Jacksonville Fairgrounds adjacent to the Jaguars stadium. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City of Jacksonville is committed to being on the cutting-edge of workforce development and building a thriving downtown where our citizens can learn, live, work, and play, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said in a news release. This campus and the degrees that will be offered are another monumental step towards Jacksonville being a national leader in the industries that will shape our collective future. According to Hosseini, the school has secured $300 million for the new campus. That number includes $150 million from the state, $50 million from the city of Jacksonville, and more than $60 million in donations, the Jacksonville Business Journal reported. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Trans Kids Deserve Better Sign up for The Agenda Them's news and politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Thursday. Following the announcement from the United Kingdoms Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the Department of Health and Social Care that puberty blockers for the treatment of gender dysphoria in trans kids would be banned indefinitely, a group of trans youth activists established a temporary encampment outside Streetings office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 11, Trans Kids Deserve Better and their supporters set up camp, staying there overnight until the following day, per an Instagram post from the group. Puberty blockers have been effectively banned in the U.K. since May, when the Department of Health and Social Care established an emergency ban on the medication for trans youth. But on Wednesday, Streeting announced that the National Health Service and private doctors are banned from selling or supplying blockers to trans kids for the treatment of gender dysphoria through 2027, though existing prescriptions for trans youth will continue to be filled. Cisgender youth experiencing precocious puberty, however, are still allowed to receive prescriptions for puberty blockers. Trans Kids Deserve Better In a piece for Huck Magazine, one of the groups activists who goes by the name Grin, wrote that whilst today isnt a big change it is a sign that the denial of our healthcare is now institutionalized. (U.K. gender clinics have notoriously long waits an August study found that trans youth wait an average of two years to begin the process of receiving gender-affirming care.) Grin wrote that Streeting has promised clinical trials on the effects of hormone blockers. There have been many clinical studies on the effects of hormone blockers, the vast majority of which conclude that their usage is overwhelmingly beneficial to the well-being of trans youth. But we already know what happens when we get them. We get to live happier healthier lives because our bodies wont be permanently altered in ways we dont want, Grin wrote. The real trial or experiment he has now created is to keep us from our healthcare and see what happens when an entire generation of trans people grow up knowing the trauma theyve gone through was avoidable. Ive not consented to be part of that experiment I just wanted healthcare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group has been targeting Streeting since August, as part of a separate initiative called Trans Kids Are Dying, Wes Streeting. According to Grins piece in Huck Magazine, the group has visited the secretarys office every day since July, dropping off handmade paper coffins representing the lives of trans people already lost and the lives that still could be. Grin also claimed that the group received an invitation to meet with Streeting, but that it never happened, despite constant emails to follow up his invitation. This time, the activists left a life-sized cardboard coffin outside Streetings office, according to an Instagram post from Jude Guitamacchi, who joined the group at the overnight encampment. This healthcare ban starts with trans+ kids but wont end with them, they wrote in their Instagram caption. This is about all of us. We must work together and do everything we can to challenge the ban and fight for the human rights of the trans+ community in the UK. Get the best of whats queer. Sign up for Thems weekly newsletter here. Originally Appeared on them. Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 out of 94 missiles and 80 out of the 193 drones launched by Russia early on Dec. 13, the Air Force said. Russian forces carried out one of the largest aerial strikes against Ukraine, damaging energy facilities across multiple regions. Moscow deployed four Kinzhal air-launched missiles, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, one Kh-23 North Korean ballistic missile, 55 Kh-101 and Kh-55SM cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS bomber planes, 24 sea-launched Kalibr missiles, seven Iskander-K cruise missiles, and one Kh-59/69 missile, the Air Force said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 193 deployed drones included Shahed-type kamikaze drones and unmanned aerial vehicles of an unknown type. Apart from the 80 drones that were shot down, 105 reportedly failed to reach their targets thanks to electronic warfare measures. Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets were involved in intercepting Russian projectiles, reportedly downing 11 missiles. Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast suffered the "most massive attack during the full-scale war," Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk announced. Cruise missiles and drones struck critical infrastructure facilities in the region, with no casualties reported at the moment. Regional authorities reported impacts, although specific damage details remain undisclosed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Russian missiles and drones entered western Ukraine, the Polish Air Force scrambled fighter jets in precautionary measures, continuing its standard protocol during Russian mass strikes near the border. The attack underscores the ongoing threat to Ukraines critical infrastructure as winter intensifies, with the Defense Forces maintaining robust air defenses against escalating aerial assaults. Read also: Massive fire engulfs warehouse in Russias Novosibirsk Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine is not prepared to enter negotiations with Russia as it lacks sufficient Western support to engage from a position of strength, Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said in an interview with Suspilne on Dec. 12. The comments come amid growing expectations of possible ceasefire talks in Ukraine as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he aims to push Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table. Yermak emphasized that Ukraine must approach any potential talks "on equal footing" and dismissed ultimatums from the Kremlin as unacceptable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There will be no new Minsk or Normandy formats under President (Volodymyr) Zelensky's leadership," he said. When asked if Ukraine is currently strong enough to negotiate, Yermak responded, "Not today." He highlighted the need for more weapons, a clear invitation to NATO, and security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression. "Strengthening Ukraine is essential to ensure this will never happen again," he said, referencing ongoing discussions with Western partners. Regarding Trumps repeated promises to quickly end the war, Yermak said, "There is no plan yet, and we have not seen it for sure. We know that several opinions and positions are being discussed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump wants to see European troops involved in monitoring a potential ceasefire and may seek to delay Ukraine's NATO membership by 20 years in exchange for continued arms supplies. Trump has hinted at reducing U.S. aid while pushing for negotiations, using American support as leverage to pressure Moscow. Speaking to Time magazine, Trump criticized the Biden administration for enabling long-range strikes inside Russia but said he would not "abandon" Ukraine. Taking office on Jan. 20, 2025, Trump's presidency leaves the U.S. future support for Ukraine uncertain. Read also: Trump tells Macron, Zelensky he wants European troops monitoring Ukraine ceasefire, WSJ reports Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian forces are repelling Russian assaults near Uspenivka, Hannivka, Trudove, and Romanivka in Donetsk Oblast and "are taking necessary measures" to prevent encirclement, the Khortytsia group of forces reported on Dec. 13. The statement comes as analysts raise concerns about a growing risk of Ukrainian units being encircled in the area. The DeepState monitoring group reported on Dec. 12 that Russian forces are intensifying their assault on Uspenivka, 43 kilometers (26 miles) from occupied Donetsk. Russia has reportedly gained control of key routes between Uspenivka and Hannivka, threatening to cut off Ukrainian units in what has been dubbed the Uspenivka pocket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sector lies roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the front-line town of Pokrovsk and 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of occupied Vuhledar. The DeepState monitoring group map, as of December 13. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps) The Khortytsia group cautioned against "emotional interpretations" of the battlefield situation, saying that such reactions could complicate the situation and benefit Russian forces. According to the official statement, the Ukrainian military repelled Russian assaults on the outskirts of settlements. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has previously described the ongoing Russian offensive as one of the most powerful since the full-scale invasion began. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout the autumn, Russian forces have made operational gains in southern Donetsk Oblast, particularly near Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, and Kupiansk, while advancing on Russian soil in Kursk Oblast. Read also: How will Russias war in Ukraine end? The good, the bad, and the ugly scenarios Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine is making videos and dropping leaflets on North Korean troops to get them to surrender. North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to help Russia in its war against Ukraine, officials say. "Many see it as a chance to escape the regime," a spokesperson for the "I Want to Live" project said. Ukraine is trying to persuade North Korean soldiers to surrender rather than fight alongside Russia. Ukrainian intelligence services have been distributing leaflets via drones and projectiles and making videos urging North Korean troops to desert, Euronews reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vitaliy Matvienko, a spokesperson for the "I Want to Live" project, told Euronews that "of course, not everyone wants to fight." "We know very well the living conditions in North Korea," he said. "Therefore, many see it as a chance to escape the regime and go to another country." Ukraine is carrying out its efforts under "I Want to Live," a service that has facilitated Russian soldiers' surrender. In October 2022, Russia blocked access to its hotline and chatbot , though it's still accessible in the country via VPN. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to aid Russia in its fight against Ukraine, officials from South Korea, Ukraine, and the US have said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dmytro Ponomarenko, Ukraine's ambassador to South Korea, told Voice of America last month that the number could reach 15,000, with troops rotated out every two to three months, with a cumulative 100,000 North Korean soldiers serving in Russia within a year. Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project told Business Insider the leaflets said Kim Il Sung North Korea's founder didn't want North Korean soldiers to fight for Russian "imperialists." The leaflets also contain step-by-step instructions on how to surrender, with guarantees and benefits for those prisoners of war, it said. It declined to disclose other methods being used to convince North Korean troops to surrender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I Want to Live" posted a video on its Telegram channel earlier this month showing a North Korean volunteer in the Ukrainian armed forces calling on his countrymen to take their chance. "We will not just welcome you but help you start a new life," he said. "Support, work, and the opportunity to live a decent life are waiting for you here. Even money, so you can start your way with a clean slate." The text accompanying the video said Ukraine guaranteed all prisoners humane treatment. "Far away from 'Big Brother,' who watches over all the inhabitants of North Korea, it is a sin not to take advantage of this unique opportunity," it said. In October, Ukraine's military intelligence agency put out a statement with the promise of providing comfortable beds and warm meals to North Korean soldiers who surrendered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also published a Korean-language video showcasing its prisoner-of-war camps, as well as the meals served there. Last month, South Korean intelligence estimated that Russia was paying about $2,000 a month for each soldier. But Bruce W. Bennett, a defense researcher and North Korea specialist at RAND, told BI he suspected the money was going directly to North Korea's ruling elite. "Perhaps only a small amount or even nothing" will go to the soldiers themselves, he said. Correction: December 13, 2024 An earlier version of this story misspelled the first name of the spokesperson for the "I Want to Live" project. He's Vitaliy Matvienko, not Vitality Matvienko. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraines Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said that even if Ukraine is not invited to join NATO, it must continue to work towards future membership. Source: LB.ua citing Sybiha speaking during a public discussion, as reported by European Pravda Details: Sybiha had been asked what Ukraine should do if it does not receive an invitation to join NATO, which it is insisting on to guarantee its security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The minister answered that it was necessary "to do our job to ensure that Ukraine becomes a member of NATO". Quote: "You know, when I went to the NATO foreign ministerial meeting, my team and I brought the text of the Budapest Memorandum with us... It failed to fulfil its purpose as a security guarantee for our country and a means of protecting our territorial integrity and sovereignty. Such mistakes will no longer be allowed to happen. As a result, the sole effective guarantee for Ukraine is NATO membership," he asserted. Sybiha stressed that the allies have not taken Ukraine's invitation off the agenda. In this context, the minister also emphasised the importance of the security agreements signed with 27 countries and the growth of Ukraine's defence sector, "so that we become more self-sufficient, less dependent on our partners". Background: As of November 2024, about 70% of Ukrainians were supportive of the idea of Ukraine joining NATO in stages, as a divided Germany did. Unofficially, it has been reported that this idea has been discussed for a long time in the West when considering possible formats for ending the current phase of the Russo-Ukrainian war and preventing renewed Russian aggression. Support UP or become our patron! The newly appointed commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, General Mykhailo Drapatyi, unveiled plans for fundamental reforms in the branch on Dec. 12, aiming to enhance its effectiveness on the battlefield. The proposed changes include a revamped recruitment system with "zero tolerance for corruption," improved military training tailored to front-line needs, and integration of advanced technology into training and operational processes. The announcement comes amid reports of personnel shortages in Ukraine's military. Mobilization efforts have slowed in recent months, leaving front-line units undermanned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drapatyi emphasized that the Ground Forces should become an "elite" military unit, focusing on personnel, technology, and transparent management. The commander highlighted the importance of reforming training curricula and centers to better prepare soldiers for modern warfare. Social support for service members will also be prioritized under Drapatyis leadership. The Associated Press reported on Nov. 27 that the U.S. has urged Ukraine to lower its draft age to address these shortages. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated on Dec. 9 that Washington is prepared to provide additional training and weapons if Kyiv implements this measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drapatyi has a distinguished record, including commanding the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade and playing a critical role in the liberation of Mariupol in 2014. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who appointed Drapatyi on Nov. 29, stressed that internal changes in the military are vital to achieving Ukraines strategic objectives. Read also: Trump tells Macron, Zelensky he wants European troops monitoring Ukraine ceasefire, WSJ reports Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will attend a meeting with the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, NATO and the EU in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss support for his country in its war with Russia, sources familiar with the plan told Reuters. The meeting comes as European countries face the possibility of the U.S., Ukraine's largest source of support, changing its approach to the conflict when Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. Zelenskiy and some of his European allies have called for European troops to be deployed to Ukraine to act as a deterrent to further military action by Russia after any ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It won't be a meeting that has concrete decisions, but more political to discuss the coming weeks and months," said a source familiar with the meeting. The gathering, hosted by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, will be held on the day leaders were already due to meet for the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels, and involve a joint meeting and several bilateral meetings with Zelenskiy. (Reporting by John Irish in Brussels and Andreas Rinke in Berlin, writing by Rachel More and Thomas Escritt, editing by Thomas Seythal) Russia has launched 287 aerial assets on Ukraine over the past 24 hours. Ukrainian forces have destroyed 161 Russian missiles and drones, while 105 UAVs have failed to reach their targets. Source: Ukraine's Air Force on social media Quote: "The enemy launched a combined aerial attack on Ukraine using various types of missiles and attack drones, starting at 14:00 on 12 December. In total, the Air Force's air surveillance units detected 287 enemy aerial targets during this period (94 missiles and 193 UAVs), specifically: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 4 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles launched by MiG-31K fighters; launch area: Russia's Tambov Oblast; 2 Iskander-M ballistic missiles; launch areas: Russia's Bryansk Oblast and temporarily occupied Crimea; 1 KN-23 ballistic missile; launch area: Russia's Bryansk Oblast; 55 Kh-101 and Kh-55SM cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS strategic bombers; launch area: Russia's Volgograd Oblast; 24 Kalibr cruise missiles; launch area: the Black Sea; 7 Iskander-K cruise missiles; launch areas: Russia's Voronezh and Rostov oblasts; 1 Kh-59/Kh-69 air-to-surface missile; launch area: airspace over the occupied territories of Luhansk Oblast; Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 193 Shahed-type loitering munitions and unidentified drones; launch areas: Russia's Kursk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Oryol, Bryansk and Millerovo. The aerial attack was successfully repelled by anti-aircraft missile troops, aircraft, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups from the Air Force and Ukraine's defence forces. Notably, the F-16s performed effectively." Details: The Air Forces noted that as of 11:30, the following targets are confirmed to have been shot down: 80 Kh-101/Kh-55SM/Kalibr/Iskander-K cruise missiles; 1 Iskander-M ballistic missile; 80 Shahed-type loitering munitions and unspecified drones. In addition, 105 Russian drones disappeared from radar, five flew back to Russia and one flew to Belarus. The Russian drone and missile attack targeted Ukraine's energy sector yet again. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraines Air Force has released footage of the Air Command Zakhid (West) mobile fire group's combat action during the Russian large-scale aerial attack. Source: press service for Ukraines Air Force Details: The reports indicate that during Russia's morning missile attack on 13 December, Junior Sergeant Volodymyr Pshenychniak, commander of the machine gun squad of the platoon of the 1st Radio Technical Brigade Galicia-Volyniask, destroyed a Russian cruise missile from the Igla portable anti-aircraft missile system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It appears that the downed missile did not cause any damage to crucial infrastructure. A search crew eventually identified the crash location and the missiles wreckage. Background: On the night of 12-13 December and the morning of 13 December, Russian forces carried out a large combined missile and air strike on critical facilities in the area of responsibility of Air Command Zakhid. Ukraines air defence troops and aircraft destroyed 52 air- and sea-based Kh-101/Kh-55SM missiles and Kalibr cruise missiles, as well as two Shahed attack UAVs. Support UP or become our patron! Ihor Kadayev, a 40-year-old former head of a border detachment unit in Volyn Oblast, convicted of treason and collaborating with Russian intelligence services, has requested to be handed over to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange. Source: Suspilne media; website of the state project Hochu k Svoim (I Want to Go Home), a Ukrainian state-run project aimed at swapping convicted collaborators for Ukrainians held in Russian captivity Details: In October 2024, Kadayev was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In November, he sent a letter to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, asking to be transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied territories. The former border detachment head was detained in June 2024. The investigation revealed that he gathered information about Ukraines defence forces along the northern borders of Volyn Oblast, identified fortified positions and estimated the number of Ukrainian troops guarding the border with Belarus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) established that Kadayev's "handler" was Russian Federal Security Service officer Aleksei Dobrytskyi, stationed in temporarily occupied Luhansk. Investigators believe the Ukrainian border guard was recruited while serving in eastern Ukraine. In exchange for cooperation, he was promised "evacuation" to Russian territory and employment within Russian occupation forces. For reference: Hochu k Svoim (I Want to Go Home) is a project of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, supported by Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. It is a public list of people convicted of treason and collaboration who wish to go to Russia under the condition that Ukrainians are released from Russian captivity. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian border guards have repelled an attempt by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group (SRG) to infiltrate Kharkiv Oblast. Source: Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service (SBGS), on the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "The activity of Russian saboteurs is not as high as it once was. We have not observed any systematic or periodic attempts by saboteurs [to enter the country]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the threat of sabotage and reconnaissance groups attempting to enter remains within Sumy Oblast, where most such cases have been recorded, and it is a threat to Chernihiv and Kharkiv oblasts as well. In this oblast [Kharkiv], border guards have recently repelled an attempt by an SRG to infiltrate. The group was attacked, forcing the enemy to retreat behind the state border." Details: Demchenko reiterated that Russia has not made any recent border breakthroughs in Sumy Oblast or any other parts of the state border. Support UP or become our patron! Andrii Sybiha, Ukraines Foreign Minister, has expressed confidence that Ukraine will have an additional opportunity to achieve a just peace immediately after the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. Source: Sybiha during a public discussion, as cited by LB.ua and reported by European Pravda Details: When asked whether he believes peace could come to Ukraine on 21 January the day after Trumps inauguration, during which Trump has promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine "within 24 hours" Sybiha acknowledged the complexity of the issue. However, he noted that he sees "an additional chance" for peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "I am convinced that we will gain an additional opportunity, additional possibilities to bring a just peace closer for Ukraine. I am confident about this." More details: Sybiha also commented on various peace proposals being circulated in the media as potential approaches for the incoming US president. He noted that official proposals would only emerge after 20 January. Quote: "As of now, it is important to approach any documents, non-papers or ideas voiced by various sources in the media without excessive emotion. These should be seen as tests of the reaction of both the world and Ukraine." Background: Head of the Presidential Office Andrii Yermak previously stated that a specific "Trump peace plan" does not yet exist, and the US President-elects team only has preliminary ideas on the matter. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remarked that he does not take Trumps campaign promise to end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours" literally. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has reported on his first conversation with the new Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys. Source: Sybiha on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Sybiha noted that he congratulated Budrys on taking up the post and expressed gratitude for all the assistance Lithuania provides to Ukraine. I had a good call with Kestutis Budrys to personally congratulate him on his appointment as Foreign Minister and thank Lithuania for its unwavering support. We are committed to further developing our excellent cooperation and working together to bring a just peace closer. Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) December 13, 2024 Quote: "We are committed to further developing our excellent cooperation and working together to bring a just peace closer." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: The new Lithuanian government, headed by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, was sworn in and began work on 12 December. On the same day, Paluckas had his first conversation with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The previous Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said a mysterious farewell before resigning, promising to "escalate". Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian military instructors will receive training in Lithuania in 2025 as part of NATO's Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP), the Ministry of Defense reported on Dec. 12. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense, Serhiy Melnyk, and Lithuanias military education advisor, Stasis Paldunas. The program will initially train 30 Ukrainian instructors, focusing on non-commissioned officers with combat experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, a pilot project for combat shooting instructor training will be launched in two Ukrainian military institutions, introducing modern NATO teaching methods. "Improving military education and combat training is one of the key tasks for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are grateful to our partners for the support that allows us to integrate modern NATO standards into our training system," Melnyk said. Kyiv has consistently argued that NATO membership is the only path to lasting peace. While acknowledging that full membership is unfeasible during the ongoing war, Ukrainian officials are pressing for a formal invitation to signal solidarity and commitment from NATO allies. Read also: NATO chief warns alliance unprepared for Russian threats, calls for increased defense spending Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov's Metinvest Group, the largest steel producer in Ukraine, has suspended operations at its coal mining site in the settlement of Pishchane near the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast. Source: a document released by the European stock exchange Euronext Details: The document states that the suspension was due to the advancing front line and increased attacks. The site accounted for about half of Metinvest's total coal production in Ukraine. Meanwhile, other key facilities of the Group remain operational. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A vertical shaft (No. 3) of the Pokrovske mine administration and an administrative facility are located at the site. The Group has evacuated its key personnel and their families. "Metinvest, together with the Pokrovsk City Military Administration and representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is closely monitoring the security situation around the city and industrial locations. Decisions regarding the continued operation of all industrial sites will be made based on the evolving conditions at the front," the document said. It is noted that the full impact of the suspension of work at this facility is still being assessed. No information is available regarding the closure of other mines near Pokrovsk. Background: Metinvest Group and the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy signed a declaration of cooperation. The agreement provides for the construction of a 2.5 billion green steel plant in the Tuscany region. Support UP or become our patron! An adventurer was rescued after nearly a week stranded in Romanias Carpathian Mountains, The Associated Press reported, and he credited his survival to a small kitten named Peach. Ukrainian native Vladislav Duda, 28, was discovered by rescuers deep inside a 437-foot-deep crevice in the northern Maramures region. When found, Duda was soaked and frozen, suffering from severe hypothermia and malnutrition, having run out of food four days earlier and subsisting only on melted snow since then. But he had only one thought on his mind: that of the small furry companion zipped into his jacket. Duda, a journalist, had fled Ukraine with Peach to avoid being drafted into the countrys ongoing war against Russia. He and Peach, who is less than a year old, spent a week hiking through the mountains seeking sanctuary before they became lost and eventually trapped in the ravine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It took dozens of rescuers five hours to extract Duda. When they unzipped his coat, they found Peach nestled between his owner's stomach and the jackets lining. "The cat was warm and was warming himso he saved his life," explained Dan Benga, the director of the Maramures mountain rescue service. "The only thing we saw he is caring about is the cat. He doesn't care about himself." Benga recalled Duda telling rescuers: "I'm happy because my cat is alive. I got a chance from God for a new life. The happiest moment is because the cat is here with me. Duda agreed that Peach was indisputably the reason for his survival. "What I remember is the fear of the unknown and the fear of not making it through the night alive," he recalled. "My Peach kept me alive. When escaping we were afraid of everybody, not to be sent back to fight in a war that is not ours. Duda is receiving anti-inflammatory medication and blood circulation therapy to treat his hypothermia, while Peach received a full veterinary workup on Dec. 9. A local community center for Ukrainian refugees is overseeing the duos recovery. CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) The U.N. office on human rights in Venezuela partially resumed operations in recent weeks, the agency's chief said Friday, months after the government of President Nicolas Maduro expelled its staff for allegedly helping coup plotters and terror groups. The announcement from Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, came in an address to representatives of the 47-nation Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he denounced deteriorating conditions in the South American country following the July presidential election. Maduro and the political opposition both claim to have won the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I remain deeply concerned by the disproportionate use of force and violence during post-electoral protests in July and August, including by armed individuals supporting the government, Turk said. The authorities have confirmed the detention of some 2,000 people since the election," he added. "Im very concerned that many of these people were arbitrarily detained, including adolescents and young adults, members of the opposition, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers, as well as bystanders. He also called for a prompt and effective investigation into the killings of more than 20 people amid the unrest that followed the July 28 election. The U.N. office in Venezuelas capital, Caracas, was ordered to close in February amid heightened concerns that the government was repressing real or perceived opponents in an election year. The decision followed a wave of criticism inside and outside Venezuela over the detention of a prominent human rights attorney and members of her family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, Maduros government had agreed to cooperate with the high commissioner to establish the local technical advisory office. Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil, in announcing the February decision, claimed that instead of improving human rights, the 13-staff office had become the private law firm of coup plotters and terrorist groups that permanently conspire against the country. Authorities did not provide any evidence or point to a specific example of such an activity. Turk told the council Friday he hoped the office in Caracas could soon be fully operational. But Ambassador Alexander Yanez, Maduro's representative in Geneva, suggested that Turk's criticisms of human rights conditions in Venezuela do not bode well for the local office. They do nothing to help this process, Yanez said, adding that the remarks amounted to self-serving narratives from sectors of the fascist opposition" in Venezuela and that they compromise the objectivity and impartiality, the independence, of the work of the office. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. Security Council said Friday it was deeply concerned about the recent decision by Afghanistans Taliban rulers to ban women from medical education, which could leave millions of women and girls without health care in the future. The council criticized the increasing erosion of human rights under the Taliban, especially for women and girls who have been denied access to education beyond the sixth grade, economic opportunities, participation in public life, freedom of movement and other basics. Authorities previously had not confirmed reports that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered educational institutions to stop providing medical courses for women. In Afghanistan, women and girls can only be treated by female doctors and health professionals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a resolution adopted unanimously Friday, the Security Council criticized not only the medical education ban but the Talibans vice and virtue directive issued in August that further restricts womens rights, including prohibiting their voices from being heard in public. The resolution also extends the mandate of the U.N. expert team monitoring sanctions against the Taliban for 14 months. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew following two decades of war. No country officially recognizes them as Afghanistans government. The U.N. has said that recognition is almost impossible while bans on female education and employment remain in place and women cant go out in public without a male guardian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.N. special envoy for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, told the council this week that women and girls are facing progressive erasure from almost all walks of life. She said the Taliban announcement in early September that female students would be barred from attending medical institutes and classes of higher education will have serious consequences. If fully implemented, this would have deadly implications for women and girls in particular, but also for men and boys, entire communities and the country as a whole by denying Afghans a functioning health care system that is open to all. I have strongly urged the de facto authorities to reconsider, Otunbayeva said. (Bloomberg) -- The number of unauthorized arrivals by migrants and asylum seekers into the European Union fell 40% in the first 11 months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, just as fresh turmoil in Syria has sparked concerns about renewed flows. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were 220,700 irregular border crossing into the EU between January and November, according to the blocs border agency, Frontex, for the period before rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad. Syrians were among the top nationalities for people arriving in Europe, along with people from Afghanistan and Mali. The EU has sought to take fresh action to stem migration, as voters have increasingly backed far-right and anti-migration parties. Earlier this year, the bloc agreed its Asylum and Migration Pact, a far-reaching package of measures, though its only due to be fully implemented in 2026. This months overthrow of Assad has led a number of countries, including Germany and Austria, to suspend processing asylum applications from Syrians. Austria on Friday said it was offering a 1,000 ($1,049) bonus for refugees willing to return to the country. The proposal is part of an ongoing program that supported 50 Syrian applicants last year, according to Die Presse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The country now needs its citizens in order to be rebuilt, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on X. Greece has also paused decisions on new asylum requests until the situation in Syria stabilizes, according to an official, who asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The government in Athens is monitoring what is happening in the region and is adapting its stance on the migration and refugee issues to the new data at any given time within the context of the decisions of the European Union institutions, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a written statement following the countrys national security council meeting on Friday. The EUs new home affairs and migration commissioner, Magnus Brunner, said its difficult to draw concrete conclusions about the impact of the current situation in Syria on migration but that it would not be possible to force Syrians seeking asylum to return to the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to returns I think several member states have seen celebrations among the Syrian diaspora all over Europe and to me this speaks for putting a focus on voluntary returns as a first step, Brunner said Thursday evening at a news conference. This may be attractive for many Syrians. This years drop in arrivals was driven by fewer crossings via the Western Balkans and across the Central Mediterranean, Frontex said. However, crossings from Western Africa to the Canary Islands have risen sharply, hitting the highest annual level since at least 2009, when Frontex began to collect the data. The EU classifies irregular border crossings as arrivals, including by boat, that dont comply with the requirements for legal entry into the EU. --With assistance from Sotiris Nikas and Marton Eder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Convicted murderer Kevin Underwood has been denied clemency by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board by a unanimous vote in the 2006 murder of 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin. Underwood, 44, is set to be executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester Dec 19. A Cleveland County jury sentenced Underwood to death for killing Bolin while acting upon cannibalistic fantasies. During the hearing Friday morning, Underwood was present via teleconference to provide a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement " I know that nothing I say here today will change what I did," he said. "I recognize that although I do not want to die, I recognize that I deserve to for what I did. And if my death could change... If my death could change what I did, I would gladly die." Underwood said he has blocked out "most memory" of that day and that he does not think about the events "as much as people would probably wish I did." He said the person he was leading up to April 12, 2006 the day he murdered Bolin is not who he is now or who he was before the murder. "I apologize to everyone and I'm greatly sorry for what I did," Underwood said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, whose office has spent the past week in court fighting to keep the clemency hearing and execution on schedule, said he is "pleased" Underwood was denied clemency, calling him a "deeply evil monster." Jamies family has waited 18 excruciating years for justice that finally will be carried out when this murderer is executed," Drummond said. The Transcript will update this story with more information. Legal battles over the last week Over the past week, Underwood and his legal team have been in a legal battle against the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in an effort to stay his clemency hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He filed a lawsuit against the Board on Dec. 4 following the resignation of two board members, arguing that holding his clemency hearing with only three members is a violation of his rights to due process and a fair clemency proceeding. Underwood's clemency hearing was originally scheduled for Dec. 4 but was canceled the week prior. The hearing was rescheduled for Dec. 9. following an emergency petition filed Dec. 2 by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond urging the board to hold the meeting with three members as they would still have a quorum. In court documents filed on Dec. 4. Underwood's lawyer argued he is guaranteed the opportunity to present his clemency case to an "impartial, five-member parole board." The Boards last-minute change of the hearing date has prevented Underwoods expert and one of his lawyers from presenting at his clemency hearing, again violating Underwoods due process rights and his right to counsel, court documents read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A hearing before U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin heard arguments Dec. 6 from both parties but would ultimately deny Underwood's motion. The same day, it was announced Gov. Kevin Stitt had appointed Tulsa attorney Susan H. Stava, who has experience in social work, to serve as a member of the Board. Only one vacancy remains on the Board. Underwood immediately filed an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, who issued a temporary stay and determined it would be helpful to obtain a response regarding the portion seeking a stay pending appeal of the clemency hearing," according to court documents In responses filed to the Tenth Circuit, Oklahoma Attorney General Genter Drummonds Office, representing the Parole Board, argued clemency hearings have been held before with less than five members. Drummond's Office specially cited the hearing for Julies Jones, who was recommended clemency by a 3-1 vote. His office also argued that there is no state law that give Underwood the right to have a five members of the board present at the hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Article 6, section 10 of the Oklahoma Constitution merely says the Board is 'to be composed of five members,'" court documents read. "It does not say that five members must always vote; rather, it says later that the Board 'by a majority vote' makes recommendations." On Dec 11, court documents were filed in the Tenth Circuit stating a new clemency hearing was scheduled for Dec. 13 at 9 a.m, pending the lifting of the stay by the court. In the event that this Court or U.S. Supreme Court does not lift the administrative stay prior to the newly scheduled December 13, 2024, special meeting, the Board will not hold the December 13 meeting, as it interprets this Courts stay to apply to any clemency hearing proceedings until it is lifted, the attorney generals office said. Later that same evening, the Tenth Circuit lifted the stay, allowing Friday's hearing to continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although framed as a request for a stay, Mr. Underwood effectively moves for an injunction pending appeal, the Tenth Circuit wrote in its order Wednesday. The court cited Winter v. Nat. Res. Def. Council, Inc., (2008) and said it evaluates such motions using preliminary injunction standards. A plaintiff seeking a preliminary injunction must establish that he is likely to succeed on the merits, that he is likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief, that the balance of equities tips in his favor, and that an injunction is in the public interest." The Tenth Circuit said it "carefully" considered these factors and determined Underwood did not satisfy them. UNESCO has added Ukraine's Babyn Yar Memorial and the Odesa Literary Museum to its international list of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection, the Culture Ministry announced on Dec. 12. Deputy Culture Minister Anastasiia Bondar highlighted the significance of the additions, describing Babyn Yar as a "reminder of one of the darkest pages of human history" and the Odesa Literary Museum as a "steadfast symbol of Ukrainian culture" amid daily Russian attacks The Babyn Yar site commemorates the mass murder of nearly 34,000 Jews by Nazi forces near Kyiv in September 1941, as well as over 100,000 other victims, including Soviet prisoners of war and Romani people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The historic center of Odesa has faced significant damage due to Russian missile strikes, including an attack on July 2023 that damaged over 20 architectural monuments and heavily damaged the Transfiguration Cathedral. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Culture Ministry has documented 1,222 cases of destruction of cultural heritage sites, including those under UNESCO protection. Russias bombardment of Ukraines cultural heritage sites has drawn condemnation from UNESCO, which confirmed damage to 457 sites as of Oct. 21. These include religious buildings, museums, monuments, libraries, and other structures of historical or artistic significance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: US lawmakers ask for intelligence report on impact of cutting Ukraine aid Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) A local organization is celebrating the anniversary of bringing a program that promotes early childhood literacy. United Way announced in December 2023 they had partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program. In the first year of the program in Champaign County, more than 2,700 families were sent books each month at no cost to them. Champaign homeless shelters mission is protecting more unhoused people Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are honored to celebrate one year of Dolly Partons Imagination Library in Illinois and the incredible impact it has had in our community, said Chief Impact Officer of United Way of Champaign County Bev Barker. Additionally, officials said their program has expanded so it can now serve families in Douglas County. Reaching over 2,700 children in Champaign County is just the beginning, Barker added. With the program now expanding into Douglas County, we are excited to help even more families experience the joy and benefits of reading. The state of Illinois partnered with the DPIL last year to help make the program available to families statewide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More details on signing up for the program can be found on United Ways website. According to the Imagination Library, one of out seven U.S. children under 5 receive books from the program. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. The head of UnitedHealth Group has said the healthcare system does not work as well as it should. Andrew Witty made the admission after Brian Thompson, the chief executive of its subsidiary UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead in New York last week. Mr Witty said he understood public anger with the health system after struggling to make sense of this unconscionable act. We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand peoples frustrations with it, he wrote in The New York Times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one would design a system like the one we have. And no one did. Its a patchwork built over decades. Our mission is to help make it work better. He continued: Clearly, we are not there yet. We understand and share the desire to build a healthcare system that works better for everyone. That is the purpose of our organisation. Health system not perfect Mr Witty said the health system is not perfect but that every corner of it is filled with people who try to do their best for those they serve. He paid tribute to Mr Thompson, who was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec 4, whose death has unleashed a wave of anger at health insurance companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shell casings found at the scene were inscribed with the words deny, depose and defend, apparently referencing a book published in 2010 called Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Dont Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. Mr Witty said Mr Thompson was a brilliant, kind man who was working to make healthcare better for everyone. The father-of-two, who was raised in Iowa, never forgot where he came from, because it was the needs of people who live in places like Jewell, Iowa, that he considered first in finding ways to improve care, he continued. Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec 4 - UnitedHealth Group When a colleague proposed a new idea to Brian, he would always ask, Would you want this for your own family? If not, end of discussion, Mr Witty wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said there had been an enormous outpouring of support for Brian, whom he knew as B.T. Yet we also are struggling to make sense of this unconscionable act and the vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats, he continued. No employees be they the people who answer customer calls or nurses who visit patients in their homes should have to fear for their and their loved ones safety. It comes after a Florida woman was charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism when she referenced Mr Thompsons death to her health insurance company, telling a representative: Delay, deny, depose you people are next. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. By Manas Mishra and Amina Niasse (Reuters) -The suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth Group executive Brian Thompson was not a customer of the health insurer, a company spokesperson said on Friday. Ivy League-educated Luigi Mangione was charged with murder on Dec. 9 for the killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel before a company conference, following a five-day manhunt. Mangione suffered from chronic back pain that affected his daily life, according to friends and social media posts, though it is unclear whether his personal health played a role in the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UnitedHealth does not have prior records for either Mangione or his mother, the spokesperson said. Thompson's murder was met with shock across the industry, as well as an outpouring of anger from Americans struggling with healthcare costs and the complexities of U.S. health insurance. Public officials and healthcare executives have acknowledged the frustrations, but in the last few days have been more vocal in pushing back against social media glorification of an accused killer. In a New York Times opinion piece on Friday, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said he understood public frustrations with the "flawed" U.S. healthcare system, but mourned Thompson's killing and decried the "vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats." Thompson was CEO of the company's large health insurance business. The New York Times reported that an internal New York City police report analyzing Mangione's writings concluded that he viewed the killing as a justified response to what he believed to be corruption in the healthcare industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In some circles, Mangione has been celebrated and more than a thousand donations have poured into an online fundraiser for his legal defense. "It's representing a widespread anger that is felt by people in the middle class, in the working class and people who are well-to-do who also have trouble with their insurance company," said Pepper Culpepper, a professor of government and public policy at Oxford University. ABC News and others reported on Friday that a Florida woman was arrested after she allegedly ended a phone call with a representative from her insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield by saying the words "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next." The words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were carved into shell casings found at the Thompson murder scene, several news outlets reported, evoking the title of a book critical of the insurance industry published in 2010 titled "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'INTENSELY PERSONAL AND VERY COMPLICATED' "Health care is both intensely personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood," Witty wrote in his first public comments since the murder, noting that the U.S. healthcare system is a patchwork built over decades. "We share some of the responsibility for that. Together with employers, governments and others who pay for care, we need to improve how we explain what insurance covers and how decisions are made," he wrote. Health insurance companies have come under sharp public scrutiny since Thompson's Dec. 4 murder, and shares of UnitedHealth alone have fallen nearly 15%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It isn't clear if the recent events "represent a watershed moment" that could catalyze change in the industry, said Morningstar analyst Julie Utterback. "You can definitely feel the potential for some kind of change in the air." The healthcare sector has reassessed security measures due to an uptick in violent crime the last 18 months, Reuters reported, with UnitedHealth and rivals CVS Health and Cigna removing photos of their leadership from their websites following the shooting. Instead of boosting security for executives, insurers should manage public perception of their services, said Culpepper, adding that many Americans believe big health insurers refuse to cover needed care in an effort to bolster revenue. "This sort of ambient discontent around health insurance in the United States will not go away until it starts to be addressed." (Reporting by Manas Mishra and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru and Amina Niasse in New York; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Devika Syamnath and Bill Berkrot) The UnitedHealth Groups CEO addressed boiling frustrations, threats and vitriol aimed at health care insurers, conceding, We know the health system does not work as well as it should. But he said slain executive Brian Thompson was one of the people trying to make that system better. Andrew Witty, the head of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of United Healthcare, wrote that he understands peoples frustrations with the American health care system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one would design a system like the one we have. And no one did. Its a patchwork built over decades. Our mission is to help make it work better, Witty said in a New York Times op-ed published Friday morning, titled "The Health Care System Is Flawed. Lets Fix It." UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing in May. Witty described Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, as a champion of that mission. As Brian Thompsons family, friends and colleagues mourn his killing, we are bearing a grief and sadness we will carry for the rest of our lives. Grief for the family he leaves behind. And grief for a brilliant, kind man who was working to make healthcare better for everyone, Witty wrote. The piece was published a week after Thompson was shot in Midtown Manhattan as he was on his way to speak at a conference the morning of Dec. 4, in what police described as a targeted, ambush killing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suspect Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested five days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and charged with the slaying. Mangione had suffered a painful life-altering injury to his back, and had griped over corporate America and the health care system, according to his writings and social media presence. UnitedHealthcare said that Mangione was not insured by the company, but New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione may have targeted Thompson because UnitedHealthcare is one of the country's largest health insurers. Mangione remains detained in Pennsylvania and is fighting extradition to New York. An attorney for Mangione said he intends to plead not guilty to all charges. Witty described Thompson as an Iowa native, who worked farm jobs as a kid, was raised in the same farmhouse as his mother and whose father spent more than 40 years unloading trucks at grain elevators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He never forgot where he came from, because it was the needs of people who live in places like Jewell, Iowa, that he considered first in finding ways to improve care, Witty wrote. When colleagues proposed new ideas to Thompson, hed ask them, Would you want this for your own family? If not, end of discussion, Witty recalled. He said the company is struggling to make sense of this unconscionable act as well as the vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats. No employees be they the people who answer customer calls or nurses who visit patients in their homes should have to fear for their and their loved ones safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He stressed the companys mission is to improve health care, but acknowledged that the system is complicated and that insurers share some responsibility for that. Witty cited a need to improve how insurance coverage is explained and how decisions are made. While the health system is not perfect, every corner of it is filled with people who try to do their best for those they serve, he wrote. Brian was one of those people. He said Thompson pushed us to build dedicated teams to help the sickest people navigate the health system. Its why he fought for preventive health and quality health outcomes rather than simply adding ever more tests and procedures. He believed decisions about healthcare should start with the individual and championed plans in which consumers could see costs and coverage options upfront, so they could decide whats best for themselves and their families, Witty explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CEO said Thompson advocated for ideas to make health care more affordable, transparent and compassionate. Thats Brians legacy, one that we will carry forward by continuing our work to make the health system work better for everyone, Witty concluded. Thompsons slaying has had a domino effect, of sorts, as it has ignited fury and scrutiny over the countrys health care system and corporate greed. Business executives, health insurance industry employees and law enforcement officers have reported facing threats and harassment following his death. Social media posts Wednesday showed images of wanted posters put up in Manhattan that featured photos of the CEOs of at least two health insurance companies. The posters accuse the executives of denying medical care for corporate profit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The posters, many of which have been taken down, included the terms deny, defend, depose words written on bullet shell casings found at the crime scene. The words have also been used on merchandise sold online glorifying the killing. Rebecca Weiner, the New York Police Departments deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, said Wednesday that in some online instances the suspect has been hailed as a hero. She said the slaying resembles a domestic terrorist attack and threatens to set off a contagion. Shares of UnitedHealth Group and other major health insurers are down since Thompson was killed last week, but they still remain valued at tens of billions of dollars, according to CNBC. UnitedHealth is by far the biggest insurer, with a share price of about $521 Friday and a market capitalization of around $480 billion. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The leader of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, paid tribute to slain chief executive officer Brian Thompson and acknowledged that the health care system "does not work as well as it should" in an op-ed published in The New York Times on Friday. There has been an "enormous outpouring of support" for Thompson and his loved ones after the UHC leader was shot and killed in New York City, Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, wrote, but he said company employees have also faced threats and vitriol online. "No employees be they the people who answer customer calls or nurses who visit patients in their homes should have to fear for their and their loved ones' safety," Witty wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witty said that he understood people's frustrations with the health care system. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, even as insurers are rejecting more than 1 in 5 claims. Most adults in the U.S. say they worry about their ability to pay for health care services or unexpected medical bills, according to a 2024 KFF survey. The New York Police Department said that there is no indication Mangione was a client of the company, but officials believe UHC may have been targeted due to its status as the largest health insurer in the U.S. Since Thompson's murder, some have used social media to vent about their experiences with health insurance companies, and others have even celebrated Thompson's accused killer, Luigi Mangione. The shooting has thrust a new spotlight on the safety of executives and other high-ranking employees. "Hunt for a CEO Killer" special details search for suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting "We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people's frustrations with it. No one would design a system like the one we have," Witty wrote. "And no one did. It's a patchwork built over decades." Witty said that while UHC is willing to "partner with anyone" who could help the system work better, "clearly, we are not there yet." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We understand and share the desire to build a health care system that works better for everyone. That is the purpose of our organization," he wrote. Witty said that Thompson was among the people working in the health care industry who "try to do their best for those they serve." Thompson was raised in the same Iowa farmhouse as his mother, Witty wrote, and worked farm jobs as a child. That rural upbringing inspired his ethos as CEO, Witty said. Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. / Credit: UnitedHealthcare "He never forgot where he came from, because it was the needs of people who live in places like Jewell, Iowa, that he considered first in finding ways to improve care," Witty wrote. "When a colleague proposed a new idea to Brian, he would always ask, 'Would you want this for your own family?' If not, end of discussion." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witty added that Thompson was "never content with the status quo" and praised the CEO for advocating for ideas that "were aimed at making health care more affordable, more transparent, more intuitive, more compassionate and more human." "That's Brian's legacy, one that we will carry forward by continuing our work to make the health system work better for everyone," Witty wrote. New details on Luigi Mangione's time in prison, evidence probed Woman whose sentence was commuted by Biden tells her story American Airlines flight forced to make emergency landing after likely bird strike Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, did not have insurance through the company, it confirmed to The Hill. UnitedHealth Group said there is no record of Mangione or his mother being insured through the company. NBC News first reported the development. The Hill has contacted the New York Police Department (NYPD) for additional comment. We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth-largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said in an interview that aired Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So thats possibly why he targeted that that company, he added. Thompson was shot and killed last week outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual investor conference. Mangione faces five counts, including murder in the second degree, according to an arrest warrant. He also faces two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree. Police said a ghost gun, silencer and writings expressing some ill will toward corporate America were found on Mangione, linking him to the crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, said in a handwritten note that he acted alone. Mangione was arrested Monday on gun charges in Altoona, Pa., according to New York City police, which originally described him as a person of interest in last weeks shooting. He faces five charges in Pennsylvania, including for carrying a firearm without a license and falsely identifying himself to law enforcement. Nathaniel Weixel contributed Updated Dec. 13 at 11:30 a.m. EST Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An administrator with the diversity, equity and inclusion office at the University of Michigan was fired Tuesday after she was accused of making antisemitic remarks and now she plans to pursue legal action against the school, her attorney said. Rachel Dawson, who served as director of the universitys Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, was accused of saying, The university is controlled by wealthy Jews during a conversation with two professors at an academic conference on diversity and equity in late March, according to documents obtained by CNN. Dawson was also accused of saying, We dont work with Jews. They are wealthy and privileged and take care of themselves and that Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel, according to the documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dawsons lawyer Amanda Ghannam denied that she made those statements or any antisemitic comments. Before she was fired this week, Dawson had received a written warning on October 15, and was placed on leave a little over two weeks later when the warning was revoked, Ghannam told CNN Thursday. Ghannam said she will take appropriate legal action for what she alleges is a violation of Dawsons constitutional rights as a public employee. Rachel Dawson - University of Michigan The law is extremely clear that public employees are protected by their First Amendment rights, Ghannam said. Dawson was fired by the Provost because her behavior at the conference was inconsistent with her job responsibilities, including leading a multicultural office charged with supporting all students, and represented extremely poor judgment, the university said in a statement to CNN Saturday. The incident comes after months of escalating tensions between the universitys administration and pro-Palestinian students who have demanded leaders divest from Israel. Days ago, the home of a Jewish member of the universitys Board of Regents was vandalized with pro-Palestinian graffiti. It also comes as the school faces backlash from students and faculty over planned cuts to its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since October 2023, Dawson had led an office that provides resources and support to underrepresented students of diverse backgrounds. Before holding that role, Dawson had worked at the university for six years as managing director of the universitys academic medical center. Spurred by an August letter from the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan outlining the allegations, the university called on outside law firm Covington & Burling LLP to conduct an investigation. The Los Angeles law firm had previously worked with the ADL, including to provide pro bono legal assistance to parents whose children are experiencing antisemitism in California schools. It is not possible to determine with certainty whether Ms. Dawson made the exact remarks attributed to her in the ADL Michigan letter, because there is no recording of the conversation and no witness other than the reporting parties and the subject of the investigation, the law firms September 25 memorandum summarizing the investigation said. The memo concluded, however, that the weight of the available evidence supports ADL Michigans report, which claimed that Dawson made deeply troubling and blatantly antisemitic comments. Professors and DEI official provide conflicting accounts The allegations stemmed from a conversation that Dawson had on March 23 with two professors as they attended a diversity, equity and student success conference hosted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities in Philadelphia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loyola University New Orleans professor Naomi Yavneh Klos and an assistant professor of ethnic studies who was not named and whose affiliation was not revealed said they approached Dawson because they heard about the negative experience of a Jewish University of Michigan student, according to the Covington & Burling memo. Klos asked Dawson whether her office works with Jewish students, and she responded that her office did not work with Jewish students because theyre privileged and did not need assistance from the DEI team, according to Klos account. The other professor stated that the conversation left her practically shaking, the memo said. Two days later, Klos texted a friend who works at the ADL, saying: She told me their policy is to wait for groups to reach out to them and she doesnt work with the Jews because they are all wealthy and privileged and take care of themselves, according to the memo. Her friend advised her to file an incident report with the ADL. DEI offices have an obligation to serve students facing challenges based on their identities, including Jewish students, many of whom have faced harassment, exclusion, discriminatory comments, and even violence after October 7th, Klos told CNN on Friday. She said Dawson told her something along the lines that we all know Jews have no ancestral relationship to Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Klos declined to further comment about Dawsons response to the allegations, saying Loyola University asked her to refrain from discussing the incident. Dawson, on the other hand, provided a different account of the conversation she had with the two professors. Ghannam, her attorney, denied that Dawson said any of the remarks she was accused of, including that Jews had no ancestral claim to Israel. Ghannam said the topic of conversation came up when Dawson was asked by the women if she knew the history of the region, and Dawson responded she believed multiple groups of people have origins in the region, Ghannam said. The universitys handling of the allegations sets a dangerous precedent, Ghannam said, adding that its unprecedented for the school to hire an external investigator for a lower level administrator instead of addressing it with her direct supervisor and conducting a traditional human resources process. She said the law firms investigation leaves out important context, including that Dawson was responding to questions and framing from the women who approached her. My client is a Black woman who was approached by two White women who became visibly angry with her when she didnt agree with them, Ghannam said. The university decided to take the side of the two women over a beloved leader in the community who has a long history of serving all students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The university is grappling with a series of reports of Jewish people being targeted. On Monday, the sound of shattering glass jolted Board of Regents member Jordan Acker from his sleep just after 2 a.m., he told CNN. He went downstairs to find his front windows had been smashed and his wifes car vandalized with the messages Divest and Free Palestine. The incident marks the third time Acker has been targeted since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The campus is also facing scrutiny over potential rollbacks in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, with both students and faculty members protesting last week before a Board of Regents meeting. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Someone, presumably the Chinese Embassy, kindly sends me the Global Weekly edition of China Daily, the official organ of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This allows me to keep up with the impressive doings of President Xi Jinping. I particularly enjoyed its reports of his presence at the G20 summit in Rio last month. Xi lauded for speeches and Presidents call for fairer global governance hailed, its headlines informed me. These reports carried 21 photographs of the president, and the full text of four of his speeches. Week after week, the word most frequently in its headlines (apart from Xi) is ties. These must invariably be deepened, strengthened or bolstered with other countries. Even with the United States, ties remain key to progress, says Xi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2016, in pursuit of such ties, the (CCP) accepted the Duke of Yorks invitation to Pitch@Palace. Under other names, such as the Chinese Peoples Institute for Foreign Affairs, it chose the right young entrepreneurs to win the entrepreneur competitions Pitch@Palace had inaugurated and meet the Prince at Buckingham Palace. This process was assisted in Britain by a consultancy firm and a leading Chinese business figure whom we are forbidden to name. I shall nickname him Bony Agent. So successful was Mr B that he quickly became one of Prince Andrews most trusted advisers. Another of the princes non-Palace advisers, Dominic Hampshire, was incautious enough to tell Mr B in an email that you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on. Under your guidance, Mr Hampshire continued, we found a way to get the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor. It is not clear whether the relevant people were unnoticed by authentic royal officials charged with keeping an eye on the wayward prince, or just by us journalists trying to spot his galere of unusual friends. Now we learn, from a court case in which Mr Bs appeal for the restoration of his right to re-enter this country has been rejected, that he was, in fact, a Chinese official, working for the United Front Work Department (UFWD). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UFWD is not a secret organisation, though much of its work is hidden, but it is perhaps the most important means of spreading Chinese influence abroad. The long-standing CCP doctrine about the UFWD is that intelligence should be nestled within it. The main way it works is to establish those famous ties and then, when necessary, to tighten them. What looks at first like friendship can become coercive. Information extracted by these ties will be relayed to Beijing. It can be used to discredit, blackmail or threaten any contact whom the UFWD decides is uppity, unreliable or worth frightening. The publics nosy interest in the current story which I must confess I share lies in the thought that an unpopular member of the Royal family may have been knotted by just such ties. It is certainly scandalous if, as is hinted, a CCP member (Mr B) was helping Prince Andrew who was desperate, in Mr Hampshires words by providing him with material or other advantages while trying to gain covert influence in Britain. But control of the entry-points to a grand house in Windsor is as nothing beside the vastly wider problem the story illustrates. This is that there are thousands of examples, in Britain, as in most other fairly rich and powerful countries, of UFWD entryism. It is not so much spying, narrowly defined, although there are certainly cases in businesses and in universities of the theft of intellectual property. It is more the constant spread of CCP influence and the waging of an inconspicuous intelligence war, one in which a totalitarian state enjoys enormous advantages over a free country. The first victims of the UFWD are Chinese people themselves. By organising and supporting Chinese New Year celebrations and cultural events, for example, the Chinese student associations run by the UFWD in more than 100 British universities befriend students often isolated from British culture. But as the UFWD helps, it also watches them, and uses sanctions against them if they say the wrong things about President Xis glorious rejuvenation of his country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such students can have their student funding withdrawn and be convicted of breaches of Chinese law for offences committed in Britain. They can be silenced by threats to their families back home. Significant numbers of ethnic Chinese (Hong Kong people, for instance) are British citizens, but China will pursue them all the same, and our authorities do little to stop this. British universities kowtow to the CCP in order to attract Chinese money; they seldom protect dissident Chinese students from this hostile surveillance. Then there are the numerous British institutions and civil society organisations which the UFWD penetrates businesses (especially tech ones), university courses (especially tech ones), media, arts patronage, lobbyists, police, pressure groups, political parties, local government and Whitehall. Next week, the research organisation UK/China Transparency, which I played a small part in launching, will publish information showing how a Mandarin interpreter, working for the Foreign Office, was simultaneously working for the UFWD. (One reason, by the way, why we are vulnerable is that our intelligence agencies are so pitifully short of Mandarin speakers.) As a whole, the British state is most reluctant to look at all this systematically. MI5 is too scared of the accusations of racism thrown when there is any clampdown. It also prefers to handle strictly defined espionage than to trace propaganda influence, being hyper-fearful of being too political. And curiously, as the former security minister, Tom Tugendhat, has pointed out, it is not really anyones job in government to identify the full dimensions of the problem. No government department is charged with investigating and informing the public what is happening. The subject tends to rest with the Cabinet Secretary and the Prime Minister himself. Currently, the first is unwell and on the way out and the second is embroiled in the sort of omnishambles normally experienced after two years, not five months, in government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besides, despite the retreat from the golden era of Anglo-Chinese relations under David Cameron, successive governments have tended to revert to the same pattern, craving business and diplomatic advantages without considering the price we are made to pay for them. The Chinese, I am sorry to admit, know what they are doing. The British are not sure. Yes, we need to talk to China on what are known as working level meetings: there are always practical things which need discussion. But why climb straight to the summit if we only suffer from altitude sickness when we get there? At the Rio G20, my trusty China Daily reports, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted the spirit of mutual respect, equality and frankness and lots of exchanges and co-operation. He apparently did not examine what actually happens when these exchanges take place. He raised hopes without getting concrete benefits. China has one overriding aim. It would be alarmist to say it wants to rule the world, so perhaps the best way to express it is in business terms. As in politics, so in business and diplomacy, China seeks monopoly, and wishes to alter global norms of trade, international rules and political culture to achieve that effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hence its infiltration of the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, the International Telecommunications Union and as we saw so horribly during Covid the World Health Organisation; and its friendship without limits with our foes. All this is wrong, and against British interests. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The United States is delivering another military aid package to Ukraine, valued at $500 million, to support the country's defence against Russia's ongoing offensive, the US State Department announced on Thursday. The new aid package includes anti-drone systems, ammunition for HIMARS rocket launchers, and armoured vehicles. "The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression," the department stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just a few days ago, the US government announced a package worth around $988 million. As US President Joe Biden's term nears its end, concerns are mounting in Ukraine about potential shifts in US policy. Republican President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office on January 20 and many fear he may drastically reduce military aid to Ukraine, which could undermine Kiev's defence against Russia. In the final weeks of Biden's presidency, the US is working to disburse all Congress-approved funds to Ukraine. Under Biden, the US has been the largest supplier of arms to Ukraine. The United States will provide Ukraine with over $440 million in aid for key sectors of its economy, Richard Verma, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, announced on Dec. 12. The announcement comes as outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden aims to ramp up support for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes power in January. The economic aid package is comprised of four key parts, including $223 million to rebuild transportation, infrastructure, and logistics, Verma announced in a social media post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another $105 million will be used to train Ukrainians for "tomorrow's jobs" in reconstruction and industry, while $74.7 million will support Ukraine's agriculture sector. A further $35 million is allocated for the "Project Preparation Facility," which aims to increase and accelerate upcoming construction projects. The White House on Dec. 12 also announced a new weapons package of an unspecified amount for Ukraine. The assistance will include air defense, armored vehicles, and artillery. Verma took the role of U.S Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery in August after the previous representative, Penny Pritzker, stepped down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine relies heavily on economic aid from Western partners to keep the country running amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted in April 2024 that Ukraine would need over $40 billion in external financing this year. The U.S., EU and other Western partners agreed in 2024 to furnish Ukraine with a loan totaling $50 billion, to be repaid with revenue from frozen Russian assets. Details of the loan agreements are currently being finalized. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Trump hints he wont abandon Kyiv but opposes Ukraine launching US missiles inside Russia Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The U.S. State Department announced visa bans on approximately 20 Georgian individuals for undermining democracy in the country, according to the departments statement on Dec. 12. The ban will extend to Georgian ministers, parliament members, security officials, and private individuals. The move comes amid daily protests in Georgia that began after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the EU accession talks would be suspended until 2028. Hundreds of protestors have been detained, with dozens reported injured as the Georgian police deployed tear gas and water cannons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. condemned the ruling Georgian Dream party, saying, "The Georgian Dream party has turned its back on the Euro-Atlantic future for Georgia, which is desired by the vast majority of the Georgian people and enshrined in the Georgian constitution." The State Department also noted that additional measures are being prepared, including sanctions. Georgian Dream, which declared victory in the October elections broadly disputed by domestic opposition and international observers, has been accused of democratic backsliding and dragging Georgia into the Kremlin's orbit. "The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream partys ongoing, brutal, and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, including protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures," the U.S. State Departments statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to the crackdown, the Baltic countries and Ukraine have imposed sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of Georgian Dream, and other officials for their role in suppressing the protests. Read also: Hungary vows to block potential EU sanctions on Georgia over protest crackdowns Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A US federal grand jury in Los Angeles on Thursday indicted a Syrian man who officials say headed a notorious prison and charged him with torture, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a press release. The Syrian man, 72, is accused of ordering his subordinates to inflict "severe physical and mental pain and suffering on political and other prisoners," the DOJ said, adding that the accused sometimes inflicted the torture himself. In the US system a grand jury is a group of citizens that decides whether evidence is sufficient to charge someone. Court documents showed that the man, a resident of Lexington, South Carolina in the south-east part of the United States, was head of the Damascus Central Prison, known as the Adra Prison from 2005 -2008. He held a variety of positions in the Syrian police and state security apparatus and was associated with the now deposed leader Bashar al-Assad and his Ba'ath Party that ruled Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The accused allegedly ordered some prisoners to the prison's punishment wing, where they "were beaten while suspended from the ceiling with their arms extended and were subjected to a device known as the 'Flying Carpet,' which folded their bodies in half at the waist, causing excruciating pain and sometimes resulting in fractured spines," the DOJ statement read. DOJ: Alleged torture politically motivated The department said the man "is charged with torturing political dissidents and other prisoners to deter opposition" to al-Assad's regime, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri said. She is head of the DOJ's Criminal Division. The indictment says the man allegedly immigrated to the United States in 2020 and applied for US citizenship in 2023 but lied about his crimes to obtain a US green card, or permanent residency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is charged with three counts of torture, one count of conspiracy to commit torture, visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud. The immigration charges were the subject of the initial indictment against him in August. If convicted, the man faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on each of torture charges and a maximum of 10 years on the two immigration fraud charges. The DOJ thanked, among others, investigators from the Swedish Police Authority, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and authorities in Belgium for their "invaluable assistance." It did not elaborate. According to media reports, the man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in July while attempting to travel to Lebanon. He was then accused of visa and naturalization fraud, which his lawyers deny. Thursday's indictment is known as a "superceding indictment" or one that replaces the original charging document with either more serious or additional charges. A US federal grand jury in Los Angeles on Thursday indicted a Syrian man who officials say headed a notorious prison and charged him with torture, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a press release. The Syrian man, 72, is accused of ordering his subordinates to inflict "severe physical and mental pain and suffering on political and other prisoners," the DOJ said, adding that the accused sometimes inflicted the torture himself. In the US system a grand jury is a group of citizens that decides whether evidence is sufficient to charge someone. Court documents showed that the man, a resident of Lexington, South Carolina in the south-east part of the United States, was head of the Damascus Central Prison, known as the Adra Prison from 2005 -2008. He held a variety of positions in the Syrian police and state security apparatus and was associated with the now deposed leader Bashar al-Assad and his Ba'ath Party that ruled Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The accused allegedly ordered some prisoners to the prison's punishment wing, where they "were beaten while suspended from the ceiling with their arms extended and were subjected to a device known as the 'Flying Carpet,' which folded their bodies in half at the waist, causing excruciating pain and sometimes resulting in fractured spines," the DOJ statement read. DOJ: Alleged torture politically motivated The department said the man "is charged with torturing political dissidents and other prisoners to deter opposition" to al-Assad's regime, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri said. She is head of the DOJ's Criminal Division. The indictment says the man allegedly immigrated to the United States in 2020 and applied for US citizenship in 2023 but lied about his crimes to obtain a US green card, or permanent residency. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A U.S. couple was shot dead in the violence-plagued western Mexican state of Michoacan, state prosecutors said on Thursday, just after the country's president had wrapped up a meeting with security officials aimed at addressing a wave of violence. Identified as Gloria A., 50, and Rafael C., 53, the couple was traveling in a pickup in the municipality of Angamacutiro when they were shot on Wednesday night, the attorney general's office in Michoacan said in a statement. While the woman died at the scene, the man died shortly afterwards of his wounds in the hospital, the statement added. It was not clear why the couple, who were married, had been targeted and investigations are ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokeswoman added that the woman, who had obtained U.S. citizenship, and the man, who was born in the U.S. to Mexican parents, had family and a home in Angamacutiro. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October, has promised to replicate nationally the success she had as mayor of Mexico City in bringing down the sprawling capital's murder rate. But her first two months in office have been marked by an outbreak of cartel violence in several hot spots. (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Nate Fick, US Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, and Doug Beck, Director of the Defence Innovation Unit, have arrived in Kyiv to meet with representatives of Ukraine's defence and technology sector. Source: US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink on X (Twitter), reported by European Pravda Details: Nate Fick and Doug Beck arrived in Kyiv on Friday, 13 December, during another Russian large-scale attack on Ukraine. Great to welcome Amb Nate Fick (@ncfick) and Doug Beck, Director of DIU (@DIU_x), to Kyiv - even during an air alert. They will meet Ukraines defense-tech sector to discuss lessons learned from the battlefield and explore opportunities for future U.S. collaboration. pic.twitter.com/NtU2FyMGDM Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) December 13, 2024 Quote: "They will meet Ukraines defense-tech sector to discuss lessons learned from the battlefield and explore opportunities for future US collaboration." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia had fired 93 missiles at Ukraine, including one of North Korean production. Ukraine managed to shoot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by F-16 fighters. In addition, the Russians used almost 200 drones in the attack. Zelenskyy added that this strike is one of the largest strikes on the energy sector yet. Poland scrambled its aircraft as a result of Russia's attack on Ukraine. US President Joe Biden approved another military aid package for Ukraine on Thursday, 12 December. Support UP or become our patron! WASHINGTON (Reuters) -American citizen Travis Timmerman has been flown out of Syria, where he was imprisoned before being released by rebels this week, U.S. officials said on Friday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Timmerman had been transferred to Jordan and was currently with State Department officials. A second official said that Timmerman had been handed to U.S. troops at Tanf garrison, which is near the intersection of the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan, and was flown out from there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timmerman went missing in June, according to his parents. He was freed from prison earlier in the week after Syrian rebel groups ousted the country's longtime President Bashar al-Assad. The White House on Thursday said that the United States had no prior indication that the American was in Syria. Assad fled to Russia after a 13-year civil war and more than five decades of his family's autocratic rule, during which Syria ran one of the most oppressive police states in the Middle East. Following his ouster, Syrians flocked to the infamous prisons where the Assad regime is estimated to have held tens of thousands of detainees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Austin Tice, another U.S. citizen who was abducted in Syria over a decade ago, has still not been found. Tice, a former U.S. Marine and freelance journalist, was 31 when he was kidnapped in August 2012 while reporting in Damascus. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Simon Lewis; Writing by Jasper Ward; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Mark Porter) By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged a former Syrian government official who headed the Damascus Central Prison from 2005 to 2008 with torture, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday. Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 72, headed the Adra prison, as it is colloquially known, during that period, allegedly ordering subordinates to inflict severe physical and mental pain and suffering on political and other prisoners, the department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was sometimes personally involved in such incidents, the department added in its statement. Reuters could not immediately contact Alsheikh to seek comment. The torture aimed to deter opposition to the regime of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the department said, adding that Alsheikh later allegedly lied about his crimes to obtain a U.S. "green card", or residence permit. Alsheikh, who allegedly held positions in the Syrian police and the state security apparatus, was associated with the ruling Syrian Ba'ath Party, and was appointed governor of the province of Deir Ez-Zour by Assad in 2011. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A superseding indictment returned on Thursday alleged that Alsheikh immigrated to the United States in 2020 and applied for citizenship in 2023. The indictment added three counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture to charges of visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud that figured in an initial indictment against Alsheikh in August. In a separate U.S. indictment unsealed on Monday, two former high-ranking Syrian intelligence officials under Assad were charged with war crimes. These included conspiracy to mete out cruel and inhuman treatment to civilian detainees, including U.S. citizens, during the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syrian rebels put an end to more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family over the weekend following a lightning advance. The 13-year civil war killed hundreds of thousands, unleashed a refugee crisis and left cities bombed to rubble, the countryside depopulated and the Syrian economy hollowed out by global sanctions. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) WASHINGTON (NewsNation) Top White House officials are hopeful that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas could be reached this month as Hamas has reportedly conceded to two of Israels top demands for an agreement: Allowing Israeli forces to remain in Gaza once the fighting stops and a hostage release. President Joe Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Jerusalem on Thursday that Israels ceasefire in Lebanon has helped clear the way for another deal to end the war in Gaza. He plans to travel next to Qatar and Egypt key mediators in the ceasefire talks as the Biden administration makes a final push on negotiations before Donald Trump is inaugurated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sullivan said Hamas posture at the negotiating table did adapt after Israel decimated the leadership of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and reached a ceasefire there. Pelosi hospitalized in Luxembourg after sustaining injury We believe it puts us in a position to close this negotiation, he said. Sullivan dismissed speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was waiting for Trump to take office to finalize a deal. The U.S. believes there are three American hostages still alive in Gaza, but its hard to know for sure. He also said, The balance of power in the Middle East has changed significantly since Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel, especially with the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally of Hezbollah and Iran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are now faced with a dramatically reshaped Middle East in which Israel is stronger, Iran is weaker, its proxies decimated, and a ceasefire that is new and will be lasting in Lebanon that ensures Israels security over the long term, he said. Gabbard struggles to woo senators ahead of confirmation fight The renewed possibility of a ceasefire comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, with experts warning of famine in some of the hardest-hit parts of the territory. An Israeli airstrike flattened a multistory building in central Gaza, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens more, according to Palestinian medical officials, after strikes Thursday across the Gaza Strip killed at least 28 others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israels offensive has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. The US Department of State has announced new visa restrictions targeting individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia. The sanctions will apply to approximately 20 people, specifically government ministers, members of parliament, law enforcement and security officials and private citizens. Source: a statement by Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State Quote: "The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream partys ongoing, brutal, and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, including protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures. Georgian Dream has turned away from Georgias Euro-Atlantic future, which the Georgian people overwhelmingly desire and the Georgian constitution envisions." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Miller announced the preparation of new sanctions aimed at holding accountable those who undermine the country's democracy. "Our actions today demonstrate US resolve and add to previously announced actions implicating more than 100 Georgian Dream-affiliated individuals and their family members," the statement said. Background: Earlier, media reports indicated that US President Joe Biden's administration had announced new sanctions, including visa restrictions for Georgian officials and their families. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the West has not reacted decisively enough to the situation in Georgia and Russia's efforts to establish control over the country. Media reports suggested that the EU is considering suspending visa liberalisation for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports. The Baltic states and Ukraine imposed national sanctions against a number of Georgian officials, including Bidzina Ivanishvili, a pro-Russian Georgian oligarch and an Honorary Chairman of the Georgian Dream. Pawe Herczynski, the EU ambassador to Georgia, said that preparatory work on sanctions against the Georgian authorities is already underway in Brussels. Support UP or become our patron! The U.S. military on Friday flew a missing American citizen out of Syria this week, after the stunning fall of Syrian leader Bashar Assads regime. Travis Timmerman was transferred to U.S. forces in Syria on Friday, according to a defense official, and was flown to Jordan. U.S. Central Command, the military headquarters in the Middle East region, is working with the State Department to ensure Timmerman can safely return home, the official added. He was freed from a prison in the capital city of Damascus earlier this week, a day after Assads regime collapsed to a coalition of opposition forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timmerman, 29, had last been seen in Budapest, Hungary, in June and had not been seen or heard from in months. He told The Associated Press he had gone on a Christian pilgrimage to Lebanon and crossed over into Syria, where he was detained and questioned for hours before a transfer to a notorious prison known as Palestine Branch. When he was first seen this week, Timmerman was confused for Austin Tice, an American freelancer journalist who has been missing since 2012 in Syria. Timmerman, who is from Urbana, Mo., told NBC News that his imprisonment was good for him and that it was a a time of solace, of meditation, and Im stronger for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The U.S. military took custody of American Travis Pete Timmerman and flew him from Syria to Jordan on Friday, a U.S. official told ABC News. "Following the fall of the Assad regime, Travis Timmerman, a U.S. citizen, was freed from a prison near the Syrian capital of Damascus on Dec. 9," the official said. "CENTCOM is supporting the Department of State in ensuring his safe return. Mr. Timmerman was transferred to U.S. forces in Syria earlier today and has since been transferred to Jordan. We will provide more information as it becomes available." PHOTO: In this photo released by the Syrian Department of Political Affairs, journalist Travis Timmerman, who was kidnapped during the Assad regime, is handed over to America officials. (Syrian Department of Political Affairs/X) The exchange took place at the remote U.S. base in southeastern Syria known as At Tanf garrison, close to the border with Jordan, a second U.S. official said, adding that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, forces drove Timmerman to the U.S. base where the exchange took place. U.S. forces did not go into the Damascus area or the western part of the country, and there was no U.S. military rescue mission in that part of the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once Timmerman was turned over to the U.S. military personnel at At Tanf garrison, he was flown by a U.S. military helicopter into Jordan, the official added. PHOTO: In this photo released by the Syrian Department of Political Affairs, journalist Travis Timmerman, who was kidnapped during the Assad regime, is handed over to America officials. (Syrian Department of Political Affairs/X) Video of Timmerman, 29, in Syria began circulating online on Thursday after he went missing in Hungary earlier this year. However, U.S. officials said they had not previously suspected Timmerman was in Syria. When his parents found out Timmerman was likely safe, they said they were in tears, "happy tears," according to an interview with ABC News' James Longman on Thursday. "Well, it was great. I'm like, this is gonna be the best Christmas ever," said Richard Gardiner, Timmerman's stepfather. PHOTO: Travis Pete Timmerman, a U.S. citizen who was previously reported missing in Syria, speaks to the press on Dec. 12, 2024, in Damascus, Syria, after being found following the fall of the Assad regime. (Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via Shutterstock) MORE: Austin Tice's parents say they are 'hopeful' as US works to find their kidnapped son Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The State Department will take the lead on getting Timmerman home from here, according to the first official. "We welcome the news whenever any U.S. citizen is reported to be brought to safety," a State Department official said. "Out of respect for their privacy, we will allow the individual to speak for themselves if and when they feel ready. As you can imagine, this individual has been through an incredibly difficult experience. Our primary focus is ensuring their well-being." The Biden administration is also working to bring home other Americans missing in Syria, including freelance journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in 2012, after the Bashar Assad regime toppled last week. PHOTO: Travis Pete Timmerman, a U.S. citizen who went missing in Syria, speaks to press after being found following the fall of the Assad regime in Damascus, Syria on Dec. 12, 2024. (Abdulkarem Al Mohammad/Anadolu via Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report. US military has taken custody of Travis Pete Timmerman, flown him out of Syria originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Travis Timmerman has been flown out of Syria, where he was imprisoned before being released by rebels this week, a US official said on Friday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Mr Timmerman had been transferred to Jordan and was currently with State Department officials. Mr Timmerman was pictured standing alongside a member of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group that toppled Bashar al-Assad from power on Sunday alongside US soldiers stationed in Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American citizen went missing in June, according to his parents. He was freed from prison earlier in the week after Syrian rebel groups ousted Assad. The White House on Thursday said the US had no prior indication the man was in Syria. Initially rumoured on social media to be Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing in Syria in 2012, the man identified himself to the media as Travis Timmerman. He said he had been trying to make his way out of Syria after being released from prison earlier this week. He said he had been detained seven months ago after entering Syria without permission from Lebanon, referring to himself as a pilgrim, according to CBS news. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video footage posted on Thursday showed the man looking pale, with a shaggy beard, and being introduced in Arabic as an American. X/ @JamesAALongman Assad fled to Russia after a 13-year civil war and more than five decades of his familys autocratic rule, during which Syria ran one of the most oppressive police states in the Middle East. Following his regimes collapse, Syrians flocked to the infamous prisons where the regime is estimated to have held tens of thousands of detainees. Tice has still not been found. He is a former US Marine and a freelance journalist and was 31 when he was kidnapped in August 2012 while reporting in Damascus. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. will prohibit the issuing of visas for about 20 people responsible for "undermining democracy in Georgia," including government ministers, parliament members and security officials, the State Department said on Thursday. The department's statement did not name the people who would be prohibited from receiving U.S. visas. Hundreds of people have been arrested in Georgia since nightly protests broke out almost two weeks ago against a decision by the ruling Georgian Dream party to delay the former Soviet republic's longstanding goal of joining the European Union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream party's ongoing, brutal, and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, including protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures," the State Department said. It added the department was "preparing additional actions, including sanctions, to hold to account those who undermine democracy in Georgia." (Reporting by Jasper Ward and Eric Beech; Editing by Sandra Maler) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the United States will provide Ukraine with a new US$500 million package of weapons and equipment. Source: US Department of State Quote: "As part of the surge in security assistance that President Biden announced on 26 September, the United States is providing another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to our Ukrainian partners as they defend against Russias ongoing attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This additional assistance, provided under previous drawdowns from Department of Defense stocks, is valued at $500 million." Details: The new package includes: counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS) munitions; ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition; high-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs); Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS); Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs); High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs); light tactical vehicles; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) protective equipment; Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems; tube-launched, optically guided, wire-tracked (TOW) missiles; small arms ammunition; grenades and training equipment; demolition equipment and munitions; spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training and transportation. "The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression," the US Department of State noted. Support UP or become our patron! A bipartisan bill to ban hazing on college campuses moved forward Thursday. After passing in the U.S. House of Representatives in September, the U.S. Senate passed the Stop Campus Hazing Act as well. The bill, sponsored by Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath, as well as a bipartisan coalition from several states and in both chambers, is another step toward combatting what McBaths office calls dangerous practices for students on college campuses. I know what its like to lose a loved one to violenceno parent should ever have to bury their child. This bill empowers students and their families to make informed decisions about the schools they attend and the organizations they join. That information could be life-saving, McBath said in a statement. Our bipartisan legislation helps make sure that schools have the tools they need to foster safe learning environments. I am proud to see the Senate send this critical legislation to the Presidents desk, and I thank my colleagues for their continued commitment to safeguarding the well-being of our students. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation would change how colleges and universities in the United States are required to report hazing incidents each year, as well as create a uniform definition of what counts as hazing on campus. Additionally, schools would be required to implement hazing prevention programs for students, faculty and staff and add reporting requirements and new anti-hazing rules at the school and state levels. With the Stop Campus Hazing Act passing in the Senate, were one step closer to saving lives like Tucker Hipps and other students tragically killed in a suspected incidents of campus hazing. I applaud my colleagues as we honor Tuckers memory. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation mandates greater transparency in fraternity hazing reporting, South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan said. According to the organization, StopHazing, 44 of the 50 states have anti-hazing laws in place. But these laws vary significantly. The organization says some statutes focus only on hazing at the collegiate level, while others expand to include other groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that the Senate has passed the bill, with a unanimous consent vote and without amendment, the bill has been sent back to the House, pushing it closer to the presidents desk for approval or veto. If it is approved and passes into law, it would be the first federal law to address hazing on college campuses nationwide. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear a bid by an arm of a Catholic diocese in Wisconsin for a religious exemption from the state's unemployment insurance tax in a case with potential implications for constitutional religious rights. The justices took up an appeal by the Catholic Charities Bureau, the social ministry arm of the Catholic diocese in the city of Superior, of a lower court's decision rejecting its exemption bid. A Supreme Court ruling in favor of the bureau could require Wisconsin and states with similar tax programs to broaden their exemptions in order to comply the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment religious protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in the case and rule by the end of June. During the Great Depression, Wisconsin in 1932 became the first state to enact an unemployment compensation law, which operates by taxing employers and providing temporary payments to eligible unemployed people. Three years later, Congress established a cooperative federal-state unemployment insurance program that would eventually lead to all U.S. states enacting their own plans. Wisconsin is among 47 states that exempt certain religious entities - namely, those "operated primarily for religious purposes" - from having to pay into its unemployment insurance program, according to court records. The remaining three states use different eligibility criteria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Catholic Charities Bureau since 1917, it said on its website, has provided "services to the poor, the disadvantaged, the disabled, the elderly and children with special needs as an expression of the social ministry of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Superior." Wisconsin state officials in 1972 determined that the group was subject to the state's unemployment compensation law. But after a subsidiary of the Catholic Charities Bureau received a favorable court ruling in a similar case, the group and four of its other subsidiaries in 2016 sought religious exemptions from Wisconsin's unemployment insurance tax. Among the subsidiary groups involved in the latest case are organizations that provide services to people with disabilities including job placements and training, as well as daily living services and home visitation, according to court papers. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in March 2024 ruled against the groups, determining that they were not "operated primarily for religious purposes," and thus were ineligible for the tax exemption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state's top court found that the bureau's activities were "primarily charitable and secular," noting that the group does not "attempt to imbue program participants with the Catholic faith" and that its services "are open to all participants regardless of religion." The ruling prompted the bureau and its subsidiaries to appeal to the Supreme Court. They argued in their filing that the Wisconsin Supreme Court's ruling violates the First Amendment "by favoring some religions over others, entangling courts in religious questions, and interfering with church autonomy." They also argued that the state court erred by imposing too high a legal bar - proof beyond a reasonable doubt - for proving First Amendment claims. (Reporting by John Kruzel) NORTH BRANFORD, Conn. (WTNH) An employee of the U.S. Postal Service is facing disorderly conduct and criminal mischief charges for repeatedly smearing an unknown substance on a mailbox in North Branford, according to police. Donna Sufyaan-Conyers was arrested on Dec. 4. North Branford officers have investigated several similar complains over the last year, according to police. That includes multiple instances at the same residence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The substance was smeared on mailboxes interior and exterior, according to police. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. DES MOINES, Iowa The holidays are causing an uptick in package deliveries and the United States Postal Service is warning customers to watch out for scam messages regarding packages. The messages have been circulating for months, but the holiday season has more people interacting with the scam. In the message, scammers claim your package was unable to be delivered due to a wrong address or postage issues. The message will have a link that they ask the recipient to click on and fill out, including address and credit card information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These messages are fake and can be easily identified. Typically, the message will come from a random number and claim that if you dont follow the link your package will be returned. The Postal Service does not reach out to our customers about anything thats missing or a package that may not be coming to you, said Mark Inglett the USPS Strategic Communications Manager. So please be on guard about that. If there were to be an issue with your package the USPS does not charge to have the package delivered. The USPS would use their tracking system to update recipients with any information on delays or delivery issues, not reach out personally. There is a way to sign up to receive updates from the USPS, but the number will be from an official sender who can be traced back through the website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any time you go to USPS and youre tracking a package that you have coming to you, you can type in that number and then you can request updates by email or text about that package, said Inglett. The USPS encourages anyone who receives a message to go through their website before clicking on any links. If you receive a scam message claiming one of your packages cannot be delivered, report that message on the USPS Inspection Service website or forward the messages to spam@uspis.gov. You people out there trying to scam or be a porch pirate, stop it. Santa Claus is watching you. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 Utah) The American Red Cross of Utah is proud to celebrate the extraordinary efforts of Cyerra Spencer, a Ridgeline High School student whose dedication to saving lives has earned her a $1,000 scholarship. Through the Leaders Save Lives program, Cyerra organized a successful blood drive, bringing lifesaving donations to patients in critical need. The Leaders Save Lives program empowers high school and college students to create meaningful change by organizing blood drives during school breaks. This unique initiative not only gives students a chance to save lives but also helps them develop leadership skills and earn scholarships. Cyerras achievement highlights how young leaders can inspire change and make an impact. Learn more at redcrossblood.org/LeadersSaveLives. Hosting the blood drive was my way of making a meaningful impact, said Cyerra, a senior at Ridgeline High School who plans to attend Utah State University in the fall. I wanted to reach more people and inspire them to join this lifesaving effort. I started donating blood during my sophomore year, and it was such a rewarding experience. My hope was to ignite that same passion in others and show them how powerful giving can be. Leaders Save Lives Program and Scholarships Leaders Save Lives encourages students to host blood drives during key collection periods, such as school holidays, when blood donations are often critically needed. Participants earn volunteer hours and leadership experience and are eligible for gift cards and scholarship opportunities if they collect 25 or more pints of blood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cyerras commitment demonstrates the power of young people to rally their communities for a lifesaving cause, said Benjamin Donner, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Central and Southern Utah Chapter. We hope her story inspires other students to host blood drives and the community to support these students efforts by donating blood. Your generosity can save lives this holiday season. Upcoming Leaders Save Lives Blood Drives The Red Cross invites the community to support student-led drives this December and January. Upcoming blood drives in Utah include: Dec. 19: Skyline High School, 3251 East 3760 South, Salt Lake City, 1 p.m. 7 p.m. Dec. 23: VFW Post 3586, 2920 Highland Dr., Salt Lake City, 1 p.m. 7 p.m. Jan. 3: Eagle Mountain West Stake, 1330 E. Ira Hodges Scenic Pkwy., Eagle Mountain, 8 a.m. 2 p.m. Jan. 14: Mueller Park Stake, 1800 Meuller Park Rd., Bountiful, 1 p.m. 6 p.m. Jan. 15: Juab High School, 802 North 650 East, Nephi, 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Make a Difference This Holiday Season Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Special rewards are available for those who give blood during this time. Donors between Dec. 16 and Jan. 3, 2025, will receive an exclusive Red Cross long-sleeved T-shirt, while supplies last. Additionally, donors contributing between Jan. 1 and Jan. 26, 2025, will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. For more details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Gifts and RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About the American Red Cross The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nations blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now ABC4 Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) will host four in-person commencement ceremonies this weekend to honor over 2,800 fall and summer 2024 graduates and degree candidates. The ceremonies will include recognition of bachelors, masters, and doctoral graduates from all colleges, UTEP said in a news release. The 2024 fall commencement ceremonies, which will be held at the Don Haskins Center, schedule is as follows: Saturday, Dec. 14: 1 p.m. : College of Health Sciences and College of Nursing 6 p.m.: College of Science, Woody L. Hunt College of Business and School of Pharmacy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sunday, Dec. 15: 1 p.m. : College of Liberal Arts 6 p.m.: College of Education and College of Engineering Admission tickets are not required. Guests may enter the arena starting one hour before each ceremony, UTEP said. All ceremonies will be live streamed at www.utep.edu/commencement. Parking and accessibility Free guest parking is available in the perimeter lots off Sun Bowl Drive and Glory Road, including GR2 and SB7. Paid parking is available at the Glory Road Parking Garage. ADA guest parking is available in the ME1 lot off Mesa Street. The Glory Road Parking Garage is also accessible via an elevator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guests with mobility impairments should use the east entrance (Mesa Street side) of the Don Haskins Center. A parking map is available here. Special lightings To celebrate the Class of 2024, the following lightings will take place: Mining Minds Pickaxe Sculpture: Located at the Sun Bowl-University Roundabout, it will shine in UTEP blue and orange from the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 10, through Sunday, Dec. 15. Installed in 2010, this iconic sculpture symbolizes UTEPs academic and cultural milestones. Learn more at www.utep.edu/miningminds. The M on the Mountain: Located across from Sun Bowl Stadium, the M will be lit in honor of graduates from Tuesday evening, Dec. 10, through Sunday evening, Dec. 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the Don Haskins Center enforces a clear bag policy. For details on permissible items, click here. For the latest updates on commencement, visit www.utep.edu/commencement. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. A Uyghur militant group that helped to topple Bashar-al Assad has vowed to take the fight to China. The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) threatened Beijing in a video released on Dec 8, the day the Syrian regime collapsed, showing its fighters holding machine guns and wearing military fatigues. Now here in Syria, in all the cities here, we fight for Allah, and we will continue to do this in our Urumchi, Aqsu and Kashgar in the future, said one masked man, listing cities in Chinas Xinjiang region, from where the Uyghurs hail. We will chase the Chinese infidels away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Using the Uyghurs preferred name for their homeland, he added: We have fought in Homs, in Idlib and we will continue the fight in East Turkistan. Allah has given us a victory here. May he also grant us a victory in our own land. TIP fghters on Latakia coast The TIP has been based in Syria for more than a decade, with its members fleeing to the Middle East to escape Chinas severe oppression of the Uyghurs, a largely Muslim minority group. Its fighters joined Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that led the rebel offensive, in a thrust out of the north-west of Syria. In recent days TIP has engaged in an unusual publicity blitz, showcasing its leader Abu Muhammed alongside his battalions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One video claims to show the TIP fighting against Assads forces on the front lines in late November 2024, shortly after the rebel offensive was launched. Another shows TIP fighters rolling into Damascus on tanks, waving light blue flags bearing the groups crescent-and-star symbol. Turkistan Islamic Party propaganda video According to the video captions, TIP fighters entered the strategic port cities of Latakia and Tartus on Dec 10 and 11. Both are situated along Syrias coastline and previously hosted Russian forces. So many groups allied against us. Russia came, Iran came, Hezbollah came with strong weapons and all kinds of soldiers, said one man in the Dec 8 video. But each time, Allah as our witness, we did not retreat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the help of Allah, we have fought our way here. We did not once show weakness or fear; we were never afraid. TIP certainly had a role to play in the rebel victory, said Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, an independent researcher who specialises in the Syrian civil war. They werent necessarily a larger force than the other Syrian insurgent groups that were assisting HTS, but they were part of the offensive, he said. In 2021, Syrian television reportedly described the group as HTSs favourite ally. TIP senior leadership have also indicated previously that the group was glad to support their Syrian brothers demand that the Assad regime leaves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TIP has stayed in Syria during 13 years of civil war and appears to have retained an independent identity despite ties to other factions. The group, established some time in the 1990s with a previous presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has continually highlighted its priority as Uyghur independence, describing a goal to liberate the Muslims of East Turkistan from the Chinese occupation. On Dec 6, as the Syrian rebel offensive pushed onward, TIPs emir, Abd Haq al-Turkistani, released a statement stressing the groups plans to attack China in the future. Turkistan Islamic Party propaganda video Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the Muslims are celebrating these victories in every place, the Muslims of oppressed East Turkistan remain far removed from the news of them as they live under a filthy oppressive, disbelieving occupation that suppresses them by every means possible, he said. Through Gods support, the Chinese disbelievers will soon taste the same torment that the disbelievers in al-Sham have tasted, if God wills. The group has posted pictures on social media of blood splattering the face of Xi Jinping, the Chinese president. Other clips highlight grievances such as the 1990 Baren Uprising, when possibly thousands of Uyghur protesters were killed by the Chinese government, a massacre that was later whitewashed by the authorities. The real number of fatalities is unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rune Steenberg, an anthropologist who specialises in the Uyghurs at Palacky University Olomouc, said: They see this as one step of a global jihad, where one day all Muslims will be free, and part of that will be the Muslims in East Turkistan. Theyre saying, Now we are guests, but with Gods help, we will soon be hosts. Chinas crackdown on the Uyghurs has seen more than one million people forced into re-education camps, with thousands more imprisoned for crimes such as praying or fasting. In interviews with The Telegraph, former detainees have described being beaten in solitary confinement and made to pledge loyalty to Mr Xi. Many chose to flee China by paying thousands of dollars to smugglers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some hoped to go abroad to learn more about their own religion of Islam, the independent practice of which is banned by the government. Only state-sanctioned Qurans and state-controlled imams are allowed. A handful of Uyghurs who either planned to go or went to the Middle East have told the Telegraph before that they wanted to learn from other Muslims how to perform jihad the right way, without violating religious principles. Whether TIP can materially organise and launch attacks against the Chinese government remains to be seen. Beijing has long emphasised and perhaps overstated TIPs strength as a pretext to justify its crackdown on the Uyghurs, while some Uyghur experts have debated how cohesive the group really is, saying that its virtually non-existent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While TIPs latest propaganda set to a score of sweeping music indicates that it does indeed exist and is active, it remains unclear what their full capabilities are in terms of numbers, training and firepower. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turkistan Islamic Party propaganda video China boasts the worlds largest military at two million strong, and has advanced weapons systems and armed drones. But the countrys growing overseas investments a cornerstone of Xis foreign policy means there are infrastructure assets and an influx of Chinese workers internationally that could be at risk of attack. China is very likely to request the extradition of TIP members, a group it considers a terrorist organisation. Its presence in Syria will definitely be a sticking point if the new Syrian government wants a relationship with China, said Mr Jawad al-Tamimi, adding: But if HTS hands them over, its a big compromise of one of their principles. One of HTSs founding principles, he said, was that the foreigners who joined the Syrian insurgency had to be protected. In exchange, they had to promise not to use Syria as a launching pad for terrorist attacks abroad. In 2020, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of HTS, said: These guys have been in Syria for seven years and have never constituted a threat to the outside world. They are committed solely to defending Idlib against regime aggression. As Uyghurs, they face persecution in China which we strongly condemn and they have nowhere else to go. Of course, I sympathise with them, but their struggle in China is not ours, so we tell them that they are welcome here as long as they abide by our rules which they do. There is also a question of how much influence TIP will have as al-Jolani and other armed groups set up a new governing system in Damascus, said Broderick McDonald, an associate fellow at Kings College Londons international centre for the study of radicalisation. Turkistan Islamic Party propaganda video For the Uyghurs and other foreign fighters now stepping out of the shadows [in propaganda videos] as they feel more secure, what does that mean for what they do with minority groups, and will they try to shape the future of Syria? There is a chance that a more hardline faction could splinter off, but for now, TIP propaganda indicates the group is grateful for their gracious host in Syria. In one video from Dec 10, a masked fighter addressed a congregation at what the group says was a mosque in Latakia. The Chinese government drove us out of our country, oppressed us, killed us and imprisoned us, he said. We left our country and came here we have seen from you all the goodness for the past 10 years. We are the mujahideen of East Turkistan. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A COVID-19 vaccination event for adults and children offered through Richmond and Henrico Health Districts at Fairfield Middle School in Henrico County, Va, November 13, 2021. (Parker Michels-Boyce for The Virginia Mercury) Parents in Virginia who dont vaccinate their young children, a percentage thats grown over the past decade, are making a risky bet with their kids health and maybe even their lives. Its a dangerous trend, perhaps attributable to the bleats of vaccine deniers who elevate misinformation, emotion and quackery over science. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some adults may be unaware of past scourges where children frequently became ill before vaccines were available. Many decades ago, polio sufferers had to depend on metal apparatuses called iron lungs just to help them breathe. Today, because of vaccines, polio is nearly eradicated worldwide, and iron lungs are primarily an eerie part of my youthful subconscious. Vaccines work. More Americans should know that fact. Refusal of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, often along partisan lines, makes the current challenge tougher. Axios Richmond recently noted the number of parents in Virginia now opting out of getting their children vaccinated. It reported the percentage of kindergartners with vaccine exemptions has quadrupled over the past 10 years. CDC statistics show 2.4%, or about 2,050 children out of 85,374 kindergartners in the commonwealth, had either medical or nonmedical vaccine exemptions in the 2023-24 school year. In 2014, that figure was 0.6%. (Nonmedical exemptions often involve religious reasons, though I suspect parents often cite them merely to refuse the injections.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Virginias rate of exemptions was still below the national average of 3.3%, Axios reported. Parents nationwide also overwhelmingly support childhood vaccinations, according to the Pew Research Center. Those positive facts could be altered, however, because Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President-elect Donald Trump. Kennedy is a prominent anti-vaxxer and has been criticized as a denier of science. Its another example of Trump using his picks to undermine the health and safety of everyday Americans, while at the same time awarding his sycophants. Vaccine refusal disturbs epidemiologists like Carrie Dolan, an associate professor of kinesiology and public health at William & Mary. She said the benefits of vaccines far, far outweigh the risks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre effective, Dolan told me. Theyre safe. Theyre reliable. When people arent vaccinated, she added, the chance for an infected person to spread a contagious disease to someone else increases. Getting a little wonky at least for me Dolan explained something called an R0, or basic reproduction number. Measles has an R0 of 12 to 18, meaning one infected person could spread it to up to 18 others in an unvaccinated population, she said. Before the vaccine, measles caused widespread outbreaks, often leading to complications like pneumonia and, in rare cases, brain swelling, Dolan said by email. Thanks to vaccination programs, measles cases have been drastically reduced worldwide. However, when vaccination rates drop, outbreaks can quickly return. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whooping cough, or pertussis, has an R0 of 1217 and is especially dangerous for infants, who can have severe coughing fits that make breathing difficult. Vaccination has greatly reduced the risk, she said, but without it, this disease could spread more easily, putting vulnerable groups like babies and the elderly at greater risk. Vaccinations also help protect children who, paradoxically, cant take them. Dr. John Harrington, a general pediatrician at Childrens Hospital of The Kings Daughters in Norfolk, told me that young oncology patients chronically on steroids are unlikely to mount a response to certain vaccines. In those instances, vaccines could be harmful. Dr. John Harrington, general pediatrician at Childrens Hospital of The Kings Daughters in Norfolk, said vaccine-hesitant parents are often willing to listen to their doctors advice about whether to get their children vaccinated. (Photo courtesy of CHKD) The assumption is if everybody else is vaccinated, that protects children with serious health problems, Harrington said. (This is also another way to define herd immunity.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vaccine-hesitant parents tend to have heard or seen things on the internet or social media that influence their thinking, he said. Many, though, are willing to listen to their pediatricians or primary care physicians about the issue. Besides, vaccines are overwhelmingly safe and effective, even if the total risk cant be ruled out. Children are more likely to be protected, though, from diseases than if they hadnt gotten the shots, Harrington said. These viruses have not gone anywhere. They can resurface when vaccination rates decline. Erica Hunter, immunization data and outreach manager in the Virginia Department of Health Erica Hunter, immunization data and outreach manager in the Virginia Department of Health, told me the recent trends on refusing vaccines for young children certainly raise concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Virginians do vaccinate their children, Hunter said, adding she had no information on what role vaccine denialism might have in contributing to the statistics. We just try to provide the best and most accurate information we can. She noted the states Vaccines for Children program provides free immunizations and has done so for decades. These viruses have not gone anywhere, Hunter said. They can resurface when vaccination rates decline. Non-COVID outbreaks have occurred in Virginia from time to time. For example, since June 2022, 41 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease associated with an outbreak of a specific bacterium have occurred. It killed eight people of all ages. Nationwide, 283 measles cases were reported this year through Dec. 5, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Virginia had one reported case. Some 89% of the total cases were listed as unvaccinated or unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not vaccinating children exasperates Dolan, the Willam & Mary epidemiologist. She helps run an immunization project in Kenya, and this summer, she had just 14 vaccines to fight HPV. Some 300 girls sought the precious supply. In America, she said, we forget how lucky we are to have access to vaccines. Its been weaponized politically, Dolan noted. Please vaccinate your children. Your actions will protect them and may help others, too. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX UPDATE (December 13, 2024, 4:56 p.m. ET): This piece was updated to include a statement from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. When Time magazine sat down with Donald Trump for its newly published cover story, the discussion turned to the president-elects controversial personnel choices, including his intention to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Time began by asking whether hed sign off on a Kennedy effort to end childhood vaccination programs. Were going to have a big discussion, Trump replied. The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Note, the question was about childhood vaccination programs, and the Republican, unprompted, quickly volunteered concerns about autism. The back and forth continued for a while, culminating in a simple question: Does Trump agree with the conspiratorial environmental lawyer about the connection between vaccines and autism? I want to see the numbers. Its going to be the numbers, the president-elect replied. As part of the same answer, the Republican suggested he and his team which presumably would include Kennedy are going to conduct studies, adding, Were going to know whats good and whats not good. We will know for sure whats good and whats not good. The next week, Trump sat down with NBC News Kristen Welker for a Meet the Press interview and said largely the same thing. NBC News reported: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President-elect Donald Trump suggested that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his pick to run Health and Human Services, will investigate supposed links between autism and childhood vaccines, a discredited connection that has eroded trust in the lifesaving inoculations. I think somebody has to find out, Trump said, while continuing to suggest there might be some connection between vaccines and autism. Something is going on, the Republican added. I dont know if its vaccines. Maybe its chlorine in the water, right? No. Not right. At first blush, a regular person might not see Trumps comments as especially problematic. He said he supports research and getting a definitive answer to the underlying question. Whats wrong with that? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What's wrong with that is we already have a definitive answer to the question. Trump is talking about tasking an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist with pursuing a line of inquiry as if the matter is unresolved, but qualified public health officials have known better for many years. Indeed, as NBC News report noted, Welker noted in a back-and-forth that studies have shown childhood vaccines prevent about 4 million deaths worldwide every year, have found no connection between vaccines and autism, and that rises in autism diagnoses are attributable to increased screening and awareness. A report in The New York Times added, Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that there is no link, including a 2012 vaccine safety review by the Institute of Medicine, now known as the National Academy of Medicine, that stated, the M.M.R. vaccine is not associated with autism. A national study in Denmark in 2019 came to the same conclusion. Yet as recently as August, in an interview with the libertarian commentator John Stossel, Mr. Kennedy asserted, autism is caused by vaccines. Wait, it gets worse. The Times reported Friday on Aaron Siri and his anti-vaccine work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawyer helping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pick federal health officials for the incoming Trump administration has petitioned the government to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine, which for decades has protected millions of people from a virus that can cause paralysis or death. ... Mr. Siri has also filed a petition seeking to pause the distribution of 13 other vaccines; challenged, and in some cases quashed, Covid vaccine mandates around the country; sued federal agencies for the disclosure of records related to vaccine approvals; and subjected prominent vaccine scientists to grueling videotaped depositions. ... Mr. Siri declined to be interviewed, but said all of his petitions were filed on behalf of clients. Katie Miller, a spokeswoman for Mr. Kennedy, said Mr. Siri has been advising Mr. Kennedy but has not discussed his petitions with any of the health nominees. She added, Mr. Kennedy has long said that he wants transparency in vaccines and to give people choice. Let's not forget that Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, his partys outgoing leader in the chamber, is a polio survivor. Its hard not to wonder whether the senators life experiences will shape his opinion of Kennedys prospective cabinet nomination, especially in light of the latest reporting on the man Kennedy has partnered with on scrutinizing possible HHS personnel. UPDATE (December 13, 2024, 4:56 p.m. ET): After the Times' report on Siri was published, McConnell said in a statement Friday, Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed they're dangerous. Anyone seeking the Senates consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com A Van Nuys-based landscaping company has been fined more than a quarter of a million dollars for "deliberately and knowingly" failing to follow state heat protection rules. The company, Parkwood Landscape Maintenance, must pay $276,425 for failing to provide employees with access to water, shaded area and proper training on preventing heat-related illness, according to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA. The landscaping company lacked written procedures for how to protect employees in high temperatures that often exceeded 95 degrees, and employees were forced to purchase their own drinking water, in violation of the rules, which require that employers provide fresh drinking water free of charge, the Cal/OSHA citation said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The citation marks the first time the workplace safety agency has issued its most severe charge for a heat safety violation, determining the violations were "serious" and "willful." A violation is categorized as serious if it could result in injury, illness or death and classified as willful if the employer knew there was a health hazard and took no action to protect against it or had been previously cited for failing to take action, said former Cal/OSHA investigator Garrett Brown, who retired in 2014 after 20 years with the agency. Parkwood Landscape was cited previously, in 2022, for failing to meet heat safety requirements. Despite being provided with information on how to change its procedures, the company did not implement necessary preventative measures, Cal/OSHA said. Employers have a responsibility to protect their workers from the dangers of extreme heat. It is unacceptable for any business to blatantly ignore safety protocols, putting their employees at serious risk," Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee said in a news release from the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: California's long-awaited indoor heat standard has gone into effect. Here's what to know Parkwood Landscape will have the opportunity to appeal the citation. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cal/OSHA began its investigation in June after receiving a complaint about Parkwood Landscape employees working outdoors without access to water or heat illness training. The citation represents an effort by Cal/OSHA to better enforce heat standards after fielding criticism that the agency been beset by inadequate staffing and claims of ineffectiveness. The criticisms come as scorching conditions have intensified in recent years due to climate change, endangering farmworkers, construction workers and others who toil in extreme temperatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: California cuts back on safety enforcement as farmworkers toil in extreme heat Cal/OSHA is grappling with high vacancy rates and faced condemnation from lawmakers at a February hearing, during which farmworkers testified that theyd been exposed to extreme heat and pesticides on the job. The agency has begun recruitment efforts to fill those positions but remains understaffed and slow at hiring, even as it seeks to enforce a growing list of heat and other safety regulations. In 2006, California became the first state in the nation to implement heat standards for outdoor work, requiring employers to provide access to shade and water, and cool-down rests when workers need them. In high heat conditions, defined as temperatures of 95 degrees or higher, employers are required to remind workers of safe practices, encourage breaks and drinking water, and observe them for signs or symptoms of heat illness. Earlier this year the agency adopted new heat protections that apply to indoor workers, expanding safety measures for more than a million workers laboring in warehouses, kitchens, laundry rooms and other hot indoor settings. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Vice-president elect JD Vance will bring Daniel Penny, a Marine veteran recently acquitted on homicide charges related to an incident on a New York City subway, to the Army-Navy game on Saturday. Daniels a good guy, and New Yorks mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone, Vance wrote in a post on X. Im grateful he accepted my invitation and hope hes able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage. President-elect Donald Trump will also be at Saturdays game and Vance and Penny will attend in Trumps suite. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Penny was acquitted on Monday for criminally negligent homicide in the 2023 death of Jordan Neely, a New York City subway chokehold case that sparked polarizing reactions across the country. Attorneys for Penny argued that the Marine Corps veteran was protecting himself and other passengers from an threatening, mentally ill man while prosecutors accused him of acting with far too much force. Vance praised Penny on Monday after the acquittal was announced, saying it was a scandal Penny was ever prosecuted in the first place. I have not said much about this case out of fear of (negatively) influencing the jury, Vance wrote in a post on X on Monday. But thank God justice was done in this case. In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge the death of a man unmourned by his community - a man Scrooge learns is himself when he wipes snow from a gravestone, revealing his own name. Shaken by what he saw, the once-heartless Scrooge vows to change his ways, pledging to be more charitable and to honor the selfless spirit of the holiday. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 180 years after Charles Dickens published the Christmas classic, stonemasons of Shrewsbury, England, put its lessons into practice - repairing free the recently vandalized Scrooge gravestone placed in a churchyard there during the making of the 1984 film adaptation of the novella. The gravestone was broken into pieces weeks before Christmas - destroying a popular holiday tourist attraction. As the town council rushed to arrange repairs, a masonry shop generously stepped in. Scrooges gravestone was put back into its place last Friday. It was a fairly easy decision to rectify a Bah humbug act, so to speak, with an act of goodwill, especially at this time of the year, said Alan Cope, the director of Midland Masonry, which did the repairs. As of Thursday, it was unclear how or why the gravestone was vandalized. Police said they had not made any arrests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cope, 59, remembers the buzz between neighbors when production crews for A Christmas Carol came to town 40 years ago. He was a teenager during its filming, and he knew the movie had been a feather in Shrewsburys cap for decades. Shrewsbury doesnt have a lot of things to be famous about, but this is one of those things, he said. Cope didnt realize the movie prop was still on the grounds of St. Chads Church until he got a call from a town council staff member saying it had been vandalized and asking for a quote for repairs. In a Nov. 25 statement, the West Mercia police said the gravestone probably had been vandalized over the previous three days. Police asked for the publics help, asking witnesses in the area to call with any information. Photos showed the gravestone had been halved and chipped at its top. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Cope got the call about the gravestone, he happened to already have stonemasons on a job near the church. After they saw the stone, Cope called the council staffer back and said they would take the job. And, he added, they would do it free. We just thought maybe this time we could do it in the spirit of the film, Cope said. In the days that followed, two of Copes stonemasons who live in Shrewsbury worked on a new concrete base for the stone at the church, giving it a more solid foundation. Then, Cope said, they put the stone back together like a jigsaw. They filled the cracks with mortar and fit them back together before placing the gravestone back in its place at the church on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the repairs are fully cured, the stonemasons will go back - probably early next week - to tone down the fixes, making the gravesite look aged and historic once more. Jayne McGrath, who works in Midland Masonrys offices, said shed last visited the gravestone about 15 years ago with her two young daughters. While the stonemasons were repairing it, McGrath said theyd been inundated with questions from visitors to the church who, like her, were familiar with its history and wondered what had happened. Though her family has watched A Christmas Carol every winter, McGrath plans to add a trip to her holiday schedule again this year to see the restored gravestone. She often visits sites where her colleagues have worked, but this time, it feels like more of a gift - and a reminder of its namesakes transformed holiday spirit. Itd be just nice to go and have a look at it back in place, she said. Related Content Deny and delay: The practices fueling anger at U.S. health insurers Kirkland Hall at Vanderbilt University. (Photo: John Partipilo) Tennessee legislators remain out of step with state voters over gun safety, the legalization of marijuana and womens reproductive health care, yet enjoy a bump in approval, according to the results of a recent Vanderbilt Poll. The poll surveyed 955 registered voters statewide from Nov. 18 to Dec. 4. The survey found an approximate six to seven percent boost for state lawmakers: 53% of respondents approved of the job state lawmakers are doing, a seven percent increase from the May poll, while Gov. Bill Lees approval rating similarly moved from 54% to 60%. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who was overwhelmingly reelected in November for a second term, found her approval rating jump from 46% to 53% and Sen. Bill Hagertys rose to 46% from 40%. Vanderbilt Poll Co-Director Josh Clinton, a political science professor, said the increased ratings were likely an afterglow of the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet across party lines, voters expressed support for the legalization of recreational marijuana, with 53% Republicans supporting such a move and 78% of Democrats. This comes as Tennessees Department of Agriculture is moving to ban the sale of recreational hemp products that are in the same family as marijuana but have been legal since 2019. Four gun reform measures were tested, each of which polled strongly despite partisan affiliation. A whopping 86% of respondents said they support laws that would require gun owners to report if their weapons were stolen are missing including 74% who identified as supporters of President-elect Donald Trump. When asked about passage of a so-called red flag law, which would temporarily restrict gun access for those deemed to be at risk of harming themselves or others, 78% indicated they are in favor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Support for health care also garnered bipartisan support, with 73% supporting the expansion of Medicaid in Tennessee, a measure state lawmakers have consistently resisted since 2012. According to the Tennessee Justice Center, Tennessee loses about $1.4 billion in federal funds annually by declining to expand the program, which provides coverage to children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with disabilities. Tennessee has a near total abortion ban but the percentage of Tennesseans who say they support womens right to obtain the procedure has climbed from 37% in 2012 the first time the Vanderbilt Poll measured on the question to 53% in the recent survey. While much ink has been spilled about what the election results mean about the electorate, these results suggest little change in the opinions of Tennesseans, which means the misalignment between voters and elected officials continues, said John Geer, co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll, senior advisor to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, professor of political science and holder of a Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other findings: Tennesseans are almost equally split on the question of whether the state is on the right track or wrong track, with 50% agreeing with the former and 46% with the latter. There has been almost no change in the percentage of poll respondents who describe themselves as conservative or very conservative, rising from 47% in 2015 to 48% almost a decade later. Deportation of immigrants, particularly those with criminal records, is popular. Across all demographics and party affiliation, 84% of those polled support the deportation of undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes. The full poll can be accessed here. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The fate of a large proposed affordable-housing development along Venices famed canals remains murky this week after one regulatory decision cleared the way for final approval just as another left it all but dead. The continued uncertainty adds to the eight years of public debate over the Venice Dell project, which aims to provide 120 apartments for formerly homeless and low-income residents on a city-owned parking lot in the once working-class and now wealthy beach community. Even among contentious affordable housing proposals, Venice Dell stands out in the intensity of litigation from all sides, confusion over the projects status and the machinations of Los Angeles politicians determining if it will break ground. A former staffer for Mayor Karen Bass responsible for expediting affordable housing developments told The Times that his superiors directed him to stop advancing Venice Dell through city bureaucracy two years ago after local elections ushered in project opponents in key roles. He called the direction highly unusual. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: L.A. officials continue to stall homeless housing project in Venice, new lawsuit claims The projects years of limbo were supposed to be clarified this week after a hearing in front of the California Coastal Commission, which governs development along the coastline. On Wednesday, the commission voted in favor of Venice Dell after negotiations with developers, Venice Community Housing and Hollywood Community Housing Corp. led to a reduction of 20 units to better accommodate public access on the site to a boat launch in the canals. Besides the housing, the project includes 278 parking spaces in garages to replace the existing public surface lot and provide for residents. Though the project has not lined up its financing, the coastal panels approval was considered one of its last major regulatory hurdles. Yet the commissions decision came a day after the citys Board of Transportation Commissioners, which oversees city-owned parking lots, voted to deny transferring the land to the developers. The board instead called for expanding parking, shuttle services and other mobility options on the site while allowing affordable housing on a separate nearby city-owned parcel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This action effectively killed the project, said Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Venice and opposes the development. The commission declined to convey the lot, Park said. There is no lot to build it on. Becky Dennison, co-executive director of Venice Community Housing, disputed that the city commissions decision meant the end of the project, calling it instead a political ploy. Dennison said the Coastal Commission's approval will force the mayor and City Council, which previously voted to advance Venice Dell, to take action and reveal their commitment to providing affordable housing in a neighborhood that has very little. Its time to put your money where your mouth is or kill a project that could house all of these unhoused and low-income people, Dennison said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Venice Dell saga began in 2016 when the city asked for developers to propose building affordable housing projects and replacement parking on the site. Six years later, the council approved a development agreement for Venice Dell with support of then-Councilmember Mike Bonin, who represented the community. Later that year, Park and City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto, both of whom opposed the project on the campaign trail, won their elections as did Bass, who did not specifically weigh in. Once they took office, the citys work on the project stalled, said Azeen Khanmalek, who served in roles to advance affordable housing developments in the mayoral administrations of Bass and her predecessor, Eric Garcetti. Venice Dell was handled differently than the more than a half-dozen other projects he oversaw under both mayors, Khanmalek said. He said that his superiors told him to not to follow typical procedures to further its approvals based on perspective from the city attorneys office and that the mayor acceded to that view. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The communication was basically to hold off and discontinue normal activities that I would normally undertake to try to move the project forward, said Khanmalek, who left Bass office in late 2023. (Khanmalek now works as executive director of Abundant Housing LA, a pro-development organization but emphasized that he was speaking in his personal capacity.) Khanmalek said he pushed internally to continue working on Venice Dell but was rebuffed. Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said in a statement that the mayor's office worked with city departments on funding applications and deadline extensions for Venice Dell "even in the midst of litigation and a challenging road to approval." Bass did not commit to backing the project after this week's decisions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The mayor remains supportive of affordable housing being built in this area," Seidl said. Read more: Faced with community complaints, Mayor Karen Bass retools her affordable housing strategy This summer, low-income housing advocates sued the city alleging that Feldstein Soto and Park, with the tacit support of Bass, violated fair housing laws by slow-walking the project. The case is ongoing. That action followed two unsuccessful suits by Venice neighborhood groups challenging its approval. Spokespeople for Feldstein Soto did not answer questions about the allegations that she stalled Venice Dell, though the city has denied the claims in court filings. In late November, the city attorney sent a letter to the Coastal Commission requesting it delay its action because of the uncertainty surrounding the land transfer. One of her deputies suggested to the panel at its meeting Wednesday that the transportation commissions decision killed the project unless the City Council overturns the action by early next month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Park said she did not interfere with the citys process. This was a project that was mired in controversy and litigation, and I have respectfully remained on the sidelines, waiting for those processes to play out, the litigation and the necessary city steps that needed to be taken, Park said. Those things have now happened. Park said she supported the transportation commissions decision, which she said would balance the need for resident and tourist parking in Venice with affordable housing on the nearby site. Though a new project would require starting from scratch, including soliciting developers and gaining Coastal Commission approval, she backed expediting its approval. The board has given us a pathway to deliver on all of the important policy goals, affordable housing and mobility options that really could set an example all across the city and the region, Park said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: State sues Southern California city that banned new homeless shelters At their meeting Wednesday, Coastal Commissioners seemed weary of the years of debate. After more than four hours of discussion and public testimony, Commissioner Dayna Bochco said, I cant say I learned anything new today except about the city transportation commission hearing. Bochco said the city would make the ultimate decision whether Venice Dell is built. Theres only one thing in my mind that we can do today and that is to approve this project, she said. It doesnt mean it will be built. The city will do whatever it seems to think it wants to do. But were not going to be the impediment. 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. NEW MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A book vending machine was donated to Springfield Elementary School by VFW Post 2799. Students dont need money to get a book they can earn a coin toward their selection as part of the schools behavioral incentive. The school has held onto the idea for the last few years. After talking to the local VFW, the New Springfield post decided to help out. It just came together in a conversation had with the VFW and Dave Blakeman, at our Kindness Club meeting. I mentioned it to him and, literally, the next morning, I get an email from the company, and he calls me and said, Hey, your vending machine will be there in December,' said Springfield Elementary Principal Anthony Albanese. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just took it back to the people. I said, We should be the ones that do this for our community. I had zero opposition and we made it happen the next day, Blakeman said. There will be plenty of options for children to pick from. The vending machine will hold about 45 books, including chapter and picture books. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Victims of major public corruption cases in Pennsylvania and Illinois are angry that President Joe Biden granted clemency this week to two convicted officials. The commutations were announced Thursday as part of a historic clemency package for 1,500 convicted criminals who, the White House said, deserve a second chance. The two convicted officials whose cases sparked outrage a crooked Pennsylvania judge and a notorious Illinois fraudster both had already been released from prison early and put on house arrest during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bidens actions now end that punishment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president has already faced bipartisan criticism over his highly controversial pardon of his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted earlier this year of 12 tax and gun crimes. A Biden administration official told CNN the latest commutations were not individual decisions and instead it was a uniform decision granted to people who met certain criteria, like having a track record of good behavior while on house arrest. Got it absolutely wrong Former Pennsylvania Judge Michael Conahan was convicted in 2011 in what was infamously called the kids-for-cash scandal, where he took kickbacks from for-profit detention centers in exchange for wrongly sending juveniles to their facilities. The case was widely considered to be one of the worst judicial scandals in Pennsylvania history. Like all of the other nearly 1,500 people who got commutations from Biden this week, Conahan was freed from prison due to Covid. His house arrest was set to end in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The misconduct of Conahan and another Luzerne County judge led the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to throw out 4,000 juvenile convictions, and the discredited state judges were ordered to pay $200 million to the victims, according to the Associated Press. Sandy Fonzo the mother of Edward Kenzakoski, who died by suicide after spending time behind bars as part of the kickback scheme said she was shocked and hurt after learning of Bidens decision to commute the rest of Conahans punishment. Conahans actions destroyed families, including mine, and my sons death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power, Fonzo told the Citizens Voice, a local outlet. This pardon feels like an injustice for all of us who still suffer. Right now I am processing and doing the best I can to cope with the pain that this has brought back. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, also said Friday at an unrelated news conference in Bidens hometown of Scranton that, I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania. Justice wasnt served There was similar fallout in Illinois, after Biden gave clemency to Rita Crundwell, the former comptroller of Dixon, a city of roughly 15,000 in the northern part of the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She pleaded guilty in 2012 to a $54 million embezzlement scheme, which was believed to be the largest municipal fraud in US history. She was sentenced to almost 20 years in prison, nearly the maximum, though she moved to house arrest during the pandemic. She was supposed to be on house arrest until 2028, according to the Bureau of Prisons. When I heard the news, I was completely shocked in disbelief, I was outraged and felt a complete sense of betrayal from the federal justice system, the White House and the president, Dixon city manager Danny Langloss told CNN in an interview on Friday. Langloss, who said he doesnt affiliate with a political party, was the police chief when Crundwells fraud was uncovered. He said he believes justice wasnt served here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont like the idea that with several more years of her sentence to complete, she gets to walk free in the community that she betrayed and stole from, Langloss said. Fallout from the pandemic Margaret Love, who served in the Justice Department as the US pardon attorney from 1990 to 1997, said the fallout from Bidens latest commutations was a consequence of how the prison population was reduced during Covid under the Trump administration. Congress passed the bipartisan CARES Act in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, which, among other things, paved the way for the federal government to move about 12,000 inmates from federal prisons into home confinement. Many of these people have since completed their sentences, though plenty remain on house arrest. Many people who were sent home were convicted of white-collar or nonviolent offenses and were considered safe bets to behave in the community, Love said, adding that she believed the decision-making was tainted by racial discrimination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With grumblings among some Republicans about sending these convicts back to prison, Love said Biden simply cleaned out this population and took that option off the table. And to those upset that Biden let these criminals out of house arrest early, you should have complained four years ago when they were released from prison, Love said. This story has been updated with additional details. CNNs Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Bloomberg) -- Vietnams Politburo has issued a disciplinary warning to former president Nguyen Xuan Phuc for violating anti-corruption regulations, the latest step in a sweeping anti-graft campaign that has ensnared hundreds of officials and business executives. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phuc, 70, violated regulations related to anti-corruption work and rules governing the behavior of party members while prime minister, causing serious consequences and damaging the party and the states reputation, according to a statement on the governments website. Phuc stepped down in early 2023 after assuming political responsibility for violations and shortcomings involving graft cases related to a manufacturer of Covid-19 test kits and repatriation flights. Phuc served as premier from 2016 to 2021, before being elected president. The Politburo has also issued a disciplinary warning to Truong Hoa Binh, a former deputy prime minister, and given a reprimand to former Politburo member Truong Thi Mai, according to the statement. The move comes just weeks after a warning was given to former parliament chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, underscoring the partys determination to crack down on corruption. It was the first time one of the holders of the top four positions in the country had been publicly disciplined in this way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governments yearslong anti-corruption fight, which has touched all aspects of society, has been portrayed as part of Vietnams attempts to bolster its appeal as a destination for foreign investment. Its also led to claims of bureaucratic paralysis and is viewed by some observers as a way to remove political rivals amid behind-the-scenes power struggles. The Politburo and the partys central inspection commission have disciplined at least 52 high-level officials this year, according to a statement on the commissions website. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A pair of conservative groups on Friday challenged a Maine law that limits donations to political action committees that spend independently in candidate elections, arguing that money spent to support political expression is "a vital feature of our democracy. Supporters of the referendum overwhelmingly approved on Election Day fully expected a legal showdown over caps on individual contributions to so-called super PACs. They hoped the referendum would trigger a case and ultimately prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify the matter of donor limits after the court opened the floodgates to independent spending in its 2010 Citizens United decision. The lawsuit brought by Dinner Table Action and For Our Future, and supported by the Institute for Free Speech, contends the state law limiting individual super PAC donations to $5,000 and requiring disclosure of donor names runs afoul of that Citizens United legal precedent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All Americans, not just those running for office, have a fundamental First Amendment right to talk about political campaigns, lawyers wrote in the lawsuit in federal court. Their independent expenditures, payments that fund political expression by those who are not running for office but nonetheless have something to say about a campaign, are a vital feature of our democracy. Cara McCormick, leader of the Maine Citizens to End Super PACs, which pressed for the referendum, said the lawsuit attempts to undermine the will of the people after an overwhelming majority 74% of voters approved the referendum last month. Super PACs are killing the country and in Maine we decided to do something about it. We want to restore public trust in the political process, she said. We want to say that in Maine we are not resigned to the tide of big money. We are the tide. But Alex Titcomb, executive director of Dinner Table Action, argued Friday that the government cannot restrict independent political speech simply because some voters wish to limit the voices of their fellow citizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Named in the lawsuit are Maines attorney general and the states campaign spending watchdog, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices. The ethics commission is reviewing the complaint, said Jonathan Wayne, executive director. The Maine referendum didnt attempt to limit spending on behalf of candidates. Instead, it focused on limits on individual donations to super PACS, an area the Supreme Court has not ruled on, observers say. Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig, a longtime advocate for campaign finance reform, contends the U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on the issue of individual contributions to PACs, and long-established case law supports the notion that states can limit individual contributions to PACs despite a decision to the contrary by the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Lessig, whose Equal Citizens nonprofit backed the Maine referendum, previously said the cap on donations imposed by the referendum "is not asking the Supreme Court to change its jurisprudence, not asking them to overturn Citizens United. Controversy struck President Joe Biden when he pardoned his son, Hunter, this month. Less than two weeks later, Biden made history commuting 1,500 peoples sentences and pardoning 39 non-violent convicts in a single day. Now, all eyes are on the Biden Administration to see what hell do next before his time runs out in the Oval Office, and this Black leader is urging him to do the unthinkable for the sake of the country. S. C. Rep. Jim Clyburn spoke with MSNBCs The Saturday Show with Jonathan Capehart and told the host he hopes Biden will pardon all of those people that have been accused and have been targeted so that we can clean the slate and have an air of possibilities for the future, Clyburn said. On his list of accused and targeted people is President-to-be Trump. If we keep digging up things of the past, Im not too sure the country would not lose its way, Clyburn continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump was convicted on 34 felony charges in May connected to his hush money scandal. His New York sentencing was originally scheduled for Sept. 18 but was then delayed until Nov. 26. Now that Trump is returning to the White House, a judge announced his sentencing will be delayed indefinitely, according to PBS. Lets not forget, The U.S. Supreme Court gave Trump immunity earlier this year. And, with his sentencing already delayed, theres not much to suggest a formal pardon from Biden will have any real effect on the future Republican president. If nothing else, Rep. Clyburn said Biden using his power to pardon Trump will send a message. Biden would be demonstrating what hes always demonstrated to me that he loves this country more than anything else, other than his family, Clyburn told MSNBC. Biden has promised to take more steps in the weeks ahead before his final six weeks is up. Although he has yet to announce upcoming plans, many White House insiders suggest he will continue giving pardons to non-violent convicts. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) Wall High Schools former assistant band director was recently sentenced to prison. According to a press release from the Tom Green County Sheriffs Office, Joshua Carroll, Wall High Schools former assistant band director, was arrested on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, and charged with Online Solicitation of a Minor. During a subsequent investigation, it was determined Carroll was in possession of child pornography and later found to have produced it. Carroll was subsequently re-arrested on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, on a federal detainer and re-booked into the Tom Green County Jail, said the TGSO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 12, 2024, Carroll was in Lubbock, Texas, in court at the George H. Mahon Federal Building and US Courthouse. Carroll was subjected to the Honorable James Wesley Hendrixs decision for his punishment. Carroll was sentenced to 30 years in prison and 20 years supervised release after release, for the offense of Production of Child Pornography. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com. CHRISTIAN COUNTY, Ky. (WKRN) A man with arrest warrants in multiple counties was taken into custody Thursday afternoon following a traffic stop in Christian County. According to the Christian County Sheriffs Office, detectives from its Anti-Crime Unit spotted 48-year-old Gregory Barnett operating a vehicle at South Main Street and West 9th Street, by the farmers market in Hopkinsville, around 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12. Authorities said Barnett had with active warrants for his arrest from Christian, Muhlenberg, Caldwell, and Hopkins counties, which prompted detectives to initiate a traffic stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2 suffer from hypothermia after being found hours after Hopkinsville crash During the encounter, law enforcement said they discovered the vehicle lacked insurance and registration; it had not been transferred into Barnetts name; and its Kentucky license plate was altered with the left side cut and bent, obscuring its view. The sheriffs office reported Barnett gave consent to search his vehicle, which turned up a clear glass pipe with suspected methamphetamine residue in a camouflage jacket, a clear bag containing 2 grams of suspected meth under the drivers seat cover, and a large bottle of whiskey with some contents remaining in the passenger floorboard. Officials said Barnett who admitted to consuming alcohol earlier in the day was taken into custody and brought to the Christian County Jail. Meanwhile, the vehicle was towed due to the listed violations and the lack of insurance and registration. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com According to authorities, Barnett faces the following charges: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No registration receipt Failure to produce insurance card Failure to register transfer of motor vehicle Improper display of registration plates First-degree trafficking in controlled substance (first offense, methamphetamine) Buy/possess drug paraphernalia Possession of open alcoholic beverage container in motor vehicle prohibited No additional details have been released about Barnett or his arrest. The sheriffs office said it remains committed to combating illicit drug activity and ensuring public safety, so if you have information that will help law enforcement rid the community of dangerous narcotics, youre asked to call 270-890-1300 or visit the tip section of the sheriffs offices website. You man remain anonymous. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Max George told fans he is in hospital - @maxgeorge/Instagram/Instagram The Wanted star Max George has said he will be spending Christmas in hospital after doctors discovered some issues with his heart. Max shared an image on Instagram on Thursday night where he smiled and showed a thumbs-up lying in a hospital bed. The celebrity told his fans in a post how he had been admitted for investigations on Wednesday after feeling really unwell. Unfortunately, after some tests theyve found that I have some issues with my heart, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without providing further information about the issue, George explained he was waiting for a lot more tests to determine the extent of the problems as well as what surgery I will need. Although this is a huge shock and no doubt a setback, its something Ill take on with all Ive got, the star continued. It appeared the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant would remain in the hospital over the coming weeks. Christmas in a hospital bed wasnt exactly what I had planned, George revealed before thanking his friends and family. After sharing the news about his health scare, George shared another photo showing him with a heart monitor on his chest. He joked about Manchester United losing on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Georges former bandmates included Nathan Sykes, Tom Parker, Siva Kaneswaran and Jay McGuiness. Parker died after an 18-month battle with brain cancer in 2022, aged 33. The band scored 10 UK top 10 singles and released three albums before the group went their separate ways in 2014. George and Kaneswaran returned as a duo and recently announced their first UK show as The Wanted 2.0 in Manchester. George also appeared on Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and Richard Osmans House of Games. After competing together on Strictly, he married actress Maisie Smith, 23, in 2022. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. How many people in Gaza have been killed by the Israel-Hamas war? For a long time, the only source of information was the Palestinian Ministry of Health. And the accuracy of their death rolls became the subject of a morbid political debate. Is it fair to call the ministry "Hamas-run"? Did they tell the truth about the Ahli Hospital bombing? What to make of the discrepancy between identified and unidentified corpses? It's an ethical question not just for Israelis carrying out the war, but also for Americans, who are providing both the funding and weapons that make the war effort possible. Airwars, a team of conflict researchers affiliated with the University of London, went back and cross-checked the casualty lists from the first 25 days of the Israeli air campaign against news reporting, social media, and other local sources. And unlike the Palestinian ministry, they differentiated between civilians and fighters, using data such as social media funeral notices to determine Hamas affiliation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Airwars report, released on Thursday, shows a rate of civilian slaughter "incomparable with any 21st century air campaign. It is by far the most intense, destructive, and fatal conflict for civilians that Airwars has ever documented." The Palestinian ministry reported 8,525 wartime deaths, including 3,542 children, from October 7, 2023, to October 31, 2023. Airwars was able to verify a minimum of 5,139 civilians killed by Israeli air raids in that timeframe, including at least 1,900 children. Most of them were not the collateral damage of combat against Hamas. Out of 606 incidents of civilian casualties studied by Airwars, only 26 overlapped with the death of a militant. And in those 26 incidents, the killing was still incredibly lopsided, with 32 militants killed in total, at a cost of 522 civilian lives. For example, the Israeli military killed Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari on October 31, 2023, by dropping American-made 2,000-lb bunker buster bombs on the Jabalia refugee camp. The attack also killed at least 126 civilians, including 69 children, according to Airwars. "Children were carrying other injured children and running, with grey dust filling the air. Bodies were hanging on the rubble, many of them unrecognized. Some were bleeding and others were burnt," Palestinian eyewitness Mohammad Al Aswad told CNN at the time. Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht called the deaths in Jabalia a "tragedy of war" in a CNN interview. "About the civilians there, we're doing everything we can to minimize. Sadly they [Hamas] are hiding themselves within the civilian population," Hecht told CNN. "We're going to go after every one of these terrorists who was involved in the hideous [October 7, 2023] attack." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamas raided Israeli towns and villages on October 7, 2023, killing 815 civilians, including 36 children, and 380 military personnel. Its fighters shot Israelis and foreigners in their houses, bomb shelters, and music festivals at close range, returning to Gaza with 251 captives, about 96 of whom are still being held hostage. The human rights organization Amnesty International said that Hamas "flagrantly violated international law and displayed a chilling disregard for human life by carrying out cruel and brutal crimes including mass summary killings, hostage-taking, and launching indiscriminate rocket attacks into Israel." Israeli leaders promised a counterattack "with neither limitations nor respite" on October 8. The Israeli military used artificial intelligence to generate long target lists, both designed to "kill as many Hamas operatives as possible" and to "create a shock" that will "lead civilians to put pressure on Hamas," intelligence officers told +972 Magazine. Israel also employed a program known as "Where's Daddy" designed to kill Hamas members at home with their families, +972 later reported. The results were consistent with that kind of strategy. "Families were killed together in unprecedented numbers, and in their homes," the Airwars report states. Over 90 percent of women and children killed by Israeli air raids died in their homes, and in 95 percent of cases where a woman was killed, at least one child was also killed, according to the Airwars report. Amnesty International concluded last week that the Israeli war in Gaza constitutes a "genocide against Palestinians" because "the destruction of Palestinians in Gaza, as such, was Israel's intent, either in addition to, or as a means to achieve, its military aims." Israel denied the allegations. The Amnesty report is "nothing but accusing usthe victims of this terrorof permitting the genocide which has been committed on our people by Hamas' design," Israeli government spokesman David Mercer told Sky News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Airwars report did not come to any conclusion about Israel's intent. It states that the research is only "intended to cut through the 'fog of war'to provide an evidence base that offers civilians a route to accountability, to give policy makers the tools they need to make decisions that protect civilians, and to present an accurate and comprehensive picture even in the most contested of battlefields." Airwars was founded in 2014 by Chris Woods, a British journalist with a long career investigating drone warfare, to monitor the consequences of air campaigns around the world. Its current areas of research include the Russian bombing in Ukraine and Syria; U.S. and U.S.-led coalition bombing in Iraq, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen; Turkish bombing in Syrian and Iraqi Kurdistan; and bombing by all sides of the Libyan civil war. Although the Israeli government and its supporters often argue that its military tactics are more humane than the American "war on terror," Airwars found the exact opposite to be true. Before October 2023, the deadliest month for civilians ever recorded by Airwars was March 2017, when a U.S.-led coalition was battling the Islamic State group for Mosul, Iraq. That campaign killed 1,470 civilians, only one-fifth of the verified Palestinian civilian death count in October 2023. Children made up 9 percent of casualties in Mosul overall, and 36 percent of casualties in Gaza in October 2023. These numbers are a conservative estimate, based on the minimum reported casualties in cases that Airwars was able to verify were Israeli bombing rather than Hamas misfires. And the study only covers one month of the war. More than a year later, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that 45,600 people have been killed and 11,000 are missing. Again, unlike the Airwars report, these numbers don't distinguish between civilians and Hamas fighters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But with hospitals overwhelmed, communications cut, and thousands of bodies left in the street or trapped under rubble, 45,600 deaths is possibly an undercount. Other researchers have estimated that the total death toll from war, starvation, and disease in Gaza could be greater than 100,000 or even 300,000. With all these debates over numbers or legal terminology, it's easy to forget that the Palestinian and Israeli death statistics represent human lives violently cut short. As Jewish scripture states, every human being is an entire world; and as Islamic scripture states, to kill one person is to kill all of humanity. The post The War in Gaza Is Far Worse Than You Thought appeared first on Reason.com. The Trump administration's incoming Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, said on Fox News on Dec. 13 that a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war may be imminent following the January inauguration, ahead of potential peace negotiations. "I truly believe this will be resolved in the next few months," Kellogg said in an interview on Fox Business. "The only person who can do this is President Donald Trump, and he will do it. They're tired of killing each other out there. This is time," Kellogg added. Kellogg, a former national security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, was nominated to the post in November following Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kellogg, 80, co-authored a peace plan that would freeze the front line in Ukraine, take NATO's accession off the table for an extended period, and partially lift sanctions imposed on Russia. According to his proposals, the U.S. will continue sending military aid to Ukraine and provide security guarantees to Kyiv to prevent further Russian aggression. The plan does not stipulate a reduction in the Ukrainian army's size or recognizing occupied territories as Russian de jure. His proposal would see the U.S. ceasing military aid to Ukraine unless the country agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia. When asked by Fox News whether Kellogg is planning to visit either Moscow or Kyiv, Kellogg responded that the incoming administration was "putting together some plans to actually go out and just listen." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kellogg did not provide any specifics for a potential visit to either country. Trump, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, has repeatedly suggested that he would end the war within 24 hours, but has so far refrained from detailing the specifics of his plan. In September, Trump said that he would negotiate a deal "that's good for both sides." While Trump has pledged to get the U.S. "out" of Russia's war and negotiate a quick peace deal, Ukrainian officials have urged the president-elect to maintain support and adopt a "peace through strength" approach in dealings with Russia President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that the country must do everything possible to end the war through diplomatic means in 2025, adding that a war would "end faster" under a Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 13, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed comments made by Zelensky stating that he was "convinced that we will get an additional chance, additional opportunities to bring a just peace for Ukraine closer." The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 12, citing undisclosed official sources, that Trump wants European troops to monitor a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump reportedly made the comments during his Dec. 7 meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, making it clear he wants to see Europe take up the leadership in deterring Russian aggression. On the other hand, Zelensky reportedly conveyed to Trump that "peace needs guarantees because a ceasefire alone isn't enough," Reuters reported, citing a source in Zelensky's office. Read also: Trumps pick for Ukraine envoy backs peace through strength, security guarantees Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) The Warren Family Mission is helping hundreds of families spread Christmas cheer through its annual toy giveaway, reaching even more children than it did last year. Henrietta White says the toy giveaway is a big help in providing gifts for her two children ages 3 and 11. This is her second time participating. Its always a struggle, especially right now things are so expensive so you want to have things in their stockings and outside so theyll have more than one thing, White said. The missions new Community Outreach Room was transformed into a toy store. 400 families signed up to pick out gifts for 1,000 children. Each child receives three presents plus a game, book, or puzzle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We actually had to cut off our toy distribution sign-ups a day early because we had so many people coming forward to sign up, said Caitlin White with the Warren Family Mission. She says it speaks to how great the need is in their community. You know a lot of these kids wouldnt have Christmas if it wasnt for the mission, White said. Just two days ago, the mission was in dire need of toys to make this event a success. Organizers say donors stepped up. We were lucky to have really generous donors that came forward. We had organizations, businesses, churches that all pulled forward to donate so that we were able to have enough, White said. The mission said its trying to do more with less. Its currently down $130,000 year to date in donations but its still providing gifts for 100 more kids than year. Weve seen retention rates for donors go down. Were down on donations right now from where we were at last year to this point in December so were really hoping and praying that donations start coming in so that were able to keep operating next year with our new budget, White said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Longtime Washington Post editor Charles Lane is leaving the paper after 25 years to become deputy editor at Bari Weiss Free Press, the latest departure from WaPos opinions section in the fallout from its non-endorsement in the 2024 presidential election cycle. The brilliant Chuck Lane will be joining us as deputy editor in the new year, Weiss wrote Friday on X. He joins us from The Washington Post, where he has worked for the past 25 years. We could not be more excited. Lane served many roles at the Post, most recently as deputy opinions editor. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2009, for editorial writing; Weiss also noted that you might also remember him as the guy who busted a journalistic fraudster in the classic film Shattered Glass.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For much of the last decade he contributed weekly columns marked by their independence, intellectual integrity, and range, Weiss wrote. Those are exactly the qualities we aspire to at The Free Press and why we know Chuck is going to be such a perfect fit. Weiss said Lane will be a newsroom leader, working alongside me to dramatically expand the scope of our report, pushing us into new coverage areas, enticing new writers to join our merry band, and helping us go from one million subscribers to many, many more. After the October decision not to endorse a presidential candidate, multiple staffers stepped down from the editorial board, including writer Molly Roberts and Pultizer Prize-winning journalist David Hoffman. The post Washington Post Deputy Opinion Editor Bolts for Bari Weiss Free Press appeared first on TheWrap. Nick Engelfried Columbia Insight Last month, as election returns rolled in from around the country, millions of people watched the contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. But Gregg Small, executive director of Seattle- and Portland-based Climate Solutions, was following the results of a Washington ballot initiative just as closely. At stake was whether voters would eliminate the states most powerful tool for reducing carbon emissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It didnt take long for the fate of I-2117, which would have repealed the Climate Commitment Act, to become clear. Early returns saw the initiative losing by a hefty margin, and by late evening major outlets called the race. I-2117 had gone down in defeat. Washington voters sent an incredibly strong and clear message, says Small. This was a landslide win to protect our strongest law to fight climate change. For most green groups, national outcomes of the 2024 election were not encouraging. Donald Trumps return to the presidency will put in office a candidate who has called climate change a hoax and is openly hostile to clean energy. Republicans will control both houses of Congress, giving Trumps party sweeping legislative and regulatory powers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, state-level returns in Washington tell a very different story. Not only was I-2117 defeated, but candidates endorsed by environmental groups won several key races. Washington isnt the only state where local election results contrast with national returns. However, a slate of elections with large implications for the climate, forests and more have activists here especially excited. In a time when so much feels divided, nearly two out of every three Washington voters just sent a clear, strong message, says Small, referring to I-2117s defeat. Partly because of this, Washington seems poised to lead the way as the responsibility for action on climate change falls to states during the next Trump era. Saving the Climate Commitment Act If enacted into law, I-2117 would have repealed Washingtons 2021 Climate Commitment Act, or CCA, a cap-and-invest law that limits emissions from major carbon polluters and forces them to pay for the clean energy transition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, the law raised over $2 billion for clean energy, energy efficiency and projects that help make ecosystems resilient to climate change. I-2117 would have instantly erased the CCA, hampering progress toward Washingtons goal of cutting carbon emissions 95% below 1990 levels by mid-century. Concerns about the chilling effect this would have on climate actionnot just in Washington but other states considering similar cap-and-invest policieshelped bring together what Small calls the largest and most diverse coalition in state history to defeat I-2117. The No on 2117 campaign included over 550 environmental, public health and social justice organizations, as well as 20 Tribes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A majority of federally recognized Tribal Nations in Washington state are urging voters to reject I-2117, said Suquamish Tribal Chair Leonard Forsman, in an email to supporters shortly before Election Day. Its a bad piece of policy that threatens projects critical to healing this land. I-2117 was soundly rejected by 62 percent of voters. But opposition wasnt limited to densely populated counties that normally lean progressive. I-2117 lost in 24 of Washingtons 39 counties, including traditionally more conservative areas like Okanagan, Chelan and Yakima Counties. It wasnt the only statewide victory environmental activists were celebrating, though. Protecting forests Two days before the election, Dave Upthegrove was in Bremerton, Wash., knocking on doors with volunteers for his campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The office he was running for, Commissioner of Public Lands, was being viewed as one of the most competitive statewide races in Washington. Upthegrove was asking voters to support him based on his promise to protect older legacy forests from logging. On election night, activists who embraced Upthegroves candidacy were cautiously optimistic as early returns showed him in the lead. The following day, news outlets called the race in his favor. Beginning on day one, you can expect me to make different choices [from the previous Lands Commissioner] as to which timber parcels to bring forward for harvestfulfilling my commitment to end the destruction of our mature legacy forests, Upthegrove told Columbia Insight in an email. Commissioner of Public Lands is an elected office with sweeping jurisdiction over more than 2 million acres managed by Washingtons Department of Natural Resources. The incumbent, Democrat Hilary Franz, has drawn ire from environmental groups for presiding over an increase in logging of forests that were lightly harvested in the early twentieth century and regenerated into complex ecosystems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upthegrove, a King County Council member, made this issue the central pillar of his campaign. Dave was elected on a very promising platform, says Joshua Wright, a campaigner with the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition. Its encouraging that he is centering the publics calls for climate action in his vision for the management of state lands, rather than the special interests of timber companies. Although Democrats like Upthegrove are generally favored in statewide races in blue-leaning Washington, he was no shoo-in. Franz, another Democrat who was first elected to the Lands Commissioner office in 2016, has supported an approach to forest management that in some ways more closely resembles that of Upthegroves opponent, former Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler. Upthegrove and Herrera Beutler emerged from a crowded primary after Franz declined to run for re-election, with Upthegrove securing the second-place spot by just 49 votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He faced a formidable general election opponent in Herrera Beutler, who presented herself as a moderate with backing from the timber industry. Like the No on I-2117 campaign, Upthegrove relied on a broad base of volunteers to push him over the top. We engaged more than 400 volunteers, contacting more than 17,000 voters directly, he says. Dozens of volunteers also independently organized canvassing in their communities. A grassroots fundraising drive helped Upthegrove compete with the timber industry dollars flowing into Herrera Beutlers campaign. Public records show Herrera Beutlers donors included Weyerhaeuser, Boise Cascade, the American Forest Resource Council and Timber Products Manufacturers PAC. A keyword search of Public Disclosure Commission records showed no similar contributions to Upthegrove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We had more than 6,000 donations, 99 percent from individuals and 0% from the timber industry, their corporate executives or lobbyists, says Upthegrove. His campaign ended up raising $1,288,961 compared to Herrera Beutlers $781,287. Environmental groups celebrating Upthegroves win hope his tenure will mark a change in direction for management of Washington state forest lands. We are excited to work with Daves incoming administration, says Wright. Were hopeful he will fulfill his promise to protect all of Western Washingtons remaining legacy forests. Washington a national leader Washingtons election results werent universally positive for the environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While I-2117 was defeated, another ballot initiative that impedes the transition to clean energy scraped through after more than a week of vote counting. I-2066 will make it more difficult for lawmakers to reduce fossil fuel consumption in buildings. The truth is, I-2066 will mean more restricted energy choices for many consumers, and higher energy bills in the long term, says Small, of Climate Solutions. However, as Washington environmental groups have digested statewide returns in the weeks since Election Day, theyve found much more to celebrate than not. This puts Washington in a position to lead state-level efforts to combat climate change. Washingtons new governor-elect, former Attorney General Bob Ferguson, sued the federal government 97 times during Trumps first stint in the White House. Many cases challenged the administrations efforts to weaken federal laws like the Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act. Fergusons replacement as attorney general, Nick Brown, has vowed to prioritize the states Environmental Protection Division and prosecute polluters who violate the law. Democrats in the legislature also protected their State House and Senate majorities, paving the way to build on existing climate and clean energy legislation. Environmental champions won overwhelmingly across the state, Alyssa Macy, CEO of Washington Conservation Action, told supporters in an email soon after Election Day. She went on to say, when conservation voters show up, we are a force. During the first Trump administration, Washington Governor Jay Inslee co-founded the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of governors from 24 states and territories working to advance clean energy. Last month, the alliance sent representatives to the U.N. climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan. Most Climate Alliance states already have significant climate laws in place, but Washington stands out as ahead of the pack. This is partly because of the Climate Commitment Act, which until this year made Washington one of only two states in the country with an economy-wide cap-and-invest policy, alongside California. In November, Oregons Department of Environmental Quality launched a cap-and-invest program similar to Washingtons, which has been in the works for years amid court challenges. And in New York, Governor Kathy Hochuls administration is developing the states own version of cap-and-invest. These types of efforts are likely to be emboldened by Washington voters decision to keep the Climate Commitment Act. The presidential and congressional elections represent a monumental step backward, says Small. But ballot results in the Pacific Northwest show that voters and diverse coalitions in our region want to keep going, do more to protect our residents, and lead on climate and clean air. Nick Engelfried is a freelance journalist based in Bellingham, Washington. He writes about environmental issues, climate politics and grassroots movements for social change. His work has appeared in Waging Nonviolence, In These Times, 1889 Magazine and elsewhere. Columbia Insight, based in Hood River, Oregon, is a nonprofit news site focused on environmental issues of the Columbia River Basin and the Pacific Northwest. FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Dashcam footage from Arkansas State Police shows a pursuit in Fort Smith that ends in a PIT maneuver. Yardley Leonard, 30, was arrested following the pursuit with law enforcement that ended in a crash at the intersection of Greenwood Avenue and Kinkead Avenue on Dec. 5. A press release from the sheriffs office says at 8:30 p.m., a deputy was on patrol around Grand Avenue and N. 40th Street. At the intersection, he noticed Leonards vehicle had a headlight out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The release says as the vehicle headed north on N. 40th Street, the deputy attempted to stop Leonard, and the vehicle sped away. The sheriffs office says Leonard fled and ignored several traffic control signs. At one point, he came to a complete stop and let a passenger out. Leonard continued to flee, turning down several streets in the area at an average speed of around 45 mph. After several minutes, the release says the deputy noticed an Arkansas State Police unit behind him and he allowed the trooper to take over the pursuit. The dashcam footage shows the ASP trooper performing a PIT maneuver causing Leonard to crash into a traffic signal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leonard was taken into custody, according to the sheriffs office. The release says he was taken to a local hospital before being medically released and taken to the Sebastian County Jail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. Credit: Donald Tusk /X Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, have appeared to mock Donald Trumps handshake. The pair met in Warsaw this week, days after a summit between Mr Trump and Mr Macron at the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral at the weekend. As they posed for the cameras in Paris, Mr Trump clasped Mr Macrons hand and raised his right elbow in the air at an unusual 45-degree angle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Warsaw, Mr Macron and Mr Tusk appeared to try to recreate the greeting on Thursday, in between discussing key international issues such as the continuing Russia-Ukraine war. Posting the Warsaw video of them on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Tusk wrote: Handshakes with Donalds are usually quite a challenge In the clip, Mr Macron is seen grinning broadly, while the equally ebullient Mr Tusk punches the Frenchman playfully on the arm. Donald Trump clasped Emmanuel Macrons hand and raised his right elbow in the air at an unusual 45-degree angle when they met in Paris last weekend - Anadolu Mr Trump is frequently mimicked, especially in connection with the way he greets other people. Stunts on American TV have included martial arts experts advising people on how to defend themselves against the Trump handshake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, it is usually comedians who have fun at his expense, rather than other Western leaders and key allies of the United States. Jon Stewart, the American comedian and Daily Show host, was among those to mock the strange manner in which Mr Trump shakes hands. The manoeuvre with Mr Macron led to Mr Stewart saying how weird [Donald Trump] is about shaking hands. But US political accounts on X suggested that Mr Macron and Mr Tusk might want to be more careful. One poster, called Democratic Wins Media, said: Stunning new footage shows Emmanuel Macron and Donald Tusk, the leaders of France and Poland respectively, mocking Donald Trumps handshake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is what foreign leaders think of our president-elect. Noting that Mr Trump will be back in power again in January, one of the accounts followers replied: Theyll act different in a month. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BOWIE, Md. (DC News Now) In the last few weeks, there have been mysterious drones spotted flying over areas of New Jersey. Homeland Security Officials met with New Jersey state lawmakers as well as other officials to address the incidents. A New Jersey Representative claimed the drones were coming off a mothership from Iran. On This Day | NASAs Curiosity rover finds signs of life on Mars However, the Pentagon said the drones dont appear to be coming from a foreign entity or adversary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no so-called mothership launching drones toward the United States, said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. Mysterious drones have now also been spotted over Bowie, according to videos sent to DC News Now by a viewer. Autumn Stasulli and her family were out trying to see Christmas lights when they spotted flashing red and green lights in the sky above her Bowie home on Monday night. Theres a drone, theyre all over, said Autumn Stasulli in one of the videos. Stasulli said she spotted what appeared to be three to five drones the size of SUVs in the sky emitting loud noises. I got out of my car and started filming and these drones were just all over the place. I was shocked, said Stasulli. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stasulli said she then saw what appeared to be military jets chasing after the drones. This is very unsettling like I would like to know where these are coming from especially now that theyre starting to be seen in Maryland, said Stasulli. Where are these actually coming from? said Stasulli. Are they coming in from another country perhaps or is it something along the lines of hey another dimension? Aliens? My mind went in different areas. Two Maryland towns battle over redevelopment site DC News Now reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI but did not hear back in time for publication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fort Meade officials said they have had no reports of drones. Bowie police said it is investigating the incident. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. CLEVELAND (WJW) Video released to the FOX 8 I-Team shows what it took for Cleveland police to arrest a man for robbery in the heart of downtown. The video shows a short but wild chase that could soon lead to justice. The incident happened last month in broad daylight. Cleveland police dash camera video shows an officer looking for a suspected robber. Watch: I-Team challenges Gov. DeWine over money for Browns dome Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, you see him running through the streets. He quickly found out he couldnt outrun a car and darted toward a parking garage. Body camera video shows what happened next. The suspect crashed through a gate at the entrance and exit to the parking garage, and the suspect crashed to the ground. Police then arrested Roosevelt Hardy. Come on, get up, get up, police said in the video. He jumped this (gate) and broke it. No I didnt, he responded. Akron teen sentenced for shooting gas station employee during robbery Court records show police believe Hardy robbed a downtown clothing store and threatened that he had a firearm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuyahoga County prosecutors have now indicted Hardy. He is pleading not guilty, but he may also have to explain whats on the video. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. SCOTT COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) A Weber City man won a top prize playing Virginia Lottery scratcher games, the lottery announced on Friday. According to the Virginia Lottery, Kevin Egan bought a $1 million Gold Rush ticket at the Big Break store at 3100 US Highway 23 North in Weber City. The ticket was a top prize winner. Big Virginia property value hikes could impact taxes Egans ticket is the first top prize won in the Gold Rush game, which means four more $1 million top prizes are still available to be claimed, the lottery stated in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gold Rush prizes range from $75 to $1 million. The lottery reports the odds of winning the top prize like Egan did are 1 in 734,400. Egan reportedly told lottery officials that he plans to save the winnings but may buy a new car soon. Egan elected to take the full prize in annual installments over 30 years instead of taking the one-time $500,000 in cash option. The Big Break store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. According to the lottery, Scott County received more than $6.2 million in lottery funds for K-12 education in the last fiscal year. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. While Gov. Bill Lee isnt yet outright committing to deploying the Tennessee National Guard to support President-elect Donald Trumps planned mass deportation efforts, he says he supports the incoming presidents strategies. I agree that he should, because hes been elected, follow through with what he promised he would do for the American people, Lee said. To the degree that Tennessee participates in that, I look forward to seeing what his plans are going to be. We will be supportive of the strategies of the president. Asked whether he would direct Tennessee National Guard members to assist in deportation efforts, Lee stopped short of a direct commitment to do so. Gov. Bill Lee listens to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Patrick Sheehan speak about the devastation from Hurricane Helene during a briefing on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. He hasnt requested anything of our state yet, Lee said. I have just communicated to their team that we stand ready to work alongside the president and with his strategies to execute on what he promised the American people that he would do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee said he has contacted the Trump transition team and communicated his administrations support. President Trump was elected based on the ideas that he brought forth, and the people clearly believed that his ideas were good ones, and therefore gave him a very strong message, Lee told reporters. I agree with his policies. Lee working to build support for vouchers Rumors continue to swirl around a possible special legislative session in January to hash out the details of a statewide universal school voucher program. In the meantime, the governor and his team are working to sell the policy with lawmakers who may be skeptical. So far, the votes may not yet be in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will work really hard before session to make every effort to get full understanding with the General Assembly, Lee told reporters. I think when people understand it, that theyll advocate for it. We do know that the majority of Tennesseans believe that school choice is appropriate, so well continue to work for that. Despite being a focus in Republican primaries this cycle drawing hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending from outside groups, and a handful of endorsements from Lee himself pro-voucher advocates made only modest progress in shoring up decisive support for the legislation. A few new pro-voucher votes include incoming freshman Reps. Aron Maberry, R-Clarksville, and Lee Reeves, R-Franklin, both of whom Lee endorsed noting their stances supporting school choice. A pro-voucher Club for Growth-backed PAC also spent significantly on their behalf. Another incoming voucher supporter is Sen. Tom Hatcher, who prevailed against former Rep. Bryan Richey in the District 2 primary in East Tennessee, with a boost from the same pro-voucher PAC. Rep. Michele Reneau, R-Signal Mountain, who narrowly defeated longtime House Finance Chair Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, has publicly expressed strong support for school choice, noting her own family's experiences with many different school models. But she has said she would examine the particulars of the bill before she made any decision to support the legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longtime incumbent Sen. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains, lost his primary against incoming Sen. Jessie Seal after a Club For Growth-backed PAC poured money into the primary. Seal has not taken a public stance on school choice. There were also some major losses. Rep. Tom Stinnett, R-Maryville, who defeated Lee-endorsed Jason Emert in the District 20 primary, is a retired public school teacher and has been attacked for being opposed to vouchers. And former Senate Education Chair Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol a champion of school choice who shepherded Lees legislation this year was toppled in a challenge from Sen. Bobby Harshbarger, R-Kingsport. Harshbarger has not taken a public stance on vouchers, and has been rumored to oppose them, though Lee has indicated he may be open to the policy. Several of Lee's top legislative priorities have faced resistance among his Republican colleagues in the legislature in recent years. This spring, Lee's universal school choice proposal advanced in both chambers, but stalled when House and Senate leadership couldn't come to an agreement on major points of the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Lee's efforts to pass a policy to keep guns out of the hands of people found to be a danger to themselves or others proposed in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in 2023 failed dramatically. Other Lee priority proposals to establish a $25 million Farmland Conservation Fund this year also fell short. Vouchers will be a central theme of the early months of session whether a special session happens or not. Our future depends on the education of our children, we take it very seriously. It's why we have invested historic amounts in our public education system, in our public schools and our teacher pay, and we'll continue to do that. You'll see that in this year's budget that we will once again make historic investments, Lee said. We also believe that we should give parents more options and choices, especially in how they use their taxpayer dollars to educate their children. So I will continue to advocate for broad educational reform, both expansion of our resources for public and options for private and otherwise for parents. K-12 Mental Health Trust Fund allocates $7 million for fiscal 2025-2026 A substantial trust fund established to fund ongoing mental health investments for Tennessee children generated more than $12 million in revenue in the last fiscal year, more than double what state officials paid out to local community programs last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a trust fund board meeting in early December, State Treasurer David Lillard motioned to allocate $7 million for the upcoming fiscal year, a $1-million increase from last year's allocation. State finance officials estimated the fund would earn between $10 and $20 million in the next year, though they cautioned some of the revenues should be reinvested in the fund. Legislation in 2021 established the $225 million endowment with another $25 million immediately available for K-12 mental health programs. But the fund courted criticism in recent years for a slow roll-out of actual resources to Tennesseans. Any state allocations go to the Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services rather than directly to education providers, even though by law the fund must be used for K-12 behavioral and mental health programs. Last year, trustees released some $6 million for fiscal year 2024. Lawmakers allocated $4 million in nonrecurring funds, some of which funded grants for 11 community mental health providers and partnering schools and school districts. Another $2 million was allocated in recurring funds to hire 22 dedicated mental health experts to work in Tennessee schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers next year will decide how to spend the $7 million released this month. Gillespie files new bond legislation Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis, looks to potentially tighten criminal bond procedures next year with two newly filed bills targeting juvenile court records and pre-trial release for defendants accused of gun crimes. Gillespie this week filed House Bill 33, which aims to make it more difficult for judges to release a defendant without bail if they are charged with a crime that involved a gun or resulted in the serious injury or death of someone. HB 33 calls for a "presumption" that a defendant should not be released on personal recognizance, or without bail, under those circumstances. A judge still could decide to release a defendant with no bail, but Gillespie's bill would require the judge to include a written explanation in their order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A second bill, HB 34, would allow judges to use a defendant's juvenile court records when setting bond. Tennessee Democrats to lead national group Two Tennessee lawmakers, Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, and Rep. Harold Love, D-Nashville, have been selected to lead the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the group announced. I am deeply honored to serve as President-Elect of this esteemed organization, Akbari said in a statement. NBCSL has been a powerful voice for equity and justice, and I am committed to carrying forward its mission of transforming communities through legislative leadership. It marks the first time that two lawmakers from the same state will serve as president and vice president of the organization. Established in 1977, the NBCSL represents more than 700 Black lawmakers nationwide, supporting policies that promote equity and access to opportunities, particularly in underserved areas. Sen. Raumesh Akbari D- Memphis, speaks during a press conference at the end of session at Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, April 25, 2024. Catch up on the week New Tennessee bill seeks $5M civil liability for mailing, delivering abortion pills Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tennessee Republicans file bill to cut state's grocery tax Tennessee State University interim President Ronald Johnson resigns abruptly Protesting in a chicken mask? Tennessee man fends off lawsuit in free speech win Sen. Marsha Blackburn introduces DOGE Acts aimed at federal spending, workforce Got a question for us? Got a question about state politics you would like us to tackle? Let us know. Email us at mabrown@tennessean.com, vjones@tennessean.com or statehouse@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trump deportations: Will Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee provide help? French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Premier Donald Tusk met on Dec. 12 in Warsaw. High on the agenda was how to support Ukraine in the new Transatlantic context. On the sidelines of the visit, the Elysee emphasized that Frances position is that it is necessary to support Ukraine for as long and as intensely as necessary for it to approach negotiations from a position of strength when the time comes. The two leaders also discussed the possibility of a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine boots on the ground in the event of a ceasefire. However, Tusk insisted during his press conference that no such actions are foreseen at the moment. At the same time Macron and Tusk were addressing these issues, NATOs new Secretary General Mark Rutte delivered his first major speech. Speaking about Russia, he warned that danger is moving toward us at great speed and that European allies are unprepared to deal with the threat. In 2023, only 23 of 32 NATO allies reached the agreed-upon 2% GDP defense spending target a figure that is insufficient to ensure the safety of the Transatlantic space. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte looks on as he answers journalists' questions during a NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Dec. 3, 2024. (John Thys / AFP via Getty Images) So, is this newfound European resolve good news for Ukraine? It could be, but there are significant dangers lurking behind the rhetoric. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most obvious message is that the buzzword of the moment is negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged that some form of temporary territorial concessions may be necessary in exchange for what he calls ironclad security guarantees. The message from Warsaw is that the well-worn phrase as long as it takes now has a clear end goal: negotiating from a position of strength. This new rhetoric reflects a growing sense that under a future Trump administration, the U.S. might withdraw some or all of its military aid unless Ukraine agrees to negotiate with Russia. "The message from Warsaw is that the well-worn phrase as long as it takes now has a clear end goal: negotiating from a position of strength." The European Union cannot replace U.S. military aid without doubling its current support for Ukraine. The EU lacks the capacity to do so, and as Rutte emphasized in his speech, massive increases in defense spending and production capacity will be required to meet Europes own needs in the face of growing threatsnot only from Russia but also from China and the increasingly volatile Middle East. A bad peace for Ukraine would only exacerbate European insecurity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rutte is also correct to highlight the need for increased European defense spending and domestic production. Spending on non-European production could hinder the continents ability to respond to direct threats, such as Russia continuing to menace Ukraine. Delays in France and the U.K. approving the use of Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles for strikes inside Russian territory stemmed from these missiles partial dependence on U.S. technology, which led to U.S. hesitation over potential Russian retaliation. Future European defense spending risks similar vetoes, underscoring the importance of prioritizing homegrown solutions. Ruttes speech emphasized the need for innovation and technology, calling on governments to invest and industry to take risks. His remarks echo former Ukrainian Chief of Staff Valerii Zaluzhnyis article in The Economist in November 2023. A win-win solution for Europe and Ukraine would involve European companies investing in Ukraines growing defense industry. However, such investments will require government-backed or private insurance, and without robust security guarantees for Ukraine, only the bravest will take the plunge. Which brings us to the thorniest question: What security guarantees for Ukraine would be worth more than the paper they are written on? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky is adamant that nothing less than NATO membership will suffice for Ukraine. He is correct. The Budapest Memorandum demonstrated that in the nuclear age, bilateral or multilateral security guarantees without a nuclear umbrella are meaningless when facing a nuclear-armed adversary. Russian President Vladimir Putins nuclear blackmail has shown that nuclear deterrence works. While his arsenal has not deterred Ukraine from striking inside Russian territory or even from sending forces into Russias Kursk Oblast, it has deterred Ukraines allies from providing the support Ukraine truly needs to expel Russian forces. There is little reason to believe this dynamic would change in the future. Ukrainian soldiers walk in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Sudzha, Kursk Oblast, Russia, on Aug. 18, 2024. (Ed Ram/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) NATO membership for Ukraine is unlikely in any realistic short-term scenario, primarily because too many member states starting with the U.S. oppose it. Under a Trump administration, it is highly improbable that the U.S. would extend its nuclear umbrella to Ukraine as it does for South Korea and Japan. Discussions about any shared dimension of the U.K.s nuclear deterrent are nonexistent. Frances nuclear deterrence is limited to its own vital interests, and debates dating back to French General Charles de Gaulle continue over whether those interests extend beyond Frances borders. While Macron has revived these discussions, Frances political turmoil makes any significant changes to its nuclear doctrine highly unlikely in the near term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Ukraine were to pursue nuclear capabilities, it could only do so outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), fundamentally rewriting the worlds nuclear rulebook. Such a move would likely make the world even more dangerous. At a recent conference at Chatham House in London, veteran Russia expert Keir Giles, author of Who Will Defend Europe?, offered a simple answer when asked what could secure Ukraine: the strategic defeat and deterrence of Russia. Which brings us back to negotiations. Any deal that fails to deter Russia from attacking its neighbors again will collapse, as previous agreements with Russia always have. Albert Einstein, often credited as the father of the nuclear bomb, is alleged to have said, The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lets hope that those entering the seemingly inevitable negotiations with the worlds chief nuclear blackmailer keep those words in mind and that they stop setting red lines where the only red is the blood of those who have died because of them. Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Submit an Opinion Read also: YouTuber Johnny Harris lens on Eastern Europe is distorted and irresponsible Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (WKBN) A college in Lawrence County is getting money from the Commonwealth to help combat campus sexual assault. Westminster College in New Wilmington will be getting $40,000 of the over $1.6 million being invested in this effort across the state. A total of 44 higher education institutions in Pennsylvania will benefit from the Its On Us grants. [Pennsylvania Department of Education] is committed to supporting efforts that keep college students and their campuses safe, inclusive and welcoming for all students, said Interim Acting Secretary Angela Fitterer. All Pennsylvanians deserve a safe learning environment, and the Its On Us PA grant program cultivates change and provides colleges, universities, and postsecondary institutions with the support and resources necessary to protect learning environments, and ensure they are free from sexual harassment and violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The national Its On Us campaign was created by the Obama Administration to raise awareness of sexual assault and non-consensual sex, teach how to identify dangerous situations, empower bystanders to intervene and create supportive environments for survivors. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Dim-witted dope or brainy brawn? The debate over T. Rex's smarts continues, with a recent paper leaning toward the original theory that these fearsome giants weren't all that bright. A controversial 2023 study suggested one of the world's most infamous dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex, could be as brainy as modern monkeys, provoking much skepticism from other researchers who've now brought their receipts to the table. "The possibility that T. rex might have been as intelligent as a baboon is fascinating and terrifying, with the potential to reinvent our view of the past," explained University of Southampton paleontologist Darren Naish when the new results were published in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But our study shows how all the data we have is against this idea." Led by zoologist Kai Caspar from Heinrich Heine University in Germany, the researchers found that the brain size measurements in the 2023 study were inaccurate, inflating estimates on the number of neurons the prehistoric reptiles could fit in their noggin, particularly in the forebrain. This overestimation was primarily due to the original paper assuming T. rex's brain filled up most of the endocranial space, which isn't true in most dinosaurs, Naish explained in a blog post. Relationship between brain and body mass in land-living vertebrates. Dinosaurs like T. rex have brain to body size ratios similar to those of living reptiles. (Gutierrez-Ibanez) What's more, Caspar and colleagues argue that neuron counts do not reliably track with intelligence. Take birds for instance it was long assumed that their small head sizes meant they had fewer neurons and therefore weren't very smart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But we've since learned birds like crows can outperform primates on certain cognitive tasks despite their smaller heads, leading to the conclusion that factors other than brain size, like connectivity patterns, play a larger role in determining intelligence. "We argue that it's not good practice to predict intelligence in extinct species when neuron counts reconstructed from endocasts are all we have to go on," said Casper. Instead, multiple lines of evidence, from anatomy to clues about behavior and more comparisons with modern animals are required to make more accurate estimates on prehistoric intelligences. "A substantially improved understanding of the relationship between neuron counts and other biological variables, especially cognitive performance, in extant animals is required," before more accurate predictions can occur, the team writes in their paper. The relationships between reptile groups along with a representation of their brain complexity, showing tyrannosaurid brains are not so different from those of crocodylomorphs. (Caspar et al., The Anatomical Record, 2024). So where does that leave the T. rex? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recent behavioral clues do suggest the infamous prehistoric reptiles may have surprisingly been social, hunting in packs, but that's not enough to suggest primate level intelligence. "They were more like smart giant crocodiles, and that's just as fascinating," said Naish. This research was published in The Anatomical Record. An earlier version of this article was published in May 2024. Related News Friday the 13th has arrived in the final month of the year, but this one might bring a little extra magic. With the Geminids meteor shower illuminating the night sky, its a great opportunity to leave superstition behind and make a wish on a shooting star. And if you miss the meteors, dont worryyou can still lean into these quirky traditions and transform this so-called unlucky day into a celebration of good fortune and fun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: December to bring Geminid, Ursid meteor showers, naked eye view of Jupiter how to view Where did Friday the 13th come from? Friday the 13ths reputation for bad luck largely originates from religious and cultural beliefs. In Christianity, it is associated with the Last Supper, where Judas, the 13th guest, betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on a Friday, according to USA TODAY. Norse mythology also contributes, with the 13th god, Loki, bringing chaos and death. This superstition deepened over time, particularly after the mass arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13th, 1307, further cementing the days unlucky status. When is the next Friday the 13th? Next year, the only Friday the 13th will fall in June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following year, 2026, will feature three Friday the 13thsspanning February, March, and Novemberthe maximum possible in a single calendar year. 7 Friday the 13th superstitions to either avoid or pursue Avoid: Breaking a mirror : Breaking a mirror is said to bring seven years of bad luck , so handle glass carefully today. Walking under a ladder : This superstition stems from the idea that walking under a ladder disrupts the triangle, a symbol of life, and invites misfortune. Spilling salt : Accidentally spilling salt has been seen as bad luck for centuries. To counteract, throw a pinch over your left shoulder to ward off evil. Crossing paths with a black cat : Black cats, often associated with witches and bad omens, are considered unlucky, especially when they cross your path on Friday the 13th. Stepping on Cracks: The rhyme "step on a crack, break your mother's back" comes from the idea that stepping on cracks invites bad energy or harm. To pursue: Carrying a lucky charm : Items like four-leaf clovers , horseshoes , or rabbits feet are believed to bring good luck and protection from bad vibes. Knocking on wood: This age-old superstition is believed to prevent bad luck or jinxes. If you say something hopeful, knock on wood to "seal the deal" and keep good fortune on your side. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Friday the 13th in December: Brief history and 7 superstitions to know The arctic blast impacting much of the continental U.S. may be ending soon, but one region is bracing another cold-related weather event this week. The eastern half of the U.S. from Minnesota to northern Florida and up to New England was blanketed in frigid conditions on Friday morning, a continuation of freezing temperatures experienced all over the country in recent days. PHOTO: Wind Chills Friday 7AM Map (ABC News) Wind chills Friday morning were below zero degrees Fahrenheit in Minneapolis, near-zero in Chicago and in the teens and single digits in the Northeast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Temperatures are near freezing in northern Florida and southern Georgia, where a frost advisory was issued. MORE: Arctic blast to blanket much of US with below-freezing temperatures Lake effect snow -- the result of cold air moving over the Great Lakes while they are still ice-free -- brought 3.5 feet of snow to western New York and up to 20 inches to northern lower Michigan on Thursday. Winds gusted to near 40 mph, creating whiteout conditions in heaviest lake-effect snow bands. On Friday morning, the lake effect snow warning continued for Ohio, Pennsylvania and western New York, where some areas could accumulate between 6 inches and a foot of snow, forecasts show. PHOTO: A pedestrian bundles up as she walks on the sidewalk during a cold weather in Skokie, Ill., Dec. 12, 2024. (Nam Y. Huh/AP) The cold air will last for one more day on Saturday before a moderating trend begins on Sunday and into next week for most of the East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a new storm system is moving into the Plains and the Midwest Friday into Saturday morning. The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for Iowa and other ice alerts from Kansas to Minnesota. MORE: Its cold outside, what happened to global warming? Meteorologists explain climate versus weather. Cities like Des Moines, Minneapolis and Omaha are under alerts later from Friday and into Saturday morning. Freezing rain could glaze roads to more than a half an inch, creating treacherous driving conditions. PHOTO: New Storm - Tonight into Saturday Map (ABC News) What is an ice storm? Heavy precipitation when temperatures are below freezing can create an ice storm, according to the National Weather Service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Why ice did not form in the Great Lakes this winter season Accumulations of ice can down trees, communication towers and utility poles, according to the NWS. In addition, ice storms can create black ice -- patchy ice on roadways or other transportation surfaces that cannot easily be seen -- and ice jams in lakes and streams, which can contribute to severe flooding, the NWS said. PHOTO: Fresh snow and high winds hit Lowville, N.Y., Dec. 12, 2024. (Cara Anna/AP) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How to prepare for an ice storm The NWS advises residents under threat of a winter storm to make sure homes, vehicles and offices are stocked with necessary supplies, such as chargers, food, first aid kids, fuel and jumper cables. The agency also advised residents to make sure pets and farm animals have the essentials they need. This is where an ice storm could hit in the US this weekend originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Federal, state, and local authorities have not been able to corroborate any claimed visual sightings of mysterious drones over New Jersey, according to a top White House spokesperson. In addition, authorities have assessed that many of the purported uncrewed aerial systems spotted overhead are actually innocuous crewed aircraft like airliners. At the same time, the U.S. government does not appear to have collected any imagery of its own of reported drones in the skies above the state and cannot conclusively categorize all of the reported sightings. All of this underscores The War Zones previous reporting about how there may still be a credible national security issue unfolding, but the discourse around the situation has been blurred heavily by hysteria fueled by poor government messaging, as well as social media accounts and major part of the mainstream media that are propagating sightings of typical aircraft and labeling them as mysterious drones. John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, spoke directly about the reported drone sightings over and around New Jersey at a routine press conference today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement John Kirby on drone activity in and around New Jersey: "We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus We have not been able tocorroborate any of the reported visual sightings." pic.twitter.com/xfxFaJQUaN CSPAN (@cspan) December 12, 2024 We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus. The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are investigating these sightings, and theyre working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin, Kirby said. Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities corroborate any of the reported visual sightings. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully, he continued. The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the state of New Jersey and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels, and, importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace. Im not aware that we have U.S. government-produced imagery ourselves, but as I said in my opening statement, we have certainly done a thorough analysis of the existing imagery, Kirby did add later on in the press conference in response to follow-up questions. The analysis, thus far, in an investigation that is ongoing, has not revealed any national security or malicious intent or criminal activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House National Security Advisor John Kirby says the US does not have any of its own imagery of the drones over NJ and NY. He claims the White House is adequately investigating the drones situation and there is no national security threat. pic.twitter.com/y9OnJRbILy UAP News (@HighPeaks77) December 12, 2024 What other data U.S. authorities may be examining in their ongoing investigation, beyond that collected using the aforementioned sophisticated electronic detection technologies, is unclear. The full scope of capabilities being employed to try to detect and identify possible drones over New Jersey is unknown, as are how those assets as being specifically tasked in response to individual reports. Its worth noting that basic counter-drone systems use electronic surveillance measures to detect the radio emissions from drones to detect, classify and, in some instances, geolocate them. More advanced but common systems use microwave radars with the ability to also detect non emitting drones and provide better location data. All systems are often tied with an infrared/electro-optical camera system for visual identification and to help searching for drone targets, as well. I would remind you, were at the beginning here, not the end, he acknowledged. Theres a lot more work to be done, and were working closely with state and local authorities to gain more information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can also tell you that if the President, as Commander in Chief, believed, based on the information that hed been given that there was a national security threat at play here, or even a public safety threat at play here, he would issue the appropriate directives to not only law enforcement, but perhaps even the military, if that was needed, Kirby stressed. I cant tell you definitively. I cannot characterize for you definitively what these sightings are. The DHS and FBI also issued a joint statement, seen below, today roughly to the same effect. Today, the @FBI and DHS jointly issued a statement on reported drone sightings in New Jersey pic.twitter.com/kzbmTzjvkr Homeland Security (@DHSgov) December 12, 2024 Reports of possible drone sightings in the skies above various parts of New Jersey, which The War Zone was first to report on, have been coming in since November 18. However, Kirbys comments follow a particularly fever-pitched past 48 hours that included a member of Congress claiming on national television that the drones were coming from an Iranian mothership offshore, as you can read in our past reporting here. The Pentagon had already shot down that particular assertion yesterday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There has already been considerable and clear evidence, such as the picture of what is obviously an airliner in the social media post below, that the vast majority of the reporting drone sightings have actually been people spotting commercial aircraft and other completely regular air traffic over New Jersey. An avalanche of these videos and images have been spread on social media with ridiculous claims attached to them. Large drones have been hovering in formation over northern New Jersey, officials say, leading to "unnerved" residents wondering what's behind these bright, unidentified flying objects appearing almost every night in the sky. https://t.co/0mErYUt8Ib NBC News (@NBCNews) December 3, 2024 Kirbys statements, although still guarded in terms of drawing conclusions, are clearly a meant to try to add some clarity to the malestrom of information swirling around in the media and on social channels. The muddled messaging from the U.S. government to date on the New Jersey sightings has drawn public criticism and push-back from officials, especially those within the state. As The War Zones editor-in-chief Tyler Rogoway wrote on X yesterday: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The main stream media has no clue what they are talking about on this issue, none, and most outlets largely dont seem to care. Local officials are very poor sources in terms of quality info on this issue. This is not a dig on them at all, its just there is not an in-house knowledge base there that understands it, just facets of it, not anywhere near a whole picture. This is a very complex issue with many technological facets. You dont just call in a drone guy and get briefed. We have ran into this issue many times. The U.S. gov messaging on this has been so absurdly poor and frankly dangerous but that isnt all that surprising. This has been the way it has been for years, but at least the denials have finally evaporated. Nearly every video I have seen has pointed to mass hysteria not a drone invasion of massive scale, with airliners, private jets, and helicopters being portrayed as mysterious objects. These videos are peddled for engagement by a growing number of online accounts. This is very unfortunate, because there does seem to be something going on here, but zero critical thought, even on a most basic level of the evidence only fuels rumors and fear. It also clogs the channels for relevant evidence to break through. This is true on a public consumption and governmental/investigative level. It also puts aircraft in danger. Mailbox/DMs etc full of people asking why we are not reporting on the drone stuff considering we broke all this over many years. We are! But we have not been doing a play by play as the story has totally gone off the rails with reality and major news stories have developed Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) December 11, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, lawmakers in Washington have expressed their concern over the ongoing drone scare. As you know, since late November, communities in the New York City area and northern New Jersey have reported several incidents of unattributable drone sightings at night, alarming both residents and local law enforcement. According to public reports, residents have reported that some of these drones are larger in size compared to other commercially available drone technology, Senators Cory Booker, Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Andy Kim, wrote in an open letter FBI, DHS, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today. The four lawmakers, who are all Democrats, collectively represent New Jersey and New York in the Senate. Some of these drones have been observed maneuvering near critical infrastructure and sensitive locations, including reservoirs and military installations, that letter, which called for additional briefings on the situation, added. In addition to potential privacy concerns raised by these aerial systems, we are also especially concerned about how these drones may harm public safety, especially given recent reports that a medevac helicopter was prevented from transporting a seriously injured patient for care because of the presence of these drones. Kirby said he stood by his statement, including that there have been no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace, when asked about this portion of the letter. John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, seen at one point during todays briefing. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images At his press conference today, Kirby was still quick to acknowledge that no matter what is or is not being seen in the skies over New Jersey, it highlights worrisome gaps in the U.S. governments ability to respond to ever-growing drone threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap in authorities, he said. So we urge Congress to pass important legislation that will extend and expand existing counter drone authorities so that we are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or other critical infrastructure, and so that state and local authorities are provided all the tools that they need to respond to such threats, as well. The War Zone has written extensively about the often obtuse maze of laws, regulations, and rules that govern who can take what kind of action against uncrewed aerial threats within the U.S. homeland and when. This topic just recently came to the fore again with the roll-out of a new Pentagon-wide counter-drone strategy meant to, in part, streamline the U.S. militarys ability to act within the authorities it has already and better interface with other federal, state, and local partners. Counter-drone systems on display at the U.S. militarys Falcon Peak 2025 demonstration event at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado in October 2024. DOD At the same time, as The War Zone has been sounding the alarm for years, the dangers posed by ever-more capable drones are not new, and the U.S. government as a whole has been slow to acknowledge this and continues to lag in taking steps to address the threats. As we also highlight regularly there has been and continues to be substantial overlap in reported sightings of what are now often called unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and drones. Many purported UAPs have been later assessed to likely be uncrewed aerial systems. Overall, as already noted, the bulk of the U.S. government messaging to date on the New Jersey sightings has been, at best, muddled and has already drawn public criticism and push-back from officials, especially those within the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirbys comments today, although brief, do offer important additional details about what is understood to have been going on over New Jersey, but many questions still remain. Contact the author: joe@twz.com Our collector-car column last week featured the 1963 Buick Rivieraa standout from Americas golden age of personal luxury automobiles. On its heels for this week is another of the trio that Ed Welburn, now-retired vice president of Global Design at General Motors, named as a favorite during our conversation at an official Cadillac dinner years ago. Readers will have to wait until we get to the second half of the alphabet (O) to be introduced to the Oldsmobile Toronado. But if this series ended with C, Cadillacs 1967 Eldorado would make a fitting Finis, a car highlighting a decade of visionary domestic automobiles whose grand style, luxury, and that slippery concept of taste, has not been bettered since. This example of a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado, from the Favazzo Collection, was presented at the RM Sothebys Auburn Fall 2021 auction. Cadillacs Eldorado began decades prior. The model was introduced in 1953 as a convertible, and was produced from 1957 through 1960 as a Brougham (four-door hardtop). Both were the most expensive Cadillacs upon their release, save for the Series 75 Limousine. But the Eldorado iteration made from 1967 to 1970 was the beginning of GMs new vision of personal luxury. A two-door hardtop coupe, it followed the Oldsmobile Toronado, introduced the year prior, by using GMs brand-new, front-wheel-drive E-Body platform, also shared by the rear-wheel-drive 1963 Buick Riviera. Its a complicated family; consult a GM genealogist for details. More from Robb Report This cars Sable Black interior is accented with houndstooth inserts. Its looks were everything. Under the hand of GM styling chief Bill Mitchell, the Eldorado traded the Rivieras streamlined form for a more angular shape, and the first two years (1967 and 68) featured concealed front headlamps that were a first for any Cadillac. Adventurous, impressive, and expensive, the model sold about 43,000 units in its four-year heyday. During those years, its V-8 engine grew in displacement from 429 cubic inches to 472 cubic inches to 500 cubic inches, all mated to a three-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. Acceleration is respectable, considering the car is close to 4,700 pounds. Under the hood is a 429-cubic-inch V-8 mated to a three-speed automatic transmission. Collectors should consider the first two years of manufacture, with 1967 as the high watermark. In 1968 came things like side-marker light regulations, courtesy of our governments we know whats best for you Department of Transportation. The first-year production saw almost 18,000 examples made, so there should be one out there for even the most fastidious collector. Journalists in the day praised the Eldorado for its drive experience, and today, it reminds us of a time when fossil fuel was as cheap as it was abundant, and cars with hoods as long as a California King mattress were as common as the beds themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mantra for would-be owners is buy the best example you can afford. Restorations are not for the faint of heart. Expect to pay around $70,000 for a concours-quality 1967 model, which is close to free, considering what it took the owner to bring the car to that condition. Would-be owners who are less ambitious can acquire a good example for a third as much, but really, the experience of owning and driving a pristine example is one to be savored. Expect to pay around $70,000 for a concours-quality 1967 model, while an example in good condition can be acquired for about a third of that cost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, the sight of a Cadillac Eldorado occasions celebration. Although seeing one in public may be as out of context in a Tesla-packed parking lot as would be a mule-drawn wagon or a riding elephant, only last week, I espied a glorious white 67 in front of my local Weilers Deli, stopping me in my carbon-ceramic-disc tracks as if Id spotted a diamond in a field of coal. The cars driverold enough to be the original ownermade his deliberate way into the restaurant. It was easy to envision Rat Packers Frank or Deano, and could only imagine that this man, too, was quite the player in his daymaybe even now. Classics, after all, become even greater with time. Click here for more photos of this 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. This example of a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado carried a high-end estimate of $45,000 entering the RM Sothebys Auburn Fall 2021 auction. Best of Robb Report Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Popular Indian actor Allu Arjun was arrested from his residence following an incident at a theatre where his movie Pushpa 2: The Rule was playing. Shortly after the arrest, he was granted four-week interim bail. Allu Arjun arrested after stampede incident Allu Arjun was arrested by police authorities from his Hyderabad home after a case was filed against him. The arrest comes after an unfortunate incident that took place at the Sandhya theatre where his movie Pushpa 2 was playing. On December 4, 2024, Arjun made an unannounced appearance at the theatre, surprising all the fans who were present there. Due to the actors massive popularity, fans stormed into the theatre which caused a stampede-like situation. Tragically, the chaos led to the death of a 35-year-old woman, identified as Revathi, and his son getting severely wounded. (via Deadline) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A clip showcased the actor cooperating with the officials after they arrived at his home. Arjuns family members were also present at the time of his arrest. The police authorities confirmed that the Sandhya Theatre management had no clue about Arjuns visit. However, Arjuns team claimed otherwise. The crowd allegedly went wild in the attempt to get a glimpse of the star and police had to intervene to contain them. The Commissioner of Hyderabad Police said after the incident, There was no intimation from the side of theatre management or actors team. The theatre management did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd nor was there any separate entry or exit for the actors team though the theatre management had information about their arrival. (via TOI) Arjun was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt. However, in a recent update obtained by Hindustan Times, the victims husband gave a statement and asserted, Its not Allu Arjuns fault that he visited the theatre that day. I am ready to withdraw my case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the incident, Allu Arjun also took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his condolences to the victims family. Originally published by Ishita Verma on ComingSoon. The post Why Allu Arjun Was Arrested on December 13 appeared first on Mandatory. With just five weeks to go until President-elect Donald Trump and his allies take full control of Americas executive branch, many of his former antagonists are suddenly attempting to curry favor. How best to do so? By funding the massive inaugural celebration that will mark his return to office, of course. On Thursday, CNN reported that Amazon, the worlds largest retailer, would be gifting $1 million in cash to the Trump inaugural committee, in addition to an equal in-kind contribution it would make by broadcasting the January 20 festivities on the companys eponymous streaming video platform. The donations are just the latest in what has become a concerted effort by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to lessen tensions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, became a frequent target of Trump attacks on account of the papers Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting into his first administration. The then-president often railed against what he described as the Amazon Washington Post on his Twitter (now X) account, and he has been accused of intervening to prevent Amazon from winning a massive cloud computing contract from the Pentagon. But in recent months, Bezos has taken steps to ease his once-fraught relationship with Trump. After a gunman came within inches of shooting Trump in the head during a July rally in Pennsylvania, Bezos took to X to praise the then-former president for having shown tremendous grace and courage under literal fire after photographs emerged of Trump raising a fist while preventing his Secret Service detail from shielding him properly. Our former President showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight. So thankful for his safety and so sad for the victims and their families. Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) July 14, 2024 Months later, Bezos also reportedly intervened to prevent his newspaper from issuing an endorsement of Trumps 2024 election opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the Amazon founder isnt the only billionaire antagonist now making nice with Trump ahead of his second term. On Wednesday, Facebook parent company Meta said it had given $1 million to the Trump inaugural effort, just two weeks after Trump and company founder Mark Zuckerberg had dinner at the president-elects Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Zuckerberg whose platforms once banned Trump in the wake of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters also started taking a softer line with the president-elect after the attempted assassination. In an interview with The Circuit podcast, he said seeing Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag was one of the most badass things [hed] ever seen in [his] life. But sympathy for an almost-murdered politician and respect for his post-shooting posturing isnt necessarily whats driving the about-face by Zuckerberg and Bezos. Just as likely? Its fear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, who spent the last few years running on a platform of revenge and retribution, is now in a position to torment his perceived enemies. Emboldened by a Supreme Court that has granted presidents sweeping immunity for any exercise of official authority, he could direct compliant prosecutors or regulators to deploy the full force of the law against those who displease him and incur zero consequences for doing so. In the case of Zuckerberg, these threats arent theoretical. In a photo book published this year, Trump actually threatened to imprison him. Under a photo of the two men taken during a meeting at the White House, Trump wrote that Zuckerberg would come to the Oval Office to see me. He would bring his very nice wife to dinners, be as nice as anyone could be, while always plotting to install shameful Lock Boxes in a true PLOT AGAINST THE PRESIDENT, referring to Zuckerbergs effort to fund election administration across the US during the Covid-19 pandemic. Conspiracy theorists and election deniers allied with Trump have accused Zuckerberg of only funding elections in Democratic areas. In reality, the grant money offered by the tycoons nonprofit was available to any municipality that asked for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump saw the civic engagement funding as something more sinister. In his book, he wrote that Zuckerberg told me there was nobody like Trump on Facebook. But at the same time, and for whatever reason, steered it against me, referring to false accusations of censorship often leveled against tech platforms by conservatives. We are watching him closely, and if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison as will others who cheat in the 2024 Presidential Election, Trump added. Notably, Zuckerberg declined to fund any civic engagement efforts during this years election. And hes reaped benefits thus far in terms of access and a potential role in helping the administration shape Artificial Intelligence policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, with Trump poised to re-enter the White House, he and his fellow tech titans are bending over backwards to make sure Trump wont even consider following through on the threats he once leveled against them. Its not just good business sense, but survival instinct as well. We call them farms but the great bulk of food producing businesses in the west are better described as agricultural production plants. Huge windowless sheds housing tens of tens of thousands of closely-packed animals; industrialised slaughter and processing houses; and of course mile upon mile of slurry-enriched soil long bereft of hedge rows, insect life and birdsong. The environmental blight these businesses cause is well known they are the principal polluters of UK rivers and waterways, for example but the scale of the risk they pose to human health is only just emerging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In some ways, say experts, they are just as dangerous as the wet markets and bush meat stalls of southeast Asia and Africa when it comes to global health security. When we look at where modern pandemics have started, the most common answer is farms, said Dr Colin Carlson, a professor of epidemiology at Yale University School of Public Health. Its just a numbers game from the viruss perspective: livestock account for more terrestrial biomass on earth than humans or wild vertebrates now. Experts believe industrial farming has the potential to be as dangerous as the wet markets southeast Asia - iStockphoto Its not just a theoretical risk. In factory farms across the US, health officials are dealing with a huge outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in cattle a virus that was reported in the academic journal Science last week to be just one mutation away from a jump to humans. Even the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed as many as 100 million people is now thought to have jumped from animals crammed into sod houses in Haskell County, Kansas before infecting soldiers who carried it to the WW1 trenches in Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The profit motive and poor regulation have long been a problem in farming, said Dr Rowland Kao, Chair of Veterinary Epidemiology and Data Science at the University of Edinburgh. Everything in industrial farming is oriented around doing things quickly... the commercial drivers for cheap food create an ideal environment for diseases to spread and propagate. The tension between human health and profit often prevents governments from intervening soon enough to address new threats. Agricultural regulators, it seems, live in fear of disrupting production and often act too late to protect consumers. The tension between human health and profit often prevents governments from intervening soon enough to address new threats - ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images This reluctance is the main reason why BSE, or mad cow disease spread by the practice of feeding animal protein to cows was able to take hold. Its been the same story with H5N1, with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) taking months to introduce mandatory testing of cattle before they were moved across state lines, and only doing so after pressure from public health experts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Compared to the illegal wildlife trade or even the fur trade, livestock is a lot more politically protected, in some ways, as weve seen in the US, said Dr Thomas Peacock, a virologist and fellow at the Pirbright Institute. The [H5N1] outbreak has had a very slow response at least in part, it seems, because that industry has very, very large political power. The focus on the exotic markets of Asia and Africa rather than our own farms is also partly driven by a sort of cultural blindness. Someone sitting in Hereford may view a market with caged chickens kept alongside butchered frogs and slithering snakes in Asia as much more disgusting than the battery chicken plants down the road from them but they both pose health risks. Battery farms are one of the biggest consumers of antibiotics, for example a major contributor to the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are nine outbreaks from the last 100 years that emerged as a direct result of industrial farming. Despite its name, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic did not originate in Spain. The country was one of the few not bound by wartime media censorship, meaning it just reported on it more than other countries. Most of the scientific evidence points to the virus emerging from farms in Haskell County, Kansas, some three hundred miles to the west of Funston where US soldiers heading to the war in Europe were stationed. It is thought it originated in wild birds in North America, before jumping to infect domestic birds like chickens and turkeys, and eventually making its way into humans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The exact moment when the virus adapted to infect humans is difficult to pinpoint, but scientists agree it must have happened through close contact with the infected animals. During the First World War, governments in Europe and America called on farms to ramp up their production of food, specifically meat. Nurses care for Spanish flu patients in canvas tents pitched in the open air in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in the belief that fresh air helped the sick - Hulton Archive/Getty Images The state of Kansas had become a major hub of poultry production at the time. The state produced $14.8 million dollars worth of bird meat and eggs in 1918 alone. In Haskell County the smell of manure meant civilisation, reads one account of the outbreak. People raised grains, poultry, cattle, and hogs. Sod-houses were so common that even one of the countys few post offices was located in a dug-out sod home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the absence of fridges, livestock like birds and pigs would be brought onto army bases and kept there until slaughtered, giving the virus ample opportunity to infect people. With soldiers living in incredibly tight and often unsanitary quarters, it spread like wildfire. American troops are thought to have then brought the flu with them to Europe, where it quickly reached France, Germany, and Britain. By the summer of 1918, cases had been detected on almost every continent. Its important to note that the evidence the virus was from poultry is not concrete, given the pandemic was over 100 years ago when testing capabilities were limited. On 1918, its really difficult because we just dont have good samples, Dr Peacock said. The virus looks most likely like it jumped from birds, it may well have been farmed birds, or it could have been from wild birds, we just dont know. Or pigs could have been involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or mad cow disease is a fatal neurological disorder in cattle that transmits to humans via infected beef. It was first detected at a farm in Surrey in the mid-1980s a time when beef production was the largest sector in British agriculture, and standards had slipped to keep up with export targets. To maximise the production of cheap beef, British farmers fed their cattle the offcuts of other dead animals including their brain and spinal tissue as a cost-cutting way to bulk up their herds. Regulators did very little, instead siding with the industries economic interests. The practice inadvertently introduced prions, a type of infectious protein, into the food chain. In the 1990s, the outbreak peaked as thousands of people were infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease the human variant of BSE from eating the contaminated meat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those affected werent farmers eating the scraps of their prize cows, but regular people who had purchased their dinners from supermarkets, butchers, and restaurants. Those infected developed a host of painful and debilitating symptoms including memory loss, blindness, impaired coordination, personality changes, and rapid muscle decline. The disease has killed 233 people worldwide since 1996, with the majority in the UK. At one point it was thought that many thousands might be affected Termed the silent pandemic, antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, is one of the biggest health threats facing humanity today, killing 1.4 million people every year more than the combined toll of HIV/Aids and malaria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The threat was first described in 1940, when two Oxford biochemists reported in Nature Journal that they had made an unsettling discovery: an enzyme from E.coli was indifferent to penicillin, a wonder drug that ushered in a new age of modern medicine. Resistance to antibiotics is natural, yet the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials is accelerating the process and at the same time, its taking longer than hoped to develop alternatives to the frontline drugs already being used. Agriculture is one of the most significant drivers of AMR: it is estimated that 80 per cent of antibiotics administered in the United States are given to animals, rather than people, and numerous reports have accused the industry of failing to live up to responsibilities to tackle the threat. The drugs are widely given to livestock in animal feed to prevent infections a practice that allows animals to be ever more densely packed. Though factory farming was pioneered by the West mainly in Britain and America as populations and the demand for food continue to boom, its now global. Its not always the most helpful thinking about East versus West, because China [for example] has massive agricultural systems and produces half the worlds pigs, explained Dr Peacock. The first cases of Nipah virus a bat-bourne disease with a mortality rate of up to 75 per cent in humans were detected on large pork farms in Malaysia in the late 1990s. Although bats are the source of Nipah, pigs are what is known as an amplifying host the virus binds to their DNA in a way which makes it easier to spread to humans. The virus got into the livestock because of poor biosecurity measures, said Prof James Wood. Forest officials in Kerala, India, inspect fruit bats captured at a well during a Nipah outbreak in 2018 - AFP/Getty Images Fruit bats are the reservoir for Nipah virus, and mango trees were being grown directly above the pig pens. Either through half-eaten fruits that dropped from the trees, covered in the bats saliva, or through their urine, the virus got into a huge pig farm in Malaysia and caused at least two epidemics over a year or so, said Prof Wood. Then because piglets were being sent all around the country to be fattened and then slaughtered, it then caused outbreaks of Nipah all across Malaysia, he added. In 1999, a year after the virus got into pigs, 276 cases were reported in Malaysia and Singapore where some of the animals had been sent for slaughter. Most were farmers who had contact with the sick animals. The main symptom was encephalitis a serious condition that causes the brain to swell and 100 people died. The virus remains on the World Health Organizations (WHO) priority pathogen list a group of pathogens causing infectious diseases that have pandemic potential. Recent cases and outbreaks have been detected in India and Bangladesh. Pigs were the source of the H1N1 pandemic also known as swine flu which killed nearly 300,000 people in the late 2000s. These animals are often described as mixing vessels for influenza because they have receptors for both avian and human flu viruses, allowing them to be infected by strains from different species simultaneously, creating deadly new variants. Overcrowding of pigs, notorious in both American and European farms, results in more opportunities for direct nose-to-nose contact between the animals and allows viruses to rapidly transmit among them. Living in tightly packed environments also results in stress, weakening pigs immune systems and making them more susceptible to disease. The earliest confirmed case of the H1N1 virus was in a five-year-old boy in the small town of La Gloria, Mexico, near several pig farm facilities operated by a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods the US corporation that is the worlds largest supplier of pork. Smithfield processes around 1.2 million pigs every year in the region, although it denies any link between the farms and the spread of swine flu. Within a few weeks of the first case, more than 60 per cent of the town had come down with flu-like symptoms. Within three months, it had travelled around the world. The scale of these North American pig farms allows influenza to persist, even on a single farm, because the rate of production of piglets is so enormous that it just creates gasoline for the fire, explained Prof Wood. Stick a couple of viruses on top of that, mixing around, and they can jumble themselves up and come up with a new virus. Although most E.coli strains are relatively harmless, some including Shiga-toxin producing E.Coli, or STEC can make people extremely sick. It is hard to say how many people the bacteria has killed since it began spreading, but a study tracking 33 bacterial infections published two years ago found that E.coli killed 950,000 people in 2019 alone. The main source of STEC is grass-eating animals, especially cows. During the process of food production, meat and milk can become contaminated with the animals faeces if proper hygiene measures arent taken the most common way the bacteria ends up in the food chain. Vegetables that have been grown with infected cow manure can also carry the disease and spread it to humans. There are more than 10,000 strains of salmonella, another deadly bacteria which killed 81 people in Europe last year. The most dangerous, non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars, is commonly carried by poultry, pigs, cattle, and reptiles. Humans are typically infected through undercooked meat, eggs, or contaminated food. Studies have also linked Salmonella outbreaks to improper manure usage, which spreads the bacteria to plants and further contaminates the food chain. Middle East respiratory syndrome burst onto the scene in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, when a physician reported that he had detected a new coronavirus in a patient suffering from pneumonia. Within days a second case was detected, in a Qatari patient receiving intensive care in a London hospital, raising alarm because of memories of Sars in 2002 and 2003 the virus took hold having rapidly spread through a health facility. But Mers was instead traced to dromedary camels, with strains of the virus found in animals in Egypt, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. These animals are not farmed, but a vibrant international camel trade across the Arabian peninsula and Horn of Africa has allowed the pathogen to spread. Beyond agriculture, there are all sorts of activities that cause a lot of spillovers such as dromedary camels in the Middle East which are used for tourism and racing, said Dr Peacock. There are all sorts of weird and wonderful and wacky human-animal interfaces. Since the virus was first identified, it has infected more than 2,600 people across 27 countries leading to at least 858 deaths, according to the World Health Organization, giving the pathogen a fatality rate of 35 per cent. Most people get infected through direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Q fever is a bacterial infection caused by Coxiella burnetii, a pathogen found in farm animals like cattle, sheep, and goats. Its passed to humans through contact with the milk, urine, or faeces of infected mammals and often crops up on farms that use intensive farming methods, where people are in close contact with thousands of animals and their bodily fluids every day to gather their milk, wool, or meat. The disease was first detected in a handful of slaughterhouse workers in Queensland, Australia in the mid-1930s. The group developed odd symptoms; headaches, fevers, rashes, joint pains, vomiting, and diarrhoea, and several died. Investigators baffled by what had caused the unknown disease named it Query Fever. Those at risk are people who work with and near the animals mainly farmers, meat processors, sheep shearers, stockyard workers, and people involved in the transport of livestock. Cases have cropped up in humans all over the world. At least 500 cases have been reported in Britain over the last 80 years, mainly in Northern Ireland. Infections tend to peak over the lambing season, when farm workers are in closer proximity to sheeps bodily fluids during birth. Between 2007-2010, more than 4,000 people, mainly farmers or people who lived near farms, became sick with Q fever in the Netherlands after contact with infected dairy goats, after a period of rapid growth of goat farming in the country. At least 700 people required hospital treatment, and seven died. In two per cent of cases, Q fever becomes chronic, and patients can develop a range of long-term health problems including hepatitis, heart problems, and inflammation of the bones. H5N1 bird flu has been around for decades, killing millions of animals and 464 humans since it was first discovered in 1996. But its this years developments, where the virus made an unexpected leap into US dairy cattle, that has alarmed scientists and public health experts, who fear its only a matter of time before the virus triggers a global pandemic. Scientists recently discovered that just one change in the viruss genetic code could enable it to start spreading between humans. In the US this year alone, at least 60 people mainly dairy and poultry workers have contracted the virus from sick animals, giving the variant ample opportunities to mutate with each new infection. The pathway by which H5N1, typically carried by wild birds, made the jump into Americas cows remains unclear. The US cattle industry, worth over $100 billion, has long faced criticism in Europe, particularly concerning the use of hormones in beef production. Experts suggest that the virus may have been introduced to cattle through contaminated feed, possibly from infected bird droppings or poultry litter a mix of poultry waste products used as cattle feed, banned in the UK and parts of Europe. Experts suggest H5N1 may have been introduced to cattle through contaminated feed - Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Poultry litter is not only cheaper than soy and grains but also more calorie-dense, allowing farmers to bulk up their herds more quickly. After infecting dairy cows, the virus rapidly spread to nearly a thousand herds across 16 different states, located thousands of miles apart. Within herds themselves, that has likely happened through the use of automated milking equipment. The levels of virus detected in the milk of infected cows have been off the scale, probably 1,000-fold greater in concentration than what can be easily grown in a laboratory, said Prof Wood. Standard cleaning methods, even robotic cleaners used by larger herds, are insufficient to stop such a high concentration of the virus from contaminating equipment and spreading between cows, he added. Cows are also often moved between states for milk production because it reduces the need for refrigeration and long-distance shipping of the milk itself. By moving the cows closer to where the milk will be processed and sold, farms can cut down on refrigeration costs and avoid spillage or spoiling of their product. If this was going on in China, the Americans would be shouting from every rooftop about how their irresponsible industrial farming practices were putting us all at risk of an H5N1 pandemic in humans, said Prof James Wood, an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge. At this time in the American political cycle, you could see that introducing unpopular new animal health regulations would be really hard, not least because the American cattle lobby is almost as powerful as the National Rifle Association, he added. Wild vs farmed Not everyone thinks the next pandemic will come from agriculture. In terms of the development of a pandemic, arising from a spillover of an animal virus, wild animals are the more likely candidates, Prof Marion Koopmans, a virologist at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, told The Telegraph. Reasons for that are: there are many different animal species, all with their own viruses. Some of the wild animal reservoir species are also very abundant, like bats and rodents, both also with a wide range of species. So in terms of the range of possibilities, this is definitely much greater in wild animals than in farmed animals, she said. Having said that, farmed animals and animal farms do have a role to play, for different reasons. Prof Koopmans listed modern farming, with viruses spreading in commercial poultry flocks at a higher rate and becoming highly pathogenic. That means that if a virus enters a farm and the animals are susceptible, there can be explosive spread and outbreaks that are difficult to control, she said. These situations also can lead to high levels of exposure of persons working with these animals. This is how we look at the H5N1 situation in cattle in the US at the moment. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. You might notice flags around Wisconsin flying at half-staff Saturday. The gesture, ordered by Gov. Tony Evers, is in honor of a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who died earlier this month. Here's what to know about the flags at half-staff: Newly re-elected Supreme Court Justice David Prosser salutes his staff before he gives a press conference in the Assembly Parlor on April 6, 2011. Why are flags at half-staff in Wisconsin on Saturday? Flags are at half-staff Saturday in memory of former state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, who died at on Dec. 1 at age 81 after a several-month battle with cancer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Born in Appleton, Prosser began his career in public service as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and later as Outagamie County District Attorney, according to a news release from the governor's office. In 1978, he began a nearly two-decade stint in the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he served terms as chamber's speaker and minority leader. He also spent a year on the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission, before former Gov. Tommy Thompson appointed him to the state Supreme Court in 1998. Prosser served for 18 years on the court and retired in 2016. Justice Prosser devoted his career to public service, from working for a congressman and his local community to serving as a legislator and his nearly two decades as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, Evers said in the news release. His career was unique he did a little bit of everything and he spent much of his life seeking new and more impactful ways that he could make a difference in our state."Services for Prosser will held on Saturday in Appleton. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser dead at 81 How long will flags be at half-staff? Flags will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Saturday. Where will flags be at half-staff? According to Evers' order, the American flag and the Wisconsin state flag will fly at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations belonging to the state of Wisconsin. When do flags fly at half-staff? U.S. flags typically fly at half-staff in the wake of national tragedies or after deaths of government officials, military members or first responders. They also fly at half-staff on Memorial Day and other national days of remembrance, including 9/11. "The United States flag flies at half-staff or at half-mast when the nation or a state is in mourning," USA.gov says. "The president, a state governor, or the mayor of the District of Columbia can order flags to fly at half-staff." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why are flags at half-staff in Wisconsin Saturday? Buried in the massive list of nearly 1,500 people whose criminal sentences were commuted by President Joe Biden Thursday is the name of a Pennsylvania judge who took kickbacks for wrongfully sentencing minors to juvenile detention. Former Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Conahan, along with another former judge, was accused of shutting down the countys juvenile detention center and then receiving more than $2 million from for-profit detention facilities as part of a kids for cash scheme, according to The Citizens Voice. In 2010, Conahan pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering charge and was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison, according to WNEP. Conahans prison time was cut short during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he petitioned for a compassionate release, and he was released to home confinement in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His stint in home confinement appears to be what qualified him for a commuted sentence. People online were really not impressed by Conahans inclusion in Bidens massive list. Wow. I think Bidens commuting the sentence of this disgraced Pa judge is a big mistake. I covered this in my Pa media days. He was one of 2 judges receiving $$ to sentence kids to lengthy sentences in a for-profit juvenile prison, wrote The Washington Posts Heather Long in a post on X. He ruined a lot of kids lives. The Nations Joshua A. Cohen couldnt make sense of Bidens decision. What is his problem, he wrote in a post on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I remember this case. It was a shocking scandal, caused immeasurable harm, and seriously tainted an entire communitys faith in the justice system, wrote Jose Pagliery of NOTUS in a post on X. The conviction sought to rebuild that trust. How will these families feel now? These commutation recipients, who were placed on home confinement during the COVID pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance, Biden said in his prepared statement Thursday. The statement added that Biden had also commuted the sentences of individuals who would receive lower sentences if charged under todays laws, policies, and practices. Biden executed the largest act of clemency in a single day in modern presidential history, including 39 presidential pardons and 1,499 commuted sentences. Clemency advocates are still pushing for him to extend pardons to some of those facing the death penaltya group Trump is plotting to execute en masse upon entering office. Quincy Jones, who died on Nov. 3, 2024, at the age of 91, was one of the most influential musicians in U.S. history. You might think such a notable figure would factor prominently in American music classrooms. Yet my research shows that Jones, who was Black, is rarely mentioned in mainstream U.S. music curricula. As a Black music professor, I believe his absence reflects the fact that music education in the U.S. is still segregated along racial lines, just like the country was for much of its history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2020, music theorist Megan Lyons and I analyzed the seven most common undergraduate music theory textbooks used in the U.S. We found that only 49 of the nearly 3,000 musical examples they cited were written by composers who were not white. Quincy Jones, the man and the music A composer, arranger, performer and producer, Jones was a musician whose influence on American music is hard to overstate. He won 28 Grammy Awards, wrote multiple film scores and was intimately involved in some of the most important musical developments in America in the mid-to-late 20th century, such as the rise of the jazz artist as pop music arranger. He produced the worlds best-selling album of all time, Michael Jacksons Thriller. Jones was a trumpeter who began his career playing with bandleader Lionel Hampton in 1953, but he soon branched off to become much more than a sideman. Early on, he performed with legends such as Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, and he produced and arranged music for vocal titans such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Diana Ross. His pivot to pop music in the late 1970s helped usher in a revolution of funk, disco and early hip-hop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I see Jones as an essential piece in the history of American music. Yet hes absent from the music classroom, as are so many Black artists throughout history. This absence is leading more music educators to recognize what my research also finds: American music education remains deeply rooted in an ideology that has dominated U.S. history white supremacy. Segregation in music One of the most important linchpins of American white supremacy was racial segregation that is, keeping white people and Black people apart. This racial segregation has been evident in music education, too, throughout American history. Take, for example, the fact that the majority of composers who are studied in American music institutions such as the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School, along with most major university music departments, come from a Western musical tradition and are not American. Im referring to Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, among a handful of other revered figures. These are all white, European men who died long ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is one reason why students pursuing a bachelors degree in jazz studies generally take classes entirely outside of the generic category of music major. Courses on jazz, a genre deeply rooted in African American musical traditions, frequently do not count as core classes for the music major at many U.S. colleges, conservatories and universities; classical music classes do. And in a contemporary twist on musical racial segregation, classical voice and instrumental students in at least one college are warned by their studio teachers not to sing or play genres associated with Blackness such as jazz, gospel, blues or hip-hop for fear that those styles will negatively influence their classical approach. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Jones an honorary award in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 2024, days after his death. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images From the moment the U.S. Supreme Court made racial segregation unconstitutional in its landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling, white America has fashioned new ways to keep races apart. In music, this has manifested itself in keeping curricula segregated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre thinking that all pop musicians like Jones are banned in the music classroom, just Google the Beatles in music curricula. There are countless college courses. The Beatles have been commonly studied for over 20 years. The Beatles werent even American, but theyre part of the American music curricula. And they were white. Integrating music curricula American music academies, as Ive previously written in The Conversation, generally reflect the social norms of the day. And social norms around race and racism are changing fast in the U.S., affecting an array of industries, from fashion to finance. So what might a relevant American music curriculum look like? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Id begin by introducing students to the first great American musician, Francis Frank Johnson. Born in 1792, Johnson was a prolific composer, violinist and band leader whose life and work are rarely studied in the U.S. Hes not to be confused with Frank Johnson, born in 1789, another notable early American violinist and brass ensemble leader. Id continue with other significant 19th-century figures such as New Orleans pianist Basile Bares, whose music filled American dance halls after the Civil War. Or Edmond Dede, who studied and lived in Paris, France, for years before returning to his native New Orleans. Id focus their attention on the Broadway composer Will Marion Cook, who studied violin at Oberlin College as a teen and later with acclaimed virtuoso Joseph Joachim in Berlin, Germany. Or on the conductor, composer and librettist Harry Lawrence Freeman, whose 21 operas remain remarkably underexplored. And Id never let my syllabus skip the vocal music of Margaret Bonds, the symphonic works of Julia Perry, the atonal music of Undine Smith Moore or the music theories of Roland Wiggins. Though Ive only scratched the surface, all of these musicians were African American and I didnt even mention any blues, hip-hop, Motown, rock or R&B artists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In my opinion, Black music and musical genres have had a greater impact on the course of American music than any other style or genre. For this reason, I believe universities and music schools should integrate this music into their music curricula and feature it prominently and proudly. From Francis Johnson to Quincy Jones, Black music exemplifies the musical greatness the U.S. is capable of producing, for Americans and for the world. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Philip Ewell, Hunter College Read more: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Philip Ewell 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. AUSTIN (KXAN) The man police say is responsible for going on a violent killing spree last December is incompetent to stand trial, according to a Texas judge. This week on Inside the Investigation, Senior Investigative Producer David Barer explains how Texas mental health hospital waitlist will impact this case and why it will likely delay justice. Join Kelly Wiley and Esmeralda Zamora every Friday at 11 a.m. for a recap of the latest headlines and in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team. Related articles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is responding to another request for her to hand over documents in her case against now-President-Elect Donald Trump. In a letter to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan on Thursday, Willis said turning over evidence would compromise the ongoing investigation and prosecution of the election interference case here in Georgia. This is just the latest in a years-long back and forth between Willis and Jordan, who chairs the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jordan has accused Willis of trying to influence the 2024 presidential election with her election interference case against Trump and 15 of his allies. Willis said her case accusing Trump of trying to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia is not politically motivated. The two have exchanged a series of sharp letters back and forth with Jordan demanding Willis turn over documents, and Willis accusing him of obstructing a Georgia criminal proceeding. In May, Jordan took his fight one step further accusing Willis of conspiring with federal prosecutor Jack Smith and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to help Trump lose the 2024 election. RELATE STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her case is the one thats politically motivated, and the American people can see it, Jordan said. The real conspiracy, the real politics is between Bragg, Smith, and Willis all working together to impact the 2024 presidential race, and I think Americans have common sense. I think they can see it for what it is. Thats whats going on here. Despite his accusations, Jordan offered no proof of any conspiracy. Jordan said he wants to ask about how Willis is spending $14 million in federal grant money and wants to ask about her relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade. And as far as his committee issuing subpoenas to both Willis and Wade, Jordan said anything is possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Again, everything is on the table. We havent made those decisions yet, but we dont take any option off the table, Jordan said. It is important to note that Jordan himself refused a Congressional subpoena to speak to the January 6 Committee. Trump is charged here in Georgia with conspiracy, racketeering, and election interference. A winter weather advisory has been issued for the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota ahead of a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain that is expected to make travel conditions challenging on Saturday morning. The wintry mix of precipitation will arrive from the south late Friday evening and move slowly north, turning into freezing drizzle Saturday morning and continuing through the afternoon. No more than an inch of snow is expected to fall in the affected areas, including the Twin Cities, but the main risk is the freezing rain, which is expected to leave an 0.1 inch layer of glaze ice across southern Minnesota, including potentially the Twin Cities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NWS Twin Cities The winter weather advisory goes into effect at midnight and continues through 6 p.m. The area covers the southern third of the state, with the NWS saying glare ice could create "very hazardous" conditions on untreated roads. "Tonight, light precipitation will move into southern Minnesota and spread into central and eastern MN by sunrise Saturday," the weather advisory reads. "A mix of snow and sleet is expected initially, but it will transition to a mix of freezing rain and snow through Saturday morning." Drivers are advised to exercise extreme caution when driving in freezing rain. It's been over four years since schools closed to stop the spread of COVID-19 and by now there is no question that the pandemic has a long shadow over Wisconsin education. Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam show Wisconsin students performance lags far behind historical peaks in the early to mid-2010s, and absenteeism data show about a 50% increase in chronic absenteeism since pre-COVID. Wisconsin also has cavernous, long-standing Black-white test score gaps, gaps that have not been narrowing. There is a perhaps well-intentioned desire to move past the pandemic and its effects on children, but we still need urgency to get children back on track. And before this, there needs to be clarity about what the problems are what effects COVID has had on Wisconsins schoolchildren, and how much work is needed to recover. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: UW-Milwaukee would be demoted by plan to split apart Wisconsin university system Unfortunately, Wisconsin doesn't make it very easy for the average person to discern this. And two neighboring states, Illinois and Indiana, have systems that are far easier to use to understand how children are doing post-COVID, according to our 50-state scan. Survey of school report card transparency shows Wisconsin lags Researchers at the Center for Reinventing Public Education set out to understand how transparent state school report cards are at providing users with data about changes in student performance since pre-COVID. We evaluated the report cards on seven key indicators, including standardized tests, attendance, and graduation. We also rated the report cards on how usable they arethings like whether you could easily find data on student subgroups, whether graphs and figures were clear, and how easy they were to navigate. We found a few main flaws with Wisconsins school report cards. The first is that the report card the state wants parents to use WISEdash is almost impossible to find! In fact, our research team didnt know about it until a Wisconsin journalist told it existed. WISEdash doesnt show up clearly on the states website or even in Google searches. How can anyone be expected to use WISEdash if they cant find it? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: Your child may not be doing as well in school as you think. State lowered bar. But beyond this, reviewers found WISEdash clunky to navigate. The system lacks a clean landing page for each school, requiring users find the right indicator first and then navigate to the school results. The available filters (e.g., for years or student groups) are comprehensive, but reviewers found them hard to use. And some key data are only available by navigating to a totally different site and downloading spreadsheets. Wisconsin doesnt have to look far to find state report cards that are easier to use and contain more transparent data. Both Illinois and Indiana had report cards that our reviewers preferred. Their report cards contain attractive landing pages for each school, from which you can click through to indicators of interest. They present graphs and tables in understandable formats. And they even included some desirable non-test measures, like access to the arts (in Illinois). Ability of parents to understand and track results is lacking Our critique of Wisconsins report card is coming at the same time as other concerns about the relabeling of student performance categories that inform the report cards. Alan Borsuk, a long time state watcher of all schools wrote, Wisconsins measuring stick for student performance has been changed. And the categories for student performance have been renamed there will be big improvements in how it looks like our kids are performing on state tests, while the bar for high achievement has been lowered and kids are still struggling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These new changes will make it nearly impossible to compare this years results to prior years, including for the large numbers of private school students who take part in one of the states four school voucher programs. Letters to the Editor: State education budget proposal is a big win for students across Wisconsin To improve the state report card and transparency more generally, we recommend the state DPI take the following steps: Examine the report cards of the top-rated states to identify ideas that work; Wisconsin need not reinvent the wheel. Develop or update a coherent vision for educational progress in Wisconsin and organize policy around that vision. Work with different stakeholder groups (e.g., parents, educators, researchers) to understand what they want out of the report card and work to deliver it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Educators, parents and residents care about the schools in their community and are done with Wisconsins educational political wars. They believe in their local schools but making a report card complex, inaccessible and confusing doesnt make one confident, nor does every student scoring above average. Wisconsins educational leaders need to seize this opportunity to rebuild data and accountability that works for Wisconsins children. Morgan Polikoff is a professor at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and the co-faculty director of the USC EdPolicy Hub. William Hughes is the former superintendent of the Greendale School District and a member of the Wisconsin DPI Early Literacy Curriculum Council. . This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Neighbor states have clearer and more accessible school data | Opinion Wisconsin has had more whooping cough cases than nearly every other state in the country so far this year, according to data on the disease released Friday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's been an explosive year for the highly contagious bacterial infection across the country, according to the CDC. In the week ending Dec. 7 the most recent data available the U.S. had reported more than 30,000 cumulative whooping cough cases, more than six times the number at this time last year. As of Dec. 7, Wisconsin has reported 2,339 whooping cough cases in 2024, third only to New York, which has reported 2,512, and Pennsylvania, which has reported 2,757. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this time last year, according to CDC data, Wisconsin had reported only 29 whooping cough cases. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a cyclical disease, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services previously told the Journal Sentinel meaning several years may go by with few cases, and then in one year, cases will jump dramatically. For example, this year's number of whooping cough cases is higher than in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Wisconsin recorded 532 cases although DHS officials cautioned against making comparisons because the reporting definition for the disease changed in 2020. Still, this year is far lower than in 2012, the last whooping cough spike, when Wisconsin saw 6,880 confirmed and probable cases, according to CDC data. Whooping cough is characterized by a cough that starts out mild but gets worse after about a week, which then can cause other symptoms such as difficulty breathing, needing to draw a deep breath that makes a "whoop" sound, and vomiting, according to DHS. Infants may not have a cough, but may instead stop breathing for several seconds at a time or look like they are gasping for air. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Dec. 9, 85 Wisconsin infants have been diagnosed with whooping cough and a dozen have been hospitalized, according to DHS data. More than 90% of Wisconsin counties have seen at least one case of whooping cough since the beginning of the year, but no deaths have been reported statewide. Half of Wisconsin's cases have been in residents ages 11-18. Whooping cough is treated with antibiotics, according to DHS, but it can also be prevented. Two vaccines are used to protect against it DTaP, for kids younger than seven, and Tdap, for older kids and adults. You can find out if you or your children have been vaccinated against whooping cough by visiting the Wisconsin Immunization Registry at dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/wir.htm. More: Cases of whooping cough remain elevated in Wisconsin. Here's how prevent spread of the illness Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Wisconsin has among the lowest kindergarten vaccine rates in the U.S. That worries doctors Madeline Heim is a Report for America corps reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: CDC: Wisconsin 2024 whooping cough cases third-highest in the U.S. GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) As temperatures in Wisconsin plummet into the single digits for most of the day, residents like Mara Grasse and Natalie Jansen of 101 WIXX are not only battling the brutal cold but also addressing the growing issue of hunger in their communities. Last winter wasnt as bad as this, said Mara. I would say sometime last year, but I dont knowyour brain just kind of freezes. This is the coldest moment. Northeast Wisconsin wind chills report from December 12s bone-chilling cold morning Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite negative wind chills and freezing conditions, Mara and Natalie are braving the cold for a greater cause: Operation: Feed the Need. The initiative, a collaboration with Midwest Communications and its sister stations, collects non-perishable food items for Feeding America, an organization dedicated to alleviating hunger across the nation. Its really important for us to give back in whatever way we can, said Natalie. Being able to team up with Feeding America is also really important to us, and if we have to brave the cold to help others, were going to do it. The freezing temperatures are more than just an inconvenience they are a harsh reminder of the challenges that come with life in Wisconsin. Even simple tasks, like grocery shopping, have become an effort. Its unbelievable, its really brutal, said Dave Faris from Green Bay. You live in Wisconsin; this is some of the consequences of it, but hey, you gotta take the good with the bad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For residents like Dave, even starting his diesel truck in the morning has been a battle. Of all the things Ive got, I got a diesel truck. Its got a 16-quart oil pan, and its a dog to get started in the morning, he said. I got it plugged in, but its way too cold for it to even be plugged in. Such stories resonate with Wisconsinites who understand the price of living in the frozen tundra. Wife of Wisconsin kayaker who fled country after faking his death files to end marriage You know, its colder here than in Alaska, Dave added. I got a person who lives in Alaska who just told me the same thing. Thatll give you an idea of how cold it is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forecasters predict that the weather will warm up by this weekend. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) Make-A-Wish Mississippi has been granting wishes in the state for 40 years, helping children with critical illnesses experience a sense of hope and joy. Ledger Smith, who is five, is full of energy and likes everything about wrestling and superheroes. Two years ago, Ledger was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His mother, Caitlin Smith, said shes looking forward to her son being able to enjoy life as a normal kid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement USDA requires bulk testing of raw milk supply for bird flu virus He hasnt been in charge, like he hasnt went to my other kids games or programs or anything. You know, Ive started working from home, so we just, me and him, huddle up at home, and him and my parents, she said. Soon, Ledger and his family will go somewhere fun, and his wish will come true. His wish was to meet his favorite WWE wrestler Seth Rollins. You get to watch your baby, like, wish for anything, you know. And it come true after theyve been through what theyve been through, and thats just a really big blessing to even think about, Caitlin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ledgers wish will be granted once hes given the all clear to travel, which is expected to be sometime in 2025. Make-A-Wish Mississippi has granted more than 2,500 wishes to children in the state in 40 years. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Amy is one of 3-longtime employees leaving WMBB this month. Engineer Mark Gilland is retiring after 26 years. And Terry Cole is stepping down as our general manager. Terry has been a part of the WMBB family for 17 years. In 1966, a child named Terry Cole arrived in the United States on board a liberty ship. He was born in Germany where his father was serving in the U.S Army. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Terry followed in his fathers footsteps, joining the army after graduating from the University of Oklahomas ROTC program as a second lieutenant. Bay County could be seeing new judges in 2025 I was stationed at Fort Benning and immediately was an XO of a basic training company. And then I went to the 18th Airborne Corp, which was Americas Rapid Deployment Force with 18 hours anywhere in the world deployment. Learned how to jump out of planes. I was a paratrooper in the Army and got out as a captain and then went into the television business, WMBB General Manager Terry Cole said. Terry says the military played a vital role in transitioning to a new career in commercial television. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You know, many moments in the middle of the desert. You do a lot of thinking, especially at night. And I went to the desert a lot, so I got to think a lot. And that gave me the passion when I finally decided to get out of active duty. And you know, to tell stories. And I debated it for over a year whether I was going to get out or not. And when I finally did, I never looked back, Cole said. In 1988 Terry took his first job as an Advertising Account Executive. He moved into management and worked at several stations around the country, including as general manager at WJHG in the late 90s and early 2000s. It wasnt always easy. I still havent decided whats riskier, being a captain jumping out of planes an infantry officer in the Army, or the television business, Cole said. New program allows educators to earn CDA credential for free Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While managing a station in Wichita, Kansas, Terry began receiving a series of disturbing messages. I learned that I was the pen pal of BTK, the serial killer, for a few years there until they finally caught him, Dennis Rader, and then came back to Panama City, Cole said. With the help of some of those messages, Rader was arrested and convicted of murdering 10 people. Terry has been a crucial factor in leading WMBB through good times and bad. He was instrumental in guiding the station through Hurricane Michael and the 1-year rebuild that followed. Theres a lot of satisfaction in this job. Theres also trying moments in this job. But I will tell you, at the end of the day, I love the majority of it, Cole said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Terrys last day will be December 31st. He says he plans to spend his retirement with his family and taking care of his wife, Candy, as well as being a proud grandfather. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. A 49-year-old woman has died after being attacked by an elephant, according to multiple reports. The woman was walking in Phu Kradueng National Park in Thailand when she was attacked on Wednesday, Dec. 11, per local media outlets the Bangkok Post, MCOT.net and The Nation. She was on a trail leading to Phen Phop Mai Waterfall when the incident happened. According to MCOT.net and The Nation, the elephant charged at the woman twice, causing fatal injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a post shared on Facebook on Dec. 12, Phu Kradueng National Park confirmed that a visitor had died following an incident of wild elephants attacking tourists on Dec. 11. The post added that the elephants are still roaming around the walking path to various tourist attractions and it may be dangerous to tourists who see wild elephants along the path. Boy_Anupong/Getty Phu Kradueng National Park in Thailand Phu Kradueng National Park in Thailand "Phu Kradung National Park expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and requests all tourists to strictly follow the instructions of the officials for tourism safety," the post added. The victim was identified as a woman named Jeeranan from Chachoengsao province, per the Bangkok Post. According to the outlet, other visitors at the park alerted rangers to the attack at around 9:47 a.m. local time. Park officials then found the woman dead. Adisorn Hemtanon, the head of Phu Kradueng National Park, said that the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has ordered an investigation into the incident and instructed park rangers to provide increased security for visitors, according to MCOT.net. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Per the Bangkok Post, Phu Kradueng police have also begun an investigation into the womans death. Manoj Shah/Getty A photo of an African elephant A photo of an African elephant 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. Phu Kradueng National Park said all tourist attractions and camps would be temporarily closed from Dec. 13 following the incident, per their Facebook post. The tourism section of the Sri San Tourist Service Center (foothill) remains open to the tourists as usual, the post added. According to the Bangkok Post, MCOT.net and The Nation, this is the first time a wild elephant has attacked a tourist in the area. PEOPLE has reached out to Phu Kradueng National Park for comment. Read the original article on People The exotic dancer who once accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her admitted this week that she invented the 2006 allegations that set off a combustible national conversation about gender, race and class. Crystal Mangum, who is now in prison serving time for second-degree murder, said she "made up a story that wasn't true" against one-time defendants David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann who "didn't deserve that." "I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn't and that was wrong," she told podcaster Kate Katerena's "Let's Talk with Kat" in an interview that dropped this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me and made up a story that wasn't true because I wanted validation from people and not from God and that was wrong when God already loved me for who I was." Mangum and another dancer had been hired to perform at party, thrown by Duke lacrosse players, on March 13, 2006. She claimed that players raped her in blockbuster allegations that touched on hot-button topics such as sex work, race and class. Charges against the players were eventually dropped, but it later emerged that Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong had withheld evidence from defense lawyers that could have cleared the men much earlier. The prosecutor was disbarred in 2007. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That night Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and Dave Evans, they took me into their home and they trusted (me)," Mangum said at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women. "The Bible says that you shouldn't do harm to your neighbor ... and they were my brothers, and they trusted me that I wouldn't betray their trust." The 46-year-old said she was "searching for validation" when she made up those lies and now hopes the former Duke players can someday accept her apology. "I hurt my brothers," she said. "I want them to know that I love them and they didn't deserve it and I hope they can forgive me." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangum was convicted in 2013 for second-degree murder for the fatal stabbing of boyfriend Reginald Daye on April 3, 2011. She was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison. She's set to be released on Feb. 27, 2026, according to North Carolina prison records. Evans and Seligmann did not immediately return telephone and email messages seeking comment on Friday. CORRECTION: (Dec. 15, 2024, 2:51 p.m. ET): This article was updated to remove a statement that was incorrectly attributed to Collin Finnerty. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Crystal Mangum has admitted that she made up allegations that three former Duke University lacrosse players raped her in 2006 Mangum made the confession during an appearance on the Let's Talk with Kat podcast I made up a story that wasn't true because I wanted validation from people and not from God," Mangum said, adding that Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans "didn't deserve" what she put them through The woman who falsely accused three former Duke University lacrosse players of raping her at a party nearly 20 years ago has admitted that she lied about the allegations. Crystal Mangum, a former exotic dancer, made the confession during an appearance on the Lets Talk with Kat podcast, hosted by Katerena DePasquale, and asked the players she had accused Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans for forgiveness. AP Photo/Sara D. Davis Crystal Mangum Crystal Mangum The episode, which was released on Wednesday, Dec. 11, according to the campus newspaper, the Duke Chronicle, was recorded on Nov. 13 at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women. Mangum is currently in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder of her then-boyfriend in 2013, per the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the recording, Mangum stated that she doesnt have any regrets and everything happens to get everybody to the point where they are, its all to show Gods love and his forgiveness, before saying that she made up the allegations about being raped in 2006. Im a living witness of Gods forgiveness, Mangum said. That night, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and Dave Evans, they took me into their home and they trusted. The Bible says that you shouldnt do harm to your neighbor that lives trustingly beside you, and they were my brothers and they trusted me that I wouldnt betray their trust and I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn't. And that was wrong, and I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me. Travis Long/Raleigh News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty; Sara D. Davis/Getty; Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty (L-R) Reade Seligmann, David Evans and Collin Finnerty (L-R) Reade Seligmann, David Evans and Collin Finnerty I made up a story that wasn't true because I wanted validation from people and not from God, and that was wrong when God already loved me for who I was regardless, Mangum continued. I didnt need to seek validation from him because I already had it, I just didnt know it, and I hurt my brothers. Mangum then asked Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans for forgiveness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want them to know that I love them and they didnt deserve that and I hope they can forgive me, she added. And I hope they can heal and trust God and know that God loves them. Before now, Mangum had never publicly stated that she made up the allegations. In her 2008 book Last Dance for Grace: The Crystal Mangum Story, Mangum wrote, I will never say that nothing at all happened that night, per the Duke Chronicle. According to the outlet, Mangum expressed her desire to apologize to the players in her response to DePasquale's request for an interview. Its been on my heart to do a public apology concerning the Duke lacrosse case, Mangum wrote to DePasquale in a letter obtained by the outlet. I actually lied about the incident to the public, my family, my friends and to God about it, and Im not proud about it. Harry Lynch/Raleigh News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Crystal Mangum Crystal Mangum As previously reported by PEOPLE in 2006, Mangum, then a 28-year-old student at North Carolina Central University, told police she was attacked by the three men who were aged 20, 19 and 23 at the time in a bathroom at a March 13 Duke lacrosse team party where she'd been hired to perform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to local media outlet WRAL, citing court records, Mangum initially told police in Durham, N.C., she was raped, sodomized and beaten for a 30-minute period while trapped in a bathroom in the early hours of March 14, 2006. Based on Mangums claims at the time, Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans were each charged with multiple crimes including rape. None of the players DNA was found on or inside the accusers body, and ultimately, Mangums account was debunked, with prosecutors ultimately declaring the players innocent. After the case against the players collapsed, Mike Nifong, the District Attorney who had originally charged the players, was disbarred in 2007 for unethical conduct, including withholding exculpatory evidence and making inflammatory public statements. The Associated Press reports Mangums mental stability was questioned. Travis Long/Raleigh News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty (L-R) David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann (L-R) David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Per the Duke Chronicle, then-N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper did not prosecute Mangum for perjury after the case was dismissed. He said at the time that the investigators thought she may have actually believed the many different stories that she has been telling. After their case was dismissed in April 2007, Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans sued former University President Richard Brodheads and the University, according to the outlet. The case resulted in an undisclosed settlement. The North Carolina Department of Corrections' website lists Mangum's projected release date as Feb. 27, 2026, per WRAL. Read the original article on People (WJW) Customs officers arrested a traveler who investigators say tried to smuggle pounds of methamphetamine disguised as a Christmas gift into New Zealand last weekend. According to the New Zealand Customs Service, a woman was stopped and questioned about her carry-on duffle bag when she arrived in Auckland from Vancouver on Sunday. Investigators checked her the bag and found about 22 pounds of meth wrapped as a Christmas gift inside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mystery object in Indiana sky concerns one resident. Heres what it was New Zealand Customs said the drugs were worth up to $3.8 million NZD (or $2.1 million USD) in street value and a potential social harm cost of approximately NZ$10.7 million. The woman was arrested and later appeared Manukau District Court, charged with importation and possession for supply of a Class A controlled drug. Customs officials called this a classic attempt by transnational organized criminal groups at trying to exploit the busy travel season. These criminal groups make the mistake of thinking Customs wont chase smaller targets, but we know that drugs sent from North America are an increasing risk and we are prepared, said Paul Williams, a Customs manager at Auckland Airport. We also have an excellent working relationship with our Canadian partners and collaborate with them closely to, in some cases, stop the drug couriers even before they board a flight here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. COFFEE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) A man is facing charges after police discovered a woman dead in her home in Manchester Thursday. According to Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott, Manchester Police Department officers were dispatched to a home on Chalet Drive in the Alpine Village area of Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 12, for a deceased female. Manchester police, working in conjunction with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Coffee County Sheriffs Department, and DA investigators, determined the womans domestic partner, Robert Ourada, 39, was the one responsible for her death, Northcott said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee According to Northcott, Ourada was in custody prior to the womans discovery on a separate charge of aggravated burglary of a neighbors home earlier Thursday. Ourada remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on Monday, Dec. 16. Northcott said additional charges are forthcoming. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH) Grandview Heights police are searching for a suspect believed to be involved in an attempted abduction that occurred near an apartment complex Wednesday. Police say a report of an attempted abduction was received at around 9:30 p.m. An adult woman told officers she was walking to a residence at the Apartments at the Yard, on Baldwin Drive, when a man wearing a surgical mask grabbed her from behind. Data shows Columbus eviction filings increased dramatically after COVID-19 The victim said the man attempted to pull her toward a car in a nearby parking lot but that she was able to break free and run away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As I was trying to walk home from that event, a guy tried grabbing the back of my jacket and told me he was like, you need to get in the car, She told police on a 9-1-1 call. When I was breaking away from him and telling him to get away from me he was like if you talk to that woman Ill hurt her too. Police said that surveillance cameras in the area captured a gold Chevrolet Cruz circulating the parking lot, then leaving moments after the reported incident. At first I was a little unsettled. I was kind of surprised that we hadnt heard anything from the neighborhood and that I found out through social media, Alexis Reynolds, a four-year resident of Apartments at the Yard, said. As a young woman, I was very unsettled especially because I found out through social media and didnt really know. It gets dark really early now so I didnt leave my apartment, I stayed in, I didnt go to the gym Reynolds says this is a scary reminder to be careful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay vigilant. Keep your eyes up. You never know, even if you are aware and you think youre aware of your surroundings, you never know what can happen Grandview Heights Police say the suspect is still at large and is described as 510, around 190 lbs. with dark-colored hair. Police stated he was seen wearing a tan-colored sweater with dark-colored pants. Anyone who observed suspicious behavior or has additional information is asked to call Grandview Heights police at 614-488-7901. A gold Chevrolet Cruz is seen leaving the scene of an alleged attempted abduction in Grandview Heights, Dec. 12, 2024. (Courtesy/Grandview Heights Division of Police) Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. An Indianapolis woman who stabbed an Asian student in her head multiple times has been sentenced to six years in prison for the hate crime. Billie Davis, 57, of Bloomington, Ind., will spend six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, the United States Attorneys Office announced in a press release on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Related: 'Sobering Reminder': Hate Crime Charges for Man Accused of Attacking 7 Asian Women in N.Y.C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Indiana University at Bloomington student of Chinese descent was riding a Bloomington Transit bus on Jan. 11, 2023, when Davis boarded and sat behind her, a separate press release said, citing court documents. The student, identified only as Z.F., stood up a few stops later once the bus arrived near the campus, and thats when Davis reached for a folding knife from inside her pocket and stabbed Z.F. in the head approximately seven to 10 times, the release said. Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Entrance sign into campus at Indiana University in Bloomington Indiana Entrance sign into campus at Indiana University in Bloomington Indiana Z.F. ran away, but other passengers confronted Davis, as the 57-year-old sat back down on the bus. Davis was later arrested by Bloomington Police, referring to the victim as some Asian f------ c---. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman also claimed that since she committed the crime, there was one less enemy. Z.F.s injuries included multiple stab wounds and cuts, and the college student required medical attention which resulted in sutures and staples. Related: Asian Americans Fear for Their Safety Amid Increasing Racism, Hate Crimes Since Start of Pandemic Racially motivated violence has no place in our society, assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said in a statement. Clarke said Davis targeted Z.F., who was simply riding a public bus to school, solely because she was Chinese. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sentence imposed for these vicious hate crimes should send a strong message that perpetrators of hate-fueled violence will be held accountable, the attorney general added of Davis sentence. The Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes wherever they occur in our country. Related: Man Allegedly Dumps Liquid on Asian Woman in N.Y.C., Says 'Go Back to China' U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary A. Myers added, Every person deserves to feel safe in their own community, and no one should be made to fear violence on their way to school simply because of who they are. Myers said the Department of Justice has prioritized prosecution of hate crimes and community outreach through our United Against Hate initiative, and promised he is working hard to make the community safer for all. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The FBIs Indianapolis branch is also working with authorities, adding, The FBI remains committed to protecting the civil rights of all individuals and this case should serve as a reminder that hate fueled actions will not be tolerated. Davis has remained in jail since the attack, Indiana Public Media reported on Wednesday. Read the original article on People YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A woman who was charged with child endangering last week is now in custody. ALazsa Underwood, 20, will have a preliminary hearing on Dec. 20 on the charge, a third-degree felony, in municipal court. Underwood was arraigned Friday morning. Bail information is not yet available. Underwood was arrested Thursday on the warrant by Liberty Police and turned over to Youngstown Police, who booked her into the Mahoning County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the police departments Family Services Investigative Unit filed charges Dec. 5 against Underwood, following an investigation of a July 19 incident when police were called to a home on W. Warren Avenue for a report of a child with burn wounds. Reports say when police arrived, Underwood was holding a 1-year-old wrapped in a towel who had burns from his thighs to his feet. Pieces of his skin were also in a bathroom, reports say. Reports say Underwood told police she had been sleeping and did not know how the child received his burns. A witness told police they heard water from an upstairs bathroom and someone screaming. That witness went to check and found the child sitting in a sink with his legs in the water, reports say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reports say other witnesses told police they did not know what happened because they were sleeping. Police checked the hot water tank in the home and it was on hot, reports say. Reports say the child was examined at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown and doctors told officers the child had second-degree burns on 40 percent of his body. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Lawyers for women who claim theyve been sexually harassed while working for global mining giants BHP and Rio Tinto say theyve been inundated with emails since filing two class action cases in an Australian court. The separate lawsuits, which were filed in the Federal Court in Sydney and revealed Wednesday by law firm JGA Saddler, alleges widespread and systematic sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the two companies worksites over the last two decades. Joshua Aylward, a JGA Saddler lawyer, said he had spoken to hundreds of women in the past 18 months who described accusations of abuse, many of whom he said had been afraid to speak out for fear of workplace reprisal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of these women make complaints out on these sites. And its like its the 1980s where no one believes what has happened to them, or it is just tolerated, he said. CNN has not seen the filings but claims from the two lead applicants were included in a lengthy document distributed to media that detail allegations of sexual harassment, assault, unwanted advances and lewd behavior that made them feel unsafe at work. The lawsuit claims women had been urinated on and groped, Aylward said. The law firm has chosen not to name the lead applicants for fear of retaliation. This is a safety issue for women, said Aylward. BHP and Rio know that when you send women to these sites, it is unsafe for them, and they are still happy to send them out there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In separate statements, BHP and Rio Tinto said they were aware of the claims and that their companies do not tolerate sexual harassment. According to Aylward, the applicants claims have been the subject of mediation since the start of the year, but the parties were unable to reach agreement, which prompted the move to the Federal Court. This picture taken on November 26, 2024, shows the logo of BHP, a leading global resources company, is seen on its building in Perth, Western Australia. - Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images Repeated sexual approaches One case was filed against BHP and the other against Rio Tinto. They are two of the worlds most valuable mining companies and each employs tens of thousands of people. The lead applicant in the BHP case worked for the mining company as a driver of water trucks and dump trucks at sites in the states of Queensland and New South Wales. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She alleges a BHP contractor urinated on her when she rebuffed his advances, which came after repeated sexual approaches and propositions, including visits to her accommodation where he asked to be invited in for drinks. The woman said she made a complaint about him but was never contacted and her contract was ended. There have been times I havent reported an incident for fear of what might happen to my career, my job and my personal safety, she said. Former BHP employee Angela Green, who has joined the class action suit, agreed to speak to lawyers without hiding her identity to expose her experience at the company. Angela Green, a former BHP employee, has joined the class action after being forced out of her job in April. - Jo Stone/Sticks and Stones PR Green was employed as part of the blast crew, handling explosives, but lost her job in April and refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green said she was accused of giving out sexual favors to take advantage of the companys awards system. During questioning by two male executives, she was asked who she was sleeping with. They later recommended she be fired. I have been fighting and fighting to get my job back because I like my job and I have done no wrong, she said according to a statement distributed by JGA Saddler. Green said she had also been accused of falsifying a log book, which she denies. In its response to CNN, BHP said it had yet to receive a copy of what has been filed and could not speak to specific allegations. BHP said on its website it received 417 reports of sexual harassment during the 2024 financial year and had verified 100 incidents, including a sexual assault and 22 instances of unwanted touching. More than 100 people had left the company as a result, either by termination or resignation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company phased out non-disclosure agreements from March 2019, and is no longer binding people to them. The lead applicant in the Rio Tinto case worked for the firm as a fly-in fly-out security guard assigned to the companys mine sites in Western Australia. She told lawyers that inappropriate comments of a sexual nature were made weekly, and every month or so, colleagues would touch her inappropriately by rubbing themselves against her or touching her bottom or breasts as they passed. Crude jokes were told, including about rape, she said, and one colleague even sent her a video of himself masturbating while she was on maternity leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was allowed to resign, rather than be terminated. But after she complained about the inappropriate behavior, she says she was overlooked for opportunities to upskill. Standing up and saying something has come at a huge professional and personal cost but until women in mining join together and say, no more these big companies will continue to cover it up, she said. BHP and Rio Tinto condemn behavior Claims about the sexual bullying and harassment of women at Australias mine sites are not new and in recent years both BHP and Rio Tinto have vowed to stamp it out. Rio Tinto commissioned an external review into its workplace in 2022, conducted by former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, after a parliamentary inquiry found widespread sexual harassment and assault in the mining industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A progress report released last month found that while most recommendations to improve its culture had been implemented, harmful behavior was still a challenge at the company. It noted that while reports of gender-based bullying had increased across all genders in the last three years, the largest increase was against women. This change can be explained by a range of factors including increasing retaliation in the form of gendered bullying as a response to Rio Tintos efforts to promote gender diversity and inclusion, it said in the report. In response to the class action case, a Rio Tinto spokesperson said the company doesnt tolerate any form of sexual harassment or sex-based harassment and it is absolutely committed to creating safe, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BHP also said it was committed to providing a safe and respectful workplace. We deeply regret and apologise unreservedly to anyone who has ever experienced any form of harassment at BHP, a spokesperson said. For many years, we have been focused on identifying, calling out and dealing with instances of disrespectful behaviour, including sexual harassment, racism and bullying, the BHP statement said. Aylward said the cases could take years to resolve, or less time if the companies decide to settle without challenging the womens complaints. For these women, they want to see genuine action and genuine change on these sites, he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (KRON) The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is asking the publics help for information following a wooden stick attack in the citys Mission District Friday morning. Pelosi hospitalized in Luxembourg after sustaining injury Police said officers responded at 1:43 a.m. to the report of an aggravated assault at the intersection of Hill and Sanchez Streets. Investigators said when the first male victim approached the male suspect, the suspect produced a four-foot wooden stick and struck him with it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said when the victim asked another man for help, that individual was also hit with the same weapon. SFPD said both victims received non-life-threatening injuries. One man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police said no arrests have been made and this remains is an active case. Anyone with information is asked to call San Francisco police. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Concerned loved ones of Luigi Mangione hired a private investigator after he cut off most of his family sometime in 2023, a friend has claimed. The pal of the UnitedHealthcare CEOs alleged murderer said Mangione still couldnt be tracked down by the investigator, the Daily Mail reported, raising more questions about what the 26-year-old had been up to in recent months. He wasnt talking with his family and nobody could find him, the friend said. They hired a private investigator, they were so worried. Luis Mangione lived in Hawaii off-and-on. / Luis Mangione/X Those claims track with what other loved ones of Mangione have shared publicly, but police in San Fransisco told the San Fransisco Chronicle that Mangiones mom, Kathleen, said shed spoken to her son as recently as July of this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kathleen reported her son missing in San Francisco on Nov. 18, about two weeks before the 50-year-old Brian Thompson was gunned down on a Manhattan sidewalk. A missing persons case was opened and a detective in the city claims to have recognized Mangionethanks to wanted posters released by the NYPDdays before his arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonalds on Monday. The Chronicle reported that the FBI was then notified of Mangiones potential ties to the case, but the NYPD says they never got word from the west coast. A hostels security camera captured Luigi Mangiones face in New York City, police say. / Getty Images/NYPD Mangiones former classmate at a pricey Maryland prep school, where Mangione was his class valedictorian, told the Mail that his whiz kid friend had been struggling with an injury that required pain meds. There was some sort of accident, the friend said. I knew he was hurt some time ago and that led to the painkiller thing, and then the whole family issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An accident has been frequently mentioned by others close to Mangione, too. His former landlord in Hawaii told CNN that Mangiones once-nagging back injury became a full-time nuisance in 2022 after he took a hard fall while surfing. The incident left him bedridden for a week and unable to be intimate. Mangione had surgery to fix the ailment the following summer, which required screws being placed into his lower spine. He initially hailed that procedure as a success on his Reddit page, but those close to him have theorized that the pain likely returned. Mangione, who reportedly bounced between living in San Francisco and Honolulu in recent years, appears to have gone radio silent on social media this summer. Before then, hed been a regular poster on X, Reddit, and on a Goodreads account where he logged reads of everything from the Unabombers manifesto to Dr. Seuss. His friend who spoke to the Mail said he last ran into Mangione two years ago in Baltimore. Even back then, the friend said that something was off about Mangione, but he chalked it up to him growing older. Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione is led from the Blair County Courthouse after an extradition hearing December 10, 2024 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. / Jeff Swensen/Getty Images He said he was taking a break from some things, the friend said. His voice was much deeper and a lot more serious and toned down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not long after that, word had reportedly gotten out that Mangionea member of a prominent Maryland familyhad become estranged from his family. Chatter broke out between classmates as to what might have happened. In our class, we heard a bunch of reasons why, a friend told the Mail. People said I think its drugs, or hes probably depressed, or whatever. But we never discussed it further than that. You start to rethink every single conversation you had, just to try to piece things together. Dec. 12Wreaths Across America will honor fallen veterans this weekend across the country with a simple but meaningful gesture placing a handmade wreath on their gravestone. Mount Hope Cemetery, 3700 N. Range Line Road in Webb City, will hold its Wreaths Across America ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday at its Veterans Memorial Wall. "A lot of families can't afford to come out and do a wreath like this, or honor their family member," said Travis Boyd, general manager at Mount Hope Cemetery. "We have a lot of veterans here who have no family left in the area that wouldn't be recognized this Christmas. We want to make sure that every veteran is recognized and thanked for their service to give us our freedoms that we have to be able to do this today." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wreaths Across America started with Morrill Worcester, according to local volunteer Susie Crutcher. As a young boy growing up in Maine, Worcester won a trip to Washington, D.C. On the trip, he was impressed with Arlington National Cemetery and its countless rows of white gravestones. He started Worcester Wreath Co. when he grew up. The image of Arlington stuck with Worcester, and one year he had a surplus of live wreaths that he drove to Arlington. He and a friend placed the wreaths in the oldest part of the cemetery. From that trip, the tradition grew. In 2007, he formed Wreaths Across America. Last year, more than 1.3 million volunteers laid wreaths at more than 4,700 cemeteries here and abroad. "Around the holidays, as we tend to turn more toward gifts and showing appreciation for people in our lives, I think it's a natural thing to do to remember those who have gone on before us," Crutcher said. "They're allowing us to have what we have now." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crutcher spearheaded efforts to bring Wreaths Across America to the area. Her father, Bruce Benson, was a U.S. Army veteran who became well known for playing taps on his trumpet daily at the Webb City post office. He played rain and shine, sometimes with an audience, sometimes by himself. Both of Crutcher's parents are buried at Mount Hope, and she wanted to put a wreath on her father's grave. She had heard of Wreaths Across America and tried to get a wreath, but the program said that it couldn't send out one wreath individually. The next year, she decided to bring the whole program to the area. The first step was to arrange for businesses and individuals to sponsor wreaths. Crutcher contacted Boyd and asked how many veterans were in Mount Hope, thinking it was a few hundred. "He told me there were 1,200, so I just kind of got to work spreading the word," Crutcher said with a laugh. "People are so generous and kind. Local businesses have contributed and sponsored wreaths. Since the first year, we've made our goal of one wreath per veteran. I'm just amazed that our patriots are supported so strongly here." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saturday's event is open and free to the public. Boyd said there will be a ceremony with the Patriot Guard escorting the truck bringing the wreaths, the national anthem, prayers and a few speeches. Then volunteers and Webb City and Carl Junction JROTC members will place wreaths on shepherd hooks provided by Charlie 22 Outdoors. A local company, Contract Freighters Inc., has helped deliver the wreaths for around 14 years. CFI delivers between four and seven loads a year for the program. Each load delivers to about 20 cemeteries from Maine to Arlington National Cemetery, and locally to cemeteries in Missouri and Kansas. Adam Sparlin, fleet manager at CFI, has coordinated shipping with Wreaths Across America for the last five years. He said trucking employs a range of people, including many veterans. When they leave the service, trucking is a good career option. "Because they are a big part of who we are and our identity, anything we can do to give back to the military community, we do," Sparlin said. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) More than 120 years later, the first powered flight is set to be honored. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is inviting the public to visit Wright Brothers Memorial, located on Wright Memorial Hill near Area B on Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. During the time, a ceremony to mark the 121st anniversary of the first powered flight will occur. A presidential proclamation will be presented by Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park superintendent Kendell Thompson. Following the presentation, a wreath-laying ceremony will occur for members of the Wright family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The annual event has occurred since 1978, the 75th anniversary of the first flight. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. TOWANDA, Pa. (WETM) A Wysox man has been sentenced to serve time after he attempted to assault a doctor at a hospital in Towanda. Justin M. Benjamin, 39, was sentenced to a minimum of four months to a maximum of 23 months and 29 days followed by six months of probation on the charges of two counts of simple assault and one count of criminal mischief, as reported by the Bradford County District Attorneys Office. Reports state that Benjamin was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police following complaints of a disturbance at the Towanda Memorial Hospital in North Towanda Township. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bradford County inmate sentenced eight months in jail on trespass/theft charges After arriving at the scene, police reported that they learned Benjamin had thrown hospital equipment and attempted to punch a doctor, who was then able to bring him to the ground and restrain him. It was also reported that Benjamin had threatened to fight another person at the hospital. Benjamins sentence is influenced by his limited criminal history of possessing drug paraphernalia and retail theft. If he fails to complete his sentence or receives new charges, his sentence could be revoked and he could serve more time in jail. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Star reporter Olivia Nuzzis romantic relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was the hardest thing for New York Magazine editor-in-chief David Haskell to deal with in his five years on the job, he told Interview Magazine on Thursday. It is his first public comment on the alleged affair. Haskell said Nuzzi who developed a relationship with Kennedy while reporting on his presidential campaign and while engaged to Politico reporter Ryan Lizza is radically talented and published amazing journalism during her time at the magazine. The main thing I would say is that secrets are the hardest thing for humans to deal with, and journalists traffic in secrets. Your job is to reveal them and its also to hold them, Haskell told Interview. I just came out of this with a much clearer appreciation for all the systems and culture and codes of conduct for a newsroom to help a reporter navigate through all that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added: Once I knew that she had had that relationship, it was clear that we would have to disclose it to our readers, and how we did that was an incredibly difficult process to get through. But I knew where we had to land. New York Magazine shared a blog post on Nuzzis personal relationship with Kennedy on September 19, hours after Status broke the news of the affair. The news of Nuzzi and Kennedys relationship quickly became a massive media story after it was first reported in September, with outlets like The New York Post reporting on the pair having incredible FaceTime sex. (Both sides have denied the relationship was ever physical.) Nuzzi and New York Magazine agreed to part ways in October. Shed been with the outlet for nearly eight years. New York Magazine said it had enlisted a law firm to review her work and had found no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias in her reporting. Nuzzi had profiled Kennedy for the magazine in November 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fallout from the digital affair was ugly between Nuzzi and Lizza, her ex-fiance. Nuzzi had accused Lizza, who is taking a leave of absence from Politico, of organizing a campaign of blackmail and harassment against her after learning of her secret relationship with Kennedy. She filed a protective order against Lizza in October, but later withdrew her lawsuit against him in November. Olivia shamelessly used litigation with false and defamatory allegations as a public relations strategy. When required to do so, she refused to defend her claims in court last month. She then sought to hide my response to her claims from the public by seeking to seal the proceedings that she began, Lizza said at the time. Lizza had previously said Nuzzi told him that Kennedy who is married to Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines wanted to possess, control, and impregnate her. Olivia lied to me for almost a year, Lizza added in his November statement. She lied to her editors. She lied to her readers. She lied to her colleagues. She lied to reporters. And she lied to the judge in this case. I said I would defend myself against her lies vigorously and successfully and I am fully prepared to do so. But for now, Im pleased this matter is closed. The post New York Editor Breaks Silence on RFK Affair With His Reporter appeared first on TheWrap. CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) UNC Charlotte students were shocked to find out what exactly was in North Carolinas Senate Bill 382 and how it could shape North Carolina in the future. It made them think, Does my vote really count? I never knew about this, and honestly, I dont really agree with what is happening, said freshman Sam Lee. She was stunned after learning what happened in the North Carolina state legislature Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Roy Cooper, Josh Stein file lawsuit against NC General Assembly over powers being stripped from Senate Bill 382 Western North Carolina is set to receive $227 million in relief aid, but incoming Democrats who won their race in the Nov. 5 election will have fewer official powers. House and Senate Republicans used their supermajority to override Gov. Roy Coopers veto of the controversial Senate Bill 382. There were still partisan divisions. This bill just doesnt meet the moment, and it doesnt meet NCs values, and we ought to vote to uphold the governors veto, said Buncombe County Democrat Rep. Eric Ager. Western NC needs the help; lets get it for them. Im gonna vote to override this veto, and I hope youll vote with me, said Avery County Republican Rep. Dudley Greene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Western North Carolina wont receive that money immediately. What would happen right away is the transfer of power from positions held by elected Democrats to offices held by Republicans. That move would prevent Governor-elect Josh Stein from appointing members to the state board of elections. It would also weaken the powers of Attorney General-elect Jeff Jackson, Lieutenant Governor-elect Rachel Hunt, and Superintendent of Public Instruction-elect Mo Green, all of whom are Democrats. Its worrying. Its very scary because, you know, this country is built on democracy, and were literally having that power stripped away. So it almost feels like were changing the country at the roots, you know, and thats worrying, said senior Ethan Greaves. Both Lee and Greaves say they voted for Democrats on their ballots in the November 5th election. Others on campus believe its an attack on democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Feel like its not even going to matter at all, so its like enough people dont vote out there. And now we feel like this specific party is even less representative, and that kind of sucks, Greaves continued. I do not think that America would ever come to where its at today. Never. And Im not even that old. And I really never even thought of that. Its real sad that Im this young and this already happened to me in America, Lee said. Queen City News Continued Coverage Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. RICHMOND, Va. (WFXR) On Thursday, December 12, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced a $895,000 investment to expand dairy operations in Wythe County. Duchess Dairy Products is a family-owned and operated dairy manufacturer started in 2010 by the Huffard family and Joe Blakenship. The Huffard family has been raising cattle and producing milk for more than four generations and has strong ties to the local community. The company currently produces around 7,000 gallons of milk every week that is sold at stores across the southern and southwest parts of Virginia including Food City, Food Lion, independent grocery retailers, and specialty stores. Coffee prices hit record high after challenging growing season Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Growing small businesses in our rural communities is vital to the continued growth of the Commonwealths largest private industry, agriculture. Congratulations to Duchess Dairy on this expansion and for investing in Southwest Virginia, said Governor Glenn Youngkin. With the $895,000 investment, the dairy farm plans to increase its operation by adding a production line of churned butter. We would like to thank Governor Youngkin, the State of Virginia, Wythe County, and the town of Rural Retreat for their assistance with this project, as well as our many loyal customers for the purchase of our products, said President of Duchess Dairy James Huffard, III. We take great pride in sourcing only fresh, high-quality milk from our dairy cattle to produce bottled milk and other dairy products. This expansion project will help us meet growing consumer demand by increasing operational efficiencies, increasing production capacity, and adding a production line of fresh churned butter. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) worked with Wythe County and the town of Rural Retreat to secure the project for Virginia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More On The Farm stories on WFXRtv.com I am pleased that the Governors Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Funds facility grant allows us to partner with Wythe County to support the expansion of Duchess Dairy, said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. This expansion increases dairy processing opportunities in the state, especially dairies in Southwest Virginia, and supports the growth of Virginias dairy industry. Governor Youngkin approved a $25,000 Facility Grant from the Governors Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund, which Wythe County will match with local funds. This project is important to Wythe County and our local dairy industry as we support our small businesses and Virginias agricultural economy, said Chairman of Wythe County Board of Supervisors Brian Vaught. The expansion of Duchess Dairy Products will benefit this entire sector by increasing the total production of dairy products and drawing more customers into and supporting businesses in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Roanoke Foodshed Network receives $800,000 grant for food systems Since 1929, the Huffard family has provided fresh, local milk to families throughout the area. I congratulate the Huffard, Blakenship, and Slemp families on the expansion of Duchess Dairy and for their investment in Southwest Virginia and the town of Rural Retreat, said Senator Travis Hackworth. Agriculture has and continues to play a vital role in Southwest Virginias industrial and economic history. Congratulations to Duchess Dairy as they embark on this expansion and add to the vibrancy of our community, said Delegate Jed Arnold. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. RICHMOND Part of Gov. Glenn Youngkins upcoming budget proposal will include a provision that would preclude localities from receiving state funding if they do not comply with federal immigration authorities. Under the no sanctuary cities proposal Youngkin announced Thursday, he said local law enforcement and jail officials shall recognize and respect (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detainers, and that local law enforcement and jail officials must fully comply with ICE detainers. If passed as part of the final state spending plan, the proposal means if localities do not cooperate with ICE efforts to identify and deport undocumented immigrants, they will lose state funding. The proposal will call for law enforcement and jail officials to notify ICE 48 hours prior to the release of someone accused of committing a crime who is in the country illegally. Historically, some jurisdictions have denied federal requests to detain people for longer than their criminal sentences so ICE can take custody of the person and deport them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no legal or standard definition of a sanctuary city, rather it is a broad term applied to jurisdictions that have policies designed to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. If you are a sanctuary city, or self-declared not to cooperate with ICE, then were going to withhold funding, Youngkin said at a news conference Thursday in the Patrick Henry Building. It obligates all sheriffs and local jail authorities to cooperate with ICE. It was not immediately clear how many Virginia localities have policies in place that the Youngkin administration would deem non-cooperative , though the governor specifically referenced Fairfax County. According to the county website, Fairfax has not been designated as a sanctuary county. The website states that the county complies to the fullest extent of the law with any law enforcement agency requesting assistance; however, the federal courts have determined that the enforcement of civil immigration laws is solely a federal responsibility under the exclusive authority of ICE. Youngkins proposal will be included in his budget amendment plan, to be introduced next Wednesday. But it could face long odds in the General Assembly, where Democrats hold control of the House and Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposal would direct the Department of Criminal Justice Services to withhold 599 state funding for police departments from sanctuary cities. It would also cut off state per diem payments to local and regional jails. We are protecting Virginians first, the Republican governor said. We respect the rule of law. We will ensure coordination between local state and federal authorities. Thursdays announcement came on the heels of a letter signed by 26 Republican governors, including Youngkin, pledging every tool at (their) disposal to aid President Trumps mass deportation efforts. Kate Seltzer, kate.seltzer@virginiamedia.com Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect comments made by Zelensky on Dec. 13 on his upcoming visit. President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Brussels on Dec. 19 to meet with European Union and NATO leaders, an undisclosed source from the president's team told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 13. Brussels will host a two-day European Summit in the EU Council buildings on Dec. 18-19. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following a phone call with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Dec. 11, Zelensky announced a personal meeting with him "next week in Brussels." Zelensky further appeared to confirm his upcoming visit during his evening address on Dec. 13, stating that preparations are underway "for meetings in Brussels next week with European leaders." During his visit, Zelensky will meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. The president will also meet with the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, according to Reuters. "It won't be a meeting that has concrete decisions, but more political to discuss the coming weeks and months," said a source familiar with the meeting told Reuters. Ukrainian officials stressed earlier that NATO membership is the only path toward a just and lasting peace. While acknowledging that the country cannot become a full member amid the full-scale war, Kyiv asked the allies to at least extend an invitation now as a clear signal of support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NATO previously said that Ukraine is on an "irreversible" path toward membership, but its members have failed to reach a consensus on an invitation. The U.S., Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia are reportedly among the main opponents of the step. Read also: How will Russias war in Ukraine end? The good, the bad, and the ugly scenarios Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday morning that Russian forces fired more than 90 missiles at the country's energy sector overnight, with 81 of the missiles shot down. Eleven cruise missiles were intercepted by Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets, Zelensky said on Telegram. Before the missiles were fired, Russia had deployed almost 200 combat drones to Ukraine. "This was one of the largest attacks on our power grid," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky renewed his calls for Western allies to supply more air defence systems, and said that more effective sanctions against Russia were also needed. "Oil gives [Russian President Vladimir] Putin enough money to believe in his own impunity," Zelensky said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a visit to Brussels for talks with European leaders in his evening address on Friday, 13 December. Source: Zelenskyys evening video address; European Pravda reports Details: Speaking about the talks with foreign leaders, Zelenskyy noted that preparations for meetings in Brussels next week with European leaders are already underway. He did not specify when the visit will take place or what meetings will be held. Background: Following a telephone conversation with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Zelenskyy announced a face-to-face meeting with him next week in Brussels. Reuters reported that Zelenskyy will be visiting Brussels next Wednesday, on 19 December, where he is scheduled to meet with EU and NATO state leaders at the invitation of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. A EU summit will be held in Brussels at the same time, during which French President Emmanuel Macron may raise the issue of deploying a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Brussels next Wednesday, 19 December, to meet with state leaders of the EU and NATO. Source: European Pravda with reference to Reuters Details: According to the agency's sources, Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland. The meeting is organised by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. It will include a joint session and several bilateral meetings with Zelenskyy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy plans to discuss support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. "It won't be a meeting that has concrete decisions, but more political to discuss the coming weeks and months," said a source familiar with the meeting plan. Background: Earlier, following a phone call with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Zelenskyy announced a personal meeting with him "next week in Brussels". In addition, Rutte, commenting on discussions of a potential peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia in the West, pointed out that all these conversations are taking place without the participation of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. In this context, he called for more restraint in the discussions and instead called for Ukraine to participate in potential negotiations from a position of strength. Support UP or become our patron! Since last month, President-elect Donald Trump has carried his electoral victory into his legal battles, wiping out pending federal prosecutions and pausing sentencing. But experts say his efforts to do the same with his civil fraud judgment stands no chance. In a letter publicly released Tuesday, the New York attorney general's office told Trump's lawyer that the Constitution doesn't mandate she ask a court to dismiss the $485 million judgment of Trump's civil fraud case in the wake of his winning the election. The letter came in response to Trump attorney and solicitor general appointee John Sauer's late November communication to New York Attorney General Letitia James urging her to voluntarily drop the case, in which Trump was found liable for fraud. He argued a provision of the Constitution privileging federal law over state law "prevents state prosecutors from proceeding against the sitting President in any way." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legal experts told Salon, however, that Trump becoming president should have "zero impact" on this or any other civil judgment he has. Former Assistant New York Attorney General Adam Pollock likened the judgment to regular expenses the Trump Organization must pay to maintain its building, asserting that they don't "evaporate just because you become president." "They don't vanish the moment that you become president, whether they're the debt to the people of the state of New York in this $450 million judgment, this debt in the defamation case of almost $100 million or the debt to the electric company every month on the property he owns," Pollock, now a managing partner of Pollock Cohen LLP in New York, told Salon in a phone interview. Trump is appealing a New York judge's February decision that he owed the state $454 million for inflating his asset value and net worth on financial statements to obtain better loan terms over several years. That judgment, which accrues interest, is now valued at more than $485 million, according to USA Today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the president-elect's other high-profile legal battles have been impacted by his electoral victory last month, which Sauer noted in his letter to James. Special counsel Jack Smith, who indicted Trump in two federal cases last year over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election and his retention of classified documents post-presidency, dropped the former and withdrew his appeal of the latter's dismissal in late November. In New York, the judge overseeing Trump's hush-money case, in which he was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May, also indefinitely postponed his sentencing at the request of the Manhattan district attorney last month. Meanwhile, the fate of Trump's Georgia prosecution over an alleged racketeering scheme to overturn the state's 2020 election results slowed to a near halt for most of the year as an appeals court weighed whether to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her hiring a romantic partner to lead the case remains uncertain. The state appeals court canceled a hearing over Willis' status earlier this month without explanation in the wake of Trump's win. The president-elect's lawyers also filed a motion last week requesting the case be dismissed because his impending presidency will make him immune from prosecution. Trump denies any wrongdoing in his criminal cases and has repeatedly characterized them as politically motivated "witch hunts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in the A.G. office's response, New York Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale argued that the appeals process for Trump's civil fraud judgment should continue as it would if Trump hadn't won the presidency. She pointed to a unanimous 1997 Supreme Court decision against Bill Clinton that tanked his efforts to block a civil sexual harassment lawsuit that was brought against him by Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee. The court ruled that a federal civil lawsuit over a sitting president's unofficial conduct could proceed during the presidency. The president-elect's "appeals will be handled primarily by Mr. Trumps appellate lawyers, and any consultations Mr. Trump may have with those attorneys about appeals will not plausibly impose an unconstitutional burden," Vale wrote. The "ordinary burdens of civil litigation do not impede the Presidents official duties in a way that violates the U.S. Constitution," she added. In a statement to USA Today, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung described Vale's letter as "sad and weak." He also lauded Sauer's correspondence as a "powerhouse submission." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "AG James should heed President Trumps call for national unity and drop this baseless, discredited witch hunt," he told the outlet. But Pollock argued that Vale's response was "spot on." "This case is at its finish line. There's a judgment, there's an appeal. The appeal has been fully briefed and argued," Pollock said. "At some point, the First Department is going to issue a decision, and at that point, either party can appeal further" with permission from the New York Court of Appeals. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. The same premise would apply to Trump's other massive financial judgment the $88.3 million in damages he owes writer E. Jean Carroll after a jury found him liable for sexually abusing her and defaming her twice in his public statements about her allegation Pollock said. Trump has denied Carroll's claims and is appealing both judgments in her suits against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump could drop his appeal in the civil fraud suit and pay the penalty, but he has signaled no interest in doing so. Much like in his other cases, the president-elect has denied any wrongdoing In his civil fraud case and is awaiting an appellate court ruling about whether the judgment can stand. His lawyers have argued, among other points of contention, that because Trump's asset valuations did not hurt his lenders, the attorney general's lawsuit went too far. While Syracuse University College of Law professor Gregory Germain agreed that Trump's winning the presidency should have no bearing on the New York attorney general's pursuit of the judgment against him, he thinks the arguments in Trump's appeal have merit. One issue he identified was that the attorney general did not have to prove that the companies Trump and his co-defendants were said to have defrauded relied on Trump's inflated values. As Trump's lawyers noted, the companies themselves did not complain that Trump defrauded them. Some witness testimony also suggested the insurers and lenders thought the values were inflated but were unsure by how much, Germain noted. Because the attorney general didn't prove their reliance on the financial statements "to the extent necessary" under fraud law, she had "no business bringing an action to get disgorgement," he argued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Germain also raised concerns about how the judge calculated the damages Trump owed to the state of New York. He argued that the only way the court could have settled on "such a huge amount" for the judgment is by looking at how much Trump gained financially from using the statement. But that financial gain Trump received from selling property he purchased with a loan, obtained by using his inflated financial statements, is not "proximately caused by the statement" but other factors like property value increase over time, he said. Because of that, the "causal connection" between Trump's enrichment from using the statement and the judgment value is "lacking." The case had "lots" of "substantive problems with the decision" and "the calculation of the remedy," he concluded. "Those are all issues on the merits, but they really have nothing to do with whether you won the election or lost the election." Google temporarily removed advanced hotel features from searches in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia, showing only links. The company says users were less satisfied by this change, and it took them longer to find hotels. The test resulted in over a 10% traffic drop for hotels, impacting hundreds of thousands across Europe, while comparison sites saw little to no benefit. Google isnt a fan of the EUs new Digital Markets Act (DMA), which forces it to avoid prioritizing its own services on Search over rival comparison sites. The company has consistently argued that the law degrades the quality of search results for local users. To make its case, Google ran a test in some EU countries, removing map strips, curated hotel results, hotel property info, and other details from Search, leaving only blue links. The test is now over, and Google admits that removing these visually rich features didnt really help anyone. Over the past year, Google claims to have made over 20 changes to Search to level the playing field for competitors, such as online travel aggregators and comparison sites. Last month, it announced additional updates to further support these sites, but some argue the changes still dont go far enough. According to Google, these sites want it to remove anything more advanced than a simple blue link to a website, so it did just that. In a temporary test, Google removed advanced hotel features from searches in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia, showing only links to individual websites. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Google shared the results of the test on Thursday, saying people were less happy with their search experience. It took them longer to find hotels, often needing more searches, and many gave up without finding what they wanted (via TechCrunch). Overall, traffic to hotels and comparison sites dropped, with hotels taking the biggest hit losing over 10% of traffic, which affected hundreds of thousands of European hotels. Meanwhile, traffic to comparison sites, which were supposed to benefit from the change, pretty much stayed the same. Google Pixel 9 laying on a striped blanket with screen on focused on search bar Google believes DMA is harming European consumers This latest test is likely to influence public opinion on the DMA, something Google has been trying to do ever since the law was passed. Now, the search giant has data to support its claims that the DMA is actually hurting European consumers. The EU will need to figure out how to enforce the DMA on such a dominant search tool without creating friction or unintended negative effects for European consumers and businesses. Grand Coulee Dam is photographed on the Columbia River in May 2024. The EPA on Friday listed the Upper Columbia River as a Superfund site. While the boundaries of Superfund sites are not typically drawn at the time of listing, the EPA is investigating where contaminants may pose a risk to people and environment within a 150 mile area spanning Grand Coulee Dam to the Canadian border. (Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times) One of the important targets of Hungary's European Union presidency has been to finalise the enlargement of the Schengen area by the end of the year and it has succeeded, with Bulgaria and Romania to become members from January 1, the foreign minister said. The ministry cited Peter Szijjarto saying on Facebook that the issue of Schengen enlargement had been long drawn out but it was an important goal of Hungary's EU presidency to put an end to it before year's end. "This succeeded today. Bulgaria and Romania will become members of the Schengen area from January 1. This decision also serves Hungary's national interests," he said. He added that ten new crossings will open on the Hungarian-Romanian border on January 1, as a result of which it will not be necessary to take detours anymore for communities, families and friends living in the region. Szijjarto also said bilateral economic relations will get new impetus by discontinuing the long waits for lorries on the border. "This is also important because Romania is one of the most important export markets for the Hungarian economy," he added. "Finally a decision in Brussels that points in the same direction as Hungary's national interest," he said. EU presidency - EU Presidency - EU to lift land border controls with Bulgaria, Romania from Jan 1 The European Union's Justice and Home Affairs Council has decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from Jan 1, 2025, the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU said on Thursday. "It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members," a statement from Brussels cited Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter as saying. Speaking to the media before the council meeting, Pinter said Bulgaria and Romania were ready to join the Schengen zone. The minister expressed hope that a decision would be taken on approving the two member states' Schengen membership. He pointed out that Hungary supported the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania as early as 2011 when it first held the EU presidency. "I believe that if a country is technically ready, has made huge efforts and initiated regulatory changes, then they deserve to become part of the Schengen area," Pinter said. Pinter said the ministers would also discuss the EU's home affairs strategic guidelines, adding that the current guidelines were adopted ten years ago so they had to be renewed. Another point on the agenda of the meeting is online child abuse. On this, Pinter said he expected to see a serious clash as there were arguments both for individual and personal rights and for the protection of children. Orban: Romania Schengen entry 'crucial for unity of Hungarian nation' Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called Romania and Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen zone a "fantastic" achievement, adding that Romania's accession had been long awaited by ethnic Hungarians and was "a crucial step for the unity of the Hungarian nation". In an interview to public radio on Friday, Orban said this achievement was owing to the efforts of interior minister Sandor Pinter and European affairs minister Janos Boka. Orban said big European countries had blocked their accession, and removing the obstacle had been "no small diplomatic feat". He added that Hungarians in Transylvania had looked forward to Schengen accession for a long time, and now they could travel without barriers in the way. Romanians, too, had wanted it, so a "sunny afternoon" had emerged in the history of stormy Romanian-Hungarian relations. He added that Romania "knows this and has been constructive". After a transitional period, "we can remove our police" from the Romanian-Hungarian border, he said. Source: MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here. Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein has publicly denied claims that it has opened a store in a Budapest shopping centre, saying its products are sold exclusively online. Hungarian media reported that a boutique shop named Shein Store had opened at the Sugar Shopping Centre at Ors vezer tere on Thursday morning. The company in a statement explicitly disassociated itself from having any physical retail presence in Hungary, and said it cannot vouch for the quality or authenticity of the items sold. Communications director Robin Kiely said Shein would take "appropriate measures" against the unauthorised store to safeguard its Hungarian customers. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here. Fake news lacking any factual basis about the ousted Syrian president landing in Budapest resulted in a dangerous situation, the head of the Prime Minister's Office said on Thursday, adding it was possible that a "coordinated secret services operation" was behind the reports. Gergely Gulyas told a regular press briefing that it could not be ruled out that the reports did not just result from human error but a "coordinated secret services operation". A national security investigation is under way which is expected to reveal whether those that spread the fake news were also part of the secret services operation or they were "merely useful idiots who could be used by other states for their own purposes," Gulyas said. He added that the Hungarian services had to make great efforts as early as on Sunday to refute the fake news. Gulyas said that as a result of the fake news, employees of the Hungarian foreign representative office and Hungarians living in the country had come under threat, protection had to be provided for the Syrian embassy in Budapest, and an increased risk of terrorist activity had to be calculated with. Orban: Attempt made to spread fake news and put Hungary 'in a hot conflict' Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that an attempt had been made to "involve Hungary in a hot conflict" by concocting and spreading a story that would put Hungary in the cross hairs. He told public radio that the "fake news" regarding Syrian President Assad's appearance in Budapest had been "the most important event of the week" and the most "painful". Orban noted that during the first phase of the Syrian civil war around 2015, a massive migration and terror wave "swept through Europe" and hundreds of people had died in Europe. "So what's going on in Syria and its impact on Europe is not ... not a joke or fake news that can be spread; this could get bloody," he said. The prime minister said "someone wants to involve Hungary in a hot conflict ... and make Hungary a target." He added that someone was hunting Assad and whoever claimed that Assad was in Hungary had wanted to make the country a "hunting ground". "Who's behind this? Who came up with this? For what purpose? Who from Hungary were involved? Through whom was this hoax spread? What did they want to achieve?" he asked. MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes only Source: MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here. The 2024 Michelin Guide has been freshly unveiled, showcasing the finest dining experiences Hungary has to offer. This years edition shines a spotlight on 57 Hungarian restaurants in total, including two places with two Michelin stars, seven with one star, and multiple Bib Gourmand spots, five of which make their debut on the list. This fast guide for expats just looks at the highlights and only the top venues which define Hungarys gastronomic scene. So read on for details about the two-starred masterpieces of Platan Gourmet and Stand Etterem to the top new Bib Gourmand venues, so you can then savor the very best in Hungary, exploring not just its flavors but the stories and traditions that make its cuisine scene so extraordinary especially given the relatively affordable prices compared to Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. Pinnacle of Hungarian Fine Dining: Two-Star Restaurants Michelins two-star distinction represents exceptional cuisine worth a special journey. Hungarys 2024 list includes two such prestigious establishments: 1. Platan Gourmet, Tata - Team pictured above Located in the picturesque town of Tata, Platan Gourmet is celebrated for its meticulous approach to Hungarian gastronomy. The restaurants tasting menus elevate traditional flavors with modern techniques, offering dishes that reflect both innovation and deep respect for Hungarian culinary heritage. Nestled in a serene setting near Lake Tata, the ambiance perfectly complements the exquisite dining experience. 2. Stand Etterem, Budapest At the heart of Budapests fine dining scene, Stand Etterem maintains its two-star status with a commitment to showcasing seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Renowned chefs Tamas Szell and Szabina Szullo craft menus that celebrate Hungarys culinary traditions while embracing contemporary flair. Signature dishes, like their reimagined goulash, continue to win acclaim from locals and international visitors alike. Shining Stars: Hungarys One-Starred Restaurants The one-star category highlights establishments offering high-quality cooking that is worth a detour. Hungarys seven Michelin-starred restaurants in this category provide diverse culinary experiences: 1. Pajta, Oriszentpeter (New) Located in the idyllic countryside of Orseg National Park, Pajtas farm-to-table philosophy focuses on sustainability and regional ingredients. Its rustic yet refined dishes tell the story of Hungarys rural culinary traditions. 2. 42 Restaurant, Esztergom This creative gem in Esztergom offers diners an artistic exploration of flavors and textures. The innovative tasting menus balance playfulness with precision, drawing inspiration from both Hungarian and international cuisines. 3. Salt, Budapest A pioneer in Hungarys modern dining movement, Salt emphasizes fermentation and preservation techniques. The minimalist setting allows the culinary artistry to shine, with dishes that are as visually striking as they are flavorful. 4. Borkonyha, Budapest Translating to Wine Kitchen, Borkonyha pairs exceptional wines with expertly crafted dishes. The relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere makes it a favorite among both casual diners and connoisseurs. 5. Babel, Budapest Babels philosophy revolves around storytelling through food. Drawing on childhood memories and traditional Hungarian recipes, the restaurant offers an intimate and immersive dining experience. 6. Costes Restaurant, Budapest As Hungarys first Michelin-starred restaurant, Costes remains a cornerstone of Budapests fine dining scene. The meticulous attention to detail in both the menu and service ensures a consistently remarkable experience. 7. Rumour, Budapest Helmed by celebrated chef Jeno Racz, Rumour delivers a theatrical dining experience with a central open kitchen. Each dish is crafted with precision, offering a window into the creative process. 8. Essencia Restaurant, Budapest Blending Portuguese and Hungarian influences, Essencia reflects the dual heritage of its chef-owner, Tiago Sabarigo. The result is a harmonious fusion of flavors that delight the palate. Bib Gourmand: Exceptional Dining at Accessible Prices The Bib Gourmand distinction recognizes restaurants offering excellent food at reasonable prices. In 2024, 11 Hungarian establishments earned this honor, including five newcomers. These spots are ideal for expats seeking top-notch dining experiences without the formality of Michelin-starred venues. Noteworthy Highlights: Fricska Gastropub, Budapest: Known for its hearty, flavorful dishes and relaxed ambiance, Fricska is a perennial favorite for casual dining enthusiasts. Stand25 Bistro, Budapest: This more approachable sibling to Stand Etterem serves elevated versions of Hungarian classics, including an unforgettable pork belly stew. Tips for Expats: Making the Most of Budapests Culinary Scene For expats eager to explore Hungarys gastronomic offerings, here are some practical tips: 1. Plan Ahead: Michelin-starred restaurants often book up weeks in advance, so plan ahead to secure a table. 2. Lunch Menus: Many top-tier establishments offer lunch menus at a fraction of the dinner price, providing an excellent introduction to their cuisine. 3. Explore Beyond Budapest: While the capital boasts an impressive culinary scene, venturing to regional gems like Pajta in Oriszentpeter or 42 Restaurant in Esztergom reveals the breadth of Hungarys culinary talent. New Delhi: The much-awaited film Vanvaas, starring veteran actor Nana Patekar, and rising star Utkarsh Sharma is gearing up for a grand pre-release promotional event in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. As excitement builds for the film's release, the makers will be present in the spiritual heart of India to interact with the media, along with the films crew. Nana Patekar, known for his intense roles and impeccable acting skills, will be seen playing a pivotal character that showcases his versatility yet again. Director Anil Sharma, famous for helming blockbusters like 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha' and 'Gadar 2' brings his signature storytelling style to his upcoming film 'Vanvaas.' Meanwhile, Utkarsh Sharma, who made a notable debut in 'Genius' and played a prominent role in 'Gadar 2' reprising his role from the prequel is set to returns to the screen with a fresh and gripping role that will resonate with the audience. Vanvaas backed by Zee Studios and directed by Anil Sharma have previously collaborated for films like Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Gadar 2 which went onto become blockbusters and are now the team is gearing up to surprise the audience with their third film Vanvaas. Written, produced, and directed by Anil Sharma, Vanvaas will be released in theaters on December 20, 2024. A Zee Studios Worldwide Release starring Nana Patekar, Utkarsh Sharma, and Simratt Kaur in the lead. New Delhi: Shares of Food delivery aggregator Zomato will be in focus on Friday (December 13) after the company got Rs 803.4 crore notice (including interest and penalty) from the GST department in Thane. The demand order has been received in respect of non-payment of GST on delivery charges with interest and penalty thereon, Zomato said in a regulatory filing. The company said it will file an appeal before the appropriate authority as it believes it has a strong case. "... Company has received an order on 12 December 2024 ... For the period 29 October 2019 to 31 March 2022 passed by Joint Commissioner of CGST & Central Excise, Thane Commissionerate, Maharashtra, confirming demand of GST of Rs 401,70,14,706 with interest as applicable and penalty of Rs 401,70,14,706," Zomato stated. "We believe that we have a strong case on merits, which is backed by opinions from our external legal and tax advisors. The company will be filing an appeal against the order before the appropriate authority," it added. Delhi Schools Bomb Threat: Days after about 40 prominent schools in Delhi received bomb threats, more than schools in the national capital received fresh warnings through emails on Friday morning. The latest warnings triggered immediate security protocols. The schools that received the threats included the Bhatnagar Public School in Paschim Vihar, Cambridge School in Srinivaspuri, Delhi Public School in East of Kailash, Delhi Public School in Defence Colony, Delhi Police Public School in Safdarjung Enclave and Venkatesh Public School in Rohini, as reported by news agency ANI. #WATCH | Delhi | Visuals from outside of Delhi Public School, East of Kailash - one of four schools that received bomb threats, via e-mail, today morning Bomb detection team, fire officials present at the spot. pic.twitter.com/lhqR7avJqU ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 The bomb threat email received by the schools said, "This email is to inform you that there are many explosives in your school premises and I am sure that you all do not check your student's bags frequently when they enter the school premises. A secret dark web group is involved in this activity and many red rooms also. The bombs are powerful enough to destroy the buildings and harm people," as quoted by ANI. "It is confidential that the bombs will be blasted on the 13th of December or the 14th of December. But, surely, the bombs are planted right now. But it is super confidential that it will blast on 13th December or 14th December. We're pretty sure that you don't check your students' backs while they enter your school premises to start their school day, and you all schools have similar school timings. Reply back to this email for our demands, otherwise the bombs will be detonated," said the mail. The Delhi Fire Brigade and police teams swiftly responded to the alerts, conducting thorough checks of the premises to ensure the safety of students and staff. Following a meticulous search, authorities confirmed that no suspicious items were found. Earlier, over 40 schools in the national capital received bomb threats via e-mail demanding a ransom of USD 30,000. This email came on December 8 at around 11:38 pm. "I planted multiple bombs (lead azide, an explosive compound used in detonators) inside the building. I planted multiple bombs inside the building. The bombs are small and hidden very well. It will not cause very much damage to the building, but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate. You all deserve to suffer and lose limbs. If I do not receive USD 30,000, I will detonate the bombs," the threat mail read. On Monday, AAP voiced concern over bomb threats received by several Delhi schools and accused the BJP-led Centre of failing to ensure the safety of residents in the national capital. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi attacked the Central government and said that the BJP-ruled central government has failed in its only task of providing security. Responding to the allegations, the saffron party said that it was regrettable that AAP leaders, including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, were encouraging hoax callers through their undue attention to the issue. About 40 prominent schools in Delhi received bomb threats on Monday, a police official said. Most schools that received the threat suspended classes and sent students home. AAP supremo Kejriwal said in a press conference, "The law and order situation in Delhi is getting worse every day. Now our children are not safe as bomb threats are received in many schools and this is not the first time." There has been a blast outside a CRPF school in Rohini, so it is not that only threats are being received, he added. "I want to ask the Union home minister what he is doing to tackle this law and order situation. I would also request him to meet the people of Delhi and assure them of their safety and security," he said. Earlier, Kejriwal said in a post on X that Delhi never witnessed such poor law and order and demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah answer to the city's people. Chief Minister Atishi alleged that the Centre had failed in its only responsibility of providing safety to the people of Delhi. In a post on X, she said that from routine crimes of extortion, murders and shootings, now schools were receiving bomb threats. "Delhi never had such pathetic law and order. The BJP-led central government has failed in its sole responsibility to provide safety to the city's people," she charged. Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia also expressed concern over the threats. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh hit out Shah, saying he should come out of his "slumber". This is the second time this year that a large number of schools in Delhi received bomb threats. Reacting to AAP's charges, the BJP's Delhi spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said it was regrettable that Kejriwal was giving "undue publicity and encouragement" to hoax callers. In August, a 14-year-old school student sent out a threat email to dozens of schools as he didn't want to go to school, he said. "Can Kejriwal suggest some way to check such threat peddlers with no background in crime?" "Many times, we have seen people sending threat calls to airports and railway stations as they are getting late in reaching there. It will be better if Kejriwal acts maturely while speaking on such issues," he said. More than 200 schools, hospitals and important government installations received similar threats in May but the case remained unsolved as the sender had used a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to send the hoax e-mails. With elections to the Delhi Assembly due in February, the BJP and AAP have been sparring over the city's law and order. AAP is eyeing a third consecutive term in office while the BJP is aiming to form a government in Delhi for the first time since 1998. (With agencies inputs) President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and the United States will hold the Bangladeshi interim government accountable for ensuring the protection of religious and ethnic minorities in the country, the White House has said. "The security situation in Bangladesh has been difficult following the ouster of the former prime minister. And we have been working closely with the interim government to enhance the capability of their law enforcement and security services to deal with the challenge," White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said at a news conference on Thursday. "We have been very clear in our engagement with all Bangladeshi leaders that protection of religious and ethnic minorities security to all Bangladeshis regardless of religion or ethnicity. We want to hold them to that," Kirby said in response to a question. Over the past few weeks, Indian Americans have held peaceful protests and marches in several cities, including in front of the White House, in Chicago, New York, SFO, Detroit, Houston and Atlanta, urging Biden to help stop alleged brutalities against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh. Earlier in the day, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi urged members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to address the issue of violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, in Bangladesh during the confirmation hearing of Senator Marco Rubio for the position of secretary of state. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Senator Rubio for the top diplomatic position. The date of his confirmation hearing has not been announced yet. "As targeted violence against Hindus and other minorities continues amid the disorder in Bangladesh, I urge the members of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations to address this crisis directly during the upcoming hearings to confirm Senator Rubio as the next US secretary of state," Krishnamoorthi said. Over the weekend, a large number of Indian-Americans held a march from the White House to the US Capitol over alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Raising slogans like We want Justice and Protect Hindus, the demonstrators urged the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration to ask the new government in Bangladesh to take steps to protect Hindus and also initiate action against those responsible for this. "The Bangladeshi Hindu community and the larger Hindu diaspora from the Indian subcontinent have come in support of the Bangladesh Hindu community because there is continuing violence going on in Bangladesh, specifically in Chittagong and Rangpur area, as well as in some other parts of the country," said Utsav Chakrabarti of HinduACTion. Patna: Two individuals were arrested and a significant quantity of drugs was seized during a vehicle inspection drive conducted by Mufassil police in Bihar's Purnea district on Thursday, police said. The incident occurred around 2.15 a.m. on the NH-31 flyover at Balouri village when a grey Swift car approaching from the Maranga side slowed down upon seeing the police and attempted to flee. One occupant exited the vehicle and tried to escape on foot but was apprehended with the assistance of the police team. Upon questioning, the suspects identified themselves as Raunak Kumar near the Khushki Bagh police station area at Sadar, Purnea, and Ricky Singh of Neva Lal Chowk police station area at Maranga, Purnea. A thorough search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 5.19 kg of smack valued at Rs 5 crore in the international market. The contraband was packed in 50 plastic bags in a specially designed box in the car. The contraband was seized, and both individuals were taken into custody. The operation, carried out by the Station House Officer (SHO) of Mufassil police station and his team, has been praised for its efficiency and effectiveness. "We have registered an FIR under the NDPS Act in Mufassil police station and the matter is under investigation. We are making efforts to learn about their handlers," said Brajesh Kumar, SHO, Mufassil police station. Earlier, in a significant operation conducted jointly by the East Champaran Police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), five individuals were arrested on Thursday for carrying highly refined heroin and a chemical in Bihar's East Champaran district. The raid took place in a village under Chhatauni police station, where two kg of a contraband substance and a chemical used in the refining of brown sugar production were seized. The international market value of the seized items is estimated to be Rs 7 crore. Swarn Prabhat, the Superintendent of Police, East Champaran, confirmed the arrests and the seizure. "This operation was carried out in collaboration with the NCB. Five individuals have been arrested, and the contraband, along with a chemical, was recovered. The arrested individuals have been placed in judicial custody," he said. Gukesh Dommaraju, an 18-year-old chess prodigy, has made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, an achievement that has not only brought pride to India but also ignited a tug-of-war for credit between the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Battle for Recognition The celebration began with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin posting on X (formerly Twitter) at 7:25 PM on Thursday. "Gukesh's remarkable achievement helps Chennai reaffirm its place as the global Chess Capital by producing yet another champion," Stalin wrote, accompanied by a photo of him presenting Gukesh with a gold medal. Congratulations to @DGukesh on becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion at 18! Your remarkable achievement continues India's rich chess legacy and helps Chennai reaffirm its place as the global Chess Capital by producing yet another world-class champion. Tamil Nadu is pic.twitter.com/pQvyyRcmA1 M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) December 12, 2024 Just two minutes later, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu joined in, tweeting his congratulations: "Hearty congratulations to our very own Telugu boy... The entire nation celebrates your incredible achievement. Wishing you many more triumphs and accolades in the decades to come." Naidu shared a headshot of the young chess champion alongside his message. Hearty congratulations to our very own Telugu boy, Indian Grandmaster @DGukesh, on scripting history in Singapore by becoming the world's youngest chess champion at just 18! The entire nation celebrates your incredible achievement. Wishing you many more triumphs and accolades in pic.twitter.com/TTAzV9CRbX December 12, 2024 The rivalry stems from Gukeshs heritage and upbringing. While his family is of Telugu origin, he was born and raised in Chennai, a city often regarded as the hub of Indian chess. Who Is Gukesh Dommaraju? Gukesh Dommarajus rise to stardom has been nothing short of extraordinary. Of Telugu heritage, Gukesh was born in Chennai to parents who are medical professionals. Though he developed an interest in chess relatively late, his natural talent was undeniable. By the age of eight, he had already earned a FIDE rating, marking the beginning of his journey to the pinnacle of the chess world. Over the years, Gukesh honed his skills through rigorous training and countless competitions. His success reflects not only his dedication but also the support and encouragement of his family and mentors. Despite the friendly rivalry between the two states, Gukeshs win is a moment of pride for the entire nation. His achievement not only places him among the chess greats but also solidifies Indias growing reputation on the global chess stage. As congratulatory messages pour in from leaders, fans, and the chess community worldwide, Gukesh Dommarajus historic victory is a testament to his incredible skill, determination, and resilience. At just 18, the world eagerly watches to see what this young champion will achieve next. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said the plea seeking a policy for verification of electronic voting machines should go before the same bench that delivered a verdict in April rejecting the demand for bringing back the old paper ballots. When the plea on EVMs came up for hearing, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale told petitioner's counsel senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, "Why don't this matter go before the same bench?" Sankaranarayanan informed the court about its April judgment on a batch of pleas over EVMs. "That is what I am saying. It (plea) should go before the same bench," Justice Nath reiterated. The bench further said, "To our understanding, the reliefs claimed by means of this petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India would require interpretation/modification/implementation of the directions issued by this court vide judgement dated April 26, 2024 ..." In its verdict on April 26, the apex court termed the suspicion of manipulation of the EVMs "unfounded" and said the polling devices were "secured" and eliminated booth capturing and bogus voting. The top court, however, opened a window for the aggrieved unsuccessful candidates securing second and third places in poll results while allowing them to seek verification of microcontroller chips embedded in five per cent EVMs per assembly constituency on a written request upon payment of a fee to the poll panel. It asked the apex court registry to place the papers of the case before Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna for passing appropriate orders on whether the petition would be listed before the same bench or another bench. The petition was filed by former Haryana minister Karan Singh Dalal and five-time MLA Lakhan Kumar Singla. It sought compliance of the April 26 judgement of the top court delivered in the case of 'Association for Democratic Reforms versus Union of India'. Dalal and Singla secured the second-highest votes in their respective constituencies and sought a direction to the Election Commission (EC) to implement a protocol for examining the original "burnt memory" or microcontroller of the four components of the EVM -- the control unit, ballot unit, VVPAT and symbol loading unit. The top court had mandated that five per cent of the EVMs every assembly constituency should undergo verification by the engineers from EVM manufacturers after the election results were announced. The petitioners said the poll panel has failed to issue any such policy, leaving the procedure for burnt memory verification unclear. According to the petition, the current standard operating procedure issued by the EC only involves basic diagnostic tests and mock polls without scrutinising the burnt memory for tampering. The petitioners said their plea did not challenge the election results but sought a robust mechanism for EVM verification. Separate election petitions challenging the results are pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The petitioners have urged the Supreme Court to direct the EC to conduct the verification exercise within eight weeks. The BJP won 48 out of 90 assembly seats in the recently held elections in Haryana. India on Friday termed the Canadian media reports related to the denial of visas to Khalistan sympathisers as 'another example of Canadian media's disinformation campaign to malign India'. Addressing the media, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that granting Indian visas is India's sovereign function. A Canadian news report alleges that New Delhi has been refusing visas to pro-Khalistani individuals unless they openly renounce their support for separatism. "We have seen media reports about this. It is yet another example of Canadian media's disinformation campaign to malign India...Granting of Indian visas is our sovereign function and we have the legitimate right to deny visas to those who undermine our territorial integrity. The commentary that we see in the Canadian media on this matter is akin to foreign interference in Indias sovereign affairs," said Jaiswal. Reacting to the murder of three Indian students in Canada, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India is saddened by these terrible tragedies that have struck the country's nationals in Canada. "We extend our deepest condolences to the grieving families. Our High Commission in Ottawa and Consulates in Toronto & Vancouver are extending all possible help in the matter. They are in touch with the local authorities for a thorough investigation into these incidents. The safety, security and welfare of Indian nationals, students in particular, in Canada remains of utmost importance to us," said Jaiswal. The Ministry of External Affairs also said that India has issued an advisory for its nationals and Indian students to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant given the deteriorating security environment in Canada as a result of the growing incidents of hate crimes and criminal violence. The diplomatic relations between India and Canada have hit an all-time low with the Justin Trudeau government levelling serious allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Canada has accused India of sponsoring killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a charge rejected by India. Congress leaders strongly condemned the BJP's action on Friday during the Winter session of parliament. The opposition leaders including Congress MP Randeep Surjewala and Pramod Tiwari accused the central government of crushing democracy and insulting the Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress' Surjewala alleged that the Chairman of the House and the BJP are conspiring to humiliate Kharge, a Dalit and a farmer and called it a "black chapter" in Parliament and democracy. "...Every day a black chapter of Parliament and democracy is being written by the BJP in the House...The way the Chairman and the BJP are conspiring to make a humiliating attack on a farmer, a Dalit's son, the Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, we strongly condemn it on behalf of all the parties," he said. Congress MP Rajeev Shukla also slammed the Modi government and said the BJP's hypocrisy in creating a ruckus in the House and making allegations against Kharge. "You are seeing how they (BJP) are creating a ruckus in the House, raising slogans. Does the ruling party ever do this? The kind of allegations being made against Kharge ji, the way BJP members are speaking... this attack on him is very wrong, people are very angry with this. They are insulting Kharge ji..," Shukla said, ANI reported. Pramod Tiwari accused the BJP of having an anti-Dalit and anti-farmer mindset, citing their insult to Kharge. "It is sad to say that the BJP, with its anti-Dalit and anti-farmer mindset, insulted the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who is a Dalit and a farmer. The session was not allowed to proceed because they did not want to discuss the Adani issue..," Tiwari said. On Friday, the Rajya Sabha was disrupted due to a heated debate over a no-confidence motion against House Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. The INDIA bloc submitted the motion on December 10, citing concerns over safeguarding democracy and the Constitution. The ongoing Winter Parliament Session, which began on November 25, is scheduled to conclude on December 20. An assistant commissioner of police posted in the Collectorganj circle of Kanpur was transferred on Thursday following allegations of rape by a 26-year-old IIT-Kanpur research scholar, police said. Mohammad Mohsin Khan, a 2013 batch Provincial Police Service officer, has been relieved of his duties in the Collectorganj circle and attached to the Director General of Police (DGP) headquarters in Lucknow, officials said. Khan was booked at the Kalyanpur police station on Thursday for allegedly seeking "sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means". The officer has not yet been arrested, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankita Sharma said. A five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional DCP (Traffic) Archana Singh has been constituted to probe the matter, police said. "The SIT has been directed to conduct a detailed investigation and ensure the case is disposed of based on facts and evidence," Sharma said. According to police, the ACP enrolled at IIT-Kanpur five months ago to pursue a PhD in cybercrime and criminology. While studying at the institute, he reportedly developed a relationship with a research scholar and promised to marry her after divorcing his wife. But later when the officer refused to come good on his promise, the woman filed a complaint of rape. DCP Sharma and Additional DCP Singh visited campus in plain clothes to meet the woman and verify her claims. "Prima facie, the charges against the ACP appear credible. As a result, he has been stripped of his current responsibilities and transferred out of the city to ensure a free and impartial investigation," a police officer said. Meanwhile, IIT-Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal said in a statement, "As is well known now, a girl student of IIT-K has accused a police officer of sexual exploitation and filed a complaint. The institute is committed to provide all the necessary support to the student at this difficult time." "We are also thankful to the city police for their quick action on the complaint. We are cooperating with them in the investigation. We request everyone to respect the privacy of the student," he added. Kerala Lottery Results Friday 13-12-2024 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "Nirmal NR-410" Lucky Draw Result today Nirmal NR-410, December 13, 2024. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2024 for "Nirmal NR-410" will feature 12 series, with changes in series possible each week. A total of 108 lakh tickets are available for purchase weekly. The ticket prices may vary. Check the Nirmal NR-410 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 70 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Nirmal NR-410 results today. Kerala Lottery Result 13-12-2024 December: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR NIRMAL NR-410 Draw LUCKY TICKET NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 70 LAKHS IS: NH 346716 LUCKY TICKET NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 10 LAKHS IS: NG 743216 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: NA 909551 NB 827276 NC 675718 ND 318473 NE 845503 NF 843433 NG 238752 NH 922750 NJ 672599 NK 404923 NL 327671 NM 710045 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: NA 346716 NB 346716 NC 346716 ND 346716 NE 346716 NF 346716 NG 346716 NJ 346716 NK 346716 NL 346716 NM 346716 (For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below) LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: 0251 0734 1406 2641 3216 3658 3860 3937 4496 5398 5440 7102 7429 7555 7574 8226 8299 8426 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: 0088 0396 1316 1622 1626 1946 2072 2466 2720 2725 3278 3469 3531 3567 3754 3763 4207 4257 4477 4846 4886 5265 5670 5755 5773 6163 6413 6694 8160 8204 8404 8541 8823 8909 9036 9621 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: 0144 0214 0369 0388 0481 0643 0929 0984 1009 1256 1376 1510 1521 1614 1679 1801 1884 1898 2069 2173 2364 2712 2732 2765 3124 3228 3252 3702 3767 3879 3908 3915 3990 4052 4223 4313 4457 4479 4488 4600 4797 4860 5349 5351 5360 5719 5780 5782 6041 6172 6235 6499 6533 6561 6592 6830 7107 7311 7456 7524 7614 7672 7675 7680 8239 8702 8847 8950 9139 9191 9242 9380 9398 9473 9524 9556 9559 9560 9593 LUCKY TICKET NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: 0172 0285 0299 0310 0374 0417 0478 0496 0672 0712 0751 0830 0908 1113 1128 1283 1311 1333 1586 1632 1746 1971 1996 2081 2122 2221 2336 2432 2437 2460 2492 2495 2547 2613 2724 2757 2874 2917 3101 3125 3273 3331 3366 3386 3411 3439 3509 3519 3663 3829 4214 4315 4418 4503 4509 4690 4754 4857 4863 5037 5049 5123 5319 5423 5490 5577 5584 5637 5650 5661 5740 5823 5855 5955 6031 6084 6113 6254 6534 6538 6698 6718 6926 6937 7182 7240 7370 7407 7438 7528 7561 7607 7801 7880 7944 8018 8031 8033 8050 8121 8271 8296 8317 8610 8625 8731 8850 8852 8880 9136 9199 9241 9374 9400 9497 9576 9634 9644 9722 9729 9805 9961 KERALA LOTTERY RESULT TODAY 13-12-2024 December: NIRMAL NR-410 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS 1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakhs 2nd Prize: Rs. 10 lakhs 3rd Prize: Rs. 5,000 4th Prize: Rs. 2,000 5th Prize: Rs. 1,000 6th Prize: Rs. 500 7th Prize: Rs. 200 8th Prize: Rs. 100 Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000 (NOTE: Lottery can be addictive and should be played responsibly. The data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice or encouragement. Zee News does not promote lottery in anyway.) Almost two weeks after the Chief Minister's swearing-in, the Mahayuti parties have finalized a date for cabinet expansion after reaching a consensus on portfolio allocation. The Maharashtra Cabinet expansion will take place on December 15 while the oath taking ceremony will be held in Nagpur and not in Mumbai. According to reports, 30-32 ministers are likely to take oath from all three parties - NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena. The week-long winter session of the Maharashtra state legislature is set to commence in Nagpur, the state's second capital, on December 16. Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as Chief Minister at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on December 5, alongside Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar as Deputy Chief Ministers. The Shiv Sena, on several occasions, spoke of Shinde being given a post befitting his stature and sought the home portfolio, which the BJP has not agreed to. Sources said BJP is likely to get 20-21 ministerial berths, followed by 11-12 for the Sena and 9-10 for the Nationalist Congress Party. The Maharashtra council of ministers can have up to 43 members, including the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule held separate meetings with Deputy Chief Ministers Shinde and Ajit Pawar on Friday to finalize the cabinet formation. Hectic parleys took place at Pawar's Deogiri bungalow in south Mumbai where he met his party leaders. In the November 20 assembly polls, results of which were announced on November 23, the Mahayuti swept to power winning 230 out of 288 seats in the state. The BJP led with 132 seats, followed by Shinde's Shiv Sena with 57 and Pawar's NCP getting 41. The government formation has already seen its fair share of twists and turns with Shinde making way for Fadnavis on the top post. Shinde, who did not want to be part of the government and was keen on focusing on the party organisation, was persuaded to take oath as deputy CM. (With PTI inputs) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a major crackdown on the terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad, conducting search operations across India. These operations are aimed at uncovering every possible link to the group as part of an ongoing investigation into its recruitment campaign. Over the past two days, the NIA has raided 19 locations across 8 states, intensifying its efforts to dismantle the group's network and its support systems. Watch Today's Full DNA During this operation, four individuals including Sahnur Alam, Shahnur Islam, Abu Taleb and Zainal Avedeen were arrested. Zainal Avedeen is the Imam of the Milonpara Mosque in Tukura and Sahnur Islam runs a computer shop. The NIA also seized several incriminating documents, mobile phones, pen drives, CDs, hard drives, and other electronic devices. The NIA and Assam Police Special Task Force also conducted raids in multiple areas of Goalpara. The raids were conducted in the Jammu and Kashmir districts including Reasi, Budgam, and Anantnag. Actions were taken against suspicious individuals and their locations in these areas. According to sources, the purpose of these raids is to gather crucial evidence and arrest those involved in conspiring to radicalize youth and prepare them for terrorist activities. 1:55 PM: Parliament LIVE: Priyanka Gandhi Calls Constitution 'Suraksha Kavach' In Maiden Lok Sabha Speech In Lok Sabha, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, "...Our Constitution is 'suraksha kavach' (safety armour). Such a 'suraksha kavach' that keeps the citizens safe - it is a 'kavach' of justice, of unity, of Right to Express. It is sad that in 10 years, colleagues of the ruling side who make tall claims have made all attempts to break down this 'kavach'. Constitution promises social, economic and political justice. These promises are a safety armour and work to break this has begun. Through lateral entry and privatisation, this government is trying to weaken reservation." #WATCH | In Lok Sabha, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, "...Our Constitution is 'suraksha kavach' (safety armour). Such a 'suraksha kavach' that keeps the citizens safe - it is a 'kavach' of justice, of unity, of Right to Express. It is sad that in 10 years, colleagues of pic.twitter.com/7o3dVCtEEw December 13, 2024 1:45 PM: Parliament LIVE: Priyanka Gandhi Makes Maiden Speech In Lok Sabha After Wayanad Win Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra makes her maiden address in the Lok Sabha. She is speaking during discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra makes her maiden address in the Lok Sabha. She is speaking during discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India. pic.twitter.com/X0YoWMd3ao ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 12:50 PM: Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Constitution Not Gift Of Single Party, Says Rajnath Singh Speaking in Lok Sabha during discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, "There has always been an attempt by a particular party to hijack the work of Constitution making...Today I want to make it clear, that our Constitution is not the gift of a single party. The Constitution of India was made by the people of India, in accordance with the values of India...Our government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working with the spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas, our government is working in accordance with the Dharma written in the Constitution of India. Our Constitution is progressive, inclusive, transformative... This is our country where a person born in a poor family can also become the Prime Minister of the country and he can also become the President of the country..." #WATCH | Speaking in Lok Sabha during discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, "There has always been an attempt by a particular party to hijack the work of Constitution making...Today I want to make it pic.twitter.com/s6TUaiw6ar ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 12:30 PM: Parliament Session: Our Constitution Paves Way For Nation Building, Says Rajnath Singh Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiates the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha. He says, "...We the people of India adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949...I heartily congratulate this House and all the citizens of the country on the occasion of completion of 75 years of adoption of the Constitution... I can say that our Constitution paves the way for nation building by touching all aspects of social, economic, political and cultural life..." #WATCH | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiates the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha He says, "...We the people of India adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949...I heartily congratulate this House and all the citizens of the country on the occasion of pic.twitter.com/m4VtTfVv1G ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 12:18 PM: Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Rajnath Singh Initiates Debate On Constitution In Lok Sabha Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiates the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha. The debate marks the 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption. #WATCH | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiates the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha The debate marks the 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption. (Source: Sansad TV) pic.twitter.com/NnkFuE2pvF ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 12:10 PM: Parliament LIVE: Dhankar Vs Kharge Amid Massive Uproar In Rajya Sabha Ruckus in Rajya Sabha over no confidence motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar says, "I am a farmer's son, I will not show weakness. I will sacrifice my life for my country. You (opposition) have only one job 24 hours a day, why is a farmer's son sitting here...look what you are saying. I have tolerated a lot...you have the right to bring a motion but you are insulting the Constitution..." Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge says, "You are encouraging the (BJP) members to speak against members of other parties... I am also a son of farmer. I have faced more challenges than you... You are insulting our party leaders, you are insulting the Congress... We have not come here to listen to your praises, we have come here for discussion..." #WATCH | Ruckus in Rajya Sabha over no confidence motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar says, "I am a farmer's son, I will not show weakness. I will sacrifice my life for my country. You (opposition) have only one job 24 hours a day, why is a pic.twitter.com/REIFQlD1GR ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 11:45 AM: Parliament LIVE: Massive Uproar In RS Ahead Of Debate On Constitution A massive uproar erupted in the Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament. The uproar erupted ahead of the debate on Constitution. Parliament Winter Session: The Lok Sabha on Friday is set to begin a two-day debate on the Constitution, marking the beginning of the 75th year of its adoption in the country. The two-day debate is expected to begin at 12 noon. Over 12 leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are expected to take part in the debate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the two-day debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, sources told news agency PTI. The debate on the Constitution will be initiated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the Lok Sabha, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to initiate a similar debate in the Rajya Sabha, government sources told PTI. Debate On Constitution: Here Are Top Updates 1. As per the listed agenda of the Lower House, there will be a "special discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India." 2. Ahead of the two-day debate, the BJP and the Congress have issued a 'three-line whip' to ensure the presence of their members. The discussions are set to begin after the Question Hour, which is also listed in the agenda of the lower house. 3. Ahead of the debate, PM Modi held a strategy meeting, which was attended, among others, by Shah and Singh, besides BJP president J P Nadda. 4. Shah earlier held a meeting with senior BJP ministers, including Nadda, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, at his office in Parliament. 5. The opposition Congress also held a strategy meeting at the party headquarters in the national capital. 6. The meeting was attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, besides other senior leaders, including K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, to chalk out a plan for the strategy in Parliament for the upcoming week. The Winter Session of Parliament is likely to end on December 20. 7. While Rahul Gandhi was likely to start the discussion on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha on behalf of the opposition as LoP, some leaders pointed to a change of strategy and said that Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may open the debate for the opposition camp, which would be her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha. 8. In the Rajya Sabha, Kharge will start the debate from the opposition side. The Rajya Sabha will hold the debate on December 16 and 17, and Prime Minister Modi is expected to reply to it on Tuesday in the upper house. 9. The debate on the Constitution has been the key demand of the opposition for the Winter Session of Parliament. According to the agreement with the Opposition, the BJP-led NDA government had agreed to a debate on the Constitution on December 13-14 in the Lok Sabha and on December 16-17 in the Rajya Sabha. 10. On November 26, 1949, the Indian Constituent Assembly formally adopted the Constitution, which came into effect on January 26, 1950, establishing India as a sovereign, democratic republic. In 2015, the Government of India formally declared November 26 as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) to honour the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1949. Since then, the nation celebrates the Constitution's adoption each year on this day. (With agencies inputs) Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday led a scathing attack against the BJP government accusing it of favouring Adani Group in every sector. However, while raising the Adani issue, Priyanka Gandhi highlighted the plight of Apple farmers in Himachal Pradesh, a state ruled by the Congress party. "Today, agri laws are being made for the benefit of big businesses. Leave aside the right MSP, the farmers are struggling to get the DAP. From Wayanad to Lalitpur, the farmers of the country are wailing. The farmers have been left at the mercy of the god. Look at Himachal today, all the laws have been made for big industrialists. Small Apple farmers are crying in Himachal today because everything is being changed for one person (Adani)," said the Congress MP. However, when BJP members reminded Priyanka of Himachal being ruled by the Congress, the Wayanad MP said, "The state government did not allocate all the cold storage to Adani group, it was give by your government (BJP). The nation is watching that to save one person, the remaining 142 crore people are being sidelined. All businesses, resources, all wealth and opportunities are being handed over to just one person. All ports, airports, roads, railway work, factories, mines, and government firms are being given to just one person." The Congress MP also demanded caste census. "Today, people of the country are demanding that there be a Caste Census. Colleague of the ruling side mentioned this, the mention is also being made only because of these results in the Lok Sabha elections. The Caste Census is essential so that we know the condition of everyone and policies can be made accordingly..." she said. Indias foreign exchange market continues to draw the attention of many research institutions. Just recently, IMARC Group valued the market at $30.7 billion and projected that it could grow by a CAGR of 8.8% to reach $65.8 billion in the next few years. In another place, the Economic Times noted that the countrys forex reserves had increased by $7.02 towards the end of August 2023. All these statistics agree that the market is growing. But what are the factors fueling the growth? Well, its not unreasonable to ask such questions, and thankfully, you will find answers in this article. So, lets not waste any more time but get into the meat of the subject right away. Understanding what forex is and how it works: Perhaps youve heard about the buzz around forex, but do you know its nitty-gritty? Thankfully, there are numerous sources online where you can find in-depth knowledge about this. For example, a platform like Exness Insights offers a vast library of information, including trading strategies and weekly market outlook, among many others. So, taking advantage of such can really help you improve your knowledge about foreign exchange. Forex, short for foreign exchange, basically involves trading currencies electronically over the counter. There is usually no central marketplace, with the main markets opening 24 hours a day, five days a week. The whole idea is based on anticipating shifts in currencies and capitalising on them to stay ahead. For instance, if it seems as though the US dollar will gain in value against the Indian rupee, you buy it to sell it later at a higher price. Something else you may perhaps have heard people use forex for is hedging. Especially for businesses operating in more than one country, forex might be a convenient hedge against losses caused by shifts in exchange rates. Are forex and crypto similar? The forex vs crypto debate is common, especially among beginner traders. Well, someone might think that just because all the markets are usually available 24 hours a day, they are the same. But, interestingly, there are striking differences between the two. For instance, as much as both markets are available 24 hours a day, forex is only available for five days, while crypto is available for seven days. Most importantly, forex is based mainly on traditional financial currencies regulated by individual countries. Crypto, on the other hand, is based on decentralised chains that make centralized regulation impossible. Another intriguing difference is how the markets diverge in terms of price influences. In forex, economic and geopolitical events are major players; in crypto, prices are mostly affected by tech developments and adoption rates. Tech advancements that may affect Indias Forex sector The widespread popularity of the internet: Internet advancements have really changed a lot not just in forex. Take shopping as an example. Assuming you wanted to buy a refrigerator, where would your purchase journey most likely start from? In most cases, most consumers will start by researching online. Actually, according to statistics, close to 81% of buyers survey products online before buying. And, of course, this is so largely because of the convenience of online platforms. If you can remember, forex in the early days mostly featured large organizations. Barriers to entry were so high that individual investors could not participate. But the widespread popularity of the internetnot only in India but worldwidehas made forex trading readily available to individual investors. And you may be surprised to discover that India has previously ranked as the worlds second-largest online market, accounting for more than 900 million internet users. Even though at a national level, the penetration rate is slightly above 50%, further spread might contribute to the growth of the countrys forex market. Artificial intelligence: Can you think of a sector where artificial intelligence has not made an impact? Its nearly impossible to name even one. Surprisingly, some studies show that India leads in AI adoption at 30%, exceeding the international average of about 26%. AI boasts a high computational ability that is capable of crunching enormous amounts of data into meaningful insights in real-time. The best part of this technology is it is not subject to human emotions, which can be a great undoing for traders. Almost all experts normally discourage following emotions while trading. Remember, forex requires some critical analysis of different aspects, and you cannot just depend on your adrenaline to make sober decisions. Since AI lacks that emotional aspect, it can make unbiased decisions, which is why a good number of traders are turning to it. You may also have noticed some traders using AI tools to automatically execute trades. Once the tool identifies an optimal opportunity in the market, it can execute the trade, reducing the chances of losses that come from delayed responses. One of the great appeals of this technology is its ability to monitor market conditions in real-time. Given these benefits, we may see more Indians joining the industry. Mobile technology: We use mobile devices for almost everything, from shopping and streaming to paying bills the list is just endless. And the good thing is that you can do all these even on the go. However, you dont want an inconsistent experience just because you used your smartphone to access these services. Realizing this, forex platforms have been adjusting their designs to suit mobile use. This makes forex markets readily available so that you dont have to wait until you are at home before you can trade just because you didnt carry your laptop. By the way, do you know that responsive design has become the new norm? According to Hostinger, more than 90% of websites globally have already implemented responsive designs. So, seeing Indian-based forex providers offering such experiences should not surprise you. Plus, now that a considerable number of investors might want to place trades on the go, taking advantage of responsive designs can help a platform differentiate itself. And it follows that if traders find a lot of such platforms, the market size could expand significantly in the coming days. Parting Words As complex as the Indian forex market is, many experts agree that it is on a rising trajectory. Just recently, the reserves hit an all-time high of more than $680.69 billion. More people have been joining the sector as technologies like mobile make the markets more available. Plus, India is among the countries with the largest number of internet users, providing good grounds for the penetration of forex markets. The limitations of yesteryears, when only a few organisations could participate, are now eliminated; more individual investors are joining because of tech improvements. And since we are just at the infancy stage of these developments, we may see the industry grow even further, just as studies have projected. (This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Ltds Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility, liability or claims for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.) A devastating fire at a private hospital in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, claimed the lives of seven people, including a three-year-old boy, on Thursday night. The tragedy unfolded as patients and staff were trapped inside the hospital, with many feared stuck in a lift as flames spread through the building. Fire and Rescue Services personnel quickly began operations to contain the blaze and evacuate patients. An official stated that around 50 ambulances were dispatched from nearby areas to transfer patients from the affected hospital to the nearby government hospital in Dindigul. The rescue teams managed to evacuate about 30 in-patients, who were immediately admitted to the district government hospital. However, seven victims, who suffocated to death, were found inside the hospital lift. Suspected Cause: Electrical Short Circuit Initial investigations suggest that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit, police said. The blaze engulfed parts of the hospital, creating thick smoke that made evacuation challenging. Television visuals showed smoke and fire billowing from the hospital building, with fire tenders on-site battling to control the flames. Distressed relatives gathered outside the hospital, waiting for news of their loved ones as rescue operations continued late into the night. Tamil Nadu Rains: As heavy rain batters parts of Tamil Nadu, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a warning for the southern state, forecasting heavy rainfall across multiple districts until December 14. Amid the incessant downpour, severe waterlogging was reported in Trichy, while Thoothukudi and other districts experienced moderate to heavy rainfall. #WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Severe waterlogging in parts of Trichy due to the incessant rainfall pic.twitter.com/UvlqxNg4uL ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 Tamil Nadu Rains: Here Are Top Updates 1. According to the weather department, light to moderate rainfall is likely across most areas of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal. The showers will be accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning at isolated locations. 2. The weather office has also predicted isolated heavy to very heavy downpours, with extremely heavy showers in the Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi districts of Tamil Nadu. #WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Severe waterlogging in parts of Trichy due to the incessant rainfall pic.twitter.com/sAgcriHcjM ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 3. Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in several districts, including Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Theni, and Virudhunagar, as well as Puducherry and Karaikal, IMD said. 4. Following heavy rainfall in Puducherry and Karaikal, all schools and colleges will be closed on December 13, Puducherry Education Minister Namachivayam said. 5. Heavy downpour is also likely to occur at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, Karur, Dindigul, Tiruppur, and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu. 6. The resultant weather conditions could lead to waterlogging, and the traffic may be affected in some areas. 7. According to IMD, light to moderate rainfall is likely at many places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal areas on Friday. with heavy rain expected at one or two places over Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu. 8. Tamil Nadu's weather forecast predicted a maximum temperature of 28-29C and a minimum temperature of 24-25C, with partly cloudy skies and a chance of light to moderate rain within the next 24 hours in several districts. 9. Meanwhile, the weather office has also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall likely at isolated places over other southern parts of India, mainly in Karaikal, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 10. According to IMD, the well-marked low-pressure area that was previously located over the Gulf of Mannar and nearby regions has now shifted to a low-pressure zone over the Gulf of Mannar and the adjacent Comorin area. 11. According to the latest update, the system's upper air cyclonic circulation extends up to mid-tropospheric levels. It is expected to move westward towards the Maldives and the nearby Lakshadweep area, crossing the Comorin region. The system is anticipated to weaken gradually over the next 24 hours, with a diminishing impact on the surrounding areas. (With ANI Inputs) New Delhi: Hours after Allu Arjun's arrest in connection with the stampede outside a Hyderabad theatre during the premiere of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule', a letter from the Sandhya theatre management has surfaced on social media, refuting a key claim made by the police. On December 5, The police have registered the case under sections 105 and 118(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint by the deceased's family. There were no arrangements by the theatre management or prior information about the arrival of the actor and other members of the film, according to a statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone). "The theatre management did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd. Nor was there any separate entry or exit for the actors team though the theatre management had information about their arrival," it added. Allu Arjun's lawyer said in court on Friday that the letter had been signed and acknowledged by the assistant commissioner of police. The letter reads, "We request you to arrange to provide Police Bandobust (arrangements) at SANDHYA 70 MM RTC X Roads, Hyderabad in connection with release of PUSHPA 2 on 04-12-2024 because there will be heavy fans crowd (sic). The Hero, Heroine and VIPs and Production unit of the film are coming to see the movie," "We are screening picture of Mythri Movies PUSHAPA-2, Star caste: Allu Arjun, Rashimika Mandana and other stars on 04-12-2024 at 9.30 PM and on 05-12-2024 at 01.50 AM, 05-50 AM, 09-50 AM and 01-50 pm (i.e One show on 04-12-2024 and on 05-12-2024 - Four shows) and continues the movie regular (sic)," further adds. ''We thank you for providing the police bandobust.'' letter concludes. Earlier, A police case was filed against Actor Allu Arjun, Sandhya Theatre's owner and two managers in connection with the the stampede outside a Hyderabad theatre. A copy of the Sandhya 70 m.m letter was also sent to the Hyderabad traffic police. Earlier, the actor approached the court to seek dismissal of the criminal case filed against him following a womans death in a stampede at a Hyderabad theatre during the film's release. Allu Arjun has been remanded to 14-day custody. New Delhi: Pan-India actor Allu Arjun, arrested in connection with the Sandhya Theatre stampede in Hyderabad that claimed a womans life and left her son critical, has been granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court. The actor was detained on Friday morning from his residence and taken to Chikkadpally police station for questioning in the stampede case, with visuals showing the Pushpa 2 star in a police vehicle. #WATCH | Telangana: Actor Allu Arjun has been brought to Chikkadpally police station in Hyderabad for questioning in connection with the case of death of a woman at Sandhya theatre on December 4. pic.twitter.com/pvBOkkc3JO Police issue first statement after Allu Arjun's arrest; ACP L Ramesh Kumar confirms the actor's detention. #WATCH | Telangana: L Ramesh Kumar, ACP Chikkadpally says, "Yes, he (Actor Allu Arjun) has been arrested." Allu Arjun was brought to Chikkadpally police station in Hyderabad for questioning in connection with the case of death of a woman at Sandhya theatre on December 4. pic.twitter.com/rrupOlnoWv December 13, 2024 Pan-India star Allu Arjun exits Gandhi Hospital following his medical examination. #WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: Actor Allu Arjun being brought out of Gandhi Hospital after his medical examination. As per L Ramesh Kumar, ACP Chikkadpally, Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection with the case of the death of a woman at Sandhya theatre on December 4, during_ pic.twitter.com/euOhYLeEUh ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024 Earlier, actor Allu Arjun and others were booked following a stampede at Sandhya Theatre on Wednesday(December 4) night, where a 35-year-old woman lost her life and her 8-year-old son suffocated as crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the star. A case was registered against actor Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management in connection with the death of the woman, police said. The police have registered the case under sections 105 and 118(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint by the deceased's family, reports PTI. A woman died and her son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation as crowds jostled at a film theatre here during the premiere show of actor Allu Arjun's "Pushpa 2: The Rule", police official said on Thursday. (December 5) There were no arrangements by the theatre management or prior information about the arrival of the actor and other members of the film, according to a statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone). After Arjun came to the theatre along with his personal security, people tried to enter the cinema hall with him, the police statement said. "His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre," it added. As the crowd surged forward, the woman and her son, who also tried to enter the theatre, suffocated and fell unconscious, police said. Police personnel who were on duty pulled them out and conducted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the woman and her son, they said. The woman and her child were immediately shifted to the nearby Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital, where she died and her son was advised to be shifted to another hospital for better treatment, the statement said. Shreyas Talpade, the voice behind Allu Arjuns character in the Pushpa franchise, recently shared his thoughts on being part of the massive success of Pushpa 2 and his journey in the film industry. In an exclusive interaction with Zee News, the actor reflected on his role, in the upcoming Pushpa 3, his performance in Emergency, and his views on the evolving dynamics of cinema and OTT platforms. On Lending the Voice for Pushpa and Pushpa 2 Shreyas revealed how he became part of the Pushpa franchise. During the first part of Pushpa, the Hindi producer was looking for an actor to dub for the film. They approached me, and thankfully, they liked my voice." he said. On Being Part of the Films Success When asked if he takes credit for the success of Pushpa and Pushpa 2, Shreyas humbly replied, I feel grateful to be a part of such a massive success, but I cannot take full credit. The real hero is Allu Arjun and the tremendous effort he puts into his performance along with the director and producer who have done the wonderful job. My role was to match the energy and intensity of his acting through my voice, and I did my best. On Admiring Allu Arjun and Pushpa 3 Shreyas admitted that he hasnt met Allu Arjun yet but expressed his admiration for the superstar. I admire him as an actor and would love to meet him someday." he said. Speaking about the much-anticipated Pushpa 3, Shreyas shared, I know as much about Pushpa 3 as you do! When it happens, well all get to know more about it. On Playing Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Emergency Shreyas is also gearing up for the release of Emergency in January 2025, where he portrays the late Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Reflecting on the role, he said, Playing Atal Ji was a huge responsibility, but I had a fantastic director, Ms. Kangana Ranaut, guiding me. The credit for my good work goes to her." On Influencers Turning Actors Sharing his views on influencers entering the acting industry, Shreyas remarked, Acting is subjective. Some may like certain performances while others might not. Ultimately, its the audience who decides. If they appreciate an influencers work, who am I to judge? Theres space for everyone in this industry. Exploring OTT Platforms Shreyas also expressed his interest in OTT platforms. It's not that we have to perform differently on OTT, the subject are different and I am intrigued with those and some things work and some doesn't, but I am open to explore " he said. Mumbai: Nayanthara, popularly known as the Lady Superstar of Indian cinema, recently addressed her decision to debut in Bollywood with Shah Rukh Khans blockbuster Jawan. While fans were disappointed with her limited screen time in the film, Nayanthara revealed her reasons for taking on the role during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. I did Jawan only because I love Shah Rukh sir, Nayanthara confessed, crediting the Bollywood superstar for encouraging her to step into Hindi cinema. She shared how Khan personally reached out to ease her concerns about making her Bollywood debut, assuring her of a comfortable experience. He made sure I felt at ease, and I have immense love and respect for him, she added, expressing gratitude for his warmth and support. The actress also had high praise for director Atlee, referring to him as her little brother and acknowledging his role in shaping the films vision. Shah Rukh Khan, too, had previously expressed regret that he couldnt share more screen time with Nayanthara due to the films length constraints, which led to the editing out of some of their scenes together. Despite this, their chemistry as Vikram Rathore and Narmada left a lasting impression on audiences. During his chat with fans on X account the superstar was quizzed about Nayanthara's small role to which he had said,"I also felt that the story of Narmada as a single mom was amazing. Unfortunately in the scheme of things couldnt find more screen time but as is was also wonderful. #Jawan. Nayanthara, one of the most successful actresses in India, has carved a niche for herself in Tamil and Telugu cinema and now marks her presence in Bollywood with Jawan. Fans are hopeful to see her in more prominent roles in Hindi films in the future. The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted bail to Kannada superstar Darshan and his partner Pavithra Gowda in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case. The bench, headed by Justice Vishwajith Shetty, also granted bail to accused Nagaraju, Anukumar, M. Laxman, Jagadish and Pradoosh Rao. Senior counsel C. V. Nagesh represented Darshan and the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) P. Prasanna Kumar made submissions for the prosecution. Gowda's advocate Shilpa said bail was granted to her based on arguments questioning her involvement in the case. Gowda, presently lodged in the Central Prison of the Parappana Agrahara, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, will be released on Monday. During arguments on the regular bail plea, C. V. Nagesh had countered the objections raised by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), stating that although Renukaswamy's body reportedly had 39 blood stains, there was only one bleeding injury. Nagesh asserted that at every stage, from recording eyewitness statements to conducting the investigation, the prosecution "lied". "The bail was granted based on a report by doctors from Ballari. The doctors at BGS Hospital also accepted the Ballari doctors' report, confirming the need for surgery of the actor," he said. "We must proceed with the operation as recommended by the doctors. It cannot be done on demand after three or four weeks," he argued. Earlier, Special Public Prosecutor P. Prasanna Kumar submitted to the Karnataka High Court that Darshan was "misusing" the interim bail granted to him on medical grounds. Submitting his objections to the court for granting the regular bail, Prasanna Kumar said that the interim bail was taken citing urgency and the court was told that he was likely to suffer a stroke. Prasanna Kumar further said that in the case of Darshan, dramatic situations are created. Recently, the court had extended Darshan's interim bail on medical grounds. Darshan was released from prison on October 30 on interim bail after spending 131 days in jail. Darshan, admitted to the BGS Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru, was being treated for severe back pain. Darshan, his partner Gowda and 15 others were arrested on June 11 on charges of kidnapping and brutally murdering his fan Renukaswamy from Chitradurga. Renukaswamy had allegedly sent derogatory and obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda as he was miffed with the actor having a relationship with her despite being married. Actor Vikram, who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, has joined forces with filmmaker Madonne Ashwin for his upcoming film, tentatively titled Chiyaan 63. The makers of the film made the announcement on social media about the film on Friday through a post featuring an image of the actor, the filmmaker, and the producer. A part of their official statement read, "It gives us immense joy and pride to announce our Production No.3 with one of the best actors in the country, Chiyaan Vikram sir, whose journey has inspired millions. We are honoured to join hands with an actor who has given us many memorable roles and path-breaking films. It added, "The film will be directed by one of the finest craftsmen, Madonne Ashwin, whose storytelling magic has given us Mandela and Maaveeran. As a production house, we are elated to collaborate with Madonne for the second time. Together, we are committed to delivering a film that will entertain audiences globally. The film is being produced by Shanthi Talkies, and marks its production Number 3. As soon as Shanthi Talkies announced this huge collaboration, the netizens were quick to express excitement and anticipation, with a user hailing it as the 'Best Collaboration'. Madonne Ashwin has directed critically acclaimed films including 'Mandela' and 'Maaveeran'. However, 'Chiyaan 63' will mark his first team-up with Vikram. On the other hand, the ace actor is currently filming for director SU Arun Kumar's 'Veera Dheera Sooran'. While further details of 'Chiyaan 63' are highly awaited, the audiences are in for an absolute treat. Meanwhile, Vikram was recently seen in Thangalaan along with Parvathy Thiruvothu and Malavika Mohanan. The film was directed by the acclaimed director Pa. Ranjith. United Nations: More than 1.1 million people have fled their homes across Syria since the recent hostilities erupted two weeks ago amid reports of food and fuel shortages, UN humanitarians have said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the United Nations and its partners continue humanitarian activities as the security situation allows, with some partners operating in a limited scope in the cities of Damascus, Tartous, Latakia and Raqqa. The world body is closely monitoring the situation. In Syria's northwest, the lack of flour and fuel has shuttered Aleppo bakeries, the office said. There are limited vegetable supplies. Electricity outages are reported in some neighborhoods. Fuel prices remain high, Xinhua news agency reported. OCHA said hostilities near Tishreen Dam in the Aleppo governorate have extended electricity outages since Tuesday, affecting more than 400,000 people in some areas, such as Menbij and Kobani cities, disrupting access to water and other key services. Despite the challenges, and as security allowed, the United Nations and partners have provided food to more than 700,000 people in northwest Syria since the escalation of hostilities. In the northeast, humanitarian access and delivery remains challenging, according to OCHA. Checkpoints are restricting movement in the cities of Raqqa, Tabqa, Hassakeh and Derik, where reports of looting continue. More than 40,000 displaced people are staying in around 200 collective centers. Humanitarian organizations are distributing food, hygiene kits, cash, and psychosocial support to children and adults. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday had said that he is "deeply concerned" by the recent and extensive violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging parties to de-escalate violence throughout the country, his spokesperson said. "The Secretary-General is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Syria, and stresses the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts, throughout the country," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, said at a daily press briefing. A video by CNN reporter Clarissa Ward and her team reveals dramatic footage of how they freed a Syrian prisoner abandoned in a cell at Assad's Air Force Intelligence headquarters in Damascus. The man spent three months in the windowless cell without knowing that President Bashar al-Assad had already flown out of the country by plane days earlier. When checking this deserted facility, Ward's research party suddenly stumbled upon a prisoner in that dark, locked, and airless cell. This guy was hiding underneath a bed blanket. At first, he refused to come forward for several minutes, during which he was raising his arms in fear, pleading: "I am a civilian. Realizing they meant no harm, the prisoner grasped Wards arm in desperation. A visibly moved Ward reassured him, saying, Youre OK, youre OK, as he refused to let go. She offered him water, an act of kindness that symbolized hope after months of isolation. Ward shared her experience on X (formerly Twitter), describing it as "one of the most extraordinary moments I have witnessed" in her two decades as a journalist. The prison was notorious for its brutal methods and its surveillance, arrests, and killing of critics of the regime. prisoner still unaware of Assads ouster.@clarissaward and her team find a prisoner still in #Assads Air Force Intel HQ in #Damascus in #Syria, abandoned alone in a cell. days after the prison was thought to have been emptied. pic.twitter.com/ctZjbiZKZU Qusay Noor (@QUSAY_NOOR_) December 12, 2024 It was this detainee's discovery that reflected the state of chaos that accompanied the departure of Assad. It was also one to show how vile the secret Syrian detention centers were: full of missing people. Ward and her team are hoping to find remnants of an American journalist named Austin Tice who disappeared in Syria during 2012. His family still holds hope that maybe he might be alive. Speaking to NPR, his sister Abigail Edaburn said, "These last few days have been unbelievably intense. It feels like anything is possible." The Tice case is the epitome of many stories that remain to be solved in Syria, still struggling to live with its cruel civil war. On 11 December, CNN anchor Jake Tapper played a video in which he observed ignorance on the part of the prisoner about the fact that Assad had been ousted and how under extraordinary circumstances he was rescued. US President-elect Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration on January 20, according to his spokesperson. While the invitation underscores Trumps approach of maintaining dialogue with both allies and adversaries, sources suggest that Xi is unlikely to attend, CBS News reported. Incoming White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitte confirmed the invitation in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies but our adversaries and our competitors too, she said. Leavitte praised Trumps willingness to engage with global leaders, highlighting his previous terms emphasis on fostering international dialogue. We saw this in the first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around the world. He is willing to talk to anyone. He will always put Americas interest first, she added. However, she did not confirm whether Xi had accepted the invitation. Xis Likely Absence Despite the gesture, two sources familiar with the planning indicated that Xi is unlikely to attend the ceremony. The Chinese embassy in Washington has also declined to comment on the matter, CBS News reported. Diplomatic protocol suggests that Chinas ambassador to the US, along with his spouse, will attend the event, potentially accompanied by other Beijing officials. Inauguration organizers have designated staff to handle diplomatic protocol during the festivities. White House Reaction John Kirby, a senior White House official, refrained from commenting on the invitations merit. It is going to be up to President-elect Trump to decide whos going to sit with him there at that inauguration, whos going to be there, Kirby told reporters. Kirby emphasized the importance of the US-China relationship, calling it the single most consequential bilateral relationship that the United States has in the world. He acknowledged ongoing disagreements but noted significant efforts to stabilize relations under President Joe Bidens administration. As we get ready to turn over to the Trump team, we will make sure they are fully informed about everything President Biden has done to get this relationship on a more stable footing. It will be up to them to determine how and to what degree they want to carry that forward, Kirby said. Trump on US-China Relations Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Trump described his relationship with China as positive. We have a good relationship with China. I have a good relationship. Weve been talking and discussing with President Xi some things, he said, without elaborating further or addressing the inauguration invitation directly. Tense US-China Dynamics The invitation comes amid heightened tensions between the US and China. The US intelligence community recently disclosed a significant cyberattack involving eight US telecom companies, reportedly carried out by Chinese actors. The attack potentially exposed metadata of millions of Americans, including high-ranking officials like Vice President-elect JD Vance. A senior official in the government of Ontario, Canada, recently warned that the province might ban US-made alcohol and restrict electricity exports to several American states if President-elect Donald Trump imposes tariffs on all Canadian products, according to media reports. This warning, along with others issued by Canadian officials, has heightened concerns about a potential trade war between the United States and one of its most important trading partners. Additionally, according to a senior official, Canada's most populous province is considering imposing export bans on critical minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries and barring US-based companies from participating in Ontario's government procurement processes, reports Xinhua news agency, citing the Associated Press. Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed on Thursday that the province is considering cutting energy supplies to the US states of Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin. "We power 1.5 million (US) homes, and if they impose tariffs, it will become unaffordable for Americans to buy electricity," Ford told reporters. "If you come and attack Ontario, you attack the livelihoods of people in Ontario and Canadians; we are going to use every tool in our toolbox to defend Ontarians and Canadians," said Ford. Commenting on Ford's warnings, Trump said on the same day, "That's OK if he does that. That's fine." "I have so many friends in Canada, but we shouldn't have to subsidise a country," said the US President-elect, who announced in late November his intention to impose a sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico. Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with provincial premiers to coordinate a response to the potential tariffs. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland revealed that several premiers supported "a robust Canadian response," including restricting exports of critical minerals and metals to the United States. Freeland also noted that Canadian business and labour leaders are engaging with their US counterparts to address the issue. The proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico would significantly impact US consumers, driving up prices for automobiles, vegetables, fuel, prepared foods, and animal products, according to a Peterson Institute report cited by CNN on Thursday. "American consumers and firms will bear the effect of higher tariffs, with the substantial cost for the average American household, and a burden that falls more heavily on lower-income households," said Peterson Institute researchers. Meanwhile, a Nanos Research survey commissioned by CTV News earlier this month revealed that approximately 65 per cent of Canadians would be "less likely" or "somewhat less likely" to purchase US products if the proposed tariffs were implemented. A model by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce estimates that a 10 per cent tariff alone would shrink Canada's GDP by 0.9 to 1 per cent, costing approximately 30 billion Canadian dollars ($21.3 billion) annually, while the United States could lose 125 billion ($88.8 billion) a year. A 25 per cent tariff would likely amplify these losses, according to a Canadian Press report in November. Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join us for an insightful conversation with emergency physician Drew Remignanti as we explore the complexities of transitioning to Medicare for all. Well discuss the potential benefits, pitfalls, and misconceptions surrounding the concept, the importance of primary care physician leadership, and the impact on patient care and cost management. Drew Remignanti is an emergency physician. He discusses the KevinMD article, Medicare for all could work if doctors lead the way. Our presenting sponsor is DAX Copilot by Microsoft. Do you spend more time on administrative tasks like clinical documentation than you do with patients? Youre not alone. Clinicians report spending up to two hours on administrative tasks for each hour of patient care. Microsoft is committed to helping clinicians restore the balance with DAX Copilot, an AI-powered, voice-enabled solution that automates clinical documentation and workflows. 70 percent of physicians who use DAX Copilot say it improves their work-life balance while reducing feelings of burnout and fatigue. Patients love it too! 93 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational, and 75 percent of physicians say it improves patient experiences. Help restore your work-life balance with DAX Copilot, your AI assistant for automated clinical documentation and workflows. VISIT SPONSOR https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE https://www.kevinmd.com/cme Im partnering with Learner+ to offer clinicians access to an AI-powered reflective portfolio that rewards CME/CE credits from meaningful reflections. Find out more: https://www.kevinmd.com/learnerplus Transcript Kevin Pho: Hi, and welcome to the show. Subscribe at KevinMD.com/podcast. Today, we welcome back Drew Remignanti. Hes an emergency physician. Todays KevinMD article is titled Medicare for All Could Work if Doctors Lead the Way. Drew, welcome back to the show. Drew Remignanti: Thanks a lot for having me, Kevin. I appreciate it. Kevin Pho: So lets jump straight into this most recent article about Medicare for All. Before going into it, just tell us what led you to write it in the first place. Drew Remignanti: Well, my reflex feeling about Medicare being run by the federal government was one of unease because I dont really trust them to do it right. You know, CMSthe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Servicestypically, when they do something that affects physicians, they reduce the amount of money they want to give to physicians. This year, I think theyre planning another 2.9 percent decrease in physician pay, which I think is the fifth year in a row theyve done that. Theyve decided that the way to solve our health care problem is to pay physicians less. So, I started off with a reflex skepticism about Medicare for All as a concept. Then I read this book by the health care journalist Ken Terry, who goes into a fairly extensive explanation of how it could work. The immediate appeal to me was that he proposed doing it over a 10-year period rather than an overnight fiat. I think as patients, you know, we like the ideaits appealing. Gee, if I can get the government to pay for all my health care, then I dont need to worry, which is true. You wont have any financial worries. But I dont think its even the right way to start. I think we need to figure out how to do things better between patients and physicians. Kevin Pho: So tell us the proposal that you have, inspired by reading that book. What would you like to see? Drew Remignanti: Well, as Mr. Terry recommends, I think we should put physicians in charge of making any transition in terms of how we pay for health care. In the book that I wrote, I promote a patient-physician partnership. Weve developed a passive role as patients, and the system has sort of encouraged that passive role. I think patients need to become much more active participants in their health care, and I think they need to have a stronger relationship with their primary care physician. I think thats the key place to start, and we can do that regardless of whos paying for it. We could start that part right now. There are plenty of studies that I quote in my book in which patients who have the kind of trusting relationship with their primary care doctor can discuss their concerns and hear what the doctor has to say that might be helpfulnot necessarily agreeing with their concernsand together formulate a diagnostic and treatment plan. Those patients who become better informed, more involved in planning their treatment, are subsequently more adherent to those treatment plans. And heres an amazing finding in my research: they then have half the mortality rate of people who are less knowledgeable, less engaged, less informed, and less adherent. Thats a pretty big payoff. You know, if it was a 10 or 15 percent reduction in mortality, youd say, Well, thats interesting. But a full half? And theres study after study showing that same reduction in mortality. Kevin Pho: You talk about strengthening the primary care physician-patient bond. But how is that strengthened bond going to lead to an overhaul in our health care system? It sounds like weve been trying to strengthen that bond for decades now, and I talk a lot about this on my podcast about the deterioration of that primary care bond. Assuming we have it, how is that going to lead to complete reform of our health care system? Drew Remignanti: I think patients need to do that first because they gain immediate benefit from it through the reduction in mortality risk. The system would gain from it ultimately because patients would be seeking out fewer unnecessary treatments. There would be cost reductions because youd trust your physician who says, No, you dont need that particular test. I came across some interesting options. Apparently, without even a physicians order, if youre anxious enough about it, you can order a total body MRI scan. I think its a mere $1,500. And the businesspeople in health care want the physician out of the way so they can appeal to that insecurity and incomplete awareness on the part of patients and say, Hey, this is a service you need. There are other online lab services where you can order your own lab tests. But how are you going to know what to order if you dont have a relationship with your primary care physician? I think we need to incentivize primary care for both physicians and patients. Kevin Pho: So how can we get to that point? Like you said, we dont have that strong bond between patients and primary care physicians, and theres a shortage of primary care physicians today. What do you propose in order to build up our primary care workforce? Drew Remignanti: We need to incentivize primary care physicians by literally paying them more and giving them more time to spend with patients. The thing that strengthens the patient-physician relationship is when you dont feel rushed, like your doctor is trying to get you in and out the door as quickly as possible. I had a friend say to me, When I go to my doctor, he barely even sits down. Hes talking to me as he comes in the door, and hes talking to me as he leaves the door. But an actual face-to-face conversation where I can express my concerns and reservations? Theres no time for it. I think we need to pay primary care physicians more so they can have a smaller patient panel and spend more time with patients. Thats something that would have to come from above. Insurers and hospital administrators need to take their focus off productivityhow many widgets youre producing in an hour, how many patients youre seeing in an hour. The idea that primary care doctors are given 15 or 20 minutes to interact with a patient, hear what theyre trying to say, and explain what they need to hear is totally unrealistic. Yet, its become an accepted part of modern health care. Kevin Pho: How would you get more medical students to be interested in primary care? As you know, when the majority of them graduate, they tend to go into specialty care because of the disparity in pay. They also graduate with hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical school debt. How would you incentivize them to go into primary care? Drew Remignanti: That has to come from the top down. CMS needs to recognize that the solution to our health care problems is not to pay physicians lessits to pay them more, specifically primary care physicians. This shouldnt involve robbing Peter to pay Paul by taking from one group of physicians to pay another. But I really feel that primary care is probably the most important specialty right now if were trying to solve our health care mess. Youre rightits a major hurdle. When I graduated medical school, I had $35,000 in debt, and I thought I was really way underwater. But now, the typical debt is a couple hundred thousand dollars. If you know your pay as a primary care doctor is going to be much smaller than that of a specialist, its a natural reaction to choose specialty care. This has to be mandated from above. And as much as Im leery and distrustful of the federal government, theyre the only institution in our country with the power to make these changes. Kevin Pho: If you were in charge of Medicare in this new role, tell us the first things you would do to shift the health care system into your vision. Drew Remignanti: I just read something today about the new incoming president proposing that the AMAthe American Medical Associationneeds to be taken out of the process of determining what physicians get paid. The thing I like about Ken Terrys book is that he says, no, physicians need to be the ones to lead this forward. Specialists might balk a bit at the idea of paying primary care doctors so much more, but thats step number one. Id probably double their pay overnight. And Id take away this whole idea of productivity being tied to pay. Health care should be humanized. Were not talking about socialized medicine, but about individualized, humanized interactions. You cant achieve that in 15 or 20 minutes, especially with a patient youve never met before. This productivity-driven modelwhere time is moneyis a business concept. But it doesnt align with quality care. Id put physicians back in charge of decision-making. Its like if youre sending a rocket to Marsyou dont fire all the aerospace engineers. Yet, in health care, weve replaced experienced decision-makers with cost-saving substitutes. I hate the term provider. As someone who has been a patient with a chronic autoimmune disease my entire life, I find it offensive. Ive never thought of myself as a consumer of medical services. Im a patient who needs medical services. Similarly, Ive never considered physicians as providers. This term falsely equates non-physician providers with physicians, undermining the value of medical expertise. Its a cost-saving effort by dollar-driven decision-makers. Kevin Pho: How can physicians lead these changes? Weve been talking about how these reforms need to happen at a grassroots level, but physicians often arent in leadership or influential positions. What can they do to position themselves better? Drew Remignanti: I see this at two levels: societal and individual. Individually, physicians and patients can change their office interactions overnight. For example, as a physician, I could say, In this office, Im going to expect you, as my patient, to be knowledgeable about your health conditions. Ill listen to all your concerns, and well take the time we need to address them together. On the other hand, patients need to come in with the mindset, Im an active participant in this process. Of course, this approach may ruffle some feathers. Your office might complain, Kevin, youre not seeing enough patients. But the quality of the interaction matters more. On a societal level, it has to come from the top. Decision-makers need to understand that non-physicians shouldnt be practicing medicine and making health care decisions. Weve let businesspeople take over health care to the point where theyre not even afraid to admit it. In one of my essays, I quote a health care administrator with 30 years of experience who said in a health care business journal, Patients need primary care, but not necessarily a physician relationship. She was comfortable putting that in print under her name. That mindset needs to be reversed. The federal government is probably the only body with the authority to impose those kinds of rules. Its wishful thinking on my part, but I dont see any other way to address it. On the positive side, patients and physicians can change their interactions immediately. A more trusting partnership doesnt require policy changes. While its not an equal partnership, its complementarypatients bring their lived experience and symptoms, and physicians bring their expertise and solutions. Together, they can create a meaningful health care journey. Kevin Pho: Were talking to Drew Remignanti, an emergency physician. Todays KevinMD article is titled Medicare for All Could Work if Doctors Lead the Way. Drew, lets end with some take-home messages you want to leave with the KevinMD audience. Drew Remignanti: As I mentioned earlier, any patient listening should stun their doctor by saying at their next appointment, I listened to this conversation between Kevin and Drew, and Im convinced I need to play a more active role in my health care. Im committed to being more knowledgeable and engaged. Then, you might need to help your doctor off the floor after theyve fainted from surprise. Many of us as physicians are ready to hear that. Of course, some might resist and say, Thats not your role. But for the most part, were eager for more agile, engaged, and educated patients. You dont need anyones permission to take that step. You can start tomorrow by deciding to be more informed and involved in your health care journey. Kevin Pho: Drew, thank you so much for sharing your perspective and insight. Thanks again for coming back on the show. Drew Remignanti: Hey, Kevin, thanks so much for having me. On 12 December Mexicos senate approved a reform to guarantee labour rights for workers employed by digital platforms such as ride-hailing app Uber and food delivery app Rappi. End of preview - This article contains approximately 400 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 12 December Haitis Prime Ministerannounced various measures aimed at addressing the countrys security crisis. End of preview - This article contains approximately 401 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 12 December Brazils senate approved a piece of legislation (PLP 68/2024) that proposes regulations for the landmark tax reform passed last year. End of preview - This article contains approximately 399 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 12 December the commander of Paraguays national police,, said that cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would remain unchanged, days after the national anti-drug agency (Senad) announced that it had suspended cooperation with the DEA. End of preview - This article contains approximately 370 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. This week, we are going to talk about the future tenses. There are several ways to talk about future events in English. Compared to the past and present, future tenses are usually more flexible. Will Lets start with will. To form the simple future, use will and then the simple form of the verb. For example, I will go to the store. In everyday conversation, will often gets shortened, which can be difficult for English learners to hear. For example, Ill leave tomorrow or Hell go to the store. You can use will to express a desire to do something. Ill help you move tomorrow or Ill answer the phone. Be going to The second form of the simple future is be going to. For example, I am going to start a new job tomorrow. Use be going to when you already have a plan to do something. When you say Im going to start a new job tomorrow, you made the plan in the past. If you do not have a plan, use will. If you are making a prediction about the future, you can use will or be going to. You can say, She will win the election or She is going to win the electionthe meaning is the same. In casual conversation, most Americans will change going to to gonna. Be careful with this expression. You might want to avoid using the reduced form, gonna, in formal situations. You should never use it in professional or academic writing. Shall Another way to express the future is with shall. Shall has the same meaning as will to express the future. Listen to a famous speech by American General Douglas MacArthur. General MacArthur is talking about his escape from the Philippines during World War II. When I landed on your soil, I said to the people of the Philippines whence I came, I shall return. I shall return is one of the most famous quotes related to World War II. But these days, shall seems very formal and a bit old-fashioned in American English. It is more common in British English. Present progressive and simple present Sometimes a present tense can express the future. Imagine you have a flight to Chicago tomorrow. There are several ways to express the future in this situation. Since you have a plan, you can use be going to. I am going to fly to Chicago tomorrow. You could also use the present progressive, I am flying to Chicago tomorrow. The meaning is almost the same. The present progressive just emphasizes that the flight is a scheduled event. If you are referring to a fixed schedule or timetable, you can even use the simple present to express the future. For example, The flight to Chicago arrives at 7:00. The simple present here shows that the flight has a regular set schedule. Future progressive Lets move on to the future progressive. To form the future progressive, use will be followed by the ing form of the verb. For example, I will be working when you arrive. Use the future progressive to talk about an event that will be in progress (or unfinished) in the future. Speakers use the future progressive to talk about more than one future action. For example, Dont call me after 9:00 because I will be studying or I will be sleeping when you get home. There are other ways to express the future, such as the future perfect and future perfect progressive, but they are rare. A native speaker may never use them in an entire lifetime. Common mistakes Lets look at some common mistakes we see in all of the future tenses we have discussed. First, remember that you cannot use will in a time clause. For example, I am going to visit her when I will arrive should be I am going to visit her when I arrive. The when phrase, also known as a time clause, uses the simple form of the verb in a future tense. Another common mistake is with the third person s. He will meets me tomorrow should be He will meet me tomorrow. There is quite a bit of flexibility with future tenses; sometimes there is little or no difference among different forms. If you have a choice, use the simplest tense. For VOA Everyday Grammar, Im Jill Robbins. And Im Jonathan Evans. Adam Brock wrote this lesson for Learning English. Quiz - Everyday Grammar: Fun with Future Tenses Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz __________________________________________________ Words in This Story prediction - n. a statement about what will happen or might happen in the future present progressive - gramm. The verb tense that indicates continuing action, something going on now. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the present tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending) simple present - gramm. The form of the verb that is usually the same as the base form, but the third person singular adds -s. Some verbs change, like 'to be', which uses 'am', 'are' and 'is', and 'to have', where the third person is 'has'. The auxiliary verb 'to do' is used in a negative structure or a question future progressive - gramm. The verb tense expressing continuing action, something that will be happening, going on, at some point in the future. This tense is formed with the modal "will" plus "be," plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending) Now its your turn. Write to us in the comments section. Make a prediction about the future using one of these ways of talking about the future. 21:59 Cong apologised for Emergency but BJP...: NC MP Opposition MPs on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attacking the Constitution, with National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad saying while the Congress apologised for imposing Emergency, the ruling party has been silent on its own actions. Participating in a debate on 75... Read more > 21:41 Priyanka likens PM's speech to 'double maths period' Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's over 110-minutes speech in Lok Sabha boring and said it was like sitting through a double period of mathematics in school. She also slammed PM Modi's 11 resolutions as hollow and said if there is zero... Read more > 20:55 'Garibi Hatao' was the biggest 'jumla': Modi in LS Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the biggest jumla in the history of India was Garibi Hatao, a slogan given by former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Replying to a two-day debate in Lok Sabha on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution, Prime Minister Modi said there is a... Read more > 20:07 Student not allowed to enter classroom without removing tilak from forehead Representative image A girl was not allowed to enter her classroom in a school in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh without removing a tilak from her forehead, prompting her parents and Hindu outfits to stage a protest, following which the principal had to offer an apology. Director General of School Education Jharna... Read more > 19:53 Cong repeatedly wounded Constitution after...: Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that the Congress, having tasted blood, repeatedly wounded the Constitution while his government's policies and decisions since it took office in 2014 have been aimed at boosting India's strength and unity in line with the vision of the... Read more > 18:21 4 held for vandalising Hindu properties in B'desh Law enforcement agencies on Saturday arrested four people for vandalising and damaging houses and shops of the Hindu community and the local Loknath temple in Sunamganj district in north Bangladesh. Police also filed a case against 150-170 people, mentioning the names of 12 of... Read more > 17:35 BJP, Sena counter Rahul's Savarkar attack with Indira letter The Lok Sabha turned into a battleground on Friday when Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde invoked a letter written by former prime minister Indira Gandhi praising V D Savarkar, sparking a fiery debate involving the treasury bench and Congress members. Referring to Leader of Opposition... Read more > 17:16 Attackers of Constitution posing as...: BJP MP Bharatiya Janata party MP Tejasvi Surya slammed the Congress in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, saying the attackers of the Constitution are posing as champions of the Constitution in a hypocritical drama that is going on for decades in the country.Participating in a two-day debate in the Lower House... Read more > 16:14 Missing 18-year-old girl from Maharashtra traced to Goa An 18-year-old girl who was reported missing from her home in Maharashtra was traced to Goa and handed over to her family, police said on Saturday.The teen, who was travelling on a train to Kerala, was tracked down at Margao station in South Goa on Saturday, an official said.The girl had gone... Read more > 15:57 Techie suicide case: Wife, relatives file bail pleas Engineer Atul Subhash's estranged wife and her family members, who he had accused of harassment in his suicide note, have filed anticipatory bail pleas in Allahabad High Court. The anticipatory bail applications have been filed by Subhash's wife Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha Singhania,... Read more > 15:21 You are ridiculing Savarkar when...: Rahul to BJP Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday cited V D Savarkar's remarks that there was nothing Indian about the Constitution and took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that by talking of protecting the Constitution, the ruling party is ridiculing Savarkar. ... Read more > 14:42 6 Delhi schools get bomb threat, 3rd time this week At least six Delhi schools received a bomb threat on Saturday, officials said, marking the third instance of threat emails being sent to schools in the national capital this week.We received a call about a bomb threat at Delhi Public School, RK Puram, at 6:09 am, a Delhi Fire Services official... Read more > 14:11 South Korean Prez Yoon Suk Yeol impeached by Parl South Korean lawmakers impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over martial law bid, suspending him from office after the declaration of martial law caused mass outrage and resulted in constitutional crisis.Lawmakers voted on a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, as a parliament livestream... Read more > 13:45 Cops use water cannon as farmers resume Delhi march Haryana security personnel fired tear gas shells and used a water cannon to disperse the protesting farmers from heading towards Delhi at the Shambhu border point on Saturday. The action came after a 'jatha' of 101 farmers, who resumed their foot march to Delhi shortly after 12 noon on... Read more > 13:29 Senior Congress leader E V K S Elangovan no more Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister E V K S Elangovan died due to age-related ailments at a private hospital here on Saturday, the hospital said. He was 75. The legislator from Erode East constituency has not been keeping well for over a month. He was admitted to a hospital... Read more > 12:55 'No direct link': Allu Arjun breaks silence on arrest Telugu superstar Allu Arjun has shared first statement after his release from prison in connection with the death of a fan at the premiere of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule, last week. Speaking with reporters outside the jail, the actor said, We are extremely sorry for the family. I will... Read more > 12:50 Our words, actions shouldn't diminish India's image: Rijiju While India has given equal voting rights to all, some claim that minorities have no rights in the country, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday in an apparent jibe at the opposition.Intervening in a debate on 75 years of the adoption of the Indian Constitution, the parliamentary affairs... Read more > 11:51 LK Advani admitted to hospital, condition stable Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani has been admitted to an Apollo hospital in New Delhi, sources said on Saturday. Advani remains under observation. His condition is stable, hospital sources said.He has been admitted under Dr Vinit Suri, a senior consultant in the... Read more > 11:23 Cancer patient kid dies after rat bite at hospital A 10-year-old boy allegedly bitten by a rat on one of his toes while undergoing treatment for cancer at a government hospital in Jaipur has died, an official said on Saturday.While the State Cancer Institute, where the boy was admitted on December 11, said the death was caused by 'septicaemia... Read more > 10:05 Haryana suspends internet ahead of farmers' march Hours before the resumption of the farmers' protest march to Delhi from the Shambhu border, the Haryana government on Saturday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 12 villages in Ambala district to maintain 'public peace'.The suspension will remain in force till December 17,... Read more > 09:25 Delhi school gets bomb threat, third incident this week A Delhi school received a bomb threat on Saturday, officials said, marking the third instance of threat emails being sent to schools in the national capital this week.We received a call about a bomb threat at DPS RK Puram at 6:09 am, a Delhi Fire Services official said.The fire department, local... Read more > 08:59 Why Respiratory Drug Sales Surge... Sanket Koul/Business StandardSales of respiratory drugs in India, which had dropped to Rs 989 crore in June, saw a sharp turnaround and jumped by 66 per cent to hit Rs 1,638 crore in November -- a five-month period marked by monsoon and onset of winter when seasonal diseases catch hold of... Read more > 08:58 HC allows Diljit's concert with conditions The Punjab and Haryana high court has allowed singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh's event scheduled to take place in Chandigarh on Saturday evening, with a direction that he comply with the noise pollution regulations.While greenlighting the event on Friday, a division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu... Read more > 08:39 Modi to reply to debate on Constitution today Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the debate on the 75th anniversary of India's Constitution in the Lok Sabha on Saturday.The Lok Sabha, on December 13, initiated a two-day debate on the Constitution to commemorate the beginning of the 75th year of its adoption.On Friday, the... Read more > 08:27 Allu Arjun walks out after night in prison After spending the night in a Hyderabad prison after being arrested in connection with the death of a woman in a stampede during the premiere of his latest film, actor Allu Arjun walked out of jail on Saturday following an interim bail granted by the Telangana high court.Arjun had to spend Friday... Read more > 00:51 Mahua Moitra writes to IPU over Rijiju's remark in Lok Sabha Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra on Friday accused Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju of threatening her in the Lok Sabha, and said she has written to Inter-Parliamentary Union about it. So Kiren Rijiju openly threatens me in Lok Sabha today in complete violation of... Read more > 00:46 Parcel containing firecrackers seized before loading at Nagpur airport File image A parcel containing firecrackers, meant to be delivered to Mumbai, was detected and seized in time at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport here on Friday, the police said. While it was being scanned, a personnel in the cargo section of the airport found the parcel suspicious and... Read more > The Macao Museum of Art (MAM) will host the exhibition New Perspectives: Modern and Contemporary Works from the Macao Museum of Art from today to May 25, 2025. This exhibition features nearly 100 pieces across three sections: Scenery and Images, Ink Expressions and Concepts, and Objects, Colors, and New Perspectives. It showcases modern and contemporary artworks in various creative forms, including watercolors, oil paintings, ink art, printmaking, photography, installation and mixed media. Related Analysis Underlining Xi Jinpings 2021 statement to the UN General Assembly, in late October of this year Beijing reiterated Chinas goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. Key targets have been set under a new development philosophy which sees carbon dioxide emissions peaking by 2030 followed by a decline to net zero 30 years later. The recent pledge is for a vision of a low-carbon, green, circular economy. Although this is an incredible undertaking for an economy of this size and structure, China already holds a position of pride as the supplier of 80 percent of global solar equipment and installation technology and 50 percent of the global wind power equipment and technology as highlighted by Zhang Chuanwei, founder of the Mingyang Group in Zhongshan. Speaking at the 2024 Understanding China Conference last week, Zhang introduced the successes of his company which include the production of clean energy sufficient to supply 25 million people for 20 years to come. Beyond the GBA, Mingyangs reach extends throughout Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe and the Americas. The companys activities exemplify the innovation and opening up that are the intended consequences of the GBAs integrated support systems for local, regional and international investors alike. Due to the unique investment infrastructure, incentives and ongoing economic development, the multinational company Itochu is seeking investment opportunities in the GBA. Itochus particular focus is to invest in businesses in environmental sustainability and to leverage from China into the global marketplace. The general manager of the Guangzhou subsidiary, Katae Tomoaki, is another executive that sees the GBA as offering favourable circumstances for business in the decarbonization and low-carbon sectors. The range of foundational development incentives and (infra)structures makes the GBA an international marketoriented business environment, especially conducive for multinationals keen to enhance their sustainability credentials. Such credibility relies on a deep level of trust in the supply and value chains, and a holistic systems approach from all levels of government and industry leadership in terms of policy, philosophical and ethical positioning, infrastructure, financial and bureaucratic support, including creativity, cultural buy-in and long-term vision. At the 2024 Global Investment Promotion Conference for the GBA in Guangzhou in early November another of the many facilitation and promotion conferences BASF chairman, Markus Kameith praised local governmental bodies in Guangdong for understanding and meeting the needs of multinationals in an environmental-conscious market. The fact that the corporation will be able to manage operations entirely on renewable energy from 2025 is indicative of the type of GBA support required by these enterprises. Such environmental incentives and supporting systems and the messaging of a strong global environmental protection brand will continue to encourage global business investment in the GBA and on Chinese soil. Given the levels of emissions from Chinas economic activity historically, much of the rhetoric and policy announcements risk being perceived as propaganda. However, a number of sections in the 2019 Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area acknowledge ecological and environmental concerns and resource limitations in robust terms. Ecological and environmental protection are areas of strengthened cooperation between the three geographical regions. Under a listing of opportunities and challenges, growing constraints on resources and energy supplies, escalating pressure on ecology and the environment recognizes the material limits to growth. Further, the section on Basic Principles lays out the systemic perspectives the interconnectedness of places, peoples, policies and resources in a holistic and highly coordinated fashion: To pursue green development and ecological conservation. To vigorously take forward ecological conservation, establish the approach of green development, uphold state policies on saving resources and protecting the environment, implement the most rigorous ecological protection system. Indeed, it was a half-decade prior to this when in 2014 ClientEarth, an environmental law organization based in the UK but active across Europe and the US, was approached by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Supreme Peoples Court to consult on environmental laws, and to train environment court judges and prosecutors. The aim was to encourage the establishment of more environmental groups in China and to enable NGOs to pursue polluting companies and even governmental bodies in the fight against environmental harms. According to James Thornton of ClientEarth, this legislation was the first to allow Chinese federal prosecutors to sue the government. The recommendations were put in place to make it easier for citizens to enable enforcement of environmental protection laws. In 2020, 80,000 environmental cases were brought before the courts. By March 2022, 1,500 environmental judges and 1,200 prosecutors had been trained; all in efforts to raise environmental standards across China. On the financial front, more recently, banks have been lobbied and advised on appropriate investment targets and which investments to avoid that will be of little value in the long run due to environmental and sustainability risks, such as coal-fired power stations. Systemic change and development rely on integrated legal, financial, economic and cultural elements coming together. It takes time and concerted efforts for policies to be realized, and to be embodied by institutional systems, then to infiltrate through markets and for the message to be trusted. At some point, the momentum gathers, and positive developmental outcomes start to be visible, first to those with interest to test the waters and then invest, and finally to the average citizen. We appear to be on that trajectory, seeing those elements come together. More than 2,600 audience members attended Classics Reimagined: Golden Hour Harmonies at the Macao Cultural Centre Plaza, on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The event featured three musical sessions and a masterclass, showcasing performances by the Janoska Ensemble, world-renowned pianist Niu Niu, and harmonicist Gordon Lee. Attendees enjoyed harmonious interpretations of classical music during the golden hour at dusk. The Janoska Ensemble also conducted a masterclass for 17 young musicians, providing professional guidance and insight. Wilfred Wong, executive vice-chairman of Sands China Ltd., expressed satisfaction with the event, emphasizing its role in promoting art and inspiring local talent within Macau. We believe that this concert will help promote the popularisation of art and bring inspiration to young musical talents in Macau. Moving forward, we will continue to introduce high-quality art events that align with the commitments of our companys Community Revitalization Programme and Performing Arts Programme, he said. Sands China recognises volunteers and community partners while honouring Dual Celebrations The Sands Cares Ambassador Programme marked its 15th anniversary with a celebration at The Londoner Macao Dec. 3, attended by around 200 guests, comprising government officials, company executives, representatives from Macao NGOs, and Sands Cares Ambassadors. Since 2009, team members of different ages and departments have served the community as Sands Cares Ambassadors. The company extended its appreciation to the Ambassadors and long-time local NGO collaborators for their outstanding volunteer work in walking together with Macao, while also celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding the Peoples Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of Macaos return to the motherland. Company executives honoured 25 Ambassadors with awards for their various contributions, including long years of service, number of volunteer hours, and other noteworthy accolades. Guests received a commemorative gift pack in appreciation of the programmes supporting entities and volunteers. In order to share warmth and care with disadvantaged groups, Sands China invited a Fuhong Society of Macau artist with disabilities to design and produce the gift, promoting the talents of people with special needs in the spirit of inclusiveness and art without boundaries. As part of Sands Cares, the Sands Cares Ambassador Programme has stood firmly with the Macao community for 15 years to provide a platform for team members to serve the community. Starting with only 200 members, it now has more than 3,600 team members who have cumulatively contributed over 310,000 hours of volunteer service. With Sands China being an important stakeholder in the local community, the Sands Cares Ambassador programme is an influential tool that illustrates the companys unwavering commitment to contribute to society, serving as an important connection between Sands China and local residents. Therefore, On the 15th anniversary of the Sands Cares Ambassador programme, Sands China is calling on all sectors of society to answer the call to #BeMyVolunteer and encourage more people to volunteer with Macaos social service organisations. The Sands Cares Ambassador Programme is part of the Sands Cares global corporate citizenship programme. SJM Holdings Limited has recently announced plans to expand its footprint into the budget accommodation sector with the acquisition of nine floors of office space in Hengqin. The company will invest RMB546 million to convert this space into a three-star hotel, strategically located just a five-minute walk from the Hengqin Port. In a statement, SJM Holdings revealed that the property spans 14,845 square meters, covering the 21st to 29th floors of the Xin De Kou An Shang Wu Zhong Xin commercial development. This initiative aligns with a recent policy initiative by the Hengqin government aimed at repurposing underutilized buildings into hotels, a plan that has gained traction since its introduction in April and subsequent expansion in July. Daisy Ho, chair of SJM Holdings, emphasized the strategic advantages of the location in the statement. The proposed acquisition is situated next to the 24-hour Hengqin Port and is in close proximity to our existing hotel portfolio in Macau, she stated. The area is just a five-minute walk from the 24-hour Hengqin Port and a short drive from major hotels like the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort and the Grand Lisboa Hotel. The new three-star hotel is expected to cater to budget-conscious travelers, particularly mainland Chinese tourists who have often found Macaus accommodation costs to be prohibitive. The anticipated Jan. 1, 2025 opening of the Hengqin-Macau multiple-entry visa policy is expected to stimulate tourism. This policy will allow eligible visitors to travel back and forth between Macau and Hengqin multiple times within a week. Additionally, the newly inaugurated Hengqin Light Rapid Transit line is expected to enhance accessibility between these locations. Ho added that the new Hengqin hotel would expand the types of customers that the gaming concessionaire serves. Nadia Shaw What does a spy agency give for Christmas? How about a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a mystery. GCHQ, Britains electronic and cyber-intelligence agency, this week published its annual Christmas Challenge a seasonal greeting card that doubles as a set of fiendishly difficult puzzles designed to excite young minds about solving cyphers and unearthing clues. The challenge is aimed at young people aged 11 to 18, who are encouraged to work in teams and use lateral thinking, ingenuity and perseverance to crack the seven brainteasers set by GCHQs in-house puzzlers. The card is sent by the head of GCHQ short for Government Communications Headquarters to other national security chiefs around the world. Puzzles were first included in 2015 and have become an annual tradition. The agency admits the festive fun has an ulterior motive. GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler said she hoped the card would inspire young people to explore STEM subjects science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to consider what a career in cybersecurity and intelligence might have to offer. It also aims to dispel some myths about intelligence work, fueled by super-agent James Bond and other fictional spies. The Macao University of Tourism (UTM) has signed a cooperation agreement with the Jinan Municipal Education Bureau and Jinan University to enhance educational collaboration between Macau and Shandong Province. This initiative aims to foster the development of talent, allowing for student exchanges and faculty collaborations. During the signing ceremony yesterday, key figures, including Fanny Vong, UTM president, and Liu Chunhua, Secretary of the Party Committee of Jinan University, outlined specific cooperation plans, emphasizing their commitment to improving educational opportunities for students in both regions. Related The name of Frantz Fanon is intimately associated with the anti-colonial struggle of the postwar period, and his major work, The Wretched of the Earth, is regularly cited as a handbook for anti-imperialist struggle around the world. In this article, Jorge Martin separates the real Fanon from his postcolonial interpreters, and explains both the strengths and the flaws of his ideas. The article was orginally published as part of issue 45 of In Defence of Marxism magazine, the quarterly theoretical journal of the Revolutionary Communist International. Subscribe and get your copy here! Frantz Fanons The Wretched of the Earth is very famous and influential, particularly in the universities. It is common to see Fanon and his ideas raised as a correction to Marxism on the question of the colonial struggle, often by people who have read neither Marx nor Fanon. But if we are to genuinely understand Fanons ideas and their relationship with Marxism, it is necessary to study the context in which The Wretched of the Earth was written, and compare the perspective set out in Fanons book with subsequent events. And such a study can only lead to the conclusion that, while it contains quite a few very interesting insights and warnings, The Wretched of the Earth also contains several points about revolutionary strategy that are wrong, and cannot offer a way forward for revolutionaries today. Early influences Frantz Fanon was born in 1925 in Martinique, which remains a French colony to this day. Fanon was born into what you could describe as a middle-class family, which allowed him to get a proper education. He attended a private secondary school where he was educated in the values of the French Republic - Liberty, Equality, Fraternity - and he looked up to the French classics in literature, to the French enlightenment authors, and the French Revolution. These shaped his early ideas. Fanon was also influenced by one of the teachers at his lycee: Aimee Cesaire, who had joined the Communist Party, like many other Black intellectuals of his generation. France capitulated to Nazi Germany in 1940, and its colonies were split between those territories that supported the Nazi-collaborating Vichy regime, headed by Marshal Petain, and those who supported Free France, headed by De Gaulle. In 1943, at the age of 17, Fanon made a failed attempt to join the forces of Free France by fleeing to Dominica, and in 1944 he crossed the Atlantic, landing in Morocco and later travelling to Algeria as part of De Gaulles army. Through his experience in the army, he soon realised that his idealised view of the French Republic as a country of enlightenment, democracy and equality did not correspond to reality / Image: public domain Through his experience in the army, he soon realised that his idealised view of the French Republic as a country of enlightenment, democracy and equality did not correspond to reality. He could see how, even within the ranks of the French Army there was racism, discrimination and prejudice. Soldiers were split along ethnic lines into different categories and units. After the war, he returned to Martinique. In 1945 he participated in the campaign of Aimee Cesaire to be elected as a Communist deputy. Studies in psychiatry In 1946, Fanon went to France to finish his studies in psychiatry. His book, Black Skin, White Masks, was originally presented as his thesis for his degree. It was rejected and then published as a separate work. Many try to read a lot into this book, as if it were a work of political theory. In fact it is an attempt to analyse the psychological impact of racism, both on the minds of the oppressed colonial peoples, and on the minds of the colonisers. For that reason it is very much loved in postmodern academia, which likes anything that is obscure and deals mainly with the mind. To say, as many argue today, that Fanons standpoint hinged on the need to decolonise the mind is completely false. In fact, if you read what Fanon actually wrote, he argues that people are changed through direct revolutionary action and that only a violent uprising against colonialism can change the people who are colonial subjects. Precisely the opposite of what is presented by postmodern or postcolonial academia today. After the end of his studies he worked at a psychiatric hospital in Saint-Alban, in France. There, he became a close friend and collaborator of the director, Francesc Tosquelles, who had been a member of the POUM during the Spanish Revolution and had been exiled into France. Tosquelles argued that one should not see the psychiatric patient in isolation or try to treat him just on the basis of chemical and psychological processes in his brain, but rather, the patient had to be approached as a social person as well; a patients environment and background had to be taken into account, not just to diagnose him but also in order to treat him. This approach had a great influence on Fanon, who challenged the dominant racist approach in psychiatry regarding the existence of a so-called North African syndrome. In 1953, Fanon took a position as the director of a psychiatric hospital in Blida-Joinville, Algeria. This decision was not politically motivated, but rather he was driven by the fact that it was easier to get such a position in Algeria (which was legally treated not as a colony but part of France proper) than in metropolitan France. The Algerian War In 1945, with the surrender of the Nazis, demonstrations for national and democratic rights erupted across Algeria. These were brutally repressed, particularly in Setif, Guelma and Kherrata, where thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of Algerians were massacred by the French Army and armed settlers. Scandalously, both the French and Algerian Communist Parties sided with the French state, describing Algerian protestors as thugs and fascists. A PCF member was Minister for the Air Force, responsible for aerial bombardment of the nationalist protestors, and the PCF backed special powers for the French government in Algeria in 1956. This would permanently sever any link between the Stalinist Communist Parties and the Algerian liberation movement. Under the blows of the colonial regime, the liberation movement itself split over the question of violence, with a more militant layer eventually crystallising into the Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN). On 1 November 1954, the FLN carried out a series of attacks on French colonial infrastructure, which marked the beginning of the Algerian war of national liberation. Fanon joined the FLN in 1955, making contact through friends and acquaintances at the hospital. Initially, his main role was to provide medical treatment and refuge for FLN fighters at the hospital, but soon the situation became untenable. In January 1956, he wrote a resignation letter as a doctor and hospital director and went back to France, and then on to Tunisia, which was one of the bases of the FLN abroad. Already an established intellectual figure, in Tunis he became one of the editors of El Moudjahid, the FLN paper, where he wrote or co-wrote many of the main articles, which were published unsigned. He was also appointed as ambassador of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) in Ghana. In that capacity, he travelled to several conferences in African countries where he got a first-hand impression of the situation in these newly independent states. At the end of 1960, Fanon was diagnosed with leukaemia and told he had only months to live. After unsuccessful attempts to treat him, he died in December 1961 in the US at the age of 36. This sets the context in which The Wretched of the Earth was written, in the Spring and Summer of 1961. Fanon knew he was going to die and he wanted to leave some of his final thoughts in writing, about what he had seen around Africa, his experience in the Algerian Revolution and any lessons that could be drawn from it for other similar movements. In fact, the book was not written, but dictated by Fanon, which comes across in the style of the text. It does not contain many references, nor are there many quotations. It is just the raw speech of a dying man, who is desperate, angry, and who wants to leave something in writing about things that really worry him. The books raw character and powerful language had a great impact on other revolutionaries at the time and continues to influence movements across the world. But it is necessary for any revolutionary to separate that which is correct in Fanons book from that which is false. Internationalism The title of the book comes from a line in the original French lyrics of The Internationale, Debout les damnes de la terre. However, Fanon did not take it directly from the Internationale, but rather via the poem Sales negres by the Haitian poet Jacques Roumain, who was also a founder of the Haitian Communist Party. Sales negres, written in 1945, is a poem about the rebellion of the colonial peoples together with the workers of the advanced countries and it uses the words of the Internationale as a rallying cry to revolt to put an end to the world of bankers and capitalists. The title of the book comes from a line in the original French lyrics of the Internationale, however, Fanon did not take it directly from the Internationale, but rather via the poem by the Haitian poet Jacques Roumain / Image: public domain The link between the struggle of the colonially oppressed masses and that of the proletariat in the imperialist countries was also something taken up by Fanon. Contrary to what is argued by most postcolonial theorists, Fanon did not argue that the working class of advanced capitalist countries could not play a revolutionary role. He complained bitterly that the French left and democrats, particularly the Socialist and Communist Parties, were not fulfilling their duty of supporting the Algerian liberation movement, for instance in his famous letter French Intellectuals and Democrats and the Algerian Revolution (published as a series of three articles in El Moudjahid in the issues of December 1, 15, and 30, 1957): One of the first duties of intellectuals and democratic elements in colonialist countries is unreservedly to support the national aspirations of colonised peoples. This attitude is based on very important theoretical considerations: the community of interests between the working classes of the conquering country and the combined population of the conquered and dominated country This open letter ends with a clear appeal to the French Left, one which links the struggle for living conditions and democratic rights by the French people with the struggle of the Algerian people for national liberation: "The FLN addresses itself to the French Left, to French democrats, and asks them to encourage every strike undertaken by the French people against the rise in the cost of living, new taxes, the restriction of democratic freedoms in France, all of which are direct consequences of the Algerian war. The FLN asks the French Left to strengthen its action in spreading information and to continue to explain to the French masses the characteristics of the struggle of the Algerian people, the principles that animate it, and the objectives of the Revolution. The FLN salutes the French who have had the courage to refuse to take up arms against the Algerian people and who are now in prison. These examples must be multiplied "[1] In The Wretched of the Earth he adds that the task of liberating mankind, the whole of mankind, will be carried out with the indispensable help of the European peoples, but that for this to be possible they first must decide to wake up and shake themselves. [2] Role of the bourgeoisie Throughout the book Fanon is very preoccupied with the role of the national bourgeoisie in colonised countries. This is one of the strong points of the book. He describes the national bourgeoisie as treacherous; he says it should never be allowed to come to power because if it does it will become an agent of imperialism. Its only aim is to replace imperialist rule with its own. Fanon argues that it has none of the revolutionary characteristics the bourgeoisie had (and lost) historically in the west, etc. In all of this he is completely correct. Fanon was speaking from experience. As a representative of the GPRA, he saw exactly this process occur in many of the newly independent African countries he visited, and concluded: It is commonplace to observe that in the majority of cases, for ninety-five percent of the population of under-developed countries, independence brings no immediate change. [3] Fanon explains: The national bourgeoisie will be quite content with the role of the Western bourgeoisie's business agent, and it will play its part without any complexes in a most dignified manner. But this same lucrative role, this cheap-Jack's function, this meanness of outlook and this absence of all ambition symbolise the incapability of the national middle class to fulfil its historic role of bourgeoisie In its beginnings, the national bourgeoisie of the colonial countries identifies itself with the decadence of the bourgeoisie of the West. We need not think that it is jumping ahead; it is in fact beginning at the end. It is already senile before it has come to know the petulance, the fearlessness, or the will to succeed of youth.[4] From this premise, Fanon drew very sharp conclusions: In under-developed countries, the bourgeoisie should not be allowed to find the conditions necessary for its existence and growth. And he adds: The theoretical question that for the last fifty years has been raised whenever the history of under-developed countries is under discussion - whether or not the bourgeoisie phase can be skipped - ought to be answered in the field of revolutionary action, and not by logic. While Fanon here seems to reject the role of theory, his conclusion is nevertheless clear: the bourgeois phase in the history of under-developed countries is a completely useless phase. [5] He insists: We must repeat, it is necessary to oppose vigorously and definitely the birth of a national bourgeoisie.[6] In this he is completely correct. He did not arrive at these conclusions through any theoretical investigation, but rather through his own practical experience. This indictment of the national bourgeoisie, the middle class and the leadership of the national liberation movements was written in 1961, shortly before Algerian independence. It is likely that he was not just referring to what he had seen in other African countries, but also what he could see in the FLN itself - petty-bourgeois elements coming to the top of the movement, already dividing the spoils among themselves and caring nothing for the wretched of the earth who had carried out the struggle. As a matter of fact, Fanons position on this question (the role of the national bourgeoisie in backward countries) comes close to that elaborated by Trotsky in Permanent Revolution and also in the Communist Internationals theses on the colonial and Eastern questions, adopted in 1920 and 1922. Both Lenin and Trotsky insisted that the bourgeoisie in backward and oppressed countries would not, and could not, play any progressive role in the struggle against imperialism. Instead, they explained, the oppressed masses should seize power and overthrow capitalism, with the working class at their head. As Lenin put it: the Communist International should advance the proposition, with the appropriate theoretical grounding, that with the aid of the proletariat of the advanced countries, backward countries can go over to the Soviet system and, through certain stages of development, to communism, without having to pass through the capitalist stage. [7] But there are important differences between Fanons conception of the colonial revolution, and that put forward by Lenin and Trotsky. This is where the flaws of The Wretched of the Earth become most clear. The working class One of the main weaknesses of the book is that Fanon does not start from a detailed scientific analysis of Algerian society and its history. Fanon makes a couple of references to Marx and Engels in his works, but it is clear that he was never a Marxist. In The Wretched of the Earth he argues that Marxist analysis should always be slightly stretched every time we have to deal with the colonial problem. In reality, as we will see, his slight stretching becomes a fundamental departure from Marxist analysis. His reasoning for this is that: When you examine at close quarters the colonial context, it is evident that what parcels out the world is to begin with the fact of belonging to or not belonging to a given race, a given species. In the colonies the economic substructure is also a super structure. The cause is the consequence; you are rich because you are white, you are white because you are rich.[8] One of the main weaknesses of the book is that Fanon does not start from a detailed scientific analysis of Algerian society and its history / Image: public domain This analysis of race replacing class in colonial societies led him further to conclude that it is clear that in the colonial countries the peasants alone are revolutionary, for they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. [9] To which he adds that also the lumpenproletariat are revolutionary: So the pimps, the hooligans, the unemployed, and the petty criminals, urged on from behind, throw themselves into the struggle for liberation like stout working men[10], although later on he himself admits that the lumpen can be used by colonialist reaction: Colonialism will also find in the lumpenproletariat a considerable space for manoeuvring. For this reason any movement for freedom ought to give its fullest attention to this lumpenproletariat. The peasant masses will always answer the call to rebellion, but if the rebellion's leaders think it will be able to develop without taking the masses into consideration, the lumpenproletariat will throw itself into the battle and will take part in the conflictbut this time on the side of the oppressor. And the oppressor, who never loses a chance of setting the niggers against each other, will be extremely skillful in using that ignorance and incomprehension which are the weaknesses of the lumpenproletariat. If this available reserve of human effort is not immediately organised by the forces of rebellion, it will find itself fighting as hired soldiers side by side with the colonial troops.[11] Lenin and Trotsky, and the Communist International under their leadership, insisted on the leading role of the proletariat, including in backward, colonial countries which, while participating in the general movement for national liberation, had to organise independently from the very beginning. Fanon theorises that the working class in a country like Algeria is in fact bourgeois, it is a privileged layer without which colonial society could not exist. From that, he draws the conclusion that the workers have an interest in maintaining colonialism and therefore they cannot be trusted or relied upon in the struggle for national liberation: It cannot be too strongly stressed that in the colonial territories the proletariat is the nucleus of the colonised population which has been most pampered by the colonial regime. The embryonic proletariat of the towns is in a comparatively privileged position. In capitalist countries, the working class has nothing to lose; it is they who in the long run have everything to gain. In the colonial countries the working class has everything to lose; in reality it represents that fraction of the colonised nation which is necessary and irreplaceable if the colonial machine is to run smoothly: it includes tram conductors, taxi drivers, miners, dockers, interpreters, nurses, and so on. It is these elements which constitute the most faithful followers of the nationalist parties, and who because of the privileged place which they hold in the colonial system constitute also the bourgeois fraction of the colonised people.[12] Fanons ideas about the role different classes play in the revolutionary movement in backward capitalist countries have been disproven many times in many different countries, including in Algeria itself. Yes, the Algerian working class was very small at that time. But the Russian working class was also small in proportion to the population as a whole at the time of the Russian Revolution and yet the Bolsheviks based themselves on the workers to lead a successful revolution. The Algerian working class had longstanding revolutionary traditions: militant, communist traditions. To give just one example, in 1950, only 10 years before Fanon was writing those lines, there was a French dockers strike against the shipment of weapons for the French colonial war in Indochina. The movement, called by the CGT union, actually started at the port of Oran, in Algeria, before the ports in metropolitan France. 2,500 dockers completely paralysed the harbour, preventing any shipment of weapons for the war. In response to brutal police repression, the movement widened into an all-out general strike in the whole of the town, in a struggle that lasted for weeks and the colonial authorities were unable to put down.[13] Here we have a marvellous example of the role the working class plays in a capitalist society, even in a backward, colonised one. A small group of workers using their power to paralyse a key sector of the economy, then rally behind them the masses of the population, in this case in a political anti-imperialist movement. And these are the layers described by Fanon as the bourgeois fraction of the colonised people! Even during the Algerian war of national liberation there were a number of important general strikes. In July 1956, the FLN called a national general strike, not only in Algeria, but also among the Algerian workers in France. The strike had a massive following, not only amongst the workers but also amongst wider layers of the population, including a shut-down of shops and small businesses, the participation of middle-class intellectuals and students, etc. In 1957, after the defeat of the battle of Algiers (brilliantly depicted in Gillo Pontecorvos film of the same name), the FLN called an eight-day national strike, which paralysed the whole country. The strike was led primarily by working-class elements, but involved the Algerian people as a whole, revealing the enormous power of the workers and also the massive support the liberation movement had. The problem with these actions was that the petty-bourgeois FLN leadership conceived the activity of the workers as nothing more than a means of gaining leverage in negotiations at the United Nations, and presenting itself as the sole legitimate representative of the Algerian people in the eyes of the so-called international community. At no point did the FLN leadership see the strike movement as a way of preparing and organising the forces of the working class towards a mass, revolutionary uprising. The working class played a very important role in the Algerian war of national liberation / Image: public domain The working class played a very important role in the Algerian war of national liberation. But there is another element. There were about 300,000 Algerian workers in France, and they worked in the big factories. At the Renault Billancourt factory, there were 2,000 Algerian workers, concentrated in the lower paid grades, for instance in the foundry, where they represented about 60 percent of the workforce. They played a big role in the national liberation struggle, by going on strike, funding the movement, and they were crucial in the 17 October 1961 demonstration in Paris, in which hundreds were killed by police repression. Even in a country like Algeria in the 1950s, where the working class represented a small percentage of the population, it can and should play the leading role in any revolutionary struggle, for two main reasons. First, because of the way in which the working class is able to develop a collective consciousness as a result of being exploited by the same boss under similar conditions. Second, because the working class in any capitalist society has the power to stop production and bring society to a halt, which is a power that the peasantry and the lumpenproletariat do not have. At the centre of any capitalist society is the opposition between workers and capitalists, the extraction of surplus value from the working class being the mechanism through which capital is accumulated. Other layers can play an important role in a revolutionary movement, particularly in a country like Algeria, where the peasantry made up the majority of the population, but only the working class is capable of providing an independent leadership that can overthrow both imperialism and its bourgeois puppets in the colonies. All history demonstrates that the peasantry is incapable of playing an independent role in the revolutionary struggle. This is for three main reasons. First, the peasantry as a class is very heterogeneous, being composed of different layers, from landless peasants to small farmers and to middle and rich farmers employing waged labour. This means that some peasants actually exploit other peasants. Second, the main feature dominating the peasants outlook is his desire to own land, summarised in the slogan of land to the tiller. This, with very few exceptions, means that the peasantry develops an individualistic outlook, one which is closely linked to the question of his own individual property. Finally, even if a revolutionary movement conquers power in the cities with the help of a peasant army, the peasants themselves must return to their plot of land. Thus, they cannot, as a class, hold power. Violence At the beginning of the book Fanon talks about violence, and he is quite right on one thing: the violence of the oppressed cannot be compared nor equated with the violence of the oppressors. One must understand the violence of the oppressed as being the result of decades of brutal repression, petty injuries, and the suppression of national feeling. In this, he is correct. But he is wrong in regard to violence in two ways. First is when he describes violence as a necessary cathartic experience, from an individual and a collective point of view: for the colonised people this violence, because it constitutes their only work, invests their characters with positive and creative qualities. The practice of violence binds them together as a whole At the level of individuals, violence is a cleansing force. It frees the native from his inferiority complex and from his despair and inaction; it makes him fearless and restores his self-respect.[14] This exaggeration of the role of violence, which perhaps reflects Fanons training as a psychiatrist, betrayed a serious weakness in Fanons analysis. It is certainly true that the mentality of the oppressed changes in the course of a revolution and collective action serves to reveal the strength of the mass movement and creates confidence in its own forces. That does not require that every individual kills an agent of the colonial power or sets off a bomb. At the beginning of the book Fanon talks about violence, and he is quite right on one thing: the violence of the oppressed cannot be compared nor equated with the violence of the oppressors / Image: public domain Fanons inconsistent application of a class analysis also led him to completely false conclusions. Having drawn a correct criticism of the role of the national bourgeois in colonial countries, he then argues that the problem lies in the methods used to achieve independence in countries like Senegal. There, Fanon explains, independence was achieved through peaceful means, negotiations and compromises. Independence was conceded by the former colonial power and thats why it went wrong. If instead, revolutionary violence is used to overthrow and push the colonialists out, he argues, the people, having carried out the armed struggle, would still have control of the movement after taking power, and would not allow the bourgeoisie to take over. Even if the armed struggle has been symbolic and the nation is demobilised through a rapid movement of decolonisation, the people have the time to see that the liberation has been the business of each and all and that the leader has no special merit. When the people have taken violent part in the national liberation they will allow no one to set themselves up as liberators, he says. Illuminated by violence, the consciousness of the people rebels against any pacification. [15] Algeria would prove Fanon wrong. The Algerian Revolution, after independence had been conquered in 1962, went through an initial very radical phase of land occupations, factory occupations and workers self-management, and the nationalisation of industries. Very soon however, that was completely reversed by the Boumediene coup in 1965 and the establishment of a bureaucratic, capitalist dictatorship. This was exactly what Fanon was warning against and what he wanted to prevent. The fact that the Algerian revolution took place through armed struggle, through violence, did not prevent that same degeneration from taking place. The crucial question was not that of the degree of violence used in the struggle for independence, but rather, the class character and the program of the leadership. The responsibility for that lies mainly in the French and Algerian Communist Parties, which had abandoned a clear Leninist position. A flawed theory will lead to mistakes in practice, and Fanon made one such mistake in his capacity as an ambassador for the Algerian provisional government. At that time, Fanon was dealing with different groups across the continent who were seeking help from the Algerians for their struggle. In Angola, there were two such groups which contacted the FLN. One was Holden Robertos UPA (Union of Peoples of Angola) and the other one was the MPLA (Movement for the People's Liberation of Angola). Instead of looking at their politics, their class content or any other factors of that kind, Fanon concentrated on just one thing: which one of the two groups was the one that wanted to start armed struggle as soon as possible. The MPLA wanted to do some preparatory work and build bases in the cities before launching armed struggle. This led him to choose the worst of the two groups: Holden Robertos UPA.[16] This tribal-based organisation, which was already in the pay of the United States, was then to become the FLNA, one of the main reactionary forces during the Angolan civil war after independence. It was backed by the US, China and the reactionary Zaire dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, and fought on the same side as reactionary cut-throats UNITA and apartheid South Africa against the MPLA and the Cubans at the famous battle of Cuito Cuanavale. With Fanons approval and the support of the Algerian FLN, the UPA launched a botched and ill-prepared armed incursion into Angola from the Congo in 1961, which led to disaster. If you take violence as your only criterion, then you are bound to make all sorts of mistakes. There will be organisations that are in favour of violence for all the wrong reasons, that have the wrong perspective, wrong politics. In this case, Fanon ended up supporting a group that was also backed by the CIA, and a few years down the line was on the same side as apartheid South Africa. Instead of looking at their politics, their class content or any other factors of that kind, Fanon concentrated on just one thing: which one of the two groups was the one that wanted to start armed struggle as soon as possible / Image: public domain Capitalism or socialism? Fanon was also extremely confused about what kind of society the Algerian Revolution would create. Was it socialism? Capitalism? He says different things throughout the book about this question, contradicting himself. At one point he says: the choice of a socialist regime, a regime which is completely orientated toward the people as a whole and based on the principle that man is the most precious of all possessions, will allow us to go forward more quickly and more harmoniously.[17] But then in another passage he says: The fundamental duel which seemed to be that between colonialism and anticolonialism, and indeed between capitalism and socialism, is already losing some of its importance. What counts today, the question which is looming on the horizon, is the need for a redistribution of wealth.[18] How can you have the redistribution of wealth if you avoid the question of capitalism or socialism? And then he adds: [T]he underdeveloped countries ought to do their utmost to find their own particular values and methods and a style which shall be peculiar to them. The concrete problem we find ourselves up against is not that of a choice, cost what it may, between socialism and capitalism as they have been defined by men of other continents and of other ages.[19] So, what he is saying is that the conflict between socialism and capitalism was not relevant to Algeria in the mid-20th Century, as if that were a question of 19th Century Europe. What was his alternative to this false choice? The Non-Aligned Movement, which was founded at the Bandung Conference in 1955. In the context of the struggle between the diplomatic bloc around the Stalinist Soviet Union and the Western imperialist bloc, led by the USA, a number of third world countries attempted to balance between the two of them and try to gain more autonomy. That was similar to some of the ideas floating around today about the progressive character of a multipolar world. But we must stress that the NAM and the Bandung Conference did not struggle for national liberation and they had no progressive content whatsoever. They involved all sorts of different countries. Some, like Yugoslavia, had abolished capitalism, but others were reactionary semi-feudal monarchies, like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Morocco, some of them even closely allied to US imperialism. And this was supposed to be the alternative to the false choice between socialism and capitalism! Of course, some of the limitations in the political thought of Fanon stemmed from the betrayal of Stalinism. The Stalinised Communist Party of France had betrayed the Algerian Revolution, the Soviet Union was not spreading world revolution, but rather espoused peaceful coexistence. That was not a very attractive proposition, and he was looking for some sort of third way. Unfortunately, this led Fanon to draw some extremely naive conclusions. In the book, he argues that colonial countries have to fight for national liberation through violent struggle and then convince the imperialist countries that it is in their best interest to allow and help the national development of those newly independent countries: Insofar as the Third World is in fact abandoned and condemned to regression or at least to stagnation by the selfishness and wickedness of Western nations, the underdeveloped peoples will decide to continue their evolution inside a collective autarky. Thus the Western industries will quickly be deprived of their overseas markets. The machines will pile up their products in the warehouses and a merciless struggle will ensue on the European market between the trusts and the financial groups. The closing of factories, the paying off of workers and unemployment will force the European working class to engage in an open struggle against the capitalist regime. Then the monopolies will realise that their true interests lie in giving aid to the underdeveloped countriesunstinted aid with not too many conditions. (...) We ought on the contrary to emphasise and explain to the capitalist countries that the fundamental problem of our time is not the struggle between the socialist regime and them. The Cold War must be ended, for it leads nowhere. The plans for nuclearising the world must stop, and large-scale investments and technical aid must be given to underdeveloped regions.[20] Distortions In summary, we can say that there are at least two strong and very important points in The Wretched of the Earth. First, a very sharp criticism and warning against the national bourgeoisie in the colonial countries. Second, that decolonisation can only be carried out successfully by the masses themselves in a revolution. This is reflected in the fact that Fanon, who was a middle-class, educated person from Martinique, in the Caribbean, decided to throw in his lot with the struggle in the country where he was based, and he defended the right of the people of Algeria to rise up against the violence of the oppressors. But as far as this book being a useful contribution or a blueprint for revolutionary strategy in countries dominated by imperialism is concerned, it contains many confused statements and others that are plainly wrong and counter-productive. Further, Fanon has been mangled beyond recognition by academics in universities. Fanon is extremely popular in those quarters, where they pick up the most obscure aspects of what Fanon said, twist his ideas, turn them around and make them into something that is completely incomprehensible and has very little to do with what Fanon actually said or did. To give just one example; a group of academics in a Canadian university organised a Fanon seminar in 2020 and wrote about Fanons geographies: [A]cross his texts, Fanon is the arbiter of geographic knowledge, and this positionality provides him with a kind of cartographic precision that simultaneously holds on to, and collapses, coloniality Fanons geographies cannot be theorised as enclosed or contained. His writings can be shared and discussed and practised collaboratively and this kind of capaciousness lends to an interdisciplined and open sense of place.[21] It is almost impossible to understand a single word of what is meant here, and that is deliberate. It is not by chance that postmodern decolonial academics rely so heavily on Fanon, picking up the most obscure and confused elements of his work and stressing particularly his writings on psychiatry. All they are concerned with is the decolonisation of the mind. They are time-wasters who revolve around the contemplation of their own inner thought processes. In contrast to them, Fanon was a revolutionary. He insisted on being given a fighting role in the movement, which was denied by the FLN leaders who thought he could play a more useful role in other capacities. It is as a revolutionary that he should be judged and it is our duty to point out the shortcomings of his approach to revolutionary strategy as well as his strong points. Which way forward? Today, the overwhelming majority of former colonial countries have achieved formal independence, but as Fanon presciently warned, under the rule of their national bourgeoisies, they remain chained to imperialism, and masses of workers and peasants are still oppressed. In recent years we have seen courageous mass uprisings in country after country, in Egypt and Tunisia, in Sudan, in Lebanon, in Iraq, in Chile, in Ecuador, and many more / Image: Lana Haroun In recent years we have seen courageous mass uprisings in country after country, in Egypt and Tunisia, in Sudan, in Lebanon, in Iraq, in Chile, in Ecuador, and many more. There is no shortage of heroism, courage and willingness to struggle for genuine liberation. What is required is to arm the revolutionary vanguard in these countries with a clear theoretical understanding of the way forward in terms of the class forces involved in the revolution and the character it should adopt. For this, we need to go back to Lenin and the early days of the Communist International. The dominated countries can only gain genuine liberation by overthrowing imperialism. This task cannot be carried out by the national bourgeoisie, which is unable and unwilling to play any progressive role (as Fanon correctly pointed out) and is tied in a thousand different ways to foreign imperialism. Only by the working class, putting itself at the head of the nation, can the chains of imperialist domination be broken. The national democratic tasks will be combined with the socialist tasks by expropriating not only the multinationals but also the local capitalists. Finally, the revolution cannot be completed within the national boundaries but needs to become international in its scope. Only through the world socialist revolution can backward dominated countries achieve a future of economic development and genuine freedom. References [1] F Fanon, Toward the African Revolution, Grove Press, 1988, pg 76, 90 [2] F Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth, Penguin, 2001, pg 84 [3] ibid., pg 59 [4] ibid., pg 122-123 [5] ibid., pg 142-143 [6] ibid., pg 161 [7] V I Lenin, Report Of The Commission On The National and The Colonial Questions, Lenin Collected Works, Vol. 31, Progress Publishers, 1965, pg 139 [8] F Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth, Penguin, 2001, pg 31 [9] ibid., pg 41 [10] ibid., pg 103 [11] ibid., pg 109 [12] ibid., pg 86, emphasis added [13] See: A Aabid, La greve historique des dockers dOran, El Watan, 13 February 2010 [14] F Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth, Penguin, 2001, pg 73-74 [15] ibid., pg 74 [16] See: ibid., pg 107 [17] ibid., pg 78 [18] ibid., pg 77-78 [19] ibid., pg 78 [20] ibid., pg 83, emphasis added [21] J Aguiar et al., Impermanence: On Frantz Fanons Geographies, Antipode Online, 18 August 2021 On the weekend of 30 November, 122 communists from 23 Swedish cities and a delegation from Finland gathered for Communism & Revolution, a weekend of Marxist education designed to arm revolutionaries with the ideas they need to build a party that can smash capitalism. [Originally published in Swedish at marxist.se] In the past year, we formed the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP), threw ourselves into the movement for Palestine, launched a new newspaper, organised a summer tour, were smeared in the media, and launched a campaign against imperialism and militarism. Communism & Revolution is proof that the experiences of recent years have only made us stronger. Niklas Albin Svensson from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International explained how the ruling class has lost control of its own system / Image: RKP I have been to several study weekends before. This is the biggest and best ever, said a comrade from Malmo. For many, it was the first time they had attended an RKP national event. To meet the whole party like this is something extraordinary, emphasised a new member from Kristinehamn. Other comrades talked about how they stayed up late at night when they got home, and talked for hours about things they had heard and learnt during the weekend. A world in chaos Benjamin Roobol from Stockholm opened the weekend by explaining the truth: Greta from Umea talked about the natural disasters in the USA / Image: RKP You only need to open a newspaper or scroll through your feed for a minute to see how this capitalist system we live in is sick. Wars, genocide, economic crisis, climate crisis: many people understand that these big problems need big solutions, he explained. This was followed by a discussion on how all these revolutionary events have the same basis a capitalist system in deep crisis. Niklas Albin Svensson from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International explained how the ruling class has lost control of its own system. Those who pay for the crisis for the imperialists' wars, the climate crisis caused by their reckless exploitation, the dismantling of social institutions are, time and again, the working class. Greta from Umea put this into words when she talked about the natural disasters in the USA: Somewhere along the line, when an American father gets caught up in a natural disaster, they will say it is too complicated to get him money for necessities, or to rebuild his house, or to make sure he doesn't get caught up in a natural disaster in the first place. Of course, the money that would be needed for that instead goes on dropping bombs on Palestinian fathers. Revolutionary theory To change the world, we must understand it. That's what Communism & Revolution was all about. The weekend discussed how we need to base our understanding of society on a revolutionary philosophy, how class society came about and how to abolish it, why the capitalist economy is in crisis, and how a planned economy is absolutely necessary to solve the world's problems, and much much more. To change the world, we must understand it. That's what Communism & Revolution was all about / Image: RKP During the discussion Trotskyism vs. Stalinism, Fredrik Albin Svensson emphasised how the Russian Revolution shows the way for revolutionaries today: Millions of people have spent their entire lives as slaves not only under capitalists but slaves in general in the struggle for survival. For the first time in history, they rose up, seizing power and with it forged the tools of their own liberation. The Stalinist degeneration threatened to bury the ideas of the Russian Revolution once and for all, but in terrible circumstances Trotsky and the Left Opposition fought back. Over the weekend, we launch a new edition of The Permanent Revolution by Trotsky, with a newly written foreword. In just two days, 68 copies were sold! Over the weekend, we launch a new edition of The Permanent Revolution by Trotsky / Image: RKP In total, over 33,000 SEK worth of books, magazines, pins and other items were sold from the Communism & Revolution book table, reflecting the enormous thirst for revolutionary ideas within our party. Ylva Vinberg asked why so many groups on the left - starting with the Left Party are unable to use the crisis of capitalism to organise. Why is the Left Party so keen to govern with the Social Democrats and the Centre Party, that they also embrace the programme of militarism and conduct a witch hunt against anyone who genuinely supports Palestine in their party? Why is the revolutionary left so weak, when capitalism is in crisis and millions have taken to the streets? Why are they doing their best to eradicate all things communist from their politics? To this she gave a clear answer: Because they abandoned Marxism, because they abandoned all revolutionary theory. Building the revolutionary party But the possibilities are enormous, as was evident during the session on the Swedish Vietnam solidarity movement in the 1960s on Sunday. Over 33,000 SEK worth of books, magazines, pins and other items were sold from the Communism & Revolution book table / Image: RKP The Palestinian movement of recent years is proof of the anger that exists among young people and workers, emphasised Jennifer Osterman. At the same time, she explained that it shows an urgent need for organisation. We need to build a party, a world party, that can take on the task of leading not just one movement, but which can unite all the struggles against capitalism and imperialism into a common, invincible force. Niklas also drove home the urgency of the tasks facing Communists in Sweden: We say that the choice for humanity is between socialism and barbarism. In practice, that means the choice between building the party, preparing this revolutionary vanguard, or not. No one will do it for us. The RKP is still a small party with modest strength. To play a decisive role in the class struggle that is emerging and will emerge in the near future, it needs to grow, and fast. But already, our spirit of sacrifice vastly outweighs our numerical size. In order to finance the investments that have been made and will need to be made by the party, comrades collectively raised 430,000 SEK! The survival of capitalism is an existential threat to humanity and the lives of the majority on the planet" / Image: RKP Ylva Vinberg ended the weekend as it began by telling the truth: The survival of capitalism is an existential threat to humanity and the lives of the majority on the planet. And the politicians, the generals and the capitalists, they think that the climate crisis is not enough and that they can throw on more wars! We are standing on the shoulders of giants, she emphasised. Engels said when Marx died that: Marx was above all a revolutionary. Fighting was his element. Fighting is also our element. And there is no one who can stop us, because the time of the communists has come. RKP members have left Communism & Revolution with enthusiasm and focused on building the revolutionary party. All the while the crisis of capitalism is creating more revolutionaries, people ready to organise and fight, today, for a better world. Are you one of them? Then join the Revolutionary Communist Party! Nigeria has begun rolling out a childhood vaccination program to help protect its youngest citizens from malaria, a disease that claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year. The initiative focuses on giving the first dose of the vaccine to infants at around five months old. Among the first regions to benefit is Bayelsa State, known for high infection rates. Mothers are welcoming the new measure. One mother, who had already treated her baby twice for malaria, expressed relief that she may no longer face repeated bouts of illness. Another mother, visiting the clinic, stressed the urgency of saving childrens lives and ensuring they have a chance to thrive without constant fear of mosquito-borne infection. Local health officials acknowledge the scale of the problem. Malaria rates have kept families trapped in cycles of sickness and poverty, particularly young children and pregnant women. The disease contributes to job absences and lost income, compounding economic hardships. However, authorities face challenges, including widespread misconceptions about vaccines. Some religious groups and skeptical community members worry about side effects, fertility issues, or question the necessity of preventive measures. Healthcare workers and the states health commissioner are committed to overcoming these barriers through education, outreach, and trust-building. They hope that, with time, more families will embrace vaccination, ultimately helping Nigeria reduce its staggering malaria toll. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned atrocities committed against civilians by Malis army, the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, and Islamist militants since UN peacekeepers were forced to withdraw from the Sahel country last December. According to a report published by the rights group on Thursday (12 December), the Malian army, with Wagners active support, has since May deliberately killed at least 32 civilians, forcibly disappeared four others, and burned at least 100 homes in the north and center of the country. HRW also accused the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and the Al-Qaeda-linked Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM) of having summarily executed at least 47 civilians and displaced thousands of people since June. Malis ruling junta forced the United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) to withdraw its around 15,000 soldiers and police a year ago amid deteriorating relations and as the conflict-torn country battles jihadist and separatist violence. The NGO added that the actual number of civilians deaths presented in its latest report could be underestimated by hundreds due to difficulties conducting research in central and northern Mali. According to senior Sahel researcher at HRW, Ilaria Allegrozzi, since MINUSMA ended its 10-year mission last December, it has been extremely difficult to get comprehensive information on abuses, and we are deeply concerned that the situation is even worse than reported. The rights group said it had sent its findings to the Bamako government but received no response. Hundreds of Chadian troops have reportedly been deployed on Wednesday along the border with neighboring Cameroon to stop rebels from abducting civilians after armed men kidnapped a dozen Cameroonians last week. The latest wave of violence between the Massa and Moussey ethnic communities erupted in border areas, in a tract of land wedged between Nigeria and Chad, late last month. The clashes between the two groups in northern Cameroon over cattle theft have killed at least 5 people, wounded a dozen more and several dozen houses were torched, local authorities said on Monday (9 December). Chads military said it has freed the kidnapped victims but added its troops need civilian help to stop the new escalating wave of local inter-communal violence. Meanwhile, officials in Cameroon say that since then, several hundred civilians have been afraid to return to the Gobo district, located along the central African states northern border with Chad. Governor of Chads Mayo-Kebbi East region, Abdelkerim Seid Bauche, said that Chad is very concerned about the ongoing violence because weapons are illegally smuggled across the porous border and can be used by armed gangs to destabilize communities. He said Chad deployed troops on its side of the border Wednesday (11 December) to stop rebels and armed gangs from abducting civilians and crossing with weapons into Mayo-Kebbi East. 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: Hazard mapping system data outlining the course of the smoke plume originating from provinces in Western Canada in June 2023. Credit: University of Maryland School of Medicine Wildfire smoke has long been known to exacerbate health problems like heart disease, lung conditions, and asthma, but now a new study finds that smoke from these fires can lead to poor health thousands of miles away. Researchers from the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) found that medical visits for heart and lung problems rose by nearly 20% during six days in June, 2023, when smoke from Western Canadian wildfires drifted across the country, leading to very poor air quality days in Baltimore and the surrounding region. The new findings were published in the journal JAMA Network Open. During the summer of 2023, severe Canadian wildfires created a vast plume that drifted 2000 miles across the country, leading to poor air quality on the East Coast of the United States, and many individuals experiencing breathing issues that led them to the doctor's office. "Baltimore had very dark skies, and we could all smell the smoke in the air," said Mary Maldarelli, MD, pulmonary critical care fellow at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) who is the first author on the study. "But most importantly, my patients came in to me saying they were coughing quite a bit more and needed their medications more often, so they felt much sicker than they usually did when these wildfires occurred." Dr. Maldarelli is also a resident in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center. To determine whether the smoke-filled days led to quantifiable health consequences, she partnered with data scientists and visualization experts at the UM-IHC, which has access to nearly 2 million de-identified patient records from the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS). The researchers analyzed satellite data and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data to identify six "hotspot" days in June 2023 with high levels of wildfire smoke-related air pollution in the Maryland area. These were days that exceeded the EPA's standards for safe air quality in all 23 counties in Maryland. The team then culled through the de-identified electronic health records from UMMS, comparing medical visits for heart-lung or cardiopulmonary conditions from June 2023 with medical visits during June 2018 and June 2019. These included emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and outpatient clinic visits. "We found that hotspot days were associated with an 18% increased likelihood of patients going to the doctor for complications related to a cardiopulmonary condition," said study corresponding author Bradley Maron, MD, Professor of Medicine at UMSOM and Co-Executive Director of the UM-IHC. "We also found a 55% increase in the risk for an outpatient visit for heart and lung conditions; these patients tended to be older, non-smokers, and more socio-economically affluent than typical patients who see their doctors for cardiovascular conditions on good air quality days." That finding could highlight the importance of health care access and may indicate that more economically disadvantaged patients are not getting the medical care they need on high-risk days filled with wildfire smoke. With more climate events expected in the future, doctors may require better tools to help disadvantaged patients on hotspot days. "We have the opportunity to leverage the capabilities of the UM-IHC to proactively identify patients who are most at risk and provide them with anticipatory care," said UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, who is the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. "There may be crucial ways we can prevent cardiovascular complications on polluted smoked air days simply by providing them with telehealth visits or other ways to access care." Amir Sapkota, Ph.D., and Hyeonjin Song, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, performed the satellite and EPA analyses for the study. Study co-authors also included faculty from the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and the University of Maryland Medical System. "Being able to access clinical data at a granular level and our ability to apply advanced analytical tools such as this is critical and essential to the future of health care and enables UMMS to be at the forefront of innovative medicine that will help drive patient care in the years ahead," said study co-author Warren D'Souza, Ph.D., Co-Director of the UM-IHC and Senior Vice President/Chief Innovation Officer at UMMS. More information: Polluted Air from Canadian Wildfires and Cardiopulmonary Disease in the Eastern US, JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.50759 Journal information: JAMA Network Open 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 Mental health challenges are a significant and growing concern for the nation's farmers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As much as farming is often a family affair, programs and resources to support mental health in agriculture have focused on the primary producers, of whom nearly 64% are men. Women have always played a crucial role in agriculture, yet, Penn State Associate Professor Florence Becot said, their mental health and well-beingmuch like their essential contributions to agriculturelargely have been overlooked. But now a team of researchers has found that farm women experience a "triple burden": simultaneously juggling different roles on- and off-the farm, often handling the invisible labor of caring for their households, children and farms. Their new study, recently published in the Journal of Agromedicine, revealed a significant portion of stressors these women face are mostly invisible, such as the mental load of childcare, researching farm needs, working off the farm, planning meals, organizing medical appointments and morein short, all of the things needed to make a household and farm run. Becot, the Nationwide Insurance Early Career Professor in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, who led the study in collaboration with Shoshanah Inwood and Hannah Budge from Ohio State University, also found that the mental health of women in agriculture is often connected to raising children in the dangerous farm environment and how stressors vary based on the age of the children. "Only in the last four or five years have researchers begun to amplify the importance of considering the mental health needs and realities of farm women. There is some evidence that farm women report higher levels of mental health challengesstress, depression, anxiety and lonelinessthan their male counterparts," Becot said. "Our research sheds light on how children and childcare needs factor into the stressors experienced by farm women and their consequences." Mental health challenges were a common experience among the 68 farm women in three statesOhio, Vermont and Wisconsinwho participated in discussion groups for the study, the researchers said. Becot added that these women's experiences echo what they have heard from other farm women across the country through conversations and a national survey. The team asked farm women about their day-to-day routine, how they fulfilled their personal and professional responsibilities, and their quality of life. Even though the team had elected not to directly ask about mental health, the researchers said the topic kept coming up, and the participants were very candid. Women in eight out of the 11 discussion groups volunteered that they had experienced depression, including pre- and postpartum depression and anxiety. In addition, farm women in all the discussion groups talked about the stress they were experiencing and the negative impacts on their quality of life. However, the women were also quick to say that they value their way of life and the ability to raise children on the farm. Major sources of stress were connected to having to manage their multiple and overlapping roles, which often led these women to feel guilty about not doing enough or not being good enough. Challenges were heightened when they did not receive support from family members, as well as when they experienced challenges accessing and paying for childcare. The women also were significantly stressed about the possibility that the children could get hurt on the farma major concern given how often the children were on the farm worksite with them. Lastly, the researchers said, despite the adage that life gets easier when children grow older, farm women's stress and mental health challenges did not lessen as the children aged but rather shifted and became more complex. Farm women discussed how the emotional and social needs of adolescents are harder to fulfill than the physical needs of babies and toddlers. Along with the group discussion, the farm women shared more than 370 photos they took to show their day-to-day experience raising children on the farm. Many of these photos illustrated the tensions between the joys of raising children and the challenges farm women experience, the researchers said. "This study highlights the implications of the lack of investment in farm women's mental well-being and in childcare options," Becot said. "Women play a key role in making sure farms are successfulas farmers themselves and as the people who traditionally do the lion's share of invisible caregiving labor. Yet they do not have the resources they need. Policymakers have, however, taken notice. The Farm Bill currently being debated includes bi-partisan support for rural childcare provision as well as support for mental health. Another major takeaway from this research was how eager farm women were to talk about their day-to-day experience raising children on farms, Becot noted. "Our research team was planning on talking with 30 farm women and expected that it would take five weeks to identify women willing to participate in the research, but in just five days, 110 women signed up to participate," she said, explaining that the team had to revise their plans to accommodate everyone who wanted to participate. "I specifically remember one woman who, when signing up to participate, said something along the lines of: 'It's about time that someone asks about this topic. What it takes to raise children on a farm has been ignored for too long.'" More information: Florence Becot et al, "The Source of All My Joy and All My Stress": Children and Childcare as Underappreciated Sources of Stress That Affect Farm Women, Journal of Agromedicine (2024). DOI: 10.1080/1059924X.2024.2427800 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: CC0 Public Domain When Katherine Kitchens was completing her master's degree in social work at UT Arlington, she participated in an advanced field placement at a community clinic that provided primary health care services to families in need. Her experience working with marginalized populations is one of the reasons Kitchens decided to stay at UTA and pursue her Ph.D. in social work, which she will receive during the University's commencement ceremonies for the School of Social Work at 9 a.m. on Dec. 13 at Globe Life Field. "During my field work at the Agape Clinic in Dallas, I spent time helping resettled refugees, primarily community members from Burma who were forcibly displaced," said Dr. Kitchens. "This experience really inspired me to pursue my doctoral degree to further focus on research strategies that combine public health, cognitive health and social work practice in primary care settings." As part of her independent study for her doctoral program, Kitchens worked closely with her faculty mentor, Yeonwoo Kim, assistant professor of kinesiology, who guided her in examining cognitive decline among refugees. Under Dr. Kim's mentorship, the pair published their findings, showing that refugees ages 50 and older have higher odds of self-reported cognitive impairment compared to other immigrant populations who entered the United States voluntarily. "Earlier research has shown that trauma is a factor in individuals developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and we know that people who immigrate to the United States as refugees often have endured a great deal of trauma because of their experiences with war, violence, limited resources and forced displacement," said Kim. "Our research shows that refugees are at much higher risk of developing MCI compared to other immigrant populations. This is an important data point, as our nation's population of people over 65 grows and we work to keep them independent and healthy for as long as possible." Fortunately, there are interventions that can help refugees offset some of these cognitive declines. Kim said refugees who had higher English-language proficiency and/or higher educational attainment were less likely to suffer impairment. "This could be in part because people with English skills and education have more access to higher-paying jobs and more resources as they age. People without these skills also lack the language to navigate the complex health care system in the United States and ask for help when they need it," Kim said. "This study illuminates some of the gaps in care that refugees face as they age in the United States." After graduation, Kitchens will start a new faculty position at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas at the Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health. "I'm really excited about the next phase of my career," said Kitchens. "In my new role, I'll be mostly focused on research studying the unique intersections of how culture and lived experiences such as forced displacement can impact cognitive health. These collaborations are exciting because they bridge public health, neuroscience and health care, both private and public." More information: Katherine Kitchens et al, The Role of Education and English Proficiency in Cognitive Health Among Older Refugee Populations in the United States, Journal of Gerontological Social Work (2024). DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2024.2421303 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: CC0 Public Domain A panel of Georgia lawmakers is considering introducing legislation next year forcing insurance companies to cover the cost of alternatives to opioid pain medications as a way to further address problems with the addictive medications. State Rep. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, said she and other members of a special House opioid study committee expect to make alternative medications more affordable by requiring insurance companies to cover nonopioid pain management options the same way they do for opioids. There is legislative precedent for such a requirement. Au pointed to a 2022 mental health measure that requires insurance companies to cover mental health the same as they do for physical health. State Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, who chairs the House Public Health Committee and served on the study panel, supports that approach. She said doctors prescribe opioids because they are cheaper than physical therapy or alternate medications, some of which are less effective. The bipartisan study committee spent five months listening to testimony from medical experts, law enforcement officials and people in recovery from opioid addiction. The committee has until the end of the year to produce a final report. Discussion over opioid alternatives comes as drug overdose deaths have fallen nationally from about 113,000 in June 2023 to about 97,000 in June 2024, according to preliminary data from the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This year, state lawmakers aimed to reduce opioid deaths with legislation that made naloxone, an opioid reversal drug, more readily available at schools, on college campuses and in government buildings. It also allows anyone to administer the drug to reverse an overdose, including administrators, students, teachers and visitors. Another measure, Senate Bill 465, which was signed into law this year, would allow authorities to charge anyone with manslaughter who knowingly manufactures or sells synthetic opioid fentanyl that results in a fatal overdose. And while opioid prescriptions have decreased by 3% from 2022 to 2023, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, lawmakers want to lower that prescription rate even further in an effort to not rely on addictive painkillers as the preferred solution. "A lot of this is going to be about education to make sure there is a stronger awareness of options, that opioids are not necessarily the first thing to go to in certain cases, while in some it is definitely necessary," said state Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, who chaired the study committee. 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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: RDNE Stock project from Pexels The state agency that handles behavioral health plans to ask the Georgia General Assembly for more money to get mentally ill patients moved out of jails and into treatment. The request dovetails with priorities previously expressed by House Speaker Jon Burns. After the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in September, Burns and other lawmakers said mental health legislation would be a priority when the Legislature returns to work in January. "We will certainly continue to embrace and do everything we can when it comes to providing mental health services, mental health professionals and recognizing the need for counselors," Burns said in an interview. "We want to get out in front of issues. We want to be preventive, not reactive." However, decades of underfunding for mental health care mean dramatic changes won't happen overnight, officials acknowledge, and the state has other budgetary needs, including transportation investments and relief for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Backlogs in Georgia's mental health crisis system have turned county jails into holding areas for people who are likely mentally ill and have been accused of committing crimes, county sheriffs and state officials say. Now, jails across the state are nearly full. Nine sheriffs who spoke to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution estimated that anywhere from a quarter to half of inmates in their jails have some sort of mental health condition. "They should be in a state facility and not in a county jail," said Bill Massee, the sheriff in Baldwin County. Crisis in care When people are arrested for a state crime and either are not given a bond or can't afford the cost, they are usually sent to a county jail. If they are suspected of being mentally ill, the state will administer a mental health evaluation to determine whether the person can stand trial. If they can't, they are supposed to be sent to a state hospital. That is how the system is supposed to work. But a shortage of space and staff in jails to conduct the evaluations have caused major delays. "The state got away from holding those folks. It has basically become the county jails that are holding all of these people with nowhere to put them," Banks County Sheriff Carlton Speed said. "We can't do anything with them until they commit a crime that's violent enough to be taken into some type of facility that will house them and secure them." There are 770 people waiting in jail for a hospital bed, according to data shared at the Biennial Institute, a training seminar for new and returning lawmakers held this week at the University of Georgia in Athens. In Baldwin County, Massee said some inmates have been waiting a year for a mental evaluation. The average wait time for an evaluation is more than 330 days for men and 260 days for women. "That's why you get calls from sheriffs when it takes a year for someone to get moved to a hospital," said Kevin Tanner, commissioner of Georgia's Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. "We have a capacity issue. We don't have the tools and the toolbox necessary to solve that with the limited capacity we have." To help close the gaps, Tanner said the state needs eight additional behavioral health crisis centers in Georgia and 232 additional beds for restoration treatment to add to the 641 in place now. Those extra beds are needed because 60% of them are occupied by individuals who have been in them for an average of nine years. Frontline frustrations Sheriffs are on the front lines of the mental health crisis, and those who spoke to the AJC said they are frustrated because they don't have the trained staff to support these patients. "It's a revolving door that has been going on for years in the mental health world," Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said. "Every single year in the Legislature, there's a bill about mental health. But in the end, it's always the sheriff. We are the largest mental health facility in the state." Jails are just not the appropriate place to provide mental health care, Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley said. "I don't think there's any way to get a person with mental illness help in a jail," he said. "We're a housing facility. We're not a mental health facility." The challenge with the delays is that some people who are incarcerated are credited for their time served and get released without actually receiving treatment. That leaves many without proper care and often leads them to recommit crimes or hurt themselves. "If the Legislature doesn't get off their butt and do something, we're going to be back in another federal lawsuit dealing with mental health," Laurens County Sheriff Larry Dean said. 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has unveiled plans to rename a road in honor of the late hip-hop artist Issa Mmari, better known as E-Sir. During his Jamhuri Day address yesterday, Sakaja confirmed that E-Sir would be among several Kenyan artists recognized through the renaming of streets and roads across Nairobi. Governor Sakaja commended the performances at the Jamhuri Day celebrations, including a heartfelt performance by E-Sirs younger brother, Habib. He emphasized Nairobis role as a hub for creativity and cultural expression, stating that the city would continue to support the creative sector, particularly musical artists. Nairobi stands as a creative and cultural hub in this region. Our artists, musicians, and performers not only enrich our lives but also drive economic growth, Sakaja said. We are committed to nurturing this sector by providing platforms for talent development and market access. Over the past few years, we have seen this sector grow, and Nairobi is now attracting major artists both locally and internationally. As for immortalizing E-Sirs legacy, Sakaja shared that he had already begun discussions with former comedian-turned-MP Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalango. We shall be honoring our artists by renaming some roads. Ive spoken to Mheshimiwa Jalas, and our county assembly has approved it. For instance, one of the roads in South C will be renamed after the great E-Sir, whose brother performed here today, Sakaja announced. E-Sir, born in California Estate in 1981 and raised in South C, Nairobi, was fondly known as South Cs finest. This nickname, however, hardly captures the full extent of his influence. E-Sir was one of Kenyas most talented rappers, pioneering the urban Kenyan music scene. Tragically, E-Sirs career was cut short in a road accident on March 16, 2003, while traveling from a show at Club Dimples in Nakuru. He was accompanied by his late friend Kevin Kiiru Karanja and fellow musician David Mathenge, known as Nameless, who survived with a broken collarbone. Also Read Nameless Responds to Fan Who Wished He Died Instead of E-Sir Although E-Sirs time with Ogopa Deejays was brief, his impact on Kenyan music remains profound, solidifying his place as one of the countrys finest rappers. Renaming a road in his honor, albeit two decades after his untimely death, is a fitting tribute to this rap icon and trailblazer. Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has instructed his lawyers to appeal a High Court ruling that overturned his acquittal in a Ksh20 million corruption case. On Wednesday, Justice Nixon Sifuna nullified the earlier decision, citing significant legal errors made by the trial magistrate. Justice Sifuna stated that Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, who dismissed the case on December 21, 2022, relied on an amended charge sheet prepared by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which compromised the ruling. Magistrate Ogoti had acquitted Sonko and businessman Antony Ombok of 13 charges due to insufficient evidence. The ruling is fundamentally flawed. In determining whether the Director of Public Prosecutions presented a prima facie case, each count and its evidence must be analyzed and addressed separately. A general conclusion is not acceptable, Justice Sifuna explained. He further likened the magistrates reliance on the amended charge sheet to using the wrong marking scheme in grading an exam. Therefore, the learned trial magistrate fell into grave error when he relied on a charge sheet that was amended, in arriving at his decision. This is akin to using the wrong marking scheme to mark an exam. On this alone, the said ruling falls flat, the judge stated. As a result, the High Court ordered a retrial before a new magistrate. Justice Sifuna directed the retrial to begin with a fresh ruling, based solely on the evidence on record. He also instructed the new magistrate to determine within 30 days whether Sonko and his co-accused should face prosecution. Additionally, the judge mandated that Sonko and Ombok appear in court on Monday for further instructions regarding the retrial. In response to the ruling, Sonko vowed to fight the decision, expressing confidence in his pursuit of justice. As a law-abiding citizen who respects judicial decisions, I have instructed my legal team to immediately file an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Sonko declared. He also reaffirmed his faith, saying, Theres no giving up because God has always been my protector and defender. He will never let me down. He has always fought my battles and will continue fighting for me to get justice. China's key economic tasks for 2025 Chinadaily.com.cn) 17:57, December 13, 2024 The annual Central Economic Work Conference was held in Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday as Chinese leaders decided on the priorities for the economic work in 2025. The meeting determined that the following key tasks should be achieved next year. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) At the cusp of a new chapter of their lives, high school seniors anxiously refresh their emails, awaiting notifications of college acceptances. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, 995 high school students gained new clarity about their next steps when they were notified of their acceptance into Emory Universitys undergraduate Class of 2029 via Early Decision I. Across the nation and around the world, the newest Eagles smiled, cried and cheered to receive their acceptances out of a pool of 3,311 unique applicants, building the foundation for Emorys incoming class. Emory is a magnet for all different types of people, and there are some themes that bring the Early Decision I pool together, like Emory being their top choice of institution. What excites me about this class is the community were building, says John F. Latting, associate vice provost for enrollment and dean of admission. Emory University continues to grow as a first-choice destination for high-achieving students across America and around the world, says Mark Butt, director of admission at Emory. This year's applicant pool is certainly the strongest and most competitive that I have experienced in Early Decision I during my 12 years at Emory University. These Early Decision I admittees join the 64 students accepted Dec. 2 as part of the QuestBridge National College Match program, a nonprofit that links highly qualified students from low-income backgrounds with 52 of the nations leading universities and provides financial aid. This QuestBridge class, like many others before it, exemplifies resilience, says Timothy Fields, senior associate dean of admission. These students have not only excelled academically, but they have done so in the face of adversity. Their unique experiences and perspectives enrich the Emory community, making us all stronger. At Emory, first-year students can choose to begin their experience on one of two campuses: Emory College of Arts and Sciences or Oxford College. Emory College, which shares the Atlanta campus with the universitys graduate and professional schools, offers the experience of a liberal arts college amid the energy and pace of a leading research university. I am happy to welcome the first members of the Emory Class of 2029, including our QuestBridge Scholars, says Barbara Krauthamer, dean of Emory College. With their academic strengths, community engagement, creativity and curiosity, these students are bound to make outstanding contributions to Emory's vibrant campus community. I look forward to seeing how they will make their mark at Emory and beyond. Oxford College, 36 miles east, is set on Emorys original campus. Only for first- and second-year students, Oxford affords students a close-knit community, small classes and a strong liberal arts curriculum. All Oxford students continue to the Atlanta campus to complete their Emory degrees. We are excited to welcome Oxfords Early Decision I class, who have made a thoughtful and intentional choice to join our community, says Badia Ahad, dean of Oxford College. Their commitment reflects the values of academic excellence and personal discovery that define the Oxford experience. We are eager to support them as they embark on this transformative journey. From the 995 students accepted in the Early Decision I process, 805 were admitted to Emory College, 400 were admitted to Oxford College and 210 were admitted to both colleges and can pick which campus to attend in the fall. A record-breaking year for applications Students who submit applications for the Early Decision process commit to enrolling if they receive adequate financial aid. This year, Emory received an unparalleled number of Early Decision applications up 21% from the previous year, which was record-setting itself. Emory is making the case that were a world-class research university that truly cares about undergraduate students, and that is reflected in our institutional priorities and is resonating with applicants around the nation and around the world, Latting says. Atlanta is also a really attractive home for young people and is recognized as having a good quality of life, interesting events and a lot of opportunities. Latting also points out that, though Emory will be admitting more students than in previous years, the selection process actually became more competitive thanks to applicant pool growth. Emory Admission staff take a holistic approach as they review applications. Academic records like grades and test scores are important, but admission officers also consider how students utilized opportunities available in their school and community. Additionally, student interests and extracurriculars, along with written portions like student essays and letters of recommendation from teachers and school counselors, are considered. Emory University is in the incredibly fortunate, but also difficult, position of having a high number of exceptional applicants seeking the limited spaces in the class, says Butt. As our Early Decision applicant pool has not only grown in size but also academic readiness, we have responded to that case-by-case. We are not just looking at the academic preparation of the student, but carefully reviewing their personal narratives and imagining them on campus. Kelley Lips, assistant vice provost and dean of Oxford enrollment, welcomes the dramatic increase of applications for Oxford College entry, noting the great potential for impact. The record-breaking number of Early Decision I applicants for Oxford College reflects the growing recognition of the distinctive opportunities we offer within a liberal arts intensive environment, says Lips. This incoming class brings exceptional talent, diverse perspectives and a shared enthusiasm for learning that will enrich our community. We are excited to welcome them to Oxford and Emory to see the meaningful contributions they will make to campus life. Making college more accessible through QuestBridge Match Earlier this month, Emory welcomed a group of 64 QuestBridge Scholars to the Class of 2029, with four attending Oxford College. The QuestBridge National College Match program is a nonprofit that links highly qualified students from low-income backgrounds with 52 of the nations leading universities. Through this partnership, QuestBridge Match Scholars receive a four-year financial aid award, covering full tuition and fees, room and board, and books and supplies. For the Class of 2029, Emory reviewed 1,457 QuestBridge applications, with the majority of matches 49 students being among the first generation in their families to attend a four-year college in the United States. Eleven students from Georgia matched with Emory. Across the entire admissions period, many more QuestBridge applications will be reviewed. Emory boasts one of the largest QuestBridge Scholars Networks in the nation, with more than 500 students currently attending the Atlanta and Oxford campuses. Emory QuestBridge Scholars include the previous years match scholars along with other students who enroll through the Regular Decision cycle. The active student-run organization provides an authentic and supportive community, helping students navigate the transition to college and connect with resources around campus. Each year, QuestBridge empowers us to welcome talented, underrepresented voices into our incoming class, says Fields. These exceptional students, as the inaugural members of the class, set a high standard for the academic excellence that defines our community. Diving into all Emory has to offer Students admitted through the QuestBridge Scholars program are eager to arrive on campus and explore their paths at Emory. Emory has been my dream school for as long as I can remember, and being admitted validated all the hard work I had put into the application process and throughout my past four years in high school, says Nathaly Alvarez-Galdamez, from Douglasville, Georgia. Touring campus, Alvarez-Galdamez says she quickly recognized Emory as an environment where she could thrive academically and personally. Drawn to the medical field, she will study biology and sociology on the pre-med track on the Atlanta campus, all made possible by the QuestBridge program. As a low-income and first-generation student, QuestBridge has given me an opportunity that made my dream school a reality and lifted a huge financial burden off my family in my pursuit of higher education, says Alvarez-Galdamez. I am beyond grateful for the support QuestBridge has provided me. Emory also rose to the top of the list for Andres Guzman from Imperial, California, after he researched opportunities in his discipline, study abroad excursions and the proximity to Atlanta. Guzman, who will attend the Oxford campus and wants to study Spanish and linguistics along with international studies, waited to share the exciting moment with those he loved. It was so difficult to not instantly open the decision. I really wanted to wait for my cousins to be with me, says Guzman. I finally opened it after school and when I realized I matched with Emory, I was shocked and excited. If it were not for QuestBridge, I would have never bothered applying myself and trying to dream big. Alazare Atlaw from Nashville, Tennessee, also opened his QuestBridge match amongst friends. Getting that notification that I matched with Emory was probably one of the most riveting moments of my life, says Atlaw. I got the chance to celebrate with my friends who were with me when I opened my application status, so my energy was at an all-time high. The QuestBridge program revolutionized the way I approached college applications and encouraged me to shoot for the stars. Atlaw, who plans to study political science and philosophy, politics and law, will call the Atlanta campus home. Emorys position as both a research and liberal arts university gives me a lot of opportunities to pursue while I am there, says Atlaw. Likewise, the location also really excites me. Being in Atlanta for college just opens the door to so many internships and job-shadowing opportunities. For Emily Maikoo from North Bennington, Vermont, being an Emory Eagle runs in the family. After her brother matched with Emory through QuestBridge in 2019, she knew she wanted to follow in his footsteps while also charting a new path for herself. QuestBridge provided my brother and I with the opportunity to get the education our parents had always dreamed of, opening doors that when I was a little kid seemed like a faraway dream, says Maikoo. Thanks to QuestBridge, I have the opportunity to build the career I always wanted, with no financial burden on my parents. Planning to study political science on the Atlanta campus, Maikoo is confident Emory is the ideal place to study this interdisciplinary topic. As a first-generation immigrant, I have seen firsthand how impactful politics can be on society, and I know that at Emory, I will be able to learn how to work with and interact with the political and legal system to advocate for others, she says. All data accurate as of Dec. 12, 2024. Hundreds of students and other members of the university community gathered Dec. 5 at the Emory Student Center (ESC) to celebrate the facilitys fifth anniversary. The 117,000-square foot, three-story buildings North and South Towers overflowed with music and laughter as guests shared conversation and community. The DJ, a photo booth and a table for designing buttons encouraged students to take a break from studying and focus on well-being and connecting with others. A facility still in its youth, the ESC has served countless meals to the university community, welcomed thousands of students and hosted numerous events, from small study sessions to major gatherings for hundreds of guests. The ESC is home to several offices that directly serve students, including the Center for Civic and Community Engagement, Parent and Family Programs, Student Center Operations and Events, Student Governance Services and Student Involvement, Leadership, and Transitions. The ESC has contributed immeasurably to community building and student flourishing at Emory, according to Lydia Washington, executive director of student centers. The ESC is not just a building. Its a vibrant hub for dining, recreation and student engagement, says Washington. Whether youre sharing ideas, catching up with friends or striking up a conversation with someone new, the ESC is a place where memories are made and lifelong friendships are forged. The Emory Student Center has always been about gathering and engagement, according to David Clark, vice president of Campus Life. This extraordinary facility is completely committed to a student-centered approach to enhancing our university community, Clark says. Aligned with that commitment, a principal ESC goal from conception has been to serve as an all-campus nexus that brings us together. Skylar Michel, a senior in Emory College, is passionate about the ESC and enjoys how the facility brings people together. They host a lot of events, and I'm able to study here, have my club meetings and meet with friends, she says. Theres a lot about the student center that I really appreciate. Fellow student Andy Waisser agrees. The student center is a good third space on campus that isn't like work or school or home. Its just a place to hang out, work or connect with other people, he says, adding that ESC events help drive school spirit. Student engagement continues to play vital role Although the Emory Student Center opened its doors on May 6, 2019, the grand opening was a few months later on Sept. 11, partly to enable incoming students to celebrate the new space their predecessors helped shape. Emory sought student input throughout the ESCs envisioning, planning and construction, and continues to do so. Students ideas influenced the creation of spaces for studying, meeting, collaborating, sharing meals and just having fun, says Jackie Grinvalds, director of student center operations and events for Campus Life. Student voices are reflected in plans for colors, textiles, signage, furniture, sound systems and the enormous glass exterior walls that bathe interior spaces with daylight and offer expansive views of one of the nations greenest campuses. The ESC offers a wealth of student-centered features, including a recreation lounge with high-tech gaming, a spacious dining venue, a convenience store, Kaldis Coffee cafe and innovative spaces for individual and group study, collaboration and engagement. In addition to small study spaces, the ESC contains a large ballroom that accommodates more than 1,200 guests or transforms into six separate meeting rooms. All of that adds up to an appealing destination for campus gatherings. Over the years, we have seen steady increases in reservations for ESC spaces, with more than 2,400 events scheduled during the 2023-24 academic year, Grinvalds says. And in response to student feedback, we added an option for students to instantly book several small meeting rooms. Enhancements make popular facility even more appealing We continually add upgrades to enhance the ESCs appeal and functionality, and we invite student input as a crucial element in planning. Weve incorporated countless student ideas over the years, and their input continues to influence upgrades, Grinvalds says. This fall alone, the ESC added new furniture to indoor and outdoor areas, including green spaces, with more shade and additional flexible seating and tabletop options. Furniture in the ESC commons was upgraded to a more open, conversation-friendly design, with most of the replaced furniture redistributed throughout the building to increase student lounge space. Dobbs Common Table, the universitys primary dining venue, expanded capacity from 800 to 1,000 diners. New artwork graces the ESCs walls today with upgraded audiovisual capabilities and digital signage. Students returning this fall also found novel changes in the ESCs Eagle Emporium. The traditional convenience store was replaced with cutting-edge retail technology that allows students to check in with a credit card or use mobile ordering to select merchandise and exit the store without waiting in a cashiers line. Charges appear on the shoppers account and a receipt can be requested online. The Eagle Emporium is now open 24/7, except overnight from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday. When the ESC opened, students could borrow recreational equipment rent-free with assistance at the help desk. Today, a WiFi system enables students to borrow equipment without human assistance. Items range from video games and high-end audio speakers to billiards and tabletop games like Monopoly, Catan and Apples to Apples. Our Emory Student Center is the living room of our campus, a third place for students after the residence halls where they live and the classrooms where they work, says Washington. Its a welcoming and accessible place where students meet others with similar and often very different backgrounds and identities. The ESC nurtures students sense of belonging and encourages community building with others, Washington adds. It helps us ensure every Emory student has opportunities to flourish today on our university campus and tomorrow in the world they are already beginning to shape. The project aims to transform Amaravati into a sustainable, world-class city with advanced infrastructure, enhancing the region's economic prospects and quality of life. The loan will be provided in Japanese yen with a total value of 121.97 billion. ADB said "The Amaravati Inclusive and Sustainable Capital City Development Program is designed to transform Amaravati into a growth hub for the region, enhancing economic prospects, providing job opportunities, and improving living conditions of the residents". Under the Amaravati Inclusive and Sustainable Capital City Development Program, the state will receive public investment in key infrastructure areas, including trunk infrastructure, government complexes, and neighborhood-level amenities. Farmers involved in the land pooling schemes will also benefit directly. The program seeks to position Amaravati as a growth hub by attracting investments, creating jobs, and ensuring improved living conditions for residents. ADB will collaborate with other multilateral development banks (MDBs) to ensure high-quality and timely completion of infrastructure projects. "ADB and other MDBs will provide global expertise and technical support to help the Government of Andhra Pradesh develop a sustainable and vibrant capital city. Amaravati will serve as a replicable model for developing greenfield cities and transforming peri-urban areas," said Mio Oka, ADB's Country Director for India. The program focuses on building climate-resilient infrastructure, including green spaces, enhanced water and sanitation services, low-carbon transport systems, and improved drainage to mitigate flood risks. It also aims to attract private investors, boost employment, and support inclusive growth, particularly for women and youth. ADB's contribution includes strengthening urban institutions, fostering public-private partnerships, promoting social inclusion and gender equality, and leveraging smart technologies for urban planning and service delivery. ADB was established in 1966 and it is owned by 69 members out of which 49 are from the region. The development of Amaravati reflects this vision by supporting sustainable growth and modern urbanization. (ANI) PRNewswire New Delhi [India], December 13: Reinforcing its commitment to consumer awareness and safety, Amazon India launched the third phase of Mission GraHAQ, its flagship consumer awareness initiative, at SMBhav Summit 2024, Amazon's annual SMB Summit. This campaign aims to reach over 50 million customers, with a focus on Tier II and III cities, over the three-month period from December 2024 to February 2025. This phase of Mission GraHAQ introduces the GraHAQ Chakra, a series of murals across 30 cities on chai stalls, auto-rickshaws, and public walls, bringing consumer education directly into communities. Additionally, Amazon will leverage social media to amplify key messages across semi-urban and rural regions in multiple regional languages. * Mission GraHAQ 3.0 scales up ongoing consumer awareness efforts to pan-India level * Aims to reach 50 million (5 crore) consumers across India * Campaign will run from November 2024 through February 2025 Through this effort, Amazon seeks to engage directly with consumers at the grassroots level, reinforcing trust and choice in India's rapidly expanding e-commerce sector. Mission GraHAQ builds on the Department of Consumer Affairs' Jago Grahak Jago initiative, supporting the government's efforts to empower Indian citizens as informed online shoppers. The campaign will cover topics such as grievance redressal, duties of online shoppers, safe payment methods, and the importance of product information. This year, the campaign has partnered with organizations such as Internet and Mobile Association of India, Indian Institute of Public Administration, Consumer Voice, India SME Forum, Consumer Education and Research Centre, CyberPeace Foundation and the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry to expand the reach and impact of the campaign. Unveiling the first ever Mission GraHAQ logo, Hon'ble Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy congratulated Amazon India and campaign partners on the launch of the third edition of the campaign. He said, "Ecommerce is no longer limited to metros; it has expanded beyond these hubs, reaching Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and even penetrating rural regions. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, the government has undertaken several initiatives to foster a trusted and secure e-commerce environment. The Consumer Protection Act of 2019 has been enacted to address unfair contracts, enforce stricter regulations, and enhance consumer protection in e-commerce. I am happy to share that National Consumer Helpline serve as an integrated grievances rehearsal mechanism, bringing all the stakeholders together on a single platform. We have three tiers to address the consumer complaints at the district, state and national level." "Amazon is also working with the Department of the Consumer Affairs to further strengthen the grievance and redressal mechanism. Additionally, Jago Grahak Jago campaign led by the Department of Consumer Affairs, educates the consumers about the fraud and the common issues, while the Jagriti Mascot empowers the citizen with the knowledge about their rights," Hon'ble Minister added. With a pan-India approach, Mission GraHAQ will emphasize outreach in Tier II and III cities, including semi-urban and rural areas, with multilingual content to ensure broad accessibility. Chetan Krishnaswamy, Vice President of Public Policy at Amazon India, said, "At Amazon, we believe that customer trust is the bedrock and the future of e-commerce in India. The sector's growth will be driven by confident, empowered online shoppers, and we are honored to contribute to this national priority, which aligns closely with the government's vision. Through Mission GraHAQ, we're broadening our commitment across India, with a particular focus on tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Our goal is to ensure that every customer, regardless of location, is well-informed about their rights and responsibilities in the digital marketplace. This initiative reflects our dedication to fostering a safe, transparent, and trustworthy e-commerce ecosystem that benefits all of India." Launched in 2022, Mission GraHAQ focused on educating consumers on their rights and responsibilities through street plays across over 100 cities, engaging over 16 million people, particularly in Tier II and III areas. In 2023, the campaign expanded to India's Northeastern states, reaching an additional 15 million people through regional radio shows in partnership with All India Radio, further extending the initiative's reach and impact. About Amazon India Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth's Best Employer, and Earth's Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews. Media Contact: Bidya Sapam; bidsapam@amazon.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2579821/Amazon_Smbhav_Summit_2024.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) BusinessWire India Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 13: IIFL Capital Services Limited (formerly IIFL Securities Limited) today announced the unveiling of its state-of-the-art office in Bengaluru, dedicated to wealth management services for High Networth Individuals (HNIs) and Ultra High Networth Individuals (UHNIs). IIFL Capital Services is one of the largest wealth managers in India, with about $30 billion (Rs 2.5 lac crore) worth of assets under management, advice and custody. The new office is located in Lavelle Road, at the Centre of Bengaluru's business district, a strategic move to tap into the vibrant economic landscape and growing affluence of India's Silicon Valley. Bengaluru Metro's gross domestic product (GDP) is over $360 billion (2023 data) and per capita income is roughly $25,461 in terms of purchasing power parity making it one of the most affluent urban centres in India. According to the Bangalore Innovation Report, with projected GDP growth of 8.5%, Bengaluru will be the world's fastest growing city until 2035. Forbes listed billionaire businessman and one of India's most respected entrepreneurs,Irfan Razack, Chairman of Prestige Group, inaugurated the Bengaluru office in presence of R Venkataraman, Chairman, IIFL Capital Services Limited, Prakash Bulusu and Raghav Gupta, Joint Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of IIFL Capital Services Limited and Venkata Narayana K, Former CEO of Prestige Estates Projects. Commenting at the inauguration event, Razack appreciated IIFL Capital's focus on client relationship and innovation and said, "I wish all the best to IIFL Capital, Venkat, Prakash, Raghav and team on their strong presence in Bengaluru. With my years of experience as a valued client of Prakash and trust in brand IIFL, I believe you will set new benchmarks in the wealth management industry." Prakash Bulusu, Joint CEO at IIFL Capital Services Limited said, "This marks a significant milestone for IIFL Capital as we continue to solidify our strong presence as the leading wealth management firm in the country. Our office in Bengaluru, is a first of many planned office additions as we embrace a new identity as IIFL Capital Services Ltd. This rebranding from IIFL Securities is much more than a name change. It is the beginning of IIFL 2.0 and reflects our transformation from a broking house into a comprehensive wealth management company, aligning our services and vision with the evolving needs of our clients." IIFL Capital Services Limited is in the process of bolstering its wealth management business led by top private bankers, Prakash Bulusu and Raghav Gupta who joined as Joint CEOs in May 2024. The firm aims to add several senior private bankers across the country to service India's growing HNIs and UHNIs banking needs. The firm also recently changed the name to IIFL Capital Services Limited from IIFL Securities Limited. Raghav Gupta and Prakash Bulusu were previously Senior Managing Partners at ASK Asset and Wealth Management (majority owned by Blackstone, world's largest Private Equity Fund), managing North, South, East businesses in India and offshore markets. Wealth and asset management industry in India has been evolving rapidly. As more and more promoters, entrepreneurs and CXOs generate wealth, there is a dearth of quality talent required to advise clients and help them manage their investments. Not surprising, therefore, that the growth prospects of the industry has seen a lot of interest from top global Private Equity players like Blackstone, KKR, Bain, General Atlantic, PAG, etc. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SMPL New Delhi [India], December 13: Symbiosis Law School (SLS), Hyderabad, (A Constituent of Symbiosis International Deemed University, Pune) is set to close registrations for admissions to its B.A. LL.B. and B.B.A. LL.B. programmes on December 20, 2024. Aspiring law students are urged to seize this last chance to get enrolled in one of the most recognised legal education institutions in India. SLS Hyderabad, which is well-known for emphasising both academic achievement and personal growth, gives students a solid foundation that supports success in the field of law. Prospective students can apply for these programmes before the given deadline. Commenting on the closing admissions window, Dr. Sunil George, Director of Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad, said, "As a renowned law school, our mission is to cultivate not just legal professionals but future leaders who can navigate the complexities of the modern legal world with confidence and integrity. Our programmes are thoughtfully designed to blend rigorous academic learning with practical exposure, equipping students to address real-world challenges with competence and ethical conviction. Joining SLS Hyderabad is more than an educational pursuit--it is a transformative journey that prepares students to thrive and make meaningful contributions across diverse legal and professional landscapes." What Makes SLS Hyderabad Stand Out? Integrated Programmes with a Purpose SLS Hyderabad's B.A. LL.B. programme combines a comprehensive legal education with insights into the historical, political, and social contexts of law. The B.B.A. LL.B. programme, in turn, blends business administration with law, responding to the industry demand for legal experts who are well-versed in both business and legal principles. Each five-year programme is crafted to equip students with skills that employers highly value across legal, corporate, and public sectors Eligibility Criteria: Who Can Apply? Admissions are open to candidates who can meet the following: * For the B.A. LL.B. and B.B.A. LL.B. programmes, applicants must have completed Standard XII (10+2) or equivalent with at least 45% marks (or 40% for SC/ST candidates). Students awaiting their final results may also apply provisionally. It is mandatory for all applicants to appear for the SLAT 2025 exam to be eligible for admission to the institute. Where Learning Meets Leadership From student-run cells such as the Cultural Troupe and Legal Aid Cell to the high-profile Moot Court Association and the Literary & Debate Society, the institute offers an ecosystem where students grow both personally and professionally. The lively campus culture enables students to build strong networks, engage in leadership activities, and immerse themselves in hands-on learning beyond the classroom. Expert Faculty and a Culture of Research Innovation At the institute, a team of accomplished faculty members brings not just academic rigour but a genuine passion for shaping future legal professionals. Their guidance encourages students to think critically and delve into high-impact fields like human rights, technology law, and corporate governance. Through dedicated research centres and hands-on projects, students are invited to challenge norms and explore new ideas, building the analytical depth and practical insight needed to make a lasting impact in their careers. SLS, Hyderabad fosters a culture of curiosity and exploration, positioning them to lead with knowledge and integrity in today's complex legal landscape. Comprehensive Placement Support The institute serves as a launchpad for successful legal careers through its dynamic Training and Placement Cell, which prioritises preparing students to be career-ready. The cell ensures students are well-equipped to meet the demands of the job market by offering regular career advising, skill-building workshops, and strategic internship opportunities. These initiatives, combined with targeted recruitment drives, provide graduates with a strong professional foundation. Over the years, students have secured placements in prestigious organisations such as Deloitte, GKM Associates, Tatva Legal, Disha Law Firm, Federal & Co., Mumbai, and Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., among others. SLS Hyderabad's robust partnerships with top-tier legal firms and leading corporate legal departments create diverse career pathways, allowing students to excel in fields like litigation, corporate law, and legal consultancy. The consistent success of its alumni stands as a testament to the institute's unwavering commitment to professional excellence. With its focus on academic innovation and professional growth, the institution offers a dynamic environment for students to thrive. As the December 20th deadline approaches, interested candidates are advised to apply soon to be part of this enriching journey. For more details and to apply, visit www.slsh.edu.in. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Friday stated that the government is working on a project to address both pollution and traffic jams in the national capital. Speaking at Times Network's India Economic Conclave in New Delhi, Union Minister said, "Right now, I am working on a project worth Rs 65 thousand crore in Delhi, which will reduce traffic jams and pollution in the city." He, however, admitted that the Transport Department is responsible for around 40 percent of the pollution, adding that the Ministry is working on a project that will address both pollution and traffic jams in the national capital."First of all, 40 percent of air pollution is caused by our department. The Transport Ministry is responsible,"Gadkari stated. "The second thing is that the pollution in Delhi is largely due to the rice straw or 'stubble' (straw left after rice harvesting) from the rice fields in Punjab, Haryana, and nearby areas. This amounts to 200 lakh tonnes. We have now decided to start a project in Panipat using this stubble, which will produce 1 lakh liters of ethanol, 150 tonnes of bio-vitamins, and 88 thousand tonnes of bio-aviation fuel. Currently, 400 projects are in process, and 40 of them are already completed. CNG is being produced from parali in these projects. This has resulted in the use of a total of 60 lakh tonnes of parali, which has helped reduce pollution," he added. The Minister further added that he has ordered the officials (of Punjab) to work on a scheme in which a value can be created instead of burning the stubble, adding that people are ready to pay Rs 2,500 per tonnes for the stubble. The Union Minister anticipated that the problems of stubble burning will be solved in next two year. Going further, he reiterated the need to promote the use of alternative and biofuels. He said, "The import of fossil fuels is worth Rs 22 lakh crore. If we can bring it down to even 10 lakh crore, the pollution in our country will decrease." The minister further highlighted the importance of alternative fuel and electric vehicles, which will equate the cost of diesel and conventional engine vehicles. He added, "The lithium-ion battery, which was USD 150 per kilowatt-hour, has now come down to USD 110 per kilowatt-hour. The day it reaches USD 100 per kilowatt-hour, the cost of diesel, petrol, and electricity will be the same. This revolution is happening very quickly. And this is the biggest industry that will drive the development of your economy," he stated, adding that the sector contributes heavily in terms of Goods and Services (GST) taxes. (ANI) The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections have gone up by 9.3 per cent so far in the current fiscal 2024-25 to Rs 14.56 lakh crore. In the April-November period of last year, the tax mop-up was Rs 13.32 lakh crore. The surge in recent GST collections reflects a positive trajectory for India's economy, underscoring robust domestic consumption and buoyant import activity. The figures bode well for the country's fiscal health and economic recovery efforts, signalling resilience amidst global uncertainties. In April this year, the total GST mop-up surged to a record high of Rs 2.10 lakh crore. During the financial year 2023-24, the total gross GST collection was recorded at Rs 20.18 lakh crore, an 11.7 per cent increase compared to the previous fiscal year. The Goods and Services Tax was introduced in the country with effect from July 1, 2017. To give relief to common people, GST on Hair oil, toothpaste, soap; detergents and washing powder; wheat; rice; curd, lassi, buttermilk; wristwatches; TV up to 32 inches; refrigerators; washing machines, mobile phones, are among key items on which GST rates have been slashed substantially, or for some kept at zero level. In the last GST Council meeting in September, tax rates for salted products were slashed from 18 per cent to 12 per cent; tax cut from 12 per cent to 5 per cent on three key cancer drugs. In the June meeting, a uniform rate of 5 per cent IGST was imposed on imports of aircraft parts and tools to boost MRO activities; uniform 12 per cent GST on all milk cans (of steel, iron, and aluminium irrespective of their use); reduced GST rates on paper-based cartons, boxes, and cases. Also, to give relief to the taxpayers, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes has relaxed rules to ensure that accrued interest and penalties are avoided for GST demands for 2017-18 to 2019-20 by paying the full tax amount due by March 2025. If you have received a demand notice for these fiscal years, you can avoid interest and penalties by paying the full tax amount due by March 2025. Further, in trade facilitation measures, GST rates have been exempted for rectified spirit, platform tickets, retiring rooms, cloakroom services, intra railway transactions, infrastructure usage and maintenance services between Indian Railways and SPVs. GST has also been exempted on accommodation services on stays valued up to Rs 20,000 per month for a minimum of 90 days; incentives on RuPay Cards and low-value transactions on BHIM-UPI by Banks. In another push to e-commerce, CBIC reduced Tax Collected at Source (TCS) for supplies made through Electronic Commerce Operators from 1 per cent to 0.5 per cent. The GST Council, a federal body comprising the Union Finance Minister as its Chairman and Finance Ministers of all States as members, has played its part in the forum. The next meeting of the GST Council will be held on December 21 at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. (ANI) PRNewswire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 13: DigiBoxx, India's first swadeshi SaaS-based digital storage and sharing platform, has engaged with Arctera to provide secure cloud backup and recovery services to SMBs, enterprises and government institutions in India. The DigiBoxx solution will run Backup Exec on Megh3, an S3-compatible cloud storage built for businesses in India. Speaking about the relationship, Arnab Mitra, CEO, DigiBoxx, said, "Megh3 has been instrumental in bringing about organizational transformation with its affordable, reliable and scalable offerings. With Arctera Backup Exec, businesses are able to tap into a cloud-based backup service that takes away the pain of investing in hardware and hiring IT professionals to manage the process. It's simple, secure and unlocks tremendous value for businesses looking to archive and protect their data effectively. Our servers and data centers are based in India, so customers can be assured their digital assets and IP are stored safely in the country." Backup Exec is a unified backup and recovery solution by Arctera, trusted by tens of thousands of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) worldwide. The engagement with the DigiBoxx Megh3 cloud will enable customers to access fast, simple, scalable storage solutions at affordable prices. It keeps things simple by allowing customers to choose the what, when and where of backup, while focusing on data security with Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), integrated 128-/256-bit AES industrial-strength encryption and built-in protection against malware, ransomware and other anomalies that may compromise data. "Besides storage, the next major need for any data-driven company is backup. A solution that makes a copy of your hard work and intellectual property, secures it, and lets you retrieve it when required. Backup Exec brings this and much more to the table - and will now also be available on DigiBoxx Megh3, a cloud storage solution for businesses of all sizes. It's simple, effective and secure, enabling organizations to rest easy knowing their data is protected against threats like ransomware. DigiBoxx has played a significant part in providing companies with the means to store their critical data in India, and this relationship will help deliver a valuable service," added Simon Jelley, General Manager & Vice President, Data Protection, Arctera. Megh3 by DigiBoxx is India's first swadeshi, fully managed elastic cloud storage solution service. It gives its customers--corporates and individuals--access to secure storage at attractive price points. It stores, protects and retrieves data at any time, from anywhere on any device, helping streamline workflows, unifying brand inventory across multiple touchpoints, and allowing teams to function effectively and in sync. It takes the pain of managing large amounts of data and associated costs of hiring tech support or maintaining an in-house team of professionals to manage their own hardware. About DigiBoxx DigiBoxx Technologies is a SaaS start-up that provides a digital storage, asset management and backup solution for individuals, gig workers, MSMEs, corporates and various govt. organizations. It is a Made-in-India service that is intuitive, secure and enables efficient collaboration. Since its inception in 2020, DigiBoxx has won over 4 million hearts with its competitive pricing plans for individuals and customizable packages for SMBs and corporates. Its clients include Cholamandalam, Enormous, HDFC Life, Hitachi Systems India, Jio, the Madhya Pradesh Education Board, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), ProBurst, Rorito Pens, and Schneider Electric. To know more, visit, www.digiboxx.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2580564/DigiBoxx_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SMPL New Delhi [India], December 13: As the education system encounters an increasing disconnect between theoretical knowledge and practical applications, SkilliZee, India's pioneering Harvard-style experiential learning initiative, addresses this issue. Founded by Dr. Aarna Singh Rawat, a passionate educator with an MBA from prestigious institutions like ISB and Northwestern, SkilliZee empowers students with critical skills like Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, Emotional Intelligence, and Collaboration--all essential for navigating an AI-driven world. A Vision for the Future Dr. Aarna recalls the moment that inspired her to create SkilliZee, "It wasn't a single event but a realization over the years. I noticed that top-tier institutions like ISB and Northwestern weren't just teaching knowledge--they were shaping mindsets." Aarna's groundbreaking question, "Why wait until college to develop these vital skills?" became the driving force behind SkilliZee's mission to equip students with real-world competencies from an early age. Revolutionizing Curriculum for the Next Generation SkilliZee's curriculum is designed to suit students as young as 8 years old, making complex MBA-level case studies engaging and accessible. "Bringing these concepts to school students wasn't easy, but we wanted it to be fun and relatable," Aarna shares. Through a blend of theory and real-world case scenarios, students thrive in problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking, preparing them for real-life challenges. A Game-Changer in Education SkilliZee's groundbreaking approach has already garnered widespread recognition. The program's collaboration with top institutions such as E-Cell IIT Bombay and E-Cell BITS Hyderabad provides students with exclusive exposure and mentorship opportunities. Furthermore, SkilliZee has received global acclaim, securing STEM Accreditation and ranking among the Top 5% for the STEAM Program internationally. SkilliZee's partnerships extend to iStart, Rajasthan's flagship program, creating an Incubation Center for student entrepreneurs. By integrating entrepreneurship, leadership, and financial literacy into its curriculum, SkilliZee is moulding well-rounded individuals ready for success in today's dynamic world. SkilliZee's Impact: Shaping the Leaders of Tomorrow Through innovative activities like Shark Tanks, Think Tanks, and Ideathons, SkilliZee provides students with real-world learning experiences, fostering creativity and leadership. They will get opportunities to participate in national and international competitions, such as the Case Study Competition at BITS Hyderabad's E-Summit, gaining invaluable exposure to cutting-edge trends like Artificial Intelligence, Design Thinking, and Financial Literacy. Empowering Students, One Skill at a Time SkilliZee's partnerships with educational institutions have led to remarkable transformations in student development. Schools that have embraced SkilliZee's holistic approach have observed increased confidence, improved leadership capabilities, and higher university acceptance rates. Students also earn personalized certificates that help distinguish them in competitive university applications. A Future-Focused Education Program "We believe that by focusing on hands-on learning and the development of meta-skills, we can equip students with the capabilities they need to thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing world," says Dr. Aarna. With SkilliZee's innovative and practical approach to education, students are not only prepared for academic success but also for lifelong personal and professional growth. SkilliZee's impact continues to expand, and with its focus on real-world problem-solving and critical thinking, it is paving the way for a generation of leaders who are ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Join the Revolution in Education By partnering with SkilliZee, you're giving your students access to a world-class learning experience that prepares them for real-world success. Together, we will shape the leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers of tomorrow. Let's revolutionize education and build a brighter future for our students, one skill at a time. Empower the future with SkilliZee--where education meets innovation. Contact Us: Email: pr.skillizee@gmail.comPhone: (+91) 97733 53232Website: https://skillizee.club/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued notice to 17 companies that were found violating Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said in a release. The ministry added in the release that currently 13 of these cases are under investigation, while replies from three companies are awaited. As a part of its commitment to uphold consumer rights, CCPA has intensified its focus on regulating direct selling activities and ensuring compliance with relevant legal framework. In this regard, the authority carefully examined the websites of these direct selling entities, the ministry added. Direct selling is a method of marketing, distribution and sale of goods or services directly to consumers, away from fixed retail premises. This method relies on independent representatives of the entity, known as direct sellers, selling products directly to customers, typically through personal contact, online platforms, or home presentations. Ethical direct selling businesses operate transparently, providing quality products and fair compensation for their representatives without misleading consumers. The Government of India notified the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021, establishing a comprehensive framework to regulate direct selling entities and protect consumer interests. These rules aim to promote transparency, accountability, and ethical practices within the direct selling industry, enabling consumers to make informed decisions. Additionally, the rules complement other regulatory frameworks, including the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 further strengthening consumer protection mechanisms. However, some fraudulent entities misuse the direct selling model to promote illegal pyramid or money circulation schemes. These entities often make unrealistic promises of high commissions, foreign trips, entrepreurship, high returns and wealthy future, contingent on recruiting others, which violates consumer trust and established laws, thereby exposing consumers to fraudulent pyramid and money circulation schemes. This is a significant move by the ministry as through these notices is trying to stop the the unfair trade practices, service deficiencies, and violations of the Consumer Protection. Vihaan Direct Selling (India) Pvt Ltd (a sub-franchise of QNet Group, Hong Kong), Triptales Pvt Ltd, Oriens Global Marketing Pvt Ltd, Zennesa Wellness Pvt Ltd, Orgolife Solutions Pvt Ltd, Oriflame India Pvt Ltd, Juncture Marketing Pvt Ltd, Wolte Marketing Pvt Ltd, Preet Life Care Pvt Ltd, Enroots Horizon Pvt Ltd, E biotorium network Pvt Ltd, Meghdoot Marketing Pvt Ltd, Suii Dhaaga Lifestyle Pvt Ltd, Winmarg Business Pvt Ltd, Ayusratna Natural Herbal Pvt Ltd, Biothon Lifecare Pvt Ltd, and Okflip India Pvt Ltd are the companies who are given the notices. The action aims to address concerns about deceptive and exploitative practices in the direct selling industry and ensure adherence to the regulatory framework designed to safeguard consumer interests. (ANI) HT Syndication New Delhi [India], December 13: Bengaluru recently hosted the 5th edition of the ASLI Ageing Fest, a premier event dedicated to the rapidly expanding senior care sector in India. Organized by the Association of Senior Living India (ASLI), the festival brought together industry leaders, government representatives, investors, and businesses to explore the vast opportunities within the senior living and care landscape. Dr. VK Paul, Member of NITI Aayog, highlighted the need for a holistic approach to senior care. He welcomed suggestions on improving the physical, digital, and financial security of seniors, emphasizing the importance of creating policies that address their evolving needs. Speaking at the event, Nitin Kamath, Founder and CEO, Zerodha, said, "The areas of focus in the future will be on medical care management and nutrition for senior citizens. While this generation of senior citizens might not adopt AI, caregivers can increase efficiency by adopting automated tools and AI." Highlighting financial institutions' roles, Shailesh Upadhyay, President & Head, Retail Liabilities, Retail Trade, Forex & Third Party Products, Axis Bank Ltd., said, "In the past 25 years, the concept of reverse mortgages has seen little progress. The blame is not just on senior citizens but also on banking and financial institutions. Awareness today is very low on reverse mortgages, as the country also deals with the mindset of parents wanting to leave their homes to their children. However, if everyone comes together and creates awareness, we can achieve substantial progress in the coming years." Making a strong case for foreign companies bringing efficiencies into the Indian market, Nathaniel Farouz, MD, Senior Living Keppel Ltd., said, "earlier, we had either hyper-luxury senior living or very basic options. Newer options must bring in efficiencies, and foreign companies can help. It's about standardising processes to deliver personalised services, encouraging more people to consider senior living communities." Outlining the challenges faced by the real estate sector, Pavitra Shankar, MD, Brigade Enterprises Ltd., shared, "For a real estate developer, it is important to understand that while the core value is the same, the business model is very different regarding senior living. Developers need a lot of financial innovation to do this at scale. In our experience, people choose our senior living projects with the trust the brand evokes in mind. While many other operators can run the place, developers are sometimes reticent to lend their name to such a project." A standout moment of the festival was the Seniors-Only Fashion Show, where senior citizens took to the runway, showcasing their style, confidence, and individuality. The show celebrated seniors' resilience and broke stereotypes about aging, leaving attendees in awe of the participants' elegance. Supported by Primus Senior Living, the fashion show served as a powerful reminder that aging is not about slowing down, but about embracing life with dignity and self-expression. The 5th ASLI Ageing Fest was made possible by key sponsors , including Ashiana Housing, Primus Senior Living, BridgeHealth, Jagriti Dham, Antara Senior Living, Elements Senior Living, Paranjape Schemes Construction Ltd., and Serene Communities by Columbia Pacific . As India prepares for a future with a significantly larger senior population, the 5th ASLI Ageing Fest highlighted the need for a comprehensive, inclusive ecosystem that ensures seniors can live fulfilling, empowered lives. The festival not only emphasized the importance of addressing seniors' evolving needs but also celebrated the vitality and confidence of the aging population, reinforcing that life after 60 is a time for reinvention and celebration. For more details, please log onto: https://www.asli.org.in/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by HT Syndication. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SMPL New Delhi [India], December 13: Renowned educators and co-founders of Padhle, PRanay Chouhan and Atharva Puranik, have launched their highly anticipated series Final Hustle--comprehensive Science, Mathematics, and Social Science books for Class 10 students preparing for board exams. This groundbreaking collaboration with Oswaal Books was unveiled on December 8, 2024. Within days of launch, all three books have skyrocketed to the top three positions (#1, #2, and #4) on Amazon's overall rankings. Additionally, they have made history in the CBSE category, securing the first 3 (#1, #2, #3) positions in the top five, and showcasing their immense popularity and impact among students nationwide. In many other categories, the book was ranked #1 by Amazon. This immense popularity of the book in such a short span of time displayed the power of good content. Students showered love in thousands on the book through the inspiring launch video on Padhle's YouTube and Instagram Handles. The book has indeed broken records, achieved great heights and love from the students from all over India. The book got so viral that it went out of stock in a very short period. PRanay and Atharva as inspired to take this book further to the next level. Final Hustle is not just another book but a comprehensive guide crafted with the real needs of students in mind. Designed to help Class 10 students maximize their board exam performance, the book offers: Three Levels of Question Categories: Questions are meticulously divided into three probability-based categories -- Super duper Important, Super Important, and Important -- guiding students to focus on the most likely exam questions. They have also included Four Exam-Ready Sample Papers which are developed with precision, these sample papers are claimed to be the most probable questions for the board exams. Additionally, Student-Centric Tools have been included in the book, which includes a thoughtfully designed calendar, monthly planner (December to March), and checklist to help students streamline their preparation. Most importantly they both have given exclusive Tips featuring "Atharva or Pranay ke Funde" -- practical, easy-to-understand exam tips presented in Hinglish to resonate with students. Pranay and Atharva's efforts reflect their shared vision to empower students across India. On the launch, Pranay Chouhan said, "Our aim with Final Hustle is to provide students with a tool that prepares them academically and supports them mentally during this crucial phase." Atharva Puranik added, "Through this book, we've brought together years of experience and insights to give students the edge they need to excel in their board exams." Oswaal Books, a trusted name in educational publishing, is proud to collaborate with these visionary educators. "Pranay and Atharva's Final Hustle aligns with our mission of empowering students through innovative learning resources," said Prashant Jain, CEO, Oswaal Books. Pranay Chouhan, celebrated as a leading educator and motivator, is widely recognized for his innovative approach to addressing both academic and mental health challenges faced by teenagers. Originating his journey in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, Pranay has garnered national acclaim for his work and was honored with the prestigious Social Media Award by the Andhra Pradesh government. Atharva Puranik, an education visionary, launched Padhle during the COVID-19 pandemic to make quality education affordable and accessible. Under his leadership, Padhle has achieved remarkable milestones, including over 1 million app downloads and 2.5 million YouTube subscribers, transforming the learning experience for lakhs of students across India. Final Hustle is now available on Amazon and other leading platforms. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Chandrasekaran congratulated the chief minister and expressed confidence in a long-term partnership with the Maharashtra government. "We discussed various ways of accelerating Maharashtra's growth," CM Fadnavis wrote in a post on X. "As the Chairman of Maharastra Economic Advisory Council, his work and that of 20 Top CEOs of Maharashtra resulted in a report that was submitted last year. This report is going to be a key enabler as we embark on the ambitious 1 Trillion Dollar economy goal for the State," the CM added. Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister for the third time recently. Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde also took oath. The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 witnessed a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, securing a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with as many as 132 seats. The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party also made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major setback with Congress winning just 16 seats. Its alliance partner, Shiv Sena (UBT), won 20 seats, while the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) secured only 10 seats. (ANI) Telugu cinema star Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday in connection with the tragic stampede that occurred at Sandhya Theatre on December 4 during the premiere of his film, 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'. He will has now been taken to the hospital for the medical test. Allu Arjun spoke to his counsel to request the High Coourt for urgent hearing. Earlier, Allu Arjun had approached the HC seeking to quash FIR registered against him. The incident, which led to the death of one woman and injuries to her son, prompted a police investigation, culminating in the arrest of three individuals, and now the actor himself. Confirming the arrest, L. Ramesh Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Chikkadpally, stated, "Yes, he (Actor Allu Arjun) has been arrested." The actor was brought to the Chikkadpally police station for questioning in connection with the incident. His father, Allu Aravind, brother Allu Sirish, and father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy were also present at the station during the proceedings. The arrest has stirred controversy, with several public figures expressing their opinions on the matter. K. T. Rama Rao, working president of the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi and former state minister, condemned the arrest on his official social media account. He wrote, "Arrest of National Award-winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers! I totally sympathize with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn't directly responsible. There is always space for respect & dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high-handed behavior of Govt." https://x.com/ktrbrs/status/1867480142085578958? Rama Rao also drew a parallel to another incident in Hyderabad, questioning the accountability of other political figures, adding, "Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by Hydra." The stampede occurred when fans rushed into Sandhya Theatre following Allu Arjun's arrival ahead of the film's premiere. The deceased woman, identified as Revathi, aged 35, was fatally injured during the chaos. Her son, Shreethej, was also hospitalized with injuries. Police attempted to control the crowd with a mild lathi charge, but the incident resulted in public shock and grief. In the aftermath, Allu Arjun expressed his devastation over the incident. At the film's success meet on December 7, he shared his emotional response, saying, "The incident that took place in the Sandhya theatre is very unfortunate...I'm shocked. It took me hours to process it and respond to the incident. I couldn't process it psychologically. It took me around 10 hours. We all blanked out when we heard the news." Allu Arjun also assured the grieving family of his support, stating, "We will always be there and try to support the family." Director Sukumar, who worked alongside Allu Arjun on 'Pushpa 2', also expressed his deep sorrow over the loss. "I have worked for over 6 years on this film, but I've not been happy for 3 days now because a director is always sensitive. Irrespective of me working for 3 years or 6 years, I cannot create a life. My heart is broken due to what happened. I am very sorry for that...I apologise to the family and assure you, we will always support you," Sukumar said, visibly shaken by the tragic event. Before the success meet, Allu Arjun had used social media to offer his condolences. He also pledged financial assistance to the deceased woman's family. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family. We understand that no words or actions can ever compensate for the loss you are bearing," Allu Arjun wrote. He announced a contribution of Rs 25 lakh, along with coverage of the injured son's medical expenses. In addition to the arrest of Allu Arjun, the police apprehended three individuals connected to the incident. M. Sandeep, one of the owners of Sandhya Theatre, senior manager M. Nagaraju, and Gandhakam Vijay Chander, the in-charge of the theatre's lower balcony, were arrested for their alleged roles in the stampede. The police filed a case at Chikkadpally police station, citing dangerous crowd management practices that contributed to the tragic event. (ANI) Tom Holland, the star of the Spider-Man franchise, has officially ventured into production, signing a deal with Sony Pictures through his newly launched production company, Billy17. According to Billboard, the deal includes his brother, Harry Holland, and producer Will South, marking a significant step forward in their professional journeys. The announcement follows the recent confirmation of a fourth Spider-Man movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, scheduled for release on July 24, 2026. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the upcoming project further strengthens the collaboration between Holland and Sony Pictures. As reported by Deadline, the first production under this new deal is Burnt, an original feature film starring Tom Holland. The script is being written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Rodney Rothman, known for his work on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. While details about the plot remain under wraps, there is considerable anticipation surrounding the film's potential. In addition to Burnt, Billy17 is also working on an adaptation of The Rosie Project, the bestselling novel by Graeme Simsion. This project is being developed in collaboration with TriStar Pictures and will involve Jason Bateman's Aggregate Films, co-producing alongside Matt Tolmach and Michael Costigan, according to Deadline. Another major project for Billy17 is an adaptation of Teddy Wayne's novel The Winner, with Tom Holland taking on the lead role. The film is being produced in partnership with Amy Pascal, a producer of the Spider-Man films. Speaking about his new venture, Holland shared his excitement, stating: "I've had an incredibly happy and successful relationship with Sony Pictures for almost a decade, so they felt like the perfect partner to launch our production company with. It's been an ambition of mine to take this step for some time now, and we're incredibly excited to bring entertaining and rewatchable movies to the big screen." He added, "This is the hope for us, and it starts with Burnt, an idea that's been in our minds for years. Having Rodney attached to write our most ambitious project is incredible. We're diving into the deep end, and we're extremely excited about what's to come." (ANI) Allu Arjun's arrest by the police in connection with a stampede during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad has shocked his fans and members of the film industry. Bollywood star Varun Dhawan has come out in support of Allu Arjun, stating it is not right to blame a single individual. Speaking at the pre-release event of 'Baby John' in Jaipur, Varun said, "The actor cannot take sole responsibility for safety protocols. You can only advise the people around you... The incident was tragic. I extend my condolences, but at the same time, you cannot hold just one person accountable." On 4 December, Allu Arjun, along with the Pushpa 2 team, visited Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad for the screening of the film. Fans in large numbers thronged the venue to catch a glimpse of the star. However, a stampede-like situation occurred in which a 35-year-old woman died, and her son was hospitalised. On Friday morning, Chikkadpally police in Hyderabad arrested Allu Arjun in connection with the stampede. He was taken from his residence to the Chikkadpally Police Station for questioning. Allu Arjun consulted his counsel to request an urgent hearing in the High Court. Earlier, he had approached the High Court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him. K. T. Rama Rao, working president of the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi and former state minister, condemned the arrest on his official social media account. He wrote, "Arrest of National Award-winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers! I totally sympathize with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn't directly responsible. There is always space for respect & dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high-handed behavior of Govt." The deceased woman, identified as Revathi, aged 35, was fatally injured during the chaos. Her son, Shreethej, was also hospitalised. Police attempted to control the crowd with a mild lathi charge, but the incident left the public shocked and grieving. In the aftermath, Allu Arjun expressed his devastation. At the film's success meet on 7 December, he shared his emotional response, saying, "The incident that took place in the Sandhya theatre is very unfortunate... I'm shocked. It took me hours to process it and respond. I couldn't process it psychologically. It took me around 10 hours. We all blanked out when we heard the news." He also assured the grieving family of his support, stating, "We will always be there and try to support the family." Director Sukumar, who worked with Allu Arjun on Pushpa 2, also expressed deep sorrow over the loss. "I have worked for over 6 years on this film, but I've not been happy for 3 days now because a director is always sensitive. Irrespective of working for 3 years or 6 years, I cannot create a life. My heart is broken due to what happened. I am very sorry for that... I apologise to the family and assure you, we will always support you," Sukumar said, visibly shaken. Before the success meet, Allu Arjun had used social media to offer his condolences and pledged financial assistance to the deceased woman's family. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family. We understand that no words or actions can ever compensate for the loss you are bearing," he wrote. He announced a contribution of Rs 25 lakh, along with the coverage of the injured son's medical expenses. (ANI) Veteran Telugu actor Mohan Babu has issued an apology for allegedly assaulting a journalist at his residence in Jalpalli, Rangareddy district, on the evening of December 10, 2024. The actor expressed his "deep regret" over the incident, describing it as an impulsive act in the "heat of the moment" after 30-50 individuals allegedly forced their way into his house with the intent to harm those present. Taking to his X handle, Mohan Babu shared an apology letter, which read: "In the heat of the moment, when my gate was broken and approximately 30-50 individuals, including anti-social elements, forcibly barged into my house with the intent to harm those present, I lost my composure." The Peda Rayudu actor apologised to the journalist for sustaining injuries during the altercation. He wrote: "Amidst this chaos, the media inadvertently became entangled in the situation. As I tried to manage the circumstances, Mr Ranjith, one of your journalists, unfortunately, sustained an injury. This was a deeply regrettable outcome, and I profoundly regret the pain and inconvenience caused to him, his family, and the TV9 community." Mohan Babu also wished the journalist a speedy recovery and reiterated his apology. https://x.com/themohanbabu/status/1867399847441314263 According to the police FIR, a formal complaint was lodged by the journalist at 10:55 pm on the same day, following the alleged assault. The statement was recorded by Sub-Inspector B. Dayakar Reddy at the Pahadishareef Police Station. The journalist had reportedly arrived at Mohan Babu's residence earlier that evening to cover a family dispute that has garnered significant media attention. The complainant stated that he and other journalists were invited inside the house by Manchu Manoj at 8:05 pm to report on the ongoing tensions between the father and son. However, during their coverage, Mohan Babu allegedly confronted the journalist in an aggressive manner. The actor is accused of forcibly grabbing the reporter's microphone and phone, using abusive language, and physically attacking him with the microphone, which reportedly contained a steel pipe and metal logo. The assault is said to have caused the journalist a severe head injury resulting in significant bleeding. (ANI) Producer Ashok Pandit has voiced his support for 'Pushpa' star Allu Arjun, who was arrested by Hyderabad police on Friday morning in connection with a stampede at Sandhya Theatre on December 4. The arrest of Allu Arjun has become the talk of the town. Several celebrities and fans have rallied behind the actor, with Ashok Pandit being the latest to join the fray. The producer has appealed to the Andhra Pradesh government to withdraw the case, calling Allu Arjun an "icon" who deserves respect. In a conversation with ANI, Ashok Pandit said, "The blame on Allu Arjun for the incident is wrong. The situation was not created by the actor. He is a film actor who visits theatres to promote films and observe audience reactions. Every actor and technician wishes to see the response to their work. Unfortunately, this incident occurred, but Allu Arjun cannot be held responsible." On December 4, Allu Arjun and the 'Pushpa 2' team visited Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad for a screening. Large crowds had gathered to catch a glimpse of the star, resulting in a stampede-like situation. A 35-year-old woman died, and her son was hospitalised. Ashok Pandit described the actor's arrest as an "overreaction" and again urged the Andhra Pradesh government to withdraw the case. "The blame on the actor is misplaced and an overreaction, in my opinion. I appeal to the Andhra Pradesh government and police to reconsider. Notably, Revathi's husband, Bhaskar, has also appealed to withdraw the case, admitting that Allu Arjun cannot be held accountable for the incident," Pandit added. The producer further emphasised the importance of respecting cultural icons. "Icons of our country should be respected. As a common man and someone from the industry, I believe that Allu Arjun, or any other actor, cannot be held responsible for such incidents," he said. On Friday morning, Chikkadpally police arrested Allu Arjun from his residence and took him to the Chikkadpally Police Station for questioning. In addition, three other individuals connected to the incident have been apprehended. The police registered a case citing improper crowd management practices that led to the tragedy. Later on Friday, the Telangana High Court granted interim bail to Allu Arjun, hours after he was remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a lower court in connection with the woman's death at Sandhya Theatre. Advocate Karam Komireddy, representing Sandhya Theatre management, confirmed the interim bail. "Allu Arjun has been granted interim bail for a period of four weeks. He is required to execute a personal bond of Rs50,000 with the Superintendent of Chanchalguda Central Jail. Following this, he will be released on bail," Komireddy stated. Meanwhile, Allu Arjun continues to bask in the success of his recent release, 'Pushpa 2: The Rule.' (ANI) The 29th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) has kicked off on Friday, December 13, with a grand opening ceremony at the Nishagandhi Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the festival. Filmmaker Ann Hui was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival. The award includes Rs 10 lakh and a sculpture. Renowned actor Shabana Azmi attended the event as a guest of honour. She was also felicitated at the event. Ann Hui expressed her gratitude in her acceptance speech. She said, "I'm so grateful to the festival for giving me this prize. All I can say is thank you and thank you and thank you for putting me above all among a row of filmmakers who got life achievement awards like Jean Luoa and Belata. I am their fan and suddenly I got a position beside them. I'm almost beside myself. I am very happy to be here and be invited here to attend and receive the prize." "The second point is that this is the 4th time I am getting the Life Achievement award and if I live long enough, maybe. My getting the Life Achievement award will be more than all the prizes I have together before," Ann Hui added. She thanked her fans also and said, "I want to thank my fans and all of you for being film lovers because together we make the film. It's not just the filmmakers who need to be awarded. Those people who love films and make films. Filmmaking act over and over again are the people who watch the movies, appreciate the movies, understand the movies, and encourage the filmmakers to make more movies." "So I really would like to share this prize with fans and audiences and thank you for so many years of watching my films and appreciating them," Filmmaker concluded. The Guest of Honour Shabana Azmi also gave a speech at the event. She said, "I remember that I was present at the first IFFK and now in its 29th or 30th year, I'm back with you again. It shows a very long association and is one of the reasons why this festival continues to be amongst the most important in India. It is because of the audiences and because of how much the people here actually have a taste for good cinema." Shabana thanked the people who supported her in this long journey. She shared, "It's always a pleasure to come back here like Ms. Anhui said. Filmmaking is a collaborative medium. Actors get away with most of the accolades because their faces are in front of the camera. But we know That it is because there's a whole host of technicians behind the camera who are working to enhance our strengths and Reduce our Frailies. So I would like to thank everyone in my team for the journey that has brought me here." "When I started 50 years ago, I had no idea that 50 years later I'd still be working, and so I have more than anybody, my audiences, to thank very much for this. It is always a pleasure to come to Kerala to interact with the people here who truly have a great taste for art, culture, and cinema," she further added. Earlier, Cultural Minister Saji Cheriyan emphasized that this year's IFFK will feature a remarkable selection of films from across the world, providing an unparalleled cinematic experience for film lovers."The festival will showcase a total of 177 films from 68 different countries," he said, highlighting the international diversity represented in the selection. The festival's official program will be divided into multiple categories to cater to a broad range of cinematic tastes. The International Competition section will present 14 films, offering a platform for filmmakers to showcase their cutting-edge works. Meanwhile, the Malayalam Cinema Today category will include 12 films that reflect the latest developments in the Malayalam film industry. Seven films will be featured under the Indian Cinema Now section, shining a spotlight on contemporary cinema from across India. A key feature of the festival this year will be the World Cinema section, which will present a curated selection of 63 films from a variety of countries. Among the festival's most anticipated offerings is the Festival Favourites category, which will showcase 13 films that have garnered audience acclaim at major international film festivals. These films have been recognized for their storytelling, direction, and cinematic excellence, and are expected to be one of the main attractions for festival-goers. The IFFK 2024 will be held across 15 theatres in Thiruvananthapuram, providing a unique opportunity for film enthusiasts to experience a wide array of films from various genres and regions. The festival, organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, continues to be a significant cultural event, drawing cinephiles, filmmakers, and critics from around the world. (ANI) A FIR has been registered against a Kanpur Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for allegedly raping a student, police said on Thursday. "An FIR has been registered under relevant sections in connection with the IIT Kanpur student's allegation of rape against an ACP of Kanpur on the pretext of marriage," DCP South Kanpur, Ankita Singh said. Speaking to ANI, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South Kanpur Ankita Singh said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Traffic Archana Singh to conduct a detailed investigation into the case. "An Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank officer posted in Kanpur Police Commissionerate has been accused of sexual intercourse using deceitful means by a student. An FIR has been registered and the officer has been attached to the police headquarters in Lucknow. To investigate this matter thoroughly, an SIT has also been formed, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Archana, posted as ADCP Traffic here. A complete investigation is underway and investigation is being conducted in this entire matter," DCP South Kanpur, Ankita Singh said. Further information is awaited. (ANI) Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Friday praised the Supreme Court, saying that when judges rise to the occasion, history is made. In a post on X, Sibal said, "Supreme Court (December 12, 2024). When judges rise to the occasion history is in the making. A derailed democracy must be brought back on track." His remarks come after the Supreme Court restrained all courts from passing orders on pending suits against existing religious structures. A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan also ordered that no fresh suits can be registered over such claims while the court is hearing pleas challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. "As the matter is sub-judice before this court, we deem it fit to direct that while suits may be filed, no suits would be registered and proceedings undertaken till further orders of this court. In the pending suits, courts would not pass any effective interim order or final orders, including orders of survey," the bench ordered. The apex court was informed that at present 18 suits are pending in the country against 10 mosques or shrines. The bench also granted four weeks to Centre to file an affidavit in a batch of petitions challenging certain provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991, that prohibit the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947. Additionally, the Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over the growing tendency to misuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which penalises cruelty by husbands and their relatives against married women. While quashing a Section 498A IPC case against a husband and his parents, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said that the Section became a tool for unleashing personal vendetta against the husband and his family by a wife. The verdict came on a criminal appeal filed by the husband and his family against the Telangana High Court's decision refusing to quash the domestic cruelty case registered by the wife against them. The wife had registered a domestic cruelty case against her husband and in-laws after he filed a petition seeking the dissolution of the marriage. The apex court said that the cases filed by the wife were to settle personal scores and grudges and the wife was misusing the provisions meant originally to protect her. (ANI) Severe waterlogging was reported in Trichy following incessant rain, while Thoothukudi and other districts experienced moderate to heavy rainfall. The IMD predicts moderate thunderstorms with heavy rain in districts like Ariyalur, and Perambalur. Thiruchirapalli, Karur, Dindigul, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Tenkasi, Theni, Virudhunagar, Pudukkottai Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts of Tamilnadu and Karaikal area. The resultant weather conditions could lead to water logging and the traffic may be affected in some areas. Light Thunderstorms & lightning with Light to Moderate rain are very likely at one or two places over Cuddalore, Salem, Namakkal, Nilgiris, and Coimbatore. Tiruppur, Tirunelveli and Thoothukkudi districts of Tamilnadu. The Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts of Tamilnadu will receive light rain. Tamil Nadu's weather forecast predicted a maximum temperature of 28-29C, and a minimum temperature of 24-25C, with partly cloudy skies and a chance of light to moderate rain within the next 24 hours in several districts. Meanwhile, IMD has also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall likely at isolated places over other southern parts of India, mainly in Karaikal, Lakshadweep, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to IMD, the well-marked low-pressure area that was previously located over the Gulf of Mannar and nearby regions has now shifted to a low-pressure zone over the Gulf of Mannar and the adjacent Comorin area. As per the update, the system's upper air cyclonic circulation extends up to mid-tropospheric levels. It is expected to move westward towards the Maldives and the nearby Lakshadweep area, crossing the Comorin region. The system is anticipated to weaken gradually over the next 24 hours, with a diminishing impact on the surrounding areas. (ANI) Ahead of the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha today, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday alleged that many autonomous bodies are being misused, adding that the governance in the country is not good. "We have put this condition that there should be a discussion on the Constitution. Many unconstitutional things are going on, many autonomous bodies are being misused, the governance in the country is not good, so we want a debate so that everyone can know how the governance is going on," Kharge told ANI. When asked about 'One Nation, One Election', the Congress president said that they will see what is in the bill and then they will react to it. The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the 'One Nation, One Election,' bill in the parliament, marking a significant step towards the electoral process. A special discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution is all set to begin today and the newly elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to make her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to initiate the debate. The two-day debate is expected to begin at 12 noon on Friday. Over 12 leaders from the BJP are expected to take part in the debate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the discussion on December 14 evening. Leaders and members of parties in the ruling National Democratic Alliance including HD Kumaraswamy, Srikant Shinde, Shambhavi Chaudhary, Rajkumar Sangwan, Jiten Ram Manjhi, Anupriya Patel and Rajiv Ranjan Singh are also likely to speak during the debate. Sources said leaders of BJP and its allies are likely to refer to Emergency and speak about the "fake narratives being peddled" by the opposition. DMK leaders TR Balu and A Raja and Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Mohua Moitra are likely to take part in the debate. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party have issued a 'three line whip' to ensure the presence of their members. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the Opposition wants the House to run and have a debate on 75 years of adoption of the Constitution on December 13-14. The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Friday gave a suspension of business notice to discuss the Manipur situation in Rajya Sabha. Singh in his notice highlighted the 19-month-long "ethnic violence" in Manipur which resulted in the burning of hundreds of houses, the killing of innocent people and the displacement of thousands of families. "Respected Sir, the ethnic violence in Manipur for the last 19 months has exposed the failure of law and order in the State and the Government's negligence towards the safety of women. Hundreds of houses were burnt, many innocent people were killed, and thousands of families were displaced in this violence that started in May 2023. Women and children bore the brunt of this crisis," Singh said in the notice. The AAP MP expressed concern that despite the Supreme Court order, the state government has failed to take concrete steps to submit a report on properties affected by violence and rehabilitation plans. "The brutal incident with a woman in Jiribam district on 7 November 2024, in which the victim was tortured and killed, presents another horrific picture of the deteriorating situation in Manipur. The Supreme Court has ordered the state government to submit a report on the properties affected by the violence and the rehabilitation plans, but no concrete steps have been taken in this direction so far," Singh said in the notice. Singh criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur and called it an example of the BJP-led central government's apathy. "It is worrying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not even visit Manipur during this period, which shows the indifference of the central government. Continuous curfew, internet shutdown, rising prices of essential commodities and unavailability of medicines in the state have made life unbearable. This is not only a law and order crisis but also a serious blow to human rights and democratic values," the notice read. Sanjay Singh has also given a zero-hour notice to discuss the issue of the farmers's Protest and their demands in the parliament. The winter session of Parliament commenced on November 25 and has seen frequent disruptions. The session will go on till December 20. (ANI) Terming the 2001 Parliament attack "unfortunate," Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday alleged that attacker Afzal Guru was honoured by the 'tukde-tukde gang'. "It is very unfortunate that the temple of democracy was attacked. The attacker Afzal Guru was honoured by the 'tukde-tukde gang'," Giriraj Singh told ANI. Afzal Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013, for his role in the attack on Parliament in December 2001. Meanwhile, when asked about the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha today, Giriraj Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for celebrating November 26 as Constitution Day. "I thank PM Modi for celebrating 26th November as Constitution Day. The youth should remember the teachings of the Constitution and the Constitution is not just something to keep in the pocket, but it should also be put into practice. Today there is a debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha," Singh added. A special discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution is all set to begin today and the newly elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to make her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to initiate the debate. The two-day debate is expected to begin at 12 noon on Friday. Over 12 leaders from the BJP are expected to take part in the debate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the discussion on December 14 evening. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also said that the Opposition wants the House to run and have a debate on 75 years of adoption of the Constitution on December 13-14. The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20. (ANI) Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the centre over privatization policies after a meeting with individuals associated with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) at the Parliament Complex in Delhi on Friday. Rahul Gandhi accused the government of being intent on privatizing even the profitable PSUs, alleging that national assets were being handed over to a 'select group of capitalists.' Taking to its official handle on X, the Congress party posted, "Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met people associated with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). The Modi government is bent on privatizing even the profitable PSUs." "The country's assets are being handed over to select capitalists. We have been raising our voices against this issue from the streets to the Parliament and will continue to do so," the post said. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi was also present in the meeting. Meanwhile, ahead of the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha today, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday alleged that many autonomous bodies are being misused, adding that the governance in the country is not good. A special discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution is all set to begin today and the newly elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to make her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to initiate the debate. The two-day debate is expected to begin at 12 noon on Friday. Over 12 leaders from the BJP are expected to take part in the debate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the discussion on December 14 evening. Leaders and members of parties in the ruling National Democratic Alliance including HD Kumaraswamy, Srikant Shinde, Shambhavi Chaudhary, Rajkumar Sangwan, Jiten Ram Manjhi, Anupriya Patel and Rajiv Ranjan Singh are also likely to speak during the debate. Sources said leaders of BJP and its allies are likely to refer to Emergency and speak about the "fake narratives being peddled" by the opposition.DMK leaders TR Balu and A Raja and Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Mohua Moitra are likely to take part in the debate. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party have issued a 'three line whip' to ensure the presence of their members. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the Opposition wants the House to run and have a debate on 75 years of adoption of the Constitution on December 13-14. The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20. (ANI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday initiated a debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha with a sharp focus on its historical significance and its role in shaping the nation's governance and global standing. Rajnath Singh reflected on the Constitution's birth from extensive deliberations, underscored its reflection of India's civilizational values, and addressed recent efforts to politicize its legacy. The Defence Minister in a sharp remark towards the Congress criticized the party's efforts to attribute the creation of India's Constitution solely to a particular political party. He stressed that such attempts to overlook the collective contributions of many individuals and the Constitution's deep roots in India's cultural and civilizational values. "There has always been an attempt by a particular party to hijack the work of Constitution making...Today I want to make it clear, that our Constitution is not the gift of a single party. The Constitution of India was made by the people of India, in accordance with the values of India...Our government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working with the spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas, our government is working in accordance with the Dharma written in the Constitution of India. Our Constitution is progressive, inclusive, transformative... This is our country where a person born in a poor family can also become the Prime Minister of the country and he can also become the President of the country," said Rajnath Singh. Singh emphasized that such political framing undermines the collective efforts of the Constituent Assembly and the diverse individuals who played crucial roles in shaping India's foundational document. Singh underscored that India's Constitution is not the product of one political ideology but a reflection of the nation's broad civilizational values. He called for a more inclusive and accurate understanding of the Constitution's creation, one that recognizes the contributions of all individuals, irrespective of political affiliations, who participated in its drafting. The debate marks the 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Singh emphasized that the Constitution was not just a legal framework, but a representation of the Indian people's collective aspirations and their commitment to progress. "The Constitution, prepared by the Constituent Assembly, was the result of almost three years of rigorous debate and deliberation. It was not merely a legal document, but a reflection of the people's will and their desires for a democratic India," Singh stated. The Minister recalled that November 26, 1949, marked the day when the Indian people transitioned from being 'subjects' under British rule to 'citizens' of a free republic. "On this day, India was dedicated to the Constitution, and citizens were bestowed with fundamental rights and the honour of Indian citizenship," Singh noted, highlighting the significance of the Constitution in shaping India's modern identity. Further underscoring the historical importance of the document, Singh explained that the Constitution serves not only as a framework for governance but as a "roadmap" to restore India's glory. He said, "It is not just a tool for governance, but a roadmap to give India its rightful place on the world stage." Singh emphasized that India's Constitution is deeply rooted in the country's civilizational and cultural values. "Our Constitution is an expression of our cultural heritage and values, and we must respect its collective significance," Singh added. In his speech, the Minister stressed that India's Constitution is not just a political or legal document, but a testament to the nation's enduring ideals of democracy, equality, and justice. The defence minister' speech markes the start of a special discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution began on Friday. Newly elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to make her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate. Leaders and members of parties in the ruling National Democratic Alliance including HD Kumaraswamy, Srikant Shinde, Shambhavi Chaudhary, Rajkumar Sangwan, Jiten Ram Manjhi, Anupriya Patel and Rajiv Ranjan Singh are also likely to speak during the debate. DMK leaders TR Balu and A Raja and Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Mohua Moitra are likely to take part in the debate. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party have issued a 'three line whip' to ensure the presence of their members. The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20. (ANI) Speaking on the debate on the constitution in the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a veiled attack on the Congress and criticised the party for attempting to 'hijack' the creation of India's Constitution, stating that the 'Samvidhan' of the country was made by the people following the values of India. "There has always been an attempt by a particular party to hijack the work of Constitution-making. Our Constitution is not the gift of a single party. It was made by the people of India, embodying the values and aspirations of this diverse nation," Singh stated, indirectly targeting Congress. The Defence Minister lauded the progressive, inclusive, and transformative nature of the Constitution, emphasizing its role in fostering opportunities for all citizens. He highlighted India's democratic framework, which allows individuals from underprivileged backgrounds to rise to the highest offices, including that of Prime Minister and President. Referring to the governance approach of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh said, "Our government works with the spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas. We are committed to upholding the Dharma as enshrined in the Constitution of India." Speaking in Lok Sabha during a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India he said, "There has always been an attempt by a particular party to hijack the work of Constitution-making. Today I want to make it clear, that our Constitution is not the gift of a single party. The Constitution of India was made by the people of India, following the values of India. Our government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working with the spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas, our government is working in accordance with the Dharma written in the Constitution of India. Our Constitution is progressive, inclusive, and transformative. This is our country where a person born in a poor family can also become the Prime Minister of the country and he can also become the President of the country." Rajnath Singh further said, "Many postcolonial democracies and their Constitutions did not last long. But the Indian Constitution, despite all the challenges, continues to play an important role in maintaining the world's largest democracy without losing its basic spirit." "We all accept the role of the Supreme Court as the custodian and interpreter of the Constitution. Today there is talk of protecting the Constitution. This is the duty of all of us. But we also need to understand who has respected the Constitution and who has disrespected it," he added. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday initiated the debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha with a sharp focus on its historical significance and its role in shaping the nation's governance and global standing. Rajnath Singh reflected on the Constitution's birth from extensive deliberations, underscored its reflection of India's civilizational values, and addressed recent efforts to politicize its legacy. The Defence Minister in a sharp remark towards the Congress criticized the party's efforts to attribute the creation of India's Constitution solely to a particular political party. He stressed that such attempts to overlook the collective contributions of many individuals and the Constitution's deep roots in India's cultural and civilizational values. Singh emphasized that such political framing undermines the collective efforts of the Constituent Assembly and the diverse individuals who played crucial roles in shaping India's foundational document. Singh underscored that India's Constitution is not the product of one political ideology but a reflection of the nation's broad civilizational values. He called for a more inclusive and accurate understanding of the Constitution's creation, one that recognizes the contributions of all individuals, irrespective of political affiliations, who participated in its drafting. The debate marks the 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption. The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20. (ANI) Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh called on Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari at New Delhi on Friday. Singh thanked the Union Minister for sanctioning 350 crores under Central Road and Infrastructure (CRIF) which would go a long way in improving road connectivity and enhancing economic growth of the state. He also thanked for the support extended by the Minister for providing exemption to ropeway projects from forest clearances by the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest & Climate Change. PWD Minister also requested for construction of an alternate road from Ghatasni, Shilha- Badhani-Bhubujot- Kullu with the tunnel at Bhubujot which would reduce 40 km distance on NH144. He said that this was a very important step from the tourism point of view besides its strategic importance. He further added that this will greatly facilitate tourists visiting Kullu district. The PWD minister also urged Nitin Gadkari to provide approval for the construction of Rs 125.57 crore double-lane bridge over river Beas between Basantipattan and Kheri connecting Kangra & Hamirpur districts on priority under Bharat Setu Yojna. He said that the Himachal Chief Minister had also raised this issue with the Union Minister during his previous meeting. He also requested for construction of Rs 19.09 crore 110-metre span single lane steel truss motor able bridge over river Beas Pandoh on Pandoh- Shiva road in district Mandi. The Union Minister assured of all possible support to the state. Earlier on December 6, Singh had thanked Gadkari for his support in the infrastructure projects and growth facilitation. Earlier on December 6, Vikramaditya Singh said that employment generation is one of the top priorities of the Congress government in the state. Vikramaditya Singh told ANI that the state government has given 31,000 employment in the government sector in the last two years. "Our Chief Minister has put so much emphasis on certain things - like strengthening rural economy - to bring white revolution - especially for women... Employment generation is our government's priority - we have given 31,000 employment in the government sector in the last two years," Vikramaditya Singh said. Vikramaditya Singh also presented a detailed account of the Congress government's achievements and future plans under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.Reflecting on two years of governance, Singh highlighted key milestones, challenges, and initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable growth, employment generation, and robust infrastructure development in the state. He stated that 31,000 jobs had been created, and additional revenue of Rs 2,600 crore had been generated during this period. (ANI) This year, the Delhi Police IGI Airport Unit broke various fake passport syndicates operating across India. As of now, 19 foreign nationals, including 12 Bangladeshi nationals, and 23 agents, including one Bangladeshi national, have been arrested for flying on fake passports or visas. According to DCP Airport Usha Rangnani, "Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport Police have successfully dismantled multiple fake passport syndicates operating across India. These criminal networks, often involving foreign nationals from neighbouring countries, exploit India's porous borders to enter the country illegally and fraudulently acquire Indian passports using forged documents." A Total of 19 Foreign nationals were arrested including 12 from Bangladesh, 3 each from Myanmar and Nepal and one from Afghanistan. Additionally, 23 Agents were held in fake passport syndicates, including one Bangladesh national & Myanmar national, 9 from Delhi, 4 from Maharashtra and 3 from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha, Rajasthan. The misuse of Indian passports poses serious challenges to global travel systems and immigration processes. These forged identities not only undermine India's global credibility but may also facilitate crimes such as human trafficking, terrorism, and financial fraud. "Through unwavering determination, tireless efforts, and strategic operations, the IGI Airport Police have successfully cracked down on this menace. We have identified and dismantled well-organized networks, arresting dozens of agents and foreign nationals involved in these fraudulent activities, effectively disrupting the operations of these sophisticated syndicates," the Police statement said. The ramifications of passport fraud extend beyond legal violations, impacting global security and international relations. Fake passport crimes are not merely administrative violations but have far-reaching implications. IGI Airport Police have been behind multiple significant busts, arresting foreign nationals and agents involved in these criminal activities. In March, A Bangladeshi national returned from the UAE using a forged Indian passport. Upon sustained interrogation, it was revealed that he had illegally entered India through the Meghalaya border in 2020 and subsequently settled in West Bengal. Further investigation uncovered a well-organized syndicate specializing in fabricating fake Indian identity documents, such as Aadhaar and PAN cards, for Bangladeshi nationals. These fraudulent documents were used to obtain Indian passports under false pretences. The operation led to the arrest of four agents based in West Bengal who were orchestrating the scheme. Their offices yielded a significant cache of incriminating materials, including 21 fake passports issued under various names, photocopies of passports, blank stamp papers from the West Bengal government and other forged documents. This successful bust not only dismantled the entire syndicate but also dealt a significant blow to the network facilitating such fraudulent activities. In November, a Bangladeshi national, who had entered India illegally, was intercepted while attempting to travel to Russia using a forged Indian passport. During the investigation, the IGI Airport Police apprehended a key agent from West Bengal, who was directly involved in the creation of fraudulent documents. This agent, along with his associates, was found to have been using fabricated voter IDs and ration cards to secure Indian passports for multiple foreign nationals. In October 2024, two Bangladeshi nationals were detained at IGI Airport while returning from Hong Kong with forged Indian passports. During the investigation, the accused revealed that they had entered India illegally in 2022 by crossing the Indo-Bangladesh border. Further inquiries uncovered a Maharashtra-based network specializing in fabricating documents, including Aadhaar cards and voter IDs, to enable the issuance of fake passports. As a result, two agents were arrested, and the network was partially dismantled. In September 2024, a Bangladeshi national was apprehended at IGI Airport upon his return from Istanbul, Turkey, while using a forged Indian passport. During the investigation, he disclosed that he had entered India in 2021 through water routes. A key agent behind the racket, operating out of West Bengal, was subsequently arrested. The case uncovered a significant number of illegal transactions involving fake identity documents being used to produce Indian passports for foreign nationals. In August 2024, a female Nepalese national was apprehended while attempting to enter India from Hong Kong using a forged Indian passport. The investigation led to the arrest of two Indian agents, operating from Delhi and Rajasthan, who were involved in facilitating the illegal procurement of multiple forged passports by tampering with official records. In July 2024, IGI Airport Police achieved a breakthrough by busting a syndicate involved in forging Indian passports. A Bangladeshi national, who had illegally entered India in 2022 via a river route, was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Kuwait via Bahrain using a forged Indian passport. Further investigation led to the arrest of an agent operating in Maharashtra, who was found to be part of a larger network spanning Bangladesh and India, specializing in creating fake Indian documents to produce fraudulent passports. In June 2024, IGI Airport Police arrested three Bangladeshi nationals attempting to board flights to Bangkok, Thailand, using forged Indian passports. During interrogation, they revealed that they had illegally entered India in 2020 through the Benapole border. Further investigation uncovered a Bangladeshi agent operating in Noida, who was subsequently arrested for forging documents and facilitating fraudulent passports for several Bangladeshi nationals, in collaboration with a Delhi-based accomplice. In May 2024, three Myanmar nationals were arrested after being deported from Russia for using forged Indian passports. Investigations revealed they had entered India illegally in 2020 through the Agartala border. The group had been using fake Aadhaar cards, voter rolls, and other documents to secure fraudulent passports. The operation led to the arrest of a Myanmar national agent and two Indian agents, who were part of a nexus involved in providing forged Indian documents to foreign nationals. In April 2024, two Nepalese nationals were apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Cambodia via Bangkok using forged Indian passports. During interrogation, they revealed that they had entered India in 2023 by crossing the India-Nepal border. Further investigation led to the arrest of three Indian agents and uncovered a sophisticated network involving operatives in both Nepal and India. The network was found to be producing fake documents, including forged birth certificates, to facilitate the illegal issuance of Indian passports. In March 2024, an Afghan national was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Spain via Finland using a forged Indian passport. The investigation uncovered the involvement of two Indian agents based in Delhi, who were subsequently arrested. These agents were found to have facilitated the illegal procurement of multiple forged passports by tampering with official records. In February 2024, one Bangladeshi national was detained at IGI Airport while returning from Hong Kong along with a fake Indian passport. On interrogation, he disclosed that in the year 2019, he entered India by crossing the border illegally from Tripura. The investigation led to the uncovering of a significant passport fraud operation in the northern regions of India. One Indian agent was arrested for helping to procure a fake passport by forging birth certificates and other official documents. These arrests highlight the transnational scope of the racket, with agents from various regions of India and abroad collaborating to facilitate the illegal procurement of Indian passports for foreign nationals. The agents typically create fake Indian documents, such as birth certificates, for foreign nationals. Using these counterfeit documents as a foundation, the agents, in collaboration with their associates, create additional forged Indian documents to give them Indian identities. Further, based on these fake documents, they finally obtain Indian passports for foreign nationals, which enables unauthorized international travel. (ANI) South East Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ravi Kumar Singh said that as many as 30 schools across Delhi received hoax bomb threat emails on Friday. The DCP said that the investigation into the fake threats revealed that the e-mails sent to the schools had been generated outside the country. Upon receiving the information, schools were evacuated and the Bomb Disposal Squad carried out checks at the locations. "We received an alert around 5:30 AM that some schools have received bomb threats via emails in our district. Schools have been evacuated and the Bomb Disposal Squad checked the places. So far the investigation has revealed that it was a hoax call. 30 schools across Delhi including 3 from our district have received such emails," DCP told ANI. Meanwhile, DCP South West Surendra Chaudhary also spoke on the threats and said, "In our South West district, mail was received in 4 schools at around 12:54 am and it was about the presence of explosives in the schools." "Our teams went and checked and followed proper SOP and we did not find anything suspicious there. We also informed the school authorities and told the parents not to panic," he said. Earlier in the day, the Principal of Cambridge School in Srinivaspuri Madhvi Goswami said that immediate alerts were sent to the police following the threat e-mail and classes were shifted to an online mode to ensure students' safety. The threatening emails raised concerns among parents and staff, though the police assured that investigations are ongoing and safety remains their priority. No explosives or hazardous materials have been found in any of the schools so far. This is not the first instance of such threats disrupting schools in the national capital, underlining the need for robust security protocols. The schools that received the threats included the Bhatnagar Public School in Paschim Vihar, Cambridge School in Srinivaspuri, Delhi Public School in East of Kailash, and Delhi Public School in Defence Colony. Earlier, over 40 schools in the national capital received bomb threats via e-mail demanding a ransom of USD 30,000. This email came on December 8 at around 11:38 pm. Former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo on Friday voiced serious concerns about recurring bomb threats targeting schools in the national capital. Kejriwal questioned the potential psychological and academic impact on children, saying such incidents could disrupt their studies and well-being if they continue unabated. Earlier on November 19, the Delhi High Court instructed the Delhi Government and Delhi Police to develop a comprehensive action plan, including a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to address bomb threats and related emergencies. The court set a deadline of eight weeks for the completion of these directives. (ANI) Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Friday slammed the Union Cabinet approval of the 'One Nation, One Election' bill and said that the proposal is the ruling party's tactic of diverting attention from its failures. Speaking to ANI, Pramod Tiwari said, "The BJP doesn't have two-thirds seats in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. To me, it seems like one of those boasts of PM Modi like Rs 15 lakh, 2 crore jobs, Make in India. This is his way of diverting attention from the party's failures." Tiwari also took a dig at former President Ram Nath Kovind for supporting the bill and said, "I don't understand on what basis Ram Nath Kovind is saying that the GDP will grow by 1.5 per cent (by One Nation One Election). I know him well. He is not an economist." Members of Congress have expressed serious reservations on the proposed move to bring "One Nation, One Election". Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also spoke on the bill and said, "The Congress party has already cleared its stand as One Nation One Election is an attack on federalism and there should be a discussion on the election process in the parliament." Key party leaders have questioned the measure's feasibility and possible effects on the nation's democratic processes, even though the Union Cabinet recently approved it. The 'One Nation One Election' bill was approved by the Union Cabinet on Thursday paving the way for its introduction in Parliament. However, before its introduction in the Parliament, the bill initiated debate between the ruling and opposition parties. Several parties of the INDIA bloc opposed the bill while the BJP-led NDA alliance parties welcomed this bill, saying it would save time and lay the groundwork for unified elections across the country. The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the 'One Nation, One Election,' bill in the parliament, marking a significant step towards the electoral process, sources told ANI. A comprehensive bill is expected to follow this decision, paving the way for unified elections across the nation. Notably, in September this year, the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, which aims to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, along with urban body and panchayat polls, within a span of 100 days. (ANI) DMK MP T Siva on Friday said that the state of democracy in the state was saddening. Speaking to the media, Siva said "We are all saddened by the state of democracy in our country. At least we have got a chance to speak before you. Whatever happened in the Upper House today was not telecast properly... Whatever the members of the ruling party spoke was telecast. And on all other occasions, even when the Leader of the Opposition was speaking, he was not shown. Only the chair was shown.." Further he said that the Leader of the Opposition was not being given respect according to his age and was not being heard. "The Leader of the Opposition, who is equal to the Leader of the House, is not given the slightest respect according to his age. He is suffering, he is crying, he is shouting, but he is not being heard at all... The Leader of the Opposition is being insulted, the Opposition parties are not being given a chance to speak and the ruling party is free to say whatever it wants...All our shouting has gone in vain. The picture being shown outside that the Opposition is being given chances to speak.." Earlier today, Rajya Sabha member and JMM MP Mahua Maji blamed the BJP party for "suppressing the Opposition's voice" in the Parliament. She claimed that the government frequently disparages farmers and Dalits and even skipped to invite the First Dalit President of India to the inauguration of the New Parliament. She added that the ruling party forbids parliament from discussing the Adani issue. "The way the ruling party is suppressing the voice of the opposition shows that they are moving towards autocracy. They are insulting the leader of the opposition and opposition leaders are not being allowed to speak in Parliament...The government is constantly insulting Dalits, farmers...The President of India, who is a Dalit, was not invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament...The leader of the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who is a Dalit, is not allowed to speak in Parliament...The government does not want to discuss the Adani issue.," she said. Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned until December 16 after a war of words erupted between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge amid a row over the no-confidence motion against the Chairman. The RS Chairman lambasted the opposition and said that he would "sacrifice his life for the country" and that the opposition was insulting the constitution. (ANI) Press Release December 13, 2024 ZUBIRI LAUDS PHILIPPINES' RISE IN RENEWABLE ENERGY INVESTMENTS: "WE'RE ON A GOOD PATH" Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri has lauded the Philippines' rise to the second spot in BloombergNEF Climatescope's 2024 rankings for "the most attractive emerging markets for renewable energy investment," a glaring proof of the nation's growing commitment to renewable energy. "This is a fantastic development built on our whole-of-government approach towards increased usage of renewable energy, led of course by the Department of Energy," Zubiri expressed, emphasizing the collaborative efforts driving the sector's success. The achievement, which places the country ahead of China and second only to India, is the BloombergNEF's acknowledgment of the Philippines' robust regulatory framework supporting renewable energy. The country has implemented all nine power policies evaluated in the rankings, including renewable energy targets, feed-in tariffs, import tax incentives, priority grid access, renewable energy certificates, renewable energy auctions, net metering, VAT incentives and renewables mandates. Zubiri, who chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, is the principal author of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which set the foundation for the country's renewable energy journey. "We have come a long way since we pushed for the Renewable Energy Act, and I am very excited to see it finally bearing fruit, and bringing us to the forefront of the global renewable energy sector," the former Senate President said. The senator praised the DOE for its commitment to increasing the share of renewables in the national energy mix, aiming to grow it from 22 percent to 35 percent by 2030. "I want to congratulate the DOE, in particular, for their efforts to increase the percentage of renewable energy in our energy mix. No doubt, this has made way for more investors to put their money behind renewable energy," Zubiri maintained. The growth of renewable energy investments also promises significant benefits for consumers. "With more renewable energy investors coming in, particularly foreign investors, then we can look forward to a more competitive renewable energy sector that can offer more affordable services for our people," Zubiri stressed. The Bukidnon senator also said the Public Service Act, which allows up to 100 percent foreign ownership in the energy sector, is expected to further boost foreign investments, making the renewable energy market even more competitive. Zubiri highlighted the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy development. "We're on a good path now, and I hope we can continue pushing for an even stronger renewable energy sector in the country. It's better for the environment, and better for our people's pockets," he said. This milestone in renewable energy also positions the Philippines as a leader in the global push for sustainability. Zubiri said that by attracting more investments, the country is not only addressing climate change but also creating opportunities for economic growth and energy security. Direct foreign investments in renewable energy have surged, bolstered by policies aimed at incentivizing sustainable practices and supporting the transition from fossil fuels. These measures align with global trends and reinforce the Philippines' role as a model for emerging markets in renewable energy. With policies firmly in place and investor confidence at an all-time high, Zubiri believes the Philippines can maintain its upward trajectory in the sector. "We are seeing the tangible results of years of hard work and vision. This is a win for both our environment and the millions of Filipinos who stand to benefit from a more sustainable and affordable energy future." Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat has showcased its excellence in the National Panchayat Awards 2024, hoisting the flag of good governance nationwide. Vavkulli-2 Gram Panchayat from Panchmahal district was honoured with the first rank in the "Panchayat with Good Governance" category under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sustainable Development Award (DDUPSVP). On December 11, at the event held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, Gaurav Dahiya (IAS), Additional Development Commissioner, Govt. of Gujarat, received the award from the Hon'ble President Droupadi Murmu. Notably, this achievement comes after Patel has completed two years of his tenure recently. This national recognition has added another milestone to Gujarat's good governance and development journey under his leadership. While Gujarat is widely recognized for its urban development and modern facilities in cities, this recognition underscores the state government's commitment to improving facilities and administrative systems even in rural areas at the panchayat level. The award to Vavkulli-2 Gram Panchayat from Panchmahal district acknowledges its exceptional governance efforts during 2022-23. Sharing insights on this achievement, Gaurav Dahiya, Additional Development Commissioner, stated, "Under the leadership of Hon'ble Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat has been making commendable efforts in modernizing rural development and gram panchayats with advanced facilities. In recent years, the state government has been focusing on increasing compliance with e-governance in administrative processes within gram panchayats and prioritizing important aspects such as ease of living in rural areas. The state government is particularly focusing on citizen-centric services in gram panchayats, which has led to the Panchmahal district's Vavkulli- 2 gram panchayat being recognized as the country's best 'Panchayat with Good Governance'. This honour for Gujarat is a moment of pride for all of us." In the National Panchayat Awards 2024, a total of Rs 46 crore was awarded to 45 panchayats and directly transferred to their accounts. Of this, Rs 20.25 crore was allocated to 27 winners under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sustainable Development Award (DDUPSVP). Gujarat's share of the prize money was also digitally transferred to its account. Panchayats were ranked and recognized for their performance in nine thematic areas; Poverty-Free and Enhanced Livelihoods, Healthy Panchayat, Child-Friendly Panchayat, Water-Sufficient Panchayat, Clean and Green Panchayat, Self-Sufficient Infrastructure, Socially Just and Secured Panchayat, Panchayat with Good Governance, and Women-Friendly Panchayat. The National Panchayat Awards competition is conducted through a multi-tiered structure, evaluating panchayats at block, district, state/union territory, and national levels. The initiative primarily aims to promote sustainable development at the grassroots level. These awards encourage best practices and foster a spirit of competition among panchayats, inspiring them to excel in delivering quality governance and services to rural communities. For the National Panchayat Awards 2024, 1.94 lakh gram panchayats participated, 45 of which were declared winners and 42% of these were led by women. (ANI) As per police officials, the miscreant had fired at the police team and was shot in the leg in the retaliatory firing that took place. The miscreant has been caught by the police. Further details awaited. (ANI) Punjab police on Friday said it has busted a Pakistan-ISI-backed terror module with the arrest of two module members. According to the police, the module is run by Babbar Khalsa International operatives Harvinder Rinda and Harpreet Singh and was executed by foreign-based gangster Gurdev Singh. In a post on X, DGP Punjab Police said, "In a breakthrough, @PunjabPoliceInd has disrupted a Pakistan-ISI-backed terror module run by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harvinder Rinda & Harpreet Singh @ Happy Passia and executed by foreign-based gangster Gurdev Singh @ Jaisel @ Pehalwan, a native of village Chambal in TarnTaran." DGP Punjab Police said that while working on the intelligence input, Jashandeep Singh of Amritsar and another person (juvenile) have been arrested. During interrogation, they revealed that they had placed an IED at Police Station Ajnala on 23.11.2024 and carried out other attacks. "Two hand grenades and one pistol, along with ammunition and one motorcycle, have been recovered from the apprehended accused," DGP Punjab Police said on X. FIR has been registered at SSOC Amritsar. Investigations are underway to unearth the complete networks of Rinda, Happy Passia, and Gurdev Jaisal, police said. More details are awaited. Earlier on December 9, in a big Blow to Trans Border narcotic networks: Commissionerate Police Amritsar arrested one, Gurvir Singh and recovered 5.1 Kg Heroin. The police said the arrested accused was using the Amritsar sector keeping various cut-outs. An FIR was registered at PS Cantonment Amritsar. On December 6, in a major breakthrough, Commissionerate Police Amritsar successfully dismantled a cross-border terror module operated by Pakistan-based Harvinder Rinda and a foreign operative Happy Passian, Jeevan Fauji and others by arresting 10 persons, including 4 main operatives and 6 involved in providing logistic assistance. Police said, the module was responsible for an attack on a police officer's residence in Batala and was plotting a larger assault on a police establishment in that area. 1 hand grenade, 3 pistols, and a Chinese drone suspected of cross-border use was recovered from the arrested. Punjab Police said that this operation underscores the force's unwavering resolve to combat terrorism and organized crime and ensure the safety of its citizens. (ANI) Congress MP Digvijaya Singh on Friday condemned the statements made against the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge. Singh alleged that opposition MPs are not even being allowed to speak in Parliament. "...When the rules are not being followed by the Chair itself, what can we expect from the Chairman (of Rajya Sabha)? Opposition MPs are not being allowed to speak in Parliament. No action is being taken against the judge who spoke against the Constitution. The Chairman of Rajya Sabha has never taken a decision in the interest of farmers. We condemn the statements made against the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge," Singh said. Earlier in the day, Congress leaders strongly criticised the BJP's actions in Parliament, accusing the ruling party of crushing democracy and insulting Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress MP Randeep Surjewala described the BJP's actions as a "black chapter" in the history of Parliament and democracy. He accused the Chairman of the House and the BJP of conspiring to humiliate Kharge, whom he described as a Dalit and a farmer. "...Every day, a black chapter of Parliament and democracy is being written by the BJP in the House. The conduct of the Chairman of the House and the connivance of the BJP to shield Adani have effectively bulldozed democracy. The way the Chairman and the BJP are conspiring to launch a humiliating attack on Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition and the son of a Dalit farmer, is condemnable. We strongly denounce this behaviour on behalf of all opposition parties. We have only one demand: the entire opposition has proposed a discussion on Adani, Sambhal, and the condition of farmers. This must be addressed," he said. Rajeev Shukla pointed out the BJP's hypocrisy, highlighting the ruling party's role in creating a ruckus in the House and making baseless allegations against Kharge. He criticised their behaviour as unacceptable and noted that it has angered the public. "You can see how the BJP is disrupting the House, raising slogans. Does the ruling party ever behave in this way? The kind of allegations being made against Kharge ji and the way BJP members are speaking is utterly wrong. This attack on him is unacceptable, and people are deeply upset. They are insulting Kharge ji," Shukla said. Pramod Tiwari accused the BJP of harbouring an anti-Dalit and anti-farmer mindset, citing their treatment of Kharge. He claimed the BJP intentionally disrupted the session to avoid a discussion on the Adani issue. "It is disheartening that the BJP, driven by its anti-Dalit and anti-farmer mindset, insulted the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, who is both a Dalit and a farmer. They deliberately prevented the session from proceeding to avoid discussing the Adani issue," Tiwari said. The Rajya Sabha remained paralysed on Friday due to uproar from both the Treasury and Opposition benches over a no-confidence notice against House Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. The INDIA bloc had submitted the no-confidence motion on December 10 to the Secretary-General of the Upper House of Parliament. INDIA bloc parties held a joint press conference, asserting that they were compelled to take this step to "safeguard democracy and the Constitution." The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on November 25, has seen both Houses adjourned repeatedly due to disruptions. The session is scheduled to continue until December 20. (ANI) As the Prime Minister was concluding his Prayagraj visit, he took to his X handle to express his happiness. "Today my heart is happy to visit the holy Prayag, the pilgrimage place whose glory has been sung by God himself. I have prayed to Maa Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati and Tirtharaj for the fulfillment of the wishes of all the countrymen on this occasion," PM Modi posted on X. He also offered prayers and performed puja and darshan at the famous Hanuman temple in Prayagraj. During his visit to the city, PM Modi inaugurated and launched multiple development projects. PM Modi performed pooja and darshan at Triveni Sangam and later, performed Pooja at Akshay Vata Vriksh followed by darshan and pooja at Hanuman Mandir and Saraswati Koop. The Prime Minister also inaugurated various projects for Mahakumbh 2025. It includes various rail and road projects like 10 new Road Over Bridges (RoBs) or flyovers, permanent Ghats and riverfront roads, among others, to boost infrastructure and provide seamless connectivity in Prayagraj. In line with his commitment towards Swachh and Nirmal Ganga, the Prime Minister inaugurated projects of interception, tapping, diversion and treatment of minor drains leading to river Ganga which will ensure zero discharge of untreated water into the river. He also inaugurated various infrastructure projects related to drinking water and power. The Prime Minister inaugurated major temple corridors which will include the Bharadwaj Ashram Corridor, Shringverpur Dham Corridor, Akshayvat Corridor, and Hanuman Mandir Corridor among others. These projects will ensure ease of access to devotees and also boost spiritual tourism. The Prime Minister launched the Kumbh Sah'AI'yak chatbot that will provide details to give guidance and updates on the events to devotees on Mahakumbh Mela 2025. The Maha Kumbh held once every 12 years, is scheduled to begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26, 2025, in Prayagraj. The main bathing festival, known as the "Shahi Snan" (royal baths), will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami). (ANI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday announced Tarun Yadav as its candidate for the Najafgarh Assembly Constituency in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. This announcement comes as political parties gear up for the polls expected to be held in early 2025. AAP, in a post on X, said, "Here is our third list of candidates for the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025." Yadav will be replacing Kailash Gahlot, who recently left AAP to join BJP. AAP has been actively preparing for the elections. On Monday, the party released its second list of candidates, dropping 17 sitting MLAs. The party is focusing on retaining its stronghold after winning 62 out of 70 seats in the 2020 elections. Speaking about election strategies, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday ruled out any alliance with Congress despite both parties being part of the INDIA bloc. "Aam Aadmi Party will be fighting this election on its own strength in Delhi. There is no possibility of any alliance with Congress," Kejriwal wrote in a post on X. Meanwhile, Congress held a meeting of its Central Election Committee (CEC) on Thursday at the AICC headquarters. Key leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, discussed strategies for the polls. As part of their efforts, Congress has appointed Priyavrat Singh as the "war room" chairman for Delhi. Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 consecutive years, is looking to regain lost ground after failing to win a single seat in the last two assembly elections. In a related development, AAP leader Manish Sisodia accused the BJP of manipulating electoral rolls. Sisodia alleged that the BJP had submitted numerous applications to delete voters' names, including those who have lived in the same area for years. "When it has become impossible for them (BJP) to defeat AAP, they are trying to defeat us by cutting votes," Sisodia claimed at a press conference. Raghav Chadha, speaking alongside Sisodia, questioned the transparency of the voter deletion process. " If someone's vote is cut, the booth level officer of the election commission should go door to door and check whether that person is living there or not. And when he goes for house to house verification, he should take along with him representatives of all the political parties so that the entire process is conducted in a transparent manner," Chadha said. Kejriwal also alleged that BJP requested the deletion of over 11,000 votes, most of which he claimed belong to AAP supporters. ""BJP has given an application to cut votes in their letterhead. They had already given applications to cut votes of 11,000 people, in the last 1-1.5 months and that process is underway. In applications, it is said that these 11,018 people have either shifted or passed away. For us, to check all these 11,000 applications we checked 500 randomly. Among these 500, 372 were found to be staying there only (at their address). They haven't shifted anywhere," he said. The Assembly polls in Delhi are expected to be held in early 2025. AAP won 62 out of the 70 seats in the 2020 assembly elections and BJP secured eighth seats. (ANI) A team of Bengaluru Police on Friday arrived at the record room of District and Sessions Court in Jaunpur, as a part of their investigation into the suicide case of a techie, Atul Subhash. Earlier today, a four-member team of Bengaluru Police, including one woman police personnel, arrived in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur. They pasted a notice outside the residence of the wife of Atul Subhash in Jaunpur which reads, "There are reasonable grounds to interrogate you to ascertain the facts and circumstances. You are directed to appear before the investigating officer at Bengaluru within 3 days." Atul Subhash, the 34-year-old deputy general manager of a private firm, died by suicide on Monday in his Bengaluru apartment, leaving behind a 24-page suicide note, accusing his wife and her relatives of harassment. In his suicide note, he also alleged that a judge had demanded Rs 5 lakh to "settle" the case. The father of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash, said his son had been "broken from inside" after multiple cases were filed against him and his family by his wife. "My son used to say that there is a lot of corruption but he will fight as he is on the path of truth...He was broken from inside, though he didn't tell anyone anything," Subhash's father Pawan Kumar told ANI. Kumar, who currently stays in Bihar's Samastipur, said, Subhash's wife started filing cases against them in January 2021. "She started filing cases since January 2021...My son had thought that she had left (their home) after Corona and that their 1-year-old son would grow up a little at his maternal uncle's home... she also started filing cases against our entire family," the father said. Earlier on December 11, the Supreme Court also expressed concern over the growing tendency to misuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which penalises cruelty by husbands and their relatives against married women. While quashing a Section 498A IPC case against a husband and his parents in a different case, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said that the Section became a tool for unleashing personal vendetta against the husband and his family by a wife. Atul Subhash died by suicide in the early hours of December 9 after alleging harassment from his wife and her family. Subhash wrote "Justice is due" on every page of a 24-page note. He also alleged in his suicide note that his wife had filed nine cases against him under various sections, including murder, sexual misconduct, harassment for money, domestic violence, and dowry. (ANI) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of making symbolic gestures, such as "touching the Constitution with his forehead," while failing to address pressing justice issues in the country. In a post on X, Vadra said, "The Prime Minister touches the Constitution book to his forehead in Parliament, but when cries for justice are raised in Sambhal, Hathras, and Manipur, there is not even a wrinkle on his forehead. Perhaps you have not understood that the Constitution of India is not the legislation of the Union." https://x.com/priyankagandhi/status/1867520942366503354?t=o41coh3ILl_ddC7MoM2ieQ&s=08 Earlier, in her maiden address in the Lok Sabha, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi attacked the ruling government, accusing it of attempting to undermine the Constitution's principles over the past decade. Speaking during a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, she paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives defending Parliament in 2001. "In the struggle of crores of Indians, in their strength to battle the toughest situations, and in their hope of justice from the country, the flame of our Constitution is burning. Our Constitution is a 'suraksha kavach' (protective barrier) that keeps citizens safe - it is a 'kavach' of justice, unity, and the right to express. It is sad that in 10 years, colleagues of the ruling side who make big claims have made all attempts to break down this 'kavach'," she said. Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the government was favoring one individual, Adani, at the expense of millions. "For one person, everything is being changed. Today's government has given all the cold storage facilities to Adani ji, and the apple growers in Himachal are crying because everything is being changed for one person. One person is being favored, and 142 crore Indians are being ignored. All the businesses, including railways and airports, are being given to one person," she said. She also accused the government of weakening the reservation system through lateral entry and privatization. "Had these not been the results of Lok Sabha elections, they would have also started working on changing the Constitution. The truth is that they are repeatedly speaking about the Constitution because they have realized that the people of this country will keep it safe," she said. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi praised Priyanka Gandhi's maiden speech in the Lok Sabha, calling it better than his own first address. "Wonderful speech. Better than my maiden speech, let's put it like that," he said. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also lauded the speech, calling it "excellent." Priyanka Gandhi's husband and businessman Robert Vadra expressed his happiness over the speech, stating that Congress would move forward strongly. "I am very happy. She spoke very clearly about her experience across the country... She talked about the difficulties of the people. Lok Sabha should function properly, and there should be discussions in the House. Prime Minister Modi should also take care of the difficulties faced by the people of different states... I am very proud, and Congress will move forward strongly," he said. Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge also commended Priyanka Gandhi's performance. "Excellent speech. Very good. She put all the facts before the Government - how the Constitution is being misused, and they are not protecting women and people of this country... We are very happy about her performance," Kharge said. The debate marks the 75th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption. The winter session of Parliament commenced on November 25 but has faced several disruptions. It is scheduled to continue until December 20. (ANI) On the occasion of his 69th birth anniversary, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant paid respects to the late Manohar Parrikar, the former Goa chief minister and minister of defence, at the Manohar Parrikar Memorial in Miramar. Sawant honoured Parrikar, who is renowned for his contributions to the development and prosperity of Goa, accompanied by his cabinet ministers. Manohar Parrikar was Chief Minister of Goa from 2000 to 2005 and from 2012 to 2014 and from 2017 to 2019. He also served as India's Defence Minister between 2014 and 2017. "Today, on the birth anniversary of former Goa Chief Minister and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, I have come with my fellow ministers to offer our tributes. I extend these tributes on behalf of the people of Goa," Sawant said. The completion of the development and infrastructural projects that Parrikar had started during his time would be the most appropriate homage to him, the CM said. "The true tribute to him will be when we can complete the infrastructure and development work that was started during his time," Sawant added. Earlier on Thursday, CM Pramod Sawant criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for levelling false allegations against him and his wife and said that he would file a defamation case. Speaking to reporters, Sawant said, "The person who is on bail has made allegations against me and my wife. I'll file a defamation suit against him, and he will have to answer in court." Without naming AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who had levelled allegations against Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's wife, his ministers, and their close associates. He said that the AAP MP has a "habit of making false allegations. The MP of the AAP was in jail for two years in an excise scam. He is out on bail now. He has a habit of making false allegations against people," Sawant added. (ANI) The Revenue and Horticulture Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jagat Singh Negi refuted the allegations made by Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, accusing him of fabricating baseless stories to mislead the public. Thakur had alleged that the Congress government spent Rs 25 crore to celebrate two years in office while over 10,000 outsourced employees were dismissed, and many others had not received salaries for four months. Negi dismissed these claims as unfounded, stating, "I challenge Jairam ji to first account for the Rs 25 crore he claims we spent. He is an expert in making baseless claims. During his tenure, he organized grand events under the guise of celebrations, like the Janmashtami events, which were nothing but lavish feasts, costing lakhs of rupees. Even the tents were brought in from Haryana, and the publicity machinery was hired from outside the state.". Highlighting what he called the BJP's hypocrisy, Negi pointed to the extravagance of the previous BJP government during events like the "Investors' Meet." He claimed that over Rs 100 crore of public money was wasted on the event, including Rs 18 crore spent on installing tents. "This was nothing but sheer wastage of public funds. We, on the other hand, celebrated with minimal expenditure, focused on our achievements," Negi stated. He also accused Jairam Thakur of attempting to topple the current government using "money power" and central investigative agencies like the ED and CBI. "Jairam Ji attempted to buy legislators and overthrow the government but failed. The celebration of two years in office was not just about our tenure but also about protecting the Constitution and democracy," Negi remarked. Negi also strongly denied allegations of "Selling the State". He countered Jairam Thakur's claims that the Congress government was "selling the state" by allocating land under Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act. He explained that the land allocations complied with legal provisions to promote tourism and development. "Did Himachal Pradesh go up for sale when you [BJP] allotted land under Section 118? No. Then how is it different now? Unlike your tenure, we have not allocated land illegally," Negi asserted. He further accused Thakur of undervaluing public assets, referencing the sale of an HPTDC hotel funded by the Asian Development Bank and World Bank for Rs 70 crore to Club Mahindra at throwaway prices. "Was that not a case of putting Himachal on sale?" he questioned. Negi expressed serious concerns over the BJP's push for "One Nation, One Election," questioning its intent and feasibility. He accused the BJP of using the idea as a tool to destabilize governments through financial and political power. "What is the point of simultaneous elections if the goal is to buy governments? What value does democracy hold then?" he added. Negi highlighted the potential risks to democracy and the Constitution, stating, "The BJP is the biggest threat to democracy and the Constitution in this country. They do not believe in inclusivity or federalism. They aim to centralize power, which is detrimental to India's federal structure." he said. He further pointed out the impracticality of simultaneous elections, citing ongoing unrest in the Northeast, farmers' protests, and deteriorating law and order. "How can you conduct 'One Nation, One Election' when the country is grappling with internal conflicts? The BJP's narrative is flawed and dangerous for democracy," he said. Negi accused the BJP-led central government of discriminating against non-BJP-ruled states, including Kerala, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh. He claimed that funds previously allocated as central assistance are now tied to centrally sponsored schemes, leaving states without direct financial aid. "This is a severe blow to democracy and the federal structure of India. If the BJP wants to keep India united from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, they must treat all states equally," Negi said. Negi alleged that the BJP resorts to communal and polarizing tactics during elections to divert public attention. "Whenever elections approach, they revive issues like Ram Mandir or search for temples under mosques. They have money to buy votes but lack the resources to strengthen democracy," he stated. Showing concerns over the ruckus in the Rajya Sabha and also on the role of Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.He also criticized the BJP for undermining democratic institutions, pointing to the lack of proper debate and functioning in Parliament. "Every day, democracy weakens under the BJP's rule. Do they want to run the country like a school?" Negi questioned. On two years of the Congress regime in HP and the challenges they faced, Nagi said that the BJP tried its all efforts to destabilize the Congress government in the state. "Our celebration of two years was not just about achievements; it was about preserving democracy and the Constitution. The BJP cannot claim to stand for democracy while systematically undermining it," Negi added further. (ANI) Christians in Aleppo and Damascus in Fear Santa Barbara celebration in Aleppo. "Maybe there is hope for Christians, but don't expect them to join the party now," said the analyst John L. Allen Jr. this Sunday morning shortly after the fall of Damascus and the flight of Assad became known amid rumours that the plane in which he escaped had been swallowed up by the sky (we later learned that he was safe in Russia with his family, thanks to Putin's hospitality.). They had not joined the party because they were terrified. It has not even been ten years since Syria's new master - Abu Mohammad al-Jolani - told Al Jazeera that in the Syria that the Salafis of Hay'at Tahrir Al Sham wanted to build, there was no place for Alawites or Christians. Although it is a well-known fact that al-Jolani has learned from the Taliban and has been repeating for ten days that he will take care of minorities, Christians have well-founded suspicions that whatever comes next will be inspired by Sharia law. In Aleppo, Christians have been under HTS rule for more than a week now and have still not recovered from the trauma. "People stayed in their homes for the first two days after the attack and then began to go out, little by little, cautiously, to ensure their daily needs," the Syriac Orthodox archbishop of Holeb (Aleppo), Boutros Kassis, told us on Thursday. Almost immediately after hearing the news that the city had been occupied by Islamists last Saturday, Kassis issued a statement saying that he would stay with his clerics to be with the faithful who had not wanted or been able to escape the city. And that is exactly what he has done, as has almost the entire community he shepherds. The truth is that the arrival of the Salafists and their lightning conquest of Syria's second city last Saturday took most Christians in Aleppo by surprise, so much so that they did not even have time to pack some clothes in their suitcases and leave for the coastal territories controlled by the Assad regime or for the area governed by the Kurds in the northeast of the country. If they had had time and the ability to react, it is very likely that the bulk of them would have escaped, but the pincers closed so quickly around the city that by the time they heard of the Islamist invasion, they already had them patrolling the streets of their neighbourhoods. In the hours following the arrival of the Salafists, Christians assumed that a horde of bearded and ruthless jihadists would establish Sharia law and begin to preferentially target them, the Kurds and the Alawites. And no one knew better than Archbishop Kassis what they were risking by staying in the city. His election to the ecclesiastical post by the synod was confirmed just over two years ago by the patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, or Jacobite Church, Ignatius Ephrem II, replacing Yohanna Ibrahim, who was kidnapped on April 22, 2013 -- together with the Greek Orthodox archbishop Boulos Yaziji -- while returning from Turkey to Syria. Were the same episodes that followed the conquest of Syria by Daesh about to be repeated? A week ago, no one assumed otherwise. On the one hand, from Afrin in the north, they were attacked by Syrian National Army (SNA) a conglomerate of paramilitary organizations controlled by Turkey and made up mainly of Arabs and Turkmens. And on the other hand, from Idlib in the west, the Islamists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) advanced towards them. HTS is the latest version of what was known as Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda. They too are under the influence of Erdogan. At the head of this coalition of forces is a 42-year-old Islamist named Abu Mohammed Al Jolani. In their ranks there are many foreign mercenaries. Almost immediately, terrifying warnings about the bloodthirsty threats looming over them began to spread on the networks, along with completely unconfirmed reports of attacks on Christians that spread panic among Armenians, Catholics, Assyrians, Maronites and Greek and Syriac Orthodox. A video showing a Salafist cutting down a Christmas tree seemed to confirm that what had already happened in Mosul and in the Assyrian cities was going to happen again.The same thing happened in the Nineveh Plains ten years ago. In fact, the parallel between what happened in Iraq and the occupation of Aleppo and Damascus was somewhat striking. In both cases, the Islamists attacked by surprise and in both cases, they occupied the cities without encountering any resistance from government troops who literally ran away, leaving behind some of their weapons. Everyone was stunned. How could the city have surrendered so quickly? The Assad regime had needed months of long military campaigns supported by incessant bombing by the Russian army and ground offensives involving thousands of fighters from the Lebanese and Iraqi militias to expel the opposition forces from the eastern half of Aleppo in 2016. And now all its defenses had collapsed like a house of cards in just a few hours. Hardly anyone doubted by then that what was to follow was a bloodbath. However, Al Jolani began to suggest that he had different plans. The leader of the Islamists had spent twelve years breaking all ties with the Al Qaeda matrix or, as the Rojava Information Center (RIC) claims, learning to smile at the West. As soon as he took control of the city and continued his advance towards Hama, the media under his orbit began to repeat incessantly that his militia has nothing to do with ISIS; that the Kurdish, Christian and Alawite minorities are safe and that their only enemy is Bashar Al Assad. At the same time, Syriac TV and Levant 24 were broadcasting interviews on repeat next to decorated and illuminated Christmas trees where Christians approached on the street repeated with a serious face that they were being treated kindly and that there was no shortage of food in the markets. The first of these channels is based in Istanbul and the other, in Idlib. They are the voices of their Turkish masters. In case anyone had any doubts about his supposed desire for fraternisation, Al Jolani sent several trucks loaded with bread to the doors of the churches. There was only one problem: the local population is not unaware of who this character is or of the crimes that the HTS have committed in the territories they control in Idlib. And the SNA had not been much more lenient with the Kurds in Afrin, where human rights violations have been systematic and terrifying. Christians smile at the cameras of reporters paid by Istanbul and Idlib as one would smile at someone pointing a gun at them. "People live in fear and are apprehensive about an unknown future," Archbishop Boutros Kassis tells us. "It is still too early for the picture to be completely clear. Before the recent events, we estimated that the number of Christians in Aleppo does not exceed 25,000 faithful, a figure that we have obtained from the relief lists. The number of Syriac Orthodox believers is approximately 7,000 people. Most of our people live in the neighbourhoods of Sulaymaniyah, Midan, Vilat, Aziziyah, Syrian, Qadim, Jadida, Jala'a and in smaller numbers in other areas." In the same cautious tone, Kassis admits that "some have left Aleppo, but the exact number is unknown. They have gone to Homs, Damascus, the coastal cities of Syria and the Jazeera area." There are also several hundred Christians who sought refuge in Kurdish neighbourhoods outside the control of the Salafists and who are now protected by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition led by the Kurds of Rojava. Unlike these, Armenians, Assyrians and Orthodox do not have militias to look after them, so they are entirely dependent on the will of the new occupants. "Some people [Islamist leaders] have given us verbal assurances [that the Christian community is safe]," says the archbishop. "There have been no clashes, but there have been some incidents of robberies in homes and public institutions. Among them is the first school in Bani Taghlib, which belongs to our Church. No buildings have been destroyed, although some buildings have been damaged by the bombing [by Russian air forces in Assad's service]." Everything said about Aleppo now applies to Damascus. One of Al Jolani's priorities after taking control of the city has been to show its inhabitants that they can govern Syria's second city more efficiently than the dictatorship officials they have ousted. And he is not lying when he says that they have been able to restore the water supply in just a few hours and that most of the small shops are still open in Christian neighborhoods like Suleimaniyeh (admittedly, many are already out of stock). "The situation in Suleimaniyeh is calm," confirms the head of a Syrian Bible society called George Andrea. "I don't live in that neighborhood, but we have a Bible store there and there are several churches in the area that are functioning. Of course, there are many people who are cautious and prefer to stay at home." Andrea was born in the Turkish city of Antioch 67 years ago. He, his wife and son have remained in Aleppo and are therefore exceptional Christian witnesses of what is happening. "So far, we have not heard of any murders. If something like this were to happen, people here would retreat to their homes. Remember that rumours travel fast and there is a lot of confusing information circulating. Most of this gossip is extremely evil and puts fear into every pore of your body. We have been through this trauma for years and the earthquakes of last year will not be easily forgotten. No one can believe that anything good will come of it anymore. On the contrary, we have experienced many times how our fears become reality. Our past experiences have been so horrendous that you cannot blame someone for seeing only one colour: black." As far as George knows, "mostly university students have left the city, some of them Christians. Immediately after a missile killed or wounded several students, their families urged them to leave Aleppo. Some have gone to Kamisli and others to government-controlled towns. We have heard that many are sleeping in their cars. As for the rest of the people, I would say that they were too traumatized [when the Islamists came] to make a decision and run away. Now all the exits are closed and even people with extreme medical emergencies cannot leave the city." We asked him If there had been any looting of Christian homes, as claimed on social media within hours of the invasion. George answers that with another question. "Isn't the collection of ransoms -- that is, looting -- part of a military coup? What we have all been told is that we are safe and no one will touch us. We hope for the best. As Christians, we should always do unto others what we expect them to do unto us. We pray, we don't talk. We just live!" "On the other hand, we have all seen the video of a person trying to overpower a Christmas tree," he continues (referring to the above-mentioned images of an Islamist trying to tear down a Christmas tree). "It seems that this really happened because the authorities asked those who did it to come back and make amends. The main question is whether people will feel like celebrating Christmas this year. Will we be able to mobilize enough joy to even think about the Good News of Christmas? They talk about a temple destroyed in Hama, but we have not been able to confirm it (a few days later it was confirmed that a group of jihadists had indeed desecrated a Greek Orthodox church.). It has been all over the news that the monastery of the Holy Land was hit by a missile on the first day and we have all seen photos of the damage. But so far I have not heard of any other destruction of religious buildings." Visibly dismayed, George confesses that "the streets are safe but panic has taken root in the heart of everyone." The fall of Damascus has only served to spread fear even further. The fact that the leader of the HTS guarantees their safety is by no means enough, since, as Fadi Hallisso, another Christian from Aleppo, says in a report published by New Lines Magazine, "their main concerns are not the possibility of going to church every Sunday, nor the obligation to wear the hijab, but the possible return to the Ottoman millet system, whereby Christians would not be considered as people with full rights, but second-class citizens The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by one Sultana Begum, who sought to take possession of the Red Fort, claiming to be the widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar II. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ruled against her, confirming the December 2021 order by a single judge that had earlier rejected her petition. The bench observed that the appeal was filed over two and a half years after the stipulated time, and such a delay could not be excused. The Court also rejected the application for condoning the delay. In December 2021, the single bench of the Delhi High Court rejected the plea of a woman, claiming to be the widow of the great-grandson of the last Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar, seeking direction to the Centre to hand over the Red Fort of Delhi to her or give adequate compensation. The bench stated that there is an inordinate delay while clarifying that it is not going into the merits. When the petitioner's counsel said that the client was illiterate and could not have approached the court, the judge said that this was no justification. The petitioner, Sultana Begum, stated that she is the rightful and legal heir of Mughal Badshah Bahadurshah Zafar II, the king of Delhi. "In 1857, the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was dethroned by the British East India Company and all of his assets were taken under custody by the British East India Company illegally. In 1960, the Government of India confirmed the claim of the late Bedar Bakht as the descendent and heir of Bahadurshah Zafar II. In 1960, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Union of India started giving pensions to Bedar Bakht, husband of the petitioner. On August 15, 1980, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India started giving pensions to Sultana Begum, the current petitioner. The Government of India is giving so less as pension," the plea stated. The petitioner alleged that the Government of India is having illegal possession of the Red Fort which is the ancestral property of the petitioner and the government is not willing to give any compensation or possession of such property, which is a direct violation of the petitioner's fundamental right and constitutional right in Article 300 A as well as human rights, therefore, she begs to move the court under of the Constitution of India. Sultana Begum is the widow of the Late Mirza Mohammed Bedar Bakht, great-grandson and legal and rightful heir of the last Mughal Emperor late Bahadur Shah Zafar II king of Delhi. On May 22, 1980, Mirza Muhammad Bedar Bakht died and on August 1, 1980, a pension to Sultana Begum was granted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi. The plea also sought direction to respondents to grant compensation to the petitioner from 1857 to till date for illegal possession by the Government of India (ANI) Minister I Periyasamy also accompanied the Health Minister to the hospital to assess the situation and extend support to the victims. The fire, which broke out at a private hospital in the Gandhi Nagar area near the Dindigul-Trichy highway, claimed the lives of six people and left over 20 people injured. More than three fire engines and over 10 ambulances were deployed to rescue patients trapped inside the hospital. Dindigul Collector MN Poongodi said that all patients trapped inside the hospital had been rescued and relocated to nearby government and private hospitals. "A fire broke out at a private hospital. The patients here have been rescued and admitted to nearby government and private hospitals," the collector had said. (ANI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision of 'One Nation, One Election' and said that it pace up the development of the nation and reduced the expenses happens in conducting elections. "I appreciate the mindset of PM Narendra Modi. He has the vision of a developed nation...'One Nation, One Election' will benefit the nation. It will reduce the expenses and the nation will move towards development...The government used to stay busy in the elections which restricted the development process. As now all the elections will be conducted at one time, all the remaining time will be used for development...," said Nayab Singh Saini. The 'One Nation One Election' bill was approved by the Union Cabinet on Thursday paving the way for its introduction in Parliament. However, before its introduction in the Parliament, the bill initiated debate between the ruling and opposition parties. Earlier, BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his full support for the bill, stating that development work gets halted when Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are not held simultaneously. Speaking to the media, he said, "This should happen... Like simultaneous elections were held in Odisha. When Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are not held together, development work stops. That is why the Prime Minister wants this to happen. We fully support 'One Nation, One Election.'" Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai termed this as a "good decision." He said, "This is a very good decision. This will save time as well as money... this will be beneficial for the country." CM Sai also hit out at the opposition, saying, "There is nothing to protest against in this. Those who are protesting probably do not want development..." Haryana Minister Anil Vij welcomed this decision and emphasised that every Indian should welcome this move. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership, Vij stated that PM Modi's nationalist mindset has brought numerous changes and is steering the nation towards 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India). (ANI) The Sealdah Court in West Bengal granted bail on Friday to former officer-in-charge of Tala Police Station, Abhijit Mondal, and ex-principal of RG Kar Medical College, Dr. Sandip Ghosh, in the rape and murder case. The bail was granted after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to file the chargesheet within the 90-day period required by law. The case involves the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The victim's body was found on August 9 in the seminar room of the hospital, which led to widespread protests. Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested shortly after for the crime. Meanwhile, the CBI filed a chargesheet on November 29 in connection with financial irregularities at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The chargesheet named Dr Ghosh, along with Dr Ashish Kumar Pandey, a house staff member; Biplab Singha, the owner of Maa Tara Traders; Suman Hazra, the owner of Hazra Medical; and Afsar Ali Khan, an additional security guard and key person of Eshan Cafe. The CBI's investigation was initiated after the Calcutta High Court directed them to look into financial irregularities at the hospital. Dr Ghosh, who had already been under investigation for corruption and financial misconduct, also faced questioning related to the murder case. On August 26, the CBI conducted a second round of polygraph tests on him as part of their probe. Sanjay Roy, the main suspect in the rape and murder, has denied the charges against him. From the police van on November 11, he told reporters, "I am telling you it was Vineet Goyal (former Kolkata Police Commissioner) who conspired the whole thing (rape and murder of RG Kar Medical College resident doctor) and framed me. They had threatened me, and there were other big officers involved." (ANI) In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court has quashed a rape FIR after noting that the complainant and the accused had reached a settlement. The case involved a woman who had filed an FIR in 2021, accusing the man of rape, after their four-year relationship ended. Advocate Ravi Drall appeared for Petitioner and submitted that the complainant and the accused had met on Facebook in 2017 and developed a relationship. However, despite their intentions, the marriage could not be solemnized due to family differences. The woman's complaint was filed only after the accused had married another woman. Advocate Drall stated that the investigation also revealed that there was no evidence of obscene photos or videos, and the couple had met in hotels, where their identification documents were collected by the Investigating Officer. Furthermore, no Facebook conversations or other evidence related to rape were found during the inquiry. In its ruling, the court acknowledged that both parties had mutually agreed to settle the matter, taking into account the absence of substantial evidence and the prolonged nature of the relationship. As a result, the court decided to quash the FIR, bringing an end to the legal proceedings. (ANI) According to the release, the four-day visit aims to enhance maritime cooperation and interoperability between the two forces. "During the visit, the crew of the VCG Ship will engage in professional interactions focusing on marine pollution response, maritime search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement," the release stated. The planned activities include cross-deck training, subject-matter expert exchanges, social interactions, passage exercises, major firefighting drills, visit board search and seizure, counter-drug interdiction, and an oil pollution response demonstration with the Indian Coast Guard, it added. "The visit not only aims to strengthen ties between the Vietnam Coast Guard and the Indian Coast Guard but also highlights India's technological advancements in shipbuilding, supporting the concepts of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India,'" the release noted. The Indian Coast Guard and Vietnam Coast Guard already have an established Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that institutionalises cooperative engagements between the two maritime agencies. The visit of the VCG Ship aligns with the provisions of the MoU and underscores the ICG's commitment to enhancing international cooperation with friendly foreign nations, the release added. The visit of the VCG Ship is significant in reinforcing bilateral relations with key maritime partners, which is crucial for ensuring the safety, security, and environmental sustainability of the region's seas while addressing contemporary maritime challenges. "ICG's increased focus on maritime safety will contribute significantly to strengthening India's global leadership role in line with the Prime Minister of India's vision of 'Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR),'" the release concluded. (ANI) The Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail to cine star Allu Arjun, hours after he was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a lower court in connection with the death of a woman at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4. Advocate Karam Komireddy, representing the Sandhya Theatre management, confirmed the interim bail granted to Allu Arjun in the case. "Allu Arjun has been granted interim bail for a period of four weeks. He shall execute a personal bond of Rs50,000 with the Superintendent of Chanchalguda Central Jail. Thereafter, he will be released on bail," advocate Komireddy said. "We appeared on behalf of the management of Sandhya Theatre and filed a quash petition before the High Court. The court has directed the police not to arrest those from the management who have not yet been detained. Two owners of Sandhya Theatre, who had been arrested, were also ordered to be released on interim bail," he added. Meanwhile, heavy police security was deployed outside Chanchalguda Central Jail, where actor Allu Arjun was brought earlier in the evening after being remanded to custody. Telugu cinema star Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday in connection with the tragic stampede at Sandhya Theatre on December 4 during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule. The incident led to the death of a woman, 35-year-old Revathi, and injuries to her son, prompting a police investigation that culminated in the arrest of three individuals and, later, the actor himself. Earlier in the day, advocate Rajesh, commenting on the case, stated that Allu Arjun's lawyer had argued in court that the actor had neither knowledge of nor intent to commit the alleged offences. The defence also contended that the charges in the FIR were not applicable to the accused. The actor was brought to Chikkadpally police station for questioning. His father, Allu Aravind, brother Allu Sirish, and father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy were present during the proceedings. The stampede occurred when fans rushed into Sandhya Theatre following Allu Arjun's arrival ahead of the film's premiere. Police resorted to mild lathi charges to control the crowd, but the chaos led to the fatal injury of Revathi. Her son, Shreethej, was hospitalised with injuries. The police have filed a case at Chikkadpally police station, citing unsafe crowd management practices as a contributing factor to the tragedy. In addition to Allu Arjun, three other individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident. (ANI) Shiv Sena MP, Naresh Mhaske stated on Friday that the Opposition can't speak in favour of the decisions of the government a day after the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation One Election' bill. "Opposition are doing their work of opposing and we are doing ours. We will try to bring this bill in this session," the Shiv Sena MP told ANI in response to a query. "They (Opposition) can't speak in favour of the decisions of the government," he said. Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut slammed the "One Nation, One Election" bill, calling it the biggest threat to democracy. Addressing a press conference, Raut said, "No proper amendment or research has been done about it. Modi ji always speaks his Mann ki Baat. He never thinks about what is in the mind of the public or what is in the mind of the people in opposition. I doubt whether Modi ji will remain the Prime Minister till 2029. This is the biggest threat to democracy." The 'One Nation One Election' bill was approved by the Union Cabinet on Thursday paving the way for its introduction in Parliament. However, before its introduction in the Parliament, the bill initiated debate between the ruling and opposition parties. Several parties of the INDIA bloc opposed the bill while the BJP-led NDA alliance parties welcomed this bill, saying, it would save time and lay the groundwork for unified elections across the country. In September this year, the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, which aims to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, along with urban body and panchayat polls, within a span of 100 days. The recommendations were outlined in a report by a high-level panel chaired by former President Kovind. (ANI) The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will begin the repairing work of Ratnabhandar of Jagannath Temple, situated in Odisha's city of Puri from December 17, said a top police official on Friday. Puri SP Vineet Agarwal said that proper arrangements will be made to ensure that repair work goes on smoothly and at the same time, devotees can have darshan when they visit the temple. "ASI will begin with the repair work of the Ratnabhandar from December 17. Proper Police arrangements will be made to ensure that the work goes on smoothly and at the same time, devotees can have smooth darshan when they come to the temple..." Agarwal said. ASI Officer Chittaranjan Das said that a meeting was held today with senior police officials in this regard to finalise the course of action. Das said, "Today's meeting was held with the DM and SP, and we finalised the course of action..." Earlier in November, authorities at the Puri Jagannath Temple called for immediate repairs after cracks were discovered in the temple's outer boundary wall, known as the Meghannath Prachari. Arabinda K Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, addressed concerns about cracks in the temple's outer boundary wall. Padhee revealed that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been tasked with the restoration and conservation efforts. On July 14, the Ratna Bhandar of the Shri Jagannath Temple was reopened after more than four decades. Special boxes were also brought to the temple ahead of the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar for the storage of ornaments. The opening of the inner Ratna Bhandar was conducted in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Odisha government. An inspection committee, chaired by Justice Biswanath Rath, consisting of 11 members, entered the inner Bhandar to oversee the shifting of the jewelry, a district administrator said. Puri Superintendent of Police stated that security arrangements have been implemented for the opening of the inner Ratna Bhandar in line with the SOP provided by the government. "Security arrangements have been made for the opening of Jagannath Temple's inner Ratna Bhandar. We have prepared according to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the government of Odisha," he said. (ANI) Reacting to the Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's address in the Lok Sabha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Manoj Tiwari on Friday said that all leadersof his party listened to her and that the Congress leaders must also learn to do the same. He further added that Priyanka Gandhi should not have not used the word coward during her maiden address in the Lok Sabha. "The most important thing was that we listened to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's speech very carefully. All our MPs respected her a lot...The Congress must also learn to listen when our party leaders speak... There was nothing special in what she said... She (Priyanka Gandhi) perhaps unknowingly said a lot of bad things about the government of Himachal Pradesh...She said that the people of the country remove cowards, which is correct because the people of the country have removed Congress...." said Manoj Tiwari. Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge lauded Priyanka Gandhi on her first speech in the Parliament saying that she presented the facts before the government about how the constitution is being "misused" and lack of women's protection. "Excellent speech. Very good. She put all the facts before the Government - how the Constitution is being misused and they are not protecting women and the people of this country...We are very happy about her performance," Kharge said. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi called Priyanka Gandhi's speech "Excellent." Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi in her maiden address in the Lok Sabha attacked the ruling government and said that in the last ten years, the Union government have made all attempts to break down the 'kavach' (shield). Speaking during a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, Priyanka Gandhi paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives while protecting Parliament in 2001. "In the struggle of crores of Indians, in their strength to battle the toughest situations, and in their hope of justice from the country, the flame of our Constitution is burning. Our Constitution is 'suraksha kavach' (safety armour). Such a 'suraksha kavach' that keeps the citizens safe - it is a 'kavach' of justice, of unity, of Right to Express. It is sad that in 10 years, colleagues of the ruling side who make big claims have made all attempts to break down this 'kavach'. The Constitution promises social, economic and political justice. These promises are a safety armour and work to break this has begun. Through lateral entry and privatisation, this government is trying to weaken reservation," Priyanka Gandhi said. "For one person everything is being changed. Today's government has given all the cold storage to Adani ji, the apple growers in Himachal are crying because everything is being changed for one person. One person is being favoured and 142 crore Indians are being ignored. All the businesses are being given to one person, including railways, airports etc." she said. (ANI) Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday condemned the arrest of cine actor Allu Arjun in connection with the death of a woman at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4. Telugu cinema star Allu Arjun was arrested and sent to 14 days of judicial custody by a court in Telangana on Friday in connection with the tragic stampede that occurred at Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of his film, 'Pushpa 2: The Rule.'. He was later granted interim bail from the Telangana High Court. In a post on X, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, questioning the arrest of Allu Arjun, said, "The loss of a woman's life in the stampede at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad is incomparable to the family. At the same time, @alluarjun expressed his sorrow over this and acted responsibly, saying that he would stand by the family. But how far is it fair to hold him directly responsible for this incident? Even though he was not involved in the stampede, it is not acceptable to frame criminal cases against Arjun and arrest him. I strongly condemn the arrest of Allu Arjun." The Telangana High Court today granted interim bail to the cine star, hours after he was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a lower court. Advocate Karam Komireddy, representing the Sandhya Theatre management, confirmed the interim bail granted to him. "Allu Arjun has been granted interim bail for a period of four weeks. He shall execute a personal bond of Rs50,000 with the Superintendent of Chanchalguda Central Jail. Thereafter, he will be released on bail," advocate Komireddy said. "We appeared on behalf of the management of Sandhya Theatre and filed a quash petition before the High Court. The court has directed the police not to arrest those from the management who have not yet been detained. Two owners of Sandhya Theatre, who had been arrested, were also ordered to be released on interim bail," he added. Meanwhile, heavy police security was deployed outside Chanchalguda Central Jail, where actor Allu Arjun was brought earlier in the evening after being remanded to custody. (ANI) On December 12, acting on specific intelligence, troops of Sector HQ Jowai apprehended an individual suspected to be a Bangladeshi national near the Anjali Patrol Pump in Shillong. "During preliminary questioning, the individual was identified as a Bangladeshi national, Munna Islam (20), a resident of Kashpur, Senapara, Bangladesh," the PRO stated. "He admitted to crossing the Indo-Bangladesh border in August 2024, following political unrest in Bangladesh, in search of better job opportunities in India. He was handed over to the Kench's Trace Beat House Police Station, Shillong, after a medical examination, for further necessary legal action," the PRO added. In a separate operation carried out in Baghmara under South Garo Hills and Dawki under East Khasi Hills, troops of BSF Meghalaya successfully foiled a smuggling attempt, seizing contraband items valued at Rs 3.74 lakh. These included fish, vacuum flasks, blankets, garlic, biri, and miscellaneous edible items, the PRO added. "These goods were intended to be smuggled into Bangladesh via the international border. All seized items have been handed over to the customs office for further investigation and appropriate legal action," the PRO noted. The Border Security Force remains committed to maintaining the security of India's international borders and continues to take strong measures against cross-border illegal activities, including infiltration and smuggling, the PRO stated. (ANI) Badungduppa Kalakendra, based in Rampur, Goalpara district of Assam, is celebrating its silver jubilee year with the 15th edition of the 'Under the Sal Tree' theatre festival, according to the official press release. Known for its eco-friendly ethos and international acclaim, the festival will be held from December 15 to December 17. Founded in 1998 by the late Sukracharjya Rabha, Badungduppa Kalakendra has been a pioneer in merging art with nature. Held amidst a serene Sal tree plantation, the festival stands out for its zero-carbon footprint approach. From bamboo and straw seating to performances without microphones, every aspect of the event reflects its commitment to sustainability. This year, the festival's theme focuses on retrospection and shared memories, as Badungduppa celebrates 25 years of theatre innovation and relentless experimentation. Managing Director Madan Rabha expressed gratitude for the journey, saying, "This 25-year journey has been one of challenges and triumphs. It is the love and support of our patrons that has kept us moving forward. We invite you to join us in commemorating this incredible voyage." The festival will feature plays in four different languages, inviting theatre groups from various parts of India. A special session will recount cherished memories of Badungduppa's journey, with prominent personalities who have supported the initiative in attendance. The event will open on December 15 with an inauguration by renowned painter Rabiram Brahma, followed by Dadan Raja (Rabha), directed by Dhananjay Rabha and scripted by Madan Rabha. In the afternoon, Monglee (Bodo), directed by Pabitra Rabha and performed by Dapon the Mirror, will be staged. On December 16, the Tamil play Kindhan Charithiram, directed by Rajiv Krishnan of Perch Theatre, Chennai, will be performed, followed by Kisan Raj (Hindi), directed by Dr Gaurav Das of Anuchintan Art Centre, Kolkata. The final day, December 17, will begin with a Rabha folk performance and conclude with an open session reflecting on the 25-year journey of Badungduppa Kalakendra. Each evening's performances will be followed by discussions around a bonfire, fostering artistic exchange among audiences, artists, and scholars. The festival also commemorates the pioneering concept of "Hygiene Theatre," introduced by the late Sukracharjya Rabha, which integrates art with sustainability. Over the years, the festival has welcomed theatre groups from across India and countries such as South Korea, Brazil, Poland, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, earning global recognition. As part of its silver jubilee celebrations, Badungduppa Prakashan is preparing to release several publications documenting its remarkable journey. Supported by the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, IOCL, and Bongaigaon Refinery, the festival stands as a testament to the enduring power of art to preserve cultural heritage. President Cheena Rabha, Secretary Lakhikanta Rabha, and Managing Director Madan Rabha have urged theatre enthusiasts to participate in this milestone event and honour the legacy of the late Sukracharjya Rabha, who passed away in 2018. (ANI) Hyderabad police on Friday issued a clarification regarding a letter being circulated in the media requesting police bandobast for December 4 and 5 in connection with the release of his film 'Pushpa-2'. In a press release, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Zone, Hyderabad City said, "Clarification regarding the letter being circulating in media addressed by Sandhya Cine Enterprise 70 MM to ACP Chikkadpally requesting bandobust on 04/05-12-2024 in connection with release of Pushpa-2. We receive a lot of requests for bandobast citing visits by some political personalities, film celebrities, religious programs etc., However, it is beyond our resources to provide bandobast for every event". Sandhya Cine Enterprise had requested Hyderabad police on December 2 for the arrangement of bandobast on December 4 and 5 in connection with the release of the 'Pushpa-2.' Police said that the organiser did not meet any officer and simply submitted the letter. Police also said that the crowd was well in control till the actor arrived. "In specific cases where a heavy crowd is expected or some popular personality is visiting, the organizer personally visits the police station / ACP / DCP office and briefs about the program depending upon which we provide the bandobust. In this case, the organizer did not meet any officer and simply submitted the letter in the inward section. No details were made available to the police despite this we arranged suitable bandobust for crowd management outside the theatre. The crowd was well in control till the actor arrived," police said. Police alleged that the actions of the actor led to a stampede and subsequently the death of a woman. "He came to the theatre, came out from the sunroof of his vehicle and started waving to the public gathered there. This gesture attracted a lot of the public towards the theatre's main gate. At the same time, his private security started pushing people to make way for his vehicle. His team was intimated to take him back citing a large public gathering but they didn't act on it and Allu Arjun was there inside the theatre for more than two hours. Therefore, it is clear that adequate police bandobast was in place, it was his actions which led to this unfortunate incident, in which a lady died and her son is still unconscious on a ventilator even after 9 days of the incident," police said. Hyderabad police also dismissed the allegations that the police personnel misbehaved with Allu Arjun at the time of his arrest. "Another issue is that the police personnel misbehaved with Allu Arjun at the time of arrest is also not true. When police reached his residence, he requested some time to change his clothes. He went inside his bedroom, police personnel waited outside and took him into custody when he came out. There was no use of force or any misbehaviour with him by any police personnel. He was given enough time to interact with his family and wife and he himself came out and entered the police vehicle," police further said. (ANI) Both leaders expressed their willingness to foster closer people-to-people connections, with Index-B serving as the main liaison between Gujarat and New Jersey to ensure sustained dialogue and collaboration. Chief Minister Patel outlined Gujarat's leadership in areas such as green hydrogen, renewable energy, offshore wind energy, fintech and innovation. Lieutenant Governor Way showed interest in exploring mutual investment opportunities and advancing cooperation in these fields. The Chief Minister praised the contributions of the approximately 425,000 Indian-Gujarati residents in New Jersey, noting their role in driving environmental initiatives, innovation and trade, and reaffirmed that Indian and Gujarati families remain committed to the development of their local communities. Both sides agreed to identify areas of shared interest to strengthen the sister state relationship. Chief Minister Patel extended an invitation for Lieutenant Governor Way to visit the Statue of Unity on her next trip. Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, M. K. Das, highlighted the progress of Gift City as an international financial hub, already attracting global fintech firms such as Bank of America. As a token of goodwill, a replica of handicrafts created by Gujarat's women artisans was presented to Lieutenant Governor Way. Index-B Managing Director Kuldeep Arya and Chief Protocol Officer Jwalant Trivedi were also present at the meeting. (ANI) During the event, the Governor of Mizoram Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati extended his accolades to 35 Assam Rifles personnel in recognition of their outstanding performance and conferred them with the prestigious Governor's gold and silver medals, said a press release. In his commendation speech, the Governor commended them for their unwavering commitment towards their duties and also acknowledged the contributions made by officers and all ranks of Assam Rifles in maintaining security in the region and combating drug trafficking and illegal trade, added the release. The Investiture ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Inspector General of 23 Sector Assam Rifles and other civilian dignitaries. (ANI) The third India - UK Financial Markets Dialogue (FMD) took place at GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) in Gujarat on Thursday, according to an official release from the Ministry of Finance. The Dialogue was led by senior officials from the Indian Ministry of Finance and HM Treasury, with participation from Indian and UK regulatory agencies, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), the Bank of England (BoE) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Dialogue opened with reflections on developments since the last meeting in April 2023, including the opportunity presented by India's intention to release a financial sector vision and strategy and the UK's commitment to publishing a financial services growth and competitiveness strategy. Both sides agreed to work to maximise synergies, the release said. Delegates from India and the UK shared perspectives on priorities and ongoing reforms within their respective jurisdictions. The Dialogue focused on collaboration in evolving fields of financial regulation, noting the areas of mutual interest in both markets for increasing bilateral trade and investment between the financial sectors. Delegates then discussed work on developing our capital markets, noting recent UK reforms to primary and wholesale regimes and new and innovative products launched in India's capital markets. Both parties reflected on the emerging recommendations from the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP) Capital Markets Working Group report, due to be published at the next Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) and explored further possibilities for increasing cross-border investment, including through direct listings of Indian companies in GIFT IFSC as a first step towards direct listing at the London Stock Exchange and other foreign jurisdictions in future. Participants discussed their respective insurance regulations and market opportunities. India updated on reforms done and proposed in the insurance sector and noted UK developments on Solvency II and incentivising investment into productive assets. Both parties updated on planned activity under the Pensions and Insurance Workplan, citing opportunities in reinsurance presented by India's ongoing reform of the regulatory framework for reinsurance, including Order of Preference regulations, and in the London Market. The UK welcomed recent increases in investment into the Indian market by UK insurance companies, and India's proposal to increase Foreign Direct Investment limits in the insurance sector. Delegates also discussed ongoing reforms in respective pensions sectors. The UK set out recent reforms announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Mansion House, including the intention to introduce a new Pension Schemes Bill next year, consolidating defined contribution schemes into larger funds. Indian representatives presented on efforts to increase workplace pension participation rates and develop pay out methods. Both sides agreed on the opportunity presented by reforms for exploration of areas of mutual interest, and to support the mutual ambition of driving growth. The UK welcomed the recent notification of pension schemes as financial products to be regulated by IFSCA. It also noted that insurance companies in GIFT-IFSC are allowed to invest overseas and the proposal to enable pension companies in GIFT IFSC to invest overseas is under consideration. Innovation was a key theme throughout the dialogue, acknowledging the importance of Fintech, and the key role of financial data in enabling business activity. Both parties highlighted priorities identified in the IUKFP Fintech and Data Paper published last year and agreed to host the next meeting of the India-UK Fintech Joint Working Group in early 2025 to take forward agreed priorities. Participants discussed related priorities, including the G20 payments roadmap, digital payment connectivity, regulatory sandbox collaboration, collaboration on Central Bank Digital Currencies, and future cooperation on other emerging technologies including AI and Quantum computing. The dialogue highlighted the importance of sustainable finance in facilitating a low carbon transition to tackle the climate change. The UK highlighted important outcomes from COP29, and recent Mansion House reforms. India updated on their intention to introduce a climate finance taxonomy as well as recent reforms in the IFSC. Both sides discussed reporting, disclosures and transition finance, as well as reflections on recent Sovereign Green Bond issuances and forward plans. Both sides agreed on the need to continue engaging on sustainable finance, including through the next meeting of the India-UK Sustainable Finance Forum in early 2025. Finally, participants heard updates on the growth of India's International Financial Service Centre within GIFT City, noting the location of this edition of the Dialogue, and their plans for further cooperation. They also heard from the UK on the City of London's strengths as an internationally renowned financial services centre and the opportunity for further collaboration between the two. The group closed by welcoming the important role of the Dialogue in advancing financial services cooperation between India and the UK, noting the mutual interest in driving stronger growth, growing trade, and creating the right environment to realise the significant commercial opportunities between our markets. The group reaffirmed the important role of the India-UK Financial Partnership in supporting business-to-business links between the markets and providing recommendations on opportunities for addressing any frictions to support further trade and investment. (ANI) The Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024 is drawing significant international interest, with global investors from Norway and BRICS nations exploring opportunities in the state. Representatives from SAEL Solar, Norfund, and the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) met Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar on Friday to discuss potential investments in renewable energy, waste-to-energy initiatives, and solar panel manufacturing. An official statement read: "The Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024, designed to establish a robust regulatory framework for clean energy investments, is attracting international attention. SAEL Solar, a leading Indian renewable energy company operating across 12 states, together with prominent investors from Norway and BRICS nations, met Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar at his residence in Tadepalli on Friday. Discussions centred on potential investments in solar energy projects, waste-to-energy initiatives, and solar panel manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh." The statement continued: "The visiting delegation, including representatives from Norfund (the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund) and the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) of the United States, expressed confidence in Andhra Pradesh's policy framework. Both entities have played key roles in SAEL's renewable energy projects, with Norfund contributing USD 60 million via its Norwegian Climate Investment Fund and DFC providing USD 35 million to support SAEL's green energy initiatives." Additionally, it noted that SAEL Solar is planning to develop 1,200 MW of renewable energy capacity in Andhra Pradesh, split into two phases of 600 MW each. This ambitious project highlights the state's potential as a renewable energy hub. Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar was quoted as saying: "Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a front-runner in clean energy innovation. The Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024 aligns with our commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2047. The policy fosters an investment-friendly environment with balanced incentives, setting the stage for a clean energy revolution in the state. Over the last five years, the YSRCP government's approach discouraged investors, hindering industrial growth. However, we are now welcoming investors wholeheartedly, granting permissions swiftly to ensure rapid establishment of companies. The ICE policy is specifically designed to attract global investors, ensuring Andhra Pradesh's transformation into a renewable energy hub. Over the next five years, we will significantly scale up our renewable energy capacity, asserting our rightful place as a leader in the global energy transition." The statement concluded by reiterating the state's commitment to expediting permissions and facilitating investments, further strengthening Andhra Pradesh's position as a preferred destination for clean energy ventures. (ANI) The mother of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital expressed disappointment over the CBI's failure to file a chargesheet within 90 days. This delay led to the bail of former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and Tala police station's former officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal. Speaking of the delayed chargesheet, she told ANI, "We are very disappointed that the CBI did not file the chargesheet in 90 days. The CBI did not do its work, and because of that, those people secured bail. It is very disappointing." The delay in filing the chargesheet enabled both Mondal and Ghosh to obtain bail from the Sealdah Court earlier in the day, as the CBI missed the legal deadline. The case centres on the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, whose body was discovered on 9 August in the hospital's seminar room, triggering widespread protests. Shortly thereafter, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer at the hospital, was arrested in connection with the crime. On 29 November, the CBI filed a chargesheet related to financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Named in the chargesheet were Dr Ghosh, along with Dr Ashish Kumar Pandey, Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra, and Afsar Ali Khan. The Calcutta High Court had ordered an investigation into these financial irregularities. Besides facing corruption charges, Dr Ghosh was also questioned in connection with the murder case, including undergoing a polygraph test. Meanwhile, Sanjay Roy, the main suspect in the rape and murder, continues to deny the allegations. From a police van on 11 November, he alleged, "It was Vineet Goyal (former Kolkata Police Commissioner) who conspired the whole thing (the rape and murder of the RG Kar Medical College resident doctor) and framed me. They threatened me, and there were other senior officers involved." (ANI) Reacting to the arrest of actor Allu Arjun over the death of a woman at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Daggubati Purandeshwari said on Friday that it was unfortunate that someone lost her life during the release of his film. She further expressed hope that the law would take its course. "It's very unfortunate that someone lost her life in the stampede during the release of his film 'Pushpa'... He has been arrested and bail has also been granted, but the law will take its own course," said BJP MP Daggubati Purandeshwari. Meanwhile, producer Ashok Pandit voiced his support for 'Pushpa' star Allu Arjun, who was arrested by Hyderabad police on Friday morning in connection with the Sandhya Theatre incident on 4 December. The producer appealed to the Andhra Pradesh government to withdraw the case, calling Allu Arjun an "icon" who deserves respect. In conversation with ANI, Ashok Pandit said, "Blaming Allu Arjun for the incident is wrong. The situation was not created by the actor. He is a film actor who visits theatres to promote films and observe audience reactions. Every actor and technician wishes to see how people respond to their work. Unfortunately, this incident occurred, but Allu Arjun cannot be held responsible." On 4 December, Allu Arjun and the 'Pushpa 2' team visited Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad for a screening. Large crowds had gathered to catch a glimpse of the star. A 35-year-old woman died, and her son was hospitalised. On Friday morning, Chikkadpally police arrested Allu Arjun at his residence and took him to the Chikkadpally Police Station for questioning. In addition, three other individuals connected with the incident were apprehended. The police registered a case citing improper crowd management as the cause of the tragedy. Later on Friday, the Telangana High Court granted interim bail to Allu Arjun, hours after he had been remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a lower court in connection with the woman's death at Sandhya Theatre. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Nangloi Jat Raghuvinder Shokeen on Friday took oath as a minister in the Delhi cabinet, replacing Kailash Gahlot who had resigned from his post and joined Bharatiya Janata Party. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena administered the oath of office to Shokeen at the Raj Niwas in Delhi. "First of all, I sincerely thank Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Atishi for giving me this opportunity. I will live up to the responsibilities given to me," Shokeen said after taking oath. Shokeen replaced Kailash Gahlot, who resigned from AAP on November 17, citing deep concerns over the party's direction and internal challenges and joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and other BJP leaders. Gehlot held key portfolios including administrative reforms, transport, home, women and child development, and information technology in the Delhi cabinet before resigning. Speaking on his resignation from the AAP, Kailash Gahlot earlier said that it was not an easy step for him. "This was not an easy step for me. I have been associated with AAP since the days of Anna Ji and have consistently worked for the people of Delhi. To everyone who thinks that I made this decision under pressure, I want to say that I have never done anything under pressure. This is not a decision taken in just one day. I left my legal career to join AAP, and all of us were united by an ideology. Our sole purpose was to serve the people of Delhi," he said. He highlighted that when he saw those values being compromised, it caused great pain. "The purpose for which we had come together is no longer visible today. If a government continuously engages in conflict with the central government on every issue, then the development of Delhi cannot take place," Gahlot said. "I firmly believe that Delhi's development can only happen in collaboration with the central government. This is why I have joined the BJP. I will continue to work inspired by the vision and policies of the Prime Minister," he added. (ANI) Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) candidates held a protest outside BAPU Exam Centre, in Bihar's Patna, complaining about the irregularities during a exam conducted by BPSC on Friday. Candidates alleged that the question paper had been leaked and that there were delays in distributing the papers. Several candidates said they received the question paper nearly an hour late. Others claimed that answer papers were torn, fuelling concerns about a possible leak. Speaking to ANI, one of the aspirants said, "Half of the students did not even get the OMR sheet or the question booklet for 15 minutes.... Many got the question booklet one hour late, and it was snatched away in 10 minutes... Where the capacity of students is more than 200, why were only 175 question papers brought?" "We discovered that the question paper has been leaked... Teachers were threatening us to stay quiet... There is not one BPSC exam that has not been rigged... The seal of the question booklet packet was torn... An aspirant's answer sheet was found in the toilet," he added. However, the BPSC Chairman, Parmar Ravi Manubhai denied the allegation, clarifying that the commission did not receive any complaints on irregularities. "...The exam was conducted smoothly in all the districts of Bihar, including Patna. At a centre in Patna, the commission received information about some students creating a ruckus. The commission immediately contacted the people waiting at the centre and deputed 2 officers of the commission," BPSC Chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai said during a press conference. No one on social media or news channels had given any proof or complained about the question paper going viral. The commission never received any complaints...The examination was completed smoothly everywhere, and there is no question of the question paper going viral," he added. Following the incident, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav attacked the NDA government in Bihar, alleging it of paper leaks during exams. On students' protest during BPSC exam, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "Lathicharge on students is being carried out. We even saw a video of a DM slapping a student. Even after such a huge incident, the CM is not saying anything. Both the Deputy CMs of the BJP are quiet on this issue. There are reports that question papers were distributed 30 minutes- 1 hour after the scheduled time... This government cannot conduct any examination without a paper leak..."(ANI) New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, accompanied by her delegation, paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar. During the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor conveyed respect for the vibrant Indian-Gujarati community of nearly 4.25 lakh people in New Jersey, recognizing their significant contributions to the environment, innovation, trade, and commerce, said a press release from Gujarat CMO. The Chief Minister stated that Indians and Gujarati families consistently contribute to the development of the regions they live in. The Lieutenant Governor shared her enthusiasm for advancing the Sister State Agreement between New Jersey and Gujarat, highlighting its potential to strengthen and enrich the relationship between the two states. The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to fostering cultural, economic, and industrial exchanges to enhance this valuable partnership. The Chief Minister mentioned that iNDEXTb would act as the nodal contact point to facilitate effective communication between New Jersey and Gujarat, the release stated. He briefed the New Jersey Lieutenant Governor about Gujarat's leadership in sectors such as green hydrogen, renewable energy, offshore wind energy, fintech, and innovation. The Lieutenant Governor discussed opportunities for collaboration and investment in these sectors with Gujarat. Both leaders emphasized the need to identify areas of mutual interest and expressed their commitment to strengthening the 'People to People Connect'. Chief Minister Patel also invited the Lieutenant Governor to visit the Statue of Unity during her next visit, added the release. M K Das, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, informed the Lieutenant Governor that Gujarat has developed GIFT City as a global financial hub, attracting renowned fintech companies, including Bank of America. The Chief Minister presented the Lieutenant Governor with a replica of handicrafts created by the women of Gujarat as a souvenir. iNDEXTb MD Kuldeep Arya and Chief Protocol Officer Shri Jwalant Trivedi were also present at the meeting, said the release. (ANI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed the local court's decision to hand death penalty to the convict in the rape and murder case of a minor in Farakka. She also recalled the previous instance, where the court handed capital punishment to the convict in Joynagar in 62 days, and further asserted the need for capital punishment for rape convicts. A local court in Bengal's Murshidabad handed a death sentence to a rape convict and a life sentence to the other in the rape-murder case of a minor. Taking to social media platform X, CM Mamata said, "Barely a week ago, @WBPolice and our justice system secured capital punishment within just 62 days for the perpetrator of a brutal rape-murder of a minor in Joynagar. Today, death penalty has been awarded to one of two accused in the heinous rape-murder of yet another minor in Farakka on 13.10.24, with his co-accused getting a life term." She called on people to 'unite' in eradicating the "social malice" through "swift, time-bound trials and punishments" which serve as a powerful deterrent and send a "clear message." "I have said this before, and I will say it again: Every rapist deserves nothing less than the harshest punishment--capital punishment. As a society, we must unite to eradicate this heinous social malice. I believe that swift, time-bound trials and punishments will serve as a powerful deterrent, sending a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated," the Chief Minister said. "I congratulate the state police and all involved in the prosecution process for this achievement, while my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim," she added. Earlier on December 6, a POCSO court sentenced a man to death for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old in the Joynagar area of South 24 Parganas district. According to officials, the incident took place on October 4, and the conviction was handed within 62 days of the incident. CM Mamata had called the sentence "unprecedented" in the history of the state and lauded the police for the "outstanding achievement." Earlier in September, the state government came up with the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024. It calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for those convicted of rape, aiming to amend sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the new penal code. This came in the wake of the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College, which brought a lot of flak for the Trinamool government. (ANI) Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi were indicted in a new corruption case on Thursday. The case, which is the third graft reference against them, revolves around the purchase of an expensive Bulgari jewellery set at a throwaway price, Dawn reported. This development comes just a week after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and other leaders of his party were charged in connection with the attack on the army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi during last year's May 9 protests. Although Khan was granted bail in the case by the Islamabad High Court last month, he remains in prison due to multiple charges, dating back to his arrest on August 5 last year, as per Dawn. On Thursday, Special Court Central-I Judge Shahrukh Arjumand presided over the proceedings at Adiala Jail, where Imran was presented. Bushra Bibi, who is on bail in the case, appeared with her counsel. PTI founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have denied corruption charges brought against them. Subsequently, the court summoned the prosecution witnesses on December 18 to record their testimonies. According to Dawn, this is Imran Khan's seventh indictment, the previous being on May 10, 2023 in the first Toshakhana case against him, in January in a second Toshakhana reference; in February in the Pakistan currency (PKR) 190 million corruption case; and recently over the GHQ attack. While Khan's sentences in the previous two Toshakhana cases were suspended. He was also indicted in the cipher case on December 13, 2023 and the Iddat case in January, but was later acquitted in both cases. The trial of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the PKR 190 million case has reached its final stage, with the couple testifying before an accountability court this week. Notably, in the most recent case, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) accused the couple of retaining an expensive Bulgari jewellery set gifted by a foreign leader including a necklace, earrings, bracelets, and rings at a low price, saying it caused significant loss to the exchequer. (ANI) Pakistan considered China a trusted partner, with China supporting the country through numerous investments and development projects, like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, termed a "lifeline" for Pakistan's economy. According to a World Bank report, China is Pakistan's largest creditor, with nearly PKR 29 billion in loans. China had the single largest share of debt to Pakistan with a 22 per cent share. On Thursday, President Zardari met with a delegation led by the Chinese Consul General Yang Yundong at Bilawal House in Karachi, where he called for greater Chinese investment in Pakistan's various sectors to strengthen bilateral trade, as per Dawn. "The delegation expressed interest to invest $1bn to establish a medical city in Pakistan to advance the country's healthcare sector," Dawn reported citing PPP press release. "The delegation also expressed interest to invest in diverse sectors of Pakistan's economy, especially agriculture, livestock, energy, transport, and manufacturing," it added. Highlighting the close friendship between both nations, Zardari affirmed, "It was my vision to develop Gawadar Port into a regional trade and economic hub that would not only improve regional connectivity but would also boost regional trade and economic cooperation," he said. According to Dawn, the meeting was also attended by many Pakistani officials, including Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon and Nasir Hussain Shah and Nasir Hussain Shah, and Special Assistant to CM on Public-Private Partnership Qasim Naveed Qamar. President Zardari warmly welcomed Chinese investments stating that Pakistan is committed to facilitating and supporting investors in every possible way. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], December 13 (ANI/TPS): Paraguayan President Santiago Pena inaugurated his country's embassy in Jerusalem on Thursday, becoming the sixth country to open an embassy in the Israeli capital. "I am very happy that this is happening at this time, in the current reality of the world," Pena said. "Many people talk, but not many people act. So for us, it is important for us not only to say but also to do." The inauguration included a traditional ribbon cutting, and the installation of a mezuzah, a case that consists of a scroll with verses from the Torah placed in the doorways and gates of Jewish buildings. In 2018, Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes announced plans to move the country's embassy to Jerusalem. However, his successor, Abdo Benitez, reversed the decision. "I was very happy to see that during my service as Minister of Finance, the Paraguayan government made a very courageous decision, a very ambitious decision, to open the Paraguayan embassy in Jerusalem. I was very saddened a few months later when a new administration, driven mainly by revenge, internal revenge with no connection to the citizens of Israel, decided to move it back," Pena said. Most countries do not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. Several countries, mostly European, have consulates and lower-level trade missions in the Israeli capital. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Pena, "We have a common interest; President Pena understands economics. He understands all the potential. When you look around, this is the product of the free economic revolution that we have made here, and if you had come here a few years ago, there would have been nothing here. But there were these hills - these are the same hills where King David declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel 3,000 years ago." Afterwards Netanyahu held a personal meeting with Pena in his office, during which the President invited the Prime Minister to visit Paraguay. From there, Netanyahu and Pena attended a signing ceremony for several bilateral memoranda of understanding and agreements. (ANI/TPS) However, China's ambassador to the US and his spouse are expected to attend the event, following standard diplomatic protocol, it reported, adding that other officials from Beijing may also join them. According to CBS News, inauguration officials have designated staff to handle diplomatic protocol at the festivities. However, the Chinese embassy in Washington has declined to comment on the matter, and also the Trump transition did not reply to a request for comment, a per CBS News. Meanwhile, Trump said on Thursday morning (local time), "We have a good relationship with China. I have a good relationship. We've been talking and discussing with President Xi some things." He declined to go into detail and was not asked specifically about Xi and the inauguration. The invitation comes at an already tense time in the US-China relationship.The US intelligence community recently disclosed a far-reaching hack of eight US telecom companies, assessing that Chinese actors had accessed the metadata of potentially millions of Americans, including high-ranking officials like Vice President-elect JD Vance. (ANI) The Pakistani government has unveiled plans to establish the National Forensics and Cybercrime Agency (NFCA), a centralised body dedicated to combating cyber and digital crimes, Dawn reported. The proposal comes as part of sweeping reforms to the country's digital laws, including amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. The draft legislation, currently under review, outlines the NFCA's role as a nationwide body under the interior ministry, responsible for tackling internet-based crimes, cyber forensics, and digital investigations. The agency is described as an upgrade from the National Forensic Science Authority, transforming it into a regular department capable of coordinating conventional, digital, and cyber forensic efforts across Pakistan. The government's plans for reform also include significant changes to PECA, which aim to address misinformation and cyber-related offences. State Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja confirmed the intent to amend PECA, stating, "We are addressing concerns regarding misinformation." She further emphasised that the amendments are being carefully reviewed to ensure a balanced approach. The draft NFCA Act 2024 elaborates on the scope of the proposed agency, stating it will oversee cybercrime cases involving hacking, fraud, cyber espionage, terrorism, online harassment, cyber extortion, and cyber warfare. It defines cybercrime as "criminal activities conducted over the internet or using digital technologies that involved the use of computers, networks and electronic devices to commit offences." Additionally, it provides a detailed definition of deepfakes as fabricated digital media created using artificial intelligence algorithms. Under the proposal, the NFCA would function as a "supreme agency" for conventional, digital, and cyber forensics. Its responsibilities would include supporting crime investigations in Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan as a first-tier agency, while serving as a second-tier agency for re-examinations of forensic material nationwide. The NFCA would also advise courts and law enforcement agencies by providing expert opinions based on collected forensic evidence, reported Dawn. One of the agency's key tasks would be to address weaknesses in the legal framework affecting forensics and propose legislative amendments. The draft notes that the NFCA will "establish a law department to ascertain weakness in the legal system affecting conventional, digital and cyber forensics and propose amendments in laws/devise new laws." The draft specifies that the NFCA will be led by a director general with expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, information security, and related fields. The agency's board of governors will include the interior minister as chairperson, the interior secretary as vice chairperson, and representatives from major intelligence agencies, police departments, and other governmental bodies. Notably, the proposed legislation includes a controversial clause granting immunity to actions performed under the act. It states, "No action taken under the proposed act would be called into question in any court and no civil or criminal proceedings would be instituted against anyone, including the government, any provincial government or any local authority, for anything done in good faith or purported to have been done under the act." These developments align with the government's broader strategy to overhaul digital governance and tackle cybercrime more effectively. Last week, it was reported that proposed changes to PECA include harsher penalties for cyber offences, with prison terms of up to seven years and fines reaching PKR 2 million, Dawn reported. Additionally, the creation of a new authority to block online content and combat fake news has been suggested. The NFCA proposal has sparked discussions about the balance between cybersecurity and civil liberties, as well as the implications of granting sweeping powers to a centralised agency. (ANI) The second India-Iran-Armenia trilateral consultation was held on Thursday, where the three sides discussed a wide range of matters, including connectivity initiatives, engagement in multilateral fora, and regional developments, the Ministry of External Affairs press release stated. The discussion in the trilateral consultations was led by Joint Secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran Division JP Singh from the Indian side, along with delegations from Iran and Armenia. From Iran, the Director General of the South Asia Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Hashem Ashja' Zadeh, led the discussion; meanwhile, Armenia was represented by the Head of the Asia-Pacific Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Anahit Karapetyan. "The 2nd India-Iran-Armenia Trilateral Consultations took place in New Delhi today. Discussions covered connectivity initiatives, multilateral engagement & regional developments. Emphasis was placed on enhancing trade, tourism, cultural exchanges & strengthening people-to-people ties," the MEA stated in a post in X. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1867242682331869265 The discussions also covered ways to promote trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges while strengthening people-to-people ties, the MEA stated. The last trilateral consultation between the three nations was held in the Armenian capital of Yerevan in April 2023. During the consultations, the delegations emphasised the importance of fostering close cooperation under the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and highlighted the role of Chabahar Port in facilitating this initiative. The Armenian side also provided a briefing on its connectivity initiative, "The Crossroads of Peace." "The delegations emphasised the need for fostering close cooperation under the INSTC and highlighted the role of Chabahar Port in this regard. The Armenian side briefed the participants on its connectivity initiative, "The Crossroads of Peace," the MEA stated in a statement. The three sides further reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation under the trilateral format and also agreed that the next round of consultations would be held in Iran at a mutually convenient date and time. (ANI) The government has welcomed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) apparent shift towards dialogue with political rivals, despite expressing concerns about the opposition party's "poor track record" in negotiations, The News International reported. The remarks came as political tensions continued to simmer amid PTI's planned civil disobedience movement. Speaking on Geo News' Capital Talk, Prime Minister's aide on political affairs Rana Sanaullah commended PTI's offer to hold talks, noting that this marked a departure from the party's past refusal to engage in dialogue. "When he [Imran Khan] was in government, he would say that 'I would not hold talks with the opposition and I would not spare them," Sanaullah recalled. He pointed out that during his tenure, Imran never reached out to opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif or members of the opposition in parliament. Sanaullah highlighted that the PTI founder's current stance on talks remains ambiguous. "As of today, his stance is that he will only hold talks with the establishment. But now, if they [PTI] have realised the importance of dialogue, then this is a very good thing," he added. These comments followed a key meeting at the Speaker House in Islamabad, where National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq met PTI leaders Asad Qaiser, Omar Ayub, and Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza. Sources said the meeting, prompted by telephonic communication between Sadiq and Qaiser, resulted in an agreement to sit at the negotiation table without preconditions, reported The News International. Responding to PTI's demand for Imran Khan's release, Sanaullah clarified that the prime minister had no authority to intervene. "The PTI founder is not under judicial custody due to an executive order but because of several cases registered against him," he explained. Sanaullah also revisited the government's previous overtures for dialogue, which were rejected by PTI. "Shehbaz Sharif had stated in the presence of [then prime minister] Imran Khan that we were ready to sit with you to chalk out the charter of economy," he said. Similarly, he added, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently reiterated his willingness to hold talks on the floor of the house. However, PTI consistently dismissed these offers, claiming they would only engage with those "wielding real power" rather than "powerless" rulers. In a separate statement, PML-N Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Senator Irfan Siddiqui said, "If PTI is ready for dialogue, we are all set for it." However, he urged PTI to adopt a constructive approach. "The PTI should not hang a sword that if talks were not held by such a date, they would start a disobedience movement. This kind of behaviour cannot go together," he remarked. Siddiqui emphasised the need for moving beyond past animosities. "We want to talk; we do not want any riots. Pakistan has to move forward, and to move forward, it is necessary to abandon old customs," he said. He further questioned the methods of protest, stating, "Whether peaceful protest is done with slogans of Jihad-Al-Jihad, kill and die, and sticks with nails." Meanwhile, PTI leader Latif Khosa, speaking during the same programme, reiterated the importance of dialogue to resolve disputes. "All the matters have to be resolved via dialogue," he said. He stressed that releasing Imran Khan remains PTI's primary demand, as the current leadership cannot make decisions without consulting him, The News International reported. Explaining PTI's shift in policy towards talks, Khosa maintained that their demands remain unchanged. "The party would present the same demands even in talks with the ruling parties that it had been protesting against, including alleged rigging during the February 8 elections," he said. Khosa dismissed any criticism of meeting government representatives, adding, "There is nothing wrong in meeting with the ruling parties' members, and the PTI would present the same demands before the incumbent rulers, including releasing Imran Khan." (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended congratulations to Kestutis Budrys on his election as the Foreign Minister of Lithuania. In a post on X, the External Affairs Minister said, "Congratulate @BudrysKestutis on his appointment as Foreign Minister of Lithuania. Look forward to working together to further strengthen our ties." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1867276175506055186 India recognized Lithuania (along with the other Baltic States, Latvia, and Estonia) in September 1991, after independence. Diplomatic relations were established with Lithuania in February 1992. Noting its significance, the Embassy of India in Lithuania in a press statement observed that Lithuania is a small but important country in Eastern Europe, with a growing economy and a high ranking in ease of doing business. It is a member of the EU, Schengen Zone, Eurozone as also NATO. It has niche technologies in electronics, lasers, food processing and IT. It is a member of three of the four multilateral export control regimes (NSG, Australia Group and Wassenaar Arrangement). It is supportive of our campaign against terrorism and supports India's position on Jammu and Kashmir. It shares a cultural affinity with India, with around 10,000 words in the Lithuanian language having roots and derivatives in the Sanskrit language. The Lithuanians also practice Gandhian philosophy of peaceful resistance, evident in the 675 km long Baltic human chain formed on 23 August 1989 by over 2 million people from the three Baltic states of Lithuanian, Latvia and Estonia, the Embassy noted. India and Lithuania share cooperation on various fronts, these range from Yoga celebrations to Lithuanian nominees attending various courses under the Indian Technical and Economic Co-operation Program (ITEC). The Indian community in Lithuania is a small but vibrant and diverse group of people comprising students, professionals, businessmen and their families. To further cement the ties, the India-Lithuania Forum was inaugurated in the Lithuanian Parliament in 2010. This was the result of the initiative taken by the Lithuanian Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. This forum provides support to various NGOs, individuals and institutions that are interested in India to reinforce India's multi-faceted relationship encompassing culture, education, business and science, the Embassy noted. (ANI) A special chartered plane carrying 318 Pakistanis, stranded in Syria due to recent turmoil, landed at Islamabad International Airport on Thursday. The evacuation was made possible through a coordinated effort by the Pakistani government, with significant assistance from Lebanon. The passengers, who had been moved to Lebanon following the evolving situation in Syria, were greeted at the airport by Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, alongside representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Ahsan Iqbal expressed gratitude to the Lebanese government for issuing visas to the stranded citizens, a gesture facilitated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's outreach to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Speaking at the reception, Ahsan Iqbal said, "The NDMA has arranged buses to transport passengers to their respective destinations." He commended PM Shehbaz's leadership, noting that the premier had personally supervised daily reviews to ensure the safe return of Pakistani nationals from Syria. "Wherever Pakistanis face challenges, they are not alone as the Pakistani government stands with them," he added, reaffirming the government's commitment to supporting its citizens abroad. The evacuation became necessary after a lightning offensive led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, abruptly ending a five-decade rule. Following this, Pakistan's ambassador facilitated the evacuation process, overseeing the stranded citizens' departure from Beirut Airport earlier on Thursday. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's efforts to secure the evacuation included direct communication with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who assured his "wholehearted support" for Pakistanis seeking safe passage. Mikati also pledged to "extend all possible support" to facilitate their return to Pakistan. Upon arrival, a special help desk established by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis provided assistance to the passengers, while refreshments were arranged for their comfort. The NDMA coordinated logistics to ensure smooth onward travel for the evacuees. In a statement during her weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch highlighted Pakistan's stance on the Syrian crisis. "We are following developments in Syria and are concerned about the escalation in violence. We express full support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria," she said. Baloch reiterated Pakistan's belief that it is the "right of the Syrian people to determine their own future and make decisions about their destiny which any foreign interference or external imposition should not determine." (ANI) General Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief of the Army Staff of the Nepali Army visited the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi and planted a tree to commemorate the lasting ties between the Indian and Nepali Armies. The details were shared by the Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army in a post on X. "Suprabal Janasewashree General Ashok Raj Sigdel, #COAS, #NepaliArmy, was briefed on the recent initiatives being undertaken by the #IndianArmy including construction of the state of the art 'Thal Sena Bhavan'. #COAS also planted a Tree at #ManekshawCentre, #NewDelhi to commemorate the everlasting friendship between the #IndianArmy and the #NepaliArmy." https://x.com/adgpi/status/1867217986907521180 The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepali Army, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, commenced his official visit to India on Tuesday, marking a key step in further strengthening the defence relations between Nepal and India. According to a press release by the Ministry of Defence, the visit is set to run from December 11 to December 14, 2024, and aims to enhance bilateral military cooperation and explore new avenues for defence collaboration between the two nations. The visit by Nepal's Chief of the Army Staff comes days after the Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited Nepal from November 20 to November 24, upon the invitation of Nepal's Army Chief Sigdel. General Dwivedi was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by the President of Nepal during his visit. The practice follows a seven-decade-old tradition of conferring Army Chiefs of each other's country with the honorary title. Commander-in-Chief General KM Cariappa was the first Indian Army Chief to be decorated with the title in 1950. The strong relations between Nepal and the Indian Army have been further cemented via the Gurkha Regiment. Currently, over 30,000 Gurkha soldiers from Nepal are serving in the Indian Army. These bonds of friendship are also strengthened by regular exchanges at high levels between India and Nepal. These frequent high-level visits and exchanges have added momentum to the bilateral partnerships and helped the leadership to review at regular intervals the entire gamut of the relation. (ANI) In response to rising cases of voyeurism and the illegal use of hidden cameras in hotel rooms and guesthouses, China's Supreme People's Court has pledged to take stronger measures against the illicit recording industry, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported. This comes after multiple cases of hidden cameras being installed in guest accommodations to secretly film sexual activities. The footage was then sold through online platforms, further violating privacy rights and fuelling concerns in the country. In a statement released on December 11, the court shared details of four voyeurism cases, two of which involved hidden cameras placed in hotels and guesthouses. "In recent years, there have been cases of voyeurism from time to time, causing widespread concern in society," the court noted. In one case, five individuals were involved in installing hidden cameras in multiple hotel rooms and guesthouses between April 2021 and January 2022. They used the footage, which featured guests engaging in sexual activities, and sold it through instant messaging apps, making a total profit exceeding 290,000 yuan (approximately USD 39,930). The main perpetrator, identified by his surname Shi, was primarily responsible for installing the cameras, while his four accomplices provided bank accounts to collect the profits from the sales. "Shi played a major role and was the 'principal offender,'" the court emphasised. All five individuals confessed to their actions and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from several years to a decade, along with fines ranging from 10,000 yuan to 300,000 yuan, reported CNA. The issue of voyeurism extends beyond this one case. China has seen a surge in incidents involving the illegal use of spy cameras in recent years. In one notable case in Shandong province, over 100,000 recordings of guests were made using 300 mini cameras hidden in everyday objects like lamps, televisions, air conditioners, and electrical sockets. The recordings were then live-streamed, resulting in the arrest of 29 individuals. The Supreme People's Court spokesperson acknowledged that the cases exposed the broader "illegal recording industry in China," which involves the manufacture and sale of these devices. The authorities are particularly concerned about the dangers posed by the circulation of such footage. "Lawbreakers" use hidden cameras to "engage in criminal activities" such as extortion, cheating, and gambling, which "seriously infringes" on personal privacy and information security, according to Chinese officials, CNA reported . These illegal activities are exacerbated by the black market, where explicit spycam footage is openly sold under names like "hotel spy cam" and "real-time monitoring," reported Chinese media. The Supreme People's Court also emphasised the need for greater public vigilance, urging citizens to protect their privacy in everyday life. "We remind members of the public to stay vigilant and guard against privacy breaches," the spokesperson said. The court further pledged to "strengthen cooperation and coordination with the relevant departments" and "resolutely cut off the underground industrial chain" that enables the sale and dissemination of illicit recordings. (ANI) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Friday released a rousing video highlighting Taiwan's defence capabilities and informing of the threat posed by the Chinese military to Taiwan. The video was shared by the Taiwanese Defence Ministry through a post on X. "The threat posed by #PLA to Taiwan and the region has escalated from coercion to directly affecting the First Island Chain, undermining the rules-based international order. #ROCArmedForces continue to forge our capabilities and deter war", the MND said. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1867421203188920666 The video showcased Taiwan's defence capabilities, its weapons and the armed forces personnel in action, preparing and training. "PRC has jeopardised the peace with its military threat, challenged the rule-based international order. Its action will never earn the approval from the international community", the video noted. "To safeguard our territory, and sovereignty, and maintain regional security, the R.O.C. Armed Forces closely monitor our adversary and has adjusted reactions accordingly. We train at the moment, we face our opponent and keep up our work in force buildup. We forge our capabilities in rigorous training. Our faith is from our strength. We stand firmly to safeguard our national security", the video said. The video comes after the Chinese incursions near Taiwan's territory have seen an uptick in recent times. On Saturday, the MND reported that 12 Chinese military aircraft, 14 naval vessels and 9 official ships were detected operating near Taiwan until 6 am (local time). The details were shared by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) in a post on X. Earlier on Wednesday in a post on X, the MND said, "Confronting normalized #PLA provocations, apathy is not an option. #ROCArmedForces seize every training opportunity!" https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1866769906940908011 Taiwan-China issue is a complex and longstanding geopolitical conflict centred on Taiwan's sovereignty. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), operates its own government, military, and economy, functioning as a de facto independent state. However, China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and insists on the "One China" policy, which asserts that there is only one China, with Beijing as its capital. This has fuelled decades of tension, especially since the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), when the ROC government retreated to Taiwan after the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, took control of mainland China. Beijing has consistently expressed its goal of reunification with Taiwan, using diplomatic, economic, and military pressure to isolate Taiwan internationally. Meanwhile, Taiwan, supported by a significant portion of its population, continues to maintain its independence. (ANI) Tensions between Nepal's ruling CPN-UML and opposition CPN (Maoist Centre) escalated during a Tribhuvan University (TU) senate meeting on Thursday over the appointment of deans and campus chiefs, the Kathmandu Post reported. Student leaders affiliated with the CPN-UML criticised Vice-Chancellor Keshar Jung Baral's plan to appoint deans and campus chiefs based on "meritocracy," while those aligned with the Maoist Centre defended him. The controversy stems from Baral's proposal to appoint deans from the top-ranked individuals in a list of three candidates for each position. The UML student leaders strongly oppose this approach, claiming it is a politically motivated move to fill positions with Baral's loyalists. This has led to delays in appointing deans for several institutes, including medicine and engineering. "What kind of meritocracy are you talking about when you are working to appoint only your people?" Biraj Aryal, the Free Student Union (FSU) chairperson from Pulchowk Engineering College, asked during the senate meeting. Aryal further accused Baral of using media trials to blame the UML for obstructing the appointments. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who chaired the senate as chancellor, expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation. "It is always good to maintain meritocracy in the appointment but it must be genuine. There should be no drama in the name of meritocracy," Oli said. He clarified, "There has been no interference from my side against what the media have claimed. However, I have insisted on meritocracy in the true sense. Isn't this my duty to tell the vice-chancellor so?" Defending Baral, Bishnu Dhungel, FSU chairperson from the Nepal Law Campus and a member of the Maoist Centre's All Nepal National Independent Student Union (Revolutionary), criticised the attacks against the vice-chancellor. "Why is the vice-chancellor being attacked in an organised manner? He was appointed to the position on merit," Dhungel argued. Baral, who became vice-chancellor despite being second on the list of candidates in February, has made it clear that he is working to appoint the highest-ranked candidates for key positions to avoid accusations of favouritism. "I am for appointing those ranked first to avoid the accusation that the second ranked, like myself, got the appointment," Baral explained. The UML leadership has strongly opposed Baral's meritocratic appointments, accusing him of using his position to appoint Maoist Centre loyalists under the guise of meritocracy, reported the Kathmandu Post. UML general secretary Shankar Pokharel criticised the vice-chancellor in a Facebook post on Tuesday, stating, "Tribhuvan University's vice-chancellor, Baral, is engrossed in a plan to select the academic leadership of the university in a way that represents the political power (who appointed him to the position), all under the guise of meritocracy. He has cloaked it in the name of meritocracy. And the Maoist supporters close to him are vigorously endorsing and praising this drama." The controversy has prompted the Rastriya Swatantra Party to voice its support for Baral. Acting general secretary Kabindra Burlakoti issued a statement on Thursday, denouncing political interference in academic appointments, the Kathmandu Post reported. "The Rastriya Swantantra Party has, from the time of its establishment, been advocating for the appointments in the universities based on competency and capability," the statement read. "Political interference in the appointment in academic institutions is an unpardonable crime." Despite the divisions, Baral is pressing forward with his plan to appoint deans and campus chiefs, with 18 campus chiefs slated for selection after the dean appointments are finalised. TU's senate is set to reconvene on December 22 to finalise the appointments. (ANI) Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated his two demands, calling for a judicial inquiry into the May 9 and November 26 incidents by the country's senior-most judges, and the release of innocent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers arrested after the violent events, The Express Tribune reported. Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail, Imran Khan's sister, Aleema Khan, said that PTI leadership has designated the area around D-Chowk as "Shuhuda Chowk", a tribute to those involved in the political unrest. Aleema Khan said that numerous pieces of evidence, including video footage, have surfaced regarding May 9 and November 26 events. She said that these facts cannot be concealed, stressing that institutions and hospitals are providing evidence, The Express Tribune reported. The PTI, demanding the release of Imran Khan, started protest on November 24, when PTI caravans moved from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad. The protesters reached D-Chowk by November 26, where security personnel carried out a late-night crackdown to disperse the people and end the protest. She said, "If not today, then tomorrow, the truth will come out." Khan criticised the government's treatment of overseas Pakistanis. Imran Khan's sister said, "If our demands are not met, PTI's leadership has instructed overseas Pakistanis not to send remittances to Pakistan." Aleema Khan further said, "These are the same overseas Pakistanis who are denied the right to vote, threatened over the phone, and told that they will be detained upon arrival in Pakistan." She said that a gathering in memory of those killed in these incidents would be held in Bagh-e-Naran in Peshawar on Sunday, The Express Tribune reported. The arrest of Imran Khan on May 9 last year resulted in violent clashes across the nation. Protests were held in remote and major cities as the PTI workers were agitated due to their then-chairman's arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Army posts, including the Corps Commander's residence in Lahore, came under attack during the rallies held by PTI workers. Meanwhile, a special court in Islamabad on Thursday indicted PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the new Toshakhana case, Geo News reported. Special Court Central-I Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand, who presided over the hearing at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, framed the charges on Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had initially filed the case. Considering the NAB Amendments, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took over the case and filed its challan in September, according to Geo News report. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have received bail in the case. Imran Khan continues to remain behind bars as he has other cases registered against him while Bushra Bibi remains out of prison. The couple, who is accused of causing loss to the national exchequer through the illegal sale of gifts, was arrested in the said case on July 13, the same day when they were acquitted in the iddat case, Geo News reported. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that last of the disengagement agreements between India and China pertained to Depsang and Demchok and he had mentioned it in his detailed statement on the recent developments in the India-China border areas. Responding to a question by Congress MP Manish Tewari in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said that the understanding envisages that Indian security forces would be going to all the patrolling points in Depsang and would be going to the eastward limit which has India's patrolling limit in that part. Manish Tiwari had asked a question on a paper presented by a senior IPS officer to the Conference of Director-Generals and Inspector-Generals of Police in 2023. According to Tiwari, in that paper, it was pointed out that 26 out of the 65 patrolling points from Korakoram Pass to Chumar were inaccessible to the Indian security forces as a consequence of Chinese transgressions. Tiwari asked whether the all those 26 patrolling points which were ostensibly inaccessible have become accessible or not. In response to his question, Jaishankar said, "What somebody wrote as a paper is for that somebody to answer for. I can answer for the government. Now let me, let me sir through you, remind the honorable member, I gave a very detailed statement on the disengagement and recent developments in the India-China border areas. In that statement, I highlighted that the last of the disengagement agreements had taken place which pertained to Depsang and Demchok." He further said, "I also would like to convey to the Honourable Member, it was in the statement as well, that the understanding envisages that Indian security forces would be going to all the patrolling points in Depsang and would be going to the limit, eastward limit which has historically been our patrolling limit in that part. We have also, the same statement made it clear that we have had some previous disengagement agreements. Those disengagement agreements also had certain provisions where both sides on a temporary basis had agreed to put certain restraints on themselves. So I think the position is very clear in that statement, and I would urge the honorable member to read that statement again." In October this year, India and China reached an agreement regarding patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas. The border standoff between India and China began in eastern Ladakh along the LAC in 2020, and was sparked by Chinese military actions. It led to prolonged tensions between the two nations, significantly straining their relations. During the meeting of Prime Minister Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit held in Russia's Kazan, PM Modi had said that maintaining peace and stability on the border should remain the priority of the two countries and mutual trust should remain the basis of bilateral ties. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday that India would like to have good ties with Pakistan like any other neighbour but would like to have ties free of terrorism like any other neighbour. While speaking in Lok Sabha on Friday, Jaishankar said that India has made it very clear it is for the Pakistani side to show that they are changing their behaviour of the past and if they don't, it will have implications for the bilateral ties. BJP MP Naveen Jindal asked Jaishankar about steps taken by the Indian government to improve ties with Pakistan and measures taken by India to increase trade and commerce with them. Responding to his question, Jaishankar said, "In terms of improving ties with Pakistan, like any other neighbour, we would like to have good ties. But like with any other neighbour, we would also like to have ties free of terrorism. So, this has been the position of the government. We have made it very clear that it is for the Pakistani side to show that they are changing their behaviour of the past and that if they don't, of course, there are implications for the relationship and for them. So, I think the ball is very much in Pakistan's court in this regard." Blaming Pakistan for the disruption in trade with India, he said, "Regarding trade, I think some of the disruptions which happened, happened because of decisions by the government of Pakistan in 2019. And it is a matter on which, they took the initiative and we have an agnostic position on this." India has repeatedly raised its concern over Pakistan's support of cross-border terrorism and has asserted that terror and talks cannot go together. Earlier in October this year, EAM S Jaishankar termed cross-border terrorism, extremism and separatism as the "three evils" that hinder trade trade and travel as well as people to people relations between countries. Addressing the 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation (Organisation) Council of Heads of Government, Jaishankar took a veiled jibe at Pakistan to state that if activities across borders are characterised by terrorism, extremism and separatism, they are "hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges in parallel." Jaishankar travelled to Pakistan to attend the SCO Meeting chaired by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Calling for firm commitment to the SCO Charter, Jaishankar said, "But most of all, our endeavours will progress only when our commitment to the Charter remains firm. It is axiomatic that development and growth requires peace and stability. And as the Charter spelt out, this means being firm and uncompromising in countering the 'three evils'. If activities across borders are characterized by terrorism, extremism and separatism, they are hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges in parallel." In May last year, Jaishankar said that the "victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism". Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Goa, Jaishankar slammed Pakistan's then- Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's "weaponising terrorism" remarks. "Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism. Victims of terrorism defend themselves, counter acts of terrorism, they call it out, they legitimise it and that is exactly what is happening. To come here and preach these hypocritical words as though we are on the same boat," he said. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday expressed concern over the treatment of Hindus in Bangladesh amidst the ongoing crisis in the country. This concern was voiced during a statement in Parliament, where Jaishankar described the violence against minorities in Bangladesh as a "source of concern." "......With regard to the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, it has been a source of concern. There have been multiple incidents of attacks on them. We have drawn our concern to their attention. Recently Foreign Secretary visited Dhaka. This subject came up during his meeting and it is our expectation that in its own interest Bangladesh would take measures so that its minorities are safe," said Jaishankar while responding to a question by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha. AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi in the Parliament asked, "We have committed USD 10 billion to the development of Bangladesh. What steps is this government taking to ensure that Hindus in Bangladesh are protected and temples are protected?" During his visit to Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in Dhaka, "We also discussed recent developments and I conveyed our concerns including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities.. We also discussed regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural and religious properties... I emphasised that India desires a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh. I have underlined today India's desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh Authority". Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday briefed members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on the 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship' and conveyed that the neighbouring country has assured action against perpetrators of violence against minorities, sources said. "Certainly we hope that with the new dispensation in Bangladesh, we will settle down to a mutually beneficial and stable relationship", added Jaishankar. The EAM also spoke about India-Myanmar ties. Responding to MP Owaisi on the steps being taken to stop drugs entering India from Myanmar, EAM said, "Because of the very disturbed conditions in Myanmar, we have had to review the open-regime policy which has historically been there". He added, "We are sensitive to the requirement of the border communities so this is something on which we are working and part of the challenge is very little government authority on the other side of the border, so most of what we have to do, we have to do ourselves. But definitely, there is today a much greater presence there to secure our borders, monitor the movement of people across the border". During the Parliament session, EAM also spoke about other important foreign policy aspects of India such as India's Neighbourhood First policy, and relations with China and Pakistan. Jaishankar also spoke on Nepal, which recently printed on their currency showing Indian territories. "Regarding the point made by the honourable member on the Nepal currency, our position regarding our borders is very clear so if there is any expectation in any of our neighbours that doing something would get India to change its position, I think they should be very clear that that is not the case. I'm sure the entire house agrees with me in that regard," said the EAM. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday that India and UAE have common interest in preserving and promoting the stability, security and prosperity of our regions. He stressed that enhancing defense and security cooperation between two nations will contribute to this common goal. In his opening remarks at the 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting in Delhi on Friday, Jaishankar called JCM an important mechanism for two nations to discuss the entire gamut of growing bilateral ties. He said that the comprehensive stretegic partnership led by PM Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan is a "model relationship." Jaishankar said, "UAE is among the top sources of investments for India. We also recognize the growing Indian investments into UAE leveraging its strategic location as a trade hub for the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Our energy cooperation has further Consolidated with several oil long-term oil and gas contract signed recently. I'm glad we are expanding our horizons by exploring cooperation in renewables and nuclear energy as well. India and UAE have common interest in preserving and promoting the stability, security and prosperity of our regions. Enhancing our defense and security cooperation will contribute to this common goal." "Our bilateral military exercises enhance our camaraderie and synergy between our Armed Forces. India is committed to scaling up these engagements for Mutual benefit. We also work across a range of UN and multilateral and plurilateral platforms including BRICS, I2U2 and IMEC. I look forward to intensifying our joint efforts in that direction. Your highness, people to people relations form the bedrock of our relationship India is a home away from home to over 3.9 million Indians I take this opportunity to thank the leadership of your country for ensuring the well-being and welfare," he added. Extending a warm welcome to UAE's Minister of Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the JCM in Delhi, Jaishankar said, "Your highness it is indeed a great pleasure to receive you here in New Delhi, the JCM has been an important mechanism for our two countries to discuss the entire gamut of our diverse and growing bilateral partnership. I see that most of the bilateral institutional mechanisms have actually already met this year. I think that should make our job today a little bit easier. Our comprehensive strategic partnership led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan is today a model relationship." He noted that the exchange of five visits between leaders of two nations in the past 18 months showcases their commitment to the bilateral ties. He expressed commitment to enhance the frequency of high level visits and capitalising on the momentum generated by them. "The exchange of five visits between our leaders in the last 18 months is a testament to their commitment to the relationship indeed to the relationship itself. The recent visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan was another significant milestone in our friendship and underscores our generational continuity. We are committed to enhancing the frequency of high level visits and capitalizing on the momentum generated by them," Jaishankar said. Jaishankar said that the trade between two nations has increased since the implementation of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022. Highlighting the rise in trade between two nations, he said, "Our bilateral economic and commercial ties are not only very strong but increasingly diversified and deep. Since the entry into force of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in May 2022, our trade has steadily grown and it has now reached a level of USD 85 billion. The success of CEPA has spurred new initiatives like the Bharat Maat, the virtual trade Corridor, the maitri interface, all of which will provide a further filp to our trade and help us achieve the non oil trade target of 100 billion in the coming years. The smooth implementation of the Rupee Dirham agreement for settlement of cross border transactions will also contribute towards this objective." Jaishankar also talked about establishment of India's educational institutions in the UAE, including IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad. He also recalled inaugurating the first international campus of the Symbiosis University in Dubai. Speaking about the cooperation between two nations in education sector, he said, "Since our people are also our strength, investing in them is obviously an investment for a better future. After the successful establishment of the campus of IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi, we've also achieved progress in setting up a campus of IIM Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in Dubai and I should add these are our Premier institutions." "Only last month I myself inaugurated the first International Campus of the Symbiosis University in Dubai. Your highness when it comes to India and UAE, I think in terms of what we can achieve together as my Prime Minister is fond of saying the sky is the limit. We approach The Joint Commission meeting in that Spirit as we set forward a vision for the future. I look forward to the implementation of the decisions of this meeting so that we can together conquer new frontiers and achieve more milestones in our relationship," he added. On Thursday, EAM S Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan co-chaired the 4th India-UAE Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi. Jaishankar said that there was a very productive exchange on promising domains and key interests. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Delighted to co-chair along with DPM & FM @ABZayed of UAE the 4th India-UAE Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi. The Strategic Dialogue is an effective platform that helps translate our leadership guidance into reality. A very productive exchange on promising domains and key interests. Thank the delegations and look forward to co-chairing the Joint Commission Meeting #JCM today." TIME Magazine has named US President-elect Donald Trump as the 'Person of the Year', 2024. The magazine also shared the announcement on X. https://x.com/TIME/status/1867187660814504285 In the post, the magazine said, "Trump's political rebirth is unparalleled in American history. His first term ended in disgrace, with his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results culminating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was shunned by most party officials when he announced his candidacy in late 2022 amid multiple criminal investigations. Little more than a year later, Trump cleared the Republican field, clinching one of the fastest contested presidential primaries in history. He spent six weeks during the general election in a New York City courtroom, the first former President to be convicted of a crime- a fact that did little to dampen his support. An assassin's bullet missed his skull by less than an inch at a rally in Butler, Pa., in July. Over the next four months, he beat not one but two democratic opponents, swept all seven swing states, and became the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years. He has realigned American politics, remaking the GOP and leaving Democrats reckoning with what went awry." In the election rallies, Trump raised key issues of importance to the American voters. These included the American economy and illegal immigration into the country amongst others. On the front of foreign policy, Trump aims to expand the Abraham accords and broker a peace-agreement between Russia and Ukraine, the magazine noted. During the 2020 Presidential elections, Donald Trump got over 270 threshold electoral college votes needed to win the presidency. This became the second instance of a president serving two non-consecutive terms in the White House, the first in over 100 years. Grover Cleveland served as a non-consecutive president in 1884 and 1892. Trump had earlier served as US President from 2016 to 2020. (ANI) Reports suggest that Shahjan, the eldest son of Barkat Ali and a resident of Sarikan, Turbat, was allegedly abducted from his home by Pakistani forces in the early hours of Thursday morning, around 1:00 AM. His family is devastated and has called for his immediate and safe return, The Balochistan Post reported. Shahjan, the main breadwinner of his family, is described as a dedicated son who supported his household. A Baloch political activist told The Balochistan Post, "Shahjan's abduction has not only caused great distress to his family but has also sparked fresh concerns about the ongoing crisis of enforced disappearances in Balochistan." Local activists and human rights organisations continue to emphasise the widespread nature of enforced disappearances in the region, urging authorities to uphold human rights and ensure accountability. Shahjan's family has joined these calls, demanding his release and highlighting the severe impact of his absence on their livelihood and well-being, reported The Balochistan Post. Rights groups have accused Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies of indiscriminately targeting Baloch individuals, often in response to security failures. These actions, activists argue, deepen resentment against the state and fuel the ongoing insurgency in the region. Balochistan's situation reflects systemic failures by the Pakistani state to address legitimate grievances. Despite the region's wealth of natural resources, its people remain deprived of basic rights and opportunities. Enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and suppression of dissent have become widespread tools of state control, drawing condemnation from human rights organisations worldwide. As Islamabad continues its heavy-handed approach, the cries of Baloch families searching for their missing loved ones grow louder, The Balochistan Post reported. "These actions reveal Pakistan's disregard for human rights and its failure to build trust and unity among its diverse population," activists say. (ANI) The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) has strongly condemned the invitation extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend President Donald Trump's inauguration. While the ETGE praised the initial Trump administration for its historic recognition and condemnation of China's human rights abuses in Occupied East Turkistan, it argued that the invitation undermines America's stance on these issues and could damage its moral credibility on the global stage. "Uphold America's Principles and Rescind Xi Jinping's Invitation The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) strongly condemns the invitation extended to #XiJinping to attend President @realDonaldTrump's inauguration," posted ETGE on X. The ETGE highlighted the ongoing atrocities committed by China in the region, including the mass internment, torture, forced labour, sterilization, and cultural destruction of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples. "Since 2014, millions of #Uyghurs, #Kazakhs, #Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples in Occupied East Turkistan have been subjected to mass internment, torture, enslavement through #ForcedLabor, sterilization, and cultural and physical annihilation," read ETGE statement. These actions, according to the ETGE statement have escalated under Xi Jinping's leadership to the scale of genocide. "Under Xi Jinping's leadership, the Chinese regime has escalated its campaign of colonization and genocide in East Turkistan into the worst atrocity since the Holocaust. Simultaneously, Xi's regime wages unrestricted warfare against the United States through economic and military espionage, cyberattacks, and propaganda campaigns. It has devastated America by trafficking fentanyl into American communities--killing hundreds of thousands--and unleashed the China virus (coronavirus), which has taken the lives of over one million Americans," added the statement. The statement argued that inviting Xi Jinping to an event celebrating American democracy a system that the Chinese regime actively seeks to dismantle represents a betrayal of American values and a failure to support those oppressed by China's regime. "Inviting Xi Jinping to the inauguration of American democracy--a system he actively seeks to destroy--is an affront to America's values and a betrayal of the oppressed who suffer under China's tyranny, as well as the American people who have endured the consequences of China's unrestricted attacks against the United States," added the statement. The ETGE compared the invitation to the appeasement of Adolf Hitler by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain before World War II, calling it a dangerous gesture that could embolden a genocidal dictator. "President Trump, history will judge this moment with unwavering clarity. Inviting Xi Jinping is not just a misstep--it mirrors Neville Chamberlain's disastrous appeasement of Adolf Hitler, a decision that emboldened a genocidal tyrant and unleashed one of the darkest chapters in human history. The genocidal Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, no different from Hitler, does not belong at the celebration of freedom and democracy; he belongs in the dock of an international tribunal, answering for his genocide and crimes against humanity," read the statement. The ETGE called on President Trump to rescind the invitation, urging him to uphold his administration's legacy of supporting freedom and holding China accountable for its human rights abuses. "Honor your administration's legacy of upholding American values and holding China accountable for its crimes. Stand firm with the oppressed people of East Turkistan and demonstrate to the world that America will never honor genocidal dictators or compromise its principles. The values of freedom, justice, and humanity demand nothing less," added the statement. (ANI) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of Pakistani political party Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, on Thursday issued a warning that his party would launch nationwide street protests if the federal government failed to promptly implement the madressah registration bill that was passed by parliament. Speaking at a press conference at his residence in Shorkot, Maulana Fazlur Rehman rejected the federal government's decision to have seminaries registered with the education ministry as reported by Dawn. He stated that his party had already expressed its concerns about the Madressah Registration Bill to the country's President. He emphasized that after the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill was passed in parliament with the consensus of the Pakistan People's Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and other political parties, there should have been no further objections to the proposed seminary law. "There is no room for objections to the Madressah Bill," he said. The JUI-F leader stated that while his party had accepted the official draft of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the federal government was trying to sow divisions among religious scholars regarding the seminary bill. He pledged that his party would thwart such efforts. Rehman questioned why the president was delaying the signing of the Madressah bill and raising objections after parliament had already approved the constitutional amendment. "We believe that the [Madressah] Bill has become an act of parliament because it's part of the recently-enacted Constitutional Amendment," he said. According to the report, the JUI-F leader called on the president to sign the proposed law promptly so that it could be notified without delay. He accused the federal government and certain state institutions of steering the country toward a crisis on this issue. Rehman emphasized that the government had assured that seminaries would have the choice to affiliate either with the education ministry or under the Societies Act. He stated, "The government has broken that promise," and insisted that Madressahs should only be registered with the education ministry. The JUI-F chief stated that the bill was drafted by the government before the last general elections. He expressed concern about the "establishment of a new seminary organization" and urged religious scholars not to be exploited to stir conflicts over the issue. "If the rulers don't change their current attitude, we will launch protests across the country and engage with the people," he said. Rehman expressed his support for the discussions between the government and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf, calling it a positive step. He emphasized that he has always believed in resolving political and other issues through dialogue. "Where there is no peace, there is no prosperity," he said. Rehman criticised Israel for "subjecting Palestinians to terrorism with the support of the US and UK." He avoided commenting on the indictment of former Inter-Services Intelligence chief, retired Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, by a military court for allegedly engaging in political activities, breaching anti-espionage laws, and abusing his authority, stating that it was an internal army matter. The JUI-F leader also expressed his condolences over the death of Khalilur Rehman Haqqani, the Afghan refugee minister and brother of Haqqani Network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, in a Kabul blast. He remarked that the Haqqani family's sacrifices for Afghanistan were well known. (ANI) A local London council has once again rejected China's proposal for a new "super-embassy," citing concerns about its potential impact on "resident safety and policing." However, campaigners expressed worry that the British government may override this decision in the coming year. Despite being rejected in 2022 following a strong campaign by rights groups, China has resubmitted its application to build a large new facility in London. The campaigners had warned that the embassy would enable espionage and "long-arm" law enforcement, as reported b Radio Free Asia. Tower Hamlets Borough Council rejected the application to redevelop a large complex of historic buildings, located just 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Westminster and formerly owned by the Royal Mint before being acquired by the Chinese government six years ago, for the second time on Monday. A council spokesperson stated, "The committee discussed a range of concerns raised by objectors, ward members, and committee members. It was decided to reject the application due to worries about the impact on resident and tourist safety, heritage, police resources, and highway safety, given the area's already congested nature." At Monday's meeting, London's Metropolitan Police cautioned that establishing a Chinese Embassy at that location would significantly affect policing and public safety, according to the report. In a letter dated November 14 and posted on the Tower Hamlets planning applications website, Jon Savell, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Special Operations, stated, "Policing the proposed embassy would require officers to be reassigned from frontline duties to manage both spontaneous and planned protests at this site." He also warned that "Protesters spilling over onto the streets would obstruct the roads, making it difficult to ensure their safety without closing roads, which would lead to increased disruption for the community and businesses." Overseas rights groups, concerned about a rise in Chinese infiltration and espionage targeting Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and pro-democracy activists in the UK, have urged the British government to reject the proposal. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy described the plan as "a high-quality development scheme" and expressed that the decision was "deeply disappointing." In a statement on the embassy's official website, the spokesperson said, "Host countries have an international duty to support and facilitate the construction of diplomatic mission premises. We hope the UK will fulfill this responsibility." Jason Chao, director of Hong Kongers in Britain, also addressed the meeting, warning that China often uses advanced surveillance technologies, such as facial recognition, to monitor critics of the Chinese Communist Party, according to Radio Free Asia report. He expressed concerns that, given China's history of human rights abuses, invasive surveillance, and suppression of dissidents abroad, the proposed new Chinese Embassy could pose a risk to the privacy and safety of nearby residents and workers. In a subsequent interview with RFA Cantonese, Chao revealed that local residents had been discouraged from attending an exhibition about the planned embassy due to strict security measures, including the recording of visitors' IDs or passport numbers. "People were concerned about security and felt uncomfortable with the amount of information being collected before they were allowed to attend the exhibition," he said. The UK government is set to hold a Local Inquiry hearing on February 11, 2025, where councillors will present their objections to the proposal. However, Chao noted that their ability to influence the outcome may be limited. "It's clear that future decisions will be influenced, at least in part, by politics," he said, adding that local residents now fear the government may push the plan through despite their objections. (ANI) Abu Dhabi [UAE], December 13 (ANI/WAM): The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Indonesia held the second session of their Joint Consular Committee in Jakarta to enhance and bolster cooperation in all joint consular fields, aiming to provide outstanding consular support and services to the citizens of the two countries. The meeting was chaired by Khaled Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Andy Rachmianto, Director-General for Protocol and Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. Khaled Belhoul conveyed the greetings of Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his praise for the positive developments between the two countries. He stressed the UAE's commitment to and interest in strengthening and further developing the relations between the two countries, reflecting the wise leadership's aspirations and directives. During the meeting, Khaled Belhoul praised the historic relations between the UAE and Indonesia and the solid strategic ties built upon mutual understanding and respect. He also expressed the UAE's appreciation of the efforts made by the Indonesian side to bolster bilateral relations between the two countries, which witnessed remarkable progress in all fields in recent years. During the meeting, the two sides discussed a number of common consular issues between the two countries and plans to follow up and develop them, in addition to discussing ways to enhance joint consular cooperation. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation as well as representatives from the competent authorities in the Republic of Indonesia, took part in the meeting. (ANI/WAM) Jerusalem [Israel], December 13 (ANI/TPS): Israel began razing Palestinian buildings built illegally inside a nature reserve on Thursday. Nearby residents hailed the move as "historic" saying the illegal Palestinian construction has been unchecked in the Judean Desert Nature Reserve in the Gush Etzion region. "For years, the reserve has been systematically destroyed by illegal construction. This construction harms nature and creates a stranglehold around nearby Jewish communities," Yaron Rosenthal, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, told The Press Service of Israel. "Today, for the first time since the Oslo Accords, we are witnessing the enforcement of law in this regard. This is a crucial step towards restoring the desert and preserving the Judean Desert--a Jewish desert." The reserve is located in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority has administrative jurisdiction while Israel is responsible for security. However, under the terms of the 1998 Wye River Memorandum, the Palestinians agreed not to build in the 41,000-acre reserve. During a tour of the nature reserve in August, TPS-IL witnessed expansive illegal construction spanning kilometers, piles of construction debris and trash as well as scorch marks in the ground left behind by the burning of garbage. There were buildings in various stages of construction, ranging from still-wet cement foundations to a completed building resembling a guest house with a swimming pool. A recent aerial survey conducted by Regavim, a non-governmental organization that monitors illegal Palestinian construction in Judea and Samaria, identified approximately 3,400 illegal structures in the reserve. When the Wye River memorandum was signed in 1998, there were 268. Sharon Avni, an activist and resident of nearby Tekoa explained the implications of the construction to TPS-IL, "It's very clear that construction in the agreed reserve is a strategic effort to strangle the Jewish settlements and sever territorial connections with Jerusalem. Moreover, the area is rich in archaeological treasures, and every day, more of our history is being destroyed there if we don't stop it." MK Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, who raised questions about the construction during hearings said, "The Palestinian celebration ends here, and the committee I head will continue to act and monitor the progress of the works and the continued clearing of the agreed reserve from Palestinian takeover attempts." Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who spearheaded the enforcement initiative within the Security Cabinet, said, "The State of Israel is taking a major step in the strategic battle for open spaces. With professional and thorough groundwork, we have begun enforcing against the rampant illegal construction by the PA in the Judean Desert. We will not allow the PA to violate agreements and establish a terrorist state that threatens our security." (ANI/TPS) IndiGo Airlines has apologised to the customers for the inconvenience caused by the delays on the flight connections to Istanbul. The airline said that it accords high priority towards customer convenience and their teams are available at contact points to assist customers. In a statement released on Friday, IndiGo Airlines said, "We are aware of the delays on the IndiGo flight connections to Istanbul. We accord the highest priority towards customer convenience and out teams are available at all contact points to assist customers. IndiGo apologises for the inconvenience caused to the customers." The airlines has issued a statement after several passengers took to social media platform to report about delay on the flight. One of the fliers Anushri Bhansali said that she is stranded in Istanbul due to delays and cancellations of IndiGo Airlines. In a post on X, Bhansali said, "After months of saving to book a flight home to India, I'm now stranded in Istanbul, exhausted and sick, thanks to your delays and cancellations! Delayed TWICE by an hour, CANCELLED with no notice RESCHEDULED 12 hrs later, NO DETAILS or final confirmation!" She further said that there was no IndiGo representative at the airport. Taking to X, she said, "There's no Indigo rep at the airport, no accommodation or meal vouchers, and I'm sick with a fever now! My worried parents can't even get in touch with indigo via call-no one picked, and over 400 passengers are stuck with no support, @IndiGo6E." https://x.com/BhansaliAnushri/status/1867380431609311327 Another passenger Adwait Kulkarni asked the airline to at least update the passengers travelling on the flight. In a post on X, Kulkarni stated, "Don't expect much from you @IndiGo6E but the least you can do is give one proper update to your passengers travelling in 6E 12 and 6E 18 flights on 12th December from Istanbul to Delhi / Mumbai and then stick to it. Not even asking for important stuff like food, accommodation,etc." https://x.com/I_Sherlocked/status/1867489924725059837 Another passenger Prachi also expressed disappointment as she and hundreds of people are stranded at the airport for over 15 hours. Taking to X, Prachi stated, "@IndiGo6E Very disappointed, 100s of people including little kids are still stuck at Istanbul airport for more than 15 hours on flight to Mumbai with no accommodation and any food/water offered. No one is there to help from Indigo, worst customer service." https://x.com/fabwp55/status/1867442568914464872 Another passenger Raja Chowdhury also shared similar experience. In a post on X, he stated, "@TurkishAirlines @IndiGo6E Hi, this morning's flight to Istanbul was delayed by several hours and passengers were taken to a hotel without any information as to why it was delayed or when the flight would take off. What can I do to get more information on this?" (ANI) DPP's attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" through foreign support doomed to fail: FM spokesperson Xinhua) 08:43, December 13, 2024 BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday that the one-China principle is a basic norm governing international relations and a prevailing consensus in the international community, and the attempt of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to seek "Taiwan independence" through foreign support and their secession attempt are doomed to fail. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks during a regular press briefing in response to reports that Taiwan's "deputy foreign minister" Wu Chih-Chung on Thursday attended the inauguration ceremony of "president" of Somaliland as a "special envoy" for Lai Ching-te. "I would like to reiterate that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China," Mao said. She noted that China highly commends the government of Somalia for upholding the one-China principle, and firmly supports Somalia in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity. China firmly opposes mutual establishment of official institutions or any form of official exchanges between Taiwan authorities and Somaliland, Mao added. "We urge relevant parties in Somalia to see the trend of history sooner rather than later, and strictly uphold the one-China position," Mao said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday called for a strong international response following one of the largest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian President said that Russia launched 93 missiles, including one believed to be of North Korean origin, and nearly 200 drones in the massive strike. He further said that Ukrainian defences managed to intercept 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by F-16s. Sharing a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, "Another Russian missile strike against Ukraine. Cruise missiles, ballistic missiles. According to preliminary reports, 93 missiles were launched, including at least one North Korean missile." "A total of 81 missiles were shot down, 11 of which were cruise missiles intercepted by our F-16s. Additionally, the Russians used nearly 200 drones in this attack. This was one of the largest strikes targeting our energy infrastructure," the post added. He further criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that his peace plan is to "destroy everything" and he aims for negotiations by terrorising people. "This is Putin's "peace plan"--to destroy everything. This is how he wants "negotiations"--by terrorizing millions of people. He is neither limited in long-range capabilities nor in acquiring the necessary components to produce missiles. Oil gives Putin enough money to believe in his impunity. A strong reaction is needed from the world: a massive attack must be met with a massive reaction. This is the only way terror can be stopped," Zelenskyy said. Calling for sanctions against Russia, Zelenskyy said, "Sanctions against Russia for the war must be strengthened to genuinely impact Russia's missile production. Putin won't be stopped by empty talk--strength is what is needed to bring peace. Strength that is not afraid of its ability to confront and stop evil." Meanwhile, amid the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the US Department of Defense (DoD) on Thursday announced a new Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package to meet Ukraine's critical security and defence needs. In a press release, the Pentagon said, "This announcement is the Biden Administration's seventy-second tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. This PDA package, which has an estimated value of $500 million, will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: air defense capabilities; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; and anti-tank weapons. The capabilities in the announcement include counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS) munitions; ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition; High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs); Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS); Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs); High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs); Light tactical vehicles; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) protective equipment; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; Tube-launched, Optically guided, Wire-tracked (TOW) missiles; Small arms ammunition; demolitions equipment and munitions; and spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation. (ANI) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan co-chaired the 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in New Delhi, where they discussed various aspects of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations. The discussions encompassed economic and commercial ties, defence cooperation, energy security, cultural and heritage linkages, and people-to-people connections. The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Polar Research Collaboration. In addition, they also held talks on developments in West Asia, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the I2U2 initiative and shared perspectives on key global issues. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Co-chaired an extremely wide-ranging and productive 15th India-UAE JCM along with DPM & FM @ABZayed of UAE today in New Delhi. The discussions covered various facets of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership including economic & commercial relations, energy security, defence cooperation, people-to-people ties, cultural & heritage linkages and promoting the stability, security & prosperity of both our regions." "Also Witnessed exchange of MoU on the Polar Research Collaboration. And shared perspectives on developments in West Asia, our partnership in IMEC, I2U2 and our convergences on various global issues," he added. In his opening remarks at the 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting in Delhi on Friday, Jaishankar said that the two nations have a common interest in preserving and promoting the stability, security and prosperity of our regions. He stressed that enhancing defence and security cooperation between the two nations will contribute to this common goal. He called JCM an important mechanism for two nations to discuss the entire gamut of growing bilateral ties. He said that the comprehensive strategic partnership led by PM Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan is a "model relationship." Jaishankar said, "UAE is among the top sources of investments for India. We also recognize the growing Indian investments in UAE leveraging its strategic location as a trade hub for the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Our energy cooperation has further Consolidated with several oil long-term oil and gas contracts signed recently. I'm glad we are expanding our horizons by exploring cooperation in renewables and nuclear energy as well. India and the UAE have a common interest in preserving and promoting the stability, security and prosperity of our regions. Enhancing our defence and security cooperation will contribute to this common goal." "Our bilateral military exercises enhance our camaraderie and synergy between our Armed Forces. India is committed to scaling up these engagements for Mutual benefit. We also work across a range of UN and multilateral and plurilateral platforms including BRICS, I2U2 and IMEC. I look forward to intensifying our joint efforts in that direction. Your Highness, people-to-people relations form the bedrock of our relationship India is a home away from home to over 3.9 million Indians I take this opportunity to thank the leadership of your country for ensuring the well-being and welfare," he added. Extending a warm welcome to UAE's Minister of Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the JCM in Delhi, Jaishankar said, "Your Highness it is indeed a great pleasure to receive you here in New Delhi, the JCM has been an important mechanism for our two countries to discuss the entire gamut of our diverse and growing bilateral partnership. I see that most of the bilateral institutional mechanisms have actually already met this year. I think that should make our job today a little bit easier. Our comprehensive strategic partnership led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan is today a model relationship." He noted that the exchange of five visits between leaders of two nations in the past 18 months showcases their commitment to the bilateral ties. He expressed commitment to enhance the frequency of high level visits and capitalising on the momentum generated by them. "The exchange of five visits between our leaders in the last 18 months is a testament to their commitment to the relationship indeed to the relationship itself. The recent visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan was another significant milestone in our friendship and underscores our generational continuity. We are committed to enhancing the frequency of high-level visits and capitalizing on the momentum generated by them," Jaishankar said. Jaishankar said that the trade between the two nations has increased since the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022. Highlighting the rise in trade between the two nations, he said, "Our bilateral economic and commercial ties are not only very strong but increasingly diversified and deep. Since the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in May 2022, our trade has steadily grown and it has now reached a level of USD 85 billion. The success of CEPA has spurred new initiatives like the Bharat Maat, the virtual trade Corridor, and the Maitri interface, all of which will provide a further fillip to our trade and help us achieve the non-oil trade target of 100 billion in the coming years. The smooth implementation of the Rupee Dirham agreement for settlement of cross border transactions will also contribute towards this objective." Jaishankar also talked about the establishment of India's educational institutions in the UAE, including IIT Delhi, and IIM Ahmedabad. He also recalled inaugurating the first international campus of the Symbiosis University in Dubai. In his opening remarks, Nahyan said that the "enduring relationship" between the two nations continues to thrive under the guidance of UAE's President Mohamad bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said, "Today our gathering is an opportunity to build on the significant achievements we have jointly realized. and to propel our partnership to even more dynamic horizons. At the heart of this collaboration here is the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a landmark agreement that has energized bilateral trade and even trade record, breaking levels. We remain confident that this agreement, alongside our growing portfolio of the Joint Investment Economic Initiative". He noted that the shared reforms will make the play for deeper integration and greater prosperity for both of the nations. "Our focus is on the fostering of cooperation in the area of cultural significance and technological importance, exploring the opportunity in the transformative field, such as nuclear energy and space", he said. He brought to attention the partnership of the two countries at the international level. "With the support of the leadership in both our countries, our partnership continues to continue extending itself, reaching out the bilateral engagement to the multilateral platforms, such as the BRICS, G20". Nahyan noted that the I2U2 initiative exemplifies the joint commitment for contributing meaningfully to regional and global progress". (ANI) The External Affairs Ministry on Friday confirmed that seventy seven Indian nationals had been evacuated from strife torn Syria so far. The spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said that the Indian embassies in Middle East region are in touch with Indians there and will help them if need arises. The spokesperson also said that there is no need for evacuation from any other country as of now. "So far, 77 Indians have been evacuated, these are those who wanted to return. In addition to that, several other Indians have settled there, married there or are pursuing some vocation and still continue to live there. If they want to return, we will facilitate their return. These 77 were evacuated via Lebanon, and our embassies in Lebanon and Syria coordinated very closely. We brought them by road, after which the Indian embassy in Lebanon facilitated their immigration. The immigration at the border was long and there was a lot of people, so it was quite an exercise. Then we took care of their boarding and lodging, made arrangements for the stay. Out of the 77, 44 were on a pilgrimage to various sites in the region. They have left Beirut for other places and the remaining 30 have either returned or are travelling as we speak, and will be returning to India soon," he said. Jaiswal added that the MEA has issued several advisories to people in different Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon and Israel and are in touch with them. However, they do not need to be evacuated as of now. "We are in touch with others in Damascus and if they require, the Indian embassy will give them a helping hand. We have 3,000 people in Lebanon, about 1,000 people in UNDOF and UNIFIL. We have issued several advisories to stay in touch with our embassies. If tomorrow there is any need for evacuation, we will do that. But, as of now, nothing of that sort is in pipeline. In Israel, we have 32,000 Indian nationals who are working there and the Indian embassy is in touch with them for their welfare. So far there are no evacuation plans from any other country," he said. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar highlighted the government's swift and coordinated response to the recent crisis involving Indian pilgrims stranded in Syria in a dialogue at the Lok Sabha. "I am very grateful to the honorary member for recognising the work that was done to get the Indian pilgrims who were stranded in Syria out very safely in the last two days to Lebanon," Jaishankar stated, emphasising India's commitment to protecting its citizens abroad. Syria's newly appointed Prime Minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, has focused on repatriating Syrian refugees living abroad as one of his key goals. Al-Bashir aims to "bring back the millions of Syrian refugees who are abroad" as part of efforts to restore stability in the country. The government continues to face challenges, including unrest surrounding the tomb of Hafez al-Assad, which was recently set on fire. Meanwhile, Hezbollah and Israeli leaders have expressed concerns about Syria's future political direction, particularly regarding Iran's involvement in the region. (ANI) Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be on a State visit to India from December 15-17, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. During his visit, Dissanayake will meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While addressing a weekly media briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that it will be President Dissanayake's first visit to India after the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary polls in Sri Lanka. Jaiswal said that Anura Kumara Dissanayake will participate in business event in Delhi. Jaiswal said, "President of Sri Lanka His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake will visit India on a State visit on 15-17 December, 2024. This will be the first visit of President Dissanayake to India after the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka. During the visit, President of Sri Lanka will meet Rashtrapatiji and also hold discussions with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. "President of Sri Lanka will also be participating in a business event in Delhi. He will also visit Bodh Gaya. The visit of President Dissanayake to India shall further strengthen the multi-faceted and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries," he added. In a press release, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "Sri Lanka is India's closest maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and holds a central place in Prime Minister's vision of 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy." Earlier in October, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. The two leaders discussed ways to deepen cooperation and strengthen bilateral ties to benefit the people of India and Sri Lanka. During the meeting, Jaishankar conveyed warm greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu to Anura Kumara Dissanayake. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Honored to call on President @anuradisanayake today in Colombo. Conveyed warm greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and PM @narendramodi. Appreciate his warm sentiments and guidance for the India-Sri Lanka relations. Discussed ways to deepen ongoing cooperation and strengthen India-Sri Lanka ties for the benefit of people of two countries and the region." Earlier in September, PM Modi extended his regards to Anura Kumara Dissanayake and congratulated him following his win in the Sri Lankan Presidential election. PM Modi congratulated Dissanayake and said that the island country holds a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision SAGAR. "Congratulations, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on your victory in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections. Sri Lanka holds a special place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision SAGAR. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our multifaceted cooperation for the benefit of our people and the entire region," PM Modi said in a post on X. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the 55-year-old leader of the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna party, was declared the winner of the election in Sri Lanka, according to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. (ANI) The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday said that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's recent visit to Bangladesh focused on strengthening bilateral ties and during the meetings with Bangladesh's Chief Advisor and Foreign Affairs Advisor, Misri emphasised India's commitment to a democratic, stable, peaceful, and inclusive Bangladesh. The remarks by Jaiswal came while addressing a weekly media briefing on Friday in New Delhi. "He (Vikram Misri) had Foreign Office Consultations, he also met the Chief Advisor, he also met the Foreign Affairs Advisor of Bangladesh. We have given a detailed readout of his visit also. He spoke to the media which highlights how we intend to take forward our relations with Bangladesh. Foreign secretary highlighted, during his talks, India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh," he said. Jaiswal further said that reiterating India's willingness to build a relationship based on "mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity," the Foreign Secretary also addressed key issues, including concerns about the safety and welfare of minorities. "He also reiterated India's willingness to build a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on mutual trust and respect, and mutual sensitivity. He also discussed certain developments and issues and conveyed India's concerns, especially those concerning safety and welfare of minorities," Jaiswal said. The MEA spokesperson further expressed confidence that the visit would sustain bilateral engagements and advance substantive issues in India-Bangladesh relations. Jaiswal said, "It is our understanding that Foreign Secretary's visit will help in sustaining bilateral engagements between India and Bangladesh with a view to addressing concerns as well as advancing the substantive issues in the relationship." Notably, Foreign Secretary Misri visited Dhaka on December 9. During his visit to Bangladesh, Misri told the media that India desires positive, constructive, and mutually beneficial relationships and that the relationship is people-centric. The Foreign Secretary told reporters in Dhaka that he had a frank, candid, and constructive exchange of views with his interlocutors and discussed the entire gamut of issues in the "extremely important bilateral relationship". He raised the issue of attacks on minorities, including Hindus, with Bangladesh leaders and officials. "We also discussed recent developments and I conveyed our concerns including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities. We also discussed regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural and religious properties... I emphasised that India desires a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh. I have underlined today India's desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh Authority," Misri told reporters in Dhaka. He highlighted India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. During the visit, Misri called on the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh Dr. Muhammad Yunus and the Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain. He held Foreign Office Consultations with the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Jashim Uddin. It was the first high-level visit from India to Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina was deposed as Prime Minister in August this year and since the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, assumed office. (ANI) The World Bank has cancelled a budget support loan of over USD 500 million to Pakistan after Islamabad failed to meet key conditions on time, including the revision of power purchase agreements under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as reported by The Express Tribune. The Washington-based lender has also announced that it will not provide any new budget support loans during the current fiscal year, which could affect the government's expectation of receiving USD 2 billion in fresh loans. A key reason for this decision is that Pakistan has largely exhausted its loan quota as reported by Express Tribune. Government sources revealed that the World Bank had cancelled the USD 500 to 600 million loans under the Affordable and Clean Energy program (PACE-II). Initially, the bank had agreed to provide 500 million, later increasing the amount to 600 million to help bridge Pakistan's external financing gap, The Express Tribune reported. The PACE program was approved by the World Bank in June 2021, with the first tranche of USD 400 million already released. However, the second tranche was contingent on several conditions, including negotiations with all Independent Power Producers (IPPs), notably the Chinese power plants established under CPEC. According to the Express Tribune report Pakistani authorities said that no progress was made in renegotiating agreements with CPEC-related power plants. China has repeatedly rejected reopening these deals, including restructuring the energy debt, which totals around USD 16 billion, the sources added. In its efforts to lower electricity prices, the government is renegotiating energy agreements with power plants established under the 1994 and 2002 policies. The Chinese-owned power plants, along with government-run plants primarily four LNG-fired and two nuclear plants are part of the 2015 energy policy. The government has renegotiated around 22 energy contracts so far, but there have been no significant reductions in electricity prices. The current price remains around Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 65 to PKR 70 per unit, including taxes and surcharges. The government has been hesitant to remove the PKR 16 per unit cross-subsidy imposed on higher consumption users, which helps lower the cost for those using less than 200 units monthly. If this cross-subsidy were abolished, it could significantly ease the financial burden on residential and commercial electricity consumers as reported by Express Tribune. A spokesperson for the World Bank confirmed that "slower-than-expected progress led to a shift in strategy in our support for reform" in Pakistan's energy sector. When asked whether the PACE-II loan was cancelled, the spokesperson explained that the World Bank has been backing power sector reforms through the Programme for Affordable and Clean Energy (PACE) development policy operation. PACE-I was approved by the board in June 2021, with PACE-II expected in fiscal year 2022. However, due to slower progress, the World Bank adjusted its lending strategy. The report further stated that the spokesperson stated that the World Bank has continued its support by directly financing low-cost hydropower projects, including an additional USD 1 billion for the Dasu Hydropower project. Furthermore, the Bank has remained engaged with all relevant parties to accelerate the implementation of the Electricity Distribution Efficiency Improvement Project, which focuses on enhancing efficiency in the distribution sector. The World Bank has also provided technical assistance to encourage private sector participation in DISCOs (power distribution companies). When asked whether the World Bank would offer any new budget support loans to Pakistan, the spokesperson replied, "No budget support is planned for the current fiscal year, which ends in June 2025." For the current fiscal year, the government has allocated USD 2 billion in loans from the World Bank. However, by the end of the July-October period, the World Bank has disbursed only USD 349 million, which accounts for 18 per cent of the planned amount for the year. As part of the PACE-II program, Pakistan was expected to address inefficiencies within power distribution companies and curb the growth of circular debt. Unfortunately, the government has not been able to meet either of these goals. Under PACE-I, the government had approved a roadmap to encourage private sector involvement in the distribution sector, but this was never implemented. The successful execution of this roadmap was crucial for assessing the progress of the power sector reform program, but it was not carried out. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) reported this week that inefficiencies within power distribution companies resulted in losses of PKR 660 billion in the last fiscal year. Additionally, the circular debt rose to PKR 2.393 trillion during the same period, significantly exceeding the targets set in agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. To conceal its inefficiency, the Power Division has not been consistently updating the monthly circular debt report on its website, which goes against the commitments outlined in the Circular Debt Management Plan framework. For this fiscal year, the IMF identified a USD 2.5 billion external financing gap that must be filled with new loans. (ANI) Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal on Friday expressed his condolences at the murder of three Indian students in Canada. Jaiswal said that Indian High Commission and consulates are in touch with the families and the local authorities for ensuring a thorough investigation. "In the last week or so, we have had unfortunate tragedies in Canada. Three Indian students have been murdered in violent crimes. We are saddened by these terrible tragedies that have struck our nationals in Canada. We extend our deepest condolences to the grieving families. Our High Commission in Ottawa and Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver are in touch with the families and extending all possible help in the matter. They are in touch with the local authorities for a thorough investigation into these incidents," Jaiswal said. "The safety, security and welfare of Indian nationals, students in particular, in Canada remains is of paramount importance. Our High Commission in Ottawa and Consulates are in touch with local authorities for their welfare and safety. We have also issued an advisory for our nationals and Indian students to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant in the way of deteriorating security environment in Canada as a result of the growing incidents of hate crimes and criminal violence," he said. Jaiswal added that Indian community is huge in Canada and the MEA has issued an advisory warning them of the situation there. "There are approximately over 4.5 lakh Indian students in Canada. Of all the Indian students studying abroad, Canada makes up the majority for it. Apart from that, the Indian community in Canada is also very huge. We had issued an advisory a while back for Indians in Canada, warning them of the dire situation there." On reports regarding the granting of Indian Visas to Canadians, Jaiswal said that granting visas is a sovereign matter of a country and that Canadian media is maligning the Indian image. Jaiswal said, "We have seen media reports about this. It is yet another example of Canadian media's disinformation campaign to malign India... Granting of Indian visas is our sovereign function and we have the legitimate right to deny visas to those who undermine our territorial integrity. The commentary that we see in the Canadian media on this matter is akin to foreign interference in India's sovereign affairs." The Consulate General of India in Vancouver expressed condolences over the killing of Indian national Harshandeep Singh, who was fatally shot in Edmonton on December 6. Notably, two individuals, Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, both aged 30, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection Singh's killing on Friday at an apartment complex in central Edmonton, according to a report by Toronto Sun. (ANI) NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has voiced concern about the idea of holding peace negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine war without Russian President Vladimir Putin "at the table", terming the move "risky," The Hill reported. During a discussion at Carnegie Europe think tank in Brussels on Wednesday, Rutte said, "It is crucial that whenever there is a deal that it is a good deal, with all the elements in there," according to The Hill. He further said, "I think these were very good considerations, but again, for me to start to discuss this, we start a sort of debate amongst ourselves, within the alliance, with our European partners, without having Putin at the table, and that is risky." Mark Rutte said that Ukraine should begin talks with the Kremlin. However, it must do so in a position of "strength." He reiterated his remarks from earlier this month, when he called on members of NATO to provide additional arms to Ukrainian soldiers who may be wavering on the battlefield, The Hill reported. The NATO leader's comments echoed his remarks from earlier this month, when he encouraged members of the alliance to send more arms to soldiers in Ukraine who may be wavering on the battlefield. Ahead of foreign ministers conference, Rutte said, "Make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to get to a position of strength when those peace talks start, when the Ukrainian government has decided they are ready to do so." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday called for a strong international response following one of the largest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.The Ukrainian President said that Russia launched 93 missiles, including one believed to be of North Korean origin, and nearly 200 drones in the massive strike. He further said that Ukrainian defences managed to intercept 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by F-16s. Sharing a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, "Another Russian missile strike against Ukraine. Cruise missiles, ballistic missiles. According to preliminary reports, 93 missiles were launched, including at least one North Korean missile." "A total of 81 missiles were shot down, 11 of which were cruise missiles intercepted by our F-16s. Additionally, the Russians used nearly 200 drones in this attack. This was one of the largest strikes targeting our energy infrastructure," the post added. He further criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that his peace plan is to "destroy everything" and he aims for negotiations by terrorising people. "This is Putin's "peace plan"--to destroy everything. This is how he wants "negotiations"--by terrorizing millions of people. He is neither limited in long-range capabilities nor in acquiring the necessary components to produce missiles. Oil gives Putin enough money to believe in his impunity. A strong reaction is needed from the world: a massive attack must be met with a massive reaction. This is the only way terror can be stopped," Zelenskyy said. (ANI) The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified on Friday that there is no need for the evacuation of Indian nationals or students from South Korea, as "life in the country is normal" following the political turmoil in the nation. The remarks by Jaiswal came during a weekly press briefing in New Delhi. He said, "Life in South Korea continues. There have been domestic developments but life is normal. So there is no question of evacuation of Indian students or Indian nationals from South Korea." Jaiswal further stated that South Korea is home to around 15,000 Indian nationals, including 5,000 students and professionals. "We have some 15,000 Indian nationals in South Korea. Around 5,000 of them are students. The rest of them are professionals but life is normal. The question of evacuation doesn't arise," the MEA spokesperson said. Earlier on December 6, Jaiswal noted the strong defence cooperation and people-to-people ties between New Delhi and Seoul, and affirmed hope that the political turmoil would come under control there. "We are obviously monitoring the developments in South Korea. We have very strong investment trade linkages. We have very strong defense cooperation with South Korea. We also have very strong people to people ties with South Korea. We also have a large number of internationals who live in South Korea. All these developments, we continue to maintain a close watch, so that if there is any eventuality or anything these may have bearing on safety of our Indian nationals as also bearing on our interests, we maintain a closed watch. And hopefully, we hope that the situation in the country will stabilize soon," he said. The political row in South Korea erupted after President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday, declared martial law in the country citing threats from "anti-state forces" and North Korean sympathisers. Notably, South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) has now supported moves to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, following his controversial declaration of martial law, which sparked a political crisis and widespread public outrage, CNN reported on Thursday. The decision came shortly before Yoon gave a defiant speech in which he defended his controversial actions and refused to resign, despite increasing calls from all sides for his departure. (ANI) Pakistan journalist Malik Zafar Iqbal Naich was tragically shot and killed by two assailants while distributing local newspapers in the country's southern Punjab city of Rahim Yar Khan, as per The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). IFJ and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), have strongly condemned the murder that took place on Thursday and called for a swift investigation into the crime. Naich, a local journalist, was gunned down in the early hours of the morning at Chowk Chanigoth in the area of Taranda Muhammad Panah, while performing his routine newspaper distribution alongside his hawker, Nazar Hussain. Hussain, who had left Naich momentarily to deliver newspapers elsewhere, confirmed that two unidentified attackers fired multiple rounds at Naich, leaving him with six bullet wounds. The assailants then fled the scene. Naich died at the site of the attack. The Pakistan police have lodged an FIR under Section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, though the motive for the attack remains unclear. Local authorities have vowed to pursue the case and bring the perpetrators to justice. This murder marks the eighth journalist killing in Pakistan this year, making the country the deadliest for journalists in South Asia in 2024. Earlier in November, Janan Hussain, the general secretary of the Parachinar Press Club, was also killed during a shooting incident in the Ochut area of northern Pakistan. The rise in violence, coupled with ongoing political instability and violent protests, has created a dangerous environment for journalists in the country. The PFUJ condemned the murder, stating, "We strongly condemn the killing of Malik Zafar Naich and demand the authorities arrest the culprits and provide justice to the family." IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger expressed concern over the deteriorating safety of journalists in Pakistan. "The tally of journalist killings in Pakistan in 2024 continues to mount. We call for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Malik Zafar Naich. Amid rising violence in the country, journalists and media workers must remain vigilant to stay safe and report responsibly," he said. As Pakistan grapples with increasing violence and political unrest, the safety of its media professionals remains a critical issue. The PFUJ and international organizations continue to urge the authorities to ensure the safety and protection of journalists working under such perilous conditions. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday received the Ambassador of Armenia to India Vahagn Afyan in New Delhi. Jaishankar said that the two discussed about deepening the India-Armenia cooperation. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Glad to receive Ambassador of Armenia Vahagn Afyan in New Delhi today. Spoke about deepening the long-standing India-Armenia cooperation." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1867549497213251963 The second India-Iran-Armenia trilateral consultation was held yesterday, where the three sides discussed a wide range of matters, including connectivity initiatives, engagement in multilateral fora, and regional developments, the Ministry of External Affairs press release stated. The discussion in the trilateral consultations was led by Joint Secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran Division JP Singh from the Indian side, along with delegations from Iran and Armenia. From Iran, the Director General of the South Asia Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Hashem Ashja' Zadeh, led the discussion; meanwhile, Armenia was represented by the Head of the Asia-Pacific Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Anahit Karapetyan. "The 2nd India-Iran-Armenia Trilateral Consultations took place in New Delhi today. Discussions covered connectivity initiatives, multilateral engagement & regional developments. Emphasis was placed on enhancing trade, tourism, cultural exchanges & strengthening people-to-people ties," the MEA stated in a post in X. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1867242682331869265 The discussions also covered ways to promote trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges while strengthening people-to-people ties, the MEA stated. The last trilateral consultation between the three nations was held in the Armenian capital of Yerevan in April 2023.During the consultations, the delegations emphasised the importance of fostering close cooperation under the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and highlighted the role of Chabahar Port in facilitating this initiative. The Armenian side also provided a briefing on its connectivity initiative, "The Crossroads of Peace." "The delegations emphasised the need for fostering close cooperation under the INSTC and highlighted the role of Chabahar Port in this regard. The Armenian side briefed the participants on its connectivity initiative, "The Crossroads of Peace," the MEA stated in a statement. (ANI) Gupta is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 2006 batch. "Subhash Prasad Gupta (IFS:2006), presently Ambassador of India to Republic of Suriname, has been concurrently accredited as the High Commissioner of India to Saint Lucia, with residence in Paramaribo," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release. "He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," it added. Earlier in October, Gupta was concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with residence in Paramaribo, the MEA had said. In July this year, Gupta was appointed as India's next Ambassador to Suriname. Notably, India and St. Lucia enjoy cordial bilateral relations, actively cooperating in international organizations like the United Nations, Commonwealth, and Non-AlignedMovement (NAM) as well as other multilateral platforms, according to Ministry of External Affairs. The bilateral ties have sustained momentum through exchange of high-level visits. In April 2018, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of St. Lucia held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, discussing bilateral relations and mutual interests. In 2019, Prime Minister Modi announced a USD14 million grant and a USD150 million Line of Credit for projects related to solar energy, renewable energy, and climate change for Caricom member states including for St. Lucia during the India-CariCom Meet of Heads of State/Government. Earlier in 2015, former Prime Minister Dr. KennyAnthony met with PM Modi during the UNGA meeting, discussing bilateral relations and shared concerns. In September 2024, on the Margins of 79th UNGA, EAM S Jaishankar met Saint Lucia Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste. On August 17, 2024, Shawn A. Edward, Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training of St. Lucia took part in the Education Ministers' Session of the 3rd Voice of the Global South Summit. (ANI) The Ministry of External Affairs in a press release said that the official schedule begins on Sunday, December 15, with Popsoi arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Terminal 3, at 05:15 am (IST). Later in the evening, at 08:00 PM, he will meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Hotel ITC Maurya. On Monday, December 16, Popsoi will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Rajghat. The visit will conclude on Tuesday, December 17, with Popsoi's departure from Delhi. Notably, earlier in October, the second India-Moldova Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) was held in New Delhi, which featured discussions centred around enhancing political relations, trade, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contacts. The Indian side was led by Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West) in the MEA and the Moldovan side was led by Sergiu Mihov, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moldova. Sharing pictures on X, spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal wrote, "2nd India-Moldova Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in New Delhi today. Co-chaired by Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West), MEA and Sergiu Mihov, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova." "Discussions focused on enhancing bilateral ties. Regional and international issues of mutual interest were also discussed," the post further said. During the FOCs, both sides held discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues. Bilateral discussions included political relations, trade, cultural relations and people-to-people contacts. Co-operation between the two countries in international and multilateral fora was also discussed, the MEA said in a press release. India recognised Moldova on December 28, 1991 and diplomatic relations were established on March 20, 1992. The relations between both countries are friendly and cordial and cooperate well on matters of mutual interest at multilateral fora, as per the Ministry of External Affairs. In April 2023, Moldova announced its decision to open an embassy in India. The Moldovan Ambassador arrived in India in June 2023. India accredits its Ambassador in Bucharest to the Republic of Moldova. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday emphasised the strong bilateral ties between India and Portugal and said that there are numerous regional and global issues where their exchange would be mutually beneficial. The remarks by Jaishankar came during his opening remarks during a meeting with Portugal Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel. Jaishankar also recalled his visit to Portugal a year ago and said that he has "very good memories of that visit." He said, "We just met alongside our Prime Ministers, when they met in Rio. I think that was a very good discussion. I am glad to have the opportunity to take forward some of those issues. I was in Portugal a year ago. Very good memories of that visit. I am really glad that we are having a reciprocal one." He added, "We have very good bilateral ties but there are a number of regional and global issues where our exchange will be mutually useful. Once again, a very very warm welcome." Jaishankar also took to his X handle and said that he held discussions with Rangel on global issues like West Asia, Ukraine and Indo-Pacific. "Held wide-ranging discussions with FM @PauloRangel_pt of Portugal today. Took stock of our partnership and explored new opportunities in clean energy, technology, digital, mobility, heritage and maritime domains. Also exchanged views on West Asia, Ukraine and Indo-Pacific. Appreciate our robust multilateral cooperation and Portugal's support for stronger India-EU ties," Jaishankar wrote on X. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1867595748822413334 Meanwhile, Portuguese Foreign Minister Rangel in his opening remarks during a meeting with Jaishankar, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties between India and Portugal. Highlighting the positive state of their relations, Rangel emphasised the "huge potential for future." Rangel said, "I really thank you for the opportunity to be here with you and also to give the sign that our relations are really very good. But they also have a huge potential for the future. So, we can really enhance the framework of our relationship and that is the reason you visited Portugal last year and I am visiting now in India... This is a sign that we in Portugal love you very much, the relationship with India and not only for historical reasons but also because we really believe that it's possible to go forward with a very promising and dynamic agenda in different fields." Notably, Rangel arrived in Delhi on his first official visit to India on Thursday. Official Spokesperson of the Ministry Of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said that the visit will strengthen the multifaceted ties between India and Portugal. In a post on X on Thursday, Jaiswal wrote, "Warm welcome to FM Paulo Rangel of Portugal on his first official visit to India. The visit will further strengthen India-Portugal multifaceted ties, which will enter its 50th year in 2025." Rangel is on a four-day official visit to India, from December 12 to 15. On Saturday, December 14, Minister Rangel is scheduled to travel to Goa to participate in programmes. He will conclude his visit to India with an early morning departure on Sunday, December 15. Relations between India and Portugal began amicably in 1947 after India's independence and diplomatic relations were established in 1949. However, they soon went into decline in 1950 after Portugal's dictator Antonio Salazar refused to surrender the Portuguese enclaves. Indian military action under Operation Vijay liberated Goa on 19 December 1961, ending over 450 years of Portuguese rule, according to the MEA. (ANI) Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday met with General Tharapong Malakam, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence of Thailand, on the sidelines of the 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue. The two leaders engaged in discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation. Sharing a post on X, the Ministry of Defence wrote, "Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence, Thailand, General Tharapong Malakam today called on Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh on the sidelines of 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue and discussed ways to further enhance mutual #defencecooperation between the two countries." https://x.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/1867569508862296356 Notably, the 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue took place in New Delhi on Thursday during which both sides agreed for early establishment of the Joint Working Group to "monitor the cooperation in the areas of the defence industry." India and Thailand also agreed to conduct the Subject Matter Experts Exchange between their Armed Forces to "carry forward regular engagement in niche domains." "The 9th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue took place in New Delhi on December 12, 2024. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Amitabh Prasad and Thailand's Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence Gen Tharapong Malakam," the Ministry of Defence said in a press release. "Both sides agreed for early establishment of a Joint Working Group to effectively steer and monitor the cooperation in the areas of defence industry. Both sides also agreed to conduct Subject Matter Experts Exchange between Indian and the Thai Armed Forces to carry forward and institutionalise regular engagement in niche domainsm," the release added. The Indian co-chair highlighted the potential of the domestic defence industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with the Royal Thai Armed Forces in its defence acquisition plans. Thailand appreciated the capability of the Indian defence industry ecosystem and proposed exploring possibilities for co-design, co-production and co-development in the field of defence industry. The dialogue is a significant milestone in intensifying defence relations with Thailand. Thailand is a maritime neighbour and a valued partner in India's 'Act East' Policy and the Indo-Pacific region. Thailand's 'Act West' Policy compliments India's 'Act East' Policy providing a basis for substantive elevation of bilateral relations, the release added. India and Thailand share a strategic partnership and defence is a key pillar of this cooperation. The bilateral defence engagements have expanded over a period of time to include wide-ranging contacts between the two countries including Defence Dialogue meetings, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity-building and training programmes and bilateral exercises. (ANI) The Campus and Hostel Buildings of Sushma Koirala Memorial Nursing Campus, Kathmandu built with India's financial assistance have been formally handed over to the campus management. The project built at a cost of Nepali Rupees (NRs) 29.24 million under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation' was formally handed over tothe Campus Management Committee, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu announced. Indian Embassy in Nepal said in a post on X, "Campus and Hostel Buildings of Sushma Koirala Memorial Nursing Campus in Kathmandu was formally handed over to Campus Management Committee today jointly by Mr. Santosh Budhathoki, Chief, District Coordination Committee, Kathmandu and Shri Avinash Kumar Singh, First Secretary, Indian Embassy in Nepal. This High Impact Community Development Project HICDP was built with Government of India's financial assistance under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation'." https://x.com/IndiaInNepal/status/1867557965680849398 The handing over was made on Friday jointly by Santosh Budhathoki, Chief, District Coordination Committee, Kathmandu and Avinash Kumar Singh, First Secretary, Embassy of India in Kathmandu. "The Government of India's grant under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation' was utilized for the construction of a two storied class room block, a two storied hostel block and other allied facilities. The project was taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) and was implemented through District Coordination Committee, Kathmandu," the release stated. Chief, District Coordination Committee, Kathmandu, Deputy Mayor, Shankharapur Municipality, political representatives and Chairperson, Sushma Koirala Memorial Nursing Campus appreciated the continued developmental support of the Government of India in upliftment of the people of Nepal. "The set up created would be useful in providing professional nursing education facilities to students of Sushma Koirala Memorial Nursing Campus in Kathmandu and would create an improved environment for learning as well as contribute to the overall development of the education sector in this region," the release added. Sushma Koirala Memorial Nursing Campus was established in the year 2000. It is affiliated to Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTE&VT). The Campus is providing three years Proficiency Certificate Level course in Nursing and produces 120 trained nurses every year. "As close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in upliftment of its people by augmenting infrastructure in priority sectors," the release concluded. Political representatives, government officials and social workers were also present on the occasion. (ANI) Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepali Army, Suprabal Janasewashree General Ashok Raj Sigdel, during the third day of his India visit, held multiple engagements solidify the defence cooperation between New Delhi and Kathmandu, the Ministry of Defence stated. Sigdel's engagements focused on a visit to Indian Defence Industries in Pune followed by departure for Dehradun where he will Review the prestigious Passing Out Parade at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) today. After arrival at Dehradun, General Sigdel attended the Reviewing Officers' Dinner at the IMA. https://x.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/1867175431331590334 https://x.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/1866808119088779461 The day began with General Sigdel visiting several key Defence Industry establishments including Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Bharat Forge. During the visit, he interacted with senior representatives from India's defence sector and exchanged ideas. The focus of these talks was on the adaptation of technology by armies of both nations, as per the statement. The Nepal Army Chief appreciated the "Atmanirbhar" initiatives of the Indian Army and the contribution of Indian Defence Industries in this direction. He also observed a Static Equipment Display, where he was introduced to the latest, state-of-the-art equipment recently inducted into the Indian Army, the Ministry of Defence stated. Following his engagements in Pune, Sigdel departed for Dehradun, where he will review the Passing Out Parade at IMA scheduled for December 14. On arrival at IMA, he attended the Reviewing Officers' Dinner and interacted with the faculty and dignitaries. As a Reviewing Officer, Sigdel will inspect the cadets who are about to begin their careers in the Indian Army. As part of this enduring partnership, two cadets from Nepal, Officer Cadet Binod Bhatta and Officer Cadet Prabin Pandey, will be commissioned during the parade, marking a moment of pride and shared tradition. "Their commissioning underscores the deep-rooted military ties between India and Nepal, reflecting a commitment to mutual development and collaboration in defence and training," the Ministry added. The third day of Sigdel's India visit has been marked by productive engagements aimed at enhancing defence cooperation, particularly in strengthening the bonds between the Nepali and Indian Armed Forces. (ANI) An Alaska man will spend decades in prison after accidentally recording himself attempting to create child pornography in a supermarket bathroom. Jesse Damon, 35, was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by a life term of supervised release on Tuesday. Prosecutors say that in May 2022, Damon hid a cell phone and battery pack in a grocery store vent in Palmer, Alaska, about 43 miles from Anchorage, to capture images of naked children using the bathroom. He intended to use the images to produce child pornography, federal investigators said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An employee found the phone after noticing that the vent cover was loose and when they opened a video app on the phone they saw Damon, who had recorded himself while hiding the device. The employees then looked through the stores security cameras and found footage of Damon trying to recover the phone after placing it in the vent. Staff contacted law enforcement officials and when they confronted him he admitted to concealing the phone and battery pack. Officers found images of adults and two minor victims using the bathroom on the phone Damon placed in the vent. In addition, investigators located 29 videos and 44 still images of child pornography on the device. Evidence showed Damon used the phone to receive and distribute child pornography using Kik, Dropbox and Mega links. He had a prior child pornography conviction and was required to register as a sex offender at the time of his arrest. In January, Damon entered a plea agreement with authorities on one count of attempted production of child pornography, according to federal court documents. The agreement stipulated a prison sentence of 25 to 50 years, a $250,000 fine and a minimum of five years to a lifetime of supervised release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Damon is a repeat offender who presented an escalating danger to our community, US Attorney S Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska said in a news release. I commend the vigilant supermarket employees whose swift actions played a crucial role in the successful investigation and prosecution led by the FBI and Palmer Police Department. Damons attorney told The Independent he had no comment on the case. U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) speaks at the Nonviolence Institute in Providence on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, about legislation he introduced the previous day aiming to prevent former law enforcement weapons from from being used to commit crimes. To Amo's left is Nonviolence Institute Executive Director Lisa Pina-Warren. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) Gun safety advocates rallied around Rhode Islands freshman congressman Friday to support a bill aiming to stop service weapons resold by law enforcement agencies to federally licensed firearms dealers from being used to commit crimes. U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I) and fellow Democrat, Marylands U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin on Thursday co-introduced the Responsible Retirement of Law Enforcement Firearms Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation addresses a trend by law enforcement agencies to trade or resell retired firearms to firearms dealers in exchange for discounts on new equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of these guns have subsequently been involved in shootings, domestic violence incidents, and other violent crimes. A CBS News investigation in May reported over 52,000 retired police firearms have been found at crime scenes since 2006. The report noted that weapons sold by police agencies enter a secondary market to be resold to the public or other dealers. Guns that turn up at crime scenes could have been resold multiple times without a paper trail. In fact, many of these guns had previously been service weapons designed to keep our brave police officers safe as they protect our communities, Amo said during a press briefing at the Nonviolence Institute in Providence. Thats unacceptable. That has to stop. The proposed legislation would require police departments applying for the federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to certify they will not retire or purchase firearms from firearms dealers with a history of selling guns used in crimes. The bill would direct the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to create a registry listing dealers found to have sold guns that ended up being used to commit crimes. Amos bill has been endorsed by the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association; Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence; Rhode Island International Brotherhood of Police Officers; Nonviolence Institute; Brady: United Against Gun Violence; Giffords; Everytown for Gun Safety; March for Our Lives; Guns Down America; and Newtown Action Alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation will face an uphill battle in a Republican-controlled House. It also leaves law-abiding gun shop owners and Second Amendment organizations with lots of questions about how it is supposed to work. Are there some dealers historically that have broken the law? For sure, Sandy Kane, owner of Kanes Gun Shop in North Kingstown, said in an interview. Ive sold a lot of police firearms over the last 44 years either trade-ins or whatnot and weve always followed federal firearms licensee programs like were supposed to. Glenn Valentine, the president of the Rhode Island Second Amendment PAC, told Rhode Island Current he does not believe the federal legislation will effect the change its sponsors are seeking. All it does is ensure that tiny departments across the country will never be able to purchase new weapons if theyre not generating revenue to replace them, Valentine said in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kane said if a person legally buys a firearm and uses it for a felony, thats already covered by state and federal law. Im really not quite sure what this bill is about, he said. Transparency and accountability Dealers would be listed if there were at least 25 incidents in which a gun sold from their sold was found at a crime scene in two out of three consecutive years, said Sid Wordell, executive director of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association, who attended Fridays news conference. These provisions create transparency and accountability that will ensure our retired firearms do not contribute to the very problem we are working tirelessly to combat, Wordell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are 114 federally licensed firearm dealers and pawnbrokers in Rhode Island, according to ATF data. However, Wordell said he was not aware if there were major issues with guns retired from local police departments sold from those businesses ending up at crime scenes. But that doesnt mean it couldnt be a possibility, Wordell told reporters after the press conference. Although we have different jobs, we all want to ensure firearms dont end up in the hands of people that shouldnt have them, Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence Executive Director Melissa Carden said at Fridays press conference. Blocking the flow of police guns to crime scenes is one way to keep our neighborhoods safer. Even if the bill were to clear Congress and the presidents desk, there is the potential it could be struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has expanded its interpretation of the Second Amendment in recent cases such as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The June 2022 ruling held that the Second Amendment protects a persons right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home and that firearm regulations must have some historical comparison going back to the countrys founding. Amo maintained the push to keep unethical firearm dealers from selling is a fight worth taking. You cant preemptively knock yourself out of seeking solutions because youre afraid of what might happen, he said. Thats not what I got sent to Washington to do it was to try to advance an agenda that improves the lives of people here in Rhode Island and across the country by any means. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation has 10 additional co-sponsors all Democrats, including Rhode Islands 2nd Congressional District Rep. Seth Magaziner. Too many families know the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence, and we need to keep pushing for commonsense solutions like Rep. Amos Responsible Retirement of Law Enforcement Firearms Act to keep Americans safe, Magaziner said. Last Congress, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass commonsense gun safety reform into law, and we must keep fighting to bring attention to this important issue and encourage our colleagues across the aisle to act with courage and save lives. Spokespeople for Rhode Islands U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse did not immediately respond to request for comment. Amos bill now heads to the House Judiciary Committee, where Raskin is expected to be the incoming ranking member when the 119th Congress begins on Jan. 3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve got to pound the pavement, weve got to knock on doors, and have conversations in the halls of Congress, Amo said. This story was updated Dec. 16 to clarify how federally licensed firearm dealers would be listed on the potential ATF registry. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Chagos Islands deal could prevent the US from keeping nuclear weapons on its military base, defence figures have warned. In October, Sir Keir Starmer agreed to give Mauritius sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, including Diego Garcia, which houses a UK-US military base. However, experts have warned that the handover could allow Mauritius to block the United States from stationing nuclear-capable weaponry at the base. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The country is a signatory to the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, also known as the Pelindaba Treaty, which prohibits stockpiling, acquisition, testing, possession, control or stationing of nuclear weapons. Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago, houses a US-UK military base - HO/US Navy/REUTERS The Chagos Islands had been interpreted by the US and UK to be exempt, in part because the UK held sovereignty over the islands. But with the exchange of sovereignty to Mauritius, the African nation could assert that the nuclear-free zone also covers the islands, risking problems for US activity at the base. The US has conducted exercises in the region with B-52 jets, which are nuclear-capable bombers, which could be blocked from using the base. The US has conducted exercises in the region with B-52 jets, which are nuclear-capable bombers - The Sun/Eric Reed/AP Photo Sir Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary who was in office during part of the negotiations under the previous government, said that the change of Diego Garcias sovereignty could lead to the base being in breach of the treaty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said: At the outset of this, one of the fundamental tenets of the negotiations was that the base remained UK sovereign soil or else the base would potentially be in breach of the treaty. The fact that the current Foreign Office has chosen to disregard one of the key stipulations shows how close we are to undermining British national security and our allies. We can only hope that the United States brings the Foreign Office to its senses. The issue is likely to add to concerns from within Donald Trumps camp regarding the deal, with Marco Rubio, the probable next secretary of state, warning in October that it posed a serious threat to US national security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nigel Farage, a friend of the president-elect, has said that the UK deal will be met with outright hostility. It also comes after Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of the UK Armed Forces, warned that the world faces a third nuclear age. He emphasised that China was a particular threat to the West, especially the US, and it is thought that Beijing is expanding its arsenal more quickly than any other country. There have been concerns over the handing of the islands to Mauritius because it is allied with China, at a time of growing tensions between Beijing and Western nations. The Foreign Office has insisted that there will be no operational changes to the base as a result of the deal, which will mean the UK maintains a 99-year lease over Diego Garcia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the Government has not released further details of the agreement with Mauritius or the text of the treaty that will be laid before Parliament. Mark Francois, the shadow armed forces minister, said: The Governments chaos over Chagos continues. It has now emerged that if the UK surrenders sovereignty to Mauritius, the islands could then come within scope of a pan-African non-proliferation treaty, which could limit the deployment of American nuclear weapons to Diego Garcia, thus undermining global deterrence, especially of China. The more details emerge about this strategically illiterate proposal, the worse it becomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There had been discussions in the Ministry of Defence under the previous government, pushing for a Cyprus-style arrangement, where bases Akrotiri and Dhekelia are under UK sovereignty. But the Foreign Secretary confirmed in his statement to the Commons in October that the UK Government had agreed to Mauritian sovereignty over the entire islands, including Diego Garcia. A Foreign Office spokesman said: Our primary goal is to protect the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a crucial role in regional and international security. Our approach will ensure the operation of the base will continue unchanged with strong protections from malign influence, while also remaining compatible with our international obligations. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky Fifty nations have now joined NASA's effort to establish peaceful and cooperative international space exploration. On Wednesday (Dec. 11), Panama and Austria signed NASA's Artemis Accords , becoming the 49th and 50th nations to commit to the responsible exploration of space for all humanity, according to a statement from NASA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "NASA welcomes Panama and Austria to the Artemis Accords community and celebrates 50 countries united by shared principles for the safe and responsible exploration of space," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in the statement . "More than ever before, NASA is opening space to more nations and more people for the benefit of all. Together we are building long-term and peaceful deep space exploration for the Artemis Generation." The Artemis Accords were established in October 2020, with eight original country signatories. Panama and Austria joined the growing list of international partners during separate signing ceremonies at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Dec. 11. The guiding principles of the Accords focus on peaceful and responsible space exploration, grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and other international agreements. The principles reinforce a collective commitment to scientific discovery, innovation and sustainability, setting a standard for future space missions, including NASA's Artemis program , which aims to send astronauts back to the moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. "Austria is proud to sign the Artemis Accords, an important step in fostering international cooperation for the civil exploration of the moon and expanding humanity's presence in the cosmos," Petra Schneebauer, Austria's ambassador to the United States, who signed the accords on behalf of her nation, said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "By signing the Accords, we reaffirm our commitment to the peaceful, responsible, and cooperative use of space while emphasizing our support for strong multilateral partnerships and scientific progress," Scheenbauer said. "This cooperation will open new prospects for Austrian businesses, scientists and research institutions to engage in pioneering space initiatives." three people sit behind a long table with a black table cloth. Behind them, a screen with fifty different flags. RELATED STORIES: Cooperation on the moon: Are the Artemis Accords enough? NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know Estonia joins Artemis Accords as moon-exploration coalition agrees to continue outreach efforts The Accords also set forth a set of recommendations on non-interference, interoperability, release of scientific data and furthering long-term sustainability guidelines on debris management for both lunar orbit and the surface of the moon. It appears Tiffany Trumps father-in-law isnt the ultra-wealthy business guru hes long been described as. It was revealed Thursday that Massad Boulos, Donald Trumps soon-to-be Middle East adviser, spent the last two decades as a truck and machinery salesman for a Nigerian company that profited just $66,000 in 2023, reported The New York Times. The Gray Lady also investigated multiple reports that tied him to a company named Boulos Enterprises, which is apparently owned by a different family who shares his surname. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The details suggest that Boulos is a far cry from the billionaire business mogul that hes long been described as. Boulos has been profiled by international media outlets who have all heralded his business prowess. The Economist, for example, described him last month as being a successful Lebanese-American businessman largely unknown in the wider world. The highly connected 50-something has reveled in being described as a tycoon. The image has also earned him high praise from President-elect Trump, who has called him a dealmaker. Donald Trump named Massad Boulos a senior advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs during his campaign. / Brian Snyder / REUTERS Most recently, Boulos claimed to a Times reporter in October that he was the chief executive of a multibillion-dollar automotive manufacturing and distribution company in Nigeria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its accurate to describe the company as a multibillion-dollar? a Times reporter asked Boulos. Yeah, Boulos replied. Its a big company. Long history. In reality, however, that companyCOA Nigeria PLCis worth much less. The Times reported that the company was worth about $865,000 at its current share price. Even more shocking was Boulos stake in the business, which filings show is worth a measly $1.53 (yes, less than $2). Records show that Boulos father-in-law is COA Nigeria PLCs owner. Pressed about his apparent fibs and failures to set the record straight in prior interviews, the Times reported that Boulos claimed hed merely been confirming what other media outlets had alreadyincorrectlywritten about him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boulos place in MAGAworld goes back to 2018. Thats the same year his son, Michael, began dating Trumps youngest daughter. Tiffany, 31, and Michael, 27, got hitched in 2022 and were photographed smiling together at the RNC and at Trumps election night party. Michael Boulos and Tiffany Trump together at the RNC. / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images Trump embraced Boulos on the campaign trail this year, using him to woo Arab-American voters and as an intermediary between the himself and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. Boulos was born in Lebanon but moved to Texas as a teenager. He reportedly holds Lebanese, Nigerian, French, and American citizenship, and may soon be one of Trumps most integral advisers. His position-in-waiting, Middle East adviser, does not require Senate approval, but is sure to be a critical role given the instability in the region. Boulos wife, Sarah Fadoul Boulos, comes from money. He told the Times that any significant wealth of his is the result of his relationship with her, though he reportedly has tried to launch a number of business venturesan erotic drink manufacturer, construction companies, and a restaurantthat havent appeared to pan out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not the first time a Trump associate has wrongly claimed to be a billionaire. His old commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, was worth $700 million when he began his gig in 2017but had been touting himself as a billionaire. Forbes reported at the time that Ross had claimed a phantom $2 billion that simply did not exist. Trumps transition team declined to comment to the Times about the revelations in its story. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast. KYOTO, Dec 13 (News On Japan) - Geiko and maiko in Kyoto's hanamachi districts participated in the traditional 'Kotohajime' event on December 13th, offering gratitude to those who supported them over the past year and extending early New Year's greetings. This centuries-old custom dates back to the Edo period. Geiko and maiko visit their mentors and familiar ochaya (tea houses) to express thanks and make pledges for the coming year. Best wishes. We look forward to your continued support, is a common greeting exchanged during the event. Yachiyo Inoue, a Living National Treasure and head of the Inoue School of Kyomai dance, remarked, Its challenging, but persevere. Theres so much you wont understand at first; make sure to learn from your older sisters. In Gion Kobu, one of Kyotos five hanamachi districts, geiko and maiko, dressed in casual kimono, visited Inoue to pay their respects and renew their dedication to their art. Despite the chilly 4.4C temperature on Friday morning, the hanamachi was already imbued with the festive spirit of the upcoming New Year. Source: YOMIURI TOKYO, Dec 14 (News On Japan) - The number of dairy farms in Japan has halved over the past 15 years, dropping below 10,000 for the first time, raising the alarm about the future of domestic milk production. Chiba Prefecture, a major milk producer, recently held a free milk distribution event to encourage consumption during the holiday season, a period when milk sales typically drop due to school closures. Milk consumption in Japan has been in decline since the 1990s, with little sign of recovery. Many consumers admit to drinking milk less frequently, while dairy farmers struggle with rising production costs. Michiyo Nishioka, a farmer in Chiba, highlighted that feed prices have doubled since she started farming 13 years ago, leaving 60% of dairy farmers operating at a loss. The economic pressure has already forced some farmers out of business, creating ripple effects in other industries. Confectionery stores that rely on local dairy products face rising costs and supply shortages, with some raising prices to cope. Experts are calling for direct government support to help farmers manage production costs. They note that, unlike Europe, Japan places the full burden of agricultural costs on consumers. Nishioka, who has already raised milk prices twice, expressed her hope that domestic dairy farming can be preserved for future generations. Source: ANN CHIBA, Dec 14 (News On Japan) - Choshi Electric Railway, a small local railway in Chiba Prefecture, is advancing plans to convert its train cars into tourist attractions. To fund the project, the company has introduced figurines modeled after its employees The railway acquired a two-car train set from Nankai Electric Railway in Osaka this August, planning to debut it as a tourist train in March next year. Modifications include themed seat designs inspired by local fish such as mackerel and sardines, according to President Takemoto Katsuhiro. The project was inspired by Nankai's "Medetai Densha" tourist trains in Wakayama Prefecture, which feature designs reflecting local culture. Faced with an estimated conversion cost of 13 million yen, Choshi Electric Railway turned to unique merchandise to raise funds. Figurines modeled after two employeesDirector and driver Nishikami Itsuki and conductor Mage Remiwere created using 3D scanning and full-color printing technology. The figurines, available in two scales for railway enthusiasts, have been on sale since October. The railway is also promoting a "First Sunrise" train schedule for New Years Day, giving passengers a chance to see Japans earliest sunrise at Inubosaki. Takemoto hopes the initiative will attract more visitors and provide a refreshing start to the year. Looking back on 2024, Takemoto chose the kanji for "money" (, read as "kane") to represent the year, citing financial struggles. With zero-interest pandemic loans due for repayment next year, the railway is committed to improving its financial footing while continuing to innovate. Source: ANN TOKYO, Dec 14 (News On Japan) - A man impersonating a plainclothes police officer has been arrested for extortion in Tokyo's Akihabara district, allegedly accusing store customers of illicit filming and coercing them into paying money. Similar incidents have been reported in the area, with total damages estimated at 5.7 million yen. Authorities arrested Shogo Ikeha, a 36-year-old resident of Shinjuku Ward, on suspicion of extortion. He is accused of targeting a male customer at an electronics store in July, coercing him into paying over 1 million yen. Ikeha allegedly carried out the scheme with an accomplice, accusing the victim of secretly recording inside the store. "We are plainclothes officers. A settlement of around 3 million yen should suffice," Ikeha reportedly told the man. The victim, however, was not engaged in any illicit activity and was merely photographing products. To enhance the ruse, the suspects reportedly involved another individual pretending to be the father of a "victim" of the alleged filming. The man was then forced to withdraw 1.08 million yen in three separate transactions under duress. Since July, similar scams have been reported six times around Akihabara Station, leading to total losses of approximately 5.7 million yen. Police are investigating Ikeha's connection to these cases. Ikeha remains silent during questioning. Source: ANN When you think of Italy and Spain, vibrant images of culture, food, and traditions come to mind. Both countries showcase rich histories and unique lifestyles, yet they embody distinct characteristics that set them apart. Cultural differences between Italy and Spain highlight how each nation approaches social interactions, culinary experiences, and even family dynamics. In Italy, youll find an emphasis on family, la dolce vita, and a strong sense of regional identity. Italians often prioritize lengthy meals that serve as a time for connection, where food plays a central role. On the other hand, Spain offers a lively atmosphere thats marked by festivals, tapas, and a more relaxed attitude toward time. Understanding these nuances helps you appreciate what makes each culture special. As you explore the contrasts, from language nuances to daily routines, youll uncover the fascinating ways Italians and Spaniards celebrate life. Embracing these differences can enhance your travel experiences and deepen your appreciation for the diverse cultures that thrive across Europe. Historical Context and Language Evolution Italy and Spain share intriguing historical narratives that shaped their cultural identities. Language evolution in both countries reveals how historical events influenced their current linguistic landscapes. A Look Into the Rich Histories Italys history is marked by the influence of the Roman Empire, which united the region under Latin. After the fall of Rome, various kingdoms emerged, leading to regional dialects that eventually evolved into modern Italian. Meanwhile, Spains history features the mingling of various cultures, from Iberians to Romans, and later, Moors. The Reconquista and unification under the Catholic Monarchs in the late 15th century played significant roles in shaping the Spanish language, emphasizing Castilian over other regional languages. These historical contexts fostered rich cultural tapestries in both countries, laying the groundwork for diverse expressions in art, literature, and language. Diversity in Languages Both Italy and Spain are part of the Romance language family, derived from Latin. In Italy, you find a multitude of dialects, such as Tuscan, Neapolitan, and Sicilian. Each dialect reflects local traditions and customs. In Spain, regional languages like Catalan, Basque, and Galician coexist alongside Spanish. Catalan is particularly notable because its spoken in parts of Spain and across the border in France. This linguistic diversity illustrates the unique identities within each country, showing how language can signify deep cultural heritage. Culinary Traditions and Food Experience When exploring the culinary traditions of Italy and Spain, youll discover unique dishes and distinct dining customs that reflect each countrys rich heritage. From iconic ingredients to the way meals are enjoyed, both cultures offer a delightful food experience. Iconic Dishes and Ingredients Italian cuisine features classic dishes that are beloved worldwide. Pasta is a staple, found in numerous varieties such as spaghetti, penne, and lasagna. Dont forget about pizza, especially the thin-crust Neapolitan style topped with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. In Spain, the food experience is vibrant. Paella is a notable dish, typically made with saffron-infused rice, seafood, or chicken. You should also try tapas, small plates served with drinks, perfect for sharing and sampling. For sweets, tiramisu and limoncello from Italy contrast with Spains patatas bravas and albondigas (meatballs) that often surprise with rich flavors. When dining out, tipping in Spain is not necessary but appreciated. Mealtime Customs and Social Dining Dining in Italy emphasizes leisurely meals that stretch over hours. Youll likely find families gathering at the table for multiple courses: antipasti, a pasta dish, and a dessert like tiramisu. Mealtime is more than just food; its about connection. Its the same in all of Italy, from South to Northern Italy. In Spain, the rhythm of dining is different. You may find that dinners start late, around 9 PM. Sharing tapas is common, transforming meals into social gatherings. Youd enjoy a variety of small dishes and a laid-back ambiance, often complemented by wine or sangria. These customs highlight the importance of food as a way to bond with loved ones in both cultures. Artistry and Cultural Expression Italy and Spain shine in their unique artistic expressions, from stunning architecture to vibrant music and dance. Both cultures celebrate their heritage through festivals and local traditions, making it a joy to explore these countries. Architectural Marvels and Urban Landscapes Youll notice that Italian cities like Rome and Florence boast iconic architecture. Think of ancient basilicas, grand piazzas, and Renaissance masterpieces. The Colosseum and Duomo stand as symbols of Italys rich history. Meanwhile, Barcelona offers a mix of whimsical styles with Gaudis creations, such as the Sagrada Familia. Madrid combines historical elegance with modern flair, while Seville enchants with its stunning Moorish architecture. Both countries proudly showcase their heritage, making their urban landscapes part of their charm that invites you to wander through history. Music, Dance, and Festivals When it comes to music, Italys operatic roots are deep. Youll find concerts in Venice and Florence, where the sounds of Verdi and Puccini fill the air. In Spain, Flamenco is where emotion meets rhythm. Originating from Andalusia, this passionate dance tells stories through intricate footwork and music. Celebrations are vibrant in both nations. You can experience Italys Carnival in Venice or Spains lively La Tomatina in Bunol. The energy of these festivals showcases the cultural pride of each country and invites you to join the celebration. Modern Day Living and Societal Norms In both Italy and Spain, modern living reflects a blend of rich traditions and contemporary influences. Fashion, lifestyle choices, and how people view work and leisure play a significant role in daily life. Fashion and Lifestyle In Italy, fashion is woven into the fabric of everyday life. Cities like Milan set the stage for high fashion, boasting events like Milan Fashion Week. Italian fashion emphasizes elegance and quality, often showcasing brands like Gucci and Prada. People often dress smartly, even for casual outings. On the other hand, Spain leans towards vibrant and relaxed styles. Key cities such as Madrid and Barcelona are known for their laid-back yet stylish outfits. Spanish fashion embraces bold colors and patterns. The emphasis is on comfort blended with flair, often seen in regional attire during festivals. Attitudes Towards Leisure and Work When it comes to leisure, both countries value a balanced lifestyle, but they approach it differently. In Spain, the long tradition of siestas signifies the importance placed on rest. After a busy day, locals indulge in tapas and late-night dining. Socializing is a key aspect, often revolving around outdoor activities and community events. Meanwhile, Italians cherish their food culture, often choosing leisurely dining experiences. Work is important, but theres typically a strong emphasis on finding time for art, travel, and cultural activities. Adventure and exploration, whether through travel within Italy or Spain, are significant for fully experiencing these cultures. Conclusion Exploring cultural differences between Italy and Spain reveals intriguing insights. Both countries share a rich history but express their traditions in unique ways. Social Interactions: Italians often engage in lively, passionate conversations. Spaniards enjoy a more relaxed pace during social gatherings. Cuisine: Italian cuisine emphasizes regional ingredients and family recipes. Spanish food culture celebrates tapas, allowing for shared experiences. Art and Music: By John Akinfehinwa Two students have lost their lives in a ghastly motor accident in Lokoja, Kogi State. DAILY POST gathered that the accident, which occurred on Friday morning at about 10am, involved a female student of Federal University Lokoja, Miss Covenant Omolola Isaac, and another female student of Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja, Abu Taiwo Abimbola, from the Department of Science Laboratory and Technology Student. Our correspondent gathered that a heavily loaded articulated vehicle heading for Abuja axis along Felele, in Lokoja, lost control and ran into a tricycle popularly called Keke, that was carrying passengers heading to town. Other occupants of the tricycle were seriously injured. An identification card of the deceased female student of Federal University Lokoja, Covenant Omolola Isaac, of Department of Geology, was recovered from the accident scene. According to sources, the bodies of the two female students were deposited at Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, by some officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC. When contacted, the Sector Commander, FRSC, Kogi State, Samuel Oyedeji said his office has not been furnished with the details of the incident. He, however, promised to get back to DAILY POST. But he has not done so as of the time of filing this report. Meanwhile, the President of the National association of Science Laboratory and Technology Students, Kogi State Polytechnic chapter, Comrade Akor Caleb Kelvin, has issued a statement over the demise of the female student. The statement read, It is with heavy hearts that we announce the untimely passing of our cherished member, [Abu Taiwo Abimbola, 2023/HSLT/MCB/087], who tragically lost her life earlier today in a road accident along Felele Road, Lokoja. This devastating loss has left all of us in shock and deep sorrow. Abimbola, was more than just a member of our association; she was a beacon of hope and inspiration to everyone around her. Her kindness, dedication, and passion for education made her an exceptional part of our community. leaving behind a legacy of love and excellence. As we mourn this heartbreaking loss, we extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and loved ones. We pray for strength and comfort for them during this incredibly difficult time. In honor of her memory, the association will be organizing a tribute and memorial service to celebrate her remarkable life. Details of the event will be shared in due course, and we encourage everyone to join us in paying our final respects. Taiwo Abimbola will forever remain in our hearts. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in perfect peace. Amen. Legendary Afro-Juju musician, Sir Shina Peters, on Friday said he was ordained as a bishop in accordance with Gods directive. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that in 2021, Shina Peters was ordained as a bishop at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church of God in Iju area of Lagos State. The musician, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that the leadership of the church received divine instruction on his ordination. He said the instruction, which was divinely delivered to the leadership of the church, came years before he accepted the ordination. He said, The Almighty God said that I should be made the first bishop in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church of God. He told the leaders of the church. God said this is because I am the only musician who has been consistent in using the hymns in my music and performances, and with this, I have won many souls for Christ. You know my music is usually taken from the hymns. And I tried to dodge the ordination for a while, until God finally got me arrested. Speaking about his career, Peters expressed satisfaction over his growth and appreciated God for guiding him through the years. I am fulfilled; I am contented. The only thing I always ask my creator for now is to keep me more enlightened in His word and give me the grace to get closer to Him. There is absolutely nothing I want to ask again than to continue to give thanks to God for my achievements so far, by His grace. When I go down memory lane and I think about those we started the journey of life together with, who are no more, I remain grateful to my creator. On what my fans should expect, I will only say they should expect something unusual very soon, he said. Retired military officers from Europe are protecting the highly-prized resource-rich North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from falling to Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, according to a recent report by the Deutsche Welle (DW). Some of them pointed out, in an interview, that while the job is well paid, they must often deal with a better-armed adversary. One of them, a paratrooper who had served in the French army for 36 years, was deployed in conflicts from Mali, Senegal, to Togo, Afghanistan to Kosovo. He admits that instead of enjoying his pension at home as a veteran, he has chosen to head a 20-member team at the Bulgarian private security company, Agemira, to fight the M23 rebels in eastern DRC. President Felix Tshisekedis government hired Agemira, which employs mostly retired French army officers, for the job two years ago. Another company hired by the Congolese government is the Romanian military company Romanii care au activat in legiunea franceza (RALF), which has around 800 fighters, mostly from Romania and Belarus, many of whom had served in the French Foreign Legion. According to the DW report, the RALF soldiers, who call themselves Romeos, form a defensive ring around Goma and the strategically important town of Sake. Both Agemira and RALF private security companies closely collaborate and see themselves as a team that fights for a noble cause, as put by an ex-member of the French army. And since mercenaryism is a criminal offense in Europe, these Europeans hired to work in eastern DRC stress that they are primarily consultants and not mercenaries. Nigers military authorities suspended British broadcaster the BBC for three months accusing it of spreading false news and undermining troops morale. The decision came after the BBC broadcasted in local Hausa language that an attack killed more than 90 Nigerien soldiers and 40 civilians in two Niger villages near the border with Burkina Faso. Niamey authorities said BBC broadcasts false information aimed at destabilizing social calm and undermining the troops morale. Popular BBC programs, including those in Hausa the most-spoken language in Niger are broadcast in the Central African country through local radio partners to reach a large audience across the region. Similar bans hit other international news outlets, such as French broadcasters France 24 and Radio France International (RFI), after the coup in Niger. Morocco has reiterated strong commitment to the 5+5 Defense Initiative seeking to enhance cooperation, mutual trust and security between the North and South countries of the western Mediterranean. Moroccos engagement was voiced by Minister in charge of National Defense Administration Abdeltif Loudyi during the 20th meeting of the Ministers of Defense of the 5+5 Defense Initiative held Thursday in Madrid. Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, has always shown full commitment to various initiatives aimed at maintaining peace, stability and security in the region, said Mr. Loudyi, affirming that the North African Kingdom remains open to all forms of bilateral and multilateral cooperation aimed at combating illegal immigration and terrorist threats. To address these challenges, Morocco advocates a global approach based on shared responsibility, said the minister, stressing the need to promote partnership strategies and realistic co-development programs involving countries on both shores of the Western Mediterranean. He lauded in this regard the efforts and contributions made by member countries to make the Initiative a privileged forum for multilateral cooperation, aimed at deepening dialogue, consultation and sharing experience and expertise around common security and defense interests. Morocco hailed the research study conducted on Climate change & security in the Mediterranean region as well as cooperation mechanisms to strengthen resilience against climate change and its detrimental consequences. After assessing the actions carried out in 2024, the Heads of delegation set a roadmap for joint cooperation in 2025 to enhance further the momentum of the Initiative. Morocco pledged to provide all necessary support to activities scheduled for 2025, in particular the research on Maritime security in Western Mediterranean: the 5+5 Defense Initiative contribution. A group defending Polisario separatism in the European parliament has been disbanded, in yet a new set back for Algeria which has used the same group as a platform for anti-Morocco propaganda. The intergroup was long used by Algeria as an interference tool in the European Parliament, which has its own delegation in charge of the Maghreb. Hence no need for a group defending an Algerian agenda. Algeria and its Polisario proxies had used the group for over two decades in a failed attempt to unsettle EU-Morocco ties. The diplomatic blow to the Polisario came amid deteriorating relations between Algeria and the European Union in general. The association agreement has faced setbacks, while a rift is widening between key EU member states, due to Algiers economic retaliation measures against France and Spain. Algeria has shown Europe that it is the real party in the Sahara conflict, ready to go as far as self-harm by weaponizing trade in reprisal against EU powers that back Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara. Algerias grim human rights record and its recent arbitrary arrest of a French-Algerian writer Boulem Sansal, has painted the country as a source of instability on the EUs southern borders. The European Parliament had denounced Algeria for arresting Sansal and for its crackdown against dissent at home and abroad. President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, praised on December 12, 2024, a communique signed the previous day by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The agreement, facilitated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, represents a crucial step toward resolving longstanding tensions between the two East African neighbors, Moussa Faki Mahamat said. The agreement follows a January 2024 memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland, in which Addis Ababa sought access to the sea through Somaliland while implicitly recognizing its independence. This move heightened tensions with Somalia, which considers Somaliland an integral part of its sovereign territory. Moussa Faki Mahamat described the agreement as an important act of high responsibility, commending both leaders for their commitment to abandon differences of opinion and contentious issues. He urged Ethiopia and Somalia to fully implement the agreement. The historic deal was announced on December 11 during a joint press conference in Turkey. According to the agreement text published by Turkish authorities, Somalia and Ethiopia pledged to strengthen cooperation for mutual prosperity, emphasizing trade and bilateral relations. A key provision ensures Ethiopia reliable, safe, and sustainable access to the sea, operating under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia. To operationalize the agreement, technical discussions will commence by the end of February 2025, with a four-month timeline for completion. Any unresolved matters will be addressed through dialogue, with Turkey offering to mediate if necessary. The agreement, hailed as a turning point, aims to reshape regional relations, enhance economic collaboration, and solidify bilateral ties in East Africa. The United States also welcomed the breakthrough. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken lauded the accord on December 12, emphasizing that it reaffirms the sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity of each country while advancing cooperation on shared interests. Blinken urged Somalia and Ethiopia to intensify their cooperation as they work toward implementing the agreement. President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema has sent a written message to King Mohammed VI. The message was handed over to Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita by Zambias peer Mulambo Haimbe during a meeting held Friday in Laayoune on the sidelines of the 1st session of Moroccan-Zambian cooperation commission. Zambias top diplomat has reiterated on this occasion his countrys strong support for Moroccos sovereignty over all its territory, including the Sahara. He praised the growing international backing to the Autonomy plan offered by the North African Kingdom for the Sahara under its sovereignty, describing the plan as the ONLY credible, serious and realistic solution. The Zambian official also hailed the UN-led exclusive efforts engaged for achieving a realistic, practical and lasting solution to the Sahara regional dispute. The first Morocco-Zambia Joint Cooperation Commission was convened in Moroccan Saharan city of Laayoune under the co-chairmanship of the two countries foreign ministers. It was crowned with the signing of seven cooperation agreements in tourism, renewable energies, vocational training, justice, investment and higher education. The two countries pledged to continue to work together to build a win-win multidimensional partnership for shared progress and prosperity. Zambia was one of the first southern African countries to open a consulate in Laayoune as early as 2020, a token of its support for the Moroccanness of the Sahara. Photo: Shawn Thew/Bloomberg via Getty Images Joe Bidens clemency wave has begun. The lame-duck president will continue to announce pardons and sentence commutations before he leaves office on January 20. On December 23, he commuted the sentences of nearly all federal prisoners on death row. Biden has also pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, as well as dozens of other people convicted of nonviolent crimes. And he has commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 non-violent criminals who had been moved to home confinement during the COVID pandemic. More pardons and commutations are expected. Its also possible that Biden will preemptively pardon government officials whom incoming president Donald Trump has vowed to retaliate against, and criminal justice activists are pushing for Biden to protect others, as well. Below is everyone Biden has announced clemency for thus far. Pardons Five members of Bidens family Just minutes before his presidency ended, as Joe Biden was seated to watch his successor sworn in, his administration announced sweeping pardons to five members of the Biden family. Biden pardoned his two brothers, James and Francis Biden; his sister, Valerie Biden Owens; and James and Valeries spouses, Sara Biden and John Owens. In a statement, Biden said: My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me the worst kind of partisan politics, he said in his last statement as president. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end. Preemptive pardons for Milley, Fauci, and people involved in January 6 Committee On the final morning of his presidency, Biden issued multiple preemptive pardons aimed at staving off Trump reprisals: I am exercising my authority under the Constitution to pardon General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Members of Congress and staff who served on the Select Committee, and the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the Select Committee. The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense. Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country. Marcus Garvey Biden gave Garvey, who founded the black nationalist movement in the U.S., a posthumous pardon on January 19. The pardon erases Garveys 1923 mail fraud conviction. Four other activists and public servants In addition to Garvey, Biden also pardoned gun violence prevention advocate Darryl Chambers, who was convicted of a non-violent drug offense in the 1990s; immigrant advocate Ravidath Ravi Ragbir, who was convicted of a nonviolent offense in 2001; Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott, who was convicted of a a non-violent drug offense in 1994; and criminal justice advocate Kemba Smith Pradia, who was convicted of a non-violent drug offense in 1994, and had her sentence commuted by President Clinton. 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes On December 12, Biden pardoned another 39 people who, according to the White House, were convicted of non-violent crimes, including drug offenses, and have turned their lives around: These individuals are parents, veterans, health care professionals, teachers, advocates, and engaged members of their communities. Many of them have used their experiences in the criminal justice system to inspire and encourage others. Most of the people pardoned committed drug offenses in their early 20s or younger. The full list of the 39 people, along with short biographies provided by the White House, is here. Hunter Biden Bidens most controversial pardon, by far, has been for his son. On December 1, the president ordered a broad pardon for Hunter Biden despite having vowed he would never do that. Hunter was about to be sentenced on federal tax evasion and gun charges, but Bidens pardon went beyond that For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024 in an effort to protect his son from additional charges that might be brought by the incoming Trump administration. Commutations Leonard Peltier In the last minutes of his presidency, Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, a well-known Native American activist who was convicted of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1970s. Peltier has been in prison since 1976, having maintained his innocence all along, and has been in poor health for years. The White House said in a statement that Peltier is now 80 years old, suffers from severe health ailments, and has spent the majority of his life (nearly half a century) in prison. This commutation will enable Mr. Peltier to spend his remaining days in home confinement but will not pardon him for his underlying crimes. In a statement put out by an advocacy organization, Peltier said Its finally over Im going home. I want to show the world Im a good person with a good heart. Nearly 2,500 convicted of non-violent drug offenses On January 17, President Biden announced that he has commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 people who were previously convicted of non-violent drug offenses. In a statement, Biden said that with his latest action he has issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history. Todays clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes, he said. This post has been updated. Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images Next year marks a grim anniversary, five years since COVID reached the U.S. A half decade of mass death has political consequences that are just becoming clear. No one disputes that the pandemic was the site of injustice, but they disagree on who the victims were. To the left, the pandemic exacerbated disparities that the U.S. has long refused to address. To the right, lockdowns, mask requirements and vaccine mandates represented a kind of tyranny. The former conclusion is more accurate, but the latter is ascendant. Donald Trump has nominated a handful of figures who shared a basic hostility toward public health interventions during the height of the pandemic, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who opposed the COVID vaccine and claimed in 2023 that the virus had been targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. Dr. Mehmet Oz, chosen to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, even hawked quack treatments for COVID. Their rise, like Trumps return to power, reveals hostility towards the mainstream, and with it, a sharp breakdown in public trust. Certain public health interventions ask people to change their behaviors to wear masks, or get vaccinated, or drink fluoridated water predicated on the conviction that the government is protecting their interests. Trump often said they couldnt, even when meant undermining members of his own administration. In April 2020, as the virus raged through the country, Trump said of the CDCs masking guidance that You dont have to do itI dont think Im going to be doing it. Later, in August, he equivocated, saying, We have urged Americans to wear masks, and I emphasized this is a patriotic thing to do. Maybe theyre great, and maybe theyre just good. Maybe theyre not so good. (There is now significant evidence that wearing masks can reduce the spread of COVID.) Though Trump is often credited for the success of Operation Warp Speed, which produced several COVID vaccines for use in the U.S., the rollout of the shots was flawed and resulted in chaos for medical providers. ProPublica reported in January 2021 that hospitals and clinics often had to cancel vaccination appointments because vaccine availability fluctuated from week to week and sometimes from day to day. Meanwhile, advisors close to Trump denounced masks and promoted a herd immunity-first strategy, though it has been widely discredited by the scientific community. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Trumps selection to run the National Institutes of Health, suggested in a March 2020 editorial for The Wall Street Journal that COVID wouldnt be as deadly as the flu. The virus would quickly prove him wrong, but months later, he would co-author the Great Barrington Declaration, which promoted safeguarding only high-risk people and urged a quick return to normal life for low-risk people, even though vaccines were not yet available. There was and remains little scientific evidence to support the declarations conclusions, as its critics pointed out at the time. In fact it seemed overtly partisan rather than scientific: As the New York Times reported not long after the declarations publication, it grew out of a meeting organized by the right-leaning American Institute for Economic Research. Another Trump pick, Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon and cancer specialist, is a vocal critic of masking and wrote in February 2021 that COVID will be mostly gone by April, allowing Americans to resume normal life. Makary wasnt alone in that prediction, but some experts did fault his view at the time, and subsequent omicron and delta variants would go on to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans, as CBS News pointed out in a piece on Makarys nomination to lead the Food and Drug Administration. Both physicians could work closely with Kennedy if they are all confirmed by the Senate. Their potential collaboration signals trouble ahead for science and public health, as Kennedy denies mainstream science outright. In a 2020 speech resurfaced by The Bulwark earlier this year, Kennedy said that much of the pandemic feels very planned to me and added, I dont know. I will tell you this: If you create these mechanisms for control, they become weapons of obedience for authoritarian regimes no matter how beneficial or innocent the people who created them. Kennedy doesnt have a popular mandate for his conspiracies. Most Americans complied with public health advice while the pandemic was at its worst, while Kennedys presidential campaign flamed out quickly. At the same time, anti-vaccine sentiment appears to be rising within the GOP and its base. A 2023 poll from Politico/Morning Consult found that Republican voters are less likely than Democrats or independents to say vaccines are safe for children, a change from pre-COVID polling which found little partisan difference in attitudes toward vaccination. Why the shift? The columnist Jeet Heer has spoken of a reconfiguration in American politics, and a divide between pro- and anti-system ways of thinking. The left can tap into anti-system politics to great effect, as Sen. Bernie Sanders did during his campaigns for president. Liberals are less inclined to subvert that system and the political economy it represents, and we see the consequences now. President Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020 because he pledged a return to normal, and then a subsequent cost of living crisis proved that normal wasnt working for millions. To many, Trump seemed like an anti-system candidate, a champion who could shake up Washington and fix whats broken. This isnt amnesia or mass delusion, but something else: a legible reaction to real political dysfunction. Although the system was failing long before COVID appeared, mass death brought its problems to the fore. The pandemic ushered in a revelatory period in public life, and it is still reshaping American politics. In the absence of a truthful narrative about who is failing the public and why, people are vulnerable to alternative stories and may invent their own villains. They could blame vaccines, and the experts who promote them; they could believe a demagogue like Trump over the average defender of science. The base will justify whatever Trump does, but others will be disappointed. Trump is a servant of capital, not the people, and if his administration successfully weakens public health and its institutions, there will be more suffering. The solution is not a yard sign which proclaims that in this house we believe science is real. People need a new system, one that works for them. Until then, our pain will fester. Daniel Penny. Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images On December 9, police in Pennsylvania arrested Luigi Mangione for allegedly shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in front of the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan five days earlier. The manhunt turned the 26-year-old into an unlikely folk hero and sex symbol. Revelers trashed the slain insurance executive as an evil profiteer, while surveillance images of Mangiones face triggered thirsty reactions on social media. Raw, next question, read one characteristic response to a resurfaced shirtless photo. Laura Ingraham was outraged. Twisted hero worship, fumed the Fox News host, decrying the supposed liberal wackos who were salivating over Mangiones Italian good looks. Clearly, if you want to be a sympathetic assassin for a certain class of people, it pays to do lots of crunches, planks, and other core exercises, quipped National Review editor Rich Lowry. Yet for all this partisan hand-wringing, Lowrys observation could just as easily describe Daniel Penny, another lusted-after 26-year-old killer who was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide the same day that Mangione was arrested. Pennys legal case has been a right-wing cause celebre ever since he choked a Black busker to death on the F train last year. In the same segment where she bewailed those thirsting after Mangione, Ingraham described Penny as a hero whose acquittal ensured that hope is not lost in New York. This perverse double standard is not merely hypocritical. Mangiones fan base is much like Mangione himself ideologically scattered, conspicuously online, and given coherent meaning mainly by its collective hatred of Americas private health-insurance system. Penny fandom, on the other hand, is part of a conservative tradition of vigilante worship that goes all the way to the top of the Republican Establishment. I have not said much about this case for fear of (negatively) influencing the jury, vice-president-elect J.D. Vance wrote on X after the Penny verdict. But thank God justice was done It was a scandal Penny was ever prosecuted in the first place. Activist Christopher Rufo described Penny as a persecuted white man and praised the outcome as a sign that the real spirit of justice is returning to America. Charlie Kirk, the activist tasked with vetting President-elect Donald Trumps potential Cabinet appointees, wrote, Daniel Penny is a hero, among several other posts celebrating his acquittal. Penny deserves a medal from NYC and Donald Trump, tweeted Rudy Giuliani. Elsewhere, the praise was more nakedly carnal, gushing over everything from Pennys looks to his perceived temperament. Political commentator Helen Andrews penned a fawning essay comparing the former U.S. marine, whom she described as a curly-haired warrior standing erect and serene above his police captors, to a Roman statue. Fox News host Jeanine Pirro praised his apparent humility, saying he had the courage of a lion. One X user claimed the former marine was only prosecuted because he was blonde and handsome. Another wrote that Pennys innocence was further proven by the fact that not enough mentally ill women were lusting after him online, like they supposedly were for Mangione, despite his obvious handsomeness. A literal Adonis, observed yet another. Sometimes, captioned an X user underneath a flattering photo of Penny alongside a less flattering photo of one of his prosecutors, in the battle between good and evil, physiognomy alone tells you more than any words can. There is no equivalent to this reaction in left-leaning media outlets or among figures in the Democratic Party. On the contrary, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, expressing what seems to be a dominant sentiment among liberals, said, In a civil society, we are all less safe when ideologues engage in vigilante justice. The approving X posts, news segments, and jubilant reshares of footage of Penny celebrating at a Manhattan bar after the verdict all of it felt familiar. Kyle Rittenhouse, the then-teenager who killed two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020, is an obvious template. By the time he was acquitted in 2021, Rittenhouse had been made the subject of a documentary by Tucker Carlson. He was subsequently offered internships by then-Congressmen Matt Gaetz and Madison Cawthorn, among others, and was invited to meet Trump. His image was commercialized by boutique retailers a Texas gun range held a Rittenhouse-themed not guilty sale in his honor. Penny merchandise has already hit the sales racks: On Deplorable Tees, the MAGA-themed online retailer, you can now buy a Daniel Penny did nothing wrong T-shirt for $22.95. This phenomenon predates Trump and the culture industry spawned by his rise. George Zimmerman, the neighborhood-watch volunteer who killed Trayvon Martin in 2012, was so encouraged by his own commercial prospects after his acquittal a print of one of his paintings was sold by a Florida gun store, while an online vendor started selling shooting targets meant to approximate Martin that in 2016, he put up for auction the gun he used to kill the Black teen, later claiming to have sold it for a quarter-million dollars. This happened after key figures in the conservative-media elite rallied to his defense, including Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. What ultimately distinguishes the rights embrace of vigilantes is how strikingly comprehensive it is, encompassing memes and merch and involving everyone from the lowest shitposter to the vice-president-elect. It is no accident that a race-baiting political movement, nominally dedicated to restoring a fictional past American glory, is so invested in protecting the right of everyday citizens to kill Black strangers they consider dangerous. Nor should it be taken lightly that such vigilantes are now poised to have even more free rein: They express the will of a political faction that is about to reclaim the White House, control both chambers of Congress, and sustain its U.S. Supreme Court majority. It is one thing to lust after a rogue killer as a random horny X user. It is another to do so on behalf of the most powerful political movement in the West. 33 items in this article 14 items on sale! Photo: The Strategist; Photo: Retailer Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I take immense pride in my collection of ornaments, both vintage and new. But choosing a topper to tie everything together feels a little less straightforward. A festive topper literally crowns a Christmas tree as the final decorative piece, and as such, it should be gorgeous, glorious, and never an afterthought, according to interior designer Elaine Griffin. Whether youre looking for a classic star, a delicately shaped finial, or a novelty symbol like a holiday creature, shopping for one can be as personal as selecting a vintage ornament. In talking to interior designers and doing my own sleuthing, I noticed that while there are many routes to take, the options arent as expansive as the ornaments landscape. In addition to the more traditional styles, the contemporary ones are often variations of those toppers. Oversize bows seem to be having something of a moment (generally speaking and in Christmasland as well), along with other maximalist toppers, but cute animals and characters like penguins and gingerbread people also abound. Here are some of my favorite showstopping toppers in a variety of styles and price points that I found in my search. Best star-shaped Christmas-tree toppers Uashmama Italian Star Tree Topper $40 $40 The star-shaped topper is arguably the most traditional option, but just because its classic doesnt mean it has to be boring. Nicole Fisher of BNR Interiors loves these stars for their traditional shape but unexpected texture and material. Theyre made from washable paper that has been treated and tanned to look like leather and are available in red and white. $40 at North No. 4 Buy Cody Foster 16 Point Star Tree Topper in Antique Gold $42 $42 Strategist contributor and DIYer Caroline Mullen loves a classic star. After extensive research, she found a 16-point papier mache topper by Cody Foster at Jersey City boutique Kanibal & Co. I love the handmade, imperfect look of the antique gold leaf on this star as opposed to a glossy, brand-new feeling star, she says. She also appreciates the cone-like base of the topper, saying that its easier to wiggle onto the top branch than standard spring bases, which almost always end up looking wonky and lopsided. Mullen adds that it goes great with all her vintage and thrifted ornaments for her tree: This star ties together the mid century ornaments and more Victorian-feeling accents I strung onto the tree like bows and pearl garland. $42 at Clove and Creek Buy Balsam Hill Double-Sided Starburst Tree Topper $149 $149 Mullen also loves a star made out of capiz shell, like this one from Balsam Hill, because she says they really do harmonize with any style. She says that it would work equally well with a vintage-inspired tree with tons of tinsel and blown glass ornaments, in a more traditional home, or with neutral or farmhouse-y Christmas decor. Another plus is that it is attached to the tree by a thin, 15-inch pole instead of a hollow base that sits on the top branch, so its particularly great for real trees that tend not to be perfectly straight at the top. Plus it lights up. Any extra glow you can add to the tree means more Christmas magic, says Mullen. $149 at Balsam Hill Buy Cody Foster Rhinestone Tree Topper $45 $45 Heres a bedazzled star that sparkles. Its the topper of choice for Going Mental podcast host Eileen Kelly. I grew up Catholic and my familys tree always had an angel on top, she says. As soon as I moved out on my own, Miss Angel got replaced with a star. Honestly, I just liked that it was girlie and sparkly. $45 at Maisonette Buy OYOY Christmas Topstar in Brass $72 $72 For another mid-century modern-style topper, consider a Sputnik star. This particular style is a favorite of Atlanta-based interior designer Jessica Davis of Atelier Davis, who calls it lightweight and therefore easier to install (as in, the tree wont topple over from its weight). The brass-plated piece comes with a removable spring base, which means you can also hang it as decor. Its not traditional, but still festive, shiny, and fun, says Davis. $72 at Burke Decor Buy Mueller Handcrafted German Beechwood Star Tree Topper $88 $88 New York Citybased interior designer Augusta Hoffman recommends this more subdued topper thats made from beechwood. The neutral tone makes this a classic but the silhouette doesnt lean too serious, she says. Its made by Mueller, a company thats been around since 1899 and is located in Seiffen, Germany, the birthplace of the traditional holiday nutcracker. $88 at Food52 Buy 12-inch Smart Lighted Christmas Star Tree Topper $30 $30 For an even more extravagant light show, consider this programmable star that Decorilla lead designer Devin Shaffer recommends. One way I help clients that prefer white lights but want to add color to their Christmas decor is to go with a smart light tree topper like this one, says Shaffer. You get to be in complete control and can even sync your music with the lighting effects. This Moravian star can be controlled via an app and is equipped with multiple colors and modes. Im all about allowing clients to fully experience their emotions via design. If youre having a blue Christmas, embrace the moody blues; if youre having a tropical Christmas, go full on green and pink. The list goes on, says Shaffer. $30 at Amazon Buy $30 at Amazon Buy Suzanne Oddy Design Crescent Moon Christmas Tree Topper $75 $75 Stars arent the only celestial bodies that can make a tree shine. Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla opted for this crescent moon. I know the stars the sort of classic tree topper thing, but I liked that this ones the moon itself instead. You just get a sliver of silver, says Pardilla. As she explains, it comes with velvet ribbons on the back that you use to tie the topper to the branches. This makes the topper look part of the tree, rather than something plopped on top, she says. Made of gold-trimmed mirror glass, the moon has a sleepy eye thats really pretty, too, and those accents mean that it goes well with her tree ornaments, which are a combination of silver and gold. $75 at Suzanne Oddy Design Buy Best finial Christmas-tree toppers John Derian Nostalgic Mushroom Tree Topper $58 $58 This mushroom topper from John Derian was recommended by two of our experts, including Hoffman and writer and Strategist contributor Ivy Pochoda. Says Hoffman, John Derian is my Mecca for kitschy Christmas decor. The playfulness of this mushroom topper would be so charming with strings of popcorn and pom poms. $58 at John Derian Buy Christopher Radko Presents Shiny Brite Christmas Confetti 11.5 Snowman Finial $34 $34 Pochoda was on the hunt for the perfect topper for her pink tinsel Christmas tree when I reached out to her, considering a couple of retro finials and stars. She finally settled on this vintage-inspired snowman with a mischievous grin from Christopher Radkos Shiny Brite. This is bang on the money for my pink tinsel Christmas tree, she says. Its delightfully deranged (look at that face) but classical in style, as if the Star of Bethlehem were moonlighting as a carnival barker. $34 at Replacements Buy More Christmas-tree toppers Stars and finials arent the only acceptable toppers for your tree. If you like angels, consider these cheery ones made out of felt. Theyre a favorite of Porta co-founder Alice Russotti. I love a bit of felt on the tree and think that these ladies are so sweet and jolly, she says. Just the ticket for a cozy Christmas! Measuring 14 and 15 inches tall, respectively, theyre handcrafted in Nepal and dressed in vibrant robes that would certainly stand out from their perch at the top of the tree. Pottery Barn Handcrafted Red Cardinal Bird Tree Topper $59 $59 Los Angelesbased interior designer Shana Sherwood of Sherwood Kypreos prefers a little creature and has been using a red cardinal in her home for the past few years. Its whimsical and odd to have a bird sitting on the top of your tree, she says. This year, our kids were fighting about who gets to put it on, so that must mean it is a hit in our home. $59 at Pottery Barn Buy Balsam Hill Santas Sleigh Animated Tree Topper $149 $149 You could even go with an animated tree topper, which reminds Shaffer of holiday markets and old school holiday movies. He discovered this star, which has a rotating Santa sleigh going around it, after realizing a train set that goes around the base of the tree is a no-go with his pets. While he admits its a bit of a splurge, the topper will bring happiness and joy thats invaluable. One piece of advice: Its most important to have a sturdy tree that can handle the movement and weight of this style of topper. It comes with a 6-foot-long cord and a built-in timer with 6 hours on and 18 hours off, so you dont have to fuss with unplugging at night. $149 at Balsam Hill Buy You can also go the DIY route and make your own toppers by combining a bunch of elements yourself. Thats what interior designer Kate Dawson does. The angels and stars, and even the classic glass finials, are just too frustrating and difficult to use. Theyre hard to secure and attach to a tree, plus they never stand up straight, she tells me. Instead, she uses an assortment of (very affordable) sparkly picks by creating a cluster at the top of the tree. Its a burst of holiday fun thats eye-catching and easy to keep in place, she says. Dawson buys all her picks at Michaels, and though not everything she used for this years tree is still available, here are a couple that are, plus a few similar ones. As far as how they work, picks come with wires that are bendable and very easy to wrap around a branch. Moonoom Large Artificial Peacock Ornaments, 23 $26 $26 Like Dawson, Shaffer appreciates a little creativity when choosing a topper. I realized that you can use any ornament or decor piece that has a clip as a tree topper, he explains. Shaffer recommended these peacock ornaments after seeing similar ones at a local antique store recently. My advice is to go big the more feathers the better, as the cascading effect is what makes it a statement, he says. The color profile of the birds makes them versatile, too. The number of colors that can be pulled from a peacock feather is nearly limitless, which allows for a variety of colors and patterns for other ornaments on the tree. These measure 23 inches long and come with clips that you can easily attach to the tree. $26 at Amazon Buy $26 at Amazon Buy Northlight 8-Inch Lighted Christmas-Tree Topper in Gold $24 $24 Heres another retro option that McCarthy calls over-the-top. This snowflake-shaped crowner is made with gold tinsel and multicolored flower lights. Its the perfect way to bring back the nostalgia of the 50s in an updated way, she says. $24 at Target Buy Pink Door Wreaths Burlap Tree-Topper Bow $65 $65 A huge bow is another traditional topper that goes a long way, and its a particularly popular look in the South. As a Southerner, my love affair with ribbon bows of every iteration began at birth and continues unabated its in our DNA, says Griffin. Oversize pom-pom-bow tree toppers are tried, tested, and irrefutably true; theyre eternally chic but also come in every color under the sun, are always affordable, and go with everything. In other words, theyre the LBDs of tree toppers. Heres a tip from Griffin: Go easy with the streamers, not longer than 16 inches on an eight-foot tree. Honey, theyre not supposed to be hoopskirts. She likes this burlap option you can get on Amazon. $65 at Amazon Buy $65 at Amazon Buy Celebrate It Classic 1 x 3yd. Velvet Ribbon $5 $5 Or, simply tie your own floppy bow with velvet ribbon and throw it on top of the tree which is what Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens did for her tree. $5 at Michael's Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. 10 items in this article 2 items on sale! Photo: Marcus McDonald Anyone who has walked through an instant-noodle aisle knows what its like to be confronted by shelves upon shelves of identically shaped packets, their glossy exteriors promising bowl after bowl of slurpable noodles in hot, savory soup. There are some things all instant noodles share: All you need to know to make them is how to boil water, and all you have to pay for them is roughly the price of a single subway ride. But thats more or less where the similarities end. There are flavors and varieties to satisfy any craving fiery curries of every color; rich, tongue-coating miso soups; sour, lemongrass-laden broths. Some options are even packaged in single-serve cups and bowls, offering the promise of not having to do dishes in addition to getting a satisfying meal. With so many options, you may find yourself asking, Which instant noodles are the absolute best? According to the eight experts I talked to including chefs, food writers, cookbook authors, and other foodies the answer isnt as simple as the cooking process. Perhaps unsurprisingly, each person had their own favorite noodles, none of which came up more than once; the recommendations were just as diverse down to the brands, only one of which was recommended by two experts. Because of this, we forwent our typical designation of best overall and instead divided the instant-noodle recommendations into soupy, saucy (also known as dry), and spicy varieties. (Even these categories are imperfect some soupy noodles would count as spicy or even saucy, depending on how you prepare them but they should be helpful for those who already have an idea of what they like.) One thing all of our noodle know-it-alls agreed on, however, is that instant noodles only get better when you doctor them up. So along with the noodles themselves, weve included any cooking tips our experts shared to make a tasty dish even tastier most of which require ingredients that may already be in your fridge or pantry. Best soupy instant noodles MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodles $8 for 4 Photo: Retailer No serious discussion of instant noodles can take place without the opinion of Lucas Kwan Peterson, the food columnist for the Los Angeles Times. In November 2019, Peterson put together an exhaustive, thoroughly detailed power ranking of 31 varieties, placing each on a matrix (not unlike New York Magazines Approval Matrix) according to their taste and how much the instant noodles recalled their non-instant iterations. Since publishing his guide, Peterson told us he hasnt been keeping up with new ramen releases as much as I should, but he says, In my experience, you cant go wrong with instant noodles from MyKuali. (One reason is that the Malaysian instant-noodle brand is easy to find online.) As for his favorite: I like the white Penang curry MyKuali, which contains green chiles that give the white curry a satisfying heat (white here means its made with green chiles, not red). $8 for 4 at Walmart Buy Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Chicken Momosan Ramen $2 Photo: Retailer These instant noodles from Sapporo Ichiban made Petersons power ranking, falling somewhere near the intersection of Better Taste and Tastes More Like Thing on his matrix. They also happen to be the favorite instant noodles of Sheldon Simeon, the chef-owner of Tin Roof and author of Cook Real Hawaii, who calls these noodles crazy ridiculous. Simeon explains that the Momosan in the name nods to their creator, chef Masaharu Morimoto, whom he describes as one of the best chefs in the world. Simeon adds, Sometimes, to make the broth even creamier, Ill crack an egg in it, stirring it directly into the soup, almost like egg-drop soup. Then, to kick up the heat, I add a bunch of Tabasco or black pepper. We do that at the restaurants, too lots of black pepper in our broths. To make these noodles an even more substantial meal, Simeon says he will occasionally toss in leftover roast pork: Ill freeze individual portions with sliced green onion in small Ziploc bags, and all I have to do is add it to the hot broth. $2 at Mercato Buy Mama Instant Noodle Shrimp Creamy Tom Yum $24 for 20 Photo: Retailer Mamas Creamy Tom Yum Noodles come recommended by Nong Poonsukwattana, the chef behind Portlands chicken-and-rice haven Nongs Khao Man Gai, for their tangy, lemongrass-laced flavor. She says they have been a staple since she was a kid, when she would just crumble the noodles and put everything that comes in the package on top and eat it. (Noodle connoisseurs know that any crunchy fried instant noodles are pretty great straight from the package.) While these instant noodles are traditionally prepared as a soup, Poonsukwattana says she instead uses them in a noodle salad in an effort to eat healthier. She adds shrimp, shallot, lemongrass, mint, and lettuce to the cooked and strained noodles and swaps out the tangy seasoning packet for a citrusy fish-sauce dressing. If your eyes slightly popped at the price, know that the 20-pack of noodles comes with a long-handled spoon you can use to prepare them. $24 for 20 at Amazon Buy Nissin Instant Ramen Noodles With Soup Base, Black-Garlic Oil, Tonkotsu Pork $19 now 11% off $17 for 12 Photo: Retailer Food writer Cathy Erway, author of The Food of Taiwan, pointed us to these noodles that come with an extra ingredient to make the dish, well, extra. They have this little packet of black-garlic oil, which creates these little droplets of black oil across the top of your bowl a nice touch that feels kind of fancy for instant noodles, she says. Erway also cracks an egg into her noodles as they cook. An egg is imperative: About halfway through the cooking process, I crack one into the center of the pot with the noodles and dont stir it anymore, she says. A couple minutes later, the noodles and egg are cooked; the yolk is usually still a little soft. Occasionally, she adds more: If I happen to have some fresh leafy greens like spinach, Ill also drop them into the pot toward the end of cooking. $17 for 12 at Amazon Buy $17 for 12 at Amazon Buy Best saucy instant noodles Indomie Mi Goreng Instant Stir Fry Noodles, Original Flavor $23 now 13% off $20 for 30 Photo: Retailer Sometimes you want noodles sans a whole bowl of broth. Thats where saucy noodles come in. As San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Soleil Ho explains, this type of instant noodles which includes her favorite, Indomie Mie Goreng Satay Noodles is also known as dry noodles because theres no broth. The ones she recommends have a strong savory flavor that comes from an onion oil and fried onions, she says. Like other experts we talked to, Ho has been eating these since she was in elementary school, when my cousins and I would prepare ourselves instant noodles when our parents were out. Like Simeon and Erway, Soleil adds an egg sunny-side up to her noodles. And while it does not make them healthier, Ho says she also likes to sear them really quick in a wok so they get that nice and smoky wok hei flavor. Then I finish with a chile oil, like Fly By Jing or a homemade Cambodian variety. $20 for 30 at Amazon Buy $20 for 30 at Amazon Buy Indomie Mie Goreng BBQ Chicken Instant Noodles $33 for 30 Photo: Retailer These dry barbecue-chicken-flavor instant noodles from Indomie are another favorite of Petersons. (Close readers will recognize Indomie as the only brand on this list recommended by two experts.) Like the soupy black-garlic noodles Erway loves, these come with fixings in the form of tiny packets of chicken-flavor seasoning, fried onions, seasoned oil, chile oil, and a thick, sweet soy sauce. Peterson explains that those who find themselves overwhelmed by the choices in the instant-noodle aisle should look for options with add-in ingredients. A good test is the sachet rule, he says. Theres usually (but not always) a direct correlation between the number of sachets of different things oils, sauces, powders, dried veggies included in a package and how good it is. The more, the better! $33 for 30 at Amazon Buy $33 for 30 at Amazon Buy Nongshim Chapagetti Chajang Noodle $13 now 8% off $12 for 4 Photo: Retailer The favorite dry instant noodles of Yooeatings Irene Yoo are a made-for-convenience take on a Korean-Chinese classic. Chapagetti is an instant version of jjajangmyun and has been a favorite since childhood, Yoo says. She describes these inky black noodles as intensely savory and saucy and super-fun to eat. Unlike the add-boiling-water-and-youre-done varieties on this list, Chapagetti involves a bit more preparation. There are two different camps on how to best prepare Chapagetti, Yoo explains. Either you boil the noodle water down enough to create the sauce, or you boil the noodles and then remove some water before adding the sauce packets. To zhuzh these up, Yoo says shell sometimes fry up some chadolbaegi (thinly sliced beef brisket) to put on top, then drizzle them with a bit of truffle oil or sesame oil when Im feeling less ridiculous. $12 for 4 at Amazon Buy $12 for 4 at Amazon Buy Best spicy instant noodles Nongshim Shin Noodle Ramyun $27 for 16 Photo: Retailer This beef noodle soup is also beloved by Yoo, who says Shin Ramyun is a very classic Korean instant ramyun and the standard against which I measure all ramyuns. She explains that its different from other beef-flavored instant noodle soups in that it is spicy and very umami forward, noting that its neither too greasy nor one note. Yoo adds that these noodles are endlessly adaptable and suggests a litany of ingredients an egg, some chopped scallions, cheese, or even meat or seafood as ways to gussy them up. They come with a seasoning packet that she calls a flavor bomb and says it can be used with more than just the noodles: Ive added it to kimchi-jjigaes or other stews in a pinch. $27 for 16 at Amazon Buy $27 for 16 at Amazon Buy Tseng Noodles Scallion With Sichuan Pepper Instant Noodles $23 for 4 Photo: Retailer In developing Immi, the instant-noodle brand he co-founded, Kevin Lee told us he did a lot of research on his competitors. After trying a bunch of their products, he says his favorites (aside from his own) are Tsengs Scallion With Sichuan Pepper Noodles because they taste delicious straight from the package. The best part is you dont really have to doctor them up at all, he says. This flavor is meant to be eaten dry coated with the sauce and without soup so its already packed with enough flavor and spice. The noodles, Lee adds, have an interesting backstory: Tseng Noodles is a Taiwanese brand that started from a Taiwanese spicy-crab restaurant. During a time of financial struggle with their restaurant locations, they pivoted to launching instant noodles, using the same sauce they used for their spicy crab. He notes the noodles have a wide, scallop-edged shape owing to a special manufacturing process that puts the dough through eight-to-ten sets of kneading procedures. $23 for 4 at Amazon Buy $23 for 4 at Amazon Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. 9 items in this article 1 item on sale! Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers Bar soap has a rich, alluring history the earliest recorded recipe was found on a tablet in ancient Babylon, dating from 2200 BC, which consisted of three basic ingredients: water, an alkali (also called lye), and oil of Cassia. From there, it spread to ancient Rome and across Europe, though bathing wasnt as popular in the U.K. until soap-makers emerged in the 12th century. With the advent of the railroad, the heavily taxed item became a full-fledged industry by the 19th century. Since then, bar soap has not only become an essential everyday item its also had a bit of a renaissance lately. Loewe, Soft Services, Topicals, and Glossier have all launched bar soaps recently, and some people are taking to eBay to buy bar soaps that are no longer in production. But you dont have to bid on old soaps on eBay to get ones from brands that have been around for centuries. Plenty of very old companies, like Santa Maria Novella and Roger & Gallet, are still making their classic formulas and they happen to make great gifts, too. Sure, a nice body gel is practical, but theres just something more appealing and gratifying about giving a bar of soap with a decades-old story behind it. And so may I suggest: Give them a 150-year-old bar of soap this holiday season. From the smell to the ingredients and lathering factor, its an especially satisfying gift. Here, Ive rounded up some of the best ones out there, many of which have been around for over a century (at least). Santa Maria Novella Melograno Bath Soap $32 Photo: Retailer Reportedly found throughout illustrious homes across Europe since the 19th century Catherine de Medicis gave its oldest scent as a wedding gift to her future husband, Henry II of Valois the Santa Maria Novella brand refers to its solid soaps as small pieces of extraordinary craftsmanship. Its not wrong the soaps themselves are beautifully shaped with the scent name carved elegantly onto the bar, and they work well for sensitive skin. Offering 25 different types of soap, the Florentine soap-maker is known for making bars that are long lasting both in the shower and out you might even consider leaving a bar of its Melograno soap in your lingerie drawer to keep underwear smelling fresh. $32 at C.O. Bigelow Buy $32 at Santa Maria Novella Buy Originating in Porto, Portugal, the soap brand Claus Porto has been in business since 1887. It offers 30 different soaps, which you can get in curated box sets with soaps that have scents inspired by the Portuguese landscape. Each soap is made with natural oils that create a luxe-feeling lather, and some soaps come on ropes (pictured above), which make them easier to hold or hang up after using. They make especially eye-catching gifts like this three-piece set with a soap dish thanks to their colorful, eclectic wrapping. Valobra Bar Soap Assoluta $5 Genoese soap-maker Valobra has been around since 1903 and blends a combination of three simple ingredients soda, coconut oil, and tallow using an ancient technique called levata da lisciva to ensure that the soap is free from impurities. To make the finest soap in the world, it is then matured for two months before its sold to customers. The ergonomic shape is intentionally designed to nestle seamlessly in the palm of the hand, allowing for a pleasant grip that releases a fragrant, dense lather, according to C.O. Bigelow, the West Village apothecary that was founded in 1838, where you can find Valobra soaps. $5 at Amazon Buy $5 at C.O. Bigelow Buy Klar Christmas Clove Bath Soap Bar $12 Photo: Retailer Since 1840, Klar Seifen has been producing vegan soap by using a mix of modern manufacturing techniques plus handmade craftsmanship using molds that are nearly 100 years old. The brands thick and dense soaps come wrapped in beautiful floral paper, and are also available in the form of shampoo and conditioner bars. They even have this clove-scented Christmas special that would make a particularly festive gift. $12 at Griffith Shaving Goods Buy Roger & Gallet Box of 3 Soaps - Gingembre Rouge $20 $20 Photo: Retailer According to Roger & Gallet, a brand that launched its first soap in 1879, this soap is made in a cauldron (!). This one in particular has a candied-ginger scent with notes of berries and pomegranate. Overall, its warm and sensual and it comes in a gorgeous little box. You can find this one at C.O. Bigelow, too. $20 at C.O. Bigelow Buy Caswell-Massey Castile Bar Soap - Lavender $16 $16 Caswell-Massey has been around since before the founding of the United States. Its plant-based, triple-milled soaps produce an ultrarich lather and come in old-timey (but very nice!) scents like lavender and sandalwood. The soaps are sold individually and as sets. According to the brand, Caswell-Masseys signature scent, Number Six, is the longest continuously manufactured American fragrance. $16 at Amazon Buy $16 at Amazon Buy Cella Milano Classic Almond Shave Cream/Soap $14 now 7% off $13 Cella Milano has been selling its cream beard soap since 1899 and, in fact, was awarded the gold medal at the International Exhibition of Milan in 1906 and the Grand Cross of Industrial Merit in 1908. Its surprisingly gentle beard soap has a lovely almond scent and can be lathered up to create a creamy, soft, firm foam that helps a blade glide over the skin to ensure an irritation-free shave and fresh skin. [Editors Note: If you prefer to give this cream soap in bar form, Cella offers a refill bar for the container above.] $13 at Amazon Buy $13 at Amazon Buy Creed Aventus Bar Soap $60 Photo: Retailer Established in 1760, Creed offers hand-milled soaps infused with the brands best-selling fragrances, including Aventus and Green Irish Tweed. Creed actually has several royal connections in an 1860 article in the Army and Navy Gazette, it was noted that James Henry Creed, the founder of the brand, was awarded a special appointment to Queen Victoria and principal courts in Europe. Plus, he also worked in DAntin in Paris, for the tailors Messrs Harris & Co., which is where he would have created garments for European royalty. Additionally, Creed created a riding habit for Queen Victoria in 1885 that can be found in the Kyoto Museum, which inspired the brands campaign for its best-selling female fragrance, Aventus for Her. All of that is to say: Give this very old soap to the Anglophile on your list. $60 at Nordstrom Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. The new Trump Administration may target Russia's recent oil deals as part of its sanctions discussions. Russia's Rosneft has signed a $13 billion annual crude oil supply agreement with Indian downstream giant Reliance Industries, committing to supply 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) for 10 years. This deal constitutes 0.5% of the global oil supply and is the largest-ever commercial agreement between Russia and India. Facing Western sanctions on its oil sector, Russia is actively seeking alternative clients. India has become its largest oil importer since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, benefiting from discounted crude prices of $3-4 per barrel. This deal solidifies Russian-Indian cooperation and could cause friction among OPEC+ members as Russia encroaches on Gulf producers market share in India, a key growth market. Saudi Arabia and the UAE face heightened competition, particularly since the deal supplies a substantial portion of Indias oil demand. Reliance will receive approximately 20-21 Aframax-sized cargoes of crude and three fuel oil cargoes per month at its Jamnagar refinery. The pricing will be market-driven for the first year. Reliance will now account for around 50% of Rosneft's seaborne exports, increasing its intake from an average of 405,000 bpd in 2024 to 388,500 bpd in 2023. However, the partnership faces risks from growing U.S., UK, and EU sanctions, which are intensifying against Russian clients like India and China. This comes amid declining Russian oil exports, which dropped by 120,000 bpd to 7.33 million bpd in November. Despite a 7% decline in revenue, Russian oil revenues remain higher than anticipated at $14.56 billion. Western sanctions also significantly impact Russias Arctic LNG operations. For example, the ice-capable LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie faces operational issues due to limited access to European shipyards and spare parts. The vessel has been out of service since the fall and unable to transport Yamal LNG cargoes. By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com GM's exit leaves Waymo and Tesla as the dominant players in the robotaxi market. The decision comes after Cruise faced regulatory scrutiny, safety concerns, and high operational costs. GM is winding down its Cruise robotaxi division and merging its technical teams to focus on autonomous technology for future GM vehicles. General Motors is winding down its Cruise robotaxi division, according to a new report from Bloomberg. GM's exit from the market leaves Google's Waymo and Tesla as the two main names in autonomous driving. The division "proved costly and full of reputational pitfalls" for General Motors, the report said. GM and Cruise will merge technical teams to focus on autonomous tech for future GM vehicles, halting robotaxi development due to high costs and stiff competition, the company announced Tuesday. This marks a significant shift after Cruise weathered industry challenges and resumed operations following a high-profile incident last year. The Bloomberg report said that GM's retreat from the robotaxi business reshapes its ambitions. CEO Mary Barra's vision of transforming GM into a tech-driven company with $50 billion from Cruise now seems distant. The move aligns GM with its core car-making focus, abandoning mobility-as-a-service goals. This shift comes as Waymo expands and Tesla targets a 2026 robotaxi launch. Cruise had resumed operations with safety drivers in Dallas and Houston and planned California testing before the pivot. The DOJ and SEC were among multiple agencies probing GM Cruise after a collision with a pedestrian last October. Following the incident, California revoked Cruise's permits, citing the company's lack of transparency. A review by law firm Quinn Emanuel cleared Cruise executives of intentional deception but criticized their leadership and confrontational attitude towards regulators. The victim survived the accident. Recall back in December 2023 we noted that Cruise was slashing 24% of its workforce as part of a restructuring. The autonomous driving unit at the time said it would lay off 900 of its 3,800 employees, most of whom were in the commercial operations and related corporate functions. Exemplifying the difficulties of autonomy, the news came on the same day it was reported that Tesla was sued by the family of a deceased driver who lost his life during an accident where a car was purportedly operating on 'Autopilot'. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Even though Russias grand military plans are increasingly failing, as seen in Syria and the developments in Ukraine, leaving Putins grand strategy in disarray, Western critical infrastructure is currently under an onslaught of Russian hackers. A major report by Cyble Research, dated December 6, indicated that Russian hackers are intensifying their attacks on critical infrastructure, evolving from Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks and website defacement to tampering with operational technology (OT) controls on critical systems. Cyble reported that the attacks are being carried out by two main groups, The Peoples Cyber Army (PCA) and Z-Pentest, who are posting videos of their operations on Telegram. Last weeks attacks targeted a range of Western countries, including Canada, Australia, France, South Korea, Taiwan, Italy, Romania, Germany, and Poland, primarily driven by their support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. The Cyble report highlighted increased threat activity from these groups, particularly targeting the American energy and water sectors. Videos posted by the groups show them tampering with industrial control panels in the oil, gas, and water sectors, which can lead to disruptions, downtime, or even environmental threats. Officially, the groups claim to be from Serbia but fully support Russia. Z-Pentest became visible in October and has attacked multiple targets in the past two months. Cyble research shows that these groups have disrupted critical systems at oil well sites, including water pumping, petroleum gas flaring, and oil collection. Z-Pentest also claims to have attacked two U.S. oil facilities. Cyble emphasized that "the fact that such environments are accessible to threat actors is nonetheless concerning." The report also noted that the Peoples Cyber Army, also known as the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn, similarly targets critical infrastructure controls. Both groups are collaborating, and PCA has targeted Ukrainian allies since 2022. PCA claims involvement in attacks on Stanton Water Treatment Plant (Texas), Delaware Water Towers, and January 2024 attacks on water systems in Abernathy and Muleshoe, Texas. Related: U.S. Oil Industry Hesitates as Trump Promises Energy Revolution On December 10, Romanian utility Electrica was hit by a cyberattack. The company stated that critical systems were unaffected, but the Romanian Ministry of Energy reported that ransomware was used. Electrica supplies electricity to 4 million users and manages networks in Northern and Southern Transylvania and Northern Muntenia. While no direct link to Moscow has been established, the attack is seen as connected to the cancellation of Romanian presidential elections and the removal of a pro-Russian candidate after Moscow's interference was proven. Cyble warned that water and wastewater systems are especially vulnerable because many communities worldwide are unprepared to cope without water for extended periods. Analysts and cybersecurity operators generally link Russian-aligned hackers to the Russian government or policymakers. However, experts note that Russian hackers are not yet as advanced as Chinese actors like Volt Typhon. Analysts are concerned that the recent surge in DDoS attacks on Western critical infrastructure could be a precursor to more espionage or other operations by Russia. The ongoing war in Ukraine and global pressure on Russia remain key factors of concern. Moscow appears to be using these threat actors to increase pressure on Ukrainian allies. Cyberattacks on oil and gas operations are significant. In September, Halliburton acknowledged a major cyberattack in August 2024, reporting to the SEC that unauthorized third parties accessed and exfiltrated information from its systems. Global technology giant Thales revealed in its Data Threat 2024 report that 42% of critical infrastructure companies, including those in the energy sector, suffered data breaches this year. Data shows a sharp rise in ransomware attacks targeting energy infrastructure. By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com - Egypts imports of high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) reached an all-time high of 255,000 b/d in September, however since then lower cooling demand and ample LNG supply have seen HSFO demand weaken. - High LNG prices are compelling natural gas buyers to reconsider their trading strategies and opt for cheaper equivalents, with Egypts recent U-turn away from LNG import tenders to fuel oil being a notable case in point. - Syrias own production is mostly centred in Kurdish-populated areas, averaging around 80,000 b/d in recent months, with Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan being the only viable suppliers of crude and products to Syria, now that Iran has been sidelined. - As representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rose to prominence in Syria, Iranian crude tankers en route to Syria made a U-turn, with the Lotus tanker carrying more than 1 million barrels stopping right in front of the Suez Canal. - The Syrian port of Baniyas was dependent on Iranian fuel supplies and the approximately 60,000 b/d of oil that Tehran was sending to Syria kept the countrys two existing refineries operational. - The fall of the Assad regime in Syria after Bashar al-Assad fled the country and ended his 24-year tenure as president might engender a widespread fuel shortage across the Middle Eastern country. End of Assad Regime Raises Risks of Syrian Fuel Shortages - The fall of the Assad regime in Syria after Bashar al-Assad fled the country and ended his 24-year tenure as president might engender a widespread fuel shortage across the Middle Eastern country. - The Syrian port of Baniyas was dependent on Iranian fuel supplies and the approximately 60,000 b/d of oil that Tehran was sending to Syria kept the countrys two existing refineries operational. - As representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rose to prominence in Syria, Iranian crude tankers en route to Syria made a U-turn, with the Lotus tanker carrying more than 1 million barrels stopping right in front of the Suez Canal. - Syrias own production is mostly centred in Kurdish-populated areas, averaging around 80,000 b/d in recent months, with Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan being the only viable suppliers of crude and products to Syria, now that Iran has been sidelined. Developing Nations Turns to Fuel Oil as LNG Prices Just Wont Fall - High LNG prices are compelling natural gas buyers to reconsider their trading strategies and opt for cheaper equivalents, with Egypts recent U-turn away from LNG import tenders to fuel oil being a notable case in point. - Egypts imports of high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) reached an all-time high of 255,000 b/d in September, however since then lower cooling demand and ample LNG supply have seen HSFO demand weaken. - The LNG-to-HSFO switching economics are now in full swing as the oil equivalent value of a metric tonne of LNG currently stands around $550 per metric tonne, some $140 per metric tonne higher than HSFO. - Egypt is set to under-nominate its 20 tendered LNG cargoes for Q4 2024 with only 14 incoming carriers, moving 6 of missing cargoes into Q1 2025, trying to avoid further contracting of LNG until prices cool down. King Coal Is Still Alive, Even if Distressed and Hated - Despite the negative publicity, global consumption of coal and exports of thermal coal will both reach record highs in 2024, with the roll-out of renewable capacity only capping the upside for King Coal. - According to Kpler data, global exports of thermal coal in January-November 2024 are up by 9 million tonnes from the same period last year, at 935 million tonnes, with further year-over-year gains expected in December. - Indonesia has been having a bumper year in terms of exports, supplying more than 500 million tonnes of the fuel for the time on record, more than Australia, Russia, South Africa and Colombia combined. - The share of coal in global electricity generation has nevertheless sunk to 58.7% so far in 2024, down from almost 62% in 2023 and more than 66% in 2019. Let Down by Wind, Germany Confronts Winter Power Price Spikes - German electricity prices have been spiking to levels not seen since the energy crisis of 2022, driven by yet another lull in wind power generation and persistently cold temperatures. - This past week, daily electricity imports jumped to their highest in a decade (mostly nuclear from France) as day-ahead prices for evening hours almost surpassed the record level of 1,000 per MWh. - The France-Germany day-ahead power price spread has been the widest in 20 years this week, aggravated by the fact that German gas inventories have been falling quicker than expected, even if they remain at a healthy level of 86%. - Even compared to the cloudy November weeks, solar and wind generation across Germany is set to post week-over-week declines of 47% and 8%, respectively, with German power generators restarting their coal-powered capacities. Looming Refinery Closures Ratchet Up Pressure on California - The outlook for Californias refiners has worsened rapidly after Governor Gavin Newsom signed bill Abx2-1 into law, mandating the states regulators to set and enforce minimum product inventory levels for respective refiners. - The price of gasoline in California has been around $1 per gallon more expensive than the US average, with the states import dependence leading to higher crude costs and tough emission standards adding to refining costs. - Phillips 66 has become the first refiner to throw in the towel, announcing that the 140,000 b/d Wilmington refinery in Los Angeles would close by end-2025, accounting for 8% of Californias refining capacity. - Crack spreads have been routinely higher in California because refiners need to buy emissions allowances (LCFS) to the volume of carbon-emitting fuels they supply to the market, with Newsoms bill adding to refiners ancillary costs that would be passed onto customers. Battery Makers Keep Lithium Prices Painfully Low - Lithium prices have been immune to normal dynamics of supply and demand as EV battery producers (particularly Chinese firms) theyve been ramping up production from their own mines despite negative profitability. - As attested by Zimbabwes four Chinese-operated mines, the Chinese parent companies digest their mining losses as their downstream supply chains remain profitable thanks to robust EV battery demand. - Global lithium supply is expected to rise by a whopping 25% this year, with another 15% year-over-year increase expected for 2025, aggravating a 90% price collapse in lithium prices over the past two years. - Spodumene producers in Africa normally see mining costs for spodumene concentrate containing 6% lithium around $600-1,000 per metric tonne, whilst market prices tend to trade around $750-770 per metric tonne. Aluminium Producers Eye Production Cuts as Alumina Prices Soar - Alumina is the new pain point of base metals after prices for aluminium oxide more than doubled this year on the back of supply disruptions in Jamaica, Guinea or Australia, whilst aluminium prices remain rangebound. - The cost of alumina now accounts for more than 50% of producing aluminium, a notable change compared to the normal range of 30-35%, however up until very recently Chinas production bonanza has not led to any recalibration in production. - More alumina supplies are expected from China and Indonesia next year; however, the ongoing supply squeeze has seen the smelting feedstocks China prices trend around $630 per metric tonne. - Aluminium producers in Sichuan, China have already announced output cuts over the next weeks, whilst Russias Rusal said it would cut output by 500,000 tonnes due to the soaring cost of alumina, despite having its equity sources of production. The renewable revolution runs on lithium. The metal is a key component in the batteries that power electric vehicles and store energy to stabilize electric grids as the makeup of global energy mixes increasingly relies on variable energy sources like wind and solar power. But while lithium has, in many ways, become synonymous with clean energy extraction of the metal is associated with a heap of negative environmental impacts, not to mention sticky geopolitics. For these overlapping reasons, researchers have been looking into ways to move away from lithium, and a group of scientists at UNSW Sydney may have just made a major breakthrough. Their experimental battery model uses protons instead of lithium, using a novel organic material called tetraamino-benzoquinone (TABQ). The material facilitates the rapid movement of protons, which power the battery. The battery offers quick energy storage, extended cycle life, and efficient operation even in sub-zero temperatures, Interesting Engineering reports. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize energy storage, particularly for applications such as grid-scale storage and electric vehicles, the article continues. If these batteries could be employed at a commercial scale, it could have sweeping benefits for clean energy supply chains as well as for the communities and ecosystems where lithium is produced. Currently, lithium production is all-but monopolized by China, creating major risks for the global economy on top of localized risks associated with its extraction. China controls the vast majority of refining capacity for rare earth and lithium, which is used for making batteries. China needs these minerals to feed its expanding new energy vehicle (NEV) sector, says Beatrix Keim, director of Germany-based Center Automotive Research. Lithium extraction is typically extremely water-intensive, which poses a major problem in the desert environments where it is frequently found. According to a 2018 report from WIRED magazine, extracting a single ton of lithium requires approximately 500,000 liters of water. This kind of demand poses a direct threat to other water users in places such as South Americas so-called lithium triangle, which overlaps with the Atacama, the worlds driest desert. Whats more, lithium extraction through the use of brine ponds a common method poses a further potential threat of contaminating existing, precious freshwater reserves. Water concerns are not the only environmental issue associated with lithium production. The chemicals involved in the metals extraction are extremely toxic. "The release of such chemicals through leeching [sic], spills or air emissions can harm communities, ecosystems and food production," a report from international environment activism group Friends of the Earth reports. "Moreover, lithium extraction inevitably harms the soil and also causes air contamination." Due to these issues, the expansion of lithium extraction in the salt flats of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile is a highly contentious issue. Innovating away from the use of lithium in clean energy supply chains and manufacturing could be a critical solution to these issues, as well as larger market threats. Currently, the world is largely reliant on China for its lithium, posing serious problems for a free market as well as national security for any nation that is not in Beijings good graces. Already, China has been accused of overproducing lithium to flood the market and shut out any would-be competitors, giving them undue control over pricing and supply. The United States sees this as a major threat to national security, but its policies have done little to correct the issue. China has already moved to limit exports of certain rare earth minerals to the United States, and they are likely to double down on similar policies if a tariff war escalates under the impending Trump presidential term. Diversifying supply chains away from Chinese monopoly is therefore more important and urgent than ever. While policy remains a murky area, scientific breakthroughs in non-lithium battery technologies could be our saving grace. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com There are some other messes to clean up, too. The U.S. military pounded ISIS targets in Syria on Sunday in an attempt to cripple them against taking advantage of the change in power in Damascus. But at the same time, its come up against Turkish forces, who in turn are taking advantage of the melee to pound the Syrian Kurds, a U.S. ally against ISIS. Right now, all eyes are on the former al-Qaeda group, HTS, that led the offensive to overthrow the regime. The strategy now is to maintain calm and demonstrate that this is not a terrorist outfit, but a legitimate Syria rebel unit that can deal with the ensuing chaos and lawlessness. HTS is now in control of the central government and it has managed to consolidate its power countrywidealmost. And the rebels have already appointed an interim prime minister (Mohammed al-Bashir). After a 54-year rule, the Assad regime was toppled last weekend by a rebel advance that managed to overthrow the regime without much of a fight, largely because Assads forces deserted as the rebels advanced, while allies Russia, Iran, and Iranian proxy Hezbollah failed to come to Assads rescue (in Syria, at least). Israel followed up in a clean sweep operation, conducting nearly 500 airstrikes in 48 hours, taking out strategic Syrian military targets to avoid them falling into the hands of whatever new leadership emerges from the dust. After a 54-year rule, the Assad regime was toppled last weekend by a rebel advance that managed to overthrow the regime without much of a fight, largely because Assads forces deserted as the rebels advanced, while allies Russia, Iran, and Iranian proxy Hezbollah failed to come to Assads rescue (in Syria, at least). Israel followed up in a clean sweep operation, conducting nearly 500 airstrikes in 48 hours, taking out strategic Syrian military targets to avoid them falling into the hands of whatever new leadership emerges from the dust. Right now, all eyes are on the former al-Qaeda group, HTS, that led the offensive to overthrow the regime. The strategy now is to maintain calm and demonstrate that this is not a terrorist outfit, but a legitimate Syria rebel unit that can deal with the ensuing chaos and lawlessness. HTS is now in control of the central government and it has managed to consolidate its power countrywidealmost. And the rebels have already appointed an interim prime minister (Mohammed al-Bashir). There are some other messes to clean up, too. The U.S. military pounded ISIS targets in Syria on Sunday in an attempt to cripple them against taking advantage of the change in power in Damascus. But at the same time, its come up against Turkish forces, who in turn are taking advantage of the melee to pound the Syrian Kurds, a U.S. ally against ISIS. The Hamas position here is interesting, as well. They were on shaky ground with Assad, and have welcomed the rebels victory, despite the fact that they were technically at war with Hezbollah, Hamas ally in the Israel-Gaza-Lebanon conflict. But, as always, its a game of external forces, too. Everyone is in a holding pattern right now. Russia is said to be harboring Assad, but its naval vessels appear to have retreated from Syrian bases. Israeli forces are creeping beyond the occupied Golan Heights into a buffer zone between Syria and Israel after Assads ouster, and possibly beyond this buffer zone. The U.S. is busy making sure ISIS does not manage to use this for a resurgence, while at the same time watching whether the Syrian rebels freshly ruling Damascus will be able to keep various armed groups from seizing their own 15 minutes. Turkey is the potential spanner in the mix here as it continues to advance further into Kurdish territory in Syrias northeast. Russia had long eyed Syrias gas potential and was highly motivated to make sure none of the pipeline plans for Syria could be realized, helping to ensure control over gas to Europe. Thats why he was willing to go all in back in 2014. But this time around, Russia failed to come to Asssads rescue, unable or unwilling to divert resources away from Africa or Ukraine. The gas game is no longer nearly as relevant for Moscow. Turkey, however, will not back down and is keen to advance its interests in Syria, but its playing its own game, which includes stifling the Kurdish militant threat in the form of the PKK. This time around, Turkey is the most likely kingmaker in Damascus. Team Trump is preparing to make sweeping changes to the U.S. energy sector on day one. Boosting U.S. oil and gas drilling and accelerating permits for domestic energy infrastructure and LNG exports are expected to be top priorities for the new administration. While many of the President-elects energy proposals are on the wish list of the U.S. oil and gas industry, executives at top companies have already signaled that Trumps inauguration would not launch four years of drill, baby, drill in the shale patch. Sweeping Changes The transition team of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump is already drafting an energy package to expand domestic oil and gas drilling on federal lands and offshore lease sales, in addition to expediting LNG export permits, sources with knowledge of the plans have told Reuters. President-elect Trump has vowed on the campaign trail to support the oil, gas, and coal industries and repeal some of President Bidens environmental-oriented measures, including a pause on new LNG permitting and the minimum possible offshore oil and gas lease sales mandated by Congress. The new Trump Administration will lift the pause on LNG export permits, accelerate permitting for drilling on federal lands and in federal waters, and offer lease sales more frequently, according to leaks. And this is also what analysts expect. Typically, such a U-turn in policy would require passing through Congress or the federal regulatory bodies. Related: National Gasoline Prices Fall Below $3 Per Gallon But analysts expect that Trump would do as he has promised and declare an energy emergencya move that could allow some parts of the energy package to move forward with executive orders from the President and thus bypass lengthier processes through Congress or federal agencies. Trump is also expected to seek new Congress funding to build up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which was drained in half as the Biden Administration released crude from the reserve to curb the oil price spike following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In a sign of what the energy industry can expect, Trump last month picked a shale boss, Chris Wright, chief executive of Liberty Energy, as his nomination to lead the Department of Energy. Wright is a vocal critic of the energy transition as envisaged by most Western governments to date, instead calling for energy realism and prioritizing the supply security and affordability of energy rather than its emission footprint. The nomination of Doug Burgum, the Governor of North Dakota, to be the interior secretary and head of a new National Energy Council at the White House, is also a signal to the industry that Americas leadership in fossil fuel production and exports are also high on Trumps agenda. The common thread in the thinking on energy expressed by both Wright and Burgum is that they want to boost production of all types of energy, including fossil fuels, commented Ed Crooks, Senior Vice President, Americas, at Wood Mackenzie. They do not deny that human-caused climate change is a real threat that needs to be addressed. But they argue that there are other priorities for policy that are more important and more urgent, and that oil and gas can continue to play the central role in the global energy system into the indefinite future, Crooks noted. Drill, Baby, Drill? The industry, through the American Petroleum Institute (API), has released a five-point policy roadmapsuggestions for the new administration to boost resource development and exports, issue a new five-year federal offshore leasing program, and repeal the EPAs vehicle tailpipe rule. To a large extent, this wish list aligns with the policy changes Trump has pledged and is widely expected to enact, many of these on day one. However, a key Trump campaign slogan drill, baby, drill is not necessarily on the minds of U.S. oil and gas company executives. The priorities of the U.S. oil industry have drastically changed since Trumps first term. The U.S. shale patch is drilling, but it is drilling because it wants to distribute more of the profits to shareholders. It has made huge progress in capital discipline and efficiency gains and is getting more bang for its buck. Priorities are now returns to investors and financial frames capable of withstanding oil price volatility. We're not going to see anybody in 'drill, baby, drill' mode," ExxonMobil Upstream President Liam Mallon said at the end of last month. A radical change (in production) is unlikely because the vast majority, if not everybody, is focused on the economics of what they're doing, Mallon added. The other U.S. supermajor, Chevron, announced last week that its 2025 capital expenditure (capex) would be lower than in 2024. Chevron expects its upstream spending next year to be about $13 billion, of which roughly two-thirds will go to develop its U.S. portfolio. Permian Basin spend is lower than the 2024 budget and anticipated to be between $4.5 and $5.0 billion as production growth is reduced in favor of free cash flow, Chevron said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Canadian oil producers plan to hike output next year despite the challenging political context, within which they have to operate, as demand abroad remains strong. Reuters cited updates from Cenovus, Imperial Oil, and Suncor that show all three expect to boost production next year. For Cenovus, the growth target is about 4.4% to between 805,000 bpd and 845,000 bpd. For Imperial Oil, the output growth target is 3.1%. For Suncor, the 2025 production increase target is the same as Cenovus, at 4.4%. The top players in Canadian crude also plan to boost their capital expenditure next year to fuel the output hike. The plans come despite a proposal by the federal government of Canada to impose an effective cap on oil and gas production in an attempt to limit the countrys carbon dioxide emissions. Indeed, the cap, if finalized, would enter into effect in 2030, so producers have five more years of freedom to boost production. However, the federal government is pressuring the industry with emission disclosure requirements, too, which could have had a deterrent effect on growth plans on another industry facing less resilient demand. This is not the case with Canadian oil and gas, it seems, so production growth plans are in progress. Of course, producers of oil and gas in the country have benefited from the solid additional offtake capacity that came with the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline, which entered operation earlier this year. In fact, some analysts have warned that this additional capacity will be filled up in a few years as producers boost output, creating a new pipeline shortage for Canadian oil. Interestingly, the output growth plans of Canadian oil majors come amid threats from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that he would impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada. The fact suggests that the industry does not really believe Trump will impose the tariffsan opinion shared by some analysts as well, since tariffs would be raise U.S. fuel prices. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Hungary and Bulgaria are in a bind. With U.S. sanctions hitting Gazprombankthe go-to middleman for Russian gas paymentsthe two are scrambling to figure out how to keep the gas moving without breaking the rules. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claims they have cracked the code with a legal-financial solution. Meanwhile, Bulgaria is keeping its cards close to the vest, simply saying theyve discussed an option that could work for everyone. For Hungary, Russian gas is a lifeline theyre not ready to cut, even as Europe tries to move on from its reliance on Moscow. Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently sat down with Vladimir Putin to talk shop and make sure Hungary stays warm this winter. Bulgaria, on the other hand, has hinted that its willing to play hardball. If Gazprom fails to sort out payments, they might shut down the transit of gas through their territorya move that could ripple through Central Europe. Both countries share one thing in common: they are trying to protect their energy security without stirring up a geopolitical storm. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin has scrapped the requirement for natural gas payments to be processed exclusively through the sanctioned Gazprombank. European buyers can now settle payments via other banks, a significant shift that briefly calmed markets, with European gas benchmark prices dropping by 2.3%. The decision comes amid heightened tensions after the U.S. sanctioned Gazprombank last month as part of broader measures against Moscow for its ongoing war in Ukraine. The market became jittery out of fear of a potential disruption in Russian gas supplies to Europe, particularly for Central European nations like Hungary, which rely heavily on these imports. Analysts remained divided on the impact of Russias relaxation of the payment requirements. Jonathan Stern of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies notes that while Putin appears eager to retain European exports, the flexibility may do little to ease long-term uncertainty for buyers. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Moldova on Friday declared a nationwide state of emergency for 60 days, expecting Russian pipeline gas supply to cease from January 1, 2025. The Parliament of the country, which currently receives Russian gas via Ukraine, approved overnight a proposal from Prime Minister Dorin Recean to declare a state of emergency, which begins on December 16. Moldova has been trying to fend off Russian influence in the breakaway Transdniestria region, a narrow strip of land between the Dniester River and the Ukrainian border, which isnt recognized by the international community. But since 2022, Transdniestria and the central government of Moldova have agreed that all natural gas sent by Russian giant Gazprom to Moldova flows to Transdniestria. The vote to declare a state of emergency is a means to end the gas blackmail from Russia, according to Moldovas PM Recean. This must be the last winter in the history of the country, in which we can be threatened with energy supply cutoff, the prime minister added. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to leave the population of Transdniestria without gas and electricity and hold them hostage. Moscow is doing this to destabilize the situation in Moldova, Reuters quoted Recean as saying. At the end of last month, Moldova and Gazproms chief executive Alexei Miller discussed alternative routes for natural gas supply to the Transdniestrian region, if transit through Ukraine is disrupted. Gazprom, however, has said that deliveries via alternative routes to Moldova would be linked to Moldova paying its outstanding debts for past supplies. This debt is around $709 million, Russia claims. Meanwhile, Russian pipeline natural gas supply to Europe via Ukraine has remained stable, three weeks before the deal for transiting the gas via Ukrainian territory expires on December 31. The volumes Gazprom has been sending to Europe via Ukraine have been more or less flat since the Russian firm cut off supply to Austrias OMV in the middle of November. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The first institute in China dedicated to the conservation and preservation of ancient Chinese books celebrated its 10th anniversary recently in Shanghai. Experts in this field of work look to more international collaborations and experiences to continue preserving these books. Chief Librarian of Fudan University and Professor Chen Sihe proposed the institute's founding in 2014. Through 10 years of development, the Institute for Preservation and Conservation of Chinese Ancient Books at the Shanghai-based Fudan University has conducted cross-disciplinary studies on traditional Chinese paper, ink and pigments, reviving the renowned Kaihua paper, a handmade material known for its unique peachy spots and endurance. "We extended our studies to ancient palm leaf manuscripts, birch bark scrolls and microorganisms on ancient books," says Yang Yuliang, head of the institute who is the former president of Fudan University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The 72-year-old is a leading scientist in polymer physics. "Before I began working in the field of ancient book protection, I thought it was not as much fun as cutting-edge technological projects like nanoscience," Yang says at the 10th-anniversary celebration for the institute on Nov 22. "But once I dived deep into it, I found infinite fun and enjoyment." The conservation of artifacts on paper has been one of the biggest challenges because, similar to the crystallization of civilizations and collective memories of all human beings, they are important but extremely fragile and likely to disappear, Yang says. It is common all over China and the world that ancient books have a high proportion of damage after being circulated for hundreds of years. "Incomplete statistics show that there are 50 million ancient books across China, of which 15 million need restoration. Some books have suffered damage caused by improper restoration methods in the past decades," Chen recorded in 2014. Traditionally, mostly craftsmen engaged in the conservation and restoration of ancient books, who passed on their skills and experience one generation after another, were insufficient in cross-disciplinary research on the paper itself, which is the very carrier of ancient knowledge and information. A big headache for the conservation workers of ancient books is that ancient paper could easily last for thousands of years, but paper made in the modern age often had a much shorter life span. A batch of ancient books was restored in the 1960s and "decades later we found the modern paper used in the restoration began to decompose, which caused further damage to the original artifacts," Yang says. When he took the job as the director of the new institute in 2014, he decided that research should begin with the paper, "which is essentially a polymer material and coincides with my major field". "We have combined knowledge in physics, chemistry, biology and other sciences to make comprehensive studies on the protection, authentication and restoration of cultural relics. "We are ahead of the world in this field," Yang says. Many ancient Chinese books are in the collections of universities and museums around the world for historical reasons. "We have often been invited by foreign institutions to speak at seminars and share our experiences in the protection and restoration of ancient books." Yang says, at the advice of the Chinese institute, a laboratory for the conservation of ancient books was established at the University of British Columbia in Canada. "When we talk about sharing Chinese culture with the world, it's not just the content but how we protect it, and the knowledge of the material carrier of the culture such as paper," Yang says. "This helps to expand the influence of Chinese civilization in a most legitimate way that can be accepted by the world." The Fudan University institute is calling on the establishment of an international alliance for the protection and conservation of ancient Chinese books, where resources, experiences, latest scientific findings and technological achievements can be shared internationally, Yang says. During its 10th anniversary celebration, the institute joined Fudan University Library to publish a photocopied edition of Shi Jing, or The Book of Songs or Classic of Poetry, the earliest existing collection of Chinese poems from the university library's collection. With more than 400,000 volumes of ancient Chinese books in its library, Fudan ranks second among Chinese universities in terms of volume following Peking University. Among the most renowned collections are more than 1,000 copies of Shi Jing from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The first series of the photocopied edition of Shi Jing consists of 81 books printed in the Yuan and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), with 15 books being sole copies. "The publication of these books is of great value for the studies of Shi Jing, classical Chinese literature, ancient Chinese culture, the history of publishing and books, along with other fields," says Du Zexun from Shandong University. Publishing the photocopies "enables the academic community to see the whole picture of these ancient books, which could change some of the previous understandings and conclusions of the study of Shi Jing", says Liu Yuqing from Shanxi University. Crude oil prices were set for their first weekly gain since late November on news that the U.S. was considering additional sanctions against Russia and Iran. The potential of such a move disrupting the supply balance lent upward momentum to prices. The latest report of fresh China stimulus measures meanwhile continued to support the benchmarks despite the lack of details about what the measures would entail specifically. At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at $73.67 per barrel, with West Texas Intermediate at $70.34 per barrel, after Reuters quoted Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as saying the oil market looked well supplied and with weak demand, which could be an opportune time for Washington to try to reduce Russias oil revenues once again. Now what's unusual about this moment is that the oil market seems to be well supplied, Yellen said earlier in the week. Prices are relatively low. Global demand is down, and there really has been an increase in supply. So the global oil market is softer, and that creates, possibly, an opportunity to take some further action, she said, without elaborating on the details of that further action. Separately, traders anticipate a Trump presidency to step up the sanction pressure on Iran, which would inevitably mean sanctions on the countrys oil industry as the biggest and most obvious target for such action. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency has once again predicted that the oil market will be in a surplus next year, thanks to production growth in non-OPEC countries, including Guyana, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. These, the IEA said this week, will add some 1.5 million bpd to global supply, and the 2.2-million bpd that OPEC+ is withholding will apparently not be enough to swing the market into a deficit. Interestingly, the agency revised up its demand growth projection, from 990,000 bpd to 1.1 million bpd next year. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) has signed a 16.5 billion real ($2.8 billion) deal to build and charter 12 new support vessels to supply its offshore platforms, Reuters reported on Thursday. The investment is part of the modernization drive laid out in the company's strategic plan for the 2025-2029 period. Petrobras (PBR) unveiled its 5-year plan that includes $111B in total investments through 2029, good for a 9% increase compared to the previous 2024-28 plan. Petrobras said in the plan that the company's "robust" free cash flow would support an ordinary dividend of $45B-$55B for the next five years, adding that theres room for as much as $10B in extra dividends for the period. Last month, Petrobras announced a payout of 20B reais (~$3.4B) in extraordinary dividends to shareholders, a positive sign that the company will continue returning cash to investors. The company revealed in a securities filing that ~15.6B reais of the payout would come from a capital reserve that held cash investors had expected to receive months ago, as extraordinary dividends for the 2023 period. Back in March, Petrobras board voted to withhold extra dividends expected for 2023, a decision widely seen as political interference from Brazil's government. Last week, Petrobras and partner Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) confirmed the largest gas discovery in the history of Colombia in the Guajira Basin. Petrobras said in a securities filing that drilling results confirmed gas volumes of more than 6T cf in place at the site, with the giant find tripling Colombias current reserves. Petrobras--the main operator--owns a minority 44.4% stake in the partnership with Ecopetrol owning a 55.5% stake The two will now begin acquiring meta-oceanic data as part of the production development project for the discovery. The companies have set a target to start natural gas production within three years after obtaining all environmental licenses and upon confirmation of the commercial viability of the discovery. If successful, the project could produce 13M cm/day of natural gas for 10 years, nearly half of Colombia's current domestic demand. Currently, Colombia has no plans to export any of the gas. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com U.S. LNG developer and producer Venture Global is set to produce the first liquefied natural gas from its newest project, Plaquemines LNG, as soon as this week, but the commissioning phase will last up to two years during which Venture Global will keep all revenues. The first production at Plaquemines LNG, possibly this week, would be the first new LNG output from a U.S. facility in two years, according to data from LSEG cited by Reuters. While the plant will soon begin producing LNG, its buyers under long-term contracts including ExxonMobil, Chevron, EDF, and Petronas may have to wait until the end of 2026 or 2027 to receive cargoes when the commissioning period expires and the facility achieves the so-called commercial operation date. Venture Global, with its other plant, Calcasieu Pass, is already embroiled in a legal battle with some international oil and gas majors and big LNG traders, including Shell and BP. Venture Global acquired some notoriety over the past two years after Big Oil majors accused it of withholding LNG volumes contracted under long-term deals in order to sell them on the spot market for a fatter profit. To do this, Venture Global used a loophole that allowed it to keep its one operating facility in Calcasieu Pass formally categorized as under construction, which relieved it of its supply commitments under long-term contracts. Venture Global has been seeking to extend the construction period for its Calcasieu Pass LNG plant. Once the Calcasieu Pass facility is officially recognized as completed and fully operational, Venture Global would need to start servicing its long-term contracts with Shell, BP, and Spains Repsol. The three supermajors, along with two other European energy companies, were foundation buyers for the Calcasieu Pass facility, meaning they provided Venture Global with the money to build the plant in Louisiana in exchange for a commitment from the company to supply them with certain volumes of LNG over a long-term period. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Foreign merchants visit the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 29, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The eastern Chinese city of Yiwu, known as the "world's supermarket" and a key supplier for Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms, is set to launch a new round of international trade reforms aimed at strengthening its role in global commerce. The State Council has approved the overall plan for deepening comprehensive international trade reforms in the city located in China's Zhejiang Province, according to a circular released Wednesday. The plan outlines a vision to promote reforms in Yiwu through further opening up, along with initiatives such as innovating market procurement trade mechanisms, promoting import trade development, enhancing the functionality of comprehensive bonded zones and strengthening cross-border e-commerce regulations, according to the circular. Promoting Belt and Road cooperation and high-quality development of the China-Europe freight train network, the small commodity hub is slated to further contribute to advancing China's dual circulation strategy, which integrates domestic and global markets and supports efforts to build China into a strong trading nation, the circular noted. Yiwu's robust growth is evident in its trade data. In the first ten months of the year, the city's import and export volume surged 18.3 percent year on year, reaching 560.16 billion yuan (about 77 billion U.S. dollars), according to customs data. Known as the city where "buy global, sell global" thrives, Yiwu is focusing on cross-border e-commerce and digital trade. Its Global Digital Trade Center, which leverages artificial intelligence and digital tools to enhance core trade elements, such as supply chains, logistics and market, is set to open the market section for trial operations in October 2025. In 2011, Yiwu became the first county-level city in China to receive State Council approval for a pilot program on comprehensive international trade reform. "This new reform initiative will bring significant opportunities for Yiwu, allowing it to optimize its trade structure and improve trade quality," said Zhu Keli, a researcher at the China Institute of New Economy. By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com It was quite a sight to see as President-Elect Trump rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange to start the trading day and accept Time Magazines Man of the Year award. His incoming cabinet officials watched and cheered from the floor, including Oregons own Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trumps Labor Secretary nominee. She stood alongside North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary nominee; Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Health and Human Services Secretary nominee; Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary nominee; and Pam Bondi, Attorney General nominee, among others. Traders on the floor chanted USA! as Trump appeared in the balcony to ring the bell flanked by the owners of Time magazine, Vice-President J.D. Vance, Melania Trump, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany Trump and others. Trump is the third U.S. President to ring the NYSEs opening bell, a symbol of capitalism. President Ronald Reagan was the first, and President George W. Bush was the second. In an interview after the bell about his plans for the economy, President-Elect Trump said he would cut taxes substantially. He said hed slash the corporate tax rate for companies that manufacture in the U.S. You pay 21% if you dont build here. If you do, were going to try and get it to 15%, but you have to build your product, make your product in the USA. About American workers he said, We want everbody to do well. We want great jobs with fantastic salaries. We want people to love..and when they wake up in the morning, like get up and I love to go to work, I want to go to workWe want people working and we want them working for a lot of money. When it comes to religion, there are five that general stand out from the rest in terms of popularity and cultural influence. These widely recognized world religions represent the majority of religious people in the world. 1. Christianity (31%) With approximately 31 percent of the world's population professing belief in Christianity, it's easily the world's largest religion, with around 2.3 billion adherents. Advertisement Just one example of Christianity's enormous influence can be seen the dates: Our current calendar system starts with the year in which Jesus Christ, the central incarnated figure in the faith, is believed to have been born. 2. Islam (24%) Islam, the adherents of which are called Muslims, is the second-most popular religion in the world, with around 1.8 billion followers (approximately 24 percent of the global population). Because of high birth rates in the countries where Islam is widely practiced, it's set to overtake Christianity and become the most popular religion in the world within the next several decades. 3. Hinduism (15%) Hindus represent about 15 percent of the world's population, approximately 1.1 billion people. Mostly concentrated in the Indian subcontinent, the Hindu faith is exceptionally varied in terms of beliefs and rituals. India is also believed to be the home of the oldest religious beliefs in the world, with practices that may be older than recorded history. 4. Buddhism (6.9%) There are about a half billion Buddhists in the world, which amounts to 6.9% of the world's population. Buddhism comes from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in the 5th century B.C.E. While it is most popular in East Asia, it has spread to Western countries in the last century or so, gaining popularity among spiritually leaning people who were disenchanted with Christianity. 5. Judaism (0.2%) Judaism is much smaller than the other religions on this list, with around 13 million adherents, or about 0.2 percent of the global population. Still, its influence is significant, due to the prominence of Jewish culture in Western Europe and the United States, as well as Israel, which is where around 40 percent of the world's Jewish population lives. It also has deep connections to Christianity and other Abrahamic religions, which is a source of both affinity and tension. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay from Pexels A new AI image tool could aid the development of algorithms to analyze wildlife images to help improve understanding of how species around the world are responding to climate change, a study suggests. The advance could help scientists create new AI-powered algorithms to perform rapid, in-depth analysis of the millions of wildlife images uploaded to the internet by members of the public each year. These could help reveal key insights into the impacts of climate change, pollution, habitat loss and other pressures on tens of thousands of animal and plant species, researchers say. Citizen science websites are a potentially rich source of information on how animals and plants are responding to climate change. However, while existing AI algorithms can automatically identify species in uploaded images, it was unclear if they could reveal other information too. Now, an international team of scientists has created a new tool to test how well AI algorithms can mine image banks for other information. This could include details such as what species are eating, how healthy they are, and with which other species they are interacting. The toolcalled INQUIREmeasures AI's ability to draw conclusions from an image bank of 5 million wildlife photos uploaded to the iNaturalist citizen science website. The team found that current AI algorithms are capable of answering some of these types of questions, but they fail on the more complex ones. These included those that require reasoning about small features within images and ones that contain detailed scientific terminology. The findings highlight opportunities to develop new AI algorithms that can better help scientists efficiently explore vast image collections, the team says. The findings will be presented at the Thirty-Eighth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing System (NeurIPS 2024), held in Vancouver Dec. 1015. The team included researchers from the University of Edinburgh, University College London, UMass Amherst, iNaturalist and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The work was in part supported by the University of Edinburgh's Generative AI Laboratory. Dr. Oisin Mac Aodha, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics, said, "The thousands of wildlife photos uploaded to the internet each day provide scientists with valuable insights into where different species can be found on Earth. However, knowing what species is in a photo is just the tip of the iceberg. "These images are potentially a hugely rich resource that remains largely untapped. Being able to quickly and accurately comb through the wealth of information they contain could offer vital clues about how species are responding to multi-faceted challenges like climate change." Dr. Sarah Beery, Assistant Professor at MIT, said, "This careful curation of data, with a focus on capturing real examples of scientific inquiries across research areas in ecology and environmental science, has proven vital to expanding our understanding of the current capabilities of current AI methods in these potentially impactful scientific settings. "It has also outlined gaps in current research that we can now work to address, particularly for complex compositional queries, technical terminology, and the fine-grained, subtle differences that delineate categories of interest for our collaborators." 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: Composite images of PDS 70 in pseudo color. The left panel shows previous ALMA observations at 0.87 mm, and the right panel shows new ALMA observations at 3 mm. The composite image combines millimeter/submillimeter continuum images with ALMA (red), an infrared continuum image from W. M. Keck Observatory (green), and an optical image of a hydrogen emission line taken with the VLT (blue). The images show that the dust emissions observed with ALMA form a ring-like structure outside the planets detected by Keck and the VLT. At a wavelength of 3 mm, the dust emission can be seen prominently concentrated in the northwest direction (upper right of the image). Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), W. M. Keck Observatory, VLT (ESO), K. Doi (MPIA) The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has successfully observed a site of planet formation by detecting a high concentration of dust grains, a planet-forming material, outside the orbits of just-formed planets. An international research team led by Kiyoaki Doi, then a Ph.D. student at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)/the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, performed high-resolution observations of a protoplanetary disk around a young star called PDS 70 at a wavelength of 3 mm with ALMA. The object hosts two known planets, and the new ALMA observations revealed a localized accumulation of dust grains outside the planetary orbits. This finding suggests that already-formed planets accumulate the material for a planet and facilitate the potential formation of the next planet. This work contributes to revealing the formation process of planetary systems consisting of multiple planets, like the solar system. The article, titled "Asymmetric Dust Accumulation of the PDS 70 Disk Revealed by ALMA Band 3 Observations," has been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters. It is available on the arXiv preprint server. To date, more than 5,000 planets have been identified both within and outside the solar system. In some cases, they compose planetary systems consisting of multiple planets. These planets are believed to originate from micron-sized dust grains in the protoplanetary disks that surround young stars. However, how these dust grains accumulate locally and lead to the formation of planetary systems remains unknown. PDS 70 is the only known celestial object with alreadyformed planets, confirmed by optical and infrared observations, within a protoplanetary disk. Unveiling the distribution of dust grains in this object will provide insight into how the already formed planets interact with the surrounding protoplanetary disk and potentially influence subsequent planet formation. Previous observations with ALMA at 0.87 mm revealed ring-shaped emissions from the dust grains outside the planetary orbits. However, the emission source might be optically thick (opaque, with dust grains on the near side obscuring those behind them), and the observed emissions distribution might not accurately reflect the distribution of the dust grains. The researchers led by Kiyoaki Doi performed high-resolution observations of the protoplanetary disk around PDS 70 at a wavelength of 3 mm with ALMA. The observations at 3 mm are optically thinner (more transparent), providing the distribution of the dust grains more reliably. The new observations at 3 mm showed a different distribution from previous 0.87 mm observations and revealed that the dust emission is concentrated in a specific direction within the dust ring outside the planets. This suggests that dust grains, the building blocks of planets, accumulate in a narrow region and form a localized clump. The dust clump outside the planets suggest that the already-formed planets interact with the surrounding disk, concentrating dust grains into a narrow region at the outer edge of their orbits. These clumped dust grains are thought to grow into a new planet. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. The formation of planetary systems, like the solar system, can be explained by the sequential formation of the planets from inside to outside by the repetition of this process. This work observationally captured how already-formed planets interact with their surroundings and trigger the formation of the next planet, contributing to our understanding of planetary system formation. Kiyoaki Doi, who led this work, says, "a celestial object is made up of multiple components, each emitting radiation at different wavelengths. Thus, observing the same object at multiple wavelengths offers a unique perspective on the target. "In PDS 70, the planets were discovered at optical and infrared wavelengths, while the protoplanetary disk was observed at millimeter wavelengths. This work shows that the disk exhibits different morphologies, even within the observation wavelength range of ALMA. "This highlights the importance of observations across various wavelengths, including multi-wavelength observations with ALMA. Observing multiple components of a target with various observational settings with different telescopes is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the entire system." More information: Kiyoaki Doi et al, Asymmetric dust accumulation of the PDS 70 disk revealed by ALMA Band 3 observations, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2408.09216 Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Letters , arXiv Provided by ALMA Telescope 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: A giraffe with a GPS tracker. Credit: Professor Francois Deacon New research finds that giraffes much prefer flat terrain and do not traverse slopes of more than 20, which severely limits the areas in, and outside, protected reserves they can access. The findings, which are yet to be published, were presented at the British Ecological Society's (BES) Annual meeting in Liverpool on the 13 December. A study analyzing the movements of 33 GPS collared giraffes in South Africa has found that they avoid steep terrain and are unable to navigate slopes with a gradient of more than 20, most likely due to the energy required and the risk of falling. The researchers from the University of Manchester and the University of the Free State, South Africa found that giraffes will tolerate terrain of up to 12, but only if it leads to favorable vegetation. Jessica Granweiler, a PHD candidate at the University of Manchester, who presented the research at the meeting said, "We often think of giraffes roaming in large, flat grassland savannas in Africa, but that's not really their true habitat. There are also rolling hills, deep riverbeds and high plateaus. "Our study shows that giraffes much prefer flat areas. They will tolerate some steepness to access food, but simply cannot access areas above a 20 gradient. It's quite shocking when you look at distribution maps." "Giraffes are tolerant animals and resilient to many things like food availability and human pressures, but this is a scenario where they simply may not be able to adapt due to physiological limits." A giraffe with a GPS tracker. Credit: Professor Francois Deacon The findings highlight a mismatch between the ideal, flat habitats of giraffes and the areas they're being conserved in. Using the newly discovered 20 gradient threshold, the researchers were able to calculate the proportion of habitats in key African countries where giraffes are currently found that are inaccessible to the animals. "In Namibia and Tanzania, there is approximately 8,000km2 that may be unusable to giraffes, that's nearly half of the size of Wales," said Jessica. "In Kenya and South Africa, there's approximately 4,000km2 that may be unusable. What's even more worrying is that of all the countries we mapped, one in three had more unusable areas in protected areas than outside of protected areas." This issue is exacerbated when reserves are fenced, which many in South Africa are. "If a reserve is say 200 hectares but has a large mountain in the middle, from a giraffe's perspective, this reserve is not 200 hectares anymore," said Jessica. "We need to start including topography in giraffe conservation planning and habitat assessments, especially for small fenced reserves." Professor Susanne Shultz, lead supervisor on Jessica's PHD, further commented, "Steep and rugged environments are challenging for large-bodied animals, like giraffes. Unfortunately, natural and protected areas are more likely to be placed in such places, which can lead to a mismatch between the landscapes animals 'want' to use and the landscapes that we have 'left' for them. "Incorporating geography and physical limitations in habitat assessments can help avoid conserving animals in inappropriate places." Giraffes are currently found in 21 African countries but despite their wide distribution, populations have been declining due to habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. Conservation initiatives are critical for their survival. However, traditional habitat suitability models primarily focus on vegetation distribution, predation, and human disturbance and overlook topography. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. In the study, the researchers repurposed GPS data collected between 2011 to 2023 by Dr. Francois Deacon's team at the University of the Free State, South Africa who fitted GPS collars to 33 giraffes (10 males and 23 females) across five reserves in South Africa. The researchers combined this data with topographic maps to work out the gradients that giraffes could and couldn't navigate. Dr. Francois Deacon, who was also part of this research, said, "The more awareness we can bring to giraffe ecology, the more research effort there will be on this species in the future. The fact that we are still discovering major limitations or drivers of their ecology and behavior is worrying. But research like ours helps close this gap in knowledge and will help better management and conservation of giraffes in the future." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain King tides return this weekend and with them a reminder of rising sea levels. "As sea level rises, the king tides will get higher and the potential damage that extreme high tides cause will be greater," said Annie Kohut Frankel, grants and education manager at the California Coastal Commission. "Soon the places we love so muchthe beaches, trails and coastal communities will be underwater or flooded at least twice a year." When the earth, the moon and the sun all align in a straight line, there are higher tides due to the combined gravitational pulls of the moon and the sun. The moon orbits the earth in an ellipse, and so does the earth around the sun. Ellipses are not quite round, tending to be more oval-shaped, causing varying distances from the center to the diameter. Twice a year, when the earth is closest to the sun, while the moon is also closest to the earth, we get the highest high tides and also the lowest low tides. These are called king tides. King tides are often 1 to 2 feet higher than average tides. But global warming, extreme weather and rising sea levels have recently led to a greater public concern about king tides. Higher temperatures, extreme weather conditions and ice melting will all contribute to higher and higher tides in the following decades. "The king tides give us a very visceral way to understand what the future may look like," Frankel said. She is part of the California King Tides project, an initiative by the California Coastal Commission aimed at raising awareness about king tides and their future implications. Residents of coastal California come together during king tide days to not only experience the magnitude of these tides in real time but to capture these tides on their cameras. The pictures are collected by the King Tides project, which creates a record of changes to the coast and estuaries through a visual map. "It is an opportunity to encourage people to start thinking about climate change and what we can do to reduce the amount of sea level rise that we see," said Frankel. In the past decade, there has been an increased attention to king tides by local communities across California. Field trips, trail walks, beach events and even marsh painting sessions have become popular methods for people to engage, learn and experience the king tides. Several local organizations have come together under the California King Tides project. One of them is The Exploratorium, a popular San Francisco museum of science, arts and human perception that informs the public about physics, biology and, more recently, climate change and rising sea levels. People are increasingly becoming aware of climate change and rising sea levels, said Emma Greenbaum, project director for climate and landscapes at the Exploratorium. "There's a lot of vulnerability to people's homes and businesses from rising sea levels around the Bay Area," she said. "This is causing people to get involved and be a part of making decisions that will shape their lives in the coming decades." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. The Exploratorium stands on Piers 15 and 17 on San Francisco's waterfront, providing a unique location for public engagement and education on rising sea levels. Just last month during the last king tides, 100 students from San Francisco Unified School District came together at the Exploratorium to learn about rising sea levels due to climate change. "Climate change is causing more storm surges that might coincide with king tides, and the flooding could be much worse, much sooner," Greenbaum said. Although the drastic effects of sea level rise on king tides is still a distant event, Greenbaum noted the need to plan early: "We cannot put this on the back burner; we need to plan the adaptations now rather than later, when it will be too little, too late." There are scientists, however, who believe differently. "The word 'king' designates something really big and powerful, which I think is confusing," said Gary Griggs, distinguished professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Santa Cruz. "People expect something like a tsunami, but king tides are just a few inches higher than a normal high tide." An expert on coastal erosion and sea-level rise, Griggs spoke about the predicted tide gauge of the Friday-to-Sunday king tides6.7 feet on Friday, 6.9 feet on Saturday and 6.8 feet on Sunday. "These are as high as they get, except if it's an El Nino year, but they are not that impressive." However, he elaborated on the future of ocean tides, based on two categories of sea level rise: short-term and long-term. Short-term sea level rise is caused by extreme weather events, which, when coinciding with king tides, cause major flooding due to higher tides and larger waves. Griggs mentioned the floods on Westcliff on Jan. 5 that wiped out trails and washed down to Capitola and Del Mar. "The tides around Monterey on that day were about a foot higher than predicted," he said. In case of long-term sea level rise, the effects will not be apparent until 2050, he said. "The sea level may rise by a foot, and then by 2100, things become uncertain because a lot of it will depend on how much the planet has heated by that point due to greenhouse gases." In the long run, Griggs firmly believes there is nothing we can do to hold back the ocean. "There isn't a seawall big enough that can hold back an ocean." He offered "managed retreat" as a more realistic solution, to pull back communities near the coast more inland. It is a difficult solution, however, as people rarely want to uproot their homes, work and lives because of a threat that's roughly 30 years off. But he emphasized the need to act now rather than later. "King tides are not a real problem, but high tides in the future are going to be a real problem," he urged, "For each community, we need to figure out how we are going to respond, rather than react at the last minute." 2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain As the global climate crisis intensifies, the demands for innovative and scalable solutions grow increasingly urgent. In a recent article published in Frontiers in Energy, Nobel laureate Dr. Steven Chu, from Stanford University, and Qi Wang of the U.S.China Green Energy Council outline key technological advancements and the pressing need for a paradigm shift in how societies define progress and "wealth." Their work offers a roadmap to addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while fostering sustainable development. The authors emphasize the growing evidences of human-driven climate change, pointing to rising GHG emissions and their cascading effects on ecosystems and societies. With emissions reaching 52 gigatons of CO 2 equivalent by 2023, Dr. Chu warns, "We're not just facing a challenge; we're in a war against climate change. Immediate, transformative action is necessary to secure a livable planet." The work underlines the sectors most responsible for emissions, including power generation, transportation, building, and all of the materials we use, calling for radical innovation and systemic change. "Achieving net-zero emissions means rethinking nearly every aspect of modern society," Chu asserts. Agriculture contributes significantly to global emissions, primarily through nitrous oxide released by fertilizers. The authors propose a "fourth agricultural revolution," leveraging synthetic biology to develop microbes that reduce fertilizer dependence and enhance soil health. Additionally, the article explores the potential of crops as carbon sinks, suggesting that non-edible plant residues could be compacted and stored to sequester atmospheric CO 2 . The integration of AI into clean energy systems is another focal point. AI can optimize energy use, predict demand, and accelerate the development of advanced materials. However, the authors caution that AI itself consumes significant energy and must be made more efficient and powered by green electricity. While technological innovation is crucial, Chu and Wang argue that societal values must also evolve. They advocate for transitioning from a "disposable" culture to one centered on reusability and sustainability. The authors also challenge traditional economic metrics, such as GDP, proposing a redefinition of "wealth" that prioritizes well-being over consumption. "True prosperity isn't measured by how much we consume, but by the quality of our lives and the health of our communities," Chu notes. The article concludes with a call to action for governments, businesses, and individuals to embrace innovation and collaboration. From renewable energy to sustainable agriculture, the solutions are as diverse as the challenges. However, success depends on global cooperation and a collective commitment to change. More information: Steven Chu et al, Climate change and innovative paths to a more sustainable future, Frontiers in Energy (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s11708-024-0965-1 Provided by Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center Zou Yingguang, general manager of CITIC Securities, speaks at the company's 2024 Investor Open Day in Beijing, Dec. 12, 2024. [Photo courtesy of CITIC Securities] CITIC Securities, China's largest brokerage, highlighted its expanding global role at its 2024 Investor Open Day on Thursday, emphasizing its position as a bridge for international investment flows. The event, themed "CITIC your trusted partner for going global and coming to China," showcased the firm's strategy for facilitating both outbound Chinese investment and inbound global capital. At the event, Zou Yingguang, general manager of CITIC Securities, emphasized the company's commitment to China's financial opening. "As China's economy continues to develop steadily and opening-up deepens, we are witnessing increasing demand for cross-border investment services," Zou said. Data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange shows China recorded a net outflow of $98.7 billion in outbound equity direct investment during the first three quarters, while inbound equity direct investment reached $60 billion. "There's a robust two-way flow of investment, with Chinese enterprises expanding overseas and foreign investors coming to China," Zou noted. He added that CITIC Securities aspires to be the top-of-mind choice for individuals and businesses looking to expand their global footprint or enter the Chinese market. The general manager also reviewed the company's achievements in facilitating the global expansion of Chinese enterprises. The firm has supported over $200 billion in overseas equity financing, facilitated more than $360 billion in international bond issuances and managed outbound mergers and acquisitions exceeding $43 billion, according to company data. "Our efforts have been instrumental in advancing the globalization of Chinese enterprises and fostering the development of new quality productive forces," Zou said. CITIC Securities has facilitated more than $19 billion in inbound mergers and acquisitions and issued over 200 billion yuan in Panda bonds, maintaining its industry leadership in bringing foreign investment to China. The CLSA China Growth Fund, a U.S. dollar private equity fund targeting global investors interested in China's primary markets, has closed several deals channeling international capital into China's emerging industries, Zou said. The fund leverages CITIC Securities' expertise in Chinese markets. "As one of the first Chinese investment banks to expand internationally, CITIC Securities has consistently pursued a global strategy to serve China's high-level institutional opening of its capital markets," said Li Chunbo, chairman of CITIC Securities International Group. CITIC Securities maintains operations in 13 countries, serving more than 2,000 major institutional investors across markets representing over 95% of global equity capitalization, Li said. Notably, he mentioned that the company has built the largest network among Chinese securities firms in Belt and Road regions, including local branches, research coverage, sales operations, and clearing and settlement services. "This makes us the investment bank most aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative worldwide," he added. The investor event followed a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Dec. 9, where China's top leadership outlined economic priorities for 2025, urging a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy. "Expanding domestic demand across the board" and "pursuing high-standard opening-up while stabilizing foreign trade and investment" were also highlighted to ensure steady and sustainable growth. "Looking ahead, we expect to see continued growth in China's macro-securitization ratio and a deepening of both Chinese enterprises' internationalization and the country's capital market opening up," Zou said. "Our goal is to be the preferred partner for our clients, whether they are Chinese companies seeking to expand overseas or foreign investors looking to invest in China." 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: Using satellite altimetry data from SWOT, scientists have created a global map of marine gravity, uncovering thousands of new seamounts. (Eotvos is a unit that measures the oceans vertical gravity gradient.) Credit: Yao Yu et al, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.ads4472 The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission instruments have allowed for the clearest satellite-produced map of the seafloor to date, according to a new study in Science. The work could help researchers better understand everything from biodiversity hot spots to plate tectonics to tsunami propagation. Ship-based sonar has a resolution of about 200400 meters (6501,300 feet). The Seabed 2030 project aims to map the entire ocean floor by the end of the decade using this method. However, the relatively time-consuming and expensive technique has so far imaged only about 25% of the seafloor. Most seafloor map images are derived from satellite altimetry, which measures height variations of the ocean's surface. Scientists use this information to make inferences about seafloor features that influence sea surface level by affecting marine gravity (e.g., sea level is higher over a seamount). Over the past 30 years, data gathered by satellite instruments have allowed scientists to map marine gravity at a resolution of about 1216 kilometers (7.59.9 miles). Jointly developed by NASA and the Center National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES, the French national space agency) and launched in 2022, SWOT measures sea surface height in two dimensions rather than one. In the new study, researchers used SWOT data from April 2023 to July 2024 to map marine gravity at a resolution of 8 kilometers (5 miles). "So, one year of SWOT data beat the past 30 years of traditional nadir altimeter [data] in constructing marine gravity," said Yao Yu, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher studying marine geophysics and physical oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. The improved resolution has uncovered thousands of small seamounts and is allowing researchers to better characterize abyssal hills and map submarine canyons. Detecting these features could help improve studies of ocean circulation and deep-ocean mixing, which can affect ocean temperatures and carbon dioxide absorption. "I am mostly impressed with the ability to [map] abyssal hills and seamounts so much [more clearly] than ever before," Ole Baltazar Andersen, a geophysicist at the Technical University of Denmark, wrote in an email. Andersen was not involved with this research but has collaborated with David Sandwell, Yu's adviser and a paper co-author. "This paper represents a huge leap forward in our ability to map our planet." Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, an ocean physicist and SWOT program scientist at NASA, wrote in an email that the work was "impressive" and brings a new level of detail to satellite altimetry capabilities. "Improved seafloor mapping at such levels of detail opens new frontiers" in areas including geodesy, ocean modeling, hydrology, navigation, and benthic ecology, she said. More information: Yao Yu et al, Abyssal marine tectonics from the SWOT mission, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.ads4472 Journal information: Science Provided by Eos This story is republished courtesy of Eos, hosted by the American Geophysical Union. Read the original story here. 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: Left: A schematic showing a levitating diamond with embedded nitrogen 14 nuclear spins. Right: The spin energy levels showing their polarization. Credit: Julien Voisin. A new study in Physical Review Letters demonstrates the levitation of a microparticle using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), having potential implications from biology to quantum computing. NMR is a spectroscopic technique commonly used to analyze various materials based on how the atomic nuclei respond to external magnetic fields. This provides information about the internal structure, dynamics, and environment of the material. One of the main challenges with NMR is using it on small objects to control the quantum properties of levitating microparticles. The researchers in this study wanted to address limitations previously encountered while studying this particular application, including the requirement of high magnetic fields, sub-Kelvin temperatures, and large volume sizes. Phys.org spoke to the study's first author, Julien Voisin, a Ph.D. student at LPENS (Laboratoire de physique de l'ecole normale superieure) in France. Speaking of the choice of the microparticle and what motivated them to use NMR, Voisin said, "A former Ph.D. student was able to measure electronic spins, but their short lifetime made it challenging to study them effectively. This led us to focus on nuclear spins, which we had already successfully measured on a fixed diamond outside the trap." How NMR works Atomic nuclei containing an odd number of protons and/or neutrons have a property called spin. When placed in an external magnetic field, these spins can align with or against the magnetic field. This phenomenon, known as the Zeeman effect, leads to the energy levels splitting into two or more discrete levels. In NMR, a weak oscillating magnetic field is applied in addition to the previous field, causing the nuclei to absorb energy and transition between these energy levels. When the oscillating field is turned off, the nuclei revert to their original energy states, emitting energy in the form of photons. These photons are detected as electromagnetic signals and are unique to each atom, serving as a fingerprint. Therefore, NMR is a popular method for studying the structure and properties of materials and can also be extended to study quantum systems. In quantum systems, especially those using nuclear spins for quantum information processing, NMR can be used to control and measure the spin states of particles, making it a valuable tool for studying decoherence. However, as mentioned, using NMR on small objects is a persistent challenge. Diamonds are the solution To address the problem, the researchers chose microdiamonds as their particles. However, these diamonds had a defectnitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers. NV centers are formed when a nitrogen atom replaces a carbon atom in the diamond lattice, and an adjacent lattice site remains vacant. NV centers have unique quantum properties, such as the ability to interact with magnetic fields and store and manipulate quantum information. "Diamonds can host optically active crystalline defects, often called color centers. These color centers can have many interesting applications, with the NV center being widely used in physics because of its electronic spin and optical properties," explained Voisin. The microdiamonds had a diameter of 1020 micrometers. The uniqueness of their study is the use of an electrical Paul trap to levitate these microdiamonds. An electrical Paul trap consists of two sets of electrodes to create an oscillating electric field. This field produces a potential well, keeping the microdiamond confined in space, allowing them to levitate. "The appeal of performing NMR with a levitated system is to access nuclear spins and leverage their properties, such as long coherence times," explained Voisin. The levitation offers other advantages, including less disturbance from the environment, and precise manipulation over the microparticles without any physical contact. These factors significantly enhance the reliability and precision of the NMR technique. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Using electronic spins to manipulate nuclear spins The end goal was to manipulate and control the nuclear spins of the microdiamonds, thereby gaining control over the quantum state of the system. The researchers achieved this by gaining control over the electronic states in the NV centers. The NV centers possess electronic spin states due to the free electron of the nitrogen. These electronic spin states can be manipulated using polarization, and this manipulation can then be transferred to the nuclear spins. The researchers used a green laser light to polarize the electronic states in the NV centers. Following this, they leveraged the hyperfine interactions between electronic and nuclear spins using a method known as dynamic nuclear polarization or DNP. This method allowed them to transfer the polarization from the electronic to the nuclear spins, enabling the manipulation of the nuclear spins and thereby, the quantum state of the system. Improved coherence times and potential applications The researchers' approach allowed them to achieve nuclear spin coherence for levitating microdiamonds in the range of a few hundred microseconds (approximately 120 microseconds). This was an improvement of three orders of magnitude from previous studies. While the results indicate a step forward compared to previous studies, Voisin noted, "The goal of this experiment was not to compete with NMR studies but to show that NMR can be achieved in a levitating system together with the foreseeable applications in spin-mechanics and fast rotation applications." While Voisin doesn't see immediate applications in biology and quantum computation with the current experimental setup just yet, two promising applications include cooling macroscopic particles and gyroscopy. For cooling, current feedback cooling in optical tweezers doesn't work for diamonds in a vacuum because they graphitize and break. However, the spin cooling using nuclear spins could enable ground-state cooling due to their longer coherence times compared to electronic spins. In gyroscopy, the smaller gyromagnetic ratio of nuclear spins makes them ideal for measuring the pseudo-magnetic fields generated by fast-rotating levitated particles. This small ratio can improve precision in gyroscopic applications by enhancing sensitivity to rotational movement. 2024 Science X Network 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: Kelly from Pexels Exporting agricultural products from tropical regions to China, the U.S., the Middle East, and Europe is three times more harmful to biodiversity than previously assumed. In a study appearing in Nature Sustainability, researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the ETH Zurich have shown this by tracking how agricultural exports from 1995 to 2022 affected land use changes in the producing countries. Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and Madagascar are particularly affected by species loss. It has long been known that intensive land use in tropical regions impacts local biodiversity, but the role of trade has been underestimated, according to researchers from TUM and ETH Zurich. Previously, 20 to 30% of biodiversity loss in these regions was assumed to be due to agricultural exports. Livia Cabernard, Professor of Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agricultural Systems at TUM, along with Stephan Pfister and Stefanie Hellweg from the Institute of Environmental Engineering at ETH Zurich, have now demonstrated that international trade has caused more than 90% of the loss that occurred between 1995 and 2022 due to the conversion of natural areas into agricultural land. The team used data for the study that breaks down the global economy into sectors, regions, and ecological impacts. A significant difference from previous studies is that the researchers used satellite data to consider the entire development of an area, including after farming ceased. Older models did not take such fallow areas into account. Permanent species loss and the time needed for an ecosystem to recover were thus not reflected in earlier models. The model also maps trade flows and how they affect land use in different regions. Over 80% of land use changes in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific region during the study period were due to increased agricultural exports. The leading importers of these goods are China (26%), the U.S. (1%), the Middle East (13%), and Europe (8%). Hotspots include Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and Madagascar, where more than 50% of global species loss due to land conversion is recorded. In Madagascar and Brazil, the land is mainly used for livestock grazing, while rice and oilseeds (such as palm oil) are predominant in Indonesia. In Mexico, vegetables, nuts, and fruits are the main crops. Outsourcing species loss has global consequences For many importing countries, outsourcing agriculture has apparent advantages: the negative impacts on domestic biodiversity decreased as less land was used for agriculture, and there was an increase in conservation and restoration measures. This applies to countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, and the U.S. At the same time, although biodiversity losses due to domestic consumption have decreased in Brazil and Mexico, overall losses have increased due to rising agricultural exports. "This is an alarming finding, as the threat to global biodiversity per square meter in tropical regions is a hundred times higher than in the importing countries," says Cabernard. The species loss caused in this way has been underestimated as a problem. "The connections between global trade and biodiversity loss are highly complex but of great importance. We need to think about environmental impacts on a global scale and combine various measures to develop effective levers. "Supporting domestic agriculture in countries like Germany and Switzerland, ensuring transparent supply chains, and pricing that reflects ecological damage would be important steps to avoid species loss in these hotspots. " More information: Livia Cabernard et al, Biodiversity impacts of recent land-use change driven by increases in agri-food imports, Nature Sustainability (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01433-4 Journal information: Nature Sustainability 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: International scientist's, Alexander Werth, from left, professor Joy Reidenberg and Michael Denk study a male spade-toothed whale ahead of a dissection at Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel, near Dunedin, New Zealand, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Derek Morrison Scientists suspect the first complete specimen ever recorded of the world's rarest whale died from head injuries, an expert said Friday. The first dissection of a spade-toothed whale, a type of beaked whale, was completed last week after a painstaking examination at a research center near the New Zealand city of Dunedin, the local people who led the scientific team, Te Runanga Otakou, said in a statement issued by the New Zealand Department of Conservation. A near-perfectly preserved 5-meter (16-foot) male was found washed up on a South Island beach in July. It was the first complete specimen ever recorded. There have only been seven known sightings and never of a living spade-toothed whale. New Zealand conservation agency beaked whale expert Anton van Helden said the whale's broken jaw and bruising to the head and neck led scientists to believe that head trauma may have caused its death. "We don't know, but we suspect there must have been some sort of trauma, but what caused that could be anyone's guess," van Helden said in a statement. All varieties of beaked whales have different stomach systems and researchers didn't know how the spade-toothed type processed its food. The scientific team found the specimen had nine stomach chambers containing remnants of squid and parasitic worms, the statement said. Among the more interesting finds were tiny vestigial teeth in the upper jaw. "These little teeth embedded in the gum tells us something about their evolutionary history. It's remarkable to see this and it's just another thing that we had no idea about," van Helden said. "It's a week I'll never forget in my life, it's certainly a highlight and it's the start of the storytelling around this beautiful animal," van Helden added. The dissection was also notable because scientists and curators worked together with local Maori people to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and customs into each step of the process. Following the dissection, the local iwi, or tribe, will keep the jawbone and teeth of the whale before its skeleton is displayed in a museum. 3D printing will be used to replicate those parts retained by the iwi. To Maori, whales are a taonga - a precious treasure - and the creature has been treated with the reverence afforded to an ancestor. New Zealand is a whale-stranding hotspot, with more than 5,000 episodes recorded since 1840, according to the Department of Conservation. The first spade-toothed whale bones were found in 1872 on New Zealand's Pitt Island. Another discovery was made at an offshore island in the 1950s, and the bones of a third were found on Chile's Robinson Crusoe Island in 1986. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. During exclusive interviews with China.org.cn, experts from Tsinghua University have praised China's resilience and strategic adaptability in navigating economic challenges in 2024. Dong Yu, executive vice president of the China Institute for Development Planning at Tsinghua University, and Ju Jiandong, chair professor at Tsinghua's PBC School of Finance, said that targeted policies and structural reforms have been pivotal for the country in addressing its immediate challenges while working toward long-term strategic goals. Dong said that overall, China has secured its economic recovery and growth this year. Major foreign institutions have reflected this optimism by revising their China 2024 growth forecasts. UBS recently increased its forecast from 4.6% to 4.8%, Goldman Sachs raised its prediction from 4.7% to 4.9%, and Nomura adjusted its projection from 4.7% to 4.8%. But Dong also pointed out challenges facing the Chinese economy, such as insufficient domestic demand, real estate market uncertainties, and local government debt risks. To address these, the Chinese government has introduced a suite of policies to ensure sustained recovery and growth, he said. In addition to incentives for large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs that were introduced earlier this year, the country also rolled out a package of incremental policies in the latter half of 2024 to boost the economy. "The Chinese government has placed particular emphasis on the proper timing, intensity, and effect in conducting macro regulation this year," he said. Looking ahead, Dong said he expected to see a strong focus on ensuring the continuity and alignment of policies and efforts between this year and the next. "Some policy measures need to maintain their momentum, and in certain areas, the efforts may need to be further intensified," he said. Dong also said that as China is in the process of transitioning from traditional growth drivers to new ones, it is vitally important to cultivate strategic emerging industries and future industries so that they can play a transformative role in driving economic growth. Amid a complex external economic environment, Dong said that it is important for China to further open up, particularly institutional opening up, to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules. In addition to macro policies, Ju Jiandong from Tsinghua's PBC School of Finance highlighted the importance of structural reforms in driving China's economy. He said that the reform and development of the energy and transportation sectors can be the new growth drivers. China is leading the world in green energy and electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, the country accounts for more than 80% of global photovoltaic production capacity. Additionally, China became the first country to roll out its 10 millionth EV this year, marking a significant milestone in the global automotive industry. Ju also said China's vast market in the developing world is a critical advantage in navigating global economic pressures. He noted that exports to developing countries account for 50% to 60% of China's total exports. Thus, it is important to maintain its market share in the developing world. Further opening of China's capital markets remains a priority to foster international financial cooperation and enable global stakeholders to benefit from China's development dividends. Ju said that sustained financial opening up would allow China to strengthen its global economic connectivity while sharing its growth opportunities with the world. A-share cash dividends soar 166%, boosting appeal for long-term capital 08:53, December 13, 2024 By Zhang Yiyi ( Global Times It has become an increasingly common phenomenon for China's listed companies to offer mid-term cash dividends, as statistics released by Wind Data show. As of Wednesday, 940 listed companies had launched 994 mid-term cash dividend plans, a year-on-year increase of 269.41 percent, the Securities Daily reported on Thursday. The total amount involved in these dividend plans reached 667.52 billion yuan ($91.85 billion), a year-on-year increase of 166.24 percent, the report said. Wind Data shows that as of Wednesday, 29 A-share companies have disclosed interim or third quarter cash dividend plans this month, reflecting a growing trend of mid-year payouts beyond annual dividends. "Dividends are a key source of returns for investors and the most fundamental responsibility of listed companies. Consistent payouts help attract investors who seek stable cash flow," Zhao Xijun, co-president of the China Capital Market Research Institute at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Thursday. Since the beginning of 2024, listed companies in China have been actively launching mid-term cash dividend plans. In terms of industry, banks, oil and petrochemicals, and telecommunications take the lead in dividend amounts, while machinery, pharmaceuticals, and basic chemicals have the highest number of dividend-paying companies. Zhao said that these companies with active dividend payouts often demonstrate strong profitability, robust cash flow, and leading positions in their industries. "Active interim dividends by listed companies strengthen investor confidence and create a tangible sense of reward. Consistent payouts not only offer stable returns and lower investment risks but also foster a culture of value and long-term investing," the Chinese expert noted. On April 12, China's State Council released a guideline on strengthening regulation, forestalling risks and promoting the high-quality development of the capital market. It urged rigorous sustained oversight of listed firms, noting that authorities should crack down on illegal shareholding reduction and tighten regulation on cash dividend payments by listed firms, the Xinhua News Agency reported. "The government is also implementing policies to encourage companies that are capable of paying dividends but reluctant to do so to adopt more proactive dividend practices, fostering a more investor-friendly market," Zhao added. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) You are here: China Beijing's 12345 hotline has processed more than 150 million inquiries and complaints since 2019, handling requests from the city's 22 million residents and growing number of foreign visitors, municipal officials said Wednesday. The Chinese capital launched its "swift response to public complaints" reform in 2019, a mechanism designed to provide efficient and responsive services for the public through the Beijing 12345 Citizen Hotline Service Center and its online platform. The Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, Dec. 11, 2024. [Photo by Chen Xinyan/China.org.cn] Shen Binhua, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing Municipal People's Government, said at a recent press conference ahead of the Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints, that the 12345 hotline has achieved a 97% resolution and satisfaction rate. The service has expanded significantly over the past six years. The center now employs more than 1,700 operators and offers comprehensive services via phone, its website, WeChat and Weibo. The center even features a data analysis system that displays real-time inquiries and complaints on a large screen. A large screen presents real-time data at the Beijing 12345 Citizen Hotline Service Center, Dec. 11, 2024. [Photo by Chen Xinyan/China.org.cn] As China expands its 144-hour visa-free policy, Beijing has seen an increase in international visitors. To accommodate this growth, the center has hired multilingual operators and partnered with Beijing Foreign Studies University volunteers to provide enhanced language support. A multilingual operator provides service for a foreign visitor, Dec. 11, 2024. [Photo by Chen Xinyan/China.org.cn] "In recent years, Beijing has increasingly embraced global engagement, drawing more foreign visitors," said Feng Yingyi, deputy director of the Beijing 12345 Citizen Hotline Service Center. "The 12345 hotline stands ready to offer guidance for their travels in China, and we encourage feedback about any inconveniences they encounter." "Our commitment is to deliver the finest travel experience through our exceptional services," Feng added. Hamilton City Planner Matthew Rohrbach and Public Work Director Donny Ramer hosted a north Hamilton preliminary engineering report meeting on Wednesday at City Hall. The main subjects the report homes in on include sewer and water infrastructure as well as U.S. Highway 93 connectivity and safety. The meeting featured a brief presentation from Rohrbach and Ramer, as well as representatives from the WGM Engineering Group and engineering consultant company, HDR. The report serves to function as an infrastructure reference for future development and will maybe inspire urban-renewal projects in the north Hamilton area. Really what this is doing is trying to respond to growth and growth pressure were seeing in the north Hamilton area, said Rohrbach. This is not an effort by the city to try and promote growth or create growth, but we are seeing more demand for development in this area. Ramer, who helped create the North Hamilton Urban Renewal District in 2018, explained to those in attendance the functionality of an urban renewal district and how its revenue could be invested into north Hamilton infrastructure improvement. An urban renewal area is defined by Montana State law as, a blighted area that the local governing body designates as appropriate for an urban renewal project or projects." The north Hamilton area officially became an urban renewal district in 2018 because of its history of non-integrated planning that plagued its development and infrastructure uniformity. A clear example of the impact of non-integrated planning is the checkerboard of properties along Highway 93 in north Hamilton, reads the Urban Renewal District Plan. Some of the properties are connected to City wastewater services, some are not. Ramer explained that in 2018 the north Hamilton area had been given an urban renewal district life of 20 years. Urban renewal districts work by taking a base year, which for the north Hamilton urban renewal district was 2018, and keeping the taxes going to the same entities in the same proportion through the life of the district, Ramer said. As property values in north Hamilton are re-assessed and taxable value increases, more and more revenue is set aside for reinvestment in urban renewal projects in the area. This revenue needs to be spent in the district, Ramer said. So as part of that, were doing this preliminary engineering report to provide direction for water, sewer and transportation projects that were outlined in the urban renewal district plan. Based on the plan, updates made to the areas sewer and water systems are essential for establishing and maintaining health, sanitation and security as growth in the north Hamilton area continues. The North Hamilton study area anticipated developments are projected to add a residential population of 6,634, with 238 non-residential properties, an average day water demand of 1.46 million gallons per day (MGD), and dry-weather sewer flows of 0.92 MGD, reads the report. Some of the more prominent water and sewer renovations and alternatives were reviewed at the meeting on Dec. 11, with their estimated total costs coming out to roughly $60 million combined. These renovations included, but were not limited to, adding 23,200 feet of new water main, adding 16,306 feet of new gravity sewer main, a new drinking water well, a new drinking water storage tank, making improvements to well pumps and replacing lift stations. Even more alternatives are listed in the report. That was kind of the catalyst for creating the urban renewal district, Ramer said about improvements to sewer and water systems. Theres some things in there (the report) like improvements to Highway 93 and Old Corvallis Road and those are things people in the district have asked for prior even to the creation of the urban renewal district. While the report is mainly concerned with sewer and water infrastructure in north Hamilton, aspects of Hamiltons existing infrastructure that fall outside of the district such as U.S. Highway 93s design, could also be impacted by growth. We also want to look at our existing transportation infrastructure and see what improvements are needed, Rohrbach said. Highway 93 comes to mind when looking at that area in between Fairgrounds Road and Riverside Cutoff. Anyone whos tried to take a left out of Bob Wards or Super One know the safety issues were trying to address. An excerpt from the preliminary report echoes Rohrbachs sentiment about U.S. Highway 93s antiquated design stating that, besides the roadway being dangerous, Riverside Cutoff is one of only two public connections between Old Corvallis Road (OCR) and US Highway 93 (US HWY 93) in the study area, making it a critical link for local mobility. However, its rural design lacks the structured features suited for an increasingly urbanized area, contributing to the overall lack of connectivity within the district. In addressing transportation discrepancies in the north Hamilton area, the report sights safety and connectivity as the two primary objectives for its analysis. Potential renovations to portions of U.S. Highway 93 in north Hamilton include installing concrete medians, cycle tracks and shared use sidewalk paths. Renovations were roughly estimated to cost over $60 million and should greatly reduce crash trends and improve connectivity in the area. Ramer said that while the preliminary engineering report brings Hamilton city officials closer to initiating urban renewal projects in north Hamilton, some of the more urgent issues may be addressed without waiting for a development project. The report kind of lets us start chasing grant money to help match the renewal district money, Ramer said. Theres some projects like Riverside Cutoff or Highway 93 soon needing signal warrants that the city is interested in pulling on our own and not waiting on a development project to come and try and install it. More potential renovations to the north Hamilton area are included in the North Hamilton Preliminary Engineering Report. The report will be presented at the next Hamilton City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. The future of the Iron Horse Business Park is uncertain after the Hanover County Board of Supervisors blocked its portion of the proposal. Northern Virginia developer WestDulles Properties planned a 234-acre site straddling the Ashland-Hanover line. It came with 3.3 million square feet of data center space in addition to 49 single-family, detached homes. Construction would have been done in phases, requiring at least 150,000 square feet of commercial space be completed before starting work on any of the homes. According to the developers estimates, tax revenue would have been $16 million per year to Hanover County after its third full year of operation, rising to $54.1 million in its 10th full year of operation. County staff said the Commissioner of Revenue reviewed those estimates and said they were reasonable based on what the developer promised to build. WestDulles previously said it would take between two and five years to get the necessary permitting to begin construction. The Town of Ashland had already approved the portion of the business park on its side of the border. The final remaining hurdle was for Hanover to approve the 40% that sits on its side. Hanovers board on Wednesday voted unanimously against approving Iron Horse as a data center park. Stoneman: Project is industrial in nature Supervisors said the final decision hinged on the overall height of the buildings, which would top 110 to 75 feet. They also worried about maintaining rural character in the transition from Ashland to Hanover, and the potential strain it would add to the curvy, two-lane Mount Hermon Road. In calling a vote to deny the proposal, Beaverdam District Supervisor Jeff Stoneman said he was in an unenviable position where no decision could please everyone. Hanover residents near the site have fought the project from the beginning. They said it would not only destroy the rural character of the community but the natural habitats for wildlife like deer and eagles. They also worried that the mouth of the neighborhood opened onto Mount Hermon Road. Stoneman said he had to consider community character and the vision of nearby residents when considering his vote. In calling a vote to deny the project, he said he did not like the way the project transitioned from a developed area into a rural area. He also worried about the traffic impacts of 49 homes feeding onto Mount Hermon Road. This project is industrial in nature and its kind of a hard stop, then you move right into agricultural, Stoneman said. Then the traffic impacts, I just dont think Mount Hermon Road can handle anything else. WestDulles initially pursued Iron Horse as a mixed-use development that included over 800 homes between Hanover and Ashland. Plans included 800,000 square feet of retail, office and commercial space. The front of the development along East Patrick Henry Road called for fast-food and convenience-store uses with offices toward the back. Andy Condlin, a representative for the developer, said Ashland initially preferred the retail options as a revenue driver, but Hanover residents said they did not want any fast-food outlets or convenience stores on their side of the border. They preferred the data center project. So we literally just dropped (the initial plan), Condlin said. We were asked to do this, so we did it. One proposed benefit of changing from retail and offices to data centers was a reduction in traffic. The data center plan reduced total homes from 800 units to just 49 single-family homes. There would be about 90% fewer cars using East Patrick Henry Road near its intersection with Interstate 95. That is seen as one of the most congested corridors in the county. Cold Harbor Supervisor F. Michael Herzberg balked at the 110-foot height of the tallest data center buildings. Still, he said he preferred the data center option to the original plan with retail, housing and offices. I just wish there was a way, Herzberg said. I hope theres maybe something worked out down the road. Herzberg said he would vote to deny the park along with Stoneman, whose district the project is in. Sue Dibble, South Anna District supervisor and Hanovers board chair, said she also liked the data center use but could not stomach the building height. For me, the buildings are just too tall. I think theres a market out there for something smaller, Dibble said. I certainly wouldnt want to live next to it, no matter how much of a buffer I had. Its just not the right place. State home to growing number of data centers Condlin offered to delay a vote on the project so WestDulles could draw up a new plan with shorter data center buildings. Supervisors decided not to entertain the idea, and they voted to deny the project. At this point, the future of the park is uncertain. It still carries the initial zoning from 2010, which includes 599 dwelling units, 286 of which are apartments, on the Hanover side of the border. We have approval from the Town for a Data Center and we have approval from the county pursuant to the underlying zoning for up to 599 dwelling units, which includes 286 apartments, Condlin said in a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. We are in the process of determining the best way to move forward based on those approvals. Data centers in general have been a blossoming industry in central Virginia, which sits on a fiberoptic superhighway. Three transatlantic, undersea cables come ashore in Virginia Beach before coming to Henrico County and then heading north along I-95 to Northern Virginia. Around 70% of global internet traffic flows through Northern Virginia, according to a 2019 report by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Hanover approved a 1,200-acre data center park just north of Ashland in March. That $1.8 billion project by Denver-based Tract was estimated to include tax revenues of $40 million per year over the first five years. It was approved with 110-foot-tall buildings and fiercely protested by locals. Powhatan County also approved a $2.7 billion technology park in late October that includes 1.5 million square feet of space off Anderson Highway. Discover Airlines starts new direct Frankfurt-Tulum seasonal route Tulum, Q.R. A water arch greeted the first Discover Airlines flight that landed at the Tulum International Airport. The plane, which is part of Lufthansas quality vacation airlines, landed for the first time Thursday on a direct Frankfurt (FRA) Tulum (TQO) route. The new seasonal flight was greeted with a traditional water arch upon its first landing Thursday. Photo: CGC December 12, 2024. The direct flight is a new seasonal route that will operate into Tulum from December 12, 2024 until April 27, 2025, with two weekly flights. Discover Airlines will land at Tulum International every Thursday and Sunday until April 27, 2025. According to Governor Mara Lezama, in 2023, Quintana Roo received more than 196,000 German tourists, becoming one of the 10 strategic markets for the state. Governor Lezama Espinosa and German Ambassador Clemens von Goetze led the airlines welcome ceremony. Its arrival also marks the first intercontinental operation of an airline and the first landing of a wide-body aircraft at the new Felipe Carrillo Puerto international airport in Tulum. Mara Lezama highlighted that the addition of this new destination to its itinerary from Frankfurt, one of the most important airports in the world, reinforces the commitment of the Lufthansa Group to the market and highlights the popularity of Mexico among European travelers, particularly from Germany, a country that is in our top 10 of issuing markets. Governor Lezama Espinosa and German Ambassador Clemens von Goetze. Photo: CGC December 12, 2024. It also adds to the confidence generated by our tourist destinations and the governments of Quintana Roo and Mexico, by national and international business groups and investors, who anticipate a promising future for the Mexican Caribbean, a tourist giant of the region, said the Governor. The governor of Quintana Roo welcomed the first German travelers who arrived on this flight. We welcomed them with open arms, traditional Mexican hospitality and the warmth of the people of Quintana Roo. May the arrival of this flight strengthen the ties between the German people and the Mexican people, she said. Ambassador Clemens Von Goetze said that it was an honor to participate in the reception of the first Lufthansa flight, and to witness the strengthening of commercial and cultural ties. The Caribbean is known for its rich cultural heritage and above all for the hospitality of its people. Tulum has become one of the favorite destinations for its paradisiacal beaches. The inauguration of this flight represents more than an air connection, it is a bridge between Mexico and Germany said the Ambassador. Mexico has been one of the Groups most important markets in Latin America for almost six decades. In addition to Lufthansas existing services connecting Mexico City with Frankfurt and Munich, Discover Airlines has been operating year-round flights from Frankfurt to Cancun for more than three years. The co-pilot waves the Mexican flag out his window after landing in Tulum Thursday. Photo: CGC December 12, 2024. Today is a very special day for Discover Airlines. Its not every day that an airline has the privilege of being the first to bring an intercontinental flight to a new airport. For me personally, its an exciting moment to see us connecting Frankfurt with Tulum, one of Mexicos most sought-after destinations, said Bernd Bauer, CEO of Discover Airlines Mexico has long been a favorite destination for European travelers and with this new route, were making it easier than ever to explore its incredible culture, stunning landscapes and warm hospitality. This new addition to our network is not only an important milestone for Discover Airlines, but also for the entire Lufthansa Group, . The flight departed from Germanys largest airport, Frankfurt, with 199 passengers on board an Airbus A330-300. Hu Yunche, a sophomore from Tsinghua University, had a deeply moving moment at last month's COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, when he witnessed representatives from small island nations gathered at the Blue Zone of the conference venue. They solemnly read aloud the names and ages of those who had lost their lives to extreme weather events caused by climate change. Many of the victims were children. "I stood there for two minutes, overwhelmed," Hu recalled. "It was a stark reminder of why we should respond to climate change actively and better protect the most vulnerable groups." This moment of raw emotion solidified Hu's resolve to turn his passion for climate action into meaningful contributions. It had been a mission he had carried since his high school days and continued to champion at Tsinghua. As president of the Tsinghua University Student Association on Net-Zero Future, Hu, an interdisciplinary engineering major, led efforts to raise campus awareness about sustainability through workshops, seminars, and other events. "We, as young people, have a responsibility to turn global climate challenges into actionable solutions," he said. Youth as agents of change Hu was part of a youth delegation organized by the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC), a coalition spearheaded by Tsinghua University. Alongside 16 peers from Tsinghua and representatives from eight other universities across 11 countries, Hu and the other students at the GAUC helped host nearly 40 events at COP29, ranging from urgent topics like energy transitions in the Global South to the decarbonization of healthcare systems, showcasing the critical role of youth in shaping climate solutions. Youth representatives from Tsinghua University and other universities are given GAUC Youth Ambassadors certificates at the China Pavilion during the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan on Nov. 11, 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] As one of GAUC's founding members, Tsinghua University has consistently emphasized the importance of engaging young people in global climate governance. "Youth are agents of change," said Zhang Jian, vice secretary-general of GAUC and vice dean of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University. "Their knowledge and actions are crucial for addressing climate change not just in China, but globally." Zhang Jian, vice secretary-general of GAUC and vice dean of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University, introduces GAUC Pavilion for participants of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan on Nov. 14, 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] Since its inception, GAUC has prioritized connecting students with global decision-makers. At COP29, young delegates engaged directly with negotiators, government officials, and business leaders, amplifying their voices in the international climate discussions. "We select students every year to attend the UN climate conferences," Zhang added. "There, they can have face-to-face dialogues with officials, negotiators, and other stakeholders, bringing fresh perspectives and advocating for youth-focused solutions." Beyond these events, Tsinghua emphasizes fostering "climate competency," a concept that goes beyond basic knowledge to include critical thinking, practical skills, and adaptive responses to climate challenges. "Climate competency helps young people think critically and act rationally on climate issues," Zhang said. "By integrating this into education, we're preparing a generation capable of making informed and impactful decisions." Shaping global climate governance Beyond youth engagement, Tsinghua University plays an important role in shaping global climate action through research, dialogue, and other intellectual support. One of the university's most significant contributions is providing evidence-based recommendations to policymakers. Zhang highlighted Tsinghua's flagship research project, "China's Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategies and Pathways: Comprehensive Report," which he described as "the brainchild of over 20 leading domestic institutions that Tsinghua has brought together to analyze strategies for achieving Chinas carbon neutrality goal." "This research directly informed national policies on carbon peaking and neutrality, making it a critical example of how science can drive decision-making," Zhang said. Participants pose for a group photo during the sixth Friends of the Paris Agreement High-Level Dialogue in Paris, France, on Oct. 28, 2024. [European Climate Foundation/Handout via Xinhua] In 2019, Tsinghua University and the European Climate Foundation co-launched the Friends of Paris Agreement High-level Dialogue. Held annually, this event has brought together global climate leaders who play pivotal roles in drafting and implementing the Paris Agreement. "The dialogue provides a platform for in-depth discussions on major climate governance challenges," Zhang noted. "Each year, we produce thematic summaries that are submitted to the UN Secretary-General and COP presidencies to support multilateral progress." "We aim to serve as a bridge, connecting youth, academia, and policymakers," Zhang said. "Together, we can turn knowledge into action and create meaningful change." Pioneering scientific efforts for carbon neutrality As part of its climate change response, China announced that it would strive to peak CO2 emissions before 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. "Achieving carbon neutrality requires more than individual breakthroughs, but a systemic transformation," said Prof. He Kebin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and dean of the Institute for Carbon Neutrality at Tsinghua University. "Energy, industry, policy, and society must work together to build a sustainable future." According to Prof. He, to meet the carbon neutrality goal, China faces challenges including integrating renewable energy into existing grids, managing the supply chain risks of critical minerals, and improving carbon monitoring and accounting systems. To address these challenges, the integrated research teams in Tsinghua University have already made several breakthroughs. For instance, Tsinghua researchers have developed pathways to integrate renewable energy into power grids more efficiently. By optimizing "source-grid-load-storage" interactions, they have tackled the variability of solar and wind energy, making large-scale adoption more feasible. In architecture, the institute has developed a new technology that integrates photovoltaic power generation, energy storage, direct current distribution, and flexible energy consumption systems. This innovation not only increases the installed capacity of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) but also effectively addresses the challenges of managing variable renewable energy, driving the transition to zero-carbon practices in the construction sector. Another breakthrough lies in real-time carbon monitoring. The institute has developed methods to quantify emissions almost instantly, reducing data lags from years to days. This innovation, paired with the AI-powered "TianGong Initiative," establishes a transparent framework for life cycle assessment, focusing on carbon footprint, empowering industries and policymakers to make data-driven decisions. He emphasized that achieving carbon neutrality will lead to profound global economic and social transformation, and technological innovation will be the key driving force in achieving this goal. "We aim to serve as a premier platform for collaboration on carbon neutrality, fostering cross-disciplinary partnerships and technology sharing to advance sustainable solutions and strengthen connections between China and the international community," Prof. He said. Extortionist charged for demanding 100,000 and vehicle from PDC car rental company Playa del Carmen, Q.R. Emiliano Espartaco N is facing charges of business extortion against a car rental company in Playa del Carmen. Police say he was arrested November 17 after demanding 100,000 pesos in floor rights and a vehicle. According to police, Emiliano Espartaco N was arrested on November 17 of this year, along with another subject, when he went to a car rental company located in Playa del Carmen where he allegedly requested 100,000 pesos for the payment of floor rights and the delivery of a car. Police reported that he made the demands under threat that if the demands were not met, he would shoot at the premises. The owner of the business filed a complaint with police which lead to his arrest. In their statement, the State Attorney General (FGE) said Emiliano Espartaco N was picked up by Investigative Police on a warrant while walking the streets of Playa del Carmen. He is facing charges for his probable participation in acts possibly constituting the crime of extortion, the Fiscalia General del Estado (FGE) of Quintana Roo reported. A judge has imposed the precautionary measure of two years of justified preventive detention or the duration of the process against Emiliano Espartaco N. Government announces temporary fishing ban on Mayan octopus Riviera Maya, Q.R. The Mayan octopus has been added to the banned fishing list for the state of Quintana Roo. Fishing for the species will be closed from December 16, 2024 to July 31, 2025. Jorge Aguilar Osorio, the head of the Secretariat of Agricultural, Rural and Fisheries Development (SEDARPE), says the ban is to preserve, care for and strengthen the reproduction of the Mayan Octopus. The fishing ban lasts seven-and-a-half months. Photo: CGC He explained that the Mayan Octopus obtained the Geographical Indication of Protection of the Yucatan Peninsula on August 23, 2024. The Mayan octopus , also known as the Mayan red octopus, is an endemic species exclusive to the Yucatan Peninsula. It is only captured on the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula using the fishing method known as gareteo, which encourages a highly selective, sustainable and sustainable capture, protecting the females that are caring for their young. On December 16, 2024, the ban on the Mayan Octopus, which is captured mainly in Holbox, Chiquila and Isla Mujeres, comes into effect. It is an important species because it has the Geographical Indication of Protection since it is endemic to the region and is mainly exported to Europe, said Aguilar Osorio. Photo: Government of Mexico He explained that the ban lasts seven and a half months from December 16, 2024 to July 31, 2025, the period in which capture is prohibited. The ban is to preserve this endemic species and thus ensure that fishermen of Quintana Roo continue with the sustainable practice that characterizes the achievement of the Geographical Indication of Protection. According to the Government of Mexico, each year, approximately 20 tons of Mayan octopus is fished from Yucatan Peninsula waters. Last month, National Fisheries announced the updated ban on local fishing species for Quintana Roo. What appears to be a perennial struggle between ancient faiths is really a result of more modern political upheavals. The hope for a lasting peace is not mere naivety but rooted in a past of brilliant cooperation. When I say we have no greater friends than Christian supporters of Israel, I know youve always stood with us, declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to an evangelical audience in Washington, D.C., framing todays Middle East conflicts as a clash between Judeo-Christian heritage and militant Islam. Similarly, a preacher from Al-Azhar University once said he did not like Jews because they [Jews] are the worst enemies of the Muslims and have no moral standards, adding: I hate the Jews so as to earn a reward from God. Such voices represent a seemingly unbridgeable divide between Jews and Muslims today. Yet this bitter enmity, which many take as eternal truth, crumbles under historical scrutiny. In his groundbreaking book The Islamic Moses: How the Prophet Inspired Jews and Muslims to Flourish Together and Change the World, journalist and Acton affiliate scholar Mustafa Akyol systematically dismantles this myth of perpetual conflict, revealing centuries of Jewish-Muslim cooperation that successfully challenges widespread contemporary assumptions. The scale of Akyols challenge is immense, as he confronts not just contemporary prejudices but also deeply entrenched political and cultural narratives that frame Jewish-Muslim conflict as historically inevitable. Modern discourse, shaped by some Islamists, mainstream Western media, and Middle Eastern propaganda, presents their enmity as rooted in irreconcilable theological differences and ancient tribal hatreds. Contrary to this, Akyol reveals a sophisticated tradition of cooperation that fundamentally shaped both faiths development. This Judeo-Islamic tradition, he demonstrates, proved far more substantial than todays politically expedient rhetoric about Judeo-Christian valuesa concept that emerged only in the 20th century as a response to European anti-Semitism. The historical reality manifested in profound theological exchange, where Jewish scholars adopted Islamic rational theology while Muslim jurists incorporated Jewish legal insights; in legal development, where both traditions enriched each others understanding of divine law; and in a cultural synthesis that produced a civilization whose achievements in science, philosophy, and arts lasted centuries. This traditions existence challenges the presumed inevitability of todays conflicts, suggesting they reflect modern political forces rather than ancient religious imperatives. Akyols treatment of early Jewish-Muslim relations stands out for its unapologetic historical clarity and analytical depth. Rather than defensively explaining away the conflicts between Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Medinan Jewish tribes, or, conversely, amplifying them as evidence of eternal enmity, he places these episodes within a broader geostrategic context. Similarly, through careful attention to individual storieslike that of Rabbi Mukhayriq, who fought alongside Muslims at Uhud and was praised by the Prophet as the best of the JewsAkyol illuminates larger historical patterns. The Covenant of Medina, establishing Jews and Muslims as one community (umma), emerges not as an isolated document but as evidence of sophisticated political thinking that distinguished between religious differences and political cooperation. Even as relationships evolved and tensions arose, this foundation of potential partnership remained influential, demonstrating how individual choices and institutional frameworks could transcend religious boundaries when political wisdom prevailed. As for the institutional dynamics at work, Akyol details the transformation of Jewish life under the Ottoman state. He quotes Lucien Gubbay to argue that Jewish communities did not merely survive but flourished as the leading doctors, tax and customs officials, financiers, traders and manufacturers. This was not accidental: Islamic civilizations openness to Jewish talent filled a crucial gap, providing the nucleus of a new middle class, one that was free from political ambition. Unlike in Christian Europe, where Jews faced constant persecution, Al-Andalus offered them freedom to develop their intellectual and commercial capabilities fully. The resulting collaboration produced what Rabbi Joseph Telushkin called the closest parallel in Jewish history to the contemporary golden age of American-Jewish life. The intellectual exchange proved even more profound. Jewish scholars adopted Islamic rational theology (kalam), while Muslim jurists learned from Jewish legal traditions. Moses Maimonides, writing in Arabic under Muslim rule, engaged so deeply with Islamic thought that his works shaped both traditions. His son Abraham went further, arguingthat the ways of the ancient saints of Israel had now become the practice of the Sufis of Islam. This was not mere borrowing but deep synthesis: As Jewish historian Shelomo Dov Goitein noted, Islam is from the very flesh and bone of Judaism. It is, to say, a recast, an enlargement. Ottoman protection of Jews also reveals how this tradition manifested in statecraft. When Spanish Jews faced expulsion in 1492, Sultan Bayezid II did not just offer refuge; he sent ships to rescue them, understanding their value to his empire. His critique of Spains FerdinandHow can you call Ferdinand of Aragon a wise king the same Ferdinand who impoverished his own land and enriched ours?reflects not just tolerance but strategic wisdom. The refugees transformed Ottoman society, establishing the Middle Easts first printing press and contributing crucial skills across sectors. The legal evolution of both traditions reveals a fascinating paradox that illuminates broader institutional dynamics. Early Islamic law often demonstrated remarkable progressiveness compared to Jewish law, particularly regarding womens rights. While biblical law gave daughters no inheritance if sons existed, the Quran explicitly declared that women shall have a share, even if unequal to mens. Islamic divorce laws proved so relatively advantageous that medieval Jewish women sometimes appealed to Muslim courts, as Gideon Libson, a scholar of comparative Jewish and Islamic law, documents. Yet over centuries, Jewish law developed more flexible tools for reformthrough concepts like sevarah (reason-based ruling) and takkanah (rabbinic enactment)while Islamic law became increasingly rigid. Akyol rightly attributes this divergence to the difference between having and lacking state power: Muslim jurists, operating within powerful empires, became constrained by state orthodoxy, while Jewish scholars, as a powerless minority, preserved intellectual flexibility partly out of necessity. The breakdown of this reciprocal interaction reveals how modern forces reshaped ancient relationships. European anti-Semitism infected the Muslim world precisely as nationalism emerged as the dominant political force. Most common themes in the Arab antisemitic discourse, Esther Webbman notes, were derived from classical Christian and Western vocabulary. Yet Akyol acknowledges the role of Islamic thinkers as well. For instance, he discusses Sayyid Qutbs essay Our Struggle with the Jews, which argued: The Jewish enmity against Islam began in Medina and has continued ceaselessly in the past fourteen centuries. Akyol carefully challenges such narratives and contradicts their assertions. The overall point is that the rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism transformed a primarily religious relationship into a territorial conflict. Even more tellingly, modern Muslim anti-Semitism often employs Islamic justifications borrowed from European sourcesa historical irony lost on its proponents. Furthermore, Akyols examination of early Muslim intellectual tradition reveals a striking contrast with contemporary Muslim defensiveness about religious authenticity. When the great historian Ibn Khaldun matter-of-factly acknowledged that the Arabs had no books or scholarship and learned it from the earlier People of the Book, he displayed a self-awareness and intellectual confidence rarely seen today. This wasnt viewed as a contamination of Islamic thought but as its enrichment: Early Muslims saw no contradiction between divine revelation and human learning from other traditions. The Quran itself commanded Muslims to ask those who read the Scripture before you, and early scholars took this seriously. Akyol insists that this openness did not weaken Islamic civilization but strengthened it, producing the golden age that modern Muslims proudly reference while often ignoring its pluralistic foundations. Todays defensive posturing about Islamic purity, Akyol shows, reflects not traditional Islamic confidence but modern insecurities, ironically imported along with European notions of cultural authenticity and nationalist purity. The tragic timing of Akyols book, published amid unprecedented violence between Israelis and Palestinians, makes his historical analysis painfully relevant. On October 7, he responded to Hamas attacks with both moral clarity and broader concern: I am sad to see the news of innocent civilians killed & terrorized in Israel with surprise attacks by Hamas. I am worried about the innocent civilians in Gaza who may pay a terrible price. As Israeli response escalated to what even President Biden called indiscriminate bombing, Akyols warnings about forgetting shared heritage became prophetic. Akyol challenges the religious framing of this conflict, insisting, This is not a religious war. It is not a war between Jews and Muslims, let alone Judaism and Islam. When Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu invoked the biblical Amalekimplying divine sanction for total warAkyol reminded readers that There is really no Amalek, as there are no Meccan polytheists. Instead, he frames the conflict as fundamentally political: a political war between two peoples for sovereignty over land. This understanding suggests hope: If the conflict is not rooted in eternal religious enmity but in modern nationalism, it can be resolved through political wisdom rather than religious confrontation. In my opinion, Akyols intelligent placement of the Judeo-Islamic tradition within larger geopolitical shifts offers a crucial lesson for today. Just as the Byzantine-Sassanid rivalry shaped early Muslim-Jewish relations and Ottoman-European dynamics influenced their medieval flourishing, todays conflicts reflect Americas overwhelming influence as the global superpower. Yet, unlike the Ottomans, who strategically fostered Jewish-Muslim cooperation, Americas role as the global superpower has proved disappointing. The current tragedy in the Middle East cries out for the kind of enlightened leadership that once turned religious differences into strategic advantages. When Sultan Bayezid II sent ships to rescue Spanish Jews, he demonstrated how power can be used to foster cooperation rather than deepen divisions. With far greater resources and influence, todays America could play a similarly transformative role by moving beyond simply taking sides to address legitimate grievances by all parties. Akyols work reminds us that positive change often begins with individuals who dare to challenge prevailing orthodoxies. Just as medieval Jewish scholars like Maimonides found inspiration in Islamic thought and Muslim rulers recognized the value of Jewish talent, todays leaders could foster dialogue and cooperation across divides. The recent Abraham Accords, despite their limitations, suggest potential for new relationships. Yet lasting peace requires moving beyond political deals to revive genuine cultural and intellectual exchange rather than weaponizing religious identities for political ends. You are here: China China has announced decisions to amend and repeal 25 administrative regulations to promote standardized and impartial law enforcement, enhance a law-based business environment, and foster high-level opening up to the world. Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree formalizing these decisions, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 20 next year. The 21 revised regulations include those concerning the supervision of medical devices, the administration of publishing, and adjustments to certain penalty mechanisms. Seven of these regulations, including one on governing business premises for internet access services, build on successful pilot practices from free trade zones and will now be implemented nationwide. Key amendments include eliminating certain approval requirements and transitioning others to record-based management, aimed at further stimulating business vitality. The four revoked administrative regulations include provisions related to institutions overseeing public health promotion programs. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here. Dear Care and Feeding, Our daughter is in kindergarten at a private Catholic school. The school is wonderfulsmall classes, caring teachers, diverse, and heavily into kindness. Think major Pope Francis vibes. We are not Catholic and lean more towards atheism, especially me. We knew that religious teaching would be part of her school, and we were okay with that. The public-school system where we live is pretty good, but our daughter has a lot of anxiety and is someone who needs smaller classes and lots of individual attention. Secular private schools near us are 35k (yes, really, all of them!) and not in the budget, at least not for kindergarten. We are comfortable teaching her about other religions (Diwali celebrations, Menorah lightings, whatever we are welcome at). She is very into exploring and learning about the world, so she is actually excited about those things. However, I majorly underestimated how much she would LOVE the Catholic teachings. The stories they are learning and how they are taught are very appealing to a young child, and I know that, even when she gets older, my daughter might just be someone who is attracted to religion and spirituality in a way that I never was. I also get that the we are made of stardust is not exactly warmest and fuzziest thought. Lately, however, she has been asking really pointed questions about what I believe, and Im not quite sure how to answer them. For example, the other day, she asked if I believed in Jesus, if I believed that Adam and Eve were real, and on and on. I tried asking her what she believed, but she just asked me again: I want to know what you believe. The short answer is no, I dont believe in those things. But any version of my not believing makes her upset, and pointing out other faith traditions basically gets her to say, Yeah, those are interesting, but Jesus is real. For context, she asked me if I believed in Santa the other day, and I had no problem telling her, Yep, sure do! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Somehow the religion piece feels different, and Im worried that if Im evasive, she will feel misled when she is a little older. But if Im honest or even ambiguous, she gets very concerned. She worries about the people she loves dying, and its hard for me to think of a way to answer that wont make that worse. Is there a script? Im lost! Jesus Is Not the Reason for My Season Dear Not the Reason, Advertisement Your daughter is receiving incredibly mixed messages. School is telling her all about Jesus, and youre telling her you dont believe he was real. You must understand her confusion, and why she may be worried about you. Unless something happens to change her mind about Catholicism, she will have to deal with these conflicting ideas as long as shes at this school. But remember, you are far from the first non-Catholic parents to send your child to a Catholic school for a good education. Continue to be honest with your daughter about your views and let her know that only she can determine what she believes in. It would also be in her best interest for you to keep exposing her to other religions, even if she maintains that she is committed to the Catholic faith. Let her know that you understand why she may worry about you but that you are holding firm to your beliefs and that its okay for her to do the same. Get parenting and family advicesubmit a question! Please keep questions short (<150 words), and dont submit the same question to multiple columns. We are unable to edit or remove questions after publication. Use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity. Your submission may be used in other Slate advice columns and may be edited for publication. Thanks! Your question has been submitted. Dear Care and Feeding, * Your letter signoff Your pronouns Your email (optional and confidentialplease include if you're open to Care and Feeding following up) Submit Dear Care and Feeding, Our mom died when I was in college and my sister was in middle school. She ended up going to live with our dad and his fiancee. She kept acting out and trying to run away. In her head, the fiancee was the source of all her woes, and she hated her. The marriage didnt happen. Despite the years of therapy, any time our dad dated, my sister reverted to acting like the same devil child she was back then. She is deliberately spiteful; she once gave a woman our father was seeing something that she was very allergic to, and she got very sick. Our dad finally had enough when my sister reacted badly to his new wife; he told her the door would always be open, but she wasnt welcome if she couldnt act right. She skipped the wedding. I didnt. Advertisement Advertisement It has been very difficult trying to maintain a relationship with my sister. She feels that my spending time with our dad and his wife is a betrayal. I am engaged myself, and I am dreading the confrontation with my sister over my wedding. She will play the same game of chickeneither the wife doesnt come, or she wont come, or worse, shell come and cause a scene. My fathers wife is a nice person. Shes just not our mother. My sister turns 24 this year. I dont know what to do. We dont have much by way of extended family. Can you help? Sister Sorrow Dear Sister, Advertisement Advertisement I am assuming you have confronted your sister numerous times in the past about how shes treated your fathers partners, with no success. I would advise focusing on coming up with your plan for how to handle her with regard to your wedding. You can let her know that while she may not accept your father moving on, you have and that you intend to invite his wife. Explain that she can behave civilly or stay home and that if she causes a scene, shell be thrown out immediately. Listen to how she responds and trust your gut; if youre confident she will come and act up, dont invite her. Advertisement Be clear that you are not choosing your fathers wife over her, but that her behavior has been simply unacceptable and that you dont intend to have your special day ruined. If she seems sincere about keeping the peace, let her come, but seat her as far away from your dad as possible. As for the longer-term issue of her beef, you can let her know that while you understand that its hard for her to see your dad with someone who isnt your mother, your mom has been gone for a long time, and she would want him to be happy. Remind her that none of the women hes dealt with were ever intended to take your mothers place. Advertisement Catch Up on Care and Feeding Missed earlier columns this week? Read them here. Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group! Dear Care and Feeding, My stepchild Rav barely corresponds with my husband and me. We see Rav at events like weddings, where were treated as an afterthought. Sometimes Rav expresses interest in having us more involved. We added Rav to social media and interacted there until we were unfriended after an election, during which my husband was outspoken about politics. I hadnt even indicated who I voted for. Another stepchild, Taylor quit speaking to us altogether, although I wasnt unfriended. Taylor explained Im welcome if I divorce my husband. I interact on Taylors posts but get nothing in return. Rav sent a few photos of our first grandchild without seeing us before the birth or notifying us that they were expecting. Sometimes, Rav takes our calls, and he allows us to visit the baby occasionally. I dont trust either stepchild in any way. What is my role with my distanced grandchild and what should I do if Im suddenly asked to babysit? Gaslit Grandma Dear Gaslit, Advertisement Im not exactly sure how youve been gaslit. It seems like your husbands children have made the decision to limit interaction with you two, due at least in part to your husbands political views. Considering the difference between the two major political parties in this country, it shouldnt be surprising that someone would make such a decision; ideologies on both sides of the aisle are incredibly polarizing. As far as your grandchild goes, I suggest you simply enjoy the rare opportunity you get to see them and in the unlikely chance youre asked to babysit, you do it. This child is not responsible for their parents views, nor their complicated relationship to your husband (which I suspect runs deeper than political differences). Enjoy the little one when you can. Jamilah https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/blinken-announces-new-500mln-military-aid-package-for-ukraine-1121156658.html Blinken Announces New $500Mln Military Aid Package for Ukraine Blinken Announces New $500Mln Military Aid Package for Ukraine Sputnik International The US will provide Ukraine with an additional military aid package worth $500 million, State Secretary Antony Blinken said on Friday. 2024-12-13T05:18+0000 2024-12-13T05:18+0000 2024-12-13T05:18+0000 military russia-nato showdown us arms for ukraine antony blinken high mobility artillery rocket system (himars) nato https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/1d/1116476425_0:0:2978:1676_1920x0_80_0_0_905ce0c67618059e347418ca68420442.jpg "As part of the surge in security assistance that President Biden announced on September 26, the United States is providing another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to our Ukrainian partners... This additional assistance, provided under previous drawdowns from Department of Defense stocks, is valued at $500 million," Blinken said in a statement. The package will include artillery munition, Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS) munitions, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as protection equipment for chemical, biological, and nuclear threats, he added.Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the settlement, directly involving NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. According to lavrov, the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries. https://sputnikglobe.com/20241208/total-aid-for-ukraine-tops-119bln-since-february-2022--pentagon-1121120618.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us arms for ukraine, ukrainian crisis, ukraine conflict, russia-nato showdown, himars ukraine The project is a trade route consisting of a road and a two-way railway that would run all the way from Iraqs Persian Gulf coast to the Iraqi-Turkish border. The project is a trade route consisting of a road and a two-way railway that would run all the way from Iraqs Persian Gulf coast to the Iraqi-Turkish border. When completed, this project is expected to become yet another transport corridor between Europe and Asia via Iraq and Turkiye, which would facilitate the flow of goods and strengthen ties between the participants of this undertaking. When completed, this project is expected to become yet another transport corridor between Europe and Asia via Iraq and Turkiye, which would facilitate the flow of goods and strengthen ties between the participants of this undertaking. The implementation of the Development Road project is complicated by the fact that this route is going to run through areas of Iraq de facto controlled by Kurdish entities. The implementation of the Development Road project is complicated by the fact that this route is going to run through areas of Iraq de facto controlled by Kurdish entities. Turkiye wants to use the Development Road to diminish the influence of the Kurdistan Workers Party, whom Ankara regards as a terrorist organization and who maintains significant presence in Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkiye wants to use the Development Road to diminish the influence of the Kurdistan Workers Party, whom Ankara regards as a terrorist organization and who maintains significant presence in Iraqi Kurdistan. Meanwhile, Turkiyes attempts to have the Development Road bypass the major cities in the Iraq Kurdistan region was met with opposition from the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). Meanwhile, Turkiyes attempts to have the Development Road bypass the major cities in the Iraq Kurdistan region was met with opposition from the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/foreign-peacekeepers-in-ukraine-european-politicians-are-at-loggerheads-1121161340.html Foreign Peacekeepers in Ukraine? European Politicians are at Loggerheads Foreign Peacekeepers in Ukraine? European Politicians are at Loggerheads Sputnik International German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier pledged not to send peacekeeping troops into a potential demilitarized zone in Ukraine in case of a possible ceasefire between Kiev and Moscow. 2024-12-13T14:17+0000 2024-12-13T14:17+0000 2024-12-13T14:17+0000 world germany ukraine us france russia emmanuel macron donald trump donald tusk volodymyr zelensky https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0c/0d/1121161181_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_3b63c6a684b8880830861b14e9e697da.jpg French President Emmanuel Macron recently sat down with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss the possible deployment of a foreign peacekeeping force in Ukraine, in what followed the Paris talks on the matter between US President-elect Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.The developments come as some senior European politicians seem to be at odds over the issue. Who is backing or opposing the scheme?"Yes"German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock: "Of course everything that serves peace in the future" would be "supported by the German side with every effort."Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius: "We are preparing, we're considering scenarios, but we are doing so in complete confidentiality.""No"Friedrich Merz, potentially Germanys next chancellor: Talk of a German peacekeeping mission in Ukraine is "irresponsible."Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz: Sending Polish troops to Ukraine is "out of the question at this point." Various scenarios are on the table. We will proceed as an alliance. NATO must play a key role here, not individual countries."Macron, meanwhile, remains on the horns of a dilemma, where he is facing pressure from the US and the EUs apparent reluctance to further be involved in the Ukrainian conflict. https://sputnikglobe.com/20241128/ukraine-talks-possible-if-west-accepts-putins-peace-terms---russian-deputy-fm-1121026884.html germany ukraine france russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya 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 Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya 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 peacekeeping troops, paris talks, senior european politicians, german side , ukraine conflict, presence of troops, pressure from the us https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/how-does-western-media-try-to-defame-calin-georgescu-1121157538.html How Does Western Media Try to Defame Calin Georgescu? How Does Western Media Try to Defame Calin Georgescu? Sputnik International Georgescu earlier told Western media that he had spent "zero" on his TikTok campaign and had "zero" ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he praised as "a patriot and a leader". 2024-12-13T09:23+0000 2024-12-13T09:23+0000 2024-12-13T09:23+0000 world romania presidential election constitutional court russia media allegations money laundering vladimir putin https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0c/0d/1121157299_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_ff0765ab32f7bd9235886123967e93b6.jpg Amid uncertainty surrounding Romanias botched presidential elections, Western media has launched an information campaign against independent candidate Calin Georgescu, who earlier made it to the countrys presidential runoff.His progress, however, was annulled by the country's constitutional court, which accused Georgescu of money laundering and being "Moscows man" - allegations he denies. How does Western media paint the 62-year-old politician?Romania held its presidential election on November 24, with Georgescu winning the first round with 22.94% of the votes. The leader of the liberal Save Romania Union, Elena Lasconi, who favors the partnership with NATO and the US, came second with 19.18%.The second round of elections was scheduled for December 8. However, on December 6, the Constitutional Court ruled to cancel the results of the first round, paving the way for a rerun. The Romanian government must now set the date of a new presidential vote. Both Georgescu and Lasconi criticized the ruling.The countrys opposition parties and politicians slammed the courts decision as anti-democratic. Georgescu, for his part, insisted that the ruling "is more than a legal controversy" and that "it is basically a formalized coup d'etat." https://sputnikglobe.com/20241206/romanias-top-court-cancels-results-of-presidential-elections-first-round---reports-1121108955.html romania russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya 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 Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya 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 western media, constitutional court, romania's independent candidate calin georgescu, constitutional court's decision to annul georgescu's progress, 62-year-old politician, romania's presidential election https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/niger-suspends-bbc-operations-for-3-months---ministry-1121156087.html Niger Suspends BBC Operations for 3 Months - Ministry Niger Suspends BBC Operations for 3 Months - Ministry Sputnik International Nigerien authorities have suspended the operations of the UK-based BBC broadcaster for three months, the ANP news agency reported, citing the country's Ministry of Communication, Posts, and Digital Economy. 2024-12-13T03:52+0000 2024-12-13T03:52+0000 2024-12-13T03:52+0000 africa niger bbc bbc bias british broadcasting corporation propaganda bias media bias fake news mainstream media https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0a/15/1102507128_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_7ddb95d11ab2867ed4c9e21d4d983166.jpg The ministry reportedly accuses the broadcaster of presenting false information directed to destabilize the situation in the country and of "undermining troop morale." Previously, Niger suspended the operations of France's RFI and France 24. In Niger, on July 26, 2023, a group of soldiers from the presidential guard announced the ousting of Bazoum. The National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland was formed to govern the country, led by the guard's commander, Abdourahamane Tchiani. On August 10, Tchiani signed a decree forming a transitional government. In the same month, the transitional government issued a decree banning the operations of state-run NGOs, UN agencies, and international organizations. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230802/niger-military-takover-guide-to-what-happened-1112338330.html africa niger Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International western media, media censorship, western propaganda, western influence, british media, british intelligence, mainstream media, broadcasting company, western agenda, western dominance, third world, third world countries, neo-colonialism, neocolonialism, former colony, nigerian media, nigerien media, fake news, multipolarity, multipolar world order, unipolarity, us hegemony https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/over-1mln-people-displaced-across-syria-since-november-27-1121156791.html Over 1Mln People Displaced Across Syria Since November 27 Over 1Mln People Displaced Across Syria Since November 27 Sputnik International Over 1.1 million people have been displaced across Syria since the escalation of hostilities on November 27, most of them women and children, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. 2024-12-13T05:36+0000 2024-12-13T05:36+0000 2024-12-13T05:36+0000 world mideast middle east syria un office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (ocha) aleppo bashar assad https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0a/0b/1120505873_0:52:3072:1780_1920x0_80_0_0_c93710bf84349d50b77ab755c9d799ee.jpg "Over 1.1 million people mostly women and children - have now been displaced across Syria, since the escalation of hostilities on 27 November, according to the IDP Taskforce. Nearly 640,000 people fled the Aleppo governorate, 334,000 left Idleb, and 136,000 fled Hama," the organization said in a statement. The Syrian armed opposition captured the capital of Damascus on Sunday. Russian officials said that President Bashar Assad had stepped down after negotiations with participants of the Syrian conflict, and left Syria for Russia where he was granted asylum. Mohammed al-Bashir, who ran an Idlib-based administration formed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other opposition groups, was named interim prime minister on Tuesday. https://sputnikglobe.com/20241211/what-is-the-strategic-importance-of-deir-ez-zor-and-could-it-cause-new-kurdish-syrian-conflict-1121150295.html syria aleppo Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International syria crisis, syria conflict, syria refugees, syria war, syria coup, syria humanitarian https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/russia-strikes-ukrainian-energy-infrastructure-in-retaliation-for-attack-on-taganrog--1121159231.html Russia Strikes Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure in Retaliation for Attack on Taganrog Russia Strikes Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure in Retaliation for Attack on Taganrog Sputnik International The Russian Armed Forces conducted a massive strike on critical fuel and energy infrastructure in Ukraine that supported the operations of the Ukrainian defense industry, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. 2024-12-13T09:37+0000 2024-12-13T09:37+0000 2024-12-13T09:57+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/03/1119232130_0:41:3567:2047_1920x0_80_0_0_da0362961e44ddbb4e5439624082c9ab.jpg The Russian Armed Forces conducted a massive strike on critical fuel and energy infrastructure in Ukraine that supported the operations of its defense industry, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The goal of the strike was achieved and all designated targets were hit, the ministry emphasized.Ukraine attacked an airfield in Russia's Taganrog with six ATACMS missiles on December 11. Russian officials vowed retaliation. https://sputnikglobe.com/20241211/ukraines-attack-with-atacms-missiles-on-russias-taganrog-airfield-wont-go-unanswered---mod-1121149807.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia'a special military operation, ukraine crisis, ukraine conflict, high-precision strikes ukraine, high-precision strikes kiev https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/russia-warned-five-years-ago-us-mercenaries-profit-from-syrian-oil-1121157714.html Russia Warned Five Years Ago: US Mercenaries Profit From Syrian Oil Russia Warned Five Years Ago: US Mercenaries Profit From Syrian Oil Sputnik International The US is maintaining its military presence in Syria's oil-rich northeast region, claiming its major aim is to keep the oil out of ISIS hands. However, the reality appears more complex. 2024-12-13T09:12+0000 2024-12-13T09:12+0000 2024-12-13T09:12+0000 world syria blackwater russian foreign ministry donald trump middle east erik prince iraq https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107033/11/1070331170_0:134:3008:1826_1920x0_80_0_0_03dec2a1bbaaac1709d0d54b6473fd8b.jpg Takeover of Deir ez-Zor: US-allied Kurdish militias seized Syria's largest oil field, Al-Omar, located in Deir el-Zour province along the border with Iraq, from ISIS* and then expanded their control over the oil-rich region. Hydrocarbon control: Instead of returning hydrocarbons to the Syrian people, the US began extracting and allegedly stealing the nation's energy resources. PMC involvement? The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated in July 2019 that around 3,500 US private military contractors (PMCs) were participating in illegal oil production at the Al-Omar, Tanak, and Conoco fields in Deir ez-Zor province. Illegal production: According to the MoD, illegal hydrocarbon production was also conducted in neighboring Al-Hasakah and Raqqa, held by US-backed Kurdish militias. Criminal scheme: The MoD claimed, "A criminal scheme for cross-border deliveries of Syrian oil is in operation," with US PMCs operating under the cover of US-led coalition aviation. Oil revenues: The MoD stated in October 2019 that oil revenues, amounting to $30 million a month, were funneled through brokerage companies to the accounts of PMCs and US special services.Earlier, in July 2019, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the US of hypocrisy, stating that despite declaring a pull-out from Syria, Washington was quietly substituting its troops with private military contractors on the ground. Blackwater involvement? In May 2019, the Tehran Times reported that US PMC Blackwater and other Western security firms were operating in Iraq and sought to move to Syria. Blackwater had been expelled from Iraq over the 2007 Nisour Square massacre. Erik Prince's proposal: In January 2019, Blackwater founder Erik Prince suggested on Fox News that military contractors could replace US troops in Syria. He argued that the US should not abandon its allies despite having no long-term strategic obligation to stay in Syria. Trump's statement: In November 2019, then-President Donald Trump stated during a White House press conference, "We're keeping the [Syrian] oil. We have the oil. The oil is secure." Policy support: In August 2020, anonymous US officials told Foreign Policy that developing and keeping Syria's oil fields were helping the State and Defense departments justify a continued US military presence in the region.*banned in Russia as a terrorist organization https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/could-syrian-crisis-threaten-iraqi-turkish-development-road-trade-route--1121156984.html syria iraq Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova blackwater pmc syria, stationary bandit syria, us occupation syria, syria oil rich, blackwater oil https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/russias-vostok-battle-group-liberates-7-towns-in-one-month-1121158841.html Russias Vostok Battle Group Liberates 7 Towns in One Month Russias Vostok Battle Group Liberates 7 Towns in One Month Sputnik International Russias Vostok group of forces has liberated seven towns and taken control over more than 300 square kilometers (115 square miles) in a month, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. 2024-12-13T09:25+0000 2024-12-13T09:25+0000 2024-12-13T09:25+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russian army russian armed forces ukrainian crisis russia andrei belousov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0b/1e/1121049395_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_a07d04ed3d32cca234ed7a338820bea7.jpg Russian Defense Ministry Andrey Belousov held a working meeting at the Vostok command post, during which he received commanders reports. Ivanaev also stated that, due to the effective use of high-precision weapons and attack drones by the Russian military, the enemy had suffered significant losses in both equipment and personnel. The ministry also mentioned that Belousov had been presented with the results of the weapons modernization to increase effectiveness in the fight against enemy drones and communication equipment, as well as with samples of robotic complexes. The minister has expressed gratitude to the command staff for their combat performance and presented state awards to outstanding military servicepeople, the ministry added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20241122/why-us-and-its-nato-allies-cant-intercept-russias-oreshnik-missiles-1120966598.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia special military operation, ukraine crisis, ukraine conflict, ukraine hostilities, russia-nato showdown, russian army offensive https://sputnikglobe.com/20241213/what-is-p5-process-and-how-could-it-help-prevent-nuclear-war--1121158594.html What Is P5 Process and How Could It Help Prevent Nuclear War? What Is P5 Process and How Could It Help Prevent Nuclear War? Sputnik International Last week the parties to the so-called P5 Process convened in Dubai for an expert meeting to discuss matters related to nuclear weapons. During the meeting, whose details were revealed to the public only on December 10, the participants had a candid discussion on nuclear doctrines, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. 2024-12-13T10:15+0000 2024-12-13T10:15+0000 2024-12-13T10:15+0000 world nuclear non-proliferation russian foreign ministry nuclear non-proliferation treaty (npt) russia china united kingdom (uk) france us https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0c/0d/1121159570_0:380:1732:1354_1920x0_80_0_0_6406062c4c75cac87b7de4fa785411e1.jpg During the meeting, whose details were revealed to the public only on December 10, the participants had a candid discussion on nuclear doctrines, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. What Is The P5 Process? Established in 2009, the P5 Process is a discussion platform for the worlds top 5 nuclear powers Russia, the United States, China, the United Kingdom and France. All of the groups participants are party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Originally, the P5 Process was meant to facilitate discussion on three key issues: nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful application of nuclear power. Today, this process essentially allows the worlds largest holders of nuclear weapons to discuss mutually beneficial arrangements in the global security sphere and to defuse potential security risks. The chair of this informal group rotates annually, with China currently presiding over the P5 Process. What Issues Does The P5 Process Deal With? In a statement issued in January 2022, the participants of the P5 Process formally declared that their foremost responsibilities are the avoidance of war between nuclear-weapon holding states and the reduction of strategic risks. What Makes The P5 Process So Important Today? The P5 Process continues to function today despite the fact that three of its participants the US, the UK and France currently wage a de facto proxy war against Russia who is also a participant of this discussion platform. With tensions rising in Europe and other parts of the globe, the P5 Process helps decrease the risk of a nuclear exchange, a prospect that has been mentioned in media with alarming frequency as of late. However, in light of the recent deterioration in relations between nuclear powers, provoked by Western countries, the P5 Process is not doing particularly well, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned in July. She did note that P5 Process participants still keep this discussion platform alive and that it is important that the five top nuclear powers maintain a channel allowing them to send important signals to one another. https://sputnikglobe.com/20241119/nuclear-doctrine-changes-signal-russias-willingness-to-take-on-global-power-obligations---expert-1120928505.html russia china united kingdom (uk) france Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nuclear non-proliferation, nukes, nuclear war, nuclear p5, p5 process, p5 meeting Speedy stakes winning filly Canigetalouploup has been sold and will be retired to the broodmare ranks in 2025. A daughter of Sweet Lou - Continual Velocity, Canigetalouploup p,3,1:50.1 ($409,118) led the Burke Stable consignment on Thursday, Dec. 12 at onGait.com when she sold for $227,465 ($161,500 USD). A multiple stakes winner and race timed in 1:48.4s while competing against the best fillies in her division, Canigetalouploup is now owned by Steve Jones of New York's Cameo Hills Farm and will be bred to Huntsville. Her stablemates, the Captaintreacherous four-year-old mare Hello Yes Hi p,3,1:51.3f ($313,483) and the Huntsville four-year-old mare Celia B Money p,4,1:50.4f ($207,859), sold for $81,690 ($58,000 USD) and $64,085 ($45,500 USD), respectively. Tim Wilson of Illinois bought Hello Yes Hi while Pollack Racing of Pennsylvania purchased Celia B Money. Finally, Burke and partners sold a Sweet Lou share for $128,873 ($91,500 USD) to Charles Taylor of Ohio, doing business as Government Technology Services, and a share in Captaintreacherous for $114,085 ($81,000 USD) to Dana Parham of Florida. (with files from OnGait) Equine Guelph has announced the return of its highly popular online course, Racehorse Respiratory Health, designed exclusively for the horse racing industry. This comprehensive two-week course, running from Jan. 27 to Feb. 7, 2025, offers invaluable insights into maintaining and improving the respiratory health of racehorses. Thanks to a partnership between Equine Guelph and Ontario Racing, Standardbred Canada, The Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) and Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA) this offering will be available FREE (value of $95) to the first 100 AGCO license holders and/or Standardbred Canada members who enroll. Respiratory issues are a leading concern for racehorse trainers and grooms, significantly impacting performance on the track. This course addresses these concerns by providing practical, evidence-based strategies to reduce respiratory risks and enhance the overall health and performance of racehorses. Participants will gain a deep understanding of common respiratory diseases, and effective management practices to help prevent them. The course is designed to be flexible and accessible, allowing participants to log in anytime and engage with instructors, guest experts, and peers through an interactive discussion forum. Renowned veterinarians Sarah Shaw and Amy Lack will return as the course co-instructors for the Racehorse Respiratory Health online course. Dr. Sarah Shaw is a private practice owner and a large animal internal medicine specialist working in Ontario. After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College, she spent one year in a large animal ambulatory practice and then completed an internship at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala. She then pursued a large animal internal medicine residency at Texas A&M where her research focused on Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. In 2016, Dr. Shaw began working at Rotenberg Veterinary P.C., a practice with a focus on Thoroughbred mares, foals, sales yearlings, and racehorses. Concurrently, she has developed a diverse equine internal medicine referral caseload and is an adjunct professor at the Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Amy Lack grew up riding and showing horses in western New York. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri in 2015 and completed a residency in internal medicine at Mississippi State University in 2019. During her residency, she completed a Masters thesis with a focus on Equine Asthma. Amy joined the Large Animal Internal Medicine service at the Ontario Veterinary College in July of 2020. Dr. Shaw and Dr. Lack will be discussing common respiratory issues for racehorses as well as early detection and prevention. Everything from feeding, bedding, trailering and environment can have an impact on respiratory health. Going the extra mile learning the anatomy of the horses respiratory system, will increase understanding of how these obligate nose-breathers differ from humans. You will come away with management strategies to facilitate optimal performance. Shaw and Lack will also be joined by Industry Ambassadors, Julie Walker and Renee Kierans, who will be on-hand as peer helpers to assist students and ask questions on hot topics. Past participants have praised the course for its practical approach and the opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field. One participant noted, "The more we learn about our equine athletes, the better stewards we will be to these magnificent animals." Trainers, grooms and owners are invited to sign up for the free Racehorse Respiratory Health online course starting Jan. 27 to help racehorses reach their full potential. For those who have never taken an online course before, no prior online learning experience is required. Limited registrations available. Save the date for the next exclusive course Feb. 24 Mar. 7: Racehorse Gut Health & Ulcer/Colic Prevention which will also be available for free to AGCO Licensees & Standardbred Canada members. Equine Guelph is also seeking industry participant feedback to develop courses of interest. Take this 2-3 minute poll to have your say. (with files from Equine Guelph) 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: Google Google is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with help from its sophisticated Gemini artificial intelligence. The internet titan on Thursday unveiled an Android XR operating system created in a collaboration with Samsung, which will use it in a device being built in what is called internally "Project Moohan," according to Google. The software is designed to power augmented and virtual reality experiences enhanced with artificial intelligence, XR vice president Shahram Izadi said in a blog post. "With headsets, you can effortlessly switch between being fully immersed in a virtual environment and staying present in the real world," Izadi said. "You can fill the space around you with apps and content, and with Gemini, our AI assistant, you can even have conversations about what you're seeing or control your device." Credit: Google Google this week announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, as the world's tech giants race to take the lead in the fast-developing technology. CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would mark what the company calls "a new agentic era" in AI development, with AI models designed to understand and make decisions about the world around you. Android XR infused with Gemini promises to put digital assistants into eyewear, tapping into what users are seeing and hearing. An AI "agent," the latest Silicon Valley trend, is a digital helper that is supposed to sense surroundings, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. "Gemini can understand your intent, helping you plan, research topics and guide you through tasks," Izadi said. "Android XR will first launch on headsets that transform how you watch, work and explore." The Android XR release was a preview for developers so they can start building games and other apps for headgear, ideally fun or useful enough to get people to buy the hardware. This is not Google's first foray into smart eyewear. Its first offering, Google Glass, debuted in 2013 only to be treated as an unflattering tech status symbol and met with privacy concerns due to camera capabilities. The market has evolved since then, with Meta investing heavily in a Quest virtual reality headgear line priced for mainstream adoption and Apple hitting the market with pricey Vision Pro "spacial reality" gear. Google plans to soon begin testing prototype Android XR-powered glasses with a small group of users. Google will also adapt popular apps such as YouTube, Photos, Maps, and Google TV for immersive experiences using Android XR, according to Izadi. Gemini AI in glasses will enable tasks like directions and language translations, he added. "It's all within your line of sight, or directly in your ear," Izadi said. 2024 AFP Flash China has made serious protests and expressed strong condemnation to Canada over its sanctions against some Chinese personnel for alleged human rights violations, and called on Canada to correct its wrongdoing at once, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks when answering relevant queries after a regular press briefing. "China has made clear its just position on Canada's decision," Mao said, adding the whole thing is an ugly, hypocritical political stunt done by some Canadian political figures under the pretext of human rights to serve an unspeakable agenda and please the United States. "This is quite apparent to many in the world," she said. Noting that Canada's false allegations about China's human rights and illicit sanctions against Chinese personnel are of an egregious nature and have serious consequences, Mao said China has made serious protests and expressed strong condemnation to the Canadian side and called on Canada to correct its wrongdoing at once. China will take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard our nation's sovereignty, security and development interests, Mao said. Flash Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, meets with Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, met with Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev in Beijing on Thursday. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 75 years ago, China and Russia have blazed a new path featuring mutual respect, harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between major and neighboring countries, setting an example of new-type international relations as well as relations between major neighboring countries, Xi said. He said China is willing to work with Russia to strengthen the synergy of development strategies, tap the intrinsic momentum of bilateral cooperation, and continuously bring benefits to the two countries and peoples. China and Russia should strengthen communication and coordination within such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations (UN), the BRICS cooperation mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, and practice true multilateralism so as to make the international order more just and equitable and jointly safeguard global strategic stability and international fairness and justice, Xi said. Xi pointed out that since the establishment of relations between the CPC and the United Russia party more than 20 years ago, the two sides have conducted high-level and constructive interactions, strengthened exchanges and mutual learning on party and state governance, continuously enriched the content of institutionalized exchanges between the two parties, and helped consolidate political and strategic mutual trust between China and Russia. As important forces promoting human progress, the two parties should further coordinate and cooperate closely, lead the global governance in the right direction, and pool the consensus of friendly political parties in countries around the world, especially in the Global South countries, to push the world forward in the right direction, Xi said. On the Ukraine crisis, China has repeatedly emphasized the need to uphold the three principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no provocation by any party, to promote the easing of the situation as soon as possible, Xi said. He added that China will continue to adhere to its consistent position and work with the international community to create favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis. Medvedev delivered a signed letter to Xi from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and expressed his delight at visiting China again on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. The current high-level cooperation between Russia and China is the result of the joint guidance and promotion by President Putin and President Xi, he said. The Russian side will unswervingly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote strategic coordination, Medvedev said. Noting that the exchanges and cooperation between the United Russia party and the CPC bear special responsibilities in the relations between the two countries, Medvedev said the United Russia party is willing to promote pragmatic cooperation and youth exchanges through the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of Russia and China, strengthen education on traditional values such as patriotism and promote the long-term development of bilateral relations. Medvedev said that the Russian side speaks highly of China's position on the Ukraine crisis, pays attention to the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis, an initiative put forward by China, Brazil and other countries, and is willing to actively promote the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Flash More than 1.1 million people have fled their homes across Syria since the recent hostilities erupted two weeks ago amid reports of food and fuel shortages, UN humanitarians said on Thursday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the United Nations and its partners continue humanitarian activities as the security situation allows, with some partners operating in a limited scope in the cities of Damascus, Tartous, Latakia and Raqqa. The world body is closely monitoring the situation. In Syria's northwest, the lack of flour and fuel has shuttered Aleppo bakeries, the office said. There are limited vegetable supplies. Electricity outages are reported in some neighborhoods. Fuel prices remain high. OCHA said hostilities near Tishreen Dam in the Aleppo governorate have extended electricity outages since Tuesday, affecting more than 400,000 people in some areas, such as Menbij and Kobani cities, disrupting access to water and other key services. Despite the challenges, and as security allowed, the United Nations and partners have provided food to more than 700,000 people in northwest Syria since the escalation of hostilities. In the northeast, humanitarian access and delivery remains challenging, according to OCHA. Checkpoints are restricting movement in the cities of Raqqa, Tabqa, Hassakeh and Derik, where reports of looting continue. More than 40,000 displaced people are staying in around 200 collective centers. Humanitarian organizations are distributing food, hygiene kits, cash, and psychosocial support to children and adults.